《The fallen (?) hero and Aži Dahāka's soul fragment》


 Chapter 1 - Bad end route

    Silence descended upon a dark, barren place devoid of life except for a humanoid figure bathed in blood standing among countless corpses of monsters more generally known as demon beasts. The atmosphere surrounding him was calm and yet there is a tinge of both regret and anger on his face.


    He walked seemingly without aim but then stopped near the corpse of a gigantic bird-like demon beast before forcefully plucking off a big portion of the demon beast¡¯s wing without caring that more blood was splattered onto his body.


    ¡°Another day of eating demon beasts¡­ how did things turn out to be like this?¡±


    His coarse, almost inaudible voice barely pushed away the looming silence.


    ¡°After what we have done¡­ AFTER WE RESOLVED OURSELVES TO BECOME KILLERS, TO KILL YOUR ENEMIES FOR YOU ALL! AND THIS IS WHAT WE GET AS THANKS?¡±


    Suddenly raising his voice he stabbed his dagger again and again into the lifeless demon beast¡¯s body in front of him.


    ¡°Not good, I have to cool down¡­ I can¡¯t go insane before I get my revenge.¡±


    Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Must be because I¡¯ve only been seeing nightmare about that day lately.¡±


    As much as it was agonizing for him, just by having the thought vivid images of the event that led him to his current situation began to re-emerge in his mind against his will.


    A red carpet was laid out from the entrance of a spacious room, which was big enough to cram at least several hundreds of people in, towards the imposing throne. The room would be majestic if not for the cracks and crater-like depressions scattered around the floor, walls and ceiling. Everything was painted red with blood.


    It was the aftermath of an intense battle.


    On one side, a dark-scarlet haired man that sported two horns on his head, of which one was broken in half. His figure and demeanor were imposing and left the impression of an important and powerful figure. And he was that, as he had stood atop the demon race itself. The demon lord clad in the blackest of armors swayed and stumbled until he finally fell down. A pool of blood formed under his body before it stopped expanding, signifying the stillness of his heart.


    The bloody image finally managed to pull his consciousness deeper into the memory he would never forget.


    ¡°Brother, did... we do it?¡± My little brother, still holding his bloodied sword in a stance, Reza looked at me with a blank exhausted look. I hesitated as I looked at the fallen body near my feet and then at everyone else, next to Reza was Mira, on the opposite side of us, behind the collapsed body were Surya and Bagus, everyone including me was covered in wounds.


    ¡°Yeah¡± I said weakly, however I couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to smile. My exhausted body regained a bit of its strength as I raised my fist and I said ¡°YEAH¡± this time with vigor.


    Everyone then shouted in unison ¡°We really did it !¡±


    Suryadropped his bow and fell down on his bottom while letting a sigh of relief, Bagus couldn¡¯t hold back his tears while sobbing softly, smiling.


    Mira threw her wand and jumped onto Reza¡¯s chest, hugging him while crying. Flustered, his arms were in the air. Reza looked at her and then at me a few times with a reddened face.


    I approached him, knocked his head lighly, and whispered,


    ¡°Just hug her back, idiot¡±


    Although hesitant, he finally wrapped his arms aroundher and smiled gently.


    Yep, I know the two of you just started going out before we raided the demon lord¡¯s castle but there should be no reason to hold back right there my bro.


    If there¡¯s a mirror in front of me I think I will see an old man with a lax face as if he was looking at his grandchildren playing around happily in his backyard.... wait, what did I just think? Oh well...


    I looked at the fallen body in black armoronce again, the Demon Lord ¡°Orcus¡±. Even though it took hours,we finally defeated him.


    The war between the humans and the demon race which has been raging for tens of years,almost ended up with the human side losing, if not for the hero summoning twoyearsago.


    Reza, Mira, Surya, Bagusand Iwere summoned from our clubroom one fateful evening and although reluctant, we finally joined the war and managed to turn the tide of war due to our special status as otherworlders. If this was a game our stats will have some extra points by 100 on almost each stats even at level 1 which equal that of a level 50 of the average human of this world. And thanks to the harsh training and dungeon exploration, we surely have gotten far stronger compared to the first time we came here.


    If somebody got a scouter maybe they will shout ¡°Their power level is over 9.000!!¡±or something like that, not that I think it will really be over 9.000 though.Heck, I don¡¯t even know the standard.


    By the way there really was something we coulduse to see somebody¡¯s stats in certain values,althoughsuch artifact is considered a rare item even in this world.In fact some of the kingdom¡¯s higher ups used that on us but they didn¡¯t tell us the details of our stats other thansayingthat they were otherworldly. Well duh, we were from another world.


    Still, the demonlord was even stronger. We could only reach him after the kingdom launched a full scale attack on one of the demon¡¯s base in the frontline as a decoy while we, accompanied by several elite knights launched a sneak attack right into his castle when its defense is at the worst. With the sacrifice of the knights we finally got to face him in a fierce battle. Honestly, I felt like giving up several times in the fight myself.


    ¡°Shall we get back? It will be bad if this commotion reached the ones in other bases and they send reinforcements here. In our current condition I doubt we can take them on.¡±


    Everyone nodded to my proposal and we began to move out. In our tattered condition we could only walk in a little quicker pace so it might take some time until we can get out of this castle. However when we got pasta room I saw something moving.


    ¡°Wait¡± I told everyone to stop and they look at me with question marks above their heads.


    ¡°I saw something¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still some demon left? Then we should run ! We can¡¯t fight in our current state.¡± Surya looked as if he¡¯s just seen a demon... well, wewerein a demon lord¡¯s castle.


    But true, everyone looked like they might collapse anytime.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but I don¡¯t want to be chased from behind while we can only run at the speed of jogging at most like this. You guys wait here, my condition isn¡¯t as bad as yours I¡¯ll check it out. If something happens, just run ahead and I will follow after buying some time.¡±


    Wait, what the heck wasI saying? I don¡¯t want to play a cool but stupid hero at a time like this...


    ¡°What are you saying big bro? We won¡¯t leave you behind !¡± Reza shouted at me.


    ¡°Yes we won¡¯t let you fight alone.¡± Mira added.


    Surya hesitated but he nodded to their words. Bagus was just looking at me worriedly.


    I knew they will say that, why did I even propose such a thing anyway?


    However, when I see that Reza and Mira were holding hands I finally understood.


    I see it¡¯s not that I just want to play hero but,


    ¡°Nggghhh, Okay if something happens just back me up then. But, you guys wait here.¡±


    Reza just nodded weakly to my words.


    I looked around the room in cautionand readied my trusty weapons, the pure white ¡¯Azanthys¡¯ on my right and the jet black ¡®Mareritter¡¯ on my left,which basic form was close to a katar which was heavily modified with ornaments and side blades that reach the elbows.


    The first thing that came to mind after looking at the interior was... ¡®cute¡¯, what a cutely decorated room this was. Stuffed dolls can be found almost on every corner of the room. I think this wasa kid¡¯s room, a girl.I couldn¡¯t imagine such a room to exist within thedemon lord¡¯s castle except if....


    *Thud*


    I heard something and I look toward the source, a wooden closet


    I gulped my saliva and approached it slowly. It sounded like something just bumped into the cabinet from the inside.


    ¡°Uuu¡±


    A groan could be heard from the closet.


    Okay, now I¡¯m sure somebody was inside the closet and judging by the situation it would be...


    I opened the closet slowly to find a girl about 12or 13years old, I looked at her elongated ears, blackish scarlet hair, and the horns albeit small protruding out from her head... don¡¯t tell me.


    Tears were flowing down her cheeks but shewaslooking at me with sharp resolute eyes, the same eyes of the one wehadjust fought...


    Great, this girl must be related to the demon lord, she might even be his daughter. Okay, what to do here¡­


    If I leave her be she might become the next demon lord¡­


    ¡°Oi, did you find anything ? ¡° Surya peeked out from the door and called out to me.


    The girl, now trembling, closed her eyes, crying soundlessly. Aww damn, you just need to touch my soft part,you lass.


    ¡°No, nothing, sorry I guess it was just my imagination, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Letting out a soft ¡°Eh?¡± the demon girl looked at me with a surprised expression.


    I put a finger to my lips, signalling her to not let out a sound, ignoring her blank stare I closed the closet then ran outside the room.


    It has been three weeks since we killed the demon lord.


    The death of the demon lord has spread throughout the continent. With their morale reaching its peak the mankind army raced through the frontline to re-seize their once lost territory,while the demons retreated and focused on defense.


    However, the war wasn¡¯t over yet. The death of Demon Lord Orcus just brought it to a stalemate. I guess a nation couldn¡¯tjust appoint a new leader when one was lost. Apparently the reason mankind was able to push them back was also the dispute between their higher ups on the right to the throne.


    To my surprise I hadn¡¯t even heard any rumour of Orcus having an heir, so who was that girl I saw in the castle?


    We were currently in a carriage returning to Rifsten,the capital of Rifst kingdom, one of the 3largest nations of mankind which was also the bastion of mankind due to its location that borderedthe demon territory. If we lookedat a map of the continent, the demons occupy a third of the continent at the western part while,except for a small part at the middle-eastern part that belongs to the elves, the rest was humans¡¯territory. There were also islands nations north of the continent that belongs to the beastmen.


    There are quite a number of humans¡¯ nations, however the three largest were:the Merchants Republic of Valis;Zagrant Empire which,borderedthe Demons territory at the northern part of the continent;and Rifst,which also borderedthe demons territory at the southern part of the continent.


    Rifst was also the nation which summoned us.I still remember the day 2yearsago. Surya, Bagus and I were hanging out in our clubroom afterschool when Reza, my little brother, and Mira,who is our childhood friend just came to pick me up. A magic circle suddenly appeared on the floor and we were enveloped in bright light. When we came to we were in a big hall, the summoning hall, and were surrounded by the kingdom¡¯s best mages.


    Ah, nevermind that, now we couldask the king to finally return us to our world. What we promised wasn¡¯t to bring victory in this war, but to defeat the demon lord and we have fulfilled our share.Now itwas time to go home.


    As our carriage passed through the capital,we were welcomed with cheers from the townsfolk.There were many people whom we have come to know calling us by our names while shouting things like


    ¡°You did it, as expected of the heroes. Please continue to protect our country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked this before, but won¡¯t you really consider marrying to our family?¡±


    ¡°I hope you will still be my customer from now on¡±


    ¡°I want to be big bro¡¯s bride !¡±


    And so on.


    Sorry folks, but we were going home.


    ¡°I am very sorry, however our kingdom does not have the means to send you back to your home world.¡±


    Is what the King just said to us in the audience hall.


    ¡°Say what?¡± I shouted reflexively.


    ¡°The ancient magic used to summon you was a one way portal, thus we cannot use it to send anything from this side.¡±


    Surya just double facepalmed himself with a loud slapsound while Bagus was muttering things in a language I don¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Please wait a minute your majesty, the promise was that you will send us back to our world once we have defeated the demon lord.¡± Reza, drenched in cold sweat protested while Mira was just holding his hand, looking at her own feet blankly.


    ¡°Yes, that was indeed our promise, however it seems our kingdom would not be able to fulfill the promise by ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me ?¡± Reza was agitated, as could be heard from his tone.


    This was shit. So we were deceived? This kingdom didn¡¯t have any means to send us back home since the very beginning?


    Wait¡­ ¡®this kingdom¡¯¡­ ¡®by ourselves¡¯¡­


    I looked at the King and he returned my gaze with a grin.


    You bastard¡­


    I laughed and everyone from our group looked at me, confused.


    The King also laughed and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to see your reaction. True, we don¡¯t have any means to send you all back but that doesn¡¯t mean that a way to send you back is nonexistent. Our scholars couldn¡¯t find a way to send you back in time but the empire sent their envoy a few months ago telling us they had finally found the necessary magic thus we have arranged a way to send you all back with the Empire.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°Eh?¡±¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°There is a place in Zagrant Empire that was said to be the closest place in this world to dimensional rift. The Empire had also sent a formal invitation to you heroes. Their side will arrange everything from taking you there and use their imperial secret magic repertoire to help send you back home. The preparation will be finished around 4or 5 days from now and the place is located about a week from here by carriage so you may depart tomorrow if you wish. How is it?¡±


    The heroes group other than me just stared at the King, dumbfounded, then they breathed out sigh of relief.


    ¡°You really got us there your majesty. However, that is a very bad joke if I have to say. Your words also implied that at the start the kingdom didn¡¯t even think of a way to send us home.¡±


    ¡°Urg, as expected, you were the first to realize it eh? I don¡¯t have enough words to apologize but as we have found the way now I hope you will let it be bygones.¡±


    I sighed then smiled at the king.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anymore now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also said this many times but how¡¯s it, would you like to stay and join the knights? I¡¯ll even arrange your own squad.¡± The king answered me calmly.


    Reza looked at me, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s thinking ¡®No, don¡¯t!¡¯ or ¡®If you¡¯re going to stay then I will too!¡¯


    Well, don¡¯t worry I do want to go back too my bro.


    ¡°I am sorry your majesty, but going back to our world was our goal since the very beginning. We only agreed to help because you promised to send us back if we helped.¡± The way I said it sounded like if the King forced us to fight¡­ Wait, half of it was true, we truly felt like helping them only after we have seen the condition of the people in the frontlines.


    The King sighed and said ¡°I see, it can¡¯t be helped then¡­¡±


    I just shrugged, and at that moment I saw someone who was looking at me with a rather sad expression. I chose to ignore her for now though so I averted my gaze.


    ¡°Erik!¡±


    Someone called my name while I was on the way to my room. I looked back to the source of the voice. It was a girl the same age as mine, 17 years old. She¡¯s wearing a gorgeous blue and white colored dress with some yellow on the hems. She is the first princess of Rifst, Lavinia Vie Rifst.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I suddenly felt some warm gazes from the others behind me.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯m going back to my room and get some sleep.¡± Reza just spoke in an exaggerated manner and walk away.


    ¡°Good idea, I¡¯m beat¡­¡± Mira follows.


    Bagus dragged the clueless Surya away while giving me a sympathetic gaze.


    ¡°Your highness princess Lavinia, how are you feeling today?¡± I greeted her with practiced gesture, right hand on the chest, left leg a step to the back, and a slight bow. Hmm, perfect if I do say so myself.


    ¡°Why did you ignore me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°And didn¡¯t I tell you to stop with the formalities when it¡¯s just you and me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not going to stay?¡±


    I sighed


    Okay, I¡¯m not being over confident or anything here but, she, the princess was in love with me. In fact she told me before I went to raid the demon lord¡¯s castle. It¡¯s just¡­ I didn¡¯t answer her feelings. No, it¡¯s more like I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yeah¡± I answered weakly.


    ¡°No matter what?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we have families on the other side and if I don¡¯t go back, then I¡¯m sure Reza and Mira will also choose to stay. I also don¡¯t know what that li¡¯l brother of mine will do on the other side if I just sneak away during the transfer process. He might never forgive me if that were to happen. Also¡­¡±


    The next sentence won¡¯t come out. It¡¯s something I couldn¡¯t accept myself.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to move on?¡±


    ¡°So you know eh?¡± I smiled wryly.


    ¡°You were always looking at a certain someone the same way I look at you from the distance.¡± Lavinia asserted.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I have the chance to wait until you are ready to move on?¡± She added.


    I scratched my head.


    ¡°Listen o¡¯ young lady, there are also times when a man¡¯s heart get so delicate to the point where it will take forever until he can understand himself.¡± It might be pointless to wait is what I wanted to say, but as expected I couldn¡¯t just say it like that


    ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t underestimate a maiden¡¯s heart either, it can be so tough that a small drop of feelings can last forever you know.¡±


    Ugh, she returned that well¡­


    True, I couldn¡¯t even bury this feeling of mine which has grown for more than three years even after I found out that it is unrequited. And, Lavinia is a really beautiful girl. It might be stupid of me to hold on to my unrequited yearning any longer but¡­


    Heh, I¡¯m stupid aren¡¯t I?


    ¡°Yeah, I think with time I might be able to come to answer your feelings with mine. However, I don¡¯t know how long it will take and I, no, we also want to return to our previous life. Frankly speaking, we are tired of all this fighting. We were just some ordinary students with ordinary families and ordinary dreams like simply becoming a civil servant while leading an ordinarily happy life.¡± Ugh, maybe I added too much ¡®ordinary¡¯ there, the back of my neck is itchy¡­


    Lavinia casted her gaze downwards.


    If this was a novel or TV drama she might say ¡°Then take me along to your world¡± but Lavinia was a smart and responsible girl. She knew that she was the first princess of this kingdom with her own rights and obligations and that she couldn¡¯t be selfish, she was such a girl, no, a princess.


    She finally raised her face and smiled at me.


    ¡°Do you remember when we first talked to each other?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was the 7<sup>th</sup>day after the summoning. You suddenly approached me while I was resting alone in the palace garden after training. You even told your maids to leave us together. I was so nervous at that time you know.¡±


    ¡°I, I was nervous as well, I couldn¡¯t say anything other than ¡®how was the training sir Erik?¡¯ even you only answered ¡®It went smoothly your highness.¡¯¡±


    ¡°And after that we only stood there in silence for minutes.¡± I added.


    ¡°If only you didn¡¯t crack a joke right there we might even continue to stand there doing nothing all day.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it, it was kind of a reflexive action. I thought I was going to get a death penalty because you just kept standing there while glaring at me, you didn¡¯t even giggle.¡±


    ¡°That was¡­ the very moment when I first realized that¡­*sigh* nevermind. But you know, you were the only one to tell me jokes, there were also some unfunny ones though.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha¡­ hah¡­ Now I feel embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°And, the more we talked to each other, the more my feelings grow as well. It was¡­ fulfilling for me. Too bad it was one sided.¡±


    Tears begun to fill her eyes and that struck me in the chest. It hurts me to see her cry. I don¡¯t know if I have the right to say this but, she¡¯s my closest friend in this world.


    ¡°Lavinia¡­¡±


    ¡°Erik, I want you to have this.¡±


    Before I could say anything else Lavinia approached me and handed me a pendant, adorned with an almost transparent azure gemstone ornamented with silver carvings.Wait, this is one of Rifst royal treasure, the amulet of Praesia.


    ¡°H, hey, is it okay to give me something like this? Didn¡¯t you say this was the only thing you¡¯ll never let go?¡± I faltered.


    ¡°Please accept it, I¡¯ve held onto this for ever since I was little. It might be a little selfish of me but I hope with this you will always remember me.¡± She said as she wiped her tears.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to forget you no matter how hard I try even without this you know.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you will try to forget me?¡±


    ¡°Who knows...¡±


    ¡°Then I will give you something else to make sure you won¡¯t forget me.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Lavinia approached me even closer, leans forward and...


    ¡°Wha, eh, what?¡±


    A kiss, she kissed me... on the cheek though.


    ¡°Hmm, do you want it on the lips?¡± She asked me while blushing, well I must be blushing furiously as well now.


    We only stood there while averting our gazes until Lavinia broke the silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s a goodbye then. I don¡¯t think I can send you off tomorrow. I don¡¯t want you to see me cry anymore.¡± She smiled apologetically then turned around.


    ¡°Bye, Erik.¡± She said as she walked away.


    I know she was crying from her trembling shoulders so I didn¡¯t say anything else, not even a goodbye.


    ¡°She really didn¡¯t come eh?¡± I muttered.


    I was standing before the carriageprepared by the empire. The others except for me were already inside.


    We have returned our weapons and armors to the palace, although some were loots from dungeon raids. We were currently in our original attire, our school uniform.I thought I would have grown out of it after two years but the king had arranged for high class tailors to have them adjusted to our current size.


    We had to go in the morning to avoid commotion from the townspeople whom most are uninformed about us going home. The sun hasn¡¯t even showed itself.The sending off party were the King and his personal knightsas the crown prince and the second prince are still in the frontlines pushing the attack on the demon race.I see one of our coach in the arts of battle there, general Razak, some maids, and some other palace servants. However I didn¡¯t see Lavinia.


    ¡°Ymi¡± I called the name of a maid, she is one of Lavinia¡¯s personal maids. We get along quite well and she is also one of few individuals who knows about our relationship.


    ¡°Yes, master Erik.¡± She bowed then approached me swiftly. She wasn¡¯t crying but her expression showed a hint ofsadness.


    I took my,kind of worn out,student handbook from my bag and gave it to Ymi.


    ¡°Please give this to the Princess, just tell her that this is my return gift.¡±


    ¡°Yes, uuu.I¡¯m sorry, the princess couldn¡¯t come to *sob* see you off .¡± She nodded strongly, accepted the book, bowed again and cried. It seems that she knows about Lavinia¡¯s feelings towardsme.


    Haha... I made two girls cry within 24 hours... I¡¯m the worst.


    I got into the carriage and everyone said their goodbyes. Soon we¡¯ll return to our world.


    The carriage departed slowly and little by little the speed was raised. Not long after we left we could no longer hear the voices saying goodbyes. Several minutes passed by in silence until I noticed her. Riding a horse near the gate leading out of the royal capital was Lavinia. She must have sneaked out of the castle by herself. As she signaled to the driver to continue on, she made her horse run along our carriage.


    ¡°Erik! And everyone.¡±


    I poked my head out of the carriage¡¯s window. Following me, starting with Mira, the others also looked at Lavinia.


    ¡°As the princess of Rifst, I can only offer you all words of gratitude. Even thought we forcefully summoned all of you and threw you all into the maelstrom of war. You have gallantly fought and brought victory against the demon lord, brought the victory of mankind closer than anyone could have imagined. Once again, thank you.¡±


    After she said that she lowered her head. As she raised it back she looked directly at my eyes.


    ¡°Erik, you don¡¯t have to answer me. Not as a princess, as a girl called Lavinia, I¡­¡±


    Everyone else nodded at each other and returned to their seat while smiling, leaving me ¡°alone¡± with Lavinia. Thanking them for their consideration in my heart I returned Lavinia¡¯s gaze on me and she continued.


    ¡°I LOVE YOU!¡±


    Lavinia shouted with tears down her cheeks and as not to allow me to answer she abruptly stopped her horse. I could only see her faint smile fades out into expression of sorrow as the distance between us increases.


    ¡°Idiot, how could I answer that if you didn¡¯t allow me to ¡­You didn¡¯t even let me say goodbye.¡±


    I muttered so but what I felt was only self mockery. Surya and Bagus pretended to be asleep but Mira and Reza patted me on my shoulders.


    In the trip, we passed some area where demon beasts are known to roam around but even without her magic staff, Mira¡¯s magic could annihilate them easily so it didn¡¯t slow us down.


    Actually, I was anxious. It¡¯s been twoyearssince we were summoned. Many things must have changed. What about our parents? Maybe they already thought that we were gone forever, dead or something... I guess they will be surprised if we just appear before them.Wait, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if time flows differently on the other side. What should I do if more than two years has passed over there?


    It¡¯s useless to think too much for now. Let¡¯s just go and see¡­


    Now I feel like eating mom¡¯s special fried rice. How many times have I thought so in this world.I wonder...


    We reachedtheZagrant Empirebeforenoon of the seventh day. We have been to the Empire several times in the past for an audience with the Emperor and dungeon conquest but we have never been to this area.


    It seems we have to meet the noble who governsthe said area where our destination is first, so now we are in a mansion. Right after we arrived we were greeted by the servants, they said their master was currently still on the way from the capital and was scheduled to arrive in about an hour bell. They led us to the dining hall, told us they were going to prepare lunch then left. It seems we arrived here before ourscheduledarrival. Right after that we just chatted to kill some time.


    The five of us couldn¡¯t hide our excitement. We talked about what we will do after we get back. But me, Surya, and Bagus mostly just teased Reza and Mira about their relationship. Well I got teased about Lavinia as well although just a little. At least they¡¯re trying to be considerate.


    After a while we heard a knock on the door and a middle aged man in gaudy clothing entered.


    ¡°Greetings heroes, I am Daunte Kohl Amarkus, please just call me Daunte. I am the governor of this region, ¡®Amark¡¯ I apologize for being late.¡±


    This smiling man must be the mentioned noble. Realizing this the five of us stood from the chair and returned the greetings.


    ¡°No, it appears that we also arrived quite ahead of schedule as well.¡±


    Reza was the first to answer.


    The Daunte guy urged us to sit and he took a seat across of us.


    ¡°Umm, Sir Daunte, I¡¯m sorry but I have a question.¡± Unexpected even to us Mira raised her hand.


    ¡°Yes, please continue¡±


    ¡°Do the empire really possess a magic to send us back to our world?¡±


    After our talk with King of Rifst, Mira the only magic expertin our group seemed to have thought a lot about the magic.


    ¡°If I have to say, the answer is no.¡± Daunte answered it right away.


    ¡°What? Then...¡± Surya stood up in surprise.


    ¡°However, there is a way.¡± Daunte continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have been told about the dimensional rift bordering this world and your world. Right?¡±


    We nodded. But hey, wait...


    ¡°How do you know that it leads to our world?¡±


    Daunte squinted his eyes to my question and smiled.


    ¡°Because the summoning magic uses the same kind of rift then force open a one way target specified portal at the site of ritual.¡±


    ¡°Then how will you send us back?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t prove ityet, however we are sure if we can enlarge the opening of the rift we should be able to send things from this side as well. The drawback is that we can¡¯t choose where to send them.¡±


    Whoa whoa, then what if we were sent somewhere like underground or deep in the sea? Or high in the air? I hope we won¡¯t be sent to an entirely different planet.


    ¡°But worry not, if the rift opens under water or ground then water or soil would flow from the other side. Also... no, nothing.¡±


    Daunte continued while looking at me, smiling.


    Did he just read my mind? Is this guy an esper? And didn¡¯t he just omit something? Maybe the high in the air one?


    ¡°So can I ask a question myself? No, a request.¡± Daunte¡¯s expression showed that he is in serious mode now.


    Everyone looked at each other then nod in unison.


    ¡°Now that you havesecuredthe mean to go home will you consider staying for a bit longer in this world?¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Eh?¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°The war has been progressing in our favor after the death of demon lord Orcus, however it might not continue to be so when they appoint a new powerful demon lord.¡± As if ignoring our ¡®Eh¡¯ Daunte continued.


    ¡°The demons are so powerful to the point that even our combined force of three nations were losing until Rifst decided to summon heroes from another world, you. And as the ones who have faced several of the 12 demon generals and even the demon lord himself I am sure you know that they are far stronger than the humans of this world. Within the three nations there are currently only 7 individuals other than you heroes who can hold themselves against a demon general. The only reason we humans weren¡¯t wiped out was that we have far higher overall quantity on our side.¡±


    This old man is really trying to hold us here eh...


    ¡°And, if you choose to stay and be affiliated with Zagrant Empire, the Emperor will grant each of you nobility and lands to rule. As for the landsto be given, you may choose any of the land we conquer from thefilthydemons after we wipe them out completely.¡±


    Aaand he is starting to say some pretty dangerous things, wipe the demons out? We, ruling our own lands? When will we go home then? Somebody stop him please.


    Everyone looked downwards in silence which continued for a while.


    Can¡¯t be helped then, I¡¯ll speak...


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I, I want to go home. I¡¯m tired of all the fighting and killing.After fighting them for almost 2yearsI understand that they are basically similar to us human, they have families, important person, and more importantly they also have feelings.¡±


    Mira spoke before I could.Casting her gaze downwards she then hold Reza¡¯s hand and continued.


    ¡°I want to see my family again. I miss the peaceful life over there where we go to school and have some fun with all our friends.¡±


    ¡°I am the same, moreover, if Mira is going home then of course I will too. ¡° Rezasaidresolutely as he looks at Mira who in turn blushed while looking back at him. Then the two of them looked at me.


    The scenery struck me a little but I managed to make a wry smile and give my answer.


    ¡°Yeah, I miss mother¡¯s special fried rice. Besides, if I don¡¯t go back with you guys, then who will stop you two from flirting too much in public?¡±


    ¡°W, we won¡¯t! At least not in public¡­. What did you just made me say big bro?¡±


    Reza retorted while Mira is fidgeting, trying to hide her embarrassment.


    When I looked at Daunte, he was simply watching us with an unreadable expression.


    ¡°What about you two?¡± I asked the remaining Surya and Bagus.


    ¡°I¡¯m basically the same. I especially miss my DSP and DSV. It has been two years so I¡¯m wondering if Monster Buster has got a new release. We have to play together again over there, Erik.¡± Surya answered while smiling at me.


    ¡°My mother is a single parent so I have to help her take care of my little brother and sister.¡± And Bagus just told us a sentence that touched my weak spot.


    I looked at Daunte who in turn sighed.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, we¡¯re going home. What else do you expect from brats like us? To begin with we don¡¯t even have the obligation to fight for this world. We were summoned without any regards to our own will after all.¡±


    ¡°I see, it can¡¯t be helped then.¡± Daunte smiled but it seemed to be forced to me.


    ¡°Besides if you want the war to end more quickly why didn¡¯t you summon more heroes? It would also be better if you summoned somebody like someone from the army in our world.¡±


    This time it was Surya who asked a question, or more like a suggestion.


    Daunte stroked his short beard and answered.


    ¡°It is not that we don¡¯t want to. We can¡¯t. Looking at historical records of hero summoning for the past 5 hundred years and which also recorded some trials, we have found out that there can only be five otherworlders to be present at the same time. You are the fourth group of hero this world had summoned so far. We can¡¯t even prepare the summoning ritual which take at least a year to do when all five already present. Furthermore, we can¡¯t choose who we will summon.¡±


    ¡°I see, so after we go home you can only do the summoning after at least a year.¡± Reza concluded.


    ¡°Hmm, ah yes. That is why I personally think that it is too bad to have you go home now. Luckily it is the empire¡¯s turn to do the next hero summoning per the agreement of the council.¡±


    The atmosphere is a bit awkward but then a knock was heard and the maids came in bringing our meal. Thanks maids.


    ¡°Well for now let us have a feast, for the glory of you heroes, the mankind, and also to celebrate your return.¡± Daunte spread his hands and urged us to eat which we just do.


    Daunte, accompanied by several of his servants and 3 knights in armor was leading us through a rocky path.


    We tookthe carriage from Daunte¡¯smansion for about an hour and now we are walking up a mountainsince we can¡¯t use the carriage on such a rocky path.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, there should be an open area right ahead.¡±


    Daunte¡¯s words just made me hold the urge to rest. We just walked up the mountain for barely twenty minutes but I feel so tired already. It seemedI¡¯m not the only one who feel tired though. Reza and the restwere wearing their dull faces as well. I could race through a battlefield for hours so this is strange . Could it be we¡¯re losing our gained stats so far because we¡¯re getting closer to the rift to our world? Or...


    Now I¡¯m starting to feel anxious.


    When we reached the mentioned place, there areat least twentypeople wearing robes withsmallimperial crest embroided on the chest anda bigger one onthe back circling a wide area about 15 meters in diameter which is elevated a bit higher than its surrounding. They must be the mages since they are reciting some incantation continuously.


    ¡°It seems the preparation is almost finished. Then Heroes, if you would please stand in the middle.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was strange but I just do as Daunte instructed and stood at the said place anyway.


    ¡°Strange.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked at Mira who just said the same thing on my mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly about the summoning magic, but I don¡¯t think their incantations are related to summoning at all.¡±


    Mira is frowning as she said this.


    Now that you mentioned it, didn¡¯t Daunte said something about using the same magic that summoned us to open the rift? Didn¡¯t he saythat the preparation would take at least a year and that it can¡¯t be done when 5 otherworlders already present?


    ¡°Sir Daunte! What is the me...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t finish my words. My strength suddenly left my body. I sawReza, Mira, Surya, and Bagus collapsed one by one.


    ¡°It finally worked. Really, you heroes are monster. The poison in your food is indeed a slow acting one but for it to take more than an hour bell to show some effect... Also, the amount should be more than enough to kill a juggernaut class demon beast. Astounding yes? That is why I didn¡¯t choose to make you work for the Empire by force. We don¡¯t need an uncontrollable double-edged sword. ¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Reza glared at Daunte whose expression is giving me the urge to punch it with all my might.


    ¡°Since I personally think it would be a waste of national resources to do another hero summoning I would have preferred for you all to chooseto side with the Empire¡­is what I had wanted to say but after our small talk I concluded that this is the best course of action.Who said that those filthy demons are basically the same with human? Preposterous!


    ¡­This is the will of his imperial highness as well. I could only think his imperial highness has predicted how you guys will answer.¡±


    Erasing the previous agitation in his words, Daunte stroked his beard with a smirk and continuedcalmly.


    ¡°You are strong, however it is too bad it was Rifst that summoned you. If it was us, we would have arranged it so you will have the motivation to fight until at least we eradicate those filthy demons. Although it is also good for us that they didn¡¯t do so. Thanks to your deeds Rifst has gained too much of a better standing in the council. So this is a chance for the Empire to stand at the top once again.¡±


    ¡°Why do you go so far? If you don¡¯t need us then just send us back to our world you bastard!¡±


    Surya shouted as he raised his face and look at Daunte with scorn.


    ¡°Khekhekhe¡±Daunte just giggled in response. This is the first time in my life that I feltso furious just by looking at someone giggling


    ¡°No, Surya... There¡¯s never been a way to send us back home.¡±


    I tried to stand but my body is weaker than I thought. Come on my body, let me punch the bastard at least once in the face.


    ¡°KHAKHAKHAH, Oh, no¡­ I can¡¯t hold back any longer. I purposedly gave some hint but you just realized it now?¡±


    The bastard slapped his thigh then held his stomach while laughing loudly. I also saw some of the mages who tried to hold back their laughter and keep the incantation up. One with more distinguishable luxurious black robe even clearly jeered at us.


    I know what this bastard is going to do. After killing us he will then summon another group of heroes whom he will try to make so that they will do as his, or the empire¡¯s wish.


    ¡°Okay heroes as thanks for killing the demon lord I will tell you the future plans of our Holy Empire Zagrant.¡±


    The bastard spread his hands and with the face of a zealot began his speech. This is a chance, I¡¯ll gather all the power I can muster right now and when the chance comes I¡¯ll release it to get him and do something about this situation.


    ¡°Ah, before that, mages, you can begin the next stage.¡±


    As he said so my body just got heavier and I can feel something like electric charge rushing through my whole body. A magic circle appeared on the ground and started to emit a dim red light.


    ¡°This¡­ Highest class non elemental annihilation magic¡­ The world of Void ¨COrla Tes Escent-¡± Mira, who just realized the identity of the magic showed a surprised, no, terrified look on her face.


    ¡°Oho, so you knew eh? As expected of the genius hero who mastered advanced class magic in a week. The only weakness of this magic is that it needs a huge crystallization of pure mana which can only be obtained by conquering a dungeon as catalyst and that it takes quite a lot of time and manpower so using it in real battle is difficult. However we need to use it no matter what. You see, simply killing you all might not be enough to fulfill the requirements to do another summoning. Our research hasn¡¯t progressed that far because there weren¡¯t any chance to do a trial. So to make sure that everything will go as planned, we will erase your whole existence.¡±


    Looking at Mira¡¯s look of despair, everyone else realized that it wasn¡¯t a lie and started to fall into despair as well.


    ¡°You should be thankful you know, with your existence erased nobody will remember you, I think it should also include those in the other world as well. I mean, nobody will be sad when you all gone, don¡¯t worry though, the caster and those who witnessed the event will retain their memories of this event. Do you see that guy writing in a book over there? I am also making a written record about everything that happened today as insurance. Well, we need it to report to his imperial highness theemperor as well but don¡¯t mind it. Ah¡­ we are nice aren¡¯t we?


    Nice my ass! Damn, I couldn¡¯t even let my voice out.


    ¡°We will do all five of hero summoning separately to lower the probability of summoning those who know each other so that their bonds with each other won¡¯t be as strong as yours. Then we will gently teach them our belief that all those filthy demons must be completely eradicated from this world.¡±


    Teach? More like indoctrinate¡­


    ¡°After that we will proceed to take control of this continent. The Empire must reign at the top so that much is obvious isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°GAAAHHHHH¡±


    At that moment I heard somebody just roared, then I see Bagus dashed towards the bastard Daunte. As expected of our tanker, entitled ¡®The Silent Guy Who is Scariest When Angry¡¯.


    However, the bastard was just smiling calmly at Bagus and raised his hand forward.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    Bagus was enveloped in a darkish red light,then I saw it. His body literally disintegrated into thin air.


    Before I could express my surprise, then the same light enveloped the remaining four of us. The next to disappear was Surya, then Mira, who looked at Reza with a blank expression before she disintegrated completely. Following is Reza who grabbed my hand while crying and whispered something which I couldn¡¯t hear completely. Soon after, everything just went blank.


    ¡ªDaunte¡¯s perspective¡ª


    Hooo, even the heroes are nothing against this spell. If only this spell can be used easily we won¡¯t need to summon heroes to win against the demons.


    Khekhekhe, this is hilarious. They are disintegrating. So this is the pleasure you feel when you are looking down at somebody who is stronger than you. I will have to thank his imperial highness again for giving me the task of disposing the heroes.


    Hm? That one is surrounded in a blue light instead?


    I was about to ask the mages but the guy disappeared as well so I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.


    Somehow I can¡¯t remember those heroes¡¯ names. It seems the spell affect even the witness to some extent. Oh well, their names should be in the record but what good does remembering their names will do now anyway.

 Chapter 2 - Not new game plus so, after story?

    Surya was that guy who annoyed you a lot, although I guess there are also times where I might have annoyed him as well. There were even times when we got into fights. However, we always reconciled by the next day and acted as usual. In short, he was a friend with whom there was no need to hold back. I also played many co-op games like monster buster with him.


    Bagus rarely talked. He was the one who was always able to put up with the trouble Surya and I caused and just silently helped us to face the aftermath. There was a time when Surya and I went too far and made him angry. I don¡¯t want to go into more details but it was scary as hell. However by the next day he was the one who apologized first to us for getting angry. I might have not realized it before, but I think both Surya and I respected him.


    Mira was a daughter of my parents¡¯ best friends. She lived nearby, was the same age as my brother and always in the same class as him ever since kindergarten. The three of us played together a lot, and I considered her as my little sister. At some point I realized I have started to look at her differently. Realizing that I liked her, I also started to watch her a lot, although from afar or when I was next to her. However, by watching her I also noticed that she looked at Reza the same way I looked at her. The hardest blow was when she came to me for the so called ¡®love life counseling¡¯ regarding her feelings for Reza.


    My brother Reza and I can be said to be always together. Nobody might believe it now, but Reza used to have a weak constitution. On the contrary, I was the rough and rash adventurous kid with seemingly unlimited energy. The once weak little Reza always tried to follow me anywhere and imitate whatever I did, which resulted in him getting hurt or ill a lot.


    The worst was that when me, a friend, and Reza secretly went to explore the forest outskirts of the town. The then 6 years old Reza got separated from us. While my friend went back to tell our parents, I searched for him alone. I couldn¡¯t find him until dusk. He was hugging his knees under a hollowed tree. His face was pale, his breathing was rough, and his body was feverish. When he saw me he just smiled and said ¡°I knew you would come for me big bro.¡±. He fell unconscious so I carried him while feeling afraid that he would never wake up again, but I didn¡¯t know the way home as well so I just wandered aimlessly, crying, until the adults found us. Since then I began to care for him even more, even being a bit overprotective at times.


    Then I found out that Reza liked Mira as well so I arranged for them to get together even though it failed most of the times due to my overly dense and shy brother. The perfect chance came before our raid on the demon lord and it worked. I was both happy and dejected but their happiness also meant everything to me so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to get through this somehow.


    ***


    I was drifting in the darkness. Images of the past appeared and disappeared for who knows how many times in front of me. Is this the rumoured revolving lantern?


    ¡®What is happening?¡¯


    ¡®Where am I?¡¯


    As I try to remember the most recent events, the images I wouldn¡¯t want to ever see again appeared before me.


    Bagus disintegrating, next was Surya, followed by Mira, Reza, and then I see my legs started to disintegrate as well.


    Before I disappeared completely, I saw that bastard¡¯s sickeningly laughing face.


    Despair.


    Sorrow.


    Anger.


    Hatred.


    As I felt all those emotions swirling inside of me, everything returned to darkness once again.


    I wanted to kill that bastard, I wanted to destroy the empire. I wanted revenge.


    However what could I do?


    I didn¡¯t even know whether I was still alive or even still in existence.


    Even if I was still alive, what could I do against an entire nation by myself?


    No matter how strong I have become, taking down an entire nation by myself was out of question. The empire also has several people capable to fight on equal footing with a demon general.


    I have to become even stronger, strong enough to destroy everything that stands in my way.


    I needed the chance to become stronger. ¡°I want... no, I vow to have revenge against the empire. No matter how long it will take, as long as I am alive I will crush the Empire, I will kill that bastard, the mages who mocked us as they use the annihilation spell, and the emperor by my own hands.¡±


    I was kind of surprised myself, my desire for revenge was so strong yet I didn¡¯t lose my calm.


    At the moment I noticed a bluish light, from my chest. I moved my weak hand to grab it and found out that it was the amulet of Praesia which Lavinia gave me.


    THUD


    Suddenly, I felt an impact on my back and I could see a dim blue light in the shape of a winged maiden holding swords on both hands in front of her chest surrounded by decorative engravings, the goddess Praesia,which was also Rifst¡¯ royal crest, in front of me, ¡°I guess it should be above me since now I¡¯m lying down.¡± The surrounding was now bright enough to let me see that I was in a small circular room and that there was a door to my right.


    ¡°What happened? Am I still alive? Where am I?¡±


    I guess I¡¯ll find the answer soon so I set those questions aside for now.


    After letting my body rest a bit more, I gathered my energy, stood up and approached the door.


    The floor, wall, and the ceiling seemed to be completely made from stone, however the door was metallic. While it was obviously a door from the shape, I couldn¡¯t see any handle.


    I touched the door and the amulet of Praesia glowed once again. A pattern appeared on the door in response, the royal crest of Rifst, the goddess Praesia. However the door didn¡¯t open.


    As I wondered, my hand, which was touching the door, slipped through the door. I was kind of surprised but I just walked through the door without much thought.


    Next I found myself inside a large hall, when I looked back I could only see a tattered dirty wall. There was no sign of a door whatsoever.


    The place was a complete mess. There were cracks and holes on the wall and ceiling, broken furniture, and thick dust everywhere. I could see some windows with broken and dirty stained glass positioned quite high above but the outside was rather dark, was it nighttime already? There were no light sources other than some luminous crystals which might be as bright as a 15 Watt neon lamp on the ceiling and along the wall. It seems I¡¯m inside some ruins or something.


    Okay, at least I don¡¯t think this is heaven... or hell.


    I walked around and left the hall. I didn¡¯t sense anything nearby and there were also luminous crystals arranged at a certain interval along the wide hallway so it seemed safe to explore the ruins.


    The more I explored this place, the more that I felt like I¡¯ve been here before. The building¡¯s layout was the same as the ruins of goddess Praesia¡¯s shrine which was inside the 50th floor of Tower of the Gods ¨COrum Arx-one of the 4 great dungeons which we couldn¡¯t conquer due to the sheer number of juggernaut class demon beasts from the 51st floor and above.


    If this was true then I¡¯m currently in Rifst southwesternmost territory near the border. There is also a town at the base of the tower. Should I go and ask for help from Rifst?


    No, I don¡¯t want to doubt the king and Lavinia but there is no guarantee that Rifst wasn¡¯t involved 100% with what the empire just did to us. There might also be spy from the empire as well. Maybe I should focus on getting stronger first.


    There was no concept of level and levelling up in this world however your stats would increase with training. For example if you run a lot your speed and endurance will increase. If you get hit a lot your endurance and max HP will increase. Of course the status increase won¡¯t just happen at the instant you do the training. The status will only change after one good night sleep. I don¡¯t know why it was like that but that¡¯s the rule in this world. Maybe it¡¯s like that training program where you exercise at one day and do a full rest at another. As to how much increase you can get, of course there are things such as aptitude and limit. Age is also one factor that affects status increase.


    But I guess if this was a game I might already be at the level cap. It has been harder to get stronger lately and that is the reason why we finally decided to fight the demon lord. Being heroes as we were, our growth rate was far beyond the humans from this world. I don¡¯t know how many times we suddenly got abnormally far stronger than usual even for the heroes in only after one single battle. It¡¯s no wonder we reached the cap rather quickly.


    Wait, I can¡¯t confirm this since there¡¯s no fight after the fight with demon lord Orcus but I think I am stronger than before the battle so...


    I must remember when it was that we got a huge jump in stats increase.


    If I remember it correctly it was after we defeated a demon general, after every the first time we killed a juggernaut class demon beast, and I do feel stronger after we defeated the demon lord.


    Which meant I will need to fight a stronger enemy. I see, it wasn¡¯t that I reached a level cap. There weren¡¯t many stronger enemies lately so I couldn¡¯t get enough experience points that¡¯s all.


    This is the great dungeon. The five of us couldn¡¯t get past the 54th floor so if I can conquer this place by myself, I¡¯m sure that I will be far stronger.


    I don¡¯t care how hard it is, or how long it will take. I just need to not die before I get my revenge.


    Time to make a future plan.


    First I¡¯ll need a weapon. It¡¯s stupid to go barehanded against the demon beasts in this dungeon.


    As I thought so I almost reached the entrance. However my destination lied beyond the door to the right before the entrance.


    The room I just entered was about 5x7 meters. Although it was dusty, the dust was not as thick as in the other places in this shrine. It has been 5 months since I last came to this place. We used this room as a base of operation to conquer the higher floors. There were no demon beasts around the shrine so it was safe. I don¡¯t know how or why exactly I got here now but I¡¯m sure the culprit was the amulet of Praesia. I think it protected me from that annihilation spell and teleported me here which was once the shrine dedicated to the goddess. I don¡¯t know why it teleported me to a dungeon instead of a safer place. My guess is that this place might have been something else eons ago at the age of legends when the gods were still interacting directly with humans. Anyway, I have to thank Lavinia for this... If I have the chance.


    I approached a corner to find what I was looking for. They¡¯re dusty but I found them. Two daggers and an axe. The daggers were my previous weapons until I got Azanthys and Mareritter from an altar we found in the innermost room of this shrine. The axe was Bagus¡¯, he also got a replacement. We decided to leave the weapons here because our bags were full with better loots. Other than the weapons we also left some empty potion bottles.


    I picked up the daggers and cleaned the dust. Their condition seems to be good thanks to the anti-rust magic they got. As I have never used an axe I won¡¯t take it so I just cleaned and put it standing on the corner.


    Weapon acquired. Next were food and water. I guess I could eat some demon beast meat such as a minotaur. Although it is only at the basic level, I can use fire magic so it shouldn¡¯t be hard to make a fire for roasting the meat. I hope it will taste like beef if cooked properly and is without any bad side effects. Surya and I ate some weaker demon beast that looked like a fowl which lived mostly underwater and had scales instead of feather called lucrices. It tasted like a mix of chicken and crab meat but we got a stomach ache for the rest of the day.


    My poison resistance should have gone up since I¡¯m still alive now after eating the poisoned meal from that bastard so maybe I don¡¯t need to worry about food poisoning, I hope.


    As for water, if I¡¯m not mistaken, the 38th floor got a real flowing river. It¡¯s kind of far down there but I guess I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll just need quite some containers so I won¡¯t need to go back down there so often, I can use the potion bottles for that. And I don¡¯t think there is a need to mention a toilet, yep, no need to point it out. Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m going to make a flower garden.


    This tower of the gods was really amazing. Each floor was as wide as tens of soccer fields, the ceilings seemed like it was more than 50 meters high with some exception like the 3rd and 29th floor which were like a cave. Some floors even got forests with a glowing orb on the ceiling which acted as a sun while the other floors only had several randomly positioned small luminous crystals here and there on the ceilings. The means to change floor was by using an indestructible teleportation magic circle hidden in each floor.


    I heard the great dungeons were all like that in terms of settings. Insanely huge and each floor had different attributes. In comparison, the smaller scale dungeons mostly were just labyrinths, caves, deep jungles, etc. with areas that mostly had one general setting.


    ¡°Okay, I guess I¡¯ll use this place as a base again. For now let¡¯s procure some food and water.¡±


    Then, I made a makeshift bag using the blazer part of my uniform and put in all the empty bottles that I could carry.


    ***


    49th floor.


    Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!


    I¡¯m currently running. A giant lizard armored with seemingly metallic scales in different sizes all over its body was chasing me from behind. I also dropped my blazer in which I put the bottles near the teleportation circle.


    I forgot that the teleportation circle was located near the floor boss, which was a juggernaut class.


    When there were five of us it took about half an hour to kill this thing. Could I defeat it by myself?


    No, I will defeat this thing. How can I conquer this dungeon if can¡¯t even do this much?


    I readied my daggers and turned around to face the giant lizard. In response, the lizard opened its mouth and used its acid spit attack while still charging at me. I jumped up to avoid both the spit and charge. I was about to attack its back through the armor gaps but then I remembered something. I changed my mind and looked ahead. A tail attack was coming at me but I managed to make a dual slash at it, severing a part of the tail. That was close. I¡¯m currently wearing my school uniform, not an armor. If that hit me I might die instantly. Fortunately it was the tip which was armorless so I could sever it. Also, thanks to previous encounter with this beast I remembered that it got one eye on the back of its head so it could see me and launch an accurate tail attack.


    I managed to land on its back but the lizard jumped and spun mid-air, so I jumped down. Although the thing was as huge as three large busses combined, its movements were still nimble. As expected of a juggernaut class. Not only were they big, they were also known to be overwhelmingly ferocious.


    Landing with a loud sound and shaking the floor, the lizard quickly turned around and lunged towards me with an unbelievable speed. I jumped backwards to avoid the attack. However as it lands it spun horizontally and sends another tail attack, this time the armored part of the tail is approaching me at high speed. I can¡¯t avoid it so I put my daggers in front of me to block it.


    ¡°Gahhhhhhh!¡±


    I was sent flying several meters away and landed on my back. My arms went numb but I don¡¯t think that they were broken. I did get stronger after defeating the demon lord after all. If it was the same me who faced this thing about three months ago I think my hands would have been crushed.


    I just managed to stand up when I saw that the lizard was going to use its spit attack. That thing really was not going to give me time to think. But I already knew what to do. First, I have to rob its vision including the one on its back, then hack it on all the soft parts on the body. Now that it is using a spit attack its response and evasion should be somewhat slower so this was my chance.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    I was the fastest in the group of heroes so using a hit and run tactic suited me better than a full frontal attack. I dashed forward while trying to grip the daggers as strong as possible since my arms were still a bit numb. Avoiding the spit at the nick of time, I arrived near its head at the left side and stabbed its left eye.


    ¡°Two more to go.¡±


    I hopped and used my legs to accept its head swing and used the momentum to jump away.


    For now I should stay in its blind spot as much as possible and wait for the chance to stab its remaining eyes.


    After a few hit and run attacks, I managed to stab the two remaining eyes so it was time for a hack and slash frenzy. Now that I have robbed its vision it should be easy to get closer and I¡¯ll aim for the soft parts of its body like joints and stomach. No, I don¡¯t want to get crushed by its stomach when it collapses so let¡¯s just go for the armor gaps.


    It was a lot easier when there were five of us. Surya hit the eyes with arrows, Mira used earth magic to stop its movements, Reza and I kept it busy and Bagus used his herculean strength to crush its armors and then gave the final blow by chopping its neck.


    ¡­


    No, if I keep thinking like that I won¡¯t be able to get accustomed to fighting alone. I don¡¯t have anybody to call comrade right now. I could only depend on myself. Besides, now that I¡¯m alone I should be able to hog all the experience points, so I could become stronger even quicker than before.


    Thus, I charged at the rampaging giant lizard while steeling my resolve to fight alone from now on.


    It took countless slashing and stabbing but the lizard finally ceased all its movements and collapsed.


    I did it, it wasn¡¯t the type that capable of magic but I managed to kill a Juggernaut class by myself. However in terms of power, I was still not a match. I managed to win only because I was faster and I managed to rob its vision first. This way of fighting was not what I desired to have right now. I wanted an unmatched strength. I wanted to be able to destroy anything that stood in my path so I was currently dissatisfied. However it was also true that if I went with a full frontal attack I might have been the one that died right now.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I should choose the slow but steady way to get stronger. If I died, there would be nobody else to avenge you guys, right?¡± I shook my head to get rid of my impatience.


    I also needed to focus on food and water procurement right now so I should avoid fighting as much as possible until I had a good amount of both.


    I approached the dead lizard and cut some part of its tail. I chose the tail because it doesn¡¯t spurt as much blood as the other body parts.


    ¡°I hope this thing is tasty if roasted.¡±


    I returned to where I dropped my blazer which contains the empty bottles and picked it up. I tossed in the uncleaned meat without thinking and walked towards the teleportation circle to go down the floor which should be located right at the opposite end of this floor.


    Then I proceeded with caution on each floor to not get into a fight. Although I was unable to get a completely zero encounter, I had to drop the bag and lure the enemy away from it so it wouldn¡¯t get trampled. Luckily I didn¡¯t meet any floor bosses and managed to reach the river after a few hours.


    I filled all the bottles I was carrying.


    This much water should be enough for three days or maybe more if I drink it economically. There were still a few more empty bottles back there so if I made a few trips, I might be able to not having to worry about water for quite some time. Water could also be stored longer than food like meat or fruits. I might need to hunt for food everyday but fighting the demon beasts was my goal here so I don¡¯t think I would have to worry about that as well, as long as I meet edible enemies that is. As for the trip to conquer the upper floors, I¡¯ll manage by carrying a few bottles of water and dried meats in case I needed to spend time longer than a day or more there.


    I also needed to find a closer source of water or a new camp every 10 floors or so. Guess I¡¯ll worry about that later. For now I¡¯ll go back to the shrine.


    ***


    Ah, it¡¯s that dream again.


    Everyone was disappearing.


    Bagus, Surya, Mira...


    Then, before he disappeared, Reza said to me in a low voice.


    ¡°Big bro, about you and Mira... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yeah, so Reza knows how I felt about Mira. I thought I hid it well enough though.


    Stupid, there¡¯s no need to apologize, Mira chose you. If both of you are happy then that is enough for me.


    Reza then disappeared completely before I could say anything to him.


    Now I¡¯m alone in silence. Darkness was all I could see.


    Why did this happen to us? Why should it become like this?


    After everything we have done for the people of this world.


    ¡°Khekhekhe¡±


    I heard a sickening laughter. I looked towards the source only to find that bastard¡¯s face and many other people in robes with imperial crest engraved on them laughing.


    Hatred began to swell up in my chest and there was only one word that came to mind.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    ***


    If my sense of time hasn¡¯t dulled, today should be the seventh day. I¡¯m currently roasting the meat of a demon beast called abaveelfrom the 45th floor which looked like a po**mon called do*rio on steroids which beaks were metallic, complete with shark like teeth. I wasalso smoking the other remaining meat so they would last longer. By the way, I¡¯ve been eating this abaveel demon beast since the third day. This thing isn¡¯t really that tasty but is the tastiest thing I¡¯ve eaten so far since I got teleported to this tower. It tastes even better than the minotaurs from the 47th floor.


    I¡¯ve been going back and forth to the lower floors until the 38th floor. The lizard which magically respawned every one or two days, was no longer a match to me. Its movements looked slower and I could crush its armor with a few punches now. It seemed my statuses that went up the most were strength and agility. I¡¯ve thought of this many times already but it would be nice if I could see my stats in numbers.


    The demon beasts in most dungeons spawned magically, although with the floor boss as exception, you could also find some demon beasts¡¯ breeding grounds. They also got proper food chains. If there were some breeding grounds the number of certain demon beasts would rise so much and they stop spawning magically from the magic circles. Only after the number got so low or nearing extinction the beasts would spawn from the magic circle again.


    Since I could no longer get a decent status increase anymore from fighting the lizard it seemed that it was time to challenge the upper floors. I have prepared the necessary equipments for that. I was wearing a makeshift armor, a crude vest made from the thick leather of the lizard so it got some steel plate like scales on the back and the chest. I also made a waist bag from kulureet,a monkey like demon beast¡¯s leather which stomach could bulge many times the normal size to shoot a compressed air bullet so the bag can expand as well. It doesn¡¯t look very cool but this was the best I could have right now. If the monsters dropped weapons, armors and items when killed then things would have been a lot easier.


    I put the dried meat and a few bottle of water, which was enough for two days, into the bag. Starting from the 51st floor there would be more juggernaut-class demon beasts. And at the 54th floor the juggernaut class would be the regular monsters. You can also find several of the same species in the wild although usually they were a bit weaker, however most of them were unique and thus unknown. This tower of the gods has been explored many times by adventurers but the highest most people in this world have ever reached was around the 30th floor. Guess I have the honor to name the new guys. By the way I named the lizard as Mr. Gecko but I changed it to Geckosaurus since I didn¡¯t know whether it was male or female. Yep, I changed the name not because it was uncool. Maybe I¡¯ll try to give cooler names from now on if I feel like it.


    I gulped the roasted hot meat in one go, grabbed my bag and stood up. There weren¡¯t any demon beasts around the shrine but there were many around the vicinity of the teleportation circle to go up. There was also a floor boss near it although not a juggernaut class. It was a humanoid shaped plant type demon beast. It resembled the alraunes you often see in games so we called it alraune as well. It wasn¡¯t a monster the current me couldn¡¯t beat easily. The problem was that all monsters in the surrounding were attracted to it because it released sweet smelling pollen which acted like pheromones. The other demon beasts gathered around to protect it and it might also be why there weren¡¯t any one of them around the shrine. Surya got excited when he first saw the alraune yelling ¡°Mon Musu! Woah Wahoo Yeah!¡± He was affected by the pollen and approached the alraune while acting literally like an animal in heat but quickly returned to his senses after Bagus and I beat him up¡­ a little. Though looking at how he usually behaves I¡¯m starting to doubt that he was affected by the pollen at all.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    I walked through the entrance and quickened my pace. This 50th floor setting is a wasteland with tall rocks and dead trees here and there. Like most floors in the tower, this floor is also always dark but not to the point where you can¡¯t see since there are luminous crystals on the ceiling.


    After a while I was finally able to sense some enemies in a distance so I readied my daggers. I then tried to move as quickly and stealthily as possible, closing the distance in no time. I jumped to one of the tall rocks which got some footings and hid while killing my presence on one side.


    I peeked out to see my enemies. There I could see 5 demon beasts, Weretigers. We called them simply as weretiger before, should I give them a name? C**rlie S**en maybe? No, let¡¯s just call them weretigers, I don¡¯t want to get cursed by a warlock.


    The weretigers were demon beasts and not beastmen. The main difference is that these weretigers were simply tigers which stood on their hind legs and possessed the basic humanoid body shape while the beastmen looked more human with some animal body parts like tails, ears, or sometimes even the paws. Intwo years of my stay in this world I have only met two beastmen so far so I can¡¯t really say that all of them are like that.


    Other than the weretigers I could also see some more demon beasts scattered at a further distance. I gripped the daggers and dashed towards the weretigers. The strategy this time was simple to ambush, hide, and to ambush again to reduce their numbers and then go for the boss before they respawned. The respawning rate of the demon beasts in this floor was also longer than the other floors so I didn¡¯t need to worry about there being an endless number of enemies.


    The weretigers realized my presence and turned towards me but it was too late. I slashed the neck of the first one and the other one to its right easily, then I stabbed the third one in the chest. The remaining two got enough time to react and attacked me. I dodged the one that was trying to grab me from the left and kicked the chin of another one that was charging at me from the front. I leaned forward to slash the throat of the unsteady one and used my other arm to stab the back of the one I just dodged.


    I swung my daggers to rid them of the blood and quickly left the place to look for another hiding place. That was easier than I thought.


    Many demon beasts which smelled the blood would gather at where the weretigers bodies were. I doubted that cleaning my daggers from the blood would completely erase the smell as well so I rushed to a different area.


    My next targets were 3 wild boar like demon beasts and a porcupine, which had six legs and two long tails with some huge spiky bones at the end. The mutant porcupine was actually a lot bigger albeit thinner than the boars. The boars already got a name, it¡¯s a common species you could find in almost every region of the continent although the ones here were much bigger and of course stronger. They were called gibwines.As for the porcupine like thing, Son** or Kn***les? Super S***an? No, I need something more original like¡­ seribu needles? Okay, decided.


    Somehow I was starting to feel stupid for thinking about the names seriously. Maybe from now on I would just call the new guys randomly with whatever I can think of on the spot.


    I took a deep breath and then dashed out of my hiding place. The first thing I killed was the gibwines, other than when they were charging at their target they were really slow so I took out three in a flash. However when I turned around I saw sharp giant needles flying at me. I jumped to the side and managed to dodge them but this time a tail sweep came at me. I deflected the tail with the dagger in my right only to find another tail coming at me from above so I parried it with the dagger in my left and then cut the tail with my right.


    ¡°That kind of surprised me but I got two weapons here as well you know.¡± I smirked at the seribu needlesand raised the daggers at it.


    As if it understood me it then roared, jumped away from me and launched the needles on its back at me once again.


    I didn¡¯t dodge the needles this time, I could see them clearly now since it was a frontal attack so I deflected each one that might hit me with the daggers. After a while the attack stopped and I saw that there were only the bases of the needles which shaped like tubes left on its back.


    ¡°Out of ammo? It¡¯s my turn then.¡± I walked at the seribu needles, wait, since it no longer has any needles maybe I should call it needleless or simplyneedless.Argh, who cares?


    Maybe it has a last resort, it then charged at me while baring its fangs. I just dashed to its side and slashed it from the mouth all the way to the flank.


    I was going to run and hide again when I noticed a presence behind me.


    I jumped away to make some distance and turned around only to find something I didn¡¯t expect.


    The alraune which should have been rooted and couldn¡¯t move was there. If I didn¡¯t jump away its vines would have captured me.


    ¡°How did it just appear over there?¡± The respawning rate of the demon beasts in this floor is rather slow and so I didn¡¯t get into many fights with it. Maybe it still got some move I haven¡¯t seen.


    As I was wondering the alraune opened its mouth and let out a loud shriek, it also emitted gaseous pollen from the large flowers on the head and from the smaller flowers on the vines. Not long after that, I could hear a rumbling sound from the countless demon beasts that were approaching. I took the mask I made from my ol¡¯ blazer¡¯s sleeve from the bag, I soaked it using the water I had and wore it. The minuscule amount of the pollen already in the air wouldn¡¯t affect me but I was not sure if I could say the same against such a concentrated cluster.


    I was surrounded in no time by many demon beasts. Should I make a break on the siege and run first and then come back later? No, I planned to conquer the 51st floor by today so I should consider this as a good chance to be early. Even though I was alone The me now was far stronger than the me from three months ago when I faced the same situation.


    The pollen cluster was dangerous, I should at least try to thin it or blow it away.


    My wind magic was at mid-basic level so I could only make a weak wind to blow, it wouldn¡¯t be able to get rid of all of these pollen. Other than making earth kiln and fire for roasting the demon beast meat for food I have never relied on my magic though so I didn¡¯t really care about magic until now. Mira could use high class magic of every attribute easily since our early times in this world so everyone else never bothered to learn much magic.


    ¡°En(Wind )agis(heed my)serte(call and)af(be a)rauanvis(gentle breeze)¡±I chanted the spell to create a breeze with a whisper and wind started to blow, albeit gently. At least I managed to decrease the intensity of the pollen. I knew a spell to create a tornado but it was an advanced class so I couldn¡¯t use it.


    I readied my daggers in a stance. The alraune simply stared at me, the other demon beasts also halted their movements as if waiting for its order.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to move first, then I guess the honor is mine.¡±


    I dashed at the pile of demon beasts to my left, I didn¡¯t choose to attack the alraune right away because if I killed it first the other demon beasts would all go berserk at me. I should reduce their numbers first. I had fought against an army several times in the war. Same with any one-to-many battles, the simplest strategy was just to kill the one closest to you as quickly as possible without giving it the chance to attack you then do the next closest one and repeat. The other way was to lure them to a place where you could take them on while having the advantage. I knew that it was easier said than done, but I wasn¡¯t a hero for nothing.


    I jumped to a gibwines and double stabbed its back. I jumped again using its back and spun midair, slashing two huge four winged bats then I cut a weretiger at its neck as I landed. I kept charging forward as I killed the beasts in front of me. Like this I would be able to break the siege and lure them somewhere else away from the alraune while thinning the numbers. I would then go back to kill the alraune.


    Or so I thought. Something grabbed my legs, tripping me. I reflexively cut the thing grabbing my legs as I fell down by throwing a dagger only to find out that it was the alraune¡¯s vine coming straight out of the ground.


    ¡°What the...¡± The alraune never used this move before so I was taken aback.


    As I was still lying down, a gibwines charged at me so I quickly dodged it by rolling to the side. Then a weretiger pounced on me. I blocked one of its claws with my dagger and hold the other one at the wrist. I then gave it a headbutt before it could try to bite me. I heard a cracking sound and I saw its head bending backwards abnormally. Due to my strength, the force of my headbutt actually broke its neck and lifted its body, giving me the room to stab its chest just to make sure that it was dead and also the time to stand and regain my pace.


    I quickly picked the dagger I had thrown before and looked around to find the alraune but as I thought it has already gone from where it previously was. How did it move and why couldn¡¯t I sense its presence at all? I dismissed the questions because I still needed to focus on killing the surrounding demon beasts.


    I started to repeat the pattern where I killed any demon beasts closest to me then the next closest. Suddenly the ground shook and vines appeared from right beneath me. I jumped to dodge them and since they were faster I chose to cut them. I managed to cut most of the vines but my dagger got deflected by the last. It felt like I was hitting a rock. Thorns suddenly grew all over the vine and it attacked me again right after I landed. As I was going to deflect the vine, the ground shook again and this time thorny vines appeared from the ground behind me.


    The situation made me choose to dodge and run instead of deflecting the vines. However the demon beasts seemed as if they are gathering at where I was going so I changed my direction, only to find more thorny vines appear from the ground beneath me faster than before. I managed to stop and shift my posture at the nick of time so the vines grazed only at my armor letting out a metallic ringing sound. The vines then tried to wrap me but I stepped back before it could happen.


    Was it just me or did this thing really know whatever I was going to do?


    It was like it knew my pattern or it was looking at me from a vantage point. Maybe I should find and kill it first, it¡¯s bad if it got me when I¡¯m getting too focused on the other demon beasts.


    I only killed the demon beasts attacking me and focused on any change on the ground while also looking around to find the alraune. I didn¡¯t like being on the defense but I had no choice.


    There it was. I found it hiding in the demon beasts crowd to my left. I dashed while slashing the demon beasts in my way and the alraune launched its vines attack straight at me in response.


    I was going to cut it and plunge straight ahead but since the alraune seemed to know my pattern I changed my mind and dodged to the side with a sudden movement.


    Unsurprisingly this time, thorny vines came out of the ground where I was one second ago.


    As I thought, this thing knows my pattern. But how?


    The thorny vines were sucked back underground. I focused on the ground again in response.


    Wait. I had an Idea. There are spells I could use to defeat it although they were of intermediate class. I¡¯ve been using earth and fire magic lately so I guess the me now might be able to use them


    I walked to the alraune while fending off any approaching demon beasts while whispering a spell repeatedly.


    ¡°Eht, vol en serte prasion iuri af erianx.Ecdurare¡±


    Looking at me, who was walking leisurely, the alraune showed a hint of caution. However as I was getting closer, it finally made a move.


    I felt the ground shake but I didn¡¯t dodge right away and smirked at the alraune.


    I dashed at the surprised alraune and the ground behind me finally gave in to the vines.


    The spell I was casting was the spell to harden the earth. People normally use it to harden the walls made of earth for shelter against ranged attack from their enemies.


    I got close to the alraune and slashed repeatedly and as finishing I cast a spell to create fire.


    ¡°Rauliet af etus tes init a verux, liet¡±


    It was a small fire but enough to burn the cut parts so they wouldn¡¯t regrow.


    The only things left from the alraune were the petals protruding out of the ground.


    ¡°Okay next is a berserk fest for the small fries.¡±


    I looked around but rather than berserking the demon beasts around me actually looked more scared than furious.


    ¡°What? Are you scared now that I defeated the alraune by myself?¡±


    But it seemed I was wrong. The ground shook stronger, no, this level of tremor is that of an earthquake.


    Large vines, larger than I¡¯ve seen from the alraune appeared and caught most of the demon beasts while the ones that weren¡¯t caught just fled in terror. Some appeared around me and tried to wrap me but I managed to avoid them. Then a part of the earth bulged and something huge burst out.


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    Alraune¡­s yeah, alraunes.


    Something which I guess was a tuber from its look surrounded by thorny vines and roots as if a meatball covered in noodles, then from several ends of its roots I could see 5, 6, 7 alraunes sprouting while being held above. If you include the one I just cut then it would be 8 alraunes, moreover it seems to be regenerating albeit slowly since I just burned it.


    ¡°Did a hydra got into affair with an alraune or what?¡±


    Now I see how the alraune moves. Maybe the main body just pulled it underground then sent out another somewhere else. It could see my movements because maybe some alraunes were observing me separately while one was hidden in obvious place as a decoy for me. It might also got some experience from fighting humans, us heroes, since we never did completely kill it. It¡¯s also a juggernaut class after all.


    ¡°Now that you showed your real form, maybe you were thinking that you could defeat me like that?¡±


    Oh well, now that I saw its real body it should actually be easier to defeat, I hope.


    I then charged at the alraune with a shout.

 Chapter 3 - The Demon Lords Daughter

    I¡¯ve lost track of how long I¡¯ve been inside the tower of gods. It might have been more than several weeks, or months. I¡¯m currently at floor 74 fighting several giant tarantulas which I named as doriantulas since their body is covered in spikes and not hairs. My daggers are sheathed since now they are in bad condition and are no longer my main weapon. I made two curved daggers from a wyvern¡¯s fangs which was the boss of 67<sup>th</sup>floor. I grinded and polished the fangs with the wyvern¡¯s own scales so the result is quite good if I may say so myself. Their length is about 40 cm each and the handles are wrapped in geckosaurus¡¯ leather from my previous armor which scaly plates havebeen long since broken.


    My current armor is in shape of a jacket made of a giant snake¡¯s leather from floor 69. It looked exactly like a normal leather jacket, however is far heavier and sturdier than it looks, almost as strong as the wyvern¡¯s scale but more flexible. I used another spider type monster¡¯s thread and my daggers to make a small hole to tie the threads so I was able to make a jacket. I tried to make an armor from the wyvern but since the wyvern was more thanhalf as big as my high school¡¯s gymnasium, the scales were also big and thus hard to be made into an armor. If only I have something like a super strong glue maybe I can attach some of the scales to my jacket.


    As I was deep in thought, I actually finished the doriantulas. Their eyes were stabbed and some lost their legs because I cut them at the joints.


    Somehow I have gotten strong enough to beat even the juggernautclassdemon beasts of the floor I first stepped into so I stopped doing reconnaissance. I have also learned to completely control my killing intent and sense others¡¯ so I can hide my presence from stronger enemies and use a blast of it to scare the weaker ones away so going back and forth the lower and upper floor is somewhat easier now.


    I walked for a bit and found a teleportation circle which is not even hidden since it was located right in the middle of an open area. However I don¡¯t see any demon beasts around.


    A trap? Is the floor boss waiting to ambush me somewhere?


    Who cares? I¡¯ll know if I just stepped in¡­


    I get to the circle without hesitating but still in caution.


    And I was teleported. No trap, no ambush, nothing.


    When I came to I was dazzled by a bright light. I thought it was finally a trap but I was wrong.


    It¡¯s the sunlight which I have never seen for who knows how long. The light itself was a bit warm but the surrounding air is chilling and the wind is strong. It is also kind of hard to breathe.


    I looked around and I see no wall, no ceiling, and the floor is made from what seem to be polished gemstone as clear as the blue sky itself.


    ¡°Is this perhaps the top of the tower?¡±


    I expected the tower to be about 100 floors high and there should be an altar enshrining legendary weapons or something. But there is nothing here. Simply a really wide and flat floor.


    I then explored the floor and I couldn¡¯t even find a teleportation circle to go back down.


    How can I get out of this place? Don¡¯t tell me I have to jump down there. Or maybe I need to do something here to trigger an event, but what? There¡¯s no clue whatsoever.


    ¡°Come on tower of gods, you could at least prepare a last boss.¡±


    Suddenly I heard a flapping sound from afar and I see something with wings. A bird? A Wyvern? Okay, the tower did provide a last boss after all¡­


    Wait a friggin second.


    What the heck is that.


    The thing closing in and finally landed on the floor about 50 meters in front of me is a super huge dragon. If the wyvern from 67<sup>th</sup>floor was half as huge as the gymnasium of my high school, this thing is about 4or 5times the size. Forget juggernaut class, this one is colossal.


    Its scales are black with a tinge of dark bluish glint. The wingspan almost reached the floor¡¯s edge.


    As it folds its wings, the dragon then looked at me in silence.


    Calm down me, usually this kind of eventmeans that the dragon is an intelligent being and will talk to me. Maybe if I passed some of its trials I can finally get off of this tower. Yeah, it must be so.


    ¡­¡­


    Damn, I think I just triggered a reverse flag.


    The dragon roared with a force that sentme flying a few meters away.


    I spun and landed on my feet. The dragon reached its arms at me so I quickly run to the sideignoring my headache and ringing ears.


    I might even be smaller thanone of its teeth. How do you suppose I kill this thing?


    The classic way of going inside its stomach and killing it from inside? No way. There¡¯s no scientific proof that it could be done easily, what if I slipped directlyinto its gastritic acid?


    Andthere¡¯s nothing scientific about dragons in my world....


    I guess for now I should focus to avoid getting killed.


    Perhaps tired of trying to grab me with its arms, the dragon got back into its previous posture and I see that something shone within its mouth.


    ¡°Breath attack!?¡±


    There¡¯s nothing I can use to shield myself in this flat place so I ran toward the dragon as fast as I could. If I can make it in time I¡¯ll reach the safest place form its breath attack. The dragon¡¯s own body.


    The dragon lifted its head while letting out some flame out from the gaps of its teeth then it looked back down, at me.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    As it opens its mouth I jumped forward as strong as I could.


    I managed to barely avoid the blazing inferno but I could still feel the heat which was enough to vaporize all my sweat in an instant. I reflexively closed my stinging dry eyes.


    I quickly opened my eyes again and jumped to the side avoiding the stomping attack.


    ¡°Your breath could kill me in an instant, sorry but I¡¯ll be sticking as close as I can to you.¡±


    I got on one of its legs and climbed up its body.


    The dragon tried to shake me away but I clung by holding onto the protruding thorn like scales. I used my free hand to use my wyvern fang dagger to stab the dragon but the dagger got deflected.


    Damn, like this I¡¯m less than a mosquito and more like a dead skin cells waiting to be peeled off to this dragon.


    ¡°I hope you got some weak spot somewhere on your body.¡±


    I reached its back when it finally jumped off the tower and flew.


    I don¡¯t know how fast it is flying but the wind is so fierce and I felt like I could faint anytime from the G force.


    It made some sudden movements and I was shaken off.


    Shit, I could only see clouds below me, is this the end? I couldn¡¯t get my revenge¡­


    The dragon turned around and now is flying straight at me while opening its mouth.


    ¡°Heh, I guess I can¡¯t get a decent ending after all¡­ Like hell I¡¯ll just give up so easily!¡±


    I threw my old daggers to the closing in dragon, aiming at its eyes.


    It closed its eyelids in response and I was spared from getting eaten but I got hit by its flapping wings as it got past me.


    ¡°GAHHH¡±


    My whole body aches and as I was still spinning midair the dragon returned while preparing a breath attack.


    ¡°You prefer a cooked meal who can¡¯t retaliate eh? Sorry but with your flame you will only get a coal like human shaped thingy, or even just some ash.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to give up but I couldn¡¯t come up with anything else. Even if I was spared by the dragon, I won¡¯t survive the fall.


    I don¡¯t want to die.


    At least not until I kill that bastard and crush the empire.


    For a moment all I could see was a blazing hell which then enveloped me and after that, a complete darkness.


    I¡¯m getting familiar with this now.


    Yeah, it¡¯s that complete darkness again, wait, it¡¯s not a complete darkness this time. My chest, the amulet or Praesia to be precise, is shining strongly.


    ¡°¡­rry¡­¡¯


    Eh? A voice?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    I could hear a girl¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but with this I can no longer protect you.¡±


    The bluish light from the amulet focused on one place and a figure appeared.


    A girl dressed in a white robe appeared before me.


    ¡°La¡­vi¡­nia? Is that you?¡±


    No wait, her facial features are a perfect resemblance but her hair and iris are of different color. They are all pure white, almost hollow.I couldalsosee a pair of wings folded behind her back.


    She shook her head to my question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not her, my name is Praesia.¡±


    ¡°Praesia¡­ the goddess?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly a goddess either, but I guess that is how the people of this world call me.¡±


    She showed a bitter smile before continuing.


    ¡°I teleported you to the tower because the only remaining teleportation gate which I can access is there. I thought you would give up and get off the tower after several floors but you managed to reach the top.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I should thank you for that though¡­ So, am I still alive this time as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I created a barrier around you and the dragon gave up as well, however you are currently still falling. The amulet does not have enough power for teleportation.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Falling?¡±


    ¡°However, my barrier will be enough to absorb the impact of the fall as well¡­ I hope.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say ¡®I hope¡¯ while averting your gaze away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but this is all I can do right now. I don¡¯t want you to die as well. I had planned to have you conquer the tower in the future after you get stronger and defeat the dragon.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, you know how it went before, I can¡¯t do anything against it.¡±


    ¡°You will need a stronger weapon. Or, although it can use flame breath, the dragon is actually weak against fire, its scales will only be as hard as an iron plate when an extreme heat is applied. If you can at least use an advanced level fire spell that would be enough. Crushing an iron plate with a punch is nothing with your current strength.¡±


    ¡°Umm, the thing is I don¡¯t have any elemental affinity, that¡¯s why I can only use intermediate class magic at most.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then just look for someone who can, or you can get into a pact with a high level demon race and get an affinity.¡±


    ¡°Eh? A pact with demon race? You can do that to get an elemental affinity?¡±


    Praesia showed a surprised expression before she continued.


    ¡°To be exact you will get the same of at least one of the demon¡¯s elemental affinity after the pact. Both of the involved parties will also get stonger. Ah, I forgot that the humans and demons have been at war for more than 80 years. I guess not many people would still know about that especially for the short lived humans.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I need you to defeat the dragon. I promise that doing so will benefit you. I will tell you why after you do because there is no time. You will reach the surface soon and because of the barrier the amulet will lost all of its power¡­ And I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you apologizing again?¡±


    ¡°The barrier might not be able to absorb all the impact after all, so your body might get some damage. But don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die, it¡¯s just that it might take some time until you will be awake.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, the smilingPraesia then disappeared into the amulet which in turn lost all its light and everything returned to complete darkness once again.


    ¡°Oh great.¡±


    The demon lord Orcus is dead.


    The little demon girl fell to her knees as one of the demon general who found her hiding in the closet told her that.


    Not long after that there was a dispute to elect a new demon lord. As she was only a little girl she won¡¯t be able to succeed her father yet. Except for the loyal servants of her father everyone else cast her aside and some even tried to kill her fearing she might rise into power in the future as she has already shown her potential with her high magical capabilities.


    The servants protected her and managed to take her away from the capital with some sacrifices.


    She is currently hiding in a forest close to the border with human¡¯s territory. The servants made a small cottage and set a barrier to prevent demon beasts from getting close. However she is all alone now. The servants who were with her are dead. Some got killed by the lurking demon beasts while scouting and food gathering in the forest. Some who were strong enough to fight got killed by the assassinssent for herwhile returning to the nearby town to gather intelligence and supplies. A few days ago, after leaving some food supplies the remaining ones also left her alone due to fear of getting killed themselves.


    She was in despair.This is the first time she who lived a shelteredand pamperedlife has no one to rely on.


    Currently she is sitting on her bed while looking outside the window without any expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this¡­ I don¡¯t care about being a demon lord¡­ I just¡­ don¡¯t want to be alone¡­¡±


    Tears are flowing down her cheeks. She hugged her knees and wailed as hard as she could.


    Suddenly she heard something like a big explosion from afar and the earth also shook a bit.


    Surprised she stood up and walked outside while wiping her tears with her sleeves.


    ¡°The sound came from over there¡­¡±


    With reason unknown to herself, she then walked towards the source.


    Ignoring the fact that she got out of the barrier¡¯s range and the possibility of meeting a demon beast she kept walking until she found a huge crater tens of metersacross.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    She looked around the crater and was surprised to find a figure in the middle of the crater.


    She rushed down the crater and approached the figure.


    It was a human male with a battered body. He is breathing so he is still alive although unconscious.


    His hair color is the rather uncommon black and his skin tone is somewhere between fair white and light brown color.


    ¡°Why is a human¡­¡± Her head hurt for a second when she looked at his face but since it wasn¡¯t serious she ignored that.


    ¡®An enemy¡¯, was what she thought for a moment. Humans are the ones who killed her father.


    She reached her hands to his neck and grabbed it but she released her hands soon after.


    She could not bring herself to kill him. Something in her is preventing that.She tried once again and this time she could not even bring her hands close to the human¡¯s neck.


    What stopped her was not hesitation. It is completely baseless but she felt that she does not want to harm this human no matter what.


    She pondered for a while and decided to take him back to the cottage.


    My whole body is heavy, it also aches a lot. It seems the barrier really couldn¡¯t absorb all the impact.


    I opened my eyes to find myself in a small room. The wall and ceiling are made of wood. Sunlight seeps in through theglasslesswindow to my right.


    ¡°What? Where is this?¡±


    My body is wrapped in bandages where it hurts the most. Somebody must have taken care of me although you can see in a glance that the bandages were done clumsily.


    When I looked around I see someone, a girl sleeping on a chair with folded hands and head on the table.


    She looks kind of familiar. I noticed a blanket which fell onto the floor near her chair and forced myself to get up. I sluggishly approached her and wrapped the blanket on her body.


    ¡°Blackish scarlet hair... And are those horns?¡±


    I noticed that her ears are pointed but the length is not much different than a human¡¯s. There are also mini sized typical demon wings on her back. Wait,isn¡¯t she...


    ¡°Fuee...¡±


    The girl raised her face and looked at me while rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Uhh, morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning...¡±


    We looked at each other for a while.


    ¡°Kyaaah!¡±


    Suddenly she shouted, jumped away, and ran outside the room.


    I just stood there and look at the door.


    She¡¯s peeking in and when our eyes met she hid again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bite. And it felt kind of hurts when you just ran away like that you know...¡±


    She showed herself again then walked back into the room, timidly approaching me but stopped before she gets too close with head looking down.


    I approached her but she said an ¡°Eek!¡± and stepped back so I stopped.


    ¡°Are you alone in this house?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t feel anyone else in the vicinity but I asked anyway.


    She nodded weakly. I guess she really is alone.


    ¡°Where is this?¡±


    ¡°In the forest of Suvaard near the border with human¡¯s kingdom of Rifst.¡±


    From what she said it seems somehow I ended up in the demon race¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Um, are you the one who brought me here and took care of me?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°I see... It must have been quite a trouble. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, um...¡±


    She looked at me and tried to say something but stopped.


    Is it just me or did I just see her smiled for a moment there?Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡±


    ¡°Only two days.¡±


    Two days eh, well not that it matters since I don¡¯t have any pressing plan. I guess I can take a rest from fighting for a while.


    ¡°By the way, are you related to demon lord Orcus?¡±


    As I finished saying that, her pupils dilated.


    ¡°You¡­know my father?¡±


    As I thought.


    Eh? Wait, why is she asking me that? I¡¯m one of the heroes who killed him, why wouldn¡¯t I know? We should have also met.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    ¡°A, are you an acquaintance of my father? I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t know you. I don¡¯t even know that father had a human acquaintance.¡±


    What is she saying?


    Don¡¯t tell me... The annhilation spell.


    I¡¯m alive since Praesia saved me but what if I got affected somehow.


    I feel sorry for her but this works in my favor.


    ¡°Sorry to impose on you but could you let me stay here for a while? I promise I won¡¯t do anything strange.¡±


    ¡°Eh, really? You will stay?¡±


    As if the previous her was a lie she approached me and showed a bright expression.


    ¡°I need to recuperate. Also, that is if you don¡¯t mind a human like me here.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I don¡¯t think you are a bad person.¡±


    What are you saying to someone who took part in killing your father? Is what I wanted to say.


    It seems she had been through quite a lot herself. She even took care of me, a human.


    She must be a very kind girl.


    Suddenly my stomach announced its desire for food by growling.


    ¡°Ah, you haven¡¯t eaten anything for two days... I will prepare something. It¡¯s also time for breakfast anyway.¡±


    She walked to the door in a hurry.


    ¡°Sorry, is there anything I can help with?¡±


    She halted and turned around. Showing me a bright smile.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. The job of an injured person is to rest.¡±


    Now I feel really bad for using her.


    What is this? A gruel? The dark green color mighthavecome from vegetables, but why is it so slimy?The smell is also amazing in many ways.


    I thought I could eat normal foods again after so long. But what is this?


    I don¡¯t think this is poisoned either, at least not intentionally.


    She looked apologetic and is eating her share but I think she is forcing herself. You can see her face distortswhenever she puts the mystery gruel into her mouth.


    ¡°Have you been eating this all the time?¡±


    ¡°N, not really, until a few days ago there were still some servants who could cook.¡±


    ¡°And where are they now?


    ¡°They... left.¡±


    I can see where this is going. Better change the subject quickly.


    ¡°Shall I make something else?¡±


    She nodded to my suggestion.


    I followed her to the kitchen to find a complete mess. I remember those days in elementary school, whenever I brought some friends overit¡¯s like a typhoon just ransacked my room. Toys scattered everywhere, don¡¯t ask me howor whybut sometimes even the heavy bed got flipped.


    The situation right now is almost the same, the difference is that the ones scattered are raw ingredients for food. There are even some slimy materials on the ceiling.


    ¡°Umm, what did you do here.¡±


    ¡°Cooking.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Cooking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°COOKING!¡±


    Okay it¡¯s cooking, period.


    Just how did she do the cooking anyway?


    I silently cleaned the mess and she followed suit.


    By the time we finished cleaning, it was already noon so the hungry me just picked some preserved meat, gave it some seasoning and roasted it. We then eat together, again in silence.


    The two of us didn¡¯t say anything from the start to finish.


    After the meal I got out of the house to get some fresh forest air. I walked into the forest to do some scouting.


    I could see Orum Arx but since it looks so small and I can¡¯t see the base it must be several kilometers away. Luckily the waves of war never reached this area since the tower is an important part of the neutral adventurers guild. Well I¡¯m sure that now the adventures on that side will mostly be humans though.


    I don¡¯t feel any presence of demon beast. Maybe something is set up to prevent them from getting close.


    ¡°Did somebody set a barrier around?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a servant of my father knows how to etch magic circlesand crafting magic tools. She also made themagic cooler box in the kitchen. The mana is being supplied directly from me though.¡±


    ¡°I see, by the way why are you following me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get lost.¡±


    ¡°Not like I will get lost here. We¡¯re not even that far from the house.¡±


    ¡°But you might wander too far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of my condition. I won¡¯t do that.


    ¡°But who knows if something might happen to you.¡±


    ¡°Like I sa... Wait, are you perhaps worried about me?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Besides, if you left as well I would be all alone.¡±


    She looked down while holding my hand.


    ¡°Erik.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Erik... It would be inconvenient to not know each other¡¯s names if we¡¯re to be together. So, what¡¯s yours?¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything right away, apparently she¡¯s getting dumbfounded.


    ¡°I... It¡¯s Lissa¡¯aelle.¡±


    ¡°Nice to be of your acquiaintance, I... It¡¯s Lissa¡¯aelle.¡±


    I grinned.


    ¡°Lissa¡¯aelle! Lissa¡¯aelleMir Tristi Arciea¡±


    She pouted and shouted directly to my ear.


    ¡°I know, I know... It¡¯skind of long and difficult to say so can I just call you Liz?¡±


    She got dumbfounded again.


    ¡°Oi, hello. Do you not like it? Shall I call you lady Lissa¡¯aelle instead?¡±


    ¡°No, please call me Liz. No need to add ¡®Lady¡¯.


    Ehehe, it¡¯s the first time I got a nickname.¡±


    Where isthat little girl who screamed when she saw me this morning?


    The girl next to me is smiling while holding my hand.


    I¡¯m sorry, I promise that someday I will tell you about the me who killed your father.


    As I made such a promise to myself we head back to the house while holding hands.


    ¡°Erik, how¡¯s your condition today?¡±


    It has been five days since I first woke up here. Before I know it Liz has started to talk to me in a casual manner.


    I have also been using her bed all this time. I told her that I would use the servants¡¯ room but she told me not to worry about that. That is still good and all but she¡¯s been sleeping next to me and I couldn¡¯t get any decent sleep thanks to that. I tried to snuck out and go to the servants¡¯ roomwhich got 4 bunk bedsbut I changed my mind every time since she would always hold my hand and also cries while sleeping, muttering words like ¡®father¡¯ or ¡®I don¡¯t want to be alone¡¯.


    ¡°It still hurts a little but I think it would no longer hinder me even if I have to fight a demon beast.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, don¡¯t worry. No demon beast will come here.¡±


    ¡°I know, just saying¡­¡±


    Liz stood up from the chair and approached the door.


    ¡°I will gather some firewood, could you make some breakfast while I do?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    I also stood up and get out of the room. Cooking has been my duty since that mystery gruel incident. I¡¯ve been cooking with firewood. I could only use basic and lower intermediate level fire magic so I can¡¯t cast a continuous fire spell. I could only light fire on the firewood.When I was in the tower I had to go back and forth the forest area to get some firewood until I found a monster with flammable bones in the upper level..


    Apparently Liz can use fire magic to the master class but somehow I just don¡¯t want her to be in the kitchen while I¡¯m cooking.


    I chose some ingredients and noticed that the amount will only be enough for a few more days. I don¡¯t plan to stay here forever but It¡¯s never bad to have some more stock.


    I fixed some sunny side up eggs, which obviously not chicken eggs from the rather huge size. I also roasted some sliced meat. Well, they might look like your standard bacon and eggs if not for the egg¡¯s size and the ¡®I don¡¯t know what¡¯ meat.


    I brought the two servings to the living room and put them on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m back. I put the firewood in the storage outside.¡±


    ¡°Perfect timing, I just finished as well.¡±


    Liz entered the room and approached the table, sits and¡­


    ¡°Wait, wash your hands first, I don¡¯t want you to get sick.¡±


    ¡°Okaaay. Sheesh, Eriksounded like the old nanny who took care of me before.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    I scratched the back of my head while watching her trotting with light footsteps to the washroom.


    We started eating right after she got back. Somehow she always sits next to me and not across of me whenever we eat.


    ¡°By the way, Liz.¡±


    ¡°Un?¡±


    ¡°I should have a pair of daggers and black leather jacket with me. Do you know where they are?¡±


    She stopped her hands.


    ¡°¡­Un, I have them.¡±


    ¡°Can I have them back?¡±


    ¡°The jacket is in my room, in the wardrobe.¡±


    ¡°And the daggers?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t say anything else and just looked downwards, but suddenly she faced me with a sad expression.


    ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving right?¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s how it is¡­


    I stroked her head and she looked at me with confused eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. Our food supplies will only be enough for a few more days so I was thinking to hunt for food.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Well, I¡¯m going to leave this place for sure, but I guess that can wait a bit longer. I can¡¯t just simply leave her alone after all.


    ¡°You can check the supplies yourself if you want to.¡±


    She seemed to be thinking for a moment while muttering ¡°It¡¯s been more thantwo monthssince then, I think it will be alright.¡±in a low voice before continuing.


    ¡°Then how about we go to a town close by?If we walk for about two hours to the west we can reach Leinadt town. My servants had marked some places with magic so I won¡¯t get lost. We can go there to buy some supplies.¡±


    ¡°I assume you have the necessary money, but will it be okay for a human like me to go there?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, not that I mind whatever treatment I¡¯ll get there. But I¡¯ll still need my daggers after all. We might meet some demon beasts on the way.¡±


    ¡°S, someone might try to kill you over there¡­ I don¡¯t want that.¡±


    It is unlikely that I¡¯ll meet anyone strong enough to kill me in a remote town close to the overlooked border. Subjectively speaking, I might have become stronger than the demon lord Orcus myself.


    ¡°How about I draw a fake slave brand on myself? That way I¡¯ll only get some sneering at most. Of course the role of master is yours.¡±


    Both sides make slaves out of another. Most prisoner of war are either torturedto deathfor information or then magically branded and made as slaves. I¡¯ve seen some of both sides in my time as hero. Even though it isn¡¯t necessary some people even purposedly put iron collars on their slaves¡¯ neck just for the sake of it.


    ¡°Slave?¡±


    Her expression shows a discontent. She might not like such idea as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s my own idea anyway. Or maybe we really should just hunt for food? I don¡¯t think seasoning like salt can be hunt though.¡±


    Truth be told I wanted to go to this town myself. I might be able to get some unexpected information.


    ¡°I, if yousay so then.¡±


    Thus it has been decided that today we will be going to this Leinadt town. She gave me the wyvern fang daggers and black snake jacket back to me but since the jacket is kind of conspicuous I decided to leave it in the house. I placed the daggers on my waist for now but I might have to hide it under my clothes when we get to the town.


    Liz also got changed to her travel gear. She¡¯s wearing brown leather boots, darkblue hooded mantle, and a small knife.


    As for me, a pair of ragged sneakers, ragged gray trouser of my old uniform, and a plain white shirt. Well, I need to look like a slave so this is better. The sneakers are strange for this world but not many people will intentionally stare at your feet so I guess it¡¯s okay.


    Before we depart I drew a mark on the back of my left hand with ink for drawing magic circles which was Liz¡¯s servants¡¯ belonging. The mark I drew was based on one I¡¯ve seen but since I don¡¯t want it accidentally becoming real mark when mana is supplied if I use magic, I made some random modifications. I heard that a ceremony must be done with the one to be a master chanting the enslaving contract but one can¡¯t be too careful, right?


    After approximately half an hour of walk, we finally encountered some demon beasts. At first Liz panicked and tried to use magic attack but a single kick or punch from me killed them in an instant before she could do anything.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know thatErikis so strong.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Nah, the monsters here are just too weak.¡±


    I shrugged and continued walking ahead of her. She followed while saying


    ¡°But the demon beasts here are considered strong enough to kill a group of 5 adventurers in a short time.¡±


    Oops, did I just do something quite extraordinary then?


    I¡¯ve been killing juggernaut class demon beasts so my view might have become biased unconsciously.


    ¡°R, really? Well, the demon beasts roaming the region where I was before coming here are stronger so maybe that¡¯s why.¡±


    She looked to be thinking hard. Was that an obvious lie?


    ¡°Come to think of it, younever told me anything about yourselfbefore. ¡°


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°I, I want to know more about you, Erik. Can we talk about you?¡±


    Okay, this isn¡¯t good. I can¡¯t tell her yet that I was a hero and the one who contributed the most in killing her father.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really have anything interesting to tell anyway.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s so to Erik, but it interests me¡­¡±


    Oh dear, why are you blushing Liz? And stop that upturned eyes please. Somehow I thought that was really cute for a moment. Crap, I sense a dangerous flag. I¡¯m not a lolicon, I¡¯m not a lolicon, I¡¯m not a lolicon.


    ¡°Maybe next time¡­¡±


    ¡°Un, okay.¡±


    She replied me with an expectant smile.


    We reached the town without trouble and as expected, the people there looked at me with hostilitybut then it changed to a mocking ¡®humph¡¯ after they see the fake brand and Liz whom I told to walk in front of me with a bit of distance. To my surprise there were also some who simply don¡¯t care when they first see me, I don¡¯t know why though.


    Liz herself hid her face with her hood. She said that not many people know that she is Orcus¡¯ daughter but she doesn¡¯t want to risk it. If a rumor that say Orcus¡¯ daughter was seen here comes out, who knows what will become of her. There might be some who will approach to take advantages out of her, assassins from opposing faction, or Orcus¡¯ fans who might worship her. It sounded strange but the last one is not exactly impossible.


    Sometimes Liz slowed her pace so I adjusted my pace to stay behind her. I don¡¯t know why but when I do she walks faster in response and I could tell that her mood also worsened.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we there yet milady?¡±


    She stiffened when I asked her that.


    ¡°I, it should be near the plaza so we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    She said she has only been here once. It was before she lives in the forest so I hope she still remembers correctly. Not like we can¡¯t ask other people for the way though.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    I quickly turned to look behind since I felt killing intent which stood out from the surrounding enmityfor an instant.


    I looked around for a while but I found no one who¡¯s emitting such killing intent.


    ¡°What is it, Erik?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    It might be that I¡¯ve become too sensitive to killing intents ever since the tower but guess I¡¯ll just keep my guard up.


    After about ten more minutes of walking we arrived at a big grocery store. The building is made almost completely from wood but compared to most houses around the windows are bigger and have real glass on them.


    Liz entered the store and I followed.


    ¡°Welcome, what a young lady we have today are you shopping alone? Oh...¡±


    The shopkeeper auntie with pale bluish skin and one small horn on her forehead approached Liz with a smile which faded soon after she saw me.


    ¡°My, what a bad looking slave you have there young lady...¡±


    How rude... Even like this I have appeared in the TV at least once you know. It was on a reality show where the host did a prank on pedestrian, I was the victim. Wait, it has nothing to do with looks.


    ¡°He¡¯s not bad looking!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sorry young lady. Yes, you are a good girl who would even take care of how your slave looks.¡±


    She smiled again at Liz but this time I could clearly see that it was a business smile.


    Liz only pouted in turn.


    I told her that I don¡¯t care whatever treatment I¡¯ll get in the town but big bro is happy that you¡¯re getting angry for him li¡¯l Liz.


    The shopkeepers kept saying some bad things about me for a while but since they finally realized that Liz¡¯s mood keep getting more and more sour whenever they do that they then stopped.


    We bought necessary seasoning for foods like salt andeven the expensivesugar, some huge -unknown to me- eggs, fresh meat chilled with magic, etc. We didn¡¯t buy vegetables and fruitssince I¡¯m used to gather edible plants and that there are plenty of them including fruits in the forest. Of course I¡¯m the one who carries all of them.By the way, I didn¡¯t get any information on the war by listening around. I guess this area really is an overlooked border.


    We finally left the store but Liz is still pouting.


    ¡°What is on your mind milady?¡±


    I asked her half jokingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it!¡±


    She said in a muffled voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when people treat Erikbadly! I don¡¯t like it when they think that Erik is my slave! I don¡¯t like it when Erik walks behind me and calls me ¡®milady¡¯!¡±


    She looked at my face with teary eyes and clenched fists at her sides.


    Haha, she was really angry for me. I put the groceries down and stroked her head as gentle as I could. She let out a ¡°Fuee?¡± and blushed in response.


    ¡°Liz, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re angry for me. But this was just acting and I don¡¯t care whatever they say to me. To their eyes I¡¯m just one of the captured enemy after all.¡±


    ¡°But, I don....¡±


    ¡°Just that feeling of yours is enough for me.Thank you, Liz.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look much convinced but she finally smiled again.


    We ignored the surrounding crowds¡¯ look of amazement, disgust, and also warm gaze showered on us and walked towards the forest.


    Suddenly I felt another strong killing intent, however the target isn¡¯t me.


    ¡°Liz, don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    I dropped the groceries and grabbed her shoulder. At the same moment a knife passed right in front of her face then hit the wall a few meters away from her. From the knife stabbed in the wall I could see some black liquid dripping down, poison?


    Ignoring Liz¡¯s ¡°Fue!?¡± I picked whatever I could quickly reach from the dropped groceries and threw it at the assailant hiding in the crowds.


    ¡°Guhagh! *Cough cough.¡±


    It seems the bag of flour hit its mark but the assailant managed to escape.


    ¡°Eh, what? What was that?¡±


    Liz couldn¡¯t grasp what happened and looked at the knife stabbed in the wall and at me in confusion.


    The surrounding people also started to make a ruckus.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get away from here.¡± I picked all the groceries with one hand and grabbed Liz¡¯s hand with the other then quickly walked away.


    Meanwhile, not far from where the knife incident just happened,hidden in the alleywerethree men in hooded mantle talking to each other.


    ¡°You failed, eh?¡± said the man with tallest stature among the three.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems she still has quite a capable servant.¡± The man with rather high pitched voice answered. His face is hidden but you could easily see the white mark of flour on his chin and hood.


    ¡°From what I could see, it was a human. I could also see a slave brand on his hand.¡± The other man added.


    ¡°A human slave¡­ If he was capable of sensing your killing intent and responded in an instant then he might have been a soldier or maybe even a knight.¡±


    ¡°It was our long awaited chance after more than a month of waiting in this town where she was last seen and it got foiled by a slave. What a stupid thing to happen eh?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go back to the capital unless we get the princess¡¯ head. You know where they were going right?¡± The man with tallest stature whom also seemed to have higher authorities of the three asked the high pitch voiced man.


    ¡°Yeah, it was to the forest.¡±


    ¡°We searched the forest before and couldn¡¯t find anything but if they just went in we might be able to track their trails to their hideout.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, we can¡¯t wait any longer so let¡¯s track them and do our job.¡±


    The three men then moved quickly to the direction of the forest.


    ¡°Erik, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    As we are running in the forest Liz said so to me.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°The incident earlier¡­ Actually, some assassins were sent to kill me. Most of my servants were also killed by them.¡±


    She looked downwards and almost tripped if I didn¡¯t stop and pull her hand up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve also thought about the possibility.¡±


    This far seems good. We shouldn¡¯t head back to the cottage directly. Professionals could track our trails easily so it will be better to take a roundabout way and erase our trails here and there to confuse them. Or it would be faster to just confront them. I doubt that there is only one assassin so can I do that while also protecting Liz?


    ¡°Even if you say so, I have brought danger to you. If something were to happen to Erik because of me, I¡­¡±


    I put the groceries and patted her head lightly.


    ¡°If I was scared of such thing then I wouldn¡¯t be here with you, Liz. And didn¡¯t I tell you not to worry?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to Erik.¡±


    *Sigh¡­ This girl should really worry about herself more¡­


    ¡°Liz!¡± I raised my voice and she seemed startled.


    ¡°Y, yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are coming for us even now, so I¡¯m going to wait and fight them here. You should go and hide somewhere further.¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not going to leave Erik.¡±


    ¡°Liz, trust me. I¡¯m confident in my strength you know.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore.¡±


    ¡°Aargh¡­ Then Liz, you said before that you are capable of attack magic of advanced and master class right?¡±


    ¡°U, un. Fire and earth element. I don¡¯t know many non-elemental attack spell but I can use them as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then use earth magic to make a burrow over there and hide in it. We¡¯re going to ambush them. Don¡¯t come out of the burrow except if I need some support.¡±


    ¡°O, okay.¡±


    She nodded and ran toward the spot I told her.


    There she concentrated for a bit and


    ¡°Eht rumeris¡±


    After she chanted the name of earth shaping spell the ground were hollowed with enough space to crouch. She entered and chanted the spell again to close it while leaving some holes for air and for peeking out. I then put some dirt and fallen leaves on it as camouflage.


    Chanting just the spell¡¯s name is an advantage of the demon race. Some more capable demons like Orcus and his generals are even capable of using magic without any incantation. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the cause is that the magic circuits of each race in this world are unique to their own and thus the way to use magic is different although the spells used are basically the samewhich arebased on ancient magic used by the gods and goddesses of old.


    ¡°Erik, you should hide as well.¡±


    She spoke from within the burrow.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to face them head on. You¡¯re the ambush, Liz. I¡¯ll be counting on your support when I need it.¡±


    Not that I intend to have her do it though.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s already too late. Stay quiet okay. And please don¡¯t scream whatever you see here, I¡¯m sure that they will fight with the intention to kill so I plan to do the same.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    I ignored Liz¡¯s muffled exclamation of surprise and walked forward. After a few steps I could see three figures running towards me.


    The figures halted immediately after they got about ten meters before me.


    ¡°You¡¯re the slave!¡±


    ¡°Acting as a diversion until your master gets away eh? What a poor guy, slaves can¡¯t go against their master¡¯s order after all.¡±


    The two on the right and left side prepared their weapons. Short sword for the one to my right and throwing knives for the high pitch voiced floury hooded one to my left.


    The one in the middle just observed me intently. Is he their leader?


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the amateur assassin from earlier, how was the flour? It was of high quality and expensive you know¡­¡±


    I mocked the floury hooded guy and he took the bait.


    ¡°Amateur you say? What a cocky slave. Take this!¡±


    He threw some knives at me but I just shifted my posture and avoided them.


    ¡°Wha?!¡±


    ¡°See what I meant? Your killing intent explodes out before you attack like telling me ¡®Hey, here I go¡¯. What an assassin you are¡­ I thought assassins are able to completely hide their killing intent.Anyway, I guess it¡¯s my turn now.¡±


    I jumped to the trees above then randomly jump over from tree to tree soundlessly while approaching their location. Leaves are falling from the branches I stepped on but with this many and my speed it would be hard to ascertain my position.


    ¡°Shit! I couldn¡¯t tell his position.¡±


    The hooded men are looking up searching for me in a panic.Only the man in the middle is calm.


    I prepared my daggers and jumped down behind the floury guy.


    ¡°Hello, and good bye.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    I cut his throat and he let out a voiceless scream of terror and agony.


    Suddenly I sensed something coming at me from the left so I quickly jumped away, then a serrated blade slashed the air of where I was a moment ago.


    ¡°Ooh, scary. You used one of your men to get me eh? Now this is what I call a pro.I didn¡¯t feel any killing intent as well.¡±


    The tallest man whom I thought as the leaderopened his hood. He is holding a uniquely shaped sword which both edges are serrated.


    ¡°You are a very interesting slave... Were you a well known knight before?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but all the knights I know would rather die than become a slave.¡±


    ¡°Then, were you a mercenary?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that is not entirely wrong. I was fighting for a reward which I could never get. I¡¯ve even lost more of what I thought as important.¡±


    The image of that day crossed my mind for a moment, calling forth my hatred.


    The remaining two men shuddered as I was unintentionally leaking some killing intent.


    Oops.


    ¡°Aaargh!¡±


    The man with short swordsnapped and dashed to attack me.I didn¡¯t bother to use my daggers and kicked him in the stomach instead, sending him flying away at tremendous speed until he hit and brought down a tree. I don¡¯t think he is still alive.


    I didn¡¯t even use my full power, just how strong did I get?


    ¡°Amazing¡­ you, how about joining me to serve my master?¡±


    The tall man opened both his arms wide then offered one to me.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    This guy is kind of amazing himself. He didn¡¯t faze to what I just did to his subordinates.


    ¡°My master will soon be the demon lord, he is not the type that discriminate humans or demons. He only sees the strong and the weak.¡±


    I showed him my fake slave brand.


    ¡°I¡¯m a slave. I can¡¯t go against my current master¡¯s order.¡±


    ¡°Such thing can be easily erased with my master¡¯s magic.¡±


    Doesn¡¯t discriminate human, only see the strong, capable of magic strong enough to erase a slave brand which must be at least master class non-elemental magic. I know one such guy. We fought and talked in the battlefield once. When everyone was scattered around the battlefield he appeared before me. He was really strong. I almost got defeated if Reza and Mira didn¡¯t come to my aid and even the three of us only brought the fight to a stalemate.


    ¡°Your master, is he Berudis the Oppressor?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer but his expression betrayed his silence.


    ¡°Right on the mark eh?¡±


    ¡°Really, just who the hell are you? Stop serving that unneeded princess and come to our side¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea. I might be able to achieve my goal faster like that.¡±


    He smiled to my answer.


    ¡°If you bring her head to my master then even you will be given a high enough position. I don¡¯t know what your goal is but if you side with my master anything is possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, my goal is to destroy a single nation of the humans.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, that is even better. My master also planned to conquer the whole continent. It won¡¯t end with just one or two nations.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    We laughed together.


    ¡°No thanks. My target is just that one. I¡¯m not so fallen as to let those unrelated to suffer my vengeance.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°More importantly, who would side with a guy who sent assassins to kill a little girl like that?¡±


    I dashed and swung my daggers but he blocked it with his sword. I¡¯m currently holding back but still, this guy is pretty good.


    He took out something from within his mouth, a blowdart, and shot it at me. I couldn¡¯t dodge due to the close range and suddenness. The dart hit my left shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s a paralytic poison. You won¡¯t be able to move for a few hours. You are an interesting material so I¡¯ll take you to my master after I find and kill the princess.¡±


    I looked at the blowdart and plucked it off.


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°*Sigh¡­ My body might have mutated since no poison could affect it anymore¡­¡±


    I could see the guy¡¯s surprised look.


    ¡°Sorry dude, I won¡¯t let you kill her. She¡¯s my¡­.¡±


    ¡®Atonement¡¯ I didn¡¯t say it out loud since I don¡¯t want Liz to hear it.


    I used my full force and sent an uppercut to his chin, launching him upwards.


    ¡°Grrghh.¡±


    The guy is strong, he is still alive and conscious after that punch.


    I jumped and got in front of him who¡¯s still in the air. He looked at me while grimacing from the pain. He tried to swing his sword at me but I used my dagger to cut his arm at the base and stabbed his chest with the other.


    ¡°Gghaaah.¡±


    He looked at me, grinned, and then opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°You¡­will re¡­gret¡­this¡­¡±


    He fell to the ground as I landed not far from him. He¡¯s definitely dead but his face is still smiling.


    ¡°Berudis the Oppressor, eh?¡±


    One of Orcus¡¯s general. He might be not the only one aiming for the demon lord¡¯s throne so Liz might be in a very bad situation right now.


    I have my goal but I can¡¯t just leave Liz like this. However I also showed her something this bad already. Will she still be willing to stay with me?


    I approached the place where she is.


    ¡°Liz, you can come out. I don¡¯t sense anyone else nearby.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Liz?¡±


    It took a few seconds until I see the burrow started opening. Maybe she hesitated.


    ¡°Sorry, was that too much for you to see? I should have told you to close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°I was scared.¡±


    She answered while looking down.


    ¡°Thought so. Sorry, but that¡¯s how it is. I¡¯m not the type to hesitate in killing. I¡¯ve killed too much anyway.¡±


    She shakes her head.


    ¡°That kind of Erik is scary as well. But!¡±


    She lifted her face and I could finally see that she is crying.


    ¡°When Erik talked with that person I thought you will go with him¡­*sob* Erik said that it was a good idea, so I was scared that Erik would do as he said¡­¡±


    She said something I didn¡¯t expect so I was speechless.


    ¡°Erik, please... don¡¯t leave me...¡±


    She held onto the hem of my shirt hesitantly but strongly as if fearing that I would reject her.


    ¡°Liz, listen.¡±


    I crouched down and looked at her eyes, her teary eyes also looked at mine.


    ¡°I have a goal which I really want to accomplish so I will have to leave this forest soon.¡±


    ¡°Uuu¡­*hic.¡±


    Her tears started to overflow again.


    ¡°Aah wait. I said I will leave but I didn¡¯t say I will leave you.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t leave you alone, but I can¡¯t stay here forever. So, will you go with me?¡±


    She opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°Also, the path I will take will be a very dangerous one but I¡¯ll protect you. Is it okay?¡±


    ¡°Un, I want to stay with Erik.¡± She said while trying to hold her tears.


    ¡°Haha, what¡¯s with that face? Don¡¯t hold back, you can cry as much as you want today. You¡¯ve suffered so much so there¡¯s no reason not to cry.¡±


    She jumped to my chest, hugging me while sobbing and wailing as hard as she could.


    I hugged her back and stroked her head. I didn¡¯t care much before but now I¡¯m starting to fear that she might come to hate me if she knows the truth about me and her father.

 Chapter 4 - Arx Norr

    CHAPTER 4 Arx Norr


    Ithas been three days since then. We finally decided to leave this place. I chose to do what Praesia asked me first since I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m already strong enough to face an entire empire. I¡¯ll climb that tower again. With that in mind,I approached Liz who was packing her belongings.


    ¡°Liz, I have a favour to ask you.¡±


    She immediately stood and faced me.


    ¡°Un, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, you have affinity for fire magic right?¡±


    ¡°Un, Fire, Earth, and Non-elemental¡±


    ¡°Well, that is¡­ Will you make a pact with me?¡±


    I¡¯m not sure if this was something you could just ask casually but I asked her anyway.


    ¡°FUEEEE!?¡±


    I don¡¯t know why but she blushed furiously while holding her cheeks.


    ¡°Eeeh, a pact? Erik and me?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Fa, father said that our tribe only make a pact with someone we could entrust everything of ourselves to each other.¡±


    She kept glancing away and back to me with a reddened face.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Her head started to sway left and right, steam was also coming out from her head.


    ¡°I, I mean¡­ It¡¯s regarded almost as important as a marriage, or is a marriage by itself.¡±


    Wait, wait, wait. What?


    I grabbed her shoulders and she got startled.


    ¡°FUEEEE!? Erik? I, it¡¯s not that I mind¡­ If it is with Erik, then I¡¯m o¡­o¡­okay.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Liz¡­ Let¡¯s pretend that this conversation never happened.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    I ran outside leaving the dumbfounded Liz.


    After I got far enough from the house I then shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯M NOT A LOLICOOOOON!!!!!¡±


    That damn goddess¡­ she didn¡¯t tell me about something like this.


    I got back to the cottage only to find Liz sulking in the corner.


    ¡°Uhh, Liz?¡±


    ¡°I thought so... there¡¯s no way Erik will be interested in someone like me anyway... I¡¯m just a kid anyway...Wait, I¡¯m not a kid! ... But I¡¯m sure Erik prefers someone with more adult like feature anyway...anyway... anyway... ¡°


    Aaah, she lost it...


    I apologized and told her that I didn¡¯t know each tribe has different custom about making pacts. I also just found out that she and Orcus is of the Exceidustribe which excels in magic even when compared with other tribes from demon race like Saccandruswhich are close to vampires from my point of view or Drucum estthe deep black skinned, scaly tailed, and red eyed race which strong in both magical and physical capabilities. Berudis is an example of the Drucum est.


    After that, things became a bit awkward between usand itwashard to talk to each other but she kept clinging to me. Shehasbeen clinging to me whenever she could since that day when I killed the assassins.


    Is this how it would feel like if I have a little sister? No, Mira whom I once thought as a little sister never acted like this and I doubt even a real little sister wouldcling this much either.


    Ah well, as long as she¡¯s happy I guess.


    Our preparation has beencompleted. She wears her travel gear with an addition of a backpack. As for me, she gave me one of her servants¡¯ backpack as well so I¡¯m carrying the heavier supplies and tools, I¡¯m also wearing my jacket now and I have the assassin¡¯s serrated sword on my waist.


    Before we go I need to confirm something first


    ¡°Umm Liz, can you show me your strongest fire magic?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but why?¡±


    ¡°The enemy I¡¯m planning to take on was said to be weak against fire.¡±


    ¡°Okay, umm...¡±


    She looked around for a while and seemed to be confused. Ah, I see, we don¡¯t want any fire in the forest.


    ¡°Liz, how about using it over there?¡±


    I pointed up into the air.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She nodded and started concentrating.


    She didn¡¯t chant anything but a flaming ball just formed about 30 meters or so above us. The size kept increasing until it was bigger than the cottage behind us. The form gave me an impression of a miniature sun, flares kept erupting here and there and I could feel the heat on my skin.


    ¡°Lietus mer irbrium solus.¡±


    Right after she chanted the spell¡¯s name multiple flaresextended out in unison and moved, or rather were shot,and compressed to a single point at a distance. The huge ball of flame shrunk more and more as the flares extendeduntil it was completely gone.


    Then a strong explosion happened at where the flares congregated. I could feel the hot blast wave even at where I¡¯m standing.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re good Liz.¡±


    She blushed to my words while smiling.


    ¡°It was originally a spell to attack multiple target, but since there was noany specific target I just made the flares hit the same spot.¡±


    ¡°Did you do some special training?¡±


    ¡°No, I just watched people I know in the castle trains.¡±


    Only watched? This girl might be more amazing than I had thought.


    Okay, the magic is good.She can use a magic formula which will take a human to chant a few sentences to be done.The remaining problem is how to have Liz use it on the dragon without it attackingher. I doubt I can last long even just as a distraction against that thing. Should I even take her to face that dragon? Frankly,I¡¯m still hesitant but I couldn¡¯t think of other alternatives.


    Guess I¡¯ll think about that while on the way. We need to get to the tower first anyway.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    Liz nodded and heldthe hand I offered.


    The two of usthen walked leisurely towards the tower.


    The journey willtake more than a day anyway so rather than hurrying, it is better to take it easy since I¡¯m with Liz.


    After a while some demon beasts attacked us and I had no trouble killing them but I also left some for Liz¡¯s as her practice. She never used magic to attack any living thing before so she needs to get used to it.


    She did pretty well, no hesitation whatsoever. She said that she needs to at least be able to do this much or she will be of no use to me. Of course I told her not to worry about that though.


    With the sky showing the signs that nightwasapproaching,we decided to camp. I chose a wide area, made a fire and killed surrounding demon beasts. After that I gathered their corpse and buried them so not to attract the other.I chose to bury since draining the blood will take too much time and that I had more than enough strength to dig a large hole by myself without problem. Actually, Liz helped with her earth magic.


    We will take turn to be on guard. I could sense the enemies with my honed instinct and fortunately she could use non-elemental magic to make a barrier which will tell her if something breached it.


    Currently I¡¯m sitting with my back to a tree while Liz was in front of me lying down a bit closer to the fire. I noticed that she was restless so I asked her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t sleep?


    She turned and looked at menervously.


    ¡°Can I comeover there?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She stood, picked her blanket up, approached me, and sat next to me, leaning onto me.


    When I look at her she was fidgeting and seemed to be trying to say something.


    ¡°Do you want to ask me something?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Erik said about having a goal¡­ destroying a nation of the humans. Is it true?¡±


    I sighed, I guess it won¡¯t hurt to tell her a few bits.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you also a human?¡±


    ¡°Well, being a human doesn¡¯t mean that you will get along with every other human. There are people who won¡¯t hesitate to hurt or kill another for their own benefit, even worse, there are also some who will do so without reason. Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m one of such bad human who do things for his own sake.¡±


    ¡°But, there must be a reason right? I don¡¯t believe Erik is someone who would have such a goal without any reason.¡±


    ¡°I did my best, even becoming a killer and killed countless enemies for their sake¡­ but in the end, I was betrayed and they robbed me of everything important to me.¡±


    ¡°Betrayed.... Were you involved in the war?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve killed countless people of demon race myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It couldn¡¯t be helped. It was a war after all¡­ Our side must have killed countless number of humans as well¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re fine with that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡­ But, a war is a war¡­ There¡¯s nothing I can do about it¡­Even father who tried to make peace with the humans kept failing to the point where he stopped trying.¡±


    ¡°Eh, Orcus tried what?¡±


    ¡°Father wanted the war to end since he became the demon lord seven years ago. He tried many times to make peace with the humans but it never went well since the peace proposals were rejected. There was once when a meeting of both sides were arranged to talk about peace. One of the representatives from human side didn¡¯t even come and there was assassination attempt for my father.¡±


    Orcus became the demon lord seven years ago? I¡¯ve never heard anything about it. That means he wasn¡¯t the one involved in starting the war. This is quite a find¡­


    ¡°Let me guess, the one who didn¡¯t send a representative was Zagrant empire, right? I bet they were also the one who sent the assassins.¡±


    ¡°Un, that¡¯s what I heard. It was just a speculation about them being the one sending the assassins though.¡±


    There issimplyno way thattheempire which hates the demon race so much will agree to make peace. That bastard Daunte also said about eradicating every single one of demon race after all.


    ¡°Well, human or demon race matters not when it is about being a good or bad person. I¡¯ve seen both bad and good human as well. It is the same with demon race. Even now next to me is a good girl who helped and took care of a human like me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m not a good girl. I don¡¯t care about the demon lord¡¯s throne but I¡¯ve thought about getting back at those who made me like this. Be it the humans who killed my father or the demons who tried to kill me.¡±


    Those words struck me but I managed to not show it on my face.


    ¡°Well, that should be normal from my point of view.¡±


    She shook her head to my words.


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t like such me¡­ I never said this before,but when I first found Erik,I thought about killing you with these hands.¡±


    She was trembling and hugged her knees, burying her face in. Sorry Liz, if it is something I didn¡¯t tell you, I also have one myself.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still alive here. See? You¡¯re a good girl after all.¡±


    I patted her head and she looked at me with reddened eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop this talk here. You should get some sleep, Liz. You can use my lap as pillow.¡±


    She hesitated but finally rested her head on my lap while facing the direction of the fire.


    ¡°Erik¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really glad that we met.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too¡±


    It took longer than I had thought, we reached the human¡¯s territory after 4 days. It is called a border between nations with hostile relation but there is no wall, rampart, or anything of the sort. The thing bordering the two nations was only the forest infested with demon beasts.


    The gigantic size of the majestic tower of gods ¨COrum Arx- can now be seen clearly. From the top of the hill where Liz and I currently are, a large town encircling the base of the tower couldbe seen to be bustling with its daily activities of merchants, adventurers, and normal citizens. Thename is ¡®Arx Norr¡¯.


    ¡°Okay Liz, once we get into town, you must never open your hood in public.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The reason is obvious. Once people see her horns and pointy ears it might become a commotion. I drew a fake slave brand on her forearm hidden by her sleeve as a precaution but somehow I just don¡¯t want people to see her as a slave. I kind of understand why Liz didn¡¯t like it when people saw me as her slave now.


    There are patches of walls and fences at some border of the town but fortunately there is no specific gate to enter the town.and thus there is no visitor inspection. The reason was that the traffic of adventurers and merchants coming out and in of the town is insanely high.The town is also quite a big one since it encircles the tower so I guess it would be more than just a hassle to build a wall that completely surrounds the town.In exchange, every adventurers and merchants can¡¯t do their business without special ID card issued by their respective guildswhich must be renewed after a fixed period. There arealwayssome guild officials doing their patrol around the town to prevent any mishaps. Of course there are also some illegal merchants in the town but most people here will avoid doing business with such shady merchants.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Adventurers can¡¯t enter the tower without showing their ID card to the gate keeper. As a hero I was granted the right to enter the tower whenever I wanted but now things are different.


    My goal is to enter the tower so we walked towards the direction of the adventurer guild.


    ¡°So, so many human...¡±


    Liz timidly walked next to me while holding her hood.


    ¡°Well, the tower is adventurer magnet and the adventurer then become merchant magnet as well.¡±


    ¡°Fueee!¡±


    Liz who almost bumped at someone passing by got startled and desperately clung to me.


    ¡°If you act like that it will actually look strange and suspicious.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Come on, just hold my hand and walk calmly like usual.¡±


    ¡°O, okay.¡±


    She grabbed my hand and fixed her hood with her other hand then walked as calm as she could although it still looked stiff to me.I could also feel her hand trembling.


    *Sigh I might look like a kidnapper since I¡¯m walking while holding the hand of a scared hooded little girl like this...


    And yeah, people are looking at me with suspecting glares. Crap, I didn¡¯t make a hood on my jacket.


    At least we reached the guild without any unwanted incident.


    The adventurer guild has many branch offices in the continent, among them the one in Arx Norr is one of the four largest. The largest are located near each of the great dungeons, including one in the demon race¡¯s territory.


    The guild hall is divided into two major areas, the one you can get right from the entrance is a bar which of course got bartender and some waitresses. A bit further inis reception area, and since the adventurer traffic is high there are usually at least three to five receptionist ladiesat the counter. The guild itself is filled with all sort of people, mostly adventurers but there are some merchants or information broker hanging out as well. Fortunately,there wasnobody scrutinizing us since new face isn¡¯t all that rare here.


    Somehow I get the feeling that the guild was far more crowded than the last time I came here.


    I pulled the hand of Liz who was speechless with blank look due to the number of people around her.


    ¡°No need to be scared, I¡¯m with you. Nobody here knows anything about us and they won¡¯t care either.¡±


    ¡°Uuuu...¡±


    She nodded and walked as close as she could to me. I heard that she was quite a sheltered princess who rarely comes out of the castle, plus the ones around are humans so her being like this is no surprise eh....


    ¡°Welcome to the adventurer guild. May I help you sir?¡±


    The receptionist lady who looked to be in her mid twenties greeted me. Actually we should have already known each other. Her name is Tyrina and she likes younger men and kind of liked Bagus although he rejected her flatly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to register as an adventurer here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a newbie? You are the 55th person today.¡±


    ¡°55th? Did something special happen?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. The tower exploration record just broke to the 36th floor. It is quite a huge leap from the 31st floor before. The material you can harvest from the demon beasts there such as scales, fangs and leather is of higher quality than known before. The veterans are racing there so the lower floors are quite vacant, a chance for new adventurers to gain more.¡±


    ¡°36th eh?¡±


    The record should have become 54th floor... So even the things related to us were also forgotten.


    Wait, the record book shouldn¡¯t just disappear so...


    ¡°Sadly we also lost all previous record and the holder names to a thievery at our storeroom a month ago.Really, who would steal a record book like that anyway?Several of our staff could remember someof the contents,but well....¡±


    Thievery? Should I say as expected of the Empire?


    ¡°Anyway, *ahem. Please fill in the documents and... by the way, is she your companion?¡±


    Liz froze to the receptionist¡¯s words.


    ¡°A... e....¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my little sister from different mother. Our parents passed away a short while ago so we decided to become adventurer since the only thing I¡¯m good at is fighting while this sister of mine is better at magic than most.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Sist...?¡±


    Liz looked to be consfused so I quickly patted her head.


    ¡°Our abilities complement each other, I couldn¡¯t have a better little sister. Right?¡±


    Sorry Liz, I forgot to tell you about this beforehand.


    ¡°Aaah, u, un. You didn¡¯t have to say that bi... big brother. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡±


    As expected of Liz, she caught on quickly, though the receptionistjustlooked at us with a flat expression.


    ¡°Well, it is good if you are confident but you should at least buy some better equipment and if possible,more party members. It is recommended to be in at least 4 man team. Also, to register she needs to be at least 12 years old. Well, it is mainly just formality but I don¡¯t recommend anyone below that age to be an adventurer as it is a dangerous occupation.¡±


    Sorry that my craftsmanship was so bad that this high quality material from the 69th floor became a cheap looking jacket. I don¡¯t need more party member for now but I guess Liz will really need some better equipment if I¡¯m going to take her into the tower.


    I whispered to ask Liz about her age and she answered ¡°13¡± somehow shyly. Even if she was younger I intended to write 12 anyway but what kind of brother doesn¡¯t know his sister¡¯s age?


    I finished both of our registration forms and gave it to the receptionist.


    ¡°Alright umm, Erik 17 years old and...Lissa 13 years old... no surname?The registration fee would be 100 mearis coins or you could pay with 1denatum coin.You can take your ID card tomorrow here. Yearly membership fee is 500 mearis or 5 denatum coins for both of you but you can pay with monthly installment. Our facilities and services including infirmary are free for use but always report to our person in charge before and after using. Please keep in mind that food and drinks at the bar are not included. There is also a non-mandatory class to learn about basic survival knowledge and demon beast classification.¡±


    I put my real name but I don¡¯t want if somehow Liz¡¯s real name be known by someone dangerous and trouble occurs.


    By the way, her explanation was somewhat different than the one that was given to me when I was a hero. She didn¡¯t tell us about the class but we were told about demon beast classification by guild official that was assigned to be our guide. Food and drinks were also free dammit.


    ¡°Erik.¡±


    Liz whispered to me so I leaned closer.


    ¡°Hm, you don¡¯t like the name ¡®Lissa¡¯to be on the ID card?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.I understand why Erik did so. The problem is, I don¡¯t have any human currency... What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I do have something to pay with you know.¡±


    I returned to face the receptionist lady again.


    ¡°Ah, the thing is, we are currently broke on money...I didn¡¯t have the chance to sell this so can I do that here as well?¡±


    I took a red gemstone half the size of a tennis ball and put it on the table.


    ¡°Hmm, is it a magic stone? It looks to be a wyvern Ruby but the size is quite small¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a family heirloom. Our late grandfather always told us a story of when he defeated a giant wyvern in his younger days.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, giant wyvern eh, I¡¯m sorry but your grandfather must have been lying. The size is too small for a giant wyvern¡¯s ruby.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. Can I have it appraised here? I couldn¡¯t really trust the merchants out there.¡±


    ¡°Please wait then.¡±


    She left the counter, bringing the ruby to a room at the back.


    A few minutes later¡­


    ¡°WHAT IS THIS? THIS IS AMAZING!¡±


    I could hear somebody shouted from inside the room then Tyrina came out with an old man wearing a serious face.


    ¡°You, are you the owner of this wyvern ruby?¡±


    The old man grabbed my shoulders and shook me.


    ¡°Ah, yes. It is our family heirloom.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what this is? I have never seen such a wyvern ruby so small yet containing a super dense mana of veryhigh purity.¡±


    Demon beasts, mostly the ones in dungeons possess magic stone of various kinds which usually break and disappear when they die but if one is lucky the stone will stay intact and can be harvested from the demon beast. Maybe that is why they are stronger than those in the wild. This was the one I got from the giant wyvern I killed in the tower. I¡¯m glad I found it in the crater Liz said she first found me. I kind of liked it so I brought it anywhere in the tower while looking for material to make it into a pendant or something. I left the other loots at my camp in the 70<sup>th</sup>floorthough.


    ¡°Ah so our grandfather didn¡¯t lie, right?¡±


    ¡°Where did your grandfather find such a wyvern possessing this kind of ruby?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he never told us where.¡±


    It was just a story I made up on the spot though.


    ¡°Hmm, your grandfather must have been a well known adventurer and a really strong one at that.¡±


    This is getting nowhere, the appraiser old man was deep in thought, and people around were looking curiously over here.


    ¡°Anyway can I have it priced?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. I think this might worth about 7uarum coins plus 50 denatum coins¡±


    That high? Just one uarum is enough to feed a family for three months. Well, I don¡¯t really need that much money for now so.


    ¡°I will sell it for 5uarum in form of 2 uarum coins and 300 denatum coins if we can have our ID cards now. Oh and exemption from at least 3 years of membership fee.¡±


    ¡°Just that? A, are you sure?¡± The old man and receptionist lady looked at each other then at me.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Please wait a minute.¡±


    Both of them ran to the room. I looked at Liz who seemed to be troubled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Liz?¡±


    ¡°Was that really your family¡¯s heirloom?¡±


    ¡°No way, I got it myself.¡±


    She averted her gaze and said in low voice.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Erik could tell a lot of lies smoothly like that¡­¡±


    Noooo, please don¡¯t make such a face Liz¡­. Big bro is hurt here.


    ¡°Ahahaha, sorry Liz, do you hate such me?¡±


    ¡°N, no! I understand the situation. I¡¯m just surprised. I could never hate Erik!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, thanks.¡±


    I put my hand under her hood and stroke her head.


    ¡°Fuee¡­.¡±


    She always makes a comfortable face every time I do this so this is starting to become a habit of mine as well.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry for the wait.¡±


    That was quick. The receptionist lady brought a bag of coins, two golden uarum coins, and two ID cards onto the table.


    I only checked the contents of the coin bag with a glance and strapped it on my waist. I inserted my ID card and the two uarum coins into my pocket and gave Liz her card.


    ¡°Thank you. This means we can get into the tower from now on right?¡±


    ¡°Wait, can I ask you something?¡±


    The old man called me so I turned back.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Who is this grandfather of yours?¡±


    Oh well. Let¡¯s just tell him a random name.


    ¡°Albert the raging storm, the thunderclad swordmaster and dragon hunter from the east.¡±


    I made a ridiculous title as well. We can¡¯t have real people be mistaken as my grandfather here, right?


    ¡°Oooh, what a magnificent name and title... somehow even I felt like I¡¯ve heard about such a person before.¡± The old man looked upwards in admiration.


    You¡¯ve heard about such a person? Are you serious?


    ¡°Anyway, I have to buy some equipment for my sister so please excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Wait, young man! Can you tell me more about your grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Maybe next time.¡±


    I hurriedly walked out of the guild with Liz holding my hand next to me.


    ¡°Okay Liz, let¡¯s buy some good equipments for you.¡±


    ¡°I, is it okay? I¡¯ve only been on the receiving end lately.¡±


    ¡°Liz, I would appreciate it more if you don¡¯t hold back with me.¡±


    ¡°Uuu, okay. I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Besides you¡¯re my little sister in the ID card so I have to be a good brother as well.¡±


    ¡°Little sister...somehow I¡¯m both happy and disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Liz¡¯s shoulders got slumped and she let go of my hand to walk a little ahead of me.


    We walked around town and I finally chose a shop ¡®Outfitter Grandis¡¯. When I saw the shopkeeper, a certain moustached bald bulky old man from a game series about alchemy came into mind.Next to him at the counter was ashort hairedteenage girlin denim like attirewho was currently tending to a customer. Maybe she¡¯s his apprentice or simply a worker here.


    ¡°Yo, welcome!¡±


    I ignored his greetings and brought Liz further in to look at the merchandise.


    Equipment designed for women isn¡¯t rare, but as I thought it¡¯s hard to find one at Liz¡¯s size. I guess it needs to be order made.


    ¡°Liz, is there anything that caught your eyes?¡±


    Liz looked around for a while before answering but then she shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about armors and weapons¡­ can Erik choose for me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I can. Is there anything specific that you¡¯d want about your armor?¡±


    ¡°No, as long as it is what Erik chooses then I¡¯m fine with it.¡±


    ¡°If anything¡¯s fine then¡­¡±


    I rummaged through armor designed for women but I couldn¡¯t find anything that fits my taste. Wait, it doesn¡¯t have to be to my taste¡­


    ¡°Are you looking for something sir?¡±


    I looked behind to see the girl that was with the shopkeeper old man looking at me, correction, she is definitely talking to me but her eyes are onto Liz. Is she suspicious?


    Being looked at so intensely, Liz hid behind me while poking her head out a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for an armor designed for mages, enchanted robe or one made with special material with high resistance.¡±


    I patted Liz¡¯s head while answering.


    ¡°Is it for your companion, haa¡­ the little gi... I mean, young lady, haa¡­ behind you sir?¡±


    Is it just me or she is kind of panting there? And isn¡¯t her face kind of red as well? Is she sick or something?


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± It bugs me but I chose to ignore it.


    ¡°If that is the case then please follow me, haaa¡­. This shop have merchandise specialized for little gi¡­ I mean, young ladies like her.¡±


    WTF? Is that drool? You¡¯re drooling over there oi! And you¡¯re looking at Liz with passionate eyes. Don¡¯t tell me this shopkeeper girl has a special tendency? Yeah, she is sick, mentally it is...


    Even Liz is shivering behind me.


    I thought about leaving the store but I guess it won¡¯t hurt to see what this place got for Liz. Don¡¯t worry,big bro will protect you Liz.


    We followed her to a door next to the counter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be using this room.¡±


    The girl said as she grabsthe handle to the old man.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine but don¡¯t be a bother to our customer okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t¡±


    We entered the room to find¡­ Girl clothes, fancy clothes, frilly clothes, goth loli clothes, clothes with bare minimum coverage, they are all the size for little girl. What the hell?


    ¡°Liz, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    We turned to the door before the shopkeeper girl jumped and grabbed our legs.


    ¡°Please wait! Let me explain first.¡±


    ¡°Stop grabbing our legs and stand back up first.¡±


    So I decided to listen to her first while Liz is still hiding behind me.


    ¡°Well, this is my... hobby.¡± She said, looking down.


    Silence....


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Wait, please wait! They are actually good quality armors.¡±


    ¡°What about the design... and the size?¡±


    ¡°I loved such cute designs since I was a kid, but with this job and family I never had the chance to wear them myself. My father trained me smithing and crafting strictly since I was a kid. Well, he is more lenient now after mother divorced him and allowed me to do what I wanted but I don¡¯t think the me now can wear such cute clothing again, people will think I¡¯m strange.¡±


    ¡°Wait, is your father the one outside?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not... bald.¡±


    ¡°Um, do you know the meaning of the word ¡®daughter¡¯? I know I don¡¯t look very feminine but I¡¯m his daughter, okay.¡±


    I inadvertently tried the same joke some game character did but it was far too bland, if it was Lavinia, she would look at me with squinted eyes¡­


    ¡°Sorry. Anyway, you shouldn¡¯t worry about what people think and just wear them yourself.It¡¯s different if you¡¯re bald but you¡¯re not, right?¡±


    ¡°Please stop with the B word¡­ but yes, I know the problem lies in myself. Continuing, after some time, somehow I started to adore little girls...and want them to wear the clothes I designed. Little girls rarely enter an equipment shop like this so I was excited when I see your companion there.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, I can¡¯t really see the connection there... I got the feeling you skipped some parts of the story.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    *Sigh. I looked around once again and I think I gotta admit that the designs are nice although there were also some questionable ones. I tried examining one and found out that it is made of materials you can get from demon beasts. Now I see what she said about them being good quality armors. To be able to make those demon beasts materials into such clothing, she must actually got some skills.


    ¡°Anyway Liz, can you try them on? Try whatever you think is good.¡±


    Liz nodded and started to choose something.


    ¡°The changing room is over there.¡±


    The shopkeeper girl¡¯s eyes are sparkling, she pointed to a curtain at the back, and Liz trotted into the changing room while taking some clothes.


    After some time the curtain opened.


    ¡°H, how about this?¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond. The shopkeeper girl¡¯s eyes lost their sparkle as well.


    Thesize fits Liz perfectly and theclothes looked good, Liz chose a decorated blue trapeze dress like clothes with long sleeves. It¡¯s just that she...hmm...


    Looking disappointed Liz then closed the curtain again. After a little while she opened it again.


    ¡°How about this one?¡±


    The shopkeeper girl just double facepalmed herself.


    This time Liz chose a white glittering one piecewith long gloves,ah, a fake slave brand is on her hand¡­is it made of large insectoid demon beasts wings? Well, the clothes themselves doesn¡¯t look bad but...


    ¡°Liz, they look good on you but, the plain mantle and hood kind of ruined them.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but...¡±


    I know, I¡¯m the one who told her to hide her horns and ears.


    I once again looked around and picked some clothes but I also picked a beret and gave it to Liz.


    ¡°Here, use this beret to cover them.¡±


    She nodded, accepted them, and closed the curtain. It took longer than before but she finally opened the curtain.


    She¡¯s wearing a set of black, red, and blue semi classic lolita styled clothes. Not the popular japanese goth loli styled one but thesemiclassic styled one you can find in some shop in maybe Europe or US. The one Liz is wearing consists of long sleeved red blouse with some black ribbons and hems, then a knee long suspender skirt with blue colored decorations. On her head, hiding her horns is a rather oversized red beret which still reveals her forelock and shoulder length hair, it might be that the horns helped to hold the beret in place as well. On the frontleft sidepart of the beret a huge black ribbon is also attached.


    Fortunately her hairstyle is enough to cover her ears, the beret also kepther side hair not to sway too much. As long as she doesn¡¯t run around or there is no strong wind then her ears won¡¯t easily be visible.


    I also gave her a mini black cape, covering her back at collarbone length at front and at a length enough to hide her bulging small wings on her back


    ¡°I, is this good? I think this is kind of conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°PURRRRRRRRFECTTTTT!!!¡±


    The shopkeeper girl shouted before I could answer.


    ¡°Very nice. I was going to disagree about the beret but I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t voice it. You¡¯re great!¡±


    She kneeled in front of Liz,clasping her palms as if revering a goddess. Liz is of course taken aback and seemed like she wanted to run away.


    I approached Liz as well and voiced my honest opinion.


    ¡°You look very cute Liz. Well, you¡¯re already cute to begin with anyway.¡±


    ¡°Cccc, c, cute?! Hauuu...¡±


    Liz¡¯s face reddened and she held her cheeks with both hands.


    ¡°Nice choice my bro!¡±


    The shopkeepergirlgave a thumb up at me with a satisfied face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s your bro? I take it that it has enough protection against damage, right?


    ¡°Of course, the blouse is made of cloth which itself was made from Aviliet, the flaming bird¡¯s feathers so it has high fire resistance, your normal kitchen knife also won¡¯t work on it. The skirt and cape are made from black wyvern, Remarathaum¡¯s wings skin so it got far higher defense and durability than iron. Then, the beret is made of the rare crimson butterfly¡¯s powdered wings applied onto, well, normal cotton beret but the butterfly¡¯s wings should have anti-flame effect and raised its endurance as well.¡±


    The shopkeeper girl spoke in one go and I could hear her gasping for air now. Her face is pure bliss though. Let¡¯s quickly finish our business here.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the previous two she chose before as well so how much?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Erik, I¡¯ll be okay with just this one.¡±


    ¡°You chose the other two because you like them right? I thought I told you not to hold back, Liz.¡±


    Liz didn¡¯t answer and just nodded to me.


    ¡°So how much?¡±


    *Arrreiuasasssasssrrrrragh


    The shopkeeper girl is thinking hard and muttered something incomprehensible.


    ¡°Okay! It should be 150 denatum coins but since you bought that many I¡¯ll give you a discount so it is 130 denatum coins. No, you also showed me such a divine cuteness so¡­. 100 denatum coins!¡±


    ¡°50¡±


    ¡°Arrgh, 90!¡±


    ¡°60¡±


    ¡°80! I can¡¯t lower it any further!¡±


    ¡°Okay,deal.¡±


    With her ways of doing business, if many little girls are to shop here she will be out of business in no time¡­ but why should I care?


    We got out of the room after I paid the girl directly and I approached the old man. The shopkeeper girl kept gluing her eyes on Liz while drooling though.


    ¡°You got quite a unique daughter there old man.¡±


    ¡°Arrgh, I know, it is kind of my fault though so I can¡¯t really sayanything¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway do you havesome weapon for mages like wands or something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously not for you... is it for her?¡±


    The old man looked at me, the serrated sword and daggers at my waist, then he pointed at Liz with his thumb.


    ¡°Wait a second.¡±


    He left the counter and rummaged through his merchandise at a corner. He brought back a few wands with various magic stones and also gloves with magic stones attached on the upper side and some rings, also with magic stones on them.


    ¡°The rings got smaller magic stones but also with a high enough mana purity so performance wise they aren¡¯t lacking compared to the wands and gloves.¡±


    The higher the mana purity is, the better it can be used to amplify your magic.The same mana purity level will have better performance with increase in size but mana purity matters the most.


    ¡°What do you think, Liz?¡±


    Liz tried the wands, she swung them a few times and tried channeling some of her internal mana on it. Next she tried the gloves. Lastly she tried putting on the rings.


    ¡°I like this ring but the size is a little too big.¡±


    She showed me a silver ornamented ring with several red gems on it, the biggest one in the middle surrounded by several smaller ones.


    ¡°Old man...¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯ll make it sothe size fit the little lady¡¯s finger. Also, lad, can I have a look on that jacket of yours?.¡±


    The old man showed me a serious look and smile.


    I just took my jacket off and gave it to him in response.


    ¡°This is far heavier than it looks... I have also never seen such a fine material before. Lad, will you let me do some modifications on this?¡±


    ¡°Hohoo, a craftsman¡¯s curiosity at works eh? As long as it will become better then it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahah, you understand me lad? Alright I¡¯ll put all my pride onto it. Give me two days and I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, can you also make these daggers into proper weapons? I just grinded and polished the materials into the shape but I¡¯d appreciate some proper hilts and maybe engravings as decorations. Let¡¯s worry abut the payments after you finished them.¡±


    I put the wyvern fang daggers on the counter and the old man once again showed his confident smile.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Thus we left the store and looked for an inn.

 Chapter 5 - A young girls resolve

    We chose an inn located in an area between the adventurer guild and the equipment store, it¡¯s called ¡®Blues of the Old Maids¡¯. We had lunch there as well. I asked if Liz wanted to go around the town once again but she declined so we checked in right away, one room with two separate bedson the second floor. Perhaps since this is herfirstproper bedding after 4 days and that she is tired, Liz crashed right away after she got onto her bed.


    I put a blanket on her and sat on a wooden chair near the window.


    If I managed to defeat the dragon then what¡¯s next? Should I go straight at the empire? But what about Liz? I know that I¡¯m the one who asked her to stay with me but I can¡¯t involve her in my personal struggle any further. I¡¯m already taking her to face a colossal dragon after all. I bet she will say yes if I ask her to help me to crush the empire but¡­ it just doesn¡¯t feel right.


    I need her to get stronger so that when the time comes I couldleave her for a while and if I managed to come back alive then I will finally tell her about her father. Will she hate me then? Maybe she will. I¡¯m the root cause of her becoming like this.What should I do when it happens?


    Hahaha, what is this¡­ am I really scared of her hating me? It seems that I¡¯m getting attached to her more than I thought. Maybe I¡¯m desperate to have someone to stay by my side after losing you guys, Reza, Mira, Surya, Bagus¡­


    *Sigh, this isn¡¯t like me. Contemplating too much and being melancholic won¡¯t change anything. Let¡¯s just move forward and face all the consequences of the fate I have chosen.


    I continued to sit and looked outside the window, doing nothing else until night fell.


    Then I woke Liz up to have dinner downstairs. After that we returned to the room.


    ¡°Liz, I was thinking about trying the tower tomorrow. Even without an amplifier your magic is strong so you just need to accustom yourself to fighting and the tower. Maybe we¡¯ll at least go as far as the 7th floor.¡±


    ¡°Un, I was going to ask Erik the same thing. I don¡¯t want to be a burden to you so I was thinking to do some training myself.¡±


    I patted her head.


    ¡°Liz, I¡¯ve never thought of you as a burden so you yourself don¡¯t need to think that you are one.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, I knew Erik would say that, but I really want to become stronger so I can be of help to you. This is what I have decided myself.¡±


    We smiled at each other. I told her that I¡¯m going to sleep and if she¡¯s not yet sleepy she is free to do anything as long as she doesn¡¯t go outside of the inn. However as I liedon the bed she snuggled in next to me.


    ¡°Oi, Liz... what are you doing? Your bed is over there.¡±


    ¡°You said I¡¯m free to do anything so...¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything any further. I guess I got accustomed to this as well since I drifted to the dreamworld soon after.


    The next morning we departed to Orum Arx. When we got near the gate many adventurers were already going in and out of the tower.


    We showed our ID card to the gate keeper who told us since we are still newbies, E rank adventurers, it is strongly advised that we should not get higher than the 3<sup>rd</sup>floor. I forgot about the ranking system which can only be raised by receiving official quests from the guild or by achieving something extraordinary before taking a test. Well, not that I care about it since the floor limit is just an advice and not a rule. I guess raising our rank will prove to be useful in the future so maybe it is not bad to take some quests next time. With that in mind Ifinally entered the gate to the first floor.


    The first floor which might be the largest room in the tower is a labyrinth with stone wall. The whole floor is already mapped and usually there are more adventurers than demon beasts since the weak demon beasts got killed almost as soon as they respawn. Veterans normally ignore the demon beasts and left them for the beginners. We won¡¯t get anything if we stay here so I brought Liz straight to the teleportation circle.


    The second floor is not much different in term of human and beasts population balance. The floor setting is a plain rocky area but not as barren as the 50th floor. This placeisalso regarded as a perfect training place for beginners. Again, I brought Liz straight to the teleportation circle.


    Finally the third floor which setting is a rather huge cave tunnels started to have less human and more demon beasts population. Only beginners who are confident of their abilities and veterans who are passing through can be found here.


    ¡°Liz, we¡¯re starting here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use master class magic, use intermediate and advanced class spells. Since there might be people around, chant the spells or at least pretend to be chanting.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After a litle distance from the teleportation circle our first enemies showed themselves. 3 bats with wingspan that reach more than a meter appeared before us.


    I gave her a sign with my hand and she quickly responded.


    ¡°Lietus, vol en serte en inimica cessarar rauliet. Inimica perfora lietus sagias!¡±


    Three flaming spheres appeared surrounding her raised hand as she was chanting which turned into arrow shapes and after she finished chanting the three flame arrows pierced each one of the bats and burned their whole bodies.


    Lower level advanced class fire elemental attack magic, flaming arrows. It was one of Mira¡¯s favorite fire spell, so I know even if I can¡¯t use it myself.


    ¡°Wise choice of spell, Liz. As long as you have the accuracy, smaller procjectile magic is the best here.¡±


    Liz turned to face me without saying anything but showing an expectant look while leaning closer to me.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was silence for a while and her expectant look turned into an almost disappointed expression


    Wait, ahhhh. I see.


    I stroked her head while being careful not to make her beret fall off and her expression changed into that of happiness and she let out her usual ¡°Fueee.¡±. So stroking from above the beret works just as well eh?I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her.


    Our plan is to reach 7th floor so we marched on. Liz took care of most demon beasts that appeared before us. We also met some adventurers who were surprised to see a little girl like Liz in the tower but after they saw her capabilities those who told her to get her out of the tower were finally convinced. I on the other hand took the role as an observer who only gives her some pointers or taking care of the unexpected.


    Liz isn¡¯t very agile and is clumsy at times but she is aware of her surrounding and quick witted. She knows various attack magics and her magic itself is also top notchfor this world¡¯s standard. By using her magic like this at the upper floors, I guess she will reach Mira¡¯s level in a few months.I can¡¯t wait that long though, maybe I will need to make a better strategy later.As a side note, Mira could use an advanced class spell in the magnitude of a master class without her wand.


    Thanks to Liz¡¯s mostly one hit kill spells, we reached the end of 6th floor in no time. However I could see the sign of mana exhaustion on her body. This is actually beyond my expectation. I thought she would start to get tired at around the 5th floor. Her mana capacity is high indeed, as expected of Orcus¡¯ daughter.


    ¡°Liz, shall we take a rest here?¡± I said as we reached a small open area.


    ¡°C, can we?¡±


    ¡°Next time you feel tired, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    We sat next to each other, then I took out a wrapping containing two honey filled bread from my backpack and gave one to her which she accepted happily and ate right away.


    ¡°Erik seems to know a lot about this tower.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was here for quite a number of times before.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you make a new card to enter this tower?¡±


    ¡°Aah, that is...I was granted special access right.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Tell me when you are ready to continue.¡±


    I stood and pretended to inspect the surrounding and Liz who is sitting while leaning to a wall didn¡¯t ask any further.


    ¡°I¡¯m already fine, let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Liz stood up and approached me and thus we continued our trip.


    We entered the teleportation circle and finally stepped onto the 7th floor. The reason why I chose this place was because it has a demon beasts that is feared by beginners. The first real floor boss of Orum Arx, an emerald scaled wyvern with wingspan that reaches 7 meters and poisonous breath, ¡®Venem Urm¡¯. It looks like a rabid wolf with long webbed forelegs as wings and scales in place of fur.


    I don¡¯t think Liz has fully recovered so I told her to step back while I¡¯m taking care of the small fries.


    We got near the area where the wyvern is but I could sense an ongoing battle. Human¡¯s shouts and a beast¡¯s roar can be heard. We got closer until we could see some adventurers battling the wyvern.


    ¡°Ahh, it seems that it is occupied.¡±


    I had intended to let Liz defeat it for a huge exp. points but we shouldn¡¯t take somebody else¡¯s prey.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped, Liz do you want to go further? Or shall we call it a day?¡±


    I asked Liz who looked to be observing the battle.


    ¡°Erik, the adventurers seems to be losing... shouldn¡¯t we help them?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    I once again looked at the people in question. Two swordsman, a sorceress, and an archer. True, they look like some capable beginners but the agile and brute wyvern is still too overwhelming for them.All of them are already wounded.


    ¡°Erik!¡±


    Well, whatever will happen to them, victory or death, such is almost an everyday occurence here.


    ¡°Erik!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s help them!¡±


    ¡°Ah, right.¡±


    We rushed to the battlefield but before we could get there the wyvern managed to pounce on one of the swordsman and bit the hand he used as a shield, ripping it off from the elbow down.


    ¡°AAAARRGH.¡±


    The other party members could only stood in a daze with terror as the wyvern once again opened its mouth to bite the swordsman.


    ¡°Lietus Sagias!¡±


    Liz shot five flame arrows at the wyvern but it realized an impending danger and jumped away with only two hit its left wing and burned some part of it.


    ¡°What are you doing? The wyvern¡¯s bite is poisonous. Give him some first aid!¡±


    I yelled at the other guys and they finally snapped out from their daze.


    ¡°Randall!¡± The Archer rushed to the swordsman, opened his bag, and took out a bottle with bluish liquid. It seems that they had at least prepared some antidote. The sorceress also rushed and started to take care of his bleeding arm while crying.The other swordsman stands guard near them.


    ¡°Liz, stay close to me.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    The wyvern observed me and Liz from a distance. Maybe it instinctively realized my strength and is wary of me? Don¡¯t worry boy, I¡¯m not the one who will defeat you. I can¡¯t be too showy with my strength since there are other people here as well.


    ¡°Liz, you know what to do. Don¡¯t give it a chance to retaliate, keep attacking.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Liz launched another barrage of flame arrows but the wyvern managed to dodge them again as well.


    ¡°Liz, do it once again by making it so it will dodge by jumping then use earth magic at where it will land.¡±


    Liz quickly responded. She shot another barrage of flame arrows aiming at its legs which were dodged by the wyvern by jumping away but then...


    ¡°Eht rumeris, Ecdurare!¡±


    Some earth stakes were raised and she also added the effect harden on it. The wyvern responded by flapping its wingsto change where it will landbut it was still too late. One stake stabbed through its left wing and another two grazed its stomach and neck.


    ¡°As expected of a floor boss, it won¡¯t go down easily.¡±


    The wyvern looked at us and jumped to the side, swinging its tail at the earth stakes. I immediately stood in front of Liz as the tail hit the stakes, sending them flying at us in pieces.


    I deflected each one with the serrated sword but the wyvern used it as a chance to jump near the beginner guys. I was thinking that one or two sacrifice might be unavoidable like this. However as I saw Liz¡¯s terrified face, fearing the worst to happen, I reflexively used my whole strength and jumped in front of the wyvern which used its poison breath, shielding the beginners.


    ¡°ERIK!¡±


    I could hear Liz¡¯s shout as the poison cloud enveloped my whole body. Don¡¯t worry Liz, this low level poison won¡¯t affect me the slightest bit.


    I swung the blade on my hand with enough force to scatter the poison cloud away then I focused my killing intent on the wyvern which froze with fearful eyes in response.


    ¡°Liz, now!¡±


    Liz was dazed for a second but she quickly used a high level advanced earth magic.


    ¡°Ures Eht Rancus!¡°


    The earth under the wyvern bulged for a few seconds to a significant diameter and a huge earth lance was made at the middle which impaled the wyvern at its stomach right from below, it struggled for a bit before ceasing to move completely.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Is it just me but was there almost no preparatory time before she activated herspells in the battle? Usually she would need to concentrate for a bit before chanting the spell¡¯s name. She must had been in a full concentrating state. Her spell choices also indicated a potentially high battle instinct. She is indeed a demon lord¡¯s daughter.


    Liz ran to me, asking whether I was alright after being hit by a poison breath which I just answered with ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    The swordsman who is rather alright compared to the other one then approached us.


    ¡°My name is Kaldor, I don¡¯t know who you two are but thank you for saving us.¡±


    He is thanking us but his eyes are glued at Liz with a suspecting look.


    ¡°Thank her instead, I barely did anything. She is also the one who wanted to help you guys.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. Once again, thank you very much.¡±


    The Kaldor guy bowed deeply at Liz.


    ¡°P, please raise your head. We just happened to be close by.¡±


    He raised his head and once again looked at Liz focusing on her beret.


    ¡°Even so, if it weren¡¯t for you we might have died here. How can we repay this?¡±


    ¡°Oi, shouldn¡¯t we take your friend to a doctor first?¡±


    I interjected and he finally realized the important fact.


    ¡°Erik, they are not in condition to fight, they also need to carry the wounded person¡­¡±


    Liz looked at me with her hesitant but expectant eyes.


    ¡°I know, let¡¯s escort them back to the surface.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    After some brief preparation, we started to move towards the teleportation circle to go down.


    At that time something kept bothering me. If Liz hadn¡¯t told me to help the guys, I don¡¯t think I would help them¡­ The me from the past would have gone to their rescue without thinking.


    With me and Liz as vanguards, Lloyd the archer and Kaldor carrying the incapacitated Randall, then Yusa the sorceress as rear guard, we reached the surface quick enough that the doctor said Randall can still be saved although he had lost much blood. His left arm is of course, beyond help. The others were wounded quite heavily as well but their treatments were finished in just an hour or so.


    Liz is talking with Yusa and Lloyd near the door to the room where Randall is being treated. It seems that she is encouraging them. It¡¯s good that she is no longer being timid when she is around humansother than me. I took the chance to call Kaldor, bringing him away from there to talk.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He asked me with a face indicating that he knows what I was going to talk about.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play stupid. I know that you¡¯re being suspicious of Liz.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well¡­ that is true. She used her spells almost without chanting in the fight so...¡±


    ¡°I hate to say this since she just saved you guys but¡­ If you pry any further and put her in danger, I won¡¯t hesitate to finish you guys off.¡±


    I released a bit of my killing intent, Kaldor stepped back and shivered in response but he continued to look at me.


    ¡°P, please don¡¯t look down on me and my party members. There is no way we will put our savior in dangerous position. I talked to the others as well and we decided that we will just write that she is a capable mage in the report to the guild.¡±


    ¡°As long as you understand. You should also write that she didn¡¯t fight alone. Just remember, if anything happens¡­you guys will be my first target.¡±


    ¡°You have my word.¡±


    Even though the guild maintains a neutral stance in the war, the adventurers themselves over here are humans. There¡¯s no guarantee that a huge problem will not occur once Liz¡¯s identity is known.


    I turned to walk back to where Liz is but Kaldor once again spoke to me.


    ¡°If I must say, you are the suspicious one sir Erik.¡±


    ¡°Hoo?¡±


    I turned my body halfway and looked at him.


    ¡°You were clearly hit by the wyvern¡¯s poison breath and is completely unaffected. I don¡¯t know how but I realized that you also did something to stop its movements as well.¡±


    This guy is more observant than his look.


    ¡°On the way back to the surface, although the little lady took out most of the demon beasts, you also covered for her by killing the unexpected enemies with just one slash before everyoneelsecould realize whatever was happening. Then just now you completely scared me with just a glare. You look human but¡­ just who are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I can answer honestly. I¡¯m just somebody who fell from grace and became a fallen nobody.¡±


    I answered him while walking away.


    ¡°Eh? That is an honest answer? What do you mean by that?Sir Erik?¡±


    Kaldor quickly followed me.


    ¡°Aaah, and don¡¯t call me ¡®sir¡¯ okay? I hate that way of calling now. Just ¡®Erik¡¯ is fine.¡±


    Meanwhile, when Erik was talking with Kaldor another conversation is taking place.


    ¡°I heard Randall is going to be alright although it will take him several weeks to be discharged.¡±


    Lloyd the archer told Yusa and Liz then sits next to Yusa


    ¡°That¡¯s good.Once again, thank you for helping us... mind if I call you Liz as well?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see much since I was desperate to help Randall but your magic was awesome. I am a mage as well but I have never seen someone activates magic with such speedand magnitude. Also,your spells were so short.¡±


    ¡°Eh? T, that was...I...¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t you think your beret is a little too big for you?¡±


    Yusa touched the beret but Liz quickly ducked while holding it with both hands.


    ¡°Fueee!? This is....¡±


    Lloyd elbowed Yusa and gave her a sign with his eyes which says ¡®Stop it¡¯. Yusa only smiled wryly to him and answered in low voice ¡°Sorry, I just wanted to confirm...¡±


    ¡°Thi, this beret is the one that Erik chose for me.¡±


    Liz is holding the beret on her head while smiling.


    ¡°Erik... eh? Didn¡¯t you say that he is your brother?¡±


    ¡°Y, yes.¡±


    Yusa observed Liz closely even though Liz clearly showed an uncomfortable face.


    ¡°Hmm...For siblings you two don¡¯t look alike at all.¡±


    Liz pondered for a moment then answered.


    ¡°We are from different mother...¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s the setting?¡±


    ¡°Se, setting? Hauuu...¡±


    Liz looked down with teary eyes.


    ¡°Oi, Yusa. Didn¡¯t we agree to notpry any further?¡±


    Lloyd whispered to Yusa while pinching her cheek.


    ¡°Sowwy, sowwy... ¡°


    ¡°Sorry, Yusa never knows when to stop once she is curious about something.¡±


    At that moment, the doctor accompanied by two nurses came out of Randalls¡¯s room and approached the three.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to talk about this right now but, can one of you come with me to finish the administration procedure?¡± said the doctor.


    ¡°Yes, yes. This Lloyd here will do it.¡±


    The one who answered was Yusa while pulling Lloyd¡¯s hand to make him stand up.


    ¡°Me? Argh fine, but don¡¯t bother the little lady too much, okay?¡±


    Lloyd followed the doctor and nurses away from there.


    ¡°Heheheheeee, now it¡¯s just the two of us.¡±


    Liz shuddered when she saw Yusa¡¯s expression. First was the equipment shop owner¡¯s daughter and then the one in front of her. Liz started to think that human girls are scary.


    ¡°So, tell me¡­ you¡¯re not a human, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh, no¡­ I¡­ why are you asking me that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone else. Well, I guess both Lloyd and Kaldor already knew though.¡±


    Liz could only look down before answering.


    ¡°U, un.It is true.Am I that suspicious? Do I look strange?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You look perfectly normal.The way you used your magic was the root of our suspicion, only after that we started to be suspicious of your hat.¡±


    Yusa reassured Liz whilelighltypinching Liz¡¯scheek.


    ¡°Erik told me to chant the whole spells or pretend to chant but I was so focused on the fight so I forgot¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re cute, you¡¯re our savior, and you¡¯re cute. We owe you one, whoever you aredoesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Perhaps she couldn¡¯t hold back anymore,Yusahugged Liz, and rubbed her cheek on Liz¡¯s. Liz seems to dislike it but Yusa pretended not to notice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think cuteness matters there...and you said it twice.¡±


    ¡°Next, that Erik isn¡¯t your brother, right? He looks perfectly human.¡±


    ¡°¡­Un¡­¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your real relationship? Tell me¡­okay?¡±


    ¡°F, fueee!?¡±


    Yusa grabbed Liz¡¯s shoulder strongly, cutting any chance to escape for the teary eyed and blushing Liz.


    When I got back, I saw that the archer guy isn¡¯t there and Liz is talking with the sorceress. Different with before I left her there, I could see that now she is really nervous when talking to the sorceress, what happened? They¡¯re talking in low voice so I couldn¡¯t really hear anything though.Kaldor entered Randall¡¯s room to check on him while I approached Liz.


    ¡°Liz, time to go.¡±


    ¡°F,fueeeeee!? Erik? When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Just now.¡±


    Liz heaved a sigh of relief while the Yusa girl look disappointed as if I have come at a bad time.


    ¡°Were you two perhaps talking about me?¡±


    ¡°N, no. We were talking about... magic, yea... magic!¡±


    Liz is panicking and Yusa just smiled at me awkwardly. It couldn¡¯t be more obvious. Well I don¡¯t think Liz will talk bad about me... I hope.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then.¡±


    Liz approached me nervously and I was going to walk away before Yusa called me.


    ¡°Ah, Erik bro.¡±


    ¡°Just Erik is fine... what¡¯s with ¡®Erik bro¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Can we meet again? Actually, I want to have more talk with Lizzy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, if Liz is fine with that then I guess it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I looked at Liz, she is fidgeting so maybe she is hesitant. But I was thinking that she¡¯ll need to socialize with many people so this is a good chance.


    ¡°I¡¯m not against it so what about you, Liz?¡±


    ¡°Un. If Erik saysso then It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Yusa showed a delighful face.


    ¡°Yay, then let¡¯s meet sometimes. Our party will be moving to an inn closer to the hospital, maybe the ¡®Bulu Angsa¡¯ on the second street.¡±


    ¡°Coming here is a hassle, why don¡¯t you be the one to visit instead? We are staying in the ¡®Blues of the Old Maids¡¯ but we might spend more of our time in the tower.¡±


    ¡°Okaaay!¡±


    Yusa waved her hand to us as we walked away but Liz and I ignored that andjusthead to the lobby where the exit is.We walked leisurely and Liz was silent most of the time until we left the hospital.


    ¡°Erik, why do they don¡¯t really look down even after one of their friend got hospitalized with such condition?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, because they are adventurers.¡±


    ¡°Adventurers¡­¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t feel down or sad, it¡¯s just that one must be prepared for anything once he or she chose the road of an adventurer. Adventurers risk their life challenging dungeons and fighting demon beasts basically every time they have the chance. I guess Kaldor and his party have quite some resolve.¡±


    ¡°How can someone gain such resolve?¡±


    ¡°The reason will vary for each individual, money, fame, power and skills, etc. Well, I guess most will say money. For some people this could be their only source of income, they need to make a living for themselves and their important people such as their family.¡±


    ¡°Their family¡­ But if something bad were to happen to them then their family will be sad.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, even their families are resolved to accept anything to happen. I don¡¯t think this will apply for each and everyone though, also¡­ people can¡¯t help but feel sad if they lost somebody important to them after all. Even I¡­.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t continue. Reza, Mira, Surya, and Bagus just floated in my mind.


    ¡°If anything bad were to happen to Erik, I don¡¯t think I will be able to stay calm¡­ ¡°


    Liz gripped my hand tightly and shook her head before continuing.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t even want to think of such thing¡­¡°


    The sentence ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything bad happens to us¡¯ crossed my mind but I didn¡¯t say it. The path I chose is a dark road where I couldn¡¯t see where I am going. If possible, I just want her to be stronger and independent so when the time comes she¡¯ll be able to live on, without me.


    I kept silent but I returned her grip, lightly.


    We returned to the inn, ate dinner and returned to our room. I could see that Liz was thinking with grim expression all the time before she is finally asleep. I didn¡¯t pry for what it is and chose to go to sleep myself.


    The day she lost her father, her world changed. The people around her, the demon generals who served her father who once greeted her with smiles or told her stories of the outside world and their experience suddenly became people who treated her as nothing. Even worse, some started to look at her with cold eyes. Now that she came to think of it, perhaps the smiles they had shown her were not all genuine. They smiled at her not because of herself, but because of her father. It was faint but she felt kind of betrayed.


    Fortunately, there are still some loyal servants who kept taking care of her and finally decided to take her away from the capital once things took turn for the worse, the power struggle to decide who will become the next demon lord. On the run, some of her loyal servants were killed, some sacrificed themselves protecting her, some were ambushed by demon beasts in the forest where their hideout is, some killed by assassins looking for her. Finally the remaining servants who couldn¡¯t take it anymore decided to leave her and fled for their own safety. Although she understands that they had a valid reason to do that, this time, her feeling of being betrayed reached its peak.


    After a few days of being alone she started to feel desperate, until she found an injured human who later named himself as ¡®Erik¡¯. From what he was saying, it is possible that he was acquainted with her father to some degree. She couldn¡¯t recall anything about him though.


    At first she was wary, no, scared of him. However, for reason unknown to herself she was attracted to him. Furthermore, although at first he spoke in a cold uncaring tone, after he first introduced himself, he started to treat her gently as if she was his own kin. She sensed that his care for her is real and genuine thus she decided to trust him. The fact that he is a human doesn¡¯t matter, no, she actually thought that the fact that he is human contributed to make her trust him. Moreover, he is someone who knows the pain of being betrayed and the pain of losing something important.


    ¡®He is a human but he cares for me¡¯


    ¡®He knew that there might be numerous assassins sent for me but he stayed with me anyway, he even protected me from some of them.¡¯


    ¡®He promised that he will not leave me alone and it was him who asked me to go and stay with him.¡¯


    His existence has suddenly become more than someone she trusts, more than a salvation for her lonely heart, he has become an irreplaceable existence to her.


    However, he has a goal which she herself found as strange. He is a human, but he was saying about destroying a human¡¯s nation.


    He did say that the path he is taking is a dangerous one so he is fully aware of it. He also said that he will protect her.


    But, who will protect him? She couldn¡¯t shake off the possibility of something bad to happen to him. No matter how strong he is, she still thinks that it is impossible to face the fighting force of a whole nation. Even her father the demon lord was defeated by some humans although she also heard that all the humans who intruded the castle were also killed in the process.


    The thought of once again losing someone important haunted her mind since the previous talk about adventurers and their resolve.


    She doesn¡¯t want to be the only one being protected, she wants to protect him as well. For that, she needs to become stronger.


    That night, she decided that she would do anything to make it come true. Such is her resolve.


    The next day, we waited till the sun rises halfway up before going to the equipment shop.Liz¡¯s mood also seemed to have brightened up.


    Since it wasn¡¯t that far we arrived in no time.There are bags under his eyes but the old man welcomed us with a smile right after he saw us enter the store.


    ¡°Yo, lad. I was expecting you.¡±


    ¡°I assume everything went well, eh?¡±


    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t say that it is perfect but...¡±


    ¡°Cyyyuuuuuuuttieeeeeee!!!¡±


    Before the old man finished his sentence, his daughter appeared from behind the shelves and jumped at Liz.


    Liz, of course dodged her pounce and hid behind me with a terrified face. As a result, the daughter¡¯s face magnificently hit the door with a loud *BAM* and she lost consciousness.


    We, including the old man ignored that and continued.


    ¡°It¡¯s faster if you just see for yourself.¡±


    The old man opened a cabinet behind him and brought the jacket onto the table. But I don¡¯t see any change on it... wait...


    The old man also put some bluish silver metal plates with various size on the table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of material your jacket is but it was really hard to process. All the scissors, knives, and needles I used couldn¡¯t do anything to it so I tried to use your dagger. Using it, I could only make somemodifications andholes to attach buttons and slots for these. Try them on.¡±


    I put the jacket on and only then I noticed the changes. It fits better on my body than before and the buttons on the chest area helped to fix the jacket on my body perfectly. The old man then picked up one of what seems to be a breastplate from the table and gave it to me.


    I attached each metal plates on their designated slots. A breastplate, separate backplate which is joined to the breastplate on the sides, vambraces which cover the forearms part of the sleeves and the back of my hands, then layered shoulder pads.


    ¡°These are made fromalloy of learis steel and azulite ore. Their endurance and hardness are top-notch. Well, this is all I could do to the jacket, at least now it looks like a proper armor.¡±


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry, this is good.¡±


    ¡°Un, Erik looks great.¡±


    Liz added. I patted her head in response and she delighfully let out her usual ¡°fueee¡±


    ¡°How about the daggers?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for you to ask me that.¡±


    He took out the daggers and gave them to me.


    The blades are now almost silver colored, not pale ivory like before. Although it seemed that the length has significantly reduced, the shape is more refined with distinct separation of sharp and blunt side on one dagger while the other is sharp on both its edges. The hilt is now black and felt like it is made of some leather, a red gem on one and dark green gem on the other are attached at the bottom part, magic stones? There are also black metallic guards, a common horizontal shaped on the dual edged and front quillon long enough to cover the middle finger on the single edged dagger.


    ¡°Old man, you really made them into nice weapons.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, I also prepared some surprises for you, just try to infuse mana on them later. I even used up all my stock of polishing stones and whetstones on them. Just what material are they made of?¡±


    ¡°Wyvern¡¯s fangs.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? ¡®twas the first time I worked on such hard wyvern¡¯s fangs. Just what kind of wyvern in the world is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s just say a really huge one. So, how much?¡±


    ¡°Not gonna tell, eh? The whole assets I used to work on them, including the armor should be around 200 denatum or 2 uarum coins... but since you trusted me with such fine materials I guess I¡¯ll cut it to half the price. 100 denatum.¡±


    Both father and daughter gave such discount easily.Even I started to feel bad so I didn¡¯t haggle and paid with 1 uarum coin. After giving Liz her size fitted ring which I almost forgot, the old manalsogave me a specialized belt to hang both daggers at my sides and the serrated sword at the back as a bonus, thus I also ignored his daughter who just regained consciousness to chase and hug the scared Liz for a while before we left the store although Liz pouted and didn¡¯t talk to me for a while as the result.


    High quality equipments for Me and Liz, plus lodging and meal expenses, my remaining money is at 1 uarum, 208 denatum, and 32 mearis coins. If limited to just food and lodging, these will suffice for a few months so I don¡¯t think I should worry about money yet. I could also sell some demon beasts material from the tower if I want to.


    ¡°Liz, let¡¯s aim for the 15th floor today.¡±


    ¡°... Un.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look at me at all since we left the store, perhaps she is still angry. I stroked her head gently and said


    ¡°Sorry Liz.¡±


    ¡°... That¡¯s unfair, I can¡¯t be angry like this...¡±


    I grinnedwhile Liz blushed and looked away.


    We reached the guild¡¯s plaza and headed to the tower¡¯s gate.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you perhaps Erik and Lissa?¡±


    An old man whose hair is a mix of black and gray hair approached us. His face featured a short styled beard but with quite thick moustache.


    I thought that Liz would hide behind me but as the old man got closer, although she looked downwards, she stayed firm beside me.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, and you are?¡±


    I looked again at him. I felt like I have seen him before but I couldn¡¯t remember who and when. Although he looks to be quite old, his body is that of a veteran warrior. Not so bulky but muscular enough to look strong. I also noticed that his clothing is a formal wear of the guild.


    ¡°Just call me Teo. As you can see, I¡¯m from the adventurer guild.¡±


    Teo? Now that kind of rings a bell. Ah, I see¡­ I met this old man just once before. What is such an important person doing here?


    ¡°Got something to ask us?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m sorry, I just wanted to see the talented young girl and her brother with my own eyes.¡±


    He must have read the report from Kaldor.


    ¡°If that is all then please excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    He looked intensely at Liz who finally gave in and hid behind me.


    ¡°Looking at someone like that is kind of rude you know.¡±


    As I said so he finally looked at me.


    ¡°I want you to believe that the guild is neutral in this war. Not many people know but we have some demon race and beastmen staying and working in the office. I know that not all of the adventurers may be okay with it but the majority of guild officers are in the opinion to keep this stance.¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just want to share this view to the new adventurers.¡±


    He¡¯s lying on that part. There¡¯s no way a guild officer not to mention this old man would approach us like this just to tell something like that. Is he suspicious of Liz? What did Kaldor write on his report?


    With what he said I don¡¯t think this old man has any intention to harm us although I can¡¯t see where this is going.


    ¡°Sorry to keep both of you here. I¡¯ll be going back to the guild then.¡±


    He walked away and we resumed our trip to the tower. I pretended not to notice but the old man secretly and swiftly put a piece of paper in my pocket as we passed by each other before he went back to the guild.

 Chapter 6 - A realization before a brewing storm

    13th floor of Orum Arxisan open plain with random elevations here and there.The only noticeable aspect of this floor is that the grass growing here is greyish in color. The grass is known to be a bit poisonous when ingested but strangely works well as an ointment for small wounds if you grind it while adding water. Well, that is not important for now. Liz and I are currently not too far from the teleportation circle to go up the floor.


    ¡°Liz, watch out.¡±


    Liz responded by running to her 5 o¡¯clock, then something hit the ground where she was a moment ago and left a small crater.


    Liz is currently battling against a demon beast, Olzia, giant birdwith wingspan reaching 7meters,the floor boss. The one that made the crater was an air bullet, it¡¯s capable to suck in air making its chest bulge and shot it in a compressed form.Its movements arerather fast and it spends most of its time airborne, rendering earth magic rather unusable so Liz is limited to her fire magic since she doesn¡¯t have many non-elemental attack magic.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Liz? you¡¯ve only been running the whole time.¡±


    ¡°B, but I can¡¯t get any chance to concentrate!¡±


    As she said so, she desperately jumped to her side, avoiding a sweeping flight attack from the Olzia.


    I held my urge to help her since she still wears her I won¡¯t give up face. Liz is fighting alone because she suddenly told me that she wanted to try fighting without my help. It was fine until now since after wearing the ring her magic attack raised and overpowered most of the demon beasts, killing them instantly. However the Olzia is the type to recklessly and relentlessly attack its enemies, it also moves quickly, Liz barely had any chance to use her magic and is forced to keep dodging. I¡¯m kind of worried since her movements are not so quick but she managed to adjust her timing well enough to avoid the bird¡¯s attacks perfectly.


    But, because she is too focused on dodging she could barely use her magic.She was the first to attack with flame arrows but the Olzia charged right at the arrows and at Liz with a loud shriek, startling her, making the flame arrows lose some of their firepower. Since then Liz has been on defense.


    She seemed to be calm enough if she could dodge the Olzia¡¯s attack but you can see that she¡¯s starting to be desperate for a chance to counter because she made some attempt but the Olzia always managed to get the upper hand due to its speed.


    ¡°Liz, calm down. Also, magic is not just for attacking.¡±


    ¡°Fue?¡±


    Liz looked at me so I pointed at the Olzia to tell her that it¡¯s going to attack her again. She had to do a sudden jump to dodge its air bullet which she, magnificently, landed face first.


    I was going to go get her up and help but she stood up by herself, and looked at the Olzia with dirty face and only a bit teary eyes.


    ¡°Erik, is there anybody else besides us around?¡±


    She asked me while focusing on the Olzia. So I sharpened mysense.


    ¡°There are a fight occuringon the other side of this floor but there¡¯s nobody else close by. You¡¯re free to use short incantations and any kind of spell¡±


    The teleportation circle is close by but it will light up if somebody is using it so I will be able to do something when someone is going down here.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    The tenacious olzia is of course preparing another attack, judging by how much its chest is bulging the incoming attack would be stronger.It then shot a huge compressed air ball at Liz but Liz wasn¡¯t moving, she seemed to be concentrating. I almost jumped to shield her but then I heard¡­


    ¡°En Ornis Augmn¡±


    Liz chanted a spell while covering her face with both arms then I saw her body covered with reddish aura before the air bullet hit her. The blast blew the ground and scattered some rocks and created a cloud of dust, hiding Liz from my sight. Liz¡¯s beret got blown away and fell down slowly close to me so I caught it. Then Liz suddenly jumped out of the dust cloud and ran approaching the Olzia with a speed you wouldn¡¯t believe came from a little girl with a clumsy way of running.


    Her clothes are in a mess but they seemed to be undamaged, Liz herself also looked to be fine but a red aura emanates from her.


    ¡°I see, non-elemental body enhancement spell, eh?¡±


    Non elemental spell is the most versatile magic there is in this world with hundreds or even thousands of spells. However someone possessing non-elemental affinity is rather rare. Someone with non-elemental affinity would be able to get high position as court magician even if he or she does not possess another affinity. Rifst for example only have 15 non-elemental magic users from within around 6.000 magic users it has in the army. All 15 of them were also the ones who summoned me to this world and 5 of them were in the position akin to a general of the knights.


    Come to think of it, the empire has more magic user than any other human countries, but the ones who used annihilation spell on us should be high level court magicians of the empire. That should make it easier to find them. I remember one with a luxurious black robe, that kind of guy shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find.


    Back to Liz, she shot 5 flame arrows from a close range, even the Olzia was surprised and dodged Liz¡¯s flame arrows by flying upwards.


    With both her physical and mental capabilities enhanced, Liz could cast her spells in a flash so without a pause she raised her hand and chanted another spell.


    ¡°Agis, Lietus Rakan¡±


    Multiple volley ball sized flame spheres appeared around the Olzia, obstructing any large movements.


    Liz made a fist with her raised hand and all the flame spheres moved slowly closing in on the Olzia which seemingly realized how dangerous the flames are and franctically tried to dodge them but as it barely dodged a sphere, Liz shouted ¡°Fragur¡± and the sphere exploded.


    The explosion was strong enough to blast the Olzia away, its sturdy and resistant feathers finally showed some hint of damage. The Olzia corrected its flying posture but another sphere is behind it and exploded even closer than the previous one, blasting it towards another sphere. Thus the Olzia was hurled back and forth by the explosions. After ten or so explosions, the Olzia finally fell down and crashed to the ground with a loud sound. Liz showed a relieved face and relaxed her body, the red aura also dissipated, but suddenly the wounded Olzia jumped and used a dive attack at Liz, clearly a last resort attempt.


    ¡°E, Eht Rumeris, Ecdurare!¡±


    I already dashed to grab Liz, but she made 3 layered hardened earth shields in front of her, maybe reflexively.


    The Olzia broke through the first one, breaking its beak and diving posture, then the second one crumbled after the Olzia slammed at it and fell down once again, ceasing any life sign.


    ¡°Ha¡­hauuu¡­¡±


    Liz also fell down on her bottom, her face pale as day.


    I approached her and gave her a praise.


    ¡°You did great, Liz. I didn¡¯t have to help at all. Hm, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Liz is looking at me hesitantly.


    ¡°Can we rest here? I can¡¯t muster any strength.¡±


    ¡°Well, the Olzia might have been scary eh? Alright, let¡¯s have some rest. And if it was too much for you, we should cancel going to the 15<sup>th</sup>floor and come back another day.¡±


    ¡°I, it¡¯s not that! I wasn¡¯t scared! Thi, this is the side effect of Ornis Augmnspell! I can still continue¡­ after some rest.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±


    True, she looks exhausted. Her increased strength didn¡¯t just come out from nowhere. But for now I guess I should do something for her messy face first so I took out a piece of cloth from my bag and poured some drinking water on it.


    ¡°Erik doesn¡¯t believe me right? Like I said, I wasn¡¯tscared¡­Hyauu!¡±


    She squealed as I wiped her dirty face with the cloth.


    ¡°I, I can do this myself, I¡¯m not a kid!¡±


    Blushing, she grabbed the cloth and took it from my hand. She then started wiping by her own. What is this feeling? I couldn¡¯t help smiling but it doesn¡¯t really feel good. Big brother felt like his caring act was rejected by his growing up sister.


    I tossed the thought away and handed back her beret after she finished cleaning her face which she wears right away.


    Something else is now in my mind though. It¡¯s her growth. Compared to most of this world¡¯s resident her growth is indeed faster and better. However I¡¯ll have to retract that she will reach Mira¡¯s level in a few months. I overestimated her¡­ no, I underestimated the heroes¡¯ growth. Not only did we get a head start, what took people tens of years of training took us only a few weeks or months. I guess we were really cheaters in that sense. How long did it take for Orcus to be so strong that it took 5 heroes to defeat him?


    As for Liz, she will still be stronger than a high ranking court magician in a few months. But my prediction is that with the same method as I did, alone, she could only reach the top of this tower after at least one year. Not to mention the low survival rate if she do it alone.


    And, I guess there is also another thing.


    ¡°Liz, I guess we should really head back.¡±


    ¡°Eh, why? I, I¡¯m still okay. Just give me a bit more time to rest.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not much but you got some scratches on your face. We don¡¯t want them to leave some scar on your cute face later so let¡¯s go back and have someone treat them.¡±


    ¡°Fueee, c,cu,cute!?¡±


    Well, this ¡®another thing¡¯ wasn¡¯t the scratches but the old man¡¯s letter. Hm? Why is Liz covering her face with both hands? The scratches weren¡¯t so bad so I don¡¯t think they hurt too much.


    ¡°Liz, does it hurt so much?¡±


    ¡°Fue? Ah, no, but, no¡­ un, let¡¯s head back.¡±


    She stood quickly and walks unsteadily ahead.


    ¡°Hey, are you really okay? We can still rest here if you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ let¡¯s hurry. It¡¯ll be bad if I have scars on my face r, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Then, I¡¯ll take care of the small fries on the way back.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Nnuuoooooh! Lizzy, what happened to you?¡±


    As we were going to the guild¡¯s infirmary somebody shouted and approached Liz at high speed. I knewwho it was though.


    ¡°Y, Yusa¡­ I uh, fell in the tower.¡±


    ¡°Humph, how could you let this happen to Lizzy¡¯s cute face, you¡­


    Yusa looked at me while puffing her cheeks but she stopped and looked away as I gave her a glare.


    ¡°Erik doesn¡¯t have anything to do with this. I was just not careful enough.¡±


    ¡°H, hey there¡­ Erik¡­ and lil¡¯ Lissa.¡±


    Kaldor and Lloyd waved at me while walking closer.


    ¡°Sorry about that, Yusa is always like this.¡±


    As Lloyd said that, he pulled Yusa¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Lloyd, it hurts, it hurts!¡±


    ¡°Are the three of you going into the tower?¡±


    I asked and Kaldor then answered.


    ¡°Well, yeah. We still need money for living and to pay Randall¡¯s hospital fee. Since there¡¯s only three of us we only planned to go as far as the fourth floor and gather even the lowest grade magic stones. We also took a quest to get some green bat fangs.¡±


    ¡°Better than nothing.¡±


    Lloyd added.


    ¡°More importantly! We need to take care of Lizzy¡¯s face so I¡¯m going to the infirmary with her. The tower can wait.¡±


    ¡°¡°Ehhh?¡±¡±


    Kaldor and Lloyd exclaimed in sync.


    But wait, this is good.


    I leaned and whispered at Liz who strangely blushed as I do so.


    ¡°Liz, let¡¯s take her offer. But if anything happens don¡¯t hesitate to use magic and shout my name.¡±


    ¡°I, if Erik says so.¡±


    Thus, Yusa accompanied Liz to the infirmary while I approached Kaldor and Lloyd.


    ¡°I have some matter to take care of so I¡¯ll leave Liz with you guys for a while. I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten but if anything happens to her¡­¡±


    I walked by Kaldor and grabbed his shoulder, giving a little force to it.


    ¡°D, don¡¯t worry. Like I said before, we¡¯re not going to put our savior in dangerous position.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. If you all going to the tower then tell Liz to wait for me at the receptionist¡±


    I released my grab and left that place, I could hear Kaldor heaved a sigh of relief and Lloyd cheering him up from afar though.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ***


    I¡¯m now in the third floor of the adventurer guild. This floor is only accessible by guild staff and executive. The people standing guard at the only door to get here let me in after I shown them the card I¡¯m holding which were given to me along with the letter by the old man, a gold card which signifies a guild executive. The guards weren¡¯t surprised that a young unknown adventurer had this card so they must have been informed about me.


    I kept walking the hallway since my destination is located in the furthest area, the guild master¡¯s room. Suddenly, I sensed someone ahead so I stopped walking. I don¡¯t know how this person is doing it but this person was actually only using the shadow cast by the sunlight and the window to completely hide his or her presence. If it weren¡¯t for my enhanced perception I would have probably just walked past this guy.


    The one hiding seemed to be surprised that I noticed him, or her, and finally came out from the shadow.


    It was a woman with guild formal attire,a grey long sleeved blouse with golden embroidery and a matching business styled skirt, her skin is pale white and her hair is of platinum color which somehow complements her skin perfectly, in contrast, her pupils are darker than a lightless night. However the things that caught my attention the most were her two horns protruding from both sides of her head which indicate that she is a high ranking demon race.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you, please follow me.¡±


    She smiled and gestured at me to follow her which I just do.


    I couldn¡¯t sense anything that is amiss but I still proceed with caution.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, we of the guild bear no ill will to you and your... sister.¡±


    That was an obvious pause at the end.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll do that after I know whatever you guys are planning.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    We stopped in front of a dark brown wooden double door with guild emblem¡¯s carving.


    The woman opened the door without knocking first and stood by the door, holding it to let me in. I entered the room and I could see the old man sitting behind a working desk. He¡¯s the one from this morning, The guild master of Arx Norr Branch Adventurers¡¯ Guild.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Teobaldur, the one who was said to be one of the 7 human within the three nationscapable to fight on the same level as the demon generals.¡±


    The old man smiled.


    ¡°Nah, that was years ago. I¡¯m too old and rusty right now.¡±


    ¡°Hooo. Well, actually I couldn¡¯t care less about that. Let¡¯s get to the point. What does this mean?¡±


    I took out the paper he gave me and shove it onto his table. The sentence ¡®The little lady is in danger, come see me at the guild later if you want to know the details¡¯ is written in it.


    ¡°¡­ It is as written in there. The little lady is in danger.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say that some people in the guild and the alliance of three nations were informed that a running away demon princess, daughter of Demon Lord Orcus might be in Arx Norr. The alliance also requested the guild to confirm the information which I personally just did this morning.¡±


    Kaldor and his group? No, even if he did report Liz, there is no way the news would reach the three nations that quickly.


    As I was in thought, Teobaldur continued.


    ¡°Well, it was like this. a week ago the kingdom¡¯s spy got an information about her being in the vicinity and is likely to reach Arx Norr soon. The information also included her name and physical characteristics, it was too detailed so it is likely fake, or something happened over there and it was purposely leaked.Plus there is this report about a little girl who defeated a floor boss with her magic that piqued my interest.¡±


    Kaldor¡¯s report did has some influence then...I should have had Kaldor write that I was the one who killed the floor boss¡­ I didn¡¯t want to take Liz¡¯s accomplishment though.


    However, a week ago, it¡¯s around the time we left the cottage, also,I think I gotta agree that it was purposely leaked. Well, I killed the assassins so somehow or another their boss would realize that they¡¯re gone and suspected that something just happened.


    ¡°Most likely Berudis, or somebody else who is aiming for the throne¡­¡±


    Teobaldur¡¯s eyebrows twitched as I said that, well it¡¯s not like I could hide this any longer.


    ¡°Also, although small in number, a joint force from Rifst and Zagrant is coming here just in case. They will reach this town in two days. I assume that if they confirmed the information to be true, they will capture the little lady and work out a way or two to use her in the war.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you going to do to Liz then?¡±


    I raised my voice and released a bit of my killing intent. Teobaldur does not react however, the one that reacted was the woman behind me, she dashed at me while taking out a knife from who knows where.


    I swiftly moved to the side and as she got close I grabbed her wrist, twisting it to her back. I seized her knife, pointed it at her neck, and so I kind of tooka pose like takingheras ahostage.


    ¡°Rau¡¯urdanvis¡±


    She chanted and her body suddenly got covered in whirlwind. The wind pushed me back and she took the chance to jump away from me. However, I dashed through the dissipating wind and got in front of the woman in no time, making her calm demeanor crumble into a panic.


    I don¡¯t have any intention to kill but I¡¯m thinking to scare her. As I raised my hand to grab her at the neck, suddenly another hand appeared from the side and tried to grab mine which I responded by stopping and retreating a few steps back.


    ¡°Stop it right there both of you¡­ and didn¡¯t I tell you to not do anything no matter what, Martlea?¡±


    It was Teobaldur, he stood next to the woman, Martlea, while giving her a few light smacks on the forehead.


    ¡°But, guild master¡­ he might have done something to you if I didn¡¯t move first.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that he wasn¡¯t even serious? Well, he might just become so, depending on my answer though.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t serious? Surely you jest, that was real bloodlust! Enough to scare even me.¡±


    Teobaldur squinted his eyes at me and said,


    ¡°And if he was serious, not even I could get away unscathed.¡±


    Martlea showed a clear disbelief on her face but it seems she could sense how serious Teobaldur was when he said that then she looked at me as well.


    We kept watching each other for a while until Teobaldur be the first to break the ice.


    ¡°First, as I said earlier this morning, we of the guild wish to stay neutral we don¡¯t care about war fugitive as long as they don¡¯t do any crime here. Then, the two of you are registered as official adventurers, that means the guild will protect the two of you. The town is both Rifst and the guild¡¯s territory, but this building and the tower are both under the guild¡¯s jurisdiction. Although we have to obey the alliance¡¯s order as not to let anyone to leave this town, there isstillsome procedure to be done before the investigators can begin their activity here.¡±


    He stopped talking and seemed to be assessing me for a few seconds. I was trying to be as expressionless as possible to hide any sign of both trust and doubt, I can¡¯t show him any opening.


    Teobaldur then continued.


    ¡°Obviously, I won¡¯t report that I confirmed she is here. Then, given the sheer number of adventurers here, I don¡¯t think they can check each and all registered adventurer. The dispatched team will most likely check all who recently came in and left this town, includingthe new adventurers registered in the guild. So, even supposing you are capable of getting to the unexplored floor of the tower, since you are already registered I don¡¯t think we can hide you there.¡±


    ¡°How about altering the registry?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be useless, I¡¯m sure you have been in contact with quite a few people, and both of you are already famous as someone who brought a rare magic crystal and saved Kaldor¡¯s team. So even if we alter it, eventually they will still find out about you two.Not to mention that the little lady¡¯s physical characteristics are mentioned in the information.¡±


    Martlea was the one who answered me.


    ¡°Huh? I understand getting famous because of the magic crystal, but how would saving that guy¡¯s team make us famous?¡±


    Martlea answered me again.


    ¡°A certain woman from a recently formed but bright futured team, well, Kaldor¡¯s team,was bragging about how an amazing cute little girl saved her team to everyone in the bar just yesterdaynight. And there is only a very small number oflittle girlsregistered as adventurer here.¡±


    Okay, let¡¯s give her some hell after this.


    ¡°Oh, and I have to remind you that not even everyone in the guild share our belief so you still need to be careful with your secret out there.¡±


    ¡°So, any suggestions on what to do?¡±


    I thought about using force against the investigators if something happens but it is stupid to gain attention of the three nations at this early stage.


    Teobaldur approached me and took out a small box from his vest¡¯s inner pocket.


    ¡°Simple, just normally participate in everything they wanted us to do without making them realize that the girl is not human.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible, her horns and ears are friggin obvious.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why the existence of our non-human employees isn¡¯t really that known to many?¡±


    Teobaldur opened the box and in it is a necklace with a small golden sphere surrounded by 2 crisscrossing golden rings


    ¡°This is an artifact used by spies from the demon race to alter their appearance and blend in with the humans. In short, it contains an ancient unique magic of transformation. Only a handful of people know of its existence. I got some from my connections over that side.¡±


    Ancient magic is a magic that currently no one can use. Modern magic are limited to fire, water, wind, earth, and non-elemental, then nature magic unique to elves, and spirit summoning unique to beastmen. But the ancients can also use lightning, ice, light, darkness, and unique magics which are close to non-elemental but no one can imitate with some exception that still need some special ritual or medium to perform. At least that was what I heard from Mira, the only one from our group who diligently studied magic.


    Maybe to prove it, Martlea took out a similar necklace and wear it on. She then seemed to be concentrated in imagining something, and right after she chanted ¡°Artefr¡± her horns literally popped into smoke. Wait, that figure¡­ isn¡¯t she the apathetic guild official who was our guide when I was a hero? The one whom Surya tried hitting on many times only to have his not so innocent heart broken with sharp devastating words? She never even told us her name.


    ¡°You just need to wear the necklace and imagine yourself as something you want to become then chant the magic word, although full body transformation is not recommended since we don¡¯t know if a mishap may occur. Also, it drains mana continuously albeit small in quantity. Imagine your normal self and chant RiArtefr to undo the transformation, taking it off right away will also do but it may cause some unwanted things to happen. ¡±


    Martlea explained.


    I reached for the necklace but stopped midway.


    ¡°I doubt you have this artifact in high quantity, is this a loan?¡±


    Teobaldur smiled and spoke.


    ¡°We are currently in possession of only 3 of this rare artifact, but I intend to give this one to you since you might need this in the future as well. Also, feel free to keep your gold card. ¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Or perhaps you¡¯re also expecting something from me, or from both me and Liz?¡±


    Teobaldur kept silent so I added.


    ¡°In the future?¡±


    He smiled once again in response.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as yes. Alright, I¡¯ll take the necklace and let¡¯s just say I owe you one if nothing bad happens, although when I say ¡®bad¡¯ it meant bad for the investigators if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope that it won¡¯t happen then.¡±


    ***


    A young woman and a little girl, no, perhaps she is already in her early teens, were sitting face to face in a large room that appears to be an infirmary. The room is large enough to have ten beds arranged by two groups of five on two sides of the room. The little girl is sitting on the third bed from the door while the woman is sitting on the chair right in front of the little girl.


    ¡°Eeek!¡±


    ¡°Wha, what happened?¡±


    The woman named Yusa suddenly shrieked while she was applying some medicine to quicken healing and prevent scar onto the little girl, Liz¡¯s face.


    ¡°No, nothing, somehow I felt a chill on my back and the word ¡®hell¡¯ just crossed my mind¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just forget it, there¡­. all done.¡±


    ¡®T, thanks. Uuu, that stung a bit.¡±


    Yusa finished treating Liz¡¯s face, she tidied up the medicines and gave it back to the nurse in charge before returning to where Liz is.


    ¡°Okay, Lizzy. Let¡¯s continue our talk from before.¡±


    ¡°E, eh? From before¡­?¡±


    Yusa grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s about your relationship with Erik bro.¡±


    ¡®Aaah, I want to get away from here¡¯ is how anyone would interpret Liz¡¯s expression right now.


    ¡°So tell me, what are you to each other?¡±


    ¡°Right off the bat? Umm, Erik¡­ is my¡­eh?¡±


    The last time she couldn¡¯t answer since Erik came at the worst or maybe good timing. However this time as well Liz didn¡¯t continue, no, she couldn¡¯t say anything. She knew that he is an irreplaceable existence to her. However, now that she was asked she started to think, what is she to him then? Erik always act indifferent to most people, no, to everyone else but her. And why is that? What are they to each other?


    ¡°Your what? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Lover? No! you¡¯re too young for him¡­ wait, how old is he anyway?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Fueeee? L, l, lo, lover? No! we¡¯re not!¡±


    Liz objected but she realized that she has some affection towards him. She did not think that it was ¡®love¡¯ but she is starting to come to that conclusion now. However, once again, how about him then? She knows next to nothing about him before they met. What if he actually had, or has a lover somewhere waiting for him to return? She remembered that Erik said something about him losing everything important to him¡­ but it is still possible that someone else who think of him as someone special is out there somewhere. If they were to see each other again, what about Liz herself then? Will she be cast aside even by him? Even if he won¡¯t cast her aside, surely he will still drift further and further away out of her reach.


    Unknown to herself, tears started to moisten her eyes.


    ¡°L, Lizzy? Eh? I, is it about him? something about him makes you sad? Could it be that you¡¯re with him because he is forcing you? Well, he is scary so¡­¡±


    Yusa¡¯s panicked words brought Liz back.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not that! I, I know that Erik could be scary at times, but he is always nice to me. Erik is¡­ very important to me! Yes¡­ he is very¡­ important.¡±


    Liz is silent again and shifted her gaze downwards with teary eyes.


    ¡°Ah¡­ so, sorry.¡±


    Yusa is confused now but she was the one who started the topic so she wants to at least dispel the gloomy atmosphere.


    Right before Yusa was going to forcefully make a joke to dispel the atmosphere Liz spoke again in a very low, almost inaudible voice with tears tracing her cheeks down.


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know what I am to Erik¡­¡±


    That sentence gave Yusa the hint.


    ¡°Well, I can guess that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, you¡¯re also very important to him.¡±


    Yusa smiled.


    ¡°Un, I know¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard this from Kaldor, Erik bro said to Kaldor that he won¡¯t hesitate to do anything to protect you. So, I¡¯m sure that you mean a lot to him.¡±


    Actually it should be ¡®If you put her in danger, I won¡¯t hesitate to finish you guys off¡¯ but Yusa purposely altered it. And Yusa doesn¡¯t care even if she had to lie as long as the girl in front of her won¡¯t be sad anymore, that is how Yusa genuinely feels right now. And it paid off.


    ¡°Un.¡±


    Light has returned to Liz¡¯s eyes. Liz still look unconvinced but she smiled with the cutest smile Yusa has ever seen. Anybody will agree that Yusa did well if Yusa didn¡¯t show a perverted face in response to Liz¡¯s smile which of course disappeared again after she saw Yusa¡¯s face.


    However, even now Liz¡¯s worry lingers still in her mind, other people might not be able to see it but she knew that for some reasons Erik still distanced himself from her, being careful as not to get too close with her. But she chose to believe in Erik, and herself, that she is surely not insignificant to him. If Erik is keeping the distance, then she will try to close that distance herself.


    ***


    ¡°Erik.¡±


    Liz approached me as I reached the guild hall near the receptionist. I could see Kaldor and his group there watching us with warm smile, especially from Yusa.


    Did something just happened? Somehow Liz¡¯s eyes are rather red. Did she cry?


    I glared at Kaldor and his group and they were startled, Yusa especially, she hid behind Kaldor and Lloyd.


    ¡°Hey, did you do something to Liz?¡±


    I put the scariest expression I could and the three shrieked in sync.


    ¡°Hiiiiiigh¡±


    However they all shook their head.


    Liz nudged at my sleeve and shook her head as well.


    ¡°No, Erik. It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The medicine stings a lot so I cried, a little, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Doesn¡¯t sound convincing but¡­ She looked desperate so I don¡¯t think I should pry any further.


    ¡°If you say so, Liz. Let¡¯s get back to the inn, I got something to talk about.¡±


    I noticed Kaldor and co. heaved sigh of relief. Yusa also stopped hiding behind Kaldor and Lloyd then said


    ¡°Lizzy, see? You saw how Erik bro was like, right? There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    Liz just looked back at Yusa, smiled and let out a soft ¡°Un.¡±


    Just what happened between them anyway?


    ¡°Before I forget, Yusa.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes?¡±


    Yusa straightened her posture reflexively to my words.


    ¡°I heard a woman just bragged about being saved by an amazing little girl in the tower¡­ Is the woman perhaps¡­ you?¡°


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, is that cold sweat or am I seeing things?¡±


    ¡°Hahaahaaa¡­ Kaldor! Lloyd! What are we doing here? Let¡¯s get to the tower already!¡±


    Yusa made a run for her life, leaving the dazed Kaldor and Lloyd behind who later followed her in an unmotivated manner.


    ***


    Liz and I sat face to face on each our own beds.


    ¡°First, put this on.¡±


    I gave Liz the artefact I got from Teobaldur which I named as necklace of transformation for convenience¡¯s sake. Liz just accepted and put it on right away without hesitation.


    ¡°I, is this a present?¡±


    Liz is smiling while holding the golden sphere part with her thumb and index finger


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    I told Liz all the content of my talk with Teobaldur.


    Liz kept looking down after I mentioned about the possibility that information about her might have been purposely leaked from that side.


    ¡°Liz? Is something in your mind.¡±


    ¡°Un, I might cause trouble to the people in this town¡­ and more importantly, to Erik as well¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I gave you the necklace, we¡¯re going to avoid making trouble.¡±


    ¡°Un¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s try it. Just imagine yourself with human ears and without the horns and wings. Also, since we¡¯re supposed to be siblings, maybe you should match your hair colour with mine. Let¡¯s just tell anyone who asked about it that you stopped dyeing your hair.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Liz closed her eyes for a while then after she chanted the keyword, firstly her hair colour gradually changes to black, then her most striking feature, the horns, just smoked away. She touched her head at where the horns were and made a slightly surprised expression.


    ¡°How about your ears and wings?¡±


    She held her side hair up and touched her ears, then she turned her back at me while lifting her mini cape. The wings aren¡¯t there.


    ¡°Perfect, is there any uncomfortable feeling? I heard that it also drains your mana.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t particularly feel anything uncomfortable. I could sense my mana depleting very slowly, but I think my mana regeneration rate is higher than the amount decreasing.¡±


    ¡°Hooo, then maybe you should wear it as much as possible especially anytime we¡¯re outside.¡±


    ¡°Un¡­ Erik¡­ can I ask you something a little strange?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well, why not?¡±


    ¡°Do you prefer the usual me, or the me without horns?¡±


    ¡°Prefer you ask? Hmm¡­ I think you look good either way.¡±


    ¡°Uuu, I wanted you to choose¡­ but it¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    After that we went downstairs to have dinner. As expected, some people who¡¯ve seen us before noticed her sudden change so I took the initiative to tell them that she just washed her hair and that we run out of her hair dye. Fortunately, hair dyeing is not rare in this world. Liz could also safely take her beret off now.


    After dinner and some small talk about what to do next at dinner table, we decided to call it a day and returned to our room. Liz approached me as I lied on my bed and closed my eyes, I thought she was going to sneak in again but she just stood there without doing anything so I opened my eyes and asked her ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± which she responded by shaking her head, blushing, and said ¡°N, nothing! Good night.¡± Then she literally jumped into her own bed.


    I don¡¯t know why or how, but lately I get the feeling that she is changing, rapidly and, uh¡­ randomly.

 Chapter 7 - The Calm Before a Storm

    Located in Zagrant imperial capital mid-southern district are the noble''s mansions. It was a usual day for everyone in the area as the hustle bustle of highly esteemed merchants selling their uselessly expensive merchandise such as wine glass made from magic crystal to their customers, the aristocrats with their ever excess money that never fails at inviting jealousy from the commoners.


    In one of such mansion, or rather in its vast backyard, a man in his thirties is practicing by swinging a sword about 150 cm in length. It¡¯s not the repetitive swing practice but a practice where you try out your special moves.


    ¡°Ruberius style rock crusher sword, first move, vertical impact!¡±


    The man swung his sword as if drawing a straight vertical line in front of him with a loud whooshing sound and stopped before his sword touches the ground, however a depression was made on the ground by the pressure alone.


    ¡°Imperial holy sword style, first blade, crossing arcs!¡±


    His sword still close to the ground and without any preparatory movement, the man changed his sword style and with only one hand gripping the sword, made several crisscrossing swings with fluid movements. The sword left some whitish glowing trace for a few seconds, however it is not magic as it is only unprocessed or pure mana that was used to envelop the sword.


    *Clap clap clap.


    Although he doesn¡¯t look surprised since he sensed that someone was nearby, hearing that someone just clapped from his back the man put down his sword and turned around to see who it is.


    ¡°Marquis Amarkus, I have said this many times before but I would appreciate it if you would send me some words before visiting.¡±


    The man whom he called as Amarkus walked forward while keeping a delighted smile.


    ¡°Well well, if I did so then I might not be able to watch your sword practice, Sir Ruberius is the only one capable of two distinct sword styles at such high level .¡±


    ¡°Not the only one. Your son has the capability to surpass me someday.¡±


    ¡°He has you as his teacher after all.¡±


    ¡°Enough small talk, let¡¯s get inside and tell me why you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Nah, here is fine. I just want you, one of our empire¡¯s strongest to join the team to check out the information about the demon¡¯s princess.¡±


    Ruberius¡¯ eyebrow twitched. He had heard the information about the young inexperienced demon princess. If the information is true then several knight and magic user will be more than enough. Even after adding the possibility that she is not alone won¡¯t change anything much. Not to mention that this is a joint operation with Rifst.


    ¡°Darn, I can see trouble behind this. There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll need me just for something like that. Are you saying that the demon princess is not the only problem?¡±


    Amarkus chuckled then he put his serious face on.


    ¡°Glad you caught on quickly. This is an information only I and his imperial majesty know. It seems that we human aren¡¯t the only one after the princess.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    ¡°It is obvious that the information about the princess was leaked on purpose by somebody over there, however even another somebody over there also took the bait.¡±


    Ruberius smirked.


    ¡°I knew it, another trouble.¡±


    ¡°It seems you like it though. Well, a demon general is coming to get her, so I want you to get her first and if possible also defeat that demon general as well, his imperial majesty has allowed me to prepare any number of troops you¡¯ll need separately from the investigation. Let me handle the diplomatic problem that might arise with Rifst.¡±


    ¡°Get her, eh? Well, she might prove to be useful later on.¡±


    ¡°Correct, however we will need to prepare even more special treatment for the princess. Maybe my torture chamber alone won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t overdo it or you might accidentally kill her.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything that will hinder our holy empire¡¯s progress. His imperial highness especially ordered to capture her alive after all. It seems it was a direct order from the goddess.¡±


    ¡°How about the adventurers¡¯ guild? There¡¯s that old man over there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity but we should leave the guild alone, it¡¯s still Rifst¡¯s territory after all. It¡¯s too early to do anything to the guild itself. But if a skirmish happened there, perhaps even the guild will get some impact.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, I want to take on that old man at least once but I guess there¡¯s this demon general as well so it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll settle with making a small commotion instead.¡±


    ¡°Small, okay¡­ keep it low. We will need to use the adventurer guild later on. Seriously, our definition of small commotion never match.Nevertheless, with this we can move one step further to realize our plan and his imperial highness¡¯ wish.¡±


    The two then entered the mansion while laughing together.


    ***


    I was looking around the merchant road of Arx Norr. The merchant road encircles this town like a belt at its middle section. It is where certified merchants open their stalls while some who are loaded enough are in their purchased or rented shop. In some area there are also some backalleys where uncertified merchants lurk around.


    Different with the shops at closer vicinity to the adventurers¡¯ guild which sell high quality weapons and armors. The ones around here are more or less general items and daily necessities, there are also some that sells equipment for adventurers but the quality are just so-so although you might get lucky and find rare ones as well.


    ¡°Erik, we¡¯re not going to the tower today?¡±


    Liz in human form who is walking by my side asked while leaning her body forward, looking at me. She is wearing her blue long sleeved trapeze. Armor which can be worn as a casual dress is good... in her case it¡¯s more like the other way around though. As for myself, I was just wearing my jacket without the metal plates. I also said goodbye to my trusty but totally worn out high school trouser and bought a new black trouser in place of it.


    ¡°Maybe no, I¡¯ve been thinking that we¡¯ll need some newest information about what¡¯s going on in the continent right now especially the war. I was isolated for who knows exactly how long after all.¡±


    Not to mention the locals who know next to nothing about the war, I didn¡¯t say out loud that I can¡¯t count on her for information as well since she was cooped in the castle and then the cottage for most of her time before meeting me. And no, I¡¯m not blaming her.


    ¡°I, isolated?¡±


    ¡°Nah, nothing¡­ More importantly, why are you here?¡±


    I pointed at Martlea, also in human form, who is walking about three steps away behind Liz.


    Liz fidgeted before looking at her then at me again.


    ¡°Actually I wanted to ask Erik about this person as well¡­ Who is she?¡±


    ¡°My name is Martlea, I¡¯m from the adventurers¡¯ guild, nice to meet you.¡±


    Martlea made a slight bow before continuing


    ¡°I asked the guild master to let me keep an eye on you guys, to make sure you won¡¯t cause any ruckus in the town before the investigators arrive.¡±


    Although ¡°You guys¡± was what she said, her menacing eyes are clearly on me.


    ¡°What a pain¡­ I won¡¯t. At least I don¡¯t plan to do so.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason to trust you.¡±


    This is really a pain, and she doesn¡¯t seem like anyone who would listen to whatever I¡¯m going to say. Might as well just leave her be.


    ¡°Haa, just suit yourself then. Wait¡­ maybe it would be faster to just ask you for the information update.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me another trouble, gather them yourself.¡±


    I got a hunch that that¡¯s how she will answer but what¡¯s with that condescending tone? This woman is starting to get on my nerves.


    Thus I started to look around for both information and useful items. I gave Liz a few denatum coins so she can buy something without asking me first. I told her she is free to look around herself as long as she doesn¡¯t go too far from me. I also told her to meet up at the main road intersecting the road we use to get to the adventurers¡¯ guild in case of us getting separated. Fortunately, Martlea who seemed to dislike or¡­ hate me chose to follow Liz instead. Weren¡¯t you going to keep an eye on me? Do you hate me so much? At least I don¡¯t think she will do anything to Liz. I might need to ask something I don¡¯t want Liz to hear so this is good. I watched Liz and Martlea for a while and started to talk with some merchants myself.


    As I approached a stand the owner greeted me with a wide grin.


    ***


    ¡°Eh, you reached the 13<sup>th</sup>floor already?¡±


    Martlea, bent her body forward and almost shouted but she managed to lower her voice right before she said it whole.


    ¡°U, un. I¡­ is it that surprising?¡±


    Liz backed down because Martlea¡¯s face is too close to hers and asked back.


    ¡°You are an E rank adventurer, a newbie, and only a team of two so it is surprising. Even a party of five would need to be at least rank C before they are capable to reach there¡­ No, you are the daughter of Demon Lord Orcus, and there is also that man so maybe it isn¡¯t so surprising. How do both of you fight in the tower?¡±


    ¡°Umm, mostly I just use my magic like¡­ uhh, normal?¡±


    Liz had barely seen somebody else fight with magic so she couldn¡¯t be so sure as to what ¡®normal¡¯ is. However she doesn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°That¡¯s too vague¡­ Then how about that man?¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Erik? Erik usually gives me some instructions and hints. Ah, but he would help me whenever I¡¯m in trouble or something unexpected happens.¡±


    ¡°So he doesn¡¯t really do the fighting? And here I thought I could guess how strong he is.¡±


    Martlea looked down, thinking. She still couldn¡¯t believe what the guild master said to her about how even the guild master could not get away unscathed from him. Because if that is true then the man called Erik should be on par with demon generals. This disbelief is not just a personal feeling out of dislike to the man himself, but if that is true then how could such person be a nobody? None ever heard of him before, and the information she heard from her colleague that he is a grandson of someone called as ¡®Albert the raging storm, the thunderclad swordmaster and dragon hunter from the east.¡¯ is too ridiculous, does someone like that even exist? And his sibling relationship with the demon princess is obviously a lie. To begin with, how could somebody like that end up with the demon princess? This man called Erik is too mysterious, no, suspicious is the correct word here.


    On the other hand Liz looked to be troubled by the fact that Martlea is thinking deeply so she decided to tell more.


    ¡°Umm, Erik is strong, very strong. As far as I know, he took out most of the demon beasts we encounter both in the forest and the tower with just one attack.¡±


    ¡°In the forest, Suvaard forest?¡±


    Liz nodded with a smile, it seems she herself is also proud of the fact that Erik is strong.


    Martlea once again pondered, she knows that the demon beasts inhabiting Suvaard forest are mostly on the level of floor boss from the 10<sup>th</sup>to 15<sup>th</sup>floor. To be able to take them out in a single attack is beyond the normal level of strong. He should be at least at the level of A rank or S rank adventurer, no, it is possible that he is even stronger so maybe it isn¡¯t strange to say that he by himself is at the level of an S rank party which should at least be comprised by several A rank adventurers.


    Martlea feels that it is too dangerous to leave such a man be. Thankfully, it seemed that the guild master is also planning something to control him so she is relieved albeit just a little.


    ¡°M, Miss Martlea? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Eh, no¡­ nothing. And please just call me Martlea. I don¡¯t really care about social standing and such but it just doesn¡¯t feel right when a princess called my name with honorifics.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well... I don¡¯t think I can still be called a princess eitherso please don¡¯t hesitate to call me Liz. Anyway, since we¡¯re here, I want to see if there is something good to buy.¡±


    Liz stopped walking to look around then walked again because she didn¡¯t find anything that fancied her eyes. This was repeated a few times before Martlea decided to tell Liz something.


    ¡°Um, Liz¡­ I think we¡¯ve been separated from that man.¡±


    Martlea¡¯s word made Liz hurriedly looked back and search for Erik but she couldn¡¯t see him anywhere.


    ¡°Eh? Uuu¡­ I, it¡¯s okay. This is better, I want to give Erik a surprise with my present anyway.¡±


    Since she met Erik, Liz has almost never been away from him aside from obvious needs like bath or the likes and when she was getting some treatment from Yusa, moreover she is currently at a market bustling with people. Martlea could also tell that Liz is somewhat shaken but she held back her urge to smile since Liz is trying her best to stay calm.


    ¡°So, you want to give him a present?¡±


    Liz nodded.


    ¡°Un, Erik has done a lot for me so I want to give him something as thanks¡­ No, I just want to be the one on the giving side at least once. The money is still from Erik though¡­¡±


    Liz is smiling bashfully at Martlea which just sent some kind of shockwave to her heart and made Martlea want to help the little girl.


    ¡°So, is there anything specific you want to give him?¡±


    Liz shook her head weakly.


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t even know what Erik likes or wants.¡±


    ¡°So you were looking around without a clue then?¡±


    ¡°Uuu¡­ well I decided to just look for something that might suits him.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s hard¡­ I don¡¯t think I can help you on that.¡±


    ¡°I, it¡¯s okay. But please be my company until we meet up with Erik again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s what I intended to do anyway.¡±


    ***


    The tableware merchant I¡¯m talking with is very talkative. I don¡¯t know if it is because most of his customers are housewives whom got the so called housewives information (gossip) circulation system but his information repertoire is great. If you got stranded in another world while you are too young to enter a bar in that world to gain necessary information, just ask the gossiping local housewives around you! He also does his trading by going back and forth to here, Rifsten, several villages on the way, and a small town where his tablewares are produced.


    I asked about the current state of war but it doesn¡¯t seem that the status quo has changed. Not to mention the leaderless demon race, even the human side hasn¡¯t made any significant move for the last 3 months. As a side note, a year in this world is divided into twelve months but with the number of days all uniform, 30 days each. It seems that I was in the tower for almost 2 months. Probably I spent too much time by time going back and forth the higher and mid floors for exp farming and to gather supplies and materials while also crafting some survival tools. I¡¯ve heard some cases where people became insane after being isolated alone for a long time. I did pretty well to stay sane if I¡¯d say so myself. Or like, am I still sane? Even from my own point of view, I¡¯m rather calm for someone who¡¯s going for a revenge.


    ¡°¡­I heard that King Gessald Arde Rifst the 6<sup>th</sup>is currently ill so the first and second prince are returning to the capital from the frontlines.¡±


    What he said reminded me about Lavinia¡¯s older brothers. I got along rther well with the second prince but I don¡¯t know if it was just me but the crown prince always look at me with a hint of hatred. Not that it matters now.


    However¡­ although he is quite old, I can¡¯t imagine that ever spunky-ish king to get ill. I hope it¡¯s nothing bad.


    I just realized it now but I guess I still have some attachment to Rifst, eh? Without mentioning the harsh training and war, I can say that I enjoyed my stay in Rifst after all.


    ¡°Also, this is something I heard from a friend who¡¯s doing his business in the empire but, it seems the empire is gathering their best mages and all prisoners they have to their capital.¡±


    ¡°What? Why would they do that?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Mages are valuable war potential so even though the war is currently going slow such a thing is incomprehensible. I don¡¯t understand why they would gather the prisoners as well.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have any clue about the mages, but¡­ this is too early. Well, what that bastard said might not necessarily be the truth. But if what I think is true, I might need to do something to prevent it. I can¡¯t think of anything about the prisoners though.


    ¡°Do you know anything else related to that?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, no¡­ sorry but that¡¯s all I know. More importantly, won¡¯t you buy something already?¡±


    ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll have 4 sets of these wooden bowl and spoon.¡±


    ¡°Right¡¯o, they will be 60 mearis coins.¡±


    The merchant then swiftly picked the sets and wrap them with a sheet of crude paper, put them in a paper bag and gave them to me as I paid. This isn¡¯t a useless purchase. I might need to use them in the tower or when I am taking a long journey. Different from that time, now I can procure some ingredients to make a proper meal.


    I said my thanks and left the place to look for another possible source of information. I more or less understand the current situation but the more information you have the better.


    Next I saw a merchant with quite a rare set of merchandise, magic tools and potions. No they aren¡¯t exactly rare, it¡¯s just that it is said that about 85% of magic tools you can find in the market are made by the secluded living elves so they are hard to get. Then 10% of them would be what you can find in the ruins which are relics of the ancients, and the other 5% are made by either humans or demon race who somehow got a tidbit of the manufacturing knowledge. Let¡¯s just say that elves have monopoly over magic tools making techniques.


    I heard one of Liz¡¯s servant was able to make something akin to refrigerator but I don¡¯t know if that servant is one of the killed or the runaway.


    This world doesn¡¯t have immediate acting healing items but there is potion and ointment to quicken natural healing or mana regeneration. I don¡¯t see any remarkable potions and I don¡¯t have any particular need for magic tools either so I just skim through them and since the stall owner is tending to a customer I chose to look for another place for information.


    As I walked leisurely, I noticed there is someone in front of me walking quickly while looking around and that we will bump on each other so I casually dodged, but to my surprise that person also moved nimbly to avoid the collision. It¡¯s just that we moved to the same direction and bumped anyway.


    It might be because of my high strength (I don¡¯t know how high it exactly is) but I only felt slight impact and didn¡¯t even stagger. On the other hand, the other guy¡­ or rather she, fell on her bottom while desperately holding her hood. However I saw two black lustrous horns on both sides of her forehead.


    Perhaps she noticed that I saw her horns, she glared sharply at me.


    She is wearing quite high quality purplish breastplate decorated with golden engravings albeit not so lavish under her mantle which must be custom made since it follows the contour of her *ahem* nice endowments. It seems unlikely that she is a guild employee, maybe she¡¯s an illegal immigrant or might even be a spy. In short, she is a source of trouble. I need to avoid trouble so I smiled and offered my hand before she can say anything.


    ¡°Sorry, are you okay?¡±


    Her eyes showed a hint of surprise but she immediately replied while standing up, without taking my hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. It is my own fault for being so careless.¡±


    She lowered her head, and I mean just her head. Her body from below her neck didn¡¯t move at all. She then quickly darted away before I could say anything else.


    ***


    I looked around for some more information but I didn¡¯t get anything else worth mentioning. I also tried to ask whether Orcus has an heir or not but as expected nobody here knows anything about that. The guild didn¡¯t publicizethe information about tomorroweither. Other than some people, mainly merchants complaining on the prohibition of leaving Arx Norr, you can say that there is no disturbance as well.There¡¯s no point in staying here any longer thusI decided to go to the meeting point.


    I don¡¯t think my information gathering took much time, I expected that I got to the meeting point first. There is no sign of Liz and Martlea so I decided to wait while eating some light food from nearby stalls.


    After several skewered whatchamacallit meats, I heard Liz¡¯s voice calling for me and I could see Liz and Martlea getting away from the crowd, walking towards me. Liz is holding a paper wrapping of something, hiding it behind her back¡­ or rather, I could see it clearly you know.


    ¡°I see you bought something. Did you find something you like?¡±


    Liz got flustered and finally gave up on hiding (attempt of) whatever she bought.


    ¡°U, un.¡±


    She just nodded. What did she buy anyway? Is it something bad¡­ or not something for kids? Nah, they do exist in this market but I doubt she would buy such a thing. The wrapping looks more for that of a clothing as well.


    As I thought of such stupid thing Martlea approached me, she stopped before she get closer than 3 meters though, and said


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going back to the guild since I still have some work to be done.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for taking care of Liz.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for helping me choose, Martlea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Liz added cheerfully and Martlea answered her with a gentle smile before going off. When did they get this close?


    ¡°Shall we go back to the inn then?¡±


    Liz nodded again nervously while hugging the paper wrapping strongly. Now I¡¯m kind of curious on what she just bought.


    ***


    (What should I do?


    Thanks to Martlea taking me to various good stalls and shops, I finally bought a present for Erik. Martlea also gave me some money when I realized that I didn¡¯t have enough to pay. But... I couldn¡¯t give the present to Erik. Erik asked me whether I could find something I liked before I could say anything. Why did I nod to it? Ah, but it¡¯s true that this is something I personally like. Erik also looked at the paper wrapping a few times, although this was supposed to be a surprise¡­ did he realize about the present? Or maybe Erik is thinking that it is for myself?


    Aaaah, what should I do?)


    Anyone would tell her that there¡¯s no need to think that much and to just give the present already. However, not to mention the opposite gender, the innocent Liz doesn¡¯t have much experience on interacting with people since she spent most of her time in the castle. Surely she talked quite a lot with her father, her servants, and some demon generals but those are trivial compared to the outside world, moreover it¡¯s the human¡¯s territory so obviously humans are everywhere.


    Back to the current problem.


    (Maybe I should just leave it in Erik¡¯s bag after he is asleep so that he¡¯ll find it naturally tomorrow. No, no¡­ Erik will just think that I put it there and not think of it as a present.)


    ¡°FUEEE!?¡±


    Liz let out her usual ¡°fuee¡± when Erik grabbed Liz¡¯s shoulder to stop her right before Liz was going to bump onto a wall.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Liz? It¡¯s dangerous to walk like that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no¡­ that¡¯s uh¡­ Sorry.¡±


    And now to top it off, Liz has become unable to stand it when Erik look at her directly like this. Her face would become hot and her heart rate suddenly increases. Actually, it¡¯s not that Liz is clueless on the cause. Thanks to the talk with Yusa, Liz is now aware of her feelings toward Erik.


    ¡°By the way, Liz¡­¡±


    ¡°H, hyess?¡±


    ¡°What did you buy?¡±


    ¡°Fuee? No, nothing special¡­ it¡¯s just some kind of clothes or¡­ not¡­ uhh, it is! Wait, what was it?!¡±


    ¡°L, Liz? Calm down...¡±


    (Ahh, I missed another chance to give it¡­ and Erik is looking at me with a worried face¡­ uuu, it¡¯s getting more and more embarrassing. Please, give me another chance.)


    ¡°Haha, I thought for a second that it might be something for me but if you¡¯re this flustered, did you buy something bad?¡±


    (T, there¡¯s the chance!)


    ¡°It is¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? You really bought something bad?¡±


    ¡°N, no! I¡­ it is something I bought for Erik!¡±


    (I finally said it!!! I felt like I just used several master class magic¡­it¡¯s really exhausting. Uh, why is everyone around looking at me while smiling?)


    Unaware that she shouted loud enough to be heard by everyone else around, Liz gave, or rather shoved the paper wrapping to Erik who accepted it while looking troubled since he also noticed the warm gazes from the onlookers.


    ¡°T, thanks?¡±


    Perhaps because Liz was looking at him with maximum expectant mode, Erik then proceeded to open the paper wrap to find aratherlong scarf with dark scarlet color not unlike that of Liz¡¯s real hair color. From the texture, he thought that it wasn¡¯t made from just cloth, in fact it almost made entirely froma combination of a lesser wyvern¡¯s scales and leather of a demon beast called Ulgias which lives in the volcanic region of Valis Republic. Erik also thought that the money he gave to Liz weren¡¯t enough to buy something like this but he chose to dismiss it since it¡¯s possible that Martlea who was with Liz might have covered for her.


    Erik grimaced for less than a second but he smiled and patted Liz¡¯s head which in turn also made her smile while blushing.


    ¡°Thanks again Liz, I¡¯ll treasure it.¡±


    ¡°Fueehehee.¡±


    The two then resumed their walk toward the inn while having a small talk about what happened today.


    Thus end the exaggerated worry of an innocent little girl.

 Chapter 8 - The Demon of Arx Norr

    I still remember the moment when I first killed a person. No, at the time I didn¡¯t consider that the other party is also a ¡®person¡¯. Although, when I started to realize that they are no different with us, I felt an incredible nausea although both me and Bagus were able to suppress it, Reza and Surya couldn¡¯t. Mira even fainted on the spot. What made it worse is that we came to the realizationafter we killed hundreds of them.


    The first to realize was Mira, although everyone cringed when they saw that the so called demons also have red blood and not blue or green. As our hesitation grew stronger and stronger, the gentle Mira then attempted to talk with them in the midst of war only to come to a realization that they are also people.


    At the time, the fact that we were summoned to a different world to become killers became clearer than ever. We stopped being ignorant about what a war really is. At the same time we also realized that it is also kill or be killed, we also wanted to go back to our world. In the end, we had no choice but to continue to be killersin the guise of being heroes.


    Like somebody ever said, ¡°a hero to some is a villain to some other.¡±


    And if I have to say, I¡¯m used to killing now.


    ***


    ¡°Artefr¡±


    Liz chanted the magic word and changed to her human form. While I, sitting on my bed am holding the scarf Liz gave me while imagining myself in full gear, black jacket and the bluish silver light armor set. I could hear a typical sound effect when I made a cool pose or silly, I guess¡­ with the scarlet scarf fluttering in the wind behind me.


    I subconsciously made a facepalm. No matter how I look at it, THAT is embarrassing. What to say, such figure is too¡­ uh, if I¡®m not mistaking the Japanese term, chuunibyou-ish.


    Okay, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t appreciate the present but I decided to only wear it when I feel like it. So I stood and approach the door while putting the scarf into my bag. However, before I could open the door and leave to the guild, Liz glared at me with her expectant look.


    ¡°Uhh, Liz?¡±


    *glare*


    She kept alternating between me and the scarf which is still halfway into the bag.


    She looked happy after I (reluctantly) wore the scarf. Oh, well¡­


    ¡°Okay Liz, today is the big day. The guild had also issued an order for all newbie adventurers who registered within the last 5 days to gather at the guild.¡±


    ¡°I, I hope I won¡¯t be found out.¡±


    Worry not lil¡¯ lady, for I stand out more¡­ is what I didn¡¯t say.


    ¡°If the situation called for it, I¡¯ll take care of things anyway so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I¡¯m glad she trusts me, but spare me the scarf please¡­


    Still, I¡¯ve thought of this several times already, but the investigation method is too unreliable. What if we didn¡¯t become adventurers and just passed this town? What if we never came here in the first place? Why they didn¡¯t limit the inspection on only girls or, even to be more exact, little girls? I don¡¯t think there are many adventurers between the age of ten to fifteen. The resident of this world are considered adult who must be capable to sustain themselves at 15 years old by the way. Not to mention that although the information was true, without knowing the fact, the content would be too dubious. Are they that desperate to capture Liz or is there some other objective?


    We finally left the inn. Some people who seemed to be fellow newbies are walking in the same direction. I heard from one of them that several knights from both Rifst and Zagrant had just arrived this early morning although they don¡¯t know yet why the knights are here for.


    As we almost reached the guild, some guild employees stopped us, asked our names then wrote check marks on a roster. They then allowed us to go ahead. I thought I left early but there are already tens of people gathering at the guild plaza.


    ¡°Attention please.¡±


    Aaand it just got started.


    When I heard the voice, I turned to look at Martlea in her human form standing on a makeshift podium ahead with two other guild officials behind her. The other newbie adventurers also stopped chatting with each other and looked at her.


    ¡°Firstly, allow us to thank you all for answering the guild sudden call to gather here so early in the morning. As for the reason¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to listen any further and instead look at the knights standing near the podium. To the left are the knights of Rifst. Their white metallic armor with jade green decorations means that all four of them are from the 3<sup>rd</sup>main squad. Hey, I know that guy wearing the captain¡¯s cape, he got promoted eh?


    On their other side, wearing gaudy red full plates are 5 of the empire¡¯s knights.


    Somehow I felt a little stinging pain on my hand when I looked at them but I ignored it.


    I made a quick glance and found one face I could recognize as well. Standing beside the one who must be a captain, is one of the highest rank in their army. Zagrant empire¡¯s holy sword number 1, general Ruberius. Why is someone of such stature even here? Is he commanding the joint force?


    (Kill!)


    Hey, if the empire lost such a guy won¡¯t that become a huge loss on their side?


    (Kill!)


    Yeah, that¡¯s not a bad idea.


    (Kill!)


    But, didn¡¯t I decide to wait until I¡¯m even stronger before I can get their attention?


    (Kill!)


    Matters not, the end will be the same anyway.


    ¡°E, Erik?¡±


    Yeah, then as the grunts are terrified when I torture their general I should throw his head at them to finish it. I¡¯ll allow at least one of them to go back alive to the empire with the head. Of course, I¡¯d kill the rest.


    ¡°Erik!¡±


    ¡°L, Liz?¡±


    ¡°P, please don¡¯t make such a scary face. Also, doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    Liz is holding my hand. I was clenching so hard that when I let go the nail marks are so deep and some are even bleeding.


    ¡°Erik¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The dangerous thought finally entered my consciousness and I dismissed them right away. Really, what¡¯s wrong with me? I didn¡¯t even notice I was smiling in a menacing way until Liz looked at me with her worried face.


    Fortunately it doesn¡¯t look like I was leaking my killing intent since nobody else but Liz noticed my state. I took a deep breath before sighing. I almost lost it. I can¡¯t make a mess yet, Liz¡¯s fate is at stake here.


    I patted Liz¡¯s head with my hand which doesn¡¯t have any blood on and tried to make a natural smile.


    ¡°Sorry Liz, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Liz still looking at me worriedly, but she then shook her head and took out a bandage roll from her bag and proceeded to treat my bleeding hand. I brought my focus back to the speech right when that Ruberius took the podium and began his speech.


    ¡°I hate long and useless speech so I¡¯ll cut to the chase. As the guild lady has said, we believe that the demon princess is in this town and might be among you lot. But that is not all! A demon general is supposed to be here as well.¡±


    The crowd murmured in response. That Martlea showed a surprised look as well. Wait, why did the guys from Rifst look surprised as well?


    A demon general along with Liz? It wasn¡¯t actually about me, right? Wait, he said ¡°is supposed to be here¡± not ¡°together with the demon princess¡±. Since even Martlea was surprised, the guild might not have known about it as well.


    ¡°Well, without further ado then¡­ You, you, and that one over there. Come forward.¡±


    ¡°Fue?¡±


    Ruberius pointed at Liz and two other. It seems that there are two other newbies who are girls about 10 to 13 years old.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Liz. It¡¯ll be suspicious if we don¡¯t obey here. I¡¯ll do something when the situation calls for it so try to be as calm as possible.¡±


    Liz and the other two did as instructed and stood in front of the podium. Ruberius signaled with his hand and captains from both sides then approached the girls. They inspected each one carefully while the three girls looked very nervous, especially Liz. Perhaps because only the hair color and her demon race features that was changed, her traits matched that of in the information so the inspectors spent more time scrutinizing Liz. Liz looked down uncomfortably but finally the two inspector faced Ruberius and said


    ¡°Negative, the princess is not here. They are humans no matter how you see it.¡±


    Ruberius didn¡¯t answer but instead jumped off the podium and approached the girls himself. Is he still suspicious? Maybe he knows about the artifact to change appearance? If so¡­


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°F, fue?¡±


    As Ruberius looked at Liz¡¯s face closely, I walked quickly out of the crowd to Liz¡¯s side while ignoring surprised murmurs from the others.


    ¡°Oy, will you stop looking at my sister like a pervert, old guy?¡±


    I ignored the surrounding gasp and surprised shriek and looked at his face while trying hard to contain my bloodlust.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Ruberius looked at me uninterestedly, then he looked at Liz who is holding my arm with both her hands then at me again.


    ¡°Siblings, eh? I see¡­ I see¡­However, I¡¯d like to ask you about your sanity young man. I don¡¯t know if you are fearless or stupid but doing something like this might warrant a punishment from the empire.¡±


    I tried to not get too agitated before responding.


    ¡°Your subordinates already said that the girls are human. I won¡¯t just stand when you lot are scaring my little sister any further.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Just let them go already!¡±


    ¡°Fia has been with us since we left our village and form the party a month ago, there¡¯s no way she is a demon princess.¡±


    I expected this but I¡¯m glad the support came rather quickly. Several people followed my example and approached the girls.


    Ruberius just sighed then urged one of his subordinate to come.


    ¡°Are the preparations complete?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve just received the report that team B just finished spreading the rumors that we found the demon princess to the whole town.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s a pity we couldn¡¯t get the princess now but¡­¡±


    Ruberius unsheathed his sword and channeled his mana into it. I prepared myself just in case.


    ¡°I chose to do the investigation to the adventurers guild like this simply because I hate it so we don¡¯t lose anything even if we don¡¯t find the princess. The main course is something else after all.¡±


    What?


    ¡°I just need to make a commotion so the prey will take the bait.¡±


    Ruberius swung his sword vertically at the crowd behind me. His sword produced a huge crescent shockwave which hit the ground near the crowd and exploded, scattering rocks which hit some of the adventurers and made the crowd disperse in terror. The other two girls and their party members also ran away in panic. I pretended to look scared and took Liz away as well before stopping at a hidden place to look at them while straining my hearing. I just made a gesture to make Liz stay quiet.


    ¡°Sir Ruberius! What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°We never heard of this either, please explain.¡±


    Martlea rushed at him while looking mad followed by her two colleagues. Next to her is Rifst¡¯s 3<sup>rd</sup>squad captain, Fareyd.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Nobody is hurt since I held back significantly. I just wanted a commotion right here, right now so someone might think a fight is in place. Although she is young, the demon princess should be capable to offer some resistance don¡¯t you think? That is all¡­ Actually maybe just spreading the rumors might have been enough but¡­ I hate adventurers and their guild you know.¡±


    Martlea gritted her teeth and clenched her fists but Fareyd spoke before she could move.


    ¡°As a member of the investigation team, I demand a detailed and proper explanation.¡±


    Ruberius sighed.


    ¡°Our plan was to check the adventurer and merchant guilds. But how much do you think is our probability of finding the demon princess like that?¡±


    ¡°W, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course it will be lucky for us if we could find the princess, but the information is too dubious to begin with. However, there is somebody else who would bite the bait, a general from Orcus loyalist faction whom should have been moving alone or only with small number of attendants.¡±


    ¡°I, I see. So what sir Ruberius meant is that the princess was a bait for both us and that general.¡±


    ¡°And we of the empire decided to take a bite as well. The other side is laying down too much, so this is a good opportunity to kill an enemy general.¡±


    I see, the empire¡¯s goal is probably to rouse the war once again¡­ not that I think I should care though.


    Fareyd put a hand on his chin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll dismiss your reason of not telling our side on this matter for now, but how can you be so sure that this general is moving alone or in small group?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you could guess what is happening on the demon¡¯s side right now. I just gambled on the intention of the other side who might have wanted to get rid of this general. I bet the minority loyalist faction can¡¯t make any big movement. Then there is also the vast Suvaard forest invested with demon beast which render moving in a large group to be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Gambled?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Martlea who has been quiet finally decided to enter the conversation.


    ¡°We of the guild will not cooperate any further in this farce so we would like all of you to leave Arx Norr immediately.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, this lady has a scary look on her face¡­¡±


    Martlea didn¡¯t respond and is keeping her menacing glare at Ruberius. Well, if the guild got involved just because of Ruberius¡¯ whim then how can she not be angry?


    ¡°Hahahaha, well¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want to confront your guild master yet so perhaps I should obey.¡±


    Ruberius sheathed his sword after looking around for a bit then walked towards his subordinates.


    ¡°Okay, it seems our enemy is rather careful and is yet to show their face. Or maybe the rumors haven¡¯t reached them yet. Let¡¯s continue to the next phase, take the dummy out!¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    The Empire knights quickly moved out as ordered and left the place while Ruberius just walked slowly to follow them.


    ¡°I¡­ We apologize for involving the guild in such manner.¡±


    Fareyd bowed at Martlea as soon as Ruberius can no longer be seen. Martlea herself just looked at him expressionlessly.


    ¡°We are expecting an official apology from the kingdom, we would also like to have your side to leave this town as soon as possible.¡±


    For Martlea to be able to say something like that means the guild is considered to be important enough eh?


    Although he looked troubled, Fareyd responded with a salute and take his subordinates to leave as well. Martlea who seemed to be at a loss and irritated at the same time told her colleagues to report to the guild master and walked to where Liz and I at so I decided to come out.


    ¡°So, what will you do?¡±


    Martlea asked me.


    ¡°Although a lot of unexpected things occurred, I guess it is safe to say that Liz wouldn¡¯t be found for the time being. So maybe we will continue our tower exploration. How about you or¡­ the guild?¡±


    ¡°That bas¡­ Ruberius didn¡¯t even ask us about our new recruit registry¡­ so yes, I think you are safe. As for the guild, we must apologize to the adventurers who were involved in the event. We will gather them again for that but I guess there is no need for both of you to participate anyway.¡±


    ¡°Erik.¡±


    Liz nudged at my sleeve so I turned to look at her.


    ¡°What is it, Liz?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about the general they were talking about so¡­ can we at least take a look?¡±


    If the demon general in question is one of the loyalist faction then Liz might have been close to him/her so it¡¯s not strange for her to be worried, eh? Hmm, what to do¡­


    ¡°Alright, but let¡¯s not forget to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Un. Thank you, Erik.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is, don¡¯t mind us and just go back to your business at the guild. See ya.¡±


    Martlea sighed but then nodded and left the place.


    ***


    In the vicinity of Arx Norr, on the west side between Suvaard forest and the town which is filled with people, there are actually several areas with buildings, or to be exact, ruins. There should be no one except vagrants and occasional demon beast roaming around. Before the war, there was a small road that leads to Leinadt which now is gone due to the forest¡¯s growth. The area itself was residential area for those of the demon race who were in a good relationship with the humans especially the ones lived in Arx Norr. Within one of the ruins, two women and a man of demon race were gathering.


    One woman was wearing purple breastplate decorated with golden engravings, she was also holding a large halberd on her right. Another woman wears a similar looking purple colored metal breastplate without any noticeable decoration and has a sword attached to her waist. The only man in the group instead only wears a light leather armor although if it was to be appraised then one would know that it was of a high quality leather capable to withstand slashing attacks to some degree. There is one feature they share in common, they have horns albeit different in size, shape, and color.


    The only one with two horns, the one with highest quality looking armor hit the table before speaking out loud.


    ¡°What!? Princess Lissa¡¯aelle has been captured? What a blunder¡­ How could I let those humans found her first? That damn Berudis really had leaked the information to the humans¡­ how despicable.¡±


    The male demon answered her while he himself looked agitated.


    ¡°Yes, their knights have even begun the return march and I saw a figure of somebody who might be the princess in a carriage fashioned to be a cage.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t waste any more time. I don¡¯t care even if it was a trap, we shall save the princess no matter what.¡±


    ¡°¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡±¡±


    The three rushed to the door and left the place.


    ***


    At a considerable distance to the northeast of Arx Norr, about 15 of Zagrant Empire¡¯s knights are riding their horses at a slow pace. They are positioned so that the carriage in the middle would be completely surrounded. The carriage in the middle appeared to be made almost entirely from metal and is pulled not by horses but by a pair of dordrumas, 4 legged docile demon beast with huge build protected by greyish thick leather commonly used to pull heavy carriages in the empire. The carriage¡¯s speed is of course faster than a human walking but is far slower than a horse so the knights adjusted their speed to the carriage.


    From the carriage¡¯s barred windows a small robed figure could be seen with two knights sitting on both sides. Ruberius himself is sitting in front of the figure whose most part of the face hidden by the robe¡¯s hood.


    Suddenly the ground in front of the convoy erupted and became countless spikes that grows encroaching upon the knights, killing a knight and his horse. However as if they had actually expected it, the other knights didn¡¯t lose their composure and instead formed a solid formation in front of the carriage with 2 magic users chanting a spell together which formed a wall of earth, stopping the spikes while also quelling the earth itself.


    Some of the knights in the back were still surrounding and protecting the carriage when three horned figures, demons, rushed to the carriage from all three sides except the front. They each managed to kill a knight but the ones at the back and left sides received counterattack from the knights and had to stop in their track while the one at the right killed two other knights with a huge halberd and used wind magic to throw the other remaining knights in front of her out of balance and fell them off their horses.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    The demon woman shouted as she almost reached the carriage but then the carriage door was flung away with tremendous force at her so she had to parry using her halberd. In that split second a man jumped off the carriage and slashed at her from behind the flung off carriage door.


    Sensing danger, the woman then used earth magic and raised the earth under her feet. Before the earth pillar was destroyed by the man¡¯s sword, she jumped off toward the carriage, quickly fending off two knights in it by kicking them off the carriage she reached at the robed small figure with a smile forming on her lips which was returned by the robed figure with a faint, menacing smile followed by a blade thrusting towards her heart. She managed to change her posture to avoid the blade but it was a bit late so her left shoulder was stabbed instead. In addition, at the same time she dodged the blade, the figure threw two small knives which both hit their marks, the demon¡¯s thighs. Ignoring the pain, she kicked the hand holding the blade that strangely managed to stab through her armor almost without any resistance before losing her strength, staggering before the carriage¡¯s door. Her two subordinates managed to slip past the knights and rushed to her before taking her out and away of the carriage. However the remaining knights had surrounded them, blocking any path of escape.


    ¡°Yo, it seems even in the demon¡¯s side there is someone stupid enough to take an obviously poisoned bait, eh? General of The lake of Estria, Nourrie Lei Asvell.¡±


    The three slowly looked behind them at the source of the voice, one of Zagrant Empire¡¯s strongest, Ruberius.


    The three signaled at each other with their eyes. But before the male demon could even attempt to use magic an arrow struck his back and he fell down on his knees.


    ¡°Ruui!¡±


    The female demon who was supporting Nourrie shouted his name worriedly.


    ¡°I... I¡¯m fine, Fiel¡­ but it seems our situation keeps worsening by the second.¡±


    Right when they were signaling each other, Ruberius had raised his hand and in response one of his subordinate magic user started chanting a fireball and before he shoot the huge fireball to the sky, another knight shot Ruui in the back.


    Signalled by the exploding fireball, from the hill to their northeast, several tens of imperial knights are approaching.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder whether we need this much force or not since if it is the general from Estria then I alone would be enough. Too bad you were too slow and got a wound on your shoulder¡­ at least there are three of you so it might still be fun. I¡¯ll take you all on myself but your magic is too troublesome so if you try to use magic, several more arrows might kill you first¡­¡±


    Ruberius made an exaggerated gesture, shaking his head and randomly swinging his sword around as if he was just playing around ignoring the three.


    Among the three, only Nourrie is capable of chantless magic so this is truly a bad situation for them. Nourrie herself was wounded, lightly on her thighs and deeply on her left shoulder so her fighting capability has been significantly reduced.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fiel, Ruui. It seems I brought you along to the gate of hell.¡±


    Nourrie stood upright while holding her huge halberd with just her right hand. Her left arm is hanging down powerlessly but she seemed to be able to ignore the pain since her fierce eyes had returned.


    Her two attendant shook their head. Ruui plucked the arrow from his back and held his short sword in a stance. Fiel also held her rapier in front of her chest while standing firmly.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve decided to follow you anywhere since long ago.¡±


    Nourrie only smiled at the two then returned her gaze at Ruberius.


    ¡°Finished talking? Then all three of you, come at me!¡±


    Ruberius also entered his battle stance right as the three rushed at him.


    Right at that moment, the empire¡¯s reinforcements had just finished joining the rank when all of a sudden shouts could be heard and the knights positioned at the back got thrown into the air along with their horses, some got their limbs broken, some of them got their stomach literally destroyed with pieces of their armors, blood, and innards scattered around.


    Even Ruberius and the three demons were surprised when they saw a disfigured bloody knight fell right in front of them with armor broken into pieces. No matter how one see it, the only thing capable of doing something like such would be a monster, a fierce demon beast.


    Standing in the middle of the chaos, leaving corpses around and holding no weapon, is a figure with silver spiky hair and bloodshot red eyes. Two long horns facing upper backwards are on both sides of his head. The demon dressed in all-black has an expression which seemed to be a mix of anger and joy, full of bloodlust which sends shiver to everyone present.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    Ruberius gulped his saliva before continuing.


    ¡°So there is a better prey around! Everyone else handle the three while I take on this scary guy!¡±


    Ruberius doesn¡¯t seem to be scared and instead looked to be delighted while dashing at the new demon.


    ¡°Divine howl rush!¡±


    Ruberius channeled his mana in great amount to his sword and kept moving quickly forward at the unknown demon while relentlessly doing fluid slashes which send shockwaves reaching as far as 20 meters away but were all magnificently dodged by the said demon. As Ruberius made a diagonal upward slash for the tenth or so times from close range, the demon launched a counterattack, an uppercut which Ruberius barely dodged by shifting his center of gravity and letting himself fall to the side but following it was a roundhouse kick toward Ruberius¡¯ abdomen.


    Ruberius quickly responded by blocking with his sword only to be sent flying away at tremendous speed onto the carriage which then broke apart completely. Their reins now loose, the two dordrumas which had been restless finally ran away in panic. The demon seemed to had the intention of finishing Ruberius but he suddenly changed his direction toward the three who were struggling against the knights surrounding them. Realizing the impending danger, some of the knights who managed to look at the demon and realized that Ruberius is not even there chose to scatter and ran for their life while the ones that were focusing on the three were all literally crushed in mere seconds. His barehanded blows broke the knights armor to pieces then, not to mention their flesh. With just a sweep of his kick, several knights were sent flying away. Such capability is not strange in the rank of demon generals whom mostly utilize both magic and physical strength in their fights. However the one in question right now doesn¡¯t show any sign of magic usage, in short, this is done purely by his physical strength. Moreover, none of the three know who this demon is.


    Having finished the knights who didn¡¯t flee, the silver haired demon approached the three. Nourrie, Fiel, and Ruui whom all already wounded didn¡¯t let their guard down at first but since the silver haired demon stopped emitting any bloodlust and his face now calm, they relaxed their stance.


    ¡°I got a message for you from the princess. ¡¸I am alright, but I can¡¯t go back yet. Please return and take care. Especially Nou, please sleep and eat properly.¡¹¡±


    ¡°E, eh?¡±


    The three got dumbfounded. Nourrie was the first to snap out of it, she ran to then hold the silver haired demon¡¯s shoulders. She seemed to have completely forgotten about her wounded left shoulder or legs and couldn¡¯t feel the pain.


    ¡°Lissa¡¯a¡­ the princess, where is she?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she is perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you, WHERE IS THE PRINCESS?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nourrie shook the silver haired demon¡¯s shoulder but he doesn¡¯t even seem to care and kept silent.


    ¡°Please, tell me¡­ I have to give her back what was hers.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean her position? And what then? Will you take her back to the assassins waiting for her back there?¡±


    ¡°Wh, no¡­¡±


    ¡°How can I trust someone who got into this predicament to protect her from many of those who don¡¯t want her back?


    Nourrie was taken aback by the sentence.


    ¡°Let me tell you this, she doesn¡¯t even desire the position, and this is just my thought but she is too young and green. Will you put burdens on her back more than what she already got? Of course, if that is what she is going to choose herself then I won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­. I¡­ I don¡¯t see any reason to believe any of your words!¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re free to choose whether to believe me or not, but personally, I don¡¯t have any reason to save you guys. She asked me to. Well, now you should just go back and take care of your own homeland to the point that it is safe for her to go back. Until then, she will be in my care.¡±


    The silver haired demon then walked, away from the speechless Nourrie. Fiel and Ruui rushed to catch her who finally lost all tension and was about to collapse.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Nourrie, supported by the two, called to the silver haired demon who just stopped walking without turning back.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Just a fallen¡­ nobody¡±


    The silver haired demon dashed away and disappeared from their sight right after he answered.


    ¡°Eh? What?¡±


    ***


    Several minutes after Nourrie, Fiel, and Ruui also left the area.


    ¡°Now that hurrrrrrrrrt¡­a lot.¡±


    From the rubble that was a sturdy carriage, Ruberius stood up nonchalantly.


    ¡°It seems that demon killed most of my men¡­ the rest must have run away¡­ Darn, so they left me here alone.¡±


    ¡°Not alone.¡±


    A tea brown haired boy appeared out of nowhere behind Ruberius. It was the boy who sat in the carriage as the dummy.


    ¡°Oo, so you¡¯re still here Zeras.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rare that someone was able to make you lost consciousness that easily.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I managed to block but that was a crazy strong kick. Some of my ribs are broken and I can¡¯t move my arms well even though they don¡¯t seem to be broken.¡±


    Ruberius clumsily and slowly raised both his shaking hands up to show to Zeras.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that, but¡­ not to mention the demon princess, you couldn¡¯t even kill the demon¡¯s general. Won¡¯t Marquis Amarkus and His Imperial Majesty get angry at you later?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to remind me. I will have Amarkus who really wanted to get the princess to handle his imperial majesty for me. I just wanted a good fight since the war has been going stale¡­ But, really I¡¯ve never seen that silver haired demon before.¡±


    ¡°He is strong, perhaps stronger than me and the other two black lily members combined. Maybe he is a newly appointed general to fill in the three empty slots that were killed by the supposedly existed heroes? I don¡¯t know why he stopped and didn¡¯t finish you off though¡­What do you think?¡±


    ¡°What should I write about that demon in my report then¡­ maybe I should write that he knocked me out after several hours of fight so that I won¡¯t lose too much dignity in front of His Imperial Majesty¡­ Or maybe¡­ Wait, to begin with, what should we call him?¡±


    ¡°Aaand he had stopped listening¡­¡±


    In the future, the silver haired demon will be known as the Demon of Arx Norr to many people who come to know about the event.


    ***


    No one from the guild was patrolling around the places where you can get out of the town since it is no longer needed. Liz and I managed to catch up to the imperial knights¡¯ march right when they just left the town. I could see a sturdy built carriage positioned in the middle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just follow them from afar for now.¡±


    Liz nodded to my words while keeping her sight on the convoy and its surrounding.


    We chose to follow them by running lightly on the top of a cliff south of them. Fortunately they aren¡¯t too fast so we didn¡¯t have to sprint. However Liz¡¯s legs are shorter than mine so she had to sprint occasionally, that¡¯s why I offered to carry her¡­ on my back. She was reluctant at first, but since she didn¡¯t want to slow ourselves down she accepted my offer.


    About several hundred meters from Arx Norr, the earth in front of the convoy suddenly erupted into spikes. But the real attack comes next. From the bushes east of the carriage, from the hill to its west, and from inside a fake rock made by magic to its south, a total three of demon race approached the carriage in high speed. Wait, isn¡¯t one of them the one I saw at the merchant road?


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Nou?¡±


    Liz seemed to know one of them and started to look anxious. I turned back at the scene to see that the demons were doing well. One of them even managed to slip past Ruberius. But, I don¡¯t think it will stay like so. It¡¯s the empire¡¯s trap after all. And I was right, soon enough the demon who was inside the carriage got bailed out by the other two, it seems she got wounded as well.


    ¡°Erik¡­¡±


    Liz was looking at me with her pleading eyes. I know what she wants but¡­ I can¡¯t make a ruckus and make myself known to the empire yet. I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be able to hold back much if the enemies are from the empire. I almost lost myself just by looking at them this morning, what will happen if I grab the chance to fight them now?


    ¡°Please¡­ save them¡­¡±


    Damn¡­ should I just take the risk? If only I can hide my iden¡­ wait, that¡¯s right.


    ¡°Alright, but you should stay and hide here.¡±


    Liz looked so glad and nodded quickly several times in succession.


    ¡°Thanks Erik.¡±


    ¡°No problem. But I¡¯ll have to borrow your necklace of transformation. Also, should I take them here later?¡±


    Liz dispelled her transformation and took the necklace off.


    ¡°Umm, please tell them that I am alright, but I can¡¯t go back yet. Please return and take care. Especially Nou, please sleep and eat properly.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You don¡¯t want to meet them? I think they will be more than just glad to see you safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°I want to see her too but Nou will surely ask me to go back with her. I will stay¡­¡±


    Liz shook her head before continuing.


    ¡°¡­I want to stay with Erik.¡±


    I was trying to use her, only danger awaits her if she goes with me, and she might come to loathe me when she knows the hidden truth about me and her father. Although at first I didn¡¯t care so much about those things, the me now felt both guilt and relief when I heard she wanted to stay with me.


    Well, for now, let¡¯s focus on the matter at hand since I just saw that the three got surrounded.


    ¡°Thanks Liz, I promise I will save those three. Just wait here.¡±


    I took off my light armors including the scarf to prevent any link to the man named Erik, wore the necklace, imagine a different me, a demon, I imagine myself with spiky silver hair, two long horns a bit like Orcus¡¯, then with a bit darker skin tone.


    ¡°Artefr¡±


    I felt a strange tingling sensation for a second on my whole body and¡­ that¡¯s it. I thought nothing else had happened but when I look at my hand, my skin tone had indeed changed and Liz looked surprised as well.


    ¡°You might want to close your eyes Liz, I don¡¯t think I can hold myself back since it is against the empire.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how Liz responded to it since I dashed right off to the scene.


    Then, the only thing I could remember clearly after that is the suddenly gushing anger and the word ¡°KILL¡± when I see the empire¡¯s crest on their armors and the moment when I first punched a knight, literally into pieces. The rest after that are fuzzy but I remember rampaging through the knights.


    Then when I realized it, I was going to dash toward a destroyed carriage before I remembered my goal here. I turned to look for the three demons and since they were being surrounded by the enemies. I rushed to help them while trying to hold the dangerous emotion back. Still, in the end I couldn¡¯t hold back the urge to finish off the knights. It was hard to stop myself from chasing the knights who ran away.


    The three look cautious when they see me approaching so I tried to relax the muscles on my face and erase my bloodlust. So when they also relaxed themselves, I told them Liz¡¯s message.


    ***


    Liz felt happy that Nourrie and her two subordinates were saved, she also saw everything that happened on the scene, how Erik killed his fellow humans without hesitation. She got a hunch when she saw Erik being strange after looking at the empire¡¯s knights earlier this morning. She is now convinced that the nation Erik wanted to crush was indeed Zagrant Empire. She never saw Erik made such expression before. However, instead of feeling scared, she felt a strong curiosity. She truly wants to know why the Erik who is always kind to her could become like that. What has exactly happened to him? Who betrayed him? What was the important thing that he lost?


    Liz wants to know how someone who can be as kind as a family to her can become a rampaging menace, ruthless, and merciless to his enemies.

 Chapter 9 - Rifsten, once again.

    It has been ten days since then. The empire and the kingdom haven¡¯t even publicized the event but somehow the demon version of me dubbed as the mysterious demon of Arx Norr is getting famous by the day. It seemed some passing by merchant took refuge of the imperial knights who managed to flee and heard the story from them.


    I think the demon persona is rather useful and I might use it again though.


    By the way Liz and I have been getting famous as well. We have been storming the tower every day since then so even if we tried to advance to higher floor in secret many has seen us in the currently highly populated floor 20 to 30 so the guild raised our rank to B without any test whatsoever. Teobaldur wanted to raise our rank to A but I refused since it might cause more commotion than it already is which I don¡¯t need at all. Unexpected to me though, nobody frowned or laughed at my fully geared form with the scarf so I am currently following the demand of Liz¡¯s expectant eyes to wear it. Maybe I was just being overly conscious about it?


    Even today Liz and I had been fighting non-stop so when we finally reached the 50<sup>th</sup>floor I told Liz to take a rest at the ol¡¯ makeshift base in the ruins of Praesia¡¯s shrine. Of course I told her not to wander off so she won¡¯t find my secret garden¡­ well, it would be closer to a garden of carrion flowers I guess.


    Liz is now strong enough to handle the 20<sup>th</sup>floor alone and that equals a class B team of at least 5 adventurers. Needless to say, her stats that increased the most was her magic. Going at this pace however, it will take too long to reach the top floor so for now I stopped going slow and experimented by taking her as far as possible to fight juggernaut class floor bosses including the 49<sup>th</sup>floor¡¯s geckosaurus. And since it would be impossible for her to defeat them alone I helped to weaken the enemies so she can deal the final blow. Her stats increase can only be confirmed after a good night sleep and since she is too tired and it will take too long to go back now I decided to take her here to spend the night.


    Aside from the troublesome event with the empire I¡¯d say things are going pretty well. The guild side however is pressing the kingdom and the empire to make amends for the trouble they had caused. The empire sent an envoy bringing some half assed letter of apology from the Emperor which made Martlea furious while Teobaldur just laughed it off. He said some scary things like he is going to storm a fort of the empire if they didn¡¯t reflect to the envoy though.


    As for Rifst, it seems the apology will be in form of money and the guild accepted it gladly.


    As for myown remaining problem, itwould be how to defeat that massive dragon. My weapon couldn¡¯t even scratch it. Liz¡¯s fire magic would be able to weaken its scales but it¡¯s not like I should count on that too much. Fighting something like that while covering for Liz would be more than just difficult. What I¡¯ll need are better weapons and maybe¡­ disposable pawn. Yeah, a decoy will be very useful but I don¡¯t know of anyone who can follow us to the 70<sup>th</sup>floor right away.


    ¡°Erik, I found a huge axe in this room¡­ do you think you can use it as a weapon?¡±


    Liz¡¯s head stuck out from behind the door to the basecamp.


    ¡°Ah no, Liz. I don¡¯t use an axe since it¡¯s not suited to my fighting style. Besides, it isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But shouldn¡¯t it be a loot anyway?¡±


    I know that Bagus won¡¯t mind even if I used it, to begin with it was something he left since he got a better weapon. But I just can¡¯t bring myself to use it.


    Instead of answering any further, I just smiled and patted Liz¡¯s head before entering the room myself while looking at the axe. I don¡¯t know why but Liz didn¡¯t say anything else as well and just followed me.


    From my bag I took out and spread a sheet above the old and rugged one that¡¯s already there. Then I looked at Liz. She is trying hard not to show it but I¡¯m sure she is really tired, both physically and mentally.


    ¡°Liz, sorry but this is where we¡¯ll sleep tonight. Let¡¯s get straight back to the town when we wake up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Un, here is fine. But I can still go on.¡±


    I hit her head lightly through the beret which she wears even in her human form when we¡¯re in the tower.


    ¡°Fueee? Wh, why?¡±


    Holding her head with both her hands she looked at me while puffing her cheeks.


    ¡°I know it was me who forced you to explore the tower but didn¡¯t I tell you not to hesitate to tell me when you¡¯re tired?¡±


    ¡°Hauu, okay. But I¡¯m here by my own will. Erik didn¡¯t force me or anything.¡±


    This time I stroked her head gently and her usual ¡°Fuee¡± is now accompanied by her delighted expression.


    Perhaps she finally realized her own fatigue, it didn¡¯t take long until she fell asleep with her head on my lap. I shifted my position slowly as not to wake her up and leaned on the wall to sleep as well.


    ***


    ¡°E¡­rik¡±


    I heard somebody calling my name. It wasn¡¯t Liz¡¯s voice but it wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar voice.


    I opened my eyes and as I became aware of my surrounding I subconsciously let out a sigh.


    ¡°I thought you don¡¯t have any power left?¡±


    It¡¯s been quite long since I was in this all too familiar complete darkness. The amulet of Praesia¡¯s bluish white light is not as bright as before but it might also because it is hidden under my clothes. For some reason I wasn¡¯t wearing my breastplate though.


    ¡°Actually I had been taking your mana little by little. Even though you have no affinity your mana capacityand its regeneration ratearea little above the average human in this world after all so you won¡¯t notice the miniscule amount I have been taking by the seconds. This place also amplifiesmy power to some extent.¡±


    Answering me was Praesia while she materializes herself in front of me.


    ¡°What kind of goddess steals from a human?¡±


    ¡°P, please don¡¯t say that¡­ I need to do that so we can talk again like this. And I already told you I¡¯m not a goddess.¡±


    Praesia showed a lonely and bitter smile as she said that.


    ¡°Alright, I get it. So what is your need this time?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I know you are troubled on how to fight the le¡­ the dragon from before so I have good news for you.¡±


    Good news? What kind of good news can be related to that dragon? There was a strange pause in her speech as well.


    ¡°Since your mana capacity has increased much, I¡¯m sure you can use the children I created better than before. The temporary contract you made can be then made a permanent one.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What? You created¡­ children? And why the word¡¸use¡¹? What a mother you are¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I, it isn¡¯t like that. I never gave birth! I mean¡­ Azanthys and Mareritter!¡±


    The names she just said are more than just familiar. They¡¯re my trusty weapons. I don¡¯t know about the contract Praesia just said but I do remember the moment when I first held them I heard two mysteriousvoices telling me the names.


    However that means I have to take them from Rifst royal palace. Scratch that, I¡¯ll have to be a thief since nobody should remember me, including


    ¡°Lavinia¡­¡°.


    I felt kind of sad when I thought Lavinia won¡¯t recognize me but maybe it is better like this. By forgetting everything about me that means she won¡¯t remember the day we parted as well.


    As if knowing what I was thinking Praesia stayed silent for a while before she continued.


    ¡°The two will definitely be of great help to you even in the still far future as well. So please, defeat the dragon and rele¡­.¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence she disappeared and everything returned to darkness. So the power she sapped from me only enough for that much?


    Thus I woke up while feeling like I¡¯ve never even slept in the first place.


    After Liz also woke up and after a small breakfast we did a test by returning quickly to the 30<sup>th</sup>floor. Her favorite finishing magic the rock spear Ures Eht Rancusis now capable to kill the boss, a brute demon beast in form of a 4 winged horse with dark purple spiky body within 3 hits. Of course the full battle took much more than just the finishing magic. Her stats jumped quite high and this means by repeating the same method as yesterday at least twice she will soon be able to completely solo the 30<sup>th</sup>floor. I¡¯m not forgetting that the closer your stats with the enemies means the slower your stats increase will be. This is still good though. If the enemies she defeats are far stronger than her even if I helped her stats increase is high enough. I¡¯m guessing if it was me with exact same method I¡¯ll be able to solo the upper 40<sup></sup>floors right away instead. It took longer for me to be able to reach the 50<sup>th</sup>floor before because I was in a team of five.


    I still don¡¯t fully understand this world¡¯s principle in regards of stats raising, whetherexperience pointsreally exist or not, and how it is different for human, demon race, and heroes. But what I know right now should be enough for the meantime, maybe.


    It then took us about three hours until we reached the exit. We were going to head straight to the inn but somebody stood in front of us with a hint of displeasure shown in her expression. It was Martlea. Needless to say, she was in her human form.


    ¡°Yesterday you two didn¡¯t come out¡­ just how far did you get in the tower, really?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I was just training Liz somewhere around the 30<sup>th</sup>floor.¡±


    She might be able to see the lie but I don¡¯t think she will ask further on that matter since it seems she got something else to tell us.


    ¡°Is that so? You seemed to be thinking as if it is normal but the only ones reaching that far are veterans and they usually take more than two days to reach there. I don¡¯t actually care but let me say this just once, who are you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am me.¡±


    Only squinting in response to my words Martlea did look like she doesn¡¯t really care, she also continued right away.


    ¡°Well, just follow me to see the guild master. I still have many more important jobs to do so I can¡¯t waste any more time here. You made me wait here until night yesterday and I had to go back here early this morning.¡±


    Martlea walked while not holding back her disgruntled expression.


    ¡°Yeah well, couldn¡¯t you just like¡­ pass the message to the gatekeeper?¡±


    She stopped walking when I said that.


    After a long pause she looked at me, furrowing her brows until they are knitted together.


    ¡°T, that¡­ that wouldn¡¯t do! The guild master asked me specifically to go to tell you. I¡¯m just doing my job!¡±


    Yeah, so you didn¡¯t think of that eh? And didn¡¯t you say you got more important jobs to do? Martlea will definitely get angry if I said that out loud though. I could tell from Liz¡¯s eyes and awkward smile that even she doubted it. Let¡¯s be silent for Martlea¡¯s sake.


    ***


    Even today once again I am holding the strange book which I found on my desk. It is strange because I don¡¯t remember how or why it is even there. No matter how I look at it, they are not letters used within this continent. I don¡¯t think the demon race uses these either. The paper it is made is also of higher quality than common paper used in this kingdom. Strangely, although thelanguage is unfamiliar, I can read the letters written in it. Some of the things written in it looked too neat to be considered as handwriting but there are also some passageswritten in a sloppy handwriting.


    ¡°Erik Reynaldi Pratama.¡±


    I read the words that looked like they were handwritten. My heart always get this warm feeling followed by an indescribable sadness whenever I read the passage which I¡¯m sure is someone¡¯s name.


    A few pages further arewhat seemed to be letter comparison between these strange letters and the common letters. Perhaps it was used to learn the strange letters? No, even I understand that it was the other way around. Even more strangely, in the book there are also some of my handwritings but I don¡¯t remember writing them.


    ¡°Good Morning princess Lavinia. I see you are reading the book again today.¡±


    I was too immersed in the book that I did not realize my personal maid who is also the only one whom I could call as friend in its truest meaning, Ymi, entered my room and opened the curtain to let the warm morning sunlight in.At the same time the already dim light from the lieters in my room also turned off as it ran out of mana, perfect timing as usual.


    ¡°It was more of analyzing than reading though. Ymi, are you sure you don¡¯t know anything about this book either?¡±


    Ymi shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I could vaguely remember handing over the book to you, princess. However I am sure the book is not mine and I could not imagine myself having such a book in possession to begin with.¡±


    The more I look into it, the more mysterious it is. Iput the book in the drawer and stood up.


    ¡°By the way, Ymi, have you find the amulet of Praesia?¡±


    ¡°I am terribly sorry but I have asked those whom I can trust not to spread the matter for help but as of now there is still no clue yet.¡±


    ¡°I always have it with me so how did I lose it? It is not just my own personal treasure but this kingdom¡¯s as well¡­ What a terrible blunder I have done.¡±


    Brother Eneas might not be angry at me but brother Aylmer will surely scold me if they come to know about it.


    ¡°Also, it should be today but has elder brother Eneas and Aylmer returned?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in fact I am also here to informyou of the matter. Both princes should currently be in his majesty¡¯s chamber.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall go there as well.¡±


    Accompanied by Ymi behind me I started walking to father¡¯s room which is located in the castle¡¯s main tower. Since there is a special passageway connecting the tower where my room is and the main tower, it did not take long until I arrived. Other than the two guards I could also see my elder brothers¡¯attendant knights waiting in front of the room. I just exchanged a light greeting with them and entered the room. Of course Ymi did not follow me inside.


    Father is currently ill and bedridden so my eldest brothers returned to see him from the frontlines which I heard is currently not so harsh anymore so they could make it. Father¡¯s condition is bad but he could still eat his meals normally and could speak without problem, however the doctor said the worst is yet to come.Perhaps to raise father¡¯s spirit or to brag off, or even maybe both, right now I could hear my elder brother, the crown prince, Eneas Ders Rifst telling father of his exploit in the battlefield. My other elder brother AylmerAr Rifstis standing next to him patiently as if waiting his turn to speak.


    One of the traits of Rifst royal family is that our hair is aqua blue colored so everyone in this room except for father whose hair has whitened by age has blue hair.


    My elder brothers are twins but brother Eneas has an ideally muscular build while brother Alymer is rather slender. Also, brother Eneas¡¯ hair is short and spiky and brother Alymer¡¯s is the silky shoulder length. So even though their facial feature are very similar anyone will be able to differentiate between the two easily.


    ¡°My knight division has retaken both the Oracia and Tirlan region within a month. The demons have become so weak and cowards just because of the absence of a demon lord. Once I return to the frontline I will continue to press ahead and retake our remaining lost territories.¡±


    ¡°Eneas, let¡¯s not be too ahead of ourselves. Even the demons won¡¯t stay like this forever. There is also some disturbing information from the demons side such as a demon strong enough to kill almost everyone in a company of Zagrant empire¡¯s knights in a few minutes. The demon might be a new demon general. We have to think of our strategies further ahead.¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re currently like this don¡¯t you think we should take the chance as much as possible? You¡¯ve always been too much of a worrywart, Aylmer.¡±


    Brother Eneas patted brother Aylmer¡¯s shoulder but it was brushed aside.


    ¡°And you barely think ahead. How many times have we been in dangerous situation because of that? Remember when you took me to Suvaard forest when we were just 10 years old while saying it would be interesting to see the brute gibwines pack rampaging through the trees?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Why would you bring up something from so way back anyway?¡±


    Oh dear, I couldn¡¯t enter the conversation like this. The two didn¡¯t even notice that I¡¯m only a few steps away from them. Also, shouldn¡¯t they stop talking about war in such place and situation? When I looked at father, he only smiled at the two peacefully. Usually he would interject and say something so that the conversation flow would change.


    What is this? I have a very bad feeling about that smile. It is as if father is looking at my brothers for the last time. No, I don¡¯t want to think of such thing.


    I shook my head to rid of the thought. And at that timing father noticed me and called me over.


    ¡°Lavinia, as you can see your brothers who just came back from the frontline are just as always. It is good that they are in good spirits but won¡¯t you say something to them for me?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    It¡¯s very unlike the usual father to say that. With such thing in my mind I tried to think of what to say but it seemed to be unnecessary because my elder brothers might have noticed the same thing as I am. They stopped quarrelling and looked at father with half concealed sad expression.


    ¡°Well, Aylmer¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the time to be saying such things. Let¡¯s not show our embarrassing side to our little sister.¡±


    Scratching his head, brother Eneas tried to dispel the gloomy atmosphere.


    ¡°I agree, why don¡¯t we talk about something better and interesting like how to reproduce ancient class magic with modern magic knowledge?¡±


    ¡°That would only be interesting for you!¡±


    ¡°HaHahaha¡­ Well, why don¡¯t we just talk about random things? Anything is fine.¡±


    With father¡¯s remark, we finally managed to make a better atmosphere. Brother Eneas also talked about how there is a beautiful knight in brother Aylmer¡¯s first squad which he just ignored and talked about some things about magic I could not comprehend. I only talked about some small things in the castle¡¯s everyday life which I noticed lately.


    Although there is no figure of a mother since she has passed away, after that we spent some time that most would call as ¡®family time¡¯ which we barely had any chance to have.


    ***


    We spent several hour bells in father¡¯s room.


    After we got out, my elder brothers changed into their serious expressions.


    ¡°Lavinia, is there any important news we might need to know?¡±


    Brother Aylmer asked me when I wasn¡¯t prepared so I quickly racked my brain.


    ¡°There is nothing big other than the ones that should have been told by the messengers to elder brothers. Ah, but a part of the castle¡¯s document storehouse were burned down by a fire of unknown origin. Investigation could not find anything that indicates who or what caused it. We also lost the documents containing the names of our knights who sacrificed themselves to kill demon lord Orcus to the fire. However, it should not be too hard to recreate it since we can gather testimonies from the families¡¯ side. There is a risk of fabrication aiming for fame though. Next, there is a strange rumor circulating between some guards and servants saying that one could hear some noises and there are also some instances of mysterious light coming from the castle¡¯s treasury.¡±


    ¡°Fire, eh? If I am not mistaken they were elites gathered from various different squads although strangely I don¡¯t know how or who gathered them. I hope there is nothing even more serious behind it. As for the treasury, if it is just a rumor then until we can really confirm it maybe it would be fine to leave it be, it doesn¡¯t sound dangerous either. Although that reminds me about the mysterious very high class weapons and armors we found in the treasury. A pair of uniquely shaped weapon was said to be literally untouchable by anyone was it?¡±


    Brother Eneas and I just nodded to brother Aylmer¡¯s words. I remember Ymi telling me about the last regular inspection and cleaning of the castle¡¯s treasury when one of the guards who tried touching said weapons was flung by an unknown force and hit a wall. Someone else tried to touch the weapons as well and the same thing occurred again so nobody dared to touch the weapons while our magicians and scholars took interest on them. Could the rumor be related to that?


    Before the silence continued for too long I continued.


    ¡°Lastly would be that representatives from Arx Norr branch adventurer guild will be coming tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Is it related to the information about the appearance of a strong demon in Arx Norr and the knights our kingdom sent there to look for the demon princess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, prime minister Delan responded to the guild¡¯s demand of apology by inviting their representatives to the castle for a formal apology and also to discuss our future relation.¡±


    ¡°Did PM Delan invited them without discussing it first with you and father? By giving them royal invitation while the king is incapable of meeting them also means letting the world confirm the already circulating rumor that the king is bedridden. Although the guild master himself might have known about it, I don¡¯t think it is yet the time for such.¡±


    ¡°He did tell me but the decision was made in the meeting between the PM, minister of domestic affairs, and general Razak who oversees the knights.¡±


    Responding to me only by furrowing his brows, brother Aylmer then sighed before saying


    ¡°Well, at least both princes are now here so we can just meet the representatives ourselves. I¡¯m sure that woman called Martlea will be one of them. I have to admit that she is a very capable person.¡±


    Saying that he admits such is rare for him so I was surprised a little. Brother Eneas also showed a slight disbelief.


    ¡°I have been thinking about this for a while but how come the guild can hold a position where we could not just simply send them a letter of apology?¡±


    Answering my question was brother Eneas.


    ¡°The guild master is father and PM Delan¡¯s old friend, not to mention that he is also said to be even stronger than general Razak. The guild is also a big and quite well organized neutral organization which we could not make to submit by force to come to our side in the war. At least PM Delan still managed to keep our higher standing clear by making their representatives come here instead of the other way around.¡±


    Brother Aylmer also added


    ¡°The guild has branch even in the beastmen¡¯s island nation and in the demon race¡¯s region as well. The citizens should also be in favor of the guild since they are the ones who are completing many kinds of the citizens¡¯ requests, especially where our knights and officials can¡¯t reach. Although they have their own each guild master for each area and it isn¡¯t guaranteed that they are completely united, it is not worth the risk to stir some trouble with such neutral organization.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard of it but it seemed the guild really is handling most of the matters troubling our citizens, be it small matters like finding lost things or demon beast extermination in rural areas. The town Arx Norr should also be a place with the guild as its center so we are risking a kingdom¡¯s territory as well.


    ¡°Well, for now I think we should talk to PM Delan about the matter, how about it Eneas?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. And Lavinia, I think your etiquette and dance teacher should already be waiting for you right now. It¡¯s every day of lietus at the 5<sup>th</sup>bell right?¡±


    Saying so brother Eneas and then brother Aylmer left me who was already very late to attend the lesson and had to apologize to the teacher who fortunately said it is okay since I was visiting my father.


    ***


    ¡°You want me to be rank S? I refuse! It¡¯s barely three days since it was raised. I thought I told you I don¡¯t want to stand out more than it already is.¡±


    That was the sentence I said in response to Teobaldur¡¯s offer to make Liz and I S rank adventurers. Liz is standing dumbfounded next to me perhaps because she doesn¡¯t know what to say and Martlea left the room saying she still has some urgent matter which have to be finished A.S.A.P. or maybe she just doesn¡¯t want to be in the same place as I am for too long.


    ¡°If you are worried about what other adventurers will say about your rise in rank, we of the guild will take care of that.¡±


    Teobaldur who is wearing his pretending to be dumb look answered so to my remark.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the only thing and it would actually make us stand out even more as those who are receiving the guild¡¯s special treatment, we never even took any request posted in the guild.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is a bad offer. The gold card I gave you before is actually the proof of an S Rank adventurer as well. With this magic tool I am holding your name will be etched on it in no time. The privilege of a gold card is that it can be used as identity card in any countries within this continent and the island nations without any troublesome procedures and paperwork. While A and B rank can also be used similarly, there will be less privilege and the procedures will take some time. Unfortunately for C to E rank, the card cannot be used as such. Also, as guaranteed by the manufacturer, the famous Elven ¡®Regin Co.¡¯ when somebody else other than the owner and those who got permission from him or her is holding it, the gold card will turn black and useless so thievery is unlikely.¡±


    Teobaldur showed me a blue feather pen in his hand. If guild executives and S rank adventurers have the same kind of card does that mean their position is equal?


    ¡°Like I said, that is not the problem here¡­ *sigh* I guess I¡¯ll just ask why you want us to be S rank adventurer then. Is it our strength?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but that isn¡¯t all. We have to send some representatives to Rifst castle which would be Martlea and some other personnel which would be you two. We can¡¯t possibly send some random low rank adventurer as representative and due to some circumstances all other S ranks are incapable to attend¡­ actually there are some who are able but their personality is unfit of those who will be answering a royal summon.¡±


    I reacted to the phrase ¡®Rifst castle¡¯. Isn¡¯t this a chance to go there without a need of sneaking around?


    ¡°And so it comes to me and Liz¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better to just send someone from the administrative side for such a matter? How about yourself¡±


    ¡°That would be why I send Martlea as she is more than just capable for it. However, although Martlea is strong enough, her position is of a guild secretary and not many know that she is capable to fight even in the guild and I would like to keep it like that as insurance. So, won¡¯t she need a bodyguard for the trip to the capital? Most of our official is also busy handling the previous incident and another problem which I also have to take care of myself.¡±


    Another problem that requires the guild master himself to handle it? It piqued my interest but before I could comment, Teobaldur continued.


    ¡°You also seemed to be someone who will stay calm and collected at most situation. I don¡¯t think you will mess up a meeting with the royalties. I heard the king is bedridden but the two princes are returning to the capital as we speak. It is likely one or both princes will welcome our representatives¡±


    I looked at Liz. I was forgotten but it should be known to the masses that elite forces sent by Rifst was the one succeeded in killing Orcus. Won¡¯t she have some mixed feeling if she goes there? It seemed she understood why I looked at her so she said to me


    ¡°I, I will be fine¡­ maybe. At least I won¡¯t become too nervous or tense if Erik is there with me.¡±


    I still hesitated, the main reason is


    ¡°Being an S rank would be very troublesome¡­ I can imagine that the guild will keep giving us many troublesome and time consuming jobs if we were to accept.¡±


    I¡¯m not really in a hurry but I don¡¯t want to do something unnecessary that will delay my progress.


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that, I haven¡¯t seen it directly but your capability will be a precious asset to the guild¡­ Demon of Arx Norr, was it? Having you as an S rank will bring many kind of benefit to the guild depending on how I use you.¡±


    So he knows¡­ Well, I guess it¡¯s kind of obvious since he was the one who gave me the necklace of transformation and Martlea knows that we went to the demon general¡¯s aid that time. And, telling he will use me just like that? This old man doesn¡¯t try to mince his words either.


    ¡°You do realize that there shouldn¡¯t be any connection between this demon and the man named Erik, right? And I don¡¯t plan on staying in Arx Norr forever either.¡±


    ¡°I doubt you will listen much to us to begin with so you¡¯re free to leave Arx Norr anytime but be sure to visit any guild branch when there is one in the area since I might have some message or job for you. I promise I won¡¯t force a job you don¡¯t want to do, except if I think you are the most suitable for it.¡±


    Damn, the balance is tilting to the ¡®accept it¡¯ side. Sending a message for a specific someone to every guild branch is no small feat even for a guild master from one of the main branch so it should be on the highest level of urgency which shouldn¡¯t happen often.


    ¡°I guess I will accept it since I still owe you one for the necklace. But at least don¡¯t publicize our rank up like posting it on the guild¡¯s information board as before, some idiots won¡¯t like it and it¡¯s troublesome. I had to silence some annoying B and maybe also A rank guys who said some rude things to me and LIZ just because they can¡¯t accept our quick jump in rank before. Some even stalked us both in the town and in the tower while having another group trying to ambush us so I stripped them half naked and hung them upside down in the fifth floor. I did it near the teleportation circle so they are relatively safe and will be quickly found by other adventurers passing by. I don¡¯t know what will become of it if I have to silence some S rank guys next time.¡±


    Saying, ¡°Eh? You did what?¡± Teobaldur¡¯s serious face crumbled off.


    With that our talk is then over. I had my name and basic information like age and my guild affiliation to the Arx Norr branch written. The card needs to be checked by the branch where it was made, in other word, here, every six month for information update and to confirm that I am still alive. By my request and her own consent, Liz instead got a rank up to A since she is too young and it would raise different kind of troublesome things for her. I think it will still happen whether she¡¯s a rank A or S since it isn¡¯t a normal feat nevertheless. As her card is a normal one and not a magic tool, the update will need more time although Teobaldur said he will have it done by tomorrow morning. By Teobaldur¡¯s personal judgement our unnamed two man party is still rank S though and Liz will have the same privilege as me. If people caught wind of this which I¡¯m sure is bound to happen, I just know it, we will stand out too much and I can¡¯t make any flashy movements that will rouse the empire¡¯s suspicion at me. That reminds me, the empire should have my name written¡­ Darn it, I should have used a fake name when registering at the guild¡­


    Since we have to depart tomorrow, I chose to call it a day and took Liz back to the inn and make some preparations. Martlea is supposed to be coming to get us when it is time to depart and she will also return Liz¡¯s updated card. I also thought of several ways on how to take Azanthys and Mareritter but all of them ended in doing it by thievery and sneaking up as conclusion. It was also interrupted by Yusa¡¯s loud greeting right after she entered our room without knocking so I threw a pillow to her face, maybe I didn¡¯t hold back enough so she magnificently flew back and hit the wall. After that, ignoring Yusa who is complaining about my pillow throw to Liz, Kaldor and Lloyd told us about Randall who just got discharged earlier this morning. He said Randall wanted to thank Liz personally and they decided to invite us to a dinner with their group. I don¡¯t really care but I guess it won¡¯t hurt to go. I told them that Liz and I will be leaving Arx Norr for a while without telling them the details. By Lloyd¡¯s suggestion the party would be after we are back in Arx Norr.


    The next morning started with Martlea¡¯s grumpy face when she came to pick us off. It seemed Teobaldur didn¡¯t tell her that it would be us, or rather me accompanying her until the last moment. Why does she hate me so much anyway?


    The journey to the capital will be by coach Martlea had prepared beforehand. The coach driver is also a guild staff who introduced himself as Karl. As he is just a driver, he won¡¯t be attending the meeting though.


    During the journey, our carriage was attacked by bandits but I quickly took care of them so there wasn¡¯t much delay by it. However we stopped by some villages and small town in the way for resupplying some food and temporary lodging at one since Martlea said she needed a bath no matter what which Liz strongly agreed so it took a whole week until we reached the capital. And here I thought we could arrive earlier so I can take a short tour around the capital after so long. By the way, there is no lucky pervert event since I hate trouble. I don¡¯t really want to see Martlea¡¯s naked body although I¡¯d be lying if I said I don¡¯t even have a tiny bit of such desire, gotta admit she has a nice figure if I might say. As for Liz, she¡¯s out of the question. Yes, I am a reasonable and cool headed man except for when I¡¯m dealing with the empire.


    The first gate to reach the capital is a small fort with a squad of 20 guards, there are four other similar places located at the points where roads to reach the capital from each main region pass through the land. Of course we got through it without any problem. After passing through agricultural land and several small settlements of farmers, about one and half an hour from the fort, the 20 meter tall rampart surrounding the capital could finally be seen clearly. The town is largely unchanged from what I knew. The number of people walking around is even greater than that of Arx Norr but I could easily spot several people whom I had known from my stay here. The flower shop¡¯s old couple where Mira often stops by to chat, the diner¡¯s poster girl whom Surya and I often teased since she gave amusing reactions, and many more. What to say, it shouldn¡¯t have been too long since I last came here but there¡¯s a nostalgic feeling to it.


    Maybe Liz noticed that I was smiling a little before I realized that I was myself, she tugged on my sleeve.


    ¡°Erik, have you been here before and did you remember something? You smiled but it looked kind of sad.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see, so I smiled eh? Well, it¡¯s true that I was once here though.¡±


    ¡°Erik¡­ I understand, I won¡¯t ask you anything but I¡¯ll always be there for Erik so please talk to me when you feel like it.¡±


    Clenching her fists while looking up at my face, Liz gave me a reassuring smile. Really, when did she become like this? She¡¯s now rather sharp and considerate especially when I was thinking about the past. I couldn¡¯t help but stroke her head gently.


    ¡°Fueee¡­¡±


    Liz let out her usual ¡®fueee¡¯ while looking comfortable. Yeah, the ¡®fueee¡¯ is still there though.


    When I glanced at the side, Martlea was looking at me with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just thought that you are someone I could not fathom¡­ Not that I would try to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Like that we reached the castle without any trouble. The guards let us in as soon as they saw Martlea. She might have come here several times before. I have never met her here in the castle when I was a hero though.


    Several royal servants came to greet us. I could see some familiar faces although I don¡¯t know their names. After we gave them our weapons for safekeeping they led us to the meeting hall and there I finally met someone I know, the prime minister, Delan Aldrei, general Razak who was my mentor in the arts of battle and warfare, crown prince Eneas, and second prince Aylmer. I felt kind of glad I didn¡¯t see Lavinia, I think it¡¯ll feel rather awkward if I met her now, for me alone that is.


    ¡°Greetings and welcome. It has been quite a while, Miss Martlea of Arx Norr adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±


    Delan greeted Martlea in a high spirited voice and exaggerated smile while kneeling and reaching his hand out to Martlea in a manner where the man will kiss the back of a lady¡¯s hand. Well, this beardy old man is fond of beautiful ladies so I thought that it might have been the reason. Could it be that he invited us here only to see her? Nah, no way¡­ he is still the prime minister after all.


    ¡°Yes, it has been a while since we of the guild were last invited to the palace.¡±


    Martlea calmly answered him, nodded, and just walked past him so with a nervously fidgeting Liz in tow I copied her and reached to our seat. Of course the three of us haven¡¯t taken our seat yet as the permission has yet to be given. Acting as if nothing had happened, old man Delan returned to his seat while keeping his smile. I could see that Eneas is trying to hold his laughter, while Mr. Razak looked to be troubled, and Aylmer is showing a clear disinterest. Whoops, I should be calling them with their title or honorifics starting now or I¡¯ll get in trouble.


    ¡°Please be seated, Miss Martlea and¡­her companions. I believe this is our first meeting with the other two. I am the prime minister of Rifst, Delan Aldrei. Next to me is his highness crown prince Eneas Ders Rifst and second prince Aylmer Ar Rifst, May I ask for your name?¡±


    ¡°Please call me Erik, and this is my little sister, Lissa.¡±


    I took the initiative to tell them both our names since Liz looked too nervous to speak properly.


    ¡°They are our guild¡¯s promising new S rank team.¡±


    Martlea also added something I¡¯d prefer to be unsaid.


    ¡°Hoo, an S rank team of only 2 youngsters¡­ So it¡¯s not that Miss Martlea came here without a guard. What about your individual rank?¡±


    ¡°The brother is S and the sister is A. Their rank up was a recent matter so not many should have known it yet.¡±


    Martlea answered again in our place.


    ¡°Such rank by your age is amazing. Your name is Erik, right? Care to spar with me after this?¡±


    There it is.I didn¡¯t get along with the first prince because of this. When I first came into this world he challenged us heroes many times and won at first but after just two months the position got reversed. He got especially fixated on me for some reason and he would rant off when he lost. The reason might be because I got close with Lavinia since I heard something along ¡°I won¡¯t hand Lavinia to him, not until I approve of him.¡± once though. A brother¡¯s jealousy or he might be just an overprotective brother¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must decline, we just arrived today so I¡¯d like some rest after this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll only be staying for today right? Tomorrow is fine so, how about it?¡±


    ¡®I am not a battle maniac like you, okay?¡¯ Was what I didn¡¯t say. Unexpected help came from the second prince though.


    ¡°Eneas, why were we here again? Let¡¯s just get to the topic already.¡±


    PM Delan also cut in.


    ¡°Right, I hoped that Teo would come since I had something private to tell him but Miss Martlea¡¯s presence here is also a blessing by itself.¡±


    Hey, what are you saying?


    Pressing his temple by his left hand Aylmer raised his other hand halfway up, signaling that he will take over.


    ¡°Regarding the amount we will be giving to the guild as compensation, how does 100 Uarum sound?¡±


    I don¡¯t know the standard but I think that is too low for an amount that can be given by a kingdom.


    ¡°I am aware that there is the war so the kingdom¡¯s fund might be running low, however that amount is too unreasonably low. The promise was that it will cover our operational fund for three months, 375 Uarum.¡±


    Martlea answered in her usual cold expression. Then PM Delan was the one responded to her instead of Aylmer.


    ¡°Miss, Martlea. That is indeed what was written in our letter. However please understand that we also have our situation here. After I discussed it with his highness the princes, we concluded that what we proposed just now is a suitable amount. Most of the blame should also go to the empire as well.¡±


    ¡°So it was decided without consulting the opinion of royalties? That might be the case, but we need to consider the need for reconstruction of Arx Norr¡¯s plaza and the road leading northeast from Arx Norr ravaged by the battle since the kingdom also left such management to our guild. There is also compensation for the involved parties.¡±


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll bother listening to the rest, all this talk about money will make me sleepy. When I glanced at Liz, she already looked more bored than nervous. I then took the time to think of a way to take Azanthys and Mareritter. The conclusion I came to was simply that since we¡¯ll spend the night in the palace¡¯s guest room I will sneak up to the treasury at midnight. I couldn¡¯t come up with a better way. I just shouldn¡¯t get caught. Easier said than done, eh¡­


    After a while, it was decided that the guild will receive 200 Uarum as compensation. When I thought the meeting was over, what PM Delan said just betrayed my expectation.


    ¡°The matter of compensation is thus closed. We will present it tomorrow before your departure back to Arx Norr. Next would be the matter of what happened in Arx Norr itself.¡±


    He continued after a short silence.


    ¡°I trust everyone here is aware about the gist of things. The points I¡¯d like to talk about are the existence of Demon Lord Orcus¡¯ daughter, the general of Estria¡¯s coming to Arx Norr, and the mysterious Demon of Arx Norr.¡±


    Liz reacted slightly to the words Orcus¡¯ daughter while I wanted to cringe when I heard about the demon of Arx Norr.


    ¡°We¡¯d like some opinions from a neutral organization and from the ones who were there when it happened.¡±


    Aylmer added.

 Chapter 10 - Lavinia

    ¡°Allow me to take over from here.¡±


    The general who was quiet finally started to speak.


    ¡°To begin with, while our spy managed to get some information as well most of the information we obtained about this demon princess came from Zagrant Empire. It was indeed a dubious information but the empire¡¯s intel has always been right on the money so far thus we decided to take part since it will bring benefit in the war for us human if we could capture the said princess.¡±


    Liz held my hand so I returned her grip. I hope it will make her calmer.


    Mr.Razak continued.


    ¡°However, the information was too detailed. The princess¡¯ traits and even her coming to Arx Norr were mentioned in it. The existence of the princess was unknown before so it is natural to be doubtful.¡±


    ¡°Then, someone from the empire decided to check the adventurers¡¯ guild of all places. Why is that? I¡¯m sure you already heard it from your captain that was on the scene at the time.¡±


    Everyone except Martlea and Liz looked at me who just said that nonchalantly.


    After everyone resumed their previous stance and a short pause Mr. Razak spoke again.


    ¡°Indeed. This incident has also shown us that the Empire could know so much and chose to hide some information from the council of three nations.¡±


    Oi, oi¡­ that¡¯s beyond summarizing things, maybe he afraid Martlea might snap if he mentioned that the empire chose to do that on a whim and gamble? But, well¡­ I guess it¡¯s true.


    ¡°Although the end result was as everyone knows, I believe this so called princess does exist. The reason would be our second topic, the general of the lake of Estria who came to retrieve her¡±.


    As soon as the general finished his sentence Aylmer cut in.


    ¡°As stated by the 3<sup>rd</sup>squad¡¯s captain in his report, the empire side believes that there are currently two factions within the demon race¡¯s organization structure, one of it being Orcus¡¯ loyalists who wanted the princess to take up the throne.¡±


    ¡°And there comes the empire¡¯s true goal, the annihilation of the general of Estria. I almost fell from my chair when I thought the princess was just a side note to the empire and they chose the adventurers¡¯ guild on a whim for that.¡±


    Wow, Eneas just had to say that¡­


    When I looked at Martlea, she maintained her poker face but I could tell that she is pissed off right now.


    ¡°Lastly, and this might be the most important. Who is this demon of Arx Norr?¡±


    I almost cringed again when I heard Aylmer said that.


    Nobody said anything so Aylmer continued.


    ¡°Yes, nobody knows about this demon.¡±


    At least three people in this room will say otherwise but of course they won¡¯t say anything. And Liz, please stop that -I¡¯m trying hard to pretend that I don¡¯t know anything- face. I patted Liz¡¯s head so she will be calmer but she was startled instead. Luckily, no one took notice of it.


    ¡°This demon has never been sighted before and then he just suddenly appeared in a very shocking manner. Although I hoped that it was just an exaggerated tale, he annihilated many imperial knights and defeated that Ruberius single handedly without weapon and magic.¡±


    Adding to Aylmer¡¯s sentence then was Eneas.


    ¡°The most plausible explanation is that he is a newly appointed demon general in place of the other three that was killed previously. Or worse, he might be the new demon lord himself.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he is a new demon lord. Why would a demon lord just come out in the open so early like that? There is no such news either from the other side. I¡¯m sure if a new demon lord has been appointed, the news would spread quickly with or without a need of spies.¡±


    Aylmer rebuked Eneas¡¯ opinion.


    ¡°I know, just saying. So, what¡¯s the guild¡¯s opinion?¡±


    Martlea put a hand on her chin and spoke.


    ¡°Well, the demon in question might be unrelated to the demon race¡¯s political condition and this war at all. He might also be just a mysterious passing by idiot with too much strength to spare.¡±


    Oyyyyyy. What the hell are you saying Miss Martlea? Somehow I felt that some parts of her sentence were directed to me.


    The royalties, PM Delan, and Mr. Razak didn¡¯t say anything and just stared blankly at Martlea, dumbfounded.


    ¡°That is half a joke. Unfortunately the guild is also in the dark, we don¡¯t even know where to begin to speculate. However, since the condition of the war is still largely unchanging after his appearance I believe it is also safe to consider that the demon might surprisingly be unrelated to the current demon race¡¯s situation.¡±


    Perhaps taken aback of Martlea¡¯s out of character remark, it took a while before PM Delan answered.


    ¡°T, that is indeed a sound opinion. However in this case it is better to consider a negative ¡®what if?¡¯ than a positive one.¡±


    ¡°It is as you say Prime minister.¡±


    ¡°Then how about you, young man? What is your opinion?¡±


    After Martlea¡¯s nonchalant remark PM Delan unexpectedly asked me. What to say here¡­ let¡¯s just try to have a third person perspective of my demon persona without hinting that I know too much shall we?


    ¡°If what the rumor says is true about him annihilating the imperial knights led by general Ruberius himself then this demon¡¯s strength must be more than just a threat, if we are the target of the demon¡¯s hostility it is.¡±


    Silence¡­well, I was just stating the obvious eh?


    Guess I should continue¡­


    ¡°However there remains a question here. What is his purpose of exposing himself at the time after being hidden for who knows how long? I could not grasp what it is since there is not enough information. But there might be some connection with demon lord Orcus¡¯ death and the possibility of a demon princess¡¯ existence. While it is hard to say that he is not a threat, the fact that it was the demon¡¯s first appearance suggests that there are still more than it seemed to us.¡±


    Liz reacted slightly when I said about Orcus¡¯ death. I¡¯ll apologize later but please let me be with holding your hand like this for now.


    ¡°You¡¯re unexpectedly a deep thinker eh?¡±


    Here I tried hard to say something sensible and that was what first came out of your mouth, Eneas? With that in thought I smiled wryly.


    PM Delan nodded while closing his eyes while Aylmer cupped his chin while looking serious.


    Aylmer next sentence finally gave sign of this boring meeting¡¯s end.


    ¡°Thank you for the opinions. Our lack of information is severe so I believe it is too early to reach a conclusion. Therefore should this demon appear again, I would like to request the guild to share any information of the matter in the future as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Very well, the guild will accept this request.¡±


    With that, the meeting is over. I took the chance to apologize to Liz when everyone else wasn¡¯t looking. She smiled and said to me


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not angry or anything since Erik is not one to say something like that thoughtlessly.¡±


    What is with that beaming smile of trust directed at me, Liz? I felt like something heavy just got placed on my backon top of an already existing huge pile.


    We were then guided by the maids who waited for us in front of the meeting room to our respective rooms. Originally, Liz should have been in the same room as me since we ¡®are¡¯ siblings but Martlea convinced Liz somehow to be in the same room as her. Liz looked a bit reluctant and looked at me but I just waved at her, pretending to not notice her expression and entered my own room. Come to think of it, this would be the first time we are sleeping apart from each other so it should be a good experience for Liz.


    As we are to attend the royal dinner tonight, we were told to change into the formal wear the maids have prepared for us in the closet in our room before the 12<sup>th</sup>hour bell. The maids will be sent at the specified time to bring us to the dining hall.


    The bells are the indicator of time used by the humans in this continent. There are 20 bells a day although a bell is longer than an hour and it felt like the length of day is slightly longer than in my world. Huge automatic magic powered bells located at several place in the city, and in the castle will be rang simultaneously when it is time with the exception of the 15<sup>th</sup>to 20<sup>th</sup>bells when a smaller bell will be rang since it is the time when most people are asleep. I heard the bells were to be rang manually until before the war but the elves came with their magic tools as a solution for that thus the manpower can be used somewhere else including the army.


    Excluding the one in the castle, the capital has more than 10 bell towers but if we are talking about smaller town or village then there is usually only one or even none at all. If I remember it right even Arx Norr only has 3 bells.


    I still mostly use the unit from my world unconsciously but let`s ignore it


    There should still be at least two more bells before the dinner. What should I do before then?


    For the time being I decided to change into the formal wear then came out of my room. There are 2 guards and 3 maids in the doorless room in front of me. There are many other sentry rooms like this in the castle. This one is for guarding the guests¡¯ rooms whether it is to guard the guests from unpredictable harm or to guard the castle from bad kind of guests.


    I entered the room to find the guards and maids were chatting while having some tea and breads. Is it break time? If it is not then these guards are rather useless. When they saw me they stopped chatting then gave me a light greeting though. I asked them if I can have a little walk around the castle. The guards hesitated but then a maid offered to be my escort. Thankfully it seemed that they know I¡¯m with the guild and is an S rank adventurer so it was fairly easy to get the approval. Or not¡­ I heard a two other maids whispering about why did the PM told them to allow Miss Martlea and her fellow guild members, just to be fair, with huge emphasis onMartlea to walk freely in the castle and do quickly escort Martlea to his room when she asks for it. ¡®What an Old man¡¯ is the only thing passed through my mind. Not that I think that Martlea will do something like that.


    The maid who looked to be youngest with brown, short hair that offered to be my escort got closer, bowed at me, and introduced herself.Although the skirt is barelylong enough to hidethe knees, unfortunately the maids¡¯ uniforms are not the popular modern style but the classic and plain even for victorian style. I personally think that they will need more frills and maybe some ribbons to add more cuteness element. Wait, what am I thinking?


    ¡°M, my name is Cherll.Please allow me to guide you around the castle,however please be aware that there are several places with prohibited entry.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I knew every face in the castle when I was a hero but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her before. Judging from her clumsy bow and how she spoke nervously she might be a new recruit or an apprentice maid.


    Saying that I want to see the treasury is stupid. I know most of the castle¡¯s layout so I asked her to show places like the castle¡¯s inner garden, main kitchen, and so on while gradually getting closer to the treasury. Since I just wanted to test the water I won¡¯t just jump in and get close to the treasurywhile looking for spots that can be used to hide and infliltrate it without being seen.


    The treasury is obviously guarded. I looked around to find anything I can use to hide but since it is located in the middle of a wide hallway, apart from small decorations like flower vase which obviously is too small for me there is basically nothing. There is also the problem of numerous lock and magical seal. What to do now?The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Accompanied by the guards¡¯ glare, the nervous Cherll and I walked past by the huge metallic door to the treasury at a distance.


    ¡°M¡­er¡±


    ¡°Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°E, eh? No.¡±


    I thought I heard a girl¡¯s voice but Cherll denied it. The guards behind me are male so it shouldn¡¯t have been them. Maybe it was just the wind? Thinking so, I walked again and urged Cherll to continue as well.


    Too bad I don¡¯t have thieving skills or the knowledge of it¡­ I looked aroundonce againbut I still couldn¡¯t find anything I can use as hiding place since the treasury is located in the middle of a wide hallway with basically nothing in between. I guess I can use the darkness of night and throw something like pebbles to lure the guards away but they aren¡¯t stupid enough to check something like suspicious sound together and one of them will stay to guard the door. I can¡¯t incapacitate them since they will quickly notice something is wrong later on and the most suspicious ones would be Me, Liz, and Martlea who just came today.


    I then chose to go back to my room. I stopped before reaching it since in front of the door to my room I could see someone I wouldn¡¯t have expected. The second prince Aylmer is there standing with two female, membersof his elite personal knights. In truth I knew who they were since we have fought together several times before.


    Not long he noticed me and beckoned me over with his hand. Cherll immediately bowed deeply, not at me but at the prince and left heading to the sentry roomafter she bowed to me as well.After Cherll leftI myself gesturedat the princewith the nobles¡¯ way of greeting,right hand on the chest, left leg a step to the back, then followed by a slight bow,out of habit from when I was a hero which was a bad move since commoners shouldn¡¯t be doing something like that as it is considered to be very rude.No, a commoner imitating a noble is a grave offense in this world¡¯s or at least this continent¡¯s society. Depending on whom the other party is and the TPO, a commoner might be subjected to heavy punishment so I immediately apologized.


    ¡°Ah, forgive me for my rudeness. I have done something very unbefitting of myself.¡±


    Aylmer just nodded with his eyes closed in response while the knights behind him were glaring daggers at me.


    ¡°Ah, you may worry not of such matter. However perchance were you of a noble descent? Yours weren¡¯t a movement done out of imitations for it is too fluid to be so.¡±


    This is a troublesome one to answer so let¡¯s just say something to evade it.


    ¡°I have to apologize but it is a matter which is too painful for me to say.¡±


    It would be good if he would think something along the line of me being that of a fallen noble or noble who¡¯ve lost all territory to the demon race¡¯s invasion.


    ¡°I see, I won¡¯t force you then.¡±


    I don¡¯t understand the reason behind his smile as he said that. Well, even if it could be said that I got along rather well with him compared to Eneas I never did could guess what he was thinking anyway. It is good that he didn¡¯t ask any further though.


    ¡°If I may ask, why would someone of such stature as your highness stand in wait in front of the room of a nobody like myself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time since something urgent happened and I have to return to my post in the frontlines so I won¡¯t be able to attend the dinner. So let me get straight to the point. Adventurer Erik, I am offering you the chance to be my vassal.¡±


    What? I wasn¡¯t the only one surprised since the two knights behind him opened their eyes wide and seemed to want to say something, an objection maybe, but they managed to hold it in.


    ¡°May I know the reason before answering?¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t accept it anyway but I can¡¯t just reject it flatly as well.


    ¡°You are a rank S adventurer so your capability in a fight is guaranteed. I could see that you are not merely someone with more brawn than brain, unlike most adventurers I have met so far. You also seemed to know the manners beyond a commoner. Let¡¯s just say that I am currently in need of capable vassals. And if I have to add more, I¡¯m also interested in you.¡±


    Spare me from BL please. I know that¡¯s not how he meant it but my mind reflexively shouted such.


    Ugh the eyes of the knights behind him are starting to become dangerous. Aylmer sir, your hardcore fangirls are looking at me with bloodlust so will you just take them away? Was what I didn¡¯t say. Let¡¯s just get this over with.


    ¡°It is an honor, however I must respectfully decline. I am just a commoner and if I may be honest¡­¡±


    I waited and Aylmer gave me the go with a nod.


    ¡°I am also someone who values freedom, and I currently have a goal which could never be accomplished were I to accept your highness¡¯ offer.¡±


    What I said was a truth but if I could be blunt I would answer with a simple ¡®it is a PITA¡¯.


    Aylmer looked at me with a troubled face but he soon closed his eyes and nodded.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s truly a pity but it seems there is nothing I can do. Let¡¯s leave it at that then. However, do tell me if you change your mind. Although it would be rude to the guild master, you can send me a message via the guild when you do.¡±


    After he leftI didn¡¯t forget to show my face in the sentry room and thank Cherll for her help. She smiled and heaved a sigh of relief but soon the nervous look returned and she bowed to me while saying ¡°I am glad to be of help.¡± I know she is a maid but she bows too much. I noticed the other two maids looking at her amusedly while the guards kept their expressionless face.


    I got back to my room and spent the remaining time thinking on how to take azanthys and mareritteragain,with no result. Should I just go and make a huge mess as the demon of Arx Norr? No, it would be a worldwide commotion.As I was rather frustrated, thinkingwhile sitting on the bed I heard a knock. It was Cherrl, still in her nervous mood, while I could see Martlea and Liz, in their formal wear as well, with the other two maids that were in the sentry room. I wondered how they prepared perfectly sized clothes for Liz but maybe it wasoriginallyfor the nobles¡¯ children or something along those lines.


    We were then guided to the dining room. How many times have I been in there to indulge in my gluttony I wonder? I do remember that meals made by the head chef are really delicious so I have no excuse for that.


    The dining table is about 5 meters long and various dishes are already in place but I think that is just for the opening. There is nobody in the king¡¯s seat. I guess he really is not in condition to do something like this anyway. I¡¯m kind of worried but it¡¯s not something the current me should poke into. Aylmer is also absent but Eneas is in his seat, beckoning us over casually and told us to sit as well. PM Delan is also attending this dinner and even though there are still many other empty seats, his seat is next to Martlea¡¯s. Really, you¡­ You already have two grandchildren. Let¡¯s send an anonymous letter to his wife about this.


    As I was thinking of such, I saw her enter the dining hall.


    ***


    Why are we having a dinner with the guild¡¯s representative? When I voiced such, brother Aylmer who was preparing to depart to his post again answered me that we have to maintain good relationship with the guild while brother Eneas told me that since they are staying for the night anyway having a dinner together would be better.


    I walked to the dining hall accompanied by Ymi behind me. As I reached the door the maids waiting there proceeded to open the door. I walked inside while glancing at the said guild¡¯s representatives. A beautiful woman, a girl about 12 or 13 years old, and a boy who seemed to be close to my age. Huh? What is happening? My chest hurts. Tears also started to fill my eyes but I managed to look away to hide my face and blinked many times to stop it before anyone could notice it. No, perhaps Ymi noticed my state, she approached me but I stopped her with a gesture of my hand.


    Ymi then prepared my seat and as I sat she walked away to stand by the wall behind me and next to brother Eneas¡¯ maid.


    I wonder what happened to me? I looked again at the people from the guild and then our eyes met. The boy quickly pretended to be looking around but I know our eyes certainly met. I felt the pain in my chest again albeit weaker than before and somehow a slight feeling of happiness followed after it. I almost said something at the boy however brother Eneas introduced me to everyone before I could.


    ¡°You all might already know but she is my sister, Lavinia Vie Rifst.¡±


    Strange, I was sure I had something to say but I don¡¯t even know what that was. I dismissed such thought quickly since I can¡¯t just stay silent after being introduced. With my train of thought not in its normal state I could only simply gave them a smile but although it was very brief I saw the boy also smiled, a very gentle but sad smile. Don¡¯t look at me like that. I held back the urge to shout so.


    ¡°I believe her highness already know about me as well, however please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Martlea Nellva, the guildmaster has entrusted me, his secretary to attend the meeting in his place. It is an honor to meet your highness.¡±


    The woman stood, introduced herself, and bowed before sitting again. Ignoring PM Delan¡¯s exaggerated clapping for her.


    The boy was about to stand but Martlea stopped him before he could and whispered something. The boy nodded and the girl next to him stood instead, nervously as can be seen from her expression.


    ¡°My, my name is Lissa. I am currently an A rank adventurer affiliated to Arkhh... Uuu, I bit my tongue¡­ Fueee!!! I, I am shorry, I am ahhiliated to Arx Norr hranch atvenchurer guild. It his an honor shu meet hyour highnessh!¡±


    What is this cute being who tried to spoke earnestly but ended up doing it too fast and messed up in such a cute manner? Everyone else in this room might be thinking the same as me since they looked at her with warm eyes.


    The girl called Lissa who is flustered sat back while letting out a soft ¡®Uuuu¡¯ with teary eyes and reddened face. The guild¡¯s secretary, Martlea tried to calm her and the boy patted her head saying ¡®don¡¯t mind it, you did well Liz¡¯ then he smiled at her gently, this time without a feeling of sadness. Smile like that to me too! I almost gasped to the strange thought that surfaced suddenly but managed not to.


    Then it was finally the boy¡¯s turn, he stood up and as he said his name I unconsciously hit the table with a loud bang.


    ***


    Not long after she entered the room, Lavinia who just looked at us stopped for a brief moment and looked the other way. Ymi, with a slightly worried face quickly got closer but was stopped by Lavinia herself. Then as if nothing had happened she continued to take her seat.


    I couldn¡¯t help but watch her. I had to quickly pretend looking somewhere else because she looked this way as well. After she stopped looking at me my eyes felt like it automatically faced her way though. I wanted to say, ¡®how are you?¡¯, ¡®It¡¯s good to see you again¡¯, or ¡®I have many things to tell you¡¯. Of course I can¡¯t do that. She doesn¡¯t seem to remember me either, if she did, I¡¯m sure she would say something at me first.


    Eneas introduced Lavinia, who smiled in response. I also smiled but had to stop quickly since she looked at me again. I¡¯d like to praise myself for being able not to call her name and hold the many words I want to tell her.


    After that Martlea also introduced herself, I managed to distract my mind from Lavinia by thinking that it was my first time to hear Martlea¡¯s full name. I was about to introduce myself but Martlea stopped me. Saying


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯ll introduce Liz after you introduce yourself right? You¡¯re spoiling her too much. She practiced introducing herself with me so give her a chance.¡±


    Spoiling her? Gahhh, I didn¡¯t intend to but that might be true¡­ as a high ranking adventurer, similar situation as now might happen again in the future. She needs to be capable of at least that much.


    ¡°Alright I¡¯ll let Liz go first then.¡±


    After I said so, Liz stood and introduced herself but she bit her tongue. She failed in a way where it wasn¡¯t a failure at all. That was¡­ cute, yeah, cute dammit. The only one that wasn¡¯t affected here was the old man Delan who kept looking at Martlea who tried to comfort Liz, the hell is wrong with you old man? As Liz sat back I patted her head and tried to comfort her as well. Then I stood to introduce myself.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet your highness, I have been entrusted with the position of S rank adventurer and is Lissa¡¯s brother. My name is Erik.¡±


    *BANG


    Everyone in the room reflexively looked at the source of the sound which was Lavinia. After I said my name she suddenly stood and banged on the table with both her hands.


    After a bit of silence she looked down embarrassedly and sat back while saying


    ¡°Forgive my unbecoming act. Please heed it as nothing.¡±


    The atmosphere instantly became awkward but with Eneas flustered words ¡®Ah, then without further ado let¡¯s begin the meal. There is no need to hold back.¡¯ We started to eat but there was no way I wouldn¡¯t notice Lavinia who kept glaring at me until the end of the dinner.


    After some small talk everyone left the dining hall and our group of three was then guided back to our room.


    ¡°Please wait.¡±


    I looked back to find Ymi approaching me, with Lavinia behind her.


    ¡°My mistress her highness princess Lavinia wishes to speak with sir Erik.¡±


    With Ymi¡¯s words and gaze, the maids who were escorting us urged Martlea and Liz to continue returning to their room although Liz looked somehow reluctant to leave she also consented. Leaving Cherrl who will escort me back to my room waiting at a distance so she wouldn¡¯t hear our conversation, it was then just me, Ymi, and Lavinia.


    I didn¡¯t say anything as Lavinia stepped forward and looked at me. No, I just didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Lavinia was the first to speak.


    ¡°Erik Reynaldi Pratama.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise. How does she remember my full name? Was she just pretending to forget about me? Was she just unsure that it was me? Were some of her memories about me still there?


    ¡°That reaction, it seems you really know the words, no, name? Or perhaps it is your own name?¡±


    So it¡¯s not that. I don¡¯t know how she managed to remember, or just know my full name but I shouldn¡¯t spill the beans here.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, I was just surprised to hear my name with unfamiliar parts following it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything but just kept her scrutinizing glare at me for a while before she said to me


    ¡°You are lying.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry to ask, however on what basis does your highness believe so?¡±


    Lavinia couldn¡¯t answer right away. She hesitated for a moment but continued with a look full of resolution.


    ¡°My heart tells me so.¡±


    I was struck speechless. There was a slight happiness when I think about the possibility that she could say so because of her strong feelings towards me which didn¡¯t get erased by the effect of the spell. I hate myself who was able to think of such in an instant when I was the one who didn¡¯t answer her feelings at that time.


    I was shaken. I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to tell her about all my suffering after I left her. I loathe the me who wanted to use her as an emotional support when I was the one who hurt her emotionally.


    I couldn¡¯t look at her in the eyes.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t jest. This is the first time I met your highness.¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking away?¡±


    I thought I was strangely calm for someone who strongly wished for revenge but looking at the current me, perhaps my fragile self was just hiding deep inside until now.


    ¡°There is nothing to it. As a commoner, I find it difficult to have a talk with a princess.¡±


    ¡°You just kept lying, please¡­ tell me the truth.¡±


    I forced myself to look at her since her voice trembled a little only to find her pained expression with tears already forming in her eyes. Ymi who looks to be worried held back from doing anything and kept her stance behind Lavinia.


    I detest the me who made her cry again even when she doesn¡¯t remember me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ lying.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, just¡­ who are you¡­ to me? Why do I feel glad, happy, and also sad when I look at you? Please¡­ just tell me...¡±


    Her tears overflowed and traced down her cheeks. At the same time my vision became blurred as well. I immediately steeled my resolve. I don¡¯t have the right to make her suffer any more than it already is. The current me who vowed for revenge will only make her suffer more and more. If I end it here then her suffering will also end.


    So¡­ the stupid jerk called Erik chose to run away.


    ¡°I am sorry, I don¡¯t have anything to say on that matter.¡±


    In truth, I wanted to say thanks, and apologize to her. But with this I don¡¯t even have the right for it. I am fine with her remaining feelings turning into hatred for the unknown idiot bastard called Erik.


    She deserves to be happy, without me in her life.


    I turned myself away from Lavinia before she could say anything else. I almost didn¡¯t notice Cherll looking confused and worried at what was happening until I walked and got close to her.


    I urged Cherll to guide me back to my room but almost lost all strength on my body when I heard a soft wailing voice from behind me.


    That night, after returning to his room, the world class despicable stupid jerk idiot bastard finally gave in to the emotion that was hidden deep behind his hatred and anger to his enemies and for the first time after losing his everything in this world, wept soundlessly.

 Chapter 11 - The return trip to Arx Norr

    It¡¯s already the day¡¯s second bell but I couldn¡¯t sleep at all. As I raised my upper body sluggishly and sat on the bed, I put the memory from last night in the folder ¡®Never Forget¡¯ and subfolder ¡®Not To Be Opened Carelessly¡¯ in my mental HDD. I don¡¯t intend to forget the stupidity, no, the sin I committed so easily but always thinking about it would be a torture.


    When I look back at the me from last night, I concluded that perhaps I had some feelings for Lavinia as well.


    I wonder what happened after I just left her like that? Considering nothing like knights storming this room had happened until now means she didn¡¯t do anything¡­ or she might just be too emotionally unstable to do anything. If Eneas knew what happened to her then I¡¯m sure he would be furious and ask for a duel, no, he might even try to kill me on the spot.


    *Sigh


    Moping lifelessly won¡¯t change anything. I know that but the mixed feelings and the lack of sleep are chaining me to the bed, I simply don¡¯t want to do anything. I also forgot about Azanthys and Mareritter but I don¡¯t even have the motivation to do anything about them right now¡­


    I heard the door being knocked lightly several times in a row but I didn¡¯t move. I finally managed to force myself to stand and leave the bed after I heard the door beingknocked quicker and louder with Liz¡¯s worried voice calling my name from beyond.


    I opened the door and saw Liz being relieved, which soon changed to a surprised look after she looked at my face.


    ¡°Morning, Liz.¡±


    ¡°Good morning¡­ wait, what happened? Erik, your eyes are red.¡±


    She held my hand that was holding the doorknob took it in front of her chest and she got closer.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ I just couldn¡¯t sleep at all I feel like crap right now.¡±


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s bad¡­ ah but we don¡¯t have much time, the breakfast preparation almost finished and we have to prepare to return to Arx Norr. Martlea is also waiting over there¡­ I know, you can sleep all you want on the coach.¡±


    I looked to the direction of Liz and Martlea¡¯s room to see Martlea talking with two maids, probably about the breakfast and our leave.


    Breakfast eh¡­ I could only hope that Lavinia won¡¯t participate. Wait, it shouldn¡¯t be another meal with the royalties anyway. If I remember it right we will eat in a different dining hall for guests use The only one who will attend from the other side should be the old man Delan since he will give Martlea the promised money after the breakfast. That¡¯s good.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe I¡¯ll do just that.¡±


    I smiled and patted her head but there was no ¡®fueee¡¯. Instead, Liz was looking at me while furrowing her brows worriedly.


    ¡°Erik¡­ did something happen yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Uhhh, nothing special¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ If Erik says so¡­¡±


    She shook her head and continued.


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ Erik spoke with the princess and then you said you couldn¡¯t sleep. Moreover, Erik smiled but it felt so lonely.¡±


    There it is, she¡¯s sharp¡­ well, anyone might be able to come to that conclusion looking at me right now.


    ¡°I, is it? Well it might be because my face is in a mess right now. I haven¡¯t washed it.¡±


    Liz kept her silence and worried expression to my answer.


    ¡°Erik¡­I told Erik this before but I¡¯ll always be there for Erik so please talk to me when you feel like it. No¡­ please tell me everything when Erik decides that it is okay to do so.¡±


    I was speechless. I managed to force a nod but the next thing I did was something I couldn¡¯t control. I pulled Liz¡¯s hand that was holding mine then bending my body forward to match Liz¡¯s height I hugged her.


    ¡°FUEEEE!? E, Erik?¡±


    She flailed weakly but soon stopped to my words.


    ¡°Sorry Liz, let me stay like this for a bit. Also¡­ thanks.¡±


    She then returned my hug and said.


    ¡°Erik has done so much for me, so if I can be of help to Erik like this then I¡¯m the one who is happy.¡±


    Fortunately I pulled Liz so Martlea couldn¡¯t see us. I don¡¯t know if she heard Liz¡¯s ¡®fuee¡¯ or not though.


    After a minute or so has passed I released Liz. Her face was decorated with a bit of rosy tinge and a slightly embarrassed smile. This time I answered hers with an unshackled smile of my own.


    ¡°Thanks, Liz. I¡¯m back to normal right now. Let me fix my face and tell Martlea I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    She gave me a cheerful nod and turned the other way around, going to where Martlea is.


    ***


    Our business in the capital has been finished and we departed for Arx Norr. I couldn¡¯t get Azanthys and Mareritter but I¡¯ll just leave it for later.


    The coach we¡¯re on was moving steadily along the highway outside of the capital¡¯s perimeter. Liz was sleeping while leaning onto me, she shouldn¡¯t be lacking some sleep like me but I¡¯m sure she is tired from everything that had happened. I was also sleeping until a moment ago though. I who just woke up was about to yawn when it was disrupted by a loud crashing sound followed by a tremor and the coach stopping abruptly. Liz also woke up while looking confused.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Martlea who sat behind Karl, the driver, immediately turned around in his direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, errr¡­ two people just fell from the sky right in front of us and destroyed part of the road¡­ They are glaring over here, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    That was the only thing leaked out from Martlea¡¯s mouth in response to Karl who spoke with half confused half surprised tone.


    There is no time to wear the armor plates so after grabbing my weapons I immediately jumped off the coach followed by Martlea to confirm what Karl just said. Perhaps because she is still sleepy, albeit slowly Liz also got off and stood next to me.


    Amidst the gradually dissipating dustcloud the figures of a young male and female can be seen. The male whose irises and not so messy curly hair are black, wears a standard butler uniform comprised of black coat, darkish grey vest, white wing collar shirt, black trousers, complete with accessories like windup pocket watch and white gloves. The female instead has pale blue irises and bluish silver shoulder length layered hair. She is wearing a black and white maid uniform which is within my personal range of a cute frilly maid uniform. Viva maid uniforms with short skirt and thigh highs! Wait, this isn¡¯t the time to make a calm observation. They are completely glaring at me menacingly ever since I got out of the coach.


    Judging by the situation, I just readied my stance with the serrated sword in my right when suddenly the butler dashed and got right in front of me before I could even blink. His right hand formed a fist aiming for my solar plexus. I barely reacted by placing the serrated sword in between. Due to the lack of time I couldn¡¯t parry and just blocked the blow, losing the chance to counter. Heck, the blow was strong enough to make me decide to jump backward to lessen the impact so it will not break the sword.


    Martlea and Liz are both startled at the event but Martlea managed to respond.


    ¡°Anvis sa-¡°


    She started chanting a wind magic but couldn¡¯t finish it as the maid suddenly appeared before her, thrusting a short sword which seemed to be made of ice at her neck until the very tip made a slight indentation on the skin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ interfere.¡±


    They are fast.


    ¡°Liz, don¡¯t. It seems I¡¯m their only target so just wait right there.¡±


    I immediately stopped Liz who was also about to do something. It¡¯ll be bad if the maid got to her as well.


    ¡°So, care to explain to me who you guys are?¡±


    The butler loosened his battle stance and stood upright. With a foot touching the ground followed by the other as if she had just landed from a jump, gracefully, the maid who should have been near Martlea appeared next to him.


    ¡°How cruel of you to forget about us, is what I would like to say but I know that it is unreasonable for me to say that¡±


    ¡°Left¡­ us.¡±


    Huh? Do I know them? I don¡¯t think so¡­ and what does ¡®left us¡¯ mean?


    ¡°It seemed that many things had happened to you but for now¡­¡±


    ¡°¡°Qual ver Locetas¡±¡±


    The two said something like magic spell, but I don¡¯t recognize it. I should have memorized the basic vocabulary for all four elements and the non-elemental. The damn hero status didn¡¯t help to translate ancient language after all.


    Suddenly the world seemed to have stopped. Everything, even the wind came to a standstill while the surrounding was tinged with a slight darkness. The heck is this magic? The chant was so short but they don¡¯t seem to be of demon race. I have never heard of time stopping magic either.


    I don¡¯t know why I was unaffected but maybe they just want to fight without disturbance? The butler then confirmed my thought.


    ¡°We have cut the connection with outside world. Whatever we do here won¡¯t affect those on the other side so let us fight without holding back then.¡±


    As the butler said that the two dashed with speed even faster than before, attacking me.


    The butler whose fists are enveloped by black sparky electricity like thing reached me first. His attacks are all aimed at dangerous places like my chin, eyes, solar plexus again, etc., moreover they are even faster than the first one. This time I decided to get serious as well so I managed to evade all of them. Sometimes he changed his fist into palm or finger thrust to get me by surprise but I managed to react to them. I don¡¯t know what will happen to me if the black electricity hit me directly.


    Suddenly I felt a chill. I could feel a literally chilling sensation on my back.


    When I looked at the source, about ten meters away I see the maid with one hand raised forward surrounded by cold aura and five or six huge mist exuding ice stakes, each with size of a small car. Wait, what? The butler got black electricity and the maid ice? Those magic aren¡¯t in modern magic knowledge at the very least and they¡¯re doing it chantless. Who the heck are they?


    Right as she launched the ice stakes, the butler jumped backward after kicking me in the stomach which I blocked with my sword. Thanks to that I lost the timing to evade the ice stakes.Stolen novel; please report.


    I remembered something and decided to try it out right now. I stabbed the serrated sword to the ground and unsheathe my wyvern fang daggers. I poured as much mana as I could given the short timing to the daggers and slash at the ice stakes. I was surprised by the result. One of it produces a strong forward bursting flame as if an extension of my slash which melted a bit of the ice while the other one sends out a wind blade in similar fashion which cleaved the ice stake halfway through, forming cracks on the ice and thus made it easier to crush them. The flame and wind are barely as strong as mid-level advanced class magic which I can¡¯t use and the range seems to be relatively short. I only crushed three of the ice stakes and dodged the rest, letting them be planted in the ground


    That weapon shop old man could make something like this? This isn¡¯t enough to be counted as magic tools but the basic crafting process might be similar.


    ¡°Muu, those weapons, jealous!¡±


    I don¡¯t understand why the maid said such with sulky face but I don¡¯t have time to think about it anyway. The butler resumed his attack on me.


    I don¡¯t like staying on defense so as I evaded his left straight I who now holds daggers suited for close range combat started my counterattack. I thrust at his unguarded left chest with my right and as if inertia had no effect on him, he evaded it by amazingly twisting his body against the thrust while tilting his back to my left, as I had anticipated. In a reverse grip, with my left hand I swung the dagger at his lower back. The maid who somehow already on the opposite side from where she was, now behind the butler, blocked the dagger with her ice sword.


    Although the ice sword broke into pieces the butler managed to slip away from me and jumped to the maid¡¯s side.


    The maid produces another ice sword out of nothing and holds it without stance.


    ¡°You have gotten far stronger than before. I am convinced now. Then, for the last one¡­¡±


    The two hunched over and shouted, no, roared.


    ¡°GRAAAAAAAHHH¡±


    ¡°KUUUUUUAAAHH¡±


    From their back, wings sprouted. Following that I could also see something like tails also came out. They aren¡¯t connected directly to their body but are floating.


    The butler¡¯s wings and tail seemed immaterial, the black wings are made of black electricity, or lightning being compressed into something like that famous robot¡¯s wings in burst mode. His black lightning like tail keeps moving as if agitated. The electricity enveloping his fist also became stronger.


    The maid¡¯s wings on the other side are made completely of crystal clear ice. Her wings which fashioned to look like a bird or perhaps angel wings have ice crystals in place of feathers they¡¯re beautiful. Her tail which is significantly longer than that of the butler is also made of ice crystals in segments.


    When they faced forward, I could see that their pupils had changed form into vertical slits which reminded me to that of cats¡¯ or in this world, wyverns¡¯ and dragons¡¯.


    Okay, I guess the real thing is now¡­ I made a stance with both daggers in reverse grip, right arm about 30ostraight downward and left arm close to my chest. Legs open with right in front and left bent a little. It¡¯s my self-taught stance which general Razak helped in perfecting. I barely uses this stance lately since I only fought weak demon beasts in the tower but it¡¯s different now.


    Gliding above the ground in low altitude and high speed to approach me the two attacked together. The butler still uses his fists and the maid her sword. They barraged me with rapid attacks in succession. I parried each of them with my daggers but I could feel that the weight on their attacks is far stronger than before, what with those fists that don¡¯t even get any scratch from my daggers? Although I¡¯m not getting zapped by the black electricity, my daggers seemed like it is getting corroded little by little. The maid¡¯s sword also don¡¯t break even when she block my attack intended to break it.


    I occasionally use mana infused slashes at them but they would either evade it or block with their wings. They would also escape by flying to high altitude when it gets dangerous for them while the maids launches her ice stakes with size and number exceeding the previous one when she do so.


    As I dodged the maid¡¯s attack by running sideways I passed the coach and several ice stakes, or rather, boulders pierced the ground surrounding the coach.


    ¡°fueeee!?¡±


    Huh? I thought I hear a faint but familiar voice. I don¡¯t have the time to bother with it now so I dismissed it. Although they said the connection with outside world has been severed, I don¡¯t know how far I can trust them. Let¡¯s avoid fighting near the coach.


    The fight had been continuing for who knows how long but the two don¡¯t show any hint of exhaustion. Although the same can be said for myself this won¡¯t end well for me if I don¡¯t fight with the intention to kill¡­


    I released my killing intent in full strength and the two, seemingly surprised, stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°Such bloodlust! It is as if you had stopped being human. I couldn¡¯t imagine the previous you being capable of this.¡±


    ¡°Scary¡­ but sad and lonely.¡±


    They said things as if they know me. Tch, I¡¯ll try not to kill them and get them to tell me later.


    As I reduce the amount of my killing intent the two resumed their attacks. I¡¯ll go for the butler first and dashed at him. Putting my full strength into my parrying and counterattacks, the butler¡¯s hands now got several cuts, some are deep enough and one almost cut his artery. Shocked, he pulled back, or rather tried to escape by flying upward but I won¡¯t let it. I dropped my daggers and grabbed his arm, pulling him closer and punched his face with my free hand.


    ¡°Guhhagh¡±


    With my fist still on his face and another hand still gripping his arm I brought him down forcefully and send several punches on his face as he lays on the ground. Blood started to stain my hands. All of that happened in just several of seconds.


    I sense the maid coming from behind me so I jumped and avoided her stabbing attack with a somersault. I landed next to the serrated sword and pulled it. I threw the sword at the maid¡¯s back right when she stopped to make a turn at me. She barely managed to deflect the serrated sword with her own sword but with a ¡°Kyah¡± she lost her stance. I won¡¯t miss such chance and dashed at her. I grabbed her neck and slam her to a huge rock which happened to be nearby. I feel kind of reluctant on giving her the same treatment as the butler so with a restrained gripping force I kept her pinned to the rock and was about to threaten her to speak with my free hand raised and made into a fist but she stopped resisting at all and with a flushed face looking sideways she muttered a ¡°Please¡­ be gentle¡­¡± embarrassedly.


    That one really threw me off. I involuntarily dropped my jaw.


    *Clap clap clap*


    When I heard clapping sound from behind, I turned to find the butler with his face messed up. I know I was the one who did it but the butler who stood upright dignified while his face is like that looked kind of ridiculous.


    ¡°As expected of you, it is our defeat. I humbly ask you to let go of my sister.¡±


    He bowed at me at a perfect 90o. I don¡¯t know how the butler¡¯s speech doesn¡¯t get distorted with his mouth swelling though.


    Since I don¡¯t sense any will to fight any more from them I released the maid who then kneeled in front of me. The butler who got close also kneeled next to her.


    ¡°I pledge my undying loyalty and my whole being to Erik Reynaldi Pratama to renew the half severed contract. I wish for a full contract in place of a temporary contract to prevent similar things from happening. My name is Mareritter.¡±


    ¡°Azanthys, I pledge my loyalty, my heart, my everything to my master, Erik Reynaldi Pratama. I wish for a full contract.¡±


    Eh, what?


    Eh?


    ¡°Eeeeeeehhhhhh?!¡±


    ***


    So the three of us talked about things and I found out that they destroyed Rifst castle treasury¡¯s door to get here because they sensed my presence getting further away. The maid, Azanthys was looking especially sulky saying


    ¡°Called to master¡­ but not respond¡­ I thought¡­ master¡­ not need us¡­ anymore.¡±


    ¡°I told you that something must have happened so master could not get to us.¡±


    ¡°Mareritter¡­ worried¡­ too.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ I was but just a little.


    So the voice at that time was Azanthys¡¯. Of course I won¡¯t tell them that the reason was me getting too unmotivated to do anything. I¡¯m also worried about the state of things in Rifst but I can¡¯t do anything about that.


    As for the contract, it seems the temporary contract was made when I first held them and they told me their name directly into my mind. As I need a huge mana capacity to have full contract it wasn¡¯t possible at the time. As for why it was half severed, it seems to be the effect of the annihilation spell. I feel kind of glad that they didn¡¯t forget me though.


    ¡°Come to think of it, why are you two in human form?¡±


    ¡°As she had judged that master will be able to supply the necessary mana for us to maintain this form, Mother has released our limiter. Currently we are using the remaining mana we had stored bit by bit from the long time we have spent with master before. We will be able to keep this form for roughly 2 more days without resupplying.¡±


    Mareritter was surrounded by the reddish black plasma like aura and when it dissipated there is Mareritter as I knew of floating midair, the jet black oversized katar like weapon with a long side blade attached.


    Then he returned to human form in similar fashion.


    ¡°Mother also said¡­ master will come¡­ so¡­ want master to see this form.¡±


    So Praesia can communicate with them eh¡­ or rather, Azanthys¡¯ way of speaking has been bothering me for a while but let¡¯s forget it for now.


    ¡°Anyway, return the surrounding to normal¡­ I¡¯ll just give some random excuse to the others about you guys.¡±


    I walked toward the coach, followed by the two behind me but they stopped after only several steps.


    ¡°Master, please allow me to apologize for forgetting such an important matter. We have certainly said our oath to master but we have not sealed the contract between us yet.¡±


    ¡°Very¡­ important.¡±


    I turned around to face the two while half closing my eyes. Frankly speaking I¡¯m too tired, especially mentally, to do anything troublesome after all the recent events.


    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ do it quickly then. So, what should I¡­ gmmph!?¡±


    Before I could finish my sentence, Azanthys already pressed her lips on mine. I was too surprised to react. I couldn¡¯t do anything as a bluish magic circle appears on the ground below us. Come to think of it, this is my first¡­ wait, not that! I have to push her away.


    ¡°NOOOOO!¡±


    But it wasn¡¯t me who pushed Azanthys away. The shouting Liz forcefully separated the two of us then stood with her back facing me and both arms spread as if she is shielding me.


    ¡°Contract¡­ complete, I am¡­ forever master¡¯s.¡±


    Licking her lips Azanthys puts a hand on them posing as if she just had a delicious meal. That¡¯s kind of stimulating oy! No, not that. Why is Liz¡­ moving?


    Different with Azanthys who has a blissful expression, behind her Mareritter showed a clear bewilderment.


    ¡°You¡­ how? Why are you moving in our personal space? No, perhaps we carelessly included you in our magic¡­ yes, it must be so.¡±


    Mareritter convinced himself but he still has the troubled look. I don¡¯t understand about this personal space magic so I don¡¯t have anything to say.


    I just remembered about the familiar voice I heard during the fight, was it Liz¡¯s? Then that means Liz saw the whole fight? Did she also listen to our conversation? I don¡¯t think I said anything that would hint about my past as a hero. I also fought mostly at a considerable distance from the coach though so I should still be safe, I hope.


    Perhaps judging that Azanthys wouldn¡¯t do anything else, Liz lowered her arms and turned to look at me¡­ with teary eyes.


    ¡°Erik! Who is this woman!?¡±


    Whoa, Liz is speaking in a strong and harsh tone. This is a first but please stop that, you¡¯re making it sounds like I¡¯m a husband who was caught cheating. Now, how should I respond¡­


    ¡°Well, they are old acquaintances from when I was in Rifsten.¡±


    ¡°Why would acquaintances fought like that? And Erik just k, k, ki¡­ kissed with this woman¡±


    It¡¯s not ¡®kissed with¡¯ but ¡®was kissed by¡¯. I couldn¡¯t say it to the seemingly angry Liz who is looking up at me while grabbing my shirt by the chest with one hand and pointed at Azanthys with the other.


    ¡°Ah¡­it was just a ritual of blessing common in her hometown. You saw a magic circle appeared right?¡±


    ¡°Uuuuu, but that was still a k, kiss¡­¡±


    So you won¡¯t ask any further about the fight, Liz?


    ¡°It is not¡­ just ritual, I really¡­¡±


    Mareritter stopped Azanthys by placing a hand on her mouth.


    ¡°Young lady, that was indeed a ritual. In fact I am also about to perform a similar ritual with master.¡±


    Nice assist Mareritter¡­ eh, wait¡­ that means¡­


    ¡°Hurgh!¡±


    I reflexively put a defensive stance with both hand shielding my mouth. No BL pleaseeeee!


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, the ritual only need us to mix our body fluid, even sweat will do although I would prefer something else. And by the way, right now there is my blood on master¡¯s hand.¡±


    Ah, I see¡­ Now that¡¯s a relief. Using my dagger I then pricked at my finger. My blood flowed onto the stain that is Mareritter¡¯s half dried blood on my hand.


    ¡°Is this good?¡±


    Just as I said that a reddish black magic circle appeared under me and Mareritter separately, probably because of our distance.


    ¡°Yes, it is complete now.¡±


    Whoa, his face just returned to normal.


    ***


    After that the two dispelled their magic. The magic effect disappeared along with the trace of our battle, the ice boulders are gone and craters or rubbles returned to their previous state. Even my daggers corrosion disappeared as well but then Mareritter explained that the daggers weren¡¯t put in the outside world during the battle and it was because the corrosion just naturally wore off. Is it like bad status effects in games?


    Martlea and Karl looked to be dumbfounded. She said she thought a fight would start but before she knows it everything turned into darkness for a second and then she found that I was just talking normally with the two plus Liz.


    I then told some made up story that the two are from a warrior clan from faraway country, and how the three of us fought once before and by rule of their clan the victor, me, became their master thus the way of calling. The dangerous act they did when they first get here was kind of their special greeting after long time no see¡­ or something like that.


    I expected Martlea to not believe my nonsense but surprisingly both she and Karl just nodded absentmindedly to my explanation. The culprit was Mareritter. He used something akin to hypnotism which was the strange gestures he was performing from behind my back as I was explaining. Nice! Or rather, that was a dangerous skill you got there!


    As for Liz who saw everything, I thought she was getting along with my story since she previously asked me to tell everything later which I will do while concealing things that I don¡¯t want her to know. But when I looked at her, she was glaring menacingly at Azanthys who in turn looked back at Liz expressionlessly. I could see sparks, what is going on here? Ah, Mareritter was the one who added the blackish spark while smiling. This guy look cool and dignified but his personality might be questionable.


    Thus the night of the trip''s second day was spent with me telling Liz about how I got Azanthys and Mareritter when Martlea wasn¡¯t around. Since I might need the two to transform into their weapon form in the future, I just know it and Liz might have seen Mareritter transforming anyway, I told Liz that I was exploring some ruins of old civilization when I found them. Of course I didn¡¯t say that it was Orum Arx. I left them in someone¡¯s care but they finally decided to come for me.


    I don¡¯t know if she really paid any attention to my story since after I finished she kept asking about my relationship with Azanthys which the person in question herself answered ¡°I am¡­ master¡¯s servant¡±. Liz rebuked with ¡°Then what¡¯s with that k¡­ kiss!?¡± Azanthys answered with ¡°My heart is¡­ master¡¯s¡± which just made the situation worse. I chose to not be involved but Liz barraged me with more questions, still about me and Azanthys. I pretended to not notice Mareritter staring at the starry sky muttering ¡°I was left out¡­¡± softly.


    Why is Liz so persistent about the kiss anyway¡­ well, that was a nice one¡­ *ahem*. It is almost like Liz is jealous. No, I shouldn¡¯t think like that, one incident like with Lavinia is more than enough. Besides, I don¡¯t deserve such feelings from her. I killed her father. Perhaps it was like when a little sister that is too attached to her brother just found out that the brother got a girlfriend¡­ yeah, it must be like that.


    The remaining days of the trip were basically uneventful and we finally reached Arx Norr.

 Chapter 12 : A Lost Future

    Azanthys and Mareritter¡­alone in the accursed¡­ Orum Arx¡­ for long¡­ very long¡­ time.


    Until¡­ master came¡­


    Azanthys¡­ happy¡­ new purpose¡­


    But¡­ master left Azanthys and Mareritter¡­


    Master¡­ will be happier¡­ if return¡­ to homeworld¡­


    So Azanthys¡­ okay even if sad¡­ for master¡¯s happiness.


    Time passed¡­ without master¡­


    Unknown people¡­ around¡­


    Not master¡­ stop¡­ don¡¯t touch Azanthys¡­


    Azanthys¡­ pushed them away¡­


    Then¡­ mother¡¯s voice¡­ first time heard¡­ since accursed Orum Arx¡­ was created¡­ told Azanthys and Mareritter¡­ about master¡­


    Azanthys and Mareritter¡­ limiter¡­ unlocked¡­


    Mother said¡­ master will come¡­


    Azanthys was happy¡­


    Master¡¯s presence¡­felt¡­


    Azanthys called¡­ no response¡­


    Will wait¡­


    Will wait¡­


    Azanthys¡­ be patient¡­


    Master is getting further¡­


    Soon¡­ master¡¯s presence will be¡­ unable to feel¡­


    No¡­


    No¡­ don¡¯t go¡­


    Then¡­ Mareritter¡­ said¡­ ¡°Maybe something had happened to master?¡±


    Yes¡­ must be so¡­


    Want to go¡­ to master¡¯s side.


    Azanthys and Mareritter¡­. still have¡­ mana left¡­


    After transform¡­ Azanthys¡­ destroyed the locked door¡­


    Immediately¡­ use wings¡­ to fly to master¡­


    But master in a carriage¡­ safe¡­ no trouble¡­


    Why¡­ left?


    Azanthys¡­ not needed?


    Sad? Anger? Despair?


    Azanthys don¡¯t understand¡­ strange feelings¡­


    Mareritter then said ¡°Let¡¯s stop the carriage. We shall test our master.¡±


    Azanthys¡­ agree¡­


    ***


    Our mother, Praesia Al Metherie Luethe is someone currently revered as a goddess by some people of this world. Mother possesses an immense power capable to rend even the concept some call as space itself. From mother¡¯s story, it seemed that there is an even stronger being which she called as Tiamat which holds the power to control both the beginning and end of everything. As a result of some incident involving the said Tiamat, all residents of the world mother originally resided in were thrown sporadically to various other worlds. For mother and few others it was this world.


    Back to the matter of mother¡¯s power, since she holds one such tremendous power, mother chose not to use her power carelessly and created us so she can join in the grand war, which happened about a millennia ago by human¡¯s standard, to also fight herself. In short, mother is our creator as well as our first master. Our current and second master, Erik Reynaldi Pratama was somehow similar to mother in the way that he is soft hearted, na?ve, and prioritize others over oneself. However, it seems that he has changed greatly although some remnants of his past self still remains.


    Our reunion was kind of forced. Although we told master that our fight was to test master¡¯s capabilities, more than half the reason might be because both me and my sister were worried and perhaps also a bit upset at master who left us for the second time. It was resolved with our defeat and we talked with master about ourselves. Master then told us many things that had happened to him since we were left behind. He also told us to keep some secrets most with emphasis on the demon race girl he calls as Liz.


    Ah, by the way my name is Mareritter. Pleased to be of your acquaintance.


    ¡°Mareritter¡­ what are¡­ you¡­ doing?¡±


    Oops, from others¡¯ perspective I might be seen as someone who was attempting a spiritual communication, with a wall that is.


    ¡°I was just thinking about master.¡±


    The one whom I was talking to is my sister, Azanthys. And our master is currently talking with one of adventurer guild¡¯s receptionist to register both me and my sister into his team although master registered us as helpers and not adventurers to not waste time since if we register just as is we will start from lowest rank and could not join master¡¯s team for he is one of the highest ranked. Helpers¡¯ job as master told us was mainly to carry supplies and spare equipment although in reality, some adventurers are cruel enough to use helpers as bait for demon beasts. That wouldn¡¯t happen to both of us anyway.


    ¡°Whoa aren¡¯t they high quality servants?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think that girl wearing luxurious maid like clothing is cute?¡±


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s that guy again. He just registered not long ago, raised to B rank with just two people in short time, and now he brought servants. Just who is he?¡±


    Non, non, our master is already the highest rank. Of course I did not say it out loud to the peanut gallery since master chose to keep it a secret for the time being.


    ¡°Maybe those siblings are filthy rich?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe he got connections in the guild as well.¡±


    ¡°That explains how he rose up in rank quickly.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve seen him in the 21<sup>st</sup>floor so he¡¯s no weakling for sure.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the strong one is the little sister? I mean from what I heard she is the one doing all the fighting while he just watches.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I heard too.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, what a jerk, leaving everything to such a little girl.¡±


    ¡°Right, even if they are siblings don¡¯t you think that is just so like¡­ disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Heh, the guy¡¯s a lowly bastard while the sister is a poor idiot for doing as he wants.¡±


    The peanut gallery instantly turned into rotten garbage in my eyes but I held back the urge to kick those bastards in the face as I might accidentally kill them and master also dislikes getting attention. Fortunately it does not seem that those garbage¡¯s words reached master. However as I was clenching my fists to hold my anger back, my sister has already grabbed two garbage by the neck, lifting them up and stomping one fallen by the stomach.


    ¡°INSULTING MASTER¡­ UNFORGIVABLE¡­¡±


    I know master does not wish to get any attention but I do not feel like stopping my sister. I am angry as well.


    Many other garbage started grabbing their weapons but hesitated as my sister glared at them menacingly. Nobody dared to move, after all a girl is strangling and lifting two adult men and stomping on one effortlessly.


    ¡°Azanthys, stop it.¡±


    Realizing who gave the order immediately, my sister released the garbage she was holding, and stomping. The two she grabbed by the neck staggered and fell on their butt with pale face, gasping for air. The one she was stomping fell unconscious long before she stopped.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s go, your registration is finished.¡±


    Master is also talented in ignoring people¡¯s awkward gaze. Especially from the guild¡¯s receptionist who seemed like she wants to call for help right away. The reason she hesitated to do so might be because master is already well known in the guild¡¯s upper echelons.


    ¡°But they¡­ insulted¡­ master.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what people say about me, I don¡¯t have the time to deal with them anyway.¡±


    Master followed by miss Lissa who smiled wryly to the peanut gallery was about to leave the guild when I said


    ¡°Those garbage also called miss Lissa as poor idiot.¡±


    Master immediately stopped and turned around, leaking his inhumane bloodlust. The garbage and even unrelated peanut gallery in the whole room shrieked almost at the same time. Some who were standing fell down and some even wet themselves.


    Not good, it seems I was also too angry at the garbage to make me tell that to master.


    ¡°E, Erik, I¡®m fine so let¡¯s just leave.¡±


    Miss Lissa said so and master stopped leaking bloodlust. I could see that miss Lissa is actually upset to be called such by the garbage but she is suppressing it.


    Master just sighed and stroked miss Lissa¡¯s hair who in turn smiled in delight, losing any hint of being upset. Of course I did not tell master that what he just did had gained him much attention.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    The only one master is showing the remaining fragments of his past gentle self without any sort of shackle is as far as I know, miss Lissa. I decided to call her as miss since master considers her as his younger sister.


    ***


    Right when we reached Arx Norr a guild staff whom I thought was coming to greet us quickly approached Martlea and after giving signal with her eyes which Martlea responded by leaning closer, whispered closely to Martlea. Then, only looked at me and Liz as if saying ¡°your business is over, dismissed.¡± Martlea darted off with the guild staff.


    I sense trouble but let¡¯s not get involved in any more trouble than I already had. Thinking so I brought Liz, as well as Azanthys and Mareritter to the guild hall. I felt uncomfortable gazes locking on me right when I stepped foot in the guild hall but I don¡¯t care. I approached Tyrina the receptionist who smiled awkwardly at the situation to state my business.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to register these two as helpers to my team.¡± I said as I pointed with my thumb without looking back to Azanthys and Mareritter.


    I never registered a team myself but Teobaldur did it personally by registering Liz and I as an unnamed team¡­ an S ranked one. By the guild¡¯s rule adventurer with two or more level difference in rank cannot form a team. The reason was the huge difference in capability and to prevent low ranked team participating in dangerous job or request. Although by reality there are high ranked adventurer taking along low ranked ones with pretext of training, simply merrymaking, and even bullying.


    Thus I registered the two as helpers to make it more convenient.


    ¡°Please fill in the registration paper then. Name and their place of residence in Arx Norr must be filled. However I believe there is no need for other personal identification since they are with sir Erik.¡±


    Tyrina is thoughtful as always. It isn¡¯t public but my rank is already known to most of the guild¡¯s staff. I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to enter fake date and place of birth, etc. on the document thanks to it but I fear that the day my rank being exposed is close at hand.


    Right when I finished and handed the paper to Tyrina I heard commotion and Azanthys¡¯s loud angered voice. Why is she strangling adventurer A and B while stomping on adventurer C¡¯s stomach? For now let¡¯s make her let them off.


    She looked reluctant but Azanthys did as I told and let go of the three.


    Yes, let¡¯s not stand out more than we already are¡­


    I quickly urged the others to leave but what Mareritter said stopped me.


    I don¡¯t care when it is me but¡­ Liz? Those bastards dared to insult Liz?


    I was surprised at how angry I could be when I heard that Liz was insulted as well but I rode on the wave and released some bloodlust at everyone present, except Liz, Azanthys, and Mareritter. I¡¯m still clear headed enough as not to involve Tyrina and two other receptionists but everyone else shuddered, shrieked, fell, and some even pissed themselves. Only some who looked to be the strong guys looked at me with a cramped face and beads of sweat falling down.


    Be thankful to Liz who stopped me was how I signaled to everyone with my eyes.


    I was too late in realizing that what I did has garnered too much attention and perhaps giving birth to other unnecessary rumors.


    Later we finally returned to the inn where Liz and I were staying, I want to refrain from entering the tower at least for today since we just got back. We can immediately use our usual room since before I left to the capital I booked another one month worth of the room. I was about to rent another room while asking Azanthys and Mareritter whether they want separate room or one for both but they insisted that they wish to be in the same room as me. Thus by the innkeeper¡¯s suggestion I moved to a larger room that can accommodate 5 to 6 people. The price is of course higher but I still have a leeway with money since I sold some demon beast materials from the 20<sup>th</sup>to 30<sup>th</sup>floor of Orum Arx.


    ¡°Eeeh?¡±


    I ignored Liz who pouted and puffed her cheeks when I register for the room. She then muttered that she doesn¡¯t like another woman sharing a room with me. You¡¯re forgetting Mareritter, Liz.


    Of course there is the option of turning the two into their weapon form but I¡¯d like to keep their weapon form a secret. I already have three other weapons right now and I¡¯m planning to train Liz in group battle since Mareritter told me I can limit their capabilities by a few presets. The lowest is at 1/5. They could also hold back in a fight but the possibility of accidentally using more power than intended is high especially for Azanthys whom Mareritter said as having bad emotional control thus he recommended for me to force the limit instead. To do it I simply need to order them to.


    Fighting with someone far stronger will only become like a power leveling and not training so judging by how they fought me before I guess I should limit their capabilities at 2/5 to match Liz¡¯s. When they fought by releasing their wings I think they are physically stronger than me and magically stronger than Mira after we just defeated Orcus. Azanthys was able to create multiple huge boulders of ice three times as fast as Liz using the earth spear as well. The full contract should also have slightly strengthened both my and their stats but I haven¡¯t tested it¡­ let¡¯s set the limit to 1/5 for now just in case. I¡¯ll raise it when it is fine to. That makes me wonder¡­ just how strong is the current me? Depending on it, I could move right away to charge at the empire, of course after securing Liz¡¯s safety and livelihood. I shouldn¡¯t look down on the empire which has nearly five times more fighting force than Rifst. I doubt I¡¯ll get satisfied just by killing that bastard and the emperor¡­ I truly wanted to crush the whole nation after all. I¡¯ll spare the civilians though.


    The only drawback is that the two¡¯s stats won¡¯t increase from defeating demon beasts. When I asked how to increase it other than the contract Mareritter only answered that Praesia has not inputted the necessary information when she created the two. Let¡¯s ask her when she intrudes into my peaceful sleep again.


    Then there is the matter of fighting the colossal dragon. I got Mareritter and Azanthys now¡­ should I challenge it without Liz? I don¡¯t want to endanger her if I can help it. But thinking of her stats increase prospect if I managed to defeat it with Liz made me wonder on which to choose.


    As we reached our room, I told Azanthys and Liz to enter first. The two inn¡¯s staffs who guided us then left to pick our remaining baggage, some from our old room and some still at the receptionists¡¯ desk. I gestured with my hand to prevent Mareritter from entering but it seemed to be unnecessary since he always stays behind me anyway.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°I want to ask you something about the tower.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What will happen after I defeat that huge dragon on top of the tower?¡±


    Mareritter looked hesitant but decided to speak.


    ¡°The one who defeated rau drauthaum,that lesser dragon will be granted access to Orum Arx remaining floors.¡±


    ¡°Remaining floors?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are still 25 other located in a different plane.¡±


    What¡­ then the total is 100 as expected, although the ¡®different plane¡¯ bothers me. But for him to call the colossal dragon as lesser dragon, how would a non-lesser dragon look like then? I¡¯ve seen wyvern and smaller type of dragons ¨Clesser dragons, I guess.


    Seemingly had guessed what was on my mind Mareritter continued.


    ¡°A lesser dragon is those that possess low intelligence regardless of appearance and size. They are barely sentient and no different than most other demon beasts. There are some exception where they possess enough intelligence, capable of magic and communication in their own language and even human language which some call as elder dragon or ancient dragon.¡±


    ¡°I see. But to still have 25 more floors after such a strong bo-¡­ mid boss. Just what sort of enemies are waiting further?¡±


    ¡°As it is a trial I have no right to disclose, however if one is capable of defeating the lesser dragon then conquering the rest, save for the last floor, should only be a matter of time. Other than that¡­ once master set foot on the 76<sup>th</sup>floor, then master would not be able to go back until master conquers all remaining floors so I advise master to not bring miss Lissa along.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Not being able to go back will be a problem. Spending too much of a long time there would be a heavier burden to one¡¯s mind than body, I can vouch for that. However it¡¯s not like I can just leave Liz alone for too long either. Should I have Martlea take care of her for a while? It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t trust her since she seemed to get along with Liz but I¡¯m still worried.


    ¡°And master¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    (Next time there is a need to discuss something in secret master can always ask me in this way, to do it just simply speak in your mind with the intention of sending the said thought to me. After the full contract there is almost no limitation of distance as long as we are within the same plane of existence. By the way my sister is also capable of this.)


    I heard Mareritter¡¯s voice directly in my mind.


    Tell me that sooner! Of course I didn¡¯t send that one via said telepathy to Mareritter.


    I guess I¡¯ll put this matter on hold for now and proceed with making Liz stronger first. Thinking so I entered my room followed by Mareritter. There I see Liz and Azanthys glaring at me. What now?


    ¡°Erik! Which bed are you going to use?¡±


    ¡°Azanthys¡­ wish¡­ to know¡­as well.¡±


    I instinctively stopped myself from replying with ¡®why do you ask me that?¡¯ and looked at the beds¡¯ arrangement. There are four single beds divided into two groups positioned about three meters opposite of each other.


    ¡°I prefer the one close to the window.¡±


    I quickly decided due to the pressing atmosphere. There are two windows and each has bed next to them so it would be one of the two. As soon as I said my answer Liz and Azanthys started a glaring contest. Azanthys tilted her head expressionlessly at Liz who glared back desperately.


    That is when I realized the meaning of this odd situation. During our trip back to Arx Norr the two always wanted to sleep next to me. Disregarding my tormented conscience, it wasn¡¯t a problem since we slept outdoor with much space and they can take each sides. Mareritter did say that they don¡¯t really require sleep but doing so equals doing a completely automatic maintenance, they can restore damage to a certain threshold by sleeping, actually they take in mana from me when they do. I almost forgot that they are weapons.


    It seems Liz who started puffing her cheeks is losing though.


    ¡°Liz, you take the bed next to mine, Azanthys and Mareritter take any on the other side.¡±


    I pointed at and assign the beds before the battle could reach a conclusion. It¡¯s definitely not because I¡¯m spoiling Liz nor that because I don¡¯t have much resistance against Azanthys¡¯ expressionless yet passionate gaze at me when we happened to face each other. Yes, these were not the reason.


    The matter was settled with Liz¡¯s bashful triumphant smile and Azanthys¡¯ dissatisfied remark, ¡°Favoritism¡­ unfair¡­¡±


    Needless to say, I ignored it. I won¡¯t be swayed by Azanthys¡¯ cute expressionless cheek puffing. ¡­ I won¡¯t, right?


    With the help of¡­ or rather because Mareritter, and surprisingly also Azanthys who have high strength value doing the room moving and luggage carrying --mostly tools needed for long trip and tower exploration-- instead of the inn¡¯s staff we could quickly settle and rest in the room. Mareritter especially displayed skills befitting his image, a butler. He cleaned every nook and cranny of our new room even making it looks like the room had just been newly made. I could see illusion of glitters everywhere. Mareritter found a lot of faults by his high standard and that might have hurt the staffs¡¯ pride. Looking at the wry smiles from the inn¡¯s staffs, they might have done the cleaning before. I ignored the staffs who left while comforting each other.


    Azanthys? She just watched over the cleaning since Mareritter forbade her. It seems she is the type that will make things worse during cleaning.


    Since so many things had happened lately, I was thinking to just let the day pass by resting in the room until disturbance came barging in through the door that is.


    ¡°Lizzy!¡± ¡°Kyuwtiehhh!¡±


    And I threw two pillows onto the intruders¡¯ face.


    ¡°Gurphhh¡± ¡°Ngggahh¡±


    Thus Yusa and the equipment shop owner¡¯s daughter flew backwards magnificently. As if they had known what would have happened Kaldor and Lloyd peeked in from beyond the opened door after Yusa and the weapon shop owner¡¯s daughter flew through it. Do I have to mention that two person barely fits through the door frame? It seems I have leveled my pillow throwing skill up and raised the precision¡­ what am I even thinking about right now?


    ¡°W, welcome back. It seems there are more people in your group though. I heard you changed room from the innkeeper, so this is the reason.¡±


    I could say the same but I remained silent and beckoned them over. After the two entered another also followed, it¡¯s the hospitalized guy¡­ who was it? Randall? And I don¡¯t need to mention the equipment shop owner¡¯s daughter. If I mind it, I lose.


    Randall walked in a somehow clumsy yet steady way and stopped before Liz who looked nervous. Perhaps he is still yet to be accustomed on adjusting his balance now that he has lost one arm. Then, he bowed deeply.


    ¡°I can never fully express my gratitude with words but let me say this much, thank you for saving me and my comrades.¡±


    The flustered Liz waved both her hands.


    ¡°I, it is okay. Erik and I just happened to be there so there is no need to thank me.¡±


    ¡°Even so the fact that I am still breathing is thanks to you.¡±


    Liz hesitantly looked at Randall¡¯s arm¡­ or where one should have been and looked down bitterly.


    ¡°No, if only I helped earlier, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, this? I¡¯m still rehabilitating myself and it takes time to get used to but it seems that I can still use a sword without too much problem. I think I can resume my tower exploration in a week or two. This is far better than being eaten by a wyvern.¡±


    This Randall guy is pretty resilient. He seems to also have a likable personality.


    ¡°By the way, why are you here too, uhh¡­ equipment shop owner¡¯s daughter?¡±


    I asked to one of the two shadows that somehow already crept behind Liz. Noticing where my gaze is directed at, Liz looked behind her only to find Yusa and the one I¡¯m questioning jumped to grab her.


    ¡°How rude, I have a name too you know. It¡¯s Eldys! I¡¯m here because I¡¯m also a member of cute Lizzy secret admirer guild!¡±


    The heck kind of guild is that? And it isn¡¯t even a secret anymore once you declare it like that! I kept my retort in my mind though.


    ¡°Hngggg¡±


    Liz struggled to break off from Yusa¡¯s and Eldys¡¯ hold. Realizing that it is futile to try any further Liz resigned herself to be rubbed cheek to cheek from two sides with a pitiful expression.


    ¡°Setting the two morons aside, we are actually here to tell you guys about our party to celebrate Randall¡¯s recovery. I know you just got back but how about doing it tonight?¡±


    There¡¯s no harm in doing as Lloyd suggested so I accepted it, after throwing Yusa and Eldys out of the room since Liz sent an SOS to me with her pleading look. For convenience sake we will have the party at the adventurer guild¡¯s tavern.


    ***


    Liz is sitting as close as she could to me, on her other side is Mareritter while on my other side is Azanthys. Liz sat this way after she barely managed to avoid Yusa and Eldys whom no longer dare to approach her whenever I am about an arm reach to Liz, thanks to my automatic anti-pervert chop which reacts whenever their heads are in range. It seems that the two perverts are plotting something in the corner though. This is getting old but why is Eldys here as well?


    On the other side of the table filled with foods and drinks are Kaldor, Lloyd, and Randall. The three are drinking some cheap ale while on my side there are only fruit juice for me and Azanthys who insisted to have the same drink as me, honey sweetened milk for Liz, and uh¡­ tea for Mareritter. I never and won¡¯t drink alcohol, Liz is too young, Azanthys is well¡­, and Mareritter is drinking his tea elegantly but I don¡¯t know whether he just wanted to do it for the look or he really likes his tea.


    The foods are mainly meat stew with far more carrot and potato look alike vegetables ratio than meat, I forgot this world¡¯s version of the name. Then there are also not so fresh vegetable salad, rye bread, grassland fowl meat ¨Cor rather chicken skewers, and some roasted green long beans.


    ¡°Sorry, we could only afford this much with our current income. Even with the 4 of us combined we are only D rank party anyway¡­¡±


    Kaldor looked apologetic as he said that but I think he has started to get drunk with such a reddenedface and one sentence too much¡­ that was quick!


    ¡°Ah, what he said is true but we still have enough to get by. Also, we had finished enough requests to apply for rank up test for each of us except Randall who was hospitalized.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really care though.¡±


    Lloyd is unusually showing a sullen face to my reply. I bet he is drunk too a little. But rank up test huh¡­ I was a special case so I never took one. Not that it matters in any way right now.


    ¡°By the way, why are you drinking some fruit juice? You¡¯re already older than fifteen right? Here, I¡¯ll share you some of mine. Come on, drink up.¡±


    And this Randall guy is annoying. He stood, bent over, and put, or rather shoved whatever he was drinking to me.


    ¡°Okay, pass!¡±


    So that it won¡¯t spill too much I lightly threw the drink to Kaldor who caught it clumsily, spilling some onto his stew in the end. He doesn¡¯t seem to mind and drank it in one gulp.


    ¡°Dang¡­ that¡¯s pretty cold don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Sorry but I don¡¯t drink alcohol.¡±


    Randall doesn¡¯t seem to be dejected and ordered another drink right away.


    ¡°By the way, who are the other two? I haven¡¯t heard anything about them from the others.¡±


    Not this again. I¡¯m running out of made up stories.


    ¡°Actually, today is the first time we¡¯ve seen them too.¡±


    Lloyd added to Randall¡¯s question.


    I only sent a glance to Mareritter but he responded right away.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, master¡¯s acquaintances. My name is Mareritter, a loyal servant¡­ butler of master Erik. The one over there is my sister Azanthys, a maid of master.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­eh wait, butler and maid? Are you guys noble?¡±


    Randall looked at me and Liz before saying that.


    ¡°No we¡¯re not, let¡¯s just say there are some circumstances.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making me curious but I guess there are things one can and can¡¯t ask.¡±


    Randall shrugged and drank the ale a waiter just placed on the table.


    At the moment, I sense trouble coming over here. Give me a break already.


    ¡°Hey, are they the guys?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s the maid I told you about.¡±


    Some dangerous looking fully equipped men and a young man in plain metal breastplate are approaching. Wait, isn¡¯t the young one adventurer C Azanthys stomped on? I¡¯m feeling slightly annoyed by the oncoming event. I know what is going to happen anyway. He was unconscious when I released my bloodlust so he might not know fear yet *grin*.


    ¡°Yo, looks like you guys are having some fun. Mind if we join in?¡±


    The man with biggest build in the group stood next to Azanthys, two other behind us, and the young man is standing while a little bit hidden by the big guy.


    ¡°We don¡¯t but there¡¯s no more space here.¡±


    Lloyd answered calmly while sipping his drink, Randall also started to look serious. It seems they realized the situation. Kaldor? He lost to the sandman and is sleeping with his face in his bowl. Again, that was quick!


    ¡°It seems you misunderstood our intention here. We¡¯re not here to join in your fun, we¡¯re here to join and ruin your fun since you made a mess of my brother before. Well, I just might give you a real fun later if you know what I mean, is it clear, cutie?¡±


    The big guy was about to circle his arm on Azanthys¡¯ shoulder but in an instant she avoided it nimbly and moved behind him. I thought she was about to use her magic and freeze his arm when I saw her eyes full of anger. I¡¯m glad I forbade Azanthys and Mareritter to use their magic in public since no one should know of ice and lightning magic though I do know that one can make ice by combining water magic and non-elemental heat manipulation but it takes quite a long time to process and not many people can use two magic at the same time so it is mostly just used as the basic principle to make a cooler box, refrigerator like magic tool.


    ¡°Only¡­ master¡­ can touch¡­ Azanthys¡­¡±


    The angered Azanthys glared sharply at the big guy he just looked back and sneered at her in response.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re not a normal maid. But don¡¯t act conceited you lowly servant. Only your master can touch you eh? Then I¡¯ll be your master after I give your current master a lesson. He is just a B rank while this great me is A rank even by myself.¡±


    The guy then looked at me. His two lackeys then stood behind me with a clear malicious intent.


    Lloyd and Randall was about to make their move but the big guy gave them a glare while grabbing the big sword on his waist so they hesitated. Kaldor? He is sleeping peacefully face down into his bowl, making a loud snore that seems to be making this dangerous mood into a strange one.


    I told Mareritter to take Liz a bit away with telepathy. The lackeys was about to interfere with him but Mareritter sent them his chilling smile so they stopped, one even strangely blushed to it. Do I need to mention that both are male? WTF Mareritter¡­ he is just too high spec, maybe he can do just about anything?


    Liz? she looked to be worried but it is clear that she is not worried for my safety. Don¡¯t worry Liz, I won¡¯t overdo it.


    ¡°I¡¯m a reasonable man, I know you don¡¯t want to have your pathetic state be seen by everyone here so I¡¯ll take you outside. Oy, you woman come here.¡±


    Azanthys once again dodged the big guy¡¯s hand in an exaggerated motion as if she is really disgusted by it¡­ No, judging by her expression, she is indeed disgusted by him. To make the mostly expressionless Azanthys show such a face, just how disgusted is she? The big guy also started to look irritated at her.


    I quickly interjected before things get out of hand. Since making a mess inside a place like this is too conspicuous. It is good they wanted to do it outside, though maybe in their case they just don¡¯t want to be marked by the guild.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll follow you. There¡¯s no need to drag us along. Come here, Azanthys.¡±


    Azanthys quickly dashed to my side, avoiding the big guy perfectly. Is it just me or she really looked to be happy in this situation while walking next to me with our shoulders touching? Thus watched by various kinds of gaze from those in the guild hall I, with Azanthys sticking too close left the place.


    Obviously irritated by it, the big guy and his lackeys plus adventurer C led us away from place with many people far enough to the backalley area of merchant road where only a small number of shady people lurks around. I already have the sole intention to vent my stress on them so I don¡¯t really mind though. The big guy is persistent enough to try to touch Azanthys with the help of adventurer C on the way but they failed miserably. Be thankful I ordered Azanthys to not attack with telepathy. Azanthys looked even happier when she dodged their assault by jumping onto me and I caught her into a princess carry. Her rather expressionless happy face has changed into a face full of bliss. Damn, now that is kinda cute. The big guy and co¡­. the idiots don¡¯t look to be very amused though.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you off with just some bruises if you let us have fun with the woman. She gave my brother some wound and trauma so she has to take responsibility, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she attacked me suddenly and without reason. My stomach still hurts even now!¡±


    ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll certainly be hospitalized and the woman will have fun enough to give her some trauma.¡±


    I¡¯m starting to feel disgusted by this guy too now. Let¡¯s give them a lesson they won¡¯t forget.


    With telepathy I told Azanthys that she is free to attack as long as she is not using magic and also not to kill them. I¡¯ll limit her strength to 1/5 just in case. So as not to end it too quickly I decided to not release any killing intent. Okay, let¡¯s have some fun.


    Then all four of them charged at us, the big guy and adventurer C are as expected aiming for Azanthys and the lackeys are attacking me.


    ¡°Oy, oy, ganging up from the very start isn¡¯t very cool you know¡±


    The big guy just grinned to my words and sent a dangerous lustful look at Azanthys. Whatever, I¡¯ll try to beat them up without incapacitating them.


    The big guy jumped straight at Azanthys with arms opened wide, he is totally intending to catch her. Adventurer C circled around behind Azanthys and also opened his arms to catch Azanthys if she dodged backward. Azanthys nimbly crouched and dodged sideways instead. At the mean time I also avoided a joint attack from the two lackeys while looking at Azanthys. The two are leaking irritated voice as I keep dodging like that. I mean, Azanthys also just kept dodging without countering or anything so I¡¯m curious.


    ¡°Oy, Azanthys. Why are you just avoiding them?¡±


    ¡°Azanthys¡­ don¡¯t want¡­ to be touched¡­ or¡­ touch¡­ them¡­ filthy. Also¡­ magic¡­ forbidden¡­¡±


    The big guy and adventurer C snapped to her words and went berserk, assaulting Azanthys fiercely.


    I was¡­ dumbfounded. The lackeys used the chance to get closer and one sends a punch from close range to my face while another is aiming for my stomach. Their cooperation is good and to begin with their movements, except for adventurer C are quite good, they must have quite some battle experience. It almost caught me off guard but I swiftly avoided the punch and since he aimed for my face I countered lightly with a straight jab to lackey A¡¯s face followed by a kick to lackey B¡¯s stomach.


    And¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I did hold back real lot¡­ right?


    The lackeys were blown away and sunk into a wall, I think lackey A¡¯s nose is broken since the shape turned bizarre. Lackey B is puking out whatever he ate before coming here, a little blood is mixed in it. Needless to say, the two passed out¡­ they¡¯re¡­ breathing, alright.


    Is this perhaps the effect of my contract with Azanthys and Mareritter? My strength went up quite high it seems so I messed up on the adjustment¡­ No use crying over spilled milk. Let¡¯s just be more careful next time. At least they are alive. I am not a devil. The empire is another thing but I don¡¯t want to accidentally kill someone completely unrelated to my revenge.


    When I looked at how Azanthys is doing, there I see adventurer C looking at me with eyes and mouth opened wide. The big guy also looked surprised but he recovered quickly and shouts.


    ¡°Dammit, forget about those guys! Grab the woman first for now, I¡¯ll handle him later.¡±


    Hoo, he¡¯s not shaken too much. He must be rather confident with his ability. Should I take care of the remaining two instead of Azanthys who won¡¯t attack? Wait¡­


    I grabbed a wooden stick from nearby, actually it was a supporting beam of a stall¡¯s roof. It is tilting this way now.


    ¡°Use this.¡±


    I threw it and Azanthys caught it. She immediately used it and after avoiding a lunge she began her relentless and merciless assault.


    One hit, two¡­ three, and on and on. Her moves are too fast for the big guy, he couldn¡¯t even react to it.


    ¡°Gahh! W, wait! Aghh! St¡­!¡±


    The big guy is wearing quite a good armor but Azanthys¡¯ attacks are all aimed at unprotected parts including gaps between armor plates¡­ hey, did she really just hit there? An imaginary cracking sound just resounded in my head¡­ or could it be it was real? Ouch, my condolences to your future, big guy. Adventurer C wasn¡¯t spared but after only 4 or 5 hits he is already cowering in the back, covering his bruised face with both hands while shouting ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, forgive me¡­ please¡­¡±


    After several more hits, and another to his ¡®that¡¯, you know, the big guy finally fell down face first, hands on his groin. Since he then kept twitching while leaking a strange muffled voice ¡°Hh, uhheh, hheh hnghhh ghhh¡­¡±, he might still be conscious.


    Uhhh, splendid? Perfectly done? Azanthys is looking at me with a ¡®praise me¡¯ aura. Forget venting my stress, after seeing a future lost here, I can¡¯t bring myself to say anything. That must have implanted fear more than I had intended to those guys however. Oh, she looks dejected now, let¡¯s at least pat her head.


    ¡°???¡±


    At first she showed a surprised look but then it turned into a happy one, that¡¯s good.


    Then, what¡¯s next¡­ should I just leave them as is? People are starting to come here attracted by the commotion. Adventurer C is still fairly okay anyway. Yep, let¡¯s just leave them. Let¡¯s leave them to a wild or passing by good Samaritan. At worst they will just get their equipment stolen by the people around here.


    I quickly left the place followed by Azanthys before we could be seen by the gathering people. The idiots are alive so this might be useless but it is better being found out later than now.


    When we got back to the guild hall and walked toward the tavern area, people¡¯s gazes are gathering on us. Perhaps they didn¡¯t expect us to return safely? I don¡¯t care though.


    ¡°As expected, you look to be perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, master.¡±


    We were greeted by Lloyd and Mareritter.


    ¡°Lloyd told me it would be fine but I was kinda worried back there. Good to see you back. By the way, err, what happened to the other party?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, a man¡¯s future was lost.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    He looked confused but Randall didn¡¯t ask any further.


    ¡°So, Mareritter¡­ why is Liz in that state?¡±


    I pointed at Liz who looked to be pitiful with her face sandwiched between Yusa¡¯s and Eldys¡¯.


    ¡°I judged the two to be harmless and it seemed amusing¡­ *ahem* so I did not do anything when miss Lissa was forcefully taken by the two.¡±


    ¡°Erik¡­¡±


    Well, there is no real harm done but Liz¡¯s expression is almost as if it is saying ¡°I won¡¯t live to see tomorrow, goodbye.¡± so I approached her.


    ¡°Tch, you¡¯ve returned eh. I wish you¡¯d take longer, or rather¡­ don¡¯t return until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hee, so you don¡¯t want me to return eh? Try saying it again.¡±


    I raised my hand to chop Yusa¡¯s head and she quickly darted away, followed by Eldys whom I threatened with a chop as well.


    Released from the two¡¯s torment(?), Liz grabbed the hem of my shirt.


    ¡°Erik, I¡¯m sorry but I think I want to go back to the inn¡­¡±


    The apologetic Liz looked at me with tired eyes. I bet she is quite stressed too, although hers should be different from mine.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all guys. Sorry but we¡¯re going to end the party early.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, there was some disturbance anyway. We can have another one some other time.¡±


    The one who replied to me was Randall, behind him Lloyd was trying to get Kaldor up but gave up with annoyed face and started dragging him along the floor by the collar. Let¡¯s not ask why he didn¡¯t lend Kaldor his shoulder instead.


    ¡°See ya then.¡±


    Our first day back in Arx Norr thus ended just like that.

 Chapter 13 : Temporary Parting

    ¡°Ama lietus sagias!¡±


    Several flame arrows ¨Cor rather since their size are ridiculously big for arrows maybe lance would fit better¨C, flew through the air and hit their target, venem urmthe wyvern that almost annihilated our party before. According to Yusa it is a high level advanced class magic, a higher form of its lower level flame arrows. The spell aria is short since the one who used it was one of a demon race, however she is by no means an enemy to us. Instead, the young lady in question is now a temporary member of our party.


    The wyvern¡¯s body is severely wounded just like that. Several places were made into blackened burnt holes but it still tried to retaliate and started charging at us albeit slowly due to the wounds.


    ¡°En agis serte gladia ar anvis af ensies laminea. Inimi casectes anvis ar ensis.¡±


    At that timing Yusa also finished her aria of wind blade magic to attack it while Lloyd shot the wyvern¡¯s head with an arrow of his but it got deflected by the hard scales and the wind blades didn¡¯t do much damage either. I secretly laughed bitterly at the power difference between the young lady¡¯s attack and ours. In spite of that I also dashed at the impaired venem urmwhile holding my sword with both hands at my side, I also confirmed that Randall has moved close to the venem urmat its blindside with a short sword he is not accustomed since a long sword is still too heavy for him to use freely with one hand. Different with me who rely on strength, Randall has good technique and footwork to cover his lack of balance. Our attacks hit its body perfectly but its scales and thick muscles stopped the blades before they could even sink halfway through. The venem urm then thrashed around, flailing its rugged wings and tail wildly. I thought Randall and I would inevitably get injured but then


    ¡°Eht rumeris, ecdurare!¡±


    We were shielded by hardened earth wall and used the chance to gain some distance.


    ¡°Thanks, lil¡¯ Lissa.¡±


    I quickly thanked the young girl¡¯s perfectly timed magic. Randall also gave her his smile after wiping his forehead from what must be cold sweat.


    ¡°Perhaps I shall try to be of help as well?¡±


    While I was thinking on how to kill the venem urma single out-of-place butler stepped up and using a cheap looking knife started attacking the venem urm. I was shocked when he closed in on the wyvern which was thrashing about while avoiding the wings, claws, and tails with minimum movements then he simply stabbed the wyvern at its head, right into the brain. The cheap looking knife of course broke at the base but the blade that remained in the unmoving wyvern¡¯s head is a definite proof that he just killed it.


    ¡°Hmm, it seems even under limitation this lizard is still not much of a threat eh.¡±


    The heck are you saying? Even a rank C party would normally need at least half a bell to defeat it and we didn¡¯t even take a quarter of a bell. Just what kind of people am I being acquainted with lately?


    ¡°Mareritter, as I thought it would be better for you to not participate until the 20<sup>th</sup>floor and above. Liz also should keep with the assisting and no finishing blow stance when we are with Kaldor¡¯s party.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, master.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    And the most outrageous of all is this man, Erik whom although I have never seen him doing much fighting is much scarier than anything else I know of. My instinct tells me not to mess with this man. Although when Yusa constantly nagged him in various ways involving lil¡¯ Lissa he just casually gives some light punishment like a chop to the head or ignores her when the trouble Yusa makes is not too excessive so I don¡¯t think he is such a bad person. Yusa is also amazing to dare doing those things with someone like him. To me, scary things are still scary though. I was unconscious, uh¡­ asleep at the time but I heard from Randall that some high ranked adventurers who tried to mess with him were hospitalized, one with an unrecoverable trauma of a lost future¡­ ouch. I could hear all sort of rumors of him flying around. From him being cowardly and someone who is overworking his sister, a grandson of an outrageous swordsman with outrageous name, to him being adventurer guild¡¯s secret ace, one of the few S rank adventurers.


    As for why we are with those amazing people, we were asked to show how a team fight as a training for lil¡¯ Lissa. Today is the third time we explore the tower together. At first lil¡¯ Lissa couldn¡¯t merge and cooperate well with our team and our progress in the tower was slow. However today is different. Her growth is fast for such a young girl. Then there is also Erik who tells lil¡¯ Lissa, and sometimes us the pointers on how to better fight as a team. From what I see, he is actually quite knowledgeable in that field. Was he in a team somewhere in the past? He is also knowledgeable in how to utilize magic for both attacking, assisting, and protecting in a fight as could be heard from his occasional advice for lil¡¯ Lissa. I who would simply charge at enemies while entrusting my back to the others has also learned about timing and positioning from him.


    I am scared of him¡­ still I can¡¯t help but also feel some sort of admiration.


    ***


    (Lately Erik has been thinking a lot so we haven¡¯t talked much with each other. Erik has also been going somewhere with Azanthys and Mareritter sometimes at night, returning very tired and messy condition in the morning. It¡¯s happening again. Erik is hiding something from me. I know it, I just know. It is irritating but I could only wait until Erik tells me himself. There is no meaning to it if I have to force Erik to tell me.)


    That was what Liz thought with a hard expression as she walked to approach Erik.


    ¡°Kaldor and the rest, it would be better for you guys to return to the surface after a short rest. You guys should salvage some materials from the corpse first though. Liz, we¡¯ll keep going until the 15<sup>th</sup>floor then rest there. Is it okay?¡±


    ¡°Un, I¡¯m still good.¡±


    Liz quickly answered. She does not tire so easily anymore and she especially does not want to be seen as weak by Erik. She wants to be able to protect Erik too and not just be protected.


    (Protecting each other¡­ Ehehe, that would be nice.)


    Realizing that a smile has formed on her lips, Liz quickly shook her head to disperse the urge to smile as she doesn¡¯t want to be seen as a strange girl who smiles to herself.


    ¡°Good idea, I was so tense back there. I lost one arm to a venem urmbefore after all.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but do you really won¡¯t take any material from it?¡±


    The tower would, in a sense, devour the corpse left behind before another would respawn, the corpse would magically evaporate into the air with time. It has been said that theoretically the tower recycles the mana contained in the corpse to summon or produce similar demon beast although there is no known way to prove it. It is common knowledge that if one dismantle and keep anything salvaged from the demon beasts the salvaged things won¡¯t disappear. The corpse also won¡¯t disappear if it is taken whole outside the tower. The tower has kept its function for who knows how long so the tower¡¯s source of mana might not just be from the recycling.


    ¡°I have no need for them so it¡¯s all yours.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ thanks.¡±


    ¡°See you again then Lizzy!¡±


    After that conversation Erik¡¯s and Kaldor¡¯s team then parted. Liz quickly trotted following Erik to step into the teleportation circle. Of course she ignored Yusa¡­ she does not hate her but she personally think that she is bad with her, especially because of the excessive cheek to cheek skinship.


    After that whenever there is no one else around, Erik would allow Liz to use short chanting and any magic she thought as best fit to the situation as long as it is within advanced class at max. Kaldor¡¯s party is an exception to that rule since they know Liz¡¯s identity as someone from different race.


    (By the way¡­ why is Azanthys sticking so close to Erik? It has been like that since we left the inn. Erik is scolding me again for not focusing on the battle several times already but I can¡¯t help it because Erik gave up trying to separate from her. I don¡¯t like it but I don¡¯t want to disappoint Erik by doing badly in battle so I held it in. Still, I couldn¡¯t get it off my mind after all. Let¡¯s try to do better¡­ If I go full power I can go until the 20<sup>th</sup>floor by myself already so I can¡¯t show any weakness to Erik.)


    Was what she thought when she was scolded by Erik for having her attacks miss their target for a number of times.


    As they reached the 15<sup>th</sup>floor Erik quickly chose a relatively safe place to take a rest As he took a seat on the ground, Liz quickly sits¡­ between Erik and Azanthys.


    ¡°Mu¡­ what¡­ are you¡­ doing?¡±


    Liz didn¡¯t answer Azanthys. The reason by Azanthys has been hogging Erik to herself. When Liz looked at Erik while ignoring Azanthys, Erik could only show a troubled face.


    (What? Do you like Azanthys that much?)


    Liz could only puff her cheeks when Azanthys moved to Erik¡¯s other side.


    (I can¡¯t take this anymore. I¡¯m going to voice my discontent to Erik here and now.)


    ¡°This might not be the best time to say this but¡­ Liz.¡±


    ¡°,F, fue?¡±


    Liz didn¡¯t expect Erik to talk first so she was surprised.


    ¡°I might have to leave you in the care of Martlea and Kaldor¡¯s group for a while.¡±


    Liz was confused at Erik¡¯s words as if her mind refused to process them for a second.


    (Eh? Does that mean¡­ Erik, is going to leave me?)


    ¡°NO!¡±


    As she began to understand the meaning of those words a part by a part she managed to let out a shout. She also grabbed Erik¡¯s arm and hugged it as strong as she could.


    ¡°Wait, wait, calm down Liz.¡±


    ¡°Erik promised! Erik would never leave me alone! Don¡¯t say something like that even as a joke!¡±


    Looking troubled Erik then grabbed Liz¡¯s shoulder with his other hand as he tried to calm her down.


    ¡°Like I said, calm down first, Liz. I don¡¯t intend to break that promise. I just said ¡®for a while¡¯ didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°But! But!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for how long but I don¡¯t think it will take more than a month. I¡¯m going to conquer this tower.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told you this but I explored this tower before. I failed once but there is something I need to do at the very top of this tower.¡±


    ¡°Th, then just take me along!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Liz¡­ it¡¯s too dangerous. This tower also has 100 floors. From the 51<sup>st</sup>floor onward things get a high jump on difficulty and it seems it isn¡¯t the real thing yet considering I have never seen the 76<sup>th</sup>floor and above. It will take too long to have you become strong enough for it.¡±


    Liz gritted her teeth as tears started to form in her eyes.


    ¡°How about that enemy Erik said as being weak to fire? There is no reason not to take me if Erik wants to defeat it. Erik also planned to have me help right!?¡±


    ¡°That was before, but I have Azanthys and Mareritter now. I don¡¯t want to expose you to a danger where I don¡¯t even know whether I will be able to protect you or not.¡±


    Having her comeback rebutted easily like that Liz was only able to bite her lips as her expression distorts more and tears trailing down her cheeks.


    Liz herself understood everything Erik had said, that it is also for her own well-being. However, understanding and accepting are two different things altogether. She also doesn¡¯t really know why she is so opposed to it. Perhaps she was unwilling to experience the same feeling of being left behind. Perhaps it was just simply a form of refusal from separating specifically with Erik. Nonetheless she is not going to agree with it. Liz herself might not notice it but this is the first time she is being stubborn against Erik.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t talk with Erik again until Erik decides to take me along!¡±


    Saying so in the spur of the moment, Liz ran toward the teleportation circle to go down.


    ¡°Liz! ¡­ Azanthys, follow Liz and don¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡±


    Without showing a reluctant face Azanthys immediately followed her master¡¯s order and ran to the same direction as Liz.


    ¡°I was rushing things and told her too early eh¡­? I should have waited a bit more, what a failure¡­¡±


    ¡°Master, I believe it is not a matter of timing.¡±


    ¡°¡­. By the way, I got a question...¡±


    Ignoring Mareritter¡¯s remark, Erik then threw a question at him and began to walk toward the same direction as Liz and Azanthys, followed by the listening Mareritter.


    ***


    In front of gate to Orum Arx¡¯s first floor, on the roadside leading to Arx Norr branch adventurer¡¯s guild.


    ¡°So, what happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Liz who is pouting kept her silence.


    Martlea put a hand on her temple and let out a weak sigh. She met Liz right when she just finished with half of her guild work for today and chose to take a short walk outside for a breather. She found Liz who ran out of the tower¡¯s entrance alerting the guards who then judged that it was nothing after peeking into the tower. The worried Martlea decided to, for now, forget about a certain pressing matter which she needs to take care of and chose to talk with Liz instead.


    ¡°Did something happen between you and that man¡­ Erik?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Another silence, Martlea however noticed that Liz¡¯s shoulder showed a brief and slight response so she took that as a ¡°yes¡±. Martlea also noticed that someone is watching them from the top of a nearby building. She took a glance at that someone to find Azanthys, the mysterious girl who is also a companion of Erik. Martlea couldn¡¯t help but remember the moment where she couldn¡¯t react to her speed and the cold sensation of a sword made of ice on the skin of her neck. Azanthys should have noticed her glance but didn¡¯t show any reaction. She must have been sent by Erik to look after Liz, Martlea thought. Thus after concluding that Azanthys won¡¯t do anything Martlea returned her attention to Liz.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we move to somewhere with a roof for now? The sun¡¯s blazing hot after all.¡±


    Different with the empire to the north which has four seasons. Arx Norr only has two, dry-hot and wet-rainy season. It still rains albeit rarely in the hot season and the rainy season doesn¡¯t mean that it rains all the time either. It is the hot season now and today is especially hot. Even though a part of Arx Norr will be under the gigantic tower¡¯s shade depending on the time, it is noon right now and the sun is right above accompanied by a cloudless sky with the exception of the clouds covering the tower high above. As a side note, nobody has ever seen the shadow of the tower¡¯s top since surrounding light will make the tower¡¯s shadow fades gradually outwards. Some even said that even though the shadow will extend until it far surpasses the town¡¯s premise at sunrise or sunset, it would not even be half the length of the tower. No one knows for sure but that is the topic that people here talk about from time to time.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    To avoid the sun and since she had the intention even before she met Liz, Martlea brought Liz to a nearby caf¨¦ which is famous between female adventurers for its cakes which uses the rare imported white sugar from Valis Republic of Merchant. Granted, the cakes are fairly expensive for low ranked adventurers but not a problem for Martlea with her steady income as guild secretary.


    One¡¯s mood will easily be affected by one¡¯s stomach, with that in thought Martlea ordered two of the shop¡¯s famed cakes. For herself an egg cake the size of her palm made mainly of avian demon beast Ostra¡¯s eggs adorned with cocos bites and ar berries, if Erik were here he would call them chocolate chips and strawberries instead. Then for Liz who stayed silent all the time she ordered a white lapald fruit cake. The sweet lapald fruit could only be found around the elven great forest and the white variation is a rare one with additional slight sour taste. The need to use magic cooler box in its distribution only contributes to its expensive price. Martlea smiled when she found that even the sulky Liz showed an interest to the cake and a cup of tea with sweet fragrance served before her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, it¡¯s yours.¡±


    Martlea started eating her cake while watching Liz who slowly but with an increasing pace eating her share of fruit cake. Seeing that Martlea then ordered another set of cakes.


    After they finished eating their second serving, Martlea sipped her tea before trying to talk again with Liz.


    ¡°I won¡¯t force you to talk if you don¡¯t want to, but maybe I can help you if I know the problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Erik is going to leave me¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Martlea coulnd¡¯t believe what she just heard. That man who spoils Liz even without the intention to, a man who will even torture, strips, and hang people upside down in the tower because those people said some rude things at Liz and stalked them in the tower. Yes, that man. He is leaving Liz?


    ¡°That bastard, I will have a few words with him. Where is he?¡±


    Liz shuddered at Martlea¡¯s sinister smile and realized her mistake. Liz quickly added a follow up.


    ¡°N, no. I mean it is just for a while but Erik will focus on conquering the tower. Without taking me along¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Conquering the tower? Something that has been unachievable even to the infamous S rank adventurers who could barely advances in the 30<sup>th</sup>or so floor suddenly doesn¡¯t sound so impossible if it is that man. Martlea knows about how that man massacred a great number of imperial knights, thus unwilling as she may be she has come to terms with Erik surpassing the strongest human that she knew ¨Cthe guild master in strength.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Fue?¡±


    Martlea couldn¡¯t help but wonder. That man barely acts as an adventurer. He never took any request, doesn¡¯t try to recruit more members or join another party, it doesn¡¯t even look like he is becoming an adventurer for a living, for the money. He does sell high quality demon beasts materials from time to time but never in high quantity as if he brought them back on his whim. Now that man aims to conquer the tower? For now she dismissed the thought since she noticed Liz¡¯s still sulky look.


    ¡°If he does leave you then what will you do?¡±


    Oops, Martlea put a hand on her mouth because Liz¡¯s eyes became teary as soon as she finished saying that. However, Liz then gave her an answer.


    ¡°E, Erik said to leave me in your or and Mr. Kaldor¡¯s care.¡±


    Martlea almost responded with a ¡°That¡¯s good then, it will be better than staying under that man¡¯s care.¡± but Martlea knows that saying so will anger Liz instead so Martlea changes her wording.


    ¡°Actually, I would have to agree to that. The unknown part of the tower is too dangerous. I don¡¯t know about that man but the 30<sup>th</sup>floor and above is already hellish even for high ranking adventurers.¡±


    ¡°I, I already went to the 50<sup>th</sup>floor with Erik and I think it is really hard but not impossible even for me if I¡¯m with Erik!¡±


    The agitated Liz raised her voice and Martlea immediately put a hand on Liz¡¯s mouth to stop her when she heard about a specific part. It was too late but fortunately nobody around paid much attention and it is not like people will easily believe such an absurd thing either.


    50<sup>th</sup>floor? Martlea couldn¡¯t even imagine how strong the demon beasts lurking there. If it is only about some entities even rank S adventurers in a team would find hard to subjugate then she would mention the dragons and ancient dragons around the continent. It is difficult but a team comprised of at least 2 S rank adventurers plus some more in A rank with various expertise will be able to kill a dragon, then it would take at least three of such teams to subjugate a relatively strong ancient dragon. Some will become the dragon¡¯s victim in the process however. Those S ranks in small team could barely advances in the 30<sup>th</sup>floor and now Liz is saying she reached the 50<sup>th</sup>floor with just two person? Martlea had a hard time processing it and became speechless for a few seconds. Liz took the chance to take Martlea¡¯s hand off her mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re with Martlea, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Both Liz and Martlea turned their heads to the voice to find Erik entering the caf¨¦ followed by Azanthys and Mareritter. A waiter approached him but he sent the waiter off by saying ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just here to have a brief talk with those two.¡± then he walked approaching Liz and Martlea.


    Looking at Erik who is in full gear with a filled backpack on his back Liz¡¯s expression became sour. When Erik only took a glance at her and looked at Martlea instead Liz felt even more upset. In fact, it was a worried and hesitant gaze directed at her but Liz failed to notice it due to her current emotional state.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. It seems I will have to leave Liz in your care for a while since I¡¯m going on a bit of a trip.¡±


    Liz hit the table with both hands and stood immediately at the sentence. It looked like she was about to say something but she stopped right after she opened her mouth.


    ¡°Eh?¡± was Martlea¡¯s sole response to it.


    ¡°Aah, Liz said that she won¡¯t talk to me until I agree to bring her along to the tower.¡±


    Liz looked away, blushing at Erik¡¯s explanation. Martlea thought that it was cute but kept it to herself.


    ¡°By the look of it I guess you already heard from Liz so I¡¯ll be quick. Please take care of Liz for a while. I also talked to Kaldor and his team about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m perfectly fine with it but¡­ Liz is totally against it so...¡±


    Martlea couldn¡¯t think of anything to convince Liz and she knows how much Liz is attached to Erik from what she saw all the time.


    Erik just sighed and approached Liz.


    Erik is looking at Liz while Liz is looking away from him.


    ¡°Liz, I told you about my goal before right?¡±


    Liz kept her silence.


    ¡°As I am now it is still impossible to reach it. There are many things to be done before I could make it true. And I believe going to the tower might be able to get me closer.¡±


    Liz kept her silence.


    ¡°I promise I will return, to you.¡±


    Liz kept her silence looking downward before she opened her mouth.


    ¡°Father also promised that he will always be there for me. But¡­ that is a lie now. Erik also promised that Erik would never leave me alone¡­ Is that also a lie?¡±


    Erik unusually made a grim expression at Liz¡¯s words but only Azanthys, Mareritter, and Martlea noticed it. Erik just thought of how it would be if the truth of her father is exposed then.


    ¡°No, I¡­ trust me Liz. It¡¯s not a lie but for now¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Erik to leave me! I trust Erik! I do! I know Erik won¡¯t just leave me but I don¡¯t understand why but¡­ it is painful to even just think that I won¡¯t see Erik tomorrow, I¡¯m scared that Erik might not come back. I know that Erik is strong¡­ but¡­ I can¡¯t help but worry! Erik also said about failing once so¡­ so¡­¡±


    Erik stroked the teary eyed Liz¡¯s head gently and crouched to look at her eyes directly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m stronger than I was back then. I also got Mareritter and Azanthys now.¡±


    ¡°Liz only shook her head.


    ¡°Uh¡­ how about this? I promise to do anything you want me to after I return from the tower.¡±


    Liz kept her silence but her eyes showed a hint of interest¡­ however she once again shook her head.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Hnnnggg. Then, three! I¡¯ll give you three wishes! I¡¯ll do anything you want as long as it is within my capabilities for three times.


    ¡°That¡¯s dirty and it ruined the atmosphere¡­¡±


    Martlea shoved her comment in. Erik just smiled wryly at it.


    However it might be effective. Liz is shyly looking at Erik.


    ¡°Alright¡­ but promise that Erik will definitely return¡­safely¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I will definitely return so wait for me, okay?¡±


    Liz nodded although her eyes are still moist with tears. Erik then stood after patting Liz¡¯s head once and faced Martlea.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve reached an agreement.¡±


    ¡°Now that I think back on it, I can only hope that Liz won¡¯t make any absurd request. Oh and about my trip to the tower¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand. Nobody would believe me if I say someone is going to conquer the tower alone and when they do they would just think that the one doing it as a crazy man or a peerless idiot. I do think you¡¯re a crazy one though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly alone¡­ these two will be with me. Well, I¡¯m glad you understand but the last part was unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°You sure? There are so many absurd things about you in case you don¡¯t realize.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­yeah¡­¡±


    Erik looked back again at Liz who looked back at him with a restrained expression.


    ¡°I left some money in our room so just check it later. Also¡­ this isn¡¯t a goodbye so I¡¯ll just say ¡®see you later¡¯. I¡¯ll return as soon as possible.¡±


    Erik then walked toward the exit but Liz grabbed the hem of his clothes and as he turned around Liz hugged him.


    ¡°Liz?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Let me stay like this for a bit¡­¡±


    The caf¨¦ turned silent at that moment as other customers who previously cared little started to be charmed by the scene sending warm gazes at the two. Erik, obviously embarrassed by it could only scratch his cheek before he stroked Liz¡¯s hair gently. The only one voicing dissatisfaction with a ¡°Muuu.¡± was Azanthys.


    ***


    It has only been less than 5 hours after my parting with Liz, but here I am.


    The sky is dark but I could see a faint orange tint in the distance, the sun has just set. The chilling wind is as strong as the last time I was here but strangely I don¡¯t even feel bothered by the cold. I know that it is cold but it is as if I can¡¯t feel it. Is it because of how high strung I am right now?


    I made a quick run from the first floor, defeating monster and bosses only when they hinder the teleportation gate. The me now could even kill the huge wyvern boss of 67<sup>th</sup>floor in tens of seconds. How will I fare against that other one then?


    As I thought so, I heard the loud flapping sound identical to the one in my memory so I readied my wyvern fang daggers.


    ¡°Yo, so we meet again eh? I was just thinking about you.¡±


    ¡°Master, it is just a lesser dragon so speech would be useless.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I know Mareritter, I¡¯m just riding on the mood, okay?¡±


    Right, this time I¡¯m not alone. I had fully released Azanthys¡¯ and Mareritter¡¯s limiter.


    ¡°So¡­ this¡­ the one¡­ hurt master¡­ before?!¡±


    Azanthys¡¯ surrounding is now full of mist with icy dusts floating around. Even though the wind is strong her chilly aura is being generated endlessly. She¡¯s angry.


    The ult**man sized dragon landed in front of us, folding its wings while seemingly oblivious to our hostility. But soon it opened its gigantic jaw.


    This time as well, our battle started with its deafening roar.


    Expecting the roar I already prepared earplugs for each of us and we wore it right before it roared but the roar is still hurting my ears though not as bad as before. We can communicate with telepathy anyway so it won¡¯t hinder our cooperation and thus we also started attacking.


    We scrambled in three directions to prevent it from focusing too much on one of us. As planned Azanthys is taking it right from the front, preparing huge ice boulders from a distance while Mareritter and I flank it from both sides. Mareritter uses his black electricity covered punch which to my surprise could make the dragon roars in annoyance as it lifts the limb away from Mareritter who just punched it. As for me, I used the flaming slash since it should be weak to fire however its scales looked to be just fine or so I thought. When I hit it again directly the thick scales crumbled showing its weaker skin. I don¡¯t know if it because I am stronger or it was simply because the flame just wasn¡¯t hot enough to make a visible damage. However I am sure of one thing now, defeating this dragon is no longer impossible and thus I repeated the same pattern of attack.


    The dragon flailed to be rid of me and Mareritter but Azanthys took that timing to shoot her ice boulders. Each one of it is almost as big as the dragon¡¯s head given the long preparation time and the dragon is too gigantic to be able to move quick enough to dodge so they will surely hit. However as Mareritter and I jumped backwards avoiding its claws the dragon used its wings to cover its front. The wind created from its wings movement also blew both of us away easily since we were still midair. The ice boulders broke into pieces as they hit the dragon¡¯s wings but its wings were damaged as well albeit just at the level of grazing wound. It seems Praesia¡¯s advice on using flames to weaken its scales was right after all.


    I¡¯m not going to regret not bringing Liz along. That much I have decided but this battle might take longer than I thought. I hope the rucksack carrying my supplies which I left near the edge of this floor won¡¯t be gone by the time this battle ends. I had Azanthys cover it on all sides with her ice though.


    As I landed a bit away from the dragon I saw its mouth emitting burst of flames.


    ¡°Breath attack!¡±


    I shouted while also using telepathy to inform the other two but it might not have been necessary as I saw Mareritter is doing the same thing as I am, running towards the dragon¡¯s back. Azanthys is making a very thick and huge ice wall in front of her as planned. This ability of hers is why I decided to make her be the one to face the dragon head on.


    The dragon then made a sweep from left to right with its breath. Mareritter and I were already behind it safe from the flame but the heat is still being transmitted to my skin despite the distance.


    (Azanthys, are you okay over there?)


    (¡­ No¡­ problem¡­)


    Azanthys replied to me right away so I breathed a sigh of relief.


    As the dragon stopped its breath I could see azanthys¡¯ ice wall prevailed with less than a third of its original size and volume. Hers is not normal ice that won¡¯t melt even if left under direct sunlight for hours and I¡¯m sure she made it at least 3 meters thick though¡­ what a frightening flame that was.


    (I¡¯ll hit it on various places with fire then Azanthys will use her ice boulders to attack the same spot. Mareritter, you distract the dragon!)


    ((Firmnates, nostrael ar domineum!))


    The two answered in ancient language I couldn¡¯t really grasp but I think it is an expression of affirmation. With his speed Mareritter attacks the dragon mainly on its arms. The dragon is responding by raising one arm then the other in annoyance. I take the chance to unleash a bigger flame slash on it. Even when I say it is a big one, it is pale in comparison to the dragon but I managed to hit a relatively huge portion of its body on the left side.


    Not missing even one second Azanthys immediately followed by shooting just one but highly customized ice boulder or maybe I should call it giant sword of ice since this time it was made in shape of one albeit roughly. And the ice sword stabbed right at the place I just attacked and into the dragon¡¯s flesh at a fifth of its length. Dark red blood spurted out of the wound and the dragon roared in pain, probably the first real pain it had ever felt.


    We can do this. I continued my assault immediately as the thought flashed in my mind.


    ***


    I don¡¯t know how long the fight has been going on. The sky is completely dark but my eyes have adjusted to the illumination from the stars and faint bluish light from the crystal floor which I just noticed. Perhaps it was a glow in the dark or its light was simply unnoticeable under the sun, I don¡¯t know, but it is a soothing kind of light if not for the ongoing battle.


    The dragon¡¯s body has more than 5 of Azanthys¡¯ boulder size ice swords stabbed into its flesh. However, far from weakening, I could feel that it is growing more ferocious. Its bloodshot red eyes suddenly focused on me instead of Mareritter who is currently attacking, I was startled but following my instinct I quickly jumped away with all my strength.


    Without any prior sign it opened its jaw and at that instant a surge of focused flame¡­ scratch that, it¡¯s a beam, a freaking huge one, hit the place where I was just a second ago. The crystal floor which I thought was indestructible is now shining bright orange as its surface melted due to the extreme heat.


    ¡°The hell was that?!¡±


    (I believe it is a super condensed version of its breath, Master.)


    (I can guess that much, I¡¯m just surprised.)


    I replied back to Mareritter¡¯s calm sounded explanation. I¡¯m not really one to say this but how could you be calm after seeing that oyyy?


    However in contrast someone else is losing her calm.


    ¡°You¡­ YOU¡­ ALMOST¡­ HURT MASTER!¡±


    Forget being hurt, it would be instant death if I didn¡¯t react on time but I looked at Azanthys who screamed and summoned 5 boulder size ice swords almost in an instant. She shot them one by one focusing on one spot, its chest. Although the first three was deflected easily by its scales, the fourth made a crack and the last opened a hole exposing its flesh. Her destructive power is higher than mine.


    She repeated the same pattern again and again but the dragon moved around to protect its chest and to avoid being hit on the same place.


    (Not good.)


    (Mareritter?)


    (Sister is using too much mana. We have pre-stored mana and we are constantly receiving mana from master but like this the amount being replenished is far lower than her expenditure. There is almost no pause in her attacks as well, at this rate she will run out of mana soon.)


    (Azanthys! Calm down. I¡¯m fine so don¡¯t get too agitated!)


    I immediately called out to Azanthys after hearing what Mareritter just told me.


    Azanthys who stopped her attack is crouching and breathing roughly with a hand still being raised towards the dragon. As I noticed the dragon¡¯s movement I dashed at Azanthys.


    Barely made it. The dragon sent a laser breath, as I decided to call it such, at where Azanthys was. Azanthys is now looking apologetic in my arms.


    ¡°I am¡­ sorry¡­ master¡­ Azanthys¡­ careless¡­¡±


    I hit her head gently after letting her down.


    ¡°It should be a ¡®thank you¡¯, not an apology. ¡±


    I said so because it was how I truly felt and as not to lower her morale.


    (Master, requesting permission to receive a higher amount of mana and to release winged form.)


    Mareritter who is distracting the dragon sent me his request which I immediately accepted.


    (Granted. Do as you wish!)


    I felt my power, my mana forced out of my body in huge amount, perhaps more than half my maximum capacity from how I¡¯m starting to feel a bit light-headed from minor mana exhaustion. The next moment, with a shout Mareritter is now already attacking the dragon while being airborne. His black plasma-like wings and tail are bursting with energy.


    His method of attack has also changed. He is now capable to shoot out black lightning from his fists. The dragon¡¯s scales hit by the lightning are showing sign of corrosion little by little as they turned gray in color however the corrosion is minuscule in retrospect to the dragon¡¯s size, my guess is that each one would barely be at 30 centimeters in diameter.


    ¡°For a mere lesser dragon to be able to resist my ability to that extent¡­ then how about this?¡±


    Right after Mareritter said that sentence unnatural dark clouds started to gather above us. Black lightning sparks are flying here and there decorating the clouds. Wait, a wide area annihilation magic?


    I was right, in less than a second after I thought so a huge beam of black lightning with countless smaller ones rained on the dragon. Rather than a deafening thunder, I felt like the world had turned completely silent until the rampaging rain of destruction finally ended.


    Mareritter landed on his knees while breathing roughly, his wings and tail then dissipated into the air. On the other hand, the dragon collapsed onto the floor with a loud sound. Its whole body scales had turned ash grey, crumbling into dust.


    Did he do it? I, followed closely by Azanthys approached the dragon while being cautious. The dust from its crumbling scales were blown this way by the wind so I put a hand before my eyes. Usually this would be when the worst case scenario would happen as I just raised the flag for it but it was silence for a few seconds so I let out a long relieved sigh.


    A loud roar resounded as if to betray my expectation at the very last moment. The dragon raised its body amidst its crumbling scales. After spinning while doing a tail sweep on us as a surprise attack it then flew, I who dodged the sweep with Azanthys was already away from where the dragon was but it left wind pressure strong enough to make me fell on my butt even after I tried to crouch forward. I looked at the sky to find the flying dragon looking down on us, its eye filled with anger. My danger perception kicked in and after grabbing Azanthys who was next to me I jumped away immediately. The dragon is using its laser breath but fortunately it is doing it by sweeping vertically so I could predict where it will land and dodged in time. However it left a huge scar on the floor. More than ten meters wide and starting from one floor edge to end at the opposite edge, the indestructible crystal floor had turned into magma.


    ¡°Crap, it¡¯s really angry¡­ ¡°


    That thing is probably preparing another breath attack. Although it can discharge the beam almost in the instant it opens its mouth, it can¡¯t fire rapidly in succession. I don¡¯t like the dragon¡¯s eyes looking down on us as if ridiculing. Yeah¡­ I can¡¯t even touch it now that it is so high up there.


    ¡°Master¡­ let¡¯s do¡­ that¡­¡±


    Azanthys¡¯ suggested a viable solution to this situation. My remaining mana is less than half so the risk of not finishing it in time is high but the dragon is also weakened right now¡­


    Before I could think of what to do next it started again. This time the dragon started sweeping from left to right. Azanthys who could move again dodged with me but when I saw that in the distance Mareritter is still crouching down right in the path of the beam I immediately shouted the magic words.


    ¡°Azanthys, Mareritter, Un Num Cordias!¡±


    It¡¯s just do or die now.

 Chapter 14 : The Final Part of the Conquest

    One week before Erik started conquering the tower. Within the 50<sup>th</sup>floor of Orum Arx, near the ruin of Praesia¡¯s shrine.


    ¡°Un Num Cordias?¡±


    ¡°Yes, by saying our names and those words, master can forcefully turn us into our weapon form and we will instantly appear right next to master regardless of where we were as long as it is within a certain radius¡­ let¡¯s say about twice the size of Arx Norr. While we can transform by ourselves, I believe this will be more useful.¡±


    ¡°That is certainly useful.¡±


    ¡°As our mana pool is being completely dependent on master¡¯s our time in battle will also be limited to how much mana master has. Of course we can store and pile up small unnoticeable amount overtime but we can also absorb master¡¯s mana by however much amount allowed by master at any time.¡±


    ¡°What will happen if I exhaust my mana to zero?¡±


    ¡°If we still have some amount stored, we will be able to maintain activity to some degree, similar situation occurred when our temporary contract was half severed before, rendering us unable to receive mana from master. If we ourselves run out of mana, however, we will enter deep slumber in weapon form with all our abilities unavailable until certain amounts are restored.¡±


    For the time being I decided to try it.


    ¡°Azanthys, Mareritter, Un Num Cordias.¡±


    The two literally transformed into something like magic sphere the size of a basketball, Azanthys is bluish white while Mareritter is reddish black. The spheres then teleported to both my sides, Azanthys at my right and Mareritter at my left.


    I extended my hands and touched the spheres which then transformed into the two familiar and trusty weapons I¡¯ve held countless time before. Different with the magic spheres¡¯ color, the pure white Azanthys and the jet black Mareritter gleamed faintly under the dim light of magic stones embedded in the ceilings.


    ¡°Oooh this is kind of cool.¡±


    While thinking that this is the first time I held them as weapons after our reunion I proceed to do some practice swings and some combination of dash and slash. What is this? I feel so light but there is also some strange feelings mixed in. I tried doing a forward dash while putting my full power.


    In an instant I who was unable to control my trajectory crashed into a boulder.


    (Master!)


    ¡°*Cough* It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Dust cloud and falling pieces of the boulders are all I could see so I protected my eyes with the hand holding Azanthys who shouted worriedly into my mind while walking away from there. After moving away I just realized that the part where I crashed was flung away in small pieces like shotgun¡¯s pellets rather than just simply crumbled. The evidence is that the larger boulder in the background was filled with numerous holes and cracks.


    I think I moved almost three times faster than I thought I would. With this I¡¯m now sure that my stats have been raised yet again by having the two as weapons. Heck it might be that the two¡¯s stats were added to mine although I don¡¯t have any proof backing the speculation.


    (Master, how about trying to release our full gear mode and wings next?)


    ¡°I can do that? Alright tell me how.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hide my excitement and urged Mareritter to tell me more about it. I always loved the idea of having wings and fly on my own since I was a kid. Kind of embarrassing if I do say so myself though.


    (Master may recite armarevesta verbally or in master¡¯s mind and we will do the rest of the magic processing)


    ¡°Alright then, armarevesta!¡±


    Ice suddenly covers me following the contour of my body but I don¡¯t feel cold. Black electric sparks ran through the ice which suddenly get tinged black with some white pattern forming on it and the texture now seemed metallic. I am now wearing black and white full plate body armor complete with a helmet that covers my face. I took it off and I think it is called the close helmet or maybe armet type or even something between the two. If Surya is still around I could ask him¡­ I was too late in realizing that what just happened to me might looked to be just like the old transforming superhero and I somehow felt indescribable embarrassment to it. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t have to make a sequence of some strange poses though.


    As I wore the helmet back on, I noticed a pair of detached wings on my back. Each one are both Azanthys¡¯ and Mareritter¡¯s wings respectively. Putting aside the difference of both right and left wings, can I just fly now?


    (Master, open your mind and let us synchronize our thoughts. That way we can fly according to master¡¯s wish.)


    Even though you say that, how do I do that? For the time being I just tried to convey everything that is on my mind to both Azanthys and Mareritter.


    (Yes¡­ master¡­ trust¡­ in us¡­)


    Trust? Right now in this world I could confidently say that the only ones I trust unconditionally are Liz and these two.


    (Mind sync achieved¡­ Now, just try to fly however master wishes to.)


    That was quick, I don¡¯t know how it was done but it seems the thought synchronization has been achieved before I know it.


    As prompted by Mareritter I lightly kicked off the ground and just like that, I¡¯m flying. I tried accelerating and the max speed is comparable to my earlier dash so I quickly decelerated before another mishap could occur since this place is cramped compared to the outside world. Flying feels really good though.After that I tried various acrobatic maneuvers for fun.


    (Master¡­ let us land since it seemed that master¡¯s mana is nearing depletion.)


    Mareritter threw a wrench to my happy thought but now that he mentioned it I feel quite a heavy mana exhaustion and decided to quit. So that strange feeling I felt before was because my mana was getting depleted rather quickly. As I landed the armor immediately dissipated into diamond dust like particles and both Azanthys and Mareritter returned to their human form, supporting me who stumbled because of mana exhaustion. I felt the same tiredness before after Surya forced me to accompany him watch a marathon of his favorite magical girl anime series that is completely not to my liking, it¡¯s more mental than physical but the body is affected. Bagus was saved since he said his parents weren¡¯t home so he had to take care of his siblings. Surya almost offered to watch it at Bagus¡¯s place but I sacrificed myself to not let his siblings get tainted by Surya.


    Even though my head is heavy I inadvertently smiled to the memory that flashed through my mind. I¡¯m definitely getting stronger. Just wait. After I fulfill my deal with Praesia I will exact judgment to that bastard Daunte and the empire. There¡¯s Liz now so it might have to be delayed some way or another until I can secure a safe and stable life for her though.


    Mareritter then told me both using their weapon form and armored form drains my mana in high amount although it is obvious armored form drains even more mana than just the weapon form.


    After that I trained with the transformation for several days in succession while hiding the fact from Liz.


    I got afflicted with mana exhaustion almost everytime before quitting so I know the time limit now although it has been extending a little each time so I guess my maximum capacity is also growing thanks to it. This quick stat growth is the only merit I could savor for being a former hero I guess. The current time limit is roughly 3 hours in weapon form and just twenty minutes for full gear mode and it would be even less if I use magic. The difference is tremendous. Later I would also find out that when Azanthys¡¯ and Mareritter¡¯s mana reaches zero, they will really turn into their weapon forms while being completely inactive until a certain amount is recovered. In short they will just be weapons with far higher quality than most, of course without the stats increase on me. Just like when I was using them as a hero. So I put some interval of rest between trainings to let them accumulate mana from me. The only way to extend their operational time is for me to increase the size of my mana capacity so the amount being sent constantly will also rise. I¡¯m on the right track it seems.


    The mana consumption is really bad but Mareritter told me that not to mention its high physical defense value, the armor has absolute defense again ice and lightning magic including high resistance to water and wind magic. Mareritter didn¡¯t explain further but I think the resistance might have come from the relationship between ice and water plus lightning and wind, at least that¡¯s how it is in some games I know. Mareritter also told me I can use both their magics freely with only a third of its normal mana consumption rate since the spell processing is divided between the three of us. The spell magnitude is however significantly lowered since technically I am still the main user. I can still use their magic even without using the armor form but there wouldn¡¯t be wings so I won¡¯t be able to fly without the armor. Nevertheless I was, once again, elated. I who don¡¯t even have one elemental affinity could try out some powerful magic now. The only drawback is that different with the two I still have to chant the spell aria for the very first time I use a magic although once I do it will be kind of registered in Azanthys¡¯ and Mareritter¡¯s directory so after that I will only need to use a keyword or chant just the spell name. To me it is somehow similar to the demon race. The two will of course teach me the chants. Crap, my chuuni-self and my shame are starting to have a war deep inside of me.


    I then tried various magic as much as my small mana capacity compared to the two who have even more capacity than the current Liz, it¡¯s just that their mana pools are barely filled since they can¡¯t gain mana via normal way. I accidentally found out that after a full contract, as long as I don¡¯t allow it no matter how much Azanthys and Mareritter attack me with their magic, I won¡¯t even get a scratch. The inflicted magic itself is effective I just simply won¡¯t be harmed. Should I thank Praesia for creating them to be like that?


    ***


    After holding Azanthys and Mareritter in their weapon form I immediately resumed my attack on the battered dragon. Using armored form right away is too risky since I already used more than half of my mana. My stats should have been raised more than twofold roughly judging from the training sessions. However this is simply battling with three people¡¯s worth of strength compressed into just one when compared to the previous situation where the three of us fought together. A one against one fight as opposed to the previous three against one isn¡¯t necessarily a better situation.


    To reach the flying dragon up there other than by flying I invoked the pre-registered spell.


    ¡°Laque stiria rostraes.¡±


    In mere seconds, ice blocks of various sizes ranging between the palm of my hand and a game console (Play***tion 4 anyone?) appeared in the air. I used them as platforms for my jumps. I practiced this 3 dimensional movements many times and the ice blocks locations is according to how I wanted so I am closing in on the dragon without any hesitation. The reason I don¡¯t slip? ¡­It¡¯s magic~!


    There are limitations but this magic allows its user to create multiple ice blocks in the air which quantity, position, and shape can be manipulated freely within the effective period of about 5 minutes. However the actual spell aria was three sentences long and I need to continuously control where and when to make the ice blocks hence it is rather impractical in a real fight but thanks to mind sync and spell registration where I leave most of the magic processing to the original user, in this case it is Azanthys, this spell can be used like this.


    The distance left between the dragon and me is about 100 meters but getting closer for even just a bit felt like an eternity. I mostly create the blocks in a predetermined pattern but responding to the dragon¡¯s movements where it might use its laser breath anytime, in fact it already did twice by now, I managed to dodge because it is possible to create an ice block after the jump so I jumped anywhere the laser breath won¡¯t hit. I know this dragon isn¡¯t stupid so I also created more ice blocks than needed to allow erratic movements preventing it to lock onto me but it still occasionally fired easily dodgeable laser breaths since it always shoot in accordance to its line of sight anyway so I just need to predict when it will use the breath. I don¡¯t want to think what if I misjudged the timing. Nothing will be left of me for sure.


    The dragon is constantly changing its position but with my speed I am definitely getting closer. As the distance between us is almost at the dragon¡¯s arm reach I prepared Azanthys and Mareritter in my hands. The protective scale is gone so using a blade to wound its already battered body should be easier, not to mention that it is Azanthys and Mareritter which are far stronger than the wyvern fang daggers I am holding right now. Then it suddenly happened. Instead of a pinpoint attack which is a laser breath that you can still dodge if you know where it will hit, the dragon used a normal wide area fire breath on me.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Damn it! Glacis rumeris, clypmea!¡±


    I immediately put a boulder of ice in front of me as a shield. It is the same spell Azanthys used previously to shield herself but mine is far smaller than the one she made. Controlling two different magic at once is still impossible for me even with assistance so the ice blocks I used as foothold started to be pulled by gravity along with myself. I somehow managed to make the ice shield stays in front of me but damn it¡¯s still really hot and it is obviously melting. Fortunately I who fell down finally am out of reach from the blazing inferno before my shield melted completely. My skin was burnt a little by the heat alone nevertheless.


    I immediately used the ice platforms spell and approached the dragon once again. It can¡¯t be helped but to avoid being burnt to ash this time I¡¯m making a roundabout way to approach it. The dragon of course moved away in response to the direction of my approach, it also gained more chance to use laser breath but I persisted. However when I thought I had the chance and jumped in a straight line from its left flank it somehow made a sudden nosedive and fired at me with laser breath from below. I managed to evade by using ice shield which melted almost in an instant and then re-invoking the platforms I made a mad dash avoiding the beam of death following me until it dissipated.


    Why won¡¯t this dragon get tired from using so many breath attacks? I¡¯m running out of fuel here!


    (Master, calm down¡­)


    ¡°Easy for you to say! Argh Dammit!¡±


    I am starting to get irritated I inadvertently shouted at Mareritter.


    (I have a plan¡­ please use the full gear form and approach the lesser dragon right from the front and force it to use another normal fire breath.)


    I apologized in my heart to Mareritter who answered me calmly¡­ I forgot we¡¯re doing mind sync so it will be transmitted anyway¡­ oh well.


    ¡°How much is the time limit of the full gear mode?¡±


    (In time format master most familiar with, it is barely 3 minutes. But don¡¯t worry as we will only need several tens of seconds at most.)


    ¡°3 minutes? Am I ult**man?!¡±


    Wait, I used that at the dragon¡­


    ¡°Am I instant cup noodles?!¡±


    Just¡­ lame¡­ ugh¡­


    I listened to Mareritter¡¯s explanation as I dodged the dragon¡¯s barrage of attacks. It does sound possible. Normally it is a plan where I need to cast two magics at once which is impossible for me. However there¡¯s that way of doing it eh. Alright then.


    ¡°Armarevesta!¡±


    As instructed by Mareritter, I flew at the dragon right from the front in max speed. It fired a laser breath once but I easily dodged it. I readied Azanthys on my right hand at the same time the dragon prepared another breath attack, a normal one. As the dragon opened its jaw I invoked the ice shield while letting go of Mareritter. I bent my knees, preparing for the next move.


    Turning to his human form Mareritter whose body is completely enveloped in black red lightning punched the sole of my right feet while at the same timing I used my whole strength to extend said leg, in short, I made a jump.


    Mareritter fell down while I shot through the opposite direction right into the flaming hell while being enveloped by Mareritter¡¯s lightning instead of the armor which crumbled to diamond dusts right after Mareritter turned to his human form. Being launched in that way plus clad in Mareritter¡¯s magic I plunged into the flame.


    Shit, hot hot hot! I screamed in my mind. The fire isn¡¯t touching me directly but I felt like I¡¯m inside the oven even with the ice shield and Mareritter¡¯s corrosive lightning covering me. The ice shield is losing its form but I made it to my destination before it is completely gone. It felt long but in what should actually be a few seconds at most I came out of the fire and slashed at the dragon¡¯s neck with Azanthys which just like my whole body is covered by Mareritter¡¯s lightning which is both protective and offensive in nature.


    The surprised dragon didn¡¯t react until I made the slash. However, even though Mareritter¡¯s corrosive lightning made the unprotected dragon¡¯s flesh felt as soft as tofu while also expanding the effect of the slash I could only cut the huge neck at a fifth its diameter at most. The dragon which then responded while seemingly ignoring the pain on its neck flapped its wings and maneuvered so it could face me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡±


    Invoking the ice platforms with what little amount of mana I have left I zigzagged in the air and approached the dragon once again while the lightning on my body started to dissipate little by little.


    ¡°You can¡¯t dodge when I¡¯m this close!¡±


    I made several more slashes at the dragon¡¯s neck while it roars loudly in agony. I¡¯m glad I still have the earplugs.


    Then finally, it¡¯s over. With its head separated from its body the dragon fell. With a great rumble the dragon¡¯s body hit the top floor, I¡¯m sure the tower shook as well but fortunately it still stood firmly. The dragon¡¯s head however fell off the tower.


    I just hope the head won¡¯t drop into place where there are people down there¡­ I hope Liz will be okay.


    With that in thought, I exerted the last ounce of my power to create platforms until I landed on the tower. After confirming that Mareritter who is already in his weapon form suspended state isn¡¯t crushed by the dragon¡¯s body, I let gravity take control of my body and be sprawled on the floor. Azanthys turning into her human form also lied down next to me, snuggling in closer.


    ¡°Damn that was harder than I thought it would be¡­¡±


    Mana exhaustion is hurting my head which already felt heavier than an iron ball so after taking off the earplugs which made my ears felt uncomfortable I gave in to the desire to drift into the dreamworld.


    ***


    Feeling the hard floor on my back I groaned in discomfort but my head is on top of something soft. I opened my eyes while wondering and was greeted by the blue sky. It seems it¡¯s already morning. Other than the sky in my view is Azanthys¡¯ face looking at me from above.


    ¡°Uhh? Azanthys?¡±


    ¡°Want¡­ master¡­ sleep comfortably.¡±


    The faintly blushing Azanthys told me so before I could ask why I am sleeping on her lap. Currently I am stupidly wondering whether I should quickly raise myself up or enjoy the feeling of her lap on the back of my head right now.


    ¡°Good morning, master.¡±


    I immediately sat up and look at Mareritter who greeted me. He is grinning¡­ Damn, you just read my mind huh?


    Right now we¡¯re not syncing our minds but I just know that Mareritter guessed what was on my mind when I, not so secretly, almost chose to enjoy Azanthys¡¯ lap. The one who is disappointed the most however isn¡¯t me but Azanthys who ¡°Muu¡±-ed and glared at Mareritter.


    Okay! Let¡¯s ignore what just happened!


    With such mindset I rose and stand before the swirling black distortion of space that has been making an eerie humming sound since a while ago.


    ¡°So is this it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed so, master.¡±


    Mareritter confirmed it but I honestly thought a teleportation magic circle would appear instead of this strange surreal thingy. It¡¯s the way to the next floor.


    ¡°Mareritter, I know I asked you to check on Liz before we continue on and I will summon you back here via weaponization. That dragon¡¯s head also fell off the tower so I¡¯m worried but¡­ you used up all your mana before so shall I have Azanthys go instead?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Master also exhausted most of master¡¯s mana yesterday and after recovering with sleep master¡¯s maximum capacity has increased exponentially so my mana is currently recovering with more than twice the previous rate.¡±


    There it is, my only useful hero cheat of quick growth! But might it meant that my max mp¡­ mana also more than doubled? I don¡¯t think the same has ever happened before even though I practiced magic with Mira and Lavinia until severe mana exhaustion many times. Well, I quit the practice after I found that I don¡¯t have any affinity with the elements though. Oh well, as long as the result is good I guess.


    ¡°So, how long will this gate¡­ thingy stays here?¡±


    ¡°I believe it will close immediately after one who triumphed over the lesser dragon has passed through it but I can¡¯t guarantee that it will still be there by the time sun reaches overhead.¡±


    I looked at the sun¡¯s position¡­oyyy it is already beyond halfway up!


    ¡°For that reason, please allow me to receive some more mana to use my wings.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ there¡¯s that way eh. As long as people don¡¯t spot you flying that way is many times faster. Alright! And don¡¯t show yourself in front of Liz and the others unless necessary.¡±


    If my backpack is still there I have potion to quicken my mana recovery anyway so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem even if another battle awaits right after I pass through the gate. If there is problem, it is that this world doesn¡¯t have any kind of immediate recovery potion and magic. Not to mention the difficulty and that once you¡¯re dead it is a permanent game over. Really, if this world was a game most people would consider it as defective product.


    I immediately transferred some mana to Mareritter. Another meaningless thought but I¡¯m glad no physical contact is needed to transfer mana. If there is, I would prefer doing it to Azanthys after all.


    *Ahem* I¡¯m a gentleman, I¡¯m a gentleman, I¡¯m a gentleman.


    Realizing I¡¯ve gone off track I immediately recited the magic spell to rid of my worldly desires which has been going strong recently. I¡¯ve been quite stressed in many ways lately but that¡¯s no excuse.


    ¡°Then master, I¡¯m off.¡±


    Wing mode Mareritter jumped down from the tower¡¯s edge and plunged into the clouds below


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything we can salvage from the dragon¡¯s corpse. Azanthys, you go check whether my backpack is still there or not.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ master.¡±


    Azanthys followed my order and headed to where I left my backpack.


    I approached the dragon¡¯s corpse. It won¡¯t suddenly jolt and attack me again right? That dragon has quite a tremendous life force, so much that it can fire countless laser breath without being exhausted. I bet the mana crystal in its body is on the level beyond anything I know. Even the mana crystal from that wyvern on 67<sup>th</sup>floor, which is called wyvern ruby by its color and origin was enough to make the guild¡¯s appraiser looked like he just found his purpose in life. I have expectation for this dragon¡¯s mana crystal so don¡¯t you dare disappoint me dragon. Looting time, start.


    ¡­ Even though I said looting, the dragon¡¯s scale has been completely turned into ash, its inner skin is charred, claws are rather fine but they¡¯re still damaged and since its head fell off there is no dragon fang to take. Feeling disappointed I started to dissect the dragon using my wyvern fang dagger. It is a dragon so the mana crystal should be within its chest area near its heart. Thick viscous blood spilled out, not bursting, so its heart has definitely stopped. By the way its cut neck was kind of burnt from Mareritter¡¯s lightning so no blood is coming out from there. I continued dissecting without lowering my guard just in case. I think I¡¯m kind of too paranoid but I can¡¯t help it after that friggin hard fight. After going through several thick layers of meat and muscle I finally found it. The mana crystal is small, only as big as the end of my thumb but it is radiating with bright blue light so it would be called a dragon¡¯s sapphire. Personally it looked more aquamarine than sapphire but it seems this world¡¯s original word for it is being translated into sapphire in my mind. I knew of some other difference thanks to written language learning with Lavinia and there are also some that comes out without being translated. The one who incorporated translation magic into hero summoning needs a dictionary that covers more words it seems.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a mana crystal which actively radiates light. But what¡¯s with this tiny size?¡±


    There¡¯s no doubt that this thing is special despite its size but since I don¡¯t have any use for it yet I chose to just keep it for now.


    Since Azanthys returned with my bag I asked for her help in taking off the dragon¡¯s claw. I decided to take just one due to its huge size and that is after smashing the damaged parts off using Azanthys in her blade form. As expected the inner part of the claw is in good shape and even Azanthys¡¯ blade couldn¡¯t cut it easily so it took me some time to process. I decided to take several chunks with relatively big size which already filled my backpack to the brim.


    Right after I finished everything that needed to be done it finally came.


    (Master, reporting in)


    (Marritter? I¡¯ll be direct, how¡¯s things over there?)


    (Miss Lissa is perfectly fine. The lesser dragon¡¯s head fell close to the town¡¯s edge and made a crater along with a wave of destruction so there are casualties however it is not on the side of where our inn is located.)


    Casualties¡­ I of course feel bad about it but as long as Liz is fine I honestly thought that it is enough for me. The old me was devastated when I couldn¡¯t protect a village from the demon race¡¯s army but the me right now is fine with this? I could only make a wry mocking smile at the thought and quickly dismissed it.


    (That is good then ret¡­)


    (However there is another concerning matter I believe master needs to know.)


    Mareritter unexpectedly cut in so I stopped and urged him to continue.


    (People from the same world as master, heroes, four of them along with several imperial knights are presently in Arx Norr. They came to register as adventurers to explore the tower and now are helping with the aftermath of the disaster caused by the lesser dragon¡¯s head.)


    Heroes¡­ so it has finally happened. This is much earlier than I thought but four? Not five? Wait, more importantly I hope Liz won¡¯t get dragged into something troublesome and dangerous involving the heroes and the empire. The possibility of their coming to Arx Norr being related with Liz is low as of now but I shouldn¡¯t count on it.


    Damn it. To come here when I¡¯m about to conquer the tower, the timing couldn¡¯t get any worse. Should I return to the town instead? But I don¡¯t know if there is any other method to access the next floor if I missed the transfer gate now.


    (Master, if I may offer a suggestion. How about having myself to monitor their movements as well as to ensure Miss Lissa¡¯s safety while master advances with just my sister?)


    (If we do that, how much will it affect the conquest? Or what if I have you return here and send Azanthys down instead?)


    (It might take longer than planned however the overall success rate might be unaffected. While due to a troublesome matter I cannot disclose why, whether master can conquer the last floor or not depends mostly on master¡¯s own strength. As for the latter, it will be better to go with my sister as her specs is more battle oriented than I am who was created to be a jack of all trades master of none.)


    I guess that¡¯s how I will have to proceed. I will of course have Mareritter hide himself from Liz and the other since Liz will be worried if she knows I have less people with me. With how Azanthys behaves if she goes instead of Mareritter I will also worry about her so it¡¯s a no, eh?


    (By the way, if I enter the gate how about your mana supply?)


    (I would like to receive more mana right now because it is likely that it will be cut off at the moment master enters the gate. Howerver my current amount of mana should suffice for 25 days provided I don¡¯t consume it excessively such as by using magic or be in a battle.)


    (Alright I¡¯ll transfer it right now if there is no need for you to return back here.)


    (Thank you, master. Returning will be unnecessary since we are currently still in range.)


    I immediately transferred my mana. I decided to give him most of what I have right now but stopped before I could feel mana exhaustion. I then took out a vial of mana recovery potion from my bag, which will hasten my natural mana recovery since I don¡¯t know what awaits me beyond the gate.


    (How about now?)


    (I should be able to maintain activity for at least two months period with this.)


    (Well then, I¡¯ll leave Liz to you. I¡¯m sure you know this already but don¡¯t reveal yourself to Liz and the others unless necessary.)


    (Affirmative.)


    With Azanthys who patiently waited for my tele-conversation with Mareritter to end, I approached the transfer gate.


    ¡°Master¡­ before entering¡­ want to¡­ hold hands¡­


    I grabbed Azanthys¡¯ timidly outstretched hand. She is expressionless most of the time but I can see that she is being nervous. What is it that awaits at the other end, at the topmost floor?


    The two of us then entered the gate while holding hands.


    When I came to I was on some kind of platforms made of stone bricks with stairs leading to a tower that looked exactly just like Orum Arx on the surface. This one is however floats midair with what should be remnants of land connected at its base while being surrounded by countless floating rocky debris in various sizes and I can see the top high up there. Below the tower and the platforms where I am standing is a bottomless darkness. How the surrounding looked like to me made me think that we are inside a bottomless giant dome made of glass under a sea of strange mixture of black and purple viscous liquid which glows faintly. Freakish but there is no other way to describe it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With a nod, Azanthys followed me to climb the stairs leading to the tower¡¯s entrance.

 Chapter 15 : A Disastrous Outcome

    A loud grinding sound is produced as Azanthys and I opened the huge stone gate together, revealing a spacious but dark room inside. After the two of us stepped further inside the gate slowly closed again by itself producing the loud sound once again. At the same time, countless torches lined up on the wall lit up with purplish flame starting from the ones near the gate circling towards the far end of this room.


    ¡°It is saying ¡®welcome¡¯ to us, eh?¡±


    One would normally expect some crumbled fragments from an ancient looking building made of stone but let alone dust things in here looked to be so clean, even cleaner from my room back on earth which got some renowned oily black insect roaming around albeit rarely. Even the Orum Arx on the surface looked to be kind of worn out at most places.


    As most of the torches are lit I could see two huge figures being cast upon by the dim purplish light near the other end of this room.


    ¡°The welcoming party members have all gathered here it seems.¡±


    I dropped my backpack as Azanthys and I readied ourselves while the huge figures, a pair of **ti*us *r*me sized dragons started approaching us.


    ¡°Just when I felt someone just entered this realm after so long, aren¡¯t they just puny humans? I was hoping stronger creature at least like those imitation demon race.¡±


    To my surprise the dragon on the left just talked after it looked at us. The dragon on the right then moved its head closer to us, to Azanthys before it spoke in a very amused tone.


    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you Azanthys? Hahaha! Now this is a good one!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I looked at Azanthys who glared at the dragons with anger behind her pupils.


    ¡°Traitors¡­ don¡¯t say Azanthys¡¯¡­ name ¡­casually¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is Mareritter? Did he finally bite the dust? If so unfortunately that will only make me laugh too hard my stomach will hurt.¡±


    ¡°Mareritter¡­ not dead¡­!¡±


    Earth to Azanthys, what¡¯s going on here?


    ¡°Azanthys, do you know these dra¡­ since they are talking, elder dragons?¡±


    The one who answered was not Azanthys but the dragons.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put us on the same level as those animals, mind you. Artificially created as we may we are still Ar Draughum, wait we¡¯re Ar Daenocens right now.¡±


    Another unknown phrase just came out. Somebody enlighten me please.


    ¡°Same¡­ as¡­ Azanthys¡­¡±


    Huh? As in same species? Same kind of being?


    ¡°Well, enough wasting time but allow me just one more question. Is this human your master?¡±


    Said the dragon to the left as it pointed at me with its finger, err claw.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°This is why¡­ you know that an artificial Draughum¡¯s power is dependent on the master¡¯s capacity so making a contract with a weak human is counterproductive if you still have the wish to free mother isn¡¯t it? Not that I mind though, your loss.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ look down¡­ on master!¡±


    Azanthys is full of expression during this short time, too bad it¡¯s anger though.


    ¡°Then we shall test you here.¡±


    The two dragons roared and made a stance to start a battle. I decided to put all my pending questions for later and grabbed my wyvern fang daggers in a battle stance myself. Azanthys seemed to understand my intention to make this a two-on-two fight by not transforming her to her weapon form and she produced an ice greatsword.


    ¡°Hm? You¡¯re not going to use your true form?¡±


    One of the dragon asked Azanthys such but Azanthys kept her silent glare.


    ¡°Oh yeah, with a human as your master he won¡¯t have enough mana for you to use that form. Too bad, if it is that form you alone might even stand a chance to defeat us both.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡±


    Azanthys made the first attack. She dashed with a speed where untrained eyes will be unable to perceive her form at all. With a big swing she slashed at the dragon who just talked. But it parried her sword with its claw and counterattacked with another. When a big attack was parried normally one will lose his/her stability but Azanthys managed to quickly step back away from the claw¡¯s attack range.


    ¡°Hmm, that was heavier than I thought. Perhaps your human master is not so incompetent.¡±


    Azanthys resumed her attack, this time she took the dragon¡¯s left flank.


    ¡°Human, I thought you will face me so why are you looking away? I¡¯m getting bored here, just make some kind of attack will you?¡±


    I immediately shifted my gaze to the other dragon who casually spoke at me hinting that it won¡¯t attack first.


    ¡°That¡¯s very nice of you to wait. I¡¯ll gladly take the chance then.¡±


    Attacking from the front is no good so I dashed forward as a feint but then I side-stepped to the left and flanked the dragon just like Azanthys. As I was about to strike the dragon used the tip of its tail which is covered in some sort of metal to stab me so I canceled my attack and ducked. Avoiding the tail I decided to push forward and resume my attack but the stretched tail which I don¡¯t know since when has been completely covered in metal was dropped heavily onto my back.


    ¡°Ggahhh!¡±


    Losing the air in my lung I barely managed to pull back by shifting my center of gravity and quickly rolled away avoiding the full brunt of the attack that gouged the floor.


    ¡°Hoo, so you managed to survive that, not bad, human. I thought you would become a lump of meat with just that, pardon my rudeness.¡±


    Catching back my breath, now that I¡¯m at a distance I saw that the dragon¡¯s tail has elongated abnormally while being completely covered in metallic scales. I¡¯m pretty sure the tail wasn¡¯t that long and metallic. The tail kept making strange unnatural movements so I accepted the fact that it was able to make a whipping attack right after it made a stab.


    Fortunately the tail didn¡¯t hit me directly but I touched my back just to confirm that the back part of my armor has cracked. And here I though the tail just grazed me. A normal human wouldn¡¯t just simply become a lump of meat from receiving the full brunt of that attack, that person will become numerous grotesque object X scattered on the floor!


    The dragon then made a move so fast it was already right next to me before I could even blink. How did such a huge thing move so fast without causing any aftermath like a shockwave? This time it tried to outright chomp on me from above so I dodged while attacking its chin with a dagger but the part where I attacked had turned metallic like the tail. I used the recoil from my attack to assist my dodging and get away from there.


    ¡°Good reaction, I¡¯m starting to wonder if I might be able to have a good fight but it is still too early to judge isn¡¯t it?¡±


    At that timing Azanthys landed next to me with ragged breathing. Her greatsword is in tattered condition. She didn¡¯t jump here but rather was blown away by the other dragon¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Weak, it is hard to believe that you used to be the strongest among all the prototypes. Well, are you both ready to perish here now?¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    I was prepared to resume the fight but the dragon who fought with me stopped the other one.


    ¡°I just received an order from lord Slibinas to let them go to the next floor and for us to return to our post. The lord said it will be a waste to kill our only chance to rid of boredom after so long.¡±


    ¡°Eeeh? Can¡¯t be helped then.¡±


    The two dragons looked at us and jeered.


    ¡°We will be waiting so try not to die and spoil our fun too early.¡±


    Both the dragons then flew beyond the spiral staircase to the void not illuminated by the torch above.


    I looked at Azanthys and she looked back at me, knitting her brows.


    ¡°Master¡­ Azanthys¡­ sorry¡­ useless.¡±


    She looked down after saying that so I patted her head.


    ¡°No worries, this might sound pathetic but we aren¡¯t at our best and we had to fight the uhh, since they say something about a lord, the mid-bosses right from the first floor.¡±


    That is not a lie but it does sound like a pathetic excuse. Frankly speaking fighting the collosal dragon felt like it was easier since it was 3 on 1 and it is not as agile as the dragon I just fought. Smaller size also means less place to attack for me and less place for the opponent to worry about defending. Azanthys also didn¡¯t use any ranged attack in her earlier fight, maybe because she was too agitated to think clearly.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Besides, as they said having me as a master means you are weaker than you were before.¡±


    ¡°NO! ¡­Not master¡¯s¡­ fault¡­ Azanthys¡­ asleep¡­ long time¡­ must be¡­ that¡­¡±


    What are you doing consoling me when you look like the one in need to be cheered up.


    I continued patting her head until she relaxed her expression.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯d like some explanations about you and those dragons¡­¡±


    ¡°Azanthys¡­ apologize¡­ cannot tell¡­ yet¡­ cannot break¡­ rule.¡±


    ¡°Mareritter said something similar¡­ well I guess I¡¯ll find out with time. For now let¡¯s catch a short break before taking that long flight of stairs.¡±


    I wanted to retort that the Orum Arx on the surface is more convenient with its teleportation circle but I refrained since there is no one to retort to anyway.


    ***


    ¡°Haaaaa.¡±


    A girl letting out an unladylike long sigh made surrounding people look at her. With eyes looking at the distance even beyond the gigantic tower, Orum Arx, at the direction she is facing the girl made another sigh.


    ¡°Haaaaa.¡±


    Unaware that she is making most people around her restless she continued gazing out of the window at somewhere beyond the horizon.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this bad? I mean she has been like that for several hour bells already!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she didn¡¯t even touch the mountain of cakes in front of her.¡±


    The magic user Yusa and a certain shopkeeper¡¯s daughter, Eldys is making an emergency meeting right next to the sighing girl, Liz.


    ¡°Just leave her be and watch her. She¡¯ll return to her usual self with time.¡±


    Sipping a cup of tea in front of Yusa was Kaldor who just made a foolish move.


    ¡°Huh? Are you seriously saying that?¡±


    ¡°This is why men are¡­¡±


    Kaldor almost spat his tea out from Yusa and Eldys¡¯ cold penetrating gaze.


    ¡°N, no¡­ I mean Erik won¡¯t be away for long, right? Just about a month, right? She¡¯ll learn to at least accept that and wait in eagerness uhh, I mean she¡¯ll at least be able to put up a front that she is okay right?¡±


    This time Kaldor dropped his cup, Lloyd managed to catch it in time before the tea could be spilled but Kaldor cannot be bothered even if the cup broke since the girls are looking at him with killing intent.


    ¡°Aaaargh this is why you¡¯re still single at the age of 25! This is also why Ruri from our village rejected you over and over again to the point that she married someone else!¡±


    ¡°Clearly you don¡¯t understand women, OLD MAN!¡±


    ¡°O,o,o,oooooo old man!? 25 is not that old!!! I still have a long future ahead!!!¡±


    By the way, legal age for marriage in this world is 15 while the average marriage age is 18 to 21 years old so Yusa¡¯s words caused a critical damage to Kaldor¡¯s heart. Being the oldest in his party after Randall who actually has a wife and a daughter back at their village, Kaldor the party leader has lost the respect he might never even had from one of his party member plus an almost unrelated local.


    Frozen to his core, Kaldor who almost cried man¡¯s tears looked at Lloyd for salvation but Lloyd averted his gaze away.


    ¡°Argh, Lloyd! Say something will you? I got the ¡®she¡¯ll return to her usual self with time¡¯ from you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡±


    Lloyd responded with an almost inaudible voice in his earnest to not get the seething wrath of two girls.


    ¡°Haaaaa.¡±


    The battle seemed like it will continue indefinitely until another long sigh was heard.


    ¡°Randall who has a daughter and might know a way to soothe lil¡¯ Lissa is having a checkup with the doctor and Miss Martlea got an urgent call from the guild. Really, what to do¡­?¡±


    ¡°Trying to avert our focus somewhere else won¡¯t work, OLD MAN!¡±


    Realizing that whatever he says might bring himself to his doom Kaldor shrank and swore in his heart to not say anything else during the day.


    ***


    It is almost midnight, leaving only after the considerate cafe owner asked them to leave Yusa who felt glad that she at least managed to convince Liz to eat some of the cakes is holding Liz¡¯s hand, walking side by side. It has been decided that Liz will be staying at Martlea¡¯s place for a while so she is taking Liz there. Behind there is Kaldor, holding his stomach with pale face being supported by Lloyd who does not look to be in good shape albeit better than Kaldor whose face looked as if he was saying ¡°I¡¯ll never ever eat cakes again for the rest of my life¡±. The two were walking real slowly since they were forced to eat the remaining mountain of cakes that was intended for Liz as punishment, especially Kaldor who also had to pay for everything. Eldys went home but she promised to go see Liz the very first thing tomorrow.


    Yusa who would usually ¡°play¡± with Liz does not even have the slightest bit of urge to tease her right now especially with Liz¡¯s face showing nothing, yes, completely nothing. She quickly erased the short rude thought that it is simply not fun to tease someone who wouldn¡¯t resist.


    Just where the hell is Erik right now? Yusa thought.


    Erik did tell her and her companions that he will be away and to take care of Liz but he did not say anything about where he will go. Martlea might know something but it seemed like she also would not tell. This is the first time that Yusa honestly thought that he would rather Erik to be here since she considers Erik as a hindrance in teasing Liz most of the time but now that Liz is like this she even hoped for Erik to quickly come back.


    Since Martlea¡¯s house is not so far from the guild they had to pass the strangely crowded guild so their pace is slower from avoiding the congestion here and there. At first Yusa did not bother to find out why such commotion was there especially this late at night but she stopped walking when she heard a certain sentence. Kaldor and Lloyd also turned their heads towards the people saying it.


    ¡°Oooh so they are the summoned heroes!¡±


    The commotion quickly grows perhaps since the object of their talk is approaching or walking past them beyond the cluster of people that Yusa could see.


    ¡°You¡¯re blocking my view. I want to see them too!¡±


    ¡°Whoa, isn¡¯t one of them a girl? Is she cute? Damn big hat is hiding her face!¡±


    ¡°Kyaaa that blonde hero is so cool!¡±


    And so on.


    Heroes are said to be the hope for humanity since ancient times, different with your typical war hero that can be trained from the rare talented people who always exists at almost every generations, a summoned hero can grow to be even stronger than those rare people in relatively short period. No wonder Martlea was busy. Heroes were coming to this town. Yusa and co. are of course interested but the most important matter to Yusa especially was Liz so she decided to continue walking.


    Yusa however was rather surprised when she noticed Liz whom although still has her empty eyes was glaring towards the commotion.


    So even Liz is interested in heroes¡­ Thinking so Yusa made a faint smile. Forgetting for a second the fact that Liz is of the demon race from the days they passed together Yusa did not think that what actually flashed through Liz¡¯s mind was that there is new dangerous threat for the demon race. As she was glaring to the clamoring people Liz held her head when suddenly it ached for a second.


    ¡°Lizzy, are you okay?¡±


    Liz just nodded to Yusa¡¯s worried question and returned her gaze forward with the same eyes as before as if she was never interested in the commotion. To the current Liz Erik matters more than a race of which most have abandoned her. Thus Liz stopped caring about the heroes. She does hope that some people whom she knows and might still care for her to be safe, but that is all.


    ¡°Ah there you are.¡±


    Yusa and the others quickly noticed Martlea standing alone behind the crowds in front of them. She must have waited for us, Yusa thought to herself.


    ¡°So how is Liz¡­?¡±


    Martlea who approached them looked at Liz and found the answer to her own question so she did not continue.


    This is not important but the pale and powerless Kaldor suddenly perked up and stood looking all dignified or at least that was how he intended it to be. The fact that he could not hide his bulging stomach and almost lifeless eyes was known to everyone around but himself.


    ¡°M, Miss Martlea¡­ I thought you were busy tending to the heroes¡­¡±


    ¡°That was how I planned and I was the one receiving them in place of the guild master who is not present but I was worried about Liz and one of the heroes insisted to walk to the guild instead of riding a carriage resulting in this unnecessary commotion so I judged that it is fine to leave it to someone else.¡±


    ¡®I bet she was stressed too¡­ Even a workaholic needs some rest, yea.¡¯


    Was what Yusa thought but chose not to voice it out for the sake of her own well being.


    Suddenly a streaking flash of light came down from the night sky without warning. The commotion turned to be silence for a few seconds before screams and murmur of fear can be heard when the light hit a small mountain east of Arx Norr and before everyone could blink the mountain was deeply gouged, leaving bright orange molten rocks not unlike lava both in the crater and flown as flaming debris.


    ¡°W, what was that?!¡±


    Yusa held Liz¡¯s hand even tighter and put another hand on her mouth.


    Just like everybody else around Kaldor, Lloyd, and even Martlea stared at the aftermath with mouth agape before they leaked out voice of fear at the unknown which could cause such calamity.


    Liz was the only one who looked at it with interest without anybody noticing.


    Then as if the fear has not been implanted enough in their souls several more of those calamities rained down from the sky with some interval between them which started to shorten more and more with time. The reason why people had not started to run in panic, no, everyone in Arx Norr is in extreme panic, the only reason they had not fled Arx Norr was that all the lights hit almost everywhere in the vicinity of the town but not the town itself, as if the source was located at the center which is Orum Arx.


    With the plains, the forest, and the hills becoming the depiction of hell their wildest imagination could ever fathom, nobody could move their legs. All kind of body fluids started to leak from people especially those with weaker mental fortitude. Even the so called heroes could only gaze at the night sky with terror.


    After what was felt like an eternity to everyone present the rain of calamity then stopped abruptly. However what comes next just hammered down the stake of fear that has been lodged in their hearts even deeper. With a rumble, the tower soon followed by the earth itself shook greatly.


    ¡®What in the bloodiest hell just happened?¡¯


    ¡®Will the tower crumble and bury us all?¡¯


    ¡®The goddess, Praesia has forsaken humanity, we¡¯re doomed.¡¯


    Such thoughts were the only things in everyone¡¯s mind right now, except for Liz¡­


    Martlea might also be able to deduce it the same way as Liz if she was calm but losing your mind in this situation is more normal than not. Even Martlea was deeply shaken with fear.


    With the tower intact and silence returned, people finally regained their minds and this time the thundering noise came from their voices and footsteps. Unable to think of anything but to make sure of their own safety people have started moving again.


    ¡°F, for now let¡¯s go to my place before we get swallowed by the chaos caused by this many people in panic.¡±


    Yusa and the rest followed Martlea¡¯s suggestion and started running.


    ¡°I¡­ just what the hell was that.¡±


    Kaldor who is even paler than before muttered so while moving as if his earlier condition was a lie. Lloyd kept his usual silence but he is completely drenched in cold sweat with his pupils dilated.


    ¡°Erik¡­¡±


    Liz was looking up at the sky with a worried look while being pulled by Yusa towards Martlea¡¯s house. However different with everyone else what she was worried about was Erik¡¯s safety. She knows that the earlier event must be connected with Erik. He must be fighting with something that could cause such calamity and that fight must have ended. But who prevailed?


    With her free hand gripping her chest tightly Liz kept her gaze upwards causing her to stumble many times but Yusa who thought that Liz was scared pulled her hands up each time and they continued to run.


    ¡°H, hey¡­ what do you think that is?¡±


    Triggered by some people saying something similar while pointing upwards, everyone else also noticed something that started as an almost unnoticeable black speck standing out form the less darker night sky which gradually grows in size.


    When the figure of that something can be seen clearly the terror quickly returned and people could only freeze in place. No one knows for sure how many has collapsed or whether they are simply unconscious or died of heart attack since the start of this calamity and the number might increase with this.


    A gigantic and bizarre dragon¡¯s head which size might equal to or more than that of a more known dragon species¡¯ whole body is falling in high velocity. Unable to process and think where that lump of imminent destruction might fall to, this time people who can still move are scattering in all direction.


    Fortunately for Yusa and those in the area, as the head is getting closer it seemed that it will fall somewhere near the town¡¯s outskirts to the north. It is clear that the people over there would not be so fortunate and some might even die as a result of the definite destruction that head will cause.


    As the head landed further away from there a loud earth shattering sound can then be heard followed by a shockwave and tremors. To some people whose mind has refused to process the event the world might actually had become completely still and silent for a moment.


    Right now those who are safe and sound are collapsing to their knees while being both in fear and relief. It is not that they do not feel anything to people who might have become victims but right now everybody just wanted to savor the feeling of being alive.


    If there is someone who is being relieved for an entirely different reason, it would be a smiling girl.


    Nobody there would be able to notice that a trembling little girl is actually trembling in happiness, smiling, now that she is convinced of Erik¡¯s victory and safety.

 Chapter 16 : After the disaster

    It was barely two weeks after the appearance of Demon of Arx Norr. The day was sunny with calm soothing wind all over the city. However, it was not so much of a good day to some people.


    ¡°YOU! YOU! ARGH!¡±


    A loud, irritated voice could be heard from a room in Zagrant Empire most revered place, the imperial palace Gran Te¡¯asvis. The maids working outside the room were startled but since it was hardly the first time, and being professional as they were, the maids quickly resumed their work.


    ¡°I thought I clearly said that the demon princess was seen in Arx Norr! Our spy network even concluded that a girl who just joined adventurer guild has a high chance to be the demon princess.¡±


    Bulging veins can be seen on both his temple and the hand holding it with strength. The middle aged man who shouted in anger is the Marquis of Amark of Zagrant Empire, Daunte Kohl Amarkus. The one being reprimanded and is sitting with his legs on the table as if he is unaware of the tense atmosphere is the Empire¡¯s strongest, Ruberius.


    ¡°No, well I only heard about the princess that might be there and the demon general that is coming to get her. So I thought the general is of higher priority than the helpless princess.¡±


    ¡°You battle crazed maniac! This is what I said at that time,¡¯I want you to get her first and if possible also defeat that demon general as well¡¯ meaning our priority is the princess, not the other way around. I even said that it was direct order from the goddess. And to top it off you failed to kill the general in the end.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, I also looked at the adventurer guild and merchant guild but let alone the princess there is no non-human in the guilds. As for the general didn¡¯t I write about the interference by one helluva strong demon in my report?¡±


    Daunte pulled out some pieces of paper from his breast pocket, only two to be precise, and slammed it onto the table.


    ¡°You call this a report? This?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, what else to write? The first few stages of the mission went smoothly but I was unconscious when that strong demon massacred my knights. Zeras did say that it happened in mere seconds though. Or do you want me to write details of the aftermath where blood, innards, and body parts scattered all around?¡±


    ¡°Not your knights, I was the one that prepared most of them from my spares. At least aside from the five coming from your verm liet brigade most of them were barely squire graduates so we didn¡¯t lose too much but a loss is still a loss and this is a huge one since we gained nothing!¡±


    ¡°Okay then, let me tell you this. The new demon is at demon lord class. I¡¯d wager my head that the guy makes most other demon generals I have seen look like a toddler in comparison. Saying that at least we didn¡¯t lose me who is an important fighting force to his imperial majesty might help you.¡±


    Looking at the grinning Ruberius, Daunte only sighed and sank powerless into the chair that was behind him all this time.


    ¡°So you do realize that I will fix the report and go to his majesty in your stead so you won¡¯t get the brunt of his majesty¡¯s anger then. Damn you, only acting all stupid whenever it is convenient for you¡­¡±


    ¡°You know that if the one who failed then go see his imperial majesty directly they might lose a limb or two, right? You¡¯re the closest one to his imperial majesty after the duke so I¡¯ll be counting on you. And it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to take responsibility, if such thing were to happen to me before your next plan comes into fruition we can¡¯t say it is just me who will suffer. I will also go to report myself after his anger subsides given some time or if his imperial majesty is in good mood.¡±


    Daunte just sighed again and stood.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped then¡­ In exchange, just teach my son the advanced form of your Ruberius style already.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess he is ready now¡­ okay. I¡¯ll also add some more high quality wine for you later if you gave some excuses to his imperial majesty about me.¡±


    Only waving his hand without looking back Daunte left the room.


    Thinking that fixing the report can be done later Daunte chose to do so and decided on his destination. After walking with heavy footsteps for several minutes while planning for many different scenarios in his mind Daunte arrived in front of a double door as high as three adult human stacked on each other. The door which was made of blood red gemstone was decorated with intricate black and golden ornaments of which the middle part formed a soaring dragon spreading its wings in all of its majesty. The dragon is holding a figure of a maiden in its arms. It is the imperial crest and coat of arms depicting the goddess and her subordinate dragon.


    Had been previously informed of his coming the two knight guards opened the door for him and the inside is revealed. It is a room so wide with ceilings so high that will make anyone who came here for the first time would have mistakenly thought that they were outdoor. Clad in seemingly golden full plate armor, holding various kind of weapons in their arms, lined on both sides of the room are not human guards as can obviously be seen from their height that surpassed even three storied building. They are the imperial guardians said to have been created during the first generation emperor¡¯s reign dubbed as mechanical knights or simply as golems. As the technology to make them has been lost with time, the ones here might be the last in existence.


    Daunte walked through a red carpet with golden linings that is spread until an elevated area with only few steps of stairs but enough to make whomever on top of it to look down on even the tallest of men. A throne which size is enough to make you think what kind of giant will sit on it is placed and a room leading further can be seen behind the curtain on both sides of the throne. The one sitting on the throne is, however, a young man in his early twenties based on looks alone. His gaudy clothing, the imperial scepter in his hand, the imperial crown atop his shiny golden hair, and a grand bearing despite his youthful look, made no one will doubt that he is the emperor himself, emperor Zenon Darius Forxa Al Zagrant.¡°


    You have come, Daunte. We did not wait that long but quickly come forward will you?¡±


    Elbow on the armrest, the emperor put his chin on his hand and beckoned Daunte over.


    The emperor¡¯s so calm attitude actually just served to increase the amount of Daunte¡¯s cold sweat causing his clothes to stick onto his skin uncomfortably but Daunte immediately did as urged and raised his pace. Usually when a subordinate has failed a task given by the emperor himself the emperor will personally punish the one to fail which often ends in death or a disability at best. There are only two possible explanations when the emperor does not show his anger, to then explode with even greater wrath which equals death to the receiver, or that the emperor is in a terribly good mood. Even for Daunte who can be said as close to the emperor there is no guarantee that some painful experience won¡¯t befall him. So, praying for the latter Daunte kneeled at a little distance before the stairs leading to the throne.


    ¡°Where is Ruberius? We were sure that he has returned.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid general Ruberius is unable to present himself due to his injury.¡±


    Squinting his eyes, the emperor¡¯s lips formed a faint smile for a moment.


    ¡°Is that so? For him to be injured and unable to even give some excuse himself... was the demon general he faced that strong? We surmised that it must be the weakest amongst all, the general from Estria. Were we wrong then?¡±


    Beads of sweat traced his cheeks and dripped down staining the red carpet below but Daunte managed to wring out the sentence he had prepared on the way here.


    ¡°Your majesty is not wrong, however¡­ an unexpected occurrence impeded the success of the task bestowed upon him.¡±


    ¡°Hooo? What is that, then?¡±


    In an exaggerated manner, the emperor raised his chin for the first time and made a curious look albeit it seemed too fake to Daunte who has known the emperor since childhood.


    ¡°A new unidentified demon that might be as strong as a demon lord appeared and annihilated most of our men before injuring general Ruberius. I believe the demon¡¯s purpose was to help the demon general of Estria.¡±


    ¡°Heee~ I see, I see.¡±


    The lack of tension in the emperor¡¯s voice made Daunte inadvertently gulped his saliva. Imminent wrath? Good mood? Which one is it?


    ¡°How about the demon princess then?¡±


    Hesitating, Daunte faltered but quickly decided to speak when he saw the emperor furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°¡­ The search team¡­ was unable to find her¡­¡±


    Daunte¡¯s body shook as the emperor lifted the imperial scepter in his hand. Albeit smaller than most magic staffs the imperial scepter is one-in-a-kind artifact capable of conjuring forth one certain natural disaster class magic without the need to chant the spell aria and mana usage. Granted, such convenient ability has its limitations, mainly that the ability can only be used once in a month. However that does not mean the scepter does not have any other ability. The scepter holder has the authority to force command anyone with imperial crest engraved on their body limited to 3 commands in a lifetime for each. The scepter also greatly enhances both physical and magical capability of its holder. Many of those who failed the task given by the emperor himself has fallen victim to these abilities.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA! Don¡¯t be so stiff, Daunte. We are not angry of anything, we were just playing along since you looked so nervous!¡±


    Daunte breathed a sigh of relief, believing that the emperor is in good mood, he finally started wiping his sweat with a handkerchief. Daunte still won¡¯t dare to say anything yet though.


    ¡°We might have become angry were you to come here a little earlier. Be grateful because we were told that the demon princess is not yet necessary at this stage and we have finally given the permission for that!¡±


    ¡°That?¡±


    Before the emperor could explain to Daunte who told the emperor such and what ¡°that¡± is, the room was suddenly illuminated by bright light followed by a formation of magic circle near the emperor.


    What revealed itself from the magic circle was something breathtaking. An incredibly beautiful woman, with captivating fair white skin and long straight white hair reaching her waist in simple yet gorgeous blue and white garb. The most enthralling, however, would be a large pair of magnificent angelic wings on her back. The light has subsided a little but the room is still comfortably bright which enhanced the bewitching effect of the woman¡¯s gentle smiling face.


    ¡°Ooooh!¡±


    The emperor shouted with joy and immediately approached the woman before kneeling in front of her.


    There is only one being to whom the emperor will kneel for. And this must also be the answer to Daunte¡¯s previous questions.


    The imperial scepter possesses one more ability which is the most important. The holder is granted the right to converse and meet directly with the highest of being ever known to human, the goddess.


    Daunte who realized the identity of the woman immediately fixed his disrupted kneeling stance.


    ¡°You may raise your head my dear Zenon.¡±


    With voice clearer than the chime of countless golden uarum bells rang together, the goddess spoke to the emperor.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see you have gathered the necessary sacrifices so I am here to give you the promised artifacts.¡±


    Prompted by the goddess emperor Zenon stood to accept said artifacts, five pieces of shining orbs covered in crisscrossing metal chains.


    Daunte knows about the artifacts. They will be used to bypass the conditional requirements for hero summoning magic. Using the artifact one can ignore the limitation of only doing the summoning once per year and there won¡¯t be any need to use high quality dungeon core which is very rare and extremely hard to get. There is still the limit of summoning five otherworlders but with this the summoning of each can be done both separately and simultaneously. The only requirements which is rather difficult to do was the need to sacrifice 500 human souls per otherworlder. For that goal the empire had gathered some war prisoners and criminals to the capital.


    After receiving the artifacts the emperor kneeled again with solemn expression.


    ¡°I will always watch over you, Zenon. I will continue to give my blessing to you and the empire, to ensure victory against those filthy demon race.¡±


    ¡°I am honored to be able to receive your grace, my goddess.¡±


    The goddess smiled and leaned to kiss emperor Zenon on the forehead. The emperor kept his solemn expression but it is clear that he is holding the urge to express his joy as can be seen from his trembling body.


    Light and magic circle similar with before appeared once again until the goddess¡¯ figure is gone.


    With a blissful expression the emperor stood and faced Daunte.


    ¡°Daunte, the goddess Praesia has imparted her blessing upon me. Nothing else can make me happier. Now take these artifacts and do the summoning right away. We want to be alone and savor this great feeling right now.¡±


    The emperor who usually used ¡°we¡± was using ¡°me¡± instead but Daunte chose to ignore that, accepted the artifacts, and immediately proceeded to do his next task.


    ***


    Aside from the large door and high ceiling the room does not have anything else. The room is wide but with 5 hundred people stuffed inside it is more than just cramped and suffocating. They were forced to get in the room barely a quarter of an hour bell ago but the room already reeks of sweat and various complaining grumble can be heard all over. They are mostly criminals such as bandits and philanderer. Some of the demon race is also mixed in and they are facing discrimination even in this situation. They are getting spat on, punched and made to become man chair by some rougher looking men. Except for some brighter people who looked to be anxious or in despair the rest chose to calm themselves down by taking it on the minority and the weaker looking ones. Little did they know the fate in store will treat them all the same which is soon to be proven as the room is surrounded in ominous looking magical array.


    Right above that room is a little less wide room with a complex magic circle etched on the floor. A shining orb is placed at the center surrounded by 5 imperial magicians chanting non-stop. The orb¡¯s glow grows stronger as the souls, life of those in the lower room is being forcefully taken and sent into the magical formation which began to emit blinding light. Daunte who stood near the door raised an arm to shield his eyes from the light which soon dissipates leaving a figure standing in the middle of the room looking around with both surprise and caution.


    The figure is wearing a helmet, a large backpack, and is clad in strange clothing with abstract pattern of different colors. He is holding a strange metallic object which he soon pointed at some of the mages in turn alternating between his sides and back while shouting in a language Daunte couldn¡¯t understand. It seemed the language translation magic is yet to take effect. Daunte wouldn¡¯t know that what the person was holding is M16 assault rifle and that he is shouting words of threat and demands for explanation. However Daunte immediately realized that the man is not a common pedestrian from how he acts and that strange object must be some kind of weapon. Recalling his hazy memories about what a certain past generation hero had said Daunte floated a smile.


    ¡°It seems we hit the jackpot.¡±


    At the same time in four other similar but different rooms the summoning ritual has all been completed. One resulted in summoning a young man who is quiet and does not seem to be surprised by what happened. Only smiling to the mages that summoned him in an extremely chilling manner he asked them to tell of the event after confirming that his words connected as the effect of the translation magic kicked in. Strangely, the man seemed to be excited somehow.


    Another one is a teen boy who, after looking around immediately jumped and shouted what sounded to be joyous words while making strange poses. In fact it was ¡°Yeahhhh, finally my time has come! I am the herooooo! Don¡¯t worry folks, I will save the world! Girls, don¡¯t fall for me too easily although I¡¯ll welcome any cute ones! Muhahahaha!¡± which continued even after the translation magic started to be effective.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The last one is a girl who looked to be more frightened than surprised as she realized whatever has happened to her. After the translation magic started to be effective and receiving explanation from the mages she immediately asked to be sent back to her world in anger. Yes, she is the last one. The fifth summoning was a failure. The prisoners all died and the artifact turned into dust which means that the process worked just fine but nothing came out from the summoning.


    After the report came in Daunte was once again haunted by how the emperor will react to this but fortunately for him the emperor was still in good mood and brushed it off saying at least four was a success. Daunte was thinking that the emperor might actually use the topic as a chance to speak with the goddess once again and it sounded so plausible Daunte could not laugh it off. At least Daunte was then able to tell Ruberius that the emperor is in a good mood.


    This failure befuddled many in the empire for some time until a certain event that will happen in the not so far future.


    ***


    To Katja Eeva Virtanen, that day was her long most anticipated day. Her on-the-verge-of-divorcing parents who have been living separately for more than three months finally decided to reconcile. Her previous happy everyday life with her parents and siblings will be restored soon. And they will share the same house again at that exact day, or at least that how it was supposed to be. When she went to buy some celebratory gift for her parents all of a sudden she was enveloped in strange light and the next thing she knew she was in a place she has never seen and surrounding her are suspicious robed people who talked to her in a language she could not recognize.


    Katja immediately felt fear to the many suspicious robed figure and the room with strange marks carved into its wall and floor. She timidly asked the robed figures with any language she has learned including English and French but it was useless.


    For reason unknown to her at the time she gradually came to understand what those people are saying and her words seemed to connect as well so once again she immediately asked what happened. Their answer shocked her. She was summoned to a world that is not earth? She would believe it more were they told her that she was drugged and kidnapped instead. However the fact is soon established in her mind as she saw one robed man showing her a proof, magic.


    As she remembered the moment before she was summoned, she began to demand to be returned to earth in loud voice. She doesn¡¯t care even if it was another world or simply abduction, the fact is that today was a very important day and she could care less about anything else unrelated. And she was even angrier as they said returning her right away is impossible as there are many requirements. Having no choice but to accept that fact she could only follow their instruction to go and rest in a room they have prepared for her. Being treated like a VIP does not change her mental state. Holding her anger and regret she could barely hold her tears as she laid herself on a large bed in a room three times as wide as her room back on earth. It is only several days later when she learned that she was not alone.


    Arimura Kazuya was, simply said, an avid otaku. He mostly keep things to himself and barely had any friends. People don¡¯t bully him as he basically avoids trouble and often help the teacher to do some task. He is neither introvert nor extrovert and while he is often by himself, he does hang out with the few friends he have. If there is one thing that makes him rather special is that he was always preparing himself in case he get summoned to another world. Learning various martial arts albeit only to the basic level, reading book on particular knowledge such as agriculture, sales and management skills and so on.


    His friends barely managed to stop him from doing a last resort to go to another world, the cliched truck. They convinced him by saying that method won¡¯t guarantee a summon or reincarnation and that the incredibly high risk outweighed the minuscule probability of success. They of course didn¡¯t say that it was simply too stupid in regards to his feelings.


    In a bland twist of fate Kazuya was finally summoned during another day of his knowledge gathering in a library. He was finally released from all restraint, letting himself loose in the other world.


    Inspired by the old movie ¡°Saving Corporal Bryan¡± he watched with friends, the young Stanley Goldberg dreamed of becoming a soldier. To achieve that he trained his physique since a tender age, resulting in a strong well-built body at the age of 17. He finally managed to be enlisted and is now a private first class at the age of 19. He does not particularly aiming for a higher post and was just your average Joe that follows his commanding officer¡¯s order word to word.


    On a mission in the middle-east his squad was ambushed in a night raid. His comrades were all killed and as he was surrounded by the enemies alone in the frontlines a bright light of unknown source suddenly blinded him. He was surprised when the enemies in front of him disappeared and were replaced by many hooded figures. He held the urge to open fire as the people surrounding him this time showed no hostility. Concluding that he was saved from his previous predicament and after some deliberations to accept the fact that he is no longer on earth, he decided to follow the empire that saved him, for the time being.


    Not much is known about the man called Rafael. As an orphan with shrouded origin, he lived his life without much contact with society. Nobody knows how he gains money for a living but he was managing just fine. The people around him never dared to approach him. The reason by his chilling eyes and smile that seemed to be able to gouge the innermost of your mind, revealing everything to him. Such is but paranoia, however people are creatures that works with emotion and not just logic. There are many dark rumors surrounding him and he never denied any one of them. Mysterious, creepy, and apathetic would be the only descriptions you can get from asking what the people around Rafael think of him.


    When he was summoned to another world, however, for the first time in his life Rafael showed a hint of excitement.


    ***


    Having no choice but to obey the people who summoned her with the promise of being returned to earth, Katja reluctantly held something she has never even touched before, weapons. She tried swords, spears, and some other melee weapons but she ultimately decided on a bow. She does not have the confidence and mental fortitude to fight at close range and to see blood being spilled directly. Although almost everyday she had to listen to some people in priest-like garb giving sermon about the filthy, undeserving to live demon race she still just couldn¡¯t accept the fact that she has to participate in a war and to kill. The only creature she had killed so far were insects, the annoying summer mosquitoes. Today, she just barely managed to kill some monster they call as demon beast as her training program and it didn¡¯t feel good.


    After a week of training she finally met with three other people who were summoned from earth.


    They were told that each of them will lead special squad comprised of elite knights and mages. They will also be sent to train at a place called Orum Arx. She doesn¡¯t have a clue what that is but a boy named Kazuya immediately shouted ¡°Yeah, my first dungeon conquest!¡±. Must be nice to be so carefree, she thought.


    They are to explore said place in separate teams and to not help each other over there but their squad will do anything to keep them safe. They are, however, allowed to have joint training session in the castle. She felt that it was kind of a strange rule to be implemented but she won¡¯t object. She barely knows the other three anyway.


    ***


    Two days have passed since the dreadful event that hit Arx Norr. The streets which were usually filled with people is not even half its usual vigor. Some merchants left the town, bringing the news to other regions while some hard boiled ones chose to stay, looking forward at any possibility of revenue. The ones who left were not only the merchants, some adventurers that are starting to be afraid of whatever awaits them in the tower requested formal home base change and moved somewhere else, some even simply left without saying anything perhaps to quit being adventurer for good. Conversely, right now there are many guild staff and volunteer working to restore the town.


    Remembering the scale of the disaster nobody dared to mention whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that the confirmed casualties only numbered to 29 death plus 33 heavily injured and 59 lightly injured. The reported missing counted to more than a hundred but most have been found and as of now there is no addition to the death count. If most people were not coming to the guild to get a look at the heroes perhaps the number would be much larger so in the end some might consider it a tiny bit of luck.


    Most of the death occurred at where the gigantic dragon¡¯s head fell. Despite its bizarre disfigured form, the dragon¡¯s head suffered no deformity after creating such a wide crater and almost all witness said that the dragon¡¯s head was already in battered state at the time it was falling. Moreover, it is obvious that someone or something made a clean cut severing the dragon¡¯s head from its neck. The abnormal fact made everyone think that there is an even stronger and terrifying entity lurking somewhere up there in the tower.


    ¡°Vol en serte af letia rau eht rumeris.¡±


    A young girl chanted the aria for a mid-basic class earth magic, however the effect was more than everyone would have expected. The magic was supposed to only be able to control small patch of earth but hers affected a wide area filled with rubble which was raised and made to incline on one side so the rubble would be gathered in one spot. Under the raised earth that was made to leave a single small circular area, figures of two children hugging each other can be seen, prompting the volunteers to quickly approach and take the children to safety. From what can be seen, the children are in critical state but if given proper treatment they should get better with time.


    ¡°Phew, with Lizzy around things are progressing faster than expected. With this I think most of the people trapped under collapsed buildings have been found.¡±


    One of the volunteer, Yusa handed one of the children she was holding to the medical staff from adventurer guild.


    Kaldor, Lloyd, and even Randall can be seen in the vicinity doing restoration work with many others like removing rubbles and moving them to designated areas for disposal. Liz and Yusa on the other hand are members of search and rescue team. The place they currently at is located fairly away from the crater but even just the shockwave caused the vast area around it to be damaged severely.


    Working closer to the crater are teams comprised mainly of the heroes and adventurer guild officials. It seemed that some curious scholars both from the guild and those that just happened to be around at the time are examining the dragon¡¯s head as well.


    Liz and Yusa were looking at the tents being used as makeshift medical wards as they are taking some rest after working non-stop since early morning. Parents are reunited with their children and vice-versa, siblings, lovers, friends are consoling each other. There were some left alone without relatives or friends but they seemed to be fine at the very least.


    ¡°Lizzy, they are the people that you¡¯ve saved.¡±


    ¡°Un, I¡¯m glad everyone that we¡¯ve found are alive.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised when you said you wanted to help everyone even before the guild proposed about volunteering.¡±


    At first there were people opposed to Liz helping since she was seen as a mere little girl, but with Martlea¡¯s recommendation and that some people already aware of Liz¡¯s exploit in the tower she was finally allowed to. The more than satisfying result has made Liz to be well known not only to the adventurers but also the ordinary townsfolk. Although the person in question herself is somehow oblivious to that fact.


    ¡°I know how it feels to lose important people¡­ there is no other reason.¡±


    Not completely but that was a lie. Liz looked down with her mind in turmoil. Liz remembered the thought when she witnessed the event. She was truly happy when she concluded that Erik was safe and she will never deny that, however she was conflicted after she realized that the thought overshadowed everything else including sympathy to the victims. Erik might not know that the aftermath of his battle caused so much destruction, so with these thought as the reason and wishing to ease the burden Erik might have to bear she decided to give her all in helping the surviving victims.


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work. This area should be fine now so I guess that is all for today. Just leave the rest to us.¡±


    Martlea who is supervising the volunteer in absence of the guild master brought some food and drink for Liz and Yusa.


    ¡°Yay! Perfect timing, I was just about to beg for food.¡±


    Yusa gleefully accepted her share from Martlea while Liz just took it normally in comparison.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Liz noticed that some sweets were added into her share so she looked at Yusa¡¯s to find none on hers. Martlea who saw the puzzled Liz quickly explained.


    ¡°That is a bonus from the people over there.¡±


    Martlea pointed at the tents where some people, mainly elderly women and children, are smiling and waving their hands at Liz.


    ¡°That bakery owner lady is especially thankful since you saved her only granddaughter, you know.¡±


    Liz looked blankly at the people waving their hands at her for a moment before she herself made a wide smile and waved back at them.


    ¡°Aaaah, aaahhhhh. THIS! THIS IS WHAT I¡¯VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!¡±


    Looking like she just found her meaning of life Yusa shed some tears of happiness. On the contrary, Liz and Martlea looked as if they have just seen a madman¡­ which is, in a way, true.


    After carefully setting her lunch down Yusa jumped and grabbed Liz. It is the dreaded cheek to cheek skinship but the seemingly reluctant Liz only struggled for a bit before giving up.


    ¡°Aaaaah, Lizzy is just the best when she smiles! My mental health is being healed¡­¡±


    Looking at the two Martlea also inadvertently smiled. Then she looked up, to the tower. She have started to connect the disaster to Erik. It was too much of a coincidence that the unprecedented disaster happened after he went up the tower. If, somehow he is related or even caused the disaster, Martlea is quite sure that it was not intentional. Since there is Liz in the town. Martlea might have concluded differently if not for that fact.


    Just what in the world is that man? Martlea thought of that many times but nobody will answer it for her. Was it really him? Did he really kill such a gigantic dragon somewhere up there? Just how much of a monster is he? Rather than answer, more questions kept popping out as she thought of it.


    ¡°Just you wait. Once you get back, I¡¯ll give you a thing or two from my mind. I¡¯ll make you take responsibility no matter what.¡±


    Martlea who made a sinister smile muttered so in a low voice. The decline of adventurer, the damage to the town, and the life that was lost. Although it might be unintentional, Martlea is sure that she has the full right to be angry at Erik, and she will. Putting the blame on him and announcing it up will raise some skepticism as nobody will believe someone much less a human made it that high in the tower and defeated a monstrosity beyond imagination. Some who really is looking for someone to blame might just choose to believe but Martlea is too scared thinking if Erik just decided to go with it and rampage here which might cause an even greater calamity.


    ¡°Yusa¡­ it¡¯s hot today so please stop.¡±


    Liz who had started sweating struggled again to break free but at that moment Yusa has evolved from normal pervert into ultra pervert.


    ¡°Haaaa, zeeehh haaaaaa! Lizzy¡¯s sweat! Can I have ¡®em?¡±


    ¡°Fueeeee?!¡±


    Liz is... terrified. Martlea finally decided that it was time to save her but before she could somebody threw a wet towel right onto Yusa¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mguhhh!¡±


    Yusa immediately grabbed the towel off her face and looked around for the culprit while shivering but there is no one who looked like to be one.


    ¡°This precision throw¡­ I thought it was Erik bro for a second.¡±


    Hearing that, Liz who managed to break off from Yusa also looked around. She hoped that Erik might be there but realizing that it wasn¡¯t the case Liz sighed disappointedly. Erik did say that it might take a month.


    Before anyone could raise a question as to who threw that towel, they could see a large group of people walking to their direction.


    ¡°A~ha ha ha ha! This great me has done so much today I deserve more praise! Or rather, when will I find my first harem member!?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, is that the only thing in your head? Be mindful of what you say in this situation!¡±


    The four heroes followed by imperial knights and some guild official seemed to just have returned from the worst affected area.


    One of the heroes is a young female who seemed to be in her late teens while the others are male. One with a well-built muscular figure, one with a slender but also properly built body, lastly is the one who looked to be youngest amongst them.


    ¡°Katja, if you¡¯re not so nagging I would have added you as my first harem member you know.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely no! No way! And I don¡¯t remember allowing you to call me by first name.¡±


    ¡°Still in your tsun-tsun period I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what that means but somehow I¡¯m pissed off.¡±


    Yusa and Liz watched the heroes as they passed by until the boy who had been talking suddenly looked at Liz, startling her.


    ¡°Oooh, what a beautiful angel that has descended upon me!¡±


    He knelt and held Liz¡¯s hand while Liz who is shocked cried out her usual ¡°Fueeee!¡±


    As the boy tried to kiss Liz¡¯s hand an unexpected help came from Yusa. She immediately slapped the boy¡¯s hand holding Liz¡¯s down.


    ¡°You¡­ I don¡¯t care even if you are a hero or whatever. But I won¡¯t allow you to sully my cute Lizzy even just tiny bit.¡±


    ¡°Yusa¡­¡±


    Liz felt glad for the help so she let out a smile looking at such Yusa, until¡­


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even done that myself and you dare to just go and do it before me HUH? I know Lizzy is toooootally cute but know your place!¡±


    ¡°Yusa¡­¡±


    Liz immediately resumed her half astonished half scared expression.


    ¡°Ooh don¡¯t worry, so you want to be a member of my harem as well huh? The little angel behind you is the best but I don¡¯t discriminate age, so I¡¯ll accept you as well. Here, come to my chest!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As Yusa became speechless to what the smiling boy just said the female hero walked behind the boy and smacked his head with full force.


    ¡°GUHHOKH!¡±


    ¡°I really wonder how this idiot¡¯s head interpreted things to his own convenient delusion but that went too far. Sorry for this idiot¡¯s rambling, we¡¯ll take care of him so please forget what just happened.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, o¡­kay?¡±


    Yusa and Liz looked at the boy sprawled on the ground in strange pose, it seemed that the hit made him lost consciousness.


    ¡°Goldberg, sorry but can you take this idiot back to our inn?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    The muscular man lifted the boy with ease and put him on the shoulder before he walked ahead of the group immediately followed by the slender man who smiled at Liz and co. before he left.


    Liz somehow felt that the slender man¡¯s smile was scary but she could not pinpoint why she felt so. As Liz was still wondering about that the female hero lowered her head and spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for this. As an apology, feel free to ask me a favor while I¡¯m still in this town.¡±


    Martlea who could finally follow what was happening approached them and the hero girl noticed her.


    ¡°Ah, miss guild secretary. I couldn¡¯t tell you this before but thank you for your assistance in accommodating us here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I was just doing my job. However that one, Kazuya, was it? He really is quite a troublesome one.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t agree more.¡±


    Martlea spoke normally to a hero but different with Yusa who was simply enraged Martlea could do so because she thinks nothing of the existence called as heroes. Regardless of her position and opinion, Martlea is also of the demon race. Even if she is on this side, there is no way she can be comfortable with someone who might slaughter her kin.


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    As the hero looked at Liz, she immediately approached Liz and crouched in front of her.


    ¡°My name is Katja Eeva Virtanen, just call me Katja. We¡¯ll be going into the tower in 3 days after we finish our part on the restoration work so you¡¯ll be safe from that idiot while we¡¯re in there. Until then, if that idiot come to bother you again just call for me and I¡¯ll smack his head again for you.¡±


    ¡°Umm, thanks?¡±


    After saying that and a goodbye, Katja also left.


    ¡°There are also various kind of people among the heroes eh?¡±


    ¡°Well, from different world as they might be, they are human as well.¡±


    Martlea answered Yusa who spoke in amazement.


    ¡°But still, I never thought that a hero could be such a pervert.¡±


    To Yusa¡¯s comment, Martlea and Liz immediately said.


    ¡°¡°You¡¯re not one to talk!¡±¡±

 Chapter 17: The forgotten past revealed.

    Not counting Orum Arx on the surface, I have reached the 14th floor which means there should only be 11 more floors. All demon beast that we have encountered are mostly juggernaut class capable of using magic and then there are also some of medium size but at danger level beyond that of ¡®never to approach¡¯. I can¡¯t go into more details on the classification as Azanthys and I are currently fighting many of such beasts.


    Four floating great swords made of ice are moving as if dancing amidst various color of scattered blood and monstrous body parts, mowing down the enemies in succession. The one controlling it, Azanthys is behind me while I am holding the unnamed serrated sword in my right and a wyvern fang dagger in my left doing the vanguard role. I have accustomed myself too much on fighting solo but our cooperation and combination attacks are perfect. I¡¯ve been using her weapon form for quite a long time during my hero days so perhaps she already knows all my habit and tendencies.


    Mostly she heavily injured the demon beasts and I delivered the killing blow while at times it¡¯s the other way around. Whenever the enemies attacked me with magic Azanthys would shield me with her ice so I can continue attacking without worries. I could immediately take on a medium sized ones by myself but killing the far larger juggernaut class can only be as fast with Azanthys¡¯ assistance. Looking at our attacks, if I am a machine gun, Azanthys would be a railgun in comparison.


    As I attacked the legs of the last remaining juggernaut class demon beast I quickly pulled back leaving its collapsing body.


    ¡°Azanthys, now!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ master!¡±


    The four ice greatswords gathered at one place and merged into one boulder size ice sword. Azanthys then launched the sword towards the beast¡¯ head, ultimately impaling it right until the guard part touched the skull.


    Just like that, in just a little more than an hour the two of us massacred a total of 25 juggernaut class demon beast and 30 medium sized ones. We have conquered this floor. We were going by 2 floors per day so I might be able to clear this place faster than I had thought. I didn¡¯t go for more because even I can feel fatigue and Azanthys uses quite some mana in battle so I need to allocate the time for her automatic but slow recharge. I will only send her more mana when it is necessary.


    ¡°Phew, I¡¯d say we¡¯re doing well.¡±


    I put my weapons into their sheath and wiped my sweaty forehead.


    ¡°Master¡­ shall Azanthys¡­ gather¡­ materials?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, please do. Choose whatever you think is best but make ¡®em no bigger than this.¡±


    I gestured shoebox size with my hands. I¡¯ve been looking for new material to make new armor so I have gathered quite the amount even after selecting only the ¡®I think this can be used¡¯ ones. My backpack can¡¯t carry any more belongings so if I find a better one something else less promising must be discarded.


    Azanthys doesn¡¯t really need to eat but it seems she likes to, especially when it is the same as what I am having. Even so consumables are decreasing slower since while I have prepared his share Mareritter is not here and I have also took another dungeon culinary challenge with both curiosity and saving supplies as the reason. Taste is another matter but I have at least found several edible demon beast. While that can be said as a good thing the amount of freed space is not much for the time being.


    Right now my cracked back plate is being reinforced with Azanthys¡¯ ice. I don¡¯t feel cold since her magic cannot directly affect me which is good. Azanthys is capable to create two kinds of ice, one that is close to natural ice and one that will only melt under extreme heat like that gigantic dragon¡¯s breath. The amount of mana needed to create the latter is obviously higher. I don¡¯t think there is a need to mention which one is used to reinforce my armor.


    About my damaged armor though, should I ask that equipment shop old man to repair and permanently reinforce it or just make a new one with materials gathered here. I guess I¡¯ll just ask his opinion later.


    After I secured a place to rest and put my backpack down I also started looking for material but found nothing that piqued my interest. Azanthys brought back some chunk of shells, bones, and scales. Amongst them I found one peculiar item, a dark blue feather the size of a standard refrigerator. That is beyond the size I mentioned but I tried holding it. Not betraying its appearance, the feather is light, but is as strong as steel.


    ¡°Make¡­ threads¡­perfect¡­¡±


    I nodded to Azanthys¡¯ suggestion. The feather is huge but is lightweight so I guess I can carry it without stuffing it into my bag. One might not be enough so I asked Azanthys to take two more. I don¡¯t know if that old man can process this but I¡¯ll just look for another craftsman if needed be. Thus I bundled the three feathers by having Azanthys to make ice holding them together at the quills close to the barbs.


    After confirming the surrounding that there is no surviving demon beast I then chose to rest here and sleep.


    ***


    I stretched my body after Azanthys woke me up. I told her to wake me up exactly after 6 hours have passed and she did¡­ maybe. It seems Azanthys and Mareritter have something that is more than just your normal body clock and it is in time format I¡¯m most familiar with, the one on earth. Having a butler and a maid that can function as an alarm clock is simply amazing isn¡¯t it? I wonder if they have snooze function or not¡­ The best feature of Azanthys is her lap pillow though. Make no mistake, it wasn¡¯t because of my demand but she was the one that strongly offered it. I don¡¯t know if she sleeps while I do or she was just looking at me all the time since I always woke up to find her face looking at mine. I don¡¯t snore do I?


    Yeah, you can ignore my useless rambling.


    After a quick check on my equipment and having Azanthys strengthen the ice on my back plate we then departed to the next floor.


    Wait, is it just me or did Azanthys just make the design of ice on my back more extravagant than yesterday? I noticed some lavish spikes when I happened to turn my head sideways. Must be my imagination¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be one.


    It seemed like her ability to control ice magic has improved a lot as well. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say she is getting closer to her past self if I were to consider what that dragon who knows her past had said. Since my mana is constantly being drained by Azanthys and Mareritter, right now it¡¯s just Azanthys, my mana capacity has been steadily increasing by the day as well. As long as I get stronger Azanthys and Mareritter will also become stronger so their strengthening method problem wasn¡¯t even there it seems, which is good.


    There is no railing on the long flight of stairs in this tower but the stone stairway is almost 5 meters in width. The stairs to go to the next floor is always located at the wall on the opposite side of where you reached a floor, there is no need to look for them compared to those randomly located teleportation circle of the tower¡¯s counterpart on the surface. If I would mention a problem then it is that there is always a hole several tens of meters across in the middle of a floor so it is dangerous to fight near it.


    As we were nearing the landing on the next floor I could sense some peculiar presences.


    ¡°What the?¡±


    After I stepped into the 15th floor, right before my eyes is a small settlement with people¡­ they¡¯re horned, demon race? They are wearing what seemed to be makeshift clothing made out of leather material, perhaps from demon beasts. Coincidentally I could only sense some small sized demon beast and very few juggernaut class demon beasts on this floor and they are located on the opposite end.


    Azanthys who was next to me doesn¡¯t seem to be surprised but why are there even people here?


    As I was wondering some of those people noticed me and after some talking between themselves three of them approached me by running. An elderly man is looking especially rushed.


    ¡°A, are you an outsider? Did you come from the outside world?¡±


    Since they don¡¯t show any hostility yet I decided to have a talk for now.


    ¡°Yeah I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you maybe here to free us and the great creator?¡±


    ¡°The great creator?¡±


    ¡°It is¡­ Mother¡­¡±


    Azanthys answered my query in their stead. It seems I¡¯ve collected another piece of puzzle but I still can¡¯t see the big picture yet.


    The old man and his companions opened their eyes wide when they finally noticed Azanthys.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ that same appearance as in the engravings left by our ancestors¡­ You are¡­ Lord Azanthys?¡±


    Lord?! Azanthys? I looked at Azanthys who just blushed while averting her eyes from mine. No, I mean this taciturn Azanthys was called a lord?


    When they finally snapped from their daze they apologized to us for their rudeness while I don¡¯t think anything was rude to begin with. After a brief introduction between us. The elder whose name is Roland guided us to an old building made of stone significantly larger and more advanced in design than the surrounding huts which looked like they were made of clay. There are also some ruins of similar stone buildings which about half were patched with the clay-like substance, perhaps to be reused and then there is a strange big stone slab visible just a little from behind the main stone building.


    The people here looked at me and Azanthys with full curiosity while we were walking following the old man who must be the elder of this community as I don¡¯t see anyone else close to his age. Well, many tribes of demon race has life span several times longer that of human albeit not as long as elves, and they only start to look old by human standard when they are nearing the end of their life span, again, by human standard that would mean several decades left.


    From what I could see the population here doesn¡¯t even reach a hundred and there are more children than adults, like 3:1. There are also fat-ostrich-like demon beasts confined in a poorly made pen, while another pen got four legged demon beasts covered in thick blue and white fur eating black grass common in the grasslands or forest areas of Orum Arx. I think those are their main food source.


    I entered the building after the elder and inside I could only find leather rags, makeshift table made of the clay and some bones, perhaps from demon beast, and piled up leather mats and some bundled up rags which must be a set of bed and pillow.


    ¡°Please forgive us for not being able to offer you better hospitality.¡±


    He sat on a rag and gestured an offer for us to sit as well while a woman served us some kind of light blue drink in wooden cups and some pieces of dried meat cut to the size of a thumb in wooden tray, maybe of that ostrich-like or furry demon beast. She then sat behind the elder while two males who also guided us sat at both sides of the elder.


    ¡°I would like to say don¡¯t hesitate to eat but we wouldn¡¯t be offended even if you don¡¯t do as much as touching them as I am aware that they might not be to your liking.¡±


    The elder lowered his head to me and Azanthys who just took our seat. I already ventured my share of dungeon culinary challenge so the meat actually look to be more of a normal one than what I had fixed myself until now. First time to see the drink though.


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try some.¡±


    ¡°If master¡­ eat¡­ Azanthys will¡­ too¡­¡±


    I ate some meat and Azanthys immediately copied me. They¡¯re somewhat tasty but lacks seasoning. It¡¯s not like you can just find chunks of salt and sugar lying around or popping like mushroom especially in this kind of place so I have no complaint. The bluish drink tastes like goat milk but rather sour albeit not the bad kind of sourness. This is still better than biscuits and hardened bread that is my rations so I took and ate some more. I¡¯ll not mention some frozen consumables which need to be cooked first in my bag though¡­ just another feature of my maid.


    ¡°I am glad that our savior is willing to accept this humble hospitality.¡±


    ¡°Savior?¡±


    I immediately asked and the elder nodded in response.


    ¡°You are the master of lord Azanthys, correct? Our people has been waiting your arrival for many generations. However, I don¡¯t see Lord Mareritter and the other 3 lords. We have been waiting for who knows how long so might some unfortunate incident have rendered them unable to come?¡±


    His expression was bright at the first sentence but gradually turned sour after that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the 3 other lords but I gave Mareritter another task so yeah, he was unable to come.¡±


    ¡°... I am sorry to be impolite here, but will you be able to free the great creator with just the two of you?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t know. Or rather, I¡¯m actually in the blank here. Can you explain everything first?¡±


    ¡°Did lord Azanthys and Mareritter not explain to you yet?¡±


    ¡°Bound to¡­ rule¡­ can¡¯t¡­ explain¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. Please follow me then.¡±


    The elder stood and so I followed him. The others in the room also followed but at a distance.


    He led us to a door to a wide area in the backyard. There he stopped at the base of the giant stone slab I saw on the way here.


    ¡°This is the message our ancestor left us.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    He looked upwards so I followed his line of sight. There engraved on the old and battered stone slab is a picture of a winged maiden spreading her arms and wings. Near her feet then are five figures, 3 females and 2 males. A dragon with multiple pairs of wings is engraved to the background. All the figure including the dragon and the winged maiden are made elaborately except for the blurred face which must be intentional. I immediately recognized two as Azanthys and Mareritter while the winged maiden should be Praesia although there are some difference from the Lavinia-like Praesia that I know like the hair-length. Then at the lowest right corner are some writings but I can¡¯t read them since I¡¯ve never seen the characters before.


    ¡°Praesia the great creator has fallen after defeating a fragment of A?i Dah¨¡ka. The remaining enemies used that chance to conjure this accursed tower, destroying our cherished city and sealing the great creator. We must free the great creator as part of our pact so that the great creator can finally leave this world to help the supreme being the great creator called as Tiamat. As powerless as we may against the Ar daenocens¡­ we can only wait for the savior led by five lords created by the great creator herself. We shall give guidance and assistance at the cost of our life. Until then we shall wait here even if it will take an eternity for when the great creator is freed, we shall also be.¡±


    The elder read the passage for me and looked at me with worry reflected in his eyes.


    ¡°Our savior might have come but he only has one lord accompanying him.¡±


    I can¡¯t say ¡®don¡¯t worry, I can take care of anything¡¯ when you said it like that you know.


    After that I engaged in a Q&A session with the elder. He doesn¡¯t really know the details of what happened in the past but I got quite some information from him. First, Praesia is a being known as Ar draughum, meaning ¡®true dragon god¡¯ or ¡®one who regulates the universe¡¯, what a grand name eh? She created the five lords, two of them being Azanthys and Mareritter to fight against something called Ar Daenocens or ¡®true demon god¡¯, however the enemies created their own similar fighting force albeit somewhat weaker than the five lords.


    The war soon began to involve the original residents of this world while some took Praesia¡¯s side, some other took the enemies¡¯ The five lords can only have one master that was Praesia so she created and bestowed her followers with the downgraded form. Needless to say, the enemies also did the same.


    After years of war Praesia finally managed to defeat the enemies¡¯ leader, A?i Dah¨¡ka but only by sacrificing herself. Although both Ar draughum and Ar daenocens cannot truly die the enemies used the chance to seal her. Unfortunately, No one knows what happened to A?i Dah¨¡ka after its defeat. The five lord was spared but as they are beings bound to pact the enemies used that to prevent them from helping Praesia by themselves in exchange of having the enemies withdraw for a set of time, leading to a temporary peace.


    The whole story is longer but in conclusion, I have to release Praesia from her seal as she needs to help this Tiamat. No one knows what exactly happened to this A?i Dah¨¡ka¡¯s fragment. The five lords are in an obvious disadvantage since they cannot operate without someone supplying mana and no human can do that. Wait, so I¡¯m not human? Does being a hero removed me from human category in this world? Oh well¡­


    There are still many missing details like what are they exactly and why this Tiamat even needs help but the elder only knows this much. I have barely read any book in this world which is a rare product, let alone reading a history book but I am sure that there is no one out there that knows about the story I was just told. It is a long lost history.


    ¡°I might be rude to ask this but if you didn¡¯t know anything then why did you come here in the first place?¡±


    The elder¡¯s tone changed, it¡¯s not as reserved as before but he is still trying to be polite.


    ¡°I owe Praesia some, especially my life. She was the one who told me to come see her as well.¡±


    The elder looked at me in disbelief.


    ¡°How is that possible? The great creator has been sealed.¡±


    Even if you ask me that¡­ I don¡¯t think he will believe me if I say I met Praesia in my dreams.


    ¡°Master¡­ has that¡­¡±


    Azanthys pointed at my chest.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Excuse¡­Azanthys¡­¡±


    Perhaps annoyed because I was just standing there dumbfounded Azanthys got closer to my side, grabbed my shoulder and used her other hand to go through my breastplate and shirt from the neck, groping around my collarbone.


    ¡°Oy! What are you do¡­ing?¡±


    The blushing Azanthys took out the amulet of Praesia I¡¯m always wearing. I take that back, rather than annoyed, she was just being an opportunist.


    ¡°That is¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­ the sacred gem made by the great creator herself? The one she gave to one of the ancient monarchs, our queen?¡±


    The elder immediately knelt, followed by the three others that were present, I can never accustom myself to people genuflecting for me as I felt this itchiness on the back of my neck.


    ¡°Please forgive me for my previous breach of manner. Not only you are to be our savior, I did not realize that you were the bearer of the sacred gem. It should have been in the hand of Eldarifst¡¯s queen, are you a descendant?¡±


    ¡°Eldarifst? The one who gave this to me is a princess of a kingdom called Rifst though.¡±


    ¡°Rifst? I see, much time has passed so it is natural that many changes have occurred. Nevertheless, the one who holds the sacred gem and capable to converse with the great creator is the proof of the one who shall lead us as her majesty the queen once led our ancestors.¡±


    Hm? If this Eldarifst was the predecessor of Rifst wouldn¡¯t their ancestors be humans then? Or demon race and human really used to coexist well to the point of living in the same country?


    ¡°Were human and demon race living together in this Eldarifst?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, I don¡¯t understand the meaning of your question¡­ what is a demon race? I do know the race called as elves, dwarves, and the quallentes.¡±


    I decided to ask further about the details on how was life at that time while returning inside the building. We sat and the woman served another batch of meat sticks and blue drinks.


    To my surprise, there was no such thing as demon race. No, to put it better, their ancestor were human given power by Praesia which changed part of their physique and magic circuit, increasing their battle prowess. In short, the demon race was once human. I have never heard about dwarves so they are either extinct or living hidden from the rest of the world. The quallentes was how they called the beastmen and they are living in the northern island nations. While the once oppressed human was in Praesia¡¯s camp, the elves, dwarves, and quallentes were on the enemy¡¯s. Funny to think that now mankind is the dominant race. It seems Praesia was also the one who taught the hero summoning method as they became their main fighting force and the heroes were given this thing they called as sub-lord. Some kind of a downgraded version of Azanthys and Mareritter maybe?


    The elder was surprised when I told him that there is currently a war between human and demon race. He said, time sure is cruel for allowing such a change. On the other hand I just thought, isn¡¯t that just how human is but didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    After I cramped all the new information, I got the feeling that I have collected most part of the puzzle but still couldn¡¯t picture it whole.


    Unlike most other floors, the magic stones lighting in this floor dim out at set intervals which must be the night. So, after the talk ended the elder asked us to spend the night here. He even offered his makeshift bed for me but I declined. I¡¯ve learned to sleep on any kind of environment and I have this ultimate maid-lap pillow called Azanthys anyway¡­ I don¡¯t think I will make use of that service now, not in front of others. I definitely didn¡¯t decline because I don¡¯t want to use a bed of an old man okay. Refusing others¡¯ hospitality for such a reason is rude¡­ okay, I am quite rude then.


    Thus I slept while leaning to a wall with Azanthys to my side.


    ***


    The next morning there was a commotion waking me up before the alarm, Azanthys, could.


    I stretched while being watched intently by Azanthys. It seems I¡¯ve gotten used to her gaze I don¡¯t feel any awkwardness anymore.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡±


    The elder came in through the door from the outside.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Our hunters just returned from the floor above bringing some battle beast¡¯s meat. It is our main food source after the farm. Also, the news of our savior¡¯s arrival have spread to the whole village, adding to it.¡±


    Battle beast¡­ ah, demon beast. I still couldn¡¯t immediately connect the ancient term and the current term right away it seems. So the huge difference in number of children and adult was because the adults were out hunting. By the way, there is some kind of magical contraption made by their ancestor that prevents dangerous demon beasts from respawning on this floor. There are some that very rarely respawns but even when they do it is always far from the settlement. Too bad they weren¡¯t of edible kind so the hunters must go to the floors below or one floor up. It seems going to the 17th floor and beyond is strictly forbidden.


    ¡°Sadly, we lost two of our hunters but we are used to such¡­ that is why we only hunt when the farm is lacking.¡±


    Used to¡­ that¡¯s some sad words but I didn¡¯t say anything. I wonder if I just have gotten too used to the term ¡®death¡¯.


    ¡°Anyway, thanks for yesterday, I got many information but it is time for me to resume my tower climbing.¡±


    ¡°Must it be so soon? Now that we are in possession of more food we can have a banquet for you and the lord. A mere one day later to be freed is nothing compared to the years that have passed.¡±


    ¡°Thanks but I promised to return as soon as possible to someone waiting for me out there.¡±


    ¡°I see, then I shall have our best hunter to accompany you from here on.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    I honestly though that is certainly a help I would need but before I could answer Azanthys cut in.


    ¡°... Hindrance¡­ not necessary¡­¡±


    Oy, she¡¯s not saying that because she wants it to be just the two of us right?


    ¡°I see¡­ certainly there must be a reason our ancestor forbid us from going to the floor beyond the one above¡­ however, it is our duty to guide the savior. Will you please reconsider?¡±


    Hmm. I don¡¯t know how capable their hunters are but they must be quite strong to be able to hunt the demon beasts here. Some fell victims though.


    ¡°How many people goes in a hunt by the way?¡±


    ¡°A... at least thirty¡­ to kill a battle beast. Less than that will lead to a heavy failure.¡±


    The elder hesitated before giving an honest answer.


    Thirty for one, eh¡­ The juggernaut class demon beast here is several times stronger than their counterpart in the surface¡¯s Orum Arx so I guess the hunter should be as strong as a demon general especially one of lower tier such as, who was it, Nourrie? Berudis is closer to Orcus in strength so he is an exception.


    Well, I guess going with that much people will be more of a trouble than a help. Slower progress while there is an increase in food consumption. I¡¯d feel bad for the barely scraping village if some of them dies on the way. Okay, rejected.


    ¡°Sorry, but I agree with Azanthys, going in small number is also faster.¡±


    ¡°T, then please at least take only the strongest along. You can use them as shield or sacrifice at the very least. Our life is nothing for the success of our long awaited savior.¡±


    Seriously??? Oy¡­ if that¡¯s how it goes then¡­ I guess¡­ wait, no. I¡¯ve felt myself losing my humanity many times before. At least I don¡¯t want to be like that to those bearing only goodwill towards me.


    Before I could say another objection some people came in through the door.


    ¡°Grandpa, I thought you called for us so we¡¯re¡­ who are you?¡±


    The spiky haired young man who just entered and followed by a muscular man whose head is cleanly shaved and a girl whose hair is tied into a loose plait immediately became wary and grabbed their weapons when they saw me and Azanthys. As they had just returned from a hunt, they are still wearing crude armor made of demon beast materials but the weapons they have were properly made ones albeit not in best condition.


    ¡°Where are your manners!? Sir Erik is the one who will be our savior, and he is the sacred gem holder.¡±


    ¡°The one mentioned in the legend? So the outside world and the story were not just a myth made by the ancestors¡­¡±


    The girl opened her eyes wide while holding a hand to her mouth after she said that. The bald muscular man lowered his weapon while still bewildered. The young man on the other hand still kept his stance, his eyes were scrutinizing us thoroughly.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that yet. Fight me outside! I¡¯ll acknowledge you if you can beat me, the strongest here.¡±


    ¡°Eh, but he¡¯s the savior you know! Will you be fine?¡±


    The girl looked at the young man worriedly but was brushed aside with a ¡®humph¡¯.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to confirm! Come on!¡±


    Well, here it comes. Just another cliched event! ¡­ Let¡¯s just get through it quickly.


    As the young man left through the door followed by the other two the elder bowed to me.


    I am very sorry, but he is my grandson¡­ please don¡¯t overdo it¡­


    Judging by the previous flow of conversation I think he would have his grandson guide me¡­ telling me to not overdo it after allowing me to have him as a shield or sacrifice¡­ just wow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll just try to end this quickly without hurting him too much.¡±


    With an ¡®oh shit¡­¡¯ kind of expression on his face, the elder wiped his sweaty forehead.


    ¡°Good grief, that grandson of mine can¡¯t even see the fact that reaching this place with just two people is a feat beyond ordinary¡­¡±


    After that I also exited the through the door and was led to an open area just a little bit away from the farm. Many villagers including the kids gathered around to watch the fight. Azanthys who is watching from the sidelines is expressionless as usual but I can tell that she wasn¡¯t worried about the fight at all. Okay, I¡¯ll show an overwhelming difference of power so that the elder will give up on having a guide for me¡­


    ¡°Erik, was it? My name¡¯s Albert the raging wind! If you are really our savior, then prove it by defeating me first!¡±


    ¡°*Buhh* raging what?¡±


    My fictitious grandfather, Albert the raging storm blah-blah just flashed through my mind when I heard his name and title so I inadvertently let out such. What are the chances for this kind of coincidence?


    ¡°You! What was that!? Only the best hunters are bestowed with a title and you dare to make fun of that!?¡±


    Without waiting for the signal to start or for me to take out my weapons he dashed at me while brandishing his sword. At the same time four small tornadoes appeared surrounding me, closing in fast. The spell is just an upper mid-class but to create four at once and chantless at that is not easy so he must really have some skill. It seems he intended to attack me first while having all the tornadoes to prevent me from dodging or to hit me if I was able to dodge. Nice one, but your opponent is just bad.


    I also dashed forward and confronted him head on. He was surprised but managed to swing his sword at me which missed its mark. Only for a second I stopped holding back and with a speed that his eyes couldn¡¯t follow circled to his back.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s over.¡±


    Stopping my blow before it hits will not work on convincing this kind of hot-headed guy so I kicked him for real while holding back to some extent. As a result, he was blown away and is en route to hit the screaming spectators so.


    (Azanthys!)


    (Yes¡­ master¡­)


    Azanthys jumped in and grabbed his leg just before he could hit the spectators. It is good that he was already unconscious, if not, he would feel more pain from the sudden stop of momentum from being held by the leg.


    ¡°What was that? The savior suddenly disappeared for a second and appeared behind Albert!¡±


    ¡°Amazing, that Albert got done in with just one hit?¡±


    ¡°Mister savior is so strong!¡±


    It seems no one from the spectator spoke out a negative remark. Not that I would care even if there is one though.


    ***


    Why?


    I was climbing the stairs to the 16th floor. Next to me is Azanthys, while behind me are Albert and his two friends. Juno the muscular guy and Novia the girl.


    Why are they following me?


    They are carrying all my luggage plus their own so I just have to hold my weapons with me.


    I should have rendered Albert unable to move instead of just making him faint¡­


    Because the elder urged me to wait until Albert regained consciousness I am now stuck with him after Albert, and the whole settlement pledged their allegiance to me.


    I have accustomed myself to the silence of the dungeons and so now I¡¯m feeling slightly annoyed from the constant chatter behind me.


    ¡°Savior, after you have freed the great creator, please teach me to fight!¡±


    ¡°I would like to ask the same.¡±


    ¡°Eeh? I¡¯m not sure¡­ I mean mister savior is too strong¡­ can I even follow his teaching?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Savior! I beg you to answer!¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Aaah okay, okay! Me too!¡±


    ¡°Master¡­ shall¡­ Azanthys¡­ throw¡­ the disturbance¡­ down¡­ there¡­?¡±


    I don¡¯t know if Azanthys was annoyed too¡­ wait, she wasn¡¯t just annoyed¡­ she¡¯s very pissed off now as can be seen from her eyes.


    Hearing that the three shut their mouth and started sweating profusely.


    ¡°Well, why not¡­¡±


    The three¡¯s face turned aghast from my words.


    ¡°¡­have them around as long as they¡¯re not so noisy. They have a use as luggage carrier so we can bring back more materials if we want to.¡±


    Then they heaved a sigh of relief. Azanthys just puffed her cheeks with a ¡®muu¡¯ with her now already expressionless face.

 Chapter 18: The forbidden ground.

    The 16th floor wasn¡¯t one worth mentioning as things were basically the same as the previous floors. The only difference is now we have three supporters. It seems they are useful enough to at least distract the enemies with their chantless magic. The one doing the killing were still me and Azanthys though.


    Right now we are already on the stairs leading to the 17th floor. As it was a forbidden ground for the three they don¡¯t know what lies in wait but I think that there should be a proper reason for such a rule to be implemented. After more than fifteen minutes of climbing in silence, they learned their lesson not to be noisy it seems, we finally reached the 17th floor and I immediately noticed something strange. I didn¡¯t check it while I was climbing the stairs but right now there is no presence at all on this floor which means no demon beast.


    ¡°Master¡­ careful¡­ here¡­ dangerous¡­ enemies¡­ many¡­¡±


    Azanthys warned me while furrowing her eyebrows a little but I really can¡¯t sense anything at all. Half in doubt I, followed closely by Azanthys started walking while scanning the surrounding that is filled with ruins of stone buildings in higher quantity than on the 15th floor. With paved but old and battered road this place is giving me the vibe of a ruined urban setting.


    For several minutes we walked through the ruins but nothing happened. We took the long way of circling the floor to avoid getting too close to the hole as always but Azanthys suddenly told me to prepare my weapons as she created a great sword. Albert, Juno, and Novia also quickly prepared their weapons with strained and tense face.


    ¡°Master¡­ enemies¡­ soon¡­¡±


    Not long after I held the serrated sword in my right and a wyvern fang dagger in my left I suddenly felt the many presence surrounding us, however, this feeling is¡­ not demon beasts?


    Jumping out from behind rocks, crumbling remnants of stone walls, and from the top of the buildings are humanoid figures. It seems they possess high enough concealment ability if they can go undetected, but wait¡­ Azanthys was able to detect them. I dismissed the urge to think for now and intercepted one figure who leapt next to me and sent a punch aiming for my head. Wait, not a fist but claws?


    ¡°Uwaaah!


    ¡°Kyaaahh!¡±


    ¡°Hurmph!¡±


    Ignoring Albert trio¡¯s screams as they tried hard to defend from some attackers I dodged the scaly hand with long sharp nails like that of a beast. Taking the chance to counter I dove right in close to the assailant then I stabbed him in the stomach followed with a cut to widen the wound with my wyvern fang dagger. I used the serrated sword in my right and made a vertical upward slash to cut another assailant who was going to attack me from behind right in the stomach until the neck. I quickly chose to get away from there as the other figures used that timing to surround me so I tackled one and hit another at the back of the neck with my elbow before taking a distance enough to take a breather.


    ¡°Demon race?¡±


    Horns, each one of them got a pair of horns on their head. Different with before, this time they are clearly hostile though. They are also barely clothed but most of them got scales or fur covering the important areas. Some but not all of them of them also got dark purple skin and even red or blue. I don¡¯t really want to have a bizarre colorful naked fighting fest and most of them are male. I don¡¯t have such¡­ hobby.


    When I parried some more melee attacks I saw a glimpse of Albert trio who could barely fend of their attackers so I told Azanthys to also assist them whenever possible.


    ¡°Master¡­ above¡­¡±


    Warned by Azanthys who is fending off some assailant herself while skillfully controlling another ice sword to assist Albert trio, I looked up to find some giant fireballs forming imposingly.


    I¡¯ve seen Liz use the same spell, this is bad.


    Countless flares extended from the fireballs and is coming here like a rain. I judged that it is almost impossible to dodge hundreds of those flares so I,


    ¡°Azanthys!¡±


    Maybe because she already intended to, in less than a second after I said it huge dome of Ice covered each of us separately. After some noisy explosions and vibrations Azanthys thawed the ice to reveal a messy blackened and gouged earth littered with charred crumbling corpses of some of the assailants that surrounded us. I just glanced to see that Albert and friends are also fine albeit they all fell with their bottom on the ground while trembling in shock. I didn¡¯t order it but it seems Azanthys protected them from the flares as well.


    ¡°So, they didn¡¯t even care of friendly fire?¡±


    ¡°Intelligence¡­ have¡­ emotion¡­ none¡­¡±


    Azanthys have been talking as if she knows who or what they are but I don¡¯t have time for a chat. Judging by the damage from their magic each of them might be stronger than Orcus. Thankfully I got Azanthys here, without her I don¡¯t have the mean to defend against large scale magic and if it was Liz¡¯s earth wall, I would have been pulverized along with it.


    I killed two and 10 more died from the magic launched by some others looking down on us from the ruined building rooftops. There are at least still more than 50 of them around.


    ¡°Okay then Azanthys, you take the left! I¡¯m going¡­ what?¡±


    Right after they hid behind the buildings their presence also disappeared?


    ¡°Enemies¡­ retreating¡­ fast¡­¡±


    ¡°Azanthys, you can sense them?¡±


    ¡°... Master senses¡­ life¡­ Azanthys¡­ mana¡­ different¡­ Master¡¯s¡­ more amazing¡­ range¡­ also wider¡­ but not¡­ usable¡­ to them¡­¡±


    Azanthys nodded to my question then she added an explanation before I could ask.


    First time I ever thought of how I could sense others¡¯ presence but then how did I could not sense them anymore? They¡¯re living beings so they should be alive, right? Uhh, somehow I felt like I just thought of something along the line of that infamous ¡®people die if they are killed¡¯¡­


    I have been able to sense close hostile enemies thanks to the training I had when I was a hero but I think I only got the ability as said by Azanthys during my lone tower conquering before. Did something special happen or my body just naturally gained the ability?


    While I was thinking, Azanthys suddenly changed herself into her weapon form, floating in front of me.


    (Master¡­ Azanthys¡¯¡­ presence¡­ there?)


    ¡­ Nothing¡­ I can see her but there is no presence. Weapons don¡¯t have any vital sign so I guess that¡¯s why. Don¡¯t tell me, the enemies can also turn into weapons? They can turn into weapons that can move by themselves, what the hell?


    I got two myself but¡­ so what?


    ¡°What are they? How are they different from the ones we met on the 15th floor?¡±


    (¡°Second gen¡­ demon race¡­ mother¡­ created¡­ enemies¡­ imitated¡­ made third gen¡­ including¡­ demon beast¡­


    ¡­cannot¡­ say more¡­¡±)


    So our assailant is the imitations of demon race but more powerful?


    The enemies will probably try to ambush us again while we¡¯re en route to the stairs but I¡¯ll need to go there nevertheless. I¡¯ll just hold my weapons ready at all times. Azanthys can warn me when they are close by so their ambush will not be so much of one.


    It seems I¡¯ve taken my ability to sense others for granted too much, this silence where you don¡¯t know when the enemies will strike is rather nerve-racking. I wanted to ask for more details from Azanthys but I got the feeling she might be ¡®unable to tell¡¯ again anyway.


    After Azanthys turned back to her human form I told her to ready a weapon as well and to warn me when they are close by. Thus we resumed our march. Of course Albert and friends are following us while carrying our luggage. Protecting them will just be a hassle so I told them to prioritize retreating. They barely spoke since we got on this floor and their face are pale as day. Where did that arrogant Albert just disappear to?


    Albert told me before that when they hunt they usually choose a lone demon beast and then gang up on it with everyone on their party consisting of at least 30 people so yeah the earlier battle is totally different. The earlier enemies also moved too fast for Albert trio to react properly and the strength behind their attacks are strong enough to make Albert stagger when he blocks. I think they might be able to defeat one of those attacker as long as they stay calm and is fighting 3 on 1 but it is not like the enemies will only attack alone. I¡¯d prefer Albert trio to survive the trip but I will prioritize myself and Azanthys. I mean they knew the risk but still came anyway. I told them this beforehand and they just responded by saying ¡®as long as we can be of help to the savior¡¯. Doesn¡¯t sound very convincing if you look at how tense they are right now.


    As we continued walking in silence we reached a place densely packed with buildings like a jumbled shopping district with many intersections. A perfect place for ambush


    ¡°Master.¡±


    The surrounding is silent but Azanthys warned me. Just a few seconds after that I felt multiple presence but not as many as I thought, definitely not even close to half the number that ran before.


    A full frontal assault? The enemies showed themselves and charged at us right from the front but I doubt that is all. Taking the stance of ¡®those who strikes first wins¡¯ I dashed at the attackers while brandishing my weapons. I have confirmed that they are at least at Orcus¡¯ level so let¡¯s go full throttle from the start or it won¡¯t turn out well for me.


    Stealing a head start I threw the serrated sword, impaling one of the attackers positioned in the middle, then I took out the other wyvern fang dagger so I am holding two daggers now. Too bad the enemies didn¡¯t show any hint of being surprised and just continued their charge. So it is true that they don¡¯t have any emotions. Their looks are even blanker than the usual Azanthys. The impaled guy also continued attacking me with a sword in his body, although he slowed down significantly.


    The attackers that stayed behind launched long range magic attacks, but while the scale of each one is big the magic scattered around like buckshots. With the earth lances coming from below, enemies in the front and various magic attacks from both the front and raining from above my only option is to fall back, if I don¡¯t have Azanthys that is. Rather than simply creating a shield, two huge great swords floated above me and cut the magic projectiles that was about to hit me while I continued my fight. The numerous magic hit some of the attackers, conveniently reducing their number if not for the fact that the ones that were hit actually tried to sacrifice themselves to make me stay in a position that gives the others a chance to attack me from my blind spot or by the magic projectiles.


    Despite the support from Azanthys and magic barrage from Albert trio to cover my solo vanguard ¡®this is getting annoying¡¯ was how I honestly thought while shifting my focus on defense. After some parrying on those steel like claws I sheathed the dagger on my right and plucked off the serrated sword from the now dead enemy before making a big slash against two other enemies with it. Suddenly some enemies strangely formed pairs and held hands. In an instant one of each pairs turned into bizarrely shaped weapons, like a multi-pronged sword and black thorny slime oozing whip.


    That surprised me and gave a chance for the enemies to make attacks that hit. I got some cuts on my arms and other parts unprotected by my armor. The whip was especially dangerous. I have never fought a whip user and couldn¡¯t predict the path of the attack perfectly. I don¡¯t know what that slimy substance is but just a graze melted my clothes and burnt my skin like acid.


    I immediately jumped back and used a wide mana infused slash to unleash a wind blade to halt their attacks and give me a breather. Azanthys¡¯ ice swords also managed to stab two enemies that was stopped by my wind blade.


    (Master... jump!)


    When I was organizing my next move Azanthys suddenly gave me a warning to which I responded by doing as she said and jumped up. Right after that many of those bizarre weapons came raining down to the spot I was standing from the rooftops around the area. I didn¡¯t feel any presence from them so they must have been moving to attack me as weapons.


    The weapons that stabbed the ground really then moved by themselves. Each one of them moved and some even floated midair. Just what kind of disfigured giraffe skeleton robot is that?! While some looked just like your standard sword or spear, there is a strange bladed weapon with appendages, yep, bladed joints as legs and one bigger sword head with multi-jointed neck raised as high as 3 meters. Followed by a snake look alike or a whip which whole body is made of a kitchen knife set, well more ominous than kitchen knife of course, just expressing my opinion.


    The combined attacks from those weapons and more fluid attacks by the ones being wielded made me opt for my main style, dual dagger. After doing a spinning slash with the serrated sword I once again threw it to impale an enemy and drew my other dagger. Whoops, here it comes, the giraffe blade head aimed at me from above right when I just finished the spin and vulnerable but Azanthys¡¯ greatsword blocked it for me.


    The weapon-wielder pairs sometimes switches and as the other has different form of weapon, the sudden change of pattern in attacks is difficult to cope. Completely trapped in the chaos I could only look at some enemies that ran past me to attack Azanthys and Albert trio instead.


    I can¡¯t really bother to look at how Albert is doing but Azanthys won¡¯t be able to fight properly if she keeps her support on me and Albert.


    (Azanthys, prioritize yourself. I¡¯ll be fine here.)


    (... Yes¡­)


    Her voice was tinged with hesitation but she complied anyway. Okay, now I should increase my focus and output if I want to get through this in one piece. By rough estimation, currently my mana capacity might be almost on par with Liz as I know of but I still can¡¯t use magic beyond intermediate class. So I will have to make use of the dagger¡¯s flame and wind slash without holding back.


    Taking more magic attacks without Azanthys¡¯ support is difficult so I broke through the swarm of enemies around me and charged at their magicians who were preparing another big magic attacks. Disrupting their concentration with both flame and wind slash I plunged into their ranks and easily killed three but the rest managed to fight back with claws and kicks. I forgot that all of them are as capable in both magic and physical attack. I almost failed to notice that this time the first group that attacked me opted for magic.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡±


    Faster than I could consider what to do Azanthys dropped several ice boulders on the first group, halting their magic usage and even killing some. I thought I told her to prioritize herself. I am thankful by the way.


    This will be hard on my stamina but I made double blitzkrieg on both sides to not allow any big magic from being used. I stopped my attack on each side and move to the other before they could finish any magic processing and with just enough interval to not allow them to join as one group.


    I can kill the humanoid enemies without much trouble since they are neglecting to defend themselves for a berserker style attacks so my dodge, parry, and counter tactic is working well. But how can I kill the weapons? Obviously, they aren¡¯t brittle and most are as strong or stronger than the wyvern fang dagger. Pure blocking will chip the blades so I mostly parried by changing the trajectory of their attacks before moving in to counter.


    Having experienced many gruesome battlefields during the war certainly helped to make me calm enough to observe the slightest sign of attack and its trajectory at the moment the enemies started their attacks. With their number though, I couldn¡¯t avoid all of their attacks and my body is starting to be covered in wounds albeit mostly just small cuts. My armor now looked like I have worn them non-stop for years. Fighting multiple enemies who are capable of coordinated attacks is more difficult than dealing with demon beast.


    Given the long fight I finally managed to kill all humanoid enemies on this side but the remaining problem is the biggest. How can I destroy those weapons?


    (Azanthys, how are you doing over there?)


    (Enemies¡­ few¡­ will finish¡­ soon¡­)


    Come to think of it, I¡¯m dealing with most of the enemies here.


    While dodging the attack from a sword¡¯s flying thrust and a charge from giant centipede which body segments are like shields, short swords as the legs, and long sickles as mandibles I asked Azanthys on how to deal with these weapons.


    (How can I kill the weaponized enemies?)


    (Full destruction¡­ or¡­ aim¡­ the¡­ dragon¡¯s heart¡­magic¡­ stone¡­)


    Okay, full destruction sounds impossible for me, so I have to look for this dragon¡¯s heart.


    I observed the weapons and easily noticed the magic stones embedded on the standard weapons type, like at the base of a sword¡¯s blade or under the hilt. Those so called dragon¡¯s heart are deeper in color than most magic stones I¡¯ve seen and now that I looked closer on one, it is covered by some kind of thin pulsing smoky aura of the same color.


    I then lured a sword to make a flying thrust and changed its trajectory so it will hit and stab the ground hard. While it struggled to pull itself out I attacked the magic stone with my daggers but I needed to attack it twice to just make some cracks forming on its surface. In my haste to dodge another incoming attack I attacked again with both daggers at once and infusing mana to create combined blast of wind and fire before moving away and the magic stone finally crumbled. The sword stayed in place while its color changed into its paler variation.


    That did it. The sword stopped moving. Like that I gradually disabled all the swords, spears, knives, etc. but the bizarre weapons are still there. I don¡¯t see obvious magic stone of any form on them.


    (Master¡­ please¡­ hold on¡­ a little more¡­)


    (Huh? I think I¡¯ll be fine here so don¡¯t be hasty and keep your guard too.)


    That''s what I told Azanthys but I was surrounded by 3 giraffe skeletons, 2 centipedes, and 4 snakes, the other type is just like a sea urchin with longer barbed spikes. The giraffe skeletons uses a stabbing attack from above with its blade head while the snakes moves its body erratically as whip. The centipedes just outright tried to cut my legs with its mandibles and the urchin does a roll attack. Each are simple attacks but when done simultaneously with cooperation their attacks are super difficult to deal. Just one mistake in timing or distance calculations will be fatal and getting away with just one or two wounds deserves to be called a miracle. I dodged a giraffe skeleton type attack and hooked a dagger on the first joint behind its blade head and jumped up as it pulls back its head. Before I made a somersault and landed behind the giraffe skeleton, out of their encirclement I noticed that hidden behind the base of the giraffe¡¯s blade head are two black gems like eyes or¡­ the dragon¡¯s heart?


    They are located at a difficult to attack place but now that I know where it is I should be able to do something about it.


    Exerting myself I unleashed multiple wind and flame slash on the giraffe skeleton¡¯s back and head finally triggering the mild sign of mana exhaustion. I should still be able to go on if it¡¯s just this much so I continued the barrage. While its inorganic body barely showed any significant sign of being damaged with that many attacks the giraffe skeleton staggered and stopped moving so I jumped onto its iron ball-like main body and ran up its tubular neck. Knowing that one attack won¡¯t be enough I went wild and crushed the two dragon¡¯s hearts with some mana infused stabs, creating blasts of raging wind and flame that covered its whole blade head.


    I quickly jumped away from the crumbling giraffe skeleton. Okay, that much use of mana just to destroy one looked to be bad for me obviously. I also haven¡¯t looked at the other types¡¯ dragon¡¯s heart location.


    With my strength, if I have a strong enough large hammer I might be able to crush the centipede¡¯s shield like body and not need to look for its dragon¡¯s heart. Too bad I don¡¯t.


    I aimed for the other giraffe skeleton since I know its weakness. At least there will be one less enemy to worry about like that.


    ¡°Ouch, you guys won¡¯t make it easier for me eh?¡±


    Before I could start attacking the remaining enemies gathered around the other two giraffe skeletons.


    ¡°Argh, damn it!¡±


    I made a mad dash and plunged right to the middle of the enemies. I dodged a knife snake by sliding down followed by a jump to avoid the centipede.


    Landing in front of a giraffe skeleton I immediately shifted my center of gravity and spun while leaning diagonally to the left to avoid its head stab. I then bite into the handle of one dagger and use my free hand to grab the neck right behind the blade head and thus I was pulled above when it retracted its head. I spun midair and ride on its neck, grabbing the other dagger again I did the dual elemental stabbing frenzy, destroying the dragon¡¯s hearts.


    (Master¡­ fall¡­back¡­)


    As I heard Azanthys¡¯ voice in my mind I immediately jumped off the crumbling giraffe skeleton and ran. The enemies might be surprised since they didn¡¯t chase me right away but after I have made some distance they started moving to chase. But too bad for them, it''s too late. From this far I finally noticed that thing. Azanthys might have finished over there for quite some while since looking at the size she would have needed several minutes of preparation. I see, so that is why she told me to hold on.


    The enemies are inorganic so they might not be able to notice the temperature drop while I cannot feel cold from her magic. The dungeon is dimly illuminated by some light emitting type magic scattered around the ceiling and wall so it didn¡¯t cast much shadow until it got close. I also didn¡¯t notice it since I was focusing on the battle.


    It was an ice boulder more than 20 meters in diameter blanketed in hazy white mist. Azanthys held it in place until I was far enough to not get involved in the imminent impact then she dropped, scratch that, she shot it right onto the enemies gathered in one place.


    Amidst the rumbling sound, shaking earth, and flying debris from the destroyed buildings and ground within the mix of dust cloud and cold mist all I thought was that I have once again confirmed that while I am better at man-to-man fight, Azanthys sure has more destructive power than me even when she¡¯s not in her wing mode. It is amazing that she didn¡¯t punch a hole on the floor. The floors in this tower must be thicker and stronger than I thought.


    (Master¡­ not yet¡­!)


    ¡°What?¡±


    A black figure came out of the dust cloud and came ramming onto me. It moved so fast that I barely dodged in time. I guess that speed also enabled it to avoid the ice boulder. The urchin type sped up even after it got past me and aimed at Azanthys instead who used two ice sword to stab it from the front. With a loud clanging sound the ice swords were deflected and Azanthys opted to jump up to avoid the urchin.


    (Azanthys, do you know where is this thing¡¯s dragon¡¯s heart?)


    (Center¡­ main¡­ body¡­)


    Figures, should have guessed that one.


    Without stopping, the urchin made a u-turn and returned to attack Azanthys. She was still mid air but gravity has started to pull her down and by the time she landed the urchin will have the perfect timing to ram her. Did that thing calculated it? I increased my pace, intending to jump and grab her midair. Before I could, two small tornadoes appeared in front of the urchin, followed by floating fireballs and earth spikes. Albert trio, eh? The tornadoes, exploding fireballs, and the earth spikes slightly hindered the Urchin and gave me time to change my plan.


    My daggers won¡¯t be able to do much against the thing that might be as fast as the blue hedgehog, only bigger and more dangerous. Azanthys¡¯ ice swords also got deflected easily. But I have one more, far stronger weapon so I sheathed my daggers. There won¡¯t be a problem now that there is only one enemy so a supporting role is unnecessary.


    ¡°Azanthys!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ master.¡±


    I grabbed her outstretched hand as she landed in front of me. She turned into a dense cluster of light particles and transformed into her weapon form.


    As it is coming from the front horizontal slash will do no good, attacking from above is also a no-no but what if I do a diagonal upward slash? Done from a perfect angle with Azanthys¡¯ blade my attacks can make it bald.


    I side stepped just barely out of the range of its spikes and with a quick slash, faster than the rate of its spin I cut most of its spikes. It is impossible to cut all its spikes with just one attack but thanks to the remaining uncut spikes its move became erratic and the main body is revealed with less than 30 cm remains of the cut spikes. It struggled to turn to my direction while I prepared a magic.


    I created a ramp and in front of the urchin and soon the thing was midair. I immediately ran below it and cut the main body using Azanthys. Different with the daggers, I could only feel some resistance as her blade cut through the dragon¡¯s heart, cleaving it into two.


    Silence finally returned and Azanthys transformed back into her human form.


    ¡°Enemies¡­ no¡­ more¡­¡°


    Azanthys gave me a victory sign with expressionless face while Albert trio were sitting on the ground as they were whispering some lines about being alive. Well, it is good that they survived. They were also unexpectedly useful at the perfect timing so with that in mind I approached them.


    ¡°Thanks for earlier.¡±


    Huh? There is no need to mention Novia who¡¯s been so for some time but Albert¡¯s eyes also got teary. I don¡¯t know about Juno who was looking down as he sat powerless on the ground though.


    ¡°W... were we of use¡­ to you¡­?¡±


    The teary eyed Novia said so hesitantly.


    ¡°Well, yeah¡­ I guess. Your magics slowed its movement for a bit and gave me time to use Azanthys. It seems you guys also defeated some of the enemies as well.¡±


    And¡­ now they looked happy. Oh well.


    The earlier fight was the hardest since the colossal dragon and both me and Azanthys used up huge amount of mana so let¡¯s have a long rest in one of the ruined buildings. After I confirm that there is really no more enemies around.


    ***


    Was it really a good decision to follow the savior? I have experienced his strength firsthand before but looking at how the savior and Lord Azanthys killing the giant battle beast with ease I started to feel like a dead weight. I¡¯m sure Novia and Juno felt the same way. However turning back now will be a disgrace not just to me but also to everyone else in the village. It was crushed once by the savior but I still have some pride.


    Then things turned to the worse after we entered the forbidden ground. The enemies only looked a bit different from us but far stronger. Their speed and strength might not be on par with the savior but it is still beyond me. If Novia and Juno weren¡¯t there I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back at all. We could barely defend ourselves but then Lord Azanthys helped us by sending one of her huge ice sword over here.


    I almost pissed myself when I saw that fire magic attack Novia sometimes use, only bigger and too many to count, floating above us. Novia grabbed me by the neck while screaming and Juno protected his face with his arms. I myself could only close my eyes as the flares were raining down but then, nothing happened.


    I opened my eyes again to a cold darkness which begin to unfold not long after, revealing its true form. Novia, Juno, and I were protected by Lord azanthys¡¯ ice twice as thick as Juno¡¯s arms.


    Ah, we¡¯re really just burden aren¡¯t we?


    I expected some scornful laugh or even scolding from the savior when he looked at us after things were over but he just told us to prioritize retreating before he looked at me in wonder. He asked me some questions and after telling us that we might be able to win if we were to fight calmly 3 against 1 finally he told us that he will prioritize himself and Lord Azanthys. I thought that he was kind enough to tell us that beforehand so after Novia, Juno, and I looked at each other we answered with ¡®as long as we can be of help to the savior.¡¯


    After some time another battle ensued but the savior charged at the enemy by himself. This time it seems the savior is going all out since he moved so fast that the only thing I could properly grasp is his first attack by throwing his sword at one of the enemies.


    The savior did tell us to prioritize retreating but I felt that I might regret not doing anything so I used the few long range magic attacks that I know. Novia and Juno soon copied me but it doesn¡¯t seem we¡¯re making much difference to the tide of battle by just attacking the far and quick moving enemies so I chose to protect the savior from the enemies¡¯ magic instead.


    Not long after that, the tide of battle shifted by a surprise attack from enemies¡­ weapons? Grandpa told me in his stories about enemies that just like the lords, can transform into weapons. I never thought that I would see some myself. Wait, some of the enemies are coming here?


    ¡°Albert!¡±


    Novia shouted and while she look scared she uses her magic to attack the incoming enemies. Juno also raised his battleaxe. Believing what the savior said to us before I told Novia and Juno to focus our attack on one enemy. Juno and I flanked one which was possible due to Novia¡¯s magic barrage and lord Azanthys who is taking care of the other enemies.


    ¡°Haaa!¡±


    I made a slash but the enemy used a claw to catch my sword while raising the other claw to attack me.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡±


    Juno swung his battleaxe at that raised arm and severed it. I took that chance to pull my sword from the enemy¡¯s weakening grip and stabbed the side of his stomach.


    ¡°Novia!¡±


    ¡°Yaaaaaa!¡±


    She dashed and stabbed the enemy in his chest with her spear.


    I was speechless as I looked at the enemy who collapsed to the ground, lifeless.


    ¡°W, we did it!¡±


    ¡°Un.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Juno and Novia slowly nodded to my words.


    ¡°Alri-¡±


    ¡°More¡­ incoming...¡±


    Before I could express the feeling of accomplishment, lord Azanthys warned us of one more enemy that was coming this way.


    Our morale was raised so with more determined look than before Novia and Juno also raised their weapon.


    After some more brush with death against those strong enemies I felt like I¡¯ve used all my strength and fell bottom first onto the ground. Fortunately, lord Azanthys had defeated all the enemies that attacked here by the time I lost my strength. Novia was already on her back to the ground while Juno knelt clutching onto his battleaxe.


    The savior¡­ is still fighting!?


    There are more corpses of the enemies littered around him than it is over here. But there are still many of those living weapons surrounding him. Dammit¡­ can¡¯t I be more of a help to him? I was once again struck with the sense of helplessness as I realized that I will only hold him back even if I was able to go over there.


    At least lord Azanthys can go to his side now¡­ huh? She¡¯s not going? Is she protecting us in case some enemies attack here again?


    ¡°What the?¡±


    I realized the reason lord Azanthys stopped moving when I saw a giant chunk of ice floating high above the savior. Will the savior realize the ice in time though? With the distance between us and the savior he might not be able to hear us shouting especially since he is also under a hard fight.


    Surprisingly, even when I never saw the savior looking up he jumped away from the swarm of enemies and ran over here. Then the ice suddenly accelerated to fall right on the enemies.


    I thought things were finally over but a single enemy that looked like a ball covered in spikes came out of the floating cloud of dust and sped up to the savior who dodged at the nick of time. If it was me, I would be dead by now¡­ wait, wait, that thing is coming over here!


    I was relieved when I realized that the thing was aiming for lord Azanthys but the awful feeling returned once again. I was about to ask Novia and Juno to do something about that enemy but they were already looking at me when I turned my head to look at them.


    It is fine even if our attacks aren¡¯t effective. I just want to do something to rid of this awful feeling. Thinking so I mustered all my remaining strength and used my wind magic. I intended to create as many tornadoes as I can but only two came out. Novia who usually could conjure more than fifty impact mines could also only produce slightly more than ten of them. Juno¡¯s earth spike area of effect was also smaller than normal.


    So in the end¡­ we¡¯re useless.


    The savior then ended the fight by himself after having lord Azanthys turn into a beautifully ornamented weapon of a type I have never seen before.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ is this the extent of our capability? I feel stupid for boasting about being the strongest hunter before when I am this useless to the savior. How shameful.¡±


    Novia looked at me with teary eyes, perhaps she has been thinking the same way as me. But then Juno patted me on my shoulder.


    ¡°Then we just have to become stronger. As long as we are alive we can still grow stronger.¡±


    I wanted to believe what Juno just said but my mind was filled with how much difference there is between us and the savior.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ at least we survived the fight.¡±


    I didn¡¯t notice the savior standing behind me until he thanked us.


    Huh? Thanked us? Why? The savior did most of the fighting while we struggled on just a measly number of enemies.


    ¡°W... were we of use¡­ to you¡­?¡±


    Novia then said the question that has been bugging me all this time. I was afraid that the savior will laugh at us, no¡­ perhaps that is better than him being indifferent and just ignored the question.


    But then, what the savior told us erased that awful feeling in an instant.

 Chapter 19 - The Ominous Hand of War Reaches.

    Bloodied huge figure of a horned man with deep black skin and long scaly tail fell to his knee as if prostrating in front of a power far beyond his own. His forced heavy but quick breathing and rugged body, then the ruined surrounding indicated the occurrence of something violent before the current situation. In fact it was a devastating battle between the kneeling figure and the other man standing in front of him.


    Under the strangely darkened sky with sounds of flapping wings and witnessed by many in disbelief, that day¡­ taking it by force, an unknown silver haired demon lord has been crowned.


    ***


    Here I am, the 25th floor. The diameter of the floors started to get smaller since the 20th floor and this time I can see the other end clearly as well as the two huge figures waiting imposingly.


    Albert and his friends are surprisingly still alive and well. They have gotten significantly stronger than when I first met them. Their desperate and pitiful look can be seen no longer. They got especially motivated since we finished the 17th floor after all. Individually they¡¯re still no match for the emotionless demon race here but they can easily take down one or two as a team now.


    They did cause some delay since at first they got devastated and needed to rest each time we conquered a floor.


    By the way, I feel that I am also stronger, a bit.


    ¡°Hahaha, look¡­ Azanthys and the human really reached here. They also brought some trash along.¡±


    ¡°You can laugh but it is me who win the bet.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, I forgot about that.¡±


    It¡¯s the two dragons¡­ artificial Ar draughum¡­ and they said they are currently Ar daenocens¡­ whatever, I¡¯ll just call them dragons.


    ¡°Th, they are¡­¡±


    Albert and friends trembled with surprise plastered on their face.


    ¡°You guys know those dragons?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they occasionally attack our village. They would always left after killing some but never to the point that we would be annihilated. We suspected that they might be intelligent but never thought that they could speak.¡±


    The surprised look changed into that of hatred as Albert said that.


    ¡°Who allowed second generation trash to look at us with those kind of eyes huh?¡±


    The dragon who mocked Azanthys before opened its jaws wide and raised the tone of its voice to which Albert and friends shuddered.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ fear is better suited for you trash. It is just our job to control your population okay. Ah and maybe I should also mention that it counts as entertainment. There is not much to do here and I¡¯m sure you know that too. Khekhekhe.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Albert cursed while he is still trembling in both fear and frustration. He might have realized that they are no match for those dragons.


    ¡°Azanthys, you¡¯re good to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ master¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s show those dragon thingies our real strength this time. Albert, you guys stay here. I have to return a greeting I couldn¡¯t answer properly before.¡±


    Stepping forward with Azanthys who just materialized a great sword I also prepared my weapons.


    The serrated sword and wyvern fang daggers are still sheathed on my waist. In my hand is a pair of short swords of the dead weaponized enemies. A shield from the centipede carapace is also on my back. Now dead they are just normal weapon without any special abilities or magic and is not as strong as they originally were but I can still use them as expendables.


    The long tailed dragon snorted at me before it walked forward.


    ¡°I thought you would use the trash as shield or something here but it seems I have overestimated your character, human.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s your own fault for making assumption. And, shouldn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve been underestimating me instead?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! You returned that well, but make sure to live up to your own words, human.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I was already next to the long tailed dragon¡¯s foreleg when I said that and made a slash.


    The dragon immediately moved away but my attack was faster. Blood sprayed into the air as a gashing wound opened on the dragon¡¯s leg. As I thought, without changing into its metallic form this dragon¡¯s scales aren¡¯t that special.


    ¡°Buhahaha! What was that? That human took you off guard too easily!¡±


    The other dragon laughed at the long tailed dragon instead of being worried or surprised. So they still think they have the leisure eh.


    ¡°You¡­ too¡­¡±


    Azanthys lunged and stabbed at the dragon¡¯s chest but her sword stopped in its track before it reached the dragon¡¯s body which now is covered in blood colored flame.


    ¡°Really now? I kinda expected that you know¡­¡±


    The tip of Azanthys¡¯ ice sword touching the blood red flame that acts like a barrier started evaporating and thus she pulled back.


    ¡°Without mother, even the first prototype is nothing in front of us first generations who have made contract with Lord Slibinas.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Azanthys just stared at the dragon while she produced three floating ice great swords and repaired the one she is wielding.


    I have refilled her mana for two days by sending most of my own and took one more day to recover myself before coming here so I don¡¯t think there is a need to worry about her for now.


    I immediately returned my focus to the long tailed dragon who snorted loudly.


    ¡°Damn thanks for waiting again¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to return it with a serious fight this time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. My pride will not allow me to win too easily against mere human. But to say you were not serious before¡­ I fail to understand your joke human.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry because it was not a joke.¡±


    I once again attacked the dragon whose body started turning metallic.


    ***


    Almost three weeks have passed since the event that devastated a part of Arx Norr. Signs of daily life returning to its previous state can be seen with the hustle bustle of people involved in the busy renovation of ruined buildings and Arx Norr market road being active once again albeit not to how it was at its former glory.


    Not many adventurers are in the tower right now, except for the heroes groups and few other.


    Decline in adventurer activity also meant decline in magic stone supply which is needed to power most magic tools from the mundane to the most complex of one. The lack of supply then led to rise in price. Some shrewd merchants began to take measures that will surely be of benefit no matter how things will play out.


    Unaware of all the things that was happening in the background, a young girl was relieved of her volunteering work since all that was left is renovation and she has no ability nor knowledge related to it. Help from the capital and surrounding villages has also arrived in form of manpower, consumables, and building materials. Not having any more work while her acquaintances are all busy left her alone in an empty office room of the adventurer guild. She is free to loiter around anywhere she wants but the problem is that she doesn¡¯t really want to do anything. Without any distraction such as volunteer work all she could think of was a young man called Erik and the fact that he is away.


    Sighing while slumping on the desk for who knows how many times, she raised her head when she heard a commotion.


    Deciding to find out what the commotion was about, she opened the door and came out behind the guild receptionist counter. Many guild staff walking in a hurry can be seen here and there accompanied by curious gazes from adventurers that were hanging out in the guild.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Liz. Actually it seems the party led by the guild master is returning today. A messenger arrived in advance but it seems they don¡¯t have any good news.¡±


    ¡°Hey, shush! This is still a classified information!¡±


    The one who answered to the little girl, Liz, was a receptionist named Tyrina who put a hand to her mouth after she was reprimanded by the other receptionist.


    ¡°Ah, but Liz is okay right? I mean she¡¯s already like one of the guild employee anyway. It¡¯s just a matter of time before she heard it from someone else.¡±


    Due to the fact that she is currently staying with Martlea who spends most of her time at the guild Liz often chose to stay at the guild as well. Liz only made a wry smile when Tyrina mentioned about her being already like a guild employee.


    Her tower exploit and volunteering work has made her somewhat famous. Staying in the guild also let her be acquainted with many guild staff. She remembered Yusa saying that many people actually wanted to talk with her but too scared of Erik so they refrained. Now that Erik is not here many people started approaching her due to both curiosity and admiration.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°No good news means¡­ something bad is going to happen?¡±


    ¡°A, ah¡­ we don¡¯t know yet what the content of the news but maybe you¡¯re right. I just hope it actually meant nothing special was going to happen instead¡­ This town had just gone through a terrible thing after all.¡±


    Tyrina scratched her cheek with her face hinting that she herself doubted it.


    ¡°Where did the guild master go to anyway?¡±


    ¡°To the de¡­¡±


    ¡°Tyrina, lower your voice!¡±


    Tyrina paused after the other receptionist said that and then crouched to whisper directly to Liz¡¯s ear.


    ¡°...demon race territory. There is also an adventurer guild branch over there and he went to meet the guild master over there. Secretly of course since there¡¯s a war and all. I think it was exchange of information and some secret stuff.¡±


    Right at that time the commotion outside the guild became more intense. Following it soon was the battered figure of adventurers and the guild master.


    The adventurers are wounded severely with their armor barely retaining its original form. They are of the well-known S rank party, Gale Hawk, so the sight made most of everyone in there gasp in shock.


    ¡°Call Martlea and every high ranking guild officials. B rank adventurer parties and above must also send their representative and come to the guild assembly hall. Those of C rank and below will be briefed separately later.¡±


    Despite his battered appearance the guild master shouted with firm voice which startled everyone present but then they immediately sprang into action.


    As like the other receptionist who ran to call the high ranking officials Tyrina was also going to do that but stopped to look at Liz.


    ¡°Liz, maybe you should return to that room and wait for now.¡±


    ¡°U, un¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, is Erik around?¡±


    The guild master stopped Liz who was going to return to the room.


    ¡°E¡­ Erik is not here. Erik will not be back for some time¡­¡±


    The guild master hit the receptionist table with his already bloody fist.


    ¡°Damn it! Why is our strongest fighting force not here when it counts?¡±


    The startled Liz took a few steps back and upon seeing that the guild master seemingly regained his calm.


    ¡°Sorry. Young lady, I have a request which is kind of difficult to tell you¡­¡±


    ¡°U, un it¡¯s okay¡­ What is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time¡­ take part in the assembly later and you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Saying that the guild master headed first to the guild assembly hall. After pondering for a bit Liz followed suit.


    Mostly due to the decline in number of active adventurers and some still in the tower, the assembly hall is only half full. The guild master is clearly disappointed with a hand on his forehead. He just heard about the disaster that befell Arx Norr from Martlea before everyone else gathered and that news just aggravated his already chaotic psyche.


    ¡°What a timing. If I had known about this then I would have included C rank adventurers¡­¡±


    Next to him is Martlea who wanted to say ¡°Blame Erik for that¡± but refrained because it is not the time and that Liz is next to her.


    ¡°We are currently sending a team to call the ones still in the tower including the heroes.¡±


    ¡°Heroes? The ones just summoned by Zagrant empire?¡±


    The guild master reacted to Martlea¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes, one of them reached 10th floor in the first try so performance wise they might be able to reach B rank by now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, their affiliation to Zagrant is not a favorable one but right now I¡¯ll even ask for help from a demon beast if I could.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what is going to happen?¡±


    To Martlea¡¯s question the guild master just sighed and proceeded to start the assembly.


    ¡°I trust everyone gathered here is aware of our guild neutral policy so I will get straight to the point.¡±


    The chatter in the room stopped when the guild master spoke with a loud voice.


    ¡°Right at this moment, that policy shall temporarily be abolished.¡±


    Everyone in the room especially Martlea and Liz was surprised and the noisy chatter resumed. Some showed disbelief and worry, while some other nodded as if in understanding, perhaps they are in the group that never agreed with the neutral policy. However, even they were not expecting the reason why the guild master declared so.


    ¡°A legion of demon race army will be attacking Arx Norr ¡±


    Silence reigned for several seconds exclamation of surprise and denial even louder than before erupted.


    ¡°How is that possible? Wasn¡¯t it unanimous agreement to not involve the neutral guild in the war?¡±


    ¡°It should be difficult for an army to get through the dense Suvaard forest filled with demon beast!¡±


    The representatives of S rank parties seated in front-most row immediately voiced their rebuttal but the guild master just assumed a grim look.


    ¡°A new demon lord has been crowned and he ordered the complete destruction of the guild over there. There is no longer an adventurer guild in the demon race territory.¡±


    Liz reacted to the words ¡®new demon lord¡¯ but she shook her head and returned her focus.


    ¡°S, still¡­ for an army to reach here through Suvaard forest will need a very long time. There is still time for us to run!¡±


    ¡°You! You seriously going to abandon Arx Norr? I brought my wife and children here, weren¡¯t you also going to marry the tavern¡¯s waitress?¡±


    ¡°No! I mean everyone in the town should flee! Just leave this town!¡±


    ¡°No! We should fight those demon back! I was born and raised here. There is no way I¡¯m going to let them do as they please in my hometown!¡±


    Some adventurers started to propose fleeing while some others wanted to fight and the guild master expected that. However fleeing isn¡¯t an option, it never was.


    ¡°The demon army will reach this town in less than three days.¡±


    Silence once again returned until one person objected.


    ¡°How is that even possible, you¡¯re not going to say that they will fly here? I know there are demon race who have wings but their number is not that many.¡±


    ¡°What if¡­ the new demon lord is capable to command creatures like wyverns and dragons? The new legion formed by this demon lord consists of wyvern and dragon riders.¡±


    ¡°T, that is impossible¡­ there is no known technique or magic that allows one to tame and control wyvern and dragons¡­ even for a demon lord it should be impossible. I can understand other type of demon beasts but¡­¡±


    This time it was Martlea who voiced a rebuttal to the guild master. She once lived in the demon race territory and she never heard about any tribe or anyone who could control those of high tier even among the beasts such as wyvern and dragon.


    ¡°But the fact states otherwise. I don¡¯t know the method but that was how the adventurer guild on that side was wiped out and how the S rank party Gale Hawk lost 3 of their members while we were on the run.¡±


    Martlea could only grit her teeth to the guild master¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Then our only choice is to flee! If what the guild master said is true then there is no chance for Arx Norr!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still saying that? Have you no pride as an adventurer? We should fight back!¡±


    The adventurers started bickering again and the guild master truly felt that it was a waste of time. He knew that they should use what little time and force they have to prepare for a battle, for the worst.


    ¡°Listen to me, adventurer of Arx Norr! I won¡¯t object to anyone who wishes to flee. However I would like to remind you that Arx Norr is an important place to the whole kingdom of Rifst! The tower is the biggest source of magic stone. Without a steady supply of magic stone most people will have to face difficulty living their life, the kingdom¡¯s army also utilizes many magic tools fueled by the magic stones!¡±


    ¡°But they are bringing wyverns and dragons here! Are you telling us to die? Do you think people have less value than magic stones?¡±


    ¡°And that is why I¡¯m telling you all to fight! Have you forgotten that the area around Arx Norr has long been considered an overlooked border and has no considerably strong fortress? If Arx Norr were to fall to the enemy how do you suppose the villages located beyond Arx Norr will fare against the demon army? The fall of Arx Norr means disaster to the whole kingdom, different with the previous demon lord¡­ the new one will not spare the civilians! He even killed some of demon race civilians that were trying to help the adventurer guild over that side!¡±


    Liz who has been listening silently to the guild master clutched her chest. What she felt was sadness and anger, especially when she heard that civilians were killed. How could a demon lord kill his own citizens? There are many who didn¡¯t follow it but her father even strictly forbid killing of non-combatants from the human side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this again¡­ I won¡¯t object to anyone who wishes to flee. To those who have the will to protect Arx Norr and its people¡­ including the ones living in the villages behind the wall that is Arx Norr, I can only offer you my gratitude and some amount of money that might be meaningless to some of you¡­ I am not telling for us to go to war¡­ we just need to defend Arx Norr and the lives of its inhabitant! I am also not telling you to die! I have sent a messenger to the royal capital to ask for help. We need only hold out until help comes! You who have the will to stay and protect Arx Norr, I beg your help me to prepare a plan, a path for survival.¡±


    There are still some adventurers who are not convinced but most of them started raising their face to look at the guild master who is bowing at them desperately. With a seemingly timed nod the adventurers who have resolved to fight were about to express their will to fight when a loud youthful voice was heard from the door at the back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything! Don¡¯t worry everyone, we heroes are here as well! Our path of survival is guaranteed!¡±


    Kazuya Arimura was standing while brandishing his sword, pointing it up.


    Behind him is the big figure of Stanley Goldberg with both hands folded on his chest nodding to Kazuya¡¯s words.


    ¡°A soldier¡¯s purpose is to protect the civilians. And that is what I will do.¡±


    Many ¡®ooooh¡¯ could be heard from the adventurers present.


    ¡°What about you, Katja?¡±


    Kazuya turned his head to look at Katja who was standing with expression showing hesitation. In her mind was fear to the words ¡®war¡¯ and ¡®killing¡¯. How could these two nonchalantly said that they will participate in such a frightening event? Stanley might be understandable but how can a mere student like Kazuya said that easily?


    ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry, we heroes are strong. I have reached the 13th floor already, Stanley also reached the 10th floor today. I don¡¯t know how far Rafael went but I have to admit that he is even better than me at dungeon exploration. Heck, he hasn¡¯t even returned by now. Even you have reached the 7th floor right? The knights in our team are also strong so there is nothing to worry about.¡±


    Katja wanted to shout ¡®That is not the problem!¡¯ right to Kazuya¡¯s face but she can read the mood in the room and she felt compelled to quickly give an answer, one that is not going to let those expecting adventurers down.


    ¡°Y, yes¡­ I will fight too¡­¡±


    But that was all she could force herself to say.


    ¡°Katja¡­ that won¡¯t do¡­ be more confident!¡±


    Katja who smiled wryly to Kazuya¡¯s remark actually wanted to punch him in the face but she held it in.


    Kazuya returned to look at the adventurers.


    ¡°I know we have just started our training in the tower and that some adventurers are actually still stronger than us but I promise that I will train even harder and return stronger in three days! I have to return to the tower so please excuse me for now. Stanley, are you going too?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Seeing the back of Kazuya and Stanley who walked out of the room to go to the tower, without noticing the reluctant face Katja was showing, almost all the adventurers in the room now have resolved to fight as can be seen in their expression. Then a spirited shout of determination filled the room.


    ¡°So those are the heroes? The boy is kind of too overconfident but I appreciate that he helped to incite the adventurers will to fight.¡±


    ¡°Yes. As for a reliable fighting force we still have guild master and me. Also¡­¡±


    The guild master and Martlea conversed in low voice even though their voice would drown in the noise. The two then looked at Liz.


    ¡°Young lady¡­ I know that the enemies are of the demon race that your father once ruled. However, will you lend us a hand?¡±


    Liz immediately nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°Un. I won¡¯t let them kill people indiscriminately. I want to protect Arx Norr.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I, no the adventurer guild shall be in your debt.¡±


    ¡°I will also protect you Liz¡­ That man better be back before the battle starts or I will take Liz from him.¡±


    ¡°A¡­ ahaha¡­¡±


    Liz wanted to say that she will still choose to be with Erik no matter what but she realized that Martlea was not serious¡­ or at least was only half serious.


    ¡°That reminds me¡­ where is Erik right now? If he was here then our odds to be successful in defending Arx Norr would definitely be exponentially higher.¡±


    Martlea and Liz looked at each other before pointing upwards.


    The answer they gave then made the guild master felt that even he might have underestimated this man called Erik. Now he truly felt that if Erik manages to do just that and returns in time then the survival of Arx Norr is guaranteed. To the guild master the question as to who or what exactly is this man called Erik is simply trivial at this point of time.

 Chapter 20 - The battle commences

    If Arx Norr fall, the demon race will use it as base to attack Rifst and it is a perfect location for just that. At the same time, by also taking the tower there will be less magic stone yield which will further weaken the kingdom. If not for the Suvaard forest and the guild¡¯s neutral stance then the demons might have tried to conquer Arx Norr long ago. However, things have changed.


    The guild master had said that he sent a messenger to the capital but no matter how fast the messenger could reach the capital it will still take time to prepare soldiers and then even longer for the soldiers to reach Arx Norr. No matter how you look at it three days is impossible and even a week would be a miracle. However be it deliberate or not, the adventurers averted their mind from that fact to better focus on the situation at hand. They never actually counted on reinforcements.


    After the assembly involving B rank adventurers and above has concluded, the assembly hall was then used to gather C to E rank adventurers. The one addressing them was not the guild master who already began the preparation to defend Arx Norr. The content of what was told this time differ as in it mainly focused on asking for assistance in evacuating the citizens out of Arx Norr and to be the last line of defense. Of course the adventurers were also told that everything is voluntary and not mandatory. In the end, unexpectedly enough majority chose to stay and help. Perhaps since they heard that the high rank adventurers and the heroes have decided to fight.


    All that left is to construct makeshift battle stations and to formulate battle plans. The first assembly participants are currently doing it, to make plans with high probability of success and one with least amount of casualty which is the most difficult of all.


    Liz whose role has been decided since the very start is not taking part in the battle plan formulation. Her role is not to stand at the frontlines but she was to hold the last line of defense. To protect the civilians who could not leave Arx Norr to evacuate, the elderly, the sick, and the ones still recuperating from the injuries caused by the dragon head fall. There are also orphans without anyone willing to take care among those that cannot evacuate.


    As it was the first aerial raid involving wyverns and dragons in the history of this war, there is barely if any safe place within the town. Then somebody suggested to clean up the tower until at least the second floor to house those that cannot evacuate then to guard the gate. That way there will be less corner to worry about as it is the gigantic tower on one side. The risk is that once the defense has been breached, the refugees will not have anywhere to run as further above there are only demon beasts. This also eliminates any possibility to later abandon the battle when the situation calls for it as it would not be possible to prepare a route to fall back and out of Arx Norr as the tower is located right in the middle of the town. However the plan was adopted as it was judged to be their best bet. There is just not enough manpower to station more people at the guild building to make it so that the enemies think it is their last line of defense in the battle that is to come. If they were to do so, once the enemies realized that there are people in the tower then those people would just be sitting ducks.


    The first day concluded and the second day thus began with long line of people evacuating Arx Norr escorted by E to C rank adventurers who chose to also flee Arx Norr. Due to the sheer number of evacuees many who did not choose to flee also had to be escort as well so there are only 9 E ranker, 16 D ranker, and 34 C ranker left to hold the last line of defense. Among them are members of Kaldor¡¯s party except Randall. Randall hesitated whether to stay or leave and return to his family but the rest of his team convinced him to return home to see his wife and young daughter. Him having lost an arm was also a factor.


    Some civilians also decided not to evacuate and wish to help with the battle preparations. Many weapon and armor shops chose to lend the adventurers their best merchandise during the battle or to do maintenance for free if the adventurers prefer to use their own equipment. One pair of bald craftsman and his daughter are known to have incited this movement. Once the battle starts however, along with guild non-combatants like medical staff and receptionists, they are to standby within the tower¡¯s first floor to help in any way they could. The big rooms which actually are dead ends in the first floor¡¯s labyrinth will be used as medical ward to treat the injured then the second floor as where the refugees will stay with all 9 E ranker and 5 D ranker as guards in case some demon beasts respawn early.


    Only 34 C ranker and 11 D ranker left to be stationed at the post. With only a small number to be protecting the last line of defense the guild thus decided to add some guild staff capable to fight into the rank. One of them is Martlea. And then there is the promising young mage, Liz.


    Liz resolved to not hold back even if the enemy is of the same race as she is and to go all out and if the situation calls for it she will use short chanting, basically exposing herself. She will think how to deal with it later.


    The frontlines will be under direct command of the guild master, once known as one of those on par with demon general in his prime. There are 5 S rank parties consisted of 13 S ranker and 24 A ranker, 12 A rank parties consisted of 79 A ranker, then there are 27 B rank parties consisted of 149 B ranker. Guild staff and official capable of battle including the guild master himself amount to 20. Last but not least are four heroes each accompanied by 5 elite imperial knights and magicians.


    For human to fight airborne enemies there are basically only two viable methods which are, simply said, to shoot them with arrows and magic or to force them to land somehow. Among them there are 32 magicians and 25 archers. To balance things up the guild prepared a small number of old and makeshift catapults and ballistas. Cannons would be more ideal but there is simply no way to make cannons with little time they have. The strategy they will opt is to have the magicians, archer, and siege weapons to shoot down as many enemies as possible. As persistently trying to kill the enemies with just magic or arrows will just be a waste of mana and arrows so finishing blow will be left to the close range fighters.


    A difficult decision was made to have the first stage of battle to start within the town and to utilize the buildings as protection. The adventurer guild building will surely be targeted according to the guild master so the battle stations are located surrounding the building but at a distance as the last line of defense, the tower¡¯s entrance is not too far from the adventurer guild itself. The heroes¡¯ party will serve as separate guerilla units as they have their own long range attacker; magicians and archers. They are to become decoy and confuse the enemies by moving around the town.


    The whole preparation was rushed and it was just barely completed after two days. Thus as dawn of the fourth day came, a tense, silent atmosphere engulfed the town. There are exceptions but most wyverns and dragons are diurnal creatures so if they are going to attack it would be happening soon.


    ¡°Yusa, are you sure you won¡¯t be guarding the refugee inside the tower instead of here?¡±


    On top of the roof of a building near the tower¡¯s gate was Liz, Yusa, Martlea and several magicians in charge of barraging enemy with long distance magic attack and shoot them down. Liz asked Yusa who nervously looked at the horizon for any sign of the impending battle.


    ¡°N, no way I¡¯m leaving Lizzy¡¯s side¡­ I, I¡¯m going to protect you! This is also the rear so the enemies shouldn¡¯t get here too easily right?¡±


    ¡°According to the guild master there are more than 1000 of wyvern and dragon riders as advance party which will be followed by twice as many foot soldiers while there are just slightly above 350 of us¡­ I¡¯d say we¡¯re at a clear disadvantage here. And have I said that they can fly ignoring any obstacles?¡±


    Yusa scratched her head strongly with both hands.


    ¡°Aaargh! Why do you have to lower my spirit further by saying such a thing, Miss Martlea?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, what I wanted to say was for you to not lower your guard.¡±


    Liz noticed that Martlea who looked so calm was actually just as nervous as everyone around but as leader of the rear guard she tried hard to stay as composed as she could.


    Kaldor stayed with the ground team to attack enemies that the magicians or archers had shot down while Lloyd is with archer groups on different building in the vicinity.


    While it might be possible to injure or even kill wyverns with arrows the same might not be applicable to dragons, even low rank dragons¡¯ scales are just as hard as steel. Therefore if a dragon comes then it will be the magician team¡¯s role to bring it down. Even so, killing a dragon with just C and D rank adventurers is close to impossible. Martlea honestly thought that if by any chance a dragon reaches here and by the time she and Liz are already out of commission then there is simply no chance for them anymore.


    ¡°I, I know¡­ I¡¯ll open the paper Lloyd gave me and Kaldor now. He said it will surely raise our motivation.¡±


    Yusa reached into the pouch strapped onto her waist and took out a piece of folded paper.


    Liz and Yusa who also got curious peeked to look at the content as Yusa unfolded the paper to read it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡®Imagine what Erik will do to you if you let something happen to Liz.¡¯¡­¡±


    Liz and Martlea just looked blankly at the paper while Yusa, seemingly imagining something clenched her fists strongly, crushing the paper.


    ¡°Lizzy, just stay behind me when anything happens. Got it?¡±


    There is no slightest trace of nervousness can be felt from Yusa right now. She¡¯s as determined as she could possibly be with a rare serious look from her eyes.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to believe it, I have to agree that that man is more dangerous than a dragon¡­¡±


    Martlea sighed before she made a wry smile. Maybe the reason was different to that of Yusa but she also lost any trace of being nervous.


    ¡°W, was that really words of motivation? Is Erik that scary?¡±


    Liz on the other hand looked like she wanted to deny it but she couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. To other people Erik might really be scary was what she thought.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve never thought that Miss Martlea will be one of our fighting force¡­ I could only see you as those officials working on complicated documents.¡±


    Yusa might have started this talk as a distraction from her own nervousness but what she said was her honest thought.


    ¡°Well, my specialty is wind magic and I think I¡¯m quite good myself. Perhaps you thought that way simply because I¡¯ve never shown it to most people.¡±


    ¡°Well you look reliable, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    There was also the guild master¡¯s order to keep it confidential but now is not the time for that.


    At that moment a high pitched, long whistling sound was heard. Signaling that enemies have been sighted. Everyone immediately shifted to their battle stance and raised their respective weapons. Just like what Martlea had said. The enemies can fly so the rear guard is also at risk to be attacked at any given time during the whole ordeal.


    The battle is starting.


    ***


    Countless overlapping sounds of flapping wings can be heard as the figures of the species regarded as among the most dangerous known beasts are being illuminated by morning sunlight from the opposite direction they are coming. They are still at a considerable distance but with their speed and unhindered by any sort of obstacles, the enemies will reach here within a fifth of an hour bell.


    ¡°Let them enter the town for a bit and wait for my signal to start attacking!¡±


    The guild master, now in his time-worn but reliable set of battle gears shouted with a voice to the adventurers. A metallic jade colored lance in his right hand and golden tower shield made of uarum and learis alloy in his left. His full plate armor gleams similarly with his shield as they are made of the same material. Behind him are two S rank parties with a total of 12 men and 5 guild staff, magicians. The guild master is the spearhead of the whole fighting force. While having a leader stands at the frontmost is very risky, for example when he falls in battle then morale will also plummet. That being said, the opposite is also true. Having one who might be the strongest here leading in front of them has raised their spirit considerably.


    When some wyvern riders entered the vicinity of the town from the west and southwest, the guild master waited until they entered the range of the siege weapons and he finally issued the order.


    ¡°FIRE THE BALLISTAS AND CATAPULTS!¡±


    Makeshift as they are the siege weapons will not be able to see much use. The delicate parts will break after only a handful of shots. However that is fine since when the enemies get close enough magic and arrows will serve better.


    Perhaps because they are just newly formed units and lacking training, the wyverns aren¡¯t flying in any particular formation. The ballistas and big chunks of rock hit many wyverns that were flying in a cluster bringing down their riders along. The adventurers drew first blood and that slightly raised their morale.


    As the guild master has predicted, the battle starts at the south west and that is where most adventurers are stationed. As the tower gate is facing south east the adventurers stationed at the northeast would not even see any enemy yet but there is no guarantee that the enemies will not circle the tower and get to the other side.


    Not all the wyverns shot down by their siege weapons would die with just that however they are to be dealt later as focusing on the swiftly approaching enemy is the obvious course of action.


    Without minding their fallen comrades the wyvern riders kept their full speed and finally managed to get the adventurers in range of their own magic or arrows and soon, breath attack of their mounts. Arrows are especially more effective when shot from above than it is the other way around. The real battle finally ensues and casualties are now coming from both sides.


    With their short chanting the demons activates their magics faster and often times greater force than that of humans. To counter that the humans alternate two or three teams of magicians to unleash magic consecutively.


    Using his lance as if holding something as light as a twig the guild master attacked the fallen wyverns and their riders one by one followed by the S rank parties closely. The riders who are still relatively fine of course fought back but the adventurers utilized the timing when the enemies are still recovering from the shock of their fall to efficiently mow down their number.


    Like this, even though outnumbered the adventurers seemingly gained the upper hand.


    As most of the wyvern riders entered the town vicinity the heroes¡¯ teams came out from their hiding place in the houses and attacked from the rear, disorienting the enemies. When they have more than what they can handle they are to retreat, hide and resume their attack as they see fit.


    ¡°Lady Katja. It is our turn. Let us commence our attack.¡±


    ¡°I, I know¡­¡±


    Even though her hand trembled, Katja readied her bow alongside another archer from her team and a mage ready to unleash a fire magic.


    (Aside from their horns aren¡¯t the demons look just like us? There is no way I can shoot them!)


    Katja wanted to lower her arms and flee but the expectant look showered by her knight companions held her hands in place.


    (I, I know¡­ let¡¯s just shoot the wyverns¡­)


    Her bow and arrows were made by the best of the best among imperial craftsmen. Designed to increase the speed and penetrating force of the arrows with the help of wind magic engraved to both the bow and arrows themselves. Each arrow fitted with a tiny magic stone at the base of its tip is as expensive as a relatively good sword. Shooting an arrow is similar to throwing a sword a normal adventurer might use for years.


    Perhaps it was her talent, perhaps it was the effect of being a hero and having good equipment, the arrow she let loose pierced the wyvern in the eye which squirmed wildly from the shock and fell to the ground. The other archer and the mage combined their attack to bring another wyvern down.


    ¡°Ooh, as expected of lady Katja. To accurately shoot a flying wyvern¡¯s eye from this distance and angle. Rouwen, Lerio! It is our turn now!¡±


    The knight praised Katja and brought two other knights with him to attack the fallen wyvern and its rider. Unknown to the knights, Katja closed her eyes when they cut the head of the rider who was pinned under his own wyvern.


    Stanley Goldberg was especially adept at close quarter combat so he chose a pair of spiked knuckles as his weapons. For that reason, he counted on the two magicians in his team to shoot down the wyverns.


    ¡°Here I go!¡±


    The demon who fell with his wyvern was quick enough to recover from the fall and as he saw the man with big build charging at him he used flame arrows at his enemy.


    ¡°Lietus sagias!¡±


    ¡°Useless struggle!¡±


    The knuckles are imbued with small scale non-elemental barrier magic covering only the fists but that enabled Stanley to strike the flame arrows and get close unhindered. Dodging a tail sweep of the wyvern that just woke up Stanley got on its back and punched the demon in the face while his knights companion focused their attack on the wyvern.


    Stanley who is not confident in his capability on issuing order felt that the knights who moved in accordance to his actions without being told anything are reliable comrades. He never noticed that one of the knights was always looking at him with observant eyes.


    ¡°Reyhardt, try to shoot the rider with your arrow! Hugh and I will barrage the wyvern with flame arrows right when your arrow hit! Myrna, you hold the activation of your earth magic and release it when the wyvern falls. Luke and Salma will join me in dealing the finishing blow!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±Yes, sir Kazuya!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±


    The next sequence of events unfolded just as what Kazuya¡¯s orders followed by the knights exclamation of admiration as they finished their enemy. With the exception of one knight who looked at Kazuya as if appraising him.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stay here for long. We are not yet strong enough for a full frontal battle with them! Let¡¯s use the buildings to hide ourselves and move to different point to resume our attack!¡±


    Like that Kazuya¡¯s team moved efficiently, attacking and then retreating before attacking again.


    ¡°S, stop! Please, stop! Aargh!¡±


    ¡°Khukhukhu¡­ give me a reason to stop then¡­¡±


    At the furthest of the enemies¡¯ rear was Rafael¡¯s team.


    Three dead wyverns and three riders two dead and one is alive, barely.


    Four elite imperial knights shuddered when they looked at the exchange between a hero and a demon. Another knight who looked too young to even be one was instead, watching silently with a hint of faint smile forming on his lips.


    Rafael the hero was sitting on two stacked bloody corpses of demons with a hand fiddling with a black curved dagger moving it back and forth into the abdomen of a demon crying in pain and begging for mercy.


    The demon¡¯s legs were bent to where they should not be with Rafael''s feet kicking lightly on them.


    ¡°I¡­ Argggh¡­ beg¡­ you¡­ just¡­ kill Gahhh¡­ me¡­ already¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this the mouth that kept spewing nonsense at me?¡±


    Rafael unsheathed a spiky prong shaped weapon and stabbed it through the left cheek and out the right of the demon.


    ¡°Hhffraahhhhhh!!!¡±


    ¡°How could I enjoy this if I kill you just like that? I am finally in a world where doing this won¡¯t bring me to prison now¡­ entertain me some more will you?¡±


    ¡°Hhhhffhhhhhhhhh!!!¡±


    The demon cried and cried but no one there will save him. Most of his fellow demons have proceeded further through the battlefield. There is no hope and death is his only salvation but Rafael will not allow that to happen so soon.


    ¡°The candidate for our leader has been decided then¡­¡±


    The young childlike knight muttered that in low voice which was drowned under the muffled sound of the demon¡¯s hopeless wails of agony.


    ***


    The side with casualties is not only the demons¡¯. A large number of casualties within the rank of adventurers has impeded their momentum and it seemed that the tide of battle will soon shift against them as there are still more than twice their own number on the demon''s¡¯ side. As the tension of the battle reached its peak the adventurers saw it.


    Three large sized dragons, each at height and length not inferior to the vast three storied adventurer guild building, slowly descended in front of the adventurers imposingly.


    ¡°It seems we have underestimated the adventurers on this side. Who would have thought that they could reduce our number by a fifth in this short period of time?¡±


    A tall demon man in lavish set of crimson colored armor stood on the back of the slightly bigger dragon. Releasing the reins he pulled out his weapon, a battle axe which length is just as much as his own height and raised it with one hand.


    ¡°I am Alurio Darc Velnard, general of Yurgard Plateau! I hereby declare the complete annihilation of human adventurer guild! Anyone who is brave enough, come at me, I will handle you personally!¡±

 Chapter 21 - He Appeared!

    S rank adventurers are few in number, however they have quality or to be precise, technique and skill, strength, equipment, and experience as indicated by their rank. The party they lead will also be assigned as S rank party. Most of these S rank adventurers of Arx Norr also have tasted the difficult battle against dragonkin. Thus normally none of them should be shocked to see the large dragon. Normally, it is.


    Large sized dragons in front of them are not of the ancient or elder dragon class but there are three of them not to mention their riders, demons, one being a demon general.


    Even with the guild master on their side the situation can only be interpreted as grim.


    ¡°Oh, while I won¡¯t make the dragons attack yet it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll order my other subordinates to stop.¡±


    As the demon general, Alurio said that some adventurers who were stupefied by the sight of intimidating dragons were snatched by wyverns and dropped from high altitude, had their body parts or chunk of flesh bitten off by the wyverns, or bathed in various type of breath attacks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down! Magicians continue to shoot down the wyverns! Ground teams focus on finishing fallen enemies with worst condition to quickly reduce their number! I will fight the demon general myself!¡±


    The guildmaster, Teobaldur raised his voice, restarting the halted cogs of battle.


    ¡°Wait, let me go first.¡±


    A man wearing a set of half-plate armor and holding a long sword in hand stepped in front of the guildmaster who just readied his stance. He is the leader of S rank party, crystal dust, Londart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish. That demon general is stronger than you¡¯d think!¡±


    ¡°I might not be able to win but I think I can weaken him enough to ensure your victory later.¡±


    Londart just made an awkward grin at the guild master who tried to stop him.


    "Hoo¡­ I¡¯ll have to praise your courage, human. Alright, how¡¯s this? If you manage to defeat me I¡¯ll make the dragons return without attacking. But I will make one of them attack for one challenger I kill.¡±


    ¡°Tch, you didn¡¯t say anything about stopping the whole attack even when you lose though. You just casually stated that I don¡¯t have the option to sacrifice myself for glory now that my defeat will let a dragon loose either.¡±


    With that said Londart cannot just bail out from the fight as he was the one who stood at the challenge.Not that the enemy will just let him do so anyway. Thinking so Londart raised his sword and stood with his right hand holding the sword and foot in front while he folded his left arm close to his waist.


    ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t have that much authority. The current demon lord is far stronger than Orcus, He¡¯ll kill me twice if I called off the attack.¡±


    ¡°That, might be scarier than what I am going to do right now¡­¡±


    Right after saying that Londart charged at Alurio while making a thrust aimed at the neck. Alurio who kept smirking spun his battle axe and parried the quick attack with its handle, launching the sword¡¯s tip against gravity while Londart¡¯s stance crumbled. The spun battle axe¡¯ blade now in course to cut Londart¡¯s body into two parts at his stomach but Londart managed to dodge it by allowing his body to fall backwards, rolling on the ground littered with pebbles and dust to avoid another attack from above.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing well for a human. Are you one of the so called S rank adventurers?¡±


    Londart sprung back up from the roll with ragged breathing but he forced a fearless smile before answering.


    ¡°Can I consider that a praise? If so, I¡¯ll honestly answer with a ¡®yes¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to do that.¡±


    This time the two moved at the same time and clashed their weapons.


    ***


    ¡°The South west battlefront has been breached! 12 wyverns, incoming!¡±


    An archer shouted so and Lloyd immediately signaled at the magician team on the building across of the one he is on.


    Seeing that Martlea then notified the magician team to ready their spells. Earth and water elements cannot be used against airborne enemies so their only options will be fire and wind. To begin with all known conventional magic of earth and water element requires already existing soil or rocks and water. While soil and rocks are abundant here, water is scarce and there are not many long range and projectile magic related to the two element. While there exist a high level master class magic to gather clouds and create rain enough to cause a small scale flood and providing water to further use magic, the mana consumption is enormous thus disabling most from using another magic.


    Archers are to open fire first since they are located more to the south than the magicians who will immediately follow up with two teams releasing their magic in rotation as to increase the frequency of their attacks.


    After witnessing what happened to their fallen comrades the wyvern riders moved their mounts immediately after the archers shot and scattered to approach their enemies separately. This resulted in only two of the twelve wyverns being shot down.


    ¡°Tch. The wyverns are of low class so arrows are effective but their riders aren¡¯t stupid it seems.¡±


    Lloyd nocked another arrow and shot at the closest wyvern as he said that. Now that the enemies are scattered around the archers¡¯ attacks lost their unity and thus less effective. Each one of the archers chose their own target and this only serve to irritate them as their attacks miss their target more often than not.


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°En agis serte gladia ar anvis af ensies laminea. Inimi casectes anvis ar ensis.¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±


    Led by Martlea the magicians in charge of wind magic unleashed their wind blade spell.


    As most of the wyverns are facing the direction of archers group the wind blades coming from the side successfully hit most of them and so they fell one by one.


    ¡°It¡¯s our turn now! Charge!¡±


    The ground team came out of their hiding place and attacked the fallen enemies. Granted, this time the riders have expected their fall and although few there are some who managed to avoid being immediately disabled and retaliated at the adventurers.


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Lietus, vol en serte en inimica cessarar rauliet. Inimica perfora lietus sagias!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±


    That was the incantation for flaming arrows. As there were barely any flying wyvern left they left it for the archers and the second wave of magic attacks are thus aimed at the fallen enemies. Like this the last line of defense¡¯s first battle ended without casualties on their side.


    ¡®We can do this!¡¯ The adventurers were undoubtedly thinking somewhere along those lines but a loud roaring sound was heard, taking their surprise and attention. When they looked at the source they could see a large dragon rampaging at the frontlines. It is too far to see clearly but some of them noticed two other similar dragon further away. Then from the same direction there are many more wyverns flying this way.


    Martlea was shocked when she saw a large sized dragon and more than 50 wyverns heading her way but she quickly pulled herself back and told her guild colleague magician to pass a message while she prepared one of her strongest wind spell.


    ¡°Ground team quickly hide behind the buildings! We¡¯re doing that!¡±


    As the guild magician shouted so the ground team who heard but couldn¡¯t see the faraway dragon since their view was blocked by many buildings immediately ran to the closest building to hide inside or behind it. The dazed magicians and archers also started to brace themselves by crouching or holding onto the ledges of the building they are on. They were doing this without questioning what to come since this was planned before.


    Liz who crouched was held by Yusa, protecting her from above. Normally Yusa would start to breathe heavily when she is in direct contact with Liz but this time there was only the sound of ragged tensed breathing from her.


    Martlea who judged that the number of enemies were too many to be handled in similar way as before started chanting although essentially she just needed to concentrate, control the flow of mana and activate it by just chanting the spell name. Fortunately there is still enough distance between them so she calculated that the chant will be completed in time.


    ¡°En agis ar anvis. Iras magna saeve incites anvis. Iudeliant mallravus defrallax anvis. Inimica laciera ur saeve incites anvis. Regant en inimica en inimica laciera lluviar anvis. Hvallei Anvis. Hradtes Anvis. Muspldretes ragna agrrevatus ar Anvis. Castalymus sententraus¡­¡±


    The wyvern riders failed to notice that they have flown below an area so visibly distorted due to quite the difference in altitude and that they are more focused to look down at their enemies. The distorted area of heavily compressed air continued to grow until its size was around 400 square meter.


    ¡°... descentes ruptus sant ar Anvis!¡±


    As she finished chanting, the phenomenon Erik would call as a downburst or in this case a microburst hit the middle of the flock of wyverns while the rest not directly hit were also sucked by the flow and pushed to the ground with tremendous speed and pressure. When the downburst hit the ground it spread strong wind in all directions, sending many objects as heavy as a merchant¡¯s carriage flying. There is quite a distance between where the downburst hit the ground and the buildings the adventurers are on but the wind was strong enough to make their clothes flutter as if in rampage. Liz desperately held onto her important beret given to her by Erik.


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡±


    Martlea who crouched while holding to the railings tried to reorganize her breathing but as expected with such a large spell she used most of her mana. She took out a vial of mana regeneration quickening potion and drank it before looking at Liz who stood back up followed by Yusa and then the rest of the magicians.


    ¡°I think I can still manage some more wind blade class magic but I¡¯m sorry, Liz¡­ it will be your turn to use a large scale spell next.¡±


    Liz nodded without hesitation before answering.


    ¡°Un, leave it to me.¡±


    ***


    Blood trickled down from Alurio¡¯s chin. A cutting wound on his cheek was quite deep that it won¡¯t stop bleeding anytime soon. His left arm was also covered in several smaller cuts but they have stopped bleeding. With a swoosh Alurio swung down the blade of his battle axe onto the ground, resting it as Londart¡¯s now breathless body lied on a pool of blood nearby. His enchanted steel armor was rent diagonally from the left shoulder along with his flesh.


    ¡°The S rank adventurer here was not so bad but still far cry from enough to force me to use magic. So, who¡¯s next? Better send someone stronger or another one will start attacking.¡±


    As he said so one dragon rider also moved and his dragon mount started attacking the adventurers.


    ¡°Ghu¡­ All S rank adventurers focus on the attacking dragon! I¡¯ll fight the demon general myself.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Ah, of course I won¡¯t forget my main target.¡±


    The one who stepped forward was the guild master, Teobaldur.


    ¡°Multepri kravaes dea mifl en virebrus fero, rau en ornis augmn.¡±


    ¡°Hoo, ornis augmn eh¡­ to think that you have non-elemental affinity. I don¡¯t think I can take this easy anymore so I guess I should do the same then.¡±


    Alurio used the same spell without chanting and so with both of them using body strengthening spell the battle between one of seven humanity strongest versus one of demon general started with a loud clanging sound of two metal objects, lance and battle axe hitting then grazing each other.


    Full plate armor, tower shield, and a lance. The guild master¡¯s equipment should be so heavy that anyone donning them would not be able to run and change direction easily. However the guild master dashed forward with speed faster than a professional sprinter and when Alurio used the battle axe to parry his lance while jumping away to the side the guild master immediately responded by spinning to face Alurio and continued his dash almost without any pause other than a brief braking. This time the guild master attacked Alurio with multiple thrusts. Due to its shape and size, it is more than just difficult to parry such quick and accurate thrusts with a battle axe so Alurio only parried the most dangerous ones and dodged the rest.


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    Alurio who couldn¡¯t completely dodge all of the guild master¡¯s attacks used hardened earth spikes. The guild master struck the ground with his tower shield which expelled two metal rod that hit the ground while exuding whitish light of pure mana seeping into the ground. The encroaching earth spikes stopped with only a tip touching the shield however it provided Alurio with enough time to move away from the guild master.


    ¡°My, my¡­ it seems I have underestimated you. Both your speed and strength exceeded my expectation. And that shield seems to be a magic tool as well.¡±


    ¡°... I¡¯m not here to have a talk.¡±


    ¡°Oops.¡±


    Thinking that prolonging the battle with Alurio will be detrimental for the adventurers¡¯ side the guild master wanted to end this quickly and rejoin the main battle so he was filled with impatience.


    Without minding Alurio¡¯s small talk the guild master attacked again with a charging dash. This time Alurio chose to attack the lance by making a large swing with his battle axe. Another loud clanging sound was heard before the lance stabbed the ground with an axe hitting a part of its front half. Amazingly, both weapons do not show any sign of damage or even a scratch.


    Alurio shifted the blade of his axe to face the guild master and moved it along the lance¡¯s body as he moved forward.


    To avoid the axe aiming for his face the guild master let his lance go and dodged by leaning sharply to his left before he swung his shield at Alurio¡¯s back who jumped to soften the impact but was still flung away. As the guild master plucked off his lance from the ground Alurio also straightened his posture while groaning.


    ¡°Hurgh, this somehow looked bad for me. Only using small magic is not enough to go against you eh. If normal earth spikes didn¡¯t work then how about this?¡±


    The earth on four direction surrounding the guild master bulged and large lance shaped earth sprung out of them all pointing to the guild master. Jumping was the only option so that was what the guild master did but then all four lance stopped at length before it could even touch where the guild master was standing. Then another earth lance sprung right from below his position throughout the gap of the four lance¡¯ tips.


    Midair and with an unstable posture the guild master blocked the earth lance with his shield which bounced off forcing his left arm to the side with the earth lance barely missing his body.


    ¡°Ghu.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha!¡±


    Running on top of an earth lance was Alurio who brandished his battle axe to attack the guild master who was still midair and couldn¡¯t move due to the earlier impact.


    Before Alurio could swing his axe however, someone jumped in and blocked the axe with a sword.


    While Alurio jumped away the one who blocked his attack grouped with the guild master.


    ¡°Mu, I thought I ordered all S rank adventurers to attack the dragon. I am grateful however.¡±


    "As long as it is only one dragon then the others can hold it off just fine, that is if the A ranks can handle the wyverns without us.¡±


    The one who helped the guild master was a female S rank adventurer, Izarea. She was a member, of Gale hawk who went to demon race territory with the guild master.


    ¡°Hmm, what a rude woman¡­ How dare you interrupt a duel between gentlemen?¡±


    Alurio said so with his lips curved into a smile while his eyes not sharing the expression.


    ¡°Humph, you never said anything about it being one-to-one fight.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ true¡­ I guess. Hahaha¡­ actually I don¡¯t hate that. Then, shall we resume our battle?¡±


    ***


    After using many spells including three of her strongest fire magic, even Liz started to feel tired. Her body swayed left and right and she almost collapsed to the side if Yusa didn¡¯t catch her.


    ¡°L, Lizzy¡­ are you okay? Here, you can use my share of mana regeneration potion. You will put it to better use than me anyway.¡±


    ¡°Un¡­ thank you, Yusa.¡±


    Liz accepted the potion and drank it in several gulps.


    All the magicians, archers, and even the melee fighter on the ground are clearly tired with some of them on their bottoms or even lying down.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing Liz. To think that you have higher mana capacity than me¡­¡±


    Martlea was standing upright but her legs are trembling slightly. As the leader she forced herself so not to lower the whole team¡¯s morale any further.


    ¡°This is thanks to Erik who took me to the tower many times. I think I have more than twice the capacity compared to when I first came to Arx Norr.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Martlea didn¡¯t hold back her uncomfortable expression when she heard Erik¡¯s name.


    ¡°M, Martlea?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­ I just personally can¡¯t accept the fact that he can be unexpectedly useful here.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­¡±


    Liz smiled awkwardly. She was about to ask why Martlea dislikes Erik that much but then¡­


    ¡°I, incoming attack from the north!¡±


    ¡°Damn, how many times does this make?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can use anymore magic¡­¡±


    The magicians¡¯ voice was tinged with despair. A faint shouting stating that they have ran out of arrows was also heard from the archer team¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I will use another solar flare spell.¡±


    Liz stood to face the wyverns in the distance followed by staggering Yusa and Martlea. Some magicians who could still use magic also stood and followed suit. They have seen Liz¡¯s effort and their pride as fellow magician doesn¡¯t allow them to just sit and watch.


    ¡°Sorry, Liz. Leave the excess to us then.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Liz looked at the wyverns, took a deep breath, and concentrated on her spell.


    ¡°Lietus vel solus. Cantras acervatus magna ar lietus. En agis serte ar lietus vel solus mer varge. En inimica ardustia rivelus venos fiamle liet. Cant en inimica en inimica laneos Liet. Sterle liet. Solus liet. Infelr ar lietus ragna insant ar Liet. Aspocalymus saeve ar liet¡­¡±


    The wyvern riders immediately spread around the sky as they saw giant ball of flame with countless flare erupting on its surface. However Liz who has perfect control and concentration from her experience in the tower will not miss any of them.


    ¡°...Lietus mer irbrium Solus.¡±


    As she chanted the keywords, the erupting flares extended and moved as if they are alive to catch the wyverns and the riders faster than the speed of their flight.


    Crimson flame instantly engulfed each one that was hit by the flares and thus they fell one by one in flames not requiring the ground team to finish them off. Some who were lucky enough to not be her target then were shot by Martlea and the rest of the magicians, urging the ground team to finish them off. The ones burnt by Liz¡¯s flame were majority and thus the ground team¡¯s burden was small.


    Clutching her fists to her chest, Liz actually felt something akin to disgust at herself during the whole battle. She was killing her fellow demon race. However, being betrayed once by those of demon race and that she held Arx Norr and her friends living there as important she decided to swallow it whole. Moreover, she can¡¯t have Arx Norr be conquered by the demon race before Erik returns.


    ¡°Erik¡­ please come back quickly¡­¡±


    There is no turning back. So Liz wished for the one she has been waiting, she wanted to rely on him, to have him ease the unpleasant feeling. Liz truly wanted to see Erik right now. Mana exhaustion and the feeling weighing on her mind were too much for someone her age. Realizing Liz¡¯s state Yusa and Martlea who were standing at Liz¡¯s both sides and heard Liz muttered about her wish for Erik¡¯s return looked at each other. However, before any of them could soothe Liz, this time the shout warning of incoming enemies came from the archer team¡¯s side.


    ¡°More? How can this many enemies get through the front lines easily?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they just ignored their fallen comrade and rushed forward?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they realized that we have civilians in the tower already? If they took the civilians as hostage then our defeat is set in stone¡­¡±


    No matter how much they wanted to continue fighting their stamina and mana are at the lowest point.


    Liz who couldn¡¯t immediately prepare another solar flare racked her mind and decided on another method. She was unsure whether she can pull it off but she proceeded to do it anyway.


    ¡°Lietus, vol en serte en inimica cessarar rauliet¡­¡±


    ¡°Liz?¡±


    Martlea was surprised seeing Liz preparing flaming arrows. No matter how fast she could chant it many times over, there are too many enemies approaching. Even doing it chantless won¡¯t be enough. But, seeing Liz¡¯s serious look and that there were barely any other magicians who could use more magic Martlea was also about to muster the last of her mana and prepare a low level master class wind magic but Liz¡¯s next chant made her stop.


    ¡°Prasent¡±


    No matter how high your mana capacity, the spell can only produce a maximum number of 10 arrows while the average is 5. However when Liz chanted that, 10 more arrows were created.


    ¡°Prasent¡±


    Now there are 30 flaming arrows floating above Liz. Martlea heard about spell augmentation but this is her first time seeing it happens. The augmentation requires tremendous amount of concentration but each addition only requires half the mana of the first one.


    ¡°Prasent¡±


    Everyone there looked at Liz in both surprise and amazement. Martlea who judged not to use magic as not to disturb the flow of mana in the air also chose not to chant until after Liz released the flaming arrows and that there are some remaining enemies by then.


    ¡°Prasent¡±


    While the mana being used is less than the solar flare, the concentration needed to maintain more than 5 augmentation on the flaming arrows spell exceeded it.


    ¡°Prasent¡­ Prasent¡­ Prasent¡­ Prasent¡­ Prasent¡­¡±


    Everyone around gulped their saliva as they saw 100 flaming arrows created by a single magician.


    ¡°...Inimica perfora lietus sagias!¡±


    All 100 flaming arrows flew true to their respective target and hit the wyverns and their riders who have come close. The ground team who didn¡¯t know that it was a single magician who shot down the wyverns immediately moved to attack the fallen enemies albeit their movements clearly showed that they are also tired.


    A unified exclamation of admiration could be heard as the event concluded.


    ¡°Lizzy¡­ that¡¯s amazing! It was the first time I saw something like that!¡±


    Yusa looked at Liz excitedly but then she saw Liz was lying down with rough breathing and sweat all over her body.


    ¡°Lizzy!¡± ¡°Liz!¡±


    With worried murmur from everyone else as backsound Yusa and Martlea immediately approached Liz and Yusa raised Liz¡¯s body by leaning it to her own.


    ¡°Lizzy! Are you okay? Hey!¡±


    Liz slowly opened her eyes and responded weakly.


    ¡°Un, I¡¯m okay¡­ just need some¡­ rest.¡±


    ¡°You really worried us there, Liz¡­ ¡°


    Liz looked weakly at Martlea who said that.


    ¡°Fuee¡­ s, sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that¡­ uhh¡­ while I can¡¯t commend you for forcing yourself that far you did nothing wrong. I can only thank you for taking down that many enemies by yourself.¡±


    ¡°H¡­ hey¡­ seriously?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s over for us¡­¡±


    Yusa and Martlea each looked at different direction, north and south west. Both of them saw more wyverns coming.


    ¡°Miss Martlea! What should we do!?¡±


    Panicked Yusa looked at Martlea who looked back with a perplexed face.


    Liz is down. Yusa cannot use high class spell, Martlea herself barely has much mana and the rest of the magician team is more or less just the same.


    ¡°Lizzy? No¡­ you can¡¯t use anymore magic!¡±


    Martlea who was thinking hard looked at Liz who was forcing herself to stand up while yusa tried to stop her.


    ¡°I have¡­ to protect¡­ Arx¡­ Norr¡­ place¡­ for Erik to return¡­¡±


    ¡°Liz!¡±


    Martlea wanted to stop Liz but she has no word to say to Liz.


    ¡°Miss Lissa. Please rest assured for the most reliable butler has come to your rescue.¡±


    Everyone present slowly turned their head to look at the man who just spoke. A man in black butler uniform was bowing in Liz¡¯s direction. A smile plastered on his face somehow dispersed their worry for reason unknown to themselves.


    ¡°M¡­Mareritter¡­? Why¡­ are you here?¡±


    Liz was surprised that someone who should be with Erik appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Erik¡­ has Erik¡­¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, master has not returned yet. I want to tell you more about it but it seems there is no time.¡±


    Mareritter cut in before Liz could complete her sentence and then he slowly walked to the roof¡¯s edge while speaking to himself in low voice.


    ¡°Khukhuhu¡­ I have appeared at the perfect timing befitting a he¡­ *ahem¡­ butler. I have the feeling that I was forgotten by many people so this should remind them of this perfect butler.¡±


    Erik might give a retort to Mareritter¡¯s whisper if he could hear it but unfortunately Erik was not around.

 Chapter 22 - Decisive Battle in the Tower

    ¡°Hmm, I know master does not wish to stand out but with this situation I judged that it is safe to say that master will permit using some magic as long as it is not too flashy.¡±


    Mareritter who walked to the roof¡¯s edge started increasing his pace before he jumped to another building and then another, heading to the flock of wyverns.


    Some wyvern riders noticed a lone man approaching them so one of them descended, intending to kill him. The rider was about to use a long range magic attack when suddenly the man vanished from his sight.


    ¡°Uwahh!?¡±


    Suddenly his wyvern mount shook and flailed before it resumed flying normally.


    ¡°And here I thought people from current age has really found a way to control these animals but it seems I was wrong¡­ Now that I see it up close it turns out that my original suspicion was true¡­ How unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The wyvern rider turned his head to find the man, Mareritter, was standing behind him in perfect posture despite the unevenness of a wyvern¡¯s back.


    ¡°Excuse me, can you tell me who dominated the animal you are riding?¡±


    ¡°W, what? How did you¡­?¡±


    Surprised, it took the rider 5 seconds of silence before he started unsheathing his weapon and swung it at Mareritter who put his foot at the rider¡¯s wrist, effectively stopping the swing. Standing on one leg and blocking an attack with another while on top of a flying wyvern. The impossible feat made the rider open his eyes wide with jaw hanging loose in an almost comical way.


    ¡°Hm, it does not seem you know about the domination¡­ I am sorry for taking your time. Farewell.¡±


    Saying that the smiling Mareritter raised his foot that was on the rider¡¯s wrist and suddenly that same foot was covered in crackling black and red electric sparks before he stomped onto the wyvern¡¯s back. The wyvern whose back turned grayish squirmed wildly while letting out a pained cry. The grayed area continued to expand with the edge covered in the black and red electricity. The corroded area started to crack before it breaks into small pieces. Then from the expanding corrosion a spark touched the rider¡¯s arm which also started turning gray. Mareritter simply jumped off from the dead wyvern who fell down taking its screaming rider along.


    Because Erik¡¯s mana capacity was raised before he entered the gate with Azanthys, Mareritter¡¯s ability was also raised hence mere spark could trigger the phenomenon. Although saying that Mareritter has retained more of his past ability would be more accurate. Of course the rule that the stronger the enemy means their resistance will also be higher still applies.


    Landing on another wyvern that was on higher altitude among the flock, Mareritter who kept smiling the whole time disabled the wyverns one by one in similar fashion and finally jumped off to a nearby building as the last wyvern in the flock fell.


    ¡°It seems our real enemy has started to make their move¡­ Well, the thousand year pact has finally expired so it was just a matter of time until they start. I hope mother will tell master everything so that I just need to fill in the smaller details.¡±


    Remembering that another flock of wyverns were approaching from the opposite direction Mareritter immediately resumed his assault.


    ¡°Ummm¡­ is this a side effect of mana exhaustion? Am I seeing things? How can someone who don¡¯t have any weapon take down that many wyverns by jumping onto them one by one like that? Or am I dreaming right now?¡±


    ¡°My eyes must be as bad as yours or if this is a dream then we must be sharing the same dream¡­¡±


    Similar conversation could be heard from both the magician and the archer team who saw the whole thing.


    Yusa also rubbed her eyes before reaffirming what she saw once again.


    ¡°Should I say¡­ as expected of Erik bro¡¯s acquaintance? I won¡¯t be surprised anymore with any kind of absurdity if Erik bro is related¡­¡±


    Yusa was not too shaken since she witnessed Mareritter killing a venem urm with a cheap knife before but the scenery she just witnessed was still beyond her common sense.


    ¡°We¡¯re also that man¡¯s acquaintances so that logic is kind of flawed. Just in case you didn¡¯t know, I can¡¯t do something like that.¡±


    Martlea who lost all her previous tension commented to Yusa¡¯s remark.


    The still weak Liz who was held by Yusa also looked at Mareritter but her expression was that of worry. Erik should have gone to the tower with Azanthys and Mareritter. But Mareritter was instead here fighting the demon race army while Erik has not returned. Now Liz is worried about two different things. One is the fact that Erik only has one person helping him to conquer the tower which is rife with danger. The other was that it means Erik was ¡®alone¡¯ with Azanthys. These feelings piled on top of a severe mana exhaustion and her previous turmoil of having to kill her fellow demon race plunged her psyche into chaos. As a defense mechanism to prevent further mental breakdown her mind shut itself down and thus she lost consciousness.


    ¡°L, Lizzy?¡±


    Yusa who noticed Liz¡¯s state shouted worriedly and Martlea immediately checked on Liz.


    ¡°... Don¡¯t worry, it seems she just fell unconscious. She¡¯ll need the rest so just hold her like that for now. I think we will be safe anyway.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind fighting both of you at once but it seems the woman isn¡¯t in her best condition.¡±


    Izarea furrowed her brows to the fact that was stated by Alurio. She did survive the return trip from demon race territory but not without any damage. Hidden by the spare armor she currently wears was the bandage covering a large cut on her lower back. Even standing should be painful for her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your concern but if you¡¯re worried about me then mind if you do me a favor and just drop dead like, right now?¡±


    ¡°My, what a sharp tongue you got there. A lady should be prim and proper don¡¯t you think? .¡±


    ¡°Nowadays you call that discrimination.¡±


    Izarea threw a knife as she said that and after giving a glance at the guild master she brandished her sword while running to circle and get behind Alurio who casually dodged the knife by shifting his posture.


    Somehow showing a reluctant face to Izarea joining the battle the guild master also responded to Izarea¡¯s glance by fixing his stance. If the enemy was using magic then why wouldn¡¯t he do the same? Now that Izarea is supporting him he could use some opening to concentrate and chant some attack magic. Likewise, he could attack while Izarea prepare some magic.


    As Alurio turned around to cope with Izarea¡¯s swift attacks the guild master prepared invoked a certain magic in low voice.


    ¡°Pulsem tremus en vraes rans vibrus rau urtredt rammant tes ur oscaloptas!¡±


    A strange high frequency humming sound was heard and accompanied by the sound the guild master also dashed forward to attack Alurio.


    Having just blown away Izarea who blocked Alurio¡¯s big swing with her sword, Alurio immediately noticed the guild master due to the humming sound and proceeded to swing his battle axe onto the guild master¡¯s lance¡¯ shaft. Expecting the lance to be pushed down Alurio opened his eyes wide when it was his battle axe getting repelled with force instead. Judging that it is impossible to dodge with his posture broken Alurio who also thought that blocking the strangely blurred lance with earth wall will be useless opted to use earth magic to raise the ground he is standing on to move himself up and away from the thrust.


    Before the raised ground under him was destroyed by the guild master¡¯s lance Alurio didn¡¯t bother to fix his broken posture and instead utilized it to somersault away from the lance¡¯ reach.


    ¡°Uwaaah, that was dangerous. What did you do to your lance?¡±


    The guild master did not answer and instead pressed forward. The guild master actually made his lance vibrate in high speed and frequency except at the handle which was made specifically to not transmit the vibration from the shaft and thus he would have no trouble holding it normally.


    ¡°Tch, what an unsociable guild master. Ah well it¡¯s probably ur oscaloptas right? I can use it too and I think I can do it better.¡±


    Sensing Izarea coming from behind Alurio also invoked the same spell and swung his violently shaking weapon down. With rumbling sound the ground was gouged and it shook greatly followed by cracks spreading as far as 10 meters away disrupting Izarea and the guild master¡¯s steps.


    ¡°I never used this spell on my weapon before but this is making my hands feel numb¡­ not gonna use it again I think.¡±


    Surprised that Alurio moved without problem close to her who staggered when the ground shook, Izarea unsteadily swung her sword at Alurio who dodged it and kicked her in the stomach.


    ¡°Gukhh!¡±


    ¡°Izarea!¡±


    Before Alurio could attack Izarea again the guild master threw his lance at him and so Alurio had to dodge, giving enough time for Izarea to recover albeit she was gritting her teeth, obviously in pain because the attack on her stomach was strong enough to also affect the wounds on her back.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Throwing your weapon away instead of using the opening when I kill her to land a proper hit on me¡­ hmm hmm? Is the lady actually quite important?¡±


    Both Izarea who slowly moved closer to the lance stabbed on the ground and the guild master who was left with only his shield looked at each other without answering Alurio¡¯s question and then they acted simultaneously. Izarea threw her sword at Alurio before she dashed to grab the lance while the guild master charged right at Alurio without raising his shield.


    Sighing before he used his axe to bring down Izarea¡¯s sword instead of dodging. The guild master clicked his tongue since he intended to grab the sword to attack Alurio. The guild master immediately responded to Alurio¡¯s axe swing with his shield, producing a loud clanging sound.


    Izarea was about to use the chance to attack Alurio but suddenly Alurio¡¯s dragon mount bent its body and dropped a claw at her to which she dodged by throwing her whole weight to the side and rolled away while groaning in pain from her wounded back touching the uneven ground.


    Extending its other arm to Alurio who then hopped onto it, the dragon brought Alurio up close to its face.


    ¡°Aah, this is getting boring. Can I take back my words and just let the dragons attack already? I forgot that it¡¯s my third wife¡¯s birthday the day after tomorrow so I need to finish things here quickly. Wait¡­was it actually my fourth wife¡¯s birthday?¡±


    ¡®So it has come to this¡¯, was what anyone could make out from the guild master¡¯s expression. Even from his own point of view the earlier battle took longer than expected. Several adventurers who overheard Alurio also showed their desperate expression.


    ¡°Okay then¡­¡±


    ¡°TAKE HEED.¡±


    Alurio stopped when he heard a loud voice reverberating from the sky and like everyone else raised his vision up to bear witness to a scenery that can be seen by almost everyone from demon race territory to the west and until Valis Republic to the east.


    A silhouette is literally enveloping the sky. Because sunlight could still seep through its semi-transparent nature the surrounding was only slightly darker as if under the shadow of a tree.


    Most people could not immediately figure out the overall shape of the silhouette due to its size but the people to the South could make out figure of a dragon¡¯s head, while to the west and east they could see multiple wing like shapes branching out, what could be seen to the north was a long shape that gets narrower as it stretches like that of a tail. Later on people who gathered information about this phenomenon will then create an infamous painting of a dragon based on the silhouette but that is another story.


    ***


    --Just before the start of battle in Arx Norr--


    ¡°Give it up, human. No matter how many times you attack, those husks of second gen will never be able to even just make a scratch on my body.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Looking at the chips and dents on the blades I am using I think I need something at the level of Azanthys and Mareritter to deal somewhat proper damage. I can use Azanthys but I don¡¯t think I can handle two of these dragons at once. While it is clear that whenever I hit the dragon¡¯s metallic scales the short swords I am using are losing its shape little by little, this guy was lying about me not making even a scratch.


    Just like Azanthys and her abilities, this guy uses a huge amount of mana to maintain his metal transformation. Full body metallic transformation without losing flexibility and elongating metal tail. Neither is small feat so it makes sense that a huge amount of mana is necessary. This information also came from Azanthys but she judged that my attack would be able to chip at his metallic scales except that his pride will make him to immediately repair it as if nothing happened and that uses up even more mana than the transformation for same amount of area. I barely noticed that the damage caused by my countless attacks were all getting repaired in mere fragments of a second.


    Now the problem will be who loses his patience or stamina first and in my case, also weapons. My arms also received quite some backlash damage from hitting the dragon¡¯s body. While I am faster and all my attacks hit they couldn¡¯t make much damage. In comparison, even just one of the dragon¡¯s attack can seriously damage me and rob me of my mobility so I had to dodge them perfectly but the tail attacks are hard to predict. So far the tail attacks victim was just my armor but I don¡¯t know how long I can keep it up. This fight has also been going on for more than half an hour.


    Of course if I chose to wait until the dragon completely run out of mana then I¡¯m sure it¡¯s me to go down first. The thing I¡¯m waiting is not to that extent.


    *Clang*


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    I never counted but maybe after several hundreds of slashes the short sword in my right hand snapped right at the middle part of its blade when I slashed at the dragon¡¯s hind leg.


    I threw the remaining half at the back of the dragon¡¯s head but it just bounced off in pieces.


    ¡°Have you not learnt that your struggle is futile, human?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m quite earnest if I do say so myself. You¡¯ll need at least three more of ¡®you¡¯ to make me consider giving up.¡±


    I dodged a tail sweep by ducking and then I moved forward before the suddenly stopped tail came whipping down. During the time I held up the centipede carapace shield with my left hand after I switched the still usable short sword to my right hand.


    Just for the sake of trying it out I did a shield bash to the dragon¡¯s left foreleg but the backlash is severe as expected.


    ¡°What are you even doing, human?¡±


    The dragon used the same foreleg I just hit to brush me off so this time I used my shield to block the incoming claw swing while jumping backwards to lessen the impact.


    Before I was blown away I finally noticed the thing I was waiting for. Up until now the dragon¡¯s body was completely metallic including the eyes but just now I saw that the joints on the foreleg was in its original color. The dragon has started preserving its mana.


    It is basic knowledge that when you don¡¯t want your opponent to notice your weakness then you just need to hide it. If the dragon adheres to that then I simply have to check every possible places.


    The dragon chased me who just landed and used its right claw which I dodged easily but then its right wing came sweeping as the dragon used the momentum to spin. I frantically dodged the blade like metallic wing by bending my body full backwards, barely missing it, but then next came the tail whip.


    ¡°Hrghh!¡±


    I gritted my teeth and received the tail with my shield and was once again blown away, this time while receiving the full brunt of the impact. I immediately do a barrel roll as I touched the ground but I still painfully bounced off against gravity twice.


    I checked my shield as I raised myself up to find several cracks on it. My left arm was kind of numb but I can still move it without problem.


    The dragon has finally doing some real attack on me so he¡¯s starting to get impatient. This supported my suspicion so I can stop holding back too.


    ¡°Tch, so you can still stand. From a human standard you¡¯re already a monster. I will admit your strength.¡±


    ¡°Took you long enough. But I can still go for more you know.¡±


    No more fuel saving for both of us.


    I dashed and reached its left flank with a speed faster than before. While making a slash as feint I looked at the joints on its foreleg but they are are metallic right now. Did it notice my line of sight before?


    Clearly surprised by my speed the dragon scowled and reacted by jumping up and then it flapped its wings.


    Not this pattern again¡­ human can¡¯t fly dammit!


    There¡¯s the ceiling so the dragon can¡¯t fly too high and I can jump ten or twenty meters just fine but I¡¯m vulnerable midair while it can move freely. I don¡¯t think I can maneuver fast enough against this one even with using ice platforms.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t flying too much for fighting a human? Winning like that won¡¯t feel good don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Hm, indeed¡­ ¡°


    The dragon descended slowly after it muttered so. This one isn¡¯t stupid but has too much pride for me to make use of like this.


    Right when it touched down I also made my move and attacked from the front. This time the dragon was prepared for my speed and responded by opening its jaws wide. Don¡¯t tell me, breath?


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    I changed direction and jumped to the side before a silvery cloud of dust swept past me, leaving countless scars on the floor. What was that? Some sort of metal powder breath? As I was thinking this time the dragon shot its breath above me and created a wide cloud of silver colored particles which congregated into many of glass marble size. Suddenly they poured down and its literally raining bullets for me.


    Left with nowhere to run I raised my shield above my head and curled to decrease any surface area for the bullet rain to hit.


    This is my first time experiencing a rain with every drops capable to dig a deep hole in the ground. My already cracked shield shattered after several hits so I used the body of my short sword to protect my head in its place. It hurted like hell and some parts of my armor turned into pieces while the black snake jacket got torn here and there.It seems my body held out just fine except from some minor bleeding. Since when did my skin and flesh became stronger than learis steel alloy? Damn thanks to fantasy settings! As for why the whitish ice armor reinforcements on my back didn¡¯t break, well¡­ we¡¯ll find out later.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting quite fired up now, eh? Finally taking me seriously aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°... What kind of human are you? A summoned hero? Even among those hateful summoned heroes I knew there was no one strong enough to still be able to stand after taking that.¡±


    ¡°My, feeling cornered now?¡±


    ¡°Humph, don¡¯t get conceited, human!¡±


    The dragon lunged with both claws raised and then it launched a flurry of claw slashes with some sneaky tail stabs at me. I unsheathed the serrated sword to dual wield and inserted some counterattacks in between my parrying and dodging. From sidelines it will look very surreal, I mean a human and an Opt**us Pr**e sized dragon are exchanging blows. Even I also thoughtthat what I¡¯m doing is rather absurd. Strength wise it seems I¡¯m able to match the dragon but my weapons clearly aren¡¯t. Just how hard is this dragon¡¯s body anyway?


    I tossed the broken short sword and took out a wyvern fang dagger. I¡¯m down to my original set of weapons now but it seems the dragon is in similar situation. I smirked when I saw my chance and moved forward before slashing at the base of the dragon¡¯s left foreleg with my serrated sword. The dragon raised a pained howl as blood spurted out of the gashing wound.


    ¡°YOU!¡±


    Without concern to its own body the dragon used a breath attack at me who was still close to its foreleg. Of course I jumped away to dodge it.


    After the breath dissipated I saw that the blood had stopped since the wounded area is now metallic. Since there is no change to the shape of the wounded area maybe it is safe to say that rather than healed it was just like placing a bandage made of metal on the wound. I don¡¯t think the dragon still has the leisure to completely fix a wound that deep anyway.


    ¡°You can¡¯t pretend that my attacks aren¡¯t working anymore now.¡±


    An irritated growl escaped the dragon¡¯s mouth¡­ err, jaw as it looked at me menacingly. The dragon stopped hiding its true feelings now.


    ¡°You¡­ I¡¯ll make you regret ever facing up against me. Fiammre!¡±


    Fiammre?


    The dragon looked sideways so I followed its line of sight to see the other dragon who was fighting Azanthys who is in wing mode. I remember the dragon being covered in flame but now along with the flame covering, its left wing and foreleg are covered in Azanthys¡¯ white ice instead. The white ice is her third form of ice which is far stronger and colder. She unlocked it somewhere around the twentieth floor. It shouldn¡¯t be possible to freeze immaterial things like flame but the white ice can do just that. The mana usage is of course very high and for now she needs to be in her wing mode to use it. I gave her permission beforehand of course.


    ¡°What? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m busy here, Rogannus? I didn¡¯t think Azanthys can use the Lhordes Glacis with a human as her master.¡±


    I guess Fiammre and Rogannus are their names.


    ¡°Yeah, I hate to admit it but we have underestimated the human too much. Just come here, we will do that!¡±


    ¡°Tch, there¡¯s no helping it then.¡±


    The flame dragon, Fiammre, avoided Azanthys¡¯ white ice boulder, jumped and landed next to Rogannus, the metal dragon.


    ¡°Human, let¡¯s make this two-on-two. You use Azanthys¡¯ weapon form.¡±


    As Rogannus said that Fiammre turned into a greatsword shrouded in crimson flame. At first it was at size usable by human but as Rogannus reached its claws to reach it, the greatsword enlarged and now became a giant sword. Oyyy, what the heck? A flaming sword wielding metal dragon? Like, seriously?


    ¡°Master¡­ don¡¯t worry¡­ victory¡­ will be¡­ ours¡­¡±


    Azanthys released her wing mode after she landed next to me. I returned my serrated sword to its sheath and held Azanthys¡¯ outstretched hand.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do this, Azanthys!¡±


    ¡°Firmnates, nostrael ar domineum!¡±


    After giving me her affirmation Azanthys turned into her weapon form in my hand and that signaled the continuation of our battle.

 Chapter 23 - Praesia

    For me to resort to use Fiammre¡¯s weapon form and yet still unable to kill this human. I have underestimated him. However, an artificial Ar Draughum contracted to lord Slibinas struggling against mere human is simply unthinkable.


    Even if this human was a summoned human from earth, his strength easily surpassed the strongest hero I knew of. That hateful human who abandoned me in the hand of our enemy.


    The prototypes were already contracted to mother, so mother created us first generation artificial Ar Draughum for the summoned heroes to use. Different with the prototypes, we can be subcontracted as in letting those who swore allegiance to our master to use our weapon form.


    Needless to say, even the heroes were nothing before A?i Dah¨¡ka and the Ar Daenocens. With the heroes to wield us killed, most of first generations were destroyed or given the choice to be contracted to our enemies in exchange of our lives.


    That human who told me that the two of us together would be invincible and so we would win the war, that we would always be together as the best partner, easily abandoned me and ran away without putting so much of a fight before lord Slibinas. At first, I was somewhat sad when he was impaled from the back and died just like that. But now I can say, ¡°serves him right¡±. Thanks to that I could easily choose to be contracted to lord Slibinas instead of forfeiting my life.


    With only mother and the Ar Draughum who was in charge of this world¡¯s system leading the humans against four Ar Daenocens including A?i Dah¨¡ka¡¯s fragment leading the rest of this world¡¯s inhabitants, it was clear as day who had the advantage and more than half of the other first generations chose to switch side after their wielder perished. However, mother did something as unthinkable as releasing her true form, risking to destroy the whole planet to fight A?i Dah¨¡ka¡¯s fragment which somehow ended with both sealed in different way.


    The human before me was using Azanthys who was the symbol of envy to us first generations who had to contract the weak human instead of mother. I always thought that she was looking down on us but now she also contracted a human and I could not sense any dissatisfaction from her. In fact, Azanthys looked happy. Happy? What? Curse you prototypes! Why did we have to suffer loss and disgrace while you hog all the glory and happiness?


    I, Rogannus, will not allow this any further.


    ***


    With Azanthys in hand I moved to avoid the dragon¡¯s flaming sword coming from above and rushed in to counter. I¡¯m confident that blocking will result in me getting pushed back even if our weapons were not too different in quality. Even if the difference in our strength were not too much, the difference in our physical size were just too vast and thus the balance will tip to one with larger mass. No human was designed to clash with dragons to begin with. Thinking so, I tried to just block briefly when I had to and to switch to parrying whenever possible.


    I slashed at the dragon¡¯s torso and blood spurted from the gaping wound. With this I have confirmed that Azanthys¡¯ blade could cut through the dragon¡¯s metal scales but the resistance was still quite high.


    ¡°Why you little¡­!¡±


    Our exchange of slash, block, parry, and dodge continued for several minutes but I utilized my small size as compared to the dragon to my advantage and kept myself close to Rogannus to make it difficult for him to attack.


    After failing to get away from me who stuck as close as I could to him, Rogannus flapped his wings and flew up out of my reach while using a breath attack on me to which I blocked by conjuring a wall of ice.


    ¡°What happened to your pride? This lowly human is demanding a fair fight though?¡±


    ¡°Shut your trap, human! I will not choose my method any longer, I will definitely kill you!¡±


    Uwah, did he snap? I thought he was the calm type.


    I shot some ice stakes at Rogannus but he easily dodged all of them.


    Sometimes he would swoop down with a swing of the flaming sword and occasional tail whip in addition to it Of course I dodged them all.


    After I dodged another of his sweeping attack Fiammre returned to his dragon form and this time Rogannus became a silver lustrous spear in his arm.


    ¡°Ha, it¡¯s my turn now!¡±


    Transformed back Fiammre had perfect posture for attacking me who was turning my head to look at him, but I judged that due to Rogannus¡¯ previous high speed sweep, there was enough distance between us so the lance would not be able to reach me.


    (Master¡­ dodge!)


    Azanthys¡¯ warning reminded me of something so I did as told and jumped to the side avoiding the elongating spear thrust. I was a bit late so blood scattered in the air along with fragments of my long since battered shoulder pad from my left shoulder that was grazed. I should consider new apparel since now the black snake jacket has too much extra holes.


    Before I could express my complaint on the situation, the elongated spear shook and lashed around wildly like a whip accompanied by sonic boom like sounds. I quickly moved away from there while holding Azanthys in front of me to block the whip.


    The tip of the whip then stabbed into the floor where Rogannus re-materialized his body, pulling the now transformed into sword Fiammre closer in an instant. Rogannus lunged forward and swung the flaming Fiammre horizontally at me.


    Blocking that large swing is bad!


    I jumped and let my body into a parallel line with the sword¡¯s route but the flame touched my body that was facing the sword. Fortunately I casted glacis rumeris on myself before jumping so my oh-so-ordinary face wasn¡¯t burnt. My heart was kind of burnt by my own remark though.


    I thawed the ice covering my front as I landed and was about to launch a counterattack on Rogannus but he was already flying away from me.


    ¡°Dammit¡­ without Mareritter here, I can¡¯t use full armor and the wings¡­¡±


    (Master¡­ orla tes lhordes glacis¡­ spell¡­ will tell¡­but¡­ if human use¡­ there is¡­ side effect...)


    ¡°You told me that victory will be ours so it¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll win if I use it, right?¡±


    I nodded to Azanthys who then recited the spell and I immediately repeated after her. I have never used the spell before so no keyword activation for now.


    (En tuelle lac lucernes agis glacis val lhordes, orla tes nivus tes glacis la stratiem¡­)


    ¡°En tuelle lac lucernes agis glacis val lhordes, orla tes nivus tes glacis la stratiem¡­¡±


    Rogannus swung the flaming sword, Fiammre, to create a large wall of fire in front of him and used his bullet rain breath attack on it. I ran to get away from the flame infused bullets barrage while keeping the incantation.


    (...lac vitres en tuelle lac glacis ornis ar orla tes glacis ar tuelle lhordes¡­)


    ¡°...lac vitres en tuelle lac glacis ornis ar orla tes glacis ar tuelle lhordes¡­¡±


    This is quite long, and I think there¡¯s still some more¡­


    I ran erratically to avoid the barrage. Keeping my concentration on the spell while avoiding Rogannus¡¯ attacks and under the intense feeling of mana being drained out is too hard for me who rarely used any magic. I almost stopped to complain but managed not to.


    (...ves en una tuelle en agis af serte nivus sef orla sef glacis sef riges¡­)


    ¡°...ves en una tuelle en agis af serte nivus sef orla sef glacis sef riges...¡±


    As I ran above an area where the floor had already been filled with holes, they suddenly exploded, scattering mini sized but powerful flaming shrapnels everywhere. I only protected my face to continue the incantation, ignoring countless small wounds that opened as the shrapnels easily torn the black snake jacket which should be able to repel your normal sword slash without problem.


    (...unglacias ar init sef verux esta ...ves en tuelle aetias init ar vitus glacis.)


    ¡°...unglacias ar init sef verux esta ves en tuelle aetias init ar vitus glacis.¡±


    With cold mist emanating violently from Azanthys whose multiple side blades spread like wings, it seemed that Rogannus realized what I was about to unleash. Rogannus covered himself with Fiammre¡¯s flame and plunged down to attack me. Just like Azanthys¡¯ ice not affecting me directly, I guess he won¡¯t feel hot from that. Anyway, it seemed that it was too late.


    (Nil vax omnia meres, la nivus Orla tes Lhordes Glacis.)


    ¡°Nil vax omnia meres, la nivus Orla tes Lhordes Glacis.¡±


    A beautiful ringing sound was heard and in an instant everything within more than ten meter radius of me was covered in white colored ice that kept encroaching out in high speed while scattering countless snowflakes into the air. Rogannus swung Fiammre at me from above but as it touched the scattering flakes, in mere fragments of a second the flaming sword was then covered in white ice along with its flame.


    ¡°Curse you!!!¡±


    Although Rogannus said something where it sounded like he would push his attack forward, he actually pulled back and flew up to avoid the encroaching crystal dust filled atmosphere.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Before I knew it, the entire room had turned into a snowscape, even the ceiling was not free from being frozen. Each time the flakes touches something, including the floor and wall, large white ice crystal would form. So, rather than tundra, the room looked more like a giant cave filled with various size of large or extra large stalactites and stalagmites of white ice. I remembered that Albert and his friends were somewhere over, uhh... there? And so I excluded the area from being frozen.


    My mana almost got completely drained so my head was heavy and felt like it was hit by a truck, forcing me to kneel on the frozen floor. Not that I know how it feels if a truck hit you. Actually, my whole body felt heavy and painful now. Let¡¯s keep this magic as a trump card, yeah¡­


    As for why I could stay calm right now, it was because in front of me was an extra large ice crystal encasing Rogannus and Fiammre. He tried to enlarge the flame covering his body but it was all for naught. The flame itself was frozen.


    As in the coldness of the beginning of time, the world of eternal ice shall engulf everything in the purest of white.


    Just like stated in the only part of the spell I could make out its meaning, as long as I didn¡¯t undo the spell, the ice will never melt.


    As for the side effect Azanthys just said, I thought it was the pain I felt on my whole body but it seemed that I was wrong. I can¡¯t utter a word! For a magician that magic spell spells doom!


    Sorry, bad pun¡­. but I really can¡¯t let out any sound from my mouth, not even a groan.


    So¡­ what¡¯s gonna happen after this? Except for the entrance, this room has no door or window. Only a plain and vast dome shaped room.


    Azanthys returned to her human form next to me and landed with a graceful posture, right foot first.


    (Azanthys, what are we supposed to do now?)


    ¡°Wait¡­ until¡­ Rogannus¡­ and Fiammre lose... all¡­ life force¡­¡±


    At least the telepathy connected. But that means the two were still alive in there?


    (Why the wait though?)


    ¡°Became Slibinas¡¯... attendants¡­ so... way to... Mother¡¯s¡­ seal¡­ their souls¡­¡±


    (Uhh, not that the souls were seals, but just the way to it?)


    Azanthys nodded.


    Uhh, if Mareritter was here then I could ask for better explanation¡­ oh well, let¡¯s wait.


    Ah, what about Albert and his friends?


    Followed by Azanthys, I ignored my body who screamed of the pain it was feeling and walked to where Albert and his friends should have been.


    Near the edge of this room was an erratically shaped non-frozen area as marked by patches of iceless floor. Why was it erratically shaped? It was harder to exclude some parts from the whole room AoE magic so there was no helping it. In there were Albert and his friends hugging each other, shivering, while Novia conjured several small floating fireballs in front of them. The fireballs were flickering and might disappear anytime soon. You could see their breath and Albert even had some frozen snot¡­ ah, it snapped and fell. Am I the only one here who don¡¯t feel cold? Ah yeah, Azanthys too.


    ¡®You guys okay? Not so much from the looks of it though.¡¯Was what I wanted to say¡­


    (Azanthys, can you do something about them?)


    (... will try¡­)


    After several seconds of thinking in front of the trio who couldn¡¯t even speak due to their violently clattering teeth, Azanthys constructed something akin to an igloo with her normal ice, or rather, how did she know about igloos?


    Via Azanthys, I instructed Novia to continue with her fire magic. Shape wise, the igloo was quite well-constructed with a small hole on top. It would be better if it was made of compressed snow blocks instead of solid ice but this much should do for now.


    I also needed to rest, so I left the violent clattering sound from Albert and his friends. I also asked Azanthys to take a vial of mana regeneration quickening potion from my bag which I had entrusted to Albert. I went outside and after choosing a spot near the protruding entrance, I drunk the potion and sat while leaning to the igloo¡¯s wall with Azanthys next to me.


    I finally conquered the last floor. I kind of remember Mareritter saying that it depends mostly on my own strength. But I don¡¯t know why he said it like that, the fight was hard if you ask me. Did he meant that I will get stronger in the process and that will also cause Azanthys to get stronger as well anyway, so there would be no problem even if it was just the two of us? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter any longer now.


    Before sleepiness could start assaulting me, however, a loud cracking sound was heard and the ceiling burst open with the frozen ceilings fragments turned into dust and disappeared. The cracks gradually reached the surrounding walls and this room then became an open-air one.


    The looming black and purplish liquid-like sky seemed like it was squirming wildly when suddenly it cleared out in almost an instant. Now, instead of the previous gloomy sky, far above us was a pearl white layered gigantic scales like surface whose glow pushed away the darkness surrounding us.


    However, there were huge black purplish magic stone not unlike the previous gloomy sky in five directions located at the edge of this floor. They must have been behind the thick wall.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    I looked at Azanthys who was also looking upwards. Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­


    Now that I looked at its overall shape, those protruding parts must be wings and those large lumps over there, there, there, and there are the legs. The view reminded me of that interactive planetarium VR where you see the solar system from some certain predetermined locations. I remember looking at the moon from a distance where it blocks most of your view. The pearl white dragon was far enough so I could see those parts like its wings or legs, but just like how it was implied in my previous statement, that dragon¡¯s size was insanely big. While it might be small if compared to a moon, you could probably fit a whole Rifst kingdom on it and still left with some free space. That¡¯s Praesia?


    ¡°Master¡­ those¡­ stones¡­ destroy¡­¡±


    Azanthys pointed at one of the huge magic stones at the edge of this floor. So, those were part of the seal? Can I do it with my current condition? Magic stones are known for being harder as its size and purity goes up. I bet those are harder than diamond, just look at the size and hue. Just how can I destroy it in my current state?


    ¡°Mother¡¯s jewel¡­ can¡­ help¡­ maybe...¡±


    ¡®Maybe¡¯, eh? let¡¯s just see one of the stones for now.


    I felt a strange discomfort when I got near one, but nothing else was amiss. I just thought that the seal would be of more grand and luxurious kind with carved magic formation or similar decorations. Function over fashion, I guess. For now I tried hitting it with the serrated sword but as expected, it was hard, even harder than Rogannus¡¯ scales.


    I took out the amulet of Praesia just to see what would happen, but silence overwhelmed me for the next several minutes. Azanthys was just looking at me here without saying anything so maybe she didn¡¯t know the detail on what I should do with this?


    I tried channeling what little bit of mana I have into the amulet while hitting the magic stone with the serrated sword, but there was no change whatsoever. How about touching the stone using the amulet? My mana manipulation and control level is low so I couldn¡¯t keep the earlier mana I used from dispersing, and I think some got absorbed by the amulet too so I had to infuse more. I just gritted my teeth when my headache returned.


    I thought it was another miss, but the stone reacted after I forced myself to add the amount of mana. Like a ripple, the purplish black part gradually turned white from the part where the amulet was touching it. Right after the stone turned completely white, with it at the center, a pillar of light was raised until it touched Praesia up above. The pillar of light failed to reach Praesia as if there was an invisible barrier.


    For now, should I just try it again on another one? I don¡¯t have much mana though, so I ordered Azanthys to take some more mana regeneration quickening potion from my bag. There¡¯s the option of just resting for today and continue tomorrow but I just feel like doing it right now.


    I drank two more vials of the potion and waited about 15 minutes to accumulate some mana before I proceeded to another of the stone. By that time, it seemed that Albert and friends had recovered enough to come out of the igloo and watch what I was doing.


    Alright, I¡¯m down to the last stone. Pillars of light from the other four stones were all converged at Praesia¡¯s head, or the barrier in front of it.


    Here we go.


    The fifth pillar of light joined the other four and a very loud cracking sound accompanied by a blinding flash occured. I could only close my eyes and blink many times until my vision was restored.


    As Praesia¡¯s pearl white body glittered faintly, I noticed some movements. Albert and his friends also leaked an ¡®ooh¡¯ while Azanthys only looked at Praesia in silence, her lips just formed a brief faint smile though. The super gigantic dragon that was Praesia finally opened its eyes and the head moved so an eye was facing me, still from the distance. This is just me, but the way it moved gave me an impression that just by turning its head, a mountain or two could easily be crushed. The size gave an illusion that it moved slowly but in reality it might be faster than a fighter jet if we counted it by traveled distance.


    (Well done, Erik.)


    Then the usual Praesia¡¯s voice I heard in my dreams resounded directly in my head. Judging from Azanthys and the other three¡¯s reactions, it seemed that they heard it too. I assume that telepathy from me will work too so I replied to Praesia.


    (I fulfilled my side of bargain but it seems there are still many worrisome things, especially about A?i Dah¨¡ka. What are you going to do after this?)


    (Ah, yes¡­ well¡­ that was right to the point...)


    Contrary to her majestic figure, Praesia¡¯s voice contained some hesitation.


    (Actually, I can no longer manifest myself over there. By releasing my true form, my avatar for this world system was destroyed and to make a new one I will need the cooperation of its administrator.)


    Some new terms came out! I understand the words themselves, but that is beside the point.


    (Avatar¡­ you meant, a human form? What about that Lavinia-like figure?)


    (I just borrowed her form since she was the only human to ever hold onto that gem you have for a long period after the queen of Eldarifst. I can only use that in your dreamscape.)


    (So, I guess you can¡¯t make a new one too, eh?)


    (Unfortunately, that is correct. Eusthelia, the Ar Draughum in charge of this world¡¯s system is being held at different great dungeon, I don¡¯t know which one though. I hope you can free Eusthelia too, Erik...)


    (I see...)


    (And I have finally found Tiamat¡¯s whereabout so I need to leave as per the pact I have exchanged with the people of this world before. I will have to lend my assistance to Tiamat because if something were to happen to Tiamat, the whole universe would be in danger, that includes your earth too, Erik.)


    (What is with that insanely huge scale? ¡­ oy, don¡¯t tell me that you were intending to leave things to me from the very start?)


    (That is¡­ yes, I mean¡­ I can¡¯t do it myself, and if it is help, Azanthys, Mareritter, and my other children will help you. They should be inside one of the great dungeons as well, just like Azanthys and Mareritter.)


    (Wait, wait! A?i Dah¨¡ka and its accomplices are all something similar to you, right? No matter how you look at it, they could just crush me like ants!)


    Daym, like hell I can fight something like Praesia¡­ Destroying the empire sounded like a walk in the park compared to that.


    (A?i Dah¨¡ka¡¯s fragment should have been sealed inside a space I have especially created myself. Slibinas and the rest should also have been weakened significantly. To begin with, other than A?i Dah¨¡ka the rest of them were of the lowest rank amongst Ar Daenocens. If you have my children with you then it would not be impossible to defeat them.)


    (Consider my motivation too, please¡­ I have retired from being a hero and I have my business with Zagrant empire here.)


    Praesia closed her eyes and opened it again after a brief pause.


    (I have no right to stop you from your revenge¡­ just be sure to not lose yourself in it, Erik. And if I must say, you will need to confront the empire sooner or later as it seems Slibinas and the other were using it as their base of operation.)


    (Huh?)


    (I could somewhat observe the world via the artifacts I gave to the three human monarchs including that gem you have. However, about 500 years ago, I lost my control over two of them. I could still track their locations and one is currently in Zagrant empire.)


    That is certainly suspicious¡­ I might be biased since I hate the empire though. Now that I have to consider going against the Ar Daenocens, it would be wise to gain the help of Praesia¡¯s other children. What a pain¡­ and it sounds like it will take a lot of time.


    Praesia continued while I was still thinking.


    (I know that I am irresponsible, but you are the only one I can entrust this to. The newly summoned heroes are in troublesome position. They were summoned by the empire, that alone is a problem, and they are simply not strong enough, being just summoned and all.)


    (How did you know that there was a hero summoning?)


    (Of course I would know, since the summoning magic came from me and it used my mana that was being sapped through this tower and into this world¡¯s system. I managed to limit the summoning magic so it would only be able to summon 5 otherworlders at most before I was sealed to prevent further misuse somehow.)


    (... I see. Alright, I was going to crush the empire anyway¡­ can¡¯t be helped if I have to fight those things when they are in the empire¡­)


    The hurdle was suddenly raised. Some deliberate strategy will be necessary. I guess I¡¯ll talk about it to Mareritter. Azanthys? Uhm, she¡¯s not suited to that kind of discussion as she will agree to whatever I said.


    (Thank you, Erik. I will, of course, give you my support for as much I can right now. Before that, I will have to do something to irk and hinder the enemy¡¯s movement.)


    (What?)


    (I¡¯ll reveal that Praesia will leave this world to everyone in the continent.)

 Chapter 24 - Return

    ¡°TAKE HEED!


    THE OLD PACT HAS BEEN FULFILLED, THUS I, PRAESIA, WILL FINALLY LEAVE THIS WORLD.¡±


    The voice accompanying the shadow looming over the sky was heard by everyone as if it came from inside their heads, including the inhabitant of Zagrant empire which was known as the most zealous among Praesia¡¯s worshipper. Zagrant Empire was also where the largest temple dedicated to worship Praesia is located. Hence, as someone who was more than just a worshipper, but also as one who holds a more profound feeling towards the existence called as Praesia, emperor Zenon Darius Forxa Al Zagrant stood from his seat with a colorless horrible face during an assembly with his imperial retinue. It was an expression that not even one soul in the room had ever seen, and yet, everyone was also too surprised by the voice that they failed to notice it.


    ¡°THE OLD PACT HAS BEEN FULFILLED, THUS I, PRAESIA, WILL FINALLY LEAVE THIS WORLD.¡±


    When the voice repeated the same message, the emperor made a dry laugh and ran to nearby balcony, followed by his unbelieving retainers.


    ¡°What the heck is this? My goddess never told me anything! Why? What in the world is happening?¡±


    Only half shouting, because his body was rapidly losing strength, the emperor who has forgotten his usual dignified way of speech pulled Daunte closer by the collar and glared at him with his bloodshot eyes. Daunte who was also bewildered could not even respond other than hinting that he has no knowledge of the current event with his eyes.


    ¡°THE OLD PACT HAS BEEN FULF--¡±


    The voice stopped abruptly when a bright light appeared right above the imperial palace, showing a woman with a pair of large majestic wings.


    ¡°My dear citizens of the empire, do not believe the voice, for it was my enemy, the evil dragon A?i Dah¨¡ka¡¯s voice.¡±


    With a gentle smile that was strangely visible to emperor Zenon and his retainers despite the distance, the goddess who showed herself nodded at them before continuing her speech.


    ¡°Rest assured, believe that I shall never leave irresponsibly and betray all your prayers and hope. I swear in my name that I will continue to strive for the glory of mankind alongside all of you.¡±


    Her voice was transmitted to everyone in the imperial capital who mostly showed relief while there is only a small minority of people who started questioning the truth behind what had transpired that day.


    To emperor Zenon, however, mere sight of the goddess¡¯ figure had eliminated any and all traces of his previous agitation, leaving only smile and tears of joy.


    ***


    Praesia finished relaying her message to the world and closed her eyes for a few seconds.


    (So, that¡¯s all? By the way, how will you leave this world? is it a transfer to another universe?)


    (I suppose I should tell you, not like this is a secret to begin with anyway. There is no multiverse, Erik. This is a planet within a galaxy that, in your term, is only several megaparsecs away from milky way galaxy. I will have to first reach the vicinity of this galaxy¡¯s supermassive black hole and use it to transfer myself to other galaxy where I found Tiamat¡¯s last known location. I used the small amount of mana I managed to prevent from being sapped by the tower to look for Tiamat during this one thousand year.)


    (... Eh?)


    (I want to tell you more but let¡¯s just say that each galaxy has an administrator who is responsible for the ¡®world system¡¯. The world system dictates any law or rules concerning things such as physics, magic, or anything else that constitutes it. The reason for earthling to become stronger is also thanks to that system. The Ar Draughum in charge of milkyway strictly limited the amount of mana while the raw form, ether is extremely abundant over there. Perhaps, you would understand it if I said that ether is one of your so-called dark matter while mana is more of a dark energy? Being bathed in ether all the time and then coming to where there are far less ether is the main cause. In exchange, though, magic is close to non-existent on earth.)


    (Uhh¡­ wow?)


    The sudden revelation combining fantasy and known science had me baffled there.


    (There is at least 1 to 10 planets per galaxy housing life. Due to the administrators own quirk, or hobby, each world system is unique. Like how the Ar Draughum in charge of milkyway instilled some of our names into the mind of earth¡¯s inhabitants so that many myths would have characters with our names. For some reason, however, majority of the intelligent life-forms have human-like appearance. You can ask Eusthelia later if you want to know more.)


    (Nah, it¡¯s okay. I think what you told me was already more than enough.)


    I wanted to retort on the ¡®quirk or hobby shaped the world¡¯ part, or ¡®mythologies on earth were influenced by the administrator¡¯ but, nah¡­ I¡¯ll refrain. The scale is just too absurd.


    (Alright then, before saying goodbye, I guess I should first restore your condition, Erik. It seems that you are under a side-effect from using a lhordes class spell. Normally, a human should not even be able to use it. There are some exceptions, of course, but let alone side effects, without the compatibility a human would be using one¡¯s own life force and die after using the spell. Even being contracted to Azanthys and Mareritter who have the compatibility, and sharing mana usage as well as spell processing with them will not change that. You might unexpectedly be compatible with lhordes class magic.)


    I slowly turned my head to Azanthys who returned my gaze like how she usually does.


    (There was a risk of death? Oi!)


    ¡°If it is...master¡­ nothing¡­ to worry¡­ Azanthys¡­ believe¡­¡±


    Unconditionally trusting is also quite a troublesome matter. I is much enlightment, I can has cheeseburger? Ha~lp! my brain just short circuited itself!


    (Be sure to tell me things like that first next time)


    ¡°Yes¡­ master...¡±


    Praesia who was silent, seemingly observing me in some unknown way, finally spoke again.


    (Well I¡¯d be. Erik, you do have the compatibility. If that is the case then I can teach you some magic of lhordes class. I will also give you the knowledge of what side-effects that might result.)


    (Yay, I have compatibility with magic that will give me side-effects! Should I feel happy about this?)


    (Well, lhordes class magis is a type of magic that can be used regardless of which world system you are in. It is also capable to overturn the set rule of the system to some extent. For a human to have the prospect of using one itself is already close to a miracle. Having side-effects as the price should be within expectation. It is to be noted that, as a human, you cannot do it without reciting the incantation even after registering it within Azanthys and Mareritter¡¯s spell processing area. And the aria is very long too.)


    (Quite impractical to be used in a battle. I did exactly just that, though. I guess I will use it depending on the situation then. How will you teach me?)


    (This might be painful a little.)


    (Huh?)


    And, bam! Within seconds, a large amount of information regarding the spells and the price I will have to pay for using them entered my brain. My head felt pain beyond that caused by severe mana exhaustion. I crouched and Azanthys held my shoulders with worried look in response. What should have been only a few seconds felt like forever. I could only heave a sigh of relief while holding my head when it finally ended.


    (Whatever the heck was just ¡®a little¡¯ with that?)


    Praesia didn¡¯t answer, while her pupils darted somewhere else. Ignoring me, huh? She¡¯s not as majestic as her appearance, this, I am sure.


    As if it was already within my own memories from the very beginning, I could recall the spells without problem, heck, it is even far clearer than my childhood memories. It¡¯s just that I noticed, being unable to speak was among the better outcome from using a lhordes class magic. What is with becoming permanently impotent by using magic? I should remember to never use that one. Mana consumption is basically between most of my current mana capacity to several folds of it. It also seemed that I would not be able to use any without spell processing support from Azanthys or Mareritter since I was not a magician by nature. In short, I can¡¯t see myself using one anytime soon.


    (*Ahem, I will then restore your condition.)


    I was covered in light particles to the point that I had to close my eyes, but then, I could feel no more fatigue or pain. My wounds are gone and it seems that my mana was also being filled. Instantaneous healing? But there should be no instant healing magic in this world. Wait, there were some healing spells in the lhordes class. Side effect if I used it¡­ reducing life span by 50%, what the hell?


    (I still can¡¯t speak though¡­)


    (That one is special. You used a magic that was not in the system so only the administrator can remove the side effect of something that violated the system¡¯s rules. We, Ar Draughum are exception. You should return to normal with time though.)


    (Owh, I¡¯ll just need to deal with it for now, then.)


    (Also, you three over there.)


    ¡°H, hyesss!?¡±


    Albert answered Praesia with face like someone who was found out pickpocketing by the cops.


    (I am deeply sorry that your people was trapped here along with me. Now that I am freed, I am able to transfer everyone outside. Erik, do you have any idea where to send them to?)


    They are basically demon race so transferring them to where there are human is impossible. However sending them suddenly to a wasteland devoid of life is also bad. I don¡¯t know much about what is within the demon¡¯s territory either. Wait, wasn¡¯t south of Arx Norr a former frontier village by the ocean that was devastated by tsunami? Now it was just an abandoned ruins with some demon beasts living in there but with some reconstruction work it might be usable. With their hunters¡¯ level, the demon beasts living there can easily be wiped out, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I told Praesia about the place and after a brief silence she just said ¡°Done¡±. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m doubting it, it was just too fast and simple. I¡¯d prefer it if she explained to them properly beforehand, but what done is done.


    (Now, Erik¡­ the inner tower will disappear soon since there is no more mana flowing into it. The tower outside has stored so much of my mana, enough that it can maintain its current operational state for at least 7 hundred years so you don¡¯t have to worry about it crumbling down for now. Also, while doing the transferring, I found that there is currently a battle in Arx Norr. Maybe it is time for me to send you back out there.)


    (What? Battle? Alright, send me there right now.)


    I know i had Mareritter to stay behind but I¡¯m still worried about Liz.


    (Very well, before I send you, I will give you one more magic then. It is not mere lhordes class which almost anyone among Ar Draughum can use, but my own specialty. You should have seen Azanthys and Mareritter using a minor version of it. With your current amount of mana you might be able to use it at least once, but as it is a special gift from me, there should be no side effect. This much I can do without Eusthelia¡¯s permission.)


    Another wave of information entered my brain but at least my head only felt heavy instead of painful. This is¡­ I see, its that one eh.


    (Thanks.)


    (It is me who should thank you for freeing me and taking over my task to foil the Ar daenocens plan. Good bye then. I don¡¯t think we will be able to meet again.)


    (Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve guessed.)


    (Azanthys¡­)


    (Yes¡­ mother¡­)


    (I entrust Erik to you and Mareritter. I don¡¯t know if they are still alive or not, but if possible, convince your other siblings to help erik too in my place.)


    (Azanthys¡­ will do¡­ anything¡­ for master¡­)


    I don¡¯t know how to read a dragon¡¯s expression, but I¡¯m sure Praesia just smiled. After that, the floor started shaking and as Praesia said ¡°The tower can¡¯t keep its existence any longer. This is it, I will send you all out right now.¡± and the scenery changed like when you switch channel on the TV.


    ***


    With the imperial capital as exception, the voice continued several more times until the shadow moved and started to gradually become smaller as if it flew higher and higher above before disappearing completely, returning unhindered sunlight to fall upon the remaining atmosphere of shock, awe, or fear which was all around the continent wherever man was present.


    The demon race never worshipped Praesia, they only considered Praesia as a highly respectable figure of legend alongside several other mythical figures. Nevertheless, they were also surprised by the voice.


    And so, the battle in Arx Norr came to a brief halt.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Was that really the goddess?¡±


    ¡°Did the goddess really said about leaving this world?¡±


    ¡°Were we forsaken? Did we, mankind do something to displease the goddess?¡±


    Most of such murmurs came from the adventurers while silence dominated the demon race. Nobody dared to move for quite some time but Alurio finally shouted.


    ¡°You lot! I don¡¯t know if it was really a goddess¡¯ message or not but we¡¯re at war right now. Move your damned ass or I will personally make you all move!¡±


    With that, starting from the less surprised demon race, the cog of war started turning once again. On the other hand, the adventurers who received more impact from the message also responded to that and raised their weapons albeit being one step slower, making them completely fall into defensive stance.


    The guild master who had picked up Izarea¡¯s sword forced the earlier event out of his mind to focus on the battle at hand, but facing both Alurio and the dragon just seemed like an impossible feat and so hesitation started showing on his face against his will. from what he could see, Izarea who had his lance with her was also under heavy physical and mental stress.


    ¡°Let the carnage begin once again!¡±


    And thus the battle resumed with its balance being in favor of the demon race¡¯s side.


    All the adventurers could do was to defend themselves, to avoid being killed right away. Still, the dragons¡¯ attacks were able to bring down death each time. The guild master desperately shielded Izarea against the dragon¡¯s claw, or breath and it seemed that their demise was only a matter of time. By then, almost nobody noticed several new figures mixed in the crowd. 3 men, and 2 women. The first one to realize their existence was Teobaldur whose jaw dropped and Alurio who was wary of the sudden appearance.


    Wearing a set of tattered armor and clothing, but strangely without any wound, was the notorious adventurer, Erik. He opened his mouth to speak when he saw Teobaldur, but no voice came out and then he scratched his head.


    Behind him was the maid, Azanthys while behind her were three seemingly absentminded demon race youths.


    Erik seemed to ponder about something before he suddenly exuded an insane amount of bloodlust to everyone in the battlefield. No, it was no longer mere bloodlust, it was something much more basic, and yet, far stronger. The only interpretation anyone could make was ¡®death¡¯ itself.


    Even the brawniest of the adventurers fainted on the spot. Only few were able to barely hold their ground, without the courage to look at where the feeling of death came from. The number of individuals from both human and demon race who were unfortunate enough to see the source of the worst dread they have ever felt with their own eyes can be counted with one hand. The rest just ceased holding their consciousness and fell limp onto the ground.


    Alurio trembled with beads of cold sweat tracing the whole surface of his body, but he stood still in place. Izarea who was terrified clung to the guild master who only looked to be slightly better in comparison.


    The surviving wyverns flew scattering in all directions, dropping their unconscious riders from height that might just be enough to kill. Even the three dragons became restless and tried to flee but was unable to do so as if their strength has left their body, perhaps because they were close to the source. The next action the trembling dragons took as Erik started walking forward was to lower their head and whole body as close as they could to the ground. Simply said, the dragons desperately prostrated before the man called Erik who then disappeared, leaving a loud rumble, gouged earth, cloud of dust, and wave of destruction where a path of collapsing buildings and people of both races being flung away heading to where the adventurers last line of defense was located.


    ***


    Well, Praesia told me that there was an ongoing battle in Arx Norr and she sent me right into the middle of it before she left. I was about to ask Teobaldur on the battle progress, I forgot that I was still unable to speak. Ah, there¡¯s Mareritter whom I told to protect Liz.


    (I am glad that you have returned safely, master.)


    Mareritter contacted me before I could do it myself so I immediately replied.


    (Yeah, how long has it been since I left?)


    (23 days, earlier than expected.)


    (How is Liz? is she with you?)


    (Yes, Miss Lissa is al¡­ no, actually¡­ as we were attacked by a large number of enemies she forced herself too much to repel them and has lost consciousness after barely fending off the enemies. Her condition is bad but fortunately, not too severe. I will receive whatever punishment as I have failed my task¡­)


    What?


    I couldn¡¯t hold back my anger. For the first time ever, I released as much bloodlust without any control or restraint. I was still able to notice that even Azanthys faltered a little before she approached me.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    (Tell Albert and the others to follow me for now.)


    I just gave her a glance before I dashed forward to where Liz is.


    I ignored any sort of things hindering me, be it buildings, human, or wyvern corpses, and continued forward until I saw Mareritter kneeling. I slowed my pace and stopped in front of him. I heard people shouting things like, ¡°What was that? New enemy?¡± or ¡°It came from the frontlines, just what could cause such destruction?¡± from above the buildings a little distance away behind Mareritter..


    (Where¡¯s Liz?)


    Still kneeling with his face looking down, Mareritter answered me.


    ¡°On the rooftop of that building, Miss Lissa is being taken care of by the adventurers.¡±


    I immediately jumped to the place as Mareritter pointed to find Liz, who was breathing roughly and sweating profusely with her head on Yusa¡¯s lap. Martlea who was next to her was the first to notice me. Perhaps surprised by my sudden appearance and whatever face I was showing, Martlea flinched and then she averted her gaze. Yusa who noticed me a little bit later yelped in surprise with teary eyes and seemed like she wanted to run away but couldn¡¯t since she was giving Liz a lap pillow.


    At least Liz¡¯s condition doesn¡¯t look to be life threatening.


    (Azanthys! Mareritter!)


    The two appeared behind me the instant I called their name.


    (Tell them to take care of Liz for a bit longer.)


    Mareritter then conveyed my message to which Martlea responded by simply nodding, and Yusa doing the same, only repeatedly and with force that seemed like she could get her head to come off.


    I jumped off the building, followed by the two and walked slowly to a place far enough from where I could sense anyone. Albert and his friends who just arrived also approached the place, somewhat hesitantly.


    (Tell Albert to go first to where his tribe should have been teleported by Praesia its dead south from here. I will end this damn battle personally.)


    After Mareritter, who didn¡¯t even question who Albert was, told the guys who then ran as if they really wanted to get away from here as soon as possible, I invoked the full armor mode, mainly to hide my identity. In heat of the moment, I gave more than just hints that might lead people to realize that it was me anyway, but there is no reason not to take any precaution.


    (Let¡¯s go, Un num cordias. Armarevesta.)


    In full armor mode I flew back to where I was sent by Praesia since it looked like the main stage of this battle.


    From above it looked to be in chaos with more unmoving bodies than anyone standing...Wait, it might be because of me.


    I landed near Teobaldur and a demon general whom I think I might have seen before. I forgot the name.


    ¡°Who, no, what are you!?¡±


    The demon general was trying to coax the dragons who were rampaging wildly as if in a trance to stop, but then he looked at me who just descended from the sky with caution.


    Teobaldur and a girl stood behind me without doing anything but I could feel their suspicious gaze on me.


    Without saying anything, not that I could anyway, I killed the dragons by severing their head off their necks. Too easy, the dragons couldn¡¯t even be compared to Rogannus and Fiamma, or the colossal dragon.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°In an instant?¡±


    Alurio and the guild master only responded like such to what I just did. I then pointed Mareritter¡¯s blade at Alurio who grinned, but clearly not in good humour.


    ¡°Never thought I would see two monsters in the day where it was supposed to have ended well for me. Now, what will you do, black armored monster?¡±


    Two? Ah, the other was me when I just arrived. Anyway, that was a stupid question. Why would I let someone who led an army to attack this place, resulting in Liz falling to such a state, to just leave?


    I moved and slashed with Mareritter. The demon general was able to raise his battle axe to block since I was taking it easy but it doesn¡¯t matter in the end. My real attack was the one with Azanthys which cut him through his armor and separated his torso from his waist. I rid the blood covering Azanthys¡¯ blade with a swing. I then moved to kill the still surviving demon race one by one, but I ignored the ones already unconscious, let¡¯s leave them to Teobaldur.


    ¡°I have come to help!!! Huh? Is it already over? Aww...¡±


    ¡°I, isn¡¯t it better like that? Why did you sound so disappointed?¡±


    I looked at the source of the voice to find a teenager, hm, he looks like an asian¡­ chinese, or japanese. A little distance away was a girl who looked to be an european, exuding a timid atmosphere.


    (They are two of the newly summoned heroes, master.)


    I almost didn¡¯t hear Mareritter¡¯s explanation when I saw knights with zagrant empire crest on their armor as I moved in an instant and ended up killing them.


    One, two,


    ¡°What? S, stay away! Ahhhh!¡±


    Three,


    ¡°Hieeeee!¡±


    Four, five,


    ¡°W, who ar¡­ ghaaahh!¡±


    Six, seven,


    ¡°Uwaaaah!?¡±


    ¡°K, kyaaaaahhhh!¡±


    The two heroes who were now behind me shouted in surprise and that brought me back. No good, I still couldn¡¯t control myself well when I see that damned crest. I have different objective right now and we will need extra manpower to take care of the unconscious demon race as well as fixing up Arx Norr. Let¡¯s refrain from killing the rest.


    I stopped killing the imperial knights and flew up.


    (Master, I would like to inform you that there should be a detached infantry units of the demon race army heading here. I believe they are currently traversing the forest ahead and will reach here in several days.)


    (I guess we should take care of that one too¡­)


    Flying in max speed I reached the great forest¡¯ middle area in less than 5 minutes but there were still no sign or presence of any army so I continued forward. If what Mareritter said was true then shouldn¡¯t the army have reached here already?


    Right after I finished thinking such, I could finally felt a large number of presence, accompanied by the atmosphere of an ongoing battle. Huh? Battle?


    From above, I could see an area of the forest with fallen trees as well as corpses and people of demon race fighting each other.


    (Eh? What is happening here?)

 Chapter 25 - The Night of Reunion

    (Why are they fighting each other?)


    (Master, judging by the color of their armors, I believe there are two different armies.)


    Now that you mention it, majority wear crimson armors or armors covered in crimson colored decorations. The side with lesser number had purple instead.


    Although they were heavily outnumbered, the purple side looked to be barely keeping the battle at a balance. There were five outstanding groups on the purple side, three of them being led by someone I recognize. They were the trio that came to look for Liz before. Demon general Nourrie and her two attendants plus two more who should be her attendants as well.


    While having far greater number, the crimson side on the other hand, was only being led by two commanders, thus the balance. But it seems there is no need to contemplate on which side to help.


    I descended right in the middle of the battlefield filled with flying magical projectiles and arrows to much surprise of everyone present. Some hit me, but the armor repelled them like it was nothing as most were only lower level advanced class magic, and I don¡¯t even need to mention how arrows fared.


    For now, my enemy is the crimson armored group, so I ignored their surprised gasps and used icicles and black lightning bolts. It seemed that now I can use magic even if I just chanted the spell names in my mind as long as it doesn¡¯t exceed advanced class, thanks to leaving most of the processing to the powered up Azanthys and Mareritter. I can feign chantless magic with this, I don¡¯t know how it will be useful though.


    I used combination of close combat and magic, and due to their slowed reaction from the surprise, I managed to thin their number by somewhere around 100 in one go. The purple side was dazed at first, but after I took down some more 100 or so, they decided to join in and resumed their attack on the crimson side. Like this, it should be just a matter of time before the crimson side will be annihilated.


    It took time, but right after I killed one of the enemy¡¯s leader, Nourrie and her attendants managed to kill the other one. And so, the battle ended with a small number of survivor on the crimson side raising the white flags. If it was me when I was a hero, this battle would have taken many times longer. The demon generals were formidable enemies, but now if I have to compare, the current Albert should be stronger than even Berudis as I knew of. If not for the revelation from Praesia about there being some Ar Daenocens in the empire, I might just go and declare war on them.


    Just how much difference is there between the me right now and back then, though? Hero growth cheat has been going strong, not that I am complaining about it.


    Since the battle has been concluded I decided to leave since I can¡¯t talk and thus unable to gather information by asking around. Before I could fly away though, Nourrie and an attendant of her, a girl, approached me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who, or why you are even here, but one thing for sure is that you helped us. You have our gratitude.¡±


    I just looked back at her and nodded. While I did end up helping her group, she talked like she has no qualms at all on my identity, maybe because I used pseudo-chantless magic she thought that I was someone from the demon race?


    ¡°This is presumptuous of me, however, if I may have your help once again¡­¡±


    Deciding that I could at least listen first, I gestured a ¡®go ahead¡¯ and she continued.


    ¡°Beyond this forest to on that tower¡¯s direction is the human¡¯s territory, there is a town called Arx Norr right at the base of that tower. the pri¡­ someone very important to us might still be over there and yet I failed to prevent many enemies from going there. It will still take time if we were to go there by foot through this dense forest and I saw you descending from the sky, so¡­¡±


    I wanted to say that the enemies she mentioned has indeed attacked Arx Norr and that they have mostly been annihilated. But I can¡¯t talk! I tried my best to gesture it out. I pointed at the direction of Arx Norr and then at myself repeatedly. After Nourrie and her attendant looked at each other, they nodded and said ¡°You came from over there?¡± So I returned the nod.


    I continued by pointing at the dead enemies, myself, and did some slashing movements, then at the enemies again. After that I put Mareritter down and gave a thumb up while nodding.


    Damn, gesturing is harder than I thought it would be. Please let my speech return soon!


    ¡°Uhh, can I take it as that you have taken care of things over there too?¡±


    I responded by nodding again, a big one this time.


    Maybe because I was trying hard at gesturing, I just noticed that more purple armored guys have gathered behind Nourrie and they said ¡°Oooh.¡± in unison after I nodded. No sense of disbelief could be felt from them since they saw what I just did to the crimson armored side.


    ¡°If that is so then, Ruui, Qealsa!¡±


    ¡°¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±¡±


    The male attendant I saw back then and another one, a female, stepped forward and faced Nourrie.


    ¡°You two take back our troops and the POWs back to Estria. Don¡¯t forget to get to our supply camp and clean things up as if we were never here. The new demon lord and Berudis might realize it sooner or later anyway so bolster our territory¡¯s defense.¡±


    ¡±I am sorry, but what about you, ma¡¯am?¡±


    The Ruui guy asked hesitantly at Nourrie.


    ¡°I will take Fiel and Leena to confirm the Prin¡­ the condition of Arx Norr and our important person¡¯s safety. I will immediately return after that¡±


    Eeeh?


    Yep, it wasn¡¯t Nourrie¡¯s attendants¡¯ but my ¡®Eeeh?¡¯. Ruui and the other one answered with an ¡°understood¡±.


    I immediately pointed at Nourrie and made a ¡®she¡¯s okay so there is no need to worry¡¯ gesture by pointing at Arx Norr and then continuing with a ¡®guts¡¯ plus a thumb up.


    ¡°Y, yes¡­ it is not that I can¡¯t trust what you said, but there is something I want to confirm directly.¡±


    I shook my head and pointed back at Nourrie and gestured another ¡®it¡¯s okay so there is no need for you to go.¡¯


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ thank you. I am perfectly fine as you can see.¡±


    Not good, it didn¡¯t get through.


    But wait, why am I trying to not let her go to see Liz? Let¡¯s just go back for now.


    While Nourrie were still looking at me in wonder, I took off and flew to the direction of Arx Norr, ignoring whatever they were saying at me.


    ***


    As soon as I reached the vicinity of Arx Norr, I landed at where people wouldn¡¯t notice, just outskirts of the town before walking in. It seemed that cleaning up activities has begun, and most people were gathering at makeshift clinics scattered around the area. This time I could see some civilians helping out by carrying the injured or cleaning the street from corpses or debris. I heard that the guild¡¯s building is being used as temporary hospital and it was the place closest to where Liz was, hence the reason I¡¯m headed over there.


    Many guild staff, mostly medical staff were also busy going here and there. I could also sense many people in the direction of the tower while overall I think that there are many times less people in Arx Norr right now. I doubt it was because they were dead, most probably the guild caught wind of the previous battle and thus they urged people to evacuate beforehand. The ones still in the tower might be refugees and they have finally started moving out from the tower.


    ¡°There you are.¡±


    I looked to the source of the voice that called to me as soon as I entered the guild building. It was Martlea. It seemed that she was helping the injured but she switched with someone else and stood.


    ¡°Liz is not here. She¡¯s in my office.¡±


    After urging me with her eyes, she turned around and walked away. I guess I should follow her to see Liz.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Not long after, we left the busy atmosphere filled with a mix of sweat and blood smell, and reached the third floor. There were several number of injured people here too, resting by sitting or laying down on the floor, but they were on the better side of things. The first and second floor were filled with the heavily injured, so I guess the third floor which is a lot smaller was enough to accommodate the small number of lightly injured.


    ¡°Ah, so he really is back.¡±


    ¡°H, hey¡­ just so you know, the little lady is not in danger. So please spare us.¡±


    In front of the door to Martlea¡¯s office were Lloyd who was not so surprised to see me, and Kaldor who hid behind Lloyd as soon as he saw me. Oy!?


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind him. I just gave him some motivation for the fight before. What he said was true, however.¡±


    I just waved my hand to the two and entered the room after Martlea who had gone ahead.


    There I saw Yusa and Eldys who were watching over Liz who was laid down on a sofa, sleeping soundly. Her breathing was normal and color has returned to her face. In hindsight, I should have realized that Liz¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t as bad as I previously thought. At worst it seemed to be a severe mana exhaustion. Well, Mareritter didn¡¯t actually lie either. While the end result would have been the same anyway, as in I would go and end the battle myself, it was just that his wording made it so I would immediately act. Damn you.


    Mareritter just smiled when I looked at him with squinted eyes. I bet he knows what I was thinking, yup.


    Yusa who noticed me showed a scared look but then she returned her gaze at Liz. First Kaldor, and now you? Eldys on the other hand just kept her worried gaze on Liz without doing as much as glancing at me who stood next to them.


    ¡°Remember to see the guildmaster tomorrow. There is something he wanted to ask you. I need to supervise and help with the treatment of the injured, so I have to leave for now. Yusa, and uhh, you too¡­ can you help me?¡±


    ¡°U, understood.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yusa and Eldys left following Martlea. Mareritter also took the reluctant Azanthys outside, saying that he wanted to ask her about the events in the tower. Hm? Were they trying to be considerate?


    For now I just sat on a small wooden chair next to the sofa.


    ¡°Uuuu¡­¡±


    Liz¡¯s face suddenly started distorting and she groaned, it looked like she was having a nightmare. I leaned closer and stroked her head. I continued patting her head even after her expression relaxed once again.


    That¡¯s when I contacted Mareritter, asking him to tell me of everything that happened while I was gone.


    ***


    Midnight, except for some medical staff who were working on urgent patients, things have finally quieted down. Most people, especially the adventurers who participated in the battle were already asleep to recover from both physical and mental weariness accumulated during the ordeal.


    People filled the adventurer guild building. Most were sleeping on the floor or even on the table but some few were lucky enough to have the softer couch or even bed, albeit saying they were lucky might be wrong when considering their worse physical condition.


    In a particular room, there were only two person, both asleep, but the young girl on the sofa slowly opened her eyes. She was asleep for several hour bells already so her body naturally resumed activity. Without the need to adjust to the surrounding darkness, she immediately noticed the young man who was asleep while sitting on a chair next to her, and she opened her eyes wide.


    In a normal situation she would be careful not to wake him up, but this time, the teary eyed girl sluggishly raised her body and jumped on the young man, pushing him onto the floor.


    ¡°Erik!¡±


    ¡°Whoa!? Liz? Wait, I can speak?¡±


    Without noticing the out of place remark Erik just uttered, Liz who seemed like she has no intention to stop hugging Erik buried her face on Erik¡¯s chest. Maybe it was a grace for her that the metal part of erik¡¯s armor has mostly been reduced to almost nothing from his many battles in the tower.


    In response, Erik only stroked Liz¡¯s hair and smiled before saying


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Un, *hic*  un¡­¡±


    ¡°This would be an irresponsible remark coming from me, but you¡¯ve been through a lot eh, Liz?¡±


    ¡°Un¡­¡±


    ¡°You can let it out on me, if you want to.¡±


    ¡°*hic* There¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Liz continued to speak without raising her buried face, and Erik chose to keep lying down while stroking Liz¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I was worried... ¡°


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I was lonely¡­*hic* I wanted to see Erik so badly.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for taking so long...¡±


    ¡°A hero took my hand and almost kissed it.¡±


    ¡°What?! I¡¯ll have a ¡®civilized¡¯ talk with him later.¡±


    Liz shook her head.


    ¡°Yusa prevented it. Another hero, a woman also helped. So it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Unknown to Erik, Liz smiled briefly with her face hidden when she heard Erik saying that he will have a ¡®civilized¡¯ talk in higher tone.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    However, as Liz raised her face and looked at Erik¡¯s eyes directly, her expression darkened again while saying the next sentence. And the accumulated tears finally flowed down without restraint,


    ¡°I killed¡­ many people, of my own race.¡±


    ¡°... I heard about it, but what you did has saved many others, am I right?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m a killer! I did something that can¡¯t be undone!¡±


    ¡°Liz, what you call a killer is someone like me. Moreover, I¡¯m the worst kind of it who don¡¯t feel any remorse. But you¡¯re different. You did it to protect others, and the result was that you did save many people. It¡¯ll be different if what you did was something meaningless, but it wasn¡¯t.  And most importantly, you have the feeling of regret. Never forget that regret, and there is no need to run away from it either. Just don¡¯t feel chained by it. Heh, that¡¯s rich coming from me, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Erik added a demeaning joke at himself but Liz was listening seriously nevertheless.


    ¡°*Sob*¡±


    ¡°It was a hard and long struggle, but you did your best, Liz. I¡¯m glad you are here right now, safe and sound. Just so you know, Liz, if something worse were to happen to you, I¡¯m sure that I would add another target for vengeance.¡±


    Liz¡¯s expression finally softened, however, when she heard what Erik said about vengeance, she felt both happy and sad at the same time. Happy from the fact that Erik would do so much for her, and sad that the only path Erik would choose was vengeance. She does not wish for such thing. And the only way she could think as to prevent that is by getting stronger, strong enough to prevent anything that might lead to that conclusion. Never for a second did she forget that she wanted to be strong enough to stand side by side with him, and not just being protected as well.


    ¡°Once again, I¡¯m back, Liz.¡±


    ¡°Un, welcome back¡­ I¡¯m glad that Erik is also safe.¡±


    Liz raised her body while wiping her tears with her sleeve. Erik also stood up, they then sat close to each other on the sofa.


    ¡°Let¡¯s change the topic, Liz. Do you have any interesting story to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Kaldor is now scared at the mere sight of cakes.¡±


    Erik wanted to ask on what caused Kaldor to have a cake-phobia but Liz already continued. Perhaps she understood why Erik proposed to change the topic as the mood surrounding her has also changed.


    ¡°Yusa and Eldys was caught by a patrolling guild staff when they were peeping into Martlea¡¯s house, at night. Fortunately, their target, the bathroom was further in.¡±


    Erik doubted that the two were aiming for Martlea and was 100% sure that their target was Liz instead.


    ¡°Erik¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Can Erik tell me about what happened in the tower too?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, why not?¡±


    Erik thought that it was fine to tell her most as long as he is concealing the matter about Praesia. He felt that the burden of that knowledge is too great for her. He also thought that it should be fine to tell about Albert and his friends as he was planning to visit them later. But then, what Liz asked was something else.


    ¡°Erik was together with Azanthys all the time¡­ tell me¡­ what happened between you two in the tower, okay.¡±


    Liz was smiling but her eyes were telling of another dark emotion. Erik started sweating even though he felt that there was nothing suspicious to hide as far as his memories could tell.


    ***


    I fell asleep on the sofa with Liz who also fell asleep with her head on my lap. I woke up late since we talked until it was almost morning. And the very first thing that came to mind as I stretched my upper body was ¡®why is it that I felt like a husband who was caught cheating, again?¡¯


    Right at that timing, somebody knocked at the door. I could tell who it was so I just told them to enter. It was Mareritter and Azanthys.


    ¡°I trust everything is well, master?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think so. Can you two look after Liz for a bit? I have to see Teobaldur.¡±


    I carefully held Liz¡¯s head and accepted a pillow from Mareritter¡¯s 4 dimensional pocket to replace my lap. No, seriously, where did he take out that pillow from? Just another of Mareritter¡¯s enigma, I guess.


    ¡°I believe that the guild master is currently resting in his office, I have seen him enter with an adventurer and Martlea about an hour bell ago.¡±


    ¡°I see, thanks for telling me.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­ Azanthys¡­ will accompany¡­¡±


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry about that. Just stay here with Liz and Mareritter. I ended up having both of you spend the night out there after all.¡±


    Azanthys seemed like she sulked for a bit to hear my answer but she complied. And so I left the room and headed to Teobaldur¡¯s office which was just several meters away.


    I knocked on the door but nobody replied. I could sense that there were three people in there though. I was about to knock again but then the door was opened, by Martlea.


    ¡°You¡¯re late¡­ *sigh* anyway, come in.¡±


    Teobaldur was in his seat, with his hands clasped under his chin.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally come. There is just many things I want to ask you, but before that.¡±


    I unsheathed a dagger and put it behind my hip, then with a clanging sound, a sword hit my dagger with a force just enough to cut through bones of a normal person. Having the sword swung with full force deflected, the assailant lost balance and fell backwards.


    ¡°I was about to ask why was another person sneaking up behind me but¡­ what the hell is this, guildmaster?¡±


    ¡°Just put up with this for a bit.¡±


    Martlea who said so, suddenly took out her knife and started attacking me as well. To add up to it, the guild master took a long sword that was behind his seat and brandished it at me. The first assailant also stood back and fixed her stance.


    ¡°It seems you guys have no intention to explain, eh?¡±

 Chapter 26 - Meeting by the Forest

    The three attacked me in perfect sync. So I had to take out my other dagger to cope with their linked attacks.


    Martlea and the other girl focused to attack my sides but Teobaldur came right from the front. While their attacks had power and speed, there is just something that was completely amiss from their attacks. Except for the guild master, the other two have no killing intent, rather, I felt more of a hesitation, and from the other girl, also fear. The guild master who showed some killing intent also seemed like he was doing it deliberately. That is why, I only blocked and parried their attacks without countering.


    After I dodged Martlea¡¯s knife, I parried Teobaldur¡¯s sword and guided it so it would hit the other girl¡¯s sword coming from my side. After that, I made a sweeping kick at Martlea¡¯s legs, followed by elbow strike at the other girl¡¯s side torso. Teobaldur pulled back after I swung my dagger randomly.


    ¡°Kyah!¡±


    ¡°Khuargh!¡±


    Martlea squealed as she landed on her butt while the other girl made a pained scream. Huh? I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t hit her that hard¡­ maybe she already got some wounds somewhere on her body and my hit affected it.


    ¡°Enough! Sorry, I just wanted to confirm something.¡±


    With Teobaldur¡¯s words, Martlea who just stood back up relaxed her posture while glaring at me in discontent. What¡¯s with that face? I mean, you were the one that attacked me. The other girl put a hand on the wall to assist herself to stand.


    ¡°What is it that you wanted to confirm by suddenly attacking me?¡±


    ¡°Something that you wouldn¡¯t tell us honestly. Izarea, how was it?¡±


    ¡°T, there is no mistake. He is the same guy as the one in black armor. The way he used his blade is exactly the same¡±


    What? It was Azanthys and Mareritter back then, how did she¡­?


    Teobaldur heaved a long sigh before he looked at me.


    ¡°This girl is special, she can differentiate people just from their slight movements, movements that has a pattern like martial arts or sword styles are even more so, rendering any disguise as useless. Now, is it true?¡±


    That sounded like a convenient ability, but is a pain if an enemy has it.


    ¡°What if it is?¡±


    ¡°Although you appeared late in the battle with the demon race, you played a very big role in putting an end to it. On behalf of everyone in the guild, I offer you my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thanks¡­ talk about being roundabout. What if I took you seriously and accidentally kill any of you?¡±


    ¡°With your capability, your serious can take on the whole guild and leave unscathed. I just trusted that you would just incapacitate us at worst.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I wanted to give you some reward but we have no leisure for that and you wouldn¡¯t like it if we tell the world that it was you anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yup, no need for that.¡±


    ¡°Also, there will be more demon race army coming here in several days. If my messenger reached Rifsten, some reinforcements should be coming, but I¡¯d hope that you are willing to help us in handling that too.¡±


    ¡°Ah, about that¡­¡±


    I told Teobaldur that I already took care of them, while omitting about Nourrie coming here to check on Liz.


    Teobaldur seemed relieved, and the other girl, Izarea showed an expression that told me she had no choice but to believe my words. Martlea was the only one who had a tinge of doubt but she said nothing.


    ¡°I thought I had properly seen through your strength when we first met, but it seems I have been severely underestimating you¡­ Just who are you?¡±


    ¡°This question again? You¡¯re free to guess.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I don¡¯t want to step on a dragon¡¯s tail so let¡¯s leave it at that.¡±


    ¡°If there is nothing else then, can I leave?¡±


    ¡°P, please wait!¡±


    The one who called to me as I was about to turn away was Izarea.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    She hesitated when I glared at her with displeasure, however she soon collected herself and bowed at me.


    ¡°Please teach me your way of battle, especially dual wielding!¡±


    Eh? Way of battle? Like fighting style or martial arts school? Do I have something like that?


    I¡¯m mostly self taught while I combined the basics of Rifst royal sword arts I learnt from my fights with Eneas, general Razak¡¯s original martial arts he taught me directly, and my own impromptu fighting style. I seriously started dual wielding simply because I thought it was cool.


    ¡°Why should I? You¡¯re already pretty good with a sword already, just try to do the same with your non-dominant hand. If you had a teacher then just consult with him or her.¡±


    ¡°Dad can use swords but his main weapon is lance with a shield which I have no talent for. And if dual wielding was as simple as that then I wouldn¡¯t ask you.¡±


    She looked at Teobaldur who in turn looked elsewhere while saying that.


    From what I saw before, she utilized a style that focused in speed and centrifugal force than raw strength. Wait, dad¡­ Teobaldur?


    ¡°You got a daughter?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the surprise? I mean, I was quite a hunk back then.¡±


    Not quite the answer I was expecting, and he said it with a straight face which somehow just irritated me. This Izarea girl also looked too young to be his daughter but too old to be a granddaughter. Let¡¯s not mind it.


    ¡°Anyway, the answer is no. My hands are full with my own problems already.¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave it at that, Izarea.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Having given up, thanks to Teobaldur¡¯s words, Izarea looked down dispiritedly. I just heaved a sigh and was finally able to leave the room.


    Barely several steps from the room, my way was blocked by 4 people, two whom I recognize as heroes. Other than the two, there was a man who kept smiling with slanted eyes, I sense a strange dangerous vibe from the guy. Another was a tall muscular man just like Juno but with hair on his head, he gave a soldier-like atmosphere. The two I saw before was gloomy, especially the girl, while the muscular man tried to console them. Maybe because I killed some of their attendant knights?


    I stepped aside to give way since it seemed that their destination was the guild master¡¯s room. Purely on a whim, I decided to be a bit nosy by whispering a piece of advice when they got past me.


    ¡°Never trust the empire.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I immediately left the place as they stopped to look at me. Heck it was basically next door, but fortunately I was spared from any awkwardness that might result since none of them called out or followed me.


    ¡°Welcome back, master.¡±


    ¡°Erik!¡±


    I was greeted by Mareritter, and Liz¡¯s shout. Liz who seemingly just woke up jumped off the sofa and held my hand before letting out a relieved sigh.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Liz?¡±


    She gently shook her head and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad that it wasn¡¯t a dream. Erik is right here¡­ ehehe.¡±


    That teary eyed bashful smile is dangerously cute! Mental evasion activate!


    I averted my eyes while doing the usual head patting and was able to hear the delightful ¡®fuee¡¯ again after a long time.


    ***


    The next day, I was doing some cleaning up. While stuff like rubbles and the likes were handled by the civilians, we adventurers were dealing with the smelly corpses and literally things like entrails and blood. Nevertheless, I had Liz join the civilians¡¯ side. Needless to say, I was currently in my spare clothing, since the black snake jacket and the light armor were no longer wearable.


    As for why I was doing this, after being urged by Liz who seemed energetic, I decided to lend a hand in reconstruction of Arx Norr. The crater over there surrounded by traces of destruction was apparently caused by me¡­ indirectly, and that straight line of collapsed buildings was caused by me¡­ directly, so I have no qualms in helping out.


    Martlea who just so happened to have come to supervise the work interrogated me on that matter, but I donned my best poker-face, feigning ignorance. Martlea who was clearly tired also didn¡¯t press any further but still gave me a sermon containing some sarcastic insults at me. She told me to work my ass out in restoring Arx Norr. As for why I stayed silent, it was simply because rebutting would be a pain as she would just add more to it, and I do feel bad about the destruction, a little.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The surprising part was that, Liz is extremely famous. Almost everyone who saw her greeted her with smiles. More than half of those were civilians. It seems that she has done quite a great deal of post-dragon head fall restoration work. She also has a remarkable achievement in the battle and that further fueled her fame. The only problem was just that people never approached her and only greeted from a distance whenever they saw me first. Big brother is feeling a bit hurt and lonely now, but since I don¡¯t want her to work on corpses anyway, I¡¯ll let Liz work separately from me for a bit, within the range of my eyesight that is. That resulted in a flock of people thanking or praising Liz from time to time. There was no trace of any awkwardness when she talked with those people. You have grown splendidly, Liz.


    It¡¯s a secret that I flicked some pebbles at the hand of dangerous carnivorous male who was about to be unnecessarily touchy with her. If the number kept increasing, then its not my fault if I forgot to hold back. At least Yusa and Eldys were also regulating the crowd. Well, other than that, this is a good thing so I should just watch her with warm eyes. Azanthys was working behind me, by the way, using ice just on her palms to prevent her hands from being dirtied¡­ that¡¯s convenient! The dreamy eyes of lonely male adventurers that was directed at her when we first arrived changed to a disappointed look after they saw how azanthys expressionlessly worked on the corpses without hesitation or disgust.


    I incidentally heard some talks about Praesia¡¯s believers intending to go on pilgrimage to Praesia¡¯s main temple in the empire as well. It seemed that they wanted to affirm whether it was really Praesia¡¯s voice or not they heard before. I bet there are others from all around the continent. I meant, if I mention Praesia¡¯s believer then it is basically almost every human on the continent.


    There were also talks about strange dreadful presence during the battle and when the presence was gone, the battle just ended before anyone noticing whatever was happening. That was¡­ about me wasn¡¯t it?


    After I judged that there was no other significant information, I contacted Mareritter who was also helping out on the reconstruction at some distance and another direction from Liz as opposed to me.


    (Mareritter.)


    (Yes, master?)


    (I asked you this before, but. You sure we shouldn¡¯t confront the empire yet?)


    (Unfortunately so, master. If my assumption is correct, our enemy, the Ar daenocens have finally begun to act. And it is very likely that they are using the empire as their base. And even the demon territory is not free from their influence, thus I believe that we should keep our vigilance within this kingdom as well.)


    Well, given the 1000 year period, it would be weird if they did nothing at all.


    (Just asking then, if I were to fight a genuine Ar daenocens, how would I fare with just the two of you?)


    (It depends, however, if it was the weakest among them then master would have 25% chance of victory. As for the strong ones, currently the chance would be almost zero)


    I¡¯ve been questioning my humanity lately, but just how strong are they?


    (How would I fare against artificial ones then?)


    (As proven with how master defeated a full powered first generations like Fiammre, the probability for victory is very high. However, against a full powered prototype class like me or sister then it would be different.)


    (Then how will I fare against you in that case? Assuming that I have weapon on the same caliber of you two, that is.)


    (I will answer honestly then, about 50% or slightly more than that.)


    That¡¯s rather promising in comparison¡­ how about Azanthys?


    (As for sister, it would be 95% chance...)


    Huh? I thought Azanthys was the strongest prototype so why¡­?


    (...of master¡¯s defeat. My sister is the closest to a real Ar Draughum.)


    I see¡­ even stronger than the weakest Ar Daenocens. That means, I have only seen the tip of the iceberg in her case. The only way to see the rest of the ice is to get stronger myself. I know that I said I wasn¡¯t in a hurry before, but i don¡¯t think I have that leisure anymore given that the main enemy has started moving¡­ Why did they choose the empire as their base, damn it!


    For now, let¡¯s just do whatever already in front of me.


    (Mareritter, can you check on the demon general we met in the great forest for me?)


    (Of course. How should I deal with her? Shall I eliminate her?)


    Why did it come to elimination?


    (No, just tell me later the prediction of her time of arrival. I intend to take Liz and see her before she reaches Arx Norr since it will be hard for the other party to enter the town.)


    It was kind of faraway but I could tell that Mareritter showed an astonished face to my earlier sentence.


    (Something wrong?)


    (No, it is just that master had a little bit of negative emotion at the demon when we met in the forest. Forgive me for assuming such that master wanted to eliminate her.)


    What the hell? Negative emotion? I don¡¯t¡­ think I felt anything like that.


    (What do you mean by that?)


    (When the demon said about confirming Miss Lissa¡­. No¡­ it might just have been my imagination. I apologize.)


    (¡­ Then, can you do it now?)


    (Of course, master.)


    Mareritter skillfully avoided any attention and made a soundless dashing jump onto a rooftop then the other in succession, leaving the area without being noticed.


    I don¡¯t know why, but I wasn¡¯t able to get what Mareritter just said out of my mind. If I did have some negative emotion back then, it might be because I didn¡¯t want to let Nourrie and Liz see each other¡­


    Maybe I was afraid that she will try to convince Liz to go back with her again? Heh, like I have the right for that.


    I don¡¯t know¡­ or maybe I just unconsciously refused to admit it? Nah, let¡¯s forget it. Let¡¯s tell Liz about Nourrie after today¡¯s work is over. I also need to check on Albert and the rest from the settlement. Maybe after we see Nourrie. The problem is, what to do after that? I actually wanted to try to poke at and annoy the empire for a bit. But as I thought, it would be wiser to look for another one of Praesia¡¯s children first as Mareritter suggested.


    From here, the closest great dungeon would be the one in demon¡¯s territory. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the other two are located in beastmen island nation and elven capital. The best route to take if I want to make it quick would be the demons¡¯ territory, beastmen, then elves. How did my revenge story turn into a mess like this? Well, ignorance is bliss, but if I were to attack the empire just to be rekt by the Ar Daenocens instead, then I guess I should be glad to know about it beforehand.


    ***


    ¡°Eh, Nou is?¡±


    Was Liz¡¯s response when I told her about Nourrie. She has a complicated expression, maybe a mix of happiness and worry.


    As our inn was still under renovation, we continued freeloading in Martlea¡¯s office. Mareritter who is currently not here as he was monitoring Nourrie, had prepared some makeshift beds from whatever was available so it wasn¡¯t inconvenient. I¡¯m already used to sleep while sitting but lying down is the best after all.


    ¡°So, how about it? It will be bad if a demon race was spotted in town, especially after that battle, so how about we go see her instead? I had Mareritter track her location so we can go anytime. He said that they will arrive at the forest edge by tomorrow before noon.¡±


    ¡°Umm, if it is okay¡­ then¡­ Un, I want to see Nou. There is also many things I want to ask about the¡­ new¡­ demon lord¡­¡±


    Her expression darkened as she said the last part. I guess she really is worried about the current situation over that side.


    ¡°By the way, Liz¡­ If Nourrie asked you¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to leave Erik.¡±


    Liz gave me her answer before I could finish asking.


    ¡°I see, thanks Liz.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ don¡¯t ever leave me again.¡±


    She snuggled closer while saying that. Except during restoration work, she has been sticking close to me. I know the cause so I let her be. Or rather, I admit that I missed these kind of moments too. With all my circumstances, I can¡¯t promise that I will never leave her, but I still nodded anyway.


    ¡°Well, you worked hard today, so let¡¯s go see Nourrie after a good night sleep. We¡¯ll leave the first thing tomorrow morning.¡±


    I stroked her head and she smiled after a delighted ¡°fuehehe¡±.


    Liz lied down on her bed and I was about to lie down to when I saw Azanthys. I pretended not to notice Azanthys puffing her cheeks and ¡°muu¡±-ing in the corner. It seemed that Mareritter was able to convince her not to disturb me and Liz for a while. At least Azanthsy wasn¡¯t leaking her frost aura, I won¡¯t feel cold but Liz will if that happens, so let¡¯s pat her head too as reward for holding back.


    I beckoned her over patted her head a few times until her expression slackened. This is late by now, but it seems I have reached mastery for the lhordes class head-pat skill.


    ***


    Martlea caught us when we were about to leave and asked where we were going to. She emphasized on me slacking off from the reconstruction work for no reason. Martlea was only convinced to let us go when it was Liz that insisted that she has to go. Liz only told Martlea that there is something she wants to confirm and Martlea easily relented. Martlea is harsh to me but extremely soft on Liz¡­ welp.


    Thus here we are now. Amidst the old ruined buildings near the great forest¡¯s edge.


    I had Azanthys hide nearby and when Mareritter came out from the forest I also told him to hide with Azanthys after he told me that Nourrie and her attendant will arrive soon. I just don¡¯t want to show too much information yet. I borrowed Liz¡¯s transformation pendant and so I transformed into the demon of Arx Norr while Liz was in her original form.


    ¡°There they are.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    Three figures came out from the thicket covered in leaves and dirt. Their exposed skin and gears were full of scratches as well but they looked to be fine.


    ¡°Nou!¡±


    Liz was the first to call out at the three and with surprised look, Nourrie who needed several seconds to organize her thought finally was overcome with emotion as her eyes became teary.


    ¡°Princess Lissa¡¯aelle!¡±


    Nourrie and her attendants immediately ran over here but they stopped as realization showed on their face and they knelt before Liz who smiled gently at the three.


    ¡°I am pleased that you are well, princess.¡±


    Thank you, Fiel, and¡­


    ¡°My name is Leena. I am honored to be able to meet you, princess.¡±


    Still smiling, Liz nodded. Right now, Liz was unlike her usual self and has this noble aura on her. Well, she was a real princess, after all.


    ¡°You are, the one from that time...¡±


    As Nourrie¡¯s eyes moved at me, Fiel and Leena also looked at me. Perhaps because it was our first meeting, Leena¡¯s eyes were full with caution.


    ¡°The name is Erik. I am¡­ well, just say that I am Liz¡¯s guardian.¡±


    ¡°Liz? Guardian?¡±


    ¡°Umm, ¡®Liz¡¯ is me.¡±


    ¡°You! You dare to call the princess in such a disrespectful way¡­¡±


    Nourrie stood up and walked briskly at me but Liz stopped her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Nou! Erik is¡­ special. And I like the nickname Erik gave me.¡±


    Rather than calming Nourrie down, it only served to agitate her further when you said that while blushing, Liz¡­


    ¡°You bastard! What have you done to the princess!?¡±


    ¡°Nou!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Nourrie pulled back reluctantly when Liz raised her right arm as if to shield me.


    Different with Nourrie, the other two were just looking my way with curiosity, whispering to each other. Gossiping already?!


    After Nourrie had collected herself, we gathered in one of a somewhat sturdy looking, but ivy covered building to avoid the sun which was already halfway up. The building was full of dirt but Nourrie told her attendants to clean and cover the place where Liz was now sitting with a piece of cloth. Nourrie and her attendants seemed like they intended to stay standing, and Nourrie glared at me when I nonchalantly sat next to Liz. She was already all smiles when Liz urged her to also sit though.


    ¡°If I may ask you something, princess¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Nourrie who sat right across of Liz started the talk with a question.


    ¡°Are you acquainted with someone who wears a black full body armor and was able to fly?¡±


    Liz showed a puzzled look but she soon glanced at me several times. Liz shouldn¡¯t have seen me using the armored form, but as expected of her, she immediately connected that to me. I shook my head slightly to make her deny that for now.


    ¡°N, no... ¡°


    ¡°I see, I just assumed that the black armor who helped us was surely connected to you, princess. While the man next to you might be as strong or stronger than even Berudis, the black armored personage should be far stronger. Even among us generals, there is none with such strength.¡±


    Liz who was troubled on what to say only managed to make a wry smile to Nourrie¡¯s comment.


    Nourrie¡¯s tone hinted some respect when she said ¡®black armored personage¡¯ but was kind of sour when she said ¡®the man next to you¡¯. They¡¯re actually the same you know¡­ not that I will say that.


    ¡°I also have something I want to ask.¡±


    Perhaps Nourrie already guessed from Liz¡¯s serious tone and expression, she prepared herself with her own serious expression. Her two attendants also straightened their posture.


    ¡°I heard that there is a new demon lord¡­¡±


    Nourrie gulped her saliva before she opened her mouth to answer.

 Chapter 27 - A New Overture

    Nourrie started to tell us about the new demon lord.


    ¡°One day, during meeting with the elders to choose new demon lord, an unknown man who looked to be of the exceidus tribe appeared from out of nowhere in the Nox Calea castle.¡±


    Nox Calea¡­ the demon lord¡¯s castle.


    ¡°Berudis finally acquired majority of the votes, Kaharen and I were the only ones left voting otherwise. Alurio and Nigul lost to Berudis in a duel so they finally gave vote for Berudis.¡±


    ¡°But, Berudis didn¡¯t become the demon lord because of this unknown man, right?¡±


    Nourrie nodded to my remark and continued.


    ¡°The man suddenly barged into the meeting room. No one came when the elders called for the guards. After the man killed all the elders with ease, he proposed for everyone in the room to fight him all at once in the castle¡¯s arena and if we all lose, he will become the next demon lord.¡±


    Nourrie¡¯s expression became that of despair and she paused.


    ¡°All of you lost, eh?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t even lift a finger to that man. Only Berudis was able to fight him to some degree, but in the end, even that Berudis was utterly defeated.¡±


    Utterly defeated¡­ As far as I know, among the demon race, only Orcus was stronger than Berudis, but if we go by just physical strength then Berudis should be stronger. For someone who so utterly defeated Berudis and many other generals to appear from who knows where at this timing, could this be related to the Ar Daenocens as expected?


    ¡°Did this demon¡­ lord, really gave order to attack the adventurers guild?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it meant killing many civilians in the process?¡±


    Liz finally raised the question she might have wanted to ask the most at Nourrie who only nodded with a grim expression in response. One of her subordinate then added,


    ¡°The order was to bring destruction to the adventurer guild and to kill anyone who resisted even if it was children or the elderly. General Nigul was the one who led his army to Orea where the guild is located while general Alurio was chosen to attack the one on the human¡¯s side.¡±


    It was luck that Teobaldur was over there and returned just in time so that our side could evacuate the civilians beforehand, eh? But, I can¡¯t even begin to guess the reason to attack the adventurers guild¡­ At least, I doubt that it was simply because it was a neutral organization. Or maybe it was really just that?


    ¡°Father would never allow such a despicable act¡­¡±


    Her voice trembled, Liz¡¯s face showed a slight hint of anger which was rare for her. Nourrie who also noticed that also reacted by lowering her head with a bitter expression. After a bit, Nourrie resumed talking.


    ¡°The demon lord also has the ability to freely command dragonkins, seeing as how our army could get so many dragons and wyverns, I am suspecting that there might be no limitation to the number.¡±


    Now this is the ability that Mareritter told me about. Some first generations and basically all Ar Draughum and Ar Daenocens have complete reign of dragonkin and that includes elder dragons, just with lesser effect. The analogy Mareritter gave me was that regular dragonkin can be compared to a game character that you control via a joystick, while elder dragon was a low level salaryman with you as the CEO. That¡¯s quite an interesting comparison. Anyway, that was how Mareritter suspected that the Ar Daenocens were involved.


    ¡°There is no one left that could openly oppose the demon lord as even the people and our territories were basically taken as hostages with many large dragons released all over the region. But, I, I just had to confirm your safety, princess, now that I have fulfilled that goal, I can return with peace of mind.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Nourrie seemed to never have any intention to bring Liz back. No, she just knew that taking Liz back might actually be more dangerous. It is just that, after listening to that, Liz might...


    ¡°Erik¡­¡±


    Liz looked at me with both hesitation and expectation. I could guess what she wanted to ask me though.


    The capital and the great dungeon are located quite far away from each other, which means I will have to make some detour again. And even if I helped to take care of this demon lord case, I won¡¯t have the time nor the will to help any further on the demon race¡¯s situation. I mean, losing another leader in such short period of time will create quite some opening for the human¡¯s side to exploit, rendering the situation to be worse instead.


    Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t care whichever side wins the war, as long as I can bring destruction to the empire.


    Perhaps she interpreted my silence as denial, Liz became dejected but she seemed to have recalled something as her eyes lit up immediately.


    ¡°I still have my three wishes, right? Can I use one now?¡±


    Ugh, she remembered¡­


    I sighed. But a promise is a promise, can¡¯t be helped then. Besides, with this there would only be 2 more to worry about. And no, I wasn¡¯t trying to lead so that Liz will use one of her wishes here, trust me.


    ¡°While I might be able to deal with this demon lord, I don¡¯t think I will go as far as fixing the demon¡¯s political situation. That would be beyond me.¡±


    Liz shook her head and replied with a forced smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Thanks, Erik.¡±


    Nourrie and her attendants looked my way with question marks floating above their heads.


    ¡°Nou.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes?¡±


    Startled by Liz who suddenly raised her voice in a firm tone, Nourrie straightened her posture.


    ¡°I want to see this demon lord. Will you arrange it for me?¡±


    ¡°Princess?! Does that mean you¡¯re going back? In normal circumstances, I would be more than just glad to have you back, but it is too dangerous right now! There is no telling what the current demon lord might do to you!¡±


    Liz briefly closed her eyes and opened them again as she looked at me.


    ¡°I will be okay, I have Erik after all¡­ right? Also, if it is just magic, I might have become stronger than Nou so it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t fight too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now that Liz has made her wish, I will make it happen. Just leave it to this blue lamp genie!¡±


    ¡°Blue¡­?¡±


    ¡°Lamp genie? What is that?¡±


    Uhh, as expected, nobody here knows the reference. Liz lost her serious expression and Nourrie was even worse.


    ¡°Umm, princess¡­ it was not about how strong your magic is, and I don¡¯t know if I can trust that man yet, so I can¡¯t agree to do that¡­¡±


    ¡°Nou, if you can¡¯t trust Erik, that means you also can¡¯t trust me who do, is that so?¡±


    ¡°E, ehh? No¡­ not like that¡­¡±


    I was amused by how Liz could act differently than usual, on the other hand, the flustered Nourrie looked at Liz and me alternatingly several times. She also looked behind as if looking for support from her subordinates to persuade Liz not to come, but one responded by looking away while making soundless whistle, the other shook her head so quickly you can literally see beads of cold sweat flying about.


    Now that I have decided to go, then I¡¯ll make it happen though.


    ¡°If this demon lord found out what you were doing, your territory will be in danger. Won¡¯t hurt to have some more fighting force.¡±


    ¡°... I¡­ ¡°


    ¡°I also might be able to come with a little more reinforcements if you¡¯ll wait until tomorrow here.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.. .alright¡­ but the princess¡¯ safety shall be the highest priority no matter what.¡±


    Nourrie relented after I said about reinforcements. Liz also looked at me, puzzled.


    ¡°Erik¡­ this reinforcements, did you mean Mareritter and Azanthys?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Yep, but I might be able to get some more after this. I don¡¯t know if they really will come but it won¡¯t hurt to ask.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Ah yeah, Liz haven¡¯t seen the guys yet. I did tell her about the village within the tower last night though.


    With that settled, we told Nourrie and her subordinates to wait one more day in the ruins, they will need the rest as well anyway. I then joined up with Azanthys and Mareritter to head south, to where this former frontier village was located.


    As it was quite far, walking will take too long, so I held the somewhat reluctant Liz in my arms and ran all the way until we could see the place. Mareritter and azanthys had no trouble keeping up with me, by the way.


    As I noticed the wafting faint smell of sea breeze and stood atop of a cliff overlooking the sea, a rather disorderly placed set of old and dirty crumbled houses could be seen. Being basked in the midday sunlight and with a glittering blue sea, as the background even the scenery of the ruined village was unexpectedly pretty good. The place that once should have been devoid of life was however, bustling with activities.


    I let Liz down, but she showed a reluctant face just as I was bending my body. When she noticed my gaze, she immediately looked away and pretended she never made such a face though. I wanted to pat her head but refrained because I heard the noise of people coming closer, a lot of them to be precise.


    ¡°Oh, it seems they noticed us, master. Most likely, because the rising cloud of dust behind us.¡±


    I looked behind to confirm that a cloud of dust¡­ or a sandstorm(?) was indeed there, I thought I was taking it quite easy as not to put a burden on Liz but it seems that wasn¡¯t exactly the case. Liz didn¡¯t complain or anything so, yeah. Did she force herself to bear with it, or it was just that she has become stronger? It¡¯s too late to ask, I think.


    From the ruined village, most, or perhaps all the villagers were walking in a quick pace up the hill to our direction. Huh, um? What are they doing? Eh? Wait, stahp¡­ not this again.


    ¡°The savior has graced us with his presence!¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Oooooooh! It¡¯s the savior!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±


    Does anyone have a clown mask? ¡®Cause I kind of want to hide my face with it. Mareritter, how about your 4 dimensional pocket? You have all sorts of thing in there, right? I mean, why are all of them genuflecting, at me like I am some sort of divine messenger? Look, Liz has donned her rare ¡°what the hell is happening?¡± dumbfounded face.


    ¡°...correct¡­ attitude¡­¡±


    Oyy, why are you the one getting smug, Azanthys? Argh, whatever¡­ I should have expected something like this.


    ¡°Erik, are they the people who lived in the tower you told me before?¡±


    ¡°Y, yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°They are calling Erik ¡®savior¡¯ while kneeling, so Erik must have done something amazing to help them.¡±


    ¡°Well, I might have technically helped them¡­ I got them out of the tower one way or the other.¡±


    I told Liz about them, but not in detail as I wanted to avoid exactly about being the savior, about Praesia, and especially about how they treat me. The first and last one ended up being pointless though.


    ***


    After I managed to force the mass to calm down, I was invited to look over the ruined village. And it should have only been several days but I could see a clear trace of progress here.


    They must have used magic in rebuilding the place. There were also some demon beast corpses in the square. Probably they hunted them from the nearby suvaard forest. Should I say as expected from people who had been living inside that tower? They have the necessary survival capabilities. I also saw that their farm animals were also teleported here by Praesia. So they should be good for now.


    ¡°Ah, its the saviour¡­¡±


    I saw Novia, followed by Albert and Juno with some others bringing a haul of huge fishes.


    ¡°Hoo, I¡¯m surprised that you guys know how to fish.¡±


    ¡°Well, we found some still usable fishing tools here and one of our ancestors was said to love fishing to a fault. The only things we inherited from him was his fishing knowledge and the likes. I was the only one who inherited them right from the source as I was his direct descendant, and I taught the others after trying them out myself first. Of course I did better than these young¡¯uns.¡±


    The elder¡¯s eyes gleamed when he looked at the fishes while saying so. He might have inherited things other than the fishing knowledge.


    ¡°I was surprised that there really was a place where there is only water wherever you can see. But the water is strangely salty.¡±


    Albert, while looking astonished, said so. So he¡¯s the type that tried tasting seawater.


    ¡°I told you the sea should have been salty but you didn¡¯t listen. Well, I thought I would never even see a sea but now here we are¡­ I¡¯m so glad that we were able to leave that place.¡±


    ¡°Fishing was enjoyable.¡±


    Novia lightly reprimanded Albert, while Juno who was holding to the catch smiled proudly. The elder has succeeded in infecting his ancestors¡¯ fishing hobby to someone else it seems.


    There was no aquatic area in the tower if you don¡¯t count the small ponds or rivers, so a sea would be more than just a breathtaking view for them. Ah, speaking about sea¡­


    ¡°I forgot to tell you guys something important, about this place and the sea¡­¡±


    So, after we finally reached the elder¡¯s somewhat renovated house, I told them about the tsunami that devastated this place and that it might happen again. For some reason, Albert, Novia, and Juno also came along.


    ¡°So there was such a thing¡­ should we move out from this place then¡­?¡±


    The elder sounded so disappointed. His face seemed like he just saw the end of the world. He already got attached to this place, eh?


    ¡°Well, maybe that won¡¯t be necessary, at least for now. While recurrence is more than just possible, tsunami isn¡¯t something that will happen often. And actually, I was about to propose making some tsunami barrier since you guys are adept in using magic anyway.¡±


    Thus I told the elder my amateurish concept of tsunami barrier, an ¡°A¡± shaped structure if seen from above made with earth magic that gets narrower further to the sea. The thickness would be about 5 meters at the bottom and the height would be about 10 meters or so. The effect ¡®harden¡¯ would be a must, and regular maintenance should be done monthly. The elder immediately ordered to start the construction and some villagers who were good at earth magic went to the beach including Juno. With their ability, I think 10 people could finish making the massive barrier in just 2 or 3 days.


    I also told them to evacuate to a higher ground, and as a backup plan, a part of the village would be built on the hill overlooking here in case the barrier failed. I almost forgot but I also told them that earthquake and receding sea level are signs of an oncoming tsunami.


    I don¡¯t know what else to tell them. Other than anything involving money I think they should be fine. Well, as they are basically demon race, they won¡¯t be able to do any kind of trade with Arx Norr or other human settlements, but they survived the tower without outside contact for a thousand years anyway.


    After that, I looked around the village with Liz who repeatedly glanced at the sea, seemingly fascinated.


    ¡°First time at the sea?¡±


    ¡°Un, I¡¯ve been to lake Estria once and was surprised at how vast a body of water could be, but it couldn¡¯t be compared to this.¡±


    ¡°Shall we stay here a bit longer then?¡±


    ¡°Can we?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Want me to teach you how to make a sand castle?¡±


    While no hot and glistening summer beach fantasies happened, I¡¯d like to say that I finally had tasted the holiday-ish time after all the difficult things around. I didn¡¯t plan to do this, but hey.


    After only three attempts, Liz already created a masterpiece surpassing my puny (lol) sand castle. She¡¯s surprisingly talented at this. Azanthys¡­ we¡¯re making sand castle, not ice castle. Why were you even trying to compete with Liz for? And, Mareritter, why are you in a trunks already? When did you get changed? Hey, he¡¯s swimming better than dolphins, what¡¯s with that multiple consecutive air times and dives?


    Albert and Novia who tagged along also tried making sand castles but theirs were¡­ plain bad. Novia tried cheating with earth magic, and Albert who noticed that destroyed her sand castle with his wind magic¡­ scattering the sand everywhere. Now they are having grade schooler level bad-mouthing fight.


    On the other side, Liz¡¯ sand castle was getting swarmed over.


    ¡°Big sis is cool!¡±


    ¡°Just how did you make something like that without magic?¡±


    ¡°I, I was taught by Erik¡­¡±


    ¡°Mister saviour, Teach us too!¡±


    Before I knew it, the kids from the village had joined us. Different with the reserved adults, they have no difficulty talking to me. I reluctantly taught the kids on how to make sand castle and made Liz teach some others. By the time I noticed it, Liz was happily chatting with them. It seems Liz had acquired friend making skill already, big brother Erik is happy. This situation somehow reminded me with my younger days on earth, when our family went to the beach. During sixth grade, was it? Young me, Reza, and several other relatives¡¯ kids on a family gathering, Mira and her parents also tagged along since our parents being best friends and all. I¡¯m still young, by the way.


    I called it quit when the sun was halfway down, ignoring the kids¡¯ booing. Sorry, but we need to get back to Arx Norr for now. There¡¯s also one more thing that I need to do here.


    Thus we left the beach littered with various sand castle projects, both the beautiful, and the awful ones. The sight was made more bizarre with tsunami barrier construction site on the other side.


    ¡°Albert, Novia!¡±


    ¡°¡°Y, yes!¡±¡±


    When I called them, Albert and Novia who were still quarelling immediately dashed over here and knelt before me. Perhaps my tone was kind of too serious?


    ¡°Why is kneeling became the very first thing you do¡­ whatever¡­ Tomorrow I will leave for the demon race territory, how about it, wanna come with us? Of course I¡¯ll talk to the elder too about this, if you decided to come along.¡±


    ¡°¡°Eh?¡±¡±


    They should have known about the situation related to the demon race from my talk in the tower and the scene they saw in Arx Norr when they first arrived, so I won¡¯t bother to tell them the details yet. If they decided to come along they will also learn it little by little, I guess.


    ¡°Although there would be some detours, my goal is revenge on a certain country, and with that, also fighting the same guys that trapped your ancestors in the tower as well. How about it?¡±


    Albert and Novia didn¡¯t answer right away, but they seemed like they were communicating with their eyes instead.


    ¡°Saviour, to be frank, I only have a slight feeling of hatred to the ones who did that to our ancestors. I meant, we were born and raised in that place so we didn¡¯t really have any attachment or strong feeling of wanting to be freed from there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the same, even after looking at how wonderful the outside world was¡­ other than some happiness, the previous feeling didn¡¯t change much.¡±


    Albert spoke first, followed by Novia.


    ¡°I see, well¡­ I was just asking anyway. If you don¡¯t want to, then it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I just thought that having some fighting force on demon lord level would make it slightly easier from here on, but it wasn¡¯t like I really need it to begin with. As I was about to turn away though, Albert stopped me.


    ¡°Please wait!¡±


    ¡°With all being said, it does not mean that we feel no gratitude to the saviour for freeing our people.¡±


    The two looked at each other and nodded at the same time.


    ¡°Just as Novia said, the least we could do in return is to be of service to our saviour. I¡¯m sure if we ask Juno he will also say the same thing. Besides, I have the feeling that we can still grow to be stronger if we follow you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please let us follow you, even if it is to the end of the world. Let us be useful to our saviour. The elder will definitely approve of this anyway.¡±


    Novia added the last part with a wry smile.


    Liz might have tried to be considerate to the two as she took a few steps to the back and waited in silence during the whole exchange, so I patted her head, getting a ¡°fuee¡± in response, and walked to the village while waving my hand to gesture at the Albert and Novia.


    ¡°Welcome aboard, I¡¯ll work you guys hard as you wish, if you want to be useful that is. I won¡¯t allow any second though, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡°With pleasure¡±¡±


    The fact that I thought ¡®are they masochist¡¯ when I heard their answer was a secret.


    I then went to tell the elder who gave a ¡®yes¡¯, seemingly in delight. He sent someone to call Juno and in the meantime he also asked if I would like to take some more personnel. Of course I declined the offer. Albert Trio had really become far stronger than everyone else in the village and I know how they do the fighting, hence it would only be the three. The village can¡¯t take anymore loss of manpower anyway.


    Now all that is left would be to tell Teobaldur and some other acquaintances that we are leaving Arx Norr, else trouble might arise.

 NOT A NEW CHAPTER

    I am terribly sorry for anyone who have read this story of mine until this point.


    However, I will be restarting this story from chapter one in another page.


    There will be some minor changes, but also a big change on post-tower conquering ark (and maybe also when Nourrie first came to Arx Norr, this one is still undecided)


    I am currently revisiting this story from ground zero.


    if you are someone who have read until the latest chapter, you can skip the new chapters and only miss the newer details without disturbing the main story.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.Of course you are welcome to reread if you are willing to.


    If you are one of those who decided to just drop this story by this point, I would have nothing to say other than apologies. I have failed you all. There is no excuse.


    This is the link for the new page


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/22705/the-fallen-hero-and-azi-dahakas-soul-fragment