《The Adventure of a Boy with the Mind of a Middle-Aged Man》


 Vol. 1 - Chapter 0 - Prologue

    I gently floated in the grey ocean. Well, it being grey is just how I describe it. To be more precise, the ocean''s more a spiral of ck and white threads, all coiled together. In any case, I was floating in this unfamiliar sea.


    "Hmmmm. This time it''s a middle-aged man, huh," a voice mused.


    A boy''s voice reverberated inside my head.


    "Who are you?" I asked.


    Though I felt a bit relieved that I could speak, I searched for the owner of the voice in my head, where, at the end of my gaze, I saw a distorted figure in the shape of a human. I knit my eyebrows at the sight of countless white particles wriggling around like maggots, taking the form of a human.


    "You''re looking at me but, that reaction. . . You''re a strange one indeed," it said.


    I observed a slight bewilderment from that white thing''s voice. Hm, his reaction though. My eyes certainly aren''t going bad. If so, the candidates for this sure are narrowing down.


    "Can we start yet?" I asked.


    "Uhm, hello. You''re throwing me off my game," itined.


    "Who is?" I said.


    I don''t have any more time to waste than this, I thought, so I changed my tone and asked to start once again.


    ". . . Okay. I''m. . . let''s see, you can think of me as a maritime pilot," it began.


    A maritime pilot is someone who guides ships though danger so that they can safely reach their destination. Which means a bunch of candidates just failed.


    "Where do you take people?" I asked.


    "To a different world called Alteria," it answered.


    "Hm, I have several questions but, if that''s the case please show the way," I said.


    "..."


    The pilot mmed up.


    "Suddenly silent in the middle of a conversation is quite rude, you know. You should be careful about that," I reprimanded.


    "You''re definitely a weird one," It said.


    The white, human figure raised his voice as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.


    "That''s also not right. Jeez, it looks like youngsters these days don''t know a thing or two about proper etiquette," I said.


    Shocked at its manners, I slowly shook my head left and right a few times.


    "You know, I''m much, much older than you," it said.


    "In that case it''s even more of a problem. Side note, hurry up and continue what you were saying. Unlike you, I''m a busy man," I said.


    "You''re really. . . really, throwing me off my game," it once againined.


    While I was spitting outints, with a snap, a board and pen lined up in front of me. When I touched it, characters appeared on the board.


    "What is this?" I enquired.


    "Those are questions. Your growth rate and gift are determined on how many you get right. Do as best as you can. Well, no matter how much a human struggles, it won''t be able to answer these questions," it mocked.


    The source of that thorny voice, this child (or rather, man?) seemed to purse its lips. But, no matter how you look at it there''s no way a child''s inside there.


    "So there''s 20 questions. Fine by me," I dered.


    In the end, it''s just a childish past time, but this kind of game isn''t so bad every once in a while. I pick up the board and race my pen across it.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    "The test isplete. Sagami Shirabe, you got 100% of the questions correct," a robotic female voice stated.


    "You''re kidding, right?" it gasped like a flustered child.


    "I mean, you say that, but I won''t ept any cowardly ims that I was cheating. In the first ce, I''m the one who''s ying along with your childish trick of a game. You should be thanking me," I said.


    "Childish. . . game?" it asked, bewildered.


    "Aah. Should I instead say that they were boring questions that only an intellectual youngster filled with absolute confidence such as you would create," I said.


    I will admit, though, thest question was actually quite interesting.


    "Sagami Shirabe will be given special bonuses." The robotic voice called out. "Gift ---¡¶Magic Blueprint¡·acquired.


    Gift --- ¡¶ Territorial Ring ¡·acquired.


    Gift --- ¡¶ All-purpose Item Box ¡·acquired.


    Gift --- ¡¶ All-purpose Movement ¡·acquired.


    The title ¡¶ Brain monster ¡·which has been given to Sagami Shirabe due to his perfect score will affect his race. From¡ºHuman¡»to ¡ºAll ??? who ??? ¡»


    Going with the above, the reincarnation ritual form Sagami Shirabe will now begin."


    "I can''t believe it," it whispered.


    I nced at the white child-shaped figure who was even now clutching his head, babbling in a shaky voice. The gap between that and the robotic voice of the woman who seemed almost as if it were just another day in the office was surreal.


    "Now then, please enjoy¡¶Alteria¡·to its fullest," the robotic voice bid farewell.


    Right when she finished her sentence, the spiral band of ck and white blended into a muddy stream and instantly devoured me.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 1 - Awakening

    I slowly opened my eyes to the sound of birds chirping. I raised my right hand to block the light before sitting up, and, confirming my surroundings, I found myself at the bottom of a cliff. At my feet flowed a puddle of red fluid.


    "This...is blood," I said.


    Standing up, I checked my body when I noticed an irregrity.


    "Too small."


    My body wasn''t the refined one I was so used to, rather, it is clearly a child''s. Moreover, the chest area of my shirt is dyedpletely red. This metallic stench. . . It''s clearlying from the blood. I tried taking off my shirt but couldn''t find a single wound.


    Confused, I shook my head a few times before sitting down on a nearby rock. A whileter, my foggy memories started to clear up. I''m still a ways away from my normal condition, but it seems my brain is functioning well enough to begin analyzing this situation.


    I can at least discern that this body is not my---Sagami Shirabe''s---body, but rather the body of some child. Based on therge amount of blood on his body and the robotic female voice that had talked about the reincarnation ritual, not to mention the conversation I had with that white thing, I''vee to the following conclusion.


    ---I, Sagami Shirabe have been reincarnated.


    I say reincarnated, but while I''ve probably died, I don''t remember how, or anything more than a few scattered memories of my previous life. Although it seems I''m slowly recalling more as time goes by.


    Anyways, with this amount of blood, the previous owner of this body is already long dead, and the fact that I''ve been reincarnated into this body only serves to further that fact. In that case, I''ve got no choice but to live my life out as this child.


    "That being said, it''s going to be quite difficult to exin the blood, huh..." I said.


    The child''s clothes are old, but the material they''re made out of is quite decent, and judging from his appearance, he''s probably from a middle-ss family. In any case, I''m horrified at this appearance; I''ve got to do something about this blood.


    Standing up from the rock, I followed the cliff down a mountain trail before reaching a river.


    "Yep, this is the stuff." I said.


    I stripped off my shirt and washed it in the water. I thought about doing the same with my pants, but then the only thing around my waist would be a piece of cloth. That''s almost no different from beingpletely naked. I am just a child right now, but I''ve never been into exhibitionism.


    The blood stain has now all but disappeared. There are a few stains here and there, but it wouldn''t seem odd now if I were to say that I''m going to y around and find some nuts and berries.


    Still, it''s not like my problems have all been solved; I still have to figure out the owner of this body''s identity.


    From his figure and what I can see reflecting off the water, he appears to be a blonde-haired boy of seven or eight years of age.


    For now, I need to go to a nearby vige and gather info.


    Wringing the water out of my shirt, I hang it on a tree branch and decide to wait until it''s fully dried. In the meantime, I want to sort out what I know. Firstly, I''ve been reincarnated into a world called Alteria. That means the bonus from that game should be in effect.


    "Is it this?" I asked aloud.


    In the upper left corner of my vision, the words¡¶Magic Blueprint¡·were captioned. When I pushed it, a touchscreen keyboard as well as the following appeared.


    Magic Blueprint: Create various grimoires out of certain materials.


    I don''t really understand what that fully entails, but it seems I can create a grimoire using materials. And if I can obtain a grimoire, does that mean I can also obtain magic? Well, I can further that thoughtter on.


    In regard to the other three gifts---.


    Gift: Supernatural powers that stack with other skills.


    Analyze Environment: Grasp everything within a 3 km distance.


    Infinite Storage Box: Infinite Storage. Time is stopped inside.


    Save Point: Once a ce has been recorded, you can teleport back regardless of distance.


    I thought about testing Analyze Environment, after which a simple map of my surroundings appeared. These red markers are probably living things. I touched the closest marker my hypothesis when a vivid scene not unlike something shown on a video camera appeared.


    There, transparent blue squishy fluids were bouncing around.


    "Slimes, huh," I said.


    Now that I look closer, they were quite expressive.


    Still, this is convenient.


    Then, I returned to the map earlier. It seems that I can only use the video camera feature within a 3 km radius.


    Fortunately, a bit north of the cliff that I woke up undery a vige. I''ll see if I can gather info there.


    Next is the item box.


    Shouting, "Item Box!" made a nk space appear before my eyes. As a test, I grabbed a stone andmanded, "Store." The text¡ºA small stone on the riverbed¡»was then appended. This feature is also just like a game, and it''ll be extremely useful from here on out.


    Now then, I''ll rest for a bit until my body and clothes dry. I stored all the gravel from the riverbed into the item box and created a bed of sand, after which I promptly plopped myself down.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    I had napped about two hours and my surroundings began to dim. Once night fell, I wanted to prepare to explore the forest as much as possible. It was about time to mix things up.


    I stood up, grabbed my dry shirt and put it on.


    My ns have gone a bit astray, but let''s go to the vige and gather info.


    It''s now Save Point''s time to shine.


    When I opened the map with Analyze Environment, a vige reflected back at me. As I thought, due to Analyze Environment''s power, Save Point considers me having set foot in every ce within a 3 km radius. I could reach the vige in just a single step, but in this world, teleportation is probably rare, so being seen might warrant a scream or two from onlookers. If it came to that, I wouldn''t be able to gather any more info.


    For now, I''ll teleport above the cliff and walk the rest of the way to the vige. When I touched a point on the map, that point became red, and when I thought about teleporting there, a circle of light rose to my feet. Within the light, a myriad of red geometric patterns flickered in and out and ten secondster, my field of vision warped, after which I was standing on top of the cliff.


    I grinned. "This is convenient."


    When I checked the map from Analyze Environment, several red markers were moving about. Looking closer, I saw what looked like vigers holding torches. They were shouting about and seemed to be searching for something.


    The clothes they were wearing were remarkably shabbier than mine, which must mean that the owner of this body came from quite the well-off family.


    In any case, right now I''m a child of seven or eight years of age. It doesn''t look like I can wield a weapon, nor does it look like I''d be killed on the spot. Thus, it might be prudent to seek someone out.


    I walked towards the vigers.


    "There he is!" A bearded middle-aged man (in my past life I was around that age as well) shouted, raising his torch high.


    At once, I was surrounded by the vigers.


    Seeing that they weren''t pointing their weapons at me, my bet probably paid off.


    A girl in her early teens pushed her way through the vigers. As her knee-length blonde fluttered in the wind, she came up to embrace me and sighed, "Thank God, Grey."


    In the background, a couple of voices broke out crying. In these kinds of situations, there''s only one thing a kid can say.


    "Sorry."


    I carefully let out the word I had long left behind.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 2 - Training

    I followed after the blonde girl and, 15 minutes of walkingter, we arrived at an around five-meter-tall wooden wall that surrounded the vige.


    The girl went straight to the central main street and brought me to a conspicuouslyrge mansion poking out of the deepest part of the street.


    Entering the mansion, I saw a blonde boy with a bob cut descending down the stairs.


    As if to protect me, the blonde girl immediately ced herself in front of me.


    "What do you think you''re doing, gathering up all these people at the first sign of turmoil? When Father and Mother return from the capital, I''m going to report this, Aqua," the boy said.


    "Do as you please. Let''s go, Grey," Aqua responded.


    The blonde girl, Aqua, grabbed my right arm and led me up to the second floor.


    Several servants threw cold gazes at me, which I noticed hade from several vigers earlier as well.


    After gathering info for a few days, I finally understood the situation I''ve been ced in.


    The owner of this body''s name is Grey Mird, third son of the ultra-poor Mird family and lives in a remote vige of the Magical Empire.


    The Mirds were the lowest ranking noble---a Baron. Theycked any type of specialty and lived in a basin enclosed by high mountains, so travelers rarely visited. With a poption of around 3000, the Mird territory was dotted with seven viges. Many believed it wasn''t even a territory, but rather just a series of viges.


    To make matters worse, around 80% of the territory actually consisted of uncharted ¡ºAncient Forest¡»where powerful monsters roamed thend, which left only a small portion of habitablend. Moreover, orcs and goblins regrly assaulted the viges every few years. The Mirds were truly fallen nobles, cast off to the edges of the Magical Empire.


    In any case, I''m the third son of a Baron, born from a mistress. For what it''s worth, my mom is also a noble so I will inherit a little, but the amount is even less than my sister, Aqua, will get. It''s all just like a script of some day drama. I thought this was the reason for all those cold gazes at first, but that wasn''t the case.


    It seems the owner of this body, Grey, was born without the ability to use magic. In the Archive, magic ability reigns supreme. So supreme, in fact, that it''s also called the Magical Empire. Those who can use magic are prioritized, but on the other hand, those who can''t are oftenbeled as ipetent. They fall all the way down thedder of inheritance, are barred from entering any building that the empire''s Magic Academy oversees and face many other penalties.


    Basically, I''ve been pushed out of my mother''s family into the Mirds and my siblings avoid me like the gue. How I even have a doting sister like Aqua is extremely strange.


    With all that being said, the fact that I''ll leave once I turn 13 is almost immutable. Understandably, I wasn''t fond of the notion of living with fools who use myck of magic ability as a reason to discriminate against me, so I''m quite happy with how this has turned out.


    As a side note, I''ve found that I can use Analyze Environment on myself.


    Grey Mird


    Status


    HP: G- (0/100%)


    MP: G- (0/100%)


    Strength: G- (0/100%)


    Endurance: G- (0/100%)


    Magic: G- (0/100%)


    Magical Endurance: G- (0/100%)


    Agility: G- (0/100%)


    Luck: G- (0/100%)


    Drop: G- (0/100%)


    Wisdom: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Growth Rate: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Gift:


    Magic Blueprint


    Analyze Environment


    Infinite Item Box


    Save Point


    Race: ------------------


    Title: Brain Monster


    (ED: the "G-" is the ranking for said stat and the "(0/100%) is the amount of "exp" or "proficiency" he needs before leveling up that stat)


    I''m extremely weak, but there''s nothing I can do about that; it''s always like this in the beginning. There''s also no convenient level stat, so I don''t know how high my stats can go, but I can slowly uncover that.


    Additionally, my race name is corrupted, so it''s impossible to understand or find the cause. This should also make more sense as I uncover more info.


    Next, let''s take a look at the Magical Blueprint.


    To the right there''s an empty box. Could this be a search engine?


    I tried inputting fire into the nk space.


    ¡ï Magic


    Fire Series


    ¡ó Low


    ¡¾Fireball¡¿


    ¡¾Fire Enchantment¡¿


    ¡¾Fire Whirl¡¿


    ¡ó Medium


    ¡¾Fire Pir¡¿


    ..................


    ..................


    ..................


    Low and Medium, huh. That''s probably an index of how strong the magic is.


    Can I look into it with Analyze Environment?


    ¡ï Magic Rank: The absolute index of magic strength


    The 10 types are broken into Low, Middle, High, Top, Special, Super, Legend, God, Ultimate, and World rankings. As you progress through the rankings, you''ll be able to disy increasingly supernatural phenomena.


    The fact that it has already been ssified into different ranks bodes well for understanding the concepts of magic.


    Next is the limits of each respective rank.


    ¡ï Total Possible Creation Limit for Magic Ranks: The maximum number of grimoires you can create for each magic rank.


    Low ---- 10000 Grimoires


    Middle ---- 5000 Grimoires


    High ---- 2500 Grimoires


    Top ---- 1000 Grimoires


    Special ---- 500 Grimoires


    Super ---- 250 Grimoires


    Legend ---- 100 Grimoires


    God ---- 50 Grimoires


    Ultimate ---- 20 Grimoires


    World ---- 4 Grimoires


    Basically, the maximum number of grimoires I can create for each magic rank is fixed, or something along those lines. I can''t just endlessly pump them out, after all. That''s the truth; it''s only natural it be that way.


    Then, let''s try to actually create some magic.


    I selected ¡¾Fireball¡¿and, much to my chagrin, a metallic box plopped out.


    Inscribed on the lid was the following


    ¡ï  ¡¾Fireball¡¿


    Ingredients: 20 Rank G- magic stones, 1 fire stone


    In short, I need to put those ingredients into the box, though the particrs on magic and fire stones are unknown. I should find out more about that.


    I left my room and descended the stairs whereupon a white-haired man with a sharp re, lightly bowed in my direction. He is Sebastian, the Mird family''s butler. Among the servants, he''s the only one who will associate with me without any pretext.


    "Magic stones are obtained after defeating monsters. Fire stones are used when setting fire to something. Here''s one," Sebastian exined. To my question, he first stared perplexedly at me with open eyes, but soon after pulled out a small red stone from his pocket and handed it to me.


    "Where do you get this? It''s probably hard to obtain a fire stone, right?" I asked.


    "Not at all. If you would like so, you may take this stone. Here you go," Sebastian offered.


    "My deepe-... Thank you," I corrected myself, thanking him in a more normal way and quickly returned to my room.


    Lastly were the magic stones. Since I couldn''t get them without defeating monsters, there was only one thing to do.


    Currently, I''ve juste to the forest, or rather, the¡ºAncient Forest¡». The southern portion of the Mird family''s most important vige, Mirage, spans across this forest. I''m sure you''ve realized by now, but that''s where I first awoke---below a cliff in the forest.


    In the Mird territory, people only live in the northern basin, and the¡ºAncient Forest¡»encloses the territory from the south, extending to the northeast corner of said basin.


    On the other hand, the territory''srgest vige, Mirage, lies in the southeast sector, enjoying easy ess from all.


    As such, despite the¡ºAncient Forest¡»being adjacent, the path is blocked by a cliff, meaning Mirage is the safest vige in thend.


    On that note, I don''t have to climb the cliff and can instead use my Save Point tofortably travel to the forest. Hello, all-you-can-train time.


    I approached the nearest slime and drew out a copper dagger that the mansion so graciously lent me. A bow was also in the warehouse where I had found the dagger, but I had not believed that I could hit anything with my skills and had quickly given up the idea.


    Under the shadow of a tree I silently held my breath and soon after pierced the slime with my copper dagger in its back(?) where the mucus was flowing through it.


    Suddenly, the entire slime liquified and sank into the ground, leaving behind a ck stone.


    I didn''t want to risk it suddenly blowing up if I touched it or anything, so I first appraised it with my Analyze Environment.


    Slime''s Magic Stone: A crystallized fragment of the slime''s soul.


    Attribute: None


    Rank: G-


    A magic stone which is actually a fragment of the soul. What a hackneyed thing from fantasy ... Well, whatever. When in Rome do as the Romans do, or so they say. I just have to do the same thing until I get the 20 magic stones needed to acquire the skill,¡¾Fireball¡¿.


    By now, it''s clear that I can ughter slimes without a hitch, so for the meantime I should make this area my hunting grounds.


    After that, I hunted slimes until evening and obtained 30 magic stones for my hard work.


    I returned to my bizarrely narrow room that was almost like a storeroom and sat on the floor, taking out the silver box that served as a blueprint for the skill,¡¾Fireball¡¿.


    Inside, I ced 20 magic stones and the fire stone, causing the box to transform into a book. Written on the front was ¡¾Fireball¡¿.


    When I picked up the book, it began to glow, and a surge of warmth began to flow into my body. Additionally, the words ¡ºBy Grey Mird¡»were now carved on the front as well. I see, so it registered me as the owner.


    I quickly opened the book, when this-


    Spell Name: ¡¾Fireball¡¿


    Exnation: Let loose a ball of me


    Chant: "O red me, gather betwixt my hands and turn to power"


    Rank: Low


    Proficiency: 0/100%


    -appeared. In all likelihood your proficiency grows in proportion to how much you use it, up until you master the skill, ¡¾Fireball¡¿.


    Early the next day, I left for the¡ºAncient Forest¡»in high spirits. I pointed the palm of my right hand to the slime in front of me, chanting "O red me, gather betwixt my hands and turn to power."


    Immediately after, a fireball around the size of a ser ball rushed forward, mming into the slime.


    In an instant, the slime evaporated, and a magic stone fell to the ground. With this, I''ve gotten a ranged weapon. Next is to focus my all on training.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 3 - Crossroads

    For the next three weeks, I did nothing but hunt slimes in the ¡ºAncient Forest¡».


    Grey Mird


    Status


    HP: G+ (40/100%)


    MP: F- (91/100%)


    Strength: G+ (30/100%)


    Endurance: G+ (10/100%)


    Magic: F (44/100%)


    Magical Endurance: G+ (33/100%)


    Agility: G+ (80/100%)


    Luck: G+ (10/100%)


    Drop: G+ (50/100%)


    Wisdom: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Growth Rate: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Basically, the rules seem to work like this: If you work your muscles, Strength goes up. If you take damage, Stamina goes up. If you run around, Agility goes up, and so on.


    My Magic stat is so high because I wanted to master ¡¾Fireball¡¿as soon as possible, so I repeatedlyunched one after another at the slimes.


    Thanks to that, I''ve sessfully mastered the spell.


    Spell Name: ¡¾Fireball¡¿--- Master ss


    Exnation: Let loose a ball of me. Some correction


    Chant: Chant Revocation


    Rank: Low


    After reaching master ss, the spell''s chant is now omitted, the range and firepower have increased significantly, and there''s even correction to the trajectory. I see. I wouldn''t be surprised if you were to call this an entirely different spell.


    Today I also obtained a new grimoire -- the Wind Series, Wind Cutter.


    The ingredients are 20 Rank H magic stones and a wind stone. From the white-haired butler, Sebastian, I got the wind stone, which is used when creating wind. He said that wind stones, as well as fire stones, seem to bemon magic items. However, I can''t keep relying on Sebastian to answer my every need; I''ve got to think about how I can thank him.


    Regardless, here''s the grimoire for ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿.


    Spell Name: ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿


    Exnation: Let loose a de of wind


    Chant: O de of wind, gather betwixt my hands and turn to power


    Rank: Low


    Proficiency: 0/100%


    I went to the ¡ºAncient Forest¡», but today I won''t be hunting slimes; I have something else I need to do, namely, finding something else to hunt. The¡ºAncient Forest¡»is a haven for monsters, but also contains a mountain of ingredients. Additionally, I''ve gotten tired of just slimes, so it''s about time to hunt for something I can actually eat.


    There''s also a peddler who''s staying in Mirage for another two or three days, and I want to make use of that.


    I slowly advanced deeper into the forest while relying on Analyze Environment, when I encountered a giant red bunny -- an  Al-mi''raj.


    Mutant Al-mi''raj


    Status


    HP: G+ (99/100%)


    MP: G (5/100%)


    Strength: G+ (3/100%)


    Endurance: G- (5/100%)


    Magic: G (4/100%)


    Magical Endurance: G- (38/100%)


    Agility: G (23/100%)


    Luck: G+ (1/100%)


    Drop: G- (2/100%)


    It''s strong; it''s on an entirely different levelpared to the slime. However, its magic endurance is low so I should be able to defeat it. Let''s run if ¡¾Fireball¡¿misses.


    I teleported by the trees behind the Al-mi''raj and casted ¡¾Fireball¡¿ in the blink of an eye.


    A ser ball-sized ball of me raced forward. The Al-mi''raj tried to dodge immediately to the right, but the fireball''s trajectory curved unnaturally and struck the bunny, burning its head to a crisp. The now headless Mutant Al-mi''raj dropped to the ground, with its head having beenpletely turned to ash.


    I can extract the magic stone and meatter, so for now I''ll just throw the body inside my item box.


    After two more days of roaming the forest, I sessfully hunted 15 Al-mi''raj, 23 Big Boars, and 16 Red Pheasants. By the way, the Mutant Al-mi''raj was one-of-a-kind, and the rest I had hunted were normal white bunnies.


    I then teleported back to where the slimes were and, from the body, began collecting magic stones and extracting meat.


    It''s quite the amount. From the Mutant Al-mi''raj came a mutated Rank G- magic stone, and the rest were normal magic stones without any attributes. I should try to sell these.


    In Mirage, there was only one ce to be---The Ripple. It is a two-story building, with the first floor serving as a cafeteria for travelers and citizens alike.


    The merchants wore conspicuously nice clothes, so you could spot them in an instant.


    There, I spotted a beautiful androgynous young man. He had woman-like features and almost transparent blue hair. His eyes were a bit nted as well, but that only furthered his allure. It seemed like he would be popr among the nobledies.


    That guy is probably one of those peddlers who onlye three times a year.


    Noticing me, he asked, "Young man, do you have business with me?"


    "I have things I want to sell," I replied.


    "Sure thing. What are you putting up?"


    I smoothly took out a bag I had filled with ingredients and a portion of my magic stones and ced it on the table.


    "Oh? Out on an errand, are we?" he said patronizingly.


    He put on a serious face and nced into my bag. In an instant his eyes began to gleam.


    The youth grabbed the mutated magic stone and examined it from many different angles. A short whileter he seemed to have finished because he heaved arge sigh and set the stone back on the table.


    "Boy, where did you get this magic stone," he asked.


    "In the outskirts of the vige there was this trapped bunny, you see," I began.


    "That''s a lie. This is from a Mutant Al-mi''raj. It has a G+ rating so only registered adventurers should be strong enough to defeat it. At the very least it shouldn''t be caught in a measly trap," the young man deduced.


    Damn. That was an unexpected reply. Should I say I just picked it up? No, I already lied that it was caught in a trap. Worstes to pass and he uses me of stealing, I''ll say that I was coerced by that evil brother of mine and will be sent to the reflection room.


    "You''re right. I''ll show you how I got it. Please follow me," I said.


    I grabbed the stone, put it back in my cloth bag, and left The Ripple.


    He was on edge, but probably owing to the fact that I was a child, still trailed behind me.


    We walked until we reached a deserted hut at the edge of the vige. There, I grabbed his right sleeve after setting my target destination to the ¡ºAncient Forest¡»and began to teleport.


    "Th-this is..." the blue-haired young man gasped at the sight of a ring of light appearing at our feet. Our surroundings warped, and we sessfully teleported to the¡ºAncient Forest¡».


    "What?" he eximed, restlessly surveying our surroundings. Aftering to terms with the fact that we were in the forest, his face cramped up.


    Assuaging his fears, I exined, "While we''re technically in the ¡ºAncient Forest¡», there are no monsters around us so rest assured."


    "Ah, yeah," he slowly replied.


    After that, I showed him several types of magic and took out the monster meat and wild fruits and vegetables from my item box.


    "I''m surprised. To think I would be able to meet a genius in such a remote location," he said.


    He then began begging to talk with me some more, so we returned to the first floor of the inn for an evening drink.


    "Giresse-san, please keep your voice down," I whispered.


    "Oh, you''re right, sorry, sorry. Bahahaha!" heughed,pletely ignoring me.


    I''m right my ass. You''re just as loud as ever. Still, I was able to sell all the monster meat for 5000 copper. The magic stone being a mutated one apparently meant it was quite precious, so it sold for 400,000 copper, while the rest of the magic stones totaled 20,000 copper.


    The thought of keeping just the mutated one because it was precious did cross my mind, but I felt building a rtionship with this merchant by selling it directly proved wiser.


    "I have never left Mirage, so I''m not sure how much 420,000 copper is," I said. This info was crucial for my future independence.


    He began exining. "100 copper is worth 1 silver, and 100 silver is worth 1 gold, so 10,000 copper would be 1 gold. That means it woulde out to a total of 42 gold. That''s a lot. Your normal 4-person family in the empire would use around 500 copper a day, which means---"


    "840 days worth," I calcted.


    "Woah. You can do arithmetic too? What a waste, serving as the head of some family in these boondocks," he said.


    Looks like he''s misunderstanding something. Those who use magic in this empire naturally rise to the head of the family. Even in the Mird family, the second son, Cliff, was chosen to be the head of the family over the first son because he could use magic.


    "I''m not the head of my family. In fact, I''ll be driven out once I turn 13. I''m gathering this money for my eventual independence," I rified.


    "You''re getting kicked out?" Giresse yelled hysterically, knitting his eyebrows and staring at me.


    "Yes, that''s why I''m in a pickle," I said.


    "You, don''t seem to be lying," Giresse guessed. "In that case the Mird family must be crazy. To start, you can use that bullshit storage skill, and you possess a rare teleportation skill. And despite the fact that ¡¾Fireball¡¿is a beginner skill, to kick out someone who can use chant revocation is simply absurd. The nobles in the capital will beughing about this for years toe."


    "Is chant revocation such a rare thing?" I asked.


    I definitely thought anyone could achieve it with sufficient training. I should be more careful moving forward.


    "It''s rare," Giresse exined. "Speaking solely in terms of your skill,¡¾Fireball¡¿, you would already be at the level of a Royal Magic Teacher."


    No way am I going to be recognized for my talent and instead be forced to stay in this discriminating hellhole of a vige. I should try to stick to the shadows and let other people into the limelight.


    "Giresse-san, this secret..."


    "No need to say anything else. It would be problematic for me as well if I lost ess to such a valued client. My lips are sealed," He said.


    "My deepest thanks." I bowed deeply.


    For the next two hours, Giresse talked about the various cities around the world, after which we began to finish up our conversation.


    I learned that Giresse operated from a ce called Straheim. Argebyrinth city in the northwest, it sported a poption of over 100,000 people.


    There was the Adventurer''s Guild where adventurers who made defeating monsters their upation gathered, as well as the Commerce Guild where merchants gathered. Most importantly, my coveted library was there.


    I want to live there once I turn 13. I should take it easy in the meantime because I''ve got four or five years left until then.


    Giresse and I parted ways, and I returned to the mansion.


    My overprotective sister, Aqua, had been learning magic over at Bextraheim sincest week. It seemed to be a prep school for the empire''s Magic Knight Academy. The teachers were first-rate adventurers, the best of the best. Naturally, there was an exorbitant entrance fee that us Mirds couldn''t even fathom paying. Aqua passed the test with flying colors and was thus granted free tuition.


    Because of that, there was nobody observing my behavior; I''ve had free reign.


    When I entered the mansion, I was met with an annoying child, although he was only about as annoying as your average fly buzzing around.


    "You''ve got some nerve ying around until thiste," my brother, Cliff, said. He had a blonde bob cut and gave me a nasty sneer as he spat out those words.


    I''m only eight, what else am I supposed to do. I wanted to ask if he was even doing anything of importance when he was my age.


    Cliff was the second son and currently in line as the next head of the family at the tender age of 12. A natural prodigy, Cliff had already learned several types of magic and had been selected to enroll in the empire''s Magic Knight Academy as a middle school student.


    For some unknown reason he was picking a fight with me.


    "Sure..." I said. I wasn''t childish enough to fall for his provocation. However, from my experience, the more I talk the angrier the person I''m talking to gets. My mouth was a moving disaster; it was wise for me to stay silent.


    "What about food! If you had a lick of goodwill you would have gathered at least a handful of nuts and berries. Even someone as ipetent as you could aplish that, right?" he snarled.


    Hm, I see. If I bring ingredients my I''ll be looked upon more favorably, if only a slight bit.


    Now that I think about it, the only food brought out was tasteless white bread and a soupposed of nd vegetables and a small amount of meat which was given to everyone. We also got yakiniku, fruit, and wild vegetables, but once Aqua left, my share disappeared.


    Still, even having bread and soup was plenty more than many others, so asking for even more would be taking what I had for granted.


    In any case, I''ve got money flowing, so I should start thinking about maintaining my food source.


    "I understand," I said.


    I lightly raise my right hand and ascend to the next floor. In response, Cliff clicked his tongue and disappeared into the living room.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 4 - A New Invention

    In the blink of an eye, 4 months had passed.


    I put my all into gathering ingredients and materials like magic stones as I searched the forest. Still, I knew I was extremely weak, so I didn''t go too deep.


    There are many spells that require unique materials like fire and wind stones. I didn''t make as much progress as I''d hoped, but as far as the four elements--fire, wind, earth, and water-- went, I was able to finish middle rank.


    Spell Name: ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿--- Master Rank


    Exnation: Within a fixed distance, manipte a de of wind at will to tear apart your enemies.


    Chant: Chant Revocation


    Rank: High


    The ingredients required to learn this spell are 100 Rank G- magic stones, 10 wind stones, and 10 wind hunting horns. The wind hunting horns came from the horns of a Wind Horse, which had G+ stats or better across the board.


    This magic let me tear anything apart within a fixed distance with a wind de, and I was able to tear apart monsters in a tenth of the time once I got used to it.


    I now had the following stats.


    Grey Mird


    Status


    HP: F (22/100%)


    MP: E- (31/100%)


    Strength: F (29/100%)


    Endurance: F- (90/100%)


    Magic: E- (94/100%)


    Magical Endurance: F (2/100%)


    Agility: F+ (3/100%)


    Luck: F (90/100%)


    Drop: F+ (10/100%)


    Wisdom: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Growth Rate: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Since then, I have been doing constant exercise, but owing to the fact that I mainly hunted with magic, so my Magic and MP stats grewparatively more than my strength stat. Additionally, I didn''t take enough damage, so my HP and Endurance stats stayed low.


    On that note, I''ve made a new discovery into my Drop stat which recently rose to F+: when I killed slimes, they now dropped a water stone together with the normal magic stones. In short, as the stat rises, rare drops be moremon.


    I once offered the birds, rabbits, and berries that I had collected to the kitchen, but word came back that Cliff had stolen some as if to pick a fight with me, so I instructed for the ingredients to be used only for the servants.


    Recently, I''ve been borrowing old pots and pans from the storehouse and making food in the ¡ºAncient Forest¡»I tried finding salt and other seasonings, but much to my chagrin there seemed to be a dearth of anything remotely vorful I could use in the vige.


    And so, the legal parents of the owner of this body, Grey Mird, returned from the capital. They are apparently called up for the new emperor''s inauguration ceremony.


    The impression I got from my father, Rais, was neither positive nor negative, but that of a weak-willed man. My stepmother, Valeria, is contrastively prideful and assertive, leaving my father a henpecked husband.


    Naturally, since we aren''t rted by blood, her treatment of me consisted of constant harassment, the pinnacle of cold-heartedness.


    This is all ording to n.


    "I have no use for freeloaders. Hurry up and draw some water," my mothermanded.


    "Please, ma''am, that kind of task is still difficult for young Grey," Sebastian advised, but she wanted none of that. What a princess.


    "That''s alright, Sebastian. Thanks, though," I said. I grabbed several buckets from the kitchen and began to head towards the well.


    I can understand what he''s worried about. With my height, just lowering the bucket into the well is difficult enough and pulling the bucket of water back up requires a decent amount of strength. Most importantly, drawing water requires both hands, so the danger of falling into the well constantly looms around the corner. It certainly isn''t a task for your average eight-year-old.


    My stepmother probably knew that already and just wanted to see my crying face when I eventually failed, but as I am now it''ll pose no burden.


    When I was filling the bucket up with water, I felt a gazeing from behind me, so I spun around to see my stepmother''s frustrated face and Sebastian, whose eyes are wide open in shock.


    "May I help him carry it, ma''am?" Sebastian asked.


    At his unusually strong tone, my stepmother gritted her teeth. "...Do as you please!"


    In hysterics, she stomped back into the mansion. What an annoying woman.


    "Young Grey, my deepest apologies," Sebastian said.


    "It''s fine. No big deal."


    As a result of my Strength stat rising to F, I won''t even break a sweat doing a task like this.


    Besides, I feel like I''ve gone through hazing of a simr level back on Earth... I think. I can only piece out a little, so I''m not too confident.


    From then on, I took it upon myself to draw the water. In the end, it didn''t feel right to not contribute anything, so it all worked out perfectly, except I had actually created another problem.


    It was that.


    "Hurry up!" my stepmother yelled in her uniquely hysterical way. She knit her eyebrows at the sight of a young girl with zing red hair who was drawing water while sweating buckets. No, to say she was drawing water isn''t quite correct; she hasn''t raised the bucket in quite a while.


    My stepmother was a sadist with a screw loose, who couldn''t live without seeing someone suffering at least once a day. She knew that no matter what she ordered I would do it without fail, so she then made this young girl her outlet for relieving stress.


    The girl, Sate, had an especially candid personality and would often talk back, leading to more harassment.


    "Grey''s only eight but he can do it. There''s no way you can''t do it if you''re ten!" she shouted.


    What a ridiculous line of thought. Making a child draw water itself is already abnormal. In that case, why don''t you, an adult, do it yourself, I thought to say.


    Sate desperately tried to raise the bucket of water as she held back tears. I think it''s about time for an adult to step up.


    As I began to step forward, a hand grasped my shoulder from behind. I turned back to see a grim-faced Sebastian standing stock-still.


    "I''ll go. If you went it would have the opposite effect," he said.


    That''s true. The fact that her stress originates from me is immutable.


    "If you would," I said.


    Sebastian raised his lips into a smile and approached my stepmother and bowed elegantly. "The tea is ready, ma''am. There''s also the snacks that were souvenirs from the capital."


    Snacks from the capital, though. The Mirds aren''t rich by any means, but they still spend their money so frivolously?


    "I see. Thanks," she smiled, but soon after turned back and yelled, "You better draw the water properly!" before stomping back to the mansion.


    Seriously, she''s the worst. Going from what I eavesdropped off the servants, her audacity stemmed from Aqua not being here. After all, despite possessing unparalleled genius, she was so upright I could barely believe she was even rted to everyone else.


    My stepmother would start taking notice of me if she found out that Sebastian had been helping me behind-the-scenes. He''s really helpful. Actually, if he weren''t here the Mirds would fall from nobility in seconds. Honestly, I don''t care what happens to my dumpster pile of a family, but I do owe Aqua; I''ll be troubled if I don''t help her be a properdy by the time she gets married.


    "Switch with me," I said. Without waiting for her response, I began to raise the bucket. Together with Sate, we carried the bucket of water back to the kitchen.


    "Here you go. It''s the bucket of water and today''s ingredients," I said to the servant.


    "My! Thank you as always, young Grey," he replied.


    The servant, Dom, was a bearded man who was the sole chef for the family. He happily epted the bucket of water.


    "Ah, today was Sate''s turn, though. You should be thanking her instead," I said.


    "Again? That shitty old hag," Dom cursed.


    Arge vein popped on his forehead as he spat out his resentment. I really hope this guy doesn''t get fired.


    Well, he does have to make something edible out of those crap ingredients. He''s definitely skilled and probably never will have to worry about food. In fact, I''m confused as to why someone of his caliber even works for such a poor family.


    "Can you make something for her to eat?" I asked the cook.


    "Sure thing. Leave it to me!"


    He gave me a thumbs up and quickly began frying up the bird meat I had brought back.


    "Thank you," Sate whispered.


    As I left the kitchen, I felt like I heard Sate saying something.


    This time, due to Sebastian''s quick-wittedness, nothing bad happened, but my stepmother''s harassment would continue. In that case, I should end the source of the problem.


    Fortunately, a rumor that that man hade to Mirage this morning floated around.


    "Amazing..." Giresse muttered annoyedly as I stacked up a mountain of magic stones as well as other materials and ingredients. I probably shouldn''t tell him that this was less than 1% of what I had stored.


    Giresse also had his own item box, so this amount should be fine.


    "I''ve got some things to buy this time. Also, if you know a skilled craftsman I''d like them to make something for me," I began.


    I wanted parchment, arge amount of salt, and a book rted to grimoires I had asked about before.


    Salt, well, I just can''t bear these tasteless meals anymore, especially since I have so many ingredients. Giresse has visited many other locations, so he should have ess to an enormous amount of salt.


    "Okay. Let me see," he said as he began looking through my stuff.


    I waited a bit, but then his face darkened.


    "Is something the matter?" I asked.


    "Everything''s so...fresh. Like you just prepared it."


    "Well of course. Anything inside my item box is frozen in time."


    "Haha...you''re quite theedian, Grey-kun," heughed dryly.


    I tilted my neck in confusion. "Uh, that wasn''t a joke...it''s true."


    "......"


    His face twitched. Crouching, Giresse clutched his head and groaned, reviving after swaying to-and-fro for a bit. "A-are you even aware how valuable that kind of ability is?"


    "It is quite handy," I admitted.


    I''m quite familiar with how convenient it is. Still, I don''t even have a clue on the scientific basis of its makings, and no matter how valuable it is, it''s not like I can reproduce it. There''s not much value in powers or skills that only I can wield.


    At best, I could pull out a hot-''n-ready soup, assuming I had properly stored it beforehand.


    Giresse nted his face in his hands and heaved arge sigh. "You know, us merchants would pay an arm and a leg if we could get that kind of power. You''re basically a walking shop---your presence alone is sufficient to get money flowing.


    "I never thought about it that way."


    "It''s true. Hey, Grey-kun. Won''t youe to Straheim?"


    "Right now?"


    "Ah, I heard about your situation from the vigers. If you ask now I think they should let you go easily."


    Leaving now, huh. I never considered that. Giresse seems to think my family doesn''t want me to leave or something. Well, knowing my stepmother that would never happen.


    "At the moment I do have a reason I can''t leave right now. I''ll think about it until youe back in four months. Is that okay with you?" I said.


    I can''t leave Sate alone to fend for herself, regardless of how good our rtionship is. An adult should never abandon a child.


    "I see... I was probably rushing things a bit. Still, you shouldn''t be in a ce like this. Pleasee to our business in Straheim," Giresse said.


    "I''d love toe when the time is right."


    Certainly, if I could fix Sate''s situation that seemed like the next step.


    My sales totaled 633 gold. With 300 gold I bought all the salt and pepper Giresse had on hand.


    Normally, you can''t buy a merchant''s salt and pepper that they n to sell somewhere else. But because I had sold Giresse arge amount of fresh meat and ingredients, I was given an exception.


    Giresse''s bag has the capability to store a lot of things and uses a ¡ºChill Stone¡»to keep its contents cold, preventing any degradation. Nothing was actually frozen in time, so he didn''t have time to go around to other viges and instead nned to head right back to Straheim.


    The day before he left, we were eating dinner at our usual spot in the first-floor cafeteria.


    I pulled out a piece of parchment that I had drawn a blueprint on and handed it to Giresse. "I''d like a good craftsman to make this. I''ll pay 200 gold. If that''s still not enough I''ll pay the difference the next time we meet."


    "What''s this?" he asked, staring intently at the blueprint.


    Normally, blueprints are very detailed. However, I couldn''t read or write, so mine consisted of just a basicyout. At home there''s not a single book. No, it''s more that there''s not a single book that I''m allowed to read. Naturally, there are none in the vige, so I haven''t even gotten a chance to learn. No matter how smart I am, impossible is impossible. Aqua would probably lend me some, but unfortunately I would soon be making my way to Straheim.


    Yesterday I had Sebastian teach me how to write numbers and units, so I was able to somehow fix up a blueprint, my stepmother none the wiser.


    "It''s an apparatus that aids in drawing water from a well. With this, even children could draw water without breaking a sweat," I exined.


    Developed in the Taisho period in Japan, this tool helped support Japanese families until wells were reced with a more sophisticated system.


    Giresse''s eyes twinkled. "Drawing water..."


    Of course. ording to Sebastian, many nobles and the wealthy used a water stone and had no need for a well. Naturally, they were consumables---water stones used in this fashion would quickly dry out, thus 99% of the empire''s citizens relied on the watering from wells. This tool should be a ground-breaking invention.


    "So if you push this rod, you can draw water? But there''s no magic tool to supply power," Giresse said.


    "It''s pressure."


    Inside the cylinder, a piston repeatedly moves up and down, drawing the water up with pressure.


    "Pressure?" Giresse asked.


    "Yes. There''s energy that''s naturally around us. The pump just makes use of it," I exined.


    "An unknown power outside of magic. Interesting. When I return to Straheim I''ll have this made immediately. It just so happens that one of my acquaintances is a skilled cksmith," Giresse said.


    "I appreciate it."


    "I''m the one who wants to thank you. I was able to have such a thrilling talk with you, after all."


    "Haha. Now, I''ll exin it so please take notes," I said. After I lightly bowed, I began exining the specifics of the¡ºHand Pump¡».


    I took a breather after I finished exining it all, when Giresse began staring at me with a serious face.


    "You mind if I ask you something?" Giresse asked.


    "Go ahead."


    "Are you really eight years old?"


    "That''s what I told you before. And if you''ve heard any rumors in the vige you should know that to be true."


    "Yes, but... That knowledge, the way you talk. Sometimes I almost trick myself into believing that I''m talking to someone older."


    Well, I am older.


    "There''s actually something I want to order for next time," I said, steering the conversation in another direction.


    Giresse leaned forward in anticipation. "What do you want?"


    "I want you toe with soy and riso. As much soy as possible, but it''s fine if you bring just a bit of riso."


    In this world, rice was called riso and soy was, well, soybeans. When I asked Dom yesterday he happily taught me this.


    Soy was a staple food in the northwest, so it should be simple enough to get. Riso was an ingredient used in the eastern side of the empire, but it should be sold at the marketce in Straheim.


    "Soy and riso, a strangebination indeed," Giresse said.


    Of course, the only people who wouldn''t think that would be fellow Japanese.


    "Maybe. Well, that''s all I want."


    "I''ll see what I can get. Now then, I pray for our mutual profit. Projet! (Cheers!)"


    "Projet! (Cheers!)" I emptied the ss of juice Giresse had given me.


    TN: "Projet!" is their word for cheers

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 5 - A Commission and a Discussion -- Giresse Carreras

    Giresse Carreras visited the man known as the number one cksmith in Straheim.


    "Oi, Giresse...Where the hell did you get this!?" the cksmith shouted, spit flying from his red face. The short, bearded man grabbed Giresse by the cor.


    He was Leroy, known to be one of the best cksmiths in Straheim.


    "An eight-year-old client of mine drew it up," Giresse said.


    If you carelessly lied to this guy, you''d definitelye to regret it---he had a way of sniffing out lies. Even if it was just for a moment, Leroy was definitely shaken up. It seems I hit the jackpot.


    "Lies! The theories behind this blueprint are the same as the ancient documents dug from the ruins," Leroy said.


    So it''s just like stuff from the ruins... I kinda felt it would be that way. Grey exined how everything worked, but I only understood one thing: the theories behind the apparatus relied solely on forces outside of magic.


    "What more can I say. It''s the truth," Giresse said.


    Leroy stared at the blueprint with eyes like saucers, letting out almost beast-like groans.


    "Bring him here..."


    "What?" Giresse said.


    "Bring him right now! He''ll get to meet with me as his reward. Until then I''m not losing a single gold!" Leroy shouted


    Well... that''s a tough one to do...


    Once he bes like this, there''s no changing his mind.


    "I understand. However, he still has some urgent business to finish up. In the meantime, what do you say we pay you uponpletion?"


    In any event, selling the ¡ºHand Pump¡»will require some paperwork. Once it''spleted, I can deliver the product to Grey and have hime back with me to Straheim. About that greedydy. If I hand over some money and only say I want Grey to apany me in my travels, she''ll surely be overjoyed and approve.


    Leeroy nodded. "Fine. When it''s done I''ll send a messenger."


    "And please keep this a secret too," Giresse added.


    The only problem left was the question of who would patent the ¡ºHand Pump¡». If the apparatus worked as Grey had exined, it would surely bring about a great change to the world. I could see a torrent of ordersing from across the empire, no, the entire world. We would be swimming in an astronomical amount of money.


    The other merchants(hyenas) in my guild would surely be eyeing this blueprint, and it would be a huge disaster if one so much as nced at the blueprint.


    "Don''t take me lightly. I''m not foolish enough to betray your trust," Leroy said, ring angrily.


    Flustered, I waved my hands in defense. "I know. I asked you to do this because I trust you."


    "Then there''s no problem," Leroy said bluntly. He then grabbed the blueprint and went back into his workshop.


    A handsome young man with blonde hair stared at the parchment that Giresse had transcribed. "You''re telling me an eight-year old child drew this up?" His usually calm face, known to be an iron mask, was warped in ecstasy.


    The young man was Straheim''s Commerce Guild''s Branch Leader, Raina Owenheim, one of the few who handled money across the world.


    "Yes. I''ve just put in an order to a cksmith friend of mine. He should contact me when he''s done," Giresse said.


    "How much will the guild get?" Raina asked.


    "30%. However, if you ept a few conditions I don''t mind boosting that up to 45%."


    With just a mere 15% lies an enormous amount of money. The following conditions were important enough for Giresse to abandon that money.


    "Name it."


    "Don''t publish the name of the inventor, Grey Mird."


    "You know it''s mandatory that we list the inventors'' names in our patent book, right?"


    "Yeah. I don''t mind if you do that once he turns 13. Until then, I''d like the guild to take care of things. Nobody will think twice about giving a special exception for this amount of money," Giresse said.


    Dealing with such vast amounts of money there was bound to be apanied by robbers, con men, and other dangers, so I wanted to stay quiet about Grey as a preventative measure.


    "In special cases like these, we need the patent office''s approval as well. You''re saying I need to get that?"


    "Yes."


    "What''s in it for me?"


    "I''ll say that you, the branch leader,missioned the production of the ¡ºHand Pump¡»from Grey Mird, with me as an intermediary.


    Branch Leader Raina was currently running to be the next Guild Leader. If he were to ept my terms, enormous amounts of money would flow into the guild. With this achievement behind his belt, Branch Leader Raina''s lead would be unshakeable.


    "Let''s talk about the specifics," Raina said.


    "Grey Mird, the inventor, would receive 50% of the royalties. I would receive 5% as the middleman, and the Commerce Guild would receive 45%. How does this sound?"


    "Honor for me and profit for you, I see. You''re shrewder than I thought. Okay, I''m in."


    "Thank you very much."


    Branch Leader Raina spread the blueprint over the table and said, "Now, the specifics."


    Two dayster, Leroy set up the ¡ºHand Pump¡»in the workshop well in the presence of the executives of the Commerce Guild.


    It was testing time.


    "Let''s start," Leroy said, and with a simple movement of the handle, a burst of water surged out of the thin pipe.


    The executives raised their voices in admiration and apuded in unison.


    "Just amazing. It''s a revolution in the way we draw water, Giresse-kun," Raina said with a refreshing smile as he heaped on the praise.


    "Thank you very much," Giresse said.


    One executive smiled. "The Commerce Guild will profit greatly off of this."


    "Congrattions. So about keeping his name a secret, " Leroy said.


    "Don''t worry, it won''t leave this room," another replied.


    The Commerce Guild''s patent office has a few who are quite stubborn and inflexible. They won''t make any hasty decisions just because profit would follow. The executives would probably have to use a bit of force.


    Still, everything went without a hitch. Next was---.


    "Remember to keep your promise," Leroy rushed into the workshop, still in high spirits.


    "Of course. Make twoplete sets as soon as possible. I will definitely bring him to Straheim," Giresse said.


    "Yeah!"


    Giresse left to the marketce to gather the ingredients Grey had asked for.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 6 - A Meeting Between Servants

    Three weeks have passed.


    Recently, I''ve been eating with the servants. After all, my stepmother ordered me to. It seemed she wanted to treat me as one of them by surrounding my meals with servants. Naturally, it came as a blessing to me, and I had been giving ingredients to Dom to cook for all of us to eat together.


    ording to Giresse, these ingredients were considerably high quality, and I''ve beenvishly using salt and pepper. Honestly, it''s the first time since I reincarnated that I enjoyed the food.


    "Grey-sama, it''s delicious," Sate said as she happily bit into the meat. The other servants nodded vigorously.


    "Yeah, if the meat is high-quality, just sprinkling salt and pepper on top makes it delectable." I replied.


    "Young master, the amount and quality of this meat is already on the level that a hunter would get. No, it''s even better!" Dom said as he drank the soup, unusually excited.


    Recently, when Dom and I are free, we''ve been testing out various recipes.


    "Well, my bow skills have gotten better." I said.


    "I wish I could let my parents eat this kind of food!" a servant said.


    At his words, a shadow fell over everyone''s faces.


    The Mird territory was poor. Reason being they didn''t practice animal husbandry and the produce they got was limited. Rye was their staple ingredient, and they made meals by adding wild nts and any meat they could find on the mountains.


    Simply put, they were living a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.


    "If you don''t have any agricultural systems set in ce, your lifestyles probably won''t improve," I said.


    "Agricultural systems?" a servant asked.


    "Ah, you can''t rely on the unexpected nature of hunting and gathering. In the first ce, hunting meat relies on the hunter''s skill, and gathering wild nts relies on the gatherer to distinguish edible from inedible. That''s why you''ll never be able to know how much food you''ll get."


    "Then what would you propose instead, young master?" Sebastian asked. It was a rare act for someone so taciturn.


    "Let me ask you this instead: why do you think this territory is poor?" I said.


    "Isn''t it because thend is barren every third year we experience a severe dip in the amount of food we can gather?" a servant answered.


    "Exactly. The climate is dry around here, so the ground''s retention rate of water is remarkably low," I exined. "There''s no way you could grow crops here. And since you can''t grow crops, you have no feed for livestock. It''s truly a downward spiral."


    "But there''s nothing we can do about that..." another murmured.


    "That''s not true. If thend is barren then make it fertile. First, you buy livestock. Then, you nt a pasture filled with clovers and other nts."


    "What are clovers?"


    "nts simr to soybeans, I mean soy. You can use soy if you want too. These types of nts have bacteria in their roots that absorbrge amounts of nitrogen to synthesize protein, which helps thend. The nts are also filled with protein, so you can fatten up your livestock with them," I exined.


    Right now I''m talking about the Norfolk method of fertilizing thend.


    Originally, a three-field system was used. Under this system, thend is separated into three parts. Firstly, legumes that fix nitrogen into the soil are grown. It would then(secondly) be filled with winter wheat or rye which depletes nitrogen. Andstly, it would be used as grazingnd for livestock, which required thend to be left fallow.


    The Norfolk method was more efficient by using a four-field system that didn''t require leaving an entire plot ofnd fallow. This was, in a way, revolutionary. I mean just look at Europe. When they used this method, their poption began to explode.[1]</a>


    Everyone was staring at me but Sate looked a bit bored.


    That might have been a bit too difficult to understand. Originally, this knowledge came about after millions starved to death. There''s no way they could understand this. I should change topics.


    "Grey-sama, please continue," Sebastian said.


    "Uh, sure."


    I nodded at Sebastian''s words which ignored what I had just thought, and I continued.


    "The livestock''s excrement can be directly used as fertilizer. It would increase the yield, ripen the clovers, and the amount of livestock would increase.


    Once one would have achieved all that, the rest is easy. You can cultivate rice, wheat, and other crops. Then, you prepare for winter by stocking up. Potatoes are optimal for this because they store for a long time and have a high yield in proportion to how muchnd is used."


    "Where did you learn this, Grey-sama?" Sebastian asked, his mouth agape.


    "Uh, I just read a book I bought off of that merchant who rarelyes. I mean, I''ve been earning money off of my hunting you know."


    I merely came to recognize the usefulness of legumes. Unless you were some weirdo who loved destruction, anyone who knew this would try to implement it. Basically, the Norfolk method hasn''t been invented yet in this world. I think I spoke too much.


    "I see..." Sebastian said, closing his mouth in deep thought.


    I then changed the topic to food and said, "Let''s eat."


    [1] The author did a really bad job of exining the Norfolk and Three-field method. My "trantion" is more of me writing down what the methods actually are, instead of tranting the author''s attempt. For more info, check out the following two pages (they''re short).


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-field_system</a>


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_four-course_system</a>

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 6.5 - A Monster of Times --- Sebastian

    The Mird territory was one of the few ces in the Archive Empire where the poorpeted with each other. Thend itself was over two times the size of many others, but it was an infertilend. The climate fluctuated erratically, which made growing rye difficult. Even if it did grow, the yield was low, so many starved.


    Sebastian was born to a family who served the Mirds who governed those swimming in poverty for many generations


    Certainly, thend was poor when Sebastian was a child. But the previous head ved away for the citizens, refusing to partake in any luxuries. Sebastian believed that mindset had been transferred down to the current head.


    However, when the current head weed his wife from a family of barons down south, the average citizen''s life turned on its head. More specifically, the moment the previous head passed away, that vixen showed her true colors.


    She immediately drew closer to the head and began taking a cut from the taxes, soon engaging in every luxury imaginable. Ever since then, life was hell.


    When people were forced to cough up everything down to theirst reserves, there was no option left but to starve. Sebastian had heard that people had already begun dying in every vige besides Mirage. Despite this, the head didn''t lift a single finger.


    The wise eldest son, Thomas, was banished to a government official post in a provincial city for the absurd reason that his magic was below average, losing his status as the next heir.


    The second son, young Cliff, certainly wielded powerful magic and possessed great talent in the field. However, hecked a vital skill that all rulers should possess--empathy. Sebastian did pity Cliff, as he was raised that way by that woman, but he didn''t even dream of considering Cliff as his master.


    On the other hand, Lady Aqua was even wiser than Thomas and held a strong sense of justice. That unbending will of hers reminded him of the previous head.


    But it wasn''t to be. In the empire, the rite of session fell to men and men alone. In the case that a family had only girls, it wasmon to take in a son-inw from another noble. Also, Lady Aqua was the second daughter. Her rank was even lower than the first daughter, Lady Linda, who blindly followed that vixen''s every word. Even if young Cliff lost his rite of session for some reason or another, the next head would be some son-inw. It was clear to see that he would be hand-picked by that woman as well. It was unthinkable he would manage thend appropriately.


    For better or worse, those in the Mird territory were conservative.


    The vige heads would definitely support Cliff because of his talent in magic, even if they knew he was just that woman''s puppet.


    Once Sebastian resigned himself to this bleak future, he began to see a ray of hope.


    That hope was Grey Mird, born from Viscount Maguire''s daughter. He received plenty of love from his mother, but the church recorded him as having the lowest amount of magic to date. The Maguires, caught in a feud for session, found this fortunate and forcefully separated mother and child. Thus, young Grey became a Mird.


    Young Grey, however, was a strange one. He didn''t budge from that woman''s harassment, and even extended a helping hand towards the servants.


    The servants were afraid of Cliff and that woman''s harassment extending to them as well, so they kept their distance from young Grey. Moreover, among the servants, there were many who came from poor families, and whose remittance was the only thing keeping their family afloat. That''s why they couldn''t fall under that woman''s scrutiny.


    That too changed after they saved Grey fromdy Linda and that woman''s bullying. As a reward, they were treated to delicious food and began to change little by little. Now, all the servants, Sebastian included, trusted Grey. You could even say that Dom had be Grey''s adherent.


    Within the Mird family, this young child had extreme benevolence. Still, you couldn''t change this rottennd with just benevolence. At the very least you needed at least as much wit as the previous head. Sebastian, who had keen insight into these sorts of things, continued to watch over Grey.


    The results were astounding.


    First, Grey''s body strength far exceeded us adults. He easily lifted a bucket full of water with just a single hand. It wasn''t the type of strength you would see from an eight-year-old.


    Second, Grey could actually use magic, much to my surprise. He seemed to be hiding it, but Sebastian had heard from several hunters that they sighted Grey manipting wind to hunt wild birds and rabbits and drain them of their blood. When he manipted the wind, he did so without a single word, as if the wind were just an extension of his body. Chant revocation was known as something only first-rate magicians employed in the royal court could do, although that was probably just them exaggerating. Still, he must have quite the talent in magic.


    Third, the rumors of his banter with the merchant in The Ripple. Sebastian knew the shopkeeper since they were kids, and they often exchanged pleasantries over drinks. ording to his info, Grey was dealing with the merchant in sums in the millions.


    Additionally, after hearing about Grey''s ideas on agricultural reform, Sebastian realized he had made a huge misunderstanding.


    --Grey couldn''t even bepared to the previous head. He was a monster of times, born from these hopeless times.


    Amongst those in the Mird territory, the only one who knew Grey well was Sebastian. Previously, Grey''s chances of bing the next head were microscopic.


    Naturally, he faced that woman''s opposition and had to persuade the other candidates if he were to have any chance. Additionally, if the Maguires on his mother''s side learned of his genius, they would immediately n to take him back in. The possibility wasn''t just low, it was so low you might as well just say it was impossible. But in order to save the people from copse, Sebastian had no choice but to bet everything on Grey.


    Sebastian came alive, a fire burning in his eyes where before only despair lived.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 7 - The First Robbery

    "Grey, leave for Straheim with that merchant and one servant," my stepmother happilymanded. Judging from her mood, Giresse had probably handed her quite the sum of money.


    Giresse had visitedst night, asking to meet with the head and my stepmother, after which she handed down this order.


    For some reason, my father fiercely rejected the idea of me traveling to Straheim. However, he couldn''t go against my stepmother, so he eventually prevailed after adding on the condition that I return in three weeks.


    I followed after Giresse and left the mansion, where we saw a crowd gathering around the well in the middle of the streets.


    "Amazing..." someone muttered.


    Everyone had their sight stolen by the water rushing out.


    I set that up for free, you know.


    "..."


    It wasn''t that I was trying to show off, or anything. As long as it was set up in the mansion I didn''t really care.


    "Grey-samaa!" a young girl in a maid outfit yelled. Standing in front of the carriage, her face was full of smiles.


    So the servant was Sate. My stepmother did always drive out anyone she didn''t like at the first opportunity. Well that''s how it is. Still, I could freely go to Straheim so it''s a bit bittersweet.


    "Fumyuu, Grey-samaa," Sate purred, clinging to the back of my neck. She''s be quite attached to me after the incident at that well. Now, she was calling herself, ¡ºGrey''s Personal Maid¡».


    "You''re so popr, Grey-kun," Giresse teased


    "Listen here," I said.


    "Well, don''t be so embarrassed. Now, we''re running short on time so let''s depart immediately."


    "Yeah sure." I nudged Sate off of me and climbed into the carriage.


    "I''m d everything went well in the end. To think that Baron Rais would be so opposed," Giresse said.


    "I was surprised as well," I agreed.


    I couldn''t figure out his reasoning, but he was the kind of guy who wouldn''t lift a single finger to my stepmother''s abuse. It was probably along some vein of self-protection.


    "But now we have to n for what''s toe," Giresse said.


    "Probably."


    They might have felt something was off. If so, it would be much more difficult to leave the family once I turned 13.


    In any event, I absolutely refuse to be pushed around by that stepmother of mine, Cliff, and Linda for the rest of my life. If they didn''t allow me to leave the family, I''d flee the empire.


    "By the way, that ¡ºHand Pump¡»has had quite the effect," Giresse said.


    "I''m d," I replied.


    Sate lurched forward, beaming. "Grey-sama, were you one who created that device!?"


    "No, I just put forth the ns. Also, Sate. You can''t tell this to anyone, okay. You too, Sebastian and Dom. Got it?"


    "Yes!!" they replied.


    After that event, Sate began to follow my orders pretty obediently. She shouldn''t spill anything no matter what happens.


    "You''re really amazing. So amazing that I need to know... where did you get this knowledge?" Giresse asked.


    Giresse''s smile changed after throwing out those honeyed words. That was probably what he really wanted to know.


    That was something I didn''t want to touch on, however. Giresse was someone who I wanted to do business with going forward, so I had to make things clear. In the end, Giresse was just a youngster trying to appear smart from my point of view, so it should be easy.


    "Who knows? But what I do know is that this information brings profit. Should I beat this into your head likest time or should I make you experience it with your body?" I threatened.


    Because of my sudden shift in tone, Giresse gulped in response. As I thought, just a youngster. You''re supposed to keep a poker face.


    "S-sorry," Giresse said.


    "Let''s see, let me correct your thinking. Do you understand the importance of the ¡ºHand Pump¡»?" I asked.


    If he thought its only use was to draw water from a well, he was fundamentally mistaken.


    "The importance of the ¡ºHand Pump¡»..." Giresse trailed off in thought with his hand ced on his jaw.


    "What can it do other than draw water from a well?" I hinted.


    Hm. This could make for an interesting thought experiment if I included Sate as well.


    "It''s a device that draws water from the well. Consider this. What else can it do?" I asked Sate.


    "Umm......" Sate groaned, folding her arms. She was imitating Dom, but it wasn''t a good imitation by any means of the imagination.


    "What about the functions of the device?"


    "Functions? It draws water from the well?" she replied.


    I see, they''re thinking too much about the "well" so they can''t grasp such a simple thing.


    "Detach yourself from the concept of a well."


    "You can bring water from a low ce to a higher ce," Sate said.


    As I thought, children are more flexible in their thinking. They don''t have any preconceptions, so they can reach this conclusion much more easily.


    "Bring water to a higher ce..." Giresse said. His face paled and then suddenly flushed. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he stared nkly at Sate.


    "Hahaa! I''m an idiot! Why didn''t I realize such a simple thing!? This is amazing!" he eximed.


    That''s right. The importance of the device is that it can bring water from a low ce to a higher ce. In short, it''s pumping water. It''s manual, of course, so there were a few tricks I needed to apply.


    With this technology, you can bring about water''s blessing to thend where water doesn''t flow. As a result, you can supply plenty of water to the barrennd and farnd that''s scattered about the Mird territory.


    "It seems you understand now," I said.


    I should probably go back to acting like a child. This is my gift to him in exchange for not letting him pry deeper into my matters. I have no intention to concern myself with any idiot who can''t understand that. If he still tries to pry deeper, then I''ll cut ties with him when the time is right.


    "Ah, truly, you are an amazing guy." Giresse said.


    In response, Sate puffed her chest out in pride. No, why are you so proud of that?


    Suddenly, the carriage grinded to a halt. ording to Giresse this trip should have taken about a week, and yet not even a few hours had passed.


    Oh, right. I''ve had Analyze Environment turned off this whole time. Let''s turn it on and look around.


    There was an armed band of people surrounding the carriage. Bandits and thieves, huh. About 10 people. Their entire bodies were covered in cloth so I couldn''t say for certain but guessing from their physiques they were children of about 14, 15 years old.


    Although they were children, each and every one was decently powerful. The leader-looking guy in the back especially.


    Judo


    Status


    HP: F (18/100%)


    MP: G (1/100%)


    Strength: F (74/100%)


    Endurance: F (34/100%)


    Magic: G- (4/100%)


    Magical Endurance: G- (22/100%)


    Agility: F (8/100%)


    Luck: G- (40/100%)


    Drop: G- (10/100%)


    Wisdom: G- (9/100%)


    Growth Rate: E


    The rest of the people surrounding us averaged G+ stats as well.


    Inparison, the adventurer-like bodyguards also averaged around G+ stats. In terms of numbers, the children thieves were superior.


    Jeez, the timing of this attack is so bad it''s like they were intentionally aiming for me.


    "Giresse-san, Sate, please stay in the carriage," I said.


    "Grey...sama?" Sate said with an anxious face.


    I peeled her off of me and handed her to Giresse before exiting the carriage.


    Immediately after I exited the carriage, I casted the middle rank, wind series magic ¡ºWind Armor¡»on the adventurers, Giresse, and Sate.


    Wind armor was a spell that enveloped the body with a thinyer of wind. I tested it before, and I couldn''t even make a dent on it with my copper dagger, so it should be able to ward off bows as well. With this, nobody should die instantly.


    "Oi, young master---" one bodyguard started.


    "I will deal with them. Please be quiet," I cut him off with my right hand before facing towards the thieves. "What''s your objective?"


    Two in the front and one on each side. Two archers on standby with bows ready. I''ve got them captured; I can immediately dice them to pieces if I choose to.


    "Leave your money and food. If you do as I say, nobody will get hurt," Judo said. He was wearing a tea-colored robe thatpletely shrouded his face, which was wrapped in white cloth that made him look like a mummy. Since he''s covering his appearance, he most likely intends to let us go. And that voice. He''s definitely not an adult.


    Hm, I''ve gotten a bit interested in this.


    "How much?" I answered.


    "There''s no point talking to a kid. Bring out the owner of that merchant van."


    A kid, you say. You guys are kids as well. Also, merchant van? Are they talking about a merchant''s caravan?


    "I''m representing the owner right now. I''ll do the talking."


    "100 gold,(1 mil copper)" Judo demanded.


    "Oh, is that amount good enough?" I said as I took out a pouch full of 100 gold and threw it to the ground. "You can confirm it."


    One person carefully picked up the bag and checked its contents, when his eyes widened in surprise.


    "H-hey, there''s really a hundred gold in here."


    "You''ve confirmed it. Now let''s start the transaction," I said.


    "Transaction?"


    "Of course. What kind of idiot would give out this much for free?"


    Perplexed, the thieves (bandits?) look at each other.


    "Nii-chan, we''ve got no need to talk with this crazy brat. Let''s hurry up and run with the money!" a female thief advised.


    "I didn''t expect to be called a crazy brat. Well, if you''re not going to ept the transaction, then leave the money on the ground. If you run away with the money, I''ll consider you all simple thieves.


    I''ve got no interest in robbers, regardless of who they are. Still, considering how unfair this world is, I''m a bit cautious of immediately eliminating them. It''d be a waste if there were anyone among them that could stimte my brain. However, if they were just thieves, I''d turn them in without further thought.


    "Like you even worked for that money!" she yelled.


    "Even if that were true, it''s still my money. What does that have to do with this transaction?"


    "It''s a matter of trust. If that money isn''t yours, we''d be turned in as thieves anyways," Judo exined in her stead.


    "Hm, that''s true."


    There''s a lot of ws in that argument, but they do indeed have a point. Trust is very crucial when doing business.


    "Can I add something?"


    Before we do any transactions, there''s something I want to know.


    "What?"


    "What will you guys do if the transaction goes south? There''s women and nonbatants in this carriage. Are you going to rape and kill them?"


    "As I''ve said before. There''s no danger to those who don''t resist; we''re not that low, you can return unharmed."


    I''ve got noints about that. My curiosity is sated.


    "Okay. Then I''ll give you something to trust."


    I locked on to every tree within a five-meter radius of the carriage with Analyze Environment.


    With a snap, every tree around us turned to pieces in an instant and fell to the ground. This was the power of the high rank master ss magic, ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿.


    "Wha-?" one thief said, whereas another one began screaming in fear.


    Some couldn''t stand anymore and fell to the floor. Others cradled their head and shivered in fear. Judo, however, stood stock still, albeit his legs were slightly trembling.


    "Now. Do you understand what I mean by transaction now?" I asked.


    "I understand down to my very bones," he nodded as he began to sweat like a pig.


    "So are you more open to the idea now? If not, leave the money and get out of my sight. There''s no second chance; you''re dead the next time I see you.


    Judo folded his arms and looked to the heavens. "I''ll do it," he squeezed out between gritted teeth.


    "Are you insane!? This guy''s not human! He''s a monster wearing the skin of a kid you know!?" the girl who looked like his sister said, grabbing his cor and shaking him.


    "Either way, if we don''t have this money we''ll starve to death. We can''t go back anymore. Didn''t we steel ourselvesst night?" Judo said. The girl could only stay silent in response. She released her grip on Judo and fell to the floor powerlessly.


    "It seems you''vee to a conclusion. For the specifics... Giresse-san, could you serve as a mediator?"


    "You''re so..." Giresse trailed off.


    I turned around and shrugged at him. Among everyone, he was the only one who had seen my magic before and thus wasn''t that surprised.


    "So you''re from the vige, Tote......" I noted. From what Judo said, I wasn''t entirely uninvolved. Rather, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that my parents were the cause of their peril.


    Tote was a vige located in the northwestern reaches of the Mird territory. It was a prime location for monsters to attack. Moreover, the tax levied on them was exactly 50%, yet the Mirds didn''t care at all.


    This year, there were several people who sustained heavy wounds for the goblin assault, which limited the amount of people who could do field work. In addition, the goblins burned many rye fields, destroying a third of the fields in their assault. The vigers, knowing that they wouldn''t make it through winter, pleaded for a tax reduction and sought to talk directly to the Mird head, but they were refused.


    They then turned to appeal towards the decision-makingmittee of elders which was located in the empire''s capital, but there too they were refused. So knowing that many were soon to starve to death, they talked among themselvesst night and decided to steal money and goods. It was a hopeless situation.


    "Grey-sama......" Sate smiled bitterly, pulling on my sleeve. To calm her down, I caressed her head.


    Now, what should I do...?


    They weren''t people I could associate with if I wanted to leave the Mird family safely. But, I already boasted about the transaction and all, so there was no way I could stop everything now. That''s what being a member of society was about.


    "Wait a minute. You''re named Grey?" Judo''s sister pitched forward and asked. Well, they''d find out even if I tried to hide it.


    "Yes. I am Grey Mird, the Mird head''s son."


    "Don''t fuck with me. So you''re saying that money was wrung out of us!!?" she yelled.


    Other than Judo, all the other thieves looked at me with hatred in their eyes.


    "Grey-kun, you have no need to deal with these rude idiots. They deserve a pitiful death," Giresse said in an unusual outburst of rage.


    "The hell!!!?" Judo''s sister raged as her hand gripped the handle of her sword.


    Certainly, I can more than understand their pain as someone who faced my stepmother''s hindrance at every step. Still, there''s a line that should never be crossed, and those who cross that line can''t be helped anymore. Or at least that''s how I feel. So if she decides to draw her sword, then we''re done.


    "Stop it!" Judo yelled.


    "Why!? He''s a son from the Mird family, right!?" his sister pleaded. "That money was also---"


    "I also think there''s no need to help such rude people!" Sate added coldly. Her gaze dropped, tears pooling in her eyes as she trembled in rage.


    "Kids need to shut up!"


    "I will not. Especially when you don''t know a single thing about how much abuse Grey-sama received in that mansion!!" Sate stood up and said with tears in her eyes, her voice much louder than before.


    "Being Mird citizens, shouldn''t you have least heard a rumor or two? He is Grey Mird, the son-inw of that greedy and ill-natured woman; he''s basically just a stranger in her eyes. You think she''d give a mere stranger a hundred gold?" Giresse added.


    "Then where did that moneye from!?" Judo''s sister demanded.


    "That money resulted from trading with me. He earned it himself."


    "What? There''s no way a child could earn a sum asrge as a hundred gold!!"


    "That''s why you''re stupid. Especially after spouting such vulgarity despite seeing that disy of power," Giresse said, forcing them to swallow their own words. "You guys are thieves who tried to steal our money and goods---the enemy of us merchants. Originally you would be hanged. Despite this fact, you would dare to call him a thief? Ridiculous."


    "That''s right! It''s ridiculous!" Sate chimed in.


    The other adventurers just looked on in bewilderment. The conversation had gone so off the rails they couldn''t even follow it anymore.


    "I''m very sorry. It''s just that we were attacked by goblins and have nothing left now. Please understand." Jude said.


    "Understand? Understand what? Don''t me everything on your own misfortune!" Giresse raged.


    "Giresse-san?" I asked.


    After a short while, he stiffened up.


    "My bad. I got a bit carried away there."


    "I don''t mind. Now, what should we do... "


    The simple-minded Tote vigers who up until now were warped in rage finally cooled down. As if they finally realized what position they were in, blood drained from their faces and they hung their heads in shame. They would have normally been hanged, after all.


    However, if I turned them in, there was a possibility that soon orter my father and stepmother would get word, so I couldn''t risk that.


    Moreover, every one of them was underage. ming everything on your own misfortune was amon thing that children did. I wasn''t so childish that I would fault every little mistake a child made.


    "I''ll return the money. I''m sorry," Judo said, snatching the pouch from another before handing it to me.


    Goddammit. That''s why I hate children. I couldn''t read what they would do next, almost as if they were aliens.


    "If we don''t have that money---," one thief cried. In response, Judo stood his ground.


    "Sit down," I quietlymanded, spitting out a sigh. Despite that, Jude still began to leave the carriage.


    "I said sit down!!" My voice shook the carriage, and the attackers cowered in fear. Judo, as well, stopped in ce. "You shouldn''t be so insulting as to throw away a deal that was as good as done. Sit down."


    Their imprudence was probably the result of theirck of education, rather than their young age. How annoying, I''ll have to fix that going forward.


    "I''ll give you a path where you can live. But before that, there''s a few conditions you must follow."


    "W-what conditions?" the once raging sister asked fearfully. Her temper had flipped on its head, which made me want to ask her why she was so scared now. As I said, I can''t understand how children think.


    "Once I turn 13, I''m leaving thisnd. You can''t say a word about me until then," I said.


    "What happens if we do?" she asked pensively.


    "Once you do I will immediately disappear. Any support you had would disappear forever.


    At worst I could always flee the empire. I could also teleport back to the ¡ºAncient Forest¡», so I wasn''t that concerned.


    "Grey-samaa!" Sate yelled impatiently. On the other hand, Giresse''s reaction was theplete opposite.


    "No, that''s just one of his options. We in the Commerce Guild could also make a ce for him. At the very least, it''s much better than him disappearingpletely from this remote location. I approve of this."


    "Well I don''t!"


    "Don''t worry, Sate, if I leave I''ll be sure to take you with," I said.


    I wasn''t so stubborn that I would leave her in the hands of my stepmother. I would take her with me no matter what methods I had to use. It was my responsibility as an adult.


    "...Truly?" she asked.


    "Yeah. I promise."


    I gently caressed Sate''s head as she burst into tears and turned back towards Judo.


    "I''ll say it once more. Sit down. We can talk after that."


    After taking a few deep breaths, Judo sat down on the ground as well.


    "I understand your situation. To summarize, what you guys need is plenty of food and medical supplies, am I right?


    "Yes."


    They''ve finally calmed down. Well they wouldn''t be children if they had done so sooner.


    "How many people are in your vige. How many can''t move?"


    "There are about 3000 people in the vige. 35 people suffered injuries at the hands of the goblins and are currently recuperating."


    3000 people....That''s a lot.


    On Earth, the average person needed about 330g of carbohydrates a day. Of course, that was the optimal amount, so the amount needed to prevent starvation was bound to be lower. Still, I should at least try to give them 300g a day. So to feed 3000 people, I''d need 90kg of carbohydrates a day. There was about 60kg in a sack, so about a sack and a half per day.


    "Giresse-san, how much is a sack of rye?" I asked.


    "At the marketce you could get one for 3000 to 4000 copper. However, I could supply you one at 2500 copper."


    That would make 100 gold, or a million copper, 400 sacks. ording to my calctions, 400 sacks would feed everyone for over 260 days.


    It was plenty for an emergency.


    "Then use that gold to get 400 sacks of rye."


    "Will do." Giresse said.


    After mymand, Judo''s sister meekly handed Giresse the bag of money.


    Now I had to focus on some basic agrarian reform. The decision-makingmittee of elders supported the head of my family, aka my stepmother. If I didn''t do anything about this fact, Tote had no future.


    "Let''s see, I''ll have Judo and his sistere with me to Straheim. Everyone else should go help out the vige by hunting or something," I said. "Let''s get food to the vige as soon as possible."


    "Thank you...very much," Judo said.


    All the children bowed to me in unison.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 8 - Commerce Guild

    A long bridge spanned across the moat which surrounded the 10-meter tall ramparts around the city. Right now, we were on this bridge.


    The Labyrinth City, Straheim. It''s arge city with a poption of around 100,000---a paradise for adventurers.


    "Wow, this is quite the ce," I said.


    Since that incident, Giresse informed me that I didn''t need to keep up the childish act anymore. Apparently he found it quite disturbing to hear me talk like an actual child. I didn''t know how to feel about that, since my body was a child. I wanted to talk like one as much as I could.


    "Right?" Aaron, the leader of the adventurers, boasted. "Goods are gathered around the world into Straheim, so you''d probably have more trouble trying to find something that didn''t exist here."


    Aaron was a man with a small frame in his early thirties who looked like he hadn''t shaved in a while. After that incident, he''s be quite interested in me.


    "That''s fascinating," I said.


    Aaron shrugged, muttering, "Though it''s a shame. You have the makings for a first-rate adventurer."


    "Well adventurers have to be 13 or older. There''s nothing I can do. And with my family situation as well, I don''t want to stand out," I said.


    "That''s true. But, I''ll have my eyes on you in four years time," Aaron said.


    I shook hands with Aaron once again. "Of course. I hope I can satisfy your expectations once four years pass."


    As expected of arge city like Straheim, though, there''s people everywhere. This squalid atmosphere reminds me of Tokyo.


    The buildings were mainly two stories and built with somebination of wood and cement. At the very least, it was fundamentally different from the shacks and the rare log cabins found in Mirage.


    "I want to stop by the Commerce Guild''s meeting hall to do some paperwork first, if that''s all right," Giresse said.


    "Sure, no problem. I wanted to register apany at the Commerce Guild anyways," I replied.


    "Thanks."


    After parting with Aaron and the other bodyguards, Giresse led me to a building around the size of an elementary school building.


    Ornaments decorated a lush, red carpet, and even an amateur in the fine arts like me could tell that they were extremely valuable. Here stood the Commerce Guild''s HQ which oversaw all thepanies. Looking austere here would be setting a bad example.


    Giresse continued to lead me into a banquet hall for guests. Sate was so nervous her teeth began chattering, and the Judo siblings were ufortably ncing about every which way.


    "Wee. I am the Associate Director of Straheim''s trading firm, Ikose mo," he introduced himself.


    While ambling forward, the stout man beckoned us to sit across from him at a table in the center of the room that was covered in a white cloth once we entered the room.


    "I thought we would be talking to Branch Leader Rainer?" Giresse questioned as his displeasure was made apparent on his face. That was only natural---the person we nned on talking to wasn''t here, and instead an unknown third party butted in to our privatemunication. Anyone would believe he had some ulterior motive.


    "Rainer-dono is currently busy so I will hold this conversation in his ce," Ikose said.


    "If Branch Leader Rainer isn''t here then we''lle backter." Giresse decided. "Let''s go, Grey-kun."


    "That''s fine," I shrugged. "It''s not like I''m in a hurry."


    Truthfully, I wanted to see this farce of a meeting to its end, but in the end the result was the same, so I was fine either way.


    "I can''t have you do that," a man standing by the door interjected.


    There was another man by the door, and they both looked like bodyguards of sorts.


    Sate nervously grabbed my sleeve, and the Judo siblings moved forward as if to protect us. Hm, they''ve got the makings of a bodyguard down. This feeling isn''t so bad.


    "Ikose-san, are you serious!?" Giresse yelled.


    Ikose signaled to the chair, "Please, sit down."


    "Hm. Alright," I said.


    It''s just gotten more interesting, so I''ll do as he asks.


    "Grey-kun! We need to go now," Giresse said, slightly more forceful.


    Before sitting down in front of Ikose, who was nonchntly reclining in his chair, I whispered to Giresse, "This is for me to save face.  No need to worry."


    However, Sate continued to cling onto me and the Judo siblings stood behind me, still on alert.


    "So about the ¡ºHand Pump¡», how''s this?"


    Ikose carelessly tossed a piece of paper on the table.


    Once Giresse nced at them, his face immediately reddened as he trembled with fury.


    I took a peek, when--


    "I get 20%, Giresse gets 5%, and the guild 75%, I see......" I said.


    "That''s not what we agreed on!!" Giresse yelled, mming the table. "Does Branch Leader Rainer know of this!?"


    Ikose''s face warped into displeasure after Giresse stood up in rage. "That''s just a verbal promise. What reason is there to uphold such a promise? Especially since we''re dealing with some poor peasant of a brat who''s not even a noble."


    "You......" Giresse said.


    "Ah, that''s right. Grey-kun was actually a rank-less noble," Ikose corrected himself.


    The only one who could take on a noble''s name was the head himself. So those who failed would be rank-less nobles, sometimes called upper peasants. Giresse had exined this to me inside the carriage earlier.


    "Isn''t my peeragepletely unrted to this transaction?" I blinked.


    I shot up, disgrace and exasperation swirling around me.


    This was so interesting I couldugh, but I really couldn''t stand on the sidelines anymore---cracks were starting to form in my fiduciary rtionship with Giresse. Also, I''ve already seen through everything.


    "No good. It''s only worth 30 points."


    Ikose, who until now was the epitome of rxed, suddenly switched to a poker-face.


    "First, those two. Their acting is hriously bad; I was struggling to keep myself from bursting out inughter," I chuckled. "I mean, you guys can''t possibly be bodyguards, right?"


    Ikose asked, "Why do you think that?"


    "Well, their appearance is horrible. Who in their right mind would equip a bodyguard with such pristine armor without even a single scratch on it? At least give them some shabby clothes or something," I exined. "And unlike nobles, all the adventurers that were guarding our carriage had sword calluses. I hear that every mercenary and adventurer has some. Of course, I did consider that they could be magicians, but then why hang such heavy swords on their body? They would be needlessly encumbered."


    Grinning, the two ''bodyguards'' removed their equipment.


    "When did you notice?" the mustached ''bodyguard'' asked the obvious.


    "From the start. In the first ce, Associate Director Ikose, if you had truly believed we were below you, then why have us sit across you? It was obvious that you considered us on the same level you would any other guest." [1]</a>


    It was for times like these that I had Sebastian teach me the basics of etiquette in the empire.


    Ikose sighed as his face warped, facepalming. Giresse, who had finally realized what was happening, red at the door further inside in displeasure. "Branch Leader Rainer!!"


    "Oh man... Sorry, sorry. I wanted to know the truth about that child that you''ve been raving about," Rainer said as he entered the room,ughing without a hint of remorse all while moving to sit next to Ikose.


    "I don''t mind. It was quite interesting; the points mainly came from itsedic factor."


    "Those two are employees of ourpany," he gestured at the ''bodyguards.'' "It was too unnatural, wasn''t it?"


    "Yeah, it was terrible. Especially that, ''I can''t have you do that''. I almost lost myself there."


    "Aah! Please, no more!" the mustached ''bodyguard'' said as he scratched his body, beet-faced. "I''ll startughing too!"


    As if they couldn''t follow what was happening anymore, the Judo siblings and Sate gasped in shock as they listened in.


    "Well then, shall we start the negotiation," Rainer said.


    "Before that, Branch Leader Rainer, we''d like an apology," Giresse said.


    "Ah, sure. Okay."


    Giresse began furiously lecturing Reina, and after Ikose and the others apologized to us, we began the negotiation.


    "Firstly," Rainer began, "We, the Commerce Guild, want you to give us a monopoly on your apparatus."


    The¡ºHand Pump¡»was just a means for Sate to evade my stepmother''s harassment and just an easy way to earn some money, so I wasn''t that attached to it. I wanted to just tell him to do as he pleased, but I didn''t n on doing the same with my future ideas. It was necessary to build up a proper rtionship with them.


    "Can you be more specific?" I asked.


    "After various tests, we found that one ¡ºHand Pump¡»costs about 2000~2500 copper in materials, and if you add production, sales, and setup costs it would total about 4000~6000 copper."


    "Hm. I''m surprised. It''s cheaper than I expected."


    "Well, we have a majorpany that has been running businesses on tools, magic tools, manufacturing, and sales since long ago. So if you would allow me to brag a little, we have plenty of manufacturing technology to make something as small as a¡ºHand Pump¡».


    "Well that sounds intriguing," I mused. In that case, the sess rate of my schemes should jump up.


    "Calcting backwards from our expected profit, we''ve reached the conclusion that we will sell each one for around 40,000 to 50,000 copper," Rainer said.


    Afterparing prices for a bit, I''vee to understand that things here are about a fourth as expensive as on Earth. So, it would sell for about 160,000 to 200,000 yen, or 1600 to 2000 dors. Sounds about right. It would probably cost around that much in Japan.


    "So you would profit over 30,000 copper. That''s quite a lot. And?"


    "Yourpany would have to give up 40% of its profits as a royalty fee as is standard. Within that 40%, you, Grey Mird would receive 50%, Giresse-kun 5%, with 45%ing back to the Commerce Guild. How does that sound?"


    Thepany, which belongs to the Commerce Guild who has the monopoly rights, would sell the product in various ces. There, they would get over 30,000 copper in profit for every sale. Each store would offer 40% of their profits to the guild as royalty fee, and the rest would be their own profit.


    Then, that royalty fee would be broken down so that I receive 50%, Giresse 5%, and the remaining 45% would go back to the organization known as the Commerce Guild.


    The guild probably uses this vast amount of money to advance further into different ces around the world and set up branch stores and factories, which brings even more profit. I see, they''re an unusually intelligentpany.


    "I have no objections here," I said.


    A sigh escaped from Ikose and Rainer''s subordinates.


    Normally, only Giresse and I should have received the royalties. Giresse probably added a third party into our share of the profits in order to prevent the Mird family and other forces from intervening.


    Which is why this was going exactly as I''d hoped. They probably knew I thought this as well, but with the scale of money sorge, they couldn''t rx until the contract was secured, or something along those lines.


    "We''ve actually already had over 5500 orders in the Archive Empire, and so we''ve begun the manufacturing process, you see. Please leave it to us, we''ll sell them all."


    "Yeah, I can''t wait."


    "Then, all that''s left is your signature. Please use your thumb to stamp here and sign over here."


    Once I signed and stamped my thumb, the contract wasplete.


    "What will you name thepany?" Ikose asked. Contrary to the pressure he was giving off before, he was now very polite to me, despite the fact that I looked like just a child.


    "Please name it Sagami Co. Here''s the 100,000-copper registration fee in gold coins.


    "I humbly ept it."


    Ikose counted the gold coins as he ambled out of the room. An Associate Director normally wouldn''t do that kind of menial task, but it was probably to make up for being so rude before. His appearance really belies his true nature, which just goes to show how excellent of a merchant he is.


    "So, Grey-kun," Giresse turned and said. "What do you want to do now?"


    "I''ve finally got some people I can use, so I''d like to start a business here in Straheim," I said.


    "Hmmm," he raised his eyebrow. "What were you thinking."


    "I''d like to change the education system, but first maybe a restaurant."


    The employees would be Judo''s group. In all, 10 novices. As long as I didn''t aim for them to reach the level of a chef on Earth, they should be able to pick it up pretty quickly. And if we have seasonings, we could probably achieve the level of a home cook, which was more than plenty for this world.


    "I''d like to help as well," Rainer said, "To make up for my past discourtesy."


    If I decline him here, it''ll seem like I got too caught up in that farce. I see, so this was his aim. What a shrewd man. I nced at Giresse, but he only shrugged in response.


    "I ept your offer. Then I''ll leave securing a restaurant-like store to you," I said. "For the money---"


    "About that," Rainer cut in, "What if we take it out of your share of the 5500 ced orders?"


    We are certainly in need of food for not only the restaurant but also those in Tote.


    "Let''s go with that."


    I still want to progress the needle of civilization, but I still am shackled with the Mird family. Until I get rid of that I''ll focus on ingredients, gathering capable people, and education.


    Then, while wiping his sweat off with a cloth, Ikose brought back an iron card. "This is a Members Card for the Commerce Guild. Please show this card when doing any future transactions here."


    "Alright. Thank you very much," I said before turning around. "Let''s go, Giresse-san."


    "Yeah."


    I stood up from my seat and said, "Now then, we will take our leave."


    I bowed once and exited the meeting hall.


    [1] In Japanese culture, there''s what''s known as kamiza, or the top seat. It''s a seat of honor that''s the mostfortable, usually farthest from the door. In businesses, guests are usually given the kamiza to show that they are the most important person, simr to the English saying, "the customer is king." Ikose giving them that very seat showed that he is treating them like any other respected guest.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 9 - Another Invention

    It''s already nearing midnight and Sate is very tired, and I want to go get some rest as well, but Giresse suggested that I meet one more person beforehand.


    After I epted his request, he guided me to a dpidated workshop, where the sounds of striking metal reverberated, and the heat permeated throughout the area. Nice. They say groundbreaking inventions oftene from these kinds of ces.


    "I''ve brought him as promised, Leroy. This is Mr. Grey Mird, the one who outlined the¡ºHand Pump¡».


    The stout, bearded elderly man approached me, leering at my entire body before turning around and asked Giresse, "Did this kid really think up that magic tool?"


    A magic tool... Why does everyone in this world always use magic to exin everything?


    "I can personally guarantee that. Don''t judge him from just his appearance, he''s even craftier than me..." Giresse said, remembering our encounter at the Commerce Guild.


    Don''t feel too bad, Giresse. Even I wouldn''t lose to a youngster in his early 20''s.


    "I''m Grey Mird. Nice to meet you," I greeted.


    No matter how you looked, he''s older than I was in my past life. Manners are crucial here.


    "Name''s Leroy Roy. If you made that then that''s fine. I''ve got somethin'' to ask," the bearded middle-aged man said with gleaming eyes.


    "I don''t mind. But before that, I have an order to make," I said. "Could you please make this for me?"


    I handed out a blueprint to Leroy and Giresse. The Commerce Guild is going to outright proliferate this so, I wouldn''t even mind doing this for free.


    They received the blueprint and unrolled it before intently reading my notes.


    They''ve got quite the concentration. Especially Leroy---he''s got the eyes of a true researcher, so I can give him my trust.


    "This is an apparatus that tells the time?"


    "Yes. It''s called a clock. The first page contains a pendulum, and the second details the mechanisms behind a wristwatch," I exined.


    The most inconvenient thing since I''vee to this world is theck of clocks. Until now I''ve been counting the church''s chimes to roughly tell the time. Obviously, it''s a far cry from precise, and it''s uneptable topletely lose your sense of time if you forgot to strain your ear for the chimes at the right time. I''d lose a remarkable amount of time on future negations just waiting.


    Also, clocks were essential if you truly wanted to further civilization, so I should keep an eye on this project for at least four or five years after I start spreading it. And in the future I''ll start moving in earnest, so it was more efficient to start spreading it now.


    "T-this is amazing!!" Giresse yelled as his face flushed. Well, a merchant like Giresse probably understands the importance of a clock without any further exnations.


    On the other hand, Sate and the Judo siblings also peeked at the blueprint, but their reaction was somewhatcking.


    "Is knowing the time really that important, Boss?" Judo asked.


    "Of course! You can urately gauge the time, you know!?" Giresse answered in my stead. "Oh, how we merchants have longed for something like this!"


    "It''s as he says, Judo," I said. "Time is mankind''s greatest ally, but also his greatest enemy. If we spread the clock around the world, not only would merchants be affected, but industries, research, the military, and your private life would experience a drastic shift."


    "That''s right. There are so many business discussions that us merchants cannot afford to bete to. And while there are magic tools that can tell you if a certain amount of time has passed. But, there''s a limit to how continuously you can keep measuring the passage of time. As a result, we couldn''t schedule more than two business discussions in a single day. Business would flip on its head if the guild could get their hands on this," Giresse excitedly exined to Judo and the others who were just standing, mouth agape. Well, if Giresse wasn''t exining it to you, I''d beat that importance into you.


    Meanwhile, Leroy mumbled to the side, "Hmm, I can''t really see how..."


    I can tell because I''m simr, but he''s the type of guy who can''t put his all into something if he''s not interested in it.


    "You don''t have to think that hard about it," I began exining to Sate and the others. For example, if Leroy-san identally made the most delectable soup, you''d want to try and recreate it, right?"


    "Yeah, of course," Sate answered.


    I continued. "The ingredients and garnishes are perfect, and the seasonings and techniques are top tier. Still, you''re not sure how long to boil everything. If you don''t boil it long enough, the things will be too hard, but if you boil it for too long, it''ll burn and have a bad taste. In this situation, what if you set a timer beforehand?"


    "I see!! You can boil the soup for the perfect amount of time!!" Sate eximed. "So it''llpletely change what people consider normal!?"


    On the other hand, Leroy still stood with his arms folded, and had been quietly talking to himself. After a while, he looked up in deep thought and asked, "Who... in the world are you?"


    "Didn''t I introduce myself earlier? I''m Grey Mird."


    "That''s not what I''m talking about!"


    "Leroy-san, didn''t we promise that you wouldn''t enquire anything more than necessary?" Giresse warned with a puzzled look.


    "I know. But, no matter how many years pass, I couldn''t even begin to think up these kinds of things. And not just me. It''s probably impossible for everyone in this world!"


    "No, that''s not right," I said. "I mean just look at Giresse. With just a nce, he understands how much profit this could bring. Do you know why he still wouldn''t try to create something like this despite all that?"


    Giresse ced his hand on his chin and pondered for a while, before turning back to me, and answered, "Because you could just tell time with magic?"


    "That''s right, that''s exactly right. If we couldn''t tell time with magic, somebody would try to make a clock; that''s just human nature. Unfortunately, we can do it with magic. That''s why nobody even tried."


    "Are you denying magic?" Giresse asked. "Despite wielding such powerful magic?"


    "No, I''m not doing anything of the sort. I just want you to begin seeing the limits of magic."


    "The limits of magic, huh...I never even began to think about that..." Giresse trailed off in thought.


    Probably. That''s the curse of magic and its ubiquitous influence.


    "Magic is used by magicians. Shall we start there?" I began to exin.


    "Yeah, non-magicians basically can''t use even magic tools."


    Because I perused the magical foundations book that I had Giresse buy for me, I''ve mostlye to understand this world''s magic.


    In this world, there are two types of things that hold a mysterious power. First are magic stones like a fire stone. They have various effects and are usually excavated from mines. Second are the magic tools that are endowed with the power of magic.


    Magic tools need a magician to infuse magic inside of it every once in a while to regte it. This regtion is very difficult and absolutely impossible for anyone not a magician.


    There''s no way any nation or the Commerce Guild would just leave that kind of person alone. The magicians are sucked up byrge organizations, and your average citizen wouldn''t feel the benefits of any magic tools unless they lived in arge enough city.


    Giresse-san was a former noble and a magician, which is why he can use a magic bag.


    "Since we remain reliant on the advantages that only special people enjoy, the empire''s citizens remain poor. The fact that only a portion of people monopolize all the wealth goes against the very rules of economics---it''s unhealthy," I said.


    Economics is based on the cirction of money. Once money begins to circte, then it holds value. If a portion of people and organizations hoard all the money, the cirction stops, and we fall into a downward spiral.


    "Wait just a bit," Leroy paused. "Are you saying you can do what magic does?"


    "Well, there''s obviously things impossible without the help of magic. For example, take Giresse''s magic bag: it can''t exist without magic. But other than that small percent, it may be possible to create something not even magic can achieve."


    "That makes sense. I mean, despite straining the limits of magic, you can''t create the same effect as this ''clock''. Does that mean we magicians are going to fall out of favor?" Giresse asked with a tinge of loneliness.


    "That''s wrong. There''s a limit to magic, but that''s because it''s shackled by the fact that you need someone there in order to benefit from the magic. However, that''s probably not an absolutew."


    "Do you mean to say that even those who can''t use magic might be able to use a magic tool?"


    "Yes, this is all an experiment to achieve that."


    The magicians in this world aren''t stupid; they must have attempted to achieve this with a myriad of magic types. Regardless, the reason they haven''t produced any results with this method means that it''s impossible to do it with just magic.


    However, if webine magic with science, it might be different. At the very least, magic can do a couple of things that are impossible with just science. Then, if we fuse that theory with science, humanity might ascend one step further.


    So you could say that it is essential to develop this world''s science for that very reason.


    "That''s certainly our long-standing dream---what we thirst for."


    "This clock will probably be written in history as humanity''s first step. So Leroy, please lend me a hand." As I bowed, Sate and the others followed along and bowed as well.


    In response, Leroy bellowed inughter, before loudly ordering, "Oi, you lot. Go gather these ingredients, even if you have to rouse the merchants from their sleep! We''re gonna start smithing!" He then put on a headband and went deeper into the workshop.


    He''s a good craftsman. That kind of person who has eyes only for research is someone I desperately need. Once everything settles down, I might try inviting him to mypany.


    "Then without further ado, I will return to the Commerce Guild and start crafting up a n. This is the address of the inn. If you talk to the hostess she''ll know who you are," Giresse said, his face flushed in excitement. As he raced out, he handed me a slip of paper. I hope he doesn''t forget about the rye.


    I sighed and began to head to the address written on the paper with Sate and the Judo siblings.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 10 - Meals and Provisions

    "Boss''s food tastes better," an ikemen with long, ck hair bound in a ponytail said. This ikeman was Judo who was earnestly trying to tter me while chewing on meat.


    "Yeah! I think so too!" Ca, Judo''s sister, who had long ck hair covering half of her face, agreed with her brother.


    Yeah... the restaurant employees keep sending scary res my way thanks to thispare and contrast session.


    "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," I said.


    "What does that mean?" Sate prodded.


    "It means when you go to a new ce, it''s wise to follow their customs and methods," I exined. "So right now just enjoy your food."


    Sate beamed. "Sure!"


    "Okay," Ca said.


    While eating, Sate soon rested her head on my shoulder and fell asleep.


    "We should head to Tote tomorrow, or, at thetest, two days from now," I said, waking her up.


    "Yessir!" they cheered in unison.


    I smiled wryly before turning to face them directly. "I''ve lent you 100 gold, worth a million copper. I won''t take interest, but, let''s see, try to return it all by the time I leave Mird."


    They hung their head, but for what it''s worth they did nod in affirmation. It looked like their grim faces were trying to tell me something.


    "What?" I asked. "If you have something to say I''ll listen."


    "Grey-sama, are you really going to leave your family?" Sate asked, nervously fidgeting her hands.


    "Yeah. As you know, even though I''m a Mird, I''m an outsider. If I stayed I''d just be worked by my shitty stepmother and those under her control for the rest of my life. I wouldn''t do that even if I died."


    "B-but---" I cut Ca''s words off with a wave of my hand.


    "It''s a done deal. I have no intention of going back on my word."


    They heaved a deep sigh as if their world were ending. This is why I''m bad with children.


    "Don''t worry though. Until then, I intend to teach you all everything you''d need to survive. After that is up to you. However, I want you to promise me something."


    "Promise?" Ca asked.


    "It''s fine if you regret it. I don''t even mind if you fail. But always act with pride in yourself."


    "Okay," they nodded.


    I smiled at them before returning to the soup in front of me.


    "Ah--you''re right, this soup is too nd" Imented to nobody in particr.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The following day, I traded with Giresse to obtain 50 gold. After that, he led me to arge storehouse along the main street.


    "Grey-san, Our mo co. has gathered everything you asked for. Please wait a moment while we bring out 500 sacks of rye," Ikose courteously said as he rubbed his chin.


    "I thought I ordered 400 sacks?" I said.


    "Indeed. The extra 100 sacks represent our gratitude."


    "Well, 100 is just too---"


    It''s not that I want to reject his gratitude, but I''m already buying them for half the market price at 2000 copper a sack.


    "You''ve created a future for us merchants, so you could think of this as our investment as well," Ikose cut me off. "Please take it."


    So it''s about the clock huh... it would be quite rude to decline now.


    "Thank you very much."


    "It''s our pleasure," Ikose bowed. "We await your next visit."


    I began storing the 500 sacks of rye into my item box while thanking them and then departed from mo co. with Giresse.


    Next up is a means of recovery.


    ¡ï¡¾Middle Heal¡¿


    Ingredients: 20 Rank G+ magic stones, 100g of Fish Mint, a tuft of Ajitalis, 5 heal stones.


    Ajitalis is a drop from a Carnivore Flower that lives in the bottomless swamp in the ¡ºAncient Forest¡». The Carnivore Flower is a monster with G+ average stats with mouths that snap at you for petals. Moreover, the petals are poisonous, although I think they''re actually quite valuable.


    Next are Fish Mint and heal stones.


    Fish Mint is a medicinal nt that can be found inrge quantities all around the marketce, so I obtained it very easily.


    While I was buying that, I also acquired some honey, although it was a bit pricey. Honey can be used for its natural antibiotic properties. Of course, it isn''t as potent as an actual antibiotic, but it should be a little different.


    The problemy with the healing stones. You needed to offer quite a lot in order to get your hands on one since the Church monopolizes them. Worse, they forbade its resale, so without any other option left, I''m currently visiting the church.


    "Could I please get around 10 heal stones?" I asked a middle-aged priest. He stared all over me before heaving a sigh. I''ve got a bad feeling about this priest.


    "Heal stones are a grace from God, not a children''s toy," the priest said. "Pleasee back with your parents."


    So it came to this. In short, I need toe back with my parents and a lot of money. Sate began to pout at his statement that was almost like one used when chasing out a dog, and the Judo siblings red up.


    Please keep calm everyone. If you lose your temper here I won''t be able to buy anything.


    "My father told me to bring this," I said as I opened my bag. "Would this change your mind at all?"


    His eyes widened as his displeasure vanished into a smile.


    "Please wait a moment," the priest said as he quickly disappeared into another room.


    Heal stones were rtively cheap, as they came inrge quantities from the mines and its sales were overseen by the church. At market price, I''d say they were about 1000 copper a piece. I had taken out 10 gold, worth 100,000 copper, about 10 times the market price that the 10 heal stones I asked for would normally go for. It''s no wonder that his attitude changed so fast.


    Needless to say, the reason I overpaid so much was definitely not because of my religious credence. It''s just I knew that if I were needlessly stingy with this priest then it woulde back to bite me.


    While I was in deep thought, he jogged back and handed me a cloth bag.


    "May God bless this devout believer," he thanked(?) me before handing me the heal stones.


    After leaving the church, I began to head back to the inn, when my eyes stopped on a pink woman far away who was desperately trying to get inside her carriage. I felt a strange nostalgia, so I gazed at the person behind her, but--


    "What? These are..." I muttered as I noticed a liquid flowing down my cheeks. "Tears?"


    I''m probably tired. Intense emotions inexplicably wed at my throat as my face warped, when,


    "Grey-sama?" Sate anxiously peered at me.


    "I''m fine."


    That''s right, it''s just my imagination. As I kept telling myself that, I returned to the inn.


    And like that, I acquired my first recovery magic--¡¾Middle Heal¡¿.


    Spell Name: ¡¾Middle Heal¡¿


    Exnation: Recovery magic with an average effect


    Chant: O holy power, be the light of salvation


    Rank: High


    Proficiency: 0/100%


    It''s high rank magic. For some reason, the introductory book I bought from Giresse had no mention of recovery magic.


    It should be quite potent as it''s a high rank spell. Even though it doesn''tpletely heal a wound, I''ll see how it fares once I master it.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 11 - Rotten to the Core

    Now, let''s head to Tote.


    I beckoned Sate and the Judo siblings to my room.


    The reason I''m taking Sate with me is because she''ll go somewhere strange and end up in even more danger if I leave her behind.


    "Your only job is to stay hidden under that cloak, got it?" I said Sate.


    "Yessir!"


    I smiled bitterly as she cheerfully raised her hand in confirmation, and I teleported us all to the ce where the Judo siblings and I first met.


    Everyone restlessly looked around in shock.


    "Oi, get yourself together. Hurry up and lead us to your vige," I whispered to Judo before following him into the forest.


    "Um......what was that back there?" Judo hesitantly asked.


    "Hm?"


    "Moving us all here, I mean," he rified.


    "Ah. That was my teleportation ability."


    "Teleportation..." he muttered to himself.


    From what I heard, we will reach Tote if we follow this animal trail for about a day.


    Well, it wasn''t as if I were in a hurry or anything. Once night fell, I would return to Straheim to stay the night before heading out again.


    After about half a day of walking, the sky darkened so we teleported back to the inn and began to head deeper into the forest the next day.


    Finally, we reached Tote.


    "This is terrible......" I unwittinglymented after looking at this macabre spectacle.


    How dare my stepmother''s subordinate look at such a tragic sight and still have the nerve to tax the same amount. I''m almost impressed by how fiendish he is.


    An enormous amount of blood stained the ground as the fields zed in the distance. There were even a couple of buildingspletely destroyed by the fire.


    Numerous people probably died here.


    "First up is tending to the wounded. Guide the way." Imanded Judo.


    "Yessir!"


    Judo started leading us to the wounded after aimlessly staring at the disaster for a moment.


    Soon a couple of huts appeared into vision.


    Once we entered, the foul odor of pus immediately attacked my nose. I could tell without looking; people were rotting here. I might''ve taken this a bit too lightly.


    "Kid, who the hell are you! This isn''t a yground! Hurry up and get out!!" an elderly man with white hair yelled at me.


    "I brought someone who can help," Judo exined.


    "Help!? What can a kid like this do!!? Won''t you leave already!?"


    "Let me take a look at the wounds," I ignored the elderly man. I quickly got to my knees and began examining a nearby patient.


    "Hey! Don''t just carelessly touch them!!" he threateningly said as he grabbed my shoulder.


    "I''ll lose focus so take that old man outside; he''s a hindrance," I said to Judo.


    He nodded once in response before dragging the elderly man who was still screaming outside.


    The wounds were covered in pus and as expected, maggots followed, squirming about.


    "There''s visible mucosal pallor......dehydration and Tachypnea, shit!"


    There''s jaundice too. Probably blood poisoning and multiple organ failure. I wouldn''t be surprised if he were to die at any moment. They aren''t treating these guys; this is just a ce to keep patients before they eventually die.


    "Fuck this shit!" I cursed.


    Calm down! This isn''t like me. I have no idea what''ll happen if I were to use magic when this guy''s condition is so bad even maggots are crawling around. There''s no meaning to it if I don''t do something about them first.


    As I thought, as theory dictates, the first step to treating myiasis is to pluck out the maggots and wash the wound. I can then treat it with magic, but can magic even help blood poisoning?


    No, I can think about that after. In any event, I''ve got to do something.


    I took out an iron stove from my item box and casted into it the low rank magic, Water Bullet.


    I never thought that the cookware I''d bought just the other day for the restaurant would end uping in handy like this.


    Ca and Sate immediately paled at the sight of countless maggots squirming about.


    "Bring all the clean towels you can find!!" I shouted.


    I don''t know if they heard my voice or not, as they only shook dumbfound in response.


    "Hurry it up!!!" I yelled, after which they finally began to move unsteadily while tears streamed down their faces.


    Then, an old priestess-like woman garbed in white and red appeared with the elderly man from before and began spitting out absurdities. "The mountain gods are trying to purify them! Get away!"


    "That''s right. An outsider brat like you needs to get lost!" a man jeered as more people flowed into the room with the elderly two. They, too, began throwing out insults left and right.


    This could be called the end. It''s so hopeless I could cry.


    "Judo. If you want to help these people, hurry up and kick these dumbasses out!" I said.


    "I got it," Judo said as he turned to the crowd. "I''m sorry, but I need you to leave, granny. Hey guys! I''ll leave the rest to you!"


    At Judo''smand, the other young people began forcing out the elders through kicks and screams.


    "Boil some water on the stove and dip some cloth and that woodenb in!" I demanded.


    There wasn''t much meaning to it, but it was better than nothing.


    I lowered the pressure of Water Bullet and formed it into a thin line of water before pouring it into the wound. With a ssh, countless maggots flowed out of the wound. Good, now--.


    With the maggots on the surface washed away, Ibed out any that were hiding deeper in the wound, before washing it all once again for insurance. After repeating this process multiple times, I finally flushed out everyst maggot, then ced my palm on the patient and casted¡¾Middle Heal¡¿.


    I was able to heal about a third of the wound, and after casting it again I healed around 90% in total. It seems that this spell expends quite a lot of magic power. Currently, the wound isn''t nearly as severe as before, so if I just apply some honey and bandage the wound, it''ll heal soon enough.


    "Amazing......" Judo and the others said, dumfounded.


    "What are you guys standing around for! The cloth''s gone cold!"


    "S-sorry!"


    "Now, make sure to wash your hands well and apply that honey to any affected parts. Then, wring out the water from a cloth and use it to wrap the wound. We''re moving on to the next one. Hold steady everyone!"


    "Yessir!"


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    I copsed to the floor after we finally finished the 35th andst patient. I''d be lying if I said I could still stand. This incessant headache is probably from overusing magic. If I lost focus for even a moment I would pass out.


    With all the madness that those elders are spouting, I''m basically in enemy territory. Losing consciousness would be akin to suicide.


    But I still have things to do.


    "Are you okay, Grey-sama?" Sate asked, her face wrought with worry.


    "Yeah," I said and stood up, when,


    "Boss!" Judo and the others ran at me with tears flowing.


    "How are the patients?" I asked.


    "Everyone''splexion has improved," Ca sobbed in relief, "and their breathing has steadied as well!"


    I nodded lightly in response and from my item box I took out the rice--or riso--, meat, and wild nts I had in stock. Then, I ced them on the ground.


    I ordered Riso (rice) through Giresse this morning, so I had plenty on hand.


    "They''re still unstable, so you''ll need to feed them nutritious foods. Boil these in a pot and feed it to them. But do it slowly---one bite at a time.


    I''ve almost reached my limit. Let''s go back to the inn.


    "Sate, we''re gonna go back to the inn for a bit," I said.


    "Yessir!" she said as she jumped into my arms.


    I began to teleport but was surrounded by tens of vigers all holding hoes and swords.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" one elder demanded.


    "He''s the devil incarnate!" another elder said. "If we let him escape, disaster will be brought upon our vige!"


    The old priestess-like woman stepped out of the crowd, her eyes brimming with insanity.


    I see. It''s because of pieces of shit like her that so much misfortune has befallen the vige.


    "Devil incarnate, huh. Is that how you''ve eliminated anyone who goes against you? Old woman, what you done to the injured is a terrible sin, akin to straight-up torture," I said.


    "Stop spouting your lieees!!" she yelled.


    "We won''t be deceived, deeemon!!" the old man cried.


    At our conversation, the vigers began to look at one another. Although they were wielding weapons, none were pointed at me. The loud jeers came solely from the elders.


    "You guys can all see theirplexion, right!? The smell of pus has also disappeared! This all because this person healed them!" Judo tried to exin, but--."


    "Shut up! You ursed man! Because you summoned the devil, they''ve all been defiled. The mountain gods are probably angered. Ahhh, ahhh, no good, no good. Everyone, hurry up and kill this deeemon!" the old woman yelled in hysteria.


    I didn''t think I''d be this annoyed; these guys are even worse than some shitty thieves.


    "That''s right, kill him!" one elder ordered.


    "It''s granny''s orders!" another elder spat.


    "We need to cleanse those who learned the ck arts. Iste him at once!"


    This is bad. The patients haven''t been fully healed, and they''re still skin and bones. They probably haven''t been fed at all since they were wounded. If I leave them be, they''re sure to die.


    Now, what should I do... Even in this shitty situation, I could instantly kill everyone, but in that case I wouldn''t hold back. I''d be putting the cart before the horse if I killed even those who were forced into this, and I can''t put Sate in danger. I guess there''s no other option but to temporarily teleport back to the inn in Straheim.


    The old woman pointed her cane at me in triumph, but everyone else refused to move, just hanging their heads in silence. It looks like not everyone is crazy here.


    "What are you guys doing! Hurry up and kill him!" one elder said in exasperation.


    "Don''t fuuuck with ussss!!!" a woman thundered. That woman wasn''t a part of Judo''s group, but part of the people who were surrounding me. "You said you''d cleanse them, but all you''ve done is pray! My brother kept getting weaker until he died three days ago!"


    "What are you saying! His corrupt body certainly perished, but his soul ascended to the heavens where the mountain gods reside," the old woman said as a vein popped on her head. "That''s something to be envious of!"


    "That''s right!" an elder agreed. "If you aren''t proud of death then you''ll be divinely punished!!"


    Their shitty theories are the same in every world.


    "Hmm. If you''re so envious, then why don''t you go and visit this heaven you speak of? I''ll even help you out. Since you''re so pure, you''ll probably have no trouble reaching the heavens," I offered.


    The elders retreated a bit and formed a shield in front of the vigers. "D-don''t lose focus, my brethren! This is the devil''s cajolery!"


    "Kill him! Kill the devil!" they began to chant.


    "He certainly has a point," one viger interjected. "When the goblins attacked us, where were those in themittee of elders? Weren''t they in the backlines, pompously spouting out orders! Why do they have to purify those who risked their lives and suffered severe wounds?"


    "Yeah. They haven''t done anything for us, except order us to die for the mountain gods. I know, okay. You guys have quite the stockpile of rye, don''t you?" the woman said.


    "What? Is that true?" a viger said, dubiously.


    "It''s true. I mean, once I went to offer my prayers to my brother and brought a bunch of wild nts to the storehouse, where I found a mountain of rye," she said.


    "Oi, oi, this ain''t funny. We don''t have that kind of food to spare here!" the viger said as he reddened in anger.


    "Hey, when we tried to talk with the feudal lord, for some reason, the official who was supposed to havee from the capital had already gone back. Isn''t that weird?" a bald viger questioned.


    "That stuff doesn''t matter! Hurry up and kill that devil!" the old woman yelled with bloodshot eyes and sweat streaming down her face. I think I can see where this is going.


    Then, an aging man timidly raised his hand. "Sorry. I was too scared to say it before, but I saw it when I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night; I saw a swordsman-like man with an evil re enter granny''s house."


    "Oi, when you say a swordsman with an evil re......" a viger said.


    "Yeah, the swordsman she brought back from the capital."


    That swordsman was the shitstain of a mercenary that my stepmother brought back from the capital who had gotten violent with the servants whenever he felt like it.


    "Fuck!!" the viger yelled. A fitting response for someone who had just found a new outlet for their rage.


    In an instant, the vigers now surrounded the elders.


    "Now that I think about it, weren''t you guys the ones who were so fixated on setting the meeting on that official''sst day?" the woman, whose brother had been left to die, said. She brandished her weapon and drew closer to themittee of elders.


    "That''s enough," a voicemanded from the back. The vigers turned to see a short old man that looked like a sage and a white-haired man wearing butler-like clothes.


    "Chief!!" the vigers cried.


    "Grey-sama!" Sate shouted.


    "Haha......really?" While I was certain that things had just turned for the worse, my consciousness sank into darkness.


    Opening my eyes, I faced a sleeping child in a maid outfit who was still clinging to me.


    I turned to the nearby hearth where I found the vige chief and Sebastian.


    "How long was I out?" I asked.


    "About five hours since then." Sebastian replied.


    That was the first time I had lost consciousness like that, and it took about five hours to regain consciousness. It was probably a useful experience, er, this isn''t the time for escapism.


    "How much did you hear?" I asked.


    "The vigers told me pretty much everything," the chief said.


    "Are you going to tell my father?"


    If so, I would need to leave thisnd immediately. I''d be reluctant to just cast away Judo and his gang, but that''s fate. There''s nothing I can do; at worst, I should start thinking about fleeing to another country.


    "I won''t. By the way, young master, did you really use healing magic?"


    Well there wasn''t a point in trying to hide my magic. I should assume they''ve already sussed out that I have some type of teleportation magic just from the fact that I was able toe here.


    "I did"


    The vige chief suddenly bowed down in prayer, "Aahh! A saint!"


    Sebastian only heaved a sigh in response.


    "I need an exnation."


    "As I thought, you weren''t aware. There are only three people who can use healing magic in this empire: The Hero, the Holy Woman, and the Sage," Sebastian exined.


    "I thought I was the wicked devil?"


    "Surely you jest. Even if it was for a moment, they tried to kill the Mird head''s son. I will dispose of them."


    Scary. Sebastian probably has some hitmen or something. Well, I had a feeling he did. It''d be too difficult as an amateur himself.


    "Did they do anything else besides trying to kill me?"


    "They''re your stepmother''s spies, and it looks as though they''ve made quite a killing. Moreover, she appears to have ordered them to gather all the injured in one ce to reduce food costs, all in the name of prayer."


    They sustain injuries and lose their ability tobor, so they get culled. Basically, she never had any intention of letting anyone live. My stepmother is truly better off dead.


    "Also, could you please stop worshiping me. It honestly isn''t that great of a feeling," I frowned at the vige chief who was still bent over in prayer. Having such superstitious beliefs will only have them turned against you. Why can''t they understand that?


    "I''m very sorry, Sage-sama," the vige chief said.


    He doesn''t understand at all. Still, it''s not my hobby to get angry, and I loathe the idea of getting ced on the same level as my stepmother.


    "So? what will you do with me, Sebastian?" I turned to ask him. "I don''t have even an inkling of a desire to support my father who''s just my stepmother''s puppet. The same extends to Cliff, of course."


    "I understand. You are not a person who would work under another."


    "Meaning you silently approve of my actions?"


    "Yes. Do as you please."


    I couldn''t determine whether he was telling the truth, but at the very least I didn''t detect any hostility. Well, for now, at least.


    "What about the patients? Did you feed them?"


    The vige chief smiled at my question. "Please don''t worry. Everybody was able to eat. We''ve passed the most difficult hurdle."


    "I see. Is it alright if I sleep a bit more?"


    I''d wake Sate up if I teleported to the inn right now.


    "Sure, make yourself at home," the vige chief said.


    "Sebastian, please nurse the patients......back to health......" I said as my consciousness slowly slipped back into darkness.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 12 - The Sudden Goblin Raid

    My consciousness slowly drifted in darkness. It was a chilly, albeit nostalgic, ce.


    A quiet noise droned on where not even a single ray of light shined. Gradually, the noise got louder and louder.


    As I was shaken awake, I lifted my heavy eyelids to an ear-shatteringly loud roar.


    There, Sate sat in distress, repeatedly shaking her head while trying to wake me up.


    "What''s all this noise?" I grimaced.


    "Just earlier, the goblins attacked again," she exined.


    This is not a good time for them to havee; it probably doesn''t get more chaotic than this.


    Sebastian, who had F+ stats around the board, could probably repel the goblins without breaking a sweat, so the fact that this tumultuous situation still remains only meant one thing.


    "Sebastian isn''t here, right?"


    Sate nodded. "Yes. He arrested those bad people."


    She probably means themittee of elders. What terrible timing. At this rate, lunatics bbering about the mountain gods'' wrath would keep appearing.


    I gently patted her head as I stood up, but noticed that she waspletely pale and trembling all over.


    I see. I''ve been out so I couldn''t tell until now, but monsters are probably terrifying to a young child. It''s no wonder she''s shaking so much.


    "We''ll be alright Sate. Close your eyes for a bit."


    At the sight of Sate earnestly squeezing her eyes shut, I patted her head and teleported her to my room in the inn.


    Now, since I went out of my way to heal everybody, I couldn''t bear the thought of casualties springing up again.


    I did some stretches, but this body is extremely light. My head cleared up, and my body seems to be in perfect shape, so it''s time to hunt.


    After leaving the vige chief''s residence, I found myself in front of all the vigers.


    They seem extremely scared-- everyone was curled up like a field mouse, cowering with pale faces.


    "You''ve awoken, Saint-sama!" the vige chief jubntly shouted. At his sentence, all the vigers ced their gazes on me.


    Jeez, what are you doing, relying on a child despite being pushed so far into a corner. Instead of trembling in your boots maybe try actually doing something useful like setting up a barricade.


    "Where are the goblins?" I asked.


    "They''re at the vige gate. There are dozens of them--almost an army," one viger said.


    I started up Analyze Environment and began to look around my surroundings, where I found several goblins surrounding the vige. There were about......not tens, but over a hundred of them. Your run-of-the-mill goblins had stats averaging G+, and there didn''t seem to be any among them who could use magic. They weren''t that strong, but there were a lot, and mixed in were Goblin Leaders with stats averaging F.


    Judo and his gang were certainly strong, but they stood no chance against an army of over a hundred goblins. In fact, a few had already slipped through into the vige.


    This is a race against time. Even if I began exterminating them this instant, many would slip by, so they''ll have to stand on their own for a while.


    "All the men need to gather any nearby furniture and bring it here," Imanded. "The women should bring bows and spears."


    Once any goblins crossed the barricaded, we''d shoot them down, and the normal goblins would probably die if you shot them.


    "B-but we don''t have any experience or---" the vige chief protested weakly.


    "If you want to live, stop grumbling and just do it!!" I yelled to his idiotic statement before sprinting to the vige gate.


    Once I ran through the main street in the center of the vige, I saw a force of goblins encircling around from far away.


    Despite being small monsters, they made up quite the army as there were over a hundred of them. The young men were desperately fighting against the goblins as each sustained countless wounds. I apud their bravery, but I wasn''t so foolish as to challenge such arge army without any ns. There were more appropriate countermeasures against an enemy so simple-minded.


    Finally, Judo fell to his knees as blood streamed down his face, and countless goblins surrounded him.


    Now, they had entered my firing range, so I faced the palm of my hand at them and released a ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿.


    A goblin let out a yelp mid-swing as its arm was severed, falling to the ground.


    The goblins just gazed dumbfoundedly at his arm which was now spewing out blood like a water fountain before fissions began to appear on his body. Then, circles began rippling through those very fissions. The whirlwind diced the seven goblins who had formed a group here into pieces that scattered onto the ground.


    Witnessing this disaster, the other goblins turned tail and fled. After I reached Judo, I red at the retreating goblins before scolding, "You idiots! What are you doing, forming a rank to face arge army of goblins!"


    "S-sorry, boss. I-I......" Judo said as despair flickered through his eyes which unsettled me.


    "Ca was just captured by them!" a female friend of Judo cried as she gave me the worst news possible.


    So the goblins came intending to capture women. Whether it was to steal food or to breed, it was always to satisfy some based desire. If I didn''t hurry up and save her it''d be toote.


    "I''ll bring Ca back. You guys need to return to the vige chief''s house for now and create some obstacles to shoot behind."


    "With a bow? But if they broke past then......"


    "If they seem like they''re going to break past the obstacles then use a pike. And if they do break past, fight like there''s no tomorrow. You guys have no other option if you want to live," I bluntly said.


    If they used fire arrows when we''re holing up like this we''d be over in an instant. But as far as I could see, none of the goblins were using fire arrows or any fire magic in particr. Furthermore, the goblins'' child-like stature meant that the barricade would be quite effective and scaling over would require a lot of effort. So, if you aimed through the gaps at any scaling over with a pike, while victory wasn''t certain, you could certainly avoid defeat.


    Well, that wasn''t true if any irregrs appeared, but if we''re talking in hypotheticals the list never ends.


    Judo hung his head and bit his lower lip, before looking up and shouting, "Boss, I''ll leave Ca to you! Everyone else, we''re going to meet up with the vige chief!"


    At his words everyone began dashing back to the vige chief''s house.


    Now I can spread my wings and do as I want. I don''t have much time, so let''s just kill them.


    A goblin yelled out a war-cry as a group of around ten of them surrounded me, keeping their distance. From their bent backs, I could tell that they at least had some ability to sense danger.


    Although,


    "It''s useless," I said, before chanting¡¾Fire Pir¡¿.


    The moment I said those words, a several-meter-long me pir crashed into the three goblins in front of me from above. The smell of burnt flesh wafted through the air and the sound of evaporation crackled as dust slowly scattered to the floor.


    Next, I left forth a¡¾Fireball¡¿.


    A crimson me around a meter long spiraled straight at the goblins and evaporated their bodies in an instant.


    The goblins surrounding me shrieked in fright as they immediately began to retreat.


    Arge sword was swung down onto the fleeing goblin vanguard, beautifully dissecting him into two pieces.


    "DON''T YOU DARE RUN! OR I''LL KILL YOU!" a monster shouted.


    It was a giant monster that easily surpassed two meters in height---a rare monster known as a Goblin Leader.


    The Goblin Leader pointed his sword at me before the goblins that were just running away turned around and reluctantly followed suit.


    "Woah, so you understand humannguage?" I mused. How convenient.


    "HUMAN, YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK. MAGIC, NO WORK ON ME," the Goblin Leader triumphantly dered.


    "Then let me try it out."


    I set the alignment of¡¾Fire Pir¡¿to the Goblin Leader''s right arm.


    His Magical Endurance is F+, so certainly I might have been at a slight disadvantage before.


    "REGARDLESS OF WHAT MAGIC YOU USE, YOU CAN''T DAMAGE MY STRONG SKIN---" it boasted.


    Without waiting for him to finish, I let out a ¡¾Fire Pir¡¿.


    In an instant, the fire pir ckened its entire arm.


    It let out a scream. "M-MY ARM!!?"


    Without pause, it sank to the ground, writhing in agony.


    From what I could tell, he was a leader-ss among the goblins. Let''s make him guide me to their nest.


    However---.


    "Hm, I don''t need anyone else. I''ll cull everyone," I muttered.


    They must have understood my words, as, with a yelp, the goblins scattered in all directions in an attempt to escape from me.


    I locked on every fleeing goblin with Analyze Environment and let forth a ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿.


    A sharp cutting sound resounded through the air. Several lines ran through the over a hundred goblins as they were dissected into bits and pieces which fell to the floor.


    "......" With bated breath, the Goblin Leader, who was still on its knees, stared absentmindedly at the remains of the goblins. Its entire body was trembling.


    I slowly approached it and whispered into its ear, "Now, you big brute. Let''s y a game. I''ll count to 30, and until then I won''t chase after you. Try your best to escape from me."


    "GIGAA!!" it let out a strange shriek.


    Already having stopped speaking in humannguage, the Goblin Leader blew off the few remaining goblins and escaped full speed into the forest.


    I fully activated Analyze Environment, locked onto the Goblin Leader who was frantically running for its life, and chased after it.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 13 - Running from a Monster Goblin Leader

    The Goblin Leader, Gobukin, frantically ran to escape from that monster in the shape of a human.


    What was that thing?


    A human? No, that was impossible.


    Among his family, Gobukin had skin harder than steel that could repel all sorts of magic. At least, it had been so until now. Gobukin''s skin repelled most magic even from his family''s proud Goblin Mage. There''s no way inferior magic from a lowly human would break through.


    That''s right. Gobukin was supposed to be invincible, but that guy''s power didn''t just break past skin--it turned Gobukin''s entire arm to cinders. And yet. AND YET. Even though there were so many goblins, he wordlessly reduced them to mere clumps of meat with that mysterious power of his.


    SCARY! AND TERRIFYING!!


    Above all, when he was killing the goblins, his pupils were dyed crimson for but a split second. With just a nce, Gobukin understood---that was a repulsive thing under the guise of a human.


    Gobukin focused solely on his nest. Surely, the great king and those around him could stop that thing. Believing that, Gobukin raced forward with reckless abandon.


    "I MADE IT." Gobukin copsed to the floor as dizzying relief set in.


    "GUGAA?"


    The lookout goblins inquisitively approached Gobukin, who had tears and snot streaming down its face.


    "GUGAGIGUGAGA (A MONSTER IS COMING) ! GIGIGIGUGUGUGA (IMMEDIATELY, PREPARE TO FACE HIM) ! GAGUGAGIGIGI (OH, TELL THE KING TOO) !" Gobukin said.


    The lookout goblins nodded a couple of times, before hurriedly advancing deeper into the cave.


    In the blink of an eye, several lines ran across their bodies, and they slowly slid apart.


    "AAH......"


    As the sight of the lookouts diced to pieces reflected through his retinas, Gobukin despaired. It was because it understood. It understood that the nightmare hadn''t even begun.


    "Good work," a voice came from behind, bringing about a pressure so intense as if to squash his entirety.


    It couldn''t look behind him. Even though that was obvious, Gobukin turned around to the voice.


    The moment Gobukin saw that childish figure, it shrieked.


    A red haze flickered over his entire body, his eyes were dyed blood red, and he wore a smile up to the ears. He was literally a monster.


    "Now, let''s begin the devastation."


    It was now that Gobukin understood its fatal misunderstanding.


    It wasn''t a matter of winning or losing against this guy. He was--.


    "Ahh, I just remembered," Grey said. "Here''s your reward for guiding me here. Sleep tight,"


    Gobukin''s gaze slowly fell to the ground beforepletely losing consciousness.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 14 - Rescue and an Inquisitive Mind

    The Goblin Leader was keener than I had thought. Furthermore, his flight response probably went into overdrive, as it dashed into the forest faster than the wind.


    In the blink of an eye it went from Tote into the ¡ºAncient Forest¡», rampaging through the forest as he knocked down trees left and right.


    Finally, it arrived in front of a cave located in a small hole on a precipitous cliff.


    There were two goblins in front of the cave.


    The Goblin Leader sank to the ground in relief, but quickly ordered the lookout goblins with a couple words.


    It''ll be annoying if they report me, so I minced the lookouts with ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿.


    I immediately activated Analyze Environment to search deep into the cave, where I saw two goblins carrying an unconscious Ca on a stretcher-like thing.


    Surprisingly, far from being wounded, even her clothes were without a scratch. It looks like I made it just barely in time. But I still need to prepare for the worst. After all, this was the ¡ºAncient Forest¡», not even a part of the Mird territory; I''ve no need to hold back. At any rate, these goblins attacked Tote, which I had taken under my wing.


    "Now, let''s begin the devastation."


    Mercilessly, and so thorough as to not give them even a sliver of hope---this will be my way of keeping these filthy hyenas in check.


    But, let''s see. Goblin Leader. Because you ran so well I was able to make it in time. I need to thank you.


    "Here''s your reward for guiding me here. Sleep tight," I said.


    While it was still frozen in fright, I sliced its head off with my dagger.


    As I had casted ¡¾Wind Enchant¡¿ on the dagger, I was able to slice through its neck like tofu.


    Once I extracted the magic stone from the Goblin Leader''s chest, I began my attack.


    The cave was fairly wide and maze-like, but there''s no way I would get lost with Analyze Environment. I''ll kill any goblins I encounter.


    Because I advanced in a straight line, I was able to enter the ce where Ca was taken without breaking a sweat.


    That ce was a prison. There were several women in rags, bound by ropes.


    I can easily tell that something happened here by their dead gazes. The women were most likely abducted from Tote and other nearby viges.


    Their value to me wasn''t very high, so I''ll prioritize Ca.


    Then, Ca was brought to a private room.


    "Let me goo!!" Ca screamed, having just regain consciousness. Around her was a group of several goblins.


    Taking into ount the things protruding out of the goblins, I really did make it in the nick of time.


    I heaved a sigh of relief and severed the goblins'' heads with ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿.


    Their heads plopped to the ground as green liquid burst out of their necks like a fountain.


    "Are you okay, Ca?" I asked.


    She just stared at me in a daze before shouting, "Grey-samaa!"


    She blinked the tears out of her eyes before embracing me.


    Truthfully, Ca was much taller than I was, so she blocked my entire vision, which was why I couldn''t tell what kind of expression she was making. But she was surely crying. She was still a child and was frightened to her wits, so that was only natural.


    And so, I lightly tapped her back to calm her down.


    She pulled away from me after a while as she hung her head, her face beet-red.


    "Did you see, Grey-sama?" she nced up and asked before moving to cover her right breast area, which seemed to have torn during her resistance.


    Honestly speaking, my entire vision was covered so I couldn''t see anything. Although it did touch me since Ca was hugging me. Nheless, I have no idea how to respond in this kind of situation. She doesn''t seem angry or anything, so she shouldn''t think that I''m a pervert or something.


    "Well, just change into this," I said.


    In order to change the conversation, I took out a change of clothes from my item box before handing it over.


    "Y-yeah."


    She took the clothes, turned around, and began to undress, so I turned around as well and folded my arms.


    "I''m done now, Grey-sama," she said after a while.


    "Okay."


    I turned around to see Ca restlessly fidgeting, still beet-red.


    "What''s up?" I asked.


    "Thanks...for saving me."


    "No need to thank me."


    In fact, a society where adults aren''t concerned about children''s wellbeing should just perish, so there was really no need for her to thank me.


    Leaving that aside, it wasn''t over yet; this cave wasn''t that far from Tote.


    It was actually so close it was a wonder they didn''t get attacked until now. If left alone, Tote would get attacked again sooner orter. I need to extinguish this nest in its entirety.


    "Hey, Grey-sama," Ca began.


    "Hm?"


    "I don''t mind if it''s you, Grey-sama," Ca said cryptically before turning her back to me once again.


    As I thought, the thought process of a child, and someone of the opposite gender, nheless, is a bit over my head.


    In any case, time is pressing so I''ll move on to the next step.


    These goblins'' boss is quite powerful. I''m not so foolish as to believe that I can win against it while still protecting Ca.


    On the other hand, she''s just like Sate and doesn''t look like she''ll ask to fight with me. She also immediately overexerts herself which is extremely dangerous. It would be good to teleport her back to my room in Straheim regardless of what she says. In addition, this disastrous scene is a little too strong for a child.


    "Ca, can you close your eyes for a bit?" I asked.


    "Eh?"


    "Just close your eyes."


    She stared at me for a while before her face quickly flushed.


    "S-sure. I''ll close them."


    Her entire body was now as red as an apple and she raised her arms to her chest before meekly squeezing her eyes shut and pulling her chin in a little. I tilted my head in confusion at her weird behavior before teleporting her to Straheim.


    Now I''ve cleaned up most of my problems. The only thing left was to exterminate the wicked beasts that had multiplied too much. And that boss of theirs would require a bit more effort from my part.


    The magic stone I got from the Goblin Leader was quite powerful and would probably me a new type of magic.


    I searched around and discovered the perfect magic for ughtering goblins.


    ¡ï¡¾Goblin yer¡¿


    Ingredients: 3 F rank or higher goblin magic stones, 50 F rank or lower goblin magic stones, 30 F rank or higher goblin teeth, 3 F rank or higher goblin hearts. 50 F rank or lower goblin horns and hearts.


    What an annoying set of ingredients. But, there''s two other goblins in this cave on the same level as the Goblin Leader and a seemingly never-ending number of normal ones.


    I''m quite interested in this unthinkably different magic. Although, I have to be as inconspicuous as possible when collecting the ingredients, so it''ll take a long time. However, since I rescued Ca there weren''t any other pressing issues left. Most of all, I have a clear reason to view it as a non-issue.


    Basically, I have plenty of time to spare. So let''s jump into creating this magic.


    I exited the room andpletely destroyed all the restrains on the imprisoned women with ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿ and teleported them in front of the vige chief''s house.


    For what it''s worth I did give one of the women a letter saying that I saved Ca so there was no need to worry. Now I don''t have to worry about returning and can put my all into an adventure to sate my curiosity.


    After extracting materials from the Goblin Leader''s corpse, I searched for goblins with Analyze Environment before drawing close, killing them, and gathered materials without a hitch.


    Naturally, I wasn''t so full ofpassion as to have pity on these beasts that attack humans, so I didn''t hesitate at all to kill them and culled everyst one the moment I encountered them.


    There was a Goblin Mage inside that wielded magic, but I offed his head while he was chanting a long spell.


    And so, I was able to gather a lot of goblin materials rtively quickly.


    Once I found two F rank or above goblins, I was done.


    And those two F rank or above goblins were just inside the next room.


    The two lookout goblins in front of the room let out a yelp once they saw me and pointed their weapons at me, but I severed their heads with ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿.


    I already had plenty of materials, but I''ll dismantle them and throw the extra into my item box forter.


    Now the path to my new magic was opening up. In anticipation, I felt a childish fit wash over me. I''ll kill them and gather thest materials.


    I passed through a cloth curtain to enter the room, where I was met with two ogres reclining on stone chairs.


    Next to the two ogre was a beautiful woman with long ears and a beautiful boy, both with wings sprouting out of their backs and chokers fastened on their necks.


    No matter how you looked at it, they weren''t human.


    "A human brat this time. Can''t you do something about your bad taste, Gobura?" a small macho ogreined to the other ogre who had a strange bulgeing from its stomach.


    "Gobuzu, can you stop meddling in our love? Still, that''s a really cute face. Those idiots did have good taste after all." Gobura said as she leered all over my body. "Yess, I''ve decided! This child minee."


    "Sorry for butting in your conversation, but I have a question and a request, if that''s all right."


    "What is a human(livestock) doing, opening his mouth!?" the macho ogre yelled indignantly at my question as a fat vein popped on his forehead.


    "Just answer me," I said, ignoring the ogre. "Why are you guys so fluent in the humannguage? Aren''t you two goblins?"


    The Goblin Leader from before definitely fell into the monster category, but if you ignored the horns and fangs, these two were roughly simr to humans.


    "Kuhuhu, this kid is lumping us together with those idiots," Gobura said.


    "How unpleasant. We are High Goblins,pletely different from those based goblins!" Gobuzu added.


    Basically there''s different sses even among monsters. I''m interested in studying them for future experiments, but it''d be way too crude to use them asb rats.


    "I understand. Then, onto my request," I said.


    "Hmm, what could it beee," Gobura teased. "Although I won''t be gentle. I looove seeing humans(livestock) writhe in agony after all."


    "No, it''s nothing hard at all-it''s actually quite a simple request."


    I could barely endure it, but I forcefully suppressed my intellectual curiosity and broke into a grin. They immediately stood up like clockwork and created some distance between us.


    "C-careful, Gobura! This guy''s weird!!" Gobuzo warned.


    "Yes, I know."


    The small macho ogre, Gobuzu, grabbed a pike, and the ogre with arge belly, Gobura, grabbed arge pike. They both then stood on guard.


    "Give me your teeth, magic stones, and heart," I demanded as I raised my palms up.


    At my request, their faces began to spasm. They yelled a war cry and charged at me.


    I used ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿ to sever all their limbs.


    "M-my legsss!! My arms!" they screamed.


    Without heeding their screams at all, I leisurely approached Gobura.


    "D-don''te any closer!"


    "I decline."


    I raised my right hand and--.


    "Stooopp, you monsteerrr!!" they screamed.


    began dismantling them.


    --Technical Difficulties. Please Stand By.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    In the end, I safely dismantled Gobuzu after dismantling Gobura. I think Gobuzu was trying to beg for his life, but I really couldn''t care less so I ignored his cries and continued.


    I obtained more materials and I was quite pleased with myself, but that didn''t mean I my problems were over.


    "Please, let me goo......" the blonde woman with butterfly wings begged.


    Her hands were folded in prayer and she was shaking, and soon after the boy with transparent wings chimed in as well.


    "I''ll do anything you say, just spare my life! Please! Please!" he begged while rubbing his forehead on the ground.


    "Holy Spirit King-sama, I won''t lie anymore; I''ll pray every day. So please save me!!" the blonde woman with red wings wholeheartedly prayed to the heavens.


    "You know, I came here to save---"


    They cut me off. "Please have mercy!!"


    They''re not listening at all.


    I wasn''t someone who killed indiscriminately. I was quite respectful towards intelligent humans and any simr intelligent life-forms.


    I just wasn''t so overflowing in mercifulness as to forgive hedonic ipetents who wouldn''t hesitate tomit a crime.


    Atst, they burst into tears and began wailing, so I forcefully teleported them in front of Tote''s vige chief''s house because they were annoying.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 15 - A New Title

    Now then, we''re approaching the best part of my research.A two-meter long golden box appeared upon selecting¡¾Goblin yer¡¿. I ced the required ingredients inside and infused some magical power as well, upon which I immediately received a book.


    Spell Name: ¡¾Goblin yer¡¿


    Exnation: Upon use, obtain the title, Goblin yer. However, the grimoire will disappear after use, and you cannot create the same grimoire again.


    Chant: --


    Rank: Title Bestowment Grimoire


    Proficiency: --


    Um, the rank says Title Bestowment Grimoire. So if I use it I can probably acquire a title, but is it really okay calling this a grimoire?


    Well, I guess that''s how it is; I can think about thatter. Anyways, I won''t get anywhere if I don''t use it.


    When I touched the book, it emitted a ck haze which rapidly diffused into my body.


    I groaned as a pain that warped my vision ran through me. I grit my teeth and somehow endured it before sitting down on the stone chair that the small macho oni had been sitting on before.


    After a few minutes, I confirmed that my body was back in working order and began analyzing the title.


    Title: ¡¾Goblin yer¡¿


    Exnation: Acquire absolute superiority over the goblin race.


    Passive Effect---Goblin yer: Gain a considerable all-stats up against the goblin race and always crit against them.


    Special Effect: Usage of ¡¾Oni-ying Vision¡¿is possible. However, you can only use it once per day and the passive effect of this skill will be lost for the rest of the day.


    Unlike my Brain Monster title, I can actually analyze this one. As expected, it grants absolute superiority over the goblin race.


    I don''t really understand the ¡¾Oni-ying Vision¡¿special effect, but I''m not fond of losing the passive effect on use. It''d be dangerous to use it without knowing anything so I should analyze it as well.


    In any case, I should be able to fight at least evenly with the monster in the deepest part of this cave.


    From here on out is the real deal: a real fight. I should brace myself. But before that--.


    "Come out. Peeping any more than this would be in bad taste," I threw out, fixating my gaze around the room''s entrance.


    "Oi oi, are you serious?" a voice said. "That''s the first time I''ve been spotted."


    By the entrance stood a red-haired man in his prime with an unshaven beard.


    I''ve got some idea who this man is; the recent goblin attacks and Sebastian observing Tote despite its situation only meant one thing.


    "I know who you are. You''re rted to Sebastian, right? An adventurer, perhaps, or some rted profession."


    The man was lightly dressed, wearing so-called Light Armor which was extremely easy to move in. Even while he was talking to me, he was always focused on his surroundings and didn''t have a single opening. He''s the first powerful person I''ve seen in this world.


    "That''s a good guess," he said. "Really, you''re a disgusting brat."


    "I have no interest in your useless impressions. Let''s hear your objective."


    "Even if I don''t tell you, don''t you already have a good idea?"


    "Sebastian asked you to investigate the goblins?"


    "Why do you think that?" he amusedly asked.


    "Needless to say, there''s just too many goblins in this cave," I began.


    Before, Giresse had exined to me in the carriage that thergest a goblin nest would get was 30-40 goblins. Around 10, or 20 at best, was moremon. However, the number of goblins that attacked Tote easily surpassed a hundred, and not to mention the several rare goblins that could use magic in the cave, Goblin Mages. Furthermore, it was too unnatural for a Goblin Leader and Gobuzu and Gobura from before to inhabit such a sparse area.


    Even an idiot would realize that something weird was happening with this cave''s goblin nest.


    "Yeah, the goblins'' boss is probably a Lord-ss monster," he exined. "It''s not very strong right now as it''s still an egg, but even I wouldn''t be able to manage if it hatched."


    This man had an average of D+ stats, and he was even C in Strength and Agility-- unmistakably powerful. The ragtag goblins wouldn''t even stand a chance. Basically, a Goblin Lord ruled over the cave, and it was a monster that could even put a man as strong as him on guard.


    "So you want to fight along with me?" I confirmed.


    "That''s right. I know about your strength and abnormality," he said before pointing at me. "You''re good at magic, and me, at the sword. How about it? Don''t you think that''s an appropriate division of roles?"


    He was a stalker who had been peeping at me until now, so I have some doubts whether he can be trusted, but his strength is probably the real deal. At the very least, even if grouping with him was to my advantage now, it wouldn''t be a detriment.


    "Okay. I hope to work well with you, if only for a short time, Gloomy Stalker-san," I mocked.


    "Yeah, me too, Ruthless Killer-dono," he said right back, and we shook hands while veins were bulging on both our foreheads.


    As we ventured deeper and deeper, the cave soon emerged into arge passageway as the scenerypletely changed.


    "A pantry, I see," the red-haired man, Caesar Carlos, knit his brows as he stated the obvious.


    "Yeah."


    Looking at the mountain of meat stuffed on the shelves, there really wasn''t anything else it could be.


    "Look at that," Caesar said as he paled.


    I looked over to see,


    "Wha-?" I let out a dumb sound. I mean, you couldn''t even make this up.


    "I see......Hahaa, so that''s how it is," he let out as if he had already given up. The enemy was a goblin. Originally, goblins were known to eat humans, so it was only to be expected.


    But it was no use. I absolutely couldn''t permit this. I mean, this feeling didn''te from logic, but from a more primal instinct.


    "O-oi, Grey! Calm down!" he yelled impatiently, but his voice sounded strangely far away.


    "I am calm, Caesar."


    --I aimlessly stared at the heads of children, all lined up systematically.


    "I was toote. Sorry." I patted one of the heads on the front row.


    I think my meaning of this fight changed at this very moment.


    "Let''s go, Caesar."


    "Yeah," he replied as we went even further into the passageway.


    "Hey, Grey," Caesar began.


    "What?"


    "I''m sorry."


    "What''s this, out of the blue?" I asked.


    "You''re not a ruthless killer."


    "Of course I''m not."


    "Yeah."


    "Then don''t say I am. Look, we''re almost there."


    Arge, uncouth stone door towered in front of us.


    I kicked it open and entered into a spacerge enough to fit a ssroom, and on a desk in the middle of the room a green-skinned youth was biting into some meat.


    I heard a war cry before tens of goblins surrounded us, and I diced them into pieces with ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿. Suddenly, there was only me, Caesar, and the green-skinned youth left.


    "I am in the middle of dining. Make yourselves scarce," the youth said.


    He brought another piece of meat to his mouth with a wooden fork and knife, not batting an eye even though I killed all his subordinates.


    Howposed. Although that''s not unreasonable.


    Snake Oni


    Status


    HP: D (---/100%)


    MP: D- (---/100%)


    Strength: C (---/100%)


    Endurance: D+ (---/100%)


    Magic: D- (---/100%)


    Magical Endurance: C- (---/100%)


    Agility: D- (---/100%)


    Luck: E+ (---/100%)


    Wisdom: E- (---/100%)


    Race: Goblin Prince


    Title: Goblin Prince[1]


    He was overwhelming. If he attacked the Mird territory, it would bepletely destroyed in just a few days.


    Not only were his stats higher than mine, his Magical Endurance was C- so he countered me pretty hard.


    Good thing that Caesar was here with me.


    "I refuse," I said as I enchanted my dagger with ¡¾Wind Enchant¡¿and cut through the table like it was butter.


    His meal having been interrupted, the green-skinned goblin, the Snake Oni, finally looked at me in displeasure.


    "I have no malice towards you, but you''ve broken my unwritten rule. As such, I will hunt you in the worst way possible."


    The Snake Oni stood up and gazed at us in disinterest.


    "So skinny, not delicious at all," he muttered to himself.


    "Die, man-eating goblin!"


    Caesar unsheathed his longsword and struck him.


    And like that, our battle began.


    [1] The Race and Title are actually written differently, but in the end they both trante to Goblin Prince. I''ve decided to not make this distinction in the text but rather in a TL note.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 16 - A Farce of a Fight

    Caesar swung his sword down, but the Snake Oni easily sidestepped it and grabbed arge hatchet from the wall, resting it on his shoulder.


    His movements felt a little off, but I nheless stacked the middle-rank water series magic, ¡¾Water Thorn¡¿, several times before firing it out.


    Dozens of water thorns appeared in the air, and, in an instant, all rushed towards the Snake Oni.


    ¡°Weak!!¡± the Snake Oni yelled as he casually swung hisrge hatchet, reducing the thorns into mere water droplets that soon dispersed.


    I thought so. I finally understood after looking closely at his movements: my visual acuity matchedpletely with my stats. And it¡¯s weird because it matches. After all, I¡¯m fighting against a goblin, so the title¡¾Goblin yer¡¿, should be giving me an all-stats up. The fact that my visual acuity hasn¡¯t risen just doesn¡¯t make sense.


    I must not be receiving¡¾Goblin yer¡¿¡¯s effects. That must be it. Unfortunately, it¡¯ll take a lot of effort to activate its effects in the middle of battle, but I don¡¯t even need to mess around that far in the first ce; I¡¯m the careful type you see.


    There¡¯s no need to face danger here. I¡¯ve got an extraordinarily sharp sword here after all. It has the downside of being unwieldy, but it should work out against this simpleton.


    From his previous movement I had seen through him, so I unraveled my stance. As long as nothing irregr happens, I can¡¯t lose here.


    ¡°Oi, Blockhead,¡± I called out. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize in advance.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no use begging for your life thiste into the game. You guys are stiff and unappetizing after all. I¡¯ll mince you up and feed you to my rtives.


    So he¡¯s still prioritizing his appetite even in the middle of battle. I haven¡¯t fought with anybody decent yet, but he¡¯s just too pitiful.


    I used Analyze Environment to grasp the room¡¯s width down to the millimeter.


    ¡°Originally, it wasn¡¯t my hobby to torment the weak. But this is your fault, what with your half-assed power.¡±


    I locked onto the room with¡¾Fire Pir¡¿before casting it and blocked the pirs of me from reaching us with ¡¾Wind Wall¡¿. Now my preparations wereplete.


    The rest was up to my hands and feet.


    ¡°Caesar, fight as you please.¡±


    In any case, there wasn¡¯t any trust between us, as we had just met earlier. I¡¯ll have him y the role of my sword as best as he can.


    ¡°Fight as I please, you say¡­You are so¡­¡­¡± he said as he nced my way in bewilderment, but I calmly ignored it. He would find out my intentions soon enough.


    I casted ¡¾Fireball¡¿dozens of times into the air and in an instant, fired them all at the Snake Oni.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Iunched several ¡¾Fireballs¡¿as they struck the Snake Oni¡¯s skin one after another.


    ¡°I said it was useless!!¡± he said, exasperated, as a ¡¾Water Thorn¡¿snapped past him.


    ¡°Where are you aiming¡ª¡±


    The water thorn struck the ¡¾Fire Pir¡¿and evaporated. Hot steam enveloped our surroundings.


    ¡°Wha¡ª!?¡± the Snake Oni yelped in confusion as white steam blocked his vision.


    ¡°Caesar, three steps,¡± I yelled, before pushing Caesar¡¯s back towards the Snake Oni using the water pressure from ¡¾Water Bullet¡¿.


    ¡°Ah!?¡± Caesar screamed in hysterics. Jeez, don¡¯t get surprised by something as small as that. I¡¯d like my sword to do his job properly.


    As expected, Caesar chopped the Snake Oni¡¯s left arm off from behind, which I confirmed with Analyze Environment.


    ¡°You lesser beings!!¡± the Snake Oni howled as he blew away the steam with his big hatchet, leaving behind a truly demonic face.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±


    I struck several ¡¾Fire Pirs¡¿with water thorns, producing copious amounts of steam which quickly obstructed our vision.


    I stored the steam into the fire pirs and the ¡¾Wind Wall¡¿for now. You can¡¯t get rid of the steam that easily. On top of that--.


    I repeatedly casted¡¾Rock Bullet¡¿, intermittently sending small rocks at the Snake Oni from all four sides which sent his senses of touch and hearing into a state of disarray.


    Caesar could probably guess what I¡¯m trying to do now, so there wasn¡¯t any need to tell him how many steps to move.


    I once again pushed Caesar¡¯s back using the water pressure from ¡¾Water Bullet¡¿.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± he screamed as he flew past the Snake Oni¡¯s left-hand side, slicing through his femur.  The Snake Oni lost his bnce and face nted onto the floor.


    Well, let¡¯s end this.


    I released a¡¾Whirlwind¡¿at full power. Wind des, strong enough to blow away the steam in an instant, carved countless wounds all over the Snake Oni¡¯s body.


    ¡°Gugaa!¡±


    Even if I were using a paper knife, he should be in unimaginable pain with that many cuts all over his body.


    I turned towards the Snake Oni who was wriggling in agony and pushed Caesar once again.


    Caesar swung his longsword across the Snake Oni¡¯s shoulder, and green blood spurted out like a shower as the Snake Oni copsed face up.


    Now, the only things left of the Snake Oni were his torso, head, and right arm. It¡¯s check.


    ¡°If only you were a tad bit smarter, I might¡¯ve had a little trouble,¡± I said.


    I¡¯ll grant you a death that you will despise¡ªyou¡¯ll die helpless against an opponent you had considered beneath you.. Rejoice. I¡¯ll make you think this is the worst death possible.


    I casted the middle rank, wind series magic,¡¾Wind Armor¡¿over Caesar, who cautiously approached the Snake Oni, sword in hand. It wasn¡¯t very effective against an opponent like the Snake Oni, but Caesar should be able to make some use of it.


    After he had gotten close enough, Caesar raised his longsword over the Snake Oni.


    ¡°Uneptable,¡± a voice so full of resentment echoed in my eardrums.


    It was in an instant. The Snake Oni was enshrouded in a green miasma.


    --GAKI! GUSHA! BEGOO!


    The sound of physiological hatred echoed through the room.


    ¡°This is bad, Caesar! Hurry and kill him!¡± I yelled, feeling goosebumps rise on my arms and a shiver run through my spine.


    ¡°Oka¡ª¡± Caesar trailed off as something shot by me.


    The moment I realized that something was Caesar, the green oni was standing before me in perfect health.


    His hair was ck, eyes dyed green. His fangs and ws sharply extended out, and his physique had increased a size. He looked like something straight out of a fairytale.


    I tried analyzing him but¡ª.


    Snake Oni


    Status


    HP: C (¡ª/100%)


    MP: C- (¡ª/100%)


    Strength: B- (¡ª/100%)


    Endurance: C+ (¡ª/100%)


    Magic: C- (¡ª/100%)


    Magical Endurance: B (¡ª/100%)


    Agility: C+ (¡ª/100%)


    Luck: C+ (¡ª/100%)


    Wisdom: C- (¡ª/100%)


    Race: Goblin Lord


    Title: The Heroic Goblin King


    That¡¯s bad. There¡¯s too much of a difference in power. If I turned my back on him I¡¯d get killed in an instant at this rate. Furthermore, Caesar, who had been serving as my sword, hasn¡¯t budged since he had gotten hit by that surprise attack. ¡¾Wind Armor¡¿was still active so he seems to be alive at least, but I shouldn¡¯t consider him in this fight anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you lesser beings realize your folly in opposing the king,¡± the Snake Oni said.


    His figure disappeared, and in an instant I was on the floor.


    He then stomped on me--his eyes bloodshot. An unbearably intense pain shot through my body as I heard the sound of my bones creaking.


    So I¡¯ve already been driven into a corner. For this situation to have turned around so easily, it¡¯s like he¡¯s got plot armor or something. Man, it makes me want to puke.


    Well, whatever. I can¡¯t ignore this lowlife anyways. I mean, there¡¯s no way I could lose to a kid who doesn¡¯t even understand the basics of a fight.


    I can¡¯t damage him with my current Magic and Strength, and that holds true even if Caesar somehow managed to get back into fighting condition. It¡¯ll be hard to win using just my cleverness. Hm, wouldn¡¯t it work out if I could use my title, ¡¾Goblin yer¡¿? That¡¯s simple. At the very least it¡¯s better than trying to escape.


    I closed my left eye and slipped into my mind for a bit.


    There were several strings in front of me, and those strings were so tightly wound together I couldn¡¯t tell where it begins and ends. I slowly untied the strings, one at a time.


    It only took a few seconds in real-time, but finally, I untied all the strings, and in front of me a ball glowed dazzlingly.


    I reached out to it when--.


    ¡°The title, ¡¾Goblin yer¡¿has beenpletely released,¡± a robotic female voice echoed in my head.


    Suddenly, all the pain disappeared.


    I grabbed the Snake Oni¡¯s right ankle and stood up.


    ¡°Whaa!?¡± he yelled in surprise before I stomped him into the ground with all my might.


    CRAAACK


    Countless cracks sprouted from the ground which soon turned into a giant crater.


    ¡°Gaha!!¡± he spat out blood as I lifted him up, still holding his right ankle, and mmed him into the ground once again.


    I mmed him into the ground over and over and over.


    After dozens more times, I finally drained him of all his strength.


    I twisted his ankle into tomorrow as green blood spurted out of his smashed nose.


    ¡°Y-you dar¡ª¡± he began.


    It sounded like he was trying to say something, but I just threw him at the wall.


    He spun in the air several times before colliding into the wall as the sound of meat crushing reverberated throughout the room.


    I kicked off the ground with a leap and rotated my body to temporarilynd on the ceiling. I then kicked off the ceiling at full power into the Snake Oni, giving him a right cross into his caved in face. Without pause, I continued with a left cross into an uppercut as I continued to destroy his entire body.


    The Snake Oni was sprawled in front of me like an old dust cloth.


    His limbs were bent in unnatural directions and his face was destroyed, his previous fearless gaze nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Ple¡­..op¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±


    There was no need to.


    I casually pointed my palm at him.


    ¡°GUGAa!!!¡± he screamed in terror as he looked up at me.


    I gave my final words to the Snake Oni who was desperately struggling in vain.


    ¡°Sorry, looks like you¡¯re the unlucky one.¡±


    It would be merciful to some extent if I let him die like this.


    ¡°GUGII!!!¡±


    I activated ¡¾Oni-ying Vision¡¿. The world expanded before me and swallowed the Snake Oni whole, sending him into the depths of despair.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    ????¡ªSnake Oni


    The Snake Oni awakened to a room of red tiles in every direction.


    He looked towards the center of the room but¡ª.


    ¡°Ahh!!?¡± he let out a shriek.


    A myriad of grain-sized clumps wriggled about in the shape of a human.


    It was probably his instincts as a goblin. An extraordinary unease that made him want to throw up endlessly washed over him as if all the malice in the world had been condensed into a single thing.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the proper response,¡± the white clump of malice nodded in agreement, as if satisfied.


    ¡°Y-you¡­¡­¡± He began hesitantly as acent smile floated onto the white clump.


    ¡°Me?¡± it pointed to itself. ¡°I¡¯m a maritime pilot.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting better and better. That fear-filled reaction really gets me going. Especially after him,¡± the white clumpughed before frowning in displeasure for the first time.


    ¡°Answer me!!¡± he yelled at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly unlucky, having been noticed by that monster in human clothing. There are so many things I¡¯d like to help you with, but rules are rules.¡±


    ¡°What are¡­..you saying?¡± he managed to strangle a question out of his drying throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m a maritime pilot. Nothing more, and nothing less,¡± it said. ¡°You¡¯ll now depart on a trip to an endless spiral of death-- a prison that never ends.


    ¡°Return me to where I came!!¡± the Snake Oni yelled in hysterics. A sharp pain ran through his ankles, and he timidly looked up when¡ª.


    ¡°!!!?¡±


    An intense fear washed over him as if his heart were being gripped directly. Children endlessly sprouted from the red tiles on the floor and began to coil around the Snake Oni.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have them bring you. Now, bon voyage.¡±


    ¡°N-n-noo!!¡±


    The children cried red tears andughed under their breath as if sneering at his earnest resistance as they continued to cling onto the Snake Oni, dragging him into the ground.


    ¡°I, I ¡ª!!¡± he yelled in despair and a hit of regret as the cold floor ripped into his consciousness.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 17 - The Goblin Raid Conclusion

    Carrying Caesar on my back, I teleported to Tote.


    As expected, his colleagues had helped suppress any goblins that infiltrated inside the vige; they probably aided from the shadows. Aside from the small cuts from Judo''s group due to their slow response, there were zero casualties from such arge raid. This is truly a miracle. Oh, and by the way, the vige was in total chaos for a bit because I teleported the captured women back to Tote, but the situation seemed to get back in control as Sebastian had just returned.


    And so I''m currently drinking tea inside the vige chief''s house.


    The first one to speak was Caesar.


    "Grey. You''re really bullshit."


    Don''t say that so seriously. You make it sound like I''m a weirdo.


    "Really?"


    "Yeah," Caesar said. "In what world exists a mage who can punch an awakened Goblin Lord to death?"


    I shrugged. "I just got lucky."


    "Look here," he leaned forward. "he dazed me, a swordsman, with just a single hit. Lucky my ass."


    "That so? So what happened to captured women?" I forcefully changed the subject, and Sebastianunched into an exnation after a quick nod.


    "The captured women were the daughters of nearby viges and peddlers visiting the Mird territory. As each and every one sustained heavy psychological wounds, some help there is necessary."


    No wonder: there''s no way you could maintain your sanity among that tragedy. It should be fine if we send them back to their respective hometowns after they calm down.


    "What about the winged pair?" I asked.


    "I advised them to return to the ¡ºAncient Forest¡», but they unexpectedly desired to live in the vige."


    They''ve probably at least heard from the vigers that I''m protecting the vige. But what is this mental 180? They were so scared of me before.


    "Is that strange?"


    I shrugged. "A little."


    Caesar heaved a sigh in amazement. Even If it was me that said it, my statement seemed to have struck a nerve.


    "Grey, they seem to want your protection."


    "What? My protection?"


    "The vigers told them about your deeds, and it seems their fear began budding into piety."


    "But did the vigers consent to their immigration?"


    "Yes," Sebastian answered in Caesar''s ce. "They said, ''If Saint-sama so decides.''"


    "I see."


    Well, if that''s what the people in question want, then I don''t really care. Besides, I''ve a little interest in the coexistence of different species.


    "By the way, don''t you have any desire to be an adventurer, Grey?" The moment Caesar finished his sentence, his associates all bent forward in anticipation. I was bewildered at their seriousness, so I carefully chose my next words.


    "Once I leave the Mird territory at 13, I n to register."


    "I see, I see."


    Beaming, they pped my back as they breathed a sigh of relief.


    I knit my brows at their entricities as Ceasar stood up from his chair.


    "See yater. Contact me once you''re an adventurer," Caesar said frankly and exited the vige chief''s house with his associates in tow.


    "Do you really intend to leave thisnd, young master?" Sebastian asked in a strange turn of events.


    "Yeah. There''s no way in hell I''ll be the puppet of that stepmother(wench)."


    "Even if---No, nevermind. I''ve asked something strange. Please forget I said anything."


    Sebastian bowed once towards me before exiting.


    "I, too, exited by teleporting to Straheim since I should go meet up with Sate and Ca.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 18 - Looking for an Easy Escape

    It''s been two days since the goblin raid.


    I returned to Straheim soon after, but because I forcefully removed her from the fight, Ca has been in a bad mood ever since, and Sate had lectured me while sobbing.


    In the end, after we spent the entire day as they wanted, sightseeing around the streets, their mood easily improved with no further problems.


    Personally, I found babysitting them much more challenging than defeating the Goblin Lord.


    Now, back to the matter at hand: Tote.


    During the goblin raid, there few injuries outside of the light scratches that Judo and the others received. In the rtive spacious building apart from the vige chief''s house, we were luckily able to treat the patients, much to my surprise, and continue their treatment without any need for evacuation.


    At first, we helped the previously captured women recuperate in Tote before sending them back to their respective hometowns as nned.


    On the other hand, the winged pair had been epted into the vige through my rmendation and had begun settling down in the corner of the vige. At present, they were finishing up the immigration process. I had some misgivings about my stepmother''s clique and the empire''s officials finding fault with that, so I dered them under my protection. If any problems cropped up, I could just hire them through mypany.


    And so, the supreme decision-making organization that was themittee of elders, or rather an inefficient organization, was disbanded, and its new members were left for the vige chief to elect.


    Currently, the new candidates were gathered inside the vige chief''s house.


    "I''m sure you are all familiar with the past series of events. We won''t get anywhere if we only rely on others. Thus, I want us to improve our way of thinking, starting from the very basics."


    "I see......"


    Well of course they don''t understand; it''s much easier to leave everything to other and to fate. It''s because they''ve always been looking for an easy escape.


    "Here''s what you need to be thinking about. ''How can we legally avoid paying taxes in order to earn even higher profits?''"


    Naturally, the vige''s defense is a necessity, but as they are now, there''s no way they can defend the vige on their own. Right now I have to lend them my support, so we need to prioritize reforming their economic awareness.


    "A-avoid taxes?" one voice raised its concern as everyone began squirming around like bugs packed in an insect cage.


    I assuaged their fears, saying, "It''ll bepletely legal. You allck the power to think on your own in order to ovee your hardships. Don''t be swayed by convenient words like God or the devil anymore.


    The same applies to people: nobody is perfect, so suspect anything and everything. This applies to not only your external world, but also your internal. In doing so, these doubts will surely protect you." [1]


    But they can''tprehend my words; they need to experience it themselves.


    "Now, onto the specifics," I changed the subject. "Judo has procured 500 sacks of rye, so for now, nobody should go hungry for at least a year."


    They began to shout in joy. Err, don''t celebrate just yet. We won''t reach any resolutions at this rate.


    "In the meantime, we need to find a fundamentally different solution to farming," I said. "By the way, can anyone who knows how the agricultural tax is calcted raise their hand?"


    As expected, nobody raised their hand. I had heard from Giresse: anyone who wanted to learn how it was calcted could have easily learned. And yet, not a single person other than the vige head had even tried to learn. This is why they''ve been exploited so.


    "A 50% tax is imposed on the total production output, which is calcted by multiplying the area of the fields with the harvest coefficient.[2] This is the same for all viges. The only thing the Mird head can change is the tax rate---he would need Central bureaucracy''s permission to change the production output," I exined. "Still, it''s normal for this to be a lower estimate, so the tax won''t be rxed."


    "Why not, Boss?" Judo raised his hand to ask.


    "Because of conscription. The conscription is based off of the production output. The reason people are rarely conscripted in the Mird territory is because the production output is low---after all, if people are conscripted, then the production rate will plummet. If the empire still orders for people in Mird to be conscripted, then Mird will no doubt be destroyed. You can count on that. And unless something really good happens, the production rate won''t change."


    "But isn''t it useless that only the Mird head can change the tax rate?" Ca asked, capturing the true nature of this problem.


    "That''s right. If the overall production rate of the entire Mird territory increases, then the Mird head will respond by raising the taxes."


    "Oh, so the tax rate can only be calcted off of the entire Mird territory?" Ca continued.


    You''re a sharp one, Ca. The gears in your head are spinning quickly.


    "That''s right. Basically, even if the production output greatly increases in a single vige, as long as the overall tax rate of the territory doesn''t rise, they can''t tax our increase," I exined. "However, if they raise the tax rate of the entire Mird territory, the other vigers won''t be able to keep going---if all went bad, a rebellion might happen. So the Mird head won''t be able to raise the taxes, and any increases will be our profits."


    "But for only us to prosper, that''ll be like we''re betraying all the other viges," Ca gasped.


    "Throw those thoughts away," I said. "This holds especially true with the recent attack, but you guys are in a position where you always have to be on guard for any monster raids; you don''t have the flexibility to worry about other viges."


    "I agree with Saint-sama. We''re protecting the other viges from monster raids, so they''ve got no right toin to us!" dered the woman whose older brother had been killed by themittee of elders. Voices of agreement began sounding out left and right.


    "I seem to have convinced you. Then I''ll move on to the specifics: how we will raise our production output."


    I exined the Norfolk farming method to the vigers.


    Then, I bought some livestock and lent them to the vige.


    Autumn will arrive soon, after which we''ll nt beans, raise livestock, and fertilize thend. Then we''ll nt rye in the spring as per usual before harvesting. After harvesting, we''ll release the livestock to graze thend, and as they multiply, sell those that can be milked or provide other uses. Using the funds from those sales, we''ll turn the rye into wheat and repeat each year.


    The merit of this method is that while the empire legally requires us to maintain thend, any tax taken from raising livestock must be registered in Centrals animal husbandry ledger.pe


    However, that won''t happen because it might lead to conscription. That''s why this will be a side job where the profits all go to the vige.


    Judo, Ca, and the other eight children who attacked my carriage will now work for my Sagami Co. I thought they''d be hesitant to work in manualbor, but there was surprisingly no resistance. Maybe because the injured were soon to make a recovery.


    Anyways, although it was a bit irregr, my agriculture management began.


    [1] Theinternal worldis a person''s subjective sense of selfandall of the thoughts that it generates. Theexternal worldis everything else.


    [2] I''ve never heard this term used before, although you can probably guess what it means. I''ll just copy a definition in case. Theharvest coefficientis the percentage of total forage produced that is assigned to grazing animals for consumption. I think in this case it''s not necessarily assigned to grazing animals, just total forage produced.


    Also, I don''t know why the author decided to split this number into two parts.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 19 - Grimoire Contract

    Three more days passed.


    In the end we went with soy for our bean nt. Upon closer inspection, I discovered several surprising things. Just like other legumes, soy''s roots don''t extend very deep into the ground. They don''t absorb very much water, which lets the ground retain water, and it''s difficult for the nts to leave the roots, so thend shouldn''t run dry if we plow in the spring. Furthermore, the nts are about half the size of a normal soybean nt, and if we take into ount therge number of rhizobia, protein must be packed inside the nt.


    Now, after harvesting rye and wheat, we''ll nt the soy and harvest the beans and use the remaining parts of the nts as feed for the livestock. This way thend will stay fertile. It''s like we''re killing two birds with one stone.


    I ordered arge quantity of soy (soybeans) from Giresse, so he got me in contact with the merchants from the northwest Commerce Guild. Apparently, the soy should being within two weeks.


    Livestock in the empire usually consists of a pig-like One-Horned Boar and a chicken-like Ratite. The only use of the One-Horned Boar is to kill it and eat it, and while the Ratite''s eggs are appealing, we''re trying to fertilize thend so they''re unnecessary. In the end, we went with the Uru, a sheep-like animal that inhabits the alpines in the most southeastern regions.


    I haven''t grasped the Uru''s ecology yet, but if they''re the same as sheep, we can at least sell their wool to be used for clothing, and we can create dairy products like butter and yogurt out of their milk.


    Also, as long as we have feed for the chicken-like Ratite, we should be able to raise them without too much trouble. On that note, there''s always the 10% of the rye and wheat that consist of dead leaves and leaves half-eaten by insects that aren''t ounted for in the tax calction. We''ve also recently had to dispose arge amount of rye because of the series of goblin raids, so we could use that to raise the poultry.


    "How does 150 gold for 100 Urus and 100 Ratites sound?" Rainer asked.


    "That sounds good. Can you take it out of the royalties from the ¡ºHand Pump¡»?"


    "I understand. Let''s write a contract," Rainer said before turning to order one of his subordinates. "Draw one up for me."


    He turned back to me and leaned forward. "So? What do you n to do next," he asked like a moody kid who had just found a new toy.


    "Just a bit of agricultural management......"


    "What do you do for that?"


    "I''m still experimenting. Once the resultse out, I''ll let you know through a letter."


    Naturally, I would be an idiot to tell him everyst detail, but Rainer is an important business partner---I can''t leave him in the dark. I should at least feed him some information.


    "Thanks. By the way, that ¡ºClock¡»is amazing. If the contents of the blueprint end up working out, it''llpletely change our lifestyle. Even the ¡ºHand Pump¡»is an amazing invention that can''t be sidelined. Do you know when it''ll be finished?"


    "We''re tirelessly working toplete it at the moment. I visited Leroy-san''s workshop yesterday but was kicked out as a nuisance," I said.


    Rainer chucked in response as if to say, that''s Leroy for you, but his face soon turned serious. "I''ll give my thanks once again. You''ve opened up a new path for our Commerce Guild. Everyone from our guild thanks you from the bottom of our hearts," he said, bowing deeply as his subordinates followed suit.


    "Don''t get too ahead of yourself," I chuckled. "It''s not even finished yet."


    "Oh it''ll finish. The inventor is none other than you, after all."


    His excessive overvaluation made me a bit ticklish, so maybe it''s time to change the topic.


    "Have you found a ce for that store I wanted?" I asked.


    "Yeah, I found a great ce. Look forward to it."


    "Thank you."


    "Well then, let''s talk about the specifics of the ¡ºClock¡». How''s this?" he said, handing me another contract.


    "70% for me, 10% for Giresse, and 20% for the guild. Is this really okay?"


    "Didn''t I say before? We merchants have long been thirsting for something like this ¡ºClock¡». Normally, we''d be more than happy to just have the sole rights to sell this; it''s just that it''s more convenient for you that we take some of the share.


    So he knew. If the Mird family somehow found out, they could worm their way in using their position as my guardians if I received all the royalties. My stepmother, at the very least, would do that.


    On that note, it would be different with the guild in the mix. A contract is built upon trust, and the guild contracted not with the Mird family, but with me. Trying to weasel in would be like spitting in the face of the guild. It''d be one thing if they were some powerful nobles, but weak nobles like them would be crushed in an instant. Even my father wouldn''t be so foolish as to attempt that.


    "Thank you for your consideration," I said.


    "No problem," he waved my concerns away. "But it was annoying to persuade Giresse. Jeez, that boy''s been stubborn ever since we were kids."


    "I bet."


    Giresse had been against receiving a share of the royalties this time as he ''hadn''t done anything,'' to put it in his words.


    My goal was actually to spread the clock around the world, so I had no qualms about what happened to the money.


    However, in the face of the guild''s fierce request, which bordered on pleading, Giresse and I took most of the royalties. They probably wanted to avoid making exceptions for me as much as possible.


    "Well with that I will take my leave," I said.


    "The contract should be finished soon." Rainer cut in.


    "The contract will only take in effect once the ¡ºClock¡»is finished. Until then, it''s just a slip of paper so it should be fine to hand it over once it''s finished."


    "That''s true."


    "Well then." I stood up and began walking to the door when Rainer called out again.


    "I''ll let you know once we finish cleaning the premises that will be your shop and yourpany."


    "Thank you." I turned back to bow before exiting the room.


    I returned to my room to find Sate fast asleep on the bed, spread-eagle. I wish she would use her own room---we each have our own for a reason. Well, there''s no use telling that to a kid who''s afraid to sleep alone at night.


    I sat down on the chair and heaved a sigh.


    To think managing some rundown vige would taking this much money and manpower. Managers might even be more capable than us scientists in a sense.


    In any case, increasing Tote''s military power is a pressing matter---I can''t expect to manage Tote while it''s constantly being ravaged by monsters after all. I need a way for the vigers to level up enough to defend themselves.


    Luckily, I''ve arrived at a certain conjecture after the recent events, namely, when your stats actually rise.


    I had first thought that the more you did actions that were rted to the stat, or ''use'' it, the higher it would go. This wasn''t incorrect; in fact, it had already been proven.


    However, in ''using'' stats, there was ''fatigue'' and ''recovery.'' Upon looking deeper into those terms, I realized I had made a fatal mistake.


    For example, let''s talk about the endurance stat. Fatiguing endurance would require sustaining wounds, whereas recovery would consist of literally recovering wounds. As such, your endurance stat would go up when you finish ''using'' your stat, or in this case, when your wounds heal. The fact that all 35 vigers who were wounded had their endurance shoot up to F makes this obvious.


    If I wanted to find out the rules governing the stat increases, I could just ''use'' a stat until I reached my limits and then heal back up.


    And the most efficient stat to raise using this method would be Magic and MP.


    There wasn''t any concept of expending Magic in this world, but in all probability MP and Magic were closely rted.


    We consume MP to activate magic, upon which the Magic stat is used as fuel, so they must have an inseparable rtionship. That''s why it would be more natural to say that Magic rises when you expend and then recover MP.


    Basically, use magic until I can''t activate any more, then recover. If I kept doing this, I should see my MP and Magic should shoot up.


    In order to recover Magic and MP, I need to sleep, and I''ll only get tired when my Magic ispletely dry---there aren''t many who can just fall asleep onmand.


    That''s why I''ve developed the following magic.


    Spell Name: ¡¾Sleep¡¿-- Master Rank


    Exnation: Forcefully stop bodily activity.


    Chant: Chant Revocation


    Rank: Low


    It''s a roundabout way to sleep.


    I''ll use Analyze Environment to check my MP in real-time so I can almostpletely deplete it, just saving enough to cast ¡¾Sleep¡¿. Once I cast ¡¾Sleep¡¿, my MP will be drained to around 1 or 2, and I''ll fall asleep.


    The only problem was that I''d need at least 5 hours of sleep to raise my stats this way, which meant I could only use this method once a day.


    It was indispensable to increase the strength of anybody who came along with me from now on. Once I finished a proof-of-concept, I nned to have Sate and the vigers use this training method.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    While trying not to wake Sate, I teleported to Judo''s house.


    Inside the cramped room was Judo''s group of 10 and the 35 wounded from the goblin raid.


    The wounded were able to move a little, probably because their wounds were mostly healed by now, but judging by the fact that they still had sweat streaming down their faces, just getting up was still a hurdle.


    "I thought I told you guys to rest," I said.


    "You saved us. Oh Saint-sama, please let us stay by your side like Judo and the others!" one of the injured eximed.


    "Even if you say that..."


    I just employed them at Sagami Co.---I don''t have any intention on creating some master-servant rtionship.


    "Please!" the leader-like ck-haired youth pleaded. He bowed, and the rest followed suit. Judging from Ca''s triumphant attitude, I can easily guess what kind of exnation she gave them.


    "Look, I don''t care what that kid over there told you, but I''m managing your vige as an experiment, not for you guys."


    This management will be the cornerstone for any futurerge-scale management projects I do.


    "That''s fine! Please!" they continued to plead, unfazed by my words.


    Well, Tote is hurting for a reserve defense force. Everyone here has F rank endurance or higher, so I could certainly use them.


    "Okay. However, only once your wounds havepletely healed."


    I can''t have them dying on me after I just saved them after all.


    "Oh it is our humble pleasure!"


    What kind of historical y is that phrase from? Well, whatever, it''s toote now anyways.


    I don''t have time to spare. Let''s begin.


    "I can''t babysit each and every one of you. Learn to fend for yourself. First, take this," I said, tossing several low-rank grimoires onto the ground. The grimoires I threw out were, ¡¾Fireball¡¿, ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿, ¡¾Water Bullet¡¿, and ¡¾Rock Bullet¡¿. They weren''t particrly amazing spells, but as long as they mastered these and raised their Magic they should be able to wield them in battle.


    Judo ced his hand on the grimoire, and it emitted a radiant light as the words, By Judo, floated onto the grimoire.


    Judo had selected the ¡¾Fireball¡¿grimoire, and if he fired it off here, it''d be a sea of mes.


    I had the rest choose a grimoire as well, and after prodding them along, brought them to the forest outside of Tote.


    "Point your right palm at that tree and chant, ''O red me, gather betwixt my hands and turn to power,''" I said.


    "What? Um......"


    Hurry it up! I''m a busy man," I ordered Judo, who was bewildered.


    "Y-yessir. O red me, gather beaaaah!?" he yelped as a me began to appear in his own palm.


    "Hurry and chant it!!"


    "Betwixt my hands and turn to power?" he chanted as his voice cracked. Once his chant finished, a fireball dashed towards therge tree before fizzling out as it collided with the tree. Well, that''s what happens when your Magic is too low.


    "B-b-boss, what happened?" Judo stammered.


    "That book was a grimoire," I began to exin. "If you want to acquire its magic, you''ll have to practice as per my instructions."


    After a moment of silence, a thunderous howl echoed throughout the forest.


    "Shut the hell up you idiots!!" I yelled. After they began to calm down, I swiftly began ordering them to make the contract with the grimoire. As if scrambling to be first, several voices bounded forward.


    In response, I stated, "Once you make a contract with a grimoire, it can thereupon only be used by you. Additionally, you can now store it with themand, ''Storage,'' and take it out with themand, ''Take out.''"


    I discovered this feature when I closely examined a grimoire with Analyze Environment. I had my item box so it was a useless feature to me, but it would prove indispensable to these guys.


    "Storage!" Judomanded, and his grimoire disappeared without a trace. "Take out!" The grimoire then reappeared on his hand.


    "M-me too---," Ca said. She imitated Judo, and the others began shouting in joy.


    "If your grimoire ever burns up, you''ll be unable to use its magic, so please be careful," I said, and began exining our future ns to Judo and the rest, as they were still hyped up on emotions.


    First, Mos, the ck-haired youth who was the representative of the 35 wounded, would be the leader and take on the role of protecting Tote.


    This way, it was possible to promptly mobilize Judo''s group under the name of Sagami Co.


    Additionally, if anybody spoke word of this, they would immediately be expelled, and their grimoires confiscated. I then teleported them to Tote and ordered them to be on standby.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After returning to Straheim, Giresse informed me that the clock waspleted, so I should go to Leroy''s workshop.


    "How''s this?" Leroy pointed to the two clocks on the table as he continued working on arge bear.


    The pendulum clock and the wristwatch were both made exactly as I had designed. Still, I had to hand it to Leroy---even though he only had a blueprint to follow, he finished it in a mere three days.


    "It''s amazing. Thank you for your hard work."


    "I see. Tell me more when I wake up," Leroy said as hey down and began snoring.


    What a lively man.


    Around three weekster, the pendulum clock was set up on the first floor of the Commerce Guild''s meeting hall.


    The three weeks were calcted using mean sr time, which was time calcted by the motion of an imaginary sun conceived as moving through the sky throughout the year at a constant speed equal to the mean rate of the real sun. [1]


    And so I introduced the clock to Alteria.


    [1] Yeah so I didn''t try to trante this term verbatim and just pulled it from google; it''s the same thing in the end and the author''s definition uses the same jargon.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 20 - Turning Nine

    Summer arrived once again, and I turned nine.


    I returned to the Mird territory, where I focused my all on managing Sagami Co. and Tote and delving deeper and training in the ¡ºAncient Forest¡».


    First was Sagami Co.


    With Rainer''s introduction, I was able to cheaply purchase a shop and a residence for mypany.


    The residence was a 4-story building, located in Straheim''s suburbs, and the fact that it was an entire storyrger than the Mird family''s could only be called ironic. At the very least, it was excessivelyrge for the ten of us, and we would primarily use the first floor.


    The shop, on the other hand, was a fancy 3-story brick building that ran along the main street. Because the building and its location were quite luxurious, it was apparently even more expensive than Sagami Co''s.


    Still, even though we were running a store, we hadn''t decided anything for the menu. I nned to open the store once we finished the menu, but focused too much on developing seasonings, and as a result, opened the store around half a yearter.


    We developed the following four seasonings.


    We created miso, soy sauce, and vinegar out of the soy (soybeans) and riso (rice). I had first thought these simple to make, but much to my chagrin, it took several months to reach them to reach a level that I was familiar with. I couldn''t do much with just knowledge, as it was out of my expertise. Vinegar, especially, was especially hard to make with yeast.


    The final seasoning was mayonnaise, created with vige eggs, vinegar, and sd oil drawn out from soybeans.


    The foods that would appear on the menu would be a simple stew of meat and vegetables with miso and soy sauce, soy sauce-vored yakiniku, vegetables stir-fried with miso and One-Horned Boar, and sd dressed with mayonnaise.


    However, even though this would be quite the in lineup on Earth, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call these seasonings the blood, toil, tears, and sweat of the Japanese. It took quite a lot of money to get here, but customers got addicted left and right, and the restaurant soon overflowed with adventurers and merchants.


    As a result, we decided that we couldn''t continue running the restaurant with just 10 people. So just the other day, we decided to hire more people to manage the store so we could focus on developing other foods.


    Well, even Ca gained mountains of experience during this half-year, and her etiquette remarkably improved, so right now she was finding sess attracting customers to the store, but she still returned to the same-old demanding girl once the store closed and the customers left.


    In any case, we had finally began developing a working menu.


    We haven''t been following Sagami Co.''s original objective---developing convenient things from culture, ever since the clock. It was obvious that if we went at it with this many people, there wouldn''t be enough for everyone to do, but most importantly, Leroy was working on making more clocks so he couldn''t help create other contraptions.


    Next was Tote''s management.


    For defense, we officially organized a security squad with Mos as its leader, and they began protecting the vige. It was also good that squad was always on reserve so that they could increase their defense capabilities.


    In order to put them on reserve, we had to do a 180 on Tote''s management. Basically, we had to turn a self-centered mishmash of a group into a single organization that focused on structure.


    It was the first step to the security squad. In exchange for a sry, they would uphold public safety, fight, and solve any problems that might arise while defending the vige.


    The security squad''s first mission was remodeling the vige.


    I made everyone in the squad learn earth magic, had them dig deep trenches around the perimeter and set up high walls that covered the vige with said magic. Additionally, I created watchtowers to oversee the area around the vige.


    Since I had already destroyed the goblin nest, which was the most powerful thing nearby, the previously oppressed kobolds and orcs rose up and attacked the vige.


    However, we easily repelled their attacks with our walls and trenches, and quickly annihted them with magic and bows fired from the watchtowers.


    Once the vige''s remodeling nearedpletion, I began focusing on battle training. I talked with Caesar in Straheim and invited one of his associates toe in as an instructor. He said the vigers'' skills would soon rise, so I''m excited to see how far they''ll go in a couple of years.


    There were also new members for the security squad---the winged fairies that had been captured by the goblins and had chosen to live in the vige.


    However, they didn''t feel good just freeloading, so they actively helped out with reconstructing the vige. They originally had diligent personalities, so they put effort into ever job no matter how menial it was, and the vigers gradually opened up to them.


    Then, just about a week ago, we heard that they wanted to protect the vige as well, so we gave them permission.


    Originally, their growth rate waspletely different from humans, so they''d probably be put as the squad''s main force.


    The livestock and agricultural side also went extremely well.


    All the vigers helped plow the fields, and we nted soy (soybeans) and let Uru (sheep) graze thend.


    We sheared their wool and made cheese by adding vinegar to their milk. Almost all the money made from selling those products was put into the vige''s savings, and a portion was used to buy other provisions.


    Once spring arrived, we nted rye, which grew surprisingly well. There was seven or eights times more than before, so we were able to keep a lot even though 50% was taken out as tax. Now, there was plenty in storage, and we could turn the rest into cash if we so chose to.


    Incidentally, other than a small percent, the women captured by the goblin wanted to stay in Tote. Honestly, I don''t understand what they''re thinking. Still, it might someplicated feeling about wanted to reset everything and start a new life.


    In any case, Tote''s management was going swimmingly, and I was quite pleased to be able to obtain plenty of data on agriculture and animal husbandry.


    Next was exploring and studying the ¡ºAncient Forest¡».


    I obtained a new magic after wandering around the ¡ºAncient Forest¡», finding magic stones and precious drops.


    I would repeatedly drain my magic to a set point at night before casting my recovery magic and fall asleep. As a result, my stats improved remarkably.


    Grey Mird


    Status


    HP: D (12/100%)


    MP: B (9/100%)


    Strength: D (34/100%)


    Endurance: D- (13/100%)


    Magic: B (3/100%)


    Magical Endurance: D (44/100%)


    Agility: D+ (4/100%)


    Luck: D+ (1/100%)


    Drop: D+ (57/100%)


    Wisdom: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Growth Rate: ¦«¦µ¦·


    My Magic and MP finally reached B, and as expected, Strength and Endurance didn''t grow much.


    Sate, Judo, and Ca followed a simr training regimen, and their Magic and MP reached E+, while the others reached an average of E.


    I also made Judo''s group learn high-rank magic, so unless something really bad happened, they shouldn''t lose.


    As for me, I learned the basics of top-rank fire, water, earth, and wind magic, as well as special-rank magic like light and dark magic. [1]


    Incidentally, healing series magic is ssified as holy-type magic. Well, that''s just how the magicians of this world ssify it, and I''ve some doubts of its veracity.


    Right now I''m in Straheim''s tradingpany''s reception office with Judo and Ca, as we were beckoned over by the Commerce Guild.


    It seems to be about the royalties of the ¡ºHand Pump¡»and the ¡ºClock¡». I''ve been focusing on what to do after I turn 13, and so have been far more concerned about the experimental management of Tote and my restaurant, so I''vepletely forgotten about the inventions.


    "Sorry for the wait, Grey-dono," Arge man, the Director of Straheim, Ikose mo, bowed once before sitting down in front of me.


    "Hey there, Ikose-san. Congrattions on your promotion to Branch Leader."


    "Please, this was also thanks to your efforts, Grey-dono. That ¡ºClock¡»brought us mountains of profit, and President Rainer wanted to meet you as well."


    Former Branch Leader Rainermonly stayed in the capital as the Commerce Guild President, and Ikose often delivered invitations to said capital. Things seem to be working out for him because he''s so busy.


    "Yeah, I want to visit the capital too, and I n to once I turn 13," I said.


    "That''s good. You should be working on a bigger stage, Grey-dono."


    I always think this, but I feel like he''s always overestimating my abilities, though I am happy about it.


    "Thank you for thepliment," I said. "So what did you want to talk about?"


    "First, these documents detail the royalties on the ¡ºHand Pump¡»and the ¡ºClock¡».


    Royalties -- Grey Mird


    Hand Pump: 300021 Gold, 51 Silver 22 Copper


    Clock:  1530094 Gold 06 Copper


    Total: 1839862 Gold 51 Silver 28 Copper


    "That''s quite the amount," I remarked.


    1.83 million gold. I thought of the hand pump for Sate''s sake, and the clock was for my own convenience during future research and business prospects. To be honest, I only thought about earning enough money so that I could freely move about. To think that I would rake in this much......


    "1, 10, 100, 1 000, 10 000, 100 000, 1 000 000, 1 830 000," Ca counted. "Um, it costs 100G to supply our vige with food for a year, so this is......"


    "18 000 times more!!" Judo shouted as Ca paled.


    I''ve since taught them several things, and they''ve mastered simple calctions. Judo was especially diligent from get-go and put everything into studying, even going so far as to cut into his sleep. He was a promising student and top of his ss.


    "Haha, you immediately realized how grand this amount is," Ikoseughed. "That''s plenty promising. Also, President Rainer earned even more than Grey-dono did."


    "More than Boss did!? Is he a monster!?" Judo shouted.


    "A monster, huh. That might be true. The Commerce Guild''s assets arerger than any country. You''ve got promise. Train and study under Grey-dono. If you do so, someday you''ll surely be able to see this view.


    "The view that Boss sees......" Judo whispered in ecstasy. Judo and Ca are pretty smart, but I can''t deny that they can be reckless sometimes. I try not to stir up that side of them.


    "It''s not fair that it''s just you, onii-chan. What about me!?"Ca pouted.


    "Weren''t you trying to be a doctor?" Ikose asked.


    "Yeah, but..."


    Ever since the raidst year, she''s found interest in healing the sick and injured. I slowly been slowly teaching her the basics, and she''s been excelling, probably because she''s interested in the subject.


    I nned to test her once her skills and knowledge reached a certain level. Obviously, I n to make it next to impossible, but if she passes despite that, then I''ll throw her a celebration party fitting for her achievement.


    "Oh, also, this is from President Rainer," Ikose said, handing me a letter.


    It''s probably another invitation toe and mess around the capital. Uncharacteristically for Ikose, it looks like he''s gotten homesick.


    "Thank you. I''ll take a look at it immediately," I said as I opened it up. And as I thought, the contents said there was someone he wanted to meet, so I shoulde to the capital.


    I don''t want to be conspicuous right now. I''m already known as the son of some poor noble who somehow has close connections with the top of the Commerce Guild. I''llpose a letter of refusalter on.


    "Well, we''ll take our leave now."


    "Yeah."


    I bid farewell, putting a mask on as I left the room. The mask was because I''ve recently attracted a lot of attention, and I''ve named myself Shirabe Sagami while under its guise.


    Straheim''s church clock rang 3 o''clock---the clock was abination of my designs of the bell and time and Rainer''s requests.


    Developing the clock changed the lifestyle of those in the empire, no, the entire world.


    First of all, the central church of mankind''s religion, The Holy Light, dered the usage of clocks.


    The various countries of the world, including the empire, agreed with the church, and in the blink of an eye, the clocks spread throughout the world.


    This was all aplished by Rainer''s Commerce Guild spreading word on every front, of course, but as a result, the world obtained the power to tell time.


    However, due to wealthy merchants and high-ranking nobles, the clock didn''t spread to the general public. Well, it''ll take a while for the concept of time to normalize anyways. At the very least, it would be several years before clocks truly because an everyday item.


    "Leroy-san, long time no see," I said.


    "Yo, Grey."


    "How''s the work on the new clock?"


    "Going smoothly. I mean, I''ve gotten a little tired of developing clocks."


    Figures. Leroy had been tasked by the Commerce guild, and recently has been doing nothing but developing clocks.


    "Then would you now consider joining mypany?"


    "No question about it. I want to make something that''ll get my heart going again."


    If Leroy joined mypany, the path to developing goods would open up again. There''ll probably be a small influx of new inventions in the future.


    "Let''s settle the paperwork another time. For now, could you try making this?" I asked and handed Leroy a blueprint.


    "A transparent board---ss......"


    ss was a fundamental, and moreover, extremely important material developed through culture and science. Without ss, scientific experiments would go nowhere.


    It wasn''t that difficult to make ss in it of itself.


    You take silica sand, created from weathered granite, as well as sodium bicarbonate and limestone, created from trona.


    The mines of this world currently mine for gold, silver, copper, and iron, while other minerals like silica sand, limestone, trona, and even coal are thrown away inrge quantities.


    If you heated trona with coal coke, you could get sodium bicarbonate. And before you know it, there''s ss.


    Still, it''s unknown whether the minerals of this world function the same as those on Earth, so I purchased some test materials from Giresse.


    If all went well, I could buy up the gold, silver, copper, and iron abandoned from the mines at dirt-cheap. And it''d be possible with the fortune I''ve amassed so far.


    "Yeah, it''s transparent so you could use it for tableware and windows; it''ll revolutionize living."


    "I''m always thinking this, but where did you get this knowledge from."


    "It''s just an idea. That''s why I''m asking you to make a trial piece."


    "Well, sure. I''ll get on it then," Leroy said as he went deeper into the room, and after giving him a light bow, we left the workshop.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "You really won''te with me to the capital, Grey?" Aqua asked me yet again while I was eating with the servants in the kitchen.


    Incidentally, after returning home from training in Straheim, Aqua somehow knew I was eating with the servants in the kitchen and began eating with us as if it were a good thing.


    Aqua had just gotten into the empire''s Magic Knight Academy. First Cliff, and now Aqua; my stepmother was surely jumping for joy. And so, Aqua would be returning to the capital tomorrow.


    Recently, every time Aqua opened her mouth it was to ask me this question. Some type ofst-minute persuasion, I guess.


    "Thank you, dear sister, but I hear the empire is expensive. I don''t have any assets in this family," I answered as a feeling of relief washed over me.


    "I talked with Father about that matter. So, please?"


    It was certainly alluring to not have to see eyesores like my stepmother and Linda, but I didn''t want to be in debt to my father and having him refuse me leaving the Mird family in the future would be really annoying.


    But my stepmother and Linda frequently harass me.


    They make me clean and doundry, and if there''s even a speck of dust, they''ll burst into rage and order me to do it all over again. They also order me, a child, to chop with a dangerous axe and patrol at night.


    However, their remarks go in one ear and out the other, and I''vee to be able tomunicate with the other servants while cleaning, doingundry, and chopping wood, so I''m quite thankful. Any nine-year-old would be afraid of patrolling the mansion at night, but unfortunately for them, I''m actually a middle-aged man and there''s no way I''d get scared by that.


    In short, despite not being able to do anything about it, their harassment doesn''t bother me in the least. Moreover, it''s far more important to make sure there aren''t any obstacles preventing me from leaving the future.


    "It''s a promising proposal, but in any case, I n to leave the family and visit the capital when I turn 13 anyways, so I''ll wait until then."


    "Young Master, are you really going to leave thisnd once you turn 13?" Dom asked the same-old question as a thick unease crept onto his face.


    "Well yeah. It''s been arranged that way from the start so..."


    "Once I graduate from the academy, I n to live in the capital as well. I guess I''m okay with this then," Aqua said, giving her consent. Actually, recently Aqua has been saying, ''Grey, you can''t stay in a ce like this,'' every time we meet.


    "Aqua-ojousama, wouldn''t it better for Young Grey to seed Mird?" one servant murmured.


    Aqua sighed in response, and silently red at Sebastian. "Sorry, but it''s a rule among nobles; I think either Cliff-oniisan or Linda-oneesan is going to seed the position." She gave a dryugh, as if she had already given up on the future of this family. She probably things that only I can be saved.


    I don''t know what kind of conflict Aqua, who has a strong sense of justice, has had to brave in order to reach that conclusion, but it probably wasn''t anything normal. The dark rules of this empire are just that deep I guess.


    "Dear sister, please be careful."


    She''s done a lot for me, so there were no lies in that statement.


    "Thanks," Aqua said. "However, if it''s too much to bear juste to the capital. Promise me that at least."


    "I promise."


    Aqua stood up and embraced me, trembling all the while---she was probably crying. I don''t know if it was from separating with me, or from not being able to do anything here. No, it might have been both.


    The next day, Aqua departed for the capital. When Cliff went, only a few officials and the Mirage vige head were there to see him off, but every Mirage viger went to see Aqua off. Aqua must have been toiling for this vigers of thisnd, at least, that''s what that difference shows.


    [1] For those who don''t remember since the nomenture doesn''t make it immediately obvious, the ordering used so far is Low, Middle, High, Top, Special.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 21 - I Turned 12

    I turned 12.


    After training several years, my Magic and MP reached S-.


    Grey Mird


    Status


    HP: C+ (22/100%)


    MP: S- (77/100%)


    Strength: B- (56/100%)


    Endurance: B- (13/100%)


    Magic: S- (46/100%)


    Magical Endurance: B- (53/100%)


    Agility: B (17/100%)


    Luck: C+ (36/100%)


    Drop: C+ (88/100%)


    Wisdom: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Growth Rate: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Right now, I''m challenging thest untroddennds of the ¡ºAncient Forest¡», the most southeastern portion, with Sate, Judo, and Ca.


    The most southeastern portion consists of giant wends, and the strength of the monsters that swagger around thends are on a whole nother level.


    "Be careful. Leave the vanguard to me. Just support me with magic from the rear!"


    "Okay!"


    "Yep!"


    "Yessir!"


    A giant 5-meter tall alligator-like monster charged at us, creating tremors in the earth. Sate quickly held up her right palm and chanted, "¡¾Water Citadel¡¿"


    The water around us rose up and formed into several blue membranes before fully shaping into a small citadel that protected us.


    Once the alligator tried to touch the blue membrane, several needles sprouted out of the water castle walls and skewered it.


    The giant alligator writhed in agony as red blood spurted out.


    "¡¾Seven ck Thunder Pirs¡¿"


    At Ca''s chant, ck thunder pirs over four meters wide descended from the heavens and evaporated the alligator, leaving nothing behind.


    "Oi, Ca! Who uses lightning series magic in the wends?! We''d be dead if Sate didn''t throw a barrier up!" Judo yelled as a vein bulged on his forehead. I let out a sigh as Ca threw out her tongue in response and hid behind Sate.


    Recently, Ca and Sate have been getting along like sisters. Ca is currently 18, and Sate 14. Sate was four years younger, but she was more of an older sister.


    "Ca-oneechan, we''re in the wends so water series magic would be better," Sate said.


    "I know." Ca kicked at the water, sulking as even Sate rebuked her.


    Other than healing magic, Ca had a strong attachment to high-rank and above lightning spells. Especially after she obtained the special-rank magic, ¡¾Seven ck Thunder Pirs¡¿, she''s been using it left and right.


    Certainly, Sate''s special rank magic, ¡¾Water Citadel¡¿was tested to be able to block almost anything as long as it didn''t take a direct hit from lightning, but if anything went wrong and we took the lightning head on, everyone but me would be fried. As Judo pointed out, she should refrain from using it.


    "We''re in the middle of practice right now," I said. "If you want to fight do it after."


    "S-sorry!" Judo bowed deeply. Ca stuck her tongue out at Judo, so I tapped her head with the handle of my sword.


    "Ca, until I say otherwise, lightning series magic is forbidden," I said.


    "Whaaaat!!" sheined.


    "Do you hear me!?"


    "Okaaay," she answered while pouting. Ca always listened to what I said. But turning that around, you could also say that she only listened to what I said. Jeez, speaking of which, on Earth, 18 is the age when you be an adult and get the right to vote. I might have spoiled her a bit too much.


    Anyways, after lowering their MP to the single digits, I forcefully put them to sleep with magic every day, and as a result, Sate, Ca, and Judo''s Magic all reached C+.


    Sate


    Status


    HP: E- (22/100%)


    MP: C+ (18/100%)


    Strength: E- (2/100%)


    Endurance: C- (13/100%)


    Magic: C+ (3/100%)


    Magical Endurance: C- (18/100%)


    Agility: E+ (42/100%)


    Luck: E- (6/100%)


    Drop: E- (65/100%)


    Wisdom: D- (41/100%)


    Growth Rate: A


    Title: ---''s Maid


    Judo


    Status


    HP: E+ (35/100%)


    MP: C+ (54/100%)


    Strength: D- (4/100%)


    Endurance: C- (16/100%)


    Magic: C+ (75/100%)


    Magical Endurance: E- (48/100%)


    Agility: E (88/100%)


    Luck: E (66/100%)


    Drop: E (27/100%)


    Wisdom: C- (12/100%)


    Growth Rate: A


    Title: ---''s Disciple


    Sate


    Status


    HP: E (35/100%)


    MP: C+ (55/100%)


    Strength: C- (2/100%)


    Endurance: D- (13/100%)


    Magic: C+ (27/100%)


    Magical Endurance: D- (18/100%)


    Agility: C- (42/100%)


    Luck: E (6/100%)


    Drop: E (65/100%)


    Wisdom: E (90/100%)


    Growth Rate: A


    Title: ---''s Disciple


    Their statuses were ridiculously high overall, but their growth rate, especially, was overwhelmingly high.


    In the first ce, Judo''s growth rate should have been E, but before I knew it his growth rate became A. This is just my spection, but I think that it has something to do with their mysterious titles.


    I think it has to do with whether you have that weird title or now. I''ve had everyone else do the same exercises as these three, butpared to Judo, Ca, and Sate''s status, the others'' MP and Magic only reached E+, remarkably low inparison. Furthermore, no matter what I did, they couldn''t learn top-rank magic, so I had the other 8 employees of Sagami Co. and Tote''s security squad learn top-rank magic.


    Naturally, the monsters in this area had C- stats and posed a danger to everyone else. They couldn''t hold out for even a second against the small, quick-witted monsters that constantly attacked. So, I pinpointed any dangerous-looking monsters with Analyze Environment and quickly eliminated them with magic, leavingrge monsters like that giant alligator from before for everyone else to eliminate.


    "We''re going deeper," I said. "I want to conquer the ¡ºAncient Forest¡»before going to the capital.


    "Yessir!" they replied in unison.


    Just a minute before, Judo and Ca were all gloomy, but they now showed no such emotions.


    It was simple: I had decided to take Sate, Judo, and Ca with me to the capital.


    They weren''t ves, nor were they serfs of any sort. The empire''sws didn''t permit abandoning farnd, but to turn that around, as long as we maintained thend, we weren''t forced to stay and could move about freely. In fact, many were encouraged to be adventurers or merchants to reduce food costs.


    "Looks like you''re the lord of thisnd," I said, as a giant serpent craned over and red at us with its 16 blood-red eyes.[1]


    DraHachi


    Status


    HP: B+ (99/100%)


    MP: B- (99/100%)


    Strength: B+ (99/100%)


    Endurance: B+ (99/100%)


    Magic: B- (99/100%)


    Magical Endurance: B- (99/100%)


    Agility: B- (99/100%)


    Luck: E+ (1/100%)


    Wisdom: D+ (1/100%)


    Race: Hydra Lord


    Title: Gluttonous Dragon


    Its stats average B. It''s strength is even B+, what a joke of a monster. In any case, based off the name and the title, it''s definitely cunning.


    Well, I certainly can''t let down my guard against it, but this might be a good opportunity to test out the legend-rank dark series magic that I recently acquired.


    Also, if this monster has its own specific magic stone, I should definitely be able to acquire god-rank magic.


    I turned my palm to the sky and chanted, "¡¾Skaei Palm¡¿" as a ck magic circle surrounded the DraHachi.


    "What is this?" a terrified girl''s voice echoed in my ear.


    At the same time, dark clouds enshrouded the dragon and a giant hand appeared of those clouds.


    ¡¾Skaei Palm¡¿--- It was the only legend-rank magic that I could use in a fight. It was the best magic I could use, created out of the magic stone of a Sampati, a giant animal that was one of the four pirs of the ¡ºAncient Forest¡».


    Suddenly, with a shriek, the dragon transformed into a ck-haired girl of about seven or eight years, who, while trembling, rolled into a ball and began crying.


    "A girl......?"


    Why did it be a girl? This has got to be against the rules, I mean just look at how cunning its name and title sounds.


    "Grey-sama......" Sate, who easily became bewildered, gazed at the crying girl and prodded me to change my mind.


    "Yeah, you''re right."


    Even if it were a monster, to bully or even kill a child would be stooping down to my stepmother''s level.


    I terminated my spell and heaved a sigh.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    There wasn''t anything trickier than dealing with a child that wouldn''t stop crying. It didn''t help that I was the one who made her cry.


    Having no other choice, I brought her though teleportation to Sagami Co''s restaurant, ¡ºThe Silver Knife¡», in order to calm her down.


    "How is it? Delicious, right?"


    "It''s good!" As her eyes glistened after chomping on a mouthful of meat, my guilty conscience finally disappeared.


    The Sagami Co. Restaurant, ¡ºThe Silver Knife¡»''s special menu---The Wind Cow Hamburger. The Wind Cow inhabited the Ancient Forest and was an animal just between a Holstein, which was a type of German cow, and a Wagyu cow. As such, it shouldn''t have been able to survive in a ce where powerful monsters were prevalent. However, the Wind Cow inhabited an extremely wide and deep basin surrounded by raging winds. Furthermore, the winds were poisonous too. Even we had to struggle quite a bit to enter the basin, so naturally monsters couldn''t enter, and a unique ecosystem developed in the basin.


    As a result, we named it the¡ºWindy Lands¡»and were able to obtain several products and animals to use for the restaurant.


    On the products side, we obtained sugarcane, tomatoes, potatoes, and onions. And on the animals side, we got the Wind Cow and quail-like bird.


    Once we had obtained the sole right to these animals and products, I went to Giresse and a recently acquainted powerful noble''s farm to test grow the crops and reaped quite the profit.


    "That''s good to hear," I said to the girl, "chew slowly."


    I had no idea what a dragon was like, but I warned her anyways.


    "Okay!"


    "Looks like you''re in a better mood now. I''ll take you back to the wends." I said.


    "Don''t wanna," the DraHachi t out refused my request with a beaming smile.


    "Please don''t say that... Isn''t that your habitat?"


    She flung herself onto Sate and began looking at her with puppy eyes.


    "Grey-sama......" Sate said.


    Oh boy, it''s no good now. You''ve been yed, Sate; you''re too weak to cute things. In your eyes, that girl''s cuteness is probably to die for. What an annoying, cunning dragon.


    "What do you guys think?" I turned to ask the others.


    Judo nced at Ca, who was flushed with excitement, before heaving a heavy sigh and shaking his head back and forth.


    Well there''s no point if only I object. Sate, Judo, and Ca all have special titles that allow them to borrow an iplete version of¡¶ Infinite Item Box ¡·and¡¶ Warp Point¡·after all. So even if I refuse, Sate and Ca could probably enter the wends.


    "Okay," I gave in. "You two need to take care of her then."


    "Thanks! Grey-sama!"


    "Yayy!!"


    Sate and Ca jumped to hug the DraHachi.


    And so, my exploration into the ¡ºAncient Forest¡»ended unexpectedly with a new travler to our group.


    [1] Not sure what the correct term for this is. Basically it''s like when a King Cobra intes its head to make it seem more threatening to other animals.


    Also, not sure what this monster is supposed to be, so for now I''ll keep it as a direct romanization.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 22 - Tote Officials Meeting

    On the 18th day of the 12th month of the Holy Year 904 at 6:24 pm---at Tote''s meeting hall.


    Security squad''s leader, Mos, sat in on the end-of-year officials meeting.


    "---is the budget n for next year. Please state any ns for the surplus funds after raising your hand," the vige chief said, and the officials raced to get their hands up.


    "We, the agricultural department, only have one request: please add more fields. There''s so muchnd to expand into still," one official said.


    "Oi, oi," another chimed in. "Didn''t we add 100 fields for you guysst year?"


    "That''s right, we''re already losing 50% to tax. If we add any more even an idiot would start watching us closely."


    The officials crossed their arms and groaned.


    "Shouldn''t we use thend to raise more livestock that don''t get taxed? What about the Wind Cows we received from Saint-sama? Wouldn''t we be able to sell milk, butter, and cheese at high prices?"


    The merchants'' informationwork is scary. I don''t know how they heard about it, but recently there''s been merchants other than Giresse visiting Tote. As a result, the vige has developed to the point where you couldn''t even find a trace of the old version.


    "No, if we raise our revenue any further, they''ll start taxing our livestock. Shouldn''t we find another solution?" the assistant vige chief said as the rest nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Then please divert some of the budget towards the manufacturing department," Pause, a chestnut-haired youth who had returned from a two-year long training with Sagami Co. just half a year ago, said while bowing his head down.


    In around half a year, he managed to build factories and create a popr product among women who weren''t suited for farming or raising livestock: the mirror. He was the vige hero who brought enormous profits back.


    He studied under, Leroy-sama, who headed Sagami Co.''s R&D department and learned many skills.


    "No objections here," one official said.


    "Yeah, the Commerce Guild has jurisdiction over the merchandise and they''ll never tax it. It''s the most profitable thing. I agree as well," another added.


    Voices of agreement echoed one after another, and while the budget n received a few more corrections, it was approved.


    After the meeting finished, I exited Tote''s meeting hall.


    My eyes stopped on the vigers in the windowed stores who were preparing to go home.


    After that incident, Tote continued to expand and developed all the way to the edge of the Ancient Forest, dozens of timesrger than before.


    "The vige has changed a lot," I pointed out.


    There were well-maintained roads and buildings. The tall, thick walls that surrounded the vige warded off monsters and currently served as a talking point in the vige.


    Mos'' group used the high-rank earth magic they had acquired to easily construct the stone walls.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that merchants began staying longer because of the wall''s existence.


    "Only three more months......"


    Soon, the vige''s guardian deity-like being would leave Mird.


    It was because of Grey-sama that the vige could develop at such frightening speeds. He had brought new knowledge and systems, and most importantly, had taught them the heart to never give up---Tote currently enjoyed wealth iparable to before.


    He increased the variety of crops and productivity skyrocketed. Moreover, we couldn''t rely solely on crops so he gave us a set ie, and thus our food stores wouldn''t be at the weather''s mercy.


    He outfitted several schools for children and had the roles of vige chief and assistant vige chief be determined through an election.


    The biggest change of all was the vigers'' awareness. The had previously believed that there was no other way to live than following the feudal lord''s every word. Now, they tried to slip through his watch and wracked their brains to improve their profits.


    With just a simple change in awareness, they''vee to see an entirely different world and personally experience just how valuable knowledge and information can be.


    "Mos," a voice called out.


    Mos turned just his face towards the voice behind him to find Tana, the woman who lost her brother during what could be called the start of the incident.


    "Tana, I heard you''re going to participate in Sagami Co.''s medical development team. Congrattions."


    She was currently working with Grey''s attendant, Ca, to provide medical care throughout the vige, but recently her achievements have been noticed and has been permitted to join to thepany''s medical development team.


    "Hehe, Thanks. You''re going to have a ceremony with Ageha next month, right? Congrattions to you, too," she bashfully said while scratching her face.


    "Thanks."


    Ageha was the fairy girl with butterfly wings who Grey had saved during the goblin raid incident a few years prior. She currently served as the vice-captain of the security squad and often took on bodyguard jobs.


    At first, maybe because of the difference in races, she didn''t mesh well with the others, but by putting her all into themon goal of protecting Tote, they gradually began to grow closer and she turned into an unreceable member.


    "So, didn''t you have something to ask?" Mos said, forcefully changing the subject.


    "Is Grey-sama really going to leave Mird?"


    "He isn''t the type of person to go back on his word."


    "I know that! But---"


    Mos cut her off with a wave of the hand. "Last month, Grey-sama said, ''You''ve already be dependent.'' Remember? That''s the highest praise that he''ll give. The only thing we can do now is to not sully his expectations."


    Grey said thatst month when we returned the money we had borrowed until now.


    "If Grey-sama became the next head, thisnd would prosper even further!"


    Recently, seeds of pride and attachment have been growing inside everyone---it was probably due to the fact that they could afford to rx now.


    "Give up on the other viges. The only thing we can do now is develop the vige even further."


    Because of the vige''s development, it would be impossible for the current head to unjustly exploit us.


    The citizens of Tote weren''t ves. The only rights he had over the vige were the rights to levy taxes and conscript soldiers.


    As he would never use his right to conscript soldiers, as long as we were wary of his right to levy taxes, we could effectively ignore him.


    Actually, that well-known messenger of his visited the vige several times with special tax orders, but we politely turned her away on the basis that as long as there wasn''t any documentation, we wouldn''t pay.


    The messenger mored about how we would be executed for treason, but I say hit us with your best shot. Even if she attacked us with her private army, these study walls shouldn''t fall. And if she tried to conscript soldiers from other viges, we would sent a report to Central. There were also wealthy merchants that dealt with the vige. It should be much easier to give us independence than have the greedy nobles join in the fray; Central would probably send a mediator as well. And if it came to that, their destruction would be all but assured.


    However, that wouldn''t hold true if we deceived Grey-sama and began managing other vigers. Worse case scenario, it could even be used as a reason to call us treasonous.


    Tana chewed her lip in frustration, only muttering, "I know."


    "Then let''s send him off with a smile. That''s the greatest way we can repay him.


    "Saint-sama has arrived!!" a viger suddenly yelled in excitement. Soon, everybody moved to the central za.


    "You''re as popr as ever."


    "Obviously. It''s Grey-sama after all."


    "True."


    With a smile on his face, Mos headed for the za.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 23 - An Opportunity

    The Giant Forest, Rudoa, located in the empire''s most northern region.


    "The undead dragon''s 3-minute cooking~!


    First we start with~ the bittersweet taste of rotten flesh! ?


    Here''s the corpse of a dragon?" a man sang. He wore a ck suit and a silk hat, and as he raised his right hand, the lovely corpse of a blue-scaled dragon, several dozen meters in length, spilled out from the ground.


    "Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar to the corpse?"


    The man took out several spices from his pocket and sprinkled them over the corpse.


    "Boil at 100 degrees?"


    A poisonous-looking purple liquid enveloped the dragon''s body and soon began to boil.


    "Wait three minutes, the rest is omitted---and hurray, the dead dragon is finished?"


    Its eyes melted, and a red-ck light shed deep in its eyeballs as the lovely blue dragon slowly awoke.


    "You''ve got bad taste as usual," said a man with a monocle and ck hair that blended into the shadows. He rested his back on arge tree and yawned loudly.


    "Ah, Raazhi. Thanky thanky for this dragon-chan? It''s the best kind of dragon---so spunky it makes me hard. ?"


    "Do you need to go so far against these humans (pieces of trash)?"


    "It''s obviously feed for those worms pretending to be heroes and not for you little ants. ?" An unbearable raging hatred shed through the man with a silk hat''s eyes.


    "You think they''ll juste out?"


    "ording to Grim they will?"


    "Then hurry it up. I''m almost at my limit." The ck-haired man''s eyes and hair red red and the air warped with a plosive[1] sound as a thick red aura gushed out from his body like a muddy stream.


    "Oh scary, scary ? Don''t worry, those insects can''t stand up to the 10,000 undead and this undead dragon. Those pieces of trash will poke their heads out without a doubt."


    "And if they don''t?"


    "U~mm. Maybe I''ll have the empire destroyed?"


    "Fine. You''ve gone out of your way to move me. If you fail my expectations, then---" the ck-haired man disappeared before finishing his sentence.


    "Now, everyone~, it''s time to wake up! You''re hungry, right? Absolutely ravenous, right? While you gobble this up... And, forward! And, forward!"


    From the surroundings of the ck-haired man with a silk hat, the undead dragon and dozens of skeletons, zombies, and liches crawled out.


    The myriad of undead formed a file and marched south into the forest.


    [1] Here</a>''s a wiki article about this sound if you''re not familiar already.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 24 - Draft Papers

    "What?"


    Despite my stepmother''s bouts of insanity, I still couldn''t believe what she said.


    "I see you''re hearing is going bad. The draft papers have been sent and the vigers of Tote will be going, so you need to leave immediately."


    "Wait, I''m only 12, you know?"


    "There aren''t any age restrictions on soldiers. The current head is currently visiting a friend in the south to talk about managing thend, so he isn''t present at the moment. It goes greatly against my conscience to say this, but the Mird family only has you left.


    There were rumors of countless undead heading south from the Giant Forest, Rudoa. The rumors that stated that this crisis would turn into an unprecedented cmity which would destroy the empire were so pervasive they had even reached the soldiers in the insignificantnd of Mird.


    My shitty stepmother has probably already noticed the money I''ve been saving up behind the scenes. Since my father, the current head, has yet to return, she''s probably thinking that she can acquire my inheritance by temporarily sending me off to war while also driving out an annoyance.


    I could probably refuse. I mean, the Mird family had almost no right to coerce me as I would soon leave the family anyways. But refusing would meanrge casualties from Tote and their administration would severely decline without me.


    Still, I''d be an idiot to naively ept right now, so I''ll try to squeeze out as much as I can.


    "I decline---I have no reason to."


    "Are you trying to sully the great name of Mird!?"


    So it''s begun: another one of her outbursts about how it won''t go as I think.


    "Where is this prideing from?" I said. "This is the first time I''ve been recognized as a member of the family, you know."


    "I said we''re recognizing you!! Now follow my orders!"


    Whatever. I''ve barely any memories of my past life, but I don''t think I was of the patient type.


    "In just three months I won''t be a part of the family anymore, so why should I have to follow your orders?"


    "Wha-!!?" she yelled as her jaw dropped to the ground.


    "How dare you speak that way to your mother!!" Linda interjected, her face red with rage.


    "My mother? Sorry, but you guys are no more than strangers to me. It''s actually really annoying that you''d lump me in with you buckets of shit when you can''t even empathize with other people''s pain. Don''t you dare say that again."


    Linda yelped as I shed her a murderous re and fell on her butt. How idiotic.


    "It seems that you''ve misunderstood," I continued, "but I''m only a part of this family until I turn 13 because of the head''s protective supervisory right."


    Until then, I don''t have the head''s permission to leave the family, and if I did so anyways he could report to Central and have them take me back by force. Naturally, nobody would do this and bring shame upon their family under normal circumstances.


    However, based off his abnormal rejection before, my father definitely doesn''t want me to stray from his side and would definitely force me back. And there wouldn''t be much of a difference between sticking out to Central''s authorities and being chased as a criminal.


    I had first thought my father''s obstinate response was because he had sensed I was saving up for some reason and had thought it was because I wanted to inherit his position.


    But judging by how happy he was when I had temporarily left the mansion, he wouldn''t ask for me to stay once I turned 13. There were plenty other inconsistencies in his attitude towards me as well. To put it in other words, you could say I couldn''t read him.


    "Then just leave now!!"


    "Yeah, I think I''ll do that." I stood up and began to leave when my stepmother yelled hysterically.


    "Wait!"


    That''s right. In their point of view, they''ll lose a lot of advantages if I don''t depart for this war.


    Firstly, if I were to decline here, my father would have to go in my ce once he returned. And if he were to die in battle, Cliff would have to quit the Magic Knight Academy and take on the position of the next head.


    Additionally, they should already have an idea, no matter slight, of how infatuated the vigers are with me. So if I didn''t go, the vigers would follow suit as there was no legal recourse if they didn''t join the war; I''ve thoroughly educated them in this matter after all.


    Most of all, I would lose my inheritance if I died in the war. There weren''t wills of any sort in this world, and in general the inheritance of any kids under 13 that died would go right back to their guardian, who in this case would be the current head.


    It''s only that there wasn''t any concept of a will, however, and it was possible to write a contract with the same terms beforehand.


    Through Rainer''s introduction, I had already set up a contract with Margrave McBurn''s family, who were the masters of the Mird family, that on my death, 70% of my fortunes would be equally split between Sate, Judo, Ca, and Leroy, and the rest would be split between orphanages around the empire, churches, and directly to the empire.


    I didn''t want Aqua to be dragged through any trials of session rights, so I added the condition that she would receive my inheritance once she got married.


    With so many people in the equation, even if my shitty stepmother cried wolf, the empire probably wouldn''t join hands with her. The empire would be receiving a vast amount of funds as well, after all.


    And so, there wasn''t even a one in a million chance that she would get her hands on my inheritance.


    "What?" I asked.


    "State your terms," my stepmother said.


    "You are forbidden from participating in anything besides taxing the fields. This includes any new taxes as well as military service. Furthermore, you''ll return 10% of all taxes taken back to Tote in 30 years."


    "How unreasonable!" Linda gasped in exasperation.


    "Unreasonable? Going to war is a matter of life or death, and Tote is single-handedly taking on that risk. Shouldn''t they bepensated at least a little for that?"


    My stepmother went deep into thought, but quickly said, "I don''t mind then. Prepare to leave immediately."


    From how easily she epted, my death was probably all but certain in her eyes.


    "One of my merchant friends is actually nearby. Let''s write it down and hand it to a third party."


    "No such thing is necessary!!" She stood up and mmed the table, but I just threw a cold gaze in response.


    "Then I''ll pretend this conversation never happened."


    "Are you saying you won''t trust me?"


    What an unredeemable idiot.


    "Are you to say that there was even a single instance where your actions could have led me to trust you?" I said.


    She red at me but reluctantly agreed in the end.


    I teleported to Straheim, exined the circumstances to Ikose, and brought him back to the Mird estate. [1]


    In the reception room, I wrote three contracts with Ikose as a witness---one for me, one for Ikose, and one for my stepmother.


    My stepmother only knew Ikose as a merchant to trade with. She couldn''t possibly even dream that he would be the Commerce Guild''s branch leader-cum-Marquis. If she made things difficult it woulde back to bite her.


    Grey Mird, 12 years old, will now lead Tote''s vigers to war.


    [1] Been bothering me for a while, but I don''t think I should trante it to mansion when they''re poor nobles, so I will be tranting as estate from here on out. Might go back and edit previous chapters.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 25 - Mercenary Scout

    Mird has always been small with a poption of around 3000 people. They needed at least 150 people for the war, and while Mird''s poption has certainly increased over the years due to its development, they could only spare about 50 people. It wasn''t a lot, but they definitely couldn''t spare 150 people.


    The empire didn''t directly state that Mird had to cough up 150 people. On the contrary, they were practically encouraging employing mercenaries and adventurers withbat experience rather than gather up inexperienced farmers.


    Obviously, I thought to employ Caesar, an S-rank adventurer, but unfortunately he''s with his colleagues on an expedition on the eastern front to subjugate a cmity-rank monster and can''t return to Straheim for couple of months.


    Consequently, I then relied on pro mercenaries to bolster the numbers.


    "Is it here?"


    We were in front of a single, two-story house located in the southern corner of Straheim.


    As thepany greyrger, more thieves and bandits would begin to target so we would need some form of self-defense. Using that line of reasoning, I asked Rainer for a list of mercenaries currently stationed in Straheim.


    Once I entered, everyone turned to stare.


    "Brats ain''t wee here. Go away." Arge, swarthy man who easily topped two-meters tall ced his cup of ale down on the round, wooden table in the center of the room and walked over, pressuring me to leave.


    He''s probably restraining himself as much as possible, but that''s still quite the re. Any normal kid would have run away crying at a single nce. Obviously, I wasn''t even the slightest bit nervous as I''m a middle-aged man inside.


    "I''ve got amission for the Scarlet Phoenix."


    "Amission? Hey, ya''ll hearing this? When did we be errand boys for a brat?" one mercenary said as the room erupted inughter. At first nce, it looked like everyone was treating me like a kid, but not single person had rxed their guard. Looks like I''vee to the right ce after all.


    Ipletely ignored them and walked to the center of the room and sat at the circr table across from the red-haired, one-eyed man.


    "Oi, you brat!!" a bald man yelled, grabbing my shoulder.


    "Are you going to ept the request or decline? That''s all I ask. Hey, I''m asking you, Leader-san." I shrugged off the bald man and smiled.


    "Why do you think I''m the leader?" the red-haired man asked.


    "Isn''t it obvious just by looking at where you guys are standing?" I slowly unsheathed the knife at my waist and gripped the handle. Immediately, all the mercenaries around me pointed the weapons at me. "See?"


    Frankly, I had known he was the leader the moment I stepped foot inside.


    First, everyone else at this table was postured ever so slightly in his direction; they had probably unconsciously moved to a position where they could protect their leader at a moment''s notice.


    His subordinates were too skilled.


    "I see, not very befitting of a brat," the one-eyed red-haired man said, shrugging with a hint of surprise and erased his frivolous smile.


    Looks like he''s finally reached the negotiation table as well. I''ll cut to the chase.


    "Recently, some wonderful orders havee, and Mird must join in to suppress the undead army," I began.


    The leader ced his hand on his chin and pondered for a bit before looking back up.


    "Do you know what we''re called?"


    "Was it ¡ºThe Fools¡»?"


    At my words, the other members grimaced in distress.


    ording to Rainer''s notes, they were a group that disobeyed their employer, the biggest taboo a mercenary couldmit. Moreover, many of their brethren died because of that, which was why employers skimmed over them despite their considerable skill, and they currently lived off hunting monsters. But that''s exactly why they were suited for this job.


    "Why do you want to hire us?" he asked.


    Why, huh. That''s obvious.


    "Because you''re the dumbest mercenaries," I said. The other members flushed with rage at my impertinent words and surrounded me.


    "Stop!"


    The red-haired man stopped his subordinates with his hand and red at me like a bird of prey.


    "So you probably already know what we''ve done. Aren''t you scared of us?"


    "Scared? Me? Of you? That''s a joke, right?"


    Stop it, please. I''m not so young as to fear a group of idiots who would prioritize their own beliefs over mercenaryw. In the first ce, if they could actually hurt me they''d probably be enjoying songs of praise over a sumptuous feast at some shitty noble''s ce.


    "Learn your ce---" the bald man said as he grabbed my shoulder, having finally lost his patience, and the other members directed bloodlust towards me.


    "I thought I said stop," the leader said quietly.


    That should be good enough; I''ll stop taunting them and jump into the main topic.


    "I only want to know one thing; just answer me this."


    It was the vital factor that determined whether I''d hire them or not. If they didn''t give me a satisfactory answer I''d have to give up on hiring them.


    "What?"


    "Did you guys regret going against your employer?"


    Clever people who regretted their actions wouldn''t do the same, and if they weren''t picky about their methods, a famous noble might even promote them to government officials. Unfortunately, I couldn''t care less for boring people like that.


    "Obviously, we do," one member said.


    "Yeah......" another chimed.


    Looks like I''ve miscalcted. I began to stand up, when the red-haired man spat out, "I wish I had killed that shitty noble. I feel nauseous just remembering how Ipletely stopped thinking and froze on the spot."


    A strange amusement welled up inside as I bellowed withughter for the first time in a while. "You''re a real strange one, you know," I said afterughing my lungs out.


    "I don''t want to hear that from a creepy brat like you."


    After hearing his audacious remark, I threw the bag that was on my hip at him.


    "I''ll pay you this much in advance," I said.


    Theyid bare their true feelings, so I should do the same.


    "Hey, you''ve been acting all high and might and that''s all you''ve got to show?" one member said, but I just smiled in response.


    It was true that I only put in 10 coins, so it''s only natural that they would think there wasn''t much.


    "Check it for yourself," I urged the leader. The skinny bald man next to the leader took the bag and peered inside. His eyes immediately widened as he froze in ce.


    "Zem?"


    The man named Zem handed over the bag, trembling all the while.


    The leader grabbed the bag and began to confirm its contents as well.


    "......" He stared silently for a while before erupting inughter.


    One member pensively asked, "L-leader?"


    "You''re insane," the leader said. "Really."


    He emptied the contents of the bag as beautifully shining red coins scattered all over the table.


    One member shakily reached out to inspect a coin before biting his lip. "......It''s the real thing. Crimson coins."


    As if time had unfrozen, the rest of the members began reaching out to the coins and confirming themselves.


    "So you want to hire us with this?"


    The Commerce Guild''smon currency -- G.


    1G was a coin. 10G, an iron coin. 100G, a copper coin. 1 000 G, a silver coin. 10 000G, a gold coin. 1 000 000G, a snow coin, 10 000 000, a crimson coin. [1]


    10 crimson coins, or a hundred million G. This will probably be the biggest crisis of my life, so I should be willing to spare at least this much.


    "Yeah, not enough?" I said.


    "No, it''s plenty. That right?" He turned to the other members who were still in a daze and confirmed there were no dissenting opinions before standing up from his seat. "I''m the leader of the Scarlet Phoenix, Aquido Hyness. Pleasure to meet ya, creepy brat."


    The leader, Aquido, gave a slight smile and thrust out his right hand.


    "I''m Grey Mird. Pleasure to meet you as well, Foolish and Idiotic Mercenary-san." I stood up as well and returned a strong handshake.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    In the end I settled with bringing just Mos and 19 other members of his security squad, Sate and Ca, and the Eight-Headed Dragon.


    The uing battle was more of a monster extermination, rather than a war. Mos''s group had experience, so they were qualified for the job, but due to the vige''s rapid development and expansion, his group was hurting for new members. If I took any more it''d put a hamper on the vige''s defenses. And now that I had my stepmother breathing down my neck, I could only bring 20 from the security squad at most.


    As for Sate and Ca, even if I were to tell them to stay put, it would go in one ear and out the other, and the Eight-Headed Dragon is, well, a freaking dragon. I don''t think I can actually get through to her.


    But since I''m leaving Straheim, there would be nobody left to manage Sagami Co., so I had Judo stay behind. He strongly dissented, but he has to stay behind and direct thepany. I think it''s about time that he concentrates on thepany; this might actually turn into a good opportunity for him.


    And so, I had Judo, Ca, and the other vigers meet with the mercenaries at the Sagami Co residence.


    "Grey-sama, I think even without the help of these people......" Cained. Sate was keeping silent, but I could easily tell she thought the same.


    "Don''t call us ''these people,''" Aquido said. "But still, if it weren''t Grey asking, no amount of money would get us to go on a mission with you stuck-up greenhorns."


    The rest of the Scarlet Phoenix members sneered at them in agreement.


    The mood instantly turned for the worse.


    I at my wits'' end. Jeez, they never fail to betray my expectations, but in a bad way.


    I opened my mouth to try to mediate, when Judo signaled to me---probably that I should leave it to him.


    "Stop! It''s Boss''s decision; I won''t ept any objections," Judo chided Ca.


    "But we can''t trust them."


    "If we''re talking about trust then we''re in the same situation," Judo shot back. "I mean, did you already forget that we promised Boss and Giresse?"


    "......" Ca chewed her lips in frustration. Judo then turned to Aquido, who was still grinning maliciously, and heaved a heavy sigh.


    "Aquido-san, can you guys stop teasing my sister? As you can probably already tell, my siblings are shy and simple-minded.


    "It does seem that way," Aquido replied.


    Well, they never actually got angry or anything despite Ca''s rudeness. I guess it''s just their way of greeting people.


    "Judo, I''ll leave it to you," I said.


    He gave me a light nod and headed towards the corner of the room where a mountain of books piled up. There, he grabbed several and carried them to the center table.


    Aquido grabbed one of the books and began observing it. Soon, his air ofposure slowly transformed into a shocked expression.


    "Is this a Material?" Aquido asked as, like a storm, amotion came from the Scarlet Phoenix members.


    I think Materials were treasures that had supernatural properties, often extracted from dungeons or ruins.


    "It''s nothing so grand," I said. "Try cing your palm on the cover."


    He ced his palm like I had said, when first the book, and then Aquido''s body began to glow.


    "The contract haspleted. You should be able to read its contents now."


    "......" Aquido began passionately reading the grimoire. "It''s a grimoire......" he murmured after cing it on the table.


    "G-grimoire? Ain''t that a high-grade Material!!?"


    "Yeah," Aquido said. "And it looks like it''s......holy magic."


    The mercenaries fell uncharacteristically silent, and in contrast, Ca''s side puffed out their chests in pride.


    That''s right. That''s the middle-rank magic---Holy me. One of the most fundamental spells of holy magic. Now they shouldn''t be defeated by the undead.


    "These grimoires are necessary for the uing war. Everyone needs to bind a contract with one," I instructed before turning back to face Judo. "Judo, you''re in charge of their training until we leave in 3 days."


    "As you desire." Judo ced one hand over his chest and lightly bowed.


    I nced back at the mercenaries, who were now the epitome of disorderly, and exited the Sagami Co. residence.


    [1] Previously, it was slightly confusing to have G and gold coins (as what else would G even stand for). So I made 1G = 1 copper and thus 1000 copper would be a silver coin, and 10,000 copper would be a gold coin. The author now introduced 3 new coins: an actual copper coin (of which was not previously mentioned), an iron coin, and a normal coin that I had represented with a copper coin. Finding this a bit tricky to convert, I have now opted to leave it as the author wrote and will edit previous chapters to fit this convention.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 26 - Dancing for Joy – Aquido

    My group was exchanging drinks with Grey Mird''s subordinates at Sagami Co.''s restaurant, ¡ºThe Silver Knife¡», while hyped up on excitement.


    "It''s unfair that only you leaders got the cool magic," Roche, the youngest member of the group, pouted.


    "Didn''t I tell you how valuable your magic is?" Zem said extremely seriously with a fed-up face.


    I can understand. Roche and his sister both received a grimoire from the healing series. It was miraculous magic only the Saint, the Hero, and the Sage could use. By just wielding the magic, your prospects of bing a saint shot up. That''s the kind of magic it was.


    "I don''t care! I want magic that''ll help in a fight!"


    "Idiot." Zem facepalmed as if he hadpletely given up and began his usual nitpicking.


    Everyone''s in high spirits. Well, that''s only natural.


    Everyone, without a single exception, was having a st. And for good reason: ¡ºHoly Magic¡»was the magic closest to God that only an archbishop or higher could wield. It was well known that anyone with promise would normally be relentlessly scouted by the church and various countries'' imperial pces. And if you epted, you would be weed with unimaginable hospitality. So to prepare dozens of grimoires of said magic waspletely insane.


    Basically, that was just how little value Grey Mird ced on this magic. That has to be it. Furthermore, he so easily earns millions of G. I still can''t believe someone like him even exists.


    That''s why---


    "Grey Mird, who is he?" I asked Judo, who was sitting in front of me.


    After a short pause, Judo soon replied, "The supreme master."


    "No, that''s not what I meant---"


    "To me, Boss is simply the benefactor that saved our vige and the master I''ll serve for the rest of my life," Judo cut in. "I honestly haven''t the slightest interest in who he actually is."


    "I see."


    Now that I think about it, it''s probably useless to try to guess who that abnormal existence is.


    The Mirds joining in on this expedition has a prodigious effect on the empire, no, the world.


    And it was only natural---the Mirds were sending in what amounted to a battalion of mages in terms of firepower, and those mages all wielded holy magic. It was an unimaginable army like something straight out of a myth. For better or worse, the church would definitely have something to say, and other nobles would probably ignore their own homnd''s crisis.


    It''s gonna get real interesting.


    I could understand if the mages were archbishops wearing grand robes, but the battalion consisted of vigers and mercenaries branded as cowards, all led by the son of a poor noble in some remote area. How will the world see us as we march to battle now?


    Well, we''ll see what happens.


    I gulped down a beer, one of ¡ºThe Silver Knife¡»''s specialties. While I enjoyed the delectable sensation of bubbles popping in my throat, I began imagining the spectacle soon toe.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 27 - The Meal After a Game of Shogi

    I departed the following morning, leading 20 members from the security squad and the Scarlet Phoenix.


    Undead were currently heading south from the Giant Forest, Rudoa, turning any nearby cities into a hellishndscape as they rushed straight for the center of the capital.


    If the empire''s top brass were upstanding, they would never make the foolish mistake of scattering their forces here. They should have already gathered all forces in the city directly in front of the capital, Suthend. The Adventurer''s Guild officially announced the undead would arrive in Suthend in 30 days, and it''ll only take 5 days to reach Suthend from here, so we should make it with plenty of time to spare.


    For a few days, we only saw peddlers and travelers, but soon we began noticing seemingly battalion-like groups of people.


    Currently, as we were resting our horses in the za, an army dozens of timesrger than ours marched past our eyes.


    "Amazing~" Sate said.


    "Yeah," Ca said while gaping at therge battalion that had yet to pause before turning to ask Aquido, "Which battalion are they from?"


    "They''re Count Hartwig''s army. His family is one of the 10 most powerful military families."


    "Then what about the people in the back waving that g with two crossed swords?"


    "¡¾Viiny¡¿. They''re mercenaries that''ll pick a fight at the drop of a hat even in the empire. The fact that they''re employed by Count Hartwig probably won''t change that."


    Count Hartwig......That gori of a person. I''ve acquainted with him through Mird''s master family, the McBurns, or perhaps I should say he''s my agricultural business partner.


    He''s a man of integrity---definitely not a bad person---but as someone on the more logical side, I''m not very good with muscle heads like him. After all, he basically doesn''t even listen to what other people are saying.


    It''ll be annoying if he finds me, so I''ll stay in the carriage. Thinking that, I began to enter the carriage, when a man with short, ck hair who was probably a mercenary noticed us and broke away from the flow, approaching us on horseback.


    "Yo, aren''t you guys The Fools?" he said as the other battalions began focusing on us.


    "Sorry, Grey," Aquido said, bowing to me as onlookers sneered and disdained us.


    "Why are you apologizing?" I asked. "I thought you didn''t regret it?"


    "That''s still true, but......"


    "Then there''s no need to be embarrassed. They''ve got no balls; they''re just spreading some gossip, after all. Let them say what they want."


    Zem, the vice-leader, burst out inughter as the other members nodded and smiled in agreement.


    "What do you mean they have no balls?" The Eight-Headed Dragon asked nkly.


    Sate knit her eyebrows, chiding, "Grey-sama, that''s very crude."


    "I''ll try to be more careful."


    "You fuckers......"


    During this dangerous atmosphere, a man dismounted his horse while ring at us and began to grip his de, when......


    "You idiot."


    The short-haired man''s eyes rolled back, and he copsed. Behind him stood a ck-haired, middle-aged man with a medium stature and a beard.


    At the same time, a giant man with blonde hair and scars all over his bodies pushed through the crowd and appeared before us.


    The soldiers and mercenaries all squared up immediately.


    "Oh, it''s Sir Grey. Long time no see," the wild-looking blonde giantughed as he repeatedly pped my back.


    "Hey, Count Hartwig, I''ve exined this hundreds of times, but I''ve got no peerage and have no ns on acquiring one in the future. Please just call me Grey."


    "But that McBurn doesn''t think that way; he''s running about trying to get you to marry his beloved daughter."


    "There''s not a chance, I tell you."


    That''s right. Margrave McBurn has recently been trying to set me up with his 12-year-old daughter; he wants me as his son-inw.


    Frankly, I''m not into kids, and marrying a 12-year-old is just too much for me.


    "Guhahaa! That McBurn! Take that. Well how about it, whattya say we y a quick game at the next inn?"


    Shogi and Chess were a few of the games that Sagami Co. sells. And in just a few years, it rapidly gained poprity with nobles, and quite a few have already be quite knowledgeable. I even gifted Count Hartwig a shogi set when we first met, but it seems like he''spletely hooked now.


    "I don''t mind, but no taking back moves," I said.


    This person is a real sore loser. I pointed it out once before, but he made me y with him until the sun started rising.


    In the end, he made me y 5 games today before finally letting me free, and I''m now cooking some food for him.


    "Wow, so this is Wind Cow meat?"


    "That''s right," a servant said. "The Wind Cows that master brings us is delectable. We can get milk and cheese from them, and their cheeks have got that melt-in-your-mouth vor."


    Through Margrave McBurn''s introduction, I''ve even gifted Count Hartwig 10 wind cows.


    "It''s good that your animals are growing up nicely," I said.


    I''ve got an inseparable, albeit slightly unwanted, rtionship with both of them, so when Count Hartwig had been going through some financial troubles, Margrave McBurn had suggested that I give him some Wind Cows to raise. Naturally, I had given him a document detailing any relevant data for rearing Wind Cows as well. I''m a mere merchant without any peerage, and trouble always seems toe when I''m managing somerge-scale agricultural business. That''s why it was vital to create connections with powerful nobles with plenty ofnd to spare.


    "We won''t ever forget this debt. Ever. One day we''ll definitely pay you back."


    "Don''t worry about it; I was able to gather some valuable data as well," I said before jumping into the main topic. "So, are there a lot of undead?"


    "That''s what I hear," Count Hartwig said. "There even seems to be a dragon among the undead, and General Lamperts,uded as one of the most courageous generals, died in battle."


    "An undead dragon, huh. That''s certainly a bit troublesome."


    Well, in the worst case my magic should be able to exterminate an undead dragon that''s lost all ability to think---it shouldn''t pose a problem.


    "By the way, I hear you''ve employed the Scarlet Phoenix."


    "Yeah," I shrugged.


    "Don''t make that face. It ain''t like I''m rebuking you or anything. Just, be careful."


    "Of what?"


    "You shoulda heard about what they did."


    "Are you talking about when they severely injured that shameless noble who wanted to use his own citizens as a shield to escape, and used that noble as bait to let the citizens escape?"


    "Yeah, the shameless noble," Count Hartwig said. "He left his own citizens to die, after all. Still, it ain''t very surprising for a warmander to choose that path, although that McBurn was quite enraged."


    "I can see that, knowing his personality."


    "Ah, but on the other hand, it''s true that they capitted with almost no blood shed, hastening the enemy''s advance."


    "They''re hated... is what you want to say?"


    "Yes, because a considerable amount of theirrades died in that battle."


    "But they were able to save that many more citizens in return," I shot back.


    During this incident, Margrave McBurn used the fact that he risked his life to save the citizens to demand that the Scarlet Phoenix be exempt from the nobles'' rage. As a result, they were allowed to take a hiatus for a year.


    Well, that''s what he passed it off as, but the real reason they were exempted was because the nobles inmand on that battlefield had lost their nerves, used their citizens as a shield to try to escape, and desperately wanted to keep this fact from the citizens of the empire.


    "I ain''t sayin'' that what the Scarlet Phoenix did was wrong," Count Hartwig said. "Just that there''s some leftover resentment."


    It''s certainly a deep-rooted problem. But in the first ce, even just nning to abandon the very people you''re supposed to protect makes you a failure as a general.


    "I''ll be sure to remember that," I said.


    I gave him a deep nod before digging into the meat.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 28 - A Strange Meal

    Count Hartwig insisted that he apany us in order to avoid any troubles. I didn''t have any real reason to refuse so I indulged on his kindness.


    And so we''ve lined up our carriages next to his, but he made me y shogi with him the entire time. Well I was quite bored anyways, so it served as a great way to kill time.


    Aquido, who was on horseback outside, casually jumped into the carriage and reported, "Grey, we can see it."


    "Okay."


    I exited the carriage to see giant castle walls that covered my entire view.


    "Wow, so that''s thergestmercial city in the empire---Suthend," I said.


    If Straheim were the adventurer''s paradise, then Suthend would be a merchant''s utopia. Amercial city distinguished even around the world, Suthend also had the Central Commerce Guild''s congress building where the Commerce Guild heads of various countries gathered.


    By nature, Commerce Guilds began in the empire before spreading out to the world. So despite the guild''s headquarters being located in the capital, many heads expressed their disapproval of long stays in the capital and thus everything was shifted to ur here in Suthend.


    In a recent letter, Rainer initially nned to migrate everything from Suthend to the capital, but due to the fierce resistance of wealthy merchants born to noble families in the empire, it hasn''t been going very well.


    In any case, I''ve got no objections with making Suthend the most important location---it turning into a battlefield would equate with the empire losing its influence after all. At the very least the empire''s Commerce Guild would experience a remarkable decline in their influence if we lost Suthend.


    "Woww, it''s huge~" Ca said.


    "Ya, it''s huge!" the Eight-Headed Dragon agreed as they both stuck their heads out of the carriage.


    "Grey-sama, where are we heading to once we arrive?" Sate asked before taking out a piece of parchment and a pen from her bag.


    "I think we''ll first register at the empire''s expedition force''s headquarters. Maybe find an inn or something after."


    The current emperor, Georg Rose Archive, had send the expedition orders to all around the empire. We were considered outsider nobles and thus incorporated into the empire''s expedition force.


    As long as we didn''t desert, we would actually fulfill our duty to serve by registering in the expedition force, so you could say that this registration was the most important thing right now.


    "Very well. I''ll grab some rooms for us then," Sate said.


    "Thanks. Once you finish the annoying paperwork let''s grab a bite to eat.


    "As you wish."


    Sate bowed once before beginning to write something down; she''s probably nning our schedule in Suthend or something.


    "First Grey and now Sate-jouchan. Are all brats like this......" I heard Aquidoin as I turned to look at Suthend, which towered in the distance.


    The empire''s expedition force''s headquartersy in the giant za, located adjacent to Suthend''s inner castle walls. They were still inspecting the number of soldiers and other things, so we''d have to wait a while.


    "I''ve got a bad feeling about this," Ca said.


    "A bad feeling," the Eight-Headed Dragon imitated as they turned to re at us.


    "Leave it alone. It''s not like I can do anything about it," I said and closed my eyes to take a nap.


    "Grey-sama, wake up please."


    "Hm? Oh, it''s Sate. Were you able to grab some rooms?"


    "Yes. I have acquired enough for us all."


    That Sate, she''s working faster and faster.


    "Good work," I said as I yawned and stretched my arms.


    "We''ve arrived at the inspection office."


    Okay."


    I jumped down from the carriage to see a ck-haired middle-aged man, who I could tell was a noble with a single nce, standing in front of me, stroking his whisker-like mustache.


    "What group and how many?" he curtly asked.


    "I''m the representative for the current head of Mird, Grey Mird. I have 156 people."


    The mustached man stared at me for a while before snorting.


    "Must be easy for a poor noble in a remote area like you to not have to worry about losing your pride," he sneered.


    "You said it."


    I couldn''t stop myself from agreeing there, as it was just too appropriate. I mean, if they had even a speck of pride, there''s no way they''d send a 12-year-old kid like me to war as the head''s representative.


    "What a cheeky brat," he spat out before signaling to what looked like his subordinates to begin our inspection.


    "From the Mird territory, 156 people, everything''s been confirmed. Please remain on standby until any orderse in," the mustached man said haughtily before leaving towards the next group.


    After that, I instructed them to raise the Mird g in the corner and set up a tent before I teleported them to the inn.


    The only ones left in the tent were me, Aquido, and vice-leader Zem. As if only natural, Sate and the others strongly opposed this, but I managed to push through by ordering them.


    A conversation with nobles is too heavy for them; they actually wouldn''t even be able to hold a conversation without me. Someone has to wee them, which is a bit troublesome, so it''s vital that I remain in the tent.


    "Are you okay with us?" Aquido rested his vegetable-peeling hand before asking this ridiculous question.


    "What a foolish question," I said. "Stop talking and start peeling."


    Tonight''s menu was Wind Cow sukiyaki. Count Hartwig-dono presented us with a clump of Wind Cow meat, so we''ve gotten stuck with preparing it. I''d really like if someone could do something about how overbearing he can be.


    Honestly, I''mpletely unsatisfied with the variety of vegetables going into the pot. I mean, there''s no tofu, no shirataki, nor is there Chinese cabbage---definitely not a proper sukiyaki. I''m not sure whether Count Hartwig-dono, a gourmet, would enjoy this pseudo-sukiyaki, but I''d be troubled if he expected too much out of the third son of a puny noble family.


    Finally, we finished cutting all the vegetables and could finally begin the important process of setting up the hot pot.


    I made a firece[1] with an iron pot and charcoal and ced a wire mesh above. Then, I ced another pot above the mesh and began boiling water in it.


    In the hot water I threw in salt, water, soy sauce, and other seasonings created by Sagami Co., as well as the vegetables and Wind Cow meat. Now I just had to wait until it was done cooking.


    "Woah, what a great smell. Right, McBurn?" the blonde giant with wounds all over his body expressed his admiration as he and severalpanions entered the tent. He then looked to see if the tall gentleman with a nice mustache felt the same.


    "Yeah, you''re right. Grey-kun, I can''t wait to try your food tonight," Margrave McBurn said.


    Aquido and Zem nced at the gentleman before freezing.


    "It''s been awhile, Margrave McBurn-dono," I said.


    He wore nicely tailored green clothes leather boots, and a red cloth on his right shoulder that exuded an elegance that ordinary people like us could never hope to match.


    He was a man from a powerful family that boasted top-ss military and economic power, Margrave Sigma McBurn.


    "It looks delicious," a handsome man well over two-meters tall said as he entered the tent and plopped himself on a nearby chair. "I''m looking forward to it."


    The man, who had long golden hair like a lion''s mane, had said that a bit haughtily, but I didn''t sense any sarcasm. He was wearing simple clothes, but they looked strange on him.


    He hade with Margrave McBurn and Count Hartwig, two high-ranking nobles, so this man most likely had quite the position as well.


    Well, no matter who he was, in the end he was just another esteemed customer---I''ll just serve him the most delicious food I can make. Nothing more, nothing less.


    "Then please have a seat wherever," I said.


    "You guys sit too," the handsome man said forcefully. "There''ll be none of those stupid formalities here."


    "......"


    The other two nobles and the man''s assistants locked eyes before sitting down as well.


    "Aquido, Zem, bowls and chopsticks for our customers."


    I confirmed the customers had sat themselves around the firece before ordering Aquido and Zem to hand over the bowls off beaten egg and chopsticks.


    I deride anyone who uses spoons and forks to eat sukiyaki. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, after all, so you definitely need chopsticks for sukiyaki.


    I checked that everyone had received everything, then turned around to see Aquido and Zem standing around in a daze behind me.


    "What are you guys doing. Sit down." I pointed to one of the many seats next to the firece.


    "N-no, but---" Aquido began refusing as he turned to the other attendants for help.


    "Just sit down," I said again.


    He probably has some reserve for sitting down with others as a mercenary, but a hot pot only holds significance once you eat it with others. I''m the host, and you''ll follow my orders tonight.


    "Sir Grey don''t go back on what he says," Count Hartwig said. "Just give up."


    "That''s---" A young man, who looked to be one of the golden-haired man''s assistants and had a gaudy ornament on his ck hair, began to reject.


    "There ain''t no ranks tonight. Didn''t he exin that before? If ya got any problems then you can leave. Or ya tryin'' to spit on honor or something?" Count Hartwig said as his smile grew 30%rger and a vein bulged on his forehead.


    "Nothing of the sort." The ck-haired young man said before going silent.


    "Take these ''chopsticks'' and grab something from the hot pot. Then dip that into the scrambled egg and dig in. Now enjoy your meal!"


    I put my hand together before grabbing a piece of meat from the hot pot, dipping it into the scrambled egg, and shoving it into my mouth.


    A delectable taste spread throughout my entire mouth as the Wind Cow meat melted on my tongue, and the bittersweet dashi and eggbined to create the most exquisite vors


    "This is truly interesting," the handsome golden-haired man said as he clumsily dipped a piece of meat into the egg and brought it to his mouth. "!!?"


    His eyes shot open andpletely froze, but, contrary to hisposed manner before, soon began horfing down the food.


    The other servants stared at their master in shock, but soon followed suit. After taking a bite, they froze as expected and began furiously eating as if possessed.


    Before long, the food waspletely gone, all in our stomachs.


    Right now we''re drinking cold water in an attempt to rest our stomachs.


    "That was delicious. I give you my thanks," the golden-haired man said.


    "No, it wasn''t very good." [2]


    "Not good? This god-like food?"


    The golden-haired man made a strange face at me as I lightly bowed, and the servants around him knit their eyebrows.


    I messed up. The humble virtues of a Japanese aren''t understood here. I began nning how to solve this misunderstanding when thankfully, Margrave McBurn cut in. "It''s just a pleasantry."


    "I see. There''s no need for that here, Grey."


    "I''ll keep that in mind."


    I lightly bowed once again, and the handsome golden-haired man stared at my face before saying, "I can''t believe you''re the same age as Ronald."


    I don''t really understand.


    "Taking into ount his age, Ronald-sama, too, is quite wise. Sir Grey is just a bit special; I can''t believe that Sir Grey is just a kid as well," Count Hartwig said.


    So he''s the type that adds -sama. That gives me the chills, frankly.


    "For the first time ever, I agree with that simpleton," Margrave McBurn said. "Our empire birthed this monster. You''re probably still underestimating him even with your current impression."


    They say some crazy things. I''d really like if they would stop treating me like some mysterious specimen that they had just found.


    Especially you guys, Aquido and Zem! What are you nodding your heads for?!


    "Grey, you should join in on the Imperial Council tomorrow," the handsome golden-haired man suggested.


    "What?"


    It wasn''t just me: his servants'' eyes widened like saucers too. It was only natural. The Imperial Council was the highest decision-makingmittee where the top brass of both the Imperial Army and the expeditionary force gathered. Even the emperor, Georg Rose Archive attended. I could understand if he had invited the other two nobles here, as they were proficient in military matters, but there''s no way I, the kid of some poor noble, could join in.


    "Nonono, you''re surely joking. I only brought a hundred something soldiers.


    "I''m serious."


    "There''s no way this ridiculous suggestion would get epted. Right, everyone?"


    "......"


    My face cramped up. Only now do I not feel the need to chide myself for putting on such an unseemly face. I mean who could me me? In what world does there exist a person who would decide if someone could join in on an important meeting during a life or death crisis for their homnd, just on the fact that it could be interesting?


    "So even you make these kinds of faces. Truly, how interesting."


    "Seriously, I feel like your proposal had at least some merit after seeing Grey-kun''s face.


    "Touch¨¦."


    They''re just saying whatever they want now. They''re all so entric.


    "You guys are......" I trailed off.


    Everyone else, without exception, nced at me in sympathy as they knew all too well how useless it was to go against those three. In the meantime, I chugged some water in desperation.


    [1] I mean this </a>


    [2] There''s a saying, ¤ª´ÖÄ©˜”, which is an expression of humility often said by the person who provided a meal after it''s eaten. Normally, I''d trante it to "It was my pleasure" or something, but the next person ys on the literal meaning, so I had to trante it literally.</a>

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 29 - The Imperial Counci

    A while ago, a messenger had sent us a letter ordaining the start of the Imperial Council. Currently, as specified by the letter, we were headed towards arge building in the center of Suthend.


    There were many gentlemen wearing gaudy clothes, all apanied by brawny soldiers, and they were headed towards the top floor of the building.


    "We''ve got to be in the wrong ce," Aquido said.


    "Yeah......" Zem agreed.


    They sent me a pleading gaze which I casually ignored as I followed suit and headed towards the top as well.


    Soon, I stepped into therge hall on the top floor to find famous nobles around the empire all gathered inside.


    I walked to the couch located next to what I thought was the entrance to the reception area and said, "I''m Grey Mird, here as part of the expeditionary force. I''vee to participate in the Imperial Council, as was ordered.


    A woman wearing a red dress who was in charge of the expeditionary force''s registration responded, "Okay. Please wait a moment."


    She flipped through a couple of pages and circled something before handing me a sheet of parchment.


    "Please peruse through this while you wait for the meeting to start," she said.


    "My thanks," I said and migrated to the corner of the room.


    All the forces would be lined up, creating several u-shaped rows. The Imperial Army would be stationed in the back, and we, the expeditionary force, would be in front. The Mird Family would not only be in the frontmost row, but also smack dab in the center; we''d be the first ones targeted in the heat of battle. The probably intended to use small, weak nobles as so-called meat shields. I feel like I finally understand why my shitty stepmother sent me here now.


    Well anyways, I had expected this, so it wasn''t too surprising. Still---


    "What do you think of this n?" I sighed and asked Aquido after finishing reading the parchment.


    "It''s a stupid n," Aquido spat out, his face dyed in anger, and the people around focused on us as if startled.


    "L-leader!" Zem eximed.


    "Sorry." Aquido looked around before bowing in apology towards me.


    "No, you''re fine," I said. "I actually feel the same way. The person who thought this up must have been quite the idealist."


    We''d march in a u-shape formation, surround the enemy, and destroy them. It was a ssic tactic and wasn''t that crazy in it of itself. Yes. If the enemy didn''t have several times more forces than we and weren''t tireless undead, that is.


    Some greenhorns without even a single battle under their belt probably copied this tactic straight from the book.


    "Kihihi, you think so as well, child?" asked a short, sage-like old man with white hair and white clothes as he approached me while stroking his long beard.


    Honestly, despite my looks, I''m definitely not a child inside, but from his point of view I must be a child.


    "You think the same, old man?" I said.


    "Naturally. I''d give the idiot that thought up this clumsy n a failing grade."


    "Agreed. It''d be one thing if they used a flexible pincer movement, but to use a fixed formation against someonemanding an army of undead would practically be the same as going without any n at all."


    Immediately, the old man wiped the smirk off his face.


    "Are you to say their advance is unnatural?" he asked.


    "It''s obvious just by the fact that they''re advancing towards the capital."


    During these couple of boring days where we were ordered to be on standby, I put more thought into the undead''s advance. As a result, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that several of my deductions could prove fatal to the empire.


    "However, undead naturally seek out the living, so wouldn''t them seeking out the capital be perfectly normal?" he asked.


    "Aquido, give me the map," I ordered.


    "Yeah, sure."


    I took the map from Aquido, opened it, and set it on the table. Then, I ran a pen along the undead''s route.


    "The undead were first sighted here, in the northernmost part of the empire---near the Giant Forest, Rudoa," I began. "Here''s their route as they continue to advance southward, and here''s each city''s poption. Don''t you feel something''s off?"


    The white-haired old man''s eyes shot open as he froze in ce. After a short pause, he squeezed out, "I see. So we''ve been operating on apletely incorrect premise."


    The undead destroyed everyrge city during their advance towards the capital and Suthend. Certainly, their route trended towards uncoordinated as they aimed forrge, famous cities. It''s not that you couldn''t say that there was someone directing them, but it looked extremely imusible.


    That, however, was where the pitfally. If you pushed past your preconceptions and thought outside the box, you would easily see how unnatural their route was. It was superbly camouged, of course, but there were about ten different ces where the undead sniffed out a city with arge poption and yet continued marching on. It wasn''t impossible for them to have just risen up from the ground on their own, but for now it would be more appropriate to interpret the undead as moving under a single will.


    "Then what about Lamperts''s death?" he asked as arge vein bulged on his forehead.


    Lampers Brauser climbed the ranks to be general despite his status as amoner, even among this empire that valued family lineage so highly; he was a true hero.


    "I looked at his achievements, and he''s truly a greatmander. I think if the undead just rose up from the ground, even if he couldn''t win, he wouldn''t have died," I said.


    "Are you to say there''s a mastermind?"


    "Yeah, there''s a huge difference between mindless undead and humans. Basically, if we don''t change how we perceive these undead, we''ll get the rug pulled out from under us."


    At the very least there''s a dragon-ss monster that''s been turned undead. If the mastermind is moving the undead under their own will, it would be dangerous even for me to just charge in without a n.


    "So then you must have a n?"


    "Yes, I can think of a few," I said. "Still, they''d all take dozens of days."


    We could certainly take out many undead without breaking a sweat, but it was an entirely different matter once you added in the mastermind into the mix.


    This is just a gut feeling, but maybe the mastermind isn''t even that set on destroying the empire.


    And even if the mastermind were set on that, they could just spawn arge number of undead into the capital instead of taking such a roundabout path. There was no need to dress up that fact unless they had another motive.


    "Let''s hear your n," the old man said sharply, hisposed manner from beforepletely gone.


    "Sure, but it''s quite difficult."


    I could easily hypothesize what those peace-loving idiots would say. They would generally brand any who advise prudence as worthless cowards and then advance into their own destruction.


    "We''ll be destroyed if we don''t do it, right?" the old man shouted. "Then we need to do it. Stop putting on airs and spit it out!"


    I shrugged and began to talk.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "How idiotic! Are you saying that them trying to destroy our eternal empire, Archive, is a mere distraction?"


    "I''m saying that the possibility exists if you think about it calmly."


    Although the emperor wasn''t present, the white-haired old man prodded everybody to begin anyways.


    Currently, the white-haired old man and a pompous group of middle-aged men wearing extravagant garbs were in the middle of a heated argument.


    "How sad. So even Sieg, hailed as a sage, has turned to cowardice. It looks like you just can''t beat the onset of old age," said a giant man with short hair as he shook his head back and forth and shrugged his shoulders.


    Every generation has countless simpletons who can''t differentiate between imprudence and bravery. And without fail, they''d rise up to be the backbones of the government and the military and be ill-natured.


    "Say what you want! But this is directed towards the emperor."


    "There''s no need for you to do that," said a handsome, young man wearing silver armor as he mboyantly led his group inside.


    "I''m The Hero, Yukihiro," he said.


    "Now our victory is all but certain," one noble said confidently.


    While receiving praise left and right, he walked up to me and snarled, "Oi, brat. That''s my seat. Move!"


    There shouldn''t have been any assigned seats, but it''d be annoying to try to exin that to a wild beast that doesn''t have anymon sense or even know how to speak.


    "My apologies." I stood up as everyone else threw sneers my way.


    "In the first ce, why is a child participating in this Imperial Council?" Yukihiro said.


    "I heard he''s under the auspices of Margrave McBurn and Count Hartwig," one noble said.


    "Howe I see neither of them?" another added.


    "They''re probably nning toete to show off their authority."


    "A mere Margrave getting on his high horse!"


    "Leaving that aside, aren''t the mercenaries behind that kid The Fools?"


    "Hmph, poor nobles have poor followers."


    I put my hand up to stop Aquido, who was about to fly into a bout of rage. In my opinion, I''d rather not associate myself with these idiots around me who don''t even try to hide their jealousy and antagonism despite it being a time where they need to band together to prevent their own country''s destruction.


    The ck-haired man sat down where I just was.


    "What do you mean there''s no need?" the white-haired old man, Sieg, frowned as he asked The Hero---Yukihiro.


    "It means the emperor is busy and has no need to worry about stupid things like this. I alone could take out all the undead," Yukihiro said.


    As expected of The Hero, everyone was bathing him in praise once again.


    "Don''t you know Lamperts lost?" Sieg continued. "It''s better to be cautious right now."


    "Lamperts? Ahh, that ordinary guy who couldn''t even use magic. That''s because he was just a small fry."


    Snickers leaked out from the knight-like women behind him.


    "What did you just say?" Sieg said in a chilling voice as everyone began hallucinating that their surroundings dropped several degrees.


    "Hmm? Did you not hear me? I said he was just a small fry. Even though he was weak, he yearned for achievements and put on airs."


    "Try to limit how you handle this idiot who doesn''t even know his ce. Don''t get too heated," I whispered to Sieg from behind.


    "I wouldn''t even if you didn''t say anything."


    "Sorry, but I don''t think you''re that strong. Thus, I need the emperor''s decision," Sieg said, adding gasoline to the fire.


    "Are you trying to say that I''d be defeated by mere undead!?"


    "Nah, you, The Hero, could easily defeat any amount of normal undead on your own. Even I''ll admit that. However, I don''t think normal undead are what did Lamperts in."


    "You dare put me on the same level as that small fry!?"


    "Well, yeah. You''re certainly superior in terms of magic, but if we consider skills and battle sense, Lamperts is overwhelmingly superior overall."


    His magic, which Sieg praised, was C---not even at Sate''s level. It''s because you needlessly tter him that he gets all arrogant. Just tell him t out that you can''t trust him because he''s weak.


    Still, I got excited to finally meet someone from the same vige as me, but he''s all talk.


    During this explosive situation where Sieg and The Hero, Yukihiro were exchanging furious gazes, a man wearing messenger-like clothing entered the room and bowed.


    "The emperor arrives."


    Everyone immediately stood up, ced their hand on their chest, and bowed.


    I followed suit, and Aquido and Zem bowed deeply.


    "I see you''re going at it, as the discussion has gotten heated once again. A refined n will lead our country to victory. Very good," the emperor said.


    This voice, I feel like I heard it just earlier.


    I raised my head to see a handsome golden-haired man over two meters tall. In the end, he had never given his name. I thought he had his reasons, but to think that it was because he was actually Georg Rose Archive himself.


    "Looks like Grey''s here too. There''s still some spots open, take a seat."


    "Sure......" I replied.


    Behind Emperor Georg stood Margrave Mcburn and Count Hartwig.


    Sieg then kneeled before the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have a request."


    "Sieg, you!!" Yukihiro yelled.


    "I don''t mind. Speak," said the emperor,pletely ignoring Yukihiro''s words.


    "I''ve some suspicions about the undead''s movement. Please grant this old man permission to improve the battle n."


    "Hm, improve you say......" the emperor murmured while grinning as he gave me a sidelong nce.


    "Emperor, you''ve no need to listen to this coward. I''ll show you that I can take responsibility and erase this disturbance."


    "What do you guys think?" the emperor turned to ask Margrave McBurn.


    "There''s no disadvantage in trying to improve. I say we ept his request."


    "Your Majesty, I''m afraid now is a time of rest before the war. I don''t think we should needlessly exploit our soldiers," said the man with a curly mustache and luxurious clothes as he stood up.


    "Sir Cyrus has a point as well," the emperor said. "So does the old man have any ns for this?"


    Sieg looked towards me, so I nodded in response.


    "This is just a supposition, but what if you just left the matter just to me and any like-minded individuals that I trust."


    In an instant, the room erupted in chatter. The emperor simply smiled in response, and said, "Then I have no reason to decline. I, Georg Rose Archive, grant you permission. Sieg, act to your hearts content. Deliver any documents detailing the ces where traps and such are set up another day. The lords will arrange the details and deliver it to the imperial headquarters. That is all."


    The other lords reluctantly stood up and bowed.


    And so the undead extermination tactics began.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 30 - A Chance Meeting with The Holy Woman[1]

    Chapter 30


    A Chance Meeting with The Holy Woman[1]


    After arranging to rendezvous with Sieg at 9 pm, back at the Mird tent in the southern castle gate za of Suthend, I began heading back with Aquido and the others.


    "Grey, wait a moment," the emperor said.


    In order to improve the battle n, we needed to order several materials and are quickly running out of time. I''d like it if we could move as fast as possible.


    "Your Majesty, I''m also quite busy---" I said before he cut me off.


    "Follow me."


    He started walking without even waiting for my response, so I heaved a sigh before handing the list of materials over to Aquido and ordered him to gather them with Sate and the others.


    They were dead set against me going off alone, but if anybody who could harm me came along, no number of Aquidos would make a difference. So, I pushed through their resistance and forced them to head back without me.


    The emperor led me to arge mansion. It was a step up from the other buildings and was located in the corner of the northern district. There, heid out tea and snacks.


    Sitting in front of me were Emperor Georg and a beautiful silver-haired girl, with maids and butlers, presumably his attendants, lined up behind.


    "This is my daughter---Lilinor Rose Archive," Emperor Georg said. "Isn''t she just as beautiful as her mother?"


    "She sure is," I replied.


    I took a quick nce at her. She had a slender body, snow-white skin, and glossy silver hair with beautifully cut bangs in the front and a bun in the back. Anyone would agree she was a beautiful girl, and marriage proposals would probablye rushing in given four or five years.


    "Please tell me why you called me here," I said.


    "Oh, you''re such a busybody. Don''t you get tired being like that?" he said, returning to his frankness from when I had first met him. I guess this is just how he normally acts.


    "Shouldn''t Your Majesty know best what kind of time we''re in?"


    "Yeah, you''re right. By the way, didn''t you refuse my invitation once?"


    Jeez, he just changes the topic as he pleases. I''d really love if this conversation would stop moving about without any logical connection.


    "I''m afraid I don''t understand. Could you please be a little more specific?"


    "But I made Rainer write that note."


    "Ah, that did happen."


    Now that I think about it, Rainer did deliver a letter saying that there was someone he wanted me to meet. I didn''t think I would gain anything by meeting that person so I respectfully declined, but to think it was the emperor. I really couldn''t care less about what he wanted to say.


    "That''s what I''m talking about. If you don''t want to be charged with l¨¨se-majest¨¦[2], then guard my daughter until things die down."


    "Whaat!?" I and the silver-haired girl, Lilinor, yelled in perfect unison.


    "W-wait just a moment! I''m just a child, you know!" I eximed.


    Regardless of who I actually was inside, he should see me as a 12-year-old child. In what world was there an idiot who would entrust a child to protect their beloved daughter, and then bring said daughter to a ce where an army of undead would soon attack. He''s got to have some annoying reason.


    "Don''t y me for a fool. McBurn told me about your strength. Wasn''t it something about you leaving a group of dozens of bandits in a half-dead state?"


    That idiot. Even though I told him so many times to keep it a secret, to think he would tell this entric emperor of all people.


    About half a year ago, I was heading over to meet Margrave McBurn for some business discussions when I came across some bandits assaulting a carriage and lent a hand against them. Normally the story would end there, but unfortunately the owner of the carriage was one of Margrave Mcburn''s rtives.


    "Father, I''m not a child anymore. I told you that I would be fine going out on my own!" Lilinor eximed as she mmed the table.


    The emperor just sighed in response. "And Papa said that he wouldn''t give permission for Lily to go out on her own."


    There''s just something really wrong with the emperor calling himself Papa.


    "You''re a tyrant!!"


    "Say what you will, but just try going out on your own. I''ll be killed by everyone in the family, if not by Mama herself!" he yelled as he stood up in tears. An old butler behind him just shook his head in response. I feel like all his fatigue stems from this parent-child oddball duo.


    "That''s not my problem! I''m going out by myself. And I refuse to go with anyone else."


    "I see. So you''re serious, Lily?"


    "Yes!"


    An evil grin floated onto the emperor''s face.


    "Then I''ve no choice but to ask The Hero, Yukihiro."


    "Wha---!?"


    Lilinor''s face twitched as if she had just seen someone she didn''t expect to, and she fixated on her father, Emperor Georg''s face.


    "Yukihiro would immediately reply with an okay," he pressed on. "Or would you rather have Sir Cyrus''s elder son? They''re both here in Suthend, and Papa''s fine with either."


    Lilinor clenched her teeth in frustration at the emperor, who was acting like a governor plotting something evil, and red at him.


    Much to my chagrin, however, she said, "This child is fine."


    "Wait just a bit. What about my opinion---" I started.


    "Don''t just sit there. We''re leaving," Lilinor cut me off.


    She grabbed my sleeve and led me out of the mansion, still seething in anger.


    Once we exited the mansion, she turned around and said, "I''m Lilinor Rose Archive."


    She extended her hand out.


    "I''m Grey Mird. Nice to meet you."


    While internally flinging insults at the emperor who had stuck me with such an annoying task, I reluctantly shook her hand.


    "Grey, I want to go there next!" Lilinor said.


    She was only sullen at the start, and was soon in high spirits after finding her element.


    Now wasn''t the time to be babysitting. I already have enough work that I''d need to pull an all-nighter, so I wanted to get some shuteye while I could.


    "Lilinor, let''s make the next store thest."


    "I said just Lily is fine," she pouted with her hands on her waist.


    "Okay, okay. Lily it is then."


    "That''s better," she said and looked away, her face as red as a tomato.


    Based off her carefree smile, the emperor might not have even exined the current situation to her. I should be careful with my words.


    "I''m busy right now, so let''s make the next store thest one for today. In exchange, I''ll apany you for as long you want once my work is finished," I said.


    "Really!?"


    "Yeah, I promise."


    I pointed my index finger out, and Lilinor followed suit. We wrapped our index fingers together and shook several times.


    This was one of the ways children made promises in the empire---something like a pinky promise.


    "This product is the Leroy Model, created by Mr. Leroy himself," an employee cheerfully suggested to Lilinor as she put on the women''s watch.


    "It''s very light," she pointed out.


    "The new models are designed to be lightweight," the employee exined. "It also automatically winds itself. It''s a type of watch that just by putting it on your arm, the springs will load themselves. It costs 60 000 000G, but I assure you it''s well worth the price."


    So the automatic watch has already been made lightweight. A new model, huh. With the current state of affairs, 60 000 000G is quite cheap. As expected of Rainer''s head office, I guess.


    "Don''t you have anything a little cheaper?" Lilinor asked.


    "Then what about the model created by Mr. Leroy''s head pupil, Mr. Pause?" the employee suggested. "It would be just 10 800 000G, quite the moderate amount."


    "Do you have any watches under 1 000 000G?"


    They''ve almostpletely spread to every country, but sadly haven''t be ubiquitous enough as to be sold under 1 000 000G.


    "Please wait a moment."


    As expected, the employee was flustered for a bit, but quickly snapped back and began flipping through a book filled with designs.


    "Then how about this one?" the employee asked with a winning smile and pointed at one of the designs.


    I''ve seen this design before. It''s the very first wristwatch that I developed.


    "This is the first watch model that was designed and we''re selling it for the Fourth Year Watch Anniversary. We n to have a limited time sale where first 500 customers can order one for the low price of just 98 000G. Normally, we''d start handing out tickets tomorrow, but it looks like you''ve got your own circumstances, Miss. If you were to buy one, we''d give a ticket just for you."


    "S-so, how long will it take to arrive!?" Lilinor demanded as she pitched her body forward in anticipation. From her ghastly expression, it looks like her circumstances were more than just greed.


    "Production will start once all customers have ordered, so it shoulde within four months......"


    Dispirited, Lilinor drooped her shoulders. "Sorry. Then there''d be no meaning," she mumbled.


    As the employee awkwardly tried to cheer her up, we left the store.


    "Is there a reason you need to get that watch immediately?" I asked


    "The month after the next is my older sister''s wedding. She had said she wanted a watch before so..."


    "I don''t understand. Couldn''t the imperial family just ask that it be delivered as a gift?"


    Just having your ownpany''s product used by the imperial family would turn it into a brand. In fact, they should be rolling over to get her to use one.


    "Apart from proper business transactions, the imperial family must not receive any special treatment. It''s one of Father''s standard policies," she said dejectedly.


    If certain merchants and the leaders of a country were connected, it would engender cries of injustice. That injustice would then turn merchants'' hard work into a political mess, and the country''s technology would atrophy.


    That said, this is just a truism, and humans are creatures withplex desires---whether they can put it into practice is an entirely different matter. Seems like that entric emperor is more capable than I thought.


    "So that 100 000G is like your allowance?" I asked.


    "Ever since my sister got engaged a year back, I''ve been saving up."


    Now this is one thing I can finally agree with the emperor on. If you gave a child who was clueless about the hardships of the world more money than necessary, they''d develop wasteful habits. Even in the empire, in the poorest noble family, the Mirds, several citizens have been sacrificed to my stepmother''s wasteful habits. If the same were to happen but on the imperial level, the empire would unmistakably copse.


    "Lily, can you keep a secret about me?" I asked.


    I''m well aware that it''s not good to intrude on another family''s circumstances.


    But at the same time, it''s also an adult''s responsibility to give a child a little push when they''re trying to achieve something---at least that''s what I believe.


    "Grey''s secret?" Lilinor asked nkly.


    I put my hand out. "Yeah, don''t you want to gift your sister a watch? Then as long as you keep this secret, I''ll give you that chance."


    However, I''m just giving her the chance to. Whether she can capitalize on it or not rests solely on her shoulders.


    She studied my face for a bit before knitting her eyebrows in determination, grabbed my hand, and yelled, "I promise!"


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I brought her to a back alleyway, confirmed there was nobody around, and teleported us to the lounge of Sagami Co.''s number one researchb, located in Straheim.


    "Eh? Eh? Where is this?" Lilinor asked in confusion.


    Disregarding her question, I walked towards arge table in the corner of the room where a man with a short beard sat drinking ck tea, one of Sagami Co.''s new goods.


    "It''s quite strange for you to havee in broad daylight, Grey---and to have brought that shorty with you nheless," the man said.


    "It''s not like I have nothing else to do; I wouldn''te without a good reason, you know."


    I walked up and sat in front of Leroy, who vocalized his stupid impressions with great interest. Lilinor followed suit and sat beside me, although hesitantly.


    "Now then, what business do you have?" Leroy asked and began observing Lilinor while stroking his beard.


    "I want you to teach this girl how to make a watch. The time limit is a month. I''ll cover any failures, as well as all material costs. For the payment, how about the 100 000G that she has?"


    Immediately, the room erupted in chatter. It was only natural, give how busy Leroy was and the meagre reward.


    Leroy ced his hand on his jaw and pondered for a while, before he smiled and said, "It''s an order from my employer. I''ll do it."


    "I see. Thanks."


    That''s good. This man never works forpensation; he probably values teaching Lily even more than the reward we''re providing right now.


    "You, what''s your name?" Leroy asked.


    "It''s Lily. Nice to meet you." She gave a deep bow, to which Leroy threw a sharp re at.


    "The reason I epted your request was solely due to the fact that Grey was asking. I wouldn''t move even a single step for you as of now. Understand?"


    "Y-yes," Lilinor gulped, nodding furiously.


    "Then do your best to turn that impression around!"


    "Yessir!"


    Leroy nodded in content, stood up, and began walking. After a moment, he turned around and barked, "Oi, what are you doing there! Follow me!"


    "Yessir!"


    Lilinor uneasily nced my way several times, but soon followed after Leroy. He had a bad attitude and didn''t have much of a way with words, but he was quite helpful. It should be fine leaving it to him.


    Now then, I still have the objective of exterminating the undead.


    Science and technology needed to advance further in order to do the research I really wanted. Looking at Suthend economically, it''ll be my center of operation. If it were destroyed, I would lose years off my objectives---dozens if things went really bad. I don''t want to waste any more time. I can''t let Suthend fall.


    Here I can make as many gadgets to annihte the undead as I want and can guard Lilinor as asked by the emperor. In any case, I can''t deal with those predatory nobles that are rampaging about, dragging each other down on a daily basis. This location is ideal for my current actions.


    The only problem is how I should exin my teleportation to Aquido''s group, but I guess it''s a bitte for that. They''re people I can trust, anyways. If I asked them to keep silent, they wouldn''t tell a soul.


    "I guess I should start moving too."


    I stood up and teleported back to Suthend.


    [1] Previously tranted as The Sage but is now too confusing with the introduction of a different sage in the previous chapter.


    [2] L¨¨se-majest¨¦ is the act of insulting a monarch or other ruler. An emperor, in this case.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 31 - An Unexpected Talent

    I gave a quick rundown of the situation to everyone and teleported to Sagami Co''s office in Straheim, leaving behind the minimum number of people. Aquido and his group were obviously surprised, but I think there was also a bit of resignation mixed in.


    For now, I split everyone up into four groups.


    First, the restructuring group, stationed just in front of Suthend''s north gate at nighttime. They dug deep trenches there and focused on various construction projects. For this job, I had Tote''s security squad take on the responsibility. Incidentally, the reason I assigned them to nighttime was so that they would be noticed by as few people as possible. I was fed up with those lineage-focused nobles (hindrances) finding fault in everything we did.


    Second was the group that acquired new spells and mastered them. Right now, the Scarlet Phoenix was just too weak. As there were undead that could appear at will, spawning more undead from behind, they''d need to learn at least several high-rank spells in order to survive. So, I had Sate and the others train them until they acquired and mastered those spells.


    Third was the gadget creation group. Fortunately, we were already creating something interesting using the technology in developing coal mines, so I just reused that. Although rather than create, it might be better to say I was testing it out.


    The clock already rolled around to 6:30 pm; it was about time to apany Lilinor home.


    I stepped into the centralb room of the first researchb, when I heard, "I''m telling you that''s not how it is! You should focus on this part!"


    "But I think this part is more important!" [1]


    The rest of the employees just stared at the two,pletely fed up.


    "But Master, the piston''s movements open and close the valve, so I think Lily-chan has a point," one employee spoke up.


    Leroy stared at the blueprint for a while before folding his arms and groaning.


    The heck are you doing. They......and isn''t that blueprint not of a watch, but of the steam engine''s power source that we''re currently developing?


    This steam engine is an amazing piece of technology invented by humanity, serving as the pir of the Industrial Revolution. Ifpleted, people will be able to use power wherever they want without relying on windmills and watermills.


    It''s truly one of the grandest inventions in the history of humanity. Leroy and his employees, who are still in a magic mindset, still can''t readilyprehend the steam engine and have faced many obstacles during its development. So as a novice, Lilinor shouldn''t have been able toprehend anything with just a single nce.


    "Leroy-san, there''s only a month, you know. Stop fooling around and hurry up and teach her," I said.


    "Hmph! I''ve longpleted that toy," Lilinor said, scowling as if I had just derailed her train of thought.


    A toy... A novice shouldn''t have been able to create that, even if there was a blueprint. Which means Leroy must have made it for her. He wasn''t supposed to someone who half-assed his job, though.


    "Leroy-san, that''s no good; there''s no meaning if Lily herself doesn''t make it," I said.


    "Idiot, I''d know that even if you didn''t say anything!" he shot back.


    "President Grey," an employee began. "I still can''t believe it, but Lily-chan assembled the watch in just three hours after looking at the blueprint. Finding this amusing, Master presented several other blueprints to Lily-chan."


    "......"


    Honestly, I''m speechless. It''s a 3-D object represented in 2-D space. You need quite a lot of experience just to look at the blueprint the right way. Leroy is able to decipher it instantly, but that''s because he''s built up experience looking at them. Being able to assemble the watch after looking at the blueprint just a single time passes the level of genius and into the level of in absurdity.


    "Putting that aside, Grey, where should you focus on this blueprint?" Leroy pointed at the blueprint.


    "Ah, the most important part is the valve. Its development is our current project," I said.


    "......I see."


    Leroy hung his head and beganughing.


    "Interesting! That''s interesting! Lass! You bettere tomorrow! Let''s talk together again!"


    "Okay!" Lilinor''s eyes glittered as she nodded.


    Seriously? They''ve hit it off with each other. To think Lilinor was able to pinpoint the valve. That means she understands the principles behind the steam engine? No, that''s impossible. It was probably just her intuition, but that still means she''s got quite the sense. As someone who values knowledge over everything else, I really don''t want to get involved with a monster that has developed this bizarre kind of sixth sense.


    "So where''s thepleted watch?" I asked.


    "Right here!" Lilinor said as she pulled out thetest style of women''s wristwatch, the self-winding model. So she really used this amazing blueprint. Leroy, looks like you really went all out teaching her.


    "Then we can''t just leave it like that. Let''s wrap it up."


    "Okay!"


    At the packaging department in the first researchb, we ced the watch in a special box and wrapped it with a ribbon.


    Lilinor carried the packaged watch with extreme care as I teleported us to the back alleyway in Suthend.


    "Grey......"


    As I nced at her nervously fidgeted her hands and staring at me with puppy dog eyes, I could already guess what she was about to say.


    "I don''t mind if you go again tomorrow," I said.


    That way I wouldn''t have to constantly supervise her.


    "Really!!?"


    "But like you promised before: not a word to anyone. If you break this promise you''ll never see me again, regardless of who said what," I warned and gave a bitter smile to Lilinor, who was about to jump for joy.


    "I-I know."


    "Then all''s good."


    As Lilinor told me all about her day, I sighted a troublesome group of people on our way back to the emperor.


    That ikemen hero, Yukihiro, shed his white teeth and approached us with his knight-like female followers and said, "Hey, Lily. You''re as beautiful as ever."


    "......Thanks," Lily mumbled, hiding her disgust. From how she''s acting, it seems that she abhors this hero.


    Still, Lilinor looks to be only 13 or 14 years old. Is Mr. Hero a lolicon? He keeps giving her flirtatious nces. No, Mr. Hero is 17 or 18 years old at best. It''s only a 4 to 5-year gap, so would calling him a lolicon even be the correct term?


    Or so I thought as my mind needlessly wandered about, when Yukihiro finally noticed my existence, knit his eyebrows, and said, "So you''re here again."


    "His Majesty has graced me with the duty of serving as her Highness''s knight," I exined.


    For some reason, Lilinor cast her eyes downward, her face dyed red. How is what I just said embarrassing? As I thought, children''s thoughts are aplete mystery to me.


    "This skinny brat is a knight he says. Hrious, right guys?" heughed as his followers began sneering. "Your Highness Lilinor, you''ve been invited to Sir Cyrus''s party. I''m sure he would be most delighted if your Highness were to attend. Here, leave that poor noble''s brat alone ande with me."


    I stopped him there and said, "I''m very sorry, but I should have said that I''m her knight. I ask that you please take your leave today."


    "A low-ranking noble like you as her Highness''s knight? Do you realize how disrespectful that is?"


    You say that, but if I don''t fulfill this duty, I''ll be charged with l¨¨se-majest¨¦, you know.


    "I''m aware, painfully so," I said.


    "This guy kinda pisses me off," he said angrily as he furiously scratching at his neck and red at me in a way unbing of a hero.


    "A short temper, huh," I whispered to myself.


    Looks like Mr. Hero is quite undeveloped in the mind department, despite his growth in the physical department.


    "Well said. I''ll at least praise your recklessness," a girl with short, red hair cut in and gripped her sword handle as Yukihiro was on the verge of exploding. I didn''t sense any killing intent, so it was probably just a performance, but why is everyst one of them so imprudent.


    "Thanks," I said sarcastically.


    "Taking me fucking lightly---" Yukihiro finally yelled all the onlookers focused on us. I didn''t want to stand out, but I wasn''t so patient as to just take this all standing. I''ll just exercise some of my rights.


    I cast the special-rank magic, ¡¾Invisible Labyrinth¡¿on Lilinor and myself.


    Now these fools wouldn''t be able to put so much as a single scratch on either of us. Actually, they''d get a glimpse of hell if they attacked hard enough. It was a bit childish, but I nned to cancel the spell before they died, so they''ll have to bear with at least that much.


    "Hey, it''s Grey-kun and Hero-kun," a cheerful voice called out from behind in this explosive situation. I''ve heard this voice before. I turned around to see a prominent oddball of the empire exiting the carriage---one of the few monsters that moved wealth on a global scale.


    "Rainer-san---" I began, but he gestured that he would handle it, so I cancelled ¡¾Invisible Labyrinth¡¿.


    "Hey, Lily, long time no see," Rainer said.


    "Uncle Rainer-sama, it''s been a while," Lilinor replied.


    "We''ve been barely slipping by each other due to work recently, after all."


    "Yeah. I''m d to see you here."


    "Are you on your way back? Then hop in, I''m on my way to Georg''s anyways. You too, Grey-kun. I''ve got some stories that have been piling up."


    He just casually dropped the emperor''s name. And Uncle? So Rainer''s one of the emperor''s rtives.


    "That''s okay, right, Hero-kun?" Rainer confirmed as the hero''s group were taken aback.


    "Go," Yukihiro said. He spat on the floor and turned away with a grimace before walking away.


    And so, Lilinor and I hopped onto the carriage and headed off without further ado.


    Together with Rainer, we visited the emperor, where I thought I''d finally be released from this job but was forced to eat with them. Still, there''d at least be a silver lining if we were just peacefully sitting around a table, but reality was different.


    "All of my talented personnel are being taken away by the Commerce Guild, recently," the emperor muttered. "I''d really like it if you would stop."


    However, Rainer kept chewing on his meat and kept his usual smile stered on his face.


    "You know, it''s human nature to chase after profit," Rainer said. "You need money to provide basic needs. You also need money for education. And for marriage. And to raise children. And to open up a shop.


    That''s right. The thing that really rules the world isn''t love, pride, or loyalty. It''s profit."


    That fact that he can say all this is quite amazing in a sense.


    That said, I basically agree with Rainer here. However, the only difference is that the final product brought forth by money brings even more money to Rainer, whereas it brings more knowledge to me.


    "It''s your bad habit to dodge the question, you know? What are you trying to say?" the emperor asked.


    "Hmm, then I''ll say it straight. If you were a normal person, you wouldn''t let some ipetent noble, moreover an ignorant boy, unt his lineage and do as he pleased, right? He should be wanting to step foot in our world, which basically values true ability over everything else."


    He''s definitely talking about the hero and his group, but Rainer usually doesn''t talk smack about others. It''s not only meaningless in business, but it can also be counterproductive. So for him of all people to say that much must mean that the top of the empire is filled with people like that.


    "We''re not idiots," the emperor said. We''ve rid every division of the meaningless and counterproductive lineage-first mentality to the best of our ability."


    "But isn''t that why you were arguing with Sir Cyrus?" Rainer shot back.


    "Ah, that''s because this empire needs that."


    "He doesn''t---no, the majority of nobles don''t desire that. If you mess it up, you could die, you know?"


    "If I could be killed by an essory like him, that just goes to show what kind of man I was. I invite the fact."


    So he repudiated the lineage-first mentality and set up the principles of ability first. Basically, he would employmoners to important positions, which means we might start seeing a shift into an actual government.


    "Are you sane? If you were to die, we''d truly be back to square one, and the ridiculous lineage-first mentality would continue to rule this empire."


    "And I n to reconstruct everything from scratch so that doesn''t happen. In order to create a system of government, I need talented people."


    What a turbulent atmosphere.


    "So is that why you called me here?" Rainer asked.


    "That''s right. Give Grey to the empire."


    "No. He is ourpass and our hope. Ourpany will operate with him in the spotlight. I''m not so out of it that I would let him be sacrificed for this tightfisted empire."


    I''ve already lost my will to argue back. Why does every adult here always ignore my opinion.


    Leaving that aside, fortunately it''s now''s the time I had promised Sieg. I can finally leave this gambling room-like ce.


    "Well I have a promise with Sieg-dono, so I''ll excuse myself here," I said. As I stood up and bowed, Lilinor, who had her eyes closed until now, opened them.


    "Grey, I''ll be waiting for you tomorrow," she said while yawning, and she waved me goodbye.


    It was quite unusual to see that kind of quarrel between those two. She seemed to have nodded off halfway and didn''t hear anything dangerous.


    I nced at the two who ignored Lilinor''s reaction and resumed their quarrelling, and I exited the room.


    [1] Based on the way this line is said, it''s immediately obvious that the speaker is a girl and, by extension, Lilinor. For those who are curious it ends in¤Ç¤¹¤ï

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 32 - I Won’t Worship That[1]

    Chapter 32


    I Won''t Worship That[1]


    I entered the Mird tent, located in the za in front of the southern gate of Suthend. There, I saw Sieg, sitting down with his arms crossed and scowling as if he had stepped into enemy territory.


    "Did I make you wait?" I asked.


    "No, I just got here."


    "Then I''ll jump into the exnation now."


    I ced the details of the main n on the table in the center of the tent and began my presentation.


    "Do you actually think this is possible?" Sieg asked after I finished.


    He dubiously stared at me as if he didn''t trust my sanity, but I confidently replied, "I assure you I am sane."


    "Sorry, but no matter how cornered we are, I can''t get on board with your delusions if you don''t have anything to support it."


    Makes sense. It''s a normal reaction for those in this world who don''t know of gunpowder.


    In the first ce, the reason I thought of this n (experiment) was to none other than to raise the safety of mines and public works by advance Sagami Co.''s research and development of explosives.


    My gift, Magic Blueprint, allows me to create grimoires, but the number I can create is limited by the rank of the magic. I''d dry up in an instant if I gave a grimoire to each and every coal miner---it was vital that we developed magic that could change the mines and public works.


    "Then I''ll just have to make you believe me."


    I snapped, activating my teleportation as a magic circle rose up from around us.


    "T-this is---" Sieg said as he stood up, shocked.


    I just nced back as I teleported us in front of an abandoned mine that Sagami Co. managed.


    "T-this is......"


    As Sieg frantically looked around at the changed scenery while gaping, Judo suddenly walked up to us, as was arranged prior.


    "Boss, the preparations for the experiment areplete," he said.


    "Good job. Then, let''s start."


    I nced back at Sieg, who was still dumbfounded, and motioned for the engineer staff on-site to begin a certain experiment.


    Once it ended, Sieg wiped off the sweat streaming down his face, which was drained of all color, and slowly opened his mouth.


    "You......are you a wanderer like the hero?


    A wanderer, I feel like I''ve heard that term before. [2] If I''m the same as the hero, then it probably means a person from another world.


    Now, how should I respond. I feel like it''ll only be annoying if I say yes here.


    "I don''t know what you mean by a wanderer. I''m Grey Mird, you know," I said.


    "So you won''t answer......I see. There''s reason to hide it, too. So that''s how it is."


    No, I should have given you a sufficient answer. I guess he''s just made me out to be a person from another world.


    "My answer doesn''t change," I said.


    "You have a reason, right? I don''t really care, then."


    In the end, he just up and concluded the conversation on his own. Whatever, just think what you want.


    "So, can I count on your support?"


    "Just answer me one thing," Sieg began.


    "What is it?"


    "What are you trying to achieve?"


    What am I trying to achieve, huh. From his intense, unblinking stare, I wouldn''t get any results with a half-assed reply. I''m tired of keeping up the act, anyways.


    "Old man, my only craving is to reach the truth---the source of knowledge. Nothing more, nothing less."


    It was scientists'' (our) instinct of sorts, to desire the source of knowledge. Even if it were a time where it was divided into increasingly smaller fields and scientists were given status and fame in proportion to their achievements, scientists (we) put their lives on the line to seek out knowledge in the end. It was the purest desire in the world that pleasure didn''t even hold a candle to. There was no way that I could exin that driving force, but that desire is always smoking inside me and continues to burn to this day.


    "The source of knowledge? That''s impossible!!" Sieg yelled.


    "Maybe."


    From the start, many prominent and excellent minds across the world have already been crushed before they were able to achieve this desire of mine. The same would probably happen to me, but that didn''t mean it was for naught. No matter how unfavorable it looked, there wasn''t any reason to not aim for it.


    "You''repletely broken......"


    "I won''t deny that," I said. "But look, old man, there''s already people like me in this world."


    Leroy and Pause, as well as their disciples, have already been ensnared by knowledge. Once you taste the sweet nectar known as the search for knowledge, you''re done for. Even if I disappeared, they would continue to seek it out. Yes, no matter what they had to sacrifice.


    "If that''s a joke it''s not funny," he said.


    "It''s not. I haven''t told any lies, after all," I replied. "Anyways, the conversation has gone astray. In any case, I''m thinking to conduct several experiments during the undead invasion."


    "Experiments!? During the empire''s biggest crisis!?"


    "They''re just mindless undead being controlled by someone. Perfect subjects for an experiment."


    Well, I''m also curious about the undead ecology, but I fear that I really would be treated as a monster if I voiced that curiosity. I should restrain myself here.


    "That''s not the problem here!!" Sieg yelled as he squatted.


    "Don''t get so depressed now. The empire will be saved in the end. Also, Suthend will serve as my base from here on out. It would be preposterous for those crude lesser lifeforms who don''t even have a lick of intelligence to trample us."


    "You---! ......No, it''s fine. I now understand how messed up you are."


    "That''s good to hear. So, will you help me or not?"


    "Is there even another path!?" Sieg yelled.


    "Don''t get so angry. Haste makes waste, right? Getting all worked up will only make you age faster, you know."


    "Hmph! Whatever. So how long will it take to restructure everything?"


    "Hm, I n to finish everything in 14 days. I''ll give you the specificster."


    I''ll have to work day and night, but this will be my biggest experiment since forming Sagami Co. Moreover, I''ve the headline of saving the empire from a crisis, so I won''t get criticized for going too far. What a fascinatingposition we have here.


    "I''m always interested in other worlds, but I won''t worship a world rampant with lunatics like you who even offer their own country for their curiosity," Sieg muttered in a worn-out voice before quietly saying, "Just send it to me."


    [1] The title is written like how Sieg talks


    [2] From the prologue: "Hmmmm. This time it''s a middle-aged man, huh."


    In the raws the term was used here but it sounded a bit unnatural, so I cut it out at the time. Now that I have this chapter''s context, if I were to go back and trante the prologue I would write, "This time the wanderer''s a middle-aged man, huh."

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 33 - A Declaration

    Fifteen days passed.


    Recently, we received reports that the undead force was only four or five days away.


    The most important task, improving the battlefield north of Suthend, was going swimmingly.


    A vast in expanded over north of Suthend, and so the undead could use their numbers to attack from all sides without giving us any time to rest. ordingly, we would gather up the undead in one ce and cast them into oblivion with various traps.


    More specifically, we would use the ssic pitfall. It was a piece of cake to make the pitfalls since we could use high-ss and special-ss earth magic, and we obviously devised several tricks to make sure the undead really ate shit.


    Still, there would still be many that would advance without triggering the traps, but we could just leave those to the army, aka the expeditionary force. We''re paying them a lot of money, after all; it''d be a waste to not work them hard.


    The main ingredient this time was gunpowder.


    First, we were already producing nitroglycerin, one of the materials for gunpowder, over at Sagami Co. We used ethanol fermentation on sugar and dunked its by-product into alkali to get glycerin. If we then reacted that with nitric acid, we''d get nitroglycerin. We were making it in a factory, so the manufacturing process had already started, and we would be able to make enough in time for the battle.


    On the other hand, the trigger itself didn''t need to be all that technological. Basically, it would be sufficient to drop all the undead into a pit before setting off all the explosions. Thus we ran several wires over the ground and used the primitive method of making the explosions go off after a certain amount of pressure was applied to the wires. Even if the explosions didn''t go off for any reason, we could just explode them manually with wind series or me series magic. Finally, wepleted it by using earth magic to make a lid over the pitfalls.


    In regard to the gunpowder, Sagami Co. focused all efforts, working day and night before finally producing the minimum amount of dynamite just yesterday in order to conduct the test. Everything would be finallypleted once we set up the dynamite tonight,.


    Next was Aquido and his group''s training.


    They had two roles to serve in this battle: attract enough undead to the trap zones and exterminate any undead that survived the explosions.


    Time was running low, so we trained them specifically in anti-undead tactics. As a result, every member managed to acquire and master high-rank holy magic effective against undead.


    However, I didn''t teach any other types of magic to Roche and the kids of his older sister, Lyase. Those kids misinterpreted bravery for recklessness, and if I gave them magic solely used to fight the undead, they''d definitely push it too far and end up losing their lives.


    Honestly, it was already enough worry about Sate and the others; if my worries piled any higher a hole would open up in my stomach.


    As a side note, either Sate or I managed the teleportation with The Scarlet Phoenix at first, but Aquido soon acquired the title, "--------''s subordinate," and became able to teleport to a certain degree like the others, so I handed the job over to him.


    ---At Sagami Co''s restaurant --- ¡¶The Silver Knife¡·.


    "Good work these past couple of days, everyone," I said. "Tonight I want everyone to eat and drink to their hearts content to build up your willpower. Now, prosit![1]"


    Everyone cheered to my words and clinked their sses together.


    As we approached the climax of setting up the traps in Suthend, I had first thought we would celebrate with just the expeditionary force, but the other participants in the war had heard about the get-together, turning the celebration into arge banquet hosted by Sagami Co.


    "Yep, a cold beer after work really is the best!" Leroy said as he downed an entire mug of beer.


    "You''ll destroy your body if you drink like that, Master," one of his disciples chided.


    As if Leroy didn''t hear a single thing, he continued to down one after another in a chipper mood.


    Actually, he''s drinking beer like it''s water. I prefer a more mellowness to my drinks, so I really don''t want to get roped in with people like him.


    Well, I have my hands full with protecting these kids, so that shouldn''t happen any time soon.


    "Now, Grey-sama. Don''t just eat meat; I''ve got vegetables as well. You''re still growing right now so please finish your te," said the girl wearing a maid outfit next to me as she ced a mound of vegetables and meat on my te in a 7:3 ratio, all while beaming.


    "No, uh. Sate, today''s a banquet," I protested, "I should be fine for a day at least."


    Sate has recently been interested in nutritional science, and it was just my luck that she started taking sses on that. Just like before, she''s been strict on my food intake every day. I want to at least eat my fill while we''re having yakiniku.


    "No! I, Sate, am in charge of your meals!"


    She''s persistent. Once she''s said something she won''t listen to anything else; I guess I have no other choice but to listen to her.


    "Okay, okay. Thanks, Sate," I said.


    "Sure!" she beamed as I patted her head. For a while in front of me, Lilinor stared at Sate, whose eyes were happily narrowed like a puppy, but soon steeled herself and asked, "Grey, I''ll give you some too. Sate, what should I take?"


    "Um, so you see---" Sate said as she expertly began instructing Lilinor.


    Lilinor clumsily picked up a pair of chopsticks and began trying to pick up meat and vegetables from the pot. It didn''t go very well, but she somehow ended up grabbing one of the foods Sate had told her to.


    "Here you go, Grey," Lilinor said.


    "Thank you, Lily."


    She faltered for a moment before leaning her head towards me, so I softly patted her head as well.


    "Hehe." Lilinor let out a bashfulugh as her faced blushed. Geez, what a child.


    Still, when did Sate and Lilinor get this close?


    No, not just them---everyone else was congenially enjoying their food and exchanging drinks with each other.


    Just a month ago, an impassable wall towered between Tote and the Scarlet Phoenix. It should have taken at least several years to break that down.


    And yet between them was trust and love, as if they had known each other for years.


    Soon, it turned to 9 pm. The emperor would worry if I had Lilinor stay any longer, and it was about time for Sate and the other kids to go to bed. I should wrap up the first banquet here.


    The war quickly approached, so I should have the adults about to risk their lives fighting keep in moderation before we celebrate with an afterparty.


    "Let''s start wrapping things up here. Don''t drink too much, guys," I said before turning to Lilinor. "You should go back too."


    "Is it already that time?" Lilinor asked as she looked at Sate and Ca with reluctance.


    "Once our work progresses to the next step, I''ll open up another banquet. Just be patient until then," I said.


    "Okay!" she cheerfully nodded before I escorted her back to the emperor.


    Currently, I was heading back to the Mird tent alongside my bodyguard, Zem.


    Incidentally, having even Aquido apany as well would surely adversely affect the after party, so I had just Zem escort me. In the first ce, I shouldn''t even need a guard if we''re looking solely at ability.


    "Thanks, Grey," Zem said.


    "Hm?" I immediately responded---there wasn''t any reason to thank me after all.


    "Thanks to you, we''re slowly recovering the pride that we had once lost."


    "I see."


    Pride, huh. In order to protect that pride, they went against that shitty noble''s orders. And yet that only served to slowly eat away at the pride they held so dearly.


    It was just as Count Hartwig had said: there was no correct choice there. In a sense, their choice was mistaken, and in another sense, it was just.


    But that''s exactly why I supported them: they always do what they think is best.


    "While I''m on the topic of thanking you, I need to tell you something," Zem said, although I already knew what he wanted to say.


    "What is it?"


    "Aquido might have said he didn''t regret anything, but I personally think that we made a mistake," Zem confessed. "At the very least, we should have fallen back at that time."


    "I see."


    Certainly, I hired them because I was interested in Aquido''s frankness, but that didn''t mean I denied Zem''s line of thought.


    Aquido was an idealist, of sorts. He highly valued anything that he deemed with merit and acted based on that, even if it wouldn''t bring anything back. And the members of the Scarlet Phoenix idolize and follow him for that---that''s the kind of hopeless idiots they are.


    However---.


    "Grey. You see, I don''t care about any ideals anymore; I''m just tired of seeing my family being despised and scorned."


    "I bet."


    In order to follow through on their ideals, they had to give up on receiving the proper acknowledgement that they should have. Zem, who came to witness this truth in person, became downhearted and probably couldn''t let it slide.


    "That''s why---From now on, I''ll use everyst bit of power to eliminate anything that might possibly hold my family back," Zem said. "Even if that causes everyone to disparage us and gossip behind our backs even more."


    "I got it. You''re fine that way. Just follow what you believe in."


    "Yeah, I''ll do that." Zem nodded in satisfaction before he resumed walking with a smile on his face.


    You can''t guess what people will do in an emergency until ites. It should have been plenty fine to look back at everything after the fact; there was no need to go out of his way and dere his beliefs to his employer.


    Maybe thest time he was in a simr situation, Zem had thought, "Next time, I''ll do it right." Maybe he had wished for another chance.


    "Zem, as I thought. You''re the older brother," I said.


    "What are you saying? Should I be happy? Or should I get angry?"


    "How about asking Aquido about that?"


    Zem just shrugged in response before he started walking once again, but this time in silence.


    [1] Previously tranted as projet. I had thought this was just a word the author made up for the world, but it''s an actual term that is basically just used during toasts.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 34 - Expeditionary Force Meeting

    The next day, Sieg ordered me toe over, so I proceeded to bring Aquido and Zem to the tent of the expeditionary force''s valiant Margrave McBurn.


    Once I entered the tent, several gazes from local n leaders, who I assumed to be part of the expeditionary force, quickly fixated upon me.


    Both Margrave McBurn and Count Hartwig, as well as many other local n leaders were gathered here inside the tent. The empire''s current n involved cing all the burden on the expeditionary force, and so a mastermind naturally appeared there. Those na?ve court nobles leading the army was one thing, but we couldn''t leave the vanguard to the local ns that made up the crux of the expeditionary force. Thus, you could say it was only natural that these men gathered here.


    "Grey! Are you Grey!?" said a man with golden hair tied up behind him in confusion as he vigorously stood up. He had his hair tied up behind him, and he looked to be in his 50s.


    "Huh," Count Hartwig said as an uncharacteristic smile floated onto his face. In contrast, Margrave Mcburn, who knew of the situation, wickedly grinned.


    "Grey, why are you here!?" the golden-haired man yelled with upmost unease.


    That''s kinda hard to answer---I mean just think about it. Who would believe that my stepmother forced me into this war in order to get her hands on my inheritance?


    "Calm down, Sir Dimer. He''s a proper representative for the Mird family; there''s nothing strange about his presence here," Margrave Mcburn said, giving me some timely help.


    "Are you serious? Grey''s only 12! He shouldn''t be in a ce like this!"


    Margrave Mcburn was a preeminent figure among the local ns, able to converse equally with the court nobles. Naturally, the ns needed some type ofpensation to voice their opinions. In fact, none of the other ns even spoke up here. At the very least, that man valued my life higher than the price he had to pay for speaking up.


    He was an existence that knew my age and, without caring for his own safety, objected to sending me off to battle. This might be the first time I''ve met someone like him.


    In any case, I have an idea of how to deal with him.


    "Oji-sama, I''vee with resignation, so don''t worry," I dered while clenching my teeth as hard as possible.


    "What an idiot......" said Dimer McGwire in an attempt to encourage me. He then hung his head, shrugged, and gave me a sympathetic stare.


    "Hmph, what a blessing for that wicked man to be seen as a mere child," Sieg muttered under his breath.


    "Sieg, don''t say it like he''ll take off his monster guise any time soon," Count Hartwig said, bellowing inughter as he repeatedly pped Sieg''s back.


    "Agreed," nodded Margrave McBurn. "In fact, you''ll easilye to regret pitying him."


    This dumb trio really bes as annoying as the emperor when they gather together. Let''s hurry up and dive into the main topic.


    "Now then, I''ll exin our current tactic of annihting the undead, aka exterminating the mastermind," I said.


    "Annihting the undead with pitfalls? How ridiculous!" one noble eximed. "If the undead could be done in by something as simple as that, Lamperts-dono wouldn''t have been defeated!!"


    "And this lineup. It''s like---it''s almost like we''repletely useless!" another said.


    "There''s no way I''m epting such a shameless n!" yet another chimed in as voices ofint washed over the room.


    "Um, you see. Do you all really understand just how many undead there are? The animals and monsters in the forest and grasnds have all been turned into undead. The citizens of the overrun cities, too! Based off this fact, they must be at least 10,000 strong. And inparison---" I exined before Margrave McBurn whispered, "We have a mere 3,000 men."


    Gradually, themotion calmed down intoplete silence.


    That said, everyone continued to re at me in abhorrence while some grinded their teeth and others tapped their legs.


    "Sorry, but you all don''t have any sense of danger. Forty percent of the empire has already been swallowed whole by the undead. It would be extremely difficult to annihte them all, and even if we got away unharmed, the empire has already weakened. The enemy isn''t just the undead anymore," I said.


    "Basically, even if you ovee this crisis, The Amrzs Kingdom and The Holy Kingdom of Esters will attack?" one n leader confirmed.


    "Impossible! Are you saying that the other two kingdoms will start aiming for us if we get destroyed by the undead!?" another said, standing up in a rage. And with just a single nce, I could tell that even he fully understood how realistic this horrible future was.


    "Yes," I continued. "And yet they don''t give us any reinforcements and continue to just look on."


    It''s not like I think that the other two kingdoms are cold-blooded and heartless. This isn''t a normal war---the enemy is undead. They don''t even know at what cost we might win at, and there''s practically no reward. In fact, there''s absolutely no reason for them to step in. Well, there''s also still the possibility that the mastermind behind this are those two kingdoms.


    In any case, this performance also serves to keep The Amrzs Kingdom and The Esters Kingdom in check.


    "Quiet, you all!" Sieg yelled as the confusion once again died down. Then, Sieg urged me to keep going.


    "I''ll continue. Based off the undead''s extremely annoying characteristic of turning you into a fellow undead if they bite you, close quartersbat is off the table. Other than long-distance attacks and me series magic, not much else will be effective."


    "That''s true, but then pitfalls are still---" one n leader stood up and began shouting before Sieg shut him up with a wave of the hand.


    "It seems that everyone here is still treating this like a war," I said, "but this is merely an extermination. That''s right, we''re exterminating pests; this primitive tactic is more than enough."


    "Exterminating pests? But isn''t there a mastermind?" another n leader interjected.


    "Yes, so please use your imagination a bit. Is the mastermind moving everyst undead one at a time?"


    As if he had finally grasped it, Sieg ced his hand on his jaw and said, "So they''re simply giving out orders to their army as a whole from a safe ce?"


    It''s like how a shepherd controls a huge flock of sheep---some sheep may stray from the flock, but they generally move as one entity.


    "I understand," said Margrave McBurn, "But that means there''s a possibility the mastermind is in a ce where they can oversee the battle, right?"


    He''s hit the nail on the head.


    "So you''re also considering that the mastermind may be lurking internally?" Margrave McBurn continued.


    The room erupted into murmurs, but he quickly quelled them.


    "Yes, that''s right," I said.


    As I thought, this man is excellent. Count Hartwig and Sieg, too, as they don''t seem to be that surprised.


    "Please wait a moment. Are you saying that there''s a backstabber among us who wants to destroy our fathend!?" one noble eximed.


    "I didn''t go that far," I replied. "Just that in looking at the locations where the mastermind can safely and smoothly watch over the battle, that possibility exists."


    "You''re basically saying that they''re there!!"


    "Yes. That''s why I''ve only told the full details to his Majesty the emperor. What I''ve exined here is only a small fraction of the n; it was his Majesty''s intention to give out a portion of information to keep things fair."


    Last night, I reported the entirety of the n to the emperor after escorting Lilinor back home. I''ve grasped what kind of person the emperor is, and most of all, hecks any motive to destroy his own country. Basically, there''s an extremely slim chance that he''s the mastermind.


    "I see, so the emperor wants to believe in us," Sieg said as he crossed his arms.


    "What a generous man. Unfortunately, I''m not as kind as the emperor," I said. "I''m fine with filthy rats that have sacrificed thousands of lives lurking around, and it would be quite interesting if they were hiding in the Imperial Council. I''ll have them dance around like the clowns they are."


    That''s right, among the thousands sacrificed, there may have been someone who neared the source of knowledge. To mercilessly feed and arbitrarily feed them to a lower life form is preposterous. How unpleasant.


    "I''ll make them pay interest for their crimes," I said.


    Before I knew it, the ce descended into a strange silence. Then, I noticed an unnatural smile creeping onto my face.


    Not good, not good. I''ll look like I''m plotting something evil at this rate. I quickly erased the smile off my face when Margrave McBurn said, "You all understand now, right? This guy isn''t normal, but I can promise that he''s telling the truth."


    "I can also attest to the fact that he, hisrades, and I have begunrge-scale digging operations," Sieg added.


    They had affirmed my ns, but they just stood stock still and stared at me as if paralyzed.


    "Wha?" I murmured.


    Sieg slowly shook his head in exasperation and cryptically said, "So you didn''t know......Grey, you should find out more about yourself."


    NOTE: Changed high-rank nobles to court nobles, and powerful nobles to local n leaders.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 35 - A Development

    In a crumbling city, north of Suthend, inside the room of an inn.


    "Hmm, so you wanna do that little brat in that much?"


    "He''s developed quite the high-rank spells; they''re chantless as well."


    "But in the end, it''s just a spell from this inferior world, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s true."


    "Then those prideful guys definitely wouldn''t use any spells from this third-rate world. ? Their potential is infinitely small?It''ll be fine, I tell ya ?"


    "But that kid; he''s still seen through you, you know, if but only faintly? Don''t take him too lightly."


    "Well~, even a monkey could figure that out if they put in the slightest bit of thought?"


    "Still, to hold that much intelligence and at that age---he''s clearly a dangerous element here. At the very least, shouldn''t we remove him from this game?"


    "Do you really think a mere scrawny kid can dispel my spells? Are you perhaps underestimating me, Grim?"


    For the first time, anger faintly tinted Nero''s cheerful words.


    "I didn''t say that. Just, don''t take it too far," the Grim said.


    "Like I said, that''s under---" Nero began before Grim cut him off.


    "Nero, have you forgotten that person''s teachings?"


    Nero quickly fell silent as he clenched his teeth.


    "I know," said Nero. "You''re the master of this game. I''ll do as you say. So, what should I do?"


    "Send 300,000 undead 30 kilometers to the west of there; over to Thermax. I''ll do something about this," Grim ordered.


    "Roger? Now let''s have a fun game."


    "Yeah. We''ll give those insects that stole our precious and beloved person from us the most wondrous fear and despair!"


    "Carefully, and mercilessly."


    "Slyly, and cruelly."


    "I vow to kill them all!!" they said in unison.


    Their voices reverberated throughout the inn, but there wasn''t a single soul there to hear it. Now, the game advances towards the next stage.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 36 - A Chance Meeting – Dimer McGwire

    "At least let Gu-chan stay with us until he grows up," Anna McGwire wailed as she clung to her father.


    "You know we can''t do that," the father, Dimer McGwire, said as he reluctantly shook his head.


    To Dimer, Grey was the grandson he had been waiting for; it''d be a lie to say that he didn''t want to dote on Grey. But there was a reason that he had to give up his beloved grandson to the Mird family.


    Currently, the question of session had arisen, and the McGwire family had split into two factions.


    The first supported the current head, Bart McGwire.


    Bart and his wife had two children, but as they were both female, they couldn''t seed the position. Some said that Bart should just take in a mistress, but Bart was an unusually devoted husband and firmly refused any mistresses. As a result, he should have ushered in a noble who had failed to seed the head. Yes. Until Dimer''s daughter, Anna, bore Grey.


    Any noble would hate the idea of being ruled by another family, so naturally, a faction supporting Grey soon appeared.


    Now if Grey had any magic talent, the story would end here, but he had absolutely none.


    In this empire, those without magic talent generally couldn''t seed their family. Of course, this wasn''t an actualw or a rule, but something more akin to a custom. Still, customs couldn''t be ignored, especially to the local ns.


    Dimer didn''t want to see the children fight over the family inheritance, and so he gave up Grey to the Mird family.


    "Forget about Grey and find someone to marry or something," said Dimer.


    As expected, his beloved daughter soon burst into tears. She had cried every day after giving Grey away, but today was especially bad,rgely because of the dark rumors surrounding thedy of the Mird family, Valeria Mird. She apparently manipted the current head, Rais Mird, like a puppet, and imposed a tyrannical rule over the family. Anna had gathered info from the main vige of Mird, Mirage, and had heard rumors that Grey was currently eating with the servants, among a couple others---It was obvious how they were treating Grey.


    Rais Mird wasn''t a bad person by any means, but he also wasn''t a good person; he was a pitiful man who couldn''t even keep his wife under control.


    In any case, Dimer couldn''t entrust his beloved grandson to that filthy family. Most of all, Anna often became bedriddentely. Dimer wanted to grant her wish as soon as possible, but life wasn''t so easy.


    In reality, Dimer had tried to take custody of Grey and had negotiated several times with Rais Mird. Sometimes Dimer tried yelling, and other times he tried offering vast amounts of money, but Rais never nodded his head yes.


    To the empire, Grey was already a Mird. No matter what Dimer said thiste into the game, he couldn''t overturn that fact.


    His chance was once Grey turned 13 and left the Mird family, but it would be quite difficult given Rais''s obstinate stance on the matter.


    And soon, the turning point approached.


    A swarm of undead had suddenly appeared from the north and soon swallowed dozens of cities and forests, swelling up to hundreds of times their original number as they headed south. And during this crisis of a lifetime, the McGwire''s also received orders to dispatch soldiers.


    Dimer had already retired from active duty, but as Bart had finally gotten used to his duties as the head, Dimer hadn''t much left to help him with. Now just imagine if Bart died in the war. Not only would McGwire family have nobody left to seed the position, there was also the danger of the central court nobles swooping in to hijack the family. Dimer wanted to avoid that at all costs, and so had no other choice but to return to duty.


    Once he arrived in Suthend and stayed on standby, he noticed several retainers tilting their heads in confusion as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.


    "What happened?" Dimer asked.


    "I think I mistook someone, but I just saw The Holy Woman," one retainer replied.


    "I see, the Holy Woman......This war is truly a crisis that affects our entire country, so she was probably called over temporarily to raise morale," Dimer guessed.


    The Holy Woman---her Highness, Princess Lilinor Rose Archive, was one of the few people in the empire who wielded middle-rank holy and recovery magic.


    The imperial family was certainly famous for doting on her Highness Lilinor, so bringing her to such a dangerous battlefield was extremely strange indeed.


    However, this crisis affected the entire country. Her Highness, was extremely popr among everyone from the court nobles all the way to the local n leaders, so the standpoint of bringing her Highness here to raise morale certainly made sense. In addition, if her Highness were to proceed to the battlefield, if only but for a short time, it would look like the imperial family had put their fair share into the war---an appropriate choice.


    "Well.........the person next to The Holy Woman was Grey-sama," the retainer replied.


    "Haa?!" Dimer shouted as his grandson''s name was suddenly brought up.


    "No, it''s probably just a mistake. It''s been several years, and most of all, there''s no way Grey-sama would be here."


    "Obviously."


    Grey was with the Mirds. There was no way he would be in the battlefield during a time like this, or so, Dimer thought. However, reality strayed far from his expectations.


    Several lords had already gathered inside the expeditionary force tent. They seemed to be talking about the veracity of the rumors of the existence of a mastermind controlling the undead.


    "A mastermind who can control the undead. I still can''t readily believe such a thing," Dimer thought.


    Even if the undead were all just controlled under a single will, their threat level would instantly jump up.


    Moreover, the brave and famous General Lamperts had died at the hands of mere undead---a strange story.


    We were truly cornered like mice here, so it was no wonder they would doubt the veracity of such rumors.


    "Sir Dimer, it''s been a while," a voice called out.


    "I-if it isn''t Margrave McBurn, it has been a while," Dimer replied as his voice cracked at the sight of the masters of the McGwire family.


    "What do you think about this expedition, Sir Dimer?"


    "How do you mean?"


    "About the rumors scattered around the streets, of course."


    "I want to think that there being someone controlling the undead is just a bad joke."


    "I agree......However, if that is the truth, then the ones who had devised everything may very well be hiding among our ownrades," Margrave McBurn said as he awkwardly gave a dryugh. Then, Count Hartwig and the great sage, Siegfried Granbull, entered the tent.


    "What''s this? So that demon still hasn''t arrived yet," Sieg-dono said as he angrily sat down and began restlessly tapping his finger on the table.


    "It seems that way; he seems to have a good rtionship with her Highness after all. It''s no wonder."


    Demon? A good rtionship? Must be about a fianc¨¦ or something. Still, her Highness is still only 14 years old; it''s a bit early for this kind of love-talk.


    "Even though Alisa is avable," Margrave McBurn said. "How troubling."


    "You''re trying to set your own daughter up with that demon?" Sieg asked incredulously as his face began twitching.


    "Yes. He''s an excellent man on all fronts, after all. I could rest assured leaving my beloved daughter and the McBurn family to him."


    "You''re quite insane yourself," said Sieg.


    Margrave McBurn gave him a thin smile and a shrug, but Sieg just crossed his arms and shut his eyes in response.


    "It seems he''s arrived," said Count Hartwig, as everyone focused on the entrance of the tent.


    "Grey! Are you Grey!?"


    There, was Dimer''s beloved grandson.


    It was extremely difficult to believe, but Grey was currently serving as the representative for the Mird family in the war. In what world were there cowards who sent their own 12-year old children off to war? That damn Rais; he''s fallen even lower than I thought he could......


    As stares of pity concentrated on him, Grey quietly began outlining the search-and-destroy undead operation.


    Grey''s exnation consisted of luring them over and then dropping them into pitfalls---truly something a child would think up.


    And as expected, the lords fiercely criticized his ns, but as if they were mere flies buzzing around him, Grey easily brushed off theirints.


    Grey, who was enjoying this mind y, slowly, and forcefully, dragged everyone in.


    Because of that, we began to understand several conditions we needed to fulfill during this crisis.


    First, since the empire was already weakened, we couldn''t afford to lose anything more.


    Second, The Amrzs Kingdom and The Holy Kingdom of Esters were on the prowl, so we needed to show off our strength.


    Third, we needed to find and eliminate the ringleaders.


    If we didn''t fulfill these three conditions, the empire would be done for. What a disadvantageous war.


    However, these uses made perfect sense if you thought about it.


    The empire''s strength has already declined remarkably. So even if we won the war, anyrge-scale reconstruction would have to wait, and trying to prepare against other countries bordered on impossible.


    Then what should we do? Leaving aside the smaller empires, there''s no wayrge countries like The Amrzs Kingdom and The Holy Kingdom of Esters would leave our weakened empire alone! They would surelye marching withrge armies. The empire, already wounded by the undead''s attacks, didn''t wield enough strength to stop such an attack.


    Additionally, even if we miraculously won the war without any sacrifices and seeded in entrapping the two countries, another simr crisis would soon follow if the ringleader lived.


    We had to fulfill all three conditions at the same time. Only then, did our fathend have a chance to survive.


    "You''re basically saying that they''re there!!" a lord cried out.


    It was no wonder. Grey had just said that the demon who plotted our fathend''s downfall actuallyy in our own army of all ces, after all. He hinted at the possibility that the enemy actuallyy in the expeditionary force, too. And yet, for some reason, Grey easily spilled the details of his n here.


    "Yes. That''s why I''ve only told the full details to his Majesty the emperor. What I''ve exined here is only a small fraction of the n; it was his Majesty''s intention to give out a portion of information to keep things fair," said Grey.


    "I see, so the emperor wants to believe in us," Sieg said, as Dimer began to vaguely understand the emperor''s intentions.


    If he were to limit the people who knew of the n, it would engender discord and suspicion between those who knew and those who didn''t. On the other hand, it would bring many benefits to the table.


    More specifically, the suspicion would keep both parties in check and seal off the enemy''s movements. Additionally, the suspicion would clear up if the mastermind''s existence were toe to light, so the risks wouldn''t continue forever.


    Still, the emperor didn''t want his retainers to doubt each other, even if it were only for a while.


    "What a generous man. Unfortunately, I''m not as kind as the emperor. I''m fine with the filthy rats that have sacrificed thousands of lives lurking around, and it would be quite interesting if they were hiding in the Imperial Council. I''ll have them dance around like the clowns they are," Grey said before pausing a moment.


    "I''ll make them pay interest for their crimes."


    The air around him shifted.


    A thin, demonic smile warped onto his face and his eyes seemed to glow crimson. Most of all, he exuded an abnormal pressure like he was a starving, wild beast trapped in a cage. That overwhelming and destructive image sent shivers down Dimer''s spine.


    "......"


    Nobody said a word. No, they couldn''t. In an instant, everyone couldn''t help but fixate on the abnormal monster in front of them.


    As Grey touched his lips, he returned to his usual benign face, and the lords were finally able to let out a sigh.


    Sieg-sama and Margrave McBurn assented to Grey''s ns, but nobody was listening. It wasn''t a question of trust---everyone understood from the bottom of their hearts that the monster before them had spoken the truth.


    After Grey exited the tent with hispanions, Sieg-sama, Margrave McBurn, and Count Hartwig soon followed. Finally, this insane meeting neared its conclusion.


    One lord sitting next to Dimer chugged his ss of water.


    "Sir Dimer. Is he really your......grandson?"


    "Yeah......"


    Dimer somehow nodded.


    He wouldn''t mistake his cute grandson for anyone else. He was definitely Grey.


    However, no vestiges of the innocent grandson remained in that little body full of insanity. It was like he was a different person altogether. Dimer himself became extremely disarrayed at that inexplicable contradiction.


    One of the heads ced his hand on his lips and mumbled, "He''s the representative for the Mirds, which means it''s already been decided that he''ll seed the Mird family?"


    "What are you saying! Didn''t you see!? Do you really think he''s the kind of man who would settle to be the head of a poor noble family in the middle of nowhere!?"


    "I agree. In the first ce, a local n leader is directly reporting to the emperor, and it''s absolutely unheard of to share information about the war. It''s quite obvious that the emperor ces an enormous amount of trust on him."


    Margrave McBurn was a distant rtive of the emperor, and Count Hartwig used to be a court noble---they weren''t simply local n leaders. Other than those two, it was unthinkable that anyone else would know of the full ns.


    "An important turning points ising up for this empire. Something lifechanging is surely soon to happen."


    The empire was going to change, for better or for worse. It was almost set in stone.


    Dimer didn''t know if that change would be its destruction, or a period of prosperity. The only thing he could say was---.


    "He''s a hero born from us local n leaders......" someone muttered.


    That sentiment soon spread throughout the tent.


    The Hero, Yukihiro''s guardian was Sir Cyrus, the ringleader of the court nobles. He could easily ughter an entire battalion of battle mages. In fact, Margrave Salzburg,uded as the one who would seed Margrave McBurn, perished under the army lead by Yukihiro during a conflict over the mines.


    After Sir Cyrus had tracked down and killed Margrave Salzburg, Sir Cyrus officially became the most influential man in the empire. This, in turn, greatly boosted the court nobles'' influence. Now, it was undeniable that both Margrave McBurn and Count Hartwig were second ratepared to him in terms of both economic and military power.


    And during this time, a monster-ss existence suddenly appeared in the empire. To the lords wanting to break away from the tyrannical rule of the court nobles, that existence was the best g to gather under.


    "Please stop. Grey is just 12 years old; he''s a mere fledgling," Dimer said.


    Even still---even if he had turned into apletely different person, Grey was still Dimer''s precious grandson.


    Ever since that day, Dimer had dreamed of the day he had to separate from Grey several times. He had dreamed of his crying face, full of unease on the day he had to leave the estate. But that child still headed off to the Mird family in order to protect the useless fetters that tied us together.


    That''s right. This was probably God''sst message to the cowardly Dimer.


    He tightly clenched his teeth and dered


    ---This time, I''ll protect you. No matter the cost!

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 37 - Persuading The Holy Woman

    After the meeting with the expeditionary force, I was called into Cyril Vi, the emperor''s public estate, located right in the center of Suthend. The only other attendees were the emperor''s personal knights and his personal confidant, the prime minister.


    The reason became apparent if you looked at Lilinor, whose face was red and had tears in the corner of her eyes.


    "I don''t want to!" she shook her head, firmly denying her father''s proposal.


    Well, this went just how I had imagined. That''s why he should''ve told her earlier. Worst case scenario, we''d have no choice but to confine her into Sagami Co.''s premises or something.


    "Please understand," the emperor said, "this war is dangerous."


    "You''ve already told me that. But the enemy are undead, and as someone who wields holy magic, I should bring much-needed assistance to the table," Lilinor replied.


    "Lily, you''re still young. Too young to put your life on the line."


    "If you''re going to say that, then isn''t Grey only 12?"


    "T-that''s......So I didn''t tell you yet, but Grey''s under a curse that doesn''t let him age---he''s actually about the same age as your papa," the emperor desperately dered, but Lilinor just puffed her face in response.


    "Sate and everyone else have been saying that Grey''s 12. Why would you speak such an obvious lie, Father!?"


    "Grey~" the emperor pleaded in my direction. Okay, okay. I''ll do it, so please stop making that pitiful face at me. Seriously though, am I some cat robot from the future?


    I cleared my throat and turned towards Lilinor, saying, "Even if you were to join in, as you have no actual experience, you''d just be a hindrance to everyone."


    "But there''s only so many people in the empire that can use holy magic!" Lilinorined.


    So now you''re bragging. Well, Lilinor had obtained the power to use holy magic from a young age, so it''d actually be quite difficult to tell her not to overestimate herself.


    "So you won''t understand even if I exin it."


    I turned to signal at Aquido, nodded, and raised my right hand towards the ceiling.


    "Holy Knight Summon"


    Several bands of silver light formed concentric circles around the room. The light then enveloped the ornament ced by the suits of armor on the wall and began radiating bluish-white light.


    Immediately, the suits of armor twisted, erged slightly, and wrapped around the human-shaped bluish-white light .


    After a bit, several fully armored knights that radiated a dazzling bluish-white light stood before us.


    "N-no way!?" Lilinor gasped as the knights began to move.


    The emperor''s personal knights who were on standby quickly changed expression and moved to protect the emperor and Lilinor.


    "It''s fine. No need to worry; just leave it to Grey," the prime minister said, signaling the knights to step back.


    The armored knights walked in front of Aquido, kneeled, and said in unison, "Master, your orders."


    "Protect this vi. From now on, follow the orders of this vi''s owner."


    "As youmand!"


    Excepting a few knights, the rest all left the room in patrol.


    Lilinor fixated her sights on the holy knights and began sweating profusely. Well, it looks like she''s understood how abnormal this magic is.


    This was a top-rank spell, Holy Knight Summon, which copied the memories of the world''s heroes and subordinated them. They were merely hazy memories, so they wielded just a fraction of their original power, but as they subsisted on atmospheric magic, they would continue to exist as long as they weren''t forcefully destroyed.


    "Aquido-san, are you a famous archbishop?" Lilinor somehow squeezed out.


    "No, as I had said before, I''m just a mercenary. I''m even scorned as a backstabber."


    "B-but---"


    I walked up to Lilinor and gently patted her head, which was still drooped down. Although, I was the shorter one, so it was quite pathetic that I had to stand on my tiptoes just to reach her.


    "Lily, themon sense that you''ve experienced until know is just that--mon sense. Shouldn''t you havee to understand that these past few days?" I asked.


    "......"


    She gripped her skirt and bit her lip in frustration.


    "And this undead disturbance is clearly far removed frommon sense. Even if you were to go out on the battlefield, nobody would desire that," I said. "In addition, there''s something I need you to do."


    "Something you want me......to do?"


    "Yeah. I want you to heal any casualties, and, on the off-chance we fail, help the citizens of Suthend evacuate."


    It wasn''t just Lilinor. Sate, Ca, the Scarlet Phoenix''s kids and the eight-headed dragon were all to stay stationed in Suthend for that one in a million chance that the n failed where they would then help everyone escape.


    We''d also bring many wounded back into Suthend, so Lilinor, who wielded recovery magic, served as a cornerstone to the main n.


    "That''s right," the emperor cut in. "I order you to heal the injured. Yep."


    Lilinor spared no nce at her father and just stared at me with her seemingly transparent, blue eyes, and asked, "So is that my mission?"


    "Don''t be so stiff. You''re just the right person in the right ce. Nothing more, nothing less. In the end, we''re just doing everything we can," I said.


    "I understand."


    "Then for further details, please ask Sate and Ca. I''ll have theme byter."


    I confirmed Lilinor had nodded in affirmation before turning back to the emperor. I quickly adjusted my posture and said, "Your Majesty, I will now take my leave."


    I bowed once and exited Cyril Vi.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 38 - Spreading Madness

    Lyase was one of the Scarlet Phoenix''s members, and she brought her younger brother, the youngest member in the group, to the army''s headquarters in order to deliver a secret message about the battle tactics to take ce in just a few days.


    "Grey is really amazing," Roche said in excitement.


    "Yep, he''s ended up controlling the entire war," Lyase agreed.


    The two of them were siblings, and as far back as they could remember, they were with the Scarlet Phoenix. This naturally meant they were thrown into this cruel world from a young age. They didn''t remember either of their parents'' faces, and to the two of them, Aquido was like a father and the rest of the members were their family.


    So the Scarlet Phoenix, who had earned various triumphs and honors throughout various battlefields, was Roche''s and Lyase''s pride and joy.


    That''s exactly why, after the attack on the mountain tribes seven years prior, they felt saddened and even mortified at the fact that everyone''s opinion on the Scarlet Phoenix had flipped on its head as they were derided as fools and cowards.


    It was during these trying times that Grey''s employment suddenly turned everything around.


    He had employed the Scarlet Phoenix at a high price and granted each and every member a holy magic grimoire, rumored to be the most supreme magic to exist. And he''s even apparently taken the helm during the empire''s biggest crisis yet.


    So it was probably because people''s opinion of Grey had shot up. Before, the two of them would be scorned just by walking around, but even if they walked around sporting a Scarlet Phoenix armband now, nobody from the expeditionary force jeered at them.


    However, many still directed disapproving nces at them, and many more looked away in displeasure. Still, the Scarlet Phoenix was moving forward, little by little. They could feel the change, and it made them inexplicably happy.


    The army consisted mainly of the court nobles'' personal troops, and the headquarters were located in the high-ss residential area in the northeast.


    Currently, Lyase and Roche were located in a higher-ss area, which they could tell just based on the store signs around them.


    The bricks were neatly lined up in the buildings, there weren''t any pieces of trash lying about, and several high-ss shops lined the streets.


    Here was the prominentmercial city of Suthend. It would normally have been a paradise for the merchants who value ability over all else, but only in this high-ss residential area in the northeast do the court nobles extend their influence. Sate-chan had taught Lyase of this fact.


    "Keep focused," Lyase said.


    "You don''t have to tell me that," Roche grunted.


    From here on out was so-called enemy territory. This wasn''t just a simple errand, but rather an important delivery of the battle tactics. As novices, Lyase and Roche normally wouldn''t carry out such an important task, but they had implored Aquido to be some help to the group.


    "We should be more than enough to hand over some documents," Rocheined.


    "No," Lyase chided. "Have you already forgotten the leader''s condition?"


    His condition was to wait for vice-leader Zem''s arrival before entering the area where the army resided.


    "I know okay!"


    Seriously, what a child. Lyase really wanted him to learn a bit of Grey''sposure.


    Suddenly, a ck-haired woman tumbled out of a nearby shop as a hoarse voice that grated on the ears yelled, "Why have these savage insects spilled water on my watch!!"


    Then, a plump noble with gold hair wearing gaudy clothes that were curled up followed outside, his face boiling like a kettle.


    "H-he''s!!?" Lyase thought.


    There was no way she could forget; he was the enemy of all Scarlet Phoenix members.


    "That bastard!!" Roche cursed.


    "Hold yourself!!" Lyase said, grabbing Roche''s arm to hold him back.


    "Do you even know how much this watch costs!? It''s an amount you bugs have never even set sight on, you know!?" the noble yelled.


    "I''m so sorry! Please, have mercy!!" the woman pleaded.


    She was curled up on the floor like a turtle, desperately asking for his forgiveness, but the plump noble just jeered and kicked her.


    The noble was Viscount Dolt Magotta. He was a piece of trash who used to be the servant in a master-servant rtionship with Margrave McBurn but was harshly punished for abandoning his people to save his own ass.


    The ck-haired couple, who were still trembling, didn''t look to be Archivian citizens. They were the mountain people, the Radorus, who were probably forced to assimte into the empire after losing in battle during the incident where the Scarlet Phoenix were coerced into that mortifying job.


    "Nee-chan!" Roche called out.


    "No. The wind has finally begun blowing in our direction. Everything would be for naught if we were to step out now---we would lose everything."


    "B-but---"


    A man with a crew cut who looked to be wearing the same employee outfit flushed in anger as he flew out of the store and spread his arms open in front of the woman.


    "My wife is pregnant. Please have mercy!"


    "That''s not my fucking problem!" the noble yelled, kicking the man who was kneeling in front of his wife.


    "I''ll do anything within my ability, so please have mercy!" said the man as rubbed his head on the floor once again, blood dripping out of his mouth.


    "Ain''t that something. He said he''ll do anything, Dolt; this sounds like it could be an interesting game," sneered a golden-haired feminine youth who was leaning against the wall. That youth then took out a gold coin from his pocket.


    "Of course, Young Mawlek," Dolt replied. His face of anger instantly switched to one full of sunshine and smiles as he rubbed his hands together.


    "How about it? Would the Hero care for a round?" Mawlek asked.


    "I''m the Hero. No way I''d do something so vulgar."


    "Wow, what a meanie~"


    Mawlek looked down at the man with the crew cut, and a shudder raced through the man''s spine when he looked at Mawlek''s dark eyes which were smeared in pleasure.


    This was bad---they couldn''t stay here any longer. Lyase had an inkling they''d definitely see something unthinkable if they did.


    "Let''s go, Roche."


    "No!"


    Seriously, this child---! Roche would have listened before. The reason he won''t any more is definitely because he met Grey.


    Their leader, Aquido, had sworn to serve Grey for the rest of his life. And as long as Grey didn''t refuse, the rest of the Scarlet Phoenix would probably follow suit after this war ended.


    ---He wielded vast fortunes,


    ---He had numerous legendary grimoires of differing types,


    ---He spoke on equal footing with Margrave McBurn, and even the emperor, at times.


    He was like someone straight out of a fairytale. Still, if Grey were around the same age as their leader---a father-like existence---it would end with just admiration.


    But Grey was 12 years old, the same age as Roche. He was much too young to admire. Lyase thought that Roche probably believed Grey would never let this injustice slide.


    "This idiot!"


    She would definitelye to regret letting go of his hand here. Lyase was sure of this, so she frantically held him back.


    And so this foul y headed towards its worst destination.


    "Here we have a single coin," Mawlek said, twirling a coin around in his hand as he began to approach the couple. "If it''s heads, you win, and I''ll forgive your wife''s slight on Dolt."


    The onlookers'' reactions were split between the noble side and the normal citizens side.


    The passerby''s scrunched their faces in disgust and fear, and they ran to hid inside the shops. In contrast, the nobles eagerly looked on from a distance.


    "What if it''s tails?"


    "I''ll leave that to your imagination. Also, I wouldn''t suggest this, but quitting the game would equal your destruction. That''s fine, right?"


    Mawlek pped his hands and what looked like the nobles'' private soldiers instantly surrounded the couple.


    "Here, here, the match begins. Watch this couple''s once-in-a-lifetime gamble!" said Mawlek. "Now, everyone. ce a coin in this had if you think it''llnd heads, and a coin over here if you think tails."


    Soon, the nobles giddily gathered around and began cing bets.


    "They''re insane!" Lyase thought.


    They think fear is just a game or something. Even while the empire is facing its biggest crisis yet in the undead attack, they''re still looking for schadenfreude? Do these idiots even understand how foolish and impermissible that is?


    "Please don''t try any funny tricks," Mawlek said. "Now, flip the coin."


    The man with the crew cut shakily gripped the coin in his right hand.


    "I''m a busy man. Hurry up and toss it would you?" a soldier said as he pointed the tip of his sword at the woman''s neck.


    "Ah......" The man''s voice went ragged before he tossed the coin up.


    The coin flipped in the air several times beforending on the ground.


    "Haa......I did it. It''s heads. I win!!"


    Mawlek lightly tapped the man, who was happily crying with relief, on the shoulders and said, "Congrattions~, you''ve won. See ya then."


    He pulled a dagger from his waist and swiftly sliced open the man''s neck.


    Blood began spurting out as he toppled lifelessly onto the ground.


    Lyase thought processes grounded to a halt. I mean, right? All he did was dirty up a noble''s watch. That''s all it took for someone to die here. Lyase couldn''t wrap her head around this.


    "D......dear? Dear!!" the wife cried out as she shook his lifeless corpse. The onlookers barely spared her a second nce as they set out to their original purposes, and those that had won the bet gathered their winnings and happily headed home.


    "Dang it. My shirt''s been stained by the savage''s blood. Well now I have to throw this away," Mawlek said. He then nonchntly tossed the knife onto the ground and turned back towards the high-ss restaurant. "The side show''s over, so let''s have another round of drinks."


    "Yeah," the so-called hero said as he let out a yawn, nodded, and began heading into the store when the woman yelled out, "How dare you!!"


    She unsheathed the dagger from her husbands waist and, with a shaky hand, charged at Mawlek.


    "Woah?"


    One of his soldiers stopped her de, but Mawlek pitched forward and facented onto the ground.


    "Oww, this fucking whore. And after I had forgiven you too!"


    He kicked her in the face, and she flew several meters back, not moving anymore.


    "Move!" said Mawlek. He angrily red at any remain onlookers as they and his soldiers all retreated a few steps.


    "Ahhh, these mere livestock defying a human!"


    Mawlek ambled towards the woman, a dagger in hand.


    "Roche!" Lyase shrieked. Well, it was only natural. Roche had broken free from her restraint and rushed towards Mawlek while gripping his dagger''s scabbard.


    "Die!" yelled Mawlek as he swung down on the woman, his face full of pure unadulterated hatred, when Roche swung his scabbard with all his might.


    Mawlek shrieked in pain, clutching his broken arm as he writhed on the ground while crying.


    He finally did it. No matter the reason now, he had wounded a noble; he wouldn''t get off lightly.


    "We''re running," Lyase said to Roche as she neared the woman and began carrying her.


    "I know!"


    Even if he had witnessed that violent insanity, a court noble was a court noble. That idiot, Roche, had bared his fangs at the worst opponent possible.


    "But where should we run to?" Lyase thought.


    They couldn''t return to the Scarlet Phoenix. If they did, nine times out of ten both the Scarlet Phoenix and Grey would be destroyed.


    Lyase desperately suppressed her urge to burst out in tears and began sprinting away.


    However---.


    "You can''t run away."


    Suddenly, a sharp blownded on Lyase''s stomach as her vision tumbled.


    While carrying the woman, Lyase slowly stood up, her body full of scratches. In front of her stood the Hero.


    "You''ve raised a hand against the eldest son of Duke Cyrus.[1] You''ll be lucky to die a painless death."


    The Hero''s ck pupils pierced through her as she became aware of her trembling body.


    "What are you guys just standing around for? Can you do your job?" the Hero said to the soldiers.


    "Yessir!!" they said in unison and suppressed Lyase and Roche in an instant.


    Then, the Hero walked over to Mawlek, touched his broken right arm, and began chanting.


    "---and heal."


    After his long chant ended, a magic circle appeared, and a bluish-white light enveloped Mawlek''s body before the wound closed up.


    Voices of admiration arose left and right after the onlookers witnessed the Hero''s miraculous power.


    However, Lyase and Roche had already received that amazing healing-series grimoire from Grey and thus felt no such emotions.


    "That bastard!!" Mawlek wailed.


    Once the pain in his arm had subsided, he shamefully wiped his face of tears and snot before approaching Roche and kicking him in the stomach.


    "Not even my father hit me!!" said Mawlek.


    "Hmph! So that''s why you became so gloomy?" Roche managed to wring out as his face warped in pain.


    "I de~~~finitely won''t forgive you fuckers. I won''t let you die so easily. I''ll inflict everyst type of pain on your entire family before killing them!![2]"


    "I''m afraid they''re the Scarlet Phoenix," Dolt dered, kneeling in front of Mawlek. "They''re the treacherous mercenaries!!"


    "The Scarlet Phoenix? That disgusting brat''s soldiers?" muttered the Hero as he maliciously grinned.


    "Brat!? Yukihiro, do you know him!?"


    "Yeah, about that---"


    "I''m their guardian!!" a shout cut off the hero, and a bald man walked towards Lyase and roche.


    "Zem!"


    "Zem, you traitor. What nerve you have to speak before me!!" Dolt shrieked as arge vein popped on his forehead.


    "Annoying. Shut up for a sec!"


    "I''b borry." Dolt crouched in pain, having been backhanded by Mawlek.


    "And you guys, let go of them," Zem said.


    "H-however......"


    "Don''t worry. If he makes even a single weird move, I''ll take responsibility and kill them," the Hero said.


    The soldiers nodded once before releasing Roche and Lyase.


    "They''re with you in the Scarlet Phoenix, right?" Yukihiro confirmed.


    "That''s right."


    Yukihiro''s originally handsome face had warped in pleasure into a nauseating and unseemly face.


    "That brat wounded Duke Cyrus''s next head, Mawlek Cyrus. Don''t you think a little reparation is in order?"


    "What do you want?" Zem asked.


    "Kill the two of them. If you do so, I''ll negotiate with Duke Cyrus to not put any me on you."


    "Yukihiro, you---"


    "Mawlek, just leave it to me." Yukihiro said, firmly warding off Mawlek''s protest without even sparing a nce at him. Mawlek simply clicked his tongue and angrily kicked a nearby barrel.


    "And if I refuse?" Zem asked.


    "I''ll have that impertinent employer of yours arrested under the crime of wounding Mawlek Cyrus. Naturally, the Scarlet Phoenix would be executed too, as they were the perpetrators."


    Zem looked down at Roche and Lyase, his eyescking their usual warmth.


    "Roche, why didn''t you wait for my arrival?" Zem demanded.


    "I didn''t do anything wrong!"


    "So I take it that you''ve resolved yourself?"


    "Yeah!"


    Roche sat down cross-legged, folded his arms, and closed his eyes.


    No number of people could help what Roche did to a court noble, who holds absolute power in the empire. Moreover, that court noble was the next head of Duke Cyrus who had enough power topete with the other 12 families. No matter the reason, he would definitely face punishment.


    If Zem didn''t punish him, the Scarlet Phoenix would face severe repercussions. Not just that, but nine times out of ten, Grey, their benefactor, would also get crushed.


    However, Roche''s resolution was certainly not mistaken, so Lyase followed suit and kneeled on the floor.


    "Sorry, it''s for the Scarlet Phoenix and for Grey," Zem said.


    He unsheathed his sword and held it over his head, but Lyase could see his arms shaking.


    She understood. To them, Zem was a parent figure and an older brother, and Zem felt the same way.


    "Zem, we''ll be fine. But if you could, do me first," Lyase said, and squeezed her eyes shut. It was cowardly, but she didn''t want to see her older brother kill her younger brother.


    Zem roared like a beast.


    However, she didn''t feel any pain. Lyase timidly opened her eyes to see the tip of the sword stopped right in front of her nose.


    "Sorry. Grey, I can''t do it after all," Zem yelled. He then lowered his sword before pointing it at the Hero and said, "I''m their guardian. I''ll take responsibility for everything they do."


    "Sorry, but that''s not enough." A thin smile floated onto Yukihiro''s as he shrugged.


    "No matter what?"


    "No matter what."


    "Then I''ve got no other choice."


    While smiling uncharacteristically, Zem signaled Roche and Lyase.


    ¡¶Return to the Mird Tent! ¡·


    Instantly, he dashed towards Yukihiro and swung down on his head.


    Yukihiro emitted a bluish-white light from his waist and unsheathed his sword, easily parrying Zem''s longsword.


    Using their sh as an opportunity, Lyase yelled, "Roche!" She ran towards Roche, who was still sitting in a daze, and pped him awake. "We''re running."


    She scanned her surroundings.


    Many soldiers surrounded the south side of the main street that ran through the center of the, blocking them in. On the other side, while it would be tight, she might be able to make it if she ran with all her might.


    "Don''t let them go!!" Mawlek barked at the soldiers. Lyase grabbed the copsed woman as she and Roche began a mad dash away.


    They ran with reckless abandon, but they could feel the presence of several soldiers closing the gap.


    In the end, they were simply children, and Lyase was carrying a woman to boot. The soldiers were physically far superior. They were slowly closing in, and it was only a matter of time until Lyase and Roche were captured.


    Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her right leg as she summersaulted onto the ground. Upon shifting her sight onto her leg, she saw an arrow buried deep into her calf.


    "Nee-chan!"


    "Run!!" she ordered as the soldiers forced her onto the ground.


    "Let her go!" Roche screamed.


    "This fucking brat!" a soldier said, kicking him away like a ball.


    "How annoying. Cut both their arms and their legs off. If they die then they die," said a bearded soldier who looked to be amanding officer. Another soldier walked up to Roche, unsheathed his longsword, and prepared to swing.


    That brilliant scenery they had seen just tens of minutes ago was now dyed in blood and death.


    Why did things end up like this? Because Roche wounded that noble?


    No, Roche had only tried to save a woman from that corrupt noble. He didn''t do anything wrong. Even now, Lyase could say that with pride.


    "Someone. Anyone. Help us!" she prayed.


    By relying on others, Lyase could neither achieve anything nor save anyone. The world had treated Lyase and Roche so cruelly, after all.


    However---she really couldn''t forgive someone hurting her brother, who she had been with during the ups and the downs of life, for such an irrational reason.


    But as if to spit on her prayers, the soldier swung his sword down---.


    "Wha!?"


    A lone boy gripped the sword with a single finger.


    "What are you doing to my subordinate?"


    A burning fire swelled in his Grey''s eyes as he snapped the sword in two with his thumb and pointer finger.


    "M-mons---" the soldier shrieked.


    But he never finished his sentence. The soldier was blown back in a straight line, bouncing over and over on the ground.


    Like frightened fish, the other soldiers could only open and close their eyes and mouth as they saw the first soldier twitching and spasming far away.


    "Y-you bastard. We are Duke Cyrus''s---" one soldier began.


    In an instant, Grey appeared before themanding officer and said, "Clench your teeth if you don''t want to die."


    The officer could only shriek in response before Grey high-kicked him away. He then flew into the wall of a nearby building, showing the whites of his eyes as he slumped over.


    "Now."


    As his bloodred eyes surveyed the surroundings, the soldiers let out a yelp and threw their weapons onto the floor while cowering in fear.


    "Lyase, Roche, exin yourselves! What is the meaning of this? What happened to Zem?" Aquido, who was next to Grey, impatiently asked.


    "Zem''s fighting with a Hero named Yukihiro! He''ll definitely be killed at this rate! Please hurry up and help him!" Lyase exined.


    Grey removed the arrow from her calf and healed the wound in an instant. Then, he walked to Roche, who was still crying a little, and grabbed his shoulders, saying, "Don''t worry anymore. Calm down. Exin what happened as concisely as possible."


    "Okay." Roche nodded several times and, with a little difficulty, began exining what happened.


    Grey had silently listened to Roche''s incoherent ramblings before nodding and saying, "I see......I roughly understand what happened. You did nothing wrong. I''m proud of you---you did well."


    Grey gently patted his head.


    "I-I---!"


    The wall he had so desperately build had finallye crashing down as tears began streaming down Roche''s face. After a short while, Grey patted his back and gently rubbed his head before standing up and facing Aquido.


    "Aquido, teleport everyone to the Sagami Co. building. Make sure nobody remains in the Mird tent. If you need to use force, then go all out."


    "That''s fine, but what about you, Grey?" Aquido asked.


    "I''ll go have a talk at Cyrus'' camp."


    "That''s dangerous!"


    "Dangerous? That depends on them," Grey replied, his icy words sending a chill down their spines.


    He then reached out to Lyase and Roche.


    The scenery in front of them distorted, changing to the all-too familiar one of Sagami Co.''s.


    "Leader, where''s Grey!? Where''s Zem!?"


    He''s probably lost hisposure. Roche clung to Aquido while crying as the employees inside frowned and walked towards him.


    It was no wonder. Roche''s own actions had almost lost him his precious family and the person he respected most.


    "Grey already said it. You did nothing wrong. The bad ones are this insane country and us adults," Aquido said. "So just sleep now"


    "Lead---"


    Lyase tried to say something, but an intense wave of drowsiness crashed into her and her consciousness faded into whiteness.


    [1] Changed Sir Cyrus to Duke Cyrus


    [2] Here, Mawlek uses the counter for animals when talking about Roche''s family, implying that he sees them merely as animals and not humans.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 39 - Chapter 39 Just Keep Boldly Smiling

    I dragged my heavy feet and ran towards the ce of the incident.


    Maybe it was because I now felt the rulers of this empire weren''t so bad after all. I''vee to know the oddball emperor who didn''t seem very kingly at all, Lilinor who wasn''t much different from a normal girl, the witty Sieg, and Margrave McBurn, after all.


    But that was a huge mistake.


    Humans acquired reason and intellect and evolved from beasts. These two qualities were absolutely necessary for someone to be called a human. And it was the politicians of the upper-ss who tied up and suppressed these two qualities for dozens of centuries. They took on several forms, recing statues, and burying scientists'' and mankind''s legacies all in the name of protecting their miniscule wealth and positions.


    "This was my failing," I muttered.


    Humans make mistakes, and irredeemable ones span across eras and civilizations, scattering misfortune upon the world. Wasn''t I fully aware of this in my previous life?


    That''s right. While clearly recognizing the cancer spreading throughout the empire, I didn''t spare a second though and allowed the problem to persist.


    To make matters worse, I had only given Roche and Lyase recovery magic. If I had at least given them some form of attack magic, they might have been able to at least escape from this idiotic farce.


    And my fatal mistake had penalized not me, but my weakerrades.


    "Zem, don''t get hasty!" I thought.


    Zem had not only mastered the high-rank holy magic spell, but hisbat sense was quite high as well. Even if he were severely outssed physically, he should be able to at least run away from that false hero.


    No, my fears didn''t lie there. What I actually was afraid of was that frank idiot trying take responsibility himself and ending it all there.


    "Please, just fight back with everything you''ve got!!" I wholeheartedly prayed.


    Soon, I arrived at the scene.


    Yes. I should have known. Known that the things I truly wish for always seem to slip out of my grasp.


    I opened my eyes to see Zem, bent over in a puddle of his own blood with several swords pierced through his body, and I quickly became aware of the worst-case scenario.


    A groan slipped out of my mouth as a faint pain shot through my head. The pain then morphed from a prickly needle into a giant hammer as it mmed onto my brain.


    "Hey, hey. Put up some resistance, you small fry!!" Mawlek yelled in ecstasy as he repeatedly stabbed the now motionless Zem.


    Small fry? Zem shouldered an entire portion of the organization and had tried to settle things on his own.


    "Move."


    I dashed behind him, grabbing his neck and tossing him aside. I then ran up to Zem and removed the swords, immediately casting recovery magic.


    "R-recovery magic!!?" Yukihiro gasped.


    A stupid brat was screaming his head off, but I simply ignored him and continued to cast ¡¾High Heal¡¿onto Zem''s wounds.


    "Won''t work, huh."


    I had closed up his wounds for now, so he should live at least a little longer, but he had already lost so much blood and his breaths grew weak.


    Magic couldn''t beget miracles---it was just another phenomenon. Naturally, it had its limits.


    I was sure that in just a few minutes, no, in even less than a minute, Zem would die.


    Zem''s eyes fluttered open and fixated upon me.


    "Grey......?"


    So he can''t even see anymore.


    "Yeah," I replied.


    "I see. You made it in time."


    "Thanks to your efforts."


    Zem nodded in satisfaction and then asked, "Am I going to die?"


    "Yeah, you will."


    "I see......I''ll leave Aquido and the rest to you."


    "Yeah, leave it to me," I dered as forcefully as possible.


    Then, Zem reached out to touch my face with a shaky hand. His lips curled up as he muttered, "That''s not like you......Don''t cry here. Just keep......boldly...... smiling.


    Soon after, his arm lost all strength and slumped onto the ground.


    I wasn''t so young as to get flooded with emotions every time someone died, at least, that''s what I had thought. And yet, the emotions I had felt after reincarnating into this world and experiencing so many new things had all tangled up and had driven me mad.


    "Oi, answer me!" Yukihiro yelled. "Why can a scrawny kid like you use recovery magic!?"


    What an annoying brat. You''re not even worth a pebble on the sidewalk right now. I faced my left palm at this shitty brat and chanted, "¡¾Cetus¡¿"


    I had infused the most easily usable ice spell with a ton of magic, which should be plenty for an insect of this level.


    Four ice dragons crashed into him from all sides and entangled around his limbs, biting them.


    The shitty brat (Yukihiro) let out a scream for but in instant before his limbs froze over.


    ¡¾Cetus¡¿was a high-rank ice spell that certainly wasn''t anything special, but under mymand, it became one of the most powerful spells. Basically, the spell had the special characteristic of scaling with the user''s Magic. My Magic was S-, so Yukihiro would have no way of defending against it with his meagre C- Magic Endurance.


    "Zem, just wait a bit," I said. "I''ll bring you to your family before long."


    But before that, I had a fight to settle. I had no intention of pretending that this was a righteous revenge--- I was aware that I would just continue the cycle of hatred by returning violence with violence.


    However, I was neither a person like Gandhi who believed in other peoples'' good conscience, nor a person so upstanding that I could criticize others. In fact, I was the opposite.


    "M-my hands! My feet!!" the piece of garbage wailed in despair.


    I began walking forward.


    "Don''te any closer!!" You m-monster!!"


    "What a loudmouth," I said, and incanted a small ¡¾Cetus¡¿ onto his jaw that sealed his mouth.


    "---!!"


    The piece of trash squirmed his body around like a fish onnd.


    "This is a warning. Don''t struggle too much," I advised.


    However---.


    "---!?"


    He quickly lost his bnce and tumbled onto the ground, after which the sound of shattering ss reverberated.


    "I told you so."


    A shriek erupted from the piece of trash named Yukihiro as he clumsily rolled around on the floor. His four limbs hadpletely shattered, and half of his chin disappeared into fine particles.


    The piece of trash looked up at me, his face full of tears and snot.


    "I feel for you just a bit," I said.


    I craned my neck and observed my surroundings, but everyone just stood frozen in ce as they stared at me with pale faces, not even making a single sound. Even if he was the Hero, their connection to him was just that.


    I picked up Zem''s sword that was lying on the ground, stepped on Yukihiro''s chest, and ced the tip of the sword onto his forehead.


    "I''m going to start slowly pushing this sword into your skull. Rejoice, because your measly life can repent for the foolish crime you havemitted."


    "---!!!"


    Yukihiro shook his head frantically, but I pushed the tip deeper.


    It pierced through his skin and a small stream of blood began trickling out.


    "I''ll slowly, slowly split your skull open until it reaches your brain, and then you''ll die. You''ll die on the edge of pain and itchiness. It''ll be quite the sensation for you, so enjoy it while you can before you go."


    "---"


    Finally, Yukihiro passed out, and the puddles around him began steaming.


    "He''s criticallycking in guts. Well, that was plenty obvious before, though," I muttered to myself. "I won''t heal you, so cling to Sieg''s good conscience or something."


    I stabbed the sword into the ground before turning to the golden-haired man who was plopped on the ground, staring at me in fright.


    He was Duke Cyrus''s next head---Mawlek Cyrus, the main culprit of this irreparable farce.


    "W-w-wait. Please wait! Your power, it''s amazing! If I introduce you to my family then---" Mawlek began, but I kicked off the ground and immediately closed the distance, shutting him up with a swift kick to the mouth.


    "Even with all that''s happened, I was still prepared to talk to you guys if Zem hadn''t died, you know?" I said.


    But it was impossible now, even if the world were to turn on its head.


    "Gumugou!"


    "Sorry, I have no idea what you''re saying."


    I stomped on his jaw.


    "I''ll say this much. This is purely self-satisfaction; there''s no justice in my actions. This was originally your father''s job, after all."


    What I was currently trying to do amounted to disciplining a bad-mannered animal. Nothing more, nothing less. It was simply a meaningless act.


    "Mawlek, I''m going to start pummeling you. But don''t worry, I''ll make sure to heal you too. Just don''t think that I''m saving you or anything."


    I grabbed his cor, clenched my fist, and began beating him up.


    After battering his entire body, I casted ¡¾High Heal¡¿ before returning to my punches. Over and over, the cycle continued.


    "That''s enough!!" a voice called out as my blow was stopped by a dark cane.


    I moved my eyes over to see a white-haired old man in white robes standing there.


    "That was quite fast," I said.


    "This isn''t the time for sarcasm! How reckless!"


    Sieg''s eyes widened in surprise at Yukihiro rolling on the ground, but he quickly ran over and began casting recovery magic.


    Yes. Sieg''s arrival meant the end of this useless disciplining. I should hurry up and bring Zem over to the others.


    But before that---.


    I gripped Mawlek Cyrus''s hair and lifted him up before forcefully pping him awake.


    Having regained consciousness, Mawlek shrieked as his face warped in fear.


    "Shut up."


    I punched his face a couple more times to shut him up.


    "Listen here. I will never forgive you. Don''t think you''re getting off with just this. I''ll stake my entire life on making you pay this back. Tell that idiot hero what I said when he wakes up."


    Mawlek then frothed at the mouth and passed out again, so I tossed him back onto the ground and walked to pick up Zem.


    "Let''s go home, Zem."


    With Zem on my back, I walked back to the Mird tent.


    I gathered the employees of Sagami Co. and all the members of the Scarlet Phoenix at Straheim''smerce building, where I informed them of Zem''s death.


    I wanted everyone to have time to grieve over his death at least for tonight, but the undead attack was soon toe in just a few days. We couldn''t lose a single day.


    I wanted to scream my lungs out at what those pieces of trash did. And when I thought about how their attempts to protect their own vanity had considerably affected the execution of our ns, it made me want to just have the army face off against the undead.


    But because I couldn''t let Suthend fall, I couldn''t just throw in the towel halfway in.


    I informed the members of the Scarlet Phoenix that they didn''t have to help set up the explosives tonight, but everyone still dutifully began working.


    The next morning, we held a funeral for Zem.


    This world had the custom of burying the dead, so I purchased a cemetery on top of the hill with the best view in town and buried his corpse there.


    All the members of the Scarlet Phoenix, as well as Sate, and the others, grieved over his death and gave a silent prayer.


    During which---.


    "It''s my fault......" Roche murmured to himself. "It''s because I ignored his orders and went off on my own!"


    His face was as pale as a corpse and looked like it had been drained of all its vigor.


    "That''s right. Roche, your actions caused Zem''s death," I said.


    "Grey---" one of the members of the Scarlet Phoenix began to protest, but Aquido raised his hand to shut him up.


    "However," I continued. "I''m sure Zem takes pride in you."


    Looking at Aquido, Zem, and the rest of those in the Scarlet Phoenix''s frankness, even if Zem were there, the end result probably wouldn''t have changed. But that''s exactly why I employed those helpless idiots.


    "That''s a lie!!" Roche cried out.


    "Whether it''s a lie or not depends on you," I said and looked around.


    Everyone just looked at me while crying their eyes out.


    "Listen. At this very moment in time, you guys are now my family. This is my first order as the head: no matter if you have to drink muddy water or get jeered at; even if it''s shameful, live your life with a smile!!"


    I turned my back to Zem''s grave and teleported back to the Mird tent.


    I sat down on a chair in front of the Mird tent and gazed at the maddeningly beautiful blue sky.


    I need to go back to square one.


    Until now, I''ve thought that advancing this world''s civilization was the key to reaching the truth.


    However, what happens when you try to advance science while egotistical men like Duke Cyrus rule the useless nobles.


    I could see themmiting even worse tragedies all over the world, and they would probably hoard the wealth and hide the technology.


    So even if I were to conduct experiments as I pleased, I would need to eliminate those meaningless, counterproductive nobles.


    In addition, Duke Cyrus and the other court nobles wielded tremendous authority in the empire. This idiotic and deplorable tragedy is happening all over, so things would probably look a bit better if I eliminated all the court nobles.


    Still, it wouldn''tst long. In just a couple of years, or maybe even tens of years, another Duke Cyrus woulde into power. Originally, humans were never strong or honest, something I''vee to fully understand after the recent incident.


    So what should I do?


    "No, let''s stop thinking about this," I muttered to myself.


    The answer was obvious. Just, that method was extremely cruel and would spill a lot of blood, so I had excluded it.


    But this world wasn''t so kind as to allow a revolution that didn''t spill any blood to seed, and the recent event only proves this fact.


    I needed to have the citizens dye their own hands in blood. It was neither just nor proper. It was an unorthodox act, just like Duke Cyrus and the others. And if the empire didn''t do this, they would never run away from the curse of the nobles.


    "Kuhaha......what a masterpiece. When did I be a filthy politician?" I soliloquized.


    But I had to do it, at least, if I wanted to reach my goals. I had sworn that I would reach the source of knowledge no matter what methods I had to use, after all.


    "So they''vee."


    I raised my head to see several dozen soldiers marching up to my tent led by the thinly mustached man with a bad taste in clothes who I had seen not too long ago.


    "Grey Mird, why have you done something so stupid?" he asked in difort.


    "You want to know?"


    The thinly mustached man shut his eyes and shook his head back and forth before saying, "Arrest him."


    The soldiers quickly surrounded me with des.


    "He''s still a child. Don''t point your swords at him," hemanded.


    "H-however, Baron Hakurou, he......to the Hero---" one soldier stammered.


    "Did I stutter? I said don''t point your swords at him."


    A vein bulged on his forehead as the thinly mustached man, Hakurou, sent a killing re at the soldiers.


    "How unexpected. Were you always such an upstanding guy?" I asked.


    "Ha! What kind of an adult takes pleasure out of hurting a child? Even if that child is a disgusting brat like you."


    "Seriously," I agreed.


    Hakurou clicked his tongue in response before raising his hand, saying, "Grey Mird. You are under arrest for the crime of assaulting and wounding Duke Cyrus''s son, Mawlek Cyrus, as well as the Hero, Yukihiro Kazama-dono."


    And so I was detained by the empire.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 39.5 - Ray of Hope – Zem

    Zem was apparently born in a small vige where the mountain people, the Radorus lived. He wasn''t fully sure because his home vige was destroyed in a war with the empire before he had even formed any memories.


    After that, Zem lived off of others, receiving praise for burning fields and the like before he was hired by the empire and was put under the care of the very mercenary group that had destroyed his vige.


    That small mercenary group was the Scarlet Phoenix, who took Zem, a Radoru, under their wing and raised him as one of their own. Obviously, the war environment was no ce for a child, but they certainly had the warmth of a real family.


    When Zem turned 18, that warmth was then shattered, and the one who had pulled the trigger was none other than Zem himself.


    The group had epted an escort job for a small vige that was forced to relocate. One day, while on patrol, Zem captured a shady 12 or 13-year-old boy. His unique appearance made him out to be one of the Radorus, and Zem guessed that the boy had been lost.


    Zem told the boy that he, too, was a Radoru, and promised to release the boy if he kept this a secret.


    Then, tragedy struck.


    An overwhelming number of Radorus surrounded the vige. The leader, Zem''s foster father, and the other adults held the rear in order to let the vigers escape.


    Zem immediately confessed his blunder, upon which his foster father said, "You could call it karma. But you didn''t do anything wrong. You''re his brother, right? Then do what needs to be done."


    Those words were like a curse to Zem and were thest things his foster father had said before dying in battle.


    Zem soon lost sight of things. Before this incident, he had held a considerable amount of love for his fellow Radorus. Somewhere, deep down, he had believed that they could just talk it out, and he had certainly never even began to think that they would target those gued by illness, people that even bandits turned away from.


    Zem didn''t know who to hate anymore, but he still had his younger siblings who weren''t even adults yet. To raise his siblings, he had the previous leader''s only son rise up to be the next leader and shelved his doubts away, recklessly living life.


    With Aquido, the Scarlet Phoenix aplished various deeds and grew to be a famous mercenary group among the empire.


    Then, that incident urred.


    During the period where an all-out war was soon toe with the Radorus, they were employed by Viscount Dolt Magotta and were stationed in Margulis, a major city in the Magotta territory.


    Zem received reports from the scouts that arge Radoru army was approaching the city. They would arrive in Margulis the next morning, whereas reinforcements would take around three days. Nobody believed they could hold the Radorus off for that long.


    Viscount Dolt decided to abandon Margulis and quickly link up with the expeditionary force, and he only allowed his family and his retainers to leave the city.


    In short, Viscount Dolt used his own people as a decoy to save his own ass. But Zem didn''t think that decision idiotic, rather, he sort of understood that cowardice.


    Yes, abandoning your own people was unsightly, but that wasn''t always true when looking at the big picture.


    The citizens weren''t stupid by any means, and they would put up at least some resistance as amateurs. Additionally, even the savage Radorus wouldn''t massacre the people of Margulis; they needed to put in more effort than that in order to gain control.


    And during this crooked time, if they set up traps in the city and retreated before linking up with the expeditionary force and re-attacking Margulis, they would surelye out on top. Then, the Scarlet Phoenix be the heroes, having led the empire to victory.


    That''s why Zem couldn''t believe what Aquido had just done.


    "Aquido, why did you punch Viscount Dolt?" Zem asked.


    "Isn''t it obvious! He tried to abandon his own people. He even used them as decoys, you know!?"


    "Aquido, this is war. If we set up several traps in the city, we''ll be able to destroy those savages without much effort. It''s not toote now; let''s go apologize to the Viscount. We can still make it in time."


    "Zem, even if this is war, there are things we can never waver on. And that pig spat on this iron rule. So you could say I''m still plenty rational just by the fact that I haven''t killed him yet."


    "Don''t you understand? He''s a noble!?"


    "I don''t fucking care! And you know, Zem, when did you start calling the mountain people savages? Don''t get us involved with your own revenge plot!!"


    "---!!"


    Zem couldn''t say a single word back. After all, he had just realized something.


    Aquido had been against this war from the start, and the one who had firmly insisted on joining was Zem himself; he probably hadn''t forgiven them at all.


    He hadn''t forgiven the child who had trampled over his good conscience nor the Radorus who had killed his foster father. And to satisfy his thirst for revenge, he had even gone so low as to use the most important people around him.


    He had realized just how foolish and hopeless he was and couldn''t say anything back now.


    In the end, they capitted without spilling any blood, and the Scarlet Phoenix came to be known as The Fools.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    That incident was named the Second Radoru Campaign and ended with the empire''s win on a paper-thin margin. The empire destroyed the mountain people, the Radorus, and forcefully annexed them.


    After the battle, nobody requested for the Scarlet Phoenix anymore, and they were forced to be pseudo-adventurers in Straheim.


    But it was during this humiliating time that Zem found happiness, living with his family. Then, a turning point arrived, and a mysterious child came knocking at their doorsteps.


    The feminine child named himself as Grey Mird, and, of all things, wanted to hire them as his private soldiers for the uing undead attack.


    It was an offer so ridiculous he couldn''t evenugh at it. And yet Aquido and the other members were all pulled in by Grey Mird''s words.


    Grey hired the Scarlet Phoenix with 100,000,000 G and showed them several miracles.


    ---He had a vast fortune in the empire.


    ---He had countless special grade materials called grimoires and even distributed them to each and everyst member.


    ---He had the grit to converse on equal footing with Margrave McBurn as well as a charismatic attitude that pulled everyone in.


    Any one of these facts proved that he wasn''t just a normal child.


    No, let''s not try to cover it up. That wasn''t his true nature.


    His behavior? His charisma? Haa! You couldn''t evaluate the man named Grey Mird with that childish criteria.


    Yes. It was hard to put into words, but the best way to describe him would be darkness, the darkness of an abyss where not even a single ray shone throughy inside of that small body of his.


    And only a small percentage of us, including Margrave McBurn, had noticed his absolute insanity.


    Zem didn''t want to believe it, but Grey had probably experienced raging despair and anger in the past that Zem couldn''t even begin to imagine. He had a feeling. But that was exactly why Grey wanted Aquido, who was a ray of light the couldn''t be moved by the likes of money. No matter how many opponents there were, Aquido wouldn''t bend his own convictions. Even if the only thing it led to was his destruction, he would still reach his hand out to those that were crying. That''s the type of kind, but foolish man he was.


    After Grey hired them, the Scarlet Phoenix would experience a drastic change; Zem had no doubt about it.


    And as if to rise above his expectations, Grey''s existence allowed the Scarlet Phoenix to slowly take back the pride that Zem had made them lose. He could barely stop himself from jumping with joy at this fact.


    Which was why he had to inform Grey of his determination, and he made a deration, thinking that.


    It was to demolish anything that might stand in Grey or his family''s way, even if it meant betrayal.


    Grey neither affirmed nor denied his deration and just nodded. As Zem had thought, Grey really did understand the anguish he had been and continued to carry. At that time, Zem profusely thanked Lady Luck, who had allowed him to meet this amazing master of his.


    But as if to sneer at him, Lady Luck threw an equal amount of despair right back at him.


    Roche had injured the son of Duke Cyrus, the forerunner among the court nobles.


    On the ground, lying in a pool of his blood, was a Radoru man. In all likelihood, a noble had killed the man for fun. This was but an everyday urrence in the empire, however; certainly not anything rare. Even if you were to help, you would just get arrested instead and your entire family executed. The Radoru who you had tried to save would be executed as well. Zem fully knew of this fact and had decided that he definitely wouldn''t help them if he came across one.


    And yet Roche had. Roche and Lyase''s parents had died along with Zem''s foster father during the battle where they helped the vigers escape. In other words, the Radorus were their parents'' enemy, and Zem had already talked to Roche and Lyase in length about this. Basically, Roche had put his life on the line in order to protect what should have been his enemy.


    Zem was simultaneously overjoyed and despondent at this fact. After all, Zem would have to kill them both in order to protect Grey and his family.


    And as expected, The Hero, Yukihiro, ordered Zem to bring judgement upon them. It was an understandable request, and Zem raised his beloved sword just like Yukihiro had requested.


    Over and over, he tried to swing down, but his arms were frozen.


    "There''s no way I can do this......" Zem thought.


    Kill Roche and Lyase? He couldn''t do that even if the world turned on its head.


    He had known from the start.


    "How unsightly, after I had just said that to Grey."


    Zem had little to no chance of saving Grey and his family with just his own life. Still, he had to try.


    He instructed Roche and Lyase to return to the Mird camp before swinging at Yukihiro. However, even if he wielded holy magic, Zem was still vastly inferior to Yukihiro, and the results were immediately apparent. Nheless, Zem had to act out the rest of his role as a mere clown.


    After exchanging blows for several minutes, The Hero finally sliced Zem in the stomach, who then copsed onto the floor.


    "Seriously, everyone rted to that brat is so brazen; they piss me off," Yukihiro spat, swinging the blood off his sword before returning it into the scabbard.


    "You can do it now," he said to the soldiers.


    Zem sensed several soldiers nearing him.


    "Sorry," one soldier whispered.


    Surprised, Zem turned to see tears forming in one of the soldier''s eyes as the soldier raised his sword up.


    "I see, so you''re the same," Zem thought.


    Zem felt overjoyed at the fact that he didn''t have to hate anymore.


    How much time had passed? He couldn''t even feel pain anymore, and his vision had gone white. Now, he could only hear his master''s nostalgic voice.


    "Grey......?"


    "Yeah."


    "I see. You made it in time."


    Grey was here, which meant he had safely secured Roche and Lyase. Grey had had the power to do so.


    "Thanks to your efforts," Grey said.


    "Am I going to die?"


    He didn''t need Grey to tell him, as he couldn''t see or feel anything anymore.


    "Yeah, you will."


    Yeah. That''s unfortunate. It was unfortunate that he wouldn''t be able to see his family, of course, but more so the fact that he wouldn''t be able to see how far his amazing master would go.


    "I see......I''ll leave Aquido and the rest to you."


    Surely, his amazing master would lead the Scarlet Phoenix in the right direction.


    "Yeah, leave it to me," Grey said, and Zem finally felt the hole his foster father''s death had left him closing.


    It was a selfish and cowardly assumption, but he still didn''t think it was wrong to have saved the Radoru child in the past. He truly thought that.


    The end was approaching. Zem wanted to see his master''s bold smile one more time, and so ced his hand on Grey''s face.


    I see. So even Grey cries. But you know, that just doesn''t suit you.


    So---.


    "That''s not like you......Don''t cry here. Just keep......boldly......smiling."


    ---Please, lead my precious master and family to a warm, kind future!

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 40 - The Delight of an Upset

    "Shit!!" a man yelled. He kicked the table which was made by a prominent carpenter, and the bottle on top crashed to the floor.


    Bale Cyrus heaved a sigh and steadied his breathing before sitting down on a chair.


    There were rumors that Yukihiro The Hero, renowned as the strongest in the empire, had suffered a defeat, and that his own son, Mawlek Cyrus, had witnessed his own soldiers being beaten to half-death. In just a single night, these rumors had circted between all the nobles.


    Yukihiro The Hero, who had gained his title after ying a dragon, wielded enough strength to defeat Margrave Salzburg''srge army.


    He wielded the strongest weapon in the empire and, in recent years, served as the source of Duke Cyrus''s authority. And yet that very hero had lost. It would be one thing if he had lost after an intense battle, but he had been one-sidedly destroyed like it was a public execution. Moreover, a mere 12-year-old child had done him in; it was obvious what the lords had thought of this.


    "Where''s Mawlek?" Bale asked his butler.


    "He remains secluded in his room......"


    His cute grandson was tormented by that child until Sieg arrived, and even after returning home, only wore a dead fish''s eyes, trembling as he wrapped up in a nket in the corner of his room.


    "A mere lower-ss noble!!"


    It wouldn''t end here. The Cyrus family, who had alwayspeted for the top seat and had high social status, was publicly shamed by a mere child of an outsider---It was something never heard of before in the empire.


    Bale swore to annihte the lower-ss nobles that were the Mirds. Everyst one of them. Then, they would regain the power they had before.


    The problem was that child was strong enough to overwhelm that useless hero. Just that. Might made right in this empire, after all.


    "Master, a guest came earlier and wanted to hand you this," the butler said.


    "A guest?"


    The butler walked towards Bale and held up a red tray with a single scroll on top.


    Bale began to inspect it, but he couldn''t find a sender.


    There was the possibility that some local n leader with a grudge against him had sent this over.


    "Who brought this over?" Bale asked.


    "Arge gentlemen wearing white clothes from another country," his butler replied.


    White clothes from another country? Was it an invitation to a secret meeting between the ambassadors and nobles of The Amrzs Kingdom and The Holy Kingdom of Esters? No, the ambassadors already frequented the Cyrus estate---the butler would have recognized them in that case.


    Still, if they were suspicious, he would have just refused them at the gate.


    "Open the scroll," hemanded the butler.


    The butler respectfully bowed his head and began unraveling the scroll.


    It was just a normal piece of paper.


    "Nothing?"


    "Yes, Master."


    "Hand it over!"


    Bale snatched the scroll from his head butler and began reading.


    ......


    ............


    ..................Bale choked, so focused on reading that he forgot to swallow. A glint of delight tinted his voice as he cleared his through.


    "Good!"


    If the contents of the letter were true, the Cyrus family would attain even more authority and fortune.


    "I''m going to the Department of Justice. Send a carriage to the front," Balemanded.


    "Certainly, sir."


    The butler bowed once and exited the room.


    The Cyrus family attained great authority by turning even misfortune into wealth. And this time was no different. No, this time, an evenrger amount of wealth would roll into hisp. Then, those insects would be lured in by the honey---by his wealth---and he would attain even higher military might and authority.


    "I''ll make you pay for your crimes, and I''ll wring out everyst drop."


    Bale suppressed his urge to burst out in dance as he quickly descended the stairs, several steps at a time.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 41 - A Conversation While Confined

    The guards took me out of the cold stone prison to what I thought would be a private room, but there were two familiar faces waiting for me there.


    "Don''t make that face. I had toe with him in order for them to let me meet with you," Sieg said. "And by the way, I''m using soundproofing magic, so this conversation won''t leak outside."


    Wind magic, huh. As expected of The Sage; he easily incanted the spell without even chanting.


    "What do you want?" I brusquely responded. Sieg shrugged and nced at the golden-haired man.


    "Grey, there''s a pin here---a cksmith from yourpany made it. You should be able to escape with this," the man whispered intently as he ced a pin in my hands.


    How idiotic.


    From Sieg''sposed manner, he knew I wouldn''t ept the pin, and yet he still brought Dimer McGwire along. Well, he knows about my teleportation ability, so this is only natural I guess.


    "Grandpa, your feelings are more than enough. But don''t worry, I have no intention of dying."


    "Are you satisfied now? Didn''t I tell you? He''s more stubborn than you can even imagine; he wouldn''t just let himself get captured without any reason."


    "No, Grey''s a 12-year-old child. He shouldn''t be in a ce like this," Dimer protested.


    How obstinate. He won''t move an inch until he''s convinced I''m in no harm.


    And annoyingly, just by trying to prison break me, he''s not even worrying about his own life. Moreover, it''s a crime against Duke Cyrus''s son, and the crime might even spread to my entire family. I understand why Sieg brought him along now; I''m in a very dangerous spot.


    Sieg erased his smile. Looks like he''s going to start talking about the important stuff.


    "Grey, it looks like they''ve decided to move you over to Thermax tomorrow morning."


    "The timing''s almost too good," I noted.


    So they''re sending me to another location tomorrow morning. Why are they hurrying so much when the undead attack ising? It''s almost as if they want me as far away from Suthend as possible. Something''s bothering me.


    "You think so too?" Sieg asked.


    "Yes, no doubt about it."


    "Since the incident, there''ve been several rumors circting about Suthend," Sieg said. "First, that The Hero and Duke Cyrus''s son were done in by a young boy, and that they have no hope for recovery.


    The second is about the circumstances. And embarrassingly enough, it''s theplete opposite of reality."


    "More specifically?"


    "The Fools and their vice-leader, still resenting what happened in the past, took action against the Radoru couple and killed them. After theyid their hands on the couple, The Hero and Duke Cyrus''s son tried to help, but unfortunately had to kill the vice-leader of The Fools. Then, Grey Mird used his death as reason for revenge and used cowardly means to deal a critical wound onto The Hero. Something like that."


    What a brazen rumor just full of lies. In all probability, The Hero and Mawlek probably paid the nobles who were watching and their soldiers to spread this rumor.


    "You''ve suddenly be extremely famous in Suthend," Sieg said. "You''ll be in the spotlight every time you try to walk around."


    "That kind of courting is just a white elephant to me. It''s a bit disagreeable, too."


    I gave Yukihiro and Mawlek the greatest and final mercy of letting them live; a miracle, considering my personality. And yet, they''ve thrown dirt all over it and even disgraced Zem''s honor. Sorry, but there''s no future left for them now.


    "Don''t get so heated," Sieg said. "The Hero and Mawlek arepletely unrted to the rumors this time."


    "How can you say that?"


    "Just by saying your name, The Hero breaks out into a cold sweat and starts to vomit, and Mawlek has been wrapped up in a nket, trembling in his own room ever since. I find it hard that they would spread rumors in that condition."


    Sieg waved his hand back in forth in front of his face. It seems I''ve seeded in causing them sufficient trauma.


    Still, that''s still not enough to pay back Zem''s death. I''ll harass them in every which way for the rest of my life. My personality used to be extremely bad, after all.


    "So it''s his father running amok?"


    "On the surface, yes. But there''s a lot of things that bug me."


    "Like why Duke Cyrus is hastily sending me away?"


    "Yeah, exactly. The empire is currently facing its biggest crisis yet in the undead attack. Normally, we shouldn''t have the manpower to spare sending prisoners to another facility. In the first ce, wouldn''t it be fine just do to it after?"


    "In all likelihood, the mastermind is moving along with the undead attack, and it seems they don''t want me in Suthend."


    I can teleport whenever, so it''ll be fun tagging along Mastermind-dono''s ns.


    Their objectives definitely involve smashing my ns, so---.


    "I believe in you, grandpa, but I have a couple of requests," I said.


    "What?"


    My grandpa''s face transformed from a grandpa worrying about his grandson tomander worrying about his own country, as if he had just finally understood the gravity of the situation after my conversation with Sieg.


    "I want you to persuade myrades to continue the n. At this rate, they''ll cause a scene and might cause all thendmines and pitfalls we''ve already setup to be destroyed."


    To reform this empire, we need to have the Amrzs Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom of Esters, as well as the other surrounding countries, to keep quiet. And the n we have going should keep them in check just fine; it''ll be problematic if we don''t enact it.


    "I don''t mind, but what are you going to do, Grey?" Dimer asked.


    "I''m thinking of going along with whatever n the mastermind has for now."


    Dimer''s disapproval quickly rose up to his face.


    "This man definitely has something foul up his sleeve. Knowing his awful nature, I almost feel bad for the ones attacking."


    "Um---you know I''m still here."


    The delinquent Sage ignored my protests and continued.


    "First of all, we''ve no need to be anxious about someone who crushed The Hero like he was a mere slime."


    He really says what he wants. I mean, The Hero was just too weak.


    "I understand."


    My grandfather nodded, stood up, and stared at me with his blue eyes.


    "Once all the confusion dies down,e back to the McGwire family. Anna will be expecting you."


    Just based off context, Anna is probably my mom.


    "Okay," I agreed.


    My grandfather nodded in content before exiting the room.


    "What an impatient man," Sieg grumbled and shrugged. He began to exit the room as well but stopped at the door and look behind him.


    "I truly understand just how powerful you are, Grey. But let me say this: I have a bad feeling about this. Don''t die on me."


    "Yeah, I know. You too."


    Sieg''s lips curled into a smile.


    "Looks like I can''tugh at McBurn either."


    And with that cryptic sentence, Sieg exited the room.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 42 - The Worst of the Worst of Situations – Georg

    "Those idiots!" yelled the emperor of the Archive Empire, Georg Rose Archive. He knit his eyebrows and, with a raging fury, mmed down on the round table.


    A thunderous m resounded throughout the room, and arge crack split into the specially made ck marble table.


    "Please remain calm, your Majesty. What will we do if you lose focus here!" one aide said.


    "That''s right. If you ask around, it seems that Grey Mird wounded Hero Yukihiro and punched Duke Cyrus''s son. In addition, doesn''t the Cyrus side have moral ground here?" added the young secretary.


    Georg stared at his secretary in disbelief and gaped like a fish, but soon turned red in the face and shot up in a rage, grabbing the secretary by the cor.


    "You.......How long have you been my secretary!? Moral ground!? A person from Grey''s side died! And he was just trying to save a woman from being killed by that idiot son of Cyrus''s."


    "You say that but isn''t that just what Sieg had heard from Grey''s side!?" protested the secretary, who normally refrained from talking back. Soon, voices of agreement began to rise up.


    "He''s exactly right, your Majesty. All the eyewitnesses say it was due to The Fools taking revenge on the Radorus and turning things violent before Hero-dono stepping in to save them," one official said. "That''s all."


    "No matter how excellent he may be, he''s just a child," another chimed in. "He readily believed what The Fools said---he was na?ve."


    "In the first ce, it''s unthinkable for Hero Yukihiro to be ced at his wits end at the likes of a single spell. He definitely used a cowardly trap on Yukihiro."


    Georg didn''t even object to his statement and just sat down and cradled his head. The prime minister, a man in his 40s, heaved a sigh before throwing out, "Your Majesty, do you realize how urgent this is?"


    "Yeah, more than you would think. So, what''s the situation?"


    "Duke Cyrus demands the following two points. First, put Grey Mird on trial for this incident in Thermax, somewhere the Commerce Guild doesn''t hold very much influence. Second, hand over his various rights as reparation for his illegal acts upon Cyrus''s side. That is all."


    "That worthless maggot!" the emperor spit out in vitriol. "He''smitting a taboo without a care in the world!!"


    "Your Majesty."


    The prime minister once again tried to calm down the emperor, who had stood up and was shaking in rage.


    The emperor turned to a maid behind him and snatched a cup off her tray, chugging the cold water.


    "Sorry. Continue."


    "Naturally, the Commerce Guild fiercely objects to the second condition of transferring Grey''s rights. Several executives are proposing that we quickly withdraw from the guild, and we would have no choice but to do that if we were to ept Duke Cyrus''s second condition," the prime minister exined.


    Immediately, everyone began looking around in bewilderment.


    Grey''s rights would simply end up in Duke Cyrus''s hands; there wouldn''t be much of a difference. So why is the guild getting so angry?" the secretary asked.


    Emperor Georg knit his eyebrows for just a second, but soon returned to his poker face.


    "Prime minister, exin to this idiot."


    "There''s a huge problem," the prime minister began. "The Commerce Guild is the ultimate believer of might makes right; they''re an organization that endlessly chases after profit. They also prize their own rules as one of their assets. Moreover, Grey''s rights go hand in hand with the guild''s main leadership, so to them, simply handing over his rights is an unforgivable crime."


    There''s plenty of other reasons," the emperor added, "but in general, it''s as the prime minister said. And this timing of eliminating Grey from Suthend is also quite suspicious. Even you dull idiots should be able to see who''s behind all this, right?"


    The emperor''s aides immediately paled. So they''ve finally began to understand the gravity of this situation.


    "Is your Majesty trying to say that both the Amrzs Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom of Esters are involved?"


    "I don''t have any proof yet, but Grey''s n showed us a ray of light out of this unprecedented disaster. And while enacting out his n, this urred. If we look at who profits the most from our empire''s destruction, the truth bes almost apparent."


    The room erupted in a nervous chatter like the buzzing of a beehive.


    "Save your racket forter! Sorry, but I can''t go along with your unproductive conversations anymore," said the emperor. "So, do you think we can defend against Cyrus''s demands?"


    "As a result of Cyrus''s side persistently spreading their lies, all the officials in this room---as well as almost all the citizens of Suthend---are seeking for a fair trial in Thermax. It doesn''t seem like we can avoid that," exined the prime minister. "My reports state that Suthend''s Department of Justice have proimed they will send Grey over tomorrow morning."


    The emperor ced his palm over his forehead and groaned at the ceiling, but quickly straightened his jaw and turned towards the prime minister.


    "Then what about handing over the rights?"


    "The empire is a signatory of the Commerce Guild, so the Department of Justice will decide whether his rightsy outside of Suthend or not. Basically......"


    The prime minster stopped short and the emperor burst out inughter before saying, "In order for the guild to not kick us out, we either have to have Grey win the trial, or that greedy bastard named Duke Cyrus has to voluntarily withdraw hisint......"


    Because there''s a lot ofplications when dealing with the Commerce Guild''s rights in Suthend, they will provide the judge for the trial, and the empire''s Department of Justice will simply serve a more businesslike role.


    The Commerce Guild doesn''t ck when ites to gathering information, so as long as the trial is conducted here in Suthend, they''ll expose the truth to the world.


    On the other hand, Thermax is one of Duke Cyrus''s territories, so the trial and the final decision will all go as Duke Cyrus desires. It''s simply an execution ground disguised as a trial.


    "There''s still some time for Grey, albeit not much. Right now we should be discussing the soon-toe undead attack," the prime minister said.


    "Yeah, that''s right. However, they''ve had one of their own killed and even have had Grey captured. Do you really think they''ll cooperate?" asked the emperor.


    "I''ve received a report that Sieg managed to secure their cooperation since they said, ''Sagami Co. will cooperate this time alone.'' It seems Dimer McGwire, Grey''s grandfather, has somehow managed to persuade them."


    "As expected of Grey''s subordinates and his grandfather. What happened is regrettable, but I''m thankful towards them."


    The emperor closed his eyes and folded his arms, but soon after stood up and raised his hand and dered, "Then right now, we''ll do everything to fire back at the undead. Under my name, I''ll use Sagami Co.''s achievement of winning the war to expose the truth to all the citizens of Suthend and return Grey to thisnd where we will conduct the trial. There''s no other option."


    Relief spread throughout everyone as if they had seen a ray of hope out of the empire''s destruction, but the prime minister shook his head with a bitter smile before saying, "The army has withdrawn from Grey Mird''s n, and I advocate that they stick to the original n and start filling in the holes."


    For a while, Georg stared into the distance as if his soul were stolen, but maybe because he finally understood what was happening, gave an ear-piercing roar.


    "Hear me, parasites that leech off the empire and maggots who only know how to bring others down!! If you want the empire to fall then just get exterminated by yourself! Don''t bother us humans!!"


    "Your Excellency the prime minister, did the Mirds fill in the holes?" the young secretary hesitantly asked with a pale, ghost-like face.


    "Naturally, they''ve made some snarkyments that preparations to begin immediately have been made."


    "Obviously! If it were me, I''d ughter all the undead in a rage!!"


    "So, what should we do?"


    "Kukku, what should we do? That''s obvious. In any case, this empire will end with my generation. Court nobles? The Cyrus family? Bring it on I say!!" the emperor yelled with bloodshot eyes as he scratched at and teared at his golden hair.


    "Y-your majesty, please remain calm!"


    "Shut it, you! Tell the lords every word that I''m about to say! The emperor, Georg Rose Archive, will use Grey Mird''s n! And any who object to this will be branded as rebels and be the enemy of our empire! I''ll ce them in the front lines and work them until they die!!"


    "Your Majesty, that''s a bit......"


    "Just tell them!! I won''t allow any objections!! You understand!!?"


    "Sure......"


    The struggles of middle management. There''s no other words that could more aptly describe their faces.


    "I can''t hear you!!"


    "Yessir!!" they shouted and exited the room while holding back tears.


    "Your Majesty, everyone is on edge. Don''t work them too hard."


    "Yeah, I know. I know, okay. I''ll apologize to everyone once everything ends."


    The prime minister bowed once to the emperor, who hadid his head on the table in aplete turnaround from the authority he disyed before, and exited the room.


    And now, while twisted, we''ve reached the climax of the undead extermination.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 43 - Convoy and Interrogation

    They decided to escort me over to Thermax tomorrow morning.


    For now, I was being dragged from the Department of Justice to a carriage by the west gate. Cyrus''s side dragging me around like this is probably some ploy to ingrain the idea that I''m a criminal into the general public, and the fact that I''m merely bound at the wrists must be appealing to the public that I''ll get a fair trial. Seriously, he gets real smart when ites to these shrewd things.


    "You coward!!" a spectator jeered from the sidewalk before many more followed suit.


    "Apologize to the Hero!!"


    "Don''t you know any shame!? We''re about to get attacked by the undead!!"


    "Get The Fools and theirrades out of Suthend!!"


    Well, this doesn''t affect me at all, thanks to my stepmother and my sister.


    "You demon!!" amoner boy yelled as he threw a rock at me.


    I casually dodged, and the rock flew past me, hitting one of the escort soldiers in the head.


    Even if the rock did hit me, it''d do even less damage than a mosquito, but I had no intention in ying along as a stress reliever for these sheeple.


    "Why did you dodge!? Now that soldier got hit!" the boy spat out before heunched into further abuse. He''s probably a shill hired by Duke Cyrus---he really doesn''t hold back.


    We walked down the main street that ran east to west through the center of Suthend before stopping in the middle of the street in front of Rainer and dozens of others behind him, all ring with uncharacteristic abhorrence. Their gaudy clothes sported an insignia of a scale with a gold coin on top, which was probably proof that they were the top brass of the Commerce Guild.


    "This foolish country has lost all meaning now. Please wait just a bit longer; we''ll definitely wee you," Rainer said.


    The people behind Rainer instantly straightened their posture, ced a hand over their chest, and bowed deeply.


    The incessant jeers quickly died down soon after as the spectators stared in a daze with their mouths half-open.


    Well, no wonder: you could say that Suthend was the one ce where court nobles'' influence didn''t extend to. Instead, the ones who truly controlled Suthend was the Commerce Guild and the wealthy merchants of the world. So for those who lived in Suthend, the top brass of the Commerce guild were even higher than the clouds.


    "I give my thanks, but that''s unnecessary. I''lle back to thisnd on my own."


    I raised the corners of my mouth into a sly smile, and I walked past them without sparing a second nce.


    Three dayster, we finally arrived in Thermax, one of Duke Cyrus''snds. I thought I would be sent to be tortured the moment I arrived, but unexpectedly, I was brought into a room to begin my hearing.


    "Who killed the Radol?[1] The officer in the room asked me the same-old question yet again.


    She was wearing a robe with a symbol of a snowke and had her red hair done into a ponytail.


    "Duke Cyrus''s son, Mawlek Cyrus," I replied.


    "And yet that differs from our witnesses'' testimonies?"


    "So it does."


    "Then how did you incapacitate Yukihiro the Hero?"


    "With my magic?"


    "ording to the church, you had no magic prowess when you were five. How do you exin this?"


    "I do not refute it."


    The secretary in the corner of the room had long stopped writing anything, probably because I was being asked the same questions over and over.


    The ponytailed woman heaved a sigh and tossed a bundle from Suthend onto the table.


    "Everything within these documents prove that you were the criminal," she said.


    "Do you think the same?"


    "No, I know that good-for-nothing more than you do; I''m getting tired of seeing this same urrence over and over again. Mawlek Cyrus wouldn''t help the weak even if the world were ending."


    Hmm. This woman''s quite amusing. She''s piqued my interest.


    "You sure you can say that?" I asked.


    She would surely be executed for nder if Duke Cyrus found out.


    "No need to worry. Even though Duke Cyrus directly controls thesends, we''re quite the remote region. He doesn''t put any effort into here. Additionally, he levies high taxes so I thought he would at leaste asionally, but he just lets us do as we please. There''s no way we''d hold any good-will towards him."


    "......"


    I noticed a glint of insanity in the secretary and the two guards by the door. I think I understand the gist of the situation.


    "What''s more, thisnd will soon even---"


    "Officer Luca!" the secretary interrupted.


    "So, will you say I''m innocent then?"


    "Now you''re asking for the impossible. I''m an officer of the court, so even if he''s a hateful fiend, and you''re obviously innocent, the evidence points elsewhere, and I have no choice but to follow as long as we can''t deny it.


    "You''re truly outstanding, you know."


    "Please stop with the sarcasm. We officers already consider this a loss."


    But it''s not sarcasm. I''m actually really surprised that I would meet someone so excellent in this world, especially in some extraterritorial region of Duke Cyrus''s.


    "What''s your name," I asked.


    "Luca the Leaf."


    "I''ll remember that."


    I began to stand up from my chair, but the guard by the door pointed his sword at me in a fluster.


    "I''m doing the hearing," Luca said. "Fall back."


    The guard saluted and retreated back to the door.


    "I don''t n to waver my opinions," I said. "Any more than this is just a waste of time."


    "I understand. Bring him to his cell."


    About half a day after I was confined to the underground prison, Luca appeared before my cell.


    Her ghastly expression spoke volumes about what she was about to say.


    "We''ve run into a bit of trouble."


    "Have they decided to dispatch the torturer?"


    "It''s just a rumor for now, but......" Luca affirmed my suspicions with a bitter face.


    As I thought. I consistently refused handing over my fortunes and my rights. In the first ce, transferring rights through reparations was unheard of, and the Commerce Guild was rted too. They would surely want to avoid any needless conflict, so there should be no surprises there.


    Still, rumors have been spreading with uncanny speed, Officer Luca has guaranteed fair judgement, and right after, a torturer woulde to make me hand over my rights.


    Even for a coincidence, the timing is just too perfect. As I suspected, there''s almost no doubt that the mastermind behind the undead attack and Duke Cyrus are connected.


    Which begs the question, ''why the hurry?'' I''m not in Suthend anymore---they should have achieved their goal already. They should have been plenty of time to try more temperate methods before bringing in the torturer.


    I should ask Luca.


    "Have you heard anything strange in Thermaxtely?"


    "Not......really."


    "Anything is fine. Even the slightest difference in your daily life."


    Luca ced a finger on her lip and pondered for a while before looking back up in realization.


    "Maybe Duke Cyrus is moving to his vi or something, but there''s a carriage packed with luggage in front," she said.


    Moving to his vi, huh. I feel like it''s connected somehow.


    "Officer Luca, could you look into when Duke Cyrus''s carriage is set to leave? Also, any rtives of his might soon leave for a business trip!"


    If my suspicions are correct, Duke Cyrus might dirty his hands with the most taboo thing a ruler can possibly do.


    "Is something going to happen?"


    "I don''t have any proof yet, but if I''m right, Duke Cyrus might sacrifice everyone in this city. Does that ring any bells?"


    "......"


    Unease crept onto her face. Looks like there''s no need for her to say anything.


    "So there''s something."


    Luca nodded and slowly opened her mouth.


    "The mayor and deputy mayor have both been prosecuted under false charges......"


    The citizens of Thermax have been putting up with the Cyruses'' oppressive rule, but the deputy mayor''s sudden arrest sparked conflict, and the citizens erupted in rage, now to the point of an insurrection.


    Despite their insurrection being suppressed, the citizens'' distrust and anger towards the Cyruses is now beyond imagination. There''s no avoiding their separation from the Cyruses, who seem to be making moves behind closed doors.


    And now, they''ve earned the cooperation of Margrave McBurn and Count Hartwig, who stand against the Cyruses.


    They n to use Thermax''s mayor and attorney general''s false prosecution as an opportunity to gain independence.


    Still, to think that Margrave McBurn and Count Hartwig''s names would pop out now......can I really just consider this a coincidence?


    "We''ve go no choice but to elerate our ns......" Luca said dejectedly.


    "No, I''ve got no proof yet. The investigation I asked of you before takes priority. Let me know once you find anything out."


    "What do you n to do? The torturer is soon toe."


    "Torturer? Yes, I eagerly await him."


    She looked at me in amazement, clearly taken aback.


    "You swing that way?"


    How rude.


    [1] Changed Radoru to Radol

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 44 - Coming for Torture

    Like Luca had reported, it wasn''t long before a tiny, old man wearing a ck robes that covered his entire body appeared and guided me to a certain room.


    The underground room was about the size of a closet with a lone chair sitting in the center. On the wall hung various weapons intended to hurt people, including pliers, swords, axes, and branding irons.


    "How about it, kid. Whaddya say we rip the nails out of your hands and feet? Oopsie, don''t start begging and screaming halfway. Don''t you know the sounds of your screams of pain and terror will echo in my heart---"


    "Enough with the formalities. Hurry up and start," I said, interrupting the torturer who was rambling in ecstasy after tying my arms and legs to the chair.


    "What an impertinent child. But that courage will soon morph into despair."


    An eerie smile crept onto his face as he neared me with something that looked like cutting pliers.


    "Gunununuu!" he groaned and tried so hard to rip my nails off that he turned red in the face. He tried changing the angle and a different set of pliers, but he couldn''t even inflict a single wound. On the other hand, one of the pliers had bent, and the other one was now useless.


    I yawned. "I''ve gotten a bit tired. Well, let me know once you get them off."


    I don''t think my curiosity will be satisfied any further by watching this. I yawned again and closed my eyes.


    The next thing I knew, the torturer let out a thunderous roar as his head was mmed into the wall, now just twitching like a squashed frog.


    "Ah, my bad," I said.


    I probably sent him flying when I lifted a finger while half-awake. It''s been a while since I identally destroyed something while half-awake. I should be more careful.


    I silently casted ¡¾High Heal¡¿and healed his wounds in an instant.


    "I-I......"


    Having regained consciousness, the torturer looked back and forth at his surroundings before locking eyes with me.


    "Good morning."


    The torturer might have finally understood the situation, because blood began draining from his face until he was deathly pale.


    "Come on, what''s next," I said.


    He then tried to cut off all of my fingers, but in the end couldn''t even make a scratch.


    But there was a problem here. It felt like a furry animal was brushing its fur against my fingers, so naturally I got ticklish.


    I let out a strangeughter and subconsciously put force into my finger which forced the knife out of his hand. The knife shot past his face and stuck itself in the wall, gouging out part of his ear in the process.


    He let out a shriek and began writhing on the floor in pain.


    "Sorry, sorry. It''s just that it was so ticklish."


    I once again casted ¡¾High Heal¡¿onto his wounds.


    "W-who......" he stuttered.


    "You''re the torturer. I''m the torture victim. Nothing more, and nothing less. Now, let''s begin."


    "I-I just remembered something I had to do---"


    I began casting the high rank wind magic, ¡¾Whirlwind¡¿, to stop him from changing his mind, and deep scratches left their mark on the stone wall in an instant.


    "I don''t permit you to end the experiment prematurely. Are we clear?"


    "Ua......" he cried as tears began forming in the corner of his eyes.


    "Now, let''s go on to the next one!"


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    "Wow, so the next one is severing my limbs with an axe. That sounds like it would be pretty effective."


    The torturer shakily held his axe over his head, tears and snot streaming down his face.


    He lowered the axe, but it simply bounced off my shoulder and spun in the air, lopping off the torturer''s right arm before lodging itself into the stone floor. Blood sprayed everywhere, and the torturer shrieked and began writhing on the floor.


    I casted ¡¾High Heal¡¿and healed his wounds.


    "Come on. Next one," I excitedly urged him.


    "Hiii!" he shrieked.


    The torturer finally cowered and began trembling all over white pleading for me to stop.


    I''ve gotten a bit tired of looking at this torturer. Maybe it''s a good time now.


    "Okay. I permit you to switch.


    And with a queer voice, the torturer fled the room.


    "Hey, don''t just leave me tied up here......" I mumbled.


    "So, how''d it feel? Let me know, would you?"


    "D-d-demon! Demonnn!!" screamed the seventh torturer as he sprinted out of the room.


    What the heck. I was just asking questions like ''how does it feel to torture someone'', ''doesn''t it weigh on your mind'', and ''do you tell your family.'' Seriously, youngsters these days are so sensitive.


    Fifteen minutes after the final torturer fled the room, I sensed several presences nearing me through Analyze Environment.


    Woah, they sent the next one in pretty quickly. How thoughtful.


    After a moment, they mmed the door open and flooded into the room.


    "Thanks foring, torturer-dono. Now, let''s hurry up and start. Hm?"


    I realized the person in front was a girl with red hair done into a ponytail.


    "What the heck, it''s just Luca-kun......" I said dejectedly.


    So it''s over now. That wasn''t very interesting.


    "Grey Mird. You......" she trailed off in shock. She shook her head back and forth, sheathed her sword, and turned to look at me with a grave face. "Please follow me."


    She set off.


    We exited the grounds of the Department of Justice and entered a luxurious, 5-story building.


    Inside were familiar faces, although one was quite unexpected.


    "Your Excellency, the prime minister? Why are you here?" I asked.


    "Margrave McBurn managed to calm down all the Commerce Guild members and we earned their full cooperation you see. In the end, they, as well as the expeditionary force and various nobles, all pooled together their information and found a crack in the witnesses'' testimonies."


    "What did Duke Cyrus say about this?"


    "That this was all nonsense, so his Majesty ordered for you to return to Suthend as soon as possible."


    "I see. That was fast."


    I expect the undead to arrive at Suthend''s northern gates tomorrow morning. Although, the mastermind might be thinking that everything''s going along smoothly, as they don''t know I have a teleportation ability.


    "Grey, I''m sorry. I apologize as a representative for the nobles," the prime minster said, bowing.


    The number 2 in the empire was apologizing a kid who wasn''t even a noble. Everyone just stared in confusion at this strange scene.


    "No, don''t worry about it. The time was quite worthwhile."


    "Worthwhile? I really want to know what gets you going."


    I guess I shouldn''t say that I even used myself as a subject for torture experiments now.


    "Yes, well, let''s just say it''s the history that humanity has built up," I said.


    Luca just shook her head.


    "Grey Mird-dono, I''ve heard about the circumstances from his Excellency, prime minister Elle. Please forgive our lord," said a giant man with a mohawk who looked like he came out of a 1990''s manga as he bowed towards me.


    "Don''t worry about it. And you are?"


    "I am the deputy mayor of Thermax, Zirken Midrun. Nice to meet you."


    "I''m Grey Mird. Nice to meet you too."


    I extended my hand out and shook hands with him before looking back at Luca---I had asked her to investigate something. Depending on her results, I might have Duke Cyrus exit the stage that is this world.


    "It was as you expected," Luca began. "The current mayor of Thermax and the attorney general have just departed for the capital for a business trip. They''re both rtives of Duke Cyrus. Same with the carriage in front of the Cyrus estate. From grilling the driver, I found out that several torturers were on board, leaving tonight."


    I see. That means---.


    "A ton of undead are drawing near?" I confirmed.


    "Yes."


    Luca lightly nodded. I quickly noticed an intense wave of unease wash over everyone in the room. Maybe I shouldn''t have asked.


    In any case, as I expected, Duke Cyrus hasmitted the greatest taboo a ruler could possiblymit. His exit is all but confirmed now.


    "How many undead are there?" I asked.


    "The scouts have counted about 30,000. They''ll probably arrive here by tomorrow morning," the prime minster quickly answered.


    "There''s merely 3000 soldiers in Thermax; there''s no way we can win against an enemy ten times our size," one said.


    "It''s over for this town. We need to start evacuating the citizens," another added.


    "But where? We might just be ying into Duke Cyrus''s hands, and he''ll pull the rug from under uster on. And where would we find a town that''ll ept all our citizens?"


    "Then what should we do!? Just let our citizens be undead fodder!?"


    "Nobody said that. Just that we need to be more realistic!"


    Amongst the heated argument, his Excellency, the prime minister, just fixated on me.


    "Would you be able to get out of this predicament?" he asked.


    "Regardless of whether I could or couldn''t, there''s no other choice."


    There''s just ten hours left until tomorrow morning. There''s just not enough time to set up pitfalls. I guess I have to deal with all the undead on my own.


    However, for insurance''s sake, I''ll leave the minimum number of people here and have everyone else evacuate. Most importantly, I want as few people as possible to witness my magic.


    "The problem is where to evacuate the citizens though......"


    It''s only here that my homnd''s insignificance really nags at me.


    "No need to worry. I received a secret letter from his Majesty for this very moment. In the worst case, I''ll be there too, so the lords can''tin about a temporary evacuation. Where''s the closest ce we can evacuate to?" asked the prime minister.


    "Amgazem," someone answered.


    As expected of his Excellency, prime minister Elle. Once the potentiality of an evacuation became a reality, he immediatelyunched into a n.


    Still, I said I would exterminate all 30,000 undead by myself, by why didn''t anyone raise any objections? That''s a bit strange.


    ---And so, a 12-year-old boy named Grey Mird and 30,000 undead faced off against each other.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 45 - Grand Magic

    The current mayor of Thermax and the attorney general had already departed, so we gave up on trying to capture them.


    However, Luca and Thermax soldiers would soon siege Duke Cyrus''s carriage, which contained his assets.


    The torturers kept their lips sealed at first, but quickly became desperate to avoid meeting me and spilled out their secrets.


    Seriously though, you couldn''t even tell who the torturer was anymore, and Luca and the others were now sending me hurtful looks. Give me a break.


    In any case, we managed to get the torturers to exin that Duke Cyrus had ordered them to torture me and to have me hand over my rights unconditionally.


    The evacuation towards Amgazem was proceeding without a hitch, and we left only 1000 people in Thermax. Then, the next morning rolled around.


    Like Suthend, Thermax was surrounded by castle walls and a moat, and 1000 soldiersy waiting above the walls. Personally, I had wanted to evacuate everyone in order to prevent my magic from being seen.


    The morning sun peaked above the mountain range and bathed thend in its faint light as countless undead appeared, nketing thend.


    "T-they''re all undead?" said a trembling soldier.


    They were quite impressive, what with the clouds of dust they were kicking up and the constant tremor of their stomps.


    "Let me warn you: I won''t say I''ll definitely win, so I don''t mind if you evacuate now," I said.


    "No, please let us stay here!!" the soldiers replied, refusing my convenient (to me) proposal.


    "I''ve been telling everyone here that you''ve somehow beaten the Hero," said an annoying old man. "Also about how your magic is even more powerful than Sieg the Sage."


    I red at him.


    "Your Excellency, the prime minister, wouldn''t it be better for you to evacuate this dangerous location?"


    "I''ll evacuate once I see the battle with my own eyes," he said. "But don''t forget that Viscount Amgazem is part of the expeditionary force, so he shouldn''t oppose us since we have a secret letter from the emperor. Whether I''m there or not is a trivial matter."


    The current emperor, currently standing head-to-head against the court nobles, enjoyed extreme poprity among the expeditionary force members. That being said.......


    "That''s not the problem here," I objected. "Well, that might be the problem, but in any case, it''s dangerous here so---"


    "So you won''t tell even me? But knowing your personality, you''d pull your ace out of your sleeve without a moment''s hesitation if it truly turned dangerous," cackled the prime minister.


    Sieg or someone had probably spilled a bit about my teleportation power, even though I exined to that geezer over and over to keep it a secret.


    "Grey-dono, I eagerly await to see your rumored miraculous powers!" said the deputy mayor, Zirken Midrun, whose eyes glittered with curiosity.


    Hey, you geezer. What the hell did you tell these guys?


    "The enemy has begun moving!" Luca suddenly shouted, and everyone tensed up and stared at the undead army.


    They marched up to the castle gate and stopped several meters in front. Then, the army split in half and a man wearing blue armor stepped out.


    "L-Lamperts!!?"


    The prime minister stared in shock for a moment, but his face soon warped into a devil-like face.


    "So that''s General Lamperts......" Luca said in a husky voice.


    Lamperts Brauser---while part of the empire''s army, he ran counter to the orders of his superior, a court noble, and continued to stay an ally for themoners. He was a true hero, not even worthparing to that false one.


    "Grey, that''s Lamperts, the man who gave up his life for our people. I beg of you, free him from that spell," the prime minister pleaded. From the painful look on his face, Lamperts might have been the only authority in the army, in which the court nobles ran rampant about.


    "I n to," I curtly replied.


    Using¡¶Wind Maniption¡·, I descended in front of the castle gate, when Lamperts broke off from the undead army and began walking towards me. Then, the undead stopped uncannily.


    I, too, began walking towards Lamperts.


    Now, we were a mere dozen of meters apart, and I could clearly make out his figure.


    He wore a blue armor that covered all four limbs and his torso, and he wielded a rusty longsword in his right hand. He looked majestic and you could clearly tell he had survived many fierce battles.


    And if not for his pallid face devoid of any consciousness, you wouldn''t have guessed he was actually dead.


    "The general of the army, Lamperts Brauser, right?"


    "......"


    As I had expected, his dark pupils just stared at me, neither confirming nor denying my question.


    By why, then, was Lamperts here alone? Why did the armored undead stop their advance? Yes, the armored undead merely looked on from afar without even budging. It was like they were an actual army that followed themands of their superior, Lamperts.


    "You''re trying to do something unnecessary," I chided myself.


    The undead were deceased. No, even if they were alive, they were my enemies, so I would just exterminate them normally.


    And yet---.


    "I request that we fight one-on-one, Grey Mird," Lamperts shouted hisughably selfish request.


    Normally, I valued the destination over the journey, especially against mindless undead. They were nothing more than test subjects, and I hated this farce that strayed so far away from my methods.


    For some reason, however, I felt the need to defeat this manpletely and utterly.


    Lamperts began by raising his longsword and roaring at the sky like a beast. He then turned back to face me and dashed forward. I adjusted my bnce and prepared for battle.


    Like turbulent waves in the ocean, Lamperts endlessly attacked. I was amazed at how refined each and every strike was. If our physical prowesses were equal, I might have struggled quite a bit.


    I dodged the longsword encased in a raging wind that was swung at my neck and closed the distance, striking Lamperts''s abdomen with my left palm.


    He immediately crumpled and lowered his face, which I then struck with my right palm.


    The dull feeling of bones breaking reverberated into my palm as Lamperts flew into the ground, creating several fissures.


    Without a moment''s dy, I brought my right foot down onto his torso.


    My stomp formed a crater, but I heeded that fact no mind and continued to stomp down.


    "It''s my victory," I dered, but he continued to look up at me with his lifeless eyes as he cracked a smile.


    "Thank......you. I leave my subordinates......to you," muttered Lamperts, the light now leaving his eyes.


    "---"


    I began to open my mouth, when Lamperts''s body began eroding away.


    Suddenly, therge army of undead knights charged forwards towards the castle walls. A light shone out of Lamperts''s eroding body right before itpletely disappeared, as if reminding me of his final request.


    "I ept your request," I sighed and teleported onto the castle walls.


    "Wha?" one soldier muttered in disbelief.


    "Wasn''t he just over there!?" another added.


    In contrast to the flustered Thermax soldiers, the prime minister bowed deeply before me and said, "Grey Mird, I thank you for putting my friend to sleep."


    "It''s still a bit early for that."


    I faced my palm towards the undead knights that were still rushing forwards and creating tremors in the process.


    This was Lamperts''s request, as well as a promise, and I fulfilled any promises that I made.


    I''ll send them to hell as a parting gift and use my strongest spell as a sign of courtesy.


    But in order to do so, I''d have to use my previously unused tactical legend-rank magic. The tactical legend-rank magic would turn anynd barren, no matter how much I held back, something I was sure of after using one in the¡ºAncient Forest¡».


    Moreover, this spell was the strongest of the four legend-rank I knew. ording to its description in the grimoire, it could be ssified as a God-rank magic on its might alone, but it had the demerit of being remarkably difficult to control. I failed to grasp the right timing of when to use it, but here was an open in without a single soul in sight. Truly a fitting tribute to the undead knights.


    I closed one eye and began chanting.


    "¡¾Crimson Meteors¡¿" I called out after the long chant, when a beam of light shone through far away clouds. The beam instantly evaporated both the undead who still continued their charge and even the ground.


    Then, more beams poured out like the start of a rain shower and began bathing the ground in its crimson colors.


    The beams of light, several meters in radius, evaporated the undead knights while continuing to multiply even further.


    "Amazing! Is that crimson light frying those undead in an instant!?" Luca eximed, excitedly pointing her finger at the evaporating undead.


    "Yes, it''s wonderful. Grey-dono, what kind of magic is that?" the deputy mayor of Thermax, Zirken Midrun, asked in excitement. However, I didn''t have the time to answer him.


    I had a bad feeling. I mean, who wouldn''t? My magic wasn''t light magic---it should have rained down meteors.


    "¡¾Aegis¡¿!!"


    With all my might, Iyered dozens of my most powerful protection magic, the super-rank spell, ¡¾Aegis¡¿.


    Countless blue membranespletely covered Thermax''s walls in a dome. As long as the meteors didn''t directly strike the shield, it would probably hold. So probably......


    "O-oi, what''s that......?" One soldier pointed at the sky and stared with his mouth agape, and as if his sweat nds had gone haywire, sweat poured down his face like a waterfall.


    No wonder. A giant meteor covered in a red ball of me peeked out of the clouds where he was pointing.


    "Ua......." The soldier finally realized the crimson beans were just the appetizer. One after another, the soldiers lost strength in their legs and copsed onto the cold stone floor on top of the castle walls.


    An iprehensible number of ming meteorites appeared out of the clouds, already having covered the entire sky.


    Then, the innumerable meteorites scorched the ground with a zing heat.


    "That......Is that---!" the prime minister despaired, and soon the meteors began falling.


    The meteors crashed into the ground, dyeing everything white.


    They created concentric shockwavesplete with a zing hot heat wave whichbined, instantly evaporated the undead and blew their remains away.


    After just a single meteor, over half the undead had disappeared, and severalyers of ¡¾Aegis¡¿had shattered. A cold chill ran down my spine.


    "This isn''t funny!!" I shouted and began using everything I had left to desperately continue stacking onyers of ¡¾Aegis¡¿. Then, hell finally arose, and the rest of the meteors all came crashing down at once.


    "Uoooooooo!!!"


    I continued to pileyer on top ofyer of ¡¾Aegis¡¿with my life on the line.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    It was merely a couple of minutes. With only twoyers of ¡¾Aegis¡¿left, the aftershocks finally subsided, and I wiped the sweat off my face.


    "Thank god......"


    Seriously. I almost shot myself in the foot there. If I had used that for the battle in front of Suthend, the aftershocks would have sent everyone happily marching over to the doors of hell.


    A giant crater wasid out before me, its end nowhere in sight. Those monstrous meteors annihted not just the undead, but the entire ground.


    Clean up''s looking like it''ll be quite the effort; it''ll probably take several months to reverse the damage. Well, I''m the one who messed it up. I''ll take responsibility until it''s all cleaned up.


    I scanned my surroundings, but almost everyone had passed out at just the sight of the scenery, and the ones who had retained their consciousness were just a moment before losing it.


    "Grey, are you really human?" the prime minister asked in a hackneyed manner.


    "There''s no way I could be anything else," I shrugged.


    "No, there''s no way a human could wield this power---this absolutely absurd power. Which means you must be a spirit or a mythical beast? No! No! Definitely not! No matter how high rank a spirit or mythical beast, there''s no way they could produce this power!! Which means---"


    The prime minister forged on ahead with his mumblings,pletely ignoring my reply.


    Officer Luca, on the other hand, remained captivated by this insane scenery and plopped onto the ground. Even deputy mayor Zirken was kneeling on the floor with bubbles frothing from his mouth.


    In any case, not even a single trace of the undead was left. The streets of Thermax were safe. I guess I can say the battle was a sess for now.


    "Thermax should be fine now. Please start with the cleanup, prime minister," I said.


    "As you say."


    I tilted my head at his weirdly nuanced statement before teleporting in front of Suthend''s north gate.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 46 - Sagami Co.’s Decision

    After Zem''s funeral, Grey was arrested under the charge of wounding both Yukihiro the Hero and Duke Cyrus''s next head, Mawlek Cyrus.


    And so, unbelievable kinds of rumors towards Grey and the Scarlet Phoenix spread throughout Suthend.


    But Aquido and the others had only expected as much. Still, there''s no denying that they had been a part of the problem. Every member agreed they couldn''t afford to cause any more trouble, so they borrowed the meeting room from Sagami Co.''s vice president, Judo, to ask to cancel their contract.


    "There''s no need," said Judo, readily refuting their request.


    "Seriously. Just try cancelling the contract and Grey will start throwing out abuse at you after......"


    "That''s right. His silent smile is seriously scary," Leroy said.


    The rest of the technology department members nodded in agreement of their head''s statement.


    "That''s no good. Cancelling our contract with the Scarlet Phoenix would be admitting to the world that those shameless rumors were in fact true," Sate squeezed out with bloodshot eyes, quite unlike her usual refrained manner.


    Immediately, Leroy erased his smile and an intense hatred filled the all the employees'' eyes.


    "We can''t avoid hostilities with the empire''s government anymore. What do you all think?"


    The Archive Empire was a distinguished major nation of the world and confronting it would normally require the height of madness. And yet, nobody raised a single objection to Judo''s question.


    "I understand. I''ll announce ourpany''s opinion under my name. Then, we have the soon-toe undead attack but......"


    "But why do we have to protect these citizens who speak badly of Grey-sama and Zem? I say let them get run over!" roared Ca, baring her fangs.


    "Let ''em get run over!" the Eight-Headed Dragon chimed in.


    "They''ve even gone as far as demanding our president''s assets as reparation. There''s no way we can approve of their absurdities," one employee said.


    "That''s right!" Sate agreed, "This shameless city should just disappear!"


    Not a single person raised any objections.


    "Calm down a little. Did the citizens of Suthend cause this incident?" Judo said.


    "Since they believed the lies and attacked us, I say they''re guilty. Most of all, they dare say that Grey''s a coward!" Sate quaked, clearly disying her feelings to the Sagami Co employees.


    "Still, Boss believes in protecting Suthend. Are we really going to abandon his will before trying anything else? Abandoning this city would be turning our hard work to naught. Boss absolutely despises wasting things because you let something get to your head, so we should try to avoid that."


    "Then are you saying we should help those pieces of trash who demand Grey''s punishment, onii-chan? Nobody wants that!" Ca butted in.


    "Even still," Judo responded.


    "Why!?"


    "Because we should prioritize profit over emotions right now."


    "Profit? I don''t give a damn about profit! One of ourrades has been killed and our master insulted! Aren''t you frustrated, onii-chan!?"


    "Frustrated......?"


    Judo''s poker face warped into a demon-like one, sending chills down her spine. Overpowered by his pressure, Ca timidly let out, "Onii-chan?


    "Of course I''m frustrated! Arade who''s eaten with us out of the same pot has been killed, and everyone''s looking down on our boss! I''d ground up that shitty hero and those stupid court nobles into a fine dust right now if I could!"


    "Then---"


    "But you know, Boss said we''re merchants before we''re citizens! We''re scientists before we''re humans! If we let ourselves get swayed by our emotions, we''ll act just as those shitty nobles expect us to and Sagami Co. will be dismantled. Boss left thepany to me in his absence, so I can''t let that happen!!"


    "Calm down, Judo," Leroy cut in.


    Judo shook his head several times and once again killing his emotions, saying, "In order to reform our image in Suthend, we need to sessfully pull off our n without a hitch."


    "I can agree to that, but how do you n on persuading the other members?" Leroy asked. "They''re all thinking like Sate and Ca you know? They probably won''t listen regardless of what we say."


    "I''ll persuade them. And that boss of ours would never just let himself get arrested without a reason. There''s definitely one."


    "That''s true. In the first ce, just the fact that Grey wants to be thrown in prison isughably insane."


    "You said it."


    Leroy began bellowing inughter, and one by one, everyone nodded in agreement.


    Just stood up from his chair and announced, "I''m sure everyone has their misgivings, but you''ll have to follow me for now. Aquido, go ahead and wait in the Mird tent."


    And with that lone statement, Judo disappeared.


    "Sorry for the wait."


    After waiting for about 30 minutes, Judo appeared wearing a never-before-seen well-tailored outfit from another country.


    "Change into this," he said, taking out clothes from his bag and cing it on the table.


    Aquido quickly changed into the foreign outfit, which consisted of ck, leather shoes, a dashing ck top and bottom, and a white undergarment with strangely shaped cor and sleeves.


    He had trouble fitting his necktie, but somehow managed to tie it with Judo''s guidance.


    "Let''s go," Judo said.


    "Where to?"


    "To the Commerce Guild of course."


    Judo quickly exited the tent, and Aquido followed in bewilderment soon after.


    At the expeditionary force encampment, a few soldiersthered on abuse towards them, but the majority just observed them from afar.


    "I thought there''d be more......" Aquido thought.


    Inside were several familiar mercenaries, as well as those who would try to pick a fight the moment their eyes met. And yet everyst one just pursed their lips and stared from afar.


    Once they entered the town, all the gazes disappeared. Ironically, only the names of Sagami Co.''s proprietor, Grey, and The Fools, known as the Scarlet Phoenix, were known; very few, if any, actually knew Judo and Aquido in person. Now, especially, since they were wearing clothes from a foreign country, and everyone saw them merely as foreigners.


    Still, that was just what the non-merchants saw.


    Once Judo and Aquido stepped foot into the Central Commerce Guild Assembly Hall, everyone immediately focused on the two of them.


    Judo paid their stares no heed and stepped forward towards the first-floor receptionist and said, "I''m the vice-president of Sagami Co., Judo. We''vee today to announce ourpany''s decision."


    Judo bowed once and took out a scroll from his pocket, cing it onto the counter.


    Amotion stirred about the assembly hall as the merchants burst into gossip.


    "Let me take a look," the female receptionist said. As she stiffly inspected the contents of the scroll, her body tensed up and began trembling.


    "Please wait a moment!!" a guild staff member yelped before disappearing into the back.


    "Our business here is pretty much done," Judo dered, ignoring the receptionist''s attempts to keep him here as he turned on his heel.


    "Was it fine not meeting with the guild staff member?"


    They were dealing with the Commerce Guild, a giant organization that controlled the economy of the world. Even if they were to fight against the empire, they should at least meet with and ask the Commerce Guild for their cooperation. That kind ofidback attitude might only serve to turn the guild into their enemies, in which case Sagami Co. would be finished.


    "This is our fight. I don''t want any third parties sticking their necks into it," Judo said.


    "But the guild doesn''t think that."


    The Commerce Guild shouldn''t be taken lightly.


    "If the Commerce Guild decides to side with the empire, then so be it. We know who our enemies are."


    Judo curled his lips into a smile, emitting the aura of a crafty mercenary, something you wouldn''t think to see from a 20-somethingd.


    "Don''t just stand there in a daze. Let''s go. We''ve got a mountain of work to do."


    Judo nudged Aquido along and set off towards the tent.


    Four nobles of the empire were standing in front of the Mird tent, and Judo knew every one. In fact, there wasn''t a single mercenary in the empire who wouldn''t.


    "Are you the current representative for Sagami Co.?" asked a white-haired old man known as the Great Sage, Siegfried Granbull.


    Judo straightened his posture and replied, "I''m Sagami Co.''s vice president, Judo. Pleased to make your acquaintances, everyone."


    Judo ced his right hand on his chest and bowed once before beckoning them into the tent.


    "We''ve certainly received Boss''s words, but......"


    It was all thanks to their conversation with Ca. Surprisingly, everyone hade to view the Scarlet Phoenix as theirrades over the past few days. Among them, Zem, who served as the mood maker of the group and a brotherly figure, was killed for no reason at all and their honor destroyed. Grey then being arrested for an absurd reason was the nail in the coffin. It was so outrageous everyone''s patience came to a breaking point, and Grey''s orders could no longer hold them back.


    "I understand. Grey ced his trust in me, so I''ll persuade thepany employees."


    "However......"


    "Is your problem that I''m a noble? Grey''s been ostracized even by his own family, so I understand where you''reing from. But this is Grey''s first request towards his cowardly grandpa, so I''d like to fulfill his expectations."


    Aquido had seen Dimer McGwire''s toned body time and time again on the battlefield. He was a soldier proceeding towards the battlefield even though he knew it was his deathbed. It wasn''t clear whether it was to save his fathend or for his grandson, but in any case, Dimer would put everything into persuading them. That, at least, Aquido understood.


    "I understand. Then, if you would."


    Judo stared at Dimer McGwire for a while before nodding heavily.


    "And here''s something from us. I hope ites I handy."


    Margrave McBurn and Count Hartwig ced a scroll on top of the table.


    "And this is?"


    "The signatures of the lords of the expeditionary force who desire Grey-kun''s release. We managed to get about 80 percent."


    "80......percent?" Aquido gaped.


    They, the Scarlet Phoenix, were an organization that hadmitted that rumored foolish act, and Grey was an awful noble who had brought that organization to Suthend. At least, that''s what the people should have believed. That''s why Aquido thought the lords, who already had a bad impression of the Scarlet Phoenix to start with, of the expeditionary force would have had a more negative response. He could hardly believe that they would sign to release Grey instead.


    "May I ask your reason?" Judo asked.


    Count Hartwig gave a heartyugh and said, "Those greenhorns werepletely enchanted by Sir Grey during their meeting with him. None of them think that you guysmitted the crime, and that belief should spread before long."


    Aquido did think the mercenaries and soldiers who knew him gave off a vibe that differed from the scorn he usually received.


    "You could also say it''s their sixth sense to side with the winner. How dependable." Sieg muttered in exasperation while stroking his white beard.


    "There''s no better bond than profit. It''s one of boss''s favorite sayings, and we believe it."


    "Then all''s good. We''ll use this opportunity to remove some of the pus from this empire."


    "It''s mostly the local n leaders who have been attacked by the undead; the court nobles have barely suffered any damage. If we win this battle, the court nobles'' influence will grow to the point where even the emperor won''t be able to hold them back, so eliminating Duke Cyrus is of upmost importance," Margrave McBurn added while nodding.


    "You could even call it a fluke, but Duke Cyrus has made the Commerce Guild, the biggest monster of the world, an enemy. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Count Hartwig said with absolute delight.


    Well, no wonder. The court nobles enjoyed an expansive growth after acquiring Yukihiro the Hero, and they would be destroying their ringleader. They would dramatically decrease the court nobles'' authority if they seeded. At the very least, the distribution would return to a more even split.


    "So the Commerce Guild won''t side with Duke Cyrus?" asked Aquido.


    "Definitely not," Judo said. "And just by asking that, you''ve proved that you truly don''t understand the influence of the man named Grey Mird."


    "Are you saying that you do?"


    Judo''s eyebrows jumped up for the first time.


    "Yeah, more than you all. As you all are in the same organization, you all serve an existence like a reserve force with his same irrationality. That''s very understandable though."


    Aquido felt sorry for Judo, but Margrave McBurn''s words struck a chord with Aquido. Judo had lived with Grey''s irrationality for a long time, so his senses had been numbed after all.


    "Shouldn''t themerce guild have several merchants among the court nobles?"


    "Still, they''re merchants. The Commerce Guild has enjoyed an explosive increase in their wealth in recent years. Shouldn''t you understand just how much Grey has yed a part in that? If they had to choose between their position among the nobles and money, they''d choose money. Am I wrong?"


    "No......I agree."


    That monster of a child, he''s already done that much......Grey''s young age is almost like a bad joke at this point.


    "That Duke Cyrus, he''s probably looking down on Grey since he''s a child. That''s certainly a mistake."


    "I''m thinking we should group with the Commerce Guild and search for information that proves Grey''s innocence. There''s no point if we do it after Duke Cyrus erases the informants. You''ll cooperate, right?"


    "Of course!"


    "Then let''s talk specifics."


    Judo eagerly leaned forward and Margrave McBurn began to talk.


    ..................


    When studying the Holy Year 1020, many historians believe that the undead attack on Suthend served as a turning point in history.


    The declining Archive Empire used this opportunity toe back to life and make arge step towards global hegemony, which would be correct in a sense.


    Now, there''s a few theories here that suggest the true turning pointy in the meeting between the local ns and a singlepany.


    Regarding it''s veracity, I leave the hackneyed maxim, a person makes an era.


    If not for the outstanding existence that was Grey, the superpower, Archive, wouldn''t exist, something everyone could agree with.


    However, the world wasn''t so kind nor so na?ve as to allow the existence of a single hero to shift history.


    We should think that only with their presences did Grey begin to ovee this unprecedented crisis.


    That''s why I reason that this discussion served as the spark for Archive to walk towards global hegemony.


    Yes. The gears of this era, which came to be known as the Age of Heroes, slowly, but surely, began to move.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 47 - Eve-of-Battle Speech – Georg

    Georg Rose Archive


    ---Just outside of Suthend''s northern gates


    Fifteen divisions of around 2000 people were stationed around the ins that spanned around the outside of Suthend''s northern gates.


    They were arranged not in the shape of a horse''s hoof like the army had devised but were asymmetrically dotted around thendscape. It was simr to the formation that adventurers often took up when dealing with arge outbreak of monsters; it emphasized mutual cooperation.


    The possibility of someone controlling the undead was one of their worries. Many expected the controller to find difficulty in controlling such arge army, and so decided to use a battle formation more suited towards monsters.


    With this formation, even if one division were to fall, nearby divisions could quickly make up the difference or quickly fall back since they weren''t clumped up. Naturally, the army and the court nobles fiercely objected to this formation, but once the expeditionary force suggested that the army spearhead the horse hoof formation, their rebuttals quickly died away.


    The suprememand over the armyy with the emperor, Georg Rose Archive. Archive would be finished if they lost this battle, and indulging in the court noble''s ego and conceit was for times of peace. They should focus just on oveing the battle.


    "Now, how are they doing......" Georg thought.


    Finally, just dozens of hours before the battle, the scouts reported tens of thousands of undead splitting off from the main body to head towards Thermax.


    "I wonder if Grey''s misgivings have be reality."


    Georg was almost certain that there were people who wanted Grey as far away from Suthend as possible.


    "They fear a single child more than the empire''s entire army......we''re being underestimated."


    It was frustrating, but the decision made sense when he considered Grey''s absurdities. The reason Georg was so uneasy, too, probablyy in the fact that the child named Grey Mird was not present.


    Still, they grasped an important truth instead: there was a high probability that Cyrus was colluding with the mastermind.


    Cyrus and the other court nobles were definitely citizens of the empire. For those not in the Commerce Guild, the empire served as a foundation for their own authority and wealth. In reality, they ones who served to lose the most, not Grey and those around him. So even if the moved to protect their fathend for purely selfish reasons, it was still excellent patriotism.


    That''s why no matter what reason Cyrus had, he shouldn''t have sacrificed his fathend. At least, that''s what Georg had thought. No, that''s what Georg had wanted to think. And the undead attack on Thermax had now grounded that faint expectation of his into a fine dust. Grey was forcefully sent to Thermax, and now it was being attacked. Georg wasn''t so blinded by peace that he would write this off as a mere coincidence.


    "I''ve decided."


    He would stick to only the gains before him, and the ipetents who destroyed even their own foundation had no ce in his empire. He needed to purge them with this incident.


    "Your Majesty, it''s almost time."


    "Yeah."


    ording to the scouts, there was less than an hour left before the undead would appear on the horizon.


    Georg straddled his horse and set forth to see many lords kneeling towards him, as well as the 30,000 or so soldiers and mercenaries who were following suit.


    "The undead are soon toe. Raise your heads," Georgmanded.


    He paused for a second and surveyed his surroundings to see countless different eyes piercing through him.


    ---Eyes that burned with determination to protect their family and their fathend.


    ---Eyes that aspired to achieve military sess and raise their standing.


    ---Eyes that shook with fear and unease as their survival instincts kicked in in front an undead army several timesrger.


    ---Eyes that feebly nned to protect their own interests amidst the chaos.


    None could fault any of these types, except for---.


    "Your Majesty. With all due respect, this formation is---" Cyrus began to say, but Georg cut him off.


    "Cyrus, I order you to take up the front lines along with Hero-dono."


    "What are you saying!" Cyrus protested. "There are strengths and weaknesses to war. We traditionally have the expeditionary force hold the front lines while the army protects your Majesty, themander. Surely you haven''t forgetting this!!?"


    "You would be right if this were a conflict between humans vying for each others''manders. However, this is a rare circumstance where the undead are the enemies. They''re the same as unintelligent monsters; they won''t aim for my life."


    "But there''s still that one in a million chance!"


    "Are you to say that I would fall to mere undead, Duke Cyrus?"


    "N-no, nothing of the sort---"


    "And you know, Duke Cyrus, I don''t want to leave myself in your hands," said the emperor, whose chilling words sent a chill down even his own spine.


    "W-what could you possibly mean---"


    He''s already hopeless. It became apparent once Georg tried to actually interact with him.


    "I should have already given you that answer. Think on your own."


    "Your Majesty, are you nning on going against the will of your father, the former emperor!!?"


    They''re pests living in this empire, just that like segregationist old fool. And their personalities are just the worst.


    Georg didn''t care anymore; he had made his decision. He would never speak with them again. Leaving that aside, he focused his gaze next to Cyrus.


    "Hero-dono, do you understand why I''m sending you to the front lines?"


    "Yeah." The Hero, who was sitting crossed-legged, turned away and gave a light nod.


    "You''ve saved the empire many times, so---"


    "I don''t mind. I''ll tell you everything once Ie back safely," he said.


    Yukihiro the Hero stood up and muttered, "Georg. Thanks for everything."


    Then, he set off towards his deathbed.


    "Shit! What am I swaggering about!! These are the seeds I''ve sown!!"


    When the Hero had first arrived in this world, he had used his preeminent powers to save the citizens from the giant magic dragon. And yet he wouldn''t hurt a single person, even if they were a bandit. He was that type of gentle kid.


    He was just 12 years old at the time, and whether he was dyed ck or white depended on the adults. Georg should have known that.


    He should have protected him, because that''s an adult''s responsibility. And yet he allowed the Hero to be used with the excuse that it was under the orders of his father, the current emperor.


    Georg was the same. Georg had unknowingly walked the same path of hate and scorn as those rotten fiends and the court nobles.


    "I''m done with all of this......"


    Everyone silently stared at their exchange.


    There was a wide range of people, from those who knew as much as Georg did about their background to adherents to the Hero who knew nothing.


    But not a single person said a word, probably because they were aware of the Hero''s resolution and the heavy atmosphere.


    Georg dismounted his horse and said, "Here''s the only thing I''ll say!"


    He took a deep breath.


    "Everyst one of you, survive!!!" he squeezed out, staring fixedly at the ground.


    Themander of a war raised the morale of his allies. So this pitiful and unrealistic statement clearly showed that he was aplete failure of amander.


    If it were him......if it were Grey, he would surely rouse up the soldiers and encourage them. He was like the previous emperor in that regard.


    "Probably because I''m unfit......"


    ''You''re not fit to be emperor.'' That fiend, the previous emperor, had often said that to him. If not for hismendable parts, Georg wouldn''t have a single shred of respect for the previous emperor. That''s the kind of guy thetter was.


    However, that fiend undoubtably had more dignity and charisma as an emperor---Georg was fatallycking in that regard.


    "Raise your head and look," Sieg said from the side.


    The moment Georg raised his head, he heard an ear-shattering roar that almost threatened to shake the ground. The war cry propagated throughout and bounded onto the battlefield.


    "Your majesty, walk the path that you believe in, and we retainers will support you with everything we have."


    Sieg kneeled, and Georg''s retainers stopped shouting to follow suit.


    "All divisions, charge!!" Georg roared, signaling the start of the battle.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 48 - Onward, Millards

    "That''s......not fair......" one of the frontline soldiers muttered while trembling at the ridiculous number of undead charging forth.


    The undead consisted of the citizens from overrun cities, of course, as well as various monsters like goblins, orcs, bird monsters, and even wild animals like giant bears.


    They were kicking up a cloud of dust and charged forward, creating a constant tremor in the ground. It was obvious that they outnumbered the soldiers.


    "It''s impossible......" another soldier quietly screamed.


    It wouldn''t have been an exaggeration to say every soldier shared that same sentiment, and the grating sound of metal on metal only served to further his statement.


    "Raise your weapons!!" roared a man with ck hair, a long beard, and a medium stature.


    He stood next to Count Hartwig, who had volunteered to stand on the front lines, but his exasperation only frightened the soldiers.


    "It doesn''t matter what our superiors are thinking! There''s only one thing we need to do: crush our enemies. That, and that alone!" he continued, but his words were in vain. Not a single soldier raised their weapon against the horde of undead trampling towards them.


    The bearded man''s face warped in displeasure and he spat on the ground before saying, "So in the end, you''re all talk. Unlike those guys."


    The ck-haired mercenary turned towards another group in the same division who were holding up a g with a red phoenix.


    The Scarlet Phoenix---they were mercenaries who had made their name through their repeated disys of valor in the empire. During the second Radol incident, they were branded as cowards after they threatened their employer, Viscount Dolt Magotta, and ran away from the battle to save their own asses. The Magotta territory that he governed thus capitted without any resistance, and the empire''s army suffered huge losses.


    Mercenaries were paid to be their employer''s sword. That''s the kind of existence they were. To oppose their employer''s will during the campaign was a serious breach of trust that went against the very meaning of a mercenary, regardless of their reasons. And so the mercenaries despised this shameless group and ndered them with the name, The Fools.


    "T-they''re not scared?"


    Each member of the Scarlet Phoenix were lined up, rank and file, holding up their swords and pikes as they gazed fiercely at the wildly charging undead with various emotions.


    "Idiot. Of course they''re scared!" said an experienced female mercenary bearing a fox crest who was touted for her valor.


    She brushed back her long, red hair and pointed her sword towards the sky and, with all her might, shouted, "Are you going to let yourself be protected by the Scarlet Phoenix now of all times?!! Even a childish brat can spew out empty words! You cowards who can''t even move a muscle are just in the way! Hurry up and go home to hide in your mama''s skirt or something!!"


    Her thunderous voice spilled out over the battlefield.


    "Fuck no!" one mercenary cried.


    "We won''t let the Scarlet Phoenix keep doing as they please!" yelled another mercenary as the sentiment quickly spread throughout the vanguard of mercenaries.


    "Oi, don''t just stand there. Rpose yourself, archers! You''re the crux of this battle!"


    "I know! Newbies stay in the back and focus on dipping all the arrows in oil. We''ll cover those rotting bastards in arrows!"


    "Y-yessir!!"


    In an instant, the mercenaries began moving to take control of the battle.


    And then---.


    "Lead them to that ce as nned. I expect you all to fight hard!!" boomed Count Hartwig, and the vanguard of mercenaries set out in perfect coordination.


    Just fifteen minutes ago, the concrete battle ns were distributed to every five-man toon in the battalions. The ns detailed which locations were prohibited to enter as well as where and how to lead the undead.


    Finally, the battle began.


    Countless ming arrows dotted the sky and rained down onto the undead, setting them aze. The arrows easily brought down the human-sized undead who were struck, such as the goblins, small monsters, and small animals.


    However, as if to sneer at the touching endeavors of the empire''s vanguard, the undead continued to press on like an avnche, trampling over the undead corpses.


    "Shit! There''s so many. Greenhorns, fall back! You''re in the way!" said an experienced mercenary.


    And as the old and experienced stepped forward, the newbie soldiers and mercenaries began to retreat. An obvious decision. They would just get in the way, after all.


    "Oi, you guys fall back too!" he shouted at the group of 20 or so next to the Scarlet Phoenix who didn''t even budge at the sight of the undead surging forward. None of them were d in armor, and instead wore foreign ck robes. From their behavior, they could hardly be seen as experienced.


    "Not necessary," said the ck-haired youth in the front.


    As he raised his right hand towards the undead, all the other members followed suit.


    "Tote''s security squad from the Mird territory, prepare to bombard---"


    Right as he finished his sentence, a ridiculous number of magic circles floated into the air, changed shape, and transformed into zing fireballs that floated in ce.


    "100 me bullets, fire."


    The countless flickering fireballs all split into 100 pieces and shot forth, instantly incinerating the undead.


    "......"


    In the blink of an eye, they extinguished over 1000 undead. For a moment, nobody could process what had just happened as everyone, whether they were experienced soldiers or newbie ones, widened their eyes and just stared with their mouths agape.


    However, as if to sneer at them, the dominoes of absurdity began to topple.


    "Oi, look at that," trembled a soldier as he focused on where he was pointing.


    A silver light fanned out before the Scarlet Phoenix, instantly andpletely incinerating any undead that came within several dozen meters of them.


    "Oioioioii! Is that holy magic!?" yelled a blonde mercenary as an out-of-cemotion began to stir on the battlefield.


    "No doubt about it. I''ve seen the Archbishop use it before. That''s holy magic."


    "Like hell it is! Then why can the Scarlet Phoenix use holy magic!? And it''s not just one or two of them, but everyst one!" yelled the red-haired female mercenary as she stared at the Scarlet Phoenix, whose each and every member continued to shoot out silver light.


    "L-like I''d know!"


    This was the first time the veteran mercenary with a fox crest had fallen into such confusion, and her subordinates truly understood just how absurd this situation was.


    "C-captain Fox, is that......" one subordinate began.


    At the end of his gaze was a former rival d in silver armor who had just finished bisecting arge bear.


    "Aquidoo!!" screamed the red-haired female mercenary, but the battlefield drowned her out.


    "How about it, fox? How does it feel to be overtaken by the man you had once left in the dust?" a voice sneered from behind, and Fox turned back to see a bearded man on horseback looking down at her.


    "Shut up! ye, are you picking a fight with me[1]!?" she yelled.


    "No, never. I mean, I''m not much different from you."


    The bearded man, ye, shrugged and shifted his sights onto Aquido, who continued to fight.


    "Oi, ye, is that---"


    "''This battle is for a fallen mercenary and a poor noble to introduce themselves to the world. The powerless won''t speak badly of you. Focus on eliminating the remnants in the corners.'' That''s what our master, Count Hartwig said."


    "T-to say that we are powerless......fucking underestimating us!!"


    "I don''t think that you''re powerless. But you know, there''s always someone above you. To the monster who set up this war, our enemies, allies, and our existences are about as important as the goblins swarming over there."


    "Are you serious? We''re famous mercenaries in the empire!"


    "Yeah, once you meet him you''ll understand. He''s a monster born out of this empire. I swear, the empire''s power structure will soon turn on its head."


    "You---"


    Fox began to object ye''s suggestive words, but a shriek that epassed the entire battleground cut her off.


    "Looks like the enemy''s judged that they can''t defeat us with their first group of small-fry and have thrown in their second group."


    An iparable number of undead surged into the ins.


    "What the heck, their numbers, and even their size, have increased......"


    "Oi, look over there! There''s even a small dragon."


    "Don''t fuck with me!"


    And with the impatient shouting of the soldiers and mercenaries, the battle embarks on the climax.


    [1] She uses a masculine I here which is rarely, if ever, used by women. Not the boku that you might sometimes see, but ore.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 49 - Pride – Aquido

    Almost an hour had passed. The undead assault slowly, but surely, continued to strengthen to the point where even the elites from Tote and the Scarlet Phoenix began to struggle.


    Aquido''s Magic was only slightly higher than the elites from Tote. Everyone was at wit''s end. For some reason, Aquido still had a surplus of magic power left, but it would only allow him to use his strongest magic maybe one or two more times.


    "You''ve fought plenty enough," Aquido said. "Fall back."


    "No, leader. We can still fight!"


    "You''re barely standing on your feet, you know. Rest for now."


    "......"


    Still, they made no attempts to fall back. They believed that, depending on their actions, they could restore Zem''s honor. That''s why they couldn''t fall back.


    "So you''re gonna let this be your final stop? Am I wrong? We''ve still got a future ahead of us, so we can''t lost a single member here!" Aquido shouted.


    He wasn''t confident, but Aquido had no choice but to convince them otherwise. If not, he would once again lose his precious family members.


    "Fall back, Scarlet Phoenix and Tote security squad. We''re shifting you out," ordered a youth. He had suddenly appeared on the battlefield, and he had his long, ck hair tied behind him in a ponytail. They couldn''t be certain of his identity as he wore a sinister, white mask over his face, but based off his voice and silhouette, it was Judo.


    Which meant the woman behind him was Ca. Grey should have ordered Judo to coordinate with Sagami Co. and Ca to heal the wounded. It could even be considered a vition of his orders for them to appear on the battlefield.


    "Oi, oi. We can still keep going," shouted Mos, the leader of the Mird territory''s Tote security squad leader.


    "Which is exactly why. A lot of time has passed since the start of the battle, and there''s quite a who have sustained wounds. I want you to focus on healing the injured."


    Mos stared at Judo for a short while before saying, "You''re fine without us, right?"


    "Yeah, that Hero wasn''t all talk it seems, we siblings and Aquido should be more than enough," Judo said while staring at the Hero, who continued to fight far away with blood streaming down his entire body.


    Honestly, Aquido didn''t know how powerful Judo and Ca were, but even the Tote security squad were ridiculously strong, so they probably had enough power to take control of the battlefield.


    "That Hero killed Zem and threw false suspicions onto Grey-sama. Please be careful."


    "Yeah, I understand. And it''s about time we set off the traps, too."


    Judo scanned the surrounding ins which were crammed with undead.


    The undead''s number had been reduced, but they were still wildly attacking, and they would prate through the fields in 20 minutes. If he set the traps off right now, he would be able to catch them all.


    "But didn''t we need Mos and his squad''s earth magic to set off the traps?" Aquido tried asking.


    "I''ll take over so there shouldn''t be a problem," Judo answered.


    Take over? Didn''t they need dozens of people to finish setting up the traps?


    Which meant that Judo and Ca would make up the difference. Aquido considered Mos and his squad as the strongest magicians in the world. He wasn''t being partial towards those on his side, rather, it was simply the truth. If this battle ended safely, they would be relentlessly scouted.


    And these two people had enough Magic topete with dozens of people from Mos''s squad. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became about the siblings. Could he really consider the fact that they were Grey''s subordinates a coincidence?


    "It''s the orders from the vice president. We''re temporarily retreating from Suthend. Let''s go!" Mos shouted to his squad and the Scarlet Phoenix before retreating back towards the north gate.


    "We''re fine here," Judo said. "Go back to Suthend with Mos and them to heal the injured. This is an order."


    "......I understand. Be careful!" said a member from the Scarlet Phoenix.


    Having finally been convinced, the Scarlet Phoenix and Tote security squad exited the battlefield.


    As the two siblings walked forward, the people in front naturally formed a path around them. It wasn''t just the groups ofmoners and mercenaries, but the expeditionary force and soldiers in the army as well. Aquido didn''t need to be told how abnormal this was. If only he could have Zem see this scene---.


    "Aquido, don''t just stand there," said Judo. "After all, the real battle starts now."


    He was right. The battle hadn''t even begun to end; it was too early to get lost in thought.


    The Tote security squad, the Scarlet Phoenix, and Yukihiro the Hero had all been exterminating the undead, too, and the soldiers and mercenaries were eliminating any stragglers.


    With people withdrawing from the front lines, arger burden now fell onto Aquido''s 15th division. He had to start helping quickly.


    "First we need to have the soldiers in the trapped areas return to their units," Aquido said.


    "Exactly. Ca, I leave it to you."


    "Wha---, me?"


    "Hurry it up. Once I have all the soldiers fall back, I''ll begin that n."


    "When you say all the soldiers, surely you''re not including those guys as well, right, onii-chan?"


    Ca gazed over at Duke Cyrus, who was furiously shouting from theparatively safe back line, as well as at the wounded soldiers still wielding their swords. Judging by how fatigued they were, Cyrus would have started dropping orders left and right if they weren''t Yukihiro the Hero''s personal guards. And so, the Tote security squad and the Scarlet Phoenix retreated from the battlefield, and the undead began to up their aggression. Even the Hero, in his lonesome, couldn''t hold the front lines. Soon, many of Duke Cyrus''s soldiers would die.


    "I am," Judo replied.


    "Why!?"


    "They merely hold a position where they must follow that pig''s orders. Just like how we had to in the past."


    Ca pursed her lips and let out a small groan.


    "If we abandon them here, we''ll revert to the helpless versions of ourselves that we once were. That''s the kind of feeling I have."


    "......"


    Ca looked down, her fist trembling.


    "Hurry up and finish this job, and then let''s return to Boss."


    Judo patted Ca''s head before whistling with his fingers to signal the far-away executives to have all the soldiers evacuate for a while.


    With the Hero holding their anchor, the 15th division and Duke Cyrus''s soldiers began their retreat. As if they wanted to devour each and everyst member, the undead merely chased forward like a tsunami. Their numbers were overwhelming and would have continued to swell if not for the Hero.


    Among thismotion, Ca was kneeling forward.


    Aquido protested, "W-wait! To try to stop them all by yours---"


    "¡¶sh¡·" Ca emotionlessly cut him off.


    In the blink of an eye, Ca turned into a streak of light wrapped in blue static and sliced through the neck of the undead dragon that was chasing after the retreating soldiers. The undead dragon''s neck was beautifully sliced and burned with a blue me as the dragon slowly slumped onto the ground.


    Immediately after, a giant ck pir of lightning mmed into the dragon''s body and instantly carbonized it.


    After a short while, six ck pirs of lightning mmed into the undead who were chasing after the retreating soldiers and carbonized them in an instant before roaming about in search for their next prey.


    The seven ck pirs of lightning and Ca, who had transformed into a streak of blue light had turned the undead back to dust.


    Even still, the undead paid no heed to their ashen brethren and simply shrieked, attempting to swarm the retreating soldiers. However,


    "¡¶Rain of Lightning¡·"


    Ca''s voice echoed as a myriad of lightning bolts rained down from the sky, evaporating the undead.


    It had been only a short while since the soldiers had begun their retreat. The undead that should have been wildly charging forward had been spotlessly annihted, and their charge had been put to a stop for now.


    "Well done, Ca. Now stop yourself!" Judo shouted. Ca, who had been instantly ughtering the undead, raced forward and stopped in front of them. Ca was panting,pletely out of breath, and Judo was crouching over just a step further.


    Judo ced his right palm on the floor.


    "¡¾Earth Molding¡¿!"


    In response to his chant, a giant magic circle appeared beneath the undead. The ground transformed into sand, lifted into the air, and the resulting gaping hole surrounded them like castle walls.


    Then, the undead fell into the depths of hell as if it were only natural.


    The sounds of me pirs and explosions that seemed to be ying tricks on your ears reverberated out of the hole. It then rapidly expanded until a never before seen zing hot me pir erupted into the sky.


    The heat of the explosion was something else. If not for the stone walls, the resulting heat wave probably would have caused many injuries.


    "No......waaay," one soldier managed to squeeze out.


    "The undead?"


    Even with the dirt wall, the remaining heat threatened to singe their skin. There was no way the undead had survived that heat. While the soldiers doubted their eyes, they were at least sure of that fact.


    Although, while all those undead werepletely annihted in that short instant, Aquido still couldn''t believe his eyes.


    The sand, which had formed walls, once again changed shape and filled the giant hole. And, apanied with intermittent explosions, the northernndscape returned to its previous form.


    "We''ve annihted arge portion of the enemy''s strength. Let''s begin cleanup!!" shouted Count Hartwig, who had pointed his sword forward while still on horseback. His led his army forth in an all-out-attack against the undead, whose numbers had been reduced to less than a tenth from before. In response, Margrave McBurn and others from the expeditionary force joined in and surged forward like an avnche.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    The army in the back joined in, and after about an hour, the undead were hunted for the most part.


    "Victory to the empire!!" proimed Emperor Georg. He thrust his sword into the air, and a tsunami of cheers spread over the ins north of Suthend.


    "It''s finally over......" Aquido muttered.


    He slumped over on his knees and heavily breathed not in joy, but in relief in the fact that the battle had ended safely.


    Despite the empire''splete victory, the incident hadn''t fullye to an end for the Scarlet Phoenix. Grey was still captured, and Zem''s honor still hadn''t been preserved after all.


    Still, with the help of the expeditionary force and the Commerce Guild, they now had the proof that they had been here. And having seen a portion of the Mird''s power, neither those in the army nor the court nobles should recklessly through their weight around Aquido and the others.


    "We''ve probably gotten over the most difficult part," thought Aquido.


    "Hohho, well done," said Sieg. He waved his hand and began to walk over alongside Margrave McBurn and the lords from the expeditionary force.


    "Sieg-sama, please don''t make me do such a hard job again," Judoined. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and plopped onto the floor.


    It probably wasn''t fatigue, but rather the heavy responsibilities he had been carrying. The continued existence of both the empire''s army and Suthend itself depended on Judo after all. It waspletely understandable.


    "Now just leave the rest to us and return home."


    Margrave McBurn let out a gentleugh to show his gratitude.


    "Will do. Ca, Aquido, let''s go," said Judo. He nodded once and lightly tapped his lower back.


    "Yeah."


    Aquido stood up as well and began to stretch.


    "Hm?"


    By coincidence, he managed to notice something. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a man wearing foreign ck clothes approaching from far away.


    That clothing should have been the uniform Judo had been handing out to the Sagami Co. employees recently. Which meant that man was an employee?


    But if that were the case, he should have beening from Suthend''s north side. He wasing from where those undead had seemingly endlessly poured out of.


    A freezing chill ran down Aquido''s spine and spread throughout his body. It was vague and thus hard to exin, but if he had to, he would say it was a sensation simr to when he had first met the abnormal existence known as Grey.


    "Judo, Ca!"


    Aquido''s husky voice cracked, and the two followed his gaze before stiffening.


    Of course. Before they knew it, a purple aura began to shimmer around the man before it blew into the air and morphed into a whirlpool.


    "That''s---not good!" shouted Aquido, suppressing his urge to scream. To Aquido, that monster seemed to dye the entire empire the color of death.


    "Oi, what the heck is that?"


    Once one soldier finally noticed, the rest soon followed.


    Then, Aquido''s fears turned to reality.


    The ground beneath the man with ck clothes bulged and transformed into a colossal being.


    "Ua......" one soldier muttered in both amazement and despair.


    "An undead dragon!? No, that''s too big!!"


    It had an elegant figure over ten times asrge that made it clear it was on a different level from a normal dragon.


    "Those three horns. Could it possibly be......the legendary Ancient Dragon......?" muttered Sieg the Great Sage.


    Aquido had only heard of that name once.


    The Ancient Dragon---The king of the dragons that''s lived since ancient times. Dragons, who had higher intellect than humans, lived several thousand years. Their Magic and intellect were iparable to humans. If you angered one, they could easily demolish a country or two. They were the kind of existence that was merely spected about.


    "Sieg-sama, McBurn-sama. Order the army to retreat!" Judo yelled.


    "......"


    His shouts fell on deaf ears, as Sieg the Sage and Margrave McBurn continued to stare at the dragon in a daze.


    "Sieg-sama!! McBurn-sama!!"


    This time, Judo''s howling had reached their ears, and time seemed to move again.


    Sieg the Sage mounted his horse and raced forward to Emperor Georg, while Margrave McBurn and his subordinates ordered a retreat.


    "Ca, we''re going to attack with our most powerful spells! We''ll leave the army''s rear to Aquido and the Hero!!"


    Judo and Ca were certainly powerful. However, that statement only held true when calcted in terms of a human. Their prospects were in the pits against a creature whispered about in myths. They would be fortunate to be able to buy some time.


    "Oi, Judo---"


    "Don''t worry. The very concept of sacrificing myself for this country makes me want to vomit. If I judge the scenario dangerous, I''ll fully retreat back to our building!"


    "As if I''d let you?" an annoying male voice resounded inside his head.


    At the same time, the ground just head of the fleeing soldiers bulged, and arge, undead serpent the size of several estates as well as a strange, undead bird emerged from the ground.


    The word, "pandemonium" fit perfectly here. Everybody frantically ran about, trying to escape from the serpent and the mysterious bird. Of course they did. There was no way humans could win against such arge creature after all.


    "Thanks to you beetles, my n''s been all ruined. It seriously pisses me off, so I''ve decided to let my pets loose?" the voice said.


    The voice which echoed inside his head felt ufortable, and Aquido sensed an endless pit of malice within.


    "If you don''t want to die then spread out and prepare to fight! Don''t group up!" shouted Emperor Georg, and the soldiers and mercenaries scattered apart like spiders.


    "Now, Little Pi, Nyoro, eat to your heart''s content?"


    The mysterious bird and the giant serpent howled in response and began charging towards the empire''s army.


    With just that single howl, the soldiers were forced to kneel.


    Judo immediately turned around, but Judo and Ca were already in an intense battle with the Ancient Dragon. He didn''t have the time to help them.


    The Hero was already exhausted and unable to move.


    "I''ve got to do it......"


    He pointed his palm towards the mysterious bird and the giant serpent.


    "Countless Holy Spears!"


    An innumerable number of spears of light appeared in the air and rushed forward, piercing the two creatures.


    Having been stabbed by spears of light all over, the two creatures cried out in anguish and red back at Aquido with bloodshot eyes. The attack had only amounted to light wounds, but Aquido had managed to anger them.


    The creatures paid the soldiers no heed and rushed towards Aquido.


    Aquido could teleport once a day but could only go several dozen meters---a drop in the bucket. Most of all, this ability was a closely guarded secret in Sagami Co. He couldn''t just betray Grey in an attempt to save his own life. Additionally, even if he were to disappear, those two creatures would probably aim back at the soldiers. Worst case scenario, the soldiers would be wiped out.


    It wasn''t as if Aquido had any attachment towards the empire, nor did he consider himself a saint. He really couldn''t care less about the fate of the empire''s soldiers.


    However, Aquido running away equated to admitting to their reputation. That was thest thing he would do.


    "Sorry, guys. I''ll wait on ahead."


    He sprinted forward in the opposite direction of the empire''s army. While the bird glided through the air, blowing away the soldiers, and the giant serpent trampled the soldiers, they flew forward and roared as if to turn Aquido into a piece of meat.


    The sounds of rumbling and gliding gradually neared. In just a few seconds, Aquido would be inside their stinky bellies. Given the circumstances, escaping from the battlefield wouldn''t bring about criticism from Grey nor from anyone else. Even still, he hadn''t even the slightest intention of teleporting away. If he had to say, the only reason he chose this counterproductive death was because of his pride. Still, Zem and the other members who had died before him held this "pride" in high regard, and those in the Scarlet Phoenix regarded it as even more important than their lives.


    "It''s almost time."


    They had already caught up. He couldn''t ept being eaten from behind. He''d resist to the end and die a pitiful death.


    He turned on his heel to see the giant serpent and the mysterious bird up in his face.


    He readied his sword and red at them.


    "Come, I''ll slice you in three and have you for dinner!!" he shouted.


    "Hm, I''m all for trial and error, but if you eat these rotten monsters you''ll hurt your stomach.


    An absurd statement. And yet the voice shook his entire body.


    Then, Aquido was flung back, and he spun around in the air before copsing onto the ground.


    CRASH!!


    The two creatures grazed the youth before them before mming into some kind of transparent wall.


    "Now, I have an endless number of questions about your ecology, but one of you is more than enough. Return to a corpse."


    The masked youth raised his middle and pointer finger, when the creatures suddenly floated into the air. They twisted and turned, kicked and writhed, but they only floated higher.


    He then slowly closed his fingers. As if in response, the creatures high up in the airpressed as their bones were crushed, and their flesh smashed.


    They wailed in pain.


    Finally, the masked youthpletely closed his hand, and their bodies turned into a sphere of meat.


    "You''rete."


    A wave a relief crashed into Aquido, and the consciousness he had been strenuously tying together quickly began to unravel.


    "Don''t say that. I had a lot of work on my side too. But, how should I say it. Forgive me."


    "You idiot......"


    And amidst thisughable conversation, Aquido''s consciousness faded out.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 50 - Going to War

    Immediately after teleporting to Suthend, I took the avoided back roads and changed into a specially made suit and donned a mask.


    I could have just used any old cloth to cover my face, but Sate had been adamant about this design.


    "Still, this is a bit......" I thought.


    At best I''d call it creative, but it was more of a delusional design a child sumbing to chuunibyou would enjoy.


    Well there was probably some sense to it---the suit strangely matched it. But as I was a middle-aged man inside, this design really made me itch all over.


    "Well, whatever."


    I strongly believed that someone''s outer appearance was just one type of code your brain produced. I honestly couldn''t care about my appearance.


    Now, what should I do next......Well, the jarring noises past the castle walls and the purple aurora drifting above made it pretty clear.


    I visualized as much magic as I could. I don''t know why, but Fate seems to be on my side.


    In any case, Judo and Ca couldn''t fight against that. I''d need toe out myself. And so, I manipted the wind to bring myself atop of Suthend''s northern walls.


    There, I saw andscape of absolute chaos. Truly, that was the only word I could use.


    Ca and Judo stood in the center, repelling the blue dragon''s fierce attacks. Well, the only reason they could still resist was because the man in the purple suit had no intention of instantly killing them. He seems like quite the messed-up guy.


    Meanwhile, therge, two-headed serpent and the mysterious crested bird continued to rampage atop the castle walls that were the escape routes of the empire''s army. Actually, that giant bird looked more like a chicken. The only real difference was that this one had the ability to fly.


    Hmm, the two-headed serpent was one thing, but I was quite curious about giant chicken grew sorge.


    "That was close."


    Therge, two-headed serpent and the giant chicken mercilessly turned the soldiers into corpses while they beelined towards a single mercenary.


    I slipped into a cloud of dust and teleported behind Aquido, where therge serpent and the mysterious bird''s noses could almost graze me.


    Aquido stopped to turn around before lowering his center of gravity.


    "Come, I''ll slice you in three and have you for dinner!!"


    Eating the undead? I didn''t think of that. It''s certainly an interesting idea, but can you really turn that rotten meat edible just by cooking it? I''m really interested in that, but I should give him some appropriate advice.


    "Hm, I''m all for trial and error, but if you eat these rotten monsters you''ll hurt your stomach."


    I grabbed his coat and threw him behind him. At the same time, I created a wall of air using the high rank wind spell, ¡¶Wind Maniption¡·.


    They crashed into the wind wall and spun in the air before copsing onto the ground.


    There were some inexplicable phenomena at y here, just like with Lamperts. Maybe the undead had some type of consciousness inside. I had some interest in testing out the human undead, but they were animals no matter how you looked at it. Three was definitely too many for an experiment, and it seemed too difficult to preserve their bodies in the first ce. It felt a tad wasteful, but I''d dispose of these two rotten animals.


    I used ¡¶Wind Maniption¡·to imprison the two in a ball of air and slowly made it rise. Then, I shrunk the ball until it was only half the radius of before.


    The undead animals struggled in a craze to escape.


    It''s no use. ¡¶Wind Maniption¡·was like ¡¶Cetus¡·in that it was one of three high rank spells where its power was in proportion to the casters Magic. They, who had merely C+ Magical Endurance, couldn''t even hope to survive.


    Aquido nced at the two undead, now a clump of meat in their death throes. Maybe it was relief, but he quickly lost consciousness after exchanging a couple of words.


    Now, I couldn''t just leave him here. I had to protect Judo and Ca too. There was the extremely burdensome imperial army, too.


    That toy (the blue dragon) was one thing, but the man in the purple suit with a hat was clearly on a different level. Even I''d probably need to go all out. Which meant I''d need to get him to leave as quickly as possible.


    "All battalions, retreat!!"


    The battlefield returned to a strange lull as Emperor Georg''smand flew out.


    The soldiers, whose thinking had stalled as a result of those giant animals suddenly disappearing, came back to their senses after the emperor''smand, and began scrambling to retreat.


    What a remarkable man that emperor is, to instantly gauge the situation. Next was just to buy time.


    I teleported him to the first floor of Sagami Co.''s office in Straheim. Then, I casted the thunder magic, ¡¶sh¡·, and flew into the sky where Ca and Judo were repelling the dragon''s fierce attacks. Then, I turned towards the blue dragon and the man in the purple suit and casted ¡¶Cetus¡·.


    Dozens of 10-meter-long ice dragons rushed towards over the purple-suited man''s head and thrusted their fangs into the blue undead dragon''s windpipe and stomach.


    The ice dragons were a piece of art, but the only thing that froze over were the blue dragon''s scales. The purple-suited man casted a ck membrane over his surroundings and easily protected against the cold. That said, I had seeded in freezing the area around his surroundings. That should buy a lot of time.


    "Boss!"


    "Grey-sama!"


    The two of them cried out in joy and rushed over,pletely out of breath.


    "You''re the imperial army''s babysitter. Show them you''ll fight to the end," I said.


    "Um......what about you, Grey-sama?" she asked, fidgeting her hands.


    "I have business with that guy."


    "Are you fighting by yourself?"


    "Yeah."


    Her gleeful countenance morphed into a grim one, and she nodded towards Judo with bitter smile.


    "Good luck."


    "I''ll leave it to you," Judo added. "C''mon, Ca. We''re holding the rear. Let''s go!"


    Ca looked back in reluctance.


    She was the youngest among us mentally and was very shy. You could say that she holed herself up with only those close to her. So I was quite surprised that she had included Aquido, Zem, and the rest of the Scarlet Phoenix in that in-group in just a couple of week. I could already tell just how anxious she was towards Zem''s death.


    "Don''t worry. I''lle back. Don''t you know? I have teleportation."


    In reality, I needed some time to cast teleportation, so I didn''t think I would actually be able to use it against this enemy.


    "......"


    She turned her back towards me and then ran to catch up with the retreating soldiers. She hadn''t been convinced, but didn''t try to do anything unreasonable, proof that she was slowly growing.


    Judo shrugged as well and said, "Be careful."


    He bowed once before following after Ca.


    If all the divisions could temporarily take refuge near the castle walls, Judo and the others could probably take care of the rest.


    It''s about time for them to revive.


    ---CRACK


    A fissure appeared in the ice that encased the blue undead dragon and the man in the purple suit.


    ---CRACK


    I heard a whistle. Then, a purple me burst out of their bodies, melting and then dissolving the ice in an instant.


    "Are you the rumored singrity?"


    The voice echoed in my head. How many rules of physics do they n to break? Well, I had plenty of my own secrets, but it still irritated me.


    "I''m not sure what you mean by singrity, but I''ll definitely y with you," I said.


    There was quite a lot of distance between the purple-suited man and me, but I spoke in a normal voice. Honestly, there was no merit in talking with this guy. I couldn''t care less if he had heard me or not.


    "y. That''s quite pertinent.  ?" he tedly monologued in a strange manner.


    Well, it made sense. Even if their intention were to destroy the empire, they had no need to take such a roundabout path. He could have just attacked the capital with the blue dragon and the other creatures. There wasn''t any reason to go out of his way and have the undead march down from the north.


    No, even that assumption was wrong.


    "You may be right."


    I couldn''t analyze him for some reason, but he radiated an intense pressure that burned my skin. He had enough power to fell the entire empire on his own. There wasn''t much meaning to bring out the undead in the first ce.


    "Hmmm. Just like my reports said, you''re a creepy brat?"


    "Yeah, I''ve been hearing that a lottely."


    Well now, I''m a busy man. Let''s start already.


    Iyered dozens of the spell,¡¾Aegis¡¿, on top of each other.


    "You certainly possess an unbelievable amount of power for this inferior world......It''s kinda a waste?"


    The purple-suited man whistled as if he were impressed.


    He called it an inferior world, and he wore a suit, something not in this world. He might havee from the same ce as had the Hero, who was still guarding the rear of the retreating soldiers.


    "Is that so."


    Low rank spells would have little to no effect, and trying to cast ¡¾Crimson Meteors¡¿, the legend ss spell with a long chant that I hadn''t even mastered, was out of the question.


    I was probably limited to magic where I knew its effectiveness. At best I could use the three high rank spells that grew more powerful in proportion to my magic,¡¶Cetus¡·,¡¾Wind Maniption¡¿, and¡¾Explosive Thread¡¿, the lightning spell --¡¾sh¡¿and other supporting spells, and the only legend ss spell whose chant I had revoked, ¡¾Skaei Palm¡¿, the strongest spell I wielded.


    "Entertain me."


    He whistled, and purple spheres began to float up into my surroundings. Goosebumps appeared all over at just a nce. Those spheres were seriously dangerous---they sent an intense chill down my spine that made me want to vomit for the first time since reincarnating in this world.


    And the fact that he understood the strength of ¡¾Aegis¡¿and yet hadn''t wavered in the slightest meant thbat he was on a higher level in terms of strength.


    However---.


    "How auspicious," I muttered while trying to suppress augh that swelled from deep within.


    "Ha? What''s so funny?"


    His voice was tinted in anger, as if he had inferred what I meant.


    No good. It''s no good. Certainly, you''ve attained that much power at that age, and you''ve an innate talent that far surpasses mine. But still, I don''t like that, so---.


    "You''re deeply amusing. I mean, there''s something you''re desperatelycking."


    "Lacking!?"


    His speech had already turned boorish. The only thing left was drilling into this inexperienced, ridiculous kid.


    "Kid, I''ll teach you true conflict, unlike the house you had been ying."


    I lowered myself and strained my abs.


    "You---"


    The moment he opened his mouth, I casted ¡¾sh¡¿and dashed towards him.


    And so, I began my one-sided game.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 51 - One-Sided Game

    I casted ¡¾sh¡¿and zipped around as I pleased, but the purple sphere and the blue dragon continued to chase after me.


    "Hey, hey. It''s about to catch you?" he gleefully sneered.


    I should hurry up and finish this up. But that didn''t mean I had even the slightest intention of losing.


    I deployed¡¾Aegis¡¿and crashed into the purple sphere, but it merely split into more spheres.


    My Magic Endurance wasn''t anything special, so I''d die in an instant if I got hit by any of those. But that was only if I got hit.


    "Hm. It''s about time." I thought.


    I stopped myself, and the purple spheres quickly surrounded me on all sides. The blue dragon craned its neck and opened wide, and purple spheres began to form in front of its mouth.


    "What''s wrong? Already tired?" heughed, certain of his victory.


    I currently didn''t have ¡¾Aegis¡¿deployed, and I certainly had nowhere left to run with this many purple spheres surrounding me. That, I''ll admit.


    "Yeah, because there''s no meaning to it."


    Yes, I had no need to run anymore.


    "So you''ve resigned yourself ? Even though you''ve said all that, you couldn''t even be my ything. I might''ve overestimated you?"


    "Yeah. It seems I''ve misunderstood as well. Sorry. I apologize from the bottom of my heart."


    It was true. I didn''t think I''d be pushed this far.


    "It''s pathetic to beg for your life thiste into the game."


    "I agree. Regardless if it''s pathetic or not, this isn''t a game; you can''t take back moves."


    He narrowed his eyes at my words and stared at me again, asking, "......What are you nning?"


    What a trite question.


    "Nothing, just the end to that (your sinister designs). Still, you''ve been in checkmate for quite a while."


    With perfect timing, the floating purple spheres vanished in an instant.


    "Blue, retreat for now and keep some distance!"


    Having lost faith in his absolute superiority, the purple-suited man ordered the blue dragon, but it didn''t budge an inch.


    "What''s wrong! Blueeeeee!!?"


    He lowered his sights to the dragon at his feet and widened his eyes in astonishment.


    A ridiculous number of ice dragons hade up from the ground and stared back as they bit into the blue dragon''s thick legs.


    "Shit!!"


    He cursed out loud for the first time as the ice dragons rose up and teared into the beautiful blue dragon like maggots before jumping back.


    "Oi, oi. That''s an awful move you know?"


    One of the invisible ¡¾Explosive Threadsid out around the battle field brushed against his arm, setting off a huge explosion.


    "You!!!" he screamed.


    He gripped his burnt arm and red at me with absolute abhorrence.


    "Now, let''spare answers, youngster."


    I snapped my fingers and exposed the outline of my ns. There shouldn''t be any problems even if I show him.


    "T-this......"


    He trailed off in a daze.


    Of course he did. At the end of his gaze, a giant red web towered over us like a birdcage.


    But he was na?ve. This was just the beginning.


    "Look below," I said and pointed at ground.


    I''ll show you how superior I am.


    He slowly lowered his gaze, when---.


    "!!?"


    An innumerable number of ice dragons that seemed to fill the entire ground peered out from below, and their sharp jaws bit and snapped at him.


    ---CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK!!


    Their cking echoed to form a surreal chorus.


    "Y-you''re insane......" he managed to squeeze out as he manifested countless more purple spheres around him.


    "I''vemanded these little dragons to devour any existences in this birdcage other than myself. in and simple, right?"


    He signaled to the blue dragon with his jaw. "This madman!"


    However, the ice dragons continued to munch on the blue dragon, which had already be unrecognizable.


    Even if he were to revive the dragon, I''d just obtain the most superb research subject, but I was fine with just letting it perish. I could just find another undead somewhere else; there weren''t any drawbacks.


    "No, no. I''m just being creative here. Isn''t this quite the inspiration?"


    While that was true, I had also obtained an essential element in my experiment. And if I''m going to experiment, I might as well go all out."


    "Nonsense."


    "Well, let me give you my thanks. Now I can go to the next stage of my experiment and test the effectiveness of my ¡¾Birdcage¡¿.


    You could call this ¡¾Birdcage¡¿a fusion of multiple spells in a sense. I made use of superior-rank spells whose power was in direct proportion to my Magic, my strongest boost-type magic in the super-rank spell, ¡¾Magic Synergy Boost¡¿, and my gift, Analyze Environment.


    I grasped my surroundings with Analyze Environment, constructed several programs, and inputted automatic orders with impermeable-type spells and more. There were strict conditions for setting this up in my surroundings, but once set up, it became an invincible region where there was no hope for escape.


    Since all the conditions had already been fulfilled, the only thing left was to cast it. The winner had been decided.


    "What a repulsive idea, are you even someone from this world---"


    "I think it''s about time to end the chatter. As promised, I''ll show you how to fight."


    I let the little ice dragons loose.


    An ominous number of small dragons jumped out of the ground like flying fish and rushed at the purple-suited man.


    "Ku!"


    He created more purple spheres, enough to erase all the dragons. The innumerable ice dragons teared into his body and dug in.


    "Gooo!!" he yelled, biting back the pain. He fired off the purple spheres in desperation, but they all collided with the ice dragons and dispersed.


    "It''s no use," I said. "I''ve equipped the little dragons with at least a standard amount of automatic defense, you know."


    In reality, I gave the ice dragons several vague orders when I created them. Then, I prioritized the orders with the highest being, "Protect me." And as I had thought, these kinds of simple orders were much more effective.


    "Shiiiiitt!!!" he screamed while being devoured alive by the dragons. He tried to close the gap but was stopped by the invisible threads and abruptly set off the explosions.


    "My ¡¾Birdcage¡¿isn''t so weak that you can break through by just recklessly charging."


    After all, I had created this ¡¾Birdcage¡¿to immediately replenish any dragons or explosive threads that had been used up. The longer this went on, the more exhausted the bird in the birdcage would get.


    "Dammittttt!!" he roared as hundreds of purple spheres appeared around him.


    His veins popped out all over his body and a dense aura rose up like a muddy stream.


    "Woah, so you can do it if you try. Then let me see how you''ll struggle."


    One of the purple spheres transformed into a longsword, and another into a pike.


    More transformed into a short sword, an axe, a great sword, an iron ball, and other weapons and affixed me as their target.


    "Go all out and attack those weapons." Imanded.


    The moment he released the weapons, the ice dragons surged forth and filled the sky, rushing towards the weapons.


    The weapons rushed towards me, and a ridiculous number of ice dragons collided with them, coiling around and fissuring the weapons. At the same time, several crimson ¡¾Explosive Threads¡¿dismantled the swords into pieces.


    "My¡¾God Mode¡¿......"


    He probably had an ace up his sleeve. He seemed confused, and his face was drained of all blood and he kept trembling all over.


    In reality, it was quite powerful. If he had used it before I had finished setting up ¡¾Birdcage¡¿, I don''t know if I could have fully repelled it.


    But now, the situation had turned on its head.


    Even he, who had the upper hand, had no choice but to submit to my power. The spell had proved to be very useful, and I had obtained plenty of data from this experiment. I didn''t have any interest in continuing to torment him without reason, so it''s probably time to wrap things up.


    And so, I gave my final order to ¡¾Birdcage¡¿.


    ---Nine Punishments


    "First Punishment."


    An invisible pole of air struck his sides. I had used all my might topress the air into a pole.


    He yelled in pain as the force bent him over and sent him flying. He crashed into the ground and gouged out a trail. He desperately tried to cover himself with the ck membrane he had showed me just before, but---.


    "It''s no use."


    My words echoed throughout the battlefield, and he was nketed in the invisible threads in his path which exploded all at once. The scorching heat engulfed his entirety, ck membrane and all.


    "You---" he began.


    Idiot. If you have the time to open your mouth, then you should be trying to escape from ¡ºNine Punishments¡».


    "Second Punishment."


    In an instant, another invisible pole of air swept into him from the side.


    "Third Punishment."


    From the northwest---.


    "Fourth Punishment."


    From the southeast---.


    "Fifth Punishment."


    From the northeast---.


    "Sixth Punishment."


    From the southwest---.


    "Seventh Punishment."


    From the center of the birdcage---.


    Like a ping pong ball, he bounced about the battlefield, setting off explosion after explosion.


    "Eighth Punishment."


    Finally, he was raised into the air, setting off yet another explosion. And then---.


    "Ninth Punishment.


    A colossal air pole dozens of meters long crashed into his head from above.


    He rapidly descended, piercing into the ground, causing a cave-in. The pitfalls we had dug day in and day out had probably weakened the earth, causing this copse.


    I manipted the air to fly up and confirm whether he was dead or not.


    "Woah, I''m surprised."


    His legs were torn apart at the femur, and his left arm was crushed to bits, but his head and chest were mostly fine. He had judged that the ck membrane wouldn''t cover his body in time, so he had protected the more vital parts.


    I had predicted I would take his life with that attack. He must have even more battle sense that I had thought to survive that attack while on the brink of death. It''s a good thing he underestimated me. If not for this birdcage, I might have had a lot of trouble.


    In any case, he can''t fight in that condition anymore. It''s check. Let''s hurry up and end this.


    I raised my right palm in the air and casted¡¾Skaei Palm¡¿, and a whirlwind of ck clouds appeared above. Two arms, dozens of meters in length, slowly appeared out of the clouds.


    This magic would cleanly erase everything, the birdcage included.


    "Are you......part of......The Council?" he asked with a fiery rage in his eyes. I felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu at his question.


    "The Council? No idea what you mean."


    Although I had said that, his words had stimted something deep inside me, and I subconsciously scratched at my chest.


    "What''s happening?"


    I can''t control my own emotions? Me, of all people?


    "Haha......I guess I''m......wrong. You seem......to be just like us ?"


    His fiery rage from before disappeared, and he grinned at me in ecstasy.


    "The same? What do you mean?"


    "Yes......You are......that kind of existence......so......no matter who you are......it......doesn''t matter huh ?"


    "Can you not just reject me and act like you''ve understood everything?"


    "Soon......you''ll understand."


    "Seriously. Stop saying these vague words and acting like you know everything!"


    Talking with your enemy in the middle of battle was not only frivolous, but harmful. That''s what I should have believed, but Ished out in irritation. I can''t keep up with my feelings. It''s like I''m actually 12 years old.


    "Dad---" he began, but began coughing up blood as strength drained from his body. He probably lost consciousness.


    I had already casted ¡¾Skaei Palm¡¿, and this shitty incident would meet its end once I lowered my arm. And yet---.


    "I wonder why?"


    Was I hesitating? I couldn''t deny the fact that he, who had been spewing philosophical stuff, had unsettled me. Still, he had hindered my goals, and had turned tens of thousands of humans into undead. This was a war, so I had no intention of bragging about how evil he was. But if I let him live, he would surely be an obstacle in my ns. Yeah, I should just dispose of him here.


    I ignored the smoldering rms that were going off in my head and lowered my arm.


    The moment the two arms from¡¾Skaei Palm¡¿converged into a dazzling light, they burned up in ck mes and turned into fine charcoal in an instant before falling to the ground. At the same time, the ck mes raced out in all directions and burned all the threads to ashes.


    Then, I saw a man with ck, swept back hair wearing a monocle standing before me with the purple-suited man slung over his shoulder.


    He radiated ck mana that threatened to shake the ground and an intense pressure that seemed to burn at your skin. I had no doubt he was above me. And though he was just standing with his hands in his pockets, I couldn''t imagine winning.


    I had very few memories left of my previous life, but my soul had faintly remembered men like him who had specialized in battle, no, broken men who could only find meaning amidst conflict.


    ---Conflict over love!


    ---Conflict over friendship!


    ---Conflict over lust!


    ---Conflict over greed!


    He would offer not just himself, of course, but everything that was essential as a human to the gods of war to get drunk on the fine wine that was victory. He had no concept of carelessness. I''d have to face his full brunt from the get-go if I wanted to take him down.


    These past couple of years, I had been immersed in lukewarm water, and would be at a slight disadvantage to this insane man.


    "The fact that that I''m here means our ns havee to naught. These guys won''te out anymore," he said.


    "That''s good to hear."


    This is bad. It looks like he''s enraged. I might have stepped on andmine.


    "Should I kill him here......yeah, let''s do that. I''ll feel refreshed if I kill him."


    His ck eyes dyed red, and the color diffused over his hair and skin. At the same time, his canines lengthened, and the ground beneath him boiled likeva as a faint amount of miasma seeped out of his legs.


    "Let''s try this out."


    He was a monster, not in a metaphorical sense, but a true monster. Not only was he not underestimating me as a child, but this was already a disadvantageous fight. However, I still had a chance. I''d fight back with all I had.


    "......"


    The man, who had literally transformed into a monster, silently stepped forward, but something grabbed at his sleeve.


    "Nero?"


    The monsterified man knit his eyebrows and looked down at his shoulders at Nero, the purple-suited man who was supposed to be unconscious.


    "I see. This was your game."


    The red-haired monster closed his eyes and looked up at the sky but turned his back to me when he reverted to a human and looked over his shoulder.


    "What''s your name?" he asked.


    "Grey Mird."


    "Grey Mird. I''lle kill you when I feel like it."


    The red mes around him quivered as he disappeared in an instant.


    I''ve caught the eye of quite the troublesome guy. I really can''t deal with battle-crazed people. Those kinds of people stuck to their word. I had no doubt he would soon appear before me.


    There was nothing more annoying, but I probably needed to be at least as strong.


    In any case, the mastermind left, and the undead returned to dust. I still didn''t really know what they were aiming for, but the ck-haired man had oh so thankfully burned the blue dragon for me.


    Now, this farce was finally over. I raised my right hand, and a tsunami of cheers assaulted the once-silent battlefield.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 52 - Another Battle—Lyase

    Annoyed, Lyase wiped the sweat off her brow, ced her hand on the wounded man''s chest, and activated her healing magic.


    The Medical Treatment Team brought in soldier after soldier, mercenary after mercenary. She separated them into the heavily wounded who needed immediate treatment, theparatively fine moderately wounded, and the lightly wounded who could recover on their own as she went tent to tent, healing the patients.


    Lyase and her brother, Roche, were working on those that didn''t need emergency treatment such as the moderately wounded and the ill. Those that needed emergency treatment were treated by the adult veterans of the Sagami Co. Medical Treatment Team as well as Sate-chan and the Saintess[1], her Highness Lilinor.


    Roche kept silent as he healed the wounded. His paleplexion indicated that he had reached his limit a long time ago, but the reason his hands kept on moving was probably because of Grey''s words.


    As Grey had stated, if Zem had lost his life because he had trusted Roche, then it was the duty of the survivors, Roche and Lyase, to live up to his expectations. It didn''t matter if they had to be heroes, nor if the path was filled with thorns.


    "We are nobles---we''re themanders!! Treat us before you treat those dirtymon soldiers!!"


    Lyase turned towards the nobles d in luxurious armor who were pitifully wailing away.


    Seriously. How many times had this happened? Lyase wished someone would do something about these people who kept stopping her treatment with the same verbal tug-of-war.


    At first, employees of Sagami Co. tried persuading them politely, but now they just grimaced in displeasure and ignored the nobles. Well, no wonder. No matter how you looked at it, they hadn''t sustained wounds that needed to be healed.


    "Count Noval-dono, that brat is the scoundrel who raised his hand against the son of his Excellency, Duke Cyrus!" said a plump man with curly golden hair from behind.


    He was Viscount Dolt Magotta. He was the man who branded us in the Scarlet Phoenix as cowards and the one who had pulled the trigger that led to Zem''s death.


    Roche should have hated him to death, but he didn''t spare the viscount a second nce and continued to treat the ill soldiers.


    "I see, then arrest him. We can gift him to Duke Cyrus when he triumphantly returns from fighting on the front lines."


    Does he even understand what this situation is?


    There were so many wounded in the infirmary, many of whom were gasping for breath. Since Lyase and the other healers reaching their limit in terms of magic, they had to be careful how they spent it. After all, their decisions affected whether someone lived or died.


    Upon the orders of the tall noble, Count Noval, his brawny guards surrounded Roche.


    "Hurry up and drag that filthymoner outside. This shall be our infirmary!" he proudly announced.


    The soldiers attending to the heavily wounded and the mercenaries who had volunteered themselves and gotten injured all began ring in reproach, but the count didn''t seem to notice.


    "Enough already! Have a look around. Do you really think we have the time to go along with your selfishness!?" yelled Tana-san, a temporary helper from Tote who had been summoned by Ca-chan.


    Count Noval merely folded his arms and repeatedly tapped his foot on the ground in supposed irritation.


    "Do you even recognize who you''re talking to!?"


    "Yes. You''re a cowardly noble who ran away from the battlefield after sustaining those wounds, right?"


    Count Noval raised the hilt of his sword and struck Tana-san from the side.


    However, not only did she not stagger, she didn''t even budge an inch. If not for the slight amount of blood puddling out of her mouth, you couldn''t even tell she had been struck.


    "Whatever. These guys are stray dogs who have bitten Duke Cyrus. It''s only a matter of time before they''re put down. Take me out!"


    His attending soldiers who had all unsheathed their swords pointed them towards Lyase and the others.


    Roche, who normally would have immediately overreacted, didn''t spare the soldiers even a second nce and continued with his recovery magic.


    "Hmm. Tana, they''re enemies, so I can eat them right?" asked Dora-chan[2], the young girl with ck hair who had been sleeping in the corner up until now, as she slowly roused and wiped the drool off her face.


    "No, you can''t. You''ll hurt your stomach if you keep eating strange things. And they''re bound to taste bad, too." Tana-san put her hand over her face, fed up with the situation.


    "Tch. I haven''t eaten anything since this morning so I''m hungry."


    Her stomach adorably rumbled.


    "Grey-sama is soon to return. Tonight we''ll have a feast, so be patient until then. Okay?"


    "Yes! I understand!"


    "Feast~, feast~, a feast?" she began strangely humming as she happily twirled around the room. The soldiers knit their brows and looked to each other in confusion.


    Well, no wonder. Even during this brutally tense situation where swords had been drawn, Dora-chan didn''t have a single trace of fear on her face.


    "What mockery! Get them!" Count Noval yelled in hysterics.


    In response, Tana-san narrowed her eyes, and the heavily wounded female mercenary, Fox, stood up while stagger and spit out, "Good grief. I finally understand how he feels, although it''s toote now."


    Fox was a formerpanion that knew Lyase and had, after that incident, parted ways with Leader Aquido, her former lover.


    She had sustained heavy wounds and was on the verge of death, and had just been brought into the tent, but was currently resting in the corner after having been healed by Tana-san.


    "Don''t do anything rash. You shouldn''t stand yet," Tana-san chided.


    Like she had said, even though Fox''s wounds were treated, thetter had been on the verge of death, if but for an instant. There''s no way she could fully recover right after that. Her wounds would reopen if she so much as moved, and yet she had been wanting to return to the battlefield.


    "What about you guys?" yelled Fox. The other mercenaries who had also been brought in stood up at once and unsheathed their swords.


    "F-Fox, are you insane!? We''re the ones employing you. This is clear treason! Don''t think you''ll be forgiven---" wailed Dolt Magotta pitifully, but Fox cut him off.


    "Shut up! To hell with treason! We''ve risked our lives on the battlefield! Many of ourpanions and subordinates have been wounded and killed. That''s how fierce this battle is. And for you, who scurried away from that hell as quickly as you could to call this your infirmary!? Don''t be ridiculous! Here, the healers calmly judge who to heal first based on how heavy the wounds are, regardless if they''re amon soldier or a mercenary. This is a ce of hope for us soldiers. So let me return your words and say, stop holding us back!!"


    "A filthy mercenary, mocking us!"


    The mercenaries faintly smiled in disdain towards Dolt and Count Noval, who were red with anger, and regripped their swords. It seems they''re serious.


    "Stop this instance!" Everyone turned towards the entrance of the tent where the voice hade from to see a silver-haired girl standing there with her hands at her hips.


    "If it''s not your Highness, the princess!"


    Starting with Count Noval, the nobles all began to kneel down and then the mercenaries and soldiers. Tana-san and Lyase followed suit, kneeling down and bowing their heads.


    Behind her were her Highness''s personal guards who had been helping Lyase out. They had probably gone to her Highness to calm the situation down.


    "Count Noval. I heard that you were trying to requisition this facility for yourself. Is this true?" she asked, her usual carefree tone gone. You could easily tell from her voice that she was quite angry.


    "Of course, we are proud citizens of the empire. The esteemed Emperor Emeritus[3] had provided us this facility, and I had foolishly thought that it would be most appropriate for them to act under my orders.


    Nobody said a word against this irrational argument that truly was a foolish thought. Naturally, it was because they were so bbergasted. The Emperor Emeritus held more authority than the current in this empire, and if they, whose power came from the Emperor Emeritus, used his name, everything would go as they pleased. He had given that statement with that knowledge, however, that only held during political talks.


    "This facility is operated under his Majesty''s name. I find it difficult to understand why you''re bringing my grandfather''s name."


    Lilinor''s voice dropped an octave. She had heard of Zem''s deaths and rumors about Grey, so her mood was at its worst. This facility, especially, had been directly assigned to her by his Majesty Georg. Requisitioning this facility meant picking a fight with both his Majesty Georg and her Highness Lilinor, so it was no wonder she was this worked up, and you could see the disgrace written over her personal knights.


    "Your Highness, these is advanced political talk, so please understand."


    "His Majesty has entrusted this entire facility to me. You have no right to interfere!"


    "Your Highness, the Emperor Emeritus would be sad!"


    "Really, why is this turning into a conversation about my grandfather!"


    Lilinor seriously couldn''t follow. How much longer would this nonsensical farce continue in this country.


    "Shut up. If you''ve time to talk then hurry up and recover. You''re wounded too so get some rest. Outsiders are forbidden to enter; hurry up and leave,"ined Roche.


    Like an icicle had been held to their necks, a freezing chill ran down their spines.


    His statement was truly egregious towards both a court noble and her Highness.


    Count Noval nkly stared at Roche, but a fat vein soon popped on his forehead.


    "A dirtymoner brat dares to think he''s a saint just because he can use holy magic!"


    "Your Highness, this brat raised violence against Duke Cyrus''s son. You should hurry up and arrest him!"


    How ridiculous. If he truly needed to be arrested, they would have arrested him alongside Grey. Even the rumors that had spread on the streets all stated that the one who had raised violence was Zem, and they didn''t mention Roche''s name at all. That was the truth that they themselves should have been screaming about. Although, formon sense that even a child could understand to not apply was truly representative of this empire.


    "You''re wrong! This child only tried to save the Radol! I was there at the time, so there''s no way I could be wrong!!" yelled a wounded soldier as he got up to kneel.


    "Your Highness, If I may, I have evidence as well. When that noble raised violence towards the Radols, Duke Cyrus''s son killed one of the Radols and was about to kill the Radol''s wife when that child stepped in to help. This is the truth!" said another soldier in agreement with the previous one. Chatter quickly spread throughout the tent.


    "Wha!? S-such nonsense will get you---" Dolt Magotta began to object, but his sword was struck to the ground.


    "It''s not nonsense!!"


    Dolt gaped at the person who struck his sword down and gasped in exasperation, "What are you doing!?"


    And he should have. That person was the nobles'' personal knight and someone who had pointed his sword at Lyase.


    "I''m done with all this! Noble my ass! Emperor Emeritus my ass! People die because of those words. That Radol guy and that kid''spanion were even killed for fun by nobles and the Hero. And yet, and yet. During this entire cowardly and worthless conversation, that kid hasn''t rested for even a second and has continued to heal everyone. I just feel so deplorable. When did the adults of this country turn so rotten!?"


    One person bit their lip in response, and another''s grip trembled in affliction.


    "......"


    One by one, the soldiers threw their swords onto the ground and sat down.


    "Do you think you''ll get off scot-free after defying me!?" threatened Dolt with a face dyed in abhorrence. But nobody budged an inch.


    "We do," said two males who had entered the tend amidst this chaos. One was a young man wearing gaudy clothes with thin eyes who had his long blonde hair tied up behind him, and the other was a middle-aged man with short ck hair and a stubble.


    "Who are you guys!" demanded Dolt.


    Count Noval''s eyes darted about as he struck Dolt in the chest.


    "This is his Excellency, Marquis Rainer. Please forgive his insolence."


    The moment he heard Rainer, Dolt''s face paled.


    "Sure. I''ve already fulfilled my goal. I won''t personally take action this time. But you know, you''ve really scratched away at my ns, so I''m thinking of letting you off with a death sentence. Do you understand?"


    "A death sentence......you say?" Count Noval hesitantly asked.


    Rainer''s face warped into an evil smile and turned back to Dolt.


    "We, the Commerce Guild, have just finalized the decision to permanently freeze all transactions with Duke Cyrus and the Magottas. And you, Dolt-kun. You have a huge loan. I request that you promptly return the money."


    "W-wait a moment. That''s preposterous!"


    "Even if you say that, aren''t you and Duke Cyrus the ones who openly picked a fight with the guild?"


    "I-I''ve done no such thing towards the guild!"


    "No no no. The guild members from the empire have really had a hard time because of you. Truly, a single misstep might have sentenced our fathend to death. It''s a miracle that things have ended with just this. Seriously, I can''t thank the local ns who cooperated with me enough."


    "Well, I will take my leave now."


    With the situation having clearly turned for the worse, Count Noval bowed once and fled the tent, leaving Dolt behind.


    Even Lyase knew how fearful the Guild was, but she felt an intense difort at the fact the nobles who hadn''t even faltered at her Highness were now unseemly and ridiculously shaking.


    The silent short-haired man behind Rainer-san stepped forward and presented a piece of parchment from his pocket.


    "Viscount Dolt Magotta. You are charged with beingplicit in both the murder of a Radol as well as swindling the Commerce Guild. We ask you to show yourself at the Department of Justice. If you resist, we''ll have to eliminate you ourselves."


    The short-haired man snapped his fingers, upon which several armed soldiers surrounded Dolt.


    "You have no evidence and yet such folly?!"


    "Evidence? Exin that to the judge during your trial. I don''t have the authority to decide your punishment."


    The short-haired man signaled with his jaw, and the soldiers then bound Dolt by the hands.


    "Please wait!"


    The man began to walk Dolt, who was crying and pleading, away, and bowed once at her Highness and Rainer before exiting the tent.


    "Uncle Rainer-sama. Thank you."


    "No need to thank me. Grey-kun is our Guild''s most valuable asset. I''d be troubled if we tripped up at such a ce."


    At that time, a wave of cheers erupted from outside.


    "C''mon. It seems they''re finishing up outside."


    Her Highness ced her hands over her chest and closed her eyes in relief and said, "Now, everyone. Just a little bit longer."


    At her urging, Lyase and the others resumed their healing.


    [1] Don''t remember if I''ve already made this change so I might be repeating myself, but I changed the title, Holy Woman to Saintess thanks to ament a while back.


    [2] So this is the first time they''ve actually used her name in this series. I had assumed it was a title before, and had tranted Dorahachi to Eight-Headed Dragon, as it''s clearly a fusion of dragon and eight in Japanese(hachi). I''ll now refer to her full name as Drahachi, and her nickname as Dora. Sorry for the confusion guys.


    [3] Changed previous emperor to Emperor Emeritus. His title wasn''t brought up much before, but we''ve now learned that he holds more power politically than the current emperor. I''ve reflected this in the title, Emperor Emeritus, which basically refers to a retired emperor and is a term used for Japanese emperors.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 53 - Unlucky Words

    While a storm of delight swept over the battlefield in north Suthend, I forced mynguid body up and returned to myrades.


    "Yo, o child of disorder."


    "Hm?"


    Suddenly, a voice reverberated within my head. I scanned my surroundings but didn''t see anything other than the burntnds via the fiery mes a short while ago.


    "I thank you for releasing my soul."


    I tried focusing my vision and saw a blue speck floating just in front of me.


    Release, huh. That means---.


    "So you''re that undead blue dragon?"


    "Yeah, that''s me. It''s pitiful, but I was defeated by that me monster and turned into an undead."


    "I see. My condolences."


    Most things hit by that attack would have probably been burned to a crisp without offering any resistance. He was just unlucky.


    "No. That body was reaching its limit, so it was about time it was destroyed."


    "Oh, That''s quite the subjective statement."


    An ancient dragon. I''m really interested in how they function.


    "That''s also wrong. We are not very attached to life or death. In fact, as long as we have our soul, we could create another body given a couple dozen years."


    "So you''re eternally immortal. That''s sounds too good to be true."


    "That''s not quite right either. If we''re turned into an undead and our soul bound, the strong our soul is, the worse it gets. This incident has drilled that into me."


    "I see. So, if you have no business, then I''m going to go back. I''m quite tired, you see."


    I was seriously on myst legs. I had casted the grand spells,¡¾Crimson Meteors¡¿and¡¾Birdcage¡¿after all---I was out of gas, so to speak. I wanted to refrain from any useless banter. If he wanted to go to heaven then just go.


    "Then let me ask you one thing."


    "What?"


    "What are you trying to aplish with that much power?"


    "I''m trying to open truth''s door of knowledge."


    "......"


    The blue dragon was speechless at my prompt response.


    "......Are you saying that despite understanding the weight of your words?"


    "I probably understand more than you."


    Magic opens up new windows into the unknown, but those windows are merely vague outlines. And the other side of those seemingly close yet far windows might even lead to destruction. Even still, it''s infinitely better than stagnating. The other side contains knowledge that would tingle my unknowing soul, after all.


    And I---.


    "......I see. That sounds interesting."


    Ever since, that voice never came again. He probably ascended to heaven or something. Honestly, I couldn''t care less about what had happened to the ancient dragon.


    Now, there was no reason to stay here any longer. I''d like for my participation in this battle to be kept as much of a secret as possible. It would be much more convenient to keep myself hidden while I conducted my schemes, after all. More precisely, I''d be under the appearance of keeping myself hidden.


    I casted¡¾Wind Maniption¡¿and floated into the air, gliding over the castle gates all the way to my room in Straheim''s Sagami Co. before diving into my bed.


    "Just like always, it''s an old bed." I thought. "This goes on the checklist too......"


    And with that idiotic thought, I crashed.


    After a familiarly unfulfilled sleep, I opened my eyes to see my maid, clutching me in her sleep like I was a hug pillow. On top of that, Drahachi was snoring while attached to my stomach.


    I''m not a hug pillow. Well, they were a child and a dragon; it was useless to try to persuade them.


    "And you are?" I asked the beautiful woman who was reclining on the chair while curiously observing me.


    "Me? Guess."


    Really? My head was pounding like I had a hangover, and I really didn''t want to use my brain at the moment.


    "A pervert?" I guessed.


    "Look here......"


    She kept her usual smile, but a vein bulged on her forehead.


    "Hm. That''s what people in society call those who regrly enter another''s room without their permission. Forgive me."


    "The cat''s already out of the bag!"


    "You could say that."


    I had just recently heard her clear voice, and there was her blue hair to boot. I had noticed mid-sentence."


    "What an inconsiderate guy," she huffed.


    "So? How did you get that body?"


    "Trade secret."


    "Hey!!"


    I was already at my worst condition, and I wanted at least a smooth conversation.


    "I mean, you''ll definitely get angry if I tell you."


    She crossed her arms and fidgeted, averting her eyes away.


    I have a terrible feeling about this.


    "What did you do?"


    "Well, it''s water under the bridge, so it''s fine, right. And I swear I''m not the sort that''ll trouble you. (Although I''m not sure about now)"


    No trouble, huh. If so, then it''s a trivial matter.


    Besides, this headache made me not want to think too hard. Let''s go back to sleep.


    I shut my eyes once again and began drifting off to sleep.


    "I am Sylphid. You can call me Sylphi. I think we''ll be together for a while, so nice to meet you."


    How unlucky.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 53.5 - The Start to Everything

    ---Above the castle walls, north of Suthend.


    Two people looked down at the whirlpool of delight surrounding the ins that spanned north of Suthend.


    "It''s over. I''m bringing out the gate."


    The ck-haired youth with a seriously evil re turned his back to the ins.


    "Are you sure?" asked a handsome, muscr man with dark indigo skin who gloomily tugged at his golden hair.


    "In the first ce, nobody told me that we were up against an ¡¾Invincible¡¿"


    "Yes, carelessly prodding that quack of a fighter who had miraculously stepped back would only be like fighting against a venomous snake."


    "This mission was to "teach Suthend about the undead," and we already aplished that."


    "Although we didn''t do anything."


    "In the end, it doesn''t matter as long as it''s saved."


    "Oh. The seven heroes of the world would say otherwise, though."


    "Stop making fun of me."


    A ck door abruptly appeared in front of the ck-haired youth. An ominous red aura endlessly seeped out of the door like a haze.


    "Hm?"


    A seed of doubt leaked out of the muscr man''s mouth.


    The ck-haired youth pointed his hand at the door.


    "Hey, what are you doing!?" demanded the muscr man who grew intensely uneasy.


    "I''m breaking it, of course."


    The ck-haired youth quietly gripped his palm.


    "Stoooop!!"


    At the same time the muscr man jumped forward to stop the youth, the door shattered into particles.


    "What do you think you''re doing!!?" raged the muscr man, grabbing the ck-haired youth by the cor.


    "Don''t worry. I have an emergency bracelet for returning. Now that the gate is destroyed, it should be forcefully activated any moment now.


    "That''s not what I mean!! Not only is there an ¡¾Invincible¡¿and someone from ¡¾Hell¡¿ , the other ¡¾Cardinal Sins¡¿will probably regroup here. And most importantly, have you forgotten what Grid said!? Even that guy might be here!"


    "Not might. Is."


    "Then that''s all the more reason we should deal with this. Destroying the gate means nobody from the outside can interfere with this world anymore. We of the Council won''t be able to intervene in this world anymore!"


    "Yeah, but at the same time, that guy can''t leave this world."


    "Don''t fuck with me! Are you nning to pin our failures onto the inhabitants of this world? That''s the same as locking this world up with that monster you know?"


    "The inhabitants of the world always had to deal with the crises of their world. It''s too arrogant for us to fix all their problems. Don''t you agree?"


    "Nonsense! We of the Council were the ones who instigated this crisis!"


    "Maybe. But you know, he''ll definitely be fine."


    The ck-haired youth looked down at the masked boy who was bathing in cheers. His eyes held a hint of loneliness and filled with envy.


    "I really can''t understand what you''re thinking."


    "I bet."


    The muscr man violently released the ck-haired youth and shook his head.


    "I''m reporting this to Grid."


    "No need. I mean, he was the one who ordered for the gate''s destruction."


    Now, the muscr man''s jaw dropped to the ground.


    "D-d-did he make use here?"


    "Yes. The mission was just a cover; destroying the gate was the actual order."


    The muscr man trembled for a while, but then shouted, "That shitty clown! You''ve schemed yet another dark and disgusting n!!"


    Then, he abruptly disappeared.


    "It''s about time for me too."


    The ck-haired youth once again looked down at the masked boy standing in the ins.


    "---"


    He muttered something, but the deafening cheers and gale drowned it out.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 54 - The End of a Journey

    Chapter 54


    The End of a Journey


    The unprecedented crisis that struck the empire ended with the empire skirting by with victory.


    But although they won, the northern portion had been almostpletely destroyed, and their national power severely reduced. On top of that, the local ns were the ones who had been governing thends that had fallen to destruction. It was obvious that the court nobles'' power would only rise from here on out.


    And to nobody''s surprise, the court nobles pressed for a reward, iming that the battle''s sess was due to the efforts of the army and especially of Duke Cyrus who had fought on the front lines.


    I think a gag order had probably been issued, because at first, the streets were overflowing with bards who only sang praises of the army''s. This was exactly what I, who didn''t want to receive recognition, had desired, but things didn''t go exactly as nned.


    Suspicion of Duke Cyrus''s betrayal flowed through the streets. Many concluded Duke Cyrus had been aware of the iing attack onto Thermax and had fled thends with his family assets without making any countermeasures, something made clear though the testimonies of Duke Cyrus''s servants and the torturers he had hired. One of his servants had even provided clear proof thatpletely annulled his achievements.


    This exposure set off a chain reaction of rumors that Duke Cyrus had wanted to cover up, like the unreasonable and sometimes even illegal deeds he hadmitted in Thermax and the other areas that he controlled. The rumors quickly spread throughout Suthend and even incited the citizens to a riot. In the end, it reached the point where the Department of Justice had to step in.


    The Commerce Guild then delivered the coup de grace by banning all trade with Duke Cyrus. There was not a single person in this world who conducted business without any affiliation to the guild. It didn''t get more urate than that; as long as you were affiliated with the guild, you could expect safely and fairly conduct business and earn profit. Moreover, the registration fee wasn''t even that high for merchants, so even stalls on the street became affiliated with the guild. Basically, the Commerce Guild''s prohibition of trade with Duke Cyrus meant he couldn''t even buy things out in the open. Naturally, he could still purchase goods off of other nobles or servants, but if the guild were to find out, they would probably extend the prohibition to those nobles and servants as well. Nobody would want that, so I found it hard to believe that anyone would continue associating with Duke Cyrus in the future.


    You could say that it all manifested out of Duke Cyrus''s arrest and trial.


    The court nobles and the imperial government probably bargained a lot, but in the end, the court nobles decided to cut off the proverbial tail.


    Working off of that decision, Yukihiro the Hero spilled the events surrounding the murder of the Radol, of which he, Mawlek Cyrus, and Viscount Dolt Magotta were a part of. Soon after, supporting testimonies began to appear left and right.


    And so, the dishonor that had been cast upon us had finally been cleared.


    I had protected the honor of myrades. That was a wonderful thing, but honestly, this was quite unexpected.


    "Grey Mird, I grant you the title of Baron," said Prime Minister Elle, reading a document aloud next to the emperor.


    "With all due respect, I refuse."


    That wasn''t a joke. I wanted to eliminate Archive''s nobility system in its entirety, so epting a peerage would only be setting a bad example.


    I also couldn''t think of any good reason they would have to give me a peerage.


    "A man as wise as you may have already guessed, but I''m sorry, you have no right to refuse," said Prime Minister Elle, hanging his head in apology.


    The prime minister''s awfully respectful attitude towards me drew in curious gazes from the knights and officials around. In contrast, the emperor just looked on in amusement.


    "Are you telling me to restore thends damaged by the undead?" I asked.


    "I want you to oversee thends to the very north. You can do that, right?" emphasized the emperor without answering my question.


    "Please don''t change the question. Whether I can or can''t has no rtion to this matter. There''s no way everyone will ept this absurd reward you''re giving me. It''ll definitely engender strife."


    "I could say the same back to you. I mean, there''s been strife since way back. It''s almost hopeless at this point. A little increase here or there means nothing.


    As I recalled, the northern mostnds contained an area of high mountains unsuited for the Mirds to develop, and over 80 percent of the people living there were Radols. Judging from the court nobles'' actions, their dissatisfaction towards the empire has umted to the point where it could detonate at any moment now.


    "I understand. I ept. However, I have several conditions."


    "Say whatever you please."


    He was definitely doing it on purpose, but this No**ta of an Emperor''s [1] pompous attitude really struck a nerve.


    "Once I start developing thend, you can''t take requisition it and just p on a random reason. I want a document that clearly defines thisnd as mine from here on out."


    Although I didn''t know how useful that document would be in this empire.


    "But of course. Work away for my empire."


    When I look at this emperor who''s beaming away without any knowledge of what hardships his people will have to go through, I seriously want to punch him.


    "Also, about me---"


    "There''s no cause for concern. Oi, Elle."


    Prime Minister Elle began reading the rest of the contents of the parchment aloud.


    "Sir Grey, we entrust to you the northern territory, formerly known as the David Territory. In ordance, we bestow upon you the name Ines Navarro."


    "How about it?" the emperor chimed in. "As of today, you are no longer Grey Mird, but Baron Grey Ines Navarro. We''ll also be giving you your rewards under the name Ines Navarro."


    "What are you scheming?" I asked.


    "It''s just simple kindness, Grey. You''re too suspecting of everything. Rely on us adults more."


    If I found someone actually trustworthy then I would. This emperor was quite the sly dog, and I wasn''t so happy-go-lucky to cling to an imaginary hope.


    "Let''s leave it at that. I take it this discussion is over?"


    Prime Minister Elle gave a bitter smile, and that blockhead of an emperorined with, "Don''t get so worked up."


    "Well then, I''ll take my leave."


    I straightened my posture, bowed, and turned on my heels.


    "Ah, that''s right. Do you know the conditions for obtaining a peerage," he asked.


    Conditions for obtaining a peerage huh.


    "If your father is also a noble, then it''s handed down through military achievements or inherited?"


    As I recalled, if your father is a noble, you could obtain a peerage through military achievements or inheritance. Other than that, only knighthoods were handed out in this day and age.


    My father was, more or less, Rais Mird. A noble. Not only were there no age limitations for obtaining a peerage, I should have fulfilled the condition of a military achievement.


    "Formally, yes. However, there are some exceptions when ites to granting one through military achievement."


    Another one of their tightfisted customs. I honestly felt only disgust.


    "What is it? Please spare my from any further annoyances."


    Prime Minister Elle and the other officials awkwardly nced away, and the emperorughed as if he were a brat who had just seeded in a prank.


    "They need to have graduated from the empire''s Magic Knight Academy."


    "What?"


    Hey, hey, really......


    "Once you hurry and finish all the procedures for entering the academy, I''d like you to head over to the capital next month. Don''t worry, you''ll definitely pass."


    I have so many things to say.


    "You know, who''s going to manage thend while I''m in the academy?" I asked.


    "You''ll be going to the academy as an Ines Navarro while managing thend at the same time, of course."


    "What? I thought my obtaining a peerage banked on my graduation?"


    "No, as long as there is sufficient need to manage a territory and you have the governments approval, they can be granted a peerage on the condition that they graduate within ten years."


    "There''s no way that such an oddly specific system is in ce!"


    "There is. It''s customary after all. I don''t really mind, though."


    Then throw that custom down the drain!


    I desperately held in my urge to scream and settled my raging mind. In negotiations, those who lose their cool always lose, something you could say history has proven that time and time again.


    "The new territory is in the northernmost part of the empire. Do you think that''s possible?"


    Even Prime Minister Elle knew about my teleportation, so there''s no way the emperor wouldn''t. I knew this was a futile struggle, but I asked anyways.


    "I do. As long as it''s none other than you," the emperor dered with a smile of satisfaction as if he had just won.


    His pushiness was starting to tire me. I had half a mind to just up and leave this country.


    "Greyyy" said a silver-haired girl who appeared out of Cyril Vi. Upon seeing me, she burst into a face full of smiles and started waving her hands.


    "Lily, don''t fall over."


    "I know---"


    Without betraying my expectations, Lilinorpletely fell forward, so I grabbed her by the waist and embraced her.


    This would probably make a lovely picture if I were an adult, but it was really more of a brother being embraced by his older sister. How pitiful.


    "I said to be careful."


    "S-sorry."


    Lilinor hung her head, her facepletely red, so I reached up to pat her.


    "Well, take care."


    I separated from Lilinor, waved my hand, and began walking towards the Mird tent. Tonight, I would leave Suthend with my grandfather, Dimer McGwire. Lilinor was a princess and I had heard she was going to an exceptional school for nobledies. This would probably be thest time I, who had be a mere low-rank noble, would associate myself with someone of her stature.


    It wasn''t that I was sad or anything, but I a lot of problems had been pushed onto me. I was probably better off not associating myself with Lilinor, who had the makings of a troublemaker, any more than necessary.


    "Yeah, see you," she quietly said. I turned my back to her ominous words and headed to the tent.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Right now, we''re heading to the McGwire estate.


    "Thank you for tagging along, Margrave McBurn."


    "It''s not a big deal. I had some business around here anyways, so I''m killing two birds with one stone."


    A bad lie as usual. I found it hard to believe that a margrave who always spent his time in the capital would suddenly have reason to visit here.


    "We''re almost there. I''ll send a horse over to notify our imminent arrival," said my grandfather, Dimer McGwire, who turned to Margrave McBurn for confirmation.


    "Hm, that should be fine."


    It seemed that my grandfather hadn''t been able to calm down for a while. He''s probably deliberating about my mother.


    Upon seeing the seemingly normal rye fields, an inexplicable surge of emotions burst forth.


    Once I understood that they were the happy memories inside Grey Mird''s brain, I could more or less exin these emotions.


    However, these memories were merely recorded in my brain for safekeeping. It was like watching a video of intermittent events of another person''s life. Could that really have moved me this much?


    Even though I had lived in this world for several years after reincarnating, I felt absolutely no love for my family.


    My shitty stepmother certainly yed arge factor, but she wasn''t the only one living in the Mird estate. In fact, I think I''ve actually built a good rtionship with everyone besides her and her followers. And yet I felt an intense alienation and an intense purpose, even almost a duty, to leave thend. Those feelings had felt like chains restraining my arms and feet.


    My grandfather jumped out of the carriage the moment it stopped. I followed after him and exited the carriage.


    He immediately began running towards the estate, even though Margrave McBurn, a guest, was present.


    "Sorry, Margrave," I said.


    "No, no. I''m fine. Hurry and follow after him," he said with a beaming smile.


    "Thanks."


    At the estate I was greeted by the people who used to be my family.


    A kind, young man with red hair and the woman next to him who had golden hair were my uncle and aunt. At least, that''s what I thought. There were also my cousins next to them.


    "Are you Grey?"


    This is a good opportunity. I''ll inform them that I''m not participating in the battle for the session rights of the McGwire family.


    "Yes. I''m Grey Ines Navarro. It''s been a while, Uncle."


    "Ines Navarro? Weren''t you a Mird?"


    As expected, my statement raised a few eyebrows.


    "Yes. It was never my intention, but his Majesty forcefully bestowed me a peerage so my name''s been changed to that."


    I''ll make it the emperor''s fault for now. He''s thrown so many problems my way already, so it''s time for me to put him to use.


    "His Majesty bestowed you a peerage? Father, I can''t even begin to understand......"


    Well. The emperor was quite friendly, but there was normally a huge gap between your average noble and the emperor. They could only take it as a strange joke.


    "Grey has already obtained a peerage and territory. Thus, he will not be involved in the McGwire family''s session rights," said my grandfather, sending help my way while I was trying to figure out how to exin everything.


    "......"


    Still, the two continued to stare at me as if doubting my sanity.


    It seems I''ve failed tomunicate once again. No wonder I''ve lost my normal ability to stay calm.


    That also doesn''t seem to be here.


    "I guarantee Grey-kun''s status," said Margrave McBurn who waste to the party. Time seemed to finally begin to move again, and my grandfather motioned towards a maid who bounded up to the second floor.


    "Guu-chan! Guu-chan!"


    I heard a forceful yet desperate voicee from the door, where I saw a pink woman looking down at me from the stairs.


    "I see......"


    I finally pinpointed the source of my intensely swelling emotions. It was a feeling that I had never experienced in my past life.


    Basically---.


    "I''m home, Mother," I squeezed out as I desperately tried to wipe away the snoting out of my nose.


    The pink-haired woman almost tumbled as she descended down the stairs and embraced me.


    "So this is the warmth of a parent."


    And so, I, Grey Mird, havee to the end of a journey.


    I didn''t resist the raging emotions of happiness and cried for the first time in my life.


    [1] The blurred-out word is Nobita from Doraemon. He''s basically referring to the emperor as a blockhead here.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 54.5 - The Awaited Meeting – May

    The Head Maid of the McGwire family, May.


    Today, the madam barely touched her food as usual.


    There wasn''t even a shadow left of her innocent personality pre-Grey-sama''s birth.


    Still, while the ill rumors about Grey-sama in the Mird family floated around, she had optimistically went to the church to every week without fail. Now, those vexing rumors had turned her into holing up in bed and refusing to take a single step out of her room.


    "It''s a nice, warm day outside, ma''am. Won''t you go take a breath of fresh air?" May asked.


    "I''m fine......"


    Her answer was as lifeless as usual.


    Why did they have to adopt Grey-sama? No matter if they were amoner or a noble, a mother always had her right to live with her child. In the first ce, the madam had never even begun to think about having Grey-sama seed the McGwire family. She just wanted to live with him until he grew up. That''s all she wanted. May couldn''t wrap her head around why he had to be sent to that inhuman family all because of some stupid dispute over session.


    The madam would be happy as long as Grey-sama were here, so they could just put the two in a separate house to live together. At the very least, there wouldn''t be any session problems as long as the two didn''t return to the McGwire estate, and if the Mirds hated Grey-sama so much they constantly bullied him, they shouldn''t have hesitated to expel him from the family.


    And yet these so-called nobles are incapable of choosing the option that made everyone happy.


    May picked up the tray full on uneaten food and exited the room.


    The madam''s body wouldn''t hold much longer at this rate, but there weren''t many people she could turn to.


    The most trustworthy person she could talk to about Grey-sama''s adoption was the previous head who had pleaded with the Mirds over and over, but he was currently dispatched to Suthend and currently wasn''t present.


    That said, the undead assault safely ended with the empire''s victory, and May had heard from the neighboring city''s ry magicians that the previous head was not on the list of deceased. He would probably return soon.


    No matter the state she was in, the madam needed Grey-sama. May had no choice but to entreat the previous head about this matter again.


    It was getting noisy outside now. It seems the previous head had returned.


    May hastily descended the stairs to find the current head and his wife curiously fixated on the front door.


    In contrast, the children to their side blushed furiously as they sent zealous stares near the exit.


    At the end of everyone''s gaze, the previous head stood alongside a mysterious boy wearing foreign clothes who looked like a girl at first nce.


    "I-impossible......"


    May knew who the boy was. No, everyone knew who the boy was. After all, he had been living in this estate up until a few years ago.


    "Are you Grey?"


    It was only natural that the current head would ask that, because the boy before him stood with the upmost confidence in himself, in stark contrast to the timid boy from before.


    The boy righted his posture and said, "Yes. I''m Grey Ines Navarro. It''s been a while, Uncle."


    He gave a quick bow.


    "Ines Navarro? Weren''t you a Mird?"


    "Yes. It was never my intention, but his Majesty forcefully bestowed me a peerage so my name''s been changed to that," he offhandedly muttered with a shrug.


    "His Majesty bestowed you a peerage? Father, I can''t even begin to understand......" said the current head who hadn''t been able to keep up with the conversation.


    "Grey has already obtained a peerage and territory. Thus, he will not be involved in the McGwire family''s session rights."


    An awkward silence befell the family. Nobody even tried to speak, as his state was just that ridiculous.


    And of course it was. No matter how talented or how prestigious one was, there was no way a 12-year old child could obtain both a peerage and his ownnd. They could only take it as a poorly timed joke.


    "I guarantee Grey-kun''s status," said a new voice from the front door. Everyone stiffened and their jaws dropped at his statement.


    "M-McBurn-dono!!"


    Having finally been freed from the deadlock, the current head bowed his head and the rest of the McGwire''s hastily followed.


    Margrave McBurn---While a local n leader, he was also one of the top ten most powerful nobles in the empire. He also had direct rtion to the emperor through a rtive, and he had a master-servant rtionship with the McGwires---he was far and above them.


    "His Majesty''s overbearing nature is as troublesome as ever," he said.


    Greyughed dryly. "I couldn''t agree more."


    "May, call Anna over," said the previous head.


    May, who had been standing there in a daze, finally woke up when the attention drew towards her.


    "Yes!!"


    She nodded once and bounded up the stairs to the madam''s room before mming the door open.


    "M-ma''am!! It''s Grey-sama. It''s Grey-sama!!"


    She frantically tired to exin the situation but couldn''t put it into words.


    "Guu-chan.....what about him?" she asked with a faint voice.


    May tapped her chest a couple of times to forcefully calm herself down before responding, "Grey-sama is downstairs right now."


    "Guu-chan is?"


    Had she just woken up? She was just parroting back words.


    "Yes!"


    Light illuminated the madam''s lifeless eyes.


    "He''s in this estate, right now?" she confirmed.


    "Yes! He''s waiting for you!"


    "Guu-chan!!"


    She tried to leap from her bed but only ended up pitching forward as her legs had atrophied. A thin trail of blood formed on her head, but the madam paid it no heed and staggered out of the room.


    "Guu-chan! Guu-chan!"


    As the madam looked down from the second floor, her eyes widened in surprise and she began to tremble all over.


    "I''m home, Mother," he replied, shyly scratching at his face with a finger.


    Tears streamed out of the madam''s eyes, and she bounded down the stairs to bring Grey-sama into a tight embrace.


    "Guu-chan, I''m sorry. I''m sorry!"


    While the madam apologized and wailed like a child, May finally realized that the nightmare from these past few years had finally ended.


    TL Note:


    With this, the first volume of the novel, The Mird Arc, has concluded. Thank you all foring along on this journey with me while I''m learning and practicing my trantion skills.


    I hope you''ve enjoyed this novel so far, and I hope you enjoy the chapters to being. I want to give a big thank you to all who have been supporting me, and I will continue to keep tranting to the best of my ability.


    Lastly, I wanted to say I don''t actually have ess to thements on patreon, so if you have anything to say pleasee over to the discord where you''ll be given a special role and ess to the patreon-only channel.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 2 - The Green-Haired Girl

    After we passed through thekeside, the Archivian capital, Lemuria, was just ahead. We were travelling by carriage, so we would probably arrive by the end of today.


    It was quite the spectacle.


    The roads were wide and cleanly paved. There were many more travelers and merchants who wandered about, as well as nobles who rode around in carriages.


    The blue sky had not a single cloud, and giant stone walls towered above far away.


    The capital was unlike the other cities in that it was built to include several dozen viges. In short, although I found it hard to believe, the capital, Lemuria, came from one of those cities.


    This empire had troublesome monsters that roamed about the mountain forests, wends, and other natural terrain, so those walls had probably been erected to defend against those monsters. Hm, this was much more interesting than I had expected.


    We went farther along until we reached a long line of carriages and travelers, which led into a small town epassed by wooden walls---an inn town, so to speak.


    The long line meant that the entrance procedures would take at least the whole day. I had wanted to grab an inn for Sate to sleep in, but annoyingly, she recently hasn''t been able to get any good sleep without the body pillow that was me.


    "Sate, after you grab a room---" I began.


    "No," she refused with a beaming smile.


    Jeez, I might have spoiled her a little too much. Well there was no use crying over spilt milk. We''ll have to camp out today.


    "I''m interested in human cities. I''ll return to the carriage by tomorrow morning."


    And with that parting remark, Sylphy broke out into a child-like smile and set off.


    You know, weren''t you technically supposed to be my bodyguard? Seriously, this dragon just does whatever she wants.


    "Well no getting around it. Let''s just wait our turn in the line."


    "Okay!" Sate cheerfully replied before grabbing onto me.


    As the sun began to set, the officials closed down the checking station and the procedures grounded to a halt.


    If you filled your name into the register by the checking station, you would receive the same spot in line tomorrow.


    In case anything and everything went wrong, I didn''t bring anyone who would drag me down, including a coachman for the carriage, and I always had at least one person inside. Looks like I''ll be huddling up with Sate in the tent again tonight.


    I moved the carriage to the clearing south of the inn town, Lte, and began setting up the tent beside the carriage with Sate when I heard an angry voice cry out.


    "There she is!"


    Then, a blonde-haired girl with twin tails ran past us carrying a young girl with green hair who was about seven or eight years old. Chasing behind them were a group of men who looked to be thugs.


    The blonde-haired girl had quite a lot of physical ability, but she was greatly outnumbered. Soon, she was surrounded by several dozen men.


    "That kid is the Fishes Family''s goods. Hand her over."


    "No!" said the blonde girl, baring her teeth at the men. On the other hand, I couldn''t read why they were so angry at her as they only heaved a collective sigh and shrugged.


    "Surely you understand, Miss. In this city, no, in this world, you won''t live long if you go against them," said a short man who rubbed his bald head at a loss.


    "And surely you know how messed up that ce is, right?" she shot back. "Who knows what she''ll go through if I hand her over."


    The green-haired girl twitched and tightened her grip onto the blonde girl.


    "Even still, we have no other option if we want to live."


    "Don''t y me like a fool! Stop involving this child in your unseemly reasons!"


    "Please, Miss. Just fall back on this one."


    "I''ll never! My mother would never forgive this---this injustice!!"


    For the first time, the short bald man grimaced like a crying child.


    Looks like he was different than I had imagined.


    "Grey-sama......" Sate said, pulling on my sleeve.


    "Yeah, I know."


    I had no intention of acting like an ally of justice, nor was I as kind as Aquido, who would readily lend his hand to anyone who cried and didn''t expect anything in return.


    So I thought I''d ask.


    I pushed my way through the onlookers who had gathered around and walked up to the men who were surrounding the green-haired girl.


    "H-hey, boy!"


    I ignored their flustered voices and stood in front of the green-haired girl.


    "Hey, you can''t---" said the blond girl who grabbed my shoulders.


    Ignoring her as well, I stared into the young girl''s lifeless eyes and asked, "What''s your name?"


    "......"


    She could only tremble in response.


    "If you''re human, then say your name."


    She twitched before mumbling, "Shiina."


    "Then, Shiina. What do you want the most right now?"


    "......"


    She merely tilted her head in confusion.


    "What do you want the most?" I asked again.


    "To see......Mom."


    I see. I wouldn''t have understood that sentiment in my past life, but now I could sort ofprehend it.


    "And what can you offer me in order to meet your mom?"


    "Are you her---" began the blonde girl, strengthening her grip on my shoulder.


    "My master is asking you a question," Sate cut in, pulling us apart, "so keep your mouth shut!"


    "I''ll ask again. What can you offer me?"


    "A shoulder......massage. It made Mom......happy."


    "I see. Then the transaction isplete. You''ll be my personal shoulder massager, okay?"


    "......"


    After she gulped and nodded, I caressed her head before turning back towards the bald man.


    "Henceforth, this child is under my employment. If you need money in return, I''ll pay as much as you want."


    "Look here, boy. You shouldn''t make fun of us adults."


    "I understand."


    Jeez, this bald man wasn''t taking me seriously, so I grabbed a bag filled with 30 silver pieces, worth 30 million G in total, out of my item box and threw it at him.


    The bald man curiously peered inside the bag to confirm its contents before widening his eyes and freezing.


    "Hey, Jill?" one man asked.


    The other men behind the bald man named Jill peered inside the bag and froze up in a simr manner.


    "Not enough? Then name your price."


    I had no experience buying someone out of bondage after all. I didn''t know the market price, but I was paying for the price of a life. At least this amount was to be expected.


    "What do you want?" he warily asked.


    "I''ve employed that girl into mypany, and I want to pay her bondage. Didn''t I say that earlier?"


    "That''s not what I mean! I''m asking why you''re paying this ridiculous amount for that useless shorty over there!"


    Shiina, the green-haired girl, shrunk at his yelling and hid herself behind me.


    "Don''t shout. You''re scaring the kid," I rebuked.


    "Why, you''re plenty a kid as well."


    "Back to what I was saying. My reason. She''s my personal shoulder massager. I thought you heard that too?"


    He stared agape at my reply for a while.


    "Whatever. Sorry, but I don''t have any intention of selling her to you. Hurry up and leave."


    He waved me away like I was some annoying fly.


    I can''t have that either. I said that I would pay her bondage.


    "If you''re concerned about the Fishes Family, then I can talk to them myself."


    I''d do whatever I set my mind to, no matter what methods I had to use.


    If they wouldn''t shake their heads up and down, then I''d have to persuade the original sellers.


    "You obviously can''t! Stop with your nonsense and hand over the kid," Jill said and threw back the bag of 30 million G.


    "What''s all this fuss about?"


    Among the crowd, a trademark dandy man with a short mustache and elegant clothes made his appearance.


    "Lieutenant![1]"


    "Kurama."


    At his appearance, the men gave quick bow, and the blonde girl frowned.


    He wore ck gloves and ssy clothes, and his eyes were as sharp as a falcon''s. He looked like someone who would be popr with the madams, but apparently he was at the top of Jill''s organization. Still, this prickly sensation. He''s probably---.


    "Let us talk inside. There''s tea for you as well, Miss Aria," said the man called Lieutenant who then promptly set off.


    [1] This term, wakagashira, is mainly used in yakuza hierarchy. The hierarchy starts with the head, who''s called oyabun. There are some ranks below the oyabun, one of which is called the wakagashira, which is often tranted to lieutenant or first lieutenant. In short, this guy is super high up in the ranks and has the potential to be the next head.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 3 - An Underhanded Discussion

    I was led to the well-used reception room on the third floor of the estate. The room inside had a chicyout without any unnecessary decorations, but it looked well cared after. In my opinion, this was a far more livable ce than the nobles'' ptial residences.


    "I''m Kurama, the Revise Family''s Lieutenant and the one in charge of the young Miss. Pleased to make your acquaintance."


    The blonde girl, Aria, turned away with a sour look on her face.


    "Yeah, I''m Grey. Nice to meet you."


    After our simple exchange of pleasantries, Kurama quickly dived in to the main topic.


    "Let me get straight to the point, if you''re okay with it, then we''ll make the necessary preparations to ept your proposal."


    "Lieutenant, that''s---!!" said Jill from behind in a menacing voice. However, a single re from Kurama shut him up.


    "I''m d you''re so quick on the uptake," I said. "Could you tell me their location then."


    "Sure. I''ll lead you there," said Kurama, after which a burly man in the back tensed up.


    "Nah, it sounds like a fight will break out, so there''s no need. You can just draw me a map or something."


    "Stop, you don''t know how scary they are! You''ll die if you go!" Jill yelled. Kurama red at him like a hawk once again, but this time Jill didn''t fall back and looked down at me.


    "Hm, you''ve peaked my interest, so I''d like you to exin a little," I said. "Of course, I want to know about your rtionship with them too."


    "I understand."


    Kurama poured some tea for Aria, who was sitting in front of me, before diving into his exnation.


    "Thergest underground organization, "Laguna," and their subordinate family, Feces[1], huh......"


    The giant criminal syndicate known as Laguna currently spreads its roots out from the center of the empire.


    Their modus operandi, named "Shinogi," involved feeding their subordinate families into eachnd to control the families in thosends.


    Kurama''s family, the Revise Family, specialized in human trafficking. Until they came to this town, ve trading had been forbidden by the previous family, who had then lost to the Revise family.


    Every month, they had to fulfill a quota and send a certain number of ves over to the Feces family, and even just a few ves short would mean facing severe penalties.


    On the other hand, they were trafficking ves, so they received enormous sums that left no room for dissatisfaction.


    It was truly a carrot and stick situation; whoever came up with this system must have a strong grasp on how people think.


    "Howe this town''s government turns a blind eye?" I asked.


    The ve trade was technically legal, but it came with the strict condition that non-criminals couldn''t make up more than a small percentage of ves. It wasughable to think Shiina a heinous criminal, so no matter how you looked at it, it was definitely illegal. Which left the question, why didn''t the government speak up? And the Commerce Guild''s silence also nagged at me.


    "You really don''t know a thing," Aria said, shaking her head in disbelief.


    "Well, yeah. I was raised in the countryside---I''mpletely ignorant in the ways of the city. So what," I said a bit louder as I didn''t want to continue this any longer


    "Seeing that the Feces Family are backed by Laguna, the government can''t make a move without any clear evidence," he exined.


    "Although it''s hrious that you would need clear evidence to expose an underground organization in this empire," I added.


    With all the illegal acts the governmentmits without a shred of guilt, it''sughable that they would require clear evidence. In short, they''ve decided to pretend they''ve seen nothing.


    On the surface, the court nobles are spread throughout the government, and the dark organization, Laguna, run rampant behind the scenes. This empire is a lot rottener than I had initially thought.


    "I couldn''t agree more."


    "Is the government proactively backing Laguna or is it merely permitting them to conduct their business. Which one do you think?" I asked.


    His answer couldpletely change my guidelines.


    "If I had to pick, I''d say thetter. Those in the government release captured members of Laguna, and they ignore reports of injury from citizens, although they definitely won''t go any farther."


    Their tacit consent is certainly the best cooperation Laguna could hope for.


    Basically, they''re an organization that can go a little overboard and not face any public repercussions.


    How nice. Really, how nice! I can probably use this shitty organization for several experiments.


    "Grey-sama, your face," Sate warned from behind. I touched my lips and found that they were curved into a smile not unlike one an evil magistrate would have.


    As Jill stared at me, he paled in the face and began to tremble, and Kurama''s face twitched.


    Not good, not good. I need to stop showing my emotions so readily. I''ll try to be more careful from here on out.


    I cleared my throat to try to cover it up.


    "I think I''ll go and greet them. I''ll leave the map to you," I said.


    "I''m going too, so there''s no need," said Aria, proposing something unbelievably annoying.


    "Wha? Do you have a screw loose?"


    I could tell how wretched the Feces family was just by looking at their faces, and I didn''t have to think very hard to imagine what kind of fate awaited a young woman who went against them.


    "You''re seriously annoying!" said Aria. "You''re going there to pay her bondage, right? So I''lle with you to bow my head."


    "Pfft."


    I heard Sate trying to hold back herughter behind me.


    You know, haven''t you been a little too wickedtely? I hope I don''te to regret the things I''ve taught her over these past couple of years.


    I expectantly looked behind Aria at Kurama, but he added, "I''m going too, so you don''t mind, right Grey-dono?"


    "What are you trying to do?"


    "I just want to watch. Surely the famous Baron Ines Navarro might be able to persuade them."


    Shit, the geezer''s clearly recognized me. But how did he know?


    The imperial government made the official statement of awarding Baron Ines Navarro and his subordinates made the lords who knew the truth swear secrecy.


    The court nobles, who didn''t wish for the lower ranked nobles to gain power in the empire, should''ve have been opposed, and like I had expected, other than the lords, mercenaries, and soldiers who participated in the battle, my involvement was wholly unknown.


    I obviously couldn''t stop any rumors from spreading, but this world''smunication system was, on the whole, very meagre.


    I, Judo, and Ca had acted while masked, and the average soldier and mercenary wouldn''t have even known it was me. There''s no way Kurama, who hadn''t even stepped foot on the battlefield, should know.


    In fact, the blonde girl, Jill, and the other Revise Family members just stared at us with their mouths agape.


    "Are you sure? You may be fine, but this conversation might be a little intense for that princess over there."


    "Yes. This shall serve as a good experience for thedy."


    "You''re quite off the hook too......" I said, standing from my seat.


    "Drahachi,e here!"


    The moment I thought that, a young girl with ck hair suddenly appeared while rubbing her sleepy eyes.


    "Is it food?"


    "Ah, that''s right. Have Sate make you something."


    "Yaay! Food, food, food ?" she gleefully sang, twirling around as if she hadn''t been lifeless a moment prior.


    "Sate, if you would. If worstes to pass, use Drahachi."


    "I understand but try not to be excessive."


    That probably wasn''t directed towards me.


    "Hm, well I''ll be depending on you, Sate. Once I finish everything up, I''ll return as soon as possible."


    "Okay. I''ll be waiting."


    She gripped the ends of her skirt and elegantly bowed.


    "A-are you insane!? Your master might get killed!" Jill yelled.


    Sate just grinned in response and said, "I''m not worried about Grey-sama (although I am worried in another sense). Now,e help out too, Shiina-chan."


    She pulled Shiina''s small hands and exited the room.


    "Now then, would you lead the way?"


    "Jill, stay on standby until we return," ordered Kurama to Jill, who looked like he wanted to say something, before heading off.


    [1] Changed Fishes to Feces.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 4 - Infuriating Atrocities

    With Kurama in the lead, Aria and I followed along, slipping through the back alleyways until we reached a three-story estate.


    "This is the Feces Family Estate," he exined, respectfully bowing towards me. Aria, on the other hand, red at the estate as if it were her lifelong enemy.


    I began by using Analyze Environment to scan the interior of the estate, where I saw around a hundred stationed soldiers. Their stats averaged around G+ to F, but there were three rtively powerful soldiers among them.


    The first was a monk with a scar on his face.


    The second arge man whose face was hairier than a bear''s.


    The third wore a luxurious navy-blue robe and was abnormally thin.


    A normal person would say these three were powerful, but in the end, they couldn''t hold a candle to my strength.


    The third floor contained the bedrooms and the guest rooms, and an elite-looking man had several woman waiting upon him,vishing in debauchery.


    The luxurious room on the second floor and the basement had---


    "God dammit!!" I subconsciously yelled at the macabre spectacle.


    "W-what''s with the scary face all of a sudden?" Aria hesitantly asked, while Kurama bit his lip in silence.


    "Sorry, but discussion''s off the table now."


    I pinpointed the basement with Analyze Environment and began activating my teleportation.


    "What does that mean? Huh? What? What''s happening?" Aria asked in confusion over the magic circle that had suddenly appeared before I teleported us to the basement.


    The room had lighting and a chilly air about, and dozens of children were bound to the stone floor.


    Over half were decapitated with their innards spilling out, and you could tell they were dead without even looking.


    I noticed my vision dyeing red.


    "Calm down." I told myself.


    I took a deep breath and exhaled, and the raging insanity slowly began to cool down.


    That''s right. There''s always lowlifes in every world who derive pleasure from these grotesque and disgusting acts. The only difference is how thew punishes these criminals.


    For now, saving the survivors is of upmost priority---


    "Urrgh......"


    Aria stared at the tragedy before us and fell to her knees, vomiting over and over.


    Kurama leaned down and gently rubbed her back to calm her down as she continued to vomit with tears and snot flowing down her face.


    This was probably a bit too severe for her. But her guardian, Kurama, had wanted to show her this, so there must have been meaning to it.


    In any case, we didn''t have the leeway to wallow in despair.


    That''s why I said, "If you have time to cry, then bring the survivors over here."


    "H-how can you stay calm after seeing this?"


    "What can I change by crying?"


    "You''re inhuman!"


    Yes. Just by the fact that I''ve retained myposure despite this insanity, I''ve lost my right to be called a human.


    "I''ll say it once again. Bring the survivors over to the center of the room.


    "......"


    With a groan, Aria clenched her teeth and wiped the tears off her face before bringing the heavily wounded children over to the center of the room.


    I, too, began casting Heal over the survivors.


    It was already toote for several of them, but I was able topletely heal about nine of them. Although---


    "......"


    Their hearts had been shattered from the extreme terror and despair they had probably faced, and even if I healed their wounds, the light didn''t return to their eyes. Still, they were lucky to be able to continue living in perfect physical condition. It was a better fate than those who had gone into eternal slumber, at the very least.


    I ced a sheet of parchment that concisely exined the survivors'' circumstances in one of their hands and teleported them to Sagami Co.''s first floor.


    I gathered the children who had ceased breathing over in one corner.


    "It must have been painful. It must have been frightening. You can rest easy now," I said.


    I casted the high rank spell ¡¾me Rondo¡¿around me and burned their corpses down to the bone in an instant.


    I turned towards Aria, who, even now, was staring at the floor with a pale face.


    "Surely you understand now, right? The people living here are fiends; they''re not even human anymore. Any attempt at persuasion would bepletely useless."


    I didn''t know if she had heard me or not, but bowed her head towards me and whispered, "......Sorry."


    Why was she apologizing? I really can''t understand children, nor can I Kurama, who had showed this gruesome scene to Aria.


    "This should be enough, Kurama. She''s too young to show her any more."


    I no longer considered those in this estate as human anymore, and if she came with me, she would only see hell on Earth.


    "That''s up to Miss Aria."


    "There''s a time and a ce to respect a child''s intentions, but not now!!" I shouted in anger.


    "Grey-dono, please believe me. This is essential for the Miss to achieve her goals. That is, of course, if she herself wishes so."


    Kurama turned to face Aria, and said, "You, and you alone will decide. Will you close your eyes, or will keep them open to reality and follow Grey-dono?"


    I couldn''t read him, nor could I read Aria.


    "I''ll go."


    Aria trembled as she spoke the words I had least wanted to hear.


    "It''s not toote to turn back," I said.


    "I said I''m going! Even if I die I''m going!"


    Shit. That Kurama really did something unnecessary.


    I won''t hesitate against the inhabitants of this estate who had caused this tragedy, so even if nobody were toe, the fact that this ce would turn to hell on Earth was already set in stone. It would be filled with fear and despair,pletely unfitting for Aria, who had been raised in a world full of sunshine and rainbows.


    But at the same time, Kurama insisted that it was necessary. He probably has his reasons, but was it really okay force that over my principles?


    ......There was no point thinking about this any further.


    "Okay. I won''t say any more, but don''t regret this."


    After I saw Aria nodding in confirmation, I looked back to the door.


    It''s fine now, right? I''m almost at my limit. It''s time to exterminate these pests.


    Letting these dregs scurry about any longer didn''t sit well with me.


    With Aria and Kurama in tow, I ascended the stairs to the first floor.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 5 - Gu[1]

    I ascended the stairs to find everyone''s eyes on me.


    "Hey, who''s on basement lookout today!? The kids are up and escaping!" someoneined.


    Lookout huh. So they knew full well what they were doing in the basement.


    "Hey, I don''t recognize you. Were you the ones who set them free?"


    "They don''t even recognize me. Laguna isn''t living up to its name," I thought.


    Arge, bearded man with an overpowering aura began to approach us. Kurama narrowed his eyes and cracked his knuckles in response before reaching out---.


    "Don''t do anything unnecessary, Kurama. They''re my prey."


    Yes. They''ve awoken my unsightly emotions. I couldn''t forgive them, no matter who they were. I wouldn''t leave even a shred of their souls, let alone their bodies, behind after I destroyed them.


    "My apologies."


    Kurama gave an elegant bow and took a step back.


    "Now then. Does anywhere here object to the tragedy in the basement?"


    This was my final act of mercy. I''d painlessly kill anyone who felt even the slightest shred of guilt.


    After a moment of silence, a vulgarughter enveloped the room.


    I see. This was reassuring, in a way. Now I can destroy this insanity without reserve.


    "Are ya hearing this kid? Rights for mere livestock? Oh I''m mister pitiable livestock. Somebody help me!" someone mocked.


    "Actually, ain''t she a good woman?" asked the man with an overbite as he leered at and approached Aria with a bottle of alcohol in hand.


    "Ain''t that right. We''ll send ya back where ya came from."


    The bearded man and the man with an overbite cackled withughter as they surrounded Aria. Then, the man with an overbite reached out.


    "Don''t touch me, trash!" sheshed back in anger, punching the man head-on, who then flew back and fainted.


    I would have never imagined that that novice woman''s punch could make him lose consciousness, not even in my wildest dreams.


    "You!"


    The bearded man raised his arm as a vein bulged on his head.


    "Good grief," I interjected.


    I grabbed his hand mid-swing and swept at his feet before mming his back.


    "Wha......"


    The speechless soldiers stiffened as they stared at the unconscious man who was foaming at the mouth.


    "I''ll do that kid in," said a voice that came from the far side of the round table further inside.


    The voice belonged to a burly, bandit-like man, who stood up from his seat and grabbed the mace leaning on the wall.


    "Are you fine with that, Yuurin?" he asked the tired-looking, scrawny man in robes behind him.


    "Yeah. But don''t mess around too much, Balm."


    "But of course."


    A hideous smile crept up onto Balm''s face as he pushed his way past the soldiers and walked up to me.


    "How pitiful. You''ve only just met the boss, and yet you livestock are already going to die a painful death."


    "You say that, but aren''t you quite happy?" I shot back, after which Balm''s face dyed in ecstasy.


    "So ya understand? I mean, I just love the screams of women and children. When I straddle them and then just wail at them, ya know, or when they desperately plead for forgiveness. They''re all like, ''I''m sorry, forgive me, please.'' That sense of subjugation is like nothing else, ya know," Balm exined with a face of ecstasy. I kicked myself for even thinking of granting him mercy before.


    "Geez. You small fry sure can talk."


    I was getting tired of talking with this maggot. Let''s hurry up and finish this.


    "Me......a small fry?"


    "That''s right. I called you a small fry. Even a goblin would be stronger than someone like you."


    That wasn''t a metaphor, but rather the truth. Those goblins were on an entirely different level in terms of shittiness, but at least they knew their battle skills weren''tpletely rotten.


    "You fucking brat!!"


    And as expected, the single-celled organism known as Balm shouted in indignation with a beet-red face and swung his mace down onto my head.


    The mace kicked up a storm as it came down. I easily dodged the turtle-like cursed mace and dashed forward, drawing my dagger from my waist and slicing through his right arm.


    "Agghhhh!!"


    He knit his eyebrows from the pain of his broken hand and kneeled down.


    "Do you really have the time to be wallowing in pain?" I asked before casually raining down plows onto his body.


    ---I crushed his ribcage and beat up his organs.


    "S-sto"


    ---I ground his femur and upper arm bones to dust.


    "Shum......body......heeeelp."


    ---Then, I crushed his ears and nose and smashed his jaw.


    I calmly ignored his pleas for mercy and continued pummeling.


    "......"


    I gave Balm, who had finally lost the ability to speak, a final kick. A plosive sound apanied the sound of bones crushing as he shot up and crashed into the ceiling.


    The building trembled a little before the now unconscious Balm fell plummeted down.


    "......"


    The Feces Family''s soldiers stared at Balm, who was spasming like a fish on the beach.


    "So? Who''s next?"


    Some soldiers groaned and unsheathed their swords while trembling, while others screeched like pigs and dashed out of the estate.


    "Idiots......." I mumbled as a ball of me passed in front of me and collided with he soldiers by the door.


    "Betrayal means death. Have you forgotten the Feces code?"


    The Feces code......you killed your own colleagues for that useless piece of shit code. I can''t hate these people enough.


    "So are you going to fight me in ce of that piece of trash?" I asked, looking at the still twitching and unconscious Balm.


    Yuurinughed scornfully, raised his right hand, and let forth another ball of me. The ball headed towards the unconscious Balm, who quickly burst into mes.


    "We don''t need the weak."


    "The weak, you say......"


    You''re not much different in terms of strength.


    Certainly, he could cast¡¾Fireball¡¿without chanting, and his magic stat wasn''t half bad at E-. I heard that being able to cast ¡¾Fireball¡¿without chanting meant you were on the level of an imperial mage, so he must''ve been quite the figure in the mafia world.


    But that was all. He didn''t have the wild battle skills that Caesar had, and E- wasn''t anything impressive. He was a nobody; someone I didn''t even have to put my guard up around. In fact, it''s impressive that he can unabashedly term others as weak.


    "Boy, I recognize your physical prowess. You have the qualifications to join our family. I''ll put in a good word for you."


    What an idiotic statement.


    "And if I refuse?"


    "Then you die."


    It was soical I couldn''t even muster up augh.


    "I need to correct your little misunderstanding," I said.


    "Misunderstanding?" Yuurin parroted back, knitting his eyebrows.


    "Yeah. The one that''s faced with two decisions isn''t me, but you."


    I casted the same ¡¾Fireball¡¿spell ten times and fired them at him.


    However, their size, power, and speed were on an entirely different level. The oppressive fireball spun forward at a high speed, grazing Yuurin by mere millimeters before crashing into the estate and exploding.


    I then took control of and extinguished the raging mes with ¡¾me Rondo¡¿.


    "......"


    Yuurin robotically turned to look behind him and swallowed his breath.


    "Listen here. You''ve seem to be under a misunderstanding, so I''ll tell you this: you people from the underworld can only do what you want with people from that underworld. You''ve infringed on this huge unwrittenw."


    If you didn''t like that, then you could dye your hands in evil or you could continue walking a proper path. Either way, the sun would surely shine its kindness down.


    These peopleughed at the tragedy in the basement. They''ve already stepped into the darkness. No longer can they return.


    "W-who......are you?" he asked with a faint voice.


    What a ridiculous question.


    "This is my final request. Please, at the very least, face your death and struggle like a human."


    "Don''t fuck with me!" he roared and began chanting.


    His chant sounded like he was about to cast the high rank spell, ¡¾me Rondo¡¿. Well, there were a lot unnecessary words in his chant, however.


    The high rank spell, ¡¾me Rondo¡¿, gave control over all mes within a certain distance. There was a limit on hoe much magic you could infuse the spell with, and the distance was also limited, so it was the weakest high-rank spell, although it was remarkably easy to control inparison. Once you got used to it, you could burn weak monsters and obtain precious yakiniku. Basically, when you included the convenience, it was a more daily use sort of spell.


    And to think that, of all spells, he would use the one most unsuited for battle. The chantless ¡¾Fireball¡¿spell made much more sense.


    "Dance, mes!"


    After his long chant ended, a wall of mes flickered in front of Yuurin. It was a weak me, but it was strong enough to at least burn everyone in this room, which would happen if he didn''t control ¡¾me Rondo¡¿and instead set it off on a rampage. The spell specialized in its ease of control, so you normally wouldn''t do that. What a novel idea.


    "Hm, it''s at least interesting."


    "There''s no point in pleading now! My mes will burn everything to a crisp!!"


    In excitement, he sent a death stare at me with bloodshot eyes.


    Inparison, the surviving soldiers scrambled for the exit, desperate to dodge this uing attack.


    Of course, ¡¾Wind Maniption¡¿had the door blockaded with a wind wall.


    "I-It won''t open!!?" shouted one soldier.


    "Move!" said another as he shoved the first out of the way. Then, he mmed his longsword into the door, but it just bounced off without leaving a single scratch.


    "Diee! ¡¾me Rondo¡¿!!"


    The wall of me flickered before rushing towards me, burning the wooden floor in the process.


    I pointed my finger at the wall and used the same ¡¾me Rondo¡¿to condense the wall of mes.


    "Huh?" Yuurin squeaked, and the other soldiers stared at my finger with their mouths agape.


    "Is that all?"


    "I-impossible. ¡¾me Rondo¡¿is a high-rank spell! Not even the imperial mages are guaranteed to be able to use it!!"


    "¡¾me Rondo¡¿is a good spell with high versatility. However, that''s merely within the confines of daily use," I exined.


    "Daily......use?" he sputtered in a daze as he turned paler than a ghost.


    Now then. It''s about time to end this farce.


    "This is thanks for showing me something interesting. I''ll show you magic meant for actual battle."


    I snapped my fingers and the room immediately dyed red. Then, in an instant, a strange phenomenon befell the room.


    A ck haze rose up from the floor, the ceiling, the walls, the table, and even the chairs. Then, small organisms began creeping out.


    Yuurin let out a shriek.


    Spiders and praying mantises grouped up, covering the floor and the walls, and bees leisurely flew about in the air.


    "B-bugs!?"


    Shrieked a soldier as the rest all retreated to the center of the room and began trembling.


    The super rank spell, Gu, calls forth spiders within a certain area that you can control.


    However, the bugs'' strength relies on the caster''s magic, so each and every bug has an average of D- stats.


    I had Judo attempt this spell, but his bugs'' stats were merely around G+. In short, when I use this spell, I can bring about the worst-case scenario.


    Aria looked over her shoulder and, as expected, quickly paled as the bugs slowly encroached on her.


    "Aria, I''ll send you back to Sate and the others," I said.


    However, although a thickyer of fear of the surrounding bugs dwelled in her eyes, an iparably pronounced violent hatred reigned supreme.


    "No. They did all those horrible things to our beloved citizens. I''ll watch until the end!" she replied.


    Idiot. It''s not something an immature child like you should see. I won''t budge on this.


    "Kurama, you got it?"


    "Yes. I seemed to have misjudged you a little. Besides, this is already more than enough."


    "Stop it! Who do you think---" Aria yelled before disappearing the moment Kurama easily overpowered her.


    "Now then. The interruptions are over."


    I gazed at Yuurin, who let out an unseemly shriek. The soldiers, aware of the fate that was soon toe, collectively cried out in fear.


    "At least regret the crimes you''vemitted before dying."


    "S-stop---"


    "Bugs, eat to your hearts content," I said, calmly ignoring Yuurin''s cries.


    In an instant, the bugs surged forth, swarmed over the men, and began chewing them down to the bone.


    Soon, the room turned into pandemonium.


    The bugs didn''t leave a single drop of blood behind. That''s what I had ordered. That said, this was certainly outside of my expectations.


    Three giant bung monsters kneeled before me.


    After devouring Yuurin and the soldiers, they fused together to form three giant monsters. One was in the shape of a praying mantis, the next a spider, and thest a bee.


    Moreover, the praying mantis''s stats averaged C, the spider C+, and the bee B-.


    That''s just too strong. There''s no way this is just a super rank spell.


    Before I had only called the bugs forth but didn''t have them feed on anything. To think they would react......Well I can leave the inspection forter. I had the bugs stay on standby, so they split apart into tiny bugs and disappeared.


    "It''s over. Can you stand?" I said.


    I reached out to Kurama, who was kneeling before me with a waterfall of sweat streaming down his face. He shakily stood up and said, "No need. Let''s keep going."


    "Yeah, let''s," I replied, and we headed towards the so-called boss located on the second floor.


    [1] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu_(poison)</a>


    For those who don''t want to read, it''s a poison that is prepared by sealing several venomous creatures in a closed area and they devour each other, concentrating their toxins into a single survivor. It''s often used in ck magic practices.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 6 - The Worst Preparations

    We found ourselves before a peculiarlyrge door.


    An intense smell of iron tickled my nose, so even without Analyze Environment I could easily guess the state of the room inside. Truly, how sickening.


    I entered the room and scanned my surroundings.


    A man with thinning hair and as muscr as a gori stood in the center of the room, naked from the waist up, and the dismembered corpses of two children were scattered beside him.


    "Oh, what a fine jewel," he said, leering over my body. He must be the boss, then.


    "Grey-dono. They''re even more depraved than the ones we faced just earlier."


    "Agreed."


    As Kurama had said, there was no hope left for them. That much was certain, but I''d have him make a choice in the end.


    "Hm, anyone who felt even the slightest disgust towards what happened to those kids, raise your hands. I''ll let you die a painless death."


    Of course, I wouldn''t let them off easy, no matter how much they cried or wailed. I''d give them the worst death they could possibly imagine.


    After a moment of silence, a firework ofughter erupted throughout the room.


    "You sure can talk, brat!"


    "Heey, how about it, guys? He said he''d let us die a painless death."


    I''m done. I want to set those children to rest as quickly as possible.


    "Cut them down, bugs," Imanded.


    An army of bugs swelled out of every ce imaginable.


    "Wha?" said one man, after which the bugs began to devour him as if they couldn''t eat enough.


    It didn''t even take a minute. The bugs left not a single scrap as they ate and ate until only a single piece of trash was left in the center of the room.


    "Wake up!" Kurama shouted, pping the half-naked man awake.


    It didn''t really matter if he was awake or not, you know. My preparations had long beenpleted, so I didn''t really care what happened after. I didn''t mind if Kurama left him alone, but---


    The entrance door cracked open, and I heard several footsteps climbing up the stairs.


    "Grey-dono," alerted Kurama.


    "I know. Did you call those guys?"


    I hated being used.


    "......"


    Silence, as expected.


    "I see, so you won''te out."


    I directed the bugs towards the rats, when a bald man with a scar on his face appeared out of thin air and said, "Okay okay. Don''t be so impatient."


    "So? I''m not in the best mood right now," I said. "Answer with your affiliation and your objective."


    "Don''t you already know?"


    "Someone from the Department of Justice?"


    "Really?" Kurama cut in. "What a world we''vee to."


    Touch¨¦. No matter the reason, this officer of thew had let slide the atrocitiesmitted in this estate.


    "Exin your circumstances. Everything."


    "Sure, sure," he shrugged and looked back towards the door.


    The door then mmed open, and several armored soldiers rushed in.


    "Hey, hey, are you serious?"


    As I saw a man calmly walk through the door, stroking his trademarked long and thin mustache, I realized just how terribly awkward this looked.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 7 - A Wiley Discussion

    We were forcibly led to this inn town''s Department of Justice right after.


    Knowing that guy''s twisted personality, I thought for sure we''d be led to an interrogation room or something, but we ended up in a simple, yet well-furnished parlor.


    "We''ve managed to capture the Feces Family''s boss and ten of the upper brass, but over 80% of the soldiers are unounted for. You really went wild this time, huh, Grey?" he said with a hint of anger, fed up with the situation.


    "I guess I did. In any case, were you always an officer, Baron Hakurou?"


    "No, I''m part of the investigation team. Being dispatched to that fight earlier was sort of like a demotion for me, honestly."


    The investigation team. As I recalled, it was an intelligence agency open to the public. No wonder he was having so much trouble.


    "So? I think it''s about time you told me why you''re here," he said.


    "Sure, I''m busy too, so clean out your ears and listen well," I replied andunched into a full exnation about the events that had transpired.


    Through my thorough exnation, Baron Hakurou was able to roughly grasp the inns and the outs of the situation.


    Here was Lte, the inn town that served as a checkpoint and where the Feces family operated a mid-scale organization in the shadows. More precisely, they belonged to thergest underground organization, Laguna.


    Laguna itself spread its roots throughout the entire world, employed many powerful magicians, and uniquely powerful enough to content with an entire country. In addition, they also had their roots spread into various noble families, the Commerce Guild, and the Adventurer''s Guild, so you couldn''t carelessly make a move on them. As such, the empire''s administration and military primarily kept silent.


    So in order to round up everyone at once at Laguna''s annual meeting between the upper brass, they dispatched spies known as Grass to each organization. Therge, wounded man behind Baron Hakurou was one of them.


    Baron Hakurou had coincidentallye to visit Lte, where he had heard that I was already in the city. He received further reports that a young teenage child marched into that shit family and so had hastily gone himself.


    That''s about what happened, but---


    "Wow. So the moment I decided to stay in this city, you also decided to swing by," I said. "And what''s more, you even received a report that I had marched into that shit family. How awfully convenient for you."


    I wasn''t so foolish as to believe something that was way too good to be true. And with that fact that Kurama had already known who I was beforehand, it was like a bargain sale of impossibilities.


    "Hmph! It being a coincidence is really half the truth," he spat. "But to think that you would really destroy the Feces Family; you''re proving to be a huge pain in the ass to our ns."


    I think he had been intending to secretly contact me in the city, but once he heard that I had charged into the Feces Family, he frantically rushed to gain control of the estate under the pretense of exposing the family.


    "So, what do you want from me?" I asked.


    "I want you to protect the daughter of Lte''s chivalrous family, the Revise Family."


    So Aria, huh. That had been my original intention, but there were too many things I didn''t understand.


    "Why is a public servant like you so interested in the eldest daughter of a mere chivalrous family?" I asked.


    "Because Miss Aria''s father is the head of the Magic Knight Academy," Kurama exined in his ce.


    "I see, he''s the head."


    I think I mostly understand now.


    Aria had charged into the Feces Family estate, which meant the Revise Family had established themselves a clear enemy to Laguna. Now, they would, without a doubt, target Aria, the orphaned child of the previous Revise Family head. It''s going exactly as that guy nned I guess.


    "So, Kurama. Is the reason you were so fixated on having Aria apany us because you wanted me to protect her afterwards?"


    "My sincerest apologies."


    "Well, if that was all, then there wasn''t any particr need to bring her to that ce. Just what are you thinking?"


    "I just made a promise with the previous head. That''s all I''ll say on that matter."


    Shit! It''s all enshrouded in smoke.


    Well, whatever. I''ll have to protect the Revise Family, who have now be Laguna''s enemy, regardless. I reap what I sow, I guess.


    Besides---


    "Alright. I''ll take fault in the fact that I destroyed them---I''ll take on the responsibility," I admitted.


    "You have my utmost gratitude for your magnanimous decision."


    In any case, I can think of it as a real-life experiment on maintaining an organization.


    And besides, they''ve already done so much for me. I haven''t the slightest intention of letting filth like the Laguna organization move around as they please.


    Soon, we''ll start operating out of the capital instead, where I''ll put everything into hunting Laguna. They''ve really grated on my nerves.


    Pf, hahahha!! I''ll skin them to their bones.


    "Grey, do you realize what kind of a face you''re putting on right now?" pointed out Baron Hakurou, who seemedpletely exhausted. I touched my lips and, as expected, found them unbelievably curled up. Seriously, I really need to fix this bad habit of mine. Even I think it''s a little horrifying.


    "Anyways, I understand the particrs," I said.


    "Then let''s dive into the specifics."


    Baron Hakurou leaned forward and we began discussing how we would bully aka destroy Laguna.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After our discussion, we decided that the Revise Family would be under my care until Laguna''s destruction.


    And as a result, I would take Aria Revise under my care.


    The only problem left was---


    "Promise me you''ll execute that gori boss," I demanded.


    The execution of the Feces Family''s gori boss. I can''t forgive the ringleader who spawned all these problems. If they release him behind the scenes, then so be it. Preparations would automatically be made upon his release, and he would see true hell. In short, his destruction was already set in stone.


    Would he experience afortable death amidst people throwing stones and jeering, or would he experience a nightmarish death so painful and despairing that he would regret he was even born? That''s the decision I''d have him make.


    Well, I think the decisions already been made for him.


    "......We will deal with him," Baron Hakurou shamefully squeezed out.


    "Hm, I see."


    It looks like I''ll get what I want. Isn''t that good. I needed a messenger to dere war on the masterminds, so I''ll have him dance on the palm of my hand.


    "Grey, are you scheming something again?"


    "Who knows. Now then, we''ll take our leave now. Let''s go, Kurama."


    "Yessir!"


    I motioned towards Kurama to stand up and began to head towards the door.


    "Grey!" Baron Hakurou called out to stop me.


    "Hm? What is it?"


    "You''re just a 12-year-old kid."


    "And?"


    "Don''t push yourself. Rely on us adults sometimes."


    As I thought, he''s a strange man.


    "I''ll try my best to," I said before turning on my heel and exiting the building.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 8 - Declaration of War – Deranged Lion

    ---The Archive Empire''s capital city, the imperial capital of Lemuria in Laguna''s HQ.


    The strongest and most fearsome underground organization, Laguna. It contained over a hundred underground families; a giant organization in the shadows that covered the four criminal fields. They had enough military might to assassinate VIPs from various countries and trick the governments. They also dealt in the dark trade of human trafficking and brothels, and theymitted fraud,rceny, as well as burry.


    Some even said that they secretly traded with various countries'' VIPs, high-ranking nobles, and the upper brass of the Commerce Guild to amass over a hundred trillion G a year.


    Thus, nobody knew just how much influence they held over the various countries'' governments, and as the great Archivian Empire, one of the threergest countries in the world, was in decline, the empire had to keep some consideration towards Laguna''s subordinate families.


    "And so Mountain was released?" asked arge man with a mane of golden hair to the hooded women who seemed to serve as a facilitator.


    They were sat around a marble round table in a room so luxurious it even surpassed its own name, the Royal Pce.


    He was the supervisor of Laguna''s military affairs, the Deranged Lion. He had enough physical strength to go hand in hand against the well-known S-rank adventurer, Caesar, and was even the organizations strongest magician, capable of casting several high rank spells.


    "Yes. After cing pressure on the imperial government, we safely liberated Mountain, Feces Family''s boss, who is currently stationed further inside.


    Despite the tension slightly dying down, an anger so intense as if to shake the fool who dared defy the strongest underground organization, Laguna, to his very core filled the room.


    "Which country boy defied us?" asked Poisoned Alcohol, the supervisor of the property crimes division, as he stroked his long, white beard.


    "It''s still unclear."


    "What? Wasn''t he released!!?"


    The leader of the dark trade, Dead Butterfly, knit her eyebrows and yelled at the facilitator.


    "I''ve been conscious as to only speak in front of you four supervisors......" the guide replied, tilting her head to the side. And of course she had. The boss of a mere small family could only hope to meet with the four supervisors.


    "Did you make him confess?"


    "ording to my reports, he didn''t spill anything even under the effects of magic and drugs. Someone probably casted a spell on him that prevented a confession," answered a man dressed from head to toe in ck in the moderator''s stead. He was ck Owl, the man in charge of the organization''s assassinations and schemes.


    "I''ve never heard of any spell like that......" said Dead Butterfly, cing a hand over her well-proportioned jaw.


    "Hohoho. That must mean the one who did it is a Magic Knight Academy alumnus, a teacher, or a professor."


    "Do you have some sort of lead?"


    "......"


    ck Owl shook his head no in response to Deranged Lion''s question.


    "I see. Then we''ve no other choice but to ask directly. I presume you all have no objections?"


    Deranged Lion looked around, but nobody raised an objection.


    "Bring Mountain over!"


    The facilitator bowed once and exited the room.


    After several minutes, she returned with a giant man with a crew cut who had his hands heavily tied behind him.


    "State your position."


    "I am Mountain, the leader of Lte''s human trafficking division of the dark trade."


    He monotonously replied to ck Owl''s question.


    "Then let me ask you straight up. Who was aiming for your family?"


    "That''s......"


    Mountain stopped his sentence short and began iling his mouth.


    "What''s wrong. Answer."


    "That......that......tha, that, that, that, thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt......"


    As soon as he lost his ability to articte his thoughts, his eyes rolled back.


    "Wait, that''s clearly strange!! Hurry up and bring him over!"


    "Yes Ma''am!!"


    The squad of four soldiers next to Dead Butterfly walked over to Mountain and picked him up.


    Whish!


    Four heads flew into the air.


    "Careful! We''re under some kind of attack!"


    The four supervisors stepped back from the round table and ced their guards up.


    "O FOOLISH HUMANS. LISTEN TO MY MASTER''S WORDS."


    It was an emotionless voice, no, it was a voicepletely devoid of any intonation, and it sent of chill racing down the spines of the four supervisors who had waded through death hundreds of times.


    "Hello, nice to meet you. Let''s see, it''s probably better if I have a name. You can call me Investigator.


    I hereby dere that I''ll strangle you all to death in the most horrible and cruel way you can imagine. Why? I don''t really have any need to tell you, so just think whatever you''d like.


    In short, you can take this as a deration of war.


    Now then, let''s fight fair and square."


    After the voice flooded in, Mountain began trembling all over before letting out a hideous scream.


    Then, along with his death throes, his body split apart in two, and a monster with the head of a spider and the body of a human slowly appeared.


    "Supervisors, please stay back!"


    Several bodyguards ced themselves in front of the supervisors, but thin, white threads came out of the spider person and rampaged about.


    Countless lines formed over their bodies before they slowly split apart until they finally fell to the floor in pieces.


    "MY MASTER GRANTS DESPAIR AND DEATH TO THOSE WHO DEFY HIM."


    "Don''t let your guard down! This monster''s insanely strong! Get in formation!"


    Deranged Lion spewed out his orders, and the soldiers of Laguna moved as if they were a single entity.


    It was a fierce battle. This was Laguna''s HQ, and the guards cut no corners in their training to the point where they could even fight against the emperor emeritus''s own personal soldiers.


    And yet over 60% of the guards had perished, and the ones who had managed to keep their lives were on the brink of death.


    But that wasn''t all. The spider''s ming insides were hollow, an empty shell of the monster it once was. They had probably cornered only a part of the spider; they knew it wasn''t the real body, at the very least.


    "Thest time I''ve felt this drained was when me and Sieg went at it," said Poisoned Alcohol as he copsed to the floor, not even bothering to wipe the sweat off his face.


    "Stop joking around! Why would a catastrophic ss monster appear in the middle of this town of all ces!?" Dead Butterfly wailed as she scratched at her deep red hair.


    "We''ll need to look into that as soon as possible if we don''t want to die."


    Poisoned Alcohol had hit the nail on the head. If they couldn''t track down the mastermind, it wasn''t hard to imagine them getting attacked by a second or even third monster, in which case Laguna would surely perish.


    "We''re changing our base at once. Refrain from anything conspicuous! And ck Owl, investigate the mastermind!"


    "Are you to say that there''s a human rted to all of this?"


    "Yes."


    There was no way a single human could employ a catastrophic ss monster. Deranged Lion had heard of cases where someone had kept evolving a monster until they had obtained the throne. If this were at all simr, then he could understand a human mastermind.


    However, there was no way the monster would naturally or even identally take interest in a human---in an underground society, nheless. It was highly likely there was a human involved.


    "That person is a disgrace to all humans, employing that kind of monster!"


    Poisoned Alcohol nodded in agreement to Dead Butterfly''s scathing disdain.


    "In any case. The mastermind has some kind of rtion to the monster. A magician, perhaps. Look into that."


    "Will do," ck Owl said before disappearing.


    Deranged Lion red at Dead Butterfly who continued to spew curses out left and right and mmed his foot on the ground to shut her up. His foot sunk into the ground which fissured out like a cobweb.


    "This is war, and they''re trying to get rid of us. We can''t lose."


    Yes. That bug monster was probably just a disposable soldier. No, it might have merely been a messenger to dere war. That''s how little their opponent probably cared for a catastrophic ss monster, which meant the enemy must have been a true monster.


    "I''ll crush them."


    Laguna''s Deranged Lion had stepped of countless corpses toe this far. As he quietly muttered the same phrase over and over, he tightly clenched his fist which was covered in blood and sweat.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 9 - A Get-Together Afterwards

    Kurama and I returned to the Revise Family estate to find the others in the middle of dinner.


    "How is it, Shiina? Is it tasty?"


    "Yeah, it''s tasty."


    Shiina gave a small nod as she shakily used her chopsticks to bring some food to her mouth, after which her face transformed into a smile.


    "What about you, Dora-chan?"


    "It''s tasty!"


    Drahachi cheerfully replied as she happily shoveled in food with a fork. I really can''t get tired of watching them eat.


    "Yo, Grey. You''rete!" said Sylphy, the deadbeat dragon number two. Her face was red from alcohol and she happily poked at the food.


    She didn''t know a thing about what I had gone though, and so I wanted to punch that beaming face of hers.


    Actually, I''m surprised she even made it here.


    "Grey! Kurama!"


    I turned to see myself getting embraced by a crying girl with blonde twin tails.


    "Grey-sama, Kurama-san. I don''t know what happened, but Aria-chan''s been really worried!"


    "Yeah, I know. Sorry about that, Aria."


    "My humblest apologies, Miss," Kurama said.


    I stood on my tip toes and caressed the back of her head. Then, after Kurama and I enacted our perfect excuse, I returned to my seat having somehow managed to soothe her.


    "Shiina."


    Sate prodded the green haired girl forward.


    "Grey, onii-chan. Here."


    She handed me an overflowing container.


    "Thanks, Shiina," I said, gently brushing her head with a smile. Yep, that''s how children should be like.


    Now that I think about it, I haven''t eaten a thing since noon, and my stomach was crying out.


    Sate handed me a pair of chopsticks and I, too, began stuffing my face with my favorite wind beef.


    The next day, I dered Kurama, Aria, and the rest of the Revise Family as under the protection of Grey Ines Navarro.


    I had estimated a lot of people would be against it, but the rumor that I had exposed the thorn in their side that was the Feces family had spread throughout the entirety of Lte in a single morning, and everything went smoothly. Conversely, everyone kept begging me for the details of the battle, annoyingly so.


    I had Sagami Co. take care of the children whose hearts had been shattered until they could lead a normal life again.


    In any case, Lte had only been freed temporarily. Another shitty subordinate family from Laguna woulde knocking on the city''s doorsteps and force their way in once again.


    The Revise family totaled a mere 48 people in all, and they weren''t anywhere close to strong enough to fend off hundreds of attackers from Laguna. I''d have to strengthen them as quickly as possible, which meant grimoires.


    But there''d be no end to it if I gave everyst person who left Laguna a grimoire. Most of all, I didn''t want to give one to anyone shady.


    Should I start looking into increasing my military strength?


    Firearms were still an unknown concept to this world that knows but only magic. It''d be celebrated as a quick series of¡¾Fireballs¡¿, and it gave the insane advantage of not needing a magician.


    Just, I didn''t want to stoop so low as to be an arms dealer. The only ones who would use them would be those in my new territory, those from the Revise family, and any others under my direct control. I''d also need to be extremely careful about any leakages during development. At present, I should conduct the development only in my new territory and Sagami Co.


    In any case, I''ll probably start this venture into military development soon.


    "So, you know you''re sheltering almost a hundred children, right?"


    "Yessir. We have them living together at the predecessor''s vi," said Jill with a strange nod.


    Tonight, Kurama was spilling the Revise Family secrets.


    Jill and the other adults apparently had collectively decided to shelter any children ves.


    Shiina, with her figure and her beauty, as well as her special characteristics of green hair and long ears, was extremely conspicuous in the ve trade. She had already been a special order for the Feces Family, so they judged covering her up difficult and instead decided to sell her off.


    "I see. It''s been tough. Good work until now."


    "......Yessir."


    Tears flowed down Jill''s cheek and he frantically tried to wipe them away with his sleeve.


    "Huh? Shit!"


    The floodgates then opened as Jill continued to wipe them away.


    "Aria, it looks like your family was able to continue protecting your predecessor''s ideals."


    I had heard more than plenty about their predecessor''s fame through Baron Hakurou. He was a man of many facets---he was upright, had high morals, helped the weak, and crushed the evil. That''s the kind of irreproachable man their predecessor was.


    And he didn''t bend his morals even up to the end, where he readily met his demise. Kurama, Jill, and his other subordinates must have been in unimaginable agony.


    Not being able to save everyone was not only understandable, but an absolute truth. Thus they chose to follow their predecessor and save the weak children who still had a future ahead of them. After worrying themselves sick, they decided to save only the children.


    "Yeah."


    Aria covered her face too and quietly wept to the side.


    "Sate, go buy an estate in Straheim. We''ll have everyone from the Revise Family as well as the children live there."


    Leaving the unimaginably weak Revise Family here in Lte would be suicidal. I''d first have to have Aquido train them up until they were powerful enough.


    Oveing the subordinate family Laguna was sure to send again and organizing Lte''s underworld would be after.


    "Okay. I''ll get it done as quickly as possible," Sate replied.


    Hm, now is the time. I think I''ll enact that n.


    To begin with, it was inefficient to teach them individually. I''d definitely need an educational institution with Sagami Co. employees. I''d experimentally introduce the children in as experiment number one.


    Well, that was a problem for after I took the Magic Knight Academy''s entrance exam. I''ve already wasted some time, so I nned to head for the academy, located in the fourth ward, next morning.


    As long as I took the test on time, my obligation would be fulfilled; it didn''t matter if they passed or failed me.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 10 - Arriving at Reise

    I teleported Jill and the others from the Revise Family as well as the now safeguarded children to Straheim, handed out a low rank grimoire to everyone, and instructed Judo and Aquido to show them the ropes.


    Each and everyst one of them were being targeted by Laguna, so they''d need to learn how to defend themselves.


    And as expected, every Revise Family member raised their objections since the Laguna branch had already retreated from Lte, but after Sate gave them a good thrashing during training, their objections died down.


    We departed the next morning, and after half a day of the carriage rocking back and forth while we traveled, we arrived at our destination: the fourth ward.


    "So this is the capital''s fourth ward---Reise!" Sate eximed and jumped out of the carriage.


    The capital''s fourth ward, Reise, was a ward built on top of a hill.


    A building as elegant as a royal pce towered above the hill, and wide stone paths branched out every which way.


    Historic buildings built out of marble stood alongside the roads, which had fantastical stone bridges at every set distance.


    "That''s right. This is Reise, the city of students," Aria boasted.


    In the past, her mother had apparently taken her to this city on multiple asions, so I think she has a lot of fond memories here.


    "Let''s grab something to eat once we check in to the inn."


    "Food, food, food~~. It''s food~~~?"


    Drahachi twirled around and hummed her iprehensible song in the carriage with a face full of happiness.


    "So in the end, Miss Aria and Sate will be taking the exam as well?" asked Sylphy as she poured the Sagami Co. Alcohol into a cup.


    "Yeah, it seems that''s how it ended up."


    ording to the document that Baron Hakurou had handed me, Aria''s entrance into the institution was the one and only request of her father, the board chairman, so it proceeded forward with the upmost priority.


    Or rather, you could tell with just a nce at the document that her father had passed the point of a doting parent into the realm of a straight up weirdo. It had weaved in various reasons for her entrance such the fact that it would provide a good education, a safe ce to stay, and more, but you could clearly tell that he wanted to keep his beloved daughter by his side.


    Above all, it listing the various ways he would kill me if I so much as id a hand on her" sent chills down even my spine.


    "But can amoner like me really take the test?" Sate asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "As long as you pay the 500 000G entrance fee, they won''t care about your status. It''ll be important to make the most out of this," I exined.


    "That''s true, but......" she replied with a clearck of enthusiasm. As a penny pincher, Sate could only see her entrance into the Magic Knight Academy as a waste of money.


    "W-wait a minute. I don''t have 500 000G!" Aria fretted, "You understand, right Sate? It''s 500 000G, we''re talking 500 000G here!!"


    "I......"


    Her words caught in her throat. Sate served as both my secretary and my maid, so I paid her a sry every month.


    Now, there was of course some educational issues here, so I restricted the amount of her paycheck that she could use and saved the rest, only allowing her to dip into that fund with my approval.


    Sate''s savings had already amounted to a truckload of money, and 500 000G was honestly a drop in the bucket.


    However, Sate was the ultimate penny pincher who even saved what little amount of money I had allowed her to spend. In fact, she had evenmbasted our estimated budgets on multiple asions. At this point, she didn''t need my approval, and I could even go as far as to say she''s just doing this to be fair to the other kids her age.


    In any case, Sate had most likely didn''t find it worthwhile to pay the 500 000G entrance fee.


    "You don''t need to worry about your entrance fee, Aria," I assured her.


    The only people who really needed to pay the 500 000G fee weremoners. As Aria hade from a high-ranking noble family, she would be categorized as someone from the upper ss at the very least and wouldn''t need to pay a thing.


    As finding talented people was extremely difficult, no amount of money was too much. If a chance to reform the empire appeared, I''d take all responsibility and purge away this useless and greedy system that only someone truly ipetent could think up.


    "Why!?" Aria demanded.


    "Because your father''s a noble."


    "......"


    Having heard this for the first time, Aria stared at me with her mouth agape.


    "Grey-sama......"


    Sate covered her face in embarrassment as she admonished me.


    "She''d find out sooner orter," I said. "It''s better than her finding out directly from her father."


    "You know my father!?" she frantically said after grabbing my cor.


    "I haven''t met him in person, but he should contact us if we pass."


    Although the letter suggested that they''d oil their hands a little if we failed.


    "Ugh......"


    Aria groaned and began nervously fiddling with her bangs.


    "Let''s begin our preparation for the test after we eat. How does that sound, Aria-chan?" Sate said and tapped her shoulder, giving her a light smile.


    "O-okay."


    I was probably fine leaving Aria''s mental state to Sate. In fact, I didn''t have any special skills for soothing matters of this sort. It felt a little pathetic, but it wasn''t bad to rely on someone else every once in a while.


    "Now then, let''s grab a room. Do you have any suggestions, Aria?" I asked.


    "Ah, uhm. Let''s see---"


    Having finally returned back to life, Aria began reminiscing her past.


    Aria led us to an inn by the bank of the southernmost river in the capital''s fourth ward, Reise.


    After exiting the carriage, she bounded into the 3-story brick building.


    The rundown building had been built years ago and should have been deteriorating, but as it was maintained often, the building had afortable feel to it.


    "Ms. Landy!" aria eximed as she flew into the arms of a well-statured elderly woman who was wearing an apron and had a napkin on her head.


    Thendy stared at Aria in surprise for a while but quickly pulled her into an embrace.


    "Aria, you''ve grown so much."

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 11 - Magic Knight Academy Entrance Exam – Subject Tests

    After several days, we conducted our exam countermeasure ns in Reise''s inn, the Raindrop Inn.


    ording to that annoying emperor, the Magic Knight Academy entrance exam consisted of subject tests and a practical test. They were each 100 points overall, and you needed at least a 100 out of 200 points to pass.


    The practical test mainly tested over martial arts and magic. There was no way they could test everybody''s martial prowess in a single day, but we would likely pass the magic test with flying colors as we had grimoires.


    Honestly though, I wasn''t quite sure about brute forcing our way past by relying on my grimoire creation skill; I wanted to pass while relying on grimoires as little as possible.


    The subject tests were separated into imperial history, magic theory, andmon knowledge questions. These past few years, I had been holed up in a library whenever I found the time, so I was confident in my knowledge.


    Copying me, Sate had also read many books, and I hadn''t held back in my teachings over these past few years, so she should be quite knowledgeable as well. Passing shouldn''t be a problem for her.


    The problemy with Aria, who hadn''t prepared at all.


    She could make-do in the practical test with grimoires, but the subject tests wouldn''t go nearly as smoothly. At this rate, she would fail.


    So after contracting several low and middle rank grimoires to her, I focused the entire week on cramming knowledge into her head.


    "Aria, Grey, Sate. Don''t lose your focus!" yelled thendy as she repeatedly struck two rocks together.


    She had been overjoyed to hear that Aria would be taking the Magic Knight Academy entrance exam and had lent us a spacious room for an entire week and even helped provide us supper.


    I guess she had also known about Aria''s father.


    "Thank you, really."


    The three of us bowed together.


    Thendy cracked a smile.


    "Good luck---" Shiina said as she waved her hands.


    "Hurry up ande back to make food," said Drahachi.


    "Leave these two to me! Now, let''s hurry on before you''rete."


    We each nodded once before setting off on the road towards the academy.


    "My head''spletely empty." Aria yawned and shook her head.


    I had told her over and over that ack of sleep would only be detrimental, so make sure to get enough, but she just doesn''t listen.


    Well, I guess it''s also my fault for identally letting slip that she would be able to meet her father if she passed. Maybe I''m the one who needs to reflect.


    "Rx your shoulders. There''s nothing more you can do now."


    "I-I know," Aria replied.


    She walked stiffly with her hands and feet in sync, and most of all, she seemed to be about 20% more stiff than before.


    It looks like my attempts at encouragement havepletely failed.


    "Once this is over, let''s go sightseeing with Shiina, Dora-chan in Reise. I''ll show you around," said Sate.


    "Yeah, let''s."


    Aria gave her a big nod and pepped herself by pping her face before beginning to do deep breaths.


    Gradually, her face firmed up as if water had been poured over her, and she returned to the normal Aria.


    Yep, to soothe a kid, you really need someone around the same age who has gone through simr experiences.


    Even now, Sate still has trouble sleeping alone and other worrisome aspects, but she''s got a good head on her shoulders. It might be time for her to be independent.


    A magnificent four-story building stood at the top of the hill. It was the Imperial Magic Knight Academy''s main school, and several buildings and training facilities were located next to the path leading up to it. The Imperial Magic Knight Academy---The Great Phillip Rose Archive had diverted an enormous amount of the government spending to establish the empire''s pridedrgest research and education facility.


    It was also known as the pinnacle magical research facility. To the imperial citizens who extolled their nation as a magical one, graduation from this academy brought the highest status and a path towards glory.


    However, the system lent itself towards only epting the sons and daughters of nobles and wealthy merchants, so you could say that it had major faults as both an institution to educate and to research. Worst of all, everybody admired, even yearned for, this faulty academy.


    We passed through the iron gate that towered majestically above and entered into the immense premises of the academy. There, we found ourselves a spectacle, with white-tiled walkways and trees growing every couple of meters just to the side. Despite my age, I had no choice but to admire the historical value of such a scenery. Although that''s exactly why it was such a waste.


    "Is everybody here an examinee?" Aria asked in a daze as she stared at the people heading towards what looked like the main building.


    "Of course, the sons and daughters of the empire''s nobles and of wealthy merchants are taking the test after all."


    Although with the undead attack not too long ago, even this number is a far cry from the norm.


    We entered the school building and went through all the procedures at the window. We were then handed an admission ticket which directed us to the correct ssroom.


    "So Sate and Aria are in the same room, whereas I''m in a different one. Let''s meet up once we finish the subject tests."


    "''Kay!"


    "Yeah!"


    And with their cheerful reply, I turned my back and headed towards the ssroom marked on my ticket.


    Each seat was numbered with ha te in front which probably held the examinee''s seat number. My seat had me in the back of the room by the window.


    "Woah, it''s evene this far?"


    The windows were made of ss and were one of Sagami Co.''s leading products but hadn''t spread to the city or to the average person yet.


    I had some spare time, so I decided to rest my chin on my hands and enjoy the scene outside.


    "Hey."


    "Hm?"


    I turned towards the voice to find a girl with wavy blonde hair that fell down to her waist and was pulled up in a depressing manner. She looked to be around my body''s age, and she curiously stared at me with sleepy eyes.


    "You''re quite carefree," she pointed out.


    "I wonder about that."


    Rather than carefree, I just didn''t hold much interest, although I''ll admit I was curious about the books hidden in this academy.


    Books were the crystallization of mankind''s prided intellect, a record of our knowledge. A library held much more value than a ce stuffed to the brim with expensive decorations. At least, that''s what I believe.


    Still, that''s assuming that library is privately managed. There were 5 libraries in Straheim. Among them was one managed by a book-loving merchant who, although on a small scale, offered every weird book about themon knowledge, the culture, and the terrain around the world, books about inconceivably offbeat magic theories, and other books that made your heart pump.


    Inparison, the library with the highest influence in the empire that which examinees often frequented could simply be summed up as the worst.


    Almost all of its books either endlessly praised the empire without any verification,uded the Gods'' greatness, or were crammed with thoughtless magic incantations. I was done after reading just a few. This academy had the highest authority in the empire, and it was no tall feat to imagine this library the same as the aforementioned.


    Well, they probably had the forbidden books and secret messages which I was extremely interested in closely guarded, but there''s no way they''d let any ordinary student set foot in that library.


    In short, it wasn''t worth the effort I''d need to put in during these few years at the academy.


    "You''re a strange one."


    "I get that a lot."


    I sensed an unpleasant looking from the blonde girls'' eyes and so turned back towards the scenery outside.


    I heard deep breathsing from the seat next to mine, but the stares following me soon disappeared.


    The start of the entrance exam.


    The history consisted of about 60% imperial history, 30% world history, and the remaining 10% of questions over the mythical era and over nursery tales. As expected, it was mostly over the empire''s various feats, so I disconcertedly filled out the answer sheet.


    Themon knowledge questions focused on etiquette and dealing with those above your rank. I couldn''t find a shred of value in the etiquettes that filth like Duke Cyrus came up with. If they were going to put this out anyways, they should have thrown it into a reading analysis question.


    The final section on magic theory was...... terrible.


    To think that among the 20 questions, 15 of them were just over spitting out memorized incantations. Furthermore, another four were especially terrible. Of those four, three were over the fundamentals of top rank magic, and one over the fundamentals of special rank magic. I was done in a sh.


    Finally, I reached the final question.


    "Haha! How fascinating!" I said aloud.


    Starting with the blonde girl beside me, all the examinees began ring at me.


    I hastily tried to close my mouth, but I couldn''t hold back my excitement.


    The final question was "State the rtionship between a magic ritual and magic."


    Good. That''s good. This question stood noparison with the others. It''s as if it were asking about the very phenomena surrounding magic.


    Incantations were just words. Why would a supernatural phenomenon such as magic appear just by speaking some words?


    "Alright. I''ll tell you."


    I muttered to myself before bingpletely engrossed in the question.


    "Stop, ce your pen on your desk."


    I came up with several ideas in the end, but I was stillcking in knowledge to exin them.


    Still, I was able to focus because of the time limit. I feel like I had been able to organize my up-until-now fragmented knowledge. Yep. This question alone made taking the test worth it.


    "Are you confident?" The girl beside me posed a question.


    Other than the final question, anyone could make-do by just memorizing stuff. Judging by the pale faces around me, they were all stumped by that hard question at the end.


    "No, I couldn''t answer it."


    "But you look happy?"


    "Well, yeah. There''s a puzzle that I couldn''t solve. That is the very essence that feeds the souls of us scientists and the very thing that we desire most."


    For a while, the girl stared me with eyes wide opened, before changing her look to one of pity.


    "You''re a weirdo. How pitiable," she said and left after tussling my hair.


    What a rude kid. Even I''d get hurt from getting treated like a weirdo. Probably......

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 12 - Practical Tests Part 1

    The school had told us to change into something easy to move in, but personally I found no need to do so. My casual attire served me just fine, and so I headed directly towards my assigned practice grounds.


    The area was elliptical, reddish-brown and was well-maintained, something like a school''s sports ground.


    Over 200 examinees had already gathered in the examination hall.


    Now, where were Sate and Aria? I scanned the hall before noticing a group of people.


    "I respectfully decline."


    Sate gripped the hem of her maid outfit and politely bowed.


    "I-I''m the next head of the Usan Family. We''re Counts!" yelled a handsome boy with a blonde mushroom cut as his face reddened in anger.


    "Yes, you told me that earlier."


    Sate tilted her head in confusion.


    "Then isn''t grabbing a meal after the exam fine!?"


    "How does your status as the next head of a Count have any rtion to me apanying you for food?"


    "I mean, aren''t you amoner?"


    "I am. What about it."


    "Then shut up and listen to us nobles!!"


    Sate narrowed her eyes after finally understanding what he meant.


    That''s why I told you to take off your maid clothes at least during the exam. The sons and daughters of high rank nobles and wealthy merchantsmute to this school. It''s only natural that the examinees would misinterpret their parents'' authority and assets as their own.


    "I haven''t heard of anyw that requiredmoners to apany nobles for a meal," Sate replied.


    "Commoners obey the nobles. It''s our empire''s most prized custom," the boy exined.


    "I''ve never heard of any kind of custom like that."


    "It''s true! That''s what the nobles tell me. There''s no way they''re wrong!!"


    Sate sighed and said, "Then let me draw the line for you with some evidence. I already serve someone of peerage who has given me strict orders to not follow anybody shady. That''s why I refused your request."


    "Are you saying I''m shady!?"


    "I must have made a mistake if you had heard differently. I apologize from the bottom of my heart."


    Sate gripped the hem of her clothes while trying to suppress a smile as the boy with the mushroom cut flushed in anger.


    Sate''s been quite ruthless recently---probably due to my teachings. That''s kind of a blow to my confidence.


    "How dare you, a meremoner!!"


    "It''s not about my status. It''s about how you''re so crazy as to invite a girl out for a meal without even considering what would happen if you were rejected. I don''t care if you take this as arrogant, but wouldn''t it be best for you to learn somemon sense?"


    "You!!"


    The other examinees looked on in amusement.


    In contrast, I noticed Aria, who was scowling as ifpletely fed up.


    "Ah! Grey!" said Aria, gantly waving her hand towards me.


    That girl always pushes her troubles onto me. Well I am technically Sate''s guardian, so I''ll try to get the situation under control as quickly as possible.


    "Stand down, Sate. You''re being rude."


    "But, Grey-sama!"


    Sate pouted in frustration. In her eyes, she was being chastised for an error she hadn''t made. Her extremely stubborn nature meant a proper exnation was in order.


    "You know, boys going through puberty won''t be able to muster up the courage to talk to a girl without some kind of a ridiculous reason."


    That''s right, even I was ......like that? I can''t for the life of me remember. I used to at least be able to remember fragments of my life on earth before.


    "Puberty......you say?"


    "Yeah? Their bodies rapidly begin to develop around age 12, and they be hyper aware of the opposite sex. It''s the period of time between a child and an adult.


    "Hyper aware......"


    Sate looked at the boy in disgust.


    "Hey, y-you......" he began, pping his lips with a face as red as a ripe apple.


    Yep, I think that exnation wasn''t enough. These kinds of topics are just so difficult to exin to children.


    "Like I was saying, it''s more of an instinct. An attraction to the opposite sex is what fuels us as humans. Lacking that attraction would make us cease to be human."


    "Then do you have that attraction too, Grey-sama?"


    "Of course I do. I''m human after all."


    It''s sad that I can''t put any persuasive power behind that statement as I''ve been treated as inhuman a lottely.


    "But you seem to hold none of that towards me?"


    Hm? I feel like the issue at hand''s changed. Actually, I this conversation seems to be heading somewhere dangerous......


    "Well you''re like a sister to me, so an attraction would actually be weird, don''t you think?"


    "......"


    Sate began to pout. Shit, I can already tell what''sing; I''ve already angered her.


    "You dug a wonderful grave for yourself," Aria added from the side.


    It can''t be helped. I need to force the conversation back to what it was before.


    "Let''s get back to the topic at hand," I said. "The mind can''t keep up with the rapid change in the body during puberty, so they often do some really embarrassing stuff. Compared to girls, boys develop a lot slower and so the effect is much more marked. It''s a bit harsh to me him for that."


    Of course, everybody has their own dos and don''ts. As long as we adhere to them, I think we should be more tolerant of kids going through these times.


    "I understand. There''s a couple of points I''m not happy about, but that''s for another time. I went a little too far. Please forgive me."


    Sate turned back to the boy with the mushroom cut, crossed her hands over her stomach and deeply bowed.


    "N-no, it''s not like I was......"


    For some reason, the boy ran away in confusion.


    Still, these passerby are giving us quite the stares.


    "Why? Was he angry at me?"


    Aria stared at me for a while before sighing and saying, "You''re really smart, Grey, but you''re also an idiot."


    How rude.


    After regrouping together, Sate''s mood had dropped like a rock, but after I promised to sightsee Reise together with her, she finally perked back up.


    "By the way, did everything go well on your side?" I asked the two.


    "I finished."


    "Yes, I managed to fill everything out," Aria said. "There really weren''t any difficult questions besides thest one."


    In an instant, everybody turned to look at us.


    "Huh? Huh? What''s happening?"


    Aria frantically looked around after asking that iprehensible question


    "Who knows. In any case, do you think you can use magic?"


    "Yep! I somehow managed to memorize everything!"


    I had made Aria learn ¡¾Fireball¡¿and ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿with grimoires. It had been done in haste, but as long as she remembered the incantations she would pass.


    Most importantly, I heard that Aria had been receiving instruction from Kurama in the military arts. She should have an overwhelming advantage over the sheltered boys and girls. Since the subject tests were that easy, she shouldn''t have any problem unless she made some huge ident.


    At the final meeting, a beautiful woman with blue hair who had donned a pointy hat and a robe appeared before us.


    "I''m Reba, and I''ll be serving as your head examiner today. Let''s begin with a quick outline of the exam," she said and began her exnation.


    That said, the exnation merely consisted of splitting the examinees into an A group and B group, where the A group received a magic test and the B group a martial arts test. Once both groups finished, they would switch sides and take the other half.


    It looked like I was in group A and Sate and Aria in Group B.


    "See ya then. Good luck to you both."


    "''Kay!"


    "Thanks!"


    I nodded a few times after their innocent smiles and headed towards my assigned magic examination room.


    "Condense magic power into this crystal."


    "Yessir!"


    A boy with short brown hair looked like he was battling against Fate herself as he ced his palm on the crystal, which soon glowed red. The boy assumed a triumphant pose while the examiner merely recorded the result down on a piece of parchment.


    Looks like red signifies a high amount of magic.


    "Next, number 344."


    Incidentally, I was taking this test as Grey Mird. After all, my sister and brother from another mother, Aqua and Cliff respectively, would be here if I were to pass. They would definitely suspect something was up if I had taken my other name.


    "Condense magic power into this crystal."


    I''m a bit interested in what would happen to this toy if I went all out, but Sate had warned me beforehand to be discreet. I should hold back my curiosity.


    I sat down and ced my right palm onto the crystal while being careful to hold back.


    "Woah!"


    The young, ck-haired examiner suddenly backed off as blue sparks spat out of the crystal before turningpletely ck.


    Did I break it? No way, I only put a tiny fraction of my power into it.


    Amidst the awkward silence that had befallen the room, the young examiner who had retreated the corner of the room cleared his throat, walked up to me, and began closely inspecting the crystal.


    He tried tapping it and condensing magic power into it, among other things, but nothing happened. He let out a deep sigh and exited the room after announcing the test would be temporarily suspended. Ten minutester, he came back with a new crystal.


    "No, condense magic power into this crystal."


    In all probability, I had condensed the crystal with more magic than it could hold. However annoying, I''d need to aim to release the absolute minimum amount of magic power I could. Going even a little over a certain amount would cause a spell to be casted, and to make matters worse, the amount of magic power expended wasn''t the only thing that controlled the power of a spell. That fact had probably obstructed my ability to finely control my magic power consumption. Truly, what a hard exam.


    I ced my right palm on the crystal and focused solely on outputting the absolute smallest amount of magic power, but......


    The examiner stared at the now ck crystal in a daze.


    So even this was too much. Maybe this wasn''t a test to measure your magic power, but how finely you could control your release of magic power. That meant this was truly a difficult exam.


    "P-please stand by for a bit."


    The dozens of piercing res around me were extremely ufortable.


    The young examiner from before then came back holding three crystals. However, a disturbance ran through the examinees when they saw a blue-haired female examiner enter with him.


    "You said you were Grey-kun right? Could you condense your magic one more time?" asked the head examiner, Reba.


    She had a gentle tone, but it left no room to decline.


    "Sure......" I replied.


    Controlling my magic power expenditure didn''t work. That was, in a sense, a fatal w. Mentally, I was on a bed of nails, but I had received a chance. I had finally found out this weakness of mine, and I should try my best to ovee it.


    I ced my right palm on the crystal.


    With a meticulous attention, I released magic power into the crystal.


    POW!


    The crystal vibrated and turned ck.


    Shit! Another failure.


    "Let''s go to the next one," Reba excitedly said.


    "Yes, bring it on."


    I touched the crystal and closed my eyes.


    I imagined a wide ocean and scooped out a cup of water. That''s how fine it had to be.


    Opening my eyes, I saw yet another ck crystal.


    Even this was too much. Then I''ll need to imagine something even smaller next time. Reba silently ced another crystal in front of me. I carelessly picked it up and imagined a faucet. I was the water reservoir. I twisted the faucet and let a single drop spill out.


    Amidst the room which had returned to an uncanny silence, I opened my eyes to see the crystal glowing silver.


    "Silver......" muttered Reba before she burst out inughter. A chatter arose through the examinees, who knit their eyebrows at the sight of Reba, still cackling with a face red with excitement.


    "Hey, have you heard of it turning silver?" one examinee asked to another.


    "No, the lowest is white, and the highest is gold. It''s close to white, so isn''t it the lowest?" another added.


    "RIP, he probably failed."


    "Geez, how long are they going to take for a failure?"


    Hm, it was my fault for failing to manage my magic power. It would be rude of me to get in the way of the other examinees any further.


    "Is this enough?"


    "Yes, yes, it''s enough. More than enough. Of course. Please go to the next exam, Grey-kun. Although there might not be much meaning to test you any further."


    A wave of sneers exploded from behind me.


    I couldn''t care less about whether I failed or not, but I was quite pleased at having found one of my weaknesses. I''ve matured a lot during this test.


    "Thank you very much."


    I bowed down with a smile on my lips and headed off towards the next testing ground.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 13 - Practical Tests Part 2

    The next practical test consisted of firing magic at targets. They probably looked at your uracy and precision.


    The examinees, after a long chant, fired at the targets.


    "They''re terrible."


    There''s no way they would pass. I mean, they didn''t even reach the target. Their incantation was needlessly long and riddled with mistakes, and luckily it didn''t manifest into a spell. They had a lot to work on before uracy and precision.


    "Hm, you think so too?"


    I looked behind my shoulders to see a silver-haired boy giving the examinees a troubled look.


    "Well, the magic''s noting out with that incantation."


    You couldn''t fully understand magic by borrowing the cheat-like abilities of grimoires. As such, I conducted several experiments with grimoires to find that I could make a grimoire disappear just by wishing. I used that ability to then verify the fact that I could still cast the grimoire''s spell despite it having disappeared.


    As a result, I identified the following facts about magic incantations.


    Anybody can theoretically cast a spell, as long as they use the correct incantation, and they have sufficient magic power.


    However, the magic power necessary for an incantation depends on each word, so longer incantations require more sense and training, with sense being widely considered as one''s so-called talent in magic. A majority of nobles have high sense in this regard, which we can presume as having resulted from having begun their training at a young age.


    As grimoires automatically incant the spell for you, it''s almost impossible for the amount of magic power required for a spell to differ between casts. Because it''s an acquired spell, restrictions on your talent apply only when using the grimoire and using an incantation instead of the grimoire is extremely dangerous and has a high chance to explode in your face if you don''t have enough sense.


    However, the examinee had casted ¡¾Fireball¡¿, and had only incanted "O red me, gather betwixt my hands and turn to power." There wasn''t much to mess up.


    "Now then, it''s my turn. I''ll be going on ahead."


    The silver-haired boy took his position after having his number called out, and casually raised his left hand. The targets---eight wooden signs---stood roughly 30 meters away.


    "O red me."


    And with that short incantation, a softball sized fireball appeared in the air and rushed forward, piercing through a target."


    "O red me,  O red me,  O red me,  O red me,  O red me,  O red me,  O red me."


    One by one, the fireballs rushed forward and charred the targets.


    "Amazing......" said one onlooker.


    Woah, that''s an interesting incantation. At its core, the spell required "O red me," and the phrase "gather betwixt my hands and turn to power" merely increased the power and corrected its trajectory. And as this test didn''t care about the power, omitting the second half still left more than enough power.


    In any case, it wasn''t something you would think of if you didn''t understand the incantation, and as you would receive no correction to the trajectory, it was like hitting a far-away target with a bow. It was undoubtably a highly skilled technique.


    "Next, number 334."


    Looks like it''s my turn now. I began to head towards my position when the silver-haired boy whispered something to me.


    "Let me see what you''ve got. Show me that you''re more than just talk."


    It was just a fireball, but he must have done a lot of research and training. I couldn''t leave him hanging.


    I walked up to the iron te on the floor, shut one eye, and aimed at the target.


    Next---


    "O eight red mes---"


    Eight fireballs appeared before me.


    The silver-haired boy gasped behind me. It''s too early to be surprised. Myrgest improvement was hereinafter.


    "Bend to my power and ze a beautiful azure."


    The fireballs erged to two meters in diameter in an instant and began spinning around after turning blue before speeding towards the wooden targets.


    Crash!


    One after another, the fireballs evaporated the targets and erupted into pirs of blue me.


    With just a small tweak to the incantation, you could do this.


    However, there were strict restrictions on when and where you could add words, and you needed a lot of effort to discover those rules.


    "......"


    The jaws of everyone, including the examiners, dropped to the floor as they stared at the now carbonized targets that had copsed to the floor in mes.


    "Is this enough?" I asked.


    "Ah, yeah......"


    I turned my back to the dumbfounded examiner and headed towards the martial arts examination hall.


    "W-wait just a minute." A voice called out from behind me.


    I turned back to see the silver-haired boy from before,pletely out of breath.


    "What''s up?"


    His ring look said everything.


    "What kind of magic was that!?"


    "That was ¡¾Fireball¡¿"


    "That''s a lie. To cast eight at once, and with that color---there''s no way that could be ¡¾Fireball¡¿!"


    "Regardless, that''s the truth."


    "Then let me ask one thing. Could I do that too?"


    "Yeah, you could."


    He had enough ability topact the incantation and correct its trajectory with just his own power, so he should be able to cast a spell with an improved incantation.


    "Please teach me. I''m begging you."


    He lowered his head before me.


    "I''ll teach you as much as you want if we both pass."


    Leaving behind that simple response, I once again set off towards the martial arts examination hall.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 14 - Practical Tests Part 3

    A crowd formed at the martial arts examination grounds.


    The reason was simple.


    "It''s Aria and that blonde girl," I noticed.


    Aria and a blonde girl were currently engaged in a high-level brawl.


    Now that I look closer, that blonde girl has quite the physical ability. Her strength is at E, and it''s a miracle that Aria can even hold her own against the girl.


    "Grey-sama!"


    Sate''s eyes lit up the moment she saw me, and she jogged over before pulling me into an embrace.


    Sate was the type of person that didn''t hold back in front of a crowd and was often intimate like so. Fortunately, most everyone had their attention drawn to the brawl between Aria and the blonde girl, but this needed to stop once we matricted. I should let her knowter, but it might be futile.


    "Good work, Sate. Have you finished?" I asked.


    "Yes. The test will finish with thisst battle."


    It takes quite a bit of time to properly evaluate battles between examinees.


    "It''s about over."


    The blonde girl swept at Aria''s legs, knocking her to the ground. She then mounted Aria before the examiner signaled that the test had concluded.


    With her back to the floor, Aria moved her arm to cover her eyes as she trembled all over---she was frustrated, probably.


    "Sate, if you would."


    The concept of crying because you lost during a test didn''t exist inside me, so I wasn''t confident I could empathize with her. Sate would do a much better job at soothing Aria.


    "......"


    Sate wordlessly nodded and ran towards Aria. As she gave Aria a helping hand, a round of apuse erupted from the spectators. The fight she had given had made so many rivals give her a round of apuse. I think that''s something she can take pride in, regardless of the final result.


    And just as expected, Sate calmed down Aria, who had been crying in anguish, before hastening her over to the magic examination hall.


    "Hey," said a voice from behind.


    I turned around to see the boy with a mushroom cut who had quarreled with Sate before staring intently at me.


    He wasn''t in group A; he was with Sate in group B.


    "Do you need something from me?"


    "I''m Odo Usan!"


    I see, he''s introducing himself. Howudable.


    "I---"


    "I''ll never lose to you!!" he yelled before dashing away.


    "What was that?" I wondered aloud.


    After all the examinees from group B had left for the magic examination hall, the rest of the group A examinees filed into the ground after having finished their magic exam.


    "Silence!" the examiner shouted. His voice echoed through the entire grounds as everyone focused their gaze towards the center.


    "Huh? Why is that old geezer here? And next to him is that deadbeat dragon number two. Just what is happening.


    "Listen, everyone! The Great Sage, Siegfried Granbull is about to speak!"


    After the examiner''s reverent introduction, Sieg, the sage-like man with white hair, took a step forward and gazed over the examinees.


    The examinees did a collective gulp. No wonder: though old, he was the Great Sage, a living legend.


    Sieg locked eyes with me and gave me a devilish grin. I felt like I was dead center in some sinister design of theirs. Ugh, it gave me goosebumps.


    "While we normally hold the exam as a series of mock battles between students, we''re changing the rules a bit for group A."


    "Please wait. What about group B?" one examinee yelled.


    "That''s right! This is too sudden!" another chimed in.


    After the silver-haired boy''s objection, an outpour of apprehensions andints burst out into the hall.


    "So noisy. If you''re aiming to serve as this empire''s knights and magicians, then don''t lose your minds over something as innocuous as this," said Sieg as he picked at his ear and blew at his fingertip.


    "Don''t mess with us you shitty old man! We''ve worked ourselves to the bone to take this test in order to be the kind of knights and magicians you''re talking about. Don''t you dare pretend that we didn''t!" roared a boy with rough red hair in a rage.


    "n-kun, the Examination Task Force have already made their decision. There''s no going back, no matter what you say. Or will you withdraw and get disqualified?" said Reba.


    The boy''s face warped into a demon-like one at her piercing words, but he looked away.


    I get where he''sing from. Sieg and that stupid dragon had suddenlye and changed the rules. I was the cause, in all probability.


    From what I''ve heard, he must have really trained himself beforeing to take this test. Even I would get angry if my hard work were to be suddenly overturned for seemingly no reason.


    Still, what is Sieg nning? To me, passing this test is just a bonus. That''s all. Anyone who knows my objectives should understand that. Moreover I just can''t understand the foolishness behind involving all the examinees.


    "I know it''s a bit sudden, but we''re starting. Now, if you would, Sylphy-dono."


    "Ooh, leave it to me. I''ll give you an amazing summon."


    She ced her right palm on the ground and proudly chanted, "¡¾Lizard Puppet¡¿---The weakest Rock Wyvern."


    A magic circle three meters in radius appeared on the ground, and a small pterosaur-like Giant Lizard of stone appeared out of it.


    "Huh?"


    "Eh?"


    With three rock wyverns now staring at them, the examinees erupted into chaos.


    "Hey old man! Exin yourself! What is that!?" yelled the red-haired boy as he pointed at the stone wyvern that was staring at him with red eyes.


    "Fight with these monsters for 30 minutes. The weapons are at the end of the hall, and you are free to use magic as you please. I wish you all the best of luck," said Sieg.


    Then, Sylphy snapped her fingers when one stone lizard opened his mouth towards the ceiling and gave an earthshattering roar.


    "Eeeek!!"


    "Aaaaahh!!"


    Before I knew it, the examination hall had descended into chaos.


    Roughly 60% of the examinees curled up and trembled without even trying to go towards the weapons. The faulty with Sylphy''s orders, probably---the rock wyverns wouldn''t attack any defenseless examinees.


    In contrast, the remaining 30% grabbed weapons and valiantly struck at the rock wyvern''s thick tail which blew them off like a dump truck unloading its container as the examinees flew back and were forced to withdraw from the battle.


    For what it''s worth, the examinees hadn''t sustained any life-threatening injuries, and Sieg immediately healed them.


    In any case, the examinees were reduced to me, the silver-haired boy, the red-haired boy, and a couple of others in an instant.


    These stone dragons were from Sylphy''s ¡¾Lizard Puppet¡¿ spell and didn''t hold any will of their own, so breaking them should bepletely fine.


    However, those stone wyverns had stats that averaged E, so only a small percent of examinees would be able to destroy them. But that''s after I clear a certain condition. Right now, I should assume the current examinees aren''t powerful enough to destroy the wyverns.


    Still, this is an exam. They''re merely looking at your response against an enemy vastly superior to you. If there''s no need to destroy the wyverns, then this test is quite suitable.


    In any case, just standing here is a waste of time.


    "Bring number 8 over to the school building and move number 74 over to the weapons. Everyone else, stay away from those two," I ordered.


    "Huh!? Why the hell are you partitioning off the weak!?"


    n, the red-haired boy, once again lost his temper in an instant.


    "You won''t make any progress if you get cornered in a ce like that. Follow what I said if you don''t want to die."


    That said, there wasn''t any real risk of death. As long as they didn''t transgress on the unwritten rules that kept us human, I wouldn''t kill them. It was the final scrap of dignity left within this unscrupulous body.


    "Let''s follow what he says for now," the silver-haired boy suggested to n.


    "Huh? What''s happened to you, Rnd? Are you trusting such a suspicious---"


    "He''s a better magician that I am. I''m sure of it, after seeing his skills during the magic exam."


    He''s talking about the ¡¾Fireball¡¿improvement, probably.


    "You''re sure of it?" n asked. "I''ll never forgive you if you''re trying to trick me!"


    "n, do you really think I would do that?"


    n gave the silver-haired boy, Rnd, a sidelong re before shaking his head.


    "Alright, fine. I''ll listen to you, just this once. Hey, what''s your name!"


    "Huh? Yeah, some means of identification is in order, so just call me number 344," I replied. "I''ll call you two number 8 and number 74."


    "So names are too close for you? Well, whatever. I like your spirit, if but only a little."


    "I see, do you want me to thank you?"


    "Ha! After everything''s over,"ughed n. "Hey, you guys!"


    n gathered up several examinees and raced back to the weapons.


    "You guys are going too," said Ronald as he dragged the remaining students towards the school building.


    Now, what should I do. Should I follow along with Sieg''s plot and focus on defense? That would be the simplest and most efficient way but......that''s boring. Yes, that''s boring. As the saying goes, in for a penny, in for a pound. I want to see that deadbeat dragon number two cry.


    I sneered at her inside as I began to construct the perfect n.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 15 - Practical Tests Part 4

    Since we had split up, the rock wyvern couldn''t find a target and we were able to sessfully escape.


    "What a waste."


    That was my first impression after watching their battle. Everyone had refined their ability to infuse magic power into a magic ritual and were able to do it with ease. This wasn''t talent---ever since they were kids, they had tirelessly practiced until they mastered this ability.


    "Repetition"---It was the most important and valuable act for us scientists.


    Young scientists value knowledge built up from repetition much lower than knowledge from pure talent or some sixth sense like IQ. They tout their intelligence and their high IQ as a reason they can conduct even higher level research.


    But the god of science is heartless. The supreme sense and intellect that they believe they have often serves little use as they find inconsistent results and as their research runs into the ground. The more they devote themselves into their research, the more they are forced to realize just how ordinary they are, regardless of whether they want to believe such a thing.


    On the other hand, Ronald and the others knew the importance of repetition but not the value of the knowledge thates with it; they were a kind of people that didn''t exist on the scientific side.


    To scientists who wanted reproducibility, knowledge was everything, after all. Their journey consisted merely of obtaining that knowledge and nothing else. To deny that would be to deny one''s very existence.


    Ronald and the others didn''t consider magic a discipline, but rather a sport that consists of practicing mixed with rare talent and your bloodline, or maybe something more akin to working out.


    "I''ve changed my mind. Gather up once more."


    I restrained the rock wyverns with ¡¶Wind Maniption¡·, and the examinees widened their eyes in shock as the rock wyverns grinded to a halt.


    "I''m a busy man. Gather up once more."


    I casted the same spell once again.


    "Y-you, that''s---"


    n impulsively walked up to me and ced a finger on the now unmoving lizard statues.


    "You''re all so ipetent," I said.


    "What did you say!" roared n, who I promptly ignored and continued talking.


    "Magic isn''t about talent, it''s about studying. You need to fix this fundamental misunderstanding of yours to start."


    I ced the palm of my left hand on one of the wyverns and chanted, "O seven wind des, obey my power and turn to chakrams."


    Sevenrge chakrams suddenly appeared in the air, and they twisted and turned as they sliced off the limbs and head of a rock wyvern. Before long, it turned back to sand that scattered onto the floor.


    Ah, I ended up breaking it. Regardless, three rock wyverns were too much for the examinees. If I were the professor, I''d make them crush one at most, and I wouldn''t mind giving them a handicap or some hints on top of that.


    "......"


    While n pped his mouth around in shock, Ronald stared at me as seriously as if he were fighting Fate herself.


    "I''ll say this now, but this isn''t some new type of magic, but the same spell that you guys had used before---¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿."


    "Stop lying! Everything down to the shape and the power is different!"


    "Not at all," I replied. "If you could freely wield ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿, then you could do that very same improvement."


    "We can do......that?"


    "Yeah. This is your beginning as well as a critical juncture. Now choose. Will you seek the knowledge that is sorcery, or will you drown in the word talent and throw all thought away?


    This time I nted a seed of magic knowledge. Whether it blooms or not is up to them.


    And so I began my teachings of the most fundamental building blocks of knowledge.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "Now! Wind Barrier!"


    Ronald had used himself as a decoy, and he two behind him began their improved incantation for Wind Barrier and aimed at the feet of the wyverns hot on Ronald''s tail.


    The spell normally wouldn''t have nearly enough power to stop a body asrge as a rock wyverns, but they''d find this improved version that was more akin to a boundary more than enough as long as their timing was right.


    The moment a rock wyvern lifted its leg, several cube-like blocks of wind crashed into its body like a giant hammer.


    Having lost its bnce, the rock wyvern tumbled forward and sent tremors running through the ground. At the same time, the other four set off abination of ¡¾Fireball¡¿and ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿to form a giant zing wind de which gouged into the wyvern''s neck.


    The rock wyverns were weak to air, and cleverly wrapping it in fire vastly strengthened its punch.


    This was the very essence of pseudo-fusion magic. Many simply called it fusion magic, but truly fusing the spells required several modifications on the magic rituals. They had perfectly followed threw with my directions without any rehearsal. These guys are really interesting.


    "O nine wind des, obey my power and turn to chakrams."


    In an instant, Ronald sent nine wind chakrams flying towards the rock wyverns which gouged at their necks and effortlessly decapitated them.


    The rock wyvern turned back to sand which fell back to the floor.


    Ear-splittingly loud shouts of joy arose from the grounds.


    That was nothing. Their necks were their weak spots, and they would recover any other damage in a couple dozen seconds. I had hinted as such earlier, which they had discovered after talking it out.


    The clincher had been the fact that the rock wyverns'' necks had been unnecessarily thick. One of the basic things about the structure of a living being was that tough ces most often signified a ce that being didn''t want anyone to touch.


    So, they nned to use ¡¾Fireball¡¿and ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿to create a pseudo-fusion spell that cracked through the neck and have Ronald''s improved¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿serve as the finishing blow.


    They two were shouting with joy, and when I turned to look towards them, I found n''s wind enchanted sword thrust deep into the rock wyvern''s neck.


    And like the others, it turned to sand and copsed to the floor.


    Now the test has concluded with our overwhelming victory. Sylphy''s spell had been broken by humans, no, children. It must be a huge blow to her pride. Surely, she''s vexed......or not? In fact, she was grinning like a child who had just pulled off a prank.


    "You''re actually amazing. To think that just changing the magic ritual a bit would let off such a powerful spell," said n. "I''m surprised."


    "Well, that''s your own power, built from all the training you had put into ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿," I replied.


    That was the truth. To activate a spell with an incantation, you had to have a precise understanding of the magic rituals the founded the spell as well as enough magic power. In short, you needed extremely fine control, so only those who have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into their training of ¡¾Wind Cutter¡¿could improve the spell.


    "I-I see."


    n loosened up and shyly scratched at his face.


    Then, Ronald''s face turned serious as he turned to me and asked, "Who in the world are you?"


    I''ve been getting that a lottely.


    "You''ll find out sooner orter if we both make it in. And you know, do you really expect me to exin everyst detail about myself?"


    "No......that was arrogant of me. Sorry," replied Ronald.


    "Sure, now keep your head up. Your spell was fantastic, and it had nothing to do with talent and everything to do with the hard work you had put in up until now."


    Well, this is enough, right? If the exam''s over, then I have no more business here. I''m a busy man after all.


    I turned my back towards them when Reba quietly announced, "The exam has concluded for group A. Good work everyone. We''ll post the numbers of those who passed in front of our main school building in a week. Well then, dismissed."

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 16 - Examinee Selection Committee -- Siegfried Granbull

    "An impertinent examinee dares to mimic an examiner?! And he was talking to the Crown Prince, Ronald, and Duke Kruger''s son, n. This cannot fly!"


    So it''se to this. Siegfried Granbull tantly wore his displeasure towards the incessantly whining vice-principal on his face and knit his eyebrows.


    "Hm, this is certainly bad."


    The fact that nobody raised any objections to the vice-principal''s statement didn''t stem from them carefully choosing their words around him or anything. Besides the few like the vice principal, whose stiff mentality stemmed out of their origin from the Imperial Guards, the faculty at this magic academy were extremely talented; they understood just how deep Grey''s abnormalities extended.


    In that short period of time, he had taught those children who might as well have been amateurs apletely new type of magic that not even the empire recognized. And what''s more, they should be aware of the cataclysmic effect his magic will bring.


    In addition, almost all of the professors here were the head of their own territory or city''s magic academy, and if they could get Grey for themselves, they might even obtain enough power to stand equal with the Imperial Magic Knight Academy. In short, their plotting had already begun.


    "We might as well just deduct points from him. As the vice principal so eloquently put it, he really went and did as he pleased in thest martial arts exam."


    "I agree. And while we''re at it, should we pretend his silver emittance in the magic exam was white?"


    "Well, he did fail several times before getting silver."


    "But to make silver white..."


    The professor with a crew cut mockingly tossed his documents onto the table. It was understandable; silver only appeared when the measuring device detected the magic power as unmeasurable, and there were only a few in the entire world who had silver magic. He could only take it as some kind of bad joke.


    "But following the rules, we''re forced to give him full points for the target practice," dered the bald professor.


    "Ah, when he created eight fireballs with a single incantation, not to mention the fact that they consisted of the strongest type of fire, azure."


    "I though the professor in charge of him was daydreaming when he told me that."


    The sound of someone gulping echoed through the now quieted room. Azure mes were the pinnacle of fire magic. It was the strongest spell that the first emperor, Phillip Rose Archive, often used. Anyone who could master that spell would definitely have their name carved down in history as a me master.


    Moreover. Moreover. With the events that transcribed during the practical exam, even the students might be able to use the spell if they go through Grey''s instructions.


    "So what!?" yelled the vice principal. "He dared to say that our magic talent, bestowed upon us by none other than God Himself, was just another subject! I''ll never allow someone like that into this academy!"


    We wouldn''t get anywhere at this rate.


    "Calm down a bit, vice principal. So? What were Grey''s results on the subject tests?" Sieg asked Reba, who was wordlessly reading through several sheets of paper.


    "......"


    Reba remained silent and continued reading on with intense concentration.


    "Reba!?"


    "Ah, yes. Sorry. His subject test scores. Truthfully, it doesn''t really matter what we give him."


    "What does that mean?" Sieg furrowed his eyebrows.


    It wasn''t often that Reba said such vague sentences.


    "He got full marks on history, carefully exined everything, and his general knowledge is spot on. However, he threw out several questions."


    "He''s questioning the etiquette behind our traditions!? What a rude brat!" shouted the vice principal as he shot up from his chair.


    What a loudmouth. Sieg wished he would just shut up.


    "That''s not even the most surprising of it. Everything he wrote about magic is just in strange."


    "Strange? Why are you beating around the bush? That''s not like you," the blonde professor with a crewcut pointed out. "Start from the beginning."


    Reba was one of Sieg''s most brilliant disciples. Just who are you, Grey, for your answers to shake her this much?


    "Sorry. Um, let''s see. Let me start with this: his answers to our essay questions over magic rituals began to differ from our prepared answers after the first few questions."


    "So he''s wrong? What''s strange about that?"


    "About that. There aren''t really any mistakes. I asked one of the staff members to use one of his incantations and---"


    Sieg could already guess what woulde next.


    "And a spell came out, right?" Sieg answered. "An iparably strong one, nheless."


    "Yeah, it''s just as my master said. After casting ¡¾Rock Bullet¡¿......"


    Reba trailed off for a moment.


    "Stop beating around the bush!"


    "It split the giant boulder in the training room in two," Reba finished.


    His eyes widened into saucers. And it made sense why. The giant boulder in the training room was extremely sturdy and many often used it to test their spells on. No matter how many ¡¾Rock Bullets¡¿were fired off, it would only leave a couple of scratches.


    "There''s no way."


    "I agree. Maybe a fissure happened to appear at the same time?"


    "Several rock bullets rotated and struck the boulder at extremely high speeds. That doesn''t sound like a coincidence to me. And it was the same with the other spells. Although a bit difficult to control, they all exhibited effects that can''t be ssified as any type of known magic."


    That Grey is bing a bigger monster with every passing minute.


    "I won''t pay any heed to the spells that some scoundrel came up with. He should try to get closer to the spells that our founder, the great emperor, came up with!"


    "......"


    A silence descended onto the room once again. It''s not like the vice principal was saying anything weird, rather, that was how everyone regarded magic up until now. Everybody was taking her words with a grain of salt. Even Sieg, who often strayed from the path ofmon sense, could barely believe his ears.


    "The spirit of magic is talented magicians training themselves until they reach the quintessence of that spell, incantation revocation [1], isn''t it?" one professor asked.


    "Wha! That''s---" the vice principal cried out, but nobody him any heed and instead patiently waited for Reba''s response.


    "No, that''s not true. Heid out three points in his answer to the final question. They''re all difficult to understand, but extremely interesting. This next theory, especially, rattled me to the core."


    "And that is?"


    Sieg wanted to hear it, but he felt a heavy unease pounding on his heart that threatened to grind the beliefs he had held up until now down to dust.


    Reba cleared her throat and began reading aloud the answer.


    "''Incantation revocation is undoubtedly the peak of any spell. However, it would be hasty to presume that this means a spell casted with an incantation is inferior, as understanding the words behind the magic ritual from a spell with an incantation may vastly change the nature of the spell. Maybe these incantations, which are constantly evolving, hold the key to the truth beyond science, the so-called source of knowledge.''"


    He didn''t really understand what Grey meant by science, but if incantation magic really has that kind of nature, they may need to change the very fundamentals in which we see magic.


    "There''s a report at the bottom," Reba added with a strange look on her face. I feel like mymon sense is going to be shattered once more.


    "Isn''t that about his thoughts over the spells that his Majesty, the first emperor, had thought up?" one professor asked.


    Obtaining even the name of the King of Magic, the first emperor had invented several spells. Over time, only the names of these legendary spells remained. Currently, the academy had a custom to ask the examinees'' thoughts over these spells.


    "Yes," Reba replied. "That''s there too."


    After that, she said no more, and everyone in the room soon found out why.


    "No......did he recreate it?"


    "......"


    "Impossible! But that''s lost magic!?"


    The blonde-haired battle magic instructor with a crew cut shot up and mmed the table after Reba wordlessly nodded.


    "I get why you don''t believe me. I, myself, can barely even believe I''m saying these words."


    Reba''s hand twitched.


    "Give me a break! If that''s true, then we shouldn''t be sitting here debating about whether to pass him or not!" he replied before beginning to storm off.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Do I really need to say?"


    "To beg for his teachings?"


    "Then let me ask you this. Is there any other option?"


    "Do you really think you''ll be forgiven if you break your code of chivalry?" spat the vice principal.


    A vein bulged on his forehead as he began to rattle on, before the battle magic professor shot back, "This isn''t a knight school, but a magic knight academy. You old knights need to keep your mouths shut!"


    Having been alienated from the other professors for the first time, the vice principal pped his mouth in surprise.


    "Although, personally inviting someone who knows the details behind lost magics over to my academy is sure to bring about bacsh," said the old professor with ck hair.


    "So that really was your intention?"


    "And you''re different?" the battle magic professor shot back.


    The professors looked around with wry smiles.


    "Are you nning to turn your back on the emperor emeritus''s wishes!?" the vice principal stood up and shouted. Certainly, to the emperor emeritus who ascribes to the lineage above all ideology, he''d need to eliminate any heathens like Grey.


    "No, Grey had unmistakably been acting on his own during the martial arts exam. He fails. That''s fine with everyone, right?"


    Everyone silently agreed. It looks like everybody was thinking the same thing Sieg was. Yes, everybody except for one.


    "Hm, then that''s fine."


    The vice principal crossed his arms and, as if his wailing before were all but a lie, meekly returned to his seat.


    Now, things would get busy from here on out. Sieg would have to somehow persuade that monster in human clothing, not to mention the emperor and the prime minister. He''d need to be prepared from any resistance on the emperor emeritus faction as well.


    Yes. Sieg and the others were trying to do something iparably more difficult that pass him. Still, this was an obstacle they''d have to face for both the future of the empire and the development of magic.


    "I''ll show you!"


    Sieg steeled himself and bounded out of the conference room.


    [1] Previously tranted as chant revocation, but I feel like incantation has been a much more suitable word with these recent chapters.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 17 - Reviewing the Questions

    I rendezvoused with Sate and Aria in front of the school gate. Coincidentally, their exams had also been quick and had apparently finished ten minutes ago.


    And so, we set off on our way back to the inn.


    During the drinking party that day---it was disguised as just a celebration---I grilled Sylphy over why she was at the exam, but she stubbornly kept silent and I could only get out that it was because someone had asked her. Well, whatever. It was probably someone like Sieg or the emperor.


    Putting aside the fact that I had done as I pleased, Sate and Aria''s passing was almost set in stone. Aria had wanted to meet her father, the head of the academy, but he was unfortunately out in the capital on a business trip that day.


    I was doubtful of its veracity, but even so, did he really have to go when his daughter was taking the entrance exam? No, he was probably running away.


    He most likely didn''t know how to face his daughter after having abandoned her for so many years. What a kid.


    Thanks to him, Aria was now down in the dumps. For a second I thought about just bringing out that letter, but haste makes waste. I should hold back for now.


    A week after they announced the results, we headed towards my near territory in the north, formerly known as the David Territory.


    Along the way, I began looking deeper into several questions.


    First, what Sagami Co. should be doing as a business.


    We were neither soldiers, craftsmen, nor farmers, we were merchants. And because merchants measured their worth by how much money they made, I started my own business. It''s about time that we went all-out.


    More specifically, we''d need to build a up awork and start developing new goods.


    However, the cancerous tumor that was the court nobles stood in the way of developing new goods. I couldn''t just spit out new technologies left and right. Still, I had my own territory and could effectively develop new technologies unhindered there and see about trying to bring those inventions outside.


    Although, if those in my territory were violently opposed to my rule, I''d have to scrap this idea......In any case, I won''t know until I try.


    As for thework, I established two firms in Suthend''s capital, Lemuria, as several restaurants after The Silver Knife.


    An important problem still remained, however: the shortage of workers.


    I had looked for employees many times over these past few years, but the son of some court noble or underground guild always managed to sneak in, causing conflict by viting their contract and leaking the technologies. The Commerce Guild has been lending a hand with that up until now, but there''s no telling what will happen if I keep recruiting using the same exact methods. Are there really not any free hands that aren''t affiliated with either a court noble or an underground guild? In any case, I''ll be putting this matter to the side.


    During all this, the Scarlet Phoenix have finally been hired as official employees to Sagami Co, and they''ve mainly been working as our bodyguards since.


    But now that I''m independent, there''s not much meaning to keeping my head down. Growing growing thepany is now a top priority, which means the Scarlet Phoenix members aren''t even close to enough employees. I should probably look into finding more battle-oriented employees from now on.


    Second was managing the new territory formerly known as the David Territory.


    As and in the northernmost region, it''s inhabited by mountain people known as Radols. It was also the firstnd to be ravaged during the undead incident.


    Viscount David, the current lord at the time, drove out the Radols from their capital, Camelot, for his own vassals and subjects to live.


    The Radols revolted several times on the grounds of taking back their holynd of Camelot, but David forced them down every time and eventually began thoroughly subjugating them.


    He executed everyst person rted to the ringleaders who began the rebellions and not only confiscated anything that could be regarded as a weapon from the Radols, but also set up a system that observed reported the Radols which led to an endless cycle of punishments. Over the years, hepletely chipped away any power they had remaining.


    Ironically, however, they met their ends during the undead incident. The undead who appeared out of The Rudoa Giant forest and advanced onto the stronghold city of Camelot. Giant monsters, dragons, and otherrge undead broached the castle walls and turned the vassals of citizens of Viscount David into undead before marching onto the capital.


    On the other hand, the Radols were living in viges around the border of the Holy Kingdom of Amrzs at the base of the Rudoa mountain range. They managed to escape the undead assault and narrowly escaped death.


    Viscount David managed to avoid the worst case scenario of having everyst citizen wiped off the map, but it was clear as day that the Radols would take no more. Now, having seeded the position as the lord, I might as well been their sworn enemy. Even a child could figure out it would be a herculean task to gain their trust back.


    Damn that entric emperor! Stop throwing the most annoying tasks onto me!


    ............Ah damn. I keep getting worked up when ites to that entric emperor. I need to calm down.


    I''ve already formed a contract, so even if that entric emperor were to get ousted, I wouldn''t lose my position as the lord of thisnd. Just you wait, court nobles, I''ll show you how much I can grow thisnd.


    The third question was about living in the capital. Regardless of whether I got into the Imperial Magic Knight Academy, I would be operating out of the capital city, Lemuria, and Suthend.


    My goal in the capital was to expand my business, find talented personnel, and increase my own strength as well as the strength of my allies. Bullying Laguna was on the list too.


    In regard to the talented personnel, I''d not only need to pick out the ones who would shoulder the country in the future, but also lead them to naturally reform the empire.


    Just the other day I had met some promising kids: Ronald, n, and the blonde-haired girl. They were diamonds in the rough. Without any polishing, a diamond was just an ordinary jewel, and if you polished it incorrectly, it would be unusable. In short, I needed to give them the ability to think on their own and protect their innocence despite this empire''s shitty customs. With proper education, they could mark their names in history on their own.


    However, if suitable teachers actually existed, then this empire wouldn''t have fallen so low. Ugh, so in the end it boils down tocking talented personnel.


    In any case, there''s still time; I don''t have to make my decision right this instant.


    Next on the list was increasing our strength, but as that red-haired monster is out to get me, this is my highest priority. I think it''ll work out if we train ourselves in thergest ruins in the city, "The Grand Labyrinth."


    Obviously "The Grand Labyrinth" is under the Adventurer''s Guild''s jurisdiction, so I''ll need to register as an adventurer. I''ll do it when I find the time.


    Last, but not least, is bullying Laguna. Fortunately, they seem to be connected with the court nobles, so I''ll stomp them out,pletely and thoroughly. I''ll be rooting out the corruption within the empire at the same time, so it''s like I''m killing two birds with one stone. Anyways, I''ll exterminate everyst one of them.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 18 - Here Come the Swindlers

    I had nothing to do for the entire week as I waited for the results that would be announced a week from now. Currently, I was all dressed up to sightsee the capital''s fourth ward, Reise, along with Sate, but Aria was still brooding over how her father had refused to see her and had thus not joined in.


    "Grey-sama, what should I do with Aria-chan?" Sate whispered into my ear as Aria rested her chin on her hands and sighed.


    "What else but to get her thinking about something else?" replied Sylphy, who had been drinking since the crack of dawn.


    "What do you mean?"


    "How about alcohol?"


    "Idiot! Aria''s underaged!" I cut in.


    "Hearing that from you goes beyond refreshing to just in creepy."


    How rude. Who does she think I am?


    "Then what about eating around? That''ll definitely cheer her up!" said Drahachi, suggesting something quite unexpected while she munched on her bread.


    "Wouldn''t that just make you happy?"


    "You could say that."


    She''s hopeless. These deadbeat dragons arepletely useless.


    "What if I give onee-chan a shoulder massage?" said Shiina as she tugged on my sleeve.


    "Hm, that''s hard to turn down."


    Certainly, if she recieves a shoulder massage full of love from Shiina, she might feel a little better.


    "Then, if you would---"


    I was about to leave the job to my shoulder massager, Shiina, when thendy''s angry voice cut me off.


    "Get back here!!"


    "Hm?"


    I turned to see thendy standing imposingly with her hands on her waist, as well as a man with a nasty look and four thugs standing around him.


    "This store looks like it''ll copse any minute now. Don''t you think it''d be better to just close up shop and retire?" the man with a nastly look said to the people around him. As he panned around, everybody who made eye contact with him turned away.


    "Hey, you all think the same, right?" he continued, spreading his arms wide and looking up at the ceiling before returning his gaze back to the dining room.


    "It doesn''t look like anyone agrees," I said.


    "No, they don''t," replied Sate.


    "Are those guys just dense? Just look at them, I feel bad," said Sylphy.


    "I do too! They look stiff and like they''d taste bad."


    Drahachi, why do you always look at everything like it''s food?


    "It looks like we''ll have to teach our guests here a little bit about how this city operates," said the small man.


    "Onii-chan......"


    Sylphy hugged me and trembled. Sate, her guardian, raised her eyebrows and said, "Grey-sama. I''ll deal with them."


    That''s not really what I wanted. Since everyone around Sate was older than she was, Shiina was one of the few people she could actually protect. She had been doting on Shiina like she would a cat these past few days, and Drahachi had been a bit more withdrawn since, her role having been taken from her. Seeing Shiina''s cowering figure must have really worked her up.


    However, Sate has her life as a student here. Aria, Sate, and I probably should keep our heads down for the time being. These kinds of times call for Sylphy---she''s usually just sitting around and doing nothing but drink after all.


    "No, you go, Sylphy," I said.


    "Eeeh, but I''m sofortable right now."


    "Stop making excuses and get out there!"


    "Okay, okay. You''re really working this dragon over here."


    Sylphy shook her head and began to stand up when, Aria jumped up and shouted, "Stop!"


    "Outsiders should keep their noses out of this!" thendy shouted impatiently.


    That Aria is always moving before she thinks. That said, thendy is one of the few people that lead back to herte mother. That is, to say, she''s one of the characters of the happy stories of her past. To put her in danger is to besmirch Aria''s story; it''s something she would never allow.


    In addition, thendy had really helped us out during our entrance exam, and Shiina and Drahachi''s goodwill towards her must mean that she had really doted on the two. There''s no way Aria would just stand back and do nothing.


    "Sate, take Shiina and Drahachi."


    Sate heaved a heavy sigh and replied, "I don''t mind, but are you nning to do something irresponsible again?"


    "Who do you see me as? I''m going to talk it out."


    I''ll talk as much as they''re willing.


    Exasperated, Sate shook her had back and forth and said, "Come on, Shiina, Drahachi. Let''s go upstairs."


    She grabbed their hands and ascended the stairs.


    "Now then, Master. May the wind always be at your back," said the deadbeat dragon number two before trying to flee admist the confusion, but I restrained her via wind maniption.


    "You''re protecting Aria and the others."


    Why does she think I took on the troublesome task of dealing with all these guys?


    "Okay, okay. This is also one of my struggles as a working dragon. Please, use my body as you please," said Sylphy, who, in a grandiose manner, shrugged and walked towards Aria.


    "Grey, Aria, you two go upstairs as well," said theny, chaning back to her usual kind expression.


    "No need. I''ve taken a little interest in this child."


    The small man with a nastly look twitched at my words but didn''t break hisposure and instead signaled to a man next to him.


    "Aria, leave this to me."


    I gave Aria a sidelong nce to prevent her from stepping out any further, after which she obediently stepped back.


    The giant bald man who easilly topped two meters walked up to me and looked down from above.


    "We are merchants of Waste Co., you know," the small man proudly dered.


    Waste Co.? Never heard of ''em.


    "Are they famous here?"


    "They''re a famouspany based in the capital!" Aria eximed in exasperation.


    Seems like they''re quite the group. Now, what should I do. I''m not a huge fan of shing with another guild.


    "Leave it to this bumpkin to not know about us."


    The men broke out into snickers.


    "Yep, we''ve just arrived at the capital after all. I''ll have to see how I can expand into this market from here on out. Well, nice to meet you."


    I can''t forget my dignity, no matter how rude they are. That''s what acting like an adult is all about.


    I extended my right hand towards the bald man, who instead spat in my face.


    Naturally, I thought to dodge it, but Sylphy blocked it with the scabbard of her sword.


    "I''ve changed my mind. I''ll take them on," she said.


    Her usual carefree expression hadn''t changed in the slightest, but it hid an eerie smile behind it.


    A normal person is one thing, but it''d be bad to leave things to her; she''d escte it into a major incident in all probability.


    "Don''t change your mind. You''re guarding Aria."


    She crossed her arms in frustration and turned away.


    "Now, I understand the intention of Waste Co. or whatever you were called. Let''s fight fair and square as fellow merchants.


    I didn''t spare any pity for my enemies, and that went double for those who didn''t follow the rules of society. I''ll pick them off one by one, leaving nobody behind.


    I turned back towards thendy and asked, "Landy, do you have any interest in entering a business partnership with me?"


    I''d need to operate in Reise regardless, so this wasn''t a bad idea.


    "A business......partnership?" she parroted back, perhaps due to being unable to follow the conversation.


    "Yeah, we n to expand into Reise. And so ording to the contract, we would give Raindrop Inn our full support."


    "Hey, don''t just go off on your own. Now go teach that boy over there how strict the world is."


    "Yessir."


    The bald man sneered and raised his right arm while snapping his fingers.


    So there''s no use arguing. To think they''d take such a violent approach without looking into me at all---they must have either extreme confidence in their wealth, or anotherrge organization backing them. Regardless, the only option left is to remove them.


    I waited for the bald man''s hand to slowlye down, when he was suddenly sent flying away.


    "You dare raise a hand against a child!"


    "Dear!"


    A man in white clothes with greying hair collected his breath while the bald man a death re.


    I had seen him cooking in the kitchen on several different asions. Thendy had introduced his as the head chef and her husband on the first day. He had always seemed to be in a grumpy mood around us, so I had thought he hated kids or something, but I guess I was wrong.


    "You fucker!!"


    The bald man who had been sent flying clutched at his head for a while, but after grasping the situation, reddened like a boiled octopus and shot up in a start.


    "Zuu!" shouted the man with a nasty look, and the bald man snapped out of his reverie and began rolling on the ground in pain.


    "Ow, ooow!! My arm is broken!!"


    This is the worst y I''ve seen before.


    "Hey, Mr. Raindrop Inn man, you used violence against a member of Waste Co.! We''ll never forgive this!! I''ll have you report to my superiors."


    They probably nned to demand an absurd amount as reparations. Even an amateur could put on a better y. These guys really grind my gears.


    "Where does it hurt? Could you show me?" I asked as I looked down on the bald man, Zuu, who was still rolling around in pain.


    "Here, my right arm! It''s broke---"


    He had carefully extended his limp arm, so I grabbed it applied force.


    Crack!


    The sound of the bone snapping apanied the sight of Zuu''s arm bent in theplete wrong direction.


    "Ahhhhhh!!"


    He let out a genuine blood-curling scream this time and began rolling around on the ground.


    "Hm, it certainly is broken. And it looks like your left one is too."


    I broke his left arm with a smile on my face.


    "Giiyaaaaa!!"


    He let out another scream and once again began rolling around in pain.


    "Hey, do you know how many bones a human has?"


    While still writhing about, he looked up to me and shrieked.


    "Adults have 206 bones. Now, how many of yours are broken? Don''t you want to find out?" I asked.


    Zuu just trembled in response and stared up at me before his eyes slid back and he passed out.


    It''d be annoying if they med meter, so I healed him with recovery magic. Besides, humans had a strong tendency to fear the unknown. The broken bones hadpletely healed; it''d be a lot more daunting this way.


    "Now, he definitely sustained heavy injuries. How unlucky is he to break some bones by falling over? His bones might have hollowed out from calcium deficiency. Do you want me to have a look at you and your superior while I''m at it?"


    The small man with a nasty look gave a wide smile while sweat poured down his face like a waterfall. He then furiously shook his head back and forth.


    "N-no, I think I''ll pass. We''re leaving, guys."


    The self-proimed Waste Co. merchants fled the building with Zuu in tow.


    "W-who are you?" the husband timidly asked.


    "Let''s talk inside."


    I pointed towards the room further inside where we could talk in more detail.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 19 - Business Partnership with the Reise Shopping District

    It was a hackneyed story, ording to thendy.


    Expanding from the center of Reise, the giantpany, Waste, attempted to buy up everything in order to create a new industry, but the long-standing shops rejected this buy-out. In the end, Waste would resort to high-handed methods like what we had seen just now.


    "So? What''s this new industry?" I asked.


    "A general business," said the husband as he picked at his short ck hair.


    "They''ve got restaurants, inns, popr high ss shops like watch shops, as well as brothels, casinos, and even ve businesses," scowled thendy.


    She must have a solid reason to go this far in refusing the buy-out.


    "They n to turn Raindrop Inn into a brothel, casino, or a ve market......"


    "And not just here. There''s rumors that they n on converting all the shops here to brothels or ve markets."


    The husband bit his lip in frustration.


    "Give me a break! This inn has been held afloat by students since way back when. I''ll never let them turn this ce into something like that," dered thendy.


    "Hm, then won''t you make a contract with Sagami Co.? We''ll provide the funds and technology, of course."


    It''d be easier for us to move around that way.


    "But you''re up against the peerless Waste, you know?" he dubiously asked. Aria kept quiet, but was no doubt thinking the same thing.


    "Well if you just suck your thumbs and wait for them to move, this hotel will fall into their hands and transform into a brothel and ve market," I replied.


    "That''s true, but......"


    They''re so evasive. Well, even if they are acquainted with Aria, it''s still probably difficult to trust the words of a child.


    I guess that means I''ll need to switch it up slightly.


    I took out bottles and jars of salt, sugar, soy sauce, miso, and mayonnaise, as well as wind beef and vegetables from my item box, cing them all on the table.


    "This is just a small portion of what ourpany can provide. We manage restaurants, but we''re short on hands. As long as you return a portion of your profits back to ourpany, we''ll provide everything from funds for hiring, ingredients, and new recipes all the way topletely remodeling this store."


    They''d be managing a franchise, so to speak. It''s like a family restaurant or a convenience store, so they''ll need a unified name. If possible, I''d like to ce this corner of the capital under the influence of Sagami Co.


    "T-this taste......"


    The husband timidly reached out to the jar of soy sauce and widened his eyes after a taste before hurriedly reaching out to the other jars.


    After taste testing everything, he crossed his arms and shut his eyes.


    "......Dear!"


    After she called out to him several times, he finally opened his eyes and fixated on me.


    "Boy, where did you get these ingredients?"


    "Ourpany has developed all of them. There''s plenty more vors I''d like to look into, so expect the selection to grow even more."


    "I see......" he trailed off, pursing his lips. Hesitation dwelled in his eyes, as well as a violent anticipation.


    "Boy, why would you go so far Raindrop Inn? Is it because of Miss Aria?"


    "Please don''t belittle me. I''m a merchant. If there weren''t any value to buying this ce, I''d forsake you. There''s only one reason I''m spending money here: it''s a good inn."


    Honest-to-God, it was the truth. All the long-standing shops here were deteriorating from age, and it''s not like they were selling any special foods or goods.


    However, all the stores here researched for the sake of the students who would buy from them. There''s reason to spend money on this ce.


    The husband stared up at the ceiling for a while before turning back to his wife and, as if he were about to go on a pic, casually asked her, "You wanna give it a shot?"


    No. Looking at her faint smile, it wasn''t a question, but something closer to a confirmation.


    "Sure thing. And---"


    "Of course, we''re prepared to make contracts with the other stores. If you''ve any rmendations, I''ll provide a ce to talk in a few days so introduce them then," I said.


    "Sorry for making you go to these lengths."


    "Thanks."


    The two bowed deeply.


    "No, save your thanks for when once everything''s concluded and your business is going smoothly. Now then, I''ll have the details written on this document. There are several ns here, so please confirm."


    Yes. This is extremely convenient. I nced at Aria, who was staring at us in a daze, and said, "Aria, you''re a member of Sagami Co., right?"


    "Y-yes!"


    She hurriedly nodded her head.


    "Then I''ll leave it to you to settle the contract."


    "Huh? M-me!?" she eximed.


    I chuckled internally and said, "You''ve a debt to this city, right? Then, use your own power to return the favor!"


    People would get back on their feet by themselves if you gave them a role, or something like that. I''d give her so much work to do she wouldn''t have any time to spare thinking about her father.


    "O-okay! I got it. I''ll do my best!"


    She sped her hands together, burning with determination. I gave her a sidelong nce before returning to my room in order to write the documents.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 20 - Admission Results

    Just a weekter, I had finished the contracts for all the 47 stores in Reise''s lower shopping district.


    The contracts were simr in nature to a franchise but were actuallypletely different. As this was all experimental, I was still groping my way through, but I could manage it by talking out the moreplicated stuff.


    And with Aria''s persistence, none of the shops raised much of a fuss and agreed to the contract without a hitch.


    Unfortunately, a few shops had already entered into an agreement with Waste Co. and breaking that agreement would warrant a penalty fee from the guild.


    It would have been a hopeless situation if I were just a little bit slower, but I managed to finish it all with three contracts, and they could breach the agreement as long as they paid the required fee. This was a guild rule, so Waste Co had no choice but to follow along.


    As a side note, the actual terms are as listed below.


    Contract for the Business Partnership between Sagami Co. and Reise''s Lower City Association


    Sagami Co. will provide Reise''s Lower City Association a fixed amount of ingredients and materials marked up 5 percent.


    Sagami Co. will provide a certain portion of their recipes and technologies to the Lower City Association


    All businesses belonging to the organization shall pay Sagami Co. 30% of their profits. However, they cannot avoid paying this amount, no matter the reason.


    Sagami Co. shall resolve all incidents regarding the protection of each store in Reise''s Lower City Association.


    Hereafter, Reise''s Lower City Association shall be added to Sagami''s group ofpanies and be given their trademark.


    The 47panies in Reise''s lower city henceforth became a part of the Sagami Group. The contract guaranteed a minimum fee where you earned more based onmission, and Sagami Co. would provide ingredients, goods, and even security.


    I had many problems left, however, like not having enough security personnel to properly guard the route from the workshop over to Reise. I''d need to get on thatter, but I think it''s fine for now.


    Today, we were walking up the hill to the school building in order to see the Imperial Magic Knight Academy''s admission results.


    "Aria, good work arranging everything," I said.


    "Yeah, thanks!"


    Now back to her usual self, she gave a rxed smile.


    "Grey-sama. Aria''s returned to normal, right?" Sate whispered.


    "Yes, although I don''t know how long it''llst."


    "I''m sure she''ll be fine."


    "I hope so."


    "Jeez, why can''t you be more honest."


    I signaled to Aria, who was now pouting, and said, "it''s about time we leave."


    Truthfully, I couldn''t care less. Even if I failed, well, it''s the emperor we''re talking about. He''dpensate with another condition.


    The school''s gate was jam-packed with hundreds of examinees.


    Once they entered Aria''s sight, she jammed up like a machine.


    She had probably ced among the top and didn''t have to do anything ad-lib unlike me. It was more than enough for her to pass, and that weird principal from the letter would never fail her. As I was aware of the true state of affairs, I wanted to let her know, but doing so would surely cause even more trouble down the line. Most of all, you could even say this stress is the true charm of being a student.


    "Aria, calm down a little."


    "Deep breaths, Aria," Sate added.


    "O-okay!"


    She took several deep breaths.


    "Now let''s go," said Aria.


    She tried to step forward, but her hands and feet both moved at the same time.


    Aria just shrugged back at me, so I sighed and followed after Aria.


    Several people pushed past, emerging out of the crowd.


    I recognized all three of them.


    The silver-haired boy, Ronald, lit up after meeting eyes with me and bounded towards us.


    "I look forward to our continued sess in school," he said.


    Hey! So in the end I passed. Now I''ll be restrained for another couple of years.


    "Yeah, congrattions on your guys'' enrollment, too."


    I could already tell just by looking at his beaming smile.


    "Train me up if you pass!" said n, lightly waving his hand.


    At the same time, I noticed a blonde-haired girl staring fixatedly at me.


    "W-what?"


    "There''s bad blood between you and the school," she said. And with those ambiguous words, she disappeared.


    "Jeez, Mia''s so rude! Sorry about that!"


    "No need to apologize. Now go ahead," I urged Ronald forward.


    After apologetically bowing a few times, he disappeared into the crowd.


    "God! Don''t leave me behind. Well, see you."


    n shrugged before disappearing into the crowd as well.


    "Grey-sama, you went too far, didn''t you?"


    As expected, Sate gave me the death re.


    "I had no intention. Although, I can''t deny that I stood out a bit."


    "I find it hard to believe that it was just ''a bit.''"


    "You think?"


    "I do."


    "Hey, hurry up!" Aria nudged us along, and we passed through the crowd to the bulletin board with the numbers of all the examinees that had passed.


    It looks like they separated the numbers based on sses.


    Aria''s and Sate''s were there. They---


    "It''s......It''s there! Grey, Sate!!"


    "Mine''s---there too! Grey-sama, mine''s there too!!"


    "Looks like you''re both in ss S. Good for you two."


    "Thanks!"


    "Yep!"


    It was annoying, but Ronald''s previous remark meant that I had passed as well.


    Were we in the same ss?


    Hm, they''re in ss S. So basically, I should be in there too but......I can''t find it."


    "G-Grey-sama......You''re there."


    "Hm, sorry, but where is it?"


    "O-over there," Sate said while trembling.


    I knit my eyebrows and followed where her finger was pointing.


    "Huh?"


    There, it said---


    "S (Special ss) Homeroom Teacher---Number 344---Baron Shirabe Ines Navarro."

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 21 - A Big Gamble—Weakling

    "So you just shamelessly ran away?"


    "M-my sincerest apologies."


    The small man with a nasty look, Weakling, subconsciously froze up at the blonde-haired man''s words.


    The young man in front of Weakling was the leader of thergest and most prominentpany, Garbage Waste.


    "If you''re done apologizing, then we don''t need you as a guard anymore!"


    "This isn''t a job for a kid. You should have gotten at least half the stores to agree. Right, everyone?" asked the red-haired executive, to which everyone nodded their head in agreement.


    "Quiet down."


    As if the tumultuous air had all been a lie, the room suddenly returned back to silence.


    Garbage raised his right hand and one person stepped forward with a piece of parchment in hand.


    "The other day, our targets for acquisition stepped forward under the name, Reise''s Lower City Association, and delivered a document stating they had no further interest in dealing with ourpany."


    The silence turned on its head, and a raucous not unlike one of from an insect cage enveloped the room.


    "Save yourints forter. Now onto the next report!" yelled Garbage.


    The ce froze over, and silence once again befell the room before the man continued his report.


    "We''ve already purchased thend and buildings of three stores in Reise''s Lower City Association, but they gave the Commerce Guild about a house worth of money, 10 000 000 G, as a penalty and requested their release from the contract.


    "Who told them they could do that......?" one of the executives muttered.


    The guild ced heavy importance on contracts, so they generally didn''t allow breaking one. However, there were exceptions to everything. As long as it hadn''t been more than 30 days since the agreement date, you could break the contract by paying a penalty fee. A penalty fee hadn''t been decided this time, so they paid the maximum amount thew could ask for, 10 000 000 G.


    That said, nobody could have imagined that someone would donate that amount to these old stores. There''s no doubt they were backed by argepany.


    "So what''s the name of thepany that kid belongs to?"


    "ording to the Commerce Guild employee, it''s Sagami Co---"


    "That monstrouspany! Shit!!" yelled Garbage.


    He was usually calm and collected, but his face warped into an indescribable rage as he threw the pen in his hand onto the floor.


    "President, what''s Sagami Co.?" one executive fearfully asked, to which Garbage red at him with bloodshot eyes.


    "They invented clocks, ss, and other convenient goods, and they dealt with the undead assault!" he muttered in hatred.


    "So the rumors were true?" said another executive, frowning at Garbage.


    "It''s an exaggeration, of course. But at the very least, the upper brass of the empire and the Commerce Guild have ced an eye on Sagami Co. They have that much power at the very least."


    His words struck a chord with everyone, and they paled at the realization that what Garbage was saying matched up perfectly with the word on the street.


    Tens of thousands of undead marched onto Suthend, and a singlepany repelled them all.


    They say thepany has a legendary battalion where each member wields holy magic.


    They say one wields high-rank magic well enough to contend with even a royal court magician.


    They say one member can effortlessly ughter a bird monster and a giant serpent.


    They say several members wield recovery magic.


    These impossibilities were sprinkled throughout the rumors, but in the end, nobody believed any one of them.


    "Then what about Zuu''s bones being not broken?"


    "That''s recovery magic, right. That kid is probably the rumored president, Shirabe Sagami."


    "What should we do about the contract?"


    "There''s nothing we can do but temporarily suspend our operations around the brothels and ve markets! Let''s earn our money at the high ss stores owned by the brats of those powerful nobles for now! This is a huge gamble with our pride on the line. We must seed at all cost! Don''t lose your focus!"


    "Yessir!" said the executives, who ced their hands on their chests and bowed.


    "And contact Laguna''s four supervisors," Garbage added.


    "R-right now?"


    "Yeah, we''ve invested a lot, so they need to be useful now of all times. Besides, they''ll take a big hit if the brothels and ve markets get interrupted. They''ll definitelye out."


    "I see, you''ll make Laguna crush Sagami Co."


    "That''s right. If the king of the underworld, Laguna, steps forward, not even that na?vepany will stand a chance."


    The members erupted into a cheer, but Weakling was thinking the exact opposite.


    The kid had easily snapped Zuu''s arm in two, and just as easily healed it back up. Most of all, his face had been so warped with malice. Weakling just couldn''t see Laguna winning. And if they failed, that monster would surely bring about the worst retribution imaginable. Waste Co would be disposed of like trash if it came to that.


    "That''s about it for Waste Co.," he thought to himself, having already decided to abandon thepany.


    "I''ll just quietly move to the countryside or something. This time, I''ll live a life I can take pride in."


    And while aimlessly thinking of his life-to-be, Weakling began counting up the money he had saved.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 22 - A Visit from the Sage

    I should have applied as a student, so why am I the homeroom teacher for ss S? There was no way this wouldn''t turn into a problem.


    "So what happened, you delinquent sage?" I asked Sieg, who was sipping at his water in Raindrop Inn''s dining room.


    "Delinquent. That''s the one thing I don''t want to be called by you of all people."


    "So? What happened!?" I yelled when he kept babbling on. Spare me the small talk.


    "''I order Baron Grey Ines Navarro to take charge of the Imperial Magic Knight Academy''s ss S. Upon serving four years in this position, you will be allowed to graduate. So try your best to serve the empire!'' or so says his Majesty."


    I feel like I''m getting a migraine.


    "Look here. That''s not a reason."


    "Even if you tell me that, someone like me couldn''t even begin to understand his Majesty''s thoughts."


    After Sieg grandiosely shook his head, I got a feeling of who the true culprit was.


    "Really, what are you nning?"


    "I said it wasn''t me, it''s his Majesty."


    This bastard. Does he n on pushing everything onto the emperor?


    "So like, can I turn it down?"


    "Of course not. It''s an imperialmand."


    Shit. I''ve been yed.


    "Why is my name Shirabe? In fact, where''d you even hear of that name?"


    "It doesn''t look like you take that name, so there''s no way I would know," he chuckled with an ''ohoho.'' An instinct to kill him right here shed through me as I saw himughing like the vice-shogun of a certain shogun who brings his seal with him everywhere.[1]


    Shirabe is the name I use with the Commerce Guild. The name must have popped up when he was investigating me.


    "Why keep my name private?"


    "How unexpected. You wanted to publicize it?"


    "Don''t answer me with a question. I''m done with your sophisms."


    "There are some who are opposed to your enrollment here, so it serves as a camouge of sorts."


    "And yet another forced reason."


    There''re people opposed to my enrollment. That in it itself isn''t that surprising. I mean, an examinee changing the rules would surely bring about some opposition. I''d be surprised if it didn''t, in fact.


    That said, impersonating an instructor was just too far.


    "I swear on it; I''m not lying."


    "Thought it''s not like you''re telling the full truth either!"


    "Well, you could say that."


    This bastard. He didn''t hesitate at all with that reply.


    "We''re going nowhere."


    I only agreed to enroll into the academy as a student. I never even imagined that I''d impersonate an instructor.


    I really held back this time, but there''s no reason to listen to their arbitrarily self-righteous orders. In fact, I never was the patient type.


    "The academy wants to ept you as an instructor."


    "Ha! I never asked for that."


    Sieg tedly perked up and said, "Instructors at the Magical Knight Academy gain the right to browse any library within the empire, no strings attached."


    "Any library within the empire, and with no strings attached......" I parroted back.


    Shit, they got me good. Books were like an extension of my thoughts, and they were humanity''s most precious treasures.


    No matter how much money I make, that will always be something I want.


    "How about it? Do you still want to refuse?" asked Sieg.


    "Do you really need to ask that?"


    Sieg nodded in satisfaction.


    "Baron Grey Ines Navarro, we appreciate you taking the position as the academy''s representative," he said, standing up and bowing bombastically.


    "Stop saying stuff you don''t even mean. It''s really unpleasant."


    Sieg looked up with a creepy smile.


    "That''s not true in the slightest. Being an instructor at the Magic Knight Academy is fantastic. You''ve a lot of authority, a high sry, and if you decide to build your own academy in yournd, the empire will ce it under their protection."


    Build my own academy in mynds, huh. That could certainly prove interesting.


    In any case, I''d need to raise the young ones to change this empire. This''ll be like a model case.


    "So when do I start?"


    "The month after the next, in April. When you take up your position as an instructor, you''ll be elevated to a viscount. You''ll probably need to poke your head into the imperial pce for the ceremony."


    My peerage is going to rise again in such a short period of time. Ironic, as that''s the very thing I''m trying to abolish.


    "Got it."


    "Here, this is your instructor''s robe and pendant. We don''t do recements, so don''t lose ''em."


    Sieg ced a cloth bag with golden embroidery onto the table and exited the inn after saying ''that''s all from me.''


    God, that guy. Still, I can''t deny that this is extremely beneficial for me. I''ll make the best of this situation.


    "Now then," I muttered to myself.


    I''ve confirmed my enrollment, so I''ll travel back to my new territory tomorrow. I''ll need to pack some essentials for that.


    Currently, Raindrop Inn was undergoing remodeling, so I''ll just be in the way if I stayed here any longer.


    So with the sounds of hammering behind me, I left the inn behind.


    [1] Pretty sure they''re referring to Mito Koumon if you were curious.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 23 - To the New Territory

    The next day, we departed from Straheim for my new territory in the north via carriage.


    This was the first time I''d be visiting. I needed to avoid them looking down on me as a ruler at all costs, so I brought several executives from mypany as some of my own forces.


    Though, we were endlessly short on hands, so my own forces were really the members of the Scarlet Phoenix. They were also busy with guarding thepany and training the members of the Revise family, and there was also that giant hole in front of Thermax. I couldn''t just take them all, so I brought 20 of them with me.


    Sate was adamant that shee as well, so naturally Shiina and Drahachi followed after.


    The problemy with Aria. She''s currently being targeted by Laguna and leaving her behind just to have her get captured would be pretty annoying, so I ended up bringing her along too. Well, that was just until we arrived at the territory.


    Incidentally, I figured Waste Co. start harassing all the stores in Reise''s Lower City Association again, so I left Sylphy to guard them.


    I still didn''t know why I couldn''t analyze her status via Analyze Environment, but Judo and Ca couldn''t hold a candle to her in her undead dragon form. No matter how weakened, she would be able to at least guard the stores.


    I thought she''d be hesitant to take on this position when I asked her to do so, but she happily agreed with a grin on her face. Sieg was in the city, too, so I could only think that they were nning something. Well, she probably just wants to drink alcohol.


    And just to make sure, I used ¡¾Gu¡¿on one of the three monsters I had captured and put the human spider, Spy to work over there. I mean, once Sylphy gets to drinking, she''s out like a log so I need someone to take care of her.


    In any case, Spy was a dependable guy, and you couldn''t tell his transformed self apart from a human. He should be good enough for the job.


    Hachi the bee and Kama the praying mantis were also in their human forms and guarding for Sagami Co. as well. They had always been obedient to my orders and weren''t boastful of their strength, so they were better than the other employees.


    "C''mon now, it''s time for the kids to go to bed," Judo said as he pped. "Now, it''s time for our nightly training."


    "''Kay!"


    "I agree," said Sate, urging Shiina and Aria back inside the tent.


    After what happened with Zem, Ipletely stopped holding back around them. I''d train my family to the strongest they could be. Shiina was the same, too. I taught her magic every day, albeit only a little, and had her drain her magic power.


    "Are you all fine?" I asked Roche, who was sipping on an orange juice box that we had recently developed.


    "We''ll be training with the leaderter so we''re fine."


    Roche and Lyase had recently been learning from Aquido how to expend their magic power and were getting stronger by the day.


    "So? What do you want to know?"


    "Start from where you left off yesterday!"


    They both grabbed a chair by the table and grabbed a pen and parchment as the other members began to gather around.


    Ever since we had begun travelling, every day Roche would ask me various questions and I''d answer them in return. These past few days were about the rampant poverty and disease.


    "And that''s how a vine works. You understand?"


    "Hmm, I still can''t wrap my head around bacteria and viruses."


    "Well, it''s not like you can see it after all. Just remember what I''ve said."


    "Okay!"


    The hand on the wristwatch already pointed to 10. It was about time to put the kids to sleep. I nced over at Aquido, who nodded back while downing a bottle of alcohol.


    "It''s gettingte. Let''s go, Roche, Lyase," he stood up and said, pointing his thumb back at the tent.


    "Yeah, you''re right. Tell me the rest tomorrow, Grey."


    Roche and Lyase nodded and followed after Aquido.


    "Yeah, good night."


    "Goodnight."


    After watching them enter the tent, I noticed a stare on me.


    "What''s up?" I asked.


    "You''re a strange guy," said a woman behind me.


    The woman, Rita, had ck skin, long ck hair down to her waist and was cradling a sleeping baby in her arms. She was a Radol under our protection who had safely birthed a healthy baby a few weeks after that incident.


    After exining her circumstances, she begged to go back to her homnd, so I allowed her to apany us back.


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes. It''s the first time I''ve met someone like you, regardless of race or age."


    "Of course you haven''t. How many weirdos do you think are out there?" said a Scarlet Phoenix member who had been listening to the side as he pped my back.


    "He runs a prominentpany in the empire and can freely wield magic," one member said.


    "The Commerce Guild''s ced an eye on him, he''s deeply familiar with many subjects, and the emperor has even granted him an audience," another added.


    "Now that I think about it, it really is mysterious. I mean---"


    "He''s a monster!" they said in perfect harmony.


    God, they''re so rude. I feel like they''re turning more and more merciless by the day. Well, that might be my fault in the end.


    "We''ll be back to your homnd soon," Aquido began. "We''re notpletely unrted to the Radols, so we might be branded as traitors. We still have enough time, so what do you say you turn back?"


    He had already exined to her his past surrounding the Scarlet Phoenix and the Radols. I nned to make the new territory a giantmercial district, and it shouldn''t be toote to return to the empire afterwards.


    "That may be true, but I''d like for my baby to have a taste of our homnd."


    Rita had dreamed of managing a small restaurant and had fled Suthend in the middle of the night. She was a traitor to the other Radols. Even a child could tell that they''d only look at her with scorn if she came back in tow with a bunch of citizens from the empire.


    "So you''re determined?"


    "Yes."


    "Then I won''t say any more."


    Rita quietly chuckled as she lovingly stroked her baby''s head and resolutely stated, "Still, you''re all different from normal Archivians, so I believe the path ahead is surely a good one."

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 24 - Reconnaissance

    We safely arrived at the ex-David territory.


    Looking at it from a historical perspective, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say we were the enemy of the Radols. I wanted to avoid any bloodshed, so I was currently scouting ahead with Aquido.


    The stronghold city of Camelot was surrounded by several kilometers'' worth of sturdy stone walls....... or at least it should have been. In reality, the area around the northern gate was partially destroyed, so you couldn''t really call it a stronghold anymore.


    Around the broken gate there were several armored soldiers waving around gs with the symbol of a fierce lion wearing a crown engraved on them.


    "That''s the symbol for the Amrzs Kingdom," Aquido noted.


    Why am I always thrust into these awful situations?


    "Do you think there''s Radols inside?"


    "If that''s really the Amrzs Kingdom, they''re sure to have taken some hostages."


    I agree. The Radols consisted of several different tribes. So taking the leader hostage after capturing the city was almost like an irond rule.


    "Then there''s only one thing to do."


    "Yeah."


    They weren''t Radols, but invaders, so we hadn''t any need to dawdle around any longer. On the other hand, we''d need to move in the shadows to save the hostages, for which I had the perfect person for.


    I returned to Straheim under the pretense of preparing our equipment and ordered Judo to call out a certain trio.


    After they arrived around half an hourter, I ordered them to follow in our shadows without being noticed.


    "......"


    They silently nodded.


    Aquido and I moved towards the part of the wall that hadn''t been destroyed yet and infiltrated in with Wind Maniption.


    The main road was paved, and the snow shoveled to the side, and the buildings were built with thick stone walls and orderly lined up next to each other.


    Most of the passersby were d in armor or, rarely, the outfit of a civil official.


    Once we entered the back alleyways, wemenced operation. We followed alongside the roof and peered inside the wooden window where we saw several Radols inside.


    "They''ve intruded on our territory without even dering war, so this much is to be expected, really," I thought to myself.


    The women, who had dark indigo skin, were being physically and mentally vited by the soldiers. Some were crying, and many more had bruises on their faces and bodies.


    Their expressions of absolute despair told me everything I needed to know.


    "How wretched!" said Aquido, trembling with fury beside me.


    "Calm down. This is the battlefield."


    "S-sorry."


    "No......You''re fine as you are right now."


    That''s right. That''s how you should be.


    "What do we do?" he asked.


    "It goes without saying."


    I manipted the wind around the necks of the soldiers who were on the bed, hanging over the Radol women, and twisted.


    Crack!


    Like I had cut a puppet''s threads, their necks twisted every which way as they copsed onto the bed.


    "Hiiii!!" one woman shrieked.


    "No more!!" another wailed, seeking refuge in the corner of the room.


    Aquido and I jumped into the room where I quietly, yet forcefully reassured them.


    "Don''t worry, we came to help."


    "Help? Us?"


    "Yeah, put this on."


    I fetched out several sets of clothing out of my item box and ced it before the women.


    "Um......"


    The women kept switching between looking at me and looking at clothes in confusion.


    "Hurry!" I said, a little more forcefully.


    The women snapped awake and put on the clothes before broodingly sitting down on their knees and bowing before me.


    "Please, save Lucia-sama!"


    "They''re all trapped in the storehouse to the west of us! Save them!!" they pleaded.


    I didn''t now who this Lucia was, but I''m the lord of thisnd; I had a duty to save anyone held prisoner.


    "I had intended to from the start," I nodded before teleporting the women to where Judo was on standby. He would do the rest from there.


    I now know there''s a prisoner of war camp, so let''s keep going.


    "Let''s go."


    "Yeah," he replied, and we began investigating the area to the west of us, where we quickly found the ce the women were talking about.


    "Those fuckers," Aquido managed to wring out in hatred.


    "So this is what awaits the prisoners who have no use......"


    There were women, children, and elderly, all huddled around in a single room like a bunch of abandoned kittens.


    Even if spring was near, this was the north and an area of heavy snowfall; there was still plenty of snow around. They needed a ce where the cold breeze wouldn''t prate, but this storehouse was one of the remains from the undead attack. Cracks littered the building, and it barely kept out the cold. From what I could see, a portion had already be immobile from frostbite.


    "They can''t even eat in that condition," said Aquido.


    He''s right. Some had sunken cheeks, others exposed rib cages, and even some whose stomachs were swelling from ascites. Even the poor territory of Mird couldn''t hold a candle to this.


    First raping the women, then this. How far do they n to irritate me?


    Time was pressing, and there wasn''t any point in getting worked up here. We need to save them as fast as possible.


    I tried to drop down through the wooden windows, but the door quietly opened. A young man with blue hair parted to one side and who was carrying a bag entered and looked around.


    He approached the thin girl with short, white hair and handed her the bag. She had sunken cheeks and was covered in dust, but you could tell that she used to be quite the looker.


    "Thanks as always."


    "No. I''m sorry that this is the most I can do."


    He quickly lowered his head before looking around like he had before and exiting the room.


    "Aquido," I called out, and this time we dropped down.


    Seeing the two of us suddenly drop down from above, everyone began to shriek and tremble in the corner.


    The white-haired girl, seemingly their representative, staggered forward and shouted, "Who are you!?"


    "I am Grey Ines Navarro. His Majesty has entrusted thisnd to me."


    The moment I brought up the emperor, the room filled with hate, all pointed towards me.


    Nice. This is what I was expecting. If they can still direct this much hate at me, then there''s time left to save them.


    That''s what I thought, but, the white-haired girl said, "They brought a child all the way to this dangerous ce!?"


    I feel like her anger is a bit off.


    "......"


    I was speechless.


    "Grey," Aquido whispered from the side, rousing me back.


    "You''re quite the strange one," I said.


    "Hurry up and leave! This isn''t a ce for children like you!" she threateningly said,pletely ignoring my words. This was throwing me off.


    "Aquido, bring them back to the camp and give them some food and clothes."


    I had already ordered the recovery team to head over to Judo, so Aquido would be able to safely gain control if they turned violent.


    "Wait a moment. What are you doing, Grey?" she asked.


    "I''m carrying out my duties as the lord."


    This was mynd, and that kingdom had captured it. It was a clear vition of territorial sovereignty, so this was only natural.


    I had confirmed this earlier, but only soldiers and officials were here in Camelot; I couldn''t find any citizens.


    They had invaded another country''snd, so I''d need them to reap the seeds they had sowed.


    "Alright, but I''ll join you once I escort these guys back to the camp," said Aquido.


    "No need. You''re out of line."


    "Are you really going to go by your---"


    I snapped my fingers, cutting him off. Suddenly, a presence loomed behind us. Moonlight shined through the giant hole in the ceiling, illuminated three people behind me.


    "We are most delighted that you have chosen us, Grey-sama."


    These three were the ones I had left the underside of mypany to. I''d have them walk the path of blood alongside me.


    "You guys---"


    "Stop. Master does not wish this," said Hachi.


    "Yes. Leave this matter to us," added Kama.


    They''re quite fluent now. They had spoken in iprehensibly brokennguage at the beginning, but now you couldn''t tell them from a human.


    "Aquido-dono, who would take control of the situation, if not you? Our enemy is the Amrzs Kingdom. Or are you to push that responsibility onto your subordinates?"


    Damn he''s good. He really knows that Aquido''s weak to.


    "It''s exactly as Kurama said. Nobody else can takemand of our squad. Now hurry up and go!" I said.


    Aquido grinded his teeth together but said, "Don''t you dare die on me!"


    "Who do you think you''re talking to?"


    "W-who are you guys?" The white-haired girl fearfully asked while sweating profusely.


    "Didn''t I say? I''m the new lord of thisnd. I won''t do anything bad, so listen to Aquido."


    I pointed my palm towards her and teleported them all in front of the camp.


    After confirming that Aquido had taken his leave as well, I turned around to the three behind me.


    The Amrzs Kingdom had illegally upied thisnd; they had invaded without so much as a deration of war. I had no need to go easy on them, and I wouldn''t let a single soldier return. This would never end if I let it pass, so I needed to punish them severely.


    "You guys don''t need to hold back anymore. Trample them down, thoroughly and to your heart''s content."


    And with that order, the tragedy began.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 25 - Unyielding Determination

    No longer needing to hide in the shadows, we exited the storehouse and took the back alleyways before brazenly strolling out onto the main street.


    Dozens of soldiers soon surrounded us, but Kurama weaved his way through like a gale, slicing his short sword every which way. The short sword mowed through the soldiers'' necks, leaving several afterimages behind.


    Heads flew into the air, one after another, and blood began spurting out of the now headless bodies.


    Kurama already had a well-built body, but after getting the title, "---''s Assassin," his strength, endurance, and agility shot through the roof. On top of that, he mastered a physical enhancement spell, and his power had exploded out of hand.


    "K-kill them!!" shrieked themander.


    The kingdom''s soldiers charged in after his orders with faces full of despair.


    "Fools."


    Mercilessly, Kurama kicked off the ground, setting off a shockwave like one from an artillery. He mmed into the soldiers and sent their entire bodies spiraling into the wall, leaving only their grotesque corpses behind.


    He then jumped above one soldier, grasped his head and twisted in the air, letting inertia do the rest.


    Then, he thrust his knife deep into the soldier''s neck and mmed into the hard ground. The sounds of quick shes apanied his movement, which sent the soldiers'' heads and limbs flying into the air.


    The scene descended into hell in but an instant. Soldiers groaned in pain, but Kurama turned them into corpses before they could let out another sound.


    In the end, Kurama stood alone, looking like he had been possessed by a demon---he must have lost himself.


    Normally, people are adverse to both killing, and being killed, both feelings which are the essence that makes up a human. Nobody can perfectly control their will, no matter how much training they go through. And even if somebody could, they would have already lost their humanity.


    "It''s a m-m-monster!!" wailed themander. He then fled the scene at the sight of Kurama grinning while covered in the blood of his victims, perhaps because his survival instinct had finally won over his sense of duty.


    "Cmander!?" said one soldier. Now that themander had fled, a wave of unrest spread throughout the remaining soldiers.


    One by one, they began to step back, and many wailed as they followed in theirmander''s footsteps.


    They were fleeing towards Camelot''s north gate, and it would be a pain if they escaped the city, so I decided to kill them.


    I pointed my palm towards the fleeingmander and began to incant a spell, but a voice reverberated throughout the battlefield, cutting me off.


    "Only death awaits those who flee from the enemy!"


    At the same time, several fireballs crashed into themander and sent pirs of me up into the sky.


    From the direction of the voice stood several soldiers in full te armor, all lined up in a row, and behind them stood dozens of mages.


    So those mages were the one who had enacted out themander''s punishment just now. They were probably the invaders'' strongest force.


    "What squad are you from!?" yelled the giant man who was leading the armored soldiers.


    "The Archivian Empire''s," I replied.


    "The empire''s? You hearing this guys? The empire sure is reaching the end of her days if they''re sending out a useless brat like him," the man sneered.


    "Hmm, I''d have to agree with that one."


    There''s no way the emperor didn''t know this was going to happen. He should have at least received a report or two about these invaders.


    The Amrzs Kingdom and Archivian Empire were connected by an impassable mountain range of death, the Bardot Line, so the Radoa mountain range here was the only real border we shared.


    Ultimately, the imperial government had put thisnd under my jurisdiction to protect the border.


    But the copse of the local ns after the undead attack must have affected a lot for form to go this far.


    "How pitiable. If you go back to your mama''s skirt and hide there, I''ll spare your life."


    "I don''t care if you pity me. In fact, I''m grateful that you do, seeing as I''m about to kill you."


    "A random kid like you is going to kill me?" he said, sneering at me.


    "No more talk."


    Regardless of what happened, they had invaded mynds, and had even killed off their own for such a ridiculous reason. I had no intention of ying nice.


    I pointed my right palm towards him, but Hachi cut me off.


    "Master, leave this to me."


    She stepped in front of Kurama and licked her lips.


    "You don''t mind, right?" I asked.


    Kurama was more proficient in hand-to-handbat, so he was at a bit of a disadvantage against an armored opponent---although it was just a disadvantage. I couldn''t even imagine him losing to opponents of this level.


    "As you wish, Grey-sama," he said, lightly bowing before me and moving to the side.


    "Oh? So you''re my opponent?"


    "That is so."


    "Fine. I''ll keep youpany after this battle. On a bed, of course."


    "Sure. That is if you can. Now,e," beckoned Hachi with one eye closed.


    "You sure are easy-going. Anyone who captures that woman can do as they please to her!"


    "Are you for real,mander?" one soldier asked.


    "Yeah, no lies here."


    "No takebacks then!"


    Soon, several armored soldiers energetically stepped up and approached Hachi.


    "Don''t resist and you won''t get hurt," said one soldier as he reached his hand out.


    In the blink of an eye, Hachi''s ck shadow wrapped around the soldier''s legs.


    "Woah!?"


    The soldier fell forward and looked back at his legs.


    "They''re b-broken!?" he screamed in disarray after seeing his shins facing the wrong way. "Shit. How!?"


    She released her grip on Gleeb, who was frantically trying to protect his shins.


    "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!?" he screamed. And of course he did, because everything from the knee down was now a clump of meat.


    "Haha! How about it? It hurts, doesn''t it? I injected my strongest poison, you know?"


    "Poi......son?"


    "That''s right. Poison. The poison will circte throughout your entire body and liquify your insides. Isn''t that amazing?"


    Honestly, even I was taken aback, despite being used to these types of things, and that went double for the soldier who actually got injected.


    He screamed out in pain, "M-my legs!! It''s spreading---"


    His cells began to dissolve, and before he knew it, the wave of destruction began spreading throughout his entire body. In the end, he turned into a clump of meat as his now empty armor fell to the floor.


    "She''s using a strange spell! Hurry and kill her, mages!!" ordered themander as the magicians began their incantations.


    "I''ll prevent that just in case."


    I used Explosive Threads to bind the mages with a red thread while they were mid-chant and detonated them mid-air.


    "I-impossible."


    Themander stared at the mages who had exploded in astonishment.


    "Retreat for now---"


    Just then, the block shadow clumped up and dissolved his bones before he could finish his order, and his empty armor fell to the ground.


    "Wha......"


    The armored soldiers screamed, which served as the signal for Hachi''s stomping.


    "Kyahahaha!"


    A coldughter echoed throughout the battlefield.


    "My arm!!" wailed one soldier. His arm had melted down to the bone, and he would soon turn into a paste.


    "Gokaa!?"


    The head of the soldier with a crew cut dissolved into mush and he copsed onto the ground.


    "Ahhhh!!"


    "Ack!"


    In the blink of an eye, the armored soldiers dissolved into clumps of meat without offering any form of resistance, and their armor fell to the ground.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be sure to feed you to my rtives."


    The moment she finished her merciless statement, another soldier disappeared into a clump of meat.


    Seeing theirrades dissolving left and right, the remaining Amrzs soldiers fell into a state ofplete disarray.


    "Uwaaaaa!!"


    They sprinted towards the city''s one and only exit in order to escape from this nightmare. But before they realized, Kama was already standing before them with a long sword in hand. Soon, they were mere pieces of meat.


    Kama''s weapon had been forged by the Chief of Engineering, Leroy, in order to bolster our forces.


    It was the strongest sword, a katana. Forged by repeatedly striking the steel and various other cksmithing techniques, the sword boasted the ability to cut through enemies like butter.


    When I exined how to forge this weapon, Leroy was speechless at my obstinance on the peculiarities.


    It was still a prototype and not mass-produced, so we prioritized handing them out to those specialized in swordy.


    Kama in particr had found an extreme interest in the katana and apparently never lets go of it.


    "Running away from the enemy---how unsightly! If you''re to call yourself a soldier, put your life on the line and show your loyalty!" said Kama.


    He had taken off the upper half of his kimono and flung the blood off his sword as he said that cliched phrase.


    Hey, anyone who sees this macabre spectacle would want to run. I feel like you''re being too harsh.


    In fact, Kama and the other two had barely even been able to speak at first, and one day had suddenly turned very humanlike.


    Their sudden transformation was probably due to gaining the title "---''s Underling." Their body had experienced a drastic change, of course, but their thought processes had be indistinguishable from a humans, and they were then able to act on their own.


    Kama in particr was like a westerner who had embraced the way of the samurai. They were insect people born from the spell "Gu," so it wasn''t surprising they had received some of my memories.


    By the way, I have been unable to use "Gu" ever since the three obtained their titles, and I can''t even analyze the spell. I have no doubt that it went through some sort of change.


    "Now, I''ll take care of any enemies who have run away."


    I marked the fleeing soldiers by the northern gate with Analyze Environment.


    "¡¾Lightning Rain¡¿"


    A rain of lightning fell onto the soldiers. The numerous lightning strikes fried the ground and burnt the foot soldiers and high-rank armored soldiers alike to a crisp.


    "I feel like throwing up as usual," I thought.


    The spell trampled over life, regardless of whether they were good or bad. The viciously counterproductiveness in it of itself was the true nature and the very work of war. Spilling blood with your own hands, and the politicians who haven''t looking on from a safe spot--- both are immutable facts of war.


    That''s exactly those involved in war need it. We need an unyielding determination even if we miserably rot away like bugs.


    "Choke the life out of them. Quickly, and painlessly," I said, once again ordering my subordinates to begin the execution.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 26 - Total Control

    We quickly regained control of thend until the only thing left was the estate before us.


    It was a three-story building made up of stone, unlike the other buildings around it.


    Based on its architectural style, it had probably been built as a residence for the lord''s family when the David''s were still ruling.


    "Ridiculous," I said without realizing.


    "So you think so too, Grey-sama?" asked Kurama as he icily scanned his surroundings.


    "Yeah. A ruler who ignores his people is even worse than a parasite."


    And there''s so many politicians just like that in the empire, of course, but also within the Amrzs Kingdom which had unjustly attacked thisnd. This world is just filled with pieces of shit rulers that unabashedly throw away their dignity.


    "You''re just like her."


    "Your previous master?" I asked.


    She was Aria''s mother as well as the boss of the Revise Family, and I had heard many a great deeds about her.


    "She oftenmented the spreading injustices of the world you see."


    "Before you go any further---"


    "Yes, I know. Your simrities were only in your ideal worlds. She surely wouldn''t have wished this kind of violence on anyone."


    "Unsatisfied? I won''t force you, okay?"


    "Surely you jest. You don''t take orders from anyone and have enough power to see your ideals to the end. I am just grateful to be able to wield this power for someone like you," said Kurama. He then bent his left arm behind him, ced his right arm over his chest, and lightly bowed.


    "You know it, Kurama-chan! Master is amazing!" Hachi chimed in.


    "Yes. Well done on realizing our master''s magnificence," added Kama.


    While they continued their cryptic excitement, Kurama grasped the doorhandle once again.


    "No matter how much you deny it, you are fit to be a king. Do as you wish, as I will always follow behind you," he said and opened the door.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Entering the estate, we found ourselves face to face with a row of archers by the stairs aiming at us.


    "Idiots! They''re like moths to a me!" boasted a giant ape-like man who easily topped two meters in height as he tapped his greatsword on his shoulder.


    I checked the rest of the estate, but the only ones inside were Amrzs Kingdom soldiers; I couldn''t find any people who liked like citizens. In that case, I had no need to hold back any longer.


    "I am Grey Ines Navarro, the one who governs thisnd. You have invade ournds, thus, I will remove you."


    "Govern thisnd? A brat like you?"


    "That''s right."


    After a brief period of silence, the soldiers erupted intoughter.


    Again with this pattern, huh. Why does everyone judge books by their cover?


    "Hey. How is that brat a monster!?" boomed the ape-like man in a fit of rage as he grabbed the nearby trembling soldier by the nape.


    "Eeek!!"


    I recognized a young man with blue hair parted to the side.


    "You''re an embarrassment to our kingdom!" he yelled, tossing the man onto the floor.


    He was the man who had given food to the Radols. After witnessing Kurama and Hachi''s massacre, he had hightailed it back to this estate, a dead end, so I had purposefully let him go.


    "Let me correct your misunderstanding," I said. "He''s brave, and if you had followed a n as brave as he is, you might have been able to live a bit longer."


    "How long do you n on irritating me! What are the heavy cavalry and mage squads doing, letting a scrawny kid like him in!?"


    "Don''t be stupid. That''s obvious. It''s ''cause they''re on their way to hell."


    "Hachi, don''t interrupt your master''s conversation! It''s rude!"


    "Ack, I know okay."


    Hachi pursed her lips in response to Kama''s indignation.


    Witnessing our nonchnt attitudes and the blue-haired youth trembling, the kingdom''s soldiers exchanged several dubious nces.


    "We can''t win against them! Let''s surrender!" said the youth, clinging to the ape-like man.


    "You scum! How far do you n on embarrassing us!"


    I kicked off the ground and easily intercepted the greatsword en route to the youth''s head with my hand.


    "What!?"


    I gave his exasperation no heed and sighed, saying, "You guys are hopeless."


    At the same time, I pulled back my right elbow, formed a tight fist, and drilled into his chest.


    I felt the bones crunching beneath my fist as the ape-like man shot into the stairs where he stopped moving altogether.


    "This is myst act of mercy. I''ll send you to the next world, painlessly."


    I casted¡¾Cetus¡¿onto the frozen soldiers.


    And truly, in the blink of an eye, all that remained in the estate were ice sculptures of the soldiers.


    "Now."


    The youth let out a shriek and cowered on the floor.


    "I just happened to let you live. Understand?" I said.


    I could at least tell he wasn''t a bad person by the fact that he had given the Radols food.


    But this was war. Not only was he a soldier, but I had no reason to hesitate to kill a good person. This case, especially, as they had invaded the empire without dering war and vited our citizens. It would serve as a bad example if we didn''t stand our grand and punish them ordingly. In short, I considered his live even more valuable than all of that.


    "......"


    I gave the youth a sigh as he nodded his head over and over while shedding tears.


    "You have two paths ahead of you. Will you stay in thisnd to be a Radol and devote the rest of your life on restoring this city, or will you die here. Choose."


    "I''ll stay!" he quickly decided between tears.


    "Are you sure? You won''t be able to return to your homnd, nor will you be able to meet with your family."


    "I......am an orphan so I don''t have any family. My homnd was sent up into mes when I was a child because of an epidemic. I only became a soldier because I had to......"


    His words lodged in his throat.


    "So it was because you needed to put some food on the table......"


    An epidemic, huh. Judging from the rumors I had heard, it was probably smallpox. It''s a horrible disease with a fatality rate of anywhere from 20% to 50%. Once infected by the virus, the affected person would stay infectious for a long time, and the virus would quickly spiral out of control as it could spread even through droplets. It wasn''t surprising that they''d choose to incinerate the entire vige if it ever broke out as vines didn''t exist.


    "Yesh."


    "Alright. I''ll take you under my wing for now. Just know that I won''t forgive any lies or attempts at betrayal. Understood?"


    He furiously nodded.


    Then, I ordered him to wait in this room and teleported back to Straheim.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 27 - A Prosperous Future

    Several dayster, Sagami Co. mustered its entire force to give the Radols who had been taken prisoner in Camelot medical and food.


    The previous lord had ran a tyrannical regime, and once they thought they had awaken from their nightmare, the Amrzs Kingdom''s forces hade marching in. The Radols, whose will had been siphoned by David, were easily overrun.


    Naturally, we provided both physical and mental care to survivors, but---


    "Hm. So are you saying the Amrzs Kingdom had plundered every tribe''s food and sent them packing?"


    "Those idiots! They''re just leaving them to starve!" cried Sate.


    She wasn''t wrong. Their invasion couldn''t be swept under the rug as just a few troops going haywire, so we couldn''t just end this by annihting them.


    "So how long will all the foodst if we share the food that the Amrzs Kingdom had gathered?"


    "About half a year, boss, but that''s only if we share with the five tribes near Camelot. It wouldn''t evenst a month with everyone," said Judo as he slovenly scanned through the documents in front of us.


    "I''ll never forgive this injustice!" Ca yelled and mmed down on the table.


    "Ca, the tea''s spilling. I''ll make you to leave if you''re getting antsy," Judo said.


    Ca gave him a re while forcing herself back down.


    This incident ovepped with what had happened in Tote, so she couldn''t just brush it off like it''s someone else''s problem.


    "We have around a hundred prisoners of war in Camelot. They, along with the vigers living the base of the Radoa mountain range total up to thirty thousand......"


    These one hundred people had been forcefully taken from various tribes in order to dampen their resistance. Naturally, they were only a small fraction of the total poption.


    More specifically, however, the kingdom''s forces had forcefully taken vigers from several different tribes, fearing any potential rebellion with the empire, although they didn''t even make up a tenth of the total number of Radols living near the Radoa woonds. Over 90% were under the court nobles'' rule, and were effectively living as serfs and miners, their freedoms of movement and upations having been taken away.


    Eventually, we''d have to return the Radols to thosends, which meant a confrontation with the court nobles. Fine then. They''ve being doing as they pleased up until now, so I''d make sure to properly reward them.


    "As indicated, Giresse-sama can provide 50,000 bags of rye. Margrave McBurn and Count Hartwig have also promised to help out with provisions, so we should be able to hold out for now."


    50,000 bags. That''s enough to feed 30,000 people for half a year, so they won''t starve for now. The receipts tally up to 100 million G; Giresse, you sure are going all out, and the other two''s continued assistance is really helping out as well. I''ll need to thank them allter.


    "So? What about the heads of the families?"


    "There are 32 representatives from the tribes, and they''re all standing by in Camelot''s office building."


    "Alright, let''s meet them."


    With Judo and the others in tow, I teleported us from Sagami Co.''s office in Straheim to Camelot''s office building.


    I entered arge room to find myself face to face with 32 people sitting around a rectangr table, all staring straight at me.


    Their eyes were filled with bewilderment, astonishment, disbelief, resentment, and hatred.


    So ignoring their stairs, I waled up the furthest chair meant for the lord and sat down. Nobody batted an eyelid, probably because they had been informed about my circumstances beforehand to prevent any uproars.


    "I am the lord of thisnd---Grey Ines Navarro. So, do you guys understand what kind of a situation you''re faced with?" I admonished them as gently as possible.


    They were wounded in more ways than one, so they wouldn''t listen to me if I were to talk down to them. Sometimes you need to be polite and delicate, like soothing a crying child.


    In addition, they had lost their most precious thing, so getting it back was number one on the list.


    "......"


    Silence. Was it because they were against a child as young as I ruling thisnd just because I was part of the empire or was it because they could barely even afford to speak? Either way, I didn''t n on shifting the me onto them, nor did I n on providing them an outlet to escape from reality.


    "As the David and the Amrzs Kingdom have drained your food reserves, they''ll onlyst a month until all Radols starve," I said, sending a wave a despairing looks through the others. But this wasn''t enough---that wasn''t their true obstacle.


    "On top of that, since you annihted the Amrzs Kingdom''s forces, they''ll surely send even more to protect their dignity," I continued.


    "You and your troops were the ones who did that!!" screamed a woman. She had long ck hair tied up behind her, and her eyes were bloodshot with rage.


    "That''s exactly right. But they don''t know that, so it''s all the same to them. Let''s see, given two weeks, they''re sure toe marching in with an evenrger force."


    I had killed off any nearby spies, so it would take roughly two weeks until the kingdom found out. Judging by the experience of the soldiers that had been stationed in Camelot, the kingdom would need another two weeks to get here, meaning we had about a month of peace.


    I''m not saying all that, of course.


    "You''re inhuman!" shouted one of the heads.


    "You''re just the empire''s fuckingp dog! Why do you guys always, always have to y with our lives!?" shouted another.


    "I had expected a little since Lucia-sama had said you were different than the others, but you''re just the same. You''re just treating us like animals!"


    One by one, they began to stand up and hurl insults at me.


    Woah, so they have enough energy to stand up for themselves. This will be quick, then.


    "You all sure are short-tempered," I said. "There''s a way to get out of this, you know."


    "Like we can trust you!"


    "We won''t listen to anyone from the empire!"


    The room descended into angry shouting once again.


    "Silence," muttered a giant man with dreadlocks as he mmed down on the table. The wooden table caved in beneath his fist and a cobweb of cracks spiraled out.


    Then, the room returned to silence, as if the tumultuous scene from before had been a lie.


    "Continue, Lord-dono."


    Nice, he seems like quite the guy. So the Radols still have assertive people like him left. My n should proceed smoothly as long as someone like him is around.


    "All I''m saying is just change your perspective a little. I mean, why do you guys always have such a pessimistic outlook on the world?"


    "How can we look at this situation optimistically!?" yelled the ck-haired woman as she bared her fangs at me.


    "The Amrzs Kingdom has dug their own grave," I began to exin. "They crossed over the Radoa mountain range and invaded thisnd without so much as a deration of war."


    "And how is that them digging their own grave!?"


    "You don''t understand? They''ve identally given us time to recover."


    The Radols and the Amrzs Kingdom coexist with the Radoa mountain range, which serves as the border between the two. More precisely, it was originally the Radol''snd, but had been swiped while the Radols were busy fighting the empire.


    The Amrzs Kingdom had crossed the border without even dering war, and they had even stolen food from every tribe. It''d be a bad example to the world if we didn''t make them take responsibility, so we had the perfect reason to take back thend.


    "......That sounds like you''re telling us to win against the Amrzs Kingdom," said an old man with white hair as he stroked is long beard.


    "Yes. Roughly three weeks from now, we''ll capture Fort Arkroy beyond the mountain under the premise of taking back ournd. Then, all of Radoa will be the Radols."


    Once I finished my exnation, the room burst into chatter.


    "How stupid. That''s impossible."


    "Imagine the retaliation we''d face if we lost......"


    I was fed up with all of their negativity. I thought I had said earlier that the Radols would be wiped out if they didn''t move, so what''s the point in grieving over what ifs? The empire and the kingdom have sucked them dry to the point where they''ve lost their fangs. This was as far as I''d humor them.


    "H-hey, Grey---" said Aquido, hastily grabbing my shoulder after seeing my expression change.


    "Stop making excuses!!" I boomed, continuing while ignoring their idiotic expressions. "Didn''t I say? Your only choices are destruction or prosperity. It''s not about whether it''s possible or not. If you don''t want to lose your mothend or your family, then you have only one option."


    The giant man with dreadlocks looked down and began repeatedly tapping on the table, but his dark eyes pierced through me.


    "Lord-dono. You''re saying we can win against the kingdom?" he asked.


    "That''s up to you."


    "They''re not someone we can win against with just ideals."


    "What an idiot! The very thought sends shivers down my spine! You know, the stronger one wins in war. And the stronger one isn''t the braver one, but the one who has killed more," I replied.


    "Basically, you''re saying we can kill more?"


    "Yeah, if you implement my n and my weapons."


    The room returned to a strange silence as the man with dreadlocks burst out in a grin.


    "Thenstly, tell us your objective, Lord-dono."


    "Is that your condition for getting on board?"


    "No. It''s to build trust."


    Building trust, huh. That''s also one of my objectives.


    No matter what I, someone from the empire, say, they won''t fully believe me. Even if I use Sagami Co. to repel the kingdom''s forces by myself, they''d just interpret it as me using the empire''s forces and hide further into their shells.


    As a result, they''d never lend an ear to anything I say and choose to be subordinated. And if that happened, my n would crumble soon after.


    Withoutpletely eliminating their self-deprecating nature, I won''t be able to truly fulfill my objective.


    "Alright. I''ll only say this once, so listen up," I began. "I n to industrialize this ce into the best in the world---to turn it into a city of science--- and I''ll need an enormous amount of manpower,nd, and money to do so. Radoa mountain range? 30,000 citizens? Ha! That''s nowhere near enough."


    "Are you going to free our brethren, Lord-dono?" the man with dreadlocks asked in bewilderment.


    "Don''t get conceited. That''s your job, right?"


    "......That''s......no. I''ll stop there. That''s all a pipe dream right now. In any case, we don''t have any other choice."


    He stood up and looked at everyone else. The other heads nodded and, one by one, stood up as well.


    "I am Theo, the head of Grune. We will follow you into this war, Lord-dono."


    Theo corrected his posture and stood to attention.


    "Don''t look back. You don''t need your miserable past anymore," I said, cutting off for a bit. Then, I raised my voice and proimed, "A prosperous future awaits."

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 28 - Escape from Slavery—Theo Grune

    We would need at least several hundreds of Radol soldiers to enact out the n to recover ournds that our new lord, Grey, had suggested.


    So as of now, Teo was in Camelot''s za exining the details to some young representatives of each tribe who were confident in their skills, but......


    "Even if it''sing from you, Theo, I just can''t believe you," said my childhood friend, Calogero. The other representatives nodded in agreement with a bitter look.


    Our new lord is a person from the empire. The Radols had suffered defeat at the hands of the empire, were separated from their families, and forced into a lifestyle no different than that of very. In fact, there''d be something wrong with them if they were on board with just this.


    I knew because we had no other choice. The Amrzs Kingdom''s forces were strong. Without the Radol''s suprememander leading their forces, they wouldn''t even be able to hold a candle to the experienced forces of the kingdom.


    But our new lord was the real deal. He had easily annihted the powerful troops that had taken a hold of Camelot.


    And as he had said, the Amrzs Kingdom would soone marching in full force.


    Our only option left was to follow Lord-dono''s instructions.


    Besides, even if the empire didn''te marching, we were soon to run out of food. Us Radols would be wiped off the map in just a few months, just as Lord-dono had said.


    Yes, there''s no other choice. No matter how improbable, reckless, dangerous it is.


    "Lord-dono is---" I began but was cut off by one of Lord-dono''s subordinates, a young man with red hair and one eye.


    "That much is to be expected. Even we couldn''t believe Grey''s abnormality until we saw for ourselves."


    He introduced himself as Aquido, someone who had fought against the Radols in the previous war.


    I had mixed feelings. I couldn''t sense any negative feelings of hatred towards Radols, and I myself had led an army in the war. Of course we were on opposite sides. I knew that I''d never be satisfied if I grew to hate everyone with a reason as small as that.


    "Where have I seen that crest before......"


    I feel like I had seen that red bird embroidered on Aquido''s right sleeve before.


    Well, he was an enemy. I wouldn''t be surprised if I had seen it somewhere on the battlefield.


    "Seriously. It''s like I''m looking at our ignorant selves from a few years prior," added Judo, a man with long ck hair tied up into a ponytail, to which all the representatives began seething with anger.


    "That''s quite some confidence. We''re up against one of the most powerful countries in the world, the Amrzs Kingdom, you know?" said Calogero.


    "Boss said it''s possible. We will annihte their forces on Radolnd," dered Judo. He was the lord''s right hand man and had immense faith the lord.


    "Do you think that''s at all convincing?" Calogero asked dubiously.


    "Everyone wille to understand when we begin our training in two-days'' time."


    "Tha---"


    "Save your objections for after."


    "So, where are you nning to start?" asked Aquido.


    "I''ll have them observe a demonstration of the weapons we''ll be using."


    "So after that......" replied Aquido, annoyedly tugging at his hair.


    "Well without further ado, let''s teleport."


    "Woah!?"


    A circle of light rose from under their feet and began rotating when their scenery suddenly changed to one of inside a building.


    "Where are we?"


    Calogero frantically looked around in dismay, and the other representatives weren''t much different.


    A spell that can instantly change your position? That''s incredible! So the empire already has a rule-breaking spell like this?


    "In just a bit we''ll conduct a certain experiment here, with you all as the subjects."


    Experiment? He called it training earlier; things just aren''t adding up.


    "What is this experiment?"


    "Take a gun from the table over by the corner. One of the employees will show you how to use it."


    "Gun? Is he talking about that?"


    About 50 iron pipe looking things were sitting on the table along with pointed semicircles of metal.


    I picked up the iron pipe and severalplex pieces of metal, after which I was ordered to exit the building. With the items in hand, I passed through the wooden door into a huge empty plot ofnd. To describe it more specifically, it was like an oval za surrounded by tall stone walls.


    I followed Judo''s instructions and walked over to one corner.


    "Is that armor?"


    As soon as I thought that, the imperial armor was fastened onto a tree far away.


    "As Grey-sama as instructed, I am Pause, the on in charge of gun development. I will now exin how to use one. Like a bow, the gun is a weapon that can strike targets from far away. First, stand on that white line and fire at the target."


    "Huh? How far away even is that thing? There''s no way it''ll reach!" Calogero instantly retorted with doubt.


    "It will reach. Although whether it''ll hit or not is an entirely different matter," replied Pause. Then, paying their bewilderment no mind, he continued his exnation.


    The iron gun, a rifle, shoots this small metal bullet.


    The important parts are rtively simple.


    Pull the lever, what he called a bolt, back, and load the bullets into the ejector.


    After pushing back on the bolt, pull on the part that''s called a trigger, and the bullet wille flying out.


    "I''ll do it," said Calogero, snorting at the gun''s ridiculousness. Geez, he has no faith at all.


    A piece of metal this heavy wille flying out at the pull of a trigger? There''s no way that''s possible, and everyone here was thinking the same thing.


    He loaded the gun as instructed, pushed the bolt back, and took aim at the armor.


    Bang!


    I stiffened at the thunderous boom.


    "Wait, are you serious? He hit it on his first try?" Aquido said with a voice full of astonishment.


    He hit it? No way!?


    I focused my eyes forward to see the armor that was fastened on the tree now on the floor in two pieces.


    "Im......possible."


    Calogero stared at the hand he had used to shoot the gun, and his fellow Radols looked on with gaping mouths.


    "Hm. You''re an interesting test subject," said Pause, eerily grinning before giving out his next instructions.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After the gun experiment in the morning ended, we were guided to a dining hall.


    "Amazing! It''s amazing! That gun''s amazing!!" Calogero eximed over and over, his face red with excitement.


    "Yeah, to think it was that powerful......"


    It''s power and range were iparably higher than a bow''s, and the bullet would hit where you pointed the gun. You didn''t need that much skill or strength like you did with a bow, so anyone could use it. Even a woman could if worst came to worst, and it didn''t take a genius to figure out how insanely powerful this weapon was.


    "But why didn''t the empire use a weapon this powerful?"


    I was thinking the same thing. If they had a weapon this ridiculous, it wouldn''t have even been a war.


    The one to answer their doubts was Judo, who came carrying their food.


    "There''s no way those useless court noble pigs could create a weapon like that. It''s one of Boss''s newly-created weapons."


    "Created......Lord-dono did? Isn''t he just a child though?"


    The imperial government leaving thisnds in the hands of a child was already ridiculous enough, but he had also created that transcendent weapon? An early mental development wouldn''t cut it as an exnation. Can a kid like that really exist?


    "I understand where you''reing from, but it''s the truth. If you''re still able to say something like that, then you still don''t a lick of Boss''s true capabilities."


    "Lord-dono''s?"


    "Well, you''ll soon find out over these next two days," Judo said as he began to line up the dishes on the table.


    "D-delicious! What is this meat!?"


    Is this meat? There''s almost no gaminess to it, and it''s scarily soft---enough to melt in your mouth.


    "That''s Hamburg steak, one of the items on our popr menu list," replied Judo as he sliced into the Hamburg steak and chomped into it.


    "Hamburg steak?"


    "Yes. You finely mince the meat, mix it with an egg, and cook it."


    "This......vor. I wish I give the vigers at home a taste of this," mumbled one of the representatives as tears streamed down his face.


    Judo narrowed his eyes and replied, "You''ll be able to soon. Boss became the lord, after all."


    "......"


    They sank into silence withplicated looks on their face. After all, how great would it be to have a lifestyle like this?


    But at the same time, it was like surrendering yourself to the empire. The empire had killed an overwhelming number of us and had taken away our pride and our strength. The more benevolent a ruler Lord-dono was, the stronger the conflict between these two emotions.


    Even though we had no other choice, we couldn''t let loose with happiness.


    "My circumstances are simr to yours, at the very least," Judo said. "I feel like I can understand you guys, so I''ll say this: Boss isn''t the type of person who''ll treat you like livestock."


    "What do you mean---"


    "You''ll soon understand."


    Then, Judo said no more and only urged them to continue eating.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    That afternoon, everybody was made to wait at a log house after being asked their preferred attacking style.


    Aquido handed them each a book and said, "This is a grimoire. After you make a contract, we''ll begin activation training."


    "A g-grimoire?"


    Grimoires were miraculous books that granted those without talent to receive the blessing of magic. Naturally, any such items in the empire were regarded as national treasures.


    "I''m sure you have your doubts, but please do as I say for now."


    After making sure everyone understood, Judo instructed them to ce their hand on the cover.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    After obtaining the gift of magic, the Radols burst into cheers, but Theo aimlessly looked at this abnormal scene and thought back.


    In this world, magic proved one''s strength. Anyone who could skillfully wield the gift of magic would control history.


    At the same time, wielding magic generally needed a ton of talent, and only a select few would have the capability to do so.


    Radols in particr were dispositioned to be on the less talented side or, rather, they were losing their touch as time passed.


    In the war with the empire, those who could wield magic were even regarded as their ace in the holes.


    Because of that, Theo and the others knew deep down just how miraculous these grimoires were.


    Lord-dono had numerous grimoires, and he gave them to people he had just met. It didn''t take a genius to realize just how abnormal that was.


    Now, it wasn''t just grimoires. The guns were also capable of turning an entire war on its head. They turned a rank of foot soldiers into mere targets for practice, and any army that thoughtless charged in would be turned into a mountain of corpses. They''d probably start operating in small groups from here on out.


    Judo had said we would gradually find out more about the man called Grey Ines Navarro, but I feel like we know even less now.


    Truly, this boy was the epitome of irrationality. If he actually went all out---


    I spotted Judo, who said, "Today I''ll take you back to my hometown."


    He then brought us to a certain city.


    The city had a beautifully paved main street, and buildings neatly lined the sides of the road. Every building sported a mysterious transparent board that allowed one to peer inside.


    There were many types of people walking the streets, from those wearing luxurious clothing like that of a wealthy merchant or a noble to farmers who had finished up their work and whose faces were sttered with dirt.


    Was this the rumored capital?


    Judo walked down the main street and led us to a four-story building.


    "I-is that a monster?"


    A boy with transparent wings stood at the counter.


    "Good afternoon, Judo-san. What business do we have today?" the boy asked.


    "Yeah, is the Vige Head here?"


    "Yes. He''s still s taring down a document in his room."


    "That''s just like him. Please let him know I''m here."


    "Of course, with pleasure!"


    The boy pped his wings and ascended the stairs.


    "Who is......he?" I asked, having lost to the peer pressure of those around me.


    "He''s Mumu, an employee of the town hall of this vige, Tote."


    Vige? Town hall? This developed city is a vige? No, there''s something more important at hand.


    "Is he a monster?"


    "No, not a monster, but a fairy. He''ll cry if you treat him like one so be careful."


    "Ah, okay......"


    I somehow manage to nod. Of course, I was asking if he was actually human.


    Still, that boy''s, Mumu''s, servility didn''t seem like the same as the Radol''s. And judging by the kind and gentle interactions around him, the vige probably treated him like one of their own, as hard as that was to believe.


    Both the empire and the kingdom thoroughly oppressed Radols, despite the fact that we were all human. But I didn''t find that strange, every country had their heretics after all. In fact, a city that regarded a boy not even human as one of their own was far stranger.


    "He said he''lle out soon so please wait," said Mumu.


    "Got it. Let''s go then."


    As we stood their aimlessly, our brains havingpletely short-circuited, Judo gave us a sidelong nce and headed up the stairs.


    "Sorry for the wait."


    After a brief moment, a fatigued old man with white hair appeared and sat down at the table nearest to us.


    "Vige Head, they are the Radols as mentioned."


    "I see. So they''re the ones from Zem-dono''s hometown that Mos was talking about......"


    The old man who seemed to be the Vige Head wiped the sweat off his balding head and curiously stared at Theo.


    "Then can I leave these guys in your care until tomorrow? Having them live here in the vige rather than in Sagami Co. would be much more exciting for them."


    "Hm....... probably."


    The Vige Head nodded once and called for an employee. He then stamped down on a document and began reminiscing about the bast.


    It was about a poverty stricken vige.


    Many of the young and healthy had died at the hands of goblins during a raid, and they wouldn''t be able to survive the winter. A priest from an organization known as themittee of elders ran an oppressive rule through the lord of thend. And in the bottomless pit of despair appeared Lord-dono.


    He banished the priest and themittee of elders from thend and gave several instructions and pieces of advice, all leading to the vige seen today.


    Basically, it was an incredulous story about how a child---not one with the authority of a lord, but just a normal child---had developed this vige that was so poor nobody would have bat an eye if it copsed into ruin right then and there. However, the Vige Head told his story earnestly, and it didn''t seem like there were any lies.


    "We were in a simr situation for years on end as well, so we aren''t in a position to talk, but let me say this: now is the time to stand your ground. Run forward, recklessly and with that guy!" he said. He then stood up and pped us on the back before leaving the room.


    "I''ll show you through the vige now," said Judo.


    "Please do," I managed to squeeze out.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    That day, we stayed the night at Tote.


    Tote''s agriculture, business, and protection were all maintained at an unbelievably high level.


    First let''s talk about agriculture. I could only understand about half of the exnations I had received, but they had had barely any productivity, evenpared to us Radols.


    With regard to business, I managed to get out the fact that wealthy merchants and nobles were in thisnd.


    Every building had transparent tes of a substance called ss, and you could just look outside with the windows shut on a cold day.


    The inns were equipped with hot water facilities and I found them extremely rxing. Moreover, the food was absolutely delectable.


    The fluffy beds in the private rooms and a heating device called a "stove" quickly warmed up by cold body.


    The shopping districts were lined with clocks, which were apparatus that told time, beauty products that kept women''s skin smooth, a device that fixed blurry eyes, and other unimaginable products.


    A medical facility featuring absurdly cheap rates even had at least two people called doctors stationed within at all times, much to my disbelief.


    What''s more, dozens of mages specializing in battles protected the vige.


    The vige had both an absurdly powerful economy and defense and was open-minded enough to ept even non-humans.


    This vige felt like a heavenly city that might appear in a fairy tale.


    No matter who I talked to, they all boasted that the cause of all this abnormal developmenty in a single boy named Grey.


    "Our wise mountain king will always save us from any crisis!" said one of my brethren, and nobody bat an eye at that title. In fact, as the time to leave approached, more and more of them began to use that title.


    Wise mountain king---we Radols were much ustomed to that title. It was a title bestowed upon a messenger of god that had descended from the heavens in order to save the Radols from a crisis.


    We weren''t particrly religious, though, and the elderlyughed whenever they brought up the title. And yet they all saw Lord-dono as a wise mountain king that would surely save us from any crises.


    I think these past two weeks had been so surprising that it made theme to hold that belief.


    We regrouped at the first floor of a certain inn in Tote and found Judo waiting there.


    "How was it? Have youe to understand Boss a little better now?" asked Judo.


    "Almost too much."


    Lord-dono was a person who had invented that rifle weapon, had handed out grimoires, and had even created this dream-like world. That same person had dered we would stand victorious. The word defeat that I had known all too well up until now had disappeared from my vocabry.


    "So do you understand what Boss meant when he said he''ll industrialize yournd into the best in the world---to turn it into a city of science if we triumph over the kingdom?"


    "Of course."


    ording to the Vige Head, Lord-dono was only managing Tote behind the back of the original lord, which meant he wasn''t even taking it seriously due to his position. Developing this heavenlynd might have only been the tip of the iceberg.


    He also saw the Radol''snd as his own. In other words, as and he would freely develop, and Lord-dono had even said he would industrialize ournd into the best in the world.


    "Don''t you want to see for yourself? Where Boss will end up?"


    "I do."


    It would be not imperialnd, nor Radolnd, but a utopia.


    "Then let us advance together," said Judo, sticking his fist out.


    "Yeah!"


    I lightly tapped his fist with my own, turned around, and stared at my brethren.


    "So you were listening."


    "Yessir!!"


    "We''ll persuade the others, no matter what!!"


    "Yessir!!" they shouted, a new determination now brewing within.


    This was the very moment they escaped their fateful life of very.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 29 - Operation Progress

    "So? Do you think you can get enough soldiers for the war?" I asked Aquido.


    "Despite the strict conditions we''ve given, including how volunteers must be 18 or older, each tribe sent many soldiers and we''ve just crossed over 800."


    Eight hundred people. That''s more than I expected given the fact that they were on the brink of starvation. The guns and grimoires must have worked wonders. In any event, that''s more than enough for this operation.


    "But is tricking them like this really okay?" asked Aquido, sharing the sentiment that everyone else was holding.


    We had enough food to easily stave off their starvation for another year. On the other hand, we had told them that they only had a month of food left, and that they would need to take back the food that had been stolen from the Radols imprisoned in Fort Arkroy.


    "No. Theo-dono and those around him have probably already realized that it was all just an official stance," replied Kurama as he rubbed his chin.


    "I agree. They''ve already figured it out," Judo agreed with so much confidence that he must have done something when he was showing the guns and grimoires.


    "True, the representatives from the tribes seem to be encouraging the Radols to eat their fill. They also should have figured out that there''s no guarantee of any food being left in Arkroy."


    "You''re saying that the Radols themselves must make Arkroy surrender, right, Grey?"


    "Of course. Doing it ourselves would only make things worse."


    "While Boss is their lord, he is also a member of thepany. Charging in recklessly would cause friction with the Commerce Guild members based in the kingdom, right?" confirmed Judo.


    He''s sharp as usual. In fact, he might''ve gotten used to thinking in pros and cons like a merchant.


    "That''s true as well, but even if I were to hand out food and save them from the kingdom with our own power, they would never truly listen to me."


    I wasn''t a politician or anything, so I didn''t know how a ruler should act, nor did I care.


    However, there was nothing more disagreeable than someone giving without any return. Even a new evil religion wouldn''t do that.


    Leaving that aside, I had suggested a n based on plenty of investigations and research, so they would definitely seed if the followed through, and it was much more believable that I was serving as an adviser.


    The same applies to all rulers, or so I believe.


    "Grey trying to win the trust of others is, in a way, quite refreshing."


    "Seriously. And it''s disturbing, frankly."


    The room erupted intoughter. Geez, these guys are so rude.


    Personally, developing the Radoa area was a huge project. If sessful, they''d amass a never-before-seen amount of fortune, and we''d be able to conduct research on an entirely different level. Failure was not an option, and gaining their trust pointed the needle in the right direction. It''d be stranger not to, in fact.


    "Exin the situation!" I yelled, prompting for the report in an attempt to end this ridiculous conversation.


    "Construction Team," said Judo.


    The employees in charge stood up, bowed once, andunched their exnation.


    "We are currently constructing a base near the top of the Radoa mountain range. It''s still in the works at the moment but should finish within a week."


    The base was being build roughly ten kilometers from Fort Arkroy. We would camouge it when the time arose, but oncepleted, it would turn into a nigh imprable fortress high on the mountains.


    "Weapon Manufacturing Team."


    "We already have 200 bolt action rifles, 30 fixed cannons, 40 mobile cannons, and roughly 10,000 bullets."


    A collective sigh escaped from everyone. This much was to be expected from Sagami Co.''s manufacturing department working at full power.


    The bottleneck was with bullets. After all, just 10,000 meant only a 0 people could shoot a hundred shots. Manualbor just didn''t cut it.


    After our brief collision with Laguna, I gave a certain set of instructions to Sagami Co. in order to remove that threat as soon as possible. Namely, to develop firearms and fully automate the production of bullets through steam engines.


    Bullets consisted of four different parts: warheads, cartridges, powder, and the detonator.


    Among them, warheads and cartridges could be easily created by melting and then molding lead and copper, and powder and detonators had already beenpleted during the undead assault.


    Furthermore, once the parts had been made, all you had to do was ce the detonator at the bottom of the cartridge, fill it with gunpowder, and cover it with the warhead. This kind of simple procedure didn''t necessitate anything precise like a refrigerator or aputer, and the prototype steam engine was more than enough.


    "How many bullets are we making per day?" I asked Leroy.


    "Roughly 400."


    "Hm, not a lot."


    "Don''t ask for the impossible. That''s the most we can make with this power."


    "That''s true."


    Yes. A steam engine was, in the end, extremely energy inefficient. But there''s a reason I didn''t jump straight to energy and had instead fumbled around with steam engines.


    Science is deep. If you jumped in without any foundations, you''d run into insurmountable problems left and right. As my goal was to progress this world''s science, I''d need to have everyone else improve their own technical capabilities. I can''t create new technologies with just my own knowledge.


    Still, we''ll definitely need an electric generator for a project thisrge. I''ll say the steam engine experiment was a sess for now, and maybe we should just move onto developing electricity.


    "Training Team."


    "As instructed, I am training up the 32 tribe heads in magic," said Aquido after standing up. "The 260 I have selected will enter training for the rifle squad and the cannon squad. Now, anything more than magic is sure to raise amotion, so we''re sticking with mock training for now, but I n to move to live-ammunition exercises as soon as possible. The rest are training themselves for the infantry squad and archer squad."


    I nned to give the archers and infantry a couple of tricks up their sleeves---we had a lot of gunpowder after all.


    "I''m sure it''ll be a test, but good work."


    "Got it. I''ll show you what we can do."


    Aquido nodded and rested himself back down on his chair.


    "Next is the Reconnaissance Team."


    Kurama stood up and bowed towards me beforeunching into his report.


    "In Fort Arkroy there are a general, 16 officers, 40 in their mage battalion, 97 in their horseback battalion, 2320 archers, and 5511 infantry. There are 300 citizens who seem to be merchants conducting business with the army."


    "Eight thousand soldiers. That''s almost ten times our size, and there''s even citizens inside. Is Fort Arkroy sturdy?"


    "It''s surrounded by a tall wall of stone, and any normal means of attacking would result in heavy casualties."


    It would take a lot of time and manpower to move so many weapons and getting attacked while moving them would end in disaster. What''s more, civilian casualties was almost unavoidable, so I wanted to avoid an all-out-brawl as much as possible. We''d need to cut the enemy forces by more than half in order to smoothly progress operations.


    "Then once the fortress atop the Radoa mountain range ispleted, deliver the document garnished with the heads of the military officers who had invaded Camelot," I said.


    "Whose name shall it be under?"


    "Let''s see. Put down The Supreme Commander of the Radols, Theo."


    There''s no way the kingdom is unaware of the undead assault incident, so penning my name would only serve to put them on guard.


    However, a Radol, who they underestimate as mere savages, was a different story. If they were simpletons like I expected, they''d be sure toe charging in with their full force. After all, they''d have to capitte Fort Arkroy without any bloodshed in order for us to not massacre them, and the most humiliating thing for a person is to be shown mercy by someone they considered inferior.


    "Heartless as usual. I really feel bad for them, given that a monster like you has set his sights on them," said Aquido, to which everyone else nodded in agreement.


    "Stop joking around and get a move on."


    "No, I think he really meant it," added Leroy.


    And so, we approached the final stages of my ns.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 30 - Sortie

    ---Fort Arkroy


    The kingdom''s forces upied Camelot''s remains after the undead attack. From there, they wouldunch arge-scale invasion onto the empire.


    However, since General Ete only had a small number of elite forces, there weren''t actually a lot of soldiers stationed in Camelot.


    Arkroy, on the other hand, easily had over ten times the number of soldiers and was the cornerstone to the anti-empire campaign.


    In a cylindrical conference room, all the officers in-charge of Fort Arkroy''s defenses lined up.


    "..."


    Nobody said a word and could only let their lips tremble.


    The heads of several officers were neatly lined on the table.


    The head of General Ete, who would have takenmand of the anti-empire campaign starting in Camelot, was no exception.


    "Ete, you must have been vexed," said a man with a crushed nose, round eyes, and pieces of cheek hanging off his face as he cradled the ape-like man''s head and trembled.


    "General Blu...... you have my sympathies," said one general with a face full of regret.


    "Hmph, that can''t be right," thought one high-ranking general, the mage, Wimp, as he sent a chilly re at the young, ignorant general.


    Blu and Ete were political opponents and their rtionship was like cats and dogs, to the point where one would even rejoice over another''s death. There''s no way they''d grieve.


    True, Blu used to be the kind of guy to charge the enemy by himself and take the rear so his soldiers could escape, but people will change. He might have grieved in the past, but he wouldn''t be grieving over the death of every political opponent.


    As expected, his face loosened up, and he crazilyughed, saying, "However! You guys let Camelot be taken! By mere savages, nheless! You''re all so ipetent you might as well die!!"


    And to the surprise of everyone excluding Wimp, he then started punching General Ete''s head before suddenly stopping.


    "This sudden shift in personality always gives me the creep," thought Wimp.


    He felt unsettled, as if there was a wolf in sheepskin in front of him. In direct contrast to before, Blu tossed Ete''s head onto the table as if he were tossing out the garbage and sad back down.


    "Read it aloud," he said, resting his chin on his hands.


    Someone scrambled about before opening the scroll and began to read it aloud.


    "To all from The Amrzs Kingdom.


    You have trampled ournds and stolen from us like bandits. These heads are an expression of our rage. We would normally enact our just retaliation, but we''ve decided to give you mercy.


    Capitte Fort Arkroy and leave thesends. If you do so, we will let you go.


    The deadline is two weeks from now at 8 am. We hope you make the wise decision.


    Radol Supreme Commander Theo Grune"


    "Who do these savages think they are!?" one officer shouted.


    "These inferior beings are trying to give us mercy!? Their arrogance knows no bounds!"


    "General Blu, this''ll set a bad example at this rate. We should immediately send soldiers to Camelot."


    Blu closed his eyes and groaned for a while before forcefully standing up and raising his right hand.


    "Wimp, takemand of 7000 soldiers and take Camelot."


    "7000 soldiers?"


    Bringing 7000 soldiers to suppress some savages on the brink of death was just too cautious and bringing that many soldiers would leave this fort short of hands.


    "Hm? Is there a problem?"


    It wasn''t a good idea to get on this crazy guy''s bad side. Plenty of times he has ordered someone who had angered him into a bloody battlefield.


    "Not at all. I''ll make sure to suppress them."


    "Alright then."


    Blu nodded in satisfaction and exited the room.


    Alright. These sturdy walls would hold against an attacker for a while, and Wimp would lead an army farrger than he had imagined. This would be fun; he''d be hunting down savages after all.


    Now, how would he strangle them to death? Wimp trembled with excitement as he dreamed of the pleasure that would be soon toe.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 31 - The Battle at Fort Silke

    The fortified city atop the Radoa mountain range---Silke


    After sending out our letter asking for them to capitte, I received reports from our scouts that arge force of Amrzs soldiers were marching onto this fortress and headed towards the reception hall.


    Once I entered inside, Theo yelled, "Salute to Lord-dono."


    Then, the 32 Radolmanders stood up at once, formed a line, and straightened their posture.


    I guess this was a Radol salute. I was a bit embarrassed.


    "Sorry for beingte."


    "Not a problem. We just arrived as well."


    "By the way, didn''t I tell you to not bring any women or children into this operation?" I asked Theo while sending a re towards the women with short white hair sitting next to him.


    "Sorry."


    I learned about this after the fact, but the white-haired girl was Theo''s younger sister, Lucia, who was also the Radol''s miko. Apparently, the kingdom''s forces hadn''t touched her so that they could get the Radols to surrender quietly.


    The women who were being sexually assaulted by the kingdom''s forces had sacrificed themselves to protect the miko and the children, and Lucia had no idea it was happening. Well, whether that''s a good thing or not is a different matter.


    "If we''re talking about women and children, then aren''t you a child?"


    "......"


    I was lost for words. Well whatever. If Theo couldn''t hold his own sister back, then I had no chance. She was already an adult, so I''ll just let her do what she wants.


    "Now then, you will be my aide for this battle, understood?" I said to Lucia.


    "Yes, got it."


    I thought for sure that she would have a problem with something, but she obediently followed my order.


    Now, time was running short, so Istarted the meeting immediately.


    "Just now, I received a report from our scouts that 7000 Amrzs soldiers are marching onto thisnd."


    "7000......" muttered onemander.


    Unease crept onto their faces.


    "Why the long face? The wind is finally blowing our way now that they''ve sent 7000 soldiers our way instead of barricading themselves in Arkroy," I said.


    And I meant it. Normally, you''d need several times more soldiers than those in the fortress to attack it. Even if we did have our weapons, there''s no way I''d attack a fortress with over ten times our number.


    That''s why we need to cut down their numbers as much as possible here. We had modern day heavy weapons that were remarkably superior, too. All we had to do was lead them to a fixed location and it''d be like shooting fish in a barrel.


    "I understand. You''re saying it, so it must be true," replied Theo, whose words sted away the others'' unease as if it were never there.


    This attitude was a bit tricky to deal with. Well, I guess him obediently following my orders isn''t really a problem.


    "So? Are the preparations going smoothly?"


    "Yes. They''ve attacked the tent and have recovered that thing," replied Kurama.


    I kept my cool. The operation would go to waste if we retreated here.


    "So now they won''t stop."


    The only thing left to do was to move onto the next step of the operation.


    "You''re a frightening person, just like I thought," he said with a hint of amazement.


    I looked over the Radolmanders and said, "Listen up. This is a war to obtain your civil rights. Defeat here means the death of all Radols. Remember that!"


    "Yes sir!!" they stomped and said in unison.


    "Once again, this is war. There''s no need for mercy or emotions. Act with the utmost decorum and send them to hell! I''ll take full responsibility for their massacre!"


    "Yes sir!!" they cried.


    And so, my first war started off with a bang.


    Fort Silke was a fortress made by using earth magic to gouge out an area from the sleep slopes of the mountain range path to Camelot and marching onto Camelot would require making this fort capitte.


    The mountain path was surrounded by steep cliffs that were impossible to climb without flight magic.


    "They''ve reached that location," reported Lucia.


    "Good work."


    I nodded back at her before looking up to see signaling gs waving above the cliff.


    That''s right, I''ve installed a gond that allows people to freely traverse Fort Silke, made possible by furthering the excavation technology.


    The only thing left was to entice the enemies to a certain location.


    "Grey-sama. The kingdom''s forces have crossed over the first line."


    The first line was just in front of the fort''s walls.


    I signaled the giant iron gate open, where a hundred elite knights on horseback rushed out with Theo leading the charge. The knights on horseback did a Radol salute in my direction, above the castle walls, and began their advance.


    They were the crux of this operation and the ones who would bear the heaviest role. You could even say this operation lived and died with them.


    The horseback squad advanced forward, and themanders deployed several Wind Barriers on their vanguards. Now they wouldn''t be immediately destroyed by magic or arrows.


    Still, their magic power was low and would be turned to pincushions if the enemy focused their arrows on any one of them. They were truly putting their life on the line here.


    "O despicable and foolish kingdom soldiers. Know our wrath!" shouted Theo before beginning the charge.


    Thirty minutes had already passed since the initial charge.


    Our fierce attack allowed us to stand head-to-head against the enemy''s forces which were over ten times our number, and the battle had developed into an all out brawl just a few minutes ago.


    As the path was very thin, the kingdom''s forces had no choice but to form a long line and couldn''t make good use of their superior numbers. Even still, having ten times the number of soldiers was its own threat; arrows and magic rained down on our soldiers.


    Dozens of soldiers in the vanguard had already dropped out from heavy injuries, but theck of deaths was probably due to the strengthening magic they casted on themselves.


    ording to Aquido''s reports, the Radols intentionally ced heavy importance on strengthening magic and focused their training on that.


    The battlefield full of strengthened horses and their red skin looked absolutely demonic.


    "What are you doing? They''re just savages! Hurry up and annihte them!" wailed a robedmander with blonde hair as he pitifully shouted orders at his soldiers.


    "The rest of the kingdom''s forces have just crossed over the final line," reported Kurama.


    "Then let''s wrap this up," I grinned. "Everyone, you''ve endured well."


    I raised my right hand and a cannonball shot into the air.


    "All forces retreat!!" ordered Theo.


    The iron gate opened up, and the Radol knights quickly turned back.


    "Don''t let them escape! It''ll be annoying if they get back inside the fort!" yelled the robedmander. An astute decision, but toote.


    Fifteen cannons and a squad of 50 marksmen lined above the fort walls.


    A man with ck, undercut hair stepped forward and aimed at the kingdom''s soldiers. He was themander of the marksmen squad, Calogero, and was apparently a master of the bow and arrow.


    One of the kingdom''s knights on horseback, who had finally entered firing distance, began to swing his swords down on the retreating Radols.


    Bang!


    The bullet hit dead center between the knight''s eyebrows, and he copsed onto the ground.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The gunshots echoed one after another, and cartridges danced in the air. Then, the enemy soldiers fell from their horses, their heads having been perfectly shot through.


    After a moment, Calogero grinned, having ughtered five soldiers in the blink of an eye. He turned back to the artillery and marksman squads and rested his gun on the ground. With that signal, all the cannons and muzzles pointed towards the soldiers.


    Calogero aimed his rifle at the sky and shouted, "First team, begin firing!!"


    In an instant, the shots created an ear splitting boom as the ground burst open and was enveloped in a cloud of dust.


    Just like that, the battlefield descended into hell.


    "Ah! That hurts!!"


    "M-my arm!!"


    Shrieks, roars of pain, and groans befell the battlefield. Once the dust swept away, we were left with the sight of several small craters and copsed soldiers.


    "Second team, begin firing!!"


    Gunshots ripped apart the air, and with each shot, another kingdom soldier lost their life. The knights who were pursuing Theo''s squad had almost all been wiped out, and the ones who survived fell into panic.


    "What are you guys doing! Fight, goddammit!"


    I''ll praise his guts for not running away and continuing to scream at his own people, but that''s having the exact opposite effect.


    "Everyone''s gone back inside," reported Lucia.


    "They''re finished."


    I once again raised my hand to signal one final bombardment, and the thunderous booms apanied true hell on Earth.


    Booooooom!


    The ground trembled in response to the explosion. Dynamite had exploded atop the cliff which turned into giant boulders and broken rocks that rained onto the soldiers'' heads.


    The raining bedrock upon the soldiers was like a giant elephant stepping on ants; the rocks utterly crushed and pulverized the soldiers.


    In just a few seconds, they lost their ability to scream and over half of the kingdom''s soldiers had been pinned beneath the rubble where they died.


    Nobody said a word. This wasn''t even a one-sided war, but rather simply a ughter, after all.


    "Grey-dono...... any further and......" pleaded Lucia.


    But that wouldn''t do. If the Radols didn''t prove just how powerful and merciless they were to the world, the kingdom will soon send a second and even third wave of soldiers.


    They''d have to prevent the empire from moving, at least until they stabilized their forces. We couldn''t rx here.


    "Track down the remaining soldiers," I ordered Kurama.


    He quickly disappeared into the battlefield, followed soon after by Calogero and his marksmen squad.


    The ones tracking the soldiers were the cream of the crop of archers and marksmen. The wounded, confused, and even now mentally crippled soldiers stood no chance.


    "What''s wrong? Are you disillusioned?" I asked Lucia, who just silently bit her lip.


    "No, you probably made the correct decision, Grey-sama. But just don''t push yourself too much."


    "Huh? Push myself too much?"


    "Yes. You''re normally a very kind person after all."


    "Me? Kind? Don''t be stupid. There''s no way a kind person could think up a n like this."


    The word kind was for people like Sate and Aquido, who wouldn''t stain their own hands. The descriptor was about as far as she could get from someone as unscrupulous as I.


    "You do the exact opposite of what you want to do. Yep. I got it. You''re hopelessly dishonest with yourself."


    Damn, this girl is hard to deal with. Well whatever. I''ll probably never interact with her after this war.


    Before long, Kurama came back reporting of ourplete victory.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 32 - A Merciless Crushing Blow—Wimp

    "There''s a fort near the summit?" asked Wimp.


    He and hisrades had been deployed for Camelot under General Blu''s orders.


    They had been steadily ascending the mountain, but soon received reports of a fort right in the middle of the path up at the summit. These people had, of all things, built a fort dead center on the path up the mountain.


    In the end, it was just a fort built by savages. We had over 7000 soldiers and even 20 mages. It wouldn''t take that much to down a fort built by magic-less savages.


    "We''ll upy the fort and use it as a base for our suppression of Camelot," Wimp continued.


    "Please wait!" said a man with an unshaven face and long brown hair tied up, immediately rejecting Wimp''s proposal.


    He was Kai Lodos, a subordinate of Wimp''s and someone who held the position of a military advisor.


    Wimp was a noble, and he usually wouldn''t have any foolish and dirtymoners by his side.


    However, Kai''s strategical prowess stood head and shoulders above the other nobles, much to Wimp''s chagrin. Thus Wimp decided to bend his principles and hire Kai as an advisor.


    "What?"


    "There wasn''t a fort there just a few weeks ago. We should advance after we''ve done enough reconnaissance."


    Reconnaissance was definitely by the book, but we are up against those savages, no? Is there really a need to go that far?


    "Stop joking around! We have over 7000 soldiers, you know?" yelled one young officer.


    "That''s right! Just try and stop our advance against those savages! We''ll beughingstocks of the kingdom. Are you trying to make us cowards!?" added another.


    "Your opinions are principled, and I don''t have any intention to argue against them. But we have over 7000 soldiers at our disposal. Aren''t you a little too cautious?"


    "You normally wouldn''t be able to build a fort in just a few weeks, much less those poor and struggling Radols. There''s always a reason behind the inexplicable, and we could suffer heavy losses if we take that reason lightly," said Kai.


    It''d be bad if we were to suffer more losses than we expect. That could very well be putting the cart before the horse. Our upper brass is hard-headed, and they very might well use our losses against us to take away our status.


    "Send out the scouts."


    "Commander Wimp!"


    "At worst we''ll have to wait a few days. Please understand. We should pull out all the stops, even if we''re up against ants."


    "Sure......" the other officers hesitantly agreed.


    Wimp sighed in relief. They were young officers from the kingdom''s nobility, some of which were the sons of high-rank nobles. It''d be troublesometer if things didn''t go smoothly here.


    At any rate, they were just in a hurry to obtain more achievements. They were sure to settle down after we hunted a tribe of bandits.


    "Thank you for understanding. Now then."


    Kai bowed once and exited the tent.


    "A meremoner acting all cocky!"


    "Seriously. Why does ourmander have amoner like him by his side?"


    Because he''s way more brilliant than you all, of course. Well, it''s not like I''d ever say that out loud.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "A giant iron gate? And you say those savages made that......"


    There was no way they could have made that sturdy fort in just a few weeks. In that case, was it the empire? No, we would have heard at least a rumor of that many people heading into Radolnds. That meant a third party......


    "This is just in abnormal. We should retreat for now!" advised Kai, to nobody''s surprise.


    "What are you saying! Do you understand what you''re saying!? We won''t get off lightly if we retreat before anything''s even happened."


    "He''s right! I don''t care if you want to bebeled a coward, but don''t drag us down with you!"


    Taking down a sturdy fort ced a heavy burden on the soldiers. Kai truly believed that they should retreat for now and reassess their method of attack.


    The problem was---


    "Commander Wimp! This is the time to teach those savages a lesson!"


    "Yeah! Let''s blow that crude fort down with our mages!"


    We had already won this war. The only things I needed to be careful of were how many of my soldiers I lost and these ignorant nobles'' impressions.


    Their dispatchment here was only a stepping stone of their future sess. Unlike Wimp, a middle-ss noble, these high-ss nobles shot up the socialdder. In the not-too-distant future, they''d even be Wimp''smander after they came back from this mission.


    It wasn''t a good idea to worsen their impression, but heavy losses here spelled something far worse.


    "Damn you savages. You really built something annoying."


    "E-excuse me!" said one guard as he tumbled into the tent. He then whispered into Martha, the son of Archduke Saruman''s ear and handed him a document as I recalled that guard was his retainer.


    Martha read through the document before standing up triumphantly, pointing his sword at Kai, and yelling, "You traitor!!"


    "What do you mean traitor?" asked Wimp.


    "Just earlier, my troops attacked the Radol''s supply line, where we found this document!"


    Martha tedly showed the scroll to everyone.


    It read---


    "To all in the kingdom''s expeditionary force, I advise all forces to stop and turn back. Please retreat the moment you find an opening."


    One by one, the officers unsheathed their swords and surrounded Kai.


    "He''s a traitor! Kill him!" ordered Martha.


    Kai sighed and closed his eyes. Then, the officers raised their swords.


    "Wait, wait wait! We don''t know that Kai''s a traitor for sure! In the first ce, that letter never said a thing about Kai!" Wimp interjected.


    "What are you saying! Thatmoner general was the only one who wanted to retreat. Of course it''s him!"


    "I''m saying that this could all be a ploy. Martha-dono, I''m themander here, so follow my orders."


    I mean, Kai has no reason to betray me now of all times. This is a cunning ploy by our enemies, no matter how I see it, and there''s no reason to fall for it helplessly.


    "Then we''re going to restrain thismoner!"


    "Alright. I''ll entrust him to you. However, he''ll be dealt with afterwards ording to militaryw. I firmly forbid you to enact your own punishment. Are we clear?"


    "Fine....... I understand," Martha said, clenching his teeth as he forcefully dragged Kai away with his guards.


    Good grief. In any case, I couldn''t have those ignorant boys get hurt, so I nned to have them guard our supply lines in the back. They''d surely quiet down with the good bait that was Kai.


    Still, now I definitely couldn''t turn back, and if I ordered as so, their suspicion would definitely fall upon me.


    "If this is what they were aiming for, then they really are a crafty bunch!" thought Wimp.


    And while somehow managing to suppress his anger, he dished out orders to each of his officers.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    As we marched onto the valley of the mountain, we saw a giant building enter our vision.


    It was a giant fortress with an iron gate that towered over the center of the road.


    Just like Kai had advised, it''d be bone-breakingly difficulty to take down the fort.


    The iron gate was the most annoying of them all. Its enormous size meant that neither battering rams nor catapults would be able to break through.


    Also, no matter how foolish these savages were, they wouldn''t let us set up quickly---they''d definitely throw out some soldiers to impede our progress.


    We wouldpletely annihte those soldiers and then begin setting up our catapults with covering fire from our archers and mages before striking into the iron gate. Then, we''d wrench it open with a battering ram.


    If that iron gate were more durable than we imagined, we''d have no choice but to scale up the walls with overheaddders. Either way, we wouldn''t get anywhere without shaving away at the enemy''s main forces.


    They were just savages in the end; we knew how much they were capable of. This would probably just end in our one-sided stomping.


    "Now then, how will they move......"


    The iron gate swung open, and 100 knights on horseback came charging out.


    They must be running out of steam now, so defeating these soldiers would be a massive blow to their forces.


    "Those idiots. You would have lived a little longer had you just holed up inside."


    Then, with a smile on our faces, we dered war.


    I then turned back to those foolish clowns and ordered our attack.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    "How?"


    I kept repeating that question in irritation. Their knights were running circles around our kingdom''s knights, moving in ways a normal horse could never. Our horseback squad was one of the most powerful in the world, and they werepletely and utterly outssed.


    Moreover, we had 500 archers and a battalion of 20 mages providing supporting fire. We should havee out on top ages ago.


    "How can they move like that? Is it magic? No, they''re savages. They can''t use magic......"


    Everyone knew that the Radols were remarkably bad at magic. There might have been exceptions, but it was unrealistic to think that that many Radols could use magic.


    That meant---


    "All forces retreat!!" yelled the enemy Supreme Commander, snapping me back into reality.


    The Radol''s horseback squad rushed back into their fort. It looks like we''ve fatigued them earlier than I had thought. I''d be troublesome to let them rest up inside. Let''s eradicate them before that happens.


    If we dealt a fatal blow to their main force here, the attack on the fortress would be effectively achieved.


    "Don''t let them escape! Kill them before they enter the fort!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, and our horseback squad began their pursuit.


    Our horseback squad began to swing down on the Radol''s rear, but---


    Bang!


    Blood sttered into the air, and the knights began dropping off their horses.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Four more booms reverberated in the air. As if eaten by the noise, four more knights dropped to the floor.


    There''s no doubt that it''s some type of device like a bow or magic.


    I think it came from the fort walls, but that''s quite the distance. A bow could never reach that far, so it must be magic.


    A strange sound certainly apanied it, but I''ve never heard of a spell that could precisely target someone at a distance a bow couldn''t reach. If it''s a new type of spell, then there''s no way we can let them keep it.


    Once I wrapped my head around this situation, several explosive sounds ripped through the air, and the ground in front of the horseback squad erupted.


    "Wha?"


    A strange voice slipped out. Then, the explosions intermittently erupted from the ground in front of the gate and ripped everything apart.


    Before even a minute had passed, the horseback squad had been entirely wiped out.


    My head wouldn''t spin. How could it? In mere moments, our entire horseback squad had been annihted and were now just clumps of meat rolling on the ground.


    Was that magic as well? Any spell with that much destructive power would need a giant magic circle, but I didn''t see anything of the sort. These iron pipes above the walls shined, and then the knights began dropping like flies. That meant those iron pipes were Materials!


    In that case, this was bad. If I didn''t reorganize our forces, we''d be wiped out!


    "What are you guys doing! Fight, goddammit!"


    We''d all die at this rate, so I frantically gave orders to the magicians, my direct subordinates, around me, but they didn''t move an inch and just trembled as waterfalls of sweat poured down their faces.


    "I at least, need to evacuate."


    I kicked the side of my horse and weaved through the soldiers.


    However, an explosion erupted over my head and boulders began raining down, proving my efforts futile. The scenery before me flowed strangely slow as I was buried in rubble.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    I opened my eyes to intense pain and found myself trapped between the rubble. My left arm waspletely broken, and my left leg probably wasn''t faring much better, as all feeling had left it.


    "I need to escape."


    ---Terrifying.


    That heartless Material allowed no form of resistance and killed our forces left and right!


    ---Terrifying.


    We had over 7000 soldiers, but they all died in such a short amount of time!


    ---Terrifying.


    Most terrifying of all was how they so easily trampled over us like we were bugs.


    "I need to escape."


    I ignored my body''s screaming pains and used my sword as a crutch to escape this hell.


    I moved my leg, but---


    "Here''s one!" said a male voice. The sight of a man with the Radol''s characteristic ck hair and a ck Material entered my view, and a fear so chilling my blood began to run backwards entered my body.


    "He''s the Suprememander of this expeditionary force, right?"


    "---"


    I tried to open my mouth.


    "The Mountain Sage said to definitely kill you. Don''t think badly of me."


    With another explosive sound, I lost all ability to retain my consciousness and dropped dead.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 32.5 - A Commander’s Duty – Kai Lodos[1]

    Kai Lodos climbed the one and only path along the Radoa mountain range. Saruman''s troops, who had been entrusted with guarding the resupplying forces, followed behind.


    Currently, they were surrounded by steep cliffs on both sides and could at most fit seven or eight soldiers in a line.


    And so, the kingdom''s expeditionary force marched up this long, winding road.


    "What am I doing......"


    Kai was never meant to be a soldier. He had only entered the army in order to send enough money back to his grandparents.


    In fact, he had dreamed of growing up into a chef that could give his grandparents a happy life.


    "Hey, stop daydreaming and move your feet!!"


    One of Martha''s aides on horseback kicked Kai who promptly copsed onto the floor. He was bound at the wrists and so couldn''t brace his fall and mmed face first into the ground.


    "I hope you understand that you''re a filthy traitor! A public execution awaits you when we return."


    Kai knew. He knew that this was a crazy army that punished anymoners who dared to say anything cowardly. Kai would definitely be punished.


    The Amrzs Kingdom was a little better seven years ago. It was, at least, good enough that he could have a dream. The incident that most clearly led to its shift was when that man who called himself a hero was summoned from another world.


    No, maybe not. The hero had only weaved together the kingdom''s will.


    In the end, the madness had already been spreading throughout the Amrzs Kingdom throughout the start.


    These past ten years, smallpox ravaged the kingdom and produced countless deaths, drastically lowering productivity and causing widespread poverty. In addition, the outrageous response of the kingdom''s nobles brought forth a whirlpool of intense hatred and unease.


    The kingdom''s government directed their citizen''s dissatisfaction outwards.


    While they managed to obtain wealth and manpower and avoid starvation and dissatisfaction, discrimination over one''s status began to form.


    "Hurry up and stand!" Martha demanded as he repeatedly beat his subordinates with the scabbard of his sword.


    Kai tried to stand up, but halfway through noticed something move above the cliffs to the right. A fierce chill ran down his spine. "I''ve got a bad feeling about this. Retreat this instant!"


    "Huh!? You''re still going on about that crap---" Martha yelled, but the cliff above his head broke off with a rumble and began to fall.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    Kai opened his eyes to absolute hell.


    Left and right, soldiers werepletely squashed by a giant boulder and crying out in pain.


    The kingdom''s forces had formed such an incredibly long line, but they were all annihted as if a giant had trampled over them.


    "Ugh......"


    Martha had fallen off his horse and, while trembling and with a pale face, copsed to the floor in tears.


    He seemed fine. Looks like they both had the luck of the devil.


    "Cut this!" Kai demanded as he put forth his bound arms.


    "B-but---"


    "Hurry!"


    Martha shrunk away and pulled out his dagger, cutting through Kai''s restraints.


    "Let''s go!"


    "But......where?"


    "We need to find themander for now!"


    Kai wasn''t so happy-go-lucky as to think rocks would just fall on them with this timing. It was definitely to the enemy''s n.


    And if Kai were in their ce, he''d be sure to clean everything up; arge Radol force was surely soon toe.


    "What about my men?" cried Martha as he clung to Kai.


    It looked like he had a deep camaraderie, but those feelings would only get in the way now.


    "They all died. Now hurry up and get a move on if you don''t want their deaths to be in vain!"


    The kingdom''s forces had suffered an overwhelming defeat. The only thing left was to figure out how to convey their surrender.


    The fastest way would be to have theirmander, Wimp, signal their surrender, but one of the most basic principles of winning a war was to eliminate the enemymander. The enemy was probably already on their way to kill Wimp; there was almost no chance he would survive.


    Martha kept trembling on the ground, refusing to stand up, so Kai grabbed him by the cor and forced him up.


    "Listen up, alright!! We are themanders now. That means we have the power to end this cruel and fruitless war! If we don''t move, then we will have been massacred for nothing. And that we includes us as well."


    The enemy had used such a fiendish n, so there was no use expecting a guilty conscience from them.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Kai heard several more explosions from the top of the mountain.


    Their escape route was blocked by a giant boulder, so they''d be killed even if they tried to run away. In that case, he''d struggle with everything he had.


    "Let''s go!"


    Kai threw Martha onto the ground and headed towards the sound.


    "Officer Kai!" said one of the surviving soldiers as he rushed towards Kai. They all were filled with despair.


    "Listen up! We''re going to throw down our weapons and raise up the white g! They probably won''t kill us if we do that."


    This was a lie; there was about a 50/50 chance they would be killed.


    However, the only way to ovee this pit of death would be to rely on the Radol''s mercy.


    "Are you sure? Themander hasn''t permitted this, and if the kingdom were to hear about---" asked Martha with a dying voice.


    "Have you looked around?" replied Kai. "We can''t run away anymore, so our best option is to be the Radol''s prisoners of war. The two of us will never be able to return afterwards, so there''s no point in thinking about that anymore."


    "But....... that''s just---"


    "That''s themander''s duty."


    Martha cradled his head as he cowered and began to cry.


    It had been about a year and a half since Martha had enlisted into the army. It was unfair to pin all the responsibility onto a soldier who was effectively a greenhorn.


    Kai let out a sigh. "Martha Saruman-dono, you are the highest rank here, so you retain the right ofmand."


    Martha shook his tear-stained face back and forth. "N-nooo......"


    "I know, so please transfer that to me."


    "......"


    Martha silently nodded over and over.


    "Now I''m themander of the kingdom''s expeditionary force. Now, as themander I hereby order the following. Martha Saruman-dono, you have shirked your responsibilities on the battlefield---an inexcusable act. Thus, I temporarily strip you of your status. You will be taken in as a prisoner of war as a normal soldier!"


    Martha would live on if his luck were good.


    "Geez. So this is what we get when we send these wishy-washy greenhorns into battle......"


    Kai used a nearby spear to rip off a part of a white coat, fastened it onto the tip, and ran towards the gunshots.


    Kai arrived at the battlefield. No, it wasn''t a battlefield, but an execution ground.


    The Radol soldiers held a thin pole between their hands that spit out fire with a thunderous boom. In the next instant, one of hisrades would fall to the floor.


    While several were wounded, they formed a ring around the Radols and pointed their swords forward. Themanding knight, touted for his bravery, was there too.


    "Stop!" Kai shouted in vain.


    "You demons!!" shouted themanding knight. He raised his sword up and rushed forward, his face as red as a pomegranate.


    "Eeek!!" yelled the soldiers, the bodiespletely locked up in ce. Some were crouched on the floor, and some were even crawling.


    Kai headed towards the soldiers who had lost their will in the face of the Radol''s metal poles. He took in a deep breath and raised the white g.


    "I am themander of the expeditionary force, Kai Lodos. We give you our unconditional surrender. Everyone throw down your weapons and surrender!" Kai shouted.


    Considering what the kingdom had done to the Radols thus far, there was no guarantee they''d even listen.


    In short, this was a gamble. But the odds didn''t look too bad judging by the enemy''s tactics.


    Not only had they manipted the information and blocked off the kingdom''s forces from retreating, but they had also confined the forces into a narrow road. Then, they dropped boulders from above, andmenced a search-and-destroy soon afterwards.


    The n made good use out of the natural terrain to encircle the kingdom''s forces and was quite by-the-book as far as tactics went. Kai had no idea how they had caused the boulders to fall, but other than that it was a n anybody could havee up with.


    However, they had taken this collection of ordinary tactics and refined it to the point that you could call it an art of war. This thought process that embodied the very definition of efficiency was the real reason the enemy was so frightening.


    These types of ns would be impossible for the kingdom''s forces, which were rife with chaos; you''d need absolute control over your forces in order to pull something like this off.


    In addition, there''d be no small number of casualties during the cleanup. Any strategist would want to avoid that, especially when the enemy hadid down their weapons and unconditionally surrendered.


    With Kai''s orders now as an excuse, the soldiers threw down their weapons one by one and raised their hands into the air.


    The enemy attack immediately stopped, just as he had presumed, although those mysterious weapons were still pointed his way.


    "How dare amoner act as he pleases!!" yelled a plump officer from the middle of the ring.


    Only themoner foot soldiers received military education when they joined the army. Officers with noble origins like Martha weren''t even taught about resolve, the most important aspect of a soldier, and rose the ranks.


    And so, after dozens of years, an innumerous number of ipetentmanders who couldn''t even grasp the situation on the battlefield were born.


    "What are you doing! There''s savages right there! Hurry up and cut them down!"


    Nobody moved an inch and only trembled.


    Depending on how the enemy felt, they could all be killed. If theirmanding officer could understand even the slightest bit of this situation, he wouldn''t say such a thing.


    "I see. So you won''t listen to your superior''s orders. That''s how it is."


    Damn, the mood''s shifted.


    "Stop---" Kai began, but before he could finish, the officer sent one of his soldier''s heads flying.


    The soldiers shrieked at the sight of the spurting blood and took refuge behind Kai.


    "Do you know what you''ve just done," Kai growled.


    Themanding officer paid Kai no heed and began his incantation.


    It looked like this was it. Kai was done dealing with any more of this ipetent meddling, even if he had to kill a high-rank officer. He would no longer be able to step back in his kingdom''snd.


    If Kai did nothing, 7000 soldiers would have died for nothing. He wanted to avoid that at all costs.


    He gripped the hilt of his sword and began to kick off the ground when a burst of wind flew past his left nk.


    "Khu?"


    An arrow ced itself deep inside the officer''s skull just between the eyebrows. Then, he copsed onto the floor.


    "I-I am Martha Saruman, a Senior Commanding Officer. As Commander Wimp has perished in battle, I retain the right tomand. Just earlier, I transferred all rights to Kai Lodos. So listen up, listen to Kai and surrender!"


    Many sighed in relief, and some burst into tears.


    But it was still too early to celebrate; there''s no guarantee the enemy would ept the kingdom''s forces.


    If the Radols continued their attack, Kai would need to make sure as many people could escape.


    "Kai......I killed him," Martha said with a pale face as his arm trembled.


    "No, you did well. The sounds are dying down." Kai could tell the explosions in the distance were quieting down. At the very least, he had postponed theirplete destruction.


    It felt like an eternity. Sweat stained his undergarments, perhaps because of the intense pressure.


    A young man with strangely cropped hair and sideburns showed up and said, "We ept your unconditional surrender and will pause our attack for 30 minutes. During that time, I''d like you to inform all your soldiers as such."


    "I understand."


    Martha nodded from beside Kai, who then set off with a white g in hand.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The remaining prisoners of war were ordered into a giant stone building. Inside was a room with the very minimum amount of supplies necessary for daily life. This was probably some sort of training facility.


    "You were right, Kai. I know my foolishness can''t be forgiven but let me apologize. I''m truly sorry."


    Martha bowed down.


    "Well, it was our fault that the situation had gotten so bad in the first ce."


    Sending out a newbie Senior Commanding Officer out into the frontlines was solely for educational purposes. Kai and his soldiers held plenty of fault for letting the situation deteriorate to the point where sending him out was already useless.


    "......What''ll happen to us now?" asked Martha.


    "Who knows. The man who nned these strategies is frighteningly calm. He wouldn''t take us as prisoners of war just to treat us this coldly. There''s still hope left."


    That said, that hope was very faint, as the kingdom had done so many things to the Radols.


    "Whatever happens, happens."


    Martha plopped down on the futon that had been provided and covered himself with a nket. Kai could tell that he was shivering and crying underneath.


    Was it because of his grief over the deaths of his men and hisrades, or was it because of his despair over his bleak future?


    Either way, this youngster nned to keep moving forward. As his elder, Kai couldn''t afford to put on an unsightly face.


    So he dered, "It''s alright. Everything will work out."


    [1] Usually I trante these side stories in first person, but I tried doing this one in third. The raws are written in third person but sometimes it''s really difficult to make it sound natural so I just throw caution to the wind and make everything first person.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 33 - Cremation

    Kurama spread the news throughout Fort Silke. The kingdom''s forces had been wiped out.


    The Radols had 64 who suffered heavy wounds, 256 who suffered light wounds, and 0 deaths.


    On the other hand, the kingdom''s forces had 6,321 deaths.


    Though the enemy had lost their will to fight, they were still desperate during the cleanup battle. If theirmander were in good health, he could rearrange his forces and strike back with more power than we were anticipating. That''s why I prioritized killing themanding officer with a mushroom cut.


    With the brains of the operation down, the rest of the kingdom''s forces quickly broke down to mere targets for firing practice, but Kai Lodos, an officer who immediately tookmand after Commander Wimp, unconditionally surrendered and the battle ended with the Radols'' overwhelming victory. And so we took in 628 kingdom soldiers, some of whom were heavily injured, as prisoners of war.


    You could say the reason our casualties were so low was because the kingdom''s forces had so quickly surrendered.


    I had entrusted the cleanup operation to Theo and ordered him to only report back if something extremely unusual urred. That''s why not I, but Theo, a Radol, had made the final decision to take the enemy in as prisoners of war.


    Attacking someone who has surrendered might seem simple at first, but it wasn''t that easy. A cornered rat will bite a cat, was it? As the battlefield was littered with boulders, unexpected casualties might spring up. The best way to keep our casualties at a minimum was to ept their surrender.


    However, people didn''t always choose what was beneficial to them; they might do the something stupid out of hatred or fear. Above all, it wouldn''t have been strange for the Radols to just murder everyone given what the kingdom has done.


    That''s why I think Theo''s calm decision to ept their surrender was an excellent one.


    There were still plenty of points regarding necessities like food for the prisoners of war, but I would handle that from the shadows. I could just wrap it up after the fact by saying that we seized it all from Fort Arkroy.


    In any event, we were currently holding a memorial service for the deceased.


    The 6021 kingdom soldiers were lined up in front of me.


    "A moment of silence!" shouted Theo. Everyone ced their left hand over their chest and closed their eyes. This was probably how the Radols mourned their dead.


    The people of this world mainly buried their dead, but doing so required manpower andnd, neither of which the Radols had a lot to spare right now.


    That''s why they opted for cremation this time.


    "I guess it''s starting......" I murmured and marked the bodies with Analyze Environment. Then, I poured my magic power into the corpses.


    If I guessed correctly, this would produce a certain something.


    And like I thought, crackling sounds began to echo about.


    "It''s a sess."


    I grabbed the red crystal that had fallen on top of the blondemander''s chest.


    This was a magic stone. Adding a certain amount of magic power into any corpse would produce one. I discovered such when Sylphy had handed me ten magic stones before we had headed out on this journey.


    Apparently, the Ancient Dragon was constantly in a cycle of losing its body and reincarnating, and the seven blue magic stones were fragments of the soul during reincarnation. Maybe this mechanism applies not just to Sylphy, but to all intelligent species in this world? Once that question popped into my head, I tested it out on the corpses of the kingdom soldiers in Camelot to find magic crystals had popped out.


    When Sylphy dies, her flesh begins to dissolve and reconstruct arge part of her soul. This all urs on its own for her, but we humans can only do it through being reborn. After our soul is reincarnated, adding a bit of magic power will turn the remaining soul left in the body to a magic stone.


    It''s still uncertain why monsters possess a magic stone in their bodies, but it definitely has something to do with reincarnation.


    I stored all the magic stones into my Item Box.


    "It''s truly nauseating."


    They''re fiendish, even by my standards. This line of work will definitely send them to hell.


    Still, it''s much toote to be thinking that now. Yes, their one-way fate has already been cast. Their regrets won''t be forgiven, and I don''t n to.


    I raised my hand and quietly and slowly began my incantation.


    "---Sleep --- "me Rondo" --- cremation"


    It''s an improvised spell that raises the area around it to the hottest I can make it. All it does is burn. Its sole use is for cremation.


    The mes burned the soldiers down to ash.


    I turned my back to the ash and set off.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "It''s our victory!!" cried Calogero, the man with undercut hair, from atop the fort walls. Soon, Fort Silke was engulfed in cheers.


    "Lord-dono, the time to attack Fort Arkroy hase," said Theo amidst the rumble of cheers. He squinted his eyes, prepared for the harsh attack we would soon need to do.


    "I''m sure you know, but this is the real deal now."


    Everything that''s happened up until now was a result of the enemy misunderstanding our true strength.


    Fort Arkroy still had over 1000 soldiers, while we had suffered many wounds. Fatigue was also building up, so we could realistically only gather around 400 people. We needed to capture the fort before its supervisor called for reinforcements.


    Once called, arge force would surelye marching into thesends, now with their prestige on the line. The soldiers would be on an entirely different level to the ones in Arkroy. The Radols were still severelycking in manpower to go into a head-on fight with the kingdom''s forces.


    At worst I''d need to step in, but there were still many powerful unknowns out in the world like that monocled monster. cing too much trust in my own abilities wouldnd me in a situation of all pain and no gain.


    That''s right. It''s like a card game where the first person to y one of their cards is at a disadvantage. It''d be much better to move after seeing what your opponent ys.


    "Yeah, of course," replied Theo. "Like you had ordered, we''ve pinned down the end of their supply lines. Now we can attack at any time."


    "I see. Then let''s go with tonight like we had nned."


    Well, the operation is embarrassingly by-the-book and simple.


    Theo nodded and headed back into the fray of celebrating soldiers. He sucked air into his lungs and boomed, "Everyone, silence!!"


    After a few seconds, everyone looked above the castle walls at us, put their heels together, and straightened their backs.


    "Tonight we move to take back our pride. Defeat means the end of us Radols. That''s everyone here. Understand? We can''t lose!"


    Now isn''t that something. The looks on their face did aplete 180.


    "The soldiers remaining in Arkroy are the cream of the crop. Some are mages, so this won''t be like the overwhelming victory we''ve just experienced. Some of us will surely make our way into hell."


    Theo stopped speaking and closed his eyes.


    I understood where he wasing from. The operation''s sess meant an all-out war, and we were up against twice as many soldiers as we had. Despite our firearm advantage, we were sure to suffer many losses. It''s like he''s sending his own brethren off to their deaths.


    Theo opened his eyes and took a deep breath once again. "But don''t fret. Even if you die, we will continue living on. I guarantee it. Why? Because we have the Wise Mountain King!!"


    He turned back towards me and straightened his posture.


    "Salute to our lord!!"


    Everyone, from those without injuries to even those who needed treatment, stood up and raised their arms.


    Their fiery will pierced through me. What an interesting bunch.


    "I expect you all to fight well," I said.


    And with an ear-shatteringly loud roar, our operation to take over Fort Arkroy began.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 34 - An Angry Report

    "The suppression force ate a counter-attack from those savages!? The hell is Wimp doing!!" screamed General Bull[1] Hound. His cheek ckened and pped about as he raged on, but the soldiers could only shrug and pull their chins in.


    He was the dauntless general that represented The Amrzs Kingdom and had several acts of valor under his belt. Many in the army idolized him, as he started out as a mere adjutant and worked his way up to lead his own forces.


    Recently, however, he''s had a track record of killing all enemy citizens, including the women and children. He casually uses his subordinates like they''re disposable, and now his utterly cruel personality is the only thing that stands out. Nowadays, he inspires not trust, but fear into his subordinates.


    "Wimp-dono is currently engaged in battle with the savages amidst the top of the mountain......apparently," said Bull''s adjutant, Zap, after a slight hesitation.


    "Apparently? Why aren''t you sure!?"


    "Well...... The information is based on what little we could get from the transport squad......" Zap replied as he trailed off.


    Bull looked on in anger. "Give me an actual answer!!"


    "Yes sir! The officer of the transport squad has received a message from Wimp-dono''s subordinate, Kai."


    The moment they heard the name Kai, the generals began amotion. Kai was an exceptionally talented officer ofmoner origins, often known as Wimp''s brains. There''d be no way it was a meaningless message, at the very least. There must have been some grave ident on the battlefield.


    "So is the message a secret letter or what? If you''ve had something like that on hand then hurry and read it!" said General Bull, repeatedly tapping on the table in irritation.


    "Yes sir!" One of his adjutants hurriedly stood beside him and opened the scroll.


    "''Currently, we are engaged in battle with the savages. While our forces are superior, the enemy has several Materials in their possession and have begun their own offensive. We have suppressed a part of the enemy''s stronghold and acquired several Materials which we have sent back with the supply squad. Please conduct further analysis within the fort.


    Additionally, the savages'' fierce counterattack has set eighty percent of our food reserves into mes and all forces have lost their supply lines. Tracking down the savages is expected to take some time so I''ve sent about half of the supply squad back to bring food and water as quickly as possible.'' is what it says."


    "......"


    Silence dominated the room for a while before it broke out into a tumultuous whirlpool.


    "Is it even possible for mere savages to have several Materials? That sounds too convenient. Is it not a trap?" said an older general as he wiped the sweat off his brow.


    Materials were relics of the past and was the generic name given to the weapons left behind by non-humans. It was said that digging up a single one would shake the power bnce of the world. They could only take the report of the enemy having several of these as a joke.


    "No, just look at Camelot. There''s a bit of truth there, don''t you think?" asked a young general. Commotion once again ran through the room.


    "Several Materials......If that''s true, we need to get our hands on them no matter the sacrifices."


    Only hostility lived between the empire and the Radols. There''s no way the empire had handed the Radols several of these dangerous weapons---the empire is most likely in the dark. If these materials were to fall into empire hands, The Amrzs Kingdom would soon face a huge crisis.


    "So? Are these Materials the real deal?" asked General Bull.


    Everyone pitched forward in anticipation. This was the most important part. With how precious Materials are, there''s no way it''d be used haphazardly. If it were real, then there''s very little chance it''s a trap.


    "ording to the reports of the soldiers of the second gate, its range is dozens of times farther than a bow and it has enough power to st through even armor. It''s certainly past the realm of something we can make with our current technology," reported Bull''s adjutant.


    "How long will it take to inspect them?"


    "All the soldiers of the second gate are currently out, so we''re short on hands. It''ll take at least half a day at best. In addition......" The adjutant paused. The room fell into yet another silence, the adjutant''s worries having been transmitted to everyone. The inspection would take time; that in and of itself wasn''t a problem. The problemy with the soldiers of the second gate.


    These soldiers were a collection of men sent from provinces that The Amrzs Kingdom had recently upied and begun ruling. In short, there was a huge problem of trust.


    Having the soldiers of the first gate inspect it instead would cause needless friction. Most importantly, he didn''t want these Materials toe into public view, as they could be a source of rebellion.


    This was an impossibly difficult decision to make.


    Bull gazed up at the sky for a while before pping the table.


    "We will conduct the inspection ourselves. Let the supply squad into the first gate ASAP. If our investigations prove the Materials are the real deal then I''d be happy to send food and water their way," he proimed, his face distorting with greed.


    [1] Once we get thest name the proper spelling of his first bes obvious... Was Blu before.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 35 - Operation Trojan Horse

    "Can we really trust this?" asked Theo.


    If the former kingdom soldier, Tosh, decides to betray us, the n will fall apart and we''ll be wiped out. Everyone here was most likely thinking the same thing.


    "Probably."


    "Probably? Lord-dono......" Theo sighed in exasperation.


    "No way around it. Logically speaking, his circumstances aren''t that different than yours, and now that he''s separated from the kingdom it''s not like he''ll go back. There''s little reason he''d betray us. Still......" I trailed off.


    "You can''t tell what he''s really thinking?"


    "Exactly. To him I''m an imperial citizen who has spread the empire''s oppressive rule. There''s plenty of space to doubt."


    "I can''t agree with you there, but we''re going to capture Fort Arkroy. We can''t avoid danger."


    Theo shook his head several times, his hesitation all but gone now. Seems like he''s made up his mind.


    "Besides, we only created this n because of him. He''s necessary for this operation."


    I had interviewed Tosh and asked him about his future ns, wishes, and any insider information on the kingdom''s forces.


    After organizing all the information, I had exined the gist of the operation and asked for his cooperation.


    There''d bepensation, of course. I had promised him I''d allow him to join in on the Radol''s new project when hepleted his role.


    Participation into this new project was something he greatly desired.


    People won''t betray as long as they have something to gain---it''s a universalw. That''s why we can trust him.


    "That''s right, we can trust Tosh-san. He braved the risks to share supplies with us when they were upying Camelot," added a white-haired girl, nodding to herself. Her head was peeking out of a nearby barrel.


    "And why are you here, Lucia?"


    I had known long before that she had wormed her way in here, but I figured I''d at least ask her once.


    "U-um, you see. You know, even Grey needs a bodyguard, right?"


    "Not necessary," I replied.


    "Yes. It''s not necessary," added Theo.


    Lucia pouted and ducked back inside the barrel.


    I tolerated her following along because it was a lot better keeping her in sight that having her go and do something self-righteous. It was like a tacit understanding between us all.


    Suddenly, the carriage lurched to a stop. I nced outside through the curtains to see a stone wall in the distance that stood several meters high.


    "Looks like we''ve arrived," I said.


    Theo and the rest tensed up and took their designated positions.


    Predictably, Lucia hid herself deeper into the barrel.


    The carriage started forward beforeing to a stop once again. I kicked Analyze Environment into action and scanned our surroundings.


    In front of us was a wall ten meters tall, surrounded by a deep moat. It was a sturdy fortress---Fort Arkroy.


    ording to Tosh, Fort Arkroy was separated into the first set of castle walls where the kingdom''s executives were and the supplies were stored and the second set of castle walls that surrounded the first.


    Tosh, the young man with blue hair parted to one side, stood in front of the suspended bridge by the moat. Tosh then exited the carriage, whispered something to the gatekeeper, and handed him a letter.


    The gatekeeper hurriedly waved a white and red stick. Then, the bridge lowered and the gates opened.


    All ording to n.


    The division within Fort Arkroy''s second castle walls was like a disposable piece---they wouldn''t mind too much if it were captured by the enemy. The first castle walls which towered above would easily repel any enemy that made it that far.


    All their supplies were within the first castle walls too, so a siege didn''t pose that much of a threat. The kingdom''s executives treated the division within the second castle walls as basically no different than outsiders.


    And so, we smoothly infiltrated the division within the second castle walls.


    Still, the question remained. Would our disguise as a supply squad allow us to pass through the first castle wall?


    We had four things to consider.


    First, Arkroy''s general, Bull Hound, was on bad terms with General Ete Uco, and their soldiers very rarely mingled.


    Second, a portion of the soldiers were not true kingdom soldiers, but soldiers from other countries that had been invaded. They had various skin and hair colors, making them difficult to distinguish from Radols. Those soldiers were often assigned to front-line squads that usually sustained heavy losses as well as to weak supply squads.


    Third, distrust ran rampant between soldiers of the first division and the second, so the executives aren''t aware of everyst second division soldier.


    Fourth, Tosh was originally from a supply squad in the second division. However, Tosh was reassigned by General Ete after thetter had captured Camelot.


    If we could make use of at least three of these, the Arkroy executives would move as we expected.


    "It''s been a while, Tosh," said a girl with short ck hair. She ced her hand over her chest and gave him a kingdom-style salute.


    "It has been, Captain Rose." Tosh follows her lead and ces his hand over his chest.


    "I heard Camelot has been destroyed. I thought you had died for sure. I''m d you''re still here."


    "T-thank you very much!"


    "And the others?" She nced back at the armored Radols and bit her lip.


    "Yes. After the Radols attacked us, we escaped back to Camelot and were wandering about in the mountains before Wimp''s strategist, Kai-sama, picked us up. We regrouped with their supply squad and were on standby from afar, but the Radol soldiers burned up our food and water supplies. Then---" Tosh mmed up.


    The ck-haired woman lightly tapped his shoulder.


    "I see. Kai......He understands the situation. You don''t have to say any more. It was a cmity."


    Tosh looked down as tears began to spill out. Soldiers began to gather around and give encouraging words.


    Tosh is quite the actor. Wait, is he actually crying?


    "We......"


    "I got it. We won''t tell that shitty general that you escaped from Camelot. He''ll probably condemn you all to death and pin the me on us second division soldiers. Now then, what about those Materials?"


    Tosh handed over a gun loaded with only four bullets. "These are from Kai-sama. There are more in the back."


    She briefly eyed the stuffed carriages covered in cloth and grimaced.


    We nted tons of iplete products like the gun inside. This carriage itself had 200 of them. Inspecting them all would take forever. A grimace or two was only natural as they would need several all-nighters.


    After a few minutes, a needlessly shy officer appeared out of an estate near the first castle walls with his attendants in tow.


    Tosh had said that officer was one of the few soldiers of the actual army that lived within the second division. He monitored the soldiers to make sure nobody got up to any funny business. Not doing too hot right now, though.


    He fearfully reached out towards the gun and fired several shots towards the armor before paling in the face and rushing into the first division.


    After a painfully long hour had passed, the giant doors of the first gate opened.


    When the inhabitants of this world have witness something inexplicable, they tend to either dub it as magic or a material. The former is a manifestation of talent, while thetter is an item dug out of a ruin. Both are unwieldy for humans, so they give their all to obtain it but don''t think twice about trying to reproduce it with their own powers.


    With that being the case, they didn''t want the second division soldiers who were basically outsiders to touch this impossible to replicate Material. Truly foolish, but they were likely to usher us into the first division without inspecting it. I banked on that possibility.


    And we won the gamble.


    The iron door slowly slid open and we entered the first division.


    The carriage I was on slipped past the castle walls, and the rest of the carriages soon followed after. Once thest slipped in, the iron door slowly slid to a close.


    They were locked in now. It wouldn''t be easy to escape from here. This was their prison. No, it was their coffin.


    It was almost time.


    The final carriage''s horse suddenly broke off from the line and dashed away. At the same time, several shadows exited the carriages.


    One soldier knit his eyebrows and approached the now-stationary horse-less carriage. "Hey, what are you doing!"


    Boooom!


    The moment the soldier tried to enter the carriage a pir of fire erupted from inside that produced fierce winds all around.


    The carriage burned up, soldier and all, and I leisurely exited the carriage and looked up.


    "Now, everyone. The war begins. Let''s give it our all and spare no mercy as we ughter our enemies fair and square!!"


    All squads responded immediately. "Yes sir!!"


    A heaven-shattering roar echoed through the first division and the battle to capture Arkroy began.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 36 - Capturing Fort Arkroy

    The Radol forces consisted of a squad of 200 marksmen, a squad of 32 magic swordsmen, a squad of 100 explosive archers, and a squad of 30 artillery men, totaling up to 362 in total.


    On the other hand, there were over 900 first division soldiers; almost three times as many, and we had to make sure no civilians were injured.


    We had a tough battleing up.


    A file of about fifty soldiers were marching down the center street that ran east to west through Arkroy.


    "Take your positions!"


    The Radolmander raised his right hand and twenty marksmen aimed their sights down at the still-advancing soldiers.


    "The enemy are few in number! Let''s overrun them with numbers!"


    A bearded middle-aged officer pointed his sword at the Radol''s guns and his soldiers raised their longswords into position.


    "Chargee!!"


    "Ooooooohhhhh!!"


    The soldiers charged forward with a battle cry.


    Gunshots rang out one after another sending out sparks of fire beneath the light of the buildingmps.


    Some soldiers took a bullet straight to the face and their head exploded like a crushed tomato. Others took a hit to the stomach and fell to the ground in pain. It was a macabre scene all around.


    "T-they died?"


    The kingdom soldiers let out a shriek and ground to a halt.


    "Second round, fire!!"


    Another round of gunshots sounded in the air along with this mysterious order. The soldiers became increasingly agitated at the sight of theirrades copsing like ragdolls.


    In an instant, over half their numbers were beyond recovery.


    "Magic swordsman squad, charge!"


    The knights who had d themselves with body-strengthening magic kicked off the ground and zipped into the fray, slicing off head after head.


    "Fall back soldiers!"


    A group of rugged men in iron armor equipped with pikes, longswords, and battleaxes walked forward to switch with the soldiers.


    They were wearing the same armor as the ones who had upied Camelot. While their movement is severely restricted, their armor was much tougher than a normal set. Magic and guns would probably be ineffective. I see. Even if you''re slow, you can trample over your opponents as long as they can''t hurt you. Seems like it''s an anti-mage squad.


    Then I''ll just have to y one of my cards.


    I looked over to Calogero who nodded and raised his gun into the air.


    A squad of artillery men nervously stepped forward with a smalluncher on their shoulders pointed at the group of armored soldiers.


    Theunchers were equipped with armor piercing rounds, bullets created with remarkably high pration power known as the Munroe Neumann effect.


    And that power went straight into---


    "Fire!"


    The shells wereunched into the air at frightening speeds creating a firework-sounding explosion, instantlyunching the armored soldiers into the air.


    Smoke rose from every which way and pieces of bodies began piling up.


    "O-our heavily armored squad......"


    "Impossible......"


    "Ah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!"


    The heavily armored squad, known for its high capabilities was now effectively wiped out. This was the moment the kingdom''s soldiers lost their spirit.


    Then, in the face of the retreating kingdom soldiers, the Radols began their operation in full.


    The explosions echoed into the night and soldiers and archers continued to fall left and right.


    ---Some died immediately as the shells went straight through their armor and their hearts.


    ---Some writhed on the ground in pain as their femurs had been shot through.


    ---However, some ran away in fear.


    Looking onto this quite literally scene of hell, I unconsciously bit my lip.


    "To think it would be this one sided......"


    Calogero''s squad of marksmen formed a line of about ten people and were ripping through the kingdom soldiers.


    The archers had also fastened dynamite onto their arrows and were creating squad-sized explosions left and right. The only thing we could hear were the intermittent explosions and the death throes of the kingdom soldiers.


    All of the kingdom soldiers, from the ones who charged at us with swords to the archers atop the buildings were now mere corpses. They were all like sheep to the ughter.


    Tears formed at the edges of Lucia''s eyes. "Grey, this isn''t what war is supposed to be."


    I nodded. "Yeah, I know. This is just a ughterhouse."


    I might havee to a misunderstanding. Rather, I had overwhelming underestimated a gun''s power.


    Each cannon shot brought certain death and stopped the soldiers in their tracks. Someone always died with each explosive boom, a fact that shaved away at people''s will to stand up and fight.


    Soldiers that have lost their will are just firing targets. The scene was just like one of the western powers who had modernized more quickly than the rest overrunning other countries.


    "Then let''s stop doing this," Lucia said in tears.


    I turned away but mercilessly replied, "I can''t."


    "Why!!?"


    "Lucia, this is war, no matter what anyone says."


    This time, the kingdom had invaded the Radols, stolen their food, and forced 30,000 civilians into starvation. At worst, the Radols might have evenpletely died out. Letting them off easily after that would be an affront to the other countries.


    Now, humanity had acquired firearms, though in an irregr way. It would soon spread through the world no matter how we tried to conceal it, leading us towards a world war. That would be an insanity this world has yet to evene close to.


    And this kingdom was the one to have started it all. That meant this battle was for a tiny territory in the empire to prove itself to the kingdom, no, to the world. The dice have already been cast, so we can''t back down anymore.


    If there were one way to stop this, it would be for the rulers responsible to unconditionally surrender, but they''ve yet to even show their faces.


    "I can''t ept that!" Lucia cried asrge teardrops poured out.


    "Then burn this sight in your memory." I bit my lip. "This is war."


    The enemy had their own families, friends, and lovers. We had trampled all over that. No matter what pretty formalities you tried to hide behind, you could never erase that truth.


    "......"


    Lucia bit into her lip until blood began pooling out and looked off into the distance. I gave her a sidelong nce and headed off.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    It was an overwhelming victory. We reduced the enemy into a pile of corpses in just an hour and had gained control of a majority of Arkroy''s first division.


    "Grey-sama, I took them in as prisoners of war," reported Calogero. He nced at the group of frightened soldiers, trembling as several muskets were pointed at them.


    "Got it. Good work. Make sure they''re firmly tied up and lock them up with the civilians. Please be gentle."


    It''d be idiotic to have other countries start criticizing us. I strictly ordered them to noty a hand on any and all civilians.


    We could have prevented any further sacrifices if the soldiers and officers had unconditionally surrendered, but they unfortunately refused and now only about forty percent remained as prisoners of war.


    I had already nned to take a certain number of them as prisoners of war. I''d turn them into spokesmen that spread the Radol''s fearsomeness around the world. That was why I was hesitant around these soldiers.


    "Lord-dono, the only one left is the central estate."


    After checking it out with Analyze Environment, I found fifteen people. I, Theo, and the magic knight squad would be more than enough.


    "Got it. Let''s see, half of you guyse with me. After you gather up the prisoners of war, Calogero, have Lucia stand by in the second division."


    "Yes sir!"


    After a salute, Calogero tried to grab Lucia''s wrist but she shook him away.


    Much to my chagrin, she said with a pale face, "I''ll follow Grey and onii-sama."


    "Lucia, this isn''t ytime!"


    Lucia simply shook her head and gripped her fists. "I know! But I need to see this through!"


    "We''re out of time. Let''s go."


    I''m sure Lucia knows how dangerous it''ll be and persuading any idiot that''s gotten this far would be an exercise in futility.


    I set off with Lucia silently following behind. Theo, after a sigh, soon followed after.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 37 - Unpleasantly Turning the Tables

    The central estate was a five-story brick ptial residence.


    Trees were spaced out in regr intervals, and it had a well-tended garden of flowers. The building''s geometrically pattern must have taken a skilled craftsman.


    I opened the door and stepped inside.


    "!?"


    The unpleasant feeling of being underwater assaulted my skin.


    I immediately turned around.


    "Guys, watch ou---" I tried to warn but the door that should have been there had vanished. The only ones left were Theo who was in front of me and Lucia who was beside me.


    "What happened, Lord-dono?" Theo asked as he looked around in surprise.


    "Looks like it''s turned into the worst-case scenario."


    Yes, my worst fears hade to life.


    Lucia clung to me in distress. "Where''d everyone go!?"


    "Probably outside of this area. You probably don''t have to worry about them; we''re the ones in trouble."


    I looked around the room.


    The estate was wide and darker than I would have imagined. There were severalmps, the stone floor as polished as a shiny mirror, and a red carpet with the kingdom''s crest wasid out before us. The various pirs were gorgeously decorated and,bined, led to a deep feeling of unease.


    I scanned around with Analyze Environment just to be safe.


    "Like I thought."


    I can''t analyze outside the estate.


    Moreover---


    "They''reing." Smelling danger, I looked over to the stairs to see several people.


    "Eek!"


    While Lucia let out a small shriek, Theo silently took his stance.


    The man had a muscr build with red skin, bat wings, and two long horns growing atop his head. I couldn''t tell as his face was covered with an iron mask, but he probably had the appearance of a traditional ogre or devil.


    "Lord-dono, what is that?"


    "Probably one of whoever made this stupid barrier''s ythings."


    I could tell just how much it took to make that. It probably needed a giant factory or some experimental facility.


    Theo stepped forward to try to cover us. "Lord-dono, please stand back!"


    "I''ll deal with everything. Theo, I''ll leave Lucia''s protection to you."


    The enemy had stats averaging D and would probably be impossible for Theo.


    Besides, this had been a war between The Amrzs Kingdom and the Radols up until now. That''s why I had kept my hand out of it and worked behind the scenes as much as possible.


    This monster was a different story, however. I wasn''t confident, but these guys probably went against the rules of this world. That meant they were probably the same as me.


    The mastermind controlling Fort Arkroy''s forces most likely tried to turn the tables the moment they saw our attack and realized they were weaker. There was no point in leaving this all to Theo now.


    And since these monsters seem to be made up of something, it''d be a bit harsh to leave it to Theo.


    "But---"


    I waved Theo''s concerns away and looked above the stairs behind the monster.


    The dim light of themp by the stairs lit up an armored man taking a strange pose atop the red carpet.


    "So? Who are you?"


    "Hehe! I am General Bull''s Adjutant, Zap-chan ya knoooo!! Just kidding~" The man looked up in ecstasy, craned his neck towards me, and gave a devilish smile.


    He had tworge horns pointing out of his forehead, sharp fangs that protruded out his mouth which curved up to his ears, and bloodshot eyes. He wasn''t a human, no matter how you looked at it.


    "General Bull''s adjutant......" Theo mumbled as he pondered about something over and over. "I-impossible!!"


    Theo stared at the masked monsters as if lightning had struck before his face warped hideously.


    Looks like he figured it out. He''s got a good intuition. These things don''te easy.


    Lucia fearfully called out. "Onii-sama?" Theo didn''t respond. His entire body trembled as he tried to hold back an uncontainable rage.


    "Let me kill him, Lord-dono! No, I have to!!"


    "...... I understand how you feel, but you''re not strong enough. Protect Lucia."


    I tapped his back and stepped forward.


    "Hehe, you look delicious. You and that white-haired girl, especially. Your soft meat pulls at the heartstrings of a gourmet like myself!"


    He spread his arms wide and took a strange and unnatural pose. Then, he shouted, "This, too, is just a joke~?"


    He unnaturally turned just his face towards me.


    If he was trying to be this creepy then it was in bad taste, but if that''s how he really was then he''s just a in psycho. There''s not much of a difference in the end, though.


    In any case, my patience has just about run out. I''ll stop this poor puppet with my violent emotions.


    "Unpleasant trash."


    I activated Explosive Thread while tapping into my uncontroble rage.


    A red line of light swayed back and forth before instantly exploding.


    Before they knew it, ten of the masked monsters blew into pieces and scattered over the floor.


    "That many......instantly?" Theo wringed out.


    "Hmmmm?" Zap murmured in a daze. His head, arms, and feet had been severed by Explosive Thread and were scattered about.


    "You piece of shit!"


    I spat on the stone floor, drew out a dagger from my waist and slowly ascended the stairs.


    Step after step, I saw Zap recovering like a video were being rewound.


    ---The bones, blood, muscles, and skin of both his arms recovered.


    ---The bones, blood, muscles, and skin of both his legs recovered.


    ---Then began his brain, and the muscles and skin of his head.


    I arrived next to Zap, who was bing the picture of health, and stabbed my dagger into his mouth.


    "Let''s see. I''ll admit one thing."


    He could only yelp.


    "I nned to make this the first modern war and spilled a lot of blood for that," I continued. "Over ten thousand soldiers? If we''re counting family, then I''ve spread misfortune to many more. Who do you think you are---ruining the results I''ve obtained after spilling so much blood?"


    I twisted my dagger. The sound of my physiological repugnance echoed through the room.


    He yelped once again.


    "Are you listening? You''re listening, right? Huh!? You know, I''m actually mad right now."


    Zap twitched like a treefrog that had been crushed underfoot. I then casted the middle-rank spell, Lightning, that d him in lightning.


    "Bubebebebebe!"


    The lightning crackled through his skin and produced the unpleasant odor of burnt meat.


    "Gyoeeeebegugi!"


    In the midst of his screams, Zap tried to pierce my heart with his sharp ws, but I easily obstructed him with countless red threads.


    I bound his entire body with Explosive Threads and raised him into the air.


    "Clean out your ears and listen up. You''re about to go to the other side. No matter how you cry or beg for your life, I''ll only give you the worst despair imaginable."


    Then, I sted his body to pieces with Explosive Threads.


    "Feel......General......Blue......too."


    I looked back in surprise, but Zap''s upper half had already been turned to dust.


    "Shit! How revolting!!"


    Zaps peaceful face when he met his demise irritated me to no end.


    "Lord-dono, were those masked men one of us?" asked Theo. Lucia gulped. This was an irregrity. To put it differently, it was closer to a scandal that my people had perpetrated. How much should I say?


    "Why do you think that?" I asked.


    "The tattoo on their right arm was the symbol for Radol soldiers."


    Theo rolled up his sleeve and pointed to his tattoo of a swaying me. I guess there''s no reason to cover it up any more.


    "You''re right. Zap and the other masked men must have been modified by whoever created this domain."


    Lucia immediately denied my words. "That''s not something a human can do! Something''s wrong with you two!"


    However, the marked despair in her eyes meant that she knew deep down inside.


    "It is."


    "How can you say that!?"


    "Because the undead attack on the empire was also artificially induced. Any unrealistic deed like that is plenty possible for those people."


    "......"


    Lucia quickly paled and she staggered until her body couldn''t keep up anymore and her knees copsed to the floor. She quietly trembled.


    "I''ll fight too!" dered Lucia. She stood up and wiped away her tears after crying her eyes out.


    "Everything after this is my job," I replied. "You guys can just watch."


    "No!"


    "Even if you don''t want to, releasing him is impossible for you two."


    Theo grimaced. "Release...... so returning him to how he was before is impossible?"


    "What do you mean return him back to how he was? He''s already dead."


    The results of Analyze Environment stated, "A man-demon possessed by a natural demon. His soul and body have been change via an unusual power." The effect had permeated even to his soul. There wasn''t any trace of the original person left.


    Besides, even without these analysis results, no human, or any living thing for that matter, would return to dust when destroyed. His corpse had simply returned back to the earth.


    "Then it''s my duty to put my brethren to sleep. I won''t budge on this," said Theo.


    "I agree. I''ll do it too!"


    Theo was one thing, but Lucia still hadn''t understood what I truly meant. She''s just going off her emotions right now.


    "Don''t be spoiled! Your power isn''t enough to even mourn for yourrades. Figure that out already!!" I turned my back towards them after spitting out those cruel words. "That''s why you need to witness all that''s happened. That''s the only way you can help them."


    I began to head to the second floor.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 38 - Escape from Puppetry

    In front of the meeting room on the fourth floor.


    Dozens of masked demons sprung up from somewhere, but I sted them to pieces with a single attack from Explosive Thread and headed upwards.


    Finally, we arrived in front of arge reception hall on the fourth floor. It had a red carpetid out and giant round table in the center of the room.


    A man with heavy cheeks was reclining on one of the seats. He was probably Bull Hound, themander of Amrzs'' north expeditionary force.


    Next to Bull sat a sickly thin man with blue hair. The man had sunken cheeks and dark shadows under his eyes. He gazed at us intently.


    "Phew, it''s just a child---"


    "Shut it."


    I flooded the blue-haired man with red threads from all directions and set them all off the moment they collided with him.


    Bull growled and got on all fours, trying to intimidate me.


    The blue-haired man stood with his hands in his coat pockets next to the round table which was now in pieces. His smile never left.


    "He blocked that?" said Theo with a voice full of unease.


    Well of course he''d be uninjured. He''s making the hairs on my arms stand up. He''s the kind of trash that I''ll need to go all out on.


    There''s something even more important that I need to do right now, however.


    I looked over all Bull, who was staring at me with bloodshot eyes.


    "Come at me. I''ll send you off."


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Bull slowly transformed. Fur began to appear over his body, his ears moved above his head, and his canines lengthened.


    He let out a thunderous roar and kicked off the ground, jumping onto the ceiling. Then, he shot down straight towards me like a bullet and bit into my neck.


    I used Wind Maniption to gather the atmosphere and bound Bull.


    "What I want out of you isn''t that animal form."


    I gathered up the air around Bull, who was floating several centimeters left of my neck, and threw him into the wall.


    He flew back as fast as if he had been hit by a dump truck and mmed into the wall. Slowly, he slid down the wall and growled at me on all fours once again.


    "What a pitiful puppet. Are you a human or a monster right now?


    He''s already been transformed into a monster. There probably wasn''t any use in trying to talk to him. Until I saw Zap''s end, I hadn''t considered any other option besides grinding these demonic puppets to bits and pieces.


    But after seeing Zap''s expression, I just can''t believe he hadmanded the enemy soldiers. It was like he had turned to dust with a peaceful look on his face, convinced that I would surely free Bull as well.


    Really, something was wrong with me. I didn''t want to betray his hopes.


    "As themander of the Radol troops, I devised the ns to kill several thousands of your troops. I even killed your adjutant, Zap-kun. Ete, too, was ughtered at my hands."


    Like I thought, Bull didn''t react in the slightest.


    "How about it? Aren''t you frustrated that yourrades, your rival, and your own men have been killed? Or has that vulgar mummy over there even eaten your resentment?"


    Tosh had said General Bull had his cruel moments but was originally an excellent and brave soldier.


    He wouldn''t forgive the needless deaths of his fellow soldiers.


    "......"


    His face twitched and he lowered his body down before jumping towards me.


    "Still not enough, huh......"


    I grabbed his four limbs via Wind Maniption and threw him into the ceiling.


    He spun in the air, his back mming into the ceiling and causing estate-wide tremors. Lucia let out a small shriek behind me after the estate began to tremble.


    Bull fell to the ground and jumped back to gain some distance. He continued growling but blood streamed down his face.


    "That dog is already one of my products. No matter what you say or do, you can''t, can''t can''t can''t can''t can''t caan''t save him," the blue-haired man proudly announced.


    I know. That''s what I had thought until I saw Zap''s final moments.


    "Think back on everything you''ve done," I said to Bull. "You disrespect all the citizens living in your upied territories and sentenced them to starvation. Then, you abduct them and turn them into these disgusting mummies. That alone is enough to say that you''vemitted the greatest taboo a leader canmit. What''s more, you didn''t properly investigate your enemy and created a mountain of your own people''s corpses. You didn''t even try to contact Ete or his forces in Camelot because of the friction between you two. You let your subordinates die dogs'' deaths."


    Bull wailed in anguish and began scratching and his transformed face.


    His sharp nails pierced through his skin and his blooded poured out, dyeing the red carpet an even deeper red.


    "......"


    The blue-haired man stared at Bull, his smile no longer there.


    "You''re a failure of amander."


    Tears began to pour out of his eyes. He shrieked and finally staggered onto two legs.


    His blood pressure was probably rising. His blood rushed to his face and through his left eye while his right eye was spinning around. I couldn''t believe he was standing in this condition.


    And yet Bull took step after step forward.


    "That''s impossible......" said the blue-haired man in amazement.


    "Take your sword and remember! You are Bull Hound, the general of Amrzs'' north expeditionary force. At least take responsibility with your own hands!"


    He produced a noise akin to a broken radio.


    Then, he robotically reached for the longsword at his waist, grabbed it, and unsheathed it.


    "Burururuuruaaa!!"


    He raised his sword and charged at me. Each progressive step caused blood to rush out of his nose and ears. Cracks formed over his skin and raced over his body. His blood stained the floor, but he never stopped moving.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    Finally, he reached me, but his skin had already dissolved.


    And yet---


    "I am Bull Hound, the general of Amrzs'' north expeditionary force. Thank you!!"


    He shed me a grin before swinging down with all his remaining might.


    I readjusted my grip on my dagger and parried his sword. Then I sliced his head off.


    Bull dissolved into sand before my eyes. I looked down at his remains.


    Theo and Lucia kept silent but continued to re at the blue-haired man in abhorrence. They had probably experienced something simr.


    "Amaazing!! The little doggie came back to his senses!!"


    The blue-haired man spread his arms wide and trembled in ecstasy. I don''t know if it was intentional or just his actual personality, but every single action he took rubbed me in the wrong way.


    "Die."


    I set off all the explosive threads.


    Dozens of red threads that brought death with them collided with the blue-haired man from all directions and exploded.


    "That''s some incredible power. I might have been burned up if we weren''t in this space."


    He squirmed around like a mollusk and took a strange pose.


    So that didn''t work. Every time I''ve tried to analyze his stats there''s been some noise mixed in and I can''t get any clear numbers. But he said, ''I might have been burned up if we weren''t in this space.'' He must have a trick up his sleeve.


    That means I have to destroy this space itself.


    Although the power of Ice Dragon Cetus, Explosive Thread, and Wind Maniption were proportional to the amount of magic power inputted, they were merely high-rank spells. Their destructive power was a far-cry from the legend-rank spells.


    Basically, my win condition was figuring out how to st him with a legend-rank spell.


    "Who are you with?" I asked. "That monocled guy?"


    I didn''t really care but it would serve as a way to kill time.


    I built up a wall around us with Wind Maniption and began to incant a spell after isting the sound.


    "Monocle? Man you really don''t know a thing."


    Seriously, he really gets on my nerves. But he doesn''t seem to be lying. Looks like I really don''t know. For now I can assume it''s not any of my allies.


    "Our lord is asking you who the hell you are! Now answer!"


    Nice, she followed up on the distraction.


    "What a cheerful guinea pig. Well, whatever."


    He collected himself, put his right hand in front and his left hand behind and gave an exaggerated bow.


    "I am Blue Beard of the Hero''s Paradise. Nice to meet ya."


    "Why are you doing these awful things!?" Lucia cried out with tears in her eyes.


    "Awful?"


    Blue Beard tilted his head to the side. Looks like he really doesn''t think that.


    "You turned them all into monsters!!"


    "Ah, you''re talking about the demonification of the natives here."


    After figuring it out, he ced his left fist over his right palm and gave a twisted smile.


    "It''s to create the ultimate demon vessel."


    "Ultimate....... demon vessel?"


    "Yes ma''am. That''s my greatest wish. And at its very essence is a human''s heart!"


    He spread his arms wide and looked towards the ceiling.


    "A human''s heart?" asked Theo with a slight tremor in his voice.


    "A human''s heart isn''t just a code for something, but the best catalyst for manifesting the soul!" he triumphantly exined.


    He then ced his hand over his chin and tedly bounced up and down.


    "The most important factor for creating a tough body fit to be a strong demon vessel is the strength of the human''s mind! And by demonifying these strong-willed people when they have a certain emotion, you obtain a body tough enough to house a strong demon soul!!"


    "......"


    As Blue Beard paced about , drabbling on about his nonsensical delusions, Theo grew more and more enraged. Lucia, too, red at Blue Beard as tears pooled around her eyes.


    He paid them no heed, however, and continued.


    "This little doggie had a high-quality soul, despite being a human from this inferior world. Evoking that certain emotion proved very difficult you see."


    I pretty much understand what he did to General Bull. After that unprincipled shitty fiend that undeadified anything and anything, now we have this psycho who goes around demonifying people. These guys are really marring the image of my world.


    "What did you do!?" Lucia screamed.


    However, Blue Beard twisted his face into a hideous grin andughed.


    "I tried a couple of things, but he finally fell after I waved some tasty, tasty meat in front of him."


    "Meat......you don''t mean---"


    They quickly paled, probably because they had figured it out.


    "Yes, that''s right. That little doggie cried like a baby you know," he said with a face full of ecstasy as he embraced himself like a pervert.


    Let me say this. He''s a piece of trash that I need to kill right here, right now.


    "Don''t you have a heart?" yelled Theo. His voice was ripe with resentment, but Blue Beard replied with a shrillugh.


    "I do, of course. Isn''t that why I crave it?"


    "Damn you---" Theo began with even deeper resentment.


    At the same time, I finished my incantation.


    "---I liberate you from your duty."


    Good work, Theo, Lucia. Thanks to you both, we can end this charade.


    "World-Destroying Congration."


    Several abnormal 3-dimensional magic circles appeared before me in response to my words.


    The runes that formed the magic circle peeled off and rushed at Blue Beard as if symbolizing my will.


    "Nn!? Wha!?"


    For the first time, Blue Beard grew impatient, but it was already toote; he was already covered by the runes.


    "Theo, Lucia. We''re withdrawing right now!"


    I casted several Aegises and, with Lucia held in my left arm and Theo''s shirt in my right, kicked off the ground and dashed to the first floor.


    Right when we arrived at the first floor, the ceiling dyed crimson. The deep red tidal wave of mes that descended from the ceiling threatened to turn even me, the caster, into dust.


    A momentter, the world dyed white.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    Moonlight poured through the giant hole in the ceiling. Looks like Ipletely destroyed that stupid world.


    Blue Beard, who was floating in the air, red down at me with bloodshot eyes.


    "That took a lot out of you, didn''t it? I don''t sense a lot of strength left in you," I said.


    Blue Beard''s legs and his left arm had already been burnt off, and half his face was scorched. He looked like a zombie. But it wasn''t just his exterior---the oppressive feeling that apanied him every time he spoke disappeared without a trace.


    As I thought, that area fed off his power.


    "---"


    Blue Beard chose not to respond and just hatefully red down.


    "How about it? After you yed around, saying this and that with such a disgusting personality, how does it feel to be done in by someone from an inferior world? C''mon, I want to know. Won''t you tell me?"


    He got too cocky, so I''d knock him down to hell. How pleasant. This was how it was supposed to be done.


    "Lord-dono, you''ve got quite the grin there."


    "Yeah, it''s pretty animated."


    I calmly ignored the white noiseing from behind me and ordered, "Now you should be able to get out of this estate. Take all the prisoners of war and retreat back to Silke for now."


    Then, I turned to the idiot still floating in the air.


    "Will you be okay?" asked Lucia.


    "Who do you think you''re talking to? You''re in the way. Hurry up and leave."


    She came up in front of me, bent over, and lightly kissed me.


    Then, she gave me and Theo, who were standing there in shock, a sidelong nce and said, "You bettere back safe and sound, Grey."


    Then, she kicked down the front door and ran outside.


    "I pray for your safety, Lord-dono," said Theo.


    He shrugged and bowed before following after Lucia.


    "It''s about time to end this now, you dummy."


    "Kill......"


    "Hmmm?"


    I cupped my hand over my ear.


    "I''ll grind you up into pieces! I think I''ll feed you that white-haired girl first!!"


    Blue Beard looked absolutelyical with his face red with embarrassment and several veins popping on his forehead.


    "Ahahaha, try your best."


    I closed one eye and fully activated Analyze Environment,pletely focusing on creating a Birdcage.


    I still couldn''t properly analyze his stats as there was noise in the background, but he wasn''t almighty anymore after I broke that space.


    Besides, the Birdcage this time was special. I should see plenty of results.


    As Blue Beard began his final struggle, I aimed to put an end to this charade.


    TLN: Recently I''ve begun removing the ¡¾¡¿and ¡¶¡·and so on. Instead I just have the name capitalized like before. For example, Birdcage and Explosive Thread won''t have the fancy brackets anymore. Sorry for any confusion.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 39 - The Finale and a New Title

    Above the rubble, I began a certain incantation and mowed down the iing demons with Explosive Thread.


    As several explosions were going off in the air, I felt a presence behind me, so I kicked off the ground and flew to the right. Several blue tentacles fired off by Blue Beard pierced into the ground where I was just a second earlier.


    "Stop scurrying around!!"


    He had transformed into a blue ball with only his head visible, slightly peeking from above.


    If he''s a fellow earthling, then I''ll need to redefine my definition of a human-being.


    I mean, he''s clearly gone past the bounds of a human. Well, it''s not like I''m one to talk.


    "Gwahahaha!!"


    After a viinousugh, I turned towards him and fired off countless Cetus.


    Dozens of ice dragons attacked him from all directions, biting into him like piranhas. However, Blue Beard transformed into a hedgehog-like thorny bush and skewered the ice dragons.


    "Gumu?"


    His tentacles that had been pierced, froze over and shattered like ss.


    Without missing a beat, I continued to cast Cetus over and over.


    Countless ice dragons froze Blue Beard in the air and turned him into a cocoon-like sculpture.


    Now for the finishing blow.


    "This is the end."


    I activated Birdcage. This time, however, it was centered on Blue Beard who was now an ice sculpture, and covered the barren remains of the estate and the empty field we were fighting in.


    For greater effect, I added Wind Maniption, Explosive Thread, and Cetus, not for more power, but to further seal him off from the world.


    "Don''t underestimate me!!" Blue Beard yelled. He attempted to break the ice dragons with his blue tentacles, but Wind Maniption and Explosive Thread bound his limbs and the ice dragons froze his blue tentacles.


    After a long incantation, I finished casting, "Four Skaei Palms."


    Four pairs of ck arms appeared from the top, bottom, left and right.


    Each pair of arms produced an abnormal amount of dazzlingly bright light which poured into the frozen Blue Beard.


    In just an instant, Blue Beard disappeared from this world, unable to let out a single sound.


    "Good grief, it''s finally over."


    The entire area around me had turned to rubble because of our fight. I nned to turn this city into amercial city that could rival Camelot in the future. We''d need to begin development immediately.


    But that was for tomorrow. Even I was exhausted after all that and nned to get some rest back at home.


    I searched around Fort Arkroy for more enemies using Analyze Environment. After confirming that no enemies remained, I teleported back to Straheim''s Sagami Co. and dished out several orders to Judo.


    After he gave me an earful for going off on my own, I went straight to my room and dived onto the bed.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t fall sleep.


    My body was definitely worn out from casting several powerful spells one after another. My mind, on the other hand, was still tensed up and didn''t want to let me fall asleep at all. The problem was that my thought processes had declined remarkably.


    "Let''s see, this might be a good time," I said aloud.


    I could always force myself to sleep by training to raise magic power, but strengthening my abilities was also tempting.


    I thought back to Blue Beard. Powerful enemies had been appearing way too frequently as ofte. I had managed to survive this time, but that was due to his scorn, whims, and other luck-rted factors. I would definitely meet a loss at this rate. I needed to not only strengthen myself, but my allies as well.


    And the fastest way to get stronger was to make use of my gifts. After all, I was going against enemies who were out of the norm. I''d stand no chance without doing things out of the norm as well.


    I opened a blueprint for magic and began entering all the materials I had on hand.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    After several attempts, I managed to hit upon the following spell.


    ¡ï¡¾Human Realm¡¿


    ©– Ingredients: 6 A rank or higher magic stones, 5,000 F rank or higher monster magic stones, 5,000 human magic stones.


    A grimoire made from ancient dragons, monsters, and fragments of human souls. I felt nothing good woulde from its name, but its effects were at an entirely different levelpared to the magic currently at my disposal. After all. my magic spells only cost one B rank magic stone while this spell required not one but six A rank magic stones. On top of that, I''d need 5,000 magic stones and human magic stones. I could easily imagine just how insane this spell would be.


    The 5,000 monster magic stones required just about amounted to all the ones I had gathered over these past couple of years, but I could always begin saving anew.


    The problemy with the human magic stones. Extracting them from the remains of the kingdom''s soldiers was a great idea, but I was hesitating now that it came down to use them.


    Really though, what am I thinking thiste into it? In the first ce, Analyze Environment had stated that the magic stones were just the souls'' remnants and nothing more. I know my Earth self wouldn''t have worried a bit.


    My ''Sagami Shirabe'' self had probably changed over the course of my time in this body.


    Still, it was in my nature to just throw these feelings into the drain. It was impossible for my emotions to get the better of me.


    In any case, I had the ingredients. I could create it right now if I wanted, but this room was a bit cramped. I''d need a spacious room for this experiment.


    I exited Sagami Co. to see a starry sky without a single cloud in sight.


    Then, I walked over to thepany''s excessively spacious za. This was more than enough space for an experiment.


    I selected Human Realm and a giant metal box appeared before me. I inserted the thousands of materials and began to channel in magic power.


    Before long, a single book appeared. The book was dark as night and covered in a red-ck aura. Then the ground beneath it began to crumble and cave in.


    This couldn''t be a good thing, no matter how optimistically I thought.


    I analyzed it with Analyze Environment.


    ©–Spell Name: Human Realm


    ©–Exnation: Upon usage, gain the title, Human Realm. However, the grimoire will disappear upon use and you will be unable to create another grimoire of the same type.


    ©–Chant: ---


    ©–Rank: Title-Granting Grimoire


    ©–Proficiency: ---


    Of all things it had to be a grimoire that granted a title. This was definitely dangerous.


    There was no guarantee I''d be safe after binding the contract. In fact, it''d probably put me to eternal sleep.


    I ced the grimoire in my Item Box and teleported back to my room.


    I couldn''t have my room be destroyed, so I took out the grimoire and suspended it midair via Wind Maniption. I don''t think the grimoire would destroy even the atmosphere, so now the rest was up to me.


    I didn''t want to touch a grimoire that dissolved anything that touched it, but I couldn''t stop here.


    I ced my right palm on the book.


    "Ugh!?"


    My hand immediately dissolved all the way up to my wrist. The pain onlysted an instant, and not a single drop of blood came out of the severed area, which turned into white sand and fell to the floor.


    I used magic to sever my right arm at the elbow. Then I casted High Heal and my arm was back to normal.


    Now this was a problem. I can''t bind a contract without touching it, and my body would turn to sand if I did.


    This was a grimoire. There was no meaning to it if you couldn''t bind the contract, so there had to be a way. I must have overlooked something.


    "Hm? This haze......"


    I looked into the red-ck haze that continued to pour out of the grimoire.


    "Is this a seal?"


    It was difficult to describe, but it looked like a sword. In the most basic of senses, however.


    "Hm."


    Is this a keyhole? So the key must---


    I used a knife to carve the seal of the grimoire''s aura into my palm.


    "No way this will work."


    It''d be such a cheap and delusional way to bind a contract.


    As my hand approached the grimoire, the red-ck haze wrapped around my hand. An intense pain followed before my hand turned into a cloud of sand.


    I had expected it to turn to sand, but not that much.


    Once again, I severed my arm and casted High Heal on it.


    Much to my astonishment, or rather to my amazement, the carve-in-palm technique wasn''t wrong.


    Yes, this meant that the symbol wasn''t right.


    If the key and keyhole were rted, then there was only one solution.


    I carved a pattern symmetrical to the one before onto my right palm. Then, I brought it near the book.


    "Woah!?"


    The red-ck aura engulfed me in an instant and my world went ck.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 40 - The Lord’s Address

    I felt peculiar, just like water rising to the surface.


    Opening my eyes, I was greeted with the familiar sight of my room in Straheim and the sound of knocking.


    "What time is it?"


    I forced my heavy head towards the clock to find that it was half past five.


    I opened the curtains. A vibrant crimson and gold illuminated Straheim''s sky.


    Looks like I fell asleep for an entire day.


    I tried to remember what happened after binding the contract with that heinous grimoire, but my memories were vacant.


    However, it was more important to find out who was knocking at the door for now. I forced my heavy body up and walked over to the door, opening it to find Judo standing in front of me.


    "Thank god, you''re awake," he said. "Are you sure you''re okay though? You''ve been sleeping all day for three whole days."


    "Hm? Three days? I slept that much?"


    He creased his eyebrows and continued. "What are you saying? You came down several timesst night to give us orders."


    Now that he mentioned it, I remembered that I had done that. After binding the contract with that heinous grimoire, I was constantly feeling sluggish and being assaulted with drowsiness.


    But why did I forget that? Even if I''m only half awake right now, this is the first time I''ve forgotten several days'' worth of memories.


    "Probably because of that grimoire."


    I couldn''t think of any other cause.


    I can''t use my gifts, nor any incantation-less spells right now. I wasn''t surprised that a few days'' worth of memories had fallen into disarray.


    In any case---


    "What about the victory celebration?" I asked.


    "It''s about to start so I came to get you."


    "Got it. Let''s go right now, so please bring me there."


    Judo nodded and began his teleportation. Looks like he can still use my gifts. These are some inconsistent limitations.


    Well since Judo can still use my gifts, it''s not like I''ve lost the gifts themselves, so I just have to figure out how to undo these limitations. I don''t think it''s a big deal.


    The teleportation magic circle spun about and before I knew it, the scenery had changed. Right before me was a giant stone room lit up bymps.


    This was my first time here, but the architectural style made it look quite old. It was one of the few remaining buildings in Camelot that weren''t destroyed by either the kingdom or the empire--- (probably that stone tower in the middle of the city).


    The only reason that they hadn''t demolished it was because it provided a high lookout from within the city. It was basically a good scouting spot.


    "Grey-sama!" yelled Ca and Sate. Ca waved her hands and Sate gave me a hug.


    "Oh! You guys were already here?"


    "Yes, I''m your personal maid after all!" said Sate, cing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest.


    Ca excitedly added, "This is a celebration for your ascension as the lord!"


    No wait, this was supposed to be a celebration for our victory, not for my ascension as the lord.


    Well, she was right in that it was a celebration.


    "Let''s go, Boss."


    "Yeah."


    I followed Judo and ascended the tower. The stairs were five to six meters wide---wider than I had expected.


    The Radol tribes'' leaders stood on both sides and bowed down when we passed.


    "It''s almost like a ceremony."


    I continued to climb the stairs while thinking other mundane thoughts. When I reached the end,


    "......"


    Two men, a one-eyed red-haired man --- Aquido and Kurama---stood next to a stone door over three meters tall. Upon seeing me, they bowed and opened the door.


    I wouldn''t be surprised if Kama and Hachi were here too.


    After passing through the door, I arrived at an observation deck.


    The evening sun shot a golden beam of light through the sky, lighting up the crowd of people huddled up below the tower.


    "Lord-dono!" said Theo. He was wearing the traditional clothing of his people, a gorgeous costume of brown and red, and bowed before me. Calogero and the othermanders followed suit.


    "Grey-dono," said Lucia, blushing as she gave a slight bow. She was wearing a white skirt and a red coat with ck undertones.


    "Ah, good work."


    "Another one, Grey-sama!" said my personal maid as she looked down at Lucia with half-opened eyes.


    "Hm! What is it?"


    "Nothing, I was just talking to myself."


    Sate turned away in a huff, and Ca puffed out her cheeks as she kicked the ground.


    I have no idea what''s going on with the women around me, as usual.


    "It''s about time, Boss," said Judo with a rigor unlike his usual tone. Everyone immediately straightened up and I walked up to the observation deck, overlooking the Radols.


    What a surprise, there must have been at least over a thousand people. The war was just three days ago. They had underdeveloped transportation methods, and this many people meant that there were probably men and women of all ages gathered.


    "Silence!!" Theo boomed, stunning the audience into silence. "Yesterday, under the Wise Mountain King, our Radol forces defeated The Amrzs Kingdom''s forces at Fort Arkroy. Victory is ours!!"


    I heard some sparse cheers. The Radols just couldn''t believe we had driven away the kingdom. I could see dubious looks from all around us.


    Each tribe had sent only twenty or thirty soldiers. There was no way we could had defeated the kingdom''s forces with that paltry number. They must have been thinking that we had either recaptured our prisoners of war through a surprise attack, or I had lent my own forces to help.


    In short, they had onlye here to see their new ruler with their own eyes.


    "The Wise Mountain King has a few words. Listen up!"


    The crowd burst into whispers. They were probably wondering where the lord in question was.


    I took a step forward and dered, "I am Grey Ines Navarro. The empire has entrusted thisnd to me, your new lord."


    Astonished voices flooded the za.


    "First, let me congratte you on your victory. My condolences."


    I slightly bowed my head and the chatter immediately died down. They didn''t understand what I meant.


    "Apologies for the suddenness, but all of you are just like livestock right now."


    The za erupted into angry roars as expected. Nice, this is proof that they''re still capable of anger.


    "You had lost to the empire and suffered under the oppression of the dispatched lord." I continued, "You all have lost your will to resist, of course, but also the most important factor to being human."


    Theo had exined the details. After their previous lord, the Davids, they had been misled and theirnd been taken by the kingdom while they didn''t offer any resistance and just handed over hostages and food. For a country, no, for a person to live, they need dignity as well as enough food to sustain themselves. The moment they handed these away, they degrade into livestock.


    "How dare you! You''re a dog of the empire!!" someone shouted.


    Another chimed in. "He''s right! Isn''t it all your fault!!"


    "Who do you think you are! You abandoned us at our most critical moment!!"


    "The empire should get out of our country!"


    They continued to hurl one insult after another until they finally ended on a chorus of "GET OUT!"


    A vein popped on Theo''s forehead as he tried to appease the people, but Aquido grabbed his shoulder and gave a disapproving gesture.


    Leave it to my aides to understand me well.


    I picked my ear with my pinky and sighed. "Sheesh, first you shift the me and now you run away from reality. That''s why you''re livestock."


    "......"


    A moment of silence descended in response to my sudden shift of tone, but it was soon reced with angry roars that threatened to shake the building.


    "Yeah, that''s right. Livestock lead a little bit happier life. It can be a good thing to leave your fate in the hands of others," I said. "Leave it to the rulers, to your tribe leaders, and me them for your misfortunes. There''s nothing easier than that."


    I, of course, would find that nauseating, but I can''t deny its efficacy as a way of living.


    However---


    "But weren''t you listening to Theo? You Radols somehow triumphed over the Amrzs kingdom, one of the three great powers of the world. The world can no longer turn a blind eye to you, and you can''t walk an easy path anymore. That means you can''t stay as livestock any longer."


    The angry voices died down before erupting into yet anothermotion.


    "There''s no way we''d win against the kingdom with so few people!" someone shouted.


    "That''s right! I bet you all just ran away, didn''t you!? You''re just exaggerating!" someone else added.


    Their responses were only natural, so I''d give them a demonstration just like they wished.


    "You can win, unfortunately."


    Calogero stepped forward, probably having understood my intentions, and aimed.


    There was a space in the center of the za about three meters in radius that was off-limits.


    Calogero took aim at the piece of armor fastened by a wooden pole.


    A n like this was most likely impossible for Theo to think up; it was probably Aquido.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Five bullets pierced through the armor and dug into the ground.


    The weapon''s range and power were out of this world, so naturally everybody stared with their mouths agape.


    "Look, I''ll only say this once. The world is soon to be engulfed in an insane war the likes we''ve never seen before. And you Radols will probably be at the center of it."


    Even though it had been a small battle, one of the three great powers had lost. It was undeniable, and the other countries wouldn''t be so idiotic that they don''t try to immediately find out why.


    If they began to gather information, the existence of the Radols'' weapons will be revealed, no matter how we try to conceal it.


    Once they found out, they''d do anything in their power to get their hands on these weapons that could turn the tide of a battle in an instant. And the strength of that force would make the soldiers at Fort Arkroy look like child''s y.


    "W-why us!? We didn''t wish for any of this. We just wanted to live in peace!!" said a young man with a pale face.


    "Nobody will believe you no matter how many times you say that. Didn''t I say already? The ball has already been set in motion."


    Before I knew it, silence had befallen the za. Gasps were the only sound I could hear.


    "And if we l-lose?" Lucia asked from behind.


    "You''ll be eradicated once you lose. The people who discovered a weapon that can overturn a ten to one deficit in numbers are just too scary to be left alone after all."


    They''d definitelye to that conclusion as well since this world had nows for war. And the country that obtained the Radols'' technology would aim for world supremacy.


    "You can''t rest even though you''ve won. After all, the entire world is aiming for you. Powerful countries are going toe knocking, and if you defeat them, they''ll form alliances with other countries."


    Once war broke out, a few firearms were sure to fall into enemy hands. So no matter how prescient we were, it was sure to turn into a bloody battle.


    "There''s one path to salvation., that is to strengthen the army. You need to transform your government, economy, and military into one of the leading countries."


    In short, once I gave them firearms, I had reduced their options down to two.


    "You only have two options left. Will you be eradicated as livestock, or will you be the world''s greatest power as Radols? Which will you choose!"


    I turned my back to the citizens and said, "I hope you choose wisely."


    Then, I disappeared back into the tower.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 41 - Life as a Prisoner—Kai Lodos

    Fort Silke''s meeting room.


    "How long will I have to live like this......"


    Kai Lodos, a former officer of the Amrzs Kingdom''s northern expeditionary force, sighed for the umpteenth time.


    They had recaptured the Radol territory, which was fatigued from the undead attack, and used it as a base to assault the empire. The n formed by the central government was an overly opportunistic one which had Kai dispatch to the north as part of the northern expeditionary force.


    Although they called it recapture, originally thisnd belonged neither to the kingdom, nor to the empire, it was the Radols''nd. Though, this was based on an unreliable fairytale about the kingdom having once ruled over thend.


    And the kingdom using this ridiculous reason to take over thend made Kai fully aware of the ugliness around him.


    They took the Radols''nd, food, and even their freedom.


    They razed the Radols'' storages, robbed their banks, and even stole what little food that they had left to survive off of, opting to send it back to their kingdom.


    There was nothing more annoying than an army that had gone into disorder. That''s why Kai had advised his superior, Wimp, to tighten thew around the people who repeatedly infringed the rules, but Wimp didn''t listen to him.


    As a result, nothing happened to the people who killed, robbed, and raped the Radols. They were even permitted to do so, in fact.


    The kingdom''s defeat might have even been some kind of divine punishment. As they say, you reap what you sow. By the time Kai heard that Wimp had died in battle, he was so fed up that he didn''t feel a thing.


    However, hearing about hisrades and his subordinates was a different story. Truthfully, Kai had more than a few things to say about the Radols.


    But he was a soldier. People die in war. Kai was all too familiar with this fact.


    He didn''t resent the fact that they had died in battle, or at least he had vowed that he would try not to.


    In short, Kai had one duty. If he could bring home even one more soldier who was not rted to the injustices, his duty as amander would be fulfilled.


    Although---


    "It''ll be difficult."


    Kai had no trouble to figure out just how difficult it would be to do that. In fact, just bringing them back safely after everything that''s been done was a pipe dream in and of itself.


    And everyone here knew that.


    But there was a reason nobody was despairing yet.


    Bong! Bong! Bong!......


    The clock on the wall suddenly chimed, signaling noon. An apparatus like this that told time had only been installed in the kingdom''s government and high-grade public buildings. There was something wrong with their captors to install it among the prisoners.


    The kingdom soldiers, unustomed to the clock, paid it no heed at first and merely thought it to be a little odd.


    The thing that changed their opinion was the existence that was about toe.


    After the clock chimed, everyone nervously stared at the door.


    It opened, and dozens of men and women wearing pure white work clothes poured in with baskets, pots, and bowls.


    The sounds of rumbling stomachs and gulps could be heard around the room.


    Kai was no different., after all he was insanely curious about what would be served today.


    "So today''s bread, sd, and soup."


    After lining up by the door and waiting 30 minutes, he grabbed his food and moved over to the tables in the corner.


    They were in a two-story building that was so wide it could hold the thousand prisoners and still have space for more.


    Although the word hold wasn''t quite right. The building had a cafeteria equipped with numerous tables, an area for them to sleep, and even several bathrooms. The first floor was for men, the second for women.


    He could go floor to floor as he pleased; there were no restrictions.


    As the building was exceptionally spacious, the area inside should have been cold, but they were able to livefortably as they were given nkets, clothing, and several heating apparatuses that had been installed around them.


    Kai walked over to his assigned table in the corner and waved at his former colleague, a ck-haired woman, who promptly gave him a carefree smile.


    She was Roze, the only female officer in the expeditionary force''s second army.


    Ever since he got acquainted with her in the past when he coborated with the second army, he frequently went toin and have drinks with her.


    He sat down in front of Roze and hurriedly began to inspect the food for today.


    "You''re doing that again......" she said in annoyance, but Kai ignored her and pried open his bread.


    "Did they slice the baked bread open and fill it with food?"


    He found smoked meat, vegetables, and some mysterious yellow lumps inside.


    "What is this?"


    He ced the yellow clump in his mouth and chewed.


    "!?" An acidic taste melted into his mouth as he tried to suppress his voice from leaking out.


    He shakily closed the bread and began stuffing his mouth.


    "Deeeeelicious!!!" Kai eximed and stood up.


    He nervously sat down after receiving several odd gazes from his surroundings, straightened his posture, and resumed eating.


    After their bliss had ended, Roze put down her spoon and asked him, "What do you think their aim is?"


    "They said it was a temporary measure until they handed us over."


    That''s what a representative from the Radols had so courteously dered.


    At first, everyone whispered about what this temporary measure had in store for them, but after being fed three meals a day every day, the topic gradually died down.


    "Still, it''s way too luxurious for a temporary measure. Even the food is something that a noble would eat."


    "Have you forgotten my original goal? I''ve been feeling that since day one."


    The food differed each time it was brought out, and each time it was jaw-dropping delicious.


    "That''s not all, we have as much water as we need and toilets as well. They''ve even split the men and the women."


    There were only a few buildings equipped with toilets. And however few there were, none would be used to house prisoners. Normally they''d be forced to soil themselves and live in smelly and dirty conditions. So, equipping the prisoners'' housing with several toilets and even separating them by gender was extremely strange. It was no wonder they''de to suspect something was up.


    "I can barely imagine this, but maybe they didn''t have a reason?"


    Roze frowned. "What?"


    "Think about it. Maybe there''d be one if we were merchants that had been dragged in, but is there really any meaning to treating the enemy foot soldiers this well?"


    As long as they weren''t abused, it wouldn''t garner any criticism. It''d be one thing if they were high-ranking officers, but there wasn''t any merit in getting strange looks by treating the foot soldiers well.


    Roze crossed her arms. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean that this is the norm for the new lord of thisnd."


    "The new lord......The Wise Mountain King, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s what the Radols were calling him."


    Wise Mountain King......The legendary mountain king that led the Radols. Despite being oppressed at Fort Arkroy, all the Radols believed that. The more cornered people are, the more they''ll want to cling to something. It wasn''t that surprising for a captured city, and Kai hadn''t put much thought into it before the expeditionary force had been wiped out.


    "A legendary heroic king that would lead the Radols, prophesied about a thousand years ago. How idiotic, do they seriously believe in that?"


    "We can''t just brush it off anymore. There''re too many unknowns right now."


    "Like those abnormal Materials......"


    Roze had seen one of them in action, upon which she immediately turned deathly pale.


    Still, she hadn''t been on the opposite end of one, so she didn''t understand how despairingly terrifying it was.


    It vastly outranged bows, and even had enough force to pierce through an iron armor. Anytime it created smoke and that explosive sound, one of hisrades would lose their life. Anyone would lose their will to fight in the face of a weapon like that.


    They were most likely excavated from some ruins, so there was no way they actually had enough to equip everyone with them.


    All of this pointed to one answer. They had developed it from a Material which was excavated from some ruins and turned it into a weapon.


    The Materials excavated from ruins were the legacy of the gods. Nobody from the kingdom would even think to replicate it. After all, it would be impossible.


    And there was no way the Radols would have been able to do so either considering the life-or-death situation they were in. Hey, doesn''t that mean there''s a possibility of a third party?


    "Besides, we lost. The rest is what it is."


    We couldn''tin even if we were to be massacred.


    "That''s true. Well, let''s rest up, if only for a short while," said Roze. She smiled and picked up her tray.


    "Will do. Regardless, orders will soone," said Kai.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 42 - Inexplicable Rumors—Kai Lodos

    The next day at noon, several Radols showed up with the people who delivered lunch. They had slips of paper in their hands and wanted the prisoners to write their name and select their future choice.


    There were three choices.


    One was to return back to their country with a letter from the Radols. They would thus swear to cause no further harm to any and all Radols.


    The second was to side with the Radols. As such, they would not be able to return home until the war with the kingdom ended, however, they would be treated normally. No warm hospitality, but no cold shoulders either. After a certain amount of time had passed, they would receive the rights and duties of a normal citizen within the Radol territory.


    The third stated that the first two options were limited only to those who hadn''tmitted any crimes against the Radols in the past. Those who had done so would be subject to Radol trials and punished ordingly.


    Naturally, chaos descended onto the prisoners.


    Basically, the Radols were saying that they''d consider allowing Kai and the other prisoners to side with them.


    The prisoners of war consisted of first and second division soldiers.


    The second division soldiers consisted of outsiders who had lost their homes to the kingdom and thus had no particr attachment. At most their families might be held hostage.


    On the other hand, Kai as well as the other first division soldiers, were true soldiers of the kingdom. Staying here meant throwing their mothend aside, and the ones they''d be siding with were the Radols who had killed many of their own people. It wasn''t that difficult of a choice.


    "What are you going to do Kai?" asked Martha. Kai didn''t know when Martha had snuck up on him.


    Ever since Martha had be a prisoner of war, his previous arrogance had disappeared as if it were never there and he often came to talk to Kai.


    "No other choice but to return."


    "You''ll be executed!"


    "I bet."


    Kai was an officer withmoner origins. He''d be a perfect scapegoat for the lost war. Once he returned home, he''d be court-martialed and executed.


    "Then why?" Martha asked.


    "I have to."


    His grandfather and grandmother were still alive. Remaining here would mean treason, and that stupidw would have his entire family executed. He couldn''t let that happen.


    Besides, another officer would have to take the me. Now that Kai had took on Martha''s responsibilities, he couldn''t just push them off to someone else.


    "Geez, you''re so---" Martha began but was cut off by some shouting.


    "Remaining here would mean treason! I have no other options! There''s nothing, alright!" yelled Riemann Chardonnay, one of the few remaining senior [1] officers.


    Some people agreed with him, but most soldiers hung their heads down awkwardly.


    "They''re good."


    Kai finally figured out what the Radols were up to.


    Basically, they wanted information on the kingdom. That''s why the Radols brought these soldiers into their own camps. That''s why they kept serving that ridiculously good food every day.


    Under the Radols, even prisoners would be able to eat well.


    Many soldiers here were still attached to their mothend, but they knew how terrifying it could be.


    Any soldiers ofmoner origin that had waltzed back in after defeat wouldn''t receive anypensation. At worst, they''d get pped with treason and be imprisoned. Their life would be full of jeers and rocks being thrown at them. They had seen it happen to others after all.


    Of course, staying here would be betraying the kingdom, so it wasn''t an option that anyone with family back home could take.


    Recently, however, several viges had been razed to the ground to prevent the spread of smallpox and many didn''t even have homes to return to. No matter what reason the kingdom might have had, it was their enemy. The kingdom had killed their family and friends. Their choice was obvious.


    And if any of them had information on the kingdom''s ns---


    "So they took us in to make use of the kingdom''s internal turmoil? That Wise Mountain King of theirs is a crafty one," Roze said in admiration.


    "What about your former subordinate Tosh?"


    "His entire vige was razed because of smallpox."


    "I see......"


    From what Kai had heard, Roze didn''t see Tosh''s betrayaling at all and weed the Radol forces into Fort Arkroy''s first division.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised to see her furious when she found out, but she didn''t seem to hold any grudges against Tosh.


    Her hometown was one of the few that had been destroyed by the kingdom, so she probably would have done it herself if Tosh hadn''t.


    "Why do you think they''re taking us in Kai?" asked Roze.


    "For an all-out war, of course."


    The fact that the Radols are already trying to get everyst detail about the kingdom proves that they''re already considering a war against them.


    And the kingdom had only one way to fight back against those abnormal weapons: The Seven Petals Knight Battalion led by Hero Shichika. Currently, they were a group of outsiders under the protection of the hero. And there was a rumor that the hero had a trump card.


    Kai didn''t doubt for a second that it would turn into an all-out war.


    "Everyone, this is an evil and foolish n that savages thought up. We need to return back to our kingdom and reinvade these savages!!" shouted Riemann Chardonnay in a trance. He raised a fist into the air, but this time, nobody agreed.


    Of course they didn''t: anyone who had experienced that nightmare would never dare to attack thisnd again.


    "So that''s how I looked like just a while earlier......" Martha pitifully trailed off. He shook his head and headed off towards the cafeteria. Really though, Martha''s changed. It was like an entire part of his personality had disappeared.


    "Bold of you to say that when all you did was hide." a woman remarked with disdain. A female soldier with short ck hair, who had been entranced by Riemann until recently, was standing right next to Kai.


    ording to Roze, Senior Officer Riemann-dono had been enjoying the pleasures of the night with that girl when the Radols had attacked. He had hid in his room under the bed and used her as a decoy, prioritizing his own safety above anything else, and mixed in with the soldiers once themotion died down where he was taken in as a prisoner.


    Having hid in his room the entire time, Riemann didn''t witness that hellishndscape. He didn''t realize how terrifying the Radols really were.


    "Still, he''s really changed."


    When Riemann had first entered the army, he spoke politely to Kai and the other superior officers ofmoner origin. He often asked them for advice and his character was so admirable that one wouldn''t think he was a high-rank noble. But all that had changed in just a few years. The kingdom''s army was truly rotten.


    "Listen up! Our kingdom''s pride is on the line. It''s a holy war!" Riemann gloated as he raised his arms. "Throw away your cowardice and egotism! Stake your life for his Majesty and the Hero Shichika-sama!"


    There wasn''t anybody as unfit to say those words as Riemann. In fact, Kai could barely hold in hisughter.


    And it wasn''t just Kai, but everyone in the room, so they all just ignored Riemann and headed off for the cafeteria.


    "Let''s go. We haven''t eaten yet," said Roze.


    "Right," Kai said, and they followed the crowd into the cafeteria.


    That night---


    "....... please."


    His head still fuzzy, Kai looked up to see one of his subordinates shaking his body.


    "Oh, it''s you, Nils. Sorry, I''m still sleepy. Come again tomorrow."


    "Geez! Officer Kai!"


    The owner of the voice grabbed his cor and shook him up in order to wake him. He opened his eyes to see the female soldier with short ck hair from before.


    Kai had been picked up by Wimp and rose all the way to an officer. Nils was one of his subordinates, and Kai sometimes gave advice to her and Roze.


    "What''s up? Is this about Riemann again? You''re not a kid anymore. Have the people rted to the problem deal with it."


    "That''s not it! Well, it''s not totally unrted, but......"


    She was beating around the bush, but one look at her determined face was enough to tell him that this was a serious matter.


    "What happened?" Kai asked.


    The female soldier, Nils, gripped her fists.


    "After Riemann''s speech yesterday, I gave a testimony that he had been among the chaos!!"


    "Ah, yes. That''s where he used you as a decoy before shamelessly surrendering, right? Didn''t you say that earlier?"


    "Yes, that''s what I had thought until just a moment ago. I mean, he immediately hid under the bed and ran away the moment he found a chance to. That''s what I said, but now that I think about it, there''s something strange."


    "Strange? Take a deep breath and collect your thoughts."


    Nils took several deep breaths before starting again. "Like Riemann had said, we didn''t run into any enemies on our way to the refuge he had talked about!"


    "But in the end, there was an ambush there, right?"


    "Yes, but that''s not the problem......"


    So that''s what it was. Kai began to piece together what she was trying to say.


    "It''s strange that you didn''t run into any enemies on your way there, correct?" Kai said.


    "Yes, I thought we wouldn''t be able to run away when those nightmarish explosions drew closer. But I''m safe, and I made it to the refuge."


    "And it wouldn''t have been possible without a decoy?"


    Nils gulped and nodded.


    "But that''s strange. If Riemann was the decoy, there''s no way he could have lived."


    If he unconditionally surrendered, he wouldn''t have served as a decoy. ording to Nils''s assumptions, Riemann must have drawn the attention of the Radol soldiers, who wouldn''t let someone like him escape. So he was definitely dead.


    "......"


    Nils bit her lip and grasped at her coat while trembling.


    Kai had a bad feeling about this. Things weren''t adding up. It was a unique kind of difort.


    "Nils, answer me!"


    "Today, one of the soldiers in the third squad told me that they saw Riemann on the floor with blood pouring out of his chest......"


    "But he''spletely healthy? Were they sure it was Riemann?"


    "Yes, but he''s changed as ofte. Sometimes he was so arrogant and cold it was like he was another person, but other times he clung to me and trembled like a child..."


    He had been fastidious before suddenly bing engulfed in lust. And the day after, she noticed that he had be violent. His personality was too different. This was one of the rumors that the other senior officers had been whispering about.


    If, like that soldier had said, Riemann was already dead......how idiotic. Then who was the person he saw today? It was impossible.


    Kai shook his head several times before grabbing her shoulders. "Tomorrow I''ll start looking into Senior Officer Riemann-dono, so go back to your room and get some rest for now."


    Somewhere along the line, Nils had begun to cry. After managing to soothe her down, Kai gave Roze a brief rundown and left Nils in her care.


    The personalities of Riemann and the other senior officers had changed too much. And while he had testimonies that Riemann was dead, he was alive the next day. Kai couldn''t ignore the intense unease that nagged at him.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Several more days passed, and the Radols came into the prison camp, ordering for about ten people toe for investigation. Among the ones who epted were Riemann, Nils, Kai, Roze, and Martha.


    Since the Radols were on edge, Kai had a good idea about what he would be asked--- probably something about criminal acts towards Radols.


    "Officer Kai......" whispered Nils, uneasily ncing at Kai.


    "It''ll be alright. They''re just suspicious. Nothing will happen immediately," he assured her as an intense unease ravaged his thoughts.


    [1] Changed high-rank to senior

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 43 - Business Report

    After the memorial services for the dead were over, we secluded ourselves in Camelot and began with administrative affairs.


    The most important obstacle to tackle was providing food for the 30,000 citizens on the brink of starvation.


    I decided to send each tribe about half a years'' worth of rye, which would reach each vige within a few days.


    Still, they were about to starve. I nned to have them recuperate their strength over the next couple of months, but......


    "Huh? What did you just say?"


    I couldn''t believe my ears.


    "I said 3,500 people," Lucia replied.


    "And they all want jobs?"


    "Yep!" she nodded with a big grin.


    "Why? How did it end up like this after that speech?"


    It wasn''t even a speech, I just pointed out their pressing issues---it was never supposed to be motivational. No matter how I dressed my words, the truth didn''t change. I was just trying to make them understand that they''d have to address these issues when the time came and was prepared for a lot of bacsh.


    "I think they were irritated, of course," Luciamented. "But aren''t they happy that they''re being treated like a country?"


    "That''s just a figure of speech. They''re still a part of the empire."


    After Zem''s death, I resolved myself to resolve a certain problem that gued the empire and doing such required the effort of the empire''s citizens themselves. I would only be lending a hand---I needed to make that clear. I mean, would I be any different than that repulsive, purple-suited man if I forcefully altered their history? Even I wouldn''t want to be like him.


    In any case, that''s why I gave them firearms. I strayed off a bit from my initial ns, but I would use the Radols to change the empire from within.


    "Even still, they''re very thankful for you, Grey-dono, and---"


    Stop it. Don''t say any more.


    "So? Can you continue with your report?" I asked, forcefully changing the subject.


    "S-sure. As per your instructions, I''ve announced that we will begin legitive operations starting from April next year."


    First, I created three new organizations, an administration of justice, a government, and a congress.


    I''d have to teach them how an administration of justice worked, and congress''s operations were like ying house at first. Still, there was merit in trying. As the months passed by, they would slowly get more and more efficient, like body blows in boxing.


    For now, I split up the government, and giving Radols government authority was my current priority.


    "What about educational institutions and the army?" I asked.


    "As per your instructions, everyone below eighteen is obligated to receive schooling irrespective of their age. Conscription in the army ispletely voluntary and it currently consists of 1,200 members."


    I''d have these 1,200 receive training in firearms, artillery, and magic, also, I''d have them train every day.


    "Got it, then follow the instructions listed on these and split them up based on aptitude."


    I''d hear their upational aspirations out as best as possible, but this was an emergency. Until things started to smooth out, we''d be determining basic assignments.


    "Alright, first we''ll proceed with the construction in Camelot and Arkroy."


    "Please do."


    There was a veritable mountain of problems, but this was at least a start towards the Radols'' recovery.


    Now about the prisoners of war. I checked the files that Kurama had handed me.


    After capturing Arkroy, we took in civil officials, civilians, and 1,133 kingdom soldiers as prisoners.


    After listening to their aspirations, we found that 434 second division soldiers and 123 of the remaining first division soldiers wanted to stay as Radols.


    The second division soldiers technically weren''t kingdom soldiers but were conscripted after their countries had been invaded. They were constantly treated like disposable pawns, and I''d have expected them to want to say even if I hadn''t heard Tosh''s exnations.


    On the other hand, the 123 first division soldiers were a bit unexpected. They must have had family remaining in the kingdom, or so I had thought......


    "Their viges were razed because of an epidemic?"


    "Yes. We enquired everyone so this shouldn''t be false," said Tosh, formerly an Amrzs Kingdom soldier.


    Tosh had distinguished himself in this war, so it wouldn''t make sense for him to betray me now of all times.


    He had a serious knack for gathering and analyzing information. The kingdom was an idiot for keeping him as a normal soldier. The kingdom''s talent acquisition system had, like the empire''s system, some serious ws.


    "Got it. Make rigorous note of their intentions and prepare to ept them."


    "Yes sir. One more thing. About Officer Kai and Senior Commander Martha Saruman......"


    Officer Kai wanted to return back to the kingdom. Senior Commander Martha, on the other hand, wished to remain. Truly, it was the exact opposite of what I had been expecting.


    "Officer Kai''s foster grandparents are still in the kingdom. Additionally, I think he''s trying to sacrifice himself," Tosh exined.


    Sacrifice! So someone of his character was still in the kingdom''s army. Tosh''s files showed that he was without a doubt an exceptional person. I needed him.


    "What about Senior Commander Martha?"


    "He used to treatmoners like insects and livestock, so he honestly doesn''t have a great impression of me. Recently, however, he''s been giving off the exact opposite impression."


    The normal soldiers generally had a positive impression towards him, ording to these files. This didn''t remove the possibility that he was just acting, but would the kingdom really send the son of an archduke as a spy?


    "So he doesn''t want to return because he killed a fellow noble?"


    "That''s what he said, yes. Still, testimonies have stated that themander he killed was deranged and tried to chant magic right in front of the enemy. I don''t believe he, the only son of the archduke, would receive any serious punishment. At most, he would be on house arrest for a few months."


    I bet. In fact, they wouldn''t want a scandal like that surfacing. They wouldn''t punish him at all.


    And that should have been obvious to him.


    "I guess I need to meet him in person then," I noted.


    "Then should I begin preparations for that."


    "Please do. Now next are the criminals......"


    This was the hardest problem. It relied on tattle-tales, and the soldiers wouldn''t be so loose-lipped.


    "This is the list of people whomitted crimes," Tosh said, cing several sheets of parchment atop the table. Written on the parchments were names of soldiers and criminals.


    "56!? That''s less than I expected."


    They treated the captured Radols like ves that you could do anything to after all. I thought more people would havemitted such injustices.


    "If you would, factoring in the deceased would increase this number four or five-fold, which certainly isn''t a small number."


    "That''s true."


    He had a point, people weren''t animals. Even if they couldn''t control themselves, it''s not like they lost all reasoning. In fact, it was much more normal for them to keep their reasoning. I guess 56 is a lot after all.


    "Just, the stories of Senior Officer Riemann Chardonnay and other soldiers are a bitplicated and don''t quite serve as proof," exined Tosh as he grimaced.


    It was probably a difficult decision. I could think of a few things---


    "Tell me the details."


    "Of course. There are several eyewitness ounts of Senior Officer Riemann assaulting and wounding Radols, but also those who say he isn''t the type of person to do that......"


    "What''s the chance they''re covering for him?"


    "It''s possible, but I don''t think they arranged to do so beforehand."


    It''d be hard toe to a decision if the evaluations surrounding him were split.


    Dozens of people were short from the Radols we had ced under our safeguard from Fort Arkroy. That perverted bastard, Blue-Beard, probably used them in his experiments so we don''t have any who are injured.


    "If we don''t have enough suspicion, then at worst we''ll have no choice but to release him back to the kingdom."


    Even if we would be releasing a guilty Senior Officer. He wasn''t your average soldier. Simply releasing him because we didn''t have enough suspicion could be opening a new can of worms, but punishing an innocent was out of the question. I wanted a solid foundation, and that warranted delicate responses.


    "I understand, I''ll try checking him out myself," I said. "I''ll head to Silke after lunch, so bring him there. This concludes our meeting. Dismissed."


    I heaved a deep sigh and started parsing through the files atop the table.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After the end of the meeting, I was munching on a sandwich when Aquido called out, "Sorry for the wait, Grey."


    "Ah, I had to look through some files so it wasn''t a problem."


    "You''re still not back to normal?"


    "Looks like it."


    Over a week had passed since I gained the title, "Human Realm", but I still suffered from its aftereffects.


    I couldn''t use any of my gifts, my control over magic power got remarkably more difficult, and forcefully using it could cause it to go out of control. The only saving grace was the fact that my physical stats hadn''t decreased as well.


    "Are you alright? Maybe you should rest inside Sagami Co. like Sate said."


    "I know. Once I finish this up, I''ll take a break," I assured him.


    Sate''s been in a really bad mood recently. Ever since I brought up Blue Beard''s existence during Fort Arkroy''s meeting, she never strayed far from my side. Today, I ordered her to babysit Shiina and Drahachi along with Aria as a break. She was very reluctant, of course, but I managed to persuade her.


    "Please do, Sate''s one thing, but Ca hasn''t been in top shape either."


    "Ah, I''ll have them take a long break. Alright, bring me to Silke now."


    "Sure!"


    He nodded with satisfaction and teleported me over.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 44 - A Particular Interview

    After being teleported to Silke, I sat down in the center of arge room and waited for a few minutes. Then, a knock came from behind the door and two men meekly entered.


    One was a middle-aged man with a stubble and long brown hair knotted behind his back. The other was a younger man with blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders.


    "Nice to meet you. I am the lord of thisnd, Grey Ines Navarro," I introduced myself, giving them a light bow. The two of them looked back at me in shock. "Is everything alright?"


    "Y-yes! I am Kai Lodos, an officer of the expeditionary force. The man beside me is---"


    "I am Martha Saruman. A pleasure to meet you."


    They both gave me a polite bow.


    Martha was a modest man---he didn''t look like the type to bully others. Beside me, Tosh was staring at him in amazement, so there''s no doubt that his personally hadpletely flipped.


    It didn''t sit very well with me. No matter how drastic the circumstance, can someone really change that much?


    "First of all, Kai-dono, we''ve made preparations to ept your grandparents. Won''t you stay here?"


    Kai quickly replied. "I refuse."


    Of course. Stubborn people like him are the most difficult to persuade.


    "I think you should stay Kai," Martha added. He must have said the same thing million times, but he sounded like he had already given up. Kai merely shook his head in response.


    "If I stay here, the burdens will fall upon the others. As amander, I can''t do that."


    "Then I---"


    Kai raised his hand to cut Martha off. Looks like he''s gotten himself into a misunderstanding.


    "Don''t y with me," I began. "Didn''t he just transfer his responsibilities to you?"


    Kai twitched. He turned to look at me and asked, "And what does that mean?"


    "Here''s the premise." Before providing them an exnation, I turned and nodded at Tosh.


    "We''ve taken in senior officers with ranks higher than you, Kai-sama. They should be the ones to bear the brunt of these responsibilities, not you."


    "But the expeditionary force''s right ofmand was transferred to me---"


    "Yes, the upper brass of the kingdom''s army is sure to turn you into a scape goat. On the other hand, the other officers will only be demoted at worst. There''s not a chance that they''ll face the death penalty. The kingdom''sws also strictly forbid anything which might affect your family."


    "That may be true, but I still have my responsibility as amander."


    I sighed and shook my head.


    "No, no you don''t. You just have high moral standards," I continued. "In the first ce, what will change if you get executed? You''re just a stupid and foolish noble clinging to yourst bit of authority, am I wrong?"


    "That''s not---" Kai stopped himself short, and Martha nodded continuously to his side. He, at least, was actually facing reality.


    "Now then, about the transfer of authority. Don''t you find anything strange with the kingdom?"


    Blue-Beard, a man at the height of foolishness, was ced as the highest-rankedmander at the fort. I had no doubt that the same was happening in the kingdom as well.


    "......What do you mean by....... strange?"


    "So you haven''t noticed yet, then let me ask Martha-dono a question. Why don''t you want to return?"


    Even though he had killed one of his colleagues, it was an unavoidable situation, and choosing to stay here because of that was a bit far-fetched. Basically, there was a reason he didn''t want to return.


    "Because I''m scared," Martha replied.


    "Scared......?"


    Martha paled at Kai''s question.


    "I had nothing to do, so recently I''ve been thinking about the past," Martha began to exin. "When I first entered the army, I wanted to be a respectablemander who led his soldiers without paying any heed to social standings, just like my father."


    "But you changed?"


    People change all the time. Not just their appearances, but their thoughts and feelings as well. I didn''t find this it that strange.


    "No, I forgot."


    "You forgot?" I asked.


    I didn''t really understand what he was getting at.


    "Yes, I forgot the meaningless conversations I had with my friends during my days as a student, in addition to all the dumb stuff we did. They were fun times when I didn''t care whether my friends weremoners or nobles."


    "Calm down a little."


    This is just in strange.


    "That''s right, why did I forget?" he continued. "I loved that restaurant so much, and the springtime sunlight that poured onto the seat was so warm. And---"


    Large beads of sweat began pouring down his face.


    "Hey, Martha!?" Kai yelled in impatience, but Martha only grew more intense.


    "And that girl---I loved her so much, yet........why did I......"


    His eyes became bloodshot and foam pooled in his mouth. He teared at his own face, gouging into his skin and drawing blood.


    "This meeting is over!" I dered. "Kurama, get him to the infirmary!!"


    "As youmand," he replied, and vanished with Martha.


    Shit! In the end it all went down to shit. Is it a remnant of Blue-Beard''s demonification? No, unlike those guys, Martha is a human. That, I can say for sure. Then I can just remove the brainwashing and the worst case shouldn''te to pass. Yes, let''s do that.


    "W-what happened to Martha?" Kai asked.


    "Who knows, maybe the kingdom brainwashed him?" I replied.


    "Our mothend....... brainwashed him?"


    "That''s right, that''s her true face. Hadn''t you suspected as much? That if you didn''t return to get executed, then other young men like Martha would be sacrificed?"


    "Then, do you expect me to change the world!? I''m just amoner you know!?"


    "Amoner? How ridiculous. You''re a citizen of the kingdom before all else. Do you n on pushing the burden of removing your pests onto the empire? Onto us?"


    "L-let me gather my thoughts," he said, covering his face with his hands


    "Take your time. I wanted to hear your opinions about some allegations of crimes against the Radols, so stay here. Aquido, if you would."


    "Yeah, I''ll go call them."


    Aquido returned with dozens of men and women and asked them to take a seat.


    "I am the lord of thisnd, Grey Ines Navarro. I''d like to talk about some acts of violencemitted against Radols."


    As per usual, besides Kai and one other person who knew my status, everyone stared at me with their mouths agape.


    "What a rude kid from the inferior people! Hurry and return us to the kingdom! If you return us this instant, we won''t kill you!" one young man with blonde hair screamed as he stood up and pointed at me. The other kingdom soldiers stared in amazement but quickly paled.


    "Senior Officer Riemann-dono!! This is a ce for an important discussion that will involve your subordinates! How can you be so rude---" Kai interjected. Now pale in the face, he grabbed Riemann''s shoulders but was promptly shook off.


    I see, So this is Riemann Chardonnay, the man under multiple suspicions.


    "Rude!? You want me to treat this filthy brat with courtesy!?"


    "Of course, please think about our position!" Kai shot back.


    Meanwhile, the other soldiers watched on with ashen faces.


    Suddenly, a woman with short ck hair embraced Riemann. "Stop it, Riemann. What''se over you!?"


    "Get off of memoner! Don''t touch me with your filthy hands!!"


    "Nils!" A woman with long ck hair tied behind her back caught the woman, Nils, who had just been kicked away. "Riemann-dono, Now''s not the time to throw a fit!" She sent him a threatening re.


    Then the other soldiers followed suit and began ring at him in hatred.


    "I''m fed up with you. Who cares what happens to you now! I''ll spill everything!" yelled a young bald man who began ring at Riemann in contempt.


    "And you are?" I asked.


    "I''m Richard from the medical team. One day, an unconscious Radol with heavy wounds was brought in, right? Am I wrong?" he said, turning towards the muscr man next to him.


    The man closed his eyes and pondered for a while, picking at his face.


    "No, that''s not what happened. That noble boy kept kicking the Radol until I was forced to intervene and bring him to the infirmary."


    "And what happened to the Radol after that?"


    "He didn''t regain consciousness and was taken by a central guard the next day."


    There were too many things I didn''t know, but Riemann, at the very least, was guilty.


    "That''s a lie! Riemann''s so kind! He would never do something like that!" Nils, the girl with short ck hair, desperately tried to refute.


    "It''s the truth. Incidentally, the three central guards that brought him away were those three! And it wasn''t just that one Radol either. There were plenty more Radols who were injured!"


    The soldiers froze up and began to tremble.


    The three trembling soldiers whose lips had lost their color were not looking at me, but at Riemann.


    That wasn''t the look someone gave when they were scared of a colleague. No, something was off.


    "That''s a lie, right?"


    Nils shook off the woman with the ck ponytail and in a shaky manner, approached Riemann, who was still trembling.


    "Yeah, it''s a lie, everything is." Riemann looked up. His eyes were tinged red with madness and his hair had turned blue.


    A single look at his figure sent sharp chills down my spine.


    I clicked my tongue and kicked off the ground. With my left hand, I pushed Nils away and drew my dagger to block Riemann''s punch with my right.


    "I thought it woulde to thiiisss," Riemann yfully said. I feel like I''ve heard this particr voice recently.


    "Shit!"


    I tried to gain some distance but my surroundings were already enclosed in a ck belt.


    "Grey!"


    "Aquido, teleport everyone else out of here!!" I demanded.


    Meanwhile, the ck belts that threatened to encase me continued to grow in number.


    "B-but---!"


    "No buts! Hurry!"


    After the second time, Aquido finally began his teleportation.


    "That''s good. Who cares about that trash, you''re my only gooall."


    Riemann''s face warped into something hideous.


    "Looks like I''m in a bit of a picklee," he continued. "But you knoooww, you''re dangerous. You''re so, so, very, extremely, dangeroous. Well, this piece of meat is already dead though! Gwahahahahahaha!"


    Whileughing shrilly, Riemann ced his hands on his hips, and walked around me with light steps.


    Then---


    "But you knoooww, only someone as risky as you can be the best material!!"


    He spread his arms and looked at the ceiling with joy. I looked towards Aquido and said, "I leave the rest in your hands."


    "---"


    The moment he began to speak, he immediately disappeared.


    "Gwahaha, are you satisfied? Then let''s goo. Enjoy my most amazing shooww."


    With his left arm on his back, Riemann extended his right hand and reverently bowed. "Rashomon"


    The world began to erode.


    The floor below me disappeared in an instant and darkness swallowed me whole.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 45 - Master’s Emergency and Whether to Help

    After Aquido teleported everyone away, a foreign-looking castle slowly appeared above Silke.


    He then got in touch with Judo, a portion of the adult employees, and the Radol executives, quickly organizing all soldiers and prisoners to retreat.


    Now, they were in Camelot''s meeting room.


    The people attending were Sylphy, who had heard that Grey was captured, Judo, Aquido, Kurama, Hachi, and Kama. From the Radol army were Theo and Calogero, also present were representatives from the kingdom''s prisoner of wars who looked like they were well-versed in handling such situations.


    Many agreed to hold off on informing Sate and Ca, who were prone to anger.


    "What a blunder Aquido," Judo criticized while tapping his foot on the ground in irritation.


    "Yeah." Aquido bit his lip and looked down.


    "Judo-dono, there''s no point in ming Aquido-dono. We''re in a race against time, so shouldn''t we be thinking about what to do next?" rebuked Kurama. Judo merely shook his head a few times before returning to his usual calm self.


    "You''re right, sorry. So, what''s that castle?"


    "Yes. It''s still towering above Silke and for better or worse, hasn''t even moved an inch."


    "Have we managed to get all the citizens to safety?"


    "Just earlier, I received a report that all prisoners were safely teleported to Fort Arkroy."


    "Then I''d like to hear everyone''s thoughts about what to do next."


    "There''s nothing to discuss!" shouted Kama as he picked up his sword and stood up. "We need to get in that castle and save our master!"


    "I agree," Hachi added and shot up. "I don''t know who they are, but I hope they don''t think they''ll get away with capturing our master! I won''t let him off easily! I''ll take my time and thoroughly torture him to death---" An evil look came onto Hachi, but---


    m!


    Sylphy pounded on the stone table, leaving a fist-sized cavity in the table. Hachi twitched but started again. "You---"


    "Shut it."


    She turned her crimson eyes with slit pupils to re at Hachi, who immediately froze up.


    Kama clicked his tongue and obediently sat back down before folding his arms.


    "So that Riemann was the one who had swallowed Grey up into that floating castle?" Sylphy continued, annoyedly wing at her long blue hair as she stared up into the empty sky. Right now, shecked the usual vigor she had when she was next to Grey.


    "That wasn''t Riemann! He---He was a kind man, not the kind of person who could be a soldier, ---" objected Nils, the kingdom soldier with short ck hair.


    To nobody''s surprise, Sylphy shut Nils up with a re.


    "I didn''t ask for your opinion. I''m asking if that human really aplished imprisoning our master in that castle."


    "I''m not sure if this is rted, but several soldiers stated that in the previous battle that they had seen Senior Officer Riemann-dono copsed on the floor with blood pouring out," Kai said.


    If so, somebody had inflicted a severe wound onto Riemann? But he didn''t look injured at all.


    "Let me exin, this is probably close to the truth," said Theo, opening his mouth for the first time since the meeting started. He then began to recount the details about what had happened in Arkroy.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    Nobody said a thing after Theo finished. Of course, it was so outrageous that they barely believed him.


    When they stepped inside, the estate had turned into a mysterious world and they couldn''t interact with the outside anymore. There they met Radols that had been turned into monsters, and people like General Bull, and a shady man who imed to be Blue-Beard controlled those pitiful monsters. Grey blew apart the mysterious domain with magic and triumphed over Blue-Beard. What a ridiculous story.


    Everybody looked on in doubt, but only Sylphy spoke up. "Master, why didn''t you tell me!"


    As sweat ran down her face, she clenched her teeth, and the strange look she had in her eyes from before returned.


    "Do you know that person?"


    "I guess."


    Sylphy returned back to a poker face, grasped a strangely-shaped sword, and stood up.


    "Where are you going?"


    "This enemy is on apletely different level. You guys stand no chance. Just wait here."


    "Why are you just deciding that on your own---" Hachi began, shooting out of his seat in rage. Sylphy, however, cut him off with her sword.


    "Hey, wait. When did she unsheathe that?" Aquido thought. He hadn''t seen her begin the unsheathing motion. Before he knew it, her sword was in front of Hachi.


    "The man who captured Master is a true monster. If you can''t even react to something like this, then going against him is out of question. You''re sitting this one out" said Sylphy. She then turned her back to the others and began to teleport away.


    "Still, we must go!" shouted Theo, stopping her teleportation. She narrowed her eyes.


    "Even though I said it''s impossible for you?"


    "Even if it is!"


    "I see."


    Sylphy disappeared. The next moment, Theo crumpled over and flew into the wall.


    "As fragile as you are, I only punched you with enough strength to keep you down. Stay there. Everything will be over soon."


    Sylphy turned her back towards the others once again but was blocked by Hachi, Kama, and Kurama.


    "Ah---!? Even you guys!?" she shouted.


    "We swore to walk down the path of hell alongside Grey-sama. It would be ill-fitting for us to turn tail and run away now."


    Sylphy continued to stare at them,pletely unamused. "So, you''re all....... the same too."


    She sighed.


    This rted to the safety of her master, Grey, after all.


    Even if there was an unbridgeable gap between her and her enemy, she wouldn''t just watch like some coward.


    "Yes, so please take us as well," dered Judo from the side.


    Aquido couldn''t infiltrate a castle floating in the sky, but Sylphy could. Or at least she wouldn''t have said what she did if she couldn''t.


    Sylphynguidly shook her head back and forth.


    "Stupid, all of you."


    Then the surroundings changed.


    The room suddenly warped into a different world, and something heavy was pushing the back of their heads into the floor.


    Everyone was sitting on their knees and had their heads on the floor, unable to move an inch.


    "Frustrated?" she asked without a hint of warmth.


    "Damn it all!!!!"


    He was frustrated! So frustrated, he could cry. His master, Grey, was facing a crisis, and the danger couldn''t evenpare to what he had experienced with Duke Cyrus. Now was the time to rush forward and be useful, and yet, he couldn''t even move a finger.


    "This is just pressure, an insignificant amount of power. And still, it''s like poison to your weak bodies."


    Weak. Of course, he admitted it. They were so weak that everyst time, Grey would have to settle things on his own.


    From the very start, Grey had a strange and mismatched feel to him. Almost as if the mind of an adult had been imnted into a child''s body, but the impossibility of that unsettled him.


    That''s why they had all seen him as an impable and supreme master.


    And they were right, in a way. His resourcefulness in the empire stood unparalleled, and he could use super powerful magic. They were sure of it, and it should have been an unshakable fact.


    But when Sate told him how Grey had cried like a child when his mother pulled him into an embrace, Aquido realized Grey had another side to him: he was a child who had just turned thirteen. And that didn''t mean that he was a child, but that he was just a boy who wanted to be spoiled by his mom. A child was to be protected, even if he was his supreme master.


    That''s why---


    "Uwaaaahhhh!!!!"


    Just trying to move his arms sent an intense pain through his body. He felt like his heart was being crushed to death and vomited all over the floor.


    "My pressure isn''t so weak that a mere human can break through it. Stop resisting, or you''ll die."


    Die? What was she saying! This was an emergency for Grey, and not standing up here would really be death.


    "Guhaaaaa!!!!"


    He pushed the difortable feeling like his heart was about to be crushed aside and forced his feet to move.


    Normally, they obeyed his everymand, but now they were like lead, refusing to listen. Even still, they all carried out their mission with only one wish.


    Then---


    "You have met the requirements to release the Title---''Human Realm''. Reconstruction of your body and mind to that of Grey Ines Navarro will now begin.


    Confirm operation of the passive effect, ''Perfectly Enlightened One''. Those who have attached their souls to Grey Ines Navarro will be given the effect, ''Enlightened One.''


    ---84% until ''Human Realm'' is unleashed."


    Suddenly, a monotone female voice echoed in his head.


    At the same time, the overwhelming pressure immediately subsided. Sylphy must have let off.


    "What?" gasped Sylphy.


    Or maybe not. Everybody who had been pale and kissing the floor stood up.


    "That voice.......and ''Human Realm?'' is that......."


    Sylphy waved her index finger in the air for a bit but covered her mouth and began to tremble.


    "Sylphy-dono?" Judo raised his eyebrow.


    She looked at the ceiling and burst out inughter.


    "Hah...haha...hahaha! As expected of Master to have this kind of ace in the hole!! Honestly, I''m speechless."


    Instead of giving off that explosive prickly feeling from before, she returned back to her usual cheery self.


    "That means this could be a trial for his subordinates. It''s not my duty to butt in." Sylphy picked up a chair that had been tossed aside and sat down on it. "As you wish, I''ll bring you to the castle in ten minutes. Now hurry and make your necessary preparations."


    "Please take me too!!" said Nils. She staggered forward and gripped the table, bowing before Sylphy.


    "Nils!" yelled Kai, forcefully reigning her back. She paid him no heed and just stared straight at Sylphy''s ck pupils.


    "Hm. I don''t mind. I can see how this charade will end. Besides, you seem like you''ll be useful to us. But keep this in mind: stepping in the castle will leave you with unheble wounds, no matter how things go down."


    "Unheble......wounds?" Nils parroted back.


    "Yeah, it''s a hard decision. But it''s your life, so do as you want."


    "I''ll go as well," one kingdom soldier said.


    "Me too," said another.


    "You know that you''re my master''s enemy, right? Do you still want to go, even if I can''t guarantee your safety?" asked Sylphy.


    "......" They silently nodded.


    "Then start getting ready."


    Right now, they were above Fort Silke''s castle walls.


    A giant castle solemnly floated in the skies above.


    "So how about now? You can still turn back," asked Sylphy, but nobody responded. They merely focused on the castle floating above.


    "There is a special space inside the castle. Once in, escape is pretty much impossible unless you destroy the creator of the space, disturb the space itself, or the creator themselves releases the spell."


    "Basically, it''ll all end once we crush the creator."


    "That''s the fastest way, but that doesn''t mean that there''s no time limit."


    "Boss''s safety?"


    "Yes. Since we can use Master''s abilities, he''s still safe. But if that person seeds in snuffing out Master''s life, then the castle will disappear and that person will get away."


    Sylphy looked over at everyone.


    "We won''t let him get away with that!!" roared Kama.


    "Of course! I don''t know who the hell they are, but I won''t forgive them. I''ll dissolve his toes!!" said Hachi as he red up at the castle.


    "Right, let''s give them hell for disrespecting our great master," said Kurama, snapping his fingers as a vein bulged on his forehead.


    "Lord-dono is our Messiah. We won''t let that vulgar person snatch him away to a ce like this. Besides---" Theo paused for a moment, looking to the side.


    "Right, we also need to free our people. We''ll seed no matter what," nodded Calogero.


    "Boss is our precious family. We''re bringing him back!!" shouted Judo.


    Yes, Grey had personally tasked Aquido with bringing things under control. He would need to settle the score.


    "Give it your all! We don''t need to hesitate or show any mercy to a heretic who turns people into monsters. Trample him into the ground!!"


    "Yeah!!!"


    Aquido unsheathed his sword and pointed it to the sky. Then, everyone else followed suit with their weapons in hand.


    "I''ll bring you guys inside the castle now. That kind of territory is made easy to infiltrate but hard to escape. The fact that we can see the castle lends itself to that tendency too. In short---"


    Sylphy''s pupils dyed red, and she raised her right arm. Then, several magic circles appeared in the air and revolved around them.


    "This spell cuts you off from space, so once you fly up there, you can get inside."


    A blue spherical membrane enveloped everyone, bringing them up to the air and gradually increasing in speed.


    "Oh, one more thing. It''ll be a bit rough so forgive me."


    Then, they shot up andpletely crashed into the castle.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 46 - Unexpected

    Deep within the castle


    I was bound by a red thread inside the prison of Rashomon, a Japanese-style castle.


    My consciousness had been hazy ever since I woke up and could barely put my thoughts together. My instincts were telling me that it''d be the end for me if I lost consciousness now that the existence known as Grey had been blown away and I was reborn as another existence.


    Normally I''d have been able to dissolve this type of spell in an instant, but regrettably I couldn''t manipte magic very well right now. Anything that required delicate control would inevitably blow up in my face, and even if it didn''t, it was sure to activate this red thread around my neck. Right now, I needed to persevere and look for an opportunity.


    Looks like I really messed up this time.


    Martha had gone haywire; I wonder if it would have been better to stall the interrogation until I could lift the restrictions on his body?


    No, if I let that heretic move as he pleased, then Sate, Judo, and my otherrades could have been demonified. Doing it wasn''t a mistake by itself. Besides, that kind of weak attitude didn''t suit me.


    Basically, my mistake was not preparing a solution for this crisis. That was it.


    I needed some swift aid, and the best way to get it was......


    "Geez, you''re a tough one. This is the first time that I''ve seen anyone who could endure my Blood Soul Cloth inside Rashomon for this long," said Blue-Beard in a provoking manner as Riemann''s face distorted. What could I even say to that?


    "Is that so? If this is all it amounts to, then you''ll never be able to dominate me no matter how long you keep at it."


    "You''re just putting on airs. How patheetiic." He ced his hands on his hips and sneered.


    "If that''s what you think, then hurry up and demonify me."


    "......" He quickly shut up.


    "What''s wrong, you can''t? As you said, I''m powerless right now. If you want to win, then make me yield."


    If he seeded, then that was all I amounted to as a human. I''ll burn this fool and everything around us.


    However, that doesn''t seem possible.


    "What a monster. You sure are getting carried away aren''t youuu!" eximed Blue-Beard as he began punching my face.


    In order for him to create a strong demon, he started with his usual torture until the victim broke down in despair.


    His techniques were even sloppier than the torturer at Thermax, so I couldn''t help myself.


    In the end, his face became red and he ended the farce, opting to use force instead.


    "It''s quite a fresh feeling to be treated like a monster by a monster himself" Imented.


    "What a poor loooooser. Give me a few more hours, and you''ll be demonified into my greatest masterpiece!"


    "I hope you seed" I angrily ground my teeth but gave him a wry smile.


    "Then I''ll capture that white-haired bitch and---"


    "Hey brat! I wouldn''t say any more. It''ll be good for you to keep silent you know." I spat out with such intense hatred that it sent chills down even my spine.


    I was finding it hard to control my emotions in this situation.


    "......"


    Blue-Beard scratched his face while making a sound with this throat. Then, a woman''s voice reverberated inside my head.


    "You have met the requirements to release the Title---''Human Realm.'' Reconstruction of Grey Ines Navarro''s body and mind will now begin.


    The passive effect, ''Perfectly Enlightened One,'' is now active. Those who have attached their souls to Grey Ines Navarro will be given the effect, ''Enlightened One.''


    ---84% until ''Human Realm'' is unleashed."


    The timing was so bad that it seemed like someone was aiming for it. My mind and his Blood Soul Cloth had been in a tug-of-war, but since my body and mind were getting reconstructed, I began to lose my grip.


    Why of all times does "Human Realm" activate now? It sapped my magic power and strength. I don''t think I''ll be able to hold on much longer.


    "Looks like you''re about to reach your limit" Blue-Beard eximed, noting that sweat was now pouring out of my body.


    I''ll leave this idiot aside for now. I needed to focus on getting past this awful situation.


    I poured magic power below my navel and began to cycle it around. I could do this for about an hour or two.


    As my consciousness began to fade, I heard an explosion that slightly shook the room.


    "What is happening!?" Blue-Beard asked his demons. However, his expression quickly turned sour as he produced several images. There, I saw some familiar faces.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 47 - Enlightened One - Aquido

    There was a frightening thud as Aquido mmed into the green floor of the castle.


    "How reckless" Sylphy chided.


    He got up, pat his hips and began to scan his surroundings.


    They saw was a green floor, probably made from sewn nts, and wooden pirs which were concealed by several strange doors.


    "Do we pull this?"


    Aquido opened a door and found himself before a wooden corridor that seemed to stretch infinitely.


    What an unbelievable feat of architecture.


    "So Kama and I were blown here."


    Kama was kneeling on the green floor with his hands wrapped around his head.


    "Kama?"


    "Tatami and Fusuma [1] ......ugh," Kama moaned, having seemingly not heard Aquido.


    "Kama?"


    Kama shook his head back and forth. "It''s nothing., more importantly, they''reing." He stood up and lowered his point of gravity, pointing his sword towards the corridor.


    "Grrrrr......" Arge object dragged itself towards them.


    "Oh, can you hear me? It''s Sylphy."


    "Sylphy, you---"


    "This is one way only, so you can''t respond. I''ll just give you a rundown," she continued, "Our Master has just given you a certain ability. You must use this ability to annihte all the monsters inside this castle and reach Blue-Beard. But don''t worry, your ability is almost a cheat. I''ll give you the details with a visual."


    "Eh!?"


    Words began to appear before their eyes.


    ©– "Enlightened One - Duke of mes"


    ©– Exnation: A title that allows those with a human soul to attain enlightenment through mes, allowing them to reach the true meaning of life.


    ©– Passive Effect - "Crushing Evil and Spreading Truth": Gain superiority against monsters, ghosts, and other evils. Additionally, growth rate is remarkably increased due to ''Crushing Evil''.


    ©– Special Effect - "Domination of mes": Gain the rights over mes.


    "''Enlightened One - Duke of mes?'' ''Crushing Evil and Spreading Truth?'' ''Domination of mes?'' I don''t get a thing."


    "The details of ''Enlightened One'' probably differs for each of you," Sylphy continued. "Well, use it all you want. Also, it seems like you''ll have to kill the four boss monsters in the castle if you want to reach Blue-Beard. I''ll kill one and leave the remaining for you."


    Then with a snap, the transmission was severed. Geez, what a selfish person.


    She had long blue hair and pale, almost transparent skin. Truly the form of a beautiful goddess. In fact, several members of the Scarlet Phoenix already looked up to her.


    But that was only on the outside. At first, Aquido thought all she did was drink every day, but now she goes off and threateningly pushes everything onto them. She was always looking down at them as well, so there was no way for him to have a favorable impression of her. On the flip side though, she was overwhelmingly powerful.


    While Aquido was having such thoughts, the door burst open and with a growl, red colored dissolving organisms which looked like giant slimes appeared from all directions.


    "What the hell is that?"


    They had giant mouths, sharp fangs, and dozens of eyes. Aquido had never heard of a monster like that, let alone having seen one.


    "Don''t space out, they''reing!" Kama warned.


    In that moment, countless thorns protruded from their bodies'' which they shot towards Aquido and Kama all at once.


    "Woah!?" Aquido yelped as he raised his sword to parry the thorns.


    Boom!!


    His vision turned white, and an intense heat swept over him.


    Right in front of his eyes, a perfectly circr portion of the ground began to heat and bubble up fiercely. The monsters there were nowhere to be seen.


    "Are you trying to kill me too!!" Kama shouted.


    "Sorry......"


    He hadn''t expected it to be this powerful.


    Aquido had tried to imagine burning down a door. The next instant, a pir of white me burst up and incinerated the door, not even leaving a speck of dust behind.


    "A...haha......"


    Next, he tried drawing a small me on his palm. A white me burst out from his palm and it took all he could to muster a simple, "Seriously?"


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "What''s wrong!? Is that all!?" Kama shouted.


    Kama''s wrists blurred and several lines formed on the monsters'' bodies before they were sliced into pieces and fell to the ground.


    He shouldn''t have been able to reach them, but the monsters had been sliced up into small blocks. That was probably his new ability.


    "Aha! Aha! Ahaha!!"


    Kama was really getting into it. For a while now, he had been slicing up the monsters and using that weird speech style of his.


    Pieces of meat flew away like petals dancing in the wind as he kept stabbing the monsters over and over. No matter how hard he tried, Aquido could only see Kama as a serial killer going on a rampage.


    "Kama, I''m worried about Grey. Let''s go!"


    "Yeah, let''s go!!"


    Aquido could barely hold in his excitement at his new almighty power.


    Just by simply wishing, he could freely control the me''s heat, scope, and where it manifested. In addition, his senses could tap into the mes, so if he spread them around himself, it could even work like detection threads. Maybe these mes weren''t magic, but a part of Aquido.


    "Hey, what are these things?"


    Human-shaped monsters with horns on their heads suddenly appeared alongside some bear and crab monsters. They all had horns sticking out of their head, sharp fangs, and strength iparable to normal monsters.


    Without the powers they had received from Grey, they would have been inside the monsters'' stinky bellies.


    "They''re probably demons," Kama replied.


    "Like ogres?"


    "Not quite, they''re monsters from a different world," Kama exined in a tone different from his usual mysterious and revenant one.


    "A different world! Do you know something about the mastermind?"


    Now that he thought about it, Kama had been moved by the scenery when he first came to the castle.


    "......It''s nothing, forget about it."


    He once again returned to his cheerful mood and began racing along the floor.


    Aquido sighed before deploying his mes and destroying the monsters known as ''oni''.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Before long, they reached a spacious room.


    Once inside, they found a room taller than the others. There, a man whose head''s front half waspletely shaven was proudly sitting cross-legged. The man wore clothing different from anything in this world---it somewhat resembled what Kama''s attire.


    In all likelihood, he was one of the four bosses Sylphy spoke about.


    "Now what do we have here, some unsavory humans. I said I like women! Damn you Blue-Beard, can''t you even listen to a single request!" said the strange man as he stood up.


    "Aren''t you one of Blue-Beard''s subordinates?"


    ording to Theo, Blue-Beard had created this domain. So, shouldn''t this guy have been one of Blue-Beard''s subordinates or maybe even his puppet?


    In any case, the man showed absolutely no respect when he mentioned Blue-Beard''s name. In fact, it was more like hatred or scorn.


    "Me, a subordinate of that failure? Kuku! Gwahahaha!" He burst out intoughter. Then, just as it started, hisughter died down immediately and his face was reced with one of pure anger.


    "Well said, brats! That''s the greatest insult towards a man like me. Don''t think you''ll die a painless death."


    He spat out a thick ck fog that covered his entire body.


    His muscles began to twitch and his skin dyed red. Then two horns sprouted from his forehead and his canines transformed into long fangs. His two eyes began to draw together, fusing into one. It was a one-eyed human-shaped monster.


    "I am Rashomon''s fourth boss---One-Eyed Demon! Carve my name into your pitiful souls and be my meal!!"


    "What happened to the owner of that body?" asked Kama.


    One-Eyed Demon grinned. "Ah, him? His soul vanished when I incarnated."


    "I see.......so....... the same," Kama said without a hint of warmth. He nodded over and over to himself before ncing towards Aquido.


    "I''ll kill him. Stay out of it."


    What an unreasonable request.


    "A mere human wants to face me alone? You''ll regret this arrogance in hell!"


    The One-Eyed Demon grabbed a giant iron axe thatid beside him. Then, a red mist enveloped him.


    "......"


    On the other side, Kama took a step forward quietly gripping his longsword, and closed his eyes.


    "What is he doing?"


    He lookedpletely different than he had just a few minutes ago.


    "Would you look at that. I thought you were conceited when you challenged me alone, but it looks like you just had a death wish," the One-Eyed Demon mocked.


    Kama didn''t budge an inch and kept his stance.


    "Well, whatever. I''ll remember you as an admirable primitive life form."


    "Hey, Kama!" Aquido shouted.


    "Dieee!!"


    Once the One-Eyed Demon had gotten close enough, he swung his battle-axe down towards Kama''s head.


    "Wha?"


    Instead, his right arm flew in the air. He stared at his lost arm for a moment before breaking into a scream.


    In an instant, his two legs were severed.


    "M-my legs---"


    And those were hisst words. Several lines ran down his body before it slowly fell apart into pieces.


    Kama remained in his stance, not moving an inch.


    "K-Kama?"


    "Sorry, but I''m not a human. I''m an insect person created by Master."


    He sheathed his sword before returning to his usual jovial smile. Good, he was back to his usual silly self.


    "Seems like this disgusting thing is a key."


    Aquido grabbed a pulsing red key from within the One-Eyed Demon''s puddle of blood.


    The key itself meant that there was a door that required it. So onward he would go.


    Aquido hastened Kama, who was in the middle of his exnation about chivalry, and the two of them set off.


    [1] A type of Japanese sliding door.


    TLN: Sorry for the mixup guys. What was previously tranted to oni will now be tranted to demon. If the old term for demones up again (it was always used figuratively) I''ll be tranting it to devil. Also for the ogreparison, please note that an ogre is a "big oni", literally.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 48 - Respect and a Chance Meeting

    Theo''s power-filled punch mmed into the wall, sending all nearby monsters flying away.


    "So, this is Lord-dono''s power."


    His body was as light as a feather---so light that he felt like it wasn''t even his body---and felt like he had enough strength to easily crush steel.


    He assumed it was due to the ability "Herculean Strength" granted to him from the title "Enlightened One---Brave Leader."


    "Herculean Strength" shot his physical strength through the roof, transforming him into something on an entirely different level of strength. And since his visual acuity had been heightened to the max, to him these monsters looked like they were barely moving. There wasn''t an ability more suited to a closebat specialist like Theo. He ughtered the monsters who couldn''t put even a hint of resistance.


    It was obvious after seeing Zap and Bull that these monsters were made from his brethren, whose souls were imprisoned in monster bodies. So, Theo had decided to release as many people as he could from this hell, even if it meant only one more.


    "!!"


    Theo sensed dozens of monstersing from behind him.


    He turned around and prepared to swing at them, but before he could finish, Calogero fired off countless rays of lights, which pierced through, and sted apart the monsters'' heads.


    "Thanks, you saved me."


    That was Calogero''s ability, "Sure Hit", which granted him several buffs towards ranged weapons.


    It bestowed special effects on his beloved gun, one of which was those bands of light that annihted the monsters. It was absurdly strong.


    "This isn''t really the time to be asking, but is Grey-sama really a human?" asked Calogero as he mowed down the monsters left and right.


    "The man said so himself."


    "He''s managed to convince me before, but this is just......"


    Theo felt the same way. There was no way a human could pull off these supernatural phenomena.


    "I agree, but what does that change?" asked Theo.


    "Well, nothing. I don''t really care whether he''s a human or not."


    Then don''t ask. Calogero, the self-proimed captain of Lord-dono''s elite squad, probably didn''t ce much importance on who he was. Calogero was basically looking for a reason to praise him.


    "We''re almost there." Theo forced the sliding door open to find himself in front of arge reception hall.


    Inside, he saw a muscr bearded man sitting down.


    "Father!!"


    "Supreme Commander!!"


    Theo''s chest began to boil with rage and he felt like a stake had been driven through his heart.


    Right in front of him was his father, who should have been executed by the kingdom.


    "Tessin''s rtives! Interesting," said the man with the exact same voice and eyes as Theo''s father. It was extremely unpleasant; Theo vowed he wouldn''t let him get away with it.


    "Be proud, I am Rashomon''s second boss, Mezu. The body sacrificed for my incarnation must be talented. Your rtives---"


    "Shut up!!" Calogero shouted. He then shot eight crimson rays of light towards Mezu that ripped apart the air.


    The rays of light exploded one after another, sending an intense heat. But Mezu simply patted his clothes before standing up without even a scratch.


    "Good grief, you humans are impatient as always." Mezu''s nose then began to lengthen, his ears began to move to the side, and his body began to erge and cover itself in fur. Soon after, a monster with the face of a horse was looking back at them.


    This was its battle form, and thus, its skills had sharply increased. Thankfully though, it no longer looked like Theo''s father which calmed him down.


    "Calogero! We can''t lose this fight, alright!!"


    "Of course, we need to see the Supreme Commander off!" he replied, cocking his gun at Mezu.


    But Mezu had repelled its bullets so easily, so it must have been far stronger than them.


    However, they had to do what they could. Theo''s father was the Radols'' hero and someone he looked up to. Theo wouldn''t let that monster defile him any longer.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 49 - A Messiah or a Master

    Theo kicked off the ground and dodged backwards. Mezu mmed down a mallet which was as thick as a tree trunk, straight into the ground where Theo was just a moment ago.


    Theo swept his left arm, creating arge burst of wind that blew Mezu back.


    Then he slid close and gave a hard punch to Mezu''s gut.


    He felt the bones crush before his fist. Clenching his fists, he delivered blow after blow, but ducked to the floor after feeling an intense chill. The mallet just barely grazed his face.


    The air surrounding the mallet slightly broke his bnce, but he used the wind to spin around like a top and gave a roundhouse kick to Mezu''s head.


    Mezu was startled as blood began spurting out of his nose. His eyes dyed crimson and he swung back, sending Theo flying.


    An intense pain shot through Theo''s body as he felt like he had collided with a tank. He looked up to see Mezu charging towards him.


    While Theo was desperately trying to stand up, dozens of crimson rays shot towards Mezu who casually swung his mallet, dispersing them into beads.


    Theomanded his shaking legs to move, kicking off the woven grass floor. He rolled away, before finally regaining his posture.


    "What! Is that all? I thought Tessin''s rtives would''ve been better than that," Mezu shrugged, swinging his giant mallet around in a regrettable manner as if it were just a little stick.


    "Theo!" Calogero shouted, "We can''t win at this rate. Let''s retreat for now!"


    He wasn''t convinced, but his enemy''s physical abilities were just too overwhelming. They would only lose if they kept fighting.


    They''d retreat for a while and prepare themselves---


    "As if I''d let you." Mezu disappeared. Theo immediately began looking around but saw nothing.


    "Theo, Behind you!"


    The next moment, he only saw a glimpse of the ceiling as he was blown away, mming into the wall.


    He couldn''t breathe and felt like a stake had been driven through his back.


    Butying here would just mean death, so he used every bit of strength he had left to stand back up.


    He saw Calogero being choked by Mezu''s thick arm.


    "Look, you can''t even imagine yourselves winning, so what use is running?" Mezu sneered as he tossed Calogero away like a piece of trash.


    Calogero sted through the wall, bouncing off the ground a few times beforeing to a stop.


    "You guys are boring. What have you been learning?" Mezu said despondently, as he repeatedly tapped the hilt of his mallet on his shoulder. "Or is your master just stupid? Well, he did get captured by someone like Blue-Beard. He isn''t anything special."


    An unbearable rage took over Theo. "What did you just say?"


    "What, you couldn''t hear? I said that the bratmander of yours is a fool, especially because he threw you useless chicks into Rashomon to attack it."


    His anger transformed into a madness that shook his very heart. "We''re doing this of our own choice!"


    "But he''s the one who created such a situation. It''s all the same. He''s a failure as amander."


    "SHUT UP!" Theo stood up and tried to take a stance, but Mezu vanished, grabbed him by the back of his head and thrust him into the floor.


    "The weak can''t do anything," Mezu said. "Even if your family is hurt, your friends killed, your wife raped, and your master disgraced, you''re not even allowed to refute"


    "I---already know that!"


    "No, you can''t even begin to understand. You''recking a critical element for a warrior after all."


    "I know, I''m weak!"


    The past was out of the question, but even now, he couldn''t even cross swords with Sylphy-dono, who seemed harmless at first nce, let alone a superhuman like Lord-dono.


    "......." Mezu shook his head with annoyance. "You really think yourmander wille to save you?"


    Theo''s mind went nk, but the moment he processed those words, blood rushed to his head and his vision became red.


    "Liiike hell I do!!" Theo screamed at the top of his lungs.


    "Am I wrong?"


    "You are!! How much more will you mock us---"


    "Then why are you angry?" Mezu asked, cutting Theo off.


    "Wha......t?"


    "If you thought I was just spewing out useless nonsense, then couldn''t you just ignore me?"


    "......No, you''re wrong. I......"


    "Oh, so you''re not even aware. That''s even worse. Let me ask something, is that brat of yours a messiah, or a master that you''ll serve for the rest of your life?"


    Theo had never even thought about that. Their Lord-dono was no different from a messiah who had ended their hellish days.


    "Now listen, A messiah and a master might seem like they''d bepatible, but they should never intertwine."


    "We......"


    "I see, Tessin would be worried for you. I''ll ask once again. What have you been learning?"


    Mezu''s question coiled around Theo, immobilizing him.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 50 - Reflection, Decision, Conclusion - Theo

    The Grune tribe were descendants of the former Radol dynasty. Theo Grune had been carrying forward the Grune Tribe''s prestige.


    Theo once had a family, a mother who conducted Radol rituals, a father, who was the suprememander of the Radol army, and a little sister.


    His mother Yuuri had been a kind and beautifuldy. She would always dote on him, his sister Lucia, and his childhood friend Calogero for as long as he could remember.


    Whereas his father, Tessin, could easily be described as a stern man. He would educate Theo in etiquette, martial arts, military tactics, horsemanship, and other skills that the tribal head would require.


    Looking back, Theo remembered being covered in bruises every day, but that was the happiest time of his life.


    However, they had friction with the empire, and it had been like that for the past three decades.


    Embers of conflict raged due to the deaths of young Radol men. To be more precise, they died due to shes with several other viges.


    These shes led several high rank nobles to their graves and three Radol viges beingpletely destroyed. Due to this, neither side could back down anymore.


    However, the thing that broke the equilibrium was the sudden disappearance of a certain vige.


    It was the vige called Elm, and was the hometown of the first Radol king and was often used as a site for conducting rituals.


    Though it was just a site for rituals and most of the time sacrifices weren''t even needed, on that day, it just so happened that priestesses from several tribes had arrived to conduct a ritual.


    The incident came to be known as ''The Massacre of Elm''. No valuables were touched, no women vited, they just killed and destroyed everything in their way. The only thing left remaining was an imperial g sticking out of the ground in the center of the vige.


    Naturally, the Radols began to prepare for war, and Theo, having lost his mother in that incident, was no different. Theo realized that he had an unbearable hatred towards the empire.


    However, the Supreme Commander Tessin firmly rejected the idea to wage war against the empire and even forbade it.


    His decision was absolute, but unrest began to grow.


    Then, when Theo was thirteen, that incident happened. Theo himself pulled the trigger that led to the Radols''s destruction.


    At that time, Theo had banded together with Calogero and some others to form a self-defense squad known as the Mountain King squad and was patrolling around with them.


    By chance, he spotted some imperials who had moved to the center of a mountain. He quickly went to report it, but was caught.


    The man who caught him exined that he was a fellow Radol and released Theo after saying, "This caravan is just a temporary measure for an epidemic. We''re just passing by so don''t tell anyone."


    At the time, Theo was a fool who couldn''t tell right from wrong and only had his ideals to hold him up. Although the man said that he was a Radol, he could only be a traitor if he was with the empire. Theo didn''t even look into the man''s words and just reported him to the army.


    As a result, a number of men disobeyed his father''s orders and attacked the caravan. Many innocent civilians and mercenary guards were killed as the Radols gained an overwhelming victory.


    As the Radols celebrated their victory, Theo proudly reported the events to his father.


    His father shouted, "You fool!! You''ve done the unforgivable!". His father beat him over and over.


    He saw his father crying while beating him and realized just how heavy a crime he hadmitted.


    The attack on the caravan crystallized into a decisive moment for the conflict between the empire and the Radols. One after another, the pacifist nobles began to change their minds.


    Things escted into an armed conflict as the two sides collided and the Radols suffered defeat and subordination to the empire.


    The empire enacted several policies which ensured that the Radols could never go against the empire again.


    They first dissolved the military tribes by relocating them to other territories as serfs and miners. Radols'' strengthy in their unity, so it was the first thing the empire aimed at.


    The second policy banished all Radols from their capital, Camelot. They stole everything they could from the capital and rooted out everyst bit of resistance.


    His father, Tessin, had forbidden any resistance, but many tribes rose up after no longer being able to bear the humiliation. However, they were promptly suppressed. Afterwards, all the rebels, including the women and children, were executed, striking fear into the hearts of those that remained.


    On top of that, they seized anything that could be called a weapon and created an anonymous report system. Now, the Radols were truly just a vassal state.


    During this terrible state of affairs, the wind began to change directions; arge number of undead had just been spotted northward, just outside of the Large Forest of Radoa. The undead swallowed up Camelot and extinguished the David Territory in an instant.


    Viscount David, who had tormented the Radols so much, had disappeared overnight. They had many spections about what had happened, but ultimately decided that the heavens had punished the Davids and the topic soon shifted to their next lord.


    It was at this moment that the Radols had probably lost theirst bit of resistance.


    The tragedy continued. Probably due to the disorder that the undead caused amongst the empire, their new lord didn''t show up.


    Instead, the Amrzs Kingdom invaded.


    The Archive Empire and the Amrzs Kingdom were originally separated by the Radoa Mountain Range. The forests to the east of the Radoa Mountain Range were technically Radolnds which were taken by the kingdom during the confusion of battle.


    As the suprememander, Tessin fought back with everything he had. But the empire had seized all their weapons, and more importantly, the Radols had no will to fight. They were easily defeated and ced under the control of the kingdom.


    The kingdom executed Tessin as he represented the Radol''s strongest military potential, took hostages from each tribe, and demanded sixty percent of all their stored food.


    Just handing away that much food would cause many to starve to death, but all the tribe heads and citizens obediently handed over their people and food.


    It was then that Theo experienced the Radols literally being turned into ves.


    Then, a single monster blew these thick, dark clouds away.


    That monster eliminated all the kingdom soldiers in Camelot on his own and summoned all heads of the tribes.


    There, the monster introduced himself as Grey, and dered that they would wage war against the kingdom in a threatening manner.


    He had annihted the troops stationed in Camelot, and soon the kingdom woulde marching in with a muchrger army. Their new lord, Grey, not only dered that he wouldn''t take part in the uing battle but demanded that the Radols deal with it themselves. Their food reserves had depleted, so in any case, the Radols had no other way to survive if they didn''t want to be turned into mere livestock.


    So, Theo took a once-in-a-lifetime gamble.


    Grey was an imperial citizen and the sessor to Viscount David, a man from the empire who had caused all these tragedies to befall on the Radols. Hence, no matter what Theo said, nobody would listen.


    Above all, the ve life had been ingrained in their bones; nobody woulde to arms under the pretense of fighting against the kingdom.


    When Theo exined that to the lord, thetter''s lips twisted into a smile so wicked that it would even scare a monster, and said to leave it to him.


    Afterwards, he gathered young men confident in their skills from each tribe and began his insane training.


    By the end of the training, each and every young man believed that their new lord was a reincarnation of the Wise Mountain King and began to adore him.


    Theo was no different. He began to think that if the lord came up with a n, it would lead to certain victory.


    It was probably because Theo was certain of victory and could calmly think things through, but now, he had an idea of why his lord had dered that there was food in Fort Arkroy.


    Truly, the Radols had escaped from their invisible chains and started to act like the mountain people they once were.


    Training began


    And not just for the young men. As they were shown downright ridiculous miracles one after another, and many new faces began to show up, and light began to reappear in their eyes.


    As war approached, almost all the soldiers began to call the lord ''Wise Mountain King'' and swore absolute loyalty to him.


    This wasn''t something that he had intentionally sought for, but something which had happened on its own.


    He was so abnormal that they couldn''t call him a human anymore.


    First, he created weapons on par with Materials.


    Second, he blessed the Radols, who should have originally had bad affinity towards magic, with magic through Material-like grimoires.


    Third, he constructed a nigh impregnable fortress atop the peak of the Radoa Mountain Range in just two weeks.


    Theo would haveughed at the very idea of any of those acts just a while ago, and his lord''s childish appearance would have made it even less credible.


    And so, his lord provided them with unity, the most essential quality they''d need for the fight against the kingdom. Finally, their war with the Amrzs Kingdom began.


    Everyone thought that the war would begin with a hard fight, but they were severely mistaken. The Radol army annihted the Amrzs Army which was over ten times their size and reimed their territory.


    Not a single person saw their lord as just an imperial.


    But that didn''t mean the Radols'' hatred for the imperials had disappeared. Word around the army was that their lord was not an imperial, but a heavenly being who had descended to save the Radols. Their beliefs had only been transposed.


    And truthfully, it might have even been the same for Theo.


    His lord was a messiah who had saved them from a nightmare that spanned dozens of years. He truly believed that.


    If they were hungry, he''d give them food. If they had no fort, he''d build one. If theirnd was taken, he''d take it back. He was an absolute existence who wouldn''t lose to any evil - a divine being. And if you only looked at the results, then he was right.


    But did his lord really want to be treated that way?


    In the first ce, why did he give the weapons to the Radols? Just a glimpse of his magic could destroy the kingdom''s army in a sh, so there shouldn''t have been a reason to go out of his way to give them weapons.


    Maybe he was trying to get them to find meaning in fighting for their own freedom.


    But why? It was simple: to drive away the servile nature that had embedded in them.


    But then, before the start of the war, why did he say, "I''ll take full responsibility of their massacre!"? Victory was the most important thing to drive away the Radol''s servile nature and that kind of consideration was unnecessary.


    "I feel like it''s connected somehow."


    When Theo was being beaten by his father, what was he trying to say?


    "I think......"


    "You fool! You''ve done the unforgivable! Someone has to take responsibility for the deaths of the innocent. Do you understand how heavy of a crime that is? It''s a crime so heavy you can''t make up for it, even if you atone for the rest of your life, no, even with your death. In your cowardice you have pushed the burden onto others. Do you even understand just how unforgivable of a betrayal that is!?"


    So that''s why his lord had said that he''d take full responsibility.


    He only saw his lord''s mysterious powers, and nothing else. Grey''s anger towards Zap was probably for the same reason as Theo''s father when he had beaten him.


    The Radols had killed thousands of kingdom soldiers during this war. Their enemies had families, lovers, and friends. It wasn''t hard to imagine the tragedies, and someone had to bear the responsibilities.


    He acknowledged those heavy burdens and chose to ept the thousands of tragedies into that tiny body of his. It didn''t take a genius to imagine how much those burdens would eat away at his heart.


    And yet he took responsibility. Unlike the cheap sense of justice and hypocrisy that Theo had entertained in the past, his lord fully realized that it was a war between people and that someone had to take responsibility.


    "Wise Mountain King? A messenger of God? Don''t make meugh! I''m just running away in the end!"


    A messiah would conveniently solve all their problems. It was the same as forcing him to ept all the consequences, good or bad.


    A ruler, on the other hand, was different. A vassal takes on a share of the ruler''s crimes and enjoys their sess together. Hence, they''re ipatible.


    Which would he choose? The answer was obvious. He would no longer push his responsibilities onto his lord.


    "Theo Grune''s title, ''Saved by''---'' has turned into ''---''s loyal subject.'' Additionally, ''Enlightened One - Brave Fighter'' has been fully released. As a result, Herculean Strength has evolved into Superhuman Strength."


    A female voice echoed in his head as his body was filled with an explosive strength. Theo used his strength to grab Mezu''s right ankle and threw him off.


    Mezu shot through the air, dexterously flipped andnded back on the ground.


    "Looks like you''ve found an answer," Mezu muttered with a smile as he looked towards Calogero who was trying to get up.


    "Thanks to you."


    "Good, good. Then let''s begin." He let out a chuckle before his entire mood shifted.


    Theo had started to get an idea of what kind of existence Mezu was.


    "Ah, I''ll have you be destroyed for my supreme master," said Theo.


    Mezu twirled his mallet around before shouting into the air. "Show me what you''ve got!!"


    And so, their final fight began.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Mezu gathered everyst bit of his strength to m his mallet down onto Theo.


    The mallet disced the air around it but Theo struck back with his left fist and sent his right towards Mezu''s abdomen.


    He heard the unpleasant sound of bones breaking beneath his fist as he spun on his right foot and gave a roundhouse kick to Mezu''s head.


    As Mezu flew back spinning and bouncing about, hundreds of golden rays flew after him.


    The smell of burnt flesh began to waft about.


    Immediately, Theo jumped to the ceiling, raised his right foot, and aimed down at Mezu''s head.


    Mezu raised his arms to try to block, but his arms snapped in two with a horrifying crunch and his head caved in.


    Then, as the ground trembled beneath him, he copsed.


    "Hm, I''ve been thoroughly defeated," Mezu said while vomiting blood. However, he seemed to look refreshed.


    "What are you......"


    "You decided to walk the path of carnage with your master, right? Then finish the job."


    "Of course."


    Theo struck his chest and Calogero followed suit.


    "This is my reward for your victory," Mezu said. "Hey, Tessin. Give them a farewell."


    "Yes, thanks for everything Mezu."


    "No need for thanks, it was a pleasant fight."


    Like a one-man show, his tone kept changing. Then, his face and body returned to the familiar form of Theo''s father.


    "Calogero, take care of Theo."


    "Supreme Commander......" Calogero nodded, breaking down in tears.


    Then, he turned towards Theo. "Theo, you''re all right now."


    They were warm, yet powerful words. Sadness, pain, and other emotions whirled around, whipping up a fierce storm inside Theo.


    "Theo, my beloved son. Have faith in yourself."


    "I will, old man."


    Then, with a satisfied smile, his father turned into dust.


    Theo wiped away the tears and bit down his lips. He could cryter. For now, saving Grey-sama was his top priority.


    "Let''s go." Theo walked forward.


    "Yeah." Calogero nodded and wiped away his tears before following after him.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 51 - Overwhelming - Kai Lodos

    "Is she really human?"


    Kai had asked himself this same question several times already.


    The monsters were relentless, but Sylphy dispatched them all with her sword.


    Kai couldn''t evenprehend the horned monsters which were being minced to pieces, let alone Sylphy''s sword, which had a long, transparent de. It was the first time he had seen such a beautiful sword.


    The finisher was dealt by someone cheering next to Nils''s head.


    "Hurray, hurray. Get em Mama, get em!" it said with a lovely voice.


    It was a small lizard with round eyes and tiny wings sprouting out of its back. Sylphy just said, "It''s one of my underlings, so don''t worry. Since you are weak, it will protect you." It looked just like a pet.


    At first, Kai hadn''t believed that such a small animal could fight, even if it was a dragon.


    But once he saw the lizard reduce the nearby monsters into ash, Kai realized that it really was truly a dragon.


    "Hey Little Dora, I appreciate the support, but could you stop with that cheering?" Sylphy said. "Also, stop calling me Mama!"


    "Eeeh, why? A part of Papa and Mama''s souls were used to create me~, so of course I''d be your child, right?"


    "That''spletely wrong! Technically, you''re just an underling. Besides, think what would happen if Master had heard your ramblings. Just thinking about what he would say makes me shiver......Don''t tell Master about this."


    "Hmm, you''re weird."


    "I can''t bear it anymore!" Roze [1] wailed from the side as she grabbed Little Dora and squeezed thetter into her plentiful chest.


    Roze blushed and her breathing became ragged. So she swung ''that'' way. Worn out from the way one of his colleagues was turning out, he straightened his thoughts.


    Currently, they were proceeding deeper into the castle while ying horned monsters left and right.


    Senior Officer Riemann hadpletely changed, and now they were in this mysterious space. The expeditionary force had probably been in the palms of that monster for quite a while now.


    Once he figured that out, the reason behind the strange actions of the other senior officers as ofte soon became clearer. And these monsters used to be---


    "You''re underestimating me!" Kai shouted with a lot more anger than he had intended. Everyone turned to look at him.


    "In a sense, your predictions are correct," Sylphy said.


    "Then what are these monsters?"


    "They''re your fellow kingdom soldiers."


    As he thought......she was quite informed about this irregr situation. Then, he had to ask. Depending on her answer, his future course could flip on his head. "Is the kingdom currently being controlled by monsters like those?"


    It was an insane question, but that small lord''s words weighed heavily on Kai''s shoulders and led him to a single conclusion.


    "If you look at the state of affairs, isn''t that obvious?"


    "Right."


    Then, since when!? This Radol expedition doesn''t seem that strange given the imperialistic trend which the kingdom had been following for the past few years. So ever since the kingdom began to expand its territory?


    No, that''s just way too long---


    "There''s still plenty of time. You can think about your mothend and what you''ll do in the futureter. By the way, we''re almost there." Sylphy pulled the door open, revealing a giant spacious room inside.


    "So you are the invaders Blue-Beard was talking about?" a handsome man with ck hair and slitted eyes deep inside the room asked.


    "That would be us," Sylphy replied with a wry smile.


    "I am Rashomon''s first boss, Kidoumaru. We''ll only know each other for a short while, but pleased to meet you." He gave a reverent bow before standing up and drawing a foreign de.


    "Good, let''s get this over with." Sylphy pointed her transparent sword towards Kidoumaru.


    "Hm!? You''re not a human?" He opened one eye and leered over her body.


    "What an unpleasant gaze, Stop" Sylphy twisted her face into a frown.


    "That body is built like a human woman, but the strength is on a whole different level. So you''re one of the paranormals of this world, eh?"


    "And what if I am?" She had gotten ticked off at some point, but Kidoumaru just responded with a grin.


    "Oh, just that you might be useful in that creepy experiment Blue-Beard''s currently carrying out. That''s all."


    "Creepy experiment!?" Sylphy asked, her irritation having disappeared.


    "He''s creating the ultimate vessel. Geez, if only we didn''t need you lesser life forms as ingredients for our possession, we wouldn''t have had to go and create a human farm."


    "......"


    Sylphy''s expression changed and she closed her mouth but Kidoumaru paid her no heed and continued with his monologue.


    "Possession requires the blood from you lesser life forms, moreover, we can''t create a suitable vessel without inducing certain emotions like fear and hatred. So annoying."


    From Kidoumaru''s ramblings, Kai began to get a faint understanding of this experiment.


    "What did you do to Riemann!!?" Nils demanded. She looked like she was about to burst out in tears.


    "Riemann? My deepest apologies, but I don''t remember the names ofb rats" he replied while knitting his eyebrows. Looks like he really didn''t know.


    "The owner of the body that Blue-Beard''s in!" she yelled to suppress her nausea.


    "Ah, that pitiful life form Blue-Beard set his eyes on. I heard that the host''s senses aren''t needed for the spell to reach max efficiency. He was wailing at first, but began to break down after killing some humans."


    "Wha......" Nils copsed to the floor. Roze pulled her into an embrace and red at Kidoumaru.


    "You called him pitiful but don''t you seem quite happy?" Sylphy asked quietly.


    "Well of course I''d enjoy watching you lesser life forms dance around with humiliation and betrayal. Taking a person''s lovers hostage and making them kill each other is just a riot to watch. Especially when the winning woman realizes that she''s already inside a demon''s stomach! Her face was so funny!"


    This man was truly insane, but it reassured Kai. If this man were truly human, then Kai wouldn''t be able to trust humans anymore.


    "Shut it." Sylphy''s pupils were filled with killing intent, and after a moment, Kidoumaru was enveloped in blue mes.


    "How rude of you to do that so suddenly---" he replied cheerfully. His eyes dyed red and the blue mes scattered. He patted his foreign clothes to get the soot off and stared at Sylphy. "What''s wrong? Are you angry? You''re weird. Neither of us are human, so why care about what happens to some bugs?"


    "Don''t group us together," Sylphy snarled back.


    "Sure, I guess that''s fine too. An inhabitant of a lesser world wouldn''t understand our ns anyways."


    "Yeah, not even in the slightest."


    "Then talking any more is pointless. Now here''s the deal, we want a powerful human for a vessel. Blue-Beard tried to infuse humans with the spice of emotion through Demon Possession, but they''ve all been failures so far. I''ve been telling him that expecting anything from these lesser life forms is a waste of time, but he just never learns. So, I''d like you to cooperate with us."


    "......" Sylphy remained silent.


    But as if he were going on a pic, Kidoumaru jovially continued his exnation. "I''ll have you mate with a human male and birth a child. The baby will have human blood, but will also possess a tough body and soul like you. Then it''ll be done once we use Demon Possession on that individual. So, good idea, right?" Kidoumaru let out a cackle.


    "Mama, that guy is creepy. Get him," Little Dora said while peeking outside of Roze''s chest.


    "I agree." Sylphy raised her left hand.


    "What''s wrong? It''s not like you have a choice, so after I''ve had my fun---huh? What''s that?"


    Kidoumaru''s eyes widened as he saw a red object in her left hand and red liquid tracing the path of Sylphy''s transparent sword.


    "Here, you can have it back," Sylphy said, throwing the red object back at him.


    "M-my eaar!!" Kidoumaru screamed as he cupped his hand over his gouged-out ear. Meanwhile, Sylphy stared at him emotionlessly if he were just a fly. "You lesser lifeform!!"


    Two horns sprouted from Kidoumaru''s forehead and his canines began to erge.


    That was probably his original form.


    "I thought I''d breed you since you were a rare species, but now I''ve changed my mind! After the demons make sport of you, I''ll chop you into pieces and feed the demons!"


    It sounded like the ramblings of a loser. Kidoumaru raised his sword in the air, but......


    "Ah?"


    His cheek twitched and his jaw dropped as he saw the still-pulsing piece of flesh in Sylphy''s hand.


    Arge hole had opened in his chest and blood was squirting out.


    Kidoumaru let out a pained shriek. "That''s---"


    "Want it back?" Sylphy carelessly threw his heart back at him.


    "S-stop that!!" Kidoumaru tried to reach out, but his heart was sliced into pieces mid-air.


    While blood rained down from above, Sylphy sheathed her transparent sword and Kidoumaru''s body turned to sand, crumbling to the ground.


    "So cool! Superb, Onee-sama!" Roze eximed. Onee-sama!? Just from appearances, you''re definitely the older one here.


    "Let''s keep going," Sylphy said, not bothering to hide her displeasure.


    "Are you angry, Onee-sama?"


    "Hmm, she''s probably---" Little Dora began, but quickly dived back into Roze''s chest after a quick re from Sylphy.


    "Hurry it up, otherwise I''ll leave you behind."


    Kai Lodos and the rest followed after her.


    [1] Sorry, dyslexia kicked in and I had been tranting Roze as Zero before. Corrected now.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 52 - High Maintenance

    On a screen floating in the air, I saw Sylphy gouge out the heart of a young, ck-haired demon and dice it into pieces.


    "I-impossible! Kidoumaru was killed in a single strike!? He''s the number one boss of Rashomon!"


    I wasn''t sure what he meant by number one boss, but that demon seemed quite powerful, yet he was easily ughtered. I always thought that she was all talk and was just drinking all day, but she was actually this powerful.


    Besides the horse-faced demon which was still in battle with Theo''s group, all the other bosses in his prided Rashomon, had been killed in an instant.


    The group of Kurama, Hachi, and Judo''s was especially brutal. They were so powerful that I almost felt sorry for their opponent.


    Anyways, putting aside Sylphy who had always been absurdly powerful, Aquido and the others were also quite strong. If just the fragments from the title, ''Human Realm'', led to this kind of rise in their strength, just imagine what would happen when it gets fully released......


    However, there''s no point in thinking about that.


    Theo''s group was stronger than the horse-faced demon and their fight would be ending soon. After that, they''d all appear at this ce, and Sylphy''s strength right now would not be any weaker than that of Blue-Beard.


    I wasn''t feeling proud of how I had to rely on everyone else, but this was pretty much a victory.


    "Isn''t it humorous?" I asked.


    The reconstruction of my mind and body via Human Realm had exhausted me, so I was currently in a grand tug-of-war with Blue-Beard''s spell. I normally wouldn''t have the liberty tough at others.


    "Shut up!" he yelled, punching me again. Still, my smile which had yet to disappear lit a fiery rage inside him. "You should be well past your limit, so why am I still not able to dominate you!?"


    "Well, that''s all that your spell amounts to in the end. Just give up."


    Blue-Beard grumbled for a moment, but knit his brows as a masked demon appeared at the corner of the screen.


    "What do you want!? Now''s not the time for this! Leave your stupid reports forter!"


    The masked demon remained silent for a while in front of Blue-Beard''s fit, but soon began to talk.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    "That fool!"


    If the masked demon had been here, Blue-Beard would have probably sent him flying with a punch to the face.


    "Alright, fine. You did well. Bring her here immediately," BlueBeard ordered the masked demon in a manner so calm that one wouldn''t believe how angry he had been just a moment ago.


    The screen turned into a struggling white-haired girl bound at the wrists.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "Grey-dono, are you okay!? You look so pale!" Lucia asked impatiently.


    Once she was brought over, she immediately clung onto me.


    "You idiot! Is this the time to be worrying about others?"


    She had probably heard that I had been captured and began scouting around the perimeter of Rashomon, unable to leave me alone. Seriously, dealing with her hurts my head, and it''s been like that ever since I met her; she never takes her own safety into ount either.


    "Sorry," Lucia replied sadly. I sighed and looked at Blue-Beard, who had been staring at us the whole time.


    "I''vee up with the best way to inflict despair onto you!" he dered, wriggling his body in the grossest way possible.


    "You couldn''t make me submit, so now you''ve set your eyes on a weak woman? Is this really the best you could think of?" I replied.


    Blue-Beard''s face twisted in anger. "No matter how you try to work your way out, it''s going to be the same for her. It''s not good to be a sore loser," he said, pointing his finger at me.


    "Grey-dono, don''t worry about what happens to---"


    "Lucia, it''ll getplicated if you talk, so please keep quiet," he cut her off. Seriously, when ites to this girl......


    "Seems like you''vee to ept it. Now then, please enjoy today''s main event." Blue-Beard snapped his fingers and a group of masked demons came staggering towards Lucia. "First up is a chorus of screams in front of the boy. Hmmm, how should I do this?"


    He paced back and forth in front of Lucia before snapping his fingers when he came across an idea.


    "How about I have an insect egg demony some eggs inside her? The eggs would hatch inside her body and devour her from within. Oh, but don''t worry. I''ll make sure to mince her up afterwards and feed her to you, bugs and all!"


    If you had something that exciting up your sleeves, then do that to me from the beginning. The torture I went through before was just so clich¨¦d - you didn''t even use any weapons or tools to hit me. Looks like your madness is all a facade. You''re like a kid who''s desperate to y the viin.


    "Let me go!" Lucia cried as she struggled under the masked demons.


    "Insect egg demon."


    A horned woman withpound eyes appeared. She walked up to Lucia and opened her mouth.


    Seeing the woman''s mouth split open all the way to her ears, Lucia let out a shrill scream.


    Then, a long round tongue extended out of the demon''s mouth and began to spit out eggs.


    "N-noooooo!!!"


    Well, she wasn''t prepared at all. I hope you''ve learned your lesson now.


    ---Geez, you''re so high-maintenance.


    Amidst my hazy consciousness, I sent out an order to Lucia and began to chant a spell. My body creaked and groaned as I chanted what was normally an easy spell and blood began leaking out of my skin.


    "A final struggle?" Blue-Beard mocked.


    I ignored him and quietly continued my chant.


    Blue Beard had probably cast several spells on me, but the reason my body was so battered up was most likely from the effects of Human Realm''s reconstruction of my body and soul. I could barely gather any strength, and a single wrong move could leavesting effects. At the very least, I wouldn''t be able to get out of this unscathed. In fact, the spell even had a chance of exploding in my face.


    ---I can''t be called a human anymore.


    With a wry smile, I finished my chant.


    "Invisible Labyrinth, Revised."


    Still Struggling, Lucia was enveloped in a golden light and the two demons restraining her and the woman withpound eyes disappeared.


    The next moment, my right side blew off.


    "Eh?"


    While blood sshed all over her, Lucia stared at me in shock.


    It was for times like these that I had developed the improved version of Invisible Labyrinth. It prevented all contact with the target for a period of time. While I reduced its effectiveness by limiting its range, it was iparably stronger than the original spell.


    "You b-bastard---!" Blue-Beard began to wail, but I ignored him.


    "And down you go." I plopped onto the ground.


    "Grey......dono?" Lucia reached out to touch me.


    "I put a barrier around you just now. Now listen, anything that touches you will be thrown off into another space. If you get rescued, then make sure to tell them that."


    She frantically retracted her hand.


    "N-noo!!" She fell on her butt and began to cry, while I just looked up.


    It''s not like it was all Lucia''s fault. I should have known how reckless she could be. It was my fault for not taking any measures to prevent this just because I was busy.


    But at this rate......Turning into the puppet of that small fry, Blue-Beard, didn''t sit well with me. However, that didn''t mean I wanted to choose suicide instead. I''m not like that.


    In any case, I can''t use recovery magic so I''ll bleed to death at this rate.


    It was a game against time.


    ---I''ll struggle till the very end.


    I sighed as Lucia continued to cry beside me, and my consciousness sank into darkness.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 53 - Find Happiness - Aquido

    After regrouping with everyone in front of a colossal ck metal door, we opened it up with the four keys we had gathered and stepped inside.


    There were long spiraled stone paths, and for some reason, we didn''t see a single demon inside. Anybody would have thought that it was a trap.


    That''s why-


    "Sylphy-san, why aren''t any demonsing to attack us?" Aquido asked Sylphy who kept walking silently.


    "......"


    She didn''t answer and kept walking down the stairs with a strange frown on her face.


    "Sylphy-san?"


    "Oh, yeah! What''s up?"


    Looks like she really hadn''t heard him. This wasn''t like her usual calm and collected self. What happened?


    "Like I was saying, why aren''t any demonsing to attack us?"


    "Who knows?"


    What a half-hearted answer. Usually, she would have given a concise reply or say that she couldn''t if she actually had no answer. A vague answer like this just didn''t suit her style.


    Her change had be noticeable after entering this spiral staircase.


    Maybe---


    "Did something happen to Grey?"


    She was able to send images to everyone. It wouldn''t be strange if she could contact Grey as well.


    "....... Sorry, I''m going on ahead!" Without waiting for a response, she rushed forward.


    However, Aquido grabbed her shoulder. "Going off on your own will just be ying into the hands of the enemy. We might find ourselves with another disaster if that happens. Weren''t you the one who said this before we came here? So, let''s avoid doing so and go together."


    "That''s......true." She drooped down her shoulders and nodded as if to reprimand herself.


    "Then let''s hurry forward," Judo said. "Hachi, carry Roze."


    "I don''t like the idea of someone that''s not my master riding me, but it''s an emergency, so I''ll let it slide."


    "Sylphy-san, I''ll leave Nils to you while I carry Kai."


    "Got it," Sylphy replied and charged down the spiral staircase.


    After walking for a long time, they finally arrived in front of a giant crimson stone door. Kai wondered if there was a key somewhere, but it simply opened up with a push.


    The room had tatami mat floors, and there was a white-hair girl crouched inside and crying, while their master was lying face up in a pool of blood.


    "Grey!" Sylphy cried and rushed towards him but her face wrinkled.


    She opened his shirt, ced her palm on his chest and began to cast a spell.


    A high-level rune, iprehensible to Aquido appeared, and after a moment, Grey''s wounds began to heal.


    "The enemy''s deeper inside! Be careful!!" Lucia shouted in anger. Immediately, countless green thorns poured down atop Sylphy and Grey. Aquido detected them right away and burned them up with his mes.


    Officer Riemann Chardonnay stood inside, wearing an ominous look.


    "Riemann!"


    Sylphy stood up like a puppet.


    "This isn''t good," Little Dora said, popping out of Roze''s chest. "Mama haspletely lost it!"


    "You bastard---" Riemann said.


    But, before he could finish, Sylphy threw her sword which pierced into his right shoulder and sent him flying, burying him in the wall. "Stop chirping about. I was wrong. I should kill you now."


    "Don''t look down on me!"


    Riemann swayed and released countless tentacles at her.


    However, not a single one reached her as they all went up into a blue me.


    "Impossible!"


    Sylphy gave him an icy re. "I won''t hesitate any longer. I''ll end this here."


    Then she raised her left hand.


    A thick blue mist began gathering around her into a ball.


    Some of the ball''s power snapped off, melting the ground, ceiling, and walls.


    "Hiieee!!" Riemann cried out like a pig.


    "Wait a moment!" Nils shouted, putting her arms out to cover him.


    "Step back! You know I don''t care about your life right now?"


    "I won''t move! Sylphy, you''re a kind person. You wouldn''t do this!"


    "You idiot!!"


    The tentacles that Riemann shot out pierced through Nils and went straight towards Sylphy but were once again incinerated by a blue me.


    "Look, the owner of that body''s been killed by that fool Blue-Beard long ago. He''s no longer in this world."


    "That can''t.......be true." Nils painfully staggered over to Riemann.


    "Nils! Stop now!" someone said.


    "Stop! Nils!" someone else added.


    "Sylphy''s right, you will die if we don''t get you patched up!?"


    "Just get back!"


    One by one, everyone tried to make here back, but Nils shook them all off and kept approaching Riemann.


    "Don''te any closer!" Riemann shouted as he desperately tried to escape.


    Then, Nils pulled him into an embrace. "It''s all right now, it must have been painful. I''m sorry I didn''t notice."


    She gently stroked the back of his head.


    "Stop! Get away!!"


    As Riemann struggled,rge teardrops pooled out of Riemann''s eyes and streamed down his face.


    "Don''t worry. I''lle with you."


    "Guwaaaaaaah!!" He kicked Nils away and howled up at the sky. Then he used everyst bit of his strength to pull out the sword stuck in his shoulder.


    "R-Riemann?"


    "Nils, find happiness" Riemann approached Nils with a gentle smile and, with a trembling hand, stroked her head.


    He pushed the sword into his throat and copsed.


    Blood gushed out of his throat and rippled like powdered snow.


    "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!"

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 54 - The Worst Outcome – Blue-Beard

    A murky darkness.


    "And I''m back to the damn starting point!"


    Just as he thought he had aplished his objective, everything vanished. And in the darkness, hemented this absurdity, crying "damn it all!!" into the sky.


    He thought he had obtained the best material when he firstid eyes on that impudent brat. When that person had given him the special ability ''Rashomon'', Blue-Beard had only dreamt ofpleting his goals and recklessly searched for any method to obtain the strongest demon.


    Rashomon needs the following three steps to gain control.


    First, the Blood Soul Cloth demonifies one''s body and soul, then he calls forward an actual demon via Demon Possession, which then possesses the body. The demons called forth can also be stored in different spaces called Demon Castles.


    The strength of the demon depends on the artificial demon''s vessel created by Blood Soul Cloth. Thus, the stronger the human, the higher quality and stronger the artificial demon will be.


    That brat was overwhelmingly stronger than any of this world''s other inhabitants.


    And the more negative emotions he evoked in that brat, the stronger the artificial demon would have been. He would have been the supreme vessel. And yet, Blue-Beard had lost his own body due to the actions of a certain fool named Riemann. Blood Soul Cloth could create two types of artificial demons: the type that could be remotely controlled, and a parasitic type that took control directly.


    While the remotely controble type didn''t care much aboutpatibility, the parasitic type had Blue-Beard''s soul directly poured inside the demonified body, thus needing highpatibility between their souls. So, finding a suitable body to take control of directly was incredibly difficult, but in exchange, he could freely modify the body.


    However, if the heart was destroyed like it had been earlier, everything would copse. That''s why Blue-Beard usually stored his heart in a string-like shape, so even if he received an attack, he could easily shift his heart''s position and prevent his body from copsing.


    Just earlier, the original owner, Riemann, had taken back control for a moment and stabbed himself in the neck.


    Since Blue-Beard didn''t have a physical body, he couldn''t move withouttching onto a body. And without manifesting in the world, he was reduced to observing from afar in this darkness. It wasn''t much different from death.


    Due to this, Blue-Beard always had several spare bodies in stock in the Amrzs Kingdom.


    "Thank God I left two bodies."


    He wouldtch onto a new body and take over.


    "Huh? Then what about the other?"


    He couldn''t find either of them.


    Some kind of temporary obstacle in the connection probably. It had never happened before though......


    ---Not good.


    Blue-Beard suddenly looked up and noticed several presences standing before him.


    Their upper halves were clouded in a thick, white mist and their faces were vague.


    "Who are you guys!?"


    One man stepped forward.


    --- Don''t be so cold, have you forgotten already? I''m the one you had demonified after toying with for who knows how long.


    What was happening? Well, this was kind of like Blue Beard''s mental world. Nobody could interfere at all, let alone a demonified soul. It was absolutely impossible.


    --- Your two bodies were destroyed by the strongest adventurer, Caesar himself.


    "How? The inferior people of this world couldn''t kill them before!"


    Blue-Beard had considered this possibility and had thus carefully hid the bodies. Besides, he had put his heart into these creations, so even if things evolved into a brawl, the bodies wouldn''t lose to the inhabitants of this world.


    --- How pitiful......


    He still couldn''t make out his face, but could vaguely make out his expression. Enraged, he shouted, "A mereb rat dares to pity me!"


    --- Oh inferior life form from another world, if you still can''t believe, then how would you exin not being able to possess those bodies?


    The voice contained not a hint of rage, hatred, or other negative emotions, but just a strong feeling of pity.


    "Stop speaking in that disgusting manner!"


    More than anything else, those words filled with pity scratched at thest bits of his heart.


    No wonder. After all---after all, he was---


    --- We''re the same as you. We all share the same heart and understand each other.


    "No! You all are feeble-minded, foolish and powerless livestock!"


    Understanding the livestock of this world? Never......He would never ept such a thing!


    --- You''re right. Understanding each other would require both of us to acknowledge the value of the other''s existence. You''re always trying to justify; you wouldn''t get it.


    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!!!"


    The more he shouted, the more he realized the emotions he had been suppressing all this time were bursting out.


    --- We never thought we''d understand you before we were invited here. We had only seen you as a heartless monster.


    Blue-Beard had a feeling he wouldn''t be able to move forward if he heard anymore.


    --- But not anymore, you have something you want to protect.......


    "Shut your mouth!!"


    --- Even if you have to sacrifice everything in this world.


    "Stooooopp!"


    --- We don''t hate you anymore; After all, we''ve experienced all your pain. We feel the same as her now.


    "Her......?"


    His head was all muddled up. If these guys were demonified souls, then how could they be so much at peace? Why weren''t they absolutely enraged and hurling insults at him?


    --- Let''s share our answers, Shian Aoba. We can leave the rest to her.


    "Why do you all know my name---"


    "Onii-chan."


    He heard a nostalgic voice from behind.


    "Impossible......"


    It was the voice he had most eagerly been waiting for.


    He turned his head around to see his only remaining rtive standing before him with her usual kind smile.


    "Thank you, but I''m fine now."


    "Wait! I''ll create the strongest vessel soon! Then I''ll be able to heal you!!"


    It had to happen. Shian had been the one to step into that ce out of curiosity after all.


    Shian had cried while holding a limp Kanna in his arms in that ce where everything had died. And he dered to that person, "She''ll definitely wake up if I fulfill the conditions."


    "That''s absolutely impossible." Kanna shook her head.


    "Why!? I''ll soon have the strongest demon, and then---"


    "After all, my body''s been long dead."


    "Dead......?"


    The word was stuck in his mouth, never even entering his brain.


    "Actually, it''s a lot worse than that." Kanna gave a sad smile as she scratched her cheek.


    "What does that mean!?"


    He shouldn''t have asked. He knew he shouldn''t have, but the words just slipped out.


    "Do you remember the day I was attacked by a demon?"


    "Y-yeah......"


    She was possessed by a demon god which rapidly drained her of her vitality. It was just a matter of time before she died. Then, that person forcefully put Kanna''s body and soul to sleep and gave Shian the abnormal ability, ''Rashomon''.


    Rashomon gave Shian the ability to understand the demon god''s intentions; upon creating an artificial demon suitable for the demon god, he was promised that the demon god would leave Kanna''s body.


    Ever since that day, Shian had been creating artificial demons using the inhabitants of this world along with the demon god.


    "The demon god had temporarily possessed my body, which had never changed. But from that time, I wasn''t a human anymore. Just like what you had done to all those people, I was also demonified." Kanna''s voice began to sound farther away.


    "There''s no way that''s true! I saw the miracle of you being healed from the brink of death with my very own eyes!"


    "That''s not it, my wounds were healed because that man-eating demon had possessed me and turned me into a demon. After all, they were the ones who had wounded me when I saw the massacre!"


    "You''re lying!!"


    There''s no way that it was true. That person had, although temporarily, saved Kanna from the brink of death. That person had weed Blue-Beard into the organization known as Hero''s Paradise and been so helpful. There''s no way that person could have done that.


    "I''m not, it''s the truth."


    "Guhu! Hwahaha! I see, I get it now! That brat created an illusion or something, didn''t he!?"


    "Onii-chan, I''m Sorry." Kanna neither affirmed nor denied his words, just drooped her head down sadly.


    "You.... weren''t....... lying?"


    As she nodded, he felt his very foundations begin to crumble beneath him.


    She was his one and only younger sister, more precious to him than even his own life. And she probably knew that. Shian just didn''t want to believe it.


    "Get......real. Then what have I been doing all this time---" In the face of a paralyzing void of pitch-ck emptiness, he slumped to the ground and covered his face with his hands.


    "Thanks to a certain person, I''m able to move in this form. I can''t do much, but I can at least tell you my feelings during this dream."


    "And that person destroyed my vessel as well?"


    "Yes, I didn''t want you to keep doing all those horrible things for my sake anymore."


    "Haha....... Right. It was over a long time ago."


    He neither burst into tears nor fury, but into a dryugh.


    "It''s not over yet. I''m not sure why, but my demon vessel and the soul of that boorish demon have quickly begun to assimte together. It will soon awaken, and don''t we have an obligation to prevent that from happening?"


    "Kanna, you really are the same as always."


    Ah, that''s right. She had a straight personality that didn''t bend, no matter what kind of tragedy she faced. Kanna had always been like that.


    "Onii-chan, I---"


    "I know, what should I do?"


    He didn''t think he would be forgiven after what he had done up until now, and it''s not like he felt like atoning to the people of this world. It was all for releasing Kanna.


    "I''ll take things from here." A man with a full-on wicked smile appeared in front of him.


    He wore a clown hat, white and red clothes, and had very peculiar makeup on his face like some kind of clown that would appear in a circus.


    "Who are you?"


    Given the timing, he was probably the man who had given Kanna the ability to move again.


    "I''m Greed. I want to get it out of the way first, but I''m just thoughts here, so I can''t interfere with the real world in any way."


    "And so?"


    "It''s regrettable. Even if you were just lucky, you''ve managed to corner him this much. Nobody else could have done it. I wouldn''t be surprised to see you joining our ranks if you don''t make any mistakes."


    "What should I do?"


    He was over with this worthless conversation.


    "What an impatient child."


    "......" Shian shrugged and Greed straightened his posture in response. He would finally begin with the important stuff.


    "First are the prerequisites, it looks like the demon''s soul within Rashomon has undergone a swift transformation, and Kanna, who had rejected the soul, has begun fusing with the vessel. We probably can''t stop this."


    "We can''t?"


    Then Shian, who could no longer affect the world, had nothing he could do.


    "Yes, I think his magic power affected it somehow. Geez, he''s bing even more of a monster."


    "I''d appreciate it if we could stay on topic!"


    "But of course. Um, let''s see, I want you toe and wake him up."


    "That brat?"


    He was the only one that made sense in context.


    "That''s right. If you wake that sleepyhead then this ce will be restored."


    After fighting that brat, Shian had realized just how abnormal he was.


    His speech and ability to think were so unlike a child''s, and his fighting prowess could only be called abnormal.


    The first time they met, Shian was so far below the brat''s mysterious abilities and had been toyed around with.


    The second time, the brat had lost his strength by chance and Shian had managed to capture him. If the brat had been at full strength, however, the tables would have turned in an instant.


    Shian couldn''t bring himself to like this brat. He was haughty, nothing managed to shake him, and was strong enough to carry out his words. His strength however, Shian could ce his faith in it.


    Besides, there was nothing to hesitate about. The Kanna before him was just a remnant of her soul, which meant that she hadn''t been fully released


    "How should I wake him up?"


    "By sacrificing him."


    "Sacrifice?"


    Greed gave a chilling smile. "Yes, sacrifice his soul."

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 55 - Demon God Manifestation – Aquido

    After Riemannmitted suicide, Aquido left Nils, who was weeping over the body, to Kai and Roze, and went to Lucia to ask what had happened.


    Lucia had been filing documents when she heard that Grey had been captured, she ignored the orders to retreat to Arkroy and immediately began looking into things.


    She went directly to the castle floating above Silke where she was abducted by a demon and brought to this prison.


    There she saw Grey, who had a red thread wrapped around his neck. Riemann Chardonnay forcefully fed her a monster''s egg when Grey used a barrier spell and was blown back.


    Aquido and the rest hade soon after.


    After Lucia finished, Sylphy massaged her eyes while sighing and then snapped her fingers.


    The barrier protecting Lucia immediately shattered like ss.


    "You said your name was Lucia, refrain from acting on your own," Sylphy gently warned and patted her on the head a few times.


    "Yeess" Tears began to pool out of her eyes as she nodded and ran towards Grey, who still hadn''t regained consciousness.


    "Since we''ve saved Master, let''s go back to Fort Silke for now," said Sylphy.


    "Sylphy-dono, there''s a female prisoner in the room further inside." Theo reported after having scouted this bottom-mostyer. There were two doors on this floor.


    The first led to the stone corridor Aquido and the others hade from. The other was located on the opposite side, it was a giant door connected to a long stone pathway inside.


    "A woman?" Sylphy asked.


    "A young woman with ck hair."


    Sylphy knit her brows and ced a hand on her jaw in thought. "Leave her to me, you guys should prepare to leave......"


    However, before she could finish, a thunderous earthquake shook the building, it gradually kept strengthening until they could no longer stand.


    "This shaking....... the space itself is cracking, probably because of that......" Sylphy looked towards the room Theo had juste out of and saw a pair of eyes glinting from inside.


    A thick, purple fog poured out of its gaze, and---


    Tap! Tap!


    Sound of footsteps came from the stone path and gradually approached the room.


    "What is that!?" Aquido thought, although instinctually he already knew.


    He felt an intense pressure descend upon him like his entire body was being squeezed by a giant hand. Even if he had received that abnormal power from Grey, he certainly couldn''t beat that!


    Sylphy picked Grey up, snapped her fingers and calmly ordered, "Take Grey and get out of here!"


    In an instant, a bluish membrane appeared just like the one when they had first raided the castle, enveloped them.


    "You can''t, you just can''t. I won''t let you." a female voice dered. The next moment, the blue membrane popped like a bubble.


    "So that''s no good......" Sylphy muttered with resignation. It wasn''t funny, only Sylphy or Grey would be able to stand up against that.


    Aquido asked for his next orders. "Sylphy---!" His mouth mmed up. She was so strong, but still looked horrified as she stared past the door.


    "Stop spacing out! This domain is going to copse soon. Hachi, do you have any flying spells?"


    There were cracks forming on the ground, walls, and even the ceiling. And with each sessive rumble, they were deepening.


    "I do"


    "Then take Grey down and get away from here!" Aquidomanded, handing off Grey.


    "What about Sylphy-san?"


    "I''ll buy some time. I''m not confident, but Master''s life is at stake here, so I''ll go all out." Sylphy pointed her sword towards the door.


    The burning pressure that apanied the footsteps gradually increased, and then, the door opened.


    "Ugh......"


    The person who stepped out of the room looked like a teenager, and she had long ck hair that extended down to her knees.


    She hadrge eyes and a small stature. Aquido didn''t find her to be that strong at first nce.


    However, the red haze that wrapped around her like mes, turned the stone walls, ceiling, and even the metal door into sand.


    Aquido felt like he had been thrown into the same cage as a starving beast.


    "......"


    He frantically tried to say something, but words got caught in his throat and could only gasp.


    "There seems to be some human livestock that''s worth eating." The girl looked at them and bit her lip. "Hmm!? Something strange seems to be mixed in."


    She narrowed her crimson eyes and began inspecting Sylphy, Hachi, and Kama.


    "Your vessels aren''t human, but something very simr. Inside is---Ahaha!"


    Her face morphed into pure ecstasy asughter escaped from her mouth.


    She barely paid any attention to Aquido and the others as she ced her hand on her chin and continued tough.


    "Splendid, I wonder how your body and soul will taste. First let me get a taste of the body."


    She licked her lips and moved the object in her hand to her mouth.


    "Kuh!?" Sylphy kneeled down on one knee as fresh blood began bursting out.


    "Mama!"


    "Onee-sama!"


    Little Dora and Roze ran towards Sylphy.


    Rip! Crunch!


    Although it looked way too small, was the arm the girl chewing on Sylphy''s?


    "Deeelicious!!" the girl howled at the sky with blood all over her mouth. "Magnificent. You guys are the most---"


    A blue me stormed out from Sylphy and swallowed up the ck-haired girl.


    "Woah!"


    The hot winds rushing towards everyone else were suddenly restrained.


    Then, amidst the blue mes appeared a blue-haired girl, who seemed to be around the same age as Grey. She wore short pants and a simrly short jacket. She was showing so much skin that Aquido didn''t even know where to look and was ring at the other girl like a hawk.


    "Is that you......Sylphy-san!?"


    It couldn''t have been anyone else. But her appearance, height, and build were all starkly different. She used to be a woman in her prime, but now she was a child no older than Grey.


    "Can''t you tell!" the blue-haired girl spat out, seemingly in a bad mood.


    "I can''t, that''s why I asked......" Aquido eximed. Everyone else nodded in agreement.


    "That''s Mama''s original form. She wanted to look like an older sister with an attractive figure, so she created that form through an illusion" Little Dora exined.


    "Why go so far?" Judo asked.


    The human-eating monster continued to chew on Sylphy''s left arm. It was a maddening situation. Indeed, Kai and Roze were shaking so much that they couldn''t even stand.


    Judo''s calmness probably stemmed from having lived alongside the abnormality that was Grey for so long and thus having built up a resistance towards these kinds of things.


    "Ummm, so you see, Mama doesn''t like that form. It''s because---"


    "Little Dora" Sylphy red at her, who shrugged and dived back into Roze''s chest. "It''s an unfamiliar spell, but now I can go all out in this form. I''ll be an Enlightened One and draw out everyst bit of my power to cut you down."


    Sylphy grit her teeth, then lowered her body and readied her sword.


    The girl whispered, "What a cheerful piece of meat, your left arm was so thick with magic that it just melted in my mouth."


    "Well thank you."


    "Yep, Now let''s see. It looks like you can regenerate, so I''ll let you live as my bento."


    "I''ll return once I''ve had my fill. You guys go ahead and retreat for now," Sylphy said, ignoring the ck-haired girl. She pointed her hand at them and they were once again enveloped in a blue membrane.


    "Idiot, you think I''d let my precious feast get away?" The ck-haired girl casually stuck out her right hand and slowly made a grabbing gesture.


    The blue membrane creaked as it distorted, but this time, it didn''t break.


    "Ho, what a tenacious barrier. To think that even I can''t break it. Alright, fine. You''ve piqued my [1] interest now!!"


    Her and Sylphy''s figures disappeared, and a strong wind burst out which threatened to topple everyone over.


    "Get away from here and follow Master''s orders!! Only he can destroy this person!" Sylphymanded from amidst the raging winds. The blue membrane prated through the ground and descended.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Aquido and the others sted through the ground and continued to go deeper and deeper until they finally escaped from the foreign-looking castle.


    Goosebumps appeared all over as they soon fell down from the sky.


    They didn''t even have time to scream as the blue membrane rapidly descended before graduallying to a halt.


    Hachi''s veins were bulging all over and he was sweating profusely, probably because he was the one who had slowed them down.


    "Hurry, teleport!" Hachi shouted, his voice cracking. Judo quickly began to teleport.


    The foreign-looking castle high in the skies burst into dust and was blown away.


    The strong winds opened up his view.


    "Mamaaaa!!" Little Dora shouted impatiently. There in the sky, Sylphy was covered in blood and her throat was tightly gripped by the ck-haired girl.


    [1] First time she''s referred to herself, and she uses ''Ore'', a masculine way to refer to oneself like ''I''.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 56 - Way of Life

    I was lying face-up in seemingly never-ending darkness.


    I was surrounded by darkness, but it didn''t feel like I was at the bottom of the cold ocean floor, but rather like being sprawled out on awn during the beginning of spring.


    It felt refreshing.


    "Hey!"


    I was disturbed by a creepy-looking clown standing in front of me.


    "There''s some strange filth here" I muttered.


    A disgusting appearance as usual. It''s not like he looked ugly on purpose---I just couldn''t not see him like this anymore.


    "Wow, you remember me!?"


    "I guess"


    Like I could forget someone like him. Well, I''m sure I''ll forget before long.


    "So, what do you want?". Though he was an unpleasant guy, he didn''t just go out without any reason.


    "Do you know what''s happening outside?"


    "Roughly."


    When I acquired the power of Human Realm, I was captured by that small fry, Blue-Beard, much to my displeasure. I escaped to this imaginary realm after exhausting both my mind and body to save Lucia.


    I could onlyugh at my clumsiness. I made no thought for what would happen if my abilities were restricted, and had interacted with so many people. It waszy of me.


    "Then it saves us time. I think I''ll lend you some strength, but just this time."


    Honestly, I''d rather not borrow his power, let alone even interact with him again.


    "That''s not necessary."


    "Looks like I''m hated, but is it really alright? At this rate your friends will get injured, or even die."


    "It''ll serve as a good lesson for me."


    "I see, you''re still not being honest with your feelings, even after death," he replied, shrugging in irritation.


    "That so?" I asked.


    "Yes it is. But you see, I don''t actually need to convince you."


    "Can you please organize your thoughts before talking?"


    He paid my sarcasm no mind and continued. "You won''t abandon your family or your friends. No, you can''t. And even if you could, you''re not there. You''re probably thinking that those children can deal with the likes of someone like Blue-Beard by themselves, aren''t you?"


    "......"


    Sylphy was on apletely different level of strength, and she would never lose to someone of Blue-Beard''s caliber.


    "Unfortunately for you, a legendary demon has appeared."


    "A legendary demon!?"


    "Yeah, a ridiculous fool who calls himself the ''Demon God''."


    He probably wouldn''t want to hear this guy calling him a ridiculous fool.


    "Stop putting on airs. So, how strong is it?" I asked.


    "Themittee has deemed him a Rank S cmity."


    "Rank S......"


    A Rank S cmity was a bit too much for those guys. In fact, they''d get ughtered in an instant.


    "Have you decided to listen now?"


    "Continue."


    The shitty clown broke into a smirk. "But before that, there''s a child I want you to meet."


    He looked behind his shoulder and closed one eye, disappearing like smoke.


    In his ce stood a young man with blue hair and an unshaven beard.


    "Are you that brat?" he asked.


    "I certainly am."


    Judging by the flow of conversation, this was probably Blue Beard''s original form.


    "So that cheeky brat was a middle-aged man the whole time, I''m speechless" he said, exaggeratedly shaking his head back and forth.


    "No, no, no. I''m the one who''s amazed how you can act so clich¨¦d about despair and such at your age."


    "I wasn''t acting though." his face twitched.


    "Sorry, but true evil, like the filth that enticed you, never brags about their crimes."


    Repentance was mainly addressing how you were conscious of your crimes. But true evil, like ''greed'', breathed tragedy and disaster.


    Even though their actions resulted in the loss of so many lives and caused many to weep, they believed it was necessary. Thus, they didn''t have any concept for their crimes and just yed their part in the tragic y with indifference.


    Well, I had forgotten this obvious truth. Maybe because I hadn''t encountered true evil, or because my body and mind were affected. Nevertheless, I didn''t hold much interest.


    "Am I not evil?"


    "You are, you give off an evil stink, simr to ours. However, from my point of view, you''re nothing more than a small viin."


    As inexperienced as I have been, I had still noticed something off about Blue-Beard at the end.


    "A small viin, huh......You say that so easily......but I stole so many lives, and tormented even more," Blue Beard said. Then he hung his head and sighed.


    "By the way, do you regret anything you''ve done in this world?" I asked.


    "I would be lying if I said no." His face twisted with sadness. I didn''t have to ask anything else.


    Still, his thoughts seemed to have gone astray, just like a young man''s.


    "Let me say this; Being conscious of your crimes, and regretting them are two different things. All humans have the former, you wouldn''t be a human otherwise.


    Yes, therein lies the difference between monsters and humans. We generally called those who weren''t conscious of their crimes ''Monsters''.


    "My actions caused so many to lose their lives after all," he replied.


    "Hm, then let me ask this, if you were once again in the same situation, would you choose to do something different?"


    "That''s......" Blue-Beard bit his lower lip and shook his head. "I would probably do the same thing."


    They were grim, but powerful words.


    "I see, so you do not regret it."


    "I don''t......!? No! Every day, I---"


    "I''m not a fan of repeating myself. You are conscious of your crimes but don''t regret them. You try your best while living in agony. No matter how unscrupulous and unforgiveable the crime, you fight to protect what''s important to you till the very end. Truthfully, I can only hate you, but I at least respect where you''reing from."


    Blue-Beard was shocked and stared down at me.


    "What, what''s with that look?"


    I gave a dryugh. "Is it that weird?"


    "Yes, it really is. But in the end, I still hate you."


    "What a coincidence, Me too."


    "Haha, we can at least agree on that."


    "Regrettably."


    "Greed, I leave the rest to you!" Blue-Beard shouted after nimbly turning around. "You!?"


    And that horrible clown''s name appeared once again. There was nothing more ominous.


    "For dozens of years, those were the words I had wanted to hear most," Blue-Beard said. He burst into a warmugh before suddenly shing brightly.


    I knit my eyebrows. "Hey! Who are you---?" I asked. After all, he had the face of an idiot who had thrown away his regrets he used to despise so much.


    "Thanks"


    And with that final word, Blue-Beard burst into beads of light.


    "Wha!?"


    He entered my consciousness.


    "I see, so that''s how it was!! Greeeed!"


    I finally began to understand his intentions and yelled out with resentment.


    The horrible clown appeared from amidst the darkness.


    "Why, aren''t you the mad one?"


    "Of course, I am. How much more will you mock me before you''re satisfied."


    "Sorry, but now you can move, right?"


    I jumped forward and grabbed Greed, who was maniacally cackling, by the cor, and shouted, "Yeah! thanks to that young man''s sacrifice!"


    "Regardless of his reasons, hemitted too many crimes. I thought you knew that saving him was hopeless?"


    "Even so, using him for my revival was going too far!"


    My hibernation had most likely been caused by the title ''Human Realm'' reconstructing my body and mind, not Blue-Beard''s demonification.


    My body and mind were changing, and I''d need an enormous amount of energy. Greed had tricked Blue-Beard into using his life force topensate for that energy I needed. Simply put, it was like throwing a piece of wood into the fire; it would greatly increase the efficiency.


    "His life was already used for your recovery. It''s toote to reverse that now. So, will you let your friends die, or will you destroy that foolish demon and save them. Those are your only options."


    "You bastard......"


    He was threatening me. "You haven''t changed Greed. You always did anything it took toplete your objectives."


    "I''ve also given you his sole desire."


    "His sole desire?".


    "Yes, ''Please take care of my sister.'' It was his final wish."


    "Can she be saved?"


    "She''s already been demonified. Do you think she can?"


    "No, it''s impossible."


    My guess was that only the dead could be fully demonified, so his sister was already dead. You can''t bring the dead back to life; it was an absolute and sacred rule of this world. The most I could do now was to send her off. I see, what a shitty situation I''ve found myself in.


    "Now you can probably use that ridiculous ability of yours. Well, I wish you luck."


    The disgusting clown who I still had in my grips suddenly disappeared, and I returned to the silent darkness once again. Then, an image appeared before my eyes.


    ©– Mission: y the Demon God.


    ©– Exnation: y Shuten-douji, the Demon God who has incarnated in Alteria.


    ©– Mission Rank: S


    I had already broken off with that shitty organization. Who gives a shit about a mission?


    Well, whatever. I had plenty to gain this time, so I''ll do as he wants for now.


    Now let''s go and investigate.


    ©– Title: Human Realm


    ©– Exnation: One of the sixfold paths that all beings eventually obtain as a result of their karma - the ultimate path. Also, the sole path to liberation from suffering and bing a Buddha.


    ©– Passive Effect:


    ?Perfectly Enlightened One: Forcefully enlighten those connected to your soul.


    ?True Crushing Evil and Spreading Truth: Gain an overwhelming superiority against hidden evils. When faced against hidden evils, all stats will increase remarkably and all attacks will be critical. Additionally, ''Crushing Evil'' remarkably elevates growth rate.


    ©– Special Effect: Gain the ability to use ''Liberation''. However, it can only be used once per day, and the usage of all gifts, powers, and magic will be restricted for 24 hours after use.


    That basically meant I gained superiority against all monsters. This will prove very useful.


    Honestly, I could easily destroy that simple fool right now. The problem was that I''d lose all my memories if I left this deep territory. I would lose if I reverted back to my immature body and mind.


    That meant the path to escapey with Liberation.


    I really didn''t want to rely on this ability, but I couldn''t let things end here. I didn''t have the time to be worrying about my methods.


    Besides, getting past this predicament would mean that I would retain my mind and my previous senses would automatically return.


    "Then let''s start."


    I activated ''Liberation'' and returned to reality.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 57 - Demon God VS Investigator (Brain Monster)

    I opened my eyes and found myself floating in the air.


    I looked around and saw everyone staring at me.


    "Grey-dono!......Is that you?" Lucia asked as she wiped the tears off her face.


    "Of course it is."


    "So it really is you" Aquido replied, his face twitching as he knit his eyebrows and looked around.


    Some of them were staring with their mouth wide open, some looked surprised, and the others were dumbfounded. Was I missing something?


    I lowered my gaze to make sure that I looked the same as usual. Hmm! Did I be younger? The bounciness of my skin made me think that I was in my teens.


    "Wait a moment!"


    I couldn''t think straight after having just woken up. I was really confused to be honest. Well, let''s start over once more. My name is Grey, and my body is 13 years old. However, my bone structure makes me think as if I''m closer to seventeen or eighteen. Moreover, I have absolutely no recollection of where this birthmark on my right hand came from.


    This meant that -


    "I''m in a younger form of when I was Sagami Shirabe."


    It was probably due to Liberation.


    I had both Grey''s and Sagami Shirabe''s memories. These memoriesyered up in conflict and gave me a peculiar sense of unease.


    But that wasn''t all,


    I looked at the ck-haired girl who held the blue-haired girl''s neck in her grip, then turned to Kurama, who seemed to be the most level-headed person here and asked "Is that the extermination target?"


    Kurama closed his gaping mouth, "I think that''s the person who created this space."


    "Judo, go ahead and return for now."


    "What about you, Grey-dono!?"


    I lightly pat Lucia''s head as she was clinging to me and replied with a smile, "I''ll return once I finish up some business."


    Judo nodded and resumed casting teleportation.


    Now then, it was time to exterminate this bug.


    I created giant invisible spherical spaces which covered the entirety of Silke. Looks like I can use my abilities. Since Grey''s memories were ovepping with mine, I found that I could also use this mysterious power known as magic.


    "Let''s start, shall we."


    As soon as I stored the space between myself and the blue-haired girl, the world around me distorted, and I found myself face-to-face with the ck-haired girl.


    "Wha!?"


    I grabbed her by the wrist, "You can have this back."


    I released the space I had stored just a moment ago at her.


    An enormous volume of air instantly appeared out her wrist and sent her flying back.


    "Uooooooooooooooooohhh!!"


    The ck-haired girl let out a strange scream as she was sted away and crashed into the ground.


    The wrist that was gripping the blue-haired girl''s neck turned to dust and she began to fall so I pulled her up.


    "Master......is that you?"


    "Hmm, does that mean you''re Sylphy?"


    Damn, it hadn''t even been that long since we hadst seen each other, and now she had shrunk. Well, I didn''t really care about how she looked.


    "I am ashamed" Sylphy''s head drooped down in frustration.


    I handed her off to Judo, "Please take care of her."


    "Boss, please exin afterwards."


    "Yeah, I''ll handle it."


    I wasn''t positive, but that shitty clown was also participating. I''d soon forget about this mission and whatnot after the fight.


    "Godspeed!"


    And with that, Judopleted his teleportation and all of them disappeared.


    Since Hachi was no longer here, I began to fall.


    I stored the space several meters in front of the falling demon. My view distorted once again and the ck-haired girl red at me as she flicked away the fresh blood on her wrist.


    "Food, what did you do?"


    Is she an idiot? Did she really think I''d give her a rundown of my ability in the midst of battle?


    "Give it up, you can''t run anymore."


    I wasn''t putting on airs or anything; it was simply the truth. She wasn''t up against Grey, but me, Sagami Shirabe, so her end was unavoidable.


    "Run!? Me, Run?!!" Several veins began to bulge on her beautiful face as she roared and began frothing at the mouth.


    Her severed arm began to reform, and all of her limbs began expanding and developing. Her face turned from that of a beautiful girl to a dreadful looking man.


    He created new clothes to wear and transformed into a young man with red hair wearing hunting clothes.


    Two horns sprouted from his head. Those, as well as his sharp canines and ws, made me feel like this was his original appearance.


    He drew a beautiful de from his waist and pointed it in the wrong direction. Then, the top of thergest government building in Fort Silke began sliding, having been sliced diagonally.


    After it crashed into the ground, the demon smirked. "So?"


    "What do you mean ''So''?......"


    Constructing that building had taken quite a lot of resources and manpower. I found it disturbing that he would just destroy it on a whim and wished that he hadn''t.


    "It''s an electrifying sh with enough power to cleanly slice a building in two! Didn''t you see? I get it. I get it you know. You''re afraid!! Despairing!!"


    What? This happy-go-lucky nobody was......this wouldn''t even be a fight at this rate.


    "Alright, I''ll face you. So hurry up ande at me."


    I cockily taunted him with my hand. His eyes red with a dangerous glint, but soon curled upwards with a smile as he kicked off the ground and instantly closed the distance with his katana.


    He certainly had enough strength to boast about.


    "Woah" I turned my right shoulder towards him and dodged, while at the same time, took out the dagger from my item box and stabbed it in his stomach.


    ng!


    My dagger burst into shards.


    What a brittle weapon, that''s not good.


    "Oh, lesser lifeform, have you finally begun to realize? I can''t be hurt by a piece of scrap metal!"


    "Or so it appears"


    If I didn''t have a weapon, then I could just make one with my ability.


    I grabbed a spare dagger, iron, and steel from my item box, and stored them into the ''Eternal Workshop''. I''d put everything into making it as sturdy as possible. It didn''t matter if it could cut or not; its sharpness had no effect on my winning chances.


    The words "30 seconds" appeared in front of my eyes. Well, that''s fast.


    "Then cry all you want!" Shuten-douji shouted, and came charging towards me with a katana in both hands.


    His katanas carved a strange trajectory, but I twisted my body and jumped up, dodging his attacks.


    "I won''t let up!"


    Thankfully, his sword skills were crude, his hopes were shattered as he cut through the air.


    I heard a pleasant ding in my head.


    Looks like it''s done.


    I took out the fresh sword from the ''Eternal Workshop'' and began analyzing it.


    ©– Way-Too-Tough Sword: A sword specialized only in durability and strength. Basically, it cannot cut.


    ©– Rank: B


    What a literal name. Well, it''s fine, I''d just beat him to death with this; so it was more than enough.


    "It will be the same no matter how many swords you pull out!!" Shuten-doji mocked. He swung his sword down diagonally, which I easily blocked with my Way-Too-Tough Sword.


    "Wha!?"


    While he was dumbfounded, I swung sideways at his stomach.


    He groaned as my sword sunk into his stomach and blew him away. He mmed into the wall behind him and copsed.


    "Ah, shit. I should have considered how much power I put in."


    I put the sword on my shoulder and jumped towards where he had been sted back.


    "Urgh......" He vomited all over the ground while crawling around in pain.


    So even demons can vomit.


    "Reflexes, muscles, endurance and skill. You''recking in everything. Sorry, but there''s quite a few people of your level here," I said, smacking his chin upwards with my sword.


    He flew upwards before gravity made him fall back down.


    As he fell down, I casually swung at his face as if ying baseball.


    My sh, which was severelycking in cutting power,nded a clean hit on his chest.


    With a boom, he was sted back and crashed into the cliff, sending out clouds of dust.


    "Damn youuu!!!" He screamed. His eyes turned bloodshot as he wrenched himself out of the cliff and shot towards me.


    Once he got close enough, he swung at my neck, but I blocked his sword with my Way-Too-Tough Sword and palmed his face with my other hand.


    His nose caved in and he bounced backwards several times beforeing to a stop.


    "You''re ill-prepared, in more ways than one. You don''t think when you act, and you''re not strong enough to kill me."


    "Kill......Kill! Kill! I''ll kill you!!"


    "That''s not something you should say before you can actually do it."


    I pointed my sword at him and he froze. Then, he flushed red with embarrassment.


    "I''m done ying now!"


    Suddenly, he pointed at me. A chill ran down my spine and all color and sound suddenly disappeared as time seemingly grinded to a halt.


    I could see the individual beads of sand dancing in the air. This wasn''t anything as grand as the enemy''s attack or my ability; they were just my natural instincts.


    Ever since I had stepped foot into hell as a child, my visual acuity drastically shoots up during times of crises.


    "So this was his ability......"


    A ray of lighting out of his left index finger slowly drifted towards my temple. The amount that my visual acuity increased was in proportion to the strength of my body like agility, so right now his movements are akin to a still mosquito''s.


    With my senses in this slow-motion world, I have no doubt that the red beaming towards me is dangerous. I''ve started to get a little interested in this ability, what with how confident he is on top of everything.


    However, I wasn''t as foolish as to stoop low enough to analyze my own body.


    "I guess I''ll enlist his help."


    I stored his entire right arm, sword and all, into the ''Eternal Workshop'' andbined it with the Way-Too-Tough Sword to create an entirely new one.


    At the same time, I released his right arm in the path of that red beam.


    The red beam illuminated his arm and gouged out arge piece that teleported over to his left hand.


    I see, teleportation between two points. So that''s his trump card.


    But adding that useless illumination makes it useless for battle.


    What a waste, it could have been a powerful ability if he didn''t mess it up like that......


    "Ahhhhhhh!!" He gripped his right arm. "Y-y-you. What did you do?"


    "Ah, my ability?" I then stored his left arm and released it with his hand raised.


    "Guhiiiiii!" he screamed. And while writhing in pain, he looked at me with an intense fear in his eyes.


    "Do you finally understand?"


    "Ugh......" he moaned as he tried to step back.


    "Hey" I had stored the space between us so now we were face to face.


    "Eeeek!" he shrieked, falling on his butt when I heard a ding. Looks like my specially-made weapon is done.


    I took out a sword shaped like a katana from the workspace. It had a transparent de seeped in red with geometric patterns constantly wriggling about.


    ©– Demonic Sword Muramasa: A demonic sword with its own will. It will use the wielder''s HP and MP to produce a special effect. Grows stronger by sucking up the souls of enemies.


    ©– Rank: S


    So, it grows stronger. His sword must have already been quite a famous one.


    "Sorry, but I can''t leave a man-eating demon like you alive."


    I raised Muramasa in the air, and a torrent of red light began rushing through the de.


    "Uwaaaaaahh!!" He turned his back towards me and ran with everything he had, but I simply swung down.


    Then, with a thunderous crackle, it blew everything above ground and drove itself deep into the y-colored ground.


    The light erased the building, which was now in tatters, Shuten-doji and all.


    "Geez, it''s finally over."


    Time was almost up. As my consciousness was fading away, a smiling ck-haired girl appeared before me.


    "Thank you." She bowed towards me before disappearing into smoke.


    "Have a safe trip."


    And with those final parting words, I once again fell unconscious.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 58 - Monster

    "Kuhahaha....Finally! I''ve finally incarnated!!" Shuten-doji cried out in delight. "Now I can move about in the human world; I don''t have to obey that human organization anymore!"


    His current magic power and physical strength were on the same level as they were in the demon world.


    Shuten-doji was a ''Demon God'', a title given to the ten strongest demons in the demon world. Even a single Demon God had enough strength that they could drown the human world in a sea of mes.


    "I thought I was a goner for a second, but I managed to obtain an amazing vessel. It was worth all the trouble."


    In the past, Shuten-doji had been summoned by that guy, who had requested that they berades.


    Humans were nothing more than food to Shuten-doji, who was appalled by that guy''s offer.


    Naturally, he tried to kill his foolish summoner and return to the demon world, but that guy proposed a certain offer, that he would provide Shuten-doji a body to freely move about in the human world.


    It was impossible to transport their real bodies to the human world, so the demons could only move about in soul form. Though they could still produce a temporary body with magic power and thus weren''t that inconvenienced.


    However, the created body was just magic power supplementing the soul. The magic power would dry up after a few days and the bodies would perish, forcefully returning them to the demon world.


    So, if that guy could really follow through with his n, then Shuten-doji would be able to do what every demon had been longing for.


    But it was never that easy. A body that could safely incarnate a demon''s soul needed to be strong.


    Low grade demons might have been able to possess ordinary humans, but high-grade demons needed a suitable human, and Demon Gods were no different.


    That, too, was solved when that guy gave Shuten-doji an abnormal ability called Rashomon.


    Shuten-doji had demonified the daughter of an unlucky man who had seen his summoning and possessed her. But no matter how demonified, she was such a weak vessel that just a touch would destroy her. In Rashomon''s domain, however, things were different, and he would be able to remain in the human world for an extended period of time.


    Afterwards, that guy gave Shuten-doji Blue-Beard, who was the older brother of the possessed woman, and bid him to create a body for Shuten-doji.


    Shuten-doji had never heard of anyone transferring an ability to another. He couldn''t have been more cautious, but pulling it off meant that he could incarnate in the human world. The offer was very appealing, in fact, he spent his days in the demon world bored out of his mind.


    So, Shuten-doji epted that guy''s offer, and began searching for suitable candidates in Alteria for his future body.


    At first, Blue-Beard was just a useless crybaby.


    Shuten-doji continued to exin that Blue-Beard''s sister would be freed and that the humans of this world were not the same as the ones he knew.


    The magic power that oozed out of Shuten-doji was like poison to the human mind. And after demonifying and killing a human, Blue-Beard fell right into hisp.


    Under the guise of a suggestion, he would order Blue-Beard to demonify human after human. Still, he never found a single human suitable for his incarnation.


    Then, he discovered someone in the northern part of the Amrzs Kingdom, where the Hero''s Paradise mainly operated.


    He had such enormous magic power and powerful skills that he erased Blue-Beard''s puppet body in a mere second. The brat fit every condition.


    So, he incited Blue-Beard to drag the brat into Rashomon.


    Fortunately, the brat was already in a weakened state, so there was no chance of failure, or so he had naively thought.


    Contrary to his expectations, Shuten-doji was unable to demonify the brat, who eventually slipped unconscious and Shuten-doji couldn''t mess with his mind.


    If he wasn''t alive, then Shuten-doji wouldn''t be able to create the ultimate vessel. He found himself stuck between a rock and a hard ce, unable to kill the brat, when a mysterious phenomenon urred.


    That ck-haired girl, Kanna suddenly became a suitable vessel.


    Shuten-doji had no clue why it had happened, but he had sessfully incarnated, so who cared about the small details. He would do as he pleased from now on.


    And perhaps because he had perfectly incarnated, his magic power had begun erasing Rashomon.


    He still had use for this ability, so he would have Blue-Beard recover itter. He had Blue-Beard''s sister, so there was no way Blue-Beard wouldn''t listen.


    "Should I kill everyone from Hero''s Paradise? Wait, eliminating that filthy rat that snuck ines first."


    While thinking that it would be a good warmup before ughtering the guys from Hero''s Paradise, he walked towards the invader.


    The invader was so much more delicious than he had imagined.


    Among them, three were clearly not human. And the blue-haired woman in particr was giving off the most tantalizing smell.


    He fired off his Boomerang Bow at the blue-haired woman''s left arm. The Boomerang Bow was an amazing ability that fired off a light arrow which teleported anything it shined on back to the user.


    He teleported the woman''s left arm and dug in.


    "Deeeeelicious!!" he eximed. She was amazing--the best! The meat, filled to the brim with magic power, was more delicious than anything he had eaten.


    Demon blood ran thick in Shuten-doji''s veins. The race he belonged to possessed a special characteristic where the limits of their magic power would grow as they consumed others, and humans were one of the best foods to eat. You could say he had gotten used to his stomach. Any humans he ate had their cells and magic power efficiently stored in his soul, and his body and mind would be stronger.


    That blue-haired woman was a super rare type; she had a human body, but her soul was something else. Just a small bite sent currents of power surging through his veins. He didn''t know how much more powerful he''d be once he was done eating her.


    "How lucky, I really am so lucky."


    Suddenly, a pir of blue me shot from the ground and the woman shrank in size. However, the magic power enveloped around her body was iparably stronger than before.


    Her arm, too, had already fully regenerated. She must have some astounding regenerative abilities.


    "Yes, now let''s see. It looks like you can regenerate, so I''ll let you live as my bento."


    It was an all-you-can eat buffet of delicious meat. And now that he had fully incarnated, there wasn''t any reason to let that brat live, so he''d devour him whole. Shuten-doji was resolute in his decision.


    After repeatedly punching the annoying woman, Shuten-doji grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up.


    "Hm?"


    Suddenly, an enormous amount of magic power began swelling up from the ground.


    He focused on the ground where he saw a ck-haired man with a hideous look on his face. When he saw the man''s eyespletely devoid of any and all emotion, a shudder ran down his spine.


    "Who is that? There wasn''t a guy like that among the intruders."


    Then, without any warning, the ck-haired man appeared before Shuten-doji.


    "Wha!?" he eximed as the man grabbed his wrist.


    "You can have this back."


    The next moment, Shuten-doji shot down and pierced through the ground as if he had been struck by a giant fist.


    "Ugh......" Fresh blood poured out of his right wrist. Just as he tried to stand back up while reeling from pain which he hadn''t felt in ages, that man was standing before him.


    There was an overwhelming difference in physical abilities between a demon and a human. But even as the weaker one, that human had enough agility to surpass Shuten-doji, someoneuded as a Demon God. It was impossible.


    Shuten-doji was covered in wounds. Was it his ability? He hadn''t heard of any kind of ability that could wound even a Demon God.


    "What did you do, food?" he managed to wring out from his confused thoughts.


    "Give it up, you can''t run anymore."


    The moment Shuten-doji processed his words, an unbelievable rage began to well up inside him.


    "Run!? Me..Run?!!"


    A delicious fragrance wafted about, and a human stood in front of him. To demons, humans were the best food as it gave them strength. They were nothing more and nothing less, something like livestock. And that livestock had spat out the greatest insult---Shuten-doji would never forgive him.


    So, he decided to show his true form, the form of a Demon God.


    His arms were strong enough to smash giant boulders the size of mountains in a single swing, and his legs let him move as swiftly as the wind. And yet he would run away with his tail between his legs from a mere human? And once he brandished his demonic sword, Demon Kirimaru, even demon generals would cower before him and beg for forgiveness.


    He swung down with Demon Kirimaru and cut down the entire building beside the human with a single sh.


    "So?"


    If this strength sent chills down even his own spine, then what about a puny human?


    "What do you mean ''So?''......" Not unexpectedly, the ck-haired man showed no emotion and just stared back with his dark pupils.


    It wasn''t like the response was unusual. Usually, when one meets an existence which they couldn''t possibly hope to understand, they be emotionless. It had happened many times in the demon world before.


    "It''s a terrifying sh with enough power to cleanly slice a building in two! Didn''t you see? I get it, I get it you know. You''re afraid!! Despairing!!"


    Shuten-doji believed that the human was gripped by fear, desperately looking for a chance to escape.


    "Alright, alright. I''ll face you so hurry up ande at me," said the ck-haired man, beckoning in exasperation. An angry fire surged within Shuten-doji for a second, but he quickly calmed himself down.


    There were some demons who sorelycked a sense of danger. And based on his experience, therger the gap in power the more likely they were tock that sense. This man was no different. He couldn''tpare his power to Shuten-doji''s, and thus wasn''t afraid. That must have been it.


    Thus, he decided to make their power difference known. He kicked off the ground, quickly closing the distance and bringing Demon Kirimaru down on the man''s right shoulder.


    "What!?"


    Just as he thought he had severed the man''s shoulder, Demon Kirimaru ended up slicing through air apanied by the sound of breaking metal.


    He pulled his chin back to see a deless dagger thrust at his stomach. He took an attack? No, he couldn''t see it so it must have been an ability.


    In any case, it was obvious that the man had no real way to attack. This erased all his doubts about what could happen even in unlikely scenarios.


    "Then cry all you want!" Shuten-doji readjusted his grip on Demon Kirimaru and began a hot pursuit towards the man.


    "Why!?"


    ---Whenever he tried to sever the man''s wrist, or whenever he swung diagonally to sever those pesky legs, the man would always dodge it by a hair''s breadth.


    "Dammit!"


    Shuten-doji swung down with all his might, but that too was dodged. The brat then took some distance and took out another sword.


    Upon seeing such a boorish sword, Shuten-doji let slip a snicker.


    "The result will be the same, no matter how many blunt swords you pull out!!"


    It was a sword made by a human, after all. It was impossibly difficult for them to make a strong sword. Shuten-doji decided to cut him down, sword and all, with Demon Kirimaru.


    "Diee!!" He swung diagonally, trying to cut the man in two. His sword beautifully shed through him and the ground beneath him---or at least it should have.


    "Wha?"


    He thought he had cut everything in two, but his swing waspletely stopped by that dull de.


    The next moment, he felt a force on his stomach as he was blown backwards.


    "Urgh......" When he came to his senses, he found himself on both knees.


    He was hit by a human, by mere food. It was the first time he had been humiliated like this, and the sharp pain made him vomit.


    "!?" He stiffened up when he suddenly realized there was someone right beside him.


    "Reflexes, muscles, endurance, skill. You''recking in everything. Sorry, but there''s plenty of people on your level here."


    He felt a powerful strike on his chin that sent his vision reeling. Then, he felt his body, which had begun floating, suddenly drop to the ground. Punch after punch, he felt a dull pain run through his body.


    Food was making sport of him? This kind of humiliation was unbearable; he''d never admit it.


    "Damn youuu!!!" he shouted, drawing Demon Kirimaru back like a bow and jumping towards the man.


    "This''ll end it!"


    Once he entered his range, he fired off a swing to cut the man''s neck off. He summoned all his strength and swung down, but it once again cut through the air as he received a counter punch to the face this time.


    "You''re ill-prepared, in more ways than one. You don''t think when you act, and you''re not strong enough to kill me," the man said, emotion appearing on his dull face for the first time. It seemed like he was feeling pity for a iling idiot.


    "Kill......Kill! Kill! I''ll kill you!!"


    A piece of food pitying Shuten-doji, someone hailed as a Demon God? He would never forgive such an act. Screaming, he began to stand up, but......


    "That''s not something you should say before you can actually do it."


    The man pointed the tip of his boorish sword at Shuten-doji, who reeled back at his reflection as if cold water had been poured all over him.


    He had seen his bloodied body and his face boiling with humiliation after all.


    "I''m done ying now!"


    Either way, using Boomerang Bow would easily end the life of a human.


    Once he killed this foolish human, he would take his anger and shame out on the rest of this world''s humans. This man''s friends, especially, wouldn''t be getting off easily.


    He could burn them at the stake, no, he could even throw them in a cauldron of acid. And he''d have lowly and vulgar monsters rape his women until they died.


    "It is a tad regrettable that I can''t show him their ends," Shuten-doji thought as he fired off Boomerang Bow at the man''s head.


    His soon-to-be-realized future would---


    "Ahhhhhhh!!"


    An intense pain in his right arm sent him reeling as it was crushed to bits.


    His vision was clouded by pain as he looked to see what he had teleported in his left hand. It was---


    "Eeeek!"


    It was his right arm with a giant hole gouged out of it.


    "This......is Boomerang Bow''s effect......?"


    There was no other possibility.


    "Y-y-you. What did you do?" he managed to wring out in his confusion.


    "Ah, my ability?"


    "Gugiiiiii!"


    In an instant, pain shot through his left arm as fresh blood began spurting out of its stump.


    "I-i-impossible!!"


    What did he do? He couldn''t tell at all.


    Yes. Before he knew it, his arm was in that man''s hand.


    Finally, he realized that the thing before him was no ordinary human.


    --- Even those that had gone down as heroes didn''t have a body as ridiculous as him.


    --- There was no way he had a sword strong enough to block Demon Kirimaru, one of the few famous swords of its kind.


    --- Most of all, there was no way a human had an ability that Shuten-doji couldn''t understand, let alone not being able to even see it.


    "Ugh......" He tried to jump back and gain some distance, but the distance disappeared and he found himself in front of the man once more.


    "Hey."


    "Eeeek!" He fell to his knees after squealing like a pig on the verge of death.


    The man shrugged and took out a crimson sword. Then, in the blink of an eye, the world changed.


    "What......was that?"


    A thick evil aura continuously seeped out of the crimson sword, and the runes on the de wriggled about as if they were alive.


    Just a look at that sword had his realizatione crashing down---the realization that the sword had enough strength to grind Shuten-doji''s body and soul into pieces.


    "Nooo!"


    "Sorry, but I can''t let a man-eating demon like you live."


    Struck by fear, he turned around and frantically began to run.


    "Uwaaaaaahhh!!"


    Tears and snot poured down as he miserably tried to escape, but a crimson light shed and Shuten-doji lost consciousness.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    ????---Shuten-doji


    As Shuten-doji regained consciousness, he found himself in a corridor, surrounded by red tiles in all directions.


    "Where am I?"


    He scanned the surroundings, but there wasn''t a single soul. There were only the blood-red tiles and the feeling that he had fallen into the depths of hell.


    "What was that monster!?"


    There''s no way that ridiculous being was human. He went against divine providence.


    If he was actually serious, he could even be as powerful as the strongest Demon God, The Heavenly Prince God.


    "I want to go back to the demon world......"


    The monster''s image had burned itself in his mind, and just thinking back of him would send him seething with rage and wanting to vomit. He wouldn''t be a part of any world with that kind of a monster. He needed to quickly get back to safety in the demon world.


    "You can''t return."


    He turned back to see a familiar unshaven middle-aged man standing before him.


    "Damn you Blue-Beard! Where are we! Answer!"


    Blue Beard shook his head and looked back with pity. "This is where we, the ones who vited the major rules of the world, end up. We can''t return to our beloved and peaceful homnds anymore."


    "The major rules of the world? The hell are you talking about! Just shut up if you don''t want to talk!" He snapped his fingers as he prepared to eliminate Blue-Beard when---


    "Hmm, we''ve got some high-spirited kids on our hands now, don''t we?"


    "!?" Shuten-doji let out a shriek as a white figure in the shape of a human suddenly appeared before them.


    It was as if he were seeing the culmination of all evils.


    "But you''re foolish. Oh, so foolish. If you were going to quiver at the very sight of me, you never should have picked a fight with that monster. You could have enjoyed a brief period of pleasure and enjoyment."


    "Uwaaahh......"


    He tried to rush back as an intense fear like falling into an infinitely long well assaulted him. However, a powerful force pushed back from behind him as he fell to his knees.


    "Now then, you''ll be heading over there now," said the white clump, his inner evil feelings leaking out.


    "W-where!?"


    "Oh? The man over there already said so, no? The ce where conceited idiots who break the rules of the world end up," the white clump said as he brought his hands together.


    "Guhaaa!" Suddenly, he was assaulted by intense pain and felt like his spine had been pierced by a stake.


    Shuten-doji looked down and saw a three-pronged hoe sticking out of his stomach.


    "It''s almost time to say goodbye. Well, have fun," the white clump said from behind. Shuten-doji turned around. There, he saw---


    "Ah......Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!"


    The white clump was in ecstasy, as if it was enjoying watching Shuten-doji''s screams, as it dragged him to the room further inside.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    ???? Shian.


    "Let me be with onii-chan."


    "Kanna!"


    Kanna paid Shian''s irritation no heed and continued to bow towards the white clump.


    "There''s nothing I can''t do. But are you sure? You didn''t infringe on the rules of this world, so I can just give you a new life, you know?"


    "Right! Kanna, I''m begging you, please don''t do this!"


    Kanna shook her head. "I''ll always be with you, onii-chan. It was always like that, and it always will be."


    "No! You can''t! Don''t do it!"


    What had Shian been bearing up until now otherwise?


    "Sorry, but I''m a maritime pilot. I haven''t the slightest intention of getting deeply involved in your fates. So, think hard before you decide," the white clump said.


    Kanna pulled Shian close and nuzzled up into his chest. "Onii-chan, let''s go together! We can do anything if we''re together."


    She was stubborn, and she wouldn''t bend her will no matter what.


    "You''re such an idiot......" Shian said.


    "Yup, you too, onii-chan."


    He was tired of thinking and bearing with all of it.


    He hugged Kanna back. "Please send us off."


    "Yeah, will do." The maritime pilot snapped his fingers.


    And while feeling Kanna''s warmth, Shian''s consciousness dyed white.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After the two disappeared, the white clump began stretching. "I''ll put those two on hold for now. I guess it''ll depend on what you do from now on. Now then, things are getting interesting. This ck tale has been dyed with despair and madness. Sagami Shirabe, no, Grey. Show me what you''ve got."


    He spread his arms and began cackling, his creepy voice echoed throughout the red-tiled corridor.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 59 - Fragmented Recollections

    "Dad! Hey, Dad!!"


    "Hm?" I lifted up my head and saw my beloved daughter who had blonde hair tugging at my sleeve.


    "The food''s gonna get cold!" she said.


    I must have fallen asleep while eating dinner. Damn, I must be really tired.


    "Mm, sorry," I mumbled an apology to my four children and brought some miso soup to my mouth. The aromas of the fall eggnts tickled my tongue. "Wow, you''ve gotten better."


    The blonde boy wearing a headband had made the food.


    "R-really?" he bashfully replied. He normally had a stone face, but his beautiful appearance, so unlike mine, could make any woman fall for him at a single nce.


    Though, I''m not a woman so I don''t actually know how they think.


    "We''re going flower viewing tomorrow. Don''t forget; that''s why we didn''t gost year," said the boy with brown hair.


    "Y-yeah. Of course," I replied, cing my hand atop his head.


    I''d never forget an event with my children. I was looking forward to it but I had to trudge through some shitst year when a mission suddenly popped up.


    "Sounds like you''re just going to forget again!" the brown-haired boy chided with a smile.


    Mm, good boy.


    "No fair! Me too!" said the girl with a blonde bob cut as she stuck her head towards me.


    I shrugged and began patting her head.


    "Hurry up and eat. You''re going to bete again," said the boy with ck swept-back hair.


    And so I resumed eating dinner.


    Suddenly, the world twisted.


    "W-wait!!"


    I desperately tried to reach out and hug my children who were growing hazy in my mind, but that serene scenery flew away.


    "I see, it''s a memory......"


    It was one of my few irreceable memories, but I wouldn''t remember a thing about my beloved children when I awoke.


    But I was still happy, in a sense. I couldn''t run away from reality much longer.


    Right, I needed to decide.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I opened my eyes to a fuzzy world and looked up at a nostalgic ceiling. I was in my room in Sagami Co.


    I clumsily reached out with my right hand and felt like I said something.


    "Are you okay, Grey-sama?" Ste pulled me into a hug and I hugged her back to gloss over what I had said.


    "Grey-sama......?" she asked with hesitation. I pulled away from her and used my sleeve to wipe off the warm liquid on my face.


    "Hm, so what happened afterwards?"


    All I remember after casting Invisible Labyrinth onto Lucia was an explosion and then a white haze.


    "I have no idea. Nobody will tell me......"


    That made sense. Judo would never tell Ste and Ca about pressing matters because they would always go off on their own. Still, my thoughts felt slow.


    I shook my head a few times. "I''m hungry. Let''s go somewhere to eat."


    "Sure!" Ste nodded enthusiastically and followed alongside me.


    I exited my room and descended one floor to find everybody staring straight at me. Then, I locked eyes with the white-haired girl.


    "Grey-dono......"


    I sighed as tears began to pool around her eyes and said with a smile, "I''m d we''re both safe."


    "!!" Lucia shot forward and hugged me, apologizing over and over.


    I had no idea how to soothe a youngdy. I looked around for help, but Theo just nodded and cried. Judo and the other guys just looked on in amazement. On the other side, the girls stared at me with half-open eyes.


    I exhaled and patted her back to soothe her.


    After we finished a simple meal, I gathered everyone who knew about Judo and Theo''s situation and began exchanging information.


    "So basically, you don''t remember a thing about the castle, Boss?" Judo asked, folding his arms.


    "Sorry."


    "Grey, you---" Aquido began but Sylphy cut him off. "The incident was resolved. I don''t really care."


    She gave an intimidating smile that forced me into silence. Something had probably happened when I''d lost my memories.


    Well, whatever. She''s right in that the incident was resolved. And besides, her existence in this world was tied to me, so it''d be impossible to think she''d betray me. I''d ask her in person when the right time came.


    "Anyways, I exined the details to Kai Lodos and the other 283 soldiers who decided to stay as Radols," Aquido continued.


    "Hey, hey. Now we have almost no prisoners left......"


    "Nils''s speech was effective, I guess. She had a lot at stake with the mastermind of this incident."


    Made sense. The kingdom waspletely in the wrong when you just looked at the circumstances, and it had a lot to do with the kingdom''s demonification. Her lover had effectively been killed, so she must hold a lot of hate towards the kingdom''s government.


    "And they''ll pledge their allegiance if we guarantee the safety of their family within the kingdom, right?"


    "Yeah, I''d like to get started immediately. Is that alright?" Theo asked as he bowed down.


    "Personally, I don''t mind, but are you sure? They invaded with the intention of killing your family, you know?"


    "I''d be lying if I said I didn''t care, but I''m a warrior. Our emotions are secondary, and I''ve even killed many of their own. Besides, it''ll be best for our future if we Radols take on the job."


    True, Theo, a Radol, saving their families would heavily reduce the friction between the two groups.


    They''d need to be careful of any rats hiding within the kingdom, but Theo and Calogero had the Human Realm ability now. They were quite formidable at the moment, and they could even use my gifts, so it shouldn''t be a problem to leave it to them.


    "Sure. But don''t push yourselves too much," I said. "There''s still plenty of people stronger than you in this world."


    "Yeah, I know."


    "Then that''s all I have to say. Good luck."


    And with that, everyone stood up and bowed once before exiting the room.


    Now then, I should go too. I''d got a mountain of paperwork to sort through.


    I whipped mynguid body forward and began teleporting to the office in Camelot when Judo said, "Boss, I''ll leave Ste and the others in your care for a few days."


    Come to think of it, they did tell me to rest up.


    "I don''t care where we go as long as there''s alcohol," said the useless dragon number two.


    I sighed. "Alright, got it."


    I was no doubt fatigued, and I hadn''t met with the kids in a while. Ca was probably about to explode, so this would be a good opportunity.


    Judo stared at my face for a while before nodding to himself several times and disappearing via teleportation. Wow, he''d really grown up.


    Now, I finally had some free time on my hands. What should I do?


    "Maybe I''ll go for a soak in Tote''s bathhouse."


    You had to go to an onsen during a break. I hadn''t seen whether Tote''s newly installed public bathhouses were being managed well, either. They were using the boiler I had developed to heatrge quantities of water after all.


    "Bathhouse? What''s that?" Sylphy asked, tilting her head with a nk look on her face. Right, she hadn''t experienced it yet. The people in this world weren''t used to soaking in hot water. They''d just wash up at best, so Tote''s public bathhouse was probably the world''s first. I didn''t me her for not knowing.


    "It''s a facility where you soak in hot water; it''s been recently installed in Tote," I replied.


    "Soak in hot water? Then won''t your clothes get all wet?"


    "You really think you''d enter with your clothes on?"


    "Wait a minute! You take off your clothes and then enter?"


    "That''s right."


    Sylphy blushed as red as a tomato.


    "So are youing?"


    "....." Now her entire body was flushed red.


    "You don''t have to force yourself."


    I had never heard of a dragon soaking itself in hot water. I didn''t know a thing about dragons, in fact. Beasts in general hated hot water, and dragons might be the same.


    "I''lle," she squeaked out as she looked this way and that. This dragon......


    Well, Sylphy was always weird. This was Sylphy we were talking about---she''d cheer right up once I put a bottle of alcohol in her hands.


    "Then let''s go."


    Sylphy could teleport, but she had never been to Tote. I''d have to bring her there first.


    I teleported us to Tote.


    Tote''s public bathhouse was a conspicuouslyrge building right by its entrance. It was built for arge number ofborers toe and go in after a hard day''s work. One day they nned to implement open-air baths as well as smaller personal baths.


    Once we entered inside, a fairy employee with blonde hair and clear wings rushed to my side. "Ah! Grey-sama!"


    The kimono she was wearing was something I had given her by the way.


    "How''s it going?" I asked.


    "It''s thriving!"


    "That''s great to hear, but are there no customers today?"


    "Pause-san''s putting in a new boiler so we''re closed to the general public today. Although the nobles and wives of merchants had a lot to say about that," she said, sighing as a dark expression clouded her face.


    "Oh you came, President!" said Pause, emerging from within. He had on white clothes and sses, and upon sight, gleefully raced towards me.


    "Good work. It looks like things are progressing smoothly?"


    "Yes sir! The boiler''sbustion efficiency has increased by 30% and we''re now able to more finely control the temperature!!"


    "That''s amazing."


    Pause was Leroy''s direct disciple and a natural-born researcher. He was ever greedy for knowledge and thus proved quite the asset.


    "I''d like to hear your thoughts on the new boiler as well, President," said Pause.


    "Sure. I''vee all the way here so I might as well."


    "I also have this next research!"


    I began to rattle on when Pause suddenly straightened up, ced his hand over his chest, and ran out of the estate. Busy as always I see.


    "We''ve already troubled our guests, so we can reserve the building for you today. Grey-sama, you can go ahead and warm yourself up."


    "I think I will. Sylphy."


    "......"


    The employee looked between Sylphy, who had her hands on her face and was moaning something, and me before breaking out into a grin and walking up to me. "What a beautiful person! There''s more to you than meets the eye, Grey-sama. You little devil!"


    She elbowed me a few times.


    "You know I''m just 13......"


    "Love knows no age!"


    "N-no! You''re wrong!! I''m, yes, I''m just his attendant!" Sylphy said, waving her arms around in a fluster. However, the employee''s smile only grewrger.


    This facility didn''t have mixed bathing and it was quite obvious she was just messing with Sylphy. As someone who didn''t know much about human colonies, Sylphy was quite susceptible to these kinds of jokes.


    Well, seeing Sylphy acting so out-of-character was refreshing in and of itself.


    "Please guide Sylphy and tell her about this facility," I said. "And give her some alcohol."


    "Of course." She bowed once and grabbed Sylphy, who was still saying, "That''s not true! I''m a proud dragon! I would never---"


    "Oh you''re so cute."


    And she dragged Sylphy away.


    The fairies had grown a lot bolder than when I hadst seen them. So bold I felt like she was a different person altogether.


    I, on the other hand, invited Ste and the others and teleported to Straheim''s Sagami Co.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Dressed in kimonos and with their hands on their waists, Ca, Aria, Lucia, Shiina, and Lyase chugged their milk. Drahachi, on the other hand, was drinking Tote''s freshly-squeezed milk straight from the pitcher. They hadpletely hit it off and were in high spirits the entire time.


    Roche had been quite interested in the bathhouse and hadn''t left yet.


    "Don''t get so bent out of shape," I said to Sylphy who was drinking some grape wine out of a sake cup.


    She narrowed her eyes but said nothing and only continued to drink. "Did you enjoy watching me fret about?"


    "Hm, I can''t deny that."


    It was really funny.


    "Oh Grey-sama, don''t say what you don''t really mean. And your dullness has reached new levels." The fairy employee sighed and then sat down next to Sylphy and began whispering into her ear. As Sylphy gradually turned redder and redder, the fairy nodded to herself, "Seriously, you''re too cute."


    "Grey, this bathhouse is amazing!" said Roche, having just exited the baths.


    "It is. It really is."


    It''s an important part of my culture.


    "So? What are we doing next?" Roche meekly asked. It sounded like he was asking what my ns for the future were.


    "I''m sure it won''t sit well with you but I''ll be living in the capital for a while."


    The empire would definitely want an in-person exnation after the most recent incident. I definitely went off and started a war, so I was expecting some kind of penalty.


    "Can wee too?"


    "Sure, I don''t mind."


    "Hey, Grey. What''s happening to this world?" asked Roche.


    Sylphy put on a poker face. She had already figured pieces together that the monocled monster and Blue Beard both came from the same ce that I hade from. I had encountered both of them in a short period of time, so I must know that something was up.


    "Who knows. I''ve got no idea," I replied.


    Roche stared at me for a while. "One day I''ll be a man that can stand beside you."


    "I''ll be waiting."


    I forced myself up and tapped Roche''s shoulder before beginning to wrap things up. Both my mind and body were exhausted for some reason.


    Everyone turned around and began teleporting, but Sylphy fearfully called out, "Master!"


    "Hm?"


    "Are you nning to return to your original world?"


    My original world. She must have already figured out a few ideas about that.


    "No ns at the moment."


    What could I even do by returning to Earth in this form. Besides, I don''t have any memories of my life on Earth, so it was pretty much just a distant world now.


    "I......see." Relieved, she let out a sigh.


    "So stop asking these stupid questions and get some rest. You were heavily wounded too, you know."


    "Yeah, sure." She shook her head as if to shake away her doubts, and this time I finished teleporting to my room in Straheim.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 60 - A Creepy Sword

    After returning to my room from the onsen, I copsed onto my bed. The kids were currently having a girls'' talk tonight, so I didn''t think anyone would bother me.


    In the meantime, management of my territory has started to move, and I''d ordered Theo to think up a new name for the territory.


    Clothing, food, and shelter were necessary for daily life. We had plenty of food in storage, so the only things left were clothing and shelter.


    For clothing, I vaguely remembered some types of clothes from Earth. I wasn''t an expert by any means, but I could recreate it. All I''d have to do was train some tailors and leave developing new designs to them.


    And in order to develop it into an actual business, we''d need arge amount of thread. I''d caught a glimpse of thepleted steam engine recently, so it shouldn''t be long before they started developing a spinning machine.


    The problemy in the types of thread. x was the mainstay nt in this world. Actually, there was pretty much nothing but x. I should look around the marketce for any cotton or silk.


    As for shelter, The Radoa Woonds was bountiful in trees and stone, so I wasn''t much concerned with those materials. I was more concerned with manpower; Radol didn''t have enough manpower to beginrge-scale cultivation.


    If we had construction equipment, or any heavy machinery, really, then we could begin cultivation. Although developing heavy machinery would require beginning development from the engine, nor did I have ess to fossil fuels.


    The world currently didn''t realize how important fossil fuels were. They didn''t care about obtaining it nor purchasing it, so I should hurry up and start buying the oil fields within the empire. And that would require organizing a search team from mypany as quickly as possible.


    Lastly were the powerful foes like Blue Beard. I''d been meeting a lot of crazy people from my world, but I couldn''t deny that I''d been jumping straight into the fray so I needed to get my abilities up.


    On that note, I decided to analyze my newly acquired title, Human Realm.


    "......"


    I was speechless. The six realms that lead to Buddha, huh. Mymon sense was being overwritten by fantasy.


    Its passive effects were Perfectly Enlightened One and True Crushing Evil and Spreading Truth.


    Perfectly Enlightened One bestowed power to those with a strong connection with me. It was probably rted to the titles that Ste and the others acquired.


    True Crushing Evil and Spreading Truth was an ability for exterminating monsters. It would prove vital to conquering the various ruins and dungeons around the world.


    Its special effect, Liberation From Earthly Desires, however, was still in the dark. I guess I''d just have to use it to find out.


    ".......I have no idea how to."


    Just like Goblin yer, it''dpletely fail if you slipped into your subconscious. It was the same no matter how many times I tried. As it stood, all I had gained was the knowledge that I couldn''t use this ability. Maybe there''s some kind of condition for it to activate. I''d just gradually look into it.


    Come to think of it, didn''t the Human Realm reconstruct my mind and body? What were the differences?


    I analyzed myself.


    ©– Grey Mird


    Status


    HP: B (43/100%)


    MP: S (77/100%)


    Strength: B+ (96/100%)


    Endurance: B+ (63/100%)


    Magic: S (65/100%)


    Magical Endurance: B+ (87/100%)


    Agility: A- (35/100%)


    Luck: B (1/100%)


    Drop: B (90/100%)


    Wisdom: ¦«¦µ¦·


    Growth Rate: ¦«¦µ¦·


    ©– Gifts:


    Magic Blueprint


    Analyze Environment


    Warp Point


    Eternal Workshop (5% Released)


    ©– Race: ------------


    ©– Titles:


    Brain Monster


    Goblin yer


    Human Realm


    All my stats greatly increased. I should be pretty strong now, but I didn''t have anyone to base it on. I often couldn''t even analyze powerful opponents so there was noparison to be made. That''d be something to think about for the future.


    Anyways, my titles increased by one......or at least they should have.


    Hm? What was this?


    My Infinite Item Box disappeared and now there was an Eternal Workshop.


    I guess I''d check it out.


    ©–Eternal Workshop: One of the three World Gifts in this world, only wieldable by one who has the title, Brain Monster.


    All Things Storage (5%) : Able to infinitely store anything besides Rank D beings and below. Time is stopped within.


    All Things Development (5%) : Using certain materials, is able to create any Rank D or below item.


    ©–Release Level: 5%


    What a broken gift. Its only limit seemed to be in the materials needed to create things.


    If I used my drops efficiently, I might even be able to develop some of my coveted tools. Well, it could only create Rank D items and below so I was a bit doubtful of that.


    In any case, the Infinite Item Box disappeared. I wondered if the things inside were safe. I put all my money inside that, so it''d be a bit annoying if it''s gone.


    Although I was quite sure that it was within All Things Storage......


    A deeper look proved my hypothesis correct. As relief washed over me, I spotted something in the corner of my eye.


    "Demonic Sword Muramasa? I had something like this?" I tilted my head with doubt as I withdrew it.


    "How dirty, I thought I was gonna suffocate," a middle-aged man''s voice said from within my head.


    "Hm?"


    I creased my eyebrows and looked around, but there was nobody.


    "Girl, I''m over here!"


    I looked around once again, but there still wasn''t anybody.


    "Oh boy. Here, over here. Look, ain''t my body so slender and charming!"


    Body? You mean that red sword I''d just taken out that looked like it was taken straight out from a middle-schooler''s wild imagination?


    I lowered my sights down to the bed and onto the red sword that was inching about like a caterpir.


    "Woah! Gross! Gross! That''s disgusting!!" I shouted.


    There was a sentient sword moving about on my bed. I''d never seen anything so creepy.


    "Woah, woah, woah. If ya keep disparaging my cute face like that, I''ll......shit. I''m gettin'' real turned on now."


    Its breathing grew heavy the moment it looked(?) at me.


    What was this sword? I had no intention of using it. I have a pressing urge to stuff it in concrete and throw it into a volcanic crater.


    "Hey, hey, girl. Lookie lookie, abuse me more!"


    Yeah, this pervert would definitely be bad for Ste and the others'' development. I''d have to deal with it here.


    I wrapped the squirming sword in Explosive Thread,


    "Fuhe?"


    And lobbed it outside, where it stuck itself into Sagami Co.''s garden and exploded.


    Amidst the explosion, I jumped out of the window and approached the center of the crater.


    It was rolling about as if its eyes were spinning in its head. It was spitting on the very existence of swords.


    "W-wait a moment! I mighta been foolin'' around too much."


    "......"


    I paid the sword, which was shaking its scabbard left and right, no heed and began walking closer.


    "Just look. Look at my cute eyes! There ain''t another sword as fancy as I!" The sword stood itself up and began trembling.


    "So you''re taking on a human face now. But it won''t work on me---all I see is an evil sword."


    "L-look, here''s my eyes and here''s my mouth!"


    "I don''t see it. And I don''t care to try."


    Once again, I bound the perverted sword with Explosive Thread.


    "Forgive me!! Girl, no Young Lady!!"


    How much more would it irritate me?


    "Let me tell you something."


    "So you''re forgiving me!"


    "I, am a guy."


    "Uh......what? You serious?"


    "Die!"


    I set off all the explosive threads.


    ......


    ............


    ..................


    "Ya really be going overboard," the perverted sword noted. Besides, I didn''t want to hear that from a sword that didn''t get a single scratch from that many explosive threads.


    "So? What are you?"


    "I''m the holy sword, Muramasa. You can call me Mura-kun?!"


    The hell with holy sword. It must''ve confused itself with a wicked sword. Yup, it was a wicked sword. It fit perfectly.


    Still, there was just one problem. All those explosive threads and not a single wound, so it was not like I could dispose of it.


    "Are you my enemy?"


    "Finally, the connection''s stable. You''re my master."


    "Master? Like I''m your owner?"


    That didn''t make me even the slightest bit happy.


    "That''s right. You''re the one who made me, in fact."


    I created Mura (the pervert)? Not in my memories, I didn''t. Which meant it was probably an effect of the Human Realm. No, there wasn''t any other possibility.


    Was this pervert supposed to be a representation of my subconscious? How idiotic. That was impossible.


    "Boss, you okay?" Judo had been sorting through documents on the first floor but came to the garden where he called out to me in concern.


    "Yeah, it''s nothing. Sorry for raising a fuss." I gave him my gratitude and returned to my room with Mura (the pervert) in hand.


    "Hey, do ya have any books with naked people in it?" asked Mura (the pervert).


    "I don''t have anything like that."


    "That ain''t no good, Master. You''re going through puberty right now; just the time where ya start to enjoy those kinds of books. Ya gotta be more honest with yourself or---"


    While being endlessly lectured by Mura (the pervert), I annoyedly tossed several bare swords onto the ground.


    "Here, they''re naked. Knock yourself out."


    "No, that ain''t right. Not these lifeless things. I want ones that sparkle just like this---"


    I put Mura''s (the pervert''s) dissatisfied ramblings aside and resumed my thoughts.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 61 - A report beyond expectations

    Capital of the Archivian Empire, Imperial Capital Lemuria.


    Lemuria Pce


    The Emperor, Georg Rose Archive, tossed the report from the scouts onto a side table and covered his face with his right palm.


    ¡°The destruction of the Kingdom Army upying former David''s territory......¡±


    The former David''s territory was upied by the Amrzs Kingdom Army. The fact was quickly reported by the scouts. It was upied without any legalization or dering war. If they didn''t take action immediately, they wouldn''t be able to make an example to other countries. It should have been so, but their Archivian Empire had suffered tremendous damage from the Undead attack. In addition, the fall of Lord Cyrus, who had been the most powerful man in the Empire, had caused a breakdown in the power of the noble families. On the other hand, the power of the Macburn Frontier Counts and some of the other powerful local ns was regaining strength.


    Long story short, the Empire was currently in the midst of a power struggle, and there was no time for war with other countries.


    For this reason, he sent that monster Grey to the former David''s territory as the Lord.


    Georg no longer considered Grey to be 13 years old, the same age as Ronald. He carried the temperament of a hegemon more than that ghost of the former emperor, and a great magician who surpassed the wise man Seig. He even held enough charisma to make even Prime Minister El admire him, not to mention the locals powerful n and the business ability to lead the Commerce guild. Or rather, was he even a 13-year-old? Eight or nine out of ten, that Grey was simr to the fallen hero, Yukihiro. A ¡°Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°Wanderer¡± is an inhibitor from another world who lost his way in this Arteria from another world. The majority of them possessed insane power, and usually, as soon as they discovered their existence, each country usuallypeted to acquire it. And after the heroes who destroyed the Demon King in the past, the wanderers with heroic powers were generally called ¡°heroes¡±.


    Grey''s origin was solid perhaps due to him being a reincarnated person just as the founder of the Archivian Empire, the First Emperor Philip Rose Archive, was said to be.


    If Grey possessed the same or more power as Yukihiro, he would be able to control this Empire''s predicament with the least amount of blood spilledpared to what he was thinking.


    ¡°That monster, don''t you even have the slightest expectation from him?¡±


    The destruction of Amrzs Kingdom Army. If Grey and his friends'' power were good enough, that itself was possible.


    But the one-sided ughter of individuals in a dispute between humans, other than bandits and other criminals, created an overwhelming sense of injustice. There would be hate from the killed side. Even if you won truly from the support of that superpower, it was impossible to trust that superpowerpletely. The fact that Lord Cyrus had invested a huge amount of money to persuade Yukihiro, who had destroyed a local family as the sword of the noble family, was another manifestation of this insecurity. There was no doubt that this would be a considerable negative factor for his future rule.


    And Grey was not the kind of man who would do such a foolish thing, or so he believed. And in a way, that was proven.


    However, never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought that the Radolians, who had been torn to shreds both physically and mentally by the Empire and the Kingdom, would destroy the Kingdom''s expeditionary force with their own hands.


    ¡°The Kingdom''s army, numbering close to 10,000, was destroyed. On the other hand, the damage on Radol''s side was extremely minor, as expected that isn''t possible.¡±


    On the confused but decisive muttering of the blond-haired young secretary, people present in the Lemuria Pce¡¯s grand conference hall showed mutual consent, no one raised a voice for objection.


    It was a perfectly natural decision. Radol had been exploited to the point of starvation by David''s ipetence, and then overrun by the Kingdom. The skill level of the starving soldiers was negligible. Common sense said that you couldn''t beat the Kingdom Army led by the two renowned and strong Generals Ete and Bull.


    ¡°That''s what I want to think but that''s the fact.¡±


    The scout we¡¯d sent was one of the most capable intelligence officers in the research department. The normally cool-headed agent''s writings exuded a sense of intense astonishment and it was mostly impossible that there could be anything wrong in this report.


    In other words, it was the fact that Grey had led the people of Radol and destroyed General Bull''s army.


    ¡°Material that will renew the world''s wars?¡±


    Prime Minister El let out a sigh as he stared at the documents. It would have been helped if Grey had just destroyed the Kingdom''s army with his transcendence magic.


    Perhaps this was¡ª


    ¡°It''s starting.¡±


    A gentleman with pale crimson hair muttered in a low voice.There was no confusion in his face but only unendurable joy.


    He was Horus Kr¨¹ger, Warlord. He was a duke, and was essentially a staunch aristocrat. Because of his position as military governor and duke, he had dered his neutrality and was not the kind of person who would casually attend such an unofficial meeting hosted by Emperor Georg.


    What had clearly changed him was that one incident with the Undead. To be more precise, after seeing the battle of Grey and learning about him from information provided by the Minister of Internal Affairs, he hadpletely transformed into the devoted believer of that monster.


    ¡°I wonder what''s starting, Horus?¡±


    The Minister of Internal Affairs asked the question straightforwardly while handling his prized Kaiser mustache.


    ¡°What do you mean by what? Are you really asking such a childish question?¡±


    Dying his face with wild joy, the Minister of Military Affairs Horus nced at Gururi.


    ¡°Great war....¡±


    Prime minister El squeezed out these words with a face that looked like he had just bitten a bitter bug.


    ¡°That''s right, Prime Minister-dono!  Our Empire has begun to walk the magnificent summit even more than what the founding emperor has led us to. There is no stopping anymore.The gears of time had already begun to move when he, who surpassed even the First Emperor, was born in thend of this Empire!¡±


    An odd gaze concentrated on the Warlord who was giving the speech fervently, looking at the sky.


    ¡°That was a rude remark just now, Duke. I hope you take it back¡±


    At the sound of Prime Minister El''s stern voice, the Warlord straightened his posture and said,


    ¡°That was my impoliteness.Your Majesty, everyone, please forgive me¡±


    He bowed gracefully.


    ¡°No, it''s fine. It was I who asked for a frank opinion on this meeting. So, Duke, how do you think the Kingdom will act?¡±


    ¡°They recently suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Radol, who is considered the weakest of the imperial territories. Due to the Kingdom''s recent policy of territorial expansion into neighboring countries, their dissatisfaction is on the verge of exploding. It is necessary to show the strength of the Kingdom''s army both inside and outside. In the not-too-distant future, they will be invading our territory with a huge army. And I don''t think the Sacred Kingdom of Esther is going to stand by and let that happen.¡±


    ¡°Which side do you think the Holy Church will take, Duke?¡±


    A strong man in white armor with a bearded face, tapping his foot on the floor in frustration, asked him the question he wanted to know the most.


    He was Rnd, the knightmander of the Royal Hearts, a close knight order directly under the Emperor. He was Georg''s childhood friend and one of the few people in the Empire he could trust.


    ¡°I think they will choose the Kingdom¡¯s side¡±


    The main conference hall buzzed like a leaf in a reed.


    ¡°Why is that? It was the Kingdom''s fault for the territory invasion this time. Even from legality, it should be our Empire¡ª¡±


    The blonde-haired young secretary changed his expression and offered his rebuttal but----


    ¡°It''s not about the legality, you know. It was the Empire''s victorypletely. That fact is the problem.¡±


    He agreed with the opinion of the Warlord.


    Radol won by using arge amount of material to overwhelm the Kingdom''s army. Next, The point of this sharp spear will turn toward the Sacred Kingdom of Esther.


    If you weren''t too optimistic, it was appropriate to think so.


    ¡°This is not a joke! An all-out war with the Kingdom of Amrzs. And to make matters worse, the Sacred Kingdom of Esther will be joining the war as an enemy. On the other hand, our Empire is now in a state of division. It''s impossible to maintain a front in this state!¡±


    The conflict between the aristocratic faction, who were advocating the first principle of bloodline, and the faction of locally powerful ns who insisted on changing to the ability of supremacy was extremely fierce.


    Because of the downfall of Lord Cyrus and Hero Yukihiro, the power of the Aristocratic faction had reduced considerably. Even so, the power of the aristocrats who monopolized the wealth of the Empire was considerable. If they were to start a rebellion, it would be clearer than daylight that it would be a major battle that would divide the country in two. It was not the situation where they could fight the two Kingdoms.


    ¡°This is a time of crisis for both countries. This isn''t the time for civil war! We ought to gather all the lords and decide on a future strategy!!¡±


    The young clerk changed his expression and offered a usible opinion. If it had been Georg before, he would have unconditionally ridden on that thinking.


    ¡°It''s unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Why is this!!?¡±


    The young secretary''s words became more forceful at the Minister of Military Affairs¡¯ assertion.


    ¡°In the present, the Kingdom''s armed forces are in the midst of sweeping the song-zero, east equestrian tribe under themand of the brave Sa, who is their greatest strength.


    They don''t have enough leeway to beat a force that has defeated an army equal to ten thousand, let alone a skirmish. We have around one year or so to spare.¡±


    ¡°But that''s just postponing the problem! In a year''s time, they wille to my country with their dirty feet in high spirits! This is not the time for petty squabbles¡±


    ¡°Normally that''s right but the dispute inside the country isn''t trivial either¡±


    ¡°It''s essential to unite the inside of the Empire. Doesn¡¯t Duke think so?¡±


    The wise man Seig asked the Warlord while rubbing his beard.


    ¡°Yes. It''s already time to move. We now don''t have enough room to leave the Empire to ipetent hands. There is only one way for an Empire to survive and that is for it to be one giant beast in his name.¡±


    ¡°As if it would work out easily. Duke is more knowledgeable about how powerful the Aristocratic faction is than me, right?¡±


    ¡°Get them to the road of their self-destruction.¡±


    ¡°Duke can''t be.........¡±


    A deep shadow fell over Seig''s face.


    ¡°As you can imagine, if the Aristocratic faction gets to know about this matter, they will ask for the punishment of Lord Grey and the submission of materials that have been opened. If that happens¡ª¡±


    If you looked at the evil smile on the face of the Warlord, one didn''t need to ask what kind of intention he had.


    ¡°Are you trying to have Grey and the Aristocratic faction confront each other directly?¡±


    ¡°That''s the fastest way to unify. Am I wrong?¡±


    That might be so. But agreeing to that meant a great amount of blood would spill. Even if they were from the noble lineage, they were the samepatriots and imperialists.


    ¡°Duke, weren''t Duke also members of the Aristocratic faction not long ago?¡±


    Seig asked with a deep sense of dismay.


    ¡°Yes but we have met. He isn''t a fake but a true hero who will lead this Empire!¡±


    ¡°Duke.¡±


    It wasn''t only Seig. Everyone was looking at the Warlord who spoke with an expression full of ecstasy with a slight nce.


    ¡°In addition, soon there will be no need to think about the petty squabbles between the noble family and the local lords.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Now that story has settled down, I will take my leave here.¡±


    The Warlord bowed a second time and exited from the grand conference hall.


    That''s a good n.


    With this, before long, the Empire would be free from civil war. It was a conflict unlike any other in the history of the Empire.


    ¡°Prime Minister, Seig, and the Minister of Internal Affairs stay behind. The rest are dismissed for the time being.¡±


    Everyone bowed and left the room, each with their own thoughts.


    ¡°From now on, I have a meeting with themerce guild. Minister of Internal Affairs, do you have any good suggestions?¡±


    Against the fight of the Undead, the Archivian Empire had touched the reverse scale ofmerce guild. The imperial guild forced withdrawal due to the arrest and punishment of Lord Cyrus, but the indefinite suspension of transactions with the imperial government was still ongoing.


    Here, the northern part of the Empire was almost destroyed by the Undead attack on the immortal, which was the biggest disaster since the founding of the Archivian Empire, and it required a lot of human resources and financial resources to recover. The declining imperial government had no power to cover it, and had no choice but to rely on the guild''s financial resources.


    ¡°How about we follow their instinct?¡±


    ¡°Instinct? There aren''t even any resources in the current Empire that they took a liking to.¡±


    ¡°We have. We do have an extraordinary thing.¡±


    The Minister of Internal Affairs asserted and began to exin.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    ¡°I don''t like it.¡±


    The blonde-haired handsome young man, Reiner Owenheim, gazed out the window and said so bluntly. On the not-so-surprising word, Georg Rose Archive took a deep sigh.


    ¡°At this rate, this Archivian will be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Let it be destroyed then.¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously saying that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Or rather, I still haven''t forgiven you guys for what you did to him. For what reason must I lend my power to the Empire? Even doing something so illogical?¡±


    ¡°If there is profit, I permit you to do anything. That''s what you guys do, right?¡±


    For the first time, Reiner, who had never even listened to him, looked directly at Georg.


    You know what money is to me, don''t you?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You know what money means to me, don''t you? The Empire wants to borrow it from me, and it''s very profitable for me to lend it to them.¡±


    Reiner is a merchant by heart. If there was profit, he would without fail listen. That was the conclusion the Minister of Internal Affairs hade to.


    ¡°If the Guild decides to lend money to our country, we will recognize the former David''s territory and Baron Navarro''s territory as special zones and exempt them from territorial taxes in the Commercial Guild.¡±


    ¡°Baron of Navarro?¡±


    ¡°Don''t y dumb. You know the story of the Kingdom''s defeat, don''t you?¡±


    As a member of this guild, Grey would never choose to harm the people of the Commercial Guild. Reiner was sure the guild had already received information from the Kingdom''s merchants.


    ¡°...........¡±


    Reiner was silent with his hand on his chin. In his mind, he was probably in the midst of urately analyzing and weighing the benefits and dangers of epting the proposal against the benefits to be gained in the future.


    Incidentally, territorial tax was a tax levied on the transportation of goods collected at customs stations in each territory, separated from customs duties. The state set the minimum tax rate, and the lords collected and controlled the tax. Inrge cities and other ces wheremerce could thrive without being noticed, it was customary for the lords to over-collect for their own benefit.


    The Commerce Guild repeatedly called for its abolition because this practice hindered the normal distribution of goods.


    Of course, Reiner knew that the Guild''s argument was quite legitimate. The minimum tax rate is 10%, and it was not a significant source of ie for the Empire. In addition, the fact that it was a source of funds for the aristocrats of the various factions made it difficult to ignore. Georg and the others had been discussing the elimination of the tax in secret.


    But now, this useless system was really efficient and benefited the imperial government.


    The arthropod-like gaze of Reiner made him swallow his saliva unconsciously. Just as the Minister of Internal Affairs had said, it seemed he was on board.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°All right. I''ll take it back to the Guild and discuss it with them.¡±


    Reiner stood up and the unpleasant expression he had until now vanished, and in exchange pleasant emotions emerged on his face.


    If the Commercial Guild hade to the negotiating table, then it seemed the Minister of Internal Affairs¡¯ n had seeded for the time being.


    This was not a prediction, but a conviction, because there was no way that Reiner, no, the Greedy Guild could reject this too-sweet proposal.


    Because that ce was the territory of the monster Grey. There was no doubt that he would do something absurd. For the Commercial Guild, Baron Navarro''s territory should be a golden chicken that produced profits.


    With this we finally arrived at the starting point.


    The war with the Sacred Kingdom of Esther and then Amrzs Kingdom.


    An omen of unprecedented civil war since the founding of the Empire. Even if the Warlord had said so, it couldn''t be evaded.


    In addition to that, Zeke just a few days ago approached Georg about Grey''s decision to be a professor at the Knight of Magic Academy.


    The lowest rank noble, moreover a 13-year-old child, taking a position as professor in the most prestigious academy since old times, the Aristocratic faction started by the ex-emperor would never allow it. Without a doubt, it would get some kind of reaction. This imperial capital would be in chaos.


    Has the die been cast? Maybe so.


    As the Warlord had said, before we realized it, our country had been forced into a carriage with only two choices: prosperity or destruction.


    If we aren''t permitted to stop then we must aplish it.


    Georg clenched his right fist painfully and left the empty guest room.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 62 - Darkness behind the scene

    Chapter 62 - Darkness behind the scene


    In a dimly lit room surrounded on all sides by cold stones. Four masked men and women were sitting at the round table.


    Inside the room, a new figure of a man appeared, covered with a vicious mask and a hood pulledpletely over his head. From head to toe, the man was all in ck, perfectly assimted into the darkness.


    ¡°Everyone seems to be in good spirits.¡±


    The man wearing a ck robe exaggeratedly put his right hand on his chest and bowed slightly.


    ¡°You''rete, bastard! You''re keeping us waiting for hours.¡±


    Arge, muscr man dressed in kimono, with a thick blue streak on his forehead, shouted like a thunderbolt.


    ¡°That was my impoliteness.¡±


    The ck-robed man took a seat at the round table, seemingly without a hint of malice.


    Seeing that behaviour, the kimono-d big man was about to raise his discontent but,


    ¡°Time is pushing. If you want to quarrel, do itter.¡±


    At the words of the boy in white, with his long golden hair tied back, who looked about twelve or thirteen years old, the kimono-d man gritted his teeth, crossed his arms, and quietly shut his mouth.


    ¡°Then, let''s start the regr meeting. First, with the progress. Pandora.¡±


    ¡°Aiyoo. Currently my cute and lovely Shichika-chan is killing all the barbarians who stink of horse dung.¡±


    A woman with bob-cut red hair wearing ck clothes with a high degree of exposure, Pandora, reported with a lively voice.


    ¡°Hmph, that seems like a lot of trouble like that.¡±


    The kimono-d big man snorted,


    ¡°It can''t be helped. The domain is vast and Shichika-chan originally was an ordinary high school girl in Japan.¡±


    Pandora swelled her cheek and uttered herint.


    ¡°How long is it going to take to suppress them?¡±


    ¡°If we have one year.¡±


    ¡°It''s more trouble than it''s worth if we can''t move.¡±


    A green-haired young man with piercings all over his wild face muttered disinterestedly.


    ¡°It can''t be helped. It''s meaningless for us to do it. Besides, it¡¯s a nuisance to stand out in the council.¡±


    Exhausted, Pandora rested her chin on her left hand, rolled her red hair with her right index finger, and murmured vaguely.


    ¡°That might be so, but there are reportsing out that gates can''t be connected. The cause is currently under investigation.¡±


    ¡°..........¡±


    The conversation disappeared from everyone at this word of the blonde boy.


    That grim silence was¡ª


    ¡°Is it the work of those Cardinal Sins brats?¡±


    It was broken by the questioning voice of the kimono-d big man.


    ¡°No, those guys consistently aim the Council. Destroying the gate counters to it. It''s definitely not those guys.¡±


    ¡°Then that means the Council?¡±


    ¡°Haa! Don''t be ridiculous. How can those hypocrites tolerate a world that is not under their control?¡±


    The kimono-d big man spat out.


    ¡°If so, then who has stopped the function of the gate? If someone is not from our ss, they can''t even scratch it one bit.¡±


    In the question of the green-haired man,


    ¡°I dare to say I suspect the Council''s participation.¡±


    The blonde-haired young boy broke off and looked up at the ck stone ceiling and muttered.


    ¡°So you think the gate''s disconnection is a trap?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That disconnection is most likely temporary. The Council''s Agent without a doubt has already infiltrated into this world.¡±


    ¡°They have the nerves to look down on us.¡±


    The green-haired young man mmed his right fist down on the table in a rage, knocking over the ss on top of it and spilling the bright red drink inside.


    ¡°Stop venting out your anger. What will you do if your clothes get stained?¡±


    The green-haired young man rose from his seat, paying no heed to Pandora''s shouts of disapproval.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    At the question of the golden-haired young man,


    ¡°Isn''t it obvious? To find and kill those rats.¡±


    The green-haired young man replied directly.


    ¡°Destroying the gate is a mortal sin. Doing such a crazy thing. In this matter, eight or nine out of ten it definitely has the hand of Greed.¡±


    ¡°That damn clown!!¡±


    The moment that name entered their ears, all members'' faces distorted in disgust and all kinds of curses and swearing spouted out one by one.


    ¡°If they had urate information about us, there would have been a war long ago. I mean--¡±


    ¡°The Council is not yet convinced. That''s how it is, isn''t it?¡±


    The ck robe reminded the blonde boy with a voice full of delightful and pleasurable looks.


    ¡°If you don''t make any significant moves, they will soon disappear from this world. We can''t afford to get into a fight with them until he has achieved his goal in this world. For the time being, you will have to be quiet.¡±


    The blonde-haired boy''s order was met with silence from those present.


    ¡°That might be why I didn''t get any information from the Blue Beard. I guess I lost, huh.¡±


    On Pandora reported,


    ¡°Ha? Don''t give me that nonsense. Even such a small fry like him is being empowered directly by that honorable person. In addition, the Blue Beard also has demons in his possession! There''s no way for him to lose against the primitive people of this world.¡±


    The green-haired young man rebutted in a fury.


    ¡°Even if you say that, it''s true. The current information isplicated but a child named Yamaken led the people of Radol and destroyed the Kingdom Expeditionary Force in the Radolian¡¯s domain. At the same time, the Blue Beard disappeared.¡±


    ¡°The council!¡±


    The green-haired man spat on the floor.


    ¡°If I''m right, is that kid the one who got rid of those brats ying Cardinal Sins?¡±


    The kimono-d big man leaned forward.


    ¡°That might be so. The Empire is under your jurisdiction but what about that?¡±


    ¡°It''s Baron Grey Ines Navarro-dono.¡±


    The ck-robed man immediately replied. That voice contained plenty of ecstasy and madness.


    ¡°Astraea, can you tell us in full detail?¡±


    ¡°The information we have collected is still insufficient so I would like you to wait a little longer.¡±


    He lied. That was the unanimous answer. Astraea had the natural disposition of being a stalker. He was an extraordinary pervert who would try to find out information about anyone he held interest in, including their preferences, habits, and even the number of moles on their body. There was no way he didn''t know.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Have you transferred the data of demonization from the Blue Beard?¡±


    ¡°I''ve already secured the data that has been automatically sent to me so far.¡±


    The golden-haired young man nodded in satisfaction and once again stared at Astraea,


    ¡°Astraea, I am entrusting you to deal with that child. I request you to deal with him as soon as possible.¡±


    He gave the order.


    The ck-robed man, Astrea, stood and bowed elegantly,


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    The figure disappeared.


    ¡°Was that ok? You know about his bad habit, don''t you?¡±


    At the words of the green-haired young man,


    ¡°It is true that the incarnation did not take ce, but the demon god of the demon world has been destroyed. You shouldn''t take it lightly.¡±


    The kimono-d big man interjected. If the incarnation of the demon god were to take ce, it would be one of the greatest disasters for this world, surpassing the attack of the demon king. There was nothing the inhabitants of this world could do about it.


    ¡°That''s fine with him. Whether it''s a death of grief and despair or an easy death, it''s the same death. The result will be the same.¡±


    ¡°Well, that pervert is too creepy but his true ability is his merit. I particrly don''t mind. Then, if the meeting is over, I''m going to Shichika¡¯s ce. Later.¡±


    Pandora disappeared like smoke.


    ¡°Doing whatever they like, those guys!¡±


    The kimono-d big man disappeared while swearing.


    ¡°Damn it! Don''t hope for us to have a spirit of cooperation!¡±


    Leaving those lines, in the end, the green-haired young man¡¯s figure also vanished from the room.


    ¡°Now then, Greed, I won''t let you do as you please next time.¡±


    The inside of the eyes of the blonde-haired young boy who muttered was filled with intense, deep, dark emotions.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 1 - Parting Words

    The opening ceremony of Magic Knight Academy wasing up in a week and currently, I was visiting the Mird family to sort out my belongings. Even though I said belonging, I had stored all the valuable items in my item box, leaving only a few items necessary for living in the small attic-like cramped storeroom.


    ¡°It seems you were cleaning it.¡±


    The room was so unnaturally clean that there was not a speck of dust in it, and I only had to put the few items I had into the item box.


    For a child like Grey, this residence was equal to a demonic ce with a demonic stepmother and mean-spirited siblings. And yet, it didn''t change the fact that a human called Grey Mird had been raised here until this point.


    That was why, I bowed my head deeply.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    To finish my greetings, as I headed toward the kitchen, Dame noticed me and walked up to me with an overflowing smile on her face.


    ¡°Young master.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Ie here to say my parting words.¡±


    ¡°I see........ Young master has already be that old, huh? You can now graduate from this tightfisted ce. Congrattions! Hey, you guys.¡±


    Patting my shoulder like usual with great vigor, I turned back to see the majority of servants were standing there.


    No one responded to Dame¡¯s words, only looking down.


    Some were in tears, some were trembling, and without a single exception, everyone had a hint of sadness on their faces.


    Even I, a thick-headed person, finally realised who had been cleaning my room all the time.


    ¡°Everyone, thank you for everything so far.¡±


    ¡°Young master......¡±


    Dame looked upward and tried to wipe his face repeatedly with his sleeves and shouted.


    ¡°Now now, don''t make that kind of stingy face.Today''s the day young master will be starting a new life!! Doesn''t anyone have something to convey!!¡±


    The servants wiped away their tears and lined up in a row, and the head maid stepped forward.


    ¡°Young master, thank you very much for always helping us.¡±


    She bowed her head deeply and the other servants followed suit.


    ¡°From now on, we will protect the young ones. That''s why we are fine now. We want young master to only look forward.¡±


    A strong determination was overflowing in the bright red, swelled-up eyes of Dame without any shred of lies.


    .¡±Take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Young master, please take care of yourself!¡±


    ¡°Pleasee back to this ce one day. We will be waiting for you!¡±


    I turned my back to Dame and the others while desperately holding out the heat that was rising in my eyes.


    I had already finished my farewell. More than that and I would pour water on Dame and the others'' determination. That was why I managed to hold back my heart that was about to burst and left the kitchen.


    I never thought I''d feel this way about leaving this ce........


    Unless there was some other reason, I would never step on thisnd again.


    Even though that should have been my dream I saw everyday from a young age, now that I was leaving, an intense feeling of loss was assaulting me and made it as if a hole had opened in my heart.


    That might be so.


    I''d seen them every day for the past few years. We had lined up on the dining table together, bloomed casual stories, and spent time together as if we were a family. There would be something wrong with me if I didn''t feel sad about separating from my family in the first ce.


    Several times I¡¯d asked the servants toe with me, but they refused. Apparently, Dame and the others had a strong sense of purpose to work in this shitty house.


    And if you lived together with them for a long time, you could more or less guess the reason. It was the kind of thing the current me couldn¡¯t make happen no matter how I tried.


    ¡ºMaster, aren''t you unusually immersed in sentiment? That doesn''t seem like you. I mean it''s disgusting.¡»


    That''s a line I don''t want to hear from you. I poked Mura''s scabbard a few times, quite hard, and stepped out.


    Now then, it''s time to part.


    I entered the living room on the first floor of the mansion. My father, Reiss Mird, stepmother, Valeria Mird, and eldest daughter, Linda Mird, were seated at a long table drinking tea. Then, Sebastian, standing by my father''s side, bowed politely to me, and the grim-faced mercenary behind my stepmother clicked his tongue.


    The furniture inside of the mansion has turned awful. It was a kind of conceited way of living life by extorting money from the fief. Completely repulsive.


    ¡°What do you want!!¡±


    My stepmother stood up, her nostrils ring in annoyance.


    ¡°Madam, should I beat him out?¡±


    The mercenary with short golden hair snapped his fingers and came up to me.This guy''s name was, I think, Zuke or something like that. He was one of the main culprits who had been torturing the servants who to my family were equal to my stepmother''s hands and feet.


    I had nned to drop him into the hole of despair a little ahead but if he really wished for it then it couldn''t be helped. Yes, that was an unavoidable step.


    ¡ºMaster, you are childish.¡»


    Of course. I¡¯m just a child after all.


    Just as I was about to release my right fist, which I had clenched tightly, by pulling my right elbow to hit the abdomen of the mercenary, who was standing in front of me and swinging his right fist with an expression of pleasure¡ª


    ¡°Quit it!¡±


    At the words of my father who had as high control as ever, the mercenary, Zuke, stopped his movement, clicked his tongue, and stood behind my stepmother''s back.


    I wasn¡¯t going to stay in this dump of a ce again.


    ¡°Father, I havee to say my farewell to this life.¡±


    It was not an exaggeration.This was thest time I would see him as his son. After this, we would beplete strangers. It was not just a simple speech but a fact.


    ¡°Selfish--¡±


    Linda''s eyes lifted and she tried to stand up, but I silenced her with a re.


    A child who didn''t know what to be angry about. Holding that much contempt and antipathy to me, I didn''t know if it was selfish or not for me to leave the house now.


    ¡°Ok, I understand.¡±


    Reiss nodded several times in a lonely tone, stood up, and then pulled something out of his pocket. Then he walked over to me and put it around my neck.


    ¡°What''s this?¡±


    I asked while also being confused by Reiss''s entric behaviour.


    ¡°It''s something I was going to give you when you turned 13. Of course, you can throw it away. But I want you to keep it if you can.¡±


    I nodded as I was a little bewildered by Reiss¡¯s rigid expression which looked like a soldier on the verge of death.


    ¡°Lord, I haven''t heard anything about this!¡±


    Without turning his face toward my stepmother who raised her voice in hysteria, he told her.


    ¡°It''s natural. I haven''t consulted about it with you.¡±


    ¡°That kind of extravagance¡ª¡±


    He held up his right hand to stop my stepmother from shouting abuse.


    ¡°That¡¯s something I purchased after selling my treasure item. There isn''t any reason for you to speak about it.¡±


    He asserted strongly with his shivering voice.


    Stepmother''s mouth gasped at the sight of father opposition for the first time, but gradually her face was dyed in fury and she red at me like she was ring at this parents'' killer.


    There was nothing more to talk about.


    ¡°Then I would like to take my leave with that.¡±


    ¡°One more day, just one more day. If you could stay at the house..."


    ¡°Lord!!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up just once for me!!¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, but I''ve already taken lodgings here at the Mirage Inn.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    To Reiss who dropped his shoulder, I corrected my posture.


    ¡°Thank you for raising me until now.¡±


    I bowed deeply to him. I really didn''t like the guy from the bottom of my heart, but he still raised me to this age. It was the time and world where people even sold themselves. Even if I was left unattended due to indifference that was impossible for a parent, only gratitude should be stated.


    ¡°...............¡±


    Reiss sat down at the chair in silence and took a deep sigh. I also showed my back and moved my feet towards the door.


    And just as I walked past Zuke, who was slumped over standing on my stepmother¡¯s side, I stopped and said this.


    ¡°Yo! Small fry, if you aren''t tired with your life then stop hitting me.¡±


    I gave the warning. What he choseter was his responsibility.


    ¡°You, you bastard!!¡±


    Ignoring his final cursesing from behind, I slowly left the residence.


    ¡°Young master!!¡±


    At the front of the mansion¡¯s gate, I stopped my legs at the call of Sebastian and turned around.


    ¡°I should also thank you.¡±


    ¡°It''s unnecessary. I''m sure the young master will definitely return to thisnd. I will protect this Mird family and servants until that time.¡±


    It was easy to deny it. But I had already dered this many times. I was sure Sebastian knew that. That was what he said. So I was going to take this man''s decision.


    ¡°Take care of everyone, Sebastian.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    He proimed, propping himself up on one elbow and cing his hand on his chest.


    My lord, huh. It was not even funny as a joke.


    ¡º My lord, that sounds great!! I wonder if he will call me lord too.¡»


    Ignoring the messy and annoying sword, I went to the only inn in Mirage.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 2 - Last work as Grey Millard

    ¡°It''s about time.¡±


    I got up from my stone-hard bed. The reason I stayed at the Mirage Inn this evening was not to regret leaving this ce.


    ¡ºHuh?¡»


    Wake up, it seems we have a long-awaited guest.


    ¡ºAren''t you a little dirty? Even though I was in the middle of a booze-fest with a bunch of hot girls.¡»


    Ignoring the sword who was buzzing in aint, I stretched out from the bed and strained my ears.


    The sound of the wooden floor creaking that was approaching this room.The sound finally reached my door, and the sword pierced through the keyhole precisely.


    With a creak, the door of the room opened slowly and three people rushed into the room.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Ack!!


    I raised my right hand in greeting to the three ridiculous rats.


    They panicked greatly and looked around to confirm the surroundings.


    ¡°Don''t worry. There''s no one in this room right now.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have a lot of margins!¡±


    The faces that were overflowing with uneasiness took a turn and now with a triumphant expression, they pointed their swords towards me.


    ¡°Aniki, is it really okay to cut off all the limbs of this kid?¡±


    [T/N - aniki: elder brother]


    A buck-toothed mercenary looked at me with a gaze simr to licking my whole body, then looked back over his shoulder at the short-haired mercenary, Zeuk, to confirm.


    ¡°That''s right, tear him.¡±


    ¡°It''s a waste of money, this beautiful-looking brat could be worth a lot of money if we sold him off to a pervert with a taste for young children.¡±


    An obese mercenary with an unhealthy belly shook his head exaggeratedly.


    ¡°It can be sold. What does a toyboy need limbs for, right?¡±


    ¡°indeed.¡±


    Two mercenaries approached me with an unpleasant smile. I was sure they¡¯d been doing this sort of thing to the weak for a long time now. I was losing more and more of my sense of guilt.


    ¡ºMaster, can I kill these people?¡»


    Mura asked me with a sharp voice full of anger and irritation.


    What''s wrong?


    I knitted my eyebrows and asked Mura.


    ¡ºRed, these guys are red.¡»


    I didn¡¯t know but probably what Zeuk and the others had just said must have vited one of Mura''s own rules. Even if he didn¡¯t seem so, he was full of anger.


    However, this was myst job as Grey Mird.


    ¡°No, I will do it.¡±


    Saying that, I kicked the ground, jumped into the chest of the bucktooth mercenary, and mmed my right fist into his armor. Together with a sound like ss shattering, the armor shattered into pieces and I felt several of his ribs cracking. The buck-toothed man bent his body into the shape of a ¤¯ and crouched down with the whites of his eyes.


    ¡°Hiiii!¡±


    The obese man with an unhealthy belly looked at the frothing, fainting buck-toothed man for a while, but then fearfully looked into my face.


    ¡°Hiiii!¡±


    He let out a slight scream and fell on his buttocks.


    ¡°Mo, monster!!!¡±


    He crawled on all fours, desperately trying to escape to the door. They were impolite to the core. I grabbed the man by the back cor, lifted him, and mmed him back down on the floor.


    ¡°Don''t be so cold. Don¡¯t run.¡±


    ¡°Fo, forgive me!¡±


    I slowly approached the man, who was crying, hunched over and moving his hands busily to retreat.


    ¡°Did I look that merciful to you?¡±


    ¡°Gihiii!¡±


    With his shriek dying by despair as a trigger, I rained down punches on his whole body.


    The psychologically disgusting sounds, like bones breaking and meat splitting, reverberated inside the room, then the singlehanded brawl was finished.


    ¡°..........¡±


    The short-haired mercenary, Zeuk, looked at me with a dumbfounded face while wiping the sweat that was pouring out like a waterfall.


    ¡°I''m d. If you guys had a bit of self control, I couldn''t have carried it out so skillfully. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Fools always dance for fun.¡±


    A huge blond man came out of the next room. His forehead was filled with thick blue streaks.


    ¡°Huh? Ah! Wh, who are you!?¡±


    Although Zeuk retreated while being greatly confused, he was detained by a handsome man in ck. He was the third insect man created by my [Gu poison], Spy.


    ¡°What do you think, who am I?¡±


    The big blond man grabbed Zeuk by the hair and brought his face close to his with a vicious smile.


    ¡°N, n, no way..........¡±


    Zeuk''s face rapidly turned pale.


    ¡°Interesting, you seem to know me unexpectedly. But you''re not so lucky. Do you know that Lord Grey is far more cold-hearted and terrifying than I am?¡±


    ¡°Listen here, Count Hartwig-dono. I wish you stopped saying those scandalous things.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. But it''s a fact, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°I''m not denying it. So, Count-dono, will you be my witness?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I don''t expect to be able to repay you for this, but I''ll be sure to get the Mird wife to admit that Miss Ste has been released from the Mird family.¡±


    Ste was a servant, not a ve.That was why she didn''t need permission to leave the Mird household. However, hatv was a fact that some of the servants, including Ste, were serving the Mird family in exchange for money. Given the twisted nature of stepmother, it was unlikely that she would readily approve Ste¡¯s release. If you showed weakness to that kind of trash, you would be sucked to the bone.


    That was why I came up with a n to use this idiot.


    These mercenaries were private soldiers hired by my stepmother. ording to the general rules of the nobility, if the private army you hired went out of control, the master of the army would be held responsible. You just couldn¡¯t get over it saying I didn''t know about it. In other words, as long as they attacked me, a nobleman, these three idiots as well as my stepmother were equally guilty. If they were vicious and their involvement was obvious, they might even be sentenced to death.


    Of course, stepmother was Aqua''s real mother. Even if she was rotten, I couldn¡¯t kill her. I was going to end this with the destruction of Ste''s contract and her release.


    ¡°I beg you. Please spare my life!¡±


    Finally, I approached Zeuk who began pleading for his life and stomped on his head.


    ¡°Gahhh!!¡±


    The sound of a crushed nose.


    I gradually increased the force on my leg, stomping on the back of Zeuk''s head as he screamed and iled his hands in a desperate attempt to escape.


    ¡°Are you an idiot? You guys wanted to attack me. Where is the reason to hear such a plea?¡±


    ¡°Forguve.....me.........¡±


    [T/N - not a typo; kind of expression to show he is pressed down and can''t talk clearly.]


    Finally, a puddle of scalding water seeped onto the floor around Zeuk.


    ¡°Die. Die just like all your victims did before.¡±


    ¡°Kuhiiiii!!¡±


    I started to put more force in crushing Zeuk¡¯s head in my half-crazed state, but Count Hartwig gripped my shoulder and pulled me back.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°They still have the responsibility to confess their crimes in front of Baron Reiss and his wife.¡±


    ¡°If it''s about a witness, we two are already enough. I don''t see any significance in leaving him alive.¡±


    ¡°I agree with you¡±


    ¡°Then why!?¡±


    Count Hartwig drew his shoulder back at my exasperated exmation.


    ¡°It''s not worth Lord''s hand getting dirtied by those low lives.¡±


    He proimed.


    ¡°Is it because I''m a kid?¡±


    ¡°I won''t deny it.¡±


    ¡°You are too naive.¡±


    ¡°That''s right. By nature, adults are sweet to children.¡±


    ¡°A selfish person.¡±


    Shaking my head slowly, I sat down on the hard bed.


    ¡°I will take care of everything about this event.¡±


    In any case, once Count Hartwig-dono had made up his mind, he would not budge even an inch. If you wanted to stop him, you would have to use force, but I had no intention of doing that. I had no choice but to leave it to the Count-dono.


    ¡°I understand. I will leave everything to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. As soon as I''m done negotiating with the Mird wife, I''ll return to the vige of Toto. To soak in the hot water, to eat, or to purchase goods. I never expected it to be the number one ce in the Empire as a tourist spot. My wife and child are very happy.¡±


    ¡°That is good then. I will show my face tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    From the room of Count Hartwig-dono, several soldiers who seemed to be his subordinates carried the three guys out of the room.


    A few tens of minutester, a dozen carriages passed along the road in front of the inn. They were probably the carriages of the Count''s subordinates who had been waiting for him in the forest. I''d be sure to express my gratitude tomorrow.


    With this, I had freed Ste from the Mird family and at the same time, exterminated the mercenaries who were bullying the servants. Now I didn¡¯t have any regrets in this ce.


    I finished my final greetings to the innkeeper in the outbuilding, and transitioned to my room in Strahaym.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 3 - Airhead egoistic girl

    The day after I parted ways with the Mird family, I came to the vige of Toto to greet Count Hartwig.


    I had already cut my ties with the Mird family. It might seem a bit, no, considerably misguided to give him a tour of Toto Vige, but this a;lso the fact that this vige has strong connection with the Sagami Company. If it made Count Hartwig-dono and his family happy, perhaps it might be a good thing.


    ¡°It''s Saint-sama.¡±


    I lightly greeted the vigers of Toto Vige who had gathered as usual, and headed for the inn where Count Hartwig''s group was staying.


    ¡°Oh, if it''s not Master Grey.¡±


    A man with ck hair and a beard came wobbling out of the inn, and when he saw me, he straightened his posture. Judging by the smell of alcohol that I could smell even from here, and the red face that was all done up, he must have drunk a lot.


    He is y, a direct subordinate of Count Hartwig, also a veteran guard. In the past, he didn''t even eat food, let alone drink, during his escort. It was unthinkable for him to be in such a drunken state.


    All groups of security guards of Toto''s vige were stronger than the subordinates of Count Hartwig''s.


    Perhaps he had foreseen the majority and hence given his subordinates holiday.


    ¡°You don''t have to force yourself. Is count Hartwig-dono here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He had a shogi match from the early morning. He is enjoying it to a full extent.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much to see in Toto. Yet, the number of nobles and wealthy merchants visiting the vige were increasing every day. Therefore, I suggested that we build a facility for games such as chess, mahjong, and Othello as a form of entertainment.


    Specifically, a tournament-style game would be held every day, and participants would pay a fee to y the game. The winner would get a gift voucher that could be used to buy products in Toto Vige, eat at restaurants, stay at lodges, etc. Popr products such as watches and eyesses in Toto Vige were usually reserved by appointment, and it was not umon to wait for several months. As for lodgings, they were usually booked months in advance.


    In this regard, if we left a surplus of products for the winner, the winner would surely enjoy the profit on the spot. In addition, the Sagamipany did not have to spend much money on the raw materials for the watches and sses. It was truly two birds with one stone.


    This attempt was a great sess, and even though it had only been a few weeks, wealthy merchants and aristocrats were rushing to participate in the event, and the quota was being filled within minutes every day, which was an odd phenomenon.


    ¡°Count-dono, what is he doing enjoying alone?¡±


    Even though the visit this time to Toto vige was also for spending time with his wife and daughter.


    ¡°Well,dy and ojou-sama are each having their fill of shopping and hot springs.¡±


    Well, I guess it was fine as long as they were having fun.


    ¡°Can you lead the way?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He saluted and guided me on the way.


    A huge blond man with scars all over his body came staggering out of the building of a facility dedicated to games,monly known as a game store.


    That person had lost again, huh.


    Count Hartwig was like a child who was obsessed with strategy games, but he had an unfortunate tendency to be extremely weak at them.


    ¡°Lord Grey, I have lost again.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to react when he monologued with such a pitiful expression on his face, as if it was the end of the world.


    ¡°People have their strong and weak points, Count-dono.¡±


    ¡°Master, that''s notforting at all.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders at y''s helpful advice and went straight to the best restaurant in the vige.


    Although spring had already arrived, the weather was still considerably chill.


    Hot pot is best on these days.


    As we continue to pick and eat, Count Hartwig started the conversation.


    ¡°I have already settled the affair with the Mird family. Miss Ste is free to go.¡±


    For now, my biggest fear was gone. The rest was just an added bonus.


    ¡°I''m grateful. And then what will happen with Zeuk and the others?¡±


    ¡°Leave those guys¡¯ disposal to me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so.¡±


    Then there is no reason for me to interfere. I wasn¡¯t interested in the life or death of those scum, even if it destroyed my rtionship with the Count. Honestly any way was fine and besides, they would be dealt by that Demon Count. Perhaps it would have been better if they were dead.


    ¡°..........¡±


    Count Hartwig-dono stared at me for a while with a mysterious face.


    ¡°What''s it?¡±


    I asked his purpose.


    The Count took a deep breath.


    ¡°Lord Grey, you know everything about martial arts, magic, business, and farming, but you are oblivious to the simplest and most obvious things.¡±


    He said something iprehensible.


    ¡°The simplest of things? What''s that?¡±


    ¡°The so-called family''s bond.¡±


    ¡°Family''s bond?¡±


    To me, the only family in the Mird household was my sister Aqua and the servants. And family with that puppeteer stepmother? Just thinking about it made me disgusted.


    ¡°No matter how much Lord deny, a family will remain a family.¡±


    ¡°Count-dono, I have already exined the rtionship between me and my stepmother. They are irredeemable scums.¡±


    ¡°I also agree with that. Thatdy is truly disgusting. Last night, I exined to the entire Mird family that she had told those idiots to go to the Mird house to attack and try to kill Lord Grey. How do you think thedy reacted?¡±


    ¡°Most likely sheshed out and said you guys are bandits and so on?¡±


    ¡°In general, that''s right.¡±


    It must have been very humiliating. y''s face contorted into disgust.


    ¡°I''m sorry for making you do something unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°I don''t mind. I''ve been fighting with the aristocrats for years and that degree of abuse is an everyday urrence... The only thing I really resent is the fact that they sold Zuke to us as soon as they found out who I was. She even revealed something that I didn''t even ask her about.¡±


    That''s the kind of thing that woman with no shame would do.


    ¡°That''s right, they are beyond saving.¡±


    I affirmed, tossing the meat on my mouth.


    ¡°Lord is aplete stranger for thatdy. But to your father and elder sister, you are family. That''s how I feel.¡±


    A father who let that stepmother do anything as she pleased and an elder sister, Linda, who was a spitting image of her mother, are family? To begin with, Linda is the kind of person who would send me happily to war as a child.


    It''s an impossible story.


    ¡°This is the first time I know that Count-dono likes to joke around.¡±


    ¡°Whatever I say to Lord, I know you will not believe it. But I thought of conveying that at least. When I told them that Lord was attacked by Zeuk and others, Lord Reiss beat them in tears and your elder sister fainted with a deep blue face. For me, I don''t think that was an act of any kind.¡±


    With these words, Count Hartwig forcibly changed the subject and never spoke about what happened that night again.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    A tall, beautiful woman with knee-length glossy golden hair in a half-updo was looking down at me with a suspicious look on her face and her hands on her hips.


    Her tall stature, which was rtively rare for a woman over 170cm, and her tight, thin body looked exquisite in her bright red dress. Judging from her still-young appearance, she must be about fifteen or six years old.


    She is probably Count Hartwig''s only daughter, Teresa Hartwig.


    ¡°I am Grey. I''ve been asked by your father to give you a tour of this vige.¡±


    ¡°I''ve heard about it from my mother and father in their letters. My pleasure! Here, take this.¡±


    Suddenly she handed me a cloth bag that she was holding in both hands. She seemed to have bought quite a lot.


    ¡ºwhistle, she is a splendidly big breast nee-chan, isn''t she!!¡»


    I tried to throw the good for nothing sword in the item box.


    ¡ºIt was a lie, it''s a joke, a joke, don''t get serious!¡»


    He desperately said it, shaking his body.


    If you did even a slightly strange thing, I will seal you immediately.


    ¡ºI will not.¡»


    Teresa was looking at me and the good for nothing sword at my waist with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡°I will guide you.¡±


    I took her hand.


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    After confirming with her, I also started walking.


    Her eyes brightened as she diligently did shopping in the shopping mall, the pride of this Toto vige.


    ¡°Grey, I¡¯d like to visit the Old Forest.¡±


    She asked for such a troublesome thing. I was happy to build a rtionship with her in this short time but it also made her lose all sense of discretion.


    ¡°Hold on, I can''t do such a dangerous thing. I am begging you, please be obedient.¡±


    In fact, it isn¡¯t so dangerous if I am with her, but I didn¡¯t want to deal with this troublesome klutz girl any longer.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    We are talking about this fierce, clumsy and selfish girl. I was sure she would fly in rage, but she brought her face close to my nose, looked into my face, and smiled happily.


    ¡°Wh, what is it?¡±


    I stammered uncharacteristically as she stared at me.


    ¡°Is Grey worried about me?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah.......¡±


    The truth is that I didn''t want to be pulled around here and there by her any more than I already was.


    ¡°Worrying about me.....kufufu.¡±


    She smiled creepily, took my right hand, and started walking through the crowd.


    ¡°Umm, Grey.¡±


    She released my hand and started fidgeting bashfully.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Have you already heard from Father?¡±


    From the Count? Well, the Count had consulted with me about a new business venture, was that about it?


    ¡°Yes, I have heard.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to take it.....?¡±


    Teresa looked down at me with a grim face, as if she had just stepped into enemy territory.


    ¡°I have been taken care of by Count so there''s no reason for me to refuse.¡±


    I nodded and at that moment, a crack appeared on her countenance.


    ¡°You are epting it because of Father''s debt of gratitude?¡±


    Teresa tugged at her shapely chin and shook.


    ¡°Yes, in future too, i will try to have a good rtionship with Count¡ª .......¡±


    ¡°Low¡ªest!!¡±


    I got a slight impact on my face andrge drops of tears umted on the outer corner of Teresa¡¯s eyes.


    Looking at the figure of Teresa retreating to the inn, for a while I rubbed my right cheek,


    Mura, did I just say something wrong to offend her?


    I asked the good for nothing sword at my waist what I needed not to ask.


    ¡ºMaster, I think what you just said was disrespectful to her.¡»


    Useless Mura expressed his criticism in a reproachful manner.


    ¡°But it''s true.¡±


    He moved his scabbard a few times, as if he was observing me.


    ¡ºMaster, are you going marry that girl?¡»


    And asked this foolish question.


    ¡°Why do you ask it, out of the blue? Of course not. And first of all, she is a child, right?¡±


    ¡ºAh, I see. I understood ver well.¡»


    In a tone of voice full of amazement and pity, the good for nothing sword made a strange conviction and closed his mouth from then on. There was no point in standing here any longer. Letting out a deep breath, I also moved my feet to return to the inn.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 4 - Special Council of the Magic Knight Academy - Siegfried Granblue

    ¡°We will nowmence the meeting regarding the dismissal of Lord Grey Ines Navarro as a professor.¡±


    The pitiful young man with ck hair who was forced to be the facilitator let out a deep sigh and presented the agenda.


    ¡°Grey is nothing more than a 13-year-old boy with an origin as a lower ss aristocrat. Moreover, he imitated the instructor at the time of the examination. With that , it''s already clear from the beginning why he would fail at the professor''s meeting. And you bastard Sieg, you not only scheme against other instructors but also acknowledge him as one. Shame on you.¡±


    The Vice Principal stood up vigorously, sprinkling his saliva as he screamed. The other half of the professors who had been reced by the new ones also spoke contemptuously of Grey.


    You bastard, you want to reach that far?


    After the imperial council, they asked Emperor Georg to approve Grey''s appointment as professor, and since then, a series of unusual events had urred.


    A provisional meeting of the board of directors of the Magic Knight Academy was suddenly held, and about half of the professors expressed their intention to resign, which was then approved.


    There were two ways to make the professors lose their positions here: the board of directors and the faculty council.


    In the board of directors meeting, the person in question also needed to consent for dismissal. Otherwise, even if it was the director, he couldn¡¯t remove them.


    It isn¡¯t necessary to have the consent of the person to be dismissed by the board of professors, but instead it is necessary for 80% of the professors to vote that there were special reasons why they were not suitable to be professors.


    In this way, it took a great deal of effort to be a professor at the Magic Knight Academy, and even to resign. In fact, there had only been a handful of resignations, and even then, they had been for personal reasons.


    Until now, events like half of them resigning at once was simply unheard of. Or should i say they yield to the vast amount of money those professors have piled up. That wasn¡¯t something that should have happened in reality. Yes, only if it weren''t for the involvement of that fanatic


    (most likely it was handed down by the Lord of Internal Affairs).


    It was after the Imperial Conference that Sieg applied for approval from Emperor Georg. That fanatic must have left the ce one step ahead. If that was the case, he must have heard about the approval of Grey as a professor from his good friend, the Lord of Internal Affairs, and tried to take advantage of the situation more efficiently.


    What a pity he didn''t know he was swimming to his doom.


    That fanatic''s goal was to put that monster Grey at the helm of this Empire. To do so, he could even sacrifice his formerpatriots and the Emperor he was supposed to serve without hesitation. He is that kind of fanatic.


    In short, these new professors were akin tomb sacrifices destined to be the cornerstone of the nation as viins. However, only the attendees of the Imperial Conference knew about his  background. The other half of the remaining professors had no way of knowing.


    ¡°I''m sorry, but the appointment of a professor requires a certain level of achievement and the approval of 80% of the faculty council. He has done an exceptional job of reviving some of the lost magic and 80% of the Faculty Council is in favor of him. The professor''s approval process is in order.¡±


    ¡°That''s right. I can also attest to the appropriateness of the Faculty Council''s decision to appoint Lord Gray as professor.¡±


    The professor of the Combat Magic Department agreed with Reba, and soon the other half of the professors voted in favor of Grey''s appointment in session.


    ¡°That brat''s dismissal was the desire of the former Emperor. Do you intend to disobey the ex-Emperor¡¯s wish?¡±


    As long as you mentioned the name of the former Emperor, anything is fine. This is cancer in this country that needs to be removed as soon as possible.


    ¡°You should have known this, Vice Principal. Lord Grey was once approved by the faculty meeting and to dismiss him, we need the vote of 80% of the professor with [a valid reason why he is unsuitable to be a teacher]. At this point, he''s not even close to meeting that requirement.¡±


    ¡°That guy is still a child, moreover someone from lower nobility!¡±


    ¡°That reason too doesn''t hold any ground for his qualification as professor.¡±


    ¡°Former Emperor wished¡ª¡±


    ¡°These special reasons to the bitter end are only rted to the qualities that were discovered after one became a professor. It is not possible for Lord Grey, who has not yet been active as a professor, to meet these conditions for dismissal. It is the same even if the former Emperor said he isn''t suitable.¡±


    The professor of the Judicial Department immediately interrupted the Vice Principal''s words and uttered a perfectly reasonable rebuttal. The newly-appointed professors once again screamed loudly like the Vice Principal who was groaning in dissatisfaction. It was as if the Vice Principal had multiplied inrge numbers, and it was beyond depressing.


    Oscar Lanswick, the dark-haired young man who had been forced into the role of facilitator of this meeting, let out a loud sigh.


    ¡°We will never reach an agreement like this. The point is that Lord Grey''s qualifications as a professor seem to be in dispute. If that''s the case, why don''t we judge him by the performance of his students in the regr examinations after one year of his teaching?¡±


    He suggested an alternative.


    No one raised any objection. In fact, everyone in the room knew that this was the only way to go.


    In any case, Grey was a monster who could bring back the lost magic. It wasn¡¯t as if the students he taught couldn¡¯t get a certain grade.


    ¡°In that case, he should be in charge of ss G.....¡±


    ¡°That would be.....¡±


    Reba was at a loss for words. The other professors also raised their voices in denial one after another.


    Here in the Magic Knight Academy, sses were divided based on abilities in order of S, A, B, and C, and students were assigned to each ss ording to their performance on the entrance exam. And so only those who passed the annual examination were promoted to the next level. In addition, in this exam, the passed ones were promoted to one ss up and those who failed one ss down.This was how the system worked.


    In this regard, those who were enrolled in ss C, the lowest level, and had failed twice in a row were ced in a special remedial ss called ss G. In this ss, by reteaching the foundation, if they passed the examination one yearter, they would be promoted to ss C again, and failure would result in forced expulsion.


    In this way although ss G was supposed to solidify their foundation but in reality, the sses they had to take were reduced dramatically and more importantly, their motivation was made to drop down by the scornful gazes of other students.


    In fact, most of the students dropped out of school out of desperation, or gave up and stopped training and learning, and only a few were actually able to advance. Therefore, ss G wasmonly known as the discarded cockroach ss among the students, and in fact very rarely were students able to pass out from this ss.


    ¡°You guys did say that that brat is brilliant, isn''t he? I think it will not matter in which ss you put him, right?¡±


    Looking at the self-satisfied face of the Vice Principal aroused one''s impulse to beat him hard.


    I could easily guess the purpose of these people refusing to ept Grey as a professor to this extent.


    By convention for noble ranks, Magic Knight Academy''s graduation was needed but it was at best just convention, so one could substitute it with professor qualification. Saying it in reverse, if one didn¡¯t hold the title of Magic Knight Academy''s student or qualification as professor, then he couldn¡¯t hold the title of noble rank.


    That was the basis for pure blood aristocrats to deny Grey''s title together with taking over the materials of thend of Radol. That would be the case.


    However, there was no way that Grey would permit such things. Supposing that it was enforced then the war between Grey and the pure blood aristocrats was inevitable. The winner would be Grey, without even thinking about it. That fact was the quickest way to centralize the power that the Lord Warlord was nning.


    In any case, minor decisions such as the organization of sses would be decided by a majority of the faculty. As long as they had the majority, they had the rules.


    Was he also aiming for this?


    Sieg also took the final resistance while cursing the Warlord.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°I''m sorry for saying something unnecessary.¡±


    After the end of the conference, Oscar Lanswick, the professor of the postgraduate Life Magic Research Department who was forced to facilitate the meeting, bowed deeply to Sieg and the other old professors. Oscar Lanswick''s name was frequently heard these days. As I recalled, he is a genius who developed a new kind of life magic.


    He was appointed as a professor at this time. I expected him to be a staunch supporter of the Ex-Emperor, but judging from the way he was acting, he might have just been forced into it because he couldn''t say no.


    ¡°No, it couldn''t be helped. Don''t worry about it.¡±


    However, it was almost aplete defeat for Sieg and the others.


    The faculty meeting had decided that all the students who had been ced in ss G had to be ced in the top 40 of the entire school. That would be impossible, no matter how many Greys there were.


    But giving up here would be deplorable.


    Grey by no means is a Saint. If it became necessary, he would thoroughly overrun them so that they would never rise up again. This stance was evident in the earlier battle with the Royal Army. If we turned a blind eye here, countless blood would be spilled in our homnd. That was the only thing we had to avoid.


    One wrong step and civil war would break out. From here on, we needed to be as careful as if we were threading a needle.


    It wasn¡¯t about what we could do but what we must do. Sieg began to desperately search for a way to avoid a bloody future that had a high probability of happening.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 5 - Outrageous changes for Ronald

    In front of the main bulletin board of Magic Knight Academy


    Three days before the school entrance ceremony, Ronald and his friends were suddenly told of a big announcement by the academy, and they came to therge bulletin board in front of the school building in high spirits.


    ¡°Are you joking!!!¡±


    The red-haired boy next to them, An Kruger, squeezed out the words while ring at the bulletin board with a fiery color of anger on his face.


    Ronaldpletely agreed with An this time. In fact, he could confidently say that the rage seething inside him was even greater than An''s.


    It was because the matter posted on the bulletin board was so unreasonable in every sense of the word that it was uneptable to Ronald.


    The parchment posted on the bulletin board read as follows.


    ¡°Next change in ss - Sirabe Ines Navarro to be ss G teacher.


    Transferring to ss G: Mia Cyrus, Teresa Hartwig, Pluto Brauser, Cliff Mird.¡±


    ¡°I''m in a different ss.¡±


    Mia looked a little sad and somewhat resigned as she spat out the words.


    ¡°Why is Mia in the infamous ss G? Besides, is that person in charge of ss G? That''s ridiculous!¡±


    Of course Ronald was confused.


    Certainly Mia was hopeless in the emission-type magic, but her magical reserve was extraordinary. If we talked about physical strengthening magic, she might be on top inside the school and because she was also a diligent person, her academic scores were in the top ss too. No matter how negatively she was evaluated, she was sure to get into ss A. If they were evaluated properly, there was no way that they would go to G ss, which was also known as the disposable cockroaches ss.


    And the homeroom teacher for ss G was Sirabe Ines Navarro, who was supposed to be teaching Ronald and his ss S.


    Everything about Sirabe Ines Navarro was unusual.


    His dignified demeanor, his superb knowledge of magic, and his outstanding leadership skills had led Ronald and the others to victory. Not a single one of the people who had fought the dragon-shaped golem in the course of practical lesson under hismand would be stupid enough to think that he was a student like Ronald and the others


    The fact that he looked the same age as Ronald and the others made sense when you considered that Old Sieg brought in the elves, who were rumored to be long-lived forest keepers, to teach ss S.


    The elf n was a race who appeared in the book of genesis where they lent their powers to the founding emperor, Philip Rose Archive. Because they were so secretive, except for their physical characteristics, there was no stipend that had beenmunicated to the public or even officially.


    And those physical characteristics were that he was ageless and extremely beautiful.


    In fact, his appearance was so dainty and beautiful that at first nce he could be mistaken for a girl. However, his appearance, tone of voice, and atmosphere clearly denied that he was a woman, and not many people would actually consider him a woman upon meeting him.


    Anyway, if he was an elf, Ronald didn''t see the point of having someone who hade all the way here to be in charge of ss G. Ronald didn¡¯t understand the reasoning.


    ¡°If you look at the lineup of ss G, it''s pretty clear!! For the most part, Mia is disturbed by Lord Cyrus'' downfall to stay at the academy, and as for Sirabe-sensei, he doesn''t like teaching outsiders. It''s just a bunch of stupid fence-mending by adults!¡±


    An''s bellowed shout drew a few startled nces from the students around him.


    ¡°An, nothing will change no matter how much you let out your frustration. Let''s go and ask Old man Sieg.¡±


    Sieg had been Ronald and the others¡¯ private tutor since they were children. He was absolutely not the kind of person who would do something that wouldn''t be in the best interest of Ronald and the others.


    ¡°......¡±


    Shaking with unspeakable indignation, An moved his feet toward the professor''s office where Old Sieg was.


    Mia, who must have been quite shocked, left first because she had to practice, so An and Ronald decided to go to the instructor''s office. From the look she had, Ronald had a rough idea what she was going to do.


    Ronald knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    However, it was not Old Man Sieg''s voice, but an unfamiliar man''s, who gave the permission for them to enter.


    Ronald opened the sliding door and stepped through it into the room.


    This must be a lie.....


    Ronald reflexively gulped as he looked at the people seated at the small wooden table in the center of therge room.


    The blond-haired gentleman sitting across from Old Man Sieg was the head of this academy, Riot Bernstein. And the gentleman with crimson hair sitting next to him¡ª


    ¡°Why is my father here?¡±


    An shouted in a displeased tone.


    ¡°What is the point of telling you why I am here?¡±


    The crimson hair man, unfazed with An''s outrage, smiled faintly and spoke harshly.


    He was the Warlord, Horus Kruger, An''s biological father, who had the highest authority in charge of the military affairs of the Imperial Regr Army.


    After biting his teeth together, An regained his breath and turned around, his expression of anger disappearing.


    ¡°What''s the reason behind that ssposition?¡±


    He quietly asked for an exnation of his biggest concern.


    ¡°Deplorable. Don''t you even know what my professional duties are? I''m a warlord, a military person. I can''t possibly have a say in the academy''s internal affairs.¡±


    That was a fair point. But then he wouldn¡¯t have been here without a reason.


    ¡°Don''t y dumb! You''re not going to show up at this teaching institution without a reason!¡±


    ¡°What do you think about that, Riot?¡±


    Warlord Horus asked the headmaster.


    ¡°Humph.....bastard, you are asking me that? Making such arge ruckus, now the whole academy is thrown into chaos!¡±


    Headmaster Riot swore and looked at Lord Horus as if he was the enemy of his parents.


    ¡°Headmaster Riot, I''m formally requesting the withdrawal of thatpromise.¡±


    The two look at each other and take a deep sigh.


    ¡°Your Highness Ronald, I wish I could do the same for you, but as a result of that unreasonable person working behind the scenes, the decision has been officially made by the faculty. Therefore, even I, the headmaster of this school, cannot interfere with it.¡±


    Headmaster Riot once again red at the Warlord.


    ¡°Wait a minute! Don''t say something scandalous just like that. I just gave them a push on their back. The choice until the bitter end was their own.I don''t like being treated as a viin.¡±


    ¡°What do you think you are saying?¡±


    Out of frustration, he screamed while rhythmically hitting his soles on the floor.


    ¡°Thanks to that, your beloved daughter is now in ss S, in addition to the strongest bodyguard. That should be enough, right?¡±


    ¡°This and that are different things! There is no reason to involve children in our filthy politics!¡±


    Politics... As expected, the cause of all of this was the Empire''s dispute? Really useless.


    ¡°You are seriously a cold-hearted, unreasonable, and a horrible guy, that''s for sure in public eyes. That level of wizard, just because he wasn''t an imperial person, no, just because he wasn''t from a human race, you dropped him to that disposable ss. I¡®ve really misread you.¡±


    At An''s abusive words, Warlord Horus changed the type of his smile to something more vicious.


    ¡°As expected of my son. You seem to be misunderstanding something.¡±


    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡±


    As An repeated back, Warlord Horus raised the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°He is human and also an imperial person from the same imperial nobility as you. And he is 13 years old.¡±


    ¡°What? Don''t you dare lie to me!¡±


    At the response of An, he narrowed his eyes and took a sigh.


    ¡°And the biggest misunderstanding is between his standing and ss G.¡±


    An had a very unpleasant premonition.


    The Warlord''s vicious smile made Ronald extremely nauseated.


    ¡°The standing of Shirabe-sensei and ss G?¡±


    He must never hear the rest of it. He had a feeling, but his parched mouth parroted the question back to him.


    ¡°I have sent the a list of candidates who are permitted to stand on his side in the future.¡±


    ¡°Warlord Horus!!¡±


    Without changing his expression in the face of Old Man Sieg''s fury, Warlord Horus said.


    ¡°An, if you had any natural talent at all, I would have gone to any length to get you into that miracle ss.¡±


    For Ronald and the others, the words he spun were exactly the same as denying their existence.


    ¡°We don''t have any talent?¡±


    An asked with a hoarse voice.


    ¡°You guys are ordinary people. You''re not the type of vessel that could pull your weight in this turbulent world.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.........¡±


    Warlord Horus¡¯s smile vanished for the first time as he looked at An, who was grasping his fist tightly.


    ¡°Do you feel frustrated? Did you think you are extraordinary, different from others? Unfortunate to say, but vessels like you aren''t even worth a dime.¡±


    ¡°He is truly one of history''s rarest heroes. Even though you''ve been exposed to his miracles, even temporarily, you''re not qualified to join his ranks if you can''t imagine anything more than a meager desire to learn magic.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Horus!!"


    At the shout of Headmaster Riot, the Warlord shut his mouth for the first time.


    ¡°Sorry, it''s just as you have guessed. This time¡¯s arrangement is just a filthy pretext. But, you''ve achieved the highest level of grades among all the students. That''s an unmistakable fact.¡±


    ¡°Old Man, that''s still not a constion.¡±


    If they were toprehensively consider what the Warlord had just said now, then Ronald and the others were poor and untalented Honor Students. That was the kind of position they were in.


    ¡°I''m not trying to console you, I''m just saying that the talent that Lord Horus is referring to is the aptitude of a monster like that man. If we were to take that as standard, it would not be too farfetched to say that Hero Yukihiro and of course even I, too, are just normal people.¡±


    Sieg had always been a man who did not show off his strength. Even if the opponent was an enemy, he would never say anything to undermine them. In other words, Sieg must really consider Hero Yukihiro as an ordinary person.


    Certainly, there were a lot of people who condemned Hero Yukihiro for confessing his sins. Most of them would probably give him a negative evaluation. Ronald also didn''t like the way the man looked at his sister, Lilinoa, in a stubborn way.


    However, no one who spouted such negativity would deny that he was a superhuman hero.


    ¡°Don''t worry! His Highness Ronald and the others, in ss S, we have prepared the best mentors and the strongest assistance. You will have to work hard in this environment and achieve results that will satisfy us in the regr examinations at the end of this year. If you do...


    ¡°I will arrange for that man to be your teacher. I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°That means we have to beat ss G. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°That''s right.¡±


    Finally, a thread of hope appeared, though it was too thin to even be outlined.


    Mia''s total magical power was slightly greater than Ronald. If it weren''t for her inability to control her magic, she would be no match for Ronald in terms of talent. If it''s that person, he would have no trouble correcting Mia''s ws and maximizing her strengths. And now that the Warlord had discovered her talents, it was safe to assume that the other three had at least the same potential as Mia. The same old routine of training would not be enough to win.


    Mentor was indispensable. Ronald and his friends needed a mentor who would lead them to the peak of superhuman ability, a strict and intelligent person who would not tolerate any indulgence.


    Ronald looked at An next to him, and he nodded his head. The hesitation in An''s eyes disappeared, reced by an intense will.


    ¡°So, Old Man, tell us about the mentor.¡±


    In the words of An, Old Man Sieg raised the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Don''t be surprised after hearing it.¡±


    He announced the surprising name.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 6 - School entrance ceremony and the premonition of a new disturbance

    7:00 a.m., May 4th, Year 905 of the holy calendar, on the steep hill in front of the school building of the Imperial Magic Knight Academy.


    Today was the school entrance ceremony. I was currently walking with Ste and Aria up the long, steep hill that led up to the main building of the academy. In the beginning, the entrance ceremony was scheduled for early April but it seemed that some problems had arisen at the academy, and we had been informed that the ceremony would be postponed for about a month.


    Furthermore, the content sent to us a few days ago made Ste very angry.


    ¡°How long will you be angry, Ste?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know!¡±


    As I patted the angry Ste''s head to appease her, Aria, who was stiff from nervousness, entered my sight.


    Recently, Aria as a member of Sagami Company had been moving around fervently because of business with Lieth Downtown Association.


    The restaurants had started operating with the recipes and ingredients provided by the stores that hadpleted their renovations. Almost all of the restaurants were doing very well with almost half of them having lines of customers.


    Few of the stores sold new products recently developed by Sagami Company, but rumors about it spread instantly and stores were flooded with customers.


    Specifically, a kimono fabric store experimented with an automatic loom powered by a steam engine, and began selling several designs of clothing made of hemp. The furniture store sold ssware such as cups, and the precious metal store sold watches as ornaments.


    Aria had consulted with Jude, the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Leroy, the technical director, and presented several proposals on the regr meeting of the trading firm, from which few of them were adopted.


    Perhaps because she was busy all day like this or what, she didn''t mention her father intentionally until a few days ago. Well, maybe she was just too busy that she was able to hide her anxiety and expectations.


    ¡°Don''t be so hard, this time for sure your father will not run.¡±


    More or less, he was the Headmaster of the Academy, after all. He wouldn''t be absent from the entrance ceremony just because he would be ufortable to see his daughter.


    Or rather, how much of a ss heart he had that he was feeling awkward to meet his daughter.?


    ¡°Ye, yes!¡±


    As I said the word ¡°father,¡± Aria''s symptoms worsened and she finally started to move awkwardly like a tin doll.


    ¡°It''s okay. You got the letter from your father, right?¡±


    Ste stood in front of Aria, put her hands on her chest, and dered strongly.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Finally, the color of anxiety vanished from her face and she became the usually cheerful Aria.


    ¡°Anyway, Grey-sama, are you really going to the academy with this mask on?¡±


    ¡°Well yes. There is also my older sister Aqua in this school, I''ll have to just push through.¡±


    Besides, if that notice turned out to be true, it would be truly troublesome to have my face exposed.


    However, if I talked about that matter here, Ste''s mood that had fallen to the ground might causend subsidence.


    ¡°Tonight is a celebration of your admission. Besides, Louch and Lyase are attending the sister school of Magic Knight Academy a little earlier, so I thought we should celebrate it as soon as possible.¡±


    For this matter, this time, the Headmaster of the Academy had told me that he wanted to thank me for the protection of his daughter, so I asked him to ept Louch and Lyase into the educational institution, and he readily epted.


    I think it was Eliza Academy, the sister school of the Imperial Magic Knight Academy. It was a school where sons of aristocrats and wealthy merchants went when they were dropped out of Magic Knight Academy. It should be an academy with considerable authority, but the impression from people in question, especially from Louch, wasn¡¯t very great.


    ording to him, he''d rather have me teach him directly than waste his time on such useless things.


    However, an academy wasn¡¯t just a ce to study.but also to acquire the most important things in a person, such asmunication skills and cooperation. Louch and his siblings had been living in an environment that was not suitable for children to live in, especially in a mercenary group. It was essential for them to acquire themon sense that theycked. This was also the opinion of Akuid and the rest of the Crimson Phoenix Brigade, Sekih¨­dan.


    ¡°Gray-sama,I''m still not convinced!¡±


    ¡°Ste, don''t go any farther than that.¡±


    I strongly restrained Ste from venting her frustration. To be honest, it didn¡¯t make much difference to me where I taught and to whom, and I was sure Ste knew it. As a matter of fact, Ste''s anger came down to the fact that she was forced to leave me.


    But it was a good opportunity. I didn¡¯t want Ste to get stuck with me forever. I also would not be able to stay with her forever. It might be a sad thing to say, but siblings were supposed to go their separate ways someday.


    ¡°............¡±


    I was sure she wasn¡¯t at all convinced, judging from the frustrated, downcast look on her face.


    I also smiled bitterly and moved my feet to go up the hill.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    When I parted ways with Ste and Aria and stepped into the designated faculty meeting room, all eyes were on me at once.


    ¡°What are you doing being sote, you brat!¡±


    The white-haired old man approached me with a terrible menacing look and kept rattling off while spitting saliva.


    ¡°Time! Aren''t you supposed be on time?¡±


    I looked at my watch and saw it was 7:35. The meeting in the letter was supposed to be at 8:00 a.m.


    ¡°Newly appointed people are supposed to be at a meeting half an hour before!!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know such a local rule. If that was the case, then just write it in the letter from the start. Though saying that, I had heard aboutpanies imposing such rules on earth too, I might be a bit inconsiderate then.


    I corrected my posture and bowed lightly.


    ¡°I''m sorry about this.¡±


    ¡°What''s with that attitude?¡±


    Isn''t this old man tired of being angry all the time?


    ¡°I thought I apologized for that, didn''t I?¡±


    ¡°Are you joking! Where does it look like you are apologizing?!¡±


    I thought that this kind of person, who was always trying to make things difficult for others, had been there ...... before I was born. It would be my loss if I bent more than that. My instincts told me that.


    They were really a hassle. I didn¡¯t have the slightest intention to get along with those guys. Even if I was fired because of it, I''d already drawn up a document with the Emperor stating that from now on, the territory of Ladoa would belong to me.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was customary or not, but if they broke the contract and tried to take it away from me by force, then the Empire would be my enemy. In that case, I would be independent with Radol until I start a new country.


    ..........Uh. I wasn¡¯t troubled at all.


    Just as I was about to say something to break this farce¡ª


    ¡°Vice Principal, it was I who wrote that it''s okay toe before this time. It''s not Gray-sensei''s fault at all. Can you give me face and end the matter here?¡±


    A mild-looking man with long golden hair advised the white-haired old man who was called the Vice Principal.


    ¡°Headmaster, you haven''t forgotten your ancestral position, have you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have to be neutral. I have no intention of supporting any force.¡±


    The Vice Principal, biting his teeth and ring at me with the eyes of a vengeful parent, expressed his anger with all his might and left the room with several attendants.


    ¡°I know you have your own feelings about this, but I hope you will forgive me.¡±


    It was true, I didn¡¯t care what that stubborn old man said or did. It might be useless to argue with him.


    ¡°Then, it''s about time for the school entrance ceremony. Let''s go.¡±


    With a p of his hands, he urged the other professors to go out of the room.


    ¡°We will also go with you.¡±


    The young man with dark hair and narrow eyes said.


    ¡°Is that so.¡±


    I nodded and surrendered myself to the flow of people.


    As we exited the central school building from the west side, arge wooden structure the size of a university auditorium came into view.


    Through a three-meter wide doorway, we entered a ck-carpeted hall.


    ¡°Grey-sensei, our seats are over there.¡±


    The young man with ck hair and thin eyes led me with a big smile.


    On the way here, we had already introduced ourselves briefly. He seemed to be Oscar Lanswick, a professor of the Life Magic Department.


    In this world,bat magic was considered supreme, and Life Magic tended not to be considered very important. However, the most important thing was Life Magic, which extended the benefits of magic to the scope of daily life. At least that was what I thought, and I thought Emperor Georg and Sage Sieg understood the importance of it.


    Perhaps because we shared such amon ideology, the conversation between this man, Oscar, and I had naturally sprung up. It was always fun to talk with people who shared the same interests.


    I opened a nearby door to find a space with fan-shaped steps and chairs. At the lowestyer was sandalwood.


    ¡°Is this a theater?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is arge auditorium built by the First Emperor for his students. In addition to ceremonies and other events, opera and chorus performances are held here several times a year for the students.¡±


    Unexpectedly, an ideal venue for ceremonies like universities on Earth. It seemed that people thought the same way in every world.


    With a strange feeling of admiration, I walked through the door at the back of the room to the stage where the curtain was still down, and sat down on a chair in a designated corner.


    Either because of my stature or because of the mask I had put on, but all of a sudden the students'' eyes were on me.


    The boys were wearing white jackets, gray pants, and navy zer-like jackets. The girls wore the same jackets and jackets as the boys, but with knee-length skirts.


    Now then, where are my students?


    If my prior information was correct, my half-brother Cliff should be there.


    ¡°There they are.......¡±


    Like an isted ind onnd, suitable for ss G at the bottom, there were four men and women sitting in the innermost corner.


    To be honest, I was surprised that the four students I was in charge with had a certain rtionship with me.


    ¡°So Grey sensei, how did you change your magic? Is it magic?¡±


    Reba, sitting next to me in a navy blue robe and pointy hat, looking like a wizard from a long time ago, whispered in my ear.


    ¡°It''s a material. I got it recently.¡±


    With the help of the universal creation from the cheat gift [Eternal Workshop], I was able to create a voice transformer and make it sound like a grown man''s voice. I was sure my sister Aqua, half-brother Cliff, and Teresa, who I¡¯d just met recently, wouldn¡¯t find out about this.


    ¡°Is it a rare material!!! Can you show me some!!!!!¡±


    I said to Reba who leaned her body in high spirits.


    ¡°Later, I will show you as much as you want. So calm down a little.¡±


    I shouted to stop her, but Oscar in front of her also turned around and said, raising his voice,


    ¡°Really! I would also like to see it!!¡±


    All eyes focused on me at once.


    I gave up, that was a lot of attention.


    Anyway Oscar-kun, you are more or less the professor of the academy but you aren''t much different from students.


    ¡°Be quiet there!!¡±


    The Headmaster''s words were harsher than ever. The Vice Principal beside him turned to give me a deadly gaze with a thick blue vein. Hey, you are saying it''s my fault, isn''t it?


    Reba and Oscar straightened their postures as if in panic under the re of the Principal and Vice Principal. It was hard to tell which one of them was the student.


    The meeting proceeded solemnly, with the Headmaster talking about his aspirations after entering the school, the Vice Principal telling a drowsy story about his days as a knight, and the individual professors introducing themselves.


    Finally it was my turn.


    ¡°Now, Shirabe-sensei who is in charge of ss G¡ª¡±


    ¡°This concludes the entrance ceremony. Dismissed!¡±


    The Headmaster called out my name, but the moderator, a golden-haired professor, stood up and announced the end of the ceremony.


    As half of the professors left the hall one after another, a bunch of students with a lot of questions in their mouths started to shout.


    I didn¡¯t really care about greetings but let me tell you this.


    What are they, brats!?


    I cursed silently as I received an annoyed look of pity from the surrounding.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 7 - The first class meeting

    Honestly, even an old man would be turned off if the hatred was that tant.


    I took a small sigh when I saw the shack in front of me.


    The site itself was huge but the wooden hut where only a few people could amodate was damaged in many ces, weeds growing underfoot and even inside the building. The surrounding trees blocked the sunlight all the time, making the ce dim. If I had to describe this ce in one word, it would be a haunted house.


    However you say it, this was not a ce where a person could live. I couldn¡¯t teach in this ce either. This is a good opportunity. I''d give them a lecture on some basic life magic, such as earth magic, and let them build their own ssroom.


    "You are all present here. Nice to meet you! I''m your instructor, Sirabe Ines Navarro. Well, let''s get along."


    I said to the four men and women in front of me, who were staring at me with a questionable face.


    "You are surprisingly short in contrast to your rugged voice. Are you a gnome from the elf race I have heard rumors about?"


    A red-haired young boy with awfully bad eyes approached me, putting his hands in his pockets and giving me a rude stare and words.


    "I wonder."


    This young boy is Pluto Brauser. The biological son of Lampert Brauser whom I had exorcized in the undead incident.


    ording to Sieg¡¯s information, he is a very serious person in contrast to his appearance but he was also fatallycking in magic power and had no power in offensive magic. The person himself was aware of this so he mainly acquired closebat magic but because of his weak constitution, he was even defeated by girls. In the end, the results in the examination just kept getting down and down. And finally, this time he was now in ss G.


    It was that kind of situation but from the analysis, his magic power was E. It should have been the highest magical power in the Magic Academy but......


    "Hmm-"


    Pushing Pluto aside , Teresa approached me and snorted.


    "Wh, what?"


    Even I was perplexed by her entric behavior.


    "You, where did I have......"


    She stared and muttered something. She looked like a feral child. She probably wasparing the smell from her memories, but if not for me having changed my voice, I was sure I would have been found out. I had just narrowly escaped death.


    Teresa had a high level of battle skills and physical abilities but her magic power wasn''t good at all. Since she couldn''t even use body strengthening magic, her result in the regr examination was poor and now here she was, dropped to ss G.


    Although that was public knowledge, she had an average physical ability of E-. There was no way she could lose in practical training. Perhaps the fact that she was the daughter of Count Hartwig, a powerful local family, was also a factor.


    "Who knows, I don''t know you, though."


    "Umm, but I remember this sweet, disgusting feeling......"


    Without minding Teresa, who hadpletely entered her own world, a blonde little girl came in front of me.


    "I want you to start the ss soon."


    And that was what she requested.


    This was the same girl who was sitting next to me when I took the entrance exam, and I had a fate with her as well.


    Mia Cyrus - the niece of Lord Cyrus. She possessed a considerable amount of magic power, had good overall grades, and was originally a ss S student, but due to the downfall of Lord Cyrus, she was sent away by the professors of the aristocratic faction of the school. That was the kind of bad luck she had.


    ording to the information, there were intricate circumstances that prevented her from being expelled from this academy. My actions were one of the factors for her being sent to ss G. I had to take responsibility for that.


    "That''s right! If we guys don''t pass the regr examination, we will be expelled. There will not be anything left."


    Cliff Mird echoed Mia''s words.


    My stepbrother. When he first entered the school, he was a promising neer, but an incident caused him to lose control of his magic, and since then he had been unable to use it properly. He must be having a lot of trouble, judging by his emaciation condition.


    "Then just as you wish, let''s talk about the ss."


    Cutting my words shortly, I looked at Mia and others and continued.


    "My ss is assignment-based and you will have toplete a number of them."


    "Assignment?"


    Mia tilted her head in puzzlement.


    "Yes, they are quite difficult, but if you canplete them all, I promise you that you will pass your regr examination with ease."


    "Hmph, you seem to have a lot of confidence."


    "It''s not confidence but just a mere fact. In the first ce, passing the regr examination? I will never say something so tepid immediately."


    That was the fact. As long as I had taken the role of instructor, they would pass the regr examination. I basically hatedpromises. As Cliff gulped and cleared his throat, Pluto frowned and spat on the ground in disgust. Teresa was still in her own world and Mia just looked at me sleepily.


    "Now, for the first mission. Build a ssroom here with your own hands. You have until 8 a.m. on May 11th, seven days from now. I won''t wait a minute or a second longer than that, so be prepared for that."


    "What? Constructing a ssroom!?"


    Pluto shouted hysterically.


    "That''s right."


    I nodded and answered immediately.


    "Don''t joke around! I am the next head of the Mird family and a member of the noble society. Why must I imitate themoner style like a carpenter!? I want you to hurry up and start teaching!"


    Cliff shouted in reproach. Teresa turned away ufortably at Cliff''s words, but Mia waited for my words without changing her expression.


    "The mission is building a ssroom. That''s part of the lesson. I don''t care even if you quit immediately if you don''t like it."


    "Dammit!"


    Cliff swore in frustration.


    "It''s not like I have the intention to belittle the work of a carpenter. I''m amoner, different from the Noble-sama there. I understand it''s an important job which can''t bepleted in a short time. But we are aiming to be knights in the imperial army. If we imitate such carpenters, we won''t learn much and it will be disrespectful to the profession. Isn''t that right?"


    Pluto appeared to be quick-witted but didn''t use his precious talents for this kind of trifling matter. It was really a waste of talent.


    "I also think so."


    "Yeah."


    Yes, yes, Teresa nodded loudly, and Mia gave a small nod.


    Teresa didn''t unt her nobility but she also didn''t want to do carpentry work. Mia wanted the ss to get started as soon as possible. This was that kind of situation.


    Really, what a wishy-washy person because of her nature.


    "Don''t underestimate it. I know you guys can''t imitate the carpentry work from the beginning no matter how much you try. I''m just saying that you should build your own ce to learn."


    "That''s why we can''t d¡ª"


    Ignoring all the rebuttal from Pluto and the others, when I invoked the [Wind Maniption] on top of the tattered building, the roof was crushed in an instant. If the wind blew, the building would copse. It had survived this far with this meager strength. I wondered if it was protected from the strong winds by the overgrown trees.


    Anyway, it seemed that insects had sprung up and the building waspletely rotten. There was no way I could teach in such a ce.


    "I helped you guys with demolishing it. Now the rest is for you guys to do."


    With Pluto and the others staring at me with wide eyes, I took out a ckboard and chalk from the item box, specially made by Sagami Shokai. I had the technology department make them for the outdoor ss.


    "Whoa!!!"


    Pluto immediately jumped around behind, seeing the ckboard that appeared out of nowhere suddenly.


    "Whoa!"


    In response, Teresa approached the ckboard with a shout of joy and a glint of curiosity in her eyes.


    Mia as expected was staring at the ckboard with sleepy eyes, not moving an eyebrow, while Cliff''s cheeks were twitching.


    As they showed their three very different forms...


    "Now, let''s start the ss for the preparation of ss G building."


    I took the chalk and started the ss.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 8 - Beginning of assignment

    The site conferred on ss G as a matter of fact was quiterge. One could easily infer their intention by providing this ce more or less.


    I was currently teaching the subject of [Wind Cutter] magic, which was considered the most basic magic at the Magic Knight Academy. First of all, if you couldn''t even freely use the most basic magic you were familiar with, then learning new magic would be just a dream within a dream.


    "You guys seriously have many difficulties in store..."


    Even in a bad way, the situation generally was something which hadn''t betrayed the expectations.


    Teresa had been chanting repeatedly, but her mana control was in extreme disorder. With this, no matter how much she tried, the magic would not be activated.


    In Cliff''s case, the mana control itself was working, but the amount of mana needed to put into the magic word rune was not enough. He was probably unconsciously saving his magic power for fear of an outburst.


    On the other hand, with a sour look, Pluto was striking the ax against a big tree. Contrary to his outward appearance, Pluto''s frail body was too inefficient to perform such physicalbor.


    Thest person, Mia, was¡ª


    "Wind Cutter!"


    "Woah!!?"


    The wind de passed through Pluto''s face, cleaving down the tree.


    Avoiding the trees that were cut down and falling, with teary eyes, Pluto shouted in a voice of criticism.


    "Hey, do you want to kill me!?"


    "After all it''s no good....."


    Mia looked at her right hand with a dejected expression.


    "Don''t shit around! You almost cut me in half!!"


    Pluto showers Mia with his criticism.


    "I think you were also in the wrong here, being absent minded like that."


    Cliff said sarcastically.


    "What!? Don''t shit with me! You do have the nerve to say after looking at the situation!!"


    "You are being too impudent for amoner. Be careful how you speak."


    Atst, a standoff developed into a shouting match.


    On the other hand, Mia, the true culprit, was so shocked by theck of control over her magic that she leaned against arge tree and slumped down.


    As for Teresa, she picked flowers from the ground and started to make flower decorations.


    Is this an elementary school where the ssroom is in chaos!!?


    I held my head, screaming inwardly.


    Toplete the first task mission, they needed to acquire three kinds of new mid-rank magic. It was impossible if they just stumbled down on the [Wind Cutter].


    The data given by Seig showed that they were capable enough of making daily efforts and had the talent to clear it. I knew they took their magical training very seriously every day.


    And yet they were so beat, maybe because in their minds, they were somewhat soft on themselves.


    It was outrageous that they became pessimistic and stopped thinking, not to mention that they started fighting and ying.


    "Stop it."


    If that was the case, then I needed to change my ways. Anyway, with the willpower of these cking losers, they would not be able to keep up with my assigned mission. It was already noticeable that they would lose their life sooner orter.


    "Spy, are you here?"


    "By your side."


    A man dressed in ck with a ck cloth covering even his whole face was kneeling beside me.


    "Okay, okay, pay attention!"


    I pped my hands, forcing everyone''s eyes to look at me.


    "I will have you guys fight with him. No victory condition. Just live. That''s it."


    "Huh!? What are you saying?¡±


    As expected, Pluto''s eyebrows furrowed as he spoke out his rebuttal in a high-handed manner.


    "That''s what it means. I''m in charge of ss G¡¯s failures. Anyway, you guys are probably already the target to be expelled from this academy. Then be quiet. I''ll make sure you pass the test myself!"


    Cliff inspired himself with words that were vigorous but without any evidence.


    I didn''t even look at the students as I approached Spy.


    Give the four of them the biggest scare you can. But don''t hurt them.


    Spy put his hand on his chin and pondered, but then he said.


    All I have to do is instill fear in them without leaving any physical defects, is that it?


    Without any physical defects. Well that''s right. Spy was a capable person. I was sure he could handle it.


    Hmm. I''m counting on you. I''ll be out in a moment to prepare for the next training.


    As you wish!!


    Giving a sidelong nce to Spy who bowed his head, I teleported to the first floor of Sagami Company in Straheim.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    When I returned to the site of G ss, there were four children with pale, bloodied faces.


    All of them hadpletely lost their earlier bravado.


    Cliff crouched down and clutched his hand, muttering, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I will not disobey anymore, so please. I don''t want to be a spider anymore." Meanwhile, Pluto only silently hugged his body, shivering.


    Teresa wasughing dryly at the trees, saying things like, "Hmm, that spider over there has nice, hairy legs."


    As for Mia, she was blowing bubbles andpletely fainted.


    Umu. It was the perfect finish for the beginning.


    "Form a line!"


    I shouted, but there was no reaction to it. I guess it wasn''t scary enough.


    The beginning of anything was crucial. First of all, you needed to scare them from the bottom of their souls to the point where they didn''t feel like defying you.


    "Spy-kun, seems like your training isn''t enough. I will be out for a while so I''m counting on you."


    "Yessir!"


    Spy took a step forward, and Cliff and Pluto stood up like spring-loaded machines, standing tall in front of me like erected pins.


    Teresa, on the other hand, made her way over to Mia.


    "Mia, if you don''t wake up, children will being for you again. Lots and lots of them.¡±


    As Teresa shook Mia''s both shoulders, saying something iprehensible, Mia''s eyes snapped open and she stood up to attend while changing her expression. Teresa also hurriedly joined the line that was dyed due to waking Mia up.


    "Good, seems like all are present here."


    I nodded my head in satisfaction as I saw that Teresa was thest in line.


    ¡ºReally Master, you are nasty.¡»


    Then without paying attention to Mura''s amazed words, I gave each person a task.


    In any case, the starting point was to be able to handle the lower-rank magic as soon as possible. It was impossible for the current Pluto and others toplete the assigned mission. If we continued on to the next level, we''d die in all likelihood.


    I guessed I should start with Teresa. I''d have to learn to control my magic before I could even talk about it. I had just the right magic tools. I put the bag taken out from the item box in front of Teresa.


    "What''s this!?"


    Perhaps relieved by the disappearance of Spy, Teresa''s eyes lit up as she picked up the bag and began to examine it carefully, showing none of the intense anxiety she had felt earlier.


    What a terrifying quickly switching girl.


    ¡ºIn actuality, I also want to learn from her.¡»


    For once, I agreed with Murapletely. Judging from the uncertain situation, I doubted our normal training would work for Teresa.


    "This is a magic bag. Adjust it."


    This is the ¡ºMoving Storage Education Version¡». For the convenience of the merchant''s logistics, I had purchased some magic bags as samples from Giresse and had the technical department investigate them, and some of them were modified by the Eternal workshop for the purpose of magical education. I borrowed it from a daycare centre run by "Revise Family."


    Compared to the usual magic bag, it had up to 50 times the capacity and could be adjusted in five formats: easy, standard, hard, professional, and god.


    After clearing the hard mode, no further adjustments were needed, but adjustments themselves could be made, and after clearing the god mode, the bag would glow gold and clear prizes would appear inside the bag. It was that kind of system.


    The color of the bag would change if you put in the right amount of magic in a certain order, and a voice would instruct you on the next amount of magic. Because it was a game-like system, it was the kind of setting that could be used by young children whocked concentration.


    In other words, this was an item for young children to acquire the ability to control their magic power.


    "Ehh, but Teresa is bad at controlling it."


    Teresa''s mouth twitched as she spoke her objection. It was really hard to believe that she was the same girl who was so scared just earlier. In other words, I couldn''t read beyond her thoughts. It was the type of thing I had the most trouble with.


    "I know. Rather than you being bad at it, you can''t possibly even do it, right?"


    "......Yes"


    She nodded, biting her lips in frustration.


    "Try to adjust the color ording to the navigation of the magic bag."


    "Like I said¡ª"


    While holding the magic bag, Teresa was once again trying to open her mouth.


    "Now everyone, first of all, put the magical power into the bag. I wonder if you can do it~ ?"


    A sweet female voice could be heard.


    "Fuee!?"


    Teresa looked around and saw that the voice wasing from the bag, and with a face full of joy, she began to y with the bag as innocently as a puppy ying with it.


    For the time being, this was enough for Teresa.


    "Now then, the next is¡ª"


    When I looked at my half-brother Cliff, his body stiffened in startle.


    I had never had a good impression of this kid, as well as Linda, from what I''d seen so far.


    Indeed, Cliff was arrogant, shallow, and ignorant of the world. I didn''t feel anything but displeasure about the way he, along with his stepmother and Linda, tortured the servants.


    But that was all. He had nevermitted a crime that was beyond the realm of humanity like stepmother and Zuke. Considering his age of 17 years old, he should be able to go back.


    I knew better than anyone how much a single education could change a person. It was too early to give up on them. I felt that way.


    Besides, the Mird family had Sebastian and Dame. If I could seed in converting Cliff, the next head of the family, everything would be fine. Yes. What a good idea!


    "Krama!"


    A man with a short beard and eyes as sharp as a hawk appeared.


    "My Supreme Lord, I''m extremely delighted that you have called me."


    He ced his right hand on his chest and bowed reverently.


    "I''m sorry, but I need you to y with that child."


    Krama fixed his gaze on Cliff, his eyes narrowing.


    "Is it okay even if things get rough?"


    "Okay, I don''t mind."


    "Wait a minute! Why me? First of all, isn''t her and my treatment too different!?"


    Smiling at Cliff, who was throwing me the hardest look ever of a puppy separated from its mother, I said my judgement.


    "Take him away."


    Fufu, forgive me Ibokei-dono (half-brother). Unlike Teresa, I had no reservations about you. You would be a worthy pir of the Mird domain. (T/N - I didn''t change the meaning since he specifically says ¡°Ibokei-dono,¡± unlike simple words which mean half-brother. So I just left the raw word along with its meaning as it is.)


    "No, I don''t wantt!!"


    Cliff was dragged into the forest by Krama, who grabbed him by the neck of his back cor and twisted his face into a vicious grimace while he screamed pitifully and shamelessly. If he were literally dying, the fear of an outburst would have been blown away.


    ¡ºDevil or... Buddha.¡»


    And then Mura''s voice reverberated in my head, as if he was truly disgusted from the bottom of the earth.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 9 - Solving challenges

    Hmm, with this, Cliff and Teresa were settled. Now onto the rest.


    When I looked at the two people left behind, I felt my whole body shake.


    Those two people were the most troublesome.


    Teresa and Cliff had problems before they could activate their magic, but these two were able to activate their magic. Pluto had no power and Mia had no control. Without knowing the reason, we couldn''t correct them.


    Let''s start with Pluto first.


    He has magical power and could invoke it but the power of magic wasn''t enough. The fuel tank wasrge, but the size of the engine was not in proportion to the fuel. This should be the reason. If that was the case, we should make the engine bigger. It was easy to say, but if it were easy to do, Pluto would have tried it long ago.


    A magic engine. As long as the magic was chanted and infused with magical power, it could be sessfully activated. Then, how is the power of a spell decided : With the quantity of infused mana? No, I''d already confirmed that it could be activated safely with a certain amount of magic power. That was to say,  the chanting and infusion of magic power was just the process of turning on the engine. If that was the case, the engine should be driven at the same time as the activation, or eventer.


    So, how was I adjusting the might? Charging the mana when the chanting was done... No, wait a minute. Discarding the chanting on the fingertips of my left hand, a small me appeared by [me Rando]. And then, I increased the firepower slowly. Suddenly, it became as big as a ser ball.


    "Amazing........."


    Pluto shouted in amazement, and Mia''s eyes widened.


    Now I adjusted [me Rando] with my own will. In other words, the engine was the heart itself. And the mind was an idea, the identity that created the person.


    "Pluto, why do you think the might of your magic is frail?"


    "It''s obvious. It''s because I''m amoner. Amoner cannot have more mana than nobles. Of course, there are a few exceptions, but even my father said that he could not match the nobles in magic power. Especially if I''m not very talented."


    "By the way, when did you start learning magic?"


    Pluto''s face contorted in frustration.


    "When I was eleven."


    I see, I got what he meant. In this empire, magic was like a God-given boon that could only be exercised by the nobility. Therefore, although it wasn¡¯t forbidden, there was a prevailing trend thatmoners were not allowed to use magic. This was why there were very fewmoners, even wealthy merchants, who had been training magic since they were young. The chanting and infusion of magic power itself required a certain amount of sense. The training of magic from an early age was a way to hone this sense. As a result, it became a situation where most of themoners were not able to invoke magic.


    And most of the people in Magic Knight Academy were nobles. Although about 10% weremoners, they were selected elites from all over the country, and they had been training since they were young.


    Pluto, who startedte, had a severe inferiorityplex. In short, the stereotype that he was amoner and ate starter, and that there was no way he could invoke powerful magic, was probably making Pluto''s engine smaller.


    If that was the case, the solution was simple.


    "I''m going to get straight to the point. There are no nobles ormoners when ites to magical talent. It''s simply a matter of practice and knowledge."


    "That''s impossible."


    Shaking his head from side to side, he immediately denied my assertion.


    "Why do you think so?"


    "Because it''s only the aristocrats thate out on top in regr exams."


    "That''s obvious, isn''t it? Have you already forgotten theposition of Magic Knight Academy? It couldn''t be helped as there are only ten percent ofmoners. In addition, there is a huge difference between aristocrats andmoners in terms of opportunities for training in magic. First, no matter how much money you pile up, how can an aristocratic magic instructor think of teaching magic tomoner''s sons and daughters?"


    "............."


    Pluto only bit his lower lip in silence. As expected, the skepticism in his eyes hadn''t disappeared. For arge part, he probably thought that I, a nobleman, was making a quibble out of it.


    Seeing is believing. It would be quicker to show them.


    "Spy, bring Roche to Training Room 2."


    "Yes!"


    Spy''s voice made them both jump, but this time they didn''t scream and kept their posture straight.


    "Then, let''s go."


    "Where?"


    Pluto asked timidly.


    "The training room."


    I answered simply and took them to the second training room on the outskirts of Straheim.


    "Here is...?"


    "The ce has changed."


    The sudden change in scenery seemed to confuse the two of them to the extreme, but since it was too much trouble to exin, I ignored it.


    After waiting for five minutes, a young boy with a pouting face appeared, apanied by Spy.


    "Gr, no, what does this mean?"


    As expected of Spy, he¡¯d kept his mouth shut about me. He was a capable person as usual.


    "Use the magic in front of them. That''s right, invoke [me Rando]."


    "I don''t mind, but why?"


    "Just do it."


    "Yes, yes. Crimson fire burning with radiance, heed my words, follow my strength and dance the mes."


    As Roche invoked the magic, a fire sphere was created above the training room. In the next second, it changed to the form of a bird, and after that it transformed into horses and lions.


    Really, what a dextrous guy he is.


    As a matter of fact, I had not given Roche and Lyase any grimoires other than those of the holy attribute and recovery system, which were difficult to acquire. There were two reasons. If they were handled poorly, it would inhibit the growth of those two diligent people, and beside, I wanted to find an efficient way for them to acquire magic.


    Naturally, Roche hadn''t contracted with the [me Rando] grimoire. In other words, this was all the result of Roche''s efforts.


    "This guy is....?"


    Pluto squeezed out the words of doubt while sweating like a waterfall.


    "This young boy here is Rouche. Amoner like you, and he started learning magic just a few months ago."


    Every day, under my direction, Roche pursued magical training, improved his skills and ability, and was now approaching those who had been doped by grimoires in Toto vige.


    "Do you think I can believe that? That''s right, he must be the same as you, from the dwarf race, gnome."


    Roche frowned at the words of Pluto, who finally began to escape from reality.


    "Am I a dwarf?¡±


    Roche asked that stupid question.


    "You moron. That''s just the making of his own mind."


    "Oh, I see. Is that enough? I want to get back to my studies soon."


    "No, Roche. You''re going to teach that guy the [me Rando]."


    "What? Why me!?"


    As expected, Roche refused to teach him.


    "If you make him master the [me Rando] safely, I will let you join the power generation system development team next time."


    I gave him candy.


    "Re, really!!?"


    "I will not go back on my words."


    "Then, I will do it! Come on! Or rather, I will teach you even if you die!"


    He strongly grabbed the right hand of Pluto who was no longer mumbling anything and moved to the corner of the training room. Leaving it to Roche, the rest would be fine.


    Thest one was Mia.


    She cowered slightly when her gaze met mine. I already was a perfect object of fear now. Well, I didn''t care what children thought of me.


    Anyway, Mia had no control over her magic and could only use body-strengthening magic, right?


    First was the premise.


    "You can use [me Rando], right?"


    "Um."


    Mia gave a small node.


    "Then, face that target and shoot a [Fireball]."


    "Um."


    As she gave a small nod again, she walked toward the target, and pointed her hand toward the target.


    "Wait a minute. You are shooting like that? Isn''t it too misaligned?"


    Yes. Mia''s right palm was far off to the right of the target.


    "Like that?"


    "No, it''s still considerably far off. A little more to the left."


    "Is this okay?"


    "A little more above."


    Mia corrected the palm of her right hand slightly upward.


    "Try chanting there."


    As Mia gave a small nod and invoked [Fireball], a red colour sphere formed and hit the target directly.


    "It hits....."


    Mia''s amazed voice stunned my ears.


    I saw it now.


    It wasn''t the problem of magic in the first ce.


    Ridiculous...


    "Let''s go."


    Letting out a big sigh, I held her right hand and prompted her.


    "Where are we going?"


    She asked in a hushed voice.


    "To a nice ce."


    Mia grabbed my right hand, even though it was rapidly turning bright red.


    I tugged on Mia''s hand, tilting my head slightly at her iprehensible reaction, and I teleported to the Central Laboratory of the First Research Institute.


    I pulled Mia, who was giving a sidelong nce at the scenery that had changed once again, to Leroy''s side.


    What''s with the big mask and the raspy voice? You''re even more spectacrly creepy than usual. Especially the part where you don''t feel ufortable!


    Leroy, sensing theplexity of the situation, approached and asked me an unpleasant question in my ear.


    I can''t reveal my form due to some special circumstances. Please talk to me normally.


    Looks like you are in trouble again.


    Looking at Mia who was fidgeting restlessly, Iughed gaily as if it were funny and asked in a haughty tone.


    "So, what''s your business today?"


    "She seems to be very nearsighted, so I need you to choose some sses."


    If her eyesight was bad, she couldn¡¯t see the target. It was impossible to hit the target.


    "I don''t mind. I will check her eyesight so follow me."


    Leroy let out a deep sigh as Mia hid behind me as quickly as she could.


    "You''re as popr as ever," he said with such impossible irony.


    About six hourster, just as the sun was beginning to set, Mia''s sses were ready.


    "Here, put them on and shoot at that target again."


    I put the sses on Mia in the training room.


    "You should be able to hit the target now. Try it," I said to Mia, who looked around with her stunned face.


    When I instructed her to hit the target again with [Fireball], Mia turned her right palm and invoked the spell.


    And then¡ª


    "It hits........."


    Arge tear rolled down from both of Mia''s eyes and fell to the floor.


    "It''s good, isn''t it?"


    "I''m d."


    She nodded several times and clung to me, pressing her face onto my chest. Her small body quivered gradually.


    I didn''t think she exaggerated. If the transmitted information was true, the harmful effect of not being able to blow off the magic seriously would have robbed Mia of everything.


    I gently grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away.


    "Just right. Now I''m going to give you a lecture on [Fireball] from now on."


    I began to teach Mia about the [Fireball].

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 10 - Solving the cause of obstruction in magic use and a new challenge

    Chapter 10 : Solving the cause of obstruction in magic use and a new challenge


    Early in the morning of the next day, when I walked into the site of ss G, admirably, the four of them were already there.


    Well, all of them had amon problem where they couldn''t use the magic property due to some obstruction. But now, I wanted to confirm myself how much it had resolved.


    Yesterday, through the instruction of the [Fireball] at the training centre, I''d confirmed that Mia, who has muopic eyes, ovee the inability to control her magic. The problem was the other three, but there was one I didn''t need to confirm.


    I fixed my gaze on Teresa, who was holding her bag and shing the colors from earlier, while she hadrge dark circles under her eyes and a childlike smile on her cheeks. It couldn''t be that she''d done that without a wink of sleep?


    [It''s the Standard Mode. Can you do it?]


    "Yes! I will do my best!"


    Teresa had a conversation with her bag. Mia, next to me, was left speechless at the painful figure of Teresa.


    Nevertheless, the Standard Mode was quite a challenge. Not awful, but I''d never thought she could do it yesterday and today.


    [2, let''s go.]


    "Yes, 2!"


    [You have done it! Now, let''s try 1, 4, 9 in one breath.]


    "1! 4! 9!!"


    The bag slowly shouted out the numbers, and its color changed ordingly to ck, yellow, and purple.


    [Thest one is 1, 8, 5, 7, 6, 10, 4, 3, 2, 3, 8, 2, 9. If you can do it, it will be amazing.]


    "1! 8! 5! 7! 6! 10! 4! 3! 2! 3! 8! 2! 9!!"


    The color of the bag was changing rapidly.


    [All correct! Marvelous!! You will be awarded the title of a magical girl!]


    "I did it!!"


    Teresa jumped up and down in excitement.


    "Seriously....."


    I was half amazed and half in awe. Although the [Standard Mode] wasbeled as standard, it was based on the ability to control the magic power required of a full-fledged magician.


    In other words, it meant that in just one day, the useless girl, who hadn''t even been able to invoke the spell, had now acquired the same control ability as an experienced magician.


    I''m always amazed by the concentration of children.


    [Really. Boing boing can do it.]


    Ipletely ignored the word of Mura''s misdirected, stupid impression.


    Anyway, Teresa cleared the condition. The rest were those two......


    When I turned my head from Teresa to the right, I saw Cliff, who was smiling darkly and mumbling to himself, and Pluto, who was standing and sleeping soundly.


    Regarding Cliff, his eyes were bloodshot, and the skin on his right face was twitching.


    "Karma." (t/n : changing Kruma from prev two arcs to Karma)


    "Did you call me, My Lord?"


    As soon as he looked at the glimpse of the gentleman with the beard who appeared suddenly, the blood drained from Cliff''s body, and he straightened his posture and his body began to tremble bit by bit.


    "Did Cliff manage to invoke the spell?"


    "Yes. Without any problem."


    "I see. Thank you for your hard work."


    "My pleasure."


    He bowed elegantly with his hand on his chest and then disappeared.


    As soon as the devil  disappeared, Cliff got on his knees, took a big sigh, and vomited many times on the ground. He was so frightened he was vomiting out. Just what had karma done to him?


    ........Well, it doesn''t matter.


    Let the sleeping dog rest. If anything, I should be happy that the problem was solved. Umm. It was definitely that.


    Persuading myself with that, I moved my gaze to Pluto, who was sleeping while standing with a face so tired that it seemed as if he had aged a dozen years or so at once. Judging from Pluto''s state of weakness, Roche must have stayed up all night teaching Pluto as he wanted to join the development team.


    "Hey Pluto, try using the [me Rando]."


    "........."


    There was no reply from Pluto, who was sleeping like a log.


    "Hey!!"


    "............."


    He opened his right eye slightly, and once he took a big yawn, he closed his eyes again.


    "If you want to sleep, at least do that after showing off [me Rando]!"


    While taking a nap, Pluto chanted skillfully.


    "Crimson fire burning with radiance, heed my words, follow my strength and dance the mes."


    All of a sudden, a crimson fire orb appeared, changing into the form of a bed. And then, as if to hug that purgatory in his arms, Pluto unsteadily approached, sleepwalking.


    You idiot! The ground was turning red, and it was generating a lot of heat which was quite hot too. Seemed like his limit had been broken through, but if he were to throw his body away just like that, he would instantly be a lump of mes.


    "You moron! You want to be toast!?"


    When I pressed him down, hepletely fell asleep.


    At this rate, it would be impossible for Pluto to get to ss today. And the same goes for Teresa, who was still sleeping on the ground in ´ó shape. Cliff would be at his limit in another way. It seemed like I had no choice but to start regr sses starting tomorrow and had them self-study today.


    "You guys had to face a lot of hardship, didn''t you? Now go back to your rooms and sleep! Spy, take Pluto and Teresa back to their dormitory. With respect, okay?"


    "Yes!"


    Spy appeared from nowhere and disappeared, carrying the two of them. Cliff, with a zombie-like expression on his face, wandered off on his way back after I announced the end of ss.


    The only one left behind was a young blonde-haired girl, Mia.


    "ss is over for today. You should go home and rest."


    They ought to get enough rest when they could.


    To tell the truth, it would take a considerable time to remove the cause of failure from using magic for those four people.


    To be honest, I didn''t think they could clear the first mission itself. It would be a blessing if they all could use the little magic without any restriction when they finished the assignment. That was just the way it stood. So to speak, it was just one step to the next real mission.


    "I don''t want to waste my time. I want you to teach me."


    Don''t want to waste time? Indeed, there was some truth in her words.


    What she needed next was an obstacle. The towering high obstacle standing in front of challengers makes them remember a deep sense of despair and frustration. And when she overcame this obstacle of hardship, she would gain self-confidence in its true sense.


    In other words, a moderate sense of frustration was needed for human growth.


    No matter what, I must give them a taste of despair. If the person herself wanted that ahead of time, I didn''t mind.


    "That''s fine. The other three will be back in the afternoon, and you can tell them about today''s lesson."


    "Okay."


    I began to teach Mia, who nodded silently about the three spells ssified as life magic.


    The first was mid-rank magic of the earth attribute, [y Work]. This was magic that allowed you to freely manipte soilponents such as dirt and stones. Once you get used to it, it is possible for you to make quite borate stone statues, stone tiles, and walls.


    The second was mid-rank magic of the wind attribute, [Wind Graver]. Just as its name suggested, this magic cut trees into small pieces with the fine de of wind.


    The third was mid-rank magic of water, [Reinforced Water Bond]. If you applied it to a surface and let it dry, it would strengthen stone or wood, and if you stuck it before it dried, it would produce water with tremendous adhesive power.


    These were new kinds of magic that I''d found in my search for grimoires. Naturally, there was no way they were being taught in ss at the Magic Academy, so this was truly unknown magic to her.


    Naturally¡ª


    Mia squatted down in the ground while sweating like a waterfall.


    "I can''t use them..."


    She squeezed the words of defeat out of her throat.


    "It seems so."


    That''s right. After all, it was an indispensable and extremely difficult assignment.


    Through the way of lessons, it had been engraved in their soul that magic wasn''t simply talent but a mere schrship.


    It can''t be denied that there exist fields that cannot be ovee by individual efforts alone. But I can assure you that there are virtually no such limitations in academia. Any person, young or old, male or female, rich or poor, regardless of race, has the hidden potential to reach the central proposition of a particr field, central dogma.


    People who know their limits and those who don''t. It is indeed crucial to consider which one has a higher growth potential. This will eventually manifest itself as a decisive and desperate advantage.


    "I will do it again," Mia said, trying to summon up the motivation to activate her magic.


    "No, this is the end of the lesson for today," I stopped her with my right hand, dering the end.


    "Why!?"


    You''re being impatient. Well, thinking about the situation she was in, it was a natural reaction.


    "Because more than that is meaningless."


    "I don''t understand the meaning!"


    "If you don''t understand, think about it. If you can''t do that, then you have no future."


    At my uncharacteristically cold voice, Mia clenched her teeth in frustration.


    Though I said that, I should at least give her a hint. I happened to have a resume written down for such a situation. I would deliver it to the dormitory afterward.


    As I watched her small back trotting off, I teleported to Straheim.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 11 - Humiliating treatment, Mia Cyrus

    The light of the setting sun pierced the air like a golden arrow when Mia was walking with her shoulders slumped.


    After walking down a deserted mountain road from the site of ss G, where Shirabe-sensei took the ss, she finally reached the front of the Magic Knight Academy school building.


    The student dormitory of the Magic Knight Academy was located in arge section right next to the school building of Magic Knight Academy, where there was a luxurious building standing side by side.


    Just deep inside therge section was a tattered three-storey building, the school dormitory assigned for ss G. This was the ce for Mia and the others to stay the night from now on.


    I could not invoke it properly even though I was able to control it properly.......


    She was so frustrated that her clear eyes were blurred with tears.


    With how cold Shirabe-sensei acted towards her earlier, judging from his remarks, Mia was sure he must be disappointed in her. As a matter of fact, only destruction would await Mia if he were to abandon her here.


    I absolutely can''t be expelled from school!


    Mia was a child born between the youngest brother of the Cyrus family''s present head, Bale Cyrus, and the daughter of a lower rank Aristocrat. Her father was a timid and dull man who basically could not go against his older brother, Bale, and the others. Nevertheless, as a member of the Cyrus family, he was able to provide for Mia and her mother.


    The school life at the prestigious Imperial Rose Academy, which alongside the Imperial Magic Knight Academy were a pair of the brightest jewels, as well as the casual days with her father and mother were boring, but Mia certainly felt happy.


    She still clearly remembered the copse of that happiness. It was the academy''s first magic training. In the beginning, Mia was able to invoke her magic faster than other students, gathering the Cyrus family''s high expectations for her.


    However, no matter how many times she tried, her control of magic never improved. While the other children of her age were acquiring basic spells one after another, Mia could not even make a [Fireball] fly straight for even a little while.


    She wasn''t able to control her spell. For Mia of those days, this defect wasn''t something too major but the Cyrus family didn''t think so.


    The Cyrus family, a prestigious family of noblemen, valued bloodline as the most precious thing. And magic, especially offensive magic, was one of the most important aspects of nobility.


    When the Cyrus family found out that she couldn''t control magic, even the fundamental one, which was one of the important factors of attack magic, they expelled Mia and her mother.


    Most likely, they didn''t want to acknowledge the inferior bloodline, who couldn''t even fire the basic spell [Fireball], properly as Cyrus. She thought that was for such a trivial reason.


    Bale Cyruspelled her father to choose between abandoning Mia and her mother and staying with the family, or leaving the family. Her father chose the former. In the end, Mia and her mother were driven out from the Cyrus family, who gave nothing but a trifling amount of money.


    Probably because they were afraid to be at odds with the Cyrus family, the family from her mother''s side proposed that her mother could return, but she had to leave Mia in church. However, her mother firmly refused it. And so Mia and her mother werepletely lost. Money ran out soon. They applied for financial help, but no one lent them money for fear of getting into trouble with the Cyrus family. Of course. To get into a face-to-face dispute with the Cyrus family, which possessed extraordinary economic power, military strength, and authority, would, in a sense, have meant ruin.


    In the beginning, she and Mia worked as live-in housekeepers in the house of a wealthy merchant. But her mother, who was originally a sheltered and frail person, broke down due to the stress of unustomed housework. All the cause of her mother''s suffering was Mia. At that time, Mia couldn''t forgive herself for being so powerless.


    After a few weeks of losing even that house and living a life on the streets just like beggars, Mia and her mother were reached out to by someone they never expected.


    Ronald Rose Archive and An Kruger were passing by. They had been in the same ss as Mia at the Rose Academy Elementary School, so they knew each other''s faces.


    However, Ronald and An were the most popr students at the school and were always the center of attention in ss. Mia, on the other hand, was a simple and inconspicuous girl. They had never even had a conversation before. That was why, it was no exaggeration to say that they had never met before.


    She still had her impression of Ronald and the others'' clothes and their refined aura from before. In stark contrast to her present wretched appearance, she felt intensely miserable. To Mia, who was desperately pretending to be someone else, Ronald said, "You are the girl from the same ss, aren''t you?" emphasising it. Mia didn''t remember what she''d said at that moment, but after that day, her mother and Mia were taken into temporary custody by Duke Kr¨¹ger''s family.


    After living there for a few days, the head of the Kr¨¹ger family, Horus Kr¨¹ger, summoned Mia to his office and told her in the following manner.


    "I hate ipetent and useless people. I don''t have any intention of doing any charity whatsoever. Under normal circumstances, I would have left you mother and daughter alone, as you have no value. But rejoice. You have the talent to overturn my assessment."


    Apparently, the magic test result had revealed that Mia had ten times more manapared to a normal person.


    Horus Kr¨¹ger offered to pay for Mia''s mother''s medical treatment if she agreed to certain conditions.


    The condition was to graduate from the Magic Knight Academy and enlist in the Imperial Regr Army. If this condition was met, all of Mia''s mother''s treatment and medical expenses would be waived. On the other hand, if Mia failed to meet the requirements, she would have to carry a huge debt, and her mother would be thrown out on the cold and miserable streets.


    In short, if Mia was expelled from Magic Knight Academy, her mother''s death would be certain.


    So Mia went to live with the Kr¨¹ger family and worked hard every day with Ronald and An to practice magic.


    Finally, the examination for Magic Knight Academy began. Together with Ronald and the others, Mia had thoroughly researched the exams, and unrted to her magic control, Mia could use body strengthening magic excellentlypared to others. Basically, the Magic Knight Academy was based on ability. She had the confidence to pass it.


    In the world, the Cyrus family seemed to have be the centre of mour, but Mia had already broken off from them. She didn''t think they had much to do with it.


    Suppressing her nervousness, she went to the examination room of the Magic Knight Academy and met a strange boy.


    While all of the students were putting a desperatest-ditch effort, he was looking outside with his chin on his hand.


    All of the examinees here were putting theirst-minute effort into this Magic Knight Academy''s exam. So, she felt a strong sense of doubt and uncertainty when she saw how rxed he was and asked him, "You seem to have a lot of leeways, don''t you?"


    "I wonder." From the boy''s reply, Mia didn''t sense any air of tension, unlike other examinees. There weren''t many people who took the entrance exam of Magic Knight Academy without the intention of passing. That was why her first impression of him was that he was just a strange boy.


    That impressionpletely changed when she repeatedly heard about him from the excited Ronald and An after the entrance exam.


    Apparently, the blonde boy had guided Ronald and the others to sess. Not only that, but he''d also taught Ronald and the others the improved versions of some of the magic during the short time they were taking the exam.


    If he had that kind of ability, he didn''t need to graduate from the Magic Knight Academy to get a job. Rather, all the forces would desperately try to recruit him.


    That was why, knowing that he was the teacher of ss S at the time of the exam result''s announcement, she was strangely convinced.


    The Cyrus name had dragged Mia to the point she doubted the existence of magic. The recent attack on the Undead had, of all things, revealed that Balel Cyrus had been in cahoots with the enemy. And as a matter of fact, the noble rank was stripped from the Cyrus family. They were demoted tomoners.


    If that was all, it was fine. There were only a few advantages to being a nobleman. The essence of the matter was that Mia wasbelled as the betrayer of the empire.


    Thanks to the fierce agitation of the nobles who should have been fellow brethren, she had been subjected to the hatred of the entire empire by those who had lost their rtives in thest war. Those with the name of Cyrus even now got showered with abuses and stones thrown at them just by walking on the street.


    Mia did not have much recognition as a member of the Cyrus family. However, Mia''s real name had been disclosed in that ss announcement.


    As soon as Mia entered the dormitory grounds, all eyes were on her, and one contemptuous word after another entered her ears.


    "Look, that girl is a traitor....."


    "Ah, the family of the scumbag who disgraced the country by working with that pseudo-brave man! Doing whatever they want until now! No matter which faces, I really hate them!"


    "What an easygoing person, isn''t she? It would have been good if the government had not only stripped their noble rank but also all the fortune!"


    Selfish! They didn''t even know what Mia and her mother had to go through!


    "Now now, endure a bit more. In any case, now that she is in cockroach ss, she will be expelled soon!"


    She gritted her teeth so hard that they might break the pacifying word of a young boy with ck hair. If Mia was expelled, it would lead to her mother''s definite death. She would definitely not say this.


    Consequently, her feet naturally stopped, and she stared at the source of the voice.


    "The traitorous girl is ring!"


    "Hurry up and go back to that shabby building!!"


    She felt a shock on the back of her head and sparks flew in front of her eyes. When she touched her head which was giving a dull pain, a lukewarm red liquid was sticking to it. When she looked at her feet, she saw a stone lying down.


    She knew it. If the name of Cyrus were to be known in the current empire, she would meet with the same eyes no matter where she went. Still, she didn''t want to be defeated by those cowards who didn''t even know her hardship.


    That''s why¡ª


    "That''s why don''t look at me with filthy eyes!!"


    "Traitor!"


    "You cowardly family!!"


    More and more stones were fired. Without using body strengthening magic, Mia''s physical strength wasn''t high. It would be impossible for her to avoid all these stones and pebbles. Even so, she couldn''t bear the thought of herself just being knocked down.


    Just before the stones reached Mia, they all unnaturally stopped in midair and fell to the ground.


    "Mia, are you all right?"


    Mia noticed the young masked man standing there as if to protect her.


    "Sensei........" (T/N - sensei = teacher)


    Shirabe-sensei gently patted Mia''s head and looked around the surrounding students.


    "Who the hell are you?"


    A short-haired young boy pressed him for an answer, pulling a scowl on his face.


    "Moron, he was sitting in the corner of the podium yesterday. That person is a professor!"


    One of the young boys next to him hurriedly restrained him by clutching his shoulder.


    "More than that, how did he prevent the stones?"


    Mia heard a female student muttering to herself, "Don''t tell me by cancelling the chant?"


    "Seriously, I''ve never seen that before!"


    Immediately, the surrounding was filled with curiosity.


    "Hmmm, I didn''t expect this to be such a bunch of vulgar monkey''s gibberish. Young Miss Mia, I''ll take you back to your dormitory from now on."


    Sensei''s shoulders slumped down and he took a sigh while looking at the situation, then pulled Mia''s hand and walked away.


    "Hold on!"


    Pushing aside the students, a youth with golden hair in a swept-back hairstyle showed up and raised his voice.


    "Shirabe-sensei, your remarks just now can''t be overlooked!"


    "And you are?"


    Shirabe-sensei looked back in annoyance.


    "I''m in charge of ss A, Lennox Laris. Rather than that, I hope you take your vile words about the students back!"


    "Huh? A vile beast who throws stones at their fellow ssmate should be enough as a monkey, right? Am I wrong?"


    The atmosphere instantly became hostile at the words of Shirabe-sensei.


    The blonde-haired teacher, Lennox, pulled a wry face and questioned the students, "Are Shirabe-sensei''s words true?"


    "It''s a lie. That girl was on her own."


    A girl with long golden hair and piercing eyes used Mia.


    "Look, that''s what students said! Aren''t you embarrassed to lie as a teacher!?"


    "Bunch of jerks!"


    For the first time, the teacher spat out such disgusting words and walked to the dormitory.


    Ignoring the curses spinning in unison, the sensei and Mia headed for the ss G dormitory.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 12 - Class Gs first assignment review - Mia Cyrus

    When Shirabe-sensei came to the tattered three-storey building, he muttered in astonishment,


    "Although I have heard about it, this is terrible......"


    I knew the feeling very well. Because every side of the house, including the walls and the other parts, was damaged and there was a draft blowing in the air. Last night, I''d wrapped myself in a nket but still, it was quite cold.


    "That''s too much of carelessness. We don''t know if some mad fellows like earliere to assault. We have to promptly take action for this dormitory too."


    Muttering to himself, he turned to look at me through his mask.


    "You have a cut on your forehead."


    Pulling a clean cloth from his pocket, sensei gently wiped my forehead.


    "Your eyelids are swollen too. Mia, close your eyes for a moment."


    "Huh?" I ended up asking back again in a pathetic voice.


    "Close your eyes."


    "Ye, yes."


    As I closed my eyelids and waited, I felt sensei approaching.


    For some unknown reason, my heart started beating painfully, and instead, my face turned burning red.


    I wondered what was wrong with me? That was the first time I felt like that.


    A warm feeling appeared on the right side of my head. And then...


    "It''s alright to open your eyes now."


    "What?"


    Letting out a questionable voice, I opened my eyes and saw sensei standing a distance away from me.


    "How is it? It doesn''t hurt now, right?"


    "Hurt?"


    Speaking of that, the pain that had been asserting itself so much seemed to have disappeared cleanly.


    When I timidly touched my head where the stone had hit, there was my skin like always, without any injury.


    "I have healed it. It''s okay now."


    When I touched my clean skin, an unknown intense embarrassment assailed me. I turned my back on sensei and tried to run into the building.


    "Wait a minute. I''m not done talking yet," he grabbed my right hand.


    "I want you to let me go."


    I didn''t want sensei to see my face, which was so red as if it caught fire, so I turned my head away and demanded just that.


    Sensei put a note in my right hand.


    "Hmm, I''m passing this resume to you. Discuss it with the others tonight," he muttered before turning around to walk toward the school building.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I entered the dormitory of ss G, gathered all of the members in the hall on the first floor, distributed the material given by Shirabe-sensei, and informed them of today''s ss content.


    "It''s natural you can''t do it! There''s no such magic!!" Cliff mmed the material down on the table furiously.


    "You are noisy! Keep quiet for a while as I''m still reading it!!" Pluto, who was looking at the material with great concentration, bent his face in displeasure and spat.


    "You believe such a nonsensical story!?"


    "I believe it," Pluto immediately replied, turning his gaze from Cliff back to the material and resuming his perusal.


    Cliff''s nostrils red in annoyance at Pluto''s nd response.


    To Cliff, who tried to open his mouth again, I affirmed, "The magic described in the material is definitely true."


    There was no mistake in the fact that I''d had Shirabe-sensei invoking all three spells in front of my eyes.


    "Then why it isn''t activating even after changing!? Isn''t it strange?"


    "That''s why you should think about looking at the material!"


    In addition to the three new spells, the document also listed runes for [Fireball], [Wind Cutter], and [Physical Strengthening].


    And above the phrase of each rune, there was a number from 1 to 10 respectively.


    [This is Hard Mode. Are you ready for this?]


    "Yes, please!"


    Giving a sidelong nce at the quarrel unfolding between me and the others, Teresa held her bag and replied cheerfully with a face like a blooming flower. She had been ying with the talking magic bag since a while ago, not even looking at the material.


    [2, 6......]


    Cliff had finally run out of patience with the surreal situation of the bag shouting out numbers, and a thick blue streak appeared on his forehead.


    "If you want to y, just do it after returning to your room!"


    And he took the magic bag from Teresa.


    "Ah! What are you doing?! Return it!"


    Cliff unconsciously took a step back at Teresa who stood up in a threatening attitude.


    And then, the bag was dyed in white.


    [It was regrettable, 0 points. Let''s do our best from Easy Mode again, okay?]


    Said the bag in its impermanent voice.


    "Ah! Even though I finally cleared it until Standard Mode!!"


    Cliff cowered at Teresa''s gaze, which looked as if she was looking at her parent''s enemy.


    "White........"


    Pluto groaned while fixing his gaze at the bag that had turned white. I also felt something caught up in between.


    In the first ce, would that Shirabe-sensei lend a useless ything to Teresa? I and the others were in this ss because we had some kinds of obstacles in using magic. And Shirabe-sensei had easily cleared the problem of my magic control which had derailed my life so far.


    And Teresa''s obstacle was the problem of activating magic. The three magic spells that we couldn''t use, which were essential for clearing the assignment this time, were somewhat simr to the problem of magic activation.


    If that was the case, it stood to reason that there was a hidden secret in the bag.


    "Teresa, can I use that bag for a while?"


    "Yes, sure. Thanks to someone disturbing me, I have to start this from the beginning."


    Cliff stared back, cowering again like a puppy when he was hit with a cold stare that seemed to shoot at him.


    Pluto approached me without paying attention to the conflict between those two.


    "Mia, try using the bag first."


    "I know!"


    Receiving the bag from Teresa, a woman''s voice came out.


    [Now, everyone. First is putting charge Mana 2 in the bag. I wonder if you can do it. ?]


    Mana 2. For the time being, I decided to charge the bag with mana.


    When I slowly filled it with mana, the bag was dyed in ck.


    [Too bad, that was 4. Try to fill the bag a little less.]


    "Unexpectedly, it''s that!!"


    Pluto''s face dyed in wild ecstasy as his gaze dropped to the material given by Shirabe-sensei. I also looked at it.


    Inside the material in the chanting section of [Fireball], [Red me "2", gather in your hand "8", power output "5"] was mentioned.


    I held the bag and charged the same mana as [Red me] of [Fireball].


    Instantly, the bag was dyed red.


    [You have done well. Next, try charging the Mana 8 in the bag]


    When I charged the same mana as [gather in your hand], the bag changed colour to orange.


    [What about thest 5 Mana?]


    The bag turned yellow when I filled it with the mana of [Magic output].


    [Marvelous! Easy mode has been leveled up to lv2!]


    I also had a prediction about this bag''s ridiculous system.


    "Those numbers are the amount of magic that should be put into each segment of the [Magic Word] rune."


    "That''s!!"


    In response to Pluto''s excited shout, I gave him a big smile.


    If that was the case, the magic should be activated when we invoked the [Magic Word] rune while putting the required amount of mana into each of the three magic segments.


    "Mia! Let''s clear this Easy Mode thing."


    "Yes!"


    I nodded loudly at Pluto and began to put in the mana ording to the voice from the bag.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 13 - Completion of the first lesson

    Chapter 13 : Completion of the first lesson


    "I''m surprised."


    As I watched the students silently engaged in thebor of constructing the building of ss G, I made a simplement.


    Mia cut around the surroundings using [Wind Cutter], and Cliff used the [Wind Carving Knife] to adjust the dimensions and work ording to the blueprint created by Pluto.


    It seemed like Pluto had borrowed the construction book from the academy library and drawn the blueprint, but it wasn''t that easy for an amateur. Pluto is a promising young man. To be honest, it would be nothing but a national loss for him to set his sights on bing a soldier, but he wanted to be one, so it couldn''t be helped.


    Cliff seemed to be a dexterous person. He also had a good artistic sense, and now he was creating an architectural appearance.


    "Teresa, attach that pir there."


    "Yes! Heigh-ho!"


    Teresa, who glued the lumber in leveled soil done by [y Craftsmanship] ording to the blueprint using [Water Adhesive], easily lifted therge tree using the strengthening magic, [Body Strengthening].


    Nevertheless, I''d never imagined they could sublimate to the level of being able to use new magic. Originally, this assigned mission was intended to eliminate the despair of not being able toplete it, as well as the consciousness that restricted them from using their true ability with a slight change of perspective. It was unexpected, and never in my dreams had I thought they would clear this in one night.


    Had I given them a little bit too many hints to mention the amount of magic power? No, even if they did notice, it would still be quite difficult for them to be able to use a new kind of magic.


    It wasn''t clear if they could certainlyplete the assigned mission. Let''s move on to the next step as soon as possible next week.


    "It''s more fun than I thought!"


    Their sess this time was not something rted to cliched talent, but rather something they''d thought, discussed, and fulfilled themselves. That was why it was worth it.


    That''s good. Now I''ve started to get somewhat interested in these people. I would not let them run away now, even if they cried or screamed. I was going to give them a thorough beating from the ground up.


    [Master, your face just now looks even nastier than usual.]


    Mura spoke to me as if he was fed up.


    "I wonder about that."


    [I''m sure if a ghost were to watch your current face, even they would immediately run away barefoot.]


    "No no, it''s more correct to say it''s going to be nastier from now on."


    [Uwah! Namo amitabha, namo amitabha.]


    Ignoring Mura, who was chanting a pity-filled Buddhist prayer for the students, I began to think about their future education.


    ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    May 10th, 2:00 p.m.


    One day before the deadline, a one-storey log cabin the size of a small vige''s elementary school stood tall in the afternoon.


    All four of them looked battered, which was natural after using magic so much. Or rather, I should say it was marvelous they were still living despite doing that much. That proved that all four of them had a great amount of manapared to the other students in general. It''s good. With this, I could teach (bully) them without any reservation.


    "Congrattions, everyone, you have sessfullypleted the first lesson."


    In front of the log cabin, I pped a few times and looked over at the four of them.


    Cliff turned away sullenly, while Teresa gazed at the newly built log cabin with a sparkle of curiosity and a feverish look in her eyes.


    Mia and Pluto, on the other hand, were poised with a serious look on their faces, as if they were wrestling their destiny.


    "Sensei, please teach us magic without dy now!"


    Pluto leaned forward and shouted, and Mia silently agreed with him.


    Just as expected, they had misunderstood things spectacrly.


    I wasn''t standing in this ce just to teach them magic. I must correct the misunderstanding.


    "Don''t be so impatient. Even if you refuse, I''ll still teach you. Besides, magic is just a supplement. There are a lot of things you guys need to learn. Be aware of that."


    "......"


    They all floated a simr expression.


    I knew it. So, let''s start with the most basic question.


    "What kind of future have you guys envisioned? It''s fine even if it''s unrealistic. Just answer it."


    All of them knitted their eyebrows at my question.


    "I''m going to graduate from Magic Knight Academy and enter the Imperial Regr Army."


    "Mia is the same."


    Pluto and Mia had no hesitation in stating their intentions to join the army.


    "I will follow in my father''s footsteps and be the next head of Mird mird!"


    Cliff emphasized, raising his right fist.


    "I think I want to be a bride........"


    Teresa covered her pale red cheeks with her hands and wiggled her thin waist.


    Unsurprisingly, no one had made a decision at all, not even vaguely. Right now, they were just letting fate take its course. Well, at their age, asking for their desire was futile, but it''s the duty of a teacher to guide them.


    Anyway, no matter what I asked or said to them now, there was no point. They didn''t have the foundation to understand it. No matter how much I tried to convince them, it would be in vain.


    "I changed my mind. The ss ends here for today. It will start earnestly from tomorrow. Make sure you get some rest."


    "Wait a minute. We still have time¡ª"


    "By how tattered you look, I don''t think you can even think straight. That''s the order from your teacher. Go and rest."


    Saying that much, I turned my back and began to invoke the teleportation magic.


    Hereupon I remembered something I had to tell them and I looked back over my shoulder.


    "Ah, that''s right. From now on, the four of you must return home together. Those who disobey will spend the night snuggling with Spy''s pet spiders."


    I gave them a set of instructions that left no stone unturned.


    For the past week, I had been picking Mia up and dropping her off. It wasn''t much of a hassle, and I was fine with it. But it wasn''t good for Mia to have a guardian at school all the time, and it was essential that the students in ss G helped each other.


    "Sleeping together with........spiders?"


    Blood rapidly drained from the face of those children.


    "Check, please, Spy."


    "Yes, sir!"


    As the students stiffened at the sight of the ck-robed man spying on them, I teleported to Straheim.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 14 - Registration to the Adventurers Guild

    Now then, I should head to the Adventurer''s Guild in Straheim.


    At first, I had nned to register at the age of 13.


    Besides, only adventurers could enter thebyrinths in Straheim and the imperial city of Lemuria. Registration was a must.


    The branch of the Adventurer''s Guild in Straheim was a huge four-storey building in the center of the city.


    The one who ruled Straheim was this Adventurer''s Guild. Like other merchants, Sagami Co. also contributed arge amount of money annually. It had arge ongoing business rtionship with the Adventurer''s Guild, and it was easier for us to do business with them in this city.


    Besides the majestic wooden door, there was a g with a sword inside a shield and two arrows extending from both sides. This was the emblem of the Adventurer''s Guild, thergest armed organization in the world.


    I entered the building, pushing the door open.


    On the left side of the room was a cafe-like area with many circr tables. There, people did not only drink coffee but also beer, one of the leading products of Sagami Co..


    On the right side of the room were stores lined with various items necessary for adventures, like swords, armors, tools, and other essentials.


    Sagami Co. hadn''t yet entered the market of weapons, but now that I was also going to be an adventurer, it might be a good opportunity. It might be interesting to establish one.


    The front section was arge reception area that could handle a dozen people at once. I walked up to the ck-haired woman who was talking to one of the adventurers.


    "Hmm? You, what''s the matter?"


    The ck-haired female receptionist bent down her body and asked me kindly.


    "Of course it''s because I have a business here with the guild."


    The ck-haired female receptionist''s eyes widened at my voice that sounded like an old man and smiled awkwardly.


    "I was rude. What business do you have with the Adventurer''s Guild?" she began to respond politely.


    Now that I think about it, I was wearing a mask, and with this voice, it was only natural to assume that I was a short adult.


    However, there was nothing wrong with being considered an adult. In fact, it was convenient. I''d just push my way through as it was.


    "I''d like to register as an adventurer, can I?"


    "Registration, yes. Could you please fill out the necessary information here?"


    "Hmm, I understand."


    Using the quill pen, I filled up the necessary information needed on the parchment.


    It would be troublesome if I entered fabricated information.


    I would write my name as Grey. That much wasn''t a lie.


    My upation was merchant, gender was male, andbat job was mage.


    Up to this point, there was not much to worry about.


    The problem was age. It was fine even if I wrote it as 13 years old, but it would defeat the sense of my mask and voice. I would try submitting it nk.


    When I handed it to the ck-haired female receptionist, she asked, "I don''t see any age information in the form."


    "Do I have to?"


    "Yes, it''s required. You can''t register without it."


    You couldn''t register in the guild if you weren''t 13 years old. Well, that was also the case.


    It couldn''t be helped. I had my own reasons for diving into thebyrinth. And it was also a great ce for students to train. Guild registration was a must. Besides, it was a littlete for me now that they had identified me.


    "I understand. Then please write down 13 years old."


    "13 years.........."


    The ck-haired receptionist looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.


    "I want you to continue with the formalities, please."


    The receptionist nodded quickly as I urged her strongly. "Then, the registration charge is 10,000 gold."


    She disappeared behind the counter once I handed her gold coins.


    "This will be your guild card."


    After around five minutes of waiting, the ck-haired receptionist handed me the wooden board. It was just a wooden board with only my name and a number engraved on it. I was sure it was recorded on a separate piece of paper, but as expected, it wasn''t like that.


    "Thank you."


    "Now then, I will exin about the Adventurer''s Guild."


    I got the following information from the receptionist.


    Adventurers had the right to enter severalbyrinths and dungeons managed by the Adventurer''s Guild. They could also sell magical stones and materials obtained from their adventures at the reception desk. In addition, it was also possible to get amission from officials and non-officials in the form of a quest. Adventurers could get a slight discount on armors and tools.


    Adventurers were ranked from H to S.When you moved up to G-Rank, your card switched from a wooden te to a lead te. I see, so that was what the adventurers with tes sometimes mentioned meant. Apparently, the rank was raised bypleting specific quests.


    Perhaps it was because I had a certain rtionship with Caesar and his friends that I knew most of these facts, but I thought this quest system was great for training apprentices.


    "Then, I will take my leave with this."


    As I turned my heel and tried to leave the branch hall, a screaming voice almost shook my eardrums.


    "You hindrance! You have messed up again!"


    Without thinking, I turned to look at the source of the scream in the cafe, and I saw several men and women slumped in chairs and a muscr skinhead man standing in front of them.


    The skinhead man was grabbing the cor of a ck-haired child with long bangs with his right hand and lifting him high.


    "I...am....sorry...." the child apologized with an anguished expression.


    "It''s not a problem an apology can solve! How much do you think that magic stone cost?" the skinhead man shouted.


    "B, but, the surrounding was filled with beasts, it was impossible to retrieve magic stones¡ª"


    "Yes! You talk back now, huh!"


    When the purple-haired man dressed in gorgeous armor served upon by two women eximed that, the skinhead pped the face of the ck-haired boy.


    This son of a bitch........


    Probably even his cheek was cut. Even while looking at the blooding from the ck-haired kid, he asked a simple question, "By the way, what about that filthy young girl?"


    "They are from the gold family, Breathgarn. And then the adventurer in the center is an A-rank, Munch-san.".


    The ck-haired receptionist answered nonchntly while biting her lips.


    "I don''t care much about that. Why doesn''t the guild supervise it?"


    "Traditionally, the guild had no intervention in the education of each party of adventurers......"


    "You know, do you really think that''s education?"


    "I don''t think so. But¡ª"


    "That''s what they''re saying. Is that what you mean?"


    From the small lips that still trembled, at least she did not approve of this scene. Still, I could see the frustration that she couldn''t do anything.


    "I see."


    Then, in this case, I would just do as I fit. Anyway, what those two guys were doing was against my rules.


    "Pl, please wait, Grey-san!"


    I slowly walked to the side of those guys while being showered by the frustrating voice of the receptionist woman.


    "Hey, you gori, hurry up and get away from this kid!"


    "Huh?!"


    The skinhead man looked down at me, intimidating me with blue streaks on his forehead.


    "Hmph, as expected, you can''t understand human speech. Well, it''s natural as you are a gori, after all. But well, whatever. I don''t speak gori words."


    "You bastard, do you know what you are saying and to whom!?"


    The skinhead man threw the young boy to the floor in a fury and approached me, turning his face around and snapping his fingers.


    "Hmm. So goris can speak the humannguage. What a wonder!" I shouted in admiration and cheered.


    "You, you bastard!!"


    A number of veins appeared on his shaved head.


    "What''s with that voice? It''s disgusting!" the purple-haired young man, Munch, fixed his wicked eyes on me.


    "Ne~ Munch, teach him a lesson!" a brown-haired woman clinging to Munch shouted in disgust.


    One more person, a light-blue-haired woman, also made a request that I could not have wished for in a sweet voice. "Do you hear that? Give some lessons to that pipsqueak with a disgusting voice!"


    "I''m going to do that even if you don''t tell me," the skinhead man pulled his right elbow and fist-bumped me right in the face.


    Which part of this was education. It was just a pulverizing power that could destroy the wooden floor. If it actually hit a child, it could break their neck. In short, to these people, human death was probably nothing more than that.


    Really, I feel like vomiting...


    I avoided the skinhead''s right fist, which was approaching as if in slow motion, by bending down to the floor and brushing off the man''s foot.


    The skinhead man danced through the air several times like a pawn, and then crashed face-first onto the floor.


    I trampled down on the back of the skinhead man''s head, his face slightly sinking into the wooden floor.


    "Ge, get away!!"


    The skinhead man iled and struggled to get away from my feet, but his head did not move at all, as if it was sewn shut. On the contrary, it made a creaking sound and sank more into it.


    "You''re pretty tough, aren''t you? There, there, hang in there."


    The skinhead''s head continued sinking into the floor, destroying it.


    "No, stop it!"


    I ignored the voice that was calling for help and put more strength into my right leg.


    "Gah!"


    Raising a pitiful voice like a trampled rain frog, the whole head sank into the floor, and the whole body started convulsing.


    He was still alive, no doubt.


    In contrast to the two women followers, who looked at me with pale, ghostly faces, Munch stood up from his chair, drew his sword, and stood up vigntly. The man called Munch was different from the skinhead before. He was an A-Rank. He seemed to be able to judge the strength of his opponent.


    I looked at the dark-haired kid, ignoring Munch, and asked him directly, "What''s your name?"


    As he continued shivering like a thrown-up puppy, he replied nervously, "Eight."


    "So, Eight, are you ready to leave this family of fools?"


    I reached out my hand. The rest was up to the child to decide. I wasn''t crazy enough to save someone who wanted to be destroyed.


    "Eight, you know what will happen, don''t you?"


    Munch threatened the ck-haired kid, Eight, while still watching me with sharp eyes.


    "I''m out! I''m done with this family!"


    "You bastard......" Munch squeezed out a torrent of rage as Eight screamed in a voice almost enough to rip his own throat.


    "Yeah, that''s right. What do you want to do? Do you want to fight me with that toy?"


    I didn''t have a single ounce of mercy for those who would harm me. Even at the sword that you pulled out as a joke. And so, for those who intended to kill me, I also bestowed them with appropriate punishment.


    "Do you know that we are the Breathgarns?"


    As I recalled, it was a gold family. ording to the exnation from the ck-haired receptionist, the small organisation created by adventurers was called a family, and it seemed there were eight categories: lead, iron, copper, bronze, steel, silver, gold, and tinum. Breathgarn was number two from the top.


    So they could do whatever they wanted in public like this.


    "Idiot. Can''t we just fight without a topic?"


    "If you''re so scared, why don''t you just shiver in the corner of your room?"


    "You........"


    His eyes were fixed on me. Anyway, it developed into a situation I preferred the most.


    I also lowered my centre of gravity to fight when¡ª


    "That''s enough, both of you."


    A voice called out to restrain the situation, and a young man with golden hair tied behind appeared from behind the reception desk.


    I had met a troublesome guy.


    "Munch, get back."


    Munch gritted his teeth for a moment at the long-haired young man''s insistent words, but then he picked up the unconscious skinhead.


    "I won''t forget this. I will return that debt without fail!" he spat while passing me, then walked out of the guild hall with the two women in tow.


    Good grief, with this, the case........ couldn''t possibly be closed yet.


    He was mad as hell.


    "Long time no see, Grey."


    With the thick blue vein popping from his head, Willy Gunman, the number 2 in Glory, the team of the S-Rank adventurer, Caesar, said his greetings.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 15 - A conversation with the head of Straheim subdivision

    It was really the day of useless casts appearing one after another. Well, from the perspective of Straheim subdivision staff, I think I would be counted among them as well.


    "You have just wedged head to head with the most troublesome person in the Straheim."


    In front of my seat, holding his head in his hands, was Willy Gunman.


    I had known him since I was eight years old, when I was a goblin yer.


    I thought I hadn''t seen his face for a long time, but who would have known he had be the branch manager of Straheim.


    "Hm. Don''t worry about it. I will not be defeated by people of that caliber."


    "Moron! Who even dares to mess with the guy who beat the Goblin Lord to his death!"


    "Well, that''s also true."


    I was strangely convinced when it was said by Willy Gunman, who was currently filled with grief.


    "Hey, Grey, I request you, please do me a favor and stay quiet."


    "That depends on them."


    If they became hostile, then I would not forgive them. Whoever they were, I''d smash them to pieces so they''d never rise again.


    "I am not very pleased with the Breathgarn, but they are at least skillful. If they disappear from Straheim, the guild''s ability to respond to emergencies will be severely diminished."


    "And that''s why you were tolerating their rebellion?"


    "Ah, that charade."


    He spat out, looking sideways at Eight.


    "Charade? You guys, no way.........."


    If that was a charade, then the reason the guild hadn''t handled Eight''s situation.......


    "That''s the case. Those guys are threatening the guild......"


    Certainly, now that I thought about it again, there wasn''t any worth acting uwful right under the guild''s nose. They wanted the guild toe forward to protect Eight and take money from him. That was about it.


    "Theypletely act like a hoodlum. Are they really that skillful?"


    "That''s a good question. As a matter of fact, Breathgarn itself isn''t any important organisation. The problem is the boss of those guys, Aku, who is an S-Rank adventurer. It''s like this..........."


    S-Rank. There were only three adventurers of this rank in the world. I see. If an S-Rank was crushed, then the power of adventurer organisations would change drastically.


    Even so, he took things for granted and decided not to participate in the recent Undead incident because of Caesar''s absence, which was very poorly received by the imperial government and the Commerce Guild.


    It was a rumour but apparently, the donation from the Commerce Guild had been cut in half in the past few months.


    If their war potentially decreased more than that, then it would even affect the significance of the Adventurer''s Guild existence itself. It wasn''t hard to understand why Willy was on edge.


    "So you mean to say it''s like a p to them because I have taught them a lesson before the negotiation?"


    "That''s right. That''s why I''m asking you to please control your fighting spirit."


    Willy pleaded with his not-so-handsome and pathetic face.


    The opponent was the family of an S-Rank adventurer. Even though Willy didn''t have the slightest doubt of my victory, starting from the ck-haired receptionist, the rest of the staff members'' expressions changed into suspicion without exception.


    "Let''s take proper measures. So I can assume that this kid is in my protection now?"


    Eight''s body stiffened as the subject of himself came up.


    "If it were before, I would be reluctant to leave an up-anding adventure in the hands of a monster like you, but it can''t be helped this time. There''s no other way."


    "That''s a hell of a thing to say."


    "It''s natural. You have a long criminal record after all."


    "Hmm..."


    That''s a sore point I couldn''t deny.


    "Then, Eight, how old are you?"


    "14 years old."


    "Interesting. One year older than me."


    In that case, maybe I should try adding him to my students. One more person wouldn''t be too much of a burden for me, and it might inspire Pluto and the others.


    "I, I am older? But that voice?"


    "Oh, this..."


    When I took off the pendant around my neck, which had the function of a voice changer, my voice was instantly reced by that of a child who had grown ustomed to it.


    This time, Eight and the entire staff of the Adventurer''s Guild opened their mouths.


    "Then, let''s do our best together."


    "Yes!"


    When I stretched out my right hand, he nodded with a faint voice.


    The two eyes, slightly hidden behind the long bangs, swayed like a timid puppy, but he didn''t look away from me.


    After that, I exined the situation to Willy and asked him to register the students as adventurers.


    "I never expected you to be a teacher in Magic Knight Academy. No wonder that Caesar........"


    "Hmm, has Caesar returned to this empire?"


    He had recently gone out on an official trip to subdue the disaster-level beast in the eastern region, but there was no contact from him yet.


    "I see. So you didn''t know yet....."


    "Willy?"


    "Ah, I''m sorry. You will meet him before long."


    From then on, he shut his mouth tightly. He made a subtle remark which now felt like something was stuck between my back teeth.


    Anyway, the students had been registered as adventurers, and I''d received the cards for them. I could ask about Caesar another time.


    I left the hall of the Adventurer''s Guild with Eight.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 16 - A visit to the the sickroom

    I took Eight with me to Sagami Co. in Straheim. If I continued to loiter around Straheim, it was guaranteed I would vent my anger on someone. For the time being, Eight would be living in the imperial capital.


    Now then, tonight, a ceremony would be held in the imperial capital for conferring the title. It was a group awarding ceremony, so no absences orte arrivals were allowed. In addition, I still had some things I had to do here in the central district.


    All of today''s ns required me to reveal my true identity. I took off my mask and pendant and moved to my room at Sagami Co.''s branch, which was located in the central district of the imperial capital.


    The imperial capital was divided into seven districts, with the central district, where the imperial pce was located, at its centre. During the past month, I had visited each of the districts and built a branch of Sagami Co., and the expansion ns were steadily progressing. I had sowed the seed, and now all we had to do was just provide them nourishment and increase its expansion gradually.


    Outside the ss windows, the scenery of thergest and most beautiful city in the imperial capital of Lemuria was spreading out.


    As I left the trading firm, the spring sunshine gently enveloped my skin. The crisscrossing boulevards, several times as wide as Straheim''s, and the stone buildings stood in regr rows. Even though I was estranged from art, I could recognize these historical buildings at a nce. It was truly one of the wonders that mankind had built.


    While looking at the map that was included in the material given by Sieg, I headed toward the destination.


    "Here?"


    It was the site of Duke Kr¨¹ger, who held the title of the most powerful person inside the bloodline aristocratic faction. I was expecting something more morous, but it turned out to be an ordinary mansion like the ones in Suthend and Straheim.


    Certainly, it was futile to have more room than necessary when they weren''t going to be in use and the effort required to clean them every day would be ridiculous. In this respect, a mansion of this size could be maintained with a minimum of manpower. It made a lot of sense.


    Hmm. I felt like I could get along with the head of this residence.


    I walked up to the middle-aged gatekeeper.


    "I am Grey Ines Navarro, and I have requested a meeting with Mia Cyrus'' mother. May I please speak to the Duke of Kr¨¹ger?"


    I put my hand on my chest and bowed politely.


    "So boy, youe here to meet Miruru-san?" He narrowed his eyes and continued staring at me. "I will contact them so wait a while here."


    He headed to the mansion slightly running.


    A few minutester, a fearsome gentleman with red hair and a fierce face emerged from the mansion. He was not a servant at all, not only because of the magnificence of his clothes but also because of the dignity he exuded.


    He''d been an attendee of the Imperial Conference in Suthend. Judging from his position, he should be in a very high position, but he was silent from beginning to end during the meeting. He had epted, without particrly supporting or opposing, the absurd n that Cyrus and the others were advocating, which was nothing but tradition. In a sense, he had left a deep impression on me, and I remembered it.


    He was probably the warlord, Horus Kr¨¹ger, that Caesar had mentioned.


    "Grey Ines Navarro, my pleasure to meet you."


    He put his hand on his chest and bowed, but his eyes widened in surprise. That was even more so for the subordinates and servants standing nearby.


    It was because Warlord Horus was down on one knee in front of me.


    "Great Guide of our Empire. Wee to our world."


    He was the person who governed military affairs, after all. The person who held all the power of the imperial regr army. Moreover, as a duke, he was essentially on the side of the noble families. He should have been in a hostile rtionship with me, who was a rural area noble.


    "I beg you, please don''t do this. I am not in a position to be treated that way by you."


    "Then so be it."


    He stood up, ced his hand gracefully on his chest and bowed.


    "This ipetent Horus will guide you to Miruru."


    With that promation, he started walking.


    In an indescribably awkward atmosphere, I walked into the mansion.


    The ce he guided me to was a corner room on the top-most floor of this residence.


    "It''s dangerous from here, so take this."


    Warlord Horus gave me a cloth. I guessed he wanted me to put it in front of my mouth. It was a substitute for a mask.


    I tied the cloth around my mouth and entered the room.


    Several men and women were lying on the bed. All of them had pale expressions and were coughing.


    Warlord Horus led me to a woman lying in the centre of the bed, whose body had been reduced to skin and bones.


    The main symptoms are a cough, weight loss, fever, hemoptysis. It seems to be spreading to others, so perhaps this is¡ª


    "Tuberculosis? No, pulmonary tuberculosis......"


    "Yes, you aren''t mistaken."


    Pulmonary tuberculosis: an infectious disease caused mainly by the bacteria of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.


    ording to Sieg''s data, only a few months ago, one of the servants had been infected in the city, and it spread to several people in the mansion. Mia''s mother, who was physically weak, must have been the first to get infected.


    Of course Mia hadn''t been informed of this matter. It was really a blessing that she was currently living in the students'' dormitory and not in a position to apply for a visit. If she saw this scene, she wouldn''t be able to train very well.


    In this world, where human rights were a dime a dozen, it was standard practice to burn down a house with a tuberculosis outbreak, including the family.


    This Warlord Horus here was searching for the cure without abandoning the servants. He seemed to have quite the character.


    Now, let''s get the most important thing out of the way.


    "You are Miruru Cyrus, right?"


    "Yo......u.....a.....are?"


    "Me? I''m your daughter¡¯s teacher."


    "Teacher........"


    In a fuzzy consciousness, Miruru parroted back.


    "Listen well. I am not a saint, and I have no intention of saving someone who has no will to live."


    There is no such thing as a disease that can lie on the floor for several years and not worsen or improve. If she was truly suffering from an incurable disease, she should have gradually wasted away without needing to suffer from this kind of tuberculosis.


    And yet, until she contracted TB, her symptoms had always remained in a constant state of badness. It wasn''t like she was currently faking her illness. By nature, the immune system of an organism was severely weakened by stress. Especially in humans, who have a well-developed cerebral cortex, the immune system is easily affected by the mental state. It is often said that sicknesses from the mind. This is a very apt analogy.


    Most likely, Miruru''s stress wasn''t due to unustomed household work. Being thrown away by her beloved husband. That was what it came to. In short, she had lost all hope for living in this world.


    No matter how much you try to treat a patient in this condition, there is no meaning when they don''t have any will to live.


    "Please........look after Mia."


    I wondered why. I was really disgusted by her attitude.


    "So you are now relying on other''s strength thiste? You really are a good-for-nothing person. This might be harsh to say to a sick person, but I will say it now. How you turn out in this situation ispletely your fault. You are just reaping what you sow. If you are abandoned by someone you love, why don''t you have the will to rise in the world and turn around by force before wetting your pillow?"


    "He.....will not..... abandon us..."


    This was the first time I saw Miruru''s objection.


    "Are you trying to run away from reality? But have you ever considered how much Mia is suffering and worried about you while you are in your delusion and running from reality like this?"


    "Mia is..........."


    "Yeah, it''s admirable. In order to support and give you a better future, she has been studying hard in her small body even while almost crying the whole day."


    "To support......me? Why?"


    "It''s probably due to your frail body. Why do you think a sickly pretentious drag like you is getting treated in such a luxurious mansion? Everything has its equivalent exchange. It''s an exchange for cutting down her future hopes."


    "It''s a....lie."


    "That''s the reality."


    "It''s a lie!"


    She screamed loudly and vomited blood.


    "Are you sure? At this rate, you are going to die as a burden, aren''t you?"


    "Yes......"


    A few words spat out of her mouth.


    "While pushing the responsibility on your daughter."


    "No......."


    Arge, hot, bead-like liquid trickled down Miruru''s cheek.


    "You will just crumble to dust, without knowing the true motive of your husband. Are you really satisfied with this?"


    "I don''t!! I want to live! I don''t want to die! I want to meet Mia. And him too!!"


    She shouted even while her face was messed up with tears and running snot.


    "These words, don''t forget them. Listen, your illness will be cured. Stay strong!"


    Shouting loudly with so much strength that it echoed inside the room full of patients, I held Miruru''s right hand and invoked the recovery magic.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I cast the recovery spell on all of them, which greatly relieved their condition.


    This could earn us a certain amount of time. Recovery magic did not travel back in time, but rather elerated the abnormal cell division in a certain direction to reach a state that was remembered as normal.


    That was why we used the wisdom of civilization, which was currently being developed at Sagami Co. It was a thing that was considered to be the greatest discovery of the 20th century: antibiotics.


    Currently, Sagami Co. was developing several antibiotics and had actually seeded in developing several strains of them.


    One of them was streptomycin, which was extracted by cultivating arge amount of fungus that lived in cold seasons such as winter and autumn. We had not yet seeded in concentrating it sufficiently to produce it massively, but there was enough for a cure.


    In this regard, intaking streptomycin through the digestive tract was inappropriate so as a rule, it was injected by a direct syringe into the muscle. An appropriate amount of this intramuscr injection should be given twice a day for the first three months, and then twice a week thereafter. We had developed a ss syringe and a 23G-gauge needle at Sagami Co., and I''d exined how to use them in front of everyone.


    "Will they be cured with this?"


    Warlord Horus asked the obvious question as he sat in his living room, sipping down a bowl of hot water.


    "With all due respect, it should be within half a year of continuous treatment."


    Tuberculosis is not a disease that can be cured immediately. It requires long-term, continuous treatment, but at the same time, it is not a disease that can never be cured.


    If the symptoms are severe, aplete cure may take two to three years, but in this case, the recovery magic had restored the lungs and other vital organs, as well as the patient''s bone marrow, and the immune system was expected to recover as well. Therefore, it was estimated that the patient could bepletely cured in about six months of treatment.


    "I can''t believe it. It''s a deadly disease that kills several thousand people a year in the empire alone, pulmonary tuberculosis!! If it were that easy to cure, there would be nothing to worry about!"


    The white-haired man, who seemed to be a doctor, spoke out loud in denial. Naturally. If I were in his position, I''m sure I''d agree.


    However, he was a doctor. Doctors believe in science. Healing and research are ends and means to them. They are inextricably linked. The stronger the desire to save, the greater the need for research. There is no way they can resist it.


    "In that case, you are wee to confirm it with your own eyes."


    With that said, I stood up from my seat. I had already given him the suggestion. The rest was up to him. My job here was done.


    "Lord Grey, in all honesty, you are more than what I have imagined," Warlord Horus stood up and put his hand on his chest. "As the owner of this mansion, I am really grateful for you to help the servants."


    He bowed his head deeply.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 17 - Knighthood ceremony

    Once I left Warlord Horus''s residence and returned to Sagami Co., I met a surprising visitor.


    "It''s been a long time, Grace-san."


    "Yes, it has. I''m d to hear that you''re doing well."


    We''d been so busy that we hadn''t seen each other for a long time.


    "I have heard a lot about your recent efforts."


    Carreras Trading had been expanding its business scale every year, and this year''s total sales finally made it into the world''s top 500.


    Speaking of the world''s top 500, it was a variety of 500 wealthy merchants in the world. In both name and reality, they were beginning to climb the stairs to the top of the world.


    "It''s all thanks to our business cooperation with Sagami Co."


    "Don''t be so modest."


    It wasn''t possible to climb to the top of the world of meritocratic merchants on that basis alone.


    "I didn''t mean it that in the slightest, though."


    Grace took a sigh as if in trouble, then asked for crucial information. "It seems like there is arge-scale development project ongoing in the Radol area."


    "As expected, you are quick to hear about it. I was thinking of introducing it when it bes stable to some extent."


    Therge-scale business project he mentioned might be the railroad project. I''d already applied for a patent with the Commercial Guild. The rumour must have spread from around the executives of the guild.


    If Sagami Co. had seeded in the oil field, which was currently investigated with the full force of the firm, we would immediately start developing automobiles and other forms of transportation.


    "You really are amazing! Just how far are you nning to go?"


    How far? That was pretty much obvious.


    "As far as we can go."


    If there isn''t any road, you can construct one. If you don''t have something, you can simply make it. Humans are capable of that.


    For a while, Grace stared at my face, then pulled his chin back as if to say something to himself.


    "I''m thinking about the convenience that is possible with magic. I wonder if I couldmercialize them in the science field?"


    Even though we hadn''t met in a long time, he was already talking about business. As always, hismercial spirit was strong as ever. But I thought that was more like us.


    That''s why¡ª


    "What''s your idea?"


    I ended up asking him.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Grace returned after our meeting ended regarding the new product development.


    Now, it was a little early, but I should probably get ready for today''s ceremony. I didn''t have any specific clothing requirements, and I was fine with a suit. I was d I made clothes for such asions.


    Nevertheless, it wasughable that I, who advocated the knighthood ceremony as useless, was preparing for my own promotion.


    After changing into my suit and drinking coffee, one of the leading products of Sagami Co., until the time of the ceremony, I headed for the royal court.


    I walked straight down the main street, and at the end of the main street was argeke with a suspension bridge connecting it to a huge and gorgeous stone castle on the other side.


    And next to the suspension bridge, a bronze statue of the founding emperor over seven to eight meters tall stood quietly.


    The artistic value of this statue was probably tremendous, and the effort needed to make it was also praiseworthy.


    On the other hand, I thought it would have been much better to spend that much effort on the industry, development, or general public facilities. I wondered if it was because of modern human sense I was thinking that.


    "Yo! Grey-kun!"


    I looked back over my shoulder to see the most influential man in the business world holding up his right hand.


    "Good afternoon, Rainer-san."


    "I''d like to express my sincere gratitude to the entire guild for establishing the guild hall in Camelot."


    "No no! I should be the one who should say that. After all, for Radol development, the cooperation of the Commerce Guild is indispensable. I''m also grateful for your help."


    Since the construction of the guild hall, a tremendous number of merchants had entered Radol every day, and Jude had reported that the development of the area had been greatly elerated.


    I had received an official notice from the imperial government that before long, the territorial tax would be removed. But even with that, the number of merchants entering the area was toorge for it to be the reason. ording to my understanding, there must be a big reason why even the association of merchants from various countries had the right to enter.


    Of course, it could also be to spy on the military or the economy, but the military had been kept inplete secrecy for the time being. As for the economy, once I got the patent, the development of science in the world was what I wanted. There was no need to be overly cautious now.


    "I''m d to hear that."


    After he finished with his diplomatic greetings, the smile from his face disappeared. It was the first time I''d seen Rainer react this way.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Some of the great fools at this ceremony may offend you."


    I wondered if it was Lord Modoki Cyrus. I was so sick to my bones of how shitty this empire was. There was nothing that could surprise me now.


    "I know. I''ll be patient."


    Rainer shook his head left and right, then said, "No, this isn''t necessary. Just keep in mind. Even if the world is against you, the Commercial Guild will stand by you. It''s the fact."


    It was quite unexpected. I thought he might be exaggerating, but still, as someone who had no backing, I couldn''t think of anything more powerful to say.


    That''s why "I appreciate it" was all I could say.


    Rainer nodded his head in satisfaction and returned to his usual aloof demeanour.


    After crossing the suspension bridge and passing through the huge castle gate, we found ourselves in a garden.


    Everything was surprisinglyrge and spacious.


    Judging from the fact that most of the Aristocrats here were all the ones I had seen in the Imperial Council, most of the high ranking aristocrats had been invited. In fact, except a few, everyone who took a glimpse of me frowned.


    "Well, Lord Grey, congrattions on this asion."


    A tall gentleman with a well-shaped beard joins us.


    "Thank you. I haven''t heard from you for a while."


    Was Margrave Macburn also invited? I heard he was rted to the royal family, so I thought that was obvious.


    As we walked on the bright red velvet carpet, chatting casually, we came to arge hall with a vaulted ceiling.


    The red-carpeted stairs led us to the most magnificent chair I had ever seen.


    If I were to describe this ce, I would say it was probably the throne room.


    As expected, the group was divided into three.


    Thergest group was the aristocrats, who made up nearly 60% of the people here.


    Next was the ministers who were already waiting on the stairs beside the throne. Sieg was also inside this row. Sieg looked at me and made a gesture of waving his hands up and down. Judging from his impatient face, I wondered if he meant we had to keep a low profile no matter what?


    It was just, I could only get along with the opponent if that was what they desired. In other words, everything depended upon the other party''s behaviour. That much Sieg should have naturally known.


    The next group was us, who werepletely ignored.


    Hmm?


    A little farther away from the area the Aristocrats were gathered, a beautiful woman with clear blue hair in a short haircut came into view. The white flower adorning her blue hair and her white dress suited her very well.


    I had seen that woman somewhere.......


    [Master, are you seriously saying that?]


    At the question of the good-for-nothing sword, Mura, who seemed to be amazed from the bottom of his heart, I immediately asked him back, "What do you mean by that?"


    [Sigh.......]


    The good-for-nothing sword, Mura, sighed deeply.


    "Please excuse me for a while."


    Rainer separated from us a while, approached the blue-haired girl, and began conversing with her.


    It seemed like she was someone Rainer was acquainted with, which meant she had some kind of rtionship with the Commerce Guild. Then, it wasn''t strange to say that I had seen her.


    [Really, master, you are............]


    As I was poking the good-for-nothing Mura, who was slowly swinging the hilt from side to side, with my right hand, Rainer finished his conversation with the blue-haired woman and came back to me.


    "It should already be the time for the ceremony.........."


    As Rainer looked at his wristwatch and muttered that, a young civil servant hurried into the hall, catching his breath.


    "In the name of the Former Emperor........."


    He let out a shaky cry.


    As soon as he did, the noisy aristocrats, who had been in the hall, quickly stepped aside and bowed their heads.


    "I see, so that''s what it has be........"


    Rainer muttered to himself without hiding his displeasure.


    Former Emperor? It''s not the current emperor, Georg?


    Seeing that even the Prime Minister isn''t here, probably Georg and the others'' schedules have been dyed.


    Without knowing why, I felt like I already got the gist of the situation.


    In short, they were harassing the current emperor, Georg, and dying his arrival.


    Let''s go. It would be troublesome to provoke them.


    Rainer was unusually restless. Even sweat was flowing out to an awful degree from the head of Margrave Macburn, who usually stayed calm.


    Hmm. I was getting a little curious. I decided to join Rainer and the others in the procession.


    The front door opened, revealing two men and a woman.


    One was a tall woman in silver armor holding a spear, and the other was a slender man with scars all over his body and a gutted, non-existent chin.


    As if protected by them, arge silver-haired man over two meters tall appeared leisurely from behind.


    My face, which had been lowered, naturally turned upward, and I was drawn to his figure. And it was the same for him.


    "Hmm......."


    Therge silver-haired man, who had not paid any attention to the vassals lined up around him, stopped for the first time and looked down at me.


    And then, the two lines of sight shed as if in a predictable fashion.


    This was the first chance meeting between Grey, the monster, and the Emperor who walked down the path of the hegemon.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 18 - Iskandar

    What the hell was with that monster Gori? He was over two meters tall.


    Even his muscles were developed to a frightening point.


    Moreover¡ª


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Iskandar


    Status:


    HP: S (99/100%)


    MP: E- (99 / 100%)


    Strength: B (99/100%)


    Endurance: A + (99/100%)


    Magic: E (99/100%)


    Magical endurance: A + (99/100%)


    Agility: C + (99/100%)


    Luck: C (99/100%)


    Drop: G- (99/100%)


    Wisdom: C (99/100%)


    Growth rate: B + (99/100%)


    Gift:


    Hero King''s Shield


    Hero Supremacy


    Title: King of Conquest


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    His current status was about the same as mine, and he had two gifts. His very existence was insane. Well, I couldn''t speak for others, but that was the painful thing for me.


    "Your Majesty, is this man rude?"


    The woman with a spear turned its tip toward me.


    "..........."


    Without answering the golden-haired woman with a spear, Iskandar turned away from me and headed toward the throne.


    It''d been a while since I''d had goosebumps. I felt a little sorry for Georg now. If this kind of monster kept meddling as the Former Emperor, it would be impossible to run the affairs of the state.


    Iskandar took the throne, then the woman with the spear and the man with gouged-out chin served at his sides.


    The man with a Kaiser beard bowed, then raised his voice.


    "We will now begin the knighthood awarding ceremony. Please step forward, Oscar Lanswick, Grey Inez Navarro, and Grace Carreras."


    Huh? Grace? Was he also called? Even so, I couldn''t see his face.


    As I stepped forward, looking around my surroundings, my gaze collided with the blue-haired woman''s gaze.


    She turned her eyes away from me, her cheeks a light peachy colour.


    That appearance of her reminded me of one conclusion.


    Wait a minute! I''m not making some kind of big mistake, am I?


    [Ah, you have finally realised, huh.]


    As I asked myself the question, good-for-nothing Mura''s voice resounded inside my mind. It contained pity more than amazement.


    Wasn''t it awkward now? What kind of face should I make from now on when I meet Grace?


    While forcibly suppressing the turmoil of emotions, I lined up in front of Iskandar, following Grace and Oscar, and knelt on one knee.


    "Raise your head."


    Iskandar''s powerful voice resounded in my soul. I looked up and saw the man with Kaiser beard take out a letter from his pocket, open it, and begin reading it.


    "Oscar Lanswick, you have done the Empire a great favour by developing some life magic. In recognition of this, you have been bestowed the title of Earl and awarded 10 million gold pieces."


    The condition to acquire Imperial Court rank was either hereditary or through military exploits. The meaning of military exploits was purely about making an achievement on the battlefield. But the current emperor, Georg, had interpreted it broadly, and now it could be given when the achievement was equivalent to military exploits.


    However, it was much easier to perform meritorious deeds on the battlefield. That was why I guessed the life magic Oscar had invented should be quite excellent.


    "I dly ept it."


    He stood up and received something simr to a small bag and a badge. Most likely, it was something like proof for the title.


    "Next, Gray Inez Navarro, for your outstanding performance in the recent assault of the Undead. In addition, you have deciphered several lost magic spells and been appointed as a professor at our great and traditional Magic Knight Academy. For these achievements, you have been bestowed the title of Viscount and 10 million in gold."


    "I''m really grateful."


    I only said that before standing up and walking over to the man with Kaizer beard to receive a cloth bag, a shield, and a batch of swords with the crest engraved on them.


    I really didn''t want them at all, but I didn''t have any choice given the development.


    I returned to my original position and got down on one knee. After Grace''s ceremony, the charade would end. I had to make a resume for my students tomorrow, so after I finished with my business, I was going to return as soon as possible.


    "Grace Carreras, your efforts in installing hand pumps in wells throughout the Empire, using ss in buildings throughout the Empire, and pumping water into the wilderness have significantly improved the convenience of life in the Empire. For these achievements, you have been bestowed the rank of Bar and 10 million gold."


    It was the result of Grace''s explosive growth in recent years. Thereupon, she was awarded. Grace always had aplex toward noble ranks, so I thought maybe this would be a breakthrough for her.


    By the way, the general rule was that hereditary titles could only be seeded by men, so women weren''t acknowledged. However, even women were allowed to receive a title if the achievement was through military merits for their generation. Assuming Giresse was a woman, that would be her only way to get the title.


    "Thank you for your words. I gratefully ept it."


    She stood up, plucked the end of her white dress, bowed, walked over to the man with Kaizer beard to receive 10 million gold, then walked back to her original spot and dropped to one knee.


    Excellent, with this, the ceremony had ended safely.


    "Then, the knighthood awarding ceremony will be¡ª"


    "A smart woman with excellent business skills. That''s an unprecedented type of woman."


    As the man with Kaiser beard announced the end of the ceremony, Iskandar''s ominous words interrupted him.


    In the noisy hall, the Former Emperor''s gaze was directed at Grace as if he was scrutinising her. Grace''s chin dropped at this.


    "Miss, are you called Grace?"


    "Yes......"


    Grace nodded with an almost faint voice.


    "You are one of my concubines from now on."


    This time, the entire hall was filled with noises like buzzing insects.


    Judging from the surprised audience, the Former Emperor wasn''t merely a womanizer. Then it was going to be more of a pain now.


    [That big-breasted girl is mine!!] (Mura)


    In the midst of the tumult around me, I heard the depressing criticism of Mura as an auditory hallucination, but I shut it downpletely.


    "B, but I am¡ª"


    She must be feeling very ufortable. Grace''s words were the same as when she was dressed as a man.


    "Your Majesty, no matter what, this is too abrupt."


    When Sieg came to the rescue, for the first time, Iskandar shifted his eyes from Grace to Sieg.


    "We do need a king who is adept in business skills after all. I''m sure the seed of me and my woman will make a very good king."


    This guy was serious. Neither for satisfying his sexual desire nor as a perverted person who enjoyed tormenting women. All for making a strong king. Just for this, he was seriously saying words filled with insanity.


    "Your Majesty, that''s after all¡ª"


    "Sieg, do you disagree?"


    "No, I don''t mean that!"


    Even that Sieg was acting this way. It was understandable since he was against that old monster.


    "This is the first time in ten or so odd years that Former Emperor has a concubine! This is an auspicious asion!"


    Following Sieg''s defeat, one of the noblemen shouted out, his face filled with joy, and the others followed suit.


    Amid the jubtion, Iskandar signed with his chin, and the spear-holding woman approached Grace without hiding her displeasure.


    "You have been recognised by Your Majesty. Sassy. But it''s an order, and I have no choice. I''ll show you the way, so follow me."


    She grabbed Grace''s right hand and pulled her in an overbearing manner.


    "Impudent."


    Grace was my benefactor and one of my few friends.


    There was no significance in staying quiet watching her life getting ruined.


    "Withdraw."


    I bound the spear-holding woman with [Explosive Thread] and threw her quite forcefully against the wall.


    "Gah!!"


    The woman with a spear spun at high speed and face-mmed against the wall. This person''s physical abilities'' average was C+.


    She would not get hurt only with that much force.


    "Oh, I thought you were just a kid who only knows ttery, but it seems like I was mistaken."


    "You bastard!!!"


    The woman with a spear stood up from the rubble and became furious.


    "Spi, hold back."


    A low but insistentmand flew at her.


    "Yes!"


    The woman with the spear, Spi, promptly knelt down.


    Iskandar stood up and slowly walked down to me.


    "I get everything I want. That''s what''s happened until now and will continue happening from now on."


    "If you can do it, just do it."


    He put his left palm up and beckoned to me.


    "You have repeated offences against Your Majesty! I won''t let you go!"


    Spi sprinted toward me with her spear pointing toward me, the tip blood red.


    But then, a blonde beauty wearing a yellow dress, Hatch, appeared like smoke and barred the red spear with her long left-hand w.


    "You idiot. There''s no way you can do that, right?"


    The man with the gouged-out chin who saw this leapt at high speed, spun around in the air, kicked up the ceiling, and sted toward Hatch! The man with the gouged-out chin came within range and tried to m his right fist into her head, but was blocked by a pitch-ck thread.


    "Huh?!"


    Threads spun around at high speed from all directions, but the man with the gouged-out chin immediately jumped back, escaping from the capture.


    "Master, please give me the permission to kill these two idiots!" Hatch said, licking her long w and dyeing her eyes golden.


    "Pleasemand us. Let''s wipe out every vile piece of junk in this world without leaving a single cell," Spy added.


    As if responding to Spy''s words, an unbelievable number of ck threads were stretched out in the air.


    Against Hatch and Spy, the red-haired woman, Spi, lowered her centre of gravity while holding her red spear. The man with the gouged-out chin snapped his fingers.


    "They are pretty good retainers." Iskandar raised his mouth and said in admiration.


    "Yours too."


    This wasn''t ttery. Although imperfect, both Spi, the red-haired woman, and the man with the gouged-out chin had fought against Hatch and Spy, whose title was [Enlightened Person]. It was an extraordinary power for the people of this world. Above all, both of them showed a crazy loyalty to Iskandar. Offensive people like them would never betray their Master, no matter what.


    "You, what''s your name?" Iskandar asked me my name.


    "Grey Ines Navarro. Didn''t you hear?"


    "That''s different. Your ''former'' name."


    As I thought. That guy, Iskandar, in most cases was likely the same former earthling as me. Well, even Sieg didn''t realise that, and his origin waspletely clear, so he was most likely a reincarnated person. Seriously, I had encountered them quite frequently as ofte. It was like a bargain sale of earthlings.


    "I don''t see the meaning in answering."


    In response to my answer, Iskandarughed in amusement and proimed, "I detest from the bottom of my heart those inferior beings who do not contain my blood. Your body is of filth and low grade, but only your soul is the same kind as me."


    Doesn''t contain Iskandar blood. It was true that in the long history of the Empire, marriages with the royal family had been made mainly by the noble families, and recing someone''s blood with the blood of the royal family wasn''t out of the ordinary.


    However, the very theory was to take an egg called Iskandar and give authority to the royal chicken thatid it. It all came down to whether the egg or the chicken came first.


    "It''s very annoying to be lumped together with them."


    The idea that bloodlines determine superiority or inferiority is an unscientific superstition. It is true that there are differences in physical abilities and so on due to gic traits. But that is not superiority or inferiority, it is merely differences. What rules this world is not power or brains, but knowledge.


    In politics, economics, food, clothing, and shelter, the daily blood and sweat of countless people are passed onto the next generation, and the next generation sublimates it into new knowledge. Human civilization is a mass of great deeds done by such ordinary people.


    And the ones who hinder the evolution of science are always the vile and dictator-type people like him. It''s extremely disgusting getting lumped together with that trash.


    "The barbarian race near the remote border is the epitome of inferior waste. It''s outrageous for them to hold the power!! I was thinking of crushing all of them in pieces, but I changed my mind a little. Disy your power and merit in this charade of Magic Knight Academy. Then I will wash your inferior blood."


    Hey hey! Washing away, in short.........


    "With all due respect, Your Highness, does that mean you''ll allow Lord Grey to marry the royal family?"


    The hall was filled with buzzing voices as if someone had poked the beehive due to the feverish words of Warlord Horus.


    Of course, all of them opposed the idea, questioning the military secretary''s sanity.


    "If you show your might and power, I will give you my grandchild, Lilinoa, who strongly holds my bloodline."


    This time, an astonished voice reverberated, like a scream ying in my ears.


    "Even if you tell me to do that........"


    It wasn''t a joke if the situation became like this. That Former Emperor Nobita, bing my father-inw? I''m sorry, but I didn''t want my head to hurt more than it already did.


    "What''s it? Are you not pleased with Lilinoa? If so, how about my youngest daughter, Olivia?"


    "With all due respect, Her Highness Olivia has just tied a marital rtionship with the first prince of Vitsley Kingdom. As I was thinking, it''s already too¡ª"


    The man with Kaiser beard hurriedly intervened to control the situation, but he was silenced by Iskandar gaze.


    "My say is absolute."


    The hall, which had been buzzing so much until now, immediately calmed down when he expressed his decision.


    "Don''t just do things arbitrarily. First of all, in theory, will simply marrying one of the royal blood wash off the inferior blood? Am I wrong?"


    "Have a child with Lilinoa or Olivia."


    The hall once again became noisy as if it had been hit by a storm.


    "You muscle daruma!! Don''t say ridiculous things! Master is my¡ª"


    Hatch shouted loudly.


    [Master, you are too sly! I also want to do uhufu, mufufu with princesses.] (T/N - he just means, "I also want to have fun," though I left the original expression because it''s funnier.)


    Useless Mura shouted in tears.


    "Like I said, how did it turn to this?"


    I really couldn''t keep up with Iskandar''s twisted logic at all. This guy''s train of thought was too crazy.


    "Lilinoa and Olivia both have a strong inheritance of my blood. Their children will unmistakably be my bloodline. Then you will also be my bloodline."


    In short, since my child would be a member of the royal family, it meant that my blood would also be an excellent bloodline. Once again, it was the ''egg first or chicken first'' theory.


    Now I had a littleprehension. In the first ce, hismon sense and mine had different bases.


    To the Former Emperor, a country''s or a family''s fortune was something to be controlled and strengthened by his own thoroughbred bloodline. It was not the thinking of a modern person. It was an idea from the Middle Ages, or even further backwards.


    "I really can''t get along with him."


    I had a feeling that if I stayed here longer, trouble woulde knocking. I should leave this ce quietly. As expected, I couldn''t leave Grace here in the presence of that vile beast. I picked up Grace, who had fallen on her back.


    "Ah!?"


    Grace froze, startled, but clung to my neck. Judging from her whole shivering body, I knew the situation must be quite frightening. If it was handled poorly, then her chastity might be robbed because of some unscientific logic. It was understandable.


    I started to walk away, but stopped and looked back over my shoulder.


    "Oh, yeah! Don''t touch this woman."


    "Hmm, you understand that you are ordering me?"


    Dubious light shone in Iskandar''s eyes.


    "Yes. If you touch her, I will crush you to the bone."


    I thought he would be furious, but Iskandarughed out loud.


    "Very well. Grey, when you be my bloodline, I will give you the woman as well."


    In the first ce, Grace isn''t your thing. My head hurt talking with that brute called "Iskandar."


    "You really are a man who doesn''t understand what other people are saying."


    "I pray for a good fight."


    I left the hall with a feeling of emptiness, as if I was talking to a wild beast.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 19 - Awkward atmosphere

    While holding Grace, I teleported behind one of the pirs to my room at Sagami Co. in the central district of the imperial capital, Lemuria.


    Grace had experience in dealing with Sagami Co. members. The fact she was a woman and disguised herself as a man, she most likely didn''t want others to know about that.


    I thought I should take it into consideration, and so I teleported to a blind spot.


    "............"


    Tilting my head and looking at Grace, who was looking downward with herpletely red face, I put the clothes for an adult male, which I had stored in my Infinite Storage Box, on the bed.


    "I will be on the first floor of the building, so pleasee downstairs after you change your clothes."


    I exited the room after giving these instructions and headed to the reception room on the first floor, asking the currently present members to leave the ce, then sat down on the cowhide sofa.


    When Grace came downstairs, she had changed into the man''s clothing and returned to her usual appearance. (T/N - as we already know more or less that Grace is a woman, I will keep using "she." Otherwise, it will just be confusing.)


    It was just that I had one question there.


    "Umm, Grace-san?"


    "What''s it, Grey-kun?"


    She was smiling, but her eyes weren''t smiling at all.


    "Congrattions on your knighthood."


    "Thank you."


    Hmm, the conversation stopped. It was really awkward.


    "It''s really splendid to be the Former Emperor''s favourite, isn''t it? For the time being, he will not reach out his hands."


    I could be sure of this. That Former Emperor might have ack ofmon sense, but he would stick through his deal. Once that guy acknowledged Grace aspensation for me, he probably wouldn''t eveny a finger on her. At least, not until my defeat in the game became clear.


    "Y, yes."


    At my words, she pulled her chin back, and her face turnedpletely red like an apple in an instant.


    Why had I from several hours ago thought that she was a man? Surely, the Grace of a few hours ago didn''t have such voluptuous twin hills. I wondered if she''d covered them with sarashi, but except for them, her appearance didn''t change much.


    Looking back now, there were so many obvious blind spots. Her voice was too high-pitched for a man. And her figure was a streamlined shape particr to women minus her chest.


    Her face was neutral, but by no means would you confuse her with a male. If I were to point out the reason behind the mistake, her back was too tall for a woman, her speech was the same as men, or her behaviour didn''t have any sense of difort.


    "Don''t mind too much about the Former Emperor''s words. They are just some thoughtless remarks."


    Grace looked at me with a grim face, as if she had just stepped into enemy territory for the first time.


    "If Grey-kun wins the match against the Former Emperor, what n do you have for me?" she asked a stupid question.


    "You know. What have I been saying to Grace-san until now? Of course, I won''t do anything."


    Grace shook her head left and right for a moment while staring at me, seemingly fed up. Then, she corrected her posture and asked for confirmation.


    "Do you mind if I talk about a boring story?"


    "No, please tell me."


    With a smile that seemed somewhat lonely, Grace began to open her mouth.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The content of the story was Grace''s past. It was amon story in this world. And then, I finally understood why I''d misunderstood Grace as a man until now.


    "Because you are the only daughter, Grace-san were raised as a boy from a very young age, to be the sessor of the family as the head. But since a boy was finally born, you were discarded......"


    From the standpoint of Grace, who was a merchant with great aplishments, something like knighthood was something insignificant that didn''t bring money. I''d always had a doubt why she was so concerned about it. Finally, although they were vague, I understood her feelings.


    No matter how much you were told that you were a boy, once you passed through the growth period, you would inevitably realise that you weren''t a boy. What kind of feelings Grace had for still being treated as a boy by her parents and grandfather, I didn''t need to guess. It was easy to imagine how much she must have been hurt when she was discarded once they had a male sessor.


    The life she had been treading through desperately until now was denied. It gave her aplex about titles.


    "It would be a lie if I say I didn''t have feelings for my father and grandfather. But because I was proficient at disguising as a man, I was able to work as a merchant. More than anything, it''s because I was a merchant that I was able to meet you. That''s why I''m not so disappointed about my life anymore."


    Grace was strong. She might still be torn inside her heart. But still, then, she was trying her best to ept it.


    "I''m also d that I met Grace-san."


    Grace tightly shut her eyelids, smiled brightly, and said, "Thank you."


    After saying her gratitude, she stood up from her seat.


    "It''s about time I should return."


    "Let me send you halfway."


    I also stood up from my seat and walked to the exit of the reception room.


    "No, this is fine."


    "I see. All right then."


    The Former Emperor would not make a move, but I should have Spy escort her, just in case.


    At the exit of the reception room, Grace turned around to look at me.


    Looking down at me with her hands behind her back, she asked, "Hey, why do you think I told you the old story?"


    "I don''t know, why?"


    "You didn''t know?"


    "No."


    Grace let out a big sigh, then said, "Well then, here is a hint. I''m a woman, not only in body but also in my heart."


    "Yes..........?"


    To be honest, I had no idea what Grace was saying.


    "You definitely have to win in the match against the Former Emperor."


    "That''s of cours¡ª"


    I couldn''t finish my word.


    The reason was that it was blocked by Grace''s lips.


    As soon as she pulled away from me, I couldn''t move at all under the touch of her small, sweet lips, and she turned on her heel and ran out of the room, her whole body flushed red.


    [Master, for you to have such a beautiful woman........I''m so jealous to no end.]


    I couldn''t even say anything to refute useless Mura''s words, which strangely sounded familiar. I just stood there nkly, staring at the gate where Grace had just left.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 19.5 - Younger love - Grace Carreras

    Side story : Younger love - Grace Carreras


    Grace Carreras was born as the eldest daughter of Count Carreras''s family.


    As a member of the bloodline aristocratic faction, the Carreras family attached great importance to their social status. In the Empire, only imperial males had the right to inherit the seat of the head of the family. Grace, being a woman, did not meet this requirement. In other words, no matter how she tried, Grace could not seed as the next head of the Carreras family. Normally, the theory would be to adopt a noble young man who was unable to be the sessor of their family or to have Grace''s son-inw take over.


    However, this was the unsightly part of the aristocrats who persisted in the name of tradition. Following the wishes of the Carreras family, the grandfather who didn''t want to show his weakness in front of other families began raising Grace as a man who would seed the family line as its sessor from a young age despite her being a woman.


    Of course, no matter how much you gloss over the facts on paper, the holes in the n will soon be exposed. Even if she''d believed it during her childhood, once she passed through the growth phase, Grace''s bodypletely became that of a woman. Because of that, she became aware of the reckless n of the Carreras family. In a sense, this was a betrayal to the nation. If it were to get exposed, the Carreras family would definitely be imposed with a penalty. That was why Grace desperately tried to act like a man.


    Just at the time she graduated from the Magic Knight Academy, the long-awaited boy they''d always wanted was born. Nobody knew how much of a bribe the grandfather had to pay, but several monthster, Grace became a woman in the family register. And then, at the time Grace graduated, she was banished from the Carreras family.


    Naturally, she was filled with resentment at their behaviour of trying to put a lid on the matter. But even more than that, she couldn''t forgive herself for being powerless to say anything back to her father and grandfather.


    There might also be the implication behind thepensation. Conveniently, she was paid five million gold by the Carreras family. With this money, she joined the Commercial Guild, which advocated true abilities, which she had been interested in for a long time, and began to do business. One day, I''ll make all the members of the Carreras family look back at me. That was what Grace vowed inside her heart at that time.


    In the Commercial Guild, the only victor was the one who gained profit regardless of age or status. This clear and simple system worked well for Grace, and she steadily increased her wealth. Even so, only the mixed feelings she had about her family and a sense of inferiority that lived in the depths of her heart hadn''t vanished.


    At that time, she met a mysterious young man in the territory of the Mird family, which even inside the Empire, was the poorest and the most remote region.


    The name of the young boy was Grey Mird. His very existence was abnormal.


    Of course, it was amazing how he possessed insane abilities which knew no bounds with hisck ofmon sense, and he could use magic with his hands and feet even more than what an imperial court magician could do, and the item box that stopped time and his teleportation ability were also astonishing.


    However, the most notable thing about him was his outstanding mind and his very nature.


    After getting acquainted for a while, Grey proposed a new product development business to Grace. In contrast to the original goal, it became something that changed Grace''s fate.


    That was [Hand Pump]. It was an epoch-making invention that had revolutionized the way water was drawn in the world.


    In the beginning, Grace couldn''t see the [Hand Pump] as anything but something that only drew water from a well. However, she was told by Grey that she''d mistaken greatly in the carriage to the Straheim.


    It was pumping water. The technology of this [Hand Pump] could be used as a miracle technology to bring the blessing of water to thend with little precipitation. Even after realizing this fact, Grace couldn''t think through it and ended up asking for his help. Still, for the first time, Grace was able to leave his own mark on this world. She was just happy about that.


    As Grey grew older, so was his craziness withck ofmon sense. He began to invent various things like ss and a wristwatch.


    And then, his name resounded like thunder all over the world in one night when an unprecedented disaster struck the Empire in the form of Undead.


    It was right after this event that Grace was contacted by the Carreras family, who should have already broken ties with her.


    Grace had also made a lot of money by this time, and at first, she thought they were shamelessly asking for her support.


    However, their goal was not Grace but Grey. They had heard that Grace had been in close contact with Grey and wanted to contact him.


    At that time, Grace did not understand her grandfather''s intentions at all because the Carreras family was in the bloodline aristocratic faction. To them, Gray was a cocky boy who had ruined his fellow brethren, the Cyrus family. Contacting him would be nothing less than an act of defection to the bloodline aristocratic faction.


    However, with the strong will to fight against the fate reflecting in their eyes, she didn''t think that they were opening their mouths due to sophistication or capriciousness.


    Aside from her father, her grandfather, for better or worse, was someone well-versed in the inside politics of the Empire to a hateful degree. Perhaps he sensed firsthand that Grey would fundamentally change this Empire.


    "Well, Grace, do you intend to marry Lord Grey?"


    And then, the one line asked by her grandfather specifically caused a malfunction to a person called Grace. To be more precise, it shattered the stereotypes that she had worked so hard to build up.


    After that certain shift in perception, Grace no longer saw Grey as a friend.


    When she met him for the first time in the imperial capital, even though he was not much different from his usual self, he was somehow more mature, and for no reason at all, it made her feel hot inside. Somehow, she managed to suppress this feeling and went to the knighthood ceremony.


    The Former Emperor dered her as his concubine. Even though it was supposed to be the greatest honour for a woman living in an aristocratic society, at that moment, all Grace felt was intense disgust.


    When Grey helped her despite the perilous situation she was in, although it was quite inappropriate, she felt a sense of happiness.


    Grey, that blockhead, took her back to his room of all ces and handed her the man''s clothing. He didn''t understand women''s feelings in the slightest.


    She was unable to control her annoyance. While being annoyed and a little confused, for the first time she told him about her past.


    At that time, she had already realised her feelings, and she was already tired of deceiving her feelings as well.


    That was why.


    "You have to definitely win the match against the Former Emperor, okay?"


    "That''s of cours¡ª"


    With these words, she conveyed this strong feeling to him.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 20 - Frenzied scene

    "Annoying brat! Who the hell does he think he is?! Just a mere lowly brat of a rural aristocrat and repeatedly being rude to His Majesty!!"


    Simon Geffert, the current head of the Duke Geffert household and one of three dukes of the Empire, mmed his fist on the table out of anger. Because of Simon''s force, the wooden table got partially destroyed, but no one med him. Not only Simon but all members sitting at the table in the room also had their faces dyed with the color of rage.


    That was natural. For Simon and the others, who were prestigious traditional nobles, the Former Emperor was the key to their power and influence. To be so rude to him in public, it was as if the name of traditional nobility had been tarnished. Even if His Majesty had no intention to punish him, the kid would have to be severely punished.


    "That''s also because of Cyrus'' betrayal and that imbecile Hero being disobedient to the Emperor!!"


    The Former Emperor had taken a keen interest in Hero Yukihiro, a visitor from another world, and given him various orders. And each time he overcame his trials, the Emperor gave him a fortune, women, and fame. The one taking advantage of this was one of the former three duke households, the Cyrus family. They well-guarded hero Yukihiro, calling him a true hero after he defeated the ancient demon king. And with the fact that they were able to oust a powerful rural family, the Count of Salzburg, they became the most powerful of the three dukes.


    However, Cyrus, who had such wealth and power in his hands, foolishly betrayed his country this time. His Majesty the Emperor certainly valued his excellent lineage and abilities above all else, but he would never forgive a traitor. Therefore, he condemned the whole family.


    Due to this incident, the Former Emperor was so infuriated by Cyrus''s betrayal that he ordered the whole family to be charged with capital punishment. However, beginning with the Current Emperor, other ministers opposed him.


    Eventually, it''d ended up with Cyrus only receiving a penalty, as well as revoking the title of the Cyrus family and confiscating theirnds and some of their properties.


    "Humph. What''s the point of talking about that defeated dog now, don''t you think so? Or am I mistaken?"


    A hulking man, whose face was fully powdered like a woman, said this with a vicious smile on his face.


    The words of mockery worked like adding fuel to the fire. The faces of the attendees, which had already dyed with rage, red even more.


    "I don''t want to hear that from you who didn''t even move from the imperial capital during the undead assault!!"


    "That''s right, you should be ashamed of yourself!"


    He just shrugged his shoulders at the indignant and furious lords and said, "You know, you guys have misunderstood me. My employer is the Former Emperor, not the current Emperor. Besides, you didn''t need to think about the safety of the imperial capital where the Former Emperor resides. Is this why you said that?" He shook his head.


    "That''s just your chopped logic!" one of the lords stood up and shouted in anger.


    "Ah, I''m exposed. But you know, only I could have defended the imperial capital at that time. That much is for sure. Or do you want your puny army to take the ce of the soldiers under my direct control?" the perverted giant''s face was twisted into a sneer. Anger swirled around the opulent conference room like a storm.


    No one could refute such words that were nothing but humiliation because this man''s statement was true in a sense.


    Schildore Rabal, the only aristocrat who was entrusted by the Former Emperor to guard the imperial city. The man whom the Former Emperor had given the order to safeguard his surroundings. There was no need to discuss his abilities. It was only a rumor, but it was said that Schildore''s individual capabilities surpassed even the now fallen Hero Yukihiro and Sieg the Sage.


    Initially, he should be one of the best avable in the Purebred aristocratic faction. If there was a problem, it was his vicious personality and the malicious rumors about him.


    However, what would normally be a negative situation for the Purebred aristocratic faction was working exceptionally well in this extraordinary situation.


    "Schildore, do you have any idea?"


    This was the first time Schildore attended a knighthood ceremony. He had always been absent for whatever reason. In other words, he had a reason to join the ceremony this time, and that reason would definitely be that little boy.


    "I have," Schildore simply replied and stood up, changing the whole atmosphere.


    ".........."


    No one was allowed to even take a breath as they stared at Schildore''s face.


    To describe it in one word: a demon. With a disy of his disgusting face contorting in pleasure, everyone''s heart thinned like a thread.


    "Well then, have a good day, everyone."


    With no one able to move as if they were frozen in ce, Schildore bowed gracefully and left the conference room.


    "Lord Geffert..." one of the lords asked Simon''s intention with his tone tinged with anxiety and fear.


    "You don''t need to say, I know that!" Simon was somehow able to squeeze out the words.


    Anyway, they''d managed to push the monsters against each other. The only thing left to do was to watch the fight between them from a distance.


    However, anyone who had been on the battlefield knew first-hand the absurdity of that little boy. Above all, the foundation of Sagami Co. couldn''t be underestimated. Cutting them down was a must. There must be a certain reassurance.


    Conveniently enough, Garbesse West, the chairman of the West trading firm, one of thergest trading firms in the Empire, had approached with a proposal.


    That was theplete extermination of Sagami Co. by "Laguna."


    "Laguna" was a massive underworld organization with branches all around the world. It could demolish something like a trading firm in an instant.


    It was a hundred years too early for a poor, lowly aristocrat from the frontier to have the power to change the world. It was absolutely unforgivable that he had more wealth than the high ranking aristocrats.


    That¡¯s right. This was the matter of control and order being passed down from generation to generation ever since the beginning of the Empire.


    Simon stood up, clenching his fist tightly, and shouted, "Everyone, that filthy, lowly boy, has openly spat on the seal of our Purebred aristocratic faction. We must teach him a lesson that even his soul will remember!"


    "That''s the spirit!"


    "I also agree with Lord Geffert!"


    Wiping the sweat off their forehead, the other lords stood up in session and announced their support to Simon''s n.


    "Laguna'''' in the dark and the Purebred aristocratic faction in the light, cornering Sagami Co. thoroughly. This time, that little boy was eyed upon by the worst pervert. Schildore would give that little boy the highest despair and death.


    Simon and the other members of the aristocratic Purebred faction would steal everything from that little boy. Then, they would aim for the Empire¡ª, no, world hegemony. That much would be possible if the rumors about the material that supposedly destroyed the kingdom''s army in the former David territory was true.


    Simon dreamed of his own future glory and raised his fist to the sky.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 21 - First quest acceptance

    "He is Eight, one of you from now on. Get along well."


    "Nice to meet you..." Eight bowed, albeit nervously.


    "Wait a minute. He is?"


    As expected, Cliff red up.


    "I already told you, he is Eight."


    "I''m not talking about his name! Is he one of the prized students of the Magic Knight Academy!?"


    Cliff''s question was understandable. Eight was currently in his so-called adventurer''s uniform and not even in the uniform of Magic Knight Academy.


    "I used the Academy''s advisory system. He''s going to take the exam with you as a temporary student of ss G."


    The Academy''s advisory was a system where students were permitted to enter the school on a provisional basis. If they performed well in the regr examinations, they were allowed to officially enroll in the school. Of course, it was pretty hard to get into the school because you had to be in the top 20% of the regr examinations to be admitted. Probably because of this difficult condition, the Academy''s advisory system was avable only with the rmendation from the professor in charge and the approval of the Academy''s head.


    However, since the chances of passing the exam were extremely low while the professor in charge carried the entire cost and effort of the education, there''d been only a few times in the long history of the Academy that this system had actually been used.


    "So easily¡ª"


    I stopped Cliff from spouting any criticism more than that with my right hand. "That was what I, as a professor, decided ording to the system of the Empire and the Academy. If you are dissatisfied, then get ahead in the world and change the system," I said coldly.


    He bit his teeth and turned away. Was he running away trying to escape from reality after getting defeated in an argument? What a childish reaction.


    Teresa approached Eight with a face full of curiosity without even minding Cliff.


    "Hey hey, that outfit, are you perhaps an adventurer?"


    Eight nodded hesitantly. "Y, yes..."


    "I also blow up monsters often."


    Yes, barehanded, that is.


    If Count Hartwig-dono''s words were correct, apparently Teresa had been hunting monsters in the neighborhood forest from an early age. What''s more, barehanded. Even I was speechless after hearing this from Count-dono.


    "Um... that... I am..."


    As Eight raised his fading voice, I said, "It doesn''t matter for me how many are added. More than that, let''s start the ss."


    "Oh, is that so?"


    Pluto and Mia were not even interested in Eight. Really, when it came to these guys...


    "Then everyone, take this."


    A wooden te with only a name and a number on it was handed to everyone but Eight.


    "This is?"


    "You don''t recognize it? This is an adventurer''s member card."


    "Don''t joke around! We aren''t adventurers¡ª"


    I threw another card at Pluto, who firmly denied it, before he could finish his word.


    "This is your present status. Take it and examine it."


    The cards here disyed the general status. It was one of the magic tools manufactured from natural drop items in [Eternal Workshop]. For now, they had the function of showing the average status with the concept of level. I thought it would be more motivating to have an approximate level.


    To be specific, Pluto''s card was written as follows.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Pluto Brauser


    Status


    Level 4


    HP: G (15%)


    MP: G (28%)


    Strength: G- (33%)


    Endurance: G (43%)


    Magic: G (2%)


    Magical endurance: G- (88%)


    Agility: G (76%)


    Luck: G (45%)


    Drop: G- (1%)


    Wisdom: G + (19%)


    Growth rate: E- (89%)


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    The levels were my own conversions based on average status.


    Level 1-10: G


    Level 11-20: F


    Level 21-30: E


    Level 31-40: D


    Level 41-50: C


    Level 51-60: B


    Level 61-70: A


    The rank of S was level 80 and above.


    Well, that was just my own conversion, so it was pretty random. But it should give you a rough idea.


    Pluto''s, Cliff''s, and Eight''s growth rate was E-. Teresa''s and Mia''s was E. All of them had a top-ss growth rate for a citizen of this world. Craving more than that would be rather greedy.


    By the way, I searched for the magic I could teach the students from the material I''d already hadst night. For some reason, I could create a grimoire that gave me the title of "Legendary Teacher" using the stored material called "left arm of the demon god."


    When I analyzed the post-contract effects of this title, this was what I found.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Title: Legendary Teacher


    Description: Acquired as the clear reward after an assignment given by the teacher to the students is cleared.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    I was still unclear about the clear reward, but I guess I would just investigate it slowly.


    "Level? Strength? What is this?"


    Pluto looked at the card, raising a hysterical voice. Meanwhile, Mia scrutinizes it closely.


    Cliff looked at the card skeptically with a suspicious face. As for Teresa, as one would expect, her eyes shined at the new toy.


    Eight, on the other hand, was...


    "Level, Status..."


    He was staring at the card with a mysterious look on his face.


    "What''s it?"


    "Nothing."


    When I asked him, he hurriedly put the card in his pocket.


    While thinking it was kind of strange, I looked at the others.


    "From now, you will ept the quest from the Adventurer''s Guild."


    With that, I teleported everyone to the vacant lot behind Sagami Co. in Straheim, then took them to the Adventurer''s Guild building.


    As we entered the building, I walked over to the board where the quests I''d checked yesterday were posted.


    "Hmm. The G-rank quest is¡ª"


    The parchment with the G-rank quests was pinned to the leftmost board.


    It required us to go to abyrinth. I thought the material collecting quest was more suitable for Pluto and the others for the beginning.


    "This might be a good one."


    I removed the parchment from the pin.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Quest: Urgent request for eight-piece of Almi''raj meat


    Client: Stroheim''s Butcher Shop Association


    Retaining fee: 800 gold


    Rank: G


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Almi''raj was a G-rank monster for beginners. For the students who could use magic, they should be able toplete this mission with ease.


    I walked up to the receptionist from yesterday and put the request form on the counter.


    "We are G-ranks and want to take this request. Is it okay?"


    "Y, yes. Of course, it''s all right."


    Yesterday, I''d talked to Willy and told him to call me Shirabe Sagami. The reason for the awkwardness was that perhaps after I left, that guy, Willy, must have said a lot of half true and half false things about me.


    The receptionist woman disappeared into the ck door as if running away.


    "Sensei, just what have you done to that Onee-san?" Pluto asked me that disgraceful question while giving me a reproachful stare.


    "Well, you know. She is probably shaking after hearing my splendid achievement from a co-worker." I gave them such a convincing reply. Even I thought it was a fitting reply and not some lies.


    "No, I only see it as nothing except her trembling from fear because of Sensei."


    "I think that''s just her peculiar way of hiding it. The so-called tsundere, no maybe a little different?"


    "I don''t think that''s the case either."


    "H, hmm. I see..."


    I was at a bit of a disadvantage here. Let''s change the subject.


    "So? Where are the two tomboy girls?"


    When I asked Eight, he pointed his right hand at the middle of a weapon shop and replied, "Over there."


    Teresa and Mia were staring at the weapons in the far-right shop, their eyes gleaming like a baby.


    That reminded me that Teresa and Mia''s strong point was their closebat fighting style, at least until now.


    Now that they were adventurers, I thought now was a good chance. Should I develop weapons now? It would affect my dignity if the only weapon I''d produced was this.


    I looked down at Mura, who was annoyinglymenting on the female adventurers passing by.


    Mura, from your point of view, what do you think of the weapons they''re selling?


    I tried asking him that simple question.


    [Sword.]


    Mura immediately replied as if he was annoyed. He really was terribly indifferent even against the swords. Well, I would indeed be troubled if he started talking about the charm of sword curves.


    I can see that after looking at it. What I''m asking is, what do you think of their performance?


    [Hmm, piece of trash.]


    He replied without hesitation and began to fantasize about female adventurers again.


    As expected, they were pieces of trash from Mura''s point of view. Even in my analysis, all the weapons lined up in the shop''s disy were of G-rank. There were only a few G+ at best.


    I couldn''t take them as a reference to the weapon framework. Of course, if I used [Eternal Workshop], it was child y to produce them. But without me, the power and quality would be only lower.


    I needed to do an investigation for the weapons. First of all, I needed to see the actual products before I could talk about them. It seemed that Leroy was the main creator of adventurers'' weapons before he met me, so let''s ask him.


    "Thank you for your patience. Your quest [Urgent need for eight Almi''raj] has been epted. Please be careful, everyone from G-rank."


    I received the parchment stamped with the Guild''s seal from the receptionistdy who bowed exaggeratedly.


    "Eight, go get the two of them. We''ll be leaving for thebyrinth immediately."


    "Y, yes!"


    Urging Eight, we headed toward the dungeon, for which Straheim was called thebyrinth city.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 22 - Chance meeting with fellow comrades

    Chapter 22 : Chance meeting with fellowrades


    As I headed towards the exact center of Straheim, I saw an enormous structure towering majestically in front of me.


    Apparently, the entrance for the Kurik dungeon was inside that structure.


    The so-called Kurik was one of the existing ancient ruins in the world, a dungeon where it was unclear who created it, when, and for what purpose.


    It was an unknown historical ruin that had made countless archeologists drool over it. But the environment inside was said to be very steep, and the only ce that had been explored was the 50th floor underground.


    Personally, I think it would be a good idea to try and see how far I could go underground. If teleportation was avable within the dungeon, I could simply dive down steadily after the ss was over.


    While showing my card to the Adventurer''s Guild staff at the entrance of the dome-shaped stone building, I went inside. There was a single road lined with stalls at both ends.


    "Woah!"


    Teresa shouted in joy, her eyes gleaming with fire. Meanwhile, Pluto, Mia, and Cliff looked at the surroundings in disinterest. Only Eight took it seriously.


    Really, no matter what, these guys never failed to betray me.


    "I have something to tell you."


    I turned around and looked at Pluto, Mia, and Cliff.


    "Wh, what is it?" Pluto asked hesitantly.


    "From here on, the road you have to take will not be easy. Rather, there will be far more hardship."


    "We understand that much."


    I shrugged my shoulders as Pluto kicked the ground in frustration.


    "In that case, enjoy the moment to your heart''s content. Those who can''t enjoy the present moment of their lives will just end up feeling dissatisfied no matter where they go. And they will grow old in misery without aplishing anything."


    "¡­¡­"


    All three faces looked like they had chewed a bitter bug. Maybe, they might not understand even 10% of what I said, but that much was enough. This is not something that can be understood so easily. You just have to realize it slowly and steadily. It was because they were given time to do so.


    "Well then, let''s go," I only said that and started walking.


    "So this is the entrance to the dungeon."


    The entrance wasn''t even wide enough for one person to pass through, and honestly, I couldn''t see it as anything but a dirty small wayside shrine.


    I had expected it to look more grandiose, like in games. So I was disappointed with this limestone cave-like appearance.


    Anyway, we should go in.


    "Oh, this is amazing."


    Although the entrance looked like a limestone cavern, we soon found ourselves in a space surrounded by blue stones five to six meters wide and tall. I see, indeed, this was a dungeon. Exactly what I''d imagined in the beginning. Now, let''s start hunting the Almi''raj that must be living here.


    "Okay, let''s go there."


    Mia and Pluto used the magic [Wind Cutter] to push the Almi''raj to the location where they''d set a trap.


    "Kiki?"


    The Almi''raj finally treaded on the [Reinforced Water Bond] that Cliff had attached to the floor. When it was unable to move, Teresa, who had her body strengthened with [Body Reinforcement] magic, struck it on the head with her right fist. Its neck snapped in the wrong direction.


    "Hii!"


    Watching the Almi''raj''s spectacr ending, Eight fell on his backside. His face staring at the Almi''raj''s corpse was ghastly pale, blood drawn out.


    That was surprising. In this world, monsters'' existence was nothing more than harmful animals. People didn''t feel disgusted by their deaths. If they felt anything at all, it was that they thought the monsters were delicious. That was the extent of it.


    The young boy, Eight, looked a bit, no, considerably out of this world. I guessed I needed to talk a bit with him. Anyway, with this, we had acquired the eight pieces of Almi''raj. Missionplete.


    "Now that the quest is cleared, let''s head back."


    "What? Is it already the time?"


    "Just when I was finally able to warm up my body."


    "I want to fight a little more."


    "You really are a selfish teacher."


    The change was so quick, it was hard to believe that they were the same people who were booing down earlier.


    "We are going back."


    I thought of going to practice in fieldwork after some desk work with a minimum of magic and science. If I didn''t do that, at least the current Eight would be in peril. Nheless, there were two reasons why I decided to take on a practical quest this time.


    The first was to understand the quest system of the Guild, taking it as a standard and nning for future training. However, if that was all I wanted to do, I could do it on my own. Therefore, this was just a supplementary purpose.


    The main reason I brought along the students was to try the effect of [Legendary Teacher]. In other words, I was thinking if they cleared the Guild''s quest, would it affect the [clear reward] and activate the title?


    As long as I''d achieved my goal, there was no point in risking my life to train here any longer. I wasn''t foolish enough to force myself to do something I couldn''t do beyond my current capabilities.


    While getting showered by the students''ints behind my back, I teleported back to the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "Eight Almi''raj, I see. We have confirmed that the quest has been cleared. This will be your certificate and 800G."


    I received the 800 gold and a parchment stamped with the Guild''s seal from the receptionist, who still wore a frightened expression on her face.


    "Bingo."


    I snapped my fingers at the message that appeared on the right side of my vision.


    "What?"


    The female receptionist''s eyes became a dot size at my sudden entric behaviour. No no, it reeked a bit like an old man.


    I promptly checked the message.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    [Legendary Teacher] has been activated.


    You have acquired the following skills.


    Mission assignment: The teacher can give missions to students.


    Clear reward: clearing the mission will grant you benefits.


    The acquired rewards will vary depending on the difficulty of the mission.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Scrolling with my finger, I found more toe.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Mission name: Almi¡¯raj hunting ¨D clear!


    Clear reward: Slightly improved one of the statuses.


    Rank G


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    I see. Apparently, by clearing this mission, the students'' status would be slightly increased.


    I tried to check Pluto''s status, and his physical strength had increased from G - (33%) to G - (84%). The same thing happened to the other students.


    As long as someone was my student, it was inevitable to acquire more strength. This was a pretty convenient ability.


    For now, it would be best to take the Guild''s low-rank routine quests in parallel with my magic lessons.


    "Why do you look so happy?" Mia asked, peering through my mask.


    "Well, it''s because I saw the roadmap," I simply replied.


    The only thing left was to teach and train them.


    I started to walk towards the exit to leave the guild hall, but several people entered the hall. Some of them were people I knew well.


    "Yo-, it''s been a long time, no?"


    A red-haired man with a stubble beard and senpaku eyes looked at me and raised his right hand.


    "Huh? Caesar and Sylphy, what are you guys doing here?"


    Behind them were a dozen or so children. Three of them were rted to me. I had seen all of the others when taking the exams for Magic Knight Academy.


    This was Straheim, a ce that was considerably far from the imperial capital.


    In other words¡ª


    "Hey, Sylphy!"


    Sylphy raised her right hand, waving in the air and letting out words of protest, "You are wrong. It was Caesar who used teleportation, not me. That''s also probably Lord''s fault."


    She said such a ridiculous thing.


    I promptly appraised Caesar but¡ª


    "Seriously?"


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Caesar Carlos


    Status


    HP: A- (12/100%)


    MP: E- (34/100%)


    Strength: A- (55/100%)


    Endurance: B + (5/100%)


    Magic: E (65/100%)


    Magical endurance: B- (78/100%)


    Agility: A- (4/100%)


    Luck: E- (8/100%)


    Drop: D- (1/100%)


    Wisdom: C (19/100%)


    Growth rate: A (99/100%)


    Title:


    Comrades of ¨D¨D¨D¨D


    [Awakened - Brave]


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Not only my titles, but he had also even acquired [Awakened] and stepped into the territory of inhuman.


    When had this Caesar guy stopped being a human?


    "There is a lot I want to talk about. But for now, that''s what it is."


    "No no, Ipletely didn''t understand."


    I once again turn my gaze towards the people at the back.


    Ste turned to look away in displeasure while Aria scratched her cheek awkwardly. And then, next to Ste was a girl with long, golden hair who was observing me nervously.


    She was my sister, Aqua Mird.


    [Woah, isn''t she quite a beauty?]


    Useless Mura shouted.


    You know, she was still a minor. This sword really was immoral.


    "Aqua, and even Ste!"


    Behind me, Cliff shouted like a cracking bell.


    "Sorry, Nii-sama, I definitely didn''t want to lose," my sister Aqua said, turning to look at Cliff with a determined gaze.


    "That''s right. We aren''t going to lose to you guys," the young boy with burning red hair proimed, ring at Cliff and the others who didn''t even bother about them.


    "n, Ronald¡ª"


    Mia was about to rush over to the two boys, but Ronald stopped her with his right hand.


    "I''m sorry, Mia, but we have a reason why we definitely can''t lose to you guys. Let''s go, teachers!" He urged Caesar and Sylphy and proceeded to the guild counter.


    "Well, I will tell you the circumstances gradually."


    Caesar raised his right hand again and led the students to the counter.


    "I''m sorry, my Lord, but I can''tpromise this time either."


    Sylphy also slightly bowed her head and sprinted to the counter.


    Hmm? That bird, where did I...


    I had a strange deja-vu looking at the ck bird on Caesar''s right shoulder. Just looking at it gave me the impulse to rush and defeat it. And what was this unpleasant feeling? I shook my head to force myself to bite down the sick feeling that made me want to vomit.


    Anyway, because Ste and Aqua were there, I guessed this was ss S. It meant Caesar and Sylphy were in charge of that ss? This had be even more confusing. Well, whatever. There was no particr disadvantage for me just because the two of them became the homeroom teachers of ss S.


    "Let''s go."


    Cliff grabbed my sleeve with a tearful face, pointing his finger at the boys and girls at the counter. He said, "What''s all of this about? Not to mention Aqua, Ste was a maid in my house, so how?"


    "Who knows? Whoever they are, it doesn''t change what we do."


    I shoved Cliff aside with these words and walked towards the vacant lot behind Sagami Co.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 23 - A sudden impossible thought

    Chapter 23 : A sudden impossible thought


    Although Caesar and Sylphy''s intention was shrouded in mystery, there was also the fact that the students needed a rival for the time being. Maybe it was just as well.


    Besides, it was useless to think about the aim of those two entricities. First of all, they might not be thinking at all.


    Mia and Cliff seemed to have their own thoughts, and although it was a little early, let''s have them study by themselves. They had that magic bag. If there were any time left, they would train their Mana operation using the magic bag.


    In the meantime, I also had a few things to do.


    I teleported to Leroy in the centralboratory of the research institute.


    "Magic weapons? Now that you say it, I did make them. Well, it''s just child''s ypared to what I''m working on now."


    Leroy muttered in self-derision as he drank the coffee especially made by Sagami Co.


    "I am thinking of making a magic weapon based on a sword this time. Can I ask you to give me pointers?"


    Leroy continued making a suspicious face.


    "I''m not going to rely on that childish thing that can''t get activated without magic. The firearms you''ve taken into consideration should be enough for weapons. Rather than that, I''d like to start developing a [Generator] as soon as possible," he said the words as expected.


    "It''s not about convenience. Leroy-san, the reason I want to know it is the same as the way you want science now."


    Leroy crossed both of his arms and stared at my face for a short while.


    "Wait a minute," he said, his figure silently disappearing into the back of the room.


    A few minutester, Leroy returned with a sword and ced it quietly on the desk.


    "This is something I made just before I met you. It''s the best work I''ve ever had, but I don''t need it now. Do as you like."


    Even I, who was a novice, could see it. It was aparatively sharp sword.


    "It has a mechanism that will be activated after you put a specially manufactured magic stone in the cavity of the sword hilt. In other words¡ª"


    "The final quality of the sword is affected by the uracy of the magical ore stone?"


    "That''s right. I''m a cksmith. Even if I, as an individual, make it with great diligence, in the end, it all just depends upon the magician''s ability. I have treated it the same as my child, but now it has fallen into a blister. How unforgivable and unbearable it is..."


    The figure of Leroy biting his back so hard reminded me of the reason why this world''s cksmith was so crazy about science.


    "Thank you. Now, I would like to ask you a few questions about the manufacturing process of this sword, if that''s all right."


    "I don''t mind. I will tell you all you want to know."


    Leroy nodded broadly at my request and began to open his mouth.


    I returned to my room to sort out the detailed information Leroy had given me about manufacturing magic weapons.


    In order for the magic ore to be fully effective, the metal, shape, and strength of the sword must be finely tuned. In particr, depending on the type of magic that the magic ore possessed, specific adjustments were required. But, if you made a mistake here, the magic weapon would not be able to disy its strongest prowess.


    I see. If it was that difficult to understand, it made sense why there were so few magic weapons in this world.


    "It''s interesting!"


    If you stop developing something because of this level of difficulty, you are no longer a scientist.


    In fact, the science and technology that we have developed so far is the crystallization of the wisdom built up by our predecessors on Earth. I am no more than an imitator who has borrowed and reproduced that knowledge. Besides, it is in these inexplicable hardships that the seeds of new wisdom will grow.


    [Master, you seem to be in a good mood.]


    Mura''s astonished whisper echoed inside my mind.


    "Yes, it''s fun. How can I not be in a good mood at this point?"


    I had hit a new wall just now. If I seeded in this development, new knowledge would be written in the history of mankind.


    In addition, if I could settle this theory of magic weapons, there was also the possibility that it could be applied to other magic tools for daily life. If that was the case, then it was also connected to what I wanted to do when I''d first arrived in this world. The union of magic and science¡ªthe creation of Magic technology!! [T/N : It''s not literally magic technology here, but instead sorcery/ck magic and science. Since he wants tobine them, either I could write it as ck magic science or so. Hence, I thought of using magic technology for now, though it may change if there''s a more detailed exnationter.]


    [Aren''t you a pervert!!]


    That''s not something you are qualified to say!


    I very much wanted to begin the research immediately. But for today, I had to make a summary for tomorrow''s ss. For the time being, I''d simply have to work on it little by little.


    "Now then, let''s begin."


    With a pen in hand, I began to write down on a piece of parchment.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "Oh, it''s already thiste."


    I looked at the clock and saw that it was 20:00. It was time to go out for dinner.


    When I went to the cafeteria of Sagami Co., Aquido, Ca and Jude were having dinner as well, so I joined them.


    "I see, so the construction work for the research facility of the Institute of Medical Science and the government hospital is progressing well?"


    We''d been working on the development of antibiotics for some time now, recruiting volunteers from the members of Sagami Co. and Toto vige.


    However, because of theck of personnel to invest in that, it hadn''t progressed well. But this time, I had a new territory, Radol. There were plenty of candidates.


    That was why I''d decided to establish the Institute of Medical Science, a medical education and research institute, and a public hospital.


    "Oh, we''ve already started recruiting the first batch of researchers. Although I know you are busy, but¡ª"


    "I know. Leave it to me."


    In this world, medical science was still an unknown research area. It couldn''t be helped that I couldn''t even talk about research without basic knowledge. And it was the same for medical professionals.


    "I have also applied for it."


    Ca announced while stuffing herself with her favorite cutlet.


    "I see. Study diligently, okay? So, what about the recruitment?"


    "About this, we already have around 500 applications."


    "Fi-five hundred..."


    Same as the dumbfounded Aquido, I was also considerably taken aback by this piece of information.


    The confirmed applicants were the group of Tana, several people from Toto vige, and the original staff of Sagami Co. who were working on the production of antibiotics from the beginning.


    Up to this point, the confirmed people were less than 50. I hadn''t expected to receive ten times more applicants.


    "This includes Radol, Tosh group, former soldiers of Amuzureth Kingdom''s army, and their military physicians. In addition, there were applications from doctors from all over the Empire who were introduced by the Commercial Guilds."


    I didn''t intend to make medicine my primary source of ie.


    Of course, if other merchants were to patent the drug and monopolize it, there was a possibility that it would not be distributed to the poor who really needed it. That was why I would patent it. However, the patent would be granted by a newly established organization called the Medical Science Research Association.


    Utilizing the enormous amount of money to establish free hospitals in all regions possible and conduct medical checkups. That was the kind of organization I was aiming to start.


    "I don''t mind, but as expected, 500 is a lot. We need to sort them out. Jude, divide and interview all of these 500 people. The hiring requirement is whether they truly want to help others."


    "I understand. I will begin it as soon as possible."


    As I nodded in satisfaction at Jude''s words, Aquido said, "The other day, Theo and Calogero, who were undercover, returned. We have protected ny percent of the families of the Amuzureth Kingdom''s soldiers."


    "90%, what about the rest?"


    Aquido shook his head with an expression of anguish. So, 10 percent of them had already been executed.


    "I see. I suppose so. In fact, we should be d that we were able to protect ny percent of them."


    To be honest, ording to my earlier expectation, I would have been satisfied as long as we could protect half of them safely. That was what I thought.


    "About that, ording to the information from Theo and the others, they were able to protect them so easily because all of the people received a revtion."


    "Revtion?"


    "Apparently, when Theo and his team visited a rtivelyrge city in the Kingdom, the families of the soldiers they were to protect had already gathered to escape. Thanks to this, they were able to skip the unnecessary acts of persuasion. The one thing they all had inmon was¡ª"


    "So that was the revtion."


    What a strange story, and also a too convenient one for us. This definitely wasn''t just some coincidence, that was for sure.


    It was possible that they were trying to trick us into believing they were spies or something. But it was just too unnatural to think that they all received the same revtion. If they did, they would have lied even better.


    "For the time being, we have already settled them in the Arcroy Fortress until their new town is established."


    "I understand. Please take care of it."


    Anyway, this settled my biggest fear these days. I should be just d for now.


    "By the way, Ste is living in the school dormitory, right? Is she well?" Ca asked as if she''d just thought of it.


    I would be troubled if she kept clinging to me all the time. This was a good chance for Ste to separate from me. That was why I''d instructed her to live in the dormitory at the academy with Aria for the time being.


    Of course, Ste had adamantly refused to separate from me even for a short time, but I kept persuading her. As a result, Ste''s mood had dropped to the bottom.


    "She waspletely angry this time and didn''t even say anything. So, I don''t even know about that."


    "Hee~ it''s surprising for that Ste not to talk to Grey-sama. It seems like she is pretty angry."


    "Well, yeah. But she''s quite sociable. I''m sure she''s doing well."


    Although there was still the problem where she couldn''t sleep properly if there wasn''t me as a body pillow, for a fifteen-year-old, she was strong enough.


    My only concern was Ste''s intense dependence on me. I was the only family member for Ste in that mansion. For better or for worse, I was the only one in Ste''s world. No, I was the only one for her. No matter how well we got along, for her it was just a human rtionship mediated by me.


    At this rate, if I left this ce, Ste would definitely shut herself in her old shell. That was what I felt.


    [Master, are you nning to leave this ce? I hate it! I want to be together with all the onee-chan!]


    Mura''s desperate words seemed to keep reverberating inside my mind, but I was also surprised by that emerging thought.


    I didn''t have any intention of leaving this ce for now, and neither did I have the ways to do so.


    First, what would I do if I returned with this body of a child that had no memories of Earth at all? That was just an unbelievable delusion.


    "What happened, Grey-sama?"


    "Ah, nothing. Don''t mind it."


    Now that I finished my dinner, it was time toplete the work. Let''s prepare the materials for tomorrow''s ss.


    After briefly saying goodbye to Jude and the others, I left and went back to my room.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 24 - A fist punishment

    In the end, I finished making the materials just as the faint light of the morning sun was shining through the curtains.


    I handed out the materials to my students and hung the timetable on the ckboard.


    "The sses will proceed ording to this schedule from now on."


    "Are you joking!?"


    Not betraying my expectation, Cliff let out words of criticism while fixing his right fingertip on the ckboard in rage.


    And then, I received the same look from other students, except Eight.


    "Hmph, if you have any objection, I will listen for the time being."


    "We don''t have much time left. If we fail in the regr examination, we are going to be expelled anyway! We don''t have time to learn this general education!"


    The outline of my ss schedule is as follows:


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    ss G Schedule


    08:00 ~ 12:00 ¡ú General education


    12:00 ~ 13:00 ¡ú Lunch and break


    13:00 ~ 15:00 ¡ú Magic and tactical training


    15:00 ~ 19:00 ¡ú Field training


    Field training is for routine quests only.


    Every Saturday and Sunday of the second week of each month, you will receive a quest assigned by the professor.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    The magic time was set as two hours. They had a lot of things they needed to learn first. In the end, magic was just one of them.


    If they took a peaceful and easy road without learning the fundamentals, the end result would only convey unhappiness and nothing else. No matter the reason, I was their teacher. There was no way I would just keep quiet and overlook their foolish act.


    "I''m starting the ss. We will have a quiz at the weekend. If any of you fail to get a passing mark, I will suspend all of your magic training and give you liberal arts course. So be prepared for that."


    Ignoring Cliff, who was still spouting criticism, I began the ss.


    After the ss ended safely, I teleported them to Straheim. Although everyone''s faces were thick with displeasure, they headed for today''s field training.


    Today''s field training was "Carrying luggage when moving."


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Mission name : Carrying luggage while moving


    Clear reward : Slight improvement in physical strength


    Rank G


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    I had applied for it in advance for ss G. With their abilities, it was quite possible to clear this in one day.


    Now that the problem of not being able to use magic was out of sight, they wouldn''t die even if they executed the mission I had envisioned in the beginning. In about a month, I''d have them take on a dangerous mission as nned.


    The problem was Eight, who was as good as an amateur. He needed to train with the magic bag, and I also nned to supplement him with private lessons in the next month, which I thought should be enough to make up for hiscking part. Anyway, I just had to advance quietly with what I had nned.


    Now, I needed to use this extra time to strengthen myself as well. First of all, I''d been encountering too many powerful people quitetely. Starting with that Monocle man, Blue Whisker, and then that former emperor¡ªIskandar.


    I indeed am a believer of science, but I don''t deny the importance of power. Without power, any kind of argument will turn to dust. After all, that''s the clear fact proven by history.


    I went to thebyrinth of Straheim, Kurik, and began my search. As a result, I confirmed a few rules.


    First, I couldn''t use teleportation inside the Kurik. Or, to be precise, it was impossible to teleport except at a safe point. These safe points were special semicircr spaces set up about every five floors, and they were quiterge and resembled small towns. The fact that there were restaurants, armour, and even tool shops made me realize how resilient the merchants were.


    Second, the deeper you went, the more powerful monsters you would encounter. It was also very likely to encounter monsters of a whole different rank just by going one level deeper. After all, it would be dangerous to explore thebyrinth with just the students.


    Third, it was possible to teleport to a safe point.


    It was quite annoying to use teleportation in front of public eyes, so maybe I should just open Sagami Co.''s restaurant, "Silver Knife," here as well. For that, I needed to contact the Adventurer''s Guild.


    I''d have to talk to Willy about it as soon as possible.


    I teleported to my room from the hidden ce and headed towards the Adventurer''s Guild.


    When I entered the guild hall, the usual female receptionist''s face changed. She came up to me, bent over, and put her mouth close to my ear. Good grief, it seemed like there was another trouble again.


    The current situation isn''t that good. Can we ask you toe back another day?


    Ah, I see. I understood what she meant to say. Probably because they were here.


    In the cafe on my left, a group of dozen armed people gathered. Among them was a purple-haired young man in gorgeous armour, ring at me with his steely-eyed gaze.


    He was Munch, a member of the gold family called Breathgarm or something like that. That was okay. I really wanted to have a talk with him, anyway.


    "No need. It''s not like I''m a busy man, unlike those boring wooden figures over there."


    "Wait! Shirabe-san!"


    She desperately moved her hands to hold me back, but the matter was alreadyte. Immediately, I was surrounded by robust men with thick blue streaks popping out on their foreheads.


    "I wonder what kind of business you have?"


    "Follow me."


    "Of course."


    Munch''s face turned bright red as I nodded loudly with a smile all over my face. Of course, it wasn''t because he was embarrassed, but rather out of genuine anger, I thought. Well, if anything, being exposed to such re only made me disgusted.


    Surrounded by strong men, I felt like I was in a daimyo procession as I was brought to an open space behind the guild hall.


    The crowd was a bit toorge; there were at least thirty of them. They were probably trying to make a scene after losing their face the other day.


    Or rather, I wondered if the upation called Adventurer was soid back that they had the time to watch the farce in the daytime.


    Munch, as if ted with his sess, drew the sword at his waist. Then, he said a delusional statement that some small fry characters might say to raise a few gs of defeat.


    "Even if you cry now, I won''t forgive you!"


    "Hmph. So what?"


    Did he think I was cowering from their earlier remark?


    "You''ve ruined our reputation, and we have to punish you," he said with a pleased expression while hanging the tip of the sword.


    "Punishment, huh. Are you going to kill me?"


    "It''s up to you. You''ll be able to save your life if you just quietly be our sandbag."


    "What are you going to do to Eight?"


    "Well, you know. He betrayed us. He''ll have to pay for it."


    I''d gathered more than enough information about Breathgarm through Krama.


    "Like the young man from earlier, are you going to cut one arm?"


    Apparently, a young man before Eight, who''d wanted to leave the family, had his one arm cut and was sold to fools called [Laguna] as a ything.


    "What do you mean? But that''s right, let me teach you one thing. I like the cries of fear and despair from screaming brats more than three meals a day!"


    I had no doubt that this face, which was smeared with pleasure, was telling the truth. It seemed that I''d known enough.


    "I see..."


    I had already decided the destination for the guys. Although Willy had told me to be more merciful, that was only if the other party was a human and not those who had already crossed the line of humanity.


    "That''s right. I want to see that face. Whoever insults me is¡ª"


    I stomped my right foot on the ground, not caring about what this guy was spouting.


    The group swayed and soon sted out clouds of dust spread throughout the square.


    "Wh-what was that!!?"


    They shouted in bewilderment. Soon, the clouds of dust cleared away, revealing my figure in the centre of the ground.


    When the purple-haired man''s eye, which had be dot size, met mine in astonishment, his face quickly turned pale.


    "Ri-ridiculous... You, what are¡ª"


    Don''t be surprised just with that. You will spoil the fun.


    "I''m Shirabe. Haven''t you investigated already?"


    I received the information from Krama that a few stoic amateurs had investigated me recently in Straheim. Nine out of ten, it was one of these guys.


    "Wa-wait a minute..."


    "I refuse."


    I leisurely advanced towards Munch.


    "Will you not join our family? A strong guy like you is weed with open arms!"


    While backing down, Munch persuaded me with a desperate expression.


    "........"


    I didn''t feel like answering anymore. These guys couldn''t be saved anymore.


    "We will give you a treatment of an executive staff..."


    "I don''t want to talk to you anymore."


    I kicked the ground, closed my distance with him, clenched my right fist tightly, and punched him lightly in the face.


    Munch''s nose was crushed, and a ssh of bright red blood sprayed out.


    "Guaaahhhhh!?"


    As he continued to scream, I grabbed his cor as he rolled on the ground, then pulled him toward me.


    "Listen here. I''m neither a saint nor a hero who is on the side of justice. Rather, I''m not much different from you guys..."


    "T-then¡ª"


    "But, you know, I have my rules."


    "Ru-rule?"


    I raised the corner of my mouth to Munch, who parroted back with a look of intense fear on his face.


    "That''s right. You guys have spat on one of these rules, so¡ª"


    I hurled Munch in the air.


    "Ihiiii!!!" [T/N : They are Munch''s screams, just in case you wonder.]


    I clenched my hands to Munch, who fell down while screaming like a rooster being strangled.


    "Don''t worry. Unlike you guys, I will not kill you..."


    I struck with my fists rapidly, and soon they crushed the bones and squashed the flesh of his bodypletely.


    The surreal sound of intense psychological disgust reverberated in the open square. Munch rolled down on the ground like a tattered house cloth.


    I looked away from Munch, who was twitching on the ground, and nced around at the men around him. They screamed, throwing down their weapons and raising their hands.


    They irritated me to no end. If this level of fear was enough to make you lose your will to fight, why did you hurt others so easily?


    "It''s too troublesome to beat them..."


    I invoked [Wind Maniption], restraining all of them and raising them up into the sky.


    "H-hel¡ª"


    I forced the wind to shut up their disgustingly screaming mouths and twist their arms and legs, which were restrained by my wind technique.


    At that moment, a familiar woman''s voice released my technique.


    "Demolition Magic."


    The men tied by my wind technique fell to the ground, writhing in shock and pain.


    "Sylphy, what are you doing?"


    The blue-haired woman, Sylphy, stood in front of me.


    "That''s enough. You win," Sylphy muttered with a bitter look on her face.


    "The problem isn''t victory or defeat."


    That was right. Because I did this based on right or wrong, no more or less. No matter who you are, I won''t let anyone get in my way.


    "It''s over."


    In the front row of onlookers, the red-haired man, Caesar, pointed his thumb back.


    I clicked my tongue, looking at the figure of Pluto and the others, who had a ghastly pale face behind Caesar''s back.


    I guessed this ce was a bit intense for them. It seemed that I''d be uncharacteristically overheated.


    Caesar took a big sigh, looking at the Munch who was rolling on the ground like a tattered dust cloth and closed his face, and whispered in his ears, "Now do you understand? Some things shouldn''t be offended in this world."


    "H.......e........l......."


    Somehow, Munch managed to muster the words out.


    "Of course I will. But it''s not for your sake, okay? Keep that in mind," Caesar told Munch.


    Then, turning behind, he said to Sylphy, "Sylphy, I''m sorry, but please take care of them."


    Sylphy just shrugged her shoulders and approached Munch, raising her right hand and invoked recovery magic.


    Amotion broke out among the onlooking adventurers watching the wounds healing like a video in reverse.


    "Now then, if you excuse me..."


    "I will talk with you another day."


    As I turned my back to Caesar and the others, Willy, who was standing next to the children, flung these words at me. I waved my right hand, blending in with the back alley this time.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 25 - The first quest

    "Dammit! I''m also a member of aristocrats, for god''s sake! Why do I have to do something ridiculous like that?"


    On the way to the quest of moving stuff, Cliff swore and kicked the ground.


    One nightter, Cliff still hadn''t said a word about what had happenedst night. That was also the case for Mia. The reason must be that they hadn''t yet grasped the situationpletely.


    It was surprising that there were other people who could use teleportation to Straheim other than Shirabe-sensei. However, what troubled Mia the most was why An and Ronald showed their unconcealed hostility toward her. Both were angry, at least when Mia fell from ss S to ss G. With their personalities, they should have encouraged Mia, who usually had no choice. She hadn''t expected them to be hostile.


    "If you''re dissatisfied, why don''t you just quit this ss G? No one is going to stop you!" Pluto shouted at Cliff.


    "I helped you move! Are you really defending this charade at such an important time!?"


    "Beat me. It''s annoying. But that person''s ss is clearly different from the others. First of all, have others taught you continuous magic until now?"


    "........" Cliff gritted his teeth silently.


    Cliff was also a student of this Magic Knight Academy. He was aware of the constant abnormalities of this ss.


    "Indeed, the continuous [Body Strengthening] magic isn''t written in any books of Magic Knight Academy."


    Today''s ss was about [Body Strengthening] magic and sensing the way to continuous magic while maintaining a fixed condition. More specifically, how to continue [Body Strengthening] with a single magic chant.


    Of course, Mia herself was good at this magic, so it was possible to use it for a long time. Since a while ago, she was confident that she was thoroughly familiar with it. However, she had never heard of a way to continue the [Body Strengthening] magic.


    That was right. It was general knowledge that the duration of [Body Strengthening] depended on the magic power of the said person. It was the reason Mia was so good at this magic.


    Because Mia''s mana reserve was iparably higher than ordinary people, she could use this magic for a longer duration.


    However, in today''s ss, Shirabe-sensei had easily overturned thismon sense of Mia and the other students.


    It was possible to maintain this magic easily just by adding "Mana Utilisation 1, Effect Continue" to a certain position in the rune phrase of [Body Strengthening].


    Even if you just added it, you still had to perform precise mana maniption when chanting, like "Mana 2, Utilisation 3, Effect 5, Continue 4," and the activation itself was extremely difficult.


    In any case, the effect of this magic would be maintained until you invoked the chant of "Release."


    "Isn''t that it? It looks like we''ve arrived!"


    Mia and the others'' thoughts were quickly interrupted by Teresa''s lively voice, as if she was on an outing. She was pointing at an old two-story brick building.


    It was already in shambles and considerably decrepit.


    When they rang the bell, an elderly, kind-looking woman came out.


    "I heard from the Guild. You are the neer Adventurers who are going to help us today, right?" she asked.


    "We are¡ª"


    "That''s right. Here''s the quest eptance form. Please sign underneath when we''vepleted it."


    Interrupting Cliff, who was about to argue, Pluto handed out the quest eptance form.


    "Yes, yes, thank you for your help. When you''ve done, I''ll have some of Straheim''s favourite snacks ready for you."


    After receiving the form and winking, thedy beckoned them to enter the mansion.


    Thus, the first quest of Mia and other students had begun.


    "Eight-chan, are you done?"


    Teresa carried the wooden bed as if it was a stuffed toy, looked back over her shoulder, and asked Eight.


    "Uh, yeah, somehow..."


    With beads of sweat sticking to his forehead, Eight gave a firm nod while lifting a cab. The cab was rtively big. Of course, it was impossible to lift it up with normal human beings'' physical strength. What Eight was doing right now was using the magic of [Body Strengthening] that he''d been taught just the other day. Surprisingly, Eight was able to invoke this magic in just one day.


    It was true that he''d practiced all night with the magic bag given to them by Sensei, but the world of magic was not so easy that a person who had never touched magic could easily activate it. Even Sensei had also looked surprised, so it seemed that Eight might be a "genius" in magic.


    Apparently, for Eight, today''s lesson about "Mana Utilization 1, Effect Continue" was rtively tough, as he wasn''t able to chant it properly yet. He seemed to be taking the method of piling on again as soon as the effect was about to expire.


    "Think about it again. That mana maniption training using the magic bag is really quite important, isn''t it?" Pluto, who suddenly turned up next to Mia, muttered to himself.


    "I think so too."


    Mia had the same opinion. Of course, the improvement of basic magic like [Fireball] was possible with enough training. However, in Eight''s case this time, even though he learned new runes, if he couldn''t handle subtle mana maniption, he wouldn''t be able to create any effects. Because of this, it certainly didn''t matter how much you learned about magic alone. Perhaps the shortness of Shirabe-sensei''s magic lessons was an indication of it.


    "You guys are really amazing!"


    The owner of the mansion, a well-built gentleman, gave his words of admiration at Mia and her friends.


    "This is thest, uncle!"


    Pluto reported in an unusually cheerful tone of voice as he ced the designated table in the newly-built living room.


    "Thank you for your hard work. Once everything isplete, let''s have some tea!"


    "Oh."


    "Um!"


    "Yes!"


    "Yeah!"


    "Thank you very much!"


    After everyone nodded with their respectively different reaction, Mia and the others started their final job.


    "It''s delicious!"


    "Yeah, I feel like my cheeks are going to melt."


    The sweets were served on a table in the living room of therge mansion, and Mia enthusiastically popped one into her mouth.


    The yellow fluffy dough was filled with honey and yellow liquid. When she put a piece cut by thedy in her mouth, a sugary sweet taste filled her mouth.


    "I know, I know. After all, this is the popr product of [Mont nc], a confectionery shop in Straheim. It''s called a pancake."


    Pancake, huh. It was the first time she heard the name of this sweet.


    While everyone''s face eased in happiness, only Eight stared at the sweet with a mysterious face without saying a word.


    "Pancake...."


    "What''s the matter? Don''t you want to eat it?"


    The owner of the mansion asked worriedly as he looked at Eight''s face.


    "If you aren''t going to eat it, then I will eat it for you." Pluto, who was sitting next to Eight, muttered that as he swiftly moved his fork.


    "I-I will eat!!" Eight hurriedly put the pancake in his mouth. And then, just mumbling to himself as he chewed, Eight began to eat the pancake.


    "It''s... delicious."


    "It''s Shirabe-sensei who''s managing [Mont nc], right?"


    When the te of pancakes was empty, Eight asked the owner of the mansion with a mysterious look on his face, as if he was dealing with his fate.


    "What are you talking about?" Cliff shrugged his shoulders, trying to deny the fact. "No matter how much senseless that person is, even if the professor of Magic Knight Academy is a merchant¡ª"


    "That''s right. Mr Sagami Shirabe of Sagami Co. is the owner of the sweet shop, [Mont nc]," the owner of the mansion affirmed matter-of-factly.


    "........"


    In contrast to Mia and the others, who were speechless, Eight nodded several times in agreement.


    "I see. As expected, that person is..."


    "Shirabe-sensei made this sweet? Although I know he isn''t an ordinary person, he really is like a jack of all trades."


    "What, by Sensei you mean, you guys are his students?"


    "Oh, do you know about Sensei, Old Man?"


    "You are being rude, Pluto!" Cliff chided.


    "S-sorry," Pluto''s shoulders hung down.


    "Of course. Or rather, there isn''t any Straheim merchant who doesn''t know about him. He''s an influential person who moves the world''s economy, after all."


    "......."


    When no one opened their mouths inside the room, the owner of the mansion began to exin about Sensei.


    "He not only invented [Hand Pump], [Wristwatch], and [ss], but he also even has his own armed forces. Moreover, he was also awarded a royal title for his remarkable achievement during the Undead event a few months ago."


    Most of it must have been an exaggeration. It was really hard to believe it was the same person.


    "This is also one of the drinks developed by the Sagami Co."


    As Mia and the others were dumbfounded, thedy held out a cup filled with a ck drink.


    They tried to drink the ck fluid but couldn''t help taking their mouths away from the cup.


    "Haha! It''s a little bit too bitter for kids, but it''s addictive."


    "No, I understand," Eight sipped it and replied sincerely.


    "It''s your guys'' luck that he is your teacher. Keep that in mind."


    "Hey, hey. Don''t talk about such serious things with young people."


    "That''s right. Oh man, am I not getting older?" the owner scratched his head grumpily.


    "There''s still a lot. Bon appetit."


    Thedy brought another te of pancakes from the back of the house and ced it on the table. Mia and the others resumed eating.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 26 - Hero only for us

    [T/N : just a heads up, this part is just after Grey was dragged (not really) by Munch and others several chapters ago.]


    The quest had beenpleted, and Mia and the others also had thedy''s husband stamped the questpletion. Currently, they were on their way to the Adventurer''s Guild''s hall.


    "Sagami Co. It''s simr to the Company that has entered Lieze recently."


    "Ah, thispany has tied up with draper''s shops, restaurants, and other shops that are popr among aristocrats'' children recently," Cliff crossed his arms and answered proudly.


    "Do you know?"


    "Naturally. I''m a member of the aristocratic society, after all. So I''m well informed about this."


    "That reminds me. My father did say a while ago that he is doing some business with thispany," Teresa muttered absentmindedly with her index finger on her cheek.


    "When it''s a nobleman as big as Count Hartwig-sama, then that should be true..." Cliff said annoyingly.


    "Hey Eight, did you know about Shirabe-sensei?"


    This was a question that everyone in the room had been asking themselves. At least, they believed that Eight knew some things about Sensei that Mia and the other students didn''t.


    "No, this is the first time I have met Shirabe-sensei."


    All of them looked at Eight''s face seriously, but none of them could see any lie or fabrication.


    "Well, whatever. It''s a fact that he''s our teacher now. That being said, we got used to [Body Strengthening] over the past day."


    "Yes yes, I''m still getting used to this."


    "You sure are...." Cliff looked at Teresa with half-lidded eyes.


    "What do you mean by that!?"


    When Teresa puffed out her cheeks, Cliff turned his eyes away in a panic. If you are so scared, why don''t you just stop messing with her? Mia thought.


    "Eight was also able to raise his sess rate for [Body Strengthening], right?"


    "Yeah, but I still couldn''t make the effect continuous. I''m going to go back to my room and practice."


    When Eight nodded, a staff member hurriedly ran into the guild hall, which could be seen in the distance.


    Mia wondered what was going on. The staff member seemed to be in a hurry. Well, Mia guessed it was irrelevant to her and the others, who had just be adventurers.


    When they entered the guild hall, the shouts of several angry people rang in their ears.


    "So, you''re saying Munch took him to the back square?"


    "Yes! It was an explosive situation!"


    "Those dimwit fools who don''t know scary guys!! They have sold the fight to the worst guy!"


    A handsome young man with long golden hair tied back swung his fist at the counter, crushing some of it.


    "Calm down, Willy! If you get mad, the situation will get even more out of control!"


    "However, Caesar, what if they touch the reverse scale imprudently¡ª"


    "I know. I will go. Sylvie, are youing with me?"


    The man with the red hair and stubble called Caesar asked the beautiful blue-haired woman next to him, Sylvie.


    "Of course. But not for that little Munch or whatever he is?"


    "Rx. That''s the same for me too."


    Caesar, Sylvie, and the blond man called Willy trotted towards the exit of the building where Mia and the others were, but stopped when they spotted them.


    "You guys are his students, right? Then help us with something a little. Follow us."


    "Hey, Caesar! Dragging the kids into this¡ª"


    "Do you think only I am enough to stop his raging heart?"


    Willy bit his tongue in frustration, but stillplied. Bowing to Mia and the others, he said, "I''m sorry, but I hope you guys cane with us."


    Leaving the guild hall, Mia and the others ran as fast as they could to the square behind the building.


    All of a sudden, there was an explosion and a cloud of dust in front of them.


    "Not good. Hurry up!" Caesar muttered bitterly and quickened his pace.


    In an instant, Mia and the others got separated from Caesar and the other three people, but still, they ran as fast as they could. Mia wondered why. At that time, that''s what she must do. She was driven by such intense feelings.


    A crowd gathered in front of the za. All of the onlookers were staring at one corner of the za without exception, with their half-opened mouth and ghastly pale face.


    There was a man with purple hair lying on his back like a tattered dust cloth and robust men floating in the air.


    And at the centre stood a masked dwarf, his whole body constantly shimmering with red mist, like a heat haze.


    "H-Hel¡ª!"


    One of the floating men pleaded even when his face had tears and snots dripping down, but Shirabe-sensei stretched out his hand and made a gesture as if grasping the sky.


    The moment that spectacle entered Mia''s view, a shiver like an electric bolt ran down her spine.


    ........


    Mia was uncontrobly frightened by both the red mist oozing out of his whole body and his red eyes staring at the robust men from behind the mask. Her knees and teeth were chattering and making a sound.


    "Demolition Magic!"


    When Sylvie shouted that, all of the robust men fell to the ground, knocked down, and began to moan.


    "Sylvie, what are you doing?"


    "That''s enough. You win."


    "The problem isn''t victory or defeat."


    Shirabe-sensei shook his head and once again turned his gaze towards the men.


    A scream raised up from all of them.


    "It''s over!"


    Saying that, Caesar pointed his thumb toward Mia and the others, and for the first time, Shirabe-sensei looked at them.


    Mia''s heart jumped, but soon the burning pressure disappeared from Shirabe-sensei.


    Then he reverted to his usual gentle self and disappeared into the crowd.


    "Are you afraid of that guy?"


    Caesar looked down at Mia and the others, who were gnashing their teeth, and asked with a mysterious look on his face.


    "Humph, like hell I am!"


    "I''m not afraid!"


    "I''m not!"


    "Yeah, he is our teacher! How can we be afraid of him!"


    "That''s right! Sensei is so kind. We aren''t afraid!"


    Mia and the other students screamed one after another but no matter how you see it, it held little to zero persuasive power when their knees were ttering and making a sound.


    "Thank you."


    Listening to Mia and the others, Caesar smiled gently and said, "Trust me on this. He''s a hero only for you guys."


    He then beckoned us to follow him.


    Don''t shiver!


    Hitting their legs, which didn''t help at all, Mia and the others chased after Caesar.


    They returned to the guild to report the sess of the quest to the receptionist and received the reward of 1000G. Shirabe-sensei had instructed them in advance that they could take a full 200G per person as a reward.


    In their first quest, not only was it great training for [Body Strengthening], they even got rewards. Normally, Mia and her friends would have been on their way home in high spirits, but their steps were heavy.


    "It''s probably my fault."


    It was Eight who broke the heavy silence.


    "What? What do you mean by that?" Pluto frowned and asked Eight.


    "Those guys. They''re the ones from my previous family, Breathgarm. It''s because Sensei helped me that...."


    Pluto smiled at Eight, who looked down and clenched his right fist tightly, shaking it.


    "Isn''t it fine? With this, those people will learn a lesson. You must be holding something, right?"


    "Well, I usually am not pleased with what amoner has to say but this time, Ipletely agree with him. Sensei is a member of the same aristocratic society and also the proud professor of Magic Knight Academy. It''s our obligation to teach those vulgarmoners like them some lessons. Sensei has just executed it, no more or less."


    Hmm, I don''t think every one of them is amoner, though. Mia thought.


    "Humph! I think aristocracy is too vulgar in itself."


    "What did you say!?"


    When they both started to snarl at each other, Teresa walked up to Eight, put her hands on her waist and said, "Eight-chan is the same as us, the student of our teacher. That''s why I''m sure Sensei did this to protect Eight-chan. Besides, I don''t think my father would have let something like that happen either. It would have been apanied by blood for sure."


    Teresa cowered her shoulders and shook her head from side to side, giving us a dangerous impression.


    "Well, that might be the case with Count Hartwig-sama in the world," Cliff said bluntly.


    "Don''t worry about it, Eight! I think that''s what Sensei will say!"


    "That''s right. First, you are worrying too much. Take it easy." Pluto gave a sudden p on Eight''s back.


    "Hiii!"


    Together with a smack sound, Eight rolled on the ground.


    "What?"


    "It''s not what! What would you do if he was seriously injured?"


    At Cliff''s voice full of rebuke, Pluto ran to Eight like a flipping string and extended his right hand.


    "S-sorry, are you alright, Eight!"


    "Y-yeah. I am fine. I''m not injured."


    Grabbing Pluto''s hand, Eight stood up and dusted the soil while letting out a light sigh. At the same time, Pluto''s raised hand also lifted a pile of rocks on the roadside.


    "I can do it without trouble..... No way!"


    Pluto took out the card given by Shirabe-sensei from his pocket, then raised a voice of joy.


    ".....Haha, seriously!"


    "What''s wrong with you? You are even weirder than usual!"


    "Check your cards! My strength has increased considerably and my level has also risen!"


    Hearing Pluto''s words, everyone took out their cards from their pockets and checked them.


    Mia''s strength had increased from G(34%) to G(89%) and her level had also risen up from 6 to 7.


    "My status has also risen!" Teresa jumped up and down like a rabbit.


    "Me too!" Eight''s whole face was dyed with delight.


    "My status has also risen! But, since when?"


    "No, if we talk about the things we did today, then it''s only that quest......Are you saying thatpleting the quest increases your abilities?"


    "That''s ridiculous...." Cliff''s cheeks twitched as he denied Pluto''s words.


    "You''re right. There''s no way such a ridiculous thing can happen...."


    "But if that''s not the reason, there would be no reason for our status to improve."


    At Eight''s monologue-like opinion, Mia and the others looked at each other andughed dryly.


    They had never heard of an ability which increased simply bypleting a quest, and if that were the case, the world would suddenly be overflowing with adventurers.


    Nine times out of ten, this phenomenon was caused by that walking insanity of a teacher.


    "Anyway, we will find the answer after clearing the next quest!"


    "That''s right. It''s just like what you said." Pluto nodded as if to say to himself. Understandable. It wasn''t something you could really believe after all.


    At the same time, deep down, he firmly believed it to be true.


    "Shall we go?"


    "Yeah!"


    Mia nodded loudly, somehow managing to suppress her excitement as she walked to the vacant lot where they would meet her teacher.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 27 - A malicious trigger

    In the corner of a tavern, Munch slurped down a bottle of wine and mmed the wooden bottle down on the table.


    "Ridiculous!! I''m an A-Rank adventurer, and by a newbie like that brat, I''m being!!"


    He was humiliated in front of a crowd. And there would definitely be bacsh from the adventurers who had been suppressed by force until now. If it was handled poorly, they might even sneak attack.


    No, more importantly, he even knew about the brat that had wanted to leave the family, the one whose arm was cut off by Munch. If that was the case, he might also know that Munch had sold the brat to a ve trader affiliated with Laguna afterwards.


    The only way to report this incident to Aku was that the brat had been severely injured in a battle with a monster and returned to his hometown.


    Aku was exceedingly strict aboutbat. He didn''t raise an eyebrow when someone was injured or even killed in genuinebat.


    But at the same time, he reacted violently to abandonment and especially to selling outrades.


    If Aku found out about this time''s incident, he would kill Munch before anything else. That was something Aku did without exception.


    "That bastard!!"


    He seemed to be a long time acquaintance with the subdivision manager, Willy, and the S-Rank adventurer called Caesar.


    In the near future, the guild would definitelymence a full-scale investigation regarding the sanction imposed by Munch and others. When that happened, they would naturally ask the head of the guild, Aku, about the situation. Aku would definitely be aware of this incident.


    In short, Munch was still in desperate straits. He was just one step before the ruin.


    It was evident in the absence of all of the women who had been following Munch until now. They must have given up on him.


    "Damnit!!"


    As he looked up at the ceiling and screamed, he heard a voice from the front.


    "You seem to be having a rough time, don''t you?"


    When he dropped his gaze, a man who waspletely concealed in a hood was sitting in the front seat. He was wearing a mask imitating a spooky smile.


    "Who are you, bastard!!?"


    "I? Let''s see...."


    After giving some thought while clenching his chin, he stood up from his seat and said, "Please call me Conductor."


    Then he bowed ostentatiously.


    Every single move of the masked man looked deliberate, as if he was acting in a drama.


    "You bastard, are you mocking me!?"


    "No-no, absolutely not! Ie here to present the finest n possible!" he said in an extolling voice, spreading his arms and turning his face toward the ceiling.


    "Finest n?"


    It just looked fishy.


    First of all, it was absurd to think that a guy who had met Munch for the first time understood what kind of trouble he was going through.


    "Also, I have been told to hand this letter to you," he took a letter from his bag and put it on the table.


    Munch frowned and took the letter in hand violently before opening it with great force and looking at the content.


    "T-This is...."


    He was aware that the hands holding the letter were shivering.


    That was natural.


    The seal stamped on the letter was the emblem of a huge underground organization called [Laguna].


    He had done a transaction with them once. There was no way it could be wrong.


    And, the name of Poisonous Liquor was also mentioned in this letter. There were a limited number of people who knew about the Crest of [Laguna], and even if they did, there would hardly be any idiot who would use the name of Four Cardinals. [T/N : originally, the kanji means unification, control, supervision so for now I''m naming it as Four Cardinals.]


    In short¡ª


    "It''s a great n, isn''t it?"


    "Is what written in this true?"


    It was so convenient for Munch that he asked the obvious.


    "Yes, of course. Would you like to ept it?"


    "Why is [Laguna] aiming at him?"


    It was a situation that was too convenient for him. Munch didn''t think he was so fortunate that [Laguna], who was called the Royalty of Darkness, would help a simple adventurer as a favour.


    "Grey Ines Navarro, he has gone a bit too far. There are people who think that his existence in this world is inconvenient. That''s why."


    He seemed to be hated by the empire''s real ruling ss. There was no room forck of credibility in this case.


    "I understand. I will ept this request."


    Finally, Munch''s luck also took a turn here. If he didn''t have the desire to destroy, he would not have used the name of [Laguna].


    This man was a member of [Laguna].


    [Laguna] was a huge underworld organization that had roots all over the world. In particr, the fourth inmand, Poisonous Liquor, was said to be a genius in strategy who had annihted multiple organizations.


    He didn''t have any doubt about sess.


    "This is our aid for the execution of the n. Please ept it."


    Conductor put a dagger on the table.


    "This is....."


    No matter how he saw it, it just looked like your average and in unremarkable dagger. But for some reason, just looking at it, he felt a sense of oppression, as if it was being held in the hands of a huge giant.


    "Please take it in your hands. Once you do it, this will be the best trigger to change yourself."


    The Conductor''s delightful voice sounded as if it was from somewhere far away.


    His knees were trembling and his body sagged. But still, Munch''s trembling hand reached out for the dagger.


    "Gah!!?"


    The index finger of his right hand touched the dagger. At that moment, his vision turned bright red, and the surroundingndscape dissolved into mush.


    The table next to him copsed while foaming out. The skin on the face of the dark-haired young man who was cheerfully pouring sake down his throat at the side peeled off, exposing pure white bones, and the next moment, it turned into a slime-like liquid.


    And it was the same for all the tables, chairs and people around him.


    "Hii, hiiii!"


    He tried to stand up, screaming at the scene that could be synonymous with hell, but he stumbled and fell down on the wooden floor.


    He extended his hand to get up but¡ª


    "Ahhhhhhh!"


    A scream was released instead. That stood to reason as Munch''s arms were melting from the root.


    "Congrattions, Munch-san! You can now be on the stage in my directing drama! Wee to the show of Insanity and Despair!!"


    Just as Conductor''s strange bouncy voice echoed in his eardrums, his consciousness fell into the darkness.


    ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    "What an atrocious material....."


    A white-haired old man with a long beard and a ghastly pale and bloody face said rhetorically, as he looked around the slime-dissolving tavern.


    "Yes, it''s my favourite antique."


    He picked up the dagger from the sole intact table and put it in his pocket.


    "But it''s not at the level of antique."


    Conductor pointed his left hand behind the old man, whose cheeks were twitching, at the purple-haired young man lying on the floor, the only human form in the room.


    "With this, now we have all the pieces under our control," he dered.


    "Shouldn''t we have used this material on this Gray fellow?"


    "No-no, that''s not smart to do so, and above all, it''s not fun."


    "Fun, Oh Lord..."


    And it''s not like you can kill him with a toy like this. Conductor muttered in a whispering voice.


    "Did you say something just now?" the white-haired old man asked back.


    "No, I was talking about this. Anyway, the n is now in motion. I''m counting on you for the rest, Poisonous Liquor-san."


    "I understand. If what you say is true, that it was that kid Gray who attacked our base, he''s very dangerous. We must destroy him at all cost."


    With a very solemn look on his face, Poisonous Liquor spun his words of agreement as if he were chewing on them.


    "Very well. Then I will take my leave from here."


    He put his right hand on his chest, bowed, and walked out of the nightmarish ce.


    "I don''t have the slightest bit of trust in him, but this is war. If you can use it, you must use it, even if it''s a demon."


    The smell of flesh and blood that stimted his sense of smell to the point of turning his nose was enough to make him frown, but he carried the purple-haired young man on his shoulders and left the tavern.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 28 - Class—Political discourse

    Saint calendar year 905, June 7, 7:00 a.m.


    Three weeks had passed.


    Since that incident, the students in my ss had started to take quests more seriously. I guess they had understood the effect of my title [Legendary Teacher]. I knew that sooner orter they would find out about it, and I even included it as part of my training. But this was a bit faster. Maybe, these students were more outstanding than I had imagined.


    At the same time, it might be linked to magic training. Apparently, they had begun to repair their dormitory voluntarily too. I thought it was a good sign.


    Although it was undeniable that their reactions were fierce at the general education sspared to magic lessons, even then, they still listened to them much more intently than before.


    I was currently teaching them about political discourse.


    "There are many forms of economy, but the main types are only two, feudal economy and capitalist economy.


    "The former is simr to the current system of the empire. In other words, a system where the emperor, a person of paramount ability, divides thend to feudal lords, who will collect taxes in the name of the emperor from the fief poption."


    "That''s right. We, the nobility of the empire, have the best mission to govern thends given to us by His Majesty in the best and soundest manner. That is what will ultimately benefit the people!" Cliff annotated my words with full confidence.


    Mia, Teresa, and even Pluto didn''t seem to disagree with Cliff''s words. Perhaps, this was themon sense of political economy in this world.


    "No, this world has already turned to amodity economy because of the existence of the Commercial Guild. Moreover, since the mary economy is also developing, I''m sure that the feudalistic economy will soon copse and the world will shift to a capitalist economy."


    Unexpectedly, Eight raised a different opinion.


    "Yes! Are you saying that the imperial system will also change?"


    "Yes, I think it will change in the near future...."


    "You¡ª"


    I stopped the indignant Cliff with my right hand. "Hmm, why does Eight think so?"


    "Because Straheim is developing rapidly. I have also heard that more and more merchants from the countryside areing here......"


    What was necessary for the establishment of a capitalist economy was the development of amodity economy and the birth of capitalists and workers.


    Because of the existence of the Commercial Guild, the soil for the development of amercial economy and the emergence of capitalists was already there. Now all that was needed was to secure thebour force, and the capitalist economy would be established.


    As long as we secured manpower, a capitalist economy woulde into existence.


    Here in the feudalist economy, the territory was best synonymous with agriculture. It was an economy in which the collection of an annual tribute, a tax, was emphasized. To put it more sinctly, it was an economic system that did not care about anything other than the collection of tribute and control of the people. Therefore, it was unforgivable to abandon the farnd without the permission of the feudal lords. Even the reason for the existence of checkpoints in the empire was probably to prevent the escape of the farmers.


    However, with the rapid development of themodity economy, manpower was naturally needed, so capitalists actively recruited people from the farnds for cheapbour. It was a much more profitable job than being pushed around by the country to work on the farm for the rest of one''s life. Thus, the farmers were stepping into the world ofmerce from agriculture.


    Even in today''s empire, the strict system had been rxed to the point where there was only one farmer responsible for protecting each farm. It was no longer necessary for all siblings to get involved.


    Most of them were still engaged in farming, but that was only because the farming technology in this empire was still low. If farming technology improved, there would be surplusbour in agriculture for farmers which would lead to a surge in the world ofmerce.


    Once that happened, the economy would surely shift to free capitalism.


    "Hmm, if it bes so, how do you think the politics of this empire should be changed?"


    "........"


    He looked around once, then pulled his chin back and closed his mouth tightly.


    I see. So you also can hear it. The sound of footsteps of the copsing empire that would surely ring in the future.


    The contradictions and frictions of the oppressive rule of the lineage aristocrats, and the rise of new power, the merciless and meritocratic capital of the Commercial Guild.


    Additionally, if you saw the rapid development of science and technology in ces like Toto Vige and Ladol led to a rapid rise in GDP, unless they were very stupid feudal lords, it stood to reason that you would want to get some benefits too.


    Regardless of my puny intentions, there would be an explosion of wealth in various parts of the empire from the peasant ss. Once each individual grew in wealth and wisdom, there was no way to maintain feudalism anymore. All I had to do was give them a little push at the end. That was what I personally think this ss was all about.


    "Listen to me carefully. The feudalism of this empire will soon copse."


    All of the students gasped.


    "Sensei, what you just said is a serious act of treachery that could lead to the denial of our aristocracy!"


    "That''s the fact, no matter what you say. Besides, I''m against the rule of the country by the nobility, so your criticism is way off the mark."


    "What!?"


    Cliff, who never thought that I would respond like that, gaped his mouth. The other students also hadplex looks on their faces. In this empire, everything was decided by the nobles, the ruling power. In fact, it was very easy to escape from reality by leaving everything to others and stop thinking.


    "I''m not denying the existence of the aristocratic ss itself. All I''m saying is that the governing authority should bepletely stripped from the individuals called aristocrats."


    "It''s the same as denying the aristocratic system!"


    "Ah, well I suppose it is, given that the aristocracy is a system in which only the aristocracy has actual power over the affairs of the state."


    I wasn''t insisting on the total abolition of the aristocratic system. Just a structure that could reduce the political and economic privileges of the aristocracy to a reasonable extent.


    Nevertheless, people still sought tradition and social status. It would be much easier to find a job or get married, and I personally believe that a sufficient premium would be granted.


    "Sensei, I recognise you as a teacher. But this is one thing I don''t agree with, and I won''t give in!" Cliff stood from the chair and dered, mming his hands on the table.


    "That should be obvious."


    "Huh?"


    Maybe my words were quite unexpected. The other students also frowned at Cliff, who raised a hysterical voice.


    "This is a ss, not religious propaganda or a political brainwashing activity. In the end, this is just a ce to spread facts and knowledge. Whether my words are correct or not, you can choose for yourself."


    This was by no means a rxing path. There would always be conflicts with their own fixed ideas. However, I believed that they would be able to choose a path without regrets.


    "Then, this is the end of this morning''s ss. Each of you should have a good lunch before attending the magic ss."


    I announced the end and left the ssroom.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 29 - Mia and the dinner with a royalty

    Even after Shirabe-sensei departed, no one opened their mouths, and a heavy atmosphere prevailed.


    Personally, Mia was not interested in the aristocratic system. In fact, she wished that the system called aristocracy, which had tormented her and her mother so much, would just disappearpletely.


    However, the only person who could think like this was Mia, who was in a very special situation. It did not apply to other people.


    "Hey, is aristocracy going to disappear?" Teresa muttered.


    "There''s no way it''s going to disappear!"


    "Don''t yell! I''m also the son of an imperial soldier. I also don''t think aristocracy is going to disappear. However, I am interested in this. Suppose it disappeared, I wonder how it would turn out?" Pluto asked a simple question while picking his ear with his pinky finger.


    "Probably, if we consider the statement of Sensei until now, first of all, there would be a centralized authoritarian rule system. From there, I think it should transfer to parliamentary democracy," Eight crossed his arms and replied immediately.


    "Parliament system........hmm, what''s that?" Teresa tilted her small head in puzzlement and asked Eight.


    "It is a system in which major political decisions are made by a group of representatives elected by citizens in consultation with each other."


    "By citizens, you meanmoners!?" Cliff rose from his seat and shouted with disgust all over his face.


    "Yes. Sensei denied the management of political situations only by the aristocracy, right? From a political point of view, at least, we are envisioning a society that does not recognize the distinction betweenmoners and nobles."


    "There is no way such a society is possible!"


    Pluto pulled a wry smile on his face at the outburst off Cliff. "You know, we are just testing a hypothetical system! We aren''t arguing about whether it''s possible or not!" he stated strongly.


    "Guh!" Cliff sat down on his chair and turned away.


    He was a little surprised.


    The Cliff of a while ago would have walked out of the ssroom in anger. Mia knew he would.


    "Alright, alright, everyone. It''s lunchtime."


    Just then, a beautiful white-haired woman appeared with ck-robed Spy, carrying a dish.


    "Thank you very much as always, Lucia-san," Pluto stood upright and bowed his head with a slight blush on his cheeks.


    "You should eat properly since you are still growing."


    With a smile on her face, Lucia-san opened her magic bag andid out the food on the table.


    After Lucia''s and Spy''s figures disappeared, Mia and the other students began to eat their lunch.


    "Today''s lunch is a sandwich and milk. This cheese thing is really tasty as always," Pluto earnestly stated his impression.


    "This cutlet sandwich is also delicious! The gravy and the sauce are just perfect....." Cliff filled his cheeks with an ecstatic expression on his face.


    "Everything is delicious."


    "Yes, it is."


    Mia nodded slightly at Teresa, who was happily gobbling up the sandwich with her mouth wide open, and pecked at the sandwich like always.


    The unique sourness that spread in the mouth and the soft texture that melted in the mouth blended exceptionally well with the crispy vegetables. Besides, the white bread was also fluffy and lightly sweet.


    "Nevertheless, I never thought I could eat a dish of this calibre."


    "I agree with you. I hope this dish can be served to the people in my territory as well. ......"


    "........."


    For a moment, Teresa''s well-shaped eyebrows popped up slightly.


    Teresa?


    Looking at the figure of Teresa, who continued to eat as if nothing happened, Mia wondered if what she saw was her imagination.


    Pulling herself together, Mia resumed putting the sandwich in her mouth.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "You''ll be taking a quest with me tomorrow. By the way, it will be abat-type quest, so be prepared for that."


    "Yosh!" (T/N : Imagine a person pumping his hand in excitement.)


    Pluto struck a gut pose, and Teresa jumped up and down.


    Cliff was crossing his arms as usual and making a grumpy expression, but somehow his face looked a bit happy.


    "This is today''s quest. Work hard, everyone."


    When they took a quick look at the document provided by the guild, it was about [8 servings of salmon pie].


    However, the client''s name was left nk as usual.


    It seemed that today''s ss was about water magic.


    They had guessed it somehow, even including receiving an absurd quest with nked client name, so it was nothing unpredictable.


    But, if they had to say it¡ª


    "You know, we''ve never made a salmon pie before."


    Everyone nodded at Pluto''s remark.


    "Well, let''s bring the fish and go to the dining hall in Straheim, [Silver Knife]."


    "I see, so we have to make a pie," Eight put his right fist on his left hand and nodded broadly. "Today''s quest is surprisingly decent."


    It was just as he said.


    The quest yesterday was about repairing and renovating a tattered residence. And they had even asked them to ss it all up.


    In the end, they had finallypleted it at ten in the evening. No matter how you think of it, that was beyond the scope of an adventurer''s work.


    "Of course, you will have to make the pie yourselves. You will have to make the pies yourselves. All ingredients, except for the salmon, must be procured at the market. You can rest assured that all costs will be borne by the client."


    "Of course, it''s obvious!!"


    Ah, after all, it turned out like that.....


    In a mood of resignation, the teacher unterally told Mia and the others to get the recipe for the pie from the head chef of the [Silver Knife]. Then, after moving her and her friends to the usual square in Straheim, he disappeared.


    The riverbed at the northeastern edge of Straheim.


    A sphere of water floating on the surface of the river slowly lifted up into the sky.


    "I-I caught it!!" Eight shouted in delight.


    The reason for this was a single fish being closed in a water ball. This was a mid-rank water magic, Water Balloon. By manipting the water into a spherical shape, the fish was captured inside the water.


    Eight took the fish in his hand and stored it in his magic bag.


    "Eight-chan has finally learned to use magic, right?" Teresa muttered in admiration.


    "That''s right," Mia also gave her impression.


    "Hee-hee........"


    "Well, it''s not still near my level, though," Cliff nodded, but said proudly.


    "Say, what are you evenpeting for?"


    "Shut up!"


    Looking at the pouting Cliff, Pluto only shrugged his shoulders and looked at the others.


    "Alright! With this, we now have 30 fish. This should be enough. Let''s return to [Silver knife] after purchasing the remaining ingredients."


    Everyone nodded at the suggestion and started walking towards the market in Straheim.


    "It''s aplete waste! There''s no way I can give this to customers! Remake it!"


    From the head chef of [Silver Knife], they had already received thebel of waste multiple times.


    "Hey, let''s do it."


    "¡­¡­"


    Everyone nodded in silence at Pluto''s word.


    Had this happened around the beginning of their taking quests, Cliff would have been in a rage. Mia and the others would have tossed their spoons immediately as well.


    But after three weeks of daily quests, they knew that the teacher hadn''t just made a choice on a whim. They knew that very well.


    Right now, Mia''s and other students'' abilities had been increasing at an unbelievable rate. It wasn''t only about magic. Just like today''s politics ss, they were acquiring skills and knowledge in various fields every day. And they noticed it vaguely. If you really wanted to do something for this country, there was no meaning in only learning magic, no matter how much you studied.


    Then, after three failed attempts, the head chef finally gave them a passing score.


    "Alright. It''s still not very good, but it''s an edible salmon pie."


    "Thank you very much!" the students bowed their heads.


    "Do your best!" The head chef encouraged them with a cheerful smile and returned back to his work.


    They received their pies and headed to the assigned client''s residence.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The destination was arge, four-story mansion on the northern edge of Straheim.


    "Hey, this is......"


    As Cliff looked up at the gorgeous building, his cheeks twitched.


    "Yes, I feel like this is a vi of royalty."


    During the three weeks they did quests in Straheim, they had walked around almost everywhere. They had heard that this mansion was the ce where the royal family stayed in Straheim.


    "You''re right. I didn''t think today''s client is......" Pluto blurted out.


    "No-no, it should be impossible," Cliff shook his head in panic.


    "Y-you are right.." even Teresa, who had always been carefree, was obviously baffled.


    "Anyway, let''s deliver the pie before it gets cold."


    "Yeah...."


    Unexpectedly, they were urged by Eight, who was the most reclusive in the group. Pluto approached the guard and told him that he had brought a pie for the quest.


    "Please wait here."


    They expected to get their documents sealed and simply released. But instead, they were ushered into the guest room of the mansion.


    After a stomach-churning time, two people walked in.


    They were over two meters tall, with long golden hair that looked like a mane. If you lived in the Imperial City, you must have seen them at least once at a ceremony. It was the Emperor of the Archive Empire, Georg Rose Archive!


    "Y-Your Majesty!"


    Naturally, Mia stood up from her seat like a spring. She was sure that must be the same for Pluto and the others.


    Eight remained in his seat, scurrying around and looking up at Mia and the others, then at His Majesty.


    "Make yourselvesfortable. First, let''s eat the pie you brought for us."


    Mia somehow managed to nod and take her seat.


    "Oh! This is good! And delicious!"


    Emperor Georg''s words of praise were certainly an honour, but to be honest, Mia was too nervous to feel the taste of any of it.


    "It tastes good to me, too."


    A beautiful silver-haired girl, who looked like a goddess from a fairy tale that had manifested in thisnd, elegantly held a pie in her mouth, her cheeks rxed.


    She was also an incredibly famous person, Lilinoa Rose Archive. The saintess of the empire, who boasted overwhelming poprity among men and women of all ages, and Ronald''s older sister.


    "Long time no see, Mia. Ronald is indebted for your help."


    Since Ronald was never fond of preferential treatment given to royalty, he never actively introduced his family members, even to Mia and the other close friends. However, once he had introduced Mia to his own sister, Her Highness Lilinoa.


    "Y-yes!"


    Mia hurriedly bowed deeply to Her Highness Lilinoa, who bade her an elegant bow.


    "Umm¡ª Your majesty, what business do you have with us today?" Eight, as the representative of the nervous students, asked the question they all wanted to know most.


    "We wanted to eat salmon pie, but we also wanted to see what kind of people his favourite students were."


    "Are Sensei and Your Majesty acquainted!?" Cliff leaned forward and asked.


    "Well, yes. Depending on your achievement, I might be called father-inw or brother-inw by him."


    Emperor George tossed the pie in his mouth as he smiled dryly in cynicism. Meanwhile, Her Highness Lilinoa was writhing with both hands on her crimson cheeks.


    "What does it mean......"


    "Don''t mind it. It''s just a talk about schemes between worthless adults. Rather, you guys are improving, right?"


    "Yes!" the students'' responses ovepped wonderfully.


    Emperor Georg watched Mia and the others with narrowed eyes.


    "Hang in there. I sincerely hope that you will be able to get through this hardship safely."


    "I''m rooting for you all the way! Please give your all to make sure you pass the exam brilliantly!"


    The boys in the group, Pluto and Cliff, were trembling with emotions when they looked at the figure of Her Highness Lilinoa, who crossed her arms and encouraged them to seriously fight against fate.


    "We will all give our best!!"


    Unlike Pluto, who was fascinated by Her Highness Lilinoas'' appearance, Eight bowed politely, and Mia and the others followed suit.


    "Now, let''s eat."


    Emperor George raised a corner of his mouth and urged them to resume eating.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After being politely escorted to the front of the residence, they were now on their way.


    "Really, what kind of person is Sensei, to even be acquainted with the Emperor?"


    Pluto''s question was one that they all shared at the moment.


    "Sensei is Sensei. I don''t think there is any other answer."


    Eight''s words were strangely persuasive, as he asserted with a mysterious look on his face.


    "You''re right, too. It''s a waste of time to think about him....."


    "Maybe...."


    Pluto and Cliff nodded.


    "Hey, hey, when we get to the dorms, let''s y Battle Mode on the bags again today, okay?"


    "Yeah, sure. I''ve been losing to Teresa a lottely. I''ll win this time."


    "Yes-yes, but I am not going to lose!"


    Sensei had given them an improved version of the magic bag. The difference between the old bag and the new one was the addition of a new mode called Battle Mode, where you couldpete with everyone else for points between 0 and 100.


    "You guys are totally......"


    Cliff shook his head in disgust, and Eight chuckled.


    For some reason, this atmosphere made Mia very happy.


    "Mia, you are also participating, right!?"


    "Of course!"


    Mia cheerfully said in agreement.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 30 - The order from Iskandar

    Just when I arrived at the entrance to thebyrinth of Straheim, Krik, to explore it, I was caught by Willy Gunman and was now being forced to go to a residence on the northern edge of Straheim.


    The investigation about Munch''s incident was being pursued, but soon, more troubles took ce in this Straheim. Perhaps the investigation was not going very well.


    When I entered the reception room of the mansion, I frowned at the ominous faces.


    "Grey, no matter what, this is too discourteous."


    At my tant behavior, the fatty Emperor showered me with words full of criticism. [T/N : About fatty, not sure if it''s a typo or that''s how it is. I will correct itter if it turns out to be wrong.]


    "You know what? Do you understand why I''m in such aplicated situation right now?"


    In the first ce, Georg was the one who had nned such a reckless scheme. If he hadn''t forced me to take the exam of Magic Knight Academy, there was no way this situation would have happened.


    "Yes, I know."


    "Then at least please properly hold the reins of your wild-animal-like rtives. They are annoying."


    "Ah, Grey, I heard you gave a sound beating to that monstrosity of old geezer! I felt so refreshed when I heard this that I can''t tell you!!"


    Dammit, you aren''t even listening to people at all.


    "Sigh...... that''s enough. Let''s hear what you have to say."


    I let out a big sigh and sat down on the nearest seat. There was no need to pay any more attention to this Emperor.


    "I''m really sorry, Lord Grey, that you have to be wrapped up in the mess within the imperial government."


    His Excellency Prime Minister El, sitting next to the Emperor, bowed his head in deep apology.


    "No, please don''t worry about it."


    I also bowed in courtesy.


    "Why is the treatment between me and the prime minister so different?"


    Unlike the Fatty Emperor, Prime Minister El had provided me with various favors. It was a natural distinction.


    "So, what can I do for you today?"


    I also didn''t have much free time. sses for students, management of Sagami Co., as well as my personal training, which was the most important task at hand.


    I wanted to get it done as soon as possible and explored Krik.


    "First, we, the Ministry of Domestic Affairs, would like to exin."


    The Kaiser-bearded gentleman standing next to the Emperor snapped his fingers, and a young man behind him who looked like a civil official ced a document in front of me.


    This gentleman with a Kaiser beard belonged to the Ministry of Domestic Affairs? At least I was sure he was one of the cab ministers as he was the host of the knighthood ceremony.


    He''s probably the minister. Anyway, the Ministry of Domestic Affairs, which was also an intelligence agency, was involved in this matter. Even if I didn''t read it, I could more or less guess what it was.


    The content should be something that he didn''t want that smug-faced, silver-haired tomboy, who was sitting next to the Emperor while drinking coffee, to hear.


    But the girl''s personality was such that even if I asked her to leave the room, she would refuse. Was there no other way I could do it?


    "The content should be about the human slime incident, right?"


    The young civil official behind gasped. Judging from his condition, just as I expected, it should be about the slime incident that was currently stirring the Straheim.


    "As expected of Lord Grey. It''s just as you said. Now, first, have a look at the documents."


    At the urging of the gentleman with the Kaiser beard, I looked over the documents.


    "Thirty two people drinking the alcohol in the tavern, Kumabachi, dissolved into mush...."


    This is the hottest news in Straheim right now. I had Krama investigate the details, but I also raised the alert level.


    Even in the recent students'' quest, I had Spy and Hatch escorted them. If it was those two who could use teleportation, they would be able to escape from attackers.


    "And the surprising thing is they were all alive for more than half a day. Well, that depends on the definition of alive."


    Politely, Willy gave us an additional exnation.


    Everyone was alive for more than half a day. That was somethingpletely new for me. I thought the rumor on the street was that people dissolved into mush and looked like slime.


    If that''s the case¡ª


    "It''s Material, isn''t it?"


    "You think so too, Lord? I''m of the same opinion," the Kaiser-bearded gentleman nodded in agreement with me.


    "Yes, there is no other way to create such a magical phenomenon."


    In my judgment, the gentleman with the beard changed his gaze at me for the first time.


    "Lord Grey, what do you think about this incident?"


    The hawk-like sharp eyes of the Kaiser-bearded gentleman looked like apletely different person from thepletely harmless aura he had given earlier. That was probably the true nature of this man.


    "This is, in all probability, a case simr to the undead attack case."


    "Dammit! Not again! What grudge does that monster have against our Empire!!"


    The Emperor mmed his right fist down on the table, and the vibration caused the cup of coffee to topple over violently.


    "Please calm down, Otou-sama. Even if you vent your anger here, there will be no progress."


    The silver-haired girl, who was drinking coffee next to him, chided his father, Emperor Georg.


    "Y-yes."


    Seeing this, I really wondered which one was older here.


    "So, I wonder why Lili is here, in a ce where we are talking about a dangerous incident?"


    Anyway, the attackers are in the possession of such dangerous and heinous Material. The level of danger is considerable. And then, if she listened to details of the case and knew what was going on, there was a possibility she would be dragged into this shitty incident. Even an idiot could think of how dangerous that would be.


    "I know exactly what you mean, Grey. But you know, we have our own problems."


    Willy, who was standing next to me, was quick to sense my feelings and interjected.


    "Circumstances? There are reasons to involve children in such a disturbing incident. Is that what you mean?"


    Prime Minister El choked. Meanwhile, Georg feigned an ignorant face, pulling a towel from his maid and starting to wipe the wet table.


    "The Ex-Emperor gave us an order when he knew about this incident."


    Iskandars'' order? That gave me a creep.


    "What is it?"


    At my question, Willy gives a meaningful look to the Kaiser-bearded gentleman.


    The Kaiser bearded gentleman nodded broadly, stood up, took out a letter he had set aside, then read: "Grey Ines Navarro! I have an imperial order for you. Within two weeks from now on, together with Lilinoa Rose Archive and Olivia Rose Archive, drag the unscrupulous people who have stripped their fangs to our Empire in front of His Majesty the Emperor! It doesn''t matter if you are alive or dead!"


    What a ridiculous letter.


    "That bastard! Brute!"


    Iskandar should have understood that this incident was not a normal one. If it was an incident of the same rank as the undead threat, it would be impossible to solve it without me or the Emperor acting in person.


    It was true that he didn''t act on his own even in the case of the undead. But that did not mean that he was indifferent to the threat. Perhaps after realizing the threat level of this incident, he was testing the current Emperor.


    If Georg defeated the undead, he had a chance to continue as an Emperor. On the contrary, if they were wiped out and Georg died in battle, Iskandar would be Emperor himself and choose a new sessor.


    In the first ce, Iskandar was strong. And he had the temperament of a conqueror. He was the emperor of emperors. This Iskandar would not give up the throne to someone who had no chance. He probably had high hopes for Georg in his own way. Well, Iskandar himself would firmly deny it, and even if I told Georg that, he wouldn''t believe me.


    In any case, he was the kind of guy who would let his own son take a bad, dangerous gamble. In the first ce, I knew that he would not approve of me just because of my achievements in the charade of the Magic Knight Academy. But still, who would let their beloved grandson or daughter get involved in such a dangerous case?


    "Even though he''s retired, the old monster still has a tremendous amount of power. In addition to that, beginning with the Lord of Military Affairs, other ministers have also agreed to this matter. And there''s no way the lineage aristocrats who practically worship that old geezer will go against his words. In other words, that''s how it is," Georg spat hatefully.


    "Even if you said that, why is Lilinoa or even your imouto-dono (little sister) apanying me!? Does he think this is something that can be resolved while carrying two burdens!?"


    Treated as a burden, Lilinoa swelled her cheeks like a squirrel.


    "I''m sure they''re expecting you to be able to do it," Georg muttered sarcastically, and somewhat sadly.


    Expectations, huh. If this was true, then Georg, who was in a simr situation, was also being expected by Iskandar. It was typical for Georg to be unaware of this.


    "I don''t have the right to refuse anyway, right?"


    "Sorry."


    Georg bowed his head, and then Prime Minister El and the others also expressed their gratitude in session.


    "So, what should I do specifically?"


    "Until the incident is resolved, I want you to live with them together in Starheim."


    Lilinoah''s cheeks turned a light shade of red at the words of Prime Minister El. She also let out a big sigh.


    "Frankly, I don''t think you are in your right mind. First of all, isn''t Her Highness Olivia engaged to the first prince of the Vitsley Kingdom?" I hurled the obvious question.


    "That........ Originally, Her Highness Olivia wasn''t desiring this engagement in the first ce. After all, the First Prince of Vitsley Kingdom is a vicious man."


    Judging from the way Prime Minister El mumbled about, he seemed to have a considerably troublesome personality. Nevertheless, if abandoned arbitrarily, it will create a feud between the Empire''s administration and the Vitsley kingdom.


    Right now, the Empire was greatly exhausted due to the undead attacks, and thewlessness of the lineage noble factions in the country. It no longer possessed the power of the three major powers it once had. Friendship with neighbouring countries was a must now.


    "If handled improperly, won''t this be an international problem?"


    "Do you think the Ex-Emperor cares about that?"


    "Hmm...... certainly, I don''t think he does........"


    Iskandar was a conqueror, recognized by both himself and others as a hero. I also recognized this. But he had no idea how to prosper in peace. This was obvious when he imed to be a bloodline dictator.


    "Now that Grey is convinced, let''s discuss the specifics."


    The Emperor, with a big smile on his facepared to the tragic heroism look on his face earlier, made such a ridiculous suggestion.


    "You know, I don''t think I have agreed to this at all?"


    "Don''t be embarrassed, don''t be embarrassed! Even if you are embarrassed, it''s only disgusting!"


    This rotten Emperor! He always said too much!


    "Lord Grey, I''m sorry but¡ª" Prime Minister El bowed to me.


    "Yes-yes, I understand," I dropped my shoulders and muttered quietly.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 31 - The labyrinths first trial

    Krik ¡ª 50th level, innermost


    The imperial princess, Olivia, would arrive in Straheim two dayster, on Monday, and that was when we would start the full-blown investigation of this incident. Tomorrow and the day after was time for the students'' quest to explore thebyrinth. It seemed like a good time. He was surprisingly gentlemanly, and in that sense, he was second only to Spy to escort the VIPs.


    Pulling myself together, I teleported to the 45th floor''s safety point in the Krikbyrinth, which I just began to explore.


    By the way, I had negotiated with the Adventurer''s Guild and received permission to set up Sagami Co.''s store at each safety point.


    I had nned to sell lunch boxes made at [Silver Knife], as well as swords, spears, and other weapons that I was currently working on.


    I walked along the bluestone corridor, which was not much different from what we had seen before, and came to a huge, cylindrical hall.


    There was an altar in the centre of the hall and a stone door as long as 3 meters in the back.


    "Hmm, is this the dead end?"


    This was probably the innermost part of the 50th floor. This was the final destination for humanity.


    From the information I''d heard before, there were people that had reached this ce in their own way in history, but apparently no one was able to open this door and advance forward.


    I examined the door carefully, but it was a in stone door.


    After getting far enough away from the door, I tried to attack it very seriously with [Exploding Thread], but the magic itself was not activated. Next, I tried to sh it with all my might with Mura, but the result was the same.


    [Master, you''re terrible.]


    Murained with a tearful voice.


    "It can''t be helped. You are a sword, after all."


    I gave him an appropriate response.


    [That''s not a good enough reason!]


    "This should be a good enough reason, though? A sword is meant to cut."


    "I''m a sword, and not a sword! I''m a holy sword! If I cut through this filthy door, I''ll get hurt!"


    "Yes-yes, I understand, sex-addicted sword."


    I put away the noisy and useless sword from my mind. I wanted to sort through the information for once.


    I had tried various things with this sword and its sharpness was considerable. Whether it was iron or steel, it could cut through it as easily as a dish of raw fish. ording to him, he was confident that he could cut even the most legendary metals.


    If that was the case, there was a good chance that this door would not ept any physical attacks.


    And since [Explosive Thread] was not even activated, it seemed that the activation of magic was cancelled here.


    Physics was invalid, and magic couldn''t be activated. If that was the case, did that mean that the door was just a decoration?


    No, doors are only meaningful when you are aware of what''s inside. There was no reason to make a mere ornament of a door in this ce. There must be something.


    "If there is a trick, then it''s most likely this."


    I approached the altar, which was a cylinder with a radius of about 15cm, and began my investigation.


    "Is this....a keyboard?"


    On the top surface of the cylindrical altar, there was a dent that looked like a PC keyboard.


    When I pressed what looked like the "? Return" key with my left index finger, I could hear the startup sound of a machine.


    Then, the keyboard floated in the space on the top of the cylinder.


    "I confirm that the application for the first test has been epted. Commencing first trial sub-test¡ª


    ¡ªAnswer the questions!!"


    Various shapes were listed one after another in the sky above.


    I see, it''s a puzzle.


    A head-on confrontation? Isn''t it interesting! I''d been feeling a little frustratedtely because of the various incidents I had to solve with brute force.


    "Entertain me!"


    Trembling with delight, I manipted the keyboard.


    "Question answered correctly¡ªCongrattions! Sub-test of the first trial, clear!"


    The woman''s emotionless, mechanical voice echoed throughout the hall.


    Hmm, it was too short. I thought I would be able to enjoy a game that would make my brain shake a little more. To be honest, it was a letdown.


    [Damn it, I lost again! You brute!!]


    Suddenly, a child''s voice, filled with regret, echoed in my head.


    "Hmm?"


    I tried to listen carefully, but I wasn''t able to hear anything.


    No one was around. I wonder if it was just my imagination?


    "First trial has been released!"


    This mechanical woman''s deration triggered the earth to shake and the stone door to slide sideways.


    Oh. So that''s where the first test is. It''s a really interesting plot.


    Now that the first trial had been released, it was a game of firste-first-served. It wasn''t a good n to leave it forter. Besides, I was really interested in what that exaggerated first trial was all about.


    I let out a deep breath and walked into the room behind the door.


    It was an absurdlyrge tetrahedron space.


    "Commencing the start of the first trial, [Battle Baphomet]."


    The stone door behind me once again blocked.


    "I am trapped, huh. In other words, unless I defeat this giant, I won''t be able to exit. So that''s how it is."


    In the middle of the room, a goat-headed monster floated in a crisscrossed position. Was that goat-headed monster pretending to be a monk? No matter what, this was too surreal of a sight.


    "Hey, Mura, let''s get serious."


    I thought he would protest like usual, but he obediently agreed. If I challenged that thing with my usual carefree manner, defeat was inevitable. Maybe it was because I felt the sensation in my skin.


    I gripped the hilt of Mura and took it out of its sheath. On the transparent crimson de, there was a geometric pattern that changed shape and wriggled.


    This was Mura''s appearance at full power. With my current magic power, just possessing it would drain my magic power.


    "Guooooooooo!!"


    The goat-headed monster roared towards the heavens and as if it was a signal, we shed with each other.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The rock-like fist of the goat-headed monster was about to crush me over the head, but I dodged it with a backstep.


    "Tsk."


    My body was sted away by the shock generated by the impact of crashing the ground, but I used the threads of [Explosive Thread] as a cushion and adjusted my posture in the air.


    I activated [Ice Dragon, Coetus] to aim for the monster''s head and simultaneously hit him with [Darkness King, Skadi''s Palm].


    Many ice dragons rained down on the goat''s head, and ck arms appeared at the same time.


    "Guoooo!"


    The goat-head swept down his left arm, blowing away all the ice-dragons and rushing in a straight line towards the ck arms, pulverizing them to pieces with his right fist.


    [Ice Dragon Coetus] didn''t have much of the power to prate him. On the other hand, [Darkness King, Skadi''s Palm] had enough power, but it needed time to hit him. In addition, his physical ability was a little better than mine.


    If I used [Liberation], it might be possible for me to cut my way, but I could only use it once a day, rendering me unable to use teleportation, which would cancel tomorrow''s ss.


    "Now I''m stuck from all sides......"


    No matter how sharp Mura had, it was all meaningless if I was unable to hit him. It was truly a desperate situation. However, I could use magic on this battlefield. That alone might be a good thing.


    But more than that¡ª


    "It''s unpleasant."


    For some reason, an uncontroble strong resentment was welling up from the bottom of my heart. Was it because of the fact that this battle couldn''t be fought without using the new type of magic?


    "No, that''s not it."


    I wasn''t romantic enough to resent my inadequacy in the struggle. The real reason I was frustrated was more instinctive, in and simple.


    ¡ªFor tens of minutes, I had only been running away from this ipetent goat-headed monster, who only knew how to rampage. This fact alone made me ufortable.


    "You are unpleasant."


    Inded on the ground using [Explosive Thread] as I raised my shuddering voice.


    [Master¡ª]


    The voice of Mura, who called out to me, was uncharacteristically trembling.


    "Come. I will kill you in a sh."


    With that deration, I raised my mouth.


    "Guooooooooo!"


    I reflexively jumped backwards, and slowly walked towards the goat-headed monster.


    The goat-headed monster roared at such a suicidal act, but it didn''t make a single move, only bracing itself.


    "What''s up? You''re noting?"


    The goat-headed monster quickly took a few steps back from me as I approached without taking a stance while dragging Mura''s sword tip.


    "Guooooooooo!!!"


    The goat-headed monster roared in anger at this fact, sprinting towards me and firing its right fist at me.


    At that moment, the movements of the goat-headed monster became sluggish.


    Is this the extent of your current agility?


    After spitting out such uncertain words, I twisted my body to avoid his slowly approaching right fist by the tip of my nose. At the same time, I raised my right arm holding Mura''s hilt with all my might and cut off his right leg from the root.


    A sharp pain ran out in the right arm holding Mura. Seemed like it broke. Well, that was natural if I performed an unreasonable action. There was no other way.


    "Guooooooo!!!"


    Despite losing his right leg, he dexterously back-stepped with his remaining left leg to get away from me. However, perhaps because of the pain, a scowl appeared on the goat-faced monster and it dropped on one knee. As I watched his ridiculously slow movement, I grasped Mura again with my left hand and kicked my left leg up, closing the distance with him.


    This time, I felt the intense pain in my left leg as if a stake had driven into my spine. My left leg had also broken.


    Now my mobility was reduced to half because of this.


    However¡ª


    "This is my victory."


    I aimed at the neck of the goat-headed monster, who was staring at me absentmindedly due to my sudden appearance, and swung down Mura with all my might.


    The giant''s neck danced in the air and fell down on the ground. Shortly after, the head and body shattered like ss.


    [Winner of this [Battle Baphomet] ¡ª Grey£¡


    Grey has been presented with [Baphomet''s Horn] and [Three S-Rank Magic Stones].


    Some of Grey''s potential abilities have increased. The level of [Eternal Workshop] has increased from 5% ¡ú 10%.


    Grey''s MP and HP have beenpletely recovered.


    Releasing the second stage.]


    My consciousness faded together with the mechanical voice of a woman.


    [The first stage has been cleared. The second stage will be released.]


    ¡ªOn that day, a woman''s cold mechanical voice rang out from the skies above Straheim.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 32 - Commotion

    [The first stage has been cleared. The second stage will be released.]


    At 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 7, 905 of the sacred calendar, an inorganic female voice descended from the skies above Straheim.


    At the same time, outside the rampart of Straheim, the vastnd about one kilometre to the south cracked open, and an enormous, shining tower rose up.


    As all of Straheim''s residents went outside to gaze up at the shining tower that had suddenly appeared in the night sky, two men also gazed up at the tower.


    "First trial has beenpleted? Lars, we werepletely left behind! Lol."    [T/N : the author here used ng , which could mean very funny or in ng terms lol in Japanese. So I will leave it as lol instead of funny.]


    A brown-haired young man wearing a mask put his right arm around the shoulders of a man with dark hair and a monocle.


    "Dammit!"


    The monocle man, Lars, swore and shook it off.


    "Perhaps the one whopleted this should be him?"


    "I''m sure he did. If there''s anyone in this world who can clear that piece of trash trial, then it''s only him."


    "Yes yes, that puzzle, right?? It was totally unexpected that even Grimm was unable to solve the puzzle?"


    "But that guy solved it. So do we need that guy to clear the ridiculous trial? Maybe we should wait to kill him."


    "Wh¡ªat? You don''t have the intention to kill him? Originally, I didn''t feel like killing at all, lol."


    The brown-haired young man in the mask approached Lars and slightly poked him in the abdomen with his elbow.


    "Did that mean, if I tried to kill him, you are going to stop me!?"


    "Naturally, that kid is unthinkably strong, craze-natured, and most of all, he detests those hypocrites people to death? He''s a human being on our side? We don''t have any choice but to pull him in."


    "Hmph! That guy is dangerous. Each time I see him, he''s stronger than ever, as if he''s a different person. I think we should eliminate him quickly."


    "Ooh! That''s not the kind of thing you''d expect from a kid who loves to fight, is it?"


    "Don''t deceive yourself. Nero, what are you up to?"


    "Yes, but well, I''m just a bit tired recently."


    For the first time, the masked brown-haired young man, Nero''s joking attitude disappeared, and he looked from Lars to the store signboard and shook his head.


    "It''s fine, I will not stop you. Rather, I can''t stop you. Because, I don''t have the right to anymore." Nero dered sadly and forcefully, stopping Lars'' statement with his right hand.


    "Then fine. I am going to dive in the dungeon for a while."


    "Yes-Yes, be careful."


    Lars snorted unhappily and disappeared with a crimson me.


    "Lars, you know, I, I want to meet once again. Because, I''m sure¡ª"


    Nero''s small murmur was interrupted by the bustle of the street and disappeared.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 33 - Magic weapon research

    Three hours after defeating the monster known as Baphomet, I finally regained my consciousness.


    In the center of the ce where the fierce fight against Baphomet had taken ce, there was a staircase-like structure extending from all four directions, and at the top of the staircase were two treasure chests.


    The first treasure chest had [Three S-rank Magic Stones], and the second one had [Horn of Baphomet]. Let''s use themter to create a grimoire. Anyway, I wasn''t worn out, and I didn''t think I would be able to continue the exploration up ahead.


    The mechanical woman''s voice seemed to be saying something about releasing the second stage, so I''d check it outter.


    After the trial was over, the final point of the 50th floor had now turned into a safe point, so I teleported from there to Sagami Co.


    And as I thought, just as Iy down on the bed, my consciousness abruptly cut off like a machine after its switch was turned off.


    In the early morning of the next day, I began performing my daily routine of researching magic weapons, which I had gotten into recently.


    After learning about it for a while with Leroy, to whom I frequently visited for this, I had now more or less understood therge part. And I had also confirmed some fatal ws in the manufacturing of magical weapons.


    That was, the shape and strength of the metals making up the body of a weapon had been adjusted up until now to draw out the highest level of efficiency from a magic ore.


    In other words, the weapon''s body was adjusted ording to the content of the magic ore. But most of the time, cksmiths weren''t magicians. It was impossible for such a cksmith, who was merely an amateur in the field of magic, to adjust the armor to match the magic ore.


    To be specific, a magician would have to make some adjustments to match with the weapon made by the cksmith. And for that sake, it was necessary to analyse the ore called magic stone.


    A magic ore was a stone that could be activated by carving runes of a certain magic rune and adding magic power.


    As a result of the analysis, it turned out that this mysterious stone possessed the property of converting chanting into text and using it as a substitute for chanting to activate.


    To put it simply, if the magic so far was [Voice Magic], then it was correct to say this magic weapon could be called [Language Magic]. The magic ore was the material that made this nguage magic" possible.


    Of course, this stone that could be synonymous with a lump of miracle wasn''t something that could be readily avable. But it came from the mines and was said to be the most precious stone in this world.


    Therefore, it was quite difficult to procure them as the research material. But in the end, I could obtain enough magic ores for my research through Lainer''s introduction.


    I''d always thought that magic stones would contribute to the development of magic. The reason was they were the materials used to create grimoires, and in this world, they were used as catalysts for various kinds of magic. It would be natural to assume that there was a certain rtionship with this magic ore.


    As a result of researching the magic stone, I discovered that the higher the purity of the magic ore, the more simr its properties were to magic stones. After discovering this fact, the research on magic ores had rapidly progressed.


    And just the other day, I''d discovered that if you boiled several magic stones at 1500-1600 degrees Celsius for about an hour, they dissolved and mixed together to form a mineral equivalent to ultra-pure magic ores.


    In short, magic ore was a mixture of magic stones and metals such as iron, and the higher the percentage of the magic stones, the higher the purity of the magic ore. Anyway, it effectively made mass production of magic ore possible.


    The current pressing matter was how to sublimate this magic core into a magic weapon. In this regard, I tried to carve magic runes into magic ore and then forge it, but it made the effectiveness of the runes null.


    On the contrary, when I carved the magic runes in the already avable weapon, it did maintain its nature as a magic weapon, but its power was reduced to several grades. In addition, to activate it, you needed to keep putting magic power into it.


    If the power was reduced and you had to put the magic power in by yourself, it would be faster to use magic. In that case, it would be meaningless.


    I concentrated my consciousness and sent magic power into the dagger I had made from magic ore while chanting, and the dagger glowed while letters were engraved on it. Once the magical runes were engraved, they were fixed and could not be modified afterwards. This was one of the most important properties I had recently discovered.


    It wasplete.


    I went to the second training room on the outskirts of Straheim and immediately decided to conduct a demonstration. I had made five weapons. A dagger, a long sword, a knuckle, a spear, and a short sword.


    The dagger and spear were carved with [Wind Enchantment] to increase power; the knuckle and long sword were engraved with [Fire Pir], and the short sword was engraved with [Fireball] to hurl fire.


    It''s still not good in the end.


    The power had been reduced to about half of what it normally was. Above all, the user must store magic power in it. In the deadly struggle where life and death could be decided in one second, it wasn''t usable at all.


    "No good... My Lord, do you even know how valuable that weapon is?"


    Leroy, who was standing behind me and was observing the experiment, asked me in a stunned voice.


    "Things like that can only be used as toys."


    The one who made them wasn''t Leroy, but me. The weapon craftsmanship itself wasn''t something I couldpliment.


    "And that toy will be priced at tens of millions of gold outside."


    "Don''t joke around."


    "The fact that you really think it''s a joke is what makes you scary. Well, whatever, it''s definitely interesting. I will also try one."


    "I''m d to hear that. Forging metal is something that I, as an amateur, can''t do."


    Shrugging his shoulder and letting out a big sigh, Leroy left the room.


    That''s right. It was about time for me to go to ss too.


    I put thepleted magic weapon toy in my item box, then teleported to the ssroom, where the students were waiting for me.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 34 - Practice quest

    "Today''s quest is about the elimination of frequently appearing monsters around the nearby viges of Straheim. Although it''s basic, don''t let down your guard."


    I had epted today''s quest at the Adventurer''s Guild yesterday. Most likely, they had thought we were going to explore thebyrinth. Everyone had aplex look.


    "These are the weapons made for you guys. You can use them as you wish."


    I ced the toy weapon I had manufactured earlier.


    Although they were toys, I thought they should be good enough for adolescent students.


    In fact, I thought it might hinder their growth if they possessed advanced weapons poorly.


    "Hey, this weapon, magic runes are engraved on it!!!" Pluto, holding a spear, shouted as he discovered a magical rune engraved on the de.


    "I-it''s true...."


    Everyone held their weapon one by one and shouted in joy.


    "The way to use them is simple. Just like the magic bag, you just have to charge [1] or more Mana. Just by doing it, the system in it will invoke the magic itself."


    I had added a friendly setting so that it could invoke the magic with very low Mana.


    "This weapon......."


    "I told you. These weapons already belong to you. Don''t fret about it. I will manufacture better weapons as your training progresses."


    But that was only if I seeded in developing it.


    "Not worrying about........."


    The students reacted strangely. Well, whatever.


    Time was running out. Let''s quickly head to ord, the city in the quest.


    Urging the students, I teleported to Straheim.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "Hey, that wasn''t there before, was it?" Pluto asked a simple question.


    "Y-yes. It wasn''t," Eight replied somewhat confidently.


    While looking at me with reproachful eyes, Mia said such a disputable fact, "Perhaps, is this also because of Sensei?"


    "No, as expected, it shouldn''t be...."


    Without letting Cliff''s denial continue, Teresa nodded repeatedly. "That''s right. You even make magic weapons."


    The thing the students were referring to was the shining tower in the south of the city.


    To tell you the truth, I''d only just found out that there was such a thing.


    "Sensei, is this because of Sensei?"


    "Of course not! What do you even think of me?!"


    Well, actually, the tower was the second test, so it could be said that my actions were the cause.


    "You''re right. No matter how much Senseicksmon sense, he isn''t that insane."


    "Yeah, that''s right. Although Sensei is an entric person, he isn''t strange to that extent."


    "Although your evaluation is moderate, I agree."


    These guys had a lot to say. I really had gotten good students! Of course, this is sarcasm.


    "Don''t be silly. We''re going into battle today. Get some rest while you still can."


    Forcing myself to change the subject, Iy back down in the carriage.


    About five hourster, at around 1 p.m., we finally arrived at the town in the quest, ord.


    "First, let''s head to an inn and ce our luggage there. Afterwards, we will go to the mayor''s residence and listen to the details of the quest. If we can finish everything quickly, you are free to go. You can go sightseeing, take a break, or do whatever you want."


    ord was a small town with a poption of 1500 people, but it had a lot of nature, so it was perfect for sightseeing. Well, that was if everything went smoothly.


    "Alright," Pluto agreed and jumped down from the carriage.


    The students began unloading their luggage.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Right now, we were listening to the details about the quest from the town mayor in his residence.


    "I see. So livestock is getting attacked. What do you guys think?"


    Let''s sort out the information.


    Recently, they''d noticed that some livestock of a farmer, such as one-horned boars and ratites, had been attacked frequently in the mornings on a suburban farm.


    The deep forest on the west side of ord had be a swarming area for monsters. So, it was only natural for them to think that such an abnormal situation was caused by monsters.


    "The number of livestock sacrificed at one time is not more than one or two, and there''s no sign of them being eaten on the spot either. Rather than monsters, it seems more like the work of bandits or thieves," Cliff replied, putting his hand on his chin.


    It was a pretty good point to note.


    "That''s right. If it''s a monster, then one or two aren''t enough and even the point about stealing every day is very strange," Pluto agreed with Cliff''s opinion.


    "If that''s the case, we should first gather some information."


    "Then, let''s go?"


    At Teresa''s words, which sounded like we were on a trip, everyone sat up from their seats.


    "Umm," the town mayor turned to look at me with anxious eyes.


    "Don''t worry. Despite their deplorable outer appearance, they are quite useful," I assured convincingly.


    [Outer appearance. I don''t think master should be the one to say this.]


    Disregarding Mura''s stupid retort, I urged the students while greeting the mayor and began our first outside quest.


    "This is the farm where livestock are disappearing every night?" Mia asked.


    "Yes. Once in several days, we noticed a few animals missing in the morning," the middle-aged rancher nodded with a meet expression.


    "But a rough inspection showed that none of the fences was broken," Pluto, who hadpleted his survey of the fence area, came over to us and reported.


    "If that''s the case, it can''t be wild dogs, can it? If it was a wild dog, it would have destroyed one part of this fence to get in."


    "Then, it''s some sort of theft?"


    "No, I don''t think so. Do you think a mere thief would be able to climb that high fence carrying a huge boar?"


    "Yes, you are right."


    There were several requirements for a criminal in this case.


    First, he must be able to enter the fence without breaking it. To put another way, someone who could climb over that high fence. It was possible if the monster was highly intelligent or had the ability to fly.


    Second, each time, only one or two of them attacked at night. If it was a monster with weak reasoning, it would have attacked a dozen or more at once.


    From these facts, several guesses could be made, but this time, I was just an observer. As much as possible, I would not interfere.


    Looking around at the others, Eight suggested, "There''s no limit to guessing at this rate. I think the best thing to do would be toe here tonight and take a look at it in person. What do you think?"


    Eight had be quite capable of expressing his own opinions. I thought that was how much he had befortable in ss G.


    "Well, there''s no other way," Cliff agreed.


    "I agree."


    "Mia also agree."


    Eight tucked his chin lightly and asked the rancher, "Rancher-san. Would you mind if we stay here tonight and investigate?"


    "Of course! I''m afraid I won''t be able to sleep at night. Please help me!"


    The dark circles under his eyes suggested that he hadn''t slept a wink since the incident.


    "Then, let''s prepare a strategy for tonight."


    "Yes!"


    Everyone nodded, and the discussion began.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The night had deepenedpletely. The hand of the clock had already pointed at 10:00 p.m. We lurked in the shadows, watching the farm at night.


    "Will it reallye tonight?" Mia muttered her doubt, which was currently on the mind of everyone present, as she yawned loudly.


    "There hasn''t been any damage in thest two days, so the timing should be tonight......." Eight mumbled.


    Well, certainly all students'' fatigue was now at its peak.


    "Well, we all can''t stay awake. Let''s sleep in turn, everyone."


    "ThenI! I will be the first to stay up. Everyone, you can go ahead and sleep first," Teresa cheerfully raised her right hand.


    Everyone exhaled loudly. Of course, they knew that once she said it, no one could object.


    She was still a selfish girl. Lately, though, she''d been much less selfish.


    "Hey.... Sensei."


    "Hmm?"


    When everyone had fallen asleep, Teresa, who was sitting next to me, suddenly called out to me with a strange look on her face, which was unusual for her.


    Perhaps, she wanted to consult with me about something.


    "I think I''m going to have an arranged marriage."


    Arranged marriage, huh. Teresa was now sixteen years old, and it wasmon for aristocrats to get engaged and have an arranged marriage at an early age.


    "Hmm, even though I want to say congrattions.... It doesn''t seem good, huh."


    Based on her personality, if she had a positive view of arranged marriages, she would be open about it.


    "Yes, it''s because everything ispletely his fault."


    "His?"


    "Yes. He was introduced to me by my father once. I think that was my first formal marriage interview."


    Most likely, he''d left a bad impression on her with a bad attitude at the marriage interview. If that was the case, it would''ve been quite difficult for her, who had an honest and frank personality, tough and put up with it. It was no wonder that her attitude became stern.


    "Hmm, so?"


    "Really, he''s even younger than me, but he has the tendency to act like an adult, trying to take care of me. And just like my father, he is a clueless person who doesn''t know anything about a woman''s heart."


    "You didn''te to like him?"


    "That''s not it."


    Unexpectedly, Teresa shook her head.


    "Then, he turned you down?"


    "Well, that''s not quite right either. He told me that he had no choice but to marry me, and then..."


    "You get mad?"


    "Yes. I pped him on his cheek."


    Oh, man. This is fatal. From what I had heard, Teresa didn''tpletely hate him. But she seemed to be hated by the other person. It certainly was deep trouble.


    "You weren''t able to apologise?"


    "No, because I only realised my feelings when my father brought up the idea of a blind date. Until then, I never wanted to see him again."


    That''s a difficult situation to talk about, isn''t it?


    [Sigh......What a jerk, that person.]


    Mura shook his body and said in an astonished voice.


    What, do you have something to say?


    I tried to talk to Mura, but he replied curtly. [Nothing in particr.]


    "So? In the end, what do you want to do, Teresa?"


    "Well, I don''t want an arranged marriage."


    "Then, you can just say no."


    "But I heard that my father has always been very good to him."


    "You know, Count-dono isn''t someone that will get angry if you refuse a marriage interview once."


    "It''s not my father but my mother who''s interested in the engagement."


    Ah, I see. As a mother, she wanted to engage her so that the other person could put control on her tomboy daughter.


    "Well, I think you should have a talk with Count-dono, including your mother. If it''s him, he will definitely find a good solution for you."


    Teresa''s character would not allow her to kill herself to be with someone she did not like, and the Count would not allow it.


    In that case, the rest was the problem between Teresa and her family. I shouldn''t say anything more than that.


    "So, Sensei knows my father?"


    Surprisingly, Teresa asked me a fact that was particrly inconvenient for me.


    It''s bad. I talked too much.


    "Well, yeah."


    Teresa stared at me for a while, but then she pointed at the tall fence.


    "Sensei! There!"


    "It looks like it''s here. Go and wake everyone up."


    I could see the shadow of a person on the other side of the fence. It was most likely the thief. Although I couldn''t see the thief''s appearance very well, it didn''t seem like his height was near an adult''s.


    The dwarf began to climb the tall fence dexterously. When he finished climbing the fence, hended nimbly on the ground.


    Not yet. Wait for a while.


    I tugged on Pluto''s sleeve to restrain him from stepping out.


    His action was undoubtedly an intrusion, but he couldn''t be caught until he actually started stealing.


    The dwarf approached a nearby, rtively small one-horned boar and snapped its head with his right hand in a single move. Raising a single scream, he carried the boar on his back and tied it to his own body with a kind of vine that he had tied around his waist.


    I see. That''s how he carries it.


    But it couldn''t be a mere child who could easily carry a pig weighing nearly 80 kilograms on his back and had such strong arms, which twisted the head of a one-horned boar with just his right hand.


    However, he seemed to have a high level of intelligence, so it would be best to deal with him as a human thief.


    Okay, go!


    At my instruction, Pluto and the others acted all at once, taking their weapons and surrounding the dwarf.


    "Hawawa......"


    The dwarf sat on the ground, looking up at us.


    "Ugh! Ughhh! Uwaaaahhhhhh!"


    He began to cry loudly.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 35 - The forest Lords injury

    Teresa and Mia caressed the head of the crying white-haired young girl to calm her down, and when she finally quieted down, we began our questioning about her situation.


    "So I assume, you are the child of a creature called White Wolf, but because your mother is injured and unable to hunt, you snuck into thisnd and borrowed its livestock?"


    "That''s right!" the white-haired girl nodded vigorously with a sullen face.


    "It''s hard for me to believe. First of all, White Wolf should be the guardian deity of this area. But a thief?" Cliff shrugged his shoulders without even trying to hide his suspicion.


    "It''s true! Haku is a prideful member of the White Wolf n!"


    "If that''s the case, then why don''t you show any proof?"


    When they saw tears welling Haku''s eyes, Teresa and Mia, who were quite protective of her, gave Cliff a disapproving re.


    "W-What is it? Even you guys shouldn''t be able to believe it, right?"


    "Can you take the form of a wolf?"


    The white-haired girl nodded at my question and spun around, suddenly turning into a white-coloured wolf pup.


    "Wahh....??"


    "......."


    Just as Teresa let out a high-pitched squeal, Mia hugged the wolf pup with an ecstatic expression.


    The boys'' eyes shrunk down at the spectacle, and they stared at the wolf pup.


    Even I couldn''t hide my surprise at this mysterious phenomenon, though there was also that Dorahachi''s case.


    There were also talking swords, like Mura, so when I thought about it again, I didn''t find it all that surprising.


    "Sensei........"


    At Eight''s bewildered gaze, I took a sigh.


    I had been adventuring with Ste and Ca for a long time, so Ipletely understood that once a woman turns like this, there''s no stopping.


    Besides, Haku was a kid, which was the more reason to protect her. They wouldn''t even allow a scratch.


    "It can''t be helped. Let''s hear the full details from her. You still have the sandwich we brought, right?"


    "Yes. It''s our breakfast for tomorrow, though."


    "Then let that girl have it. I will make our share again tomorrow."


    "Yes!!!"


    Mia entered the building we borrowed from the ranch owner while hugging Haku.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Currently, Haku was sitting on Mia''sp and nibbling on the sandwich in a great mood.


    "That means the reason behind your mother''s injury is a monkey-like monster?"


    "That''s right. My mother is super strong, but she was unwell these days, unable to move properly, and at that time those guys....."


    Mia hugged Haku tightly as she bit her lower lip in frustration. Perhaps thinking of Haku''s mother, who was suffering from illness, and her own mother, Mia gave me a pleading look.


    "Sensei!"


    I know, I know.


    "Haku, can you swear to never do this thing anymore once your mother''s injury is healed and you return to your life like before?"


    "Yes, of course!"


    Hmph, children are best when they are honest. While caressing Haku''s head, I looked at the students around.


    First of all, if there was a monster in the forest, her mother might be in danger. We needed to protect her immediately.


    Exploring the forest at night was dangerous, but it couldn''t be helped right now.


    "We''ll go to Haku''s mother and treat her immediately. Do you understand?"


    "I don''t mind, but what are you going to do about that monster?"


    "Of course, we will destroy it. Although weak, it''s a creature that defeated a forest lord. We don''t know when this ce will be attacked."


    "Understood. We will get ready. Let''s leave everything here beside the crucial luggage."


    At Pluto''s instruction, the students began to move around.


    I nodded with satisfaction, looking at the ongoing situation.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Haku continued to advance toward the forest in a good mood while holding Teresa''s right hand and Mia''s left hand.


    Compared to the girls that were already in an unusual tension, the boys were blinking their eyes repeatedly as if they were sleepy.


    "Haku, how much longer?"


    It was one o''clock in the morning. We''d already been walking for almost three hours. More than that would be too much of a burden for the students. Maybe we should find a convenient ce to camp.


    "We have arrived. There!!"


    Cheerfully, she pointed to a small hole in a mountain with her right index finger.


    This must be the nest of Haku and the others.


    "Just a little more. Let''s go."


    After confirming that the students nodded, Haku led the way into the cave.


    The interior of the cave,pared to how it looked from the entrance, was spacious and long.


    We walked through a natural passage where the rugged rock surface was exposed, and came to a space of about 20 tatami mats.


    In the corner of the room, a pure white wolf was lying down. From the look of it, it was considerably weak.


    "Mother!!"


    Haku reverted back to her wolf pup appearance and jumped on to her mother.


    "These are unusual visitors."


    The white wolf turned its head toward us, as if finding us a hassle. The back half of her body was rotting due to injury. She was coughing once in a while, so there was a high possibility that the injury was infected.


    I really couldn''t think that she had an appetite in this situation at all. I wondered if she was forcing herself to eat because she knew after how much hardship Haku had to go through to procure food.


    "Sensei......"


    With a very pale face, Mia gripped my sleeve. I patted her head a few times to calm her down.


    "Look, I''m going to heal you now. Don''t get me wrong. It''s not for your own good. It''s for my beliefs."


    I will not create a world where only children cry. At least not within my sight.


    I approached the mother White Wolf and checked her wounds.


    It seems like the worst hasn''t happened yet.


    It looked like there were no maggots, and I could use recovery magic on it. I raised my hand and activated [High Heal].


    "I-Impossible......."


    The mother White Wolf spat out words of astonishment, looking at how quick her wounds had healed.


    When I looked at it, she had conjunctivitis?, a running nose, fever, and even her paws were hardening. Judging from the symptoms and the situation, it was probably canine distemper. It is a demonic disease that is believed to have driven the Japanese wolves to extinction.


    Honestly, the fatality rate is too high and it''s an incurable disease without any effective medicines.


    Even if the disease is cured, there is still a 50/50 chance that it will return. Haku was still too young to survive by herself, she still needed her mother. I would definitely heal her.


    "ss G, we''re going to modify one part of the mission now."


    "Modify one part?" Pluto repeated in confusion.


    "That''s right. The first is to construct a building for the White Wolf mother and daughter. If they stay in a ce like this, they''ll never be cured. In addition, take care of this mother wolf!"


    "We don''t know how to heal her!" Teresa shouted in uneasiness.


    "Don''t worry. I will teach you how to by changing one section of the general education ss next week," I strongly assured her.


    "B-But Mia and the others have never done this!"


    The other students nodded their heads in agreement with Mia''s hesitant words.


    "Are you going to give up because you are unable to do so? If that''s the case, then there''s nothing more for me to teach you."


    It wasn''t a threat but a fact. It was because I didn''t have free time to teach idiots who gave up before they could even try.


    "Understand. I will do it!"


    The other students silently agreed with Pluto''s slovenly words.


    "Then, let''s return to [ord] immediately. I wille to pick you up early in the morning."


    I forcibly began to teleport them to [ord].


    "Wait a minute. What about Sensei?"


    "I will stay here."


    Spy would guard the students today. I couldn''t be careless.


    "No matter how selfish y¡ª"


    With those words in the end, Pluto and the others disappeared.


    Now then, there were a lot of things piling up to do, but the first was to make an item to restore the mother wolf''s physical strength.


    There''s no obvious treatment to cure the illness called distemper. While it may be true, it''s not a fatal disease by any means. It''s possible to survive if your immune system wins over the virus. In this regard, if you restore your physical strength efficiently, your own immune system should be able to ovee the virus over time.


    When I searched around in [Universal Creation], I stumbled upon the [Healing Bracelet]. It was one of a few I had created while researching magic orcs.


    The countdown began, and with a pleasant sound, the [Healing Bracelet] appeared in the [Universal Storage]. This bracelet had a simple and effective feature, which was to heal the lost HP over time.


    The rest was¡ª


    "Can you change to human appearance?"


    "......."


    She nodded silently and the next moment, she transformed into a white-haired beautiful woman. She had long ears and looked just like a fairy. I wondered if she was a kind of spirit or something.


    "You''ll have to live with those bracelets for the time being...."


    She took the bracelet with trembling hands and asked hesitantly, "This.......is?"


    "It''s a bracelet to restore your physical strength. At least it will make a small difference."


    The mother wolf''s eyes widened, and she trembled for a while as she fearfully put on the bracelet.


    And then¡ª


    "What are you trying to do?!"


    I asked angrily to the white-haired woman, who was kneeling in front of me with her hands crossed. I didn''t like that kind of joke in this critical situation.


    "This miraculous work, you''re the Holy Spirit King, right?"


    The Holy Spirit King? Come to think of it, I guess the king of spirits that the faeries believed in was named like that.


    Believing in the highest spirit, did this mean the White Wolf was a kind of spirit? Well, it wasn''t very surprising, given that it could take human form.


    Even so, infectious diseases like distemper could also be transmitted to spirits. That was a bit surprising.


    "Sorry, but I''m just a simple human. Same as the children from earlier."


    "I see. So you are hiding your true form."


    "No, not at all..."


    "Atst, our guardian deity has returned to our forest, and we can no longer allow those filthy monkeys to run around as if they own this ce!" The mother wolf shouted with her face flushed.


    Well, it didn''t matter, but the fairies, this mother wolf, or any other spirit ns, why did they assume so much?


    "Anyway, you are a very sick person. Stay calm. If you move, you won''t heal."


    After all, it''s not an item that can forcefully heal physical strength.


    "No, but¡ª"


    "This is an order."


    I couldn''t allow any reckless acts anymore.


    "As you wish!"


    Haku leaned over to the mother wolf, who was finally lying quietly on the straw.


    I also exhaled heavily and closed my eyelids against the wall.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 36 - [Accord] forest monster extermination - students edition

    "Come on, you can''t just sit around and do nothing."


    I issued them the instructions, and the five people began the construction.


    "You know, I thought we finally are on a monster extermination quest, but we still return to our usual routine task, huh?" Pluto grumbled in aint with a sour look.


    "Yes, indeed. Even though I was so enthusiastic about it," Cliff nodded in agreement without a moment dy.


    "But the home for Haku and her mother is necessary," Mia said and turned to look at Haku, who was sitting on thep of the white-haired woman.


    "That''s right. I alsopletely agree with that," Teresa responded with a smile.


    "But how will we get rid of the demons in this forest?" Eight muttered as if he had just thought about it, and everyone looked at me.


    "Of course, we will do it as soon as the construction of the building is over."


    And of course, when students earned a good enough result, mypanion and I would also participate.


    That''s right. Even though she was in a weak state, to inflict serious injuries to a mid-ranking or even possibly high-ranking spirit, it could be inferred that the enemy wasn''t some half-assed opponent.


    "As expected... Although I wanted to y with Haku a bit more."


    "Mia too."


    In contrast to the crestfallen girl''s team, Pluto and Cliff shouted in delight.


    "I see, so once we end this, we can fight!"


    "Let''s finish it quickly. I want to hurry and test the weapon I''ve got!"


    Hmm, before I know it, both of them have be quite close. It was really hard to believe that they''d used to fight like cat and dog earlier.


    "Then, let''s finish it quickly. I''m sure you will have some time to y with Haku if we finish it early!"


    "Ah, that''s right!"


    "Right!"


    The girls nodded at Eight''sment and began their final spurt for construction.


    ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    One o''clock in the afternoon. The task was done in five hours. It was a good thing that we finished it quite early.


    It was still an empty log house, but as long as we filled it with a lot of supplements, living here would not be a problem.


    "Thank you very much, Holy Spirit King-sama and everyone."


    Once again, Shirohime, the mother wolf, knelt down, folded her hands, and worshipped me.


    It was really annoying and troublesome to deny it repeatedly.


    "Hey hey, what is a spirit king?" with shining eyes, Teresa posed me an annoying question politely.


    "Well, who knows, but since it''s called a king, it should be something incredible, isn''t it?" Cliff replied in a not-so-interesting manner.


    "What? Was Sensei a king of a country somewhere?" Teresa shouted in befuddlement.


    "Rather than calling it a king, I think from the flow of their talk, it''s more like the existence of a religious deity they believe in."


    "You''re right, it''s my first time seeing someone who is so absurd in his actions to be worshipped as a god by non-humans."


    "I agree with you, but then again, I wouldn''t want someone like that around."


    "Definitely."


    You gather and say whatever you want, and then you end up saying that?


    Well, whatever. I didn''t have much time, so let''s continue without talking.


    "Then Shirohime, tell us about the monkey monsters you talked about."


    "Yes."


    And then, she began to exin with a humble face.


    "A group of monkeys suddenly appeared out of nowhere a few months ago....."


    A few months ago, a group of monkeys had suddenly appeared and taken over most of the forest.


    They went on a tyrannical rampage, kidnapping and devouring other species without exception. Because of that, arge number of species went to extinction.


    As a ruler of this forest, Shirohime also led her n and made a desperate struggle, but because she was weak from her illness, she was easily beaten ck and had to flee to that cave.


    If we ignored them now, wouldn''t they continue to make their way to the city of [ord]? Perhaps, it would be much better to exterminate them before there were any casualties this time.


    Nevertheless, recently, there were a lot of fighting scenes happening, like the undead and the ogre incident. Whatever the case, I felt like there was something more than meets the eye.


    Now then, what should we do? First of all, we have to confirm their fighting power, but before that¡ª


    "These are the ones we have to deal with, right?"


    When I stared at one point, Shirohime also shifted her gaze with a frown and look of hatred.


    "Found her."


    "Found her."


    "Found her."


    Threerge monkeys were hanging in the branches of a tree in front of me, squealing.


    The two rtively small monkeys on either side had an average status of F (Level 11), and the particrlyrge monkey in the centre had a status of F+ (Level 16). On the other hand, the students all had an average status of F, Level 13.


    In other words, the rtively small monkey at Level 11 was lower in status than the students and could be easily defeated. The giant monkey at Level 16 was the one the students should defeat this time.


    At this rate, the students alone could easily defeat them. Of course, there was danger. In the first ce, the field quest this time was issued so they could gain actual fighting experience.


    Before that, I had given Spy, their guard, an order to keep his hands to himself as much as possible and let the students handle the situation themselves.


    "Now then, students. It''s your long-awaited quest. Defeat those three monkeys."


    "Defeat them, even if you suddenly said so..."


    Although he said so, Pluto readied his spear toward the monkeys while a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. The other students followed suit.


    "The giant monkey in the centre is a pretty formidable opponent even for you guys. Think carefully and work together to take on it. If you don''t, you will die."


    "But we haven''t even learned any battle magic!!" Pluto screamed when he heard the word "die."


    "That''s why I have said to think carefully. It''s not a battle if you just mow down the opponent with strong magic. But let me tell you this. The magic I have taught you is more than enough to defeat them."


    "Is there no way.......but to do that?"


    "I don''t think you have time toin. Look, those guys areing."


    The next moment, the two Level 11 monkeys on either side took a leap to where we stood.


    "Dammit!"


    Looking at the situation, Pluto and the other students charged the mana in their weapon, signalling themencing of life-threatening battle training.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Using the short magic sword, Eight hurled a lump of me that directly hit the monkeys'' foreheads, knocking away their bodies.


    At the same time, Mia and Cliff fired [Wind Cutter], which severed the two great monkeys'' necks and sent their heads tumbling to the ground.


    Up to this point, the opponent was of a lower rank, and even if they were to slug it out, they would win. It would not be logical if they couldn''t win even after using magic and magic weapons.


    "Yeah!!"


    "We did it!"


    Mia and Cliff shouted in delight.


    "I should have told you, you will die if you let down your guard."


    The next moment, the third giant monkey leapt, dropped to the ground, kicked the earth a few times, and rapidly approached the nearest student, Pluto.


    As soon as it entered the range, it fired a fist into Pluto''s face, who was unable to move in the spur of the moment.


    Just as Pluto was about to be hit by the first, Eight hurriedly thrust Pluto away, making the giant monkey fist cut the empty air.


    "OUT OF THE WAY!!"


    Taking advantage of the opening in the giant monkey''s move, Teresa, covered in [Body Strengthening], struck its left cheek with her fist covered in the magic knuckle.


    The giant monkey, getting struck directly with full force, bounced on the ground multiple times with terrific momentum as its face burned up in fire.


    "Gigigigi!"


    The giant monkey got up and pped its burning face with both hands to extinguish the fire. And then, it red at Teresa as its face dyed in fury.


    "What the hell are you doing!!? Sensei has said it, hasn''t he!? It''s life-and-deathbat! A single mishap will cost you your life!"


    Pluto, standing even while staggering and readying his spear once again, was being scolded by Eight.


    "I''m sorry."


    The look in Mia''s and Cliff''s eyes also changed as if they were different people.


    Now was finally the real deal.


    "Eight and I will stop its advances. We will leave the rest to you."


    Cliff gave Eight a sidelong nce, while Eight nodded slightly and began to chant.


    "Then I will be a vanguard!" Teresa mmed her knuckles in both hands while still continuing [Body Strengthening].


    "I will also be a vanguard. As soon as we stop it, strike back on its back, Mia!"


    "Got it!"


    "It''s humiliated me, and I''m going to stop it."


    Pluto held his spear, bent slightly, and began to chant [Body Strengthening] magic.


    "Guoooooo!!"


    Soon, the giant monkey roared and dashed forward to aim for Teresa.


    Eight activated [y Maniption], making the ground in front of the giant monkey bulge up in order to stop its dash. Looking at the stone and sand wall in front of it, it bashed his glove-covered-like fist against the wall.


    In the end, [y Maniption] was just magic that only manipted the soil and rock on the ground. It didn''t strengthen the structure, and that being the case, the giant monkey''s fist smashed apart the wall into small pieces. However, be that as it may, its movements indeed stopped, albeit temporarily.


    Taking advantage of this point, Cliff finished his chanting for [Reinforced Water Bond], sticking it to the giant monkey''s legs, effectively sewing them to the ground tightly.


    The adhesion was instantaneous by applying the improvements I''d taught him.


    As the giant monkey was getting agitated, Teresa began to hit with terrific momentum and before long, several blows hit him squarely, making the whole body burst into mes.


    Teresa was using the magic of [Body Strengthening] and those knuckles really well. Maybe they were a perfect match.


    "Gugyaa!!"


    "I will help you."


    As the giant monkey frantically tried to put off the mes, Cliff, who had once again finished chanting [Reinforced Water Bond], threw it at the giant monkey''s body. The giant monkey got soaked as if water was poured on him from all over.


    "Follow my power ande out, blue me."


    Simultaneously, Eight''s blue sphere formed on top of Mia''s head and they rushed towards the giant monkey at high speed.


    The spheres of blue me hit its face, chest, abdomen, arms, and legs one after another, and burned vigorously.


    The heat of the blue mes was iparable to Teresa''s mes. The giant monkey desperately tried to put it out by flicking it with both hands. But that was its biggest mistake, as its right hand glued to its left cheek and its left hand glued to its chest.


    "Hmm, that''s pretty good."


    Now there was no way for that guy to attack when both of its hands were glued to its body, unable to move because of [Reinforced Water Bond]. Or to be precise, it was checkmate.


    "[Wind Enchantment]," Pluto sprinted and attacked with his spear at the giant monkey''s head with all his might.


    Pluto''s spear pierced through the mouth of the giant monkey, which couldn''t even move like tofu, and destroyed its brainpletely. The great ape, standing erect and immobile, turned white-eyed and ceased to breathe.


    "Did we win?"


    Pluto began to look at it carefully while still pointing his spear toward the giant monkey.


    Well, I appreciate the fact that he didn''t get carried away with a victory right away, but instead confirmed its death. Although it was a bit dangerous in the beginning, it was passable enough.


    The students had sessfullypleted a real mission this time.


    "Marvelous! It''s your victory!" I gave them a hearty round of apuse for their victory.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 37 - Overwhelming power

    The students sat down on the ground, probably due to their relief at my deration of victory.


    Now that the students hadpleted their mission, it was my turn. Let''s remove the menace of the forest.


    But first, let''s see how strong they are¡ª


    "Spy, are you here?"


    "By your side."


    A man in ck appeared, kneeling beside me.


    "What''s the power analysis of the opponent?"


    "The boss monkey''s average status is C+. The top-ranking monkeys have an average of C-, their subordinate monkeys have an average of D- to D, and the small fries Pluto and the others just fought have an F- to E- average status."


    I see, so for us they were just small fries.


    "W-wait a minute. What level is that boss monkey with the status of C+?" Cliff asked with a look of intense fear on his face.


    "It should be around level 50 if I''m not wrong."


    "F-fifty....."


    As soon as the students heard this, their faces turned pale.


    "It''s dangerous! I don''t think we can defeat it at all. Let''s return to Straheim and report it to the Adventurer''s Guild."


    "No need. We will handle it."


    Even in an instant, I had let my students face a dangerous situation. Could I still be me if I didn''t move?


    "Can Sensei even win against such a monster!?" Pluto''s desperate words sounded like a scream.


    "Of course I can. Isn''t that right, guys?" I asked, looking around.


    "Certainly!"


    There were several men and women standing around¡ªKrama, Hatch, Akuido, Theo, and Calogero.


    These were the battle experts of my Sagami Co.


    "Holy Spirit King, who are these guys?"


    Shirohime, who didn''t even move a single eyebrow at the giant monkey, was covered with a thickyer of fear on her face as if it were a stain.


    "These are the cast of today''s monkey hunt show."


    "The cast of today''s monkey hunt......"


    I shifted my gaze from the quivering Shirohime to Akuido and the others, thenmanded, "Okay, guys, let''s get started. It''s time for the festival. Crush our enemies to pieces."


    "Yes!!"


    With my order, the monkey harvesting season began.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "Kiki?"


    A golden light passed by as it weaved its way through the baboons.


    "Halle?"


    With that alone, countless lines ran along the bodies of baboons, and the next moment, they all were shattered into small pieces.


    The golden light of the demon mercilessly turned the baboons into tiny pieces of flesh.


    A red-haired, one-eyed human simply slowly walked from the other side.


    "Looking down."


    "Looking down."


    In a matter of seconds, the entire body of the baboons rushing to devour the arrogant human was engulfed in white mes and charred.


    The human did not chant, nor did it make any movements. It simply walked and approached.


    And just by doing that, the white mes vaporized the bodies of the baboons, leaving not a speck of dust behind.


    A man with a dreadhead, who easily crossed the two-meter height, nonchntly released a barrage of fists, destroying the bodies of several baboons. Droplets formed a blood rain that fell into the ground as if they were dancing.


    "This guy, strong, together, kill him!"


    The man took a big sigh while looking at the creepily crawling baboons before swinging his fist down on the ground. It pierced the ground deeply, sting it away.


    A huge crater appeared as if it was indeed sted away by a giant attack, blowing away the rock and sand in all directions, crushing apart the baboons into a bloody mess.


    The dreaded head started walking again to annihte the enemy.


    "Huh, what''s that?"


    A myriad of shining obi glided over the heads of the baboons, who were looking at the sky in surprise. [T/N : Obi as in a kimono sash, more or less like a piece of a long strip of cloth.]


    The shining light then fell on the ground, hitting their head urately, bursting them like pomegranates.


    "R-ru------"


    Looking at theirrades'' heads falling down one after another, copsing, the other baboons frantically tried to escape. However, the shining light poured down incessantly like heavy rain, continuing to reap their life.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Because of the sudden appearance of the assants, the army of the baboon king right now was at its peak of chaos.


    "What, there are more?"


    The unbelievable report gathered by the scouts continued to enter the ear of the armymander of baboons one after another.


    ording to them, there was a golden line running through the air, disintegrating the baboon troops into pieces.


    ording to them, a humanoid incarnation of fire appeared, and the troops were inevitably annihted.


    ording to them, a small giant that split the earth appeared.


    ording to them, a shining obi''s light flying through the sky was obliterating the troops.


    "For real. All the army, return!"


    The scout baboons tried to leap into the branches of a tree, but they were weakened like a puppet with broken strings and fell to the ground.


    "What!?"


    The baboonmander raised his voice to confirm the situation, but none of the guard baboons answered. Instead, there were two humans standing there.


    One was a human man with a beard, and the other was a human brat.


    "Is the boss monkey in that vine structure?" the golden-haired brat asked.


    "It was reported by Spy. So I don''t think there would be any mistake," the bearded man next to him replied, brushing the blood from his hands with annoyance.


    "That''s true too. In that case, I don''t think we have any need for them, right?"


    "So it seems."


    The two humans that should have been insignificant characters, turned their eyes to him. Just from them turning their apathetic eyes towards him like an arthropod, the hair on his whole body stood up straight, and intense fear, enough to reverse the flow of blood, spread.


    At this point, the baboonmander understood with his wild instinct. The reason why none of the foolish scouts, let alone the guards, was here!


    The baboonmander no longer had the slightest intention of fighting and retreated to clear a path of retreat, but¡ª


    "Where do you think you are going?"


    Right after the baboonmander heard the voice behind his back, his head was grasped with great force, lifting his body into the air.


    He fought desperately, but the opponent did not falter.


    "Just kill him without suffering."


    "As you say!"


    At the end of that word, the consciousness of the baboonmander severed like a broken string.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The suppression was quicker. Although I hadn''t thought there would be any struggle with the opponent of this level, it was carried out even easier than I expected.


    Rather than attributing it to the difference in status, it was more particrly due to the ability [Evil Destroyer and Preacher] bestowed by [Awakened One]. [T/N : For "evil destroyer and preacher," originally, the words here mean "crushing evil and spreading the truth." I couldn''t find an appropriate single word, so I will update itter.] [T/N : Before, it was stated as "Enlightened Person," but from now on the term will be "Awakened One."]


    Their abilities were significantly improved when facing the giant monkey''s monster due to [Evil Destroyer and Preacher]. In addition, they could use such ridiculous power with almost no risk. There was already no big difference for Akuido and the others between small fries and baboonmander. In the end, they crushed them with overwhelming power.


    Now, Krama and I were entering theirst stronghold, a structure made of vines.


    "So disgusting again....."


    On the left side of the vine, the corpses of humanoid creatures that had been used as food were piled up. In the other corner, several white-haired women with long ears, who seemed to have been yed by the great apes, were lying dead.


    They irritated me to no end. Whether it was the goblin king or the giant monkeys, were all the monsters in this world garbage with underdeveloped frontal lobes? Well, I guess that''s why there was a demand for adventurers.


    Anyway, monsters that resembled men eating are nothing but evil. I''m not a phnthropist who loves even the enemies of humanity. I think they should be exterminated.


    "Krama, take care of the survivors. I will go and tidy up that piece of trash inside."


    "As you wish."


    I walked to the boss monkey at the back of the room as Krama bowed with his hand on his chest.


    Precisely, there was a sphere formed by a vine, and a gray giant monkey was slumped over a chair made of vines in the centre of the sphere.


    The colour of its fur was different from the other giant monkeys, and he was a size bigger than the others. Above all, his status was much higher than the others. He must be the boss monkey.


    "You, who are you?" he leaned forward, squinted his eyes, and observed me.


    "I? Human."


    "Human? Guga! Gigigigi!"


    "Oh, why are youughing?" I calmly asked the boss monkey, who startedughing like a breaking dam.


    "Human, powerless. Food, vite!"


    As expected, he was just a wild beast. When the boss monkey replied as I''d expected, my interest in him disappeared at once. He wasn''t even worth as much as an annoying fly buzzing around for me now.


    [Master, I will----]


    "It''s unnecessary."


    I stopped Mura, who came forward to handle that beast with an uncharacteristically solemn voice, then I made the [Explosive Threads] invisible and spread them into the surrounding.


    This was so that that guy wouldn''t escape. Now then, how should I deal with this piece of trash?


    "Ah, that''s right. Although it''s just a mere C+ monster, it seems to have at least some intelligence, so it might be able to drop something unexpected."


    "You. Look good. Eat," not caring about what I said, he roared and leapt towards me.


    "However, it''s a shame."


    Using the threads of [Explosive Threads], he was restrained in no time at all.


    "What, is this?" he shouted in irritation, frantically struggling to escape. But of course, there was no way such a small fry could escape from [Explosive Threads].


    "I''ll tell you. Here''s the thing."


    When I snapped my finger, his arms were slowly twisted by the entwined threads of [Explosive Thread].


    "Bugi!? Bugs bugaga!! Bugyaaaa!!"


    The boss monkey, whose arms were twisted off, sprayed fresh blood from his shoulders and screamed. Apparently, he finally understood his position and looked down at me with a frightened look, like a rat in front of a drunken cat.


    "Did you understand?"


    I was aware of the corners of my mouth rising unnaturally.


    "You, are stronger than me. You are our boss."


    I detonated both of his legs and turned his filthy mouth into a scream.


    "My bad, but I''m not socking in personality that I took a vulgar beast like you as my subordinate. Frankly, I''m ufortable even talking to you."


    With his pathetic screams as a chorus, I pulled Mura from its sheath and approached him.


    "It turned out like that after all."


    Mura''s words of resignation reverberated in my head.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 38 - The end of the original quest

    By dismantling the boss monkey, I acquired a magic stone and a drop item¡ª[Fang of the Baboon King].


    I handed over the bodies of what I thought were her nsmen and the women I had rescued to Shirohime.


    After discussing with Shirohime, it was decided that this incident would not be reported to the Adventurer''s Guild. Of course, it was greatly insisted by Shirohime herself.


    There was no way they, the White Wolf n, the protector of this forest, would request aid from humans called Adventurers, who indiscriminately killed monsters in the forest.


    As much as possible, she wanted to minimize the intervention of Adventurers in the forest.


    I''m a merchant and not an Adventurer. From what I''d heard, there were quite a few creatures in this forest that were intelligent and rational, like Shirohime. If so, this ce could be a profitable newmercial district. It would be more profitable for me to ept her proposal than to be dragged around by a bunch of tactless Adventurers. I would investigate the ownership of thisnd in detail, and if possible, my Sagami Co. would purchase it.


    This being the case, it was necessary to keep this event confidential from the Adventurer''s Guild.


    The monkeys that the students had ughtered were stored in a magic bag for the guild''s submission. In any case, I decided to have these monkeys also bear the crime of stealing the livestock from the farm.


    Right now, along with the mayor who hade in haste to the damaged farm, we were in the middle of inspecting the criminals who had stolen the livestock.


    Of course, it was necessary to give severe reprimand to Haku, but this was a state of emergency where her mother was just about to die. There was no loss of life, and considering the situation Haku was in, it could not be helped. Besides, they were the reason why Haku attacked the livestock on this farm, so it wasn''t exactly a lie.


    "Thank God! I can now sleep in peace tonight!!"


    The students smiled wryly at the farm owner, who was repeatedly bowing his head.


    "I never thought the suspect was such an atrocious criminal. I am d it was done before they did any damage to the townspeople. I''m really grateful," the mayor also bowed deeply to the students.


    "Then we will take our leave," I bowed on behalf of the students, who were smiling slightly.


    Most of them were probably feeling ufortable for telling a lie. But when I exined that I was doing it for Shirohime and Haku, the students readily agreed to my false report to the guild.


    After that, we got into the carriage that was parked there.


    We could have returned using teleportation, but I wanted to prohibit myself from lending my power as much as possible.


    "Um, Sensei?" Pluto stared at the roof of the carriage, only turning his neck towards me.


    "What is it?"


    "Those people, who are they?"


    By "those people," he must be referring to Akuido and others.


    "My subordinates. I should have said it, right?"


    "That''s not what I meant. I respect my father."


    "I see."


    In fact, Lampard Brauser was one of the most outstanding generals in the Empire. I can attest to that, having watched him die.


    "I felt the power of those guys was somehow different from my father''s."


    He was quite a perceptive person. In a sense, Akuido and the others had stopped being a species called human due to [Awakened One]. So it was a given their power was on a different level.


    "Can we be strong like those guys?"


    "It''s something that will depend on you guys."


    Pluto stared at my face for a while, then pouted, "I know Sensei would say that."


    "If you know, don''t ask."


    "......"


    "First of all, you guys are still chicks. You''re a hundred years too young to be looking for the next level of strength. Hey, Pluto, are you listening... or he''s already asleep."


    I shrugged my shoulders at the students, who had already begun to snore andy down.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    As soon as we arrived at Straheim, we headed to the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "........."


    The guild staff gaped at the dead baboons on the floor.


    "We are also tired from all of that. So I hope you can investigate it quickly," I urged the receptionist, giving a sidelong nce to the students who were yawning continuously due tock of sleep.


    "Shirabe-san!!"


    "Hmm, w-what is it?"


    I couldn''t help but take a step back from the menacing look the female receptionist gave me.


    "You have defeated these monsters, right?" she asked, pointing to a big F+ rank monkey.


    "I was only watching. I should have told you that."


    "These monsters are baboons. A high-ranking one on top of that. No matter how much a G-rank Adventurer overstretched himself, it''s impossible to defeat these monsters. Giving a false report is a grave breach of trust against the guild!"


    "Even if you said that, it''s the truth."


    I gave up. The receptionist, perhaps based on her assumption, was vehement that I was the one who had defeated them.


    "That''s right. Sensei was just watching with an amusing look on his face from a distance, receptionist onee-chan," Pluto offered what seemed to be a helping hand.


    "Yes yes. He was 30% more excited than usual."


    "Yes."


    The students began to fervently express their scandalous impressions.


    "Is it really.....true?"


    "Like what I have said from the start. Besides, is there any benefit for me to lie here?"


    She looked at me and my students alternatively, then let out a big sigh.


    "I apologize for my hasty decision," she apologized.


    "It''s all right. So began the process quickly."


    "Ye-yes!"


    At my instruction, she darted into the back room, where several guild employees came out and carried away a giant monkey called a baboon.


    "150,000 gold coins......." Pluto was eximing at the pile of gold coins.


    I thought it would be more, given the strength of that baboon, but it seemed that it wasn''t rare and cost only this much.


    "30,000 gold for each person. Take it. It''s your hard-earned reward."


    The students must have reached the end of their strength by now, so¡ª


    "Hurry up and get going!" I strongly instructed them.


    Then, I left the guild hall.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 39 - The saint and the wicked-tongued young lady

    The students'' sses were off today. After all, they had gotten the pocket money of 30,000G. Since they were children, they could go shopping or enjoy their vacation. Simply considering that fact, I''d told them about the day off yesterday. However, the only response I got was their silent reproachful re. What a strange bunch.


    Problems were pulling up.


    First of all, about Shirohime, there was nothing other than for her to take antibiotics everyday to be cured. About this point, there was a risk of being infected if Shirohime and Haku stayed together. So I exined this to Shirohime and left Haku in the care of Sagami Co. for a few months until the disease was cured.


    If only we had a vine, I wouldn''t have needed to go all through that trouble. As expected, the immediate need for medical department expansion was indispensable.


    "Nevertheless, Dorahachi, Sheena, and Haku. Mypany isn''t an orphanage."


    It was really hard to convince Haku to stay away from her mother for a while, and she only agreed in the end when we promised that we would let them meet once a week. Of course, there was a risk of infection, but we decided that the risk could be minimized for a short time.


    However, when I introduced her to the good-for-nothing dragons, Dorahachi and Sheena, the staff members specializing in shoulder massage, strangely they got along with each other as if they were of the same kindred spirit. Well, I guess that much was fine with the kid.


    With my heavy gait, I finally arrived here.


    From today onwards, the private investigation of the slime incident would begin.


    Straheim was thend of beginning for me, a character called Gray. I was not patient enough to endure when a perverted bastard no one knew appeared out of nowhere and began to do as he pleased. That was why I wanted this case to be investigated.


    So, why did I ought to carry around those two burdens? Both Iskandar and Georg should have enough knowledge that, if hypothetically speaking, both of the imperial princesses turned into slime, there would be no return.


    "I''m Gray. I received the summon, so here I am."


    "Please just wait a minute."


    The gatekeeper entered the mansion by running. Meanwhile, I was taken to the same reception room asst time.


    In the room, Emperor Georg, Lilinoa, and a girl in herte teens with glossy silver hair in a ponytail each sat at the centre table with a sullen look on their faces.


    I''m surprised.


    From the position of the girl sitting next to Georg, she must be Iskandar''s youngest daughter¡ªImperial Princess Olivia.


    The girl''s eyes, nose, and mouth were all arranged in perfect shape and position, forming a beauty that convinced me that she had the bloodline as Lilinoa, who was extolled for her immense beauty.


    So far, it wasn''t so unexpected to have beautiful men and women in the royal lineage. What I couldn''t take my eyes off of were those long ears that I''d been seeing so oftentely. That was a sign that she was mixed blood with the fairy race, just like Sheena and the others. In other words, she was a person with both Iskandar''s and fairy''s blood.


    "Don''t stare at me! It''s disgusting!"


    Is that the first thing you are going to say? I was really worried about the future now. Well, I guess I didn''t have any choice except to endure it until the incident this time was resolved.


    [Woah! I also want to be stared at by such eyes from a beautiful onee-chan!]


    I turned to the Emperor while cajoling Mura''s usual pervertedmentary, which was in full swing as ever.


    "Sorry for that. Then, let''s begin our investigation without waiting any longer."


    I really didn''t care about the victory or defeat with Iskandar. I had no orders to take him with me, and it was fine as long as they lived in Sagami Co. until the case was solved. For the time being, I would treat them as VIPs, so there shouldn''t be any problem.


    "Gray, I need you to listen to me without getting angry, okay?"


    "It depends on the contents of what you are going to talk about."


    "It is the verbal message from that old monster: ''Lillinoa and Olivia are to apany you everywhere until the case is solved. I will understand immediately whether it''s true or false when I enquire about themter,'' or so he says."


    "Or so he says", the hell. He was the one who kept forcing trouble everywhere.


    "I received... the message."


    "T-that''s why, you must be mad, right? However, certainly, it''s safer for them to be together with you. This time for sure, I think that brute has some point there."


    He was hitting a sore spot. Indeed it was a fact that I was the strongest in Sagami Co.


    "I understand."


    Since the Emperor had approved of it, I had no right to refuse. Besides, there was no point in discussing it any further either.


    "Lily, Your Highness Olivia, please follow me."


    There was no need for honorifics when we were going to be living together.


    Lili responded by clinging to my arm. For a while, Olivia''s eyes turned round in shock. Then, she looked at me with what looked like a deathly re.


    From this reaction, it seemed that for her, Lilinoa was also an important family member that she must protect. That might be the sole salvation in this abnormal situation.


    "I don''t have spare time. So let''s immediately begin the investigation."


    I would do so without being told. I didn''t want to remain as a guard forever either. I wanted to solve this case quickly and be released.


    Taking a slight sigh, I moved my legs.


    This extravagant attire, no matter how you saw it, was eye-catching. I returned to Sagami Co. and asked two of them to disguise themselves.


    Specifically, I asked them to change their hairstyle and clothing. I also had them change their voices with a voice changer. This way, no one would think they were royalty.


    As a final note, I had strictly ordered them to call me Shirabe Sagami. They both knew my real name. So, I would be troubled if they identally slipped my name in front of the students.


    Once the disguise waspleted, Lilinoa strongly insisted that she wanted to greet the others, so we headed to the break room of Sagami Co.''s first research institute.


    "Lili-san, it''s been a while!!"


    As expected of the same girl, as soon as we entered the room, Lyase rushed in immediately as she noticed us and began to hop around holding hands with Lilinoa.


    "Yeah, it''s been a while, Lili."


    When Roche, who was in the middle of lunch, raised his right hand, the rest of the staff stopped their chopsticks and forks and simultaneously looked at us.


    "Yeah, long time no see."


    After bowing politely, the researchers came over and started to talk with Lilinoa.


    Of course, they were talking about their personal lives, but some of them were even talking about the development of scientific technology.


    Leroy was also eager to meet Lilinoa. However, he wasn''t present here, probably because he was busy studying my toy. The man was so absorbed that he couldn''t see what was going on around him.


    "What does this mean?" Olivia asked me as she looked at Lilinoa in a daze.


    "Hmm, you are probably getting the wrong idea, but I think the main reason Lili is willing to help with this investigation is so she can see the staff here again."


    "But Lili is a royalty!?"


    "Everyone knows that."


    The one with good sense had probably already realised it earlier, but the rest of the members had also recognized this definitely during that undead incident. Still, the reason why she didn''t change her response might be because she fully understood that she would be hurt if she did so.


    "........You guys are absolutely crazy."


    "Maybe. Then what will you do? Will you report it to your esteemed father or your esteemed brother?"


    "......." Olivia looked down at me with a fierce look in her eyes.


    I was a bit immature. This was definitely an overstatement. She was also being toyed around by that crazy bastard, just like me.


    "You still haven''t had lunch, right? The far right side of the building is the cafeteria. Let''s eat together," I grabbed Olivia''s right hand and tried to lead her away.


    "Insolent fellow! Don''t touch me!" she brushed my hand away and sat down in a corner by herself.


    I shrugged my shoulders and ordered today''s Sagami Co.''s deluxe menu, a teriyaki chicken set meal, for three people from the kitchen staff.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 40 - Investigation (1) Intelligence gathering

    Without moving even a bit even while holding the fork, Olivia only stared at Lilinoa, who was happily stuffing herself with teriyaki chicken.


    "What''s the matter? Aren''t you going to eat?"


    "......"


    When I asked, she looked at her food without affirming or denying my question.


    Today''s menu was teriyaki chicken, rice, miso soup, and a sd consisting of tomato and cabbage.


    It''s typicalmoner cooking, and from her point of view, who had only eaten the so-called high-ss dishes from the royal court chef, it was all unknown to her. I guess it was understandable.


    "Olivia, it''s delicious."


    Looking at Lilinoa eating heartily without even showing a shred of Saint-like attitude, Olivia finally cut a piece of teriyaki chicken with her fork and brought it to her mouth.


    Interesting. Is she going to eat it?


    I thought she would undoubtedly leave it behind without even taking a bite.


    ".........."


    She lightly shut her eyelids and brought the piece to her small mouth with trembling hands.


    It wasn''t like it was a dish made with insects or snakes, so there was no need for her to be so cautious.


    Finally, she put it into her mouth and chewed for a while.


    ".........Ah!!?"


    Olivia''s eyes widened, and she moved her mouth for a while. But the next moment, she started to eat vigorously.


    Lilinoa''s cheeks loosened as she looked at Olivia, who was reluctantly staring at her te after finishing up all her dishes in an instant.


    "I''m d my elder sister also liked it."


    Still though, elder sister, huh.


    Actually, as the daughter of Olivia''s brother, she counted as an aunt for Lilinoa. However, they only had a couple of years of an age difference. So, probably calling her elder sister was more appropriate for her.


    "I-It''s not like I like it."


    Lilinoa gave a wryugh while looking at Olivia, who turned her head to the other side as if she was sulking.


    It was really hard to tell which one of them was older.


    "Time is pressing. After a bit more rest, we are going to look for information," I put on the mask and activated the voice changer.


    "Gray, do I really not have any choice but to wear this mask and voice changer?"


    "Yes, there are various things I need to be careful about, and besides, it''s Shirabe Sagami outside."


    I had been receiving words of rejection from Lilinoa regarding the voice changer and mask. It seemed like my disguise was receiving a pretty low evaluation from her. Well, I didn''t really care what the kid thought of me.


    Now then, I should have some tea for myself. I got up from my seat and started walking towards the self-service tea corner.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    We stepped out into the streets of Straheim.


    The first destination we headed to was the bar, Kumabachi, where the incident took ce. This was where about 32 people dissolved into mush.


    What''s more, from the material I had received from Willy, all of the people turning into mush were even alive for more than half a day.


    "Here, I guess?"


    The Kumambachi was located in the back alley leading to arge street running from north to south in the northeast of Straheim.


    Perhaps because of the incident, one-third of the surrounding shops were closed. Even the pedestrians walking past here were so few that it was hard to believe it was Straheim. It was natural, I guess, after that incident.


    In front of Kumabachi were two guards looking like Adventurers.


    "Thank you for your hard work," I quickly approached them and raised my right hand in greeting.


    "Ah, finally! A recement! I was hoping to be done guarding such a dangerous ce soon!"


    They weren''t that much surprised while looking at my childlike appearance, probably because they recognized me.


    Well, I''d been pretty conspicuoustely, dealing with Munch and his little friends.


    "I shouldn''t have taken this job just because the pay was high. I don''t feel like I''m alive!" one of the slender adventurers breathed a sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, the other began to pack up his belongings.


    Looking at them, it was very difficult to say it.


    "Sorry, but we are here on the guild''s order to investigate the event and not as the recement for guard duty."


    "Are you kidding......."


    "That''s.........."


    Their faces looked as if they were about to cry. It was much more dangerous for us to investigate.


    "I''ming in."


    "Please, and be careful."


    I lightly thanked the Adventurer, who held out his right hand to me, and entered the room.


    Inside the store, chairs and tables were scattered all over the ce, and there were stains of red paint all over the floor.


    Apparently, the guild had left the crime scene untouched in order to solve the crime.


    "Terrible......." Lilinoah said, blood draining out from her face.


    "........"


    On the other side, Olivia pretended to be calm. However, her shivering legs sold her out.


    It might have been a little bit too for them. I should have just let them rest outside and had Hatch and Krama take turns protecting them.


    "Lili, Olivia, you two go outside and wait for me."


    "No need."


    "Not necessary."


    They immediately rejected my proposal.


    The two of them looked too much alike, especially with their silver hair. As if they were twins.


    "Don''t force yourself."


    Seems like they''re staying. Well, as long as I am here, there''s no danger. Do just as you like.


    Once again, I began to examine the room.


    I searched here and there for about an hour, but I wasn''t able to find anything that might be a clue.


    "I don''t see anything new, what about you?" Lilinoa, who seemed to have finally gotten used to this disgusting room, said.


    "Not really. I have learned a lot of things. First of all, it''s not only humans that have turned into mush, but also tables and chairs too."


    "What difference does it even make!? It doesn''t make any big difference!!" Olivia shouted with a pale face while putting a handkerchief over her mouth.


    "There is. With this, I was able to figure out the position the perpetrator was at."


    "Did you really know it!?"


    "Where!?"


    As both of them leaned closer to me, I pointed at the table ced in the corner and dered, "Most likely, the preparator sat there."


    "I would like to know why?"


    "First of all, only the table ced there hasn''t been turned into mush. On top of that, there''s not a single drop of blood there. The technique must have been used from there. If not, the perpetrator would have turned into mush as well."


    "If that''s the case, then the perpetrator must have been sitting in this seat, right?"


    Olivia was quite perceptive, I must say.


    Only half of one of the overturned chairs at this table had been dissolved into mush. Which meant the one sitting opposite this seat was the person who activated the technique.


    "So, let''s examine this ce again very carefully."


    "Right."


    At Lilinoa''s proposal, Olivia and I nodded and restarted our investigation.


    ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    However, the world wasn''t that convenient. I couldn''t find any clue that led to the perpetrator at all.


    Or rather, if there was any clue leading to the preparator, I would have found it in the report submitted to the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "What are we going to do next?"


    Olivia seemed to be a different person from her initial reluctance.


    "You seem quite motivated."


    "Of course. There''s no way I can let this kind of folly go unnoticed in my homnd!" she forcefully dered, clenching her right fist tightly.


    I see. She has a strong sense of justice.


    That in itself was fine. This kind of anger could be the driving force behind an investigation.


    However, there was also a danger that if she got too involved in the case, she might end up being dragged up to the main cast of the tragedy. The case wasn''t over yet. I hope she cooled down a little.


    ording to the data given by the guild, there were 28 people who went to Kumabachi to drink that day and were lucky enough not to encounter the incident.


    Maybe we should interview a few of them today and call it a day.


    "Let''s go," I urged the two of them to leave the horrific crime scene.


    "We didn''t get much useful information, did we?"


    The interview with the third person was over. All of them seemed to be in a mood of not wanting to get involved anymore. It was going to be very difficult to solve this problem.


    "That''s right. We''ve gotten enough information for today. I''ll go back to thepany and sort out the information I got."


    Olivia was overly enthusiastic. I thought she would cool down after a night of sleep.


    "Do you think I would want to continue the investigation for a bit more?"


    "Let''s go."


    Olivia puffed out her cheeks and turned away. Meanwhile, Lilinoa, who understood my intention, only smiled wryly and agreed. So, we returned to Sagami Co.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 41 - Welcome party

    We returned to Sagami Co. and looked for a ce for them to sleep.


    The guest room of thepany was vacant, so we decided that they could live there until the matter was settled.


    Right now, we were holding a wee party.


    "Wee back Lili-san! Haku, Shirohime-san, Oli-san, wee to our Sagami Co. Cheers!"


    The cheerful members raised their mugs of chilled beer and proposed a toast.


    "Cheers!"


    And so began the big banquet.


    However, Ste and Aria were currently living in the ss S dormitory, and Theo and Radol had declined to attend due to the current situation in the Empire. I was hoping that Jude, the vice president, would be able to attend, but he was currently on a business trip with Ca to acquirend for a recently-discovered oil field.


    As for the festival-loving Leroy, he''d been holed up in his workshop, as if the magic weapon he was developing had tugged at his heartstrings.


    "It''s delicious, it''s delicious!" a ck-haired young girl, Dorahachi, was munching on beef steak.


    "Hey, Dora, it''s Haku¡¯s share!" Hakuined, puffing out her cheeks.


    However, Dorahachi just brushed it off with a, ¡°Sorry,¡± without any sign of gratitude and continued munching on her steak.


    "It''s all right, Haku-chan, there is still a lot left," Sheena put the steak on the teary-eyed Haku''s te and offered it to her.


    "Yes!"


    Seeing this, Haku''s tearful expression took a turn and with glittering eyes, she began to gnaw on her steak.


    The children sure were doing well. Sheena and Dorahachi had been constantly together recently, almost like sisters. Sheena had also be much more energetic, it''s really good to have friends.


    "Thank you very much for inviting me," Shirohime bowed her head to me, almost touching her forehead to the table.


    "Nevermind, just have fun. However, you are still in the recuperating period, so alcohol is banned. You can only eat what''s prepared here."


    Shirohime nodded and began to eat the food she was served.


    ¡°Who''s this person?¡± Olivia asked, whispering in my ears.


    Well, it was nothing to hide.


    ¡°She''s a White Wolf, Shirohime.¡±


    ¡°White Wolf!!? Isn''t it a legendary spirit n!?¡±


    All gazes concentrated on Olivia, who stood up and shouted.


    Ah, right, she also had the blood of a spirit n. In that case, her overreaction was understandable.


    "You are being rude," I gave her a reproachful look.


    "S-sorry," she sat down quietly as her face flushed bright red up to her ear. Oh, at least she can apologize, huh.


    ¡°Why is such a high ranking spirit in this ce?¡±


    ¡°Well, who knows. Whether you''re a spirit, a dragon, amoner, or a member of the royal family, it doesn''t matter at all in this ce. Get used to it.¡±


    ¡°.........¡±


    For a while, she just stared at me, her cheeks twitching. She looked at me as if I was a kind of an oddity and then shook her head before she began to eat.


    In the end, Olivia was pulled by Lilinoa and her group of technicians. It would be a good experience for Her Imperial Highness to go along with the nonsense of the single old men. Well, she might not want to experience it for the rest of her life, though.


    By the way, the useless sword, Mura, had been making a lot of fuss about wanting to get close to Olivia and Lilinoa, whom he was greatly fond of, so I left him in the paradise of old men surrounding Lilinoa as he wished.


    "Master, is this seat taken?"


    A small built and bald-headed man, Gill, along with his few friends arrived in front of my seat.


    They were the former subordinates of Krama and the former members of the [Revise Family], which was now under the umbre of Sagami Co.


    "Oh, I didn''t mean to keep a chair to refuse you."


    "Then, we will not hesitate."


    He sat down at the table in front of me.


    "The orphanage looks good, doesn''t it?"


    Gill and his team were still running the orphanage, taking in orphans who were sold to ve traders in the same manner as before. In addition, they also looked motivated and did battle training. After gaining considerable power, I also heard from Krama that they were recently taking on the job of guardsmen for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and Commercial Guild.


    "Yes, thanks to you, the orphanage has grown and this time I''m thinking of starting a full-fledged school. As for personal¡ª"


    "Of course. I''ll arrange for a teacher right away. These are the times we live in. You guys should also train."


    "Y-yes! Of course! Isn''t it right, you guys?"


    "Yes!!" the other members nodded happily.


    "We are really grateful for you to pick us, Master."


    "What are you saying out of blue?"


    "It''s thanks to you that we, who fell into evil, are able to make amends in this way."


    "You know, I think I should be the one apologizing to you guys."


    To be honest, they were the ones who had taken on the most dangerous and dirty work in thepany.


    "Unlike before, we are helping people now. Moreover, we are now freeing those who are in the same environment as us. Unlike before, I can now be proud of my work."


    It would be rude of me to deny their gratitude, then.


    "I see. Is there something you need?"


    I would do my best to amodate it.


    "Some of us are former ves who were saved by our predecessors. I''d like to return the favor this time."


    I see. What they were trying to say is not so difficult to understand.


    Buy the ves from the ve traders and free them. Then, they would get them to work for ourpany, Sagami Co.


    Of course, adults weren''t as naive and innocent as kids. There weren''t a small number of people who had fallen into very as a result of involvement in criminal or spy activities. The danger to thepany was always present.


    "Let''s hear the story in detail."


    Gill cleared his throat, and with a determined look on his face, he began to exin.


    "I see, so only those who have been sold to very due to debt will be hired after the interview and they will work at ourpany until they can repay their debt. After that, we will test those who want to be regr employees..."


    So, in short, their debt would be transferred to us, and they would work for us until the debt was repaid.


    The biggest shoring for ourpany was that we had a shortage of manpower. Although it was a lowly method to procure them through trading, it certainly solved the problem.


    There was a risk of spies infiltrating, but if it was a simple job in a factory, there was no risk of leaking skills, and if it was a job as a waiter or waitress at [Silver Knife], the risk of imitating cooking skills was not that high. In any case, it wasn''t the kind of sweet world where you could recreate something just by looking at it. Well, even if it were to leak, our greatest strength was in the seasonings and ingredients we use, so it wouldn''t be much of a blow.


    After the debt was repaid, when they became full-time employees, maybe I could have them study at the vocational training facility run by our business association.


    "Is it useless?" Gill asked nervously.


    "No. Rather, I think it''s a good idea."


    Approving their n, I took around 200 million gold from [Universal Creation] and gave it to Gill and the others.


    "For a while, until we have an official meeting, you can start from my pocket money."


    "Yes!"


    Anyway, I thought it was a good opportunity to break the foundation of [Laguna] with this.


    "In addition to them, also aim for the prostitutes in the brothel."


    "Prostitutes too?"


    I lifted the corners of my mouth at Gill and the others, who looked at me suspiciously.


    "Yeah. Brothel management is one of the main ie sources of [Laguna]. We''re going to destroy them all. Those that cane to an agreement with us will be assigned to work as merchandise salesmen or waitresses at [Silver Knife]."


    "So, are you trying to cut down [Laguna]?"


    "Yeah, they''ve beenying lowtely. We need to smoke them out."


    That''s right. I would crush all of their principal ie sources.


    "It sounds like a great n. We will hurriedly act upon it."


    Gill was on his feet, clutching his cloth bag with care.


    "Remember. The opponent is a giant organisation, so be careful. If you feel that you are in danger, abandon this mission at once. That''s an order."


    "Yes! Leave it to us!"


    Gill and the others stood up, bowed to me, and left the dining room. I see. So Gill and the others joined this banquet to ask for my approval. They should at least enjoy themselves at times like this. What a clumsy bunch.


    But if it was Gill and the others, they would be fine for sure.


    "Well, I should also return to my room already."


    There were a pile of problems I had to think about. I would leave this ce to the people who were in high spirits.


    I also stood up and went back to my room.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 43 - Persuasion of slave liberation

    Gill of the Revise family, the former chivalrous family of Lte, together with several of his subordinates, visited the red-light district in the southeast of Straheim.


    Next to him, his subordinate, Tetsu, gulped at the sight of alluring women with their backs and hips open as they passed by.


    This was the ce where sex and violence reigned supreme in Starheim. Gill¡¯s reason foring here was of course not to purchase women. He hade here to persuade the two people ruling this area.


    "Guys, it''s a demonic ce from now on. Get ready! Our actions will determine the fate of these brats and the other ves in Straheim!"


    "............"


    All of them nodded in silence. There was not the slightest hint of hesitation on their faces.


    They probably knew it very well. If this negotiation was sessful, then the very itself would virtually disappear from Straheim for good.


    In the not-too-distant future, it would be no more than a form of upational mediation, instead of a crude and distorted trade like human trafficking. Of course, they didn''t deny that very would be the part of their lives for the time being, but still, it would definitely be a first big step.


    Gill walked through the gate of a four-story red-painted building in front of him.


    "Wee, Masters. What kind of girls are you looking for?"


    A woman in herte twenties with an open chest edged up to them.


    "This is what we are. We''re here to do business."


    When he showed her the emblem on his silver pocket watch, her face suddenly changed color, and she scurried off into the back room.


    "Aniki........" Tetsu called out to him with a voice full of frustration.


    "Don''t worry."


    Although they had arrived, apparently people here weren''t that weing of them. It was going to be a difficult business meeting.


    After a while, a woman wearing a dress that exposed her shoulders and waist appeared from the back.


    "I''m Kato, the manager of this red-light district. Please forgive me for using my alias."


    "I''m Gill, the head of the recruitment department at Sagami Co. Nice to meet you."


    "Yes, I have heard. Madara-sama has already arrived."


    The person called Madara was the biggest ringleader in all the ve trading business around this area. Of course, it was also an alias.


    "I see. Then please show us the way."


    "Yes. This way, please."


    Kato began to walk up the stairs, and Gill and the others followed suit.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The ce they were led to was a room with a fairly wide crimson carpet.


    In the center of the room, at arge round table, sat a blonde-haired gentleman wearing ck-and-white striped top and bottom and a hood.


    He¡¯s Madara, I guess.


    Kato sat next to Madara and asked Gill and the others to take a seat.


    Gill and the others took their seats and straightened their postures.


    From here, in a sense, would be the battle of wits.


    "Thank you for the opportunity to discuss business with us."


    "No problem. You, Sagami Co., is our regr customer, after all. Isn''t it right, Kato-San?"


    "That''s right,"


    They seemed to be considerably vignt, given the sharp thorns oozing out from their words.


    No wonder. Belonging to the organization called Sagami Co. itself, he understood how terrifying thepany was. It possessed the financial, sales, and development power that could move the world¡¯s economy, but of course not only that. It also had its own military power.


    And the fact that it had demonstrated its overwhelming power during the famous undead assault incident throughout the Empire had attracted the attention of other organisations around the world.


    Gill and the others were the emissary of such prominent organizations.


    That was why they had to be wary of Kato and Madara, who were nothing more than the manager of ve trading and prostitution.


    "We''vee to you today with two proposals."


    "Let''s hear them," Madara held up his right hand, indicating to them to continue.


    "The first is that, from now on, we, Sagami Co., will be responsible for the purchase of all ves."


    For the first time, Madara''s eyes narrowed.


    "Are you asking me not to sell my ves to anyone else?" he immediately got to the core of the matter.


    "That''s right. Ourpany will purchase all of the ims against them."


    "im? They are supposed to be ves, though?"


    "In the future, they will not be ves officially, but rather debtors to Madara and the others who will hold the ims."


    "Ah, I see. In other words, you only want to take in those that have been sold for money? And not the criminals. Is that what you mean?"


    "That''s right. Those who havemitted crimes and have been bought from the country are ves or whatever you want to do with them."


    Gill and the others had no obligation to care for criminals. The only ones to be freed were those who had to be ves due to unavoidable circumstances.


    "I think I''ve figured out what you guys are trying to do."


    Although Madara''s opinion was unclear regarding Gill and other¡¯s proposals, it seemed like their aim was conveyed to him.


    In that case, the next one they had to persuade was Kato.


    "Then, the second one is Kato-san. Would you like to work for our Company?"


    "Are Sagami Co.¡¯s groups also nning to put their hands on brothel management?"


    "No, we are against the conduct of running brothels. We would like to hire all of you to work in our restaurants such as [Silver Knife], and in our clothing stores.¡±


    "Oh my, are you serious? Do you guys know how much they earn? Most likely you don¡¯t. They earn more than your sry," Madara interjected between them with a mocking tone.


    "Only a few of them are paid well, right? And our sries aren''t much different from yours."


    "What did you say?" for the first time, the smile faded from Madara¡¯s face.


    "I''m the head of the human resources department. Ourpany uses a merit-based system. I''ve been paid a good amount of money."


    "O-oh, it''s quite unbelievable."


    "Is that so? Then here is the proof," Gill threw a dagger from his waist on the table.


    "This is?"


    "It is a special reward given by the president himself as a reward for my recent business sess."


    Madara snorted and took the dagger in his hand to examine it closely, but his eye immediately turned into a ring one.


    "Is this really given to you?"


    "Of course. You have my words."


    "Dammit!!" Madara threw the dagger on the table and kicked up a nearby chair.


    "Madara, that is?" Kato asked Madara with a perplexed look.


    "It''s the material. A rare one on top of that. Just that material alone cost more than 100 millions. Humph, what do you mean by you earn the same as me? You''re making more than me. I swear."


    "T-that......" Kato touched the dagger on the table with trepidation.


    Surpassing 100 million. I didn''t even think it was worth that much.


    "So, what do you think, Kato?"


    "What about you, Madara?"


    "Don''t ask. Anything is fine for me as long as it''s profitable. They are the golden eggs that bring me money. That''s the answer."


    It seemed like Madara had given his approval. After all, he was a genuine merchant, so it was expected to make him understand. The problem was¡ª


    "I will........have to ask the others."


    "You are an idiot, you know? You will probably earn a dozen times more than what you earn from selling your body. I think there is no room for hesitation."


    Kato bit her lips from Madara¡¯s scornful remarks. He understood her uneasiness very well. Even Gill was the same in the beginning when he entered Sagami Co.


    "Don''t worry. Our president Gray is a very wonderful person. I''m sure he will guide you."


    Although, given the entric nature of the president, he would not prepare an easy path for them for sure.


    "But........"


    "The reason for your hesitation is probably your dealing with [Laguna], right? If you go against them, all the prostitutes in this red-light district will be in mortal danger," Madara screamed with a disgusted smile on his face.


    "You can rx. Our president will protect you from [Laguna]¡ª"


    "I wonder about that, though."


    The door opened and then several ck-clothed men barged into the room. In the centre of the crowd, a white-haired old man with a long beard was standing leaning on his cane.


    "Tsk!"


    Madara rose up from his seat, clicking his tongue and taking a defensive stance. He was more impatient than ever. No way, that old man¡ª


    "Hey, you are the subordinate of that son of b*tch brat, right?"


    A purple-haired man appeared from behind the old man. When his reptile-like stagnant eyes turned toward them, a chill ran down on Gill¡¯s spine.


    "I know the beauty and the blonde-haired gentleman. They are not Gray''s men."


    "Then it''s those guys, right!!"


    "Hiii!"


    A scream leaked out from Kato. It couldn''t be helped. It wasn¡¯t a metaphor but in actuality, that purple-haired man''s mouth slit up to the root of his ears. It appeared that this person had truly quit being a human.


    "Oh my, if it''s not Poisonous Liquor, one of the four Cardinals and top executives of [Laguna]. You really have fallen too low to even act like a sneaky thief. Ah, my bad, you were originally a sneaky thief, after all,¡± Madara chuckled.


    "As expected, you have betrayed us, Madara," Poisonous Liquor red at Madara annoyingly.


    "I have never intended to be yourpanion since the beginning. Rather than that, you seem to know about this meeting. I guess my subordinates betrayed me, right?"


    "That''s right, Madara!! I will take all of your organization!!" a fat middle-aged person appeared from behind, pointed to Madara and dered.


    "It''s impossible for someone like you!" Madara said.


    "Tetsu, look after those two. Get them to the others safely!" Gill instructed as he took up a defensive stance, raising the dagger that President Gray had given him.


    No matter how you look at it, Gill stood little to no chance against monsters like the purple-haired boy and Poisonous Liquor. But still, he must make it through.


    In a few moments, the existence called very would be virtually extinguished. There would be no more tears of unhappiness on the cheeks of the children who loved their chief.


    "But, Aniki!!!"


    "Tetsu!!"


    Furiously bellowing at Testu, he pushed Kato to him while wiping away his tears. One of his other subordinates also carried Madara on his back.


    "Idiot! Do you think I would let you run away!"


    Poisonous Liquor raised his hand overhead and soon, rock spears began to rain incessantly towards them from all directions. It must be chantless earth magic.


    "WHIRLWIND SLASH!"


    Gill¡¯s chant broke apart the rock spears and without a nary pause, he immediately chanted the next Magic.


    "FLAME RANDO!!"


    Gill''s next chant created a wave of me that swallowed and attacked Poisonous Liquor and the others.


    "Ahh!?" a subordinate of Poisonous Liquor screamed in astonishment.


    However, the next moment, the wave of mes burst out and blew away.


    In front of him, the purple-haired man¡¯s hair spread out to fill the room, covering all of Poisonous Liquor¡¯s subordinates.


    "Humph! I don''t need your help!" Poisonous Liquor snorted in dissatisfaction.


    "Send your subordinates quickly, or else they will really escape!"


    "I know what I''m doing! Just chase after them!"


    About ten ck-clothed men sprinted for the window.


    "Like hell I will let you!!!" Gill once again attempted to use [Whirlwind sh].


    However¡ª


    "Guhh!"


    Astonishingly, the small-built Poisonous Liquor grabbed Gill by the neck and lifted him up.


    "You are being too conceited, small fry. Leaving Gray aside, do you think a bastard like you can be my match?"


    "Puh......l!" Gill spat on Poisonous Liquor¡¯s face.


    "You bastard!!!"


    With a number of thick veins overflowing on his forehead, Poisonous Liquor tightened his right hand¡¯s grip around Gill''s neck and put more strength into it.


    The creaking sounds of bones shook Gill¡¯s eardrum and a writhing pain ran all over his body.


    His consciousness was getting hazier and hazier. Apparently, the end was near. Even though that should have been the case, Gill was unexpectedly calm. Gill would die. There was no denying the fact. However, he was not going to die for nothing. He would take along this old man on a trip to the underworld.


    The dagger that the president had given him, [Bakurai], was a material that controlled lightning and explosions. He had kept arge amount of gunpowder in his wristwatch just for a time like this. [T/N : Bakurai means exploding thunder.]


    As long as he stabbed the wristwatch, it would cause arge explosion.


    I''m sorry, President Gray. I''m sorry for returning the favor in vain.


    The president had taught Gill and the others how to use firearms for the sole purpose of survival. He would never allow them to use them like this. However, Gill still had the mission to protect his president. There might be some chance for the president to win against that purple-haired monster and Poisonous Liquor. He would at least ughter Poisonous Liquor here.


    I''m counting on you, Chief, Leader, and Lady Aria. This is my farewell, President Gray!


    He tried to use all of his strength to thrust [Bakurai] into the pocket watch.


    "Nice try! But it''s a shame!!"


    A cheerful and bouncy voice rang. And the next moment, a sharp acute pain ran in the back of his head. Gill''s consciousness dyed pure white.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 44 - An unrivalled encounter

    Hended on the ground with Kato on his back, and along with therade carrying Madara on his back, they immediately sprinted towards the west, to the direction of Sagami Co.


    The opponent was that purple-haired monster and the infamous Poisonous Liquor. He didn''t think Gill could win against them, even only hypothetically. Let alone win, it was even impossible to escape.


    Dammit, dammit, dammittttttttt!!!


    Tetsu sprinted with all his might, suppressing the loathsome feeling of how spineless he was surging inside him.


    "Oh no, they areing."


    Looking back over the shoulder after Madara¡¯s warning, several dozen men dressed in ck clothing from head to toe were chasing after Testu and hisrades.


    "What should we do, Tetsu?"


    "We can''t do anything about it. We have to run!!"


    He could tell they are experts just from a nce. No matter how much battle techniques Tetsu and his friends had learned from the head ofbat training, Akuido, everyday, in the end their experience wasn''t more than several months. They still didn''t have enough power to directly face [Laguna]''s elite members seriously.


    "We have to!!"


    They continued to run with all of their might.


    "Dammit! We are beingpletely yed."


    "I guess they''re in a rabbit-hunting mood."


    They''d been attacking Tetsu and the others for a while now, but not hitting us. The only thing Tetsu knew was that they were being led to this back alley.


    Most likely, their aim wasn''t Tetsu and hisrades, but Madara and Kato.


    "It seems like we can only go that far......."


    Finally, they ended up in what looked like a vacant lot in a dead-end alley.


    In an instant, the ck clothed men surrounded them.


    "I''m sorry. Madara-san, Kato-san."


    "No, I don''t mind. It''s all of my subordinate''s fault all along, after all."


    "It''s wrong for me toin to Sagami Co.¡¯s people, but I have pride too. I don''t want these lowlifes to have their way with me."


    Kato put the knife around her neck.


    "Wait, let''s try to struggle until the end."


    Saying that, Tetsu took away the knife from her and took a stance to protect her and Madara.


    "Captain, what do we do with these guys?"


    "There''s still something they want to ask from Madara. I''ve been told to make them faint and carry them," the most hulking of the ck-d men replied immediately, looking annoyed.


    "What about the woman?"


    "Oh, the woman has no special orders. You can do whatever you want with her."


    "Wow, it''s been a long time since I''ve had a woman!" the ck-robed man shouted in delight.


    "They are looking down too much!!"


    Tetsu bashed them with [me Rando]. However, the opponent easily cut the ming sphere in half with the knife in his hand.


    "I''m not looking down. It''s only natural."


    The ck-clothed man¡¯s figure became hazy and sparks flew across Tetsu¡¯s vision. At the same time, his body flew in the air and was easily mmed into the ground from his back.


    He tried to get up by forcefully suppressing the bone-breaking pain. However, he heard, "Small fries should just grovel in the ground like that," before being stomped on the chest.


    His friends were also lying on their backs in a pool of blood.


    "L-let go of me!!"


    In his thin, blurry vision, he could see Kato''s teary face being held down and straddled by one of the ck-d men.


    "St....op!"


    "...Shut up."


    The foot stepping on his chest pressed down even more, and he felt a dull pain from his broken rib.


    "Just look at how they are going to ravage that woman until her death."


    That''s right. That was how Tetsu and the others had watched the unfolding tragedy.


    When the previous generation was alive, Tetsu and the others watched over the shoulders of the previous generation, and after the death of the previous generation, they watched over the shoulders of their leader, Krama, and their aniki, Gill, doing nothing but watching the tragedy.


    Even though the young leader had bled for their sake! Even though Gill had ovee the gang leader''s objections and engaged in the outrageous act of ve trading for the sake of Tetsu and the others! However, Tetsu and the others had only entrusted themselves to them, without doing anything.


    This time was the same.


    In the end, Tetsu and the others were just looking at President Gray from afar. Nothing had changed. Nothing had ever changed.


    I can''t hold it anymore.


    He grasped the leg pressing down on his chest and activated [Fireball]. He activated the magic with whatever mana he had left.


    "Ouch! Damn!"


    Far from a lump of me, it didn¡¯t even burn. However, that was how he freed himself.


    Tetsu immediately dashed and rammed himself to the ck-clothed man that was straddling Kato.


    "Ahh!"


    After confirming he had blown away that man, he covered Kato like a turtle.


    I''m going to change!!


    I will show I can protect her. And most of all, I¡¯m not going to impose his responsibility on others again!


    "If you really want to die so badly, I will kill you as you wish!"


    Raising the only part he could raise, his head, he could see the man that he had just blown away was approaching him with a dagger in one hand as veins overflowed in his temple.


    The man dressed in ck swung the dagger in his right hand as he came close to Tetsu. Right at that time, it looked to Tetsu as if sparks were flying around the man in ck.


    "Die¡ª"


    However, unbelievably,with his dagger raised, the man in ck reduced to dust instantly, not even a bone left.


    Thest thing he saw in his fading consciousness was a monocle man with his ck hair in a swept-back style. His face was distorted in dissatisfaction as his hands were in his pockets.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "Hey Nero, didn''t you say it''s an unpopr location? Why the hell there''s such a vile act happening there?"


    "I don''t know. You can ask the monkeys over there, who are showing their bare instinct openly."


    A brown-haired young man called Nero, who wore a mask, looked around at Poisoned Liquor¡¯s men in a troublesome manner.


    Poisonous Liquor¡¯s subordinates weren''t simple thugs either. So, when one of their own was burned in an instant, they raised their alert level to the limit.


    "You bastards, who are you?" a hulking man dressed in ck, who seemed to be the leader of the group, carefully pointed his sword and asked the two strangers in front of him.


    "Hey, the monkeys are shouting something desperate? Aren''t you going to answer? You battle junkie??"


    The brown-haired masked man, Nero, took a big yawn and snapped his fingers.


    All of a sudden, a blue-colored seat and a nket appeared out of thin air.


    "I''m going to sleep until Grimm and the others arrive. Wake me up when they get there?"


    Seeing Nero who didn''t even recognize their existence, let alone taking them as a threat, Poisonous Liquor¡¯s subordinates¡¯ churned with rage inside, and their faces immediately flushed with intense anger. Of course. They''d never been treated in such a humiliating way since they were born.


    "Don''t underestimate us!!" one of the ck-clothed men fired a poisonous dart on his arm at Nero, but before the dart could reach him, it rotted and fell down.


    Nero, still wrapped in the nket, put out only his left hand and snapped it.


    A momentter, a long, thin sword pierced through the brain of the man who¡¯d fired the poisoned dart, prating his spine and plunging deep into the ground.


    "W-watch out! These guys are using strange techniques!"


    The ck-clothed man quickly tried to put some distance. However, their true suffering had only just begun.


    The ck-clothed man, who should have died instantly from his skull getting pierced, pulled the sword himself and turned to look at all of the other ck-clothed men.


    "Guooooooooo!!!"


    Then, he roared like a beast.


    "You are being too noisy. Be quiet!"


    The man, who had died instantly, shrinked back at the unreasonable order.


    "M-monster......."


    These were the words that came out of the ck-clothed men¡¯s leader as he witnessed such an absurd phenomenon.


    That was the deciding factor. They retreated, turned their backs, and began to flee all at once.


    "What a pain."


    Looking at the retreating backs of the ck-clothed men, the monocle man scratched his head with his left hand. Instantly, the crimson mes ran around and surrounded the ck-clothed man that should have died, turning him into dust in the blink of an eye.


    "Now what should we do about them?"


    The monocle man was still looking down at the men and women who had fallen unconscious.


    "These kids are his family. Doing anything is no good," Nero¡¯s sharp voice rang out.


    "I see. The reason why youe here purposely is for that reason, huh."


    The monocle man also leaned his back against the back alley wall and closed his eyes tightly.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 45 - A disgusting screenplay that began to move

    All members of Breathgarm, one of the most prominent families of Adventurers, were trembling and downcast.


    Only for one reason. The presence of an angry lion in front of them.


    "Want me to say it again?"


    With a quiet questioning word, the small man with ck hair unleashed a right fist that shattered the wooden wall and made a huge hole.


    "........"


    They had never seen Aku in such a rage until now. They would be left in a sorry excuse if they identally blurted out something unnecessary. They could clearly see thating, so they just waited while shaking, for the purple-haired young man, Munch, to say something.


    "Oh? Didn''t you hear me? The neer who left our family before was found dead. Apparently, he was sold off to a ve trader. I knew it was strange when he suddenly wanted to leave the family."


    Munch shrugged his shoulders and imposingly remarked such a lie as if it were the truth, which the other members could easily figure out.


    "Who did it?"


    "Shirabe Sagami from Sagami Co. His real name is Grey Ines Navarro. He''s a big merchant here in Straheim."


    When Aku heard the name, his right eyebrow shot up in surprise.


    "That''s the name of the person you have fallen out with. Is it true?"


    "Hey,e on, Aku. Are you suspecting the words of yourrade? I''m sad. And here I am bringing the ve traders who were involved in the sale of the neer."


    Munch made a gesture, and his men brought a fat, middle-aged man from the back of the room.


    "Listen. I will ask you some questions, so answer them properly. Think before you answer, okay?"


    The fat, middle aged man nodded multiple times with a desperate expression.


    Munch nodded in satisfaction and removed the gag he was wearing.


    "Forgive me! I didn''t have any other choice!"


    "Just answer the questions I asked you!"


    "U-understood!"


    Munch¡¯s face rxed in satisfaction as he looked at the fat middle-aged man nodding vigorously. He asked with confidence, "Who sold Badrack?"


    "Sa-Sagami Co.," the merchant replied hesitatingly at Munch¡¯s imploring face.


    Aku nced at the green-haired girl with long ears beside him.


    "Satori."


    "This one''s not lying," she replied straightforwardly with emotionless eyes.


    A momentter, there was a roar and the ground caved in in concentric circles. Perhaps Aku had hit the ground with his right leg.


    "Continue."


    Munch nodded at Aku''s words.


    "From whom did you buy him?"


    "T-that guy," he pointed to a small, bald-headed man in the corner of the room who was also gagged.


    "He is one of Sagami Co.¡¯s members that work behind the scene, Gill. He''s also a member of Lte¡¯s gang that used to operate a ve trading business, the Revise Family."


    Munch removed the gag from the small-built, bald-headed man.


    "How did you sell Bardack?"


    "Badrack was hired by Sagami Co., but he was too useless. So we had him do some backroom smuggling, but he screwed up and we sold him to a ve trader," the man with crew cut hair muttered faintly.


    "Satori," Aku once again asked the green-haired girl with a demonic look on his face.


    "It''s too noisy here, I''m looking now. Yeah, he isn''t lying either."


    "That settled it."


    Just as he was about to leave¡ª


    "Wait."


    "Leave it forter. I am in a bad mood."


    "I know that just by looking at you. Are you going to report it to the guild?"


    "That''s what we, Adventures, do."


    "That''s stupid. That guy donates a lot of money to the guild. The rtionship between them is too deep. I don''t think they will listen to us."


    Aku turned to look at Satori.


    "It''s all right. Munch isn''t lying either."


    "Then do you have any good ideas, Munch?"


    "I have. Leave everything to me. Bardack is in the funeral parlor here. Go see him."


    Munch lifted the corners of his mouth and handed Aku a piece of a note.


    "Act on that n as soon as possible, Munch."


    Aku walked out of the room, his hatred so thick that it threatened to burst.


    "What are you nning, Munch?" Satori, the green-haired girl who still stayed back, asked Munch with a deadly re.


    "Oh,e on. I''m not lying to you. You know that better than anyone, don''t you?"


    "........"


    For a short while, Satori stared at Munch and said, "Don''t trouble Aku more than that."


    She followed after Aku, conveying only that much.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    "Munch-san, how could you deceive Satori?"


    After Aku had left, one of the members asked Munch fearfully. It was natural. Lying didn''t work in front of Satori. This was the fact everyone knew. Munch had told many white lies that were clear to any members who knew the truth, which by no means should be able to cheat Aku and Satori.


    "Satori can only read the minds of people instructed by Aku. It''s easy to deceive her as long as you guide them appropriately like this."


    The members looked at each other and then at a skinhead man.


    "You know, Munch, I think we should stop," the skinhead man suggested with a strong look in his eyes.


    "Whhaat? What are you saying after all this?"


    "That''s right. It''s toote. If I had reported it to Aku-san or Satori at that time, none of this would have happened to you or me."


    "He''s right, Munch-san," one of the subordinates advised Munch. "Let''s stop it, seriously. I''m sure even Munch would¡ª"


    Munch¡¯s expression changed to rage when he heard that. He turned to look at the skinhead man and shouted angrily, "Did you tell him?"


    "Oh. You''ve finally be yourself. I''m d to see you still have a little bit of your character."


    "A bit of my character? What do you mean by that?"


    "I see. You aren''t aware of it..." the skinhead man muttered sadly.


    "Like I said, what do you mean by that!?" Munch once again roughened his voice in frustration.


    "Anyway, we have gone too far. We have to carry the responsibility for it," the skinhead man said with a serious face as if challenging destiny.


    "Are you guys insane!? You can try to do that, but Aku will kill you!!"


    Munch red at all present members.


    "If we tell him everything without hiding anything, he will not kill us," the skinhead man said.


    "You¡ª"


    Munch''s face was twisted in disgust from the bottom of his heart.


    "Come on, Munch, let''s be honest and tell Aku everything. I''m sure we can still get back together," the skinhead man begged.


    "There''s no way I can do that," Munch muttered somewhat sadly.


    "I see... Then we are going to split here. Now we''re going to go to Aku and Satori and tell them everything. We will confess all of our sins."


    "You idiots..." Munch whispered.


    The next moment, a part of his head twisted into a squishy shape.


    "What?"


    And this became thest thing they remembered for the rest of their lives.


    The liquiding out from Munch pierced the skin of all the members one after another. Then, their eyes turned white and their bodies rattled.


    "Gugi! Guhu! Gah!"


    And then, they fell apart. The same went for the ve traders, Gill, and all of the members of Breathgarm.


    "You have now be like-minded fellows in both body and soul. Let''s start with you. Go to the guild, confessed just as I told you, and thenmit suicide."


    Gill staggered out of the house like a sleepwalker.


    "You and your soldiers will have to work for me as hard as you can," Munch, with a face devoid of any emotion, gave specific instructions.


    In this way, the greatest and most horrible incident in history, the human slime incident, began to unfold under various spections.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 46 - Guild enquiry meeting

    Together with the shop owner, we went to his house where his family lived, briefly exining to them about the situation, before teleported to Sagami Co. My n was for them to be guests in ourpany until the incident was resolved.


    We had so far narrowed down the perpetrator of the human slime incident this time, [Laguna]. I wasn''t that optimistic to assume that they hadn''t watched our movement in the past few days.


    In that case, there was a high chance for thepany to get attacked. There were many former members of the Red Fang Brigade under themand of Akuido, who specialized inbat, in this ce. They were battle experts who had lived their childhood amidst conflicts.These people had acquired arge amount of magic. Now, they had been one of the greatest forces in this continent. In addition, there were a lot of modern weapons that were still under development in thispany. Sagami Co. would not fall easily, even if it was attacked by the likes of [Laguna].


    However, the other employees working here in Starheim were different. All of them had begun to train, but neither in terms of status nor in terms of practice did they have the strength to engage in a serious fight with their elites.


    Of course, if they possessed modern weapons like a pistol, etc, it was quite possible for them to fight against the elites of [Laguna]. But justst week, aw had been announced that it was prohibited for anyone to use any weapons or rted materials outside except in areas controlled by the Empire. The reason for this too-quick response was probably the involvement of the power of the Aristocratic faction.


    Originally, the firearms were nned to be used to protect the employees from hostile forces such as [Laguna], but the recent war in the Empire had made their power and horror known to the world atrge. I had toe up with a new n to protect the staff of my business association.


    Anyway, right now it was an emergency, so it was necessary to evacuate all Straheim employees and concentrate our forces in thepany. That was why I hurriedly gathered all thebatants that could be stationed here.


    I had Spy protecting Pluto and the other students, while Kama was assigned to protect the Emperor. Hatch was the guardian for the two imperial princesses.


    Krama had also been trying to persuade the ve traders and prostitutes in the Imperial City several days now, but they had been out of touch. The Imperial City was [Laguna]¡¯s headquarters. Even now, they were the one ruling ve trading and prostitute business. The chance for persuasion was only 50/50. If the negotiation failed, then the first oue would be them attacking. And if that happened, the inexperienced Gill and the others would not be able topete with them. That was why, after discussing it with Krama, we decided that Gill and his team would only work on the persuasion in Straheim and the nearby inn town of Lte, where they had already established a certain business rtionship. Lte was a ce where I had business dealings, and Straheim was a ce where I had a strong influence. Above all, I had heard that the one in charge of ve trading and prostitution was quite a skilled person. I was sure they could understand profit and loss.


    The [Awakened One], Jude and Ka, were currently in the middle of discussing the purchase of an oil field they had discovered in the southern region of the Archivian Empire.


    Originally, the oil field was located in a reddish-brown wilderness. In the beginning, it belonged to the imperial government, but as they ran into a financial crisis, they didn''t have any other choice but to auction that plot ofnd. At first, there were no obvious sellers for such a wastnd, but when a major tradingpany learned of our intention to purchase it, they came forward. For all, being famous really had its cons. ording to the report from Judest night, it looked like it was possible to acquire the oil field without any trouble, as long as we gave up the mine that happened to be located on thend we purchased. That was the situation. Jude and Ca would have to concentrate on their business negotiations.


    In regards to that, there was a high chance for Ste and Aria to know about the situation if I called Sylphy. I hadn''t fallen that low to the point where I would drag those two children to the bloody organization war. Besides, I wanted them to continue their life and duty as students as much as possible. That was why I would not call them.


    For that reason, there were only three people here, Akuido, Theo, and Calogero. Thesebatants were more than enough to deal with this incident. To begin with, it didn''t matter how manybatants were there if I was not present at the time that monocle man attacked.


    "All shops in Straheim will be closed until things calm down. All Sagami Co. employees will be temporarily evacuated to Camelot''s living quarters. Theo, I am leaving you to take charge of Camelot, which will be out and defenseless."


    "Understood," Theo stood up and saluted.


    "Theo and Calogero will work together to close all stores immediately and transfer everyone to Camelot. Akuido is in charge of guarding thepany. I''m counting on you."


    "Leave it to me!" Akuido put his right fist on his chest and shouted. "What is my Lord nning to do?"


    "I am going to report about the details of this event to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Olivia and Lilinoa will stay here in thepan¡ª"


    "I will also go with you. With my help, things will proceed without any hitch."


    Just as I was about toplete my words, Olivia cut in between. Lilinoa also nodded, most likely she also had the same opinion as her.


    Certainly, Willy wasn''t the only top brass of the guild. It was still unknown to what extent the other guild¡¯s top brass would trust me, who was still a G-Rank Adventurer. However, it would be a different story if Olivia and Lilinoa, who had received the direct order of the emperor, came with me. Everyone would listen to them seriously.


    Besides, it wasn''t any exaggeration to say that the safest ce for them in this city was beside me. I guessed it was possible for them to apany me.


    "Alright, as long as you don''t act on your own. The only condition for letting you two apany me is that you stay close to me."


    "I know that!" Olivia turned away with a pout.


    "I understood!" Lilinoa nodded vigorously.


    "Then, the mission starts!"


    I stood up and issued them themand.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    As soon as I entered the Adventurer¡¯s Guild building, the staff simultaneously turned to look at me.


    Is Lilinoa¡¯s and Olivia¡¯s true status exposed? No, in that case, the reception should have been more positive. This intense negative gaze seemed to have been a preemptive move.


    ¡°Gray, this is¡­¡±


    As expected of royalty, they were quick to notice the nature of gazes that were different from normal. It was a kind of gaze I''d never experienced before.


    "Wee, Gray-san. An emergency executive meeting has just been held here in Straheim. Pleasee to the conference room immediately so that we can hear what''s going on," the receptionist informed me with a nk expression that I had never seen before.


    I see, in this time event, the guild has be an enemy. Maybe I should think that way.


    Not like it mattered to me. No matter who or what organization it was, if they tried to take mypany from me unjustly, I would do my best to resist.


    "You both don''t need toe with me. Most likely, the situation is going to be a bit disgusting one from now on."


    "Doesn''t matter. I will go too."


    "Same here."


    When I saw their determined expressions looking as if they weren''t listening to me, I refrained from saying any further.


    "Do whatever you like."


    Raising the corner of my mouth, I followed the receptionist.


    When we entered the room, we were greeted by a dozen men and women magnificently. Of course, it was sarcasm.


    "You''re Gray Ines Navarro, right?"


    A burly middle-aged man with long red hair and very long sideburns looked at me quizzically.


    "That''s right."


    "What''s with your way of talking with your superior, when you are just a beginner, and a brat on top of that!!"


    Arge and rough looking man that seemed to be one of the executives sitting next to the burly man mmed his fist at the table and shouted.


    "What? Don''t misunderstand. I only belong to the Adventurer''s Guild as a matter of convenience. You''re not my boss or anything."


    "What did you say!?"


    Instantly, the atmosphere turned threatening.


    .¡±Gray, be more amiable,¡± Lilinoa chided me in a whispering voice.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. I have no respect to pay to those idiots who can''t, no, more like won''t control even the bare minimum of the organization''s members."


    This was the biggest difference between me and Emperor Georg and the others. The imperial government was desperately trying to fulfill its mission as a nation against the tyranny of the aristocracy, foreign pressure, and Iskandar''s unnecessarilyrge presence. For this reason, I had a minimum amount of respect for Georg and the others.


    And what about the Adventurer¡¯s Guild members? In the undead assault, they abandoned their duties due to the absence of Caesar alone, and agreed to illegal deals like Munch''s out of fear of losing their strength.


    The human slime incident originally should have been something the guild should resolve itself. But they had shamelessly thrown the whole thing to us at the request of the imperial government. Against such a worthless group, this kind of attitude was more than enough.


    "You bastard¡ª!!"


    Therge and rough looking man tried to stand up in rage, but he was stopped by a man with mohawk hair with his right hand.


    "Humph! Hitting on our weak spot. But at his age, he''s got that kind of dominance. No wonder that idiot is so adamant."


    Pressing the cigar he had on his mouth on an iron te, the mohawk-haired man shifted his gaze towards Willy.


    "I think we both have said our greeting, so I would like to move forward to our main topic," Willy dered dispassionately, not minding the receptionist whose face had turned blue with her teeth ttering while watching our exchange.


    Willy¡¯s state didn''t look like he had much room to say. I didn''t have anything but an unpleasant premonition.


    "Then, let''s begin the hearing of Grey Inez Navarro. I, Gaius Carlos, will be the chairman. You guys are fine with that, right!?" The middle-aged man with a long sideburn, Gaius, uttered incoherent words as he looked at everyone present..


    "......."


    At the sight of Gaius, everyone''s jaws dropped and they fell silent. This man, Gaius, seemed to be quite a character. Carlos was the same as Caesar''sst name. Maybe he was a rtive or something.


    "Thank you foring, Your Imperial Highnesses. Now, due to urgent requirements¡ª" Gaius bowed his head lightly.


    "I understand. Please begin right away," Lilinoa nodded with a resolute look. However, the hands holding the hem of her skirt were trembling.


    "Gray, an usation against you frequently selling beginner Adventurer to ve traders has been circting. Is it true?" Gaius leaned forward and asked.


    Unlike the other officers, I could not see any negative feelings toward me in this man''s eyes.


    "Stop that charade. Just state out your real intention."


    The burly man next to me had a blue streak across his forehead and was about to open his mouth, but Gaius red at him and silenced him.


    "Yes, this is a charade, but there is a pride that cannot be protected without it."


    "Pride, huh. That''s a big deal. So, what''s the reason for it?"


    Gaius stared at me for a while, then he closed his eyes before taking a deep breath.


    "Bring him here."


    The receptionist gave a big nod and left the room.


    It seemed like the person who woulde held the key to this charade.


    "Gray..."


    Don''t worry. I stood on tiptoes and caressed Lilinoa''s head while waiting for the arrival.


    A small, bald-headed man emerges from behind the receptionist. When I saw his cold, dead eyes, I understood the worst-case scenario the devil had written.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I had just watched Gill in a daze as he talked about my non-existent crime. Of course, I didn''t have even a bit of doubt that I had been betrayed. Except that I was already toote to do anything. It was as if my heart had died, and I felt nothing.


    "Gill."


    "Yes," Gill replied to me with an emotionless voice like before.


    Right now, there was just one thing I wanted.


    "Is your body all right?"


    "Pre... sident?"


    For the first time, Gill, who had been looking down, looked up slightly.


    "Gray, hurry up and help Gill-san," Lilinoa said as she clung to me, looking like she was about to cry, fluttering her clothes.


    Lilinoa, who could use both holy magic and healing magic, probably had a faint indication about Gill''s condition.


    "Gray!" Olivia, who sensed the situation from Lilinoa''s appearance, shouted at me.


    Even I wanted to do that. But if I did that, Gill would surely disappear from our life. I could confirm that much.


    "Guh!! Gaha!!"


    Strength seeped out of Gill''s leg, and his knees fell to the floor. And then, a greenish liquid poured out of Gill''s left eye.


    "Gill!!"


    He stared at me. The right of his face that was intact contorted in apology.


    "Prezident... aiz am zorry. I, mezzed up."


    Every time Gill opened his mouth, his left face distorted even more.


    "Stop it..."


    The words of rejection leaked out of my mouth.


    "H-hey, no matter how I look at it, it''s getting out of hand. Stop it!!"


    A burly, dark-haired executive man next to me stood up, shouting in frustration, but Gaius stopped them with his right palm.


    "It''s probably thest word. Let him talk."


    Gill''s intact half face was as serious and calm as a soldier on his way to his death. The burly, dark-haired executive gulped at the look on his face and sat back down.


    "With this... everything enzed."


    "I''m telling you to stop!!"


    Even while shouting that, I activate [High Heal]. However, it didn''t give the normal sensation it usually should of healing by rewinding.


    Dammit! Dammit! Why is it not effective at all!!?


    Inwardly, I was shouting the obvious.


    "Gurei Prezident... to put false crime on him. I waz told."


    Not only from his right eye, the green liquid even began toe out from Gill''s right nose, ear, melting half of his face.


    "I said to stop it right away!! This is an order!!"


    As my vision blurred, I grabbed Gill by his shoulders and shouted at the top of my voice.


    "President thiz..."


    Gill pulled a te out of his pocket and put it in my hands.


    "Thaanz uuu bery muhz... pleaze taze care of them," he pleaded.


    "Oh, I will protect them together with you!!"


    With no strength left in his body, Gill leaned on me. Half of his face was smiling.


    No! Absolutely no! Not that face! It''s just like the face of Zem, that biggest dumbass who acted as if he had aplished something!!


    "Thank you, President... for giving me the opportunity to regain my pride."


    Abruptly, Gill''s whole body became powerless.


    "Hey!? You are joking, right!?"


    This is ridiculous! This has to be a lie!


    "Hey! Answer me, Gill!!" I rocked Gill''s shoulder as my vision blurred.


    "Gill!!"


    "Gray, he''s already dead!"


    Grabbing my right shoulder as I screamed, Willy shut his eyes and shook his head.


    At Willy''s words, my entire body slumped, and I felt helpless, as if a huge wind tunnel had opened in the wall of my mind.


    "Yeah, I knew that..."


    That''s right. How long do you think I''ve been watching people die? There was no way I didn''t know that. I just didn''t want to admit it. It''s natural after all. Why did a kind man who took care of orphaned children as if they were his own have to die? Isn''t that too, too much?


    "Willy. Did you guys know that Gill has turned out like that?"


    "Yeah, it was too illogical for him to expose your sins but still want to meet you. The only time he said he wanted to see you was when he was vomiting green liquid out of his mouth with a pained look on his face. I think it''s a miracle hested this long," Willy muttered sadly.


    "That''s why you pulled this farce?"


    "If we want to protect our honor, we have to do this. You know this too, don''t you?" Gaius said, his face filled with intense rage.


    "You also know this, right?"


    The te was the emblem of a family of Adventurers. There was a symbol of a snake entwined with a sword. It was the Breathgarm¡¯s family crest.


    "I didn''t know about that, but I expected it."


    That should be enough. Right now, I wanted to give Gill a break.


    I picked Gill up in my arms and started to leave the guild house, but...


    "Hey, wait a minute! Exin properly what''s going on!!" the burly executive that was next to me put his hand on my right shoulder and called out to stop me.


    "If you want to hear, ask those two."


    "But¡ª"


    "Leave me!"


    I red over my shoulder, and like a broken string, the burly executive removed his hand from my right shoulder in haste.


    Gill¡¯s death was simr to how Zem had died, both of them sacrificed themselves because of my naivety.


    I should have hunted down that scum organization [Laguna] more seriously. I should have handled the case of the little boy called Munch earlier as well.


    But it was already toote for me to say that now.


    "Gray, you..."


    Olivia, next to me, looked down at me anxiously. Lilinoa was already in tears. That''s right. For the past few days, the two of them, along with Gill and the others, had been helping take care of the children at the orphanage after the investigation.


    Gill had always treated children without any discrimination. He had heard it from a co-worker that Olivia and Lilinoa were royalty; however, in the end, he¡¯d still treated them just like how he treated other children. That was why you could tell by looking at Lilinoa that her work as a caretaker at that orphanage gave her a sense of security andfort.


    I''m sorry, but no matter what Iskandar or the Emperor says, Lilinoa and Olivia will have to leave this matter alone.


    From here on out, it was the real time for us, the demons. I must make a clear distinction here. It was not for the sake of Gill. Most of all, it was for me.


    Forcing down my magma-like rage, I teleported to the first floor of Sagami Co.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 46.5 - Thank you for protecting my pride - Gill

    Gill was an orphan. He was entrusted to church at a young age, but he ran away at 12. Since then, he had lived a life of sloshing through muddy water.


    For the sake of living, he had done everything. Fighting, killing, ckmailing, and stealing were everyday urrences. When he looked back to the old days, Gill realised what an irredeemable scumbag he was.


    At the age of 20, he went to Lte and tried to get money out of young men and women as usual, but he waspletely beaten up by a blonde woman on the contrary.


    From the beginning, Gill had a well-built body and physical strength, hence he had quite a confidence in himself. And yet, he was easily beaten ck and blue by the woman.


    The woman looked at Gill rolling on the ground and proposed, "In case you have nothing better to do,e to my ce. We will wee you."


    It wasn''t like Gill had any dramatic changes inside his heart at that time. It was just that he thought it might be a good idea, since he was bored anyway. But still, even as a lone wolf, Gill joined the Revise Family, an organization run by that woman as the head.


    The blonde female chief always talked about sweet things that were unthinkable for a mafia.


    For example, she would take in orphaned children without parents and raise them until they became adults. Another example, she counseled those who were in trouble in Lte and did her best to help them. One more example was how she would never forgive ve trading or illegal drug cirction.


    All of them were actions unthinkable for a mafia. At first, heined that there was no way he could make it as a mafia. However, as he continued to live in Lte, mingling with people there, things like that became the norm. As a matter of fact, Gill found itforting.


    After that, a lot of things happened. The Revise Family grew, and Gill got an underling who idolized him.


    His chief got a boyfriend, and Lady Aria was born.


    Of course, there were lots of painful times, but still, Gill thought he was certainly in a happy ce at that time.


    However, things Immediately began to turn for the worse when the chief died of illness. Even though she was getting weaker and weaker, she still worked hard for the sake of others, and in the end, she persisted in her will and died.


    What followed were days of hardship for Gill and the others. It was the domination of [Laguna]. The chief had a certain rtionship with several high-ranking nobles and was constantlyying the groundwork. That was why the forces of [Laguna] had never set foot in the troublesome Lte.


    And with the death of the chief, that link broke.


    Under the orders of [Laguna], the [Feesis Family], a scum family, was sent to Lte. And they ordered Gill and the others to run a ve trading business.


    The boss of the [Feesis Family], Mountain, was a perverted bastard who loved mincing and raping young boys and girls.


    The women were forced to work as prostitutes until they died, and the men were forced to do manualbor in the mines. But still, adults were still allowed to live. However, because of Mountain¡¯s hobby, children were yed or tortured until their deaths. In the midst of all this, they even imposed a quota on the sale of a certain number of ves and the delivery of children.


    Many times, Gill thought about turning against [Laguna]. However, what would happen if he did that? First of all, it was obvious that he would not be able to stop himself and would start making trouble for citizens other than the ves. The citizens of Lte, whom the previous chief had loved so much. That was why Gill and the others closed their eyes and chose the option of sacrificing ves. He had fallen to be a demon, using his secret protection of the ve children as an excuse.


    With a feeling of resignation, Gill and his family''s pride was thoroughly humiliated, and their spirit was slowly but surely broken. At that time, a child a few years older than Lady Aria appeared in Lte, which was a melting pot of misery at that time.


    The child, who called himself Gray,pletely destroyed the [Feesis family] in one night. However, a single remark from that boy was thest saving straw for Gill.


    He became a member of Sagami Co. and underwent battle training everyday.


    Life as a human being. He was happy, as if he had returned to the time of his childhood when the chief was still alive.


    Soon after, everyone discussed the matter, and Gill and the others decided to make amends for their mistake.


    It was to buy ve children from all over the country and raise them for free until they became adults. This was the lowest form of atonement that their chief would have hated, but it was the only salvation that Gill and the others could provide.


    He had thought that President Gray, who vaguely resembled his chief, would oppose the idea. However, he easily gave his approval. Gill faintly realised at that time. He realised that deep inside the president was a darkness and despair that Gill could not imagine.


    Thus, Gill and her friends were given the opportunity to regain their pride.


    There, he made the biggest mistake at that meeting to release the prostitutes and ves. He was in a hurry to please the President and everyone else. He became the puppet of the purple-haired monster.


    It was a desperate feeling, he was forced to watch the scene, confined inside an iron cage amidst the sea of darkness. And then, for some reason, a part of the purple-haired monster''s thoughts flowed into him.


    It was about [Laguna] that had been approaching new Adventurers for a long time, forcing them to do illegal works and then selling them off as ves to keep their mouths shut. They were going to me President Gray with the crime of the recent disappearance of a neer adventure, dissolving Sagami Co. and usurping the enormous fortune of thepany with the cooperation of the Empire''s aristocratic faction. Such a corrupted n was in progress.


    For Gill and the others, Sagami Co. was like a second home for them. Lady Aria also had been given some important duties in thepany and was embarking on a new road.


    Not only Lady Aria. Everyone else had also found hope in thispany and was making steady progress every day, step by step.


    Such a ce of salvation was taken away by such vulgar trash like [Laguna]. He couldn''t allow that to happen.


    And above all, there was no way he wanted to expose President Gray to the danger after he had rescued everyone and Lady Aria from despair. Despite that, Gill failed to sacrifice himself, and he was reduced to the point where he could do nothing except watch the scene as visual information. This was painful to an unbearable degree.


    Just as he was about to give in to despair, the ck bird appeared in front of him.


    It will be only for a little bit of time, but I will give you the opportunity to be able to be a human again.


    That was what the ck bird announced.


    Return to be a human?


    You are no longer a human. You''re just a puppet for them to use.


    I see...


    Gill himself had already expected for him to die. There was no need to be surprised at the fact that he was no longer a human.


    However, by no means he had thought that even after his death, he would pull the legs of hisrades.


    It''s just¡ª


    You don''t need to say it, I know. After bing a human again, I''m going to die, aren''t I?


    Oh, you noticed?


    The ck bird asked Gill in surprise.


    Well, somehow.


    In the first ce, when you are no longer a person, you are as good as dead. The current Gill was like a ghost that had crawled out of the cold ground of the cemetery.


    So, are you sure you want to return to being a human? It''s going to hurt like hell, you know.


    Foolish question.


    Gill didn''t intend to live until he was no longer a human and more importantly, I''m not going to cause trouble to President Gray, to whom I owe so much, just for my own sake.


    As usual, his subordinates are hard to deal with.


    The ck bird disappeared with a final voice of dismay.


    I will do it!


    Thus, Gill decided to y thest game of victory and defeat.


    After that, he was just waiting for the right moment, and the opportunity presented itself. As soon as the sign of people disappeared from the room, there was a te of Adventurer on the table.


    Gill moved his body. Sharp, acute pain ran through his body as if someone was piercing him with a bright red burning hot stick, but he managed to put the te in his pocket. With this te, the President would be able to reach the purple-haired monster.


    His consciousness was fading quickly. He could feel it. He could only do that for one or at most two times. He didn''t have much time left. Failure would not be forgiven.


    It was thest chance for Gill, and the fight began.


    To frame President Gray, the purple-haired monster instructed Gill to give fake information to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. He was taken to the reception room, where he began to confess in front of a handsome blonde man. Amidst that, Gill only opened his mouth and said, "I hope you can call the President."


    As a result, his consciousness began to flicker, melting into a deep darkness just as he expected.


    The next thing Gill noticed was when the President asked him, "Is your body okay?".


    "Pre... sident."


    Somehow, he was able to move his mouth. He was once again able to meet the President. For the first time in his life, Gill thanked God for this extraordinary miracle.


    And at the same moment, an agonized pain ran through his body. He couldn''t help but drop to the floor on his knees. In the midst of the pain that was driving him crazy, Gill desperately continued to spin his words. And finally, the final moment arrived.


    Somehow, his mind was clear and transparent, relinquishing the strong feeling of satisfaction, as if he had finally achieved something. In the past, Gill could only watch as his chief got weaker everyday. As he was tormented by his helplessness, he had no choice but to look silently.


    However, this time was different. Gill was finally able to risk his life for his boss, who was both magnificent and helplessly gentle.


    In front of him was the young face of President Gray.


    Ah, that''s right. In this shit-like world with no salvation, only this person had saved Gill and the others. He could work beside him. It was an inexplicable source of pride. This person would continue to save many people and lead them to the right path. It''s a shame that I won''t be able to stay by his side to see it.


    But it''s okay. He could easily imagine the smile on the face of hisrades he had now, and the smile on the faces of people the President would meet from now on.


    This will probably be ourst conversation.


    "President... Thank you... for protecting my pride"


    And finally, Gill conveyed thest word from the bottom of his heart.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 47 - Wait for me

    I teleported to the first floor of Sagami Co. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to look at me at the same time, but ignoring it, Iy down Gill on a nearby sofa.


    I¡¯m sorry, Gill, but wait here for a while. I will finish everything.


    Lilinoa, whose face was wet due to tears; Olivia, who shivered as her head bowed solemnly; and all of the members, who guessed the situation by looking at my murderous expression, rushed toward Gill and started screaming and crying when they realized that he would never move again.


    "I''m sorry, Gray," Akuido muttered as he approached me. I could see the intense sorrow, regret and a lot of things from Akuido''s face as his tightly clenched fist shivered slightly.


    For Akuido, Gill was a beloved student ofbat. He had happily reported to me about how quick of a learner he was.


    Again, he couldn''t protect him. It was utterly frustrating and unforgivable. That was why I could understand why he wanted to me himself.


    However, if anyone was to me, it should be the person who had thought up and participated in this disgusting scenario, and me, who had not grown up at all.


    "Don''t apologise."


    "Gray, you¡ª"


    "I will leave the rest to you."


    Akuido tried to say something, but I interrupted him with my urgent request.


    "I understand. Leave it to me," Akuido gritted his teeth and nodded.


    Just as I was about to invoke teleportation, I was suddenly hugged from behind. This sweet scent, Lilinoa.


    "Lili?"


    "I will also go!"


    Lilinoa shouted from my back with a determined voice. That was just like her to say something like that, I knew it.


    "You and Olivia must stay here."


    "No," she immediately replied.


    "Gray, did you already forget the order from my father?" Olivia brought up Iskandar''s instructions to me as she put her right hand on her thin waist.


    "Doesn''t matter. You can report anything as you like."


    "What!?"


    Perhaps my reply was too unexpected. I looked away from the speechless Olivia, pulled away Lilinoa from behind me, and pushed her lightly toward Akuido.


    "Gray?"


    As Lilinoah tried to rush again, I pointed my right palm at her to indicate my rejection.


    "From here on is our territory. Amateurs should stay behind."


    "Amateur? I can use holy magic and healing magic, and I have learned martial arts from my father since childhood! We will not be a burden."


    It was clear from this statement. Iskandar had only trained the two of them without teaching them the essence of fighting. Well, I thought it must be because they were that important to Iskandar.


    "You really don''t have any idea."


    And the less you know, the happier you will be. If they had known about it, it just meant they were in the same wrestling area as us. Only a few people like the monocle man or Iskandar held the one-way ticket to the underworld, where demons were rampaging around. They knew where they were going to end up.


    It was just my hunch, but the one pulling the string behind the scene this time was also from our human side.


    "Then what!? A warrior will!? Or should I prepare for death!? Don''t take me as an idiot! Even I know that much!!"


    The words were warm and sweet, making me want tough and hug them. That was why I might be envious of them.


    "No, it''s the difference between having It here and not having it here," I said, pressing my thumb on my chest.


    "Having it? What do you mean!?" Olivia asked, pulling a scowl on her face.


    "A monster," I replied gravely.


    "Monster? Are you trying to evade the question!!"


    "I know you can''t understand. That''s why I can''t take you along with me."


    I turned my back to them and invoked teleportation.


    "Wa-wait a minute!!"


    A wind barrier appeared around Olivia, enclosing her from all sides as she tried to run towards me.


    "What!? Let me out!!"


    Olivia tried to attack at the wind wall, but of course, nothing happened. It would be a hassle if she acted on her own. I would have to make her stay quietly there until it was over.


    "Calogero, do it."


    "........."


    Calogero bowed silently.


    The opponent was [Laguna], an ouw. It was easy to see what they might be thinking. Then, it was necessary to have some kind of insurance.


    Of course, the possession of firearms was a vition of the agreement, but now, in this tense situation, there was no need to protect it. I was sure Calogero would do his best until the end.


    I turned to Lilinoa and the others and said, "Wait here together with Gill."


    "Gray¡ª"


    As Lilinoa''s screams shook my eardrums, I teleported to the northwest district, where their headquarter was located. I¡¯d already know the location of Breathgarm from the information Krama had provided.


    It was the mansion at the end of the road, straight ahead from here.


    "Now, let''s go."


    Breathgarm, [Laguna], and then that piece of shit who was ying this disgusting scenario from behind. This was a war that they had started. I would show them what true help looks like. They would not mind, right? After all, that was the end they had desired yourself, right?


    I moved slowly down the road.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 48 - Raising the curtain on the worst drama

    Satori looked nkly at the profile of the dark-haired man looking down into the coffin, more expressionless than usual, in a funeral parlor.


    He didn''t turn red from rage nor did he break down crying with grief. He just stared at Badrack''s corpse silently.


    Aku indeed seldomly showed his emotions in his expression. He was the type of guy to be easily misunderstood as cruel or cold-hearted, but in reality, he was morepassionate and caring than anyone else.


    When Badrack had joined the group, Aku took him out for meals and adventures frequently, so Satori thought he liked him a lot. That was why he must be quite shocked when he heard that Badrack had suddenly stopped working for Breathgarm.


    Satori knew that the cause of this was that newbie-crusher, Munch, and she was sure Aku was aware of it as well. Still then, it was far better than dying. Reckless newbie adventurers often died quite early, after all. A n of extremely dangerous adventurers certainly needed someone like Munch to teach them how to be strict.


    However, the case of Badrack was different. Ever since then, several adventurers had dropped out of the Breathgarm n and the air inside the n had changed concretely.


    Satori asked Munch about the incident, but was met with curt dismissal.


    Apparently, Satori''s abilities had been exaggerated to the point of iming that she could read people''s minds. But, as a matter of fact, she could only see the color of the statement.


    Precisely speaking, if a statement was a lie, some kind of greyish color would exude out of the liar. In other words, rather than calling it mind reading, it was nothing more than being able to identify whether a statement was a lie or not. It was that kind of wed ability. As long as you know the nature of Satori''s ability, you can easily counteract it by simply changing the way you say things.


    Munch seemed to be aware of this w. Of course, Satori didn''t trust him very much. Besides, Munch''s act was bizarre. It was hard to put into words, but just talking to him made her feel intensely ufortable. Anyhow, she felt like there was more than meets the eye


    "Aku, I have an unpleasant premonition. Let''s investigate this incident once again by ourselves."


    "No need......"


    That''s how it happened.....


    Aku had a faith in Satori''s [Soul of Word]. No, he trusted it too much. As long as Satori said it wasn''t a lie, Aku would not have a shred of doubt about it. Until now, at least he''d respected Satori''s opinion as much as he respected her ability. However, it was the first time he rejected her so strongly.


    "What a pity, he was still young. What a poor soul."


    A grey-haired man with his long white beard walked into the room.


    "........"


    Akuu pulled out his long sword from the scabbard he was carrying over his back and turned the tip toward the old man.


    "Don''t point such a boorish thing at a sickly old man. Besides, I''m not Sir''s enemy."


    "You, a sickly old man? Make a joke anywhere else!" Satori shouted instead of Aku. She could sniff the smell peculiar to scumbags. It would be farfetched to trust that person. The wisest choice would be to stay away from him.


    "I''m talking with the S-Rank adventurer, Aku. Weaklings should shut up!" the grey-haired old man stared at Satori as if he was looking at a bug.


    Hisment caused a thick blue streak to appear on Aku''s forehead, and the hilt of his sword began to shake.


    "I think you should stop there. I will not spare you if you turn me into an enemy."


    The face of the grey-haired old man was tinged with malice as he red at Aku with a piercing look.


    "Now, now. Hold down there, you guys. Right now, we should cooperate to kill that brat."


    Just then, a purple-haired young man, Munch, entered the room and cut in between Aku and the grey-haired old man.


    As expected, it feels disgusting whenever Munch is around. Previously, although Satori hadn''t been on good terms with Munch, it wasn''t enough to the point she felt psychologically disgusted.


    Multiple personalities, so to speak,bined and wriggled around. It was such an unbelievable feeling.


    "I will kill that bastard."


    Aku lowered his sword, sheathed it on the scabbard he was carrying over his back, and was about to exit the room.


    "Like I was saying, I will prepare the battlefield."


    "Battlefield?"


    Akuu stopped his footsteps and, just slightly, turned his head.


    "Be grateful. We have dered a war against him. As long as you wait here on your base, he will show himself."


    Akuu stared at the grey-haired old man with his piercing stare for a while.


    "Let''s go Satori," he urged Satori to follow him, and left the room.


    "What are you nning to do, Munch?"


    "Is it all right? Won''t you bete to follow him?"


    She didn''t think leaving Aku alone like this was the right choice. Clicking her tongue, she chased after Aku''s back.


    ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Just as Satori left the room, Munch gave the grey-haired old man beside him a nce.


    "Poisonous Liquor, what do you think will happen?" he asked with an eerie smile on his face.


    "Humph, it''s not something you should be worried about. The preparation isplete."


    Nodding in satisfaction, Munch turned his head in front of Poisonous Liquor.


    Poisonous liquor unconsciously took a step, pulling a scowl as he saw Munch impossibly turned his neck 180¡ã.


    "Disgusting! Don''t turn to look at me like that!"


    "My bad, my bad, I shouldn''t have done that. Oh, but, cheer up! Poisonous Liquor! There''s a reward from that gentleman!"


    "Reward from the gentleman?"


    Poisonous Liquor''splexion changedpletely. He stared at Munch for a while before his face was dyed in disgust as if realization had dawned on him.


    "I don''t want it! Although we are working together right now, I''m not nning to get involved with him more than I have to!"


    "Don''t say that. You are not Gray''s opponent. If I have to say it out loud, you don''t have any force to fight, right?"


    "You bastard......." Poisonous Liquor face was flushed with rage.


    "Here, take it," Munch tossed him a pendant.


    "Hiiiiiiii!!"


    However, he screamed like a rain frog being trampled down, and promptly avoided the pendant.


    Poisonous Liquor looked at the pendant on the ground for a while, observing it. Then, he looked back and ordered one of his ck-clothed subordinates, "Pick it up!"


    A ck-clothed man picked up the pendant hesitantly.


    "Nothing happened?"


    "Yes!"


    One of his men nodded, tilting his head.


    "So sad. I''m really sad. I wish you could trust me more."


    Not knowing when, a masked man wearing a hoodpletely concealing himself from head to toe, Conductor, appeared next to Poisonous Liquor.


    "Isn''t it obvious?! You, sir, have a previous record of doing something like that!"


    "I can''t deny it. But it is an item that''s safe to possess."


    "What''s its effect?"


    "It''s an item that fixes the holder''s status on the Brave realm."


    "Brave realm? Status?" Poisonous Liquor frowned, parroting.


    "I see, you don''t know about it. Status, so to speak, indicates someone''s strength. Speaking roughly about this pendant, it''s an item that makes you incredibly strong."


    "The way to use it?"


    "The holder only has to charge mana in the pendant."


    He looked at his subordinates holding the pendant and ordered, "Wear the pendant and charge your mana in it!"


    "B-but¡ª"


    "Do it!"


    When directed by a murderous re, the subordinate wore the pendant around his neck with trembling hands and charged mana in it.


    Then, a terrible oppressive pressure began to flow out of him.


    "......."


    Poisonous Liquor ordered the subordinate, who was moving his hands in silence, "As a test, punch that wall lightly."


    "Y-yes!" the subordinate nodded and hurled his right fist on the wall.


    Boom!!!


    With a crushing sound, the wall blew away without a trace, revealing arge hole, and the moonlight shone in.


    "A-amazing....." the subordinate was taken aback dumbfoundedly.


    Poisonous Liquor asked, "Do you feel anything wrong with your body?"


    "N-No!"


    "I see, then give it to me."


    He snatched the pendant from the loudly mumbling subordinate, put it on himself, and applied magic power to it.


    "Hahahaha!!! Wonderful, Conductor! With this, you can get that brat, no, even the world in your hands!" Poisonous Liquor trembled with joy and ecstasy.


    "I''m really d you liked it," Conductor smiled.


    ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Munch and hispanions straightened their postures in unison as Poisonous Liquor and the others left the room in high spirits.


    "What an idiot. There''s no way such power is enough to go against that brat," Conductor''s face twisted viciously, as if he was amused.


    "With all due respect, Aku is far more powerful than Poisonous Wine. Wouldn''t it have been better to use it on Aku?" Munch asked Conductor hesitantly.


    "It''s fine. He''s a bit too pure for this. The dirtier you are, the more that [Demon Lord Seed] fits in."


    "I''m really thankful for your praise!"


    Conductor nodded in satisfaction as Munch shuddered with tears of joy.


    "The experiment of transnting it into an ape demon was aplete failure, as it did not even germinate. I hope it will be a good seedbed this time."


    Conductor walked around the room in a good mood, and Munch and the others all knelt down at once.


    "Now, my cute little servants! Pull the curtain on this thrilling and exciting y and turn it into reality!!"


    As Conductor held up his hands high, all humans in the room hung their heads in unison.


    And so, the curtain slowly rose on the lowest and worst of y.


    (T/N : the brave word herees from ¡°Eiyuu¡± and the usual hero wordse from ¡°Yuusha¡±. Literally speaking both means hero and in terms of context, ¡°Eiyuu¡± is used when someone achieved a legendary feat like defeating a demon king and ¡°Yuusha¡± means someone who¡¯s trying to achieve that legend. That¡¯s why summoned hero called as ¡°Yuusha¡± and any past legendary her as ¡°Eiyuu¡±)

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 49 - The clash of two great men

    I arrived in front of a three-story mansion.


    A small young man with short cut ck hair was dauntingly standing in front of the mansion.


    His well-developed physique, which could be seen even through his clothes, his intimidating presence, and his wless pose were the real thing, not something like Munch''s shrewd imitation, which didn''t evene close to it.


    If I had to guess, he was the S-Rank Adventurer, Aku, whom I had heard from rumors. His eyes weren''t rotten. This kind of fool, even if he were to be killed, would not be capable ofmitting atrocities. Then I had no use for this guy.


    That''s why, I gave a warning, "Unrted members, draw back."


    If he didn''t obey, I would just eliminate him.


    "......."


    Aku silently drew his greatsword from its scabbard on his back and held it high.


    So, he desired mortalbat? My bad, but right now, I was in a bad mood. If you bared fangs on me, even if it was a harmless puppy, I would crush everything.


    "Gray, don''t kill him. The guild needs him."


    Looking back over my shoulder, I saw that Willy, Gaius, and the rest of the executives, as well as several armed adventurers, surrounded the mansion.


    The majority of them were probably my watchdogs. Hoping I didn''t overdo and kill everyone.


    "Hahaha, hahahahaha!!!"


    Beginning with Willy, everyone standing here looked at Aku, whoughed like a broken radio while looking at us.


    But I knew exactly how Aku felt. Because the look in his eyes as he stared at all of us held the same thing as I had for them right now. Most likely, the boy sold to [Laguna] had been killed? It was really a revolting action.


    "........."


    Aku stopped his brokenughter and gripped his long sword tightly. The hilt of his sword made a creaking noise due to its extraordinary strength.


    And then, a shout like a war cry echoed in the night sky.


    "You bastards, as expected, you are all colluding together!!"


    The female receptionist, who was holding a weapon, fell on her butt from the loud shout that shook the atmosphere.


    Why the hell does Willy bring out such an amateur to this ce? I couldn''t understand what he was thinking at all.


    "I-it''s a misunderstanding, Aku-san. We are¡ª" the female receptionist desperately shouted out to pacify Aku.


    "Stop it. It''s useless. He''s not the type of person who will be influenced by the words of an amateur like you!" I shouted to stop her and shut her mouth.


    In addition, in his current situation, if it was as I predicted, he wouldn''t even listen to anyone unless you crushed himpletely.


    "It seems like you understand! I will definitely not forgive you!!!"


    "Humph, there''s no meaning behind a powerless person''s shout, no matter how much he does it. If you want to, show it with your power," I held my left palm and beckoned him.


    He bent down while ring at me with his bloodshot eyes.


    It seemed like it was the beginning of the farce.


    "Come on, young man. I will teach you how cruel this world can be."


    "Kill you! I''m going to kill you---!!" Aku howled and dashed towards me. I lowered my centre of gravity as I put the strength into my hand.


    The next moment, we both collided.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I stepped back and dodged therge sword, which was as wide as my torso, as it sliced through the air in an overzealous manner.


    Aku, who swung down his sword with de, then did a reverse side sweep.


    With my right hand, I fended off therge sword that approached to cut me in half, and mmed it upward.


    "What......" Aku''s eyes widened in astonishment.


    "Are you an idiot?"


    I stomped my right foot on the ground, jumped over his chest, and mmed my right fist into his abdomen.


    Boom!!


    Together with the feeling of something snapping, Aku was blown off to the side and rolled on the ground.


    "Stand up!"


    If he didn''t, Aku''s desire would not be fulfilled, and he wouldn''t be able to take the next step. He staggered to his feet and held up his greatsword. Aku''s both legs were slowly but gradually convulsing. The blow he had just received had left him dizzy.


    Naturally. Aku''s status was D+. He was on the same low level as Caesar, whom I had just met recently. Originally, there was a gap between me and Aku that was bigger than the Mariana Trench.


    While that might be true, it didn''t mean I could rx.


    "Gahhhhhhh!!" roaring like a beast, Aku dashed towards me at once, brandishing his greatsword.


    I grabbed the iing overhead sh, which was swung down as if to cleave my skull apart, with my right hand and struck his chest, this time with the base of my palm.


    As he crashed into the mansion with the force of a cannonball, it also broke through the wall and disappeared into the building.


    "Monster........"


    I heard an Adventurer whisper behind my back.


    "Division Head, what the hell was that!?"


    Just then, the female receptionist pointed at me with the index finger on her right hand and asked a rude question.


    "I told you, didn''t I? It wasn''t a contest at all."


    "B-but, isn''t Aku-san an S-Rank Adventurer!?"


    The other Adventurers also nodded exaggeratedly in agreement as the receptionist approached and continued to rattle.


    "Even Caesar, who was now an inhuman, said he wouldn''t be able to win against him. But then, against an inexperienced and still developing adventurer, someone like Aku can''t even resist!"


    "That red hero, Caesar........"


    Willy looked pitifully at the receptionist, who squatted down and groaned.


    I didn''t care, but what did that guy Willy think of me?


    Well, whatever. More than that¡ª


    "Stand up. I''m still unharmed, you see?" I said cruelly to Aku.


    Aku staggered out of the rubble of the building. He had deep cuts all over his body and surely had broken a bone or two.


    "Dammmmmmit!!!!!!"


    Even in that tattered state, he charged towards me.


    This continued for around twenty minutes. Aku was now so tattered, he just looked like a ragged dust cloth, and without the strength to hold his greatsword, he came at me.


    I swatted his legs away, and Aku''s body spun several times in the air before crashing to the ground.


    "It''s over! You win!"


    A girl with green hair and long ears stood in front of me, arms outstretched, trying to protect Aku.


    "Move away. It''s not over yet."


    "Please stop there, Gray-san! This game is long over! This is nothing more than mob violence now! This can''t be allowed any¡ª" the ck-haired receptionist screams.


    "Stop, Shelly!"


    At Gaius''s sharp voice, the ck-haired receptionist, Shelly''s, body trembled.


    "Why is it, Guild Leader!?"


    "Because it''s necessary."


    "Why is there such a need for torment!?"


    It wasn''t only Gaius. Willy and the other adventurers in the field could only watch with closed mouths.


    "Everyone, all of you are strange!!" Sherry shouted with teary eyes as she looked at the situation.


    "Go away! You''re in the way!"


    Akuu pushed the green-haired girl away, spat the blood in his mouth onto the ground with a puff, swung his right arm, and started walking towards me with an unsteady gait.


    He then stood in front of me, closed both eyes tightly, caught his breath, and took a stance.


    "Haaa!"


    Akuu snapped his eyes open and brought out his right fist to strike at me.


    Oh.........


    His right fist was approaching me with an unusual speed.


    Did he break through his limit?


    The right fist struck my right cheek, and a dull sound reverberated around me.


    "Hmph, it''s your win, Aku."


    Hearing this, Aku''s corner of mouth raised in satisfaction as he copsed facing upward.


    "You really are......." Aku mumbled.


    It seemed like his hotheadedness had calmed down, and he had regained hisposure a bit.


    "I tell you, I never hurted the young boy named Badrak or sold him to the vers. To begin with, none of you understand a bit about merchants. Hurting and then selling the members of ourpany? Don''t be ridiculous! No decent merchant will do such an unproductive thing."


    At my mocking words, Aku only tilted his head to look at the green-haired girl.


    "He''s not lying," the green-haired girl dered strangely decisively.


    "By the way, this is a list of your family''s misdeeds that my men have investigated. Here, take it."


    They had forcibly recruited new adventurers and given them a quota of quests and demon ying. Then, they would proceed to give those who couldn''t protect their quota a beating in the name of education. The same went for those who tried to leave.


    In addition, they had extorted the general poption of Straheim, and rampaged through certain business associations to get money from them. It was a disgusting list of inept and vulgar details that made me wonder how they coulde up with such trivial things.


    "Misdeeds?"


    Instead of Aku, who couldn''t move, the green-haired girl flipped through the documents with a frown, but her face suddenly turned bright red. Of course, it was because of the violent fury that churned in her gut.


    "Is this true?" she asked, barely squeezing out her voice.


    "It''s all true. All of it has been verified," instead of me, Willy replied immediately.


    I see, that''s how you are going to protect Gill''s honor, huh? Certainly, if it had been verified by  the other party, there was no need to testify to them here at this ce. In short, it was necessary to prove in front of the guild leaders that Gill had apelling reason to tell a lie.


    "Give it to me!!"


    Aku got up, squirming, snatched it from the green-haired girl, and started reading the information.


    As he continued to read, Aku''s hands holding the report shivered, and his face became as angry as a demon''s.


    "Satori, is this information true?" he muttered his doubts.


    "That''s what Willy thinks, at least," Satori nodded, jerking her chin.


    "Munchhhhhhh!!!" Aku shouted in anger, like a raging thunderbolt.


    I also surveyed the surroundings and shouted, "Come out already, you peeping bastards! I know you are here!"


    Suddenly, a myriad of presence surrounded us all.


    "It looks like we have been exposed."


    The front door of the mansion opened, and a purple-haired man, Munch, appeared, apanied by his adventurer-like subordinates.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 50 - Very unlucky

    Munch and the others came out of the building and of course, all of them wereughing eerily without exception.


    "Munch, you bastard!!!" roared Aku.


    However, Munch just ignored Aku as if he wasn''t even worth more than food stuck in his teeth.


    "How is the preparation?" Munch asked the old man with the long beard and grey hair, who was looking down at us from the top of the building with his ck eyes.


    "The encirclement isplete. Not a single bug can run away."


    "Understood."


    Munch raised his right arm, and in an instant, groups of several dozen armed men appeared out of the darkness of night, surrounding us on top of hedges and buildings.


    This group of ck-clothed men looked considerably well-trained. No, more than that¡ª


    "You guys knew everything!"


    The adventurersing out of the building said nothing, except grinning eerily at the raging Aku.


    "It''s useless, Aku."


    This feeling of bugs squirming around their skins. It''s toote to save them.


    "Ugh....." Satori stared at Munch, but her lips were shivering, and blood drained from her face as if she had just seen a ghost.


    "Hey, Satori!" Aku called out to Satori, whose body was unusually trembling, but¡ª


    "Aku, they aren''t the same Munch and our family members....."


    That was all she could squeeze out to say.


    "What are you saying!? No matter how you look at it, aren''t they Munch and the other family members!?"


    I was sure he had vaguely realised the meaning of Satori''s words, but he still called out to her out of ever-present desperation. He most likely didn''t want to believe it. In that case, I would forcefully make him aware of this worst situation.


    "Let me show you the proof!"


    I invoked [Explosive Thread], making the thread appear behind Munch, wrapping it around his neck, and pulling it with all my might.


    "Huh?"


    As soon as I did that, Munch¡¯s stupid voice rattled in our eardrums. At the same time, Munch¡¯s head slowly fell to the ground.


    "You bastard!!"


    Looking at this, Aku turned around to give me an ogre-like expression.


    "Idiot. It¡¯s impossible for someone to get his head blown off without even a drop of blooding out. Look at the reality with your own eyes!" I pointed with my index finger and urged him.


    "H-hey¡ª!"


    "You''re lying......."


    The adventurers behind me shouted in astonishment. It was natural. Because, the fallen head of Munch deformed, turned into purple poisonous liquid, and merged into Munch¡¯s legs that had lost the head. Then, a bulge formed where the head had been and once again molded into his face.


    "Quite rude, you are," while grinning, what once had been Munch opened its mouth that split wide to its ears.


    "Grey, this is....?" Willy asked as his voice trembled uncharacteristically.


    "Well, it doesn''t look human at the very least," I replied while turning over my shoulder to look at them.


    However, not only the female receptionist, but even Gaius was frozen stiff with his eyes wide open. Good grief, things at this level shouldn''t be enough to shock you if you are an adventurer.


    So, we had been surrounded from all sides, but above all¡ª


    "Hostage?"


    "Yes, you guessed it right. Poisonous Liquor!"


    When Munch looked up at the white-haired old man called Poison Liquor on top of the building, I saw that the ck-d men had carefully ced knives close to the throats of three gagged children.


    Good grief, it''s the same approach these scumbags always have.


    "So? Are you nning to kill these children?"


    "It depends on your actions."


    If I considered the petty thoughts of the mastermind behind this, the chance of saving them should be around fifty percent.


    But I wasn''t going to make the same mistake as Id'' made with Gill.


    "Grey, stay out of this. The children''s livese first," Willy reminded me intently.


    "Idiot, do you want to make a concession with terrorists? That would be a fool''s errand, wouldn''t it?"


    If we all died, we wouldn''t be able to save these children either. Besides, no matter where, there was only one measure we needed to take against these terrorists.


    I raised my right arm¡ª


    "Care~ful, don''t move!"


    And snapped my fingers, ignoring the white-haired old man who called to keep tabs on me.


    The next moment. Multiple lights appeared out of nowhere, and the heads of the three ck-clothed men holding knives to the children''s throats were blown off.


    As expected of Calogero, he seemed to be doing fine.


    "Wha!?"


    The long-bearded, white-haired man promptly bent his body to evade and used one ck-clothed man as a shield.


    "Siege those brats. I don''t mind if you kill one or two of them!" he fired his instructions.


    They really are disgusting guys.


    Killing children and treating humans like they are animals. This white-haired man was one of the people I loathe the most.


    A ray of light shot out from Calogero, and again, the head of the ck-clothed man, who was heading to the children, burst into pieces.


    I also manipted the air around us using [Wind Maniption] to make them float, and pulled towards us.


    "Are you all right?" I asked the children, whose cheeks were wet with tears, as gently as I could.


    "Yes," a young boy, around 7 or 8 years old, nodded hesitantly.


    But, the next moment, they sneered, took out knives from their pockets, and rushed towards me and the female receptionist one after another with a speed that was unbelievable for children.


    As expected, it turns out like this.


    Although I restrained all three of them using [Wind Maniption] without hurting them, their abdomens began to glow.


    "Damn it!" I clicked my tongue, invoked [Sleep] with all my might and enclosed only a few centimeters away from their abdomen that were still freezing with [Cetus].


    The boys became weak like puppets that had lost their strings. This would buy us some time.


    In a way, I''m impressed.


    One after the other, these guys had easily ovee what I had considered taboo. Maybe they were prodigies in making me angry.


    "G-Grey-san, these children....."


    The receptionist asked me with a pale face while falling on her butt. After all, she was just about to be stabbed by the children we had saved. Of course, it was understandable.


    "It''s just like Gill. They have been brainwashed and even made into human bombs."


    "Human.......bomb.....?"


    "If we leave them just like this, they will soon go boom."


    "Damn, those rotten bastards!!!"


    Did he finally understand the situation?


    Gaius roared, his eyes turning sharp and his body shivering. It was the same for the other adventurers. Everyone''s face was glowing just like a raging beast, ring at Munch and the others.


    "What''s going to happen to those children?" the female receptionist asked with overflowing uneasiness on her face as she looked down at the childrenying on the ground alternatively.


    "Who knows. I can''t guarantee that we''ll be able to save them, but this will at least buy us some time."


    "I''m sorry for all this," Willy thanked me in an uncharacteristically manner.


    "Take these kids along and evacuate to Sagami Co. Willy, you know the location right?"


    Willy gave me a big nod while carrying the children over his shoulder.


    "I will also fight."


    Aku tried to stand up, but wobbled immediately. Satori helped him up.


    "Thest thing I need is a drag! Get lost!"


    "You should have known right! I have an obligation to do that!!"


    Obligation, huh.


    Aku''srades were just like Gill. They couldn''t be saved. Because, unlike those children, I could sense a disgusting stenching out of them. They weren''t humans anymore.


    "You are going to see something painful. Are you prepared for this?"


    Even for an instant, he was going to see hisrades die in front of his eyes. It was a scar that might continue to hurt him for a lifetime.


    "It doesn''t matter whether I''m prepared or not! It''s something I must do!!"


    "I see......"


    Just a bit, I thought I had treated him like a child. Certainly, I would make the same choice if I was in Aku''s shoes. I stared down at him for a while before pointing at him and invoking [High Heal].


    Aku was ovee with surprise as he watched his injury healing like rewinding a video.


    "Protect yourself."


    I only said that.


    "I will also stay."


    The green-haired girl also took a stance.


    "I''m staying, too. I don''t like the idea of just throwing everything to a bunch of kids and running away."


    A red-haired stern old man, Gaius, also unsheathed his sword from his waist and took a fighting stance.


    I could see it in their eyes. No matter what I said, they weren''t going to change their minds. They had that much conviction.


    "I''m leaving it to you, Willy. Myrades will cover your back. Go!"


    I was hesitant to use the teleportation in front of onlookers. It might seem a littlete to use it, but I should make every effort to keep it out of sight.


    Anyway, with Calogero covering them, they should be able to reach their destination safely.


    "I pray for your good luck."


    Willy carried the children like other adventurers and started running into the dark night.


    "Do you think you can run away!!"


    The old man with white hair and long beard, Poisonous Liquor, shouted. Soon, three ck-clothed men tried to chase after Willy and the other.


    "That''s my line."


    I captured all of them with [Explosive Thread].


    "Detonate."


    The entire bodies of the three of them shattered, obstructing my vision.


    "Wha!?" Poisonous Liquor opened his eyes wide, astonishingly looking at his subordinates exploding.


    "It''s really bad luck."


    "That''s right. This ce will be your burial ground, after all." Munch misunderstood heroically.


    [Those stupid bastards!]


    Mura''s furious voice echoed inside my head. His voice was filled with rage and a tinge of resignation.


    It is true that, normally, I would have considered the option of handing them over to the authorities, but these guys were [Laguna]. They were the ones with a certain level of cooperation with pure-bred aristocrats. If I had handed them over to the authorities, they would have surely been released forck of evidence. Unfortunately for them, I didn''t have the slightest intention to y the game of cat and mouse with them. And above anything else, I was already at my limit.


    That was why¡ª


    "True, it''s really bad luck."


    For the first time, I exposed the emotions I''d been suppressing until now.


    "Hiiii!!"


    A small scream leaked out of the ck-clothed men.


    "Mo-monster!!" Poisonous Liquor began to gush out sweat like waterfall, and squeezed out these words.


    Bullshit. Did you step into our world without the minimum of preparation? They wereughably irredeemable.


    "Repent. You don''t need a single ounce ofpassion."


    Now, let''s begin. The scumbag who depicted this act, had touched my most loathed and hated taboo. He had sessfully awakened the sleeping monster inside me.


    "Begin the raid." I verdict my final sentences to these fools.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 51 - Evil incarnation

    Pandemonium. That was probably the best way to describe this ce.


    Myriads of scarlet threads stretching in the midair captured several ck-clothed men who boldly decided to face the monster Grey. With scarlet haze coiling around him, these men''s whole bodies twisted and hung in the air like puppets.


    "No more!!!"


    "There''s no way I can win against him!!"


    Two of the ck-clothed men attempted to escape from the mansion.


    "H-hey, don''t run away!"


    But, Poisonous Liquor¡¯s instruction blocked them.


    Grey clenched his fist, extended his right index and middle fingers, and bent them toward the night sky.


    "N-No!!!"


    The two ck-clothed men attempting to flee were lifted up in the air and wringed out like a tattered dust cloth. Their flesh was crushed, and the blood from their entire body trickled to the ground drop by drop.


    The remaining few ck-clothed men were already weeping, on their knees, slumped, incontinent, defecating, and praying to God for mercy.


    Is that really a human?


    Aware of her own teeth chattering, Satori asked herself a question she didn''t know how many times she had asked.


    Only the Holy Spirit King, the legendary spirit of the elven race, could have caused such a phenomenon. [T/N : the literal meaning of ¡°spirit¡± in ¡°legendary spirit¡± is ¡°spirit of departed/spirit of war dead,¡± while ¡°spirit king¡± literally consists of the words ¡°spirit¡± and ¡°king.¡± Just exining in case there''s more detailed exnation in future chapter and I decided to change the title]


    No, to begin with, it was not such a pure existence. It was more like a collection of evils in this world¡ª


    "Gahh!!"


    Thest ck-clothed man was burned to the ground, screaming his final death throes. As a wind wall blocked the exit, they were roasted and burned to death inside.


    As long as one was human, they couldn''t help but feel the existence of an emotion called terror. The existence of that thing made them feel such a fundamental fear.


    As a matter of fact, although she wasn''t facing each other as enemies, Satori was more afraid of Grey than the monsterized Munch or Poisonous Liquor.


    That was why¡ª


    "Aren''t you going to do it? But, is it all right? Capturing the brats from other ces¡ª"


    "You just shut your mouth up!"


    The words didn''tst, and Munch''s head burst into mes.


    Grey didn''t move a muscle as he looked at the rest of the adventurers, who had once belonged to the same n and wererades of Satori but now turned into monster ves.


    The crimson eyes that looked at them contained no anger or hatred, only a strong sense of pity.


    "Hey, can you hear me? I''m going to release all of you from that hell of a spell from now on. Do you have anyst words you want to say to yourrades?"


    At Grey''s shout, herrades'' bodies shook as if they received a shock and all of a sudden, spooky smiles disappeared from their faces.


    [Kill him!]


    A mouth appeared on Munch¡¯s feet and ordered his subordinates. Even when Munch shouted with his voice that for the first time was filled with anger and frustration, none of herrades flinched even once.


    On the other hand, green liquid began to flow out of their eyes like tears.


    [What''s wrong with you!? This is the order from your lord! Hurry up and kill that brat!]


    Munch''s head rose up and formed a face as he continued to rant and rave.


    "A.......ku.....san......so...rry."


    A member of the group, a ck-haired young boy, shouted apologetically. He had always been a man who hated crookedness. He wasn''t supposed to be involved in this kind of scummy act.


    "So....rry......senio......i.. didn''t think....of...this."


    A blonde-haired young man, his cheeks wet with green tears, said the words of repentance. He was a crybaby, and had often asked Satori for help after being chastised by Munch and the other stern senior adventurers.


    "Aku-san.....I''m very......sorry......seni.......tori...... sister.... Aku-sa......take...care of....her..."


    A skinhead man spoke apologetically. He was the peacemaker of the members. He was like an older brother to them. He hadpletely changed now, but originally, he was a person with a strong sense of responsibility. Why had he helped Munchmit such a despicable act? Satori had no idea.


    However, one thing was for sure, everyone now expressed these feelings from the bottom of their heart.


    Because, as all the members moved their mouths, green liquid dripped from their eyes, mouths, and ears, and their faces dissolved into mush.


    [Useless bastards!!]


    Munch raised his right arm up.


    "Didn''t I say to shut your mouth up for a while!"


    In the wake of the moody voice, a ck lightning bolt struck Munch in the head and, without even a scream, turned him into a green liquid that sshed in all directions.


    "Same to you.....I''m sorry I didn''t notice it earlier."


    Aku''s face was soaked with tears and snot, but his jaw was pulled back and he was shaking slightly.


    "Aku! Raise your head! Your family is risking their lives to tell you this! At least, acknowledge their final heroic act by yourself!!"


    Encouraged by Grey, Aku looked up as his body trembled.


    ¡°Thank you for everything until now!¡±


    Everyone smiled brightly as if something heavy had been lifted off from them. At the same time, a me wall silently fell down on their head, and everything turned into dust.


    For Satori, only Aku was the object of her obsession, while she had never thought of others as anything more than savage beasts.


    Even though that should have been the case, the intense sense of loss, sadness, and regret shuffled and jumbled together, and she couldn''t make sense of it anymore. However, only her tears didn''t stop.


    "Hey, Grey! Poisonous Liquor ran away!" shouted Gaius, a red-haired grim reaper, the brave of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the former S-Rank Adventurer.


    "You don''t need to worry about him. I have already tracked him down. More importantly, it''s reviving. Be careful. I sense something annoying."


    While staring at a single point, Grey instructed with his right hand to keep a sufficient distance.


    Just at that time¡ª


    [The germination of the demon king seed possessed by Munch confirmed. Munch is evolving from


    <Slime Prince> to


    <Slime Demon King>]


    <Slime Prince>


    <Slime Demon King>


    The inorganic voice of a woman rang in her head.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 52 - Demon king Munch

    [The germination of the demon kind seed possessed by Munch is confirmed. Munch is evolving from


    <Slime Prince> to


    <Slime Demon King>]


    <Slime Prince>


    <Slime Demon King>


    I wonder if this woman''s inorganic voice was the voice of the world that happened every so often.


    "D-Demon King?" Gaius muttered this, his both eyes dyed with intense agitation. Judging from the uneasiness flowing out from him and the others, it seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one who had heard that.


    At the very least, the probability that in a certain fixed range people could hear it was high. If that was the case, of course they would panic.


    Nevertheless¡ª


    Demon King, huh. He once overthrew two battalions¡ª


    All of a sudden, a violent pain ran through my head as if someone had hammered a nail in my head. I unconsciously held down my head with my right hand.


    Overthrew two battalions? Is there any such historical fact written in the books of this world?


    It was true that the Demon King, the king of the demons, had appeared six times in this world. However, battalions weren''t the only ones that were defeated. Generally, it was the countries themselves. It was because of these six threats destroying countless countries that the hero fighting the demon king for the fourth time established the Adventurer''s Guild. It might not be wrong that two battalions were destroyed, but I didn''t remember such a maniacal fact at all.


    Am I tired?


    "Yee-he-he-he, I''m in a great mood. I feel like the current me can destroy anything. I can sense that feeling!"


    Munch, who had dyed his whole body with the color of poisonous purple, looked up at the night sky with an euphoric expression.


    "That''s right. Unfortunately, it seems like there''s still trash left to clean up. I don''t have time to bother about small fry like you. Hurry up ande here so I can kill you."


    The possibility of them being held hostage couldn''t be deniedpletely either. It might be toote if I didn''t hurry up.


    "Did you say this new form is a small fry!?" Munch intimidated, his one eye wide open and his head tilted back.


    "Hmph. Did you hear something else? Or does being a Demon King make it impossible to understand human speech? Well, I guess it''s understandable since you have turned into an animal," I uttered my words of exasperation, shrugging my shoulders.


    It wasn''t like I was bluffing or anything. It was the fact. Munch''s average status was B+. Surely, it was a certain strength, but to me who had [Evil Destroyer and Preacher] skill effect, nobody bing a demon king wasn''t a big threat . There was also the probability of him being a mere human.


    Well, the title of hero, etc. included the ability of [Evil Destroyer and Preacher], and if the mastermind had intentionally made the demon king appear, the countermeasures could be easily taken.


    In any case, my average status when facing Munch was S-. My magic power was S+. He wasn''t even my opponent.


    I put the invisiblebyrinth into Gaius and the other adventurers while I slowly walked towards Munch, who was staring at me with an incessant evil look.


    "Don''t look down one me!!"


    Myriads of mysterious liquid separated from Munch and rushed to my skin.


    "H-hey!"


    I approached Munch, ignoring Gaius''s irritated voice and not bothering to brush off the purple liquid that had been attached to me.


    "W-w-w-why it is not working!?"


    After that, he fired countless purple thorns at me, but I easily offset them using wind pressure.


    "Dammit!! Then I will just swallow you!!"


    Munch''s entire body contorted into a sphere and he swallowed me headfirst.


    "How is it? With this you will be also going to end in my stomach¡ª"


    "Annoying."


    I grasped the liquid and charged my mana into it.


    "Babababa!!!"


    Munch shattered with a bizarre cry, and as his pieces rapidly gathered and formed a humanoid form, he crawled to the floor and looked up at me, breathing heavily.


    "W-why didn''t it work!? I should have been able to control anyone with this!"


    "I don''t know."


    I took my stance, lowered my center of gravity, pulled my right elbow, and began to rush with magic power in my fist.


    Munch''s body was shattered by the blow. I hit each and every drop that burst out of it.


    I lowered my fist, confirming that water droplets hadpletely burst.


    The droplets of water had gathered to form a human shape, but I felt no more power than before I became the Demon King. It seemed that the fatal wound was just now.


    "You, what the....hell are you? Legendary hero....?" Munch asked, looking upward.


    "Me, a hero? Sigh. Stop it. I''m not thatudable person"


    If anything, it was the opposite, considering the lives I''d taken.


    "Then what the hell are you!?"


    "Human being, if you ask me."


    "Don''t shit with me! There''s no way a human being can have such monstrous power¡ª"


    "It doesn''t matter who I am. Rather than that, stand up. I''m going to give you a good beating before I send you to Hades."


    Munch stared at my face for a while as if he had heard something unbelievable, but then he spat out and said, "Nonsense¡ª"


    Munch''s face turned mysterious, and he stood up and struck a fighting pose.


    I clenched my right fist and carelessly smashed it into his head.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    "Hehe.......I lost, huh.....sigh..... just when I thought I''m now stronger than Aku or anyone else..."


    Munch''s face was calm, as if the years of something indispensable hade off. If it was the current him, maybe he would be able to tell me what I wanted to hear.


    "There''s one thing I want to hear. Why did you sell that young boy named Badrack? It shouldn''t be worth that much, right?"


    That''s right. This was the biggest mystery of this case.


    It was a serious act of hostility against the guild to sell an adventurer who had no credit. The fact that the head of the ve trade epted such a risk so readily was in itself quite strange. In short, the risk was clearly out of proportion to the profit to be gained by taking it.


    "Well, isn''t it because he was annoying?"


    "Was that young man, Badrack, a spy of another organization?"


    A slight crack appeared on Munch¡¯s calm face. Bull''s eye.


    Even if he hadmitted the adventurers¡¯ greatest taboo. If it had been just injury and human trafficking, Munch would have been captured immediately. Even then, Munch and the others didn''t make a move for three weeks after I submitted the case to the guild. I had already submitted the documents that could be used as evidence. Even if the dy was due to the [Human Slime Incident], three weeks was a bit too long for a corroborative investigation alone.


    "Badrack was a spy!? What do you mean!?"


    The answer to Aku''s scream was given by¡ª


    "The boy named Badrack was a spy from the Holy Kingdom of Esther. That''s why he was sold off to criminal very."


    When I turned around, I saw a man with a trademark bad eye and whiskers standing there.


    "The dog of the investigation department, I knew you were here."


    At my words, Count Haruko simply shrugged his shoulders.


    "Of course, I am. Because it''s our long standing wish to capture one of [Laguna] top superior, Poisonous Liquor."


    It was an expected reply.


    There was no way that this man was not involved from the beginning. He could have been waiting in the back of that room where Lilinoa and the others were.


    "What does this mean? Make it clear!" Aku groaned, holding his head in his arms.


    "I cut off the brat''s right arm and sold it off. That''s all."


    It was Munch who answered with a sour look this time.


    "I told you. The boy, Badrack, was an infiltrator in our nation who had been trained inbat and covert operations from an early age in the Holy Kingdom of Esther. His right arm was cut off as a result of your people risking their lives to stop him."


    "Why is the Holy Kingdom of Esther aiming for me?"


    Hearing Aku asking in a trembling voice, Gaius and Baron Hakuro exhaled a deep sigh. Well, of course. After all, the biggest source of the incident this time was Aku''s unawareness. It was because he thought of this world as too sweet.


    "It''s because you''re one of the only three S-rank adventurers in the world."


    S-rank adventurers were like human weapons. Therge nations that were trying to expand their armies would want them as much as they could get their hands on.


    "So they are here to recruit me? But not even once I said¡ª"


    "It''s obvious. Because what the Holy Kingdom of Esther has been trying to do is an intimidating recruitment, citing the revtion of your origins."


    Baron Hakuro tossed a bundle of paper on the ground.


    "Stopp!!"


    As soon as that happened, Munch shouted in rage, changing his expression greatly. Aku, unconcerned, picked up the document and flipped through it.


    "Because my parents were the son of the perpetrator who had caused the [Scrubheith] incident, so I was secretly taken to Straheim orphanage when I was a kid?"


    The tragedy of Scrubheith. I think it was when the worst ruler invaded a neutral metropolis, Scrubheith, for apparently no important reason, and massacred and tortured thousands of its civilians.


    Ultimately, he was then destroyed by the three strongest nations who brought their wrath, beginning with the Empire who had a trading agreement with them. His descendants were still on the wanted list. Were they going to execute innocent blood rtives? What a bunch of retards.


    "Don''t believe it!! It''s all a lie!"


    Even the thick-headed me began to understand Munch, who was trying to protect him with his desperate pleas.


    Munch was, undoubtedly, a viin. From the information Krama had gathered, certainly there were more than a few amateur adventurers who had cried from Munch¡¯s harassment and ckmail. Munch had probably taken advantage of the devil''s sweet talk in order to save his own skin.


    However, there was certainly one thing that was absolutely notpromisable even if his life was threatened by Aku.


    And this was it.


    "It''s the truth. Don''t underestimate our intelligence gathering ability," Baron Hakuro assured Aku, and Aku''s shoulders slumped as he walked to Munch.


    "You big idiotttt!"


    Looking at Aku who broke down in tears, Munch sighed and bluntly said, "Shut up. I have killed them, after all. I''m not yourrade or anything."


    "You¡ª"


    "I guess it''s about time for our idle chat to end."


    Aku tried to say something, but he was interrupted by Munch¡¯s words. Munch¡¯s ankles had already turned into mush and weathered away.


    "Hey! Get a grip!"


    The copse had reached his waist.


    "Satori, take care of Aku."


    "Yes."


    Munch nodded multiple time as if relieved after hearing Satori¡¯s confirmation.


    "Oh, where did I go wrong? I was going to be a better adventurer than Aku and make all women in the country serve me."


    "I see," Akuu interjected.


    "Everyday was really fun, starting the n with Aku and having morerades joining."


    "Yes, it was."


    His eyes couldn''t see anymore, and he was unable to hear Aku''s voice.


    It was uncertain that he was even conscious. But Aku kept nodding to Munch as he continued his monologue.


    "That''s right. It was what I thought. Why did I keep forgetting it? I prayed for that happiness to continue. That''s why, I....."


    "Hey, Munch!!"


    Munch smiled at Aku''s shout and said, "Because I''m thier big brother, after all¡ª"


    With these words, he faded into the dust.


    "Munch!!!"


    Aku''s sorrowful voice echoed around him.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 53 - Dont be naive

    I had an indescribable feeling as I looked at the weeping Aku and the downcast, tearful Satori.


    Munch, whom I''d thought to be an irredeemable viin, turned out to be just a big brother. No other clown could make meugh as much as this one.


    However, there was onest job left for me to do. One of the original and true perpetrators of this event. The elimination of the true puppet controlled by the mastermind.


    "Grey, do you know the whereabouts of Poisonous Liquor?"


    "Don''t let him escape."


    Of course. Don''t think you can just walk away after pulling up the curtain of this tragedy. I would hunt down all of them until not a single one left.


    "There''s something I want to hear from him. If possible, I hope you can capture him alive."


    "That''s quite an unreasonable order you have there. Well, anyway, he is destined to die even after I win."


    The enemy was morbidly a coward. Munch must have been set up to perish as soon as he had shared the information about the mastermind. That was why I kept quiet and didn''t ask any particr question.


    "He is set to die? You say it''s because of the existence of the mastermind?"


    "Yes."


    As I nodded to Baron Hakuro''s inquiry, Gaius''s expression changed.


    "Who is it!? I have never heard of a human turning into a demon king before!!"


    "You can''t help it even if you know. However, there''s no mistaking that he''s the true mastermind behind the incident this time."


    "Kill him.......I will kill him!!"


    While hugging Munch''s residual dust, Aku roared into the night sky with a malignant expression.


    "The true opponent this time may be a demon king. Endure it for now."


    "Absolutely not! Munch and the others'' enemy is¡ª"


    "Don''t be naive. The current you is too weak! I don''t need someone to drag me down! You''re only qualified to say this when you be strong!"


    That''s right. This was my stubbornness. I had to make sure Aku and the others live, no matter what. Otherwise, they would be too pathetic.


    "Dammit!!!"


    I turned my gaze from Aku to the thread of [Explosive Thread] attached to him, who had mmed his fist to the ground in vexation.


    It was about time I should go. It was enough already. I was fed up with this charade. Let''s aim for that scumbag old geezer.


    Baron Hakurou was in the research department, and Gaius was a big shot in the Adventurer''s Guild. The possibility of them having heard about my ability was pretty high. Above all, if handled Improperly, it would be unbelievable if they got taken as hostage on the way back by demons.


    I began to activate the teleportation to move Baron Hakuro and the others to Sagami Co.


    "Baron Hakuro, I will send you all to Sagami Co. Speak to Emperor Georg and ask him to take refuge in thepany."


    The mastermind most likely was already on the move. The death had already been cast.


    "W-wait a minute! Are you going to turn into a demon king again like you did before?"


    "Yeah, most likely, and the next will be the real deal."


    That scumbag Poisonous Liquor might be an old geezer, but he was a very strong person. He might be evenparable to Sieg. And if that person became a demon king, I couldn''t even imagine how much stronger he would be.


    Furthermore, I should also take into ount the possibility of not being able to use true [Evil Destroyer and Preacher].


    In other words, the possibility of it being turned into a head-to-head fight was high. If handled Improperly, I couldn''t deny the danger that the district of Straheim might be a sea of me.


    "Leave two executives of Sagami Co. at the trading post, and instruct the rest to prioritize the evacuation of the citizens."


    "I understo-----"


    After instructing them, Baron Hakuro and the others disappeared.


    Now then, let''s begin the hunt.


    I began to follow the thread of the [Explosive Thread].

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 54 - The sudden appearance of a baboon king

    What the hell?! What the hell is that monster!?


    He kept asking himself the same question over and over as he ran frantically, but of course, he couldn''t find the answer.


    I was naive! No, I was too gullible!!


    He was a genuine monster in human skin.


    Poisonous Liquor was, undoubtedly, one of the top executives of [Laguna]. He had ughtered numerous strong people, he had even crossed des with legendary creatures like mythical beasts and dragons.


    However, Poisonous Liquor had never seen such a horrible and disgusting creature in his entire life.


    Red eyes and a mouth that hung up to the corners. Above all, dense and vicious crimson mana  flowing like a muddy stream from his whole body, even distorting the atmosphere around, had scraped the thing called fighting spirit from Poisonous Liquor.


    In addition, his profoundly mysterious ability to twist the thread and his subordinates. He even wondered if that was really magic? However, even if it was, he was just too powerful. Even mythical beasts or spirits couldn''t use that kind of power.


    If he had to make a guess, it was an inhuman existence. That spider monster that had attacked the headquarters of Laguna on Grey''s order. It was considerably strong. After all, it took all Four Cardinal''s sins to repel that monster. He used a monster of that caliber. There was nothing odd about him being stronger than others.


    Furthermore, he hade to learn from some intel that Sagami Co. had taken faerie tribes under their jurisdiction. Faerie tribes considered humans lowly. Their pride would never allow them to serve people of their own volition, let alone force them to obey them as ves.


    If that was the case, then that Grey was the kind of inhuman that had enough merit for a faerie tribe to kneel. There were only a few of them. That was: an ultra high-ranking spirit.


    Don''t tell me, it''s that so-called legendary creature, the Holy Spirit King?


    Holy Spirit King was an existence worshipped by spirits. It was akin to a deity for them. How could a human go against a deity? He was a supernatural being, that was why he was a god.


    We have to get rid of him as soon as possible.


    It wasn''t the kind of existence that humanity could manage. Above all, he had left the message.


    ¡°I''m going to kill you in the worst and cruelest way I can think of.¡±


    A monstrosity like him had set its sight on [Laguna]. Would an inhuman spare the lives of humans? In the end, just like his subordinates, he would¡ª


    "Don''t be ridiculous!!"


    There''s no way I can let it happen to me!! I will show him. I will definitely escape.


    This Empire was the base of that monster. He had to abandon it and flee to a foreign country.


    It was inevitable for the organization''s influence to fall back, but it was still better than being one sidedly trampled or crushed.


    Have I arrived?


    [Laguna]¡¯s headquarter was in the red-light district, a little southeast of Straheim.


    "Hurry up and prepare to leave this ce immediately!!"


    He shouted while almost rolling inside the mansion, but no one answered. No, there wasn''t even a single soul here to answer him.


    This was the [Laguna] division of the metropolis area like Straheim. Beginning with management, there were a considerable number of members staying there. The fact that there was not a single person in sight was abnormal no matter how you looked at it.


    "Oh my, you have finally arrived."


    A masked manpletely d in ck cloth appeared from the back of the room.


    "Did you do this?" he asked with unconcealed rage, but the other person just shrugged his shoulders.


    "Yeah. Don''t worry, I''ve got them waiting for you in the back. They''re important materials, after all." he replied in a cheerful voice.


    "Material? What did you do?"


    It wasn¡¯t like he cared about them, as he saw his subordinates as nothing more than a meat shield. However, that was exactly why, to shake off the pursuit of that monster, they were the necessary soldiers for him to safely escape from Straheim.


    "Rather than that, you¡¯ve just escaped with your tail between your legs, haven''t you?"


    "Of course! Can you even say that person is a human!? You scheming bastard!!"


    He was furious, but that guy just smiled spookily and said, "He''s a human. You have my words for that. But then again, he only looks like a child of the natives, and we still don''t know what era or country he''s brave of."


    "Native? Brave? I really don''t get what you, sir, is saying at all!"


    Although he said that, he recognised the doll-like forced smile, and was struck by a disgusting feeling, as if countless bugs had been crawling all over his body.


    ¡°Yes, I want to know. I want to know what''s inside his body and yet, you flee without even testing the effect of the pendant. It''s not uneptable. It''s really not uneptable."


    With his arms outstretched in an exaggerated manner, he profusely criticized and insulted Poisoned Liquor.


    Normally, he would be furious. But Poisonous Liquor''s instincts were painfully insisting him to run away from this ce at all cost.


    "I have no choice. It''s a little too much for me to take on that monster head on."


    It''s dangerous. This man is just as dangerous as that monster. I shouldn''t have gotten involved readily.


    Is this what I get from being in the warm water too much!?


    If it was his prime, Poisonous Liquor absolutely wouldn''t have thought of teaming up with such a suspicious man of unknown origin, and he would have gotten more urate information about the monster Grey before making a move.


    Rising to the top of the underworld, with no worthy enemies in the world, he must have be arrogant. But, regretting at this point was no use now. Right now, the only thing that mattered was how to get through this gambling-den-like situation.


    "That''s why I want you to be useful."


    The words didn''t fit together. Perhaps he wasn''t even listening to Poisonous Liquor¡¯s words.


    "Let''s make a preparation then."


    While nodding vigorously, he confirmed the escape route with sidelong nces and slightly  lowered his centre of gravity so as not to be noticed.


    The only thing left was the timing.


    "First is the pendant. It has a certain function. Or more like it''s not an exaggeration to say that it is the pendant''s original role."


    He put his hand on his chin and whirled around on the floor.


    "I see."


    He interjected, and the moment that guy turned his back to Poisonous Liquor, he took a step back as fast as possible to the door behind him.


    It was perfect timing. With this, it was possible to escape¡ªor that was how it should have been.


    He felt something against his back. When Poisonous Liquor turned around, he saw him holding his neck with a big smile on his face.


    "I still haven''t finished talking. Don''t run. Actually, you can''t run away."


    He held Poisonous Liquor¡¯s face with his left palm, shook his head from side to side, and lifted his neck.


    R-ridiculous!! He caught me so easily!? I''m one of the Four Cardinal, Poisonous Liquor!!


    Poisonous Liquor understood easily at this point when he was being stared down by the dark eyes dwelling behind the mask. This person is the same as that guy, another monster.


    "Let me go!!"


    He struggled desperately, but that guy didn''t buzz at all. It was simply terrifying.


    "Hmm, let''s try the effect of that [Demon King Vessel] right away. Be happy. You are a very powerful person among the natives of this world. You should be able to be a powerful Demon Lord indeed."


    "Ugh......"


    He groaned from feeling the peculiarity of despair as if he was being dragged down to the bottom of an unseen valley.


    "Hopefully, this may reveal the origin of that person."


    Conductor pointed his left hand at the pendant Poisonous Liquor was wearing and slowly tried to touch it.


    "Stop it! Stooooooop!!"


    In spite of his denial with all of his might, Conductor''s hand touched the pendant.


    Thump!!


    The pendant pulsated, and a hellish pain as if a red hot rod was directly nailed into his brain immediately ran all over his body, dying his vision red.


    "Guoooooooou¡ª"


    "Well, fight bravely. I wish you the best of luck."


    After Conductor''s jubnt voice, hisst memory as Poisonous Liquor disappeared.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 55 - Villains dignity

    The thread of [Explosive Thread] pushed through the red-light district slightly southeast of Straheim and extended even further into the suburbs.


    "Here, I guess."


    Finally, I arrived at a vast site with several private houses in it.


    Located on the outskirts of the entertainment district, the area was extremely unsafe, but not too densely popted. This would minimize the damage.


    As I was carefully looking at the site with only a mirror out of the blind spot of the building, I felt a presence behind me and turned around.


    "Grey-sama."


    Hatch was kneeling beside me. Seems like just as I had instructed, Akuido had sessfully relocated the personnels. Somehow, Hatch and the others had some sort of ability to locate me. So I expected them to be here.


    "I will start the search in this ce now. I am leaving you to cooperate with the guild and lead the evacuation of the surrounding residents."


    "Understood." Hatch bowed, and her figure disappeared.


    My heart would have liked to take action after the evacuation time, but Munch had mentioned that the children were trapped. It would be wise to assume they existed.


    Then, I should get started with it. After checking the surroundings, I jumped on the fence, entered the site, and began my search.


    I opened the ring domain, but it only opened the map. In other words, this ce had turned into a demon-infestednd, simr to a dungeon. I guessed that was probably the case.


    I climbed up to the roof of thergest mansion in the center and entered the building from the top fourth floor. Then, I carefully searched around the dimly lit room.


    As I entered the corner room on the third floor, I heard a small scream. There were several children huddled together in the corner.


    "Don''t worry. I''m here to rescue you. You aren''t injured, right?"


    Everyone was wearing restraints on their arms and legs, which at first nce made them look like they had been sold as ves rather than hostages.


    "........."


    A white-haired young boy in the centre nodded hesitantly as a representative.


    "Then, we are going to thepany. Make sure the kids follow you."


    "Okay."


    As the young boy nodded, I turned my back on them and started walking.


    I let out a big sigh at the sudden wind pressure and presenceing from behind me and slowly turned around.


    "It''s like that, after all."


    I didn''t want to think about it, but my premonition was correct.


    In front of me, the boys were being held together by a transparent thread.


    "How did you notice!?" the white-haired young boy asked hatefully.


    "It''s because it was too easy."


    There was nothing unnatural about the boys. They were captives with no smell, no aura, no power. However, prisoners like them came with booby traps attached to them as extra measures without exception.


    So, just in case, I merely spread the thread around when I had entered the room. Slowly, I began to strangle the threads restraining them.


    "Guh!!"


    The white-haired boy''s cheeks twitched, and his body transformed. Pure white hair began to grow all over his body, the muscles all over his body rose, and his physique swelled several times.


    It seems like this person was undoubtedly Poisonous Liquor himself. Well, unsurprisingly, he had stopped being human.


    "It''s decided," I mmed the threads of the [Explosive Thread] on the floor quite seriously.


    Boom!!


    Poisonous Liquor and the others pierced the floor and fell down.


    I also jumped down from a hole on the floor. The hole went all the way through to the first floor for exactly the number of people.


    Then, several giant monkeys fell on the floor. The only one standing still and ring at me, the white-haired giant monkey, was probably Poisonous Liquor.


    "It looks much better than you, doesn''t it? It''s an adequate outfit for a scumbag like you" (T/N : I think there''s probably one more "flowery word" here, but I''m not much familiar with these words so will update this when I find it.)


    "Shut up, you monster! I don''t want to hear this only from you!!" Poisonous Liquor shouted words, nothing sort of denying my existence.


    [I understand, I understand. I guess so. There''s nothing more humiliating than being treated like a monster by a real monster.]


    I poked Mura''s handle with his right fist as he repeatedly mocked me.


    "What happened to the children that became hostages?" I asked the question I was most worried about.


    "Kids?"


    "That''s right. Didn''t Munch say there were children hostages?"


    "I''m sure he''s referring to the brats fed to Munch," Poisonous Liquor replied while spitting on the floor.


    "Fed to Munch?"


    "It''s because feelings as humans were getting in the way, so they were fed to him."


    Those rotten demons. I finally understood why Munch had prepared the hostages at that moment.


    Those kids didn''t have the same intense difort and disgust that Munch and the others had, and more importantly, they weren''t enhanced.


    At first, I thought he was trying to deceive me, but Munch, who had once had a run-in with me, should have understood that I could not be harmed.


    Besides, Munch had only smiled and watched from the sidelines while I was saving the kids. So, I guessed that charade was Munch''s best effort to resist.


    Of course, it was nothing more than my own self-centered conjecture.


    But what if hisment about the hostage wasn''t just an act of anguish, but an unconscious attempt topel me to make final distinction?


    "Where are these children?"


    "In the basement. Do you want to know what''s going on?"


    "No, I know it even if you don''t tell me."


    What Munch had wanted wasn''t for me to release those hostage children. But their burial.


    "I guess so."


    "You would have gotten a little advantage by not telling the truth, so why did you tell me the truth?"


    "Hmph. I can see it clearly now. Your malice has surpassed my imagination. You will not even agitate in the battle with only this degree. Rather it would be much more dangerous to hold a psychological advantage over you."


    Interesting. So you can see it calmly. It was just as he said. I wasn''t the kind of person to get upset over the death of a single person in the middle of a deadly battle.


    "So? What are you going to do?"


    They had killed Gill. Whatever the answer was, their final destination was already set to hell.


    "It is outrageous that I have to contend with such a monster as you, but unfortunately I am ordered by that man to kill you, and I cannot resist. Fight me."


    As Poisonous Liquor raised his hand, countless giant monkeys surrounded me.


    "It looks like you''re prepared. At best, curse the sins you''vemitted, regret and die."


    "I will not just die in vain!!"


    When he roared towards the ceiling, the giant monkeys surrounding me attacked me all at once.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I activated the [Fortress of the Water City] and the giant monkeys attacking me with their sharp ws swinging down were easily annihted by the water stacks, bing like hedgehogs.


    In addition, hundreds of iced dragon from invoking [Cetus] froze their bodies and the red threads of the [Exploding Threads] released after a breath of time collided with them. It was as if a ss had been broken, breaking down the bodies of the great apes into shards.


    "After all, they are useless....." Poisonous Liquor squeezed out curses from his mouth annoyingly.


    The only thing that escaped Poisonous Liquor was the right shoulder, beyond which was iced over and shattered at the base.


    "That''s right."


    I stamped on the ground, grasping his neck and lifting him up.


    "Gugugugu!"


    My eyebrows knitted hearing Poisonous Liquor muffledughter.


    "What''s so funny?" I asked.


    "Well, that''s precisely what I did to your subordinate. I was thinking if that guy was having same feeling as I have now."


    "Lumping Gill the same as you? I don''t have interest in these kinds of jokes."


    I tightened my grasp on his neck. Forck of a better word, this demon felt the same way as Gill?


    "A transcendent like you will not understand our feelings absolutely. At most, you will die in solitude, with no one able to understand you."


    "Really?"


    I put more strength into my right hand clutching his neck.


    "Certainly, I''m a viin. However, a viin has his viin dignity. He will not be affected just by bing that lunatic toy. That''s why¡ª"


    Poisonous Liquor''s eyes turned bright red and a magic circle appeared.


    As a chill ran through my spine, I clicked my tongue and was about to throw him in the air, but¡ª


    "You''re so cold. Let''s go to the underworld together!" he clutched my right arm.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t have spare time. You can go alone!"


    I raised him to the sky and unleashed [Seven ck Lightning Pirs] with all my might.


    The ck lightning instantly burned and vaporized my upper right arm as well as the monkey body of Poisonous Liquor.


    I didn''t hear that woman''s voice. It seemed that it wasn''t because of the demon king this time.


    "Oh my, I''m beat."


    I chased the intense pain out of my mind and cast [High Heal]. Soon, my right arm healed in no time at all.


    "Gill, I''m done for now. Now all that''s left is that rotten demon who wrote this scummy script."


    Just as I took a step forward to search the basement, a woman''s voice echoed inside my head.


    "Confirmed the germination of demon king seed in the possession of Goku. Goku has evolved from a [Baboon King] to a [Demon King Goku]."


    "So, it has eventuallye out to this."

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 57 - Demon King Goku vs Grey

    In front of me stood a white giant ape.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t assess it, but I understood from the feeling. It was right now on the same rank as me. An enemy that could kill me.


    Goku should be Poisonous Liquor¡¯s real name.


    ¡°Grrrrrr!!¡±


    As it roared and looked down at me with bloodshot eyes, I noticed the corner of my mouth had curled upward naturally.


    "Well, viin, you understand the rules of our world, don''t you?"


    "Grrrrrr!!"


    I wondered if he had lost even his ability to talk? It was likely that even what was supposed to be given to intelligence was entirely given to strength.


    "Interesting."


    He tore off some of his body hair, twisted it up, and blew on it, turning it into a bright red club.


    "Grrrrrrrrrrr!!"


    Goku grasped the club in both hands and took a stance, then roared to the heavens.


    "Good. That''s right. Let''s begin. Let us begin our soul-stirring fight for our wonderful life."


    As soon as I uttered these insane words, reason faded from my mind, and a fierce emotion came out in its ce. It was a nostalgic yet repulsive feeling that I had long forgotten.


    Demon King Goku and the monster Grey¡ªthe two beasts shed quietly.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I received Goku''s club with Mura. The atmosphere rippled greatly, the ruins of the mansion blew off in all directions and the moon floating in the night sky was watching our fight.


    I turned my right palm toward him and continuously invoked [Hundreds ming Bullet].


    Countless orange me balls, which strength wasn''t a joke fired by me, became a one long strip and dashed towards Goku, but he blew them away by swinging his club.


    "There''s no end to it," I cursed while swinging Mura.


    We had been repeating the same seesaw-like offense and defense since a while ago.


    "Or maybe not....." Goku spat out blood from his mouth.


    It must be quite a burden to fight on equal terms with me, who was dubbed as the true [Evil Destroyer and Preacher].


    Looking at his condition, I was probably going to win just by stalling for time. But it would take quite a while. I could feel that much spirit from Goku. That would overwhelmingly increase my fatigue. And if the coward who was peeking at the battle attacked me, I would most likely suffer a loss.


    And more than anything¡ª


    "That would be boring, wouldn''t it?"


    Goku was an irredeemable viin. However, only this fighting spirit made me purely thrilled. This was also my final tribute to him.


    I have be so naive.


    I looked up at Goku as I mocked myself.


    "Hey Goku, let''s finish it already."


    I felt like I could use [Liberation] properly if I was in this condition. This was the time. I was going to do an experiment. I could even keep that scumbag peeping bastard in check. After all, that peeping bastard was a morbid coward. If it seeded, it would most likely make him hesitate to attack.


    The key was to repeat the technique I''d done to die in the past. Rx your mind, concentrate your magic power in the tanden area in a circr motion.


    That''s it.


    Like the power furnace of an engine, the red magic power poured into my tanden formed a whirlpool around me and went round and round.


    The rest was only to provide fuel. I activated [Liberation] and poured an explosive amount of mana to the engine.


    The spherical space expanded in concentric circles from me.


    "Gugaaaaaaa!!" Goku screamed and sted towards me, then swinging down his club at my skull.


    "[Corrosion Outburst]."


    At the same time, mysterious reality-altering words came out of my mouth.


    "Guru!?"


    The club, which Goku was swinging down with all his might with both arms, vanished entirely, spotlessly.


    At the same time, several small ck spheres formed around us. They gradually increased their radius and corroded the surroundings.


    After confirming that violence of darkness was eating away everything, not only Goku but also the building and its basement, I supported my body with Mura by stabbing the ground and letting go of my consciousness.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    A man wearing a malignant mask, covered from head to toe with a hood like a shell, Astrea, wss staring at the projected spectacle in front of him.


    All the color of nonchnce and the expression of enjoyment Astrea had had just a while ago disappeared instantly.


    "Is this, that man''s technique? No, that man is dead. That man has assured me. There is no doubt about it. If that''s the case, does that mean he has the same ability as that man?"


    He asked himself, but the next thing that coulde out of his mouth were, "That''s ridiculous. How can there be two such absurd abilities in the world?"


    It was a dry mockery of his impossible view.


    Currently, that blond boy was standing upright and immobile, with his sword still propped up on the floor.


    He had used that much power. Probably, he fainted or something. If it was now, I should be able to ughter him without any hardship.


    ¡ªBut, what if that appearance is a trap?


    As soon as that thought shed in his mind, Astrea stopped moving as if his legs were petrified. Looking at his quivering legs, he clicked his tongue.


    "No, I think we''ll just have to wait and see this time. We don''t have much power yet, and we can eliminate them at any time."


    So, as if to persuade himself, he sounded out the words to dismiss his thoughts.


    ".........."


    Astrea, with intense humiliation, anger, and unquenchable anxiety and fear stered all over her face, let his figure melt into the dark night.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    ?????


    Poisonous Liquor, or to say Goku, looked around when he got his consciousness back.


    It was natural. Because it was a corridor with red tiles on all sides.


    "Yo--you finallye, Poisonous Liquor."


    A young man with purple hair and bad eyesight raised his right hand.


    "Munch, if you''re here, does this mean it''s the realm of death?" Goku said, sounding bored.


    "Yeah, after what we''ve done, we''re probably on a wagon to hell."


    "Don''t be so cocky, brat! Do you think I would be at the same ce as you small fry!!!?"


    Munch''s eyes widened in surprise at Goku''s outburst.


    "You have changed right? No, or is this your true character?"


    He looked at him keenly.


    "Nonsense. Why don''t you just hurry up and send me to hell or wherever!"


    As Goku shrugged his shoulders, he threw a nce to a white lump that was looking at the exchange between him and Munch in amusement.


    "Oh? Even though you were so scared of him, you''re calm now. I''m not scary?"


    "Foolish question!"


    Goku''s whole body was trembling slightly as he shouted strongly. It was impossible not to be afraid. But still, Goku had a strong will in his eyes.


    "Hmm, not so long ago you were humanly timid, cowardly, cunning, and irredeemably stupid. He was the reason for that change, wasn''t he?"


    "Who knows."


    "The reason for the change, I hope you can tell definitely."


    "I don''t like useless chit-chat," Goku folded his arms and stubbornly refused to speak.


    "That''s right. He is really mysterious, isn''t he? In just a short time of fighting, he has changed an irredeemable viin like you a lot. Hey, won''t you tell me?" the white lump asked, giving Munch something like a look.


    "Isn''t it because we remember something?"


    "Remember?"


    "Oh, the long-forgotten treasure we little people have here. Well, I realized it toote," Munch put his thumb on his chest and muttered sadly.


    "A treasure? Certainly, it''s something we don''t have."


    Munch nodded multiple times.


    The white lump turned around and said, "You two have vited a serious rule set by the world. Therefore¡ª"


    He tried to express their victory.


    "You don''t need to say. But, that brat here was too stupid to notice what he was getting into and caught up in the turmoil. I''m the viin. I will not hand this to anyone, ever!"


    "What are you saying? You¡ª"


    "Brat, be silent for a while! I''m talking to this whitey here!"


    "Haha! Hahahahaha! You are calling me ¡®whitey¡¯? Alright. But are you fine with it? The sins two people share are too heavy, you know? Because possessing the demon king seed is the world''s greatest taboo."


    "I don''t mind. That''s how I lived until now with that determination!"


    The white lump made finger snapping like sound, and many chains wrapped around Goku''s body, restraining him.


    "Have a nice trip."


    "Of course. I''ll show the demons of hell what I can do with a stick!"


    As Gokuughed imposingly, he was sucked inside the ck color floor.


    "Me too¡ª"


    "I''m sorry, but it seems that the opportunity for your crime involves an outside element from this world, so I''m going to hold off."


    The white lump once again snapped his finger and this time, Munch¡¯s body dissipated into fine particles.


    "Well, Grey, the next is the imperial capital, right? I''m sure that even the most unscrupulous of them will be desperate to take action after realizing how vicious you are. It''s going to be a very difficult game. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of y you are going to show me."


    The white lump burst intoughter.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 58 - Negotiation and report

    When I teleported to the first floor of Sagami Co. and walked into the reception room, I found a man and a woman sitting on each side of the table.


    One was the head of the ve trading business, Madara, and the other was the head of the red-light district, Kato.


    The two of them, along with Gill''s subordinate, Testu, and the others were taken into custody by the Adventurer''s Guild. After hearing about the situation from them, the circumstances of the incident became clear.


    Apparently, they had been attacked by Munch and the others just as they had finished their business negotiation with Gill. Right now, they were in the middle of a negotiation that Gill had been aiming for.


    However, since they had been humiliated by [Laguna], both of them had already made up their mind and signed the contract.


    Therefore, although I said it was a business negotiation, it was nothing more than a discussion about the contract details.


    "This is the end of the contract. I look forward to working with you."


    After signing the contract, I held out my right hand to them, and they shook it back.


    "It''s our pleasure too, Young President Sagami. My goal is money. This deal is lucrative and it''s even better to receive it from a general merchant than from a ve trader. It''s nothing less of a windfall for me too," Madara dered in a cheerful voice, with an unconcealed look of joy.


    The contents of the contract were as follows.


    Madara would purchase ves from ve traders all over the empire that were being sold for money, and transferred them to Sagami Co.


    We would provide them with necessities of life while employing them and having them repay us by deducting money from their monthly wages. In the meantime, our business association would provide them with a minimum of vocational training


    When the repayment, including interest, wasplete, Sagami Co. would conduct another employment examination for those who wished to join. That was the condition.


    Systematically, it was still not enough to take away the aspect of forcedbor, but it was impossible to change everything from the beginning. I thought I should be satisfied with this for now.


    "I''m d. Do you think it''s possible to do a basic background check?"


    "Of course. That''s part of the contract. I will properly investigate their origin. I will let you know only about troublesome ones, so you can interview them then."


    As for the interviewer, I knew one person who was qualified.


    It was that little girl Satori. I had heard she had the power to see other people''s lies. This was very useful to us in an emergency.


    As expected, I must persuade Aku at any cost.


    "Kato-san, have you obtained the consent of prostitutes?"


    "Yes. To begin with, they aren''t the type of person who''s selling their body because they like it. They are all forced to engage in this business because of financial or family problems. Some of them be the target of violence or some even kidnapped by some customers. Especially¡ª"


    Kato said it with an anguish expression, as if biting her tongue, and fumbled at the end.


    "[Laguna]?"


    Kato nodded in affirmation.


    After all, the reason she agreed to it was because the real ruler of Straheim''s underworld, [Laguna], disappeared with the death of the Fourth Supervisor, Poisonous Liquor.


    Perhaps, that might be why an organization called [Laguna] was absolute for those who lived in the underworld.


    "I will repeat it again. [Laguna] is about to disappear. It''s for the good of this world for worthless organisations like that to disappear."


    It''s a hundred year too early for the ouws to get involved in national politics. At most, these guys were just parasites that only showed their dominance over the weak. Such a crooked organization should be demolished right away.


    "Young President Sagami is really terrifying because you are saying it seriously," Madara said, shrugging his shoulders.


    "Who knows. I will make arrangements for them as soon as their background check is over. So I''m leaving that to you."


    It would be annoying if a spy or a criminal was mixed in with them. So, I would have to make sure of that.


    There were many steps that needed to be taken, such as recruiting Aku and Satori, but this was Gill''sst job. It was my duty to make this business deal a sess.


    I would definitely make it sessful.


    "Now if you excuse me. Although it''s not much hospitality, if you like, you can have lunch here."


    As I stood up from my seat, both of them were staring at me with strange looks.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "We''re sorry."


    Madara and Kato bowed to me.


    "You don''t need to be heartbroken about Gill. Because he only followed his conviction until the end. But, if you feel like you are obliged to do something for him, then please make sure that the deal is aplished without fail."


    Gill''s goal was only one. To reduce as many people as possible who became unfortunate ves due to fate and were in helpless circumstances of their own. That was the mission that I had inherited.


    Nodding, I smiled at them and left the room.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I visited the residence where the imperial family was staying this time, and had just finished reporting to the imperial government.


    Well, although I said the imperial government, the emperor and the others were just an addition. The meeting was actually with the lord of domestic affairs, a gentleman with a Kaiser beard, and Baron Hakuro, whose trademark was his loach beard. Namely, to verify the [Laguna]-rted incident.


    "A person that can produce an awakened demon king!? What kind of absurd ability is this!!"


    Emperor Georg shouted, which I was sure was the voice of everyone in the room. They all looked as if they were chewing at a bitter bug and could not speak.


    After all, it was understandable.


    It was the crazy ability to create a legendary demon that had overthrown the world six times. There was no other ability that was as unreasonable and ridiculous as this.


    "Demonified Poisonous Liquor was modified to an extreme degree, so it was quite difficult to deal with him."


    "No-no, there''s not even someone who can deal with the awakened Demon King and say it was quite difficult!" the young secretary said with a in face, shaking his hand left and right.


    "That''s right. No matter which literature I have pulled, I have never heard of a hero who defeated the demon king alone. All of them portray two heroes."


    A middle-aged man with long sideburns, Gaius, interjected seriously to which all attendees agreed one after another.


    The guild president, Gaius, also seemed to have been summoned to report to the Adventurer''s Guild¡¯s side.


    I didn''t have much free time, either. I''d cut the idle chat early and get right to the point.


    "So what about the [Laguna] in Straheim?"


    "Poisonous Liquor has passed away. [Laguna]¡¯s Straheim''s base quarter under him was also demolished. In addition, several families of back-dealers had asked for the protection of the imperial government and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. As a matter of fact, [Laguna]¡¯s influence from Straheim had been wiped outpletely."


    "I see. That''s good news."


    I had to start eliminating them in the imperial capital as soon as possible. That''s right, it was [Laguna] hunting time.


    "Now the problem is that mastermind who can transform others into Demon King......"


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take full responsibility for crushing the mastermind behind this."


    When I announced this, a wave of relief spread over at once.


    The mastermind had angered me. The scum who had crossed the line would get what they deserved. The only problem is the opponent was a morbid coward, and there was a good chance that he wouldn''t let us catch him by the tail.


    "I see. Don''t be hard on yourself."


    I shrugged at Emperor Georg''s out of ce consideration.


    "I don''t mind. Above all, the incident this time has more or lesse close to being over. I would like the two imperial princesses to return to the imperial capital immediately."


    I didn''t have enough leeway to babysit children anymore. Besides, the mastermind was extremely dangerous. If they stick out their heads anymore, it would just be like repeating Gill''s tragedy. I would have them deported to the imperial capital immediately.


    "About that......."


    Georg hesitated on his word while scratching his cheeks awkwardly. I had an unpleasant premonition. This was always the worst kind of guy. Therefore¡ª


    "I refuse," I asserted clearly.


    "Hey, I still haven''t said anything!!"


    "What does it matter, it''s going to be about continuing babysitting, am I wrong?"


    "Babysitting.......But you are the kid here, you know?"


    Gaius butted in with a voice that seemed like he was astonished wholeheartedly, but I ignored him and continued.


    "I firmly refused!" I announced it strongly.


    "Don''t say that. I tried to persuade them, but they insisted that the case is not over yet."


    The fatty emperor raised his voice pathetically. Dammit, you''re a brother and a father. At least hold the reins of those tomboys tightly.


    "You are well aware of the danger of this incident, aren''t you? I sincerely apologise, but I am not going to get along with their selfishness anymore."


    "I know that very well. But you, sir, are already aware how dangerous they are. If we force them to return to the imperial capital, they will only start their own investigation. Then it would be safer to leave them in your hands. Isn''t that right?"


    Dammit! That''s indeed a sound argument.


    ".........You are wrong," I squeezed out the reply somehow.


    Both of them had received quite a shock from Gill''s death. It wasn''t a matter of wanting to get rid of an enemy or anything like that, but of not sacrificing any more of the empire''s citizens. They probably wanted to capture the culprit because of their sense of duty.


    That was why it was so dangerous. The enemy wasn''t such a naive existence. He could easily take advantage of such lofty feelings.


    "Then, can''t you ask for a favor?"


    "Please stop it. Anyway, I don''t have the right to veto after all, right?"


    "I''m sorry."


    At my sarcastic words, the Prime Minister deeply bowed his head.


    "Then I will take my leave here."


    I had already finished talking. I would now have toe up with another n.


    I stood up, bowed, and was about to turn towards the door.


    "That''s right. The first prince of the Vitsley kingdom has arranged toe here soon. I will leave the dealing with him to you."


    "What? Why me?"


    Was he the kind of man Olivia was bad at dealing with? It was up to you whether you liked it or not. You could do whatever you want. But why should I be involved in such a trivial love affair between a man and a woman?


    "More or less, you are also a fiancee candidate for Olivia, right? Isn''t it natural for you to do so?"


    No-No-No, what did you just say?


    "It''s just something that wild beast have blurted out!"


    "Don''t worry, the First Prince is very busy. It''ll be a while before hees."


    "That''s not the problem here!"


    "Is that alright? You don''t have much time, do you?"


    Georg urged, with the smug look of a boy who had seeded in ying a prank.


    In other words, I had no right to refuse this either. They really were an annoying bunch who brought trouble.


    I clicked my tongue and left the building this time, embodying anger all over my body.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 59 - To the tower of light

    Chapter 59 : To the tower of light


    After parting with Emperor Georg and the others, I returned to my room in Sagami Co.


    I wanted to think a bit about my future ns.


    The condition of the brainwashed children protected here had been solved at Munch¡¯s death, and they had sessfully regained their consciousness. However, they were too frail right now, so they would need several weeks of treatment. Therefore, they would be protected in ourpany.


    Due to this incident, it was necessary to revise some of our perceptions of the organization [Laguna].


    There was no doubt that [Laguna] had amander from Earth. And what had happened so far was an appetizer, so to speak. They would surely deepen their aggression even more from now on. If I didn''t want to lose any more people, I had to build up my strength as soon as possible. Not only the power of the organization itself, but my own power as well!


    My memory of what had happened before my death was nowpletely gone


    I didn''t have a shred of memories before my death, but still, I could still assure this. The current me was not even ten percent of my peak strength. It meant that I had no choice but to throw myself against that mastermind as an opponent in an all or nothing battle. Such irrationality was uneptable to me.


    I believed that the game was the process leading up to the struggle plus an additional factor. Basically, victory or defeat depended on the conditions for victory secured during the process before the struggle. The additional factor was nothing more than luck in the battle of closed strength.


    If I was defeated just like this, myrades and I would depart from this world. At best, they would be the guinea pigs of that mastermind. I had to absolutely prevent that future from happening.


    In other words, my first priority was to increase my own ability.


    One was to develop magic. Right now, I had several S-Rank magic stones, but even if I forced myself to create new magic with the materials I¡¯d already have, it wouldn''t be of much use. It would be more efficient to acquire high-ranking magic stones and materials in dungeons, search for and find more powerful magic, and aim to create the magic.


    The next was to understand the abilities of [Eternal Workshop]. If [Magic Blueprint] was the development ability of magic, [Eternal Workshop] was the development ability of items. Their orientation was on the opposite side. It should be my immediate goal to be able to use it well.


    Now then, the restriction on the usage of [Liberation] had already been cut off. Let''s take the best course of action to improve my abilities.


    I headed for the high glittering tower in the south of Straheim.


    "There''s no entrance, after all......"


    I took a look around, but just as it was rumoured, there was no entrance. If you couldn''t get inside, then this structure was just an annoying objet d''art.


    However, judging from the past trends, I didn''t think this thing appeared for nothing. If that was the case, the answer must lie in that ce.


    I teleported to the 50th floor of Kurik. I passed through the door and headed to the trial room. I still hadn''t checked this room for a reward, but if it was just as I was thinking, there must be a way to get to the tower in this ce.


    To conclude, there was no door of any kind in the trial room.


    The only thing that caught my eyes was¡ª


    "Is this a magic circle?"


    A bright red circr pattern was drawn on the ground in the corner of the room. Within the circle were a number of geometric characters drawn ording to certain rules.


    "It should be a gate, I think."


    From the appearance of that tower of light and the announcement of the next stage, it must be a ce I could reach. If so, this was the only answer.


    I took out the silver watch from my pocket and threw it into the bright magic circle. Just as the watch reached the top space of the magic circle, it disappeared like smoke.


    Just as expected. Now, let''s get in.


    I stepped into the magic circle.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    There was a private room, just like in the trial room earlier. The only definite difference was, everything from the floor, walls, and even ceiling was golden.


    It was so gilded that it made my eyes sting. I had to say that this dungeon was in very bad taste.


    In the centre of the room was something like a stone monument, so I approached to check it.


    "English?"


    On the tablet, the following was written in English.


    [Wee to Kurik Hard Mode: Tower of Deception.


    You will not be able to advance with just strength alone, while intelligence alone will defeat you.


    The only thing that awaits you is the choice between glory and death.


    The wise or cowardly, leave. Only the reckless and foolish brave can move forward with weapons in hand.


    I pray for your good luck.]


    (T/N : Btw, although the author said English, the text was still Japanese in the novel. xD)


    This was a very unpleasant sentence.


    For the creator of this ce, human''s life and death might look like a game.


    Well, fine. Whatever the road, I couldn''t go back, and it was true that I was interested in this ce. I would try to use it to the best of my abilities.


    "The exit is........."


    Looking around, I noticed that a part of the wall at the back of the room was discolored. The gate was most likely there, though it was more like the entrance to the dungeon called [Tower of Deception].


    I picked up the pocket watch from the floor, and put my right palm on the stone wall that was partially discolored red to investigate, and the scenery distorted.


    "Whoa..........!"


    I couldn''t help but shake my head at the ridiculous phenomenon.


    Of course. It was a space with myriads of stairs leading above. The stairs were carefully dyed gold and they were about seven to eight meter wide. At the end of the stairs, there was a space that looked like a public square, where a goat monster was sitting in meditation.


    That boss was just a small fish in this space.


    [Hey, master, I''m really against exploring such an absurd ce. Let''s hurry up and return to having a good time with Ojou-chan.] (T/N : Ojou-chan: Princess)


    After seeing this insane scene, Mura desperately tried to persuade me.


    "Rejected."


    A monster of that level was just a small fry. Fighting while putting your life on the line was the best way to increase one''s abilities. My instinct understood that. This ce would be just the right means of rehabilitation.


    "Let''s go."


    [..........Yes, sir.]


    I grabbed Mura''s hilt and unsheathed the red de from the scabbard, as he was spinning words of agreement in resignation, just like a cornered mouse that had epted its death.


    Then, I set out to the nearest goat monster.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 59.1 - Side story - In hospital

    I was now visiting the Lord Kruger-dono¡¯s residence for the weekly medical checkup, something that had be a habit now.


    "Hmph, you seem to be in good health."


    It had been close to half a year since I started my treatment and everyone''s face had gained some vitality and no one was coughing anymore.


    All that was left was to switch to weekly intramuscr injections as a precaution, and the girls would be fine. With this, it should be more than enough to cope with the side effects.


    "Honestly, I''m really surprised! To be able to recover from the so-called incurable disease [Pulmonary Tuberculosis] with that method of treatment! This is really amazing!!"


    The family doctor of Lord Kruger raised his voice in amazement for the umpteenth time.


    He cheerfully reported to me every week about how his patients were getting better and better day by day.


    "The treatment hase to a point where you can rest now, so why don''t you study at the research institute of medical college in Rudol*? The selection for the second half of research students will soon begin, and I can write you a letter of introduction if you''d like."


    His passion for medicine was real, and he was the kind of person who should be actively studying medicine.


    "I-Is it true!? I was introduced to it through an acquaintance of mine who is a director of a Commercial Guild, but the application rate is so high that I thought it would be hopeless for another few years."


    The requirement to enter the research institute of medical college was either you had to be a citizen of Rudol or a doctor who had been introduced by the Sagami Co. or the Commercial Guild.


    When the research students reported about the contents of the research institute or their life in Rudol, rumors began to spread and applications began to flood in.


    "Of course. I will write one right away."


    "Thank you very much!!"


    The attendant doctor bowed to me gratefully, with joy written all over his face.


    After I left the hospital room, the steward of the mansion led me to the reception room.


    "Lord Grey, on behalf of this mansion, I thank you."


    Horus Kruger-dono, the Minister of Military Affairs, once again gave me a salute, and the other residents of the house followed suit.


    Their treatment had been beneficial to me as well. Therefore, any gratitude was unnecessary, but it would be rude to deny it.


    That''s why, I changed the topic to the pressing issue at hand.


    "It''s all right. So, I heard you found something about the matter you were talking about?"


    "Yes, it seems that Fall Cyrus is engaged in a live-in job at a tradingpany in the capital."


    The only thing that had been confiscated was the Cyrus family''s territory. Although they had paid a considerable sum aspensation for damage, they should have been allowed to keep enough money to live as before for a few years.


    If he withdrew to the countryside near Straheim, where prices were low, he could live in seclusion for a decade or more without being known as the traitorous Cyrus. Yet, he didn¡¯t seem to willingly get separated from the capital.


    Most likely the reason is¡ª


    "Because of Mia and Miruru?"


    "That''s how it seems. The only member among Cyrus family, who is a wealthy merchant in the capital, has be his sponsor."


    The Cyrus family was the traitor of this empire. And employing someone from that family.......he must be considerably determined for that. If it was an empire merchant who cared about his reputation, he would definitely want to avoid troublesome matters like this at any cost.


    "Is it because of obligation or something?"


    "Apparently, he was helped by Fall Cyrus when he was near bankruptcy," Lord Horus shrugged his shoulders sarcastically.


    I hadpletely the same opinion. If he was going to help someone, then why didn¡¯t he help Miruru or Mia? Was it really that scary to go against the will of the head of family, Bail Cyrus?


    "I will talk to him once. I hope you don''t talk about this matter with Miruru Cyrus yet."


    I was sure that if she got to know about this, she would probably rush up to Fall immediately. I was sure it would leave some lingering difort as a result for them.


    "I haven''t told the person yet because I think it would be better. This is his current residence address."


    "Thank you very much. Then I will take my leave with this."


    I stood up, bowed, and left Duke Kruger-dono¡¯s mansion.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    First, I was going to start a detailed investigation of Fall Cyrus. He was going by the alias Fou, and was engaging in the work of apany.


    From unloading to carrying luggage. He wasn''t badly received by his colleagues, and he seemed to be diligently performing misceneous tasks, such as assisting senior merchants in their business negotiation. At the very least, they were recognising Fall as fellow brethren of the samepany.


    "Here is.....?"


    Fall was living in the dpidated building on the outskirts of the central district of the imperial capital, Lemuria. This was the building he¡¯d got through the mediation of his employer, so it was basically rent-free. This imperial capital had be a harsh ce for the members of Cyrus family to live in.


    I really couldn''t tell why he was trying to stay in the capital deliberately amidst all of this.


    Hatch, bring Miruru to me.


    I began to kill time around, after instructing Hatch. After a while, a blonde woman with apletely renewedplexion appeared, apanied by Miruru.


    "Now you''re going to meet the person you want to meet the most. Find out what''s in his mind, and decide whether or not you want to meet him."


    "........."


    After confirming, she nodded with a mysterious look on her face, as if she was tackling her destiny. I entered the building and knocked on the door of the ce where Fall was living.


    The door opened slightly, and a young man with blond hair peeked out. This timid-looking young man should be Fall, I guessed.


    "Who are you running an errand for?"


    When he looked at my childish appearance, he lowered his vignce a bit and asked me kindly. This wasn''t the kind of attitude formed by several months of harsh environment. Because of this natural behavior, his humble attitude hadn''t changed much since the time of Cyrus family.


    "I''m a messenger from the guardian of Miruru Cyrus."


    As soon as he heard this, hisplexion changed, and he tried to close the door immediately. However, I slipped my foot in between the gap to avoid him from doing so and said, "How long are you nning to run away? The only reason you''re here is because you care about Miruru and Mia, isn''t it?"


    Otherwise, there was no other reason for Fall to live in this ce where many people were familiar with his face.


    ".........."


    At my words, Fall bit his lower lip and turned over, his whole body trembling slightly.


    "I''m not going to do something bad. Just listen to what I have to say."


    "Please."


    Then, the door opened slowly and Fall invited me inside the room with a fading voice.


    "I see, so you didn''t n to abandon them, but you let them go because you feared that your wife and children might be harmed by Bail Cyrus?"


    "My older brother never forgives those who crossed him. If I had let Miruru and Mia in my care, they would have been killed."


    Fall nodded and talked to himself with an expression of tragic heroism, as if he was about to die. Well, I could understand this because I had been harmed once.


    "But then, why did you leave Miruru alone until that happened? Do you know that at one point, they even had to beg for money until their bodies were almost tattered?"


    "Because I wasn''t even able to enquire about their situation!!  All of them! All of the maids and stewards around me were his puppet. If I had met Miruru and Mia, my older brother would have found out. And if that happens......."


    "They would have been killed. That¡¯s what you think, right?"


    "............"


    I let out a big sigh.


    Geez, he really is a hopeless man.


    "Everything you''re saying is just an excuse with no consideration of their situation. Do you understand that?"


    ".........."


    At my words, he said nothing. He turned his head, his body shivering, tears streaming down. He nodded his head.


    "No matter what the excuse is, you could have predicted with a little thought what would have happened if you handed over only a little money and cast them away."


    "Ye.......s."


    I stared at Fall¡¯s eyes, as he repeatedly nodded, and continued, "You have betrayed them in the worst possible way. Because of that, her mother was afflicted with a disease for a long time. Mia, your daughter, will never forgive you."


    I was sure of it. In Mia''s current situation, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she held a grudge against Fall, even more than she did for Bail. In fact, Mia never opened her mouth when I asked her about her father.


    "I know. I know that we can''t see each other. That''s why¡ª"


    "That''s why you send some funds to Duke Kruger¡¯s residence every month, right?"


    "......"


    He nodded.


    As expected. Every month, Duke Kruger received a cloth bag of money from a carrier, addressed to Miruru, without a sender¡¯s name.


    "Your actions arepletely off the mark. Certainly right now Mia is definitely not going to forgive you. However, that will not be the case from now on."


    When he nervously looked up at me, I said, "And whether she holds a grudge against your wife is another matter."


    "B-but I¡ª"


    "Dear!!"


    The door of the room opened with a thud, and a blonde woman walked in and hugged Fall.


    "Miruru.......?"


    Looking at the woman hugging him and pressing her face against her chest, he called out her name.


    "I don''t care anymore. Let''s start all over again as a family!"


    "B-But I¡ª"


    Fall''s words of rebuttal were blocked by Miruru''s lips.


    Miruru and Fall had reached a settlement. The rest depended on Mia''s feelings. She was a stubborn girl. I was sure it would not be resolved so easily. Anyway, it would be uncouth to stay here anymore than this.


    "Let''s go," I urged Hatch, and we left Fall¡¯s house.

 Vol. 3 - Chapter 59.2 - The matchmaking of an egotistical girl

    "Sensei........"


    After the morning ss was over, I was called out by Teresa with a deathly pale face.


    "Hmm, what''s wrong?"


    The always jovial Teresa was unusually quiet today.


    "Do you have some time?"


    "Yes, of course," I said.


    I was about to sit down in the chair there, but I was stopped by her.


    "Here''s a bit......"


    In other words, it was something she didn''t want others to hear about.


    "I understand."


    I took Teresa''s hand and teleported to the cafeteria on the second floor of Sagami Co.


    The cafeteria in the second floor was made through substantial remodeling of terrace that was on the rear side of thepany. It''s considerably crowded in summer, but no one in their right mind would eat there in winter. That was why the second cafeteria was closed during the winter.


    "Wait a moment. I''ll bring you your lunch."


    "Uh-huh."


    I walked down the stairs to the first cafeteria on the first floor.


    I waited for Teresa to open her mouth as I ate my lunch. Finally, she started to talk.


    "I see. So your aforementioned matchmaking date has been decided."


    "Yes."


    The always lively Teresa was that much depressed today. Undoubtedly, she wasn''t enthusiastic about it.


    The reason was probably the first matchmaking candidate she had mentioned before.


    "Have you tried to talk with Count-dono or your mother?"


    Teresa shook her head.


    "Why?"


    "Because¡­ I feel like I''m losing to that guy."


    What are you doing, keeping such stubbornness that isn''t even worth a penny? This old man really can''t keep up with the thinking of kids.


    "Then I think it should be fine to talk with them now and decline it? To be honest, your selfishness is toote to be of much concern."


    "But, my mother would bring that topic to my older sister if I refuse. I don''t want to cause any trouble for her."


    "Older sister? If I''m not wrong, weren''t you the only daughter?"


    "Oh, un. My cousin''s sister. We used to y together often before."


    "I see, so? I thought you didn''t want to ept this marriage interview. Why are you worrying about your older sister now?"


    "Well, you are right, but......"


    She wasn''t being clear at all. Her pompousness was always strong and in a sense, she was the easiest to understand among all students.


    "Then, can''t you just ept this marriage interview and reject it after that? Matchmaking isn''t betrothal, after all. Your mother wants you to go on a matchmaking only, but she doesn''t expect you to get engaged or to be married."


    In the first ce, matchmaking was a ce to make that decision.


    "That''s right, but....."


    She was being hopelessly indecisive.


    Sure enough, it was too heavy of a package for me to give love advice to an adolescent kid.


    "If the candidate is someone you hate, it''s alright to reject. I''ll advise Count-dono to respect your wishes as well."


    "But¡ª"


    She tried to say something, but I waved my right hand.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t be doing anything bad. You can do what you always do. Rather than that, hurry up and eat, or we will bete for afternoon ss."


    "Am I that much selfish?" Teresa said discontentedly, puffing out her cheeks.


    "I can''t deny that you are a rash person. Don''t your parents usually give you the same kind of advice?"


    "Boo¡ª"


    Pouting, Teresa took a deep sigh. I really hoped she would act moredy-like. She had an attractive appearance, and if only her behavior was cured, I was sure she would be very popr.


    I ignored Teresa''s re full of criticism and gulped down the cold soup in the wintry weather.


    ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Today I visited a mansion in the third district of the imperial capital.


    Conventionally, local ns had strong influence in the third district, and the quarters of local ns, banquet hall, as well as low ss official or superior andmoner''s quarters were attached.


    Here?


    A four story brick mansion. This was quite a ptial residence in this district. This must be the [Shirouan], which was amunal residence owned by the Macburn frontiersmen and other powerful families. (T/N : not a direct meaning for this word, but shirouan¡¯s meaning by individual words is Purple Hall Hermitage)


    When I entered the residence, I was greeted at the entrance by Count Hartwig-dono¡¯s subordinate, ye.


    "I''m sorry to expressly call you out here, Master Grey. But the Lady insisted by all means to do so."


    A few days ago, I¡¯d suddenly received a letter begging me toe to the mansion on a given day.


    I was a little puzzled by the content of the letter, which was very uncharacteristic of Count Hartwig, but it was a letter from his wife.


    "It''s fine. You don''t need to mind."


    Count Hartwig had been a great help to me. Participating in aristocrat''s customs was child''s y.


    "Let me guide you to the venue."


    I followed ye up the stairs to the second floor. He opened the door and we entered. The room was a dome-shaped facility. And there were countless people in the room.


    Count Hartwig, his wife, Teresa, a small girl in a light blue dress no taller than I was now, and probably about twenty other people. All of them were wearing glittering formal wear, so I thought I was right to think that it was a party.


    Nevertheless, more than half of this lineup were ones that had been in business transactions. It looked like a good percentage of Countess Hartwig¡¯s rtives were in attendance.


    ¡°Lord Grey, thank you foring.¡±


    Count Hartwig, who was in the center of the room, approached me and patted on my shoulder while whispering in my ears.


    ¡°Yes, thank you for the invitation. Anyway, what is this event about?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. You haven''t been informed.¡±


    A tall woman with a smile on her face was standing in front of Count Hartwig. This was the Count''s wife.


    When our gazes met, she politely bowed. She was the only person Count was unable to act on an equal basis. She was quite a person.


    I only have bad premonitions about today.


    [Oh boy! Even I can read the depressing turn of events ahead!]


    Mura''s voice, filled with slight dismay and intense difort, ruminated inside my head.


    Wait, what do you mean¡ª


    "Are you Grey?"


    The girl in the light blue dress squinted as she approached me and began to observe me intently.


    "Well, that''s right."


    I''d never seen this girl before, but she had a certain resemnce to Teresa in terms of the shape of her face and the atmosphere around her. Most likely she was Teresa''s cousin or something.


    "Hmm, you don''t look very strong. Rather, you look like a girl," she said such a ride evaluation, putting both of her hands on waist.


    "Thanks for that."


    Such evaluation regarding my appearance was an everyday urrence. I was thoroughly ustomed to it.


    "When I heard that the uncles rmended a boy, I wondered what kind of beastly guy he would be, but you''re quite a frank person. Well, it''s fine. It''s a deal for that kind girl. Besides, the person herself is quite enthusiastic about it.¡±


    While making such ambiguous remarks, the girl in the light blue dress turned to Teresa with her eyes half closed.


    Teresa was holding the hem of her dress tightly and her body was flushed bright red, just like tomato, but she kept her head down and her gaze fixated on the floor.


    I''d met Teresa once before, even in this form without the mask. It wasn''t a rtionship that she should be shy about now. Rather, I even made her cry in the endst time.


    Before long, the party began. I also greeted the attendees of the Hartwig family in the end. Some of them were well-known business partners, and we just chatted.


    "I will leave the rest to the young man then."


    However, with the Lady¡¯s unweing favour, I was driven away to the terrace of the mansion.


    If you are going to talk about young people, I think that the girl in the light blue dress fell under this category too. Well, I agree that it wouldn''t get any moreplicated than that.


    "It''s been a long time."


    In fact, we just met the other day.


    "Y-yeah."


    Teresa just twisted her hands together and moved them around restlessly, stubbornly refusing to make eye contact with me.


    She didn''t seem to be too angry, and we seemed to be building a good rtionship for the time being. Well, I couldn''t even predict for what reason she was angry, though. I didn''t know if I would make the same mistake again.


    ".........."


    ".........."


    I''m beat. I didn''t have anything to talk about. Even if I were to start a small chit-chat, I couldn''t even ask, "How''s your school life?" etc. My acting was hardcore like a ham actor. I was sure if I tried, I would be easily found out.


    "Hey."


    As I was sparingly drinking the cup of coffee, Sagami Co. featured product, Teresa opened her mouth.


    "Hmm?"


    "I''m sorry."


    "For what?"


    She was still a girl who talked out of context. I had been trying to teach her to say the subject and predicate properly.


    "For pping you."


    Ah, speaking of which, something like that had happened. Since I¡¯d been a teacher to Teresa and the other students for so long, I had already forgotten about this feud.


    "It doesn''t matter. You must have your reason, right?"


    "Yes."


    Teresa nodded slightly. Maybe it was because I knew about her usual wild personality, it really looked awfully out of ce when she was so meek.


    "Then you don''t need to apologise. I will not apologise either."


    In any case, I didn''t even know why Teresa was angry.


    "What''s that? So weird," Teresa giggled at my remark. It seemed like she had finally be her usual self. As she began to open up to me, I shifted the topic of conversation to the trivial matters of everyday life.


    I waspletely absorbed in talking with her.


    Most of the conversation was just nodding and listening to Teresa, but it was the first time I had ever had such a long, in-depth conversation with her.


    Once Teresa stopped talking, she studied my face intently.


    "Hmm? What''s wrong?"


    "You definitely don''t understand the goal of this meeting, right?"


    "Isn''t it the party organised by Count Hartwig-dono for your rtives? But well, I''m really honored that an outsider like me has been invited here. Yes."


    Sagami Co. and Count Hartwig were important business partners. That was why, these were my honest words.


    At my nd reply, Teresa, who was looking at me with half-closed eyes, closed her eyelids and let out a sigh.


    "Sure enough, I expected something like that."


    "Do you know that your attitude towards me, treating me like I''m disqualified as a human being, is slightly hurtful?" I said such an absent-minded thing.


    "Yes-yes, I think you are just fine as it is. I understand your aloofness, and I wouldn''t be able to handle it if I got upset about it all the time."


    "That''s a terrible thing to say."


    "Naturally."


    Saying this, Teresa stood up. It should be about time for the closure. As I was about to stand up from my chair, she was looking straight at me.


    "What''s the matter?"


    I couldn''t help but ask when I saw Teresa''s earnest, unclouded face staring at me.


    "There''s something I want to tell you, Grey, when I graduate from the Magic Knight Academy."


    "I can hear it even now, though."


    "That''s not good. I know very well that my desire wouldn''t be fulfilled as it is right now."


    "I see. Then I will wait for your graduation."


    I didn''t know what her motives were, but she might have found something in graduating from the Magic Knight Academy. It was also quite possible she had found a new dream for the future or something like a goal. As a teacher, I was happy and proud of that.


    "Thank you. I will do my best. I will do my best to the best of my abilities."


    "Yeah, I have expectations from you."


    The only thing I could do was watch over students attentively and cheer for them.


    "You know, Grey, I have been taught a spell by my elder sister recently. Can I try it?"


    Teresa sped her hands behind and smiled mischievously. This was the usual Teresa at her best. I was sure she must havee up with a new prank.


    "Okay."


    "Then, close your eyes and don''t open them unless I say so."


    "Why?"


    "Just do that."


    I shrugged my shoulders and closed my eyelids, as she was more forceful than ever. Most likely it would be fortune telling or something. Girls seem to like that kind of ritual. Well, I''d go along with that as much as I could.


    "..........."


    I could sense Teresa gasping for air.


    She put both of her hands on my shoulders and the next moment, I felt a soft touch on my lips.


    "....!?"


    The unique sweetness of the touch brought my grey brain to a temporary emergency stop, unable to move a single fingertip. I just kept my eyelids closed to keep my promise to Teresa.


    In my nk mind, I could feel her separating away from me.


    "You can open your eyes now."


    I opened my eyelids just as I was told to see Teresa, her face flushed red like a ripe apple.


    "........."


    I stood there, stunned, unable toprehend the situation.


    "We are even with this. Well, then, don''t forget your promise."


    Teresa rushed out of the terrace as if to escape.


    [I curse the unreasonableness of this world!]


    As Mura''s sobbing voice reverberated in my head, I just watched her back in silence.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 1 - Homecoming and Support

    Right now, I was paying a visit to the Maguire family for the first time in several months.


    Perhaps because I hadn''t visited my parents'' house in a long time, after ignoring their order toe back immediately, I received a lecture from my mother as she cried.


    Since then, my mother had been showing an intense opposition to letting me leave. As a result, I had been bothering the Maguire family for the past two days.


    The test that would determine my students'' fate was already getting closer, but instead, I had paused their sses for the past two weeks.


    Sure enough, I received the silent treatment from the students, but here I was,pletely ignoring them.


    "Gu-chan, chew your food well, okay?"


    "Umm."


    I nodded genuinely while taking a sip of the soup. The soup quickly melted in my mouth as I chewed on the overcooked and coarsely chopped ingredients with the nostalgic taste of faint saltiness.


    "Is it delicious?"


    "Yes!"


    I replied cheerfully to my mother, who was watching me eat with a delightful smile while resting her chin on her hands.


    I didn''t try to tter her, though. It was my true feelings. I''m sure if we talk about the taste or cooking technique, the food served in Silver Knife was far more perfect. Even so, somehow this simple taste was so delicious that it brought tears to my eyes.


    "Well, despite Master''s words and actions, you were still born as a human, after all."


    Mura earnestly expressed his rude impression.


    Leave me alone.


    Aware of heat creeping up my cheeks, I quietly sipped the soup in my mouth, trying to cover up the awkward atmosphere.


    Once the meal was over, Anna Maguire disappeared inside the kitchen to pick up the dessert. Recing her, my grandfather, Dimer Maguire, showed up and made an offer.


    "Grey, there''s something I want to discuss a little bit. Is it fine with you?"


    "I don''t mind."


    While it was true that I''de here partly to meet my mother, the other reason was only that my grandfather had summoned me.


    Urged by my grandfather, I entered the drawing room. The current head of the house, Bart Maguire, was also present there.


    As I sat down on the chair facing them, Bart waved with his right hand, greeting me with a bouncy voice.


    "Yo, Grey. Your hard work has be the talk of the town among the high society."


    "Thank you very much."


    High society, huh. Basically, purebred aristocrats and the local great ns werepletely different parties. So, they naturally had different social circles.


    Among the local great ns, the way my existence had confronted the purebred aristocrats should be evaluated positively in a certain way. I''m sure of it.


    "So, what do you want?"


    I''m not fond of indirect strategy, which is why I asked them straightforwardly. I assumed it was about the loan.


    With a mysterious face, Bart gave me a bow so deep that his forehead touched the table in front of me. (T/N: Probably typo from the author; it is Bard instead of Bart.)


    "I apologize for treating you unfairly until now."


    Then he expressed his apology.


    "Huh?"


    Oblivious to the fact that his entric behavior made me confused and dumbfounded, he went on.


    "We don''t have an excuse. It is an undeniable fact that we drove you to the Mird family. Of course, we have also forcibly separated you from your mother, Anna. I understand that this is by no means something forgivableÒ»©`"


    "Oh, if it''s about that, you don''t need to worry. I can meet my mother freely like this now. And the Mird family gave me an irreceable experience."


    It wasn''t a pretense. I was speaking from my heart.  I had heard the majority of the truth from my grandfather. In the aristocratic society, bloodline was the most important thing.


    If my existence had been the cause of conflict within the Maguire family, as the head of the party, he had made a reasonable decision of cutting off the root of the problem. Otherwise, the so-called aristocratic society wouldn''t have been able to preserve itself.


    "Your words have calmed me down, even if only a bit."


    Bart took a deeply relieved sigh and gave me a worn-out smile.


    "Yeah, let''s get down to the main business now."


    "No, that''s all. Bart just wanted to apologize to you, really. That''s why I called you here. Well, there is also a part where he was being pestered by Anna..."


    Dimer stroked his unshaven beard in awkwardness.


    Judging from their behaviors, it was most likely my mother''s intention to call me here. The two of them seemed to have gone through a lot of trouble.


    In that case, it was a great opportunity. Let''s talk about business. If the rumors were true, this ce must be in a lot of trouble right now.


    Just as I was about to speak, there was an uproar in the entrance. Apparently, the timing was somehow perfect.


    The door opened with a bang, and a tall gentleman with nted eyes entered the room while stroking his beard.


    Interesting. I thought I had seen this man once in the imperial council. I remembered him because of his fussy attitude and the mor he had caused in the conference room.


    The tall nobleman sat down at the table without permission. Taking a cigar from the soldier behind him, he lit it with firestone and put it in his mouth.


    "How is it? Have you made up your mind, Lord Maguire?"


    Hmph, it seems like he hasn''t recognized me. I suppose it was natural, given how he hadn''t been summoned to my knighthood award ceremony half a year ago.


    "Lord Noval, I believe there is still some time before the deadline?"


    Unlike his usual attitude, Bart spoke with a cold tone and unconcealed hostility. It was just like how I''d expected.


    The tall man was Count Noval. Then, the obese-looking man without an ounce of fashion sense must be the merchant of West Company.


    "There''s still time in the deadline indeed, but the interest is still incurring. It''s a kind gesture on my part."


    While saying that, Count Noval let out a puff of smoke onto Bart''s face.


    Bart''s whole body trembled from the humiliation as he shot a deathly re at Noval. It was a perfectly natural reaction, given his current circumstances.


    Information is everything to a merchant. I had already heard about the situation of the Maguire family.


    To the west of Maguire''s territory was the vast domain of Count Noval. Precisely on the border of Maguire''s territory, there was a mine owned by the family from generation to generation. This mine had been the main source of ie for the Maguires, as it was still expected to yield a certain amount of minerals. However, now it had be their biggest Achilles heel.


    All of a sudden, Count Noval imed that his family was the original owner of that mine, and he demanded the Maguire family to hand over the right to manage the mine as well as the huge royalty they had incurred until now.


    From the beginning, Count Noval''s ownership im was based on some worn-out old documents, not the kind of things that could be officially recognized.


    Neither Bart nor Dimer must have doubted their victory at first. However, without any evidence, it had turned out to be a total victory for Count Noval. As a result, the Maguire family now owed a 20 billion amount of colossal debt.


    "This ce is really good. The air is fresh here, and natural resources are abundant too. Above all, the women here are nice. This ce will surely flourish as a red light district."


    A merchant-looking man licked his tongue, shaking his bby cheeks andughing vulgarly.


    I couldn''t believe it came from a merchant like us. If anything, this man looked more simr to the underworld people like Laguna.


    Perhaps, West Company onlybeled themselves as a tradingpany, but they actually might have deep connections with underground organizations.


    "Hmm, so you are from West Company, the one that has purchased the right to im thend from Count Noval?"


    At my words, the obese man slightly furrowed his brow, staring at my entire body for a while. As if suddenly recalling something, his expression turned grave.


    He squeezed out his voice in surprise.


    "The president of Sagami Co., Shirabe Sagami!"


    "What!?"


    Count Noval turned his sharp gaze at me.


    It seemed the idiot finally recognized me. Right now, I was wearing clothes made by my mother. These clothes had an outstanding taste, but unfortunately, they were too childish. It was no joke how it made me look a few years younger. Most probably, they must have thought of me as a rtive''s child.


    But then again, I was the bitter enemy of the purebred aristocrats. It wouldn''t be that hard to find out that the Maguire family was one of my parents'' homes. I''m sure they could''ve figured it out themselves if they''d used their brain a little.


    "Nice to meet you, Underling of the Trade Union and the purebred aristocrats."


    "......"


    The two of them red at me, gritting their teeth in disgust.


    The empire''smerce association, also known as the Trade Union, was an organization recently formed by a coboration of multiple giantpanies established in the imperial capital, beginning with West Company. Its economy was thergest in the world aside from the Commercial Guild.


    They loaned money at high-interest rates to the feudal lords of the empire who had to rack their brains to collect it, then they used the debts as the basis to effectively rule the empire''s territory and shun the non-union merchants.


    Recently, it seemed the number of merchants joining the union was rapidly increasing, and starting from Rainer, the Commercial Guild''s management had frequently consulted me about the countermeasure against the union.


    "Hmm, please show me the written contract or whatever it is, Uncle."


    "Hey, you bastard, what are you doing talking on your own ord!?"


    Count Noval''s armored guard approached me with an annoyed look, his nostrils ring up as he grasped the hilt of the sword fastened on his waist. He pulled the sword de from the sheath.


    Idiot, so you want to make me your enemy!


    "Stop!"


    My sharp voice of restraint reverberated through the room. Hatch''s long, sharp ws had dug into a thinyer of skin on the guard''s forehead, and a streak of blood flowed out of it.


    "You don''t need toe out."


    "Okay."


    She gave me a bow and blended into the scenery.


    My mother and the other members were now in the most dangerous position as my rtives. That was why I''d brought Hatch along with me to guard the Maguire family. Judging from her bloodshot eyes, she seemed to be umting stress from being in an invisible state all the time. I should try to rece her with Dorahachi next time.


    However it might be, Dorahachi also held the [Awakened] title, and she was easy to satisfy as long as I bought him lunch boxes.


    "I apologize, my subordinate is a little bit short-tempered. I won''t be able to guarantee your safety, so how about keeping your mouth shut?"


    The guard dropped to the floor as if all of his strength had been sucked out.


    Count Noval and the merchants of West Company looked at us silently with a paper-whiteplexion as if they had seen a ghost.


    "I definitely don''t think it''s only ''a little bit short-tempered,'' though......"


    "Uncle!"


    Ignoring Mura''s grumbling that sounded like he was fed up, I once again called out to Bart, who was still in a daze.


    "A-ahh, yeah."


    As if being switched on, he immediately got up and left the room.


    Before long, Bart returned with two letters and presented them to me. I took the letters and checked them.


    One of them was a letter issued by the Judicial Branch. It confirmed Count Noval''s im against the Maguire family in the amount of 20 billion Gs, including the decree to pay them.


    The other one stated that the iming right had been transferred to West Company.


    "Very well, I will finance the Maguire family."


    From the universal storage, I took out two cloth bags containing 100 red coins each and put them on the table.


    At the same time, I whispered to Hatch to bring a certain person to this ce as soon as possible.


    "Please confirm the amount."


    Bart reached out to the cloth bag with a trembling hand and peered into it. Then, with his mouth wide open like an idiot, he stiffened.


    "Bart!"


    Dimer shouted at Bart in an unusually stern voice.


    "E-excuse me. B-but, I don''t want to be a nuisance to my nephew more than I already am......"


    Bart stammered, spitting out his incoherent words.


    "Bart, leave everything to Grey."


    Dimer ordered without listening to his opinion.


    Bart only gave a silent nod.


    "West Company''s representative, here is the promised 20 billion G. I will pay it here and now, so sign the agreement."


    "W-what about the interest!?"


    West Company''s representative stood up and shouted, his expression changed.


    "Don''t you know the 30-day rule for the transfer of debt?"


    The transfer of debt 30-day rule. It was a rule stating that interest was not rued within 30 after the debt was transferred.


    Basically, the transfer of debt didn''t require consent from the debtor''s side. Therefore, in order to ensure that the debtor''s side was aware of the transfer, interest would not be rued for the next 30 days.


    This rule had been set up by the Commercial Guild, and the empire and other countries had enacted it asw. You probably didn''t need to exin this separately if someone was a merchant.


    "T-that''s right! The transfer to West Company was made right after the judicial decision. Now, it''s the 25th day since the transfer was made. The interest is still halted!!"


    While Bart spoke in a delightful voice, the representative of West Company gritted his teeth for a while.


    "I just remember we have something to do. Let''s go back for today, Count Noval!"


    He hurriedly urged Count Noval next to him.


    "Aren''t you going to take it?!"


    Dimer shouted in criticism.


    "You don''t particrly need to receive it."


    A cheerful voice of a young man resounded from behind to answer that.


    He made it in time. I would just leave the troublesome part to this man.


    As I turned around, a blonde-haired handsome young man was standing with a malicious smile stered on his face.


    "L-Lord Rainer!!"


    Count Noval remained upright, while the representative of West Company showed a desperate expression.


    "I owe you foring here, Rainer-san. Here is the deposit from Lord Maguire.''''


    "Hmm, I will check it."


    Rainer dumped the red coins on the table and began to count.


    "I have confirmed it. I''ll arrange the repayment agreement here. By the way, is it really alright for you not to receive the deposit? If a deposit is made, it will bring shame to your tradingpany and the Trade Union, won''t it?"


    A deposit was a method used when a creditor was unable to receive the repayment due to absence or uncertainty. Therefore, to be deposited was in itself to be branded as a third-rate merchant as it meant they were unable to receive the debt.


    In particr, this time, the one who wrote the repayment agreement was Rainer Owenheim, the president of the Commercial Guild. The credibility of that document was considerable. Furthermore, if the refusal to ept the contract was publicly announced as the reason, the reputation of the merchant would plummet as a result.


    "T-that will be a problem!!"


    And so, with the shriek from the teary-faced West Company''s representative, the curtains dropped for this foolish charade.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The repayment agreement was signed, and Count Noval and West Company''s representative left immediately with a quiet and meek attitude as if they couldn''t wait to escape this ce, unlike how they had arrogantly entered the room.


    "Rainer-san, thank you very much."


    "No, it''s fine. It''s a small price to pay if I can do you a favor."


    As Rainer gave a dryugh, Bart waspletely stiff and tense. Meanwhile, Dimer''s face was also a bit stiff, though he was better at concealing it.


    "So? What are you going to do now?"


    Rainer asked, leaning his body with a mischievous look.


    "I havee up with a solution to solve the matter you have been talking about."


    "That''s interesting. Well, I can partly guess what it was. Shutting down the Trade Union, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, it''s just as you said."


    As expected, he seemed to have noticed.


    Certainly, one of the reasons why I helped was I couldn''t endure seeing my mother''s hometown being trampled and devastated by such scum.


    However, I''m a merchant. I''m not so simple-minded that I would simply finance them, even if they were the direct rtives of my mother. I would forsake them if there was no profit.


    The true reason why I lent my hand to them was to shut down the highly-efficient Trade Union.


    Lately, the Trade Union had been aiming at local great ns through the purebred aristocrats, just like the Maguire family''s case, and they had been trying to shun the Commercial Guild by forcefully acquiring credits. So, we could use that against them.


    "Then, we have to watch over them attentively, right?"


    Rainer''s malicious smile deepened, so much that even a demon would run away immediately if they saw it.


    "Yes, of course."


    It would be a huge advantage for us, so it was a natural conclusion.


    In the feudal system of this empire, the territory of the feudal lords was, so to speak, like a small country in itself. From deciding the tax rate of the territory to granting permission for a specific business, all decisions were based on the will of the feudal lords.


    However, asking for money in exchange for granting permission for a specific business was equivalent to asking for a fight against the Commercial Guild, and no one would dare to do that, except some purebred aristocrats. Even the worst kind, like the Mird family, had no restrictions onmerce.


    The feudal lords, who held such substantial authority of their territory, were usually conservative, so they didn''t wish to see a sudden change in their territory. Even if this was the sole method to earn a fortune in the future, they would only stand back and look at other territories.


    For that reason, Rainer''s Commercial Guild and the others from the empire were at their wit''s end, unable to do anything about the rapid development of Radol.


    So, the Trade Union was like other materialistic organizations, the viins igniting the fire on the butt of those feudal lords. There was no other way to deal with this.


    Furthermore, it would be killing two birds with one stone by testing the loyalty of the betrayers joining the Trade Union.


    "It''s scary. You really are terrifying."


    I don''t want to be called that by you, who immediately notice my true intentions.


    "Then, shall we polish the n as much as possible?"


    "Yeah, let''s do that. I will also have you guys cooperate with us."


    "Y-yes!!"


    Bart nodded repeatedly.


    A peal ofughter leaked out from me and Rainer, and it grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the room.


    "It''s really scary how they look like two peas in a pod. These two......"


    Mura''s monologue echoed inside my head. He sounded genuinely speechless.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 2 - Executive staff meeting

    In the end, the 20 billion G''s loaned to the Maguire family was settled on an annual interest rate of 5% after a somewhat one-sided discussion.


    In the beginning, I had prepared to hear Bartin by saying something like, "I will not pay the interest!" But, in fact, he epted it readily.


    On second thought, it might be natural. He''d heard about the conspiracy that Rainer and I had designed and probably recognized me as a merchant instead of his nephew. There was no way he should be able to trust us if he thought about our scheme, which didn''t have any interest or principles and would engulf all of the local great ns in the empire. It would be too frightening to ept the loan without any charge from the person you doubt his credibility, and it wouldn''t be delightful to act without any reservation with that person.


    Besides, the interest rate in the case of West Company was 55%. Even a child could easily guess how exceptional the 5% interest rate was.


    I was only involved in the management, meaning as the advisory of the relevant territory, while the leadership of the territory was under Bart and the others. As long as our mutual interest was maintained, this might be the most reassuringposition for them as the feudal lords.


    Anyway, it had be possible to make a substantial intervention in this territory. All that was left was to silently proceed with the reformation of thisnd.


    Currently, I was sneaking out of the mansion of the Maguire family to attend the executive staff meeting under the watchful eyes of my mother, Anna.


    "This is the financial report of Radol district''s mainpany for this month."


    "The profit of 100 billion G, huh. I thought it would be a little more than that."


    Radol was still on its way to development. So, the expense was equally enormous. Moreover, that was after excluding the patent feesing from ourpany.


    The reason for this drastic increase in revenue is most likely......


    "The main reason is that the sess of the development of power generators and industrial machines has led to the substantial increase in efficiency in various sectors. It''s really an unexpected boom."


    I gave a big nod to the Sagami Co. executive staff, who excitedly reported to me.


    Not long after the Human Slime incident, the development team had developed a power generator. Even after that, the development of industrial machines continued, focusing on the spinning or daily necessities.


    The mass production of these products had progressed, and they were selling them like hotcakes to merchants all over the world.


    "All of the seven oil fields inside the empire are now under ourpany. The reserves are substantial, and we have secured plenty of fossil fuel."


    At Jude''s report, all of the staff inside the conference room cheered at once. No executive staff in mypany didn''t know the importance of fossil fuel.


    We had secured petroleum and electricity. The rest was only to improve our technology.


    "How is the improvement of infrastructure?"


    "Radol is in a rushing development phase right now. Ny percent of the major cities in Camelot and Arcroy are already supplied with electricity."


    It was as Jude said. The scene in Camelot had beenpletely changed when I visited it the other day. The cars driving on the beautifully maintained road in multiplenes mixed among the carriages and the pedestrians or bicycles passing by on the footpath beside them. Although cars were still sparse due to Radol''s production capacity, iron objects were running on the road. Almost all of the aristocrats or the merchants visiting Radol were shocked out of their wits.


    Streetlights were installed in regr intervals beside modern wooden buildings, illuminating the area even at night. At that moment, you could say that Camelot and Arcroy only recreated one part of the Earth''s spectacle.


    "What about railroads?"


    "Yes, all of the cities in Radol will bepleted within the next year."


    "There is a request from the Commercial Build to build railroads connecting Camelot and Suthend. Of course, both the members of ourpany and the guild will work together for the time being, but you don''t need to worry about it as the guild will cover all the construction costs."


    For that reason, we would definitely need explosive numbers of people and special machines for the work.


    The number one problem was to secure manpower, but following Gill''s will, ves were constantly freed and were now temporarily hired in ourpany. The cutting of any spies was also going well due to Satori and Aku, who had joined mypany.


    At present, the ves had already reached several thousand, and they had joined thepany''s factory or served in stores. If we could get a part of them to shoulder the construction works, I thought the project would progress much more smoothly.


    "Roger. Is everyone okay with that?"


    Jude''s words were met with silent agreement from everyone.


    "Then, the next agenda is the military branch?"


    I''m not a non-resisting pacifist who''s beyond saving. The reinforcement of the military was indispensable, at least for protecting the territory. Especially when I was against the pair of Amuzreth Kingdom and purebred aristocrats of the empire.


    "The number of voluntary soldiers has crossed two thousand. Together with their training, they have participated as city guards or police."


    With Theo Gryune as the general, Radol''s army was finally taking its shape. We couldn''t let the army imitate the police forever. We still needed to urgently secure the manpower.


    The liberation of Radol......?


    It was an unresolved problem that needed to be cleared up at some point, but maybe, it wasn''t too far from the time to execute it.


    "What about the manufacture of the soldiers'' equipment?"


    "Consumable goods, like bullets or small firearms, were stored in magic bags, locked and kept securely in our warehouses. The total number of bullets was approximately one million."


    "One million, huh...... They are still far from being sufficient."


    These numbers were nowhere near the point to bear a full-blown war.


    "And tanks?"


    "Their development was sessful for the time being, but whether it''s the budget or the manpower, we''re not at the level to actually deploy them."


    I had already anticipated Leroy''s advice. It seemed that even the public roads were still sparsely traveled, and I was well aware that there was no room for tank production for the time being.


    HoweverÒ»Ò»


    "I want you to quickly make 50 tanks as soon as possible. You can do so by using my pocket money."


    Lately, It had been getting livelier as the influence of purebred aristocrats was surging. It was quite an expensive product, but it was much better than crying tears of regretter.


    "I understand. I will quickly arrange it. Dammit, you really are rough with your staff."


    Leroy nodded and replied while yawning.


    Recently, the previously mentioned development of magic weapon toys was in its climax phase, and from the look of it, he wasn''t getting enough sleep. He was quite a personage as usual.


    "Onest thing. It''s about the recent movement inside the empire."


    "Oh, you mean the Trade Union? I''ve heard that the number of members is rapidly increasing among merchants centered in the imperial capital."


    The initiators were those who objected to the dominance of the Commercial Guild, centering around the wealthy merchants from the empire''s aristocrats.


    They criticized the monopolization of profit by one group of people in the name of patents and demanded it be set free.


    In short, they were trying to say that it was audacious of me to gain the profit by using patents and should let them use technology free of charge.


    That was what they wanted to say.


    "Apparently, the guild isn''t recognizing the Trade Union."


    Leroy shrugged sarcastically.


    The patent system was the core concept of the Commercial Guild. There was no way the guild would recognize the union. For that reason, a considerable number had withdrawn themselves from the guild, and the number of people joining the Trade Union was increasing.


    "So, the influence of merchants is divided into two parts, huh?"


    Ca muttered to herself while putting her index finger on her cheek.


    "Yeah, a considerable number of merchants havee under the umbre of the Trade Union instead of the Commercial Guild. It seems like they have be the force that can''t be ignored now."


    I''d heard it directly from Rainer during the consultationst time, so undoubtedly, it was true.


    "Although they are remarkably spouting out pretty words, they are doing as they please together with the purebred aristocrats," said Jude, who began tough.


    His words were met with words of agreement or ridicule one after another.


    "The Commercial Guild and we have decided to take the wait-and-see approach for the time being."


    The conference room stirred up. Simply put, if we took the wait-and-see approach, the power of the Trade Union would increase. So, their reaction was understandable.


    HoweverÒ»Ò»


    "Oh, so are you going to take advantage of this opportunity to purchase the im from great ns that are facing hardships and forcefully essing the management of the third territory?"


    Jude opened his mouth with a fed-up look.


    The fact that he arrived at this conclusion meant he thought of the same idea as Rainer and me.


    But maybe he hadn''t thought of actually implementing that method, which would bring not a small amount of misery, for sure.


    "Yeah. This event will thoroughly raise the value of machinery inside the empire, and the influence of ourpany will permeate deeply in the great ns'' territory. Above all, it''s also in our best interest."


    "You mean by shunning out the Trade Union from their territory?"


    Isn''t Ca also a considerably apt person? It seemed that she had been trained well by her brother and the other merchants.


    "Well, yeah. I will have feudal lords issue a decree that no merchants belonging to the Trade Union aren''t allowed to do any business in their territories. They were almost robbed by the Trade Union once. The feudal lords would happily endorse it."


    In short, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. It was the same as what those bunch of fes from the Trade Union were trying to do. We would buy the right to im from great ns and legally remove them from the business.


    What was necessary for that was a colossal amount of money and trust. They had money and authority, but not trust. That was why, as long as they weren''t hoping for their destruction, they would take upon our words.


    "General, you are thinking about terrifying things as usual......"


    Don''t be so amazed. If it''s that, we can maximize our profit. Normally, feudal lords would hate when outsiders tried to interfere in the management of their territory.


    Even if it was for the sake of reducing the influence of the aristocratic faction, the persuasion was pretty tough.


    However, the case was different if it was the rtionship between creditor and debtor. They would listen to my words without hesitation.


    Then, if there was an explosion of riches among the fiefdom of respective territories, as the head merchant, I would gain benefits from the profit. After all, patents incur money for their usage. Simultaneously, the weakening of the aristocratic faction and the Trade Union might also be rted to this. I guessed it was killing two birds with one stone.


    "What do you think? Would you be able to get their approval?"


    "Of course. If it''s in our benefit."


    Everyone agreed with Jude, one after another.


    "Then, investigate the territories that are already in problem, contact their respective feudal lord, and try to negotiate with them."


    "Yes, Sir!!"


    At my instruction, the executive staff stood up at once and gave a salute.


    This way, the intervention of mypany in each territory began.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 3 - Management strategy of the Maguire territory

    Currently, we had gathered in the office of the feudal lord to devise concrete countermeasures.


    "Did you guys watch their dead-fish-like eyes? Bloody hell, serves them right!"


    Grandpa Dimer humorously pped me on my back.


    "Listen here. Do you even understand the situation we are in, father? The fact that we are in debt doesn''t change anything."


    Bart chided him.


    However, Dimer just smiled broadly.


    "Um-um, I know. But, it''s none other than Grey who''s gonna help in managing our territory. We can easily repay the debt or whatever it is. You don''t need to worry."


    Judging from Dimer''s behavior, maybe he already expected it to turn out like this. What a shrewd roon.


    "The first is the reformation of the farnd. Then, we can set aside excessive manpower for other industries. After that, we have to work together toe up with an industry that''s unique to the Maguire territory."


    It was fine if that something was also tourism or manufacturing industry, like spinning. In short, something that couldn''t be produced by anyone else other than the Maguires.


    "A unique industry for our territory... But Grey, we would have done it a long time ago if there were such things."


    I also thought so, but uniqueness is an extremely critical factor for sess. For that, I wanted them to find out by themselves at any cost.


    "Something unique..."


    "Aren''t there any hints or something?"


    As Dimer began to think deeply while stroking his chin, Bart asked such an absurd thing.


    We weren''t ying some kind of trick or riddle. They were the ones who should have known more about the development of industries specific to their territory than I did.


    Well, they weren''t merchants, so they must be unfamiliar in that regard. Perhaps they might just need some advice to get a headstart.


    "Let''s see. What''s the most valuable local heritage in this territory?"


    Local heritage had a strong connection with thend. So the chance was high for them to get a clue from there.


    "A local heritage... I wonder if there is."


    Bart crossed his hands and brooded about.


    "Yeah."


    Dimer still stroked his chin like before and groaned.


    The head maid, May-san, ced the tea in front of us while giving that unreliable man a side nce.


    "Isn''t it the white luminous worm?"


    She gave much-appreciated advice.


    "Aah!"


    Immediately, Dimer mmed both of his hands on hisp.


    "There was indeed such a local heritage."


    Bart quipped repeatedly.


    No, no, a local heritage like this... You know that you guys are more or less aristocrats, don''t you? You''re looking down at local heritages too much!!


    "What''s this white luminous bug?"


    "It''s a worm that produces white threads."


    Hey, hey, by white threads... You don''t mean...


    "Is that the kind of worm that produces beautiful lustrous threads?"


    "Yeah. It was the first-ss product presented to the imperial court until several generations before us."


    Bingo! The closest simr thing I know is silk.


    "Past tense? Why was such a first-ss product discarded?"


    "Because it was too difficult to handle that thread."


    May-san was the one who answered my query.


    "Speaking of which, originally it was your parents who were producing the white luminous bug''s threads, right?"


    "Yeah, the weaving of the threads requires a unique processing method, but at that time, due to a widespread pandemic, everyone who knew about the manufacturing method passed away, and ever since then..."


    "You weren''t able to produce it?"


    "Yes. I heard from my grandmother that they no longer risked their lives to grow them because the worms were too poisonous and hard to handle."


    I see. The Maguire family wasn''t as wealthy as the Mird family, but they weren''t at their wit''s end. So they chose safety over wealth.


    "Where can I find the white luminous bug?"


    "I think you will be able to find them deep inside the wood behind since they are thervae of moths."


    If so, I might be able to experiment on them multiple times after harvesting a sufficient amount of them. It was bing interesting. Durable silk. I might have unexpectedly struck a treasure trove.


    We had grasped the starting point for the industry. The rest was just to figure out how to design it.


    "Are there people who have some knack for textile-rted information in this territory?"


    "......"


    Dimer, Bart, and May-san exchanged nces, looking somewhat baffled.


    Hmm? Did I say something weird?


    "Umm?"


    "Textile is the forte of Lady Anna."


    I was told so straightforwardly. I see. It was the memory of Grey that I didn''t know.


    "Ah, how could I forget."


    I said to deceive them.


    Well, now, all conditions had been met. The rest was only to implement them.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I explored the woods behind the mansion of the Maguire family, capturing several dozen cocoons, the living ones, and conducted experiments.


    As a result, I found some really important facts.


    First, ording to the analysis results, the white luminous worm was categorized as a monster and could produce magic stones.


    Second, the white luminous worm''s threads possessed the property of heat resistance, magic resistance, and shock resistance.


    Third, the threads extracted from the cocoons were as hard as wire, hence couldn''t be used in making clothes.


    To put it bluntly, why the heck had the Maguire family decided to throw away such miraculous threads? I even doubted their sanity. This was the best treasure that could create more wealth than any other materials excavated by chance. Someone from the top executive with decent judgment in management would have pushed ahead with the research and development, no matter what sacrifice they had to pay. If it had been offered to the imperial court, they should have also realized the importance of the threads. At the very least, they should have confiscated it. Everything seemed illogical and didn''t fit well with each other.


    Anyway, the conditions that must be cleared became apparent this time.


    One, to once again improve the threads of white luminous worms.


    In other words, the threads must be made soft enough to be used in weaving the clothes.


    Two, how to breed these white luminous worms and the method to remove their poison.


    It was simple, though quite difficult. However, the fact that it had been made in the past meant there had to be a solution for this.


    If only I could just find a reference or something, that would be a good start...


    "Did you have something in mind on how to improve the threads?"


    I tried to ask May-san, knowing it might not yield any result.


    "I''m sorry, Young Master Grey."


    May-san shook her head apologetically.


    Well, that was also right. If they''d known any convenient methods, they would have done it a long time ago.


    "I see."


    If that was the case, I''d have to look for information in ces where there might be clues.


    Of course, I could have investigated everything about it in mypany from the beginning, but it would take too much time. After all, it was a case where both the Maguire family and the imperial government had already given up.


    Besides, Sagami Co. was an outsider to this territory. If we developed everything from beginning to end, sucking the whole fortune, it wouldn''t be any less different from the West Company. Above all, we would be unable to secure trust from the masses.


    The citizens of this territory were the essential future customers of Sagami Co. It would be best for us to position ourselves as a good partner for them. In other words, the most effective way was for us to just stick to assisting and let the citizens take the lead in the development as much as possible. By all means, I wanted them to grasp the starting point.


    "If you''d like, I can lead you to my parents'' home?"


    "Much appreciated. Please."


    May-san''s family had been involved in the development of the white luminous worms for generations. If there was any clue, it would be there.


    The Maguire territory was naturally well-off. May-san''s parents'' house was located in a small vige just south of the woods where those worms lived.


    We were guided into an old building and led into a spacious room that looked like a parlor.


    Inside the room, several old men, who looked like vige executives, were seated at a long table.


    "We haven''t heard from you for a long time, Young Master."


    A white-haired olddy with a hunchback stood up from her chair and bowed her head. The rest of the old men followed suit.


    She was May-san''s grandmother, and probably the chief of this Shirokane Vige.


    "Yeah, it''s been a long time."


    I also corrected my posture and gave a polite bow. Naturally, I didn''t remember her, but I did have heard that I''d used to visit May-san''s family from time to time when I was a child. I was urged by the old woman to sit, so I sat down on the designated seat.


    "What can I do for you today?" she asked me straightforwardly about the matter.


    "Ie to investigate the way to improve the white luminous worm''s threads. Do you happen to know anything?"


    "The white luminous worm... You seem to be interested in strange things. May I know the reason?"


    "It''s for the reformation of this territory."


    Instantly, everyone present gasped and became boisterous, as if they had been imprisoned in an insect cage. The old woman raised her right hand to control the situation and looked at me with a piercing gaze.


    "This means Young Master will be the future head of this territory. Is it fine to think so?"


    I see. This strange uproar was all because of this apprehension.


    If I became the candidate of the next head of the Maguire family, I guessed they were worried that it might cause unnecessary strife in this territory.


    Geez, even though what I want to talk about isn''t even to this extent...


    "You seem to misunderstand. I already have a territory in Radol as Viscount. I don''t have a shred of desire to govern this territory at this point."


    "Viscount..."


    "Ridiculous!"


    At my remarks, the uproar increased further.


    "Everyone! Be quiet! I''m talking with your master here!!" the old woman shouted loudly, unthinkable for her age.


    The room became quiet in an instant, and the old woman stared at me with a strange look.


    "If so, why are you trying to reform this territory?" she asked the reason for reformation.


    Hmph, this old woman seemed to be quite stubborn, and if I began to talk about reason and all, I was sure I wouldn''t be able to receive the information I wanted.


    Just as I was about to open my mouthÒ»Ò»


    "Grandma, Young Master has heard from me."


    The maid, May-san, signaled me with her eyes. Certainly, the situation would be even moreplicated if they listened to me, an outsider. I should just let her, the rtive of the old woman, exin the predicament of this territory.


    "I see... I did hear about Count Noval picking a fight under the pretext of mining, so this is what happened."


    Unlike the firmness from before, hostility had disappeared from the old woman and the others.


    What a sudden change. I wonder if they''d thought I was Count Noval''s puppet or something.


    "It''s great to see you understand it. Either way, this territory needs reformation. Will you cooperate with us?"


    "That''s of course... Or so I wanted to say. But we don''t know much about the white luminous worms."


    It was just what May-san had said before.


    "It''s fine even if it''s not a detailed manufacturing method. Just what you remember about what you once saw."


    "The thing I remember..."


    The old woman looked at the ceiling and groaned, but then she turned her head as if she''d just remembered something.


    "Speaking of which, I remember when I was a little and entered the workshop without permission, I saw my grandfather was mixing something. I particrly remember it because my grandfather, who was always so kind to me, yelled at me with a menacing look like a demon."


    "Mixing something in the cauldron..."


    There seemed to be something wrong. Mixing something in a cauldron. This practice itself was a typical thing in the industry and shouldn''t be very surprising.


    You might get angry if a child enters the workce without permission. However, I felt an intense obsession in the olddy''s remark.


    "Can you tell me in detail what happened at that time? As many details as possible."


    "Sigh..."


    At my extremely tense expression, the olddy sighed and began to talk about the past as if she felt nostalgic about that moment.


    "I see. So it was like that..."


    More or less, I''d guessed for my sense of difort. If my spection was true, I thought the Maguire family and the imperial court had made a desperate but wise decision.


    The governance of this imperial country for several generations might be firmer than I had imagined.


    "Have you noticed something, Young Master?"


    I nodded at May-san''s curiosity-filled words.


    "Yeah, I have more or less guessed the manufacturing method."


    All we needed to do was repeat some experiments and find the solution. It was because, although the manufacturing method wasn''t that abstruse, the problem was something else.


    I shifted my gaze to the old woman and dered, "Epidemic wasn''t the reason why your grandfather died. It was the thread production itself."


    If that was the case, it would exin the questions we had been having.


    First of all, why did the imperial court and the Maguire family readily interrupt the production just because it was dangerous?


    Of course, there might be some problems in breeding or raising these poisonous worms.


    However, if we took the vast fortune from thread production into ount, it would be unconvincing to cancel the operation just because it entailed danger.


    In other words, it wasn''t only the worms but also the threads that were poisonous, and the poison generated from the manufacturing method was gradually eating the workers.


    There wasn''t a single proper medical institute in this empire. Especially when an epidemic broke out, the entire vige would be annihted.


    That was why they had been able to make a living out of the threads without even realizing that they were being poisoned.


    And the olddy''s grandfather must have been fully aware of the dangers of possessing this thread. It was no wonder that he stubbornly refused to raise a sessor, and that he was furious when the old woman entered his workshop.


    The old woman''s grandfather probably had failed and died while trying to detoxify the thread, along with the workers.


    It would''ve all made sense if the Maguire family and the imperial government had suspended the development of threads upon noticing the level of risk after receiving reports about the ident on the site.


    Well, it wasn''t like I had anything to prove at this point...


    "The production itself was dangerous, so it was banned. If that''s the case, then we also don''t have any choice but to abandon the development of the thread..."


    May-san let out a sigh in disappointment.


    "Of course, we will still develop them."


    It was a miraculous thread, still secret from others, and no one had even tried to research and develop it.


    "It''s dangerous! Who''s even gonna try it!?"


    "I will."


    Naturally, I didn''t have the slightest bit of intention to hand it over to someone else.


    "No-no-no, Absolutely not!"


    May-san vigorously shook her hand and strongly rejected it.


    "I have my thoughts about it. If we follow a few steps, we can reduce the danger considerably."


    "I''m against it!"


    "I will do it, whether you agree or not."


    As a politician, it''s correct to hesitate at developing something unknown because of its danger. Unfortunately, I''m a researcher by nature. I don''t have the mentality to abandon research merely because of its risks. Besides, there are always minor or major risks in research and development. Science has been developed by continuing to do so regardless of the dangers.


    "You aren''t going to change your mind no matter what?"


    "Yeah, it''s impossible."


    The surrounding vige executives gulped when the atmosphere between us turned dangerous, aplete U-turn from earlier.


    "Then, please let me participate in this research."


    "Huh? You can''t do that, can you?"


    I tly rejected May-san, who said such a ridiculous thing.


    "Whether I can or can''t doesn''t matter. I will do it," she insisted stubbornly.


    "Be my guest. I won''t let you participate anyway."


    Now that I got what I wanted to know, there was no other reason to linger here anymore.


    "I will report this matter to Lady Anna if you don''t let me participate."


    As I was about to stand up, May-san asserted it strongly.


    I was beat. It would be bad. Too bad. I could imagine mother opposing with teary eyes if she learned about the specific.


    Mother''s fashion sense was needed for this project. We wouldn''t be able to do much if she became angry.


    "I understand. But you will attend only the briefing regarding the research."


    It wasn''t a problem if May-san was present only during the short meeting time.


    "No, I will participate in everything! You wouldn''t mind if there weren''t any life-threatening parts, right?"


    This person, was she always that stubborn and troublesome? I''d thought she would be a more understanding person...


    However, it would certainly be more convenient for public opinion if there were participants from the Maguire family. Perhaps, it would be a good idea.


    "I will tell you this first. Although it''s possible to tone down the danger, it won''t reach zero. There is always a risk of death, you know?"


    May-san gulped.


    "Bring it on."


    But she insisted stubbornly.


    Well, whatever. It was somewhat different from my initial expectation, but Iid out the groundwork for research. All that was left was to put the operation in action.


    This time, I bowed and left the vige chief''s house.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 4 - A day in Class S

    Everyone''s gazes spontaneously gathered at the red-haired young girl sitting on the window-side seat, resting her chin on her hand and staring outside.


    It was your usual ordinary ssroom scene. However, just by her entrance, an illusion assailed them as if it was a scene out of a heroic tale or a fairy tale.


    "Ste, there''s something I want to learn about."


    A red-haired young boy overflowing with wild charm, n Kruger, scratched his head and pleaded to her as he took a seat in front of Ste.


    n was a prideful person, and in fact, his aplishments in literature and military were quite high. That was why Ronald was struck with amazement when he saw his best friend meekly asking for instruction from others.


    "Okay. Where?"


    As Ste looked at the textbook with her usual cold attitude, the rest of the students crowded around their seats, listening to her words.


    To tell the truth, yesterday''s Physics ss had been so difficult that it took Ronald until midnight to get some sort of understanding.


    He had been taught by some of the best schrs in the empire. He''d even had a certain confidence in his academic abilities before entering this academy.


    And his self-confidence had been crushed by the everyday''s absurd lessons. Thus, all of the subjects of ss S were entirely unknown to him.


    Not only for magic and martial arts, of course, but also chemistry, physics, biology, medical science, agriculture, economics, political science, and many other fields, they called schrs with expertise in these fields to teach them. (T/N: sweats I''m d my school life wasn''t that crazy.)


    So, all the teaching positions were now held by a disciple of Shirabe Ines Navarro.


    One of the physics teachers, Pars, had told them about his teacher, Shirabe Ines Navarro.


    Professor Shirabe was too outstanding in every field, while they barely managed to master each of their fields. They continued to walk on their path, polishing their skills everyday for their lifelong dreams.


    "It seems to be tough for you too, doesn''t it?"


    Ronald called out to the blonde-haired young girl, who was absentmindedly staring at Ste, Aqua Mird.


    Such a crazy person was once a servant in her mansion, or so she said.


    "No, I vaguely understood her position. Rather..."


    Aqua''s words stopped midway abruptly. It was the feeling as if something had stuck between her teeth. Ronal had been thinking for a long while that she was clearly and definitely anticipating something that he and the others didn''t know.


    "By the way, what are you going to do once you graduate?"


    An outstanding girl would surely be in high demand no matter the field.


    "I think that''s something I will decide when I graduate. Until then, I think the empire will change a lot."


    Her words could be taken as a criticism of the current system. Ronald would surely have pulled a scowl if it were before entering this ss. However, as he took lessons in this ss, he understood just how shallow his thinking was to take this old and unripe empire as an advanced nation.


    The economy, which was the heart of the nation, had no major strategy, only requiring the collection of wheat and rye as annual tribute. There was no thought of national prosperity in the future.


    It was a situation that seemedpletely out of hand where the backbone of a nation, the judiciary and administration, collided with purebred aristocrats.


    And there was no system of personnel appointment or education to effectively utilize the entire poption, the blood of the nation.


    With this situation, it was certainly unavoidable to be branded as a declining country. If the empire continued to push forward without any policy, it would obviously be invaded by other nations and be their establishment soon.


    "Well, that''s right. I also think so. But you knowÒ»Ò»"


    He still couldn''t foresee the future at all. However, there was at least one thing he understood clearly.


    And that was, the most excellent person in the empire''s history, Shirabe Ines Navarro, expected them to carry the future of this empire on their shoulders.


    Ò»Ò»That was why.


    "We can''t let them beat us. I know you have a position to take, but your sympathy is unnecessary."


    Initially, Ronald wholeheartedly wanted to take Professor Shirabe''s ss. However, this too changed when he sensed the significance of this ss.


    The next term examination was to find the next sessor of Shirabe Ines Navarro. It meant that the examination would select those who were qualified to carry the future of the empire.


    Actually, the next month''s grading method for the exam was 50% academic and 50% practical. In the Magic Knight Academy, the content of the sses differed from ss to ss, so naturally the content of the examinations differed as well.


    As the natural consequence of the academic exam''s different contents, the marks allocated to practical exams were quite high. Ronald heard it was 20% for academic exams and 80% for practical exams.


    This was altered this time, and the distribution of marks was now 50-50. Furthermore, ss S & G ss would have a unified exam.


    From now on, the nuance of the sessor selection exam would be even stronger.


    "Yeah, I know. I also have my own reason not to lose to them. But what about Your Highness? Are you okay?"


    Her question was most likely about Mia, as they had talked to Aqua about the circumstances between Mia, Ronald, and the others.


    "It''s just a groundless worry. This is a test to determine the future of the empire, so to speak. There''s no room for personal feelings. Besides, you know, Mia has already been saved. So there''s no need for any consideration."


    Through n, he had received information that Mia''s mother had safely recovered from the illness and was even harmoniously living together with his father, Fall Cyrus.


    Yeah, Mia was free now. That was why there was no need to worry about her anymore. Since they had be enemies, he would thoroughly fight her. Besides, she was receiving direct lessons from Professor Shirabe himself. She was absolutely not a sweet enemy they could measure only by skills.


    "Yes, yes, everyone, let''s begin the ss. Please take your seat."


    Just as he was talking with Aqua, a timid-looking blue-haired young man with his parted hairstyle entered Ronald''s sight, making a pping sound near the podium.


    He was Professor Toshhu, who taught political science. This was one of the lessons Ronald was most interested in right now.


    Everyone surrounding Ste returned to their seats and listened to professor Toshhu''s words.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 5 - A harmonious morning

    A familiar ceiling entered Mia''s sight as she opened her eyes.


    Moving her head, she checked the handmade table clock she''d made in ss.


    It''s only 6 o''clock. Even though it is myst break...


    Habits are really scary. She still woke up at her regr time despite the holiday.


    She tried to put the nket over her head and closed her eyes tightly, but it wasn''t effective at all.


    "Ah, geez!"


    If she couldn''t sleep, then so be it. Mia jumped out of her bed, changed her clothes, and headed towards the first floor.


    "Goood morning~"


    Teresa, who was leaning on the table, waved her hands in the air, raising herid-back voice.


    An appetizing smell of roasting meat wafted from the kitchen. Cliff and Eight were in charge of today''s breakfast. This fragrance was most likely of ginger and soya.


    Today''s breakfast was Cliff''s specialty: grilled wild boar meat with ginger.


    Incidentally, Sagami Co.''s spices and ingredients were delivered to ss G''s dormitory every morning before 6 am. The person on duty that day would pick up and use them on that day''s menu.


    The ginger and soya were the spices originally developed by Sagami Co., and the roasted wild boar with ginger was one of the dishes that the head chef of Silver Knife had taught Mia to cook in a quest.


    Specifically, the grilled wild boar meat with ginger made by Cliff was the best among the students of ss G, and it was too delicious.


    "Good morning," Mia greeted Pluto and Teresa, who were already seated there, and she also sat down on a chair.


    "In the end, we still end up gathering at this time like every morning even though we are on a break..."


    "Yeah," she nodded at Pluto, who muttered while resting his chin on his hands and absentmindedly thinking about today''s vacation.


    Mia was eating with everyone as the dessert was carried to the dining table.


    "So? This is our final break. What is everyone''s n?" Pluto asked casually, and everyone pondered about it for a while.


    "Now that you mention it, there''s nothing particr I want to do," Cliff replied as he skillfully carried the food with his chopstick to his mouth.


    "Yeah, I don''t have anything to do either."


    "Me neither."


    "Mia, will you visit your mother?"


    "No, mother is already fine now."


    Mia''s mother hadpletely recovered from her illness, and there was nothing to worry about her life, as she was told so by the doctor in charge.


    Furthermore, she seemed to have found a good person and was living together with him in the central district of the empire. She had finally forgotten that scumbag man. It was a really nice development, and Mia didn''t want to be in the way of her mother''s happiness any more than this. That was why it turned into not seeing her for a while.


    "The heck, that means none of you have any n in the end."


    Pluto shrugged in amazement.


    "I bet it must be the same for you," Cliff retorted.


    "No doubt."


    Pluto nodded in self-mockery.


    "Then, why don''t we work on the thing we are talking about today? There is only around one month left for the exam, and I don''t think we can manage it at our current pace."


    "Yeah, indeed. Isn''t it fine since we don''t have anything to do either way? What do you guys think?"


    Pluto looked at everyone to see what they thought about Teresa''s words.


    "Mia also supports it," Mia agreed immediately.


    Yes, the deadline for Mia''s and the others'' projects was until the end of the exam. They only had a short amount of time left.


    "I basically agree, but how are we going to Straheim? Sensei isn''t here today."


    It was just as Eight said. It was impossible to travel to Straheim without the help of Shirabe-sensei or his disciple''s profound strength.


    And the crux of the matter was that Sensei wasn''t here in the capital today. There were several of Sensei''s disciples, but they were definitely not using it without his approval.


    "You don''t need to worry about it. Straheim has something I want, so I''ve already made ns to visit the city."


    "Right, though the problem is how to get there."


    "I have an idea."


    Responding to Cliff''s extremely honest opinion, Pluto shed a smile as if a mischievous person had pulled off his best trap.


    "You, I''m sure you are up to no good."


    Cliff stopped his hand holding the spoon to scoop up the soup and raised his voice in exasperation with his half-closed eyes.


    "Nonsense. That person only does legitimate deals."


    Well, Mia had already guessed it, more or less. Only one person among Sagami Co. staff members in the 4th district of Leithe would most likely ept the deal.


    "Let''s eat quickly and head for thebyrinth! I have some magic I want to try out!"


    "You, was this your objective all along..."


    A chuckle spilled out from Mia''s mouth naturally when she looked at Pluto let out a sigh as if he was genuinely fed up.


    "What''s so funny, Mia?"


    "Hmm... You seem really happy."


    "What a strange person, as usual."


    Cliff began to move his spoon while spouting his usual cutting remarks.


    Everyone harmoniously ate at the dining table. They could feel the gentle morning sunlight shining through the windowpane of the building everyone had worked hard to remodel.


    It was as if Mia had finally gotten the thing she had lost for a long time, and at this moment, she felt certain happiness.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 6 - Class A & Class S

    As they left the dormitory and walked around for a while, they found themself on the route to Magic Knight Academy.


    Today was their day off, and there were not supposed to be any sses. However, quite an impressive number of students were walking towards their ssrooms.


    "Oi, isn''t that ss G?"


    "Are they here to take supplementary lessons with us after not being able to take decent lectures?"


    "Seriously. What is even the academy thinking? What are they even trying to do by having those ipetent bunch associate with us and lowering our level at the important venture of our life!!"


    They heard the astonished or disdainful words from the students that seemed to be in supplementary lessons.


    Initially, ss G had used to take this route to the academy. However, after figuring out that they could go directly to their ssroom from the mountain path behind their dormitory, they''d stopped using this route.


    Everyone had good reasons to change their route, but most likely, the main reason was that they didn''t want Mia, who was hated by the public, to go through something painful.


    Just after walking for a while, they bumped into a few students.


    "Oh, if it''s not everyone from the cockroach ss. You seem to be in quite a hurry."


    A young girl with glittering blonde hair stretching down her waist shed her usual nasty smile.


    "Not again... So persistent. Can''t you give us a break already..." Pluto spat out, not trying to hide his disgust.


    This unpleasant young girl was Messalina Geffert. The daughter of the famous Duke Geffert''s family. Whenever they took this road during school breaks, she would without faile to annoy them with her disgusting expression.


    "My, my, you seem to have quite a free time despite the date of exams approaching closer. We will be having supplementary lessons with Lennox-sensei, you know? Has your cocky professor finally abandoned you?"


    "No, we are trying our best to not let it happen."


    Saying this, Pluto waved his right handzily and passed by their side without even making eye contact with Messalina and the other students.


    In the beginning, Pluto and others would have red up immediately. However,tely not even one of them seemed to care about this anymore.


    "What''s with your attitude?!" another girl from Messalina''s ss shouted indignantly.


    "......"


    For a while, Messalina red at Mia and the others as if she was looking at her parent''s killer, but soon, her face distorted maliciously.


    "You all are really pitiful. Your dormitory is so tattered, and you have to take sses in the mountains, right? It''s as if you''re wild monkeys."


    "That''s rude, Messalina-sama, though mainly for the wild monkeys."


    "Very true. My tongue slipped. I have to apologize. I''m sorry, Wild Monkey-san."


    Messalina and the others simultaneously burst intoughter as Messalina bowed toward the mountain, pretending apologetic.


    They didn''t understand what was so funny about it, but they got that they were being made fun of.


    "I wonder about that. It''s so nice to live in our dormitory, and our ssroom also gives quite pleasant vibes," Teresa said extra proudly, putting both of her hands on her slim waist.


    The curious onlookers straining their ears to listen to their conversation began to make noise simultaneously.


    Teresa was the daughter of Count Hartwig, who not only possessed military but also economic power, on par with Margrave Macburn among the great local ns. They were supposed to be wealthier than the purebred aristocrats of the poor central region.


    "Y-you think we will buy your bluffing?"


    "Why would I need to bluff?"


    Teresa tilted her small head in puzzlement.


    "I heard ss G''s ssroom is so tattered that it''s just on the verge of copsing."


    Lowering her eyebrows, Messaline spoke about the rumors that had been circting among the public.


    "Yeah, it was."


    "Was? D-did you renovate it?"


    "Yes. With our hands."


    Everyone was dumbfounded for a moment at Teresa''s boastful remark, but then burst into smiles which soon became thunderousughter.


    "Hahaha! Ahahaha! Did you hear that? They fixed it themselves!"


    "Yeah, he made his students do such futile work. It seems that the rumors are indeed true. Your teacher is really an ipetent one!"


    A blonde-haired, chubby male student repeatedly nodded while saying something Mia and the others could not ept.


    "Try to say that again!"


    Just as expected, Plutomanded Messaline in a low but chilling tone.


    "W-what?! What''s with your rebelliousness as amoner! To act like this toward me©`"


    "Let''s go."


    Giving a side along to Messaline, Eight patted Pluto''s right shoulder multiple times with a calm smile.


    "You''re right."


    Pluto shook his head before giving a slight nod and turned to walk away.


    Just thenÒ»Ò»


    "Hey, ss S hase!"


    A tense voice rang out, and a group of students walking in their direction came into view.


    Everyone parted into both sides of the road without saying anything.


    The one leading the group was a handsome young man with silver hair, Ronald Rose Archive. He was famous for his talent, which was considered the best among the royal family.


    The red-haired young man next to him was n Kruger, the sole son of Lord Kruger of Military Affairs. Sure enough, he was also gifted in literary and martial arts.


    Mia, who was no stranger to them, knew best just how abnormal those two were. Moreover, they were the children prodigies that everybody had heard at least once in the imperial capital. And now, both of them were gathered in the same ss. So, it would be nothing strange for them to be the center of attention.


    Despite this, everyone''s gazes weren''t fixated on Ronald or n, but on the red-haired young girl walking right behind those two.


    Her beautiful appearance seemed to embody the goddess in the picture book. Even Ronald and n didn''t seem like anything more than minor characters under Ste''s majestic appearance, as she was unfazed and never ttering anyone.


    They remembered her from the exam at Magic Knight Academy. But they didn''t think of her as anything more than a strange young girl wearing a maid uniform. At least, she didn''t seem to be the kind of person who could steal everyone''s heart.


    Though saying that, the impression of her outward appearance hadn''t changed that much from thest time they''d seen her. If they had to pinpoint the change in her, then it was the way she acted.


    She seemed like a young girl, once normally hiding under the shadow and remained inconspicuous, who had broken from those shackles.


    "Mia, we will absolutely not lose."


    As they passed through their side, Ronald muttered, biting his lips.


    "I-I will not either."


    n raised his mouth at Mia''s deration and walked past them. The other members of ss S took one look at Mia and the others before walking away.


    Only the red-haired girl didn''t pay any attention to the students from ss A, let alone Mia, as if they didn''t even exist in her eyes.


    "W-what the hell was with thatmoner girl!!"


    While the crowd was still vacantly watching their retreating figures, Messalina sobered up and shouted in rage with a humiliated expression. However, none of the present students said anything in agreement.


    "You guys, aren''t you vexed seeing an unknown person with a doubtful origin beside His Highness Ronald and n!?"


    "Well it''s vexing, but..." the young girl, who was Messalina''s follower, said hesitantly.


    "But, you know...... "


    The rest of the members also cast down their gazes or averted their eyes. The look on Messalina''s face rapidly became stern as she looked at her followers.


    Most likely, everyone had recognized that unconsciously. The concrete difference between themselves and her as living beings. The red-haired girl was so overwhelming that you couldn''t help but think so.


    "Aqua, Ste..."


    Among the dispersing students who knew even if they were vexed they couldn''t win, Cliff was staring at the retreating figures of ss S students with aplicated expression mixed with countless emotions.


    "Let us go too."


    He was then urged by Eight.


    "Yeah, let''s go."


    Cliff nodded, and they left that ce.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 7 - The black door

    The fourth district of the imperial capital. Arge number of people had formed a row in front of a small inn around therge river flowing southernmost of Leithe.


    This is Shizukutei (Teardrop Pavilion), the inn-cum-restaurant that recently became famous in Leithe.


    The restaurant here sold lunch boxes from 7 am and the lunch box, while enough to fill up the belly of a male student in his growth phase, was also budget-friendly. But above all, it was so delicious that it could melt your cheeks. Instantly, it astutely captured the heart of Magic Knight Academy students, who were supporting the expenditure of Leithe, and became a famous restaurant where people lined up for hours.


    However, Mia and the others, who had tasted the absurd cooking of Sagami Co. in Straheim, could easily guess who had influenced this kind of business called Teardrop Pavilion.


    After standing in line for a few hours, they picked up five cheese hamburg steak lunch boxes and three extrarge lunch boxes from the daily menu and went to a nearby park.


    In the park, a ck-haired young girl was ying with a green-haired and a white-haired young girl.


    "Here, the promised lunch box," Pluto handed the three extrarge lunch boxes to the ying young girls.


    "Thank you for your hard work!! Lunch box, lunch box, it''s lunch box~ ?"


    One of the girls hummed a strange tune and spun around with a blissful expression. It was Dorahachi.


    "Woah! It looks delicious!"


    "Yeah, I''m sure it''s delicious."


    The other two young girls said, their eyes glimmering. They were Haku and Sheena.


    These girls were like mascot characters always seemingly ying together, either in Straheim or here, in Leithe.


    Looking at them, who without further ado opened the lid of the lunch boxes and began to stuff their cheeks, Pluto said, "Dora-chan, we have just eaten. Let''s wait until the afternoon, and then we''ll eat together."


    "Hmm, okay."


    Although she nibbled at her finger dejectedly as her stomach made a growling sound, Dorahachi stored the lunch box somewhere.


    Haku and Sheena also habitually stored theirs in the magic bag attached to their waist.


    "Then, please teleport us."


    "Okay. It''s our promise~"


    Dorahachi turned the palm of her right hand towards the students of ss G, and a magic circle appeared beneath their feet. The scenery then instantly changed to Straheim.


    "Shall we meet in this za at 5 pm?"


    "Okay~ I am looking forward to your souvenirs~"


    Dorahachi waved her hand and dashed to the crowd along with the other two girls.


    "We don''t have much time. Let''s head to thebyrinth."


    Everyone gave a light nod to Pluto''s word and started walking towards Kurik.


    Ò»Ò»Ò» Kurik, 4th floor.


    "me Rando!"


    The me howled with Pluto''s chant.


    The ming tide swallowed the two-headed monster in the blink of an eye, enveloping and fiercely burning its body. Soon, the two-headed dog was reduced to charcoal.


    "With this, we have finished capturing the monsters of the 4th floor. We should head back now."


    The students had reached a considerable depth after several hours of adventure. Honestly speaking, the monsters they encountered today weren''t very strong. Of course they beat them easily without getting hurt, but they felt a bit unsatisfied.


    Maybe because of that, one of them said something exaggerating.


    "I want to explore a bit more."


    It''s easy to be overconfident when you have been ustomed to things, and that''s when it''s the most dangerous. Their Sensei had taught them that, but...


    "Yeah. Isn''t it fine since we still have some time left?"


    "It''s fine. Let''s get over it until we reach the safety point on the 5th floor."


    "Agreed."


    Pluto, Cliff, and Teresa nodded one after another.


    "Hmm, you''re right. Let''s explore a bit more."


    The team leader, Eight, had the same idea, so Mia and the others headed towards the deepest part of the 4th floor.


    "Hey, was there such a house before?" Pluto scowled, his gazending somewhere.


    In front of him was a ck door that they had never seen before.


    "I don''t recall seeing it either. If I''m not wrong, there was supposed to be a path with a dead end, right?"


    "Could it probably be a secret room!?" Teresa stared at the door with a gaze full of curiosity.


    "Just saying. Rumors say there may be some treasures here..." Pluto added.


    They had received training regarding thebyrinth from the active adventurer, Aku-san, and Satori-san, who had apanied Sensei.


    There were several hidden doors in thebyrinth, and inside them was a treasure chest that was said to contain a valuable fortune. However, as there were also dangers from the traps, it was best to inform the guild about it right away rather than entering the door without preparation upon discovering the chest.


    "Anyway, our goal for today isn''t to earn money. We already have gotten enough, so there''s no need to go on a dangerous adventure."


    "You''re... right."


    Teresa nodded, albeit looking a bit regretful.


    "Mia also think so," Mia also agreed.


    That was right. The reason they came here today was to obtain the materials needed to create an item. Now, there wasn''t any purpose for them to face the danger of investigating the door.


    "Since we all agree to it, let''s head back first. We will report this to Aku-santer."


    "Argh, if only I could see through this door to look inside."


    Teresa suddenly touched the dark-colored door with her right hand.


    "Hey, don''t touch it recklessly!!"


    Unlike before, Pluto shouted with a sense of urgency.


    "Huh?"


    Teresa''s body stiffened. She hurriedly tried to pull back her hand, but it was already toote.


    On the surface of the ck door, a blood-like crimson magic circle was formed, and it began to slowly rotate.


    "B-back off©`Ò»!!"


    Suddenly, the dark light swallowed Mia and the others. They lost their consciousness.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 8 - Jungle exploration

    No more than a few minutes might have passed. Opening their eyes, they got up and looked at their surroundings.


    Mia and the others had been thrown into a room thrown into a room in which every part, from the wall to the ceiling, was dyed golden..


    "Here is...?"


    Pluto jumped up strenuously. "Beat me. But isn''t it somewhere inside Kurik?" he suggested.


    The rest of hisrades also stood up and confirmed their bodies didn''t hurt.


    Everyone was safe. Seeing this, Mia felt as if a lump of mass had fallen out of her shoulders, and she let out a sigh.


    "Hmm, but I haven''t seen this ce from the material from the guild," Eight muttered to himself as he put a hand on his chin.


    "There seems to be something like a door!"


    In front of Teresa''s fingertip was avishly-decorated big door.


    "It looks like that''s the only way out. Nothing will change if we just sit here doing nothing, so let''s try to move on."


    "There''s no guarantee that a rescue team wille even if we wait here... I think we don''t have other options either. I agree."


    Everyone nodded at Pluto and Eight, the two aces of ss G, and walked up to the magnificent door. Then, Eight carefully touched the door with his right hand, and the door slid while making a creaking sound like stones rubbing against each other.


    "......"


    Everyone gulped in silence at the bizarre scene that filled their vision.


    "This is Kurik... right?"


    Pluto squeezed out his shivering voice.


    They were confused. Except for the door that stood up alone amidst therge trees behind them, the ce looked nothing less than a jungle with tall and overgrown trees no matter where they looked.


    "It should be, but now I''m not very sure," Teresa muttered as she looked up at the brilliant sunshine peeking through the shadows of the trees.


    "What should we do? Shall we head back for now?"


    "You''re right. Let''s search the ce once again. Maybe there will be something like another hidden door that can take us back to Kurik."


    "No objection."


    "I agree too."


    "Me too!"


    Everyone agreed. There was no doubt that this was an emergency situation.


    Methods of coping with an emergency by Shirabe Sensei 1: ssifying the situation ording to the degree of urgency.


    So, if the situation isn''t critical, don''t act recklessly. The first is to calm down, then search for a solution.


    Right now, they should investigate the strange space.


    "In the end, there aren''t any other doors..."


    They had investigated every corner of the space when they returned to the golden room. Let alone a magic circle, they couldn''t even find a stain.


    Maybe because they felt like they were embroiled in an ident, everyone''s shoulders were slumped up dejectedly.


    "We have two options. We can either wait for rescue just like this or search the surrounding area. Choose one," Eight asked everyone''s opinion while looking at them.


    "I also think we should search the area. It''s impossible for the sun to get inside a dungeon. We are probably teleported somewhere on the continent. We may be able to figure out something if we can get to a surrounding vige or town."


    "I agree with Pluto. If it''s a trap, it might not be possible to wait here until rescuees. No, even if it dide, who knows, maybe it would be after several months, and we all might have died from starvation. We should at least move around and search for some clues."


    In general, Mia agreed with Pluto and Cliff.


    The area outside of this room was a jungle zone. If it was a dungeon, the sun would either be artificial or an optical illusion. However, Mia just couldn''t rule out that that realistdscape was just a lie.


    The magic circle was on the 4th floor. It might possibly be discovered someday, but perhaps not within several days. Just as Cliff said, the possibility of them taking months to be rescued was more than zero.


    Besides, even if they found something to eat and didn''t die out of starvation, they couldn''t simply stay in this ce for even a month. Mia and the others would have been expelled from Magic Knight Academy by then.


    For Mia, until a while ago, expulsion had once meant the death of her mother. She absolutely would not want to do anything to be expelled. But, her mother had already been saved. Therefore, there was another reason for Mia to be so obsessed with the academy now.


    That was, she wanted to continue taking Shirabe-sensei''s sses together with her friends. It might be a selfish desire, but it was just as strong as before. So, she couldn''t remain at this ce.


    That''s why¡ª


    "Mia also think we should explore."


    "Yeah. I also agree."


    Eight looked at everyone and said, "Seems like we''ve reached an agreement. Let''s explore the ce. However, it doesn''t change the fact that this room is a safe zone, so for now, we should just search around its surrounding area. What do you guys think?"


    Heid out the n to proceed with the search.


    "Okay, I don''t have any objection," Pluto replied on behalf of everyone.


    Mia and others stood up. Once again, they entered the door to that jungle.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Mia and the others carefully took one step at a time while paying attention to the area between the overgrown trees.


    "I didn''t guess wrong! The terrain''s changed!"


    Pluto mmed his right foot against a tree next to him with a look of intense dismay on his face.


    "Calm down, Pluto. You will only attract monsters by doing that."


    At Eight''s words of self-restraint, Pluto looked down for a while, grinding his teeth, before shaking his head several times.


    "My bad. I lost myposure a bit," he apologized.


    "It''s alright. Rather than that, are we really lost?"


    Eight looked at everyone and voiced his doubts on something that Mia and others were most worried about.


    "I can''t see any marks I left, so it''s reasonable to assume that''s the case."


    "I''m sorry. It''s all because of me..." Teresa muttered dispiritedly with a fading voice. Her usual liveliness was nowhere to be seen.


    "You know, we have been living together for almost half a year. We all are very familiar with how much of an airhead you are. So it''s nothing out of expectation."


    "That''s right. At this point, you don''t need to be sorry."


    "Yeah. It''s Teresa, so it can''t be helped."


    Everyone, including Mia, said the same thing.


    "Hmph, what do you mean by thattt?!" Teresa reproached, puffing out her cheeks.


    She finally seemed like herself. A depressed expression didn''t really suit Teresa. She should always be cheerful and innocent.


    "Anyway, I think we have no choice but to keep going. I once heard that it''s possible to be stranded in some peculiar areas like this, so maybe there''s some kind of hidden vige nearby."


    "You''re right. Let''s move on."


    At Cliff''s proposal, Pluto nodded with a mysterious look.


    "Then, let''s go."


    With Eight''s words as the cue, they resumed their search around the jungle.


    After walking around the ce for like an hour, they saw a burst of  light straight ahead in the distance, faintly illuminating the surroundings amidst the gloomy trees.


    "It seems like we are almost out of the forest," Eight strongly dered as his stern expression loosened a bit.


    It wasn''t like he thought there would be a town or a vige ahead, but even so, it was much better than wandering along this gloomy mountain road.


    "I wonder if there''s a river ahead. It''s really ufortable after dripping sweat."


    "Who knows what''s out there. We have enough water for a few months, so for now, restrain yourself."


    Pluto took out a wooden water sk from his magic bag, sipped it, and poured the water over his head.


    Nevertheless, it was November. It was supposed to be chilly, but it was so hot here as if they had been cooped up in a small room without a single window for several hours in the middle of summer.


    They had been thoroughly taught the importance of water inbyrinth exploration, so they had secured enough water for this time. If they hadn''t brought the water, they might have been unable to move a single step due to dehydration long ago.


    "I know."


    Teresa pouted and sipped some water.


    Eight smiled bitterly. Then, he pointed his finger toward the light source.


    "But we are indeed at our limits. Let''s take a break once we reach there."


    "Agreed!"


    "Me too!"


    Mia was really at her limit. She wanted to take a rest at least once.


    "Don''t lose your concentration!"


    "Umm, you too."


    Cliff nodded at Pluto''s encouragement before they made their way towards the light source.


    They passed through the dense jungle, and their eyes recognized the crazy view.


    "Is it ake?"


    They could only squeeze out these words. It was natural. Because, as far as their eyes could see, there was only a body of water that was deep red, just like blood.


    Eight licked the water.


    "No, it''s a sea. Probably a red tide. But this is the first time I see it, so I''m notpletely sure."


    He asserted hisck of confidence.


    "S-sea!? This is a sea?" Pluto eximed hysterically, scooped up the water, and tried to taste it.


    However, he immediately spat on the ground.


    "Salty!"


    "It''s much better here than inside the jungle. Let''s take some rest here for the night."


    While chuckling at Pluto, Eight took a tent out of the magic bag and began to set it up. Mia and the others also started helping him.


    The sun had set, and they currently had an early dinner.


    "I wonder where we are?" Pluto voiced his doubt in a murmur as he stared at the deathly silent water.


    "I can''t guess it either. The only thing I know is that it''s a long way from Straheim."


    "We can return, right...?" Teresa whispered, as her face was dyed in an intense color of anxiety, probably thinking they might not.


    "It''s okay, we can go home!" Mia strongly dered as she grabbed Teresa''s hands that were trembling slightly.


    "Thank you."


    Lately, Teresa had shown different expressions from time to time in front of Mia and the others, unlike before.


    Teresa''s sorrowful expression, which she rarely showed to others, was just so beautiful and charming that even Mia, who was also a girl, couldn''t help but be amazed by that.


    The beginning of her change must have been due to the marriage interview partner she''d once mentioned. She''d asked Mia for advice a few times without telling her his name or identity. But after some time, she stopped talking about it as if she''d put it behind, despite being so worried before.


    Maybe it was the right chance to hear about how it went.


    "Umm, TeresaÒ»"


    Just as Mia was about to open her mouthÒ»Ò»


    Prepare for evacuation.


    Pluto extinguished the bonfire and stood up, grabbing his spear as he stared at a point in the vast water surface.


    Mia and the others also immediately stood up from their seats in front of the tent and grabbed their weapons.


    In the direction of Pluto''s narrowed gaze, countless small creatures were squirming on the surface of the water.


    "Just take your magic bag and immediately escape into the jungle!!"


    "Yeah, you''re right!"


    Eight also nodded and took several steps back while holding his favorite sword.


    "T-that..."


    However, Teresa curled up in fear as if she was scared of something while staring at the jungle. Reflexively, Mia also turned to look towards forest, andÒ»Ò»


    "...!?"


    She somehow stifled her scream. Countless bright red eyes were ring at Mia and the others inside the jungle.


    "Dammit. We arepletely surrounded!"


    There was an unusual number of glowing red eyes moving in the darkness. There were at least ten of them.


    It would be too optimistic to expect all of these monsters to be small fries. Then, a few fish with arms and legs emerged from the water.


    "L-lie down!!"


    Along with Pluto''s distressed voice, everyone immediately ducked andy on the ground.


    The fish with limbs were distorted, and right where Mia and the others were, something passed through the area with terrifying wind noise. Then, a rage-filled roar of a beast echoed from the sea of trees.


    Instantly, a 4-5 meter radius tornado erupted from the sea of trees, sendingrge trees high in the sky, shattering them in several pieces as they fell down.


    The moonlit scenery of the sea of forest became a vacant lot in concentric circles, and in the center of it, multiple wolves four to five meters tall roared towards the blood-red sea to threaten them.


    Then, several hundred fish with limbs filled the seashore of the red sea. The monsters imitating fish clenched their sharp teeth.


    Amid therge chorus of beasts'' roars and fish'' fangs gnashing, the two creatures faced each other,pletely ignoring Mia and the others.


    "Y-you gotta be kidding me!!"


    Pluto''s hoarse voice, as hey next to them, shook their eardrums.


    At the same time, more than several hundred fake fish leaped from the water at once, filling up the night skypletely.


    Just when the wolves also opened their big mouth to aim at the fake fishesÒ»Ò»


    "..!?"


    Mia saw something long and narrow jump out of the water far away.


    Boom!


    Therge ckish thing gulped down all of the fish monsters flying in the night sky,nded right in front of the students'' eyes, and looked down at them with its perfect saucer eyes.


    "Ah..."


    Maybe, it was the instinct of a living creature when they were facing mortal danger. Just by looking at the dull eyes, Mia understood the fact immediately. The hopelessly deep gulf between them and that creature could never be filled by any means.


    Sure enough, the huge creature opened itsrge mouth and pointed its big eyes at the stiffening wolves.


    Immediately, the hair on the body of the wolves stood up, and giving a low whimpering roar at that giant creature, they turned their backs and immediately tried to run away. But the ck mass flew past Mia''s head.


    The next moment, the wolves, which once were there, were now in the belly of the long and thin creature without even having the time to scream.


    And then, the big, long, and narrow ck creature raised its crooked neck and approached Mia and the others.


    "Ugh..."


    At this rate, they would definitely end up in the belly of the creature. And yet, like a frog stared at by a snake, they couldn''t move a single fingertip as they looked at the crazy spectacle, while their whole bodies gradually shivered.


    As if it was enjoying their panicked state, the huge creature slowly approached them and opened itsrge, fishy mouth.


    However, a crimson-zing pir fell from the sky all of a sudden.


    The crimson- zing pir then swallowed the huge ck creature, instantly turning it into dust.


    "Why are the brats of that person in this ce?"


    A scowling man wearing a monocle with a swept ck hairstyle stood in the center of the circle that had turned into a vacant lot.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 9 - A mysterious group

    "Okay, don''t approach those kids any more than this, Lars. After all, your evil face creates so much horror in the darkness."


    "Ptui!"


    The man wearing a monocle, Lars, spat on the ground, picked up the fallen monster beside ss G''s tent, sat down in it, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes.


    "Well, well, well. Can you tell us how you got here? It''s not a ce for ordinary humans toe?"


    A brown-haired young man wearing a mask asked in a bouncy voice. But, his question was something that Mia and the others could not answer either.


    "How did we... We were sucked in by a strange door on the 4th floor of Kurik."


    "A door..."


    The brown-haired young man stroked his chin in contemtion for a while before suddenly pping his hands.


    "Ah~ maybe the door from that time? I was wondering where this Tower of Falsehood and Kurik connect with each other, but I never thought it''s in the upperyer?"


    Heughed out loud.


    "It''s not aughing matter, Nero! In the first ce, you are the one in charge of controlling the gate, aren''t you?"


    The students wondered since when she''d been here.


    Next to Nero, the brown-haired young man wearing a mask, a blonde-haired woman rebuked while putting her hands on her slim waist. Her blonde hair was a bit frizzy, and the ends of her shoulder-length locks sprang outward. Moreover, in contrast to her mature speech and behaviors, her outward appearance didn''t look much different from Mia and the others.


    "Sry, I willter fix it with a st?" (T/N: Sry is written in English in the raw.)


    "W-wait, that!!"


    As if to contradict Nero''s unnaturally out-of-ce cheerful voice, Cliff''s shrieks echoed in the night sky. It was a natural reaction. At the tip of Pluto''s finger, a reptile tens or even hundreds of times the size of the long, thin, ck creature appeared. It wasn''t a metaphor, but it was literally a lizard resembling, no, a lizard the size of a mountain belt was staring at them with its bright red eyes.


    Was it even okay for such a giant creature to exist? It didn''t even matter whether you could win or not. To begin with, humans weren''t made to fight against such a giant creature.


    "Hmm. Well, no matter how many there are, I wonder if it''s too big for my collection. I don''t want it. You can deal with it. I''m protecting those guys."


    "Huh? What are you deciding by yourself?! If it''s your monstrous ability, that giantÒ»Ò»"


    "Well, you don''t need to worry about it? I will be responsible for taking them back to Straheim safely?"


    The brown-haired young man interrupted the blonde-haired woman''s words and turned around to Mia and the others, giving an innocent smile.


    "You really are a selfish person. So, what are you going to do, Lars?"


    The blonde woman fumed.


    In response, Lars only moved his monocle and stood up from his chair while ncing at Nero.


    "Nero, you owe me one," he bluntly said.


    Only after that, he faced the giant lizard.


    "...You guys, somehow you are even more disgusting than usual today."


    The blonde woman let out a sigh and took a step back as she showed her rude expression.


    "Hey, you guys. There''s no way we can win against that. We have to hurry up and escape!!"


    Pluto shouted hysterically as the supergiant lizard approached while firing something from its huge open mouth.


    But, Nero raised his index finger and shook it multiple times in front of his face and said, "Well, just watch? I don''t think this can even spark an interest for that battle-loving kid and pull him out of his boredom?"


    Lars disappeared from their sights with his hands in his pocket, and the next moment, a brilliantly shining sun formed over that giant lizard''s head. Then, the sun dropped at an ultra-high speed.


    The sun swallowed the giant lizard along with the bright red sea and thenÒ»Ò»


    "......"


    Speechless. It might be the best expression to describe Mia''s and the others'' feelings.


    Whaty in front of their eyes was a bottomless pit where they couldn''t even see its depth.


    There wasn''t even a drop of the vast red water left, at least not at this moment.


    "See, I told you, right? It''s not even enough to kill his boredom?"


    "What in the world are you guys?"


    Representing everyone, Pluto asked the question that had been bugging everyone from ss G the most right now.


    "Hmm, we aren''t your enemies, at the very least for now," Nero said.


    Besides, it seemed these guys knew them from the beginning. Only one person appeared in their minds, who might be acquainted with this absurdly powerful group.


    "Do you know Shirabe-sensei?"


    "Who knows. But, I have one request for you. I hope you don''t reveal whatever happens today to anyone."


    "Even to Shirabe-sensei?"


    "Yeah."


    "What if... We spilled it?" Pluto asked fearfully.


    Nero smiled mischievously and said, "That''s why I ask you. This is only a request at best. You don''t have any obligation to keep silent."


    That was all he said arbitrarily before giving a nce to his back in confirmation.


    "It seems like the person waiting for you has also arrived, so let''s head back to Straheim, shall we? st, escort these kids to the first floor of Kurik with the gate!" he instructed the beautiful blonde man standing behind him, almost looking like a woman with a ck headband and a cloth covering his mouth.


    "It''s not a problem, but if you force the gate in the safety point of this dungeon, the punishment wille back to bite you again. Are you fine with it?"


    "Yeah, do it."


    To the question raised by the young man wearing a ck cloth and a headband, Nero replied instantly.


    "Really. You''re seriously too disgusting today."


    The blonde woman with a bob-cut hairstyle shrugged her shoulders in exasperation, while the young man with headband turned the palm of his right hand towards Mia and the others.


    Suddenly, the scenery distorted, and Mia and her friends were standing in a space surrounded by blue stones.


    It happened so suddenly that their minds couldn''t even catch up with that, and they stood there in a daze.


    "This is the first floor, right? Look at this ce. You remember it, right?"


    Eight, the first to wake up, gave his precise impression while looking around.


    "Really?! Then ahead are the stairs to the outside!"


    All of them felt a sense of relief as if they had awoken from a nightmare. With a desire to get out of thebyrinth as soon as possible, Mia started running outside.


    After that, they were soon escorted by the staff of Sagami Co. Apparently, they had made them worry with their disappearance. The students, including Dorahachi, were subjected to several hours of intense lecture from the infuriated Shirabe-sensei and the other adults from Sagami Co.


    "Is it really okay not to tell Sensei about those guys?"


    As they had their slightly dyed dinner in ss G''s dormitory, Cliff asked what Mia was most worried about while poking at the vegetables with his fork.


    "They did request us. Besides, it would be too ungrateful to talk about them after being saved. And above all, it''s not a smart choice."


    "Yeah, I''m sure Sensei would not talk about this either if he were in our shoes."


    "Mia also think so."


    "Same here!"


    "That''s true. And they didn''t seem to be Sensei''s enemies either. Well, I''m tired from all of this, so excuse me."


    Cliff shrugged.


    He put thest piece of vegetables into his mouth, put down the te in the kitchen, and returned to his room.


    "Let us wrap up here too."


    Mia nodded, returned to her room, andid down on her bed. She had multiple things to think about.


    First, that mysterious ce. Nero had mentioned the ce as "this Tower of Falsehood." It was natural to think that the Tower of Falsehood was that shining tower in Straheim. However, if that was the case, it meant that the ridiculous ce was inside the building.


    She really didn''t expect such a huge ce to be inside the tower. First of all, that would make it difficult to exin the sun, moon, and stars.


    In short, that tower was connected somewhere from the Arteria Continent, and this time, the upperyer of Kurik was directly linked to a specific ce on the Arteria Continent.. That was the only way to exin it.


    Second, that mysterious group of Nero and the others.


    They were amazing...


    The tremendous power had not only burned up the monster, which was as big as a mountain belt, but also changed the topography. She still found herself thinking that it had been a dream or something. That was how much that scene was disconnected from reality.


    "I wonder if they are Sensei''s acquaintances?"


    Mia thought out loud, but she was sure of it. Moreover, their powers were so unreasonable that it was hard not to think that they strikingly resembled Shirabe-sensei somehow.


    Anyway, it was just as Cliff had said. She hadn''t felt a shred of hostility from Nero''s group against Sensei or them.


    She wondered if she should look for the right opportunity to ask about their rtionship with Sensei.


    I''m really sleepy.


    It seemed like that was the limit to keeping herself awake. The heavy eyelids closed, and Mia''s consciousness fell into sleep.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 10 - Territory council

    When I''d received a report from Dorahachi that the students hadn''t returned, I hurriedly began the search. Only around midnight was I able to confirm their safety. Apparently, they''d been exploring Kurik without my permission.


    To be honest, it chilled my guts. They seemed to have found a strange door in the depths of the 4th floor, got sucked into it, and been temporarily transferred to the Tower of Deceit.


    Tower of Deceit was a zone so vicious that even my current self would lose his life if I didn''t put up a defense. Fortunately, the chance encounter with monsters was lower this time, so it was a relief.


    However, I couldn''t make head or tail out of how the students coulde back, even after listening to their exnations. Well, it should be a terrifying memory, though, so it was understandable.


    Anyway, I believed they coulde back safely with nothing more than luck. For the time being, all students were banned from exploring Kurik, unless they were apanied by a guardian.


    Meanwhile, I was still dealing with the Maguire family. White luminous worms were crucial for the family''s industry, but there were more important matters to deal with than this. It was about the reformation of agriculture. The new industry, at best, was only to increase the productivity of the territory, and it was quite natural.


    Unlike Toto vige, the Maguire family had surplus power, and the farmers themselves weren''t in dire straits. Consequently, it was tough to persuade them, but thanks to the Toto vige chief and the words of wealthy merchants introduced by Grace, they finally consented.


    Right now, a council was conducted to discuss the future development of the territory, attended by the retainers of the Maguire family and the chief of all viges and towns.


    "Hey, what is the purpose of constructing a sewer system?"


    A pink-haired girl with sparkling eyes, who was sitting in the front row, raised her hand and asked.


    She was Yui Maguire. My cousin. Apparently, thinking that the territory was still in crisis, she demanded to participate in the council too. Despite being a girl, she was someone who would lead thisnd in the future. So, she had enough qualifications to take part in the discussion. Besides, there was still an anachronism that women couldn''t participate in management. For these two reasons, I agreed to let her join the council.


    "Many contagious diseases, like korori, cause excretion. It creates an outbreak, which can actually be easily prevented just by dealing with it appropriately."


    A cheer rose up from the attendees.


    At first, these people hadn''t listened to my childish talk, and showed their half-convinced expressions instead. However, it all changedpletely after I invited trusted members of the Maguire family, like Dimer and Bart, and the chief representative of viges and towns to stay for a few days in Camelot, the capital of Radol. Since then, no one had doubted my words.


    By the way, "korori" was the world''s name for what we call cholera on Earth.


    "Hmm. Does it have any rtion with the fact that toilets in Camelot were clean?"


    "Yes, in Camelot, fecal matter collected from the toilets of each household is sent to a certain facility via a sewage pipe running underground. After being purified and cleaned there, it is flushed into nearby rivers."


    Many residents still drank river water. We couldn''t just flush feces and urea into rivers. Therefore, I used a motor to collect the excretion to sewage pipes and secure it in one ce, where it was cleaned by activating sludge and sterilized, before discharging it into nearby rivers.


    All of this wasrgely due to the establishment of generator manufacture and the sessful development of motors to power the established steam engines.


    However, even in my territory of Radol, only two major cities, Camelot and Arkroy, had sewage technology. It would probably take a long time before they could be widely used in this territory as well.


    "Then, then, does it mean it will not be necessary to deal with waste in each home like Camelot?"


    "Yeah, for that, I assure you. Even so, that''s a future talk for now. Right now, we''re going to try to install the system only in public facilities on an experimental basis."


    First of all, the Maguire household didn''t have enough capital to turn this territory into something like Camelot. I was a merchant. I wasn''t a bit interested in charitable work. Even if it was my rtive''s territory, it would be too much for me to provide the funds. Besides, to begin with, it would not make any sense if I did all the work.


    "Then, the next is about the research of white luminous worms. I am thinking of improving the original facilities in Shirokane vige for research and development. But, since the worms and the threads they produce are poisonous, the construction of this facility and the research guidelines will be taken over by mypany. Is that okay?"


    "It''s fine. Either way, we can''t handle it."


    On behalf of everyone, Dimer replied. The poisonous white luminous worms had to be examined from the ground up, which was not something that could be easily achieved.


    That''s right. For now, we should push forward with agriculture and generalmerce, where short-term profits could be expected.


    "So, let''s start with establishing the infrastructure."


    I began exining the specific n for the territory development.


    An aromatic and sweet fragrance tickled my nose when I returned to the Maguire mansion, where I was currently sleeping apart from the main building as it was being used as a meeting room.


    Around six months after staying in this residence, I''d brought a cake specially made by Sagami Co., and my mother loved it so much that she wanted to learn how to make it. So I asked thepany confectioner to teach her.


    Since then, she had been making it in her spare time. There was a very understandable reason for this.


    As expected, the three proud mascots of Sagami Co. were sitting on each seat around the table with a fork in their hand today too.


    "Here, Dora-chan and the others, you can eat."


    "Ohh!"


    "Yay!"


    "Yeah!"


    When Yui saw Dorahachi, Sheena, and Haku waving their fork cheerfully, her face lit up. She rushed forward to rub her cheeks with them.


    "Cute! So cute!"


    Yui''s face was dyed with ecstasy as she rained down kisses on Dorahachi''s cheeks, making it a bit difficult to eat. But, she might not be that displeased, judging from how she didn''t reject much.


    In this regard, I ordered Dorahachi to guard this ce along with Hatch, who had been guarding my mother. Unexpectedly, she immediately grabbed the women''s hearts instead and became very popr.


    It seemed that guarding was only in names as the three of them only yed together during the day and slept in the mansion throughout the night everyday, but I guess it was fine since they were kids.


    "Mother, I am going back to the academy."


    "Be careful. Also, make sure to show your face here once a week without fail."


    Running up to me, she gave me a hug and a gentle pat on the back of my head.


    "Okay, I promise."


    At first, my mother had been firmly against me leaving this ce. Even after listening to my exnation that I must return to the academy, she''d insisted oning along with me.


    It wasn''t like I hated living with my mother. But, it was just that if we lived together, she might soon realize that I wasn''t just a student there and became even more worried. Besides, my mother wasn''t someone who could lie. If she were toe face to face with Cliff, my true identity would pretty much turn into a known fact. That would not be good for anything.


    In the end, I told her about the teleportation ability and somehow managed to convince her that I would stay in the mansion at least once a week.


    "As much as possible, I wille home."


    For the time being, I had to manage this territory. As long as I wasn''t too busy, I''d try to show up once every three days. After bowing to Dimer and Bart, I invoked the teleportation to my room in Straheim.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 11 - Class Gs farewell ceremony

    Time passed, and tomorrow was finally the day of the student''s exam.


    "ss is over for today. As you may have known, tomorrow is the day of your exam. I will begin the final meeting now."


    I looked around the faces of everyone sitting in their seats. Half of the current professors were in control of purebred aristocrats. If the students passed, I would be relieved from their charge. So, this meeting was technically my final day of teaching them.


    "Hey, Sensei, what''s the grading process like?"


    Teresa leaned forward, asking me what she was naturally curious about. It wasn''t something that could be brushed off easily, which was why I hadn''t told them anything about the test.


    "The allocation is 100 points each for academic skill and practical skill, with a total of 200 points. This is how the exam will be graded."


    "I can''t believe it''s 100 points for academic skill! Wasn''t it 20% academic and 80% practical skillst year?"


    Pluto chimed in with an astonished voice.


    "That''s right. Still, the content of the lesson is too different for each ss. There''s no way the exam can be uniformed."


    Cliff immediately interjected.


    "Don''t worry, the scope of the exam is generally based on what I teach in ss. You guys... should be able to get a passing grade."


    "Well, does it mean Sensei made the content of the exam?"


    "No, I haven''t touched a single question on the exam this time. But the scope of the exam will not be out of the contents I have taught in ss."


    Of course, roughly around three months ago, I''d outlined the exam question of ss G and handed it to the academy, but unsurprisingly, they refused to ept it.


    At that time, I was informed that the content of the exam was the same as that of ss S, and they''d also told me about the subjects and the scope of the exam. Surprisingly, there would be seven subjects: physics, chemistry, biology, medical science, agriculture, economics, and political science.


    All of them were subjects that I was currently teaching in Camelot, and the scope of the exams was mostly from the subjects I had taught.


    "But you know, if it''s not Sensei, who is the one making exam content?"


    Touching her chin with her forefinger, Teresa asked.


    "Most likely, it should be the professors of ss S."


    Judging from the exam subjects and scope, there was no doubt that this exam had something to do with Sylphy. I didn''t know what she was preparing, but she most likely must have ushered in a member of Sagami Co. as a lecturer.


    ording to what I''d heard, each professor of the ss had a certain amount of discretionary power and had the authority to nominate a temporary professor. Originally, it seemed the purpose of this system was to effectively teach the content outside of the expertise area, but Sieg, the instructor of ss S, must have used this system to its full extent.


    "You mean we will take the same exam as ss S?"


    "Yeah, that''s the case."


    "Wait a minute. Then what about the other sses!?"


    Cliff seemed to have noticed it. This was the biggest trap of this exam.


    "As long as it was the question outlined by the teacher in charge of each ss, there''s no doubt they would indirectly teach them about the exam content. I can see everyone getting the highest marks."


    "Whaaat!? Isn''t it unfair!? Or rather, where''s even the meaning of the exam then?!"


    Pluto pouted and criticized.


    Since the content of the academic test was more or less different for each ss, the tendency might have been simr until now. But, with the rise in mark allocation in academics, the more serious the ss was, the more foolish it looked. To begin, each ss would probably lower the difficulty level of the exam content.


    "Nothing can''t be done. This is a challenge ss G has to bear. You guys must have known it before the exam, right?"


    "..."


    With a despondent expression, everyone became quiet.


    "The grading will be fair. I can guarantee that much at least. In other words, everyone in ss S is standing in the same position as you guys. Are you guys nning to make such a face even then?"


    "Same position..."


    After chewing on the meaning of my words multiple times, Pluto enthusiastically stood up from his chair.


    "That''s right! That''s right! They are on the same starting line as us! That means we can surpass ss S!"


    He shouted so loudly that the ssroom almost trembled.


    "You seem to be saying that so easily, aren''t you? But I also agree with Pluto. It''s outrageous to be afraid of my little sister or maid."


    Cliff crossed his arms and raised the corner of his mouth.


    "Me too. I also have the reason to not drop out of the academy. I will definitely not lose!"


    "Mia is the same."


    Teresa and Mia agreed.


    "I¡­ originally joined this ss to grow, so honestly, I didn''t really care about the exam."


    Eight stared at me with a strange look I''d never seen before as he began his monolog.


    "Hmm, so?"


    "But, after experiencing and learning things with everyone, for the first time in my life, I think this world is interesting. I want to experience more things with everyone in the future too. That''s why, now I really want to win with everyone. That''s what I think."


    "I see, then you guys have no choice but to win, alright!"


    "Yes!"


    As I listened to everyone''s cheerful reply, I clearly felt the sess of my teaching this one year, and I could picture their graduation from ss G.


    "The practical exam is an individual ability exam and a team battle. I believe you guys must be able to do well."


    I stopped and looked around at everyone.


    "Sensei?"


    "So, now I am going to hold a simple farewell ceremony."


    Magic Knight Academy ended the sses for the year right after the exam was over. They would no longer use this ssroom. I felt a bit lonely, but I guess that''s how it is when children grow up.


    "If it''s about a farewell ceremony, isn''t there still enough time?"


    I stopped Pluto, who was already packing up his items.


    "No, we will do it now."


    I took out five packages from the universal storage and ced them on the teacher''s desk.


    "Then first, Pluto Browser!"


    "Yes."


    He stood up, straightening up his posture. Pluto had really beposed. In the beginning, it was quite easy for him to lose his temper, and he used to have frequent shes with Cliff. Buttely, he had better self-control, as long as it wasn''t a major problem.


    "Deep down, you''re an earnest boy, and someone who takes everything seriously. However, in contrast to that, you lose sight of your surroundings when you focus too much on one thing. Even in the future, you might hit a bottleneck, but try to take a step back at that time. I''m sure it will broaden your horizon."


    "Congrattions, this is your ss G certificate for this year."


    I handed the certificate to Pluto, along with the long and thin package.


    This was the finest thing I had prepared for this day. I was sure it would be useful for them in the future.


    "Well... Open and check itter. Next, Cliff Mird."


    "Yes!"


    He stood up straightforwardly and bowed. Honestly, he was quite polite in this way.


    Cliff''s impression had changed a lot from when he''d been in the Mird family. Although his words were still harsh, unlike before, he had almost stopped assessing others based only on their status, and he also had be more attentive towards other people''s feelings. Lately, he seemed to be more interested in improving the lifestyle of Mird territory, which was objectively considerable growth.


    "Cliff, you''ve learned to think from the perspective of others. This is great growth. You are now able to analyze and judge things much more calmly than before."


    "T-Thank you for very much."


    Scratching his cheek with his finger awkwardly, he thanked me.


    "You still have some prejudicial thinking. You''re still too young, so your perspective can change over time. Read plenty of books, chat with other people, gain more experience, ande to your own conclusions. It will help you grow even more. Congrattions!"


    As I handed the certificate and the package, Cliff turned to the other side and looked down at the seat.


    "You can''t be feeling emotional, do you?"


    Pluto said, teasing.


    "Shut up!"


    Cliff interrupted him in rage.


    "Teresa Hartwig."


    With a dull and quiet voice, she grabbed the hem of her skirt and bowed.


    She had be quite mature during this one year. I thought her childish thinking and actions that she''d had in the beginning had diminished quite a lot. Well, she was still as clumsy as before, though.


    "Teresa is fine as she''s now."


    "Huh?"


    Maybe because of my unexpected words, she let out a stupid voice.


    "People will change one day, whether you want to or not. You''re smart and rational. When pushes to shove, you will not make the wrong decision. That''s to have self-confidence and go ahead. That''s who you are."


    "Yes, I will do my best!"


    As Teresa gave a loud nod with a naive smile, I handed her graduation certificate and expressed my congrattions.


    "Congrattions on your graduation."


    "Thank you."


    I turned to look at Mia and called her name.


    "Mia Cyrus!"


    "Yes!"


    She stood up energetically and straightened her back. Maybe because of her upbringing, she''d often put up walls between herself and other people. But now, she was no longer such a boorish person.


    By nature, Mia was a kind-hearted girl. If you got to know her when she didn''t have a wall up against you, I''m sure there would no longer be anyone who discriminated against her, even if she was the blood rtive of Lord Cyrus. To be frank, I was already relieved about her improvement. My only concern was her rtionship with her father.


    "Mia, you are a kind and considerate person. That''s why, you should forgive your father."


    Mia bit on her lower lip, as if she didn''t expect her father''s name to appear here.


    And thenÒ»Ò»


    "I will try."


    "It''s fine with that."


    Facing Mia, I walked up to her and handed her certificate and package.


    "Congrattions."


    "Yes, I''m grateful."


    I smiled, caressing her head lightly as I always did. She turned red and looked downward. As usual, a person with a strange reaction.


    I turned to thest person, Eight.


    "Eight."


    "Yes!"


    Eight might be the one with the highest level of growth in this one year. He was now even the spiritual support of ss G, and Pluto and the others often relied on him to make decisions.


    "You''re sharp and resourceful. What are they for you now?"


    Eight immediately looked up at my question and tapped a finger on his cheek. But then, his eyes met mine as he said.


    "For me, they are like siblings."


    His reply was as I''d expected. It was obvious from his actionstely.


    That''s why-------


    "Take care of them from now on too, Eight."


    "Y-Yes, of course!!"


    Eight''s eyes turned round from bewilderment, but he nodded strongly.


    Handing the graduation certificate and the package to Eight, I stood at the podium and looked at everyone.


    "Listen. You will face countless trials awaiting you from now on."


    "I know, you''re talking about tomorrow''s exam, right?"


    "Moron! Something like tomorrow''s test isn''t important. Whether you pass or fail, there''s nothing for you to lose."


    The students all frowned.


    That''s right. They didn''t seem to understand it yet. That was a blessing in disguise, I guess.


    Because that isÒ»Ò»


    "I don''t know what choices you''ll make when the trialse. But don''t lie to yourself. If you choose to be honest with yourself, you are on the right path. I can guarantee it. I wish you all the best!"


    "I''m deeply moved by the fact that those puny little kids have grown up like this."


    You... Who was the one craving after one of those little kids? A double standard guy like usual.


    Ignoring the sobbing Mura, I turned my back to the students and left the ssroom of ss G.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 12 - Awareness of the behind the scene plotting - Mia

    15th December, year 905, Saint Calendar (Sunday). Time 8:00 a.m., the day of Magic Knight Academy general exam.


    "I couldn''t sleep well in the end..."


    Rubbing her drowsy eyes, Mia made her way to the main building of the academy, the exam venue.


    "I couldn''t sleep for different reasons!"


    Pluto yawned loudly, dark circles visible under his eyes.


    Yesterday, after Sensei''s ss was over, they returned to the dormitory and opened the package to find a wooden box containing their weapons.


    Mia got a cane, Pluto got a spear, Cliff got a long sword, Teresa got a knuckle, and Eight got a peculiar weapon called a gun.


    All of them were material-ss weapons with absurd performance.


    Naturally, everyone was excited andpletely delighted, especially Pluto who acted like a young child.


    "You guys... do you guys even remember how important today''s exam is for us?"


    "It was unavoidable. I couldn''t sleep at all. Well, today''s exam should be easy peasy if we use those weapons."


    "Nonsense! If it was allowed, victory would only belong to those with great wealth. Will you really be satisfied by winning in a test like this?"


    Cliff''s tone became angry. Such criticisming from him, to be honest, was new to the others.


    "It was just a joke. You don''t have to be so mad."


    "Geez, you..."


    Letting out a sigh as if he''d genuinely fed up, Cliff closed his mouth.


    "Teresa seems quite lively. But, were you able to sleep?"


    "Yeah, I slept soundly."


    "I envy you."


    Eight burst intoughter when the words of the other three students splendidly resonated.


    "You guys seem to be in quite a good shape."


    A blonde-haired girl with sanpaku eyes stood in the dead center of the road with her hand on her waist. Her followers made a pose behind her..


    "That''s my line... You seem to be constantly worried about us."


    Completely uninterested, Pluto gave his impression with a tone as if he''dpletely given up on the matter.


    "What!? W-why would I be so worried about you guysÒ»Ò»"


    "If you have time to interfere in someone else''s affairs, I think it would be much better to return to your ssroom and prepare for the exam."


    Maybe because it became annoying, Pluto interrupted Messalina. Yawning loudly, he tried to pass by her without stopping his steps.


    "W-wait!!"


    Even when Messalina shouted, Pluto only waved his right hand.


    "Good luck."


    He spat out a line she really didn''t want to hear.


    A chubby-looking young man standing next to Messalina raised a spooky smile. Then, he said the fact Mia and the others should by no means be permitted to know.


    "Then, do you guys know? If you didn''t make it to the top 40, the professor in charge of your ss would be expelled from this academy."


    Pluto''s feet came to a halt all of a sudden. Turning his neck to look behind, he asked.


    "Where have you heard this false rumor?"


    He red at the chubby male student with a horrifying re.


    "Oh, my. As expected, you guys don''t know. Although that professor has be the head of the savage tribe called Delta without knowing his position, he would be stripped of his position at the same time he lost his teaching position. In other words, if even one of you guys doesn''t enter the top 40, he will be destroyed."


    "Ridiculous! Do you think I would believe such nonsense?!"


    "If you think it''s a lie, why don''t you guys confirm it to the academy?"


    "Dammit!"


    Pushing aside the students, Pluto ran towards the school building.


    "I''m alsoing."


    At Eight''s raging voice, which was uncharacteristic of him, Mia nodded and turned towards the school building with him.


    "Is it true?"


    "..."


    At the entrance, Pluto was in the middle of the confrontation with a pretty blue-haired woman wearing a pointy hat.


    She was Reba-sensei, one of the few teachers who were warm towards Mia and the others in ss G.


    "Is that fact really true?"


    Reba-sensei nodded slightly while biting her lower lip at Cliff''s question, devoid of any expression.


    "But why is it to the point of confiscating the territory!? Although my father is an aristocrat, that''s not right!"


    Teresa grasped Reba-sensei''s shoulders, questioning while shaking her.


    "I... can''t say that. But, we don''t have any choice but to bet on you guys. That''s what I think."


    "Let go of her, Teresa."


    "B-butÒ»Ò»"


    "There''s no point venting out your anger at Reba-sensei! Either way, it''s just another insignificant charade of the aristocrats!"


    Cliff shouted as if to vent out his frustration. Grasping Teresa''s wrist as if dragging her, he walked towards the ssroom ahead.


    Mia and the others also headed to the ssroom, somewhat overwhelmed by the unthinkable criticism of aristocrats'' supremacy advocated by Cliff.


    As soon as they entered the ssroom, they immediately attracted everyone''s attention. All members of ss S were there. Their gazes contained pure hostility, not the scornful looks like other students''. They turned to Mia and the others at the same time.


    Ronald and n were also in the ssroom, but they only took a quick nce at them before turning their attention back to their book. That was the same for the other students. Only the red-haired girl continued to look at the outside scenery while resting her chin on her hands without even sparing a nce at them.


    "I will definitely win."


    Pluto muttered. Mia and the others nodded silently before taking their assigned seats.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 13 - Practical test team battle grouping list

    I''m currently in the middle of the departmental exam. While I was in the teacher''s meeting room, as if I was in a middle cushion, Sieg approached me,


    "Are you worried too?"


    And asked me the obvious question.


    "Well yeah"


    I have been their teacher for more than half a year. There is no way I am not worried. But they are already out of my hands. That''s right, they have already graduated from me. In the first ce, a teacher can only point out the path of the students at most. The rest is up to the students themselves. Besides, I''ve already taught them what I have to. They''ll grow up on their own in the future.


    "They are your students. I''m also greatly interested in what the result will be, but what about them?"


    Judging from the condition of Sieg''s ghastly approach, I can see that the situation will turn for the worse if those kids fail. Seems like this Imperial country is really serious about having a fight with me.


    Just as I was about to start somethingÒ»Ò»


    "Hmph! This is thest time I will see your disgusting face!"


    A white haired old man wearing armor cut off between and shouted out. This geezer, if I''m not wrong, should be the vice principal of this academy. This old man is always shouting at me like this whenever we meet.


    There''s no merit in dealing with this kind of materialistic person. It''s best to deal with them perfunctoryly.


    "I''m really d to hear that. Congrattion"


    When I smiled and said my congrattory words, Sieg shook his head left and right while covering his face with right palm. In regards to that, the face of the vice principal turned deep red, like a boiled octopus. Oops, it was and mine.


    "What''s with your tone!! Did you bastard doesn''t have any respect for superiorsÒ»Ò»"


    A ck haired thin man with narrow eyes forcibly cut in between from the side of the vice principal who was prattling continuously like a machine gun, as he spit out his saliva.


    "Vice principal, it''s about time to post the grouping list for the practical exam. The matches this time will not only be watched by your majesty the emperor, imperial family and chief retainers but also the Ex emperor. In order to work out the details of the schedule, I''ve asked the chief professors to wait in a separate room. Can you check?"


    He whispered in his ears as he handed a big letter to the vice principal.


    "Hmph, I understand"


    Sieg let out a sigh as the vice principal left the teacher''s meeting room together with his attendee with his face with an expression of ttery, aplete U turn from the earlier raging expression.


    "This guy, he was overjoyed as soon as he heard Ex emperor ising"


    "Was he really in high spirits?"


    That, in a sense, is reallymendable.


    "Yes, normally he would have yelled thirty percent more than  now"


    The ck haired thin eyed man, Oscar, shrugged his shoulders and said.


    "That fool doesn''t matter. Besides Oscar, what about the result of the grouping chart?"


    Sieg gives instruction to Oscar while waving his right hand idly as if shaking off a fly.


    "Yes, here it is"


    Oscar took out a parchment from the bag and handed it to us. I opened the parchment and began to look through the content.


    " A joint match with senior grade students!!? Ridiculous!!"


    Sieg mmed down the grouping list while a thick blue vein popped out on his temple.


    "There''s no need for you to be angry. The handicap of this level was already in my expectation range. In fact, the situation is even more good now"


    This academy has sses from C to A and the newly established S ss this year. The system allows students to advance three times, be a fourth year student, and pass the graduation exam at the end of the year to graduate.


    Promotion is a difficult process, and many students, like Cliff, have been in school for several years, but are still in their second year.


    This year is round robin tournament, because of the so called league match.


    And there are three crucial groupings.


    First, S ss freshman : C ss freshman, B ss freshman and A ss freshman.


    Second league : C ss sophomore, B ss sophomore and A ss sophomore.


    Third league is : G ss, third year C ss, third year B ss, third year A ss.


    The winners of the three leagues will y a decisive league to decide the first three ces.


    "But this grouping is obviously bad!"


    "No, what are you saying? A league game. Isn''t it somehow the best thing!"


    Rather, the worst thing for the ss G is to have them sh against the S ss, even in the tournament match.


    In fact, the only thing that decide the win or lose for G ss is the S ss led by Caesar and Sylphy. That was self evident from the beginning. Well, obviously Ste, the awakened one should be excluded from representative members but they must have been trained well.


    First of all, there''s no doubt that if it''s my student, there''s no problem in achieving a high score in the individual test. The only thing that made me apprehensive was the team battle from the beginning.


    "No, you Sir didn''t get it all! It''s difficult to get promoted in this magic academy. Even if it''s ss C of third year, there battle strength is far more than the second year ss A. They aren''t opponents that can be won in just half a year training!"


    I feel a bit ufortable from the remarks of Sieg.


    "Sieg, did you perhaps haven''t seen the battle strength of ss S with your own eyes?"


    "Humph! I''m just lending my name to the ss G for formalities sake only. The actual management is in the hand of Horus and Riot."


    As expected. However, the name of the lord of military affairs, Horus, came here? That man is abnormal. He has crossed the line as a human in an exceedingly rational way. On top of that you add Sylphy and Caesar. I no longer have any idea how much ss S is strengthened. If that''s the case, then thisbination is still extremely fortuitous.


    "I see. Then more so the reason to be not worried about it. As long as the filthy adults doesn''t do a backhand dealing for insignificant reason, nothing bad will happen"


    I''m sure students will be in a considerable high rank. At very least, they aren''t going to fail. The bell rang to end the exam. Is it over? If it''s my students, they would have been able to get passing marks and would be able to get a solid score in a team battle. I should say, they should be fine.


    "Filthy adults huh...... Somehow, it''s strangely much more persuasive power listening form your mouth"


    "Hey, what do you meanÒ»Ò»"


    "N-Not good!!"


    The pointy hat teacher, Reba, rushed in while almost tumbling down.


    "What happened?"


    Asked Sieg, frowning.


    "Right after the exam was over, Cliff Mird bashed down the examinar!!"


    "What?"


    She blurted out something which was almost impossible.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 14 - If a teacher is a teacher, is a student a student too?

    The bell rang for the end of the exam and Mia put down her pen on the desk. The questions were difficult but all of them are something Shirabe Sensei has taught them in their ss at least once, so she''s sure she hasn''t missed anything.


    "I will collect the sheets. Put down the pen on your table!"


    Her fingers were still trembling. This was the first time I felt so mentally exhausted in my life. That might be natural I guess. Depending on the results of Mia and others, Shirabe Sensei will be expelled from the academy and stripped of his territory.


    In order to calm down her heart, she put her hands down the desk that were still trembling little by little, and corrected her posture.


    Examiners were now currently answering sheets from Mia and other students. Right at the time, as the examiner grab the answer sheet from the desk of Mia, number 3 from behind, it ovepped with the left palm ced on the top.


    (Hmm?)


    She just happened to notice that. If she hadn''t noticed the examiner''s face at that moment, she would have dismissed this as a person with strange habits only. That would have been the only thought that came to mind.


    The both corners of the examiner''s mouth were lifted up and that face was dyed with ecstasy.


    (!!?)


    Instantly, a peculiar chill ran through the spine of Mia, as if countless worms were crawling up her spine.


    "Stop!"


    She grabbed the left wrist of the examiner and twisted it.


    "Ah!!?"


    As Examiner shouted in a creaking voice, the answer sheets scattered and fell down the floor.


    Instantly, Mia saw her answer sheet that was scattered but everything except her name was nk.


    "Lie...... "


    As I picked up my nk answer sheet and was in daze,


    "E-Everyone! This traitor''s daughter exercised violence on me, the examiner and stole her answer sheet!"


    Examiner shouted in full force, exaggeratedly spread his arms and prattle about.


    "Tsk! You''re not a kind of noblewoman that it can even count as violence"


    n, sitting next to her, clucked his tongue in displeasure.


    Mia who stunned finally recognized the fact that her answer sheet be nk,


    "What have you done to Mia''s answer sheet!?"


    She grabbed the examiner''s cor with right hand and shook him several times.


    "What!? Get off of me!!"


    "What did you do!?"


    She was desperate. If Mia''s academic score is zero, it would be hopeless for her to enter in the top 40. Mia will drop out from the academy and will have to part from everyone.


    Shirabe Sensei too will no longer remain in this academy. She hates itpletely, it''s intolerable and unforgivable for her and so, Mia violently shook the examiner''s cor multiple times.


    "What are you doing!?"


    Cliff pulled her away from behind and held her down.


    "Return my answer sheet! Return it!"


    Sad and frustrated, tears gushed off her eyes endlessly as if the tear nds had broken in frustration, Mia continued to shout like a child throwing a tantrum.


    Cliff looked down at the Mia''s answer sheet fallen on the floor,


    "So that''s the case...... "


    And muttered that as the color of bitterness dyed his face, then he made Mia sit on her seat, clenched his right first hard and punched the examiner.


    Soon the better down examiner pulled out the long sword at his waist but Reba Sensei, who was in the ssroom next door, immediately rushed to intervene.


    After that, Reba Sensei shut Mia and Cliff into a single room on the corner of the third floor of the academy building and hurriedly left the room.


    Roughly around 30 minutester, Reba Senseie back with three teachers in tow.


    Right, they were exining what happened in the details.


    "After the exam, the box that holds the answer sheets on the podium is locked with a magical device, and only the academy head with the key can remove it. In other words, it can be tampered with at any time before it is ced in the box. They got me. I have never thought in my dream that they will tantly took such a open method."


    Shirabe Sensei mmed the bundle of documents on the table and spat.


    "They are even going to the point of wrong doing the children! Just how rotten these maggots are!!"


    A gentleman with waist length blonde hair mmed his right fist on the table. I remember seeing that person in the entrance ceremony. If I''m working, he''s the principal of Magic knight academy, Riot bernstein.


    Mia and others were making a poker face as they look at the fact of a deeply enraged man who is usually calm.


    "However, it rather helped that Mia and others make a ruckus. At this rate, it was possible for everyone on ss G''s answer sheet to have zero. Isn''t that right?"


    The old man sitting next to academy head, Siegfried Grumble, rubbed his long, white beard and crossed his arms with a difficult face while asking for agreement from Shirabe Sensei, who was leaning against the wall.


    "Yeah but it was uneptable to punch him"


    The eyes of Shirabe Sensei tuned to Cliff through his mask,


    "Why did you punch him?"


    He asked quietly.


    "I''m sorry"


    Looking at Cliff who squeezed out his voice with his head dropping down,


    "Remember it, the moment you make a move without trying to resolve it peacefully, you lose. No matter with what disgusting method your opponent begin"


    He said the words he had learned so many times.


    "I will"


    "You don''t seem to forget it. Why did you punch him?"


    "Because I couldn''t forgive"


    "Couldn''t forgive? What is?"


    "A person who doesn''t know anything but trampling down on the effort of Mia she has done until now with despicable methods"


    Cliff said as if reflecting upon, his eyes sharp and his body trembling.


    Shirabe Sensei exhaled a sigh,


    "Really, if a teacher is a teacher, then a student is also a student...... "


    And then shook his neck as if he was amazed.


    "That''s right. You''re not patient enough to me Cliff, right? It seems easy for the blood to rush to your head when it''ses to children and rtives especially"


    "I''m telling you again and again, I am aware of it. However it''s also the fact that these guys hold the initiative. Now then, what should we do?"


    Shirabe Sensei muttered to himself, not particrly asking from others.


    "You guys are fine. The misconduct this time is all on the academy''s side. We will do something about it. So you can return to the examination venue without being worried about anything"


    Academy head looked at Reba Sensei.


    "Yes, yes, well let''s go now"


    She replied in her usual nonchnt andzy voice as she stood up, signaled to Mia and Cliff with her eyes and walked out of the room while pulling their hands.


    When they returned to the examination venue for individual practical skill, Mia received all kinds of barrage of abusive words from the surrounding who heard the rumors as expected.


    "Did you hear? Those cockroaches couldn''t write the exam question, so they beat up the examiner!"


    "The worst! How can she even be enrolled in the Magic knight academy!"


    "It''s the connection from Cyrus. It''s fine now. She will be expelled anyway"


    Realizing Mia and Cliff are back, Pluto and others approaches them,


    "Don''t worry about it. Anyway, we can''t do anything about it"


    "Sorry"


    Cliff bowed his head.


    "I have more or less understood what was going on. I would have done it, if you hadn''t done it"


    Pluto stopped him with his right palm.


    "I would have done that too!"


    Teresa also agreed while clenching both of her fists.


    "But what should we do? First of all, Mia''s score would be zero. To be honest, it''s a bit hard to overturn...... "


    Cliff pointed out the fact he''s most worried about with a bitter expression.


    "Do your best in the practical exam. Although I don''t know what precise marking but you should be able to pass if you win in the team battle"


    "But...... if we don''t enter in top 40, then SenseiÒ»Ò»"


    "The 40th ce has nothing to do with passing our exam. Isn''t that right?"


    Interrupting Mia''sint, Eight asked Pluto.


    "Y-Yeah, that''s right. Regardless of the ss, the conditions to promote for first years are achieving 40% of scores out of 200, in short 80 points. Unlike us, Mia is a first year student, it''s quite feasible to be promoted if she gets at least 80 points."


    "But then, Shirabe SenseiÒ»Ò»"


    "With the high possibility of Mia''s academic score being zero, it''s impossible for her to be in the top 40. That''s why those  bastards pulled such a cheap trick"


    "You have a way to overturn this, don''t you? Stop putting air and just tell us"


    Eight looked at everyone and raised the corner of his mouth.


    "It''s about the overall victory in the team battle practical exam. From what I heard, not only His Majesty the emperor but even everyone from the imperial family and the Ex emperor, who''s hard to be seen, wille to watch it. This alone should attract a lot of attention from the emperor. If our team wins, they won''t be able to expel us carelessly."


    "Why are you sure of it? They are the kind of bunch who can pull even such a nonsensical trick"


    "Just think about it. This the spiritual support of the professors of pure bred aristocrats?"


    "It should be Ex emperor"


    Eight nodded in satisfaction at Cliff''s swift reply.


    "Yeah, Ex emperor. Try to think about expelling the victor in front of such a persona. Naturally, there will be criticism that the marks aren''t distrusted well. What will happen in that case?"


    "I see. It''s only from this year that such an absurd allocation of marks happens. Considering the situation, there''s no doubt it''s the intentions of the newly changed group of professors this year. The criticism will be directed at them then. Not only that. It''s also possible to earn the emperor''s wrath if these rumors were to be heard by the Ex emperor."


    Cliff began to exin as if he agreed with Eight''s conjunction.


    "Exactly. I''m sure they will give us passing scores for some reason."


    "But what about Sensei? Isn''t the condition for the Sensei to remain in this academy is to have all of us enter the top 40?"


    "You see, a professor who guided the lowest G ss towards the victory in practical skill. Try to fire him. This will be a big problem. If you deal with this badly, it''s possible to be subjected to the national harmw"


    Thew punishes those who act against the national interest of the empire. ording to the Sensei, it is the worst kind ofw because it can send you to the death row at the will of those in power.


    "It looks like we can finally see our way"


    "That''s right. Either way, our goal is to win the championship. There''s no need to be being pessimistic or scared at this point"


    "I also agree!"


    Mia bowed, as everyone''s word and attitude were endearingly reassuring to her,


    "It happens because of Mia, I''m sorry"


    And expressed her gratitude.


    "What are you saying? If you hadn''t noticed the abnormality,  we all would have received 0 points and expelled without even knowing where we goes wrong. In fact, we should be the one to thank you"


    "Yeah, I''m really gratified for Mia-chan"


    Eight stood in front of them, inhaled the air and,


    "The five of us all are going to definitely promote and receive the teaching of Shirabe Sensei!! Isn''t that right!?"


    He raises a loud voice that shakes the atmosphere and asks Mia and the others about their intentions.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸yeahh! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Mia and others shouted loudly, almost to the point of throat bursting out.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 15 - Magic firing test

    Before long, it was almost time for the student''s individual practical exam to begin.


    Just as I get up from the sofa and was about to turned towards the assembly hall,


    "You seems to be in quite a good mood"


    Sieg pped on my shoulder and gave a smug smile.


    "Well yeah"


    Of course, I am happy. Cliff knew exactly what he was guilty of and what he was responsible for when he hit the instructor. That''s why he punched the examiner. He did it because the effort of his importantpanion who could do nothing but cry was trampled on.


    Originally Cliff attached importance to his reputation, he obviously never had gone against the judgment of his superiors. That''s right, it was something which was almost unthinkable for the past Cliff to do.


    I am not a qualified teacher if I am not d about this growth.


    "You may be pleased but I will not let you leave this academy. The reason, if it''s your, you understood right?"


    "Oh, of course"


    The basis of Rudol, a territory granted (or imposed) by the imperial government, is based on my title. And then,the umon economic development of Rudol.


    In the present time, the wealthy merchants all over the world are entering the Rudol.


    This is certainly one of the main factors for Rudol''s current position as a modern trade fair.


    However, this is probably not the only reason why the world''s wealthy merchants are attracted to Rudol.


    believe that they are fed up with being exploited and having theirmercial activities restricted by the high-ranking aristocrats, churches and other interest groups that still hold authority in their countries.


    On the other hand, Rudol is one of the fewmercial zone in the world that are exempt from  territorial tax. Rudol is like an unexpected paradise for them which has finally appeared.


    First of all, there''s no doubt that the center of world economics will be transferred from Suthend to Rudol in future.


    Probably, if we sit on this trend, the authority of pure bred aristocrats will decline. I think the appearance of materialistic groups like trade union too is like a defensive act from them by sensing the trend of group rejection in recent years.


    Under these circumstances, if they stripped of my rank, I will lose my position as Rudol''s head. Now, if the pure-bred aristocratic faction take Rudol''s under their jurisdiction, there''s no doubt it will return to its former state.


    But it won''t work out as well as they think. The people of Rudol, who are allergic to imperial aristocrats, will no way allow them to exploit.


    The today''snd of Rudol isn''t the poorest territory that have it''s fang broken a long time ago. It has the military strength to go head-to-head with the current Imperial Army. If they forcibly began to exploit, there''s no doubt it would result in rebellion. Then it will give rise to an unprecedented civil war, which the empire hasn''t experienced before.


    If that happens, whether it''s friend or foe, a ridiculous amount of lives will be lost. I think this is the most intolerable thing for Sieg, who loves this empire.


    "Even if you put aside that matter, there''s no way for the people like us, who have the mission to raise them, can overlook students'' effort being trampled. It''s hard to forgive them!"


    For the first time, Sieg''s expression turned to that of a demon. Perhaps, what they have done to Mia and others might have been the vition of line Sieg has decided on.


    "Hou, do you have pride as a teacher? It''s quite surprising"


    "Rubbish! Before being raised to the worthless position of Sage, I was originally a teacher of this academy. I''m nothing more, nothing less!"


    "In that case, this is the final responsibility of us as the teachers. Let''s go and watch the growth of students with our own eyes"


    "You don''t need to say, I will"


    Raising a corner of his mouth, Sieg stood up from the chair and we both head towards the assembly hall.


    Speaking about the individual practical exam, it''s just the Mana quantity assessment test and Magic shooting test that are done in the entrance examination with the additional magic performance test.


    Students wereing out of the school building in droves, lining up at the shooting range in one corner of the schoolyard to take the magic shooting test.


    I can also see Pluto and others at the end of row. Judging from their good moods, they must have scored very high. They now had an average status of E- ~ E+, which is around 27 on my level. As for their magic power, I had all of them learn [Forced sleep] and at night, have them perform [Forced sleep] to the limit of consuming all Morning every night under the guidance of the Spy who has appraisal ability. As a result, all of them have a magic power of E+ or higher.


    They are in the top rank of this world at least in the Mana quantity alone. The above three invigtors are Oscar, Reba and the professor of battle magic department. In addition to this, Sieg has ced observers at each examination venue this time. With this, those guys wouldn''t be able to do anything absurd this time.


    "Next is Mia Cyrus! Take your position"


    At the words of the blond-haired professor of the tactical magic department, Mia stood about 100 meters in front of the 20 targets.


    The magic shooting test is to check the magic uracy rate, firepower and the time it takes for the sessive activation rapidly. So magic is fixed with [Fireball].


    "So start shooting!"


    Mia stared at with her drowsy eyes and do or die expression,


    "Multiple crimson mes©`Ò»"


    In response to Mia''s spell, dozens of me lumps appear in the sky, turning blue and expanding while spinning.


    "Huh!?"


    The professor of the tactical magic department leaned forward with his eyes like saucers, while Mia''s chanting continued.


    "In ordance with my powerÒ»Ò»"


    Innumerable Sparks like things ssh out from the pale blue me that has already reached approx 4-5 meter in size, not to mention increasing its speed even more.


    "Be the Gale wind explosion!!"


    As if it were a bullet, it raced towards the target in a straight line, hit the target, and exploded!


    The professor ofbat magic was watching the scene with his jaw hanging open as fragments of the target flew down from the air in a st of hot air.


    The hall instantly bes noisy, as if all the beans have popped out at the same time.


    Mia, with a big smile on her face, came into my view and waved her hands in the air.


    "Just what kind of teaching method would you be able to use such absurd magic?"


    Asked Sieg, as he wipes away the bead like sweat from his face after Mia''s test was over.


    "[Fireball] is something I have taught them thoroughly in the ss. But seeing that, I think they are trying to be low-key"


    Anyway, if any further improvement were to be made, it will no longer look like [Fireball].


    "You are just like that...... "


    Sieg held his head in hands for a while and groaned.


    And then a few professors pointed out that the examinations after that were closed to the public, except for the examiner and observer in charge. If anything, students will be demotivated. It seems it was such a pathetic reason.  It''s bad to say but I rather them don''t have such a cheap pride that''s easy to demotivate with that much. At any rate, it should just throw it away in the drain.


    That being said the case, I couldn''t no longer spectate it but I have faith in the professor of battle magic department,


    The next "magic performance" is a test to see what kind of magic you''re best at and how well you''ve perfected it. In other words, it''s an exam that appeals to the examiner that "I learned to use such amazing magic in this one year."


    The test seems to be managed arbitrarily but I''m sure if it''s Reba, she will fulfill her duty as examiner fair and upright.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 16 - Lets Win! - Mia Cyrus

    When Mia''s performance,st of the G ss, finished, Reba Sensei approached them.


    They couldn''t help but gulp down when they saw the expression on her face as she red at them with her lips tightened, which was clearly too different from her usual demeanor.


    "Do you guys know at what rank the magic you guys just disyed now in this empireÒ», no, In this world?"


    "What kind of rank...... "


    Not being able to understand what Reba Sensei means at all, we all looked at each other in bewilderment.


    The rank of the magic they disyed is the highest.


    Shirabe Sensei taught all of us top magic that suits each characteristic and gave us the homework to thoroughly master that one magic. Mia and others are intensively studying that one magic, improving it and creating original magic.


    The magic they disyed earlier was something without any improvement, which is something they can use as if they were breathing.


    Of course, they want to show their best magic. However in this test, precision and uracy are also taken in ount when grading. They don''t want to take a gamble. They had a discussion and decided to use the magic they are best at and have confidence in it.


    "Is that so..... "


    Reba Sensei crossed her arms with a strange expression, thinks about it alone but then raised her face and said,


    "You guys don''t need to worry. Mia-chan of course, I will absolutely not let you guys expel from academy"


    She grabbed both of Mia''s hands and dered it.


    "T, Thank you"


    Although they were a bit taken aback by Reba Sensei''s ghastly attitude, they expressed their gratitude.


    After the magic performance exam was over, there was a bit of a long break and then began the opening ceremony for team battle.


    The curtains open on the team battle after the academy head and then student''s representative, Ronaldo Rose Archive took an oath.


    Although the matches of Mia and other ss G members would bepeting a bitter, for now they are watching the other sses match in the examination hall.


    Imperial magic knight academy''s first arena Ò» one of the two major arena that Imperial capital is proud of. It''s a huge facility with three stone pirs set in the vast reddish brown ground and spectator seats surrounding the entire structure. This facility is used not only for the school''s events, but also for public events in the nearby Third District.


    "If it''s not the trashes of ss G!"


    A petite build man with his blonde haired cropped in mushroom like hairstyle, apanied by students with the same mushroom hairstyle and wearing luxurious white robe get closer to them.


    They remembered this mushroom head man from the entrance ceremony because of his awfully long speech and also that the speech content was disgusting. He''s the professor in the charge of third year ss A. If I''m not wrong, I feel like he introduced himself as Mathew Muru.


    "What do you want, geezer?"


    Pluto asked the mushroom head man, Mathew, with a sour look.


    "You, RudeÒ»Ò»"


    As expected, a tall man with mushroom cut blonde hair behind him screams but Mathew interrupted him off by raising his right hand.


    "Don''t mind. After all, today''s thest day we are seeing their vulgar faces''''


    He spread his arms over his head and twisted his face in amusement.


    "That''s really great. You havepleted your errand. So just disappear now"


    "Oh, don''t be like that. I''m in a good mood today thanks to the grace of you guys. I had like to thank you"


    "Thank you?"


    Asked Pluto, frowning.


    It''s not like Mathew, who''s at professor''s position, will make any fortune even if Mia and others are expelled from the academy. If there is any rtionÒ»Ò»


    "That''s right. Thanks to you guys, that cheeky brat would be efficiently expelled from the academy. What would I do if I don''t thank you guys for doing this?"


    "What are you trying to do to the Sensei!?"


    "Hey, hey, it will taint my reputation. Isn''t it you guys, not outsiders, who will disqualify that brat?"


    "Nonsense! Why are we guys!?"


    "Don''t be silly. I have heard some interesting information from the examiners."


    "Interesting information?"


    "Yeah, multiple examiners have unanimously imed that. Mia Cyrus, you were clearly acting suspiciously during the test and tracing the feathers on your pen."


    Mathew nodded, while harrumphing as if he was triumphed.


    "That''s just the habit of Mia!!"


    It''s a habit that Mia has when she''s pondering, she traces her answers with the feather part of her pen. It will just harm if suspected, so she has always tried to cure it but she subconsciously does that when she''s thinking in extreme pressure.


    "Not only that, there''s also a report from n-smaa, the son of Duke Kruger, that Mia Cyrus seemed to be writing on the answer sheets throughout the exam time. Even though the answer sheet was nk. What does it mean by that?"


    "It''s because that examiner erased Mia''s answer!!"


    At the disgusting provocation of Mathew, Mia shouted loudly as if she herself was surprised.


    "Because of humans huh, as expected of the traitors lineage. However I know that. You guys, who don''t have confidence that you will not be able to score enough, received a magic tool with the function that had the ability to memorize and write words. Because that magic tool malfunction, your answer sheet turned nk"


    Ridiculous. If there was such a tool, they would have been able to do anything unfair as it pleases. It''s an absurd argument.


    "What? You can''t have a magic tool that is so convenient!"


    Pluto also expressed his amazement simr to Mia, half giving up.


    At that line, the face of Mathew distorted unsightly,


    "Hmph! The evidence has already confiscated"


    And he dered, full of confidence.


    A chill ran down the spine of Mia when she became aware of Mathew''s triumphant look. Speaking of which, because Mia and Cliff didn''t have the spare time to sort out their writing tools in the ruckus until they were led by Reba Sensei to the room, these guys still have their writing tools seized.


    No wayÒ»Ò»


    "What has happened to Mia''s pen?"


    "Is it because of others? But this time, that cunning excuse won''t work. Above all, we have the evidence"


    "There''s no way you have any proof!!"


    That was just a feather pen. Naturally, it doesn''t have any other ability besides writing.


    "It''s fine if you think so. However, this time we have definite evidence of that guy''s unfair means. His destruction is already on the way"


    "......"


    Mia was so angry and frustrated that she felt like she''s going crazy, and she was so ashamed of her for letting that coward in getting better over her that she couldn''t endure anymore and started crying.


    "Stop it!"


    A blonde haired male professor with a swept back hairstyle was ring at Mathew in a piercing manner. Behind that man were  somewhat puzzled Messalina and other students, the members of first year ss A.


    Mia knows him. He''s Renox Laris, the person in charge of Messalina and others, the first year A ss.


    "Professor Renox, what do you mean?"


    Mathew questions the true intention of professor Renox, as he wipes the triumphant expression of his face and frowns in displeasure.


    "What are you trying to do by disturbing the students before the exam, when the fact hasn''t even been proven yet!"


    "Students? These guys are ipetent and worthless beast who doesn''t belong to our prestigious academy and will soon be expelled."


    "I''m saying to stop your abusive words! All of your actions are in vition of the serious rules that govern the game. I will report this matter to the executive board, so don''t worry!"


    "Dammit! Let''s go!!"


    Mathew spit out on the ground and his face contorted in annoyance, then left apanied together with white robes students.


    "You guys, I will deal with this matter. So take the exam without any worry"


    Professor Renox told Mia and the others simply without smiling and walked away.


    "Damn, what was that!!"


    Messalina shouted hysterically and rushed after the professor Renox. The rest of the A ss members also followed behind them so as not to leave behind while pulling a confused expression.


    "Let''s switch. Anyway, all we can do now is win the game and make our presence known."


    Eight turned towards Mia and others and suggested with a terrifyingly solemn face.


    "But, SenseiÒ»Ò»"


    Just as Mia tried to say something,


    "I should have told you. What we can do now only is not to sit here and mourn over and cause Sensei to worry about us. What we have to do is win. It''s none of our concern since even Sensei might not want us, greenhorns, to be worried about him. Am I wrong?"


    Eight interrupted her with a strong tone.


    "No, it''s just as you said. To begin with, we are talking about him, you know? How could that ridiculously cunning person who can think 100 steps ahead will be caught up in the trap of that mushroom shit head''s childish trick"


    "Certainly, if it''s Sensei who can think of an extremely sinister trick without even batting an eye, who knows if he had already thought of using this chance to reverse the situation and rece all of the academy''s professor all together?"


    Cliff put his hand on his chin and agreed with Pluto''s words.


    "Yeah, it sure is possible. Sensei really seemed to enjoy taking out the enemy before"


    "Ah, I can understand. It was during the time of the bandit subjugation quest, right? I remember Sensei thoroughly beating the hess of bandit with a smile that even demons wants to flee"


    At the Eight''s impression, Pluto squinted his eyes in nostalgia.


    "I have actually seen a monster fleeing with full speed when it saw the Sensei"


    Teresa raises her right hand in pride. No, Teresa, that''s not something to be proud of.


    "Speaking of which, the other day a fellow merchant was saying that Sensei is a truly terrible person."


    "Well the teacher''s evaluation from a human to an inhuman is always that of a terrifying person (friend). Though, he really is scary when he actually gets angry"


    Everyone nodded again and again at Eight''s nonchnt muttering.


    "Everyone, you don''t have to say that much. I''m sure even a teacher with a heart as thick as a frozen giant tree would be hurt."


    At the precisely cautious words of Mia,


    "No, no, no, Mia is harsh enough"


    Cliff waved his hands from side to side in front of his face. Pluto spurted out a smile as if the dam was broken. Everyone is still anxious, and there''s no doubt they are just trying to put up a strong front. Even so, it''s not possible for Sensei to be entangled with people of that caliber. They are sure of that much.


    "Let''s win. That''s the best we can do right now."


    Mia nodded loudly at Eight''s words, and it begins the battle of Mia and the others.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 17 - Encouragement for the first match

    The match between the third year C ss and third year B ss is over. It seemed to be quite a close contest, and amidst the cheers, the representative of the B-3 ss waved his right with a look of joy even though he was nearly at his limit.


    Well then, next is my student''s match. The professor in charge is obliged to wait by the circr tform in the shape of a cylinder, which is set up in a predetermined position in the arena where they will actually fight.


    "It''s about the time"


    "I see. Tell the G ss to not overdo"


    After seeing the [Fireball] magic in Mia''s magic performance test, Sieg''s thinking has now shifted to how to minimize the damage. Well it might be understandable if the match of the top yers is at that level in the academy.


    "Okay"


    I nodded and turned towards the designated arena.


    This arena, which is also the no 1 arena of the magic academy, is oval shaped, with reddish brown ground surface and audience seats surrounding it.


    On top of the arena, there are threerge, 30-centimeter-high round tforms on which the students will y their matches.


    (There they are)


    Right next to the round tform, there was a parasol chair of tarpaulin cloth and a chair and table ced under it.


    I guess it''s there they shit and send instructions to the students. It''s like a sports coach.


    As I took a seat there while having such an impression emerge in my mind, my gaze collided with the blonde haired mushroom hairstyle professor who was lying back with legs outstretched in the front seat.


    He''s the process professor in charge of ss A, Mathew Muru. If I''m not wrong, he''s majoring in me assault magic. He''s a fellow whoes to fight me like that cheap vice principal everytime we meet each other.


    Mushroom head stood up from his chair and walked over to me,


    "Kid, this is the only time you can make a big face!"


    He makes a g-raising deration like that.


    His rxed attitude isn''t the only because of his self confidence in this match. It must be because he has already made a definite n to trap me.


    "It''s not like I intend to make a big face. You too seem to be in quite a good mood. Did something good happen to you?"


    "You will know it soon"


    Mathew''s face dyed with pleasure and he returned to his A-3 chair parasol while swaying contentedly.


    Time will tell huh. Then I will wait for that. Till the time of the destruction.


    [Then the next match, both yers enter!!]


    A woman with long ears and bob cut green hairs shouted loudly in excitement. I have been thinking about it for a while now but I have a strange deja Vu about the host......


    And then, from the aisle facing each other, into the arena appeared the representative of A-3 wearing the luxurious white robe and the member of my ss G.


    The venue trembled with therge amount of cheers and boos. Of course, the hero is the A-3 ss and the viin is ss G.


    There are already false rumors spreading in the academy. I''m starting, it was purely only the criticism against the Cliff''s about punching the examination, but gradually, the rumors shifted to the unfair conduct by ss G. Well, I don''t even need to think who spread those rumors.


    [The white robes who are still marching in the ostentatious formation are the A-3 ss, one of the top contenders to win this tournament!!]


    Apuse and whistles erupted from the crowd.


    [Gathering geniuses with outstanding bloodlines from all over, and inviting the best adventurers and mages in the Empire for gifted education. They are kids who are expected to be the cornerstone of the empire!!]


    As if responding to the excitement of the venue that still shakes the eardrum, the green haired host pointed her left hand to the G ss, and thenÒ»Ò»


    [Facing the A-3 ss is the leftover of the academy Ò»Ò» ss G! And the one in charge of ss G is the current lord of Rudol, who''s currently growing rapidly! The Lord is a persona who can do crazy things! He leads themoners of the Rudol who were struggling with poverty and won against the army of the Amuzreth kingdom, who boast overwhelming strength!!]


    The venue immediately changed from the cheering praise for ss A-3 to the boos.


    I had thought that it would just end with a short introduction of the ss G or the disclosure of the fact of cheating. I hadn''t even expected such an ambiguous introduction which isn''t in anyone''s interest.


    Apparently, it seems to be the same for the professors belonging to the pure bred aristocrats, as they are panicking furiously.


    [I can''t even imagine at what point the brats of ss G have been strengthened. But by chance, what if!! How is it? You guys are excited, aren''t you?]


    A fierce booing resounded from the audience for the host and other half were contemting.


    In the midst of that, students arrived at my side.


    "Sensei!"


    The students look at me with raised eyebrows and serious faces. It would be tactless to say anything more to them.


    "Show them who you are!"


    I gave them a short instruction while raising the corner of my mouth.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Yes!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Everyone gave a loud nod and then students went up to the round tform which is the venue for the match.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 18 - Unforgivable thing for Eight

    Maybe it''s because they have seen Sensei. Mia and others were surprisingly calm amidst the boos towards them.


    They were just calmly formting the n to deal with enemies calmly,as if it was the familiar mission like always.


    [Now, the representative of ss A-3, Shi ? Take and representative of ss G, Pluto browsere forward] (T/N : maybe it''s why they have mushroom hairstyles? Shitake together mushroom)


    As a general rule, the representative of a ss is not allowed to be an associate student of the academy which is Eight.  Therefore, Pluto became the representative of ss G after discussion.


    Pluto walked up to the center of the round tform and held out his hand to the long blonde haired student, Shi take.


    Shi took his right and then suddenly pulled him and,


    [We have the duty to entertain the audience, unlike you beasts. It''s a throwaway match but don''t put up a miserable resistance]


    He whispered in his ears with a voice that Mia and others could barely heard.


    [Ok, I will not resist]


    Pluto replied curtly.


    Anyway, it will end before that or so they somehow feel like I heard Pluto''s inner voice saying that.


    [You have a good attitude. Even if you are a filthy beast with a low IQ, torturing the weak is not well received by themon people.]


    [I''m going to return those words exactly to you.]


    The eyebrows of Shi twitched and once again pulled a evil smile on his face.


    [If I''m not wrong, your father died in the earlier undead assault, right?]


    [What if so?]


    [A good for nothing who didn''t even achieve a victory as an imperial soldier. How can his son show his face in public like this without shame?]


    [Maybe so]


    Pluto just whispered sadly, without feeling disgust or anger.


    [Even though a lot of the empire''smoners died because of him, your family is indulging in luxury receiving the huge condolence money. It''s really intolerable as a person of this empire]


    He shook his head andughed scornfully.


    [Cut it outÒ»Ò»]


    The Cliff behind shouts to keep him in control as a thick blue vein popped out in his forehead but,


    [I don''t mind. It''s the fact that my father couldn''t protected it]


    He released his right hand which was shaking hands, turned his back to Shi and walked to the side of Mia and others.


    "That''s not the problem!"


    Eight shouted with a demonic expression that was uncharacteristic of him.


    For Pluto, his father Lampert Browser is his pride. That''s for sure. But the reason why Eight is so angry is probably not because he cares about Pluto.


    In the mission of a certain day, the client was a former soldier who survived the undead incident and he had talked about what had happened to everyone when they received the reward.


    The hords of undead who pushed in like a tsunami. The story of a Brave who recklessly fights against them himself to give themoners time for their escape. Lampert Browser, which he enthusiastically talked about, was the very brave itself the soldiers yearn for. In the end, he loses his life instead of sessfully evacuating tens of thousands of civilians.


    Surprisingly, it wasn''t Pluto who reacted strongly but Eight. The reason was unknown but it''s from that time. Eight began to show a strong attachment to the brave name Lampert Browser.


    [Now then, let''s begin the Match!!]


    The referee, a green haired woman, raised her right palm to the sky, a fire pir and Mia and others begin this first match.


    One person behind the Shi began to chant for the defensive barrier magic while the other two started chanting offensive magic and Shi and a macho looking mushroom head student held their wooden swords in vanguard position while chanting body strengthening magic.


    (As expected, they are tough)


    No wonder they are said to be top contenders for the championship, they have adopted a firm strategy.


    In other words, it''s better to say it''s a formation where the difference in power can be easily seen.


    When you are about to be attacked from a distance, the best way to deal with it is to eliminate the long-distance attackers. However even a child can think of that. Therefore, one will set up a defensive barrier to protect the long-distance attacker from the opponent''s long-distance attack and a person who excels in closebat magic will guard the long range attacker.


    In this formation, you have to deal with the opponent''s defense barrier and incapacitate a long range attacker.


    Just as Mia and others were also began to start chanting spell,


    "I am enough on my own"


    Eight stepped forward, stopping Pluto who was chanting.


    "H-Hey Eight"


    "It''s fine, leave it to me"


    With an tone he wouldn''t listen to any objection, he ced his right arm on top of his left arm, locked it in ce, and pointed his index finger at Shi and the others,


    "Haa!"


    He shouted.


    Suddenly, the representative of the A-3 who was behind the Shi and chanting the spell for the defense barrier whileughing scornfully was blown up backward.


    "Huh?"


    Shi turned around to look at hisrades who were still rolling on the floor with a stunned expression,


    "Not good! The barrierÒ»Ò»"


    "Haa!"


    The huge body of the macho looking student with mushroom hairstyle who promptly bent down and was about to gave instruction flew several meters behind.


    "What!?"


    "Dammit!"


    Giving the Shi a side along nce who shouted in puzzlement, the two long range attackers immediately stopped chanting offensive magic and were about to chant dense magic butÒ»Ò»


    "Haa! Haa!"


    The bodies of the two rearguards were also blown away,


    "T-that''s ridicul...... ous"


    Shi squeezes out the word that denies reality as he sweats profusely.


    "You said something you shouldn''t have. Now receive the punishment. But you don''t need to worry, I have limit the power as much as possible so that you don''t die"


    "Wait a m©`Ò»"


    Shi, who was most likely about to raise his right hand in surrender but,


    "Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa!"


    Multiple shocks prate the body of Shi and his body was lifted into the air but even so, he continues to receive the shocks.


    Then atst, he fall to the ground like a rag clothe.


    "Sieg!"


    "I know!"


    Shirabe Sensei who was watching from the sidelines shouted at professor Sieg, both of them rushed up to the Shi and others and performed healing magic.


    An unnatural silence follows for a while.


    [Well, is it over?]


    The host woman muttered as if asking to herself and finally, the life breath returns to the venue. Soon, a thunderingmotion spread in the examination venue.


    [Seems like they are unable to fight. What a stunning result! It''s the victory of G ss, who one sided trampled down the opponent from the beginning of the watch!!]


    This time, the cheers came like a tsunami.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 19 - The thing you ought to do before the apology

    Eight changes after that student called Shi ? Take blurted out something to Pluto.


    The attacks of the Eight are the improved version of Ò»Ò»[Compressed air bullet], a top level magic thatpresses the air and fired them like a shell.


    Eight had stabilized the [Compressed air bullet] magic by just chanting once. Moreover he reaches the domain of chantless in several dozen. This is the first I have seen such an extreme chemistry, even if they arepatible. In the beginning, I was so surprised that my eyes nearly popped out of my head.


    Anyway, that [Compressed air bullet] is a top level magic more or less. It''s not just about firing thepressed air. It is possible topress and manipte the atmosphere of any ce within a certain range from the caster. Not only it can''t be sensed because of its transparency but it''s firing range can be changed too. It should be understood that it is extremely difficult to avoid.


    It''s impossible for the inexperienced A-3 ss members to avoid it. Therefore, it''s better to say this result is nothing surprising as Eight has brought out his Trump card.


    If anything, the match earlier wasn''t Eight like. Normally, Eight would have kept the trump card hidden until a crisis arrives. Though saying that, even in the sense of restraining S ss, it''s a fine enough tactic for Eight to expose only his Trump card. Above all, even if S ss dislikes it, they don''t have any choice but to be vignt towards Eight.


    "This is definitely cheating!!"


    Amidst the cheers, the hustle voice of Matthew Muru echoed surreally.


    Far from being worrying about his injured students, Mathew, who didn''t even rush over here to help and kept insisting at the loud voice that I and G ss had cheated in this match, was finally taken out of the examination venue by the test prep department.


    Now...... I don''t even care about small fry characters like him at all.


    Above all, the evaluation of ss G improved a bit with this. Of course they are still  bad guys without doubt but at the very least, some of thebel of ipetent cheater should have been removed from them. The rest depends on the students.


    After I finished casting the recovery spell, Shi ? take was still pale and slumped over.


    "Are you okay?"


    I walked over to him, patted him on shoulder gently and asked about his well being.


    "I-I...... "


    He looked up at me in daze, his body shuddering and, only saying "I!!", began to cry.


    The eyes of the green haired host, including the referee, became point size as they looked at his crying appearance.


    It''s not like he''s crying from being scared or that he''s finally safe. If he''s crying for this reason, they still have room to grow. They can grow. It should be useless to worry about this.


    "This is not a setback for you. It''s just experience. You have done well"


    I whispered in the voice only he could hear, patted his shoulder once again and left the venue. The development after that was just as I expected.


    In the second league, ss A-2 and ss B-2 took one point each. Afterwards, they fought each other, with ss A-2 advancing to the final.


    In the third league, the S ss came out on top with three points. In the representative members, Ste wasn''t there and neither Rnd nor n, who were considered to have top abilities. It seems to be a policy to conceal the information as much as possible until the decisive match against G ss.


    In regards to First league, G ss fought with ss B and ss C, which they winned easily thanks to the martial arts skill of Teresa and Mia before the enemy teams could evenplete chanting magic and advanced to the final with three points.


    Aftering so far, there''s no one who doubts the ability of G ss. Or rather, no one doubted that the match would be a one on one battle between S ss and G ss.


    And now, the final match.


    [Next up is the third round of the final league, a sh between the S ss and the G ss in the final!!]


    Both G ss and S ss defeated A-2 ss, and the final game was next.


    I was just about to head to the venue when,


    "Shirabe Sensei, can I take a bit of your time?"


    I turned to look when someone called out to me to see a blonde haired young man with a swept ck hairstyle standing there.


    I remember this man. I think he was in the charge of ss A Ò»Ò» Renox Laris.


    "Yes, I don''t mind"


    When I turned to Renox,


    "I am deeply sorry"


    He bowed his head deeply.


    When I looked at him nkly, not knowing what''s this apologize is forÒ»Ò»


    "I am talking about the assault on Mia Cyrus. As the result of questioning students, I confirmed it was something they fired on her. I''m embarrassed to say, it''s my students who did that"


    "I see"


    From the looks of it, the students of ss A are also the aristocrats of this academy for better or for worse. They are so full of pride that, even if it''s their blood rtive, they will no talk about the truth.


    In other words, Renox has earned the trust of his students that much.


    "I doubted your words. Moreover without even confirming the facts. I just trusted my students blindly. This is a disqualifying factor for a teacher."


    "If you truly believed your own students when you said that, then there is no need to apologize. It''s better to believe your students than to doubt them."


    I''m not talking out of concern for Renox. People''s wordse with responsibility. If you like, you are forced to act on your words. However, children often don''t understand this. Hence, they sometimes lie. That is why there are times when the teacher must simply believe.


    "Wrong! It''s wrong!!"


    I frowned at Renox, who interrupted my words and raised his voice,


    "Wrong?"


    I asked him directly.


    "That''s right! I didn''t believe you at that time just because they were the words of my students! I just assumed it based on your reputation!!"


    However you think, he''s the professor from a pure bred aristocrat faction. He must have held prejudice against me after hearing all kinds of ill words about me from his associates. I don''t have the intention to condemn them one by one. I''m fine with that. The biggest problem is that he''s making a huge misunderstanding.


    "Even if that''s the case. Isn''t this problem about our trifling reputation? If you really want to do something about this, you should have something to do before you apologize to me."


    "You''re...... right. It''s just as you said. I''ll talk it over with the students once again."


    Hmm. I was expecting you to be a more hard-headed man. He''s a much better teacher than a pseudo-teacher like me. If there''s a man like him, I guess the future of this academy may not be bleak unexpectedly.


    "That''s it"


    I turned my back to Renox and walked to the venue of my student''sst match.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 20 - The rise of curtains on the final match

    The waiting room of the Magic knight academy''s first arena


    "This is thest"


    "Yeah!"


    Mia and others nodded at Pluto''s words.


    They would be the champions if they win the next match.


    If they win the championship, Mia doesn''t need to be expelled from the academy...... They think. They can''t afford to lose.


    "Hey, hey, What do you think about who will be the representative member of S ss?"


    "I am sure n and Ronaldo will appear!"


    It''s impossible for those two to be missing. Most likely, they asked to be left out of the preliminary league from representative members because they wanted to.


    I''m sure this is the same for the other three.


    "I really can''t read them. It''s just, if it was me I would have definitely put that red haired girl in the team"


    Eight speaks about the doubt everyone is having as he put his hands on his chin in contemtion.


    Everything about that red haired young girl is abnormal. Inferring from the attitude of Ronaldo and others, there''s no doubt she has the ability to make them feel that.


    "Ste...... "


    Cliff spoke the name with aplicated expression.


    "That girl was your maid, right? Honestly, it''s really a great coincidence, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah, exactly"


    That girl was the maid of Cliff''s home, Mird family. Moreover, his little sister also seems to be in the ss S. It''s too good to be simply written as a coincidence. Besides, if I''m not mistaken, the red haired girl seemed to have been with Shirabe Sensei in the examination hall. If so, then Shirabe Sensei must have some connection with the Mird family.


    "Hey Cliff, does Shirabe Sensei and Mird family has any relÒ»Ò»"


    "Speaking of which, do you guys know? The Shirabe Sensei family seems to be the Viscount family in the southern district. He said he returned to his home for the first time in half year during thest vacation"


    Eight spoke the fact Mia wanted to know the most as if to cover the question of Mia.


    From the Viscount family huh. If so, then it''s a bit farfetched to say he has some connection with Mird''s family. Well, his connections are spread wide and far and Sensei must have seen the talent of that red haired girl. Maybe she might have suspected too much.


    bing-bong bang-bong


    The chime rang out.


    It was almost time to enter.


    "It''s about time to go!"


    Eight got up from his seat, followed by Mia and others and left the waiting room.


    Amidst the introduction of the female host who seems to be as energetic as before, the boos and angry bellows until now has almost disappeared to a terrifying degree. In ce of this is the excited cheering that almost shook the whole first arena.


    (A-Amazing)


    Overwhelmed, they went up to the Shirabe Sensei who was already standing there.


    He seems to be staring at the representative team members of the S ss so much that he didn''t even seem to notice the arrival of Mia and others. They have seen him like this only a few times.


    In front of his gazes are Ronaldo, n, Cliff''s little sister, twin tailed blonde haired girl and the red haired girl Ò»Ò» Ste.


    It''s the line up Mia and others have expected in a sense.


    "Caesar, Sylphy, what the hell are you guys thinking!"


    Sensei raised his stifled voice and gave a sharp look at the beautiful tall blue haired woman and the red haired man standing next to her, which was obvious even through the mask.


    Eight approached beside the Sensei,


    "Sense!"


    And shouted.


    "A-Ah. My bad"


    As if to shake it off, he turned towards Mia and others and returned to his usual calm demeanor.


    "Please give your instruction!"


    "Let''s see...... "


    Uncharacteristic of him, he pulled his chin back and pondered for a while but then he looked up and,


    "Give you all and all the best"


    He only said this.


    Although they felt somewhat ufortable from Sensei''s roundabout way of speaking which was not like him,


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Yes£¡£¡¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    They shouted and turned to walk towards the round tform, which is the ying field.


    "Now everyone, you guys must have been waiting for this time!! It''s finally the deciding match between the S ss, the gathering of highest ever possible child prodigies and the G ss, the lowest baggage ss in the academy''s history!! Have you guys ever seriously thought that such a thing is possible!!?"


    The female host who was awfully excited leaned her body backwards and shouted in an extremely loud voice.


    [It''s the special introduction of the yers. Beginning from the best elites of the S ss in the history of the academy!! The first one is him!! The handsome silver haired young man Ò»Ò» the first Imperial prince, Ronaldo Rose Archive!!]


    A particrlyrge cheer goes up. The host continues to introduce them one after another.


    [The son of Lord Kruger, head of military affairs and the child prodigy, n Kruger!


    The beloved daughter of the Magic knight academy''s dean Ò»Ò» Aria Bernstein!


    The top in the offensive magic in the academy Ò»Ò» the genius young girl, Aqua Mird!


    A mysterious young girl in the maid''s outfit Ò»Ò» Ste!!]


    Ronaldo, n, Aria and Aqua raised their hands as if responding to the thunderous apuse and whistles. Only Ste in the maid outfit stood there motionlessly without any expression.


    [Against them are the drags of the ss G, They''re the biggest heels in this tournament!!


    The son of the deceased second inmand Lampert Browser Ò»Ò» Pluto browser!


    The young girl of the Hurtwig family, who possessed one of the most prominent military force in the empire Ò»Ò» Teresa Hurtwig!


    She may look young, but she''s still 13 years old!! The golden fairy Ò»Ò» Mia Cyrus!


    The fallen hope Ò»Ò» Cliff Mird. Somehow, the two members from the Mird family are in the final match. Amazing, the Mird family!!


    Thest one is the active adventurer young man who was suddenly admitted as academy associated student Ò»Ò» Eight!]


    It wasn''t like the thunderous apuse for the ss S but several of them at least shouted to encourage Mia and others, ss G.


    [Will the victory belong to the transcendent elites of the S ss, who are carrying the expectations of the empire or will the bookies betting on the biggest dark horse going to be delighted! Which one will the goddess of victory smile upon!]


    The host cut off her words, raised her right hand, inhaled the air as much as possible and then Ò»Ò»


    [Then, let the war begin!!]


    She swung her right hand down vigorously and shouted.


    This is how Mia and the rest of the G-ss started their final battle.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 21 - The way to get worst outcome

    At the same time as the signal to begin, Cliff and Aqua leaped up to the center of the round tform and their swords collided.


    The shocking sound generated from their sword fight shook  my eardrums rhythmically and eventually permeated in the venue like a musicalposition by an instrumentalist.


    "I never thought I''m going topete like this!"


    "You''re right! I''m also surprised!"


    Both teams just stood there silently as if to say it would be boorish to intervene as the siblings Cliff and Aqua exchange blows.


    (Are theypeting with thier abilities?)


    If Aqua is a well trained fighter of righteous path then Cliff is from evil path specializing in actualbat. Both of them are well matched and have reached a certain height.


    For thest three months, I assigned a dedicatedbat teacher to each student, ording to their characteristics.


    Akuido, the leader of the mercenaries proficient in multiple weapons, was assigned to Pluto who likes to fight mainly with spear.


    Cliff was assigned to Krama, the leader of the underworld who requested for his custody on his own.


    Teresa was assigned to Theo, both same minded fellows who like to fight empty handed and Eight was taught by Calogero, who excels at long range weapons.


    Mia, who excels in both long range battle and closebat was taught by dexterous Spy.


    Especially Cliff side, Krama thoroughly drilled the survival technique in him in these three months.


    That''s why there''s some iprehensible thing.


    (Cliff... He''s keeping his hands)


    Of course, he''s seriously fighting but it''s just a simple trick and nothing about it is frightening. Most likely, he''s hesitating to injure his blood rted sister. This is a very human emotion and I as an individual don''t have anything to criticize about this at all.


    However, the opponent Aqua doesn''t seem to be leaning on this idea at all. That''s©`Ò»


    "Cliff onii-san. Don''t y around and please fight seriously!"


    It was clear from looking at her ring expression.


    "I''m giving my all though!"


    Cliff replied to Aqua with a puzzled face, to which Aqua''s face became more and more threatening.


    "I have thoroughly watched the battle of onii-san, but they were all tough and merciless. At the very least, it definitely wasn''t full of cowardice like this! Do you being considerate towards me will write off your debt for what you have to Grey or servants in the mansion?"


    Cliff seems to be unforgiving. Certainly, this is the reason why Krama asked to be in charge of Cliff. Whatever it is, he seems simr to him in essence.


    [To do something against the master...... this little girl seems to be saying the number one absurd thing in the universe?]


    Ignoring the impolite remarks of Mura, I focused on both conversations.


    "No, I have been repeatedly aware of what I did. I don''t have any intention to apologize after all this"


    "Then please be more serious"


    "Even if you say so"


    As Cliff frown in trouble, emotions disappeared from Aqua face. Seems like its going to develop in troublesome situation.


    "Do you know? About the rumor spreading throughout the venue?"


    "Rumor?"


    "Because you guys didn''t have confidence in getting the passing marks in the academic test, you guys colluded with the teacher in charge of your ss to cheat but when the examiner found it, onii-san punched him. This rumor"


    "This is just nonsense!"


    Cliff denied immediately while roughening his voice,


    "I wonder about that? I think it''s quite possible for onii-san to do that if you''re in dire straits"


    She said that bluntly while smiling.


    "Like I said, it''s wroÒ»Ò»"


    "Ahh, onii-san has been full of pride since childhood, underhanded and cowardly but you were a person who could never do something so outrageous. For you to be changed so much now, I wonder if it''s thanks to the amazing teaching of the G ss trash teacher and being surrounded by cowards?"


    The venue erupted inughter.


    "What did you say just now?"


    Cliff looked down and raised his voice as if trembling,


    "Aah, have you finally be deaf too? All right. Onii-san has changed thanks to trash teacher and cowardlyrades.  That''s whaÒ»Ò»"


    Before Aqua''s words coulde to an end, the thrust of the wooden sword from the galloping Cliff was sucked into Aqua''s thin throat.


    "!?"


    Aqua flipped it with her wooden sword but using the he rotated like a top using the momentum and then his left roundhouse kick hit the Aqua throat.


    "Gah!"


    Aqua tumbled on the ground and without even allowing her to correct her posture, Pluto approaches her as if slithering on the ground and makes a stabbing towards her eye with his index and middle finger.


    "Kuh!?"


    She twisted her body and avoided the attack but Cliff''s palm, who dives in the chest space of Aqua, rammed into her abdomen.


    Even when her body bends like words ¤¯, multiple blue orbs flew towards the aqua rolling on the ground and collided, causing a explosion.


    An unnatural silence descent into the venue. A blonde girl, with her whole body crackling with lightning, emerges from the billowing smoke.


    This is the superior level body strengthening magic Ò»Ò» [Lightening]. It doesn''t seem like she changed, so most likely it was chantless.


    I didn''t allow anyone except the person I designated to possess grimoire. That means it was aplished by the young girl named Aqua purely with her talent and genuine power.


    In a short period of time, it is best toplete a single magic that suits the characteristics of the student. In the end, I and Sylphy and others have arrived at the same conclusion regarding this battle.


    "We will crush you"


    Cliff dered it simply while baring his teeth at her and the students who were standby on the sidelines clenched thier hands holding the weapon tightly as intense andplicated emotion burned in their eyes. Like this, the two sses sh this time.


    The two sides were almost evenly matched.


    From what I could see, except Ste, the average status of ss G and ss S wasn''t much different. Such rapid growth in such a short time. Most likely, it may be because Sylphy and them were able to borrow my [Legendary teacher] title.


    Since Eight''s speciality pressed air bullet] was blocked perfectly by Ste, Eight also changed his role immediately to developing defense magic.


    The result of this is the showdown between siblings Aqua and Cliff. The spear and magic showdown between n and Pluto. Mia and Aria close to mid range magic showdown. The battle progressed to the peak decisive battle between Teresa and Ronaldo in a closebat fight.


    As Aqua''s [Lightning] has the effect of increasing the speed and wearing the lightning, it also considerably elevates her offensive power. Cliff countered her offensive by making countless ke snakes appear with the superior magic Ò»Ò» [ck snake].


    The [ck snake] is just like it''s name implies, it''s the technique to create countless snakes and control them. It''s a highly versatile magic that can restrain, attack and defend. It''s the perfect technique for tactical minded Cliff. Cliff avoided the onught of Aqua using [ck snake], who mainly draws the opponent in frontal battle, creates the gap and begins his counterattack. It''s quite a close contest, like a chess problem.


    Pluto and n were engaging in closebat with the spear. Sparks flew each time their Spears collided, blowing the fierce hot wind.


    The surprising thing what both of them took excel is the same me magic called superior magic [Art of me]. The [Art of me] is a simple technique that d the user in me attribute which remarkably increase their physical ability. In addition, if you get used to it, it''s also possible to shoot mes. It''s a technique like this.


    Judging from their appearance, whether it''s their magic, technique or physical ability, they are about the same. The rest is I think the battle of endurance and will power.


    Aria and Mia were fighting with their physical skills when they were close together, and with their magic when they were far apart.


    However Mia had enough room to maneuver and she seemed to overwhelm Aria from beginning to the end. Well, none of both have used their Trump card yet so the result can be changed because of that.


    And finally the battle between Teresa and Ronaldo.


    Teresa unleashes the series of powerful blows that would end in a single blow if hit. Ronaldo twisted his body to avoid the blow approaching his nose but was blown away by the palm air pressure. Although he spins on the air due to shockwave, Ronaldo produces dozens of me magic and shoots him chantlessly. However, the countless spheres of me were scattered when Teresa casually swept her left arm away.


    And then, both of them collided once again.


    "...... "


    The chief referee, the professor ofbat department who volunteered to be referee looked at the unfolding battle in amazement.


    "Amazing...... "


    The assistant referee shouted in admiration. The battle between the both sides was on the level of high dimension that even makes the battle experts groan.


    Teresa had exceedingly high physical abilities from the beginningpared to others. After all, she''s the kind of young girl who fought and killed the monsters barehanded from the young age. She didn''t have the chance to study the martial arts seriously in depth until now. Such a girl receives the training of genuine martial arts from Theo,pletely blossoming her talent.


    Inparison, Ronaldo is a person of hard work. I heard from Sieg that he trained to the point of vomiting blood from childhood. His efforts are now paying off, as he''s still enduring the offensive of a young girl, who''s nothing less than a monster, with a paper thin difference.


    "Wonderful"


    Words of praise naturallye out of my mouth.


    [Master, you seems to be quite happy]


    "Well yeah, it''s called deeply moved"


    Half a year. It''s only half a year. The students, who were like a well in the frog, have grown up so much in such a short time. There''s no way I wouldn''t be d.


    At the beginning, the pretense of the teacher was an annoying job for me forced by the imperial government. But now, I can''t help but be surprised at myself how much it has grown on me in less than half a year of rtion.


    [While excessive kind, I think master should pay more attention to his surrounding]


    Mura''s voice sounded uncharacteristically sincere.


    "Mura, what do you mean by th©`Ò»"


    Just as I lower my gaze to the sword at my waist,


    "Stupid"


    I heard the familiar voice of a girl. Just as I instantly raised my face at the voice that seemed to be full of annoyance, the students of G ssy down on the round tform. And then, the young girl in maid outfit standing in the center of the round tform.


    [In the end, it sure happens...... ]


    With Mura''s despondent voice as the background music, I clearly recognize the spectacle of her fluttering red hair and also that final match was easily over with defeat of my G ss.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 22 - she resembles her!

    The first arena of Magic knight academy, in the special viewing room for aristocrats.


    No one said a word. Or rather, they can''t. I can''t even imagine what kind of emotion the Ex-emperor Iska, person with the supreme authority in this ce, is feeling currently.


    It was aplete u-turn from the lively expression earlier, Iska was still staring at the red-haired girl who ended the match unsatisfactorily.


    The expression on Iska''s face who was looking at the young girl was neither of a soldier nor a sovereign ruling the government.


    All the retainers of the veteran Ex-emperor present gulped down as it was the first time they had seen such an odd appearance of the Ex-emperor Iska.


    "She is?"


    "Mmm, Fufu-n. Lord Emperor, she''s Ste, lord Grey''s subordinate"


    The armored giant man who has his smeared with white powder like a girl Ò»Ò»Shildre Laval, replied to Iska politely.


    "Is it again connected with that brat? He was disrespected to His Majestyst time and this time his subordinate has destroyed His Majesty''s entertainment this time"


    When the tall woman with silver color armor coiled around her body cursed foully, a shout of abuse also rose up from other retainers.


    "Your Majesty, does it bother you?"


    Without caring about the hurling abuses, Shildre asked Iska.


    "Yeah, they looks simr"


    "Yeah, the awe-inspiring pose of that red haired girl is just like Her Highness the princess Matilda."


    This is the name of the royalty who went into the wild around twenty years ago.


    At the time when no one could give their opinion to Ex-emperor Iska, he was the only one to express his opinion face and face and even criticized the royalty. There is no doubt that princess Matilda was the highly anticipated royalty for Iska. In fact, he had even entrusted her with some of the core duties in the government.


    But she falls in love with a doctor ofmoner origin and one night, she escapes from the imperial capital as if running away.


    Iska had searched for Matilda even after her disappearance in private but only to learn that she and her family had died of an epidemic in the farming vige where they were staying.


    "Investigate about this girl. Privately"


    Iska instructed them solemnly.


    "Yes lord!"


    The man with gouged out chin nodded loudly and disappeared like smoke.


    "Your Majesty, What should we do about the matter of lord Grey?"


    "There''s nothing to worry about it. He has enough merit. He hasn''t shown his strength yet but give him some time for reprieve"


    "Shall we issue imperial decree to those idiots?"


    "Unnecessary. There''s no need for the ipetent who can''t deal with that level of hardship with thier strength"


    "Indeed. Then please excuse my leave, Lord Emperor."


    The giant man with white powder smeared on his face corrected his posture, ced his right fist on his face, bowed and left the room.


    "Hmph! He has passed the first barrier for the time being. But I will not hand over my daughter and granddaughter with just that much. Now I wonder what kind of scene you will show me next, Grey?"


    Iskandar''s face was dyed in ecstasy as he spoke in a high-pitched voice.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 23 - Incomprehensible thoughts

    Amidst the odd atmosphere where not even a single cheer went up, I rushed towards the students and everyone in good health except they were unconscious.


    I took all the unconscious members of the ss G to infirmary after performing healing magic on them with Sieg.


    This was an expected result in a sense. Ste is an Awakened person. Ste has been unstable ever since Gill''s death. I already know that it will be an unnatural result like this if they choose Ste as one of the representative members.


    "Those bastards! They knew it!"


    Sieg has been in fits of rage since earlier.


    " Calm down a bit"


    I urged Sieg, who was shouting to calm down his mind which was at boiling point as his forehead was overflowing with thick blue veins but,


    "Shut up! Horus and others ruined the hard work of children filled with blood and sweat you know!? What''s more, only for another selfish results of adult!!"


    He turned back his deathly re at me.


    "Even if that''s the case, it was the intention of Ste, who is the same student, to end this match. It should be wrong for us to argue about this"


    "Dammit!!"


    "Besides, our first priority is to work on getting a fair evaluation of the oue of this match. Am I wrong?"


    Sieg groaned for a moment but sat down on the chair and closed his eyes while his arms crossed.


    Now, other than G-ss not being able to win the championship, if everything proceeds properly, Mia will be expelled. Although I said that, I have the same opinion as Sieg. I was seething with anger towards the fellowrade who trampled down on the blood and sweat mixed hard work of students for the convenience of us adults. To be honest, I don''t have the confidence to keep my calm in front of Caesar and Sylphy right now.


    (No, I can''t speak about other people''s either...... )


    I also ignored the will of Ste and coerced her for student life in the academy.


    Recently, Ste''s weakness has been exposed. Her strong reliance towards me was self-evident from this one incident. That''s why I wanted her to have an enjoyable lifestyle with a student of the same age and build a rtionship with them like the G-ss has now.


    I am aware that it''s harsh for her. First of all, she''s still a 15 year old child. I''m identical as the only blood-rtive for her. There''s no need to point out how much she must have been hurt to be forcibly separated from me.


    However, I can''t stay beside her for long. After all, I''m worried about her. I wonder if she will be able to walk with hope in this world without me.


    Humans can''t live alone. Because I deeplyes to realize this fact at this age.


    (Dammit! Why did I think of it again!)


    Lately, I have been falling into these kinds of iprehensible thoughts frequently and unconsciously.


    I''m going to leave this world? Does it mean I''m going to die? I''m sorry but I am not a prophet and something like fatalism is bullshit.it must be some kind of delusion.


    Well whatever, I have to bring the evaluation of Mia and other, the ss G to correct path.


    ording to my estimation, it should be about time for them to move.


    I noticed several footsteps approaching closer. A bingo, huh.


    The door is violently opened and the mushroom headed professor, Matthew Muru, appears snorting.


    Behind him, a group of men and women who appear to be members of the exam''s executivemittee enter the room.


    "What are you trying to do Matthew?"


    Sieg turns his stern face towards Matthew and ask quietly. Seems like the patience of Sieg has been broken.


    "Shirabe Ines Navarro, clear evidence that shows your involvement in unfair conduct in the uniform examination of magic knight academy has been provided to us. Present yourself in the faculty meeting immediately. If you resist Ò»Ò»"


    Matthew raised his right hand and all the executives pointed their respective weapons towards me.


    Half of the executives had a faint smile on their face while the other half of them looked as pale as a corpse.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t go crazy. After all, I''m also interested in the amazing theory you have formte"


    I stopped Sieg, who wanted to say something with my hand, stood up and presented both of my wrists to the approaching   female executive.


    "P-Pardon me. Professor Shirabe"


    She was so frightened to the point of looking pitiful, and attached special magical restraints to both my wrists.


    "Let''s go Sieg"


    "You look like you are having fun! You''re so selfish, not even caring how much I''m worried!"


    Sieg also stood up with a sharp, poisonous voice and exited from the room while pushing away the executives.


    Well, it is now bing interesting. I can now determine their quality as viins. If they measure up to my standards as scoundrels, I''ll officially recognize them as my enemies.


    But in case they turned to be just scumbag and not even viins, then Ò»Ò»

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 24 - Resolution of the case of exam paper forgery

    When I entered the council room next to the faculty meeting room, all of the professors of the Magic knight AC were gathered there.


    Thw gathered Professors were divided into thier respective camps on the both side of arge U-shapes wooden table and ring at each other as if they were looking at thier parent''s murderers.


    "Professor Shirabe!? You bastards! What does it mean to capture him when the suspicion on him hasn''t been proven yet!?"


    When the professor of thebat magic department saw me in shackles, he shouted in a loud voice as if he wanted to tear them apart, and half of the professors shouted in anger.


    "Well, since everyone has gathered, let''s begin the enquiry meeting about the unfairness method of this little boy"


    Calmly Ignoring the storm of criticism, a white haired old man in armor stood in the exact center of the council room.


    And outstretching his both arms, he said,


    "Shirabe Ines Navarro here has forced his students to cheat in order to save his position as teacher!"


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸In what way did he cheat!?¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Several professors from the aristocratic faction consented with deputy head unanimously.


    "...... "


    Honestly, I was speechless. Or rather, are they really not actors of a drama troupe from somewhere?


    "Count Matthew Muru! Why don''t you give an exnation about what happened this time to everyone?"


    Matthew Muru stood up with a wicked smile on his face, gave a slight bow and said,


    "To raise his evaluation, this brat gave a certain magic tool to Mia Cyrus who was anxious about her academic test. I hereby present the Quill pen"


    And then he put the Quill on the round table that was in the dead center of the U shaped table.


    "Demonstrate it, Count Matthew"


    At the deputy head instruction, Matthew bowed politely and ced several nk white sheets on the table.


    He moved his mouth to mutter something and the pen in his right hand began to move at high speed.


    Then, After writing for a while, Mathew traced that with the feather of the pen a few times and all words disappearedpletely.


    (Oh, amazing)


    I was a bit surprised by this. or perhaps more urately, I couldn''t keep my mouth shut.


    If they have the technology to create a magic tool of that level, they don''t even need to engage in some nonsense power struggle and just by patenting it or selling it as a new product, they earn a vast amount of fortune.


    An organization that couldn''t even urately grasp the interest of one''s faction doesn''t have any future. Maybe the thing called noble lineage aristocrats is even more terminal than I imagined.


    "As you can see. The brat there handed the Quill pen with this function to Mia Cyrus and made it possible for her to fill up the answer sheet. Though It''s unknown if it''s due to the malfunction of this Quill pen or that Mia Cyrus made a mistake in operating at the very end, the answer sheet was nk. Mia Cyrus falls into confusion at this fact and pounces upon the examiner. Then Cliff Mird, fearing that the series of cheating would be discovered, assaulted the examiner. This is the summary of this event"


    He ended his speech full of confidence.


    "How stupid to force a student to cheat when you see that they can''t get passing marks!"


    "I know really. Most likely, he must have used his wealth to get this magic tool. What else can be expected from the child of a lowly aristocrats, they can only use the underhanded means to cling to their aristocrats position"


    "It''s because there are such fellows aristocrats like him that lowly aristocrats and merchants are getting conceited. They should be punished severely to make them clear where they stands"


    "Exactly! It''s an insult to the pride and honor of the tradition of Knight Academy. Thew of national defamation should be applied, and he should be executed together with the students!"


    After that, all sorts ofints and malicious remarks welled up one after another in the room. I now fully understand the extent of these peoples.


    The n they came with was the most boring and lowly among the one I could think of. However the tool they used to execute the n was of the highest standard. Not bnce, n and the tool aren''t of the same standard at all.


    "So? Do you have any proof of that?"


    I hurl a question at them which in a sense I don''t need to hear.


    "Proof is the existence of this Quill pen confiscated from Mia Cyrus"


    "Fumu, however even if that''s true and proved that Mia used it, I don''t think it necessarily means I was the one who gave that to her. To begin with, I was kept in dark about joint examination question itself"


    This time, it was the professors of noble lineage aristocrats who were saying all they wanted like [are you going to abandon your students while you yourself used underhanded means?] Or [you''re not even unable to live up to your reputation as a teacher".]


    Of course, they are scummy bastards. They have to politely crush my rebuttal.


    "We searched your desk in the presence of executives and discovered the sheets of paper mentioning the joint examination questions and their answers of the S and G ss. All the answers are the same as recorded in this Quill pen. You can''t make an excuse anymore!"


    You can''t make an excuse huh? That''s exactly what I''m going to say to you now.


    "Ohh©`, the documents recorded with the joint examination question of the S and G ss and their answers are discovered from my desk and everything is same as the one recorded in that Quill pen, right?"


    "That''s right! I will now present those documents"


    Matthew distorts his expression in triumphant fashion and makes a snapping gesture.


    One of the staff members standing in the sideline ced several sheets of paper on the table that was precisely in the center of U shape.


    "These are the mentioned documents. All of our ims have been verified by professor Oscar and professor Reba."


    The two of them sitting in the exact opposite seat stood up and bowed courteously.


    "Reba! Even you!?"


    The Professor of the Combat department mmed his right fist on the table and gave Reba a piercing re.


    "I''m simply full filing my duty as the chief executive"


    Reba dered it as a matter of fact with an expressionless face without making eye contact with the colleagues.


    "Professor Oscar and Professor Reba, is Count Matthew''s im that these answer sheets were in the locker of this kid true?"


    When both of them nodded silently at the Deputy head''s question, an uproar Immediately rose up as if the beans had popped out. Even the old professors that were with me began to voice their suspicions. Matthew and the Deputy head look at them with satisfaction.


    Interesting. It''s really funny and amusing.


    "Everyone, please listen! There is one more fact we have discovered! Unexpectedly, the joint examination question paper of S and G ss is made up by the professors of Sagami Company, which is managed by this brat! In other words, we can assume that questions were set up under the joint coalition of professors of the Sagami Company and this brat. So everything that this kid says is a lie!"


    At the indictment of the Deputy head, the room once again buzzed.


    Criticism like "outrageous!", "Cheater", "Coward" and "liar" hurled from the aristocratic faction''s side.


    "Say whatever you want, examination questions were originally made up by the professors in charge. Even if what you guys said is right, I don''t think you guys have any right to criticize me even if I get my hands on the questions"


    In response to my tedious looking unsightly words,


    "Hmph! Did everyone hear!? This guy finally admitted!!"


    Deputy head asked for other consent with a tone bouncing in pride as if to say "look, what I said was true". The aristocratic faction''s Professors be more and more impudent.


    Certainly, it''s clearly forbidden to teach students about the exam questions itself and an automatic written magic tool is even more out of question.


    However, the exam questions themselves were originally made up by the professor in charge. Among the people who are hurling abuses at me right now, I''m sure there are those who indirectly taught their students about the exam questions in the ss or lowering the questions'' difficulty.


    No matter how unfair it is, something like I know the exam questions or my participation in creating them in itself is not illegal.


    "The documents discovered from the desk of this brat mention joint exam questions and their answers, plus the existence of the Quill pen left behind by Mia Cyrus. I don''t think we need to discuss what is truth and what is lie, this brat is guilty!"


    The voices of approvals rose up one after another at the Deputy head''s high spirited words.


    "Old Sieg, you have to take responsibility for having faith in this fellow and receiving him as an assistant teacher!"


    Matthew crossed his arms and even turned the flow of conversation to Sieg, who was keeping his silence until now.


    "Do whatever you want"


    Sieg replied bluntly with his arms crossed.


    "If so, from the charge of S ss, you are©`Ò»"


    "Hold on Matthew, I''m extremely dissatisfied right now. If you want to have a st with that monster, go ahead and do it. But I am not going to have anymore conversations with the self-destruction loving idiots. So shut up for a while!"


    Mathew''s cheeks twitched from being intimidated by the furious expression of Sieg. This guy Sieg, seems like he''s a considerably capable person.


    I didn''t expect him to be so angry at those small fry who can''t even y their role as viins properly.


    Most likely, the deciding factor is the final game. Sieg, in his own way, had at least a minimum of trust in the Lord of military affairs Horus, Caesar and Sylphy. It was an uncontroble urge to have that trust spat upon so easily. His dissatisfaction will most likely remain low for the time being.


    Anyway Sieg emotions or anything doesn''t matter now. Let''s end this farce quickly.


    "It should be enough now, right? I''m a bit tired from dealing with the idiots. Please end it quickly"


    " "...... " "


    Oscar and Reba nodded slightly at my suggestion and rose from their seats, carrying a wooden board to the U-shaped table.


    "This is something we created based on a certain magic tool using life magic in joint cooperation with a certainpany. Also, these are evidence rather than ims. Please check it"


    Oscar took out a nk sheet from his pocket and put it on the front of wooden board. Everyone stared at the nk sheet overhang on the board.


    After carefully investigating the several dozen or so images affixed on the board, half of the professor''s face flushed like a red ogre and trembled with anger.


    And the other half of the professors from the aristocratic faction were looking at Deputy head and Matthew bewilderedly with their faces ashen.


    What was disyed was a picture. It''s a camera that was recently created by my Sagami Company and it''s already circting in the market of Ruddle city. And thepact version of that camera was improved thanks to the life magic of Oscar, giving improvements like soundproofing features etc.


    I and Oscar jointly developed it aftering to the conclusion that we need something like surveince cameras to keep suspicious people and fraud in check.


    "A, all of this isplete nonsense!!"


    Matthew, the mushroom haired professor, was denying the authenticity of the picture with a gloomy and deathly expression for a while.


    Not surprising. There were dozens of images.


    In the first was the examiner whom Cliff had beaten, handing something like a ring to the Matthew image.


    In the second was the image of Matthew''s subordinate wearing a ring and hovering it above a nk sheet and another image in which letters can be seen.


    In the third was the image of Matthew holding that paper and looking at it with a triumphant expression. In that paper were the S and G ssmon examination questions and the answers from Mia''s answer sheet.


    In the fourth was the image of appearance of Matthew receiving a Quill pen from a suspicious looking man wearing a ck robe and even his face was hidden with ck cloth image..


    In the fifth was the image of Matthew handing a key to his male subordinate.


    In the sixth was the image of that male subordinate sneaking into my professor''s private room while looking around carefully and the image where he put the examination questions inside my desk and leaving quietly.


    It maybe hard to understand from each images alone but if you joint them together and think about it, it was clear that Matthew used the ring''s magic tool and erases the letters from the answer sheet of Mia, depicted them once again into the nk paper and instructed his subordinate to put that sheet into my desk locker. Or rather, it''s clearly screaming this no matter how you look.


    "I have never heard about the Magic tool that can cut out a person''s appearance and project it onto the paper! This is a trap to set me up!!"


    You know what. The ring you guys used that can copy and paste letters and the Quill pen''s function of automatically recording them is a bigger cheat and seems fishy. Even I am  unable to analyze the principle behind them for now.


    "No, I have heard rumors that Ruddle has already developed a magic tool that can project the thing, people or the scenery on the paper"


    A silver haired young man with swept ck hair style, Lennox Laris, put up his hands in his chin and denied the words of Matthew.


    "That''s right. It''s just recently I havee to learn about this when the madam of an acquaintance showed me Ruddle''s special made paper that can copy the appearance. Apparently it''s trending in Ruddle"


    A professor from the aristocratic faction sitting next to Lennox expressed his simple impression.


    There were also several professors among the aristocratic faction that were watching from the sidelines, not engaging in conversation. He must be the same as Oscar and forcefully selected as professor this time due to the fencing of the pure-bred aristocrats faction.


    "You guys, are you going to take his side!?"


    When one of the aristocrat from the aristocratic faction shouted in a fit of rage at Lennox and others,


    "Anyway, I''m a professor at this academy. Nothing more, nothing less. I don''t n to take anyone''s side. Besides, I''m just stating the truth. Why is it a problem?"


    "Lennox, you bastard!!"


    Matthew looks at Lennox with a furious expression. A bit dyed but the room buzzed once again.


    Almost all of the professors of the aristocratic faction hurled abuses at him, doubting his sanity, but a few of them began to act like it''s someone else''s affair and opt to remain silent.


    "Anyway, can you even believe in the magic tool that this brat''s territory took part in!?"


    Deputy head spit out his typical line with his whole face dyed in dissatisfaction.


    "Deputy head, even the professor Oscar, who has been recognized by the Ex-Emperor, has participated in the development of this magic tool this time. I think you need to have some concrete evidence before judging this as false, no?"


    When Deputy head turned his sharp eyes at Lennox, as if he''s looking at his parent''s enemy,


    "For argument''s sake, even if there''s a magic tool like that, how did you take this image? You would normally be noticed if you take an image from this close!!"


    Deputy head''s doubt about this point was reasonable. After all, remote control of the camera in modern science ismon knowledge but this world doesn''t have that concept. However, we haven''t added this function in the camera this time. The reason for this isn''t some scientific exnation but something more fundamental and direct.


    "It was taken by him"


    I snapped my fingers and a man appeared out of nowhere while stroking his trademark loach beard.


    When they saw the armband in his right a,


    "Y, You, are you from the research division!!?"


    Dean Riot rose up from his seat enthusiastically and shouted in a disarray.


    "Yes. I thought about what if you guys asked for credibility and so on, so I also had the lord of domestic affairs cooperate with me who was visiting the academy just then. Of course, His Majesty was also happy to support this n"


    "No way...... "


    When I said this, Matthew''s face was dyed in the color of despair. In short, the n was doomed to fail from the beginning.


    I instructed the Spy to contact Emperor George and lord of domestic affairs Immediately following the incident, and proposed this n.


    Apparently, the Lord of domestic affairs guessed that some kind of trouble will happen for sure, so he was in the middle of his visit to the academy apanied by his trusted subordinate, Count Hakuro. He lends me his subordinate in order to end the farce this time swiftly.


    On the one hand, because the examiner beaten by Cliff was being questioned by the academy Dean and the executives, the contact with Matthew came afterwards, so there was enough time toe up with the n.


    I offered a concealment grimoire to him, and Count Hakuro, who can no longer be perceived after signing a contract, secretly listened to the conversation between Matthew and the aforementioned examiner. And as evidence, he took photos of the whole ordeal.


    When the individual practical exam was over, in the recess before the beginning of afternoon team battle, I presented the photographed images to Oscar and Reba, one of the executive officers and asked for their support.


    Both of them agreed immediately and promised to cooperate, though Oscar was specially mad at the misuse of life magic he majors in apparently and I had to made various amodations between us.


    After that, Count Hakuro trailed the man in charge of execution simrly while making himself disappear with the concealment magic and took the photo of the crime scene.


    "Count Matthew Muru, you are hereby arrested on charges of forgery of official documents and false usations"


    Saying this, when Count Hakuro knocked his palm a few times, the door was opened with a great momentum and guards surges inside.


    "W, wait a minute!"


    Matthew screamed and struggled violently in order to escape from the restraints of the heavy armored men.


    "I have heard the scummy n of you guys with my own ears. No rush, I will listen to your excuse slowlyter. However, not only His Majesty the Emperor and lord of domestic affairs who participated directly in the matter this time, but even the retired Emperor who came to know about this matter is extremely furious. It''s hard to say if he can survive safely."


    Matthew finally copses and stops resisting when he learns that he was denied even by the Ex-Emperor, who is his spiritual support.


    Soon, he was then taken out of the room.


    "Well, I will give everyone the summary of this event now"


    With this, Count Hakuro began to speak thest words of this case.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 25 - Maid girls circumstances ? Side Ronaldo

    The championship finale was over and the closing ceremony unfolded. Ronaldo gave a speech as the representative student of the closing ceremony but he couldn''t remember anything about it at all.


    Because what was upying his mind was the crying face of that red haired girl who ended the match with her own will for the first time.


    A sh with the strong person where he couldn''t read the oue of the battle. A sense of tion as if his blood was boiling that made him actually realize just how much he has grown-up in this one year. And that intoxicating feeling was abruptly crushed by Ste, the red haired girl.


    After the intervention of Ste, he thinks all members of the S ss, beginning with short-tempered and straightforward n, must have felt extremely ufortable. When he and other team members entered the waiting room to give a voice of protest to Ste for insulting their fight, they saw her huddled in a corner of room with her whole trembling, and realized that they had a fetal misunderstanding.


    They were then driven out by Aqua and others, the girl group of ss S, saying to leave Ste''s matter to them.


    That night, even though he should have been dead tired, his mind was strangely clear and even when he wanted to close his eyelids, he couldn''t remove the image of Ste''s retreating little back that was etched into his retina.


    In the early morning next day, he visited the familiar S ss ssroom.


    A lot happened in this ssroom. In the beginning, it may be because of his stubbornness after being called an ordinary person by the talented and famous Lord Horus of military affairs but he was gradually absorbed in the lessons of this ss.


    "Yo~ Ronaldo"


    A rough looking red haired boy, An Kruger, raised his hand in greeting to Ronaldo.


    Except Aqua and Ste, the rest of the members were sitting on their respective seats in the ssroom. He guessed Aqua is beside the depressed Ste to take care of her.


    "It''s really hard work to gather everyone when the sses are over for the time being"


    "Exactly"


    When he shrugged his shoulders and smiled bitterly, n''s face turned serious.


    After all, everyone''s reason foring here is the same it seems.


    "It''s about yesterday''s Ste right?"


    "Yeah, she was indeed dissatisfied being in this ss clearly but i think she must not have wanted to act selfishly and go that far"


    "You''re right. Rather, wasn''t she more cooperative than a certain someone?"


    Ste''s best friend, blonde twin tailed young girl Ò»Ò» Aria, gave her blunt opinion while looking at n.


    "Shut up! You horse tailed woman!"


    "You''re a brat in this regard. I think you need to learn from His Highness more"


    When Aria shrugged her shoulders in amazement,


    "So, why did Ste do that in the end?"


    He asked the question everyone present here wants to know the most.


    She should have been together with her after the finals.


    "Ste didn''t said anything after that and only that kid knows the truth"


    "Don''t put on air Aria, you must have a rough guess at least, right?"


    "Well yeah, we are still best friends and I know more about the surrounding in details than you guys"


    It''s not only because she''s the daughter of the Academy Dean. She''s a member of the Sagami Company managed by Professor Shirabe. She''s also apparently the manager of the  Leithe shopping district. So there''s no doubt the information she has about the same member Ste must be world''s apart from them.


    "Then hurry and say why. We arerades, aren''t we?"


    "No way"


    Aria immediately rejected n''s request.


    "StoÒ»Ò»"


    n stood up violently in a fit of rage and was about to shout when Aria interrupted him,


    "You will have to hear it directly from Ste''s mouth"


    "I wouldn''t have been asking from you if I could do that!"


    "Why? I don''t think it''s hard to do as long as you try with your usual cheekiness. Well I can more or less guess your reason for not being able to do that"


    n''s whole body flushed red in an instant and everyone showed him a smug face.


    Everyone in the ss can see that n likes Ste. More specifically, everyone except Ste herself knows that.


    "Is the reason for that professor Shirabe?"


    "I will not deny this. Ever since that incident, Ste is bing a bit timid"


    A deep sorrow was confided in the eyelids of Aria who muttered this vacantly.


    "That incident?"


    At Ronaldo''s query, Aria''s face, who stopped spacing out, be expressionless and said,


    "That''s a secret"


    Aria refused to say any more to Ronaldo and others with an uncharacteristically cold voice.


    Ronaldo and others are still taking her worries lightly as if it''s just a naive story like a quarrel between man and woman. However it''s not as simple as it looks. It''s much more about their fundamental perspective. It was simply conveyed by Aria''s abnormal appearance.


    "It''s fine if you don''t want to say. I will ask from the person herself as you said. Even if it''s something bitter or painful, she should be able to feel better once she speaks out. Hey, isn''t it right? you guys!"


    n stood up while looking at everyone.


    "That''s right"


    In response to Ronaldo,


    "Yeah, n can speak about good things once in a while!"


    "That''s right. After all, he''s a child who can''t read the atmosphere. I''m a bit moved"


    "Yup, it''s hard to think these wordse out from a self-conceited boy"


    Everyone nodded while giving their thorough evaluation of n.


    "You bastardsÒ»Ò»"


    Just as n was about to shout,


    "Ok-Ok. We listen to you slowlyter. More than that, I have a message from the G ss homeroom teacher."


    "From Shirabe Sensei!? What did he say, hurry up and speak!"


    As soon as n heard Aria mentioning the homeroom teacher of G ss, he urged her to speak and ss members fell silent. This name was the driving force that kept Ronaldo, n and others working hard frantically throughout this one year. So it can be understood why they are excited.


    Aria sighed deeply at n''s childish action, coughed slightly and said,


    "I''m sorry for yesterday''s Ste. We have settled everything about the academy''s side, so there will be no disadvantage to you students. Please get along with the ss G members from next year"


    She spins out the expected words.


    "So the matter regarding the academy has been solved huh. It really turned out just as you said, Aria"


    In the beginning, n was almost ready to beat the examiner who messed up Mia''s answer sheet. Ronaldo was somehow able to keep n in check but Mia may be expelled due to the Injustice of the selfish members of the Magic knight academy. In this fact, he also felt a murderous intent like a deadly poison.


    However, Aria who was watching the exchange in the examination venue together with Ronaldo just looked at examiners with sympathetic gaze while muttering, "I really doubt their sanity to send oneself into the mouth of the demon themselves. Are they idiots? Or they had a death wish?" and "it''s a waste of time to worry about this, not worth it. They are in [his] ss. Anyway, all the Morons who have weaved this charade will end with thier bones being suckedpletely and tossed outside '''', dered straightforwardly.


    Of course, n, who have the knowledge of how terrifying and sly those pure bred aristocratic faction, didn''t believe in her words so easily and opposed but when he heard about the fate of the pitiful viins who be the sacrifices for Professor Shirabe, he finally believed in the authenticity of Aria''s word and didn''t bring up this topic again.


    After all, he''s the persona who overthrew Duke Cyrus, who was said to have great pride in his power and was the most brutal in the empire. If you think about it, the pure-bred aristocrats working in the Magic knight academy indeed aren''t even enough to fill the gap between his teeths.


    "Yeah, it seems the research division is currently busy investigating Matthew Muru, the preparator behind the incident this time, including several other professors as well as the members who are training from an early age. As for Deputy head and new professors, they have decided to feign ignorance about this"


    This information most likely came from her father, the academy''s dean. I have had the chance to meet him several times but he''s an absurdly doting parent. To arger extent, he must haven''t been able to refuse his daughter''s request.


    "Matthew©`, or rather what about that idiot?"


    "Who knows, but there are rumors that even the retired emperor was seriously angry, so it''s also possible that national defamationw may apply. In shortÒ»Ò»"


    "Capital crime...... That''s the fate you get for picking up a fight with him. It''s just too numbing"


    I felt the same. Now I can easily understand the meaning of what Great sage Sieg meant by expressing him as [A devil even more terrifying than the demon king].


    "Anyway, it''s our victory. As promised, Professor Shirabe should be our homeroom teacher from next year!"


    "All right! G ss will be with us next year! I''m getting excited!!"


    When Ronaldo dered so, n leaned on his desk and shouted in a loud voice. A cheers rose up from the rest of ss members too but,


    "Sorry, that''s most likely not going to happen."


    Even though Aria said it while scratching her cheeks apologetically, for Ronaldo and others, it was as if she had said something extremely outrageous.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 26 - A request from Imperial government

    In the room of the Magic knight academy''s dean.


    "Can you ept it?"


    In the seat I was in, Riot Bernstein, the dean of magic knight academy, was bowing deeply at me.


    "This was instigated by you, isn''t it?"


    I asked the fatty emperor, whose cheeks were ckened from grinning before my eyes, with my half opened eyes.


    "Preposterous. It''s also my first time hearing that you are selected as a member of the joint academic exam countermeasuremittee."


    He''s lying. When his whole face is grinning like a child who has seeded in his prank, there''s no persuasive power.


    "His Majesty is telling the truth. In the scandal this time, the academy''s faculty meeting clearly understood the problematic issue about the academic exam. It''s extremely unfair to have questions that vary ss-wise. Therefore, the questions will be the same for each grade from next year."


    "But why do I have to participate in this exammittee?"


    "Clearing up the usation of cheating, and then the great efforts of the students who were unable to keep up before. Voices of objection like it''s unfair for only one ss to monopolize your sses are rising up like a flood inside the academy after the exams are over."


    There''s indeed no contradiction in this logic. However, the shift to the forced merit system structure as a core. Furthermore, this way of using me up and knocking others down. Nine out of ten, the writer of this script must be that persona.


    "What about the consent of pure bred aristocratic faction''s professors? I''m sure they will oppose me like a raging fire for making the exam paper, even if it''s just a part"


    Things are set up to this point. I am sure they must have alreadypletely and alreadyid the groundwork for the professors from the aristocratic faction. I know in my heart it''s useless but I still tried to ask.


    "Naturally, considerable number of professors opposed but when I asked about the participation of His Majesty in the room in the tis time incident, they immediately took a u-turn and agreed"


    "Ah, I see. ckmail in other words"


    I exhaled a deep breath looking at Dean who was scratching his head awkwardly.


    "To say ckmail...... it will only damage our reputation. At the very best, we just persuade after informing them of our imperial government''s n."


    Persuasion huh. If the emperor suspected you of involvement in cheating and still persuaded you, you have no choice but to ept it.


    People usually call persuasion after they are deprived of their choices as ckmailing.


    "I understood. Please give me the summary of your n"


    The academy Dean, whom Emperor Georg was giving a meaningful look, nodded deeply.


    "In general, only practical training will be taught in each ss from next year. As for academic subjects, either it will be taught by teacher that is not homeroom teacher or a delegated teacher"


    In short, practical exam skills will still be taught by a homeroom teacher. However, instead of them teaching everything, Professors from the exam countermeasuremittee that consist of non-homeroom teachers will teach them about the subjects they are respectively in charge of each grade as general. Then, the professors of the exam countermeasuremittee will present the question paper about the subjects they have taught in each grade before the exam in the exam countermeasuremittee meeting. If epted, it will bemon exam questions for each grade.


    Indeed, if it''s like that, at least the unfair factor will be removed from the study subject. But on the other hand, it will have to rely on the character of the professors groupposed of exammittee members.


    "What is the professor''sposition of the exammittee members?"


    "Half of the essential 10 courses are from aristocratic faction professor and the other half will be from the old professors group Lord Grey is in"


    It turned out to be just what I thought. The reason why required courses are so many is to lower down the influence of the aristocratic faction as much as possible.


    It''s also in my approval that students, who will carry the future of the empire, should be given proper education. This is also my end goal. I don''t have the slightest reason to oppose it.


    "What are the subjects I have to teach?"


    "Basic magic knowledge, a required subject oriented towards freshmans. In addition, I hope you can give a lecture on special magic once a week for all grades. You can manage them as you like, I don''t mind."


    It also has a power bnce rtionship with the professors of the aristocratic faction. It''s impossible to teach all grades.  In that case, I will have to teach the basic magic to freshman students who are like a nk white sheet and expect them to self study on their own efforts.


    In contrast to this, special magic study targeting all grades is in consideration for the students who requested to take my sses after seeing the rapid progress of the G ss. That''s why it''s only once a week. It''s possible to teach if it''s only once in a week which Dean and others are full aware of. It''s all about performance.


    In all aspects, I don''t have a reason to deny.


    "I ept"


    Just as I rose up from my seat, Georg stared at me with an awfully solemn face.


    "Grey, be careful. The unprecedented undead attack and then the appearance of the demon king which should have been only a few individuals confirmed in history. There are lots of suspicious things going on this worldtely"


    I know. The incidents that shouldn''t have been possible normally no matter what are suddenly happening like surging waves. It would be foolish to think of them as coincidence.


    "Umm, I''m very well aware of this"


    So I turned my back to Georg and walked up to the door.


    "You''re an exceedingly valuable person in this empire. Be very careful with your actions"


    "I''m very grateful for your advice"


    I waved my hand without looking back and left the room.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 27 - The situation behind the scene

    In the office of the Lord of military affairs Horus Kruger''s mansion, three men and women were facing each other.


    "I don''t want to go against the intention of my Lord anymore than this."


    The blue haired woman, Sylphy, spit out the words of rejection she has repeated many times with a sour look.


    "I also think so. Is there any need to keep it hidden from lord Grey? Rather, isn''t it much better to speak about everything to him and seek his cooperation?"


    The red haired Brave, Caesar, agreed with the words of Sylphy and imed at the creature perched up on his shoulder.


    [No, No! How do you n to exin? I don''t think I need to remind you how sharp his mind is one by one, do I? If he heard "his" name in this reality, I''m sure he would find out something. No, he will definitely find out everything. It will be the end of everything then.]


    The ck bird on Caesar''s shoulder shouted in a strangely high pitched voice while pping its wings and shaking its head.


    "You''re talking about the aforementioned "person"?"


    [Yeah. He should be vaguely aware of this world''s contradiction already. I swear that if the existence of that "person" be clear to him in this situation and recognised it, their encounter will be inevitable]


    To the ck bird who interrupted in between,


    "I can''t believe in this by any means. How can our powerful Lord be defeated by him?"


    [Well yeah. Because the current him isn''t the "History''s strongest" brave Ò»Ò» Brain. As long as he isn''t Brain, he can''t win against him]


    "Brain...... It''s that ck haired lord around the time when attacked by a monster called Ogre?"


    [That''s right. If it''s him, he would be able to deal with him properly. To put it another way, it''s impossible for anyone in this world to win except him. That''s why we need to get him some time. As long as there''s enough time, he will be strong on his own. Yeah, as he used to be]


    "That''s why, why do we have to go through this nonsensical charade!?"


    [To harass him, of course]


    Sylphy was dumbfounded for a moment with her opened mouth but instantly, her face was filled with fiery anger,


    "Don''t joke around!! You are putting the Lord''s life in danger by doing this. We have been following your instructions because you said so!! So you were having us apany you in doing nonsense things until now!!"


    And she bellowed in a voice that almost shook their eardrums.


    "Sylphy-dono, how about you calm down for a moment? I don''t think Greed-dono meaning is everything was nonsense"


    [As expected of you, Horus-kun. That''s right! His ultimate goal is to rule over this world. Moreover, to achieve the goal of world domination, there are lots of troublesome conditions that need to be fulfilled. In addition, he also has his reason why he can''t sh head on with our council, so he can''t openly move his subordinates. In other words, he have to conclude world domination while his cheat ability is sealed]


    "So if our empire''s wealth and power can be materialized, we can defend against his ruling goal?"


    [Yeah, that''s why we had to resolutely carry out a reformation of the Empire''s biggest education institute, Magic knight academy. Caesar, you must have understood why we abandoned his G ss and entrusted you with the management of S ss, right?]


    "The participation of Grey means for better or for worse, all forces of the empire paid attention to that game. The leftover G ss yed a high level fierce fight with their rival S ss. He made everyone recognize how much education can change that much and he appealed to all the powers about the need for reform. Is that right?"


    Caesar gave his opinion as he rubbed his stubble.


    [Correct. Empire''s government, or I should say even that stone headed Iskandar should have understood the need for reformation]


    "Fumu, then there should be a reason why you didn''t carry out the insurrection immediately, right?"


    [I said it right? We need time. If the insurrection is sessful, he will have no choice but to pay attention to him. If that happens, the chance of him noticing that Grey is Brain will increase. I want to avoid that point as much as possible when he''s still a green horn.]


    "What if he realized that Grey is Brain? What will happen then?"


    At the query of Caesar,


    [THE END. He will be killed and the world will be over with him devouring it out]


    ck bird, Greed, replied Immediately.


    "If they are such a strong and troublesome bunch, isn''t it alright to leave their extermination to the organization called council!?"


    When Sylphy pointed out the usible option, Greed let out a self deprecatingughter from his beak,


    [Our council isn''t monolith either. Specially if ites to light that he''s in this world, I''m sure the most horrible pervert among the seven Braves, The fiend Dorksell will jump in joy and intervenes. If that happens, it would be a real hell. The suffering will not be limited to this world only. That''s whyÒ»Ò»]


    "You closed something called a gate and forced [Him] to stay in this world?"


    Caesar is an emotional person. His tone is always passionate and florid. However Caesar''s current voice was weirdly devoid of contempt, anger or any other emotions.


    [Sorry]


    Greed just muttered this pulled back his beak.


    "You should have already closed that gate, right? So I am not going to start condemning Greed-dono at this point. We have to find out what we have to do now, isn''t it?"


    "Well...... Yeah. Greed, what''s the urgent issue?"


    At the suggestion of Lord Horus, some emotions finally returned a bit in Caesar''s voice.


    [Our current priority is now to earn the time. That''s why Caesar, I want you guys to stretch out the dispute between the Amuzreth kingdom who is already suppressed and  eastern equestrian tribe. In that mean time, Horus-kun will be secretly proceed with the Empire''s reformation as much as possible]


    "Intentionally stretching the way, is it? It''s just simply a scoundrel move."


    Caesarughed dryly.


    [Also, Caesar, there is something else I want you to do.]


    "What''s it?"


    [The confinement of the cowards from this empire]


    Greed opened his mouth and started a new plot drama.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 28 - Hiding from the [Hermit]

    Basement of a house in the suburbs of third district


    "Why, out of all people, that annoying person is in the imperial capital?"


    Astraea was bitting at her nails at the information she didn''t want to believe hearing from a puppet she received through torture.


    Laguna''s ox branch, One of the puppet organizations, was destroyed by a single ck haired young boy. Anyway, it''s just a puppet, nothing more than a small fry without any power, so it''s fine. The problem was in that ck haired young boy.


    ording to the puppet, the young man had fierce looks in his eyes that could make a child cry with just a nce, and a cross mark was engraved in his left eye. There''s only one person who fulfill this peculiar characteristic.


    One of the seven Brave Ò»Ò» Hermit. The right hand of the Greed and one of the council prided themselves on cleaning. Nine out of ten, he''s an agent sent by the council.


    "Repeat it once again"


    She ordered the man before her eyes who was tied to a chair, blood dripping from whole body.


    "Astr...... aea, next is...... you"


    The man spins out her name after too much stumbling in a hoarse voice.


    "He has so far confirmed that I''m in the imperial capital. They haven''t pinpoint to someone. Should I think so?"


    There''s no reason for them to hesitate in attacking. If they had learned about the details of Astraea, they would have attacked already a long time ago. Whatever the reason there is, it''s only suspected that Astraea is hiding in the royal capital.


    "Why the cleaner of council out of all...... "


    Seven Braves are the council''s final trump card and their pride. The seven pirs have long since stopped being human. For Astraea, a frontal collision with the seven Braves will not just end with a simple apology. Particrly the Brave [Hermit] is specialized in individual battle out of other seven Braves. The battle has to be set up under favorable conditions, even then there''s still the need for luck factor to win. That''s the kind of opponent he is. There''s no doubt she has to fight with the preparedness to die in the battle.


    "Dammit! Why out of all the ces, the agent appeared in the imperial capital that''s under my jurisdiction!? Normally, it should have been the kingdom or sacred country!!"


    Anyway, making any move indiscriminately will have the opposite effect when stared at by Hermit. Without causing any upheaval, she can only observe.


    "The problem is Grey...... "


    In this half year, she carefully observed [Grey] and have only seen him using his ability once. She analyzed he''s only a slightly stronger pseudo-Brave. Someone with that standard can be killed anytime. The top priority right now is to hide from Hermit.


    The incident this time is most likely Hermit''s causing it. If Astraea doesn''t make a move in several years, he would misunderstood that he made an error in his guess by himself.


    "Not lucky. My luck is out recently it seems"


    While spitting out herints, Astraea left the bloody basement with quick steps.


    Immediately after, a huge explosion echoes throughout the suburbs of the third district.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 29 - Reformation of the Magic knight academy

    The regr exams were over and for a while, I was busy dealing with the aftermath of the Magic knight academy.


    The first is the scandal of the regr exam.


    The preparator who caused the cheating in exam, Matthew Muru, along with stripping of his court rank for the forgery of official documents and several other crimes was sentenced to work in the mines for around 10 years. Those who apanied Count and dirtied their hand in the muddy water was dealt with more than a little punishment.


    It seems that deputy head and others from the aristocratic faction, who were trembling with fear at the wrath of the retired emperor, took decisive action and discarding any feelings, mutually pinned everything on him and abandoned him like a lizard shedding it''s tail and insisted on the death penalty for Matthew but the judicial department unusually did job well, rejecting it and the result of this was this charge. If it wasn''t for the sone kind of dictatorship, his sin in this time incident deserve death penalty. I think it''s a reasonable line.


    Of course, Mia''s suspicion of cheating was cleared and her answer sheet is perfectly preserved in Baron Hakuro''s photograph. As a result of justifiable marking, all of my students ranked in the top 20 among all the other students.


    After the grading of all students was over, a general meeting for the professors was held after the regr exam and the need for reformation of the academy was announced.


    Naturally, the professors of the aristocratic faction opposed like raging fire but that fire was extinguished as soon as Matthew''s fraud was brought over. Thanks to them for focusing on self protection, faculty meetings proceeded smoothly and lots of facts were decided.


    One of them is the introduction of merit based subjects.


    Students will be required to take all main courses and several other elective courses which are designated by the academy to choose from by themselves. Only those who earn a fixed amount of credit will be able to take the promotion exam for each grade.


    This is the credit system adopted by most universities on earth. Students aren''t dumb either. They have enough ability to distinguish which sses are optimum for them. Just as the G ss and S ss did. Rest is for students, how they take care of it. In the end, the teacher''s mission is only to point out the path ahead for the students.


    By the way, this credit system method has already been implemented by the Camelot''s graduate school in the Ruddle. Most likely Dean and the Lord Horus had heard about the lifestyle of Ruddle from an easy going lecturer of a S ss and took reference from it.


    Second, amon examination countermeasuremittee for the academic department.


    The old professors group continuously insisted that the lectures would be left to the lecturers that were already in charge of lessons of S ss. As if it was their birth right to oppose at every turn, professors of the aristocratic faction vehemently objected to it. Both sides remain at stand off but they finallye to an agreement that they would not infringe on each other''s subject area.


    Third is the management of the ss.


    This was the mostplicated. After all, the management of the ss is a vital point in the tradition of the Magic knight academy. The old and new group of professors were contending for the position of homeroom teacher of the Upper grade ss.


    It''s even more awful after Sieg said that he will be stepping down from his homeroom teacher position of S ss. And to no one''s surprise, the situation soon turned chaotic who''s going to be the sessor.


    Even if we don''t talk about other things, Sieg is a professor with a sage title. I can see the situation bing chaotic if he stepped down. I guess the conduct of Caesar and Sylphy this time has crossed the line which was absolutely unforgivable for the Sieg.


    When the chaos is at its peak, the situation finally calms down when the Dean, who insists on the request from the imperial government, decides the homeroom teacher at his discretion. If the scandal hadn''t been exposed, you could have just forget about the situation being under control for eternity.


    In present, the chief members who will be in the forefront for reformation are now gathering inside the dean''s office.


    "So... You''re nominated as the homeroom teacher for S ss in the end, right Sieg?"


    I asked Sieg, who was still looking in the opposite direction with a grumpy look, looking at him with half closed eyes.


    "I will not do it"


    "Don''t throw tantrums like a kid. Are you going to throw your responsibility midway when you are old enough to be aware of some facts?"


    While shrugging my shoulders, I poked him on the spot he is hurting most right now.


    "You Sir are the same when ites to throwing away your responsibility midway!"


    "Don''t lump us together. I have shown students their paths in this one year. My students can choose their own path now"


    "...... "


    Sieg gnashed his teeth.


    "You just left everything to Caesar and Sylphy in this one year. Maybe you might have wanted to leave the problem of showing juniors their path by young ones but it''s just simply running away. As a matter of fact, you''d haven''t done anything and neglected it. You don''t have the qualification to criticize those young ones who did something extreme"


    "Guh...... "


    Just when Sieg couldn''t find a single word to refute,


    "No, no, you said young ones but you should be far away from being young!"


    Dean Riot made such a trifling jab as he shook his left hand left and right.


    "It''s not possible for a monster like you can to understand the feeling of a old man like me"


    "Sieg, so finally even your brain is swelling out? The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is only a trivial evaluation by others. First of all, how do you define it? Talent in magic? Or else how sharp you are? Don''t tell me you mean charisma, which is as vague and unreliable as an mirage?"


    "There''s not even a slightest bit of persuasive power when told by you who have everything!"


    "I have everything? Don''t be ridiculous. If I was a Superman like you said, it would have been easy for me. However, it''s precisely because I don''t have that I have failed many times until now!"


    That''s right. It''s because of my half-heartedness andme action that Zem and Gill were killed. And although I can''t remember the fragments, I''m sure it was the same for the past me. That''s why I despise those bunch who left their fate to heaven, not struggling at all and directly giving up from bottom of my heart.


    "...... "


    Siwg''s gnashing on his teeths became even more intense. I tried to make ast attempt to persuade him.


    "Struggle. That''s the first thing you can do for the children!"


    "...... "


    Sieg turned his back to me.


    I couldn''t see the expression of Sieg but I can easily imagine  his mental state. He didn''t say anything even though his body was burning with anger and left the room.


    "Is it really fine? About children, Sieg©`Ò»"


    Dean hesitatingly asked me about my real intention.


    "I''m well aware of that. But he''s fine. He''s not the kind of person who will tossed aside his duty"


    To begin with, he''s a person with a strong sense of responsibility and if it''s him, I''m sure he will do his best to teach the students, even if it means bowing down his head to Sylphy and others whom he will never forgive. There''s no need to worry about whether S ss should be left to him.


    "You truly aren''t like a child. It''s hard to believe to you''re even younger than my tomboy daughter"


    Dean muttered in exasperation.


    "I don''t think it''s toote. Rather than that, what about the intention of everyone from S and G ss?"


    Reba spoke up to further up the talk.


    "They all wanted to stay in the second grade. They want to learn more in the academy"


    S ss was a newly founded special ss. It is basically based on the high scorers of the entrance examination but beginning with Aqua, several other talented students who have received the special schrship are brought in from the upper grades.


    Especially Aqua and several others who are in their 4th year this year. If everything goes right, they should have graduated this year. That''s why they were given the choices whether they would like to take the promotion exam and essentially graduate from this academy or else, they would like to continue as second year students and continue with three more years of student lifestyle.


    Simrly, this also applied to G ss. Pluto, Teresa and Cliff are all sophomores, though the number of times they repeated their grades varies. ording to my estimation, they would have graduated in the next two years. They were also presented with the choice whether they want to be second year students of S ss or want to be promoted to third year A ss.


    "The necessity of rivalry was proven this year with the S and G sses. I will submit the proposal to split each grades in two in next faculty meeting"


    Reba dered, looking somewhat excited.


    "Electing a few sses huh. Isn''t it all right? Only the professors in charge of the required subjects can''t be homeroom teachers.  With this system, almost any professor can be a homeroom teacher. As long as there''s no shortage of them, the noble lineage aristocrats won''t object too much."


    The professor of thebat magic department nodded in satisfaction while massaging his blonde shaved head.


    If the proposal of Reba were to be adopted, each ss of each grade would be divided into two and reshuffled into 1 & 2.


    If my reasoning is correct, the students who were in S ss until now and G ss will beposed into second year S-1 ss and second year S-2 ss respectively.


    "I will also dispatchbat staff from mypany for S-1 and S-2 ss"


    "That would be great"


    I stood up, raising my right hand to the dean who bowed to me. I have already talked about what I wanted to do. I will leave the particrs to them.


    "I will take my leave with this!"


    Bowing politely, I also left the dean''s office.


    The setting sun gently enveloped the earth like a burning me.


    Everything is settled. Now that I''m out of duty as a homeroom teacher, I have more to spare.


    It was just as George had said. There are lots of suspicious factors in this worldtely. Every transpiring event is on the level that wasn''t normal. I have to train seriously. As long as I have time from now on, I must repeat my training single mindedly.


    When I transferred under the shade of a tree, the surrounding scenery changed to a golden room.


    [Why plunging yourself into this hell again...... ]


    Mura''s sorrowful voice ruminates inside my mind, giving off the feeling as if he has somehow given up.


    "Let''s go"


    Holding Mura in my hand, I embarked on the path of deadly training.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 30 - 15 years old Grey

    19th March, year 907 of the saint calendar (Saturday)


    It was the arrival of the second spring after the promotion exam of G ss, and I am now 15 years old.


    One year and a half, although this passing of time isn''t a big deal for me, who is an old man mentally, it couldn''t be said the same for the surroundings around me which was changing hectically.


    Unsurprisingly, Ruddle transformed the most. The technology innovation in Camelot and Arc Roy has advanced dramatically specially.


    With the development of concrete and asphalt, roads and footpaths are paved by them. In addition, traffic lights are established and carriages have beenpletely reced by cars.


    The railway tracks ran by the railway station next to the town, running between the Ruddle''s each town and vige at a fixed interval. The railway tracks that were under construction between Suthend and Ruddle have also sessfully opened and five trains are running between them everyday.


    In terms of Industry, the establishment of a chemical research institute and the factory on the suburbs of Camelot has led to the rapid development of chemical technologies and also seeded in developing methane based natural gas. In this way, Ruddle was provided with three lifelines : water, electricity and gas.


    Furthermore, all sorts of convenient domestic appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, gas stoves etc are being developed and put on the market for sale each day.


    Naturally, the wealthy merchants in the world were also ecstatic about the Ruddle''s technology and longed to sell the devices to their hometown and to other cities.


    But again, these devices are meaningful only when they are provided with electricity. The things that can be done by rechargeable batteries are limited. Hence, the necessity for the establishment of power nts in each ce.


    I have also applied for the patent of scientific technologies like electricity, automobiles or railway in themercial guild. However there''s no one who can understand the mechanism of these machines since the technology is too high level but even if they could be built, it would be impossible for them to maintain it and be a useless thing.


    Thereupon, amercial guild approached me about the enrollment of theirpany''s members to the university of Camelot that was established for the purpose of educating Ruddlians. Appearance, it was the decision made by the general parliament ofmerce, the high level decision making body of themercial guild, beside it was also a great joy for me for the propagation of science and technology. That''s why I was making adjustments to recognize it.


    Just, there was one problem. The Camelot University was based on my academy rights of my magic knight academy''s professor position. In short, it bes necessary to get the approval of the imperial government for the enrollment of someone in the academy who isn''t imperialist.


    I did request the imperial government forprehensive authorization but I haven''t heard a bit of word from them in several weeks. When I tried to contact them, I was summoned by the imperial government on the contrary.


    "GreyÒ»Ò» ah, I mean Lord Shirabe, thank you for taking the trouble toe here"


    The cab minister of the department of education, a short haired old man, guides me to the couch on the side and urge me to take a seat.


    "It would be nice if you can call me Grey here"


    The reason why he restated was because my name, Shirabe Ines Navarro, had be famous after the promotion exam of the academy.


    The imperial government, who thought of the inevitable chaps, decided that lord of Ruddle will be named as Shirabe Ines Navarro from hereafter.


    Currently, I don''t wish for my name to be exposed to Cliff and Aqua. So it just turned out to be in my favor.


    The cab minister took the seat opposite of me,


    "I am truly sorry for the inconvenience"


    Said this and bowed so deeply his head was almost touching the table.


    "You don''t have to, although I am not aware of the situation very well but you mean to say I need separate permission from the imperial government for the enrollment in the graduate school of the Camelot?"


    "I''m sorry but it''s the decision of the imperial government. The graduate school of Camelot is currently one of the important education facilities of our country alongside the imperial magic knight academy. It''s an educational institute managed by you. So you should be be aware of therge number of eptance of non-Ruddlians into the general quota, right?"


    "Yeah, it seems the ratio was 400% this year."


    Camelot University was basically established for the education of Ruddliance. Therefore, 400 students are admitted every year from Ruddliance.


    However, rumors of the sess of the G ss in the promotion exam of the magic knight academy attracts the winds and the requests from aristocrats and the wealthy merchants throughout the empire who hoped for their son to be enrolled in the academy floods in.


    As a result, only 20 students were admitted as a general quota.


    "There was a n to increase the general quote and it should be same"


    "Expansion of quota! Is this true!?"


    As soon as I asked him, the minister of education rose up from his seat in excitement. To be honest, his appearance looks too uncanny to me,


    "Yeah. That''s my intention"


    Although I was a bit overwhelmed, I still nodded with my chin.


    "Cough Please excuse my rudeness. Unfortunate as it may be, this is the decision of the imperial government. There''s no exception"


    "I see. Then how should I exin it to the guild...... "


    "You don''t need to be concerned about this. We will not trouble Lord Grey anymore. We will exin it tomercial guild by ourselves"


    If so, then rest is for themercial guild and imperial government to discuss. Even if I poke my head more than this, it will only be disadvantageous and not beneficial. Let''s say goodbye.


    "I will take my leave then"


    I ended with a simple greeting and left the aged out department of education building.


    I guess it''s time to finish the errands of Camelot.


    I transferred to a room in the Sagami tradingpany of Ruddle''s Camelot from the mansion of Sagamipany.


    The Lord''s mansion is a bit too big for me. Lately, I have left the decision making power to Jude regarding the official work of Ruddle, and I''m using this trading house to live in the Camelot.


    I exited the trading house and set foot in the direction of [Silver''s family knife], which is also popr in Camelot.


    Automobiles and buses passing back and forth. Few men and women were dressed in suits around me, few females in one piece dresses and there were even some elderly in Japanese clothing.


    I scribbled and written the outline of these design of the clothes based on the design of earth, which was then


    The design of these clothes were based on the scribbles I had written and outlining the design of earth, which was then polished andpleted by my mouth, who has a great sense of fashion. The craftsmanship of my mother as a designer is in no way inferior to those of earth.


    The stylish brick building on the main road is the [Silver''s family knife]. [Silver knife] was transformed into a family restaurant, and is now a restaurant that is open 24 hours a day.


    Among Camelot''s high-end restaurants, traditional Japanese restaurants, general family restaurants, specialty stores, cheap set meals restaurants and fast food restaurants, [Silver''s family restaurant] is ssified as a general restaurant.


    Just when I entered in the restaurant,


    "Grey!"


    A young girl with neatly trimmed bangs and her long silver hair pulled back into a bun was waving both of her hands with the whole of her face smeared with a look of joy.


    "Lily, you are already 17. Don''t you think you should be more aware of being adyÒ»Ò»"


    "BooÒ», another sermon? You''re beginning to look more and more like father Grey"


    Lilinoah, the saint, puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.


    "It couldn''t be helped. Grey is also where he wants to pretend like an adult. Lily, you should also learn to look at bigger picture"


    The beautiful silver haired woman next to Lilinoah, the imperial princess Olivia, passes an unwee advice to her while taking a sip of coffee from the cup.


    [Rather than saying pretending to be adult, he''s an old man from inside]


    I lightly poked at the Mura''s body who vaguely blurted out the the disgraceful truth while taking a seat next to Lilinoah,


    "So? How''s your life in the academy?"


    I decided to chat about the things I''m most curious about the two.


    "I''m learning a lot, it''s really fun!"


    "Yeah, the life there is extremely fulfilling"


    Both of them are students of Camelot graduate school. Apparently, they were interested after attending my lessons and wanted to enroll in the graduate school of Camelot.


    Since it was just before the promotion exam, no one was whimsical enough to want to enroll in the university of savagend like Ruddle, so both of them were easily admitted without taking the exam. Of course when it''s about exams, there''s no use clinging to your connection. It would have been uncertain whether they could safely enroll if they were half a yearte.


    "Oh, I''m d then"


    I began to listen to their chattering.


    Lilinoah is in the department of research and development while Olivia is in the department of political economics and enthusiastically pursuing the knowledge together with her friend from Ruddle.


    I''m the principal of Camelot graduate school. There''s no one to reproach me and I can manage it however I want. That''s why the curriculum is taught by instructors who have endured my devilish training and thoroughly refining their knowledge everyday without anypromise.


    "Have you met with Stetely?"


    Sure enough, she asked about that incident. It''s not only Lilinoah. I was also asked a simr question by Lucia who''smuting to the same Camelot universityst week. It was the same for others. It seems I have caused people around me to worry a lot.


    "I haven''t. I haven''t encountered recently"


    I wonder if Ste and other''s S-1 and S-2 ss have been harassed by the deputy head. Because they aren''t even taking my lessons on the day of my sole elective subject, fairy-tale like empire''s history ss. There are also times when it''s unavoidable due topulsory subjects though they aren''t facing me directly.


    Or rather, I have beenpletely avoided by Ste ever since the promotional exam time. Maybe she''s feeling a little guilty about me.


    Though saying that, I''m personally seeing it in a positive light that Ste is able to get away from her brother. What Ste needs from now is not me alone, but lots of friends.


    "Geez, why are you always like this Grey!?"


    Lilinoah rose up from seat and pointed her index finger at me. It''s rare for the Lilinoah to show her emotions so much.


    "Hmm? Is there something to be angry about?"


    "I''m not angry!"


    No, you look angry no matter how I see. However, the rule of thumbs say it would only have adverse effects if I point it out, so I decided not to speak out.


    "Hmm, but Ste is now 17 years old like Lily. Isn''t it strange for me to meddle all the time?"


    "Families are exactly to meddle!"


    Families are to meddle, is it? It''s true there is some truth to it and it''s also true that I wanted to talk with Ste asionally. However it''s hard for someone like me who''s an old man from the core to understand the mental state of adolescent children, so maybe I might have grown timid.


    "Okay, I understand. I will try to talk with her next time"


    "Yeah. Absolutely do it!!"


    "Thank you Lily"


    When I gently caressed the head of Lily next to me and expressed my gratitude,


    "Y, yeah"


    She falteringly nodded with her face looking down.


    "Let''s eat then"


    I urged them and began to eat again.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 30.1 - Uneasiness of imperial princesses ? Side Lilinoah

    Grey offered to send them back to the dormitory but they politely rejected it, saying it''s still bright and were spooning desert at the restaurant.


    "Lily, you''re more meddlesome than I imagined"


    "Please leave me alone"


    Looking at Lilinoah who turned to look in another direction sullenly, Olivia put the scooped out ice cream in her mouth while smiling bitterly.


    "Why don''t you just leave her alone? Maybe, our biggest rival would have eliminated"


    "It''s no good! Grey and Ste must be together!"


    "Is that so? After all, I''m not that much familiar with Ste person"


    "Both of them were always together. The two siblings were so close that even I envy them. And nowÒ»Ò»"


    Olivia narrowed her eyes at Lilinoah, who was at a loss for words©`Ò»


    "Is Lily anxious due to the sense of distance from Grey recently?"


    "...... "


    When Olivia''s words poked at the crux of the matter, Lilinoah''s face stiffened and she couldn''t say anything.


    "You don''t need to pretend. I''m also worried about it all along"


    "Yeah. It''s not like he''s acting cold, it''s just...... "


    "You mean by a hypothetical possibility that Grey sometimes speaks about how he may leave the world, right?"


    "...... "


    Olivia gently stroked Lilinor''s head as she nodded.


    "I hope this happiness we have now will never change"


    She speaks out of her heart.


    "Ye...... ah"


    Looking at Lilinoah who finally began to shedrge drops of tear with her face down,


    "That''s right. I really hope our current happiness continues"


    Olivia smiled gently at her and muttered one more time.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 31 - Circumstances of Maguire Territory

    After parting with Lilinoah and Olivia, I am now visiting the Shirokane vige of Maguire territory.


    A beautifully paved road near the fields and water wheel. The scenery of telephone poles in a fixed distance and wooden houses stand in a row. If Camelot is like an imitation of a metropolis, then the scenery of Shirokane vige is like a countryside town or vige.


    When I set my foot in the research institute for reinforced concrete in Shirokane vige, researchers who were rxing in the rest area stood up in panic and bowed.


    "It''s fine, you don''t have to."


    I waved my right hand to indicate they can continue what they were doing originally and went to the room fitted with ss in the back.


    The head maid May-sanes up to me with a group of white coats in tow and reported with extremely joyful expression,


    "The quality of silk has been preserved at 99.98% this time when processed with alkali. We have seeded in getting non-poisonous silk without changing its nature."


    "Brilliant! You have splendidly achieved the long standing wish of your ancestors!!"


    The sobbing sound leaks out from the elderly people who participated in the research.


    The white luminous worm is poisonous but as long as you don''t get stung by the stinger in its tail, there''s no need to worry about it. There''s not much danger as long as you just collect the cocoon.


    The problem was how to process the silk produced by white luminous worms. Because that silk had the characteristic to produce vtile poisonous liquid when heated. So it was a must to remove all the poisonousponents.


    Many of the poison have acidic properties. Therefore, after a series of chemical experiments, it was realized rtively quickly that it could be neutralized and made non toxic.


    The problem was when they tried to alkalise the silk to make it non toxic, theposition of silk changed and turned stiff and hard, making it difficult to process.


    After that was the repetition of steady experiments. As a result of testing out with all sorts of heating, cooling or adding various metals and chemicals, it was discovered that zeolite, also known as boiling stone that is generally used as catalyst, can stabilize the quality of silk.


    Zeolite is a substance that can selectively incorporate and react with molecules that are convenient in shape within its fine pores. This substance has a variety of uses, including catalytic, ion-exchange, and adsorption.


    Although we haven''t yet specified what kind of chemical reaction it is catalyzing, it''s an undeniable fact that silk quality has rapidly stabilized. It should be fine to proceed with the research step by step.


    "There is still a long way to go. Next we have to start with the specific industrial equipment. I want you to decide on the people who will continue the research and the people who will participate in the production of equipment."


    "As Lord''s will"


    Immediately all the staff members including the vige chief old woman bowed their heads with their hands on thier chest.


    Lately, more and more staff members are now using such anachronistic gestures. It was quite unpleasant for me so I urged them time and time again to change their mind saying I''m just an investor but they don''t listen to me at all. It was annoying so I left them on their own ord.


    In the one and a half year of time, not a single force has thought that I may be after Maguire''s territory. Well, it''s just a problem of my feelings. So, it doesn''t matter in a sense.


    When I stepped out of the researchboratory, a car was parked on the side of the roadway. Inparison to Ruddle, there are still more carriages. However, theing few years should be enough for the carriages to be reced by cars in the Maguire territory.


    I thought about transferring at once but since May-san had an errand to do and was returning to the mansion, I decided to hitch a ride on May-san''s car as I also wanted to know the development of territory.


    "So much has changed into Maguire territory, right?"


    May-san, sitting in the driver''s seat, asked me while handling the steering wheel with a familiar hand.


    It was expected that she would have to move quite a lot together with the feudal lord in the territory. So I had thought of presenting her with a car but it wasn''t possible a year and half ago because the roads weren''t paved yet at that time. Therefore I decided to give her a four wheel drive car which doesn''t have any problem in running on mountain road but she showed an abnormal obsession with it and quickly became an expert in handling it that was on the same level as earth. This should be her talent. Now, she has learned some simple mechanics about cars and is doing the maintenance by herself.


    "Yeah, it has be a lot livelier"


    The roadway and footpath are paved with asphalt. ss fitted stores are lined on both sides. Nowadays, I just transferred into the mansion to show my face to my mother and haven''t looked at the outside scenery. That''s why such an abrupt transformation honestly overwhelmed me.


    "The government official who hade from the imperial capital just a few days ago was shocked to the core seeing this scenery"


    May-san giggled in amusement.


    This Maguire''s territory is also turning into a second Toto vige.


    I recently visited Toto vige, after all it''s the hometown of Sagami Company''s executives. I was stunned at the drastic transformation.


    The vige has already expanded to a considerable extent within the [Ancient forest], and it can no longer called a vige. I''m sure it''s scope is now on the same level as Empire''s mid-sized city. Moreover, it''s advancement in science and technology has even surpassed Ruddle faintly.


    "I deeply sympathize with the government official from the bottom of my heart"


    The shock can be understood if you think about how a barrennd has suddenly transformed into the scenery of the mid-sized city of Taisho(1912-1926) and the show era(1926-1989). That would be so.


    Crap. I am suddenly assailed by unthinkable drowsiness. I haven''t gotten enough sleep because I''m devoting almost all of my time to training, so I guess this reaction was just a matter of course.


    When I yawned loudly,


    "I will wake you up when we arrive at the mansion so please take your time"


    May-san just made a suggestion I desired.


    "Ok, I will take upon your words then"


    As soon as I close my eyelids, my consciousness falls into a pleasant slumber.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 32 - Consulting about the management of Maguires territory

    Peculiar smell of disinfectant stimte my sense of smell.


    It was the hospital room with several white and clean beds lined up. A beautiful woman in herte twenties was smiling gently at me, her long red hair held back by the pleasant breeze blowing through the window.


    This is...... Right, I think Ie here to enquire her well being.


    "Hey, don''t you think so?"


    "Ah, Sorry. I didn''t heard what you said"


    When I tried to hide my absentmindedness while scratching my head like usual,


    "Geez, you''re always like this Brain! I know you must be thinking about your research either way!"


    She puffed her cheeks and said in reproach.


    It was the first time my mind wander off to other things when I''m visiting her ever since her illness has got worse. I guess I might be considerably tired..


    "Something like that. So, what were you talking about?"


    "Humph, you''re always so perfunctory"


    She sighed in as if fed up and,


    "I wonder if I can sing again"


    In hoarse voice, she utters the wish she has been longing for a long time.


    Not long ago, she had been disappointed that she could not longer sing and was awfully depressed about it. Having hope for the future is the best thing. That''s whyÒ»Ò»


    "Of course you can. Just like before. So, quickly get some rest well and get well soon"


    "Okay!"


    We both know we are putting up a strong front. But we still wants to believe in this. We want to believe there''s definitely god somewhere in this world and will perform a miracle.


    "Brain, I have a request"


    "Hmm? What is it?"


    "Hug me. In sure I will be more cheerful then"


    With her flushed red cheeks, She looks at him with downcast look and he lifted the corner of his mouth and silently hugged her.


    "It''s warm. The touch of Brain"


    "Geez, the hell it meansÒ»Ò»"


    Her blissful voice warms up his heart and he tried to reply in joking tone.


    However, the world loses its color out of blue and his vision was dyed in pure white.


    Oh...... That''s a dream. No, it''s just my brain malfunctioning. But I''m fine even with this. Since it''s afterlife, let me feel warmth with her a bit more, just a bit more.


    When I open my eyelids, I feels a kind and warm touch.


    "Y, young master?"


    I heard a doubtful voice that seems to be fade anytime. When I be aware of the fact that I''m embracing a woman, I hurriedly separates from her.


    Then the downcasted face of May-san, as red as apple enters in my sight.


    "Sorry, it seems I was sleepwalking"


    "N, no. I also woke you up suddenly"


    May-san also replied something that she wasn''t herself and quickly entered  the mansion as if to run away from me.


    Sigh, I wonder if she''s disgusted by me. It would not be strange for me to be sued for sexual harassment if it was in earth for something like embracing a woman in half sleep. I will apologise againter.


    I cheered myself up and enter the mansion.


    "Then this is the contract terms of white heavenly silk. Are you pleased?"


    White heavenly silk is the silk produced by white luminous worm.


    "Whether it''s research facility or research n, all of it was more or less initiated by your grace. Are you really okay with us having 60% of profit?"


    White luminous worm is the local speciality of this territory. Frankly, it should have been considerably tough concession from thier side for us to even get patent fee of 40%.


    Bart is a good natured person through and through. This is an impressive quality normally but as a feudal lord, it''s not something toplement about. Well, it may not be much of a problem with her presence


    When I turn my gaze at the pink haired young girl sitting next to me,


    "Father, although it''s true that facility or the training staff was provided by Sagami Company, you''re forgetting that almost all of the researchers leading the project are people from our fief. A minimum of 60% is a must"


    Sure enough, the pink haired young girl, Yui Maguire stood up and chided her father.


    She may actually be the one who has grown up the most in this territory for all I know. She attends the management strategy meeting for fiefdom operation held twice a week and is rapidly absorbing knowledge about the management. When I suggest her to take the entrance exam for magic knight academy, she agreed without batting an eyelid and passed the first exam after intense study.


    She will be the student of magic knight academy formally from next month. Bart and others are quite anxious that Yui hasn''t yet headed for the the fourth district Leith but apparently, the person herself insist on wanting to help the territory until thest moment.


    "But you see, Dept repayment is going well and the industry''s in our fiefdom is developing quite well. We don''t to coverÒ»Ò»"


    "L-I-S-T-E-N-T-O-M-E, it''s not anything profound like greed etc but simply our rightful im!"


    Yui, you really have got yourself together very well. With her level headed personality, it''s at least guaranteed that this fiefdom will not be led astray with her abilities no matter who be her husband. Rather, I hope she can find a suitable boy in the magic knight academy.


    "Yui has upper hand this time. This is where you should fight for your rightful im. It''s okay for Bart-san to be more greedy"


    "Ugh, having greed is...... difficult. However I understood. I will do my best"


    Good natured is in Bart''s disposition and also his good point. Well, he can discern when to listen to others at least and if a realist person like Yui will be next to him, it should be hard to choose a wrong option.


    Anyway, white heavenly silk is an miraculous silk with the outstanding resistant to heat, shock and magic. There''s also no doubt about it''s beauty and it will surely surprass the products of the earth.


    However, the design will be made by my mother, Anna Maguire. There are several excellent designer in the Ruddle presently but even among them, the clothes designed by Anna Maguire are also known as [Anna series] and have be a kind of super high ss brand.


    It''s just a matter of time before offers from the whole worlde for the clothes made of white heavenly silk. Thisnd will soon be transformed into the onerge industrialnd of the white heavenly silk.


    "Well then, let''s discuss the concrete negotiation for the establishment of Industry"


    "Industry establishment!? What kind!?"


    When I unfolded the new blueprint on the table, Yui''s face lit up and she leans her body to check it out.


    Bart also shrugged his shoulders and joined the conversation.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 33 - The opened door that leads to the rune spell

    I head to the studio of my mother Anna to greet her.


    Lately, she has closed herself in the studio, drawing her designs. She says it''s much more interesting to see her designse out looking exactly the same as her own.


    "Gu-chan, wait for me. I am going to make tea"


    I hurriedly moved in the right to block the way as she gave me a affectionate hug as usual and was about to go to kitchen,


    "No mother, I have an errand I must do by any means now"


    "You just said Gu-chan and you''re not even showing yourself muchtely"


    my mother began to sulk.


    "I will definitelye to visit you next Sunday. I promise"


    I said and somehow persuaded her.


    "Anna, is there food?"


    A young girl, Dorahachi, who was sleeping on the bed at the back of the room woke up while rubbing her eyes and being drawn by her, Sheena and Haku began to wake up as well. Seems like they were taking an afternoon nap.


    After her illness was curedpletely, Shirohime built a town for the spirit tribe near the [ord]. She has been very busy everyday as the mayor of the town, and there''s not enough time to take care of Haku properly. That being the case, Haku has been together with Sheena and Dorahachi all the time.


    "There''s still time for dinner. That''s right, why don''t I make some snacks?"


    As she patted the head of Dorahachi who approached with a leisure voice,


    "At least wait to eat some snacks before returning"


    She gave me the order saying she will not listen to any objection, put on the apron and left the room.


    "It''s snacks, it''s snacks, oh isn''t it snacks!


    "Its not S~nacks, its not S~nacks, if it''s not snacks yay~"


    "Waaah, yay"


    "Delicious snacks~"


    I resigned myself to it as I heard the mysterious humming of Dorahachi and Went down to the kitchen.


    After having snacks with my mother, I arrived at the Sagamipany building in Straheim.


    And directly head towards the studio I had promised.


    After many years of research, I finally saw thepletion of a magic weapon. Researchers were already gathered in the studio when I arrived.


    "Yo Grey, you finallye. It''s finallypleted"


    A pitch ck fingerless glove was ced on the small round table surrounded by researchers.


    Is this the final version?


    "Thank you for your hard work"


    pping hands with Leroy, I took the glove in my hands.


    "So this weapon specializes in me magic...... right?"


    "Yeah. E ss magic stone is used as raw material. Though you can only use respective me magic"


    I took out the needle made from my exclusive B-ss magic stone, and while inputting mana in it I slowly engrave the [me rondo] chant on the back of the glove. The color of gloves changes from ck to dark red.


    I tried it by putting the glove and instilling some Mana into it, and me gushed out of it.


    The mes, as if like living creatures, move and form various shapes ording to my intention.


    "It activates automatically when you pour your mana into it. It''spletely possible to control the Mana put in by the possessor''s intention only. In addition, this metal is extremely soft. It''s perfect. It''s almost the personification of our ideal."


    "Umm, umm. We honestly doubted the sanity of lord when you lord just being a weapon alone isn''t interesting."


    Bahahaha, and Leroyughed loudly.


    "Even i never thought in my dreams that it would be achieved so splendidly"


    A smile also leaks out from me as I raise the corner of my mouth.


    "President, Master Leroy, may we be allowed to try it as well?"


    Parse requested so politely as he pushed up his sses, when we wereughing boldly. Looking at his shrill sound which wasn''t not like the usually calm Parse, he must be quite excited.


    Natural. Even I felt a burning sensation in my chest to have created this absurd weapon.


    "It''s fine. Try it"


    I tossed the glove to him and he put it with his hand trembling and instilled Mana in it.


    mes emit out from his palm. Those mes first form a circle, then a line and then a letter.


    "Amazing...... "


    Researchers eximed, somehow managed to put thier amazement in words.


    I slowly looked at everyone and announced what I have been craving for always,


    "Ladies and gentleman, we have opened the door to the rune spell here and now!"


    The next moment after I said that, the room was drowned in the tempest like cheers.


    Unsurprisingly, they held the banquet from the broad daylight time, and I was sipping tea with Leroy in one corner of the room.


    "But, how should we move? We can''t sell them as it''s now"


    Leroy put the mug of beer on the table and asked me what was our biggest concern recently.


    "Hmm, indeed. It''s a bit too strong to appear in public."


    I have temporarily patented the technique of extraction of magic ore from magic stone in themercial guild. While doing so, I also consulted Rainer, and agreed to carefully look at the timing before announcing.


    Taking the importance of magic ore in this world, I''m sure it will cause a magnificent chaos undoubtedly when we announce it. I can perceive everyone would begin to hoard magic stones frantically. I very well know the fate of humans who are blinded by greed. It''s quite possible they will turn blind eye to science and technology and try to hoard them if handled poorly, just like the time of the gold rush. And in this chaos that will ensue, they may also aim at the intellectual creatures resembling monsters in the name of hunting. That''s not something I desire.


    Furthermore, the technique we have developed this time is revolutionary enough to the point it will change the development of magic stone from basic. If we announce it now, what awaits us will be chaos.


    "I''m satisfied with achieving its development. I will leave the how to handle the rest to you, Grey"


    "I understood. However, our end goal at best is the fusion of science and sorcery. Let''s proceed with the research only"


    "Yosh. Just what I want. So, what are you nning to do next?"


    "Let''s see, my next step is to see if it''s possible to control the magic tool with the help of scientific equipment"


    "Control huh. Interesting. Tell me more in detail."


    Leroy''s look on his eyes changed from being drunk to sparkling.


    "That''sÒ»Ò»"


    I also moistened myself with hot tea, but uttered the most devious words.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 34 - visit

    Till the time I managed to slip out from the banquet, the sky on the west of the mountainside was dyed dark red. It will soon be sunset.


    Today is my weekly office day. Sagami Company seems to be working fine even with my absencetely. Hence, I''mtely focusing on the [Tower of deceit] all the time, confiding myself in it except when I have to give sses in magic knight academy.


    With that so, my strength is also soaring considerably and that''s the result Ò»Ò»


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    ©– Grey Mird


    Status


    ?HP£ºS£­£¨£²£¸£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?MP£º¦«¦µ¦·£¨¨D¨D£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?Physical strength£ºS£­£¨£¹£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?Stamina£ºS£­£¨£³£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?Mana£º¦«¦µ¦·£¨¨D¨D£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?Mana endurance£ºS£­£¨£±£°£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?Agility£ºS£¨£²£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?Luck£ºA£«£¨£·£¸£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?Drop rate£ºA£«£¨£¶£³£¯£±£°£°£¥£©


    ?Wisdom£º¦«¦µ¦·


    ?Growth rate£º¦«¦µ¦·


    ©– Skill £º


    ?Magic blueprint


    ?Circr domain


    ?Universal metastatis


    ?Eternal workshop£¨Liberated % -£µ£°£¥£©


    ©– Race £º¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    ©– Titles£º


    ?Brain monstrosity


    ?goblin yer


    ?humaneness


    ?Legendary teacher


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    The moment each status surpasses A, it ceases to rise anymore. And as I begin to step into the S rank realm, my pace is bing more and more like a turtle.


    In contrast, my magic power and MP has long since counter stopped. Also, agility remained at a fast growth rate.


    I personally think this difference is most likely due to the difference in talent.


    Eternal workshop has also finally liberated till 50%, but that''s it. I can''t go anymore than this no matter what I do. There should be other reasons for this.


    Magic also finally developed to the ultimate just the other day. I still haven''t experimented with it yet since it''s quite difficult to use magic. Even so, in the present situation, that magic may be needed in the distant future. I should give it a try in a short time.


    "To survive and to capture the tower, should I get powerful magic...... But isn''t it more like the reversal of the purpose and result?"


    [Honestly, I also want to lead a quiet life quickly...... ]


    Mura, who was finally woke, expressed his feelings of full tragic heroism. I wonder if it''s due to overusing him in that hell but his usual sleeping time has increased. For that, he has been continuously screaming in battle.


    "Don''t fret. We are off for today''s exploration. Let''s have dinner afterpleting one more errands


    They should have returned back to their dormitory at this time. I put on the mask and transferred to a room in the first dormitory of magic knight academy.


    "Look, isn''t it Shirabe Sensei from basic magic ss?"


    "Ahh, really"


    "Seriously, where is he, where is he?"


    But I was soon surrounded by students.


    I heard that Ste is also considerably famous in this academy. If I went to meet her without taking some precaution, it wouldn''t be long before strange rumors started to float around.


    But then, I will have a busy schedule from tomorrow again and wouldn''t have enough time to talk with her slowly like today.


    Just when I thought about transferring to Straheim as I looked at the surging crowds of students, someone suddenly grabbed the sleeve of my right arm and pulled me behind.


    "Here!"


    A twin tailed blonde hair young girl pulled my arm, galloped toward the stairs above and shoved me into a room. It was a feminine room that almost resembled my mother''s. This must be her room.


    "It''s been a while, Grey. You have grown up surprisingly well in a short while I haven''t seen you."


    Putting her hands on her waist, Aria Bernstein expresses her impression that I have been hearing especiallytely.


    The professors of Noble lineage aristocratic faction are using heavy hands to keep me away from S ss and so I haven''t met with the S ss at all since my sses are held in a second school building.


    Furthermore, Aria can''t use transfer either since she''s not a title holder. Unable to move away from the academy town, Leith, she naturally isn''t able to attend the upper echelon meeting of Sagami Company. I also haven''t appeared in the meeting of the Leith branch and like Ste, I haven''t met her properly for more than a year as far as it goes.


    "Hmm, you have also rank up from that little prick"


    Her trademark blond twin tail hair, like a tentacle, was still the same as before but her body waspletely transformed into an adult form with a beautiful face.


    "But I don''t think this expression is something that cane from someone younger"


    Well, that''s right. Because I''m an old man from inside.


    "So, what business do you have with me? I think Jude is much better than me if youe here to talk about the project of Leith''s downtown association. For counseling services, Akuido is much better. If it''s about a teenager''s peculiar peach blossom talk, I can''t understand it at all. But umm, I can be a kind elder sister and take care of someone"


    Akuido is now a lecturer of S ss and Jude should be attending the branchmittee of Leith. They are well enough acquainted with her.


    "You know. I helped you when you were in a dilemma. But even so, whenever I heard you speaking out elder sister''s type line, I feel goosebumps all over my body"


    "You''re still an rude kid like usual"


    "As I''m saying ¨D¨D you''re the child here!!"


    "I wouldn''t say that"


    "Dammit, talking with you always riles me up"


    Looking at Aria who was trying to suppress her anger as her shoulders tremble,


    "What about the ss?"


    I asked about the thing I was interested in for a while.


    "Teachers'' sses are amazing. We have received a quest from Sieg Sensei recently. It''s really interesting"


    Sieg''s quest huh. Around one year ago, when Siege to find me in second school building and the title ¡º¨D¨D¨D¨D ''s colleague teacher¡»also appeared. At the same time as the title appeared, he also joined in the rank of Awakened.


    And then he deres to me that he would resign from all other duties and devote himself solely to his teaching profession.


    Several days after that, I was summoned by emperor Georg and cried out to me to somehow persuade him and change his mind but I politely refused. Sieg wasn''t only a sage but also the head of imperial wizards. The situation in the empire was in turmoil over the position of head of the court mage.


    In the end, it seems that a well known wizard from the aristocratic faction won the fierce power struggle and took the seat of the head of the imperial wizard squad.


    It would certainly be a minus for the Country itself. But either way, it was Sieg''s decision. And it''s not for me to interfere in it. Besides, Sieg himself self proimed that the teacher of the Magic Knight''s academy is his main job to start with. From his perspective, it was just returning to his main job. I think I should respect his will as a friend.


    "Nice for you"


    As soon as the title manifests and he bes an Awakened, Sieg can also handle the title [Legendary teacher]. The children''s education seems to be going well.


    "So? What''s the reason for Grey''s visit?"


    *That''sÒ»Ò»"


    "Well, I can guess without hearing though. Ste, right?"


    Before I could speak, Aria, with her half closed eyes, speak the name I was still trying to let out.


    "Y, yeah, that''s right. Is Ste well?"


    "That''s it. She has currently gone out to do the quest together with Aqua and others"


    "I see. I''m d then"


    It''s fine as long as she''s well. Seems like I missed her, let''se here another day.


    Just when I about to turn on my heels,


    "Hey Grey"


    "Hmm?"


    I looked over my shoulder and saw her staring at me with a grim face as if I had stepped into an enemy territory.


    "Does Grey like Ste?"


    "Of course I love her"


    I immediately replied to Aria''s question.


    She''s like a little sister, no, like a daughter whom I''ve been living with from a young age, I want to give her happiness. That''s what I think from the bottom of my heart.


    "I see...... "


    Aria muttered to my response and didn''t speak further with her face looking down.


    "See you"


    While having some doubts, I once again turned away and transitioned from Aria''s room to Straheim.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 35 - Trending rumor

    After Grey left the room, Aria also left and headed towards the cafeteria where she encountered a red haired girl in maid dress looking around for something with blood red expression.


    "Aria, GÒ»Ò» that person juste here!"


    "If you mean by professor Shirabe, it seems hee to inspect the dormitory of this year''s S-1 ss students, though it looks like he just left"


    What came out of her was fabricated words.


    "I see...... "


    Aria''s heart felt a prickling pain again, when Ste''s appearance as if it was the end of the world reflected in her eyes.


    (Not again. Why I...... )


    "N, Now, let''s go to eat. Other''s are also waiting for you, let''s eat together."


    "Ye...... ah"


    As if to deceive the ache in her heart, she took Ste''s hand and led her down the stairs toward the cafeteria.


    They entered the cafeteria of the magic knight academy''s first dormitory. The space of the cafeteria was exceedingly wide with numerous wooden tables and chairs.


    And then, the scenery of the courtyard through the ss wall blending with the red evening glow, formed an indescribable charm.


    It was dinner time and the cafeteria was already crowded with several dozens of students.


    The students who were stunned looking at therge numbers of people and options in the menu should be newly enrolled. Magic academy has allowed students to experience dormitory lifestyle one month prior to their enrollment, I think it''s undoubtedly their first time.


    And thenÒ»Ò»


    "Delicious...... It''s the first time I have eaten something so delicious!"


    In contrast to female student who was moving forks with trembling hands,


    "Yum, yum, yum"


    A male student put the hamburger specially made by a downtown firm in his mouth and mumbles as he moves his mouth.


    Until a year ago, a high ss chef belonging to west, which was thergestpany in Leith prepared the food for the first dormitory but the charge was so high it was considerably expensive for the wallets of general students.


    And at that time, a rumor about the restaurant of Leith''s downtown association spreads among the students. Not only was it wallet friendly for students who don''t have much leeway in finance, their dishes were also mouth melting delicious, which instantly grabbed the hearts of students astutely and every morning and evening they would go down to the downtown Leith to eat the food.


    Even the crown prince Ronaldo ate there. When they heard about this, the childrens of noble lineage aristocrats also abandoned the cafeteria of the first dormitory. In the end, the first dormitory''s cafeteria became deserted and the Westpany withdrew. The restaurant that was pushed to take over its ce was Leith''s downtown association''s restaurant.


    The association even undertook a major renovation of the first dining hall, and even the scenery of this first dormitory''s main dining hall waspletely changed.


    Furthermore, the government customarily paid half the cost of the student cafeteria. This meant that students could eat in this cafeteria for half the usual price. Thus, the cafeteria became a paradise for students.


    "Here!"


    nes into their view, who raises his right hand at the table beside the window. Hmm, Is this Pluto eating on the front seat?


    Those two have be especially close since the final match a year and a half ago, and have been moving together all the time. Of course, it''s also that their personality matches each other. Well, maybe because he feels awkward, Pluto somewhat tends to avoid Ste.


    "YoÒ», have a seat"


    n urged them to take a seat. Well, the one he truly wants to invite should be the red-haired girl next to her. Be more discreet. Seeing that Ste has sat down next to her,


    "I will go and order dinner. What do you want to eat Ste?"


    "Anything is fineÒ»Ò»"


    Says Ste in a faint voice.


    "Then, it''s alright with same as me, right? I will bring it right away, so wait for a while"


    He sat up from the chair he should have just sat in and head towards the order counter.


    "Do you guys know what the hottest rumor in the academy is right now?"


    n said as he chewed his meat deliciously.


    "Hotter rumor, right. Yes, yes, the usual"


    Maybe to draw the attention of Ste, n has been speaking about this gossips a lottely. And most of the time, they are just some normal and worthless gossip.


    Aria shook her handzily,


    "I will let that line off the hook for now. Don''t be surprised when you hear this, actuallyÒ»Ò»"


    And so, n spoke about that rumor. It''s probably at that time I think. The wheels of the fate of Aria and her friends slowly but mercilessly began to move.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 36 - The creeping shadow

    While napping, Astrea noticed someone''s presence rising in the corner of the room and turned only her face to see a 12 or 13 years old young boy in a white uniform and his long blonde hair tied up behind was directing his freezing re at her.


    "Oh, it''s been a while I say"


    "Leave the greetings aside. Why aren''t you taking any action?"


    Atsrea frowns at his appearance which wasn''t his usual calm self and,


    "There shouldn''t be any fixed deadline, right?"


    Gave the obvious reply.


    "Don''t try to deceive me. I should have ordered you to deal with it as soon as you can"


    The young boy''s eyeball turned bright red, and the unstable building began to shake from a white shimmering aura.


    (Oops)


    The way he does things is changing. He seems to be angry, just one step away from exploding.


    "I would like to refrain from taking conspicuous action"


    "Eliminate the aforementioned brat and seize all the power of empire in your hand"


    "But we can''t move openlyÒ»Ò»"


    Suddenly, Astrea''s line of sight changed and was lifted up by a white haired young boy standing on the desk, who grabbed her by the throat.


    "Remember. I will not repeat. Seize the power of this empire.  If you were unable to do this, all I have to do is to kill you and entrust this matter to someone else"


    "Understood"


    The young boy takes back his hand and Astrea falls down on the ground pulled by the gravity.


    "The deadline is this year. I will not wait any more. Don''t forget it absolutely"


    With thesest words, the young boy''s figure faded into haze and disappeared as if he never appeared here.


    "Even though I wanted to stick around a bit longer"


    After all, the opponent is Hermit. Just to be sure, Astrea  wanted to remain low-key for one more year, but it can''t be done now. Now that he''s serious, it will be the disposal of Astraea if the 31''st of December was over by even a second. That''s the kind of guy he''s.


    Judging from his furious condition, there''s no doubt Astraea''s wait and see stance has caused the Lord to be furious.


    "What a rash person. But now there''s no choice but to move.  Well it should be all right. I also wasn''t silently trembling from fear in a corner in this one year and a half. Seeds have already been nted. All that left is to wait for them to sprout"


    Astrea stood up from the floor, put the copsed chair in its ce and left the office.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 37 - The determination of Mia and her friends

    8th April, year 907 of the saint calendar (Monday)   3:00 p.m.


    Mia is presently in the most popr restaurant of Leith©`Ò»Ò» Teardrop pavilion. As it was still early for the rush hour, there were only few guests here and there. And then, the members of S-2 ss that were already there reflected in her eyes,


    "I made you guys wait"


    Mia approached her friends.


    "It''s ok, we ourselves has juste"


    Cliff, Teresa and Eight nodded lightly at Pluto''s word. Mia also sat down on one of seats and after ordering simple chicken rice dish, she asked,


    "So? Have you guys heard the rumors?"


    "Yeah, but is that really true? There''s still not any announcement from the academy after all"


    Mia too agrees with Cliff''s opinion. They have been in the academy for two full years already and are now able to grasp the standing of Shirabe Sensei in the academy. At the very least, there would be no less than half of the forces of the academy who will be restless after hearing the rumor.


    "It''s true. I have it verified by Oscar Sensei. Apparently it''s decided in the faculty meeting"


    As Eight confirmed, everyone could feel them gasping.


    "Shirabe Sensei is going to be the homeroom teacher of the ss who will win the championship in the practical exam. But we will be 4th year next year, and going to graduate though"


    "It seems to be like the reward of the champion ss, and is irrelevant to the grade"


    Ever since this rumor broke out, literally all of the students'' expressions have changed.


    Excluding the newly enrolled students this year, there is no one in this academy who''s unaware of the supremacy of Shirabe Sensei''s ss. It can be inferred from how the normal ssroom in the second school building where Shirabe Sensei was teaching the basic magic sses couldn''t amodate the number of students who want to joint it and hence, a newrge ssroom, the five times the sizes of normal ssroom was built and even then, it seems to be fully crowded.


    "Let''s aim for the championship in the next exam!"


    "But you know, it''s not much different from the team battle in the end. It''s impossible"


    At the line of Pluto which wasn''t like him, which was full of resignation,


    "I don''t think it''s that much of a lost game already. Don''t you think Ste might not be in the representative members of next year''s championship too?"


    Cliff swiftly makes a valid point.


    "Yeah, Ste-chan didn''t participatedst year"


    The champions of this year were Mia and her other friend, the S-2 ss. Of course, Ste didn''t appear even once. That''s why they were able to win.


    "No, she will participate"


    "Why are you so sure?"


    "Because Ste was there when I heard about the rumors. And well, I think she would participate, no matter what anyone says. I''m sure she wouldn''t hold back even a bit either. In short, we can just forget about bing the winner if we can''t defeat that monster in the form of girl"


    Pluto''s biting remarks instantly made the S-2 ss members fell silent.


    S-1 and S-2 sses are indeed two different sses. However the professors'' group teaching them is the same, and there are also many joint sses. That''s why Mia and others themselves best understand just how absurd that girl is.


    "What''s wrong with that? It''s rather convenient, isn''t it?"


    "Convenient?"


    Looking at Eight''s showing a bold smile, Mia asked back.


    "Well, didn''t you guys lose your edge after being defeated by her!?"


    "Or course not. But you know...... "


    "Have you forgotten the oath we took at that time? We will win against her and have Sensei be our homeroom teacher once again!"


    "There''s no way I could forget. But¨D¨D"


    "Only when we win the match in which she participates will then our halted time begin to move again. Isn''t that the case!?"


    In that match one year ago, they lost before they knew what''s going on. And then, Shirabe Sensei''s figure disappeared from their life.


    They lost so easily, disappointing the Shirabe Sensei. That''s why Sensei isn''t meeting them. Thinking so inwardly, Mia and other ss members sworn a path. That they must win against the little girl called Ste, who ended their fateful match.


    "Then, what are we going to do? The way we are now, we can''t win against Ste no matter how much we train, can we?"


    Mia also agrees with that. Ste''s strength is just in a different dimension. Rather than saying as same student, she seems much closer to the Sensei or those people they identally met in that Kirik dungeÒ»Ò» no way!


    She suddenly realized something and looked at Eight.


    "Seems like you have noticed. That''s right. To win against the absurd, we ourselves have to go beyond the domain ofmon sense. For example, just like Sensei or those people. And no one knows the method better than themselves. Don''t you think so?"


    "You are asking for the impossible! We haven''t seen those people even once after that"


    Pluto shook his head left and right vigorously, and gulped down the water from the ss cup.


    "Every Monday at 5:00 p.m."


    "What?"


    "Every week at that time, the monocle wearing man can be seen sitting on a bench in the park by the second school building of the academy"


    By the second school building? I guess those people are connected to Sensei, judging from how they asked us to keep quiet about them.


    We may have only been involved with them for a short time but that monocle person didn''t seem like the kind who will sneak attack at anyone. If he had to battle, he would fight fair and square by challenging them directly and crushing them into bits. He''s like an incarnation of destruction.


    "Even if it''s so, why would those people willing to teach us when without any merit? It''s not even closer to suggestion"


    "Do you want to give up the ven before trying? Pluto, you have been a little too quiettely. Have you becent after winning against S-1 ss without Ste?"


    "Huh!? Ridiculous! I am just trying to be realistic!"


    "That''s what I''m saying, being too quiet! You would have agreed without any second thought if you were as reckless as you once were. Tell me if I''m wrong?"


    Pluto red at Eight while biting on his teeths.


    "S, stop. Calm down you guys"


    Mia hurriedly waved her hand to stop and calm them down.


    "However, it may be just as Eight has said. We might have given up somewhere subconsciously"


    Cliff put one hand on his chin and spoke the doubt as if he was asking himself.


    "Indeed. The stronger we get, the more we felt disparity between us. It''s like a bottomless pit"


    Teresa also agrees with Cliff.


    "I can confirm. This is ourst chance to be the students of Sensei. That person will soon reach the summit of the empire. Next year will be thest time he''s going to teach greenhorn students like us. Other students will be hisst students. Are we really going to stand by and let it happen?"


    Eight shook his head sideways and confirmed the intention of Mia and others.


    Last... Just what Eight said. She wondered why it took her so long to notice. How can such an amazing person be a professor in the academy forever?


    He will soon leave for somewhere far away. That''s fine. She will be sad but she can endure it. But she absolutely hates to hand over the title ofst students of Sensei to others. She couldn''t tolerate only that. That''s why-------


    "Mia hates it. She wants to be taught by him with the same group!"


    "Yeah. I too think we should be the his students"


    "I also want to receive Sensei''s sses again with everyone"


    Then everyone''s gaze turns to Pluto.


    "Listen here, if I still continue to deny here, Am I not like a chicken who abandoned the game because he got scared by a girl?"


    So muttered Pluto, sighing in self mockery.


    "Hmm, I also agree with you that you''re a chicken though"


    But Cliff said something extra.


    "Haa!? Look who''s saying that, aren''t you also being led around a lot by your nose now that you''ve reconciled with your little sister? Especially being chummy with that evil-eyed girl!"


    That''s right. Cliff is being awfully chummy with that Messalina Geffert. Lots of passersby have witnessed them walking through the park holding each other''s hand, smiling.


    "You helped her when you were taking practical sses together, right? I''m d you''re getting quite steamy with Messalina"


    "gh!"


    Cliff''s face turns bright red.


    After the exam one and a half years ago, Messalina apologized for throwing stones. Though Mia had long forgotten about this and she was considerably surprised at that time but ever since then, both of them often chat with each other.


    And recently, Messalina directly asked her for advice about Cliff. She heard her saying she had been in the same group as him in monster subjugation training ss, one of the most popr elective courses and that Cliff has taken care of her in so many ways that she''s nowpletely infatuated with him.


    Mia and others, the girl''s group, had nned the date for Messalina and Cliff which was a bittersweet memory for them.


    "It looks like we all have our answers. So let''s go after having our meal, shall we?"


    "Where to?"


    "Naturally to where that person is"


    "Please. Please train us"


    Lined up in a row, all of us bowed our heads to Lars Ò»Ò» the monocle wearing man, but,


    "Get lost!"


    He replied immediately in displeasure without even turning to look at them.


    "Uhyahyahya? what a surprise! We have never encounteredudable kids like you who wants to be the disciple of the fiendish Lars-kun, whom even the most devilish demon wants to escape from when meet head on?"


    Lars directed his ferocious re, which can make a child cry just from a nce, at Nero, a mask-wearing brown haired young man who wasughing on the sidelines.


    "Please. We have someone we wants to win against at any cost"


    "Must win against a person, right?? Is it perhaps that maiddy?"


    Just how much this person called Nero knows about Mia and her friends?


    "That''s right! If we wouldn''t be able to receive Sensei''s final sses if we don''t win against her. So¨D¨D"


    "So?"


    "It''s absolutely necessary to win. We beg you. Please teach us how to fight and win!"


    And they bowed their head once again. They were desperate. Because there''s not anyone besides them who could help Mia and others achieve thier wish.


    Neko thought about it for a short while with his hand on his chin and said,


    "If, even if it means it needs you to quit being a human too?"


    "Nerooo!!!"


    Their bodies cowered subconsciously from the bellow which shook even the air itself. Crimson mes wafts from Lars''s entire body like shimmering mes.


    "nuh-uh, it seems Lars-chan aso care about you kids unexpectedly? but you don''t have to worry, it''s OK?~ I will not do anything except awaking you guys?"


    Awaking Mia and her friends? She wonders if it does have any connection with the secret why Ste is so strong.


    "By doing that, will we be strong enough to win against Ste?"


    "Her strength is already approaching us, so that will depend on you guys~ depend on you~? but... there''s one thing I can assure you. If you do that, it will put you in danger and you guys will never be able to go back again. Think carefully and decide. Do you really want to proceed with this even so?"


    The faint smile faded from Nero''s face for the first time, reced by an awfully grave face.


    "Stop there Nero. I will kill you even if you speak any further. And you, hurry up and get lost!"


    Lars''s hawk-like sharp gazes shoot at Mia and others. However with just this, Mia''s leg, teeth and the whole body began to rattle and scream.


    "Of coursee~ that''s all I want to say, rest depends on you guys"


    Saying this, Nero crossed his arms and closed his eyes. The cheerful vibe Nero had until now has nowpletely faded. Lars too clicked his tongue and red at them. They felt like a frog being stared at by a snake. Facing the situation where they felt as if they aren''t alive,


    "I want to do it"


    Eight replied immediately with a smiling face.


    "Youuu¨D¨D"


    The pressureing out of Lars has already reached the level where it''s bing difficult to breathe.


    "Lars, this is the road he has chosen with his own free will. Besides, it''s not yet confirmed they will be like us. So draw back a bit now"


    Pressure oozing out Lars bes even more at the shuddering words of Nero. In the park, where situation has unexpectedly taken a explosive turn,


    "Are you guys going to fight again? Just what are you thinking"


    The shoulder length blonde hair woman appeared out of nowhere suddenly like before and called out to them in a fed-up voice.


    "Let them be. Either way, once he vent out, he will be tired and keep his quiet"


    A beautiful young man wearing a headband with ck cloth wrapping around his face utters out a line without any tension.


    "Nero, are you nning to atone with this?"


    "No way! You should have known me better than anyone, I don''t have such an admirable personality, don''t you? I just wanted to try it out by believing in it"


    Those words of Nero seem sad and full of mncholy.


    "Do what you want"


    Lars said as if spitting. His whole body was then engulfed in me and disappeared.


    "Now, what will you guys do?"


    He asked what Mia and others had decided.


    "I will do it. I want to return to those days once again. I don''t want to part away from Sensei so pathetically"


    "I am the same!"


    Teresa raised her right hand in agreement with Cliff''s word.


    "I will also do it. We aren''t G ss if we continue to live in fear!"


    "Mia too!"


    If they can''t be recognised by Sensei without doing this, they they aren''t in ce to choose the means.


    Besides, they just can''t feel any maliciousness from those people.


    "So you guys decided?"


    Nero took out a magic weapon simr to the form of Eight''s beloved gun from the chest pocket of his coat.


    Seeing this, theplexion of the blonde haired woman and headband wearing young man changed immediately.


    "Was that the reason for Lars to be angry!?"


    "Are you nning to use this on those kids!? Nero, you definitely aren''t sane now!!"


    Nero aimed the muzzle at Mia and her friends, humming a song and said,


    "This is, in a sense, reincarnation. You will be different when you wake up. Will you simply reborn as a ve to save the world, or elseÒ»Ò»"


    The gunshot resounded and the consciousness of Mia and others rapidly became dim. In the process, she seems to have heard the toneless voice of a woman.


    ["Bravification" has been used against Teresa, Pluto, Cliff, Mia and Eight. Teresa, Pluto, Cliff, Mia, and Eight will evolve from "human (ordinary person)" to "human (Brave apprentice)".


    Confirms the hidden title "¨D¨D¨D¨D ''s disciple (temporary)" for


    Teresa, Pluto, Cliff, Mia, and Eight. The title with bestows effects on the evolution¨D¨D]


    "He, Holy shit! With this¨D¨D"


    They seem to have heard Nero''s astonished voice filled with excitement. With thesest words, their consciousness cut offpletely.


    T/N : Hi there. Thanks for giving your attention and care to this novel until now, but unfortunately due tock of patreon, we will be halting the trantion for indefinite time. Arc 4 chapter 49 would be thest chapter of this series.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 38 - Beginning of training ? Side Mia

    It was the morning of the next day when Mia woke up on the bed in her room. She wonders howe those people know about their room. Guess anything is possible anymore.


    As she got up from the bed and stretched herself, she found a letter and a card that she previously received from Sensei by the table.


    [Heyo! You guys just fainted there so I have to send you guys back? And then I rummaged through your luggage and lucky, found just the right card, so I improved this one ? it turned out to be great, so don''t forget to check?¡¡the hellish training of you guys will began as soon as at 5:00 p.m. of this afternoon. I''m sure you guys will vomit to the point your stomach will be empty but even so, have a nice meal ande okay~??


    P.s. ¨D¨D I think girls will not mind since they are cheeky from the core but don''t worry, as I have you girls send back by our female Gori?]


    What an awful way to write which can only be taken as offensive. That person called Nero. She wonder if asking him was the right choice.


    Then, she picked up the card from the table and studied it carefully.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Mia Cyrus


    ¡ïStatus


    Level £´£¸


    ?HP£ºC£­£¨£µ£µ£¥£©


    ?MP£ºC£¨£±£¸£¥£©


    ?Strength£ºC£¨£²£¥£©


    ?Endurance£ºC£­£¨£³£¥£©


    ?Magic £ºC£¨£·£¸£¥£©


    ?Magic endurance£ºG£­ (8£¸£¥£©


    ?Agility£ºC£­£¨£¹£¶£¥£©


    ?Luck£ºC£­£¨£±£³£¥£©


    ?Drop rate£ºD£¨£±£²£¥£©


    ?Intelligence£ºC£­£¨£´£¹£¥£©


    ?Growth rate £ºA£¨£³£³£¥£©


    ¡ïRace£ºHuman£¨Brave¨D¨DWitchcraft£©


    ¡ïTitle£º¨D¨D¨D¨D''s disciple£¨Temp.£©


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    (----ssh!?)


    Status has changed drastically. And race? Title? There are two more unknown parts that have been added.


    Nevertheless, this race name, human (Brave) is just too iprehensible.


    "It''s about time for sses"


    She put her stationary items and others on the bag, feeling sluggish, and walked out to head for the ss.


    She arrived at the ssroom and when asked from everyone, it seems all of them have found that nonsensical card.


    As for the additional race part, Pluto has [human (brave¨D¨D Longinus)], Cliff has [human (brave¨D¨D Berserk)], Teresa has  [human (brave¨D¨D dius)] and Eight has  [human (Thest Brave)] written on it.


    She wonders if there''s any reason for why only Eight has different aspects? Well, it would be quicker to ask Nero then thinking by ourselves.


    They had a bit earlier dinner after the ss and are now at designated park.


    "You guys came? how does it feel to be a hero?"


    (T/N : I should have already mentioned the difference between hero (yuusha) and hero (eiyuu). So before this line, the word brave is (eiyuu), but in this line although the word is still (eiyuu), the author has added a part which says to read it as "hero". I''m adding this here in case this naming cause any problemter)


    Nero hurled the question at them with his arms outstretched in a strangely drama-like gesture.


    "Well, it''s hard to say even if you ask how it feels...... "


    Cliff looked at Nero as if he was looking at something pitiful.


    "Yeah, we aren''t at the age to enjoy hero y after all"


    Pluto supplements Cliff''s words while showing off his disgust.


    "Sigh you guys, haven''t I said that I was reborn? What awaits after reborn is heroWhat awaits after being reborn is bing a hero?"


    Eight was thinking with his arms crossed but


    "Then what kind of hero is Nero-san?"


    He asked such a stupid question.


    "What do you think?"


    Mia felt as if the air level around them had dropped by several points. Nero was just smiling like usual but at this time, she was extremely scared of him.


    "What are you going to do if they be scared of you?"


    When blonde haired woman hit him on the back of his head, Nero hurriedly returned to normal.


    "Hahaha, sorry sorry?"


    Although he apologized, Mia couldn''t feel like he was seriously sorry as she watched him reverting back to his harmless aspect.


    She patted her chest in relief and Nero exchanged looks with the young man who had ck cloth covered around his mouth standing behind.


    The headband wearing young man with ck cloth around his mouth snapped his fingers and the scenery changed.


    "Well-well, you guys will fight against the monsters from now on, ok~ay?? Let''s first begin with building your fundamental physical strength?"


    An open space cut down in the form of a circle. Dense forest around. And then, the sun shining through the ceiling. They have been here once.


    "By fundamental physical strength....... Isn''t here¨D¨D"


    Confirming the surrounding, Cliff was about to say something with his pale face and bloodshot expression but,


    "Don''t worry- Don''t worry. The worst that could happen is you will die only"


    As he spoke, the ground swelled up and formed a shape like a giant tortoise.


    "What do you mean by you will die only, hey¨D¨D"


    "First, let you guys confront with Kametaro-kun? take your time and do your best everyone?"


    As if to stop Pluto from wasting any more time, the rock giant turtle charged at him suddenly with a roar that sounded like an earth tremor.


    And thus, Mia and her friends took thier first steps towards the horrid training while tearing up inside.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 39 - Hero of the spirit town

    Imperial capital''s second district ¨D¨D Entertainment town, Laguna''s shady dealing site for human auction


    "Brother...... "


    In the gloomy dungeon, Pii tightly hugged her little sister who was crying and clinging to him.


    "Don''t worry. I''m sure Shirohime-sama wille to rescue us"


    Pii and others were ying in the forests around Vels, the town of spirits but they were suddenly kidnapped by the ck clothed men and were led to this ce.


    Shirohime-sama had gathered all the spirits of the forest [ord] who received the devastating blow from those monkeys, protected them and built the town of Vels.


    "Don''t say it''s impossible! The opponent is Laguna, you know! We all will be the toys of those wealthy aristocrats until the day we die!"


    A ck haired crew cut young man, who appeared to have sold simrly, shouted furiously with tears welling up in the corner of his eyes.


    "I''m sure it will be fine! We have the Holy Spirit King!"


    Pii shouted vigorously to encourage himself.


    "Holy spirit king? We wouldn''t have to worry if we could be saved by such superstitious"


    A lovely young girl next to the crew cut young man spat on the floor and said in resignation.


    "I, saw it. I saw the person who was sold before me lying there, headless...... "


    Crouching and quivering, A beautiful blonde haired young man said in a despair filled voice.


    "It''s not a particrly surprising thing. You guys are ves after all"


    Pii turned to look immediately at the sudden words to see a young man wearing a green hat and formal aristocratic dress standing there as he fiddled the whip with his fingers.


    A faint scream echoed in the prison and everyone retreated into the corner of the room.


    This person is the lowest level of scum who seems to have some standing in this ce and whenever he encounters something he doesn''t like, he woulde here to whip at Pii and others until they faint.


    Pii of course hates him.


    "You guys are ves, in short an object.  If you don''t meet the master''s requirements, you will be disposed of immediately. That''s the divine providence"


    "T, that person too?"


    "That brat huh, he was being too noisy and hadn''t wanted to separate from his little sister, which made Noble displeased. Dammit, even though it takes lot of money to dispose of the corpse. That person would be killed soon either way, so why don''t they just do it at their own ce?"


    The man in green aristocratic clothes, whose face distorted hideously, raised his right hand. The armed men behind him unlock the prison and enter, and tie a noose around Pii and her sister''s waist.


    "You''re going to be auctioned. Come out"


    He forced them to do so.


    "Now the next is extremely rare spirit sibling~s"


    The man from the earlier acts as a facilitator on the podium and pointz his hand at Pii and his sister. Cheers erupted immediately.


    "Since it''s a rare species, the price would start from 500,000 G."


    "600,000!"


    "700,000!"


    "800,000!"


    (Lunatics)


    As the crazy voices of humans repeatedly pours in his ear, Pii muttered so in his heart while tightly hugging his little sister clinging to him.


    The race of Pii and his little sister is different from the superior spirits, they aren''t able to change their appearance significantly. The most they can do is make their skin and ears resemble humans. Therefore, they formed small viges, and the adults lived for many years by trading with the rare human merchants who visited them by disguising themselves as people.


    Shirohime-sama receives the divine protection of Holy spirit king, built the town for spirits in the center of the forest [ord] and summoned all ns. The spirits and humans alike spoke, ate and traded together without any differentiation in that town. It''s like a paradise for them.


    That may be why they had forgotten about it.. Why does the n of Pii and his little sister choose to stay away from human society by blending in?


    "5 Million G!"


    The husky voice of stout build aristocrats echoes and stirring inside the building.


    "Someone has bidded 5 million. Now, is there anyone who''s going to bid higher? If there''s not, then the nobleman thereÒ»Ò»"


    "100 million"


    Silence spreads in the building. And when the blonde haired young man raising his hand reflected into his vision,


    (T, that person...... )


    An intense feeling of relief wells up in his body, as if he has just woken from a long nightmare, sobbing leaked out of his mouth and his vision was blurred by the trickling tears.


    That was natural. Because the person there was the true hero of the Vels town.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 41 - The true form to hell

    Shicho, one of the four cardinal of the Laguna, crawls out of the bed,


    "What''s with all this ruckus?"


    And asked his female subordinate, who disturbed his sleep, with a sullen expression.


    "There''s a mass arrest by the empire''s central administration of the justice department! Please hurry up and escape!"


    "Judicial department? Don''t be stupid. What are they trying to do with aristocrats''s toy agency at thiste!"


    "It may be but right now, everyone in the residence is getting arrested one after another, irrespective of executive or not. The one who resisted were...... Killed."


    "Killed?"


    That''s strange. Judicial department isn''t an oppression organization. They don''t have the conception of killing. It would have been possible if they were guards or the army at least but to begin with, they wouldn''t have been able to step in the second district. For that reason, this ce was a holy sanctuary for Laguna. If so, then it''s not the raid from army or guards but the same kind of trend as poisonous liquor who suffered a loss in the Straheim.


    That isÒ»Ò»


    "Not thatpany again!!"


    Sagami Company Ò»Ò» it''s organization that has been eliminating theguna and increasing its influence in the underworld societytely.


    Killing the poisonous liquor and taking the whole of the Straheim underworld under their control. Moreover, there''s also a rise in activity in the imperial capital and they have already destroyed Laguna''s subdivisions in the third and fourth district.


    "They got me!"


    The second district is under the influence of purebred aristocrats, Laguna''s partner, so even those guys will not take action for the time being and he underestimates them and let his guards down.


    "That''s right. They even killed that poisonous liquor! I should have moved even more carefully!"


    The cautiousness and craftiness of the poisonous liquor is quite impressive among the four cardinals. He must have put up as many defensive measures as he coulde up with. And yet, they killed that poisonous liquor and took the underworld of Straheim under their control. He neglected that not even the second district was absolutely a safety zone.


    "Quickly make way for the escape! We have to leave the imperial capital quickly!"


    There''s not even enough time to change clothes. He puts on the kimono and picks up his weapon, whip, from the table. However the important subordinate just stood there with her head dropping down, standing still. And Ò»Ò»


    "There''s a mass arrest by the empire''s central administration of the justice department! Please hurry up and escape!"


    Shouted so.


    "What are you doing so absentminded!"


    He chides his female subordinate who was still standing still with her head hanging down but,


    ""There''s a mass arrest by the empire''s central administration of justice! Please hurry up and escape!"


    The subordinate repeated the same words.


    "As I''m saying, what are you©`Ò»Ò»"


    Their conversation goes on loop. He has seen this phenomenon before. As soon as he thinks about it, the impending sense of crisis turns into a signal and runs around his brain like an electric shock.


    "There''s a mass ...... arrest by the empire''s central administration of justice! Please hurry up and escape escape escapeescapeescapeescapeeeeeeeeeeee!"


    The next moment, that head burst into tiny pieces and flew around. Simultaneously, innumerable bees fly out of the neck section rustlingly.


    "Hiiii!?"


    He retreated back while screaming faintly and swung his whip at high speed to knock down the bees. The bless flew at high speed, slipped past the whip, flooded towards Shicho, bit a hole and invaded his body.


    "Giiihiiiii!? S, stoÒ»Ò»"


    He wasn''t even able to continue his words and several hundreds of the bees bite on the flesh of Shicho and break into his body.


    "Iiiiiguhaaaaa!!"


    The sound and the sensation of them moving around in his body. Each time, it produces acute pain and leads to unbearable itch.


    "How''z? The feeling of being eaten bit by bit, little by little? Amazingly, pain, itching and very wonderful right?"


    Next thing he knew, a beautiful blonde woman in a yellow dress was standing there.


    "Zaa...... be..... me" (save me)


    He somehow opened his mouth that was unable to open and begs for mercy but, the blonde woman smirks with the corner of her mouth literally seams apart till the base of her ear.


    "No way. After all, you guys killed the Gill"


    "Gi...... ll?"


    "Yeah. He was kind to humans and a pretty nice man next to the lord. So, I will never forgive you"


    She sentence him to death with a bouncy voice,


    "The life of my beloved lord. I will thoroughly make you vomit out. Of course I don''t mind if you want to resist and do as you like. But you see~, I''m sure this will be even more painful and severe than dying."


    "De...... vil"


    These are surely the very best words to describe this monster.


    "You''re a devilll...... "


    "Well, the question ¨D¨D"


    So Ò»Ò»Ò»


    "Debillllllllll!!"


    Soon, Shicho let out an extremely loud noise from his throat, the only part he could move.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 42 - Orphanages Mother

    I stepped into the back and not long after, I received the news that Shicho had been captured from Hatch''s subordinate bees.


    Hereafteres the report of apprehension of Laguna''s staff and their execution one after another. Everyone is filled with fighting spirit, for this is the revenge of Gill for them. It doesn''t seem necessary for me to move. So I took action to prioritize the safety of captured children. And finally, the children from the prison were released but Ò»Ò»


    "Good gracious, I was wondering what kind of idiot is it to attack the second district, which have such a shit rule but to thought it''s you"


    A ck haired young boy who has be a prisoner of war muttered as he shook his head.


    "Hmm? I wonder if we have ever met each other? As far as I recall, this seems to be our first meeting though?"


    "That''s right, this is the first meeting with you. Though I know enough about you"


    I can''t seem to read his intention at all. He appears to know about me but I''m almost sure we have never met in actuality.


    "Anyway, I wish you could give me some time. If I return empty handed as it is, I would surely be scolded by my mother"


    Mother..... That''s a name that can be taken any way you want.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, but I don''t care"


    It gives me creeps to know only my opponent knows about me but now vice-versa. There will be a meeting in the future. It should be fun to meet with the mother of this young boy.


    "Then, as soon as this mess of mass arrest is over, pleasees to this ce in the first district"


    The ck haired young boy gave me a scrap of paper with a map depicted on it and took the stairs of the dungeon to go out.


    Judging from his appearance and carefreeness, he seems to have infiltrated this ce as a spy on the order of that mother to collect the information.


    We, the Sagami Company, decided to take the young woman, teenage boys and girls under our protection until the judgment is passed. To be frank, it''s all because I don''t have a shred of confidence or trust to leave them to the imperial government unconditionally.


    However the aristocrats whose life or death doesn''t matter and Laguna''s executive are different. So I have aristocats guest and Laguna''s survivor hand over to court official Luca. Just Shicho only, who seems to have enough information, has been entrusted to Hatch to extract information. Once I get all the information, I will just hand him to Baron Hakuro. He seems to have deep feud with Laguna apparently, so it''s also necessary to sell him some favor.


    To begin with, it''s the story only if he''s not destroyed by Hatch, but if it happens, then so be it. I don''t really care.


    Now that the disturbance has been stabilized, I''m heading for the location instructed by the ck haired young man.


    It was a Church in the corner of the first district, a slum.


    "Is it really here?"


    I was thinking that the young boy is a government or army spy but why church? Did I mistake the ce?


    "Ahh, I was waiting for you, Lord Grey"


    The ck haired young man from earlier appeared out of the building, gave me a light bow and led me by saying "please here".


    The Church building was considerably worn out but it was spacious and filled with warmth. And what left the profound impression on me is the expression of the children, the residents of this church, in the monastery garments.


    "It seems there are only children?"


    "Yeah, mother absolutely didn''t allow the kids to be clergy or nun. Everyone is picked and raised by mother but they graduate from this Church once they have grown up and find new families. That''s why there are no adults"


    In other words, this is an orphanage. This persona called mother seemed to be quite womanly. It surely piqued my interest.


    After walking for a while, we came to a temple-like worship facility. And on the altar of that facility, a hulkish build man dressed in monastery clothes was offering his prayers.


    "Mother, I brought the Lord Grey"


    The hulkish man turned to me and said,


    "Lord Grey, wee to our monastery. I''m Schildre Laval, please act as you fit"


    He greeted me while lightly bending his waist.


    The name of Shildre Laval is famous in the empire. He''s the head of the purebred aristocrats and one of the confidants of Ex-Emperor Iskandar. He possesses the strongest military power in the empire. So far these are the good rumors.


    It''s his childhood hobby and in Schildre''s house, there are only young kids and that they are the outlets for his lust, regardless of boy or girl.


    However such rumors can be deemed as lies from a single look at his blissful expression. To begin with, it''s for orphanage purposes, so of course there would be children only.


    Geez, it seems I still have a long way to go. Being led by nonsense rumors and muddling by my eyes, I''m not in a position to act conceited towards Lennox.


    "Thank you for your help in exterminating those idiots this time"


    There, Schildre bowed to me, who was only a young kid. A person whose outward appearance and inner content doesn''t match at all.


    "You don''t have to, my friends were also captured and I was also at my patience limit"


    "Fufufu, patience limit. Laguna wasn''t such a lukewarm organization that could have been crushes by that intention alone"


    "Surely you jest. Even though you yourself could have crushed something like Laguna alone"


    His average status is A+. He surpasses even the Iskandar himself if it''s body strength alone. Unexpectedly, he was one of the strongest ss beings in this world. In that case, there are many inscrutable things.


    "I''m the sword and shield of His majesty the Ex-Emperor. In short, a soldier. I can''t shake those idiots, lurking in the second district, with the military power."


    "That''s just the official front at best. There are as many methods as you like if it''s to pass through the tile they haveid out"


    Schildre nodded in satisfaction,


    "Because you can do that, you''re brave through and through. It''s not something to do casuals like you"


    [I also agree with what the old man has said. I too think hwo nice it would be if master can learn more about himself]


    Said Mura with his unprecedented seriou voice. Speaking of which, he doesn''t seem to be speaking much recently. If it  was a bit before, he would have been irritated and exined above the female body. Well even so, he still jumps on beautiful women and lets his fantasies run wild.


    I was about to deny it but I missed the timing due to Mura''s interruption, so I guess I should change the topic. Well, just right, I also have something to ask.


    "Anyway, why didn''t you dispatch your troops at the time of undead assault?"


    This person could have crushed them alone with much less sacrifices.


    "I had the reason to not move away from the capital at that time. No matter what is sacrificed. How? Do you despise me?"


    "No, I''m the same as you. If not for the step mother coercion, I was going to pretend to not see it. It was just luck that I went off to deal with it. I sympathize with them much, but I despise them very, very much"


    "Fufufu, you really are an interesting person. That might be so, why His Majesty wanted to bet on you"


    "His Majesty thought of a bet? Are you talking about Iskandar?"


    "I seem to have talked a bit too much. This is the end of the topic. Let''s y with children tonight. There are also many kids who dream of joining the Sagami Company in the future, everyone will love it"


    "I will surely if you''re fine with me"


    As I rose from my seat and turned on my heels to head towards the room children has gathered,


    "Lord Grey"


    "Yes?"


    "You''re an upright and good boy. So no matter what happens, follow the path you believe in"


    A child''s treatment to me...... This person is really oddball..


    "I see, thank you for your advice"


    This time, I left the room.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 43 - Princes visit and the epidemic

    Being called by Emperor George, when Ie to the imperial pce,


    "The first prince of the Bitsley kingdom hase to visit, so I entrust the matter of entertaining him to you"


    He pushed such an annoying and ridiculous matter to me.


    "I should have told you before too, I''ve also been extremely busy recently. I rather hope you can stop involving me in the immature love affair between young people"


    Olivia, standing next to the Emperor, reflected in my vision with her face full of smiles three tenths more than usual. I noticed it not long ago but this seems to be her condition just one step away from the momentary explosion.


    It seems she has much prejudice against the Prince from her appearance. It''s not a particrly rare sight considering her straightforward personality and stranger''s anxiety.


    Most likely, apanied by me, she''s going to take me as a shield and make a scene of indirect refusal I guess.


    However, Rtionships between men and women are something to be dealt with by the people at the time, and if the guardians get involved, it will onlyplicate things.


    Above all, whether it''s the emperor or that wild beast (Ex-Emperor), both of them are hopelessly sweet to her. If the person themselves rejected this marriage, I think they will take it as base and break off the engagement in the end. The reason for me to follow is strikingly chipping away.


    Of course, speaking from the standpoint of someone managing political affairs, it''s like throwing a card at the opponent. They may want to be done with it as soon as possible but for me, it''s a situation that has nothing to do with me.


    "Don''t be so hasty, taking a breather once in a while is also necessary, Grey. And the Prince has already arrived at the neighboring town. I would like you to go and visit him"


    "Like I aid, I''m busy soÒ»Ò»"


    "Come on, let''s go Grey!!"


    Olivia grabbed my right hand just when I was about to refuse and dragged me with great vigor.


    So, am I going to be involved too? It''s annoying, it''s really annoying.


    A cked-out car, used exclusively for the royal family, was parked in front of us as we exited the Imperial Pce.


    This is thetest car provided by Sagami Company at Emperor''s request. Cars are already running in the roadway in several territories of the Empire. Even in the imperial capital, you can sparsely see cars owned by the rich merchants of themercial guild. But royal family is still using the old fashioned carriage. Apparently such voicese from the minister. I think that''s why the Emperor, who hates extravagance, reluctantlyes to ept their feeling.


    Well, it''s easy for this kind of technology to spread when used by a distinguished person. It would also help me to spread the technology much easier to the world if I had royalty rides on them.


    "Well, is Prince Franco such a detestable person?"


    I asked Olivia who was currently sitting on the back seat of the royalty exclusive private car with a sullen look.


    "Noble lineage aristocrats"


    "Hmm?"


    "He''s like thebination of Duke Cyrus and Duke Geffert and divided by two"


    "Well, this is hateful indeed"


    I see. In short he''s a noble supremacist. So I guess he''s hateful even if it''s not Olivia.


    "Grey...... "


    "Yeah?"


    "Nothing"


    After that, Olivia didn''t speak further and I also crossed my arms and closed my eyes.


    The ce we arrived at was Urgus, a town southeast of the Imperial capital. We then headed to what seemed to be the most luxurious inn in the town.


    When the door was opened, a blonde haired man with delicate features who was in the lobby came to us, grabbed the hands of Olivia and shook them excitedly. This man must be Prince Franco.


    "Hi, Olivia! I really wanted to meet you!"


    "Hmm"


    Paying no heed to Olivia who replied indifferently without hiding her difort, he put his arm around her shoulder and led her to a table in the hotel lobby.


    Just when Olivia looked at me with desperate expression,


    "Come on, servant, don''t just stand there like that!"


    He cheerfully raised his right hand and took a seat. Hmm, he doesn''t seem that much of a bad person at our short meeting.


    "Here, let''s have a toast!"


    He poures fruit wine into a ss and began to drink from the daytime. It''s a spectacle toomon to see even in the imperial capital if they are purebred aristocrats. He''s a Prince of a country, so it''s nothing sort of strange.


    "Oh? So you''re a viscount. It''s amazing, how you are still so young but already earned the court rank"


    "Don''t be so polite Prince, hees from a local n. Although he''s a noble, he''s just someone with lowly bloodline"


    A tall man immediately negates the words Prince. The man with an extremely unpleasant expression and unshaven beard is Count Noval. He and I have had some kind of entanglement since the case of the ore mine in the Maguire territory.


    "What did you sayyyy, I even thought I might make him my friend. Youuu, then you should just stand up"


    I see... So it seems the Count Noval has already been wheedled.


    Olivia tries to object with a angry look but I stop her with my right hand,


    "Then excuse me"


    And stood up from seat. Honestly, it doesn''t really matter for me if I sit next to them or not.


    "Hey you! This is not a ce where a lowly bastard like you can sit! Quickly get off the seat!"


    Count Noval shouted even more unpleasantly at me.


    Hmm, that''s right. This is the territory of noble lineage aristocrats Count Noval. I have never done the business on the territory of noble lineage aristocrats, and never set foot on it. I have always been interested in what kind of government they have. It would. Without such an opportunity, I won''t be able to see it. At least, it would be worth wasting time there rather than discussing it with people like them.


    "I will take my leave here"


    Olivia was ring at me with a revengeful gaze but I calmly ignored it, left the duty of guarding her to Spy and left the high ss inn.


    I took a look around and now, I''m in the slum southwest of the town.


    "That''s so awful"


    Unconsciously, I blurted.


    The area around the feudal lord''s mansion or firms are lined up with dazzling buildings systematically and people in affluent getupe and go.


    However, going a bit further away is hell.


    "To think it''s bad to this extent...... "


    This is, in a sense, even more terrible than past Ruddle.


    Old ones have their belly protruded out abnormally and the kids are awfully emaciated. A woman wearing a almost tattered cloth, seemingly a prostitute, was calling out to stop the men in the aisle.


    And then Ò»Ò»


    "Don''t touch me with your dirty hands!!"


    A robust man with a split chin keeps kicking a young child. Good heavens, no matter where, scums like them appear anywhere.


    I approached the man from behind and brushed aside his leg,


    "Gahhh! you bastard Ò»Ò»"


    I stomped on his face, and the man''s whole face was flushed red from the humiliation of being trampled on by a kid and he bellowed in rage.


    But Ò»Ò»


    "Ohh, It seemed to be dirty? This is so awful, let me help you"


    I injected even more power in the leg that was trampling on that face.


    "Gugyaaaahhhhh!!"


    "What''s the matter? You hate getting dirtied, right? If so, try to escape with all your might. Otherwise, the ground will be dyed red like a tomato with your brain fluid"


    "Zelph ne...... "


    While shrinking his face from fear and pain, the man somehow managed to utter a plea. I took my leg off his face, crouched and made eye contact with the man.


    "I saved you. But... There''s no next. You understood the meaning, right?"


    "....... "


    The man nodded multiple times with a teary face,


    "Very well, go now"


    When I gave him the permission to escape, the man dashed out with a strange voice.


    "Are you all right?"


    When I came to help him, the kid jumped backward, picked up the stick from nearby and pointed it at me. Seems like I havepletely scared him.


    As to verify, I try to show a smiling face but©`Ò»


    "Kihii!!"


    He retreated back even more and began to cry out arge drop of tears.


    [That''s of course. Master''s smile is basically looks like a brutal fiend face]


    I approached the kid while gushing out curses at Mura''s unnecessarymentary and hugged gently.


    "It''s safe now. You did very well"


    The kid finally began to cry when I caressed the head kindly.


    Once the kid stops crying, I listen to the situation..


    The kid''s name is Bazio. Bazio tried to get the money from the man earlier to save the ill mother but all Bazio received was violence instead it seems.


    Under the guidance of Bazio, we arrive at a shanty where even rainwater is unlikely to survive.


    Milky white stool like washed rice water. Most likely the mother of this little girl has Cholera. She''s sure to die if left alone. What''s more it will spread to all the residents around this unsanitary ce.


    Dammit! Unsanitary ces like this are the nurturing spot of illnesses. The noble lineage aristocrats are really the creatures that can''t be left to rule. While furiously cursing them, I used the recovery magic on the mother.


    "T, thank you very much"


    "Don''t mind about that, just take rest"


    I put Bazio''s mother down on a tattered futon. Who forcibly tried to get up and crossed arms to assume a gratifying posture. It''s bad but this is mere constion only. Contagious disease can''t be cured by magic. This is a fact that has already been proved. For now, I inject the penicillin developed by thepany from her wrist.


    Once there is an urrence of Cholera, theoretically the ce should be isted originally and this is a situation where a full medical team of Sagami Company ought to tackle this. Unfortunately, this is the territory of those moron aristocrats. If the Sagami Company lends a helping hand, it will be a problem in the future. We can only try to help with just us alone.


    Nevertheless though, thispelling power to follow through the ordeal by all means. This isn''t a kind of unselfish charity work or out of a sense of justice. It''s mostly likely because of my previous life experience I guess.


    So, I went outside and Ò»Ò»


    "Cholera has urred. Bring the sick to this ce! Also, seeking the cooperation of healthy people!"


    Cholera is an incurable disease in this world. I assumed they would run away for sure once I screamed but they gathered around me instead.


    "You... are you a doctor?"


    A crew cut young man asked me hesitatingly.


    "Something like that. If you want to save, lend me a helping hand here"


    "Dressed like this, you''re a wealthy person, aren''t you? Why help us?"


    "I will ask in return, do you ask for a reason to help those who are afflicted with disease?"


    "...... "


    Maybe my words to the crew cut young man were so unexpected, his mouth was gaping open and shut in speechlessness.


    "This whole area will be an isted zone. No entry to any healthy person except those who are going to help. After that, boil the water and cook. Everyone will just die from malnutrition if left as it is. However, if the patient has not eaten muchtely, then make it soft and gruel before feeding. Don''t make haste"


    I walked up to a distant ce and took out mats, water and food from the item box.


    As expected, the slum people turned stiff as they stared at the pile of food,


    "Be quick!! You want to help, right!!?"


    "Y, yes!!"


    When I shouted standing upright, everyone started to move at once.


    I fetched a mat and ced necessary medical items on it. After putting on the mask, I also began to move.


    T/N : Hi there. Thanks for giving your attention and care to this novel until now, but unfortunately due tock of patreon, we will be halting the trantion for indefinite time. Arc 4 chapter 49 would be thest chapter of this series.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 44 - Resolution of the contagious disease

    After several hours of work, all the patients have been gathered in a certain section.


    I collected f*ces from all the houses through the magic in one ce and put into a big hole. And thoroughly sterilized all the toilets where wastes were with the sodium hypochlorite, developed by the science team of ourpany.


    For the starving people without any disabilities, they were given the food to build up their endurance and prevent infection.


    For those who actually have symptoms showing up, after using the recovery magic until their body has been healed to a certain point, they are then administered intravenous infusion through an IV tube and intravenous antibiotics. In addition, buckets were ced under the luggage carrier and have them excrete in them.


    That''s all that could have been done in this ce. We can only try to do our best with this.


    ?


    It has begun to process well somehow. However the pressuring thing is there isn''t enough fit and fine manpower to help.


    As I was worrying about the number of helpers Ò»Ò»


    "By whose permission do you think you''re doing as it pleases you!!!"


    A small mustache man, seemingly a civil official judging from hisscivious appearance,es upto to me and noisily prattle on.


    "Are you sure you want me to stop? This is korori you know. Do you know how many lives will be gone if left untreated! Not to say you guys too!" [T/N : Cholera is called Korori in this world as mentioned before. Mc used Korori when talking to other people and Cholera in the monologue]


    I said without stopping my busy hand as I activated recovery magic, made an isted ce for patients and connected the infusion tube.


    "Ko, Korori...... "


    At my words, the face of the small mustache man twitched and even the soldiers behind began to retreat.


    "Ah, that''s right! Let''s have the help of you guys! Put on the mask and gloves from there and soak these used clothes in the hot water. After you''ve done, spray this liquid in the surrounding"


    "W-Why weÒ»Ò»"


    "Just shut up and do it!! If you didn''t help, not to mention these patients, even your family may die!!"


    Cholera isn''t such an easy disease to handle. Especially in ces like this with an undeveloped health care system.


    "Damn it!"


    The civil official with a small mustache approaches the mask and gloves with a crying face.


    "You guys, teach them how to do it!"


    "O-Ok!"


    With this, I once again return to focus on treatment.


    Olivia, who came looking for me since I waste in getting back as the night got deeper, also helped and we devoted ourselves to treatmentpletely.


    In the beginning, Prince Franco along with the Count Noval tried to bring back Olivia but as soon they heard it was Cholera, they went as far as to take refuge in the private vi of neighborhood Count.


    However, in a sense, it can be said that it was godsend that those noisy bunch left from here.


    Thanks to the civil official with a small mustache persuading his co-workers and the group of wealthy people, helping hands also increased.


    And it took around three weeks for the cholera to finally settle in this ce.


    When I woke up after sleeping like a dog for a whole day in the inn, I heard I had been called to the mansion of Count Noval. Anyway, it wouldn''t be anything decent.


    As I followed after the guide Arnold, the civil official with small mustache, I found all the soldiers and town''s civil official who had helped in the operation gathered in the first floor of the inn. Seeing me, everyone immediately straightened their posture and assumed the salute by putting a hand on their chest.


    Then Arnold took a step ahead and Ò»Ò»


    "It''s all thanks to Grey-dono that we all are here without losing anyone. On behalf of this city, we are extremely grateful to you"


    he bowed. These people have changed considerably. Pretty much all were grumbling out theint in the beginning but now, they are enthusiastically discussing the future with the people of slums. Maybe, they have found something like a goal in their life through the act of rescuing people.


    "No problem. You guys will be the one to protect this city from now on"


    "Leave it to us"


    Arnold starts walking as he taps his chest with his right fist.


    Looking at Olivia who was watching the sceneing following after me who started to walk,


    "I''m the only one called though?"


    I pointed out the fact.


    "I''m just apanying you till the entrance of the mansion. You will not mind that, do you?"


    "As it suits you"


    Either way, it would be something like disciplinary action for acting without permission in the territory, and it will be over soon.


    "Don''t act any reckless"


    "That depends on their attitude"


    Noble lineage aristocrats are already at their death''s door. Sooner orter, they will be destroyed. However if they began to act insane, I might detach Ruddle from the empire and raise up a civil war at the worst. But, this is also interesting. Anyway, even without me, it''s just a matter of time if a situation like the slum of this territory frequently appears.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 45 - The disgusting Prince

    "This is the contract for transferring the rights of Sagami Company. Sign it!"


    The words conveyed to me after I was guided to the unnecessarily big mansion and leaving me standing were just as what I had expected.


    "Nonsense. Do I have any obligation to do this?"


    "You used the people of my fief like a ve. This is an absolutely unforgiven thing. It''s useless to refute. I will soon demand the central justice department to transfer the rights of ownership to me as thepensation for the damage"


    Geez, not to say Duke Cyrus, why all the imbecile bunch of noble lineage aristocrats are so predictable.


    "That may be how you are cleverly exploiting the judiciary department until now but that''s a dream that will no longere true"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Including the attorney general, the judicial officers who are in the cliche of you guys, the pure-bred aristocrats are being dismissed one after another. There''s no longer anyone who are going to support yourwlessness"


    Count Noval mocked me at the beginning but soon furrowed his brows at my leisure appearance.


    "Is this true?"


    Of course it''s true. The fact about the collusion of purebred aristocrats and bandit group Laguna in the second district Sivalier became definitive. And at the same time also confirmed the collusion between purebred aristocrats and the minister of justice.


    Right now, the Minister of internal affairs is taking the lead in speeding up the process of dismissing all the judicial officers who have participated in any kind of corruption or sin while altering the generation by appointing young and able court officials like Luca and others.


    "You''re not going to believe in my words either way. Tentatively, you can try to im the restitution. Once your im turned out to be a deceit, I''m nning to demand the restitution of 500 billion in the basis of your illegal action"


    "F, f, five hundred billion!"


    As soon as I said this, Count Noval shouted hysterically. Even the close aide of the Count Noval present in the room looks at each other''s faces.. It seems the meaning of such a colossus sum hasn''t struck them yet.


    "Isn''t it natural? You guys tried to snatch away all the fortune of mypany from me based on false evidence. So I will do tit for tat. Snatching everything from you"


    I stood up from my seat, arrived right in front of Count Noval and smiled at him.


    "Hiiii!"


    Letting out a faint scream, he immediately averted his eyes from me. What a rude guy he is.


    [Year by year, Master''s smile is getting more and more fiendish. Right now, it''s on the level where even a genuine demon will turn around and run away]


    Mura made such a scurrilous im.


    "Who will believe your nonsense!"


    "They will. After all, I have plenty of eye witnesses. For example, Her Highness Olivia who helped who helped together in the treatment. Oops, look at me, I forgot to tell you she was extremely angry when she heard that you, the lord of this territory actually left the poption of fiefs on thier and escaped as soon as you heard the name Korori. She will surely going to raise the question once returning to imperial capital"


    I thought he would fall into disarray as soon as the name of Olivia came out but on the contrary, he instantly regained his calmness.


    "Her Highness Olivia is our ally who will be the legal wife of Prince Franco. And my daughter is also nned to be his concubine. That means I will be a rtive with the royalty of the Bitsley kingdom. Then, Prince Franco will raise a voice of protest against your misuse of authority. If the im of His Highness Franco was ignored, the diplomatic rtionship with the Bitsley kingdom will worsen considerably. Now, do you think the imperial government will wish for the end of taking risks in offending the Bitsley Kingdom just to protect a cheeky brat like you?"


    "...... "


    Ah, I see. So he''s still living in such a sweet fantastical world. That theory would have certainly been applicable if it was the empire of several years ago. But, the imperial government has already made up its mind to sh against the world. Bitsley Kingdom? I don''t know about the three big kingdoms but I don''t think they are going to give face to a medium-sized country at this stage.


    No wait, if that''s the case, then why did the imperial government send me here? They should have expected for the situation to be like this if I visited Count Noval territory with whom I have a cat and dog like rtionship.


    Then that means Ò»Ò»


    "That''s why I said. It''s not a bad deal for you too. Leave the Sagami Company to me? Isn''t that wonderful? I would let go of the folly you havemitted in my territory if you did so"


    I guess he has misunderstood my silent contemtion as overwhelmed by despair. He stood up from seat tedly, looked up at my expression and proposed.


    "I see. I didn''t see Prince Franco anywhere?"


    I want to confirm Prince Franco''s intention. This idiot mightn''t have realized it yet but if that guy really n to intervene in the empire''s internal dispute, that would be interference in the domestic affairs of another country. By no means it is an eptable act. At the very least, the elimination should be finalized at this point from the perspective of George and other ministers, the current government leaders.


    "Prince is...... "


    Count Noval raises his brow only for a moment and turns his gaze to a corner of the room. A robust man with a split chin was there. If I am not misunderstanding, he''s the guy who was kicking Bazio. An intense chill ran through me as I looked at his face contorted in amusement.


    "Where is Prince!? I want to meet him soon! Bring him here!"


    "How rude of you to call Prince Franco like this! Do you know it will turn into an international problem!!"


    I grabbed the cor of Count Noval while raising the corner of my eyes steeply,


    "Cut it out, Bring me to him. Didn''t you hear what I say!!"


    And lifts him up.


    Count Noval''s subordinate immediately drawn their de and pointed the sword tip towards me.


    (Grey-sama, would you like me to handle this?)


    Spy whispers to me while in an invisible state.


    (Not yet)


    I just gave this order and red at the Count Noval.


    "H, Hey, Grey-dono, what in the world are you doing?"


    Arnold, the small mustache civil official, asked me falteringly at my sudden transformation.


    "These guys have most likely done something they shouldn''t have done as the ruler?


    Of course, that is if my worst predictiones out to be true.


    Just right at this moment, a blonde and gentle looking man entered the room in a jovial mood but soon frowned in displeasure.


    "Hey! What is this sleazeball trying to do to my father-inw?"


    "You, whose blood is in your fist?"


    "Oops, I was exposed"


    Prince Franco made a "tehepero" gesture. Piece of shit!! This bastard has truly vited my biggest taboo.


    "No way...... "


    Arnold looked at Prince Franco and Count Noval with a pale face,


    "Count Noval, I want to ask. Have you truly sold the poption of our fief?"


    He was shivering, but he still asked with a strong tone to say he didn''t want to hear anything other than yes or no.


    "Arnold! You bastard! Is this the attitude yoÒ»Ò»"


    "However you took it, please tell meeee!!"


    Shouted Arnold.


    At Arnold''s unusual behavior, soldiers lowered down their swords pointing at me.


    "Why are you guys doing it! Hurry up and cut that person for me!!"


    However Count Noval''s subordinate ignored his order and put the swords back to their sheath.


    "That''s right! Kill him! That''s my order!"


    Subordinate Knights of Moron prince looked at each other''s face but not a single one of them moved an inch.


    "You bastard, just sees what I will do with you guys after returning to couÒ»Ò»"


    "Right now, I''m questioning Count Noval! Shut up for me!"


    Arnold, with his demonic expression, shouted at Prince Franco to shut him up.


    "I don''tÒ»Ò»"


    I tightened my grip at Count Noval cor,


    "Spit it out"


    And with a smiling face, coerce him into confession.


    Count Navarro''s cheeks spasmed as he tried to look at his subordinates to save him but he could only make a whining sound at the cold stare directed at him.


    "T, those bunch from slums brought in the Korori. So they ought to be killed! And that''s how we deal with that in our territory until now! That guy used the people of fief on his own ordÒ»Ò»"


    "I''m not asking you that. Was a kid from the slum kidnapped? I only want to hear yes or no. Easy to tell, right?"


    I tightened my grip on his cor even more.


    "Poption of fiefs is the possession of feudal lords in the empire. Especially the freedom to kill or let live those lowly and dirty pieces of shit from the slum. I just bring that into the use only!"


    "You, just what have you...... "


    Arnold plopped down on his knees with both of his palms on his face as he trembled. That''s not an exaggerating reaction. In these few weeks, he has been desperately striving to rescue their lives with me. How could he not despair when they robbed their lives so easily.


    I throw down the Count Noval and approach Prince Franco.


    "Guide me to the kid you treated as toy"


    "I hate it! Why must I beÒ»Ò»"


    I grabbed the hair of the noisily chirping idiot prince and mmed his face into the floor.


    The faces of Count''s subordinate including the entourage distorted like demons.


    It seems not everyone is rotten in his territory. But I guess that''s why these scums are non salvageable.


    "Listen, I will say it one more time, answer me. If you don''t, I will break each and every single bone of your"


    "I, I will say it, so don''t do anything more terrible!"


    "Scum!"


    I twisted his left arm.


    "Gugyaaaaa!"


    "Shut up. Stop shouting and quickly bring me to the kids. Your life will be saved as long as they are sound in limb and wind. If they aren''t, then you understand right?"


    Idiot prince nodded countless times after I pped him multiple times and began to lead the way.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 46 - The end of turmoil in the Noval territory

    To conclude, Bazio was beaten violently but fortunately, not to the point of bone breaking so my recovery magic was enough to heal her.


    Count Noval and the cleft chin man were arrested on the suspicion of selling fiefdom people by the judicial officer of the Count Noval territory who then put them into solitary cells. Most likely he judged that they could no longer be defended partly due to the Arnold persuasion and the appearance of Olivia seething in fury.


    The Moronic Prince was also tossed into the prison without healing him. Then the knights, whom I thought would be raging around, for some reason confided themselves in the hotel as we instructed them without any objection. I lightly thrashed the Prince and given the normal routine, there should be at least some kind of reaction. Being so honest really gives me an ufortable feeling.


    Several dayster, an envoy from the imperial capital arrived, so I let Moronic Prince, Count Noval and the envoy meet face to face.


    "Lord Grey, it was hard for you"


    When the Kaiser beard gentleman utters out the word of appreciation for me, the face of Count Noval was dyed in the color of despair. I also came to understand who''s the true mastermind who devised these circumstances.


    "It was, do you know the government''s farce really makes it a bit hard for me to suppress my anger?"


    A one wrong step and the life of a kid would have forfeited. I don''t have the patience to brush it offughing.


    "You''re misunderstanding us, Grey. We really didn''t know what''s happening here. Nevertheless, incidents like these are an everyday urrence in the territory which are under direct control of pure-bred aristocrats. We didn''t think you would be able to endure it. It was just that"


    Count Hakuro, who was also beside us, promptly denied me. He has climbed up through the ranks and is now making strenuous efforts as the staff member directly under the Minister of domestic affairs.


    "I... see"


    I knew. Bazio''s incident was the seed I sowedpletely. The Imperial government simply sent me there only. They don''t have a bit of responsibility. This is just my ugly self who tried to shift the responsibility.


    "I apologize. I spoke too much"


    I bowed deeply,


    "Please no, I don''t mind. It''s so Lord like. After all, that''s why we were able to execute our n this time."


    The Minister of domestic affairs nodded multiple times while raising the corner of his mouth.


    "Do you even know!? This kind of harsh treatment to me, who will be the next king will cause problems on an international level!?"


    "There''s no any problem"


    The blonde man with too narrow eyes enters the room while denying the im of moron Prince.


    "Sa, Inan, how could you be here!?"


    "It was the order of His Highness the Majesty, Prince"


    The young with thin eyes called Inan then turned to us,


    "I''m Inan Koff, the prime minister of the Bitsley kingdom. And I am extremely sorry for the folly our Bitsley Kingdom people has done"


    And deeply bowed.


    "Prime minister, you bastard, do you even understand the consequence of your action!? That sleazeball over there exercised violence on me, you know!? To me, who''s the next king!!"


    Killing intent leakes out from the Spy who was nearby at his words and even the face of Olivia was dyed with anger.


    Or rather, even the Minister of domestic affairs, who didn''t lift even a single of his eyebrows at my extremely rude behavior, also stroked his prided Kaiser beard in displeasure.


    "Prince. You seems to have made big misunderstanding"


    "M, misunderstanding?"


    "It''s the wish of His Majesty for the Prince toe here this time. Is that all correct until this point?"


    "Yeah. He told me to meet with Olivia, my future princess in this country.


    Olivia pulls a scowling face in displeasure at the words future princess


    "First, that''s where you are misunderstanding. His Majesty do want you toe to this country but it''s not to meet Her imperial Highness Olivia but precisely that man whom you are calling sleazeball"


    "What? Why make me meet such an inferior bloodline person?"


    "Inferior, was it. That''s your second misunderstanding. He''s Grey Ines Navarro. The one who has tremendous influence  in themercial guild and also the lord of the Ruddle, which is now said to be the most developednd. Furthermore, a young hero who will lead the future empire. That''s the fairytale kind of person he is. Whose worth is iparable to you"


    Wait a minute, thest fact about leading the empire is definitely a mistake. The best I would do is give them a push only, I never thought about taking action myself.


    Hey-Hey, minister and Olivia, why even you two are nodding!?


    "But Count Noval said he has an inferior bloodline...... "


    "It''s true he belongs to local ns. Only regarding this point Prince is correct"


    "That''s what I mean! That''s why, IÒ»Ò»"


    "Prince. We are no longer in the era where bloodline determines everything. The king is a sensible person. That''s why he keeps showering you with affection without abandoning a hopeless and dull-witted person like you. But you see, there is a limit to this patience. That''s why...... "


    "His Majesty the king of Bitsley kingdom approaches with a consultation. He hope to awaken the eyes of his son"


    Minister of domestic affairs supplemented instead of the prime minister who hesitated for a moment on how to say it.


    "And so I was made to work?"


    So that''s why George stubbornly insisted on making me apany Olivia.


    "Well yeah, the deterioration of public order in Count Noval''s territory is often heard in the imperial capital. And if we put you there, then undoubtedly a disturbance is bound to ur"


    Said Baron Hakuro with a smiling face.


    "Lord Grey is indeed like a strong poison. Even the old fashioned convention of this territory has been shattered"


    And giving a big nod to his statement was the Minister of domestic affairs.


    Most likely, both of them are speaking about the slum. You know it''s really astonishing that a surplus amount of food supply and furniture etc was given to them by the residents of a rich district. Furthermore, a part of them are even donating money to reconstruct the houses of current slum inhabitants.


    Though, I wasn''t specifically aiming for that. With the persuasion of Arnold, all of them had helped as one body in dealing with the cholera, ignoring the social inequality to protect oneself family. It''s a sense of solidarity that arose.


    "How dare you say I''m a dull-witted Inan! I''m the next King! I willint to my father and dismiss you!"


    He stood up and shouted in anger while disgracefully scattering his saliva.


    "Sigh, it seems your rotten nature aren''t to change with just that much as expected"


    The prime minister Inan Koff turned to me.


    "I refuse. I''m not an animal trainer. Please forgive me from dealing with the annoying idiot who hurts kid and treating them as toy"


    "Please. There''s no one but you whom I can ask"


    "So tedious! I didn''t kill that beast. This is the biggest concession for me. You understand?"


    "Well, It''s more than enough indeed. But even if he''s non-salvageable scum, he''s the Prince of our country who has the first right to seed the throne. If such a foolish ruler carried out the governance, the tragedy that was saved from happening in this territory would sweep over the Bitsley kingdom. Due to this, countless children will be the victim"


    "That''sÒ»Ò» quite a crafty words you have chosen"


    That man is speaking from knowing I wouldn''t be able to refuse if he brings out the matter of children.


    "Well, I have been repeatedly made aware of this. But please, I can only rely on you"


    Prime minister kneels down and lowers his head to the floor. The mainstay wearing the resplendent clothes of the prime minister''s retainer also follows after him.


    "So, so strange. Why are you doing such a thing, Prime minister. He''s just a lowly noble, not to say a kid"


    Prince Franco said in a teary voice.


    "Sorry to disappoint but I don''t see any worth in looking after this filth. You have heard about my information from His Majesty, right? It should be easy to understand. This man touched my taboo. It''s not something you can do just be bowing your head"


    It''s not my arrogance. If I forgive the Moronic Prince act, then I will not be me. That''s what I feel.


    "No matter what?"


    "I''m sorry but I can''t"


    Prime minister stood up while taking a big sigh and once again bowed. And then he pulled the sword tied to his waist and walks up to the front of Prince.


    "I, Inan?"


    "Forgive me Prince. But this is also for our country. Please die here"


    "D, Don''t be ridiculous! If you did this, then father will©`Ò»"


    "This is the order of His Majesty!"


    "My father, said to kill me?"


    Whole face of Moron prince dyed in despair.


    "Prince Franco, you''re not the only one at fault. I have also my hand in this sin to raise and pamper you so much because you are a First Prince. Don''t worry, I will follow after you soon"


    This Prime minister is truly serious. He''s seriously trying to kill this idiot Prince. This Prime minister should have been the substitute parent of this idiot Prince.


    I wonder why. This act alone shouldn''t be forgiven. I naturally think so.


    (Damn it! Why is turning to this! Even though I must never forgive this idiot Prince!)


    Prime minister raise his sword and  Ò»Ò»


    "Stop!"


    The sword stopped at my words. It stopped with a thin cut mark on the Moron prince''s forehead.


    "Fine. Leave him to mypany. However he will not receive any princely treatment. Life would undoubtedly; a hell for this person. Are you sure you''re fine with this?"


    "Thank you...... Very much"


    Prime minister dropped down the sword with trembling hands and began to cry on his knees.


    "Inan...... ?"


    The moron Prince turned his gaze at crying Inan as if he was looking at something incredible.


    "Etched it into your memory. The one who saved you is your biological father and foster father. Spy, leave the moron Prince in Krama care for a while and thoroughly knock his character into shape! I will think about concrete education n another day"


    "Understood"


    Spy grabbed the back of the moron Prince''s neck and disappeared alongside him.


    "Well let''s proceed to deal with the irredeemable brute now. Count Noval. You and this retainer are charged with kidnapping your fiefdom inhabitants and assisting in harming them. In addition, your inaction towards the Korori. You''re already beyond saving"


    "W, what about His Majesty the Ex-EmperorÒ»Ò»"


    "Right, when I exined to His Majesty the Ex-Emperor how you escape as soon as you heard Korori, he was extremely angry. Whatever you try to say, but His Majesty doesn''t need any coward vessel who flew away in front of enemy. Regardless of what decision judiciary department takes, the seizure of your nobility and the territory is certain. Server firmly in the prison, return to being amoner and redo your life from zero"


    "No, way...... "


    The Minister of domestic affairs looked at him with contemptuous gaze who tried to wail when he heard even the Ex-Emperor had abandoned him and gave the orders to cast him away.


    "Take him away!"


    In this way, the turmoil of the Count Noval territory saw the resolution after a hardship.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 47 - Second Conferring of Peerage

    "How did I be the feudal lord of Noval territory?"


    If such an unreasonableness to be done, another futile discord is bound to rise.


    Especially now that the power of local ns has been increased which is colliding with the interest of the Noble lineage aristocratic faction and hence, small skirmishes are urring pretty much in every territory.


    "Naturally because people of fiefdom desire so. Do you want to refuse? I don''t mind appointing anyone else. However if you decline, then this territory will once again return under the rule of the aristocratic faction."


    "How about Margrave Mcburne or Count Hartwig? If it''s those two, I''m sure they will be good ruler"


    "I have already tried to ask them. However, they are already at their limit to managing the oneself''s territory which has increased significantly recently"


    Both Count took over the territory of local ns when their ruler passed away in that undead assault incident. But I heard they are recently in a very good mood. Most likely there''s another reason.


    "Why do you always put forward the shit or piss like a worthless option to me?"


    "Hmm, shit or piss. It''s quite a fitting metaphor"


    Ahem, prime minister El slightly cleared his throat to want the Emperor who was showing his admiration in a strange ce.


    "Cough, so why do I want to make you a Noval territory feudal lord? It''s naturally because my government wants to have fun"


    I suddenly had the urge to sink this fatty emperor into the sea who was cheerfullyughing.


    "Sigh. And this became the reason for me to be the lord of Noval territory?"


    I tried to ask him while suppressing my resentment,


    "Yeah. Allocating human resources properly. By nature, this is the most important task of a ruler"


    Just why, why is this emperor only good when ites to argument?


    "I understand. I understand. Then, as with the Ruddle territory, you will have a firm contractual rtionship with us."


    "Naturally"


    Anyway, Noval territory is a treasurend full of mines. Arge number of rare metals, which we still drool about, are buried there. Maybe it might not be as bad to receive this.


    "I will take my leave then"


    There''s no reason to stay here anymore. Just as I was about to turn on my heels,


    "Ah, that''s right. With the addition of Noval territory, Grey, you have climbed up to the position of Count, my best regards to you for climbing to new height"


    "What? Please wait a minute."


    I belong to a cliche who opposed the court rank system in itself. If I climbed any further in the rank, I would lose my face in front of others.


    "Noval territory was originally a Count''s territory. The moment you epted it, your rise to the rank of Count was cemented"


    He''s trying to make a usible theory but I suspect he had another motive.


    "Is this really the only reason?"


    "I don''t have anything to hide from you."


    Look at what mouth you''re saying. This liar.


    "I by no means want to approve of this but I guess, you wouldn''t ept my rejection either way, I will take it"


    "Grey, I still think human beings are very pleasing when they are honest. How can you be so hypocritical?"


    Have you ever looked at yourself before saying this!


    While feeling extremely indignant, I left the imperial pce.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 48 - Maguire territorys town mayor and village chiefs conference

    Ò»Ò» Maguire territory, the mansion of feudal lord, Towns and viges executive''s conference


    May, the head maid of the Maquire family, puts the cup of ck tea provided by Sagami Company in front of attendees.


    Today''s is the day of a joint meeting where the town mayor and vige chiefs assembled in one building.


    At the proposal of Grey-sama, everyone without fail would gather once a month and decide on whole territory policies.


    "Arrest of Count Noval, stripping of court rank and the territory. In addition Grey-kun was the new feudal lord of former Noval territory...... "


    The head of the family, Bart Maquire put down the report on the table and muttered in bafflement.


    "I don''t think there''s any reason to be surprised at this point. After all, he''s my grandchild who transformed this Maquire territory in such a short time."


    Ever since the former head Daimer Maguire has heard that Grey-sama has taken on the position as the new feudal lord of Count Noval territory, whom they had the rtionship like dogs and cats for several generations, he''s been in a festive mood all time.


    "I have been approached by Grey-kun to return the mine in question from Count Noval. Also, the collusion between the Count Noval and the judiciary officer who was in the charge of pastwsuit of 20 billion gold has been confirmed, the property confisticated will be returned from the country"


    The hardship of Maguire territory that has been making us so desperate was so easily settled. However none of the attendees of this meeting is genuinely happy.


    "I''m sorry if it''s rude to head but from the standpoint of vige chief and town mayors, it would have been much better if Grey-sama had owned us the loan instead"


    The representative of Shirokane vige stated on behalf of everyone with a sullen face.


    "I also think so. With this, Grey-sama wouldn''t have any reason to intervene in this territory"


    "Yeah, fundamentally, Grey-sama is not too keen to intervene in the management of other territories. If we don''t do anything, it''s possible he may end intervening after this"


    "That would be awful! We finally have a ranch in our viges proceeding on the right track! It would be so difficult if he leaves now"


    Everyone spitted out theirints one after another. After they have visited other territories once, they have realized just how abnormal our territory development is. And what everyone worries about is the case when their pir, Grey-sama, isn''t here.


    "Don''t be so spoiled! Didn''t Grey have always told us!? You should aim to have the strength to never rely on anyone else!"


    Just as the former head has said, Grey-sama didn''t just impart knowledge to us and instructed us what to do.


    What that person always repeats. That is, the gravity of conveying the knowledge and skills to the next generation. To rephrase, it''s about the importance of teaching.


    There is a limit to what each person can learn and do. That''s why you should definitely convey the knowledge and skill to everyone in the territory and invite them to participate widely. Then the knowledge and skill acquired through intensive research and experiment will be left to the next generation, who will then improve it further.


    In this way, although slowly but surely the knowledge and skills of the entire territory will continue to improve. And then, someone is bound to appear among the inhabitants who will open a new door for that knowledge and skill. This is how our management policy is constantly evolving.


    The words, which were once unknown to them can be understood now even if you don''t like them once you enjoy this development.


    "That''s right. If we listen to their whining, we would be reprimand by that person"


    Shirokane vige''s representative nodded.


    "That''s indeed rude of us. It would be inexcusable if we let down Grey-sama"


    Rest of the vige chiefs and town mayors also nodded in approval.


    "Okay-okay, let''s focus on the specific agenda for this month''s management meeting. The first one is the establishment of heavenly silk''s mill"


    With Bart-sama taking the lead, the conference begins.


    "Father, about the loan... "


    "I know. Continue with the repayment to Grey as before and use the money repaid to us in the public facilities. This is the best way to develop this territory"


    So thates after all. The retired head is quite a sly fox. I guess he hasn''t survived in this murky aristocratic society for several decades just for show. He should have been looking around for ways to take advantage of this favorable situation.


    "Truly. It''s still the Grey-kun presence that greatly changes the sense of security"


    "No doubt. Let''s have the grandson stay with this territory a little longer."


    The corner of my eyes unconsciously became hot as I looked at the former headughing cheerfully. I guess it can''t be helped.


    Both Bart-sama and former head were deeply remorseful about expelling Grey-sama from this territory until now, and Anna-sama too, never left the bed for the whole time.


    The heart of this territory was in pieces. It''s only now that it is walking under the Grey-sama as one body. This was an indescribable source of joy for me.


    "Everyone, sweets are prepared"


    The quiet but carrying voice of Anna-sama echoed in the mansion, and we maids also went down to the first floor.

 Vol. 4 - Chapter 49 - The monster of Holy doctrine country ? Side Simon Geffert

    "Even the Count Noval territory has gotten out of our hands...... "


    A look of intense uneasiness was overflowing from each feudal lord''s face present.


    Count Noval, a noble lineage aristocrat who possesses substantial authority as well as actively dealing with the empire''s trade association. But, he so easily lost his standing. The reason was the fact he deserted his fiefdom people to let them deal with Korori by themselves which in normal times shouldn''t have been something to criticize for them.


    Especially, a kind of drama where losing one''s standing, which by normal standard for them should have never existed, was ying among the noble lineage aristocrats alliancetely. There''s no need to even brainstorm that the current imperial government is on the move to crush them. That''s probably why. Aristocats, who have changed sides from noble lineage aristocrats alliance or empire''s trade association tomercial guild, are appearing one after another. Just talking about this meeting only, the number of aristocrats participating are already half of what it used to be.


    "The disgusting tide of going against our alliance and everything began from that cocky brat. What about the other lords? Are we going to sit back with hands in hands and just watch the aggression happening towards us?"


    The speaker mmed his fist on the table, and a cup fell down on the floor and fragmented into several small pieces.


    "No, absolutely not! We must give that cocky brat a divine punishment right now!*


    "Yeah. If we, the honorable noble lineage aristocrats unifies their power, a small fry like that brat Isn''t even worth mentioning!"


    "We will cut all the limbs of that piece of shit brat and sell him to a circus!"


    At the words of the current lord of Geffert''s ducal house, Simon Geffert, a brave voice rises from everyone as if the earlier uneasiness was a lie.


    But Ò»Ò»


    "Aren''t you guys quite optimistic"


    Simon frowned at a voice slightly filled with ridicule.


    "Old man, if you something to say, I''m all ears"


    "Then let me tell you since time is also right. He''s a quite troublesome guy to deal with. He has connection with Lord Reiner of themercial guild, and look, the cup that just broke or even the ck tea in the cup we are drinking, everything is developed by Sagami Company"


    "Isn''t it something we can easily get by dragging that guy down from his position and taking him away. isn''t that what we keep doing until now? Am I wrong?"


    "I don''t mean that. We had the force to do that. As we speak, we have the empire''s military force in our hands. We have the highest military power in the empire. But, no one can be sure about the future"


    "Old man! A man like you is afraid of that brat!?"


    Just unbelievable.


    That''s the true feelings of present Simon. This old man used to be a fierce warrior and the word escaping from the enemy to save your life should have never existed for him.


    "I guess you can put it that way. I''m sure I may be frightened by him at some point. After all, he''s someone who can use such a destructive level magic"


    Th old man stood up from seat and salutes to everyone present and said,


    "We, the Marquis Rosen family, are withdrawing from the noble lineage aristocrats alliance as of today"


    "Wha!? Are you even sane old man!?"


    Several other lords stood up as if in response to the old man in the midst of the noisy room.


    "We are also withdrawing just like Rosen family"


    "You bastard...... So you were traitorssss!"


    Old man just shrugged his shoulders in response to Simon''s grudge filled shouts,


    "We may be in one group again if you guys also reconcile with Lord Grey. If you may excuse us"


    Giving a polite bow to everyone, Marquis Rosen and several other aristocrats left the room.


    "Duke Geffert...... "


    At the anxiety filled voice of other lords who were shaking,


    "Don''t worry! We will never lose! We will kill that brat, took back the Ruddle in our hands once again and make it our paradisend!"


    He uttered the same murderous words he have said before who knows how many times.


    "However, Lord Rosen isn''t anywhere wrong too, without the hero, who will rival that monster...... "


    The situation isplicated but the problem is simple.


    Simon and others may have the overwhelming military force, but they just don''t have someone who can rival that monster called Grey. That''s where everything is stuck.


    "We just need to find another monster in that case. If we ignore the treatment, there will be some strong people who will join our side. That''s it! Everything will be settled once we find them! Am I wrong, lords!?"


    "You''re~ righto"


    A vigorous and cheerful sounds echoes. When they turned to look at the source, a man wearing a white hat and another country''s cloth enters in their vision.


    Half a section of the man''s face was hidden with the long ashen color bangs, so the appearance wasn''t that much clear to them.


    "Who are you!?"


    "Yes~. I''m Solomon, a former citizen of the Esther Holy doctrine country. Nice to meetcha!"


    The ashen haired man enters the room while twirling and waving his right hand and holding a white cane in left hand.


    "Former citizens of sacred countries?"


    "Hey, isn''t Solomon...... That monster Solomon?"


    "The monster of Solomon...... "


    While the room was engulfed inmotion, Simon''s head was racking his brain at light speed.


    Solomon, one of the Duke in the Holy doctrine country. A monstrosity that destroyed the dragon''s vige alone. The alias, Holy doctrine country''s monster. There''s also rumors that Solomon is an extraordinary Great mage who hasmand over all sorts of magic.


    The reason for why such a monster is here. And the words he said in earlier conversation, former Holy doctrine country citizen.


    "Solomon-dono, did you defect to the Empire?"


    "That''s righto. My heart was thrilled when I heard about the ideology of His Majesty the Ex-Emperor Iska. By all means, take me as yourpanion"


    "Excuse me, but what evidence do you have that you betrayed the Holy doctrine country?"


    No matter how much desperation you are in, there''s no way to believe in such a convenient thing happening so easily, what''s more, the opponent happens to be one of the monsters from the enemy country.


    "Of course, I have~ them~"


    Solomon took out a cylindrical metal box and opened it.


    "Hiiii!?"


    Faint screaming sound and breathtaking voice. There was a man''s neck on the box.


    "T, that... "


    "The decapitated head of the Holy doctrine country''s pope-chan~. How? Do you feel like trusting now?"


    When you speak about the pope of a Holy doctrine country, he''s the top character of the Holy doctrine country.


    "I, I wonder if I can confirm it?"


    He has met with the pope once. There should be a burn mark on his right cheek.


    "Of course, check it thoroughly~"


    He took the head in his hands and carefully examines it.


    "The real one!"


    Whether it''s the burn mark or the appearance he had seen in the past were all ditto. There''s no reason for him to deceive them so borately.


    It''s the chance. Everything was in tatters recently but finally, finally Geffert got his chance.


    "What''s your condition?"


    "Let''s see. I wonder if you can secure a standing for me in the empire and my freedom. Can you do it?"


    "Just trifling things. Wee to our empire. As the same sword of His Majesty the Emperor!"


    Geffert desperately stifled down the overflowing ectasy and yelled out the wee note in delight.


    T/N : As you may have already know, this is thest chapter. Thank you everyone for apanying so far.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!