《Lord Summoner's Freedom Philosophy: Grimoire of Love》 Chapter 1 Prologue ?Red sky. ck sun. Underneath the hideous-looking sky, a bizarre scene currently unfolded. A man, no, a demon. With red and hideous horns, purplish skin, sharp fangs, and a serpentine tail that is the main characteristic of the subus and incubus tribe. "Kuha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" An incubus itself is a strange enough view that would make humans shivers because of the scene. But to add the oddity and bizarreness of the scene, red blood soaked his upper body, and in such a state, the subusughed at the scene of a corpse of a huge ck dragon with its head torn from its body right in front of him. By looking at the scene alone, anyone could define what is happening and what just happened. The huge dragon had just got killed by the incubus. Why? And how could an incubus that came from a demonic tribe that should only be capable of using illusion and mind magic, and the tribe that is famous throughout the world for the demon that loves sexual activity, could kill a dragon as huge as the one in front of him? Only the dragon and the incubus, and whoever who saw the scene would know how the battle unfolded and what kind of tricks the incubus used to y the dragon. But one thing is definite. The incubus paid his life as the cost of killing the dragon. Countless deep scars are visible on his body that bleeds profusely, hisst moment is just a step away. "With this... The five hundred years questpleted... Heck, should I be happy about this...?" As if the strings controlling his body suddenly got cut off, the incubus fell t to the ground. *Thud!* As if responding to the death of the dragon and the dying incubus, a voice appeared from an unknown source. Is it from the sky? Is it from under the ground? Or is it a voice that appeared directly inside his mind? The incubus didn''t know. Heck, he didn''t even have any remaining energy to determine where the voice came from. But there''s one thing he''s sure of. "That voice... The god''s... Voice, huh..." Even though the incubus very much loves to retort the part that mentioned him abandoning his humanity for the sake of the world''s justice, thest part of the god''s voice is something that he couldn''t half-heartedly answer. "My wish, huh...?" "Heh, you''re ttering me. Indeed... My wish... I''ve lived my life withpleting this damned quest as the purpose of my life... I guess, in my next life, it would be great if I would be granted a life where I''m allowed to do whatever I could..." "A ce without having to be forced into a role... A life where I live for myself... Ah... What a great life... it would be..." Slowly but steadily, the incubus''s consciousness drifted away. And not long, the incubus let out his final breath. ***************************** !!!!!!!! Lyan opened his eyes widely in surprise. "Eh?" He eximed in surprise. "Where the hell is this?" (Lyan) Lyan got bewildered by the scenery surrounding him. Blue sky, endless trees, and the normal sun. It''s not the red sky and the ck sun! "I-I''m back? I''m back at earth!?" Lyan eximed happily as he observes his surrounding. "Illusion magic: [Show Home]!" (Lyan) Mana gathered around Lyan, purple, pink, blue, and red colors that looked like an aurora in the sky surrounded him, and *Whoosh!* The mana and the colors disappeared, and nothing else appeared. [Show Home] It''s illusion magic that will create an illusion of path that will lead the caster right to the ce the caster deemed as his/her home. But- The magic could only show the home that is on the same ne as where the magic is cast at. "Since the mana gathered because of the spell, then it means I could still use magic. Did the magic fail? Or did the-" As a fragment of his memory appeared in his mind, Lyan''s thought process about searching his home paused. "Stupid. Lyan, you''re a fool. How could you forget?" Lyan mocked himself for his stupidity. "Didn''t the old sage lecture you before? The concept of mana and magic didn''t exist on earth. Since the mana itself didn''t exist in that world, no magic could ever manifest. Well, that lecture happened more than four hundred years ago, though..." Deep regret and sadness shed through his eyes for a while, but after letting out a heavy sigh, Lyan could ept the fact that this is not the original earth he came from with a helpless smile on his face. "Well, even if I went back, it''s been hundreds of years so there won''t be anyone who recognizes me anymore anyway. By the way, where the hell am I?" Lyan asked the thin air as he looked at his surroundings with a wry smile. Suddenly, a certain voice appeared. (You''re sure a strange guy, talking to yourself like that) (???) A female voice, the voice is smooth and clear enough to make men curious. But to hear such a voice in the midst of a thick forest. "Hm? Who is there? Am I hallucinating? I don''t think I''m craving for women so much that I would start to hear things, though," (Lyan) (You''re not! I''m real!) "Seriously where did the voice...e... From...?" Suddenly his consciousness blurred, and his view changed from a dense forest into pitch darkness. (Shit... Did I lose my consciousness again...?) (Lyan) "Ey!" "Ke up!" (Huh? I don''t know what you''re talking about. Whose voice is that anyway!?) (Lyan) "Hey! Wake up!" *p!* Lyan finally regained his consciousness after getting a powerful sensation on his right cheek. "Eh?" (Lyan) He regained his vision, but the view he saw changed. The thick forest suddenly changed into the view of a modern house''s interior he would usually see in his original world. (How nostalgic... Wait, no, this is not what I should be thinking right now. Who the hell is this girl before me!?) (Lyan) Holding Lyan is an unfamiliar blonde girl d in heavy armor. She has a face of a foreigner that is beautiful enough to be mistaken as a celebrity in his original world. (Well, the only problem is that armor of her though) (Lyan) "Hou... You finally wake up, now," The girl suddenly pushed Lyan away with an unexpectedly huge force. "W-Whoa," Lyan maintains his form and sessfullynds elegantly above. (T-That''s quite an unexpected forceing from such a beautiful girl, I guess that armor does suit her, huh¡­) (Lyan) "Well, setting the jokes aside," Lyan observes his surroundings and tries toprehend his situation with the limited information he has. And the result is. "What the hell is this!? Where am I!?" (Lyan) Aplete confusion. (And¡­ Who the hell are these girls!?) (Lyan) In front of him, the number of girls had increased. Other than the armor-wearing blonde girl, seven other girls are standing beside her with a weird attire like her. They strangely give off a different vibe with each other and wear different attires as well. Other than their beautifully weird appearance, Lyan noticed an additional thing about them. (E-Each of them¡­ Possessed an outrageous amount of mana from different elements¡­) (Lyan) Right at that moment, Lyan''s cautiousness raise to the ceilings. The girls in front of him possessed enough threat for him to raise his vignce high enough. Hiding his cautiousness beneath his poker smile, Lyan initiated a conversation. "Excuse me, but is anyone of you kind enough to tell me where I currently am? I''m afraid I still couldn''tprehend what is happening to me," ______________________________________________________________________- Chapter 2 Grimoire Of Summoning ?"Excuse me, but is anyone of you kind enough to tell me where I currently am? I''m afraid I still couldn''tprehend what is happening to me," Lyan mustered his kindest tone for his question. "...." But the contrary to his expectation, the eight girls in front of him didn''t respond to his question and stared at him with a nk stare. (D-Don''t tell me they don''t understand mynguage? Crap, if that''s the matter then this will be a serious problem) (Lyan) "U-Um... Do you understand mynguage-" (Lyan) "Rather than asking us, why don''t you ask that book instead?" said the red-haired girl in the fiery red dress. "Book...? What book-" (Lyan) "That book on your right hand! Argh, Damn it! You''re so annoying! Stop acting flustered and man up would you!?" The silver-haired girl that has the fiercest look amongst the eight girls harshly retorts. (Right hand...? Eh?) (Lyan) Lyan finally realized that he was holding a huge ck book in his right hand tightly. "T-This is... A grimoire...?" Lyan observes the grimoire in his hand, and hesitantly, he opened it. At the moment the grimoire is opened, dazzling lights from all colors illuminate the room. "H-He finally opened it..." "Tch! As expected it would only open if he''s the one who opened it, huh. No wonder I couldn''t open the damned book even though I mustered all of my strength," The silver-haired girl clicked her tongue. (W-What the hell is happening right now!?) (Lyan) Suddenly, a familiar voice appeared from the grimoire Lyan''s holding. "Hero of the two realms?" "Hero? That guy is?" "big bro, you''re a hero!?" "...." "Hero..." "That weak-looking guy is?" "Hou... So he''s a hero..." "Not bad~" Setting aside thements of the eight girls before him, Lyan''s face immediately went grim when he heard the god''s voice. The reason is, that every time the god''s voice rarely appeared, that means a great catastrophe is about to happen, or the progress of a quest he''s in is heading towards the worst-case scenario. In short, the god''s voice appeared mostly bringing big bad news. (What kind of crap will it bring this time, I wonder) (Lyan) At that moment, the whole world freezes together with the eight girls that had surrounded him without him noticing. Lyan is neither shocked nor surprised by the development since he had been through the same development several times before. "Here ites..." (Lyan) "Reincarnated...?" Lyan muttered the unexpected word. "Freedom..." (Lyan) Right at that moment, Lyan remembered thest moment of his previous life. (Don''t tell me, it''s about that ''wish'' the god''s voice asked me back then...) (Lyan) The moment after he killed the evil dragon god, the god''s voice asked his ''wish'' right before he let out his final breath. "This grimoire, huh... But that name is sure strange..." (Lyan) "I see... So I could use the grimoire to summon creatures that I got from doing intercourse, huh... I see, I see... Huh!? Wait, What!? Intercourse!?" (Lyan) "W-Wait a moment! Wait a damned moment! How in the world does doing intercourse is necessary to maintain the stability and bnce of the world!?" (Lyan) "Regain their living form..." (Lyan) "W-Wait! Wait a minute!" (Lyan) After thatst words from the god''s voice, the dazzling lights emitted from the grimoire disappeared. Even though his name suddenly and strangely got a middle name and a surname by the god''s voice, that''s still thest thing he would care about right now. "Eh? Did it disappear? Just like that?" Questioned one of the eight girls. (The time starts moving again, huh...) (Lyan) Now that he knew the eight girls before him is somehow contracted to him, Lyan''s cautiousness lowered. But the information he has about his current situation is stillcking, and because of that, Lyan immediately opened the grimoire''s first page. (Summon? I see... So this section will contain the creatures I could summon, huh... ) (Lyan) Lyan browse through the first page into the middle part of the book and couldn''t help but feel confused. "This damn grimoire has nothing in it!!!" (Lyan) After getting to the almost end of the book, Lyan finally found a page with something written on it. [Ritual of Love When the master of the grimoire has intercourse with a love interest, the lust, affection, and mana of the master and the love interest will get devoured by the grimoire, giving birth to a magic creature born from the ritual. The magic newborn details and status will be written in the grimoire, and the master will be capable of summoning it without any time limits and mana needed. The summoned creatures from the grimoire possess their own mana and could restore their mana themselves. But the transfer of mana between the master and the summoned creatures is possible regardless.] "So this is the skill ''gifted'' to me, huh..." Muttered Lyan withplex emotion. Lyan continues to browse to another page of the grimoire. [Master of the Grimoire of Summoning: Creature of Love''s buff The master of the grimoire will be given some of the status and abilities of the monsters bound in the grimoire. The buff given ispletely random, but it will increase following the summoned creatures'' growth] (Hou... So the more creatures exist inside the summoning grimoire, the stronger I would be, huh...) (Lyan) "Time freeze, huh. So there''s god magic resided in that grimoire, huh. Well, it contains the god''s voice as a message so it''s not surprising, I guess," "So this guy really is the one mentioned, huh..." "He looks weak," "But big bro''s face looks very kind!" "He looks delicious~" (So what do we have here... Eight girls with a kind of magic but with an outrageous amount of mana... The god''s voice mentioned them as high spirits but are they really spirits? Some of them look like normal human girls, though) (Lyan) At the next moment, the grimoire in his hand glows and floats in the air. "What is it this time!?" (Lyan) *Whoosh!* "W-Wha!" "What is this chain!?" Purple chains suddenly gushed out of the grimoire and strangles the eight girls. "Y-You bastard! What did you do!?" The silver-haired girl asked furiously. But Lyan didn''t have the leeway to answer her as suddenly information about the eight girls in front of him forcefully entered his mind, sending him a short moment of headache. Their name, their physique, their abilities, and thest moment of their previous lives. "I see..." (Lyan) "You, what are you-" (Silver-haired girl) "[Contract]" Lyan gives out themand by adding some magic in his voice. This time, the purple chains emit powerful light illuminating the whole room. The light remains for several seconds, but the moment the light vanished, the purple chains vanished together with it as well. "What just happened..." (Green-haired girl) "Hou... Finally more pages," Lyan muttered in satisfaction as he stared at the floating grimoire before him that had just got eight additional pages inside it. (But as expected, they''re not in the [Summon] section since they''re special cases, huh... [Contracted spirit], huh...) (Lyan) "You bastard! What did you just do!?" The silver-haired girl rushed towards him, grabbed his cor, and questioned him ferociously. Electrical sparks emitted from her body as her lightning aura became stronger as she became angrier. "Griselda ister Fulmine," (Lyan) "W-Wha... You... How did you..." Griselda''s grip on Lyan''s cor loosened as she got surprised by Lyan knowing her name. "I''ve understood. Why all of you here, why you''re contracted to me, and what kind of pledge you gave to the god at yourst moment," (Lyan) !?!?!?!? "Let''s make an agreement," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________ < Contract with Spirit of Chaos, Spirit of Nature, Spirit of Fire, Spirit of Sword, Spirit of Winter, Spirit of Lightning, Spirit of Light, and Spirit of Wind had been made> <+8 High Spirits> Chapter 3 The Eight High Spirits ?"Before we start our conversation, why don''t we introduce ourselves first. I''m Lyan, like you''ve heard, after finishing a quest given by the god''s voice, it seems that I got reincarnated and given a second chance to live. I''ve given some knowledge about all of you by the grimoire, but I guess it would be much more appropriate for us to introduce each other, wouldn''t it?" (Lyan) . . . . (Eh? Why are they not responding?) (Lyan) After several seconds, Lyan finally got a response. "Well, you got a point," the silver-haired girl put her hands on her hips and retrieve her aura. "I''m Griselda ister Fulmine, captain of the valkyrie knights of the great Astellia Kingdom. Nice to meet you,d," (Griselda) Lyan observes the silver-haired girl that introduced herself as Griselda. Lyan felt that her facial feature resembles a fierce lioness, and not just her personality, but the pressure she''s emitting is simr to a powerful lioness as well. Since electric sparks are getting emitted from her body just because of her emotions, her attribute must be lightning. She''s one of the spirits that Lyan doubt he could get along quickly with. After giving a nod and observing her for a while, Lyan quickly reverts his sight toward the one next to her. "I''m Hestia Ignatius Demetriou. Magician of the Demetriou house. Be honored to be able to know me, the greatest and noblest fire magician in the world," said her as she held her head high and puffed her chest. Hestia. The red-haired girl, wearing the red fiery red dress. Dense hot mana of me is being emitted from her every second. But unlike the fierce Griselda, Lyan felt like she has a different kind of short temper. (She has a great amount of pride, as long as I praise and make her feel strong and powerful, she''ll be easy tomunicate with) (Lyan) "Yes, it''s an honor to meet you, Lady Hestia," (Lyan) "Fufufufu! Of course! You should be honored!" (Hestia) Then. Lyan shifted towards the next person. "Eira Gwendolyn Calista," A cold voice distinct from any emotions appeared from the dark blue-haired girl. (J-Just her name, huh...) (Lyan) Just like her voice, her face and the mana she''s emitting send shivers to Lyan because of the coldness. Even though she''s not as ferocious as Griselda, Lyan felt it would be hard for him to get along with her since he can''t read her face. "Next is me! Big bro! Me!" The dark green-haired girl that looks like a child jumps as she asked for her turn to introduce herself. "Yes, may I know what your name is, youngdy?" (Lyan) "Ehehe~ Azelia Aspen Hyancith! I''m the protector of the Hyancith magical forest! I love fruits and ying!" said her full of energy. "I see, that''s a wonderful name. Nice to meet you, Lady Azelia," (Lyan) "Nice to meet you too, big bro!" (Azelia) Azelia Aspen Hyancith. Unlike her lively and innocent air, the mana she is emitting is monstrous. Not only nts, but she could also easily manipte earth and the terrain with her monstrous amount of mana. And even though she''s acting like a child, Lyan noticed her eyes that seem to be as deep as the world''s mystery giving off hints of deep wisdom. So even though she''s acting like a child, Lyan didn''t underestimate nor disrespect her. (But well, she seems to be easy to get along with, what a relief) (Lyan) "The next is..." Lyan shifted his gaze towards the armor-wearing blonde-haired girl. "Arturia Gawain Avalon, I''m a knight," said Arturia as she closed her eyes and folded her arms in front of her chest. (A knight, huh...) (Lyan) Unlike the other girls, she didn''t emit mana with any attribute. But the sheer pressure alone from her presence rivals the pressure emitted by Hestia''s fire mana. Her gaze is sharp and firm, but not full of hostility as Griselda. Lyan believe that no matter how many people attacked her from any side, the sword on her waist is enough for her to chop their heads off in a moment. Lyan felt that her presence emits a hint of great speed and power, and even though her mana didn''t have any attribute, her mana is by no means low. (She has a literal definition of superhuman strength) (Lyan) "I see. Nice to meet you, Lady Arturia," (Lyan) "Lady?" (Arturia) "Next is..." (Lyan) "T-The next one is me. U-Um... I''m S-Sylphia Auretta Arkanias... U-Um... I came from the Arkansas house, n-nice to meet you," The light-green-haired girl gives a deep bow towards Lyan. "Lady Sylphia, you don''t need to bow to me. You can rx," (yan) Sylphia Auretta Arkanias. Her timidness together with her always sad and regretting eyes disturbed Lyan''s conscience. She has the same enormous amount of mana, but in her case, she has a great amount of wind mana. But unlike with the other girls, rather than her strength or mana, what steals Lyan''s attention the most is- (What a sad wind. Her sadness is affecting her mana, making it unstable and creating winds on its own. More importantly, those eyes... It brings off bad memories...) (Lyan) "Well, nice to meet you,dy Sylphia," Lyan quickly shifted his gaze to the next girl. "I believe it''s my turn now," The priestess uniform-wearing girl with tinum blonde hair said politely. "I''m Cynthia Arianna Harmona. I''m a devoted believer of the light god, and by her will and gracefulness, I''ve arrived here. It''s nice to meet you, dear the chosen one," Cynthia bows her head deeply. "No need to be so polite to me,dy Cynthia. I''m nothing but a regr man. Please don''t bow to me," (Lyan) Amongst the eight girls, she''s one of the girls that are sending Lyan the greatest chills down his spine. Her eyes filled with utmost devotion and belief look the same as the eyes of the mad viins, serving the evil god Lyan met in his previous life. (Or maybe I felt shivers all over myself because I''m full of sin? But ''dear the chosen one'', huh... Looks like she knew something a little bit more...) (Lyan) Suddenly, Lyan had another shivering moment as a melodious voice appeared right beside his right ear. "You''re taking too long, I''m dying to introduce myself too, you know?" The purple-haired girl whispers seductively. "I''m sorry for making you wait, then why don''t you tell me your name, mydy?" Lyan answered calmly. "Hou... You''re quite manly, aren''t you? I''m Lilith Nyx Shyama, I''m a great subus, and you know what a subus is, don''t you, boy? You know, I''m getting bored of these normal introductions already, why don''t I show you my way of ''introduction'', boy?" said Lilith seductively as her fingers crawls towards Lyan''s chest. But as a former incubus, it could be said that Lyan hasplete immunity to seductions. It''s not that he no longer has any reactions and feelings towards women, but rather, he had mastered the ability to control his lust and heart. "I''m thankful for the invitation, but maybe next time," Lyan disregards Lilith''s seduction with full ofposure. "D-Don''t tell me... You''re impotent! That''s bad! Then you won''t be able to use the ability-" (Lilith) "I''m not!" Lyan rebuked strongly. "Ah, so you''re not. You surprised me there for a second," (Lilith) "*Sigh!* More importantly, where am I? What is this ce?" Asked Lyan as his eyes wander through the interior of the modern house. It looks like they''re in a living room of a modern house, and there are huge sofas with a huge television as well. "This is the space inside that grimoire of yours, boy. Well, I just somehow knew it so I didn''t know how the system of this space works, but we''re currently in a space that grimoire made to maintain your summons," (Lilith) "I see..." (Lyan) Lyan went out of the living room and saw a corridor leading into a door that seems to be the exit of the house. But when he opened it, he couldn''t help but get surprised by the view. "T-This is..." (Lyan) The sky is dark, and outside the house, only ck grasses grow endlessly. No trees, nothing. Just a wide in with full ck grasses and a blue moon surrounded by a ck sky. "I see... Space magic, huh..." (Lyan) "Do I have a time limit to be inside this space? Since this is a space made for my summons, I believe my presence in this space will distort this space if I present too long here, am I correct?" (Lyan) "Yes, you know your stuff, boy. Yes, you could only enter this space three hours a day at most," (Hestia) "I see..." (Lyan) Lyan wants to rejoice since it means that he coulde to this space to flee whenever he''s in danger, but at the same, something has been bothering him since the first time he arrived here. (They seem to keep on calling me boy, but they don''t even look that old. On the other hand, my look should be-) (Lyan) When Lyan take a nce at his own hand, he couldn''t help but widen her eyes in surprise. (M-My skin color is not purple!? Did I overuse my mana? Did entering this space consumes much more mana than I thought? No, it shouldn''t be. I should be getting strong vertigo if I used too much mana to the point where my skin lost its redness) (Lyan) "[Mirage mirror]," Lyan chant his illusion magic, and a huge mirror appeared before him. "T-This is..." (Lyan) Chapter 4 The Agreement ?"This is..." Lyan muttered in shock as he saw his figure reflected in the mirror. "I''m human again!" Lyan eximed in joy. (And not just back human, it seems that I''m back to my body when I''m still young! No wonder those girls keep on calling me boy this boy that) (Lyan) Little do the eight spirits know that the hero of the two realms'' age had surpassed five hundred years. (Back human again, huh...) (Lyan) Several familiar faces passed Lyan''s mind, making him sentimental for a second, but he quickly shakes those thoughts and a smile appeared on his face. (This time, I don''t have any quest. I don''t have any obligation, I don''t have to think about the world''s fate, and I''m allowed to do anything I wish) (Lyan) (I''ve decided, in this world, I will live my life to the fullest and enjoy my freedom!) (Lyan) "Hey, sorry for intruding on your joyful moment, but could you exin what is the purple chains that bind us before first?" (Griselda) "Ah. Forgive me, I got slightly distracted," (Lyan) "That purple chains are the contract requirement necessary made by the grimoire toplete the high spirit contract with all of you. Those chains are the ones that input all of you as one of the summonses inside the summoning grimoire. You didn''t feel any pain when the chains bind you, right?" (Lyan) "Yup! I didn''t feel any pain!" (Azelia) "I see, so that''s what it is, huh..." (Griselda) "May I ask another question?" Asked Arturia. "Yes, of course," (Lyan) "How much did you know about us? After the purple chains suddenly bind us, you mentioned that you''ve understood why we''re here and about ourst moment. And you''ve also mentioned the thing about making an agreement, what kind of agreement do you mean, can you exin that to us?" (Arturia) (As expected of the serious one, she went right to the point. But that''s good, it''ll make this short) (Lyan) "Indeed. The moment the contract between all of you and the grimoire finished, the grimoire gave me some knowledge about all of you and showed me a glimpse of your death. But even so, I''ve reached several conclusions from the information given from it," (Lyan) "So in short, all of you are here after making a certain contract with the god''s voice, and that''s the reason why you''re here. If I''m not mistaken, then the offer given by the god''s voice is that for you to be reincarnated and given a second chance to live, is it not?" (Lyan) "I see. Seems like you''re rather smart. What you just said is true, kid. Then what about that agreement you about to offer us before?" (Griselda) "Rather than an agreement, it''s more like a promise from me, though," (Lyan) "A promise?" (Arturia) "As I''ve said before, this life of mine is a gift given to me. And in this life, I''ve decided to live my life to the fullest and enjoy my freedom. But having my own freedom by taking over others'' will leave me a bad aftertaste, so when all of you regain your ability to live in the world without being summoned, I''ll set you free from the grimoire''s binds," (Lyan) !?!?!?!? Doubt and hesitation immediately shrouded the spirits. "Y-You''ll let us free?" (Arturia) "Don''t lie to me! What kind of benefit will you get from doing so!" (Griselda) "I hate lies more than-" As Hestia was about to add something, Cynthia cut her sentence. "He hasn''t said any lie yet," (Cynthia) "Is that true, saintess?" (Arturia) (Saintess?) (Lyan) "Yes. If he''s lying, I would be able to sense his lie immediately. And if he uses magic to prevent me from detecting his lie, I would sense it immediately as well," replied Cynthia calmly. "Can you tell me the reason why you''re willing to do so, Lyan?" Arturia''s strong gaze reverts back towards Lyan''s direction. "As I''ve said before, it will leave me a bad aftertaste. But well, aside from that, I wouldn''t want to get killed by my summoned spirits when they have the chance right after the contract ends, after all. Well, I won''t leave any chance, though, but it would be better to prevent any chances of that happening, wouldn''t it?" Lyan''s gaze shifted towards Griselda''s direction when he said his words. "Heh, so you knew. I guess the title of the hero of the two realms are not just mere title, I guess," (Griselda) "You''re ttering me. But well, all of you have a reason why you want to go back to life, don''t you? Not to mention you even offer yourself to be a contracted spirit. It means that you''re ready to be exploited and treated harshly by your summoner. All of you must have your own pasts," (Lyan) When Lyan mention about their pasts, all of their expression darkens for a moment. "But of course, I won''t ask you what kind of past you have or what you''re going to try to change. Heck, I don''t even care nor do I want to know about it. But there''s one thing all of you need to know," (Lyan) Suddenly, the air Lyan''s emitting changed. !?!?!?!?!? Dense, suffocating, powerful, and terrifying murderous intent fills up the whole room, disturbing their breath. The eight girls immediately ready their weapons and warm up their mana. The murderous intent is so thick that the room looks like it''s getting filled with a thick dark red fog. Griselda, Hestia, Arturia, Eira, Azelia, Lilith, Sylphia, and Cynthia couldn''t help but get cold sweats because of the murderous intent. (W-What with this guy... The pressure, it''s even much more powerful than that guy!) (Griselda) "In case any of you disturbs or hinders with my life and freedom in the future, don''t ever think that I''ll let you off just because you were once contracted with me. If you mess with me, trust me that even the gods would aid you, I will definitely find you and pay you back," (Lyan) And in the next moment, after he utter those words, the murderous intent suddenly disappeared as if it doesn''t even been there since the beginning. "Well, that''s what I mean, I guess," said Lyan as he wear his smile again. (His muderous intent disappeared...) (Griselda) "I see... So the agreement is for us to ensure your freedom and not to hinder with your freedom after we''re unbound by the grimoire, correct?" (Arturia) "Yes, that''s right," (Lyan) "I see..." (Arturia) (Eh?) (Lyan) Lyan got dumbfounded when he saw a smile on Arturia''s face as she approaches him. "Hm... It seems that the one that the god has chosen truly is an amusing man. To think that you uphold your freedom that much, you''re an interesting man. I agree with your conditions, Lyan. Once again, it''s nice to meet you," Arturia reaches her right hand forward, offering Lyan a handshake. "...Ah! It''s nice to meet you too," said Lyan as he took quite a while to process what just happened, and epted Arturia''s handshake. "By the way, can I ask something?" (Lyan) "Yes, what do you want to ask?" (Arturia) "How long will it take for you to be unbound by the grimoire? And are there any conditions to make it quicker? I believe the god''s voice mentioned that there are some conditions that needed to be fulfilled," (Lyan) "The original duration is three years, for the conditions to make it quicker... It is... We need to..." Arturia''s voice suddenly gets smaller as her face reddens. "Need to?" (Lyan) "We... W-We need... To..." (Arturia) Not just Arturia, but the other girls'' faces redden as well, making Lyan more confused. "It''s simple, we just need to make love with each other!" Lilith cut Arturia''s words boldly. "I see... As expected of the conditions came from the perverted summoning grimoire... So it''s just making- Wait, L-Lady Arturia, what are you-" Lyan became flustered as he saw Arturia gathering a terrifying amount of mana on her right hand as she clench her fist and lowers her head. "How indecent..." Arturia muttered in a low voice. "Eh? What?" (Lyan) "How indecent!!!" (Arturia) "W-Wait! Stop! Blergh!" (Lyan) Arturia''s fistnds smoothly on Lyan''s stomach, sending him flying and crashing towards the wall and losing his consciousness. ************************* ---Lyan''s PoV--- "Huh? Where am I?" I slowly regain my focus as the blurry image starts to be clear, revealing the interior of my old bookstore. "I fell asleep, huh..." Wait, I kind of feel I''m not supposed to be here... I wonder why am I feeling like this... "Uncle! Where are we going today!?" My niece''s cheerful voice entered my ears as she entered the bookstore. "Huh? Suzu?" Suzu approached my face and pouted. "Geez! You forgot your promise, didn''t you!?" (Suzu) Promise? Ah... I''ve promised to take her out today, didn''t I...? "Ahahaha! There''s no way I forgot the promise I made with my adorable niece, right? Wait for a second, I''ll tell the part-timer that I''m going to leave the store for the whole day," I get up from my chair and told the part-timer of my bookstore about my n with Suzu. "Suzu! I''m done, let''s go!" I exit the staff room and saw no one is in there. "Suzu?" I searched the bookstore once again and still didn''t find her. "Geez... I''m too old for hide and seek, you know? Hey, part-timer!" I entered the staff room once more, but the part-timer that I just talked to isn''t there as well. "Huh? She was just here a second ago. Where did she go?" If she left the room, I would have seen her since there is only one door leading towards the staff room. "Well, let''s try checking outside," I exit the bookstore and went outside. Only to find a horrible and terrifying sight. "W-What is that...?" Chapter 5 Unforgettable Memory ?What appeared in my view after leaving the bookstore is bizarre, dreadful, and horrifying. The sky surrounding the sun is pitch ck like a handful of ck ink tainting a canvas. And slowly but steadily, the sun started to get corroded by the ckness and start to turn ck as well. "Suzu! Suzu! Where are you!?" I ran as fast as I could and circle the perimeter, desperately trying to search for Suzu''s whereabouts. It doesn''t matter if the sun turns ck, it doesn''t matter if the whole skies turn ck, I need to find Suzu as fast as possible! (Ah. She usually ys at the park near the supermarket. Maybe she''s there) I increase my pace even faster even though my chest starts to feel suffocated and out of breath. It seems that running a bookstore made me neglect my workout and training too much. From the distance, I could see a figure of a child. I could immediately tell that it must be Suzu. Her bodynguage and her way of running are something that had been engraved inside my brain since I''ve been taking care of her since she was a baby. "Suzu!" I called out to her, but she didn''t respond to my voice. It seems that she didn''t hear me. I approached the part closer and was about to start calling her again, but- "Su-" I finally noticed something is strange. A man covered in a ck robe and ck hood is slowly approaching her. His face couldn''t be seen, as if darkness itself had be his veil. But more importantly, he looks dangerous! I need to take Suzu away from here! "Uncle!" Suzu called out my name as she run to me as fast as she could. "Suzu!" I run as fast as I could as well. "Uncle! I''m scared!" Suzu cried as she jumps to my chest. "Yes, it''s fine now. I''m going to talk a bit with the guy over there. You don''t need to be afraid, he''s my cosyer friend I met at an anime festival. You trust me, right?" "Yes, I trust you," Her voice is still hoarse because of the crying. I revert my gaze towards the hooded man, and at the same time, he started to approach us even faster. "Suzu, it seems that my friend wants to have a quiet long talk with me. Could you go back home by yourself? I''ll pick you up there so we go to the game arcade and have lots of funs, okay?" Her face immediately brightens up, "''kay! That''s a promise ''kay!" After confirming that she went in the right direction, I turned back and saw that the hooded man had gotten even closer than before. But before my fear, a nostalgic feeling enveloped my heart. Somehow, it felt like I''d experienced the same thing before. "W-Who are you," I asked hesitantly. !?!? Suddenly the man approached me at even a faster pace. "Wait, what!?" The man suddenly let out a huge ck scythe from nowhere, and when he was about to sh me, I instinctively jump back. At that moment, several images of what the hooded man was about to do got projected inside my mind. Ah... I''ve been through the same thing before, didn''t I? *Whoosh!* Suddenly a huge red portal appeared in the sky. And then, the hooded man said. "Because the sins, hatred, and evil that this world had umted are too much for this world to contain alone, those dark energies had leaked off and formed a very evil being outside this ne. For that, ''we'' will start gathering the ''payment'' from this world as pensation''," "That girl before is one of the chosen ''payments''. Human, are you ready to take her position in her stead?" Now I remember. This is the start of everything. The origin. "Yes. No matter how many times it repeats, I''ll never regret my decision. I''ll go in her stead," ****************************** ---Third Person PoV--- !?!?!?!? (W-What did I...) (Lyan) Lyan slowly raises his body up as he scans his surroundings. (I''m back in the forest, huh...) (Lyan) (So you''re awake, master~ You''ve slept for about four hours straight, but after three hours, you got teleported out of the grimoire''s dimensional space since you''ve reached the maximum amount of time you could spend here~) (Lilith) (I see... So I''ve reached the time limit, huh... Could I enter that space again tomorrow?) (Lyan) (Yup~ You could enter here three hours every day. While you could only summon us into that world for three hours a week) (Lilith) (So that''s the current limit, huh... By the way, do all of you could hear my thoughts?) (Lyan) (E-Eh? You''remunicating with your thoughts? I-I don''t know...) (Lilith) (....) (Lyan) (It''s funny how you''re suck at lying even though you''re a subus) (Griselda) (S-Shut up! You just told me just now that we shouldn''t let him know that we could hear what he''s thinking and see what he''s seeing from the magical ss! I didn''t have any time to prepare!) (Lilith) (The magical ss?) (Lyan) Lyan attempts to recall the view inside the space, and remembered that inside the living room, there is certainly a television inside it. "Ah... So they could see what I''m seeing from there, huh..." (Lyan) (The medium that connects us must be this grimoire, and since this grimoire is under my fullmand, then it could be stopped) (Lyan) (E-Eh? Wait!) (Lilith) After Lyan gave an order to the grimoire to stop connecting his thoughts and vision towards the spirits, Lilith''s and Griselda''s quarreling voices immediately appeared inside his mind. (NO!!! Why did you turn off the magical ss!!!) (Lilith) (Connect us again this instant!!!) (Griselda) (I will turn it on again in ten seconds!) (Lyan) (Hey! Please turn it on again! I want to see the outside world!!) (Lilith) (I want to see outside too, master!) (Azelia) (Since they didn''t hear I just said that I will turn it on again in ten seconds, it means that the telepathy had been cut off one-sidedly from my side as well, huh... That''s good) (Lyan) "Television on," (Lyan) (Ah! It turns on! Thank you, master!) (Lilith) "What with this master, master thing?" Asked Lyan. (Well, we''re basically your summoned spirits, right? As our summoner, it''s just appropriate for us to call you master, you know?) (Lilith) "Well, that logic isn''t wrong... But being called master is kind of weird..." (Lyan) (Hee~ Do you have a fetish of being called ''master'' by girls, master?) (Lilith) "I don''t," (Lyan) (D-Don''t tell me... You got turned on if you got called by a man instead-) (Lilith) "Of course I don''t! I''m perfectly normal and straight!!" (Lyan) (Hehehehehe~) (Lilith) (Stop it, Lilith. You''re bothering master) (Arturia) "Even you, Lady Arturia..." (Lyan) (Isn''t it fine, master. We''re just going to call you master until our contract is over, after all. Please allow us to act as your summoned spirits as long as the contract duration, master) (Arturia) "*Sigh!* Do as you want," (Lyan) (Thank you, master) (Arturia) (Anyway, do you have any destination, for now, master?) (Lilith) "Hm... To bepletely honest, I don''t know which direction to go out of this forest... Since I still didn''t know anything about this world, I didn''t have any destination in mind yet," (Lyan) "But I guess I need to find a job where I could use my fighting abilities to make money. Money is very important, after all. All of you came from this world, aren''t you? Do you have any ideas?" (Lyan) (Hm... I''m not that familiar with how the human society works, though~ How about both of you, Arturia, Lilith) (Lilith) (If you''re thinking of jobs with stable ie, bing a knight for a noble or a kingdom might be a good option, or you could also enter a kingdom''s military as a new recruit and have a new start) (Arturia) (But since you said you like to have freedom, I doubt you would want to get bounded by a noble or a kingdom. Then the remaining options are bing an adventurer or a mercenary) (Griselda) "A-Adventurer! A fantasy development anyone would want to get!" Lyan clenched his fist with full of excitement. (But being an adventurer takes time to get stable and profitable. Raising through ranks need quite a damn long time, after all. The only job where you could immediately take high-paying jobs are only mercenary, I guess) (Griselda) "I see... So if I want to gather money quickly, I need to be a mercenary first, huh... Well, then it can''t be helped, it''s not like being a mercenary will be bad," (Lyan) At that moment, the nostalgic dream that he just saw when he was unconscious passed Lyan''s mind for a while. (I won''t forget. Even if I unexpectedly find my happiness here, the suffering and the struggle I had in the past is not something that I may forget. I saved her life and her future, but to achieve that goal, I sacrificed lots of things. But even so, even if I need to rewind that moment, I will continue to take the same decision) (Lyan) (Master? Why are you suddenly so silent?) (Lilith) (A-As expected... I-I punched you a little bit too hard, didn''t I... Please forgive me) (Arturia) Arturia muttered timidly which didn''t fit her image. "Hahaha! It''s fine, Arturia. Rather, I''m grateful. I remember some important things that I must not forget because of you, so thank you," (Lyan) (Thank you?) (Arturia) (He''s thanking you for punching him out. He''s a damned masochist pervert) (Griselda) (Ah~ So you swings that way, huh~) (Lilith) (Master is a pervert~) (Azalea) (P-Pervert...) (Sylphia) (So the hero master has that kind of preferences...) (Cynthia) (Hmph! To think you love to be getting hit...) (Hestia) (....) (Eira) "I''m not an M!! Anyway, let''s go away from this forest first. Time to start the adventure!" (Lyan) Chapter 6 First Magic Beast Encounter ?Mana Mana is natural spiritual force energy that permeates throughout the universe. Anything and anyone possess mana inside their body even if it''s just the tiniest bit of it. Just like blood, inside a human body, mana gathered and collected in the mana pool, and spread throughout the body through what referred as mana channels. In human''s case, the capacity of the mana pool inside them varied ording to their talent, but with practice, the mana pool''s capacity could increase. Mana could be linked with physical stamina. The more you wear your mana out and empty your mana pool, you could feel exhausted and even lost your consciousness, but the mana pool will increase even if it''s just a tiny bit. But having lots of mana doesn''t make someone invincible in an instant. Having and using mana is a whole different matter. Controlling and utilizing mana is difficult and takes considerable amount of effort and talent to be capable of doing so. Covering the whole body with mana and strengthening it could made the body strong for several folds, but it exhaust mana very quickly. Expert mana users effectively focus their mana on a certain point and control it to maintain the allocation of the mana strengthening. They switched the use of mana on and off with a precise timing to save their mana from exhausting quickly, prolonging the use of their mana. -Basics of Mana Training Part 1 Book, Great Library of Eureka, The city of academy and magic, Ausbildia ___________________________________________________________________________________ (Then we go right! Yes, right! That way, master!) (Lilith) "Hm... Is this really the right way?" (Lyan) (Yes! Of course! You need to trust me!) (Lilith) But even though Lilith''s voice is filled with confidence, Lyan couldn''t help but feel doubtful about her choice of direction because- "It felt like you''re guiding me inside a damned maze! I''ve taken too many turns! Do you really know the way out of here?" (Lyan) (How rude! I''m guiding you as best as I could, you know!? If you act like this, how about asking Griselda to guide you instead!?) (Lilith) (Oh, can I? If I''m not mistaken, this is the Cosrane forest. Hm... We''re at... If you walk straight towards the east, we''ll get out of this damn forest. I''m getting tired of looking at damned trees anyway) (Griselda) "Hou, you seem to know this forest well, Lady Griselda," (Lyan) (Well, I used to venture to lots of ces after all. This is just a part of them) (Griselda) (Hmph! Even I know how to get out of this forest. Go get eaten by a magic beast and die!) (Lilith) Lilith''s loud tantrum sent brief vertigo towards Lyan''s head. Having a loud voice appear from inside your head is surprisingly hurts more than hearing a loud voice from outside. "Sorry, Lady Lilith. But I would like to take Lady Griselda''s advice and get out of this forest as fast as possible. If all I need is to head east, then I could just run as fast I could!" Lyan sprinted ahead with a great speed by strengthening his feet with his mana. (But as expected of a reincarnation gift, not only that I regain my human body, my body specs are just slightly inferior to my demon form in my previous life!) (Lyan) At first, Lyan thought that his body reverts back from his demon form into his human form. But if it just reverts back, then his human body should be back into his old body which hadn''t been trained at all. But not only that his body is almostpletely as built as his demon form, but he also still possesses the abilities he had from his previous life, which are incubus''s abilities and magical properties. (Hou... Your mana is those purple colors that are suitable for illusion and mind magic, and it shouldn''t be able to be used as body strengthening magic efficiently as this. To think you could travel with such great speed using that mana, you''re very interesting...) (Hestia) "Thanks for thepliment," (Lyan) The reason why Lyan could use strengthening magic with his illusion mana is due to his incubus''s abilities that remain inside his body. Incubus'' body stature is small, but their prowess is decent because they utilize their illusion mana not just for casting illusions and mind magic, but they strengthen their body with their mana at the same time as well. (But of course, the strengthening using illusion mana is very limited, though. That''s why an incubus mostly didn''t have the decisive strength to defeat a powerful enemy that needs great strength and prowess to defeat) (Lyan) After three minutes of running, suddenly Lyan stopped his tracks. "Hm... Looks like we got a visitor..." (Lyan) (Heh, you noticed it rather quick. Not bad) (Griselda) (This is why I''ve been asking you to take lots of turns! Do you think you just happened to be lucky that you didn''t meet any magic beasts in such a wild forest!?) (Lilith) Griselda''s impressed voice and Lilith''s fed-up voice filled up Lyan''s head. "Heh, I''m thankful that you''re worried about me, but meeting and facing a magic beast in a fantastical world with my human body is one of the things that I''m looking forward to," (Lyan) *Hissssss*! Lyan heard a loud hissing before him. (A snake, huh...) (Lyan) What appeared before Lyan is a huge snake with a length approximately longer than 30 meters, creeping above trees slowly and carefully enough to make the trees didn''t move. (Hou, a giant hunter serpent, huh. There are indeed lots of them when I brought my men here back then) (Griselda) (But it''s strange, I believe that this snake is supposed to be invisible. It was quite a trouble sensing it because of its ability) (Hestia) (T-The hissing is supposed to be suppressed by its illusion magic as well. H-How could we hear it so clearly?) (Sylphia) Watching the scene disyed to them from the huge television inside the grimoire''s space, the high spirits voice their doubts about the giant hunter serpent. (It''s nothing strange. As expected, master, you''re...) (Lilith) "Yes, you''re not mistaken. I''m immune from any mind magic and my eyes could see through any kind of illusion magic. But this giant hunter serpent still didn''t notice it, so it''s still trying to get near me as quietly as possible," (Lyan) (But even though you could see it, could you finish it, master? I believe that this magic beast is grouped as a B-ranked magic beast by its fighting prowess. It''s quite a formidable-) (Arturia) *p!* (Eh?) (Arturia) "I saw you, worm. Come here," Lyan looks into the giant hunter serpent''s eyes directly as he provokes it. Knowing that its position has been exposed, the giant hunter serpent jumped to the ground and dashed toward Lyan with powerful momentum. (W-Wait! What are you doing, master!?!? S-Summon one of us! Quick!!) (Lilith) (Heh! You can summon me if you think you''re about to die, ''kay?) (Griselda) (There''s no need to hold back. Summon us, master) (Arturia) (Summon us, boy. I can''t fail here) (Hestia) (S-Summon me, master) (Sylphia) All of the girls grabbed their weapons, ready for Lyan to summon them except for Azelia and Cynthia. Unlike the others, Azelia continues to stare at the television with sparkling eyes as if she''s fully anticipating something, while Cynthia remains calm without having any change in her expression. "I''m thankful for your concern, but it''s fine," Replied Lyan as he calmly stare at the giant hunter serpent that was about to reach him. "When dealing with snakes, all you need is to knock their forehead real hard, right?" (Lyan) Focusing his mana strengthening on his right foot, Lyan matches his timing with the giant hunter serpent and- *THUD!* A sound is simr to a giant boulder that fell from a cliff sounded from Lyan''s kick towards the giant hunter serpent''s forehead, sending dust flying in the air. (W-What did...) (Hestia) (As expected of master! You''re awesome!) (Azelia) (J-Just now, the scenery changes into an inside of a cramped cave...?) (Sylphia) (.....) (Arturia) (Master. Is that [Reality Illusion]?) (Lilith) Lilith''s voice is filled with doubt, astonishment, and suspicion when she asked the question. "Correct," (Lyan) (Reality Illusion?) (Arturia) (It''s one of the high-tier illusion spells that are very difficult to master. The spell gives off an illusion that makes all of the senses of its target fall into a confused state, giving their senses to react and capture noise, sensation, and vision ording to the caster''s will) (Lilith) (He used that spell to force the beast to go straight to him. Because of its focus on him, the beast didn''t realize the strangeness of the suddenly appearing cave. And at the end, he also uses illusion magic to confuse the snake about their distance between each other, that''s the reason why the snake didn''t open its mouth wide yet and why he could kick its forehead easily) (Eira) "Precisely! It''s rare to hear you talk that long," (Lyan) (Ah!) (Eira) Eira the ice-cold spirit eximed in surprise as she unexpectedly join the conversation. (But it''s not a spell that a human should be able to master) (Lilith) (Why? It''s just a damnplicated spell, right? Shouldn''t anyone could use it when they knew the trick?) (Griselda) (No. To be precise, it''s a spell that couldn''t be used by a human, isn''t that right, Subus?) (Eira) (Correct. Humans couldn''t use demonic magic, because the way demons and humans use mana on their bodies are different. So to use a demon''s spell, humans need to use a converter technique to make the demonic spell appliable and usable by their mana system) (Lilith) (Immune to mind and illusion magic, high-efficient use of purple-color mana, and capable of using a high-level demonic illusion spell. Master, are you really a human in your past life?) (Lilith) !?!?!?!?!? (Y-You''re not a human...?) (Sylphia) "Hm... When you said you got the knowledge about the grimoire, I thought all of you are also granted the knowledge about my past, even if it''s just a bit. But it turns out I''m wrong, huh..." Muttered Lyan with a wry smile as he lift his right leg from the giant hunting serpent''s head lying on the ground. "I was a human at first," (Lyan) (At first?) (Hestia) "Yes. But after losing myrades, I realized that human strength alone isn''t enough for me toplete the quest," (Lyan) With his face darkens, Lyan continues. "Realizing that, I searched for a method that could increase my strength significantly, and long story short, I enter demonification. I abandon my humanity," (Lyan) (Abandon... Humanity...) (Cynthia) "Yes. I fell into a demonification state, hoping to transform into a demon with a powerful physique and possess powerful magic so I could finish the quest faster. But when I woke up, I became an incubus," (Lyan) (I see...) (Lilith) "As you know, Lilith. The subus and the Incubus race possess powerful minds and illusion magic, but that''s it. When we face someone with absolute strength and the ability to resist our spell, we''re finished. So in order to strengthen myself a bit, I experimented quite lots of things and make my own fighting techniques to fill the gap," (Lyan) (I see... So you were a human, but you then transformed into an incubus, huh...) (Arturia) "Yup, that''s right," Answered Lyan with a cheerful tone, as if the dark tone he used when he was telling them the story was just an illusion. (I see... Sorry, master. It seems that I make you remember something you didn''t want...) (Lilith) "Hahaha! It''s fine, it''s fine. Well, setting aside that story, what should we do with this thing?" Lyan pointed at the corpse of the giant hunting serpent before him. (You should take his fangs and squeeze some of its venoms. It sells rather well) (Griselda) "Hou... I see... But how should I bring it..." Lyan wondered as he poke at the corpse of the magic beast. (I wonder if I could send this thing to the grimoire''s space) (Lyan) Suddenly, ck particles appeared from the summoning grimoire and enveloped the corpse as if they were devouring it. "This is...?" (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: None Money: None Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits Chapter 7 House Of Roses Three Flowers (1) ?That night, everything seems normal. "I''m bored! Let''s take a stroll, Alina, Belle," My best friend, Xena invite us to take a stroll. We came from a family of merchants, and our parents are best friends with each other since before they became merchants. Since the three of us are close in age, we became best friends with each other in no time at all. Our families are not as wealthy as the merchants that have assets as much as big nobles like dukes and counts, but we''re wealthy enough to have several firms in different cities. Every time there is a big deal withrge firms or nobles, our parents will travel themselves together to strike the deal personally, and the three of us would follow them to learn more about business and to get experience. "Then let''s have a dip at the river, my body feels kind of sweaty because of the trip, you know~" I touched my skin that had be slightly greasy. "Eh~ I haven''t finished reading my book, though~ You two can go to the river," "We won''t be getting into the river if we wait for you to finish your book, Belle. You keep on re-reading it back and forth, after all. And you might find a magic nt that you could use for your alchemy experiment as well, you know?" (Xena) "Hm... Fine then," Belle closed her book and stands up. "Yeay! Now let''s go out of this cramped carriage and enjoy the night!" Xena cheerfully exits the carriage. "Lady Xena, where are you going?" One of the guards from Xena''s family firm that guards the outside of our carriage asked her. "I''m going to the river with Belle and Alina. Tell mom and dad about it, okay? And make sure no one peeps us, I''m thinking of having a bath to refresh myself as well, after all," (Xena) "Understood, mydy. But please don''t take too long, even though we''re camping at one of the safest spots, it''s still a forest. It might be dangerous. I''ll station the other guards to guard the perimeter of the river, if anything happens, please raise your voice," The guard reminds Xena. "Yes, yes. Geez, you''re such a worrywart. It''s not like this is our first time camping outside, we''ve been following our parents on this kind of trip since like 10 years ago anyway," (Xena) "It''s better to be safe than sorry, after all, mydy," "Yes, yes," (Xena) "Please don''t take her words personally, Mr. Lyle," "I understand,dy Alina. It''s my everyday job anyway," "Thank you as always, Mr. Lyle," (Belle) "You''re wee," (Lyle) After that, we bathed and have fun at the river, thinking that the trip will go normally as it usually goes. "Belle! Did your breast get even bigger again!? How nice! Did you take medicine to make it bigger?" Xena widens her eyes when she saw Belle''s womanly asset. "Is that so? I didn''t find any medicine, though. But no wonder it felt like it got heaviertely. But rather than my body, I find Alina''s slender body more lovable, though~" Belle shifted her gaze to my bare body. "Ugh... I know you mean good, but somehow that words hurt my pride..." I cover my modest chest as I stare at Belle''s big asset before me. "Hahahaha! You''re too conscious about it, Alina! You''re more than beautiful already anyway, if you got a big breast as well, it will be unfair!" (Xena) "Hearing the words beautiful from the both of you didn''t make me feel better at all..." I muttered bitterly. *Sniff!* *Sniff!* After finishingmenting myck of big breast genes, I noticed that Belle is sniffing on the air. "What''s wrong, Belle?" "Doesn''t it smell like smoke?" (Belle) Now that she mentions it, a faint smell of smoke is indeed could be smell. "Hm... The information is unbelievably urate," A hoarse and scary voice suddenly appears from near the bushes. !?!?!?!? The three of us immediately take our clothes and hide our bodies with them in surprise. "E-Eh? Whose voice is that!? Lyle! Lyle!! Is there anyone there!?" Xena called Mr. Lyle and the other guards, hoping that theye rushing to her voice. But no one came. "It''ste, young miss. The whole forest is sleeping, let''s not wake it up, okay?" The hoarse voice sounded again. We follow the direction of the voice, and slowly, a figure appeared from the darkness. His body is huge, there''s a big scar on his right eye. His appearance is just like what stories will define about bandits. "Y-You... Who are you!" I asked the man with a demanding tone, while my hands gives a signal for Belle to ready her spells. "You''ll know soon," The man answered shortly. Soon? "But sure, not only do they have lots of money and goods, they even have such good women as well. They''ll definitely sell well, so you guys, don''t you dare damage the products, you hear me!?" The man uttered with a loud voice. "P-Products...?" (Xena) After that, dozens of men appeared surrounding us. Belleunched her spell and managed to kill three people, and with the martial arts Xena and I learned from our instructors, we managed to take down another three people, but that''s it. The enemies are dozens, there is nothing that three girls from merchant families could do to defeat dozens of men alone. Because of our resistance, they roughed us up after they captured us, and we got forced to service them in all kinds of ways, but they try not to damage our faces and skins, and protect our virginity to make sure our price didn''t drop. In one night, our world turns upside down. **************************** "-Ina!" "Uh..." "-Lina!" "Huh...?" "Alina!!" Xena''s face entered my vision as I opened my eyes. "Xe... Na...?" "Wake up! This is our holiday, we''re going to take that quest we took and gather the ingredients for Belle''s potions, remember? The madam will be mad if she knows you sleep too much, you know?" (Xena) I shifted my gaze, and saw that we were not in the river nor in the ve cage. It''s our room. Our personal room. "Ah... We''re no longer at the river... Nor that scary cage, huh...?" "Alina... Did you dream about that day again?" Xena stared at me with a worried look. Looking at her worried look, my emotions overflow, and the tears start to fall profusely from my eyes. "Alina..." (Belle) "There, there. We''re safe now. There''s no need to be scared anymore," Xena took my head to her bosom and started to caress my head. Xena''s smell and touch quickly soothes me, and after a while, the tears finally stopped flowing out of my eyes. That''s right. We''re safe now. After getting captured by the bandits, the three of us got confined to one of their bases. We spent our days forced to service the bandits there, and not long after, a ve trader took us to the auction to sell us off. We could remain sane because we''re together, but after knowing that we''re going to be auctioned and realizing that we might be forced to separate from each other, ourst fortitude breaks, and we gave up on hope. But somehow, like a miracle, we got bought by a kind and gentle mother-like figure. She''s the owner of a high-ss brothel in the mercenary city. At first, we thought that we were going to be ordered to be prostitutes by getting forced from the very magic contained on the crest imprinted on our back. But the madam take care of the three of us like her own children, and didn''t force us to do anything. ''If you want to be free and get out of here, then pay me the money I paid to buy the three of you. And I''ll let you go and release you from the crest as well,'' That was madam''s words of hope that make us fighting until now. "Sorry, we startte because of me," I apologized to the both of them as "It''s fine, Alina," (Belle) "Yes, it''s fine. Last week, I got through the same thing and you''re the one who hugs me and soothes me. It happens to all of us," (Xena) "You''re right..." "Now, let''s go. The quest might take quiet time, if we go eventer, we might not able to finish it today," (Xena) "True. We need to gather the ingredients for my potions too, after all," "Yes. Let''s go!" Chapter 8 House Of Roses Three Flowers (2) ?"There are eight goblins forward, one mage, no hobgoblin spotted," Xena reported her sightings to Belle and me. To pay our debt to the madam, we register ourselves as mercenaries and work as mercenaries on our days off. Unlike the adventurer guild that won''t ept any ves with clear backgrounds, we could register at the mercenary guild without any need of giving them even the tiniest bit of our personal information other than our party''s name. "Belle," "Okay~ Twist the fiction and reality, [Blur]. Retract the senses of my enemies, [Lesser Senses]," (Belle) As a magician capable of using consecutive chanting, Belle used two spells at the same time. The first spell, [Blur], is an illusion spell that makes the target of the spell confused and couldn''t see the position of the caster and their allies. The second spell, [Lesser Senses], is a dark spell that lower all of the targets'' senses by blocking them with dark mana. "Let''s go!" Xena and I rushed toward the confused goblins without wasting any moment. As a three-girls party, our party has a decent bnce despite consisting of a unique formation. Belle acts as a magician that supports us, Xena that has high agility acts as a scout and wields a knife, and I act as the vanguard with a sword. "The first one is the magician!" Xena skillfully leap and nimbly passed the other goblins, arriving right in front of the goblin magician, and slits the goblin magician''s throat. "Great as usual, Xena!" I can''t lose to her! "Kkkiieeee!!" Because of the spell cast by Belle, the goblins are staggering around, losing their bnce because of the sudden drop of all of their senses. *sh!* *sh!* Because of that, it made me capable of killing them rather easily. In several seconds, the battle ended without our party getting any damage at all. "Phew! Another damageless quest! Now all we had to do is to find Belle''s ingredients for her potions, and we''re done! I want to take a hot bath~" (Xena) "Me too. I want to spend the allowance for food too," I could already imagine the foods that I could buy with the remaining money from the quest reward. "Alina is as a glutton, as usual, ~ I want to buy some books that I''ve been eyeing for a while now~" (Belle) "It''s fine, isn''t it. I''m enjoying my happiness," "You won''t get any man if you keep on being a glutton, you know?" (Xena) "It''s fine. It''s not like I''m looking for one. No, in the first ce, none of us even looking for a man right now," Since we''re desperately trying to pay back our debt, the thought of having a man didn''t cross our thoughts at all. Since all of them will end up discarding us if they knew we have such a big sum of debt towards the madam. "Well~ it''s true, isn''t it~" Xena shrugged. "Anyway, let''s go and finish this. Belle, where''s the ce to harvest the ingredients for the potion?" "Hm..." Belle takes out a map from her bag. "It''s close to here, it''s on the west, right here," Belle pointed out the location on the map and show it to us. "I see... Let''s go then!" The ingredients Belle needed to make her potion came from a C-ranked man-eating magical nt monster called the ahgra. The ahgra has a massive form and has a snake-like body, it gains its strength from sunlight and attacks with its branches, and emits poison into the air. It rarely appears, and most people avoid it because of its poison. But since we have Belle, we don''t need to be worried about the poison. Because of that, we''re quite experienced in defeating ahgra. "There it is... The remaining parts of it will be pricey as well, seems like we''re going to get a big haul today!" (Xena) "Belle, as usual," "Okay~" Belle holds tight to her staff and gathers her mana towards the magic stone on her staff. "All evil in the air, hear the order of mymand, [Control Poison]," (Belle) Even though the ahgra emits poison, the poison actually could affect itself as well, that''s why the ahgra always closes its mouth when it emits its poison. "Xena," "Okay~" Xena skillfully threw one of her throwing knives imbued with her mana and force open the mouth of the ahgra. *Shiiieeeeee!!!!* The ahgra shrieks because of the damage it received. At the moment it shrieks, the mouth opened slightly bigger, and right at that moment, Belle controls the poison on the air that she had gathered and sent it towards the ahgra''s mouth. The poison emitted by the ahgra has the powerful effect of paralyzing, but a big dose of it could kill as well. Back then, every time Belle makes the condensed poison enter the ahgra''s mouth, the ahgra will immediately die. But today- "The poison on the air isn''t as many as usual, we need to kill it manually," (Belle) "Okay! Let''s go, Xena!" "Okay~" Xena and I rushed towards the ahgra and attempt to cut all of its roots. Because of the poison, the ahgra remain paralyzed and couldn''t resist our attacks, making the battle ends as quickly as the battle with the goblins. "I love Belle. I''m d we''re friends and partying together..." I muttered as I stare at the corpse of the ahgra. "Geez. What are you saying, Alina," Belle approached the ahgra''s corpse to take the ingredients needed for her potions. "Hahaha! You''re right. Her support is priceless!" (Xena) Following suit, Xena and I approached the ahgra''s corpse and started to dissect the parts that has the value to be sold. "Eh? This is strange..." Belle suddenly raises her voice. "What happened?" "The petals are unblemished, it looks like they are freshly regenerated... It looks like the ahgra''s petals are getting harvested regrly, but it''s impossible, you know~" Belle uttered in confusion. "Of course. It means that the ahgra needs to be tamed if it was to get harvested regrly. Maybe it''s just a coincidence, the ahgra might battle with other monsters and lose its petals in the fight," But if the ahgra is really got tamed by whoever it is, then we might be in great danger, aren''t we? Just kidding. Let''s not try to jinx it. "Belle! Alina!" Xena''s unusually serious voice sounded. "W-What is it, Xena?" "I-I don''t know if I''m mistaken or not... But I sensed lots of presence in our surroundings..." (Xena) "Our... Surroundings...?" I look around the surrounding, and notice that the forest is unusually more quiet than usual. Realizing that, I quickly ready my sword and stick close to Belle. "Approximate number?" "I don''t know. There are more than fifty of them. But these presences, they are not human..." Xena''s face got slightly pale when she uttered those words. "Can we run?" (Belle) "We''repletely surrounded, but our north side is less guarded than the other sides. If we want to flee, then that direction will do us favor since I felt only two presences from that direction," Xena readied her knife as she report towards me. "Then we''ll head there. Belle, after casting the smokescreen, focus the mana to run," (Alina) "Okay. Summon the clouds of darkness in the sky and conceal me, [Dark Smoke]," (Belle) Thick ck fog appears from Belle''s staff, blocking the view. But we have Xena, she would still be able to see the way even with the ck fog surrounding them. "Belle, ready?" "Ready," (Belle) "Let''s go!" (Xena) The three of us ran as fast as we could towards the north with Xena leading the way. After running as fast as we could for a while, Xena finally stated our position. *Pant!* *Pant!* *Pant!* "We went past them!" (Xena) "I felt like my heart is about to burst..." I muttered as I held my chest, feeling my heartbeat that has been furiously beating because of the run and the sense of danger I felt. "I thought *Pant!* *Pant!* We''re going to *Pant!* *Pant!* Die *Pant!* *Pant!*". Belle pants the worst of all of us since she is a magician that has weaker physical abilities than us. "Hehehe, I bet our customers will pay everything they have to see that exhausted look of you, Belle," (Xena) "*Pant!* Xena *Pant!* Shut up..." (Belle) We took a break for a while to catch our breath and recheck our condition. "I managed to bring all of the ahgra''s parts I harvested, how about you guys?" I asked Belle and Xena. "Me too~" (Xena) "Me too," (Belle) "Really!? Then today''s trip is a great sess!" I dered cheerfully. I seriously thought that they might drop or didn''t have the time to pack the harvested parts, and it turns out they didn''t! It seems that I''ll really be able to buy more luxurious food for today~ !?!?!?!? "Kyaa!!!" (Belle) Suddenly, a figurend from above the tree where we rest, and takes custody of Belle. "H-Hobgoblin...?" Xena muttered the name of the race of the figure that takes custody of Belle. Not long after, lots of goblins and some hobgoblins surrounded us as well. Looking at the surroundings makes me remember the scene where we got captured by the bandits. "Are we going to get captured again...? We''re going to get captured and live in hell again...?" Chapter 9 Surrounded By Goblins ?"To think that I could even store things into the space... This is rather convenient..." Lyan muttered in astonishment. (Yeah. You don''t need to bring those smelly corpses with you on your way, that''s a great luck, you bastard) (Griselda) "Why are you using a tone as if I''m doing something insolent..." (Lyan) After seeding in storing the giant hunting snake in the grimoire''s space, Lyan managed to find out some new abilities of the summoning grimoire''s space. First of all, the grimoire could store things in its space and could summon them back to the world as well. The corpse of the giant hunting serpent that Lyan stored in the grimoire''s space appeared at a slight distance from the house where the eight spirits resided. The big modern house inside the grimoire''s space is the dwelling of the eight spirits. Each of them has their own room, but since they have be spirits, they didn''t have any need to sleep so they spend their time watching the television that disys Lyan''s sight. Even though the spirits didn''t have any need to relieve their dder nor do they need to eat, the house also contain a kitchen and a toilet with a decent bath. But amongst every ce, the ce that the eight spirits are most curious about is the ninth room that exists on the top floor of the house that is locked. The door is designed specifically to look like the grimoire owner''s room. (You should try to open that door when you''re back! I''m curious about what''s inside!) (Lilith) "Yes, yes. You''ve been repeating those words dozens of times,dy Lilith..." Lyan replied to Lilith''s nagging with an exasperated tone. (What are you sounding so exhausted for!? Anyway, could you stop addressing me so formally, master? you can just call me Lilith!) (Lilith) "Is that so? Then I''ll do so, Lilith," (Lyan) (Fufufu! It makes us feel much closer, after all~) (Lilith) (Me too! Me too! You can call me Azelia, master~) (Azelia) Azelia cheerfully said as she jumps cheerfully inside the grimoire''s space. "Okay, then I''ll do so, Azelia," A smile appeared on Lyan''s face because of Azelia''s innocent and cheerful voice. After following Griselda''s direction of heading east, Lyan had met several magic beasts in session. After the giant hunting serpent, he met a pack of direwolves and green slimes. But just like how he faces the giant hunting beast, heposedly defeats all of them and stores their corpses inside the grimoire''s space. "I guess it''s time to continue running," Lyan warm up his mana as he readied his legs to take another long run. But suddenly- !?!? (Master, there''s something forward) (Cynthia) Cynthia that rarely talks alerts Lyan. "Yeah, I could sense it as well. Is it hostile magic beasts?" Lyan asked for confirmation. He could sense several presences from the distance beneath the bushes that blocks his sight, but Lyan felt that some of the presences are weird. (Likely so, But there seem to be not just monsters there) (Arturia) "I see... Let''s see what''s happening then," (Lyan) Lyan stealthily approaches the scene as he travels by jumping from one tree to another. Because of the tree''s height, Lyan could see clearly what was happening from above after approaching the presence closer. (What are you, an ape?) (Griselda) (Let''s ignore her...) (Lyan) "Those... Are those creatures are what they called as goblins...?" Lyan narrowed his eyes as he observe the creatures that are surrounding the three girls before him. They have green skin, short stature, and stand with two feet just like humans. Their face is beyond ugly, and they are looking at the three girls with visible lust inside their eyes. But what catches Lyan''s attention is not those characteristics of them, but the fact that their bodies are so robust and muscr, and different from the goblins that he pictures inside his head. The goblins that Lyan had seen inside the game he yed in his previous life are small, weak, and cowardly. But the goblins before him are oozing with decent pressure as if they are veteran soldiers. And some of them even have a height as tall as humans and ooze out more bloodlust than the others. (Yes, but those are not normal goblins... They look like they''re in a frenzied state... And the tall ones are not goblins, but a higher rank of a goblin, a hobgoblin) (Arturia) (The one in the ck robe is a goblin shaman, while the other ones that hold a staff are goblin magicians) (Lilith) "I see..." (Lyan) (The girl is getting held down by a hobgoblin and has her staff fallen a distance from herself, while the swordswoman and the thief seem to be waiting for something...) (Lyan) (Will you help them, master?) (Cynthia) Beneath Cynthia''s calm voice, Lyan felt that her question sounded like a test rather than a sincere question. (Her attire and personality felt like a saintess or a priestess... Virtue and Empathy, huh...) (Lyan) (You should help them, master) (Arturia) "It would be rude to them if I suddenly act like a hero to save them when they could fend the goblins themselves, no? It looks like they still have a chance to struggle after all," (Lyan) (....A chance....?) (Cynthia) (I see... Look) (Arturia) Inside the grimoire''s space, Arturia points at the monitor''s screen where the magician girl could be seen. (She''s muttering something. It looks like she''s going to chant a spell) (Arturia) Right after Arturia''s words, the shadow under the hobgoblin holding her down suddenly engulfed the hobgoblin as if it were eating it alive. "Xena! Alina!" (Magician girl) The goblins surrounding them rushed towards them, but the thief and the swordswoman gives them a good fight. Their strength is decent, but the biggest key that made them formidable is their teamwork. "Die!" The swordswoman shes the goblin that approached the magician girl. (The swordswoman''s focus is to quickly recover the magician girl and restore their formation, and while she moves forward, the thief guards her back... And more importantly, that thing...) (Lyan) The hobgoblin that got consumed by the shadow controlled by the magician girl became pitch ck from head to toe and is protecting the magician girl. (It''s [Shadow Servant]. It''s a dark magic spell. But it seems that that girl isn''t strong enough, the hobgoblin''s strength ended up getting its strength halved) (Lilith) "I see... What an interesting spell..." (Lyan) Even though Lilith said the hobgoblin''s strength got halved, the goblins are still no match for it and got blown away by its attacks. The shadow hobgoblin possesses a sword as well, so it made him easier to kill the other goblins. Overall, they could be considered as a great party with a decent survival rate. But- (A goblin alone is considered an E-rank monster, a pack of goblins'' rank varied ording to their equipment and number, but the lowest are D-rank. A goblin pack with several hobgoblins, a goblin shaman, and good equipment like those could be considered a B-rank difficulty extermination quest. Their party''s teamwork and personal abilities are decent, but they''re in an exhausted state, and the goblins seem to be in a frenzied state as well, Those pups won''t survive) (Griselda) Griselda''s evaluation is precise. "Tsk! Why are the goblins are so strong!" The swordswoman shouted in frustration. On a normal asion, she could easily kill a goblin in one blow, but the goblins before her are stronger, and they need to give at least six blows before they would die. "You''re damn right. There''s something wrong with them..." Agrees the thief. Since they rushed to restore their formation and regroup with the magician, they lost most of their stamina from it. There are originally forty-one goblins, five hobgoblins, and one shaman surrounding them. After their rush and regrouping, they''ve killed ten goblins and enved one hobgoblin with dark magic. But to do so, they''ve be greatly exhausted with the battle. "Belle, do you have any remaining mana?" Asked the swordswoman "No... *Pant!* *Pant!* The [Shadow Servant] spell had drained most of my remaining mana. *Pant!* *Pant!* If I force myself, I''ll lose my consciousness and be a bigger burden for the two of you..." "Looks like we don''t have any choice... At we''re no longer surrounded... We just have to try our best as usual..." Uttered the thief with a forced smile. ******************* The goblins are about to attack them again. "Here theye!" Xena shouted in response to the hobgoblin that started to rush towards them, but halfway, the hobgoblin suddenly stopped and avert his gaze towards the other direction from them. "Eh?" (Alina) "KKKIIIEEEEE!!!" The hobgoblin shouted and rushed towards their east side. "What is..." Alina''s gaze follow the direction of where the hobgoblin is rushing to, and saw a man with a ck cloak slowly walking towards the rushing hobgoblin without holding any weapon in his hands. (He didn''t have any weapon? He didn''t do any chantation as well, he''ll die!) (Alina) "Run!!" (Alina) But the man didn''t heed her words, he continue to walk toward the hobgoblin without showing any sign of fear towards it. Looking at him walking with full ofposure provokes the hobgoblin more. In a short moment, the hobgoblin got close to the man, and- *sh!* "Ah... Opponents blinded by anger are always the easiest opponent, isn''t it? Thanks for the sword, by the way," ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: None Money: None Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits Chapter 10 Left With The Goblins ?---Alina''s PoV--- "RUN!!!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, hoping that the cloaked man run and flee with his all. But as if he didn''t hear my words, he continue to walk towards the rushing hobgoblin with a carefree smile on his face. (Does he didn''t realize that he''s about to die!? Tsk! None of us could save him!) I could only clench the sword in my hands as I saw the hobgoblin about to kill the man. "Sorry..." Sorry for not being able to help... You got caught up in this because we ran here and brought them here near the end of the forest... *sh!* The hobgoblin shed with his sword, but the direction where he shes is strange. "Eh?" The hobgoblin shed right at the thin air in front of the man with his full strength, leaving the man without getting even a tiny scratch on his body. At that moment when the hobgoblin''s defense is open because of his big attack, the man kneed the hobgoblin right at his groin with powerful force enough to send the hobgoblin flying several feats back and stop moving. "Ah... Opponents blinded by anger are always the easiest opponent, isn''t it? Thanks for the sword, by the way," The man takes the sword the hobgoblin drop. Since he didn''t use the hood of the cloak, we could see clearly his carefree face that didn''t seem to be on the battlefield at all. "He defeated it barehanded...?" (Xena) "It looks like he used some kind of illusion magic to make the hobgoblin mistake his position," (Belle) I see... Illusion magic, huh... As I got too focused on him, I forgot that we were still facing the goblins as well. But when I saw the goblins that just a moment ago staring at us with murderous eyes and attacking us, all of them stopped and are warily staring at the man. "Kkkieek!" The goblin shaman shrieks, but it seems that it''s amand since, after he shrieks, five goblins immediately rushed toward the man with a weapon in their hands. "Hou... Sending your pawns as a test first, huh...? Shouldn''t the hobgoblin be enough for it, though?" The man continues to approach to our direction slowly without breaking the carefree smile on his face. The approaching goblins seems to take his words as a provocation and got even angrier. Unlike normal goblins, they didn''t fight blindly without a n, the goblins split up and attempt to attack him with a pincer. Three goblins attacked him from his left and the other two attacked him from his right. "They''re surprisingly bright. it makes me feel it''s a shame to kill them here," Praised the man. He didn''t falter, and faced the goblins with the sword he got from the hobgoblin without changing the expression on his face. The coordinated attack from the goblins looks promising, but- *sh!* *sh!* The man didn''t retreat, but take a move forward. He dashed to the right and killed the two goblins with an elegant spin from between the goblin. And without wasting any moment- *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* The three goblins on his left that lost their momentum and got surprised because of how fast the tworades of them died at the hands of the man got shed by the man with one powerful sh. He must have powerful strength to kill the three of them in one swipe. But more than that, he has great swordsmanhip skills, battle instincts, and great judgment. "Kkkieek!" The goblin shaman gives out another order, and more goblins apanied by two hobgoblins rushed toward the man. But even so, the man''s expression remains the same. The remaining goblins and hobgoblins surrounding the goblin shaman didn''t budge. Some of them watched the uing fight between the cloaked man and their allies, while some of them remain vignt of us, ready to respond if by chance we take the initiative to attack them. "Alina, if we want to flee, this will be the best moment. Even if he''s strong and seems to be helping us right now, you know right?" Xena''s suggestion entered my ears. She''s right. He''s strong enough that it seems that the goblins wouldn''t be able to defeat him here. But even so, encountering such a powerful mercenary or adventurer isn''t always a good thing. "You''re right. Let''s run. Belle," "Okay," (Belle) Belle chants the spell''s chantation and- "[Dark Smoke]!" (Belle) Like before, the thick ck fog appeared from Belle''s staff, concealing us from the goblins'' view. With the dangerous cloaked man''s presence, the goblins wouldn''t want to chase us since it will only make them easier to get killed by the cloaked man. This is the best chance. We need to live. "Let''s go!" Sorry, cloaked man. And thank you *********************************** (The three girls ran away! Pfft! Master got rejected!) (Lilith) "I did not. I haven''t even talked with them," Lyan respond to Lilith''s teasing. (This ck fog is so annoying. Can''t you remove it? I can''t look at anything) (Griselda) (If I''m not mistaken, since our contract is now written on the summoning grimoire, shouldn''t you be able to use a portion of our abilities as well, master?) (Arturia) (Why don''t you just summon us? You should be able to do so now, right?) (Hestia) "Indeed... I could sense different kinds of mana elements inside me now. I want to try to summon some of you, but it would be a waste to summon you for mere goblins. I guess I''ll just test at this new mana I got from all of you first," Lyan looked at his own hands. (T-Then you should use my magic, master. I-It should be able to get rid of this ck fog) (Sylphia) "True. Wind magic, huh... If I''m not mistaken. Spirit of winds, bring me your force, [Gale]!" (Lyan) Following Lyan''s chantation, powerful winds appeared from all over the ce, sending away the ck fog covering the surroundings. But when the ck fog disappeared, the three girls had already disappeared, leaving Lyan and the group of goblins in front of him. At the time the ck fog appeared, the goblins the goblin shaman sent to kill him lost their vision, but since they are standing near Lyan, he easily killed all of them by sensing their presence. The remaining goblins and the goblin shaman stared at the lying corpses of theirrade. "Kkiieeeeekk!!!" The goblin shaman let out another shriek, but different from before, it seems that he gives a differentmand. One of the hobgoblins raises him and put him on his shoulders and runs to the opposite direction where Lyan is together with the other goblins, while ten goblins rushed toward Lyan. "He~ So you''re thinking of running... I''m sorry but, it won''t be that easy," (Lyan) *Snap!* At the moment Lyan snapped his fingers, the scenery of the forest changed into that of a desert. The remaining goblins, The goblin shaman, and the hobgoblin he''s riding on stopped, and the ten goblins rushing towards Lyan stopped as well. "None of you will be leaving here alive today," (Lyan) *************************** "Phew! that was a great exercise," Lyan muttered in satisfaction as he stretched his body. "The swords I got from the goblins are decent, and the staff of the goblin shaman seems to be a magic item," Lyan gathered the loot he got from the goblins. (But the girls ran away from you. Maybe you''re too scary master) (Lilith) "Stop it. Is my face that scary...?" (Lyan) (I''m sorry, master) (Cynthia) Cynthia apologized as she is one of the spirits that encourages Lyan to help the three girls. (Me too. I didn''t expect that they will leave you with their opponents and flee...) (Arturia) "It''s fine, I didn''t save them because I want to be thanked anyway," (Lyan) (But their decision is the right one. Their leader made a wise call) (Griselda) (What do you mean, Griselda? Do you mean that leaving the opponent that originally attacked you with the person that is trying to help you is wise?) (Arturia) (She''s right, Miss knight. Getting help from strong Mercenaries and adventurers isn''t always a good thing. Especially those girls that could be considered as beauties) (Hestia) (Different from knights, mercenaries and adventurers didn''t save people for free. They that had been used to get paid for every quest they take are used to rewards and hope for rewards whenever they do something. If the ones they help are women, then I believe I wouldn''t even need to exin what kind of demand they would have for their rewards) (Griselda) (When she''s exining things to the others, she used a slightly polite manner and formal tone. While in the other hand, she talks harshly when the other side is me. What a difference in attitude...) (Lyan) (Are you thinking something rude about me, huh!?) (Griselda) "No ma''am," (Lyan) (I see... So that''s the case, huh...) (Arturia) "Well, it''s fine. It''s a shame that I couldn''t make a conversation with some beauties, but I guess they made a wise decision then. By the way, what should we do with that thing?" Lyan points at the shadow hobgoblin that got enved by the magician girl before. ____________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Hobgoblin''s Sword> Name: Lyan upation: None Money: None Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits Chapter 11 The City Of Mercenaries And Merchants, Arkansas ?Elemental Mana Mana is divided into several attributes ording to their elements. Fire, Water, Nature, Wind, Dark, and Light, are the main elementsprised inside the world, while other elements like shadow are the derivatives from the main elements. Most people possess a non-attributed mana, which is a mana that didn''t contain norpatible with any element, making those who possess elemental mana considered rare. Unlike usual non-attributed mana, those with elemental mana is capable of summoning and conjuring their elements in a form of spells, allowing them to be what we called as magicians and wizards. But as their rarity, mastering the use of controlling and utilizing the elemental mana is not something easy to achieve. But at the same time, those who seeded on mastering it are capable of utilizing a great amount of strength, and are seeked by various powerhouses. -Basics of Mana Training Part 2 Book, Great Library of Eureka, The city of academy and magic, Ausbildia __________________________________________________________________________________ "What should we do with that thing?" Lyan points at the shadow hobgoblin that is standing still expressionlessly. (Without the orders of its master, it will continue to stand by, waiting for anothermand) (Lilith) "I see... Hm..." Lyan approached the shadow hobgoblin. "Summoning Grimoire," (Lyan) The summoning grimoire appeared before Lyan responded to his call. "Take him to the grimoire''s space," Lyan touched the forehead of the shadow hobgoblin with his index finger, and after thatmand, the shadow hobgoblin started to get engulfed by ck particles from the summoning grimoire. "Hou... It worked!" (Lyan) Not long after, the shadow hobgoblin disappeared from before Lyan and the ck particles return to inside the summoning grimoire as if getting devoured by it. After absorbing all the ck particles, the summoning grimoire shone with ck light and its pages flips on their own. As if showing the process to Lyan, the summoning grimoire opens a certain nk page inside it in front of Lyan, and slowly, some writings appeared together with an image of a monster. "A-a page just got filled..." (Lyan) [Shadow hobgoblin A hobgoblin that got devoured by a living shadow that is loyal to its master, granting it the strength to use shadow attribute magic and abilities to protect its master. As the shadow of its master, the hobgoblin is capable of protecting its master and following its master by hiding inside the master''s shadow. The shadow hobgoblin grows stronger by absorbing the shadow essence of dead beings. The stronger the creature that the shadow hobgoblin absorbs the essence of, the stronger it will get. Health: 100/100% Status: Healthy Attribute: Shadow Mood: Neutral] "I-I got my first summonable monster!" Lyan eximed in joy. (Try summoning it, master) (Lilith) "Okay, let''s try it. [Summon: Shadow Hobgoblin]!" (Lyan) The summoning grimoire glows in response to Lyan''smand, and ck particles gushed out of the summoning grimoire. The ck particles quickly went to a certain point and gather, forming a form simr to a human''s. After the ck particles dissipated, the figure of the shadow hobgoblin appeared before Lyan with some of its figures magically transformed. "It''s form changed?" (Lyan) The worn-out armor the shadow hobgoblin used before transformed into a strong-looking jet ck armor, and even the sword the hobgoblin was using before transformed into a jet-ck sword. And the shadow hobgoblin is now using a ck hood that it didn''t wear before, while its height got slightly higher. Before, the hobgoblin''s height is about a foot higher than usual goblins, but now, the shadow hobgoblin''s height is as tall as Lyan. "But this mana..." Lyan noticed the familiarity of the mana gushing out from the shadow hobgoblin. (He smells like Lilith!) (Azelia) (He got Lilith''s mana?) (Arturia) (Yes, it''s mine. It seems that the shadow hobgoblin absorbed my shadow essence that got scattered all over the ce in this space. It looks like it''ll get even stronger if you let it continue absorbing shadow essence here, master) (Lilith) (Hou... He looks interesting. Let me y with him when you sent him here) (Griselda) (Make sure you don''t break it, though) (Hestia) "I see... Then I guess I''ll let him get even stronger first. Somehow, summoning something like this is making me excited! Wait, doesn''t it mean that I don''t need to have intercourse to get the summonable monsters?" (Lyan) (Hm~ Maybe?) (Lilith) "I guess we''ll need to have more experiments in the future. Now, shadow hobgoblin," Lyan addresses the shadow hobgoblin who is already kneeling in front of Lyan. His eyes are now filled with more intelligence than before. "[Return]!" (Lyan) *Poof!* Unlike before, the shadow hobgoblin''s transformation into ck particles happen instantly, and the ck particles immediately went inside the summoning grimoire. "Well, now time to continue to go to the city," ************************** "So this is a human''s city..." Lyan widens his eyes in excitement as he observes the city brimming with life from the distance. (More urately, this is the city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas. This is a neutral city that didn''t belong to any nation and is ruled by the council consisting of big merchants and the guildmaster of the mercenary guild) (Hestia) "Hou... So this is a city that is not under any nation, huh... Anyway, where is Lilith anddy Griselda?" (Lyan) (They''re ying with shadow!) (Azelia) (Rather than ying, they''re ordering him around. Lilith ordered him to dissect the parts of the goblin corpses and the giant hunting serpent that could be submitted to the mercenary guild as the subjugation proof, while Griselda is testing his abilities. There are only the four of us left here) (Hestia) "The four of you?" (Lyan) (Yes. It''s me, Hestia, Azelia, and Sylphia. Eira had gone to her room and didn''te out since quite a while ago, while Cynthia went to her room to do her prayer) (Arturia) "I see. Well, time to check out this so-called city of mercenaries and merchants, I guess," Lyan uttered while trying to suppress the excitement he felt from visiting the fantasy world''s human city for the first time. (Where should I go first, the mercenary guild, and make my mercenary id tag? Or go to a tavern to have a meal and enjoy the RPG-like atmosphere? Or go to the brothel to test out the requirement that needed to get summoned monsters?) (Lyan) "Ah... I won''t be able to do anything without having money, won''t I? Then I should go to the mercenary guild first, I guess," (Lyan) The city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas, is surrounded by huge walls. There are only two gates which are on the west and the east side of the city. "Hm... This city unexpectedly has better security than I thought it is..." Lyan muttered as he join the line consisting of people waiting to be inspected by the guards and enter the gate. (Of course, it is. There are lots of big merchants that have enough influence with the royals of several countries and have their firms in several countries. Most of them have one of their biggest store here, while some even have their main store here, of course, they would want to have the security heightens) (Hestia) "I see... So the mercenaries linger around following the demands from the merchants, huh... What a wonderful rtionship," (Lyan) (That''s right) (Hestia) Not long after, Lyan arrived in front of the gate guards. "Name," (Hm... I certainly look suspicious. It would be annoying to be held here too long. I guess we''ll need some faint hypnotism here) (Lyan) Putting a spell on his eyes, Lyan''s pupils changed into purple for a moment. (But my name, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan''s original name is just Lyan, but he remembers the name that the god''s voice mentioned when he first open the grimoire. "Lyan Arkanium Evocatore," (Lyan) "Okay. Next," The guard noted his name and let him in. "Phew! That was kind of nerve-wracking," (Lyan) (Did you use magic, master?) (Arturia) "Yup. It''s just a weak hypnotism to lower the opponent''s suspicions against me. I look suspicious, but we didn''t harbor any ill intentions towards this city nor anyone inside it. It''ll be a bother if we got stopped halfway because of our looks anyway," (Lyan) (Indeed...) (Arturia) (Now that I think about it, illusion magic is much more handy and formidable than I thought it was) (Hestia) (You''re right. Looking at master made me reevaluate illusion magic) (Arturia) (T-That''s right) (Sylphia) "It''s not that great. Against someone that has a high mental strength, my illusion magic won''t do much," (Lyan) (But it is enough to give the opponent a moment of weakness and lost your position for a while. It''s more than enough in a high-level battle) (Arturia) "Well, it''s easy to say, but to actually maneuver it is much harder than you think. Unlike other mana, illusion magic is hard to use consecutively, and is harder to use illusion magic while using its mana to reinforce your body at the same time. So losing a moment of focus could be dead in such a high-level battle for an illusion magic user like me," (Lyan) (As expected, there is a certain condition for you to utilize it like that, huh... No wonder) (Hestia) (Well, I guess that''s how the world works) (Arturia) "By the way, this city truly is amazing..." Lyan praised the scenery around him. The city is filled with medium-size torge-size houses, and the city is organized beautifully and neatly. People bringing carts, huge bags, and swords wander all over the ce. The liveliness of the people inside it shows how alive the city is. "Anyway, I''ve been walking for a while now, does any of you know where the mercenary guild is?" (Lyan) (Hm... Try turning around) (Hestia) Following Hestia''s direction, Lyan turns his head around. (There! That huge building! That is the mercenary guild!) (Hestia) (Let''s go, master! Let''s go there!) (Arturia) Arturia''s voice is more energetic than her usual voice. "Yea! Let''s go!" (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: None Money: None Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 12 Registering As A Mercenary ?"It''s big..." Lyan widens his eyes in surprise as he saw the mercenary guild''s building. It''s a four-story building with a huge sign of two swords crossed over each other on top of it that gives off a certain pressure to those who saw it. (It''s the headquarter of the mercenary guild all over the world, so it''ll obviously look befitting it, right?) (Hestia) "Well, you''re right, though. But..." (Lyan) *Tsk!* (Where are the usual cliche of getting looked down on by everyone when the protagonist first entered the guild and getting challenged by one of the arrogant ones!? There are too many people wandering around that they didn''t have the time nor space to pay attention to others!) (Lyan) *Sigh!* Letting out a small sigh, Lyan entered the mercenary guild. The inside ispletely different from what Lyan pictured. Unlike the rough and rowdy-looking guild Lyan pictured inside his head, the mercenary guild is surprisingly neat and organized. The mercenaries didn''t make a ruckus and waited in line to converse with the guild''s receptionists as well. (Well, I guess peace is something good as well) (Lyan) Following the others, Lyan lines up in front of one of the receptionist''s desks, and not long after, he arrived right in front of the receptionist''s desk. (Hou... The service is unexpectedly fast) (Lyan) "Wee to the mercenary guild of Arkansas, are you new?" What appeared before Lyan is a beautiful and cheerful receptionist girl with a brown hair. With a professional attitude befitting the receptionist of the main mercenary guild. "Ah, yes," (Lyan) "Then do you like to register to the guild?" (Receptionist) "Yes, please," (Lyan) "Did you perhaps bring some evaluation sample for your rank? An evaluation sample is the mostmonly used rank evaluation for new mercenaries. You just need to give a fresh part of the monster that you just defeated and submit it to me and evaluate it. Did you have any?" (Receptionist) (I see... I could use the giant hunting snake, the direwolves, and the goblins I defeated before then) (Lyan) (Master! Good thing I came at the right moment. Here! Summon this bag! I''ve put some parts of the monsters you''ve defeated inside this small bag I found in my room! Use it!) (Lilith) (Okay!) (Lyan) Lyan followed Lilith''s suggestion and summoned a small bag out of the thin air. Since he summoned the bag from inside his cloak, no one would be able to see how it appeared out of the thin air. "Ah... Here it is," Lyan handed the bag to the receptionist. "I''ll evaluate it then," The receptionist gently took the bag from Lyan''s hands with a smile and starts to examine and evaluate the inside. "T-This is..." The receptionist uttered in surprise as she examine the inside of the bag. "The fangs of the giant hunting serpent and the direwolves are still fresh, and this is a tattooed finger of a goblin shaman... And there are tens of goblin fangs here! Did you defeat all of them alone!?" The receptionist asked with full of energy as she approaches Lyan''s face with wide eyes. "Y-Yeah... I coincidently encountered them in the nearby forest and have no choice but to kill them," (Lyan) "I see. And you did it without having a party?" (Receptionist) "Y-Yes..." Lyan answered with a wry smile as the receptionist''s face got even closer. Because of the distance, Lyan could clearly see the beautiful brown pupils of the receptionist that has the same color as her hair. "Rea, stop it. You''re bothering him," Another receptionist girl appeared and pulls the girl back. "A-Ah! I''m sorry! I got too excited!" The receptionist apologized as she bows to Lyan. "Forgive her, she loves to get overboard whenever she got too excited," (ck-haired receptionist) "It''s fine, getting approached by a pretty girl is not a trouble," Lyan answered with a gentle smile. "Heh! You''re quite good at ttery, aren''t you? But wow... This is truly something. It''s been a while since we got this quality of registration sample," The ck-haired sses-wearing receptionist said as she observe the monster parts Lyan brought on top of the receptionist desk. Unlike the first receptionist girl that is brimming with liveliness and youthful energy, the ck-haired receptionist is radiating with an aura of calmness and calction. "Is that so? Does the registration takes a long time?" (Lyan) "It won''t, please rest assured. We''ve decided on your rank, but please let us to check on the quests that you might have unknowingly cleared and evaluate the reward of your extermination, please wait for a bit," The ck-haired receptionist took the bag filled with the monster parts and bring it inside the staff room. "So you really didn''t have any party?" The brown-haired receptionist continue to question Lyan with her bright eyes after the ck-haired receptionist entered the staff room. But unlike before, she didn''t press her face near Lyan, and just asked him with her glittering eyes from a distance. (That child-like eyes of her look like Azelia''s) (Lyan) "Yes. Sadly, I''m new in this city so I didn''t have any party," (Lyan) "I see... People usually either came to this city with their party or came here to join good-quality parties or mercenary troupes, do you perhapse here to join one?" (Hm... A party, huh...) (Lyan) (Master, in this world, a summoner is a very rare upation and is very desired by powerful countries or organizations. If you''re fine with publicity, then it might be fine to have a temporary party to publicize your skills. But if you didn''t want to get unnecessary attention, it would be the best to go solo) (Arturia) Lyan connected the thoughts connection with the grimoire''s space. (I see... I''ll go with solo then. I wouldn''t be able to freely use and test the summoning creatures if I''m at a party, and it''ll make my schedule inflexible since I''ll need to follow the party''s will. Thanks for the info, Arturia) (Lyan) (The pleasure is mine, master) (Arturia) Lyan cut off the thought connection. "I''m afraid I''m not. I''m here just to start my career as a mercenary, I guess," (Lyan) "I see! Well, since you have such a promising strength, I believe you''ll have a bright future as a mercenary!" The brown-haired receptionist replied cheerfully. "Um... Forgive me for asking, but aren''t you supposed to help the ck-haired miss from before at the staff room as well?" (Lyan) "Ah... It''s fine, it''s fine. Lichia-chan is not the type that loves to get help from other people when she''s working. She works faster end efficiently when there are no others that distract her, so it''ll be fine to leave it to her," "Ah! I forgot! I haven''t introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Rea, Rea Azerman. Are you a noble?" (Rea) "I''m afraid I''m not," (Lyan) "Is that so? I''m quite convinced you''re a noble, though..." (Rea) "Did she bother you again?" The ck-haired receptionist returned from the staff room, bringing several papers and a bag that seems to be filled with money inside it. "How rude! Of course, I didn''t! By the way, this always-angry-like beautiful woman is Lichia Kukum! My beautiful friend!" Rea jumps toward Lichia and hugs her, rubbing her face on her. "R-Rea! We''re still working! Stop it!" Lichia pushes her off with a disturbed face, but Lyan felt that she didn''t look like she was actually mad or bothered by it. Lichia cleared her throat with a cough before continuing. "From the parts you brought, you''ve killed forty goblins, eight hobgoblins, one goblin shaman, one giant hunting serpent, and seven direwolves. There are several free quests that you unexpectedly cleared, it''s the quest asking for the giant hunting serpent''s venom and its ns, two quests requesting for direwolves'' furs, and the sighting of a goblin shaman that was issued by the city several days ago. And will you sell the rest parts of the monsters together with their magic stones to the guild?" (Lichia) "Yes," (Lyan) "Then this is your rewards. It''s 24,100 elnes," Lichia puts two big silver coins, four silver coins, and one big copper coin on top of the table. (Hm... So one big silver is 10,000 elnes, one silver is 1,000 elnes, and one big copper coin is 100 elnes, huh...) (Lyan) "Thank you very much," Lyan took the coins and put them in a small pouch on his waist. When Lyan arrived in this world, he was already in an attire that is ready for a journey. A medieval shirt, a pouch on the belt on his waist, and a cloak. "And congrattions. You''re now officially a mercenary, and you''ll be starting from the silver rank. This is your mercenary tag," Lichia puts a silver mercenary tag ne on top of the receptionist''s desk. "What is your mercenary name? The mercenary name you gave will be registered and serve as your professional name. All clients and the guild will refer you as your mercenary name," (Lichia) (Mercenary name... An alias, huh... I guess I''ll took a part of the name given by the god''s voice) (Lyan) "Evocatore," (Lyan) "Noted. If you met some problem because of some idiots getting jealous from your rank, please inform us. We''ll make sure they didn''t enter this ce anymore," Lichia''s words rather than seem to be an advice, it felt more like a threat. Lyan nced to his side without turning his head, and notice that most of the mercenaries are looking at them. "Look at that guy, he''s flirting with Miss Lichia," "Why didn''t she treat him coldly as always?" "She seems to be in a good mood, maybe she''ll ept my invitation to drink together today," (I see... Looks like I got myself into another troublesome person) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+24,100 Elnes> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 24,100 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 13 First Day In Arkansas (1) ?Mercenaries Mercenaries or what is usually referred to as Sellswords or Mercs, are capable men with fighting abilities that take part in military conflicts for profits. They usually roam around countries in conflict, but the greatest number of them could be found in the city of Mercenaries, Arkansas. Unlike adventurers, registering as mercenaries in the mercenary guild doesn''t need any background check. They ept anyone and everyone to join the guild, and ept all kinds of quests as well. Mercenaries mostly take requests on escorting people, joining an army searching for more swords for war, and other human-rted business, rather than exterminating monsters. Only when the number of certain threatening monsters got too many that cities usually issued a request towards the mercenary guild to help them exterminate the monsters'' threat. -Career of Mercenaries and Adventurers Book, Great Library of Eureka, The city of academy and magic, Ausbildia __________________________________________________________________________ (The situation is getting out of hand...) (Lyan) "Hey, hey. Why are Rea-chan and Lichia-chan serving a person together?" "Is he their acquaintance?" "Rea-chan is as cute as always!" (Master. Looks like you immediately hits the jackpot right at the first time you enter the mercenary guild~) (Lilith) (Heh! Those kinds of girls are famous and kind at the same time, don''t get the wrong idea just because they''re acting a little bit kind to you, dumbass) (Griselda) (Indeed. She''s right, it''s not wise to get into a misunderstanding, master) (Cynthia) (This priestess girl always joins the conversation in strange situations, aren''t you? Did she finish her prayers already? Wait, I''ve cut off the thought connection with them, right?) (Lyan) Lyan mumbled inside his thoughts. (Master, famous!?) (Azelia) (....) (Eira) (Fufufu~ Hot romance is one of adventuring greatest motivations, boy~) (Hestia) (Fueheheheh, they are so beautiful! How delicious!) (Sylphia) (S-Sylphia!? Is that her voice? Isn''t she supposed to be the timid girl character? Why did she sound like Griselda for a second there!?) (Lyan) (What are all of you talking about?) (Arturia) (You don''t understand? Isn''t it obvious? He''s nning onying the two of them) (Griselda) (L-Laying... D-Do you mean having intercourse with them!? Even though you just met them!? Y-You''re that kind of person, master...?) (Arturia) (What are you talking about, Miss knight? All men''s lines of thought are the same whenever they saw pretty girls. There is no way that their lust didn''t appear even if it''s just a second) (Hestia) (Ugh... The fact that her words are true for me makes it difficult to deny it...) (Lyan) (H-How indecent... How indecent!) (Arturia) "Shut up already... Your voices are giving me a headache..." Lyan muttered with a small voice that only he could hear as a wry smile appeared on his face. "This mercenary tag will be your identification device. The mercenary tag is embedded with a magic seal that identical to the magic seal on the mercenary book where your name is registered. All of your quests and history as a mercenary will be recorded there, and the mercenary guild will evaluate your worth as a mercenary based on your progress," (Lichia) "Don''t worry, Mr. Evocatore! Your information won''t be able to be leaked since we highly respect every mercenary''s privacy!" (Rea) "I see... Then is my registrationpleted?" (Lyan) "Yup. It''s done. But Mr. Evocatore, even though you''re strong, we highly rmend you to find a party since there are lots of unexpected situations that may happen in a quest. Please consider this rmendation of us," (Lichia) "....thanks for your advice, I''ll think about it. Thanks for lending me your time," Lyan gave the two receptionists a slight bow. "It''s fine. It''s rare for Rea to get too curious about someone so I couldn''t help but get curious as well. Whenever you came to the guild, don''t hesitate to search for Rea and me, Mr. Evocatore," Lichia answers with full a polite bow. "Yes! You can rely on me anytime!" (Rea) "That''s reassuring to know. Ah! Since I''m new here, can you rmend me a decent inn for me with my budget right now?" (Lyan) "Then you can go to the inn near the east gate, it''s called [The Schr Inn]. It''s very near to the east gate, and it''s the only inn on that perimeter. You might like it," (Lichia) "I see. Thanks for the rmendation, good afternoon," Lyan left the receptionist''s desk. Since the gaze of the surroundings is getting more intense with each second passed, Lyan didn''t have any other option but to quickly leave the ce after getting the rmendation. Truth be told, as a former incubus, Lyan has an abnormal libido. Since he came from the demon world, he''s greatly interested in human women, but even so, he knows tact. With the powerful mind-discipline and self-control that he got from being an incubus, he could cancel out his powerful lust, and control himself. Lichia and Rea are beauties, but since he knows that he stayed too long in the demon world, hismon sense might be not the same as themon sense of this realm. So to avoid being careless, Lyan thinks of gathering information and getting used to themon sense of this world first. (Carelessness and ignorance are the greatest enemies, I first need to gather information before starting to make really deep connections. And I still want to try out lots of things first anyway. But first, let''s go to the ce where I could easily gather information and let out this strong libido! Yes, the brothel! I spotted the big ce that clearly states that it''s a brothel on my way to the mercenary guild! Now let''s go!) (Lyan) But when Lyan takes a several steps, a growl appeared from below his chest. *Growl~* "Ah. I forgot I''m in a human body now," (Lyan) When he was in his previous life as an incubus, all he need to live as an incubus was only to consume people''s lust and pleasure. There is no need to eat, but since he''s originally a human, he used to eat some foods and hunt for foods out of habit. (But sadly, the quality of food in the demon world is so bad that makes sense since lots of tribes don''t really need to eat as long as they have mana...) (Lyan) (Looks like you''re hungry, master) (Arturia) (But we just got lots of money just now, didn''t we? Let''s go buy some delicious food! I''m dying for some good foods!!) (Lilith) (You''re right. I kind of miss eating as well. I want lots of meat and lots of booze!) (Griselda) "Eh? Aren''t you spirits don''t need to eat? I believe I read it in the grimoire," (Lyan) (It doesn''t mean we can''t or may not eat because we don''t need it, master. If we want to eat, we could still eat! I request that all of us get our share of food whenever we eat! It means we must get a breakfast, a lunch, evening snacks, and dinner!) (Lilith) (She''s damn right!) (Griselda) "What are we? A big family in a damn family house!?" (Lyan) (Y-You didn''t want to give us food, master...?) (Arturia) Arturia''s timidly polite question makes it hard for Lyan''s conscience to ignore it. "Guh... Fine... I''ll concede..." (Lyan) (Yes! We win! Nice conscience attack, Arturia!) (Lilith) (I-I''m not attacking him with anything) (Arturia) (Ah... To think that I could still drink booze after dying... What are you waiting for!? Quickly go to the inn and order the booze!) (Griselda) "What an unreasonable spirits... Aren''t the spirits supposed to be the one getting ordered by the summoner? Aren''t I supposed to be your master?" (Lyan) Griselda snorts. (Since when did I, or Hestia, or Eira ever call you master, huh!? Don''t get ahead of yourself!) (Griselda) (H-How annoying... But well, I guess it won''t be good to make enemies of them, they''re too strong and too troublesome to be an enemy, after all... That damned god, why did she give me these troublesome lots...) (Lyan) "Miss Kukum said that the inn is near the east gate, didn''t she? I guess we need to go there first, huh..." (Lyan) ***************************** "Hm... Is this the inn? But this looks more like a library rather than an inn, though..." Lyan ponders as he read the sign on top of the building before him. Lyan could see the lots of books inside the building from the window outside, which made him doubt whether this is a library or not. "But the sign surely states [The Schr''s Inn] though... So it''s called the schr''s inn because there are lots of books inside it, huh..." (Lyan) (Wait, master. You can read thenguage here?) (Lilith) "I could. Back in the demon world, there are lots of foreign books that are written in the humannguage. Thenguage all of you used and thenguage written on that sign is called themonnguage, right?" (Lyan) (Yes, that''s right, master) (Arturia) "I''m always curious about the human world since the time I''m inside the demon world, so to satisfy my curiosity, I learn the humannguage and read lots of books written in humannguage," (Lyan) (I see... So that''s why you could talk fluently in themonnguage. I thought it was an ability given by the summoning grimoire as well) (Arturia) (You took quite a great effort for your curiosity) (Hestia) "Hm... Not really. I used to have a bookstore and sell books in my previous life before I entered the demon world and transform into an incubus. I open the bookstore because I want to work and enjoy my hobby at the same time without having to work for other people. Well, it made me quite hard to make both ends meet, though..." Lyan muttered with a wry smile as the old memory entered his head. "Anyway, let''s buy a room and order for food. I''m starving..." (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+Mercenary Tag> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 24,100 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 14 First Day In Arkansas (2) ?(This... Is rather amazing...) (Lyan) The moment Lyan stepped inside the inn, a thick scent of books entered his nostrils. It''s a very nostalgic smell that brings back the memories that hide deep inside his brain. (Ah... This sensation of bibliosmia...) (Lyan) Images from the past passed his mind. The ce of wanders that consist of wondrous parts of the world and the fantasy world. His bookstore, his paradise. The wonderful stories that he found and read with sparkling eyes passed his mind as he inhales deeply as if to dig out more of the memories from the distant past. "Are you perhaps a guest, Mr. Mercenary?" A female voice entered Lyan''s ears, bringing him back to reality. "Ah, yes. I''m here for a room and meal," Lyan answered as he opened his eyes. Without him realizing it, he had walked right into the front of the inn''s reception desk. What appeared before him is a young woman that has a merchant charm emitted from her. Her reddish-brown hair gives a hint of boldness, her observant eyes tell Lyan enough about how perceptive she is. "It seems that you''re a book-lover as well. Your eyes look like it''s sparkling as you''re looking at the books," The woman said with a kind smile. "Haha. Forgive me, I can''t help myself to get excited looking at how many books here," (Lyan) As if the inn only has bookshelves as decoration, the whole ce has bookshelves of different sizes with books fully loaded inside. For Lyan that is a book-lover, this ce is more precious than any other ce. Lyan''s eyes return to the woman before him. Despite of her question, she''s wearing a fancy dress that doesn''t suit the book-filled inn, not an inn employee''s uniform. "Are you perhaps the owner of this delightful inn?" (Lyan) "Yes, You''re right. My appearance doesn''t really match this inn, aren''t I? Anyway, looks like you''re rather hungry, do you want to grab a meal from your room or eat at the dining hall?" *Growl~* Lyan''s stomach growled right after the inn''s owner''s words. His stomach actually had been growling since he first entered the inn, but since he was too absorbed in the scent of the books, he didn''t realize the growl from his stomach. (Fufufu! You''re starving, master!) (Lilith) (Well, I''ve been traveling inside a forest for half a day without eating, after all. Of course, I would be starving) (Lyan) "I''ll take it to my room," (Lyan) "I see. How long are you nning to stay here?" "I''m not sure. I guess I''ll pay for a week worth first," (Lyan) "Noted. Here is your key, it''s room 17. The room is the third room on the right side of the third floor. Do you have any special orders for the meal? Do you like to look at the menu first?" The inn''s owner handed the room''s key. "Ah... I''ll leave the option to you, but can you bring me food equivalent for nine people? And lots of booze. I''m thinking of having a small party myself tonight," (Lyan) "N-Nine people? I understand. Please patiently wait for the food. The cost for a week''s room and the food will be 950 Elnes," The young inn owner closes her eyes in understanding for her customer''s enormous appetite. (I''m lucky she''s an understanding one...) (Lyan) Lyan puts 1 big silver on top of the reception desk. "The change is 50 Elnes. Would you like to use it for tomorrow''s food or would you like to get your change now?" (Inn''s Owner) "Then I''ll choose the former," (Lyan) "Ah. Please let me introduce myself. I''m Jessica, Jessica Lorian. May I know your name, dear guest?" Jessica ready the inn''s visitor log book. "Lyan Arkanium Evocatore," "Noted. I hope you have a good time in this inn," Jessica gives a formal bow. "I believe I will. Does all books inside this inn is allowed to be read?" (Lyan) "Yes. There are also a bookshelves filled with books inside each room, but there is a section deliberately left empty so that you could choose the books from other bookshelves outside the room that you''re interested in and put it there as your reading-list," (Jessica) "I see. Thanks, I''ll be borrowing a lot," Lyan give a small bow and went towards his room. Along the way, Lyan observes the surroundings with full of curiosity. Even though there are bookshelves whenever you go, the designs that were chosen and the ce they are positioned made them aesthetic enough without having to use any other decorations to decorate the inn. "The owner has quite a unique taste," (Lyan) (T-There are books all over the ce!) (Sylphia) (You''re right. It''s unique in a good way, master. This is the first time I''ve entered an inn that is filled with so many books like this) (Arturia) (There must be a hidden lewd book inside this building! There must be one! I strongly believe so!) (Lilith) "Ament befitting a subus indeed," (Lyan) (You''re exaggerating. What''s so good about lots of papers piling inside an inn) (Griselda) (You''re just too dumb to understand) (Eira) (Huh? Are you saying that to me, ice girl?) (Griselda) (Who, I wonder) (Eira) The atmosphere inside the grimoire''s space suddenly turns dangerous. Lyan could picture how Eira and Griselda stared at each other and emitted hostility and bloodlust towards each other. (Let''s just ignore them... This is my room, isn''t it?) (Lyan) Lyan arrived in front of the door of his room after following the directions Jessica gave him before. A huge number ''17'' is written on it. Lyan looks at the key in his hand and confirms that the key has the same number written on it before inserting it. *Click!* The door opened, revealing the first room he rent after entering this world. "Hm~ The room turns out to be morefortable than I thought," (Lyan) The room is rather big. It has a double bed, a decent sofa, a big bookshelf, and a toilet. (This big barrel is for bath purposes, huh... It''s empty, so I need to ask the staff if I want to bath and pay for the water, I guess) (Lyan) "Now all that''s left is to wait for the food, huh~" Lyan opens his cloak and put it at the door''s hanger before jumping to the bed and stretching his whole body. (You must be tired after walking that much, master) (Arturia) (Hmph! Weakling) (Griselda) "Yes, yes. I am a weakling, yes... But this is a good inn, indeed. I noticed that the ones who purchased a room here are all middle to the upper ss of merchants. Aren''t inns as good as this are usually packed with people? The price doesn''t seem to be that high either," (Lyan) (Indeed. I''m impressed you realized that. The owner of this inn has keen eyes. She didn''t tell the price of the room and went right to the sum because she''s sure that you must have enough money to pay it) (Hestia) (Amateur merchants in this city usually strike a deal with mercenaries and must have thought that this inn is too far from the mercenary guild and the market that is located at the center of the city for it gives them the chance to meet high-potential clients and goodwork. The merchants in this inn must have monopolized the information about how good this inn is. And since the owner seems isn''t bothered by it, she must have gained a benefit from this inn''s rtion with the merchants as well) (Hestia) "Hou... As expected ofdy Hestia, you understand it well," (Lyan) (Fufufu! Of course! It''s normal for a person from a great noble family to know about the merchant society and how merchants think, after all! Hohoho!) (Hestia) (She really loves to be praised, isn''t she...?) (Lyan) *Knock!* *Knock!* "Ah, yes!" Lyan went to open the door. (Is that the food!? Is that the food!?!?) (Lilith) (It''s the booze, isn''t it! Quickly open it and take it!!) (Griselda) (Guh... Shut up, both of you..) (Lyan) "Excuse me, dear guest. You ordered for nine portions of food and ale, is that right?" A waitress holding a trolley walker in her hands. "Yes," (Lyan) The waitress then entered the room and set up the food on top of the room''s table before leaving with the trolley walker. After the waitress left, Lyan immediately sent the food and beers for the spirits to the grimoire''s space while leaving some for him to eat. The menu of the meal is an earth buffalo''s meat, vegetable stew, and breads. (The life inside the city must be decent for the food to be as decent as this) (Lyan) After finishing eating, some of the spirits passed out because of too much drinking, while the rest of them went to their respective rooms to sleep as they felt they are sleepy because of the meal. (Even though they didn''t need to sleep nor eat... But well, this is good! I''ve checked several times and none of them are answering! They might wake up in several hours or preferably tomorrow!) (Lyan) Lyan cut off all of the connection with the grimoire''s space before heading outside the inn. (Time to explore the night world of the city!!) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <-1000 Elnes> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 23,100 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 15 First Day In Arkansas (3) ?(This is it! The ce I''ve set my eyes on when I was on the way towards the mercenary guild!) (Lyan) Before Lyan is a huge building that is crowded with people, especially men. Lyan''s gaze got absorbed by the big sign of the building, stating the name of the building. (The famous brothel, House of Roses!) (Lyan) Lots of mercenaries and merchants gathered in this building. From a nce, Lyan could see how luxurious the building is, and he couldn''t help but be curious about what he''ll find inside. (Here, not only pleasure, I could get fun, and get to test whether I would get a summonable monster for the summoning grimoire or not as well. This is definitely a wise choice to make. Who am I making these excuses for anyway) (Lyan) "The money I have, they should be enough, aren''t they...?" Lyan enters the building while acting as naturally as he could despite his doubts about whether the money he possesses is enough for him to use inside the brothel. (Whoa... This ce looks rather luxurious...) (Lyan) The inside of the brothel is decorated with high-ss decorations and uses colors that give off a luxurious vibe. Like usual brothels, there is a bar inside that is filled with merchants making business while getting apanied by the brothel''s girls, and mercenaries drinking themselves drunk before going to the deed. There is also a big stage where some of the brothel girls perform music and dance. (Let''s grab a small drink first, I guess) (Lyan) "One drink from your rmendation please, master," Lyan said to the bartender as he sits on the bar stool. The bartender is quite aged as his hair is white as snow, but his eyes are still filled with strength and energy that makes Lyan admires them. "Is this your first time here?" Asked the bartender. "Yes, did I look awkward," (Lyan) "Of course not. It''s just that I happened to remember the faces of the people who I made drinks for. Here, it''s a service from the house," The bartender puts a ss of wine on top of the table. "This is a great wine. I guess this is the reason why there are lots of people drinking here," Praised Lyan after taking a sip of the wine. "Heh, even if you praise me, I won''t help you on getting the girls here, you know? They don''t really hear my words, after all," (Bartender) "Help me?" (Lyan) "Ah. You''re here, aren''t you? In this brothel, the customer could only sleep with the girls only if they approve it. The customer still needs to pay, of course, but the deed may only proceed if the girls ept it," (Bartender) "Hou... That''s quite a peculiar system... But I guess that system hits well here, huh... It increases the value of the girls and interests the guests at the same time. What an interesting idea," Lyan takes another gulp of the wine. "Yes. The madam has quite the interesting idea, I''m impressed myself. The system greatly interests the mercenaries, merchants, and nobles from various countries. I guess the challenge of making the girls ept you gave them bigger euphoria when they seeded. The only problem is when there are fools like that person over there that doesn''t have enough patience to please a woman," The bartender''s eyes shifted in a certain direction. "YOU FUCKING BITCH!! YOU''RE JUST A WHORE! DON''T YOU DARE REJECT ME!!" a burly man holds one of the brothel''s girls as he swore on her. "He must have gotten angry because the girl rejected him," (Bartender) "I''m sorry, dear customer! But that''s the rule in this ce! If you don''t understand that, then by all means, please leave!!" The girl attempted to get rid of the man''s hands, but her strength isn''t as big as the man''s. Rather than getting rid of the man''s hands, she just got him angrier instead. "You bitch..." The man clenched his right hand and raise it, ready to punch her. "*Sigh!* Please excuse me for a while- Hm?" (Bartender) Suddenly, the man''s outburst stopped, as if he''s a puppet that got his strings cut. "W-What happened?" The girl that had her hand held strongly by the man eximed in confusion as the man suddenly let her hand go with a nk expression on his face. "Go outside," Lyan muttered under his breath. "....." (Bartender) Following Lyan''s words, the man went outside of the brothel with a nk face, before falling straight on his face after several steps outside the brothel. (d he''s drunk. It makes me easier to make him to fall into a hypnotized state. I want to enjoy my moment so forgive me for doing that, Mr. musclehead) (Lyan) Lyan finished the wine before him and takes his money pouch. "It''s service from the house, young man. Next time, I''ll give you another free drink as a sign of gratitude as well," The old bartender gives a meaningful smile as he takes Lyan''s ss. "Gratitude? For what?" Lyan pretends ignorance. (As expected. This old fellow has high skills. If I hypnotized that musclebrain even a secondte, he''ll definitely get killed) (Lyan) "For a certain thing that I didn''t know whether you realize or not. The name is Abraham, by the way," (Bartender) "Mine called Lyan. A pleasure to meet you," Lyan stands from the seat. But as he was about to went to the ce where the brother girls are serving and getting passes from the guests, anothermotion appeared inside the brothel. "Lady Lily! Today isdy Lily''s schedule for showing herself on the stage!" "I''ve been waiting for you, Lady Lily!" "Lady Lily!!" "What is happening...?" Lyan muttered in confusion. "Ah. In this brothel, there are three stars of the brothel that asionally perform on the stage every week. They have lots of fans not only from this city, you know. They''re famous because of their beauty and their persona, why don''t you see her yourself. The one that would be performing tonight is Lady Malevolum Lily," (Abraham) "Malevolum Lily? That''s a rather peculiar name," (Lyan) "That''s her alias. It means the grumpy princess. Ah! There shees," (Abraham) As if a high noble or a royalty from a certain country just entered the building, the people gave way for thedy to walk towards the stage. But because of the crowd, Lyan could not see the appearance of Lady Malevolum Lily, but from the reactioning from the crown, Lyan could see that she must be beautiful enough to steal the attention of all of the people inside the building. Since his sight got blocked by the crowd, Lyan shifted his focus and saw that even the other girls from the brothel are looking at the so-called Lady Malevolum Lily with a warm gaze. (I guess not only her looks, but her personality must be beautiful as well despite getting called the grumpy princess) (Lyan) Not long after, thedy arrived on the stage and took a harp. Lyan could only see her silhouette since it seems that they deliberately didn''t put enough lighting on top of the stage to make the face of thedy dark. (It will make the audience get even more interested in her because of the mysterious element, huh... The marketing technique is rather splendid as well) (Lyan) Lyan noticed that there are several sofas in front of the stage ready by the staff of the brothel. "Those sofas are for VIP guests that paid a big sum to watch the performance from a near distance. There is even an average merchant that deliberately saves up his money to buy that privilege, you know?" (Abraham) "Hou... She''s that famous, huh..." Lyan holds some suspicions about whether there is illusion magic or any other kinds of magic being yed in the ce to make the girl got that famous, but when the song started, Lyan couldn''t help but get absorbed by the performance as well. The intro of the song is just the sound of the harp. Because of theck of light on the stage, the audience''s focus got drawn by both the sound of the music and the whole bodynguage of thedy. She has great skills that could be called professional in ying the harp, but what captivated Lyan more is how elegant her body moves in the y. Her fingers plucked the strings gently like she was caressing a baby''s head at the intro, and as the song goes on, she started to sing as she strikes the harp, making a beautiful and lively melody. At the end of the song, the pace starts to get slower before it got finished with a perfect outro. "That was quite the spectacle..." Lyan praised as he pped his hands together with the other audience. "Looks like I got too absorbed by the performance," (Lyan) Without him noticing, Lyan had gotten nearer the stage to get a clearer view of the stage. "Give way! Thedy is returning to her room!" The brothel''s guards greet thedy and protect her from both sides. Without making amotion, the audience makes way for her to walk. Elegantly, thedy slowly walks towards the stairs to went upstairs, but on the way- "E-Eh!?" She slipped because of a puddle from a spilled drink. But since the brothel''s guards that escort her are too busy preventing the audience from suddenly assaulting her, they are not ready to catch her fall. "Oops," (Lyan) Like a morning breeze, Lyan appeared from an unknown direction and caught her before she fell. ""You''re..."" The both of them widen their eyes as they stare at each other. "The swordswoman," (Lyan) "The hooded guy!" (Alina) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 23,100 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 16 First Day In Arkansas (End) ?"H-How did this happen...?" Lyan recalled the event that just unfolded several minutes ago as he walked through the dark streets of Arkansas. (I caught the girl since she''s falling, then I noticed that she''s the swordswoman that I saved back then from the goblins, and then...) (Lyan) "She screamed and ran with all of her might..." Lyan crouches down as hements the reaction he just saw. After Lyan caught thedy and prevent her from falling, she certainly noticed that he is the one who saved her back then as well, but unlike what Lyan pictured inside his mind, rather than getting thanked from her, he got a fearful scream instead. Because of her reaction, the crowd and the staff stared at him with contempt and hostility and got chased away by the brothel''s guards. Lyan looked at his hands. (Aren''t I supposed to be a former incubus? I''m supposed to be skilled in wooing women, aren''t I?) (Lyan) "No, no. That was out of my control. I believe I didn''t take any wrong moves, and I didn''t use any subus magic as well. It won''t be good to use magic on making an earnest rtionship, after all. Okay, it''s not an error on my side, it was just that that swordswoman is slightly weird, that''s all," Lyanforts himself. After regaining some confidence in himself, Lyan stands straight and starts to walk again, but he is suddenly remembered something. "Those guys... Saw my face, didn''t I...? Should I erase their memories...?" (Lyan) ***************************** ---Alina''s PoV--- I''ve gone and done it!!!! "Alina, you stupid, idiotic, moron!" I pulled my hair in distress after remembering what I had just done. That''s beyond rude, isn''t it? First, we left him in the middle of the forest with the monsters that are originally chasing and surrounding us after he went to help us. And after meeting him again, rather than thanking him, I freaked out and screamed as if I''m a girl about to get raped by bandits!! He must be freaked out and creeped out, isn''t he? No, he must be mad for being treated that unreasonably. What if he became mad and aims to do bad things to us because of me!? Will the madam save us again if that happens!? Ah... All of the guests must had saw me screaming just now, didn''t they!? They must be creeped out because of me!!! This is not good. If I can''t bring any customers anymore, how could I repay the madam!?!? "Calm down, Alina-chan," (Belle) "Calm down first, Alina. Take a deep breath," (Xena) Belle and Xenafort me by patting my back. Theirfort is so effective. Just by feeling the warmth of their hands, I stopped getting agitated and calmed myself down. "There, there, Alina-chan. Good, good," (Belle) "Now. Could you tell us what happened?" (Xena) How sweet of them, they were using the most gentle voice they could muster to make sure I didn''t feel cornered. Okay, I''m fine now. Let''s tell them the truth. Since it''s the two of them, they definitely won''t get mad and found a solution together! "So the story is..." (Alina) I tell them from the beginning of how I entered the stage until the end. I tried not to fabricate any truth by telling them, we''re best friends, and since we only have each other, I must not lie to them. And their reaction is... "YOU WHAT!?" Xena eximed in surprise. "Y-You''re startling me, Xena..." "Alina-chan! That''s beyond rude, you know!? And since he helped you from falling, it means that together with us, he had helped you twice already!" Belle follows suit as she scolds me with an expression she rarely shows. "I-I know! But I fell because of the puddle! And if I didn''t use those heels, I wouldn''t lose my bnce in the first ce! And... And... He might be a bad guy..." "Alina! The way we leave him with that dangerous goblin group is outrageous enough, you know? And despite so, he still saves you from your fall! In the first ce, he didn''t shout angrily or anything when we left him with the goblins, there is enough proof for us to conclude that he''s a good guy!" (Xena) "And you even screamed on his hands and then run away as if you got caught by an orc. He must felt very hurt by that, you know..." (Belle) "Uuuuu... I know, I''m wrong... I couldn''t help it, that was so unexpected that I lost control of myself..." Tears start to gather in my eyes again. What can I do? How could I react towards the person who I left with the goblins that are surrounding us when he suddenly appeared like that? "I was too ashamed to apologize, so I freaked out..." "*Sigh!* Well, there''s no use for crying over a spilled milk. At least, we should tell the truth to everyone and-" (Xena) Suddenly, the door towards our room got opened from outside before Xena finished her words. "Alina? I heard you got assaulted by a guy inside the pub. He''s quite daring to do that inside here. Since he could even assault you and make you like this, he must be strong, right? Describe to me how he looks and I''ll take care of it. The merchants and the mercenaries present will also look for him," A purplish red-haired woman suddenly entered the room. "Madam..." She''s 12 years older than me, but her skin is still so smooth, and her face is very beautiful. Not to mention her body that my body could neverpare. "Alina-chan, are you okay!?" "Did that bastard do something to you!?" "What did he do, Alina-chan! Tell us!" The other girls appeared from beneath the opened door. It makes me happy how much they care about me, but at the same time, it makes me harder to tell them the truth about what happened. "The problem had sure became big rather quickly, huh..." Uttered Xena with a wry smile. "Hm? What''s wrong, the two of you?" Madam tilts her head when she looks at Xena and Belle that are having a wry smile on their face. "Alina," (Xena) "Yes! Yes! I''ll exin!" I force myself to exin the story from the beginning to the madam and the others. "Ahahahaha! You sure are cute, aren''t you, my little Alina!" Madam strokes my head as sheughs because of my action. """Alina-chan...""" (Other brothel girls) "Madam, I love you," I hugged her. Xena and Belle you traitors. It turns out that madam is my true ally. I''ll never forget this in the future. "Madam! You must not pamper her! She must know that she did a wrong thing!" (Xena) "Yes, madam! It''s for her sake as well!" (Belle) Hmph! Unlike the both of you, madam is kind! "Of course, of course. If you think that I''m siding with you, you''re totally wrong, Alina," The madam stares at me with a terrifying smile. "Eh? Madam?" "Did you know how much of an uproar you''ve made because of that outburst of yours? If he had actually assaulted you, I would have pampered andforted you and killed that guy myself, but this is a different story. If we didn''t do anything, all of your fans in this whole city will search for him and kill him, you know? And not to mention that he saved you two times in a row without getting thanked, and you even made a vition of the mercenary rules at the first time he saved you. You must find that man and apologize to him as quick as possible!" (Madam) Ugh... Madam''s words are even longer than Xena''s... "Yes, madam..." "Gramps! You''re there?!" Madam called out to the thin air. "I''m here, do you need something, madam?" (Abraham) Gramps appeared from the shadow of the door. "Cool down the guests, especially the big shots. We must not let them do an extreme thing and ended up killing the poor guy. And ask Raine and Ravia to search for the man. We owe him an apology," (Madam) "*Sigh!* That''s why I said not to be hasty, madam. I''ve converse with the man personally, and I believe he''s more than just a decent young man. And Lady Alina, I know you''ve got your portion of scoldings, but after you scream and went here, the man got kicked out from the ce after getting jeered and became the subject of contempt of the house. Please apologize to that man properly," said Gramps. Since Gramps is someone that rarely scolds anyone other than his grandchildren, his words struck deeper than the others. "Okay... I''ll apologize properly..." (Alina) "It''s rare for you to be so interested in someone, gramps," (Madam) "Of course, he''s quite a peculiar man, after all. He didn''t look at the girls with any sign of underestimation and didn''t look at them as if they are lower than him as a human. And even though he smelled like a person from the underworld, his eyes give a hint of kindness. I should say that he''s a great man," (Gramps) Whoa... It''s rare for gramps to praise a person that much... "That''s rare wordsing from you, gramps. You made me more interested with that guy," (Madam) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 23,100 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 17 House Of Roses Three Flowers (End) ?"That''s rare wordsing from you, gramps. You made me more interested with that guy," A face simr to a lioness getting interested in her prey appeared on Madam''s face. "Please don''t, madam. I''m surprisingly quite fond of that young man. It will break my heart if you crushed him because of your interest," Gramps let out another sigh in response to madam''s peculiar expression. "Heh! You''re protecting him too much. Anyway Alina, remember that you-" (Madam) *Thud!* Another unexpected thing happened. !?!?!?!?!? """Belle!!!""" Belle suddenly copsed to the floor and fainted. Her whole body is hot as if it''s burning, and her breath fastens, but more than that, Belle emits a ck aura that covers her body like a cloud. "Belle?" (Xena) "W-What is that?" "This mana... Gramps!" (Madam) "Yes," Gramps unhesitatingly grabbed Belle''s body and opens her shirt. "W-Wait, gramps- What... Is that...?" Xena widens her eyes as she gasped in horror because of the sight. A huge sinister red tattoo is imprinted on Belle''s back. But unlike a normal tattoo, it looks like it''s burning Belle''s body and giving her pain. It seems that the sinister ck aura is emitted by that tattoo on her back. But where did she get that tattoo from? "This aura is dark attributed mana. It''s a mana that originates from a ritual made for an evil god. While this tattoo, it''s very likely that this tattoo is a dark curse. Lady Alina, you said that there is a goblin shaman on their ranks, am I right?" (Abraham) "Yes, there is certainly one..." "Then that answers. It''s very likely that this curse is something that she got from the goblin shaman. Unlike normal curses that dissipated once the caster died, a curse that used the mana received from an evil god wouldn''t disappear that easily," (Abraham) "Is there a way to cure her, gramps?" (Madam) "Luckily, it seems that the caster died before the mana got even half-fully channeled to her curse. She could be healed as long as we have a holy-attributed healer, a dark-attribute magic core, and a ahgra seed," (Abraham) "That''s quite difficult to search for, gramps. Even if we give a request to the guild now, we''ll have to wait several days or even more to get hold of the magic core and the ahgra''s seed," (Madam) "When the three of you went to take the quest earlier, didn''t you hunt down a ahgra as well? Did you harvest its seed?" (Abraham) "No. We didn''t have the chance since we suddenly got surrounded by the goblins. So we ran before Belle has the chance to harvest the seed. And since the seed isn''t a part of the ingredients for her potion, we didn''t hastily harvest it either," (Xena) "I see..." (Abraham) We didn''t harvest it, but we just killed the ahgra yesterday, right? "I see... But since it was just hours ago, right? Then the ahgra''s corpse must still remain there, right?" Everyone''s attention turns to me as I said that. "Well, that''s true. Most residents of the forest didn''t approach a ahgra''s corpse since it emits poison, after all," (Abraham) My gaze meets Xena''s. With a single nce, she immediately notice what I meant, and nods her head. "Madam. If Xena and I went to the forest early tomorrow to harvest the ahgra''s seed and search for the dark-attributed magic core, will you allow us?" "....." Madam''s expression turnsplicated for a while. She seems that she''s pondering something for a while before letting out a sigh. "Fine. Today there are several nobles and big merchantsing from the Astellia kingdom that I need to meet personally as well. But you''re only allowed to depart once the third bell rang, and your deadline is on the tenth and you must already get back here, you hear me? It''s fine even if you didn''t find it. If you didn''t find it, I''ll close the ce for a day tomorrow and search for it with gramps personally so you must not go overboard and get into danger, you hear me?" Madam warns us with a terrifying face. The third bell, it means it''s at six, and the deadline is at eight in the evening. We have fourteen hours for our search for the ingredients, huh... "Yes! We''ll follow your words, madam!" "Good," (Madam) "We''ve called the priestess from the church!" One of the girls called. The priestess we called is a friend of madam. She once said that she got saved by madam once when the madam was still a mercenary while she is an adventurer back then. After retiring as an adventurer, she decided to live in the city where the madam lives and even get married to one of the mercenaries here. "Please look at her, Ona" (Madam) "I see... What a horrible curse this poor girl got..." Lady Ona muttered as she strokes Belle''s hair. "Can you heal her, Ona?" (Madam) "I''m afraid I can''t. As long as the dark mana resided on her body, all I could do at most is to stop her fever and the pain temporarily. We need something that could absorb the dark mana inside her and inside this sinister curse tattoo," (Lady Ona) "I see... So that''s why gramps said we need the dark attributed magic core and the ahgra''s seed, huh..." (Madam) "Yes. The magic core will absorb the dark mana from her, while the ahgra''s seed will absorb her mana and the dark mana that had entered her mana flow channel," (Abraham) "As expected of sir Abraham. You''re full wisdom as always," (Ona) "It''s one of the benefits of an old age, Lady Ona," (Abraham) "It''s okay, Ona. Even if it''s just for a while, please heal her," (Madam) "Okay then," (Ona) Lady Ona starts her chantations and beautiful light appeared from her hands, before enveloping Belle''s body. The room suddenly gets warm, but unlike the ufortable warmth, it''s a warmth that warms not just your body, but your heart as well. After a while, Belle finally stopped sweating, and the dark aura enveloping her disappeared as well. I touched her forehead and notice that the fever had gone. Her breathing became normal and her face loosens. "*Phew!* I guess that''s it, I''ll be monitoring her for a while, please continue your work," (Ona) "Ah. Yes. All of you! Don''t neglect our customers! Alina is fine, and Belle is fine as well! Now get back and return to your jobs!" Madam instructed the others to return to their posts. """Roger, madam!""" Without giving any questions orints, everyone immediately follows Madam''s instructions. Everyone in this ce loves madam, since madam didn''t just act as an employer, but she also acts as our big sister and our mother as well. "Alina, Xena. Since both of you are departing tomorrow, get to rest quickly. Leave Belle to Orlina, Gramps, and me," (Madam) ""Okay..."" (Xena and I) "You can return to whatever you''re doing before, madam. Lady Orlina, Raine, and I will take care of Belle. I''ll have Ravia take care of the bar and serve the drinks for the guests in my stead," (Abraham) "Thanks, gramps. Alina, Xena, remember to rest immediately, you hear me?" (Madam) ""Yes madam!"" Finally, everyone left the room, leaving only Xena and me. Belle got brought to Gramps grandchildren''s room, which is Ravia''s and Raine''s room so that we could have rest. The scene where Belle got captured by the goblins keeps on reying inside my head. I could still remember the powerlessness and restlessness I felt at that moment. And even though our n to make free herself from the hold of the hobgoblin seeded, we still couldn''t get ourselves to run away since we got too exhausted from the n. At that moment, the goblin shaman went to the back of the hobgoblin when Belle was still taken prisoner by the hobgoblin. It must have put the curse at that short moment. That cursed goblin... "Alina," Xena''s voice pulled me back to reality. "It''s fine. We''ll save Belle together. The three of us will always be together, right?" Xena gives a brave smile as usual. Her demeanor that makes me feel like she''s my big sister and encourages my heart. "Yeah!" "Good. Now it''s time to rest. There should be no goblins like yesterday since it seems that the man killed all of those goblins, right?" (Xena) "Yeah. He must be so strong. When he caught me, there is no single wound on his face, and judging from his speed in catching me, his feet that the short goblins usually aims because of their height must be not injured as well. It''s very likely that he killed all of the goblins," "That''s great. Then let''s sleep! We have a long day tomorrow. Good night, Alina," (Xena) "Good night, Xena," Tomorrow... I hope nothing bad will happen again tomorrow... Chapter 18 A Sudden Piece Of News ?---Belle''s PoV--- I was quite a peculiar child back then. "Whoa... So that''s what a red-eye frog corpse looks like... The book I read mentioned that the poison contained in their skin could kill a person, you know?" "Eh? That''s scary! Why do you know that? You''re too creepy! I loved books, alchemy, and experiments. But since other kids didn''t seem to like those things, the kids my age treat me like an outcast. But it''s not like it''s a bad thing. It makes me learn how to befortable alone back then in the academy. "Look! It''s the weird girl!" "That pink hair of her is scary as well!" But my mother and the auntie from the market have the same hair color as me, though... Ah! The magic teacher also has pinkish hair as well, isn''t she? "Go away! Don''t y with us! You''re too creepy!" Creepy, weird, and scary. I used to get called those names back then in my academy. But rather than getting troubled by their words, my head is busy on thinking about what kind of book I should read once I''m home. I certainly thought that my academy days wouldn''t change. But one day, two transferred students entered my ss. "Kids, today we have two girls joining our ss. Both of them are quite advanced in their studies, magic, and swordy. Learn lots from them, okay?" The teacher introduced the two transferred students. ""Yes, miss!!"" Both of them has such a cute face and lively personality. They''ll definitely be popr with the others and won''t even be interested in me. Or so I thought. "Hey, you''re Belle, right? I''m Alina, do you want to be my friend!?" She extended her hand, asking for a handshake. Even though she must have seen how I behave in the academy. "I''m Xena. You look so cute, Belle-chan! Let''s get along well!" The both of them look shining and dazzling to me. As if I''m looking at my saviors. I have my doubts at first, thinking that they will get bored or get creeped out of me after a while. But it turns out that our friendship got tighter with every moment that passed. "Hee~ You''re so good at magic, Belle-chan! The teacher said that I have too little talent in magic so I shouldn''t try to push myself on learning magic, you know..." (Xena) "Then we''re the same, Xena! But it''s fine, though. I do feel that magic is cool, but I always dream to be a knight and marry someone stronger than my father!" (Alina) "Ah... Our parents used to be mercenaries before they became merchants, aren''t they?" One of the factors is the fact that our parents are best friends since their youth. That made us even closer since we met not just in the academy, but outside when we follow our parents to meet big clients in different countries as well. "Yes they are. I think I''m like Alina, though. I don''t like weak guys like the boys in our ss. I like a strong but gentle guy that papa will definitely approve of," (Xena) "How about you, Belle?" (Alina) "Me?" "Yes, what kind of man do you want to marry in the future!?" Alina''s eyes looks like they were sparkling when she asked me that question. I want to marry, huh... "I want someone strong, handsome, wouldn''t get bothered by my weird hobbies, and get along well with the two of you," *************************** !?!?!?!? Eh? Is it morning already? I tried to support my body up, but somehow it felt so heavy. "Eh? Where am I...?" This is not our room. If I''m not mistaken... "Ah, Belle-chan. You''re finally awake," After looking at the straight posture and hearing the easygoing voice of the person before me, I immediately know the identity of the person before me. "Raine-chan?" I confusedly ponder the words of the white-haired girl before me. Finally awake... Ah! I remember! When we were in the middle of reprimanding Alina''s response after getting caught from falling by the man who saved us in the forest, I suddenly felt my whole body burning and lost my consciousness. "Did I faint?" "Yes! It was an uproar, you know! First Alina-chan''s matter with the poor guy, and you suddenly fainted to the point that priestess Ona even got called. It was a great uproar, you know~" (Raine) "Is that so... Where are Alina and Xena...?" "They have gone back to the forest to harvest the ahgra''s seed and search for a dark attributed magic core," "Huh...? Why do they...?" Did they go back to the forest? Why? Does the madam allow them? *Thud!* "Ouch! It hurts! What are you doing, sis!?" Raine-chan holds her head in pain. "Tell the whole story systematically and in order to avoid confusion, idiot. Don''t you realize that Belle got confused because of the vague information you''re giving her? You idiot little sis," A ck-haired girl scolded Raine. "Ravia-chan..." The ck-haired girl who hit Raine-chan''s head is Ravia-chan. She''s Raine-chan''s older sister, and one of gramps'' grandchildren as well. She''s cool and collected just like gramps. Well, she''s his grandchild, after all. "Belle. How do you feel...?" (Ravia) "How I feel...? I don''t feel particrly strange-" I finally realized. I felt that there is something amiss since I woke up, but my focus got distracted. "I can''t feel my mana..." "Yes. If that''s the only thing that you felt, then that''s good. Let me tell you the story from the beginning," (Ravia) Ravia-chan takes a chair and sits in front of me before telling me what happenedst night. She starts from when I suddenly copsed, the possibility that gramps mentioned that this is a curse that was made by using dark mana from an evil god, the way to cure me, callingdy Ona, and the reason why Alina and Xena went back to the forest to search for the ingredients needed to dispel my curse. "So at most, they''ll arrive here at 8 in the evening, huh..." "Yes. Even though thedy priestess told us that if you didn''t have any other symptoms suddenly appearing when you sleep and didn''t feel anything strange other than couldn''t feel your mana, it means you''re fine to do your activity for five days, gramps and madam still asked us to look after you and tell you not to push yourself," (Ravia) "I''m sorry... I end up troubling all of you..." "It''s fine, Belle-chan! You''re not troubling anyone! More than that, everyone is d that you''re fine! You''re one of this ce''s most popr flowers, after all," (Raine) "Thank you, Raine-chan..." "Ah. You haven''t eaten anything, Belle. Let''s have some breakfast first then we can do whatever we want. The three of us got a day off today, after all," (Ravia) "A day off?" "Yes. Other than because you wake up healthy, the day off is the other reason why Raine is so lively," (Ravia) "W-Wha-What are you saying, sis!? How do you know that!?" (Raine) "How many years do you think I have be your sister, stupid Raine?" (Ravia) "Fufufufu! The both of you sure are close," *Growl!* *Growl!* *Growl!* """Eh?""" T-The sound definitelyes not just from my stomach... "Don''t tell me, the both of you haven''t eaten anything yet as well?" "Well... Food won''t feel delicious if we eat alone, right? It would be bad if you lose your appetite and eat too little because of eating alone," (Raine) "And we''re too focused on watching over you that we didn''t feel hungry at all. I guess it''s time for us to have breakfast, let''s go!" (Ravia) ******************* After the breakfast, we decided to continue our work in the house. Since yesterday Alina-chan made such amotion, today I rece her and do a surprise performance to make up for yesterday''smotion. Raine-chan and Ravia-chan acts as my bodyguard and didn''t leave my side for the whole day. Using butler uniforms, they became one of the guests'' attractions as well. Since even though the both of them havepletely opposite personality, the both of them has beautiful faces, and their body posture fits perfectly with the butler uniform. As expected of gramps'' grandchildren, I guess. *Ding!* *Ding!* The eight bell of the city rings. It means that it''s 4 pm now, but there is still no sign of Alina and Xenaing back from the forest. Did they meet some trouble along the way? Did they meet goblins again? No, the cloaked man yesterday was so strong. Since he met Alina again inside the house, he must have killed all of the goblins there. And since gramps said that my curse is iplete because of the death of the goblin shaman, it confirms that the man definitely has killed all of the goblins, so there is nothing to be afraid of. "Hey, hey. Did you hear the announcement in the guild?" "Yeah, I''ve heard. That quest, right?" That quest? "That, right? The birth of the goblin king?" G-Goblin king!? Chapter 19 The Masters Room (1) ?"Ah... I want toze around..." Lyan muttered as hey on his bed. (Laziness is not a good habit, master) (Arturia) (My head''s killing me...) (Griselda) (Me too... *Blegh!*) (Lilith) (Y-You! How filthy! Don''t carelessly vomit in the living room! Go to the toilet and vomit as much as you want!) (Hestia) (Freeze) (Eira) (T-The vomit got frozen...) (Sylphia) (Ugh... The smell is horrible, big sis Lilith) (Azelia) (Purify, purify, purify, purify, purify, purify) (Cynthia) (Holy big sis had gone nuts!) (Azelia) (Hey! Shadow Hob! Clean this subus''s vomit now! It''s too disgusting!) (Hestia) The boozes fromst night seem to have made quite a mess inside the house of the grimoire''s space. Since Griselda and Lilith drank the most, they''re having the most severe hangover, while the others seem to be rather well. Lilith''s sudden vomiting made a bigmotion. Eira froze the vomit in disgust, Azelia got bothered by its smell, Cynthia became weird, and Hestia angrilymanded the shadow hobgoblin to clean up Lilith''s mess. (That shadow hobgoblin, they really made him into their servant, didn''t they?) (Lyan) (Make sure you don''t leave even a single drop of the vomit here! I''ll burn you if it even has the smell remains, okay! You hear me!?) (Hestia) (How unreasonable...) (Lyan) *Knock!* *Knock!* "Excuse me, dear guest. This is the breakfast you ordered," The inn''s waitress''s voice sounded from outside the room. "Ah. Yes," Lyan opened the room''s door and let the waitress in. "Please enjoy yourself, dear guest," The waitress gave a bow after finishing arranging the food on top of the table. "Yes, thank you for your kindness," (Lyan) Of course, the food brought by the waitress has a portion for nine people. When the waitress went to Lyan''s roomst night to collect the tes and the mugs, Lyan ordered the same portion for breakfast. "Fufufu!" The waitress let out a smallugh. "Hm? Is there something, miss?" (Lyan) "Ah. Beg your pardon, it''s just that I found it amusing how big your appetite is, dear guest. There are lots of guests that love to waste food here, but all of your tes arepletely clean yesterday, you must have a very big appetite," (Waitress) "Ahahaha. Sorry for troubling you..." Lyan replied with a wry smile. "Please don''t be. I''m happy to help and see your clean dishes," said the waitress with a beaming smile. "I hope you have a good day, dear guest," The waitress gives a bow before she left. "Now what do we have for breakfast..." (Lyan) The breakfast prepared for him today is two bread-bowl stews, three bowls of porridges, three sandwiches, a huge jug filled with milk, and a huge jug filled with water. "They gave me quite a variety today... Ah! Since it''s already a new day, I could now enter the grimoire''s space again, couldn''t I? Let''s just eat together, I guess," (Lyan) Lyan summoned the summoning grimoire, and warp himself together with the table full of foods for breakfast with him to the grimoire''s space. *Whoosh!* Lyan appeared in the dining room of the house. But when he appeared there, the eight spirit girls had already gathered with their personal tes and personal mugs ready on top of the dining table. Lyan shifted his gaze towards the living room, and saw that the shadow hobgoblin is still busy wiping the floor with a towel and a bucket filled with water on his side. (Good work, shadow hob. I''ll go buy a gift for you next time. But more importantly...) (Lyan) Lyan shifted his gaze back to the girls sitting at the dining table. (W-Why are they staring at me like that? Don''t tell me... Did they catch me going to the brothelst night!? But I didn''t even get the chance to do anything since I got kicked out of the brothel! And I properly cut off all of the connection with the grimoire''s space before I went out!) (Lyan) "It seems that you and the waitress look chummy with each other back then," (Griselda) (Eh?) (Lyan) "Indeed... The expression of the waitress is sure quite unusual just now," Arturia affirmed with a nod. "Hm... Yesterday, all of us got knocked out by the booze. It''s no wonder that you took that chance to woo that girlst night," (Lilith) "The one getting knocked out by the boozes are only you and that ferocious knight, you stupid subus. The rest of us fell asleep because we''re full from eating the food," (Hestia) "I-I don''t really mind e-even if you do such things, m-master. I-If I stay in my room, I-I wouldn''t be able to hear t-the sound from the magic screen, after all," Sylphia uttered with a small voice and a flushed face. "What did master do?" Azelia curiously asked the others. "Heid the waitress," (Hestia) "He made love with her," (Lilith) "He fucked her," (Griselda) "H-He d-did... Master is indecent," (Arturia) "M-Master... You want to make the waitressy eggs...?" (Azelia) (Eh? Lay eggs? Azelia, why are you hugging yourself as if you''re trying to protect yourself from a pervert? Trust me, I didn''t touch any woman yesterday. Well I did touch someone, but I got kicked out of the brother immediately afterward, you know?) (Lyan) "Calm down, everyone. If he did do something to the waitressst night, we would have seen her saying ''ah... Good morning, Mr. Lyan,'' when he woke up just now, no?" Cynthia suddenly uttered a sound argument. "Indeed... But when we woke up, he had already woke up first and was reading a book. We didn''t know whether the waitress had already left his room at this moment," (Arturia) "Then let''s ask the person that already arrives at the living room at the beginning," (Hestia) "If I''m not mistaken. The ice girl is the one that arrived at the living room first before me," (Griselda) "Then Lady Eira, did you see someone when he woke up?" (Arturia) "I didn''t. When he wakes up, he immediately takes several books from the bookshelf and starts reading them on top of the bed," Eira answered without changing her expression. "Oh. I see... Is that so..." Arturia muttered as she let out a breath of relief. "Huh! What a chicken!" (Griselda) "You''re not fun at all, aren''t you..." (Hestia) "Even though I gave you some space to vent out your hidden urges, master..." (Lilith) "Yeah, yeah. If we''re done with this stupid conversation, then let''s eat, okay?" Lyan weakly said as he takes a sandwich and munch it. As if losing interest in Lyan, everyone started to take their own portion of food to their bowl and drink in their mug before starting to eat. Their tes and their mugs are something that were already prepared inside the dining room. The color of the tes and the mugs are prepared the same as their hair color. (No wonder I felt something''s off. They no longer used their outfits and had used modern pajamas. Did they get them from the house as well? Even the colors and the designs suits them individually...) (Lyan) The breakfast went with little conversation filled between Lyan, Lilith, Azelia, and Hestia. (I guess they''re still quite wary of me, huh. Well, that''s not strange since I felt the same way and we have only met each other yesterday, after all) (Lyan) "Ah!!!!" Lilith stands from her chair in an exaggerated manner. "What is it, Lilith...?" (Lyan) "That room! The locked room! I''m dying to know what''s inside it, you know!? Try to open it, master! Come on! Come on!" Lilith pulled and pestered him to go upstairs. "You''re right! I tried to st the door away but I couldn''t! My full-powered punches and kicked wouldn''t even leave a small mark on that damned door!" (Griselda) "Fine, fine, I know. Let me finish my drink for a second and I''ll try," Lyan frees himself from Lilith and gulped his drink. "Let''s go," (Lyan) Lyan is also interested in what exists inside the room that was said as the grimoire''s space master''s room. (I wonder if there is something like a control room inside it that I could use to manage the space and the house? Or something simr like that? I''m starting to get excited...) (Lyan) Lyan followed Griselda and Lilith upstairs to see the room. (So this is it...) (Lyan) Lyan arrived in front of a ck door that has the same design as the summoning grimoire''s cover. The room is located on the top floor of the house, and is rather big. "Try opening it, master," (Lilith) "Open it already!" (Griselda) "Open it! Open it!" (Azelia) "Quick! I''m dying to know!" (Hestia) "...." (Eira & Sylphia & Cynthia & Arturia) Lyan looked behind him and found out that the ones here are not only him together with Lilith and Griselda. "I-I''m also quite interested with what''s inside..." (Arturia) "M-Me too..." (Sylphia) "I could feel holiness from the door..." (Cynthia) (Holiness...? That was just an excuse, isn''t it? You''re secretly interested in what''s inside too, aren''t you...? But well...) (Lyan) Lyan shifted his gaze back towards the ck door and holds the knob of the door. Suddenly, ck particles gathered on his hands and the door, and suddenly- *Click!* """I-It opens!!!""" ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 23,100 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 20 The Masters Room (End) ?"""I-It opens!!!""" While feeling slightly nervous, Lyan slowly opened the door and reveal the inside of the grimoire''s space master room. (I wonder what''s inside. A control room like a dungeon game? A fancy room suitable for the master of the grimoire?) (Lyan) But what greets him from beneath the door isn''t the exciting bonus room filled with secrets of the grimoire that he expected, rather, he got greeted by a powerful nostalgic feeling instead. "Whoa! What with this room! It''s rather big! And it''s filled with things I couldn''t recognize!" (Lilith) "Hou... This is quite an interesting room..." (Griselda) "The things inside this room, as I thought, are these things from your world master?" (Arturia) "...." (Lyan) "...? Master?" Arturia tilts her head as Lyan didn''t answer her question. (Don''t tell me, he got his mana drained by opening the door just now? Did he faint while standing?) (Arturia) Arturia approached Lyan from behind and took a peek at Lyan''s face. !?!?!?!?!?!?!? It was an expression she had never seen before. It''s not a face filled with excitement. Not an irritated or a disappointed face because the room isn''t what he expected. But a face filled with terror. His eyes widen to the point that it looks like his eyes would fall from his sockets. Arturia felt that he was like a piece of ss on a verge of breaking. Just a single touch, and the ss would break. "Tch!" Arturia clicked her tongue. (I need to make everyone leave the room!) (Arturia) "Wha-" (Lilith) "What the hell are you doing!?" (Griselda) Arturia pushed Lilith and Griselda out of the room, and carried Lyan out of the room in a hurry before shutting the door of the master''s room. "Why did you do that, Arturia! Ugh... I grazed my knee..." (Lilith) "You surprised me. Damn, your strength is monstrous," (Griselda) Lilith and Griselda rub their body that got a little damage because of Arturia''s push. "No... It''s just that... Master got-" (Arturia) "Ah! It seems that Arturia got startled by themp that suddenly lights itself! It''s just an automaticmp that turns on automatically when it sensed heat on its sensor, well, it''s quiteplicated to exin considering the level of technology of my old world and your world is leagues different," Lyan cut Arturia''s words with the same carefree expression he always uses. "Eh?" (Arturia) (He regained hisposure?) (Arturia) "Isn''t that right, Arturia?" (Lyan) "Eh? Ah... Yeah, you''re right. Forgive me, Lilith, Griselda. I pushed the both of you too hard," (Arturia) "Well, it''s just mean that you got some powerful reflex for unknown situations. You must be the type that never dies in a dungeon," (Griselda) "I''m fine as well. The pain had already gone! Now, let''s enter the room again! I''m interested in what''s inside! We can enter, right, master?" Lilith held the door knob and opened the door as she asks for permission. "Eh? Wai-" (Arturia) "It''s fine. But make sure that you didn''t break anything, you hear me?" (Lyan) "Okay~" (Lilith) "Are you familiar with this big room, Lyan?" (Hestia) "Hm? Well... Yes. I am," (Lyan) "Don''t tell me... This is-" (Lilith) "Yeah. Your guess is right," Lyan answered as he closed his eyes as if he was trying to recall a moment from a certain past. "It''s my apartment room. My old home. The home that I left when I entered the demon world," (Lyan) At that moment, the atmosphere felt like it got heavy that none of the spirits knew what to respond to. "But well! To think that I would see my apartment room again in this world, that''s sure surprising~ Feel free to enter and saw the things inside, just make sure to not make a mess and break anything, okay?" With a bright smile, Lyan removed the heavy mood as if it didn''t exist in the first ce. "Okay~ Let''s go have some adventure!!" (Lilith) "Adventure~" (Azelia) "I wonder if I could find some great boozes inside," (Griselda) "This is interesting. There are lots of things I couldn''t recognize..." (Hestia) "I-I''m interested as well..." (Sylphia) Following the five of them are Cynthia and Eira that entered the apartment room in silence, leaving Arturia and Lyan outside the room. "Master-" Arturia stopped her words when she saw Lyan putting his index finger in front of her mouth. "I''m fine. I just got caught off-guarded at that moment. You don''t need to worry about me, and look at the room if you''re interested. There are lots of modern technologies inside, after all. Well, I don''t know if the electronics are usable or not, but since the automatic light turns on, the other things should be able to work as well," (Lyan) Arturia couldn''t see any trace of the ss on the verge of breaking that she just a minute ago. "That face of mine that you saw, please keep it a secret between us, okay?" (Lyan) Arturia didn''t sense any hint of threat or hostility from Lyan when he asked it. From his apologetic face, she could feel that he was sincerely asking for her to keep the sight she saw to herself. "...Yes, I''ll keep it to myself," (Arturia) "Thanks. As expected, you''re a kind knight," (Lyan) Lyan took a nce at the inside of his former apartment room. It''s a rather big apartment with three-bedroom, a decent-sized living room together with the kitchen, a big toilet and bath, and a study room. Since he need to amodate his little sister and some of his cousins, he struggled to search for an appropriate apartment at a low price and found it with luck. Lots of things happened inside it, lots of memories are made, and lots of feelings remained. "Bro!? You''re home!?" A small nostalgic voice appeared from inside the room, making Lyan widens his eyes. Following the sound of the loud footsteps of someone running, a familiar figure appeared from the living room towards the door. A figure that Lyan hadn''t met for hundreds of years. "Ah! It''s you-" *Shut!* Lyan shut the door with a grim face. "M-Master...?" (Arturia) "Did you see a woman running towards this direction just now?" (Lyan) "Eh? N-No... I didn''t..." (Arturia) "I see..." Lyan slowly reached his hand towards the door. (As expected, it was just a hallucination, huh... What am I even expecting...?) (Lyan) "If you want to enter, just enter it. There are lots of interesting things inside," (Lyan) "What about you, master?" (Arturia) Lyan sentimentally gazes toward the door once again before answering. "To enter this room, I need to prepare more courage. Shamefully, I''m still not brave enough right now. I need more time," (Lyan) "I see..." (Arturia) "I''ll go back outside the grimoire''s space and have another rest. The waitress of the inn will get suspicious if I didn''t answer the door when shees to clean up the dishes. I need to pay for the food as well, after all," (Lyan) "Master," (Arturia) Lyan was about to went downstairs, but Arturia''s sudden call stopped him. "Yes?" (Lyan) With her hands sped in front of her chest, Arturia closed her eyes. "I pray that one day you may find the courage you need to enter this room, and to move forward," (Arturia) Hearing Arturia''s words, Lyan felt a slight warmth enveloping his heart. With a smile, he turns his back. "I hope that one day you''ll achieve the same thing, O knight of the past," ******************************* After leaving the grimoire''s space, Lyan let the waitress inside his room to pick up the dishes and paid 150 Elnes for them. But since he still has the 50 Elnes from the payment he made the night before, he only had to pay 100 Elnes for the breakfast, leaving 23,000 Elnes in his pockets. After paying, Lyan took his time to take another sleep and read the books inside his room. Looking at the sight of his former apartment made him lose his motivation. Since the spirits inside the grimoire''s space are busy ying with the modern technology inside Lyan''s room, and since Lyan decided to live freely in this life of his, it''s his freedom whether he wanted to go to work or not as well. At the seventh bell, Lyan ordered another nine portions of food and paid 200 Elnes for it before continuing to read the books inside his room. And finally, together with the eight bell ringing, Lyan closed his book. "Crap. I got too immersed in reading and forgot the time. To think that bad habit of mine still remains..." (Lyan) Lyan stands from his bed and stretches his body. (I guess it''s time to go out and check the guild. I want to try camping outside and making my own meal with a campfire. By the way, it''s rare for the spirits to didn''t make a single sound, especially Lilith anddy Griselda) (Lyan) (Well, I guess that''s not surprising considering how many things are inside it. There''s an old yzstation, an old Bitendo, myputer, and countless books fromics, light novels, and even history books. Wait, they didn''t understand how to turn them on, didn''t they? They won''t identally break them, right? I want to at least y harvest sun once again in this life...) (Lyan) Lyan stares at the ck grimoire in his hand. "But if that happens, I guess the good thing is that I would be forced to move forward, didn''t I? Well, for now, it''s time to be a mercenary and make more funds!" (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <-100 Elnes> <-200 Elnes> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 21 Trouble In Arkansas ?"Now... What is happening..." Lyan muttered under his breath. He walked directly towards the mercenary guild from the inn, but even though it''s quite a distance, there are still no words from the usually noisy spirits inside the grimoire''s space. But what perplexed him more is the scene of the mercenary guild that is filled with uneasy faces. Lyan entered the mercenary guild, and saw that the receptionists are busy running from ce to ce while carrying bundles of papers, and calming down some mercenaries that seems to be asking something to them in impatience. "Looks like a storm is brewing..." (Lyan) The first time Lyan entered the mercenary guild, everything is in order, the mercenaries line up and wait patiently, and all of the receptionists are handling them professionally and efficiently without showing any sign of agitation on their faces. But today, it feels like the whole mercenary guild is in a state of panic. "Looks like today is not a good day to ask for quest rmendation, huh..." (Lyan) (Where did I see this scene before, I wonder... Ah... It''s the first time I appeared in the demon world, huh...) (Lyan) The first time Lyan got brought into the demon world, he found out that the prime minister''s houses and president pces of all over the world got teleported to the demon world as well. Thousands of people gathered and swarmed the building ording to their region, asking for exnations. (That was quite a traumatic view to see, isn''t it?) (Lyan) "Ah! Mr. Evocatore!" A cheerful voice called him. "Hm?" Lyan shifted his gaze, and a brown-haired girl and a ck-haired girl entered his view. "Ah... Miss Kukum and Miss Azerman. But why the two of you are not using your uniform?" Lyan pointed at the casual clothes Lichia and Rea are using. "H-How formal..." (Rea) "Fufu. Today was supposed to be our rest day, but since some of our coworkers have some problem and could only arrive at the guildte, we''ve been substituting their shift until the sixth bell. But as you can see, things suddenly get hectic after the news from the Astellia kingdom appeared," (Lichia) (Astellia kingdom... Isn''t that the kingdom where Griselda came from...?) (Lyan) "What news?" (Lyan) "Oh. You haven''t heard? The Astellia kingdom''s mercenary guild and adventurer guild sent us a letter, saying that there is a high possibility that a goblin king has appeared in the great Cosrane forest!!" (Rea) "A goblin king?" (Lyan) "Yes. It''s the most dangerous type of goblin that only appear once in several decades. But even though its ability alone is already high enough, the most troublesome thing is that the army of goblins that it could raise," (Lichia) "The biggest goblin army raised by a goblin king in the history reached even ten thousand goblins. When the number of the goblins got too big, they stopped hunting inside the forest and starts piging and raiding viges to eat and capture the women. That''s how dangerous the goblin king''s appearance is," (Lichia) "And terrifyingly, we got the news that seven viges at the north and the west got destroyed and have all of the vigers and the resources inside it disappeared. Together with the sightings of a big group of goblins with hobgoblins and goblin shamans, the uracy of the information regarding the appearance of the goblin king is high," (Lichia) "I see..." Lyan shifted his gaze towards the restless mercenaries that keep on pestering the mercenary guild''s receptionist. "Those are mercenaries that either has theirrades in the middle of taking a quest in the forest or have their vige near the Cosrane Forest. They''re asking for the guild to send reinforcement quest to search for theirrades and defend their viges. It''s not that we didn''t care about them, it''s just that the reinforcement needed to defend and the search they asked is unreasonable, and they don''t even have the funds to pay for the rewards, to begin with," (Lichia) "I see... How will the guild act towards this turmoil?" (Lyan) "We''re going to finish the goblin king before it got its army even bigger and makes more victims around the region. But since we still didn''t know where the location is, the guild had sent veteran mercenaries and our official staff that excels in scouting to look for the possible ce where the goblins are hiding. This supposed to be a job of the adventurer guild, but since it appeared near our city as well, it can''t be helped..." Lichia let out a heavy sigh. "Will we join force with the Astellia kingdom and its adventurer guild?" (Lyan) "Of course! We didn''t have enough manpower to fend them alone, after all! But still... It will take some time before we could urately find their of the goblin king. I hope that there won''t be more viges that got attacked by the goblins..." (Rea) (Goblin army, huh... Yesterday when I''m heading towards this city, all I defeated was a giant hunting serpent, direwolves, slimes, and a group of goblins. By the time I arrived in the city, I realized that my mana had decreased to half of its original) (Lyan) (It means that even though I still possess the same abilities and magical properties of an incubus, my mana pool had gotten significantly decreased, which means that my strength had gotten significantly reduced as well. The goblin king and its army seems very fantasylike, but it holds a considerable risk as well. Well, I got the eight spirits with tremendous power with me, though) (Lyan) "Mr. Evocatore? " (Lichia) "Eh? Yes?" (Lyan) "I''m telling you that even if you''re strong, you must not recklessly-" (Lichia) "Lichia! Rea!" A girl''s voice suddenly cut in the conversation. A beautiful wavy pink-haired girl equipped with a ck magician robe rushed toward Lichia''s and Rea''s direction with a grim expression on her face. Behind her are a girl with ck hair and a girl with white hair, wearing a butler uniform. (Wait this girl is... Where did I see her before...? Wha-) (Lyan) When the girls approached them even closer, Lyan noticed a hint of a sinister mana filled with malice from the girl before him. (This... Mana...) (Lyan) "Belle?" (Lichia) "What is wrong, Belle-chan? Even Raine-chan and Ravia-chan came here," (Rea) "*Pant!* *Pant!* Is it true...? *Pant!* *Pant!* There is a goblin *Pant!* King...?" Asked Belle as she desperately tries to catch her breath. "Yes, the possibility is very high. It could be said that we''re already sure that there is a goblin king. But why did you rush towards here so much, Belle? Where are Alina and Xena?" (Lichia) "They''re searching for a dark attribute magic stone and the seed of the ahgra we defeated yesterday to cure me! They are still inside the forest and haven''t returned yet!" (Belle) "What!?" (Lichia) "Is that true, Belle-chan!? W-What should we do, Lichia-chan!?" (Rea) "Before that, who are you, strange guy? You''ve been staring at Belle with a scary face for a while there, what are you thinking?" Ravia stared at Lyan with eyes full of suspicions. But giving her no heed, Lyan suddenly disappeared from his ce. "Mr. Evocatore!?" (Lichia and Rea) (So fast!) (Raine) "Tch!" (Ravia) (He''s so fast! No, there''s a hint of magic in the air, is it illusion magic?) (Belle) *nk!* Behind Belle where Lyan appeared, Ravia the ck-haired girl attempted to strike Lyan with her knife, but got blocked easily with his sword that is still inside its sheathe. "Tch!" Ravia clicked her tongue and was about to attempt to strike again, but without missing the chance, Raine also draws her sword and attempted to strike towards Lyan, but the words he uttered stopped the both of them from their tracks. "I see. So the evil mana came from a curse, huh... It surprised me..." Lyan uttered as he wipes the sweat on his forehead. "You know about the curse?" (Ravia) "I''m quite familiar with curses, excuse me a bit," Lyan extend his hand and put his palm on Belle''s back. "W-Wait!" (Raine) "W-What are you- A-Ahhnnnn!!!" Belle suddenly let out a loud moan. ""EEHHHH!?!?!?!?"" (Rea & Lichia & Ravia & Raine) "Uhhh... Ahhnnn!! W-What is... Ahhnnnn!!" (Belle) "I see. The evil mana got sealed neatly. This makes it easy, wait a bit," (Lyan) Following Lyan''s words, his left hand that is holding Belle''s back slowly got enveloped by red and ck mana. (H-He''s extracting the evil mana with his hands alone?) (Ravia) "Now for the finishing touch," Lyan retract his left hand and rece it with his right hand. "Ah... It''s getting warm..." Belle stopped her moaning and starts to feel nice because of thefortable warmth from her back. "And done," Lyan retracts his right hand. "Eh? It''s done! I-I could sense my mana again!" (Belle) "You could!? Does the curse disappear!?" Ravia immediately opens Belle''s robe from behind to check her back. "Eh? EH!? Ravia-chan!?" Belle desperately tried to pull back her robe. "It''s gone! It really disappeared!" (Ravia) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 22 The Search Request (1) ?"It''s gone! It really disappeared!" (Ravia) Ravia stared at her smooth back of Belle with an astonished face. Her grandfather, Abraham, had exined that it''s not easy to dispel the curse made using the evil mana even if the curse isn''tpleted. (H-He really dispelled the spell...) (Ravia) "R-Ravia-chan..." Belle still desperately pulled back her magician robe that got flipped by Ravia. "A-Ah! Sorry, Belle! What am I doing inside the mercenary guild..." Ravia immediately let go of the robe. "Ugh... People must have seen everything..." Belle hugged her body with a flushed face. "They don''t. I covered us with illusion barrier so your body just now didn''t get exposed to others," (Lyan) "You did? Ah! It''s true! There''s an illusion barrier!" Belle noticed a sphere made from purple-colored mana is covering them. "Yes. So if the both of you like to continue, feel free to do so," (Lyan) "I won''t!" (Belle) "Is that so. Then the barrier is no longer needed, I guess," Lyan snapped his fingers, and the illusion barrier immediately disappeared. "You... You''re the cloaked man!" Belle eximed in surprise as she widens her eyes while pointing at Lyan. "Eh? Hm? Have we met before?" (Lyan) "S-So this is the pain of being forgotten, huh... You saved me together with my friends in the forest from the group of goblins yesterday, thank you for saving us," Belle bowed her head as she thanked Lyan. "I see... So you''re that magician girl, huh... Well, it''s fine. I was just testing a new skill anyway, you don''t need to thank me," (Lyan) (They didn''t ask for help, and I''m the one who suddenly appeared to help them. So it''s normal even if they didn''t thank me since they might even be capable of defeating the goblins without my help anyway) (Lyan) Because of the incident with Alina the swordswoman inside the brothel, Lyan restrains himself from acting too familiar with them. "But even so, I like to thank you for helping us. You even helped Alina from falling yesterday, and even helped me remove the curse on my back, thank you very much!" (Belle) "I thank you for saving them as well," (Ravia) "Thank you!" (Raine) The three of them bowed toward Lyan. "Well, you''re wee, I guess. But I believe you three came here not to thank me, right?" (Lyan) "Ah! You''re right! Has Alina-chan and Xena-chan returned from the forest, Rea-chan!?" (Belle) "Eh? They haven''te here yet today, though... Don''t tell me..." (Rea) "Don''t tell me. The both of them are still in the forest!?" (Lichia) "They are! They are searching for a dark magic core and the seed from the ahgra that we defeated yesterday to cure my curse! Is it possible to ask for an immediate search team, Lichia-chan!?" (Belle) "I''m sorry, Belle. But there are already too many search teams dispatched for other people so we couldn''t gather another right now. I''m sorry, Belle..." (Lichia) "I see... It''s fine, Lichia-chan. It can''t be helped. We''re going to search for the two of them ourselves! Ravia-chan! Raine-chan! Is it fine?" (Belle) "Of course! Finding Alina-chan and Xena-chan as quick as possible is our top priority!" (Raine) "But we should contact the madam and gramps as well. It might be too dangerous if it''s only the three of us. We need to avoid getting too much risk, after all," (Ravia) "You''re right. Then we''ll go back to the house to inform gramps and the madam. Um... Mr. Ecotavore?" (Belle) "Evocatore," (Lyan) "Mr. Evocatore!" Belle approached Lyan''s face and holds his shoulders. "Y-Yes?" (Lyan) "I know it''s very shameless of me to ask this to you, but could you please lend me your help to find my friends!?" (Belle) Lyan felt like he got mesmerized by her beautiful eyes that look likevender ss and her face that looks like it got sculptured. It felt like her wavy pink hair restrains his whole body from moving. She truly possesses a great beauty that could cloud a normal person''s judgment. (Is this illusion magic? No, even if it''s illusion magic, it won''t be able to affect my thoughts. I guess she really is a beauty... Wait a minute-) (Lyan) Lyan takes a step back and observes the faces of Rea, Lichia, Belle, Raine, and Ravia. (Now that I watch carefully, the people I met in this world all have pretty faces with different kinds of beauty. Even that old bartender is handsome. Does everyone in this world have pretty faces? If that''s so, no wonder that girl fromst night screamed like she just saw a demon when I caught her) (Lyan) Lyan shifted his gaze and observe the surrounding mercenaries. (Hm? Not all of them are beauties like these five, though. Then why did that girl screamst night?) (Lyan) "O-Of course it won''t be for free! I''ll give whatever reward you want after we found my friends! So please ept my request!" (Belle) "B-Belle-chan!?" (Raine) "Belle!?" (Ravia) (Reward? Wait, she''s the magician girl that in the same party with the swordswomanst night. And she''s also using the same attire that the swordswoman was usingst night. So she must be a girl from that House of Roses as well, right? If I ask her to clear my name inside that brothel, I''ll be able to enjoy the brothel this night, wouldn''t I?) (Lyan) After nodding to himself several times, Lyan gives Belle a resolute look. "I see. Then I''ll ept the quest. I''ll be eagerly waiting to ept the reward after we found your friends," (Lyan) "E-Eh? Y-Yes... T-Thank you for epting my shameless request..." Belle replied with a flushed face. (H-He stared at me so intensely, it''s obvious what he wants for the reward, isn''t it!? Uh... But it''s fine. If it''s for Alina-chan and Xena-chan. I don''t mind sacrificing even myself!) (Belle) While Belle attempted to resolute herself, the two-person behind her are thinking dangerous things. (It''s fine, Belle-chan. If he really asks for your body after saving Alina-chan and Xena-chan. I''ll give him poison and make him forget his memories. It will be fine!) (Raine) (If he touches even a single breadth of Belle''s hair with his lustful hand, I''ll slit his throat and feed him to the dogs) (Ravia) "Wait, are the four of you really thinking of entering the forest, right now?" (Lichia) "Yes. But we''ll ask for madam''s and gramps'' help as well. So we''ll surely be fine! Now, time to go and find madam and gramps at-" (Belle) "There''s no need to search for us,dy Belle. We''ve taken the liberty ofing here and bringing your equipment. Ravia, Raine, what are you thinking, escorting Lady Belle without even bringing appropriate equipment with you, what if a sudden danger befalls you? You wouldn''t be able to protect her," A familiar white-haired old man appeared together with a beautiful mature purplish red-haired woman. The old man is wearing the same butler uniform just like Ravia and Raine, but the elegance of his posture and demeanor feels like a refined highi-ss butler. "Spare them some ck, gramps. They must be didn''t have the time to prepare since Belle immediately rushed towards the mercenary guild when she heard about the news. Aren''t I right, Belle?" The red-haired woman asked Belle as she folded her arms. "Gramps! Madam!" (Belle & Raine & Ravia) "Good afternoon, Lady Marguerite, Sir Maxilton," Lichia greets the both of them with a respectful bow. "G-Good afternoon!" Rea follows suit. "There''s no need to be so formal with us, Rea, Lichia," (Madam) "Oi oi. Isn''t that the legendary mercenary, Madam Fury?" "Yea. The butler beside her is the legendary white shadow. They are a living legend of this mercenary city, you know?" "They said that their party were about to enter the Orichalcum rank, but they suddenly retired from being mercenaries and focus on running the House of Roses," "It''s still a mystery of why they stopped being a mercenary until this day," (About to enter the Orichalcum rank? Then they must have been Myhtril ranked mercenaries back then...) (Lyan) In this world, the mercenary ranks are divided by the material of their mercenary tag. Iron -> Bronze -> Silver -> Gold -> tinum -> Mythril -> Orichalcum -> Adamantite Those who are in the gold-ranked are considered elite veterans of the mercenaries, the tinum-ranked are often scouted by various countries to be their military personnel, and the Mythril-ranked are considered as a small army. Orichalcum-ranked mercenaries are considered as legends that are looked up to by not only other mercenaries but the people as well. Especially in this city with big merchants, an Orichalcum-ranked mercenary has VIP ess to every firm and every ce and is treated like big nobles and royalties. In the Adamantite rank case, no one knows whether there is a party that had entered this rank before or not. So it was said that the adamantite rank is just a myth, and the highest rank of the mercenary guild is the Orichalcum rank. "Tch!" Madam clicked her tongue. "Lichia. Could you lead us to an unused room? It seems that we''re gathering too much unwanted attention here," (Madam) "Indeed. Then please follow me," (Lichia) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 23 The Search Request (2) ?Magic Beast and Monster Monster is the category made by the adventurer guild to ssify the creatures of the world that possess magical properties and a magic core inside them. The origin of the word ''Monster'' is the term for their abilities that surpass humans and threatens our safety. Creatures like slimes, wyverns, gargoyles, and dragons fall into this category. On the other hand, magic beasts are beasts and animals that possess a magic core inside them and have the ability to use magic and monster-like abilities. The main characteristic that distinguishes a normal beast and a magic beast is the existence of the magic core inside them. The origin of monsters and magic beasts are still unknown and unverified, but one of the most trusted theory is that they exist because of the excessive amount of mana contained in the world. The beasts that got exposed to a dense region filled with mana got forced to evolve into a magic beast, while ces that contained too much mana like a dungeon gives birth to monsters in the world -Encyclopedia of Monsters and Magic Beasts, Great Library of Eureka, The city of academy and magic, Ausbildia _______________________________________________________________ The room Lichia leads them into is one of the special rooms inside the mercenary guild that are usually used for meetings between a mercenary party and their client. "I didn''t expect we will be meeting again like this, Mr. Lyan. It''s nice to meet you again. Please forgive us for the inconvenience you experienced yesterday," Abraham gives a deep bow toward Lyan. "Ah... It''s fine, really. I''m the one who arrogantly caught her thinking that she needs to be caught," (Lyan) "Oh~ So you''re the young man gramps mentionedst night, huh..." Madam approached Lyan with a yful smile as she observes his whole body. As the Madam observes him, Lyan observes her as well. Her side-swept purplish red hair gives her a hint of boldness, yfulness, and beauty, while her sharp eyes made Lyan remember Griselda''s predator eyes. Her bodynguage is radiating an aura of a courtesan, but her eyes and the confidence residing inside it are radiating the aura of a veteran mercenary. When Lyan heard the term ''Madam'', what entered his mind is a big-builtdy with bulky muscles or a fatdy with thick make-up. But the one that appeared before him is a beauty that didn''t lose to Belle. "Hou~ You''re quite an interesting one, aren''t you? It''ll be reassuring to have you help us, boy. My name is Josephine Marguerite. Nice to meet you," (Madam) (Boy, huh... I keep on forgetting that my body had returned to its youth as well...) (Lyan) "My name is Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. It''s my pleasure to meet you, Lady Marguerite," Lyan replied with a slight bow. (Oh! So that''s his full name!) (Rea & Lichia & Belle) "Heh! Quite a polite one, aren''t you? I heard that you saved my girls in the forest and saved Alina from falling inside the housest night," The Madam takes Lyan''s right hand and grips it. "Thank you for saving those girls. I''ll give you your rewards after we finish the search, so please help us," There''s only gratitude inside the Madam''s eyes as she thanked Lyan. Lyan could feel how precious the girls are to the Madam. (Well, she left the brothel together with Mr. Abraham to search for the girls personally. They must be something more than just her employees) (Lyan) "It''s my pleasure to help. But of course, as a mercenary, I''ll eagerly wait for the rewards you''ll be giving me," (Lyan) "Heh! That''s a good response you give there. You can count on me for the rewards," (Madam) "Hm? Lady Belle. How did your curse disappear? Did Mr. Lyan dispel it?" (Abraham) "Ah! You''re right! He dispelled it for me, gramps!" (Belle) "I see... Then I guess we have another reason to be grateful to him. Now we don''t have to worry about searching for the curse dispelling ingredients and focus on searching Lady Alina and Lady Xena," (Abraham) "Now, I''ll be exining how we''re going to proceed," (Madam) ************************************** ---Xena''s PoV--- Just like how we nnedst night, Alina and I depart to the forest to search for the dark attribute magic core and the ahgra''s seed at the third Bell. Since we still have the map, it only takes us two hours to arrive at the ce where we killed the ahgra yesterday. But strangely, even though we passed the ce where the cloaked man battled with the goblins, there are no corpses of the goblins that could be found there, only their blood remains on some of the trees. Well, it''s possible that some beasts bring their corpses somewhere to eat them, though. "Xena! Did you find the seed there!?" (Alina) "Still looking for it," I replied as I continue to dig the ground with the shovel we brought. I''ve read in a book that when a ahgra grows mature and bes capable of eating monsters and emitting poisonous gas, it shoves its seed together with its root deeper into the ground to search for more water since it needed more water and needed more nutrients when there is no prey to eat. The seed that got nted deep inside serves as a magic core of it as well, gathering and condensing the nature mana from the ground to strengthen itself. "Ah! I found it!" I informed Alina as I stared at a purplish-green gem-like seed on the ground. "You did!?" (Alina) "Yeah! This is the first time I saw one this big, though..." Its size is as big as a boar. Usually, the seed of a ahgra only grows as big as a person''s head. This one here must be a variant... "After curing Belle, could we still sell this? This might sell for quite a lot..." "Whoa! What is this!? It''s bigger than Belle''s breast!" (Alina) "What with thatparison..." "It just that round things make me remember her breast. While t thing makes me remember with mine..." Alina starts patting her chest with a gloomy face. "What are you self-destructing yourself for? Come on! We''ve spent about two hours and a half here, even though we still have lots of time before the deadline, we should finish this quickly and cure Belle quickly," I put the huge ahgra seed inside Alina''s bag. Since I''m a scout, Alina said that my speed needs to be prioritized, so she decided to be the one holding the loot bag. "Okay~ Now what''s left is just to search for the dark attribute magic core, right? Let''s finish this quickly and cure Belle. I''m curious about how much this seed will sell as well," Alina cheerfully closed the bag. "Yeah. If the mana contained inside it is as big as its size, it might cost a fortune. We might get closer to paying our debt to the Madam," The monster we''re searching for the dark attribute magic core is the blight bat. It''s a famous omnivorous magic beast that feeds on fruits and small monsters and magic beasts. It has dark attribute mana and feeds on the darkness at night. It usually sleeps inside the Carvana trees to hide from the sunlight. "Ugh... I hate facing monsters deep inside a forest like this... Escorting quests and delivery quests are much better! We could even go sightseeing and have some refreshing rather than going into the forest and getting drenched in monster''s blood!" (Alina) "We''re not even drenched in any blood yet, Alina... But you''re right, maybe next week we should try epting some es- Alina," I sensed a gaze of a monster nearby. Alina immediately understands that there is something and ready her sword. "Duck!" The both of us splits up. Alina jumped to the right while I jumped to the left. And at that moment, something green dashed towards our position before from above. "Alina! It''s a hobgoblin! Let''s finish it quickly!" The one that appeared is a hobgoblin. Since we jumped at the precise moment, the hobgoblin that jumped from the tree above us could only sh the thin air and became exposed. "Okay!" (Alina) Using our usual tactic against a humanoid monster, Alina is the one who charged toward the hobgoblin first. Between me who only holding a knife and Alina that holds a sword, the hobgoblin''s attention focuses on Alina whom he deemed as the biggest threat. "Take this!" (Alina) *sh!* With a powerful but skillful sh, Alina cleanly cut off the hobgoblin''s head. *Plop!* The head slowly falls to the ground. Blood gushed out the hobgoblin''s neck, defiling the ground with ckish-blue blood. "I guess there''s no need for me to do anything, huh," "Fufu! My one sh one kill seems to be as great as usual," Alina gives a smug smile as she sheathes her sword back. Our original n is for Alina to attack first, but in case she couldn''t finish the enemy off in one strike, she''ll just make sure to make an opening, while I assassinate the enemy from its blindspot. "But there are sure lots of hobgoblins appearing in this forest recently, huh..." "It makes me remember that myth! The birth of the goblin king! I used to read the story about that quest when we first started as mercenaries back then!" (Alina) "Yeah, if I remember, Belle also-" Suddenly, a huge figure as huge as an ogre appeared behind Alina. "Alina!!!" ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 24 The Search Request (3) ?"Alina!!!" *BOOM!!!!!!!!!!* "Ugh!" As if an explosion urred, a powerful shock wave sent me flying to a nearby tree. But more importantly, Alina? Is she safe? I focused my eyes to see through the flying bags of dust and saw a lying body nearby the giant figure that just appeared. *Whoosh!* With a single wave of its hand, powerful winds sent the dust away from the surroundings. "W-What is that...?" It''s not an orc, and it''s not an ogre either. Orcs have a light chartreuse yellow or olive skin color, while ogres didn''t have the intelligence as high as the monster before me. I''ve read somewhere that when a goblin king appeared, some higher rank hobgoblin that is deemed worthy will be given the blessing to be the king''s swords and shields. So this monster before me is... "A goblin champion..." "UUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The goblin champion let out a powerful cry. "Ugh...." I covered my ears desperately because of the loudness of its cry. W-What is it doing? "UUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Its cry made the air feel like its vibrating. And finally, its eyes met mine. The yellow eyes on its disgusting ugly face stared at me as if they were sizing up my whole body. It sticks out its tongue and licks its own lips while its eyes showed a lecherous gaze. "Tch! I need to save Alina and get out of here!" Luckily I brought this! I took a vial filled with purple liquid from my pocket and threw it toward the goblin champion''s head. The goblin champion easily destroyed the vial with the sword it was holding, but that''s my aim. The purple liquid got sshed on its face because of the destroyed vial, blinding it. Inside the vial is the ahgra''s poison I extracted yesterday. It should be enough to paralyze even a goblin champion! "Alina! Hold on!" I picked up Alina''s body and run towards the city''s direction with all my might. We should report this to the guild. Since there is a goblin champion, then there must be a goblin king who appeared in the forest. We need to ry this information so that a subjugation team will be sent to y the goblin- "GUHA!?" *Crash!* It hurts... What just hit me...? Alina? How about Alina? Is she fine? My vision is all red, is it because of the blood? Alina? Ali... "Na...?" "Kukukuku!" A deep disgustingugh. T-There''s another one? "Agh!" It raised my body with one hand, and throw me to another tree. Oh no... I''m losing my strength... Alina? Where are you, Alina...? I can''t feel my legs, but my eyes could still see even if all looks red. Wait. What is that goblin champion holding? Is that Alina? No, please don''t do anything to her. She and Belle had experienced enough hell because of me. Because I brought them to that damned river, we experienced hell. Are we going to enter another one again now? "Ple...se... Spa....re... Her..." *********************************** "Are we nearby yet?" (Madam) "Not yet. It''s still about one hour from here if we run without getting any problem," (Belle) "Is that so? The problem is that we keep on encountering these pests!" The madam swings her morningstar with powerful force, sending six goblins to heaven with one swing. "It''s getting dark. Since goblins possess night vision, it will be their advantage when it is darker. And it seems that there is no end to them. What do you think, gramps?" (Madam) "I''m afraid I have a bad feeling about this, Madam. The goblins started to exert their forces to here. It''s impossible for Lady Alina and Lady Xena to not encounter any goblins. And their number might be a problem for just the two of them," Abraham voices his opinion with a firm face as he pulls out his knife from a hobgoblin''s neck. "True... This is a terrifying sight..." (Ravia) "Raine, Ravia. Make sure to keep your eyes on Lady Belle. Protect her with all your might, and retreat together when things be too dangerous. Things might get messy starting from here," (Abraham) (Well, looking at about 40 goblin corpses on the ground surrounding us, the survival rate of those two is not high. But since goblins never kill woman no matter how many goblins a woman kill, they must be still alive somewhere) (Lyan) When goblins captured a woman, they confine them in theirir and use them as their ythings and for reproduction purposes. For goblins, females from other races such as humans are necessary resources for them to increase their number. "We have no time to dilly-dallying our mind here, let''s go!" (Madam) Along the way, we keep on encountering groups of goblins, and after running for an hour, we finally arrived at the ce where the corpse of the ahgra remained. "Gramps. There are dug holes here, it means that they already finished harvesting the ahgra''s seed," (Ravia) "There''s no trace of blood or trace of recent battles either. It looks like they didn''t get attacked here," (Raine) "I see. Then the next ce to check is the ce where they are going to harvest the dark attribute mana core. Since there are not many dark attribute magic beasts, they most likely went hunting for the blight bats," (Abraham) "Then let''s go!" (Madam) With the presence of Abraham and the Madam, the search progresses quickly and the battle with the goblins they encountered along the way ended very quickly. "Wait!" Belle suddenly stopped her run. "What is it, Belle?" (Madam) "There. It''s a hobgoblin corpse!" (Belle) Following Belle, they approached the hobgoblin''s corpse. "There''s no doubt. This clean-cut came from Lady Alina''s swordsmanship. They must have passed-" (Abraham) "Wait, gramps. Look at this," (Madam) "Hm?" (Abraham) The Madam pointed at an area nearby with a wry smile. Following the direction of her finger, everyone shifted their gaze. !?!?!?!?!? "Do you think a goblin could do something like this?" (Madam) There are big holes on the ground, several fallen trees, and the trace of blood on some of the trees and the ground. "The blood is red, it''s not goblin''s blood," Ravia mentioned with a grim face. "Gramps. Do you think this is..." (Madam) "Yes, Madam. Unfortunately, it''s very highly that the Ladies battled with something here, and lost," (Abraham) "I-It''s a lie, right...?" Belle''s feet lost their strength as she heard Abraham''s words. (Alina and Xena is...?) (Belle) "What should we do, Madam? It''s getting darker by any minute, and the Ladies must have already gotten brought to the goblins''ir. And there seem to be no blood trails we could follow either. Are we going to continue the search, or should we stop here and continue tomorrow?" (Abraham) "Tch! SHIT!!!" The Madam strikes a tree with her morningstar, making it fall with her tremendous strength. "You. What do you think?" The Madam shifted her attention towards Lyan. Following suit, the others also stare at Lyan. They are not hoping for a miraculous skill toe out from Lyan, they just need a push for them to make a decision. Should they continue? Or should they stop? If they continue, they might get into a higher risk of danger, but if they stop, the safety of the two girls captured by the goblins will get even more dubious. (Judging from the sun''s position, it should still be only six right now. Well, I''m not really bothered to fight at night since I still possess the subus''s night vision skill. But could I protect them when something unexpected happened?) (Lyan) Lyan stares at their faces, and it''s clear. The five of them could only think about saving the two girls right now. No matter what kind of danger might they encounter, they want to save them. That''s how precious the two girls are to them. *Sigh!* Lyan let out a small sigh. (I guess it can''t be helped. I''m weak to those kinds of eyes, after all. And I''m going to get the rewards I wanted from them anyway) (Lyan) Step! Step! Step! Lyan approached the ground that possess the most blood on it. There is some hair above it. (This orange-brown hair, this must be the hair of the scout girl. Her opponent must have lifted her up by holding her hair, huh... To think that there are no blood trails, they''re quite neat) (Lyan) "What are you-" (Ravia) "Don''t disturb him, Ravia. Let him focus," (Abraham) Lyan picks up one of the hair and envelops his mana with it. "Dear spirits of mist that covers the trail of truth. Show me the path to the origin of what I''m holding. [Illusion Trail]" (Lyan) Suddenly purple smoke appeared from his hands, and slowly, the smoke enveloped the hair on his hand. At the next moment, the smoke suddenly spread quickly and built a trail in mid-air. "This is...?" (Madam) "This is a magic used to search for something or someone. We need to find them as soon as possible, aren''t we? Let''s go," (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword, Normal sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 25 The Search Request (4) ?The six of them ran, following the purple smoke made by Lyan''s magic. Knowing that it follows to the position where Alina and Xena are, the six of them didn''t lower their pace as they want to recover the two of them as soon as possible. "Stop!" (Madam) Following the Madam''s words, all of them stopped their tracks and hid behind the bushes. "So that''s theirir, huh... Is this purple smoke of yours urate, Lyan?" Madam asked Lyan as she points at the purple smoke entering a cavern. "If the hair that I used as the medium of the magic is indeed the scout girl''s hair, then it should be urate," (Lyan) Right after Lyan''s words, a goblin holding a spear exits the cavern. "I see... It seems that you''re right. Then how should we proceed?" (Madam) "Let''s try not to rm the goblins. We should assassinate them one by one from the exit since we didn''t know where Lady Alina and Lady Xena are yet," (Gramps) "True. We didn''t know how many goblins resided inside that cavern, after all. It might be bad if we ended up rming the wholeir and make hundreds of goblinse out of the cavern at the same time," (Raine) "Then let''s go now! Let''s kill that one goblin first!" (Madam) *Stab!* Abraham suddenly appeared behind the goblin, killing it with a single sh of his knife. "Heh! You''re fast as ever, gramps," (Madam) "It''s better for you to reserve your strength, for now, Madam. Since your strength are not suitable for stealth and assassination, please leave the killing to Raine, Ravia, Mr. Lyan, and me," (Gramps) Other than Lyan that is wielding the sword he got from the goblins he defeated the other day, Abraham and his granddaughters wield knives and possess high agility that is perfect for assassinations and stealth operations. "I see. You''re right, then I''ll leave it to you guys," (Madam) "You can count on us, Madam!" (Ravia) "I''ll kill all of the goblins before they could even realize they''re dead!" (Raine) The butler uniform-wearing white-haired girl and ck-haired girl replied to the Madam with full enthusiasm. "I''ll try my best to give you the best support!" (Belle) "Just make sure not to push yourself too much, Belle. You''ve just recovered not long ago, after all," (Madam) "It''s fine, Madam. I''m fully recovered!" (Belle) "Then let''s proceed. Our time is limited," (Abraham) (Guess there''s not much for me to do. But I''ll take this decent sword the goblin is holding for extra caution) (Lyan) Lyan took the sword from the goblin that the Abraham just killed. With the Madam''s and Abraham''s wisdom and veteran skills, they lead and give urate directions to the others. While Belle''s support is well-timed and effective, the two grandchildren of Abraham also have high skills just like their grandfather. While their movement hasn''t reached the level of Abraham, they could still be considered high-ss scouts or assassins. Since Lyan''s role is an all-rounder, there are not many things that he needs to do as he stands by at the rearguard. (I''m in a position to finish off the goblins that went through our ranks and protect the magician girl, but that three knife-wielding grandchildren and grandpabo didn''t even let a single of them pass. I guess this is how it feels to be at a high-leveled party, huh...) (Lyan) They proceed to the cavern smoothly. After finishing off about three groups of goblins, they found a passage leading to the underground of the cavern. "A secret passage... To think there is such a thing inside this cavern..." (Belle) "Yeah. But since the purple smoke entered this passage, then Alina and Xena must be inside as well. Belle!" (Madam) It''s a decent tactic. Casting [Sleep gas] magic to spread sleeping gas inside the passage and force asleep the goblins that hid to ambush unwanted intruders of theirir. After waiting a minute, they entered the passage and saw dozens of goblins lying on the ground asleep because of the spell after walking deep down the passage. Slitting their throat one by one, they didn''t let even a single goblin live. "So this is the entrance, huh..." (Ravia) Across the deep passageys a huge gate enough for an ogre to walk through it. "This is a passage big enough for a goblin champion to pass. There''s a high possibility that there is at least one goblin champion inside here," (Madam) "Inside this huge goblinir, we might be facing hundreds of goblins if the wholeir got alerted. We need to proceed as stealthily as possible," (Abraham) "Yeah. You''ve said that multiple times already, gramps..." (Raine) "I heard you, Raine," (Abraham) "Hiiieeee!!! Gramps is being scary, sis!" Raine hides behind her sister. "Goblins usually have a special room where they store the females of other races for breeding. Alina and Xena must be in that room. Let''s hope that nothing happened to them yet..." (Madam) The Madam''s face when she utters those words are grim. But her concern is normal. For women who got kidnapped by goblins, being vited by a group of goblins will give a huge trauma to them even if they''re saved. It might be something worse than death for them. "Then we have no time to spare. Let''s proceed!" (Abraham) There are three big concerns in their rescue n inside this goblinir. The number of the goblins they might need to face, the goblin champions with their high fighting capabilities, and the possibility of the goblin king residing in this goblinir. Because of that three concerns, Abraham and the Madam decided to avoid those risks and proceed as stealthily as possible. But as they proceed inside, they couldn''t help but feel perplexed. "There are no goblins. Even my detection magic didn''t sense anything..." (Abraham) "They might be in the middle of moving their whole forces. If it''s so then it''s bad, it might be a raid. Let''s recover Alina and Xena quickly and notify this to the guild!" (Madam) Following Madam''s words, the six of them rushed towards the breeding room, following the purple smoke summoned by Lyan''s magic. "It''s a door!" (Belle) "It can''t be opened! It seems that it''s locked from the inside!" Raine reported as she checked the iron door blocking their way. "Move it," (Madam) Gripping her morningstar tightly, the madam takes a stance as she gathers her mana in her hands. *BOOM!!* The iron door got destroyed into bits by the Madam''s powerful strength. "Alina! Xena!" The Madam rushed inside the room. The room looks like a prison. Cells made from iron bars, and lots of human females are inside them. "Madam? Gramps? Belle?" A familiar voice appeared from the deepest part of the room. ""Alina!!"" They rushed towards Alina quickly. She''s being confined in the deepest cell of the room. With her morningstar, the Madam destroyed the cell bars into bits and entered the cell with the others. "Alina-chan! Are you okay? Are you fine? I''m very d you''re alive..." Belle jumped and hugs Alina with tears falling profusely from her eyes. "Xena is... Xena is..." Just like Belle, tears started to fall from Alina as well. She is definitely not in a good shape. Her body is filled with bruises and wounds, and her eyes are slightly swollen. But she''s still using her clothes. (It means that she didn''t get vited yet by the goblins, huh. That''s a relief) (Lyan) "Please help Xena... Because of me... Because she shielded me... She became the target of those devils..." (Alina) "Where''s Xena, Alina?" (Madam) "There... She''s inside that cell... Please help her..." Alina pointed at the cell in front of hers. The Madam quickly destroyed the cells, and a figure of a girl lying unconscious appeared before them. "X-Xena..." (Madam) Her legs are spread widely, and yellowish-white fluids are flowing from her crotch. Her body is filled with bruises and wounds far worse than Alina''s. It''s easy to guess what just happened to her. "Ma...dam...?" (Xena) "Xena!! Gramps! The potion!" (Madam) "Here, Madam," (Abraham) The madam took a vial filled with blue liquids and gently let Xena drink it. Slowly, the wounds that are open got closed by themselves, and her eyes slowly regain their light. "Madam..." (Xena) "You don''t need to say anything. Preserve your strength. we''re bringing you home," The Madam was about to lift her up, but Xena suddenly grabbed the Madam''s hand with her eyes widely opened. "Run..." (Xena) "Of course. We''ll bring you and run, now let me lift you obediently," (Madam) Hearing Xena''s words, Abraham and Lyan stared at each other. Belle, Raina, Ravia, and the Madam got too emotional and too absorbed in Alina''s and Xena''s condition, making their judgment gets clouded. (The semen of those goblins is still flowing from the scout girl''s crotch. She must have gotten vited not that long ago) (Lyan) (And it''s impossible for them to already left in such a brief duration. They must be not far from here or they might be gathering in another room. And if that''s true...) (Abraham) "They must have heard mydy sting the door off," (Abraham) "Prepare your weapons! Horde of goblins areing!" (Lyan) "Coming? From where!?" Asked the Madam as she ready her morningstar. "This is bad..." Lyan muttered as he sense the iing presence. "They areing from the direction of where we came from..." (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Normal Sword> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword, Normal sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 26 The Search Request (5) ?Countless footsteps are approaching the iron door that the Madam destroyed before. It might be tens, dozens, or even hundreds of goblins rushing to their position right now. "Looks like escaping is no longer an option. We could only fight our way through," Uttered Abraham as he readied his knives. There is no hint of impatience or panic from him as if he''s not even slightly bothered by the sudden turn of events. "It can''t be helped then. But they appeared at the right time, I''m furious enough that I feel like smashing the heads of all goblins living inside thisir right now," The Madam ready her morningstar and warms up her mana while emitting a dangerous vibe. "Lady Belle. Please take care of Lady Alina and Lady Xena for us. We''ll take care of the goblins. Raine, Ravia, guard thedies," (Abraham) ""Okay, gramps!"" "O-Okay..." (Belle) "Mr. Lyan. I''m sorry but I guess this will be a rather big fight. Will you be fine?" (Abraham) "Well, I''ll manage," Lyan draws one of his swords as he replied. "Good. Then the three of us will face the goblins thating in, while Belle, Ravia, and Raine watch over Alina and Xena, and watch out if something unexpected happens, you sure you''re fine, Lyan?" (Madam) "I''ll be fine. I doubt I''ll get my turn with the two of you in front of me anyway," (Lyan) "Heh! Nice words," The Madam''s morningstar got fully enveloped by her mana as she chuckled, dangerous red aura leaks out from it as if it''s responding to the Madam''s rage. "Here theye!" (Abraham) The goblins came disorderly from the entrance where they entered the room from. Without showing any hesitation, the Madam blows the goblins that approached her with a powerful strike. But unlike before, the explosive strength of the Madam got even stronger for multiple folds. As if it got rammed by a dragon''s tail, the goblin got sent back to the entrance with a powerful force, bringing the other goblins with it. "Come! You green brats!" (Madam) As the Madam, Abraham, and Lyan face the goblins head-on in front of the entrance, Ravia and Raine ready their knives and watch out for the surroundings in case there are some goblins that suddenly appeared or slip away from the three of them and aim for Xena and the others. "Here. Slowly, Alina," Belle slowly put Alina down beside Xena. With the two of them besides each other, it will be easier for them to protect them rather than having them lying in different cells. "How did you find us?" Asked Alina. Because of the healing potion given to her, most of her injuries are already healed, and her vitality had returned. "You remember the cloaked man that saved us the other day? He used Xena''s hair to use a magic to find the two of you. Xena, is it still hurt?" Belle asked worriedly. Xena''splexion is still bad, Belle couldn''t see a hint of liveliness in her eyes, as if she had already given up on her life. "Xena... Forgive me... Because of me... Because you protected me... The goblins... The goblins..." Alina approached Xena with tears as she hugs her. "It''s fine... It''s not your fault..." Replied her weakly. It''s obvious of what had happened to her just by looking at her appearance. She had gotten raped by the goblins that captured them, and she got treated roughly because of her protecting Alina from getting defiled by the goblins. But even so, she didn''t regret the fact that she protected Alina''s virginity. "I''m sorry..." Tears fell profusely from her eyes. "This all happened because I brought you two to the river that day... I''m sorry..." (Xena) "Xena... It''s not your-" (Belle) Just as they were soothing each other, suddenly the other end of the room got opened. Just like an elevator door, the stone walls that should be there got opened to the side, revealing a goblin with a huge body. "A hidden passage!? Raine! Prepare for battle!" (Ravia) "Y-Yeah!" Raine readied her knife. Raine and Ravia attacked the goblin champion with a pincer. They are fast and strong. Even if they''re not as strong as their grandfather, their speed and skill in knife-wielding are top-notch. *sh!* *sh!* Both of them sessfully shed the popliteal fossas of the goblin champion perfectly. With the goblin champion slowly losing his strength on its leg, it will fall by itself so they didn''t waste any chance and once again charged toward the goblin champion to behead it. The goblin champion won''t even have a chance to retaliate because of their speed. Or so they thought. "Gah!!" "Ugh!!" The goblin champion suddenly spins, sending the two of them flying with its giant club. "Kukukuku! KKiakakakkkkk!" The goblin champion disgustinglyughs as it thought that the number of women for him to use and torture had increased. "Ravia!! Raine!!" (Belle) (What should I do... But if I left Xena and Alina here, they will-) (Belle) Belle''s eyes met with the goblin champion''s. At that moment, she suddenly lost all of her strength. No thoughts of how to ovee the danger, how to save her friends, or what she should cast. Nothing. Just terror. Not only Belle, but Xena that just got raped by the goblins not long before also got frozen with terror. As if getting interested because of the eye contact, the goblin champion started to approach the three of them. "Belle... Xena... Don''t just stand there..." Alina desperately shakes the both of them weakly to make them get to their senses. (This is bad... If we stay like here, the three of us will die!) (Alina) "Guh... Belle!!!" Ravia shouted, hoping that her shout will bring Belle to her senses. But it''s futile. (I''m sorry... I can''t move...) (Belle) Tears flows from Belle''s eyes profusely as her whole body trembled. (Ugh... I need to move!! Raine? Is Raine okay?) (Ravia) Just like her, Raine is desperately trying to stand with her battered body as she looks at the three girls getting approached by the goblin champion. But no matter how much they tried, their body that just got a direct hit from the monstrous strength of the goblin champion didn''t have the strength to stand, let alone to run and protect the three girls. "DON''T COME NEAR HERE, YOU UGLY BASTARD!!!!" Alina musters all of her strength to shout those words. "kkkiieeeeekkk!!!" The goblin champion shrieked, seemingly enraged because of Alina''s shout towards it. Rushing with its gigantic club, the five of them stared at the goblin champion rushing with despair written all over their faces. (We should call grandpa and the Madam-) (Ravia) When she shifted her gaze, she saw that the two of them are battling with one goblin champion with red skin each. (A-A variant!? If I call them and make them lose their focus right now, it will be bad for them...) (Ravia) Suddenly, Ravia remembered that there is an additional member of their rescue expedition party. "That guy. Where is he...?" (Ravia) "Go away!!" Alina threw a pebble towards the approaching goblin champion as she screamed. But it didn''t hinder the goblin champion movement even the slightest. The goblin champion finally arrived in front of them, and with a disgusting shriek, it raise its massive club, preparing to strike. The five of them watched the scene unfold in despair. "Please..." Alina closed her eyes as she plead to be saved. As she closes her eyes, a figure wearing a cloak appeared inside her mind. "Save us..." (Alina) Finally, the blow from the goblin champion arrived. *BOOM!!!!!!* As if a giant had stomped the ground, the strike from the goblin champion''s club gives a powerful sound of explosion throughout the cavern. But- "Eh?" (Alina) The spot where the goblin champion strikes with its massive club is the empty spot right beside the three of them. The five of them stare at the confused goblin champion confusedly because of its strange strike. (This feeling of deja vu... Where did I see this scene before...) (Alina) *p!!* Suddenly, a loud sound of thunderp came together with a sh of blue-white light heading towards the goblin champion''s head. *Thud!* !?!?!?!?!?!!?? The goblin champion fell motionlessly to the ground, shocking the five girls because of the sight of a sword stuck on its head. "I-It died!?" (Ravia) "Ugh... Goblin''s blood is disgusting..." A dissatisfied voice appeared together with a cloaked figure walking leisurely approaching the goblin champion''s corpse. Looking at the scene, Alina finally remembered. (Ah... It''s just like that day when we got surrounded by the goblins... The hobgoblin rushing towards him shed the empty air only to get killed by him) (Alina) Lyan pulled out the sword from the goblin champion''s head, making its blood to gush out like a stream. "Ugh... Disgusting..." (Lyan) As he''s swinging his sword to get rid of the blood sticking into it, more goblins started to approach the hidden passage. "Hm... I guess it can''t be helped. I need your help. Come and heed my call, [Shadow Hobgoblin]" (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: Hobgoblin''s Sword, Normal sword Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 27 The Search Request (6) ?Monster Variant and Magic Beast Variant A variant is a term used to ssify monsters and magic beasts that has special abilities that differ from the regr type. When a monster or a magic beast got exposed to an extreme magical property from its surroundings or consumed an excessive amount of a certain magic element from a type of monster, they''ll mana core will react and absorb the foreign source to its system, and adapt. Most variant monsters and magic beasts possess a certain element that their species unusually has. When a monster or a magic beast became a variant, their strength got increased by several folds, cing them to a different rank of difficulty. -Encyclopedia of Magic Beasts and Monsters, Great Library of Eureka, The city of academy and magic, Ausbildia ________________________________________________________________________ "Hm... I guess it can''t be helped, *Snap!*" Lyan snapped his fingers, and the summoning grimoire appeared from the thin air. "W-What''s that sinister-looking floating book...?" (Belle) "I need your help. Come and heed my call, [Shadow Hobgoblin]" (Lyan) A ck magic circle suddenly appeared before him, and ck particles gushed out from the grimoire, forming a form of a humanoid. After several seconds, a figure with a height of an average human appeared, while wearing ck full te armor covering its body he unsheathes his ck sword. A sinister aura is getting emitted to him. "Hobu. I''ll count on you to handle the small ones. I''ll face that one," Lyan points at the huge goblin that is approaching them with his sword. With a single nod, the shadow hobgoblin rushed toward the goblins and kill them one by one. Traveling from shadow to shadow, the shadow hobgoblin lowered the number of goblins quickly. Knowing that the shadow hobgoblin is ignoring it, the goblin champion approached Lyan that is pointing at him with the tip of his sword. It knows that it is being challenged by Lyan, but unlike the goblin champion''s corpse that is lying beside Lyan, it acts more intelligently and didn''t rush immediately. (Its skin is red, and its size is bigger than the one I killed before. So this is a variant, huh... The rare type of monster. It''s more intelligent than this one, and it must be stronger as well. The one Mr. Abraham and the Madam battling are also the same variant type, huh... It can''t be helped...) (Lyan) Lyan closed his eyes as he choose the mana he was going to use to battle the goblin champion before him. (I used Griselda''s mana to kill the one before, I guess I''ll try using Arturia''s mana for now. Let''s maintain it on the low output, I need to preserve the mana as much as I could, after all. Sylphia''s wind mana that I used yesterday hasn''tpletely recovered yet, which means that the borrowed mana from the great spirits recovered at a very slow pace, so I need to be careful on using it) (Lyan) A white mana aura gushed out from Lyan''s body. But just by the appearance of the mana aura alone, his whole presence seems to be changed. (T-The atmosphere around him changed...) (Ravia) Noticing the change, the goblin champion carefully approached Lyan without rushing. Holding its giant ax with a powerful grip, he inhales a lot of air, and- *Whoosh!!!* "B-Breath!?" (Xena) A breath of me gushed out from its mouth as if it is a dragon. It should be enough to kill a normal person, but the one before him is the hero of the two realms. *sh!* A single sh. A sh that is powerful enough that it sent powerful winds and disperses the breath of me the goblin champion variant shoot outs. (H-He blocked it with a sh!) (Alina) But that breath from the goblin champion variant is nothing but a test for Lyan. (Starting from this point is where the real battle begins!) (Lyan) This time, Lyan took the initiative to close the distance with the goblin champion variant. He''s fast, but the goblin champion variant''s response is quick as well. Despite of his big size and the huge ax it is wielding, the speed of the goblin champion variant is as fast as Lyan. *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* Their weapon collided with each other. Each blow is powerful enough that it sends winds and shockwaves to the surroundings. And by each blow, the speed of their bouts keeps on increasing, making the five girls spectating the battle widen their eyes. (H-He''s so strong...) (Xena) (He''s pushing it back!) (Belle) (He looks like a hero!) (Alina) (This guy''s back looks like gramps'') (Raine) (But why is he just using one sword if he''s wielding it with one hand? He still has another sword on his waist) (Ravia) Lyan''s fighting the goblin champion while wielding the sword with one hand. Usually, a person using a sword of a decent size uses two hands to utilize more strength to the sword. But there is also some swordsman who wields a sword with one hand, but they usually either wield two swords at the same time or use a shield on the other hand. *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* As the bout goes on, the goblin champion gradually gets pushed back by Lyan. Knowing that it won''t win by confronting Lyan head-on, the goblin champion variant let out a cry. "KKiiieeeeeekkkK!!!!" *Stomp!* *Stomp!* "Y-You must be kidding me..." (Xena) Another goblin champion with red skin indicating it''s a variant appeared from the hidden passage. *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* The first goblin champion variant exerts all of its power and continues the bouts with Lyan, knowing that the other goblin champion variant will help it win the fight. "T-This is bad..." Ravia struggled to stand. Not only Ravia, Raine, Alina, and Xena also struggled to stand as they understand how grim the situation is. (Move! Feet!! If I don''t help him, he''ll definitely die!) (Ravia) (I can''t let him die helping us!) (Raine) (He helped us a lot already. I can''t let him keep on helping us!) (Alina) (If he dies... I won''t be able to forgive myself!) (Xena) But as if he heard their thoughts, Lyan let out a gentle tone that all of them heard. "Just stay in your position and rest. There''s nothing to worry about," (Lyan) As his right hand continues to deflect the attacks from the goblin champion variant, his left hand reaches to the handle of the other sword on his waist. *Shiiing!* Holding its giant ax, the other goblin champion variant joined the fray and attacked Lyan from the other direction. *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk* "Y-You must be kidding me..." Ravia uttered as she dumbfoundedly watched the scene before her. "He... He''s this strong...?" (Xena) Before them is Lyan deflecting all of the attacks from the goblin champion variants that attacked him from both sides with quick speed not matching their size. But as if he himself is impressed with himself, an impressed smile is imprinted on his face. (This is amazing. As expected of the knight spirit, Arturia. Her mana is like a powerful sword, it''s straightforwardly quick and powerful. But if it goes on, I''ll be using more mana than I intended, I guess it''s time to try using two mana at the same time) (Lyan) *Crack!* *Crack!* Electric sparks started to gush out from Lyan''s body, and the moment his hair stands. *CLAP!* A powerful thunderp once again appeared, but this time, two goblin champion variant heads fell to the ground. But because of the extreme heat contacting and burning the part that is being torn, there is no blood spilled from the corpse. But not just the corpse, the extreme heat also affects the other thing as well. "Ah... They broke..." Lyan uttered as he saw the swords on his hands turn into dust due to their incapability to contain too much lightning mana inside them. "It can''t be helped I guess. I''ll take a random sword from the dead goblinster. For now..." Lyan shifted his gaze towards the three girls before him. *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* Lyan approached the three girls. Belle still has no strength in her legs yet as she stares at Lyan with captivated gaze, Alina in her battered clothes stared at Lyan with blushed cheeks as he approached them, and Xena, realizing that the only thing covering her body is the ck butler vest Ravia gave her, desperately attempt to cover her body in embarrassment. But at the time she saw the leaking disgusting fluid from her crotch, her face once again distorted to a face of despair as she remember what happened. (What am I even embarrassed for... I no longer have any value on-) (Xena) *Whoosh!* Lyan unhesitatingly pulled the ck vest, exposing Xena''s bare body to him. Then he put his hand on Xena''s belly with a serious expression. "W-What are you-" (Xena) "You wouldn''t want to get pregnant with a disgusting green monster, right?" (Lyan) "Eh? Of course, I don''t want to!" (Xena) "Then forgive me for a while. I''m making sure all of those disgusting get out from inside of you," (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <-Hobgoblin''s Sword and Normal sword> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 28 The Search Request (End) ?"Then forgive me for a while. I''m making sure all of those disgusting seeds get out from inside of you," Lyan pushed Xena''s belly with his right hand''s palm, covered in purple mana aura. "It''s going out..." Xena uttered in admiration as the disgusting semen of the goblins that raped her get out of her crotch. When she saw it before, she got depressed whenever the thought of her getting pregnant with a goblin''s child like the stories she heard before about the fate of girls that got abducted by goblins like her appeared on her mind. But now, there''s no need to worry about it anymore. (I won''t get pregnant with a goblin''s child!) (Xena) Not long after, all of the semen gets out from inside her, and with a snap- *Snap!* A bolt of small lightning struck the pool of goblin''s semen and burnt it, leaving nothing behind. "Tell me," Lyan stared right into Xena''s eyes with a solemn look on his face. "T-Tell you what?" Xena answered as she blushes while she tried to once again cover her body with the ck vest Ravia gave her. "Do you want to forget the memory of the assault from the goblins? It won''t bepletely gone, but if you want, I could put that memory in the deepest corner to make you forget the intense emotion the memory might give you. You make the call," (Lyan) "...Forget?" Xena muttered the alluring and saving word to save her from the traumatic experience she just had. Holding Lyan''s hand, Xena answered him with resolute eyes. Lyan could feel her trembling hands- no, he could feel the trembling of her whole body. "Please, make me forget by all means," (Xena) "Then please excuse me," Lyan slowly reaches his index finger towards Xena''s forehead, and- *Tap!* All it needed was just a single touch. Since the traumatic experience she had is not long before, the memory is currently in the very frontyer of her brain. And with her powerful will to remove that memory, it makes it easier for Lyan to immediately push it to the most corner of her brain. !? Xena widens her eyes. At that moment, her body immediately stopped trembling. The pain she felt all over her body before disappeared as if it didn''t even there to begin with. The truth is, Lyan used his holy mana to heal her body. Cynthia''s holy mana is much more than just effective. In such a short duration, the body that already got slightly healed by the potion given by the Madam immediately got fully recovered. "I-It''s gone... It''s gone! Just what did you-" (Xena) *ps!* Lyan covers Xena''s body with the cloak he had been using, revealing the muscr body that is only hidden by a thin ck shirt. "It was mind magic. I forcefully pushed the memory to the furthest part of your brain. Well, trust me, I won''t do anything stupid. I don''t want to get killed by those ridiculously strong people, after all," Lyan points at Abraham and the Madam that just finished killing all of the goblin champions and the goblins from the main entrance. "I-I trust you. You''ve saved us multiple times, after all," (Xena) "S-she''s right!" (Alina) "Is that so? Then that''s good," Lyan stands up and takes a nce at how the shadow hobgoblin is faring. "W-What exactly is that thing? Is that a summoned a creature? Are you a summoner? Or is that a familiar?" (Belle) "Ah... Actually, I took the liberty to take over the hobgoblin you enved with your shadow magic back then at the forest, you see... It isn''t hostile, and I felt sorry for it to just stand there in the middle of the forest after helping me kill the goblins back then, so I take over the spell, is it fine?" (Lyan) Lyan''s words are not a lie. He did take over the envement magic, but it''s just that he didn''t mention that he''s a summoner, thinking that he didn''t have enough information and strength to rely yet on this point. If leaking the fact that he''s a summoner might bring troublesome things for him, he might regret it afterward. "T-Take it over? I see... I never thought that taking over an enved shadow entity is possible... Maybe it''s due to the distance and the weakened supply of magic between me and it..." Belle started to mumbled things under her breath. *sh!* The hobgoblin finished thest goblin from the hidden passage off. "Hou... You even defeated three goblin champions, and two of them are a variant as well... You''re strong, Lyan!" The Madam praised him as she ''lightly'' hits his back cheerfully. "It seems that my eyes are right. A polite gentleman hiding a powerful strength. I''m sorry I couldn''t assist you because of my rusting skills, Mr. Lyan," Abraham apologized with a deep bow. "You don''t need to, Mr. Abraham. You''re facing not only the goblin champion variant, but the horde of goblins as well at the same time, after all. In my case, I have my shadow hobgoblin assisting me in taking care of the goblins and hobgoblins," (Lyan) (And you don''t even have a single stain on your clothes, aren''t you, old man? And you still call your skill rusting...?) (Lyan) "Indeed. It was really troublesome facing the goblin champion variant and the stream of goblins at the same time," (Abraham) "You''re right. I''m d that all of you are fine," The Madam hugged the three of them with some tears in the corner of her eyes. Inside the Madam''s embrace, the three of them cried to their heart''s content. And following them, the two grandchildren hug their grandfather as well, showing how terrified they are because of the battle with the goblin champions. "Well. We''ve seeded rescued the three of you. And the proof of ying these goblin champions and all of these goblins here will give us a fortune in the guild. And usually, a goblin''sir like this has a treasury room, want to check it out? We might get a real fortune out of here," (Madam) "Ugh... Madam... That really ruins the whole emotional atmosphere..." (Xena) "Fufufu! I''m a merchant too, Xena. I need to remember my funds. And the city had been desperately trying to take over our ce, after all. I need to ensure we have our weapons ready, which is money!" (Madam) By the big battle before, they had killed all of the goblins inside their. More than a hundred goblin corpses varying from normal to hobgoblins and goblin champions lying inside it. "I''ll escort them to the surface and back to town first, I''ll leave the shadow hobgoblin to help the two of you collect the goblins'' ears and the treasures from their. Is that fine?" (Lyan) "Okay then. Gramps and I will be here for a while and fill my magic bag with money-worthy things. We''ll catch up shortly," (Madam) With that, they split up. Lyan carried Xena that just recovered and couldn''t exert enough strength to walk such a distance in a princess carry, while Alina got carried by Ravia, and Raine and belle are tasked to watch over the surroundings. Xena desperately tried to refuse Lyan carrying her, but without heeding her refusal, Lyan took the liberty of lifting her and immediately walks away. *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* The six of them walked through the night forest together. "Am I... Am I heavy...?" Xena asked with a small voice. "You''re light," Lyan replied with a chuckle. "What does that chuckle mean, huh?" Xena slightly pulls his shirt as she covered her face on his chest. *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* "Hey. Now that I think about it, who are you?" Xena asked without pulling her head from his chest. "I''m Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. A mercenary," Lyan answered shortly. "Why did you keep on saving us? We even left you with the goblins in the forest back then, aren''t you mad?" (Xena) "I-I''m sorry..." Alina that heard the conversation apologized to Lyan. "Angry? No. Confused? Yes, at first. Not long after, I realized that your leader made the right call. It''s a good decision befitting a leader of a party of three beautiful girls," (Lyan) (B-Be!?) (Xena) (Beauty!?) (Belle) (Ful!?) (Alina) The three of them blush because of Lyan''s words. "And Alina even made amotion when you visited the house and made you got kicked out from there! Aren''t you mad?" (Xena) (House, huh... So it really is a courtesans house rather than a brothel, I guess) (Lyan) "I''m sorry..." Alina once again apologized. "I can''t me her either. I''m the one who selfishly decided that she needed help, she might not need my help, and she got surprised because a terrifying-looking guy holds her, so it can''t be helped," (Xena) "Terrifying-looking? You?" Xena finally pulled her head as she stares at Lyan''s face. "Pfft!" Xena let out a smallugh. "What is it?" (Lyan) "You''re not terrifying. She was just panicked because she got saved again by the man we just abandoned with the goblins in the forest. Please forgive her and us for doing that," (Xena) "It''s fine. It no longer bothers me," Replied Lyan with a shrug. "Is that so? Um... D-Do you want to know why the three of us are working on the house?" (Xena) "Xena-chan!?" Raine eximed in surprise, thinking that the story is something that shouldn''t be told to a stranger. "Is it fine, Alina? Belle?" (Xena) "I''m fine," (Alina) "I-If it''s him... I''m fine as well..." Belle answered with a flushed face. "Then. Do you want to know?" (Xena) "Tell me. But tell me just the things you could tell me, you''re not obligated to expose your secrets to me even if I saved your lives, after all," (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,800 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 29 The Reward For The Rescue (1) ?Along their journey through the forest to the city of Arkansas, Xena, Alina, and Belle told lots of stories of their lives to Lyan. The story of how Xena, Alina, and Belle got into ves after getting caught by bandits, and how they got saved by the Madam and the others, and their life inside the courtesan house. "Because of me... If I have not brought them to the river back then... All of this wouldn''t happen..." Xena once again buried her face in Lyan''s chest as shements on the decision of hers, inviting her dear best friends to the river back then. "Hm... I understand your regret. But hear me," (Lyan) "Hm?" Xena raised her head, while the other girls also shifted their gaze toward Lyan and wait what he was going to say. "If you hadn''t brought the two of them to the river, the three of you might resist the bandits together, and one of you- All of you might die because of it. Considering how your family and your guards got easily wiped out, your safety wouldn''t be guaranteed if you didn''te to the river together. So based on this thought, wouldn''t it be that you ''saved'' them instead?" (Lyan) Xena''s eyes widen because of Lyan''s words. The thought of her bringing the two of them to such a sad fate always haunts her mind nonstop. And Those words from him give her a huge impact. "I... Saved them...?" (Xena) "Yes! Now that you think of it, he''s right, Xena-chan!" (Belle) "Yeah! Thank you, Xena!" (Alina) "I see... Is that so...?" Tears started to flow again from her eyes. The three of them had opened up even more to Lyan, but unlike them, the two grandchildren of Abraham are still wary of him. They asionally took a wary gaze as if they are worried that Lyan might do something to the three girls. (They''re educated well by the old man, I see) (Lyan) The three of them continue to tell stories varying from the story of one of the courtesan house''s girls, and stories from their daily lives. And because of that, without their realizing, they already arrived in front of the city gate. "You... You''re back! Please quickly get inside and rest, I''m d that the rescue expedition went well!" The guard immediately let them in with a full smile. He knows the identity of the girls that were abducted by the goblins since the girls'' fame is spread widely inside the city that almost no one didn''t know them. He knew about the rescue expedition since he was the one who guards the gate when the Madam and the others went out from the gate, and she told him about the matter. If the city had known that they were abducted, it would have made a big uproar. "Thank you for saving thedies, sir," The young guard gives Lyan a deep bow. "No need to thank me. I didn''t do anything," Replied Lyan indifferently as he proceed to enter the city. "Didn''t do anything your ass, you even killed two goblin champion variants and one normal goblin champion. That alone is a crazy feat, you know that!?" Raine rebuked, it seems that she couldn''t help herself from giving out ament. "So it was such a big deal..." (Lyan) "It is!! Argh!! The way that you act so chill about it is frustrating me for getting excited by myself!!" Raine rustles her white hair in frustration. "Ah. By the way, you could let me down now. I-It''s kind of embarrassing to be carried like this on my age, you know...?" (Xena) "Could you walk alone already?" (Lyan) "Um... I think?" Xena answered ambiguously as she herself didn''t know whether she has enough strength to walk towards the courtesans'' house yet or not. "Then it''s not good. If you''re bothered by people looking, then it can''t be helped. We''ll be going ahead," (Lyan) "Eh!? Eh!?!?" (Xena) Lyan suddenly jumped to a house''s roof and started to travel from roof to roof with Xena in his arms. It was her first time looking at the city from up high like this, looking at the nightlife of the city from such high ces made her got captivated by the sight. Not long after, they finally arrived at the back of the courtesans'' house. "I guess this is your stop, can you stand?" Lyan gently put her down and helped her stand. "I can. There''s no need to worry. By the way, which inn did you stay at? Do you mind telling me?" (Xena) "Hm? I stay at the schr''s inn, know about it?" (Lyan) "Ah!! So you''re there! By the way, let me whisper you something," Xena gave him a beckoning sign with her hand. Following her words, Lyan approached her face with his ears, waiting for the whispered words, but- *Kiss!* A soft sensation filled a part of his right cheek for a moment, making him widen his eyes in surprise. "D-Don''t forget toe here in the morning tomorrow! T-The Madam said that she will give you the rewards tomorrow, okay? Bye!!" She immediately run inside the house with a flushed face. Letting out a chuckle while holding his right cheek, Lyan turn back and muttered. "She ran. Seems like her strength had gotten fully recovered already, huh," (Lyan) ****************************************** "It''s morning," Lyan uttered to himself. "But there is no single sound from the spirits yet since yesterday, are they dead? I guess no, I sent the food I ordered from the innst night and this morning, and they quickly got empty when I summoned the tes back. So they must be eating all of them. But none of them is answering my calls..." (Lyan) Ever since he opened the master''s room inside the grimoire''s space, the spirits haven''t made a single contact with him. He even make sure to keep the television and themunication on, but no one answered him despite having the food he delivered eaten. He wanted to check inside the grimoire''s space, but somehow, he has a feeling that he might regret it if he checked inside it right now. "I guess I''ll just go to the courtesan house and collect my rewards. I guess today will be another day without people bickering inside my mind..." (Lyan) **************************************** ---Last Night--- Not long after Lyan went to the schr''s inn, the four girls arrived at the house together and met Xena that has already cleaned up her body with the towel and changed into clean clothes, sitting at one of the staff''s drinking corners. "Where''s that guy? Did he leave already?" (Raine) "Yeah. He went right back to the inn after putting me down on the front of the house," (Xena) "Hm... Hm?" Alina noticed an odd thing on Xena. "Xena. Don''t you think your face is very flushed?" Alina points at Xena''s face. "N-No! Of course not! W-Why would I!?" Xena covered her face with one hand. "Did you feel strange? Maybe a fever because of the traumatic experience you just had? Or maybe that bastard did something to you!?" Ravia approached Xena, flustered. "N-No! I''m fine, really! I didn''t do anything to him- I mean he didn''t do anything to me!" Xena''s face got even more flushed than before. "Is that so... Belle," (Alina) "Yes. It must be that, Alina-chan. There''s no doubt," Belle replied as she nods. "Hm? Xena... What is that you''re holding so tightly with your left hand?" Alina points at the ck cloth on Xena''sp. "T-This is... A nket?" (Xena) "Liar! That''s Lyan''s cloak, isn''t it!? What are you monopolizing it for!? And what happened on your way here?! Tell me!!" Alina shakes Xena''s shoulders as her right hand stealthily went to the cloak on Xena''sp. "I-I didn''t do anything!! I-It''s just a kiss for thanks!! And it''s not like I do it on his lips!! It''s just his cheeks!!!" (Xena) "Y-y-y-y-you kissed him!?!? How dare you to steal a march on us!!!!" Alina screamed as she pulled the cloak with both of her hands. "I-It''s not like there''s a rule that I need to wait for you guys anyway, right!?" Xena struggled to pull back the cloak. "Well... There''s none! But aren''t in this kind of time, you should be thinking that ''he''s such a great man, it will be better if I let him with one of my friends rather than keeping him for myself or something along those lines, don''t you think!?" (Alina) "What the hell are you even saying, you glutton swordswoman!!" (Xena) "I don''t know myself, you slutty scout!!" (Alina) "Hehehe~" (Belle) Belle''s sudden giggle made the both of them stop their quarrel and shifted their gaze toward her. At first, they thought that her giggle is because of their childish quarrel that has been long since happened, but when they saw the feverish face and the rough breathing of hers, they realized that it was not the matter. "B-Belle?" (Xena) "Eh? Yes?" (Belle) "Now that I think about it, isn''t Belle the one that requested him to join in rescuing us?" (Alina) "Ah! You know!? You know!? Belle-chan said that the reward from her for that guy if we sessfully rescue the two of you is her body!! And He immediately epts it after that!!" (Raine) "R-Raine-chan!?!?" (Belle) ""Belle... You what!?!?!?"" ____________________________________________________________________________ <-200 Elnes (Food)> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 22,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 30 The Reward For The Rescue (2) ?"Uh... Mr. Abraham told me to go here to get the rewards for the request, but... What with this unexpected hostility?" Lyan asked with a wry smile as he saw Xena, Alina, Ravia, and Raine staring at him with full hostility. Only Belle is fidgeting as she lowered her head. The ce Abraham told him to enter is the private living room of the house''s staff. It has a drinking corner, a kitchen, and sofas. It seems that not all of the staff are allowed to enter the room. The room is designed and decorated with beautiful decorations and aesthetic senses. "Hahaha! No need to worry about them. Here, this is your part for defeating the goblins and my personal payment for my request to you," The Madam handed a big leather pouch to Lyan. "The total is 50 gold coins. Killing the two goblin champion variants worth 20 gold coins, the goblin champion worth 5 gold coins, the rest of the goblins and the hobgoblins are worth 5 gold coins, and we got a rather huge haul from their''s treasury. After dividing it up, you and your shadow hobgoblin''s share is 20 gold coins. That shadow hobgoblin of yours really helps a lot, you know!?" The Madam exined the details cheerfully. The shadow hobgoblin assisted the Madam and Abraham in collecting the ears of the goblins and looting the treasury until the end and vanished into the shadows after they were finished. He immediately returns to Lyan''s side after finishing his mission obediently and loyally. "I see. I d I could help," Lyan answered calmly. Calmly at the surface. Actually, he was very thrilled at the time when the Madam told him the amount of his reward. (F-Fifty gold coins!?!? 10 silver coins are 1 big silver coin, and 100 big silver coin is 1 gold coin... Together with the expenses from buying the food for the spirits and the lodging, now I have... fifty million and twenty two thousand and six hundred Elnes!!!!) (Lyan) "But are you sure that it''s the right amount? Isn''t it too many?" (Lyan) "I know you''ll ask! The thing is, the city''s council had given an issue to sponsor the whole goblin king subjugation. Every kill of goblins will be given a decent amount of reward, and because of that, the goblin champions we killed and the rest of the goblins we slew could give us that much of fortune!" (Madam) "And the guild will also send an investigation group to the goblinir we visited yesterday. Lady Lichia said that another separate reward will be given for subjugating their," (Abraham) "I see... So that''s the reason... To think that I will get such a fortune by rescuing these girls..." Lyan muttered as he stared at the leather pouch with 50 million Elnes worth of gold coins inside it. "Goblin champions are a big threat, to begin with. Their difficulty is considered as AA ranked, which means that it''s a monster for a Mythril-ranked mercenary or an adventurer with a simr rank to y. And the goblin champion variants you killed are ssified as AAA-ranked monsters. So doubled with the bonus from the city, it''s an appropriate amount, don''t you think? You eliminated the possibly huge threat for the city, after all," (Madam) "I see... I guess I could go easy with these in hand," Uttered Lyan with a smile stered on his face. "Yeah. Do you have any intention to live in this city permanently? Living in an inn is good, but it might be quite pricey if it''s for the long-term. If you intended on staying here for a long time, it might be a good idea for you to buy a house. With that amount, you could get a decent house for 20 gold coins, you know? With your strength, you will be a famous mercenary and make lots of money in a short time anyway. Ah, do you perhaps want to return to your family and your hometown?" (Madam) ""Permanently..."" (Belle & Alina & Xena) "Ah... I don''t have any rtives since I was an orphan. And unfortunately, I don''t have any intention of staying in this city for a long time. I want to look at the world and have a journey, with nothing shackling me, I would like to enjoy my freedom for a while," (Lyan) The Madam and the others could sense that Lyan''s answer is his honest desire and his honest thoughts. Looking at and hearing him saying his wish to have a journey makes Alina, Belle, and Xena felt the distance between them with him. "I see... If that''s what you sincerely wish, then good," The Madam uttered with a chuckle. "But Mr. Lyan," Abraham put the teapot he''s holding and approached Lyan. "This is just some advice from me, but it would be best if you find people that you could call your family as soon as possible. With your strength, I believe you have a bright future, but as you rise in fame, more people with malicious intentions will approach you. As strong your body and mind are, it will still be best if you have people to rely on," (Abraham) Abraham''s words felt like a piece of advice from a grandfather to his grandson, making Lyan feel his heart warmed by it. "I understand. I do have the intention of doing so myself as well, thank you for reminding me, Mr. Abraham," (Lyan) !!!!!!! At that moment, Belle''s, Alina''s, and Xena''splexions brighten. (H-He wants to make a family... It means... He''s searching for a wife!!!) (Belle & Alina & Xena) "Well, but you need to hear me, Lyan. Trust me, my hunch is usually right. I have a feeling that you, a person with an elemental mana like you, will suddenly get bounded with something," (Madam) "With something?" (Lyan) "Well, I don''t know. Maybe you''ll be a noble or something? We would never know, wouldn''t we?" The Madam shrugged. "I-I prefer not to be one... Being a noble will be too much of a shackle and burden for me, after all..." (Lyan) "Hm... Considering your demeanor, your values, and your strength, you might be a great noble, Mr. Lyan. Your eyes didn''t hold prejudice towards people, and you didn''t take advantage of the fact that you helped thedies as well. You might want to remember the Madam''s words, the Madam''s hunch is usually right, after all," (Abraham) "Noted. I''ll keep that in mind," (Lyan) ''Well, gramps. It''s time to get back to work. You kids are free today so have fun!" (Madam) The Madam left the room, leaving Lyan together with the five girls. (Wait a minute, with that amount of money he possesses, having more than one wife won''t be a problem for him, no? And if what the Madam said is right and he became a noble, he might have even more money to support even the three of us!) (Xena) "Um... So-" (Lyan) "F-For your reward from me, would you like to get it now!?" Belle suddenly cut Lyan''s words with a flustered look. (Belle!?!?!?) (Alina & Xena & Ravia & Raine) (T-To think that Belle would be so bold... It''s my miscalction...) (Xena) (Ugh... Belle gonna steal the march... Will he epts it...?) (Alina) "Ah... From that time huh. It''s a little bit embarrassing, but it would greatly help me if you do so. Please exin to the otherdies that work in the house about what actually happened in the forest and the night two days ago so that they could ept me as a customer. It would be great if you could make them ept me though," (Lyan) ""Eh?"" (The five girls) "Eh?" (Lyan) So in short, Lyan''s request is for one of the courtesans'' house to ept him as a customer and sleep with him. Which stunned the five girls in the room because of the unexpected turn of conversation. (Eh? Eh? A-Am I rejected...?) (Belle) (Belle''s rejected!? I-If even Belle got rejected... It will be hard for any of us to approach him as well... But what does he actually means!? He wants the other girls but not us, the greatest flowers from the house!?!?) (Xena) "Um. That''s the reward I want. But only if it won''t bother you and the otherdies, of course," (Lyan) Lyan is aware of Xena''s romantic feelings for him from the kiss on his cheekst night, but he has no intentions of having personal rtions where he will get bounded by someone and get his movement and choices restricted when he still didn''t know themon sense of rtionships in this world. So he intended to continue to act oblivious to her feelings. But for the current development, he has no idea about Belle thinking that he wanted her body as a reward for saving her two friends. The reason why he epted is that he thought that she might be able to give good words about him to the other girls that worked at the house and get the chance to vent out his pent-up lust that he has been suppressing with his powerful self-control. (But if I continue to suppress it without venting it out, it might be dangerous once it gone wild and I don''t know what I might do. So I need to quickly get someone to vent this out!) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+50 Million Elnes> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 50,022,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 31 The Reward For The Rescue (3) ?(I wonder what suddenly happened to her) (Lyan) Lyan curiously stared at Belle''s expression that looked like the world had just ended. "Ah. Now that I think about it, we haven''t introduced ourselves properly, aren''t we? I''m Xena Vas. You can just call me Xena, no honorifics please," The girl with short dark orangish-brown hair said as she put one of her hands on her hips. She has a slender body, and a well-sized breast, she has an easy-going air around her and seems to be easy tomunicate with. Lyan felt that she has some of the Madam''s boldness on her, and unlike before, the shadow in her eyes that seem to be bothered by the past had been gone and she seems to be more cheerful than before. "I-I''m Alina! Alina Estelle. You can call me Alina without using any honorifics as well! Um... Sorry for the day in the forest and the night two days ago..." The girl with silky ck hair bows as she apologizes. Her height is shorter than Xena''s and Belle''s, and her body is not as mature as the both of them, but it gives a different kind of charm. Lyan felt the feeling of wanting to protect her because of her cuteness. "It''s fine. Like I''ve said. You''re not in the wrong," Replied Lyan gently. "I''m Ravia Maxilton. You can just call me Ravia as well. As you''ve heard, I''m gramps'' granddaughter by blood," The ck-haired girl wearing a butler uniform said. Lyan still felt weird about the fact that she and her sister are wearing a butler uniform, but somehow her demeanor and behavior felt like a man makes her look natural with the uniform. "I''m Raine Maxilton! You call also call me Raine! Hey, hey. I thought you were a bad guy, but you''re surprisingly a good egg, aren''t you? I was prepared to poison you or do something along those lines before if you really aiming for Belle-chan''s body, you know?" The white-haired girl replied cheerfully. Lyan noticed that she and her sister are very protective of the three girls, but maybe it''s because of their grandfather''s influence. "Well That''s dangerous," Lyan replied with a wry smile. "Um... Belle-chan! Your turn!" Raine tapped Belle''s cheek, bringing her back to reality. "Ah. Ah... I''m Bellemira Dianthus. Please just call me Belle. My hobby is reading books and studying alchemy to make potions and other stuff," said the pink-haired girl with a weak smile. She looks like she is fidgeting not long ago, but now it felt like she just got anemia. "It might bete, but it''s nice to meet you all. I''m Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. You can just call me Lyan without any honorifics either," Lyan give a slight bow as he introduces himself politely. "I heard that you have just arrived in the city two days ago. You sure have bad luck that the thing about the appearance of the goblin king suddenly appeared not long after you arrived at the city. Ah! Do you want us to show you around the city? You might want to get more equipment and other important tools as well, right? Let us show you the liveliness of the city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas!" Xena suddenly suggests. (Good move, Xena!) (Alina) "Then I guess I''ll ept your offer," (Lyan) Without wasting any time, the six of them went out of the courtesans'' house to wander around the city. Since it will be trouble if the three most famous flowers of the house of flowers got seen outside together with a man, they used their cloaks and use their hoods. And because Ravia and Raine are quite famous as well, they decided to use their cloak and hood as well. "Ah! This, in exchange for your cloak. Thanks for lending it to me yesterday," Xena gives Lyan a brand new ck cloak that is neatly folded by her. "Hm? The one you''re wearing, isn''t it the one I lend you yesterday? You don''t need to give me a brand new one," (Lyan) "It''s fine. I-Is it okay for me to keep this one...?" Xena asks him with puppy eyes. (T-This girl surely knows how to entice a man...) (Lyan) Suppressing his inner desires, Lyan let out a chuckle. "You can keep it then. Thanks for the cloak as well," Lyan immediately use the cloak Xena gave him. (Guh!! Xena keeps on scoring points on her own!!) (Alina) Alina bites on her clothes in frustration as she saw the scene unfolds. The six of them wander around the city from one corner to the other. Because of the notification of the possibility of the goblin king''s appearance, the number of people entering and leaving the city had decreased, but the liveliness inside the city didn''t disappear. With the council issuing the request towards the guild, the mercenary guild had stationed more people to help in standing guard on the city walls. Knowing that the council had taken a quick response, the citizens felt assured and continued their activities inside the city. In the mercenary city, there are lots of districts. There is the mercenary district that has potion shops, weapon shops, tool shops, and other mercenary-rted shops inside it. There is the clothing district that is famous with women from various origins, the entertainment district where the house of flowers'' is at, and the trading district where various kinds of things are being sold. The girls first lead Lyan to the mercenary district. "Since you lost your swords from the battle yesterday, you might want to buy better ones right? I rmend this shop for weapons and that one for armors. The owner of that shop is slightly grumpy but he is actually kind," (Ravia) "Yeah! We bought our knives from there, after all!" (Raine) ? The ones enthusiastic the most when they are in the mercenary district are Ravia and Raine. They exin about the shops they visited before in great detail towards Lyan with their eyes brimming with enthusiasm. The next one is the trading district. "People usually buy their food ingredients and other necessities from this district, that''s why this district is located in the middle of the city and has the easiest ess from all directions," (Alina) "I see..." (Lyan) While the next one is the clothing district. "We usually buy our clothes in that shop over there. They have beautiful designs for women, but the price is rather on the top..." said Alina with a wry smile as she points at a shop. "That''s the restaurant we usually visit together with the Madam at the end of the month!" (Xena) "That''s the bookstore I usually buy the books I read!" (Belle) "Hou... Please rmend to me the books you think are great sometimes," (Lyan) "dly!!" Belle replied cheerfully as a beautiful smile bloomed on her face. Libraries'' and restaurants'' locations are not bounded to any districts since they didn''t fall into any category. Since the clothing district has the most nobles visiting it, they have the most libraries and high-ss restaurants inside it. "This is the most famous shop that sells beautiful essories! We wanted to buy from here, but considering the price, it''s better for us to buy clothes rather than spending our money buying essories, after all," (Xena) "I see... Let''s see what''s inside," Lyan suddenly enters the shop, leaving the other girls surprised. Lyan wander around the shop and observe the essories in focus. With a small smile stered on his face, he take several items and bought them. (H-He bought them!!) (The five girls) They eat lunch at a restaurant in the clothing district before continuing their tour. Lyan secretly buys eight portions worth of food and sent it to the grimoire''s space without the five girls noticing, afraid that the spirits might get angry if he misses buying them their food even if they haven''t made any sound recently. Going around the city while having various kinds of conversations made them oblivious to the flow of time. When they realized, the ninth bell had rung, and the sun is setting. "Whoa~ We really has a st today, didn''t we? How long since thest time we wander around each corner of the city like this I wonder," Xena stretched her arms as she cheerfully said with a satisfied smile. "You''re right~ Thest time we go around like this is in our early days in this city, didn''t we?" (Alina) "Yup! That time, Alina keep on wandering alone like a lost child, didn''t she?" (Belle) "B-Belle!! You shouldn''t have mentioned that!!" (Alina) "In our case, thest time we walk around the whole city like this is when gramps first brings us to this city as well, I guess?" (Ravia) "Yeah, but sis keep on saying that ''mercenaries are all traitor lots and bastards so don''t ever let your guard down every minute, ruining the fun..." (Raine) "Oh. Did I? Well, but I''m not wrong, no?" Ravia replied indifferently. "You''re not wrong, but should you at least let me have some fun??" (Raine) """Hahahahaha!!!""" Without them noticing, they already arrived in front of the house. They got too absorbed in their conversation that they didn''t realize the distance they have walked. "That was great. I enjoyed the day. Please take this, as my thanks for showing me around," Lyan gave the five girls an essory each. "Eh? So this is for us... I thought you''re going to give this to your lover or something..." (Alina) "This is cute!" (Belle) "Hou~ You have a great taste," (Ravia) "I felt like we''re having the most fun though... And these essories are expensive, aren''t they?" (Raine) "Is it fine? You even paid for our lunch at the restaurant as well," Xena hesitantly asked as she took the earrings Lyan gave her. "It''s fine. I just get myself lots of money anyways. Considering that I got that much of money because of you girls, I think it''s appropriate for me to give you back something in return as well. Please ept it," (Lyan) What Lyan gave them is earrings that he bought at the famous essory shop in the clothing district. He chose them ording to their personality and fashion sense, and it turns out that everyone loves them. (Well, the earrings are sure rather pricey, but I still have about 49,700,000 Elnes. That''s still a lot) (Lyan) "Um... Do you like to have dinner together as well in the house?" (Alina) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+300,000 Elnes> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 32 The Reward For The Rescue (End) ?"Now... What am I doing here?" Lyan asked himself as he stared at the inside of the room where he was currently in. There is a bed, a dim light from candles, a sofa, some chairs, a bookshelf, a harp, and a flute. The room is without a doubt a top-ss room, but the way the room is designed and the items put on top of the bedside cab indicates that the room is made for a special use. "This is without a doubt a love hotel''s room..." (Lyan) After the girls invited him to have dinner at the house, they enjoy dinner made by Ravia and Raine. The both of them were surprisingly very good at cooking, making Lyan ask for a second serving. They told him that Abraham taught them lots of things varying from house chores to fighting. Afterward, Xena told him to take a rest in one of the rooms on the upper floor, but he got led to a high-ss VIP room of the house where high nobles and big merchants usually are led to instead. Because of the high-quality wine Ravia served him, Lyan''s mind got absorbed in his own world, and he didn''t take too much attention to Xena''s invitation for him to rest since he didn''t sense any malicious intent from her. And now that his mind has sobered, he realized that this might be a troublesome thing for him. (What should I do... I''m aware of her feelings, but I don''t really have any intention of getting bound to one person... Not to mention that the grimoire of summoning could only get the summonable monsters from me sleeping with women. Well, I don''t know whether I could get the monsters from doing it with just one girl though) (Lyan) After knowing that he could get a summonable monster by sending the enved shadow hobgoblin into his grimoire''s space, Lyan experimented and enve a slime that he found in the forest after getting kicked out of the courtesans'' house. But after he sent it to the grimoire''s space, there is no additional paper that appeared on the grimoire like what happened when he sent the shadow hobgoblin. After the experiment, he concluded that a monster couldn''t get enlisted in the summoning grimoire with the same method of capturing, so the shadow envement no longer worked. (Well, if she''s not bothered with my rule, it''ll be fine though. I don''t want to break her heart as well since she is a good person. I guess if things turn sour, I''ll just use my mind magic to make her forget about me) (Lyan) After noticing that his mana, especially the mana he got from the spirits that didn''t recover as quickly as he expected, Lyan realized that his ss is really a summoner. Since a summoner didn''t fight himself, but rather use their summoned creatures to fight for them, there is a limit to their own body''s capabilities. That''s what pushed him to get as many as summonable creatures he could get from the summoning grimoire as soon as possible. (Just a small amount of mana from Arturia, I could defeat the goblin champion. It indicates how strong Arturia''s mana is. And if she got killed by someone, it means that someone actually stronger than her exists. With my current level, I wouldn''t stand even for a-) (Lyan) *Click!* The door of the room suddenly opened, but the one entering the room isn''t the one he expected. Her white dresspliments her pink hair, and the way the dress she uses disys her curves magnificently made her look more alluring to Lyan. He got captivated by the scene for a while, but soon realize that the development is not the one he expected. "Belle?" (Lyan) (Belle? Not Xena?) (Lyan) Facing Lyan, Belle holds the tip of her dress and gives an elegant bow. "Nice to meet you, Sir Lyan. I''m the house''s Venenatum Rose. It''s a pleasure and honor for me to entertain you tonight," (Belle) Belle took a certain book from the bookshelf, and sits on one of the chairs. "Please enjoy it from your seat, Sir Lyan," (Belle) Following Belle''s words, Lyan sits on the sofa in front of where Belle is sitting. (A rehearsal?) (Lyan) "Once upon a time, in the northern country, lives three princesses that are oblivious to the world," (Belle) As Belle started to tell a story, a small live illusion appeared in front of her, as if it''s showing the image of the story she was telling. Wearing a dress befitting a princess, three girls appeared ying in the garden of a pce. "Oblivious to the world because of the pampering of their father, the three princesses hold an innocent image of how the world works. Kind and gentle people, a country filled with smiles, beautiful flowers even more beautiful than the ones in the pce''s garden, and rightful knights," (Belle) Her melodious voice that enchants the heart, and the perfect tone she uses in each moment makes the storytelling quality top-notch. "Unknowing about the cruelty of the world, the mischievous princesses went outside the world, hoping to see more of the world''s beauty. Afraid that his daughters got corrupted by the cruel world, the father always obstruct them from knowing about the world," (Belle) It''s just amon tale of the people. The beginning revolves around the daily lives of the princesses in the pce, their wishes of going outside, and their image of the outside world filled with flowers and brightness. "With the help of a young knight that they befriended in the past, the princesses left the castle, hoping to see the world in incognito behind their father. But their n is not the same as the young knight''s n. They got ambushed at the route given by the young knight, and they got caught by bandits, abducting them and confining them," (Belle) The illusion image she creates with illusion magic followed the story she tells perfectly. With the illusion, Lyan could feel the sense of danger and the panic the princesses felt. As if getting absorbed in the story, Lyan watched the storytelling with full focus. **************************************** Their life in the bandits'' custody is filled with fear and despair. The flowers, kindness, and beauty they hope to find outside the pce didn''t exist. What lies outside their pce is only the bandits that are ready to capture them. The bandits knew how much of value the daughters are to the king. So they decided to negotiate with the king, asking for a huge ransom for the princesses'' lives. The king is ready to give all of his treasures in exchange for his daughters'' lives, but a certain knight objected to his decision when he voices his decision toward his royal knights. In a rage, the king roared at the knight, asking him what does he mean by his objection. ''Do you mean that I should let my daughters in their vile hands!?'' Then the knight answered, ''Of course not, my king. Give me one day, stall the time of the negotiation, and I promise you that I will bring the princesses back to the pce. If you bow your head to those lowly bandits, it will bring harm to the kingdom, and the princesses will be stared at with scorn by the nobles and the people, my king,'' Staring at the knight with doubt, the king asked the captain of the royal knights, ''Who is this man?''. ''He''s the strongest royal knight of our generation, my king. He''s not a person who talks much and not a person with big ambition. Please give him a chance to save the princesses, if he fails, you can take my head and his,'' replied the captain of the royal knights. ''I see. Then dear knight. My powerful knight. Please save my daughters'' Plead the king as he held the knight''s hand. ''Your words are mymand, my king. Your order to the knights had once saved my vige from the savagery of the bandits, it is my pleasure to be your sword and serve you to y your enemies.'' With resolute eyes that seem like they couldn''t see any failure, the knight swore. ''As the sun set today, I will y your enemies in darkness and make sure that they wouldn''t be able to see another sunrise. I swear upon my sword, that I will bring back the princesses to you,'' And just like the knight''s words. He saved the princesses with his intelligent n and powerful swordsmanship. He went alone, not because he''s too confident with his strength, but because his only ally is the captain of the royal knight. The other knights are affiliated with other noble families, the scheme of capturing the princesses originates from the ns of the noble families opposing the king, so he must do his job perfectly. ''You did a great job saving them. I know you refuse to be rewarded, but my daughters plead with me to give you one. It''s their own request, will you please at least hear it?'' ****************************************** "The three princesses entered the room. If he''s going to be rewarded with money or title, the knight decided to refuse all of them and had prepared the appropriate words to politely decline the offer. But the reward he got is different than what he expected," (Belle) "''We owe you our lives, and by this life will we repay you. For a princess like us to give you our lives, we could only serve you if we be your wives'' said the princess, shocking the knight," (Belle) "''I know. We''re stupid, and we didn''t know anything about the world outside the pce. But I wonder, could you ept us? Dear knight, will you ept your reward from us?'' Asked the eldest princess with trembled hands," (Belle) "Suddenly a faint smile appeared on the knight''s face. ''Princess, my vige was saved because you princesses are about to travel from the southern region to the capital. And because of your curiosity, you princesses want to know how we viger lives, and the king sent his knights to escort you. That curiosity of yours saved my vige, my family, my treasures''," (Belle) "Kneeling in front of the princesses, the knight continues his words. ''The reason why I saved all of you is because I want to give you my thanks. I always admire the innocence of your eyes, and the curiosity you possess for those below you. I know I''m not worthy, but it will be a great honor for me to have all of you stands beside me''," (Belle) "The princesses jumped and cried in joy because of the knight''s eptance, and they married and live happily ever after," Belle gracefully closed the book in her hands. But despite her movement, Lyan noticed the sweat on her neck. Suddenly Belle lowered her head, preventing Lyan from seeing her face. "T-The three of us might not be princesses. We don''t have a king that could reward you a lot, and we''re not as pure and innocent as the princesses either. But even so, if we offer you ourselves... W-will you ept us?" (Belle) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 33 Venenatum Rose ?"T-The three of us might not be princesses. We don''t have a king that could reward you, and we''re not as pure and innocent as the princesses either. But even so, if we offer you ourselves... W-will you ept us?" (Belle) Belle''s body quivered for a moment after she finished her words. She''s scared, and so are her best friends that are waiting outside. For the three of them, they have met various kinds of men in their lives, not just after they became a ve, but even before it. Since the three of them are rare beauties, they got people hitting on them a lot. Just like the innocent princesses, the three of them have their own innocent ideal man inside their heads. And since they entered the house of flowers and became the most famous flowers in the town, their ideal image of their man got heightened. Since they became mercenaries secretly from the town, they wanted men that are manly and are stronger than them, and because they have grown close with the girls inside the house, they know that prostitutes are not the disgusting people that they used to think. Lots of them have their own problems that forced them to be one. Some of them are searching for money for their children''s livelihood because of their scoundrel father left their mother, some of them got sold as ves and are forced to live a life of a prostitute, and some of them have other reasons that made them have no choice but to be one. That''s why, their criteria of men increased by one, but it''s one of the most difficult for men to have. As the most famous flowers of the house, theymunicated and got hit by lots of high nobles'' sons or big merchants'' sons, but none of them have the criteria they wanted. That is the eyes that don''t look down on the girls in the house. But now, here lies the unusual man before Belle. He talks politely with the girls of the house and shows respectful behavior to them, making them feel like they are a normal people. There is no contempt or disgust inside his eyes when he nces at the girls of the house. Other than his strength and his kindness to save them from a couple of perilous situations, those eyes of his that didn''t hold any prejudice charmed their heart. The fact that the man that fits their criteria perfectly finally appeared before them made none of them wants to let him go. But even so, they''re scared. More than the man''s origin, more than his mysteriousness, more than his unknown side that they still didn''t know, they are more afraid about whether will he ept them. Unlike other girls, they could no longer act innocent and girly as beautiful flowers. When they got captured by the bandits, all of the chastity of their bodies had got taken except for their virginity. They had lost their high value as women. Xena had gotten defiled by the goblins, Alina had embarrassed him in the house once, and Belle herself had shamelessly asked him to save her friends despite so. Not to mention that they still have their debt towards the Madam. The odds for them to be epted by him are very low. After discussing it among themselves, they decided that they wanted the three of them together with him, but there is more loss than gain for him if he was to ept them. So the three of them decided- "W-We doesn''t have to be your wives, it''s fine if we just are your mistresses or kept lovers. Just, please... Will you..." Her trembling intensified as her voice turn hoarse, as she got even more scared because of theck of response- *Tap!* The sudden warmth on top of her head made her lift her head and widens her eyes. *Sigh!* Lyan let out a small sigh as a defeated smile imprinted on his face as if he surrendered. "I was taught that it was shameful for a man to be on the receiving side. So let me be the one who gives you a question instead," Lyan crouched down. "I don''t know what you all think about me, but I''m not a knight. And I''m not a man of virtue either. I might even be more bastard than the most bastard guy you know. I can''t promise that I will not get any other women, but I could only promise one thing. As long as you''re not the one who left me, I won''t ever leave you. No matter how far I went on my journey, I will return asionally, and I will definitely find a way to contact you on my way. Are you fine with me?" (Lyan) There are no emptypliments, no exaggerated talks, just a realistic offer of himself. But even so, it''s an answer Belle never expected. *Pfft!* Belle suppresses herugh with her hand. "If you answer with augh, it''ll make me embarrassed, you know...?" (Lyan) "Sorry, it just that... Your words, it''s not something I could tell in my stories, isn''t it?" Like a beautiful flower, her face bloomed with a beaming smile that enchanted Lyan. Lyan chuckled. "You''re right. It''s the worst choice of words, isn''t it?" (Lyan) "But I''m d!" Belle jumped to the crouched Lyan, forcing him to sit on the ground. "I thought you were going to reject us," Belle tighten her hug. "Well, I''m not so stupid to refuse the most beautiful flowers of the house. Rather, you''re fine with me?" (Lyan) "I''m fine. If it turns out that our life turn hell because of this decision, then it just means that that''s our fate. So it can''t be helped," (Belle) "You''re too nonchnt..." Lyan made a wry smile. "I-I know it''s strange for a girl from this kind of house to say this... But I''m not that experienced..." said belle timidly. "It''s fine. In this kind of time, it''s men''s job to lead," (Lyan) The time for words had finished, now it was time for their body to act. Looking at Lyan''s ck eyes, Belle felt like she is slowly being absorbed by them. Slowly, the distance between their face got shortened. And finally, *Kiss* Their lips found each other''s, and feeling the warmth of Lyan''s hand on her cheek, Belle''s heart beats even faster, making her feel like she''s melting even more. Because of the rush of dopamine, she suddenly felt like more. Realizing her intentions, Lyan took the initiative. Lyan''s tongue licked Belle''s lips, making Belle''s tongue touch the tip of his tongue. As if she got lured by Lyan''s tongue that moves invitingly, Belle entangled her tongue with his. The deep kiss felt sweet, making Belle feel like melting more than before. Instinctively, her hands started to hug Lyan''s back tightly, refusing to let go. Knowing that it''s time, Lyan easily lifts Belle''s body because of his strong arms and walks to the bed as they continue to entangle their tongue. (Amazing... So a kiss... Could be amazing like this...) (Belle) Lyan slowly put Belle on the edge of the bed and gently pushed her down the bed. He skillfully undress Belle from her white dress which made her body slightly visible. Getting too absorbed by the pleasure given by the skillful tongue of Lyan, Belle didn''t realize that her body had gone naked because of Lyan''s skillful hands. As they continue to kiss, Lyan moves his hand and touched Belle''s beautiful bountiful breast. As he did this, Belle''s sensitive body reacts to his caresses and felt them. "*Kiss* *Kiss* *Lick* Hya~ Ah~" (Belle) Lyan''s hands caressed her nipples with his fingers skillfully, giving her more pleasure than she already had from the kiss. Getting both of her nipples rubbed and an addictive kiss at the same time gave Belle a great stimtion that makes her moan. "Ah~ No way~ This felt so good~ Ahhhh~" Belle reached her first heartful climax just by a kiss and from getting her nipples rubbed. Without having to use his incubus'' magic, Lyan made Belle reach her climax with his skills alone. The skills he umted from the experiences he had when he was an incubus made it possible for him to give Belle the greatest pleasure in such a short time. Looking at the weakened Belle lying on the bed because of the climax, Lyan ran his fingers towards the wet cave of Belle, caressing its entrance. "Ha... Ah... Ah~" (Belle) Belle stretched her hands towards Lyan''s head, knowing what she wants, Lyan once again approached her face, and give her another kiss. With one of his hands caressing her cave''s entrance and another caressing her nipple, Belle got even more pleasure. The sound of water squirting and chuckling echoed in the room. In a short time, Belle''s cave loosened, making it ready to ept Lyan''s. "I''m going to insert it," (Lyan) She didn''t know when, but it turns out that Lyan had suddenly be naked as well. Because she got too absorbed in the pleasure of the kiss and his caresses, she didn''t realize that Lyan slowly undress himself along the way. "Nn," Belle replied with a nod. Putting his huge thing at the entrance of the cave, a strange thought crossed Lyan''s mind. (The size didn''t change. I wonder whether I should be happy or sad. I wonder if the size of this guy is the reason why my demonification made me turn into an incubus...) (Lyan) Slowly, Lyan''s thing pushed open Belle''s previously unexplored cave. Belle shuddered and endured the sensation for the first time. When Belle reached for Lyan''s hand to cling to him, Lyan grabbed Belle''s hand and intertwined their fingers together, giving her a sense of assurance. Eventually, his penis reaches Belle''s virgin membrane. "Ouch. Uh..." Belle tightens the hand that is intertwined with Lyan''s as she bears the pain. His hips move forward and his thing breaks Belle''s virgin membrane. The blood that was proof of Belle''s virginity slowly flowed onto the sheets. (I-It''s so big. It hurts!) (Belle) "You did your best," said Lyan as he strokes Belle''s beautiful pink hair, patting her head. That small affectionate action made Belle feel her chest warm and is enough to make her feel that the pain slowly subsiding. But Lyan has no intention of making her feel any more pain than she needed to know that she got her virginity given to him. Casting a small incubus'' spell, Lyan once again kissed Belle and entangled their tongue with each other''s. Suddenly, the pain that still lingers suddenly disappeared. Knowing that the spell had kicked in, Lyan slowly moved his hips, shoving his thing deeper. "Mnn~ Nn~ Ah~ nnn~" Belle got overwhelmed by the pleasure thates from Lyan''s thrusting and the kiss. Belle could only moan and squirm as the pleasure he gave her made her numb from head to toe. The pleasure is too iparable to her masturbation, making her face intoxicated. Looking at Belle''s intoxicated heightened Lyan''s lust. "Ah~ My god~ What~ Is~ This~ So goooood~" Belle''s moans got even louder as Lyan''s movement slowly get faster. Gradually, the pace of Lyan''s movement gets even faster. The sound of flesh colliding with flesh echoed inside the room, together with the obscene sound of water squirming and chuckling, and the both of them got even more turned on. Belle started to lift her hips and move to match Lyan''s movement. "Ahhhhh~ Cummingg~ I''m cumminggggggg~" Belle hugs Lyan as her legs entangled Lyan''s back tightly. Belle climaxed for the first time, shooking her body and making her cave tightens around Lyan''s thing. Lyan stopped his movement and enjoyed the pressure from belle''s first orgasm and intoxicated face. "You came," Said Lyan gently as he strokes her hair. "Yes... It was very amazing..." Replied Belle with an intoxicated smile. "But I haven''t cum yet," (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin Chapter 34 The First (2nd Actually) Summoned Monster ?"But I haven''t cum yet," said Lyan with a mischievous smile. "You''re right... Then use my hole and cum... I want to feel your hot semen..." (Belle) Lyan didn''t know whether those words she uses is because of her intoxicated state, or if it was just her real self. But whichever it is, he shouldn''t refuse such an enticing offer from a beautifuldy. Lyan started his movement again, but it became faster in a shorter period than before. *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* His huge thing keeps on thrusting to the back of her cave, giving Belle intense pleasure that she never felt before. Belle put her arms around Lyan''s neck and hugged him like she was clinging to him to endure the pleasure he was giving her. "Ah~ Ah~ Ahhh~ It''s so goood~ Mnn~" (Belle) Lyan locked her mouth with a kiss and once again entangled their tongue as he continue to pound on her cave. The huge thing that rubs the pleasant part of her cave continuously, and the intense kiss he gave her, made Belle feel like she was going dumb because of the pleasure. "Mnn~ Nn~ Nnn~" (Belle) She continued to be made to cum over and over again, until finally Lyan''s thing was pushed up to the deepest part. Then, a lot of semen is released from his huge thing and fills Belle''s cave. This time is the best climax which came to Belle, and a scream naturally came out of her mouth. "Aaaaaaahhhhhhh~" (Belle) Belle could feel arge amount of warm liquid that is filling her up. Lyan''s ejactionsts for a while, and when it finished, the white warm liquid slowly leaked from Belle''s cave. "It felt... So great... I''m so happy..." Said Belle with her eyes half-closed. She almost got faint because of the intense pleasure given to her by their climax. But she wanted to kiss Lyan once again before she gets unconscious. "Yes. I felt great too, you''re amazing," Realizing her desire, Lyan approached her face and gave her the kiss she wants. Their tongue keeps on intertwining, and Lyan''srge thing is still inside Belle''s cave. After a while, their tongue finally parted, leaving a thread of saliva connected with the tip of their tongues. And at that moment- *Whoosh!* A purple light appeared from Belle''s crotch, and the summoning grimoire suddenly appeared. ""Eh?"" A voice, different from the god''s voice that he had been listening to before appeared inside Lyan''s mind. Suddenly a purple egg as big as a person''s head appeared from the thin air before them. The egg has a peculiar engraving on its shell that seems to be flowing with mana. Slowly, the egg cracked, and a small slime with butterfly wings attached behind it appeared. When the Papilio slime touched the bed, the summoning grimoire once again disappeared, and the purple light from Belle''s crotch disappeared, leaving a strange symbol crest on top of her cave. ""I see..."" (Lyan and Belle) "Eh?" Lyan eximed in confusion. Lyan''s words are meant to define his understanding of how the summonable monster will appear after the intercourse, but he expected that Belle will get confused by the situation. So the way she said ''I see'' made him bewildered. "Ah! When the grimoire and the purple light disappeared, a bunch of information suddenly loaded my mind. So I was right! You are a summoner!" Belle eximed enthusiastically. "I am... Sorry for hiding it-" (Lyan) "It''s fine. It''s obvious why you''re hiding it. By the way... You''re getting hard again..." Belle realized that Lyan''s thing that is still inside her once again got hard, filling her cave. "Ah... It can''t be helped, I''m inside my beautiful woman, after all," (Lyan) "I felt like my body suddenly got recovered. Let''s do it again," Belle hugs Lyan''s body and pecked Lyan''s lips. After the appearance of the Grimoire and the crest, it felt like Belle suddenly got energized and filled with energy. Lyan took a peek at the Papilio Slime. It seems that it is still sleeping as its body looks like it''s melting into the bed. "My pleasure!" (Lyan) They didn''t know how many times they do it with each other, nor do they know how much time had passed. They only stopped after Belle didn''t have any energy left to move. Arge amount of Lyan''s seed continues to leak from her crotch. She could feel the warmth of his seed inside her, making her whole body feel warm and cozy because of the happiness. She just couldn''t get rid of the happy smile on her face. Lying on top of Lyan in an exhausted state, Belle snuggled on his chest. "That was too amazing..." Uttered Belle with a voice filled with satisfaction. "Yeah. I felt it too..." (Lyan) Lyan is surprised by Belle''s stamina despite this being her first time. There is no doubt that this is her first time since he had proven it, so the reason for her sudden recovery and stamina must be from the summoning grimoire''s ability. Looking at the Papilio Slime that is still sleeping on top of the bed despite it been shaking violently for quite a while, Lyan asked Belle. "Is it fine if I ask about what kind of information that suddenly entered your mind just now?" Lyan asked gently. "Hehehe!" Belle giggled. "The way you''re too considerate makes me can''t stop smiling, you know? The information I got is about your summoning grimoire and its ability to have a summonable monster if you have intercourse, I guess that''s why you came to this house that night. The next one is about this crest," Belle points at the crest on her crotch. Lyan noticed that the crest is the same crest that was on the cover of the summoning grimoire. "It''s the summoner''s crest. It means that it''s like your family crest, I guess? Hehe. The way it said ''The Summoner''s Wife'' made my heart jump in joy, you know?" (Belle) "You could hear the voice?" (Lyan) "Yes. And thest information I got is about this child," Belle gently lifts the sleeping Papilio Slime. As if responding to her call, the Papilio Slime wakes up, and its butterfly wings of it weakly p. "She is the child of our love. She''s connected to the both of us. And the both of us are her parents," Belle uttered those words as she pats the slime''s head with a look of a mother staring at her child. Just like Belle''s words, Lyan felt the connection between him and Belle when he stares at the Papilio Slime. As if the Papilio Slime just got lifted up by her mother, she rubs its body to Belle happily. The Papilio Slime''s size is as big as a grown-up''s fist, while its butterfly wings are bigger. "I see..." As if getting affected by Belle''s infectious smile, a warm smile also appeared on Lyan''s face. "But do you don''t feel like I''m lying? Don''t you feel like I''m doing this just because I want to get a summonable monster?" (Lyan) "Of course not," Belle rubbed her cheek on Lyan''s robust chest. "It said that the summoner''s crest will only appear in someone who the summoner has grown to love. So this made me happy instead. This crest and this child made me feel reassured since we''re even more connected now!" (Belle) "Is that so? Then that''s good," (Lyan) The both of them talked about lots of things afterward. Lyan exined about the real method of him taking over the enved shadow hobgoblin, and Belle told him the story about her childhood, and she told him her perspective about the story when they got abducted by the bandits as well. "But I''m sorry... Can I chant the contraceptive spell? I can''t afford to get pregnant when I haven''t repaid my debt with the Madam, after all..." Said Belle apologetically as she chant the contraceptive spell on herself. "It''s fine. How much is your debt with the Madam?" (Lyan) "Hm... Since we''re rebellious, we didn''t get sold as expensive as the ve merchant wanted. The Madam bought each of us for 30 gold, so our debt towards the Madam is 90 gold. But it didn''t mean that you need to pay for us, though! We can continue being mercenaries and our job, we''ve collected 20 gold these years, we could definitely pay our debt-" (Belle) "What are you saying?" Lyan cut her words. "You''re now the summoner''s wife, aren''t you? The wife''s debt is the husband''s debt as well. I''ve now 49 gold coins and 7 big silver coins. It seems that I need to take other high-paying jobs so that I could pay your debt soon," said Lyan as he pats her head. "....If you say so then... Thank you..." Belle buried her face in Lyan''s chest. But Lyan could feel it, the wet tears of hers that fell on his chest. Stroking her beautiful pink hair, Lyan soothes the first woman he slept with aftering to this world. ____________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoned Monster: Papilio Slime> Name: Lyan upation: Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime Chapter 35 The Black Tea In The Midnight ?!!!!!! Lyan opened his eyes, waking up from his slumber. Strands of pink hair prick his nose. As he turn his head, a beautiful sleeping face appeared in his view. Her mouth that has a beautiful happy smile imprinted on it infected Lyan''s face, making him smile as well. As he shifted his gaze, he saw that beside Belle, there is a fist-sized Slime with butterfly wings on its back. (Ah, right. Summoning Grimoire) (Lyan) Lyan summoned the summoning grimoire. As he went to the [Summon] section, he found the new Papilio Slime page written on it. [Papilio Slime A slime that is born with the beautiful wings of a butterfly. A Papilio Slime is a rare slime that is born once in several decades. It possesses powerful illusion mana and an adequate amount of dark mana. Just like other slimes, the Papilio Slime possesses the ability to gain stronger depending on what it consumes and devours. When its size gets bigger from feeding, the Papilio Slime is capable of splitting its body and leaving a small part of its main body that could be once again bigger after feeding. The Papilio Slime''s butterfly wings are capable of spreading a mist of illusion and spread a poisonous powder that could paralyze its enemies. The scales on its wings contained the reserve mana it couldn''t save inside his body, allowing it to continuously use magic for a long period of time. Health: 100%/100% Status: Healthy Attribute: Illusion Mood: Happy Mother: Bellemira Dianthus] "Mother..." (Lyan) Lyan continue to surf the grimoire''s pages, and when he returned to the section page, Lyan noticed that the white bar below the word ''Summon'' has now almost got all of it became ck. "This... It was white before..." (Lyan) (So when it all became ck, something will happen? I guess I''ll see it if I have sex again) (Lyan) Lyan closed the grimoire''s book and look at the ck crest on Belle''s back. When he was asleep, Lyan felt like he saw a dream about belle''s past, but it''s already too vague for him to remember now. "So this is the ve crest, huh..." Uttered Lyan as he touched the sinister-looking crest. Belle told him that even though the Madam didn''t activate their ve crest, she will only remove it if they paid their debt to her. "I guess I need to find more money first to pay their debt, huh..." Lyan uttered as he covered Belle''s body and his with the nket. "Mmh... Lyan...?" Belle slowly opened her eyes. "It''s still midnight. You should go back to sleep," (Lyan) "Hehehe... Waking up with someone you love really fills your happiness... Isn''t it...?" said Belle half-asleep. "You''re right," Lyan strokes her head gently Staring at the girl beside him, various kinds of emotion entered him like ocean waves. When they''re in the middle of the act, lust, and affection. When he wakes up and looks at her innocent sleeping face, warmth, and happiness. And when he thinks about whether he could protect the ones he loves in this world, fear and anxiety. Back in his previous life, there are lots of lives that are precious to him that he can''t protect. There are situations where he needs to choose one or another. There are cases where he didn''t make it to save them. This time, will he be able to protect them? Those kinds of thoughts are currently filling Lyan''s mind, filling his heart with doubt and anxiety. (The information I possess is still too limited, it turns out that my strength is not as powerful as I was, and I have eight possible ticking bombs inside me that might explode in three years...) (Lyan) Staring at his right hand, Lyan questioned himself. "This time, could I protect and return to their side?" (Lyan) Lyan then clenched his fist and shakes his head. (No good wille from negative thoughts. It will be better for me to think about possible scenarios and how to face them instead. I have the summoning grimoire, I am still capable of using my past abilities, and even though I don''t know whether I could get the spirits'' full help, the little mana I got from each one of them is more than enough already. I could do this) (Lyan) Resolving himself, Lyan is determined to protect everyone he cares for in this world. (Somehow, my body is no longer tired, and I''m not sleepy anymore. I guess I''ll go out and have some drink) (Lyan) Slowly enough to make sure Belle didn''t wake up, Lyan rise from the bed and dress himself. Somehow, his body felt refreshed, and he didn''t feel any fatigue despite of the ''exercise'' he just had. (Is this an effect of the grimoire''s ability as well?) (Lyan) Stealthily, Lyan walked out of the room. As he walks along the hall, he arrived at the staff''s living room. What greets him in the living is Abraham and his granddaughter, Ravia, wiping the sses of the private drink corner. "You wake up rather early, Mr. Lyan," Abraham''s deep voice that gives a sense of reassurance entered Lyan''s ears. "Yes. Somehow my body didn''t feel tired at all," Lyan shrugged. "Take a seat, Mr. Lyan. Ravia, please make him a drink. Forgive me for I couldn''t apany you, Mr. Lyan. I need to give rest to this old body, after all," (Abraham) "Don''t mind me. Please take a rest, Mr. Abraham," (Lyan) "You can just call me gramps like the others. Then if you excuse me," Abraham left the ce and went to his room to rest, leaving the two of them in the living. "What are you doing? Gramps told you to seat," Ravia motioned him to seat on the stool. "Then if you excuse me," (Lyan) *Tap* Ravia elegantly put a cup of tea with movement befitting a high-ss butler. "Hm~ What a soothing smell," (Lyan) *Slurp!* Lyan took a sip of the tea. "It''s a great tea," (Lyan) Just by a sip, Lyan felt like his body is filled with warmth and calmness. It''s a perfectly served ck tea. It has a strong aroma, a perfect level of bitterness, and is a bit nutty. "It tastes like consistency and perseverance," Uttered Lyan as he closed his eyes to savor the taste. "Consistency? Perseverance?" (Ravia) "Yes. The perfect bitterness and its strong aroma could only be achieved by continuous practice. The art of tea-making is not something easy to master, after all," (Lyan) "Heh. Looks like you''re pretty well informed about it," Ravia let out a chuckle. "You can say that it''s a hobby of mine," (Lyan) Ravia stared at the man before her. As his profile got illuminated by the moonlight that creeps through the window beside him, the mysteriousness of the man only grows deeper and darker. "For your information, I''m not convinced to approve you yet. They are my best friends as well, after all," (Ravia) Ravia''s words are not unexpected for Lyan. He''s well aware of the great bond between the girls in the House of Roses. And he also noticed how much Ravia care about the three girls. (Best friends, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan remembered Belle''s words fromst night. **************************** ---Last Night--- "Afer thinking about it, we decided that the three of us want to offer you our hearts together. It''ll be sad if only one of us is happy together with you, so that''s our decision!" (Belle) "The three of you?" (Lyan) "Yes! Alina, Xena, and me. You will ept the others as well, right?" (Belle) "If they really want to, then yes. But are you sure you''re fine with that?" (Lyan) "Hm... To be honest, it''s conflicting. But if you ask me whether I''m sad or not, I''m happier because it felt like there is another bond that connected us with each other. And one more thing," Belle raised her index finger. "One more thing?" (Lyan) "I''m interested in threesome..." (Belle) "T-That''s quite an unexpected respond..." (Lyan) ***************************************** (She did say thatst night, didn''t she... Well, I''ve given her my words) (Lyan) Lyan stared right into Ravia''s eyes with a confident smile. "Then I guess I need to make an extra effort to make all of their friends approve of me," (Lyan) "Hmph! You better do," (Ravia) *Slurp!* A moment of silence enveloped them afterward. Lyan continues to enjoy the tea, while Ravia continues to wipe the sses. Ravia stole some nces at Lyan, looking at how he seemed to be savoring the taste of the tea she made with a great focus making a small smile appear on her stoic face. "Tell me, where do youe from? Gramps said that you smell like the underworld, but your eyes didn''t have the malice. You didn''t look down on the girls of the house as well, which is something unusual for a normal person. Did you use to be an assassin or something? Why did youe to this city?" (Ravia) "Mr. Abraham''s eyes are very keen, I see. Where do Ie from, huh... I wonder..." Lyan opened his eyes and look into the window, staring at the moon in the distance. The scenes of his fight, his struggle with his friends, his failures, and his loss in his previous life shed through Lyan''s mind as if the pictures are getting reflected by the moon. "It''s a ce full of crimes, a ce where only the strong could live, and the weak suffer. A ce filled with betrayals and sad endings. Comparing there and here, here is much more beautiful. That''s why I came here. I wonder if my vague exnation can do, Miss Ravia?" (Lyan) Ravia widens her eyes at the sight of his mncholic smile. His eyes became teary and darkens which make a huge contrast with his usual carefree smile. Putting the ss she''s wiping down- "Forgive me. I didn''t mean to make you remember something you don''t want," Ravia apologized. "It''s fine. Not to forget is a lesson that I learned and a principle that I follow," Lyan answered as he close his eyes. "I see. What a unique principle to hold. And as I''ve said at the time I introduced myself, you can just call me Ravia. No need for honorifics," (Ravia) "Then I''ll do so... About why I don''t hold any contempt or disdain towards the girls of the house... It''s because I felt sympathy for them instead," (Lyan) The scene of the vige on Incubus and Subus where he used to live and seek shelter appeared in his mind. "Sympathy?" (Ravia) "Most of them chose this line of work, not because they wanted, but because the situation forced them to. Whether it''s because of a debt, or because of family matters, or maybe because they''re tricked. Most of them didn''t have any other choice," (Lyan) "In this line of work, well, this house is a miracle, I guess. In other ces, this line of work is like a devil''s circle. Once you enter, you won''t be able to return. They are just a bunch of girls that have their life choices narrowed regardless of their will, and got shunned and mocked by the society because of it. Isn''t it unfair?" (Lyan) "Some of them work in a ce like this to let their children, their family live. While some of them work just to make sure they themselves could live. What is the difference between them and the others? They are also people, and in this ce, all of them are good people. So I sympathize with them," (Lyan) "Their fate, and their life. It''s not like they''re a murderer or a thief, they didn''t do any crime and didn''t harm others, but they got looked down upon. It''s a sad story," Lyan shakes his head. "A very sad and ironic story," (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime Chapter 36 The Summonable Monsters Abilities ?Incubus and Subus. In modern world''s tales, they are demons that are addicted to pleasure and lust. By eating people''s pleasure, they gained their satisfaction and their fill of energy. Some people hold them in contempt, and some of them, hope that they''ll visit them in their sleep so that they could have intercourse with them. But after my demonification and my journey in this godforsaken realm, I''ve noticed that people have a great misunderstanding about their tribe. They''re filled with kindness, loyalty, and gentleness, not lust, pleasure, and greed. It''s like a human with a curse. A curse that will force you to have intercourse with someone or you''ll stay on a brink of death without dying, a curse that forces you to feed on people''s feelings of pleasure or you''ll lose all of your energy and start to wither but you can''t die. They can''t die, only suffer if they didn''t satisfy that curse of theirs. That''s why they are just a bunch of sad and unfortunate people. To be born a subus or an incubus is to hold that curse for hundreds of years or even thousands of years. And because of the demonification, I have be one of them. One of the sad and unfortunate people of the demon realm. May the heavens give mercy to the sad and unfortunate people like us. -Journal of The Ex-Human, Lyan ________________________________________________________________ Inside the royal castle of a certain kingdom, two figures are standing inside the secret passage of the royal castle. Dressed in cloaks that cover their whole body and hood that covers their head, none could know whether they are men or women. "About the matter I entrusted to you, have youpleted it yet? How''s the progress?" asked one of the hooded figures. "I have, your highness. Your n is progressing smoothly. The council of the city of Arkansas is ready to ept our joint expedition whenever we want. Since they are mercenaries, there won''t be anyplicated procedures that we need to go through to recruit them. And the ''bait'' had beenid as well, we only need your order tomence the second phase of the n," replied the other one. "Hm..." The hooded figure didn''t rush on making his decision, he thoroughly reevaluate the n he hadid, making sure there won''t be any disturbance that might lead to an unwanted oue. "It seems that we''re ready. Spread the word to our allies, and sent a secret letter to father as well. I''m going," "As talented you are, it might still be dangerous. I''ll send my best men to guard you on your journey, but please still be careful, your highness," The other hooded figure said with deep concern. Letting out a chuckle, the first hooded figure that got referred to as ''Your Highness'' replied to him. "Your concern is unnecessary. All is for the glory of Astellia," ********************************************** That night, Lyan asked for another serving of Ravia''s tea and continue to converse with her. Lyan''s mncholy atmosphere at that time makes him be at the perfect frequency to converse with the stoic Ravia. Slowly but surely, Ravia started to open up to him. Their talk topics consisted of Ravia''s childhood, the House of Roses'' daily lives, the mercenaries that like to make trouble inside the house, and other kinds of stuff. After talking for more than an hour together, Lyan suggested that Ravia take a rest when she yawned, which made their conversation ends. Thinking that it''s the perfect chance to look at his summonable monsters'' abilities, Lyan went to one of the unexpected rooms the House of Roses'' has that Ravia told him. "An underground training hall... Now, who would ever expect that this building would have a training hall this big underground..." Lyan uttered in admiration. At the corner of the staff''s living room on the highest floor of the building, there is a door that is connected to the stairs that leads into the underground. In every staff-only room on every floor has a door that is connected to the stairs, allowing all of the staff on every floor to ess the underground facilities. (Does the Madam train their staff to fight here or something?) (Lyan) Not only there''s an underground training hall, but there''s also a room that seems to be the living room, looking at the mess it''s currently in, it looks like it''s the most frequently used ce by the girls of the house. "One of them is even sleeping there. Even though Ravia said it''s fine, I guess I shouldn''t be here," Lyan decided to return upstairs and stealthily went outside the house. (I guess the best ce to stealthily train is the forest. Let''s quickly go there and return before sunrise) (Lyan) With Lyan''s agility, it''s not a matter since he uses he enforced his body with mana, but at this kind of time- (I hope that I have a freaking horse) (Lyan) "*Phew!* That was quite an exercise to do. But it''s such a wasteful way to deplete mana, I guess I need to buy a mount soon," Uttered Lyan as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. "Now,e forth and heed my call, Summon! [Shadow Hobgoblin!] [Papilio Slime!]" (Lyan) Together with the summoning grimoire, a ck magic circle and a purple magic circle appeared before Lyan, summoning the shadow hobgoblin and the Papilio Slime. "Morning. Sorry for calling you guys so early, but I want to check your abilities. So please bear with me, okay?" said Lyan as he apologized to his two summoned monsters. As if they understand his words, the both of them gave him a nod. And together with a telepathy, they send their thoughts. ''It''s fine, master'' "Eh? So you really do understands my words..." Lyan uttered as he widens his eyes. The two of them once again nod. "I see... I haven''t tested all of your abilities yet before, so could the both of you tell me what kind of things the both of you are capable of doing?" Asked Lyan, thinking that it might be possible for them to show him what their capabilities themselves without having him to experiment with them himself. And once again, the two of them gave him a nod. "Really!? Then please!" (Lyan) The first one that started to demonstrate his abilities is the shadow hobgoblin. After absorbing lots of shadow essences from powerful spirits inside the grimoire''s space, the shadow hobgoblin had grown far stronger than he is before. The sinister ck armor he uses and the ck sword he''s wielding gives off a powerful aura of darkness that could make a normal person tremble because of the sight. The shadow hobgoblin has the ability of [shadow warp], allowing him to travel to the shadow he saw and several shadows that he had marked beforehand. The other ability is the [shadow poison], the wounds given by the shadow hobgoblin are capable of inflicting shadow damage to the victim. While thest ability is the [shadow lord], the darker the ce is, and the more shadows a ce has, the ability will strengthen the shadow hobgoblin''s overall abilities, making him even stronger. Thest one to demonstrate their abilities is the Papilio Slime. She possesses the ability to spit [Acidic Fluid], the [Absorb] ability that makes her stronger from absorbing or eating something, and [Split] that allows her to split her body to many and leave a small main body that could return bigger after eating. Her butterfly wings could spread [Illusion Mist] and [Poison Powder], and the most interesting ability is the [Scales of Mana] that allowed her to store her mana inside it and make it into something like her reserve mana battery. "Hou... You guys have quite the unique abilities, huh... Let''s try to hunt together next time!" Lyan enthusiastically said. Actually, the two monsters didn''t demonstrate their abilities to Lyan by demonstrating them to a tree or a nearby monster, they are using an illusion that is showing him the abilities they have and how it the ability works. "To think that the monsters that have a mother are capable of using all of my illusion... The connection between the summoned monsters and the summoner is quite something," (Lyan) Lyan''s impressed with the summoning grimoire''s abilities. When he tried to focus his mind on the connection with the grimoire, he realized that he could feel all that the Shadow Hobgoblin and the Papilio Slime felt. He could see what they saw and what they feel, and he could deliver hismands andmunicate with them just by his thoughts as well. The most peculiar one is the Papilio Slime. Since she is a monster with a mother, she''s like Lyan''s and Belle''s child. She inherited the mana from Lyan and Belle, allowing her to use all of the illusion magic Lyan could use. And because of her special connection with Lyan, the shadow hobgoblin is treating her with respect. When the hobgoblin shifted his gaze to the Papilio Slime, he always bows his head, and he seems to be epting her orders as well as suddenly the hobgoblin caught an insect that passed and gave it to the Papilio Slime as he kneels. "They are so interesting, but the sun is going to rise soon. I guess that''s it for today, we''ll y again on the next asion. Hobu, you can return. And for you li''l slime, we''re returning to your mother for now, let''s go!" (Lyan) (Let''s go~) (Lilith) That time, the voice that he felt like it has been a long since thest time he heard it appeared inside his mind. At that moment, Lyan realized the blunder that he had just done. (Last night... I turned the television off with my thoughts, or not...?) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime Chapter 37 The Deal With The Succubus Spirit ?(Last night... I turned the television off with my thoughts, or not...?) (Lyan) Lyan pondered, trying to recall whether he turned the grimoire''s space television off or not. But nothing entered his mind. (Hey, hey~ Master~ Seems like you''re having lots of fun these days~) (Lilith) Lilith''s teasing voice felt yful and cold at the same time, making Lyan difficult to discern what her true intentions are. "I-Is that so?" (Lyan) (Yes~ Especially the part where that so-called ''Summoner''s Wife'' of yours went ''Ahhhhhh~'', that looks like you''re having so much fun, isn''t it master~) (Lilith) Lilith imitated Belle''s moan, making Lyan shudder. (I definitely didn''t turn that damned television off...) (Lyan) "So you were watching all along..." (Lyan) (But wait. It''s not like I''m doing something wrong. I was just going along with my life, and it''s a necessary thing for me to get stronger as well, so there''s nothing wrong with it right? It''s not like I force her and rape her or something anyway) (Lyan) As Lyan justified his cause inside his mind, the words of threat finally appeared. (You know~ You''re lucky that I''m the only one who saw it~ If Arturia or Griselda saw that scene, Ooh, Master. Their iron fist would have flown to you in full throttle~) (Lilith) Lyan remembered the time Arturia punched him and made him knocked out with just a single powerful punch. But to be honest, he felt like he just died again at that moment. (Not to mention that the other girls might not like that scene as well, you''re so careless, master~ You''re lucky they are still too focused on ying with the items inside your room) (Lilith) "W-What do you want, Lilith?" Lyan goes straight to the point. (Hehehe~ I love how the way you catch my intentions so quick. You just need to do me too next time. It''s a good offer for you too, isn''t it~, To be honest, I''m surprised that you didn''t devour all the three of them quicker, master~ You should just be a beast! A beast! Be a real incubus!!) (Lilith) Lilith''s cheerful voice sounded inside Lyan''s mind, but herst words triggered something inside him. With a mncholic voice, Lyan said to Lilith. "I''m sad. Even though you should''ve been the one who understands me the most amongst anyone in this world. Just like how I should be the one who understands you the most..." said Lyan to the demonic spirit inside him. (*Sigh!* So it''s true. You really became a full-fledged incubus when you''re in the demon world... Then I assume the demon world we have in mind is the same world, huh... The gods really have a unique idea, giving you as my master) (Lilith) Lilith''s cheerful voice disappeared. Lyan could imagine the strained smile on her face. (That world is not soft, especially for subuses and incubuses. To defeat the evil god that the god''s voice mentioned, unimaginable effort and countless sacrifices must have been made) (Lilith) "...." Lyan replied with silence. (I have doubts when you said you were an incubus. I definitely thought you were lying. That time when that ck-haired butler girl talk about the prostitutes, you remembered about the tribe, didn''t you?) (Lilith) "You''re right," (Lyan) (*Sigh!!*) Lilith let out a heavier sigh. (To think that I would be reminded about the past and having a summoner that was my brethren... Who would have ever thought... Sorry for my words before, master. I know it''s a hurtful insult for our brethren, but I just need to be sure...) (Lilith) "It''s fine. It''s understandable for a subus to doubt my words about being a former incubus. About your threat to me, do you really want to do it? Or do you change your mind about that matter as well?" (Lyan) (No. I need to do it) (Lilith) This time, Lilith said her will without using her yful tone. "So you want to return to life that desperately, huh... I understand..." (Lyan) (Yes, I do. Could you guess what kind of past I have, master? You''ve seen a glimpse of my past, after all) (Lilith) "Hm..." Lyan closed his eyes as he recalled. Lilith''s moment of death. The moment of death of the eight spirits is something that Lyan won''t be able to forget since they left a huge impression on his mind. At Lilith''s moment of death, her eyes seem to lose all hope. A me of anger is burning inside her eyes, but since she''s already on the brink of death, only hopelessness is born from those anger. Lyan remembered that herst moment is inside a cramped room. It looks like a room of a tower. He remembered there is something that caught his attention back then when he first got shown the scene by the summoning grimoire. A book. A book of a certain human kingdom, not the book of the kingdoms of ancient age. It''s something that wouldn''t exist inside the demon world. "You left the demon world to this world..." (Lyan) Lyan recalled the clothes she was wearing. "Not only that, you''re wearing a human attire, not a subus''s attire. You blend in with the humans and live with them... And you got betrayed..." (Lyan) Inside the grimoire''s space, Lilith flinched at Lyan''s guess. "Am I right...?" (Lyan) (Hehehe~ I''ll only tell you after we sleep together! Sorry, master~) (Lilith) Lilith''s cheerful and yful voice returned. "Then what''s even the point of me guessing... What are the others doing? They seem to be so absorbed in my room," (Lyan) (Griselda and Eira are having matches in your Zbox, Azelia is ying harvest sun in your portable yxstation, Sylphia is reading the books on your bookshelves together with Hestia, Arturia is watching fighting animes, while Cynthia and I are in the middle of hunting for your holy scriptures. We''ve already found some, by the way) (Lilith) "You guys understand how to use those things? Do I have the manual somewhere?" (Lyan) (At the time we touched the electronics, the information about how to use them immediately filled our minds. The air conditioner is one of the best innovations in your world, master! Damn, it''s sofortable inside~) (Lilith) "Getting sluggish because of the air conditioner... What a modern symptoms you spirits are having... By the way, Lilith," (Lyan) (What is it, master~) (Lilith) "About that holy scriptures, are they my prized collections...?" (Lyan) (Fufufu! I love how you catch on so quickly, master~ Yup, it''s your porn magazines! To think that you have such a wide tastes~) (Lilith) "NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (Lyan) ************************************************** After getting teased by Lilith to the brink of death socially, Lyan returned to the courtesans'' house. He didn''t enter from the main door or the back door, since he know where his room was and where Belle is sleeping at, using wind magic, he jumped into his room and entered from the window. When he entered the room, he saw Belle that is still sleeping while hugging the Papilio Slime beside her. The other thing he understands is that the summoned monster that has a mother is capable of getting summoned to a ce near the mother even if the mother is far away from the summoner. "She''s still sleeping like a log, huh..." (Lyan) *Creak!* The door towards the room opened, revealing Xena in her courtesan attire. Folding her arms, she "You''re here. When I entered the room before, you''re not here, where did you go?" (Xena) "Ah... I''m training outside," (Lyan) "Where did you enter the room from," (Xena) "The window," Lyan points at the window. "The window!? This is the highest floor, you know!? Well, it''s you, so I guess it''s not that surprising, huh..." Xena shrugged. "I thought you ran..." Xena lowered her head. "Ran?" (Lyan) "Yeah. I thought you ran after taking advantage of Belle''s feelings. I know that we decided that it''s fine even if you run, but I was still scared. If Belle wakes up and saw that you''ve gone if you decided to reject us because you know about our debt... I''m afraid that it will break her heart..." (Xena) "But when I peek into the room to check, you''re not there. I searched all over the ce and you''re not there. I was sure you''ve run, and I''m on the brink of hating you," Xena slowly approached Lyan and put her forehead on his chest. "I entered this room again hoping that you miraculously appeared, and you did... Just like the time when we were surrounded by the goblins... Just like the time Alina and I were abducted in the goblins''ir... You always miraculously appear... Thank you..." Xena hugged Lyan tightly as she cried. "Even if you say so, it was all just coincidence. There''s no need for you to thank me, no?" Lyan slowly strokes Xena''s head. Feeling the warmth that she had been yearning for, warmth enveloped Xena''s heart making her smile from ear to ear. Xena shakes her head. "No. For you, it''s just a coincidence, but for us, it will still be a miracle. And Lyan..." Xena sniffed the obscene smell of the room, and take a peek at the wet sheets of the bed. The scene made her whole body feel hot, and since she got raped by the goblins, she wants her body to be dyed by the color of her beloved. "You epted us... Right?" (Xena) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime Chapter 38 Xena Vilaas ?"You epted us... Right?" Xena stared right into his eyes. Unlike the others, Xena is the most tomboy and immune to men. Looking at her blushing and showing him her girly side makes Lyan skip a beat. "We raffle with a coin and Belle luckily got the first turn. The turn after her is mine, you know? Since you must be fair, you have to make me feel good the same as her. Isn''t that right?" Xena''s face slowly approached Lyan''s. Since Lyan is taller than her, she has to tiptoe slowly to approach his face. Xena''s current mind is in a nk state. Because of the obscene scent filling the whole room, her body couldn''t help but feel hot, and she want Lyan to do the things he did with Belle. Originally, Xena didn''t have any intention of doing it with Lyan immediately when she entered the room. She intended to wait patiently for him toe to herter, thinking that he will eventually do so. But because of the atmosphere inside the room, she got too aroused to think straight. "You''re right, before that, we wouldn''t want to disturb Belle''s sleep, right? *Snap!*" Lyan snapped his fingers and applied a soundproof barrier surrounding the bed to make sure Belle didn''t wake up because of the noise, and another one surrounding the room so they won''t get eavesdropped from the outside. Learning from his past mistake, Lyan also sends his thought to turn off the television inside the grimoire''s space that shares his vision and the sounds he heard with the denizens inside the grimoire space. "But are you sure? The sun is already rising," (Lyan) "It''s fine. Our work inside the house stared at the sixth bell, so Belle usually wakes up at the fifth bell, we have all the time we need," Xena''s heart beat much more faster as she said those words. "Then there''s no more words needed..." Lyan closes the distance between their face. *Kiss!* Their lips met, but unlike Belle, Xena is bold. She''s the one who took the initiative to greet Lyan''s tongue, entangling it relentlessly. Unlike the sweet deep kiss with Belle, the kiss with Xena felt more hot and spicy, burning his lust. (This is it... I''ve been waiting for this... It felt... So addicting...) (Xena) Xena learned Lyan''s skillful movement quickly, and followed his movement, entangling and teasing each other pleasantly but more roughly. Lyan''s hands eventually went to her well-shaped buttocks, kneading and transmitting the warmth from his hands to them. "*Kiss* *Lick* *Kiss* Ah~" Xena let out a moan because of her butt suddenly got kneaded. (J-Just by his touch, I felt like I''m going to cum!) (Xena) Without wasting his time, Lyan lifted Xena up, and brought her to the sofa. Since there is Belle on the bed, they could only do it on the sofa. Putting Xena on hisp as he seat, they continue their passionate kiss with each other. While Lyan helped Xena undress, Xena slowly helped him undress himself as well. And after not long, the both of them are hugging and kissing with each other naked. Lyan''s hands didn''t stay idle, he yed with Xena''s breasts and softly rubs her nipples, giving her intense pleasure. But Xena''s hands didn''t stay idle as well, filling the hot huge thing touching her crotch to her stomach, she uses her hands to rub it, making Lyan feel good as well. But as she rubs it, she couldn''t help but widens her eyes as her heart beats even faster than before. (I-It''s huge!? Will this fit!?) (Xena) Xena vaguely remembered the disgusting and puny thing of the goblins. It''s too pitiful topare theirs with the big and robust thing she''s holding. Because of her surprise, Xena let her guard down. Lyan''s touch on her breast and her nipples intensified, and together with the intoxicating kiss, the tremendous pleasure shook her body. "A-Ah~ No wayyy~" Xena reached her climax by getting her nipples rubbed and a kiss just like Belle. Lyan could feel the love juice from Xena''s cave overflowed, wetting his thing and his balls. "Can I insert it?" Asked Lyan gently. "Please..." Uttered Xena as she hugged Lyan. Gently, Lyan lifted Xena''s body, and put the tip of his thing at the entrance of Xena''s cave. (Whoa!) (Xena) Xena eximed in surprise inside her mind as she didn''t use any effort to lift her body. Lyan lifts her body easily just by using his strong arms, feeling Lyan''s strong arms on her butt makes her drip more love juices. "I''m inserting it," (Lyan) "Okay..." Xena closed her eyes. She felt nervous even though she is no longer a virgin because of the goblins. It''s because of the huge thing that about to enter her cave. Lyan slowly lowered her body, letting the tip of his thing to invade Xena''s cave. (As expected, it hurts because it''s big!) (Xena) Xena hugged Lyan tighter than before as she lowered her hips in one go. "Mmhhhhh!!" Xena bit Lyan''s shoulder to bear the pain. Knowing how hurt it is for her, Lyan quickly uses her subus magic and removes the pain, turning it into pleasure. (I-It''s in! His huge thing is inside me! This hotness and the muscr thing that is rubbing the walls... It feels good...) (Xena) "You did great..." Lyan strokes her beautiful dark orange hair that extends to her neck. "Look. The blood. You were still a virgin, Xena," said Lyan as she motions her to look at the red blood stains falling to the sofa. "I''m... Virgin...?" said Xena doubtfully. Even though Lyan pushed the memory of her getting raped by the goblins to the edge of her brain, she could still vaguely remember the image of the goblin''s thing and her getting raped. But does all of that just a dream? Lyan noticed her sad eyes when he said he was going to insert it. She must have remembered about her getting raped by the goblins, so Lyan decided to lie. To make her manipte her memories on her own, he let out a lie. "Yes. This blood is the proof of you being a virgin, no? You''re a virgin," Lyan said gently as he replied to the eyes that are staring at him, asking for his confirmation. The moment he replied she was a virgin, her face brightens, and tears fall from her eyes. "Thank god! Thank god... I could give you my first time... My virginity... Thank god..." Xena cried as she hugged Lyan while having his thing still inside her. After bawling her eyes out, Xena whispered to Lyan. "Lyan. Make me feel good..." (Xena) "My pleasure," (Lyan) Once again, Lyan lifted her body, slowly moving it up and down. "Nnh~ Ah~ Ahn~ Mnn?" (Xena) Lyan locked her lips with his lips, and entangle their tongue furiously like before. While at the same time, he fastens the pace of his movement. "Mmh~ Mnn~ Nn~ Mnhhhh~" (Xena) Xena continues to moan and squirm as she''s feeling pleasure from her mouth and her cave, numbing her whole body. She felt like her mind is going nk, she couldn''t feel anything but pleasure, lust, and happiness. (I-I''m definitely going to get addicted to this~) (Xena) *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* Lyan fastens his pace even more, and Xena unconsciously moved her hips to match his movement at the same time, making the sound of flesh colliding with each other. "Mnn~ Puah! Ahhn~ This~ Feels~ Tooo~ Greaaattttt~" Xena parted her lips with Lyan and let out a big moan as she hugs Lyan tightly. "Cummiiiinnggggg!!!!" Xena''s legs and arms entangled Lyan''s back tightly as her body trembled furiously. Xena climaxed. Her cave which is already narrower than Belle''s cave narrowed, even more, squeezing Lyan''s huge thing, asking it to cum as well. As ifplying with its request, Lyan''s huge thing spurted out his hot white fluid inside. "Ahhhhnnnnn~" Xena let out a loud moan. She could feel arge amount of hot fluid inside her, shooting inside her as if asking her to get pregnant. The warmth from the hot fluid felt like it was warming her heart as well. "So this is... Sex... That was... Awesome..." Xena muttered exhaustedly. "You were great, Xena," said Lyan as he kissed Xena''s forehead. Just like the time with Belle, purple light shone from above Xena''s crotch. *Whoosh!* "Eh?" (Xena) A mechanical voice that appeared before once again appeared inside Lyan''s head. Suddenly a purple egg as big as a person''s head appeared from the thin air before them. The egg has a peculiar engraving on its shell that seems to be flowing with mana. Slowly, the egg cracked, and a small butterfly appeared from it. The butterfly flew and went to the table in front of the sofa. It closed its wings and went to slumber. "You''re a summoner..." (Xena) "I am..." (Lyan) Just like the case with Belle, the information about him being a summoner also entered Xena''s mind. Lyan is slightly nervous about how Xena might react differently from Belle, but it turns out that she did react differently. But unlike what he fears, she reacts differently in a good way. "That''s awesome!! Isn''t that one of the rarest abilities!? As expected of my man!!" Xena happily hugged him as she praises him. "Sorry for hiding it," (Lyan) "Of course you hide it! It will be an uproar if people know, after all! Ahn~" Xena suddenly realized that the thing inside her cave once again hardens, filling her inside and rubbing the walls of her cave as she slightly move. "Fufufu~ Seems like the both of us still have lots of energy to spare, let''s do it lots," said Xena as she enticingly licked her lips. "That''s what I wanted," (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoned Monster: Galewing Butterfly> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly Chapter 39 The Beginning Of The Goblin Kings Subjugation (1) ?(This... Where is this...?) (Lyan) Lyan confusedly looks at the scene before him. It''s a scene of a little girl together with her parents, reaching her arms above, asking for her parents to lift her up. "Mama! Papa! Where are we going!?" The child asked cheerfully. She has a familiar dark orangish hair like the person that Lyan is familiar with. "We''re going to meet Mama''s and Papa''s friends. Alina''s there, and there''s another girl that is in the same ss as you too, you know?" said the mother gently as she strokes her head. "Girl?" The scene changed, and the young girl met the other two girls of her age and talked happily with each other. But when he saw their faces and their hair colors. (That is... Belle? Xena? Alina?) (Lyan) *************************************** !?!? Lyan wakes up, and a dark orangish-brown hair greets his sight. (That''s... Xena''s memories...?) (Lyan) Lyan gently strokes the head on top of his chest. It seems like they fell asleep on the sofa after having an intense love session. (This also happened when I did it with Belle... Looks like I''m capable of looking into glimpses of their memories after having intercourse with them, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan and Xena continue their passionate match until Xena lost all of her energy and fell asleep togetherst night. With lots of her beloved hot semen inside her from the great intercourse they just had, Xena felt satisfied and warm inside her. Putting the sleeping princess on the empty spot of the bed beside Belle, Lyan stared at Xena''s satisfied smile on her face that look just like the expression Belle is wearing. (They look just like sisters) (Lyan) The scene is very rxing and warming to see, except for- (It will be a warming scene if it''s not because of the obscene smell and state the room is in...) (Lyan) "Ah, that''s right. [Summoning Grimoire]!" Lyan summoned the summoning grimoire. As the summoning grimoire got opened by itself, it immediately showed the cover section of the [Summon]. Lyan noticed something is moving on the page. (T-The ck bar is moving...) (Lyan) Lyan watched the bar slowly getpletely filled by the ck color, and when it''s full. Suddenly a sound of a roulette wheel spinning appeared inside Lyan''s mind. *Ding Dong!* The sound came together with a huge letter in front of Lyan, showing the word [You got [Common] monster!]. *Whoosh!* The summoning grimoire flipped its page by itself and glows with a ck light, and slowly letters and an image appeared inside it. As if there''s someone writing the page, the nk page slowly got filled. Lyan watched the scene unfold, and finally, the page gotpleted. [Rock Golem A lump of rock that was given life. The dense earth mana that it possesses allowed it to get stronger when it absorbed rocks with a dense amount of mana. Whenever it is damaged, the rock golem could heal itself by absorbing rocks as well. The Rock Golem is the mostmon golem serving wizards and summoners as their minions. They have powerful strength but very low intelligence. They could disguise themselves as huge boulder in order to deceive the enemies. Health: 100%/100% Status: Healthy (Constant) Attribute: Earth/Rock Mood: Stagnant (Constant)] "Whoa... I could now summon a golem... This is making me excited..." Lyan''s eyes are brimming with excitement as he read the page. "Now, about Xena''s summoned monster..." Lyan flipped the page towards the monster summoned by the intercourse with Xena. [Galewing Butterfly The Galewing Butterfly is a natural princess of wind elemental amongst the other small monsters. They are capable of summoning storms and tornadoes with their eyes, and the winds sent from their wings are capable of cutting and poisoning their opponents. Their beautiful wings are their biggest pride, a single bother to their wings could incur their wrath and make a tornado appear. No wind magic is capable of damaging them because of their [Wind Walker] ability, but they are very weak to fire. They will summon their most powerful wind spell whenever they saw fireing at them. Health: 100%/100% Status: Healthy Attribute: Wind Mood: Very Happy] "Hou... Wind magic, huh... That''s great," Lyan uttered in satisfaction. Stroking the two girls for thest time, Lyan went outside the room. The sun is already high up, but since their working hour is still long and they are tired because of the intense ''workout'' they just had, Lyan let them enjoy their sleep. (Time to make more funds and pay those girls'' debt) (Lyan) On his way outside the house, he met Raine that is cleaning the floor with a broom. "Hm? You''re going out?" (Raine) "Yeah. I need to take more funds, after all," (Lyan) "Eh? Even though you''ve got that lots of money already? Normal mercenaries usually have a rest for several months before going back to ept requests though. You''re rather diligent, well, you just got yourselves the most famous flowers of the house, after all~ Guess you''ll need more money to satisfy them~ Cleaning up that room will be very tiring after this~" Uttered Raine yfully as she refers to the room where Lyan do the act with Belle and Xena. "You''re right. I''ll treat you to somethingter as thanks. Keep up the good work in the house, Raine," Lyan remain unfazed as he went outside the courtesans'' house without getting flustered by Raine''s teasing. "Good work, huh... I will..." (Raine) *********************************** "Now this is a familiar sight," Lyan uttered to himself as he stared at the mercenary guild swarming with more mercenaries than he saw two days ago. The mercenary guild seems to be more active and rowdy than usual. "Excuse me!" "I''m sorry!" The guild''s staff went from one corner to the other in hurry. Some of them passed before Lyan and were about to bump into him, but he calmly evade all of them and avoid any collision. (Well, it''s not surprising considering the thing about the rise of the goblin king. It''s a threat that might bring a great damage not only to the city, but to the surrounding countries as well, after all) (Lyan) Yesterday when Lyan went out with the five girls to tour around the city, the Astellia Kingdom''s scouts determined the signs of the existence of the goblin king. After confirming it with the royal court, the king immediately sent a messenger and gave the message to the city of Arkansas. Knowing how grave the situation is, the council immediately hold the council meeting and notified the guild about the kingdom''s request for a joint expedition to exterminate the goblin king and its minions. The Astellia Kingdom had confirmed that they will be the sponsor of the expedition, and together with the great rewards the council of the city of Arkansas promised to the mercenary guild, the mercenaries have all gathered to the mercenary guild to scope the gold that they could get from killing the goblins. (What a great symbiosis mutualism the city has, huh... Because the greedy merchants are afraid that their goods and their city of gold falling into ruin, they entice the greedy mercenaries with gold to defend the city and exterminate the threat. Truly a great rtionship) (Lyan) "This is very exciting... How long since there was such a big expedition issued by the guild like this before?" "I don''t know. I never saw the guild having these much of people inside..." "I''m definitely going to make a name for myself with this chance!!" "Did you hear? Did you hear? The Mythril parties and the legendary Orichalcum parties areing to the city at the request of the council, you know!?" "Is that for real!? We''re going to fight together with them!?" "Hahahaha!! Those goblins are going to be dead for sure!!" The mercenaries are also very excited because the high-ranked parties are going to participate in this joint expedition. But looking at the number of the mercenaries, rather than a joint expedition- (It''s more like we''re going to a war...) (Lyan) *p!* *p!* "Attention!!" A loud voice came from the podium in the center of the reception hall, stealing the attention of everyone inside the mercenary guild. "The guildmaster will now exin several things regarding the subjugation of the goblin king!!" said the person wearing the guild''s staff uniform. """Whoa!""" The crown eximed in surprise. The guildmaster of the mercenary guild is someone that rarely appears. He''s a busy man that went to various ces to take care of the matter of the mercenary guild all over the continent. ording to the rumor, he''s a former Orichalcum rank that currently no party is upying that rank. "The guildmaster... I heard he''s very strong..." "It was said that he almost got the Adamantite rank back in his prime..." "Really? Then he is stronger than all mercenaries in this age, didn''t he?" Amotion started to appear as the crowd talk to each other about the guildmaster''s existence. *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* As the figure walked to the podium, the chattering amongst the mercenaries stopped. (That''s the guildmaster, huh...) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoned Monster: Rock Golem> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Silver-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 40 The Beginning Of The Goblin Kings Subjugation (2) ?His steps are bold, and his big strides showed how he values his time. His presence alone emits a peculiar pressure, and his sharp gaze is capable of making people tremble. Even though some of his hair had turned grey, showing his age, the vigor he''s showing showed that he still has more energy than the youngsters inside the hall right now. Judging from his charisma alone, Lyan believes that he''s a man that deserves to be the guildmaster. At that time, Lyan remembered a certain person from his past. (He makes me remember the general) (Lyan) With a smile appearing on his face, Lyan observes how the scene before him unfolds. "Morning everyone. I''m Gildevart Edensmoore, the mercenary''s guild''s guildmaster. I''m here to personally announce the situation of the city and about the joint expedition of the goblin king," His stern voice resounded across the hall as if a mysterious force are spreading his voice throughout the hall to make everyone hear his voice. "The city council has confirmed our joint expedition with the Astellia Kingdom. For this subjugation quest, the Astellia Kingdom and the city council will be the biggest sponsor of this quest, not only them, but the merchants residing in this city also agreed to give some of their shares to sponsor this quest," (Guildmaster) """YEEEAAAAH!!!!!""" The mercenaries cheered because of the guildmaster''s announcement. Knowing that the quest they''re going to participate in will have such a huge amount of reward, all of them are so pumped for the quest. The guildmaster waited for a while and let the mercenaries to cheer before raising his hand, signaling for silence. Noticing the guildmaster''s gesture, the mercenaries immediately stopped their ruckus. (Wow... The old man''s cool!) (Lyan) "There are already viges that got looted and have their vigers abducted by the goblins around the perimeter of the city and the Astellia Kingdom. Knowing that this is not a matter that we could be handling while dilly-dallying, we''ve decided to start the operation as soon as possible," (Guildmaster) "The main expedition will start on the day after tomorrow, information about the appearance of goblin king will be posted on every information board of the guild, I implore for the participation of all you to protect this city and eliminate our threat," (Guildmaster) "Prepare your best arms, and don''t underestimate the enemy. The information regarding the whole operation will be given by the guild tomorrow. For those who want to join the expedition towards the goblin''sir, you could register your participation in the right and the guild will inform your assignmentter. And for those who want to stay and help the city''s garrison to repel some goblins that mighte to attack the city, you may register yourselves at the three reception desks on my left. Thank you for hearing my words, you''re all dismissed!" (Guildmaster) Without wasting any moment, the guildmaster left the podium and went straight to his office with an unfazed expression. Lyan shifted his gaze and saw that the mercenaries started to line up to register themselves with the quest. There are nine receptionist desks that are noting the registration of the mercenaries that wanted to join the goblin king subjugation quest, while there are only three receptionist desks that are noting those who want to help the city''s garrison to defend the city. (They thought about the number well, huh...) (Lyan) Most of the mercenaries went to register themselves to join the goblin king subjugation quest. Beginner parties that aimed to get lots of money by taking some risks are also registering to join the subjugation, while the beginner parties that consider themselves incapable yet decided to avoid the big risk and join to help the city garrison instead. In Lyan''s eyes, the beginners who decided to join the city garrison to protect the city are much more promising than the ones that are going to risk themselves for more money. (But well, it''s not surprising for them to get allured by the big reward of the current quest and get their judgment clouded because of it. Now... I guess I should join the line and register to join the subjugation as well, I guess... But damn, the line is so freaking long...) (Lyan) "Whoa... Those girls... They are the Mythril-ranked party, the Valkyries!!" "You''re right. And those wearing read clothes, they''re the Crimson Talon!!" "Even the Golden Thrill party is here..." "The Brave Rings also came!!" The mercenaries lining up stopped in their tracks as they saw the high-ranking mercenary parties make their grand entrance. "Honorable Mythril-ranked mercenaries, please follow me, the guildmaster is waiting for all of you," a ponytail ck-haired girl said as she bowed toward the Mythril-ranked mercenaries. (That... That''s Miss Lichia Kukum, right...?) (Lyan) Following Lichia, the Mythril-ranked mercenaries went to the room where the guildmaster just went. After their figure disappeared, the other mercenaries got even pumped and went straight to line up to register themselves. Lyan went to join the line to register himself, but as he was standing idly, thinking about what he should do while waiting in the line, Lyan felt his cloak get tugged by someone from behind. Lyan shifted his gaze and saw that Rea Azerman, the brown-haired receptionist that handled his mercenary registration before panting as she catch her breath. "Y-You''re okay, Miss Azerman?" (Lyan) "Please just *Pant!* Call me Rea.. *Pant!* More importantly... *Pant!* You''re being called to the meeting room... *Pant!* Please follow me... *Pant!*" (Rea) "Calm down. Calm down. Now, why am I getting called to the meeting room? And by who if I may inquire?" Lyan asked her politely. Rea stabilizes her breath before replying to Lyan. "Geez! You don''t need to talk so politely like that to me, Lyan! Aren''t we close enough already? Anyway, I have no time to answer your questions, so quickly! Follow me!" Rea hurriedly went and lead Lyan to the meeting room. (Close enough? This is just the third time we''ve met, though? It was just three days, how could people get close in such a short period?) (Lyan) At that moment, the image of the three flowers of the House of Roses appeared inside Lyan''s mind, especially the two naked girls that are sleeping in the room he usedst night. (W-Well... I guess people don''t need that long to get close to each other, huh...) (Lyan) "Here! Please enter this room, Lyan!" Rea opened the double door and pushed Lyan in as if she was so much in a hurry. (What is she even... Doing...) (Lyan) Lyan saw the familiar-looking faces inside the meeting room. But their faces are not familiar because he knows them, it''s just that he just saw their faces several minutes ago. (W-Why did she led me to the room with the guildmaster and the Mythril-ranked mercenaries inside!?!?) (Lyan) All of them are staring at Lyan with a serious look as if they are sizing him up. Knowing from his experience in his past life, if you cower before strong people, they''ll lose interest and might treat you harshly if you cowered before them. In this kind of time, you should boldly stare at them one by one, showing how you''re unfazed. And by doing so, you''re transmitting the strength of your gaze towards them as well. Just as they are sizing Lyan up, he indifferently stared into the eyes of everyone inside the room one by one. Most of them widens their eyes as they saw him stare at them, andstly- "So you''re Evocatore, huh..." Uttered the guildmaster as his eyes met Lyan''s. At that moment, the room suddenly got filled with pressure from all of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries. Some of them started to look at Lyan with disdain when they saw the silver mercenary tag hanging on his neck. "What the hell are a silver like you doing here, huh!?" Asked one of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries. Calmly, Lyan''s gaze shifted to the man. Realizing that Lyan is staring at him indifferently, the man got triggered. "Oi... I''m talking to you, little guy... You even dare to stare right into the guildmaster''s eyes despite your lowly rank, are you sane!?" The man unleashed his murderous intent. And the next moment. !?!?!?!?!? As if he lost his interest, Lyan''s eyes return to stare straight into the guildmaster''s eyes. "I am Evocatore. Do you need something from me?" Lyan replied to the guildmaster''s question and ignores the other guypletely. At that moment, the murderous intent inside the room intensified. Not only the other guy before, but all of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries unleashed their murderous intent with Lyan as their target. The receptionists that are standing to note and help with the meeting are shaking and are having difficulties in breathing because of the intense pressure and murderous intent unleashed by them. (These bastards...) (Lyan) Something inside Lyan is about to snap because of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries'' attitude towards him. But as he is about to do something, it turns out that the ''people'' inside his head are much more angered than him. !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? A murderous intent with various colors appeared from Lyan, startling everyone inside the meeting room. All of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries inside the meeting room immediately draw their weapons as they warily stare at Lyan with cold sweat falling from their forehead. The murderous intent is filling the whole room, and an intense pressure that couldn''t bepared is being emitted from him. (Master. Single move from them, summon me, I''ll drain their lives) (Lilith) (Call me, I''ll chop these bastards'' heads) (Griselda) (I''ll make them into fertilizer) (Azelia) (They''ll freeze for eternity...) (Eira) (Summon us, master!!) (Syplhia) (I''ll burn them to cinders) (Hestia) (I''ll cut their men''s things and burn them to purify them) (Cynthia) (Master. Your call) (Arturia) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Silver-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 41 The Beginning Of The Goblin Kings Subjugation (End) ?(Master. Single move from them, summon me, I''ll drain their lives) (Lilith) (Call me, I''ll chop these bastards'' heads) (Griselda) (I''ll make them into fertilizer) (Azelia) (They''ll freeze for eternity...) (Eira) (Summon us, master!!) (Syplhia) (I''ll burn them to cinders) (Hestia) (I''ll cut their men''s things and burn them to purify them) (Cynthia) (Master. Your call) (Arturia) The Mythril-ranked mercenaries stared at him in wary as they ready their swords, while the guildmaster only raised one of his arms, halting them from attacking Lyan. (Now, now, calm down,dies. We''re not fighting anyone here. Well, at least not yet) (Lyan) Lyan sent his thought toward the spirit girls inside the grimoire''s space. The murderous intent that the girls emitted only leaked from Lyan for a moment, he swiftly suppress those bloodlusts from leaking, making the people in the room only sense their bloodlust for a short moment. But that was more than enough to make them wary of him. That kind of bloodlust is not something a normal person could emit. Even though they are doubtful about whether the bloodlust that they felt is real or not, but looking that everyone except the guildmaster jumping from their chairs, the bloodlust they felt must be real. (Thanks for getting-) (Lyan) Lyan was about to thank them for getting angry for him, but- (Those damn bastards! I almost won against that ice woman!! How dare they disturb my focus!!) (Griselda) (Eh?) (Lyan) (Hmph! Are you imagining things? I was the one who almost won, the one these scoundrels disturbed are my chance to win) (Eira) (I-I almost ripped theic I was reading, you know!? I won''t be able to read the rest if I identally shred it to pieces because of the sudden murderous intent they''re aiming at master, wouldn''t I!?) (Sylphia) (You''re surprisingly talkative, Sylphia...) (Lyan) (I forgot to save because of them!! I forgot to feed the cows and they''re in the bad mood now!! If I restart the game, it will start at the start of the day and I would need to start the day all over again!!) (Azelia) (Harvest Sun, huh...) (Lyan) (I almost ripped *Pant!* the holy scriptures as well. Their *Pant!* conduct is uneptable... *Pant!*) (Cynthia) (L-Lady Cynthia? Why are you panting so bad?) (Lyan) (Cynthia... *Pant!* Even though *Pant!* We''re in the great part... *Pant!*) (Lilith) (Please don''t tell me the two of you are looking at the thing I''m thinking right now....) (Lyan) (I-I burned theic book a little... B-But it''s those guys'' fault, okay!? And it''s just a part of the cover!! I immediately prevent the fire from spreading!! It''s all their fault!!) (Hestia) (It''s fine, Lady Hestia...) (Lyan) Lyan felt like he was a fool for thinking that they were angry for him. (I guess I should have expected that...) (Lyan) (Master. I''m genuinely mad because of their rude conduct. If you summon me now, I''ll make sure to ''punish'' them so they won''t ever look at you with the same eyes) (Arturia) (Thank you, Arturia... You saved my poor soul...) (Lyan) As Lyan got started to get absorbed by his inner conversation with the spirits, the guildmaster''s voice brought him back to the world. "I guess that''s enough proof to show that he is worthy to stand here. Sorry for their rudeness, Evocatore. The ones I''ve gathered here are the members that are going to advance early to the forest today and be the elite team to defeat the high-ranked goblins and the goblin king," The guildmaster folded his arms as he uttered those words with a firm look. (Hm... I don''t think this is a good time to take such a high-risk job. ying some goblins from the corner of the subjugation team is enough for me, I guess) (Lyan) "Forgive me for my rudeness, Guildmaster. But I''m just a merely Silver-ranked. I''m afraid I might be a burden and hold-" (Lyan) "Fret not," The guildmaster cut Lyan''s words. "I''ve heard about your skills from Josephine and Abraham, and they seem to praise you very highly. I''ve also read your report about how you''ve in one normal goblin champion and two fire-attributed goblin champion variants two days ago. Those skills are more than worthy to join this elite team, Evocatore," (Guildmaster) "And about your mercenary tag, I think this is the perfect moment," The guildmaster threw something at Lyan with considerable speed. But without flinching, Lyan caught the thing calmly and saw that it was a brand new gold-ranked mercenary tag. "Congrattions. You''ve now a gold-ranked mercenary. I intended to promote you even further, but I''m afraid promoting a mercenary that had just registered to the guild less than a week ago too much might raise lots of dissatisfaction amongst the crowd. Now, Evocatore. Do you perhaps have any other reason why you can''t join the elite team? I assure you that the reward from this quest will be very big, you know?" The guildmaster stared right into Lyan''s eyes as he asked the question. *Sigh!* Lyan let out a sigh. (Seems like he got your escape routespletely blocked, master~) (Lilith) (You''re damn right) (Lyan) "It''s my pleasure to be able to be part of the guild''s elite team. I''ll dly ept the opportunity," Lyan politely said. "That''s good. Now everyone, please take your seats," (Guildmaster) Following the guildmaster''s words, everyone returns back to their seat and return their weapons. One of the guild''s staff leads Lyan to a chair and lets him sit. "Now, we''ll start the meeting," (Guildmaster) At that moment, everyone''s attention immediately turns to the guildmaster, ready to listen to his exnation about what the so-called elite team will be doing. "As you''ve realized, all of you here inside this room is going to be the spearhead of our quest. To make sure that you won''t make the wrong decision, I''ll personally inform you of the current situation," (Guildmaster) "ording to the scouts of the Astellia kingdom, there are already 17 viges inside the kingdom''s perimeter with around 100 people in each vige confirmed to getpletely destroyed because of the goblins'' raids. To make sure all of you understand, this is still the number that they have ''confirmed," The guildmaster emphasized the point of his words. (So we still didn''t know how many viges that had actually gotten destroyed by the goblins, huh...) (Lyan) "We''ve also sent our scouts ourselves, and we ourselves confirmed 9 viges inside out perimeter at the south that had gotten destroyed by the goblins. The remnants and the way the viges are destroyed are the same, so the information from the Astellia Kingdom is credible," (Guildmaster) "Knowing so, we sent a joint scout mission with the Astellia Kingdom, and we sent 30 scouts from our staff, while they sent 50 scouts from their side. It''s a mission only to make sure about their number, but it turns out that they''re well aware of the possibility of us sending scouts," (Guildmaster) "Y-You mean..." One of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries from the Crimson Talon party uttered in surprise. "Yes. We only have three of the scouts we''ve sent return, while the Astellia Kingdom''s scouts got wiped out. They got greeted by goblins with an attire simr to assassins, attacking them in an ambush, catching them off-guarded. But even so, the three of them still managed to deliver the information we needed," (Guildmaster) The Guildmaster tapped the table with his palm. "The number of the goblin army roughly estimated is about five thousand. But we should expect that there are more. Goblins reproduce quicker than we knew, so they must be increasing their number even now," (Guildmaster) "Knowing so, it will only be more dangerous if we let their number continue to getrger. That''s the reason why we decided to make a quick measure and subjugate the goblin king as quickly as possible. But this time, the goblins might don''t give us the time to prepare ourselves. There is a possibility that they might suddenly attack us today or tomorrow. So you, the elite team," The guildmaster stared into the eyes of all of the mercenaries present in the meeting room one by one. "All of you are going to attack the nearestir of the goblins today, we''re going to make the goblins eliminate the thought of attacking and go defending before they took the initiative and attacked the city. That''s what I want to tell you today. Prepare your equipment, and return here at the seventh bell," (Guildmaster) **************************************** "And that''s the gist of it," Lyan exined how he managed to enter the elite team of the goblin king''s subjugation to the three famous flowers of the House of Roses. But of course, he didn''t include the part where he almost fight with the Mythril-ranked mercenaries inside the meeting room. "So it''s gramps and madam''s doing..." (Xena) "Did you talk with the Mythril-ranked mercenaries and the guildmaster!? I want to meet them too! They said that their strength is just like an army, is that true?" Asked Alina excitedly. Alina has always been a fan of strong people, so it''s not a wonder that she was excited when she heard Lyan''s story. "Well, I guess that might be true," (Lyan) "But isn''t it dangerous? It means that you''re going straight to the strongest goblins in theirir, right?" (Belle) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 42 Busted ?On the morning when Lyan left the House of Roses to went to the mercenary guild, the Madam saw him left from the window of the highest floor. (Heh! Isn''t that boy good? He made the three girls feel so quick andid evenid Xena and Belle already. It''s worrying, but gramps gave me the guarantee that he wouldn''t be a bad egg. He has never been wrong in evaluating someone, so it should be fine, but...) (Madam) "I guess I''m just not ready to let go of my precious little kittens yet, huh..." The Madam muttered under her breath as she let out a sigh. (I''ve told that old guildmaster about him as well, if he managed to convince the guildmaster as a good egg, maybe it''ll be enough for me to acknowledge him as well) (Madam) "But he wouldn''t die in the middle of the quest, wouldn''t he?" The Madam muttered as she opened the door to her office where she handle the business reports and other stuff. "What are you talking about? Die? Who? Who are you thinking of killing this time, Madam?" Asked a ck-haired girl upying her sofa with dead eyes on her face. "What are you doing, Alina...? And your eyes look dead, you''re fine?" (Madam) "I''m fine, I''m fine. It''s just... Imagining my best friends having an intense night with a person that I''m interested as well is kind of... Complicated..." (Alina) "And since the both of them had done it, I kind of felt like I''m being left out, and annoyed because they got ahead of me. Well, we''ve decided the turnsst night, but Xena didn''t mention anything about going straight to him in the morning!" (Alina) "Well, it''s not like she did anything wrong, right? Why don''t you just join them?" The Madam folded her arms as she let out another sigh. "That''s the problem, Madam! I don''t have the courage to do anything like that so easily!! What should I say when I met him!? All I could remember is the moment when I screamed when he saved me from falling!! What should I do!? The next turn is mine, I''m excited, but I''m scared as hell!!" (Alina) "Will he reject me, I wonder!? Not to mention... My body is leagues beyond Belle''s and Xena''s as well... I definitely wouldn''t be looked at by him, wouldn''t I, Madam!?" Alina shouts as she shakes the Madam with tears on the corner of her face. "Hm... It''s not surprising that you''re scared. Now, Alina, do you trust me?" (Madam) "Eh? Of course I do," (Alina) "Then when he''s about to go for a quest, you should try saying this to him," (Madam) The Madam then whispered some words to Alina. !?!?!?!?!? "I-I should ask him that...?" Asked Alina with her facepletely red because of embarrassment. "Yes. And you should utilize your cuteness to its full potential. You''ll find you fucking him when he back from his quest in no time then," (Madam) **************************************** ---Back to the current timeline--- "But isn''t it dangerous? It means that you''re going straight to the strongest goblins in theirirter in the subjugation, right?" Asked Belle, worried. "Well, you''re right. But I''ll be fine, no need to worry about me," Lyanforted Belle. After the meeting, Lyan went back to the House of Roses to eat lunch together with them and tell them about today''s mission. Since there''s a possibility that he might not return tomorrow, he thought that it would be best to inform them first to make sure they wouldn''t get worried. "The seventh bell... Isn''t it like several minutes from now!? You''re going already!?" Alina eximed in surprise as she realized what hour this is. "Yeah, seems so," Lyan replied with a shrug and a small sigh. (T-This is the time!) (Alina) "Muu... You''ve your fill ''bonding'' with Xena and Belle, but you haven''t spared any time for me..." Alina uttered under her breath, but she make sure that Lyan heard her voice. "A-Alina!?" (Xena) "Alina-chan..." (Belle) But before Lyan could give a response, suddenly- "L-Lyan! Lend me your ear!" Alina called Lyan with a determined look, motioning him toe and lend his ear. "Hm? Okay..." Lyan bends his body down and approached her with his right ear. Alina gathered her courage to say the words she learned from the Madam. "When you came back, it''s my turn to ''serve'' you, okay?" Alina said with a whisper. She should be using a seductive tone, but whispering those words had taken most of her courage. She had her facepletely red even to her ears and neck. Lyan widened his eyes for a moment from Alina''s words, but when he saw her red like tomato face, a smile got imprinted on his face. Letting out a chuckle, Lyan pats her head. "I guess that gives another reason for me to return as soon as possible," said Lyan gently. Realizing that her n seed, A tear of joy fell from Alina''s eyes as she secretly rejoiced inside her heart. "A-Alina had sure grown..." (Xena) "The Alina-chan that used to only have food inside her head..." (Belle) Belle and Xena stared at the current Alina with a surprised look. She never thought that she would be able to take an initiative to make a move like that. "Well, I guess it''s time for me to go. It would be bad if I arrivete than the others," (Lyan) "Wait," Xena held his hands, preventing him from taking his first step. "Hm?" (Lyan) *Kiss!* Xena pecked his lips. "It''s a goodbye kiss, good luck out there," (Xena) "Me too!" (Belle) "M-Me too!" (Alina) Belle gives Lyan a slightly longer kiss, but when she is about to insert her tongue, Alina splits them with a red face. And when it''s Alina''s turn, she''s too embarrassed but she still managed to give him a small peck on his lips. "Have a safe trip," (Belle) "H-Have a safe trip!" (Alina) Lyan chuckled. "Yeah. I''m off," (Lyan) Lyan left the House of Roses and headed towards the mercenary guild with a smile on his face before suddenly a sound of someone''s scoff appeared inside his mind. (Looks like someone is enjoying his youth. Having three cuties giving a goodbye kiss like that, you must haveid the three of them) (Griselda) Griselda''s words that are filled with sarcasm and scorn sounded inside Lyan''s mind. "I did not," (Lyan) (Is that so? Do you think so as well, Hestia?) (Griselda) (Nope. He definitelyid them already) (Hestia) (See? Even Hestia thinks so as well. How about you, ice woman? I''ve defeated you in thest game, so you''re obliged to let out your voice and answer the question of the winner) (Griselda) (Hmph! How shameless of you to say that even though you lose most of the games) (Eira) (Rather than that, what do you think about this guy? Did heid them already?) (Griselda) (I believe so) (Eira) (You see? All of us believed that you''veid them. You must have taken the opportunity to do so since we''re getting too absorbed ying the modern items in your room, right?) (Griselda) (Do you really l-lid all of them, master....?) (Arturia) "I did not," Lyan once again answered. (''Did not''? Not ''have not yet''? ) (Griselda) (W-Why don''t we ask C-Cynthia about it?) (Sylphia) (You''re right. What do you think, Cynthia? Is he lying or not?) (Griselda) (Hm...) (Cynthia) Cynthia seems to be pondering whether Lyan is lying or not. (Unfortunately, He''s not lying) (Cynthia) (Huh? Really? He''s not? But their expressions showed the faces of girls that already gotid by their men, though?) (Griselda) (But!) (Cynthia) Cynthia suddenly raised her voice, startling Lyan and the other spirits. (Y-You''re startling me, big sis Cynthia!) (Griselda) (Our question is off. If I''m not mistaken, the only ones that have the faces of a woman that just had a lovely night are only the girl with the dark orangish-brown haired girl and the pink-haired girl!) (Cynthia) (S-She''s surprisingly observant in those things!) (Lyan) (Hou... So Lyan, did youid two of the three?) (Griselda) Griselda once again asked him with a smug voice. "If you''re so curious, why don''t you ask Lilith? She saw mest night, after all," Lyan tried his best to act as indifferent as he could. (L-Lilith! I''m counting on you!) (Lyan) (Hm... So Lilith? Did heid them?) (Griselda) (N-N-No?) (Lilith) (She''s too suck at lying!!) (Lyan) Lyanmented in his choice of depending on Lilith. (Hou... So will you just admit it now? It''s not like we''re going to judge you because youid two girls. It''s the only way to increase the summonable monsters anyway, right) (Griselda) "You''re right... I did..." Lyan decided to answer truthfully. Hearing from Griselda that she and the others won''t judge him because of it encourages him to stop lying and answer them. But- (Heh! Scumbag!) (Griselda) (Lowlife) (Hestia) (P-Pervert!) (Sylphia) (Lowlife? Pervert? Big bro is?) (Azelia) (Scum) (Eira) (Guh... I missed it...) (Cynthia) "You missed it?" (Lyan) (Sorry, Master. You got caught...) (Lilith) "It''s fine.... It''s my fault for depending on you..." (Lyan) (I don''t mind, master. Men are interested in that stuff, right? A-And you need to do so to increase your strength as well... I definitely don''t think you as indecent or a despicable pervert that loves to trick fragile young girls, okay?) (Arturia) Arturia said coldly. "L-Lady Arturia, your voice is theplete opposite of your words..." (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 43 The Lively Receptionists ?"Anyway, why are you in the living room? Does all of you finally got bored with the items in my room?" (Lyan) (Hell no. There are still lots of games that I haven''t yed yet, and there are lots of other things as well. But you''re in an interesting situation as well. Not your affair with those courtesans'' house''s girls, but about the goblin king subjugation quest. It never urred when I was alive, so I''m interested) (Griselda) (Rather than that, there''s a possibility that you might die, so we decided to observe you and get ready to be summoned. We''ve used our battle attire so that when you summon us, we won''t appear wearing our pajamas) (Hestia) (So they even got their own pajamas there) (Lyan) (Well, you don''t need to worry or anything. We brought the items from your room that we want to use outside, so we could have fun when we''re bored looking at whatever boring thing you''re doing) (Griselda) (That makes me more worried. I hope all of you just return to that room and never go out) (Lyan) *Sigh!* Lyan let out a heavy sigh, and when he opened his eyes, it turns out that he had already arrived in front of the mercenary guild. The exhausting conversation with the spirits made him too absorbed in the conversation and didn''t realize that he had walked quite a distance. "Ah! Lyan!" Rea''s cheerful voice entered Lyan''s ears. Rea lively approached Lyan with a beaming smile together with Lichia behind her. "You''re finally here! Wow... You''ve really be a big shot now, aren''t you!?" (Rea) "The others are already gathering inside, the operation will start in a few minutes. But seriously, I never thought you''ll climb the rank so fast like that," Lichia stared at the gold mercenary tag on Lyan''s neck. "Me either," Lyan replied with a shrug. (I only intended to have a slow and steady life, but a huge wave immediately appeared on such a short notice. Even I did not expect that) (Lyan) (Hou... Have youid these two receptionists as well, boy?) (Hestia) (Of course, I didn''t!) (Lyan) Lyan transmitted his thought angrily. "Hey, hey. Now who we have here," A man''s bright voice suddenly appeared. Lyan shifted his gaze, and an extroverted-looking brown-haired man entered his line of sight. Lyan remembers him. He is a man that sits together with the guy that provoked him when he was inside the meeting room. He''s wearing red-based armors and equipment that shows his identity as part of the Crimson Talon party. "Oh, isn''t it the promising rookie? Lichia, Looks like you''re rather close with the guy," The man said as he embraced Lichia''s shoulder with his right hand. (Oh. So she already has a man~ Looks like you can''t make her enter your harem, master~) (Lilith) (I don''t care, and I don''t have any intention of doing so, Lilith) (Lyan) When he embraced her shoulders, Lichia got startled a little as he stared at Lyan and brush off his hand. "Please put your hands off me, Jean. Forgive me, Lyan. This frivolous guy over here is the leader of the Crimson Talon Mythril-ranked mercenary party, Jean Ferlident. His mercenary name is zing Talon. He might be overbearing sometimes, but his skills are a real deal just like yours, having him as a connection might be beneficial for you," Lichia introduced the guy to Lyan. (Oh... So he''s the leader... But zing Talon...) (Lyan) (Pfft! zing Talon? What kind of sucker''s name is that?) (Griselda) (I know she definitelyments on that...) (Lyan) "What are you acting chummy with him for? Did you cheat with him? You neglected me!?" (Jean) "I believe we''re not in any rtionship right now, Mr. zing Talon. Oh yeah, Lyan, lend me your ears here a bit," Lichia motioned for him to approach her for her to whisper something. Following her words, Lyan approached her and lend her his ear. "Jess told me that you didn''t return to the inn for a night, are you alright? Did something happen?" Whispered her. (Jess? Oh. Does she mean the schr inn''s owner?) (Lyan) "Ah. I slept at another ce forst night. Please tell her I''m fine," (Lyan) "I see... Where did you went to? You seem to be close with the girls from the House of Roses as well, do you perhaps slept there? Rea was curious about this as well," (Lichia) "Eh? Yeah, I did," Lyan answered bluntly. "So you did? You''re rather blunt, huh... Well, you did fight with the goblin champions and killed them. Men do get their sexual drive triggered after having a big battle, didn''t they? But make sure that you don''t visit there too much, okay? There are lots of mercenaries that lose all of their money for brothels and courtesan houses, after all," Lichia warned Lyan. "Noted," (Lyan) "Good," Lichia draw back her head. "But House of Roses, huh... No wonder I didn''t met you inside the innst night..." Lichia muttered under her breath. "What are you whispering with him, Lichia? You''re ying secrets with me? Even though we used to be a pair?" (Jean) He didn''t show any sign of agitation when he said that, but a hint of jealousy of what Lichia just did is visible in his eyes. With a teasing smile, Lichia said to him. "It''s a secret between him and me, there''s no need for you to know, isn''t it? Fufu! Does it bothers you?" With a hint of redness on her cheeks, Lichia answered Jean with an amused smile. "It does! Of course, it does!" (Jean) While Lichia and Jean continue their banter with each other, Rea approached Lyan. "They were a couple back then, you know? A great one," (Rea) "Oh. I see..." (Lyan) (I don''t really care though) (Lyan) Rea''s look when she said those words areplicated. Unlike her cheerful expression, Lyan thought that the current expression she was wearing doesn''t suit her at all. "They were a famous lovebirds of the guild back then, always together whenever there is an opportunity. But that guy betrayed her and went with other receptionists in the guild as well on her back," Rea''s eyes went cold. (R-Rea? You realize that we''re talking very near the person mentioned, right?) (Lyan) "Not only the receptionists here, but he also slept with lots of new mercenary girls. Lichia realized this after I told her that he invited me to sleep with him as well. It was horrible back then, you know? There was quite a friction between the girls because they seek for his attention. He''s a high-ranked mercenary, after all. Who wouldn''t want to be together with a guy that has such a fame and great ie like him?" (Rea) "Knowing that, they broke up. She got down and depressed for a long time. But, you know..." (Rea) As Rea''s exining to Lyan, the bantering between Jean and Lichia is also going to an end. "Fine, fine. I''ll go already. Now for my good luck in battle," Jean take advantage of his speed and steal a kiss from Lichia''s lips, and left with a big smile. "Y-You bastard!!" Lichia shouted with a hint of red on her face. Looking at their exchange, Lyan realized what Rea is trying to tell him. "I see... But it seems like she still has feelings for him, huh..." (Lyan) "Yup. I don''t know how to convince her to forget him... So that''s why, Lyan!" Rea suddenly raised her voice. "Hm?" (Lyan) "You must steal Lichia''s heart and make her yours! And mine too at the same time! You''ll get the guild''s receptionist cuties in both of your hands and save us at the same time! Then- Ouch!" Rea got her forehead flicked by Lyan in the middle of her sentence. "W-What is that for!?" (Rea) "Love is not something you force, young girl. Isn''t it fine to let her love anyone she wants now? It will be a good experience for her, bad or good. As long as her dear friend continues to watch over her beside her, she''ll be fine. No need to worry too much," Lyan said with a knowing smile. "It hurts... What with that smile?" Rea asked with a pout as she held the part of her forehead that Lyan flicked. "It''s a smile that shows I know something. Well, if something bad does happen, you can ask my help. I''ll be more than ready to take care of some scoundrels with my fist," (Lyan) Lyan somehow remembered the face of his little sister when he saw Rea. (Too caring about others'' feelings. Making lots of boys fall in love with her in school because she''s too friendly. She sure made quite a lot of trouble back then...) (Lyan) "Hmph! I won''t!" Rea turned her face away as she yfully act sulky. "Sorry for the disturbance. What are you talking about?" (Lichia) "Nothing~ Ah! Lyan! You should go to the stables already! It''s almost time to go!" Rea pulled Lyan, bringing him to the stables. "Wait! Hey! Rea! Since when did you start to have secrets behind me!!" (Lichia) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 44 The Subjugations First Phase ?*Clip! Clip!* *Clip! Clop!* *Clip! Clop!* The sound of horses galloping sounded as the mercenaries advance deep into the forest. (Lucky I got my own horse, even if he''s a little bit off) (Lyan) All of the mercenaries use a steed in the operation as a part of the n. Unlike advancing by foot, advancing by horse will give much more noise in the forest, letting them achieve their goal of making the goblins wary of their march. Not to mention marching by horse made them advance faster as well. Since the number of the mercenaries in the elite team is small, it makes them advancing with horses easier. Most of the mercenaries already have their own steed, while those who didn''t have any steed got given a horse by the guild as part of the payment of the quest. That''s the reason why Lyan is currently riding a horse that he just received from the guild. (The Valkyries has only 3 members, The Crimson Talon has 16 members, the Golden Thrill has 19 members, while the Brave Rings has 15 members, and together with me, there are 10 cloaked people, it''s all 63 people. Considering how I subjugated a goblinir with only 6 people not long ago, this might be easy. I guess there won''t be much for me to do today, huh...) (Lyan) The direction they are heading is the north, it''s the location of the nearest goblinir spotted by the guild, and the most perfect ce to eliminate the goblins and make them wary. (But it''s a rather bold n. In usual tactics, you would like to catch the enemy off-guarded when you''re attacking. But this time, we''re trying to make them wary and let them have their guard up to the roof. The guildmaster''s eyes don''t seem to be showing that he''s underestimating the goblins, so I guess he must be quite the kind-hearted man, huh...) (Lyan) (The city wouldn''t be able to protect all of the viges around it, and considering how merchants are the ones running the city, it''s very possible that they would only want to protect the city and their firms inside it. So to prevent more damage to the surrounding viges, they decided to make the goblins gather in their main base instead. Not bad) (Lyan) Suddenly, a horse get near to Lyan''s position, and a voice entered his ears. "You, are you the rookie the people are talking about?" A clear voice sounded. The sound somehow sound dignified, making Lyan wary. "Considering that most of the mercenaries here have been registered to the guild for a long time, I guess I am the only rookie amongst the team," Lyan replied with a small shrug. "Fufu! Well, you''re not wrong. Looks like you really are as interesting as the guildmaster said, I''m looking forward to your achievements," said the man as he distance his horse from Lyan''s horse. (What is that guy''s deal...?) (Lyan) *Clip! Clip!* *Clip! Clop!* *Clip! Clop!* Lyan enjoy the sound of the horses galloping, before suddenly a loud voice appeared inside his mind. (FUCK!! How the hell do I keep onnding at your fucking hotel!?!? Did you use some kind of magic, Hestia!?!?) (Griselda) (Fufufu! All of you are weak at business, that''s all. In business, you need strategy, charm, and luck! Cower down below my feet, you poor people! Hahahahaha!!) (Hestia) (Bitch) (Eira) (Huh? What did you just say, young girl?) (Hestia) (Sorry. It''s just a slip of tongue, olddy) (Eira) (Looks like someone is salty because she''s losing from me, huh~) (Hestia) (Hey! Stop it, both of you! If you unleash your mana wildly here, you''ll destroy everything!! We''ve made a deal that the one who breaks any things inside the house will be judged by everyone, right!?) (Lilith) (Ugh...) (Hestia & Eira) Lyan heard themotion inside the grimoire''s space as he let out a sigh. (What are you guys ying?) (Lyan) (Monopoly! But Hestia has been dominating the game for several games now, so we''re thinking of ying other games already) (Hestia) (Monopoly, huh... That''s not a factor of luck. If you predict the appropriate force when you roll the dice, you might have a bigger chance to get the number you wanted. In the first period of the game is the most important phase, you need to buy-) (Lyan) (Okay stop! We''re continuing!) (Hestia) Hestia prevents Lyan from giving the tricks to the other spirits. (Hey! Let him continue his words! Arturia! Say something!) (Griselda) (Eh? I don''t really mind either way, though) (Arturia) (Ugh... Please, just shut up...) (Lyan) Lyan desperately wants to cut the connection between his mind and the grimoire''s space, but if he cut the connection or mutes their sound, the television inside the grimoire''s space''s house will get turned off as well, making the spirits couldn''t see and hear whatever he''s feeling. Since it will incur the wrath of the spirits if he does so, he didn''t have any choice but toply with their wishes and bear with their noise. (If I have their favorability towards me decrease even more, I''ll end up fighting them and get killed at the time they got released from the contract. I need to bear with it...) (Lyan) Along the way, they encountered some goblin groups, some of them have more than 40 goblins inside their group. But they quickly got dealt with either by the front row''s swords or by their steeds'' hooves. "Stop!!" The one leading the group gives the sign to stop. "From this point onward, we''re going on foot. ording to the guild''s scouts, there might be traps prepared by the goblins, so it will dangerous for the horses if we continue advancing. Get down your horses and tie them up to the trees!" The one leading the elite team is the leader of the Brave Rings Mythril-ranked mercenary party. Since he is considered as the longest veteran of the guild, he knew about the forest and possess the most experience among everyone present. Knowing so, no one objected about him being the leader of the team. (By foot, huh...) (Lyan) (Argh! I lost again!!) (Griselda) (Oh, please shut up) (Lyan) All of them get off their horses and tie them up to the trees. Just like the others, Lyan also took his horse''s lead and was about to tie it to the tree. At the first look, his horse looks like a high-quality horse. ck body and ck mane, muscr body, and vigorous eyes. But there is a reason why the guild gave the horse to Lyan. *Bite!* The ck horse attempted to bite his hand off right at the moment he was about to pull his lead, but Lyan swiftly draw back his hand. "What are you being so hostile for me for, huh? I''m just going to tie you up, not cutting your meat to eat you," (Lyan) This time, Lyan skillfully took his lead and tie him up at a near tree. The horse neighs furiously for his defeat, and Lyan stared at him with a triumphant expression. The thought of threatening the damned horse with the sword he obtained from the guild crossed his mind before, but it turns out that there is no need to do so. "Looks like the handsome horse finally got an owner, huh," A woman''s voice sounded from Lyan''s back. Lyan turns around, and saw a woman with long greyish brown hair staring at him. Her eyes look sharp, and the small friendly smile on her face makes her lookposed. "Forced to get an owner, actually," Lyan retorted. "Heh! You''re right. It might not be the best ce to introduce ourselves, but I''m Surena Ekaitza, my mercenary name is Gale Saber, nice to meet you," she extended her hand, asking for a handshake. (I see... She''s one of the Valkyries...) (Lyan) Lyan remembers about the Valkyries clearly because his girls in the House of Roses are big fans of them, especially Alina. ''Not only they are beautiful, but they are also very strong that the other mercenaries men didn''t dare to make any move on them, you know!? Not to mention that they are an elite mercenary party that consist of only three members! We register as mercenaries with them as our goal! We coincidentally have the same type of party, after all! A party of three girls!'' Alina''s cheerful face when she exined about the Valkyries shed through Lyan''s mind. "Lyan, my merc name is Evocatore. My pleasure," Lyan epted the handshake. "Hm... Interesting," (Surena) Surena seems to use the chance to size him up from a close distance, but Lyan does the same thing as well. (She''s an all-rounder, huh... A bow, A sword, and a halberd. Different from Belle and the others, she felt like a real mercenary...) (Lyan) Her aura seems to be oozing a considerable amount of bloodlust, making Lyan sure that she had killed a considerable amount of men. "Rena! What are you doing? They''ll leave us behind you know?" Another member of the Valkyries called her from behind her. "Looks like I''ve been called. Let''s talk againter, rookie," (Surena) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+1 One-handed Sword (From the Guild)> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 45 The Goblins Plan (1) ?After walking for about an hour, they have already met three big groups of goblins along the way. There are several trapsid by the goblins along the way just like what the guild''s scouts'' information told them. There are traps like hidden pits, rope swing traps, and rm-types traps that could give a lot of noise if they got triggered. With the abilities of the scouts that the elite team has, they managed to pass through without triggering any of the traps. Finally, they arrived in front of the targeted goblinir. Another cavern is simr to the one Lyan conquered together with the Madam and the others. "Halt!" the leader of the elite mercenaries in the middle signaled to stop when he saw the scout raising his arm. "We''ve arrived," Whispered him. Everyone immediately took their position. For Lyan, he decided to stay low-key and let the others take the initiative. Considering how fast the goblin groups they''ve met along the way got dealt with by them, he''s not worried as long as they didn''t suddenly get surrounded by goblins with a number of more than 500. Along the way, Lyan observed the level of the skills amongst the elite team. Lyan shifted his gaze towards the magician with red color as the base of their equipment. (The Crimson Talon has two magicians, most of them have tinum-ranked level skills, while the five others are weaker than the Madam and Mr. Abraham. Only the leader has the skills that are Mythril-ranked worthy that mightpare with the Madam and Mr. Abraham) (Lyan) Then Lyan shifted his gaze towards the other mercenary parties. (The Golden Thrill and The Brave Rings are almost the same. None of them have magicians inside their party since magicians are rare, but the number of elites that has Mythril-ranked worthy abilities is only seven people each. But their strength couldn''t bepared with the madam and Mr. Abraham) (Lyan) Then thest is the mercenary party consisting of three girls just like the flowers of the House of Roses. (Thest is the Valkyries. No wonder they are feared, their fighting abilities are on the same level as the Madam and Mr. Abraham. Not to mention that all of them are all-rounders. They are equipped with close-range and long-range weapons. They felt like elite soldiers trained by an organization or a country) (Lyan) Then finally he shifted his gaze towards the cloaked guy that talked to him before and hisrades. (The only mystery left is these cloaked people like me... They got engaged with battle as minimum as they could, so I couldn''t evaluate their abilities urately yet) (Lyan) "There are some goblins entering it! That must really be theirir!" "Wait! One of them is holding a woman!" Everyone''s attention immediately shifted to the hobgoblin that is carrying a human woman on its shoulders. Everyone immediately readied their weapons, ready to go and kill the hobgoblin and secure the young woman. (That''s definitely a trap, huh... Hm?) (Lyan) But unlike what Lyan expected, none of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries rushed toward the hobgoblin recklessly. (Hou... So they also realized that it''s a trap, huh. I guess they''re Mythril-ranked not for nothing) (Lyan) Since they have been advancing as shy as they could, it is not strange for the smart goblins to prepare a trap to greet them near theirir. The hobgoblin holding the woman on his shoulders is definitely a bait intentionally prepared to make them rush and attack the hobgoblin to save the woman as soon as possible. (The woman the hobgoblin is holding is bruised and naked, she must have gotten vited as well. Considering Xena''s position before, it seems that goblins only vite the woman they captured after they put them inside their breeding room. So there is no reason for the hobgoblin to hold a woman on his arm in front of their if it''s not to be a bait for us) (Lyan) Lyan is slightly bothered about the breeding room where he saved Alina and Xena since they are the only ones inside, he had thought about several possibilities about it, but since he didn''t have any proof, he didn''t want to make a conclusion without having a piece of strong evidence. So he decided to observe their they are going to raid today to make sure his thoughts. (Now, what the leader will do) (Lyan) "Split! Two teams!" The leader of the Brave Rings gave the order, motioning with his hands to circle the perimeter and check the surroundings. Without needing any other instructions, the group split into two quickly and went to check the perimeter. The scouts went ahead to get a bigger picture of their surroundings. Lyan joined the group that went to the right, and just like what he expected, there is a big group of goblins waiting near their not far from them. They must have been waiting for the signal to ambush the elite team. "Heh! Looks like we''re right. Kill them!" The group of goblins consisted of about 50 of them, but they got wiped out rather quickly by the elite group. The mercenaries smile in front of their correct guess and start to collect the goblins'' ears as proof of elimination for them to exchange it for money to the guild. "Keep oning, golds. I doubt there will be another event like this where killing goblins could make you rich," one of the mercenaries uttered in satisfaction. But as they collect the ears, Lyan didn''t follow them and is observing the surrounding trees, feeling something is off. (Our scouts? Where are they?) (Lyan) Lyan searched for the scouts that were supposed to join them in battle after their encounter with the goblins, but none of them could be seen. "Hm? Surena the leader of the Valkyries noticed Lyan''s strange behavior. (All of the scouts climbed the tree to get a view of the perimeter, they usually report their sightings immediately, they are taking too long... Hm?) (Lyan) (Master, there is a shadow passing on that tree for a moment!) (Lilith) "Yeah, I saw that too," Lyan took a knife of a dead goblin near him and threw it to above of a certain tree with his mana imbued on it. "KKiieekk!" A goblin shriek sounded together with a hobgoblin dressed in ck attire just like an assassin fell from the tree. Looking at the hobgoblin, Lyan remembered the information that the guild''s scouts told them. There are goblin assassins. !?!?!? Everyone got surprised by the sudden shriek of the goblin and stopped harvesting the goblins'' ears for a moment, but at that moment, Lyan immediately draw his sword. The members of the Valkyries saw his actions and readied their weapons as well. "Prepare forbat!!!" Surena shouted, startling the other mercenaries. Hearing the voice of Surena, they immediately ready their swords. But even after waiting for a while, nothing happened. "Oi, Surena. What with that false rm? Did you perhaps get too paranoid? We''re just facing goblins here," The Crimson Talon''s leader, Jean, asked Surena with a frivolous smile on his face. "....Alice, what do you think?" Surena asked her party member. Alicia Alvis. Mercenary name: The Small General. Just like the other members of the Valkyries, she is proficient in sword and bow, but the greatest ability of hers is her brain. Her brain is said to be as capable as the greatest general of the generation. Her excellence in military tactics and war tactics made the Valkyries famous to the kingdoms that are in the middle of a war. "Our scouts, Rena. Did you see any of them?" Alice points out the same thing that Lyan is worrying about. "None," (Surena) Alice stared at the trees surrounding them. "It is not possible for just one hobgoblin assassin to kill all of them. The scouts that went to the right together with us are 5 people, they''re quite capable so there must be other hobgoblin assassins near us, hiding. Or it is also possible that the scouting takes longer time because they are battling the hobgoblin assassins in the same time as well, it doesn''t mean that they are dead yet," (Alice) "And our enemies are only goblins-" (Alice) "Alice. I''m asking you if perhaps. Perhaps our enemies are using human-leveled tactics, what are your thoughts...?" (Surena) Alice then took a peek towards Lyan, looking at him with his sword ready while staring in a certain direction with a serious expression. Thinking that their opponents are only goblins, the arrogant little general didn''t really put much thought into their situation. Not to mention that along the way, they killed the goblins very quickly that almost no difficulty could be felt on the quest. But since her best friend told her to try thinking about a ''perhaps'' situation, she reluctantly used her head to dig deeper into the situation. "Considering they knew we''reing, theyid the ambush at the west and east of their''s entrance in a slight distance, waiting for the signal to ambush. But indeed... The number of the goblins is strange, it''s too little even if they managed to ambush us sessfully-" Alice realized something. "It''s a decoy. These goblins are just a decoy. Then the shriek of that hobgoblin assassin just now was..." (Alice) """An rm!""" ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 46 The Goblins Plan (2) ?"An rm? Hahaha! Aren''t you thinking too much about it, Alice? Since when did the Valkyries be so wary of goblins? There is no need for you to be that worried. Even if they suddenly attack us, it''s just goldsing towards us, no?" said Jean with a shrug as heughed at Alice''s words. "Tch! Rena was just asking a ''perhaps'' situation! Right Rena?" Alice shifted her gaze to Surena and saw that she was still looking at Lyan with a serious expression. "Alice. Why did I be the party''s leader?" (Rena) "Hm? Because the calls you made are always right, and your guts are usually urate?" (Alice) "Why are you asking that suddenly, Rena?" Thest member of The Valkyries, the crimson-haired Emilia asked Surena. "My guts are telling me that we need to follow that guy''s actions," Surena motioned them to look at Lyan with her head. "Huh? The rookie?" (Emilia) "Hey now, Rena. We don''t even know whether that rumor about him defeating a goblin champion is urate or not-" (Alice) *CLANK!* The loud sound of metals colliding startled everyone. The Valkyries and the others saw how a greatsword suddenly flung towards Lyan with a great speed, and how he deflect it with his sword while having a small smile on his face. *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* The sound as if something heavy hitting the ground sounded approaching them. Without a doubt, it''s the footsteps of something heavy. *Crash!* !?!?!?!?!? A huge ax suddenly smashed two trees, and a four meters tall goblin with muscr muscle all over its body rushed towards Lyan''s direction. (Goblin champion!!) (The Valkyries and Jean) *BOOM!* Arge sound of an explosion sounded at the moment therge ax collided with Lyan''s sword. Lyan covered himself in his mana and blocked the attack with his sword. His feet firmly take a defensive stance, letting himself didn''t get pushed back even for a centimeter. But as the others are still shocked because of the sudden appearance of the goblin champion, they only stared at the scene. *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* Lyan continues to block the bombarding attacks from the goblin champion with a slight smile still imprinted on his face. And at that moment- *sh!* *sh!* Suddenly a cloaked figure shed the knee pits of the goblin champion, making it lose its footings. And for the finishing- *sh!* Surena cleanly and swiftly behead the goblin champion with her sword, making the head to fell to the ground with a loud thud, and the goblin champion''s blood spurted out of its neck. Lyan skillfully retreated to avoid getting the blood on its body, but he didn''t sheathe his sword yet. (The real deal has yet toe) (Lyan) *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* The sound of countless footsteps suddenly appeared approaching them. Everyone immediately ready themselves to battle, and finally, the army of goblins approaching them entered their view. It''s an army of red-skin goblins. "R-Red goblins!?" "Ready your weapons! Kill them all!!!" (Jean) The number of goblins attacking them is more than before. Not to mention that all of them are red-skinned goblins. "About 100, huh..." Lyan changes his stance. *Whoosh!* As if he''s cutting the air, Lyan swings his sword and took a stance different from what he used to deflect the goblin champion''s attacks. *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* Lyan skillfully killed three red goblins that approached him in a split second. He managed to kill them easily, but it doesn''t mean that the goblins are as weak as the usual goblins. (Their skins are harder. Their skin is as hard as the goblin champion''s skin) (Lyan) Lyan observes his surroundings and saw that the other mercenaries also realized the same thing. It takes them more effort to kill the red goblins. Not only that their skin is harder, but they are also faster, and stronger as well. There are also red hobgoblins amongst the crowd, which is much more bothersome than the red goblins. It''s stronger and smarter at the same time, it takes quite a time for the mercenary that battled them to kill them. (If we got too exhausted here, it will be bad) (Lyan) Lyan swiftly move from one ce to another, killing all of the goblins he passed. Not only him, the strong mercenaries such as the Valkyries, Jean Ferlident, and others that killed the red goblins faster than the others got more targeted by the red goblins. They know that they are a bigger threat to them, so they targetted them rather than the others. (This course of action, this is...) (Lyan) Lyan realizes what the goblins are nning. (In normal circumstances, people usually picked on the weakest first to make sure the number of the opponent reduced. But rather than that, they are targetting on the strong ones. Their target is not reducing our number, but they are prioritizing exhausting the strongest ones first!) (Lyan) Because of the persistence and endurance of the red goblins, this time, it took quite a while for them topletely kill all of the goblins. They didn''t lose anyone, but some of them are injured, while the others are slightly exhausted. The sudden appearance of the red goblins slightly caught them off-guarded. But even so, the mercenaries didn''t forget to continue to harvest the goblin ears since those are their source of ie. "All of these goblins are variants, aren''t they? I wonder how much the guild will pay for these ones," One of the mercenaries uttered as he cheerfully take the goblins'' ears. Unlike before, Lyan didn''t have his sword unsheathed. This time, he properly put his sword back into his sheathe. Closing his eyes, he rests his back on a tree as he folds his arms, waiting for the other mercenaries to finish harvesting the goblins'' ears. Suddenly, a voice appeared from beside him. "You''re not going to take those goblins'' ears? They gonna take them all, you know? They wouldn''t leave some for you, they''re mercenaries, after all," Lyan squinted and saw that it was the cloaked guy that talked to him before as well. "I''ll still have plenty of chances in two days, wouldn''t I? The allies surrounding me if I harvest the goblins'' ears right now are too few, I don''t want to get caught off-guarded, after all. And aren''t you a mercenary as well?" Uttered Lyan as he closed his eyes back. Of course, the reason why Lyan is not taking any of the goblins'' ears is not because he''s not interested in taking them and exchanging them for money, but because his shadow hobgoblin is busy harvesting the goblins'' ears from the corpses on the ce where they still went with the horses. When they are still advancing with their horses, they didn''t harvest the goblins'' ears from the corpses because it will take too much time for them to do so. It will only eliminate one of the advantages of traveling with horses, which is the speed. Knowing so, Lyan secretly summoned his shadow hobgoblin and ordered it to harvest the goblins'' ears. With the shadow hobgoblin equipped with a backpack, it would have no difficulty on harvesting a lot of goblins'' ears. "Maybe? Or maybe not," The cloaked man said mysteriously. "Is that so? Thanks for the support, by the way. The assist helped well," (Lyan) "It''s nothing. I''m doing it because of worry, but it seems that nothing would bad would happen to you even if I didn''t help you back then, I guess?" (Cloaked man) Lyan scoffed. "Of course not. I''m nothing but a gold-ranked mercenary, you know?" Lyan shrugged. "Heh! You are a special gold-ranked mercenary then. No ordinary gold-ranked mercenary is capable of taking the goblin champion''s attacks head on like that, after all. You''re quite nuts, aren''t you?" (Cloaked man) "I am, I guess. Not gonna deny that," Lyan scoffed at himself. "The name is William, by the way. Call me whatever you want," (William) "Mine is Evocatore, don''t call me if you don''t have to. You smelled like trouble, after all," Uttered Lyan as he walked away to a certain red goblin corpse near him. "Heh! How cold," William chuckled as he smiled because of Lyan''s unexpected response. Staring at the red goblin''s corpse, Lyan observes the body. "Is it possible that all of them are variants? ording to the book of the encyclopedia I''ve read in the Schr''s inn, variants are supposed to be rare, even if they are born in the same environment... Perhaps the goblins found a way to give born lots of variants at the same time?" Lyan uttered under his breath. (It''s not possible, boy) (Hestia) Hestia''s voice appeared inside his mind. "Is that so?" (Lyan) (Yes. A variant appeared because of the anomaly that happened to it when it was still in its mother''s womb, or when a monster went through an extreme situation filled thatpletes the requirements for it to evolve to a variant. But even if another monster repeats the same process, it didn''t mean that that monster will evolve into a variant as well. So it''s not possible for all of these goblins to be variants) (Hestia) "I see..." (Lyan) (I''m not sure myself. But these are more like forbidden enchantments, rather than variants. I''m not that knowledgable about goblins as well, but it''s possible that this is something that a goblin shaman did) (Hestia) Hearing Hestia''s words, Lyan remembered the goblins that attacked Alina and her best friends before. They are as strong as these goblins, but this time, the red goblins are far stronger than the ones before. "Hm... How interesting..." (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 47 The Goblins Plan (End) ?"As expected of Rena. Your gut feelings are incredible as always," One of the Valkyries, Emilia, said in admiration as she stared at the red goblin corpses and the goblin champion''s corpse. "Yeah, Surena. My bad, it turns out that your concern is right," Jean apologized to Surena as he scratched his neck. "It''s fine," Surena replied to him, but her gaze stuck to the figure that reacted to the goblins'' unexpected ambush first. "That cloaked person, who is he?" Surena motioned with her head, pointing at the person talking to Lyan. "Hm? The one beside the rookie? If I''m not mistaken, the guildmaster said that they are the staff sent by the guild to assist us. Well, you saw how he easily shed the knee pits of the goblin champion, right? His skills are the real deal," (Jean) "And that rookie. He faces the goblin champion head-on without giving any effort to avoid his attacks. He got quite the guts unlike his appearance, don''t you think?" Emilia said with a chuckle. "You''re right. I wonder who he actually is," (Alice) "....." (Surena) After finished harvesting the goblins'' ears, the right group went back to the ce before regrouping with the left group in mind. When they reached the gathering point, they happen to arrive together with the left group. "Yo! You guys got more golds (Goblin Ears) as well!?" Jean asked them. "Yeah, we got quite a lot. But the damage is considerable as well," The Brave Rings'' leader shows them red goblin champion''s big ears. "A goblin champion variant!?" (Jean) "Yeah. And three of them at the same time, together with arge group of red goblins and red hobgoblins. Since they appeared so suddenly, and their unexpectedly individual strength, we got quite the damage. We managed to have no casualties, but there are lots that got injured. 3 of us lost their arm, 2 lost their leg," The Brave Rings'' leader said grimly. (So no one died, huh... As expected of Mythril-ranked parties, I guess...) (Lyan) "That''s quite the luck you have there... We only got one goblin champion, but it got dealt with rather quickly. The remaining are the horde of red goblins and red hobgoblins, but we dealt with them easily as well. Almost none of us are injured," (Jean) "That''s good news. Now we''ll just have to proceed to the cavern, the chance of having the goblins ambushing us from inside and outside the cavern is now low. We''ll have the injured and several others watch out the outside and rest, while the others advance to the cavern and quickly destroy their. Any objections or questions?" Asked the Brave Rings'' leader. "The scouts of your group. Have they returned yet?" (Surena) "The scouts? They haven''t... But they should be returning about now, though... Don''t tell me..." (Brave Ring''s Leader) "They''re dead, probably. But we don''t have the time to find their corpses. You there, show him the corpse," (Surena) !?!?!?!? Before they leave their battlefield before, Surena asked Jean to have one of his men to bring the hobgoblin assassin''s corpse to show it to the Brave Rings'' leader. Looking at the corpse of a hobgoblin wearing an assassin''s attire, the Brave Rings'' leader narrowed his eyes. "So this is the goblin assassin that the guild''s scouts mentioned, huh... I guess letting the scouts disperse to scout the perimeter is a mistake, huh... The total of scouts who came together with us are 9 people, and none of them seem to return. So we''ve lost 9 people, huh..." The Brave Rings'' leader muttered. The scouts are mercenaries that are proficient in scouting and nimble in movement. But unlike others, theirbat strength is not as high as theirs. Since the scouts are came from all of the parties except of the Valkyries, all of them are their friends and theirrades-in-arms. The mercenaries can''t believe that their friends from their party just died. The Brave Rings'' leader also grieved for that fact, but he understand that this is not the time to grieve. "Take caution! Be wary of your surroundings! We''ll put more people to guard the cavern''s entrance. Except for the Valkyries, each party must leave four people to guard the entrance and the injured. The rest will continue to advance inside the cavern, is everyone fine with that?" (Brave Rings'' Leader) The leaders of the other parties agreed with a nod. "How about you, Rookie? What do you think?" The Brave Rings'' Leader asked Lyan. Lyan shifted his gaze towards the middle-aged man. His eyes are sharp, his face is grim, and his body is big. "I heard that you''re the one who noticed the goblin champion''s presence first before the others. You''re the one who killed this hobgoblin assassin as well. What do you think? Should we leave more people outside, or should we enter together?" (The Brave Rings'' Leader) "Hm..." Lyan gives a thought a moment and nods. "I guess four people each party are enough. More people might make it disadvantageous for the ones that advance inside the cavern, after all," (Lyan) "I see. What do you think, Small General?" The Brave Rings'' Leader shifted his gaze towards The Valkyrie''s Small General. "I agree with him. Let''s not waste our time, the sun''s going to set soon," (Alica) "You''re right. Let''s go!" (Brave Rings'' Leader) Following the strategy they just discussed, they left a total of 17 people at the entrance including the injured. The cloaked group that known by the elite group as the guild''s extermination staff didn''t leave any of their members at the entrance. Considering the amount of injured and the fact that the 9 scouts got wiped out, it''s a bare minimum of people to guard the entrance. In case anything happened, one of them has a notifying flute ready to notify the ones advancing inside the cavern. "Rookie. Since you''re not any part of any parties, I''ll at least leave it to your decision whether you want to join the advance team or will you guard the cavern entrance with the others," (Brave Rings'' Leader) "I''m going to-" (Lyan) "He''s going with us," Surena cut his words. (Eh?) (Lyan) "Eh?" (Brave Rings'' Leader) "She''s right. We''ll need him inside, so he''s going with us," Alice followed Surena''s words. "I-Is that so? Then forget my words, Rookie. Sorry for that," (Brave Rings'' Leader) The Brave Rings'' Leader then left and went to the front of the rows. (Eh...? I didn''t even get to choose my own choice?) (Lyan) "Sorry, Rookie. But it looks like our leader doesn''t have any intention of having youzing around at the entrance," Another member of the Valkyries, Emilia, said as she tapped Lyan''s back. "Seems so," Lyan replied with a wry smile. "Well, isn''t it fine? You''ll get more share of goblins'' ears if you join the advance team, after all. You''re here for gold as well, right?" (Alice) (Not really. I''m here because of the Madam unnecessarily mentioned my name to the guildmaster) (Lyan) "You''re right," (Lyan) "Hm~ Is that so~" Emilie uttered with an amused smile on his face. "There''s a passage here! We''re entering!" A voice of a member of the Brave Rings'' sounded. "I guess it''s time. Let''s go, Rookie," (Surena) Just like the n, they entered the passage and went straight to the goblin''sir while leaving the 17 people at the entrance. Along with the subjugation of their, nothing unexpected like what happened outside their urred. There are only five goblin champions inside their that greeted them, but none of them are variants. The Crimson Talon''s leader, Jean, killed one of the goblin champions alone, while the other four got killed by the Valkyries and the leaders of the Brave Rings and the Golden Thrill. Lyan only assists them from behind, and prevents the goblins and hobgoblins from disrupting the flow of battle while observing their battle. It''s already night, and it''s already dark outside when they finished killing all of the goblins inside the goblins''ir. But unlike their that Lyan subjugated with the Madam and the others, the treasury room of the current goblinir only has average weapons inside it. There is nothing inside the breeding room of the goblinir as well. So the only things they acquired from subjugating their are the goblins'' ears and a decent amount of weapons. Since traveling back to Arkansas city might be too dangerous because of the distance, they decided to camp inside the cavern with several mercenaries assigned to watch over the cave entrance and the passage towards the goblin''sir. There are some beasts like boars and rabbits inside their that looks like the source of the goblins of their eat, using them, the elite team got their dinner prepared. "So I got the first shift, huh... Well, it''s not like I''m capable of sleeping soundly in a ce like this anyway, I guess," Lyan uttered under his breath. (To think that the subjugation inside their will be so anticlimactic... Who would have thought, huh...) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 48 The Watch Duty ?(There. Go over there, Hobu) (Lyan) Following Lyan''s words, the hobgoblin changed his direction and went in the direction Lyan mentioned. Lyan is currently watching over his shadow hobgoblin as he ordered him to explore the perimeter. (Ah... Instant Noodles, are the best...) (Lilith) Lilith''s sleep-talking sounded inside Lyan''s mind. The spirits inside the grimoire''s space are currently sleeping after getting full from eating the instant noodles they found inside Lyan''s room. Lilith, Griselda, and Arturia slept in the living room, while the others went to their respective rooms. Since he''s currently on the watch duty, Lyan decided to observe from the hobgoblin''s sight as the hobgoblin explores the perimeter to prevent himself from getting bored. *Rustle!* *Rustle!* *Rustle!* Rustling sound appeared from the bushes. The hobgoblin stopped its tracks because of the rustling sound. With his sword ready, the hobgoblin slowly approached the source of the sound. *Whoosh!* A small silhouette jumped out from the bush, but the hobgoblin respond swiftly. *sh!* He cleanly cut it, but when they saw the corpse of the silhouette. (Just a rabbit, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan is hoping to find the other goblin assassins that he saw on his way since the fact that they didn''t encounter another goblin assassin slightly bothered him. (Hm... I wonder if some of the spirits could cook. If there is the instant noodle inside the master room, then there must be some seasonings inside the kitchen cabs as well. They should be able to cook a delicious meal if they could use them) (Lyan) (For now, just store the rabbit meat inside the backpack, Hobu. Let''s continue watching over the perimeter. I guess it''s time for us to go a little bit further from here. I guess we might find the things we want to find in the south) (Lyan) Following Lyan''s order, the shadow hobgoblin sprinted to the south. Lyan observed the shadow hobgoblin''s sight with extra focus, but suddenly- *Tap!* !?!? Lyan opened his eyes in surprise because of a sudden finger tapped on his cheek. "Huh?" (Lyan) The sight of a girl with zing crimson hair, staring at his face with an amused smirk. "zing Lioness," Lyan uttered her mercenary name. "Heh. Emilia is fine. I thought you were sleeping, so I thought of doing some prank," (Emilia) "Doing a prank while covering your presence stealthily? Seems like you have a lot of energy, zing Lioness," Lyan replied with a smile. If she didn''t cover her presence, Lyan would have noticed her getting near him. Even though he''s getting absorbed in observing the shadow hobgoblin''s sight, he is still has his awareness wary of his surroundings. (But to think that she could easily approach me unnoticed... If she was an enemy, I would have been dead now, wouldn''t I?) (Lyan) Emilia let out a chuckle. "Well, you''ll definitely notice if I didn''t do so, right? And you could just call me Emilia. Your name is Lyan, right? Can I call you that?" Asked Emilia. At the first nce, you might think that she''s a rough woman since she dressed like so, her wild zing crimson hair gave her an aura of wildness as well, and added by the fact that she''s a strong mercenary, Lyan couldn''t help but think that she''s a rough woman. But it turns out that she isn''t as rough and vulgar as the other mercenaries. She''s more like a military person rather than a mercenary. "I humbly refuse, zing Lioness. You can just call me Evocatore," Lyan replied as he continue to close his eyes. The night watch duty is assigned by drawing lots. The ones that got chosen are Lyan, Emilia, and the cloaked guy, William. "ying hard to get now, aren''t you? Anyway, Lyan," Emilia proceed to call Lyan by his name rather than his mercenary name. "Ignoring my consent, huh..." (Lyan) "How did you sense the goblin champion when we were about to get ambushed back then? Are you capable of using detection magic? Or are you using a magic item that allowed you to use detection magic or something?" (Emilia) Lyan squinted at her and saw that her face really seems to be curious about it. Lyan closed his eyes back, and he reyed the scene inside his head. "I sensed his gaze," (Lyan) "His gaze?" (Emilia) "Yeah. After I killed the shadow hobgoblin, I sensed a gaze that filled with intense murderous intent aimed at me. A strong grudge and malice is directed towards me, and since I''m sensitive towards those, I sensed it rather easily," (Lyan) The sight of the goblin champion''s bloody eyes shed through Lyan''s mind. "It''s looking at me with a stare that looked like it''s avenging something. If it''s mad because we''re attacking theirir and killing its brethren, it should be directing his murderous intent towards everyone, but just me specifically. But it didn''t. Its murderous intent is focused towards me alone," (Lyan) (Those eyes... It''s more like the eyes of a person that is staring at the guy who killed his family. If perhaps... Perhaps that it''s the sibling of the goblin champions I killed at their that I subjugated together with the Madam and the others, and he''s somehow watching me killing the two goblin champion variants with some kind of method, it wouldn''t be strange for it to hold a grudge to me like that, wouldn''t it?) (Lyan) "Hm~ I see... No wonder... But really, the smile on your face when you''re shing your sword with the goblin champion''s ax is really cool, you know? You look like a battle maniac," (Emilia) "Did I smile?'' (Lyan) "Yes, you did. I saw it as well," William joined the conversation. "I see... I guess I got slightly excited. And what are you two doing? It seems like our distance had shortened quite a big deal already," Lyanmented on the sitting position of William and Emilia. At first, they are sitting at quite a distance from each other with the campfire in the middle of them. But now, the two of them are sitting right beside Lyan. "Isn''t it fine? Are you perhaps scared of girls, Lyan?" Asked Emilia teasingly. "I''m d if a beautiful woman wants to sit near me, but I don''t find having a man sitting close to me as pleasurable. Could you please distance yourself a bit?" Lyan said towards William. "Now, now. It''s a little bit cold, so it would be better if we sit closer, right?" William replied indifferently, refusing to make a distance. "Cold, huh... Hm?" Lyan noticed that Emilia is still using her mercenary attire. She only has a thin cloth covering her, and some light armors covering her shoulders and chest. Her stomach and her thigh are exposed to the air. "Aren''t you cold?" Asked Lyan to her. The temperature in the forest when it''s night is quite low, even Lyan could feel the cold even though he''s wearing his cloak. "A bit, but I''m fine. It''s bearable. Or what? Are you perhaps want to share your cloak with me or something?" Asked Emilia teasingly. "Hm. That''s work as well, but I brought something. Here, use this," Lyan threw a nket towards her face. "A nket?'' (Emilia) "Yeah. It should work quite fine. I''m alreadyfortable using my cloak, so you can use it," (Lyan) "Oi. There''s nothing for me? You''ve scored enough points with hearing already, what about me?" Williammented on his actions. "Why should I score points with you? And you already have your cloak as well anyway. There is the campfire as well, if you''re cold then you can just get closer to it," (Lyan) "So you''re the type of guy that only kind to women, huh. You just have your image dropped inside my mind," (William) "Yes, yes, whatever. It''s not like I want you to have a good image of me inside your mind anyway. Man up and bear with it, would you?" Lyan let out an exasperated sigh as he folded his arms. "Tch! What with that different treatment? Just wait. I''ll have your head hanged in the gallows for this insolence of yours," William uttered under his breath as he sulked. "Pfft! What with you two?" Emiliaughed at the interaction between both of them. They continue their conversation together for a while, and after another hour, it''s finally time for them to change their shift with the other mercenaries. The three of them went to the passage to enter the goblin''sir, but as they approached the passage- "Mnh! Ahn~" "Ahn~ Nnh~" They could hear moans from inside. (Seriously? Someone is doing it there?) (Lyan) "Hey... Am I hearing things...?" William whispered. "No. You definitely hear it right," Replied Emilia in a small voice as well. The three of them took a peek inside the passage that leads towards the goblin''sir, and the view of three naked people entered their sight. *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* "Ahn~ More~ More~" "Me too~ Me too, leader~" The sound of flesh colliding, and women''s seductive moans could be heard. (It''s Lichia''s ex and the two girl members of the Crimson Talon...) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 49 A Dream ?"Ahahaha... Looks like there are going to be no change of shifts for tonight..." Emilia let out a dryugh. (That''s for sure. It makes people hard to walk through the entrance with them doing it there. At least pick a proper ce to do that stuff, those idiots) (Lyan) Lyan let out a sigh and saw a disturbing sight beside him. "Oi. What are you blushing furiously for? This girl over here doesn''t even get that red," Lyanmented on the person beside him. "S-Shut up! I''m not blushing!" William lowered his head. Since he''s still using the hood of his cloak, Lyan couldn''t see his ears, but he''s sure that he must be blushing all the way to his ears as well. "Fufu. Quite a cute one, aren''t you?" (Emilia) Emilia went to sit beside William, teasing him from beside him with a mischievous grin on her face. "You must be inexperienced, aren''t you? Want me to help ''teach'' you some knowledge on that matter?" (Emilia) *Cough!* William cleared his throat, and as if he had already refreshed his face and regained hisposure, he uncovered his face and reveal his usual indifferent face. "Hm~ Now that I look at it again, your face has quite the great features, huh~" (Emilia) "Is that so? I do aware of my pleasing appearance. It seems that you''re very experienced in the matter of men and women, though, zing Lioness. Do you have lots of men before?" (William) "Me? Hm... Quite, I guess?" (Emilia) "I see. But your face seems to be rather flushed as well, are you perhaps startled because of the sight as well?" (William) "Eh? Not really?" Emilia rejected his words. "William. When a woman looks into such a sight, they got turned on as well. If you continue to pester her, you''ll get devoured. Especially by a lioness like her," (Lyan) "I see. So I''m in quite a perilous situation. Protect me, Lyan," (William) "I won''t devour you! It''s not like I sleep with just anyone, okay!" Emilia retorted to the two of them. "Ah. You made her mad, William," (Lyan) "I didn''t. You are," (William) "You two... You two get along surprisingly well," Emiliamented on the sight before her. "Me? With this virgin that blushed furiously when he saw some mercenaries colliding flesh with each other? Surely you jest," Lyan scoffed. "I did not!" (William) After bantering for a little bit longer, they continue to talk with each other about various topics. Since their way to the sleeping quarters is ''blocked'' by the Crimson Talon leader and the two female members, they couldn''t enter the sleeping quarters to get the ones responsible for the next shift to rece them. So since they have no choice, the three of them take turns on sleeping and watching the entrance until morning. After having a light breakfast, the team quickly went to go return back to Arkansas City. "Emilia. Why didn''t you wake me up yesterday? Aren''t we supposed to take turns?" (Alice) "Yeah. But I got too absorbed in talking with the others, you see. So it''s fine," (Emilia) For some reason, Emilia didn''t mention Lyan''s or William''s names to Alice. Looking at Emilia''s energetic smile, she doesn''t look like a person that got sleep-deprived because of the night watch. "Hm..." (Surena) On the way home, they reached the ce they tied the horses without having any other sudden ambush or encounter with the goblins. They ride their horses back to the city without encountering any problems along the way. The fact that it''s going so smoothly bothered Lyan. (Before, they seem to be attacking us rather persistently, but now, it''s too peaceful. It''s as if they have already achieved what they are aiming for...) (Lyan) ***************************************** Last night, inside the private rooms of the three most famous flowers of the House of Roses courtesans'' house, the three girls could get any sleep, thinking about how their beloved are faring on the way together with the other Mythril-ranked mercenaries. "They wouldn''t bully him, right? Even if it''s Lyan, having Mythril-ranked targeting him will be a great trouble, right?" (Belle) "No need to worry. Lyan is strong, you know? He wouldn''t let anyone get him," (Xena) "The Valkyries will definitely help him as well!" (Alina) "More than that, I''m more worried whether he will get seduced by other girls or not," (Xena) The other two widened their eyes as they heard Xena''s words. "You''re right. The Valkyries are a bunch of beauties, aren''t they?" (Belle) "But he won''t right? Anyway, he won''t forget about us, right!?" (Alina) The three of them became restless because of that thought, and finally- "Pilia-chan! Could you show me what your papa is doing? Is there any kind of ability that could make you show me what he''s doing!?" Belle asked the Papilio Slime beside her bed. Since Xena and Belle seem to be very fond of the Papilio Slime and the Galewing Butterfly, Lyan left the two monsters with them. Xena and Belle also already exined about the existence of the Papilio Slime and the Galewing Butterfly to Alina and told her about how he is a summoner to her since she will soon be one of them as well. But they didn''t tell the Madam and the others about the existence of the two monsters, but unlike with Alina, if the monsters'' existence got known by the other girls of the house or by the Madam and the others, they''ll just say that they are their familiars and protect Lyan''s secret. "Pipi!" (Papilio Slime) The Papilio Slime reacted, and a purple screen appeared above it. It looks like some kind of illusion magic, and suddenly, a familiar voice sounded. (Lyan) Lyan''s voice sounded from the purple screen. "I-It''s Lyan''s voice!" (Belle) "Galia, you could do that as well?" (Xena) As if she didn''t want to lose from the Papilio Slime, the Galewing Butterfly summoned a purple screen above her as well. Now there are two of the purple screen, showing Lyan''s sight towards them in front of them. "Whoa... This is awesome..." (Xena) "It''s unfair! I want my own monster child as well!" Alina let out a tantrum. (Emilia) The voice of an unfamiliar woman stole their attention, and the three of them stared at the screen intensely. (Lyan) Looking at the sight of the beautiful crimson-haired mercenary having a mischievous smile towards their man, the three of them gulped. "That''s the zing Lioness, Emilia Kavirtina, isn''t it?" (Xena) "Yeah... She''s famous for her high fighting prowess. I heard that her strength is the highest amongst the Valkyries..." said Alina, but her voice didn''t contain the same excitement she hold when she was talking about the Valkyries as before. "They won''t do anything, wouldn''t they?" (Belle) "They won''t... I guess?" (Xena) "What with that question-like statement? Can''t you at least be more sure!" (Alina) "I don''t know myself, okay!" (Xena) The three of them banter with each other as they didn''t stop staring intensely at the screen. After more than an hour passed, it was almost time for Lyan and the others to change shifts, so they went to the cavern''s passage to enter the goblin''sir, but it turns out that the three of them encounter something ''unexpected'' inside there. The voice of two females moaning together with the sound of flesh colliding with each other resounded inside the room. "That... That''s the leader of the Crimson Talon. He''s famous for being a yer, and he used to be Lichia''s ex, you know...?" (Alina) "Wait! They are leaving? They''re not going to continue watching them?" (Xena) "Of course, they don''t! What are you thinking!?" (Alina) "*Pant!* *Pant!* Somehow... I got turned on..." Belle''s face became flushed as she stared at the two of them. "Belle!?" (Alina) "Me... Too... Actually..." (Xena) "Eh!?!?" (Alina) Suddenly, the purple screen disappeared, and the room seems to get darker and darker. Belle''s and Xena''s heavy breathing made it seems like they are having a fever, and suddenly- "Belle," "Xena," Lyan''s voice appeared from the door, but when they shifted their gaze towards the direction of the source, Alina found that there are two Lyans staring at them. (Eh? are my eyes ying games with me!?) (Alina) "Lyan..." (Belle) "Lyan..." (Xena) The two of them called Lyan''s name with a coquettish voice. As if responding to their calls, the two Lyans approached the two of them slowly. "Wait, wait. What are you doing? What about mine? Why are there only two of you!?!?!?" (Alina) ********************************* !?!??!?! Alina opened her eyes and widened her eyes when she saw the familiar roof. She still remembers very well about the two Lyans and her friends getting turned on. "Eh? It''s all a dream?" (Alina) Alina take a peek at her best friends and saw that the two of them are sleeping soundly on their beds. "Ah... It''s a dream... But is it really just a dream...?" ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 50 Back To The City ?Astellia Kingdom. After the end of the great war happened on the south part of the Santaria Continent, only the big kingdoms of the South remains on the continent, and one of them is the Astellia Kingdom. Famous for its quality of knights, the Astellia Kingdom boasts the greatest strength in its elite knight regiments during the war, resulting in the destruction of two kingdoms near it that dered war on the Astellia Kingdom. After the great victory in the war, the Astellia Kingdom dere possession of the territory of the two kingdoms it defeated, erging the territory of the kingdom greatly. Knowing how the Astellia Kingdom won the war with minimum casualties on their side, no kingdoms in the south dare to antagonize its deration. The Astellia Kingdom is famous not only for its knights, but it has a great agricultural value on almost all of its territory as well, making the kingdom prosper and minimizing citizen''s death because of hunger. -Kingdoms and Empires of Santaria Continent, Great Library of Eureka, The city of academy and magic, Ausbildia ___________________________________________________________________________ "Now, let''s hear your report," The guildmaster''s voice resounded in the meeting room that they used before the elite team''s departure. After getting back their horses and riding back to the city, the leaders of the mercenary parties immediately went to the guild to report their subjugation. When they arrived at the guild, the staff immediately went and lead them to the meeting room, revealing the guildmaster that already waiting for them inside it. ? "Yes, guildmaster," (Brave Ring''s Leader) The ones inside the room are the guildmaster, Lichia, Jean, Surena, The Brave Ring''s Leader, and the Golden Thrill''s leader. Unlike before, the guildmaster didn''t summon everyone to the meeting room, and only let the leaders of the Mythril-ranked mercenary parties to take part in the meeting. Heeding the guildmaster''smand, the Brave Ring''s leader exined how the subjugation went from the beginning to the end without missing any details of what happened. He included the reports of the other parties to him in his exnation to the guildmaster. "I see... So 9 people died, and all of them are the scouts of your parties. You only managed to found and kill one hobgoblin assassin, and the one who killed it is the rookie, Evocatore, is that right?" (Guildmaster) "Yes, you''re right, guildmaster," (Brave Ring''s Leader) "Hm... So the goblins are smart enough to hide an ambush with an ambush, and there are red goblins with skin as hard as a goblin champion. This might be more troubling than I thought it is..." The guildmaster folded his arms and closed his eyes, seeming to be pondering something. "So what will we do, guildmaster? Will we continue to take an offensive stance and march to their main base tomorrow, or will we y siege? I think that there are too many uncertainties about the goblins we''re fighting with," (Surena) "You''re right. But we can''t risk having the city getting too damaged as well. If the city got too damaged, the value of the city will get lowered, and the merchants might assume that we, mercenaries, aren''t capable of defending the city. Not to mention that our opponent this time is goblins," (Guildmaster) The guildmaster''s concern is sound and valid. No matter how strong the goblins and the goblin king are, the name goblins are already famous for being weak and cowardly and even a novice adventurer or mercenary could easily kill them. If the mercenaries of the mercenary city that are famous as the strongest mercenaries of the continent couldn''t repel the goblins from the city easily, it might give great damage to all mercenaries'' reputations. "You''re right..." (Surena) "That''s right, guildmaster. That''s why, if we are still going to fight the goblins and battle them to their base, I believe that it will be better if we make the Valkyrie''s Dancing Gale as themander and the Tiny General as the strategist. I''m afraid that if I''m the one who leads, it''ll give us more casualties only. My skills and wisdom are not as great as theirs," (Brave Ring''s Leader) "Borton..." (Surena) "I see... Does the other party leaders agree with the Brave Ring''s suggestion?" The Guildmaster shifted his gaze towards the others. Everyone replied with a nod. "Then so be it. All of you must be tired,e back here in the afternoon. We''ll discuss the advancing n then," (Guildmaster) ********************************************* After arriving at the city, Lyan''s thinking of heading towards the House of Roses immediately but- (I''m hungry! I want the inn''s food!) (Lilith) (Yeah. Quickly get your ass to the inn, I want their food as well) (Griselda) "Aren''t all of you supposed to have no hunger?" (Lyan) (Then what will you exin this rumbling inside my stomach is, huh!? Just quickly go there! I want boozes as well!!) (Griselda) *Sigh!* "Fine, fine," (Lyan) Letting out a small sigh, Lyan heads in the direction of the Schr''s inn. After realizing that his body is dirty and he should clean his body first as well, Lyan decided that it might not be bad to head towards the Schr''s inn to wash himself and have a meal first. Since in the House of Roses, they wouldn''t ept his money if he pay, so it would be bad if he suddenly asked for 8 portions of food for them. (They will think of me as a shameless person for sure if I do that...) (Lyan) Along the way, Lyan noticed that the road isn''t as packed and lively as usual. (Well, it''s understandable considering that there is the threat of the goblin king and the army of goblins outside though) (Lyan) Because of the existence of the goblin king and the goblin army, the city had closed its gates and had warned the surrounding countries to note to the city because of the uing danger. Until the matter of the goblin king finished, the city decided to close the entry to the city to minimize the casualties. (Rather than traveling merchants and tourists, the city is now packed with mercenaries everywhere...) (Lyan) The information about the reward from the goblin extermination must have been spread all over the continent. All mercenaries and those who seek for extra funds are currently gathering inside the city to join the fray and gather gold from killing merely goblins. Since the quest is a battle with an army of goblins, they felt like they are going to a ce filled with golds instead, thinking how high the payment from killing a goblin the guild will pay them. (But it''s quite the view...) (Lyan) Lyan muttered as he observed his surroundings along the way. There are mercenaries all over the ce. People bring swords, bows, halberds, and other weapons as they walk on the road. The excitement for tomorrow''s battle is clearly visible on their face. (So the mercenaries all over the continent had now gathered on such a short notice, huh... I wonder how many of them will be left after the quest) (Lyan) Lyan continues his walk, and he finally arrives in front of the Schr''s inn. (Ah... This is it...) (Lyan) The scent of bibliosmia entered Lyan''s nostrils, in an instant, Lyan felt like his whole body rxed and soothed by the atmosphere of books. (This scent of bibliosmia is as rxing as ever. This scent will make it harder for me to leave this ce...) (Lyan) But different from the first time he went here, the Schr''s Inn is quite packed more than before. (But there are no rough-looking mercenaries renting a room here as expected, huh... Well, with all of these books, it would make those who don''t really fond of reading felt out of ce, after all) (Lyan) The ones lining up inside are mercenaries that look kind of nerdy, some are magicians, and there is even a priest. (This kind of inn really does attract peculiar ones, huh) (Lyan) "Ah! Mr. Lyan!" A familiar voice sounded from the dining hall''s direction. (Ah. It''s the inn''s waitress) (Lyan) "Ah. Yes," Lyan replied to her call. (Hm? Who is this girl''s name again? Did she already introduce herself to me or not, I wonder?) (Lyan) ***************************************** Inside the mercenary guild''s guildmaster''s office, the guildmaster is currently sitting on his seat behind his desk, while another figure is standing behind the window as he stares outside. "So? Have you found the thing you''re searching for, your highness?" (Guildmaster) Despite using the term ''your highness'' to the figure, the guildmaster is using the bare minimum courtesy in his tone. With his arms folded, he asked the guy he called ''your highness'' directly without any useless pleasantries. "That''s what I fond of mercenaries. They don''t take time to make useless formalities and talk directly to the point. Never beat around the bush. And yes, by the way. I''ve found the thing I''m searching for," The guy replied with a satisfied smile. "I see... Lyan Arkanium Evocatore, huh... He does look promising. It''s a shame that I need to let you have him. Well, we didn''t know whether he''ll ept your offer or not yet. Nothing had set in stone, I guess," (Guildmaster) "Of course. I won''t be epting any answer other than yes," ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,600 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 51 Battle With Lilith (1) ?"*Phew!* That was great," (Lyan) Putting the soup bowl on the table after drinking everyst bit of the soup, Lyan felt great satisfaction from the meal he just had from lunch. After entering the Schr''s Inn, Lyan got served by the waitress girl that he forgot what her name is, and get the key to his room from her before going to his room. When leaving the inn, the key to the room must be given back to the inn to prevent any misdoings and criminal actions. When the guest return to the inn, the waitress will give back the key to the guest to let them ess their room. "The rabbit meat''s soup is awesome..." (Lyan) As usual, Lyan ordered the food equivalent for 9 people to let the spirits inside the grimoire''s space eat as well. Unlike the first time he ordered it, the waitress now only gave him an understanding smile when she received his order. After sending the food for the spirits to the grimoire''s space, Lyan washed and cleaned his body with the water he ordered, and heat the water inside the big barrel with Hestia''s mana to get a hot bath. "Whoa... Having a great meal after getting a nice bath... I guess I could stay inside this inn for a month or so... There are lots of books to apany me as well, after all..." (Lyan) (Master... You sound like a geezer that only needs to wait for his time to get called back to the soil) (Lilith) "Considering how many years I''ve lived, I guess that''s not wrong, Lilith..." (Lyan) Lyanzily lies on the bed. He''spletely had his mind onzying right now. He had been fighting for hundreds of years, and after entering this new world, he had been fighting to collect funds for his leisure adventure as well. But originally, Lyan was just a bookstore owner that has limited physical and social energy. With the number of books surrounding him, Lyan is currently on the verge of returning to his former self. (Livingzily with a mountain of books might be great as well...) (Lyan) Lyan started calcting the amount of money needed for him to live inside an inn for a year, and how many days will he need to work as a mercenary in order to get the money to buy the lodging and the food. "With me alone, it will be-" (Lyan) (Master. Please return to the reality already. You getting creepier) (Lilith) "Yes, ma''am," (Lyan) (Anyway, about our deal before...) (Lilith) Lilith mentioned about his promise of ''Sleeping'' with her. "Hm? The promise is only valid if you help me hide my secret, right?" (Lyan) (Of course not~ I only promised not to tell them, but it''s different if they found out about it themselves, right~) (Lilith) "Whoa... After apologizing for insulting the tribe, you still dare to make a promise with such loopholes. What a nasty personality..." Lyan let out a wry smile. (Hmph! This and that is a different matter, of course~ The reason why the others realize about it is Master''s fault anyway~) (Lilith) "Well, you''re not wrong," (Lyan) Of course, Lyan is well aware of the loopholes of Lilith''s promise. He had already known when he found out that Lilith was listening to him doing the deed with Belle, that the spirits will know about it sooner orter. The reason why he epted her deal is that he''s interested in what will kind of ability he will get from the grimoire if he sleeps with one of the spirits. Considering how the spirits bound towards the grimoire''s space will be shortened by having intercourse with him, then there must be a benefit that he might get from doing it with the spirits as well. (Then where will we do it? Will you summon me there, or will youe here yourself?) (Lilith) "It''s better if I''m the one who went there since I could enter the grimoire''s space every day for three hours, while you could only be outside the grimoire''s space three hours a week. But is it fine, though? Where are the others?" Lyan voice his concern about the other spirits. (It''s fine. All of them had returned to their rooms, after all. They got sleepy because of the lunch) (Lilith) Hearing Lilith''s words, Lyan started to doubt whether the information the summoning grimoire gave him is urate or not. (Aren''t they supposed to have no need for food and sleep? It felt like they are eating and sleeping normally just like normal people, though?) (Lyan) (Come here, master! Let''s be quick! Before the others wake up!) (Lilith) "Ugh... Fine... Summoning Grimoire," Lyan reluctantly summons the summoning grimoire. Using his thought, Lyanmands the summoning grimoire to bring him inside the grimoire''s space. *Whoosh!* The scenery changed, but it was not the living room that Lyan usually saw when he entered the summoning grimoire. "Eh? Where is this?" Lyan uttered as he observed his surroundings. The room is filled with different kinds of things in various pink and purple colors. There is something like a cauldron, a bookshelf filled with grimoires, and a pitch-ck bed. "What is this nasty-looking room?" (Lyan) "How rude! Is that how you react towards a maiden''s room!?" Lilith''s mad voice entered Lyan''s ears. "Hm?" Lyan shifted his gaze towards the direction of her voice. "You... That''s an unexpectedly cute pajama you''re using," Lyanmented on the pajama Lilith is wearing. "Hehe~ Is it? It''s one of the pajamas that appeared inside my closet. Somehow, the room is made perfectly for me, it''s sofortable that I want to bring this room with me when I could get back alive, you know?" (Lilith) From her happy face, Lyan could feel the happiness and fondness of Lilith for the room. But Lyan somehow catches another meaning of the room that looks like as if it''s specifically made for the spirit before him. (Rather than a gift, it''s more like a prison. To make her fond of her cell and didn''t mind staying for a long time in this space, she is given a room to her liking. The others must be like that as well, huh...) (Lyan) "Anyway. We''re kind of short of time since you only have three hours, right? Let''s do it!" (Lilith) (What with that "Let''s eat breakfast together" way of asking... Well, she''s a subus, though. I guess it''s as expected) (Lyan) "You''re right. I guess you''re serious about it. Then as a man, I can''t reject the invitation, can I?'' (Lyan) The both of them undressed themselves, showing their assets to each other. Lyan observes at Lilith''s captivating body. Her high-quality breast and buttocks, her white and silk-like skin, her beautiful face that is the peculiar characteristic of a subus, and her gorgeous purple hair that gives off a hint of boldness and seductiveness. (What an irresistible body... As expected of a subus...) (Lyan) On the other hand, Lilith also observes Lyan''s body as her breathing started to fasten, and her secret forest started to get swamped by her love juice. His toned muscles, his thick and broad chest, his handsome face, and more importantly, his magnificent thing between his thigh. (I-It''s huge! And thick! What is that thing!? How can human''s- No, he was an incubus... But that size is unreasonable!!) (Lilith) Lilith got flustered by the sight before her for a moment, but quickly regain herposure. Approaching Lyan and gently holding his magnificent thing, Lilith slowly strokes his thing. "As expected of the master. Even your thing is as magnificent as this..." Lilith whispered in Lyan''s ears. Lyan could feel Lilith''s heavy breath, and respond to her moves by groping and rubbing her plump buttocks. "Nnh~" Lilith let out a teasing moan, and her hand holds the thing tighter and stroked it up and down at a faster pace. Following her movement, Lyan''s hand slowly slid into the crack on her crotch, entering the drenched cave of hers, and teasing it with his fingers. "Nh~ Mnnh~ Ahhnnn~" (Lilith) After a brief moment of forey, Lilith stopped her movement. "We only have a short duration. How about we do it immediately?" (Lilith) Lyan scoffed. "You just can''t bear the itching any longer, right? But I agree, I can''t wait any longer as well," Lyan lifted Lilith and locked their lips as he slowly walk towards the bed. Their lips and tongue fiercely and skillfully battle with each other, exchanging their saliva. But unlike Belle and Xena, Lilith remains clear-minded despite the relentless attacks Lyan gave her. As a subus, she has a high skill and knowledge of sex, so she wouldn''t get defeated that easily. (As expected of Lilith. Her skills are different leagues from the others) (Lyan) Lying her back on the bed, Lyan gets on top of her, and aims his thing towards the entrance of her wet cave. "Shall we get into the main event?" (Lyan) "Yes. Let''s do it," (Lilith) ____________________________________________________________________________ <-200 Elnes (Food)> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 52 Battle With Lilith (End) ?Lyan rubs the entrance of Lilith''s cave with his thing, feeling the moist and wet entrance drenched by her love juices. "How mean, master. Even though you know I couldn''t no longer wait. If it hade to this... Emh!" (Lilith) Lilith entangled her legs on Lyan''s back and exerts her strength on her legs, forcing Lyan to push forward and enter her cave. *Rip!* "Nnhh!?!?" (Lilith) The sound of virginity getting torn sounded together with Lilith''s muffled groan. (She was a virgin!?) (Lyan) Lyan widened his eyes in surprise when he heard the unexpected sound, but he regained hisposure quickly and swiftly locks their lips together, infiltrating Lilith''s mouth with his tongue. A kiss is the best aphrodisiac, even for Lilith. Lyan could see her eyes starting to melt. But as expected of a subus, the only moment she showed herself in pain is when her virginity was taken. Now, she''s already proactively entangling Lyan''s tongue, and her cave squeezes the half of Lyan''s thing that is inside her, inviting it to get in deeper. "Mnnh! Pwahh! I was surprised... It seems like my body became virgin again..." said Lilith after separating from Lyan''s mouth. "I was surprised as well. Who would ever think that you were a virgin. It made me frozen for a moment there," (Lyan) "Hehehe~ But thanks, that''s sweet of you when you''re trying to distract me from the pain. But do you forget? I''m a subus~ Time to use our sex magic, right~" (Lilith) Lilith''s violet eyes shone with purple light for a moment, and suddenly, the both of them felt the pleasure of the intercourse heightened several folds than before. "*Pant!* *Pant!* Now, let''s continue, master!" (Lilith) With his breath getting rougher, Lyan pushed his body forward, letting his thing get deeper towards Lilith''s cave. "Nnh~ Ahhn~ It''s thick!!" (Lilith) (What with his thing... It''s too thick!! It''s great!!) (Lilith) The hot walls of Lilith''s cave sps and tightened, squeezing him as if trying to make him cum quickly. Her skills and the subus''s magic made the pleasure felt by the both of them heightened even more, making Lyan feel like he could cum anytime. But as a former incubus, he has a pride not to cum too fast. Lyan pulled his body, and pushed it slightly stronger than before, getting even deeper into the mysterious hot cave, prodding the deepest part of Lilith''s cave. "Unnhh~ More! Let''s go more~ Harder~" (Lilith) Lyan started his piston movement. With a pace that gradually became faster, Lyan pounded Lilith passionately. *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* The sound of flesh colliding resounded throughout the room. Lyan''s pounded Lilith with stronger force than the force he used towards Xena and Belle. Since Lilith''s body is stronger, he''s capable of doing it a little bit harder, and since her legs are entangling his back tightly, it seems that she loves it hard as well. "Ahnn~ More~ More~ More~" Lilith shouts in ecstasy. Lyan locked her lips, entwined their tongues, and pounded her even faster and stronger. *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* "Nnh~ Ahhn~ Yes~ Yes~ Ahhh~ I''m cumming!!!!!" Lilith''s body shuddered, and the walls of her cave get even tighter than before. "Me too," (Lyan) The both of them hugged each other tightly, with onest strong thrust, Lyan get into the deepest part of Lilith''s cave, and shoot out a huge amount of his seeds inside her. "AAAHHHNNNN!!!!!" (Lilith) "Ughhh!" (Lyan) After a while, the both of them finished cumming, and they once again locked their lips together, sucking on each other''s tongue while enjoying the strong euphoria from their cum. The huge amount of warm seed inside her made her feel warm inside, but Lyan''s thing is still hot as ever, making her lust get even stronger than before. It was just a single round, but more than 30 minutes had passed. The both of them had great endurance, making the both of thempatible with each other. "Pwah! That was great, but you''re not down yet, right, master?" Lilith asked provocatively. "Of course not. It''s time for round two," Lyan answered with confidence. (Ah... He''s still rock hard...) (Lilith) Lilith realized that the thing inside her is still rock hard even after releasing that huge amount of seeds. They changed from the missionary to the sitting position. Lyan skillfully lifts her up with a gentle move. Not letting Lyan take the initiative, Lilith raises her hips up and down herself. Looking at her disheveled beautiful purple hair, her face that is filled with lust, and the area around her lips that are wet because of their kisses, Lyan got more aroused than before. (I-It''s swelling even more!?) (Lilith) Lilith is surprised, but she continues to move her hips up and down even though the intense pleasure feels like numbing her whole body. But there is no way that Lyan didn''t realize her surprise, putting his hands on her hips, Lyan suddenly increase the pace faster, attacking her relentlessly with his huge thing. "Ahhnnn~ That''s unfair~ Ugh~ To good~ Mmh-" Lilith shouts in pleasure, but Lyan locks her lips and relentlessly attacked her tongue, her nipples, and her cave. *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* After a series of attacks, the both of them once again reached their climax together. As Lilith''s body shuddered, she felt the hot thing inside her twitching. But unlike before, they didn''t stop their tongue''s battle. "Mnnh!!! Mmh!!!!" (Lilith) As their tongue relentlessly entwine with each other, another round of Lyan''s seeds entered Lilith''s inside powerfully. Pulling her hips down with his arms, Lyan shot them at the deepest part of the cave, giving the both of them the greatest pleasure and satisfaction. "Pwah!" (Lilith) The both of them separated their lips. The both of them looked at each other with heavier breaths. Both of them still have lots of energy, they know that the battle willst for a long time, at least until Lyan''s duration inside the grimoire''s space is finished. They continue their battle, pounding each other in various positions, and entwining their tongues roughly and sometimes gently and passionately with each other for more than two hours. Because of the increased amount of pleasure they got from the subus''s magic, their battle became shorter. After shooting the eight rounds of seeds inside Lilith, the both of them copsed to the ck bed. Lilith fell t to Lyan''s chest, and rubs her cheeks at the broad and thick chest of his. They want to converse with each other, but they are too exhausted because of the intense battle they have with each other. And somehow. (Somehow...) (Lyan) (I felt so sleepy) (Lilith) The both of them slept in each other''s arms. Sharing their warmth, the both of them fell into a deep slumber. *************************************************** While Lyan and Lilith are sharing a passionate time with each other, the three girls of the House of Roses are in the middle of doing their job in the Courtesans'' House. With the problem with the goblin king''s appearance, there are lots of mercenaries that came from all over the continent to participate in the quest of subjugating the goblin king. There are many mercenaries that couldn''t arrive at the mercenary city the day before the quest started because of the distance of their location from the city. Knowing that matter, the mercenary guild formed a group of ''Reinforcement'' for the mercenaries that could join the subjugation on time. Since the battle with the goblin king mightst for a decent time, there are still decent opportunities for them to join the fray and make some funds. Because of that, the city of mercenaries and merchants is getting loaded with mercenaries more than ever, with mercenaries from various ces entering the city every second. With the lots of mercenariesing, the customers entering the House of Roses to court the girls and sleep with them keeps on increasing as well, letting the three girls no room to slip outside and visit their man. They have heard from the other mercenaries that went to visit the house that the elite group filled with the Mythril-ranked mercenaries had returned from the quest they got from the guildmaster. It means that their man must have returned as well. Considering how he hadn''t visited them yet, none of the three ever thought that their man is currently in the middle of a passionate battle with his subus spirit. (He must be thinking to be considerate since it might make us feel bad if he''s here and we can''t attend to him because of the customers. I guess I''ll go to his inn and give him my ''attentionter. I''ve finished my aphrodisiac potion as well, Hehehe~) (Belle) (He might be exhausted because of the battle with the goblins as well. There might be goblin champions on their they went yesterday as well. It would be wiser for him to take some rest since tomorrow will be even tougher. I guess I should go to his inn and give him some massageter) (Xena) (I can''t wait for my turn, but since he must be tired, it can''t be helped. I guess I''ll visit his inn after I finished my shift) (Alina) The three of them continue their work even more enthusiastically than before, oblivious to what Lyan is currently doing. ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 53 Lyan The Incubus: Glimpse Of The Chaos In The Demon World (1) ? ********************************************************* ---Lilith''s PoV--- Red skies. ck sun. The suffocating air that is filled with malice. How nostalgic, how long has it been since I saw the demon world, I wonder. To think that I will be seeing this scenery again, how unexpected. The memories of me getting the help of the subus and incubus tribe to find a way to flee from this world shed through my mind. My hurtful past, my arrogant family, and the tribe that epted to hide me and help me flee. I thought running away from the demon world was the right choice, but it turns out that no matter what world you are in, there will always be trickery and deception, malice and hate, betrayals and sad endings. I should stop. What use of getting the bad memories returning to the surface. If I''m not mistaken, there is a voice that appeared after my intercourse with master, so is this a dream? I don''t really remember what the voice said. Ah... My neck is starting to get hurt because of looking up to the sky too much. Now, where am I- "What... Is this...?" The vige? No, I remember nothing about the vige getting destroyed. But this gate... It''s impossible for me to forget it... [Vige of Facy Mist] Even the name of the vige is written, it''s without a doubt the tribe''s vige, but why? "Why is everything destroyed?" The buildings, the houses, the granary, the storehouses, and the walls, everything had fallen to the ruin. "Why...?" A lie. This must be a bad dream. It must be. It must be! "Anyone!! Is there anyone here!?" I force my trembling legs to move, and my eyes widen as I search for anyone that might be still inside the vige. "Anyone!? Anyone!?!?" I shouted at the top of my lungs, but no one replied. Nothing. Only the ruins remained, striking me with horror and grief at the same time. "Please..." My vision started to blur as the tears are rushing to get out of my eyes. "Please... Anyone..." My voice became hoarse, I must have been shouting with my all might. I continue to walk weakly, but my trembling legs couldn''t bear it any longer. The pain is real, the shock is real, and the sensation of everything is real. Is this really a dream? Don''t tell me, I''ve really gotten brought back to this world? Or maybe, my memories about the human world and me bing a contracted spirit of the master were also just a dream? Don''t tell me- "Lyan..." A hoarse and weak sound uttered a familiar name. At that moment, my eyes widened, the strength of my legs returned, and I force myself to rise. I don''t know why my master''s name is appearing in my dream, but more importantly, there is a survivor! I hurriedly went in the direction of the source of the voice, but what I saw was... "Lyan... Everything... Is your fault..." The man''s voice got even clearer in my ears. The sight of two demons, incubuses, entered my vision. One is weakly sitting on the ground with its back on a wall of a ruined house. He got a huge hole in his body, there are no legs under his torso, and there are no arms attached to his body. "Everything... Wouldn''t happen... If you humans... Didn''te to this world..." The man''s words seem to be filled with anger, but his tone contained more sadness and guilt instead. "I know," On the other hand, the other man is on his knees, clenching his fist as if he''s trying to rip his palm with his nails. His voice filled with emptiness, but it was just the endless depth of his sadness. They have the same purplish skin, red and hideous horns, and a serpentine tail, indicating that they are from the Incubus tribe. "Hahaha... I''ve told you... You need to stop... Get easily... to me... Yourself... You idiot..." The dying one let out a smallugh. "I''m sorry... Even though all of us promised... To fight with you until... The end..." "It seems like... You''re once again... All alone... Forgive me..." The dying man let out tears from his eyes, but the kneeling man remained silent. "Even though... You''ve saved us... From the endless... Suffering... It seems that you have to... Suffer alone again..." With his tears soaking his face, the dying man let out a sad smile. "Remember... Our promise... One day..." "Beyond the horizon... Without getting bound by... Fate..." "One day..." "We''ll meet again..." "So never forget, Lyan..." "Our journey... And our encounter..." "May the... Future sides... With..." The man let out hisst breath before he was capable of uttering hisst word toplete the sentence. "I will, Marduk. Even if the world forgets, I alone will remember. So now, you need to rest," The other man gently closed the dead man''s eyes. "I will... Avenge all of you..." Uttered the man with a voice filled with hatred. As he slowly lift his body up, his profile started to get even more visible in my sight. Even though his skin color and the characteristic of his body are different, I didn''t forget that face. It''s the face of a person that I just slept with, the guy chosen as my master. Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. "M-Mas-" As I was about to call him, I sensed a great danger from behind me. "Wha-" It''s a ck monster with no eyes, crawling all four with a height the same as mine. Its eyeless face made it look horrific. But I''m not just a normal girl, don''t underestimate me! "Burn in the me of eternity, [me of Abyss]!!" I shouted as I gather my mana to form the magic- Mana? Why can''t I feel my mana? "Grrrrrrrr!" The monster growled and opened its mouth wide. Eh? I''m going to die? But this is just a dream, right? *sh!* Suddenly a sound of a sword shing through a hard thing sounded. It happened so quickly. The monster''s head got torn beautifully and cleanly by a zing red katana. "Who are you?" The incubus version of master stared at me with his dead eyes. His cold eyes that look like I''m staring at the abyss made me feel like I''m getting absorbed by it. My heart pounded loudly as fear shrouded me because of that gaze. This is the first time I saw that look of his. Wait. This is not my memory. Then this... Are these master''s memories...? "Are you a stray? Hm? You have the blood of vampires on you, so you''re a mix?" Master continues to ask. "This ce is dangerous. Go hide under there for a moment, I need to take care of the pests around here first," said him. Despite of his cold look and voice, his words are warm and filled with concern. I reply with a nod and went to the ce he motioned with his head and hid. Since I couldn''t use my magic and couldn''t even sense my mana, I''m basically just a weak woman right now. Why am I here? Is this the summoning grimoire''s doing? Is it showing his memories because of our intercourse? My vision silently followed where master went, and suddenly- *Boom!* I''ve seen it at the games Griselda and Eira yed. It''s something called a ''re Gun'' or something. The ck smoke spread above, giving a signal to whatever he intended to. After several seconds, rumbling could be heard from all over the ce. *Rumble!* *Rumble!* *Rumble!* *Rumble!* *Rumble!* The ground shakes because of the amount of ''creatures'' approaching the source of the ck smoke. Different kinds of ck creatures that are eyeless just like the monster the master killed to save me before approaching him. Hundreds of them. They started to get even closer to him, but he remained silent. Is he trying to die!? "Mas-" As I was about to call his name to bring him back to his senses, a thin voice entered my ears. "[Limit Break]!" (Lyan) *WHOOSH!!!!!* Violent winds are sent to the surroundings, and powerful shockwaves sent the ck monsters nearby him around, making them crash towards the house ruins and other blocks. His long hair flutters in the air as he got covered with a great amount of purple mana aura. With a red and blue sword in each respective hand, the master killed the monsters one by one with a huge roar. Like a madman, he killed them one by one, but despite of his roar and his face that is filled with anger and hatred, his movements are beautiful and efficient. As if he were dancing, with every elegant step he took, several ck monsters died. "He''s... An Incubus...?" Not long after, all of the ck creatures surrounding him got shed and killed. He let none of them go, and make sure to finish every single of them. It''s obvious that they are the reason why the vige was destroyed. "So this is... His past..." Chapter 54 Lyan The Incubus: Glimpse Of The Chaos In The Demon World (End) ?Hundreds of ck corpses motionlessly lie on the ground. A pool of ck blood covers the surroundings of him as his lonely back stood in the middle of the corpses. Slowly, the corpses and the blood turned into ck particles, as if they got burned by a me. It''s the characteristic of the demon world, every being that died wouldn''t have their corpses intact and rots like how corpses in the human world. In the demon world, the world will consume it, and the mana contained on its flesh, its skin, its bone, and its blood will return to the air and the world. As countless ck particles float into the air, the figure in the middle of it continues to stare at the particles with a pair of emotionless eyes. He looks like a person that lost his soul. As the scene unfolds, I could only stare at the sight as my chest tightened, making me hard to breathe. Looking at his robust body, his hands and legs that are filled with wounds, just how long has he been fighting? How long has he been inside this living hell? *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* He started to walk forward. He didn''t take a single look at his friend that has died since he knew, as the battle ended, his body would have disappeared into the same ck particles. As if he''s used to farewells, he continues walking forward with big strides. "Wait!" I called him as I ran towards him. He stopped in his tracks and slightly turns his head back. As his gaze fell on me, his eyes widened for a moment. "Ah. So you''re real," said him. "Eh?" (Lilith) "Seems like you''re not a hallucination. Sorry, I told you to hide, didn''t I?" A small chuckle left his mouth. A hallucination? Does he often see such things? "I''m not! And... Where are you going? What exactly happened to the vige? Where is everyone? What is happening to this world?" Just like a broken dam, after letting out one question, the other questions that had been hanging inside my mind immediately poured out themselves. Responding to my horde of questions, his eyes flinched as if he noticed something. "I''ll exin to youter. For now, follow me. We need to go to a safe ce first," (Lyan) Ah. He''s right. We''re in the middle of a ruin right now, aren''t we? This is not the right ce to ask for an exnation. "You''re right..." "Seems that you still have a considerable amount ofposure. Come, follow me," (Lyan) He continued his walk. We went outside the vige, and then we went to the thing that I''ve seen in a magazine inside the Master''s room. It''s something like a horse, but it seems that it''s made of iron and steel. "This is called a motorcycle. Use these things, we''re going to a rather far ce," He said as he handed me some kind of a helmet and a piece of jacket. "Hop on," He said, motioning me to ride behind him. I obediently followed, and the steel horse suddenly vibrates and let out a big sound as it started moving. *Vroom!!!* It''s fast! I hug Master''s body in reflex because of the unexpected speed of the motorcycle. It''s strange. Maybe because I couldn''t use my mana, and my physical body seems to get weaker, but it felt like I''m getting more nervous than I ever felt before as I hugged my master''s body. "Hold on. We''re going faster," (Lyan) Eh? We''re going faster? *VROOM!!!!!* The speed increased by about three folds from before. I immediately hugged him more tightly than before. I don''t know how long, but we surely travel for more than four hours at such a high speed before we finally arrived at a ce that looks like master''s base. "This is...?" Rather than a base, it looks like an abandoned building. The buildings are covered with moss and other nts, some of their windows are broken, and some parts of the building were destroyed. But these buildings are definitely not a building that this world could make. It''s the knowledge of Master''s original world. "These buildings were the former headquarter of the humans. Now, it''s my personal base. Let''s go," (Lyan) "O-Okay..." (Lilith) I followed master and entered the building that is located in the middle of the buildings. The building''s materials are even more impressive than the materials of master''s room. Walls of thin ss, soundproof walls, moving stairs, and other high-tech features. Even though the outside looks like it had fallen to ruin, the inside is still intact and it seems that most of the features could still work. The other buildings outside look as impressive as this building. I wonder if the inside of the buildings are as impressive or even more impressive than this building... "The buildings here are all the presidents'' and prime ministers'' pces from my former world. For some reason, all of the buildings got transported to this world. Even the underground rooms got teleported to this world as well. Well, it''s a good thing since the secret high-tech devices and techs from various countries got teleported as well," (Lyan) "Presidents? Prime ministers?" Are they nobles like dukes and archdukes or royalties like kings that they got such impressive pces? "Ah... You don''t know the term presidents and prime ministers, huh... They are people like kings and emperors here. They are the head of their countries," (Lyan) We entered a room and a huge iron door blocked our way. Master went to the wall beside the iron door and tapped on a device that are stuck to it. *Beep!* *Beep!* The small device beeped, and the huge iron door slowly got opened by itself, revealing the inside of the room. But the sight beneath the huge iron door, isn''t the sight that I was expecting. I was expecting an even higher technology of Master''s world to be disyed and used inside it, but the sight that entered my vision was some kind of a ce that used to be a gathering ce. "This is..." (Lilith) "This is our living quarter. Well, it''s only mine now, though. Are you starving?" (Lyan) "Eh?" (Lilith) *Growl~* As if my stomach was waiting for that question, my stomach let out a big growl, painting my face red with embarrassment. "Looks like you are starving. Come here, I''ll make something quick," Master said as he let out a small chuckle. Master then leads me to one of the rooms. When he opened the door, a ce that seems to be a decent living quarter entered my vision. Is this his room in this ce? "You can sit anywhere. I''ll make something quick," (Lyan) I replied with a nod. Without looking behind, master went straight to the kitchen and started to put out the ingredients for the food. My butt is still kind of sore because of the hours of traveling on the motorcycle, I think I''ll stand and look around for a while. So this is master''s room in the demon world, huh... My eyes wandered around the room, and stopped at a certain ce. It''s the pictures on top of a shelf. I approached it and saw a picture of dozens of people in military uniforms with smiles on their faces. Considering the red sky above them, this must be a picture of Master and hisrades here in the demon world. "Ah... That picture, huh..." Master''s voice suddenly sounded from behind, making me startled. Did he finish preparing the food already? So fast? "That was the old picture of me and myrades. Here," Master handed me a bowl of hot noodle soup simr to the one I ate inside Master''s room with the other spirits. "Sorry but, this is the fastest thing to make. I hope you like it," (Lyan) "Thank you," I epted the bowl and ate the noodles. It''s still hot, but maybe because of the hunger, I could somehow bear the hotness and eat the noodle soup. But Aren''t I supposed to be unable to feel hunger? It''s strange. Maybe because suddenly got summoned into the demon world within Master''s memories shocked me, I can''t seem to think clearly and make the proper judgment. Too many ruins, empty towns, and unexpected sights made me shocked to the point that I''m acting like a lost little girl. I don''t know which one surprised me the most, but maybe... I take a peek at master that was looking at me eating the noodle soup with an emotionless face. "About your questions from before. I''ll answer you slowly, so you can continue to eatfortably," He suddenly said. Maybe he took my nce as a signal of my curiosity about when he will reply to my questions. I replied with a nod. "About what happened to the vige. The vige got destroyed by the ck monsters you''ve seen before, and currently the only remaining member of the tribe is me. Everyone died," (Lyan) Eh...? *tter!* *tter!* I dropped the fork because of the sudden shocking news delivered to me. ? "Everyone...? Died...?" "Yes. Not even a single soul remained except for mine in our tribe. For what happened to the world, the demon world is currently being invaded by the evil dragon god, Tiamat," (Lyan) Evil dragon god... "The evil god devoured the South continent and made everything inside pitch ck, we called it the Abyss. The ck monsters you just saw, they are beasts of the abyss. There are arge variety of them, and the ones you saw before are the weakest of them," (Lyan) Those are... The weakest...? "My purpose here currently is to devote a n to destroy the-" (Lyan) *Ding!* *Ding!* *Ding!* The sound of a bell rang, and Master widened his eyes. With a grim face, he went behind me and forcefully closed my ears. "Eh? What is-" !?!?!? *ROOAAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* The whole building vibrated. It felt as if the whole continent suddenly shook. What is that? What is that sound? It got suppressed and muffled because of Master''s hands, but I could still hear how terrifying that roar is. That roar sends shivers to my whole body, but somehow, because of the warmth in my ears, my body didn''t tremble in fear. "Mas-" When I turn my head up, I saw master looking at me with a gentle face. But that face, it''spletely different from the face that I just saw. It''s the face of the usual master in the present world. "Lilith," The master called me with a gentle voice. "Mas... Ter?" At that moment, I realized something. Rather than realizing it, I guess I remembered something. Subus and incubus are masters in mind and illusion magic. One of the magic we possess is the ability to read memories. High-ranked ones could read the memories of a person in a very short moment. Did he just... Read my memories...? "This world is too harsh and too cruel for you to see. It''s time for you to return to your time axis," (Lyan) "Eh? Wait, master-" "Seems like I''m having a lot of fun on that side. Give my regards to the other and my future self, would you? Tell him thanks. It seems that I managed to fulfill my promise well," (Lyan) *Snap!* Together with the snap of his fingers, suddenly my vision cked out, and intense drowsiness assaulted me. Please... About this dream... Don''t make me... Forget it... Chapter 55 World Of Memories: Lilith Nyx Shyama (1) ?At the moment Lilith heard the prompt mentioning her to enter the world of memories, Lyan heard a different prompt inside his head as well. (World of memories?) (Lyan) Lyan wondered to himself, and after he blinked, suddenly the scenery around him changed. Crowded streets,ughing voices of children, and houses and buildings that seem to be older than the buildings ha seen in the city of Arkansas. "Where am I...?" Lyan uttered to himself. Suddenly, a blue screen appeared before him. "Hm?" Lyan narrowed his eyes as he focus on the words written on it. [The host is currently in the world and era where the [Spirit of Chaos: Lilith Nyx Shayma] used to live] [Everything in this world is alive and is capable of responding to the host''s behavior. But every choice and change the host made in this world will not affect what the future holds] [The host is capable of summoning all of his summonable monsters and utilizing his full strength in this world. But the contracted spirits are not summonable in this world] [The summonable monsters could umte experiences and grow in this world. The [Ritual of Love] done in this world could also produce a summonable monster of the grimoire of summoning] [The host is capable of bringing back any items he''s directly touching to the real world] [The total duration for the host to stay inside the world of memories is [48 hours]. The host is capable of returning faster bymanding the summoning grimoire, and the remaining hours will be umted for the next allowed ess] [The maximum amount of time of one attempt in the world of memories is [4 Hours]. The remaining hours will be saved for the next allowed ess] Suddenly, the blue screen disappeared from Lyan''s sight after he finished reading it, and the countdown that started at 04:00:00 appeared in the corner of Lyan''s eyes. "I see..." Lyan processed the words he just read from the blue screen. "So this is like a game world designed ording to Lilith''s memories, huh..." (Lyan) "It mentioned that the monsters could umte experiences, it means that I could make them simr to leveling up here? And the [Ritual of Love] done here could also make me get a summonable monster, huh..." (Lyan) "And more importantly... I can bring back anything that I can touch directly..." (Lyan) Lyan focused on the statement that allowed him to bring back anything that he can touch directly. (It means that I could get anything that I want from this world back, right? Then if I got a sack filled with golds, I would be able to return and bring it back as well!? Damn! This is getting exciting!) (Lyan) Lyan got excited, thinking that he could do anything he want in this world. Not to mention that this time, there are no spectators that are looking at what he''s doing from inside his mind. (I can''t summon the contracted spirits, but it seems that I could still use the mana that I got from them. I could still feel their mana that I got before...) (Lyan) "Now... I''ve been wondering for a while now. I''m in the middle of a crowded street, but no one even nces at me. Am I invisible?" (Lyan) Suddenly, a bigger blue screen than before appeared before him. [Choosing random role for the host...] *Ding!* [Castle Guard!] *Whoosh!* The scenery blurred, and Lyan suddenly stands at the gate of a castle. "T-This is...?" (Lyan) Once again, the blue screen appeared before Lyan. [Castle Guard. You are one of the castle guards that falls directly under the rule of the Arzentine Kingdom''s queen. Your shift of duty is from 06:00 AM to 14:00 PM. The queen has considerable trust in you, and might ask you to do some personal errands outside your shift. The job of a castle guard is to patrol around the castle for the duration of the shift, and eliminate any unwanted intruders that entered the castle] (I see... So I''m going to be ying a role here, huh...) (Lyan) [The rule of the world of memories: 1. If the host died, the world will restart to the beginning. 2. The second time the host entered the world of memories, the host will continue where he left at the first time. 3. If the owner of the memory world died, the world will restart to the beginning. 4. The longer the host finished the [Hidden Quest], the fewer the reward of finishing the quest will be given] (A hidden quest!? A reward!? It means that I''ll be getting something if Iplete whatever quest the summoning grimoire gave me, right?) (Lyan) "Hm..." Lyan analyzed the rules of the world that are written on the blue screen. (So in order to prevent the world from restarting, I''m going to need to prevent Lilith from dying here, huh...) (Lyan) "Hey! Lyan! It''s time for you to patrol around!" A female voice entered Lyan''s ears. Lyan turns his back, and saw a blonde woman d in full armor walking toward him. (She is...?) (Lyan) As Lyan wondered what he should respond to her with, the blue screen appeared beside the woman. [Auretta Viltiana (Castle Guards Captain) A beautiful female guard serving directly under the queen of the Arzentine kingdom. She is the superior of the castle guard, Lyan, and the feared immovable fortress of the castle. Affection rate: 50% (Acquantance)] (This is... Character information! Just like a game! So she''s the captain...) (Lyan) "Yes, captain," Lyan replied with a small bow of his head, and went straight to the hall where the captain of the castle guards had juste from. (So this is the route of the patrol, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan stared at the blue screen before him that is showing theyout of the whole castle. There are yellow lines that are highlighted by the map, Lyan could zoom in and zoom out the map, and there is also a blue dot that seems to be showing his position. (This truly is a game...) (Lyan) Lyan slowly followed the route of patrol and observes the surroundings. The castle is well-protected. The design of the castle is great and very secure, and the faces of the maids and servants Lyan encountered along his patrol have smiles all over their faces. (It seems that the ruler of this castle is a great person) (Lyan) Lyan holds the spear in his hand and continues to walk. He''s wearing full armor befitting a castle guard of the royal castle of a kingdom, and a high-quality spear that could pierce a person wearing full armor easily. Along the way, Lyan didn''t just aimlessly patrol and observe the surroundings like he was sightseeing. He''s pondering his ns on this [World of Memories]. (The main problem is how to find Lilith and how to indirectly observe and protect her, I guess. It might be troublesome since I know close to nothing about this ce. This might be years before the present time in the Arkansas city. I guess for now, what I needed the most is information, huh... Oh yeah, I almost forgot) (Lyan) Lyan stopped at a certain part of the castle walls that are dested from people, and summon his monster. "Come, [Shadow Hobgoblin], [Papilio Slime], [Galewing Butterfly]!" (Lyan) Answering to his call, the three monsters appeared before him. The reason why Lyan didn''t summon the Rock Golem as well is because the size of the Rock Golem that would be difficult to hide and pass the walls. "Feel free to wander where you want to go. Go to the forest, kill and devour the monsters and magic beasts you found there, and have fun as you want. You too, Hobu. But I might need your help suddenly, so be ready, okay?" (Lyan) The three monsters replied with an intelligent nod before the three of them left the castle. Since the Papilio Slime and the Galewing Butterfly are capable of using high-leveled illusion magic just like him, the three of them left the castle without getting noticed rather easily. Since Lyan could observe them whenever he wants and contact them whenever he wants, he thought that letting them out to freely do whatever they want might be good. The Papilio Slime and the Galewing Butterfly must be bored since they got cooped inside the House of Roses all the time. (I can use the Galewing Butterfly to observe from the skies, the Papilio Slime also could fly, and when she is capable of splitting herself, I would be able to observe lots of things at the same time by taking advantage of that ability of hers, while Hobu will continue to be my personal shadow and do some errands for me) (Lyan) After summoning the three of them, there are three statuses appeared at the top left of his vision. [Hobu (Shadow Hobgoblin) Level: 12 HP: 100%/100%] [Pilia (Papilio Slime) Level: 1 HP: 100%/100%] [Galia (Galewing Butterfly) Level: 1 HP: 100%/100%] [Rock Golem] Level: 1 HP: 100%/100%] (This is getting more and more like a game! I''m excited!!) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 56 World Of Memories: Lilith Nyx Shyama (2) ?(This capital is damn big...) (Lyan) After summoning his three monsters from the summoning grimoire, Lyan instructed the three of them to get out of the capital and went to the forest in an attempt to level them up and increase their strength. After they travel for about three hours, they finally left the walls of the capital by flying over them. Even though Lyan keeps on observing the progress of his summoned monsters, he didn''t ck on his role as one of the castle guards of the royal castle, and observes the surroundings as well. Along the way, he memorized theyout of the castle and the passages he went, and took a mental note of the sections and parts that are easy to be a hiding spot or a stealth passage inside his mind. (I got only less than 1 hour left, huh. I would like to find the Lilith in this world as soon as possible, but I guess I''m also interested in the leveling system inside this world. I''ll test whether the shadow hobgoblin could get even stronger faster inside here or not, then proceed using him to search for Lilith inside the capital) (Lyan) Several possibilities and ns crossed Lyan''s mind, but there is one major question that needed to be answered before he could make any decisive course of action. (Where Lilith might actually be?) (Lyan) Since he''s inside the huge world of memories where Lilith once used to live, he needs to know first where Lilith is in order for him to be capable of protecting her. If she''s not within his reach or supervision, then there is nothing he could do to prevent her death. (The first thing to do is the process of elimination, huh...) (Lilith) Lyan pondered on the information that he currently possesses. (Lilith is a subus, but she has the fangs and the eyes of a vampire as well. I vividly remember the ce she died, it''s somewhere inside a prison, but not underground considering the brightness of the room. It''s more like...) (Lyan) Lyan''s eyes wandered through his surroundings, and he stopped in a certain direction. The great tower behind the royal castle. (Don''t tell me... It''s that tower...? Map!) (Lyan) The map of the castle appeared before Lyan. It showed the ces of within the castle, but some of the ces like rooms and other secret ces are hidden. (I need to see it first before it will appear on the map, huh... The problem is... The tower or its surroundings are not within my patrolling route... This is a problem...) (Lyan) Since this is the castle of a kingdom that has such a big capital, the castle guards guarding the castle from inside and outside have quite the amount as well. Judging from his observation, the western part of the castle that is part of his patrolling route alone has about 80 guards guarding and patrolling all over the ce. "But looking at their smiles, the royal family must have a lot of money and generous enough to give them a satisfying amount of sry, huh..." (Lyan) "You''re right! The king and the queen are very generous indeed!" A woman''s voice suddenly sounded from behind him. Lyan turns his back, and when he saw the person, he gave a small bow. "Captain," (Lyan) "Since they are very generous, we need to make sure that the golds they gave us are not for vain. So I''ll be punishing those who are cking and not doing their works harshly myself!" The captain of the castle guards, Auretta, said with a stern smile as she put her hand on her hips. (Whoa... A straightforward woman as the captain of the castle guards, huh...) (Lyan) "Yes, captain," (Lyan) "Hm. It seems that you''re not cking. Those who are cking usually jolted in fear when I said those threatening words. I guess you''re one of the honest working guards, huh," Auretta said with a pleased smile. "I''m not worthy of your praise, captain," Lyan replied humbly. The thought of getting into Auretta''s good side to get the permission to wander towards the castle''s royal tower crossed Lyan''s mind for a moment, but depending on people''s affection when he only has little duration inside the world is too unreliable. (All I need is to make sure that I didn''t get into her bad side) (Lyan) "Heh! You''re a humble one, aren''t you, Lyan? Continue the good work," Auretta taps Lyan''s back and went on her way. (She left, huh. An honest and straightforward person, not that I hate it, though) (Lyan) Lyan continue his patrol, but he suddenly got a calling call from his three summonable monsters. (Hm? Ah! They finally found some monsters!) (Lyan) Lyan focused his mind on the sight of the Shadow Hobgoblin, and saw that three of them encountered a group of ten green slimes. (Hm... Since the shadow hobgoblin''s level is quite big enough, the possibility of his level getting increased from killing those green slimes is slim. I guess let''s have the Papilio Slime face them!) (Lyan) Lyan sent hismand from his thoughts,manding the Papilio Slime to finish the green slimes, and the Shadow Hobgoblin and Galewing Butterfly to cover her from behind. (Now. Let''s see how the Papilio Slime faces the green slimes) (Lyan) The Papilio Slime possesses a great amount of illusion mana and an adequate amount of dark mana. Since her opponent is the green slimes, her poisonous powder might be ineffective as well. (Oh. She''s going) (Lyan) The Papilio Slime boldly jumps from the tree and enters the sight of the green slimes. As if getting triggered by her presence, the green slimes immediately jumped and approached her, attempting to attack her. But calmly, the Papilio Slime faces the green slimes without being startled. As Lyan is watching from the shadow hobgoblin''s eyes, Lyan saw the Papilio Slime''s body got covered by dark mana. And at the next moment. *Stab!* *Stab!* *Stab!* *Stab!* *Stab!* *Stab!* *Stab!* *Stab!* *Stab!* ck spikes appeared from underground, stabbing the green slimes right on their magic cores, killing them immediately. The precision of the ck slimes surprised Lyan, but the size of the ck spikes surprised him even more. (Those ck spikes are as tall as a person, that spell is too overkill...) (Lyan) A blue screen suddenly appeared in the corner of Lyan''s vision. [Pilia (Papilio Slime) has leveled up!] "Oh! She finally leveled up!!" (Lyan) Lyan nced at the corner of his sight where the status bars of the summonable monsters could be seen. [Pilia (Papilio Slime) Level: 2 HP: 100%/100%] (I''ve been wondering for a while... These Pilia, Galia, and Hobu are their given names, huh... I guess I will have to call them by their given names from now. Pilia and Galia are names given by Belle and Xena, huh?) (Lyan) Lyan focused his mind and saw that the size of Pilia has gotten a little bit bigger than her original size. (She really got bigger! We still have less than 30 minutes! Let''s go find more monsters and level up!!) (Lyan) Following Lyan''s order, the three summonable monsters went deeper into the forest to search for monsters they could kill for them to level up. But after a while, they finally found dozens of direwolves gathering around three corpses of deers. (Oh. Looks like they are in the middle of their meal. Pilia, time to try your poisonous powders. Galia, you wait for the right moment to finish them off. Hobu, protect the two of them) (Lyan) The three monsters followed Lyan''s orders obediently. Pilia stretched her butterfly wings, and gently ps them. Slowly, small purple powders started to appear. As if the poisonous powders are following her orders, they slowly went toward the ce where the direwolves are eating. Not long after, one of the direwolves started to stop its moves. The other direwolves stared and wondered about its strange behavior, and the leader of the pack realized that there are something wrong, but it was already toote. All of them already inhaled the poisonous powders from Pilia''s butterfly wings, paralyzing their body. (Now! Galia!) (Lyan) Swiftly, Galia flew to the sky and pped her wings. The force she used on her wings are gentle, but at that moment, the nearby trees suddenly got hit by powerful winds, making the trees drop lots of their leaves. *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* The direwolves body suddenly got cleanly sliced into two parts, making the scene bloody. (Whoa... The two of you are so strong!!) (Lyan) [Pilia (Papilio Slime) has leveled up!] [Galia (Galewing Butterfly) has leveled up!] [Galia (Galewing Butterfly) has leveled up!] [Galia (Galewing Butterfly) has leveled up!] (Yes! Now Pilia is level 2 and Galia is level 3! time to-) (Lyan) Suddenly, a loud voice sounded from the inner castle''s gate. "The queen''s leaving the castle!!!!!!" Lyan is currently at the main gate of the castle which is his original guarding post. (The queen?) (Lyan) Lyan shifted his gaze, but the sight of the so-called queen made him widen his eyes. (L-Lilith!?) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem Chapter 57 They Woke Up ?The gorgeous purple hair that flutters as she descends from the stairs. The captivating face that looked as if she was sculpted. Her face is definitely the face of the person that Lyan had just saw not long before. (Lilith!? But... She is totally different...) (Lyan) All of her body moves gracefully, even the smile on her face is as graceful, befitting the title of a queen. Lyan could not find thesciviousness and flirtatious personality that she usually shows as the spirit of chaos. (And somehow, that white dress fits her rather well... So Lilith is... The queen...?) (Lyan) Suddenly, a big blue screen appeared before Lyan. [The duration of the first entry has over] (Time''s up, huh...) (Lyan) *Whoosh!* As if a circuit breaker on an apartment got flipped to off, Lyan''s surroundings suddenly changed into pitch-ck. (Eh? Shouldn''t I be back in the real world by now?) (Lyan) Suddenly- *Whoosh!!!!* Powerful winds appeared from the surroundings, startling Lyan and forcing him to close his eyes. "W-What is... This...?" Lyan uttered as the shocking sight entered his vision when he opened his eyes back. "This is the castle...?" (Lyan) The walls had gottenpletely broken, everything burned, the castle got fallen into ruin, and the buildings of the capital are all destroyed as well. Corpses and pools of blood could be seen everywhere. The scene is very familiar to the scenes that Lyan usually saw in the demon world when he was an Incubus. *Growl!* Lyan shifted his gaze towards the direction of the source of the sound, and saw a disgustingly familiar silhouette of a beast. "What are you doing here, beast...?" Lyan gripped the handle of the sword on his waist tightly as the veins on his hands bulged, showing his rage. But suddenly, another silhouette passed through Lyan and stopped right in front of him. "Eh?" (Lyan) A man d in ck. Opening his arms wide as if he''s weing the beast to east him, he let out a sinisterugh as he watched the scene. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Magnificent! Magnificent!! May the grace of the god befalls this world!!!!!" The man shouted heartfully. Hearing those words, Lyan immediately realizes who is the real cause of the destruction. *Whoosh!* Swiftly, Lyan attempted to behead the man''s head with his sword, but the sensation of his attack being connected to his target couldn''t be felt. (As I thought... I''m currently invisible, huh...) (Lyan) "HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!" The man continues tough heartfully like a mad man. Lyan stared at the man with a pair of cold eyes. His eyes are filled with madness, as if there is nothing but his faith could be seen in those eyes. There is a tattoo on his wrist. The tattoo of a skeleton with a pair of horns on top of its head. "Believer of the evil god, huh... To think that there are people like that in this world..." (Lyan) Lyan organized his breath and calm himself down. And suddenly, once again, the circuit breaker of the world flipped, making the whole surroundings pitch ck. But this time, Lyan could feel his consciousness being drawn as well. Rather than being drawn to the deep part of a sea, it felt like he was getting pulled out of the sea. ***************************************** !!! Lilith and Lyan wake up at the same moment. As expected, they fell asleep right after they finished theirst round. Lilith is lying on top of Lyan with Lyan''s thing still inside her cave. Looking at the pair of sad eyes in front of him, Lyan widens his eyes. "Lil-" (Lyan) Lilith suddenly hugs Lyan tightly, burying his face in her chest. Her body is slightly trembling, and her heart is beating furiously. "Lilith. It''s fine," This time, Lyan called Lilith with a softer and gentler voice as he caress her back. Gradually, the trembling stopped, and Lilith let Lyan go of her embrace. Looking at the pair of scarlet eyes of hers, Lyan asked her gently. "Did you see my past?" (Lyan) "Nn..." Lilith answered with a nod. "You can tell me slowly. What did you see?" (Lyan) With his palm gently caressing her back, the soft touch and the warmth of his hand calmed her down. Lilith exined what she saw from the beginning to the end. How she arrived at the world of memories at the Subus and Incubus vige that had fallen to ruin, how she saw the beasts of the abyss, how she met the past Lyan, and how she got escorted to his base. And how she heard the terrifying roar of the evil dragon god. "I see. It must be a very terrifying experience to feel firsthand. I''m d my other self immediately sent you back," (Lyan) "I was surprised, you know!? Those cold eyes suddenly turn into your current eyes! And how did that version of master could send me back anyway!?" (Lilith) "I doubt he really knows how to send you back. I suppose that he only put you into a deep sleep simr to aa. Since in this case, it''s more like a dream, he must have assumed that falling into a state simr to death will wake you up," (Lyan) "I see... By the way, master. You really are experienced with women, aren''t you?" Lilith said with a small pout. What she meant is how he easilyfort her and made her stop trembling. "Am I? I''m just a naturally warm-hearted guy, that''s all," (Lyan) "And your thing is still rock hard inside me. What a pervert. Do you have limitless stamina? My body still feels heavy and exhausted, by the way, but you''re keeping on rubbing the walls. Don''t move too much, okay? It''ll make me lose my mind because of the pleasure. But don''t let it out yet either," (Lilith) "As you wish, my queen," (Lyan) "My queen? Ah... Did the grimoire... Showed you my past as well?" Asked Lilith as she buried her face in his chest. "Yeah. But honestly, I still didn''t know anything yet. My entry to the world of memories is different from what you experienced," (Lyan) This time, Lyan exined about what happened from his side. "You became a guard!? Pfft! What with that role-ying game-like setting? But I see... So you have to prevent my death, huh..." Lilith''s face darkens for a moment, but she swiftly hides it with a smile. "Of course, I have no intentions of asking you how you died," (Lyan) "Eh? You don''t?" (Lilith) "Yeah. Games are more interesting if you y without reading or hearing the walkthroughs, after all. I''ll be saving you even without you telling me how you died, your majesty the queen," Lyan rustled Lilith''s purple hair as he let out a chuckle. "Is that so...?" Lilith once again buried her face in his chest, but even without looking at her, Lyan knew that there is a smile imprinted on her face right now. Suddenly, a big blue screen appeared in the middle of them. [The allowed duration inside the Grimoire''s Space has run out. Summoning the host back to the original world] "Ah... It looks like we run out of time," (Lyan) "Yeah. What a shame. Even though I''m starting to get addicted to your thing inside me," (Lilith) ck and purple particles started to gather around Lyan''s body. *Kiss* Lilith pecked Lyan''s lips and made a flirtatious smile. "That was amazing. Maybe we could do it more frequently. It''s no matter whether we do it on this side or in the real world. Let''s do it again, okay?" Lilith winked flirtatiously. "dly," (Lyan) *Whoosh!* Lyan got summoned back to the room of his inn. "Ah... I left my clothes there, didn''t I?" Lyan said as he''s naked from head to toes. (Ah. I wonder if I can immediately use my clothes by summoning them right into my body) (Lyan) With his thought, Lyan summoned his clothes right to his body, intending to use them immediately, and- "It worked!" (Lyan) The clothes appeared right on his body, equipping them to him immediately without having him to wear them manually. "Now, it''s time to check on the grimoire, *Snap!*" Lyan snapped his fingers, summoning the summoning grimoire in front of him. *Flip!* *Flip!* Lyan checked the pages within the summoning grimoire. "Seems like there are more pages filled now..." (Lyan) [Gate: World of Memories The gate of soul that allowed the host to enter the world of memories of one of the avable targets. The world of memories has its rules and rewards that could bring benefits to the host. Avable targets: -Lilith Nyx Shyama (44 Hours Left)] "This is the world of memories page, huh..." Lyan continue to browse through the grimoire, and saw that there are some changes on the pages of his summonable monsters. There are now health bars and levels on their description, showing how high their level is and the approximation of their health. But unlike before, Lyan realized that there is no ''Evidence of Love'' appeared from their lovemaking. Maybe that feature didn''t include the contracted spirits on it. Lyan went to the cover of the [Summon] section, and the ck bar caught his attention. (T-The ck bars are increasing while it looks like it''s burning with ck mes!) (Lyan) The bar slowly gotpletely filled by the burning ck color that even overflows outside the bar, and- Again, a sound of roulette wheel spinning appeared, and- *Ding Dong!* [You got [Rare] monster] "Whoa! Rare!" (Lyan) *Whoosh!* The ck grimoire opened a certain nk page and started filed itself with ck and red particles. [Deadlight A living death that is born from a dense amount of elemental mana and mana of death. They are usually born from the corpses of great magicians and wizards that possess powerful regrets about their life, bringing forth a skeletal lord with powerful magic. Their giant ws are weapons and staff at the same time. Powerful magic could be used from those ws that act as a powerful magic medium. The deadlight is capable of raising corpses and forcing them to be his servant. His voice could disturb or even devours the soul of the living, and his gaze could petrify even a gant lion. Health: 100%/100% Status: Healthy Attribute: Death/Soul/Demonic Mood: Pleased] (It looks strong! I wanted to check his strength immediately, but I guess it''s time to check on the girls) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoned Monster: Deadlight> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight Chapter 58 The Start Of Rivalry (1) ?After giving the keys to the waitress of the inn waiting in the lobby, Lyan left the Schr''s inn and head towards the House of Roses. (It''s past the seventh bell already, they must be in the middle of working, aren''t they? I guess I''ll take a brief look at the girls and go to the guild to look for tomorrow''s ns) (Lyan) Halfway through, Lyan met a crowd of people hindering the way as if they are spectating something. "Oi, oi. Are they really going to go for it here?" "This is going to be a great fight!" "Yeah! A Mythril-ranked mercenary and a royal knight are going for it! Which one will win, I wonder?" "Isn''t it the royal knight from Astellia? Their knights are chosen from the best amongst the best, after all!" The crowd chattered with each other. Lyan could feel the excitement in their voices. Not only mercenaries, but the merchants, peddlers, and even the local residents of the city are looking at the sight with full excitement. (Is it a fight? But judging from their reactions, it seems that it''s more like a duel rather than a fight) (Lyan) "But rather than that... I guess I''m going to need to jump over the roofs to pass this crowd," Lyan was about to head to one of the deserted alleys and stealthily climb a house''s roof, but suddenly he felt someone tug his cloak from behind. "Hm?" Lyan turned his back, and saw Lichia with sweat profusely falling from her forehead. It''s clear enough that she had been searching for him. But despite so, her hair and attire are still tidy, and her breath is not ragged. It looks like she had gone to several ces in search of him, it''s enough to make her sweat, but it''s not bothering her much since her breath is still in order. (It seems that she''s used to searching for people in this big city) (Lyan) "I finally found you. I know that you had just returned from the subjugation this morning, but the guildmaster requested for you to join the council of war inside the guild in three hours," (Lichia) (Council of war, huh... Well, considering the scale of the battle, I guess it could also be called as a war with the goblins, huh. But why would he invite a gold-ranked mercenary like me?) (Lyan) "I doubt I''ll be any use there, though. I''m just a rookie in this field, after all, Miss Kukum," (Lyan) Lichia responds with a chuckle. "But you''re not a normal rookie. No normal rookie would be able to be a gold-ranked mercenary so quickly and defeat goblin champions. And once again, Li-chi-a! No need for honorifics!" Lichia said as she raise her index finger as if she were a mother scolding a child. "*Sigh!* Fine. I''ll be there after I finished my business," Lyan replied with a sigh. "Good. Do you mind me asking what kind of business you meant?" (Lichia) Lyan observed her. As an incubus, Lyan is well-versed in reading minds and emotions. But even so, guessing women''s intentions are one of the most difficult thing to guess unless he use the Incubus magic to directly peer right through the opponent''s mind. (She has been showing curiosity about me, but it seems that she has no intention of heading down any romantic route anytime soon. I guess she still can''t move on from that leader of the Crimson Talon, huh...) (Lyan) "I''m going to the House of Roses, though. Are you heading there as well? Want to go there together?" (Lyan) "You''re asking ady to such a ce, you''re quite a bold one, aren''t you? I know I''ve told you before, but I still gonna remind you again since this is important. There are lots of mercenaries that went bankrupt because they keep on buying things to please the girls of the House of Roses. I know you''ve acquired a great amount of money, but remember to manage them well, okay?" (Lichia) "Noted, mydy. Now, if you don''t mind, can I-" (Lyan) "Get out of the way! You''re going to get caught in the fight!!" Together with the vice, Lyan realized that the crowd had stepped aside and watched from the side of the road. Lyan swiftly pulled Lichia and follow suit. *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* After Lyan pulled her, the fight really went to their former position. They could see a knight wearing a formal te armor, and a familiar mercenary holding a red saber in his hand, desperately blocking the sword of the knight. "Jean... He''s fighting with the Astellia Kingdom''s royal knight, Rodrigo Diaz...?" (Lichia) Lyan took a nce at Lichia''s worried face, even though she was using herposed-looking face, he could see a hint of worry inside her eyes. (I''m thinking of traveling through roofs, but this is quite the battle. I guess they won''t be using their full power here, huh. That Jean guy isn''t using the power from his magic sword as well) (Lyan) When battling the goblin champions inside the goblinir, Lyan witnessed the strength of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries firsthand. They have high skills and abilities, but what made them even stronger are their equipment and their skills in wielding them effectively. Since a human''s usage and amount of mana is limited, a skillful fighter only uses their mana when they are about to move, attack, and defend. And with a skillful maniption of the mana inside their body, they could effectively focus their mana on the parts of their body ording to the situation they are in. The more skillful a person is in using their mana, the longer their mana willst. In a battle, there are two ways of deciding a battle. One is to finish the battle with pure skills and defeating before the opponent run out of mana, the second is the battle of endurance, defeating the opponent after the opponent depleted their mana and has no mana left to reinforce and strengthen their body. Because of the limited mana and human abilities of using mana, people like high-ranked mercenaries usually use magic weapons, armors, and items to add to their battle strategy. In the battle with the goblin champions inside the goblinir, Lyan witnessed Jean killing the goblin champion with his zing saber skillfully. (Well, he''s strong, charismatic, and not dumb. I guess it''s no wonder that there are lots of women wanted to get wooed by him) (Lyan) "Seems like you''ve gotten weaker, zing Talon!" The knight said with a big smirk on his face. "Hmph! We''ll see about that!" Jean replied with a scoff. Jean pulled his body back and evade the knight''s sword, and his leg swiftly stomped it to the ground. Without letting the knight recover his sword, he shed his saber towards him, forcing the knight to let go of his sword and retreat. "Can''t sword without a sword now, aren''t you? How about surrendering?" Jean provoked the knight as he pointed the tip of his saber toward him. As heughed and nced at the spectators one by one, his eyes stopped at Lichia for a moment, then Lyan, then their hands. (Ah. I forgot to let go of her hand) (Lyan) Lyan immediately let go of Lichia''s wrist, but he could feel that Jean is focusing on him from the corner of his eyes. (Ah... I really did it, didn''t I?) (Lyan) "Even without a sword, a knight is a knight!" The knight rushed with only his shield. Without replying, Jean pulled the knight''s sword from the ground, and dashed to his side. Suddenly, his red saber glowed, emitting red light, and- *Whoosh!* It''s a magic attack from his magic sword. Looking at the attack, the knight immediately dodged to the side, letting a vertical line of fire rushed toward Lyan''s direction. It''s definitely a deliberate attack aimed at Lyan. (''Don''t touch my woman, huh?'' It''s not like I deliberately did so, in the first ce. Looks like I have drawn unwanted attention again. I should have climbed the roof and gone to Belle and the others) (Lyan) As Lyan ismenting on his decision of watching the fight before him, Lichia panicked because of the iing fire, and was about to push Lyan away, but Lyan grabbed her hand, and pulled her into his embrace. "Eh?" (Lichia) (Since you attacked me first, I need to punish you a little bit, I guess? You''re dangering Lichia at the same time, after all) (Lyan) Lichia closed her eyes and braced for the pain from the fire, but suddenly- *Snap!* "Look, Lichia," (Lyan) Together with the sound of fingers snapping, Lyan''s gentle voice entered her ears. Following his words, Lichia slowly opened her eyes. "It''s flowers made from fire. Beautiful, isn''t it?" (Lyan) The approaching sh of me had gone, leaving a beautiful view before her. Not only her, everyone present is looking at the view with sparkling eyes. The vertical me approaching them suddenly transformed into flowers made from fire that slowly fell from the air. "Beautiful..." (Lichia) Chapter 59 The Start Of Rivalry (End) ?"Beautiful..." Lichia uttered as she saw the fire flowers slowly falling into the air. Her eyes sparkled in a daze, making her forget about Jean and his battle. *Tch!* Jean clicked his tongue when he nced at Lichia''s dazzling smile and her red cheeks. What irritates him the most is Lyan''s hand that is holding her waist, and the fact that she doesn''t seem to be bothered by his touch. The scene of Lichia in Lyan''s hands made Jean lose his focus on the battle. "I got you now!" The knight didn''t let the opportunity go and rushed towards Jean. Jean clicked his tongue and shed with the knight''s sword in his left hand, but the knight easily bashed it away, breaking Jean''s stance. The knight then grasp the opening and kicked him right in his groin, making him drop the knight''s sword. "Ugh!!!" Jean groaned in pain, but when he nce to the side, the view of Lichia leaning her head on Lyan entered his view, triggering his fury. "Bastard..." (Jean) At that moment, Jean''s reasoning disappeared. He activated his magic saber, and zing fire covered the sword. Raising the sword above, Jean took the stance to deliver a big blow. "You... You''re going to use that skill here!? Are you out of your mind!?" The knight shouted, bewildered. "Shut up!" Jean stared not into the knight, but towards Lyan that is standing in the distance behind the knight. "Dragon''s-" (Jean) Before Jean could finish his move, a figure stopped him. *nk!* A single blownded directly on the part of the handle Jean isn''t holding, forcing him to let go of his magic saber. "Y-You are..." (Jean) "Captain!" The knight salutes toward the figure. "Captain of the royal knights, The strongest knight, Julius Tergimand..." Jean uttered the name of the figure. "zing Talon. What do you think you are doing, attempting to use such a dangerous move in the middle of a city? Are that brain of yours is as mediocre as your mercenary name?" Julius''s cold voice resounded. "Tch! Shut up. It was supposed to be just a decoy. I have no intentions of activating it at all," (Jean) "Oh. So the activation of the engraved magic from the sword is something that you could non-activate in the middle of the process, I see? Then I would like you to show me how it works next time, zing Talon," (Julius) In face of Julius''s sound sarcasm, Jean clicked his tongue and went away with a scoff in shame. "C-Captain. I was just-" "You too, Rodrigo. Making a ruckus in the middle of a neighboring city and almost harming the citizens of our important ally city, you''re disgracing the royal family''s name. Consider yourself warned," (Julius) "Yes, captain. Forgive me for my mistakes," Rodrigo obediently apologized with a deep bow. "It''s fine. Just make sure not to get ahead of yourselves. We must not let any unwanted factor disarray his highness''s ns..." As Julius replied to Rodrigo, his mind wanders around the spectators. He''s searching for the cloaked man that blocked Jean''s me sh and turn it into beautiful fire flowers. Julius spotted Lichia searching for the cloaked guy that was behind her just a while ago, but the cloaked guy is nowhere to be found. (He''s gone, huh. Did he notice my attention?) (Julius) *************************************** "*Phew!* Finally managed to slip away. Let''s quickly take a look at the girls, I don''t have that much of time left," Lyan rushed towards the House of Roses as he jump from roof to roof. He''s using his illusion magic to travel stealthily and unnoticed. After several minutes, Lyan finally arrived at the House of Roses. Since he''s already well-known by all of the staff inside the house, they immediately weed him and told him to enter from the back door of the building that is only allowed for staff to use. ""Lyan!!"" The three of them jumped on him when they saw him. Coincidentally, the three of them are on their break in the living at the top floor of the house. So when Lyan arrived at the floor, the three of them greets him with a beaming smile as if they are blooming flowers. If the customers saw the scene right now, they would go crazy with jealousy because of the sight of the most popr girls acting like maidens in love with a single man. "Are you fine? Are you hurt?" (Belle) "Now that I touched it again, your arms are as hard as a rock..." (Alina) "Not even a single scratch could be seen, huh... As expected of my man!" (Xena) The three of them force open Lyan''s cloak and checked on his body, searching if there are any wounds on him. After finding out that there is not even a single scratch on his body, the three of them let out a sigh of relief and get amazed as well. But rather than amazed, they felt more proud because of the fact that their man didn''t get any wounds from going to the subjugation together with the other Mythril-ranked mercenaries. "Calm down, girls. I''m perfectly fine," (Lyan) After finishing hugging with each other for a while, Lyan told them what happened from the beginning to the end, but he skipped several details since he don''t have much time left. "I see... So you''re going back to the guild again, huh..." (Belle) "Well, tomorrow is the big day, after all. You must have a good rest for your body rather than having an ''intense workout'' with us. We can do it to our heart content after everything calms down," (Xena) "Yeah... I can wait for my turn next time..." (Alina) The three of them are reluctant to part with Lyan again, but since tomorrow is the start of the great battle with the goblins, it will be better for Lyan to have a full rest in order to fight in his top condition tomorrow. (I''m a lucky guy to have these considerate women for me alone) (Lyan) "By the way, Lyan!! Xena! Tell him!" Belle suddenly raised her voice. "Ah! You''re right! Lyan!! I could now use wind magic!!" said Xena with her face full of excitement. "Wind magic?" (Lyan) "Yes! Xena suddenly bes capable of using wind magic, and Belle suddenly got a great increase in her mana and magic!! The both of them got their sudden boost in strength after sleeping with you, you know!? I want it too!!" Alina grabbed Lyan''s shoulders and shakes him. Hearing Alina''s words, Lyan noticed something. (Wait. Don''t tell me, the monsters that have [Mother] are capable of giving their [Mother] their abilities as well? But considering what they said, it''s very highly that that''s the case!) (Lyan) "Yeah. You see, when we practiced yesterday, Galia suddenly sent me a thought, telling me to use a wind magic. I tried to make some wind by controlling my mana, and I suddenly feel a different kind and amount of mana that I didn''t possess before! It''s amazing!!" (Xena) "My mana pool also got increased for more than two folds, you know? Is that part of your ability as well?" Asked Belle in a whisper. "Hm. I don''t really know the details, but I guess so. I want to see your abilities as well, maybe we could try hunting monsters in the forest after everything ends together?" (Lyan) "You will!? Let''s go! We could also ept a quest together! Let''s do it! Let''s do it!" (Alina) "By the way, Lyan. I think it''s about time for you to go. It won''t be good if you''rete for the council of war, right?" Xena reminded him. (She''s right. It''s been a while since thest bell) (Lyan) "I guess it''s time to go. If you want, you can visit me at my inn, okay?" (Lyan) "I see. Then I guess we''ll bring our equipment there so we could depart to the walls immediately in the morning," (Alina) "The walls?" (Lyan) "Ah. The house is closed for tomorrow, you see. The mercenaries will focus on hunting the goblins, while the merchants will coop themselves up inside their buildings with their guards, so we won''t be having customers tomorrow. So most of the girls that could fight will be joining the defense corp of the city. We''re strong, so there''s no need to worry!" Alina sticks out her thumb cheerfully. "We''ll also have the Madam, gramps, Ravia, and Raine, so it will be fine," (Xena) "I see. remember to keep Galia and Pilia with you, they''ll help keep the three of you safe as well. I''ll be going, okay?" (Lyan) """Yes, Good luck!""" Getting wished a good luck by three beautiful girls, Lyan felt that he''ll get good things today. Lyan went straight towards the mercenary guild, unlike before, he rushed in feet by traveling on the roads rather than jumping from roof to roof. (It''s getting livelier every second, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan entered the crowded mercenary guild, and saw a figure looking at him with her arms crossed. "You finally arrived, Lyan," ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight Chapter 60 Council Of War ?Lichia stared at Lyan with a stern face as she crossed her arms. (Ah... Did I upset her?) (Lyan) "You finally arrived, Lyan. You''re quite daring, leaving me in the middle of the crowd to went straight to the House of Roses," (Lichia) (Oh. That one? I thought she was angry because I hold her hand and pulled her in my embrace) (Lyan) "Ah. Pardon my cluelessness, Lichia. But I thought that you only search for me to ry the information from the guildmaster to me, so since I consider our talk before was done, I decided to left quickly while the crowd is giving some way for me to walk. Did you perhaps have other things that you want to tell me?" (Lyan) "Eh? Tell you? I don''t... Tell me, Lyan. Are you always this mean to all girls, or do you just happen to have a grudge against me?" Lichia asked with a small pout. (Oh Damn, that''s cute) (Lyan) "Of course not. I''m genuinely clueless, that''s all," Lyan replied with a shrug. "And please, there''s no need to talk so politely with me. It makes me feel like we''re in a formal meeting every time that it''s tiring," (Lichia) *Sigh!* "Alright. Is this fine?" Lyan asked with a casual tone. "Yup. Without the sigh, it would be perfect," Lichia let out a smile of satisfaction. Since she''s a cool beauty that usually only wears a business smile on her face, her genuine smile could make any man fall for her immediately. "Follow me, Lyan. It''s almost time for the council of war to start," (Lichia) Lichia took Lyan to the same meeting room they used before the yesterday subjugation. After opening the door with a *Creak!*, just like before, all of the ones invited to the meeting had already arrived inside the meeting room, making Lyan thest one to arrive. "Looks like you arrived right on time, Evocatore. Take your seat," The guildmaster said with his usual expression as he stared right into Lyan''s eyes. Lyan replied with a nod. But unlike Rea, Lichia didn''t leave the room, and escort him to his seat. What surprised Lyan the most is how she seat right next to him as if it was the most obvious thing to do. (Hm... Unlike before, Everyone seems to not be bothered by my presence. Unlike several people that are clearly showing their hostility towards me...) (Lyan) Lyan closed his eyes and crossed his arms as he sensed the hostility from the direction of the Crimson Talon members. (The reason must be this girl...) (Lyan) Lyan squinted his eyes on Lichia beside him. She''s sitting close to him, just like how the other mercenaries sit nearly with their members. With her usual business smile on her face, she didn''t seem to be bothered by the questioning gaze of several male mercenaries inside the room. Noticing how Jean is hiding a murderous gaze behind his carefree smile, Lyan arrived at a conclusion of what Lichia''s behavior meant. (I see. So she''s trying to rile him up and make him jealous, huh. But I would be grateful if she didn''t use me for her lover war, though) (Lyan) After finishing concluding about what is happening before him, Lyan let out a helpless smile, and decided to just y along with whatever Lichia is nning. On the other hand, What is happening inside Lichia''s head ispletely different from what Lyan thought. Having left in the middle of a crowd when she went personally for him is the first experience Lichia ever experienced. A normal person usually would take the chance to extend their talk with her, but the person beside her just went ahead without caring about it. As one of the most popr receptionists of the guild, Lichia has her pride as being a beautiful woman. Getting treated so indifferently by Lyan kind of triggered her pride a little. Because of that, Lichia decided to tease Lyan by sitting right next to him in the meeting. Because of being an incubus in the demon world for a long time, Lyan is capable of reading people''s minds and feelings easily even without using his magic, but that only works for demons and normal men. Women have the mostplicated heart that is very hard to understand without using his magic. Since the demon women inside the demon world are more aggressive than the women in this world, they are easier to understand and guess than the human women. In short, Lyan is overestimating his ability to read women, and is making assumptions based on his experiences with female demons. He''s still not ustomed to how human women''s heart works. "We''ll now start the discussion," The guildmaster''s voice immediately draws the attention of everyone present. Lyan noticed that the knight that had a duel with Jean and the knight that stopped Jean from recklessly using his magic saber was also present together with dozens of other knights. "Allow me to introduce you, these knights before us are the royal knights from the Astellia kingdom that will join the elite team in subjugating the goblin king. As you''ve heard, they are elite knights that possess real strength. The Astellia Kingdom will also attack the goblins with their army from the south, so we''ll be advancing towards the goblinir from two different directions. Our target is theplete annihtion of the goblins," (Guildmaster) "For our army of mercenaries, the Small General of the Valkyries will be themander, while the Dancing Gale will be the leader of the elite team in the next battle. Is there any objection?" (Guildmaster) (Well, considering how quick-witted they are in the previous battle, I guess it makes sense. I''m also interested in how the famous Small General will lead the army) (Lyan) The other mercenaries nod in eptance of the ones chosen by the guildmaster, but a single knight raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Knight?" The Guildmaster asked towards the knight. "Pardon me for cutting your words, guildmaster. But I believe that sir Julius is much more suitable to be the leader of the elite group. Since we''ll be taking a high risk of charging right towards the goblin king, it might be better for a much more experienced, strong, and wise person to lead, rather than having a woman to lead the elite group," The knight showed obvious underestimation towards the Valkyries. His tone is filled with arrogance, and his eyes are sneering at them. Hearing his suggestion, Lyan noticed a small curve on the corner of the guildmaster''s lips. "May I ask you how long had you joined the royal knight, Mr. Knight?" Surena asked the knight with a smirk. "Hm? I have joined the royal knight for about two years, though. Is there any matter with that?" The knight replied with an arrogant tone. """Hahahaha!!!""" Suddenly the room got filled withughter, all of the mercenaries let out a bigugh as they heard the haughty reply from the young knight, leaving him bewildered because of their reaction. "Pfft! He must be thinking that he could curry favor with the knight captain by underestimatingdy Surena. What a pity, he wouldn''t evenst even a minute in a fight with her," Lichia whispered mocking words about the knight toward Lyan, while Lyan replied to her with a chuckle. "W-What are you allughing for!?" "Mr. Knight. Thisdy Surena here had joined several wars on the west, and the north. Even the Aste Kingdom had borrowed the strength of her mercenary group as well. More than that, the three of them got their glorious titles from their battle together with the Astellia Kingdom," (Guildmaster) "L-Lies! They are just women-" "Sit down, fool," The royal knight''s captain, Julius, ordered the knight to sit down. "Sir Julius..." "Lady Surena got the name ''Dancing Gale'' from killing a hundred enemies in the battle without getting a single wound. Lady Alice got the name ''Small General'' because of her feat of leading the joint army to victory with casualties less than 10%. Whiledy Emilia got her name ''zing Lioness'' because of how she is feared by people in how she ughtered the enemies'' heavy infantries with her red hair fluttering as if they are zing in me. It''s the war that happened three years ago, so it''s normal for you to didn''t know about them," Julius exined the heroic feats of the three girls towards the knight. (Well, Mythril-ranked mercenary is called a small army not for nothing, after all) (Lyan) "I-Impossible..." The knight fell t to his chair in embarrassment. He never thought that the girls he underestimating are people that even his captain respected. "Would you please don''t talk as if we''re allies? We just happen to be on the same side because we''re indebted to the Marquis. Don''t ever think that we''re allied with the Astellia Kingdom even for a second," The Small General, Alice, said with bare hostility towards the Astellia Kingdom''s royal knights. (Hm. Looks like there is quite a history between them) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight Chapter 61 Unexpected Passionate Night ?The discussion went on for about three hours. They finished not long after the ninth bell. There were quite the frictions between the Valkyries and the royal knights of the Astellia Kingdom during the discussion, showing hostility towards each other. The one showing the most hostility is Alice the Small General, but Lyan also noticed the hint of hostility in Surena''s and Emilia''s eyes. But the frictions did not hinder the proceeding of the discussion. In the first ce, the strategy suggested by the Small General is great enough that there is not really much input necessary to refine it more. After the previous battle in the goblinir, the Small General had stopped underestimating the goblins, and started to read and think about the battle seriously. The n is for using the main army of the mercenaries and the Astellia kingdom''s soldiers as decoys. Considering how they are going to pincer the goblinir from two sides, there is the possibility of the goblins holding out longer than they expected. Having an all-out battle with the elite team leading in the front might give a bigger driving force into the battle, but it would be meaningless if the goblin king managed to escape. That''s why, the Small General suggested that the elite team will take a different route in the midst of battle, and went straight towards the position of the goblin king after the main army sessfully draw the attention of the main army of the goblins as well. Since with the current increased reward for killing the goblins, the mercenaries will have their morale very high because of it. But at the same time, they might get too busy gathering the ears of the goblins as proof of elimination, making the advance slower. Since the goblinir where the goblin king resided is very likely in the abandoned mine located in the southwest inside the Astellia Kingdom''s borders, it''s very unlikely for them to let themselves get sieged. With their goblin assassins, the Small General guessed that they would intercept them at several points a distance from the mine entrance. Considering their number, it''s likely that they would ready a defense line at the chosen point. Her strategy exnation is very detailed and organized. She also input the factor of mercenaries that couldn''t be put as organized as a country''s soldiers, making a suitable formation for them. Listening to her strategy, Lyan admitted that the Small General''s ability is genuine. After having her strategy epted, the guild staff updated the information boards on the mercenary guild, and post the strategy they going to use for tomorrow''s battle on the post. All of the information including the gathering point, their formation, and how they proceed are all posted on every information board of the guild, letting all of the mercenaries ess the information easily. "Tomorrow is the big day, huh..." (Belle) "I wonder how long the battle willst. I hope there won''t be any unexpected things happening..." (Xena) "But we''ll be attacking with full force, right? With this much of people, I doubt we''ll lose," (Alina) After finishing the discussion, Lyan returned to the inn, and just as they promised. The three lovely girls of the House of Roses went to his room while bringing their equipment for tomorrow''s battle. They converse and talk about various things as they eat early dinner. As usual, Lyan ordered the portions of food for the spirits and sent them to the grimoire''s space. After finished eating, they got sleepy and decided to rest early together. So currently, the four of them are clinging to each other on the bed. Belle is clinging to Lyan''s right arm, Xena on Lyan''s left arm, and Alina is lying on top of him. "Um... Lyan... It''s poking me..." Alina muttered with her face flushed. Getting clung by three beautiful girls, and having his thing getting rubbed by Alina''s crotch, Lyan couldn''t help but get his thing swelled and get bigger. "Sorry. It''s a reaction that I can''t control," Replied Lyan with a wry smile. "No... It''s fine... I''m not bothered..." (Alina) *Rustle!* *Rustle!* *Rustle!* "A-Alina... If you move like that..." (Lyan) Alina deliberately rubs her body, making Lyan''s thing get rubbed by her crotch, arousing him. "Hehe! Sorry... It seems like... I got turned on..." (Alina) Lyan could feel Alina''s heavy breath and could see her flushed cheeks and her aroused eyes. "Fufu! As expected. It seems that today won''t be a rest day," (Belle) "I guess it''s time for you to eat her up too, Lyan. We''ll wait until you''re finished," (Xena) Belle and Xena get off Lyan and sit at the edge of the bed. Noticing their intentions, Lyan slowly lifts Alina and pins her down to the bed. "Eh? We''re... Doing it?" Asked Alina with a dazed expression. "Oh my. It seems that she''spletely in an aroused state that she can''t think clearly," (Belle) "It''s your chance, Lyan!" (Xena) Lyan skilfully stripped Alina naked, while Xena and Belle also helped strip him naked before stripping each other naked. Looking at the dazed Alina, she seems to be not in the state where he could converse rationally with her, so Lyan immediately locked her lips and started his forey. "*Kiss!* Mn! *Slurp!* Nnh!" She let out cute moans as Lyan massaged her modest breast, and slowly enter her wet cave. Her cave has already been drenched wet. It was already wet enough when he first stripped her, but it had gotten even wetter after the kiss. Lyan yed and teased the cave with his fingers, giving her more pleasure. "Nnh! Puah!! Ahhnn!!!" Alina hugged Lyan''s neck tightly as she entered her first climax from getting fingered and kissed. "Alina-chan... Your face is unbelievably cute, right now..." Belle stared at Alina''s expression intensely as she covered her mouth with her hand. On the other side, Xena started ying with her cave and massaging her own breast as she stared at her beloved and her best friend. "Alina. I''m going in, okay?" Asked Lyan as he already readied the tip of his thing at the entrance of Alina''s drenched cave. "Yes..." Alina replied with a small voice. *Thrust!* The sound of her membrane getting torn by Lyan''s magnificent thing could be heard. "Mmmmhhh!!!!!!" Alina muffled her groan with her hand, but Lyan forced open it and locked her lips with his as he use his incubus magic to instantly change the pain into pleasure. "I-It''s good!!!" Alina that had started to feel the intense surge of pleasure running through her body shouted. Having already learned from his past mistakes, Lyan already turned off the grimoire''s space television and cast a soundproof illusion barrier around the room. So he didn''t mind no matter how loud his girls screamed inside the room. "I''m going to start moving," (Lyan) Lyan started moving slowly, pushing his hips back and forward, while rubbing Alina''s nipples and ying her tongue with his. "NNhh! T-Thick!!" (Alina) Alina''s cave is the tightest amongst the other girls. But because of her tight cave, Lyan''s hot thing is getting mped and squeezed tightly by the hot walls of her cave, giving Lyan great pleasure. "Does it feels good, Alina? Lyan''s magnificent thing, does it feels good?" (Xena) "Puah! It feels good!! So good!! I''m losing my mind!!!" Alina shouted as she parted her lips from Lyan. Lyan gradually fastens his pace, making the sound of flesh colliding flesh resound inside the room. "Nnh! Ahnn! More! More! More!!!!" Alina''s moans got more intense as well. Despite of her small and sensitive body, Alina holds out for much longer than the other two. After having their flesh colliding for a while, the both of them finally arrived at their climax at the same time. "Nnnh!!! I''m cumming!!!!!" (Alina) "Me too! Take it all, Alina!!!" Lyan shoots his huge load of hot fluid inside Alina, making Alina''s body quiver. Her eyes are pointed upwards as she stuck her tongue out with saliva dripping from her mouth. She''spletely got enraptured by the great climax she just experienced. Looking at that expression that no other man had ever seen from her, Lyan sucked her tongue and teased it with his tongue as he savor the euphoria of their climax. Feeling the great pleasure from the kiss, Alina closed her eyes as she savor the sensation of the sex''s afterglow, and her beloved passionate kiss. "Alina-chan... She looks like she''s having a very great moment..." Belle stared at the scene with envy. "You''re right..." (Xena) Belle and Xena watched their best friend that had her facepletely fall into an enraptured state because of the great sex she just experienced. But somehow, rather than feeling jealous, they felt more towards how they can''t wait for their turn, and they are happy that they feel like they became real sisters because of this. "Hm?" Lyan noticed that Alina''s tongue had stopped moving, and her breath had gotten rather stable. "Ah... She fainted..." (Belle) "Now! It''s our turn!" (Xena) As Lyan''s still rock hard thing get out of Alina''s cave, the two girls approached his thing with their flushed faces. "Let''s clean this thing up, Belle," (Xena) "Yeah. Let''s do it," (Belle) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, One-handed Sword Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight Chapter 62 Seventh Summonable Monster ?Unlike before, this time, Lyan ispletely aware of his dreaming state, and whose memories he''s currently looking at. The reason why he immediately knows is because the scene unfolding before him is a story that the three girls had told him several times before. Not to mention that he could see the three girls taking a bath at the river. Everything proceed ording to their story, showing how they couldn''t erase the memories from their mind. Lyan saw everything from how they started bathing, the bandits suddenly appeared and abducted them, and even their horrible days as the abducted girls by the bandits. How they are forced to service them, and how they abuse them with both physique and words. Looking at the scene, Lyan swore to himself as he memorized the faces of the bandits. (Prepare yourselves, scums. After the quest ends, I''ll be hunting for your heads) (Lyan) _____________________________________________________________________ (Ugh... Somehow, my body felt heavier than before...) (Lyan) !! Lyan opened his eyes, and saw the three girls are sleeping soundly in his embrace. (Ah... We did it, didn''t we...?) (Lyan) After Alina fell asleep because of exhaustion, Lyan continued the intense night with Belle and Xena for three more rounds each, before falling unconscious on the bed together. At the moment after Alina fell unconscious, Lyan heard the prompts mentioning Alina as one of the Summoner''s Wives just like Belle''s and Xena''s case, together with the ''Evidence of Love'' getting summoned. But because of his eyes getting too focused on the two beautiful girls lusting for him, Hepletely neglected it. "Hm?" Lyan focused his eyes, and saw that a butterfly with a pair of beautiful wings with green and ck colors perching on top of Alina''s head. (I didn''t really hear what her monster name isst night, Summoning Grimoire!) (Lyan) The summoning grimoire appeared without making any sound, and showed the exact page that Lyan wanted it to show. [Moonlight Butterfly A rare butterfly born from the rich mana from the moonlight, inheriting the dense dark, and misty mana of the moon. But rarer and prettier than the full moon, the Moonlight Butterfly is rarely seen as they are shy creatures that often hid themselves invisible. As shy and beautiful the Moonlight Butterfly is, upsetting her will brings severe consequences. An upset Moonlight Butterfly under the full moon is capable to bring a great catastrophe to those who are near her. Her whispers couldmand the night''s air to suck the souls of those who upset her. Health: 100%/100% Status: Healthy Attribute: Dark Mood: Happy] (Suck the souls...? What a nasty ability this one has... I wonder how much the summoning bars had filled afterst night) (Lyan) Following Lyan''s thought, the summoning grimoire flipped its page and went to the cover of the [Summon] section. Lyan witnessed how the ck bars gotpletely filled from empty. (I-It immediately got full!) (Lyan) Just like before, the sound of roulette spinning appeared inside Lyan''s mind. *Ding! Dong!* The blue screen appeared, and a big [You got [Umon] monster!]. *Whoosh!* While illuminating a ck light, The summoning grimoire opened a nk page and blue particles started to fill the page. [Ice Golem Lumps of ice that got brought to life. The dense ice mana it possesses allowed it to get stronger when it absorbed the coldness of the surroundings. Whenever damaged, the ice golem could easily regenerate itself by absorbing ice, snow, or anything with a low temperature. The ice golem is one of the golems that are tricky to make. Because of the high amount of ice mana needed for it to be made, ice golems could only be made in a cold region. Unlike when it''s in the state before it became a golem, an ice golem that had gotten its life won''t melt unless it contacts a high-temperature object or ce. Health: 100%/100% Status: Healthy (Constant) Attribute: Ice Mood: Stagnant (Constant)] (A second golem, huh. Now I have a total of seven summonable monsters. Excluding the monsters with mothers since I''ll be assigning them to protect their mothers, I''ll have four summonable creatures, huh...) (Lyan) (But no matter how many summonable creatures I obtained, in the end, I wouldn''t be able to use them without exposing myself as a summoner. But in order to expose my identity as a summoner, I need enough strength to make sure my safety. Enough to protect me from powerhouses...) (Lyan) As Lyan had heard and gotten warned by the spirits, being a summoneres together with a great risk. A summoner''s strength is desired by any country or organization. Even though not all summoner is capable of summoning a strong creature, but by sacrificing their soul as a payment, they might be capable of making a contract with a powerful spirit or a powerful monster. Being known as a summoner holds a great risk of getting abducted by a country or an organization, and getting enved and forced to sacrifice his/her soul in order to get the strength of a powerful spirit or monster. (My current strength is already on the bare minimum for me to expose myself, but I guess I need to make the monsters stronger first to be safe. But if I do get exposed as a summoner, I still have the contracted spirits to protect me. Buttering them up with the modern items from inside my room is cheap. By the way... I haven''t heard any of their voices since my affair with Lilith) (Lyan) *Rustle!* *Rustle!* *Rustle!* *Rustle!* As Lyan organized his thoughts, thinking about his ns ahead. The girl on top of him moved, fidgeting on top of him. "Alina?" (Lyan) "Hiee!" Alina squealed and buried her face in his chest. In fact, Alina had woken up slightly earlier than Lyan. But at the moment she woke up, the memories from thest night immediately shed through her brain in unbelievable detail. The memories made her face hot and red as a tomato, attacking her with unbearable embarrassment. (W-W-Why did I do that!? It''s amazing, but it''s embarrassing!! To think that I got so aroused that my sense of shame vanished!! Argh!!!) (Lyan) "Alina? Are you fine? Are you hurt?" (Lyan) "I-I''m fine... I don''t feel any pain in my crotch either... Last night... Was amazing... You''re so gentle..." Alina uttered with a mosquito voice. But with the distance and Lyan''s keen ears, Lyan easily caught her words. "Yeah. I enjoyed it as well. You''re so cute, Alina..." (Lyan) Lyan couldn''t help but want to stroke Alina''s head because of her irresistible cuteness, but since Lyan''s arms arepletely dominated by Belle and Xena, he could only let out a helpless sigh instead. "Ah. Isn''t it time for you to go to the guild? The elite group needs to gather at the guild earlier, right?" (Alina) "Ah. You''re right. I guess it''s time to get up," (Lyan) Alina gets off from Lyan, slowly enough to make sure Belle and Xena didn''t wake up. After Alina got off him, Lyan gently let go of his arms and let the two girls hug each other as they sleep. As he gets off the bed, the second bell of the day rung, showing it''s already 4 AM. Yesterday, the guildmastermanded the elite group to present before the third bell, so it''s about time for him to go to the mercenary guild. "The mercenaries assisting the city guards gathered at the fifth bell, right? Let them sleep for a while, I''ll pay for the breakfast here, so you three can use this room," (Lyan) "Nn, but we''re going there a little bitter together with the Madam. So you gonna go immediately?" (Alina) "Yeah. It''s better to be early thante. I''ll go after wiping myself and take some breakfast," Lyan went to the bathing corner and started wiping his naked body with cloth and water from the big barrel. "Ah!!" Alina finally realized that she is also still stark naked and immediately cover her body with her cloth. "You should clean your body first before using them, Alina. You''ll get all sticky, you know?" (Lyan) "Y-Yeah..." Alina shyly replied, but as she was about to went to Lyan, her gaze stopped at the Moonlight Butterfly that is flying on top of the bed. After she gets off the bed, the Moonlight Butterfly wakes up and flies in order to not hinder or startle her mother. "So this is my child..." Alina extends her hand, and the Moonlight Butterfly slowly descends to her hand. "Fufufu! You''re beautiful just like me! So I''ve be the summoner''s wife just like the others!" Alina uttered cheerfully. "From today onwards, your name is Mon! Nice to meet you, Mon!" (Alina) ****************************** After washing and wiping each other''s bodies with cloth, Lyan and Alina take breakfast together downstairs. Since the inn started serving food from the second bell, at the time Lyan and Alina arrived, the food for breakfast is already ready to eat. Lyan then bids farewell to Alina with a kiss and kissed the forehead of the two naked girls lying on top of his inn room''s bed before departing to the mercenary guild. (Potions, leather armor, and two brand new swords with great quality. How thoughtful of them...) (Lyan) Before Lyan departed, Alina stopped him and gave him some items for his subjugation together with the elite mercenary group. ''I almost forgot! Here, take this! It''s the healing potions Belle made, while the purple ones are poisons made together with Raine. And as expected, you''re going to the subjugation with so little equipment!'' Lyan said that he don''t really need the equipment, but Alina replied with a strong voice. ''You must not! We know that you''re saving money for paying our debt towards the Madam, but if you die, then everything will be in vain! Use all of this! You''ve been using just the equipment you got from the goblins! It''s dangerous!'' Lyan finally witnessed how the Malevotum Lily, or the grumpy flower scolds someone, making him wonder where the awkwardly shy but cute girl that just had her virginity taken went to. But since he didn''t have any reason to refuse them, Lyan heartfully epted and equip the equipment given to him. "Now, time to kill goblins, I guess?" ____________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoned Monster: Moonlight Butterfly> <+1 Summoned Monster: Ice Golem> <+2 Health potions, +2 Poison vials, +1 Leather Armor, +2 Good-Quality One-handed Swords> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 63 Time To Depart ?"As expected of the city of mercenaries and merchants... I guess this is the reason why the city is well-respected and sought by all surrounding countries, huh," Lyan uttered as he saw the crowd gathering around the mercenary guild. After leaving the inn, Lyan went straight toward the mercenary guild. But when he arrived, the ones that are already present are not only from the elite group, but the other mercenaries joining the subjugation had already waited outside the guild''s building, sitting together with their group, waiting for the time to march. "I guess they wouldn''t want to miss the opportunity, huh," (Lyan) The number of mercenaries in front of Lyan easily surpassed one thousand, and it''s not all yet. There are still those that hadn''te, and mercenaries from outer cities that are going to join the subjugation midway. The city of Arkansas is a big city with a poptionprising mostly mercenaries, merchants, and peddlers, while local residents that live in the city are only 30% of the people of the city. With the number of active mercenaries inside the city, a single issue of a big quest from the mercenary guild is capable of gathering this much of mercenaries easily. Unlike noble''s soldiers or a kingdom''s army thatprised of conscripted farmers when built on short notice, the city could gather thousands of experienced mercenaries on such short notice. That''s why there are no kingdoms or countries that are stupid enough to offend the city of mercenaries. "I guess this is not the time to get awed by the sight," (Lyan) Lyan slipped through the crowd and went inside the guild. Unlike outside the guild where the mercenaries are sitting and waiting for themand, the inside of the guild isn''t as crowded, and when Lyan entered, Rea and Lichia immediately greet him from the inside. "Arriving thest as always, huh, Lyan," (Lichia) "The other members of the elite group are already gathered, please enter the same meeting room as yesterday, Lyan!" (Rea) Lyan replied with a nod and a smile before he went straight towards the meeting room. Just like before, the attention of the ones inside immediately went to him as he entered. But unlike before, the huge table and the chairs are nowhere to be seen, and there are only a huge map and a huge chalkboard filled with some kind of war strategies on the walls. After wandering his gaze, Lyan''s gaze stopped on Surena that is smiling at him. "Looks like everyone had gathered, now we''ll be starting the briefing," (Surena) With the guildmaster''s absence, the Valkyries'' captain, Surena, and the Small General, Alice, took the lead in the briefing and discussion. After the discussion on the other day, the Small General had already divided the mercenaries into several units using data from the subjugation participation registry. With the registry that noted the information of each mercenary with their weapons, steeds, and capabilities, she distributed them to their appropriate units effectively. The briefing was mostly filled with Alice giving a more detailed exnation of her n. And not only Lyan, but the knights, and even the veteran mercenaries that had already known her for a long time are astounded by how detailed her n is, but yet short in exnation. ording to her n, the elite group won''t be in the same ce from the start. Half of the elite group will be guarding the logistic unit, while the other half will be fighting alongside the other mercenaries on the front in an attempt to boost their morale at the start. After one hour of the briefing, it''s time to set out. (I''m assigned to the supply unit escort team, huh) (Lyan) "Looks like we''re going to be in the same ce again," William with his usual hood approached Lyan. (This guy is still here, huh. He didn''t present at yesterday''s council of war, though) (Lyan) "Yeah, unfortunately," (Lyan) "There is no need to be that cold now, isn''t it? What do you think about the Small General''s n, Lyan?" "Isn''t it a good n?" Lyan replied uninterestedly. "I''m serious. I''m interested in your opinion," In face of William''s persistence, Lyan gave him a slightly annoyed look. (This guy. I''ve been wondering for a while, but what is his motive for associating himself with me?) (Lyan) Inside the elite group, if he wanted to associate himself with someone, it is more beneficial to associate himself with one of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries. Associating himself with Lyan who is a rookie that just happened to join the elite group wouldn''t give him benefit as much as being an acquaintance or friend of a Mythril-ranked mercenary. (He is well-spoken like a noble, while his posture is rough like amoner, which didn''t match his manner of speech. Should I use my mind magic and read his mind? But there is a possibility that there are those who are sensitive to magic activation and mana fluctuation inside the room, it''s too risky. I guess I''ll just answer him and take some distance from him for now) (Lyan) "She went all-out in covering all worst-case scenarios that possible to happen. Starting from distributing the units effectively and applying proper war tactics, assigning part of the elite group to guard the supply unit in case of ambush, and letting the remaining elite group at the front lines for the starter fight to increase the troops'' morale," (Lyan) "Considering how well and quickly she made such a detailed n, they must have been very experienced in wars. Unlike before, she carefully considers the opponent''s moves as if the opponent is a human or other intelligent creature, which is very necessary considering how smart the goblins'' ns were yesterday. Letting her as amander will make the subjugation proceed very smoothly," Lyan replied as he crossed his arms. "Hm~ I guess you''re quite experienced as well. All three people of the Valkyries are high-quality mercenaries that have skills and ethics as high as a royal knight or even better. Several countries had invited them to join their country and promised them great rewards and prestige, but they refused them all. Isn''t it interesting?" (William) "Is it? I''m not really interested, though," Lyan replied with a shrug. "Hou~ Considering how many times you frequent to the House of Roses, I thought that you''re quite fond of woman. Or perhaps, mercenaries are not inside your striking zone?" (William) (As expected, he''s giving me an abnormal amount of attention. Hm?) (Lyan) Lyan noticed something. "Of course not. Strong women interest me the most. It''s just that I do not really have my mind on those matters right now. By the way, what about you? Are you interested in them? You seem to have a wonderful pair of ''Eyes'' as well," Lyan slightly bends his body down as he attempts to take a peek at William''s eyes. What he saw is a pair of blue eyes, looking at him with widened eyes. ? But William''s startled look onlysted for a moment, an amused smile immediately formed on his face. "You could say that. It seems that both of us are fond of strong people. Let''s reap a great profit from this quest, Evocatore," said him as he left the room first. (Those eyes. It looks like I was right) (Lyan) "Those eyes... He could see them, huh..." (Lyan) In this world, mana is something that seems invisible to most of the people, while only a handful of people, mostly wizards and magicians, that possess the talent to see it. And amongst them, there are even rarer eyes. (Magic eyes) (Lyan) In the case of magic eyes, they possess a different kinds of abilities. Even in the demon world, there are not many demons that have demonic magic eyes. In humans'' case, it''s even rarer. (One of the magic eyes has the ability to see the detailed color and distinct features of a person''s mana aura. Considering how he abnormally associated himself with me, it''s very likely that that is the case. I don''t know what he saw, but at the very least, it''s very likely that he saw the small amount of colorful mana I possess from the spirits) (Lyan) "How interesting," (Lyan) After the briefing, the elite group went out of the mercenary guild, and the other mercenaries waiting outside the building immediately stands up, waiting for orders. At that moment. *Ding!* *Ding!* *Ding!* The third bell rang, showing it is now 6 AM. It''s about time to move. Together with the loud sound from the bell, the elite group lined up in front of the mercenary guild''s building, giving a great impression to all of the mercenaries present. Standing in front of the guild''s building are those considered as the most elite mercenaries of the city. As rough and wild mercenaries usually are, all of them respect the strong. And most of the ones standing in front are people that already famous and well-known by almost all of the mercenaries. "It''s time to move. Let the hunt begin!" (Surena) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 64 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (1) The March ?The sound of countless footsteps and metal ttering resounded throughout the forest. Small animals and monsters flee and hid in face of the great amount of mercenaries marching. The total number of mercenaries participating in the subjugation quest is around 4000. Considering the approximate number of the goblins, it might be overkill, but the mercenaries only have golds that they could get from the goblins in their eyes, and since the payment of the subjugation is based on the number of the killed goblins, it does not really matter how many mercenaries participating on the quest. Since it''s an army with a great number, they didn''t take a shortcut through the forest since it would hinder their movement and slow down their speed on taking formations, they first travel at the main road that is connected to the Astellia Kingdom, and went east when they have gotten closer afterward. Because of the number of people, there are no monsters that are brave enough to get closer to the army, making the march smoothly without any hindrance. Just like in the army of any country, the units are distributed into the infantries, heavy cavalries, light cavalries, and archers. Since the captains andmanders of the army are those who are experienced in war, the chain ofmand are flowing very smoothly. But as the advance is going smoothly, Lyan is having a wry smile as he once again rides the aggressive ck horse and guards the supply unit. "And what are you two doing here?" (Lyan) "How cold~ We''re helping the guild as scouts! It seems that we''ll be fighting together again, Lyan!" (Raine) "The guild requested assistance toward gramps for us to be the part of the subjugation scout and help at reconnaissance, so gramps sent us heartfully," (Ravia) The ck-haired and white-haired butler uniform-using girls replied to him. They are riding a horse given by the guild each. "I see. But the both of you are using the same equipment you usually use, huh. Are those butler uniforms made from magic leather or something?" Lyan pointed at the butler uniform that they always use. "Of course not. But we have chainmail under our uniform, so it''s fine! Gramps said that butlers must always have chainmail under their uniform to protect ourselves, after all!" Raine gave him a thumb up. (What kind of butler was your gramps is?) (Lyan) "Anyway, you''re supposed to be scouts, right? What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be on the front?" (Lyan) "We won''t be needed until we started entering the forest. Are you chasing us away, Lyan? Even though I thought that we''ve be close enough," (Ravia) "I''m not. It''s just a question out of curiosity," (Lyan) Ravia let out a chuckle as saw Lyan''s troubled face. "Well, I''m not troubled with you guys here or anything. In fact, I''mfortable having people I''m familiar with in the subjugation team. Make sure not to die on me, okay?" (Lyan) "Hahaha! Of course! Did you bring the potions Belle and I made? It woulde rather handy, you know?" Raine shows several vials of purple-colored liquid inside her bag. "I brought them," Lyan showed opened his small bag and showed the inside. "That''s good. We''ll be checking the front for a while and return, wait for us, okay? Let''s go, Raine!" Ravia give a small kick to the horse, and the horse started galloping forward. "Later, Lyan~" (Raine) "Yeah," (Lyan) The approximation of them reaching the goblin king is three days. It''s the worst-case scenario in case they got several times ambushed by the goblins along the way. After advancing for about 7 hours, Lyan sensed that the atmosphere in the surrounding forest started to feel weird. His instincts alert him to have his guard up. The supply unit is located in the middle of the whole army. Starting from the very front are 3000 infantries, 500 archers, the supply unit, 200 heavy cavalries, and 400 light cavalries. The supply unit is strictly guarded and ced at the safest position of the formation, and even got an escort from the elite group. The reason is that if the goblins really are as smart as they feared, then the possibility of them targeting the supply unit is high since they also need rations for their survival, and if the supply unit lost the rations, it will hinder the advancement of the army. (Hobu) (Lyan) Lyan set out the shadow hobgoblin that he had summoned since before their advance, andmand him to check and scout the forest. The shadow hobgoblin jumped from one tree to another. !!! A group of goblins is waiting at the front. The infantries should have already passed them, but it seems that they are waiting for the supply unit. (Not that easy. Hobu!) (Lyan) Following Lyan''smand, the shadow hobgoblin jumped from the three and shed the goblins to bear hisnding, killing three goblins with one sh. The goblins are hiding within the bushes, slightly deeper into the forest, preventing the army from noticing them. But because of the shadow hobgoblin''s attack, the other goblins that got startled by the sudden attack let out a big shriek. "Goblins! Prepare for battle!!" All of the mercenaries immediately enter their battle stance. Knowing that their position had been blown, the goblins started to attack frenziedly from both sides. There are about 400 of them. 200 of them attacked the infantries from the both sides, while the rest 200 attacked the archers. Under Alice''s swiftmand, 400 infantries immediately cover the sides of the archers, guarding them against the ambush. What attacked them this time is not red goblins, but normal green goblins, making them easily wipe out the goblins in a few minutes. The advance continued without another attack until afternoon, and this time, they got greeted by the red goblins. "Archers! Loose!" (Alice) Hundreds of arrows got loosed towards the red goblins. Different from before, 500 red goblins suddenly attacked them from the front frenziedly. But with the archers raining arrows on them, their number easily got halved, and they gotpletely annihted by the infantries. Together with the elite group members leading in the front, the red goblins got killed rather easily. "Looks like it''s going to be a smooth one," (Jean) "..." (Alice) "Alice. What do you think of their attacks?" Surena asked the silent Alice. "If my suspicion is right. Then the real deal is just about toe. They''re going to attack us with several waves of attacks, trying to wear us down. If that happens, then it means that our n will go even smoothly since their attention will getpletely drawn by our main army," (Alice) "I see... Then it''s not the time to let our guard down yet. You hear themander''s words, Jean," (Surena) "Yeah, yeah. I understand. No one here doesn''t believe the Small General''s words, after all," (Jean) After finished harvesting the ears of the goblins, the army continue to advance. It won''t be surprising if there are some mercenaries fighting for the goblins'' ears, but with the supervision of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries, they got obedient easily. Along the way, they encountered other four waves of red goblin attacks, and all of them attacked them from the front, rather than ambushing from the sides. Since Lyan is at the Supply unit, he didn''t get the chance to fight the red goblins since they got quickly dealt with by the archers and the infantries. When the night came, they stopped the march and started cing the tents and campfires. They''ve met about 1600 red goblins and 400 normal goblins, for the mercenaries, this is a great sign of fortune for them. The more the goblins, the more the rewards they will get from the guild. "And? What are you two doing?" Lyan asked the two butler girls before him with folded arms. They are already cing their bags and taking sleeping positions inside his tent. "Eh? Is there any problem, Lyan?" (Raine) "There are lots of problems! Didn''t you two get your respective tents already? Go to your own tent, would you!" (Lyan) "Isn''t it fine, Lyan? You''re going to sleep together with two beauties this night, isn''t it a good thing? But if you touched us, I might slit your throat in reflex, though. So be careful, okay?" (Ravia) The tent Lyan gets as a member of the elite mercenary group is the big andfortable one. Since Raine and Ravia only got the ordinary one, they decided to invade Lyan''sfortable tent instead. "I won''t touch you. You two can sleep first then, I''m going to be outside for a while," (Lyan) Letting out a helpless sigh, Lyan went out of his tent and sit on a big rock. The mercenaries had already started to take some rest, while those assigned to the night watch, guard the perimeter of the campsite. Since they stopped their advance, Lyan had been feeling a gaze getting fixed on him. The feeling felt real, but he can''t locate where the gaze came from. Even when he ordered the Shadow Hobgoblin to search the perimeter, he didn''t find anything. (This gaze. Whose gaze is it, I wonder?) (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 65 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (2) Ambush ?The next morning, they continue their march for about four hours before arriving at the feet of the small hill that is the sign that they are already more than halfway from their destination through the main road. Approximately in the afternoon, the whole army will start to enter the forest to went straight towards the goblin king''sir, while the elite group will take another route to attack them from the side. A scout went ahead on top of the hill with a horse for reconnaissance, but suddenly. "Argh!" Together with a groan, the scout fell from its horse with an arrow piercing its chest. "Prepare for battle!!" (Surena) The mercenaries ready their weapons. (Arrow? Seems like they got dozens of goblins equipped with an arrow on their ranks- You must be kidding me) (Alice) After the scout''s death, small green figures slowly appear from on top of the hill. There are about 300 hundred of them, but all of them are equipped with bows with their arrows ready. *Kkkiieeee!!!* The one that seems to be the leader of the archer corps gave its signal, and the goblins started to fire their arrows. The infantries on the front are mostly light infantries with light armors or leather armors, getting rained by archers are lethal to them. Only those who brought shields would be able to protect themselves. "Surena," (Alice) "Yeah," (Surena) Following Alice''s calm call, Surena readied her sword, and violent wind mana gathered on her sword. "Take this!" Surena shed her sword into the air, sending powerful winds to the iing arrows. Facing the powerful winds, the arrows lost their speed and fell to the ground without killing anyone. "Heavy infantries, forward! Infantries cover the sides of the archers and slowly advance. Light infantries, half of you, follow the heavy infantries and attack from the side," (Alice) Following Alice''smand, the messengers ryed hermands to the captains of eachpany, and the army quickly moves ording to hermand. "Surena, Emilia," (Alice) "Okay!" (Surena) "You can count on us!" (Emilia) Surena and Emilia joined the heavy cavalry and rushed on top of the hill. With their bodies covered in heavy armor, the arrows from the goblins couldn''t damage their body. Together with Surena''s presence that continue to send powerful winds, rendering the goblin archer corps useless, the heavy cavalries came in contact with the goblin archer corps without any casualties. Just as the infantries finished covering the sides of the archers, goblins started to attack from the both sides as well. About 600 normal green goblins attacking from both sides of the archers, while on the supply unit sides. "Seems like they specially assign these big guys for us, huh," Lyan uttered as he saw five goblin champions approaching from the left, and four goblin champions from the right. "Evocatore. Looks like our turn finally came," The Brave Rings'' leader, Borton, said to Lyan with a broad grin. Carrying his huge ax, he emits his bloodlust, entering his battle mode. "Yeah. I was hoping that we wouldn''t have to get any turn, though," (Lyan) "If that happened, there will be no golds, isn''t it!!" Borton rushed to the goblin champion with his horse. The right side of the supply unit is getting handled by the Golden Thrill, while the left side is getting handled by Lyan and the Brave Rings. "Grrrrrr...." One of the goblin champions that didn''t have any opponents in front of him stared at Lyan as he approached him with his club. "Looks like there are no avoiding fights, huh," (Lyan) The ck horse below him neighs, as if saying ''Surely you jest'', before rushing towards the goblin champion without any need for Lyan to kick his stomach tomand it. (Looks like this guy is quite the battle maniac as well) (Lyan) Looking at the man riding the big ck horse rushing towards him, the goblin champion ready his club in an overhead stance, thinking to strike when he gets into the distance. (Looks like this one going to be an easy one) (Lyan) Using his usual tactic, the illusion magic immediately yed before the goblin champion''s eyes. *sh!* "Gugi?" The goblin champion uttered in confusion as warm liquids started to flood his body. The man before him looks like he was rushing rather slowly, so the goblin champion still waits for him toe near, but suddenly, his blood had already poured from his neck. *Thud!* The goblin champion fell motionlessly to the ground. "Clean one. d I don''t need to have its disgusting blood on me," (Lyan) Looking at the other goblin champions, it seems that the others easily killed them together as well. The goblin champion facing the Brave Rings'' leader got his body split into two, while the other goblin champions got killed by the members of the Brave Rings together. (I guess I''ll take his ears. It will be strange for me if I didn''t harvest the goblin champion''s ears that will be worth a lot, right? I have to-) (Lyan) !!!!!! Just like before, an intense murderous intent appeared that seems to be directed specifically at him. "Seriously, again?" Lyan uttered as he once again readied his sword, and put half of his illusion mana output to the sword. *Thump!* Thump!* *Thump!* *nk!* Loud heavy footsteps approached, followed by a loud metallic voice resounded through the surroundings. "Tch!" (Lyan) Lyan clicked his tongue in the appearance of the red goblin champion before him. Drools are leaking from the red goblin champion''s mouth, and he''s gripping his ax powerfully as if he''s in a frenzied state. Together with a roar, their bouts started. *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* Lyan epted the powerful strikes from the red goblin champion with his powerful arm and his sword that is d in half output of his illusion strengthening mana. (If I continue this, the sword will quickly get worn out) (Lyan) *Whoosh!* Lyan jumped from the ck horse backward as he evaded the strike of the red goblin champion. The ck horse swiftly retreated and went to Lyan''s side as well. "Whoa! That guy is fighting that goblin champion variant alone!" "Did you see that? He blocked lots of its attacks!" "That guy... Is that the rumored rookie?" On the front, there is an army of goblins hiding beneath the hill, but they got swiftly dealt with by the heavy cavalries and from getting pincered by the light cavalries. The battle on the sides had all almost ended, leaving only Lyan''s and the red goblin champion''s battle. Since the red goblin champion is a high-ranked monster, the other mercenaries didn''t recklessly join the battle no matter how big the reward of ying a red goblin champion is. All of them are waiting for the Mythril-ranked mercenaries to assist him. "Leader. Aren''t you going to lend him a hand?" The vice leader of the Brave Rings asked Borton. "There is no need to. I believe that guy is capable of killing that gob even without my help. I''m interested in that guy''s potential, you see. I believe the others are thinking the same as well," Borton motioned his head, pointing at the other Mythril-ranked mercenaries that are watching the fight with full interest. "He''s the famous rookie that became gold-ranked in such a short duration. Everyone wanted to see whether he is worth the attention or not. But considering his equipment that has no magic weapons or armors, the fight might be kind of difficult, though," (Borton) Lyan realized that the surroundings are observing him. (Looks like Ipletely got the whole army''s attention, huh. Should I act weak and let them rescue me?) (Lyan) Lyan''s gaze stopped at Ravia and Raine that looks like they are ready to help him in case if he''s losing. Even though they had seen him killing red goblin champions to save them before, they still look like they are worried about him. (Seems like losing is not an option here. But with these many eyes observing me, I can''t recklessly use all my cards as well. What a troublesome situation I''m in. But at the same time...) (Lyan) "It''s exciting," Lyan uttered as he draw the second sword on his waist. Looking at the scene, Raine and Ravia remembered the scene where he saved them from the goblin champions. He also draws his second sword at that time. They felt a slight sensation of their chest tightening when they saw the scene. (Is he going to use that lightning move?) (Ravia) (What is this... My face''s getting hot!!) (Raine) "Let''s get this over with, goblin. Come," (Lyan) The red goblin champion sensed the atmosphere around Lyan had changed. His grin and the terrifying glint on his eyes are sending him shivers. Knowing that he started to get disheartened, the red goblin champion let out a loud roar. *ROAARR!!!!!!!!!!!* The nearby mercenaries closed their ears because of the loud noise. The red goblin champion roared with all of his might, pumping his fighting spirit. But his roar didn''t make the opponent before him even flinched. Instead, he could hear a snickering from him. "What a loud bastard you are. Stop daddling ande, filthy goblin," (Lyan) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 66 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (3) The Exciting Duel ?*Thump!* *Thump!* *Thump!* The red goblin champion''s heavy footsteps resounded loudly, making the ground violently vibrates as it dashed toward Lyan. "It''s fast!" One of the mercenaries eximed in surprise. Their distance vanished in a short moment, and the powerful strike of the red goblin champion came. A side strike from the red goblin champion''s ax. Predicting its attack from its stance, Lyan avoids it by bending his body forward before the quick strike isunched. (With a bit of Arturia''s mana) (Lyan) *sh!* Lyan shed the knee pit as he went through the gap between the goblin champion''s legs. It''s always the best point to attack when facing a big opponent. "Whoa! He counterattacked!" "He got this!" But an unexpected thing urred. The wound that he just gave to the goblin champion suddenly closed itself after some it bleeds for a while. (It got healed immediately!?) (Lyan) The other mercenaries also witnessed the scene. The red goblin champion that should have lost its full capability of walking regained its stand and let out a sinister snicker. Once again, loud thumping from its heavy footsteps resounded as it rushed towards Lyan. This time, it''s a vertical blow. *Boom!!* The ground cracked as the ax hits the ground with powerful force. Just like before, Lyan dodged before the goblin champion even strikes, but this time, he can''t get into the goblin champion''s back through the gap between its legs again since the goblin champion had ready its legs to stomp him. Lyan dodged to the side, but with the goblin champion''s speed, it raised its ax andunched another strike at an unbelievable speed that didn''t match its size. *nk!* One of Lyan''s swords collided with the red goblin champion''s ax. Visible sparks could be seen because of the metals colliding with each other powerfully. *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* *nk!* Another series of bouts happened, but this time, with two swords in each hand, Lyan delivered a counterattack for every attack the red goblin championunched on him. But- "Tch! That variant keeps on healing, this might be bad. Change of ns, we need to help him," Borton readied his ax as he nced at the Valkyries, Raine, and Ravia that had already readied their weapons since a while ago. *nk!* Both of them exchanged onest powerful blow towards each other weapon before the goblin champion suddenly retreated. Lyan didn''t let the opening miss and rushed forward, but that''s the moment the red goblin champion is waiting. (It''sing) (Lyan) "Watch out! It''s a breath!" Emilia''s voice sounded from the side. *Whoosh!!!* Raging mes got shot out of the goblin champion''s mouth. As if telling Lyan not toe near, he shot out arge amount of fire from its mouth to its surroundings, and at the same time, it had readied itsrge ax in an overhead stance. Everyone present saw how therge ax glows red on the red goblin champion''s hand. Violent mana of me suddenly emitted from it, and the temperature of the surroundings rose rapidly. At that moment, everyone realized what that ax is. "Magicians!! Barriers!!!" Alice''s voice sounded as shemand the magicians to apply their barriers. There are about 50 magicians from various mercenary groups in the army. Not all of them are strong, but all of them could make a decent barrier to protect themselves. They are ced in the same ce as the archers. "Tch! We need to go ourselves!" (Alice!) "Yeah!" (Surena) "Raine!" (Ravia) "Yes, sis!" (Ravia) The Mythril-ranked mercenaries together with Ravia and Raine immediately rushed to the ce to help Lyan and stop the goblin champion fromunching its attack with its magic ax, but they are too far from it. (We wouldn''t make it! Judging from the amount of mana gathering on it, that ax might blow the area up!!) (Alice) Alicemented on herself for letting the mercenaries didn''t help Lyan battling the red goblin champion as she hold the magic crystal that could be used to summon a barrier to protect her and her friends in her hand. At that moment, everyone saw it. *Whoosh!* Appearing from the midst of mes breathed out of the red goblin champion''s mouth. "Sorry but, it seems that your move is too dangerous, goblin," His calm voice resounded through the panicking crowd. *sh!* *sh!* Goblin blood sttered from the red goblin champion''s hand and neck. The red goblin champion''s hand that is holding his ax got cleanly cut together with its head. *Thud!* *tter!* *tter!* The red goblin champion fell to the ground headlessly together with the hand holding the ax that started to lose its red light. "H-He killed it!!" "The rookie defeated it!!" "Whoa!!!!" Cheers broke out from the mercenaries that watched the battle unfold. Praises and Apuses rained Lyan, but Lyan''s eyes got stuck to the tattoo on the shoulder of the red goblin champion. It''s a tattoo of a ck skull, but he felt like he saw the eye sockets of the skull shining with a ck light for a moment. Was it just his imagination? Suddenly, a figure jumped towards him. "You did it, Lyan! You surprised me for a while there! I thought you''repletely dead, you know!?" Raine''s white hair pricked Lyan''s nose as she hugged him. "Seriously. You really made us worry, Lyan. How should I face Belle and the others if you died," Ravia breathe out a sigh of relief as he approached him with her hands on her hips. "Sorry for that. I got too excited with the fight. But if you''re worried then you should have helped me from the start, you two," (Lyan) "Well, now. Isn''t it a good time to let everyone see your strength? It seems like you''ll get quite the attention for a while after this," Borton motioned at the surrounding mercenaries that are looking at him with awe and admiration. "I don''t know whether I should be happy or sad about this..." (Lyan) "That was a great fight, Lyan," said Surena as she approached him with Alice and Emilia. "Thanks for the praise. But I guess we shouldn''t let this battle dy our advance any longer, huh," said Lyan as he stared at Alice. He''s always interested in the genius Small General, and this is the first time he ever has a contact with her directly. "It''s fine. It was quite the battle so catch your breath for a while. We''ll continue after the others finished harvesting the goblins'' ears as well," Alice replied with a shrug indifferently. "Then I humbly ept the chance," (Lyan) Lyan took the red goblin champion''s ears and the normal goblin champion''s ears that he defeated before and put them inside his loot bag. The big magic ax of the goblin champion got stored inside one of the loots'' wagons of the Valkyries, and after they finished harvesting the goblins'' ears, the march continued. Unlike before, the mercenaries around started to treat Lyan with more respect just like how they treat the other Mythril-ranked mercenaries. "It seems that most of them had epted you as part of the Mythril-ranked mercenaries. You got a bright future upon you," Lyan shifted his gaze and saw the familiar cloaked guy, William, approached him with his horse. "If that means that they''ll be respecting me and even hear mymands, then it''s fine, I guess," Lyan replied with a shrug. "So what are you going to do after this quest? Are you going to make your own mercenary troupe and lead hundreds of mercenaries like the other Mythril-ranked mercenaries? Or will you join of the troupes?" (William) In the mercenary guild, there are two types of groups. The first is the mercenary group or mercenary troupe, which is arge group of mercenaries who act as one organization, and they usually ept big-scale quests from countries of big merchants. While thest type is parties, they are the small groups that are formed to take quests that need a small number of people. Mercenaries usually aimed to either join one of the famous mercenary troupes or make one of their own. Amongst the Mythril-ranked mercenaries, the only party that didn''t lead their own troupe is the Valkyries. For unknown reasons, they proceed to ept quests with only the three of them without taking any underlings under their wings. "Not really. After finishing the quest, I don''t really intent to continue staying in the city. I''m interested in going North," (Lyan) "North? The Astellia Kingdom?" (William) "No. My aim is to the further north. I want to see the winter region. I''m interested in traveling, you see. After looking at the world, maybe I''ll register as an adventurer as well along the way. The money from this quest will be enough for it," Lyan''s eyes look at the distance as he talked about his future ns. "I see... Then what if, Lyan. If you suddenly got appointed as a noble of a certain kingdom, will you ept?" (William) "Noble, huh... I''m not really a type that likes to get tied down. I like to have a single ce to be my permanent home, but I like to travel around and have an adventure so being a noble where I need to get tied down is not my preference," (Lyan) "I see... Freedom, huh... I''ll consider it," (William) ____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 67 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (4) The Black Horse ?"Again... What a horrible sight. It seems that it''s true that most of the viges got wiped out at this area, huh..." Emilia uttered at the scene of a ruined vige in front of them. (But again, no single corpses, found, huh...) (Lyan) Along the way, they have already encountered several viges that are connected to the highway, and all of them had fallen into a state of ruin. Strangely, there are no single corpse could be found inside all of the viges. "The women must be used by them for breeding, while the men are forced tobor or maybe eaten, I guess. Considering that the goblins are omnivores, it''s not a surprise if they took the vigers as their food since they have such arge number of goblins on their ranks as well," (Alice) Alice''s deduction is sound and logical as always. Everyone who heard her words nods in agreement and gets ready to continue their advance. It''s already afternoon, they''ll be entering the forest route soon. But ording to Alice''s n, the goblins most likely wouldn''t prepare for a siege, and intercept them when they started to enter the forest. The elite team will then separate from the main army after helping fight the first wave army of goblins. (The goblins have urately pinpointed the location of our army for a while now. It means that they should have their hobgoblin assassins following the army, but my Hobu hasn''t met a single them until now. Are they looking at the army with other means? Some kind of magic? Or it''s just that the hobgoblin assassins are strong enough that Hobu couldn''t find them?) (Lyan) Lyan has his doubts, and he''s sure that the Small General must have thought the same thing as him. But considering how smooth the advance of the army had been, it''ll confuse the others if they suddenly went on a different strategy that is much safer but takes more time. After a while, they arrived at the big hill that is their sign for entering the forest to went straight towards the goblin king''sir. As if the goblins are fulfilling the main army''s expectation to act ording to the Small General''s n, Ravia and Raine that got sent to scout slightly deeper into the forest return while galloping their horses as quickly as possible. "Army of goblins spotted!!" (Ravia) The army immediately readies themselves. But as Ravia and Raine retreated, Lyan noticed that their expression are solemn. "Hobgoblins! All of them. All are hobgoblins!" (Raine) "Hobgoblins...?" (Alice) Lyan, Alice, and the others had already noticed the absence of this kind of goblins at the battles and ambushes before, but they never expect that they would meet such an army right the one before them. *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* The sound of countless footsteps resounded throughout the forest, together with some shrieks from the goblins. Soon, the silhouette of the approaching army of goblins finally entered their line of sight. "An army of hobgoblins..." One of the mercenaries uttered in stupefaction. That''s right. In front of the army of mercenaries, an army that only consisted of hobgoblins could be seen before them. Considering that a goblin army having 50 hobgoblins is already rare enough, but before them are more than 800 hobgoblins lining up with different kinds of weapons and are formed into neat groups. "Prepare for battle!!" Surena''s voice brought the surprised men back to reality. They are in battle, a moment of hesitation and mind absence could bring a great damage to the army. "Archers! Loose!" (Alice) *Whoosh!* Hundreds of arrows rained towards the hobgoblins, but at two meters above them, the arrows looks like they hit something solid and fell to the ground. "Five hobgoblin magicians spotted!" (Ravia) "They are being protected by two red goblin champions!" (Raine) Ravia and Raine already climb the trees to take a greater look at the goblin ranks and ry their sight to themander. "Surena," (Alice) "Okay! Let''s go, Emilia! Jean!" (Surena) "Infantries, ready for attack. Twopany infantries standby. Heavy cavalries, Pincer them," Alice continues to give orders calmly without getting agitated. As the enemies are getting closer to those of a human army, her strategies and thoughts started to enter a much more serious mode as well. Leading half of the elite group that stationed together with the infantries, Surena joined the heavy cavalries for the pincer. Their target is the magicians and finishing off the red goblin champions behind, while the rest of the elite group together with the infantries will take march head-on towards the army of hobgoblins. But the army of goblins didn''t passively wait for them to get attacked as well. They respond to the movement of the mercenary army and split into three groups as well. The red goblin champion that was supposed to be guarding the hobgoblin magicians behind followed the two groups that will be facing the pincer from the heavy cavalries, while thest group took a defensive stance to receive the attack from the infantries. As they started to get into contact, suddenly Hobu whom Lyan instructed to watch their backs transmit his thoughts, alerting him of danger from behind. *Shiiing!* "Hm?" William, Borton, and the other mercenaries saw Lyan drawing his sword. "Army of red goblins approaching from behind!!!" (Lyan) Lyan''s voice reached Alice, and Alice immediately respond. "Defend the supply unit. Light cavalries, circle them and charge from their back," (Alice) The twopanies of infantries ordered to standby by the Small General is precisely for this moment. The infantries swiftly rush to defend the supply unit and take their battle stance, while the light cavalries rushed to the sides and went a little bit deeper into the forest to let the infantries draw the attention of the goblins from them. "Seems like some big ones areing to this side as well. Ready to make some show again, rookie?" (Borton) "If you want to face them all, I won''t interrupt you, Borton," (Lyan) "Heh! It won''t be good if I stole all of the spotlights, wouldn''t it?" (Borton) "I don''t really mind, though," (Lyan) "This time, I''m joining the fray. You won''t mind, right?" William approached Lyan from on top of his horse. "Of course. I''m not that much of a battle maniac, after all. Unlike this guy, though," Lyan pointed at the ck horse that neighs excitedly as he saw the army of red goblins charging. The ones that are charging toward them are an army of red goblins. Their number is about 400, and 4 normal goblin champions are apanying them from behind. "Let''s go. We''re supposed to make raise the morale of the men, right?" Borton kicks his horse and joined the infantries together with the other Brave Rings'' members. Lyan followed him slowly together with William and other cloaked figures that were always together with William. Not long after, the two forces met. "Don''t get too excited and get killed, you hear me?" Lyan reminded the ck horse under him that is excitedly stomping and sending the red goblins flying with its hooves. In fact, it seems that the ck horse is killing more red goblins than he is. (Just how much of a battle maniac this damned horse is?) (Lyan) Seeming to get bored from shing with the red goblins together with Lyan, the ck horse''s eyes met the eyes of one of the goblin champions. The goblin champion let out a deep growl as if challenging the ck horse, while the ck horse replied with a deep neigh as if saying ''You''ll regret it''. Then the goblin champion suddenly made a big grin on its disgusting green face, looking at its expression, the horse raised its upper legs and let out a loud neigh, getting riled up by the goblin champion''s provocation, startling Lyan that is on top of him. "Ah... Now you''ve done it," Lyan uttered helplessly as the ck horse started to sprint through the goblin champion with terrifying speed. Even the goblin champion showed a startled expression when he saw how fast the ck horse is. The aggressive ck horse Lyan is riding is famous for its aggressiveness towards people and how it didn''t want to obey anyone. But the reason why there are lots of people that still attempt to tame the horse is that despite of its huge size that is a size bigger than usual war horses, the ck horse''s speed is magnificent enough that the rider could feel powerful winds when riding it. *nk!* Lyan blocked the goblin champion''s greatsword with his sword, and the ck horse turned its body and kicked the goblin champion with powerful force with its hind legs, sending it flying and breaking some of its bones. The other infantries assigned to guard the supply unit cheered and roared as they let out their battle cry when they saw the horse sending a goblin champion down. With the Small General giving precise orders, the battle ended quickly, and it was time for the elite group to separate from the main army. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 68 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (5) The Separation ?Inside the royal castle of the Astellia Kingdom, the prime minister, the nobles, the military officers, and the cab ministers had all gathered inside the throne room to discuss the matter on hand. With everyone gathered in the throne room, those with sensitive eyes could perceive the tense atmosphere together with some hint of hostility from a certain group towards the others could be sensed. "It seems that the goblin king subjugation at the south had been thoroughly handled by the council of Arkansas. I heard that their advance is proceeding very smoothly," The prime minister opened the conversation with the goblin king matter. "Yes, indeed. What a wonderful thing it is. The eastern army''s advance had been proceeding rather smoothly as well. It looks like this matter with the goblins won''t be something that we need to bother the king with," The one who spoke these words is one of the nobles that hold the highest nobility rank, and is the one who lead the Eastern army of Astellia Kingdom, Duke Ravindor. The hint of sarcasm could be sensed in his words. In face of his sarcasm, the prime minister didn''t even flinch. He continues to wear his indifferent expression. The reason why the duke mentioned about the king is because currently, the king isn''t present inside the throne room. There is only the prime minister standing beside the throne while folding his hands behind his back. "Surely so, Duke Ravindor. It will be great if we could continue to give pieces of good news to his majesty," The prime minister replied with a smile. "It''s been almost half a year that the king had been sick, prime minister Letmian. To add the heat even further, Prince Erich had also gone missing from the castle! This will be a great disaster if the other countries heard it!" The one that let out such amotion is a count on the Duke Ravindor''s side, Count Berthnand. He strokes the tip of his mustache as heined. "Yes, prime minister. I''ve heard that Prince Erich went personally to the city of Arkansas to join the goblin subjugation. For the crown prince to went directly to such a great danger is too reckless. Isn''t he usually not the type that acts recklessly as so?" (Duke Ravindor) "The king''s recovery term had almost ended, Count Berthnand. About prince Erich, I''ve dispatched some of the royal knights to escort and bring the crown prince back, and considering the prince''s strength that isparable to those Mythril-ranked mercenaries, I believe there is no need to worry that much," The prime minister continues to answer calmly. "But if this continues, then who will be leading the royal court and handle the other grave matters our kingdom is facing!?" (Count Berthnand) "What a peculiar question, Count Berthnand. As the prime minister, it''s my duty to assist the king in handling the state''s matters. More so when the king is ill, in the king''s stead, I will be leading the royal court. And rest assured, I''m not alone," (Prime Minister) The prime minister suddenly makes a confident smile on his face. "Princess Anastasia had been assisting me by giving me her brilliant inputs regarding the issues we''re facing," (Prime Minister) Hearing the name mentioned by the prime minister, the nobles that are trying to pressure the prime minister went into silence. It''s obvious how much weight the name mentioned is inside the head of those who are present. "I believe all of you remember that the brilliance of the princess is something that won''t pale even whenpared with the crown prince," (Prime Minister) ******************************************************** ---Back in The Subjugation--- "Is it fine to leave the main army to Borton, Alice?" (Alice) "It''s fine. We''re currently still at our very first n, which is my n A. In case the course of things deviated, I''ve already given him the book containing all of the ns all the way to n E. The Astellia Kingdom''s army is also taking the attention of the goblin army from the south anyway. And I can''t trust my two hot-headed friends in such a dangerous mission, so I''m going as well," (Alice) "Heh! If you''re worried about us then just say about it. No need to talk in such a roundabout way, you cute thing," Emilia chuckled as she rustles Alice''s head. After finished shing with the army of hobgoblins and wiping them out, the elite group split up ording to the group, but Alice left the main army to the Brave Ring''s leader, Borton, with half of the Brave Ring''s members and join the elite group to advance towards the goblin king. (But as expected, the army of hobgoblins'' appearance did surprise us. Their strength and agility are higher than normal goblins or even the red goblins, and they are more skilled in fighting as well. We got more casualties than in the battles before as result) (Lyan) "Rookie," (Alice) (Well, casualties aremon in wars like this. The other mercenaries didn''t seem to be bothered by it, well the casualties could be said very low if wepare it with other kinds of war, though) (Lyan) "Evocatore," (Alice) (I guess as expected of mercenaries, huh. They look like they are used to these kinds of things. The army still has its morale at its peak even after encountering that army of hobgoblins. It would still be better if Jean stopped showing the others his sex with his girls in the middle of the night, though) (Lyan) Lyan rememberedst night when he wandered around the camp, he heard moans and the sound of flesh colliding from the bushes, only to hear Jean''s groaning from it. "I''m calling you!!" (Alice) Alice headbutts Lyan''s back in anger, only to bounce back because of the hardness of his body. "Hm?" Lyan got brought back to the reality and turn his back. "Shit... Is your body made from stone or something? Why it is so hard!?" Alice shouted as she rub her forehead that sore because of headbutting his back. "Ah. Do you need something from me, Small General?" Lyan asked her respectfully. "Hm. Your respectful tone is pleasing to hear, but hearing you call me Small General when you''re this tall are making me feel that you''re mocking me..." (Alice) Lyan''s height is around 183 cm, while Alice''s height is around 155 cm which made Alice need to look up to look at Lyan''s face. "Ah, forgive me about that," (Lyan) Lyan bends his body down and makes sure his eye level is at the same height as Alice''s. "Now. Do you need something, Small General?" (Lyan) "Grrrrrr! Hyah!!" Alice let out a cute shriek, but her action is the opposite of her cute voice. "Gah!" Lyan groaned as his head got a direct attack from Alice''s headbutt. (W-What just hit me? A rock!? No, it''s her head, right!? Why is it so hard!?) (Lyan) Lyan holds his head which got attacked by a headache for a while because of the headbutt. "Hmph! That''s for mocking my height, you bastard," Alice said with a smug grin on her face as she folds her hand before her modest chest. "What was that for you little brat..." (Lyan) "Huh!? You wanna go at it? Come! I''m not scared!" (Alice) *Smack!* "Ouch! What''s that for, Surena!?" Alice held her head that suddenly got smacked by Surena. "That''s not good, Alice. He''s not even mocking your height in the first ce. He''s just making sure that you don''t need to tire your neck to look at him," (Surena) "Hmph! As if I care!" Alice snorted. (Eh~? Did she really call me just to deliver a headbutt to me? This snotty brat) (Lyan) "Sorry, Lyan. It''s just that this girl is very sensitive about her height and easily gets mad when she felt offended because of it. Alice, you''re about to thank him for notifying you quickly about the red goblins that attacked from behind, right? Don''t forget your gratefulness because of your height, would you?" Emilia scolded her just like a big sister. "Ah. You''re right," Alice shifted her gaze towards Lyan. "Your call really helped us minimize the casualties from the battle back then. If you notify me even a momentte, the light cavalries would get considerable damage and lose more people, and at the worst case, the supply unit might get the damage as well," (Alice) "It was just a coincidence," Lyan replied with a shrug. "No. I doubt it''s just a coincidence. Your war instincts must be on the same level or even better than Surena''s. This is the second time that you noticed iing danger faster than the others and made us didn''t lose ourposure," Alice mentioned about their raid towards the goblinir near the Mercenary city. "I would say that I''m obligated to praise you as themander of the army. If this is a military army of a certain kingdom, then you would grant a medal of honor considering your achievements," (Alice) "You''re exaggerating it too much," (Lyan) "Say what you want. This is my honest opinion. Well, that''s all I wanted to say- What''s with your annoying grins, Surena! Emilia!!" Alice shouted angrily towards her two friends. "Well, well. It''s been a while since I heard my dear Alice praise someone that much. But that moment where you rush together with your horse really is an epic moment, Lyan. I felt like I got slightly wet when I saw that," (Emilia) "You and your dirty old men jokes..." (Alice) "Well, thanks for yourpliments, I guess. I just happened to spot the iing goblins, and happened to be the one the goblin champion is aiming for. You can just say that it''s my luck working," Lyan shrugged. The reason why they are capable of having a leisure chat as they proceed is that the elite group''s aim for today is to have a good rest and save their stamina and the stamina of their horses for tomorrow''s big battle. So they are currently walking on feet rather than riding their horses. Tomorrow, they''ll be galloping their horses at full speed towards the goblin king''sir and finish the battle while the goblin army got their attention on the main army. "Let''s continue the good work and finish this quest perfectly," (Alice) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 69 Lilith Got Caught ?(Looks like you''re having a st, boy. So the subjugation had started, I see) (Hestia) Hestia''s voice sounded from inside Lyan''s head. (Yeah. We departed yesterday. By the way, where are the others? All of you had been rather quiet since yesterday) (Lyan) (Ah. They are still interrogating and punishing Lilith, you see) (Hestia) Hearing Hestia''s dubious tone, Lyan had sensed a bad premonition. (Interrogation? What interrogation?) (Lyan) (Hm? What interrogation, I wonder) (Hestia) Hestia''s ice-cold voice made Lyan shiver on the spot. ******************************************************* ---The moment after Lyan''s and Lilith''s Ritual of Love--- "*Phew!* That was amazing. I might fall in love because of his thing if I''m not careful," Lilith cleaned up the bizarre scene inside her room with her magic, and not long after, the room had reverted to the usual state. "But unlike with the pink-haired girl, there is no egging out after our deed. Does having sex with us, spirits, didn''t count on the function? There is no announcement mentioning about being the Summoner''s Wife as well. Is it because I have no intentions of bing his wife yet?" (Lilith) As she pondered about the difference between her intercourse and the girls before her, Lilith realized a single strange additional word that she uttered. "Eh? Silly me, what do I even mean by yet? It''s not like I''ll have any intention of bing his wife in the future as well anyway," Lilith uttered to herself as if trying to assure herself, but her tone and her expression wouldn''t be able to convince anyone including herself. She could still feel the warmth and the gentle caress of his hands. Not to mention, he also came from the tribe that she''s familiar with, and is considered as their savior by the man in his past. And his past that is filled with mysteries, he got lots of plus points as a man. (And his skills are crazy! This is bad! I need to contain my heart!) (Lilith) "Don''t falter, Lilith! You haven''t achieved your target yet! At least until I have achieved my target!! No! Even if I achieved my target, I won''t trust any man anymore... Maybe... Argh!!" Lilith rustled her hair because of her unstable mind. "All of this is master''s fault. Not only did he peek into my past, but he also let me peek into his past as well, making me getting even drawn to him. Argh! This is driving me mad!!" (Lilith) Rather than Lyan''s fault, it''s the summoning grimoire that let them peek into each other''s past. But for Lilith that needs a living person to me, she prefers to put the me on Lyan rather than the summoning grimoire. "I guess I''ll make a cup of warm chocte from master''s room to calm myself first. I wonder what the others are do-" As Lilith was about to hold the handle of the door, her sensitive ears caught the small noise from outside. "(Hey! Ice woman! Stop pushing!)" "(It''s your fault for taking too much space)" "(Sstt!! They are in the middle of doing a holy act of love, let me focus, I want to hear their proof of love)" Griselda''s, Eira''s, and Cynthia''s voices sounded quietly from the other side of the door. "(Hm? Doesn''t it seems that it''s getting too much quiet inside the room)" "(M-m-maybe we got noticed...?)" "(It''s fine even if we''re noticed, Sylphia. We''re not in the fault, it''s theirs for doing such an obscene thing without permission in this house)" "(What are sis Lilith is doing inside?)" "(I guess you don''t need to know about it yet, Azelia...)" Hestia''s, Sylphia''s, Arturia''s, and Azelia''s voices sounded from there as well. Hearing Arturia''s line, cold sweats started to profusely fall from Lilith. She''s sure that they are in their rooms, and they usually regather again in the living room in the evening, so she''s confident that she won''t get caught. (J-Just how did they know? Did any of them put a kind of surveince spell on this room? This is bad... What should I do...?) (Lilith) As Lilith is thinking about what course of action she should take, Griselda''s voice sounded again from the other side of the door. "I''m done. This position is making my back sore, let''s just barge in!" (Griselda) *Bam!* Griselda opened the door in a rough manner, revealing Lilith and the room that had reverted to normal. "What are you guys doing? Did you y another game without inviting me?" Lilith pretends ignorant of what they are doing. "Cynthia!" Arturia signaled Cynthia. "Yes," Cynthia immediately went to Lilith''s bed. "Hey! Wai- What are you doing!? Let me go!!" (Lilith) By Arturia''s orders, Griselda and Eira quickly restrained her from intervening in Cynthia''s investigation. Cynthia that had arrived at the bed, started to sniff around the bed. "So? How is it, Cynthia?" (Arturia) "Hm. There is definitely Master''s scent left in the bed. Even though she had cleaned the room with her magic, it seems that she leave the scent behind for her to smell for herself," (Cynthia) "Scent? I don''t know what you''re talking about," (Lilith) "Stop feigning ignorance. You know that you''re a bad liar yourself," (Hestia) "Hm..." Cynthia puts her hand on her chin and approached Lilith with a serious expression as her gaze got fixed on Lilith''s lower body. "C-Cynthia? W-Wait!!" (Lilith) *Whoosh!* Cynthia suddenly lowered her pajama pants, and the crucial evidence of their ''deed'' could be clearly seen as white fluids slowly flow down to her thighs from her crotch. "Whoa... She didn''t even scrape all of them out even though she had cleaned the room up. What a pervert. She must be thinking of savoring the excitement of talking with us with semen inside her crotch. As expected of a subus," (Griselda) "I''m not! It''s just that the amount of master''s load is too much and it''s hard for me to scrape all of them!!" Lilith retorted. "Ah, she admitted it," (Eira) "Yeah. She admitted it, didn''t she?" (Hestia) "S-She did!" (Sylphia) "So what should we do with her, Arturia?" (Griselda) Following Griselda, everyone''s attention gathered on Arturia. "A-Arturia?" Lilith gave Arturia a pleading look. "......." Arturia replied to her call with a smile. "Arturia!" Lilith''s face brightens when she saw Arturia''s smile, thinking that she wouldn''t be facing any punishment or- "It''s time for interrogation and punishment. Everyone, we''ll extract every bit of information possible from this girl," (Arturia) """Okay!""" ************************************************ (That''s all that happened) (Hestia) Hestia exined everything about what happened but not in so much detail. (I-I see...) (Lyan) (We''re aware that it''s not your fault. We have no agreement prohibiting you from touching any of us with mutual consent, so you''re not in the wrong. But we''ve made an agreement with ourselves to share the information we got or figured out with each other) (Hestia) (Especially when one of us suddenly wanted to do the intercourse to get her contract duration shortened. Everyone is hesitant of doing so since we''re not cheap and loose women, but because of this case, it might give unease to the others) (Hestia) (I see...) (Lyan) (That''s why they are going to squeeze everyst bit of information from Lilith, and give her the punishment for sneaking around behind our back) (I understand... But-) (Lyan) Lyan understands Hestia''s point of exnation clearly, but what he didn''t understand is why is she telling him the internal information of the spirits? It''s more advantageous for her to keep the information to themselves rather than tell him about it. (Why are you telling me this?) (Lyan) (Hm... Why I wonder) (Hestia) Hestia responds with a scoff to herself. But Lyan didn''t feel that the scoff is meant to mock him, it was more like a scoff to herself since she didn''t even know the reason why she is telling him the internal matters of the spirits. (Hey, Bo- Lyan. Why did you ept her invitation to sleep with her? Are you just that lustful for a beautiful woman? Or did you pity our cause? Or is it just because you wanted to test the grimoire''s abilities? Or is it because you''ve fallen in love with her or want her to fall in love with you? Which one?) (Hestia) Lyan chuckled. (All of it, I guess) (Lyan) (All of it?) (Hestia) (Yeah. Well, I guess the part of pitying your causes is not that much, though. But for the other reasons, you could say that all of them are right) (Lyan) (It''s a lie if I say I''m not interested in sleeping with beautiful women such as you guys, and I wanted to test what kind of abilities I might get from the grimoire too, and I believe it''s not strange for a man to want to make a beautiful woman fall in love with himself, right? So all of them. Since in the end, I''m just a normal guy with a rather high sexual drive, after all) (Lyan) (Fu- Fufufufu!) (Hestia) Hestia let out a muffledugh. (What is it?) (Lyan) (Nothing. It''s just that you''re so greedy, aren''t you? Freely asking for such things in such a blunt manner. You really have no limits in your wish, aren''t you?) (Hestia) (To wish for some things without having to care about limits, without any need to search for a just cause for those whims, and to live without care about what people think of me) (Lyan) "Well, that''s my definition of ''Freedom'', I guess," (Lyan) (Fufu! What a horrible yet interesting man, you are) (Hestia) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 70 Getting Spied ?"Well, that''s my definition of ''Freedom'', I guess," Lyan uttered under his breath. He''s folding his arms as hey his back on a tree with his eyes closed when he replied to Hestia, oblivious to some of the other members of the elite group that are staring at him with dubious stares. The separation with the main army and the advance towards the goblin king''sir through the different routes is proceeding smoothly without a hitch. As nned, they are taking an early rest, and will march at full speed towards the goblin king''sir early in the morning. Since the goblins have a great night vision,mencing battle with them at night will only put them in a disadvantageous position. That''s the reason why the march will be continued in the morning. Everyone had already had the tents and the campfire readied. They''ve just finished eating some dried meats and hard loaves of bread as rations, and most of them are busy conversing with each other together with the royal knights from the Astellia Kingdom. (Ah... Now I remember. When Griselda introduced herself, she mentioned a thing about her being a knight from the Astellia Kingdom, didn''t she?) (Lyan) (Oh. I thought you were just feigning ignorance. It turns out that youpletely forgot about it, didn''t you?) (Hestia) (Well, sorry for that. Her aggressive behavior made me miss the other details about her. Did she perhaps tell you guys about her past?) (Lyan) (Of course not. Obviously, none of us share that kind of crucial secret with each other. But about her, you see...) (Hestia) (What is it?) (Lyan) (You know that most of us died in a different timeline than the current age, right? I happened to know about the city of Arkansas because it''s a city that had been existed since a long time ago. It''s just a hunch. But that Griselda girl, it seems that she died not that long ago) (Hestia) (I see... But I haven''t heard any reaction from her yet, though) (Lyan) If Griselda really died not long ago from the current time, then most of her acquaintances must be alive, and she would have reacted when the name the Astellia Kingdom was mentioned. (Well, I don''t know if it''s just her luck, but whenever the Astellia Kingdom is mentioned, she''s not in the living room. But rather than her, you know what my greatest concern is, right?) (Hestia) (I understand. What you mean is, it''s very likely that the reason why she died is still roaming around near, right?) (Lyan) As Lyan had already seen the death scenes of all of the spirits, Lyan knew that all of them died because of being killed, rather than dying because of an ident or old age. Considering Griselda''s strength, the one who killed her must have a strength at leastparable to her. Not to mention that Lyan is currently having contact with the Astellia Kingdom through the subjugation quest. Without asking Griselda who killed her, all of those who are connected to the Astellia Kingdom is a possible suspects as Griselda''s Killer. (Not much reaction, huh) (Hestia) (Well, with you, spirits, with me, it''s almost certain that we could win, right? And it''s not like we''ll be encountering her killer so suddenly anyway. If we happen to meet him) (Lyan) "It might be troublesome, but I''ll figure things out," Lyan replied as a mysterious smile imprinted on his face. At that moment- "Whoa! What is that nasty smile!? You''re thinking about Belle''s and the others'' bodies, aren''t you!?" Raine''s using words entered Lyan''s ears. "I''m not. But that''s a good idea," Lyan replied without opening his eyes. "You''re not joining the others in their conversation, Lyan?" (Ravia) "I don''t have enough social energy to spare, right now, so I''ll pass. If you want to join them, there is no need to worry about me. I''m going in the tent shortly anyway," (Lyan) *Rustle!* *Rustle!* "Hm?" Lyan squinted his eyes as he felt contact from both of his arms. "What are you two sitting next to me for...? There are lots of space to sit around us..." (Lyan) "There are two beautiful girls sitting next to you, you should be grateful and enjoy it rather thanining, don''t you think? Well, I''m more like a handsome girl, though," (Ravia) "Well, well, Lyan. Consider this as your reward for noticing the swarm of red goblins from behind," (Raine) "Is that so? Then I''ll be enjoying thepany of you beautiful girls then," (Lyan) The three of them converse for a while before a figure suddenly approached the three of them. "That''s rare. I never saw Raine and Ravia actively conversing with a guy so closely before," (Emilia) Looking at Emilia and the other Valkyries that are approaching, Ravia and Raine adjust their position and sit slightly away from Lyan. (Are they embarrassed?) (Lyan) ording to Ravia, the Valkyries are on good terms with the madam since they used to learn to fight with her, and often visit the house to converse with the madam and Abraham. Obviously, they became friendly with the two of them as well. "We just happened to be on very friendly terms with him,dy Emilia," Ravia replied with the business smile she use for the house''s customers. "Are you done teasing William?" (Lyan) "Well, he''s sitting together with a scary bunch wearing the hoods of their cloaks, so it''s a little bit hard for me to approach them, you know?" (Emilia) Lyan shifted his gaze towards William and saw that he was talking about something with the cloaked people with a serious look. "I see. So that''s why you came here," (Lyan) "Of course not, Lyan. We''re here because we''re interested to talk with you as well. It''s unfair to be so friendly just with the two of them, right?" (Surena) As Surena takes a seat a distance in front of Lyan, Emilia and Alice follow her lead as well, and sit on the ground. It looks like a normal scene for other people, they look like they are genuinely interested in talking with Lyan and gathered around him. But Lyan noticed a hidden message from their eyes. "Let''s be blunt, did you all sense it as well?" Lyan''s question is vague, but if they sensed the same thing that he had been sensing for a while, then they would understand what he meant. "Yeah. So you sensed it as well," Surena still wore her friendly smile that didn''t match the serious topic to prevent doubt from the other group. "Raine and I had tried to locate the source of the gaze, but we''re unable to find it. is it something sort of magic?" (Ravia) "I guess so," (Lyan) As they pitch the tents and eat, Lyan does his work while focusing his mind on the sights of the shadow hobgoblin, but despite so, he didn''t find any presence or even a single shadow of the source of the gaze. "It was just one yesterday, but it felt like there is more today. But the time you enter your tent, it disappears. So it''s very likely that whatever looking at us isn''t capable of looking inside our tent," (Lyan) "You sensed it yesterday as well? In our case, we started to sense the strange feeling about at the time when we light the campfire," (Alice) "Yeah. I''ve sensed it since yesterday. So what''s the n?" Lyan asked the three of them bluntly. Since they approached him by trying to make sure whether he sensed it as well, they must have some kind of n regarding it. "If you''ve been getting watched for that long, the goblins wouldn''t have sent us those groups. They would have an urate information about our position and our number, after all. If it were from the goblin party, they would have intercepted us in a more effective way. So it''s very likely that the one who is spying on us is not on the goblin''s side," (Alice) "So we can''t really trust anyone since we don''t really know what the motive of the surveince is, huh..." (Lyan) "Yeah. You caught up very quick, huh," (Alice) "So what will you do, Lyan?" (Surena) "Well, setting aside the reason why the three of you trust me so easily, I guess there is no need to be so rmed for tonight. Since nothing really happened at the day before as well, tonight should be safe as well. But it''s better to keep in mind to be extra cautious on tomorrow''s n," (Lyan) "You''re right. I have the feeling that the real problem will trulye out tomorrow as well. I guess we should quickly take a rest to make sure we''re in a top condition tomorrow," (Surena) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 71 The Second Night Of The Subjugation ?After agreeing to retire early to rest, Lyan and the two butler girls went inside their tents to rest. ording to the shift, some of the Golden Thrill and the Astellia Kingdom''s royal knights will be watching over the night. (As expected. You don''t find anything, huh, Hobu...) (Lyan) As if replying to Lyan''s thoughts, Hobu shakes his head as he continues to survey the surroundings. Hobu the shadow hobgoblin had been circling around the perimeter quite a distance from the camp continuously. Since it''s night, he wouldn''t be running out of stamina, and his strength would gradually increase instead since he''s absorbing the shadows of the night. (It''s the same as yesterday) (Lyan) At yesterday''s night, Lyan closed his eyes as he rest his back on a tree, but he didn''t sleep. Throughout the night, he surveys the surroundings by using Hobu''s eyes, thinking that there is a possibility that he might find the hobgoblin assassin. But despite searching for the whole night, he didn''t find anything. (I guess I should really rest myself this time. Contact immediately me if you found something, Hobu) (Lyan) Lyan stops connecting his mind with Hobu''s sight and lets out a deep sigh. But as he was about to adjust the position of his arms and take fold them as he sleep, he felt that there are some weight on both of his arms. (Eh? Why am I in this position?) (Lyan) Lyan took a nce at the two girls upying his arms from both sides. Raine is sleeping soundly as she hugs his left arm and uses it as a pillow tightly while making a happy grin, while Ravia is hugging his right arm as well while not as tight as Raine. (Didn''t they return to their own tent? I''m sure I entered my tent alone. And I should be able to sense them if they approached me, let alone using my arms as pillows. Did they use their stealth skills?) (Lyan) As Lyan''s doubting about whether it''s their high stealth skills that made him didn''t realize their presence, or did he got too absorbed in focusing on Hobu''s sight to the point that he didn''t realize his surroundings, a hand suddenly went to his thigh. (Ravia?) (Lyan) The movement of the hand is very slow, but it''s gradually approaching the area of his crotch. (Did the battle turn her on?) (Lyan) Arousal usually happens after battle because of the excitement, while some are capable of suppressing those urges by focusing on something else, there are some that have high sexual drives that couldn''t help but get aroused after a big battle. Of course, it didn''t apply only to men, but to women as well. Lyan could feel that her breath gradually fastens and was hot. Lyan gently moves his arm and uses his elbow to gently rub her breast that is pressing to his arm because of the hug. "Mmh..." She let out a small moan. Ravia''s hand finally reached Lyan''s crotch, but Lyan could feel the hand jolted when she first touched his thing. She seems to be surprised because of the size and how hot it is. Responding to her movement, Lyan''s hand slowly enter her pants and caress her thigh before moving to the wet cave beneath them. "Mmhh!" Ravia bit into Lyan''s shoulder as he let one of his fingers tease her cave. Her body is very sensitive, and she''s making a very cute and feminine face that made Lyan aroused because of the difference from her usual cool demeanor. As if retaliating, Ravia''s hand boldly lets Lyan''s monstrous thing out of his pants and slowly rubs it. She''s surprised but curious at how hot and muscr Lyan''s thing is, and she felt that it''s somehow pleasant to touch even though she couldn''tpletely grip it with just one of her hands because of the size. "Mmmhhh!" (Ravia) Lyan suddenly inserted two fingers into her wet cave, giving her more stimtion than before. Judging from her behavior and sensitivity, Lyan concluded that she is a virgin, and started attacking with his fingers relentlessly to give her more pleasure than she could do with her fingers alone. "Mmmhh----!!" Ravia reached her climax, but she bit into Lyan''s shoulder to make sure that she didn''t let out her voice and wake Raine up. After the quivering of the usually manly girl beside him ceased, Lyan turn his head to his right and saw Ravia''s dazed face that had just climaxed from getting fingered. Looking at the very feminine face she was making, Lyan locked her lips with his. He saw Ravia''s eyes widen at the beginning, but she then closed her eyes and let Lyan''s tongue invade her mouth and even entangled it with hers. Her hand continues to rub Lyan''s thing as they continue their hot kiss for several minutes. "Puah!" Their mouth separated, leaving Ravia that is gasping for breath. "(Why is it noting out?)" (Ravia) She had been rubbing it for quite a while, but it was noting out even though it had be so much bigger than before. "(It looks like I umted too much because of the battle, just continue, it''lle out soon)" (Lyan) "(But having it this big hurts, right? I''m inexperienced, but let me try to use my mouth)" (Ravia) Ravia approached Lyan''s huge thing and open her mouth wide. Lyan felt enormous pleasure when her warm mouth covered his thing and started moving, but because of the size, her mouth scrapes the skin a little at the beginning, but she soon get ustomed to the movement and started to move up and down skillfully. "(It''sing!)" Lyan tapped Ravia''s head gently to notify her, but she didn''t let it out of her mouth. !!? Ravia could feel Lyan''s thing shudder, and suddenly a huge load shoots out of his thing, entering her mouth. Because of the amount and power of the load when it came out, most of it immediately enter Ravia''s throat, forcing her to drink all of it. *Gulp!* "(Ah... I drank it all...)" Ravia uttered in amazement of herself. "(I''ve told you it''sing. Does it feel unpleasant?) (Lyan) "(Not really, it has a thick scent of man, but it felt rather sweet and the amount is surprising. Does all of the men''s amount and taste like this?)" Ravia licked the white fluids remaining on her lips before going back to use Lyan''s arm as a pillow. (Sweet? Maybe it''s because of the incubus''s power?) (Lyan) "(I don''t think others taste the same, though)" (Lyan) "(Is that so. Sorry, you must be surprised, right? I couldn''t hold myself back. Having the Crimson Talon doing those things at night seems to arouse me quite much)" Ravia apologized as she return to her usual cool demeanor. But Lyan noticed that she was just hiding her embarrassment in that mask of hers as she med Jean and the Crimson Talon girls. "(It''s fine. I don''t think you''re a shameless girl for doing this. And I thoroughly enjoyed doing it with a beautiful girl like you as well)" (Lyan) "(Is that so? You really are a smooth-talker, aren''t you, Lyan?)" Ravia uttered as a beautiful smile that was different from her usual man-like cool smile that appeared on her face. As a girl that regarded as cool and man-like because of her behavior and her strength, Ravia didn''t get praised as beautiful that often, so having the man she was interested saying that word to her made her very happy. "(Am I? Well, I only do these things with people with mutual consent and girls that I fond of, though)" (Lyan) "(So you''ll embrace all girls that you like and likes you back?)" (Ravia) "(Yeah. I''m a low-key sinful and lustful person, after all)" (Lyan) "(Heh! You''re brutally honest, aren''t you?) Ravia replied with a giggle. The two of them continue their conversation in whispers for quite a while before they sleep after another long hot kiss. On the day after. "Hm? What is this smell?" Rainemented when she woke up. Lyan had left the tent earlier than the two of them, and Ravia had already ready her things, leaving only Raine that wake up thest. "Smell? There''s nothing weird about the smell, though?" Ravia feigns ignorance about Raine''s question. "Really? Is this just my imagination?" Raine uttered to herself as she started to prepare her things as well. It''s not the time for them to depart yet, but just like Lyan, the both of them are also the type that prepares earlier than everyone. As Raine that is in the middle of rechecking the number of the potions that she brought with her got distracted by Ravia that is humming happily as she looks at her knife, Lyan is staring at the dark sky. (Now, how will the ones that are staring at us make their move, I wonder) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 72 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (6) A Person Missing ?The next day of the subjugation, the elite group prepared for the early march, but at the minute when they were about to go. "Oi, Crimson Talon members. Where is Jean?" Emilia''s question made the Crimson Talon wander their gaze around, and realized that their leader is nowhere to be found. "Eh? You''re right... Where''s the leader?" "Oi, Maia. Aren''t you together with the leaderst night?" The magician girl that Lyan saw doing it with Jean got flustered as she suddenly got asked. "H-He disappeared from the tent when I woke up... I don''t know where he went..." "That idiot..." Alice clicked her tongue. (Marchingter than this might interfere with the n. That frivolous guy is a womanizer, but he''s not stupid. At least he has the appropriate strength and wisdom to lead. For the leader of the Crimson Talon to suddenly disappear, it''s too much of a coincidence) (Lyan) "What is happening?" The leader of the knights, Julius, asked as he approached the team together with the royal knights. "Jean is missing. The girl he fucked to sleep yesterday said he suddenly gone from the tent," (Alice) "Jean did?" Rodrigo, the knight that dueled with Jean asked in surprise. "What should we do, Alice? Should we try to find him first?" (Emilia) "Guh... That bastard... I will definitely cut his thing off when we''re back..." (Alice) (What''s happening, master? It seems that there is a problem in the marching) (Arturia) (A problem?) (Griselda) Lyan connected his thoughts with the grimoire''s space. (Yeah. The leader of the Crimson Talon suddenly disappeared. Some of the members are going to search for him around. But if this goes on, the attack will bete) (Lyan) (Oh. That frivolous guy) (Hestia) (That indecent guy, I see) (Arturia) (That perverted bastard, huh) (Griselda) (The vulgar guy...) (Eira) (V-Vulgar...) (Sylphia) (That unholy guy, is it?) (Cynthia) Hearing their harsh remarks, Lyan remembered the day of the goblinir subjugation before when he was assigned to the watch duty. (Ah... You guys saw it, huh...) (Lyan) The spirits saw how Jean flirted with Lichia and how he openly do the deed at the entrance of the goblinir''s cave at the night, giving them a bad impression of him. (By the way, where is Lilith? I didn''t hear her voice, though?) (Lyan) (Ah. Her) (Arturia) Lyan''s body shivered as he heard Arturia''s cold voice. (Do you want to know, master?) (Arturia) (Ah... I think I don''t really that curious) (Lyan) Lyan immediately cut the connection of his thoughts and the grimoire''s space. But of course, he didn''t turn off the television in the grimoire''s space. "What do you think, Surena?" Alice asked Surena. There is a reason why Surena is the leader of the Valkyries. Even though Alice has a brilliant mind, she has the great intuition and talent for making good judgment. "We should depart. The Crimson Talon members, could you catch up with us after you found Jean?" (Surena) "We will catch up with you as soon as we found him,dy Dancing Gale. We''ll catch up with you even if we have to sacrifice our horses," The vice-captain of the Valkyries replied to Surena with a bow. "Good. Then we''ll be departing ahead. Is there any objection?" (Surena) No one raised their hand or their voice to object. "Then we''ll depart immediately. Ben, tell Jean to stop being an idiot and lead you properly. If you still didn''t found him, send a messanger to the guild and lead the others to join us," (Surena) "I will. Thank you for your kindness,dy Dancing Gale," The vice-captain bows even deeper. "Then let''s go!" (Surena) With the Valkyries on the front leading the elite group, they advanced forward straight towards the goblin king''sir. Since the captain of the royal knights, Julius, didn''t raise any objection or question concerning Surena''s judgment, the other royal knights followed him and trust her judgment as well. William and the other ''Staff'' of the mercenary guild also followed them without uttering a single word while galloping with their horses. With their cloak still worn, they expressionlessly follow the group at the side with William on their front. (Well, as suspicious as he is, I could feel that he holds no malice against any of us. Rather than him, the group of the royal knights is much more suspicious than him. While the other one is...) (Lyan) Lyan''s sight stopped at the leader of the Golden Thrill''s leader. He''s the only leader of the mercenary group thatpletely avoids making contact with him. But Lyan sensed him staring at him on several asions. (Rather than staring, it''s more like sizing me up. Why, I wonder...) (Lyan) (That girl sure makes a good call) (Griselda) Griselda''s voice of praising for Surena sounded inside his mind. "Did she?" (Lyan) (Yeah. Every time you waste here, there will be casualties on the main army''s side. The goblins will surely send most of their numbers to intercept them as well. With the goblin king still alive, all of the goblins surely will fight to the death just like you saw before) (Griselda) Lyan recalled how the goblins he fought before all didn''t run even when more than half of their number had already got killed. Normally, the weak and cowardly goblins will run away when they don''t have the confidence to win. (She''s right) (Lyan) (The goblins seem to regard the goblin king''smand to be much more important that their lives. It seems that the girl realized that as well) (Hestia) "You''re right. It''s a right call," (Lyan) (If our opponent is only the goblins that are) (Lyan) The elite group encountered a group of 100 red goblins along the way. They seem to be aiming to circle around the main group and attacked them from behind. But they are nothing in face of the main group. They got trampled by the horses and got killed by the des and got annihted without taking even 5 minutes. After galloping for several hours, it''s time to let their horses break before continuing the journey. Pushing the horses too much will make them die of exhaustion, so they''ll be letting the horses rest for an hour first. (The war horses in this world are very strong, huh... Especially this guy) (Lyan) The ck horse neighs as if saying ''Why are we walking? I want to continue to run!'' as his head keeps on turning around to look at Lyan with questioning eyes. (What with this unnecessarily strong and aggressive, horse...) (Lyan) (That''s quite an impressive steed you have there, huh) (Griselda) (He seems to be a very fine horse, master) (Arturia) (Yeah. He''s cute...) (Sylphia) (Huh? Which part of this guy is cute?) (Lyan) !?!?!? Suddenly the Valkyries on the front drew their swords. "Goblins. Another group of a hundred. Let''s finish them before they make amotion," (Surena) With Surena''s lead, once again, the goblins got easily killed by the elite group. Since they are letting the horse rest, the elite group fight without riding on their horses. But even without the horses, the goblins still couldn''t give a single casualty to the elite group. "Remain alert," (Surena) "Is there danger ahead?" (Julius) "I don''t know. But my intuition is telling me to be extra careful, right now. We''re already halfway to the goblin king''sir. Let''s proceed with caution," Surena replied grimly. "Indeed. You''re right. Men, don''t lower your guards," Julius warned his men. Heeding his warning, the royal knights replied with a salute and a ''Yes sir!'' to their captain. (Her eyes look like she''s very disgusted when she replied to him, though) (Lyan) Lyan saw how Surena''s eyes showed how reluctant she was to talk to the Astellia Kingdom''s royal knight. (Julius...?) (Griselda) Griselda''s voice which is filled with surprise sounded inside his mind, but at that moment. !? "Lyan?" (Ravia) "Is there an enemy?" (Raine) Ravia and Raine that noticed Lyan suddenly stopped in his tracks, asked him, but Lyan didn''t utter a single word and closed his eyes as he apply his magic to sharply increase his senses. (At the tree on the right, master!) (Arturia) Together with Arturia''s call, Lyan summon the decent one-handed sword that he stored in the grimoire''s space, and infuse some of Arturia''s mana into it before throwing it in a certain direction. *Whoosh!* *Stab!* "Argh!" The sound of the sword stabbing the target sound. But the voice that appeared is not a shriek of a goblin, but rather, it''s a voice of someone''s groan. *Thud!* Two figures fell from the trees. Lyan, Ravia, and Raine immediately approached them. "This is..." (Ravia) The three of them stare at the sight before them. Lyan''s sword supposedly only stabs one target, but there are currently two corpses lying before them. "A human... And a hobgoblin assassin...?" (Raine) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 73 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (7) Uninvited Guests ?"A human... And a hobgoblin assassin...?" (Raine) Noticing themotion, all of the elite group approached Lyan and the two butler girls, but all of a sudden- *Whoosh!* *Whoosh!* *Whoosh!* ck shadows surrounded the whole group. They suddenly appeared at a terrifying speed as a group and surrounded them. The elite group immediately ready their weapons, but they are already surrounded. (There are about 100 of them, and each of them is emitting dangerous air... Now, what should I do? I can''t let Ravia and Raine die here, after all...) (Lyan) "Would you be so kind to tell me who you are?" Winds started to gush out from Surena''s sword as she asked her question. Answering her question, one of them approached them. He''s wearing ck cloaks like what William and the others are wearing, while their faces are covered with ck masks as well. "Golden Thrill. It''s supposed to be at the entrance of the goblin king''sir, but it''s a change of ns. Thank you for your cooperation. As you requested, the share of your rewards will be given in the end, and we''ll let you y the goblin king alone and get the rmendation to ascend to the Orichalcum rank," One of them that seems to be the leader said. "Heh! You surprised me there. If you didn''t say anything, I would have joined them and killed all of you as well, you know?" The Golden Thrill''s leader, Martin, said as he slowly walks away with his members. "Martin?" (Emilia) "Martin. As expected you..." (Surena) "Martin, you bastard..." (Alice) "Sorry, Valkyries. But we''re mercenaries. Profit is our foremost interest, right?" said him as he raise his hat. The ck figures make some way for them to pass before circling the rest of the elite group again. "Tch! So they sold us. They''re that desperate to be an Orichalcum, huh..." Alice gritted her teeth. (These guys... They are...) (Griselda) (You know who these guys are, Griselda?) (Lyan) "You... You''re the [Crows] under Duke Ravindor''smand, aren''t you?" Julius the captain of the royal knights asked as he approached them. "We are not obliged to answer you. Rather, we''re here to give you an option. Give us the prince, and we''ll spare you," The man replied coldly. (The prince... Is here...?) (Griselda) "Griselda?" (Lyan) "What do you mean the prince? Julius, are they your friends? You Astellian really love dragging people to your problems, aren''t you?" (Alice) "Not my friends. I have never seen them before, but I''ve heard about them. About the powerful assassins nurtured by the duke. I''m sorry to tell you, but the prince is not here," Julius replied to them with fullposure. "Don''t treat me as a fool. Isn''t he there? Right in the middle of you?" The man points at one of the elite group members. !?!? "You''re... The prince...?" (Emilia) "Lyan is!?" (Ravia) (Eh?) (Lyan) (You''re the prince, master?) (Hestia) (P-Prince?) (Sylphia) (Hm? I don''t believe I saw that...) (Cynthia) (A prince? Big bro is!?) (Azelia) (Of course not! As if this guy is the prince!) (Griselda) Griselda''s voice stopped themotion inside his mind. But the confusion is not just inside his mind, but therades beside him are starting to doubt him as well. "I''m afraid to say, but I''m not the prince you''re looking for," (Lyan) "There is no need to lie, your highness. I could see your real face hiding beneath that magic cloak of yours. I don''t really need your answer. We''ve been ordered to bring you dead or alive. Rather, I''m giving the option to the ones surrounding you rather than yourself," The man said provocatively. "I see..." Lyan nced to his sides. There is doubt on the Valkyrie''s side, and confusion on the Astellia Kingdom''s side, but Ravia, Raine, and the group of the guild''s staff aren''t responding. Lyan could feel that Ravia and Raine still hold a powerful trust towards him. And suddenly, Lyan''s eyes meet someone''s. "So you''re the culprit, huh," Lyan uttered under his breath. "Hm?" "No, it''s nothing. Ah... I never thought I''ll be captured like this. I guess this is the end, huh," Lyan shrugged and was about to went straight to the man. "Lyan?" (Ravia) "You..." (Raine) But when he was about to take his step, his hand got held by someone. "Sir Julius?" (Lyan) "If he really is his highness, then I''m afraid I can''t you take him that easily. I believe you have no intention of letting any of us go alive anyway. Aiming for the crown prince is a great sin. Does the duke aware of this when he gave out the order? Is he trying to make a revolt against his majesty?" Julius pointed the tip of his sword towards the leader of the [Crows]. "His intention is his excellency''s privacy. We''re only here to fulfill his wish. Are you sure you want to foolishly resist, captain of royal knights, Julius Tergimand?" The man asked with a condescending tone. "We are the royal knights of the kingdom. It''s our pride to protect the kingdom and the royal family," Blue mana aura started to gush out of his body as he replied towards the man. "Your highness, please stay back. We''ll face them," Julius and the knights circled around Lyan. "We''ll help as well," William and the group of guild''s staff also circled Lyan. (H-He is...!) (Griselda) (Help, my ass) (Lyan) "Us too!" (Ravia) "Yeah!" (Raine) The remaining are the Valkyries. "Surena?" (Emilia) "It''s not like we have other choices, right? Just like what that Julius said, they wouldn''t let us go that easily anyway," Surena slowly joined the others, making Lyan in the center of the defensive formation they all made. Their number is about 38, while the [Crows] surrounding them are about 100. (And judging from their skills, they are at the very least as strong as Ravia and Raine, huh...) (Lyan) (Lyan! Summon me! If we let this continue-) (Griselda) (There is no need to worry, Griselda. The situation is under control) (Lyan) (Under control? What are you-) (Griselda) "Argh!" "Ugh!" Suddenly, groans and cries of the [Crows] member at the furthest position could be heard. They could see the silhouette of ten people rushing to them. "Hm?" The leader shifted his gaze behind. "Now!" (Julius) Following Julius''s signal, everyone rushed to the assassins as they got surprised by the suddenmotion. "Those... Aren''t those the men from the guild''s staff as well...?" Surena uttered when she saw the men that drew the attention for them after killing one of the [Crows] down. When she shifted her gaze, she saw that there are suddenly ten people less surrounding William. (Their weapons are poisoned. As expected of assassins, I guess. I can''t let Raine or Ravia got even a single scratch, I need to finish this quickly. I guess I''ll be using all of Arturia''s portion of mana left in me) (Lyan) *Whoosh!* "W-What with this guy- Argh!" "Surround him! Just a single sh is fi- Ugh!" "You''re... The prince...? Kuh!" As a white mana aura covered Lyan''s body, he finished off the assassins around Rania and Ravia quickly in several seconds. "You... Die!" One of the assassins threw five knives toward him. But in Lyan''s view, the speed of the knives is very slow. Rather than their throwing speed, everything around Lyan is currently moving very slowly. (Amazing. The mind eleration effect is the same as the mind magic. To think that this is a non-attribute mana...) (Lyan) Lyan deflected all of the knives with his sword, but there are already assassins approaching him from the right, left, and back ready to sh him with their poisoned des. But in the midst of danger, the assassins widened their eyes as they saw the curve on the corner of Lyan''s mouth. (He''s grinning!?) "Looks like the experiment rats approached me by themselves," (Lyan) !?!?!?!? Even though they are supposedly in an advantageous position, the three assassins felt an indescribable terror from the man before them. *Whoosh!!!* A spinning sh that is not just powerful, but faster than even their blink made the three assassins widen their eyes to the point where people would expect their eyes to fall from the sockets. Blood splurted as the upper bodies of the three assassins gotpletely separated because of Lyan''s blow. But because of the power of the sh, the bodies got sent flying powerfully to the rest of theirrades, soaking them with their deadrades'' blood. (The duration of using this strength is short, let''s finish this quickly) (Lyan) "You bastard! Everyone! We have to finish this one quickly!" Following the man''s words, more than a dozen of the assassins jumped and dashed towards Lyan. *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* They couldn''t see the movement of his arms. But one thing they do know after hearing the sound of his de whistling as it slice through the air at a frightening speed. ''Ah. I''m dead'' ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 74 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (8) The Ploy ?"As expected of the captain of the royal knights, you''re strong," The leader of the [Crows] praised Julius''s strength as he retreated after evading a series of Julius''s shes. "You too. You''re strong as well. As expected of the leader of the [Crows] acting directly under the Duke," Julius''s response remains calm. Julius''s sword and the leader of the [Crows]''s dual swords had been colliding for quite a while, but none of them had taken a single scratch on their bodies despite of the fierce exchange of strikes between them. (A single hit and the poison from his des will be my end, huh...) (Julius) Julius had been taking the full offensive and forced the man to defense in order to prevent him from getting attacked by the poison-smeared des. "I thought the royal knights would lose their valor and quality after losingmander Griselda, but it seems that it''s not the case, I see. But even though you''re a non-attribute mana wielder, you''re still incapable of reaching the same height of the former-" The leader of the [Crows] ducked to the side as a powerful sh of mana suddenly rushed to himself, spitting even the surface of the ground that it went through. "Don''t you dare utter her name... With that foul mouth of yours..." (Julius) Intense bloodlust is gushing out from Julius, and for the first time, he lost hisposure and show his rage. The other knights are surprised because of his actions, but the man he''s battling didn''t even flinch in response. "Griselda ister Fulmine. Themander with limitless potential that foolishly died without anyone knowing. Do you mean that name?" The leader of the [Crows] continues his provocation as he found his weakness. "You bas-" (Julius) Even more mana is getting infused in his sword, if he did so, he''ll exhaust his mana faster just like what the leader of the [Crows] intended, but before he could unleash it- *sh!* Another hooded man appeared from the side and attempted to kill him with a sh of a golden me, even though the man seeded in evading it, the golden me that appeared before him made him widen his eyes in surprise. (The royal golden me mana? But the prince is-) When he nced to see the one he mentioned as the prince before, he saw an impossible scene unfolding before his eyes. *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* *sh* It''s a series of shes that isn''t visible even to his eyes. He is focusing all of the white mana to reinforce his hands, his mana utilization must be perfect and wless, and his magnificent swordsmanship that aims directly at the unguarded spots of his subordinates struck him with amazement, awe, and fear. The subordinates that he painstakingly trained to the point where two of them should be capable of facing one Mythril-ranked mercenary had gotten killed in an instant. More than a dozen of them got killed in less than 5 seconds. (That white mana... He''s not the prince... Then who is he...? Themotion must be the anticipation nid by the prince, then since he follows through with the n, is he a new person in the prince''s faction? I need to let ry the information to the duke. If a person of such caliber joined the prince''s faction, then he''ll be in danger!) The leader of the [Crows] immediately shifts his n from capturing the prince to retreating and informing the duke of the prince''s new ally. "Not that easy!" Golden mes appeared from the ground, surrounding the leader of the [Crows], preventing him from fleeing. "Your subordinates had been dealt with, some have been captured and I''ll make sure to make them speak. Surrender to me, leader of the [Crows]. I''ll could ensure your life if you did, as long as you surrender yourself and follow me, that is," The cloaked man said with a powerful voice. "Is that so?" The leader of the [Crows] snorted. "That arrogance of yours is the source of your doom, crown prince," Following his confident words, the man takes out a syringe with some green fluids inside it, and injects them into his body without any hesitation. "Kuh! Ugh!!" The man groans as his body started to be green, but before it could achieve whatever he is nning- *Thrust!* Blood sttered as a sword got stabbed into the head of the man at terrifying speed. The cloaked guy and Julius saw the hint of white aura gushing out of the sword on the leader of the [Cloaks] head and turn their gaze towards the owner of the mana. "How cruel. You didn''t even let him finish hisst move. Aren''t you sad for the poor guy, Lyan?" The cloaked guy asked as he put his hand on his hip. "You''re the strange one for thinking of letting him finish whatever he''s nning. That kind of development usually takes too long to finish so spare me from it, will you, William? Or should I say, your highness?" Lyan stared straight toward William''s blue eyes. "Spare me from that. But before we start, let''s finish the rest of them first, I guess? If we let them take all of the work, the Valkyries will be scowling at us, you know?" (William) "Of course not. They will me you and your country alone and leave me out, of course. But you''re right. Having unnecessary casualties here will only make it more difficult when we''re fighting against the goblin king," Lyan replied as he blocked a sh of one of the [Crows] members. "Right?" William evades a dagger thrown at him and went to Lyan''s back. Leaving their backs to each other, the majority of the remaining [Crows] surrounded them since they now knew that William is the crown prince, the target of their master. "Even though their leader died, they didn''t retreat. How persistent," (Lyan) "Don''t get a blow and die here, you hear me, Lyan?" (William) "Of course. I don''t have any wish to die here at all!" (Lyan) The fight continues and ends not even after 10 minutes. There are no magicians in the opponents'' ranks, but they have magnificent skills and have no qualms in dying. No one died, but there are some that got injured and have the poison smeared on the assassins'' weapons entered their body. "Share the antidotes!" William ordered his men quickly. (So he had even anticipated the poisons, huh? I guess he had suspected who is the one that is targeting him before he joined the subjugation. Those so-called guild staff...) (Lyan) Lyan''s eyes shifted towards the so-called guild staff members that are giving vials of antidotes to the Astellia Kingdom''s royal knights and the Valkyries. (Those are knight armors, and that crest on their chest, seems like they are his private knights) (Lyan) "I''m thankful with the antidote and all, but don''t you think we deserve your exnation? Or were you aiming to finish us here as well?" Alice didn''t hide her hostility as she asked her question to William. Judging from their expressions, the Valkyries seems to have roughly understood the situation about how this is a part of a political war of the Astellia Kingdom, but they need confirmation andpensation for dragging them into their political fight. "I know we''re running out of time, so it''s fine if you just give us a short exnation," (Surena) "You mercenaries, how insolent-" One of the royal knights snapped, but Julius hold him back and gave him a re. "You''re right. Let me apologize for getting you caught up in this, Valkyries," William opened his hood, revealing a blonde and handsome man to the public. His eyes are sharp and are filled with confidence, just by showing his face alone, a certain air of charisma is being emitted from him. "I am Erich Wendevar Astellia, first son of the King of Astellia Kingdom. The corpses lying around us are the assassins sent by a duke that opposes the royal faction, Duke Ravindor. Of course, their target is me alone. Since if I died, the duke''s faction will get a greater influence due of the sickness of the king and the fact that I am the only son of the king," (William) "It''s very likely that the Golden Thrill had gotten bribed and made a deal with the duke beforehand. But I''m afraid I don''t know about the Crimson Talon''s leader''s matter," (William) William exined that he had already left 10 of his private knights hiding at a certain distance in case they suddenly got attacked from the beginning. Since didn''t do much along the way, they got less attention from everyone, letting them to slip away easily. "*Sigh!* I should have expected this. The prince getting killed in the middle of the goblin king subjugation, that''s how the story will go around after your death, right? And about those hobgoblin assassins..." (Surena) "It must be a ploy nned to mislead us. Rather than getting killed by hobgoblin assassins, our scouts before must have gotten killed by these bastards. They dress a hobgoblin in an assassin-like attire and brought it with them, bringing it with them and throwing them in case they got caught..." (Alice) "And how about you, Lyan? Since when did you be the prince''s aide?" Emilia shifted his questioning gaze towards Lyan. "Aide? Surely you jest. I haven''t gotten even a single copper from him, let alone bing his subordinate," Lyan shrugged. "Eh? Then why did you get along with his n so smoothly?" (Raine) "Ah... If it''s this guy, he''s a special case. You see, he somehow understand my ns when our eyes identally met with each other back then. Not only that, he magnificently killed more than a dozen of the [Crows] alone. You made me want you even more now, Lyan," William cheerfully tapped Lyan''s shoulder, but Lyan shake him off. "I''m not interested in getting courted by guys. Rather than that," Lyan jumped to the ck horse after pulling the sword stuck on the [Crows] leader''s head and putting back his swords to his waist. "Don''t forget. We still have some goblins to y. I''m afraid to say, but the bad feeling I''m feeling hasn''t disappeared yet. Small General, Dancing Gale, let''s hasten. There might be a bigger storm brewing ahead," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 75 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (9) The Lair ?They galloped their horses at full speed and arrived at their targeted point, the back entrance of the goblin king''sir. It''s an entrance that seems to be naturally made for transporting, but differs from the main entrance, the back entrance of the mine is smaller. "Seems like the Golden Thrills entered this ce as well," Raviamented at the sight in front of the back entrance. There are corpses of goblins and hobgoblins scattered in front of the back entrance, and all of their ears had already been taken. They didn''t leave even a single goblin with their ears. (Not wasting even a penny, huh?) (Lyan) They tied the horses to nearby trees and approached the mine entrance. Lyan''s eyes wandered from the goblin corpses towards the Valkyries, and towards William and the Astellian group. There is a clear distance between them which is obvious how the Valkyries are keeping their distance from them. Not only towards them, but the Valkyries are also starting to keep distance from him as well. (Their hatred run deep, huh? But it''s not my business, I guess. I doubt we''ll meet again after this quest is finished anyway) (Lyan) But the problem is, the strange atmosphere is spreading not only in his surroundings, but inside his head as well. Ever since Griselda uttered ''Prince...'' from inside the grimoire''s space, she refrain from giving any otherments, not even her usual snide remarks. Maybe because of that, none of the spirits are giving out anyments. (Those [Crows] guys. As expected, they are not her killer, huh... But at least, I got some information regarding her from that event) (Lyan) Their strength is too weak to be the killer of Griselda, and Griselda would have asked him to summon her if they were her killers. She seems to have a special rtionship with the prince. When the leader of the [Crows] mentioned her name and insulted her, Julius and William reacted quite strongly towards it. (Commander, huh...) (Lyan) "We''ll be now entering the goblin king''sir. But starting now, we''ll be acting not as one group, but several groups," (Alice) "Several groups?" (Julius) "Yes. I''m sorry, but I have no intentions of leaving my back to people I can''t trust, after all. As you have your prince that you need to protect, we have our lives that we need to protect. As long as our goal of killing the goblin king is achieved, everything will still be good, no?" (Alice) Alice didn''t hide her hostility towards the Astellian group when she say her words. There are some knights that got pissed by her remarks, but Julius and William prevent them from doing anything offensive towards the Valkyries. "You''re right. Let''s go with that," (William) (Now that I thought about it, should I call him William or Erich? Well, your highness should be more appropriate, I guess) (Lyan) "Raine, Ravia, you''ll be in our group. But you, I''m sorry, but we don''t trust you enough, Evocatore," Alice points at Lyan. (That''s understandable. It seems that I have totally be an Astellian-friendly guy in their eyes. It can''t be helped) (Lyan) "Um. We''ll- Lyan?" As Raine is about to refuse their offer, Lyan holds her arm. "Join them," (Lyan) "Y-Yes..." Raine replied in reflex when she saw Lyan''s stern look. (It''s not easy for me to protect them while holding back, after all) (Lyan) "Then we''ll be entering," (Surena) With Surena and the Valkyries in the front, we entered the goblin king''sir. Since there are no sounds of metals colliding or signs of wars around the mine, the main army, and the Astellian army must have seeded in taking the attention of the goblins. They must have sent most of their forces to intercept them. (It seems that the ones that lured the goblins to our positions are those [Crows] as well. No wonder we keep on encountering a big group of goblins rather than just their reconnaissance force) (Lyan) Lyan takes a nce at William, or rather, at the crown prince Erich. (He seems to see something in me. It''s very likely that he has magic eyes, but he shouldn''t be able to determine my summoning grimoire. As long as I don''t show that many of my cards, he wouldn''t have the proof to say I''m a summoner. It will be bad if someone like him knows about my identity as a summoner, after all) (Lyan) Even though Lyan could feel that Erich seems to be a good egg with great skills in scheming and fighting, it''s still unknown what he might situation he might drag him into by using the knowledge of him being a summoner. (It''s better to avoid such risks) (Lyan) "Looks like most of the goblins guarding this entrance had gotten eliminated, huh..." (Emilia) They have walked for several minutes, and all they met are corpses of goblins along the way. They know that Mythril-ranked mercenaries are strong, and it''s possible for them to y the goblin king, but none of them look like they believe that the Golden Thrill had killed the goblin king. As they entered deeper into the mine, their body tensed up even further. None of them know the reason except for one man. (The malice in the air is getting thicker and thicker with each step. I could feel it... Despair, Anger, and Hatreding from inside...) (Lyan) With his swords unsheathed from the start, Lyan proceeds with extra caution as he sharply observes the passage of the mine. The other groups realized how much he raised his wariness, all of them saw how his wariness saved the elite group several times, and they decided not to let their guard down because of the goblin corpses around them. After walking for several minutes, the passage turns another way, and at the end of the passage, they could see lighting from an entrance at the end of the passage. There are two goblin corpses that seem to be the guards of the entrance lying at the corners. They slowly went to take a peek to see what was beneath the entrance, but the sight made all of them widen their eyes. "You must be kidding me..." Emilia uttered in disbelief at the sight. (This... It''s the first time I saw something like this...) (Hestia) The other spirits'' gasps of surprise sounded inside his mind as his eyes sharply observe the scene before him. Rather than a room, what the entrance connected to is two stairs running to below of them, leading to a very huge space as wide and spacious as a stadion below. There are lots of holes that seem to be connected to rooms of various uses, and it''s very likely that the goblinir is far bigger than they originally thought in the beginning. There are goblins d in armor and holding spears standing neatly while at the center of the furthest end of the huge space, there is a huge chair that seems to be a throne. The figure sitting on it has a body bigger than the red goblin champion they''ve encountered before and is wearing a shaman''s robe, while there are six goblins that seem to be goblin champions, but their skin color is strangely ck-colored. "This is the goblin king''sir...?" A bitter smile appeared on Erich''s face as he stared at the sight before them. "Having this kind of force inside our borders might lead to great disaster, your highness. It''s unknown how bigger their number will be if we let them be," (Julius) "You''re right. We have to-" (Erich) !?!?!? As Erich conversed with Julius, the elite group saw the goblin king turn its head towards their direction, and its ck eyes stared at them as it made a displeased face. "Did we got noticed? Where is the Golden Thrill? The goblins lying dead behind us are all the ones they killed, right?" (Alice) !?!?!?!? As if responding to Alice''s question, the goblin king pointed his index finger at Lyan andpany and said something to the ck goblin champions surrounding it. The elite group immediately withdraw their heads to hide, but a loud roar suddenly resounded. "W-What is this?" (Raine) "I don''t know. But this is definitely not a good news," (Ravia) "What should we do, Rena?" (Alice) "We should first withdraw-" (Surena) *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* *Step!* Countless sound of footsteps soundeding from behind them. And before long, a flood of green goblins started to gushing out, blocking their way. As they ready themselves for a breakthrough, suddenly a goblin champion running in their direction ms its club towards the ceilings above, trying to bury them alive. "Tch!" (They are preventing us from running...) (Lyan) The elite group has no choice but enter the huge spacious room where an army of goblins and the goblin king are in. They skillfullynd on the ground, but the army of goblins standing by inside immediately take their stance and surrounds them. "W-What should we do, Rena...?" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 76 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (10) A Pinch ?"We should fight asfortably as we could... The number isrge, but it''s not that different from what we face at the surface. We should fight using our respective style to muster all of our strength," (Surena) Fighting with those that you''re not familiar fighting together with would hinder the smooth teamwork. By fighting in your usual groups, it will be easier for them to fight since they are used to each other''s fighting styles and their teamwork would be much more solid than having to force themselves to coborate with other groups. "You''re right. Fight as you see fit, Valkyries. Julius," Erich nods in agreement before calling for the captain of the royal knights. "Yes, your highness. Knights! Breakthrough formation!" (Julius) The royal knights and the prince''s personal knights made a breakthrough position on the right side of Lyan. The Valkyries stand gantly in the front while Ravia and Raine are behind them, it seems they are going to be the ones entrusted to guard their team''s rear. (And I''m alone, huh...) (Lyan) (If things go south, summon me immediately, Lyan) (Griselda) It''s not her usual sarcastic tone, but it''s a serious and grim tone. "Of course," (Lyan) (I know you''re very worried about that prince of yours, after all) (Lyan) Lyan looks at the formation made by the two groups. (So the Valkyries and I will be charging for the goblin king''s head after the Astellian breakthrough their encirclement, huh? If we had joined up with the main army and attacked together, the situation wouldn''t be this grim, though. But I guess the n was made with the assumption of having the elite group fighting in full force in the first ce...) (Lyan) Lyan observes the condition of his allies around him. (They seem to be not that exhausted after the battle with the [Crows]. The Valkyries look like they still have lots of aces under their sleeves, same as William and that captain of royal knights, Julius. The [Crows] seem to underestimate their strength too much. As long as I keep up with them, there would be no need for me to use my summonings, Now for my mana...) (Lyan) The portion of Arturia''s mana that he got from the grimoire of summoning''s buff hadpletely depleted after the battle with the [Crows], Griselda''s mana is about half, Sylphia''s mana had alreadypletely recovered, while he hadn''t used any mana of the other spirits. (My illusion mana still at around 85%, this could do. This should be enough) (Lyan) As Lyan finishes his calction, Lyan takes his stance, ready to rush whenever he should. But when he moved his feet, there was a sound simr to a bone crackinging from under his feet. "Hm?" Lyan takes a peek downwards, and the sight forces him to widen his eyes. !?!? It''s a skull, and lying beside it is the Golden Thrill leader''s hat. Lyan then realized that behind them, there are piles of bones scattering around. (In such a short time, they didn''t just get massacred, but they got eaten down to their bones as well, huh...) (Lyan) It''s not strange considering the number of the goblins. With such a number, it''s expected for them to be in a constant state of hunger since the food wouldn''t be enough for such a number. The one that realized about the skull and the hat is not only Lyan, but the Valkyries that heard the sound of bones cracking also saw the skull and the hat. Since they had be mercenaries longer than Lyan, they must have known the man called ''Martin'' even better than Lyan. (So he died too...) (Surena) Surena gripped her sword stronger, making her hand to shake a little. (The goblins and hobgoblins before us are only about 500 or so in number, they must have sent most of their forces to repel the main army and the Astellian army on the surface. We can do this...) (Surena) Surena''s gaze met Erich''s, and they nod at each other. "Forward!!!" Erich shouted as he point his sword forward. Following Erich''s call, the Astellian knights lead the advance like the tip of a spear, while the Valkyries, Raine, Ravia, and Lyan followed them from behind. As expected of the royal knights from the country that is famous for the quality of their knights, they are acting as invincible heavy infantries, repelling all of the goblins jumping towards them, while advancing forwards to break through the formation of the goblins and hobgoblins. Julius lead them as the captain of the royal knights and stand at the very front, but every goblin that entered his view quickly got their head sliced cleanly from their bodies. While Erich on the other hand, he''s at the center of their formation since he''s an important crown prince, but he continues to summon golden mes which engulfed lots of goblins surrounding them. "We''re breaking through!" Erich''s sound resonated. They are already on the verge of breaking through the formation of the goblins to open the path for the Valkyries, Raine, Ravia, and Lyan to rush towards the goblin king. Since the goblins'' are not that clever enough, and it seems that there are nomanders leading them, they didn''t attempt to prevent them from breaking through their barricade and continue to attack them. And when they finally reached thest line of goblins. "We''re in!" (Erich) The Valkyries, Raine, Ravia, and Lyan immediately take the created space and separate themselves from the Astellian group. "Don''t let them got chased!" (Erich) Following Erich''smand, the knights made a horizontal line, blocking the rest of the goblins from running after Lyan andpany. "Let''s go!" (Surena) Looking at Lyan andpanying, the goblin king''s ugly face made a face of displeasure and mmed the greatsword beside him powerfully to the ground. As if responding to it, a group of red goblins suddenly appeared from one of the holes beside the rushing Lyan andpany. "I''ll take care of them," Lyan stopped in his tracks and readied both of his swords. The number of the rushing red goblins is about 100. For a normal knight, it''s difficult for him to defeat a group of 20 goblins, let alone a group of 100 red goblins that are stronger than usual goblins. But for Lyan that had faced an army of abyss beasts inside the demon world, the force in front of him is not something for him to be afraid of. "Now, look into my eyes," (Lyan) The red goblins at the front row saw the purple light emitted from Lyan''s eyes, but when they saw it, their vision suddenly turned ck. One by one, the goblins stopped their tracks, and stumbled because of their sudden loss of vision. The stumbling in the front rows made the ones rushing from behind fall as well, crumbling their formation. Of course, the man before them wouldn''t let the opportunity they had just made fall to waste. *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* Rather than a battle, it''s more like a massacre. The red goblins that didn''t have their sight didn''t have any chance to fight back against Lyan. They could only get killed one by one. ([Mystic eyes of Incubus]. It''s a great skill, but it''s draining a lot of mana. I should finish this as fast as I could) (Lyan) Lyan continues to ughter the red goblins, but when he is about to y the 70th one. "Agh!" "Emilia!" (Alice) "Emi!" (Surena) Emilia''s groan sounded from the direction of the goblin king. But not only her. "Argh!" "Ugh!" The royal knights from the Astellian side also made some groans. Lyan shifted his gaze to see the situation, and he saw the reason for the sudden damage they got. "So this is why there are lots of malice in the air..." (Lyan) There are goblins and goblin champions holding stakes, but on the stakes, there are living human women tied on it. There are about 50 of them surrounding the Astellian group and the Valkyries group. They are using them as a shield from getting attacked. With the sudden appearance of human shields on the goblins'' side, the Astellian group and the Valkyries hesitated in their attacks. Their decision-making got disrupted by the sudden element popping before their eyes. Which one should they prioritize? Should they risk their lives to save the ones the goblins holding captives? Or should they sacrifice them and stick to their objectives? The weight of the lives before them made them hesitate to make their decision, resulting in Emilia from the Valkyrie group getting direct attack by a goblin champion, and two royal knights from the Astellian group getting stabbed by the goblins'' spears. At that moment of hesitation, a smile appeared on the ugly face of the goblin king. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 77 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (11) The White Figure ?"Your highness, we should attack. It''s frustrating, but it''s unavoidable. If we didn''t attack now, not only them, but we''ll end up getting killed as well," Julius grimly advised Erich. While gritting his teeth, Erich was about to let out themand to let his men attack and let saving the women tied on the stakes as the secondary objective, but the goblins suddenly stopped their movement. (They stopped after surrounding us?) (Erich) The goblins then opened a path, revealing a crowd of other goblins, but they are not just a group of normal goblins. "Y-You must be kidding me..." "C-Captain! Your orders!" The royal knights eximed as they saw a group of fifty red goblin champions approaching them with nasty grins on their faces. "This surely is bad... I never thought the subjugation would be such a hellish quest..." Erich uttered with a wry smile as he stared at the approaching group of enemies. As the danger approached, the name of a certain person entered his mind. (Lyan... If you have any kind of hidden aces under your sleeves, there would be no other chances other than these to use them, you know...?) (Erich) Erich nced at behind him and saw that Lyan is also fighting a group of more than a hundred goblins by himself. "I guess I have no choice but to use it. Julius! Don''t hold back! Fight with all we have!!" (Erich) As Erich and Julius unleashed the full output of their mana, the situation on the Valkyries'' side doesn''t look favorable as well. Emilia that about to attack a goblin champion halted her attack because of the appearance of the living human shields, resulting in her getting a direct attack from a goblin champion. "Howl!" Following her call, Surena''s sword unleashed several wind des, cutting all of the goblins that are getting near Emilia. Alice rushed to Emilia''s side while cutting the throats of the goblins she passed at high speed with Raine and Ravia following her from behind. "Are you okay, Emilia?" (Surena) "Could you stand?" (Alice) Surena, Alice, Ravia, and Raine covered Emilia from four directions and surrounded her to protect her from the iing goblins. "Heh! It''s fine. But sorry, I gulped down the first potion," Emilia stands back as she put the empty vial inside her pouch. "It''s fine. We need to get out from their encirclement and continue to went straight to the goblin king. But-" (Surena) As Surena and Alice are thinking about how they should pass through the goblins surrounding them, the ck goblin champions that surrounded the goblin king approached them. The surrounding goblins opened a way to let them pass, while the goblins holding the living human shields do the same as well. "Those bastards..." Raine scowled at the goblins that are grabbing the naked women on the stakes with their disgusting grins. "If only we could regroup..." Ravia sent a nce towards Lyan''s direction and saw he was still fighting the group of red goblins, but someonemented on her mumblings. "Don''t trust him too much. He''s on the same side of the Astellian. I don''t trust him. The chances of him helping you before running with his tail between his legs are slim," Alice uttered coldly. "Wha!? Lyan won''t do that!" (Raine) "You wouldn''t know. When someone faces a life-endangering situation, their true nature will be revealed. We wouldn''t know what would he do in this kind of situation," (Surena) "....Indeed," (Ravia) Ravia noticed that after the incident with the [Crows], the Valkyries had been showing hostility towards Lyan that helping the crown prince Erich''s n. She knew that they had a certain animosity towards the Astellian, but she didn''t know that it would be to this extent. (Arguing about that kind of thing isn''t matter, right now. We need to get out of this situation first...) (Ravia) "Heh! You''re as cool as you look, aren''t you?" Emiliamented on the sight of Ravia readying her knives. "Thanks for thepliment," (Ravia) They have prepared themselves for the battle before them. As if they are waiting for them to finish their preparations, the six ck goblin champions rushed toward them at a speed that didn''t match their size. Their height is about 4 meters tall, and when their distance had shortened enough for them tond their blow, the goblin champions strikes their weapons at a speed even faster than their run. They clearly are stronger than the red goblin champions. *BOOM!!!!!* The girls managed to evade the strikes, but the debris from the explosion hit and sent some damage to them, and clouds of dust floats into the air, hindering their vision. But the Valkyries are not a Mythril-ranked mercenary party for nothing. "Burn!!" With a powerful sh with her burning sword, Emilia aimed her strike at the eyes of one of the ck goblin champions, but the ck goblin champion bends his body backward to avoid the sh, but the me still got delivered right to its eyes, rendering them useless. *sh!* *sh!* The Small General didn''t let the opportunity miss and cut the knee pits of the ck goblin champion together with Ravia and Raine, while Surena swiftly jumped in front of the slowly falling ck goblin champion. *sh!* She cleanly beheads the goblin champion that had lost its ability to resist because of the loss of its sight. It was such a splendid teamwork, but there are still five others of them. As they were about to go to their next target, the four of them realized that the five ck goblin champions had taken the opportunity topletely surround them from all sides, preventing them from retreating. (They sacrificed the first one to do this!?) (Surena) "Tch! The front!" Surena picked the ck goblin champion before her that is holding a heavy-looking ax, assuming that its strike would be slower than the others. But different from her expectation, the moment she jumped, the ax held in only one of its arms also moved but at a terrifying speed. Sensing the danger, Surena unleashed a blow imbued with her mana and triggered one of the magic sword''s abilities, fastening and strengthening her strike. *nk!!* A powerful sound of metals colliding sounded. The amount of force seems to be the same, sending the both of them the same rebounded force. But then, the other arm of the ck goblin champion moved. Surena swiftly channeled her mana, but this time, she was going to unleash the strongest blow from her magic sword. As she''s this time is more prepared than the bout before, this time she will definitely overpower the goblin champion by using a more powerful blow. Or so she thought. !?!? Surena''s arm stopped. It''s not because of the ck goblin champion''s striking speed that is too quick for her to catch up, but it''s because rather than a bare fist, whates into her is a stake holding a naked woman that should be held by one of the other goblins. A hesitation that proved fatal. *Boom!!* The ck goblin champion''s blownded straight on Surena vertically, sending her crashing to the ground, vomiting a mouthful of blood. She barely managed to block the blow by focusing her mana on defense, but the damage is still severe. "RENA!!!!!" Emilia''s bloodshot eyes and powerful scream resounded throughout the ce. The ck goblin champion before Surena didn''t waste its time. It immediately swings the arm holding the giant ax towards the lying Surena. The other girls are busy dodging and fighting the rest of the ck goblins, they have no leeway to help Surena. As a veteran on the battlefield, Surena knew. She has no chance of survival, and after this, her friends would be next. She never thought that the subjugation of the goblin king would be this dangerous. If the red goblin champion is ranked an AAA-ranked monster, then what about the stronger ck goblin champion before her? Knowing that it''s normal for her to lose after defeating so many enemies already, a smile appeared on her face as she nced at her friends that are still fighting while calling her name. As the sound of the ax cutting through the air sounded, she whispered to the air. "Run," (Surena) ""RENAA!!!!!!!!!!!"" Alice and Emilia shouted the name of their friend at top of their lungs. *Boom!!!!* *Whoosh!* Clouds of dust covered the whole area as after the blownded by the ck goblin champion, but the amount of them is too much for it to be caused by its blow alone. The moment before the ck goblin champion''snded, they felt like a white figure passed through their eyes for a second. *Whoosh!* Powerful winds blew the clouds of dust away, clearing their sight. No one would know that the powerful winds came from a single sh of a person. "Re...Na...?" Emilia uttered as she saw her friend miraculously didn''t get killed, but her face is staring in a certain direction with wide eyes. "Who... Are you?" (Emilia) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 78 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (12) The Revealing ?The heads of the surrounding goblins had fallen to the ground, including the strong ck goblin champions. The head of the ax that was about to kill Surena is lying on the ground beside her, it seems that the shoulder of the ax got deflected powerfully enough that it got split into two. Amidst the lying corpses of the goblins, a beautiful woman d in a majestic-looking armor stood while holding her sword in a nt pose. Her beautiful blonde hair fluttered as she stared in a certain direction with a smile. "Who... Are you...?" (Emilia) "Me? A knight- No, right now, I''m his proud spirit, I guess," The woman replied with a gentle smile. "Considering his action today, I guess it''s fine for me to forget how he secretly did the deed with Lilith," On the other side, at the Astellian group. The same development just like what happened on the Valkyries'' side unfolded on their side as well. The goblin champions started to use the stakes as their weapons after five of them got killed by Erich and Julius, but while gritting his teeth, Julius resolved himself to sacrifice those captives in change for his master''s life. As his sword was about to collide with the woman on the stake that got swung by the goblin champion as a weapon, a sound of thunderp sounded together with a silver sh that passed before him. *p!* *nk!* "W-Wha-" Julius eximed in surprise as his blow got blocked by something, but at the same time, he saw how the ropes tying the woman got cut, freeing her. Julius swiftly caught her with one hand, but the scene before him forced him to widen his eyes. *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* Together with powerful thunderps resounding throughout the ce, silver shes appeared here and there, and together with them, the heads of the goblins also flew and part from their bodies with a smell of burnt blood and flesh filling the air around them. *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* The bodies of the goblins and goblin champions fall motionlessly to the ground, leaving a single figure standing. Erich, Julius, and the royal knights didn''t know whether the figure before them is a man or a woman, but the back that shows an invincible strength reminded Julius and Erich of a certain person. Themander in chief of all knight orders in the kingdom, Griselda ister Fulmine. "You''re knights, aren''t you? No matter what the situation is, protecting the weak even if you need to risk yourself is your duty, isn''t it? The time the thought of sacrificing someone crossed your mind, you''ve failed as a knight," Her reprimanding tone resounded inside the royal knights'' ears. Her voice is different from the knightmander in their memories, she''s using a hood and a mask that covered her face and identity, but the tone and the scolding words couldn''t help but remind them of the dead knightmander of their country. (No. She''s dead. I confirmed her corpse that day. More importantly, the sudden appearance of her, don''t tell me...) (Erich) Erich shifted his gaze towards Lyan''s direction and gasped in excitement as a broad smile appeared on his face. "I knew it!! I knew it!! Hahahaha!! So you finally reveal yourself!! Lyan!!" (Erich) Erich excitedly gazes at the scene before him. A huge ice golem and rock golem are covering the women that got freed from the stakes, a hobgoblin d in ck attire is running all over the ce killing the remaining goblins, while a sinister-looking flying skeleton is killing the goblins with its ws, and slowly, the goblins that got killed by its ws had their skin rot and rise as an undead skeleton. A light green-haired girl flying with a small typhoon under her is blocking a hole leading to another room that seemed to be filled with goblin reinforcements, while a cold-looking dark blue-haired girl is blocking the other hole on the opposite side, sending ice shards towards the hole with powerful speed. Not only them, but there is also a purple-haired demon-like girl, a small green-haired little girl with strange horns on her head, a girl with curly red hair, and a girl that looks like a priestess walking beside him as he approached the goblin king that had already risen from its throne. The Astellian, The Valkyries, Ravia, and Raine saw how Lyan and the four girls approached the goblin king. With the goblin king that has a size a little bigger than the ck goblin champions, the scene looks like a hero that is about to challenge the demon king. Little do they know that the conversation urring on the spot is a little bit off. "So what kind of punishment did you get, Lilith? Did they insert something to your ass or something?" (Lyan) "P-Please don''t make me remember, master..." (Lilith) "Oh. Do you want to know about it, Lyan?" (Hestia) "Fufufu~ It was a masterpiece idea from me, master. I could tell you in detail if you want to know," (Cynthia) "Sis Lilith was crouching down and was-" (Azelia) "A-Azelia-chan! You must not say it!!" Lilith closes Azelia''s mouth in panic. "Well, I''ve ended up summoning these monsters because of you, goblin king. So which of you want to face him first?" Lyan asked the girls beside him. As if it understand that he was being underestimated, the goblin king mmed its huge staff to the ground, making the robe it was wearing flutter before letting out a roar. Several ck magic circles appeared around him following his roar, but- "ck portals, is it? I''m afraid no," Cynthia''s palm shone with beautiful golden light, and with a light push, a golden barrier surrounded all of them. As if it got purified, the ck magic circles dispersed when they got into contact with the golden barrier. Gugu? The goblin king made a confused sound. "Ugh... Your voice is annoying!" Azelia swayed her hand, and thick vines suddenly sprouted from the ground, and with terrifying speed, the vines entangled the goblin king, restricting its hands and feet from moving. "Ah. Looks like they are another secret entrance," (Lyan) The ground before the throne suddenly opened, and another horde of hobgoblins appeared. The hobgoblins appearing from the hole seem to be not stopping, and suddenly, the goblin king let out another roar. The roar isn''t as loud as before, but rather than for intimidating, the roar sounded like it has another purpose. As if answering Lyan andpany''s expectation, the hobgoblins surrounding the goblin king suddenly grow and they witness how they turned into goblin champions in such a split second. "So it''s a goblin king shaman. A reinforcement magic-using leader, huh. For it to be a goblin, how disgusting~" (Lilith) "Stop showing that unsightly transformation, would you? *Snap!*" Hestia snapped her fingers, and dozens of magic circles appeared surrounding the goblin king and the goblin champions around him. "Burn," (Hestia) *Whoosh!!!* Powerful mes appeared and raged, burning the goblin king and the goblin champions alive. They seem to be struggling, but since the goblin king is getting bounded by Azelia''s thick vines, the goblin champions and hobgoblins seem to be sticking close to the goblin king. "Even though it''s that hot, they are still sticking that close to each other. They must be idiots," (Lyan) After a while, the me disappeared, leaving only ck and unsightly figures before them. But unexpectedly, the goblin king is still alive. Lyan andpany saw how its chest rises and falls, it''s still breathing despite of its body gettingpletely ck like a charcoal. "Fufufu! Looks like it purposely remains to get finished by me, huh~ I guess I''ll take the opportunity to lend my strength a bit. [Spear of Blood], finish him please," (Lilith) Blood that is sttered everywhere gathered before Lilith, forming into something more like ance rather than a spear. Because of the great amount of blood everywhere in the area, the [Spear of Blood] formed before her has quite the size. The goblin king seems to be shivering in fear in face of such a big danger. (What a pity. But you''re way too creepy and disgusting right now, so just ept your fate, gobu) (Lyan) With a wave of her hand, the [Spear of Blood] mercilessly thrust into the goblin king''s chest. Blood sttered all over the ce, and the goblin king roared and groaned because of the intense pain it is feeling. "You... Why didn''t you finish it in one go!? its voice is so disturbing!!" (Hestia) "How should I know that it wouldn''t instantly die!? normal person would have immediately gone into the afterlife after getting thrust by such a huge spear!!" (Lilith) "It''s more like ance, though," (Cynthia) "Oh shut up!" (Lilith) As Lyan felt like retorting to the conversation of the spirits, his vision suddenly got blurry. (Eh? What is happening?) (Lyan) His feet started to shake as he lose the strength to stand, and as he stumbled on a small rock, he fell as his vision went dark. """Master!""" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 79 The Subjugation Of The Goblin King (End) The Outcome ?---Lyan''s PoV--- It''s a familiar smell. It feels like it''s been so long since Ist encountered this smell. The smell that kind of sulfurous and metallic. The smell that came with the image of modern battles, wars, and death. The smell of gunpowder. As soon as the source of the smell entered my mind, my vision returned, and a familiar scene appeared before me. "This is... The demon world...?" But it''s not just the demon world, it''s a battlefield inside the demon world. The red sky, the hideous ck sun, and the sound of fire guns, bombs, and people''s screaming. The familiar faces of the people that I haven''t seen for so long appeared before me as they shouts something to me. What is it? My vision and my sense of smell had returned, but it seems that my auditory perception hasn''t returned yet. I attempted to approach them by moving my feet since I couldn''t hear what they are saying, but somehow even though I''vemanded my feet to walk, I can''t feel anything. Did my feet got stuck on something, I wonder? I gazed downwards to see what was happening, and the memoryes seeking in. I immediately realize where I am and what I''m doing. *Crunch!* *Crunch!* Blood is profusely leaking out of my limbless parts, and besides me, two huge ck beasts are wolfing my torn legs like there is no tomorrow. Savagely, ruthlessly, and barbarically. As I realized what condition I''m currently in, the intense pain started to appear from the parts that are bleeding profusely. Couldn''t bear the hot and unbearable pain for a human to feel. "AARRGGHH-----!!!!!!!!!" I screamed. **************************************************** !!?? Lyan jumped as soon as he opened his eyes. "Lyan?" A familiar voice entered his ears. As he shifted his gaze, the familiar greyish brown hair entered his vision. "Ah... Dancing Gale, huh..." Lyan uttered as he breathe a sigh of relief out of his mouth. He wipes the sweat running on his forehead, while his hands are touching his legs that had torn inside his dream. (What a terrible nightmare... The view and the sensation are very vivid. Now, where am I?) (Lyan) "Ah... We''re in the cleanest room inside the goblin''sir. The others are leading the people that the goblins abducted to the surface and to regroup with the main army," said Surena as she realized Lyan''s eyes wandering all around the ce and seems to be questioning. "How''s your body condition?" (Surena) (Body condition? Ah...) (Lyan) The memories before he fell unconscious started to seep through his head, making him recall what happened. The part where after killing the goblin king together with the high spirits, his vision suddenly blurs, darkens, then he lost his consciousness. (Ah... I forgot that I''ve already be a human, making me to forget to take into ount and check the condition of my body during the battle. Unlike a demon''s body, a human''s stamina is not that big, and several wounds are enough to make me lose my consciousness because of the loss of blood. Not to mention I haven''t trained myself in using the Incubus mana in such a high output in this body... I guess taking this quest really was a mistake...) (Lyan) Along the battle, when fighting enemies with a number exceeding a hundred, it''s impossible to not get even a single wound on the body. Since, unlike humans, demons have a high recovery rate since their metabolism and how their body works are dependent on the mana in the atmosphere and the air. Having battling and fighting in his demonic form for hundreds of years, he had gone ustomed to wounds and scars, resulting in him forgetting that he''s a human and how limited a human''s regeneration and how easy it is to lose strength because of the loss of blood or stamina. *Sigh!* Lyan let out a sigh after realizing how fatal the mistake he made was. If the situation before happened while he was incapable of summoning the high spirits, he would definitely be dead by now. "Hm?" Lyan immediately opened his shirt to check on his body, but the wounds that were supposed to be on his body are gone. No wonder he didn''t feel any pain either. "The woman wearing a priestess attire healed all of your wounds with a spell," (Surena) (Priestess attire... Cynthia, huh? Now that she mentioned her, where are all of them?) (Lyan) "How long did I lose my consciousness?" (Lyan) "I''m not really sure, about 4 hours, I guess," (Surena) (I see... No wonder they''ve all returned to the grimoire''s space. But there are no reactions from them even though I''ve woken up. Did the summoning exhaust them and made them to rest?) (Lyan) "Hey, Lyan," Surena called his name with a hint of nervousness on her expression. (Ah... Considering how the monsters and the eight girls appeared while obviously heeding mymand, it''s obvious that they realized that I am a summoner, I guess. But losing my consciousness is outside my expectation. I''ve considered of erasing their memories about me, but with the others had already dispersing outside like this, it will be difficult to do so) (Lyan) "Are you thinking about how to silence me?" Asked her as if reading his mind. "Why do you think so?" Lyan remains indifferent. "Just a hunch," (Surena) All of a sudden, a figure d in ck approached them and kneels. But since Lyan recognize the approaching presence, he didn''t react to the sudden movement. "Hobu..." Lyan uttered the name of the figure. The shadow hobgoblin that had been loyally serving him while sometimes got treated like a servant by the high spirits inside his grimoire''s space as well. Not only Lyan, but Surena didn''t show any sign of surprise or even make a single reaction when Hobu approached them and kneeled. (She didn''t react at all, huh. It''s because he''s approaching without showing any hint of hostility, I guess) (Lyan) "Now that I see you again. You''ve be even bigger than before, didn''t you? And your presence had be stronger as well," (Lyan) Before Lyan is Hobu that had grown from just 160 cm, to 210 cm tall. His armor had be more magnificent than before, and the ck aura seeping from the sword and his knives are stronger than before as well. (Did he evolve because of the battle? I guess I''ll check the grimoire when we''re back. I don''t have the leeway to use illusion magic and hide the summoning grimoire from this girl''s sight, after all) (Lyan) "Seems like you did well as always, Hobu. Great job," (Lyan) As if he''s gratified because of his praise, he kneels deeper while the ck aura he''s seeping is getting stronger as well. "He''s a summoned creature, isn''t he? Which means you''re a summoner, aren''t you?" (Surena) Lyan observes Surena''s expression for a while before giving a reply. "Yeah," (Lyan) "I see... It''s understandable that you want to hide it. So... What will you do?" Asked Surena. "I won''t do anything. Rather, it''s toote to do anything. I won''t silence you since it will make my efforts of saving all of you before became nothing but vain, right?" Lyan shrugged. "Y-Yeah..." Surena replied with widened eyes. She seems to be surprised by Lyan''s answer. "Why did you save us?" (Surena) "Hm?" (Lyan) "I''m asking about your motive. We clearly showed our hostility towards you even though you''re clearly have no connection with the Astellians. And even though you have to uncover your secret, you still save us, why did you do so?" (Surena) Looking at her eyes, Lyan could see that she was sincerely curious about the reason why he saved them. Closing his eyes, an image of a formerrade of his in the war inside the demon world crossed his mind. "It''s just a simple math. A pure calction on my side," (Lyan) "Math?" (Surena) "Yeah. You seem to be misunderstanding, but at that moment, the one in the pinch is not just you and the other Valkyries'' members. Ravia, Raine, the Astellians, and more importantly, the ones that were captived by the goblins also have their lives in danger," (Lyan) "Just by showing my secret, a hundred lives could be saved. I don''t even need to sacrifice my life or anything to do so. See? It''s just a simple math, don''t you think?" (Lyan) "I see... So that''s what you meant. A simple math, huh... Fufufu!" Surena let out a giggle. "What is it?" (Lyan) "Nothing. It''s just that, you''re surprisingly very knightlike, aren''t you?" said her as a cheerful smile bloomed on her face. But Lyan snorted in response. "Of course, I didn''t save all of you for free. I''ll be looking forward to what kind of reward everyone would give to me, especially from that sneaky Astellian prince. Not to mention that I would be getting lots of rewards from the goblins'' ears here. I''m definitely going to be rich," Lyan let out a shrug. "Even if you''re trying to shrug off your kindness, those things you''re mentioning are not enough to make you a viin, Lyan," Surena suddenly stands and made a certain pose. "What are you doing?" Asked Lyan as she saw the girl before him suddenly kneeling before him. "I, Surena Ekaitza, former loyal knight of the Veilleux House, hereby swear that I will dedicate this life that had been saved by you, for you alone. By the sword on my hand, I offer you my body and soul," (Surena) [The leader of the half angels, chosen of the in, Surena Ekaitza, had offered her soul to the host. The ''Mana Oath'' had been detected. ept/Refuse] ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 80 Defending The City Of Arkansas (1) The Beginning ?---The morning of the subjugation team''s departure day--- ---Belle''s PoV--- "Geez, Alina-chan. Why didn''t you wake us up as well? Even though we want to see him off too," I grumbled. At the time when I woke up, the sun had risen, and Lyan had already gone. Well it''s fine since Alina-chan hadn''t gotten any real one on one moments with him, but since it''s the day of a departure for such a dangerous quest, I want to see him off too, you know? "The both of you are fast asleep, he told me not to wake the two of you up so I did what he told me to. And..." Alina said as she point in a certain direction with her index finger. "That girl. She''s not waking up, isn''t she?" (Alina) Our gazes fell on Xena that is still sleeping in a wild pose. "Xena. We''re assigned as mercenaries to guard the city walls, remember? We haven''t had our breakfast and ready ourselves yet, you know? Wake up..." Alina said as she shakes Xena''s body roughly. "Just... Few more minutes..." (Xena) "You can''t! We''re going to do our job properly, get our share, and pay our debt to the Madam, remember?" (Alina) "Few more... Minutes..." (Xena) "It''s useless... She''s not waking up..." Alina slumped her shoulders. Fufufu. Alina is bad at waking people up as always. "Should I try?" "Ugh... Okay, then. It''s your own fault, okay, Xena? I''ve tried to wake you up but you didn''t. Don''t me me for whatever happened, okay?" said Alina as she pokes at Xena''s cheeks. What is she saying? It''s not like I''m going to do anything bad to her. I draw my face close to Xena''s ears as I think about what I should whisper to her to wake her up. Hm... What should I say to her, I wonder. Ah! Let''s try that. "Xena-chan~ If you didn''t wake up, I''ll tell him the thing I caught you doing when you''re relieving yourself, you know? The thing that you even asked Galia-chan to use her illusion magic to do so." "What was it again? Lyan~ At least wait until I finished relieving myself. Do you want to see it so much? It can''t be helped then, I''ll let you-" "Stop!!!!!!!!" Xena jumped as she woke up in a hurry. "Ah! You''re awake," "As usual... Belle''s devil-like whispers together with her terrifying smile in the morning is quite something as usual," said Alina with a wry smile. How rude, what do you mean by the devil? I was just waking her up with a smart method, that''s all. "B-Belle... Please don''t startle my heart like that... No, in the first ce, how did you know about it? I was sure I''m in the toilet when- No, forget it," Xena somehow stopped in the middle of her sentence. Why, I wonder? "Galia. Is it possible for you to wake me up with your illusions next time? If possible, it would be best if you could make it as if it''s Lyan that is waking me up, though," (Xena) Galia-chan nods, it seems that she''s saying that she could do that. Maybe it will be a good idea to ask Pilia-chan to do the same. I take a nce at Pilia-chan, and as if she read my mind, she enthusiastically nods and sends me her thoughts telling me she could do it as well. What a cute child. "Now, now. I guess it''s time to clean up these disastrous sheets," Alina put her hands on her hips as she stares at the sheets of the bed filled with love juices and some redness from blood. Looking at how she''s standing with a somehow awkward pose, it must be still kind of hurt to stand normally. "Eh~ Can''t we just leave it to the inn''s staff? It''s troublesome, though~" (Xena) "We shouldn''t! We don''t know whether the one that will be cleaning this room is a virgin and still pure or not! It''ll be a horrible experience for her!" (Alina) Fufufu! Despite of her size, she''s a big sister and a fine leader, isn''t she? "Agh! What are you patting my head for, Belle!? I''m not a kid!!" (Alina) Eh~ She looks so happy when Lyan patted her head before, though. "Now, now, Xena. It won''t be bad to tidy up a little, I guess? We''ll fold them and group the dirty sheets to make them easier. It''ll give a good omen for us in the following battle, after all," "Fine~" (Xena) After finishing tidying up the room a bit, we went to the dining hall to eat, and it turns out that Lyan had left a message to the inn to bring us breakfast and even paid for them beforehand. He even ordered another portion for Alina even though she had already eaten her breakfast together with him. Hepletely knew that she was a glutton, didn''t he? After wolfing our food down, we prepare our equipment. Preparing the potions inside our bags, checking our weapons, andstly, wearing our cloaks to make sure our identity as the House of Roses'' most famous flowers didn''t get found out. Well, with Pilia-chan and the others with their illusion magic, it''s no longer a great concern for us, though. "Now, time to depart!" (Alina) When we arrived at the guild, Lichia-chan and Rea-chan were already waiting for us. "The position that was chosen for the Deadly Bouquet party to be stationed at is the west gate of the Arkansas city!" Rea-chan dered with her usual cheerful tone. Lichia motioned for us to get near her as she whisper something. "I''ve taken some measures to make sure the girls from the House of Roses stationed at the same ce. Make sure not to get injured, okay? If it looks like it''ll get dangerous, immediately draw back," (Lichia) "Okay~ As expected of the guild''s treasurer, Lichia is very capable!!" (Alina) "Oh stop it. By the way, it''s rare for the three of you to note together with the Madam. She said that the three of you went to the Schr''s inn, is it true?" (Lichia) Madam... Why did you tell Lichia-chan about that...? Xena and Alina also blushed a little as the Schr''s inn was mentioned by Lichia-chan. Our hands unconsciously went to our lower abdomens where a huge load of his seed enteredst night. Imagining how the warm seed that he shotst night is currently still inside me made me feel warm and cozy. So this is the happiness of having a man, huh? "So our spection was true, huh... Rea''s intuition was right. The three of them and Lyan are..." Lichia seems to be uttering something under her breath with a serious look, did something happen in the guild, I wonder? At the time we arrived at the west gate, the other girls from the guild were already waiting for us together with the Madam and gramps. Madam is looking at us with a mischievous grin on her face. "Looks like the three of you had lots of fun with Lyanst night, huh," Said the Madam as her gaze went to our lower abdomens one by one. "M-Madam!!" (Aline) "Madam... We''re in the public..." (Xena) "Yes, Madam. Please spare us..." "Ah. You''re right. You''re not one of my girls when you''re wearing those cloaks, aren''t you? You''re mercenaries. I guess today we''ll berades in arms, huh, Deadly Banquet?" (Madam) """Yes!""" It''ll be a great honor to fight together and protect the city together with the Madam and gramps. "But will the goblins attack the city, though? The number of the mercenaries embarking on the goblin king subjugation was a lot, after all. There are also the mercenaries that will be going as reinforcement. Didn''t we send more than enough mercenaries already?" (Alina) "Well, about that... Gramps," (Madam) "Yes, Madam. I''m afraid that the chances for them toe and attack the city are very high,dy Alina," said gramps that immediately appeared after getting called by the Madam. "Why?" (Alina) "I''ve tried doing some scouting myself, and I''ve encountered some goblins peeking on the city from several points surrounding the city. They seem to be their reconnaissance force. Since the number of the goblins under the goblin king are numerous, they would need lots of food," (Gramps) "In this city, there are not only supplies like food and water, but there are also lots of humans that they could use either as food, ves, or breeding target. Not to mention that once they''ve taken control of the city, this city would be the greatest base for them to have. So in their perspective, this city is something very alluring for them," (Gramps) "So it''s very likely that they would attempt to attack and take control of the city despite of the army of mercenariesing towards theirir?" (Alina) "Yes. I''ve heard that the one leading the goblins is quite capable. So they must have thought that by the number of the mercenariesing out of the city, the city must have lesser strength in terms of number. So it''s very likely that they will be attacking this city," (Gramps) "I see... But when they will they start to attack, I wonder?" (Xena) "Of course, they could start attacking whenever it is. It could even be now," (Gramps) As if responding to gramps'' words, the rm bell on the watchtower rung together with the warning shout. "Goblins!! They''reing!!" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 81 Defending The City Of Arkansas (2) The First Wave ?---Alina''s PoV--- The rm bell rang, and all of the mercenaries and city guards immediately take their positions with their weapons ready. "Belle! Xena! Good luck!" "You too, Alina! y it safe, you hear me?" (Xena) "Don''t do anything stupid like rushing forward alone, okay?" (Belle) Xena and Belle reminded me as they went to their respective positions. Geez, I''m not a kid, I wouldn''t do anything stupid. "I know!" "She''ll be fine, she''s going to be together with us, after all. We''ll be watching over her, so make sure you two didn''t get hit by any stray arrows up there, you hear me?" The Madam said to ensure my two best friends. ''Well, if the opponent had any archers in their ranks, I guess,'' The madam adds under her breath. But sure, with the Madam and gramps together with me, I doubt I would even get into any dangerous position. I''m more concerned for the goblins instead, the two of them are crazily strong, after all. There are about 900 infantries, 200 archers, and 10 magicians at our assigned gate. Belle obviously got assigned together with the magicians, Xena decided to join the archer rank after saying that she got a new move for her to use her bow again, while for me, of course, I''ll be in the infantry ranks. For themander... "Archers ready!!" The Madam''s firm voice resounded throughout the whole ce. Standing on top of the gate, she sticks her morningstar forward with an excited smile. "Shepletely entered her battle freak mode, isn''t she...?" She''spletely transformed from the enchantingly beautiful and flirtatious madam of the courtesans'' house into a veteran mercenary respected and feared by everyone. "Loose!!" (Madam) Piercing sound from the arrows loosened by the archers resounded, followed by the groans of pain and cries from the goblins on the other side of the walls. The archers are obviously positioned and spread on top of the walls, while the magicians are located at several different points. The watchtowers are filled with highly skilled archers, I could see Xena continuously shooting her arrows from the watchtower from down here. The infantries are waiting on standby in front of the gate in case the goblins sessfully break through the gate, or if themand to charge out of the gate came in. Because of that, I couldn''t see a single thing about what happening outside the gate, how much the number of the goblins there, and whether they are strong or not. If it came to this... "Mon. Please give me a view to see what is happening on the other side of the walls," With a deep nod, Mon turns invisible and flies to the watchtower where Xena and Galia are at. ''I''ve arrived, mama,'' Mon sent me with her telepathy. (Okay. Thanks Mon) (Alina) She''s very obedient to my words, what a good child. The moment I closed my eyes, the image from Mon''s line of vision appeared inside my mind. But when looking from Mon''s vision, the sight of a moonlight butterfly is different from a human''s. When I''m looking by using Mon''s vision, the world seems to be more colorful, and the things that should be invisible to me before became visible to me as well. Things like mana, air, breath, and even souls. I could also activate my eyes to see like her, but only temporarily. Only about one hour or so. "Kkiieee!!" The shrieks and cries of the goblins continue. "Whoa... There are lots of them, but it looks like they''re not getting any closer..." There are about 300 green goblins running toward the gate, but none of them could even get close to the gate because of the continuous waves of arrows showering them. Especially Xena''s arrows, she must be shooting her arrows that got enchanted by Galia''s wind mana since the arrows are hitting even the goblins at the furthest point. After only about five minutes, the showering of arrows ended. It''s not because they run out of arrows, but it''s because their targets had all got annihted. "I guess we''re not going to get any turn, huh..." Should I sit and take a rest? It looks like the goblins wouldn''t be- "Another wave ising!! Their number is bigger than before!! Prepare yourselves!!" The Madam''s voice once again resounded. Bigger? I once again closed my eyes, and the sight before me made me widen my eyes in surprise- Well, no, I''m closing my eyes, but the surprise made me want to widen my eyes. "There are even battering rams... They arepletely ready to start a siege war..." From the forest, came out an army of goblins lined up in a neat formation with swords and spears. There are about 1000 of them acting as infantries, there are hobgoblins, red goblins, and red hobgoblins in their ranks. At the top front of their formation are four battering rams made simply from fallen trees held by muscr red hobgoblins. Not only that, there are more. At the back of their formation... "Archers..." One of the archers on top of the walls uttered as they saw the ranks of goblinsing out of the forest. Yes, there are archersing out of the forest. There are about 400 goblin archers in their ranks. It''s a magnificent amount of them, but still, it should not be enough to break through the gate yet. "Are we going out? Or will we let them in and kill them by taking advantage of the gate and surround them, Madam?" (Abraham) "Let them in. We''ll try leaving it to the magicians and the archers first. If they couldn''t finish them off, then we''ll open the gate, lure them in, and start a free-for-all brawl. If we went outside, the magicians and the archers will need to hold their fire, after all. With them getting inside, we could fight them from inside while they continue to trim the goblins'' forces outside the walls," (Madam) "Indeed. It''ll be more advantageous for us that way," (Abraham) "But gramps. Tell me your honest thoughts, What do you think about this number of goblins?" (Madam) "Hm..." Looking at the sight of the army of goblins marching toward us, gramps calmly stroked his beard with his right hand. "Their number is terrifyingly huge, they unexpectedly apply military tactics on their attack, and there are umon goblins on their ranks. To be honest, it''s worrying. I believe that we would be able to seed in repelling their forces or even wiping them out, but I''m worried about our subjugation force..." (Abraham) Gramps is right, if the amount and types of goblinsing here were like this, how about the goblins guarding the goblin king''sir? They would be much stronger and have a greater number than this, wouldn''t they? "You''re right..." The Madam uttered with a troubled look. She looks like she''s very worried about something, but not only her, but I could sense some unease from gramps as well. I guess the both of them are worried about Lyan. But it''s fine. They didn''t know that Lyan is a summoner. Even without using his strength as a summoner, he''s strong enough to kill several goblin champions and even the variants alone. He must be stronger than we know so it should be fine! "Aim at the battering rams!! Loose!!" The archers continue to loosen their arrows, most of them aimed at the hobgoblins holding at the battering rams, forcing the goblins to drop the battering rams as they died. But as expected, they won''t give up on the battering rams that easily. "They''re gathering and surrounding the battering rams..." Not only that, the goblins use the dead bodies of their brethren and use them as shields, blocking the arrows showered on them. Because of that, they are steadily approaching the gate even if their number continues to decrease. "Fire!" (Belle) Together with Belle''s voice, several sounds of explosions sounded, and the battering rams suddenly exploded with a powerful force, sending the goblins surrounding it to get burned into cinders. "That''s kind of overkill..." Having magicians on our side really changes the tides of battle greatly. The number of magicians on our side is the same number as what a decent kingdom would have. With their explosive strength, they are very effective to get rid of a great number of enemies. "Hm? This purple mist... It''s Belle''s and Pilia''s illusion mist!" After the explosion, the purple mist started to flood the goblins, and their formations started to went disarray. The illusion mist must be showing them a sudden change of terrain and other kinds of illusions. The goblins suddenly started to sh and strike in thin air, while there are not a few that shed and struck at their allies because of the illusion. "Continue fire!!" Looking at the disarrayed goblins, the shower of arrows continue to befall them, and their number got trimmed even faster than before. But as they thought they were about to win, the second wave of goblins appeared out of the forest. "G-Goblin champions spotted!!!" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 82 Defending The City Of Arkansas (End) The Terrifying Women Of Western Gate ?---Xena''s PoV--- "G-Goblin champions spotted!!! There are dozens of them!!!" One of the archers on the watchtowers shouted to notify the Madam and the others. A hint of fear is visible on his face as his hand is slightly shaking. It''s not that surprising since goblin champions emit a much more powerful and terrifying aura than other goblins. Not to mention before we are not normal goblin champions. "R-Red goblin champions..." One of the mercenaries on top of the walls uttered in fear. Not only them, but I could feel a slight shake on my hands as well. It seems that my body still kind of remembers about the time when I got captured by the goblins together with Alina. I could barely remember it, but I could feel a distinct fear when I saw them approaching. I''m afraid. This is bad, I always continue my archery training, but this is actually the first time in a while since I enter battle while using a bow again. No, don''t lose focus, Xena. You must focus and do your job well or it would make the others get into danger again. I took a deep breath, take an arrow, and aims at one of the approaching red goblin champions. Let''s do this, I could- *Whoosh!* I unexpectedly loosened the arrow faster. When I focus my aim, the sight of the goblin champion got clearer, and my hands lost their strength. The arrow fell right beside the goblin champion, and its sight met mine as if sneering at me. This is bad, this is- ''Mama,'' Galia''s thoughts entered my mind as she perches on top of my shaking hands. Suddenly- !?!? She transformed, a warm hand suddenly appeared and holds my hands, stopping its shakings. It''s a big hand of a man. Of course, Galia and I know only one person that could stop my shaking such as this. The hand that could wrap me warm and overwhelms the fear. "Thank you, Galia. Let''s make your papa proud, okay?" I could do this. Let''s focus. And kill all of them. "W-Why there are strong wind suddenly gathering here?" "Look! That hooded girl! The winds are gathering on the arrow she is about to loosen!!" The archers around me seem to be making a ruckus about something, but I pay them no heed. I need to focus. Not just my aim, but my mana and my killing intent in every shot as well. This time, I''ll be the hunter. *Whoosh!!!* This time, the string was released right at the moment I wanted it, but something is strange. It''s true that I used the wind mana that I got from Galia to shoot the arrow, and it seems that Galia also helped me enhance my arrow. But isn''t that blow too powerful? "H-Hey... Did you see that? The goblin champion''s head got blown by that girl''s arrow!!" "I saw it... Unbelievable... She''s an elemental mana user, isn''t she? That''s wind mana isn''t it?" "So powerful... No wonder they are so rare..." "But the goblin champion immediately lost its head. The blood spurted out like a fountain. What a barbaric way of killing..." "H-Hey! She''ll blow your head if she hears you, you know?" I won''t. "Seriously?" "Yeah! You better keep your mouth shut!" I said I won''t, damn it. "What are you doing, archers!? Don''t stop your arrows!!!" (Madam) """Yes Ma''am!!!""" Hmph! That''s what you got for saying whatever you want. "*Phew!* Now, let''s continue this," There are 12 red goblin champions and about 30 normal goblin champions approaching, before they are about 300 red hobgoblins and 500 normal green hobgoblins. At the very front acting as pawns are 900 red goblins. They are rushing from the distance in a disarray, it''s clear that they are desperate in destroying the gate and the walls. This is bad, if the rest of the red goblin champions reached the gate, it''ll only be a matter of time until the gate got breached. "Open the gates!!!" (Madam) The Madam''s voice resounded throughout the battlefield. Following her stern voice, the ones assigned to maneuver the gate immediately moved and opened the gate. "So we''re going to lure them in and face them with a semi-circle formation, huh? Then we must not stop our bombarding! Continue to rain them with arrows!!" One of the archers shouted, raising the morale of the rest of the archers. He''s right. As the one assigned as one of the sharpshooters on top of the watchtowers, I need to narrow down the number of goblin champions to make sure it''s easier for the madam, gramps, and Alina. The archer team continues our bombarding, and the magicians also deliver their magic and give a great blow to the iing goblins. Since the one-shot one-kill arrow I sent needs quite the timeg since I need to gather my wind mana first to increase the strength and speed of the arrow, I could only kill 25 of the goblin champions. "Tch! I guess that''s the limit for now," After knowing that I could now use wind mana, I found out that my whole mana had started to get assimted and merged with the wind mana. But the amount of wind mana I could use now is still limited. I could feel that the remaining wind mana inside my mana pool had be less than half, I need to make sure I have some remaining in case of emergency. "They''reing inside boys! Don''t let them get past us, you hear me!? We''re going to kill all of these living golds and enjoy the golds!!!" The Madam shouted as she stands at the front of the gate, leading the mercenaries together with gramps beside her. """Yeah!!!""" Not long after, the goblins started to enter the gate, but there was something strange with them. Some of them fell before they even enter the gate, while some of them didn''t even have the strength to swing their weapons at the moment they entered the gate. "Paralysis?" Galia flew and went to take a peek at what was happening, and saw that Belle''s monster child, Pilia, is spreading her poisonous powders at the goblins in front of the gates. Since the goblins rushed with only entering the gate in mind, they didn''t notice that they inhaled a lot of paralyzing and poisonous powders and ended up paralyzed and dying. Those who didn''t die because of the poison got killed by the infantries waiting before the gate. "That''s nasty... As expected of Belle. But she hasn''t thrown any of her poison vials yet, didn''t she?" As an aspiring alchemist, Belle usually brought the poison vials that she made to throw at the enemies. I remember her bringing some of them inside her bag, I guess it''s not the time yet for her to use them, huh... The goblin champions finally entered the gate as well. Now, where is Alina... ""Kkiieeekk!!"" I saw one by one, the goblins that entered the gate suddenly turn white and fell motionlessly to the ground. It''s different from Belle''s poison, it''s as if they suddenly got an instant death befallen them. All of them became like that after getting a single sh of a single person. "That''s Alina...?" "T-That girl! She''s as crazy as the one-kill archer on the walls!" "Yeah! I saw it! Every goblin that got even a single sh from her suddenly lose their strength and die!!" "That sword of her must be cursed! You''ll die if you touch it!" "Why are there so many terrifying women around us!? There was that barbaric archer before, and now there is a creepy girl that sucked a person''s life with a single sh?" Hey, who are you calling barbaric archer, huh? And that creepy girl is my best friend, I''ll st your head like the goblin champions, you know? "But terrifying women, huh..." My eyes stopped at the sight of the Madam facing two red goblin champions alone at the same time. But the smile on her face is still there. She leisurely avoided the strikes of the red goblin champions, smashing at the ground and shaking it, making the red goblin champions stumbled on their footings, and smashed their heads with her morningstar. She''s much more barbaric than me, didn''t she? By the way, where is gramps? "Oi! T-That white sh! Is that the white shadow!?" "Yeah... To think that I would be able to witness the strength of the Madam Fury and the White Shadow directly like this..." A white figure traveled from one point to another with a sh-like speed, slitting the throats of the goblins he passed cleanly and beautifully. Of course, that white figure is our gramps. He''s crazy strong as always, just like the Madam. "I guess the defense is proceeding very smoothly, huh..." Just like that, the goblins slowly gotpletely annihted by us, leaving a mountain of goblin corpses inside the walls. We then heard that the eastern gate has a little bit much more casualties than our side. The mercenaries cheered for the sessful defense and how the goblins gotpletely annihted. Well, there are some ufortable rumors about terrifying women on the western gate, but other than that, everything is great. "I wonder how Lyan''s faring there..." ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 83 The Valkyries (1) The Oath ?Mana Oath. Mana Oath and other Oath magic is a magic simr to curses without any dark or evil mana necessary in the process. Mana Oath is one of the strongest Oath magic that existed, and one of the Oath magic that couldn''t be broken once the magic Oath was made. The Mana Oath creates invisible chains of mana created by the caster itself that enveloped the heart of the caster. Those who break the Oath will have their heart crushed by the chains created by their own mana. Mana Oath is a magic that not all people are capable of using. The creation of the magical chains needed a considerable amount of mana and a resolute heart. A sliver of doubt or unsure about the oath wouldn''t activate the Mana Oath. __________________________________________________________________ "I, Surena Ekaitza, former loyal knight of the Veilleux House, hereby swear that I will dedicate this life that had been saved by you, for you alone. By the sword on my hand, I offer you my body and soul," (Surena) [The leader of the half angels, chosen of the in, Surena Ekaitza, had offered her soul to the host. The ''Mana Oath'' had been detected. ept/Refuse] A strong woman kneeled before him, and a blue notification screen appeared in his sight. It''s all happened so unexpectedly, making it difficult for Lyan to process. (Mana Oath? is this girl sane?) (Lyan) Lyan is clearly aware of what Mana Oath is. Even in the demon world before, the Mana Oath is famous. "Wait, wait, wait. What the hell are you doing?" (Lyan) "I''m swearing my allegiance to you. I was told to dedicate my life to the person who saved my life from a certain death. I never thought the day would evere, but it turns out it did," Surena let out a yful chuckle. "No. There was still some chance for you to fight back at that time, you could still win but you just wavered, so it couldn''t be said as a certain death," (Lyan) "Yes. But if I continue to fight, then Emilia would get killed. We''ve promised each other that we''ll die together, so it could be said that by saving her life, you saved my life as well, no?" (Surena) (I can''t deny it...) (Lyan) *Sigh!* Looking at the sight before him, he remembered the words of the old sage about his previous life before. (When you decided to save a person, you must be prepared to take care of them till the end, huh... I understand the logic, but it''s unexpected for a mercenary to be asking me to bound her with a Mana Oath...) (Lyan) "I was afraid that the one who would save our lives and made us owe our lives were a scumbag that happened to have a powerful strength. But if it''s you, you saved us even though we show you our hostility, and you show your secret to save others. It would be reassuring to serve someone like you instead," Surena''s head bows even deeper. "We''ll offer you our soul and our body. We''re capable of fighting and you can use our bodies for pleasure as well. Serving the one who saved us is an oath we made with my former master, I''m afraid I need to serve you even if you refuse us," (Surena) (I see...) (Lyan) Listening to her final exnation, Lyan finally understand the gist of it. (So serving the one who saved her is another Mana Oath she made, huh? Former master... She mentioned that she was a former knight, didn''t she? Looks like if I refuse her, she will still continue to pester me and would make things even more troublesome instead) (Lyan) *Sigh!* Another sigh left Lyan''s mouth. "Fine, then I''ll ept," (Lyan) Immediately after Lyan''s words, the word [ept] on the screen shone and ck chains appeared from her chest. ""Eh?"" Not only Lyan, but Surena herself got surprised when she saw the ck chains appearing out of her chest. She didn''t feel any difort or pain, but she could now see that the chaining out of her chest slowly reached Lyan and entangled his wrist. The chains entangled Lyan''s wrist like a de on its sheathe, but the ck chains entangled her whole body before finally stopping. *nk!* A sound of metallic collision appeared, and the chains suddenly disappeared. "W-What did just happen...?" Surena asked dumbfoundedly. "I don''t think I''m sure what happened either," Lyan replied with a shrug. Surena checked her body to make sure nothing happened, but there is now a ck tattoo on the back of her palm. It''s a picture of a sword and a pair of wings. As she touched the tattoo with her other hand, a voice appeared inside of her mind. "Insignia... Of the valkyries...?" (Surena) The ck grimoire suddenly appeared before Lyan, opening a certain page of it. After passing the [Contract] section and the spirits, the page stopped at a new certain page. [Valkyries of Love (Surena Ekaitza) Female warriors that inherited the valor and strength of the half angels and chosen of the in. They are the warriors of the grimoire of love and the beautiful swords of the summoner. The strength of the Valkyries will be increased for two folds when they are fighting together with the summoner or within the territory of the summoner. A valkyrie with the title will get a further enhancement on their strength.] (Valkyries of love...? I don''t what to react to this cringy name... And this territory... What is the territory of the summoner it meant, I wonder?) (Lyan) Lyan remembered about the time when chains appeared from the grimoire and bound the high spirits. It seems that the chains represent the contract that bounded with him. But unlike with the spirits, both Lyan and Surena didn''t get any additional information about each other from the contract. "This... You... You''re not a normal summoner, aren''t you?" Confusion could clearly be seen in Surena''splexion. It''s not strange for her to be confused since the Mana Oath she made with her former master ispletely different from the Mana Oath she had just done with the man before her. She had already suspected his uniqueness after witnessing the strength of the summoned spirits, but after feeling the sudden surge of power after getting the insignia on the back of her palm, her surprise got increased more than before. (Well, with the Mana Oathpleted, I guess exining some things to her would be safe. It''s troublesome to exin everything, but at least I''ll tell her about the grimoire) (Lyan) "The truth is... Unlike the summoners you know, I gain my power from this," Lyan shows her the floating ck grimoire before him. He told her how the spirits are contracted through the grimoire, how he gain part of the summoned monsters'' strength, and more importantly, about how the grimoire gained the summonable creatures. "You... Gain the summonable monsters by sleeping with women? I see. I believe you," (Surena) "No, no, no. I''m telling you the truth here," (Lyan) "Yes, like I''ve said, I''m a hundred percent believe in you," Surena said as she nods her head. "Yes, but if you believed me, why are you hugging yourself as if you''re trying to protect yourself against me...?" (Lyan) In front of Lyan, Surena is sitting while hugging herself as if covering her body from his sight. (She totally didn''t believe in my words, didn''t she? Well if I was her, I would think that I was only making reasons to sleep with her as well, though... As if a grimoire that helps you summon monsters by sleeping with monsters would sound true to anyone...) (Lyan) (In Belle andpany''s case, they knew about the method of my summoning, aren''t they? Well, they should be since their monster children appeared right after our intercourse, after all) (Lyan) "I''m sorry. I''ve resolved myself to respond positively if you ask, but I guess I was still surprised with how fast the things are developing. But I guess it can''t be helped," Surena started to put her hand on her clothes and was ready to undress. "Why the hell are you undressing!? I''m not asking to sleep with you! It''s fine if you don''t believe me, but at least trust me that I don''t have any intention of ordering you except for keeping my secrets to your grave. It seems that my identity as a summoner had gotten uncovered, but the information about the grimoire and the rest are still a secret, after all," (Lyan) Surena''s hands stopped in response to Lyan''s serious words, but not only her hands, but she also stares nkly at him. (Having Surena joining my side will help me increase the cards I have. I''m currently incapable of summoning the spirits again until the next week, but my identity as a summoner had already got uncovered. It will be very dangerous-) (Lyan) "What is it?" Lyan asked Surena that is staring at her with a nk look. "Fufu! Fufufufufu! You''re as interesting as I thought you are, aren''t you?" (Surena) (Huh? What is she talking about?) (Lyan) "Please take care of me well, master," (Surena) ___________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Valkyrie of Love (Surena Ekaitza)> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 1 Valkyrie, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem, Deadlight, Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem Chapter 84 The Summoners Strengthened Force ?"Now, let''s see how much my forces got strengthened after the battle with the goblins," (Lyan) After seeing how Hobu transformed, it''s very likely that the other monsters had transformed or at least leveled up as well. ''Me, Master,'' Receiving Hobu''s thought, Lyan once again shifted his gaze to the kneeling Hobu, but now there are six ck figures simr to him in color kneeling behind him. "Summoning Grimoire," (Lyan) Following his call, the ck grimoire appeared, and opened the page of Hobu. [Shadow Goblin Lord (Hobu) (Lv. 5) An evolved shadow hobgoblin that ruled as a living shadow that is loyal to its master, granting it the strength to use shadow attribute magic and abilities to protect its master. As the shadow of its master, the shadow goblin lord is capable of protecting its master and following its master by hiding inside the master''s shadow. The shadow goblin lord grows stronger by absorbing the shadow essence of dead beings. The stronger the creature that the shadow goblin lord absorbs the essence of, the stronger it will get. As the [Lord] type of monster, the shadow goblin lord is capable of enving monsters into enved shadows under him. The number of the shadow servants depends on the strength of the goblin lord''s capabilities. Health: 98/100% Status: Healthy Attribute: Shadow Mood: Worried Shadow Servant: 6 (3 Goblin Champions) (3 Hobgoblins)] "I see... He really did evolve from shadow hobgoblin into a shadow goblin lord, huh... Then those shadow figures behind him must be the shadow servants," (Lyan) Behind the kneeling Hobu, there are three shadow goblin champions and three shadow hobgoblins kneeling even deeper. (Interesting. My survival rate without the spirits will increase even more with them) (Lyan) As Lyan is rejoicing the fact that his force had increased, another summoned monster called him, but unlike Hobu, he didn''t use the telepathy. "My lord," A deep voice filled with dark mana resounded. Lyan shifted his gaze, and the figure of his Deadlight appeared before him. there is not much change in him unlike Hobu, but Lyan could see that his giant ws got even redder and the glow on his eye sockets got even brighter. "So you can talk..." (Lyan) Just like Hobu, the Deadlight kneeled, making his cloak spread on the ground. "After umting enough experiences from killing the goblins, I''ve obtained the ability tomunicate with you, my lord. Unlike sir Hobu, I haven''t reached any evolution yet, but my rank had ascended. I''ve also gathered the forces I could to help you increase your strength, my lord," (Deadlight) Following the deadlight''s words, dozens of skeletons approached from behind of him. (Skeletons! Did he transform the dead goblins into skeleton servants with necromancy?) (Lyan) Lyan could see that there 24 skeletons behind him are the goblin champion skeletons. He must have prioritized turning the strongest goblins into his servants. (Summoning Grimoire) (Lyan) The summoning grimoire once again flipped its pages and went to the Deadlight''s page. [Deadlight (Lv. 63) A living death that is born from a dense amount of elemental mana and mana of death. They are usually born from the corpses of great magicians and wizards that possess powerful regrets about their life, bringing forth a skeletal lord with powerful magic. Their giant ws are weapons and staff at the same time. Powerful magic could be used from those ws that act as a powerful magic medium. The deadlight is capable of raising corpses and forcing them to be his servant. His voice could disturb or even devours the soul of the living, and his gaze could petrify even a gant lion. Health: 100%/100% Status: Healthy Attribute: Death/Soul/Demonic Mood: Worried Servants: 800 (24 Goblin Champion Skeletons) (226 Hobgoblin Skeletons) (550 Goblin Skeletons)] (E-Eight hundred!? So he''s capable of making such an army! But the world has a bad image of necromancy, showing the force of undead serving under me might make me unnecessarily get targeted by the church as well. I need to use them wisely) (Lyan) (Hm? I noticed that the two of them have the same [Worried] mood... Ah! I see...) (Lyan) "Did the two of you perhaps worry about me because I fainted?" (Lyan) The both of them nod. "Not only us, my lord. The golems, the high spirits, and even thedy behind you and her two friends are also very worried about your condition," (Deadlight) Lyan noticed Surena slightly flinched for a moment before returning to her usualposed expression. "Please use us as your weapons and tools, as it''s the reason for our existence. We''ll lose our meaning if we lost your existence, after all..." The Deadlight said as he kneeled deeply. A deadlight''s voice is supposed to contain a dense amount of dark mana that is imbued with a curse that is capable of draining the opponent''s life force or engraving a curse on the opponent''s soul. But Lyan could only sense a small hint of dark mana from his voice. The Deadlight before him is maintaining the amount of mana that might appear from his voice with a magnificent amount of control to make sure that his master wouldn''t get any negative effect from hearing his voice. (Meaning, huh... Now that I think about it, I''m responsible for their lives since I''m the one who brought them to this world, didn''t I...?) (Lyan) "You''re right. I''ll make sure to depend on you to protect me and avoid exerting myself too much. I''m looking forward to your assistance, Deadlight," (Lyan) "Yes, my lord!!" The deadlight bowed his head even deeper. "But..." (Deadlight) "Hm? Is there something wrong?" (Lyan) "If possible... Is it permittable for me to get a name from you too, my lord?" The deadlight seems to be fidgeting as he asked the question. "Name, huh..." (Lyan) (Deadlight sounds cool enough, though... I used Hobu as a name since shadow hobgoblin is too long to pronounce, after all... Hm... Name, huh...) (Lyan) "Ah! How about Grimw?" (Lyan) (It''s from the grim reaper, but since he has a pair of ws rather than a scythe, it became Grimw instead. It sounds pretty cool) (Lyan) "Grimw... I see... I, Grimw, swear that I will continue to serve you wholeheartedly with all of my strength, my lord," (Grimw) "Good, now let''s check for the others..." Lyan went to check the pages of the golems. Just like Grimw the Deadlight, the golems only have their level went to level 50 and haven''t reached any evolving peak yet. They are standing at one entrance each as if guarding them to make sure no hostile entities could approach him. "All of them were guarding the parameter for the whole time, you know? If you see the great hall where the goblin king and his army of guards were killed, you''ll even see an army of skeletons checking the whole ce around. It feels like I''ve be arade of a demon king or something," Surena shakes her head as she shrugged. (So the rest of the skeletons are there, huh...) (Lyan) "There are 676 of them checking every ce inside this goblin king''sir, my lord. The other 100 returned together with the high spirits to the Grimoire''s Space. The lightning spiritdy and the dark spiritdy said that they are needed to attend milord''s house there," (Grimw) (Griselda and Lilith, huh... Attend... It seems like they just got a whole hundred of new servants to order around, and toys for them to y with, aren''t they...?) (Lyan) "I see... With this much of force, it should be enough..." (Lyan) Lyan closed his eyes as he folded his arms. (Now let''s consider what kind of danger and where the source mighte from. I''m incapable of using the spirits until the next week, which means that I need to be capable of defending myself without their strength for a whole week, not to mention that most of the mana I got from them was almost depleted as well) (Lyan) (The first one is from the prince. He himself doesn''t seem to harbor any hostility, but I don''t know about those knights, and especially the people of his country. It''s not impossible that they will spread the information of me being a summoner. It won''t be surprising if there are some people targetting me to make me their pawns because of that) (Lyan) (Second is Jean. Surena said that some members of the Crimson Talon finally arrived at the Goblin King''sir after founding their leader. It seems that Jean got seduced by a member of the Golden Thrill, but was drugged instead and got thrown into a small cave. I sensed some hostility from him because of Lichia''s matter, but I guess hostility from him won''t be that hurt, huh) (Lyan) (Thest is the [Crows] we encountered before. I doubt they were the only members. With me taking the prince''s side before, it''s likely that I would enter their sight as well after this. I need to make some way to keep them in check by some means...) (Lyan) (With this much attention I got, I guess I need toy low for a while... Surena and the other Valkyries might get caught up as well if people saw us looking close. But the priority is Belle and the others) (Lyan) "Looks like I''m going to enter a new fight right after this battle, huh..." (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Shadow Goblin Lord (Hobu)> <+6 Shadow Servants> <+800 Skeleton Army> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 1 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 85 Journey Back To The City Of Arkansas ?After finished on checking the changes on his forces, Lyan and Surena started their way back to the Arkansas city. Since he can''t bring all of his summoned monsters with him, Lyan unsummoned all of them and brought only Hobu and his shadow servants to guard the perimeter around him and Surena. Since he lost his consciousness for about 4 hours, at the time they went outside, it was already dark. When Lyan went outside, the pitch ck and aggressive horse is still there while looking at the entrance with a menacing look. But when it saw Lyan, theplexion of the ck horse lightened up for a moment before it neighs and acts to its usual disinterested attitude. "Heh! So you''ve been waiting for me. Are you worried about me?" Lyan snickered as he approached the horse and attempted to stroke its head, but as usual, the pitch ck horse aggressively attempted to bite his hand off. "Same as usual, huh... You''ve got plenty of rest already, aren''t you? Let us ride you for several hours will you?" (Lyan) With its body that was bigger and stronger than even war horses, it could easily let Lyan and Surena ride while still running at a full speed without having its speed decreased because of the weight. "T-This horse''s very fast!!" (Surena) They went for a full sprint along the forest for a whole three hours. Even though some of the terrains they passed are quite difficult for a normal horse to run through, the ck horse they are riding didn''t even flinch and continued its sprint as if it didn''t get bothered by them. After finishing the sprint, it might be dangerous for them to continue to travel in such a thick forest at night. So the both of them pitched a tent that the elite group left for them to use and decided to sleep and take a rest. Looking at the sweating ck horse, Lyan could see that it''s having a satisfied expression on its face. (Looks like he''s happy for getting a chance to run at a full sprint, huh? He must be tired as well because of that long run, we''ve used him in the morning as well, didn''t we? Setting aside its aggressiveness, it will be a shame if such a good horse died, after all) (Lyan) "What should we do with the night watch?" (Surena) "Ah, for that, [Hobu]," (Lyan) Following Lyan''s summon, Hobu and his six shadow servants appeared in front of him. While traveling with the ck horse, they wouldn''t be able to catch up if they run on foot, so they have been riding along inside Lyan''s shadow. "Keep in check on the surrounding perimeter for me, okay?" (Lyan) With a single nod, Hobu and the three shadow hobgoblins disappeared and went in different directions to survey the surroundings, while the three shadow goblin champions are stationed near Lyan and Surena to guard the two of them. "There''s no point on me hiding them anymore, right? Then I should just use them and take it easy instead," (Lyan) "You''re right... So, there wouldn''t be any need for a night watch, huh?" (Surena) Surena seems to be fidgeting a little bit, but Lyan pays her no heed. "You''re right," (Lyan) The both of them entered the tent together. Lyan took quite a distance from her since the tent for the elite group was quite big, there are quite a space between them. (He told me that he wouldn''t order me to do ''that'', but he doesn''t mention that he won''t make me want to do it, didn''t he? Sleeping together in one tent like this after having such a battle, he must be turned on because of the battle. This is totally setting the mood, isn''t it? How sly...) (Surena) Surena let out a sigh, but a small smile remained on her face. (Well, if he wanted then I don''t really-) (Surena) Her smile froze as she saw the man lying beside her hadpletely lost his consciousness and gone to a deep slumber. (H-He''s asleep!! Didn''t he have enough sleep before!? He lost his consciousness for about four hours, didn''t he!?) (Surena) Surena tried to poke at his cheek, but he didn''t seem to be faking his sleep. After letting out a small sigh, Surena slept while facing the other side to make sure the man beside him didn''t notice her hand entering her clothes. And just like that, the sun rose without having any special event happening inside the tent for the whole night. "Whoa... Looks like I slept rather soundlyst night," Lyan stretched his body as he muttered the words. "Yeah. You slept very quickly," (Surena) "Hm? You look rather sleep deprived, you can''t sleep?" Lyan noticed the faint ck circles below Surena''s eyes. "Kind of. This thing happened sometimes," Surena smiled as she shrugs. (There''s no way that I could say that I couldn''t sleep because I got too turned on, aren''t I?) (Surena) "Is that so? Then let''s go. We''ll reach the city in the evening if we went straight to the city while riding the aggressive horse," (Lyan) As they were about to ride again, they sensed something moving from the bushes and immediately ready their weapons. But- "L-Lyan!?" A familiar voice entered his ears. Not long after, a familiar ck-haired and white-haired butler uniform-using girls appeared from the bushes together with the two members of the Valkyries together with their horses. "Raine, Ravia," (Lyan) ""Lyan!!"" The both of them jumped on him right away after confirming his identity, forcing him to fall with them on top of him. "What are the of you doing here? Didn''t you go together with the main army?" (Lyan) "We immediately went back for the goblin king''sir right after we reached at a certain distance from the city where there is less danger. It can''t be helped, we''re worried, after all. If you died, what could we say to Belle-chan and the others!!" (Raine) "Seriously. You made us very worried..." Ravia let out a relieved sigh. "Hahaha. Looks like I made the two of you worried. I''m already fine, but if we stop here, we might didn''t make it on time to arrive at the city. Let''s catch up on our horse," (Lyan) On top of their horses, Ravia and Raine told Lyan about what happened after he lost his consciousness until the end. After Erich and the others went outside to escort the people abducted by the goblins, they went straight to the main army with their weapons ready, thinking that the main army might still be in a battle with the goblin army sent by the goblin king. But when they arrived there, the battle had already finished and the mercenaries are collecting the goblins'' ears for the elimination proof to the guild. They said that the Brave Rings'' leader, Borton, seeded in defeating the army of goblins by following the strategy book written by the Small General. He''s praising how the guide and the flow of the battle went precisely like the n C written in the book. After merging with the main army, they cheered and celebrated for a while and have some rest before going straight back to the city to deliver the information of victory. Along the way, Erich didn''t announce his identity as the crown prince of the Astellia Kingdom, and the journey went without a hitch. There are girls that have a joyful expression after getting saved, and even sleep with the mercenaries to heal themselves after getting defiled by the goblins, but most of them didn''t even have the light on their eyes anymore, especially the ones that had a goblin child on their bellies or the ones that already gave born to goblins inside the goblin king''sir. The experience must have imprinted a deep shock and trauma on their heart, making it very difficult to be healed. "I don''t know how it feels to give born to a goblin after getting raped by them, but it must be very frustrating and depressing..." (Ravia) After having escorted the army and the captives to a safe route, they went straight back to pick up Lyan in case he was still unconscious. "That Astellian prince. I don''t know what his motive is, but he asked me to deliver you a message," (Ravia) "A message?" Lyan knitted his eyebrows. "Yes. He said ''Meet me at the mercenary guild the night after the reward distribution. I have an offer to give you,'' with an excited grin on his face. What would you do, Lyan? Is he our enemy now?" Ravia''s eyes sharpened as she asked the question. "Of course not. Not yet, I guess. Even if he became one, it will be mine, not ours. I have no intentions of dragging any of you to danger," (Lyan) "Then what will you do? Will you meet him?" (Ravia) "Hm... I''m interested in his offer, but I already have a rough image of what he''s going to offer me with. If you asked me whether I will meet him or not, I will," (Lyan) "You will?" (Raine) Staring at the distance with a small grin, a n had already been made inside of Lyan''s head. "Yes. But I don''t know whether he''ll realize it or not, though," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 1 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 86 The Aftermath Of The Goblin King Subjugation (1) The Announcement ?In the city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas, most of the poption is currently strolling around the perimeter of the grand za. Today, the city council and the guildmaster of the mercenary guild will be announcing the mercenaries with the best aplishment and most kills on the goblin subjugation. The residents and tourists are present to see famous mercenaries with an excited look, the merchants are scouting for mercenaries they could sponsor and for them tomission, the mercenaries are obviously waiting to see how much they are going to get paid, while those from different backgrounds and powerhouses came with their own respective motives. There are even the mercenary guild''s staffs that are standing with their eyes with an obvious look of sleep deprivation. They must have worked nonstop to count and list the amount of the goblins the mercenaries registered and reported to them for their rewards. Knowing how there will be lots of people interested, the council and the mercenary guild agreed to make the announcement of the war''s result in the middle of the grand za. With the stalls and merchants paying some percentage to them for selling at the za, there will be a return of ie for them even after handing out the rewards from the goblin king subjugation. "We will now announce the result of the war!" """----!!!!!!!""" The people cheered in response to the guildmaster''s loud words. After the cheers calmed down, a single woman from the guild that seems to be going to be the announcer walked on top of the podium holding a big scroll. "For every goblin killed, the reward given will be 5 silvers! One red goblin variant in will be rewarded 2 big silvers! One hobgoblin in will be rewarded 10 big silver! One red hobgoblin variant will be rewarded 40 big silver! One goblin champion will be rewarded 10 gold coins! One red goblin champion variant will be rewarded 20 gold coins! One ck goblin champion variant will be rewarded 50 gold coins!" "--------!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The cheers got even louder after the rewards from the subjugation are announced. The cheers are obviously from the excited mercenaries, from their families that came to witness the announcement of the rewards, and from the residents and tourists that also got excited because of the rewards. "Not only that!! The person in the third rank with the greatest achievements will be given an additional 50 gold coins!! The second rank will be given an additional 100 gold coins!! While the person with the most kills and the yer of the goblin king will be rewarded 200 gold coins and a special bonus from the council and the other sponsors!!" The amount of gold the mercenary city will be handing out as a reward sounds grand, but it wouldn''t even damage their business the slightest bit. There are thousands of merchants in this city with a poption of people that surpassed 50,000. Not only the city council and the guild, but there are sponsored golds from small to big merchants, and from the Astellia Kingdom as well. It''s not surprising that the amount of reward will be this big. With the rewards exceeding the rewards from the great martial tournaments on other kingdoms, the one who in the goblin king and killed the most of the goblins from the subjugation would have a fortune as much as the assets of a big noble with arge territory. "Starting from the third greatest!! The Leader of the Brave Rings Mythril-ranked mercenary party, Borton the War Troll!!!!!" """OOOUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!""" "Not only did he takemand of the main army in the middle of the battle and magnificently defeat the army of goblins with absolute brilliance! He also killed a dozen of goblin champions and hundreds of goblins together with his party!! With a total of 10 goblin champions, 4 red goblin champion variants, 40 red hobgoblin variants, 65 hobgoblins, 213 red goblin variants, and 452 goblins!! The total reward given to him will be 259 gold coins!!!" Thunderous ps followed the announcement. "259 gold coins... Just how many years without work could I do with that much of money..." "He really make it big, didn''t he... I wonder how many my husband made..." "If I marry him, I''ll definitely get a luxurious living!!" Borton went to the podium and stands at the ce prepared for the winners while the audience focused their gaze on his figure. "The second greatest!! The beautiful war goddess from the Valkyries Mythril ranked party, Surena the Dancing Gale!!! Not only did she leads the elite group to went straight to the goblin king''sir filled with strong monsters! She also killed 32 goblin champions, 15 red goblin champion variants, 120 red hobgoblin variants, 212 hobgoblin variants, 422 red goblin variants, and 600 goblins!!" "The total of reward given to the Dancing Gale is a staggering amount of 800 gold!!" An even louder cheers appeared from the crowd. At first, they were cheering for the staggering amount of reward she will be getting, but when she entered the podium, the cheers from the crowd changed from the focus to the reward towards the beautiful warrior before them. "S-she''s the dancing gale? I''ve heard that she''s beautiful, but to think that such a strong warrior could be this beautiful..." "800 gold and a beauty... Which man wouldn''t want her..." "I wonder if I could be her..." Voices of admiration and respect, and gasps because of her entrance sounded throughout the za. Surena didn''t walk like a weak flower, but she walks firmly and her steps are resolute befitting a veteran mercenary. But even so, there is still a hint of elegance in her movement, and her beauty could not be denied. "Now for thest one. The man that appeared in the city very unexpectedly, the man that raised through ranks in a blink of an eye, the man that not only killed the goblin king, but he killed most of the goblins inside the goblin king''sir as well!!" Everyone gulped as they focused their eyes to search for the one who will be going up to the podium next. "The man killed 5 ck goblin champion variants! 45 red goblin champion variants! 90 goblin champions! 280 red hobgoblin variants! 450 hobgoblins! 600 red goblins! And massacred more than 900 goblins!! The reward for this man is a tremendous amount of 2800 gold!!!! He''s The strongest rookie!!" "-----------!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Even louder cheers break out within the audience. "I heard that he killed a goblin champion in one sweep!" "My cousin said that he saw him strangling the neck of two goblin champions with his bare arms!" "I heard from my husband that he even made the Valkyries into his harem!!" "That strong and beautiful Dancing Gale and herrades!? He must be very strong then!!" "Yeah. And ording to the rumor, he''s a great mana user!" "Ohh!! Then he''s a magic fighter!! A magic knight or a magic swordsman then!!" "I don''t know. But the rumors said that he possesses a magic powerful enough to wipe out almost half of the goblins inside the goblin king''sir!!" "He must be very strong then..." "I wonder what he looks like..." As the audience gossiped with each other, the announcer didn''t stop her announcement. "We wee you, the man that hadn''t even registered for 10 days in the mercenary guild!! The first man that became a Mythril-ranked mercenary in less than 10 days!! Evocatore, the Devil Mercenary!!!!!" As the announcer shouted, the audience cheered as they wait for the man called Evocatore to appear and went on top of the podium. But after several seconds, no one seems to be approaching the podium. The crowd started to murmur to each other, the announcer got confused, and the city council asked the guildmaster for an exnation, but those who know about the guildmaster remained silent with a smile on their faces. "What is the meaning of this, guildmaster? We''ll lose face if he didn''t appear here!" One of the city councils didn''t hide his anger as he questioned the guildmaster. "There''s no need to worry," The guildmaster said without showing any sign of agitation. "What do you mean there is nothing to worry about!? We''re-" "He''lle- No, I guess he''s already here," With a sharp look and a fearless smile on his face, the guildmaster stared at the podium with his sharp eyes. "It seems that the-" (Announcer) *Whoosh!!* A raging me suddenly appeared beside Surena, surprising the audience and the city council. But even though the mes are huge enough, Surena doesn''t seem to be affected or even bothered by the me. Not long after, the me disappeared, leaving a single man d in a ck cloak and a hood that covered his identity. "I''m Evocatore," The man said. His voice resounded throughout the ce that went silent because of his sudden appearance. "Y-You are...?" (Announcer) "Don''t hide your identity! How could we know that you are the one mentioned!?" One of the city councils angrily stated as he points at him. "I, Surena, the leader of the Valkyries, certified that he''s the real Evocatore and not someone else. Isn''t it right, guildmaster?" (Surena) "You''re right," (Guildmaster) "Guildmaster?" "Yes. He''s Evocatore. The one and only one, that is," (Guildmaster) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 1 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 87 The Aftermath Of The Goblin King Subjugation (2) After The Announcement ?"d it went without a hitch..." Raine uttered as she rests back on the sofa. "You''re right," Ravia put the ss she just finished wiping at the table, "In the end, the prince didn''t show up even after the announcement ends. It seems like Lyan was right," "A war of wits, huh..." Staring at the scenery outside the window, Raine uttered the words with aplicated expression. After the announcement and receiving the medals given by the city council, just like how he appeared, Lyan disappeared in the same grand manner. A big me appeared surrounding him as if engulfing him, and at the moment the me distinguished together with the sound of fingers snapped, he disappeared as well. Of course, it''s just his illusion magic. He''s using a grand magic to deceive everyone''s sight, giving them the scenery he wanted them to see. And ording to the person, what they saw at that they might differ. "What we saw that day was his usual appearance, wearing his cloak without using the hood. But for the other spectators, he was using a hood. While for the ''others''....." (Ravia) ****************************************************** Inside a certain expensive inn inside the city of Arkansas, the crown prince, his personal guards, and the knights of the Astellia Kingdom are gathering in the crown prince''s room. "All of you... Did you see him? Did you see Evocatore appear at the podium after the appearance of the me?" The crown prince asked to his knights and guards. "We did not..." The captain of the royal knights, Julius, replied grimly. "I see..." The crown prince stared at the outside through the window with an amused grin on his face. Yes, just like his knights, he didn''t see anyone appearing on the podium after the me appeared. Not a single shadow or a single silhouette. But even though no one actually appeared, the grand reaction of the spectators and how they mentioned the name the prince is waiting confused them. There should be no one, but they continue to shout his name. ''Evocatore! Evocatore! Evocatore!'' They are calling him as a champion that just obtained arge sum of wealth and glory from subjugating the goblin king brilliantly despite being a mercenary for less than a month. But even so, the crown prince and the other Astellians couldn''t see his figure. As if there is a certain veil that prevents them from looking at him. "What do you think, your highness? Will he stille and answer your invitation?" The one who asked this question was not the captain of the royal knights, Julius. It''s another person that was very trusted by the crown prince, and was the person that charged from behind the [Crows] and force their formation into disarray because of his might. The captain of the crown prince''s personal guard, Vilgira Vold. His strength isparable to the captain of the royal knights, Julius, but he remained as the crown prince''s shield, sword, and shadow. "Hm... What do you think, Vil?" (Erich) "He''s too dangerous, your highness. I didn''t sense any malice from him, but his strength is terrifying. As we still didn''t know what kind of thing that might trigger him or make him turn against you, if we don''t avoid him, we should silence him before he turns into a bigger threat in the future," He advised the prince with a firm look. Looking at his face, Erich could tell that he clearly feel threatened by Lyan''s existence. "Hou... It''s rare for you to be this wary of someone, Vil," (Erich) "Individually, he already possesses a powerful strength. I saw his skillful swordsmanship that was as refined as the captain of the royal knight''s, and I saw his quick senses in battle. But even though he''s plenty dangerous enough, he''s a summoner that could summon such spirits and monsters with terrifying abilities. I believe all of us present at the time where the ones he summoned wiped out the goblins, hobgoblins, goblin champions, and the goblin king in such a short duration," Vilgira''s face darkens as he remembered the scene he saw inside the goblin king''sir. It''s not that he has any kind of enmity towards Lyan, but when he imagined such a person aimed for the life of his master, he knows that even if there is tens of him, he wouldn''t be able to keep him safe. "You''re right. How about you, Julius? What do you think?" The prince shifted his sight towards the man beside Vilgira. "In my opinion, we should be treating him with utmost care and drive him into our ally, your highness. As Vilgira had said, he''s a very dangerous person, and it would be very dangerous if he turned against us. But if he became our ally, we could easily repel our enemies from both inside and outside the kingdom, your highness," A hint of excitement couldn''t help but appear inside Julius''s tone. "You seem to be very fond of him, Julius. Continue," (Erich) "I''ve been observing him for a while, and I could say that he is a person that holds upon a certain amount of justice. Even though he could save his own life and retain his secret, he decided to expose his secret in exchange for the lives of the captives. At the very least, he''s not a selfish or conceited person, and somehow..." (Julius) "Somehow?" (Erich) "His profile reminded me of your highnesses, his majesty, and captain..." (Julius) Looking at the sentimental look of the knight before him, a certain figure appeared inside Erich''s mind. "He''s a highly intellectual individual, he holds a powerful strength and gives off a certain sense of mysteriousness, but you could still see and sense the hint of kindness and justice from not only his eyes, but from his actions as well," Julius bowed his head as the memory of a certain someone''s corpse entered his mind. "Former captain of the royal knights, Griselda, huh... Even until now, we still didn''t know what and who killed her since there is only her corpse when we found her. But you''re right, his charisma does remind me of her as well," A smile formed on Erich''s face as he remembered the excitement he felt when he saw Lyan unleash his hidden power and summoned all of his monsters. Little does he know that there are three more powerful monsters that he didn''t bring with him since they are faithfully protecting their mothers. "But it''s a question of whether he will ept my invitation or not. But whether he came or not, it will be fine," Erich expose a bigger smile as he uttered the words. "What will, your highness?" (Vilgira) "My invitation. Sooner orter, he will definitely ept it. It''s an invitation that fits him, and it''s something that no one other than me and my father would give him. Well, father''s words are rather surprising, but after hearing your thoughts, I guess it''ll be the greatest gamble to take," (Erich) Erich closed his eyes and imagined about the possibilities of what will happen in the future. With Lyan on their side, the percentage of victories for all of the future battles will rise more than just high. "I''m looking forward to the day that we stand at the same side again, Lyan. Well, I doubt that it will be that long, though," (Erich) *************************************************** "He looks so cool, he must be very strong and handsome," "His entrance sent me shivers, it felt like I was witnessing the appearance of a great hero," "Just from his voice, he''s definitely hot," "I don''t care if he''s ugly or not. I want to marry a strong and wealthy guy like him..." Inside Madam''s office at the House of Roses, the three most famous flowers uttered the words of the fans of the person that became the hottest topic of the city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas, with a tired and exasperated look on their faces. "They didn''t even see your face, what the hell!?" Alina shouted in irritation. "Well, it can''t be helped, right? He suddenly became wealthy enough to the point that his assets are almost the same as a feudal noble. It''s any woman''s dream to marry a handsome, strong, and wealthy man, right? Even though they didn''t know his face, he''s strong and wealthy enough for them to dream already," (Xena) "But this is bad... Since we''ve agreed with him that we didn''t care no matter how many girls he has, it will be bad if he suddenly got 50 girls because of this, wouldn''t it...?" (Belle) ''Well, I doubt he will, though,'' added Belle. "Right!? He did say that the Valkyries only pledged to serve him and not his lovers, but it''s just a matter of time, right!? They are beautiful, but not only that, they are very strong as well!! Just like that, it''s almost certain that he will get three more lovers in the near future!!" (Alina) After Lyan and the others returned, Lyan went to clean his body up at the inn beforeing straight to the House of Roses and splitting up with the Valkyries. After their ''Passionate'' reunion in the girls'' room, Lyan told them the whole story of the subjugation while cuddling with each other naked. Thinking that it would only be more troublesome if he hides about other girls, he exined everything about the Valkyries and the high spirits to them without hiding anything. "Alina... Aren''t you a big fan of the Valkyries before? If they became Lyan''s lovers, you would be able to talk casually with them as well, right?" (Xena) "W-Well that''s true... But it''s stillplicated!! Not to mention that he also has eight beautiful spirits inside his grimoire, and the fact that he needs to sleep with women to increase the monsters of his grimoire, they will forget about us if the number of the women increases, wouldn''t he!?!?" (Alina) Right after Alina finished her outburst, someone appeared from the stairs, bringing some things in his hand. "Girls, I bought your favorite sweets and food, let''sze around before the reward withdrawal time. Damn, Spending money without having to mind about the condition of your wallet felt very satisfying... Were you talking about something?" Lyan asked them as the sweets and foods that each Alina, Belle, Xena, and even the food that Ravia and Raine love are on his hands. "Do you still think that he will, Alina-chan?" (Belle) Looking at how the food in his hands, Alina remembers that she never said which is her favorite food and what sweets she fonds. And not only hers, but her best friends'' favorite food was also brought by him. It means that he''s paying a lot of attention to them. With a helpless smile as she couldn''t help but disregard her only worry if the girls around him increased. Alina muttered under her breath. "Well, he wouldn''t, I guess?" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 1 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 88 The Valkyries (2) The Conversation In The Forest ?---The Day of Lyan''s Return To The City--- "As expected, it woulde to this, huh... I never thought that such a day would evere..." Alice uttered as she let out a sigh. After Lyan and Surena meet with the other members of the Valkyries, Raine, and Ravia, they followed up about what happened with each other and Surena exined to them how she pledged her allegiance to Lyan during their break. "But," Surena raised her right hand, drawing the attention of everyone. "The two of you don''t need to pledge your life to him as well. Thedy only gave that order to me, so the two of you didn''t have any obligation to do so," (Surena) Entrusting one''s life is not an easy matter. While having their soul and life bounded by the Mana Oath, they would need to obey every order andmand given by Lyan to them. It means that they willpletely lose their current freedom and will have to attend to him until theirst breath. Of course, Surena wouldn''t want her friends to do something like that unwillingly. She doubts that Lyan would do anything bad to her best friends, but she wouldn''t want to take the potential her friends have by dragging them into the order and promise she made with her former master. "What are you saying? We''re going to pledge our allegiance to him as well, but of course, it''s not because you pledged your allegiance to him. It''s because we''re also interested in him. Not only that, in the first ce, he saved our lives as well, you know? We still have our pride as knights, we will pay the price of saving our life with our life," With her fist on her chest, Alice said with a great determination. "Alice..." (Surena) "She''s right. I love my current lifestyle, but I guess I kind of miss the days of serving someone as well. And it seems that it will be very interesting to serve someone like him. But well, we will only serve him too only if you allowed us to do so, Rena," Emilia said as she yfully winked at Surena. "Hm? What do you mean?" (Surena) "If you want to keep him for yourself, as your best friends, we''ll back off and let you to do as you wish, you know?" (Emilia) Lyan caught how Surena''s face flinched and made a certain flustered expression for a very short moment, but she immediately regained herposure and managed to reply to Emilia with her usualposed smile. "What are you saying? I would be more rejoiced if my best friends were to be together with me to serve the same master, of course," (Surena) "Is that so? If I were you, I would ept Emilia''s offer and serve him myself, though. In the first ce, even if Emilia backed off, I wouldn''t do so. I''m interested in him as well, after all," Alice said such words with her usual straight face. This time, not only Surena, but all of the girls got slightly flustered because of her words. "I see... No wonder you immediately take the spot beside him..." Emilia uttered with a wry smile as she saw how Alice is sitting right on Lyan''s right side, while Ravia was on the other side. "You''re a sinful man, aren''t you, Master?" (Surena) "Don''t call me master. In the first ce, I haven''t do any advances to anyone yet" (Lyan) "Yet? So you do aim to make seduce all of us, didn''t you?" Raviamented from beside him. "Hm... If the situation permitted it, I guess? T-That hurts, Ravia..." Lyan made a wry smile as he bear the pain from the hand that is pinching his waist from his left side. "You''re very blunt, aren''t you...?" (Raine) "In this kind of question, lying would only lower your trust against me if you found out the truth, so it''s better to say the truth from the beginning, no?" Lyan shrugged, but he soon stopped because the pinch got even harder. "A-Anyway. There is no need for the two of you make the mana oath as well, right? It''s enough for her alone to-" (Lyan) "Of course not," Alice refused strongly. "It would seem that we didn''t have the same amount of resolve, and the weight of our devotion will seem to be weaker than hers. I strongly refuse," (Alice) "She''s right. You must not treat us differently like that, master. That would be unfair," (Surena) "So in the end it will be like this, huh... Fine then, you can do what you want," Lyan let out an exasperated sigh as he replied to them. If truth to be told, Lyan is expecting that the two of them would make a mana oath like Surena as well. With the existence of the mana oath, they will also get bound by the summoning grimoire and it will increase the cards he could y as well. (Luckily they took the course most favorable to me) (Lyan) Just like Surena, the two kneeled in front of Lyan and make an oath while imbuing their mana on their oath. As the mana oath activated, the same blue board asking the same question before appeared in front of Lyan. "I ept," (Lyan) The flow of events is the same as in Surena''s case. Chains appeared from their chest and approach Lyan''s wrist, then not long after, the chains disappeared together with a loud sound of a metallic collision. "Insignia..." (Emilia) "Of the Valkyries..." (Alice) The two of them uttered in confusion because of the sudden announcement they heard inside their mind. "Insignia of the Valkyries. Look at the back of your palm," Surena showed the back of her palm that now has a tattoo of a pair of wings growing from a sword. "You''re right..." Alice uttered as she saw that there is also now the same tattoo on her hand. "It feels like my strength is surging from this insignia..." (Emilia) Lyan pped, stealing the attention of everyone. "Well, you two are now officially my mine as well," (Lyan) Alice and Emilia got their face painted with a hint of redness as they heard the word ''officially mine'', but just like Surena, they hid them shortly even though a little bit slower. "Well, we''re now allies, aren''t we? We''ll be able to trust each other more if we know more about each other. So how about the three of you tell me about yourselves now? I believe there is something that the three of you seem to be itching to tell me, right?" (Lyan) The three of them flinched, look at each other, and nodded after hearing Lyan''s words. "You realized it, huh..." Emilia uttered with a wry smile. "I guess it''ll be fine, right, Rena? We''ve bet our lives on him already anyway. And it''s not like the white shadow''s grandchildren are the type that have a loose mouth anyway. It''s not like this is such a huge secret anyway," Alice shrugged as she shifted her gaze towards Surena. "You''re right. Sharing it with our new master wouldn''t hurt, I guess," (Surena) ************************************************************* Years before, before the great war on the central ins ended 5 years ago, there is a small kingdom called the kingdom of Kasmira located at the corner west part of the central ins. The distance between the Kasmira kingdom and the Astellia kingdom is considerably far, but the two kingdoms remained in a very good rtionship. As the two countries boast a magnificent quality of knights and military troops, they often conduct joint military training, and every year, the knights from the two kingdoms are the star and the most anticipated contestant in the annual martial tournament. Because of their powerful knights, even though the kingdom of Kasmira is a small country and has less than half the territory of the Astellia kingdom now, the kingdom is still feared and respected amongst the countries on the ins because of their military strength and their friendly attitude in their diplomacy towards the surrounding countries. At that time, the three young girls of the Valkyries were active knights of the kingdom under the wing of a major house of the kingdom. The house of Credia, the house of the marquess that supported the king as his right hand. They were the personal knights trained together with the eldest daughter of the marquess, the beautiful noble knight that won the annual martial tournament of the ins once before. Under the leadership of such a beautiful, kind, charismatic, and brilliant master, the three of them lead their lives as her knights and her best friends happily without having a single thought of betraying her. With their master before them, they could only imagine that the kingdom will have a great future before them. Or so they thought. ___________________________________________________________________________ <+2 Valkyries (Emilia Kavirtina) (Alicia Alvis) Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 89 The Valkyries (End) Their Past ?---Surena''s PoV--- In this world, there is some happiness in being born a woman. But there are lots of hardships that are needed to be faced while swallowing your hidden feelings deep inside. For instance, you will be treated as flowers, protected by the men of the family. But at the same time, lots of restrictionse together with all of those protection. You must not act like a boy, no men will like you. You must learn how to do house chores, you won''t be a proper wife if you don''t. You need to learn how to be a good wife, you''ll get cheated on if you don''t. You must not wield a weapon, you''ll never marry if you do. You must not leave the house too much, people will gossip behind you if you do. There are lots of chains bounding all women in this world. I''m always envious of men that are allowed to choose their own course, their own path, and act ording to their whims. As if all we meant as a woman is to be just a decoration inside the house, there is no path for our life except to be the decoration of men and bearing their children. As a daughter of from a baron house serving under the house of Marquess Credia, I too have to bear the same fate as the other women. Unlikemoners, women born into noble families have even fewer chances in choosing their paths. Most of us would only be a bargaining chip for other nobles or treated as a banquet of flowers to be given to other nobles'' families, used to form a connection between two noble families and help them make political ties. We''re not even given the chance to experience true love. I knew, of course, I always knew it. And I''ve epted my fate about it. Until one day, my father brought me to the ball hosted by the Credia house. There, I met her. "Hi there, you''re Surena from the Ekaitza house, aren''t you?" Together with a melodious but charismatic voice, a pair of emerald-like green eyes appeared before me. With a graceful smile that brings a powerful presence, she greets me. The eldest daughter of Marquess Credia, Wilhelmina Credia. But since I got too entranced with her presence, the thought of answering her somehow didn''t cross my mind. Then as if she noticed something on me, her eyes flinched and she shifted her gaze to the side. "Father. It will be morefortable for you to converse with Baron Ekaitza alone, so I will be talking with Miss Surena in the garden, is it fine?" With a pair of unwavering eyes, she asked the Marquess that suddenly appeared. But unlike my expectations, the reaction of the Marquess is light and kind. With a smile, he encouraged us to go and started to converse with father alone. Looking at her back while having my hand dragged by her, all I could see is how reliable she back is, and how strong her presence is. I always thought that she was an unusual person, but the topic she brought into our conversation is even odder. At first, she brought around various conversations that arefortable for us to discuss, and soon, we got into a discussion about the fate of women in this society, and how most of them epted those fates without doing anything to resist. Then somehow, the topic diverted into swords, swordsmanship, and martial arts, and when we continue to converse about those, her eyes shone like nothing before. She got too excited, and I finally saw the part of her that seems to be a little bit childish. "Ah! Forgive me, it looks like I got too excited. You see, I''m interested in being a knight," She told me as she gaze at the sky. "A knight?" "Yes. You know, a knight that fights for their family and their country. Unlike the normal military soldier, you need a high level of skill and strength in order to be a knight. I want to be one of them," She uttered as she stretch her hand to the skies. "Like her, themander of the royal knights of the Astellia Kingdom, Griselda the ''Untouchable Lightning''. I want to be her. Strong, beautiful, Adored, and respected. And she''s a woman, you know? Just like us!" She grabbed my shoulders and she shakes them as she excitedly exin about her idol. She continue to tell me excitedly about her idol, her legends, the rumors about her, and the tales she heard about her from the bards. And just like that, I got infected by her passion. With her influence, I''m allowed to leave the house often to apany her, and the both of us are trained to be knights together. We got enrolled in the military academy in the kingdom, and I found out that there are two other girls that were infected bydy Wilhelmina''s passion. The four of us were very famous back then. Even though the four of us are girls, all of the top ranks were filled with our names in every aspect either practical or theoretical sses. We spent our youth to our fullest in the military academy. and when the academy made a joint curriculum with the Astellia Kingdom, we got more friends. There, I found my first love and experienced my first rtionship. Julius Tergimand, the eldest son of Count Tergimand of the Astellia Kingdom. I was enchanted by his straightfullness, strength, and kindness. He reminds me ofdy Wilhelmina. It was like a series of blessings. Meeting Lady Wilhelmina, enrolling at the military academy, having a rtionship with a strong person, graduating as top knights of the academy, and making lots of achievements for the kingdom. But as expected, life is not generous enough to give a series of happiness without any turbulence. At the time when Alice, Emilia, and I got assigned to fight together with the Astellia Kingdom to take part in the great war of the ins,dy Wilhelmina was ordered by her father to remain in the kingdom in case of anything bad happened to the kingdom. As if answering the bad feeling of the Marquess, the bad news arrived. Right at the moment after we sessfully defeated the army of the eastern countries, the news about the fall of the Kasmira Kingdom entered our ears. They said that the reason for the loss is because they are not defending with our full strength since part of our forces are fighting together with the Astellian, the Verandia Kingdom from the west of the Kasmira Kingdom seized the opportunity to conquer the kingdom. Since the actual treaty between the two kingdoms at that moment was a treaty of peace, the sudden break of the agreement caught the kingdom by surprise. Everything was destroyed and the Verandia Kingdom took all of thends as their own. The Marquess house defended the kingdom until theirst breath, they said that the reason of why there are lots of casualties from the opponent''s side is because of the Marquess house''s resistance. The Marquess and the whole family died, and their bodies were found shed, thrust with spears, and other tragic ends. Butdy Wilhelmina''s body was never found. As knights that had just lost our homnd, we appeal to the Astellia Kingdom to retaliate, but when they did, it only increase the amount of theirnd. Nothing would return from our home. ***************************************************** ---3rd Person PoV--- "Because of that, the three of us decided to embark on a journey and went from ce to ce in search of thedy. We believe that she''s hiding, or maybe got abducted and sold to a ve merchant since her body was never found," (Surena) "Thend of our kingdom that was retained from the Astellia Kingdom was only 1/4 of thend, and they suddenly made a peace treaty with that kingdom. They knew from the start that the Verandia Kingdom will invade our kingdom, yet they remain oblivious to it..." (Alice) The face of the three of them darkens as they grit their teeth in rage at the dark memory. (So that''s the reason for their hostility with the Astellian, huh... The Dancing Gale broke up with that knight captain after that incident too, I guess? No wonder I felt something is off with them as a mercenary, so they really were knights, huh...) (Lyan) "I see. Sorry for forcing you to open an old scar, but I believe that that information is necessary for me," (Lyan) Lyan didn''t give any words of constion nor attempt tofort them. It''s not like it will offend them if he does so, but he believes that showing them pity is not an appropriate response for knights like them since pitying them will only hurt their pride even more. (Knights, huh...) (Lyan) "The promise I made with my former master happened before we embark to the Astellia Kingdom with the army, I guess she must have also noticed of the uing danger. But because of so, I will fulfill my promise to her to the bitter end," Surena gazed straight into Lyan with an unwavering pair of eyes. (Justice, straightforwardness, and noble reason. What a troublesome thing to carry) (Lyan) "Then this is my firstmand to the three of you," (Lyan) The three of them stands as they heard about the uing order. Firmly, Lyany out his firstmand to his Valkyries. "Continue your search for your former master, and find her. Do whatever you want, but heed to my call whenever I need you, that''s all," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 49,722,400 Elnes Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 90 The Subjugation Reward (1) The Withdrawal ?"But is it fine, Lyan?" Xena asked Lyan that was in the middle of getting a massage from Belle as she ate the sweets Lyan brought with him together with Alina. "What is?" Lyan replied with a voice filled with pleasure as Belle is hitting the best points on his shoulders. "The Valkyries. Are you sure it''s fine to let them go just like that? Wouldn''t it make them feel like you don''t trust them enough, and make them feel like you''re just taking advantage of their Mana Oath?" (Xena) "It''s fine, it''s fine. They made the promise just to fulfill their words to their former master, in the first ce. The reason why Surena insists on pledging her allegiance to me must be because of this as well. She never intended to follow me everywhere I go, she still need to find her former master, after all, (Lyan) "Hm~" Xena brought another sweet to her mouth as she continue to ponder about the story Lyan told them. "To think that those Valkyries were knights from the fallen Kasmira Kingdom... Well, the most surprising part is where they suddenly pledged their allegiance to you, though," (Belle) "Aren''t your man great? You all must be amazed, right?" (Lyan) "Yes, yes. That''s why I''m massaging you as a reward, aren''t I?" (Belle) "You''re right. You''re unexpectedly skillful in massage, Belle. I think I''m going to get addicted to this..." Lyan''s face slowly starts to melt into the couch because of Belle''s skillful massage. "Fufufu! You must not. It will be the appointed schedule for the reward withdrawal on the guild soon, right? It might be bad if you''rete, you know?" (Belle) "Hm. You''re right," Lyan suddenly lifts his body up and sits on the couch. "Lyan?" (Belle) "It''ll be better to arrive there sooner than the schedule, I guess? Such a great amount of money might bring unnecessary trouble, after all," Lyan stands and stretches his body that felt lighter because of Belle''s massage. "Will you be fine? Do you want us toe with you? Or maybe bring Mon and the others with you? Appointing a mercenary group to protect you is also a possible choice. With such an amount of money, there will be lots of people that might pull extreme actions to steal them, you know?" Alina that stopped eating said it because of worry. "It''ll be fine. I wouldn''t be bringing the money with the chests stored in wagons, and I always bring my personal bodyguards with me. I even got more than 800 more bodyguards with me, so it''ll be fine," (Lyan) Yes, it might be dangerous if he were to take the golds by wagons since he''ll definitely get targeted especially if he went outside the city. But Lyan doesn''t need them, he doesn''t have a magic bag or a spatial ring, but he has his grimoire''s space. With a single touch, he could let all of the golds enter his grimoire''s space and have the skeleton army inside sort them inside the house. The goblin champion shadow servants under Hobu are constantly watching over the perimeter around the House of Roses in case of unwanted rats are following him, while Hobu is always following him inside his shadow, ready to protect him in every situation. The hobgoblin shadow servants are acting as Lyan''s surveince squad and spread around the city to gather the information he needed. "I''ve prepared a perfect trap for the ones aiming for me, so it should be fine. With the grand performance I did on the announcement day, there should be only a few of them that would dare to try anyway. Of course, if I got into trouble, I''ll be asking the help of the three mysterious but deadly flowers of the west gate of Arkansas," (Lyan) What Lyan mentioned is about the rumor going around the city about three girls that guarded the city gate together with the Madam and the White Shadow. The rumors about them being the seconding of the Valkyries and about how they ruthlessly killed the goblins are quite famous to the point that Lyan heard them as well. When Lyan heard how they have monster familiars with them, Lyan immediately knew that the mysterious deadly flowers mentioned in the rumors must be his girls. "Oh. Shut up! They were just exaggerating things!!" (Xena) "Hahaha. Right, right. I''m off then," Lyan jumped out of the window after putting his hood on and disappeared from the sight of the girls. (The mana had fully recovered, but the mana from the spirits that are currently avable for me to use are Hestia''s, Eira''s, Azelia''s, and Lilith''s) (Lyan) After the battle with the goblin king, Lyan had realized where the limit of his current body is at. Even though he possesses a great amount of mana that seems to be slightly more than his former self, he''s still not familiar with applicating mana in a human''s body. The system and sensitivity of mana channeling in a human''s body are different from an incubus''s. There is no point in having arge amount of mana if his body couldn''t handle them. If he used his ''Limit Break'' on this body, it would take more than two months for his body and his mana channels to recoverpletely. (At this point, at most, I could only muster my strength as strong as Arturia''s full blow in one minute. In a long-duration battle, I will have my power reduced to 50%, it''ll be such a great difference since my body isn''t trained enough yet in terms of handling arge amount of mana) (Lyan) (I couldn''t summon Lilith and the others until another five days. I need to use my cards wisely, I guess) (Lyan) After jumping from roof to roof while concealing himself with his illusion magic for a while, Lyan finally arrived at the mercenary guild. Of course, he didn''t release his magic and continued to proceed until he arrived in front of the guildmaster''s room. *Knock!* *Knock!* After knocking on the door, a firm voice sounded from the inside. "Come in," *Creak!!* Lyan proceed to enter the guildmaster''s room, and saw several chests that must be filled with gold are lying in front of the guildmaster''s desk. The guildmaster is sitting at his seat behind the desk with a grin, while Lichia is holding a book and a pen in her hands as she stared nervously at the chest of golds. "As expected, you came faster than the appointed time, Evocatore," said the Guildmaster as he folds his arms. "There are eyes on me, after all," Lyan replied with a shrug. "Of course. This is the city of mercenaries and merchants. Both parties love money more than anything, so there might be some gold-loving rats swarming you from various directions after this. But-" The guildmaster opened his eyes and the grin on his face got slightly wider. "Considering it''s you we''re talking about, I''m sure that you will be able to take care of them all with ease. As expected of Jose and Abraham, their eyes are as excellent as always," The guildmaster uttered as he put something on top of his desk. "That is..." (Lyan) "Yes. It''s the Mythril-rank mercenary tag. I don''t know whether you''lle again as a mercenary or not, but this wille in handy for you in the future. You might be registered in the guild for less than two weeks, but not just me, but the whole city believes that your ability is on par or even stronger than the other Mythril-ranked mercenaries. So don''t hesitate and take it," (Guildmaster) "Then I''ll do as you say," Lyan casually took the new Mythril-rank mercenary tag and put his current mercenary tag on the desk. "I''ve told your respond to the council as well. They react positively to your response," (Guildmaster) After the reward announcement day, the city council which consisted of the most wealthy merchants in the city contacted Lyan, asking whether if he want to bemissioned and given a position at the city and the guild. Considering how bright his achievement is in less than two weeks, they are thinking of binding him to the city since he might make even more brilliant achievements in the near future. But of course, investmenting from great merchants wouldn''te that easily. They didn''t know his identity, didn''t know his real strength, and didn''t know his background. For them tomission such a person suddenly must be too good to be true, so it must be a test. They are trying to see what motive and what kind of role he wants in the city. If it turns out that he has the ambition that might not align with their interests, he will be targeted to be eliminated instead. ''I don''t have any intention of staying too long at the mercenary city, but if you ever need my service, I''ll be d to give a positive response as long as the reward is appropriate'' That was the reply Lyan gave to them. "No ambition of position, no excessive thirst for money, and no sign of hostility. They might send their envoys in case of a trouble in the future, so you can look forward to it," said the guildmaster in a good mood. "Thank you for the information, guildmaster," (Lyan) "So? Lichia? Isn''t it about time for you to tell him about the real amount he''s given?" (Guildmaster) "Hm? Ah! Y-You''re right! Ahem!" Lichia cleared her throat. "For the amount given from the in goblins, red goblin variants, hobgoblins, red hobgoblins, goblin champions, red goblin champions, ck goblin champions, and the goblin king. The total of elimination reward is 2800 gold. The bonus from the city council is 200 gold, the additional bonus from the guild is 200 gold, and the bonus from the Astellia kingdom is 300 gold. A total of 3500 gold..." (Lichia) ___________________________________________________________________________ <+3500 Gold/+3,500,000,000 Elnes> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,549,722,400 Elnes / 3549 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 91 The Subjugation Reward (2) The Embarkment ?"As what the treasurer had said, the total reward given to you is 3500 gold," (Guildmaster) (Treasurer? So Lichia is the guild''s treasurer as well? No wonder the other guild staff always bows and obediently obey her orders...) (Lyan) "The guild''s staff will help carry them to your carriage or wagon. Do you need escorts to transport them to your safe house? Or do you have no house here yet?" (Guildmaster) "I''m still staying in an inn, but since I''m going to leave the city soon anyway, I''ll be taking all of the gold with me. There will be no need for escorts," Lyan replied decisively. Looking at the decisive decision Lyan made, the guildmaster let out a small chuckle. "I see. Then until we meet again, Evocatore. May the god of fortune be with you," (Guildmaster) With a single snap of fingers from the guildmaster, three muscr men with the guild''s uniform entered the room and bowed to the three of them before lifting the heavy chest of gold with ease. "Where should we take this, sir Evocatore?" As the muscr staff asked the question with a gesture, in such a short moment, Lyan scanned the three of them with absolute observation. Their bodynguage, their eyes and the emotion they are harboring, their breathing pace, and the tone of the one that just spoke. (Hm... I guess the ones chosen by the guildmaster are the trustworthy ones, huh) (Lyan) "Ah. Follow me," (Lyan) While carrying the chests, the three of them obediently follows Lyan. At the day before, Lyan had rented a wagon for him to use from a merchant for a day. But he didn''t hire any coachman since he has the hobgoblin shadow servant for him to use. By dressing the hobgoblin shadow servant to the point where no point of his skin could be seen, Lyan assigned him as the coachman. At the time Lyan went outside the guild together with the muscr guild staff, the wagon driven by the hobgoblin is already waiting at the front. "There, you can put them inside that wagon," Lyan pointed at his wagon. Following Lyan''s instruction, the muscr guild staff put the chests of gold inside the wagon. They were hoping to see a wagon that was a little bit safer for him to transport this much of gold, but when they opened the curtain, they saw it was just a normal wagon. In the first ce, choosing a wagon over a more stable carriage that could be driven faster is unthinkable. If in case he got ambushed or chased by people who aim for his reward golds, he wouldn''t be able to make them lose him. "As expected of the goblin king''s yer. He must be very confident that he could drive anyone who tried to steal his gold off," "Can''t you see it? He''s emitting the same presence as the guildmaster! He''s definitely dangerous!" "I heard that he faced the goblin king and the army of goblin champions alone. Some petty mercenaries won''t be able to do anything to him," The muscr guild staff converses with each other in a small voice, but of course, Lyan''s honed hearings caught their conversation with each other rather easily. (Looks like my reputation had surely got known by everyone, huh... I guess making such a grand entrance on the announcement day was a sessful n) (Lyan) "We''ve loaded all of them inside, sir Evocatore. Do you need anything else?" Asked one of them. "It''s fine, loading them inside the wagon is enough. Thank you, gentlemen," Lyan offer them a handshake. "I-It''s our pleasure!!" The one Lyan offered the handshake energetically epted the handshake, and widen his eyes when he realized that there is something on Lyan''s hand. "It''s a tip for the three of you. Have a good day," (Lyan) "T-Thank you very much, sir Evocatore! Please tell us if you need anything!!" The man bowed, and when he showed the other two the three golds inside his hand, they bowed deeply to him as well. "I''ll do so sometimes then," Lyan replied with a smile before shifting his gaze to the big building of the mercenary guild. (It''s been less than two weeks, but it felt like I''ve experienced lots of things here. I guess it will be quite a while before I see this guild again. Should I bow to show my gratitude for giving me the fortune I got, I wonder?) (Lyan) The hobgoblin shadow servant bowed his head when Lyan saw him and was ready to make the horse moves when Lyan entered the wagon, but- "Lyan!" Lyan turns his head back because of the call, and saw Rea looking at the wagon with a look of surprise on her face. "Rea?" (Lyan) "....Finally calling me without formalities right before you''re going to leave is out of the rule, you know?" The usually cheerful girl uttered with a pout. "Hahaha. Sorry for that," (Lyan) "Are you... Really going to leave?" Rea asked as she saw the wagon behind him. "Yes. It''s been a while, thanks for helping me a lot," Lyan''s response remains distant. "Even though you''re not even registered for two weeks as a mercenary yet... You haven''t evenpleted your promise yet!!!" Rea suddenly shouts, startling Lyan and the horses. "Promise?" (Lyan) "Didn''t you promise me to help Lichia-chan move on from that scumbag Jean!?" (Rea) "No... I don''t remember promising you that..." (Lyan) "You did!!" (Rea) "I didn''t," (Lyan) "YOU DID!!!" Her voice got even louder, making Lyan to manipte the volume of her voice with his magic to avoid unwanted attention. (I didn''t...) (Lyan) "Well... Rea. No matter how a scumbag that Jean is, it''s Lichia''s freedom to love anyone she wants to love, don''t you think? It''s definitely not the right of a stranger like me to meddle in her love affairs. It will be against my principle to force someone to go against their wishes," Lyan replied with a gentle tone but firm words. "Y-You''re right..." (Rea) (He''s right... It''s unreasonable for me to force him to do so, right? But if he became one with Lichia-chan, it will be natural for me to be beside them as well...) (Rea) "And here," Lyan reached his hand and offered a handshake. Rea''splexion brighten when she saw the offered hand, and cheerfully epted the handshake. But just like the three muscr guild staff, she noticed that there are something on his hands. "Eh? Five gold coins? Why?" (Rea) "It''s my thanks for looking after me for this short while. Use this to eat and buy some things with Lichia, okay?" Lyan ruffled her head for a while before entering the wagon. "We''ll meet again!!" Rea waved her hands energetically, but Lyan didn''t peek outside of the wagon. He only let out his hand from the curtain and waved back shortly before the hobgoblin shadow servant galloped the horses, making the wagon to move faster. ************************************************************* Just as Lyan said he was going to go to the north to see the cold region, the wagon immediately took the northern route once he left from the west gate, and proceed to go straight to the north. "Looks like he really went there, boss," "Good. Let''s give some lesson of life to that show-off bastard," "Are you sure it''s fine, boss? He did kill the goblin king alone, after all," "Hmph! It will be fine! I will be the one who faces him! If I didn''t get trapped by the Golden Thrill, I would be the one who killed the goblin king in the first ce!" The man said with clear anger on his face. Ever since the day of the announcement, Jean had been harboring anger and hatred towards Lyan. No, not since the day of the announcement, but since the day he saw Lichia in his embrace and hold his hands in the middle of his duel, he had been setting his eyes on him. Even though he''s the leader of one of the Mythril-ranked mercenary parties, he''s also the leader of a mercenary troupe that has over one five hundred members. But despite so, the people in the elite group seem to be praising and putting their attention on the newbie more than on him. He''s not interested in the men, but- (Those unattainable Valkyries bitch, Lichia''s friend Rea, the sexy madam, and the White Shadow''s grandchildren. All those beautiful women are flocking to this guy. What''s so good about him anyway? he''s just a rather lucky newbie that loves to fight while wearing a cloak!) (Jean) "We need to show him his ce..." (Jean) Jean mobilized a hundred of his men, and went with horses to intercept Lyan on his wagon when he reached the highway that is surrounded by a thick forest. There will be fewer people wandering, it will be easier for them to plunder that gold of his. (I could get even more girls after getting those golds from him. And he will lose all of the fortunes that he just get from his beginner''s luck. Wee to the harsh mercenary life, Evocatore!) (Jean) ___________________________________________________________________________ < -8 gold> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,541,722,400 Elnes / 3541 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 92 The Subjugation Reward (3) The Ambush ?"Stop!" A man with a horse stopped in front of Lyan''s wagon, forcing the wagon to stop. Right at the moment the wagon stopped, tens, dozens, and finally, a hundred people riding on a horse surrounded the wagonpletely. All of them are carrying weapons while looking at the wagon with greedy eyes and nasty smiles like a bandit. "Yo, Evocatore. Isn''t it cruel for you to leave the city without sending us any farewell? Let''s have a proper farewell with a handshake just like what you did with Lichia''s friend, Rea?" The man that seems to be the leader approached the wagon while holding his dear magic saber. The red gleam on the sword indicates that he''s constantly supplying the sword with mana, ready to deliver a magic attack of the saber anytime. But even after knocking and yelling of other men chimes in, there is still no reaction from inside. Even the coachman that is wearing a weird attire remains silent. "You still dare to ignore me... Magician!! Burn them!!" Shouted Jean as he gritted his teeth. The magician that he brought for this vile act was the magician man of his troupe, not the usual magician girl that has been sleeping with her almost every night at the subjugation. He wouldn''t want the girl to see him doing such things, after all. *Boom!!* As the fireball hits the wagon, the wagon exploded, and the whole wagon got engulfed in me. "So he died just like that, huh... What a loser. Then I guess the golds and his girls will be mine. The golds won''t burn, and I can take my chances while making up a story to y with his girls," (Jean) "Hahahaha! You''re so horrible, boss!" "Just like a bandit, hahahaha!!" "Of course not. Unlike bandits, I''m gentle to women- Wait, something is moving over there!" Jean noticed in the middle of the mes, a shadow is slowly walking. "That is..." *************************************************** ---Several minutes after Lyan left the guild--- (3500 Gold... He''s as wealthy as a decent feudal lord now... Buying a huge mansion and living in luxury for the rest of my life wouldn''t be just a dream anymore if I marry him...) (Lichia) (And he did it in less than two weeks... But Belle and the others are already in a rtionship with him. It seems that the three of them are... But with that amount of money, he could easily take care of four wives and several children, right!? He seems like a person that will make even more money in the future as well!) (Lichia) (His face is handsome, his eyes are sharp and brimmed with intelligence, he''s tall, his body under the cloak is muscr, and he''s sensitive and kind. And not only that, he''s now rich as well!! Isn''t he far better than the ideal man I have inside my head?) "But he''s going to leave the city soon... Wait, he looks rather young as well... If we disregard his mature eyes, he seems to be younger than me..." (Lichia) "Um... Miss Lichia?" "Y-y-yes!?" Lichia let out a startled voice as she suddenly got called in the middle of thinking such an embarrassing thing. "Ah. Mr. Rockbottom. I''ve signed the quest you''re going to take. I''ll send someone to notify the merchant who asked for the quest," Lichia immediately regain herposure and reply with her usual business smile. "Thanks. You seem to be out of it, Miss. Is there something happened with the devil mercenary? You seem to be muttering the name Evocatore for a while..." Asked the mercenary. "Eh!? Ah... It''s nothing. I''m just a little bit curious about him, you see... It''s just that he''s so mysterious and stuff," Lichia disregarded his concern with a smile. "I see... ording to the rumors, he''s super strong, but they must be exaggerating. It''s a shame, but it seems that he wouldn''t go back to this town, and his career as a mercenary might end since he attracts a troublesome group," "Hm? End? Why is that?" (Lichia) The mercenary approached her slightly closer and whispered. "I heard from my friend that the Crimson Talon is aiming for him. I don''t know what the problem is, but I heard that the leader is constantly ring at him, and he''s going to hunt him together with not his party, but with almost the half number of his mercenary troupe!! Even for the famous newbie... Facing lots of veterans alone will definitely be difficult..." The mercenary said as he let out a sigh. "It can''t be..." Lichia feels like her knees getting weak when she heard it. (Jean... he''s going to do it again... He''ll destroy him because I got close with him... I should have known!!) (Lichia) "Eh? Miss Lichia?" The mercenary eximed in surprise as Lichia suddenly run outside the guild. As she run outside the building, she went straight towards the stables and took one of the horses. (If I go now, I might be able to stop him. If it''s my words, Jean will definitely hear me!) (Lichia) As she was about to gallop her horse, the three muscr staff that just got a tip from Lyan appeared while holding some big crates. "Miss Lichia? Where are you going?" "Ah! The three of you got some tip from Ly- Evocatore, didn''t you? Come with me! He''s in danger!!" (Lichia) Without needing any confirmation about her words, the three of them dropped the crates and went to take a horse for each of them. "We''ll assist you, Miss Lichia," "Good! Thank you! Let''s go! We''re going to the north!!" (Lichia) Without any dy, the four of them galloped their horses and went to the northern route as fast as they could. The horses in the guild''s stable are all well-trained by a professional horse trainer. They are used for the guild''s staff, and sometimes they were given to the promising mercenaries as a gift or a reward bonus. "We''re entering the north route, Miss Lichia!" One of the mercenaries said as they arrived in front of the junction separating three different routes. "Yeah! Don''t slow down!" (Lichia) As they entered the northern route, some scenarios went through Lichia''s head. (The wagon''s speed is not even half as fast as our horses in full gallop. If they are going to intercept him, they will ambush him at the part where the highway got surrounded by the thick forest) (Lichia) (At the very least, we''ll arrive right when they''re about to ambush him! Please, god. At least make it be so! Make me make it in time!!) (Lichia) After galloping for one whole hour, they finally arrived at the part of the highway with thick forest vegetation surrounding them. And as Lichia expected, the ambush happened right around this area. Not long after they entered the area, rowdy voices of the mercenaries at the front sounded. As they approached them, Lichia was about to shout to stop them and ask what they are doing. But- *Boom!!* Before she could muster her voice, the magician had finished his chantation and sent a zing fireball to the wagon, engulfing the whole wagon in me. "You must be... Lying..." Lichia get off her horse and was about to approach the wagon, but her feet felt weak, forcing her to slump down on her knees. Looking at the person with the brightest smile before the zing wagon, the frustration and sadness Lichia felt turned into anger. She grips the sword on her hip strongly, thinking about the ways to kill him. As the senior receptionist and the treasurer, Lichia''s fighting skill is as high as a gold-ranked mercenary. There is an appropriate portion of fighting trainingid out by the guildmaster for all of the guild staff. So when the time where their words won''t work, they would be able to use their swords to talk instead. As Lichia was about to draw her sword, the mes on the wagon suddenly got bigger as if they were raging, and a shadow could be seen slowly walking through the mes. It''s using a fancy cloak, but strangely, the cloak doesn''t seem to be getting burnt by the raging mes. The figure slowly raises his hand, and *Snap!* Right at that moment he snapped his fingers, and several heads of the mercenaries around them flew to the sky. "W-What is happening!?" "Reddy!! He''s dead!!" "Cooper and Y too!!" Again, *Snap!* Another series of head flying urred, increasing the panic amongst the mercenaries. "What is happening...?" "Leader! What is happening here!!" The other mercenaries asked Jean in a panicked manner, but he himself is trying to figure out what happened. "It''s a shadow... A shadow passed and chopped their heads..." The saber on Jean''s hands got covered in burning mes. He''s thinking of using one of the sword''s magic skills the moment the shadow once again appeared because of the snap of fingers, but- *Snap!* "[Burning sh]!!!!!" Jean shouted as he saw the shadows appear and beheaded his men again. But the mes didn''t get shot out by his saber. "W-What is... This...?" Jean uttered in shock as he saw his magic saber. "ck... Ice...?" (Jean) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,541,722,400 Elnes / 3541 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 93 The Subjugation Reward (4) The Undead ?"ck... Ice...?" Jean uttered as he saw ck ice covering his magic saber, preventing his magic saber to unleash its fire. But, he''s also a Mythril-ranked mercenary. "As if... This will stop me!!!!" Gripping the handle tightly, he profusely imbues the saber with his mana, forcing it to activate and unleash powerful fire. Slowly, the ck ice color got turned into zing red before it finally shattered. *Crack!* *Whoosh!!* As the ice cracked and dispersed, raging mes appeared from the magic saber, reaching four meters above. "I don''t know what kind of monster you are, but don''t think that you could get me just by freezing my saber with that weird magic of yours, Evocatore!!" Jean said provocatively as he points the tip of his saber to the shadow beneath the mes of the burning wagon. At that moment, a voice finally responded to his words. "Hm... As expected, my ice couldn''t bepared to Lady Eira''s majestic ice..." What appeared is not Lyan''s voice, but a deep sinister voice. A voice that filled with dark and malicious mana that makes some of Jean''s underlings lose their consciousness. When they heard the voice, they immediately know that before them is the wrong target. "You... Who are you...?" (Jean) "Me? I''m a loyal servant of my king, of course. Nice to meet you, the name my king gave me was Grimw. I was ordered to attack whoever attacked this wagon, and as he said, a bunch of fools indeed attacked the king''s wagon..." The figure scoffed as he shakes his head. "And you... What did you call me before...?" As the figure asked the question, the mes of the wagons got even bigger. Jean recalled what he said before, and replies. "Evocatore...?" (Jean) At that instant. "DON''T YOU DARE CALL THE NAME OF MY KING WITH THAT FILTHY MOUTH OF YOURS!!!" What appeared was a voice filled with a terrifying amount of dark mana. As if responding to his anger, the mes engulfing the wagon turned into bluish-ck. More mercenaries under Jean lost their consciousness because of the voice, little did he know that rather than just losing their consciousness, his underlings had just lost their souls because of the immense fear from the dense dark mana imbued inside the voice of the figure. Of course, Jean also felt the agonizing pain in his chest. As if something inside him is trying to break free from inside. But with enough willpower, he managed to suppress it and refocus on the opponent before him. "What a shame... The King told me not to kill you. Even though you''re a perfect medium to be used as a zombie servant... But I guess the king has his reasons. At the very least, *Snap!*" With the snap of his fingers, the bluish ck me disappeared, revealing a skeletal figure d in a grand ck robe, looking at them with the terrifying red light on its eye sockets. At the distance, Lichia that was looking at the sight together with the three muscr guild staff widened her eyes in terror as she saw the monster that appeared from beneath the mes. Looking at the ws that are the characteristic of a famous type of skeletal monster. Lichia Muttered under her breath. "Deadlight..." (Lichia) As she muttered the name of the monster, the stories and legends she heard about the monster appeared inside her mind. In one of the books, it was said that there were once three deadlights that conquered a nation and turned the whole poption into the undead in a single night in the ancient times. With their powerful ws that could also be used as a staff, they could conjure magic, summon dark creatures, and turn those who got killed by their ws into their faithful eternal servant. "What is that kind of monster... doing here...?" (Lichia) "Skeleton...? What is a skeleton like you doing here...?" Jean asked Grimw, obviously oblivious to the terror Lichia is feeling when she realized what kind of skeletal monster had just appeared. "Hm... So you''re not familiar with my kin... I guess you''re not that knowledgable... What a killjoy. I guess there is no meaning of continuing this conversation any longer," The deadlight uttered disinterestedly. Following his words, an Army of huge skeletons appeared from the surrounding forest. Looking at the figure of the skeletons, those who joined the goblin king subjugation widened their eyes in surprise when they saw them. "Goblin champion skeletons... And hobgoblin skeletons..." (Lichia) As the one who monitors the monster parts inspection, Lichia is well-versed in the shape and skeletal structures of the goblins, hobgoblins, and the goblin champions. So she knew, that before they are the living skeleton undead of the goblin champions and hobgoblins. And not only that, looking at the color of their bones... "The variants..." (Lichia) "You must be kidding me. What kind of joke is this? I came here for that fucking newbie... Why are there an army of skeletons and a lich-like skeleton appearing from the wagon!? Why!?!?" Jean shouted in frustration. But of course, no one answered his questions. "Sadly, I have no obligation to answer you. Shadow servants, you may also join the fray to kill these fools, but remember that the loud fool before m must not be killed. Skeletons, kill the rest," (Grimw) With a singlemand, the massacre began. As if retaliating because of the fireball thrown at the wagon, the goblin champion variant skeletons let out a breath of mes, killing the pack of shocked mercenaries. Of course, because of the weak physical abilities of the magician, he also got killed instantly by the mes. After the bombarding of the breath of me, the goblin champions charged together with the hobgoblins. They charged and killed all of the mercenaries. Because of the fear, the movement of the mercenaries became sluggish and slow. It''s the effect of hearing a deadlight''s voice without a holy protection on their heart or a brave heart. Jean is also shocked and his mind couldn''t stomach the abnormal existence before him. But after looking at his underlings getting killed easily right and left without being capable to fight back or kill even a single skeleton of the opposition, the rage inside him rages and takes over his confused mind. The me on his swords started to once again rage, but before he could let out a shout of encouragement, a single cold bone touched the back of his neck. "You won''t be killed, so go sleep on the ground for a while," said the cold voice of the Deadlight. As if getting lubied by the cold voice, Jean''s vision turned ck, his body lost its strength, and he fell t to the ground. "Fu....ck..." (Jean) Looking at their leader falling t to the ground, the members immediately know that they had lost. The skeleton that seems to be the most dangerous easily defeated their leader, and there is not even a single skeleton got crushed by their allies. And so, all of them surrendered to their fate. The resistance that had been weak from the start got even weaker, and the massacre got even faster. It felt surreal to see the leader of the mercenaries are sleeping in the middle of the battleground while having his members getting mercilessly killed by skeletons around him. "W-We need to go back!!" Lichia said to the muscr guild''s staff, but when she turned her horse, the three muscr guild''s staff had already gone. They must have fled when she got too absorbed in looking at the deadlight in the distance while trying to search for Lyan at the remnants of the wagon that fire had already distinguished. "Those useless muscr guys..." Lichia cursed under her breath and galloped her horse at full speed to return to the city. But not long after the galloping, the horse suddenly fell, throwing her to a considerable distance. "W-What just happened?" Lichia readied her sword as she tried to assess the situation while standing up, but a jolt of pain emerged on her left leg. It seems that it got sprained because of her fall. She tried tond using her left leg to hold her body, but the impact is too strong because of the fast speed, making her leg gets twisted instead. *Grrr!* A couple of growls appeared as she saw some beasts biting the horse she was riding. "Direwolves..." Lichia uttered the name of the magic beasts before her. They are oversized wolves that height could surpass a human''s height. They are agile, strong, and have a great teamwork with each other. As Lichia took a single step stealthily behind, attempting to stealthily flee, the biggest direwolf that seems to be the leader of the pack shifted its gaze to her and let out an order with a growl. Responding to it, three direwolves approached Lichia from three different directions. (Looks like I have no choice but to fight... If only I didn''t sprain my leg...) (Lichia) Lichia thought bitterly as she ready her sword and monitor the three approaching direwolves. As she resolute herself to leave the ce alive, the same shadows that beheaded the mercenaries under Jean appeared. *sh!* *sh!* *sh!* The direwolves instantly got killed, but not a single attacknded on her. The other direwolves and the leader of the pack seems to be confused and bark at the surroundings. And suddenly- *Whoosh!* The bluish-ck me that she saw at the burning wagon before appeared before her eyes, burning the leader of the direwolf pack before her. "What just... Happened...?" (Lichia) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,541,722,400 Elnes / 3541 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 94 The Subjugation Reward (5) The Summoners Whereabouts ?"What just... Happened..." Lichia uttered as she saw the scene unfolding before her. After the bluish-ck me burnt the leader of the direwolf pack, the rest of the direwolves got killed by the shadows that beheaded Jean''s underlings and some of the hobgoblin skeletons. At first, she thought that they are going to attack her as well after realizing about her presence, but rather than attacking and silencing her, five goblin champion skeletons surrounded her, making a defensive sphere to protect her, making her fall into a state of confusion. (They are... Protecting me...?) (Lichia) The battle was brief. The pack of direwolves that was consisted of a dozen direwolves and one leader got killed easily by the force led by the deadlight. "Luckily we noticed them quickly. Or we would have unwanted casualties because of that," Grimw the deadlight uttered as he made a gesture as if he was letting out a sigh from his skull. "Why...?" (Lichia) "Hm?" (Grimw) "Why did... You saved me...?" Lichia mustered her courage to ask the question that upied her mind. Why would a deadlight that just massacred the mercenaries with his monsters save her from the direwolves. "The king''smand was to kill those who aimed to attack the wagon and plunder it. Since the king is kind, he wouldn''t want to have any unwanted casualties other than his enemies, especially if it''s someone he''s in a good rtionship with. So I believe that it will please him to know that we prevent your death," (Grimw) ''Pleasing one''s liege is the greatest happiness of a servant, after all,'' The Grimw muttered under his breath as he nods, seeming to be satisfied with his call. And once he stopped his nods, he once again stared at Lichia with his red light eyes. "And it seems that you''re not just the king''s friend, but a potential queen of his as well. So protecting you from any kind of danger is ''Our'' duty to fulfill," (Grimw) "Queen...?" Lichia uttered confusedly as she still couldn''tprehend and process the load of information that just entered her head. (King? Potential Queen? Me? What does he mean?) (Lichia) There are lots of questions inside Lichia''s head right now, but for now, she at least knew that the deadlight before her will not kill her. After realizing that fact, she breathes out a sigh of relief as she forces herself to calm down. "There is no need to think too much about this, and there is nothing to be afraid as well. We won''t harm you, and won''t let any harm befall you either. Use this healthy steed and return to the city of humans," (Grimw) Following Grimw''s words, a single hobgoblin skeleton brings a horse with a lead and brought it to Lichia. "I see... Thank you..." Knowing that she was not in danger, Lichia skillfully jumped above the horse and immediately galloped back to the city at full speed. Her heart is still thumping hard because of the tension, and sweat is profusely dripping from her forehead while her hands that are holding the reins are full of sweat. (I don''t know what happened, but at least I''m alive... But... If he''s not inside that wagon. Then where is Lyan?) (Lichia) Lichia wondered about the whereabouts of the guy that made her gallop at full speed because of worry. She hasn''t realized that she''s not even bothered a single bit about the condition of Jean whether he died or not. ************************************************* As Lichia went to the northern route in worry of Lyan, the man himself is currently inside the Madam''s office together with the three most famous flowers of the house. "Your n worked perfectly, Mr. Lyan. You led the ones aiming at you by their nose. They seriously thought that the carriage is yours, and it seems that they will take the opportunity when they reached the thick forest as you''ve guessed. As expected, what a splendid n," Abraham that had returned from his swift scouting of the enemies said with an impressed smile. "I''m just lucky that the opponents are not that bright," Lyan replied modestly. "You even used the girls to spread the rumor of your departure after the reward withdrawal. They really got led smoothly by that, aren''t they? So you use your illusion magic to make them didn''t notice that you take the chests out back and secured them?" Asked the Madam. "You''re right," (Lyan) When Lyan entered the wagon after the three muscr guild staff loaded the wagon with the chests of gold, he immediately sent the chests of gold into the grimoire''s space, and left the wagon while making himself invisible using his illusion magic. None of the mercenaries that aimed at him would ever expect that he has not only the ability to store the chests of gold in another space, but even a magic to make himself invisible to naked eyes. "And you''re secretly a summoner, huh... I had a hunch, but to think that it was such a rare power... But is it fine to tell us about this? Isn''t this supposed to be your big secret?" The Madam asked with concern. After having the prince and the ones inside the goblin king''sir discover about his identity as a summoner, Lyan decided to let know everyone that he regard as an ally he could trust about his secrets. Of course, the Madam, Abraham, Ravia, and Raine are those allies he meant inside his mind. Even though it has been such a short while, he knew that they hold a considerable amount of trust in him, and so do he in them. "It''s fine. I trust in all of you," Lyan said he with a confident look. "Are you sure? This kind of information could bring me lots of money, you know? Big merchants, nobles, and even royalties would want the information of an unaffiliated summoner. Making more than a hundred of golds would not be an exaggeration," said the Madam provocatively, but her eyebrows soon flinched when she saw Lyan remain unfazed. "I''m not against of selling my information. I''m the one that one-sidedly gave that information to you without you asking in the first ce anyway. But if you want money, you know I currently have more money than I need right now, right?" Lyan said with the same confidence. "Heh. What a cheeky guy. But I don''t hate that confidence of yours. I understand. I don''t have any intention of telling anyone about this, I will only put myself in danger if I do so in the first ce anyway. Now, let''s get over to the next main point. You came for the girls, right?" said the Madam as she folded her arms and look at Lyan like the mother of a girl that was about to get proposed to. Noticing how the Madam realized, Lyan also changed his expression to a serious one. "Yes. As you said, I came to pay for the debts of the girls," (Lyan) As Lyan said it with a determined look, the three girls behind him are squirming around, blushing as they lower their heads. They look like girls that are about to get taken as wives, looking at them made the madam breathe out a sigh. "What should I say... I never thought that you would gather a such amount of money in such a short time. No, in the first ce, the amount you obtained in this short time was even much more than that. It''s not surprising if there are mercenaries that would get ideas of plundering that gold of yours... Is that the golds?" The Madam asked as she pointed at the leather bag Lyan holding in his right hand. "Yeah," (Lyan) Looking at the size of the bag alone, the Madam knows that the number of golds inside must be more or less 60 gold coins, the amount of debt that the girls have towards her. "Really... I never thought that the time when I hesitated to take some gold coins in front of me would evere..." With a wry smile, the Madam took the bag of gold Lyan handed her. "Madam... So you value us more than the golds..." (Alina) "Of course not. I''m just hesitating whether keeping you will bring me even more golds or not," The Madam tried to set Alina''s words aside with a joke, but how she was trying to hide her teary eyes are obvious to everyone. """Madam...""" (Aline, Belle, and Xena) The memories of how the Madam bought them, take care of them,ugh with them, protect them, and teach them how to survive shed through their head in a short time, making all of them teary because of the shbacks. "Of course," Lyan suddenly disturbed their emotional moments. "I intended to let them to do whatever they want. It''s not like they need to go wherever I go in the first ce, and it''s not like I will never return to this city again anyway. And I''m thinking of not bringing them in my journey to the north," Lyan suddenly dropped the bomb. """EHHH!?!?!?!?""" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,541,722,400 Elnes / 3541 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 95 The Subjugation Reward (End) The Summoners Intentions ?"You''re thinking of abandoning us!?" (Belle) "You don''t need us!?" (Alina) "You''re going to leave us just like that!?" (Xena) "I never thought that you were that kind of person..." (Ravia) "You traitor!!" (Raine) The rest of the girls didn''t hold back and show their scorn in response to Lyan''s words about leaving them behind. But after thinking back, he never really told anyone that he will bring them wherever he go. Not only the five girls, but the Madam is staring at him with deadly eyes as veins bulged on her forehead. "What do you mean?" The Madam asked with a hint of bloodlust. Her eyes are screaming ''You think that paying for their debts would make me spare you for giving them false hope!?'' "Of course, my words didn''t contain any hidden meaning. I''m leaving them behind, but I''m going to return here after looking a bit at the north. I believe you understand my reason," Lyan replied while remaining unfazed. The Madam''s bloodlust didn''t even make him flinch. But it''s natural,pared to the opponents he fought on the demon world, the amount of bloodlust the Madam is showing him just now would feel like that of a 12-years old child. (Well, she''s not even showing her full bloodlust. She must have noticed why I''m going alone) (Lyan) "Madam," Abraham called the Madam, making her to remove the bloodlust she was oozing off. "I see... It seems that you''ve even made gramps make sure of it. How many factions will be after you?" The Madam asked straightforwardly. "The gramps?" (Alina) "Factions?" (Belle) "After him?" (Xena) The three girls uttered as they process the bits of information from the Madam''s words. While on the other hand, Ravia widen her eyes as she realized what is happening. "The Astellian crown prince, his knights, the Astellian duke, the merchant union''s men, and then some mercenary thugs. I believe there will be lots of rats following after me, so it will be safer if I go alone," (Lyan) "I see... So you''re going to see the north as what you aimed since the beginning, shake them off by whatever means, and then return. Is that so?" (Madam) "Yes. And besides that," Lyan shifted his gaze towards the three girls. "Besides that?" (Madam) "I believe they still have rtives and those that they still want to meet from their past. I want them to settle their past and reconnect with them. It will be too cruel for me to deprive them of their freedom right after they arepletely free, no?" (Lyan) """Lyan...""" "I see... You''re right. Ipletely forgot about that... There must be some of their family and rtives that are still alive. And they must want to at least see their homnd again for a while. I give up," The Madam shrugs as she breathes out a surrendering sigh. "Seems like you thought about them pretty much. There is no reason for me to prevent your rtionship with them after looking at how much you care about them. Lyan," The Madam walks and approached Lyan. "Thank you foring and taking their hands. Without you, those girls will still be in the dark and at a loss. Even if we might save their lives, I doubt we could save their hearts as you did. So thank you," (Madam) In face of the Madam''s words of gratitude, what made Lyan stunned and entranced was not just because of how sincere her thanks were, but because of how dazzling the smile she made when she said them. Unlike the business smile, she use for her clients, it was a different smile. It''s not a simple heartfelt smile as well. It''s a beautifully affectionate smile that made Lyan''s body made a reaction. The Madam is using her usual attire that exposes lots of parts of her body while giving a flirtatious and seducing vibe. But the affectionate smile seems to be so pure, making him feel like she''s a high school girl smiling at her first love. "It''s my pleasure," Lyan replied with a smile as well. The two of them stared at each other in silence for quite a long. Looking at the good vibes between the two makes the rest of the girls pouted, and their gaze got forcefully broken. "Ouch!" Lyan felt five pinches on the back part of his body. "What are you guys doing...?" (Lyan) """Nothing!""" They replied in a harmony. Lyan could only make a small smile as he saw the adorable reaction of the girls. "Fufufu! Go on. Today is their big day. It''s the first day of their freedom. Ah! Right, it won''t bepleted without we remove the ve crest on their backs, right? Girls, show me your backs," (Madam) Following the Madam''s words, Belle and the others went in front of the Madam and expose their back. "They''re not even hesitating on showing their bare skin to him anymore... It means that he must have seen more than enough..." Raine muttered under her breath, but because of the silence, the whole room could hear her words, making the three girls'' face reddens. "Ouch! What was that for, sis!?" Raine holds her head that just got smacked by Ravia. "Think what your mistake is yourself," (Ravia) The Madam, Lyan, and Abraham chuckled as they saw the unfolding scene. And finally- "Time to give back your freedom. Now, by the contract made upon the crest. I, Josephin Marguerite, release all of you from the crest''s bound. [Release]!" (Madam) Responding to the Madam''s words, the ck tattoo of the ve crest on the back of the girl glows, and together with the sound of a broken ss, the ve crest dispersed into ck particles and disappeared into the air. "Congrattions. Now, the three of you are free," (Madam) **************************************************** "N-Now..." (Alina) "As we''ve finally paid our debt..." (Belle) "It''s time for celebrations!" (Xena) The three of them are having different expressions as they uttered those words. Alina is having an embarrassed face and saying the words timidly, Belle is having an aroused smile as she looks at Lyan, while Xena is rather cheerful. The reason for their particr expressions is because the celebration mentioned are not the usual celebration of drinking, eating, and having a party. They are currently inside the private room of the three girls while standing and facing each other without a single fabric hiding their bodies. "Are you sure you don''t want to celebrate such a special day with the others?" (Lyan) "It''s fine. Since you paid most of our debts, it''s obvious for us to celebrate it with you first," (Belle) "T-This is our gratitude!" (Alina) "You don''t have to do so... It''s not like I particrly paid the debt to only sleep with the three of you. Well, I happily do so, but I''ve already gotten what I aimed by paying the debt as well," (Lyan) "What you aimed?" (Alina) "Better than sex?" (Belle) "Yes. Your hearts," Lyan replied with a smile, trying to make a gentlemanly impression. But after thinking about what he said, he realized how cringe and cheesy the words he just said were. (How the hell could I utter such cringy lines with a straight face, I wonder...) (Lyan) But in opposite to Lyan''s expectation, the reaction of the girls is better than he thought. """Lyan...""" They look sincerely touched by his words. But- "Honestly. It would be so touching if only that huge thing of yours didn''t get so big. That really is a killer''s thing. Isn''t the tip as big as my fist?" Xena points at Lyan''s huge thing that is towering above with full of vigor. "I wonder how that could enter inside me..." (Alina) "A girl''s body is more durable than you thought, Alina-chan. And Lyan''s thing is too magnificent than any other guys," Uttered Belle as her eyes didn''t go away from the towering rod. "Well, I''m currently in front of the three most beautiful girls of the house. Not to mention that three of you are showing your jewel-like bodies, it''s not surprising for it to get restless..." (Lyan) In the first ce, Lyan had been enduring himself ever since the end of the goblin king subjugation battle using his powerful mental strength and his incubus magic. After getting into such a great battle, it''s natural for him to get excited. In fact, he''s currently suppressing his urges to immediately pounce on the three beautiful girls before him. While Lyan is trying to control himself, the three girls before him noticed how his huge towering thing is continuously twitching. "Fufufufu! There is no need to hold back, you know?" (Belle) "We are yours. Feel free to do us anytime, Lyan," (Alina) "You''ll only hurt yourself if you hold back too much, right? Let''s feel good together," (Xena) ___________________________________________________________________________ <-40 Gold Coins from paying the Girls'' Debt> <+50 Josephine''s Affection> <+100 Alina''s, Xena''s, and Belle''s Affection> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 96 The Long And Passionate Celebration Day (1) Belle And Xena ?Inside the Madam''s office, the Madam and Abraham remained in the office after Lyan and the three girls went for their ''Personal'' time, while Ravia and Raine return to their post at the bar to continue serving theing customers. "You look happy, but kind of conflicted, Madam," Abraham guessed the current state of the Madam as he put a ss of wine in front of her. "Stop guessing what''s inside my mind, gramps," The Madam replied dejectedly before gulping the wine before her. After giving a single nce, Abraham continues to pour the wine into another ss for himself to drink as he continues. "epting one''s feelings and stopping making excuses is a big hurdle even for a full-fledged adult. Not everyone could drop their ego and ept a fact of the state of their heart. But to fight that ego and ept the your feelings," Abraham puts the bottle of wine after he finished pouring it, and continues before elegantly sipping on his wine. "Is the true process of growing as an adult," With a slight curve on the corner of his mouth, Abraham took a sip of the wine elegantly before drinking them slowly. "Spare me your lectures, gramps. I''m no longer a kid," (Madam) "Yes, you''re no longer a kid, Jose. But you''re not that old yet either. You''re still 31, Until when will you continue to cling to that past of yours," Abraham''s tone changed from that of a butler into that of a father. It''s a side he rarely shows, but Josephine knows that he only does so when he deemed necessary. "I know... But you know that I can''t do that. Trust is something difficult to attain, after all. And would you please don''t say it as if it''s none of your business? You''re present in all those times, after all..." (Madam) "Yes... I''m present in all of those times of your hardships and sufferings. I''m hoping that I could still present in your time of happiness as well..." (Abraham) ***************************************************** While inside Belle''s and the others'' private room. "That''s unfair... I want to be first..." (Xena) "We''ve agreed to do it ording to the order, right? Since they do it together first, it means it''s Belle''s turn first," (Alina) "Alina-chan''s right. Come, Lyan," (Belle) Belle isying on her back on top of the bed while spreading her legs, showing her cave that is overflowing with her love juices. "You''re very assertive today, Belle," Lyan started with caressing as he let their body touch each other. He could feel Belle''s body twitching and her body temperature gradually rising because of it. "S-Stop it. If you mention it, I''ll lose my courage..." Belle covered her face with her hands. "What are you doing, don''t cover your face," Lyan gently open the hands that are hiding her face and locked their lips together. Starting from a single peck into a long and hot kiss filled with exchanging saliva, Belle''s hands immediately cling to Lyan''s neck, preventing him to stop any time sooner. Looking at the hot moment between the two of them, Xena and Alina unconsciously started to touch their own body to please their lonely body. "Puah!" Belle gasped for breath after the long kiss. "Looks like there is no need for more foreys, it''s already wet more than enough," (Lyan) "Geez! Don''t tease me..." Belle covered her face on Lyan''s chest shyly. "I''m entering..." Lyan slowly points her tip to the entrance of the wet cave, and entered deeply with a single thrust. "Hhhnnnnn!!! Thiiiick!!!!!" Belle hugged Lyan''s neck tightly while her legs clings to his back vigorously as well. Because of the wetness of her cave, Lyan''s huge thing entered without any difficulties and reached the deepest parts of her cave, sending her a powerful feeling of pleasure so suddenly. Lyan could feel she got a small climax just by a single thrust from him. Because of Lyan''s thing that not only huge but robust as well, a single small movement made his thing rubs the walls of her cave, sending her pleasure enough to make her stick her tongue out as she moans. "Y-You can move," (Belle) Lyan started with a slow movement. While taking her tongue that got stuck out into his mouth and tangled it with his, Lyan continue to tease her weak spots with his thing urately, while his hands rubs her breasts and her nipples persistently. "Mnnh! Nnh! Mnhh!" (Belle) Passionate moans from Belle started to get louder, and the two girls watching the sight also get more intense in their masturbation. (It will be too cruel for them to just watch, I guess) (Lyan) Lyan took his hands off Belle''s breasts and went to the caves of Xena and Alina. Knowing his hands approaching them, the two of them dly wee him with a smile and led his hands to their respective caves. (They are already so wet...) (Lyan) When Lyan touched it, lots of love juices are already overflowing from them. Without waiting, Lyan started to let one of his fingers enter their cave and teases the entrance and the insides. "Aahnn! Yes! That part''s good!!" (Xena) "N-No! T-That''s too much!" (Alina) Lyan felt satisfied after hearing their pleasured voice, but- "Ouch!" Lyan''s tongue suddenly got bitten by Belle. Her eyes are saying ''Focus on me when you''re inside me!'', making a grin appear on his face. (Sorry for that) (Lyan) "Mnnh!! Nnnhh!!! Mnhh!!!!!" Belle muffled moans got more intense because of Lyan''s kiss that suddenly got more ferocious together with his piston movements that suddenly got faster. *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* *p!* The sound of their flesh ferociously colliding with each other resounded in the whole room. Without separating their locked lips and entangled tongue, he continue to attack her from above and below persistently. And not long after, Lyan could feel her body twitching and her walls sping his thing inside her. "Puah! I''ming!!!" Belle gasped for breath as she closed her eyes while preparing for the uing climax. "Yeah, let''s do it together," Lyan continues his piston movement even faster before letting a single powerful thrust to enter the deepest part of her. Belle could feel Lyan''s thing twitching, the vibration that feels like a dam about to explode felt inside her. And not long, the timees. "Aaahhhhhnnnn!!!!! Amazingggg!!!!!!!!!!!!" (Belle) As Belle reached her climax, a huge amount of semen got shot out of Lyan''s thing, feeling her with lots of his warm seed. Because of Lyan''s huge thing, there is no single gap in Belle''s cave entrance, making no leak of the semen he just shot inside her. Belle could feel her stomach slightly inted because of the huge load that got stuck inside. "Ah... That was too amazing- Mnn!" (Belle) Lyan locked her lips as she uttered in a daze with her tongue stuck out. After having a deep kiss for several minutes, their lips separated and they saw that the two girls are already waiting eagerly for their turns. "Fufufu! I''ve got his hot seed inside me already. It''s your turn, Xena," Belle weakly said as she pulled Xena over. "Finally... It''s my turn," As if she had been trying her best to suppress herself until they finished, Xena immediately pulled Lyan and locked their lips, forcing Lyan to let his still erect thing out of Belle''s cave. Xena gave him a kiss filled with burning lust. During their kiss, Lyan lifted her up and put her on hisp, making his thing to stick close to her stomach. *Kiss!* *Lick!* *Kiss!* *Lick!* *Kiss!* *Lick!* Xena''s hands reached for Lyan''s thing that is covered with his juice mixed together with Belle''s love juice, and started rubbing it roughly with her hands. Because of the size, it''s easier for her to rub it with both her hands to make sure Lyan feels more pleasure. Of course, Lyan didn''t let only himself get pleasured by her, his hands also went to the entrance of her cave and continue to tease her while the other hand teased her breast. "Puah! I can''t bear it anymore. I want your thick thing," (Xena) Lyan knew that Xena has a higher sexual drive than the others. Looking at her eyes that are currently burning with lust right now made Lyan chuckle when he imagined her getting embarrassed by herself in the next morning. "Okay. I''m entering," Lyan easily lifted her body up with his muscr arms and position her cave entrance to the tip of his towering thing. "Hhhnnnnn!!! It''s thiiiiick!!!" Xena let out a simr reaction to Belle when Lyan drops her body in one go, letting his thing enter right into the deepest part of her. "Here I go, Xena!" Lyan immediately started his piston movement. Unlike with Belle, Xena likes it more vigorously when she''s this aroused. So without holding back, Lyan immediately went for the vigorous pumping, making Xena to get drown in pleasure and stuck her tongue out. Unlike Belle''s plump body, Xena is more slender, making it easier for Lyan to hold her waist and pump her body up and down. "Nnh!! Ahhn!! Yess!!! I-It''s big!!! This felt too amazingg!!!!" Xena continue to shout as she hugged Lyan tightly. She''s not using any of her strength to move her hips since Lyan ispletely doing it alone with his strong arms by lifting her up and down. "Ahh!!! I''m cumming!!! Even though it''s not even 10 minutes yet!!!!!!!" As Xena''s hug got even tighter, her cave walls also sped Lyan''s thing tighter, and her body twitched vigorously. "I''m going too, Xena!" Together with Lyan''s words, the both of them entered their climax together. Lyan let out his huge load in the same manner as how he did with Belle, and even the amount of his load seems to be no less than what he let out inside Belle. "Ah... I need a brief break... And this thing doesn''t even get limp yet," Xena thatid her back on the bed while gasping for breath flicked Lyan''s thing that is still proudly towering above. "Alina... your turn..." (Xena) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 97 The Long And Passionate Celebration Day (2) Alina ?"You want it like Belle?" (Lyan) "Yes..." Alina answered shyly. Following her wish, Lyan went on top of her, and take the missionary position. Unlike the bold Xena, Alina is timider on the bed, so she likes it when Lyan took the initiative and the control from the beginning to the end. "Start with... A kiss..." Alina reached for Lyan''s head and pulled him close, locking their lips together. Because of her body which is smaller than the two, Lyan treats her more gently and slowly, afraid that he might give her pain instead if he gets too rough. "Mnnh!" A cute moan left her mouth as Lyan''s hands started to tease her cave and her breasts. Every time Lyan caressed and yed with her breast and nipples, Lyan caught her eyes feeling insecure because of the size of her modest breast. It''s not like there is nothing, it''s just that she''s smaller than the busty Belle and the bigger-than-average Xena. "Puah! Lyan?" Alina called Lyan as she stared at him in a daze. He suddenly separated their tongue even though she was not satisfied with the kiss yet. But Lyan only gave her a small smile before putting his face close to another ce. "Eh? Ehh?? W-Why that ce??" Alina eximed in surprise as Lyan yed with her breast with his tongue. "Nnh! Ahn!! Y-You''re sucking it too hard!!!" Her moans gets bigger as Lyan sucked her nipples furiously. "Nnnhh!! No!! It''s a lie!! I''m cumming just from my nipples!! MmnhhhH!!!!!" Alina''s whole body shivers as she holds Lyan''s head tightly, and went to her first orgasm of the day. "How''s that?" (Lyan) "Mu... You''re so mean, sucking it so hard like that..." (Alina) "I''m just telling you that I love your cute breasts as well," Lyan pats her head as she told her. "Even if you said you love them, telling me my breasts are cute is- Ahhnn!!! Thiiiiick!!!!!!!!" Alina''s body tenses up and she hugged Lyan tighter than before as his huge towering thing suddenly entered her in one go in the middle of her sentence. Because of her earlier orgasm, Lyan''s thing could easily enter her narrow cave with the help of the overflowing love juices. Unlike Belle''s fleshy cave and Xena''s naughty cave, Alina''s cave is very narrow, making him to doubt whether the day he took her virginity truly happened or not. The narrowness of the insides made his thing to get tightly clutched by her tight walls. The hotness and the tightness gave Lyan indescribable pleasure, making him want to immediately shoot his load inside her. "Geez! You surprised me..." Alina uttered with a pout as she yfully bit on Lyan''s neck. "Hahaha! Sorry, I can''t resist it. You''re making such an adorable face, after all," (Lyan) "Mu... That''s unfair- Ahnn!!!" Alina let out a lovely moan as Lyan pushed his huge thing deeper, making her to stick her tongue out because of the unbearable pleasure of getting her whole insides roughly rubbed. "Mnnh!! Mnn! Nnhh!!" Her moans soon get muffled as Lyan entangled her tongue with his, giving her a hot kiss as he pumped his hips. Since Alina''s body is smaller, Lyan''s increased of speed in his piston movement is slower than the other girls. The sound of their flesh bumping each other gradually gets louder, and Alina''s shouts of pleasure started to resound throughout the room as their lips separated because of her catching her breath. "A-Amazingg!!! I-It''s hitting my womb!!! I''m dyingg!!! It''s too good!! I''m dying!!!!!!!!!!" Alina''s legs immediately caught and wrapped around Lyan''s hips tightly as she was about to reach her climax. "I''m cumming, Alina!!!" (Lyan) "Yess!!! Give all of yours to meee!!!!! AAhhhhhnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!" (Alina) As her body vigorously shakes, Lyan pushed his thing with a powerful single thrust, entering the deepest part of her cave before shooting all of his load inside her. "*Phew!* You did well, Alina," said Lyan as he pats the girl in his arms that is trying her best to not lose her consciousness because of the intense pleasure she just felt. "Yeah, thank you..." Alina replied half-consciously as she fell weakly to the bed. But when Lyan''s thing gets out of her cave. "Unbelievable. It''s still towering this hard. Even though its size is already as big or even bigger than an orc, it seems that your stamina is also greater..." Belle said as she looks at Lyan''s thing as if she were analyzing it. "You''re right... Now, it''s time to clean up and taste these sweet juices again..." Xena approached Lyan''s thing as she stuck her tongue out, and started licking the tip of his thing. "Mnnh!! Mnghh!!" Xena put the huge thing inside her mouth and started to move up and down, servicing Lyan with her mouth. "Jumping ahead like that, that''s unfair, Xena-chan!" said Belle as she approached the parts near Lyan''s thing that got sprayed by his overflowing seed as well. She licks and took all of them to her mouth, and drinks with an enchanted face as if she''s relishing the taste. *Gulp!* "It tastes sweet as it was before! I guess it''s not just a dream of a hallucination, huh?" She then went to Lyan''s balls and started putting them inside her mouth, teasing it with her sucking and her tongue. "Guh!! T-That felt great..." Lyan let out a moan of pleasure, making the girls get even pumped up in servicing him. After several minutes, Belle could feel the uing wave of seed. "I-It''s vibrating so vigorously!" Belle eximed in surprise before continuing to tease the balls. "I''m cumming!! Careful, Xena!!" (Lyan) But despite of Lyan''s warning, Xena didn''t let his thing out of her mouth. Then Lyan''s thing convulsed, and another huge load entered Xena''s mouth all way to her throat. "Mnnnh!! Nhh!!" Xena seems to be enduring and continues to swallow them, but she doesn''t seem to be in pain. After the shot finished, there are some of the huge load that got spilled from her mouth. She immediately scooped them and drank all of them, leaving not a single drop. *Gulp!* *Gulp!* "Ah... It''s hot and sweet... And knowing that Lyan''s seed makes me couldn''t help myself. Hehehe~" (Xena) Looking at the arousing scene of her drinking all of his seed made Lyan get even more turned on than before. "I-It gets even bigger!!" (Belle) "Kyaa!!" Xena got surprised as Lyan suddenly pounced on her while looking at her with a lustful gaze. "Fufufu... Come, it''s not even night yet. We have more than plenty time... Love us more, Lyan," (Xena) The four of them continued for several hours, letting Lyan to cum inside them for more than five times for each person. They started in the afternoon, and after going for about four and half hours, it''s already evening now. When they finished their passionate and intense love session, the three girls are lying on the bed with their legs spread and overflowed with Lyan''s seed, while their eyes got rolled way to the back. Just by looking at them, anyone could see how intense their love session was, but anyone could also see the wide smile they all have in their deep sleep. "That was satisfying... But as expected, looks like this part of my incubus days also got inherited by this body, huh?" Lyan looks at his thing that is still towering even though he had shot lots of load inside the unconscious girls behind him. As he let out a chuckle, the ck summoning grimoire suddenly appeared before him with a *Poof!* and opened the section cover of the [Summoning] page, showing how the ck bar got once again filled, indicating that his love session had made it enough for him to summon another monster. "Let''s see what we''ll be getting this time," (Lyan) The familiar sound of a roulette spinning appeared for a while before stopping and leaving the sound of getting a prize in an arcade game appeared inside his mind. *Ding Dong!* A blue screen then appeared in front of him. [You got [Umon] monster!!] *Whoosh!* The grimoire''s pages flipped and opened a nk one, and soon, the nk page got magically filled by the particles appearing from the grimoire. [Acid Ant Queen An oversized ant that could grow as big as a big house cat. The Acid ants are dangerous ants that hold lethal poisons within their body. Their single bite could paralyze a normal person for more than 6 hours before finally getting their organs melted by the acidic poison. An Acid Ant Queen could produce up to a thousand of workers and hundreds of soldiers, but because of the size of their body, they need a huge size for the nest as well, which often made territorial conflicts with the other magical beasts and monsters. Health: 100/100% Status: Healthy Attribute: Nature, Acid Mood: Happy] ___________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoned Monster: Acid Ant Queen> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 98 The Long And Passionate Celebration Day (3) A Favor ?"Acid Ant Queen, huh..." (Lyan) As if responding to his words, ck-green particles suddenly left the grimoire and formed a shape of a huge ant as big as a house cat in front of him. "I see... Hello, little one. Wee to the family," Lyan gently pats the head of the acid ant queen, and the acid ant queen epted the pat and seems to be enjoying it. (Hm?) (Lyan) Lyan realized that there are lots of small green eggs on her back that seems to be her worker eggs. "So those are your eggs, huh? I guess you should startying them on the grimoire''s space''s ground. I''ll call you againter, little one," Lyan gave ast pat before unsummoning the acid ant queen. Before returning, she sent him her thought of ''Call me whenever you want, master'' before disappearing as particles and returning to the summoning grimoire. "Army of acid ants, huh... It wille in very handy, especially in surveince. But I guess I need to wait for them to get hatched from the eggs first, huh," Lyan imagined the army of acid ants he couldmand in the future, and suddenly he felt some things touching his leg, his head, and his hand. "Ah..." Lyan let out a smile as he saw the ones touching him. "Sorry. I haven''t yed with you guys much, didn''t I?" (Lyan) What appeared before him are the monster children of the three famous flowers of the House of Roses. Galia the Galewing Butterfly, Pilia the Papilio Slime, and Mon the Moonlight Butterfly. Looking at how the three of them are butterflies, Lyan felt that they really represent the bond of their mothers well. Lyan thought about putting all of them on hisp, but he realized that the three of them had be bigger in size more than their size when they first hatched from the egg. So as he put Pilia on top of hisp, let Galiays on top of his head, while Mon perches on his shoulder. The three of them are now bigger than even the Acid Ant Queen which is as big as a house cat. (They also leveled up a lot. All of them had reached level 45 because of the battle with the goblins. I guess those level-ups made their body grows as well...) (Lyan) "Tell me. How were your days," (Lyan) Since the three monsters couldn''t speak, theymunicate with him by showing him the scenes of the days with their mothers that they want to tell him by using their illusion magic to make a screen that shows their memory. While watching those, the three of them sent him their thoughts by their telepathy, and make some reactions with their bodynguage. "So they had been sleeping with an illusion of me created by you guys?" "I see... You could even make them invisible, huh..." "Looks like Xena and Alina bickered with each other again..." "Whoa! Those are lots of potions! I wonder where that alchemy room Belle''s using there!" Lyan apany them for only an hour before the monsters finally got tired and fell asleep together with their mothers. It seems that making that illusion screen costs them quite the mana which made them sleepy. (What a cute bunch) (Lyan) After wiping his body with a wet cloth, Lyan wore his clothes and went outside the room. *Creak!* As Lyan opened the door, the madam is coincidentally walking into the hall. (Is she going to her office?) (Lyan) "Ah. Lyan," The Madam''s eyes took a peek inside the room for a moment before making a grin. "Looks like you just have a great time," (Madam) "I guess you''re right," Lyan replied calmly as he closed the door. "Come with me, there is something I want to tell you and ask you about," (Madam) The both of them went straight to the Madam''s office. The Madam sits at her seat behind her working desk after putting another chair in front of her desk for Lyan to sit. "Inside the bag you gave me," The Madam opened the conversation as she took a ss and pour some wine into it before giving it to Lyan. "There should be only 60 gold coins. 40 of yours, and 20 from the girls'' umtive ie from these years. But why are there an additional 40 gold coins inside? It''s 100 gold coins which are more than the amount of their debt. I wonder what you mean by it?" Asked the Madam as she started drinking her wine. "Hm..." Lyan took a sip of his ss of wine before replying to the madam. "You could say that it''s a form of gratitude, for taking care of the girls gently and for treating me kindly," (Lyan) "And?" The Madam urged him to continue. "It''s also for the payment for the escorts," (Lyan) "Escorts?" (Madam) "Yes. As I''ve told you before, I''m nning of letting them visit their rtives and give them time to make sure what they want to do. Since out of everyone in this city, I believe that you''re the one with a great influence and someone that will definitely not hurt them, I want to ask you a favor of finding trustworthy escorts for the girls'' journey," (Lyan) "A favor, I see... But even if it''s as a favor, I think 40 gold coins are still too much. Even five gold coins are enough to hire a decent amount of escorts for them. It will be too excessive to pay 35 gold coins for a single favor like this, no?" (Madam) "Then the rest of the golds are my gift for you, I guess? Would you ept them, I wonder?" (Lyan) "......" The Madam stared at Lyan for a while before giving a reply. Even though their meeting at the hall is a coincidence, the Madam had been thinking of meeting him personally after doubting the reason for the additional amount of gold coins inside the bag. As someone that had be a mercenary and a merchant, she knew that whenever money was involved, the priority of people will shift to their own interests. Especially as a beautiful woman like her, whenever a man approached her, their aims would be her body, if not then her connections, if not then her wealth, orstly, everything. Usually, she could at least tell what the opponent''s aim is after asking them several questions and conversing for a while, and then she will make the scales of the negotiation tip towards her favor by her negotiating skills. Those skills are valuable knowledge she got from her reliable merchant friend in the city. But in the case of the man before her, the scales tip in her favor too much that she couldn''t help but doubt. Because of her certain past, she couldn''t help but raise her guard before a man other than Abraham. But then she remember that the young man before her also helped the girls without aiming for anypensation in the first ce. (Well, he did finally get thousands of gold coins in the end though...) (Madam) Even though Abraham repeatedly mentions how he''s a trustable man, she still can''t fully trust him in order to protect herself and her family. That was what she kept on telling herself. Her gratefulness towards him for saving the girls and saving both their lives and their hearts is genuine, and she also saw how even Abraham''s granddaughters that are famous for being difficult to approach by men opened up to him rather easily. But even so, she still needs to prove that he''s not just another person that will ruin her environment once again. (40 gold coins are too much for just to hire escorts from my connections. It''s a money enough to buy three small decent houses or one big house, after all) (Madam) His eyes didn''t show his lust for her body that is using revealing attire, and he didn''t harbor any malicious intent in his eyes that might want to take her possessions. (This is just an insurance. I''m doing this to check what his real intentions are using the most effective method to pry into men''s secrets) (Madam) Seductions. "I wonder... Should I ept them?" Asked the Madam as she slowly stands and walks over to Lyan''s back and slightly touched his shoulder. As she passed, her nice smell entered his nostrils, while her voluptuous body which is proudly shown by her revealing attire entered his vision before she finally walks straight to his back. "Not just money, I need another kind of payment as well," The Madam gently caressed Lyan''s cheek. "And that is?" (Lyan) "Of course, the kind of agreement that could be done by a man and woman," The Madam sits on top of hisp and took his ss of wine before drinking it elegantly before him. But she didn''t gulp it down. Her mouth which is filled with wine approached Lyan''s face. And she locked their lips. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 99 The Long And Passionate Celebration Day (4) Failed Interrogations In Bed ?(Hm~ He''s good...) (Madam) After locking their lips, she pushed the wine inside her mouth and deliver them to Lyan with her tongue, but it didn''t stop there. After gulping down the wine, the battle between the tongue started as they suck and tease with each other''s tongues and exchanged saliva with each other. (He didn''t move his hands. I guess I need to take the initiative) (Madam) As they continue their hot kiss with each other, the Madam''s hand went below and skillfully opened Lyan''s pants to reveal his towering thing. But at the moment she did, she could feel a huge and hot rod sticking into her stomach. Her hands automatically went to stroke it, but at the moment she touched it with her hand. !? (I-It''s huge!! And hot!! It almost reached my chest!! W-What with this size? An orc!? And didn''t he just finish doing it with the girls!?) (Madam) As if realizing that the Madam got startled and lost her momentum because of his thing''s size, Lyan''s attacks intensified and he started attacking the Madam''s body using his hands as well, as if he was waiting for the Madam to tease his towering thing from the beginning. "Mnh!? Nnh!! Mnnh~" The Madam let out muffled moans as Lyan teases her breast and her cave with his hands while entangling her tongue with his furiously. (Kuh! H-He''s attacking all of my weak spots... How could he find them so fast!? I must not let him take initiative more than this...) (Madam) The Madam started stroking Lyan''s thing with her hands. The pressure she applied to her hands is hard enough to give immense pleasure to him, but not strong enough to give him pain. And not only his towering thing, but she also went and touched his balls with her other hand as well. (Fufufu! Looks like these movements made him feel it as well. But this giant stick of him...) (Madam) The Madam''s focus went to the huge thing she was stroking with her hand. (It''s huge and muscr as if he''s an orc, not only that but it''s rugged as well. And it''s so hot that it''s making me feel even hotter inside as well...) (Madam) As the Madam got further aroused, love juices overflowed from her crotch, flooding Lyan''s thighs because of it. "Puah!" (Madam) The both of them separated their tongues and lips, a string of saliva connected between their tongue as they stared at each other with hazy eyes. Unlike the three girls, the Madam''s experienced enough in kisses and didn''t have difficulties in catching her breath. "That door connected to my private room. Let''s continue on the bed," the Madam points at the door at the side of the room with a heavy breath. It''s bare to see that she''s already very turned on because of their long forey with each other. "As you wish," Lyan replied as he once again locked their lips, stands, and slowly went to the room pointed by the Madam while lifting her up. Along the way, the both of them skillfully get rid of each other''s clothes. Lyan had it the easiest since the Madam''s one-piece revealing back dress could easily get rid of in one go. At the time they reached on the Madam''s big bed, the both of them are showing each other their body assets. Lyan sits on the bed and put the Madam on top of him while looking at her body. Strands of her purplish red hair went to her face, making her look sexier. Her breasts are big, even bigger than the already big Belle, but not only that it''s big, their shapes are wonderful as well. Not only her breasts, but so are her buttocks that are directly touching Lyan''s thigh as she sits on top of him. But that''s not the only alluring aspect of her. Lyan shifted her gaze and stare straight at her face and her eyes. The Madam''s eyes are filled with boldness, ferociousness flirtatiousness, and shrewdness thatpliments her raging purplish red hair that giving off the same vibe. When he stares into her eyes, he feels like she''s trying to lure him with her sexiness, and eat him like a carnivore. The girls told him that she''s in her early 30s, but her face is still smooth and beautiful as the girls in their 20s. No wonder there are lots of merchants and mercenaries that love to make up excuses to meet up with her. (She truly is a high-quality woman...) (Lyan) Not only Lyan, but the Madam is also assessing the young man''s body in front of her. (His body... Is surprisingly more muscr than I thought...) (Madam) Lyan''s body is tall, but since he always use clothes that covered most of his body, the refined muscles of his body got hidden by them. It''s a fine body that got converted from his trained former incubus body into a human''s body, the quality of his muscles is top-notch and addictive to touch and see for women who adore strong men. (It''s not just big. His muscles are trained to the point that as if his whole body is formed by muscles alone... And not only that...) (Madam) The Madam also stares straight at Lyan''s face, then met her eyes with his eyes. (A pair of sharp eyes... I don''t know his actual age, but his face looks considerably young maybe around the girls'' age. But only his eyes...) (Madam) Madam admires the pair of ck eyes that seems to be so deep and unreadable. It feels like he had experienced and went through a lot of things when you see howposed and calm those eyes are. And the alluring mysteriousness it emits made her feel like her soul getting sucked by them when she stared at it for too long. At that moment, Lyan''s incubus magic started its role. Using his incubus''s eyes, he saw a glimpse of what the Madam is feeling from the color of her emotional aura. He first thought that she was purely wary of him, if it''s the case, he intended to clear up her wariness with his words when they converse in her office, but it turns out that the red aura of wariness is only emitted in a small amount, while the pink aura that defines another emotion is raging behind her. The aura of attraction. After looking at the aura, his course of action changed. *Pant!* *Pant!* *Pant!* Lyan increased the Madam''s arousal by several folds. "I''m entering," Lyan said as he gently lift the Madam up, and points the tip of his towering thing to the entrance of her cave. (His huge thing... The huge and hot thing is finally entering me... Wait, why do I feel so aroused?) (Madam) At that instant, the Madam got engulfedpletely by her fire of lust, and her thought of questioning Lyan by the means of seduction left her mindpletely. "Yes. Come," (Madam) Following her words, Lyan thrust into the wet cave and pushed the walls of the cave inside furiously, molding her inside into the shape of his huge thing. "Ahnnn!!!!!! It''s thiiiiiiick!!!" The Madam tightly wrapped her arms around Lyan''s head. Because of Lyan''s incubus spell, the pain she felt for having such a huge thing entered her got changed into pleasure, and the amount of pleasure that she felt got increased for several folds. Lyan could feel that she almost reached a small climax just from a single thrust, but she persistently restrained herself, and managed to regain herposure after a while. (I-It''s in... It''s hot... I could feel the huge hot thing inside me... This is the first time I experienced this size...) (Madam) "Josephine... You''re so beautiful..." Lyan called her name and praised her. "Eh?" Facing such an unexpected verbal attack, Josephine blushed for a moment, but when she was about to attempt to regain herposure, Lyan locked her lips and started entangling their tongue. Josephine''s got surprised for a while, before wrapping her hands around Lyan''s head and returning the kiss passionately. Lyan started to move his hips at a decent speed, and Josephine moved up and down, matching his movement as well. Their lovely sex while exchanging saliva shifted went for tens of minutes. Lyan noticed that Josephine gotpletely absorbed and addicted to their constant movement, but it was not enough for him. He wants to do it even more intensely with the voluptuous woman above him. "Mnnh! Mnhhh!! T-Too rough- Mnnh!!!!" Josephine got startled by Lyan''s sudden intense movement, but when she separated their lips, he immediately locked them again and continue to move his hips vigorously. (I-It felt too good!!! This is bad!!!!!!) (Josephine) Even though her brain told her to stop him, her legs wrapped around his waist, as if asking him to don''t stop. Getting relentlessly attacked by him like that, it took her only a while for her to reach her climax even for an experienced woman like her. And so, she came. "I''m cumming!!!!" (Josephine) "Me too! Should I shoot inside?" (Lyan) "Yes!!! It''s fine!!! I have a contraception medicine!! Ahhhnnnnnn!!!!!" (Josephine) As Josephine reached the greatest climax that she ever felt in her whole life, arge stream of hot love juices flowed from her, and at the same time, a huge load of hot thick fluid entered her womb, giving her an indescribable amount of pleasure to the point of sticking her tongue out and rolling her eyes upwards. "This is... Too amazing..." ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 100 The Long And Passionate Celebration Day (5) Mutual Affection ?The great climax made Josephine slump and put her body weight weakly on Lyan as she savours the afterglow of their intense love session. But it''s exactly the moment Lyan had been waiting for. While stroking her head, Lyan infuse his mind magic to force her to let out the suppressed questions that she had been harboring inside her. "You... Who are you actually? We didn''t know a single thing about you. Where did youe from, what kind of family did youe from, and what were you doing before you came here? Not a single thing," The questions she wouldn''t ask directly to him flowed from her mouth like a broken dam. (What... Am I saying...?) (Josephine) In normal circumstances, Lyan wouldn''t use his magic to force someone into the act or use magic to hypnotize someone. But since he wants to make a rtionship formed with trust with Josephine, he needs her to ask all of the things she doubted him, and answer all of her doubts in one go. (I see... She''s right) (Lyan) Lyan''s past is tooplicated for him to exin. It''s difficult to tell them that he reincarnated after killing the evil god of the demon world, and transform from an incubus into a human as a reward for his lifetime quest. But even so, he prefers not to tell them lies about his past. Lying about himself to those he cares about contradicts with Lyan''s principles. Realizing that he didn''t want to tell them about his past, the three girls had been acting considerate to him and never bring up the topic in front of him. (They must have been curious as well, huh...) (Lyan) "And that much gold you gave me... What do you mean by that...? It''s easier if you just said that you want something from me... But with you saying that you''re just giving them as a gift to me is making me wary instead..." (Josephine) (Why... Am I asking all of these questions...?) (Josephine) She uttered her concern about the recent event. Forty gold coins, it means forty million Elnes. That amount of money is enough for a normal person to live in luxury for several years or buy a big house in the Arkansas City that is considered quite pricy. Getting handed such an amount of money would make anyone suspicious, but for the Madam that has a quite high-ie, it shouldn''t be enough to make her as suspicious as this. "Why are you giving me that amount of money... What do you want...?" Josephine asked as she stared at Lyan with a small pout. She''s currently in a simr state of drunkness because of the afterglow of their love session and Lyan''s mind magic. (I see... As expected) (Lyan) Lyan stared at Josephine with his Incubus''s mystical eyes and read her intentions hidden within her eyes before replying. "I want your body, but not just your body," (Lyan) "Not just my body?" (Josephine) "Yes. I want your heart as well," Lyan said confidently as he withdraw his magic and made her full control of herself return. !? (Eh? Eh? What did I just say to him? Wait, what did he just tell me!?) (Josephine) As the memories of her telling all of her doubts entered her mind, she first got shocked because how she could ask those questions bluntly, but as the memory of Lyan saying about how he wanted her body and heart, strong embarrassment assaults her, making her face slightly flushed. "W-What? My heart? I''m older more than 10 years from you, you know!?" Josephine said in a flustered manner. (Older, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan let out a chuckle. Looking at the young man before she chuckled made Josephine pout as she felt like she was getting underestimated by him. But before she could do anything to express her anger- "Really? Even if you''re 20 years older, I''m still going to aim for you, you know? Do you not like me?" Lyan closes their face enough for them to kiss each other at any moment, showing Josephine his serious eyes. "You... Are...?" (Josephine) Lyan noticed from the beginning that somehow she''s been looking at him the way a female looks at a male. But just like her, Lyan also got attracted to her. Not only that she had such a beautiful body, but her ferocious but seductive nature also enticed him. He had always been attracted to strong women, and the woman before him is one of the highest ranked ones. But since he''s a former incubus, he conceals it very expertly to the point that she couldn''t discover what he was thinking when he stared at her, making her insecure instead. As the time goes by, not only the three girls and the two butler girls, but the Madam, Josephine also found herself attracted to him even more. At first, she rmend him to the guildmaster to join the elite group of the goblin king''s subjugation army as a test and a form of punishment for seducing the three girls, but when she heard the grim situation of the elite group was in, she almost embarked to support the elite team by herself and leave the city because of worry. She''s worried that she might make the man that saved both the girls'' lives and hearts die, but without herself realizing it, she''s actually just genuinely worried about his safety. But before she does anything rash, fortunately, Abraham the loyal butler seeded in calming her down. If he''s not there, she might have gone to the goblin king''sir alone in vain. "Yes. So Josephine," Lyan purposely calls her by her name rather than addressing her as ''Madam'', giving his call more impact on her. As their eyes gets even closer, Josephine felt her heart thumping louder as she saw his sharp and unbending eyes. "Will you be my woman?" (Lyan) It''s like a devil''s temptation. Josephine felt like the word ''yes'' is right at the tip of her tongue, but her past meddled in. "I''m old, a rough former mercenary, a used woman, you could even call me a dirty one. I don''t even have much wealth and-" But before she could ramble on about her ws, Lyan''s index finger forced her to stop. "Like I''ve said. All I want is your body and heart. I don''t care what your past is," Lyan''s hands then went and grabbed her breast with one hand and her buttocks with his other hand. "So will you be mine?" (Lyan) It''s actually quite surreal for him to ask that question while his huge thing is still dug inside Josephine''s cave. But for Josephine, that question helped her clear her heart. As Josephine took a deep breath before answering, Lyan already knew what her answer is as the walls of her cave''s inside are sping his thing furiously while her love juiced are furiously flowing out. "Yes!" A beautiful smile bloomed together with a cheerful reply, as Lyan got mesmerized by the sight, a mechanic voice appeared inside his mind. Suddenly a big red egg appeared from the thin air in front of Josephine''s stomach, and a ck crest appeared on her crotch magically. And not long after, the egg cracked. The egg continue to crack, before suddenly a reddish ck bear cub get out of the egg, and immediately slept on the spot. Just like the others, Lyan noticed how she widened her eyes, and her usual energy and momentum return to her eyes. Some load of information about him must have entered her mind. "You... You dare used your magic to force me to ask all of those questions..." Uttered Josephine as she pushed Lyan back and force him to lie on his back on the bed while making a mysterious smile. "It will take more time for us to reach this point if I didn''t, no?" Lyan replied fearlessly. "You''re right. But I feel like I''m getting used so let me punish you a bit. I can''t ept it so I''m going to punish you a bit," Josephine said with a fearless smile as she felt how she regain her energy all of sudden. "Heh! Come at me," (Lyan) Josephine let out all of the skills umted from her experience as a woman and as the madam of the House of Roses. They battled for four straight rounds before Lyan once again used his incubus magic to increase her sensitivity and the pleasure she felt by three folds, making her to once again lose. "Aahhnnnn!!!!! T-Thiick!!! And hot!!!!!!" Josephine hugged Lyan''s head tightly as she reached her final climax together with the hot fluid getting shot inside her by Lyan''s hot thing. "That felt amazing, Josephine..." Lyan stroked the long orangish hair of the woman on top of him as he uttered in a satisfied tone. "You cheated. You used your nasty magic, didn''t you? I immediately lost all of my energy again because of it..." Josephine uttered with a pout. "It will nevere to an end if I didn''t do so, after all. Your stamina and skills are too amazing," Lyan praised her performance in their love session. The other girls would already lose their consciousness and stuck their tongues out while having their eyes rolled upwards because of the intense pleasure. But she still hasplete control of her consciousness even after getting the pleasure increased that much by his magic. "You cheeky guy... I guess I fell to that cheekiness of yours, huh?" (Josephine) "Yeah, you regret it?" (Lyan) "Of course not. I trust with the one I chose, after all. Let''s just rest like this, don''t take it out, okay?" said Josephine as she adjust Lyan''s thing inside her to make sure it went deeper and harder to get out of her cave. "Yeah. This feels nice," Lyan savors the feeling of the hot walls sping his thing. The both of them then locked their lips and continue to make out with each other while staying connected until the both of them lost their consciousness. ___________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summonable Monster: Magma Bear> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 101 The Long And Passionate Celebration Day (6) The Madams Past ?As consciousness floats out from the body, bringing the soul to the world of dreams, just like in the events with the other girls. What appeared is not the dreams of his life, but the fragments of the strong memories from the girl he just slept with. Memories of hardships, failure, betrayal, and depression. Unlike Belle, Xena, and Alina that are the daughters of well-known merchant families, Josephine was just the daughter of a certain vige''s vige chief. She''s famous for being strong-headed, gentle, sharp, and beautiful. With her beauty, she was famous not only within her vige, but in the surrounding viges as well. The reason why no one actually managed to get epted by her is that she is only interested in strong people. Despite of her beauty, Josephine possesses a great skill in fighting, and even her strength is stronger than most of the men in her vige. One day, she went to sell the surplus of grain from her vige to the nearby town. There, she caught the eye of the feudal lord''s eldest son. As her beauty thates together with an aura of strength and unyielding, the eldest son that was part of the royal knights got attracted to her and court her. But no matter what flowers or how many pretty essories he brought her, she always politely refuse him. Getting out of option, the noble son reaches out to the vige and asked the vigers what kind of person do she wants. With apensation of gold for the information, the vigers he asked enthusiastically told him how she was only interested in people who is stronger than her. As he had been training with the royal knights, the noble son is very confident in his strength. His eyes lightened up and he galloped his horse to the ce where Josephine was. And from that point, the noble son''s rtionship with Josephine starts to sail smoothly. Josephine that only self-trained herself in regard to martial arts lost by a decent margin of skill by the noble son. Finally meeting a person stronger, she epted him, and the both of them became lovers. The noble son confidently brought her to his father, and after looking at her, the father agreed and sent a letter of proposal for the engagement of the two to the vige chief. Of course, getting married to a noble''s family is a great honor for those in viges. It will bring even more support from the town to the vige if the daughter of the vige''s chief is married to the nearby town feudal lord''s son. The whole vige enthusiastically party when they heard the piece of news, and the engagement smoothly got established. As Josephine is unexpectedly a devoted type of person, no matter how many noblemen and knights approached and courted her, she only has him in her eyes. The both of them got even closer with each day, and of course, the day where they crossed the line between each other eventually came as well. Getting addicted to the pleasure, the both of them do the deed even more often. In the noble son''s house, in the inn, in the noble son''s private training ground, and even in the- "Okay this is annoying. Next scenes please!!" (Lyan) After getting engaged for a year, the both of them registered together as a mercenary at the far mercenary and merchant city of Arkansas together with the loyal butler of the noble son''s family. They team up with several other people and became a party, and not even long, they became one of the greatest mercenary parties of the city rumored to be the next Orichalcum ranked party. But after a series of happiness, catastrophe soon hits in. At the end of a certain quest, Josephine lost her consciousness after getting too drunk from alcohol. But when she woke up, she was inside a cell in a jail. (No, not a jail) (Lyan) Lyan immediately knew where she was when he saw the other cells filled with women and children. (It''s a ve cell) (Lyan) She was sold. Sold by the man she trusted. The reason why she know the man she trusted was the one who betrayed her is that when she woke up, the man is right in front of her, standing with his usual smile. As if he''s only waiting for her to wake up, the man then left the cell as if he got disinterested. No matter how many times Josephine called his name, sobbed, and thumps at the cell, he didn''t turn his back. But unlike Belle and the three girls, Josephine didn''t get depressed and lost her hope inside there. Knowing that she needs to discard the man from inside her heart and her mind, she holds firm the image of her family, her little sisters that are waiting for her to pat their heads, and her lovely vige. After going through a series of hardships inside the very building like serving and being forced to use her body parts like a whore, she sessfully make a ruckus and fled from there. With a body filled with bruises, dried lips, and weary eyes, she took one of the horses and galloped back to her vige. But unfortunately, catastrophe came never half-heartedly. The vige was suddenly gone. No matter how many times she went around, she would see the other viges standing while only her vige disappeared. And when she asked to the nearby vige about what happened, they hugged her with teary eyes and told her to hide. Then they told her. When she disappeared, her father keep on asking where is her whereabouts despite of the noble son had returned, but his question was never answered seriously. Because of that, her worried father decided to search for information personally, then he stumbled upon an escort of the noble son, happily talking vulgarly about how she got raped and used by the noble son''s men before getting sold to the ve merchant. He brought the news to the vige, and the whole vige burned in rage. They rebelled, and attacked the town and the feudal lord, only to get killed mercilessly. Josephine lost her strength, and fainted because of the unexpected story. The vige tend to her for a whole week, before suddenly knights from the town came, asking whether they saw her or not. Bounties are given on her head right after they heard the news about her breaking out from the ve merchant''s grasp. The vige that was kind to her turned tense. Some furiously told the vige chief to abandon her or just sell her out to the feudal lord so that they could get funds for their living, while some desperately told them how inhumane that thinking is. Knowing that she must not bother them any longer, she decided to leave the vige in the middle of the night. But when she left the door, a white-haired person appeared in front of her while looking at her with a stern look together with two young girls behind him. That''s where she met Abraham, and knew that he had left the feudal lord after killing half of their guards and knights. The reason why he had to continue to serve there is that his granddaughters are getting held captive. But because of Josephine''s case, the whole house turn into a ruckus, and the guards guarding the building locking up her granddaughters got caught off guard. Then the four of them fled to the mercenary city, and by a series of coincidences after meeting a certain female merchant, they found the House of Roses. Looking at the memories, a grin appeared on Lyan''s face. It''s not a happy or interested grin. It''s a grin that appeared because of his hatred towards the feudal lord''s family. A grin that formed as he organize what he should do to pay them several folds for doing such things to his woman. But suddenly, all of his surroundings turn ck, and- !!! Lyan opened his eyes. He could feel strands of hair brushing against his cheek and some about to enter his mouth. As he shifted his gaze, the adult version of the girl he saw inside his dream entered his vision. Dry drools on her cheek that exist not because of her sleep, but because of the very long kiss they did until they fell asleep entered his vision. A warm feeling started to wrap around his heart that is turning cold because of the scene he saw. "You''ve gone a long way," Lyan uttered with a warm smile as he stroked her hair gently. "Mmh?" Josephine slowly opened her eyes. "Ah. Sorry, did I wake you?" (Lyan) "No, it''s fine. I wake up because of the twitching thing inside me," Josephine said with a grin as she mention about Lyan''s huge thing that had been inside her while they are asleep. "Oh. Hahaha. It can''t be helped, it''s a normal reaction since a beautiful woman is right before me, after all," (Lyan) "Of course. You better be honored," Josephine uttered with a chuckle as she gave him a small peck on his lips. Looking at the smiling woman before him, the face of the noble''s son and the feudal lord once again entered Lyan''s mind. At that moment, he immediately uses his illusion magic to hide his eyes which are filled with bloodlust. (I remember all of your faces. Look forward to what ising) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 102 The Long And Passionate Celebration Day (End) The Butlers Teasing ?"I see... So you saw about my past in your dreams, huh..." (Josephine) Lyan told her truthfully about how he saw her memories from his dream. "That''s not good," Josephine bury her head on his chest. "Did looking at all of those scenes made you turned off about me?" Her voice seems to be timider, unlike her usual self. But getting asked such a question, Lyan replies her with a chuckle. "You can feel it yourself. Did I get turned off for even the slightest?" Lyan purposefully grabbed her hips and gently tapped her butt yfully. "Heh! You''re right. It''s still huge. What a pervert," Josephine let out augh as she pulled back her head from his chest. "What about the girls? What will you tell Belle and the others about this? Just so you know, I''m fine if you keep our rtionship a secret from the others," (Josephine) "Of course, I''ll tell them. I''ve told them that I''m a bastard that might have lots of women. But I promise that I will never neglect any of them. And if I hide our rtionship, it will only hurt you will it not?" Lyan said with a smirk as he continue to stroke her hair gently. "You''re right... Somehow, it feels like I''m the one younger here in some way. Is this one of an expertdykiller''s skills?" Josephine asked with a pout as her head continue to get stroked by him. It''s not like she didn''t like it, but as the one that was supposed to be older, it make her feel somehow weird. "Yes, it is. No matter what your age is. Once you''re mine, you''ll only be my cute girl. It''s fine with just that, isn''t it?" Lyan closed his eyes as he savor the tranquility of the time. "You''re right. You know, it should be a heartwarming conversation if your huge meat rod isn''t shoving deep inside me," (Josephine) "Hahaha. You''re right," (Lyan) The both of them continue their talk for about an hour while staying connected before the sound of the city''s bell ringing eleven times, showing that it''s currently 10 PM. "I''m hungry. Let''s grab a meal. I''m starving," Josephine lifts her body up, and when Lyan''s huge thing that is covered with a mixture of her love juices and his seed, her face seems to be somehow reluctant to separate. "There is no need to look it like that. It will fill you up whenever you want it," (Lyan) "You''re right. And there are lots of your seeds still inside me. I could still feel the warmth. Ah!" Josephine suddenly remembered something and went to her drawer as she take out something. "A plug?" (Lyan) "Yes. To prevent them from leaking. I got them from one of the house''s girls, you see," Josephine then put it on her cave, sealing Lyan''s seeds inside. "Now I could feel your hot thing longer before they dry," Josephine said sexily as she licked her lips seductively. "You seductress..." (Lyan) As Josephine felt like seducing Lyan even more, the sight of the Magma Bear that hatched from the egg before appeared in her vision. She could feel a certain connection to her, and she could feel a faint connection from the Magma Bear to the other girls as well. "So this is the so-called [Evident of Love], huh..." Josephine gently strokes the deeply sleeping bear cub. "I guess this girl made me a real family to the girls now. So those familiars of the girls came from your perverted grimoire''s ability, huh... I guess I''ll test whether I could use fire magic too now or not when I''m bored," A hint of excitement and anticipation is visible in Josephine''s eyes. "Yeah, you should do so. Let''s grab a meal, Josephine. I''m hungry as-" (Lyan) "Jose," (Josephine) "Hm?" (Lyan) "Jose. Call me Jose. My parents and those close to me called me so. So please call me Jose," Josephine said with a serious face. "I see. Then let''s go grab dinner, Jose," (Lyan) "Yes! Let''s go!" (Josephine) ****************************************************************** After wiping each other''s bodies and helping each other wear clothes, Josephine and Lyan went outside to grab a meal in their private living room. There is a kitchen near the living room, and the staff usually eat together in the living room whileughing and conversing with each other in a lively manner. When they arrived at the living room, there is only Ravia and Abraham there. Ravia is wiping the wine sses as usual, while Abraham is putting two freshly cooked meals on top of the table. "Looks like the meal I made finished at the right moment. I''ve handed the matter of the house and the customers smoothly, Madam. Right now, Raine is taking my ce watching over the business downstairs, so the both of you can just enjoy your time together eating," Abraham exined while giving a slight bow. From his words, it seems that the act between the two of them had beenpletely discovered by him. Lyan noticed how Josephine hid her flushed face by taking a deep breath before answering him with an indifferent tone. "Thanks, gramps. You''re as considerate as always," Josephine indifferently walked and sits on the sofa while acting normal. "Thank you, Mr. Abraham," Lyan followed suit, but when he was about to take a seat at a slight distance from her, Josephine motioned him with her eyes to sit right beside her. "There is no need to call me with such formalities. You can just address me like how the Madam does. Pleasemand me as you see fit," Abraham made another refined bow, but Lyan could see how the corner of his mouth curved upwards. (He''spletely teasing us, didn''t he?) (Lyan) With his words, it would feel like he''s saying. ''Since you''re now the Madam''s man, and a future husband, I am now your servant and you''re now my master as well'' Lyan could see how Josephine furrowed her brows to prevent herself from making an unnecessary expression. "Then I''ll call you gramps as well," (Lyan) "As you wish," (Abraham) On the other side, Ravia is sending nces at him for quite a while now. As Lyan noticed it, he would match their timing and send her a smile, making her to widen her eyes and smile brighter. "Ladykiller..." Josephine''s mutterings could be heard, but Lyan continue to eat the meal before him. "So Madam. I believe that your rtionship with him is official right now, yes?" Abraham continues on his teasings, making Josephine that is bringing the spoon to her mouth flinch and drop the food, while Ravia that is wiping the wine ss almost drops the ss. "T-The Madam... With Lyan...? How...? When...? I know that there is such possibility, but to think that he will really do it!!!" Ravia muttered under her breath as her wine ss wiping got even more intense. Josephine then realized that the cool and indifferent Ravia seems to have feelings for Lyan as well. She''s not bothered if she became one of his women as well, but looking at how he has done the act with her first before he did with such a young and beautiful girl made her somehow proud rather than embarrassed because of Abraham''s words. "You''re right. From now on, I''m his woman as well. So please take care of us together from now on, gramps," Josephine said proudly. "Hohoho! I see, I see. That''s certainly a piece of good news, Madam. I really want to continue the teasing, but I guess it''s time to talk about a serious topic for a while," Abraham suddenly changed his tone slightly. "So you admit that you''re just teasing us, huh..." (Josephine) Ignoring Josephine''sment, Abraham proceed to ask Lyan about his the matters his concerned about. "About the matter with the prince of the Astellia Kingdom. Is it fine for you to leave him such as is, Sire? I believe you''re aware that the Astellia Kingdom is quite powerful as well. I could sense shrewdness, sharpness, and charisma from him, but I didn''t sense any malice from him nor from his invitation," (Abraham) After the day of the announcement, Lyan didn''t show up despite getting the message from Ravia about the crown prince''s invitation to meet at the mercenary guild. Because of that, the crown prince sent a letter to him through the guild, which contained an invitation to him. The content of the letter is: ''Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. I''m interested in taking you under my wing. As unique as you are, there will be lots of factions relentlessly aiming to take advantage of you. Join me, and I''ll give you not only your freedom, but wealth and prestige as well. I''ll be waiting'' Lyan replied by using a letter as well, giving him only a short reply of ''I will consider it. I will find you if the time when I want to join youes''. "Hm... His words are right. There will be lots of factionsing in my direction after showing my summoning power at the goblin king''s subjugation," Looking at the distance with a slight smile, Lyan continued his words. "As I''ve said. When the time is right for me to join him, I''ll find him," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 103 The Butlers Curve Ball ?At the duke''s mansion in the capital city of the Astellia kingdom, a man d in a luxurious robe is sitting on top of his seat while tapping his fingers on the desk while looking at the kneeling man before him with a stern look. The kneeling man is using a ck mask and a ck cloak, judging from the obvious fear in his eyes, he''s currently kneeling as he''s waiting for a severe judgment from his master before him. "I see... So not only did you fail to kill or capture the prince, you didn''t manage to kill a single of them, and lost all of the men dispatched on the mission. Is that what you''re saying?" The man asked with a calm voice. "Yes, my lord..." The kneeling man replied with a small voice. "You fool!" The man hits the table with a powerful force, destroying the desk in front of him into two different parts. The man kneeling jolted because of the loud voice, and lowered his head further, knowing that his end wouldn''t be far. "You know how much funds I spent to nurture all of those men!? And how long did I wait for this kind of opportunity to silence that annoying prince!? It''s such a one in a lifetime opportunity, and you failedpletely!!" The man shouted as veins bulged on his forehead because of his anger while he stands. "I''ve waited for five years... And this is supposed to be the only opportunity for me to take the throne for myself while the king is still sick and the genius princess is inactive... But you waste such an opportunity!! You should have sent all of the men rather than getting arrogant because of some small nobles afraid of you spreading about how stupidly strong your poisonous daggers are!!" The man closed his man before the kneeling man''s face and roars right in front of his face, making the kneeling man tremble in fear before his fury. "But I guess settling things with that prince with a simple assassination wouldn''t be fun, huh," The man let go of the cor of his servant and went to the window as he stares in the direction of the royal castle of the Astellian Kingdom. "The prince and the princess having excellent people around them are a well-known fact. But I never know about this guy. Are you sure that this information is valid?" The man- The Duke stared at the real leader of the [Crows] with his sharp eyes. "Yes. Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. I saw with my own eyes the proof of him being a summoner, my lord," The man lowered his head as he exined, but when the sight of the mentioned man and his summoned monsters and spirits entered his mind, another sign of fear appeared inside his eyes. "Is he strong?" (Duke) "His personal strength is already strong enough, but those beings he summoned are on another level, my lord. It''s better to consider him as a separate army," (Leader of Crows) "I see... Are you certain he''s not that prince''s pawn?" (Duke) "Yes, my lord. His attitude towards the prince is casual with only the bare minimum show of respect. It seems that he''s not affiliated to any other factions yet as well," (Leader of Crows) "Hm... I see. Then Crow," (Duke) "Yes, my lord," (Crow, Leader of the Crows) "Try inviting him to our faction. Find any information about him and use them wisely. If it doesn''t seem that he''s going to ept us," The Duke folds his arms and makes a grin. "You know what you should do, right?" (Duke) "Yes, my liege," Crow replied with a single nod before disappearing to the shadows, ready to finish the order given by his liege. "Lyan Arkanium Evocatore, huh..." The Duke stares at the sky with a confident smile on his face. The excitement of having another foreign piece entering the board filled his mind. "Now prince and princess. How will you two move?" (Duke) ****************************************************** "Looks like you already have a good n inside your head. Then I will believe in your judgment, Sire," Abraham uttered respectfully as he saw Lyan''s confident face. The small curve at the corner of his mouth could be seen getting even bigger than before. "What are the both of you smiling like viins for...? You''re ruining the taste of my dinner," Josephinemented on the two men smiling in their wicked minds. "My apologies, Madam. It''s just that the schemes of the Sire made me remember my time in the underworld. It''s been a while since I have such thrilling ns in action, after all," (Abraham) "Thrilling ns...?" (Josephine) "I''ll fill you out the detailster, gramps. By the way, did you notice anything on your ''errands'', gramps?" (Lyan) "Yes. I noticed that there are some suspicious figures wandering around the city. It seems that your guess is right, Sire. Those figures are from the crown prince''s side. They are recruiting promising mercenaries from right to left," (Abraham) "His guess? Have you been ordering gramps around behind me?" (Josephine) "Of course not," (Lyan) Before Lyan went to the Madam''s office to give the gold to pay the debt of the girls together, Abraham told him that there are some suspicious people roaming around the mercenary while looking around suspiciously. He thought that they might be people searching for him, but Lyan think otherwise. "I see... I''ve heard from some customers that the situation in the Astellia Kingdom had been tensing uptely because of the King''s sickness. The noble faction led by the Duke Ravindor has been getting strongertely, and the sudden inactive of the genius princess made the royal faction uneasy. They are afraid that there is a curse that runs down the bloodline of the Astellian Royalties," Josephine that always got a rapid flow of information across the region because of the house said while putting the empty dish at the table. "It''s a high time for the rebellion. Since the prince had been directly attacked by the elite assassins right under the Duke''smand, a frontal conflict between the two factions might happen anytime," (Abraham) "Since the Duke holds the highest position in the military army of the kingdom, it seems that the prince couldn''t hold enough trust in the army. That''s why he''s stealthily gathering mercenaries to be his personal army. Since we just had the goblin king''s subjugation, there are mercenaries from all across the continent racing to be here. It''s a very ideal time to gather magnificent individuals under his wing," (Lyan) "But why do you know so much, Lyan?" Asked Josephine as she saw even Abraham made a nod, indicating that the information Lyan just spouted was something he just learned himself. "Well, I have my own ways of information gathering," Lyan uttered with a smirk. Before the announcement of the subjugation rewards started, the crown prince and his men are watching from a distance from a certain building. Lyan that is searching for them while waiting for himself to get called spots one of the private guards of the prince bringing some loaves of bread and walks around to search for suspicious individuals that might aim for the building where the crown prince is. That''s where the information gathering started. With a single bump of their body, Lyan used his mystical eyes of an incubus to cast a high-ranked hypnotic spell, while making anotheryer of spell to make the both of them invisible from the surroundings as he gather information from the man. "Illusion magic... Never know that it was so handy..." Josephine uttered in admiration. "No wonder you get hold of the information about the crown prince''s faction in such a short duration. So you immediately absorb the information from the crown prince''s aide directly. Impressive as expected, Sire," (Abraham) "Well, just like gramps had said, they are still gathering their forces. The time where they will start the direct conflict between the two factions are when the Duke started his rebellion," (Lyan) "ording to my sources, the Duke is currently watched by the royal faction inside the capital. Since he will need to gather his soldiers on his own territory if we want to raise a rebellion, I doubt the rebellion will start in any time sooner," (Josephine) "Yeah. It will probably happen in several months or even next year instead. He will need an actual reason to rebel and convince the people, after all," (Lyan) "Indeed. Forgive me for bringing such a heavy topic to your dinner. I guess it''s better for us to talk about something else," Abraham said with a smile as he pours the wine into the sses before giving them to Lyan and Josephine. "You''re absolutely right. But I guess those topics are important to discuss as well, so it''s fine, gramps," Josephine took her wine and took some gulps. "Thank you for your kindness, Madam. Now then, Sire, do you have any intention of making Ravia and Raine your women as well?" Abraham suddenly throws an unexpected curve ball toward Lyan. The Madam choked, while Ravia that had been listening to the conversation with a serious face whileprehending it have her face slightly flushed because of his sudden question. She desperately tries to maintain her cool andposed expression while continuing to wipe the wine sses. "As long as they give a positive sign, I guess I do," Lyan answered calmly. But unlike before, even Lyan couldn''t help but crooked his eyebrows slightly when Abraham suddenly asked him the question. Ravia''s face got as red as a tomato even though her expression remain calm, and her hands are wiping the wine ss furiously with her hands. (Calm down, it''ll break) (Lyan) "I see... I''ve noticed that they seem to be anticipating, but please embrace them only when you''ve finished your journey to the north. I''m going to check up on Raine downstairs for a second, please enjoy your time," Abraham gave a bow before he elegantly went downstairs. "That gramps... I could never guess what he''s thinking..." Josephine uttered with a wry smile. While Ravia on the other side is suppressing her shout desperately. (GRAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!) (Ravia) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 104 The Goblin Cases Victims ?"It must be hard on you, Ravia... Must be like riding on a ship going in a direction filled with unexpected waves..." Josephine gave a sympathetic smile to Ravia that is letting out a big sigh. "You couldn''t be more right, Madam..." (Ravia) "Well, the night is still young. What will you do now, Lyan? Do you have any ns after this?" Josephine moves closer to Lyan and put her hand on his thigh as she asked seductively. She''s using her mature charms to the fullest, Lyan could see that she''s eager to continue their love session again, but he shakes his head as he put his hand on top of her hand. "I''m going back to the inn. I need to make them sure that I''m still inside the inn, after all. Unlike Jean and his folks, the ones tailing me this time are not that foolish, after all," (Lyan) "Is that so?" Josephine let out a disappointed sigh. "It can''t be helped then. But make sure to tell me if you''re having any trouble or so, you hear me? I might have a couple of enemies, but I have a considerable amount of allies and influence in this city as well, after all," Josephine sped their hands together like lovers as she sent a nce to the squinting Ravia, clearly showing off the level of their intimacy with each other to Ravia. Lyan let out a chuckle as he witnessed Josephine''s unexpected childishness and squeeze her hand once before standing up. "I''m going. I think I''ll return back here tomorrow," (Lyan) "I need to check up the business downstairs as well. But before that," Josephine closed her eyes with a smile, and lift her face above. Knowing what she meant, Lyan obediently followed her wish and gave her a several-minute deep kiss. After their separate their lips with a line of saliva connected to their tongues, Josephine whispered to Lyan as she nce at Ravia that has her body shivering in envy. "I had more than enough fill already. You can give her some too. It''s very rare for her to make such girly expressions, so you better treat her well, you hear me?" Josephine whispered and went downstairs. When Lyan shifted his gaze, he realized that Ravia is squinting at him with a small childish pout. She usually gives off a vibe simr to a man, and there are lots of girls not only from the house, but from the female regr customers of the bar that idolize her and look at her as a man as well. It can''t be helped since she always copies Abraham in every way, her way of speaking, her movement, and even her business smile is more like an enchanting gentleman rather than a woman. But- (No matter how much man-like she is, a girl will always be a girl in front of her man, I guess?) (Lyan) As Lyan approached her and stops right beside her, she continue to wipe the few remaining wine sses with a small pout beforementing. "Looks like you''ve be very much closer to the Madam without me noticing. You sure move fast when ites to woman, aren''t you?" (Ravia) "I move fast not only in that, though," Lyan took one of the dirty wine sses and helped her wipe it with a spare cloth. "What are you doing?" (Ravia) "There''s only a little left. I''m helping so you can finish faster," (Lyan) "If you think that you''ll win my affection with this then you''re absolutely wrong," Ravia continues to wipe the wine ss on her hand, but it''s obvious to see that there is a small smile and blush on her face. Since there are only a few left they finished wiping them in no time. After putting thest wine ss, Ravia took a nce at Lyan, and saw that he was staring at her with a smile. His affectionate eyes made her look down in reflex. "I guess that''s all then," (Lyan) "W-Wait!" Ravia holds Lyan''s sleeve as he is about to leave. "Me too... The... Goodbye... Kiss..." Ravia uttered in a mosquito-like voice. Looking at the usual manly girl acting so adorably before him made Lyan feels his lust raising. But he remembers that Abraham told him that he was only allowed to embrace after he return from his journey to the north. While thinking what a shame it is, Lyan takes a step forward and he raises her chin. Ravia''s greyish-ck eyes seem to be sparkling as she stares at his approaching eyes with anticipation before closing them and tiptoeing. After letting out a small chuckle because of such an adorable reaction, their lips finally met. The kiss started with soft pecks. When Lyan inserted his tongue, Ravia hesitantly opened her teeth before greeting him with her tongue. The long passionate kisssted for a while as Ravia wrapped her hands around Lyan''s head, refusing to let go. "Puah!" (Ravia) Ravia stares at Lyan with a hot gaze as she breathes roughly. "I think I won''t be able to hold myself if we continue. Let''s stop here," Lyan pats her head as she reminds her. Ravia immediately remember Abraham''s words afterward, and wiped the messy saliva around her lips with her sleeves. "Yeah. I need to help Raine downstairs as well. Careful on your way, don''t get into danger, okay?" (Ravia) "I know," (Lyan) "Ah! By the way, can you please take a look at something for me?" Ravia remembered something when she tidied Lyan''s clothes. "Can you please help the girls that fallen victim to the goblins? There are lots of them that fall into despair because of the traumatic experience, after all. But only if you can, okay? I wouldn''t want you to push yourself because of it as well," (Ravia) Ravia remembers how Lyan deal with Xena after she got raped by the goblins. When she delivered some donations from the Madam for the victims'' camp, she saw how bad the situation is there. "They are being sheltered at the campsite near the west gate. Please check it if you''re not busy," (Ravia) "I see... I''ll do so then," (Lyan) Ravia then went downstairs while Lyan left from the window as he went invisible with his illusion magic. (What a cute girl. Now, the west gate campsite, huh...?) (Lyan) Before Ravia mentioned it, the thought of going there and helping them by wiping their memories and draining the disgusting seeds of the goblin already crossed Lyan''s mind. But because of the matters with the Astellian crown prince, Erich, then the case with Jean and other factions that might aim for him, he almost forgot it. (Luckily she reminds me. Time to go there then) (Lyan) After jumping from roof to roof stealthily for a while, he finally arrived at the victims'' campsite. From the distance, he could see several physicians and nurses running around helping women and girls with a paleplexions and big bellies, transporting them to another huge tent filled specially used for those inbor. (Now''s my chance) (Lyan) After the physicians and nurses brought all of the women ready forbor to the other huge tents, Lyan took the opportunity to enter the ce. What appeared in front of him is a horrible scene of girls and women lying on simply made beds with a pale look on themselves. (What a dense dark energy...) (Lyan) Despair, sadness, and various bad emotions are filling the room, overflowing the ce with dark energy produced by those emotions. Since he need the consent of the girls before casting his mind magic, he decided not to alter their memories stealthily, but enter the ce openly instead. There are still some nurses inside, and when they saw Lyan entering the tent, two of them immediately approached him and ask his identity. There are lots of people that want to trick the girls that are already on the verge of breaking and made them into either ves or prostitutes, after all. Lyan took the mercenary tag under his clothes and show them. "I''m the new Mythril-ranked mercenary, Evocatore. Could you please let me look around a little bit?" (Lyan) "Evocatore...." (Nurse 1) "That new Mythril-ranked one...?" (Nurse 2) After processing his words for a while, the nurses suddenly made a ruckus. "You mean that young Mythril-ranked that just got thousands of golds from the subjugation!?" "W-What business do you have here?" Lyan didn''t heed their questions and went to one of the lying girls that have their bellies big and poked her before asking a question. "Do you want to forget what happened at the goblin king''sir?" Lyan asked softly. "Of course I do. I got ravaged countless times, and forced to be pregnant with a disgusting goblin child!" The woman answered with a scowl. "I see... Then let''s remove those unpleasant memories and the unwanted creature inside you," Lyan tapped on her forehead with his index finger, and the girl fell unconscious on the bed. From that tap alone, her strong memories of the goblins had sessfully shoved to the deepest part of her brain. (Now, for the tough part) (Lyan) Lyan then put his palm on the big belly, and infuse his mana inside. Not long after, disgusting fluids started to profusely leave the woman''s crotch. Slowly, the woman''s belly started to be smaller, and theplexion of her face became better. "W-What did you just do?" (Nurse 1) Before the nurses made even more noise, Lyan put his index finger in front of his mouth, indicating them to stay silent. "Please keep what you saw here as a secret," (Lyan) "Y-Yes..." The nurse replied with a blush. "Please help me out. Let''s help everyone inside here," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,722,400 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 2 silver 4 big copper Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 105 Back To The Scholars Inn ?After finished removing the memories of the victims and helping them remove the goblins'' disgusting seeds from their bodies, Lyan immediately left despite the nurses'' attempt to force him to wait until the girls woke up. (I guess I used too much mana) (Lyan) There are hundreds of women inside the victims'' campsite. Even though removing their memories and removing the goblins'' seeds from inside a person need only a little amount of mana because of Lyan''s great mana efficiency output, doing it to hundreds of people still drains a lot. (It''s still just less than two weeks since I arrived in this world. It''s not strange for my body to haven''tpletely adapted with my mana yet) (Lyan) "But I guess it''s perfect. Looks like I''ll have a night of great sleep at the inn," (Lyan) ording to his memory, after considering his youthful look, it seems to be his face when he was around 19. It''s still his growing age, so he should have enough rest to make sure his body grows better than in his previous life. (I want toze around with books after a long time too. But sure...) (Lyan) Lyan stop in his tracks as he took a single nce at the back. "Seems like the ones assigned to pester me are quite skilled," (Lyan) After leaving the victims'' campsite, Lyan didn''t use his illusion magic to travel in stealth anymore and walk openly. After several minutes of walking, he could sense gazes from several directions, clearly looking and observing him. He could vaguely sense the ufortable feeling of being gazed at, but the ones tailing him skillfully hid their bloodlust and seems to be observing him for an appropriate distance enough for him to have difficulties and pinpointing their directions. (The n is to make them know that I''m going to the Schr''s Inn. I need to make sure that they won''t set their eyes on the girls in the House of Roses) (Lyan) Lyan stop in the middle of the small alley for a while, but no one came to assault him. (So today is just surveince, huh? Then let''s just quickly go and enjoy some books) (Lyan) Lyan then went to the Schr''s inn in a good mood. As he entered the entrance, the great sensation of bibliosmia entered his nostrils, immediately improving his mood and rxing his whole body. He went to the reception desk after inhaling the rxing scent to his satisfaction, and a familiar face entered his view. "Ah. Sir Lyan, it''s been a while since we met each other, isn''t it?" A polite yet enchanting voice called into him as a reddish-brown hair that prettily braided to the side entered his sight. "You''re right, Lady Jessica. I rarely return to the inn, and whenever I do, you seem to have other business to attend, after all," Lyan replied in the same polite manner. It''s very faint and hidden, but he noticed a strange light in her eyes when he mentioned about the other business she was attending. (I touched a sensitive spot, huh?) (Lyan) "Now that I think about it, I only paid for my room for a week, didn''t I? It''s already three days pastst week, I''m only going to stay until tomorrow night, so could you let me pay the sum of the additional five days and the nine portions of food for the remaining days?" Lyan swiftly changes the topic. "Fufufu! Then it''s all 1400 Elnes," Jessica answered with a smile. "1400? It''s surprisingly pricier than before," (Lyan) "Of course. The price before was just a discount for your first-time lodging, after all. And since my dear guest seems to have just gotten a huge sum of money, this amount won''t bother you, right?" (Jessica) "...Words sure travel fast. Or was it just your excellent informationwork in action?" (Lyan) "Fufufu! It''s a piece of information that not only the whole city, but even the neighboring territories had heard, sir Lyan. It''s just that I''m quite confident in my memorizing ability, and you have an air that is difficult to forget around you. So when I heard about the piece of news, I immediately remember that it was yourst name," (Jessica) (Hou... So she knew, huh? Well, I did give her my full name when I registered for the lodging before, didn''t I?) (Lyan) "I see. Seems like telling my full name was a mistake, huh?" Lyan put the 1400 Elnes on the desk. "Here is your key," Jessica stretch her hand and show the inn key''s on her hand, asking him to take them. When Lyan is about to take it, she suddenly continues- "But talking about information, I heard that the great [Devil Mercenary] died together with some of the Crimson Talon''s mercenary troupe members. I''m d that it was just a false rumor," Continued her as she deliberately touches Lyan''s hand when he took the room''s key. "Of course, I won''t die that easily. It will be a shame if I can''t return to such a fine library-like inn, after all," (Lyan) "I''m d that you liked the inn. Please have a good rest," Jessica gave a polite bow with a happy beautiful smile that seem to appear because of the praise for the inn imprinted on her face. (I see... Looks like some people came to this inn just to see her rather than enjoying the inn itself, huh? Well, having such a beauty attending the reception desk, I guess it''s not that surprising) (Lyan) Lyan was about to went to the stairs, but some familiar voices suddenly approached from the dining hall. "Lichia-chan! Are you sure you''re okay? Your face is very pale, you know? It had been that way since this afternoon... Shouldn''t we go check to a physician?" "I''m fine, Rea. I''m not ill. It''s just... A slight shock because of a certain thing..." "Is it because of the news about that shitty Jean!? I know he looks horrible when he returns to the city, but I believe his condition is something that he brought to himself! Like I''ve said, there is no need to worry about that kind of guy!!" "No, not about him. I''m actually worried about- Eh?" "Worried about? Why do you suddenly stop?" Rea asked Lichia that suddenly stopped in her tracks and stared forward with widened eyes. She looks shocked as if she''s looking at a person that should be dead. "Ah! It''s Lyan! The n works very smoothly, isn''t it!? Praise me! Praise me!" Rea that saw Lyan immediately has her face brightened up and approached him like a child as she ask him to praise her. "Yeah, you did great. The n worked great because of your dialogue in front of the guild. People really thought I''m leaving with that wagon because of you. Good job, Rea," Lyan pats Rea''s head as she saw the familiarity of her with Azelia the great nature spirit. "Eh? n? Rea did? In front of the guild? H-Huh!?!?!?!?" (Lichia) ****************************************************** "I see... So that''s the story..." Lichia put the mug of her drink with a thud on the table. "So you deliberately ask Rea to do a farewell dialogue in front of the guild to make those who are targeting you will though that you''re going to leave the city with that wagon together with the chests of gold," (Lichia) "But you actually left the wagon together with the chests of gold before you left the city, and let the wagon continue to went to the northern route, and made them foolishly follow it... To think that such a n would seed so smoothly..." Lichia uttered bitterly as she felt embarrassed because of her actions after thinking that Lyan also got killed by the undead that suddenly appeared. Of course, the n is not as easy as she just uttered. Lyan asked the girls of the house to share the rumor about him leaving the city first, so his dialogue with Rea in front of the guild is only the final blow to make his pursuers believe he''s leaving. After Jean and hisckeys went after the empty wagon, Lyan asked Abraham and the others to share the rumor about how the crimson talon got utterly destroyed after trying to rob Lyan. Because of those hot rumors, the time when Jean return to the city with dirty clothes and fear written all over his face, the rumor got even hotter and those trying to target Lyan and his golds also got fewer. Normally, Lichia would notice that there are several holes in Lyan''s story. Like how did he manage to stealthily leave the wagon under surveince and how could he leave the wagon while carrying such heavy chests of gold? But since they are inside his room, he''s constantly made deliberate eye contact with her and sent a faint hypnotic spell to her. "But!" (Lichia) But unlike his expectation, there is a certain question of hers that she couldn''t just let pass easily. "That undead. How could it appear from your wagon, Lyan? ___________________________________________________________________________ <-1400 Elnes> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,721,000 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 106 Lichias Doubt ?"That undead. How could it appear from your wagon, Lyan?" (Lichia) Lyan''s faint hypnotic spell could only blur her focus on his story a little bit, but if there is a strong memory inside her about a certain hole in his story, then such a hypnotic spell wouldn''t be able to make her disregard it that easily. (So she saw Grimw, huh... I thought she only saw the moment where Jean and hisckeys got killed by the appearing undead, but it turns out that she saw the scene unfold from the very beginning, huh? That Grimw, he didn''t tell me that...) (Lyan) "The way how you deliberately let the wagon to continue its way to the northern route, and how those undead aimed perfectly at those who target your wagon... It''s as if you orchestrated the whole thing... But I have never heard about anyone capable ofmanding such a powerful undead that stronger than normal lich!" Suspicion was clearly written all over her face as Lichia said that. It seems that she already had the guess of what he is, but she intentionally avoid from uttering those terms. (Now... Should I force remove her memories?) (Lyan) Unlike the other girls, Lichia is affiliated with the mercenary guild. She''s intelligent as she was also appointed as the treasurer and senior staff of the guild. Lyan knows that Lichia is trustworthy and capable of holding secrets, but he would never know whether the guild or other factions might try to squeeze information about him from her. Those facts made Lyan have to consider a little bit longer whether it''s fine to tell her or not. But- "I-If you think that we''re not trustworthy enough... It''s fine you don''t tell-" (Lichia) "I''m a summoner," (Lyan) Looking at her worried andplex expression, Lyan couldn''t help but tell her about it. (Well, it''s only a matter of time for my identity as a summoner to be known anyway, and...) (Lyan) Lyan observes the pretty girls that are staring at him with widened eyes. (I guess it wouldn''t be hurt to have these girls know about it anyway. Looks like I''m really weak to women. I just need to leave one of the shadow servants to watch over them) (Lyan) "So you''re a summoner... You could evenmand such a powerful undead, and there is also that army of the undead under him... So strong... Even without those, ording to the report, your strength alone is already as strong as a Mythril-ranked mercenary..." Lichia continues her mumblings while the person beside her... "You''re a summoner, Lyan!? That''s cool!! Magicians exist amongst the people are like only 1 in 1000, and summoners amongst magicians are only 1 in 10,000!! It means that you''re super rare and super strong, aren''t you!? How cool!! See, Lichia-chan!? I always know that he''s such a great person since the first time I saw him!!" Rea immediately made a fuss with her shrill voice, forcing Lyan to cast a soundproof illusionary barrier around the room. Lichia''s mumblings and Rea''s hype moments continue for several minutes before they finally calm down. "Ahem! I''m sorry for pestering you. But this is such a great secret, isn''t it? It might be strange since I was the one who corners you to answer in the first ce. But are you sure it''s fine to tell us?" Lichia asked worriedly. "It''s fine. It won''t be hurt to tell my cool secret to the beautiful receptionists of the mercenary guild, after all," (Lyan) Lichia slightly blushed and readjust her sses while hiding her embarrassment because of the sudden ttery, while Rea giggled. "Hehehe~ You sure have such a sweet tongue, aren''t you, Lyan? You must have seduced Belle and the others with that sneaky tongue of yours, aren''t you?" (Rea) "I did," Lyan replied bluntly. "You never hold back, aren''t you... But well, Lichia-chan! We''ve cleared the thing you want to ask him right? We even heard such a surprising secret from him. It will be rude to disturb his rest longer, right?" (Rea) "Ah! You''re right. Please forgive me, Lyan. The both of us swear that we won''t disclose your personal information to anyone," (Lichia) "It''s fine. Thanks for wanting to keep it a secret," (Lyan) "Fufufu! Of course, we will! Keeping the mercenaries'' confidential information is the basics of a receptionist, after all! And before that," Rea suddenly approached Lyan and gave him a small peck on his lips before going back to the door. "Just to remind you, I''m the first girl you met in this city, you know? It irritates me even though I set my eyes on you first. But I guess with that much money you have now, having dozens of girls won''t be a problem, right? Make sure you tell me when you''re leaving the city, ''kay? And for thest thing, we lived next to your room. Feel free to knock, ''kay~" Rea then closed the door, cutting Lichia from giving her reaction when she gave the sudden peck on Lyan. But after the door got closed with a thud, Lyan caught a small voice from Rea. ''Well, if you forgot about me, I just need to do something to your other girls so that you''ll have your eyes on me as well, I guess~'' "Ah...." Lyan finally noticed something. "So that''s why I felt she''s so familiar with Azelia, huh?" (Lyan) When staring at Azelia, he could sense a shivering deep valley of wisdom hidden beneath her innocent face. While in Rea''s case, he could sense a certain twistedness beneath her innocent face. She gives off the vibe of the Yandere girls from the light novels he used to read. (I guess I''m d we''re in a fantasy world where several wives are normal, huh? If this is the previous world, she''s the type that would kill the other girls to ensure her position in her interest''s heart...) (Lyan) "She didn''t kill Jean yet because he''s strong as a Mythril-ranked mercenary, huh?" (Lyan) (She''s interesting and exciting to eat, but for now-) (Lyan) Lyan jumped to his bed and stretches his body. "Let''s have some time alone reading books and sleeping," Lyan closed his eyes. But suddenly, a certain voice appeared from inside his head. (Hm~ I thought you were going to eat them up as well for sure. Looks like you didn''t) (Lilith) "Lilith, huh," (Lyan) (Yes~ It''s me~ Don''t you miss me? We haven''t talked with each other for two days, after all~) (Lilith) "I don''t," Lyan calmly took a book from one of the bookshelves andy his back on the bed as he started to read. (How cold~ By the way, master. You did say that you won''t eat the girls like a beast, didn''t you? So by those words, you just mean that you won''t use your incubus power to force women to sleep with you, but you will use smart seducing skills instead, huh?) (Lilith) "Heh! So you finally caught up. I properly aimed for their hearts, and as a former incubus, it''s firmly imprinted on my mind that it''s a man''s job to please women who are asking for pleasure and affection. I didn''t go against any of my words, didn''t I?" Lyan let out a chuckle. (Hm~ As I expected. You''re quite a womanizer, aren''t you?) (Lilith) "Just to remind you, the power I''m relying on seems to be fully supporting me to be one," Lyan mentioned about the summoning grimoire. (Oh, stop with the excuses. But master) (Lilith) After a moment of silence, Lilith continued. (Can I ask you some questions?) (Lilith) Noticing the change in her tone, Lyan closed the book in his hands. "Go on, ask me anything," (Lyan) (Then first. I know that I''ve asked you this before. But what is your goal? In this world, what will you pursue? Are you going to wander around as a mercenary or an adventurer, or will you try to ascend as a noble and make a name of yourself, or be a hero in this world as well?) (Lilith) (You have now enough money to live leisurely for several years or even more. What will you do from now on? what path are you going to take?) (Lilith) Hearing the term ''hero'' made Lyan let out a snort. As he blinked, the moment he opened his eyes, his scenery changed and he found himself sitting on the living room''s sofa. The rest of the spirits are using theirbat attires and are staring at him, waiting for his answer. Standing in front of him is Lilith who is using an expression simr to the one he saw in her past, the image of her when she was called a queen. "What is your desire, master?" (Lilith) "My answer remains the same. Freedom." Lyan closed his eyes as he replied calmly. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,721,000 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 107 The New Agreement (1) ?"My answer remains the same. It''s freedom." Lyan closed his eyes as he replied calmly. "By freedom, so you mean the freedom of doing whatever you want, including doing evil things?" The one that speak up was the righteous knight, Arturia. "Hm..." Lyan folded his arms. "It seems that you have a misunderstanding about the definition of my freedom. Yes, the first part is true, I aim for the freedom to do whatever I want without having heavy chains restricting me. But doing evil things are not amongst it," (Lyan) "What do you mean?" (Arturia) "To freely take an opportunity to do what is right could also be called freedom, aren''t I right, Arturia? Of course, I have no intentions of doing anything I regard as evil as well," (Lyan) Not everyone in the world has the freedom to do what is right. When a servant ismanded by a noble to be his sex ve, not every father, brother, or even lover has the freedom to do what is right; which is to save her. Most of them have no ability to do so. To be able to do what is right, there are several things needed to be possessed. "I see. So strength, power, and wealth, huh," Arturia uttered with a nod, seeming to be satisfied with his answer. "Then to the next question," Lilith continued. "You seem to be saying that it''s a waste to summon us for weak enemies and saving the chance to summon us. What is your actual reason for not using our strength?" (Lilith) The question Lilith asked is a question that upied not only her mind, but the other spirits as well. It''s evident that Lyan is avoiding himself from summoning them too much, and avoiding excessive contact with them. Responding to the question, Lyan let out a sigh. "First, your strength is not mine. I don''t like borrowing, and I don''t like being indebted to anyone either. Summoning you guys made me feel indebted, and I like to avoid making any hostile rtions with any of you as much as possible. That''s the reason why I tried to avoid too much contact with all of you," (Lyan) "But you slept with Lilith," Arturia chimes in, but Lyan pretends ignorant to her words. Lyan is confident that he could take care of one of them in a one-on-one battle by using his full strength, but he doubts he could manage if three or more of them aim for his life. Knowing the danger from the great spirits'' strength, Lyan decided to prevent too much contact to make sure no hostilities could be made. "I believe I have answered enough questions, now it''s my turn. Why suddenly interrogate me? Did I do something that triggers your doubts? I believe I''ve sworn that I won''t bother any of you after the contract between us finished," Lyan squinted on the spirits before him. "Well, you see. We''ve realized how much strength you possessed, and considering the increasing amount of girls on your arms, the number of monsters under yourmand will increase as well," (Hestia) Certainly, it has only been a little bit more than a week, and yet, he already has six summonable monsters with decent strength, six shadow servants, and even 800 powerful skeleton undead. Not to mention he umted a lot of wealth in such a short duration. Judging from his aplishment in these few days, it''s a wonder how much power he might hold in the future. "And the ferocious girl over there said that it would be trouble if you became a certain viin that might trouble us after the our contract terms end," Hestia jerked her chin towards Griselda. As Lyan shifted his gaze towards Griselda, he could see her gaze filled with suspicion. "Hou... Is it because of my encounter with that prince of yours?" (Lyan) Griselda flinched a little at the moment the prince was mentioned, and narrowed her eyes. "Yes. Could you fill me out what happened afterward? All of us got knocked out for two straight days after getting summoned. Can you tell me what happened to him?" (Griselda) A sense of suspicion and worry is being emitted from her. "I see... Long story short-" (Lyan) Lyan exined shortly how he woke up only with Rena inside the goblin king''sir, then about the prince''s invitation, then about the rewards, and then about the people tailing him until now. After confirming that Lyan exined without giving any lies to her, Griselda let out a relieved sigh. Mostly because of knowing that the prince is safe. "I see... It''s not strange for him to offer you to join his side. I know it will only sound like I''m taking the his side, but his offer is favorable for you. In the end, you have to either join a faction or create your own faction as long as your name as the summoner is known, and the prince is amongst the ones that you could trust," Griselda unusually gave him a piece of sincere advice. "I certainly didn''t think that you would get noticed in just a week, though," Hestia retorted. "I know about his trustworthiness. I''ll consider itter, but more importantly," Lyan stared straight at Griselda, this time, his gaze overwhelms her. "Tell me all you know. I believe you''re aware of who is after me, and I need the information about the ones that killed you as well. I won''t interfere with your matter, but I don''t want to step into andmine mindlessly as well," (Lyan) Lyan jerks his chin, urging her to answer. With a sigh, Griselda started exining to him. "Of course, the first one is the mercenaries. Well, I guess you''ve handled most of them already. That [Crow] assassin unit that you killed must not be all, there are some doing surveince from the distance, tasked to only ry information to their owner," (Griselda) "Considering it''s that rotten duke, he must-" (Griselda) *Knock!* *Knock!* The sound of knocks cut Griselda''s words. All of them shifted their attention to the source of the sound; the television. [Excuse me, Mr. Lyan. I''m here to deliver your dinner] """Ah...""" Everyone loosed their tension once they heard the voice from the television. There are even some growls from some of the spirits. (I know I''ve questioned this numerous times. But aren''t they supposed to be incapable of feeling hunger?) (Lyan) "Wait for a second, I''ll take the food first," (Lyan) Lyan left the grimoire''s space and opened the door, revealing to the friendly waitress that he forgot who her name was. No, she never told him who her name is in the first ce. After friendlily took the tray filled with food, Lyan return to the grimoire''s space, but this time, he appeared not in the living room, but in the dining room instead. Not only the scenery has changed, but the attires of the spirits had changed as well. They''ve changed from their battle attires to their pajamas and are waiting eagerly as they seat at the dining chair. "I''ve been waiting for this!" (Lilith) "Heh! Boozes!" (Griselda) "Food! I''m super hungry!!" (Azelia) "You sure changed your clothes fast..." Lyan uttered softly as he take a seat in the middle, while one of the undead skeleton hobgoblin wearing a servant uniform took the food one by one and put it on top of the dining table. (As expected, they turned them into their servants inside here...) (Lyan) "Now, Griselda. Please continue," (Lyan) Griselda that just opened the bottle of the booze and gulp it put down the bottle before clearing her throat. "Considering that it''s that rotten duke that aims for your life, he must have regarded you as a random variable and spread your information to the troublesome powerhouses. So the ones aiming for your life might be from several powerhouses. It could be not only from the Astellia Kingdom, but from other ces as well," (Griselda) "But mainly, it will be the remaining personnel of the [Crows], forces from other nobles trying to manipte your summoning power, and people that aim for your gold. for the ones who killed me, you can rest assured, they are not within the vicinity of the kingdom," (Griselda) A hint of bloodlust was emitted for a second when Griselda mentioned about the ones who killed her. She didn''t tell him more information, so Lyan immediately concludes it. (So she wants to take care of them personally, huh?) (Lyan) "I see. Thanks for the information, I guess let''s just focus on eating now-" As Lyan holds the fork and spoon in his hands, a single hand raises into the air. "Wait!" The owner of the voice is the girl wearing the priestess attire. "We want to offer you a new agreement. We''ve found out that Lilith''s summoning duration had increased for an additional three hours after her intercourse with you. So we''vee to a certain agreement," (Cynthia) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,721,000 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 108 The New Agreement (End) ?"We want to offer you a new agreement. We''ve found out that Lilith''s summoning duration had increased for an additional three hours after her intercourse with you. So we''vee to a certain agreement," Cynthia folded her hands and spoke in her usual polite manner. "I see... An agreement. Wait, increased? her summoning duration? I believed Surena reported that all of you got unsummoned in the same time back then," (Lyan) Lyan noticed Lilith squirming and fidgeting with apletely guilty look on her face. "That subus girl is trying to hide that fact from us by doing so. It''s her n all along," (Griselda) Lilith seems to get smaller. "Basically, after getting forced to return to this space, all of us got exhausted and retire to our respective rooms. At the time we woke up, our mana is still notpletely recovered yet, but her mana is noticeably more abundant than us even though she should have gotten depleted because of the summoning as well," (Arturia) Lilith got smaller to a size of a child. "And she even foolishly tried to fool us and act normal by saying her body is all aching and how half of her mana got depleted in just three hours while our mana got depleted for more than half of our mana," (Hestia) "Shepletely and foolishly self-destructs herself," Eiramented coldly. Lilith seems to be as small as an apple now. "So she''s trying to manipte the information about how the intercourse with a master could extend the duration of our summoning period for three hours. So in other words," (Cynthia) "She''s guilty. To break the agreement for a second time, how foolish," (Arturia) "G-Guilty, hiding such important information is not fair," (Sylphia) "Guilty! Big sis Lilith, guilty!" (Azelia) "How shameful," (Eira) "Sinful, to think such a low-quality deception would be disyed by a great spirit of a subus," (Hestia) Lilith seems to get considerable damage because of the wave of jabs of words directed at her. "You should be ashamed. I hope you''re prepared for the next punishment," Griselda interjected with a sadistic grin that sends shivers to Lilith and Lyan. (I don''t know what will happen, but I hope you''ll survive, Lilith) (Lyan) Lyan silently prayed for Lilith''s safety as he feign ignorance from Lilith''s pleading gaze asking for salvation directed on him. "So? What kind of agreement do you mean?" (Lyan) With a gesture from Cynthia, Hestia nods and started her exnation. "After interrogating her, we found out that her summoning duration had increased for three hours. It could be meant that every intercourse with you will increase three hours of the summoning duration," (Hestia) "In normal circumstances, our summoning time disyed at the corner of our view increased every day for about 9 minutes. Judging from the continual increase of the summoning duration-" (Hestia) "9 multiplied by three years which is 1095 days, I guess. So the duration of the contract will get fulfilled when your summoning duration in the real world reached for full a week, huh... Since that means you won''t get forced warped to the grimoire''s space again, it means you''ll be capable of roaming on the world alive as free as you wish... So that''s how the system work," Lyan nods in understanding. "Yes. You calcte as fast as a grand merchant like it''s nothing... By the way, so we''ve reached an agreement to have one of us summoned together with you every day. It will help us develop our rtionship, and it won''t be a disadvantage for you either since it means that every week there will be at least one of us avable to protect you," (Hestia) ''Well, for only three hours, though,'' Hestia added in a smaller voice. "Hm~" (Lyan) (It''s indirect. But she''s indicating that if by chance, they got into the mood and ept to do it with me, it will give benefits for both sides as well since their contract duration will shorten and I will get another summonable monster to summon... Well, it''s not surprising that they want to finish the contract as fast as they could. They have things they wanted to do, after all) (Lyan) (But even if they want to finish the contract as soon as possible, considering that every intercourse a day only increases three hours. For it to reach a week which is 168 hours, we will need about 52 days of sex...) (Lyan) Doing intercourse for 52 times straight, it will be impossible for the ones in the act to not develop any feelings and attachment with each other after doing it for such a number. Lyan nced at the summoning grimoire that had appeared and floated beside him since unknown when. (What a nasty contract this grimoire gave them... I feel like I''m a swindler that scams beautiful girls for my lust because of it. I know it was given to give me benefits, but sorry, this is not my way of doing things) (Lyan) *Sigh!* "Then let me give an additional chip to the agreement," (Lyan) "And that is?" (Hestia) "For every intercourse made in an attempt to shorten the duration of your contract, I could erase your memories about the deed and make sure not a single thing remains. Of course, if it''s your option to do so or not. It doesn''t sit well with me if I''m the only one who gets the most out of the situation, after all. And of course, if you want me to erase my memories about the intercourse, I can do so as well," (Lyan) The great spirits stopped their tracks and halt their eating for a second when they heard Lyan''s words. It''s certainly favorable for them. But all of them know- "Are you sure? You know the point of the contract made such conditions in the first ce, right?" Griselda asked Lyan sharply with a pair of suspicious eyes. "Of course I understand. But like I''ve said, I like to do things my way. I have no hobby of cornering someone to fall in love with me in such a nasty way. It made me look like a petty man," Lyan scoffed. "That''s... Unexpected... I haven''t thought that possibility either..." Arturia uttered as she started to consider Lyan''s offer. "In the first ce, all of you came here not to be my harem, but to settle the things you couldn''t settle before you died. It will be too cruel for me to add another unfair thing to your series of misfortune. It will be ironic for me to restrict your freedom when I alone seeks for my freedom in this world. So I''ll lend you a hand," (Lyan) For the great spirits, Lyan''s words somehow felt like a devil''s temptations. It''s something too good to be true despite of their unreasonable wish of getting back alive. But somehow, looking at him when he delivered his offer- (It''s like he''s not lying...) (Hestia) "I see. So that part of you that brings the angels and the gods into your side, I see. You really are the kind of person that I thought you are," Cynthia uttered with a graceful smile that made Lyan remember she''s a holy priestess or sort. Her recent attitude and actions had made some doubts rise inside him, but it seems that she really is a real one. After that, the conversation ends shortly. There is some small chatter between them as they talk about the games, dramas, and other things the great spirits use as their source of entertainment from inside the grimoire''s space. After the dinner ends, Lyan brought the dishes that had been neatly tidied up by Arturia, Cynthia, and a little assistance from Azelia outside the grimoire''s space and lets the inn''s waitress bring the dishes back. Finally enjoying a moment of peace, Lyan took a nap before continuing to read the book that he hasn''t finished before. The brief peace went on for quite long before the first bell of the day finally rang. As Lyan closed the book that he just finished reading, a voice appeared from inside his mind. (Master) Unlike the usual, it''s not Lilith''s voice of seduction and mischief. It''s a voice that is refined, uptight, and a little bit awkward. "Yes, Arturia? You can''t sleep?" Lyan rise his body and started stretching his body. (Yeah... Something like that...) (Arturia) Arturia''s voice seem to be a little strained, and a hint of hesitance could be felt. But Lyan didn''t bother to ask, and continue to make a pose on the floor. Putting his two palms on the floor while keeping his body straight with only the tips of his feet, and started lowering and lifting his body with his arms. (What are you doing?) (Lilith) "Training my muscles. By casting some debuff spells that increased the weight of my body and my clothes for several tens of kilograms, I could get the most out of it by making simple exercises like this," Lyan replied while continuing his exercise. Lyan went from one move to another. Not only push-ups, sit ups, nk, and squat jumps, but he did all of the workout moves until his body profusely sweats as if he just finished a long battle. By the time he ended, the second bell of the day had already rung. He does some post-workout warm-ups before wiping his body with a cloth. And he finally asked the question. "So Arturia? What would you like to inquire for me?" (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,721,000 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 109 Who Are You? ?"So Arturia? What would you like to inquire for me?" Lyan asked the person inside his mind as he wipe his body with a wet cloth while thinking how nice it would be if he could submerge himself in a hot bathtub. Shamefully, there is no public hot spring or bath in this world unless to bathe in a river. Baths are only exist in the mansions and castles owned by big merchants, nobles, and royalties. Since the water of the bath requires wood and coal to warm the water, people would need servants to be able to enjoy the bath since thebor is exhausting and time-consuming in its own way. It''s too wasteful in both resources and time formoners to have. (S-so you''ve noticed...) (Arturia) Arturia replied in a small voice, seeming to be embarrassed by getting busted looking at him exercising and full of sweat. There are numerous times that she almost let out a gasp when Lyan made a certain move as his muscles flexed while drenched in sweat. Unlike the human body, there''s a limit to how much muscr an incubus''s muscr body could get. Unlike the human body, the incubus''s body size couldn''t be easily adjusted by using diet and exercise, after all. That''s why even though he had been hiding his well-built body beneath his cloak, Lyan had been continuing his exercise and attempting to increase the volume and mass to refine his body further. With his body that is considered quite tall even amongst the rather tall man, the sight of him exercising made Arturia got absorbed in watching. (Ahem! That''s quite a unique disy of exercise you''re doing there. That ''debuff'' spell you mentioned, is that applicable in battle? Increasing the weight of your body and weapon while delivering a strike could increase the damage delivered drastically, no?) (Arturia) "Unfortunately, a debuff is something akin to a curse. It only affects the victim while dealing with no effect on the surrounding. So when I punched using my fist that got debuffed and made as heavy as 30 kilograms, I will feel the weight and felt the strain in my muscles resulting in a reduction of speed, but the thing or person I hit will only get an impact the same as my normal punch," (Lyan) (I see... That will only make you in a disadvantageous position instead) (Arturia) "Correct. That''s why I only use it when training my body. Since rather than weakening the body, it increases the weight and forced the muscle to exert more force. It''s perfect for these kinds of exercises," Lyan continues to stretch his body. (Hm~ That''s interesting...) (Arturia) Another silence went on for a moment, and once again, Lyan breaks the ice. "Once again. What do you want to inquire, Arturia?" Lyan asked as he once again wipes the sweat off his body with another wet cloth. Unlike before, he continues to wipe it with a dry cloth, indicating he had finished his exercise. (H-How did you keep on noticing me...) (Arturia) Arturia uttered bitterly. "Getting gazed so intensely like that, I doubt anyone would not notice it, though," Lyan proceed to use his shirt. (I-Intense... Ahem!) (Arturia) Arturia cleared her throat and regain herposure. (Master. No, Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. What kind of person are you?) (Arturia) Lyan stopped his tracks, staring at the empty space in front of him. An image, or rather, a gant figure could be seen in his sight. Standing in front of him, a gant knight, holding a sword while radiating an aura of great fortitude is staring at him with eyes of novelty. With a tone simr to a scoff, Lyan replied with a self-mocking smile. "Just a man with an unusually great lust," As if not satisfied, Arturia''s gaze turns into a frown inside the grimoire''s space. (There are several asions where you should be able to utilize your strength. You are the key to our second life, we would need to save you, and with your negotiation andmunication skills, I doubt any of us would be in a hostile rtionship with you. Why did you stubbornly refrain from summoning and using our power?) (Arturia) Using Lyan''s wits and skills, he could take advantage of the spirits to their fullest while keeping in mind not to cross the boundary and enrage them. But he didn''t. Such unusual human behavior piqued not just Arturia''s attention, but the others as well. "It''s simple. I don''t like to be in debt. I don''t care what people think. If they said it doesn''t matter, if I felt like I''m indebted, it will continue to be a burden in my mind," (Lyan) "So I will refrain from being indebted as much as I could. I''m a person that sticks to my principles to my very end. So you could say that I''m a normal person with an unusually great lust and strongly principled," Lyan shrugged. Arturia giggled. (I doubt a person with unusually great lust that sticks very strongly to his principle could be considered a normal person, though. So the reason why you gave that ''chip'' you mentioned at the agreement, about how you will erase the memories of the d-deed, is it because you feel indebted by summoning us before) (Arturia) A small grin appeared on Lyan''s face as he heard Arturia struggling to say the word ''deed'', and replied with his eyes closed. "You''re right. I was taught to pay my debts, especially to good people, in full. It''s just my way of searching for self-satisfaction, so just ignore it," (Lyan) (I see..) (Arturia) Inside the grimoire''s space, Arturia''s face cleared. If someone is there, they could see that her expression is simr to a person that just got relieved after founding an answer they wanted. ''A kind person who denies his kindness, huh... I wonder what kind of things he had seen and experienced for him to be like this...'' (He would feel much more like a great person if he reduce his womanizing habit, though) (Arturia) "Huh? Womanizing? Like I''ve said, I''m a person with an unusually great lust, it''s all because of my previous life as an incubus and this perverted summoning grimoire as well. But of course, I need to admit that I''m enjoying my situation as well," Lyan shrugged. (So your situation forced you to be a womanizer, but you admit that you''re enjoying it?) (Arturia) "Hm. That''s right," Lyan nods. (Fu! Fufufu!) (Arturia) Arturia''s giggles got even more audible than before. (I see!) (Arturia) Following the cheerful voice, the image of the knight before him moved. Positioning his sword in front, the knight put his fist on his left chest, and salutes. The image slowly turned into light particles, and before it disappeared, the knight opened his helmet. What is revealed is not Arturia. It''s a gant knight living inside Lyan''s memories. Neatly trimmed facial hair, short blonde hair, and a kind face that is smiling brightly. Looking at that face, Lyan felt his chest tightens. The fact that the time couldn''t be manipted, and how the past will remain the past is something that he had already epted long before he killed the evil dragon god. Since Lyan didn''t cast any spell, the image in front of him is not a magic, so Arturia couldn''t see it. It''s an illusionary image that appeared on its own. A trick formed by his own mind. Arturia''s behavior and demeanor remind him strongly of that dear friend of his from his previous life. A hardcore fan of knights, and a person that is the literal embodiment of the term ''Modern Knight''. ''Paying debts in full is a man''s duty! You saved my life once, so I will definitely protect you until the time that I die!'' It feels like his words are could still be heard clearly until now. The words that warms his heart, but at the same time, became one of many sources of his regret. (A person like Arturia is straightforward, just, and innocent. They react positively to straightforwardness and honesty, making it easy to make a good impression on them. But at the same time, they have a great instinct) (Lyan) Arturia noticed Lyan''s strange silence. The one who understands the opposition is not only him, but Arturia is also staring at him with a pair of nostalgic eyes. What Arturia saw under Lyan''s feet is not the inn room''s flooring, but piles of corpses dyed with the red color of blood. ''A man that stands on top of countless bodies of his precious ones'' ''How ironic and suffering it must be'' ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,721,000 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 110 The Arkansas Blacksmith (1) ?Magic Ore In this world, there are various kinds of ores being used for different kinds of purposes. Amongst those ores, there are some that are called magic ores. Ores that are actually capable of bing a medium and conductive to mana, possessing a magical properties that are unique and applicable to be modified into a magic item or weapons. With the very limited amount of the poption that is capable of utilizing the mana inside them to produce a miracle or a forced change towards natural phenomenon, the magic ores that are capable of keeping magic were found. They are then made into magic weapons, magic armors, and magic items. Those things quickly get popr with royalties, nobles, and wealthy people, trying to possess one and made it into their heirloom. But of course, a true magic item with decent magical ability could worth a fortune. Not only that adjusting a magical property to an applicable scale is difficult, to actually manipte the mana flow and apply magic circles to make a magic item produce a desirable magic is extremely difficult. The most heard magic ores are Orichalcum, Mythril, and Magic tinum. Unlike the other two, Magic tinum is not as rare, but possess smaller conductivity towards magicpared to the two legendary ores. Introduction To Magic Items, Great Library of Eureka, The city of academy and magic, Ausbildia ______________________________________________________________________ "It''s here! This is our regr smithy!" The ck-haired butler uniform-wearing girl excitedly points at the rather big building that is unusual for a smithy, indicating how well business is faring for it. After using his time leisure in the inn for exercising, reading, andzing around, Lyan decided to went out and look for new equipment, weapons, and items needed for his journey ahead since he just got lots of cash from the goblin king subjugation reward. At the time he asked Ravia to rmend him where he could find good things, she respond positively and enthusiastically, resulting in the other girls to hear his ns as well. "Ah! This sword is nice! It''s very light!" (Alina) "Hm... I wonder if I should buy a wand as an emergancy medium... But a wand is rather pricy, aren''t they...?" (Belle) "Whoa... Is this a magic bow? This looks very cool!" (Xena) The three girls from the House of Roses are following him as well. Lyan n is to leave by tomorrow if not tonight, so it could be said that this is theirst chance to spend time with him before his departure. Since the three girls are no longer binded by the debt and had get rid off the very crest on their body, they are no longer an official courtesan of the House of Roses. So they are free to go with Lyan today, and the Madam sent them off with a smile. "Poor Raine. She wanted to join but gramps took a hold of her," (Ravia) Raine also enthusiastically mention about how she''s going to look for new vials for her alchemy experiment with Belle, but Abraham told her that only one of the two sisters may go since one need to stay to tend the guests. "Yeah... It''s been a while since I saw Raine pouted and sulk to gramps," (Xena) The girls giggled as they converse and look around, while on the other hand, Lyan''s eyes are quickly but thoroughly scanning through the smithy one by one. And finally, his eyes stopped at a certain corner. His eyes gazed at a weapon inside a dusty bucket. (Hou... A ive...) (Lyan) The length of the pole is about 2 meters with about 45 centimeters of single-edged de on its end. "Whoa... It''s quite heavy," Lyan uttered as he felt the weight on his hand as he lift the ive in one hand. (About 40 kilograms or so, huh...) (Lyan) "Hou... To think that you could lift it up so easily with one hand, you have quite the powerful hand there,ddie," A rough and raspy voice sounded together with the appearance of a muscr old man with the same height as Lyan. He''s wearing working apron typical for a cksmith, a protective mask hanging on his head, and a pair of worn out gloves on his hands. "Ah! Mr. Hammard! How are-" (Ravia) "Spare the greetingster, Ravia-chan. Heyd, try swinging it," The man called Hammard asked Lyan with a pair of stern but expectant eyes. "Hm." Lyan skillfully twirl the ive in one hand before taking a stance and swing it with both hands. The swing is strong enough to send winds to the audience, but since he didn''t use any mana on it, the winds are not enough to mess the ce up. "Whoa... You got a great strength there, youngd. You must be-" (Hammard) "Hou... Not bad, looks like I could do it one hand," (Lyan) Right as he about to praise him, Lyan proceed to make a powerful swing with one hand. The winds sent to the surroundings are not that different from the previous swing, making Hammard to widens his eyes. "You..." (Hammard) "Eh? What are you doing?" Lyan asked confusedly. It''s not a question for him to be confused since a muscr old man suddenly lift his cloak, rolls his long sleeves, and observes his arm while holding his chin with one hand. "Such a well-trained body in such a young man. The muscles are not trained to be big, but are trained to make the body solid. So you were taking ount speed, eh? What do you think,ddie?" (Hammard) "What do I think about what? Just to tell you beforehand, but I don''t swing that way," Lyan slowly retract his hand. "I''m not talking about that!" Hammard gave a p to Lyan''s back, making him feel numb for a moment. (That hurts, old shit!) (Lyan) "I''m talking about the ive. Do you want it?" (Hammard) "Oh, this, huh..." Lyan''s attention return to the ive, and he once again do some strikes and test some moves with the ive. Each move he made is beautiful and it could be seen that his movement is not that of a newbie. He is well-trained and well-versed in using ives, and know what he''s doing. (He''s measuring the speed of his strike, the approximate duration and fatigue of the swing, and the effectiveness of the length for his use) (Hammard) Hammard let out a chuckle. "Ravia-chan. You brought me quite an interestingd here. So what do you think about that de,d?" (Hammard) "The length is perfect for me, but I could actually do if it''s a little bit heavier, but I doubt I could find any heavier ive around here. It''s a wonderful weapon. I believe it will be a great partner in battle," Lyan''s eyes that are filled with satisfaction as he described the weapon made Hammard let out a heartfulugh. "I actually made that for my own use, you see! But I''m not that skillful in using weapons like spears, halberds, and ives! It''s a shame since I made that using lots of precious materials. I was hoping that it would sell well, but no one could even make a decent swing with it for 10 years! How about it,d? You can take that one for just 2 gold coins, that''s a great discount since I like ya," (Hammard) "Just 2 gold coins? But this is not just a normal ive, isn''t it?" Lyan uttered as he tried to infuse some mana to the ive, and the de started to change into ck color. (An adapting weapon. It''s a weapon specially designed empty to make sure it will only house the wielder''s mana. This guy''s cksmithing skills is not a joke for him to be capable of making this) (Hestia) (There are no magic circles ingraved, the magical property of the ive is made solely by the perfect tampering and skills of his smithing. I-it''s very interesting...) (Sylphia) "So you''ve realized. I guess you really are not a normal mercenary, aren''t you? Yes, that''s a magic weapon. But the scale of magic ores used are limited, I used some magic cores of some resilient magic beasts, and I added the extra weight to make itfortable for me to use. I''m thinking of keeping the fact that it''s a magic weapon a secret if you didn''t realize, but as expected of the man Ravia-chan chosen. Ravia-chan! Your man will definitely be a big shot in the near future!!" Hammard enthusiastically pped Lyan''s back as he gave a broad smile to Ravia. "M-m-m-my man!?" (Ravia) The other girls twitches when they heard Hammard''s words, but when they saw the cool Ravia got unusually flustered and showing such girly reactions, they can''t help but let out an amused giggle. "I will still sell it to you for just 2 golds. It''s saddening for such a fine weapon sitting at the corner of the room without an owner. Having a proper guy to have it will do, just give me your name," (Hammard) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Gold-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,501,721,000 Elnes / 3501 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: None Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 111 The Arkansas Blacksmith (End) ?"Just give me your name, just your mercenary name is fine,d," (Hammard) "I see. Then Evocatore," (Lyan) "Hahaha! You''re using that recently famous guy''s name for your nickname? Don''t kid-" Hammard''s eyes stopped at a certain direction around Lyan''s neck and stopped his words. He approached him, and once again lift his cloak, uncovering the Mythril mercenary tag hanging on his neck. "This is a new one. So you''re the real deal?" Hammard stares sharply at Lyan. (Did I make enemies without my knowing?) (Lyan) "Yes, I am," (Lyan) As Lyan readied himself to react to whatever response the bald cksmith before him will give him, what happened next caught him off-guarded, and he couldn''t help but get considerable damage. "HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" (Hammard) A very loudugh, loud enough to make Lyan''s ear hurt. Not only Lyan, but the girls are also covering their ears, but they had covered their ears before the man started tough. (So they knew it beforehand... I hope you''ll tell me about his ridiculously loud voice beforehand, though...) (Lyan) "I heard you made that arrogant brat, Jean, a run for his money! You should know how loud Iugh when I heard the news! Very well, since it''s such a famous guy, I''ll give you a discount not only for the ive! Choose armors and things you want! I''ll give you a 50% discount! Hahahahaha! What a good day!" (Hammard) After getting satisfied giving a powerful p on Lyan''s back, Hammard went back to the worker''s room, leaving Lyan and the girls. "Damn. His hands are tough," Lyan rubs his back with some difficulty as he remembers the impact of his hits. (I believe I''ve trained my body enough, butpared to that guy''s strength, I might still be a tad behind, huh?) (Lyan) "He''s Hammard Keymer. ''A reknown cksmith of the Arkansas city. He''s loud, rough, and too strong for his own good. He would have his shop filled with people if not for his personality. His skills are top-notch, he could handle not just normal smithing but magic smithing as well. Put him on any country and their nobles and royalties willpete to have a custom-made weapon'', that''s what gramps said to me about him," (Ravia) "I see. Well, I could clearly see that his skill is a real deal," Lyan stares at the ive on his right hand with a satisfied look. "Since we''re going to get a discount. You guys can pick whatever you want, it''s on me," (Lyan) "For real! Yes!!" (Xena) "I-I can buy this sword...?" (Alina) "Hm~ Then I guess I''ll take the wand~" (Belle) "A-Am I included, Lyan?" Ravia restlessly asks as her eyes seem to be glued to one of the short swords. "Of course you are. Pick whatever you want," (Lyan) """Okay~""" The girls cheerfully pick the things they want to buy, while Lyan continues to search for the items and equipment that he might need for his journey. After an hour, the five of them left the shop with new equipment on their hands and satisfied looks on their faces. Lyan bought a ive, a bow, and a breastte armor. Alina bought a new katana-like sword, Xena bought a high-quality bow, Belle bought a high-quality magic wood wand, and Ravia bought a brand new short sword. When Lyan went to ask for the price, the amount he needed to pay shocked him for a moment. "All of them are 200 coins. Really, Ravia-chan, Belle-chan, Alina-chan, Xena-chan. I know I told you that I''ll give a discount, but I never thought that all of you will buy magic weapons as well..." (Hammard) It turns out that the others'' chosen items are also magic weapons, so even though the price is drastically reduced by the 50% discount, it''s still expensive when bought together. "Fufufu! A magic sword! To think the day where I wield one will evere!!" (Alina) "Magic bow, huh... I want to test it quickly," (Xena) "Fufufu, the wand is beautiful," (Belle) "Exquisite... It felt so light, even lighter than my usual knives and daggers..." (Ravia) Looking at the four girls happily walking with the brand new weapons in their hands, Lyan let out a chuckle. (Well, I guess it''s a cheap price for their happiness. It will make them stronger and help them protect themselves as well. But looking at girls getting happy with not flowers, but weapons on their hands is sure strange, huh...) (Lyan) Thinking that it''s a good investment, they proceed to return to the House of Roses, having lunch together, and at night, the deed seems to be more intense than before. Maybe because they know that it will be a while before they will meet Lyan again, the girls stubbornly stick to their consciousness and ended up doing more rounds with him. Of course, Lyan didn''t satisfy only the three girls. *Pant!* *Pant!* *Pant!* *Pant!* "So you''re going now?" While breathing heavily on the bed naked with lots of love juices flooding the bed, Josephine asked Lyan. "Yes. I''ve given my farewell to the girls as well before they slept," (Lyan) "More like before they faint because of intense pleasure, isn''t it?" (Madam) "Heh! You''re right," Lyan went over to the floor and wipe his body with a clean cloth, wearing his clothes, breastte, andstly his cloak. "Kuh!" Josephine attempted to raise her body and see him off until he left from the back door, but she couldn''t muster enough strength to even lift her body up. "There''s no need to force yourself up. No need to see me off, Jose," Lyan went to the side of the bed and stroked her head. "...When will you return?" (Jose) "The longest will be a year, I guess. You know where I''m heading north, right? It''s a journey with a long distance. But I''ll make sure to return as fast as I could," (Lyan) "You better do. If you return even a dayte. We''ll greet you with our bellies grown with other men''s seed, you hear me?" (Madam) "That''s not good, but I doubt you could feel someone''s thing inside knowing how stretched this part is now," Lyan''s hand went to Josephine''s crotch which is now filled with his seed. "Haha. You''re right. So you better return quickly, we could only feel it if you''re the one who enter us... After all..." As the fatigue of the passionatebor started to kick in, Josephine get attacked by a strong drowsiness. "Yes, I will return as fast as I could," (Lyan) After giving a brief kiss, Lyan left Josephine''s room with his leather bag, bow, quiver filled with bows, and ive on his back. "That''s quite a lot of things you''re bringing there," Lyan got greeted by a wise aged voice. "Yeah. I''ll be back in several months if not a year, gramps. Please continue to look after the girls for me," (Lyan) "It''s my pleasure to do so, my lord. I wish you the best of luck in your travel," Abraham gave a small bow as he escort him to the back door of the House of Roses. As it''s at the midnight, the House of Roses is currently in business. There are lots of people entering and leaving the ce, and Ravia and Raine are busy attending to the guests. "Leave me my regards to Ravia and Raine," (Lyan) "As you wish," (Abraham) At the time Lyan takes a single step outside the house, it feels like his image is blurred, and at the next moment, he had already disappeared and merged together with the darkness of the night. Lyan''s first destination is the Schr''s inn. After packing up his things, he threw a piece of letter to the two rooms next to him which is Rea''s and Lichia''s rooms to notify them of his leaving. When Lyan went downstairs, the one waiting at the reception desk is the beautiful owner of the inn. "Seems like you''re leaving the town," (Jessica) "I do. How did you know I''m leaving tonight?" (Lyan) "Hm~" Jessica puts a hand on her chin as she yfully frowns and pretends to think before replying. "There is no actual word, it''s just that my merchant''s instinct that told me so, I guess," (Jessica) "I see. A merchant''s intuition added with a woman''s intuition. It might be a scarybination," Lyan approached the receptionist''s desk and put a single coin on the table. "A gold coin? Is it a tip?" (Jessica) "Of course not. Please note the change, I''m going to use them for my lodging next time when I return to the city," (Lyan) "Hm~ Very well. Mr. Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. I hope your experience in this inn and this city has been a pleasant one, may your journey went safely and smoothly as a calm sea," (Jessica) ___________________________________________________________________________ <-200 Gold Coins Equipment Shopping> <-1 Gold (Lodgings)> <+1 Magic ive> <+1 Breastte> <+1 Bow> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,300,721,000 Elnes / 3300 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 112 Journey To The North (1) ?"Hm... Because of the city of Arkansas, I couldn''t stop expecting the sound of bells to know the time..." Lyan let out a sigh as he put down the mug filled with hot milk on the table. He''s not inside a pub, nor an inn. He''s not even inside a building. Lyan is currently sitting on a chair with a table prepared before him in the middle of the wilderness, not so far from the main highway going all the way to the north. With his wagon and horse parked nearby, he''s enjoying the night as he takes the spot where he could gaze at the sky while savoring the taste of the hot milk. Because of that, he could no longer hear the bells that show the time in Arkansas. "18 hours of travel, I could already feel the difference in temperature here..." Lyan rubs his hands when a cold wind passed him. The difference in temperature between the city of Arkansas and the north could already be felt, and he couldn''t help but wonder whether the further north would be even much colder. (But it''s fine. Cold is great. Rather than hot ces, cold is the best, isn''t it~ You could enjoy your hot drinks, drink book, andze around in a better mood, after all, ~) (Lyan) Thinking about how he would spend his time and enjoy his money from being a mercenary for just several weeks made a grin imprinted on his face. (Stop that grin, it''s disgusting) (Griselda) "Shut it. Can''t you just let me enjoy this my second life calmly?) (Lyan) (Your expression looks like a person''s with no future) (Hestia) "Well, I hope I have a future where I don''t have to think much about the future, though," (Lyan) (And you call yourself a man?) (Hestia) "There are only several things that you need to be a man, dear Hestia the great spirit. At the very least, I have the very most important thing. And it''s a great key for me and the ''power'' the gods bestowed me in this world," (Lyan) Of course, it''s ''that''. (Pervert bastard...) (Griselda) As if getting exhausted in Lyan, Griselda''s voice got smaller and further away as she went to look for other fun things to do inside the grimoire''s space, more precisely, inside Lyan''s apartment room. "But sure... Being a Mythril-ranked mercenary and a famous guy sure has some quirks. I got the wagon and the horse really quick~ Well, not really d about the horse, though," (Lyan) At the time he bought the wagon he used to be a bait to trap Jean and hisckeys, Lyan bought another wagon that will be used for his real journey. Because of his Mythril-ranked mercenary tag and his fame, he got it for quite cheap. (Well, he almost gave me for free in exchange for me putting his merchant name on the wagon, though...) (Lyan) "More importantly..." Lyan shifted his gaze and a huge ck figure is looking at him condescendingly. "What are you looking at, you aggressive horse?" (Lyan) Yes. When Lyan went to confirm his leave from the city, he found out that the guild had officially made the decision of gifting him the ck horse as a form of a gift. But in Lyan''s eyes, it''s more like them getting ''rid'' of him in a some kind of useful way rather than gifting it to him. Lyan had someints about it, but he must admit that the ck horse is not just quick, he''s strong and smart as well. He believe that the horse could even understand his words as well. "If only that you don''t get angry easily and keep onining with a face that looks like you''re saying the wagon is too heavy... You would be a perfect horse," (Lyan) The ck horse let out a snort as if responding to Lyan''s mockery. (As expected, he understands me, isn''t he?) (Lyan) As Lyan has a ring match with the ck horse, a voice sounded inside his head. (Fufufu! What a strange but powerful horse! Isn''t it, big bro!?) (Azelia) "Azelia, huh?" (Lyan) It''s the first time Azelia strikes a conversation with him aside then when the others are with her. Her voice usually only appears when the others are rowdy, so hearing her made Lyan flinch for a moment. "You''re right. He''s a strange but tough one, isn''t he?" (Lyan) (You''re right! But that kind of people, you see. They usually came from a very rough and unfriendly environment, making them hard to believe and open up to someone! So you must try your best to act friendly to him so that you can be friends!) (Azelia) "Friendly..." Lyan stared at the ck horse. ''What are you looking at me for, fool? Where''s my food? Don''t you at least understand that you need to provide me that since I have sacrificed lots of sweat for you here?'' or what Lyan somehow imaginatively heard as he saw the horse snorted and stared at him with an annoyed look. "Whoa... His thoughts are entering my head without any need of magic. No, there''s no way I could get friendly with this guy. Not even in my grave," (Lyan) (Hehehe! But despite that, you threw the apple at it! As expected, the big bro is kind!!) (Azelia) "I am not. It''s just that I''m thinking that he might suddenly go troublesome and give me more trouble if I didn''t give him his food. It will be a great problem if he suddenly refuses to walk and pull the wagon when we continue our journey, after all," (Lyan) (Yes, yes! Big bro does like to hide it! But it''s fine!) (Azelia) "I''m not even hiding anything..." Lyan took his mug and finished down the hot milk before sending it together with the chair and the table back to the grimoire''s space. The chair and the table are the things that Lyan bought beforehand especially for his journey, thinking that he could store things inside his grimoire''s space anyway, so he should make use of that ability to the fullest and don''t need to mind about storage and luggage on his journey. "I guess it''s time to continue. Hey, we''re continuing our journey, horse. Quickly finish your food," (Lyan) Under the starry skies, Lyan with the ck horse and a wagon continues his journey towards the north. Looking at the route behind him, the image of the city of Arkansas, the House of Roses, and the girls he had grown to love appeared inside his head. "It''s been just a while, but it felt like I have been inside this world for a very long time already. It feels somehowplicated, I guess..." Lyan uttered with aplicated smile. For the incubus Lyan that had been wandering a very long time in the demon world until he finally seeded in aplishing his lifetime quest which is ying the evil dragon god, alone had been a given thing. So having a ce to return to and people he wasfortable together with felt kind of new to him. "As expected, if I have stayed even a day longer, I will never get out of that ce. I''m d I decided to leave the city as soon as possible," (Lyan) An attachment could be a blessing, but it could be a curse as well. And for Lyan that is aiming for his life filled with freedom in this world, having chains called attachment bounding him from enjoying his freedom to go around the world and find new things is something simr to the greatest curse. "It''s not like I don''t care about the girls, but I''ve decided to stay true to myself in this world. I want to explore this world and have a st! I feel bad, but this is how I am!" Lyan uttered to the empty road as the wagon suddenly started to walk on itself with having him coaching it. (That horse... I know it''s a good thing that it knows what to do without having me to order and control him manually. But it''s just his way of saying ''Shut up, be quiet and just sleep'' or something, right?) (Lyan) While Lyan slowly went his way from inside the wagon to the coachman''s seat, inside his mind, the great spirits that had grown bored from looking at the empty roads and trees started to y another game they found inside the Grimoire''s space. (Guh! The fire woman got first again! You must be cheating!!) (Griselda) (Fufufu! It''s called the merchant''s luck. You must possess considerable luck to be a great merchant, after all) (Hestia) (You must be cheating! There is no way that someone could win so much!) (Griselda) Themotion continues because of the game of snakes anddders just like Lyan''s journey to the north. (Now, what will I meet in the north, after all? Will it be another adventure, I wonder? I can''t wait...) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ <-1 Gold coin (Wagon, Table, Chair, and other purchases)> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,298,721,000 Elnes / 3298 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 1), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 113 The Dream Before The North (1) ?In the middle of the cold night forest, the crisp cking sound of a firecamp resounded calmly in throughout the forest. Following the warmth and the smell of cooked delicacies invited some wild animals and beasts to the ce, but no magic beasts or other dangerous beasts could touch the one who made the firecamp. "Good job cleaning up, thanks," (Lyan) Following their master''s words, the hobgoblins and goblin champions'' shadow servants bowed before disappearing into the darkness. But they didn''t go anywhere far, they just went to make the usual hexagon-like surveince formation around Lyan''s firecamp. "Did you eat your fill?" Lyan asked the acid ant queen that is vigorously eating a corpse of a northern wolf. When the shadow servants killed the pack of northern wolves that are silently approaching and waiting to ambus Lyan, the acid ant queen sent him a thought to let her face the leader of the pack. "You surprisingly pack quite a punch, huh?" Lyan pats the acid ant queen as she wriggles its head as if asking for more. When the acid ant queen approached the northern wolf, she made a feint to make as if she was going to battle it head-on into a battle of strength, but when the distance between them was reduced, she immediately spits a highly corrosive acidic substance, making a hole right on the northern wolves pack leader''s head. "That was quite brutal..." (Lyan) (But her way of eating is quite neat, isn''t it?) (Griselda) The acid and queen first turn the inside of the northern wolves into a soup with its melting substance, and slurp it until they got shriveled up. (And she skillfully avoids damaging the skin of the wolves for you to sell them. As expected of a queen, I guess? She possesses a high intellect as well) (Hestia) "You''re right," Lyan grab one of the remainings of the northern wolves that had turned beautifully to only fur. It felt still warm because how not long ago, there are still blood and organs touching directly into them, after all. "But I''m d the northern wolves appeared after I finished my meal. Looking at a hole that appeared because of the corrosive acid substance while blood and parts of its brains sttered was not a great image to see while eating, after all," Lyan uttered with a wry smile as he look at the bones of the Norkana sheep on top of his te. (You''re right. The meat is such a high quality, but I definitely lose my appetite if I saw something like that before my meal...) (Hestia) Seeming to have gotten full from eating all of the northern wolf soup directly from their bodies, the acid ant queenid around on the cold grass. Her body had gotten two times bigger after eating, and there are tens of egg-like things lying on the ground with white, green, and ck patterns on them. "That is..." (Lyan) Slowly, the eggs hatched, and thumb-sizedrvaes came out from the eggs. (Oh! She''sying her future retainers!!) (Arturia) The acid ant queen went to one by one and seem to feed them with something, and surprisingly, all of them went from thumb-sizedrvaes, into fist-sized pupaes, then into house cat-sized ants. About 20 of them became workers, while about 10 of them have bodies that became twice bigger as the workers. "She evolved her army in an instant..." (Lyan) As if telling him that her objective has already been aplished, the ant acid queen asked Lyan to send her and her new retainers back to the grimoire''s space with her thoughts. "Ah. Right, right. You must need to make your home as soon as possible, right? Go and make afortable underground home there," Lyan summoned the summoning grimoire and unsummoned the acid ant queen and her servants. It seems that the servants are being considered as a part of the queen, so there are no obstructions when he attempted to unsummon them and sent them to the grimoire''s space. (The speed of her army''s growth is unexpected. I might get new cards to use for battle sooner than I thought I would) (Lyan) Lyan didn''t waste himself and get negligent in his training. He continues his workout using his clothes-cursing magic while constantly attempting to strengthen his summoned creatures. But because of the battle with the goblins, the shadow goblin lord, deadlight, rock golem, and ice golem had been difficult to level up. It seems that he would need them to whether kill a certain entity in arge number, or defeat a stronger opponent to raise their experience points just like in a game. But it''s not easy to encounter such monsters unless he went deeper into the forest. Since his original n is to go to the north, Lyan decided to disregard the thought of delving deeper into the forest to experience grinding and proceed further to the north. (With the spirits except for Lilith being incapable of being summoned, I want to take less risk as possible. Even though I have be a Mythril-ranked mercenary in two weeks, this world is still too foreign to me, after all. I might encounter something I''m not prepared for because of it) (Lyan) So rather than doing experience grinding, the ice golem is currently absorbing the cold wind in the air, the rock golem is smashing rocks and collecting them into its body, and the shadow goblin lord is absorbing the darkness of the night. (Since they look like there is something improving in them when they do so, it won''t hurt for them to try doing that for a while. Now...) (Lyan) "The first town of the north, huh... Looks like it''s near. I guess I''ll head there after right away in the morning," Lyan uttered as he stretched and went inside the wagon to sleep. Actually, he could bear not sleeping longer. But the reason for his stop and rest period is that the ck horse couldn''t continuously walk for hours without any rest. And if it gets ack of sleep and nutrients, its stamina will get a considerable damage, and it might get sick as well. "I''m slowing down all because of you, you hear me, you an aggressive horse? You better be thankful to me *Yawn~* Ah, I guess I''m tired as well. Hobu, I''m counting on you," (Lyan) Lyan feels like he saw a shadow giving a nod at the corner of his eyes before he closed them, but before he could even ask himself whether its Hobu or not, a single blue screen appeared in the middle of the darkness. [Force transferring the host''s consciousness] [Entering the world of memories: Lilith Nyx Shyama] "Eh?" (Lyan) Then suddenly the sensation of getting pulled by a powerful sucking force hits Lyan''s whole body, and in the next moment- Nothing happened. He was still closing his eyes, and he could feel himself lying on his body. But for some reason, he feels like the bed he installed on the wagon had be harder. (I should have given the guy more golds... Getting lots of things including the wagon with just one gold, no wonder he would give me such a bad-quality... bed...) (Lyan) "Eh?" Lyan eximed in surprise as he saw the unfamiliar ceiling. Lyan raise his body and scanned his surroundings, only to find out that he was in an unfamiliar room. But looking at the room, it sure feels like it is a room with someone living inside. But the strange part is not that. "This... It''s a room that perfectly suits my taste..." Lyan uttered in admiration as he saw the neatly organized big bookshelf, the weapons tidily hanged and polished, and azy chair to read the book and organize one''s thoughts. "I wonder whose room this is..." (Lyan) As Lyan wondered about the room''s owner while his hand was about to stretch to the book on the bookshelf, a powerful sound of the door getting knocked several times sounded. *Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!* "Eh? Don''t tell me, it''s the owner of the room?" (Lyan) *Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!* "But I guess the owner of the room wouldn''t be knocking on the door like that, huh... So maybe..." Lyan slowly approached the door before opening it gently. "Newspaper guy?" (Lyan) Wrong. "Newspaper guy?" What appeared is not a guy, and especially not a person who spread newspapers as well. (Ah. There are no newspapers in this world, isn''t it?) (Lyan) Lyan once again observed the person standing in front of the door. She''s wearing a full-te armor, a polished sword on her hips, and a beautiful long blonde hair thatpliments her somehow familiar beautiful face. Unfortunately, she''s looking at him with a frown on her face. (Ah...) (Lyan) "The somehow woman and strong-willed castle guard captain," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Lv. 9> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,298,721,000 Elnes / 3298 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 114 The Dream Before The North (2) ?"The somehow woman and strong-willed castle guard captain," Lyan uttered in reflex when he saw the woman before him. "What do you mean by somehow, huh, Lyan?" said Auretta Viltiana, the captain of the castle guards, with a slight frown on her face. But Lyan is not in a situation where the frown of the castle guards captain before him disturbs him. He is currently focusing on the blue screen in the corner of his eyes that is showing a countdown. [3:58:23] [43:58:23] (Another 4 hours, ess, huh...? If I''m not mistaken, the previous total hours I could enter is 48 hours. So the countdown below is the current total of time I have inside the world of memories of Lilith, huh...) (Lyan) "Did you hear me, Lyan? I have a high expectation of you, and not just me, but your other superiors also have a high expectation of you, so don''t you dare embarrass me, you hear me?" Auretta takes a step forward as she seems to realize that Lyan is not paying attention. "Y-Yes..." (Lyan) "Well, you don''t seem to be having trouble because of nervousness for the tournament, I guess I worried for nothing. But it''s a great problem if you don''t pay attention to what I''m saying, keep in mind that I am still your superior, you hear me?" (Auretta) "Yes, ma''am," (Lyan) "Good. Now, let''s go. It''s almost time for the tournament. I hope you''ll yield a great result and make me proud," Auretta tapped Lyan''s shoulder before started walking towards the exit of the castle guards'' barrack. (Tournament? Me? Almost time? Did a time skip urred? A game bug?) (Lyan) There are tons of questions Lyan wanted to ask, but- "What are you spacing out for! Come and follow me, Lyan!" (Auretta) "Y-Yes, ma''am," (Lyan) As Lyan walks forward and closes his room door, he noticed that he had used the castle guard armor again. There is no change in his physique, it seems that the body he''s using inside the world of memories is the same body that he used in the outside world. Unlike before, Lyan''s body is more buffed and trained because of his workout technique. He could feel how the armor feels lighter and tighter than before. The two of them went outside the barrack, went to the stables, and fetch a horse for each of them before leaving the castle by horse. (This situation, am I somehow representing the castle guards in a martial tournament or something? It would really help if someone were to exin to me about the situation, though!!) (Lyan) As if responding to Lyan''s plea, a big blue screen appeared before him. [The Great Martial Tournament of Arzentine Kingdom. It''s an annual martial tournament held by the king and the queen to search for great talents and disy the great strength of the kingdom to the citizens] [After getting seen as apetent and diligent subordinate, the castle guard, Lyan, got chosen by the captain of the castle guards to participate in the great martial tournament representing the castle guards of the kingdom] [The participants of the great martial tournament are the soldiers, the guards, the castle guards, the soldiers of the nobles, nobles of the kingdom, knight-aspiringmoners, mercenaries, and adventurers of the Arzentine Kingdom] (The great martial tournament... So it really is a time skip, huh...? I noticed that the duration of 4 hours in one attempt is so short, so there is a time skip feature, huh... But to think that I would be chosen as the martial tournament participant...) (Lyan) "We''re here," (Auretta) Auretta''s voice forcefully brought Lyan back to reality, but when Lyan saw the building before him, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes in surprise. "Fufufu! Looking at the royal colosseum closely like this made you realize how impressive it is, isn''t it? I understand. I felt just the same way as you before, so there is nothing to worry about," Auretta nods with a nostalgic look on her face. "Now, there''s no time for dilly-dallying. We''re going in!" (Auretta) Lyan followed Auretta and entered the Colosseum. "We''ve been waiting for your presence, Lady Auretta," "It''s an honor to meet the ''Immovable Fortress'' of the kingdom," The colosseum guards bowed respectfully towards Auretta, making Lyan slightly surprised at how politely they addressed her. (I certainly remember her being called the ''Immovable Fortress'' of the kingdom. So she really is a big shot here, huh? But that response...) (Lyan) "It''s my duty toply with her majesty''s wish of my presence," Auretta replied with a refined speech and tone. Unlike a nobledy that replied while excluding an aura of elegance and beauty, her reply gives off the aura of charismatic strength and confidence of a noble general. With a single gesture from the colosseum guard, another guardes running while holding a spear in his hand, and started escorting Lyan and Auretta. (Hm? I was sure that we''ll be going to the underground since I''m a contestant, but why are we going above instead?) (Lyan) The ce Auretta and Lyan got escorted to is not the waiting room for the contestant at the underground. But They stopped at the stairs of the highest tform instead. "Wait here, Lyan," (Auretta) "Yes," (Lyan) (I guess she''s reporting her presence to the higher-ups, huh? It was said that she''s the castle guard captain working right under the queen, after all. But sure, the ce is really magnificent, huh~) (Lyan) Lyan admires how big the ce the tournament going to be held in with widened eyes. The magnificent scene is not just because of the ce''s size, but how the ce is already packed and filled with citizens not only from the nobility side, but the middle-ss and even lower are also sitting, waiting for the tournament to start as they chatter excitedly with the people around them. Looking at how bright and cheerful the citizens are, Lyan couldn''t help but think that the kingdom must be a great ce to live if those people are having such big smiles all over their faces. "And I''m going to be fighting while being observed by all of these people, huh... I''m not really good with having people''s attention, though..." Lyan muttered bitterly. At that moment, suddenly a gentle and familiar voice appeared from behind him together with a flowery scent. "Then isn''t that bad? I hope you will still be able to disy your greatest ability even so," Lyan recognized the voice. But unlike how it usually appears, rather than a voice filled with seduction and teasing, it''s an elegant and gentle voice that soothes the heart. Even though it startled Lyan for a second, Lyan swiftly turn his back and kneeled. "Your majesty, the queen," Lyan said respectfully as he kneeled. He''s dying to take a peek upwards, but he knows that it will be a great idea if he ended up offending the queen mode of Lilith, so he decided to refrain himself from doing so. (That''s right, I almost forgot) (Lyan) "...You seem to be as promising as Auretta said you are. I''m looking forward to your performance, Lyan," The queen said with a smile before turning her back and going for the royal section where the royalties will be sitting when they observe the tournament. (There is the thing with Lilith''s death. It''s the main objective of the world of memories, isn''t it? To prevent Lilith''s death in this world. I must not forget that part) (Lyan) "Now we''ve met the queen. You... Doesn''t look that surprised after meeting the queen, huh?" Auretta uttered with a slightly surprised look. "I am surprised, captain. It''s just that I don''t show it much," Lyan said as he slowly raise his body. "I see. Then that''s good. I wouldn''t want to have a stone-hearted subordinate, after all. Now let''s go, it''s time for you to prepare," Auretta immediately started going downstairs quickly as she shrugged. (Isn''t her pace seems to be a little bit fast?) (Lyan) "We need to quickly choose your weapon, report your presence, and get ready for the battle. In this tournament, you will not be using your own weapons, after all. It''s all to make sure the fairness of the fight," (Auretta) "I see... Wait, we''re going straight to getting ready for battle?" (Lyan) "Huh? Of course. Did you forget? Your match will be starting very soon," (Auretta) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,298,721,000 Elnes / 3298 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 115 The Dream Before The North (3) ?"Huh? Of course. Did you forget? Your match will be starting very soon," (Auretta) "I see, the very first match then, huh... Huh? Wait, so soon?" (Lyan) "Of course. Such tournament takes a great cost to maintain, so we need to be as efficient and on schedule as we could. Nowe on, there''s no time to spare," (Auretta) ************************************************************* "I see... So that''s why the match started right at the beginning, huh..." Lyan uttered as he stared at the scene before him. After going downstairs with Auretta, they went to the participant waiting room at the underground, but not long after, Lyan is immediately told to take a weapon and follow a staff from the tournament to get ready at the arena''s gate. "So it''s a battle royale... I guess it''s fortunate to know that I didn''t get the very first match because of my very bad luck," (Lyan) Yes, the first round is not a one vs one battle, but it''s a battle royale that acts as an elimination round. Just like in a game, the description of the event that had just urred appeared in front of his sight. [Event: The Great Martial Tournament of Arzentine Kingdom Difficulty Rank: A Rewards: The rarity of the reward will go ording to the host''s rank in the tournament] [First round of the great martial tournament, the battle royale. Remove your opponents until there are only 50 people left above the arena. Leaving the area of the arena and losing consciousness or the ability to fight will be considered as ''lost''. Using poisons, unlicensed drug buffs, and killing your opponents are unallowed. Any deliberate vition of the rule will end up in immediate disqualification, and another punishment will be given for tainting the tournament graced by the royal family. Reward for clearing the great martial tournament: Golds, weapons, and +Characters'' affection] (I see... So I just have to make sure that I survive until there are only 50 people left in the arena, huh...) (Lyan) "Now, let the first round of the tournament, Let the battle royale begin!" The elegant and refined voice of the queen mode Lilith resounded throughout the arena, bringing thunderous cheers from the audience, and a powerful roar from the participants. The gate in front of Lyan immediately opened, and he could see countless small gates also got opened from the other sides of the arena. "Now go. Make sure to make me proud," (Auretta) "I''ll try my best," Lyan grips the blunt sword in his hand and takes a single step outside the gate, and at that exact moment- *Whoosh!* "Eh?" Lyan eximed in surprise. The scenery changed. When he thought he had just taken a single step outside the gate, he felt a strange sensation on his whole body, and he suddenly find out that he was already in the middle of the arena. (That''s... Warp magic? Just how) (Lyan) !? *Tch!* Feeling a sudden sense of bloodlust, Lyan jumped forward and dodged a powerful surprise blow from behind. "Hmph! So you dodged it. Not bad, castle guard," The man snorted as he pulled his war hammer from the ground. (So they know my identity as a castle guard here, huh... No, this is not the time to get upied in my thoughts) (Lyan) "How about this!!" The man suddenly swings his body powerfully, but he didn''t move a single inch from his ce. Even his aim felt off. Rather than aiming for Lyan, he went for a straight swing, aiming his hammer at the ground. "Whoa! This guy..." (Lyan) Lyan jumped as he sensed something approaching him from below, and right after his jump, a huge pir of stone appeared from the ce he was standing before. "Earth element mana user, huh? Now that''s rare- Oops!" Lyan dodged another strike from another person before countering with a single punch, sending the man straight outside the arena. "Now that I look again, there are plenty of gems participating in thepetition. But the real direction of threats I''m sensing ising from..." Lyan shifted his gaze in the direction of the upper tform. In each section, there seem to be different factions. (So the powerful ones are acting as supervisors and judges, huh? I guess it''s also a great opportunity to search for any hidden gems from themoners and mercenaries participating-) (Lyan) !?!? Lyan shifted his gaze and pretended he didn''t peek at the audience tform after meeting the gaze of Auretta. (S-She''s staring hard...) (Lyan) Rather than giving a look of ''Do your best there'' She''s giving a vibe of saying ''What are you doing? Do more!'' from her gaze. "Guh... This is annoying. I can''t really summon my summoned creatures here either, can I...?" Lyan uttered to himself bitterly. He did hisint at the same time as he dodge a sh from another participant in a hair''s breadth. "Eh? You dodged it?" "Yeah, I did. Sorry," Lyan grabbed the man''s cor firmly before throwing him outside the arena. (From his attire, it seems like he''s amoner searching for opportunities of luck in this tournament, huh? Sorry, young man. Maybe try again next time) (Lyan) "You... Stop getting distracted!!" *Boom!!!* Another powerful blow destroyed a small part of the arena. It''s the war hammer-user from before. For some reason, he''s staring at Lyan with a gaze filled with murderous intent. (Hm... Do I have some set backstory with him ording to my character? Or did he just have a certain grudge against the castle guards? Either way, he''s annoying. Let''s throw him out of the arena) (Lyan) "You aimed at me first. me yourself for that," Lyan dashed to the man without using any mana strengthening to increase his speed. "Hmph! Not so easy!!" The moment the war hammer user was about to move his body, Lyan noticed the movement of his mana. There is a great amount of mana he''s trying to gather on his arms, considering his current speed and their distance, the mana will be gathered at the right amount right at the moment Lyan is about to shorten their distance. (He''s aiming for making a smokescreen from another ground-shattering strike, I see. But thinking that this is my fastest speed is a mistake) (Lyan) *Whoosh!* "Eh?" The man that is holding his war hammer in an overhead stance widened his eyes in surprise when he saw Lyan disappear from his sight. "Your n is too simple in the first ce. Sorry but, I''ll be borrowing your war hammer as you take some rest," (Lyan) "Eh? Argh!!!" Lyan hit the name of the man with the end of his hilt, and took the war hammer after throwing the guy outside the arena. "Now, how many are left here?" Lyan scanned his surroundings. The arena space is huge. The original number of participants exceeds 300 people, but there is still some space for people to have a rather spacious duel with each other. "Only about 200 left, huh? That''s quite fast. But my duration inside this memories of world is very limited, to begin with. I can''t waste even a single second here. I guess it''s also a perfect chance to give a test of my newly trained body," (Lyan) Lyan holds his blunt sword in his left hand while holding the war hammer in his right hand. The war hammer is heavy enough that normal people would only be able to wield it using two hands. But for Lyan- "This is the perfect weight to get wild," (Lyan) As he gripped the war hammer tightly, the muscles on his right arm flexed, and his eyes changed into the face of a beast looking for prey. "Sorry but, I''m going to win this round!" A man wearing a knight attire approached Lyan and was about to strike Lyan. His form is decent, and he attempted for a preemptive strike that is difficult to dodge for a normal person. "I got you!" That is, if the opponent is a normal person. "Wha- Argh!!!!!" Right as he was anticipating his strike to meet Lyan''s body, he felt a powerful crushing force on his body, sending his body far to the outside part of the arena. "Ah. Looks like I got too excited. I guess that amount of strength is forbidden as well. Let''s reduce the amount of force, it might be bad if I got disqualified because of killing someone unwillingly here, after all," Lyan readjust his grip on the war hammer as he cracked his neck. "I''m ready to get wild now," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,298,721,000 Elnes / 3298 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 116 Journey To The North (2) The Sudden Company ?"Ah. I returned," Lyan uttered as he saw the ceilings of his wagon and realized that he had returned from the world of memories of Lilith. "I guess I didn''t get the fatigue umted on the fight in that world, I feel rather refreshed instead," (Lyan) Inside the tournament''s first round, Lyan ended up getting too excited with the battle to the point that he had forgotten the flow of time. Right at the moment after he knocked out thest opponent and the announcer was about to announce the end of the first round, a prompt voice appeared inside his head, telling him that the duration stay inside I guess it''s time to start the day-" Lyan opened the curtain of the wagon and stopped in his tracks when he saw the scene outside. "I-It''s still dark... I forgot that the 4 hours duration in the world of memories is nothing but mere seconds here... Now, what should I do- him?" (Lyan) Suddenly, Lyan sensed several presences approaching with the speed of a running horse. They don''t seem to be trying to hide their presence, but most importantly- (Presences? But the shadow servants are ignoring them without engaging them in battle...) (Lyan) Realizing that the shadow servants and Hobu didn''t attack them, it could only mean one thing. "Allies, huh? As expected, it''s you, the valkyries, huh?" Lyan uttered with a sigh as he put back his ive when he saw the three girls riding on top of their horses. "It''s been a while, master," Surena greeted him as she skillfully jump off her horse. "Don''t call me master. And what are you guys doing here anyway? Aren''t you supposed to be continuing your journey to search for your former master? You''ve got enough funds from the goblin king subjugation to search for several years anyway, right?" Lyan asked them as he sits near the campfire. "We are searching for her, it''s just that we happen to be going towards the same route," Alice takes a sit right beside Lyan while taking out an apple from her leather bag and biting it. "The same route? To the winter region?" (Lyan) "No, Lyan. Since the incident in our kingdom, wepletely make a distance from the Astellia Kingdom. But after we discussed it with each other about it, we haven''t really searched for her inside the Astellia kingdom because of it. So we''re nning on searching through the Astellia Kingdom," (Surena) "And we remember that you''re going for a journey towards the cold north, so we thought ''Why don''t we just travel together until we reached the Astellia Kingdom'' or something? And we ended up hurrying here," (Emilia) "I see..." (Lyan) After the goblin king subjugation incident, the Valkyries somehow made a Mana Oath to Lyan and became contracted to him. Not just contracted, but they even got themselves inserted in the summoning grimoire. "We thought that it will be too lonely for the poor master to have a journey by himself, he even left his girls back in the city, after all. So we thought that we could apany and service you along the way, good thinking, right?" Emilia gives a thumb up with a big grin. "I see. I was thinking of letting out my load at the brothel in the next town. I guess there is no need to waste my money on them then," (Lyan) "Y-You didn''t even flinch... Eh?" (Emilia) Realizing that Lyan is staring at the valkyrie crest on her, Emilia realized that after the mana oath, she wouldn''t be able to defy Lyan''s words as her master. "W-Well, I don''t mind if you actually do so though? B-But so suddenly is..." (Emilia) "What are you acting so flustered for? Aren''t you the one who brings up that topic in the first ce?" Alice snorted. "A-Alice! Whoserade are you!?" (Emilia) "I''m yourrade, but I''m his servant at the same time. I wouldn''t be able to betray my master, aren''t I? In the first ce, he''s your master too, right?" Alice uttered indifferently. "S-she''s right... But at least... At least, I want to experience love too... It''s unfair that Rena was the only one who got to experience it... In the first ce, men mostly flock around Rena and Alice since I look too rough and less girly than them..." Emilia started muttering things under her breath. "Stop your scary curse chantations. I''m not going to touch you. I have plenty of money to buy a service from a high-quality brothel anyway. So? Did you hurry here just for us to travel together? Is there any urgent message you want to convey to me?" Lyan shifted his gaze towards Surena. "There''s no urgent message, but there is a certain message from Lichia. This," Surena handed a bag that seems to be filled with coins to Lyan. "This is?" Lyan asked as he epted the bag. "It''s the reward for the looted items from the goblin king''s subjugation. You must forget that Lichia told you about how the appraisals of the looted items are getting dyed because of the quantity, right? She was quite mad and worried when she showed me the farewell letter you sent her before your departure," Surena said with a small sigh. "Ah... Ipletely forgot about it. So this is the money from selling the magic ax from the goblin champion variant and other looted items huh... Looks like I got more money to spend on the northern brothels then," Lyan casually tossed the bag inside the wagon without even taking a peek at the amount inside. (From the weight and the size of the bag that is quite big, there are hundreds of them inside, huh? I guess it''s difficult to bring a chest filled with gold while riding a horse, so she brought them with that bag instead) (Lyan) "Ah. Do you guys need some of the money? I''m currently having too much for me to spend anyway," (Lyan) "Our portion of reward from the goblin king subjugation is still far than enough for us, mas- Lyan. We could buy some better equipment and rent high-quality lodgings without having to care about money for a long time with this," Surena tapped on her armor that seems to be brand new. "I see. Then that''s good. You must be tired, how about-" (Lyan) "Hey, master. No, Lyan," Alice suddenly tugged his cloak from the side. "Hm? What is it?" (Lyan) "You seem to be in a rather good rtionship with Lichia and Rea. Rea said that she''s shipping Lichia with you while giving a side note that she''s also aiming for you. Looking at their faces when they mentioned you... Did you sleep with them yet?" Alice asked while staring directly into Lyan''s eyes with a pair of mysterious eyes. (Those eyes... I don''t know whether she''s interested or not. But she won''t be asking if she''s not interested, isn''t she?) (Lyan) "I didn''t sleep with any of them yet," Lyan replied with a shrug. "Yet," (Emilia) "Hm?" (Lyan) "Yet! You said ''Yet'', didn''t you!? So you really are aiming for them as well, aren''t you!?" (Emilia) "Well, the two of them are beautiful. And it''s not like I''m going to force them or trick them to do it anyway. It''s just that if they let me, then I''ll dly take up on the offer," Lyan replied indifferently. Emilia slightly blushes, while Surena slightly twitches when they saw Lyan''s indifferent response. While their otherrade in other hands- "Ooh!!" Alice''s eyes sparkle as she holds Lyan''s fist with both hands. "What are you doing?" (Lyan) "An aloof pervert that won''t force his way. You''re like the main character of the storybook that I''ve read at the kingdom before. The guy that could easily sleep with a hundred girls whenever town he goes. The story said that he could go five rounds with those a hundred girls in one night and in less than four hours! Are you capable of doing the same thing as well?" (Alice) "That''s messed up in more than one way, but more importantly, it doesn''t make sense. To do five rounds with a hundred girls in one night in less than four hours, just how many meat rods does the guy have? What kind of shitty story did you read...?" (Lyan) "Eh? It was a popr story that is considered a bestseller in the whole kingdom back then, though? Not only men, but even women also love to read the story back then. Right, Surena? Emilia?" Alice shifted her gaze towards her two best friends that could only reply with a shameful nod. "I see... Make sure to note how strange the taste of the Kasmiran people is in a history book. Ah..." Before Lyan could question how the people of the Kasmira kingdom could have such a strange book famous around the kingdom, the sun had already risen up. He conversed with the valkyries too intensely that he didn''t realize how long the conversation went on. "Well, looks like it''s time to continue the journey," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ <+500 Gold Coins> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,721,000 Elnes / 3798 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 117 Journey To The North (3) Togre ?*ROAR!!!* A thunderous roar resounded throughout the forest. "Dodge!!" (Alice) Right after the moment of Alice''s notice, the three valkyries jumped back and retreated. At the same time, the ground where they stood before got savagely torn by the magic beast before them. "Now! Attack the Togre!!" (Alice) Togre. A huge tiger that is capable of standing with its both feet like a bear. There are books that consider them as a variant of an ogre with a hide of a tiger, and other books that group the Togre as a whole different magic beast from an ogre. But the reason why the Togre is considered as a variant of an ogre with a hide of a tiger is not just a baseless assumption based on its tiger-like hide. But it''s because of the ability of the monster. A Togre possesses a powerful strength rivaling or even stronger than a normal ogre, while having great dexterity and speed just like a tiger. The speed and strength beyond an average men''s ability made the Togre a fearsome opponent and ssified as an A-rank monster. But of course, it''s fearsome only for average men. "Here Ie!! Take this!!" Holding her new greatsword, Emilia rushed towards the Togre with a great momentum. The Togre didn''t idly wait for her attack, looking at her speed which is slightly inferior to itself, the Togre confidently rushed head-on toward Emilia with its tiger-like speed. But when the Togre jumped and was about to pounce on her, Emilia stopped in her tracks and swings her greatsword with a speed that didn''t match with her running speed. The giant ws of the Togre that were supposed to be shredding her into pieces met her greatsword, but together with the loud sound of metals colliding, there is also a sound of something cracking. !?!? The Togre realized how much in great danger it is when the ws it used to strike at Emilia cracked. But of course, the experienced Mythril-ranked mercenaries, the Valkyries won''t let the opening goes wasted. "You''re full of opening," From above a tree, Surena leaped with a speed boosted by the wind magic from her magic sword, and swiftly unleashed five wind mana-imbued shes to four different points of the Togre. The first strike is aimed solely at the neck, but after feeling the hard sensation, she precisely aimed at the parts with fewer muscles as well like its knee pits and its armpits. (Its muscle on the neck is as hard as a metal. I guess that magical-like attribute is what makes it considered as a monster and a magic beast, huh?) (Surena) "Alice," (Surena) "Roger, it''s the finishing blow," Alice that is standing right before Emilia applied force to her feet and made a powerful leap as she made a thrusting stance. "It''s checkmate, bye, beast," (Alice) *Thrust!!* The Togre that lost its ability to stand and block because of Surena''s attacks didn''t even give the chance to open its mouth to try to retaliate with a bite as Alice made a hole in its forehead at a terrifying speed. "Hm. That went considerably well," Alice uttered in satisfaction as he swings her sword and get rid of the blood. "What do you think, Lyan? We didn''t deal with monsters often, but it doesn''t mean that we can''t handle them. Well, we''re mercenaries not adventurers in the first ce, after all," (Surena) Mercenaries usually dwell more in quests with people as their opponents rather than monsters, giving them more ess to politics, connections, and gold. While on the other hand, adventurers live mostly from killing monsters, adventuring dungeons andbyrinths, or venturing to unexplored regions. The matter like the goblin king subjugation where the mercenaries willingly take a quest filled with monster subjugation is a very rare case. Unlike adventurers, killing monsters don''t really make a mercenary considered as great as the tactics used between battling with monsters and humans greatly differ from each other. The greatest example is that in the battle of humans, not just strength, but wits takes a powerful rule. In a battle between royalties or nobles, the ability of a hired mercenary to notice the dangerous plots and defend their employer from getting killed by assassins and poisons is more important than the ability to kill a griffin. "That''s a great fight. You killed it in such a very short duration. That''s a splendid performance," (Lyan) In a normal conditions, the Togre would have retreated before Alice made her jump, and would be able to counter her by making another leap of counterattack when Alice was in mid-air. "Well, I''ve seen your fights in the goblin king subjugation anyway, so there is no need for you to make me see your fight again, isn''t it? You should have let me fight too," Lyan said with a wry smile as he stare at the ive that he has been holding since the beginning. He''s hoping that he could try doing some other moves and get more experience in using the ive in real battles, but the Valkyries insisted on him observing their fight for some reason. "Well, at the end of the battle, we kind of show you our pathetic side. So we kind of want to rewrite it by fighting a monster as strong as a goblin champion," Said Surena with an apologetic face. (I see... So that''s why they got so worked up when the Togre appeared, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan noticed that Emilia had been fidgeting for a while and remembered that at the goblin king subjugation, she is the one that got attacked first by the ck goblin champion inside the goblin king''sir. Because of that damage, the three of them ended up getting surrounded and ended up in a pinch. (I guess it''s not surprising that their pride as warriors- no, as knights to bear the embarrassment of showing their weakness at a fight, huh?) (Lyan) "I see. I understand. You guys fought really well, I believe that even if you register yourself as adventurers, you will obtain the same rank as you are as mercenaries now," (Lyan) The expression of the three brightens when they heard Lyan''s praise, but before they could say something, they heard a rather loud neigh from the direction of the wagon. Lyan take a peek to the side, and saw that the ck horse is staring at him with a very annoyed face. ''Stop flirting and acting cool, let''s quickly continue our journey'' (Seriously that horse... Show a bit sign of respect to your master, would you?) (Lyan) Letting out a sigh, Lyan stretches his hand and sends the corpse of the Togre to the Grimoire''s space. Of course, He sent it not to inside the house since the spirits will attempt to kill him if he do so, so he send it to a ce fairly distanced from the house. "With this, the skeletons inside there will drain the blood and skin the hide. When it''s time for a meal, the meat is ready to cook. Damn, having the skeletons got trained by the spirits as servants surelyes in handy," Lyan didn''t expect that the time when he will be benefitting from the great spirits training the skeletons as servants wille. (Fufu! Brilliant, right? It''s a brilliant thinking of me to make use of the skeletons for these kinds of troublesome tasks) (Hestia) The idea of ordering them to process the corpses of the monsters and magic beasts he hunted was suggested by Hestia. Since she casually took five of the hobgoblin skeletons as her private servants that she ordered around to make tea, clean the house, and other orders, she told him why doesn''t he use them to process the monsters'' corpses rather than him doing it manually. "Yeah. Luckily we have the grimoire''s space. If I summoned them to this world and got caught by other people, I might get seriously targeted by the knights and the church," (Lyan) In this world, necromancers and dark magic users are often looked at negatively by the society. Because of the ability that could easily be misused, they are considered as magic that is taboo to be practiced especially for the church. "In normal fantasy stories, it''s a cliche for religions to be corrupted and messed up in a fantasy world like this, so let''s avoid making trouble with them. Hm?" Lyan stopped in his tracks as he noticed a sign on the highway. [Arkanera Town Ahead] "Nice! Looks like we''ve arrived at the first town!" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,721,000 Elnes / 3798 gold 72 big silver 1 silver Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 118 Journey To The North (4) The First Town ?Arkanera town, the first town adjacent to the city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas. It''s the town that bes the benchmark of the city of Arkansas''s territory and the Astellia Kingdom''s border. "Hm..." (Lyan) (They look unusually hostile to us... I wonder why) (Lyan) As Lyan and the valkyries paid the entry toll and entered the town, the people had been staring at them with unfriendly eyes. It''s not strange for people to have a bad image of a mercenary and became wary of them, and it doesn''t really bother Lyan that much. What piqued his interest is... (Most of them seem to be mercenaries as well, but their quality is different from the mercenaries in Arkansas. Rather, most people that I saw here are mercenaries rather than normal townsmen. Is it because of the goblin king''s case?) (Lyan) Lyan remains indifferent and continues to walk, but then his eyes met with a young townsman that seems to be in his early twenties. Not long after their eyes met, the man clicked his tongue before ring hostilely at him. "Eh? Did I do something wrong?" Lyan uttered bitterly as he wonder whether staring directly at people is considered offensive in this world. (I don''t really remember reading any book mentioning about that, though... But if that really is the culture here then I need to adapt to it to avoid causing difort unknowingly) (Lyan) As Lyan nods to himself, a haughty yet exasperated voice appeared from inside his head. ? (You really didn''t know why those men openly emitted their hostility towards you? Why don''t you see the people apanying your journey next to you first?) (Hestia) Lyan followed Hestia''s words and shifted his gaze to the side and saw Emilia, Alice, and Surena that doesn''t seem to be bothered by the gazes from the surroundings. And after looking at them, Lyan finally realized the reason for him getting stared at hostilely by the men. (I see...) (Lyan) "It''s because I''m traveling with three beauties with me, huh? So those hostile gazes are hostility filled with envy, huh...? No wonder..." Lyan uttered with a wry smile before stopping in his tracks. (Arkanera town. A town made for lodging purposes of those traveling between the kingdom and the mercenary city, huh? Most mercenaries and merchants that went from the Astellia Kingdom to the city of Arkansas or the other way around took a rest in this town before continuing their journey... That''s why there are lots of pubs, taverns, and inns here, huh?) (Lyan) There are no merchants selling various kinds of items like inside the city of Arkansas, and there are only two cksmith shops here. There is nothing really to see in the town, and maybe because of the goblin king''s case, there are some damaged buildings and fences around the town. (Nothing to see here, I guess) (Lyan) "Do you guys have any business in this town?" Lyan asked the three girls, hinting whether they will split up with each other or not. "Ah. There is a certain well-known ve trader who set up one of his biggest shops here. We''re thinking of asking him some questions first. Are you nning to continue the journey immediately, Lyan?" (Surena) "Yeah. Looks like the town is still in the middle of recovery from getting an impact from the goblin king''s rising too anyway," (Lyan) "Is it fine if to wait for us? But if you''re in a rush, then it''s fine to go ahead and continue the journey first. We''ll catch up to you as soon as we finish our matter," (Surena) *Stare~* The three of them stared at Lyan as they wait for his reply with expectant eyes. (As expected, they want me to wait for them, huh? Well, getting some rest in the town for a bit won''t hurt, I guess) (Lyan) "Fine then. I''ll wait," (Lyan) The expression of the three Valkyries brights up. "Is that so! It will probably take about 4 hours at most. We''ll try to go back to you as soon as possible," (Surena) "I''ll wait in one of the pubs. No need to hurry, just take your time so that you won''t miss any necessary information for your search," Lyan casually waves his hand and park the wagon nearby before entering a nearby pub. Lyan choose the tavern he entered without having a special reason. Since it was the closest tavern to his position before, he just decided to leisurely take time to wait for the Valkyries there. Or so the girls thought. "What are you going to order, mister?" A waitress that seems to be in her mid-twenties came asking for his orders while holding a wooden food tray in her hand. Her body seems rather toned, showing that she had been doing outdoor activation that required a decent amount of strength. Her cheerful and bold smilebined with her youthful face gives a certain charm to her. "Give me your rmended food and an alcohol. Ah, and a ss of water please," (Lyan) "Orders received~ Please wait for a few minutes~" The waitress energetically went to deliver the orders to the cook after putting a cup of water on top of the table. Usually, Lyan would admire the way the waitress walked and the shake of her butt as he drink the water served to him. But right now, there is a more important matter that he needs to put his attention to. "So? I wonder how long you''re going to tail me? Just to inform you, I have no hobby of getting tailed and stalked by a man. you see," Lyan uttered as he drink the water from the cup in front of him. But after several seconds, there is still no response from anyone. It looks like he''s having a monologue to himself rather than talking to someone. "A cloak imbued with stealth dark magic and a high-quality armor under the cloak. Not only that, the straight posture, the even footsteps, and the constant vignce of the surroundings. It''s too much for a mercenary to have all of those knight-like characteristics, don''t you think so, Mr. Royal knight captain, Julius," (Lyan) This time, Lyan released some of his bloodlust along with his words, making the man sitting right behind him twitch and almost grabbed his sword in reflex. After some moments of silence, Lyan heard a soft sighing from behind of him. "Looks like you''re aware of my presence since the very beginning, Evocatore," The man stands and went to sit across from Lyan. Even though he didn''t lower his hood, Lyan could still see his face as he raise his head. The bright and calm green eyes that seem to be brimming with confidence and strength. There is no way for Lyan to forget him as not just his annoyingly good look, but his strength and demeanor that he witnessed at the goblin king subjugation left quite an impression on him. "Forgive my rudeness for following you without your consent. Please let me introduce myself properly. I am Julius Tergimand, I''m graced with the trust to serve the royal family of the Astellia Kingdom as the captain of the royal knights. I believe you have already an idea for the reason for my presence here, Evocatore," Julius uttered in a polite and respectful yet dignified manner. "Hm... For dispatching the precious captain of the royal knight for someone like me, I''m so honored," Lyan takes another gulp of the water from the cup, emptying the inside. "It''s nothing, Evocatore. Actually, his highness intended on searching for you together with his aides himself. But since there are lots of matters that need his highness'' direct presence to be handled, he decided to dispatch me alone. It just shows how much he values you, Evocatore," (Julius) At a first nce, it looks like a normal conversation of negotiation between two people. But if someone observes Julius''s movement closely, they will realize that the left hand he''s hiding beneath the table is slightly trembling. It looks as if he''s struggling to refrain himself from holding the hilt of his sword. (Hm~ So this is the current captain of the royal guard from Griselda''s kingdom, huh? He looks quite strong, but he''s not anywhere near your level, Lyan. So don''t you think that it''s a little bit mean to scare him with the bloodlust you''repressing on your eyes?) (Hestia) "Heh!" Lyan let out a small chuckle, and the bloodlust that had been gathering inside his eyes dissipated, making Julius to let out a small sigh of relief. (So you realized it, huh? I guess I went too far with the prank. Well now) (Lyan) "Let''s just get straight to the point, shall we? Both of us don''t have the whole day, after all. So to sum it up, the prince is not satisfied with my reply to the letter I left for him. That''s why he sent you to contact me directly, am I right, captain of the royal knight, Julius Tergimand?" (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ <-5 Copper Coins (Town Entry Toll)> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,720,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 72 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 119 Journey To The North (5) The Knight From Astellia ?"Let''s just get straight to the point, shall we? Both of us don''t have the whole day, after all. So to sum it up, the prince is not satisfied with my reply to the letter I left for him. That''s why he sent you to contact me directly, am I right, captain of the royal knight, Julius Tergimand?" (Lyan) There is no bloodlust in Lyan''s words nor in his eyes, but somehow, Julius felt a great amount of pressure when he looks at his smile. "It''s not unsatisfaction, but a confirmation instead, Evocatore. Since his highness, the crown prince doesn''t like to act without something he deemed credible. So it''s just his way of trying to believe you," (Julius) "Hou. To think that the guy who holds back his strength in the middle of a life-or-death situation would say a thing about trust. I don''t really sure how to react," Lyan scoffed. "...You must be joking. In such a situation, there is no way that I could hold back my strength," Julius tried to reply calmly, but as he opened his eyes- !?!? When their eyes met, it feels like a certain purple light gleams on Lyan''s eyes. At that moment, sweat started to gather on Julius''s back. The one standing before him is a former demon who masters the way of the heart. Lying. It''s the most foolish thing to do in front of the mystical eyes of an incubus. "Well, I guess it could be a mistake in my observation as well. It might be just a mistake that I saw you hesitated whether to use the whole ability of your magic sword, and it might also be just a mistake that I saw you reading yourself to retreat alone with the prince while holding that ring in your hand," (Lyan) The purple light on Lyan''s eyes seems to get brighter. Julius couldn''t help but feel pressured by them. Without him realizing it, the smile on his calm face has disappeared. "So tell me, Julius. Is that really me seeing things... Or is it something that really happened...?" (Lyan) There is no bloodlust in the air, no one ring at each other, but it feels like the temperature had got severely dropped around them. "That is-" (Julius) "Here you go~ Sorry if I disturbed your serious conversation, ''kay~ But it''s my job as a waitress to deliver your food, please don''t mind me~" The waitress cut Julius''s words and put the food on top of the table. "Heh! Looks like the waitress saved you," Lyan chuckled. "........" Julius didn''t reply. (Did I corner him too much?) (Lyan) "Well, I understand the reason. You have your priorities, and in that situation, your highest priority is the crown prince. That time, you were waiting for the crown prince''s order before you could unleash your real power, right?" (Lyan) "Thank you for understanding..." (Julius) "Don''t mistake me. I''m not saying you''re right, but I''m not saying you''re wrong either. it doesn''t sit well with me for you to hesitate when you saw women and even young girls getting taken hostage by vile creatures like goblins. If you and the crown prince swiftly take a decision even though it''s quite risky, the chance for you to save them sessfully without casualties is high. And that''s a fact," Lyan took the knife and casually cuts the meat before him before putting the piece inside his mouth. (Whoa! This tastes great! What is this meat? Is it pork?) (Lyan) "I won''t deny your statement since it really is a fact. But back to the topic. I believe you''ve heard, but the crown prince is gathering people with great potential like you under his wings. If you ept this offer, his highness will definitely grant you an important position and a great wealth. He also mentioned about the opportunity of you getting a nobility title," (Julius) "After having a conversation with you directly, I must say that my opinion of you had heightened drastically. You have not just great strength, but you have the level-headedness and the ability to make a precise decisions. You don''t have much greed, you have a strong self-principle, and the most important thing is, your eyes are emitting with kindness. I like it," Julius uttered grimly. "L-Like?! A-Ahem! T-This is our rmended fruit wine. Please enjoy it, dear customer," The waitress that was so energetic before somehow has her facepletely flushed as she put the fruit wine on top of the table. When she returned to the counter, Lyan''s keen hearings caught her excited mutterings. ''L-Like!? Did that hot guy just c-confessed with the guy before him!? W-What should I do, I want to hear more...'' (Whoa... Shepletely misunderstand when she heard it, didn''t she? Ah... What a pain... Not only did I have to talk with a guy with a pretty face, I even got caught up in such a troubling misunderstanding...) (Lyan) And right at that moment, the more troubling voices appeared from inside his head. (Whoa... So you got confessed to, master? Whoa! He''s aplete hottie, isn''t he!? What will you answer? What will you answer?) (Lilith) (I''m not answering anything. Stop your fantasies, idiot subus) (Lyan) (Hm~ He''s rather cute. I never thought you swings that way too) (Griselda) (I don''t! I''m apletely straight guy!) (Lyan) (Hm? Big bro likes that handsome big bro?) (Azelia) (I don''t. And somehow hearing him getting called handsome is annoying me...) (Lyan) (Isn''t it fine, though? I''mpletely fine if you swing that way, though. There is nothing to be ashamed of, isn''t it?) (Hestia) (Like. I. Said. I don''t swing that way!!) (Lyan) (Boys love... How foolish... But somehow interesting...) (Eira) (Eira? Is that Eira''s voice?) (Lyan) (*Pant!* *Pant!* *Pant!* A forbidden love of the society... It''s a holy fruit of pure feelings given by the goddess of love! A miracle! You should embrace the blessing wholeheartedly, master!! The blessing from the goddess of Men''s love!!) (Cynthia) (I''m not epting such goddess''s blessings!!) (Lyan) *Sigh!* Lyan let out an exasperated sigh as the bombarding ofments came from the denizens inside his head. He could hear themughing wholeheartedly inside the grimoire''s space house. (They''repletely messing with me, aren''t they...?) (Lyan) "The crown prince- No, the Astellia Kingdom wants you, Evocatore. Not only your strength, but also your wisdom and unique perspective. Would you ept the offer?" Julius asked passionately with an expectant look while beingpletely oblivious to the eyes of the surroundings. "My reply remains the same. When the time is right, I will join your faction. It would be easy to find you anyway," Lyan replied with a smile. "By joining, then could I take it as a positive response towards his highness''s invitation?" (Julius) "Yes, I guess you can say that," Lyan replied before wiping his mouth with a cloth and putting down the fork and knife on top of the now-empty te. "I see! Looks like his highness will be in high spirits for several weeks ahead because of this news!" Julius''splexion brightens as he received Lyan''s confirmation. ''Oh! His confession got replied to positively! H-How lovely...'' The sound of the imaginative waitress once again entered Lyan''s keen ears, making him to make a wry smile on his face because of it. (I guess there will be no point in trying to correct her, huh?) (Lyan) "Captain of the royal knights-" (Lyan) "Please just call me Julius," (Julius) ''L-Lovers'' special name callings!'' (Dreamy waitress) (It''s not! It''s just his usual name!) (Lyan) "Then Julius. Do you mind continuing our conversation in a small walk?" Lyan asked with a gentle smile, but his eyes are staring at the corner of the ce while hiding the bloodlust beneath them. "...I see... Let''s do so," Julius raised his body as he nods, confirming that he realized what Lyan meant. "Ah! Are you leaving, dear customer~ The total is-" (Waitress) Before the waitress could finish her words, Lyan put one big silver on top of the table before saying- "It''s a little gift. The food and the fruit wine are great. Thanks for the delicious meal," (Lyan) "I-It''s our pleasure!! Thank you very much, dear customer!! By the way," The waitress approached Lyan and whispered in a small voice. "(Congrattion on your rtionship! I hope you have a fun date!)" (Waitress) (Should I take back the big silver, I wonder?) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ <-1 Big Silver> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 120 Journey To The North (6) Unwanted Company ?(Looks like the damage is quite considerable at the corner of the town, huh...) (Lyan) On the east side of the town, there are more broken houses, burntnd, and traces of blood. Lyan noticed that there had been some attempt on concealing the remains of the tragedy, but several days are not enough to clean up the ce perfectly. Because of the goblin king''s uprising, there are lots of men dying and women getting raped. Setting aside the mercenaries, the local people that lived from foraging, farming, and other local activities were the ones that experienced the most damage from the goblin king''s uprising the most. With the considerable hit to the poption, the people need to work harder for a while to revive and maintain the economy within the town. "I guess this is far enough?" Lyan asked the royal knight captain following behind him. "Indeed. If it''s here where there are no people and filled with debris from the battle with the goblins, it will be very convenient for me, Evocatore," Julius''s right hand slowly went to the hilt of the sword on his waist. (That ive... He didn''t use one at the battle with the goblin king...) (Julius) Looking at the big and heavy-looking ive on Lyan''s hand, Julius couldn''t help but get curious about his choice of weapon. (It looks like it''s very heavy, but yet, he''s holding it like it''s nothing. As expected, his strength is something that can''t be underestimated) (Julius) "You see, I believe that you shouldn''t put too much focus on me right now, you know?" (Lyan) "Indeed," (Julius) !!! Sensing dangering, Julius swiftly tilts his head backward. *Thrust!* Failing tond on Julius''s head, the knife continue to fly over and stuck to the wall of a broken house. "How embarrassing. I got too focused on tailing you and in our conversation and ended up didn''t notice that I was getting tailed as well. It seems that I keep on showing you my pathetic side," Julius uttered with a wry smile as he unsheathes his sword. "Not really. I remember some of their faces. Some of them had already been ring at me since the first time I entered the town. It seems that my presence inside this town had already been anticipated. Well, I do openly state that I''m going to have a journey to the north, so I guess it''s not surprising, huh?" Lyan shrugged as he stared at the crown that started to unconcealed themselves. (Warriors, archers, no magicians, huh?) (Lyan) "There are about 40 of them. Judging from the knife throwing, it seems that their weapons are smeared with poison. I''m not sure whether they are the remaining members of the [Crows] or not, but judging from how they leisurely make a slow entrance when they should have taken advantage of the element of surprise, they seem to be confident with their strength," (Julius) "Hou..." Lyan noticed the glow at Julius''s ring. "So you''re finally going to use that card you''ve been hiding. Are you sure it''s fine?" (Lyan) "I owe you not just my life, but the lives of the crown prince and myrades as well. And since back at the goblin king''sir, you''ve shown your secret as well. I think that it will not be fair if I don''t do the same," As Julius gathered more mana on his right hand, his ring started to shine brighter. As if gravity disappeared, his red hair and the pebbles around him slightly float in the air. (That... Is not just a simple reinforcement magic...) (Lyan) Suddenly, violent winds started to appear around them. (Wind? This is wind magic?) (Lyan) (Gale fortification... Such a high-leveled andplex spell... That kind of spell was imbued on such a ring?) (Sylphia) Hearing the wind''s great spirit, Sylphia''s reaction. Lyan unconsciously made a big grin on his face. "Looks like the title of [Captain of the Royal Knights] is not just a mere title!" (Lyan) *Whoosh!* Dozens of arrows flew aiming at the both of them. There are only 6 archers, so each of them must have shot more than 1 arrow simultaneously. "Tch!" One of the archers clicked his tongue as the arrows easily lost their momentum because of the violent winds. But their attack doesn''t finish there. "Eat this!" A big man suddenly threw a boulder aimed at Julius with great momentum. "Trying to stop the magic, huh? Hm?" Julius easily dodged the boulder, but the moment hended at the side, three swordsmen had already waiting for him with their swords ready. (Their reaction speed is great, but-) (Julius) "You''re still too slow," (Julius) Julius skillfully lunged to the right and evaded the sword of the man at the knight before making a clean cut to the bare stomach of the man with a spin. But his attacks don''t stop there, wind mana gatheredbined with his non-attributed mana gathered on his feet, and just like a wind. *Whoosh!* Julius skillfully killed not just the three, but the other four people that attempted to ambush him in such a short duration as well. But when he was about to continue to the next target, an unexpected thing urred. The ground suddenly shooks, and Julius felt a sense of dangering from below him, making him to jump back in reflex. "Wha-" (Julius) His instinct turns out to be spot on. The ground where he was standing before suddenly splits and a big earth stake appeared from the ground with terrifying momentum. (Earth magic? Is there a magician?) (Julius) Julius searched for a magician amongst the crowd, but rather than stopping at a person, his eyes stopped at a certain item instead. (The gauntlet that masked huge guy is using... There is a big magic stone embedded in it. They even have a magic item with them?) (Julius) "As expected of the Astellia Kingdom''s famous royal knight captain. Your strength and reaction speed are on another whole level," A bumptious voice appeared from the masked big man. He''s holding a greatsword with both of his hands, and it''s visible that he''s a whole different league from the ones Julius just killed. "Magic items and well-equipped members... You, you''re one of those dark mercenary troupes, aren''t you?" (Julius) Dark mercenary troupes. They are mercenary troupes that are not registered in any mercenary guild, and they especially avoid the city of mercenaries and merchants of Arkansas to avoid getting bound by thew of the mercenary guild. They mostly took shady jobs that involves bounty, assassination, and dirty jobs from wealthy people. "Hm... So you knew. *Snap!*" Not long after the man snapped his fingers, even more members appeared and surrounded them. (Their number increased... It was only around 30 before, but it''s about 100 people now...) (Julius) "You look very calm, Mr. Royal knight captain. I wonder how long could you maintain that calm expression of yours. Archers! Loose!!" More arrows than before loosened and aimed toward him. Getting even a single hit from those poisoned arrows would mean the end, so once again, he unleashed the wind mana stored on the ring and blocked all of the arrows. "Hahaha!! How long will that wind magic of yours remain, I wonder!? Now, how about we aim at your friend there as well? Aim at the famous mercenary Evocatore too!" Following the man''s words, another group of archers appeared on the other side. *Tch!* (It''s impossible to block the arrows from two directions at the same time. And our distance from each other is too far to begin with) (Julius) "Loose!!" *Whoosh!* "I won''t make it!" Because of the wind mana source is the magic ring and not his natural mana, he can''t manipte the mana skillfully enough to make a wind barrier on two sides at the same time. But somehow, he doesn''t feel so agitated. Rather- His eyes couldn''t help but stick at Lyan as he stare with anticipation of what kind of response Lyan will do. !?!? *SLASH!!* "Wha- Impossible..." The leader of the dark mercenary troupe uttered in shock as he saw the scene before him. "He... Create a gush of wind strong enough to stop the arrows just by swinging his ive!? Just how strong and quick is he!?" The leader of the dark mercenary troupe shouted. Of course, Lyan''s attack doesn''t stop there. As he focus his strength and mana on his feet, he moved very quickly enough to surprise the mercenaries aiming at him. And when he arrived right in the middle of the crowd. *SLASH!!!!* A single full-power and full-spin swing. By putting all of his muscles and injecting his mana into his arms, the dark mercenaries that got stunned for a moment because of his speed ended up getting sliced up mercilessly in a single sweep. "This feels nice. Looks like I chose the right weapon to use," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 121 Journey To The North (7) Dark Mercenaries ?*Tch!* "I guess the thing about him ying the goblin king is not just a stroke of luck, huh!?" The leader of the dark mercenary troupe thrust his great sword to the ground, and abundant earth mana gathered around him. *Crack!* This time, the magic is on arger scale than before. "Earth walls... Blocking us from each other, huh..." Julius uttered as he saw the huge earth wall that is at least 20 meters tall that separates him and Lyan. "All of you focus your attacks on the target!! I will hold off the royal knights'' captain together with the other leaders!!" """Yes, Boss!!!""" The amount of voices replying seems to be as many as before. (Did more of theme as reinforcements?) (Julius) "Sorry, royal knights captain. Even though we''re not affiliated with the mercenary guild, we''re still professionals, you see... We take our job seriously and try our best toplete our job. No matter what the price is that is," The leader of the dark mercenary troupe said with a malicious smile. Standing beside him are three men with different kinds of weapons. There are a spear-user, an archer, and an axe-wielder. *Whoosh!* The archer loosened his arrow. Julius immediately responded with his wind magic, but- (It breaks through the magic? So it''s a magic weapon!) (Julius) Julius barely dodged the arrow because of histe response. If it''s not for his [Gale Fortification], he would not have had enough time to dodge and the arrow will hurt him, getting him the poison that had been smeared at the head of the arrow. "Don''t tell me..." Julius focused his eyes and noticed that not only the archer, but there are also a magic stone on the axe user and the spear user. "All of them are magic weapons? Looks like you got quite the wealth to get a hold on such valuable items..." (Julius) "Heh! Our employer is a great man, you see... Every operation payment is extremely big, and he doesn''t hesitate to equip us with such expensive equipment. You could say that he''s a great investor, I guess?" (Leader of the dark mercenary troupe) "Ah... I haven''t introduced myself yet, didn''t I? I am the leader of the [League of Felons] dark mercenary troupe, Loris Sadav! I believe you''ve heard my name at least once, don''t you, Julius Tergimand!!" (Loris) "Loris... Sadav..." Julius widened his eyes. It''s a name that he won''t forget. The reason is that the man was one of the leading leaders of the army that invaded the nation of the girl he was once in a rtionship with. "You... The budget to get a hand of such valuable magic equipment, the ability to gather such quick and urate information, and the wicked mind to make such a wicked n. Your employer is obviously the same man that his highness and I have been fighting against for all these years..." Julius lowered his head. "Hm? What are you muttering about, Julius Tergimand?" (Loris) "I should have known... That sudden invasion was all part of his ploys as well... To think that he even has such a powerful dark mercenary troupe under his sleeves..." Julius gripped his sword tightly to the point that his arm trembled. "What? You lost your will to fight? What a letdown. I guess there is no need to drag this any longer. Burn him," (Loris) Following Loris''s orders, the spear user took a stance for a big motion throw. A bright red light then shone all over his spear, and- *WHOOSH!!* He didn''t throw his spear, but a huge spear of me appeared and rushed towards Julius that is standing still with his head lowered. "To think the end of the famous captain of the royal knights would be so pathetic. I''m disappoint-" (Loris) "Magic sword art: [Hurricane]," A clear voice appeared beneath the mes, and suddenly- "Wha- What are these winds?" (Loris) The huge spear of me disappeared because of the sudden emergence of the violent winds. But the attacks of the royal knight captain don''t stop there. "Magic sword art: [Wind Step]," (Julius) !?!? "Shit!" Julius suddenly appeared behind the spear user, startling him. The spear user managed to regain hisposure and was about to take a defensive stance, but he still won''t be able to match the speed of Julius. "I''m sorry but, I can''t let any of you live," (Julius) !!!!!!!!!! "Hieee!!!" The spear-user shrieks as the sudden appearance of a terrifying pressure made him lose his strength. Julius''s floating red hair and his green eyes that are gleaming with a dangerous light, the terrifying bloodlust made the spear user sure about his death. "Die," Julius mercilessly swings his sword at a terrifying speed, but- *nk!* He felt a great rebound force as his sword collided with Loris''s greatsword. "Retreat!" Loris stomped his foot to the ground, and a big earth stake appeared from the ground, aiming at Julius, forcing him to retreat. "Tch!" Julius clicked his tongue as he realized that he failed to kill the spear user. Julius and the Loris''s faction stare at each other for a while as they observe each other, waiting for someone to move. But at that moment, Loris and the other three dark mercenaries realized something strange. "Boss, there is no sounding from the other side of the wall!" (Archer) "You''re right... It''s strange. But to check on the situation, we first must defeat this guy first-" (Loris) *Boom!* A loud sound of something big crashing with arge force sounded, disturbing Loris''s words. *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!!!!* "Wha-" The five people including Julius widened their eyes as they saw therge wall crumble, revealing a tall man holding a huge ive with a fearless smile on his face. "Impossible..." The spear-user uttered as he saw the scene before him. It''s not because of how the wall crumbled, but because of the horrible scene beneath the crumbled wall. "He killed... More than a hundred people... Without getting a single scratch!?" The archer let out a shout that was simr to a shriek. "Yo, sir captain of the royal knights. I''ve taken care of the small fries on this side. Do you need some help? It seems that the ones you''re facing are quite the troublesome lots, after all," Asked Lyan as he rest his ive on his shoulder. "As expected of the goblin king''s yer. Your strength is very impressive. I guess I need to try harder to make sure I don''t embarrass my country," Julius takes a single stance. He slightly crouched down, and his green eyes are shining with a dangerous glint as he make a fearless smile simr to Lyan''s. "Breakthrough," Julius suddenly moved to the middle of the four dark mercenaries with his [Wind Step]. "Magic sword art: [Crescent Moon]!" (Julius) A wave of sh imbued withpressed wind mana. At the time the sword swings, thepressed wind mana left the sword, forming into a wide-area attack wind de while retaining the original strike''s speed while bringing several folds of the original power. "Argh!" "Gah!!" "S-Shi-" The dark mercenaries other than Loris the leader failed to guard themselves on time and got their torsopletely sliced and separated from the upper body. ? "Well, well... Looks like I''m in a bad situation right now... Now what should I do-" (Loris) "Lyan!" A familiar female voice sounded from behind him. "Ah... You guys here," (Lyan) "What is happen-" Surena stopped her words when her gaze met Julius''s. She widened her eyes for a second before she shifted her gaze towards Loris, then to the corpses lying on the ground. "Are you getting targeted, Lyan?" Asked Alice as she unsheathes her sword. "Yeah. Looks like getting too famous has quite lots of demerits as well," Lyan shrugged, but when he nced at Surena, he noticed her eyes narrowing. ''Why didn''t you summon any of your summoning creatures? It''s too dangerous to fight so recklessly!'' "There''s nothing to worry, the ones I fought were all small fries, after all," (Lyan) "I see. I have lots of things I want to say, but I guess we need to question that guy first," Surena narrowed her eyes as she warmed up her mana. But then, the voice that entered her ears forced her and the valkyries to widen their eyes. "Rena, Alice, and Emilia, huh? This is getting troublesome... Facing the royal knight captain alone is troublesome enough, and that goblin king yer is a monster, having to face the three of you as well will leave me no chance of survival..." (Loris) "D-Don''t tell me..." Emilia''s hand trembled as she grips her sword tightly. "You... You are..." Surena''s face turned into a face filled with hatred. "Yes. It''s been a long time, is it not?" Loris opened his mask, revealing his face. "You fucking traitorous bastard, Loran Lavrayn!!!!!" (Alice) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 122 Unexpected Relation ?"Yes. It''s been a long time, is it not?" Loris opened his mask, revealing his face. "You fucking traitorous bastard, Loran Lavrayn!!!!!" (Alice) (Loran Lavrayn?) (Lyan) As the three Valkyries are about to dash in rage, the man, Loris, suddenly raised his right hand. "I guess it will only be suicide if I continue to fight alone. It''s annoying, but I''m going to need the help from you guys," Together with the snap of Loris''s fingers, dozens of hooded figures appeared from beneath the broken houses. "How shameful. After such confident statement about your absolute win and surefire of the operation, you got all of the men lent to you to die just by fighting two people. What a shameful guy you are, how disappointing," The masked man in a hooded cloak uttered. His voice sounded hoarse, but ording to his appearance, he seems to be the same member of [Crows] that Lyan once fought before. But somehow, his voice is different from the leader of the [Crows] that Lyan knew. (As expected, the ones we killed are not all of them. But that guy before was not the leader? From his attitude, he seems to be in a sort of a higher-up as well. Seems like they have a rather unique organizational structure) (Lyan) "It''s the same for you. You must have seen the flow of the battle from the sidelines since the beginning. If you had joined the battle since the start, we would have already won the battle by now even before the valkyries came," (Loris) "Surely you jest. You must be a fool to say so. My men would have gotten killed by that monster called Evocatore if I do so. It''s foolish to waste the men I trained so hard for just one man, after all," The man said with a scoff. (Who are you calling monster, huh?) (Lyan) "Oh? Who do we have here? Isn''t it the former knights of the ruined country? To meet the one who contributed greatly to the destruction of your homnd, what a messed up fate you have here," The man stared condescendingly at Surena and the others. "That bastard... Surena! Emilia! Alice! Don''t get riled-" Lyan stopped his words and widened his eyes when he shifted his gaze toward them. He thought that they would get engulfed by hatred and will blindly attack the man and Loris, but the three of them are showing an unexpected reaction to the mockery. "Surena? Emilia?" (Lyan) The two of them are staring at Loris and the cloaked man with pale expressions. Their eyes are widened, their body seems to be frozen, and they seem to be slightly trembling. Lyan could see the hint of fear dwelling inside their eyes. Except for one girl. "Looks like they lost themselves," The cloaked man threw two knives urately aimed at Surena''s and Emilia''s heads. "Tch! Emilia! Rena!! Wake up!!" Alice clicked her tongue as she pulled the both of them back, evading the knives thrown by the cloaked man. It took only several moments for Lyan to realize what happened. When he looks to the side, there are broken buildings, corpses, and blood all over the ce, and standing in front of them are the ones who are behind the destruction of their kingdom. (The scene made them rey the traumatic memory inside them and made them lost inside their mind, huh) (Lyan) "As expected of the calm and collected, Alice. Never lose your cool and always have your mind focused on taking the best course of things. I''m impressed," Loris made a gentle smile as he praised Alice. "Don''t talk to me as if you know me, you bastard... If not for you-" (Alice) "If not for me? What? if not for me, you won''t suddenly return to the kingdom and saw all of the people you know died including your family and your friends?" (Loris) Alice clenched her teeth as she gripped her sword tightly to the point that she started to drip some blood from her hands. But if she mindlessly attack forward, she wouldn''t be able to protect Emilia and Surena that are in a state where they can''t fight as they usually do. If the other hooded men, members of the [Crows] attacked, she must be ready to defend her friends with her life. On the other side, the malicious words of Loris are causing an even greater effect on Surena and Emilia. The scenes that he mentioned seems to be getting reyed all over their mind as their eyes seem to be staring at the air in horror. "I remember it clearly... The feeling of giving out the orders to kill your families slowly. The excitement when I shed the head of the Ekaitza''s head. The moment when-" Loris stopped his words and blocked the iing sword. But the strength is too strong that he couldn''t help but get thrown out of his bnce. "Damn. That was-" (Loris) !!!!!????? Loris suddenly stop his words when his eyes met the gaze of Lyan. He''s not emitting his murderous intent openly, but he could feel the seeping terror hiding beneath his eyes. "Evocatore, huh... Such a monstrous strength. Let''s retreat here, Loris. The n is already failed," The cloaked man takes out a ball out of his pocket. "But if you look at it, the two valkyries are currently not in a state of battle. Even if we attack now-" (Loris) Suddenly, a change of course of events urred. "[Wind step]," (Surena) Surena that should have been trembling in terror behind Alice suddenly appeared before Loris. "Surena!!!" (Alice) (Such speed! But-) (Loris) "Walking your way right before me, you''ve just dug your own grave, Valkyrie!!!" With a slight raise of his hand, Loris moved the ground below Surena''s footing, forcing her to lose her bnce. Such carelessness leaves a huge opening from all sides, making her vulnerable to attacks. "Wait, Loris. Dodge!" The cloaked man shouted. Noticing something strange, Loris halt his attack and jumped backward. Right at that moment, countless wind des appeared and struck the ground where he was standing before from above. (She unleashed those wind des beforehand?) (Loris) Loris observes Surena''s expression. Her eyes are narrowed, and there could be only bloodlust and madness within them. She''s gritting her teeth as saliva is dripping from her mouth like a beast. He couldn''t see where the elegant knight Surena was in her current state. "Getting yourself absorbed by anger, seems like you''ve not grown yet, Surena," (Loris) Loris stomped his right foot on the ground, and Surena''s feet suddenly got absorbed into the ground, depriving her mobility. "But this time, I''ll make sure you have no opportunity to grow any longer!!!" Holding his greatsword in an overhead stance, Loris gathered his mana on his arms and greatsword. At the side, the cloaked man also take out his sword and aimed to attack Surena with even greater speed as well. The both of them seem to be determined to not let Surena leave alive. But of course, ''he'' won''t just watch the scene unfold and remain as a spectator any longer. *nk!* *nk!* A graceful spin that blocked both of the des perfectly, but it was also strong enough to make the both of them almost lose their grip on their weapons. But more importantly- !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? The hidden bloodlust that had only been contained within his eyes finally got unleashed. (W-What a powerful bloodlust) (Cloaked man) (Such a pressure...) (Loris) "Sorry," (Lyan) Holding Surena in one of his arms, Lyan watched the two men before him trying their best to withstand the enormous murderous intent he was emitting. "But she''s mine," (Lyan) His eyes gleamed with a dangerous purple light, and his gaze made the both of them feel like they are going to get sucked into an abyss. Not only the both of them, but the other members of [Crows] that had appeared also got affected by the murderous intent. It''s the bloodlust of the person that had killed countless of demons and creatures in the demon world for hundreds of years. Mere people like them won''t be able to withstand it. Some of the members of the [Crows] started to faint. Some of them lost their consciousness because of fear, while the rest of them fainted because they cannot breathe. "So you''re involved in their bad past, huh... Seems like I can no longer hold back," (Lyan) Sparks of various colors started to appear from Lyan. "I''ll have you die here," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 123 The Surging Emotions ?"I''ll have you die here," (Lyan) The temperature seems to have dropped, and the air around him had turned absolutely different. Both Loris and the cloaked guy realized how dangerous the situation is. "All of you!! Halt him even if you have to lose your lives!! Protect us!!!!" Shouted the cloaked man. "You think I will let-" Lyan is ready to dash and chase them over as he had warmed up Griselda''s lightning mana inside him. But- *Whoosh!* Dozens of arrows smeared with poison were shot and aimed toward Surena. *Tch!* Lyan stopped in his tracks and swing his ive powerful enough to send a powerful wind that stops the arrows. But that single moment is an enough opening. "Take this!!" "Die!!" "Eat this!!!!" The other members of [Crows] desperately rushed with their weapons, but their aim is not him, but Surena that is behind him. They are aware that Lyan won''t be able to chase Loris over if Surena is being attacked in her current state. "How annoying..." (Lyan) Sparks started toe out of Lyan, and before the members of the [Crows] couldnd their blows. *Rumble!* Rumble!* Sound of thunder ps appeared together, and in less than one second, dozens of men rushing towards them lost their lives and have their bodies either shed or burnt into cinders. He managed to defeat the members of the [Crows], but- "They got away, huh..." Lyan stared into the distance. There is no longer a trace of Loris and the hooded guy. They totally took the chance given by the sacrifice from the members of the [Crows]. "Hobu," (Lyan) Lyan''s shadow suddenly spread and stretched, showing several figures that seems to be kneeling towards him. "Sent two to follow them both," (Lyan) Hobu replied with a nod, and two of the shadows left Lyan''s shadow and quickly went over the direction where Loris and the cloaked guy had gone. "What a mess... Even though I was hoping for a fun and leisurely trip, here..." Lyan let out a sigh. But when he shifted his gaze towards Surena, his eyes turns cold for a brief moment. "Surena, are you ok-" (Julius) "Don''te near me!!" Surena that lost the strength of her knees fell to the ground. "Don''t you dare act friendly to me," The bloodlust Surena emitted is not a bluff. If Julius approached her now, she might really attack him aggressively with whatever she could. (She''s lost in her emotions, huh) (Lyan) "If not for you, if not for you! Everything-" (Surena) "Surena," Lyan approached Surena and lift her up in a princess carry. He did so while hiding his presence and approached her from behind. "You must be tired. You did great. Have some rest," Lyan said gently as he cast some rxing mind magic to calm her a little bit. "....Nn," Surena shut her eyes close and bury her face in Lyan''s chest. Without wasting any moment, Lyan put her to sleep with his magic before shifting his gaze towards Julius that is staring at them with aplicated look. "Looks like this is where we part, Julius Tergimand," (Lyan) "Y-Yes..." Julius replied as his eyes remained glued to the sleeping Surena. "Focus in what is most important. If you''re a man, saving the ones you love even if it means sacrificing yourself is obvious, is it not?" Lyan walked past him after leaving those words. At the moment when Surena failed her attacks, Julius''s position is closer to her than Lyan''s. But he doesn''t seem to be moving as his face got painted with hesitation, making Lyan irritated. Lyan take a look at the girl in his arms before shifting his gaze towards Emilia that had already fainted on the ground behind the pale-looking Alice. "Let''s go," (Lyan) ********************************************************** After parting with Julius, Lyan carried both Surena and Emilia in his arms while Alice sticks to his body to be support for her walking bnce. Lyan then summoned Hobu and his three goblin champion shadow servants after putting the three valkyries to rest inside the wagon to protect them and went to some stores to buy the things they will need on their journey, especially food. "Hobu, I''m counting on you to couch the wagon," (Lyan) With a nod, Hobu took the coachman''s seat and hold the reins. Actually, the aggressive ck horse could still walk and pull the wagon without any difficulties and could go the desired track just by a verbal instruction. But it will be a strange scene for onlookers to see, so Lyan left Hobu to coach the wagon whenever he didn''t. And since the valkyries brought their horses when they caught up with him, there are now four horses pulling the wagon, reducing the amount of weight the aggressive ck horse must pull. Inside the wagon, Lyan is busy nursing the three valkyries. After finishing making simple dishes, he serves them the food. But since Emilia''s and Surena''s state of mind is still at the rock bottom, they don''t really respond when he told them to eat or to wash themselves. So he feeds them personally and washes their bodies with a towel himself, the two girls don''t even show any hint of getting flustered when he does so. While for Alice, she''s not in the same extreme state as the two, but she was also very pale at first. Just like the other two, she vomited and got weak for a while, but after eating, she regained some of her strength and could clean her body herself. "They finally fell asleep soundly, huh," Lyan folded his arms as he alsoy on one of the futons inside the wagon. Inside the wagon, Lyan made three simple decent-sized futons with a decentfy feel. The three girls are lying at the two futons, while he lies at the other futon that has some space from the two. "Today was quite tiring," Lyan muttered as he stretched his body. "Hm?" Suddenly, he felt the nket he was using move. And together with the sudden sensation of a person''s weight on top of him, a blonde-haired head popped out from the nket. "Alice... This is my bed," (Lyan) "...." The blonde girl remain silent and hugged him even tighter as she bury her head in his chest. Her body is still slightly trembling, and she''s somehow cold. "It''s fine. It''s already fine," Lyan strokes her head gently with his right hand while embracing her body with his left hand. "It''s not your fault, nor was it the fault of your friends. The moments of coincidences ovep with each other, producing such a misfortune. It''s beyond your control," Lyan continue to soothe her with his words without stopping his right hand. The body then trembles more for a while. Even though she tried her best not to let out any voice, Lyan could feel the wetness of his shirt. Lyan stopped his words, and respond by tightening his embrace. (How warm...) (Alice) Alicia Alvis. She''s usually the calmest and only has either an indifference or a frown as her expression. Because of her calmness and her high intellect, she possesses the great talent to be amander and a strategist of an army. Throughout her life, she never really open up to anyone other than her family and her best friends. She started to open up and show her other expressions to Surena and Emilia only after they have became closer for 4 months. But right now, she''s feeling a strange sense of closeness with the person that she only knows for less than three weeks. But it''s not like the feeling just appeared randomly. (His warmth and presence feel like father...) (Alice) Alice''s intellect came from her bright mother, but her calmness and skill in swordsmanship came from her father''s genes. He is a doting father that always treats her like a child to the point that she sometimes became annoyed. But even so, he''s one of the biggest pirs of her confidence that have always been her mental support. (But his eyes made me remember Lady Wilhelmina...) (Alice) After losing her family and master, Alice could only suppress the dark emotions twirling inside her. She knew that amongst the three, one must be the calm one that soothes the other. To make sure that her two friends could still have a grip of hope, she must not show any sign of despair. "It must be hard keeping those emotions inside, so just let everything out. Your secret is safe with me," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 124 Nursing The Valkyries ?The quiet sobs of the weeping girl fill the night for about an hour. Like a tiny hole in a dam that slowly got bigger, the hands that are hugging his body got even tighter, and the weeping voice slowly became a loud cry. Lyan swiftly put a sound barrier surrounding the two sleeping beauties, and let the girl that heart is flooded with suppressed tears to let out all of the things she suppressed all through the years. At the time the cry subsided, she flinched for a moment before burying her head in Lyan''s chest and covering her head with the nket. (Heh. Did she get embarrassed? What a cute one) (Lyan) Lyan continues his embrace and the stroking of her hair. She must have regained herposure, but since she didn''t try to get away from his hands, she must have epted him already. "Um," (Alice) What appeared is not the cute voice that he heard when she cried before, but it''s her usual indifferent tone. "You didn''t see anything this night, you hear me?" (Alice) "Yes, yes. I didn''t see nor hear anything. I was sleeping soundly and just happened to feel that my shirt is kind of wet when I was asleep," Lyan replied with a chuckle. "O-Ouch! Your pinch is hurt, Alice..." (Lyan) "You reap what you sow," Alice grumbled with a pout before opening the nket that she use to cover her because of embarrassment. "Hey," (Alice) "Hm?" (Lyan) "Thank you," Alice said in a tiny voice. "My pleasure," (Lyan) As a moment of silence enveloped them, Alice enjoy the warmth and the sound of the heartbeat of Lyan as she didn''t leave his embrace. The sound of the wagon wheels moving. The sound of the hooves of the horses. The sound of crows and insects that resounded throughout the forest. Alice could feel the wounds on her heart getting healed at an unexpected pace, and she could feel her heartbeat getting faster. "Thank you," (Alice) "What are you thanking me again for? You just need to thank me once," Lyan replied with a chuckle. "No, it''s not it. I''m thanking fate and our luck to have you as our master. We always hoped for a master that is kind as kind as ourdy, but you''re not just kind, you''re also strong," (Alice) No matter where, someone will always meet a person who is kind, and a person who is strong. There are lots of people who are kind, but not strong. While people that are strong but not kind are alsomon. What is rare are those who are strong, but yet kind at the same time. "You''ve saved us twice, yet you didn''t demand anything from us," (Alice) "I just have nothing I want to ask for yet, that''s all," Lyan replied as he closed his eyes. "At that time, when you saved Surena. You said ''She''s mine'', didn''t you?" Alice suddenly threw him a question. (Hm? Ah... It''s when she almost got attacked after she failed her attack, huh?) (Lyan) "That was just-" Lyan about to reply, but when he opened his eyes, the image of Alice staring at him from a very close distance surprised him and stop him from continuing his words. Their nose is just one centimeter apart. Her beautiful silver eyes glittered like diamonds seems to be staring at him intensely, and the natural flowery scent of a girl entered his nostrils even stronger. "If I was the one in her position, will you say the same words?" (Alice) Her eyes when she asked the question looks very serious. Her eyes peered deep into his eyes, making sure to not miss any hint of reaction to finding whether the answer is the truth. But Lyan smiled confidently. "Of course, you''re mine as well. So I''ll also lop the heads of the people that are aiming for your life," (Lyan) Alice observes his eyes for several seconds before she closed her eyes and nods. "Fufufu! Is that so? Then- Hnn?" Alice suddenly stop. She slowly move her body right and left. "This... Is not your Knee..." Alice uttered as her feet make sure of the position of Lyan''s knees. The knees are in their original position, but there is something as big hitting her crotch below her. "Um... It''s out of my control..." Lyan uttered with a wry smile. "This... Is your thing!? It''s huge!! And hot... Did this... became like this because of me...?" Alice asked as her voice got higher. She''s clearly flustered because of the huge and hot thing pressing her from below, but she doesn''t show any sign of wanting to leave from her current position. "Well, you''re the one on top of me, after all..." (Lyan) Alice stared at Lyan''s eyes again and they stared at each other. Her breathing slowly became faster, and her face started to be red as her temperature rises. Their nose that was separated by a centimeter before finally touched. Looking at Lyan''s eyes, it feels like the ck eyes are slowly glowing into purple, and she felt like she''s getting absorbed by them. His hot breath tickled her neck and chin, raising the temperature of her body. (I feel... Hot...) (Alice) As their distance got even closer to the point where their lips almost touched each other, Alice stop herself from getting closer and closer to her eyes, leaving thest step for Lyan. Looking at her adorable face uneasily waiting for him made a smile got imprinted on Lyan''s face. Right when Alice opened one of her eyes because of no moves made by Lyan, she suddenly felt the sensation of another person''s lips pressing towards her. She widened her eyes as her body jolted because of the surprise, but Lyan skillfully lead her and use a slow pace to advance. (So this is... A kiss... I want more...) (Alice) Alice opened her mouth, permitting Lyan to enter. Without wasting any moment, Lyan gently invades her mouth, and his tongue meets Alice''s cute tongue. Following Lyan''s lead, their tongue got entangled with each other, and they exchange saliva with each other. (The taste is somehow sweet and addicting...) (Alice) Alice unconsciously wrapped Lyan''s head, showing that she was reluctant from parting. Their long and deep kiss doesn''t seem to be having any sign of stopping, but Lyan''s hand didn''t justy idle. "Mnnh! Nn! Mnh!" (Alice) Lyan caresses her butt and her modest breast gently, giving her enough pleasure to stimte her lust. Together with the increase in pleasure, Alice''s tongue started to entangle and move more aggressively. The crotch part of her pants had gone wet, and some of the liquid is also wetting Lyan''s pants. (It feels... Hot...) (Alice) As her sensitivity rises, she feels more hotness from the huge thing sticking into her crotch and stomach. Her hands slowly stretch and went inside Lyan''s pants, but when she grabbed at the hot thing with her bare hand, Alice jolted because of the size and hotness of the thing. (So this thing... Will enter me...) (Alice) Alice slowly strokes the tip, and when she realized Lyan narrowed his eyes in pleasure when she does so, she felt an unexpected burst of joy and continue her movement. But suddenly, she got attacked on an unexpected side. "*Puah!!* Nnhhh!! T-That''s- Nnhh! Dangerous!!" Alice let out sweet moans as Lyan entered one of his fingers inside her unexplored cave. Her cave had already got drenched, and her eyes are looking at him with intoxicated eyes. Her hair is disheveled, and her face is messy with his and her spits. "It will feel good soon," Lyan relentlessly attacks her cave. "Nnh!! It''s... Too amazing... Mnhhahh!!" Alice can''t hold her moans as Lyan found and attacked her weak spots so easily and relentlessly. Not long after, her body twitches furiously, indicating that she''s entering her climax. "K-Kiss... Please..." Alice plead as tears and saliva messed up her face. But that look of her looks very sexy to Lyan. Lyanplies with her wish and locks their lips before attacking her cave''s weak spots even more aggressively. "Mnnh!! Mnhh!! MMMHHHHH!!" Alice''s muffled voice resounded as her body shivered and arge amount of love juices drips from her. "This is... The first time... I experienced that... It was... Ama... Zing..." (Alice) Alice lost her consciousness and fell into a deep slumber. It''s not surprising since not only because of their activity, but the case with Loris and the cloaked man must have triggered the traumatic memory inside her as well. It''s visible how much mental damage the three of them received, and even though she managed to get a hold of herself, it''s only through sheer willpower alone. "That''s why I''m sorry, Alice. We''re not doing it today. Well, we''ll still have plenty of opportunities in the future, though," (Lyan) Lyan shifted his gaze toward the two girls that are sleeping. Their face looks tired and sad, the surging traumatic memories must have also attacked their sleep as well. "All of you need to rest. So just for this day, I''ll suppress my lust and grant you a sweet dream," Lyan snapped his fingers and a small purple me appeared on top of his palm. With a single gentle blow, the me dispersed and purple particles spread to the whole space beautifully. The face of the three girls immediately lighten up, and smiles started to form on their faces. "Have some sweet dreams, Valkyries," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 125 The Valkyries Recovering ?The dark veil of the night covered the sky, but the wagon continue its way to the north without minding the danger of the night forest. The reason is the three big shadows that form a triangle around the wagon. As the night blessed the forest with countless shadows, the goblin shadow servants could move even faster despite of their big body size. Most of the wild beats, magic beasts, and monsters avoid them because of their threatening presence, but there are still some reckless ones. *sh!!* The goblin champion shadow servant skillfully kills a lone dire wolf that about to chase over the wagon, and once again dive into a shadow beneath a tree before appearing from the shadow of another tree to return to its original position. Inside the carriage, Lyan let the small general that lies on top of him sleep soundly while stroking her smooth tinum blonde hair. Not long after, he finally spoke to the thin air. "Griselda, you''re there, aren''t you?" (Lyan) What he uses is not a gentle tone, but a firm and cold voice filled with seeping anger. (...Yeah, I''m here) (Griselda) "At the time I saved Surena after she failed her attack, I felt an abnormal reaction from your mana. Since the source of the mana is you, it''s not surprising for it to react because of your emotions," (Lyan) At the time he saved Surena, the sparks from the lightning mana appeared without hismand. As an incubus, Lyan holds an unbelievable amount of control over his emotions. Knowing that mana could go berserk following one''s emotions, Lyan handled both his emotions and his mana delicately with a precise amount of control. "And I doubt that you''ll suddenly have a sudden surge of great emotion without any reason. You must be familiar with one of them, right? I promised that I won''t meddle with your matters, nor will I pry into your secrets. But I need pieces of information about my enemies, you see," (Lyan) Griselda seems to be hesitating at first, then she let out a sigh. (Those three, I met them once before) (Griselda) "Met them? At Astellia kingdom?" (Lyan) (Well, not just meeting them, I''ve trained them as well. The military ties between Astellia and Kasmira were pretty solid back then, and the fame of the four genius girls of the military academy had reached the Astellia kingdom as well) (Griselda) (It happened when they were still enrolled in the academy, so it was several years ago. Before the great war of the central ins happened. I was instructed by the king to be a guest instructor of the kingdom at the Kasmira kingdom''s military academy, that''s why I know these girls) (Griselda) Griselda''s voice is filled with a hint of nostalgia as she uses a gentler tone than usual. (They are strong, bright, cheerful, and just. The little Alicia tends to get cocky because of her intellect, but with the lead of their leader, Wilhelmina, the four of them made the best team out there) (Griselda) (Well, I guess that''s not the information you seeking, huh? For the two men that you faced before) (Griselda) Loris''s and the cloaked man''s figure appeared inside Lyan''s mind, and his eyes immediately turns cold. (The one that called himself Loris has a real name, Loran Lavrayn. If I''m not mistaken, he''s the captain of one of the knight orders in the Kasmira kingdom. Since back then, he was always in a good terms with Duke Ravindor. To think that he betrayed his country to be the duke''sckey is unbelievable...) (Griselda) (The next one, the one with the cloak. He''s the leader of the [Crows]. Just like the person you fought must be the people) (Griselda) "Like the one before? Does it mean they have more than one leader in their organization?" (Lyan) (Yeah. But I don''t know whether it''s real or not. Even I have only a limited amount of information about their organization, after all...) (Griselda) "Really? Weren''t you quite a bigshot yourself in the Astellia Kingdom before?" (Lyan) He heard about her being a knightmander or something before when Surena and the other Valkyries told the story about their lives. It''s strange for someone in that level of authority to have a such limited amount of information about a military organization that is not directly under the royalties. Not to mention that the military prowess of the [Crows] are beyond those regr soldiers. (The Duke was given a special privilege by the kingdom for the establishment of the [Crows] back in the earlier period of the king''s royal reign. They were formed by the duke in order to help the kingdom to overturn a certain danger, and were given the permission to be cultivated without any supervision) (Griselda) "But the growth of the organization grew even stronger and went even more stealthily under the kingdom''s radar, and not just that, the duke also begin to openly show his desire for discord with the royal family, huh... Kingdom politics really are troublesome..." Lyan let out a sigh. (Precisely. It''s shameful for me to say this, but most part of it must be because of my death. The knight orders bastards depend greatly on me, so there must be a big bacsh caused by my death before) (Griselda) "So you''re the one that had been holding the reign, huh... Griselda," (Lyan) (Yeah?) (Griselda) "Were they really the ones that destroyed these girls'' homnd?" (Lyan) Griselda didn''t reply immediately. (...Yeah) (Griselda) "I see... Duke Ravindor, huh... Seems like our paths will sh either sooner orter. And when that timese..." (Lyan) The purple particles that had been filling the wagon started to move faster and turned into red. And at the same time, a dangerous grin appeared on Lyan''s face. "I guess I have to crush him," (Lyan) **************************************************** "Mh... Huh...? Where am... I...?" Surena muttered as she slowly opened her eyes and saw the ceiling of the wagon. (Ah... This is Lyan''s wagon... When did I fall asleep inside here...?) (Surena) As her blurry vision started to clear up, the memories from the event before started to resurface inside her mind. "That guy... I met that scum, huh..." Surena let out a sigh as she remember the face of her sworn enemies that destroyed her homnd. "I lost myposure and endangered anyone... How foolish of me..." Surena felt ashamed of herself for losing her calm even though she was the leader of their team. She remembered how she lost herself to her emotion and charged mindlessly to Loris. But then, the scene that happened after she failed her attack also reappears inside her mind. ''Sorry but, she''s mine'' The voice that appeared together with the back that protected her resurface inside her mind. Hints of redness started to dye her face as her chest felt tightened. (She''s mine, huh... We created lots of trouble for him, didn''t we? Even though he''s supposed to be our master. He ended up being the one who takes care of us...) (Surena) As Surena let out a sigh, she can''t remove the small grin on her face as excitement and joy filled her maiden heart as she remember how he saved her and how he carried them all the way back to the wagon. But then, the things that happened next also got rewinded inside her mind. "Takes care... Taken care of..." Surena muttered to herself as the crucial memories started to resurface. Inside the wagon, he fed them, clean their body, open their clothes, and helped them wear them again. *Poof!!* (H-He saw everything!!!) (Surena) Surena hugged her own body as she can''t bear the embarrassment of getting washed and cleaned with a towel like a baby. He must have seen their naked bodies back then. (I-I know it''s for our own good... But...) (Surena) As the two of them vomited when they almost arrive at the wagon, they got parts of their clothes stained, and it will smell and unhealthy for their body if they don''t wash and clean them. That''s why Lyan took the liberty to take care of all of those chores. (It''s embarrassing...) (Surena) Surena slowly opened her eyes, then she saw the girl in front of her. Her best friend, Emilia. "Emi...?" (Surena) "Rena...?" Emilia replied with a small cute voice that is very much different from her usual self. Surena then realizes that her face is also flushed red from embarrassment. "Fufu. We embarrassed ourselves in front of him, didn''t we?" (Surena) "Right... It makes me hard to look him in the eyes now..." (Emilia) "Hm? Wait a minute, where is Alice?" Surena raised her eyes, and spotted Alice sleeping on the futon in the other corner that was supposed to be Lyan''s. "Ah there she is- Hm?" (Surena) Surena and Emilia that noticed something strange approached her and observes her appearance with widened eyes. "Mmh... Hm? Lyan...? Ah. It''s Rena and Emi. Good morning- *Yawn~*" Alice slowly raise her body and stretched as she yawned. But the two girls didn''t respond to her ''Good Morning''. "Dishelved hair, face covered with dried saliva, sleeping at Lyan''s futon, and the stains on the sheets... D-Don''t tell me..." (Surena) "The Alice that never took fancy of a man before... The Alice that doesn''t have anything but her beautiful face and her smart brain... Finally did it!?" (Emilia) It took a while for Alice to process their words, but after she realized what they meant, her face turns slightly red for a while before- "Heh!" She let out a chuckle. ""W-w-w-what was that smug face meant!?!?!?!?"" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 126 Breakfast With The Valkyries ?""W-w-w-what was that smug face meant!?!?!?!?"" (Emilia & Surena) The voice of the two girls resounded loudly from inside the wagon, startling Lyan that is cooking a soup with a pot on top of a campfire. "That surprised me. They sure are lively. I guess that means they''ve recovered well, huh," Lyan uttered as he put the chopped vegetables and gave some seasonings to the pot. Lyan bought arge number of vegetables, spices, and seasonings that he could buy to make sure a decent amount of food could be made. One of the reasons for therge amount is... (Hou... Your cooking skills are very high, aren''t you, Lyan?) (Hestia) "Not really, it''s just that I travel alone for a long time back then, so I''m forced to make my own dishes most of the time," Lyan uttered as he remember the nd taste of the foods on the demon world''s taverns. (The food looks delicious!! I''m starving~) (Azelia) "Wait a minute, Azelia. It''ll finish soon," (Lyan) When the food is finished, Lyan prepared eight bowls and distributed the soups and the meat from the magic beast they killed before evenly on the eight bowls and send them to the grimoire''s spacious dining room. (Whoa! Good food finally came!!) (Griselda) (This is quite the taste... You''re a fine cook, master!) (Arturia) (D-delicious...) (Sylphia) (Blessed hand of the hero. What a holy taste this is) (Cynthia) "Yes, yes. Careful since it''s still hot," Lyan proceed to take four other bowls and fill them with the soup and the meats as well. "Um..." Surena appeared from the wagon hesitatingly with Emilia and Alice behind her. "You came out at the perfect moment. Come here, the food is ready," Lyan points at the food on top of the table that he summoned from the grimoire''s space. ""Y-Yes..."" Emilia and Surena replied while fidgeting, while on the other hand- "Ooh~ It''s another delicious-looking dish today. I''m digging in!" Alice unhesitatingly took her serving and sits before starting to eat and enjoy her food unreservedly. But more importantly- (S-She doesn''t hesitate to sit right beside him...) (Emilia & Surena) The two girls stared at their friend sitting sofortably beside Lyan, asionally resting her head on his shoulder when she was chewing. "You two too, eat. Or do you want me to feed you like yesterday?" Lyan said with a mischievous grin. The memories of them getting fed by him once again resurface, and then the scene when they got thoroughly washed by him also appeared inside their mind. *Poof!* The both of them got their face flushed because of embarrassment. "P-Please spare me from that..." Surena replied shyly as she quickly took her share of food together with Emilia. (Heh. Looks like they remember clearly about what happened yesterday) (Lyan) "Don''t think of anything unnecessary and eat. We''re continuing our journey shortly," Lyan told them off before filling his mouth with a piece of meat and a spoon of soup. Surena Emilia replied with a nod and started to eat, but not as vigorously as Alice. Trying to remove the awkward feeling inside her, Emilia tried to disregard what happened yesterday and started bringing on various kinds of topics in their meal talk. She first talks about their mercenary days, about the pinches they experienced during their life as mercenaries, and then about their lives when they were at the military academy. "Surena was an annoying lovebird back then. There was even a time that I got irritated whenever I saw her face since there is always that maiden-in-love smile stered on her face," Alice said with great contempt. "Hahaha! You''re right! Looking at her made us feel frustrated, isn''t it?" (Emilia) "A-Alice! Emi! That was..." Surena squinted at Lyan, but stopped when she saw him alsoughing. "You''re frustrated because she stole the march on you, no?" Lyan grins towards Emilia. "Haha. You''re right... Back then, they would say that I''m not their type because of my big and muscr body, and they say I look too rough for them and they prefer girls with a smaller build, cute, or the shy and polite type..." said Emilia depressingly. "That was the story when we''re students. You went quite wild in our early days as mercenaries, right?" (Alice) "T-That was not something that you should be saying in front of other men, isn''t it!?" (Emilia) (This little girl... She''s quite merciless, isn''t she...?) (Lyan) (But she''s not doing it thoughtlessly. Those arepletely nned aimed attacks in order to defeat her rivals) (Lilith) (What are you saying...?) (Lyan) The conversation continued, and the two finally get over what happened yesterday and started to converse normally with Lyan. But even so, Alice continue to slip one or two retorts that cornered them along the conversation. (Alice you little devil... Continuing mentioning the past like it was nothing in front of him... But the most frustrating part is not that!) (Emilia) (It''s the fact that he doesn''t seem to be bothered even the slightest when Alice mentioned about our past rtionships...) (Surena) (At least show a sign that you''re bothered by it!! It''s making me feel like a fool for getting worked alone!!) (Emilia) As Emilia and Surena continue their inner struggling secretly, Lyan smiled as he wondered what the girls of the House of Roses are doing. "Ah. You were thinking about other women just now, aren''t you?" (Alice) "Hm? Yeah. I was thinking about Belle and each other. I wonder what they''re doing right now..." Lyan muttered with a smile as he stared at the sky. The nostalgic feeling made him not realize the three girls grumping in front of him. "Even though we''re the ones that are currently in front of him..." (Emilia) "Even though he saw our naked body..." (Surena) "Guh! To answer it so calmly. S-So this is jealousy..." (Alice) ***************************************** ---In the City of Arkansas--- *Boom!!* 6 figures jumped in different directions as a wild attack came from a certain monster. "So this is an adult variant ahgra... It''s freaking huge!!" Alina uttered in surprise as she stared at the ahgra with an abnormal size before her. "It''s not just big. There are about three or four ahgra that merged into that giant one. That''s why it got annoyingly more of those scythe-like tendrils, branches, and thick vines," (Ravia) "The only thick thing I want is Lyan''s!!" (Xena) "Xena..." (Alina) "Belle! How much longer will it takes for it to release its poison!?" (Josephine) "It should be happening soon, Madam!!" (Belle) The six girls, Belle, Alina, Xena, Ravia, Raine, and Josephine are fighting the huge ahgra variant not without any reason. Yesterday, Lichia and Rea went to the House of Roses secretly to ask for the aid of the Deadly Bouquet and the Madam Fury to defeat the variant ahgra. Because of it bing adult without being noticed, the variant ahgra that has thicker and more leg-likes vines than the normal ahgra could travel much easier from one ce to another, resulting in more casualties from mercenaries, merchants, and tourists that came to the city. Because of the high difficulty of the quest, the guildmaster instructed Rea and Lichia to ask for the Deadly Bouquet which has wonderful results in the goblin king''s subjugation when they defend the city for help. "Ah! It''s emitting the poison!! Careful with your breathing!!" (Alina) Arge amount of poison started to get emitted by the ahgra. The poison mist is so thick that the purple-colored mist got more visible than usual. "Belle," (Ravia) "Yeah. All evil in the air, hear the order of mymand, [Control Poison]!" Belle gathered all of the emitted poison into a single floating ball above the ahgra. "Now!" (Belle) "Okay~ Galia, lend me your mother your wind," Xena pulled the string of her bow, and Galia that had been resting on top of a tree''s branch ps her wings gently, making the arrow that Xena was about to shoot get covered by much more powerful wind manabined by Galia''s and hers. "Take this!" (Xena) *Whoosh!* The speed of the arrow surprised not only the ahgra and the others, but it surprised even Xena itself. Because of the high speed and power, the arrow pierced through the thick branches protecting the head and continue to make a hole in one of the ahgra''s heads. *Shiiieeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!* A shriek that is louder than any normal ahgra appeared from it. "Good job, Xena-chan!" Belle then made a gesture and moved the gathered poison to the big hole on its head, entering the poison into its body easily. "It''s done!" (Belle) "Good," With her morningstar that now burns with her newly attained fire mana on her hand, Josephine boldly approached the ahgra. "It''s time to finish this up, girls! It''s almost time to open up our house!!" (Josephine) """Yes!!!""" With Raine and Ravia''s swift attacks, Madam''s powerful strength, Alina''s dark mana-covered shes, Xena''s consecutive powerful arrow shots, and the help of their magic beast children, the ahgra variant got defeated very quickly. "You did a good job, Magria," Josephine pats her magic beast child, the magma bear, Magria. She did a great job of burning the branches and the vines of the ahgra. After the battle, she seems to getrger in size a little bit. "I wonder what your father''s doing right now... He must have already passed the border town, huh...?" Looking at the distance, Josephine thought about her man as her eyes softens. "Well, he''ll return in no time. Let''s clean up and quickly return, girls. It''s almost time to open up business!" (Josephine) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 127 Little Girl In The Forest ?"Hm~ What a nice weather," Lyan that is sitting at the coachman''s seat and holding the reins uttered as he feel the warmth from the sun. Unlike the night''s coldness, the day is warm and not hot. It''s the perfect temperature for having a pic. "You guys. It''s fine to just wait inside the wagon, though..." (Lyan) "No, it''s fine. We feel much more rxed when traveling by horse," (Surena) While Lyan''s coaching the wagon, the three girls are riding their respective horses, leaving the aggressive ck horse to pull the wagon alone. But even so, it doesn''t seem that the ck horse is bothered since there is only Lyan''s and the wagon''s weight to pull now. (If not for his personality, he would be an ideal horse out there, though) (Lyan) What annoyed Lyan is not just his aggressiveness. "Ah. He''s rubbing his head to my horse! What a romantic horse," (Surena) The horse is rubbing his head against the girls'' mares. The mares respond by lovingly rubbing their head toward him. Not only that, he''ll take the opportunity to touch and rub his head towards the girls'' legs as well. He''ll treat the girls smartly and obediently, giving a totally different treatment than he gave to his master, Lyan. After observing the ck horse for several days, Lyan finally realized. (This shitty horse. He''s a big woman lover!) (Lyan) At night when they rest, he would hear the sound of the ck horse mating with the mares. Not only just one or two, but he did it with all three of them. Since the Valkyries'' mares are rare hybrids that have calm personalities and bodies strong enough to be used as war horses, their love session went on for quite long, forcing Lyan to cast a soundproof barrier to block the sound. The ck horse then takes a glimpse behind, making his eyes meet with Lyan''s. *Snicker!* (T-This horse...) (Lyan) "Hm... We supposed to be entering a vige soon. If I''m not mistaken, it''s called-" (Emilia) "Kyaaaaaaaa!!! HELP!!!!!" A piercing voice appeared from deep into the forest. "Surena!" (Lyan) "Yeah!" (Surena) Lyan immediately jumped from the wagon, while the valkyries went ahead and galloped to the source of the scream. (Hobu. Search the perimeter of the forest!) (Lyan) With a quick nod, several shadows separated themselves from Lyan''s shadow and went in different directions. Lyan''s not a saint nor a holy person. He''s not the type of person who has a high amount of justice or anything such as that. Going deep into the forest means that you''ve epted the danger that you might face inside it. But the owner of the voice he heard is a young girl. ording to the voice, she must be a very young girl. Maybe around 5 years old or so. (It''s not a matter of holy or not. A child is in danger right around me, how can I just remain oblivious to it!) (Lyan) "There! That girl is about to get captured by a pack of goblins!" (Surena) After catching a glimpse of the girl, the image of his little sister''s child, his adorable niece in his previous life ovepped with the young girl in his vision. *Spark!* *Spark!* Sparks of electricity gathered around Lyan, followed by the sound of a single crash of thunder. *p!* Trails of light blue light were left behind the track Lyan passed, and in that short moment, the goblins that were surrounding the little girl had their heads flown to the air. "Eh?" The little girl eximed dumbfoundedly at the scene. There is no blood splurting everywhere since Lyan also d his ive Hestia''s fire mana, making the shed parts get burnt and make no blood splurting everywhere. Those actions are his consideration that he thought in such a short moment to make sure that he lessened the traumatic experience experienced by the little girl. "Are you fine, kid? It''s already fine. You can-" Before Lyan could finish his words, the little girl fell t into his arms. Her body is small and light, to the point that he could raise her body with one hand with ease as if he''s picking up a feather. "She lost her consciousness because of fear, huh?" Lyan chuckled softly as he stared gently at the child in his arms. Her hair is long coffee brown-colored. Her body is kind of skinny, and her face is the type that looks shy and spineless. Everything about her ispletely different from his cheeky niece. But somehow, even though her hair is not ck, even though her body is not as chubby, even though her look doesn''t have the cheeky grin his niece has, he can''t help but see the image of his niece when he saw her. (Ah... What is this... My vision is blurring... Tears?) (Lyan) Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared at the child without him knowing. But as soon as he realized it, he strengthen his heart with magic and let the tears evaporate. "Lyan? Is the child fine?" Asked Surena as she hop off her horse. "...Yeah, she''s fine. Luckily the goblins didn''t do anything to her yet. Surena," (Lyan) "Yes?" (Surena) "Carry the little girl for a while for me," Lyan hand Surena the little girl before going to the goblin corpses and sending them to the grimoire''s space for the skeletons to dissect and sort out. They will serve as the food for the acid ant queen and her workers as well. "Y-Yes," Surena replied as she notice Lyan''s strange expression that was filled with relief, sadness, and regret. When Lyan was about to send thest corpse to the grimoire''s space, he realized the different attire the corpse is using. The goblin is wearing a robe, a wizard hat, and there is a staff lying beside him. Its equipment is not high-quality ones, but they are still the equipment for magicians and wizards. It means that the goblin corpse before him is a goblin shaman. Lyan then remembers about one strangeness he found at the end of the goblin king''s subjugation. (We didn''t find any goblin shaman inside their... Even though the goblin king has such a huge army, it''s strange for him to didn''t have even a single goblin shaman in his ranks...) (Lyan) There are not enough hints, but Lyan could feel that the corpse he''s looking at before him will bring a problem in the future. Before he could continue his thoughts, Alice''s voice appeared from behind. "Lyan? Is there something wrong?" (Alice) "Ah, it''s nothing. I''m just observing the corpse of the goblin shaman, that''s all," Lyan then sent the goblin shaman''s corpse together with its equipment to the grimoire''s space. "Hm~ Having a spatial space to store things are sure handy, huh?" (Alice) "You''re right. You could feel the great benefits when you''re having long travels or adventures like this. There is no need to worry about too much luggage, and you can harvest and loot everything you want without any worries. It''s a very handful ability," (Lyan) "You''re right. Well, I guess it''s time to continue the journey. Since that little girl could get into this part of the forest alone, the vige must be quite near as well. I know that ck horse is smart, but I''m afraid that it might go somewhere because of boredom," Alice said with a wry smile. "Ah... You''re right. Then we have to move quickly," (Lyan) The four of them returned to the wagon together with the little girl on horse. After the three girls seem to have done a small lottery, Lyan ended up returning with a horse together with Alice. She thoroughly enjoys the time hugging Lyan from behind. When they returned to the highway, the ck horse greeted Lyan with an annoyed face, but immediately change his expression when he face the girls and the mares. After putting the little girl inside the wagon, Lyan decided to have the girls ride from inside the wagon to take care of the little girl and have their horses to help pull the wagon. As the journey continues, the girls have a certain discussion that the three of them seem to be very interested in. "Aplexed face when he saw the little child," (Surena) "The mix of relief, sadness, and regret..." (Emilia) "It''s ''that'' isn''t it? An illegitimate child or something," Alice immediately dropped the bomb. "Now that I think about it, he never told us where he came from, didn''t he?" (Surena) "Don''t tell me... The reason for him to go to the north is to meet with her ex-wife or something... Somehow..." (Emilia) ""I don''t want to know the truth..."" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,798,710,950 Elnes / 3798 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 128 The Cursed Ones Village (1) ?The road of the highway towards the vige is kind of rugged. It shows that the ess and control of the remote region of the Astellia kingdom are not well-maintained by the regional lords. Because of the condition of the road, the wagon traveled slower than its usual speed. They travel for about four hours before a vige finally enters their view from the distance. "So that''s the little girl''s vige, huh? I''m impressed she could travel that far into the forest. What kind of herbs or nts is she trying to search for, I wonder?" Surena wondered as she stares at the little girl''s feet that is full of calluses and dirt because she doesn''t even wear a sandal. It''s easy to wonder the reason why she''s not wearing one. But the main problem must be that the economy of the vige is not going so well. It''s either centralization of money and high tax by the lord of thend, or due to a bad harvest of the region. But either way- (Looking at a girl this young in such a condition is not pleasant. But well, most importantly, I need to bring this girl to her parents. They must be very worried) (Lyan) It''s already afternoon, the adults especially the mothers that have some works mostly have already finished their work to retire to their home and their family. So by the time now, the mother should have wondered where her child is and found out that she was not around the perimeter of the vige. The mother then would tell her husband, and they will notify the other vigers and the vige chief. They would tell the hunter team and have them help search for the child, and the vige should be having a fuss because of it. But somehow, none of those are happening in front of Lyan. "The vige is surprisingly peaceful despite such a young girl had lost to quite far outside the vige," (Surena) "Don''t tell me... This girl doesn''t have a parent?" (Alice) "Alice!" Emilia warned Alice. "Ah... Sorry, I forgot. This girl is Lyan''s bastard child, isn''t she...?" (Alice) (She''s not) (Lyan) As the wagon got closer to the vige, the view of the vige got closer, and they could see what is happening in the vige even more clearly than before. The vigers are having their activity normally like nothing happened, while a single woman is wandering around in hurry in barefoot. Herplexion is pale as she asks the other vigers one by one, asking about something. It''s obvious that she''s looking for something important and it''s a grave matter, but the reaction of the other vigers is odd. (None of them are helping her?) (Lyan) Rather than calming her down and answering her gently, the other vigers are answering her with a harsh expressions and look at her as if she''s a bother. "Please stop for a while sir," A man that seems to be the vige''s guard stopped Lyan''s wagon. "Are you traveling to the Astellia Kingdom, sir?" The man asked politely. He seems to notice that the horses and the wagon are not something an unwealthy man would have. Not to mention that the air around Lyan is not something amon person has. "Yeah," (Lyan) "You chose quite the odd period to travel, young sir. At this kind of se-" "Excuse me! Did you see a young girl about 6 years with brown-" The woman cut the guard''s words, annoying the guard. With a frown on his face, the guard kicked the woman away without even letting her to finish her words. "Know your ce, you cursed woman! Don''t hinder my-" The man was about to raise his feet and stomp her, but Lyan tapped his shoulder and tossed a gold coin at him. "Have some good food and spend it leisurely somewhere. No need to get so emotional," Lyan stands between him and the woman before turning his back and crouching down as he lends a hand for her to stand. "T-Thank you..." The woman replied hesitatingly. "I believe I''ve found a girl with the same characteristics you''ve mentioned, young madame. Surena," (Lyan) "Y-You do!?" The woman''s eyes brighten up. "Yeah. Surena," (Lyan) Following Lyan''s call, three girls together with a little girl in one of the girls'' arms appear from the wagon. "Nia!!!" The woman immediately sprang into her child and hugged her tightly with tears running from her eyes. It''s bare visible how worried she was. "He doesn''t seem to know the woman," (Surena) "Yeah. Looks like we''re making a wrong assumption," (Emilia) "Lyan is not the type of person that would just abandon a woman he impregnates, after all," (Alice) (Looks like the misunderstanding got cleared by its own, master~) (Lilith) (So you''ve been watching, Lilith) (Lyan) (Hehe~ Of course, I do! It''s just that... I can''t really be that active since the other girls are watching me very closely because of my past actions...) (Lilith) Every time Lilith went from one ce to another, the other great spirits would have one of them monitor her or use the skeletons or even summon their summoned golems to monitor her and make sure she was not sneaking around doing something behind their backs. (Well, you reaped what you sow for that) (Lyan) (That''s mean, master~) (Lilith) "Um..." The woman that seems to have regained her senses pulled Lyan''s sleeve. "Yes?" (Lyan) "Are you travelers? It''s going to be dark soon, and it will be more dangerous to travel ahead to the next town in such darkness. As thanks, how about having a rest at our house, sir traveler? You and your mistresses must be tired as well," The woman said meekly. !?!?!? Hearing the woman''s suggestion, the guard''s face immediately tensed up, and a vein popping on his forehead could be seen. "You... There is a limit to how rude you are! The traveler will be cursed if he sleeps at a house of a cursed one like you!! Don''t you dare try to stain the vige''s good name!!" The guard shouted harshly. But since his attempt to stomp her was stopped once by Lyan before, he only use his verbal abuse to the woman. (Curse one, huh... She''s clearly not being seen in a friendly way by the people...) (Lyan) Lyan squinted his eyes left and right and saw that the other vigers are also directing their hostile eyes toward the woman. They must be thinking that she''s making a problem as a cursed one just like the guard. (Meddling with her affairs might brings more trouble, but...) (Lyan) Lyan''s eyes stopped at the child the woman is carrying. (Are you going to help the woman, master?) (Lilith) (Kicking such a frail woman that has a child... The morality of the vige should be questioned) (Arturia) (But there must be a reason why she''s getting such hostility from the whole vige. There is no discrimination that appeared without reason, after all) (Griselda) "You''re right..." Lyan muttered under his breath. "Eh?" The woman eximed dumbfoundedly. Not only her, but the valkyries are also surprised by Lyan''s mutterings, while the guard made a grin on his face. For them, it was like he is agreeing with the guard''s words. While in truth he''s agreeing with Griselda''s words. (A reason... Curse...) (Lyan) Lyan scanned the body of the woman with his eyes. Noticing Lyan''s eyes scanning her whole body, the woman hides her body and hugs her child as she res at Lyan. (Hm... The big sis has an abnormal amount of nature mana inside her) (Azelia) "Heh! You bastard. Even though you''re a cursed one, you have great looks and physiques. At least let him do you once and-" The guard was about to raise his hand and p her, but Lyan caught his hand and tossed it away. "What do you mean, Azelia?" (Lyan) (Oh... Now that you mentioned it. That woman, she has a great potential of nature mana inside her, master. But shamefully, her mana channel is not mature and trained. There must be some kind of side effects running on her body because of it) (Hestia) "I see..." (Lyan) "Um... Sir traveler. She''s a-" (Vige''s guard) "I''ve been wondering for a while now, but why do you keep on insisting to use violence in front of a child since the beginning? Can''t you see that I''m against it?" Lyan red at the vige''s guard. "F-Forgive me, sir!" The guard hastily apologized and retreated, leaving them alone. *Sigh!* "Then, young madame. If it won''t trouble you, please let us lodge at your house for a while," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ <-1 Gold coin> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 129 The Cursed Ones Village (2) ?"I-It''s not a big house, but there should be enough room to amodate the four of you... Pleasee in," The woman invited Lyan and the valkyries inside her house meekly. The house is not what you would call battered. Despite of the medium size, the house is clean and the few pieces of furniture are ced neatly in positions that won''t reduce the space for ess. (This is...) (Lyan) The house is clean but there are several parts of the house that are broken. Those things need sufficient handicraft and the strength of a man. It''s unlikely for such a clean house to leave a broken part untouched, so the conclusion is only one. (A house of a single mother, huh...) (Lyan) "This is your room," The woman shows them a decent-sized room enough for the four of them. "Um. But if you want another room for the young sir, then you can use the room beside it," Added her. """We don''t need it,""" (Surena, Emilia, and Alice) "I''ll use it," (Lyan) Lyan ignores the Valkyries''ment and put his bag inside the next room. "I guess we''ll be lodging in this ce for tonight," Lyan uttered in satisfaction. Lyan parked their wagon and their horses at the house''s stables. Considering the size of the vige, the household must have experienced a certain prosperous period since the not only the house is quite spacious for a viger''s house, but it also has a rather big stable as well. There are one skinny horse and three cows inside the stable. Looking at how the cows are fatter than the horse, they must have decided to prioritize the well-being of the cows rather than the horse after considering which one that would benefit them more. They don''t seem to be using horse much for their work, and the cows will give them money from the milk and their wealth will increase if they breed and produce a calf. (They should be living barely a decent life if they have this much, but yet, But the little girl... Nia, isn''t it? She doesn''t even have a single slipper or shoe on her) (Hestia) (Yeah... Looks like it''s more than what meets the eye) (Lyan) "Mh? Hm? Huh? Where am... I?" The little girl called Nia slowly asked as she regain her consciousness. "Nia? Nia! You finally wake up... Even though mother has told you countless times before that you must not enter the forest... You don''t know how worried I am!" The mother once again hugged her daughter tightly. Nia''s expression slowly melts as tears welled up in her eyes, but rather than answering her mother''s hug, she suddenly widened her eyes. "W-Wait mama! W-Wait a moment!!" The little girl struggled to get out of her mother''s embrace. "Nia?" "I-It''s not that I don''t want the hug. But sis is!" (Nia) "Sis is?" "Sis is in danger, mama!!" Nia said desperately with tears. "In danger? What are you saying? Lia is working as usual at the Birdie Inn. What are you-" "I''m not lying!! I saw two bad guys dragging sis to the forest!! I was following them into the forest since sis looks like she''s in danger!!!!" Nia exined with a loud voice, trying to prove how desperate she is and the truth of her words. "They''re bringing her... To the forest...? What are they...?" The woman muttered in shock. On one hand, she understands that Nia won''t be lying after showing how desperate she is. But on the other hand, she doesn''t want to ept it since she knows what kind of things that would happen for a young girl to be brought to the forest by two men. Between the exchange of the mother and child, Lyan finally noticed something that had bothered him when he saved Nia in the forest. (She was running deep into the forest without bringing a basket or bag to bring anything she was going to harvest, and her eyes are already red. She must have been crying not just when the monsters were about to attack her, but since the time she was tailing the bastards that are kidnapping her sister, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan''s eyes narrowed as he clenched his teeth. (So the little girl''s love towards her sister was stronger than her fear of the forest and the kidnapper. What a strong child) (Hestia) (She''s afraid, but yet she continues her steps far into the forest. She has a strong spirit befitting a knight) (Arturia) (Yeah...) (Lyan) "Lyan. What should we do?" (Surena) Looking at Surena and the others, it''s bare to see that they are ready- no, eager to save the little girl''s older sister. But since they are currently Lyan''s servants by the Mana Oath, as former knights, waiting for the orders from their master is a manner that they must follow. *Sigh!* (Seriously, if it''s not because of that little girl''s tears, I wouldn''t act saint and try saving one after another. But after looking at such resolve from a little child...) (Lyan) "Kid, Where did youst see your sister?" (Lyan) "I-it should be around the ce where you found me, mister! Then monsters suddenly appeared!" (Nia) (She''s talking well despite of her age. The mother must have taught her well, huh) (Lyan) "Surena, Alice, Emilia," (Lyan) """Yes!""" "Let''s go," Lyan sprung outside the house and went to the stables to take the horses. "W-Wait!" The woman shouted, But Lyan didn''t pay her any heed. (The ce is not that far. If we galloped at full speed, we''ll reach there in more or less an hour or so) (Lyan) Riding the ck horse, Lyan galloped in the direction of the forest together with the Valkyries on his back. "Hobu, recoinnassance," (Lyan) Some shadows left Lyan''s shadow and went to the forest by traveling through the shades of the trees quickly. They continued to gallop with their horses for thirty minutes, and Lyan suddenly received a signal from Hobu. (So you''ve found them, Hobu. Good job) (Lyan) Lyan closed his eyes and connect Hobu''s vision to his mind. "So there you are..." Lyan uttered as a grin appeared on his face. It looks like a worn-out hunter''s cottage in a glimpse, but the truth is, inside that cottage, there is a stair that leads to an underground basement. Hobu had decapacitated the guards guarding outside the cottage and is guarding the stairs, ready to kill anyone who appeared and was suspected as his enemy as well. After another twenty minutes, Lyan and the Valkyries finally arrived at the cottage. "Looks like this is not a work of normal perverted vigers, huh..." Lyan uttered when he saw the cottage. When observed properly, they could see that the worn-out cottage is not something that got worn out naturally. Traces of deliberate attempts to make it look like it''s an old worn-out hunter cottage could be seen by those with keen eyes. "Rena. Kidnapping from remote viges, hiding them in such a well-disguised base..." (Emilia) "Yeah, you''re right, Emi. Those are the basic procedures of the illegal ve trafficking operation. Lyan," Surena stared at Lyan with firm eyes, asking permission through her eyes for entering in. (This is an illegal ve site. It must belong to a certain undergroundwork, since when there is a business, there must be a customer that made the demands. If their master really got captured as a ve, then she must be in the possession of the people with the illegal ve site. Enving nobles even if they are former is something illegal, after all. Since they will always be useful for the invader side) (Lyan) "I guess we need to make sure no one leaves this ce alive then," Lyan then snapped his fingers, and the summoning grimoire appeared with a stronger aura than before. (Its presence feels more powerful than before. Is it because of the increase in number of summoning creatures?) (Lyan) With a singlemand from his thought, two big magic circles appeared before him. "Acid ant queen, I''m counting on you and your little friends to infiltrate the ce and shoot those who might attempt to leave from another exit," (Lyan) The acid ant queen bowed, then a single green magic circle appeared. Acting like a gate, the other acid ants under her appeared like soldiers and went to the ground by digging them at considerable speed. "While for you, Grimw," Lyan shifted his gaze towards the deadlight kneeling before him. "You''reing with us. Let''s show them hell," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 130 The Cursed Ones Village (3) ?---Inside The Illegal ve Site, Astellia and Arkansas border branch--- "Oi, Raff. You got the boozes?" A man with a scruffy voice asked his colleague. His right eye is patched, and there are scars on his arms that are bare because of his sleeveless clothes. It''s visible that the man had his share of experience in bloody fights. "I got them, I got them. Seriously, this is why people with such huge and intimidating look like you are annoying. You can''t help but get suspicions when you''re out, after all. Here," The man that has a smaller build than the eye-patched guy threw the bottle of booze on his hand whileining. "Shut up. Without people like me guarding, dangerous sites like this won''t stand for long, you understand?" The man opened the bottle roughy and gulped the booze down vigorously. "Barbaric just like your barbarian-like look, eh? Well, by the way, the girl we got this day was really great, huh? Not just her, her mother is great as hell as well," "Yeah. I saw a glimpse of her, and damn. The mother of that girl is a damn beauty, her body made me want to pounce on her immediately back then. I can''t wait for the time we catch her as well, I want to have a taste," With drool falling from his mouth, the eye-patched man imagined doing his way with the woman inside his mind. "Of course, you can''t. You''ll break her if you do so. We won''t be able to sell anything and the boss will kill us if you do that, you hear me?" Replied the normal-looking man. He''s the one that went undercover as a normal viger in the vige in order to look for potential ''products'' for the very to sell. By acting as an aspiring merchant with his kind-looking face, the number of women of various ages he had tricked into very was a considerable amount. "With the situation in the Astellia Kingdom like this, people like us sure get a lot of leeways to y our games around. The nobles are using their knights to fight between-" *Knock!* *Knock!* "Ah. It''s the guys guarding outside. Ask them what they need, it''s not the time to change shift yet," said the eye-patched man, annoyed. "Yeah, yeah. If you asked them yourself, they won''t dare to disturb us again though~" The man tapped the eye-patched man''s shoulder and went to the passage. The sound of his footsteps slowly gets into the distance, and then he asked. "Code?" "Vige. Product. Received," Another scruffy voice responded. (Hm? That''s a new voice. Was he sent by the boss from the other sites?) "Hm? Is that so? Come in," The sound of the door gets opened, but it took a while before the sound of iing footsteps appeared. (Hm? He''s not alone?) The eye-patched man furrowed his eyebrows as he heard the sound of many footsteps approaching. (Did I make a mistake? No, I didn''t break any of the products and our sales are going around decently. So why are-) As the eye-patched man stands and turns his back while wearing the friendliest smile he could muster, he sensed something iing in his direction through the air. (What is this? A bag? No, a ball?) The man caught the thrown thing, and his brows twitched when he sensed the warm liquid flowing to his hands. "Raff. What is... This...?" The eye-patched man widened his eyes when he realized what is he was holding. "R-Raff!?" The man instinctively threw the head while his hand reached towards the sword on the table, but it was already toote. A girl with a small build dashed into him with great agility, and- *sh!* A single clean and swift spinning sh towards his neck. The girl skillfullynded on the ground together with the sound of the man crashing to the table. "They''re quite sloppy despite of the well-structured kidnapping operation, huh?" Alice uttered indifferently as she swings her sword, getting rid of the blood on it. "You said that, but this man is quite a veteran, you know? If we didn''t take him by surprise, he would make quite the problem and stall us," said Emilia as she pokes at the man''s thick arms. The scruffy voice that answered the passcode of the entry is Lyan that had stolen the memory of one of the guards that had gotten half-killed by Hobu and his shadow servants. After the man opened the door, Surena swiftly killed him without letting him make a single sound, mercilessly beheading his head. "So this is a sort of waiting room? Then the ves must be kept beneath this door. Seems like there are lots of people inside," Surena points at a rather big door. "There is no response from the other side. Looks like things get rough rathermonly here. But it was a good thing for us, the acid ants had already found and waiting to ambush at the hidden exit on the other side. Feel free to go wild," (Lyan) "That''s what we want!" (Emilia) Emilia warms up her mana as she smiles confidently. Her eyes seem to turn into lioness-like predator eyes, searching for blood. She shifted her gaze to the others one by one, and after a single nod, she rushed to the door and- *Boom!* The mmed the door with her body and sent it flying. The other valkyries together with Hobu, the shadow servants, and Grimw also follow suit swiftly and the massacre of the ve dealers started. While for Lyan, since his ive is not suitable for such a cramped ce, he''s holding his sword while searching for a coffee brown hair girl. "W-Who are you-" "M-Monster!? T-There''s a lich!!" "A shadow monster! There''s a shadow monster!! Run!!!" "To the emergency exit!!" The ve dealers started to get engulfed in fear because of the massacre unfolding before them. They are prepared for a sudden attack or infiltration by knights or mercenaries, but getting attacked by a shadow goblin lord and a deadlight with a terrifying appearance is not something that they are anticipating. The brawny men and ruthless-looking men immediately break the ranks and run for their lives, but their speed can''t match the speed of the valkyries, the shadow servants, Hobu, and Grimw. "W-What are these ants!?" "J-Joe got melted by those acids!! A-Avoid those acids!! They are dangerous!!" "D-Don''t be absurd!! Look at their number!!" The men that went to flee from the emergency exit they''d prepared in advance ended up in an even sorrier state than the others. Dozens of people ended up bing a hot soup for the acid ants and the acid ant queen to devour. "U-Uwaa!! D-Don''t kill me!! P-Please! I-I beg you! I''ll give you anything you want!! I''ll gi-ought!" Lyan strangles one of the very dealers'' man''s neck with one hand and lifts him up with ease. "Yeah, yeah. Now tell me, is there a girl with coffee brown hair you just caught this day? If you tell me, I ''might'' spare you, you know?" (Lyan) "T....T.....here...." The man painstakingly points at a certain cage with his trembling hands as foam starts to gather in his mouth. "Oh. Thanks. You can question him now, Surena," Lyan threw the man to the wall beside Surena and went to the cell the man pointed. The cells are well-maintained, the inside of the ves'' room is rather clean, and the men guarding the ce were actually rather well-trained. If it was the soldiers of a certain noble or normal-quality knights raiding the ce, they might get into trouble and couldn''t finish all of them as easy as Lyan and the Valkyries. (This one... Huh?) (Lyan) "P-Please help me!!" A sweet voice appeared from before him. The cell door is closed and locked, but Lyan could see a girl with a bruised cheek holding the cell with eyes full of tears. The expectation and thrill of getting saved are obvious in her eyes, and after looking at the girl''s hair color and face, Lyan was convinced. "You''re Nia''s sister, right? I was sent here to save you by your mother and little sister. Go several steps behind," Lyan made a gesture with his hand to instruct her to retreat several steps. "R-Right," The girl obediently retreats, but she can''t help but tilt her head when she saw Lyan holding the cell''s door bars with both of his hands. *CRANK!* *CRANK!* "E-Eh...?" The girl uttered dumbfoundedly because of the scene before her. With just two attempts of pulling, the door of the cell got opened forcefully by him to the point that it broke. "Yup. Come here, you''re safe now," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers ? Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 131 The Cursed Ones Village (4) ?The sound of the horse hooves resounded as the warmth from being held by a person got transmitted into the body of the girl that just got kidnapped by the illegal ve-dealing bandits. At the time of despair when she could only wait for how her fate will end up at, she witnesses the miracle. The figure of Lyan leading the others to kill the bandits was engraved in her mind, and she couldn''t help but look up at him because of it. She was given a numbing drug that made her whole body weak, so to prevent her from falling, Lyan is holding her in front of him while riding the horse, positioning her to hug Lyan with her face on his chest. She could feel her heartbeat fastening because of the closeness and the warmth, and as she rubs his face on the hard chest and tightens her embrace on the muscr body, she couldn''t help but has her face flushed. The biggest reason for her excitement is because they are alone. When Lyan searched through the ve cells one by one, they found out that there is only her inside. It means that the others had already got transported at the day before, and today is the new calendar of harvesting products. Knowing that it means they shouldn''t be so far, the Valkyries asked for Lyan''s permission to investigate and search for the transporting group. With the information Lyan forcefully took by using his mind magic on one of the bandits, the Valkyries have enough clues to find them and immediately went to chase after them without wasting any moments. "U-Um... Are you an adventurer or a mercenary?" The girl asked shyly. "Hm? Yeah, I''m a mercenary," (Lyan) "I see... Um... Why did you save me? I''ve heard that you''vee because of mother and Nia... But we don''t really have enough things to pay you with..." Nia said shyly as she lowered her head and bury her face in Lyan''s cloak, hoping that her intention was conveyed. "Hm? Well, I''m currently lodging at your ce. And..." (Lyan) Lyan also stares and observes the girl more clearer this time. After he cast a light healing spell on her, herplexion which was very pale before got more better, and her lips and eyes are more colorful now. She has coffee-brown hair and the same beauty as her mother, more importantly, even if it''s not as voluptuous as her mother, her body is already as well-developed as a mature woman''s. Lyan could feel her well-sized chest rubbing his body, and her plump thigh circling around his thigh. "And?" The girl lifts her head up and stares at Lyan expectantly. "Your mother is hot, so it''ll be a waste for the daughter that might be as hot as her to be in the hands of vile bandits, right?" Lyan replied with a shrug. "Hehehe. What with that answer?" The girl giggled as she rest her forehead on Lyan''s chest. Even though Lyan pretend indifferently, it was barely obvious to the girl about the hot and big thing that had been poking her crotch for a while now. (I-It''s huge... It''s so big that it''s rubbing my crotch and stomach... Somehow, I feel hot...) As they are on top of a horse, the shakings made Lyan''s thing rubs the girls along the way. The girl holds herself from letting out a moan, but she didn''t realize that her love fluids had already soaked her pants and the horse''s body. (This perverted horse... He deliberately makes more shaking...) (Lyan) "B-By the way... My name is Lia... Can I know your name, Mister...?" (Lia) "I''m Lyan. No need for honorifics, just call me Lyan. It''s nice to meet you, Lia," Lyan replied gently. "You can just call me Lia too! And thank you for saving me, Lyan..." Lia lifted her head and show her flushed face to Lyan. At that moment, Lyan realized a strangeness. (A girl that just got kidnapped by bandits should have shown at least a hint of hesitation and fear even if it''s just a moment. But this girl, her face had already been flushed since I got her out of her cell... Don''t tell me...) (Lyan) "Somehow, I feel strange..." The girl uttered as her eyes went blurry. (As expected, there is an aphrodisiac mixed with the numbing drugs she drank before. And it''s a really potent one as well... To think that she could hold herself up to this point, what an admirable girl...) (Lyan) The effect of the aphrodisiac is supposed to be like a raging fire of lust inside her, but she managed to hold herself and bear with just the rubbing between their body. (She''s trying her best to resist but in the end, it''s no use. It will be a bad memory for her if I let her take the initiative and make her feel she''s shameless. I guess I have to take the initiative here) (Lyan) "Eh?" Lia eximed in surprise when Lyan lifts her chin up. "It''s fine. Leave everything to me," (Lyan) Without further ado, Lyan took the initiative to lock their lips and started caressing her body. His hands move smoothly to her butt as his tongue started to infiltrate Lia''s mouth and greets her cute tongue. As he kneads the well-developed butt, Lia''s muffled moans resounded as she continue to exchange saliva with Lyan. (W-What is this... It feels too great... I''m losing my mind...) (Lia) Lia that was struggling to resist the temptation of the lust started to let loose her body. She went with the flow and started to ept all of Lyan''s advances. "Mnh! Mnn! Nnnh! Mnh!!" (Lia) Lyan''s right hand kneads Lia''s chest, while his left-hand proceeds to the secret and flooding cave. Lyan was slightly surprised when his hands touched it and realized how wet it is. Lyan entered two of his fingers inside, making Lia''s body jolt in surprise at the sudden surge of pleasure. (I-It feels good!!!) (Lia) Lia''s hands which had been embracing Lyan''s head to continue their passionate kiss started to loosen, and her right hand slowly went to the hot and thick thing of Lyan''s. (Hm?) (Lyan) She timidly let out his giant thing but when she grabbed it, she got startled. (I-It''s huge!! N-Not only huge... I-It''s so hot...) (Lia) Their passionate exchange continues for several minutes. Lyan''s hands knead her breasts and tease her wet cave, while her hand strokes Lyan''s thing while they continue their long and passionate kiss. Then finally- "Puah! Mnnh!! Aahnnnn!! C-Cumming!!!!!" Lia shouts as she hugs Lyan''s head tightly. Her body shook vigorously and more love juices gushed out of the wet cave. *Pant!* *Pant!* *Pant!* (J-Just by a kiss and his teases... So much pleasure... If this thing entered me as well... How good will it feel I wonder...) (Lia) Of course, Lyan noticed Lia''s lustful gaze toward his thing. Her hand unconsciously continues to rub it up and down, and since her hand can''tpletely grasp it because of its size, she circles around to make sure that every part got touched by her hand. "Can I put it in?" Lyan asked gently. Lia lifts her head and with a flushed face and replied with a small nod. "Nn," (Lia) Lyan immediately lifts her body up by her butt, and positions his thing below her cave. (T-That huge thing will be entering me... W-Will it fit, I wonder...?) (Lia) Lia closed her eyes in anticipation, and- *Slurp!* "AAAHhhnnnn!!!!!" Lia let out a beastly roar as the sound of her membrane ripped and a slurped sound of Lyan''s thing getting sucked in sounded. (I-It''s hurt... But it feels great!!! T-That huge thing is inside me!!!) (Lia) "Are you fine?" Lyan asked gently as he strokes her hair. "Y-Yes..." Lia replied adorably. Lyan''s gentle actions continued to stir her heart, and even though she knew that they became like this because of the aphrodisiac she drank, she was slowly falling in love with Lyan. "Does it still hurt?" (Lyan) "No... It''s not hurt anymore..." (Lia) "Then that''s good. Can I move?" Lyan asked gently as he continue to stroke her head. "Nn... But, do it like this..." Lia then closed her eyes and approached Lyan''s face, asking for a kiss. "Okay then," Lyan answered her request and locks their lips once again. Lyan started to move, and muffled moans once again resounded. The sound of colliding flesh and moans intensified as the time goes, and Lyan deliberately made the horse to walk more slowly than before. As the moon had risen up, the sound of two people making love on top of a horse resounded throughout the night forest. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 132 The Cursed Ones Village (5) ?"Lia!! You''re safe!!" The mother runs to Lyan and Lia in a rush together with her small daughter, Nia. Lyan gently lifts Lia up and carries her in a princess carry as her limbs are still weak, not just because of the numbing drug, but because of the numbing activity they just did on the way back. "Yes, mother..." Lia replied with a flushed face as she smiles brightly at her mother. Lia''s skirt and parts that got soaked by the love juices made from their love-making were carefully cleaned by Lyan using magic. By forcing them to evaporate, Lyan forced the clothes to dry after controlling the fluids inside the clothes to leave the clothes. "You... I''ve told you to be careful countless times..." The mother scolds her with tears running down her cheeks. Lia responded to the mother''s hug with another hug as tears also welled up in her eyes. "I''m sorry, mother... I''ve made you worried..." (Lia) As the two mothers and daughters cried while hugging each other, the little girl followed suit and cried together as well. As a stranger, Lyan could only gaze at the heartwarming scene with a satisfied smile on his face. After the mother and daughters finished having their heartwarming scene, Lia told them the chronology of how she got abducted. As usual, after helping her mother tend their farm, Lia went to do her job as a waitress at the inn where she usually works at. Inside the inn, there''s one customer that had been asionallying as a regr starting four months ago. He''s a friendly guy with a rather good-looking face. Unlike other guys, he didn''t directly make move on her, but made a steady approach to her, making her to make her guard down as they got closer as friends. Today, when she was just about to take a short break from her shift, the man suddenly asked her to go for a walk while bringing a pair of horses. In the vige, it''s rare for someone to have two horses easily. So looking at the man holding two horses like that shows how he has much wealth, and she decided to ept his offer. By thinking of taking a stance of keeping him at an arm''s length, she epted his offer to evaluate him further, but ended up getting abducted by three strong men along the way. When she woke up, she was already inside the cell, but there was no sign of her body getting vited when she was unconscious. But when she was awake, she felt very thirsty for some reason. And there is only a single cup of tea-like water served on top of the stone table. Without a single doubt, she immediately gulped down the drink to relieve the dryness of her throat. Because of that drink that secretly contains a numbing drug and an aphrodisiac, she ended up losing the strength of her limbs and has her lust lits wildly. Of course, she didn''t tell the mother and her cute little sister about the aphrodisiac and how she did it with Lyan on the way. She only told them how Lyan and the valkyries saved them, and how the valkyries are going after the bandits alone and ended up going separate ways from Lyan for a while. (The good-looking guy... Was it the man that got beheaded by Surena when we first entered the underground room? Well, there''s no meaning in knowing whether it''s him or not, I guess. He must have been one of the lying corpses inside there now) (Lyan) As Lyan recounted the illegal very site, Lyan remembered the love session he had with Lia along the way. Even though they had done it and it seems that her favorability towards him had greatly increased, there was no announcement that he usually gets from the summoning grimoire. (Did she lose the affection she showed me after she regained herposure, I wonder? What a strong-hearted girl... But well, it really is a treatment. And we did it with mutual consent, so she shouldn''t being at me while ming me for taking her virginity) (Lyan) "Sir Lyan... Thank you very much for saving my daughters... I wonder how I should thank you..." The woman kneeled herself before Lyan as she thanked him. "H-Hey. There''s no need to do so, young madame. Please raise your head. I''m going to lodge in your house, so of course, I can''t just sleep while knowing your daughters are in trouble. I''ve also saved them for my pleasure, so there''s no need for you to feel so indebted," (Lyan) "Your pleasure?" Asked the woman. "Yes. Since the mother is a real beauty with a great body, I believed that the daughter must be a beauty as well. That''s why I decided to save her. Saving beauties are men''s pleasure, after all," Lyan said boldly. "B-Beauty... P-Please doesn''t tease an ageddy like me, sir Lyan," The woman said with a blush. "I''m not joking, though... But an ageddy? You don''t even look old, though. Now that I think about it, I never know about your name, did I?" (Lyan) "Ah! How rude of me. My name is Mia, sir Lyan. I''m 34 years old. The oldest girl over there is Lia, while this small one is Nia," Mia introduced herself as she stands and made a graceful and humble bow. "I''m Nia!" Nia dered brightly. "I''m Lia. Thank you for saving me, sir Lyan..." Lia uttered with a hint of blush still lingering on her face. Since her legs are still weak, unlike the other two, she introduced herself while remaining sitting. "I''m Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. You can just call me Lyan, no need for honorifics. I''m going to stay here for a day, so-" (Lyan) "A day?" Lia cuts in. "Eh? Yeah..." (Lyan) "Are you going to breakthrough the seasonal storm? If I''m not mistaken, today showed the most signs of the seasonal storm happening. I suggest you to stay here a little bit longer," (Mia) "Seasonal storm?" Lyan uttered in confusion as he furrowed her eyebrows. "Ah... You''re from the direction of the city of Arkansas, aren''t you?" (Lia) So ording to Lia and Mia. In every season, there will be a week filled with five consecutive heavy rains, and one of the rainy days will bring a storm. But the seasonal storm didn''t ur in all ces, it only happened right from the Astellia kingdom territory to the northern countries. "I see... I guess I''m lucky I didn''t hasten my journey, huh?" (Lyan) "Yup! So mister is going to live with us for a while!! Yeay!! You''re a mercenary, aren''t you!? Can you tell me cool stories!?" (Nia) "Nia! You''re bothering him!" Mia scolded Nia that immediately jumped onto Lyan''sp and asked him to spoil her. "Hahaha. It''s fine. Hm... I don''t have many stories, so I guess I''ll tell you about the goblin king subjugation in the south," (Lyan) Looking at how Nia warms up to Lyan, and how Lyan warms up to Nia made Mia has a warm smile on her face. "I''m going to prepare the dinner. All of you must be starving, right?" Mia stands up and is about to went to the kitchen. "I''ll help, mother!" Lia enthusiastically stands and prepared for the kitchen. "Wait, Mrs. Mia," (Lyan) "Yes?" (Mia) "Can you prepare for additional 8 portions of food? I will pay for the foods, so could you please make them?" (Lyan) "8? T-That''s quite a lot... But yes, I could. Please wait together with Nia, Lyan," Mia nods with a serious face before she went to the kitchen together with Lia. As they wait for the food, Lyan told about Nia the journey and fights they experienced in the goblin king subjugation with blurry details as he can''t tell the brutality of the fight to a kid. Nia''s eyes shone brightly as she listens to Lyan''s story with a great focus and a great smile, nodding along as Lyan continues the story. Along the way, Mia asionally stole a glimpse of the sight of Nia that is sitting on top of Lyan''sp while listening to his story and getting her hair stroked gently. He''s treating her like she''s her daughter, while her daughter hadpletely gotten attached to him even though they have just met for a while. "A father... Huh..." (Mia) "Mother?" (Lia) "Ah. It''s nothing, Lia. It''s time to add the spices to the soup, let''s make sure the food is delicious enough for Lyan''s taste," (Mia) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 133 The Cursed Ones Village (6) ?As the dinner was served, Mia served 8 additional portions of food, and Lyan secretly sent them to the great spirits residing inside the grimoire''s space. He wanted to pay her for the food, but Mia insisted that there is no need for him to pay her. The dinner went lively because of Nia retells the story of Lyan''s battle in the goblin king''s subjugation, but she then gets scolded by her mother because of leaving her food unattended and cold because of getting too excited from telling the story. Mia and Lia knew about the goblin king''s uprising near the border of the Astellia kingdom from the traveling merchants, but they didn''t think that Lyan also participated greatly in the goblin king''s subjugation and ended up listening to Nia''s story with great interest. After the dinner, everyone retired to their room to rest. Lia was the one who went to her room first due to the exhaustion because of the various events urring in one day. While Nia infiltrated Lyan''s room and ask for more stories before she finally return to her room after getting scolded by her mother. Not long after the ruckus subsided, the beginning of the seasonal storm finally happened. "Ah... It''s really pouring. I guess deciding to stay here was a good call, after all," Lyan uttered as he stared at the outside from the big window. There was a medium-sized couch that was facing the big window which was a great spot to drink while gazing at the stars and the scenery. As he don''t really feel sleepy yet, Lyan decided to stay awake and enjoy the peace there. The rain is quite heavy, but the thing that stands out the most is the strong winds. The winds are strong enough that he could see the big trees in the distance getting bent by a powerful force. But since the house has a small firece, the inside of the house is rather warm andfortable. "I wonder if those three girls are okay... But they asionally went to the Astellia kingdom and the other sides of the northern part of the central ins, so they should have known about the seasonal storming. But this storm might help their investigation as well since the ve dealers will need to take shelter and won''t be moving in great mobility because of the storm," (Lyan) Lyan left some of the acid and queen''s workers and guards to assist the Valkyries in their search together with two goblin champion shadow servants from his side. Lyan wants to lend them some of the skeletons as well, but the spotting of the skeletons might bring more trouble than a benefit so he refrains from doing so. (Goblins, huh... I guess I should have the acid ant queen to spread her workers to scout about goblins as well. The thing about the goblin shamans had been bothering me for a while now...) (Lyan) Lyan tried to think about the bothering feeling he felt when he saw the corpse of the goblin shaman back then. He tried to avoid thinking about a certain topic, but it can''t be helped. The image of the very cells once again appeared inside his mind. (very, huh...) (Lyan) Even in the demon world, there are also some human bastards that would enve the other humans. But most of the human envement that happened in the demon world back then was done by demons rather than humans. So for Lyan, the thing about human envement was something that was done by the vile and evil demons. Looking at how humans enving other humans left quite a bad taste in him. He had already heard about the story of Belle and the others, and how the Valkyries searching for their master that might be enved as well. But looking directly and just hearing it was something different. (Well. That''s reality, I guess. Looks like I just got forced to understand how humans could get as evil as a demon) (Lyan) "Well, not like a man that once left my humanity for power could say anything about that though..." Lyan scoffed self-mockingly to himself. As Lyan was getting absorbed by his thoughts, suddenly a soft and melodious voice appeared from behind him. "Um..." (Mia) "Eh? Ah... Sorry, did I wake you up?" Lyan asked her as he shifted his gaze. She''s using her nightgown while holding two cups filled with hot tea. "Of course not. I can''t sleep, and I saw that you seem to be having difficulties in sleeping as well. Do you like some tea, Lyan?" Mia replied with a gentle smile as she handed one of her cups. (I didn''t sense her at all. And I didn''t even hear her making the tea in the kitchen. Did I get too absorbed in my thoughts and lowered my guard down?) (Lyan) "Yes please," Lyan took the cup and took a sip. The tea has an appropriate amount of sweetness and bitterness, while the herbal scent gives a soothing sensation and restores energy to the body. Just by taking a single sip, Lyan felt his body getting warmer because of it. *Slurp!* Mia took a sip after sitting next to Lyan. (But sure... No wonder the bandits aimed for the mother and daughter... She has such an alluring body, after all...) (Lyan) She''s wearing an old knitted night gown thatpliments the great curves of her body. She has a rather big size of breasts, a wide hips, a plump-looking ass, and a thick thighs. It was such an erotic body, that ifbined with her beautiful youthful face and her gorgeous coffee-brown hair, she could be considered as irresistible by most of the men. "About Nia, sorry for having her troubling you so much. I hope you''re not irritated with her clinginess," (Mia) "It''s fine. Getting clung by such a cute little girl is an honor for any people," Lyan shrugs as he let out a chuckle. "Nia... She doesn''t really have much opportunity to converse and y with people openly because of my bad reputation in the vige. She doesn''t even really have a friend of the same age around her inside the vige. So she was very happy to meet you, Lyan," (Mia) Lyan remembered about how the vige guard called Mia ''The cursed one'' and treated her harshly. Not only she, but her children must have gotten the same kind of treatment as well. Especially for children that rely greatly upon their parents, the children around Nia''s age must have heard about Mia and ostracized her because of it. "Were there no other guests that have ever lodged here before me?" (Lyan) "There''s none. It''s dangerous to have someone, especially a man to lodge in a house filled with only women, after all," (Mia) "You''re right. It would be dangerous, huh..." (Lyan) Noticing the mood getting darker around Mia, Lyan skillfully shifted and drag the conversation to different topics. He asked about the vige''s economy, about the lord, about the rumors of the kingdom''s state, and about the seasonal farming of thend. As the conversation flows, private pieces of information started to flow out as well. "As you know, I''m 34, and Lia is already 17. For a viger girl, 16 years old is amon age to marry, but it''s still considered early. As I was so naive and filled with flowery imagination of marriage, I easily fell in love with a neighboring man that family has and next to ours, and married," (Mia) "From the beginning, it was only me tending him. I served him in every aspect and gave him everything, thinking that it was the duty of a wife. But as time goes on, his attitude keeps on getting worse, and it reached the highest point when Lia was born," (Mia) "I heard from the neighbors and from my friends that he was cheating left and right, and I realized that I had got married to a scumbag. It''s alreadyte to realize, but I have a lovely daughter to take care of, so I can''t have him using our money for cheating and gambling. So I force ourselves to separate," Mia gulped down the tea and looked down. "After 9 years of peace without having him in my life, I calmed down and think back. Maybe I was too hasty in making decisions, maybe I didn''t discuss things enough with him, and certain regret and longing started to appear. And together with that feeling, he suddenly appeared in the house with a neater look than before," (Mia) "That was the beginning of the day I started to get called ''The Cursed One'' by the whole vige," (Mia) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 134 The Cursed Ones Village (End) ?"When he reappears at the house, I thought he has the same thoughts and feelings as me. The thought that we could have done better if we tried to understand each other more, and we could have made a better life for Lia if we have justmunicated. I thought he also has the same feeling of wanting to try again from the beginning," Mia put her cup of tea on top of the table as her expression darkens because of the dark memory resurfacing. "So with the assumption of him having the same thoughts, I attempted to start a new life with him. Slowly, Lia and I ept him to reenter our life, and we finally decided to live at the same home after a week. But to make sure that he understands that there is still distance between us, I told him that we won''t be sleeping in the same bed, and I will sleep together with Lia," (Mia) "And that''s where that man finally took off hismb''s mask, and show his inner wolf. On the night when I was sleeping and hugging Lia, he entered our room and raped me in front of Lia," Her hands which had formed into a fist tightens as she recounted the story. "I wake up in terror, but what is in my mind is Lia. When I struggles to get away and tell him that Lia is watching, Lia that saw me in pain and struggling also tried to push him away from me. And with an annoyed look, that man hits her away off the bed. At that moment, a wave of indescribable anger filled me," (Mia) "I don''t really understand what happened, but a hateful thought appeared inside me. ''I want to kill him''. And as if answering my call, thick vines appeared throughout the house, and stabbed him from various ces. The scene was so horrific and terrifying that Lia must have instinctively forgotten it forcefully because of the traumatic scene," (Mia) "The vines appeared not only inside the room, but they spread all over the house together with a loud sound, causing a ruckus around the vige. Everyone in the vige left their house because of the sound and my cry, and the men entered the house forcefully and saw the scene..." Mia''s head looks down even further. (But rather than getting soothed because of the tragedy, their focus was gathered on the terrifying remain of her former husband''s corpse, and she ended up being branded as a cursed one, huh... What a sad fate...) (Lilith) "They first helped to clean up the corpse, but then they asked what happened. I was about to tell them that I don''t know about what happened myself, but then one of the vigers pointed at me and said that there are vinesing out my back," (Mia) "Then I got branded as a murderer, a vile witch, a cursed one, and other kinds of insults. We started to get ostracized by the vige, no one helped to clean up the house so I need to clean and repair them myself. And it still continues until today. Their treatment has been kinder than beforetely though," Mia said with a self-mocking smile. "But several months ahead. I don''t know whether it''s a blessing or not, but I found out that I was pregnant from that person''s seed. I really want to abort it, but after looking at Nia, I''m d I didn''t do so back then..." Mia''s fist softens as the image of her small daughter appeared inside her mind. For a single mother to break through that kinds of rough times alone while bearing a child, it must be very difficult. It''s not strange for any other woman that experienced the same thing as her to went crazy or decided to give up raising her children and prioritize herself. But she didn''t. Looking at how the steady life was going for Mia right now, it must be due to the great efforts made by the great mother before him. (That must be very difficult. It''s all due to the information and knowledge about magic being very difficult. Even great countries only have limited people with enough knowledge about them. Things would be different if they know that it''s a magic phenomenon) (Hestia) As mana is something that resides not only inside the person, but is also contained in the atmosphere as well, people with a great talent for influencing and creating a magical phenomenon with their mana without any use of magic chantation or magic circles could be considered as magical genius. (If she was born in a country with a great amount of knowledge of magicians, she would be praised and given a better life instead...) (Sylphia) (She must be a very great and strong mother to be able to pull through those hard times and raise her children well. By the way, master. Her back...) (Arturia) (Yeah...) (Lyan) Lyan stretches his hand towards Mia. Mia closed his eyes in surprise at his sudden movement, but what happened was not something that she expected. *ck!* "Eh?" Mia eximed, dumbfounded as she saw Lyan looking at a branch of a nt that he seem to pick up from the backrest of the sofa behind her. "I see..." Lyan uttered as he observed the little branch on his hand. As his eyes glowed with purple light, he could see rich green mana gushing out of the branch. (Hm~ What a gentle and soothing mana that big sis has~) (Azelia) (Her emotions because of recounting the dark memory influence her mana fluctuation and influences the mana outside, huh... She definitely has a great talent as a magician) (Hestia) "W-Was that my doing!? I-I''m terribly sorry. I didn''t have enough control, but trust me, It shouldn''t be harmful and I won''t suddenly attack you unconsciously! I''m sorry for showing you my unsightly curse! It was-" Mia started to try to exin in panic, but she stopped when he saw Lyan raise his palm up. "Look," Lyan said with a smile before pointing at the table before them. Slowly, a small flower appeared from the gap in the wooden table, and the flower slowly bloomed. "Y-You could use it too!?" Mia eximed in surprise. "Well, yes. It''s not a curse, but it''s a gift. If you could control your mana, you would be able to use magic, and it will greatly help you in various aspects. Rather than fearing that gift, you should try to embrace and ept it first before nurturing it. If not, what will you do if Nia and Lia suddenly have the same talent as yours, right?" Lyan exined with a gentle tone. "A gift... It''s not a curse...?" Mia uttered as her body slightly trembles since the words she had been waiting for finally appeared before her. "Yes," Lyan held her hand gently. "Mana and magic as a gift that not everyone could have and control. As long as you train and learn to control it, rather than a curse, it will be a blessing," (Lyan) Hearing it from Lyan that just shows her that he could use nature magic as well convinces her strongly. If it was someone that couldn''t do the same thing, it will only be heard as an empty soothing word. But from Lyan, it felt very convincing and reassuring to her. "I see... Thank you... Those words mean a lot to me..." Tears started to well up and fall from her eyes. There must be lots of negative emotions pent up inside her that she had been suppressing to hide them from her children. Without saying a word, Lyan lends her his chest to cry her load. Lyan cast a soundproof around them to cover the cries of the single mother on his chest, his hand pats the back of her head, transmitting warmth to calm her down. The cry goes on for about twenty minutes. After she calmed down, she lifted her face up with a flushed face and stared at Lyan. "You look young, but why do I feel like I''m younger, I wonder?" Uttered her with a cute pout. (Hm... Well, I was hundreds of years older than you to be exact. But I guess I can''t tell her that, can''t I...?) (Lyan) "They say the maturity of the soul does not represent in the number of age," (Lyan) "Heh! What a clever answer," Mia lets out a chuckle. They stared at each other with a smile while their faces are at a close distance. As the mood lightens, it suddenly transitioned to a strange mood. Their distance slowly got reduced, and their eyes started to get hazy. But suddenly- *Crack!* *Drip!* *Drip!* The sound of something cracking and the drips of water appeared, ruining the mood. "Ah... Looks like a part of the ceiling broke..." (Mia) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 135 Temporary Life In The Village (1) ?"I guess that''s enough," Lyan uttered in satisfaction as he stared at the neatly repaired ceilings. Because of the heavy rain, the parts of the house that was fixed alone and modestly by Mia back then seem to have finally got broken again. Since he was on it, Lyan went to repair the other parts of the house that seems to be on the brink of copse as well. With his neat handicraft, the parts of the house that he fixed with only a minimum amount of resources left inside the house were made neatly and beautifully. If he were to let them untended, those parts like some parts of the ceilings and walls that are visibly had gone brittle would break after another storm or two. "Wow... I guess having a man in a house surely makes a difference..." (Mia) "Ah. It''s nothing. It would be a wonder if a man can''t do anything like this. With this, I guess you wouldn''t need to be worried about leaks around the house anymore. I guess you can''t sleep because of the heavy rain and the possibility of leaks that might appear, huh..." Lyan put his hand on his hip as he nods after guessing the reason why she hasn''t slept yet. "Y-Yes... It''s shameful, but I''m not capable of repairing the housepletely, so it keeps on worrying me... Ah!" Mia widened her eyes and approached Lyan with a towel in her hand. "Hm?" (Lyan) "It must be tiring, thank you for helping me so much, Lyan..." (Mia) Her hand that is holding a tower runs through Lyan''s forehead and neck which was covered with sweat because of the repairments. "It''s my pleasure to do so," (Lyan) "But," (Mia) "Hm?" (Lyan) "The leaks... Are not the only reason I''m awake..." (Mia) Because of the difference in height, she approached Lyan''s face even closer by tiptoeing, making their nose touch each other. The hint of redness is bare on her cheeks, and her hand that is not holding the towel is holding Lyan''s arm tenderly. The mature flowery scent Lyan that had been tickling Lyan''s nose got even thicker, rising the lust inside of him. Her brown pupils stared at him with anticipation, and slowly closed. There''s no need for her to utter any other words for Lyan to understand the meaning of her actions. Lyan''s hand went and run through her long silky coffee-brown hair before stopping and gently holding her cheek. Slowly, their distance got closer, and their lips touched. Her reaction was meek when their lips first touched and when they started the soft kiss. But after several seconds, she opened her mouth and gently invited Lyan''s tongue in, greeting it with hers and tangling with each other. A deep mature taste entered Lyan''s mouth. As their kiss gets more intense with every second, Lyan''s hands also went to get the other taste of maturity of the ripened woman before him. His hand went to rub her bountiful and beautiful chest, while his other hand went to squeeze her plump ass, running through the smooth and stic thigh, before finally going to the precious cave of the ripened woman. "Mmh! Mnhn! Mnn!" (Mia) She responded passionately to Lyan''s kiss as her hands embraces Lyan''s back, as if asking him to never stop their hot kiss. When Lyan reached her crotch, it was already flooding with her love juices. Unlike her daughter, Lia, she''s flooding with love juiced without any effect of aphrodisiac, and without having Lyan casting his incubus spell on her either. (She was expecting it since the start, huh...) (Lyan) As Lyan''s hands were about to start to take off her clothes, she gently pulled her head and ended their kiss. "Puah! In... In your room, please..." She uttered as she catch for breath. "Mnn!?" (Mia) Lyan once again presses his lips, but this time, he kisses her roughly while he lift her body and started to walk towards his room while tangling their tongue together. He could feel her bountiful breasts crushed by her chest, her erotic ass and thighs as he lift her along the way. The sensation of the great body in front of him lits a great desire inside him. Lyan''s kiss started to get even more intense when they entered the room, and because of it, Mia didn''t even realize when did she got undressed by his skillful hands. "Puah! Let me help you too," (Mia) As Lyan gently put her on the end of the bed, Mia gently opened his shirt, and went to his pants. But when she opened his pants together with the underwear and expose the hiding beast inside, she jolted as she widened her eyes. "W-What is this!? This size... Is this for real...?" She uttered in shock because of the sight of the monstrous thing before her. "Of course it''s real. It''s right in front of you, you can feel it by yourself," (Lyan) *Gulp!* Mia gulped as her hand unconsciously went to her crotch. "What a thick scent of man..." She uttered after sniffing the thick manly scent emitted from the giant thing before her. Her face slowly got even closer to Lyan''s thing, and she sticks out her tongue, and licked the tip. *Lick!* *Slurp!* *Lick!* She skillfully uses her tongue and twirls around the tip before swallowing the tip. "Uooh..." Lyan let out a groan when she started to suck the tip strongly before bobbing her head up and down vigorously. "Puah! It''s getting bigger! Sorry, but I think I''ll dislocate my jaw if I continue..." Mia uttered apologetically. "It''s fine. You can swallow it with your other mouth instead," Lyan replied with a smirk as he spread her legs. "How beautiful... Truly an irresistible and erotic body..." Lyan uttered as he admired the gorgeous woman in front of him. He had seen the curves of her body while she was wearing her clothes, but it was his first time looking at her great body without any clothes. "P-Please don''t tease me... I''m already old, it''s embarrassing, so please don''t look at my body that intensely..." Mia said as she covered her face. "What are you getting embarrassed for?" Lyan said gently as he pulled her hands and expose her flushed face. "You''re still young, and you being beautiful is not a lie nor an exaggeration. So I just can''t help but admire you," (Lyan) "H-How should I respond to that..." Mia tried to free her hands as her face got even redder, but then, she stopped. "Thank you... It''s been a long time since I do it. But please love me..." She uttered as she stared at Lyan''s eyes straightly with affectionate eyes. Looking at her expression and hearing her words made Lyan know there is no need to stall for any longer. He aims the tip of his giant thing at the sticky and flooding entrance of her cave. "Here Ie!" Lyan mmed his thing towards her hips. "AHHHHNNNNN!!!!!" (Mia) Mia''s body made an arc as her hands that is hugging Lyan''s back tightened, and she made a beastly growl that might cause a ruckus around the house if Lyan didn''t cast a soundproof barrier around them. As soon as Lyan entered, the walls around the inside tightens, and he could feel the inside folds and wrap around him as soon as his thing mold them to his size, giving him the utmost pleasure as it sucks him deeper. *Pant!* *Pant!* *Pant!* "It''s... Really in..." Mia uttered as she stared unbelievingly at the thing that had shoved its way in inside her. "Yeah, your inside feels very great, Mia..." Lyan uttered as he gently caress her cheeks. "Geez... Don''t say such embarrassing things... Do it while kissing me please," Mia closes her eyes and sticks out her tongue, asking for a loving and passionate sex. Of course, there is no reason for Lyan to refuse when such a lovely beautiful woman with an erotic body asks to be fucked passionately by him. He locked their lips, and started to move his hips gently. "Mnnh! Mnhnn!!!" Mia''s muffled moan further arouses Lyan''s lust. Her hot insides continue to wrap and squeeze him, giving him great pleasure from the friction and tightness as he moves. Inside the house of the person that is persecuted by the vige, the cursed woman finally found a man that she could lean and share warmth with. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 136 Temporary Life In The Village (2) ?"AAHHHNnnn!!!!" (Mia) Mia let out a beastly moan as she reached her final climax. Her tongue was stuck out, her eyes rolled backward, her face is filled with the mix of their saliva because of their hot kiss, her hair is disheveled, and her stomach was slightly inted because of the great amount of white seed injected inside her. They went for five intense rounds straight, going around from one position to another. Without the soundproof barrier, the loud sound from their intense lovemaking would have woken up the whole vige. At the first nce, it would seem like Mia was just got horribly raped. But when it''s observed closer, it could be seen that her face has a satisfied grin that clearly illustrated a woman filled with satisfaction because of the satisfactory love session. After several minutes of experiencing the huge waves of pleasure, Mia finally regained her consciousness. "That... Was impossibly the best..." Mia uttered weakly. Lyan could still hear her rough breath, showing how exhausted she is. "Yeah... That was awesome... You''re really are a great woman," (Lyan) "Hehe... You''re the best man as well. Such a muscr body with an invincible thing, no woman would be able to resist it... It''s still magnificently hard inside me..." (Mia) Lyan could feel the walls of her inside get intentionally tightened when she said that. "Your hole was very great as well... I can''t get enough of it," (Lyan) After their final climax, Lyan is about to get his thing out, but Mia''s limbs stubbornly stick to him and prevent him to do so. "Let''s stay at this position... I want to savor the feeling of your thing inside me all night..." Mia snuggled her face into Lyan''s embrace as she said weakly. "My pleasure," Lyan replied gently as he strokes her hair softly. *********************************************** !!! Lyan opened his eyes and saw the foreign ceilings. "Mmh..." A melodious voice appeared from above him, and he could feel the weight of a person. As he tried to move, he felt a wonderous pleasure from his lower half, and he remembered what happenedst night. A grin appeared on his face as the sight of the coffee-brown hair entered his sight and he tenderly strokes them. "Hmm...? Lyan...?" The closed eyes opened, and a pair of beautiful brown eyes revealed from the formerly closed eyelid. "Yeah. Sorry, did I wake you up?" (Lyan) "No... It''s fine. Um. I''m getting kind of aroused because of the living thing inside me, care for a single round to start the day...?" Mia asked shyly. "It''s my pleasure," Lyan immediately pounced on her. Their morning love session went on for about half an hour before Mia staggeringly went outside the room and went to the toilet to clean herself up. Looking at his seeds dripping from her crotch while she''s naked gives a great feeling of satisfaction inside Lyan. "I guess I''ll take a small nap..." Lyan closed his eyes once more. He suddenly feel another rush of drowsiness after their tender morning love session, and his consciousness left him shortly after he closed his eyes. The birds chirp and sing the song of the lively morning as the sun started to shine on the dark world. As the faint light seeps through the window, Lyan opened his eyes. "Damn. That''s a great sleep," Lyan raises his body and stretches. "Hm?" (Lyan) As he stands, he realized that his body which should be dirty and covered with the love juices from their love session has gone, and his body ispletely clean. (Did she clean my body up when I was asleep? But I would notice it, aren''t I? Did I got too exhausted because of the journey? Or don''t tell me... I was just having a wet dream...?) (Lyan) As Lyan started to question his memory, he remembered the prompt he heard before. (That''s right. There''s the prompt saying that the evidence of love had gotten summoned. But where is it? I guess I should try checking the summoning grimoire-) (Lyan) As Lyan was about to summon the summoning grimoire, a knock came from the outside of the room, and the door opens. "Ah. You''re awake, what great timing!" Mia greets him with a brilliant tender smile. It feels like she''s his newlywed wife that about to wake him from his sleep. "Good morning, Lyan," She approached him even closer and tiptoed. Lyan quickly realized her intentions and gave her a hot three-minute kiss. (Looks likest night''s event is not a dream...) (Lyan) "Puah! You see... I was slightly surprised when I got a load of information this morning..." Mia uttered as she suddenly hugged him. "The exnation about your power as a summoner and the summoning grimoire, and the thing about the [Evidence of Love] as well. I was surprised at first, but I soon get overjoyed," Mia let go of the hug and pped her hands. Following the sound of the p, vines suddenly appeared from the gaps in the wall, forming a single creature. It has a body simr to a baby elephant, but it has a thick green hair and some vines growing out of its body. There are two long tusks that curved upwards, a green trunk, and a flower growing on its tail. "It''s the [Fey Mammoth]. I named her Fia. It feels like I just gave birth to your child, so it''s making me very happy!" Mia dered with a brilliant smile that shines very brightly, showing how delighted she is. "I see... It''s good that you''re happy. But don''t forget to make a proper exnation for Lia and Nia about Fia. From now on, she will be together with you and protect your family from anything that mighte. And please forgive me for not telling you my identity since the start," (Lyan) "It''s fine! We''re already connected now, that''s the most important thing. Now let''s have breakfast, it''s not good to have ate breakfast, after all," Miapletely disregarded Lyan''s apology with a bright smile and pulled him by his hand towards the dining room. "Today''s menus are sweet buttered corn and garlic breads. Please have your fill! Here''s the milk, it will make you strong!" Mia serves Lyan''s portions enthusiastically like a young wife- or rather, more like a mother to her son. But even so, Lyan could feel the passionate affection she held within her eyes when she stared at him. So while letting out a chuckle, he holds the spoon and the fork. "What a great breakfast. I''ll be digging up," (Lyan) In the dining room, there are only the both of them. Mia mentioned that Lia had already gone outside and started their daily activity like putting the feeds of the cows and horses and preparing to water their farm. While on the other hand, Nia was still sleeping soundly. "She will wake up maybe in the afternoon. She had exhausted too much energy yesterday, after all. She''s a great sleeper when she''s exhausted, that girl," (Mia) Unlike before, Mia had bepletely open and talks to him passionately ever since their first intercourse with each other. As he eats, she would wipe his cheeks whenever a stain was left after he drank the milk. And her eyes didn''t stop from staring at him intensely as they eat and talk. "That was great..." Lyan let out a small satisfied sigh as he rest his back on the couch. Mia went to wash the dishes and asked him to rx while drinking a cup of tea on the couch, so he did what she rmended to him. But as he sits, a single worrying thought entered his mind. (That woman. She haspletely got attached, isn''t she?) (Griselda) Griselda''s uninterested voice appeared from inside his mind. (Yup. Without a doubt. And even though you''re going to leave the ce after the seasonal storm finished, you made her get so attached to you with that filthy thing of yours. What a horrible guy) (Hestia) (To abandon her after making her heart fall and having an intercourse with her... You wouldn''t do such a lowly thing, wouldn''t you, master?) (Arturia) Lyan could feel the bloodlust beneath Arturia''s words, and a wry smile formed on his face. (Of course not... At the very least, I don''t have any intentions of abandoning her... It''s just that we''re going to separate from each other for a while, that''s all...) (Lyan) (That''s the same thing!!) (Arturia) As Arturia''s scoldings started inside Lyan''s mind, Mia continue to wash her dishes while humming a happy song. Inside her head, she''s still filled with the euphoria of meeting the man she could once again rely on and love wholeheartedly. But she seems topletely forget that his presence in the house will be nothing but temporary. ___________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoner Monster: Fey Mammoth> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 137 Temporary Life In The Village (3) ?"T-This is..." "Impossible..." "Such a miracle..." The vigers uttered different kinds of praises of admiration and surprise. It''s not surprising since the scene they are witnessing is something that no other viges might could even see. At the beginning of the fall season, their crops that should have been harvested surprisingly didn''t mature even after they waited for a week and several days. It became a dilemma for the vige whether to brand them as a failed harvest or not since the color of the crops seems to be at the brink of harvesting. After several discussions, they decided to maintain the status quo to see how the fate of their year harvest this time. Because of the harvest that has note, there is no ie for the vige, leaving the vigers with no money to procure the goods to face winter. And when the seasonal storm started yesterday, the vigers had lost their hope about harvesting in this season. As a gentle breeze passes, their crops that didn''t reach the state of harvest ever since the fall suddenly matured. All of the wheat turned into beautiful golden yellow, and they seem to be fatter and bigger than any harvest they ever have through the years. Even the wheat that was damaged because of the storm got recovered. At the same time, the weeds and other parasitic vegetation that grows in several untended parts of the vige died out and fell to the ground. The vigers saw the brown-haired woman that made the miracle happen with their mouths wide agape. "Eh?" Mia that seems to be also surprised by what she just did turns her head as a gentle touch tapped her shoulder. "What a wonderful thing, Mia! You''ve just saved the lives inside the vige. I''m sorry... Even though the vige treated you very harshly for a very long... I can''t even help you, but yet you helped us... I really can''t express how thankful and ashamed I am..." A hoarse yet gentle voice appeared from the mouth of the old man with a stick. He stared at Mia with a pair of sad yet relieved eyes. Hearing his words made Mia feel great warmth on her chest. "Elder..." (Mia) The vigers runs and went enthusiastically to thend to see their golden yellow wheat with sparkling eyes. But the elder''s sudden stern voice stopped them. "You fools! Before you start rejoicing, don''t you think you have something you should do first!? Aren''t you ashamed for falsely using a person that holds such a miracle as a cursed person and persecuting her from the vige!?" The elder''s voice is hoarse and not very loud. But it could be seen how heavy his words are for the vigers as all of them went quiet and slowly gathered around Mia. "Madame Mia," The one that seems to be the current vige chief stands before her. "E-Eh?" Mia instinctively cowered because of the harsh treatment she has been getting all through these years. "We''re sorry for your false usations, and very thankful for your deed to help the vige! You''ve really saved all of our lives! Thank you very much!!" The vige chief bowed, followed by the other vigers. "Without you, I might need to went to another country while risking my life together with my children!" "If you didn''t make such a miracle, my parents might not make it through next year!" "You really saved us! Thank you, madame!" The vigers who all have been ignoring and afraid to talk to her are thanking her with bright and kind eyes that she hadn''t seen for a very long time. All of them have always known that Mia is a gentle and kind person, but they are afraid of getting branded as a cursed one''s aplice because of it. At a certain part of the circle of vigers, there are some people that are fidgeting with their heads lowered. Mia noticed the elder went to their circle with stern and wrathful eyes before dering. "How about you lots? You''re not going to apologize? You''re the group that strongly said and convinced the vige that she is a cursed one in the first ce. She''s saved not only ours, but your lives as well, you hear me?" The elder spoke harshly towards them. (So that''s the group, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan that stared at the scene from the distance folded his arms as he observes and analyzes the situation. When his eyes stopped at the group the vige elder harshly scolded, his eyes sharpened. At the start of the day, after enjoying the morning lovingly with Mia, Lyan went together and helped Mia to do her work. Along the way, he also went around the vige and converse with the other vigers. With his greatmunication skills, he got close to the vigers rather quickly, and the information about what happened in the past also entered his ears. After thinking that he had gathered enough information, he knew that the first thing he need to do is to change the vigers'' opinions about her power. So he went straight to the person that was said to be the most influential person in the vige other than the busy vige chief, and ask for a drink with him. Lyan told him about how Mia''s power is magic and is an ability that could be of great use to the vige, but of course, the vige elder didn''t believe his words immediately. Only after Lyan shows that he also possess and could control the same power and exin it to him that the vige chief believed him. The vige chief then told him about the problem of the harvest, and Lyan told him about the n he has, and the both of them agreed to gather the vige and make a show of Mia''s power. Lyan didn''t waste any time and invited Mia to learn how to control her magic with him. (At first, I thought that it will be quite difficult since her mana channels are not properly trained. But after the deed, it seems that her mana channels got passively trained because of the appearance of the [Fey Mammoth] that could help the flow of the mana inside Mia''s body) (Lyan) With the help of the Fey Mammoth, Fia, Mia learned the magic to slightly boost the harvest of a n and weed eradication rather easily. And Lyan then immediately notify the vige elder about the start of their n. Lyan''s sharp eyes don''t stop from observing a certain group of the crowd. Inside the circle that the elder is scolding, most of them consisted of the people that were close and part of Mia''s former husband''s group. There''s the vige''s guard, a woman that was her former husband''s lover, and the other close friends of her former husband. The one that leads the group to state that Mia was a cursed one is the woman that was her former husband''s lover. She was the niece of the former vige chief, so she has quite an influence around the vige. (Hearing her lover died, she went in rage and used her of being a cursed person due to hatred. Even now, she seems to be trembling in refusal to state an apology... What a despicable bitch) (Hestia) As Lyan was about to follow suit and curse her inside his heart, the woman''s trembling suddenly stopped. "I''m really sorry for falsely using you, Mia... Please, please forgive me... And thanks for saving the vige..." Tears fell from her eyes as she made a smile filled with regret and gratefulness. At the first nce, it feels like she was regretting and thanking her sincerely. But Lyan and some other people realized the rotting smell emitting from her fake expression as she smiled. But not Mia. "I-It''s fine... To be exact, it''s not wrong for you to say that I was cursed before. If I didn''t meet Lyan, I wouldn''t be able to do any of this either... I''m just d that I could now be on good terms with everyone again..." Mia uttered gently as tears runs down her cheeks. """W-What an angel...""" The other vigers, especially the men, got captivated by the forgiving smile of the beautiful woman with an erotic body before them. While the other women that knew about the affairs of Mia''s former husband and the former vige chief''s niece admired herrge heart for being so forgiving. (She''s too kind that she doesn''t even doubt that that woman is lying, huh... That woman smells like trouble, I guess I need to make a countermeasure about her as well...) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 138 Temporary Life In The Village (4) ?"Hm... I guess I''ll grab a meal and a beer at the inn. I wonder if there''s a good wine being sold there," Lyan uttered as he wandered around the vige. Because of Mia''s miraculous performance of her magic, she is currently helping the other vigers to force harvest the wheat at the rest of the vige''s field. Since the fields are rather vast, it will take quite some time for her to finish her work together with the vigers. Since there is also the seasonal storm ongoing, they''re going to hasten the harvest and wanted to finish harvesting the great-quality wheat today as soon as possible, making the whole vige to muster their manpower. Knowing that it''s not good for him to be around since he''s an outsider in the vige, Lyan went somewhere else and wandered around the perimeter of the vige, sightseeing. "She has lots of mana, but in case of her mana got depleted, I''ve told Fia the Fey Mammoth to supply her some mana if she started showing any sign of getting pale," Lyan remembered the small little mammoth that nods cheerfully when he tasked her the important task to take care of her mother. "So I''ll be here for four more days, huh... I wanted to arrive at the north as soon as possible, though..." (Lyan) Because of the seasonal storm that happens at an unknown interval, it will be dangerous for him to go through the storm and continue to the north while the distance towards the next town is about two and half days by carriage. If the duration of the storm is only three hours, Lyan could just wait inside the grimoire''s space until he reached his time limit. But the duration of the storm usuallysts for 4 hours to 6 hours straight. Setting aside himself, it will surely damage the wagon and deplete the health of the ck horse. (Well, I doubt that an aggressive ck horse would die so easily though) (Lyan) "So this is the inn where Lia works, huh...?" Lyan stared at the old-style building before him. It looks rather modest from the outside, but there is a certain neat-looking of the building that gives off a feeling of cleanliness from it. Lyan opened the door, and the main hall that seems to becking with customers, and two waitresses cheerfully conversing with each other on one of the tables. (I guess their customers are currently helping the vige''s harvest at the field, huh?) (Lyan) "Ah! Lyan!" Lia''s expression brightens and she immediately called him with a cheerful and joyful smile. "Yo. Rmend me your best meal and beer. Do you have wine here, by the way?" (Lyan) "Of course we have! Wait a minute, I''ll tell the owner to serve you the best menu we have," Lia enthusiastically went over to the kitchen, leaving her friend that is staring at Lyan with a curious gaze. "Please seat here, dear customer," The chestnut-haired waitress lead Lyan to one of the medium-sized tables. As Lyan sits, the girl also seats at the opposite side of the table. "Can I help you?" (Lyan) "Hm~ So you''re that guest that is living in Lia''s house, Lyan, huh..." The girl stared hard at Lyan. "Hey! Ruri! What are you doing!?" Lia that saw her friend sitting on the opposite side of Lyan rushed to the table and put a mug of water on it. "What are you hurrying for? It''s not like I''m doing anything bad. But seriously, Lia... You have a guy with a nice warrior-like build and a handsome face with a pair of sharp eyes lodging in your house. How lucky... Hey, my name is Ruri. Do you want to lodge at my house instead? I live alone by the way," Ruri winked. "R-Ruri!?" (Lia) "Hm... I guess I''ll consider it. It might be bad to lodge at Lia''s house for almost a week, after all. I might be a bother to them," (Lyan) "Y-You''re not! It''s definitely fine! You can even stay as long as you want!" Lia got worked up. "Hahahaha! You really are cute, aren''t you, Lia? Well, I''m going to clean the second floor before the owner scolded me. Have fun talking~" Ruri went to upstairs after giving a secret meaningful win to Lia. "Heh. What an easy-going girl," Lyan uttered with a chuckle. "Yeah. Ruri''s famous with everyone because of that attitude of hers. She''s really good at befriending people," Lia stared at Ruri''s back with a smile. As she stared, Lyan noticed that her praise is sincere and filled with affection rather than envy. She''s sincerely admiring her for hermunication skills rather than being jealous of it. (I guess her sincerity and kind-hearted traits came directly from her mother, huh? But that reaction and closeness, I guess they''re already close with each other for a long time, huh? What a good thing to know) (Lyan) After looking at Mia''s treatment by the vigers before, Lyan thought that Lia might be experiencing the same treatment by the vigers as she works since she ended up getting abducted by some bandits that work for the ve dealers. Looking at how she''s having a friendly term with her coworker made Lyan let out a sigh of relief. "Lyan," Lia who somehow had moved from the seat at the opposition the the seat at his side called him with a serious look. "Yes?" (Lyan) "I''ve heard about mother," Lia dered shortly. "Is that so?" Lyan nods as he takes a gulp of the water from the mug. "I''m very thankful... I never thought that we''ll ever get such a normal treatment by the vige, let alone getting thanked and getting treated specially by them. I know how much pain mama has been enduring, and I also felt the painfulness as well... Without your help... I wouldn''t be able to talk with Ruri openly like just now... So thank you..." Lia''s hand that tugs Lyan''s shirt started to shiver. "Well, I guess you could take that as my payment for taking your virginity," Lyan replied jokingly with a chuckle. "Heh! I want to say that my virginity is not that cheap, but I guess what you did is very expensive and valuable for my family and me, huh...?" Lia''s shivering stopped and she let out a smallugh while some drops of tears are still visible in the corner of her eyes. "The meal will take some time, follow me for a minute, Lyan," Lia took Lyan''s hand and went to a certain room that seems to be the staff''s private resting room at the inn. There''s a wooden chair, a table, a couch, and a simple daybed. "This room is...?" (Lyan) Suddenly, Lia took off her underwear and lifted her skirt, showing her bare moist cave in front of Lyan. With her facepletely red like a tomato, Lia lowered her head and stared at Lyan with an adorable look. "I want more pay for my virginity... Can you give me more of the pleasure you taught me that day...?" (Lia) There''s nothing for him to say more, he immediately cast the soundproof barrier around them and shut the television inside the grimoire''s space together with his telepathy connection to prevent him from hearing the ''distractions'' inside the grimoire''s space. "My pleasure," (Lyan) *************************************************** ---Inside the Grimoire''s space--- Putting her legs on top of the living room table, Griselda stared at the television that suddenly got shut off with an annoyed look as she put the cards she was holding down. "He''s doing it again, that lustful bastard..." (Griselda) "It can''t be helped. Doing so also helps him to get more summonable monsters and increase his strength. In ability improvement-wise, it could be considered as a productive activity for him. But the fact that it''s a vulgar and lustful act will still remain, though," Hestia replied indifferently with a shrug. After the case of Lilith, the high spirits made a shift system for them to monitor the television and Lyan''s actions with two people while the rest of them are free to do whatever they want. "Our mana had already recovered and the duration of the summoning restriction has already passed the restriction limit as well. If not for the seasonal storm and the vige, we would have already gotten summoned in order every day by now," Griseldained. "You''re right. But it can''t be helped, the seasonal storm is not something that could be controlled anyway. Not like the flow of the game we''re ying, sorry, but it''s my win again," Hestia puts her winning card down and dered her win. "Ugh... ARRGGHH!!! Hurry up and finish, seasonal storm!!! I want to get outside!!!!!" (Griselda) ___________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoned Monsters: Arcane Retriever> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 139 Temporary Life In The Village (End) ?"Today''s the day, huh..." Lyan uttered under his breath as he stared at the ceiling of the house where he had been staying for 5 nights. "Mmh..." a cute groan sounded from the person resting above him. Looking at her made Lyan let out a small chuckle. Her disheveled coffee-brown hair and her face filled with dried saliva because of their intense kiss along their passionate love-making session give a feeling of satisfaction and possession inside Lyan. All these days, Lyan had been acting as a husband and a father for the family of three girls. In the early morning, some of the vigers'' men asked for some fighting training, and when they''re finished, the wives together with Mia wille and bring them some breakfast and drinks. Then he continues to help Mia with her work, has lunch at either Mia''s cooking or the inn where Lia works, and went back to y together with Nia. The activity continues normally for the two days, but in thest three days, Mia and Lia had been especially aggressive towards him. When he was helping Mia tend the ranch animals, she approached him and enticed him to do the deed inside the stable. They ended up having a rough love session at the stable, and went to the farm with some wet liquids dripping from her crotch beneath her skirt. While on the other hand, whenever Lyan went to the inn where Lia works, she keeps on pulling him to the empty private staff room to do the deed under the pretext of waiting for the food to be ready. It triggered a satisfying feeling of conquest when he saw the girl with her womb filled with his fresh seed tending the other men that are admiring her beauty. While at the house when the storm rages on, Lia also likes to slip in when he''s going to the toilet to clean his body, and ended up having risky sex with her while using the soundproof barrier to make sure her mother didn''t notice. While at the night after Nia went asleep, Lyan have another lovely long night session with Mia until they fell asleep. Lyan''s hand went to her hair and slowly strokes them. It''s silky and smells nice. His hands then went to her curvy and beautiful body and strokes them before giving them a nice massage. "Mmhh...? Lyan...? It''s morning...?" Mia let out a small moan before opening her half-asleep eyes. "Sorry, your body is too irresistible. Did I wake you up?" (Lyan) "No, it''s fine," Mia rubs her eyes and gazed tenderly at Lyan. "Today is the final day of our blissful life together, after all," Mia''s eyes suddenly turn sadful, but when she saw Lyan about to say something, she shakes her head. "No, it''s fine. Rather than that," Mia''s hand went to the towering thing that seems to be very energetic so early in the morning. "Let''s do me roughly this morning. I want more of your seed," (Mia) ************************************************ *Pant!* *Pant!* *Pant!* Mia''s face which is filled with tears and drools because of the intense love session seems to be very erotic as she gasped for breath. Knowing that this will be the day when Lyan departs, she went aggressively toward him and ended up a little bit forcing her body up. With her eyes rolled upwards and her tongue stuck out while her legs remain spread with thick white juices overflowing from her crotch, she lost her consciousness because of the intense pleasure for several minutes before finally regaining herposure. When she regained consciousness, she climbs up Lyan''s body and rubs her cheeks lovingly before uttering sadly. "Do you really have to go...?" (Mia) "Y-" (Lyan) "If you live with us!" Mia cuts Lyan''s words. "If you live with us... You could take not only mine, but Lia''s body as well. You could also take Nia''s when she was bigger," (Mia) (No, I love women but I don''t into kids) (Lyan) "The three of us will tend you and give you all of our soul and body, and we could have lots of children and offspring together in the vige. Now with the influence, we have in the vige, we''ll get respected by all of them and we could have a stable life and a happy family together..." Mia''s hands started to shiver, but Lyan grabbed her trembling hand. "I''m sorry, but I can''t live here," Lyan''s answer remains the same. "I know... It''s impossible to ask you to live here. I know-" (Mia) "But. I never said that I won''t being back here. I''ll probably be going to be back for at most every half a year or so. And one day when I found myself a ce where I will settle at, would the three of you like to move in and live together with me?" (Lyan) It took Mia several times to process Lyan''s words. And when she understood his meaning, her face brightens up and color started to return to her face. "W-We can!? We can live together with you!?" (Mia) "Yeah. But, it won''t be only us. As I''ve told you before, I''m not a good man. I''m a bastard that has lots of women. But even so, would you still like to go with me?" Lyan asked Mia with a serious look. It won''t be good if he told her gently as if telling her that he will prioritize her above the others, and it will only hurt her if he don''t clearly tell her about it. But even so, the bright face on Mia''s face does not disappear. "Of course it''s fine! With your limitless lust and vigor, we need at least 100 women to be able to satisfy your sexual needs! I''ll take your offer, so don''t you dare forget us here, you hear me!?" Mia dered happily. "I see... Then I promise you to do so. You could still contact me by using Fia anyway. So it could be said that even when we''re apart, we could still see and contact each other through the new connection we have," (Lyan) "New connection... Summoner''s wife, huh... Fufufu..." Mia''s cheeks redden in joy as she slowly strokes the crest that appeared on top of her crotch. "I finally became a happy wife," (Mia) *********************************************** The day went like usual, the vigers'' men gathered in front of the house asking to be trained for fighting, and the wives came together with Mia to bring breakfast. But this time, there seems to be more people in the vige that came to have breakfast together. They seem to have heard about Lyan going to leave the vige today since when the breakfast is done, all of them express their gratitude to him and some that had grown closer to him hugged him closely. Some of the wives also hug him while getting carried on by the atmosphere and ended up getting stared daggers by Mia. After the branding of being a cursed one disappeared, there are lots of men that have their eyes on Mia. Not only that she is very beautiful and has a great body, but she also has her magic that will greatly improve the vige, giving an insurance of influence within the vige. One of the people that aim for her is the vige chief. Even though he has a fiance, he''s shown his interest in her. Knowing about that fact, Mia deliberately boasts about her wifely behavior towards Lyan, and sometimes entices him to have sex at a ce where the people will definitely know what they were doing in order to get the men aiming at her away and also made the other vige girls and women to stay away from Lyan. Lyan remembered how the men that clearly held hopes and aims for her had a broken-hearted look when they saw the white seed dripping from her skirt after the both of them went inside the stable together. The only thing that Lyan didn''t manage to achieve while staying at the vige is exposing the scheme the former vige chief''s niece might be holding. But Lyan had already told Fia the Fey Mammoth to make sure she protect the family. "I guess it''s time to go," Lyan said as he holds the bag on his back while holding his giant ive in his hand. The wagon and the ck horse are already waiting at the vige''s entrance behind him, but he needs to properly give his farewell to the family of three girls and the other vigers that had gathered to see him leave. "Pleasee back and y with me again!! Promise!?" Nia clings to Lyan''s legs as she pleads. "Yes, yes. I will be back in no time," Lyan replied gently as she pats her head. Lyan then shifted his gaze toward the two girls behind Nia. The both of them are staring at him with a gaze mixed with affection and sadness. The one that approached him first is Mia. "Make sure to take care of your health and don''t get hurt, okay? I will always be waiting here," Mia closed her eyes and lift her face up. It''s rare for her to do so boldly since there are the vigers too, but of course, Lyanplies with her request with pleasure and gives her a hot deep kiss that made the spectators gulp. After the parts with each other, Lia was the one that approached him, but before he could say anything, she immediately jumped and seal their lips together. Mia and the other vigers widened their eyes at the sight since Lia always makes her move in secret. She also then snapped her fingers, and a green-furred retriever pup appeared on her shoulder. "L-Lia...?" (Mia) "Arcia, say goodbye to your father," (Lia) The small pup smartly gives a small wave, and Lyan gives him a small pet before turning his back. "Well then, I''m leaving. Take care, all of you!" Lyan left with a single wave and left with the wagon, leaving the mother and daughter that seems to be having an intense staring contest with each other behind him. "Now. To the center part of the Astellia Kingdom," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 140 Journey To The North (8) The Continuation ?Through the deeper side of the Astellia Kingdom beneath the Bruinsan vige where Mia, Lia, and Nia live, the road steadily gets better as they get near the first town to the north. Lyan went through several other small viges, but since there are no seasonal storms to be wary of, he went straight to the first town of the southern region of Astellia Kingdom''s territory. There are fewer monsters and magic beasts he encountered as he gets near the town, and there are people that seem to be adventurers surveying throughout the forest. (Hm~ Adventurers, huh? That''s the first time I encountered some... I''ve tasted the experience of being a mercenary, maybe trying to experience being an adventurerter might be fun as well. But first, the journey to the northes first) (Lyan) The birds'' chirps, the rustling leaves and bushes of the forest, and the sound of the wagon''s wheels. Looking at forward as he sits in the coachman''s seat, Lyan imagined the ce in the north that was called the eternal winter beyond the central ins. Hazy and blurry scenes of the long-forgotten memories of winter of his hometown on earth appeared in his mind. He knows the fact that he ys together with his little sister, his niece, and his friends, but he can''t seem to recall the clear image and what he did back then. The feeling of forgetting something important drives his desire to went to the north to see the snowing winter, hoping that he might remember the fun memories of the long past. For Lyan, his memories of his previous lives on earth are very important and more precious than any kind of treasures this world might offer. There''s actually a ce filled with memories where he could easily recall the scenes and memories of his previous life on earth, which is the apartment room that was somehow summoned at the grimoire''s space house. But that apartment room that was filled with too much with memories might overload his heart with different kinds of overflowing emotions. (But even so, I need to take the first step. Inside the apartment room, there are books that would definitely give me lots of benefits in this world. And there is also theputer that is filled with lots of electronic books and data that will be beneficial as well) (Lyan) It''s fine if it''s just slow, it''s fine for the step to be a short one, but at least he needs to move forward. By facing forward the memories of his past, he will eventually be able to enter the apartment room without having the overbearing pain in his chest. As he held his chest, a certain saying that his sister used to tell him resonated throughout his head. (True peace is to settle and make peace with your own past, huh...) (Lyan) "But there are too many conflicts in the past for me to settle and make peace with, sis..." Lyan uttered sentimentally as he stared at the sky, the blurry face of his little sister seemed to be formed by the clouds as if the gods are asking him to remember her. Lyan let out a self-mocking snort and closed his eyes. As aggressive as the ck horse might be, his intellect is leagues beyond normal horses. Even without Lyan holding the reins, he knew and could follow the highway road independently. Along the way from the Bruinsan vige, the ck horse has been rather obedient to his orders. But it''s not because of nothing, it''s because that he had hisplete fill unleashing his sexual drive at the vige. Lyan heard that he sometimes went to stables to stables to visit the mares of the other stables and have fun with them along the night. There are no vigers thatined since the seed from such a strong, big, and smart ck horse will give them the same quality horse for the vige. As Lyan was about to curse at the vulgar horse, he remembered about the number of women he has to take care of in such a short duration. (I heard that there might be war in near future. I can''t protect them if they are scattered all over the ce, and I can''t just bring them all over the ce with a huge wagon... I need a ce... A home, huh...?) (Lyan) Finally, Lyan remembered the words Abraham the refined butler told him. He mentioned about a home, a ce to return, and a ce to settle. It''s easy for him to buy a big house with his current wealth, but just a big house can''t ensure the safety of his family. Then he remembered the words of Jose and Abraham, as well as the invitation from the crown prince of the Astellia Kingdom. If he became a noble and granted a territory, it will not be difficult for him to station a big amount of guards to protect her family. He could also openly summon his grimoire''s creatures to wander around and have some freedom to y around the territory. The annoying things are that his freedom might get limited by his obligations towards the kingdom, and he might need to go to wars and battles of the kingdom''s affairs. "A noble, huh..." Staring at the clouds that seem to have formed in a form of a shield. "I guess I need to start to consider it seriously..." (Lyan) ******************************************* ---Astellia Kingdom''s royal castle, Capital city of Astalte--- """Wee back, Prince Erich!""" The guards and servants of the castle that had gathered at the entrance bowed and weed their master as their master arrived. With a small smile and a raise of hand, their master benevolently told them- "Thank you everyone, but there''s no need to wee me like this. You should return to your posts and continue your work," (Erich) The guards and servants gave their responses of telling him how he''s too modest and too kind, but there are none of them that seems to be saying their words of gratitude and praise with no sincerity. After giving a satisfied nod and a friendly smile to them, Erich proceed and went to walk to his own chamber at the royal chamber at the inner castle. "His royal highness is as benevolent as always!" "And he''s as handsome as always!" "I heard that his quest to the south to vanquish the uprising of the goblin king went smoothly without him exposing his identity to the people of the Arkansas!" "What a modest person as always... I wonder if I could be his concubine or mistress..." The maids are gathering and squealing as they gossips about the handsome and charismatic prince of the kingdom. The crown prince of the Astellia Kingdom. A prodigy that was praised for being highly capable in every aspect that is necessary for a king to have. Whether it is fighting, military tactics, political schemes, andmunication with the people, he has all of them. He also inherited the strong royal magic blood that carries the magic of the royal me with him, giving him a powerful strength as a mage as well. The whole kingdom respects him, since he''s not just a prodigy, but he has a kind and noble heart as well. The servants of the royal castle especially adore him since they saw him asionally, and fell for not just his great looks, but his noble and charismatic aura, together with his capabilities of bringing achievements whenever he goes. *Thud!* As the door shut, the adored prince that only entered with a single maid gave a gesture to the maid, and the maid immediately covers all of the curtains and turns on the lights inside the room. "Your highness, isn''t it time for you toy low? If you continue to do so many activities, I''m afraid that it might give the risk of having your cover getting blown," The maid that gives off the vibe of a seasonal fighter worriedly suggests to her master. "It''s a step that is necessary for me to take, so I took them," The one that had been called as the crown prince hold his hair, and pulled them. But with that single pull, a beautiful silky long blonde hair slowly and gracefully falls downwards. The hands that finally got exposed from the long gloves are pale white and very smooth, took the wet cloth prepared by the maid and wiped the face, revealing a beautiful face that holds both peerless beauty and intellect. "With our current condition, Evocatore, no, Lyan is someone that we absolutely need," ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 141 Journey To The North (9) The First Town ?The first town from the south within the Astellia Kingdom''s territory, is the Cankarusa town. Since it''s the nearest town in distance from the city of mercenaries and merchants of Arkansas, the size of the town is rather big and as lively as the city of Arkansas. But unlike the city of Arkansas, you wouldn''t be seeing mercenaries waiting and standing all over the ce. Recing the mercenaries, there are the guards and knights wandering around the ce with their full-te and uniform armor and swords hanging on their hips. ? But other than that, the town is very lively even if it''s not as lively as the city of Arkansas. Looking at the setting of the town, a smile blooms on Lyan''s face. (Now this is an RPG vibe town!) (Lyan) Lyan rejoiced when he saw the town that is simr to how he pictured an RPG-like medieval time inside his head. (First is lodging and food... Let''s take the mostfortable inn and have a st sleeping. Then next is sightseeing around the town and-) (Lyan) As Lyan is wandering about his ns for the day in the town peacefully, a certain existence forcefully ruins the peace and made his eyebrows twitch. "Huh? What are you looking at, girl? Heh. You look rather great, want to do it once with me?" A brawny man approached a girl with a silver hair. "Huh? You''re the one looking at me, idiot," The girl replied harshly as her fierce-looking face twitched in displease. Her angry look looks threatening, but the man did not sense any murderous intent from her. The man snorted. "Quite a brave one, aren''t you? But it looks like I''m going to need to teach you some manners first-" As the man uttered with a smirk appearing on his face, suddenly he stopped in the middle of his words and his eyes went nk. Of course, it''s Lyan''s illusion and mind magic in action. With a single tap on the back with considerable force and an infuse of his illusion magic, Lyan forcefully hid the consciousness of the mercenary temporarily. "What are you doing, Griselda? Don''t draw unnecessary attention, would you?" Lyan uttered while expressing his annoyance towards the silver-haired woman. "He''s the one who stares at me first, yet he dares to lie saying that I''m staring at him. He''s definitely thinking of doing some vulgar things in his head anyway, it''s better to give him a lesson or two," Griselda snorted. *Sigh!* After his departure from the Bruinsan vige to the north, heading for the Astellia Kingdom. In the middle of the road, the great spirits demand the start of their new agreement, which is to summon a single spirit in a day. (But why should Griselda be the one who got summoned first...? Well, I epted the terms, so I can''t really say anything about it, though...) (Lyan) The agreement and selection for the order are, of course, chosen by ying a game inside the grimoire''s space. They y a single simple game of cards that got shuffled by Azelia which has the most least potential of cheating, unlike Lilith and Griselda. Arturia got slightly irritated by the fact that she Lilith and Hestia are holding some suspicions about her even though she won''t cheat, while the other great spirits went along with the game normally. And after ying the game that was chosen for the most based-on-luck game, Griselda somehow got the first ce. She shouts her victory cry loud enough to make Lyan feel a great vertigo for a moment. "Why do I have to face her as the first one...? The difficulty is too hard, though...?" Lyan uttered under his breath. "Huh? Did you say something?" (Griselda) "Nothing. Well, since you only have about two and half hours left. Feel free to go around the town, but make sure not to get yourself into a fight and make trouble. I''ll be-" (Lyan) "Huh? What are you saying? The whole point of the daily summoning agreement is for us to stand by and protect you from unwanted danger, right? And it''s also to make sure that we could form a goodmunication with each other. What is the point of making the agreement if we ended up separating from each other?" (Griselda) (Ugh... That''s a sound argument...) (Lyan) Lyan that realized his n of making Griselda leave him alone to enjoy his travel leisurely failed by Griselda''s rational reasoning. (I guess she''s not the knightmander for nothing. But damn she''s as a ferocious as a lioness) (Lyan) Lyan has a great interest in strong women, especially those who have a pair of unwavering eyes. But a woman that is too ferocious and strong like Griselda is a little bit too much energy-consuming. Lyan could only let out a heavy sigh every time he witness her scowls and res. "You''re right. I''m interested in that library over there, you want to follow me?" Lyan pointed at the bookstore that does not exist in the Bruinsan vige or the city of Arkansas. "Hm? Books, huh? That''s damn boring. I guess you could tend and protect yourself, right? I guess wandering around at the town after a while might be fine, I want to try my power at the monsters in the forest nearby as well. So let''s split up," Griselda dered and left while leaving some lightning sparks behind. "What happened to the protection and the forming a goodmunication part, huh...?" Lyan uttered with a wry smile. But this is a good chance. Lyan that realized that soon make a satisfied smile. By the agreement, the other spirits won''t be looking at the television and wouldn''t be able to see or hear what they are doing in order to protect privacy. But since Griselda had gone to wander around by herself, it means that he will be having some real alone time for a while. "It''s the first time I''m going to a library, I''m a little bit excited, I guess," (Lyan) There''s the case with the Schr''s Inn owned by Jessica the innkeeper, but it''s more of an inn rather than a library despite of therge number of books being stored inside. So this will be the first time Lyan visits a real library in this world. "Hm~ This is really rxing..." Lyan uttered in satisfaction as the scent of bibliosmia entered his nostrils, calming his state of mind, and entering to a learning mode. Inside the library is not something grand. As he entered, a skinny man with a sses that seems to be one of the librarians stood and greets him. "Wee to the Library of Cankarusa town. Are you here to read or to borrow a book, mister?" The man asked friendlily. "Ah... I''ll be only reading here," (Lyan) "I see. Feel free to read the books on all of the shelves. Please make sure not to damage the books and return them to the ce where they are taken. Have a good time," The man once again bows. Lyan nods and went to browse through the shelves inside the library. The library size is just a little bit bigger than the category of small. As Lyan browse through the shelves and saw the books one by one, he could understand that the books that are mostly stored inside are just any basic learning of any knowledge, stories of fairy tales, poems, and songs of bards. There are some necessary basic knowledge books about the world that piqued Lyan''s interest since he hasn''t read them yet, but there are no books with great quality like the one he found at the Schr''s Inn like the ''Book of Curse and Magic'' and other books that he found there. (Well, it''s just a town, after all. I wonder if there will be any rare books that I could find in the capital city. I guess I have another thing to look forward to in the future, huh?) (Lyan) As Lyan got immersed in reading the stacks of books he put beside him, two hours passed in a blink without him noticing. Inside the library, there are only about two other people that were also reading, so it quieter and more tranquil, making Lyan got easier to get too absorbed by the books and forgot about time. "Ah... There are no hour bells in this town like the Arkansas city so I lose my track of time. I wonder where Griselda-" Before Lyan could finish his words. *Rumble!* The sound of a thunderp and rumbles of lightning suddenly appeared from the distance. "Speak about the devil," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 142 Journey To The North (10) The Lightning Spirits Spar ?After hearing the sound of the loud thunderp, Lyan reluctantly leaves the book he''s reading and heads toward the direction of where the sound came from. It''s not hard to search for where the thunderp came from since when he ran for a while, he immediately saw a crowd gathering and looking at something that seems to be an interesting scene. "Tch!" Lyan clicked his tongue and went stealthily to climb one of the buildings, and when he observed the scene from above, his suspicions turns out to be correct. "That girl... What is she doing...?" Lyan facepalmed himself when he saw the figure of Griselda holding a swear that he doesn''t know where she got it from with a fearless look on her face. The one being her opponent is a man with a decent build. He''s not the brawny type, but his body could be considered to be quite robust. His stance on his sword looks refined and his eyes glimmered with calm and calcting eyes. "Hm~ You''re not bad. To dodge the attack with such a speed, you''re at the very least have the skills to be epted as the capital''s knights," Griselda praised the man. "Thank you very much. If I didn''t dodge it, it will surely be trouble, after all. I don''t really have any wish of dying or getting crippled in such a remote town, you see..." The man uttered with a wry smile. For those who are observant, it''s obvious to see the sweats that are gathering on his forehead and his neck are not due to having an exhausting battle, but sweats from nervousness. When one''s ability in battle heightens, one will understand better which is the easy opponent and which is the dangerous one. It seems that the man standing before Griselda is experienced enough to recognize Griselda''s magnificent skills and judged that she is a dangerous opponent. Lyan doesn''t know how the battle started between them, but after looking at the reaction of the man, Lyan started to get interested in the man before Griselda. His calcting eyes that are calmly analyzing the situation and forming a n show that he''s not just your normal mercenary. The spectators that are watching from the distance are looking at the sight with excitement all over their faces. From their look, it seems that it''s not going to be a battle to death but just a normal duel between two fighters. "Man should be the one doing the chasing, right? Nowe!" Griselda taunted the man with a gesture with one of her hands. "Then I''ll do so!" The man doesn''t hesitate and lunged at her with a quick dash and give a strike with a great momentum. Griselda dodged easily by lowering her body, but her eyes noticed the strange movement of his other hand. (A throwing knife?) (Griselda) Griselda dodged the knife thrown aimed for her left foot and draw backward, at the moment she lifted her feet, the man lowered his body, spins, and swings his sword, aiming for her right leg. (He''s aiming for an unexpected angle, huh?) (Lyan) But Griselda does not falter. She remain standing without pulling her leg, but instead, she made a thrusting pose with a terrifying speed and thrust her sword, countering the attack with another attack. (S-She''s faster!) The man that noticed that his sword willnds slower than the high-speed thrust of Griselda breaks a sweat and cancels his swing while rolling to the side, dodging Griselda''s thrust. "Not a bad call, but you left your body open!" Griselda took the initiative and charged. Taking a full-body thrusting stance, she lunged with a speed that made the audience let out an "Ooh!!" reaction. *nk!* The man managed to deflect the sword to the side, but the sword managed to graze his shoulder a little. "There are still moreing!" Griselda presses even more. Barrages of shes mixed with thrusts came from her. The man desperately blocks and evades them, but he''s still slowly umting damage all over his body. "Tch! I guess I''ll be losing at this rate! It can''t be helped!!" The man suddenly concentrate most of his mana on his feet and stomped the ground with powerful force. *Boom!!* Griselda that had been attacking with a great speed stopped her attack as the ground slightly shakes and the clouds of dust rise up the air, blocking the vision. "Hmph! There''s no use for hiding!" Griselda gathered her mana on her sword, creating lightning sparks to be emitted from the sword, and swung with a powerful force to disperse the gathering clouds of dust. But suddenly- *sh!* "Heh! An ambush, huh?" Griselda chuckled as she easily dodged the sh of the man''s sword by twisting her body to the back. "That''s not all!" Suddenly the man''s other hand moved and revealed that it was holding another sword. (Dual-wielding?) (Griselda) Griselda that had her posture broken because of dodging is at a disadvantage as theing sword is about to hit her defenseless body. "Hiding an ace under your sleeve, huh? Not bad!" (Griselda) The sound of electric sparks that sounded like bird chirps appeared from Griselda''s right foot as her feet shone with silver-blue light. And- *Whoosh!* A high-speed kick thatnds precisely at the sword''s hilt, forcing the man to lose the grip of the sword and let the sword flies far above to the sky. It''s quite a sight to see how Griselda''s feet move so stically 90 degrees above in such a position. "Y-You must be kidding me..." The man made a wry smile as he could not believe what he just witness, but still, he must not lose as he still has the momentum. The man raise his leg and made a kick, aiming for Griselda''s abdomen. "Not so easy!" Griselda caught the man''s foot, but that was what the man aimed. With Griselda''s powerful strength, he could make her grip on his foot as a footing and jumped, twists his body, and made a powerful swinging kick aimed at her head with full concentrated mana. Remembering the impact given from his mana-concentrated stomping to the ground before, Griselda dodges and retreats behind. The man that got released immediately dashed to chase over her, and made another sh. *nk!* His attack easily got deflected. "Not bad! I guess you''re at least stronger than the new recruits of the kingdom''s knights!!" Griselda attempted to sweep the man''s leg, but he suddenly made a high jump. "Hm?" (Griselda) The man reached his empty hand to the sky, and grabbed something. "Take this!!!" The man shouted. The thing that he grabbed after he made a high jump turned out to be the sword that got flung away by Griselda''s kick before, and he immediately concentrate his mana on both hands and made a powerful strike with both swords. *Boom!!!* The supposed to be metallic nks sound that appeared because of the colliding of two metals somehow became a loud explosion-like sound. Powerful winds were sent all over the directions, making more cheers to erupt from the spectators. After hearing the sound, it felt like Griselda that was the side that was receiving the heavy blow was supposed to be defeated or at least receive heavy damage, but- "Tch! Still not got through, huh? You''re damn too strong, missy!" The man uttered with a wry smile as he pulled back before once again colliding his swords with Griselda''s. "You''re pretty strong as well. It''s been a while since I have such a good exercise, so entertain me well!!" (Griselda) "My pleasure!!" The man replied with a big smile as he epted the challenge and started the bouts of swords with Griselda. Under normal circumstances, it is obvious to think that the one wielding two swords will be able to deliver more blows and shes toward an opponent that is wielding only a single sword. But the scene before them turns out not to be as so. Griselda that is wielding only a single sword blocked the iing barrages of attacks from the dual-wielding men with great speed and started to even counterattack and overwhelms the man. The bout of swords is very quick and hard to see for the spectators that have no experience in high-speed battles. But for Lyan, it''s something easy for his eyes to catch on to. "Looks like they are having some fun. I wonder if he epts if I ask him to have a spar with me too? I will probably won''t end up intact if I spar with Griselda, after all," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 143 Journey To The North (11) The Lightning Spirits Punishment ?*nk!* *nk!* *nk!* The sound of metals colliding with great a great force resounded throughout the ce for several minutes. The bouts between the two had continued for half an hour, and it was clear who is having the advantage. The man that is facing Griselda has gone from offensive to total defense. He''s covered with sweat all over his body, his eyes are giving signs of fatigue, and his movement had became slightly sluggish. While on the other hand, Griselda''s movement seems to be getting faster and sharper than before. Her eyes are getting calmer, and the grin on her face has gotten even wider. The intense battle had been going on for more than half an hour but there are no signs of leavinging from the spectator. The intense battle made them even more curious about who will be winning, and the guards thate running and should be stopping them got stopped by some people that seems to be the locals of the town. All of them are getting immersed in the fight before them. It''s not strange for civilians and normal people to get interested. It''s not amon sight to see fighters and swordsmen with the same level of the two fighting without aiming to end each other''s lives. It''s clear that the man is at a disadvantage, but his eyes do not give any sign of impatience. Instead, it feels like he continued to analyze the information he''s getting from Griselda''s movement and is formting a n. (No, rather than it feels like, he is formting a n. I wonder what he''s nning to do to break the current state... But if I continue to wait, I will suddenly get absorbed by the grimoire''s space and got forced to get unsummoned! Sorry but I have to end it here!!) (Griselda) *nk!* Griselda made a powerful blow with a big motion, forcing the man to block it with both of his swords. Grinning, Griselda raise her empty hand to the sky. The sky darkens and the sound of rumblings started to appear from above. A hint of blue appeared on the clouds, but before she could gather lightning on her hand- *p!* A sudden p appeared from between Griselda and the man. The loud and surprising sound of the p stunned their movement for several seconds. But the thing that appeared is not only the sound, but a figure d in a cloak also appeared from the thin air. "It''s high time to stop, Griselda. Sorry, strong man. But doing whatever you''re nning will only endanger your life. This girl doesn''t seem to know the thing called self-restraint, after all," (Lyan) It''s just several seconds moment of stun, but it''s more than enough for Lyan. With a single wave, the illusion of smoke covered the area restricting the view of all of the people including the man and Griselda. "W-Wait!" The man reached his hand to grab Lyan, but he grabbed nothing. The illusion of smoke slowly fades away, and when all of them vanished, the figure of Griselda and the mysterious figure d in a cloak vanished as well. ********************************************* "Stupid," (Lilith) "Really, what an idiot," (Hestia) "Unbelievable," (Arturia) "How ridiculously foolish," (Eira) "Bad!" (Azelia) "T-That''s not a good thing..." (Sylphia) "That''s definitely wrong," (Cynthia) Words of disappointment and critique towards Griselda''s actions during her summoning period endlessly pour in from the other spirits. They understand how troubling and annoying Griselda''s actions are after Lyan showed them what happened by disying his memories through his illusion magic. After forcefully retrieving the wild Griselda back to the inn with various hardships, Lyan returns to the grimoire''s space together with her right at the same time when her summoning period depleted before returning outside with an exasperated sigh. The other spirits are expecting great results and stories, but after looking at what Lyan showed them. "Well, I guess summoning that wild girl first and using it as a reference is a big mistake, huh?" Hestia uttered with a tired sigh. "Rather than a mistake, it''s more like a bad luck for Lyan, you know?" (Lilith) "And you call yourself a knight..." (Arturia) "It''s ridiculous to think that she holds a very important position like as the knightmander of a quite big country with such foolish behavior. Are you sure you''re not just a clown or a figurehead of the kingdom''s knighthood?" Eira spouted out sharp words of spite mercilessly. "Huh!? Of course, I am the one leading them! Don''t you hear me talking about how the knighthood on the kingdom might get disordered because of my absence, you ice woman!?" Griselda retorted as she clearly took offense to Eira''s words. "Now, now. Let''s stop the Griselda-attacking forum here. As expected, it will be unfair to the Master if we have one of us doing such troublesome behavior during the summoning period, and it might make the Master hesitates on summoning us as well. So in conclusion," Hestia shifted her gaze towards Arturia, and when their eyes met, the both of them nods at each other. "We''re banning Griselda from getting summoned for a month. It''s her punishment," Arturia uttered with a nod. "I see, so we''re punishing her," (Cynthia) "I-It will be a good restraint for her," (Sylphia) "Yes, it might give more results if we punish and ban her for three months, but I guess our noble knight spirit is too lenient so let''s settle with one month. It will also be a warning to the others to make sure that you don''t make such amotion on your summoning period," (Hestia) "Wait. I don''t remember agreeing to any of this," Griselda frowns as she stares at the others with dissatisfaction all over her face. "It''s the consequences of your actions. If in chance we ended up destroying our connection with Lyan and lost the chance to shorten our contract duration span, it will be all of us getting the loss because of your actions. I believe you''re at least aware of that obvious fact," Eira uttered with a scoff. Griselda found her words as a sound argument, but her haughty attitude is ticking her off. "You... Are you asking for a fight, ice woman...?" Bloodlust started to ooze out Griselda like silver-blue aura as she stared daggers at Eira. If it''s a normal person, they would immediately pass out right at the moment the terrifying pressure from the bloodlust Griselda emitted. But Eira snorted. "Why don''t you try? But it won''t even be a fight, though," (Eira) Cold winds started to appear inside the room as well, as the living room table started to freeze, a hot wind suddenly came from the direction of one of them. "Now stop. Eira, we''ve agreed to not damage any item inside this house. You''ll be viting the agreement and will get the same punishment if you continue this, so stop," (Hestia) "Griselda. You also want to shorten the duration of the contract, right? No, I believe you''re the one who wants to shorten it the most among us. So take the punishment of your actions and be responsible for it," (Arturia) Having the most neutral and just like Arturia made it hard for Griselda to object since she was saying it to her with a firm yet polite and respectable tone worthy of a great knight. "Hmph! Fine," Griselda snorted in dissatisfaction but hearing the words of eptance from her made a smile appear on the others'' faces. "Yes! We have someone other than me that got punished!! Why don''t we punish her like how I got punished as well? It will be more satisfy-" (Lilith) "Oh shut up, you idiot subus," (Hestia) ******************************************* As the spirits reached their conclusion and their agreement, a smile appeared on Lyan''s face as he put the mug of beer on top of the table. "Looks like they''ve reached a conclusion. So there will be no aggressive Griselda for the next month, huh... It''s already tough having an annoying and aggressive horse, I don''t need another one," (Lyan) Of course, the connection between the Television''s sound and him had already been cut by hismand so the spirits wouldn''t be able to hear him, or Griselda might start shouting andining to the point that his head hurts. "I guess I''ll finish up and go back to the inn-" (Lyan) "What!? The goblin king subjugation is over!?" A loud voice suddenly sounded from the counter. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 144 Journey To The North (12) The Promising Mercenary ?"What!? The goblin king subjugation is over!?" A loud voice suddenly sounded from the counter. The voice sounded sincerely surprised and frustrated by the news that he seemed to just found out. "Yeah, I have a friend that is a merchant and regrly goes the city of Arkansas to trade, you see. Yesterday, he told me that he finally could leave the city to sell his things after the restock since the goblin king''s subjugation has ended," The bartender of the inn told him as he indifferently continue to wipe a ss on his hand. "Guh... I should have not epted the request at the empire and just ept the request at the Astellia Kingdom instead... Such an easy money andrge bounty getting away so easily, I heard the rumors about the royalty of the Astellians are searching for great men as well... there goes my chance to be a noble..." The man drooped his shoulders and take a big gulp of the beer in his hand. "It''s all about luck. I heard that there are still teams being assembled topletely wipe out the remaining goblins from the perimeter to avoid the same uprising happening again. It should give a decent amount of reward as well, why not go for it?" (Bartender) "I see... I guess I''ll at least make some more money there, huh..." The man replied weakly. Hearing the topic of the goblin subjugation drew Lyan''s attention to the conversation, and he realized that the voice owned by the man that seems to be a mercenary is somehow familiar to him. Lyan slightly tilted his head and stole a nce and widened his eyes when he saw the back of the person. (Hm? He''s the one that Griseda fought before!) (Lyan) "Not to mention that I got severely cornered by an unbelievably strong woman. Damn, she was not even being serious when she fought me in that fight, I''m literally on her mercy. Today seems to be my worst day for a few years..." The man''s shoulders drooped even further. "But that fight was really something, you know. It''s been a while since I saw a fight at that level. You see, I''ve seen a decent amount of battles between strong people, and you know what?" The bartender put down the clean ss and stared straight at the mercenary guy. The other drinking men seem to be also interested in the old bartender''s story and sit closer to him. "That woman, she''s a beast. I''ve had my share of goosebumps and shivering moments after looking at a strong men''s eyes, but that woman''s eyes are more than just frightening. It feels like her stare alone could paralyze and kill someone. More like, leaving that fight alive is something that you should be proud of, in my opinion," The bartender closed his eyes, picked up another ss, and continue his wipings. "I see... Be proud, huh...? If that cloaked guy didn''t intrude between our fight, I wonder if I would still be alive right now..." The man''s shoulders slightly raised up as his curiosity about the cloaked man started to take over his mind. "His voice sounds intelligent and confident, and he has a presence at least as strong as that ferocious woman. His body is quite big as he''s tall, and judging from his rough-looking and big hands when he grabbed the woman, his body seems to be very well-trained. He should be very strong as well," The man calmly analyzed Lyan''s strength just by that brief moment he saw him. "Yeah. You''re absolutely right. His ability to leave the ce without any sound is also magnificent. Here, service from the house," The bartender put another beer in front of the smart mercenary''s face. He seems to be enjoying the conversation with him. "I would like to say that I have no difficulties with money, but it''s not good to refuse a gift, isn''t it? I''ll dly have it," The mercenary took the beer and took another big gulp from it. (Hm~ Looks like you managed to leave quite the impression on him, master) (Lilith) (And it seems the fight with Griselda had given him quite the damage towards his confidence) (Hestia) (But after looking at the footage of his fight with Griselda that master showed us, he''s actually quite capable. Especially his ability in battle calction and decision-making. He''s swift, and bold, but careful. He has a great talent as amander) (Arturia) "Amander... You''re right. I could really imagine him being one," Lyan made a small smile, put down the empty mug together with the money, and left the inn. "I''ve changed my mind. Let''s go straight and continue our journey to the north," (Lyan) ****************************************************** ---At a certain part of Astellia''s southern forest--- "W-Who are you- Arggh!!" Following the man''s groan of pain, several other groansing from hisrades resounded throughout his surroundings. By the time he opened the door leading to the stairs above the basement, three unfamiliar figures appeared before him. Their faces are beautiful for sure, but sensing their intense bloodlust is enough for him to know that they are not here to make friendly connections. The man doesn''t even given the chance toplete his question and has his body shed. As he slowly fell to the ground, his eyes widened at the scene of hisrades getting easily killed one after another by the three girls without any difficulties. The people protecting their current base are not weak people, they are hired for their strength to protect the ce, while the weaklings are stationed at the other riskier ces as sacrificial pawns. It''s not that they are weak, rather, the girls before him are too strong. "Looks like this guy is thest one. He''s weak, he must be one of the merchants. Is he the manager of this ce, I wonder?" Alice points the tip of her sword towards the neck of a fat and despicable-looking man wearing an attire befitting a corrupt merchant. "Well, looking at his look alone is enough for us to know it, don''t you think?" (Emilia) "W-Where do you know this ce from!?" The man that seems to be the manager of the ce scowled as sweat runs all over his body, giving off a horrible stench. "Why would we tell you, you big fat idiot? Ah, the little acid ant," Alice stopped her verbal abuse as she saw the big ant creeps on the wall above the fat ve merchant. "Thank you, little one. Tell your friends that we are grateful as well. You can take all of the corpses as the reward for your queen and your friends," Alice gently pets the acid ant soldier. It''s funny to see a girl like her petting a rather big ant. But for Alice, as a Valkyrie that had made a contract with Lyan, she could feel the connection between the acid ant and Lyan. (It feels like we''re close to each other when I touched it) (Alice) As Alice was about to get absorbed by the feeling of the connection she felt, the door got opened and Surena came together with several girls that seems to be the ''products'' that is stored at the current base. "They seem to be freshly picked recently as well. There are only three of them despite of the big size of the basement. After returning them home, we need to continue our journey. Little ones, we''re going to need your help again," Surena shifted her face above. As Emilia and Alice lift their head up, they saw the other acid ants crawling on the ceilings and the walls and giving a small nod to her. After rescuing Lia, Lyan is about to return the Acid Ant Queen to the grimoire''s space, and she sent her thoughts of wanting to let some of her soldiers and workers to help the Valkyries on their quest to increase her level and increase the number of food she could bring to the grimoire''s space to be her nutrients for producing more workers and soldiers. "They are incredible at scouting, have decent firepower, and high intellect that makes it easy tomunicate with. It will be a great power force if their number increases even further in the future," (Emilia) "And at that time, my man will be the strongest man in the world," Alice dered with a slightly excited tone while making a grin even though her eyes seems to be as emotionless as always. "Your man, huh... And at that vige, he must be having lots of fun with the widow and her daughter over there," (Emilia) "Argh! Don''t make me imagine things I don''t want to! You brute woman!" Alice kicked Emilia''s butt whileining. "Hey! That hurts!" (Emilia) As the two of them started to brawl with each other, Surena made a p, stealing the attention from everyone. *p!* "Now, now. I know that the both of you missed him already. That''s why let''s search thoroughly with the current leads we have from here and quickly return to him with whatever result we have. We can''t let our master wait, after all," (Surena) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 145 The Crown In Disguise ?Inside the royal chamber of the Astellia Kingdom''s royal castle, a single maid with a neat low bun and side braided brown hair entered the royal chamber quietly. As she walks in, a sigh left her mouth when she saw the figure sleeping soundly on the bed. Her eyes stared at the figure with mysterious eyes. It''s unknown whether it''s a happy, relieved, sad, or any other emotion that might be dwelling inside those eyes of hers. At the first sight, people will question why she''s inside without having any orders to enter. Was she an assassin that was hired to assassinate the person sleeping in the royal chamber? People might think so. But rather than taking out a knife and approaching the bed or putting a poison at a certain spot that will surely kill the figure, the maid walks gracefully with her back straight and went to the window and- *Whoosh!* She opened the curtains of all of the chamber''s windows forcefully and deliberately to make sure it makes a loud sound. As the bright light of the morning sun enters the room and lights up the room, a certain groan appeared from the bed. "Arghh!!! No!!! It''s not morning yet!!! I still want to sleep!!!!" The voice sounds a little bit childish, but it''s obvious that it belongs to a woman. "It''s morning, your highness. Please cease your futile attempt to escape the reality and start your day. Your breakfast is already ready to be eaten, and your schedule for the day had already been set. Please start by separating yourself from the bed to make sure your entire schedule won''t need to be rescheduled because of yourziness," Even though the way she talks is very polite and respectful, her tone holds no emotions, and her words are filled with sharp words directed in the person that supposed to be her master. "Mary... Your words are merciless as always, I see... It''s a shame even though you''re such a great beauty," The princess uttered with a small pout as she nced at the emotionless maid beside the bed. As the sight of the princess that is known and praised by the people and the nobles of the kingdom as the genius princess entered her vision, her eyes narrowed and another sigh left her mouth. Princess Anastasia. A prodigy, a genius, a goddess in a human form, a great talent in a Millenium, and other glorious titles singing praises of her name also exist not only inside the Astellia Kingdom, but outside as well. It was said that she guessed the political course of not only the kingdom, but the kingdoms around the Astellia Kingdoms for several years ahead in her answer in one of her royal private exams, and was proven right. It''s not an exaggeration that her name has a great impact on the whole country, and all of the people respected her great name. But right now, the genius princess is currently lying with a pose unbefitting a royalty and her rumor, and is making azy face while trying to appeal for more sleeping time with her eyes. Her gorgeous long golden hair has some of the strands messily sticking to her face, and Mary the maid feels like it''s a waste for such beautiful jewels-like eyes given by the gods to be making such azy look by her master before her. "I''m well aware of my beauty even without your affirmations, your highness. Now please let me help you change your attire and proceed to have your breakfast," Mary reaches for the nket and attempted to pull the sheet away, but she found some resistance. "No!! First, you opened the curtains in one go and mercilessly bask me in the morning light!! And now you''re going to forcefully take my nket away from me!?" The princess pulled the nket and hides her head beneath it. *Sigh!* "You leave me no choice, please excuse me," As the maid takes a rather deep breath, mana started to gather around her hands, and- *Whoosh!* "Ahhh!!! It''s cold!!!" The princess''s groan andint resounded as the nket flew into the air because of the maid''s doing. "The hot bath had already been prepared, it will help you warm yourself up, princess," The maid uttered emotionlessly as she started folding the nket neatly. "Your brute force is strong as always, Mary, yet you don''t want to be assigned as my personal guard or my personal knight rather than my personal maid despite of your talent in fighting. Are you sure that you didn''t apply here just to abuse me?" (Anastasia) "You''re exaggerating, princess. As if I would go and work in this ce if I know how troublesome the one I would be serving is. Now please,e to the bathroom and clean yourself up, princess," (Mary) "Hey! You''ve just called me troublesome, aren''t you!? You might be forgetting it, but I''m still your employer and your master, you know!?" Anastasia raises her objection, but Mary didn''t even bother to look back and continue her steps towards the royal chamber''s personal bathroom. "Please move your feet rather than your mouth, princess," (Mary) "Ugh! I know! I know! Geez, she''s invincible as always," Anastasia unwillingly raise her body from the bed, stretches her body a little bit, and went to the bath following Mary. ************************************************ "Seriously, can''t I at least get a single day off? I''ve been working my ass hard here and even have to take the trouble to even disguise myself. Why should I get disrespected by my own maid despite all of my hard work?" A mutter ofints silently resounded, but for the people in the distance, they could only hear them as indistinguishable mutterings. After a short moment, the person that wasining before realized that there is a man kneeling before him currently and cleared his throat. "So you''ve returned, Julius," A dignified voice sounded throughout the private office of the crown prince of the Astellia Kingdom. Wearing his dignified smile while his eyes shone with intellect and charisma, the crown prince address the kneeling knight before him. "Yes, your highness. I''ve returned after fulfilling yourmand," Julius kneeled as he answered the question of his lord with full respect. "Raise your head," (Erich) Following his master''s order, Julius raised his head and the sight of his master entered his sight. While folding his hands in front of his mouth with his elbows on the desk, Erich starts his inquiries. "Tell me, knight of the royal knights, Julius Tergimand. What is your task and what result you''ve managed to achieve," With his eyes peering deep into his eyes, determined whether the words he uttered is the truth or falsehood, and whether the report he conveyed was full or was it just half of the story. At that moment, the scene where he met Surena and the other valkyries, and the scene where he met the sworn enemy of Surena and the other Valkyries entered his mind. Closing his eyes, Julius discard the thoughts as he convinced himself. (My task is concerning Lyan the summoner, they are not part of my duty to report) (Julius) "I''ve met the summoner and sincerely ask for his participation in our great objective, your highness. It took quite a while to convince him, but I could affirm you that even though he did not give a direct answer of eptance, it could be taken that he gives a good response towards your offer," (Julius) As Erich peers deep into Julius''s eyes, he could feel that he''s not hiding something unwanted from him. His eyes are saying that his words are sincere, and he could see a certain hint of excitement from talking about the topic. Looking at his eyes, Erich let out a small chuckle. "Looks like you''re quite fond of him as well, Julius," (Erich) "To be honest, I do, your highness. Despite of his strength, he is not arrogant. He''s not overly kind, but he never does any evil deed either. Even though he''s hiding it, the sharpness of his mind and eyes could be felt, and his presence alone is enough to feel how a powerful force he could be if he''s on our side. More importantly, he has a simr aura like you, your highness," Julius exined his thoughts excitedly. "I see..." (Erich) "But sure, it''s just his personal opinions, your highness. We never know whether he will be an ally or an enemy in the future," Another sound suddenly appeared from the side of the room. "Back to the deadlock between your two opinions, huh... Well, let''s just wait and see, I guess. I wonder which of the two of you will have the correct prediction," (Erich) ? ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 146 Visiting The Astellias Capital (1) The Ice Spirit *Whoosh!* Cold winds that are colder than the ones that blow at the south, send shivers to those who wear thin clothes, making them sneeze and return home to take thicker clothes to make sure they don''t catch a cold. After feeling such cold air blowing, it''s normal for people to think that it''s due to the winter season that ising near. But only the one coaching the ck aggressive horse will know the real reason for the shivering cold wind appearing around them. (Cold... Her mana is too vast and thick that she''s making a natural phenomenon of lowering the surrounding temperature just by her presence alone...) (Lyan) Lyan squinted and take a peek at the woman staring out the window from inside the wagon. As he saw her figure, it felt like his body got even colder as if he was in the middle of the antarctic. Not just him, but any other people besides him would also feel the same if they saw the ice sculpture-like expression on her face. She''s undeniably a great beauty, but her coldness is enough to make any men to think they have no chance to approach her. (Well, the greatest thing about Eira is that even though she doesn''t speak much, she does not do stupid and troublesome things like Griselda either. If I treat her like a walking sculpture, I can enjoy the travel leisurely and peacefully) (Lyan) Thinking such as that, Lyan continues his journey. But not even after thirty minutes after thinking of that thought- "I-It''s cold! Why is it so cold!?" A man that seems to be a peddler, hugs himself because of the sudden cold winds. Unlike before, the wind is as cold as the air inside a freezer. Not to mention that man, even Lyan''s body would be shivering because of the cold if he didn''t use his fire mana to warm himself up. *Sigh!* "Are you perhaps bored, Eira? Then maybe-" (Lyan) The window frame of the wagon started to freeze, and the temperature dropped drastically before he finished his words. (Wrong answer, huh? Do I need to use my magic eyes to know what she''s thinking?) (Lyan) As Lyan''s pondering whether to use his magic eyes or not, his eyes stopped at her left hand that is stealthily holding the side of her stomach. (Ah... Perhaps she''s hungry?) (Lyan) Lyan stored some food and snacks that are already cooked at the grimoire''s space dining table. With a single thought, the bread that is quite tasty that he got from the previous town appeared before him together with the te. "Here, you must be hungry, right? I''ve warmed it up for you," Lyan handed the te of bread after warming it with his fire mana. "..." With a silent nod, she took the bread from Lyan''s hands without having any expression. At the moment she took a single bite, her eyes sparkled as the warm bread must have tasted good, and herplexion got brighter. As if the weather depends on her mood, the temperature immediately returns and rises after her single bite of the bread. The ice that started to appear at the wagon''s window also started to melt, and Lyan carefully use his wind magic to make sure the waters won''t drop inside the wagon. As he carefully thread to make sure the drops of water melted from the ice went out of the wagon, the sight of Eira interested him. At the first nce, it seems that she''s having no emotion, but it''s different once he observes her eyes. As a single bitee after another, warmth started to slowly fill her eyes. "Ah, here, a hot tea. This type of tea tastes the best in a weather like this," Lyan now gave her a hot tea which she epted eagerly. It''s a unique sight to see a person taking out food and a hot tea from an empty space. Adults will be curious and praise him for his great performance, while children will be very curious about how he does it. But Eira was too focused that she does not even care about how and where the food and the tea appeared from. *Slurp!* As she took a sip of the hot tea, her expression melts, or at least her eyes, and the cold air in the surrounding immediately dissipates and the warmth from the outside weather could now be once again felt. Lyan carefully and delicately brings the water out with his wind magic to prevent the inside of the wagon from getting wet because of the melting ice. Looking at the sight of Eira before him, a single thought first passed through his mind. (She looks like a small animal) (Lyan) But the admiring stays only for a while. (From her vibe and behavior, it feels like a princess that had been getting most of her life getting cared for by others. Her way of eating and drinking is refined, but she doesn''t seem to be the type that has the skill to cook. She''s either a nobility or royalty...) (Lyan) Unlike Lilith, Eira gives off the vibe of pure noble or pure royalty blood. Cold, but fragile. Just like a block of thin ice. (But the thin ice before me is not a thin ice made from a block of normal ice. It''s a thin ice of a freezing hell, its presence alone is enough to freeze over a wide region...) (Lyan) Lyan uttered inside his mind with a wry smile. (I wonder what kind of ce the world of memories of Eira would show me...) (Lyan) Amongst the spirits, the one that Lyan know the most about their past is Lilith. Amongst everyone, Eira is the one that he''s very interested in. Like from which region did shee from? At which age did she born? And what kind of civilization is inside her country? (Now that I think about it, I didn''t get suddenly sucked into the world of memories like before, huh?) (Lyan) As Lyan thought about it, the board asked whether he want to enter the world of memories of Lilith or not immediately appeared before him. (Swift as always, huh... But not now, I guess I''ll try to enter again this night. I''m also interested in the tournament I''m in) (Lyan) As Lyan refuses to enter the world of memories, the floating board disappeared, revealing the face of Eira staring at him beneath it. "Hm? You''re done?" Lyan took a glimpse at her hands, and saw that the tea is not even half finished yet. "Hero," A single unexpected word left her thin lips. "Hero?" Lyan furrowed his eyebrows, but widened his eyes next. "Are you a hero, Lyan?" With a pair of eyes that seems to be looking directly at his heart, Eira asked him. The word of refusal immediately passed his mind, but his words got stuck in his throat as he saw the hint of expectation and hope beneath the clear blue eyes of her. Not a single sound left Lyan''s mouth. Shifting her head to the window and taking a single sip of the tea in her hands, she let out a soft sigh. Before her eyes left his vision, Lyan saw how her eyes lost the hints of emotions and return to the emotionless look she usually wears as if she lost her interest in him. "If the hero of your definition is someone that possesses great power and achieves legendary feats no average man could, then I''m not one. But I believe that every person that works hard to ovee the trials and hurdles of life thaty before them is worthy to be called heroes," The words that got stuck in his throat left his mouth as the pair of eyes left his sight. "Are you... One of them?" (Eira) "I don''t know what you''re expecting me to answer, but shamefully I''m not. I''m a person that failed to ovee my trials and ended up with a deceitfulpromise. If we''re following my values of being a hero, then I''m not one," Lyan replied with a shrug as images of the past appeared inside his mind. "I see... That makes sense," (Eira) "I guess you''re right," She uttered as she stared at the far sky. She didn''t utter any other words afterward, and it remains a mystery to Lyan which part that she thought made sense, and which part that she agrees with. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 147 Visiting The Astellias Capital (2) Arriving "So that is the Astellia Kingdoms Capital, huh... So this is a real fantasy world human capital, huh..." Lyan uttered as he gazed to the front. At the distance, the big wall covering the whole big city could be seen, and buildings that could rarely be seen in normal cities or towns stood firmly and magnificently. Of course, the most impressive building of the capital city is the most important ce out of all, the ce where the most important people of the kingdom live. "The royal castle..." Lyan uttered as he saw the magnificent castle that clearly is the heart of the capital. Just from the distance alone, theplex and magnificent building that gives off a hint of elegance, wealth, power, and authority. The design of the castle is simr to a medieval western castle on earth, but with a touch of magic that indicates the existence of the extraordinary element called magic different from earth. "I''m interested, but I guess that''s something that I should be avoiding as much as I could right now, huh...?" Lyan uttered with a wry smile as the face of William, or the crown prince of the Astellia Kingdom, Erich. With how he''s getting targeted by Erich, it will be too troublesome for him if he got spotted by him right now. After he separates his path with Julius the captain of the Astellian royal knights, Lyan skillfully gets away from the surveince team that intentionally got left by Julius under Erich''s orders. It''s not something difficult for Lyan who masters illusion magic to deceive the surveince team that is tailing him and his wagon. (I made three different illusions of me and made them follow others'' wagons. They must be very confused at the time when my illusion spell dissipated) (Lyan) "Now! Time to enter the so-called royal capital, I guess!" Lyan said excitedly as he tapped his thigh. Without any need of pulling the reins, the ck horse replied with a neigh and immediately started walking. Lyan sensed a hint of eagerness and curiousness from his voice when he let out his neigh. As the ck horse walks slowly, it''s visible that there is a hint of excitement in his steps. (He must be interested in whether there are high-quality mares he couldy inside there, isn''t he?) (Lyan) Along the journey, the ck horse has always been mating with the mares or even female donkeys that are living inside the same barn or stable where Lyan put him in. Even though Lyan wants to scold him, all of the owners of the barns or the stables get happy rather than mad since a strong, big, and smart ck horse mating with their mares will give them a high-quality breed of horses in a few years. "You''ll die getting bitted by a mare one day," (Lyan) *Neigh!* The ck horse replied with a neigh as if saying, "It''s my pleasure~", which made Lyan further annoyed and let out a snort while plucking some of his manes. Unlike other towns and cities, the defense system of the capital city is visible and clear, and guards registering the names of the ones entering and leaving the capital city are more visibly experienced. They are not just people with the ability in administration, but Lyan could tell with a single nce that they all have decent swordsmanship and spearmanship in them. There are two books of registrations that are made in order to make sure there is no entry maniption could be made, there is a single person that job is to determine from the look of the person whether he or she has an evil intention to enter the kingdom or not. "Name," The guard that was tasked to note the entry registration book asked Lyan''s name. "Arkanium," (Lyan) "What do youe here for?" The man with the job to observe and noticing criminals stares at Lyan with a pair of sharp eyes. "I''m here for a tour and sightseeing before going further north to the eternal winter," Lyan replied gently in a manner that gives off the vibe of the son of a wealthy noble or merchant. The guards nod after observing for a moment, and let him inside the capital after asking for the entry fee from him. Not long after he entered through the gate- "Easy as always," Lyan uttered with a smirk as he snapped his fingers and the magic that he used in order to let him enter the capital city easily without having to face any troublesome hindrance. Of course, he''s not letting them see his bare face since there is a possibility of the crown prince notifying the whole capital guards and knights about his existence and look, so Lyan cast an illusion mask to make a fake face of an honest-looking rich boy to make the guards let him in easily. As the wagon moves slowly inside, Lyan finally could feel and see the situation and vibe inside the capital city directly with his both eyes and ears. "Wow... It''s not less lively than the city of Arkansas," Lyan uttered as he saw the liveliness of the capital city in the middle of the day. Just like in the city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas, there are stalls and vendors selling various types of items that are made in the Astellia Kingdom. Unlike in other ces, the people crowds and bought the things with a happy faces on their faces. It''s easy to see that they are not in a difficult state for food since they are buying things other than necessities for their life. But even so- (Social gap- No, it''s more like an uncontrolled rule, huh?) (Lyan) Lyan has heard the rumor about the king of the Astellia Kingdom being inactive and how the crown prince is the one going all over the ce to maintain the peace and the development of the kingdom''s prosperity. Even if it''s a crown prince, there is a limit of authority that he could hold and use as a card, especially against powerful nobles of the kingdom. Unlike a king, themand and authority of a crown prince weigh the same if not weaker than a powerful and experienced noble like a duke, count, or marquis, making it difficult for a single crown prince to make a decision as a heart without getting influenced by the opinions of the other nobles, especially if his supporters are not many. On the southern side of the kingdom to the border of the Astellia Kingdom and the city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas, the big territory belongs to one of the dukes of the kingdom. Different from the capital city and the surroundings, the southern side towns, cities, and viges are under the influence of a certain duke. Judging from how inside the towns, cities, and viges in the south there are people that are starving and seems to be in poverty despite having such a capital city that has even amoner that doesn''t look like he has lots of money to buy something other than necessities and food. (And it conveys how the capital under the leadership of the crown prince is still stable and prospering, huh... I guess the rumor about him being a perfect king candidate is not a lie, huh?) (Lyan) "I keep on sensing the increase of the level of the Acid Ant Queen and her servants, looks like the expedition of the Valkyries is going smoothly," Lyan uttered as he sense another telepathy from the Acid Ant Queen about how her soldiers defeated another enemy and made her leveled up as well. After the fight with the Valkyrie''s sworn enemy and their recovery, the Valkyries and Lyan encountered the nned illegal very at the perimeter of the Astellia Kingdom which made the Valkyries to decide to investigate on the matter. It''s been several days and it made him curious how much progress they had already done and whether they found their former that they have been searching for. "Well, my job is only to wait and trust them that they are doing their best. They will immediately contact me if they are in a danger or need my help. For now, let''s go search for afortable inn and have some drink first!" (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow ? Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 148 Visiting The Astellias Capital (3) The Summoners Nightmare After arriving inside the capital of the Astellia Kingdom, Lyan immediately hits an inn to have a break drink. The one he chose is a high-ss inn that highly protects the privacy of the guest''s identity. Rather than an inn, it feels like he''s inside a modern hotel without an elevator and other electronic features. But even so, the difference between the service of a regr inn and the high-paying inn is clear. The food is included in the staying registration bill, and all of them are fantastically tasty foods, While the room is big and veryfortable to live in. "Hm~ Just the inn alone and I''m already loving this ce," Lyan took a sip of the ss of wine while staring at the bottle of the wee wine given for the registration. Another reason why he could enjoy the moment without any restraint is that right at the time he finished renting the room, the duration of Eira''s summoning reached the maximum, forcing her to return to the grimoire''s space. "Hero, huh..." Lyan uttered to himself as he put his ss on the table and gazed at the ceilings as the scene where Eira asked whether he was a hero or not reappears inside his mind. "Those who ovee the hurdles..." Lyan folded his arms and closes his eyes. The images of several figures that imprinted a deep impression on his soul appeared clearly in his mind. If he was to find the most suitable word to describe them, he will find it too difficult to do so. Comrades, The people he admires, Champions, Fighters, Leaders, and much more. But to wrap it in a single line, they are his most trustedrades whom he respects with all of his soul. For him, if he was to mention figures that worthy for him to call heroes, they will be the ones that cross his mind first. He has witnessed their godly skills, unmatched valor, and their determination to fight for the thing that is just firsthand. He has gained and learned countless things from them, and he firmly believed that the reason why he couldplete his hundred years quest of defeating the evil dragon is that he met those amazing people. As Lyan closed his eyes, he dived in into his mind. The seat that he was sitting suddenly felt strange. The air around him feels eerie, and the temperature inside the room seems to be once again dropping even though Eira had already got unsummoned to the grimoire''s space. Then, smells of rotten flesh, the stink of blood, and the burnt skin entered his nostrils. But in face of such strange urrences, there''s no sign of panic on Lyan''s face. As he opened his eyes, he only widened his eyes for a moment, and a hint of sadness paints his eyes. "So you''vee again," (Lyan) Suddenly, he''s inside a dark space. The ceilings, the walls, and the surroundings became pitch ck. In front of him, there are standing corpses of his fallenrades. Hundreds of people that fought together with him inside the living hell of a demon world appeared in front of him. Some have their head split, some have lost their arms with other big wounds on their body, and some even have no limbs at all. They are standing in front of him with hollow eyes, and in the state where they lost their lives. Noticing the hint of wetness he felt on his hand that is holding the armrest, Lyan pulled his hand and noticed blood painting his palm. With a cold nce, he took a nce below and saw that he was sitting on top of a mountain of corpses. Of course, they are not just normal corpses. They are the corpses of the people that he manipte, tricked, tortured, and killed in order to aplish his goal. The number of his victims is even more than the number of hisrades. It''s the number that umtes through his long years of the quest. There are demons from various tribes, demonic monsters, and even humans among them. But as Lyan stares at them, there is not a single hint of sympathy or empathy could be seen contained inside his eyes. But as he stare back at hisrades in front of him, a hint of guild started to appear. "Does it worth it?" Lyan uttered to himself. "I''ve killed lots of people, not just from the demon race, but other humans as well. But does it worth it?" (Lyan) "I killed lots of people in my long journey, but does it worth it to save the human race on earth in exchange for all of the lives I''ve taken? Do their lives worth less than the ones that I''ve saved?" Lyan''s voice started to be hoarse. "Did I make the correct answer? Did my choice give the oue that all of you had been fighting for? Did I aplish the goal that all of you entrusted me with?" Lyan asked towards the standing corpses of hisrades before him, but in the end, he was asking towards a bunch of corpses. No matter how long he waited, there will be no replying from them. *Sigh...* As he let out a small sigh, therades before him and the mountain of corpses that consisted of his victims in his previous life melted and turned into a flood of blood. Slowly, he''s falling deep into the sea of blood. "an!" A faint voice appeared from a certain ce. "yan!" "Finally..." (Lyan) "yan!!" The voice continues, and a single white hand reached deep into the sea, trying to reach him. "Finally, one of you finally responded to me," Lyan uttered with a smile as he tried to grab the hand. ************************************************************** (WAKE UP, YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!) (Griselda) !!!!! Lyan jolted as he woke up because of the ground-shattering voice inside his head. He look to the right and left, and it took several moments for him to regain hisposure and senses. "Griselda, huh... What is it?" Lyan uttered with a voice containing a hint of annoyance. (Forgive me, master. I''m the one who requested her to shout and wake you up) (Arturia) Hearing Arturia''s apologetic words made Lyan furrow his eyebrows. He thought that it was just Griselda''s other annoying whim, but it''s different if it''s Arturia''s orders. "What happened? Did something happen while I fell asleep?" Lyan uttered as he tried to sense if there is anything strange around the perimeter with his detection magic, but he found nothing. (You''re emitting a very dark and malicious aura just now, an unimaginably dense one) (Hestia) "Dark and malicious aura? Did I?" (Lyan) (Yeah. Does that has something to do with you doing the deed with Lilith?) (Griselda) Unlike the usual, Griselda is using a serious tone and seems to be seriously wondering about the problem. (Of course, it''s not. He has magic control that is at least on par with mine if not better. I doubt that it''s his dark mana that he obtained from me going berserk) (Lilith) (That aura, it looks very dark and deep...) (Eira) (It feels like the malice of thousands of people getting condensed into a small form of aura... How terrifying...) (Cynthia) Inside the grimoire''s space, Eira and Cynthia that seem to be very sensitive to dark and malicious aura and mana are covering themselves with defensive spells and barriers in reflex when they saw sensed the aura. (Big bro, try looking above you) (Azelia) "Above?" (Lyan) Following Azelia''s innocent voice, Lyan raise his head and opened his eyes wide when he saw the originally beautiful ceilings go into pitch ck, but not just that. As if it''s a huge painting, the ck traces are forming a picture of a glimpse of hell. In reflex, Lyan immediately cast both water and wind spell to clean and remove the stains until they gotpletely sparkling. "It will be bad if I got extra charged because of it, doesn''t it? Well, maybe I''m just not that used to Lilith''s mana yet and it suddenly got out of control when I was too immersed in my sleep. Now, now," Lyan lightly set aside the topic and took the cloak, and wore it. "Rather than getting too preupied on that thing, let''s just have a tour around the capital!" (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 149 Visiting The Astellias Capital (4) The Rain And The Trouble In The Dark People are afraid of rain. It''s not because of the sickness that mighte from it. It''s not because of the annoying wetness. Then why are people afraid of them? It''s because rather thaning one by one, they came together in a rush. Followed by the darkness supporting them, the countless drops of water forced all creatures to hide and take shelter to hide from them. As the rain got stronger, the winds blows even fiercer, while lightning and thunder appeared, forming ominous lights in the sky whenever they appeared. The sound of thunder that seems to be the deep voice belonging to the skies instills fear among the ones who hear them, but for the ones that are not bothered by them, are scared by something other than the lightning and thunder that the rain brings. It''s the surfacing memories of their nightmares. Slowly, droplets of water started to drop from the sky. Strong wind blows, and the dark clouds gather above the capital city like a bad omen. Eventually, more and more water dropped with much more considerable force, and the capital of the Astellia Kingdom got basked with the sky water. Rumblings of thunder, and bolts of lightning that seem to be the god''s spear that appeared to threaten the sinners appear all over the ce. The city that was lively just an hour ago went silent and the whole city got enveloped by the sound of thundering rain. "Talking about a coincidence... Just when I was thinking to clear my head from that nightmare, this suddenly appeared..." Lyan that is staring at the outside from the window made a wry smile as the rainpletely foiled his ns. He already put his cloak on, and it''s visible that he''s ready to go out anytime he like. The only thing that halts his steps is the sudden appearance of the rain. He immediately cut off all the connections with the grimoire''s space to avoid unnecessary and annoyingments that mighte from them. usually, it''s easy for him to set their questions easily and skillfully, but he''s currently not in the mood to respond to their curiosity. "Well, it will give me no good if I stay here and continue to get stuck in those memories. I guess I''ll just go and went through the rain," (Lyan) ************************************************ Inside the Ravindor residence inside the capital city of the Astellia kingdom, the duke himself is sitting behind his working desk inside his dark working room. The sky is not dark because of night, but it''s dark because of the heavy rain falling outside. But despite so, he didn''t light up the room and remained sitting at his sit while folding his arms with his eyes shut. Suddenly, he asked towards the empty space as if he were speaking with a person. "Is that true? The news about that mercenary that in the goblin king, Evocatore currently inside the capital," Without opening his eyes, he asked solemnly to the empty space. "ording to our men, theyst saw him at the previous town before losing track of him. Considering his aim of going to the Astellia Kingdom''s capital before going further to the north, today and several days ahead will be the approximation of the time he arrived inside the city," A voice appeared from the darkness. His words are filled with respect and it''s clear from his voice how loyal he is towards the duke. "How about you? What are your personal thoughts?" The Duke squinted in a certain direction. "I greatly believe that he''s currently inside this capital city, your excellency. Considering how fast he is in his steps, and how swiftly he makes ns, it''s very likely that he''s currently inside this city," The man reported with a monotonous voice. "Crow," The Duke opened both of his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed, and a tremendous pressure suddenly appeared inside the room. It is as if the darkness itself shivered in face of the tremendous pressure emitted by the duke as he sharply gazed toward his front. "Y-Yes, your excellency?" (Crow) "Tell me, do you think that it is very likely for him to be here? Or do think that he''s definitely inside this capital city at this very moment? Don''t give me a vague reply!" The duke raise his voice, and it felt like the darkness inside the room slightly jolted when he said thest line. "Y-Yes, your excellency. I firmly believe that he''s currently inside the capital city of Astellia," The hint of fear could be sensed in the man''s voice. Listening to Crow''s words, the Duke stands from his seat and hits the table. *Thud!* A visible crack could be seen. Crow thought that he has just given him another wrong response, but when he saw the look of the Duke in front of him, he realized that the reason why he m the table is not because of anger. With a fearless smile filled with excitement, the Duke voiced hismand. "Spread out all of our men! Circle the city, don''t let anyone you think might be his leave! Then search for him all over the city without rming the other factions! Now, move!!" (Duke Ravindor) "Yes!" Crow immediately vanished after getting his orders, and went to organize his underlings swiftly to follow the orders of their master. Inside the room, being left alone, the Duke is making a fearless smile as he sits while looking at the window outside. "Evocatore... I''m going to make you my sword to victory..." (Duke Ravindor) ****************************************************** On the other side, inside the royal castle of the Astellia kingdom, the crown prince is standing before his loyal subjects with a sharp look on his face. "Duke Ravindor''s men are on the move? Are you sure about that, Julius?" (Erich) "Yes, your highness. I got the report directly from my closest aide. It happened so suddenly and we still didn''t know what is his motive for instructing his members of [Crows] to suddenly move. I believe it will be best to strengthen the defense of the castle especially to this room in case of unwanted things happening, your highness," Julius replied as he kneels. His face is grim, and he''s ready to dispatch any moment with just a single order from his master. After the case with the [Crows] under themand of the Duke Ravindor at the subjugation of the goblin king, Julius has beenmanding his men to keep an eye on the Duke, and track the stealthy men under him. To make sure that such an urrence that might threaten the life of the crown prince won''t happen again, he swiftlymands his men and make countermeasures in order to avoid the worst thing of happening. But in face of such a report, the crown prince, Erich, just shifted his gaze to the side and stared at the outside of the window with a sharp look. It doesn''t seem that he has any fear of getting attacked by Duke Ravindor''s men. "Your highness-" His head private guard called him in concern, but the crown prince''s eyes remain sharp. "Vilgira, widen our surveince to the perimeter of the castle. Julius, spread your men and make sure that you won''t take your eyes off the Duke''s men," Erich gave out hismands calmly. "Widening our defense? Why, your highness? It''s too dangerous-" (Julius) "His aim this time is not me, Julius. Now that I think about it, it should be around this time," Erich uttered as he stands and stared out the window with a smile. "What is, your highness?" (Vilgira) "The arrival of that guy inside our proud capital. It seems that the Duke had set his eyes on him as well. As the host of the ce, it will be embarrassing for us to have our guest''s fun tour getting disturbed. Do you understand what I''m talking about?" Erich stared at both Vilgira and Julius. The both of them became the head of the private guard and the captain of the royal knights not for nothing. They immediately understand what the prince meant, and bowed their head as they kneel. "Make sure that he won''t get any bad impressions about our proud capital, drive off the Duke''s men if they try to disturb him. This is my royalmand!" (Erich) ""Yes, your highness!" (Julius and Vilgira) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 150 Visiting The Astellias Capital (5) Chaos In The Night "Hm... It''s so quiet here. I guess it''s because of the heavy rain, huh?" Lyan uttered after looking at the empty tavern. There are only about 2 tables that have some men drinking with reddened faces. The tavern he visited is not an expensive-looking one. It''s the one that people from the lower ss to the middle ss would visit to have a drink with their colleagues from work and vent their tiredness with the liquor. A tavern like this one usually got crowded in the times like this when workers had finished their work. So looking at an empty tavern like this is a rather unusual scenery. But even though the ce is not crowded, which means that the sales today will be sour, the waitresses are still lively and serves him enthusiastically. They kindly lead him to the mostfortable spot with a view from the window to see the capital in rain, give him the suggestions for the food, and some even stay to converse with him to help him wait for the food. The waitresses are a bunch of sweet and cute girls, at a normal asion, he will take the chance to seduce them, but his senses are telling him to have his guard up. It feels like his senses are telling him, that as the skies continue to darken to night, there will be a danger. ********************************************************* The loud sounding from the heavy rain apanied by the strong winds suppress other sounds from the surroundings. The sounds of the rustling leaves, the sound of the closing doors, and the sounds of the steps of the shady people lurking in the shadows d in ck. Inside a deserted inn, a person is having a big smile as he looks at the big bag filled with coins from today''s transaction. From the sly and greedy smile on his face, it''s visible that he''s a merchant with a big ambition. "Man, today was a great day. To think that I would get such a huge sum of money in just one deal. Going to the Astellia capital is the right choice, after all. There are lots of stupid people with lots of money here," The man happily gazes at the raining capital while holding a ss of wine in his right hand. He''s a fraud merchant that preys on unknowledgeable people that would believe his stories of magic items and sacred items that brings luck and prosperity. Using his wits and eloquent tongue, today, he managed to trick a small noble to buy his ''magic item'' that brings luck for tens of gold and a hundred silver coins. "Fufufu... Hahaha!!!" As the manughed, suddenly lights died out. "Huh? This supposed to be a high-quality inn. I''ve paid lots of money to rent this room and yet this happened!? Where''s the innkeeper-" Before the man could shout out, his body jolted as he suddenly sense a tinge of pain from his cheek, and the cold metal pressing towards his neck. "H-h-h-huh!? W-w-who are you!? W-what do you want from me!?" His voice breaks, and a pathetic squeal-like voice appeared as he questions the figure who has his knife on his neck. He tried to move his body but the knife presses even tighter to his neck. "Answer my questions if you want to live," A deep voice appeared from his back. "Y-y-yes! I''ll answer whatever you want!! J-j-just don''t kill me!!!" The man pathetically pleads. His knees shake vigorously, sweat soaked all over his body, and pathetic tears run down to his cheeks. "Are you Evocatore? The goblin king yer?" The deep voice inquires. "N-n-n-no!! T-The goblin king yer? A-as you can see, I look rather b-bulky, but I''m not strong!!" The merchant tried his best to exin in order to save his own life. And the assassin''s response is- "I see," A voice filled with disappointment and loss of interest appeared from behind him. At that moment, a hint of relief struck all over the body of the merchant, and his legs went limp as he fell to his knees. But as he let out a sigh of relief, another shadow appeared from the other direction. "Is it the wrong one?" "Yeah. It''s another flop," The assassin said as he withdraw the knife. "I see..." The man that has just appeared stared at the merchant. Looking at the bloodshot eyes sends shivers all over his body, but the most shocking thing is the words followed by his bloodshot gaze. "Silence him," Ordered the man. "Understood," The assassin once again ready his knife and raise it up above. "W-Wait!! P-Please!! I-I''ll give you money! I''ll give you everything!! I''ll give you all of the money and information you want from me!! Please! Please don''t kill me!!" The man continues to plead as his whole body trembles in fear. But the assassin doesn''t seem to have any intention of stopping. As he raises his knife, the merchant shut his eyes tight as he hopes to the gods. (Please!! God help me!! I''ll swear I will stop making sins and donate most of my money!!!) And right at that moment- *Thud!* The door got forced open, and as the light from the firemp outside lights the room, men d in beautiful armor rushed inside the room with unsheathed swords and entered the merchant''s view. Just by looking at the special armor and the crest engraved on it, the merchant immediately knows whose knights are they. "The royal knights...?" *nk!* A single knight dashed inside the dark room and swings his sword at the assassin behind the merchant, but the assassin swiftly blocked it. But the knight''s sh is too strong, the assassin''s hand felt numb after blocking the strike, but he grit his teeth and takes a defensive stance to block the next uing strike, but- "Ugh!!" The assassin growls in pain. The knight''s shing pose is just a pain, and he suddenly raises his legs and threw a powerful kick with an unexpected speed, catching the assassin with his guard down. "Stay down, you''ll get hurt if you move," The knight warns the merchant with a firm tone. "Y-Yes!" (Merchant) "You there. Aren''t you going to save your friend?" The knight asked towards the assassin that entered the roomst. The other knights that barged inside the room together with him circled around the remaining assassin. At the time the first assassin got attacked by the knight, the assassin remain calm and did not even make any effort to help him. While looking at the knight with a cold gaze, the assassin let out a snort. "They are nothing but just disposable puppets. Why should I save him? But sure, I''m quite surprised," The assassin scoffed. "Surprised?" (Knight) "For the royal knights to have guessed our objective clearly is usible, but the most intriguing thing is how the royal knights got mobilized just because of a single man. Very interesting," (Assassin) "What with that arrogant tone, don''t you understand what kind of position you are in?" Another knightmented, irritated by the assassin''s tone. "Hm... It''s true that it proves difficult to defeat four royal knights alone. But fleeing is never have been a problem. So long, knights!!" The window suddenly got opened, and the powerful winds let the heavy rain to enter the room, soaking the room and catching the royal knights off-guarded. The assassin immediately took the opportunity to flee and left the window without even batting an eye at hisrade that is lying unconscious because of the knight''s kick before. "Should I chase over him, sire?" One of the knights asks the person that seems to be the captain of the team. "No need to do so. He''s quick and nimble, it will be very difficult for you to even match his speed with that heavy equipment all over your body, let alone catch and defeat him," The knight captain replied calmly before giving a sign to close the opened window and shifted his gaze towards the merchant. "I-I''m so d you saved me, great sir!! P-Please, give me your name!! I''ll definitely give you a huge sum of money for saving my life! I will-" As the merchant''s smile gets wider, the knight captain stares at him with firm eyes and cuts his words. "Paul Edveral. Reports about your fraud dealings with the residents of the capital city of the Astellia Kingdom have been reported. You''reing with us," ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 151 Visiting The Astellias Capital (6) The Tavern In The Rain "Hm... It''s getting quite rowdy rather quick here..." Lyan swirl the cup of ss in his hand as he squinted on the other now-filled seats that were empty several minutes before. "You''re right! Even though we''repletely sure that we won''t be getting lots of sales today because of the big rain. It must be because of you, Lyan!!" "You''re right! You''re right! It must be because of him! Looks like you''re the lucky star that brings this load of customers for us today, Lyan!" Two waitresses that have been apanying Lyan since he enter the tavern until he finished all of his food are sitting closely and clinging to him from both sides. "Well, because of the sudden rush of customers, we''re the only lucky ones that could continue to enjoy our time with you, though~" One of the waitresses said with a yful wink as she looks at her coworkers stealing envious stares at her. Right after Lyan finished his meal, somehow the tavern suddenly got a load of customers, making the business to suddenly get busy. The rest of the waitresses are forced to serve the other customers as well, and after raffling with coins, the two waitresses besides Lyan are the ones that won the prize to continue to apany him. "Hey, hey. Don''t you think that the ce is getting too rowdy here? How about we go to a more quiet ce?" "You''re right! It''ll be easier for us to talk in the room upstairs, don''t you think?" The two waitresses press their chest towards Lyan''s arms as they cling to him on purpose. Under normal circumstances, the two of them would not make such an obvious move because of their pride in their beauty. The reason why they are inviting and seducing him so openly is that they are getting desperate. Lyan has been replying to their passes positively, but he does not react to any of their physical touches even though it''s obvious that they are inviting him. But the reason why Lyan did not answer to their moves is not that he''s not interested. It''s normal for him to follow the flow and ept their invitation, but right now, his focus is on elsewhere. "Eh? Do you need some- Hiiee!!" One of the waitresses beside Lyan shrieked and silently went away in fear after looking at the person that grabbed her shoulders. "Looks like this ce is now empty," A deep and majestic voice filled with confidence appeared from beside him. it''s a voice that contains no hesitation within it. Like a thunder striking its target, it''s clear and unhesitant. "Eh? Who are-" As the remaining waitress beside Lyan that seems to be more braver than the other one about to protest to the person that just sits beside Lyan, another man appeared. "Sorry, young miss. But that knight over there hasn''t gotten any waitress serving him for several minutes already. I don''t think it will be good if he lost his temper here," A refined and charismatic voice appeared from the other side. "Y-Yes? Ah... You''re right," The waitress got stunned by the handsomeness of the man for a moment and ended up epting and following his words to serve the knight that seems to be not getting served by the waitress for a while. "I guess this seat is now vacant as well. Please excuse me," Just like the other man, the handsome man took the seat beside Lyan recing the waitress without hesitating. Without replying, Lyan continue to swirl the ss of wine in his hand with his eyes closed. His moves are slow but refined, stealing the attention of the two men beside him. Judging from how they got captivated by his refined moves, it means that theye from a lineage and social ss that is sensitive to the refined beauty thatmoners would not understand. "What a refined way to handle your wine. It seems that you''re quite used to balls and gatherings of the wealthy and prestigious," The deep voice praised Lyan. As Lyan squinted his eyes, the sight of a big man with a build of a warrior staring at him with a pair of firm and sharp eyes entered his sight. "Surely you jest. It''s just something that I learn to fill my boredom," Lyan replied with a shrug before taking a sip of the wine in his hand. With his stomach filled with the great meal served by the tavern and a ss of wine that matches the aftertaste of the food, he''s in his greatest mood. It''s rare for a tavern to serve meals and heavy foods other than snacks, Lyan doesn''t have any expectations for the taste, but it turns out that the food is very delicious as well. "Looks like you''re in a very good mood. Does the food served here that delicious?" The refined and charismatic voice asked him. Lyan squinted his eyes, and a small frown appeared on his face for a moment as if he tasted something bitter. It''s not because of the fact that the face that he saw is the familiar face that he saw on the other asion before, but it''s because of how the handsomeness of the person doesn''t seem to fade at all despite wearing just a in cloak. "Yes, it''s very delicious indeed. But I don''t rmend you to order them as well. It will be annoying to see the waitresses'' expressions melting as they saw you enjoying your food," Lyan uttered with a snort. "I see... That''s interesting. Hey, young waitress," The big man called the waitress that passed on their backs, making her jolt because of the volume of his voice. "Y-Yes?" "Serve me the same food and wine that you serve this man. If you serve me quickly I''ll pay thrice the price," The big man said firmly. "W-We''ll make it as soon as-" Before the waitress could finish her words, the handsome man cuts in. "Ah. Please give me the same order as well, please. If you serve me before that big man over there, I''ll pay you ten amount of the price of the food. So please serve me first, okay?" The handsome man gives a wink to the waitress, making rather than her body, but her heart jolted instead. "Y-Yes..." The waitress answered with a feverish voice before going to the kitchen with a red face. "To think that you would waste much money just to get your food served before me, how ridiculous," The big man snorted. "Of course not. It''s just that I firmly believe in the rmendation given by this man over here about how delicious the foods are. I happen to have some extra cash in me, so why not?" The handsome man replied without even getting pressured by the ominous pressure the big man is emitting. "Hmph! How foolish. That is the reason why this country could not get a step forward. The people standing at the top keeps on wasting their time and money for a foolish thing like this," (The Big Man) "Oh my. Did you forget that you also offered to pay thrice the amount of food before me?" (The Handsome Man) "It''s because I treasure the amount of time I have. I valued my time to be much more valuable than my money. You need to know the true value of things to be able to lead people properly," (The Big Man) "Coincidentally, it seems that I valued my time more than you do. That''s why I offered more money to be served earlier. Don''t you think so?" (The Handsome Man) "You and your yful remarks. Looks like you never change," said the big man with a frown as he crossed his arms. "Of course. Your temper seems to never change as well," The handsome man replied with a smirk as he closed his eyes. "Um... You two seem to be getting along rather well and know each other well. Why don''t one of you exchange your seat with me? It''ll help the two of you to talk easier," Lyan was about to rise from his seat, but his shoulders got held down by the two people beside him. "There''s no need to do so, this country might get rowdy because of the sudden loss of their crown prince if you do so," "It''ll be greater if you continue to sit on your seat. It will be a great loss for the kingdom if one of the greatest nobles to die on this night," The two of them continue with their spiteful remarks to each other while holding Lyan from leaving his seat. (I guess I should have stayed in my inn room, after all...) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 152 Visiting The Astellias Capital (7) Tension Inside The Tavern As the heavy rain continues to soak the capital city of Astellia kingdom, it should be a perfect moment to enjoy a ss of high-quality wine while getting immersed in one''s own thoughts, apanied by the nature rain music. Inspiration would flow smoothly, and solutions for problems would appear like divination. Or so it should be. "......." (Lyan) Sitting inside the tavern, three people are shrouded in in a very tense atmosphere. The truth is that only the two people out of the three that is showing hostility towards each other, but because the remaining person is sitting right between them, he couldn''t help but get caught up in the tense atmosphere. *Sigh!* Lyan let out a heavy sigh before putting his ss of wine that remains only 1/5 of the ss on top of the table. "So? I wonder what does the very important and noble crown prince and lord duke wants from me? I don''t think I''m that important that such two important figures of the kingdom would go out of their way to such a tavern just to meet me, though?" Lyan asked with a shrug. Of course, Lyan is well aware of the identity of the two of them. Even though the two of them are using some sort of spell or magic item to disguise their appearance, it''s still obvious to his mystical eyes that could see through any kind of illusion. The handsome man on his right is William, or what the citizens of the Astellia Kingdom recognize as the great crown prince of the Astellia Kingdom. While on the other side of him is one of the greatest nobles of the kingdom with a vastnd, Duke Ravindor. In their surroundings, the people that secretly know the identity of the two figures beside him are surprised by how calm he is. The hidden bloodlust shing between the two is quite obvious to them, and even though they are sitting in quite a distance from them, they could still feel the ominous pressure shrouding the three of them. "Really, Lyan? I surely believed that the reason why you came to the capital is to announce your allegiance to me, though," (Prince Erich) "Don''t be a fool. I heard that his destination is the country at the far north. The capital is just a mere stopping point that he coincidentally visited," (Duke Ravindor) "The Duke is absolutely right. So well, would you mind telling me your business now? I believe the both of you are not the type that has too much time on your hand, no?" (Lyan) Hearing Lyan''s words returned the two to their senses, forcing them to stop their stupid banter with each other. "Ahem! I came for the agreement we''ve made before, Lyan," (Erich) "I see... The agreement, huh..." (Lyan) "....." The duke silently stares at the two of them, he''s clearly curious about the agreement mentioned by the crown prince. (Did I get into the deal toote?) (Duke Ravindor) Erich''s words are spoken purposely ambiguous in order to give a wrong meaning for the duke to catch. Even though their actual agreement is about how Lyan agreed to give an answer to his offer, not a promise for him to join his faction. "Forgive me beforehand, your highness, but I have not yet reached a conclusion about that matter. As I''ve said before, I''ll give you a reply when the time is right," Lyan replied respectfully. Hearing Lyan''s words that are simr to a rejection, Duke Ravindor sneered. "Rather than taking whatever deal you have with him, how about making a deal with me, Evocatore?" (Duke Ravindor) "Hm..." Lyan didn''t reply, but instead, he shifted his gaze to the duke with his eyes telling him to go on. (Heh! He got quite the gall!) (Duke Ravindor) "Come under my wing. I''ll give you everything you possibly want, except for the things that I want for myself. I''ve heard your exploits on the city of mercenaries and merchants, Arkansas, and how you defeated the goblin king. After seeing you directly, I got more convinced that with you by my side, we could make history together. What do you think?" The Duke''s eyes glimmered with both greed and excitement as he stared at Lyan as he gave his passionate speech of offer. Those eyes and speech are the things that have been bringing the nobles and other factions to his side. Even though his appearance is in disguise, it is still obvious. As the duke''s eyes continue to observe him, Lyan''s eyes never stopped observing him either. As the two of them peered at each other, both of their eyes met. !!! As the duke stared at his deep ck eyes, rather than being capable of entering and reading the information about him, he feels like he was getting sucked in by those ck eyes instead. At the instant that the duke felt danger, he should have broken their eye contact, but he stubbornly res and emits his bloodlust, withstanding the feeling of danger he gets from the pair of ck eyes before him. (I see. Those actions really describe his personality) (Lyan) Lyan made a small smile, and broke their eye contact as he closed his eyes. It''s not that the bloodlust of the duke bothered him, it''s just that he''s already finished observing the duke beside him, and there is no meaning to look further into his eyes. As there is only one thing that is much more dominant than anything else inside those eyes of him. (Greed) (Lyan) (It''s like a huge ocean of quicksand. Those eyes want to suck in and possess everything they saw and reached contact with. What a magnificent amount of greed. But apanying that greed, exceptional intellect, shrewdness, together with great boldness possessed by a powerful body. Wow, this guy is definitely not your average noble) (Lyan) (I guess this is the reason why the handsome and clever crown prince is having difficulties in the political war. It''s not surprising for the battle between the two factions to be very intense with the two of them standing against each other, after all) (Lyan) "What do you think, Lyan? Not just a nobility prestige, I''ll definitely give you a vastnd with plenty of soldiers for you tomand. Beauties from all over the ce you could summon to entertain you," The duke continues his offer, but Lyan knows. (He''s the type that does not ept ''no'' as an answer. Considering that the crown prince beside me here is also aiming to get me inside his faction, it''s not surprising if he aims for my life after I refuse his offer. What a troublesome man) (Lyan) Lyan took a peek behind, and saw that all of the men from both sides are already ready to hold and unsheathe their weapons whenever they must. "You must not be too pushy, Duke Ravindor. It will only give you harm rather than good," Erich said with a calm tone, but his hand is already getting near to the hilt of the sword on his hips. "Tell me, Evocatore! Do you ept my offer!?" The duke asked with a strong tone, but Lyan remain calm and unbothered. "Sorry. It looks like I can''t withstand that endless greed inside you, Duke. I have lots of beauty with me, you see. I''m afraid that if I were to join your faction, I would not be able to refuse if you ask me to lend you one of my women. So sorry, duke," Lyan stares straight at the duke with a smile that is enforced by a strong mana pressure. "I refuse," (Lyan) "Hmph!" The duke unsheathes his sword at a terrifying speed, and shes toward Lyan, but- *nk!* "I''m afraid not that fast, duke!" Erich blocked the sword at the perfect moment. Sounds of countless swords getting unsheathed resounded throughout the ce, and the two factions red against each other as the crown prince and the duke points their sword against each other. Some of the crown prince''s men immediately secure the waitresses and standby to protect the waitresses, the cook, and the tavern owner. Things are going at such a quick pace, but the man that is the reason for the fight inside the tavern is still sitting as he took the ss of wine on top of the table and finishes the remaining wine inside it. "Phew! That''s delicious," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 153 Visiting The Astellias Capital (8) The Summoners Trick "Phew! That''s delicious," Lyan uttered in satisfaction as he put the empty ss of wine on top of the table. His expression is of someone that has just experienced the bliss of a satisfying meal and wine, there is no sign of him getting affected by the situation around him. Even though the people in his surroundings are ready to fight with each other anytime they could, it doesn''t seem to have crossed his mind that he might get caught up in the fight as well. "I don''t know whether you''re a fool or you''re just very confident of your strength, but I need tomend you for your bravery, mercenary, Evocatore," The duke''s words are words of praise, but it could be seen that he''s slightly annoyed by Lyan''s behavior that seems to be underestimating him. Of course, Lyan knows that the people around him are strong. But the reason for his confidence is not because he thinks that he could defeat them easily. The duke and the crown prince have great strength, it''s obvious from their presence alone, and he knows that the crown prince still hid his strength back then in the goblin king subjugation. Not just them, but the people brought by them are also the elites of their ranks. Lyan noticed the peculiar mana aura of the captain of the royal knights, Julius, and the crown prince''s loyal personal guard, Vilgira. Their strength is not to be underestimated, but the duke''s men are also the same. "Seems like you''re not even slightly feel threatened by all of us here. But do you think that I will let you go that easily, Evocatore?" The Duke emits a dangerous amount of bloodlust. It''s a bloodlust oozes by a person that has gone through wars, kills lots of men, and boasts victory from various battles. Even some of the royal knights that the crown prince brought with him visibly get threatened by the bloodlust the duke is emitting. With Lyan''s current body, he still could not muster enough strength of his former incubus strength to defeat the people around him. Sure, if he summons all of his monsters he has a high chance of winning, and if he summons all of the high spirits, his victory is undoubted. But his confidence is not because of the existence of the strength of the summoning grimoire of love, but it''s because of another thing. "There is no need to get so offended, Duke Ravindor. But shamefully, no matter if anyone inside this tavern currently tries to capture me with every inch of strength they have, no one would be able to seed," Lyan calmly stands from his seat, and face the duke and the crown prince with a calm and confident smile on his face. "Are you saying that even I could not do so if I try my best, Lyan?" The crown prince intruded in. Different from before, Lyan noticed the dangerous glint inside his eyes. His words must have triggered the pride of the royalty before him. But even so, he remains indifferent, and responds with a shrug. "Sadly yes, your highness," (Lyan) "I know that I have been holding you in high regard, but it doesn''t mean that you could underestimate me like that, Evocatore. Seems like you''ve gotten too cocky and think that you''re so highly of yourself. Julius, Vilgira. I permit you to unleash your full prowess," (Erich) "A-Are you sure, your highness?" (Julius) "Julius. This is my royalmand," Erich emits his full mana aura together with his golden-red bloodlust, colliding with the bloodlust of the Duke. "But your high-" (Julius) "As you wish, your highness. Your will is mymand," Julius''s loyal personal guard, Vilgira, immediately responds to hismand and unleashes his mana aura that he has been suppressing. A dense aura of fire could be sensed as the temperature around them noticeably rose. "Tch! Sorry, Evocatore. But the crown prince''smand is absolute," Julius grits his teeth as he unsheathes his sword and infuses all of his mana inside, unlocking the seal hidden within it. *Whoosh!* Powerful winds got unleashed as the unlocking process finished, sending the tables and chairs flung in all directions. "Hm~ You''ve got some fine subordinates there, your highness. How great it must be if I could have subordinates like them as well," The duke strokes his beard as he stared at Julius and Vilgira with greedy eyes. There''s no hint of him being afraid or bothered by the mana and pressure emitted by the two of them. "Don''t even think ofying your hands on them, Duke Ravindor. Know that I''m not the type of person to stay still when my subordinates get into danger," Erich red at Duke Ravindor with a pair of cold eyes that he rarely showed. "Heh! How rude. Danger, you say? Rather than danger, they will get even more prosperous and stronger if they are under my wings! But anyway, what will you do now, Evocatore? Looks like the prince does not have any intentions of covering for you anymore," (Duke Ravindor) Following the Duke''s words, everyone''s attention gathered around Lyan that is still staring at them with a big smile on his face. "Hm... Those terrifying surge of mana is sure quite scary, but well, there''s no problem. I came here just to have a meal, and I have already achieved my objective. Now gentlemen, if you''ll excuse me," Lyan made a single refined bow that is quite unbefitting the atmosphere, but then, a strange scene urred in front of them. ck and purple sands slowly fell from all over Lyan''s body, revealing a whole different man with a ck cloak. Slowly, he fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Looking at the man, Duke Ravindor''splexion changed. With a frown, he snapped his fingers, and a single person with the same ck cloak as the person lying on the ground. "Is that one of our man, Crow?" (Duke Ravindor) "I believe he is, your excellency. He''s the captain of the 10th group," The cloaked man replied respectively. "I see... Is it possession...?" (Duke Ravindor) "It might be a certain power of a magic item, and a strong one as well, your excellency. It''s unlikely for a person like him that excels not in mind and dark magic to master such a magic as well," (Crow) "I see..." Duke Ravindor shifted his gaze to the crown prince, and saw that the rage because of his hurt pride has already gone from his face. "Fufufu..." (Erich) "Your highness?" (Vilgira) "Hahahaha!! That Lyan! He always has a card hidden under his sleeves! No wonder he''s so confident of getting away, he''s not even here in the first ce!! Vilgira! Julius! No, not just you two. Everyone! Sheathe your swords!!" In a good mood, Erich gives hismand to everyone inside the tavern. The royal knights immediately follow his words, while on the other hand, the Duke''s men only sheathe their swords back after getting a single nod from the Duke. "Looks like the both of us have gotten fooled by the same person, Duke. It''s a rare asion, and the both of us had already ordered our meal as well. It seems that the food did not get spilled because of the ruckus we''ve done. How about having a truce and enjoying our meal respectively?" (Erich) The Duke stared at Erich for several seconds before closing his eyes and nodding. "You are right. Let''s do so. All of you, return the tables and chairs you''ve flung to their original ce," (Duke Ravindor) "All of you as well! Show that you''re the knights that are worthy to support the kingdom and the people!" (Erich) """YES!!!""" The knights and the Duke''s men went to clean up the mess they''d made, while the royal knights the crown prince tasked to protect the waitresses lead them to serve the food of the crown prince and the duke. The waitresses could only stare confusedly at the spectacle of the knights and the Duke''s men cleaning over the mess they own made. "Hm~ This is quite a unique delicacy..." (Erich) "Hm... Hey you, call some of our cooks to learn how to make these foods. Prepare the sum to pay for buying the recipe," (Duke Ravindor) Of course, the two of them sits and eat at a different table. The both of them eat together with their own factions without paying any heed to each other. While on the other hand, Lyan that is actually still inside his inn''s room isying still on the bed with a single knife aimed at his neck. "Who are you?" (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 154 Visiting The Astellias Capital (9) The Capitals Thief "Who are you?" Lyan asked towards the darkness. The situation around him is quite unexpected. Currently, a knife is being aimed at a zero distance on his neck. In a normal circumstance, a single wrong move could determine his fate. It`s not surprising for a person to immediately surrender and beg for his life if they are in Lyan`s position. But currently, rather than an expression of fear towards death, Lyan is having an expression that seems as if he is impressed instead. At the time he is about to break through the rain to search for a tavern to clear his mind, a single member of the crows infiltrated his inn room and attacked him before questioning him. After subduing the crows'' member rather easily, Lyan got the idea of using his body with his incubus magic instead rather than going outside by himself. And as he nned, he met the prince and the duke who are the people that are targeting him, and he managed to seed in fooling the both powerful figures of the Astellia kingdom, but he never expect that his own body would get attacked inside his inn room. (Ah... I forgot to summon the shadow servants and Hobu to protect my defenseless body as well, didn''t I...?) (Lyan) The room is rather dark, it''s rather difficult to see clearly the sight of the person that is threatening his life, But suddenly- *Rumble!* Suddenly the sound of rumbling thunder sounded, lighting the room through the window for a short moment, But that short moment is enough for Lyan to have a clear look at the culprit before him. It is such a small figure. She has a small build and looks just like a child. But Lyan does not underestimate her as he could sense that she has a rather high agility that must not be underestimated. But the most particr part of the girl that stole Lyan''s attention is her slightly pointy ears which is clearly not a trait belonging to a human. (Halfling? No, if I''m not mistaken, halflings should have more pointy ears than this. Is she a half-breed?) (Lyan) Lyan remembers clearly the illustrations drawn about the other races that he read at the library he visited before. Judging from how the book illustrated a halfling with much more big pointy ears that are not as pointy as an elf, but definitely not so human-like as the one before him. At the moment he saw the clear sight of the small figure before him, he also caught the glimpse of the condition of his room that entered his view. Unlike normal thieves that made a mess of a room as they look for the things they want to steal, the little thief before him is rather neat. He saw that the things he put are all in their ce. There are signs of the things being moved as she must be in a hurry when she is searching thoroughly of the room, and judging from her actions, she must be surprised when Lyan unexpectedly wakes up, and is still thinking of a way to flee from the ce. "Don"t think of anythin'' stupid, show me all of your money and you"ll live," The figure said. She attempted to make her voice sounds serious and threatening, but to Lyan, her voice sounded cuter because of her desperate attempt. Of course, he did not say that out loud. "I will, I will. So who are you, young miss? It''s unlikely for the prince to send someone to assassinate me because of the earlier exchange... So does that scary duke send you? If he does, I might need to be extra wary of him, though..." Lyan''s tone of questioning remains calm, or rather, rxed. It`s like he''s having a small talk with a person he met in a tavern or something. "Duke? Prince? Don''t try to confuse me!" The small voice scowled and the knife pressed into his neck got more force, making some blood start to drip. But, Lyan''s expressions remain the same. "Hm... You don''t look like you''re lying... So you''re not the duke''s men... And not the crown prince''s men either..." Lyan narrowed his eyes and frowned as he realized that there are no important strings attached to the little girl before him. As he concluded that the two important figures are not behind the little girl, his focus went to the particr thing on her neck. A cor. In a single nce, Lyan could notice that it is a magic ve cor that is used for ves. They are imbued with modified curse magic that is used for a long time in order to ensure the masters of the ves from getting attacked and rebelled by their ves. (It''s unlikely for a ve to be working as a thief... She doesn''t seem to have any particr motive in breaking into my ce other than stealing as well... So she is some kind of a dirty underground organization''s ve, I guess...?) (Lyan) ves aremonly owned by the wealthy people, merchants, and nobles. It''s rare, but there are also people that possess ves for some jobs and uses. Other than those are vile people that use ves to do crimes in their stead. Underground organizations, undercover bandits, and dirty merchants usually use those kinds of ves to do some kinds of dirty work such as assassination, ambush, burr, and other crimes. They usually get their ves illegally either by raiding a vige and enving them, or getting them through debts. In the case of underground organizations, it''s possible for them to have lots of ves from raids and debts. (Looks like there is some kind of a quota of money that she must deliver to her master in a day, huh? And whether it''s a piece of good luck or bad luck for her, I ordered a high-quality inn room with a decent price, so it''s not surprising for her to think that she would be able to fetch some great loots from my room...) (Lyan) "I see... So you did not found anything yet, huh?" (Lyan) "Huh?" The girl flinched. Judging from her reaction, it means that Lyan''s guess is quite urate. Judging from her agility which also came from her racial talent, it should be possible for her to immediately flee from the window at the moment Lyan just woke up and still did not realize about her presence. (The reason she did not flee yet is that she hadn''t found a single coin or valuable thing yet. Well, it''s not surprising since I store all of them inside the grimoire''s space since it''s more convenient to summon the coins rather than taking them one by one from the bag...) (Lyan) "What a bad luck. You should have looted the other rooms instead of mine..." Lyan uttered in pity. "Shut it! I''m asking you to show me where all your money is!! Do you not care about your life!?" The girl shouted, but she did not apply more force on her knife. A small smile appeared on Lyan''s face as he notice it. The reason is clear. She can''t kill him since she wouldn''t be able to know where his money is if he died. "What are you smiling for!? You think I won''t kill you for real!?" The girl emits her bloodlust. It''s a usible bloodlust that does not match her appearance that is very simr to a little girl at all. Her bloodlust felt rough and cold like an assassin, but even though the amount is unexpected, the pressure is not even enough to make Lyan blink. "Now, now. There is no need to be so hasty, isn''t it? Like I''ve said, little girl. You should have looted the other rooms instead. That way, even if I notice your presence, I won''t poke my nose in. Since you decided to loot my room, not just that you won''t get a single coin from here, I have no choice but to figth back as well," Lyan uttered calmly as if he does not care about the knife aiming towards his throat. "Hmph! What a bad bluff. You think I''ll get scared and-" "Try looking at what''s on top of my head, you''ll be surprised," Lyan cut her words. "Eh?" The girl shifted her gaze while continuing to observe Lyan''s movement, and she widened her eyes when she saw the creature on top of Lyan''s head. "A-An acid ant...? Why is it here..." The girl asked in confusion. It''s clear from her hesitation and fear. She must have known the acid ant''s ability to shoot dangerous acid. "Hou... So you know about the rare acid ant. You''re quite knowledgable for a little girl. But I think you should try looking around you now," (Lyan) After hearing Lyan''s words, the girl''s body tensed up. Just by sensing the presence around her alone she already knows what her situation is. "I''m... Surrounded...?" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 155 Visiting The Astellias Capital (10) The Little Thief "I''m... Surrounded...?" The little girl uttered in surprise. Her eyes widened, and the grip on her knife visibly loosened. With her current state, she''s not a threat to Lyan. *Whoosh!* Lyan pulled the sheets beside him and threw them toward the half-halfling at magnificent speed. "Wha- Wait!" Startled, the little girl attempted to flee from the dangerous situation, but her legs became weak as she remembered the acid ants surrounding her. In such a brief duration that was less than several seconds, the situation had changed. The half-halfing that was aiming at Lyan with her knife has lost her knife, and is currently having her hands locked behind her back by Lyan. "That was rather dangerous, little girl," (Lyan) *Flick!* With a snap of his fingers, the lights inside the room immediately light up, giving a clear vision inside the room. Finally, the "R-Release me!! O-ouch!" The half-halfling fiercely resists by moving her body violently, but as Lyan exerts more force on his hands and emits his murderous intent for a moment, the resistance immediately ceased. "Good. Now let''s see..." Still, with a smile, Lyan narrowed his eyes as he observed the little girl before him. She''s nowpletely in a panic state. Cold sweats are running profusely, and it''s nd to see that she couldn''t find any solution to get away from her current situation. Tears started to gather at the corner of her eyes, but she grits her teeth to fight back the urge to cry because of the hopelessness of the situation. "You got a great spirit for a little girl, aren''t you?" Lyan uttered in admiration. (I was confused whether she was a child or not before since the halfling could have made her look much more babyface than normal humans, but judging from her reactions, looks like she is still a child, huh) (Lyan) "How old are you, girl? Answer me, and I might let you off," (Lyan) It took some time for the girl to process Lyan''s words. After several seconds, the focus started to regather in her eyes, and she replied. "...Really?" "Yeah. Of course, it will be a different story if you lie, though," Lyan shrugged. The little girl''s eyes wandered around for a while, but after thinking that there is no harm in telling her age to him, she lightly nods to herself. "13. 13 years old," The girl replied with a small voice. "13, huh..." Lyan stared at the body of the girl. (She looks no different from an 8-year-old child... Poor kid, but there is always someone who might want such a small body like you when you''re slightly older, so don''t be sad) (Lyan) Lyan uttered in pity inside his mind as he observe the body that has little chance of developing into the same level as at least Xena. (Setting asides the jokes, I guess she really is a halfling then. She seems to be still developing, so she might grow slightly bigger since she''s a half-human. The main problem is...) (Lyan) Lyan''s eyes stopped at the sight of the ve cor on the girl''s neck. (Again. very, huh...) (Lyan) It''s not the first time Lyan encountered the term of very since the story of the three girls from the House of Roses and the bandits he fought together with the Valkyries, but it doesn''t mean that he doesn''t feel anything about them. (As expected, it bothers me... Especially if children such as this girl are being enved to do such vile things like this. I guess just like how some of the demons are humane, there are humans that have demons in their hearts as well) (Lyan) Truthfully, Lyan is very thrilled when he saw the pair of ears on the girl''s head. He''s excited to meet the races other than humans such as the elves, the beastmen, and the other races. But the disgust he felt from looking at such a small girl before him getting enved forcefully suppressed the excited feeling inside him. The man called Lyan, setting aside the fact about him being branded a hero because of his previous life aplishment, he''s no saint. He doesn''t have a high sense of justice and dreams of eradicating evil on top of the world. But there is one thing about him that made people stick with and adores him. He lives up to his own rule. "Eh?" The little girl uttered in surprise when the force holding her hands behind her back disappeared, letting her hands to move freely. She immediately jumped from the bed to the window. Her heart beats loudly as she thought about leaving immediately, but then she looks behind. Lyan is just staring at her with his arms folded. In an instant, she stopped in her tracks. "You... You''re really going to let me go...?" The girl asked in shock as she stares back. "Of course. What? You think I won''t fulfill my promise?" (Lyan) Without a word, the girl made a slight nod. "I see..." (Lyan) (Well, it''s normal, I guess? She''s been living in the underworld where lies and betrayals are part of the livelihood) (Lyan) Lyan slowly approached the girl. The little girl opened the window to make sure that she could flee when Lyan made a threatening move, but then Lyan stopped at a quiet distance from her and crouched down, matching their eyes at the same level. "Look. It''s an adult, and especially a man''s duty to fulfill their promise. If someone does not do so, then he must not be an adult, let alone a man. You hear me, child?" Lyan flicked the little girl''s head. "An adult... Duty...?" The girl''s eyes seems to went distant when she uttered those words. As if she remembered about the words of a person dear to her, tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. *Pat!* "Eh?" The little girl came back to her senses when she felt the gentle warmth on top of her head. "Another thing. It is also an adult''s duty to hear out a child''s plea. Now, is there something you want to ask me, child?" (Lyan) Lyan''s eyes are firm. The little girl immediately knows that she had been seen through by him since the beginning. Her hidden fatigue, her hidden stress, her hidden wounds- And her hidden plea. "Please. Help me," ******************************************************** At the corner of the capital city, the ce that the people refer to as the dwellings of the underground people, the ce is crowdier than ever because of the rain and the dark. There are people who gamble, brawl, do illegal transactions, buy illegal ves, and many more. "Ohh... So you''re back, halfbreed. Looks like you got a lot of loot today, huh?" A bald man with an eyepatch on his right eye uttered with a rough voice when he saw a half-halfling approaching the building from the alley while holding a big sack of money on her back. ? *Thud!* "All of these are golds!! Hahaha!! Great job! Great job! Come here!" The man tapped her head roughly and asked her to follow her in a slightly less-roughly way. In normal circumstances, she would still get kicked and beaten even if she brought the minimum requirement quota of her task. But today, it seems that the loot she brought with her impresses him, or rather his greed enough to make him not beat her. With a silent snort, she tidies her cloak up and silently follows the man that is her master without any word. "Man! Those bastards scams me and made me lose all of my money and all of my ves!! I almost sold you to those nasty bastards that research the human body for fun because of it. I guess it''s a wise choice to refrain from selling a great half-halfling like you, huh!!" The manughed heartfully as he sits on the chair and spill the inside of the leather sack. A small pile of gold coins filled the table, bringing a big smile to the man''s face. "Golds!!! All of these are golds!!! I could now buy even more ves than before because of this!!! Great job-" Suddenly- *Click!* The sound of the door getting locked sounded, and sensing the sense of danger from his back, the man turned his back around as he tried to cover the gold behind him with his body as if protecting them. "Eh? Halfbreed? What do you think you are doing? Imand you to stop!" The man shouted, but the little girl continue her steps. As she gets closer, her sight got illuminated by the lights. "Eh?" The man uttered dumbfoundedly as he realized the most important thing that he should have noticed since the first time she arrived back. "Where... Where is your magic cor...?" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 156 Visiting The Astellias Capital (11) An Adults Duty "Hm... Surprisingly, there is not much for me to tidy up," (Lyan) Having a thief enter your room usually means having your room turned upside down as he or she searched for your hidden valuable items. But the half-halfing that broke into Lyan''s inn room did not do such a thing. Even though she couldn''t find any valuable thing yet, she does not make a mess of the room after getting impatient. She carefully searches every part of the room neatly while only moving some of the objects that slightly differ from their former position. (For such a little girl, she''s sure quick on her feet) (Griselda) (If trained well, that girl could have a speed greater than mine in the future) (Arturia) "Hou... For the both of you to praise a person so much... That''s quite rare. Was that speed of her is a talent she got because of her halfling blood?" (Lyan) (Hm... I don''t think so. That girl, judging from her ear size, it seems that even though she''s a half, her halfling blood is not that dominant. Since different from the body, the size of a halfling''s ears does not change that much upon their growth) (Hestia) (A-and... It looks like she has a great amount of mana as well. She has a great potential as both a fighter and a mage) (Sylphia) The high spirits are watching him and the half-halfling since he first woke up with a knife on his neck. They are ready to help him whenever he''s in danger, but they know that he won''t be needing them with his current strength. "I see..." Lyan let out a sigh of relief. The sigh of relief is not because of how he met her when she was still weak and not strong enough as mentioned as the great spirits, but because of the fact that she could be stronger and would be able to protect herself and make her own choices in the future. For such a child to be able to have a shimmer of light on her future is something to be relieved about for Lyan. (But you sure you want to leave her alone just like that, master?) (Lilith) "What do you mean?" (Lyan) (She has such a great potential. You could have just bought her from her owner with your fortune and made her yours. Or you could help her and save her from her owner and make her your apprentice or something. Increasing your forces are necessary as well, right? Having only monsters and eight spirit beauties might not be good for your social life in this world, you know?) (Lilith) Even though Lilith''s tone rather sounds like she''s joking, Lyan knows that her words are her sincere advice toward him. But- "You''re right. I was just in the mood to make a sincere good deed, that''s all," Lyan shrugged. ************************************************** ---An hour before--- "Please. Help me," The half-halfling girl requested Lyan''s help with a pair of firm eyes. It''s not the eyes that are filled with the intention of being pitied by people. It''s a pair of eyes that are filled with the will to live and to fight, which flickered the me inside Lyan. (Magnificent) (Lyan) That was Lyan''s reaction upon looking into the little girl''s eyes. (A small me that started to spread and turn bigger. But the things that became its fuel are not hatred nor malice. It''s a me lits solely by the will to live...) (Lyan) "Then as a full-fledged adult, I shall lend you a hand, child," Lyan uttered as his gaze shifted toward the ve cor on the little girl''s neck. Extending his right arm, he touched the ve cor with his right hand, and the little half-halfling saw how his eyes glowed with a purple light. (I see...) (Lyan) *Tack!* *Whoosh!* After Lyan''s snapped his fingers, purple illusions formed circles and patterns surrounding the both of them. The sight made the little girl that is still oblivious to magic has her eyes sparkle in awe. As if a beautiful miracle just happened, the girl''s mouth opened wide agape. At the moment Lyan touched the ve cor, his magic sensitivity and perception came into y. Reaching through the system of magic progressing inside the ve cor, Lyan projected them into a distinguishable image through his illusion magic. "I see... How interesting. The magic working on the ve cor''s magic system is something simr to of a curse. It''s not that different from the ve crest on Belle''s, Alina''s, and Xena''s backs. But luckily, unlike the ve crest, the ve cor only threatened the neck of the enved person. If it has even a slight connection towards the soul, it will be very difficult to force remove them," Lyan uttered as he observed the magic circles and patterns around them. "Now, let''s see if this could undo them," (Lyan) Following his words, condensed holy mana started to gather on his hand. Slowly, as if the mana turning into a condensed fog, Lyan poured them towards the keyhole on the center of the ve cor. "And now," Lyan then hold the holy man as if he was holding a key, and turned it as if he was opening a lock. *Click!* "Eh?" The little half-halfling girl uttered in surprise. The ve cor then opened, and fell motionlessly to the ground, leaving the stunned little girl without her ve cor alone. "I guess that should be enough for you to settle your own fate?" (Lyan) Lyan''s words immediately brought her back to her senses. Her face blooms with a big smile as she expresses her gratefulness. "Thank you, mister!" The girl bowed. But when she raised her body, the smile is gone, and Lyan could see that she was ready for what is about toe. ************************************************** (But are you sure it''s fine to leave that girl alone? Wouldn''t it be bad if she pushed herself? Her opponents might be a lot, won''t she be dead if be left alone?) (Arturia) "It will be fine. I am not a saint. I''ve done enough by letting her free from getting shackled by the ve cor. She''s smart and strong enough to finish the rest," Lyan uttered tantly as he went back to the bed. It''s still night, and he hasn''t taken a proper rest yet because of the case with the crown prince and Duke Ravindor. "Let''s just hope the best for the girl..." Lyan slowly closed his eyes, but this time, he stationed some of the acid ants and Hobu in the room to watch over his surroundings to make sure that he won''t make the same mistake. It does not take too long for Lyan to lose his consciousness. Maybe it''s because of the fatigue he umted from dealing with the crown prince and the Duke, or it may be due to his mental fatigue from making sure that he won''t embarrass himself as an adult in front of the half-halfling girl and fail to help her from getting free from the ve cor that was restricting her life. If the magic used inside the ve cor was moreplex and riskier, Lyan would have to use the rough way and follow the little girl secretly to help her kill her owner. But since it''s all turned out well, it''s all now up to the little girl whether she could break through the shackles that are holding her down and free herself or not. There are some worries left in Lyan when she left, but after hearing the thoughts from Griselda, Hestia, and Arturia about her strength and potential, he''s left with no doubt. With such a peace of mind from having Hobu and his monsters protecting him around him and the satisfaction of doing a good deed, Lyan slept soundly and woke up together ratherte in the morning. "Wait, together?" Lyan opened his eyes in question as he felt a certain weight on top of his body. "Huh!?" Lyan furrowed his eyebrows when he saw the little half-halfing girl sleeping on top of him and clinging to him as if he were her father. "Now what is this girl doing here..." Lyan shifted his gaze towards Hobu that is standing guard right next to him as if with a questioning gaze, but Hobu turn his face away as if he was pretending he didn''t know anything. *Sigh!* "I guess this is why you should never help people thoughtlessly..." (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 157 Visiting The Astellias Capital (12) The Little Half-Halfling "I guess this is why you should never help people thoughtlessly..." Lyan uttered before letting out an exasperated sigh. (Oh god, Lyan. You''re okay even with such a small kid?) (Griselda) (Master...) (Arturia) (My, my... You''re quite a big pervert, aren''t you master?) (Lilith) Griselda''s intentionally misleading words, Arturia''s shocked reaction, and Lilith''s teasing voice annoyed Lyan further. (Of course, I''m not!) (Lyan) "Mmh..." The little half-halfling slowly opened her eyes and stared at Lyan with a pair of drowsy eyes. "Sun''s up high, littledy. Now can you tell me what are you doing inside my room, and right on top of me?" (Lyan) "Mh... Mowning...?" The girl replied with a drowsy tone. "Yes, it''s morning. Now would you please answer my question?" Lyan continues his question. "Master..." The half-halfling continued without replying to his question. "Who are you calling your master, little brat-" Lyan was about to retort with an annoyed tone, but her little hands suddenly went to a ce that is quite dangerous to touch in the morning. "What is this? Do you sleep while holding onto a spear? But why is it so thick?" The girl asked him as she grabbed the huge thing that is poking at her lower body. As she continue to grope the ''spear'', she felt the warmth being emitted from it. "Ah... The warmth is ratherfortable... Is this a magic spear...?" The girl entered her sheets and hugged it as if it were a pillow, but then a strange smell entered her nostrils. It''s simr to the smell that she often encounters whenever her former master went to hire a prostitute and indulge himself in pleasure. The only difference is that the smell from the thing she''s hugging is much more thicker and stronger. Because of it, she immediately regained herposure as the identity of the smell entered her mind. The manly scent of a man''s thing. "W-What!? What is that!? What is this!? Pervert!? It''s so huge!!" The girl jumped out of the sheets and she shouted in surprise. (See~ The master is a big pervert that made a little girl hold his rod) (Lilith) (Unimaginable... What a bastard) (Griselda) (Master...) (Thanks for the feast!) (Cynthia) Disregarding Cynthia''s strange expression of gratefulness with a great enthusiasm, Lyan retorted. (That is a normal physical phenomenon for every man! It''s morning!!) (Lyan) "It''s not my fault, kid. And it became big is definitely not because of you as well," Lyan attempted to exin to the kid carefully, but- "I-I''m grateful to you... So if you want my body..." "Hey! I said it''s not that! All men experienced this in the morning!!" (Lyan) It took quite a while for Lyan to exin and convince the half-elf regarding the natural phenomenon in the morning for men. "I see... It''s new knowledge for me, thank you," The little half-elf girl uttered with a smile as if she was satisfied and grateful for getting taught a new thing. But for Lyan, he''s feeling rather conflicted about lecturing such a small girl about how a man''s thing works in the morning. (What the hell am I even telling her...?) (Lyan) Lyan could only facepalm himself as he let out a frustrated sigh. Deciding to move on and start the day, Lyan went to the table and touched the teapot on top of the table. Not long after, the heat started to gather, and steam started to leave the teapot''s air hole. Being left by Lyan, the little half-halfling followed him to the table, but he ignored her as he was too focused on reheating the tea inside the teapot. The little girl fidgets as she stared at Lyan reheat the tea. His movements and his gestures arepletely different from her disgusting former master. It''s likeparing a lion and a cockroach. She''s feeling very grateful to Lyan, but at the same time, she''s currently harboring a feeling of fear. It''s the fear of getting abandoned. After asking for Lyan''s help and having her ve cor released from her neck, the little half-halfling went back to her base and killed her former master. She could still feel the satisfaction of killing her bastard former master whenever she remember the yesterday scene, but what followed afterward is nothing but emptiness. She has no ns for the future, and the only rope of hope that is in front of her is Lyan. She knows close to nothing about the world as she has been spending her life as a ve for her former master, she felt greater fear of facing the world without any help rather than the time she went to kill her former master for revenge. As Lyan ignored her and focus on reheating the tea, the little girl started to think that he has no intention of taking her together with him. Slowly, the shoulders that are raised with hope started to droop. Of course, Lyan noticed her gesture from the beginning, and once again, let out an exasperated sigh. He then takes out two cups from the thin air and put them on the table before pouring the tea from the teapot gracefully. Looking at how he''s preparing for her share as well, the little girl''s eyes shimmered with hope, and herplexion brightens. "If you want to lend a hand to people, help them until the end, huh..." Lyan uttered under his breath as the image of his formerrade inside the demon world where he fought for very long years crossed his mind. "Fine then. I''ll take you up, kid. But for a single price, tell me your story," (Lyan) As the girl sits at the chair and took a sip of the tea before making a weird face after burning her tongue since she can''t stand the hotness, she then started telling her story. Her story is definitely not something good considering she ended up being a ve, but upon hearing it, Lyan is convinced that this girl definitely didn''t have a good start in her life. Her mother was an aspiring adventurer, it''s quite umon for halflings to be as sociable as her mother, and her father is also the same, an adventurer, but a human. The both of them met while adventuring together in a joint quest. Just like how the love story of adventurers went on, the both of them fell in love and made their proof of love which is her. As her father was quite famous for his achievements, her mother felt honored to be loved by him. He told her lots of sweet promises and gave her flowers, telling her that he want to retire together at a peaceful mountain in the east or something. But, the thing called to love only bloomed in a single day between her mother and her father. Right the next day after her intercourse, the father immediately left her and went gone without any trace. Her mother knew that she had just got hit by a bastard, but didn''t know whether it was a stroke of good luck or bad luck, just by a single intercourse in one night, her mother got pregnant. At first, her mother wanted to get rid of her as she is something that could be said to a living proof of her painful memory. But somehow, her mother decided to give birth to her. But even so, she was named after the incident between her mother and her father. Leyar, the word liar in the tongue of the halflings. As a woman halfling that is working as an adventurer without a husband, having a child without having a husband is too burdensome. Even though her mother gave birth to her, she doesn''t seem to have a shred of a maternal love toward her. So her mother sold her. She sold her to a ve trader, saying that a rare halfbreed should fetch a great price. And then she lived her life as a ve since little, and continue her life without questioning that way of life. She knew the story about her mother and her father from her former master that got the story from the ve trade which her mother sold her to. It''s not a great story, but it could be said that the fact that she''s still alive is something that could be called an achievement. But for Lyan, it''s nothing but the proof of the cruelty of the world. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 158 Visiting The Astellias Capital (End) A New Name "I see... Say nothing more and drink your tea. Bad things of the past will only bring misfortune if we continue to cling to them. So let''s just live in the present," Lyan pushed the cup of hot tea to her front. His tone is indifferent, but the little halfling could see his eyes filled with sympathy for her. Noticing that made a smile to be formed on her face. "Yes. Thank you, master," The little half-halfling uttered with a smile as she took another sip of the tea before her. The hotness and became bearable as it has cooled enough after she told her story to Lyan. "Don''t call me master," (Lyan) "Eh? Then what should I call you... Boss? My lord? My liege?" The girl innocently tilted her head to the side. "...Master is fine, I guess..." (Lyan) As Lyan conceded to be called master, thinking that Arturia and the others had already started calling him that as well, he noticed the little girl''s eyes are focused on his shoulder. Or to be more exact, she''s looking at the creature resting on top of his shoulder. "Mr. Ant! Thank you for helping me together with your friends yesterday! It was a very great help!" It''s a rather cute sight to see such a cute little girl bowing to a big ant. But as if it understood the girl''s words of gratitude, the acid ant on top of Lyan''s shoulder made a nodding gesture with its head as if saying ''You''re wee''. Looking at that gesture made a big smile to bloom on the girl''s face. At the night before, even though Lyan said that he won''t lend his strength when the spirits asked him, he meant it physically. He won''t be helping her directly with his own body, but he sent the rest of the acid ants to back up her in case of something bad might happen. When the little half-halfling killed her former master, her former master made quite amotion that made the people outside the building curious about what happened. And since her former master also has his friends amongst the denizens of the kingdom''s underworld, it''s not strange for them to be worried because of his nasty groan that resounded from inside the building. The girl has a magnificent speed and agility, and she has the talent to be an assassin and a scout. But at that time, her ability has not yet flourished, and there is a limit to what a child could do especially against lots of people at the same time. At first, the girl managed to slip through them as she fled from the window, but she was not the only thief at the ce. There are also lots of experienced thieves there, and noticing how her former master is dead, the wholemunity is dispatched to search for her to prevent her from running away. She got chased, and she struggles her way to break through the people that hindered her path. There is a considerable growth from that experience, but her stamina is not unlimited. At the time where she got surrounded by a small alley, the acid ants appeared. The strength of the acids spewed by the acid ants is not to be underestimated. They are lethal, and if they hit you in the wrong spot, it could be an instant kill. Then with the help of the acid ants, the little halfling girl fled from the ce and managed to leave the criminal den safely. "I remember when you surround me with the acid ants inside this room, so I immediately know that you were my savior. That''s why Ie here!" The girl said energetically. (So you came to trouble your savior even more, huh? By the way, she told me her name in her story before, didn''t she?) (Lyan) "Ley-" Lyan was about to call the little half-halfling''s real name, but he stopped. It''s the name given by her mother with the message for her bastard father. ''Liar''. It''s her proof of contempt and is definitely not a name that brings a good memory for her. She did not introduce herself by her name even once, so it seems that she does not like that name. But that is understandable since that name of hers could make her remember her sad origin whenever she got called. So after thinking it through, Lyan once again looks at the small dark purple-haired half-human half-halfling that is innocently sipping at the cup of tea carelessly in front of him. "Tesha," (Lyan) "Eh?" The little girl uttered in question. "Tesha. That will be your name from now on. It means the survivor. A suitable name for you who ovee your fate and stubbornly clings to life, don''t you think?" (Lyan) At that moment, a single drop of tear fell to the table. "Eh?" The little girl eximed in question as she does not know why tears left her eyes. No, in truth, she already knows, but her immature mind doesn''t let her to think and process it clearly as powerful emotions are rendering her brain useless. "Hm... Do you not like that name?" Lyan tilted his head as he asked the girl. "I-I like it!!" The girl- Tesha replied enthusiastically as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "That''s good. Then Tesha, finish your tea and wipe your body clean. We''re going out shortly," (Lyan) "Where will be going, master?" (Tesha) "We''re going to the ce full of snow. The far north," (Lyan) **************************************************** Inside the royal castle of the Astellia Kingdom, a man is kneeling in front of the crown prince. He is someone that he''s not familiar with, but ording to Julius and his men, he''s someone with not just a great battle skills, but also an outstandingmander. "State your name," The crown princemanded the man as his observant eyes peered into the man, sending shivers all over his body. But even so, the man remained indifferent on the outside. "My name is Arnold, your highness crown prince. It''s a great honor to be able to meet you," The man replied with the courtesy he had learned beforehand. "He''s a mercenary of a great caliber, your highness. His battle prowess could be considered as a Mythril-ranked mercenary, and he has a great talent as amander that would benefit you greatly in leading an army, your highness. And more importantly, he''s someone rmended by ''him''," Julius exined from beside Erich. "I see... A rmendation from him, huh... I guess it means that he''s showing a positive stance towards my offer," The crown prince uttered in satisfaction as the image of Lyan appeared in his mind. The image of when he summoned the great spirits in the battle with the goblin king still remains deeply engraved inside his head. "I''ve heard that you found a great opponent at one of the towns you visited, and was struggling in the fight. And that opponent of yours is a woman. Is that true?" Erich asked the man before him as he read the document in his hands. "Yes, your highness. That is right. She''s as sharp and powerful like as lightning. She is a very strong person," said the man as he remembered the fight he has with the woman mentioned by the crown prince. It still brings him chills whenever he remembered about the eyes of the woman that seems to belong to the eyes of a predator seeking for a prey. "ording to Julius, your strength is worthy to enter the royal knights, and you might be even stronger than half of them. To have such an individual that you highly look upon, now I''m also interested in that strong woman you mentioned," the prince made a small smile. The man, Arnold, thought that the crown prince would belittle him for having difficulties while fighting with a woman, but contrary to his expectation, he''s getting interested in that woman instead. But as that woman got mentioned, Arnold remembered the scene where a single man stopped the fight between them. "At that time, I heard that you got stopped by a single man in the middle of your fight. He was wearing a cloak, and had a great amount of mana that could be noticed at a single nce. Was that true?" Asked Erich. "Yes, you''re right," Arnold replied in an instant. "I see... It seems that he evaluates you high enough to the point that he pulled the strings to have you rmended here. Arnold, I''ve heard the things that I wanted. Ready yourself, I want to see your real skills firsthand," (Erich) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 159 Journey To The North (13) Continuing The Journey At the emptynd filled with snow covering the wholend, a tall and a small figure is riding a wagon at a snail-like pace. The reason is obvious, it''s because the aggressive ck horse is incapable of walking quickly on top of snow-fillednd. "This is going to be a tough journey, huh... Luckily we''ve store enough food tost for more than a week inside the Grimoire''s space. If not for the gluttons inside the space, those rations should be enough for us to survive for a month, though..." Lyan uttered his words purposefully audibly to make sure that the ''glutton'' inside the grimoire''s space that he mentioned could receive his sarcasm. (Hey! That''s my card! you''re cheating!) (Griselda) The culprit shouted herint as she was too immersed in the game of cards she was ying with the other high spirits. (She''s not even listening, huh...) (Lyan) As Lyan let out a sigh, a small trembling figure sneaks inside his cloak and clings to his waist. (And there is this girl as well...)(Lyan) Lyan squinted at the person clinging to him. "I-i-it''s too cold, master... I''m dying... I don`t think I could make it..." (Tesha) Even though she showed a great amount of resilience back then before he brought her, she started to be like this when they first entered the northern border of the Astellia Kingdom. Of course, as it''s already cold enough at the capital city of Astellia, it''s absolutely colder here where they are closer to the far north which is Lyan''s goal for his first journey. ording to his original new agreement with the high spirits, there should be at least one of them that would get summoned and apany him for the day ording to their summoning duration. But because of the cold, none of them wanted to face the coldness of the north so Lyan ended up only together with Tesha alone. (Eira could stand the cold, but it might be dangerous if the ce became even colder because of her presence and her powerful mana phenomenon interference, so she''s forbidden from getting summoned here) (Lyan) "But sure..." Lyan uttered as he take a look at the scene unfolded before him. It''s a very vastnd with nothing but snow piled up above them. No single de of grass, and not even trees, could be seen. "Yet there are these monsters," Lyan shifted his gaze, and there are a pack of white wolves rushing towards them with considerable speed. But even so, Lyan didn''t make a move. *Whoosh!* The ice golem, the rock golem, and two shadow hobgoblins led by Hobu appeared before him, hiding the sight of the wagon from the line of sight of the wolves. *Growl!* The one that seems to be the leader of the pack let out a threatening growl. It seems to be simply a warning growl to force them to move from his pack''s way, but actually, it''s his orders towards his pack. The pack that is consisted of roughly 30 Winter wolves with sizes as tall as an average man suddenly splits into three different groups. "Whoa..." Lyan uttered in admiration of the sight before him. Normal intellectual beasts usually make a pincer whenever they split their attacks. It will be either an attack that came from both sides or an attack of waves in order to exhaust the opponent, but what unfolded before Lyan is different. From the three groups, the group of wolves that is in the middle suddenly stopped and howls. *OWOOOOOO!!!* On Lyan''s original world, the earth. There are people that read too much fiction that hold a misconception of wolves howling as a behavior directed at the moon''s presence. But the truth is, it''s used as a social rally call, a hail to hunt, a warning for intruders, or as a territorial expression. It was said that another wolf could hear the howl of another wolf from 6-7 miles away. That is why wolves could even find their way home after hearing the howl from their brethren. But in this fantasy world where the world and the atmosphere are filled with mana, the wolf''s howl is not just a mere warning or territorial expression. It could also be a call to summon the mana around them. And to summon their natural magic. "W-Whoa!" Tesha uttered astoundedly as she saw the rare scene unfold before her. After the group of wolves in the middle howled, dozens of icicles appeared before them, floating as if gravity glitched and forgot their rule just in the space before that group of wolves. With a single gesture with their heads, the floating icicles rushed towards Lyan and his summoned creatures with a clear intention of killing. But of course, even though the winter wolves are magic beasts that are not to be underestimated, so does Lyan''s summoned creatures. The ice golem''s brilliant blue light eyes shone as he draw his hand towards the uing icicles. At that moment, as if reacting to the ice golem''s movement, the icicle''s speed elerates even faster and pierced the ice golems all over its body. It looks as if the ice golem has just killed himself, or sacrificed himself to take all the magic icicles summoned by the winter wolves to protect his master and his allies. Looking at how their attack seems to be working, the winter wolves once again howl. But this time, the whole three groups howled and summoned different sizes of icicles aiming at Lyan''s summoned creatures. "How terrifying," Lyan uttered. But Tesha that is right beside him could see that despite of his words, there is only confidence and no fear could be seen within his eyes. As the winter wolf pack''s leader saw Lyan''s smile, as if it gets provoked, it let out a growl, and all of the icicles rushed towards Lyan''s wagon and the summoned creatures before him with even faster eleration than before. But. Even though the winter wolves have a very high intelligence, they do not have the same mind as a human. They don''t have enough observational skills and scheming skills to see what was actually happening. The elerated icicles happened not because of their concentrated attack together, but it''s because the ice golem once again attracted the icicles to his body again. Sounds of sharp ice piercing hard ice resounded all over again, leaving the ice golem in a terrible condition. The leader of the winter wolf pack then let out a growl. The reason for the split immediately became obvious as two groups are circling them to the right and the left, while the remaining group once again let out a hole. But they do not realize that the brilliant blue light on the ice golem''s eyes is shining more than ever after getting pierced by the countless icicles given by the winter wolves. A mischievous grin formed on Lyan''s face as he saw the oblivious wolves charging toward them from two different sides, while casting magic from the front. The earth golem and 1 shadow hobgoblin went to the left side of the wagon, while Hobu and 1 shadow hobgoblin went to defend the other side of the wagon. The leader of the winter wolf that they are a powerful opponent, but he seems to be confident in the strength of their magic. So when the unexpected twist happened- *Poof!* The icicles formed before the winter wolf group at the front suddenly turned into the water as if it got crushed carefully and evenly, making the melting point of the tiny ices gets low enough for it to melt instantly. The winter wolf group tasked with the duty to cast magic stands still because of the mysterious thing that happened before them. The leader of the pack that saw the scene while he was charging toward the enemy ranks is also surprised, but when he saw the ice golem''s other hand that is rising. Shivers runs all over his body as he saw the ominous blue light shining on its eyes. *OWOOOOOO!!!* A desperate howl to warn his brethren about the potential danger, but it''s already toote. *Whoosh!!!!!* icicles, bigger and faster than the icicles that the pack of winter wolves cast together rushed towards the winter wolves that are about to cast another round of magic. "Game over, puppies," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 160 Journey To The North (14) The Winter Wolves The big and quick icicles summoned by the ice golem gave not just a considerable damage, but it was a great damage that is big enough that there are only 3 out of 14 winter wolves survived from that attack. Even though they have a huge body that is much more threatening than other wolf-type magic beasts, that huge body of theirs made it easier for the ice golem to aim at them. After looking at the sight of their brethren getting killed in such a horrible way, the three winter wolves got blinded by rage and went straight toward the ice golem to avenge their brethren. Just like other wolves that are considered as highly social animals, they cared a lot about their brethren and the member of their pack. They nurture the sick and the injured, and made aplexmunication and social structure to maintain the pack. At usual hunts and circumstances, those familial love in the pack could give them a stronger power as a pack, but at a time like this where they are facing strong opponents. Their familial love for the pack has be a weakness of them. *Boom!* The ice golem swings his giant right arm at the wolf that approached him from his right, but the agile wolf easily dodged his attack, and leaped to its head. It opened its mouth and bare its fangs, but the ice golem stomped its feet to the ground, sending the wolf and the other approaching winter wolves to some distance. *Grrrrr!* The winter wolves once growled as they stared at the ice golem threateningly. Looking at the sight, Lyan narrowed his eyes as something caught his eye. It''s not because it''s a fight between a strong ice golem with the renowned winter wolves, but it''s because that he saw the eyes of the ice golem that should be stagnant if he''s like the other usual golems. The eyes shone, and it seems that those brilliant light blue eyes are telling the winter wolves before him, ''I''ll ept your challenge!'' or something along those lines. As if catching his message, the winter wolves once again dashed toward him. Just like before, he swings his giant right arm and hits only the air, and the wolf once again leaped to its head. But this time- *Thrust!* As if he learned from his mistake before, the golem does not let his guard down, and seems to predict the movement pattern of the winter wolf and immediately thrust its body mercilessly with its giant left arm that has transformed into a huge spear. Even though one wolf died, there are still the other two. The ice golem only managed to block that one winter wolf, but the other two managed tond their fangs on his shoulder and his waist. But there''s something strange. The winter wolves let out a whimper, showing the frustration of their current situation. But it''s not surprising. Their fangs that they bury deep into the ice golem as they attempted to damage him ended up getting stuck, disabling them from moving. No matter how much they tried to escape, it seems that their fangs got frozen and got stuck inside the ice. The coldness from the ice golem alone is enough to make the winter wolves that are supposed to be resistant to coldness feel like their skull and brain are freezing. But what made them shiver the most is something more than that. It''s when they saw the eyes of the ice golems that seemed to be shining more brilliantly than ever, emitting a dangerous light. As if answering their guts, the finishing move of the ice golem began. *Thrust!* *Thrust!* *Thrust!* *Thrust!* As if turning into a cactus or a hedgehog, countless huge ice needles appeared from all over its body, piercing the two winter wolves attacking it, skewering them. "Wow!! Wow!!!!" Tesha that was clinging to Lyan started to separate herself and standard at the wagon to get a clearer vision of the exciting battle unfolding before her eyes. Lyan still remembers her face when she asked him whether he was a summoner or not because of the acid ants that followed hismand. When he said yes, her expression looks like she saw Santa us which made Lyan break into a smile. (That was unexpected. That ice golem... He''s very intelligent. It seems that it''s not your normal golem- Well, I guess it''s not unexpected if he''s not a normal golem since he got summoned by the grimoire as well) (Hestia) (T-There seems to beplex magic circles formed in both the ice golem''s heart and head...) (Sylphia) Looking back at the ice golem and remembering how his eyes shone as if he possess intelligence the same as humans made Lyan think about something. (Does that guy works the same as an artificial intelligence or something? I wonder if the stigma of the world getting ruled by golems will appear as well in this world) (Lyan) As Lyan''s thinking some pointless stuff, the battle at the sides of the wagon is also urring. The leader of the winter wolf pack saw how the battle unfolded with its own eyes. At this point, there is no longer option of fleeing. They''ve chosen the wrong enemy, but even if they try to run- The leader of the winter wolf pack nced at Lyan on the wagon. As their eyes met, the leader of the winter wolf pack know that there is no longer a chance for them to flee. As the fight was about to start after Lyan''s eyes and the leader of the winter wolf pack met, an image that he often saw in his former world entered his mind. The image where carts got pulled by the Siberian huskies. With these winter wolves that are as tall as humans, won''t they be much more capable to pull the wagon more expertly than that useless ck aggressive horse for his journey to the north? Immediately, Lyan transmits his thought and gives hismand to the Hobu, the earth golem, and the shadow servants. (Do not kill them! Defeat them until they are powerless, but leave them alive!) (Lyan) When Lyan gave those orders, Hobu tilts his head as if questioning where does that suddenmand came from, but he then immediately pours his soul to follow his master''s orders perfectly. This time, Lyan does not summon the Deadlight to battle the winter wolves and protect him on the journey after considering the risk of leaving the trails of undead mana on his trace. It will be more than just troublesome if people spread the word and he has to get targeted by the church because of it. With those exnations, the Deadlight loyally epts his reasoning humbly, but he still requests to be summoned in case that there is an opponent that the other summoned creatures can''t defeat. It will be absurd if he let his master battle such an opponent when he should be the one who fights before him. The difference between the strength of Lyan''s summoned creatures and the winter wolves is evident, but it''s difficult to just defeat them without killing them immediately. So the battle ended up going on for about an hour until the rest of the winter wolves finally copsed. Lyan ordered Hobu to bring the leader of the winter wolf pack before him, and after looking at it closely, Lyan realized how big the leader of the winter wolf is. Its high is about a half size bigger than the other winter wolves, its muscles are solid, and its fangs are bigger and sharper than the other winter wolves. of course, the mana contained inside it is bigger as well. "Now... How do I subdue this guy..." Lyan uttered under his breath. Then after pondering for a while, Lyan froze the winter wolf leader''s body, leaving only its head bare to the surface before healing it until all of the wounds on its body closed and woke it up. The winter wolf leader seems to be perplexed when it wakes up, but Lyan immediately uses his mind magic and makes an image of the leader of the wolf and its pack kneeling before Lyan. "Serve me, and I''ll let you live," Lyan unleashed his bloodlust to pressure the winter wolf together with its mana aura. The winter wolf leader is intelligent, so by giving the image made from the illusion, he must understand what Lyan wanted. And- He seeded. ___________________________________________________________________________ <+1 Summoned Monster: Winter Wolf Alpha> Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 161 Journey To The North (15) The Winter Wolves Subdued Winter wolf A wolf with a coat of winter dding its body. They are very famous for their strength, which is not just because of their physical body that is very robust and huge with the height the same as the average man, but because of their innate talent of using ice magic as well. Those tall bodies of theirs intimidate other magic beasts, and it''s an even great horror when seeing them in a pack. They are considered as one of the northern''s terror since there are lots of travelers and merchants that fell victim to their assault. It''smon for magic beasts to be stronger than normal beasts, but what made them much more dangerous is their intellect which also much more advanced than a normal beast. As wolves are a highly social animals with a quite high intellect, the winter wolves which is one of the magic beast version of smart wolves are even smarter, making them even more dangerous. One of the most dangerous things about a winter wolf pack is its alpha. Their alpha which has a body even bigger than the rest of the pack obviously has a stronger body, and even the quality of mana residing inside it is much more stronger and denser. With the existence of the Alpha that has strength, magic, and leadership. The winter wolf pack is considered B+ rank or could be even higher ording to the size of the pack ording to the adventurer guild''s standard. -Encyclopedia of Magic Beasts and Monsters, Great Library of Eureka, The city of academy and magic, Ausbildia _________________________________________________________________ "One of the northern nightmares, the winter wolf... And its pack''s leader is now acting like a tamed dog in front of master..." Tesha uttered in disbelief as she stared at the sight before her. "Sit," (Lyan) *Woof!* *Woof!* The winter wolf alpha followed his orders and smartly sits while giving friendly woofs. Lyan felt like he was witnessing the dog of his former world''s neighbor which has grown big enough to be as tall as a human. (So it haspletely regarded you as its master, huh...) (Arturia) After the prompt saying that Lyan has seeded in subduing the winter wolf alpha, the grimoire appeared out of the thin air, and light blue particles gushed out of the grimoire like a storm, enveloping the winter wolf alpha. This time, when the light blue particles enveloped the winter wolf alpha, Lyan activated his mana eyes to see clearly about what mana phenomenon is happening when the particles emitted by the grimoire enveloped the winter wolf alpha. As Lyan observed the sight, he realized that the particles are leaving some kind of a trace inside it. As if it is inserting mana stamps all over the winter wolf alpha''s body, but Lyan immediately understands that it''s the way how the grimoire''s space branded the magic beast and bound it to the grimoire. With those stamps-like mana particles nted on them, they could be transformed into those same particles and enter the grimoire''s space with Lyan''s orders. "Ah. Hey," (Lyan) The winter wolf alpha approached Lyan and brushes his head towards Lyan which Lyan reply with a stroke on its head. It seems to be enjoying his touch, and when Lyan nced backward, he could see Tesha fidgeting as she slowly grow closer to Lyan. It seems that she''s curious about the winter wolf alpha and wants to pet it as well, but at the same time, she''s scared of it and its huge body as well. Letting out a chuckle, Lyan called to her. "Tesha," (Lyan) "Y-Yes!?" (Tesha) "Try petting its head," Lyan pets the winter wolf alpha''s head, and it immediately lowered its head as if letting Tesha to pet its head. "No need to be scared, I''m right beside you," Lyan reassured her. She slowly approached the winter wolf alpha, but her left-hand gripped tightly to the hem of Lyan''s cloak, while her right hand reached towards the head of the winter wolf alpha. At the time her hand felt the smooth and fluffy but cold sensation of its fur, a bright smile appeared on her face as if she just got a sudden wealth. Looking at that bright smile, Lyan''s face also gets infected, and a smile also appeared on his face. "Okay, that''s it for now. You continue the pettingter. Hm... Since you''re the alpha of your pack, let''s just give you the name, Alpha," (Lyan) As if agreeing to his name, Alpha the winter wolf alpha howled and bowed towards Lyan. "Good. Now Alpha, it''s your first job. Try to convince your pack to follow and serve me. I''ll make sure that none of your pack will starve or die if they follow me. But in case some of them do not want to follow us, you can just either kill them or let them go if they won''t harm us," Lyan gave out aplicated order to Alpha. But after hearing Lyan''s words, Alpha gave a big nod with a dignified look befitting the alpha of the winter wolf pack. It then went to its pack that Lyan had healed, then themunication between them unfolded. It''s quite surreal to see the wolves talking as if they are people conversing in a foreignnguage in front of him. As the winter wolves and Alpha converse, Lyan noticed the change of expressions on the winter wolves just like when humans interact with each other. There are signs of fear, and doubt, and some looks at Alpha with a look of loyalty. Alpha''s persuasion of the remaining members of his pack does not go on for too long. After more than ten minutes, he returned with just 4 female winter wolves with him. It seems that the other winter wolves do not agree to serve under a human, especially the human that has just killed some of their pack members. It would be easy for Lyan to subdue them just like how he did so before to Alpha, but looking at Alpha seeing off his former pack members with a dignified look, he decided to give respect towards their decision and agreement with each other. "So there are only four of them that agreed to follow you, huh... Hm?" Lyan then noticed a certain thing from the four winter wolves that are making a bowing pose to him. "All of them are female, aren''t they? Does the four of them follow their instinct to follow the strongest male no matter where he goes to make a strong offspring and to get the highest rate of survival?" Lyan uttered in wonder as he furrowed his brows. Lyan then saw how the four female winter wolves approached Alpha and rubs their head with each other for a while. "I guess you''re quite popr, huh? But this is not the time for that. I''m thinking of having the five of you pull the wagon!" Lyan then instructed the five of them to follow him, but when he stopped in front of the wagon, he saw the ck aggressive horse staring at the five wolves behind him condescendingly. Normally, a horse like him would be trembling furiously in fear in front of such a strong magic beast like the winter wolf, especially Alpha. But the ck aggressive horse remains arrogant before snorting in front of Lyan as if saying ''Could you even do that job?''. *Grrrrr....* Alpha let out a warning growl, but the ck horse does not waver nor does he back off. Somehow, he was already released from the wagon, and he approached Alpha condescendingly as he looks down at Alpha that is slightly shorter than him. The tension between the two get worst, and Alpha''s growl gets louder as his face seems to be saying that he''s ready to pounce on the aggressive ck horse at any second. Looking at Alpha''s reaction, Lyan caught how the ck aggressive horse''s eyes turned sharper, and he suddenly moved at an unexpected speed. *Thud!* With a speed that is as fast as a blink, the ck aggressive horse gave a powerful headbutt towards Alpha, catching Alpha off-guarded. That attack made Lyan surprised, but Tesha beside him is staring at the sight with her mouth wide-agape because of shock. "M-Master''s horse is strong!!" (Tesha) "No, he''s just short-tempered," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 162 Journey To The North (16) Traveling With The Winter Wolves The wagon trudged through the snowynd, its wheels sinking into the soft white powder with each step. The wagon seemed to have no difficulty navigating the slippery terrain even though horses usually have great difficulties in traveling on top of snowy paths. The driver of the wagon, Lyan, bundled up in a thick coat and scarf, looked out at the snowyndscape with a big smile on his face. Despite the cold and the challenges of the weather, he''s still determined to reach his destination, no matter what obstaclesy in their path. As the wagon made its way across the snowynd, it left behind a trail of footprints, marking its progress through the wintry wilderness. The reason for Lyan''s big smile is because of the speed of their travel right now is not different from his usual traveling speed on horse. It''s all because of Alpha and the four winter wolves taking the ck aggressive''s horse''s ce and pulling the wagon. With their feet that are ustomed to traveling on top of the snow, even if they are pulling the weight of the wagon, they have no difficulties on it and they seem to be rather enjoying it as if they are having great exercise. As the wagon walks, Lyan watched how the aggressive ck horse ran in a full-speed sprint ahead of them and then returned with the same speed. He''s enjoying his free time as he usually always has the job of either pulling the wagon or getting mounted by Lyan. Unlike the winter wolves, his hooves are not ustomed to walking on top of the snow, so having more weight to pull made his hooves sink into the snow and made it harder for him to run which lead to his bad mood since the snow made him can''t travel faster. Without having to pull the wagon, the ck aggressive horse is making himself ustomed to running on top of the snow efficiently at first, but ended up getting too excited about running in the cold region instead. It''s funny to see how he''s running back and forth like an overexcited dog. "That guy... I thought that he would get offended at first since his position got suddenly stolen by the neer. It looks like he''s enjoying it instead," Lyan uttered with a helpless smile. At the time the ck horse and Alpha confront each other for the first time, the ck horseunched a quick and powerful headbutt enough to make the strong and resilient winter wolf alpha lose his consciousness for tens of minutes. The perverted ck horse even attempted to seduce the female winter wolves when Alpha was knocked out by him. But after getting rejection by the four of them, the ck horse lost his interest after snorting and went for a solo exercise instead. "Seriously, that guy. Does he even fine with other races other than horses? He''s that perverted...?" Lyan stared at the ck horse that is running back in his direction with his brows furrowed. "Y-You''re right... I-It''s the first time I ever saw such a horse..." Tesha uttered staggeringly. The reason of why she''s trembling is not due to her surprise at the ck aggressive horse. She has already long believed that she will continue to see surprising things if she follows Lyan as her master. The reason why she''s trembling is because of the biting coldness of the temperature. Even though she''s already bundled in thicker furs that Lyan bought for her in the vige they passed before the northern borders, she''s still trembling because of the cold. It''s not because she''s weak, but they are currently in a region that seems to be filled with a dense ice mana in the atmosphere. The dense amount of ice mana creates some magical phenomenon, and gives lingering cold effects to those who do not have immunities in both coldness and magic. "I''ve told you that you should just wait inside the wagon. It will be not funny if you die because of the cold here, you know that?" (Lyan) "Ugh... I also want to see the scenery... Fine..." Tesha uttered in resignation. The reason why she''s sitting beside Lyan in the coachman''s seat is not because of her sense of duty to apany her master, but because the scenery around them is not something that people could see every day. The sight of the beautiful snowy mountains around them and some beautiful light phenomenon that asionally appeared because of the dense amount of mana in the nature are something that she could die for. But after hearing Lyan''s sound argument, thinking that it would be indeed funny if she died in such a joking way, Tesha went inside the wagon and pile up the remaining furs Lyan had also bought before on top of her and went to sleep. "I guess it''s good that she''s showing such a childish side of her to me, huh?" Lyan uttered under his breath as a small smile formed on his face. As the wagon creaked and jostled along the way, the sight of three winter wolves pulling the wagon and the two others guarding the both sides of the wagon entered Lyan''s vision. As he thought, they were the perfectpanions for his travels through the frozen wilderness, and he was grateful to have them by his side and for his knowledge about the Siberian Huskies in the former world. The travel through the northern borders of the Astellia Kingdom with wagons and carriages usually takes two weeks in other seasons, but it could take about 1 month or more in such winters. In extreme cases where heavy snowstorm does not cease, it could take 2 months or even more to reach the first town in the north. Because of that reason, there are some winter cabins made by the locals to ensure the travelers could survive. It usually takes a week to meet one, but because of the winter wolves pulling the wagon, it took only about three days for Lyan to reach the first big winter cabin. *************************************************** Inside the royal capital of the Astellia Kingdom, beautiful lights and music are all over the ce, and it could be seen that servants and maids are hurrying over all the ce, seeming to be busy because of work. Tonight is the annual ball hosted by the royal family to invite the nobles all over the country to make and tend their connections with each other in order to strengthen the bonds inside the country and to make a form of prayer for the uing winter and the uing new year. The crown prince sent the invitation with a message aimed at the feudal lords that he was open for discussions in case of any of them were in need of his advice since it''s not unusual for feudal and territorial problems to rise in winter that is prone to natural disasters and magical phenomenon. Because of his invitation, other than for political reasons, the feudal lords from all over the ce heeds his call and went to the capital in order to meet the crown prince and discuss with him about the winter. "Yes, there seems to be a gue spreading on my territory as there are lots of people having fevers and colds all over the ce. Do you think that the food might be the problem, your highness?" "The winter might make my territory go into a food shortage, do you have any solutions to help me, your highness?" All types of questions regarding the winter problems went to the crown prince, but with a charismatic smile and a gentle tone, he always answered them with the utmost patience. But of course, he remains to hold the reins of the conversation, making sure that none of the nobles would dare to underestimate him. He already realized since long that some of the nobles that are bombarding him with questions are the duke''s men that are trying to make him lose his face by asking difficult questions, but he took the opportunity to show hispetence and intellect by giving great answers to all of those questions. "Hmph! He''s as cunning as ever. He kept on repelling all of my attacks and attempted to confine me inside this capital to limit my options. But don''t think that this is the end. My big n is still yet toe," With a ss full of wine inside his hand, Duke Ravindor stared at the full moon with his sharp eyes, seeming to be staring at the bloody future that seem to unfold soon. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 163 The Rumors About The Norths Dangers ---The day before Lyan crossed Astellia Kingdom''s northern borders--- As Lyan and hispanions arrived in the northern city, they were immediately struck by the chill in the air. The half-halfling girl, Tesha, wrapped her cloak tightly around her small frame, shivering despite the warmth of the horse-drawn wagon they had traveled in. "I can''t believe how cold it is up here," she said, her voice quivering. "It''s only going to get colder the further north we go," Lyan replied, his eyes scanning the bustling city streets. "We need to find a ce to rest and stock up on supplies before we continue our journey." He guided the wagon through the crowded streets, searching for a suitable inn or store. The ck horse pulling the wagon seemed to sense their need for rest and quickened its pace, as if eager to find shelter from the biting wind. After a few minutes of searching, Lyan spotted a sign for a shop called "The Northern Trader." It seemed to specialize in supplies for travelers venturing into the colder regions of the kingdom. He guided the wagon to a stop outside the shop and helped Tesha down from the back. "Stay here with the horse," he told her. "I''ll go in and see if they have what we need." Tesha nodded, huddling close to the horse for warmth as Lyan made his way into the shop. The interior was warm and cozy, filled with the smell of spices and dried meats. Lyan approached the counter, where a stout man with a bushy beard was busy stocking shelves. "Can I help you?" the man asked, looking up as Lyan approached. "Yes, I''m looking to stock up on supplies for a journey north," Lyan replied. "I''ve heard there are winter cabins we can use for rest, but I want to be prepared in case we have to brave the elements." The man nodded, his beard bobbing up and down. "A wise decision. The north can be a harsh and unforgiving ce, especially in the winter. You''ll want warm clothing, sturdy boots, and plenty of nonperishable food." Lyan nodded, listening intently as the man gave him a list of items to purchase. He was grateful for the man''s expertise, knowing that he himself was not fully prepared for the harshness of the north. After making his purchases and loading them into the wagon, Lyan returned to the counter to pay. As he counted out the coins, he couldn''t help but ask the man a question that had been weighing on his mind. "I''ve also heard rumors of dangers in the north, like winter wolves and other magical beasts. Is there any truth to these tales?" The man''s face grew serious, his eyes narrowing. "There is truth to those tales, my friend. The north is home to many dangers, both natural and supernatural. But with caution and preparation, you can survive even the harshest of conditions." Lyan nodded, taking the man''s words to heart. He knew that he would have to be careful if they were to reach their destination safely. After thanking the man and bidding him farewell, Lyan returned to the wagon, where Tesha was waiting patiently. "Did you find everything we need?" she asked as he climbed aboard. "I think so," Lyan replied, pulling the reins to guide the horse back onto the road. "But we''ll have to be careful. The man in the shop warned me of the dangers in the north. He mentioned about how there are lots of horror urrences in the winter cabins in the north," "Horror, huh?" Tesha responded indifferently, seeming uninterested. Looking at the little girl, Lyan chuckled, "Aren''t you afraid?" Asked him. "The chilling cold might kill me first before those horrible things could do anything," Tesha uttered as she hugs herself while shivering slightly. Letting out another chuckle, Lyan replied in agreement, "You''re right," As the both of them continued their path, Lyan saw how The city was bustling with activity, as merchants and travelers rushed to and fro, going about their business. Lyan and Tesha, apanied by the ck horse that pulled their wagon, made their way through the crowds, searching for a ce to rest and gather information about their journey north. They soon came upon a certain crowdy inn, a warm and weing ce that seem to be quite famous. Looking at the friendly proprietor, Lyan hoped to find some answers to his questions about the north. He led Tesha and the horse inside, seeking refuge from the cold. The inn was bustling with activity, as travelers from all corners of the kingdom gathered to rest and share stories. Lyan and Tesha made their way to the bar, where the proprietor greeted them warmly. "Wee, traveler," he said, recognizing that the man before him is a traveler in a single nce. "What brings you to our humble inn?" Lyan exined that he was on a journey to the north, hoping to witness the impressive and magical things described in a book he had read at the inn during hisst visit. The proprietor nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "The north is a treacherous ce, traveler," he said. "There are many dangers there, from winter wolves and magical beasts to the harsh elements themselves. Are you sure you want to undertake such a journey?" Lyan nodded firmly, determined to see the wonders of the north for himself. "I am determined to reach the north and see these wonders for myself," he said. "But I need to gather information about the journey and the dangers that await us. Can you help me?" The proprietor hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Very well," he said. "I can give you some maps and directions to the winter cabins, which will provide you with shelter along the way. But be warned, there are terrifying rumors about these cabins and the dangers they pose. Proceed with caution." Lyan thanked the proprietor and set about gathering supplies and provisions for the journey. He and Tesha spent the next few days in the city, preparing for the journey ahead and seeking out any information they could find about the north. As they made their final preparations, Lyan couldn''t shake the strange feeling that had settled over him. He knew that the journey ahead might be difficult and perilous, but he was determined to see it through to the end. With Tesha by his side and the ck horse pulling their wagon, he set out towards the north, ready to face whatever dangersy ahead. "With master and your magic beasts, I don''t think those kinds of danger mentioned would even endanger us, though," Tesha uttered innocently. "You''re right," Lyan said, grinning at Tesha''s words. "But we''ll have to be careful regardless. I don''t want to risk our lives unnecessarily." As they continued on their journey, Lyan couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with trepidation. He knew that the north was a dangerous ce, filled with magical beasts and other dangers. But he was determined to see the wonders that awaited him there, no matter what obstaclesy in his path. After a few hours of travel, they reached the northern border of the Astellia Kingdom. Thendscape here was stark and barren, with snow-covered mountains rising in the distance. Lyan knew that they would have to cross these mountains if they were to reach the far north. He stopped the wagon, turning to Tesha with a serious expression. "We''re about to enter the most dangerous part of our journey," he said. "Are you sure you want to continue?" Tesha nodded without hesitation. "I trust you, Lyan," she said. "I know you''ll keep us safe." Lyan smiled at her words, his heart filled with gratitude for her loyalty and trust. "Then let''s go," he said, urging the horse forward. As they crossed the border, Lyan couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe at the vastness of thend before them. The mountains seemed to stretch on forever, their peaks lost in the clouds. He knew that they had a long and difficult journey ahead, but he was determined to see it through to the end. A certain image went through Lyan''s mind as he wondered about the scenery he would be seeing in the far north, rising his excitement and expectancy of the far north. "Dwarves and modern technologies..." (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 164 Journey To The North (17) The Foreseen Goal After many days of hard travel, Lyan and hispanions finally reached the winter cabin they had been seeking. It was a small, sturdy structure built of logs and stone, designed to withstand the harsh winter winds and heavy snowfall. As they approached, Lyan couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. The journey had been grueling, and he was more than ready for a bit of rest and shelter. With his current body that is far different from his demonic body that could withstand the cold easily, he must maintain and monitor it well since it''s dangerous to get sick in such a dangerous ce. Without the help of the summoned beasts, it will definitely be difficult to continue his journey to the north with his current strength. Not to mention that he''s bringing Tesha as well. With the summoned beasts standing guard and giving them the leisure to no need to stand guard all the time in case of a sudden magic beast or monster attack, Lyan''s body is maintained in a decent health because of enough rest. Now, as they approached the winter cabin, the winter wolves seemed to sense their arrival and let out a chorus of soft howls. Lyan patted their heads, grateful for their help on the journey. Without them, it will definitely take longer for him to reach the current point. He climbed down from the wagon and helped Tesha down as well. She was shivering despite her thick cloak, and Lyan knew they needed to get inside the cabin and start a fire to warm up. He approached the door and gave it a tentative push. To his surprise, it swung open easily, revealing a small, cozy interior. There was a firece on one wall, already stocked with wood and kindling. Lyan summoned a me on the firece with a single snap of his fingers, while Tesha explored the rest of the cabin. It was sparsely furnished, but there was a small bed in one corner and a table and chairs in another. "Looks like we''ll be able to spend the night here," Lyan said as he coaxed the mes to life. "We''ll be able to rest and warm up before continuing our journey tomorrow." Tesha nodded, a relieved look on her face. "I''m d," she said. "I don''t think I could have taken another night out in the cold." As the fire crackled and warmth began to fill the cabin, Lyan and Tesha settled in for the night. But Lyan couldn''t shake the feeling that they were being watched. It''s not only now, but he has been feeling that they are being watched some hours after he subdued the winter wolves and continue his journey to the winter cabin. (Is it just my imagination?) (Lyan) "Hobu, sweep the perimeter. But don''t get too far, this is a foreign region, meaning that there will be foreign dangers as well. Make sure to warn the Alpha and the others as well. You can leave the aggressive ck horse, I doubt he will die even if he gets attacked anyway," Lyan conveyed hismand towards Hobu, who replied with a small nod and went outside the cabin with the other goblin servants. He left two shadow hobgoblins to guard the door against the inside, and left while opening the door for only less than a second, trying his best to not let the cold air enter the cabin and disturb his master and his new follower. (What an understanding fellow) (Lyan) With a small smile on his face, he fell into a deep sleep, lulled by the warmth of the fire and the knowledge that they were finally safe and sound. The next morning, Lyan woke to the sound of Tesha stirring. He sat up and stretched, feeling rested and refreshed after a good night''s sleep. "Feeling better?" he asked Tesha as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She nodded, a small smile on her face. "Much better. I''m ready to continue our journey." Lyan stood and began to pack up their supplies, preparing to leave the winter cabin behind. As he worked, he couldn''t help but wonder whaty ahead. Would they find what they were searching for in the far north? Or would they be faced with even greater dangers and challenges? Only time would tell, but Lyan was determined to see his quest through to the end. Whatevery ahead, he was ready to face it. He has the great high spirits and his strong summoned creatures that boost his confidence, and he has his long years of experience having a journey in a much more extreme terrain than this. As they set out from the winter cabin, Lyan couldn''t shake the feeling that they were being watched. He kept turning around, searching the snowyndscape for any sign of danger, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. When he asked Hobu that is standing with traces of snow on top of his shoulders and head because of searching around the perimeter, Hobu gives a short shake of his head, telling that there are no abnormalities in the surroundings. (I see... Not even a single footstep, huh...? Is it just my feeling?) (Lyan) Lyan had faced various types of danger in this world, but he managed to break through those dangers rather easily. But somehow, this feeling of getting watched is making him skeptical. Unknown things and feelings are always fearsome for everyone, after all. Tesha noticed his unease and ced aforting hand on his arm. "It''s okay," she said softly. "We''re safe now. The winter wolves and the others." Lyan nodded, grateful for Tesha''s words. He knew that the tamed winter wolves were a formidable force, and he was confident in his other summoned creatures as well. In case of emergencies, the high spirits will also lend a hand, and their strength is very formidable and reliable for him. Despite his reassurances, Lyan couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. He had a sense that they were being followed, but he couldn''t see anyone or anything. It was as if they were being watched by an unseen presence. As the days passed, the feeling only grew stronger. Lyan began to have strange dreams at night, dreams of ancient, mythical creatures and mysterious, shadowy figures. He couldn''t shake the feeling that these dreams were more than just the product of his imagination. Despite his concerns, Lyan pressed on, driven by his desire to reach the far north and discover the secrets it held. He knew that he couldn''t turn back now, not when he was so close to achieving his goal. Finally, after many days of hard travel, they reached the edge of a vast, frozenke. Lyan gazed out at the expanse of ice, his heart racing with excitement. "We''ve made it," he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is it. The heart of the frozen wastnd." Tesha stood by his side, her eyes wide with wonder. "It''s beautiful," she said, her voice filled with awe. Lyan nodded, his eyes taking in the stunning vista. Theke was surrounded by towering mountains, their peaks shrouded in clouds. The surface of theke was smooth and still, as if it were a mirror reflecting the sky above. As they approached theke, Lyan couldn''t help but feel a sense of nervousness wash over him. He knew that this was the final leg of their journey, and he was unsure of what they would find. He took a deep breath and stepped onto the ice, his boots crunching on the frozen surface. Tesha followed close behind, her hand clutching his arm tightly. As they walked, Lyan couldn''t shake the feeling that they were being watched. He turned around, searching the snowyndscape for any sign of danger, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Despite his unease, Lyan pressed on, determined to reach the center of theke. He had a feeling that the answers he sought were close at hand, and he was determined to find them. As they reached the center of theke, Lyan stopped in his tracks. In front of him, rising out of the ice, was a massive, ancient stone temple. It was covered in intricate carvings and symbols, and Lyan could feel the ancient power radiating from its walls. Without a word, he approached the temple and pushed open the heavy stone doors. As he stepped inside, he knew that this is the thing that he was searching for. The remains of the dwarven era. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 165 Journey To The North (18) The Dwarven Temple As Lyan approached the ancient temple, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. There were the remains of the dwarves'' civilizations, a people who were known for their advanced technology and engineering skills. Lyan hoped that within the temple, he might find some leads on modern technologies, or even some knowledge about Earth within this fantasy world. He paused at the entrance, ncing back at Tesha who stood outside with the winter wolves and the golems. He had left her there to protect her, not wanting to risk her safety within the temple. He knew that there were likely to be traps and hidden treasures within, and he didn''t want Tesha to get hurt. But other than that reason, he does not want to have something that might distract his focus in his search for the clues about earth. Yes. The real reason for Lyan''s journey to the north is to search for the mysterious temple that was said to be the remains of the dwarven era. It was said that only those who dares to challenge the north in the winter would be able to arrive at the ce. "And now I''m arrived, huh..." (Lyan) With a determined look on his face, Lyan stepped through the entrance and into the temple. As he made his way through the corridors, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe at the intricate carvings and decorations that adorned the walls. It was clear that the dwarves had been a highly skilled and advanced civilization, and Lyan couldn''t wait to see what else the temple had to offer. As Lyan explored deeper into the temple, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement and curiosity. He knew that there were likely to be hidden treasures and ancient technologies within the temple, and he was determined to uncover as much as he could. He made his way through the winding corridors, his senses on high alert as he searched for any clues or hints of what might lie ahead. And as he explored, he began to notice something strange. There seemed to be a faint hum in the air, a low vibration that he couldn''t quite ce. He paused, tilting his head as he tried to discern the source of the noise. And then, in an instant, he knew. It was the sound of traps, and ancient mechanisms that had been set to protect the temple''s treasures. Lyan''s heart raced as he realized the danger he was in. He knew that these traps could be deadly, and he had to be careful if he wanted to avoid them. But he was not one to back down from a challenge, and he was determined to find the treasures thaty within the temple. So he pressed on, his wits and skills at the ready as he searched for a way to bypass the traps. He came across a room filled with paintings, each one depicting a different technology or invention. Lyan''s heart raced as he studied the paintings, trying to figure out how they worked and what they were for. And then, in the corner of one of the paintings, he noticed something strange. It was a small symbol, a series of lines and dots that seemed to be out of ce. Lyan''s curiosity was piqued, and he knew that this had to be a clue. He examined the symbol closely, trying to decipher its meaning. And then, in a moment of insight, he realized what it was. It was a map, a guide to the hidden treasures within the temple. Excitement coursed through Lyan''s veins as he realized what he had found. He knew that this map would lead him to the hidden treasures, and he was determined to follow it to the end. He made his way through the corridors, following the map as it led him deeper into the temple. And as he explored, he came across more and more traps, each one more deadly and intricate than thest. But Lyan was not one to be deterred. He used all of his skills and wits to bypass the traps, using his magic to disarm them and his cunning to find his way around them. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lyan came across the treasure room. It was arge,vish chamber filled with gold, jewels, and ancient technologies. Lyan''s heart raced as he gazed upon the treasure, knowing that this was exactly what he had been searching for. "This is... Unbelievable..." Lyan uttered in admiration of the sight. As Lyan reached the treasure room, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of triumph and aplishment. He had sessfully navigated the temple''s traps and unlocked the secrets of the map symbol, and now he stood before the treasures he had been searching for. But his tion was short-lived, as suddenly a group of fantastical monsters emerged from the shadows, guarding the treasures. Lyan''s heart raced as he realized he was in for a fight. The creatures were unlike any he had ever seen before, tall and muscr with thick ck scales covering their bodies. Their eyes glowed red with malice, and they let out a deafening roar as they charged toward Lyan. (They''re as strong as the goblin king''s men, or even stronger!) (Lyan) Lyan quickly assessed the situation, noting the formation of the enemies as well as their abilities, and formed a n of action. He ordered Hobu the Shadow Goblin Lord, a powerful creature he had summoned to help him on his journey, to take the lead and engage the monsters in battle. Hobu leaped forward, brandishing its swords and summoning its own shadow servants to aid it in the fight. As the Shadow Goblin Lord shed with the monsters, Lyan ordered his own summoned shadow servants to nk the enemies and attack from the sides. The shadow servants that could move quickly and strike from the shadows, quicklyplied and began to harry the monsters with quick, precise strikes. The battle was intense, with both sides exchanging blows in a flurry of sword and w. The monsters were powerful, but Lyan''s summoned creatures were also formidable opponents. Hobu was a skilled warrior, wielding its swords with deadly precision, while the shadow servants were quick and agile, darting in and out of the shadows to strike at the monsters'' weak points. Lyan fought alongside his summoned creatures, using his own skills and magic to aid them in battle. He cast spells to disorient the monsters and weaken their defenses, while also using his sword to strike at their vulnerabilities. The creatures fought fiercely, but Lyan and his summoned creatures were able to hold their own. The battle raged on, with neither side able to gain the upper hand. But Lyan was determined to emerge victorious. He ordered his shadow servants to focus their attacks on the monsters'' leader, a towering creature with a massive axe. The shadow servants obeyed, darting in and out of the shadows to strike at the creature. Lyan himself focused his own attacks on the leader, using his magic and sword to weaken its defenses and strike at its vital points. Finally, after a grueling battle, Lyan and his summoned creatures emerged victorious. The monstersy defeated on the ground, and Lyan breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his attention to the treasures, marveling at the gold, jewels, and ancient technologies thaty before him. He knew that these treasures would provide him with valuable information and knowledge about the fantasy world, as well as help him on his quest to uncover the truth about Earth. He began to explore the room, marveling at the riches thaty before him. There were ancient technologies that he had never even seen before, and he knew that they would be invaluable to his new life. But as he explored, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of sadness as well. It was clear that the dwarves had faced many challenges and struggles in their time, and Lyan couldn''t help but wonder what had happened to them. Where had they gone? And why had their civilization fallen? Despite his sadness, Lyan was determined to continue his journey. He knew that there was still much to learn and discover within the temple, and he was determined to uncover as much as he could. As Lyan explored the treasure room, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement and wonder. The ancient technologies and inventions that he found were unlike anything he had ever seen before, and he knew that they would be invaluable to his quest. But despite his excitement, he couldn''t shake the feeling of disappointment that weighed on him. He hade to the temple hoping to find some leads about Earth, some clue or hint as to what had happened to his home. But so far, he had found nothing. He couldn''t help but wonder if he had been foolish to hope, if he had been chasing a dream that was nothing more than a pipe dream. "What am I even doing here?" he thought to himself as he examined a strange device that seemed to be some kind of generator. "But well, I guess this will be my true farewell with the thought of returning to earth," Lyan slowly put the strange device down and uttered to himself before taking a deep breath as a new resolution gathered inside his eyes. "Time to live in the present," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 166 Journey To The North (End) The New Resolution With his search for any trace of Earth within the dwarven technologiesplete without getting any fruitful results, Lyan decided it was time to fully embrace life in the fantasy world. Even though it''s said, but it''s time to move on. The first step towards this new way of living was to travel to the Redania Empire, one of the biggest and most powerful countries in the world, renowned for its might and prowess. But before he could reach the Empire, Lyan first had to journey to the winter cabin that served as a benchmark for getting near the Empire''s borders. Lyan, Tesha, the ck aggressive horse, and the five winter wolves set off on their journey. The ck aggressive horse, whom Lyan had named Shadow, proved to be quite a challenge to handle. Despite being a fierce and powerful creature, Shadow had a stubborn streak and often refused to obey Lyan''smands. This led to severalical interactions between Lyan and the horse, with Lyan trying to assert his dominance and Shadow stubbornly refusing to listen. Lyan attempted to subdue him and thought about registering him as part of the summoning grimoire''s summonable creatures, but he persistently refused. he would use give him a powerful headbutt that is powerful enough to knock out Alpha the winter wolf pack''s alpha in a single hit, and would aim at him with his hooves. After several attempts, Lyan decided to give up and just focus on their journey. As they journeyed north, the group encountered several monsters and dangerous terrains. The winter wolves, who had grown ustomed to the cold and harsh conditions of the north, proved to be valuablepanions, fearlessly facing off against any monsters that dared to cross their path. As they are skilled in walking on top of the terrain, their traveling speed is in a decent speed. But Shadow, who had never been in the north before, struggled to adapt to the freezing temperatures of the further north that is getting colder with time. He would often refuse to move, and Lyan had to use all of his strength and patience to coax the horse forward. Despite the challenges they faced, Lyan pushed on, determined to reach their destination. As they journeyed, Lyan finally realized a single thing. (The great spirits are strangely quiet...) (Lyan) They would usually givements about whatever he does, and they would definitelyugh if they saw his bickering with the aggressive ck horse. (You guys there?) (Lyan) There is no response, only silence that replied to his question. But as Lyan was about to utter another word inside his mind, thinking that he might coincidentally disconnect the connection with the grimoire''s space, a reply came. (We''re here) A cold yet noble voice appeared from within his mind. (Ah. Eira. You''re alone? Where are the others?) (Lyan) After getting an answer from Eira, his first thought is that they just got another fun game that they could y together. But Eira''s reply is different. (Because of the immense mana of ice from the outside that started to also affect you, some of the mana is being absorbed by the grimoire, making the entire space here snow nonstop) (Eira) Eira''s tone is like she''s exining something that is obvious and not surprising. But thinking that it''s normal since it might befortable for her with the dense amount of ice mana surrounding her, Lyan continued. (I see... No wonder I don''t need much mana to warm myself up. So what are the others doing?) (Lyan) (...They are cuddling themselves with their dolls and sheets inside their rooms while turning on the heater nonstop. Some of them are reading your books while the rest are just sleeping on top of their bed all day. I guess this will continue until they finally get ustomed to the cold) (Eira) (Those girls...) (Lyan) Lyan could only make a bitter smile when he heard Eira''s reply, thinking that rather than high spirits or great spirits, great ckers is a more appropriate title for them. "But well, at least they are not getting bored to death inside, I guess?" Lyan uttered as he stared at the distance from on top of the coachman''s seat. The winter wolves have an intellect as high as the ck aggressive horse, they don''t need Lyan to hold the reins, and they could change their direction just by a single order he gave them. As they neared the Empire''s borders, the group came across a particrly treacherous stretch of terrain. The ground was icy and slick, making it difficult for Shadow to maintain his footing. The winter wolves, who were well-suited to the conditions, had no such issues and easily navigated the terrain. But Shadow struggled, slipping and sliding as he tried to make his way forward. Just as it seemed that the group would have to turn back, Tesha had an idea. She suggested using the winter wolves to guide Shadow, with one wolf in front to show him the way, and the others behind to help keep him steady. Lyan was hesitant at first, not wanting to put the wolves in danger. But Tesha was insistent, and Lyan eventually agreed to give it a try. (It would not be funny if that horse felt that his pride is hurt because of this and ended up getting berserk towards Alpha and the others instead...) (Lyan) To Lyan''s surprise, the n worked perfectly. The wolves expertly guided Shadow through the treacherous terrain, and the group was able to walk through the path sessfully. After several weeks of traveling, Lyan and his group finally arrived at the winter cabin. It was arge, sturdy structure built of logs, designed to provide shelter and warmth to those who dared to journey to the north in the winter. As they approached, Lyan could see smoke rising from the chimney, indicating that there were other travelers inside. Cautiously, Lyan and his group made their way toward the cabin. As they neared, the door opened, and a group of travelers stepped out. They were a rough-looking bunch, dressed in furs and carrying weapons. Lyan could tell from their hard expressions and the way they carried themselves that they were not to be underestimated. "Who are you and what business do you have here?" The leader of the group, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a scar running down his cheek, barked at Lyan. Lyan stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I am Lyan, and mypanions and I are also traveling to the Redania Empire. We sought shelter here for the night." The leader of the group sneered, "You think you can just waltz in here and expect us to share our warmth and food with you? We''ve been traveling for weeks, and we''ve earned our ce here. We''re not about to give it up to some stranger." Lyan could see that this was going to be a difficult interaction, but he refused to back down. "I understand your position, but we have been traveling for just as long, and we have also earned our ce here. We do not seek to take anything from you, but we ask for your cooperation and understanding." The leader of the group considered Lyan''s words for a moment. He saw the winter wolves ring at him while barely holding themselves from making a threatening growl, a ck horse that is staring condescendingly at him, and a little girl that is cutely trying to threaten him with her re. (Those are winter wolves... He must be a strong tamer...) After assessing the situation, the man finally replied with a nod. "Fine, you and yourpanions can stay here for the night. But we''re keeping an eye on you, and if you so much as breathe the wrong way, you''ll regret it." Lyan nodded in agreement and the group settled in for the night. Despite the initial hostility, as the night went on, Lyan and his group got to know the other travelers, and discovered that they were all heading to the Redania Empire for simr reasons. Some were seeking wealth and power, others were looking for adventure and excitement, but they all had one thing inmon, they wanted a better life than what they had in their home. ? ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 167 The Redania Empire (1) The Night At The Winter Cabin As Lyan and his group reached the winter cabin, they were greeted by the warm fire in the firece and the smell of hot fooding from the kitchen. Lyan quickly settled in, making sure that Shadow and the winter wolves were taken care of before heading inside to rest. As he sat down at a table near the firece, he couldn''t help but observe the other travelers that shared the cabin with him. He noticed the way they carried themselves, the clothes they wore, and their manner of speech. He knew that by studying these small details, he could identify their profession and personality. One group caught Lyan''s attention. They were a group of merchants, their clothes were made of fine fabrics and adorned with gold thread. They carried themselves with an air of confidence and importance, and their manner of speech was refined and polished. Lyan could tell that they were sessful in their trade and had likely been traveling for a while. (They are people from different groups... That warning from the rough-looking guy before... Was it just a test...?) (Lyan) As he was about to turn away, one of the merchants caught his eye and gave him a friendly smile. Lyan, feeling a little surprised but also curious, decided to approach them and strike up a conversation. "Good evening, travelers. My name is Lyan. May I know your names?" Lyan said with a friendly tone. The merchant who smiled at him earlier introduced himself as Aric, and the rest of the group followed suit. They were a friendly group, and Lyan found himself enjoying theirpany as they shared stories of their travels and their trade. Aric, seeing that Lyan was interested in their trade, offered lots of tricks and tips for trading for Lyan. While in truth, Lyan is trying his best to not show the bitter smile he''s itching to show because of the sharpments resounding inside his mind every time the young merchant before him confidently talks about his trade secrets. (Proud and foolish guy, it''s the utmost rule for merchants to not give our secret of trades to anyone. It''s not a matter of generosity or sincerity or anything, it''s a kind of manner since it could greatly affect the amount of trust and our credibility. The more you spout such things the more it sounds like bullshit, after all. What an idiot) (Hestia) Hestia''s words are as sharp and hot as her me mana. Lyan could only make a bitter smile on his heart so as to not offend the young merchant before him. As the night went on, Lyan also observed other travelers in the cabin. He noticed a group of warriors, their armor and weapons were well-worn and well-maintained. They carried themselves with an air of confidence and strength, and their manner of speech was rough and direct. He could tell that they were skilled fighters and had likely been in many battles. He also noticed a group of schrs, their clothes were made of simple fabrics and they carried themselves with an air of intelligence and curiosity. Their manner of speech was cultured and educated, and Lyan could tell that they were well-versed in many subjects. (I guess it''s time to gather the information about the empire as much as possible) (Lyan) As Lyan sat listening to the merchants'' stories, he couldn''t help but think about the Redania Empire, the powerful country to the north that was known for its military might. He knew that if he wanted to learn more about it, he would have to talk to someone who had firsthand experience. So, after saying goodbye to the merchants, Lyan made his way over to the group of warriors. As he approached, they looked up at him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "Good evening, warriors. My name is Lyan. May I join you for a moment?" Lyan said, trying to sound as friendly as possible. The leader of the group, a tall, broad-shouldered man named Garret, nodded and gestured for Lyan to sit down. Lyan got the information about his name from conversing with the merchants before. In just a short time, the merchants gathered the information about the group for quite a lot which made Lyan admire theirmunication and information-gathering skills. "What brings you to our table, Lyan?" Garret asked, his voice rough and direct. "I was just wondering if any of you have had any experience with the Redania Empire," Lyan said, trying to sound as casual as possible. The warriors looked at each other, and Lyan could see the hesitation in their eyes. He knew that they were probably wary of revealing too much information, but he was determined to learn more about the empire. "We''ve had some experience with the Redania Empire," Garret said finally. "We''re traveling mercenaries, and we''ve been hired by their military on a few asions." Lyan''s heart skipped a beat. This was exactly the kind of information he was looking for. "Can you tell me more about the empire? I''ve heard that it''s one of the biggest and most powerful countries in the world," Lyan said, trying to sound as interested as possible. Garret looked at Lyan for a moment, then nodded. "The Redania Empire is definitely one of the biggest and most powerful countries in the world. They have a strong military, and they''re known for their advanced tactics and weapons. They''re also one of the wealthiest countries, with a strong economy and a high standard of living for their citizens." Lyan listened intently, trying to absorb as much information as possible. He knew that he couldn''t push too hard or the warriors would be suspicious, but he was determined to learn as much as he could. "What''s the political situation like in the empire? Are there any factions or groups that are causing problems?" Lyan asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. Garret hesitated for a moment, then leaned in closer to Lyan. "The empire is currently facing some internal struggles. There are a few factions that are trying to overthrow the emperor, but so far, they haven''t been sessful. The empire is also facing some pressure from neighboring countries, but they''re holding their own." Lyan nodded, taking in this new information. He could see that the warriors were bing more rxed, and he knew that he needed to keep the conversation going. "What about the military? What kind of tactics and weapons do they use?" Lyan asked, trying to sound as curious as possible. Garret smiled, and Lyan could see a hint of pride in his eyes. "The Redania Empire has one of the most advanced militaries in the world. They use abination of traditional weapons and modern technology to gain an advantage on the battlefield. They also have a highly trained and skilled officer corps that''s able to adapt to any situation." Lyan listened, amazed at the level of detail and knowledge that the warriors had about the empire. He knew that he couldn''t push too hard, but he was determined to learn as much as he could. "Can you tell me more about their secret tactics and weapons?" Lyan asked, trying to sound as nonchnt as possible. Garret''s expression turned serious. "I''m afraid I can''t reveal too much information about that. It''s ssified and could put us in danger if it got out. But I can tell you that they have some of the most advanced magic and technology in the world. They''re always looking for ways to improve and stay ahead of their enemies." Lyan nodded, understanding the warriors'' reluctance to reveal too much information. He knew that he had to be careful not to push too hard or he could risk losing their trust. "I understand. Thank you for sharing what you can with me. I truly appreciate it," Lyan said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. Garret nodded, and Lyan could see the hint of a smile on his face. "It was our pleasure. We''re always happy to share information with someone who''s genuinely interested in the empire." Garret seems to be proud enough for the empire, looking at his reaction affirms Lyan''s doubt. (These guys are not just traveling mercenaries... It''s either they are actually Redania Empire''s soldiers, or they are mercenaries that were born in the empire. Their affection for the empire is too much for mere mercenaries...) (Lyan) Lyan then shifted his gaze, and the sight of the leader of the group that blocked his way when he first arrived at the winter cabin entered his sight. He indeed has the demeanor of a military man, Lyan could see how observant his eyes are and could feel his strength just by a nce. (I guess I''ll try talking to him) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 168 The Redania Empire (2) Obtaining Information As Lyan made his way across the cabin, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of curiosity and interest as he approached the leader of the group that had blocked his way when he first arrived. The man was sitting alone at a table, his eyes scanning the room as if he was searching for something. Lyan approached the man, trying to keep his expression neutral. "Good evening. My name is Lyan. May I join you for a moment?" The man looked up at Lyan, his expression unreadable. "What do you want?" he growled. Lyan could feel the man''s hostility, but it is not enough to intimidate the man that has lived in danger for hundreds of years. "I just wanted to talk to you. I noticed that you and your group blocked my way when I first arrived here, and I was curious about why." The man''s expression softened slightly. "We were just doing our job. We were hired to protect this cabin from any unwanted visitors." Lyan nodded, understanding. (So over-aggressive people that took his intimidation for granted would not be epted inside, huh... I didn''t think that the empire would station people in this winter cabin as well) (Lyan) "I see. Well, I assure you that I am no threat to anyone here. I am just a traveler passing through." (Lyan) The man looked at Lyan for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. You can sit. But be aware that I am watching you closely." Lyan sat down across from the man, trying to keep his expression neutral. He knew that this man was a rather strong warrior, and it would be unwise to provoke him. Not because he would not be able to defeat him, but because it''s better to befriend him and gather information about the empire rather than make enemies thoughtlessly. As they sat in silence, Lyan couldn''t help but study the man closely. He noticed the way he carried himself, the way he held his weapons, and the way he spoke. He could tell that this man was a highly skilled fighter and a powerful leader. The mana he''s unconsciously emitting is faint, but firm. It describes his rough personality well. Firm and strong,patible with the coldness of the north. Finally, the man spoke. "What brings you to this cabin?" Lyan took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to answer the question. "I am on a journey to learn more about the world. I have heard that the Redania Empire to the north is one of the biggest and most powerful countries in the world, and I wanted to learn more about it." The man''s expression hardened. "The Redania Empire is not a ce for a simple traveler like you. It''s a dangerous ce, full of politics and war." Lyan nodded, understanding the man''s warning. "I understand. But I am not a simple traveler. I have experience in battle and I have the skills to protect myself. I have also heard that the empire is facing internal struggles and pressure from neighboring countries. I want to know more about the situation and whether it''s suitable to live there." The man looked at Lyan for a moment, then nodded. "I can understand your curiosity. But I warn you, the empire is not a safe ce. The factions are fighting for power, and the neighboring countries are looking for ways to weaken the empire." Lyan nodded, understanding the man''s warning. "I understand. But I have a strong sense of adventure and I am not afraid to take risks. I have also heard that the empire has advanced magic and technology that could be valuable for my journey." The man looked at Lyan for a moment, then nodded. "I can see that you are determined. But I must warn you, the empire is not a ce for the weak. You must be strong and clever to survive there." Lyan nodded, understanding the man''s warning. He then offered some information that could be useful for the man, "I have recentlypleted a goblin king subjugation with the subjugation group, and I have the knowledge and experience to fight against monstrous creatures. I''ve heard about how there are lots of monsters, often making trouble in the empire. It might be useful for the empire''s army." The northern region is filled with a dense amount of ice mana, and there are some ces that have especially thick ice mana concentrated on a point. That concentrated mana made a certain magical phenomenon that could be the origin of a dungeon, abyrinth, or make some passerby beasts to experience a magical transformation into a magic beast. Those high mana concentration ces are the points where magic beasts and monsters usually appear and attacked the empire. Lyan knew about them from the book he read on the Schr''s Inn, which he deemed as an important piece of information. The man looked at Lyan with a new level of interest. "A goblin king subjugation, you say? That''s impressive. I''ve heard the news about the goblin king''s uprising in the south. But well... I can see that you are not just a simple traveler. You do seem to have real experience and skills." Lyan nodded. "The army of the goblin king has thousands of goblins ranging from goblins to hobgoblins. We defeated them in a war that does not even reach a month with the minimum amount of casualties," The man leaned back in his chair, studying Lyan carefully. "I can see that you are a skilled warrior and a clever strategist. But I must warn you, the empire is not a ce for the inexperienced. You must be prepared for anything." Lyan nodded, understanding the man''s warning. "I am ready for anything. I''m quite confident that I have the skills and knowledge to survive in any situation." The man looked at Lyan for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I will give you some information about the empire. But be warned, it is not always urate and it is not safe to rely on it." Lyan listened carefully as the man began to tell him about the political situation in the empire, the military might, and the condition of the people. He also shared some of their secret tactics and weapons. Lyan noticed that he had to be careful not to reveal too much to anyone else, as it could put him in danger. (I guess he''s a man from the imperial army, huh? Mercenaries do not usually take secrets so faithfully as this. He might be a great soldier, but he''s not a great actor, I guess) (Lyan) As the conversation came to an end, Lyan couldn''t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He had learned a lot about the Redania Empire, and he knew that this information would be valuable on his journey. There are various points where the information the man gave him is just vague, but it''s because of his dedication to his duty. Lyan carefully filtered and connected the bits of information the man gave him and neatly organized them inside his head. As Lyan is about to thank the man, a voice chimes in. "Hey, Lyan! The food is ready! Let''s eat! You too, tough guy! Come!" One of the merchant groups called toward them. Lyan stared at the man before him once again, and saw him chuckle. "The name is Haldor, Lyan. Looks like you''ve managed to befriend them in such a short moment. Come on, merchants values connections, especially in dangerous regions like this. It''s best toply," The man, Haldor, stands and went to the group of merchants that have started to distribute the food to everyone. Following him, Lyan went to the group and ate together with them. Maybe because of the hot food, it feels like not just their stomach, but the atmosphere around them inside the winter cabin has also be warmer. Lyan could hear the sound of some horses neighing outside, it might be, no, it must be the aggressive ck horse, Shadow''s work, but he disregard it. (It must be colder at the stables, I guess I''ll let him do whatever he wants today. But I hope that he won''t make the merchants'' mares too exhausted and die) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 169 The Redania Empire (3) Road To The Empire "W-What!? You crossed the mountains and those deadly cliffs!?" One of the merchants asked with widened eyes. "Yeah. Well, I was just taking the shortest path to the north from the Astellia Kingdom, though," Lyan shrugged indifferently. "T-They said that there are vicious magic beasts and monsters residing there. Not to mention that in this kind of season, it will seem as if the whole cold region is trying to kill you... Even in normal circumstances, travelers usually avoid those dangerous paths at all cost, you know..." The other merchant said with a wry smile. Of course, it''s not that Lyan does not know about the danger of the path. He had gathered enough information about the northern routes, and the safe and dangerous paths, and took great details in their terrains from other travelers and merchants that he met in the towns and cities before. The reason for his choice of the risky path is because of his aim on arriving at the dwarven temples with the hope of getting any trace of information about the earth, holding the sliver of hope of obtaining a way to go back to his former world. It''s a dwarven temple that could only be visited by crossing those mountains and taking a single straight line towards it from the Astellian borders. The other routes that detour around it would make it longer to find it, and there is a chance that you won''t even find it. So without hesitating, Lyan faced the dangerous path with great determination. "So that''s why it felt like we''re walking on a tightrope every day, huh..." Tesha uttered bitterly as she clung to Alpha while ring at Lyan. "You''re the one who decided to follow me, remember?" Lyan shrugged. Tesha snorted, feeling betrayed as she didn''t get told about how they are taking the dangerous route to the north, while Alpha soothes her by snuggling his head to her. "Are you sure you''re going right away, Lyan?" Haldor asked Lyan with his usual stern look while folding his arms, but Lyan could sense the hint of worry in his words. Following his line of sight, Lyan realized that he was looking at Tesha. (Well, I guess they could say that I''m quite heartless for bringing such a small child to the dangerous north, huh?) (Lyan) "Well, then could I leave her with you?" (Lyan) "Huh!? Wait! No!! I''m following you!!" Tesha sprung towards Lyan and clung to his robe while shaking her head furiously, firmly rejecting the thought of getting left by him. Tesha''s cute reaction invitesughter from the group of travelers, warming the atmosphere around them. "But damn, those are strong and trained dogs you have there. What kind of breeds are they? I''ve never heard anyone going to the north with dogs to carry their wagon," One of the older merchants has the winter wolves caught their eyes. His eyes are observing the muscles and the intelligent-looking eyes of the winter wolves while stroking his beard. Of course, Lyan had considered the possibility of bringing unwanted attention by showing people that he has tamed the winter wolves and ended up having his strength as a summoner be discovered. So he covered the winter wolves with his illusion magic. (Polymorph, huh... Those are some tricky magic to use. I''m impressed you could transform them into such an identical form, master) (Lilith) (I''ve trained a lot in the past, after all. Hm? So you''ve finally gotten out of your room, Lilith. Does the snowing inside the grimoire''s space has subsided?) (Lyan) The high spirits except Eira have been locking themselves inside their own rooms with their room heater on because of the unexpected phenomenon of snowing inside the grimoire''s space. It''s been several days since Lyan didn''t hear the high spirits having their usual ramblings and givingments about what he''s doing since Eira rarely raises her voice. (Hell no. It''s still damn cold here, but I''m getting bored inside my room. I''m using a jacket but still, wrap my body with a nket, you know) (Lilith) Lyan chuckled, imagining Lilith with her nose red because of the coldness. (I guess she didn''t get a cold resistance from her parental genes, huh?) (Lyan) "Not only the dogs, though. His steed here is damn strong as well. When I went to check on our mares, damn, the sight made me think that the mares got poisoned by someone!" One of Haldor''s menughed as he told the story. In the early morning, he made quite the ruckus because of the mares getting covered in nasty fluids. But all of them are alive despite seeming to be very exhausted. While on the other side... "You''re right. There are about 8 mares inside the stable that he knocked out, yet this guy doesn''t even seem to be fatigued at all, huh," Haldor uttered with admiration as he stare at Shadow standing firm and haughty as always. "I''m really sorry about that..." Lyan plucked some of Shadow''s mane, making him neigh in pain and about to go aggressive. But when Tesha strokes his side, he immediately went docile. (This guy...) (Lyan) "Well, I guess that''s all. When will you guys start continuing your journey again?" Lyan asked the merchant. "Ah... We''re waiting for Mr. Harold''s remaining men to gather here, then we''re going to the north together. About 3 days or more, I guess. Are you sure you don''t want to wait and went to the north with us, Lyan?" "I guess I have to pass. You could say that I''m quite in a hurry," Lyan politely refuse the offer. Looking at Lyan''s determination, the merchant nods. "Well, then at least take this," The merchant hands Lyan something simr to a badge. "This is?" (Lyan) "It''s the symbol of our merchant group. Meeting someone skillful enough to cross the dangerous path to the north must be some kind of a good omen. You can search for any firms with the name ''The Frostfaire Mercantile'' on the north, and show them this badge. You''ll surely get a discount," The merchant made a thumbs up with a big smile on his face. He sure seems to be in a good mood. "Of course, we greatly open our hands if you want to sell us those great dogs and that vigorous horse of yours, Hahaha!!" The meeting was brief, and so does their farewell, but Lyan has a feeling that the connection he made inside this winter cabin might be useful for him in the future. Looking at the icy path before him, Lyan put on his hood as he holds the reins of the wagon. "Time to continue our path," (Lyan) *********************************************************** Dozens of kilometers at the south of Lyan''s current position, three girls d in mercenary attire are in a conversation with the guards of the Astellia Kingdom capital''s northern gate. "Huh!? He had left since more than a week ago?" Emilia raise her voice in surprise because of the information the guard gave them. With a bitter smile, the guard scratches his neck. "Yeah... I''ve told him how risky it is to go to the north in such a season, but he doesn''t seem to mind it much," "That guy surely travels at an unexpected pace, huh..." (Surena) "No wonder the feeling of his presence doesn''t seem to get closer at all," Alice uttered with a slightly annoyed look on her face. Because of the contract made between Lyan and the Valkyries, they could sense the direction of each other''s location, but they could only have a faint signal telling whether they are close to each other or far from each other. So the valkyries could only know that Lyan is in the north, but they have no way of knowing in how far in the north he currently is. "We''ll catch up to you in no time, huh..." Emilia uttered the line that her captain told Lyan before. "S-Shut up. At that time, I never thought that he would be traveling at such a speed. And isn''t that guy using a wagon while we''re only riding on a horse? How could he travel so quickly!? (Surena) "Um... Ladies, it might be dangerous for the three of you to follow him to the north. How about forgetting it for a moment and taking some rest? I could treat you to some drink at night-" (Guard) """No thanks,""" The three of them replied without even looking at the poor guard. Looking at the northern route on the other side of the gate, Surena took a deep breath as she tightens the hold of her horse''s rein. "It looks like we need to fasten our pace even more, to catch up, huh? I guess we got ourselves a rather unbelievable master," "Indeed, this is going to be quite troublesome." (Alice) "Hm... I think it''s time for us to stop talking and start moving already," (Emilia) After hearing those words, the three mercenaries mounted their horses and galloped through the northern gates with their respective steeds ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 170 The Fallen One (1) Slave The night is cold in the north, but the ve cor on my neck is particrly the one that makes it colder. As the winds blows bringing the coldness of the north, the coldness absorbed by the cor made my neck cold enough to blow away my drowsiness. This coldness in my neck is as if the world is trying to remind me that I have be a lowly ve and fallen from being a pure flower into a tainted one. But even though the coldness is supposed to give me pain in my neck, it feels like my heart aches more than the parts that should be hurt. It feels like it hurts enough that it won''t be strange for my chest to be bleeding profusely, but no matter how many times I stare at it, there is no sign of blood from it. "It''s cold... Just like that day..." Looking at the cloudy sky, the memory of the traumatic day got rewinded inside my head. On the days before the tragedy, I''ve known. The moment our Kasmira Kingdom got visited by the nobles from the Verandia Kingdom, my Father and I had already known about the faint n sowed by the nobles. The agreement for an alliance with the Astellia Kingdom is something that had already been formed since a long, long time ago. It''s part of the pact between the two countries to help each other in war, and it was supposed to be a piece of information known only within the country. At that time, the royal faction of the kingdom that supported the royal family held a great power that the noble faction could of the kingdom could notpare. But despite of Father''s great devotion to the royal family, at that time when my father voices his concern about the suspicious moves in the west, the king disregards his opinion. ''My dear Marquess Credia, let us not be distracted by the predictable movements of our western adversaries. Our focus must remain steadfast on the raging war on the ins surrounding our ally''s kingdom. It is of the utmost importance that we lend our support to our allies in this time of need, don''t you think so too, Marquess?'' It''s a decisive statement. There''s no longer any room for Father to change the king''s decision. The frustration does note from the king''s rejection, but it''s from his reason for doing so. Getting driven by greed, the king and the rest of the royal faction bites the bait of joining the war with the Astellia Kingdom and helping the mes of war on the ins get fanned, only to be the fuel of the fire instead. The Verandia Kingdom started their assault when most of the army had already got sent far away, and we lost severely. My father left our territory to me while departing with only four knights of the family to join and protect the royal family in the capital. We fought hard, it would not be a lie that we sacrificed our sweat and blood in order to protect our territory, our life, and our peace. But what could we do, no matter how long I trained inside the academy, I doubt I will get a way to win a battle where only 500 soldiers have to fight against 4000 men of the Verandia Kingdom. And such as so, I lost. I lost my territory, my family, my dear servants, my people, and my own honor. Thest knight I crossed my sword with was too strong, but he does not even kill me. Without even showing the slightest interest, he threw me to his master, and I ended up getting sold at a high price as a ve. "A ve... huh..." As I continue to move my feet, I am constantly reminded of my new status as a ve. The cold iron cor around my neck marks me as property, and the constant stares and jeers from the people passing serve as a constant reminder of my lowly position. Despite my valiant efforts to defend my country and my people, I find myself alone and abandoned in this foreignnd. My once proud and noble status has been stripped away, leaving me nothing but a mere ve to be bought and sold at the whim of my masters. The days are long and grueling, spentboring in the fields or performing menial tasks for my masters. The nights are even worse, spent huddled in a cramped and dirty ve quarters, with nothing but the cold iron cor around my neck to keep mepany. But it''s fine. It''s fine. Despite the hardships and the constant reminder of my lost freedom, I refuse to give up hope. I hold onto the memory of my people and my country, and I vow to one day escape this very and reim my rightful ce among the nobility. They may have taken my freedom, but they will never take my spirit. I will fight on, day after day, until the day I am free once more. And when that dayes, I will make sure that the memory of my people and my country will live on forever. I swear upon my name that I will do so. I swear upon my name that- p! A powerful force ran through my cheeks. The force and momentum are powerful enough to send me to fall backward. It hurts. "You fucking, idiot ve!" The man who pped me said while he pointed his finger at me. He was wearing a red robe and a ck hood that covered most of his face. His voice sounds masculine and rough. "W-Why?" I asked as I can''tprehend the reason for the powerful p I have just received. Heughed out loud. "You don''t even understand why you got hit? Oh well, it doesn''t matter." My eyes widened. I suddenly feel fear running through my veins. Fear that told me something bad is going to happen soon. I look back at him and saw that he had an angry expression. There''s no telling what he might do next. The man''s words sent a chill down my spine. I could sense that he was a powerful and dangerous individual, and I knew that I needed to tread carefully if I wanted to survive. With this damn cor on my neck, and the ve crest on my back, I wouldn''t even be able to muster a single drop of my mana. I try to stand up, but my legs were shaking. I try to speak, but my voice was trembling. Hahaha... So much for being the best student at the academy... I''m so powerless... "You''re going to be sold to the highest bidder, ve. And if you''re lucky, you''ll be bought by someone who knows how to discipline a ve properly. But if you''re not, well, let''s just say that you''ll wish you were dead." He said with a sneer. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The thought of being sold off to some unknown master was terrifying. I had heard stories of the brutal treatment that ves often received, and I knew that I would be no exception. But I can''t let him see that I''m scared. I mustered all the courage I had and looked him straight in the eye. "I am Wilhelmina, a fallen noble. I will not be treated as a mere ve. I will not be broken by the likes of you." I said with as much conviction as I could. He sneered again and said, "We''ll see about that, won''t we?" And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone and trembling in the streets. I knew that I had to be strong and keep my spirits up if I wanted to survive in this harsh and unforgivingnd. I knew that I would be facing many challenges ahead, but I was determined to ovee them all. The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months. I was sold and resold multiple times, each time to a new master who was worse than thest. I was beaten and punished for the slightest mistake, and I was forced to workbor from sunrise to sunset. Determination... Ovee... Strength... What was those things are again? ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 171 The Fallen One (2) The Rebellion I wonder how long it has been. It feels like an eternity has passed, would it end soon, I wonder? I got overworked, abused, and defiled every day, not even a single day would be spared. I''ve lost my honor, my ability to use mana blocked by the ve curse, I''ve lost my will, and only my virginity was left intact in order to keep my price high. The thoughts of dying and ending this miserable life had started to linger inside my head, and suddenly- "Shit. I have no choice. Because of those gambling shits, there''s no way I could pay such arge debt in one go! You! Come here!" My filthy master called upon me. It turns out that my master is currently in arge debt, because he gambled away all his money with some gambler friends. The effect of drowning himself in boozes and women made him to lose his ability to make proper judgments, leading to his downfall. And just like that, I got sold to a new master, which does not that different from my former master. He still treats us as mere objects, forcing us into hardbor every day without giving us any rest. We were forced to work until we fainted from exhaustion, or if we refused to do so, our bodies would get beaten mercilessly. But, there''s a single good thing that happened from getting sold to this new master. Since he''s far richer than my previous one, he has more ves with him, and it seems that if we make a good profit for him, he would give us better treatment. But aside from that, I managed to regain my spirit after getting sold to this new master. "Older sister, what is your name?" A girl who looks around 10 years old asked me while looking at my face. She looked very weakpared to her age, probably due to being starved since birth. Her hair is dirty blonde, almost white, and thin enough that you can see through it. Her skin color is pale yellowish tone, and her eyes seem to be fatigued. She must have suffered greatly during her short life span. "My name is Nana." "I am Makia. Nice to meet you." Another young girl greeted me back. Unlike the first girl, she looks healthier than before, although her body isn''t fully developed yet. Her hair is dark brown, much darker than mine, and her eyes are redder than blood. But despite of her appearance, she seemed cheerful. Looking at their appearance alone, I could immediately notice that they have been a ve longer than me. Maybe they were sold when they were a child, or maybe they are the children of ves as well. But despite of their current situation, I could still see the light and the brightness inside their eyes. "You''re really pretty... Why don''t you let yourself be a maid instead of working under these horrible people? If you be a servant, you''ll surely receive lots of love..." Makia said, making me feel sad about myself. "You are prettier than me, Makia. You too, Nana. My name is Wilhelmina. It''s nice to meet you," I can''t hide my hoarse voice. Tears are welling up in my eyes. Guild and shame welled up inside me. I can''t stand it? I''m suffering? I lived years as a noble yet these two lived as a ve since they were born. How can I whine about a single scar when some are bleeding right in their heart? "You''re crying, big sis?" "It''s nothing... Just a little..." I told the truth. I''m just a ve. "Don''t cry, big sis." I couldn''t help but cry. ************************************** Meeting the little girls and the other ves, I regained my spirit. There are those who have their fate worst than mine, how could I continue to whine andin about my fate in front of them? "Wilhelmina! Ready to go?" Solia, the archer of the ve group asked me. Because of my swordsmanship skills, the master assigned me as part of his escort group, and it is our duty to protect him and only to use our mana whenever there are monsters and danger. "Yes! Let''s go!" I replied. We''re currently going from the master''s base at the grey area between the Redania empire''s borders and the Yerst Kingdom. The destination is a vige where we will be trading for goods for the journey to the south, which is the Astellia Kingdom. There''s a huge cksmith there that we need to buy some spare parts for the carriages. The journey is not too long, maybe 2 weeks at the most if the weather permits it. The new group the master brought with was about twenty people, including Solia, me, the two girls, and also the other ves that are now part of our group. All of them are women, some were girls when they were sold, and others were olddies. All of them had been through some form of trauma. They all looked like they''d suffered from the abuse from their masters. Just like what the others do to me, I talked to the new ves and help them regain their spirit. We told them how to behave well and avoid getting on the bad side of our master, and teach some that want to learn how to fight. The journey went as how it usually does, but suddenly. We got a chance. I guess the stories about the northern myths are not just simple myths. When we arrived at a certain forest, the ve curse on our body and our neck suddenly got lifted. Even though there are no orders to stand guard, I noticed that we could use our mana freely, and there doesn''t seem to be any paining from the ve curses when I use my mana. "Solia," I told Solia about it, and she replied with a grim nod. Of course, what currently going through our heads is the same. Should we take this opportunity and kill the master? Could we defeat the four big guards that he always brought together with him? Would we seed? If we failed, the only thing we could do is continue hiding inside this forest until we died since this seems to be the only ce where our ve curses don''t react. Of course, the weight of the failure will be very heavy, but... I look at the other children that also became ves like us. Looking at them ignite the me inside my heart, and strengthen my resolve. "Let''s do this," I said with great determination. Solia seems to be a little surprised looking at my determined look, and quickly nods and secretly went to convey the message to the others. "Everyone, standby! This will be the start of our freedom! Now, we are no longer ves!" All of us are holding swords in hand, and some even have axes as well. We were all wearing a dark-gray uniform, probably made from cotton to conceal the fact that we were actually ves. "I will make you regret selling me! Let''s kill him! Let''s make sure that none of us will be sold again!" I stood in front, in the center of the group of ves. The group was about 20 people in all, and Solia was in the back, holding a bow ready for action. "Hurry! Get on the carriage!" Our master called out. We can''t waste any time, I should hurry to finish the job first, so that we would have enough time to prepare ourselves for a counterattack if necessary. I wonder what will happen next? As I expected, our master was surprised when he saw all the ves that were previously part of his escort group and all of us with swords in hand. But despite of that, he quickly recovered his calmness and started to give out his order to his guards. "Kill them!" I knew that I''ll have no choice if they decide to attack us instead of waiting for their orders. So I immediately attacked first with a short swing of my sword while shouting loud enough that everyone could hear it. I quickly shed at one guard, and my sword managed to slice off his hand. I did not miss with my aim, and the guard fell on the ground like a wooden puppet without a hand. Swords are the main weapon that was given to the ves that were taken from the border area of the empire and sold to the south to avoid being attacked by bandits on the way there. Most of us were able to fight using those swords that we used during our escort duty. And since most of us are women, they are still in the process of learning how to handle the sword. I can''t really say that they are experienced enough in using the sword at this point. I just hope that we''ll be able to manage if the situation calls for it. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 172 The Fallen One (3) The Struggle Swords are the main weapon that was given to the ves that were taken from the border area of the empire and sold to the south to avoid being attacked by bandits on the way there. Most of us were able to fight using those swords that we used during our escort duty. And since most of us are women, they are still in the process of learning how to handle the sword. I can''t really say that they are experienced enough in using the sword at this point. I just hope that we''ll be able to manage if the situation calls for it. But anyway, I got to say that most of the guards are not used to fighting against unarmed people. It seems like they''re used only for escorting carriages and people when they''re traveling on the road or for hunting in case we''re attacked by bandits. But I don''t think they would be able to handle it against an armed group like this. They all got shocked at the sight of seeing me fighting like this, and immediately started to react by pulling out their own swords. They seemed to have underestimated us since we were only armed with swords while they were carrying their swords as their main weapon. They seemed to have forgotten that we''re ves, or maybe they didn''t care about it because they are already used to being treated like this by their previous masters. "Don''t let your guard down!" I shouted loudly to warn the guards around me, but I heard that someone was already dead after they were hit by an arrow shot by one of the other guards. I clicked my tongue and immediately warms my mana up. *sh!* *sh!* *sh* The familiar sensation of smoothly cutting my targets satisfies me. It brings back the good memories of the academy, and my three best friends at the academy emerged inside my head. I wonder what Alice, Emi, and Rena are doing right now? "Die!" A battle cry sounded behind me, but it only serves as a notification asking to be my target. A soldier with ck armor and a longsword appear in front of me, swinging his sword toward me. I quickly turn away from the direction of the swing and directed the tip of my de at the opening of the armor that he was wearing. I then swung my de downward into the gap. As a result, the metal armor split apart, releasing pieces that fall to the ground. I looked over to see the face of the man whose helmet had been blown off. His eyes met mine, but it was toote for him to do anything against the next strike. With a single blow, I cut through his neck and his head rolled on the ground. "Tch..." Several soldiers jumped toward me, swinging their des with their full force. But despite of that, I know that I wouldn''t be able to get through them if I try to fight them head-on. Even if my mana is back, it''s been a while since I could use them freely like this, so it won''t be as effective as before. So I chose to use the same tactic as before. I couldn''t afford to let them regroup. If they did, we could have the upper hand. Our enemies would be defenseless until that moment. Still, I need to make sure that none of us will die here. There''s no reason for anyone to die here. "You''re going to regret this!" Another attack came at me, followed by several others. My opponents were trying to keep me busy so that they could regroup ande for uster. But I''m not going to let them continue with that n. Even if I am to be defeated, I want to see everyone else survive. I slowly turned around and swung the sword upward. My opponent wasn''t fast enough to block it. The de pierced through the armor and pierced right through the heart. Blood sprayed out, covering the enemy''s chest. My foe fell to the ground with a thud. It worked. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the remaining enemies around me. Some of them still stood, but most of themy on the ground with their heads turning sideways. I guess I can call this a victory. "Wilhelmina! We won!!" Solia shouted excitedly. "Yes, we won," I replied with a smile. I felt much more relieved than I thought. It still feels surreal. But after looking at the bright smiles of Nana and the other ve kids that even cried made me immediately realize that we have really seeded. My hand reaches for the ve cor on my neck, and with just a simple force, the cor broke, giving my neck an unfamiliar feeling of freedom. "I''m free..." I uttered in disbelief. "Yes, big sis! We''re free!!" Nana and the others excitedlye over to me and we hug each other. Without me realizing it, tears had profusely fallen from my eyes, and unsightly snots are all over my nose. We shouts, we cried, and celebrated with each other. Solia, I, and the other adults helped to free the children from their ve cors before releasing ourselves. Now, we only need to take the map on the master''s carriage and- *Boom!!!!* Suddenly an explosion urred near us, sending powerful shockwaves, and sending some of the trees to fall. "Kids! Gather up!" Solia shouted as she readies her bow. The children immediately got gathered in one group and the adults made a formation to protect them. The cold winds of the north sent by the shockwaves are cold, but the adults bear the coldness and hide the children behind to protect them. "T-Those are..." Solia uttered in horror as she saw the creature that is slowly rising its body up. It is an imposing figure, towering over most humans and other creatures. Those skin as hard as ice and eyes that gleam like diamonds. Their hair is made of icicles, which shimmer and sparkle in the light, adding to their already otherworldly appearance. They are heavily muscled and broad-shouldered, with arms as thick as tree trunks and hands that can crush stone. Their breath is a chilling mist that seems to form frost wherever they go, leaving a trail of ice crystals in their wake. I''ve heard their stories in the adventure stories my mother usually told me before sleep. "The frost giants..." (Wilhelmina) There are two frost giants standing with three huge frost serpents lying on the ground with blood all over the ce. And suddenly- !!!!! One of the frost giants looked at us, my body felt weak for a moment because of the fear, but I must not sumb to fear or all of us will die! "RUN!!!" I shouted in warning to mypanions, and they hurriedly ran away from the scene. I knew that it was impossible to stand against them head-to-head, so I took another route instead. I could hear a distant screaming from the direction where myrades escaped. It''s one of the adult ves. *Tch!* I clicked my tongue in frustration at being unable to save her, but in order to survive, we need to continue to run with all of our might. The speed of the frost giant is not something tough at, they are gradually getting near to us. All of us continue to run with all of our might. My breathing started to feel heavy and my lungs hurt because of the cold air, and suddenly. Another bad news appeared. *Grrrrr!* A wolf growled. But it''s not just a normal wolf. The dense mana of darkness envelopes it, and I can''t sense any sign of life within its body. If it''s just a single undead wolf, we wouldn''t stop in our tracks. But what appeared in front of us are a horde of undead with not just undead wolves, but there are also other powerful frost monsters and magical beasts that revived as an undead. "We''re surrounded..." Solia uttered in despair. What should I do... There is no ce to run, but if we stay here we''ll definitely die. We won''t win against these monsters, not with our current condition. I racked my brain as I look around for a way out. But there isn''t any! I see no choice left. "Everyone! Get ready for the final battle!" I called out to everyone. Our situation is hopeless, I know it, but it doesn''t mean we could just give up. We have to- *Whoosh!* Cold winds blow, and we suddenly got surrounded by a purple mist. "This is... Poisonous... mist...?" Solia uttered before losing her consciousness and falling. Just like Solia, the rest of us also fall one after another because of the poisonous mist, leaving me standing alone. "This... Are we not allowed to live...?" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 173 The Fallen One (4) The Gallant Display There is arge amount of undead in front, and two powerful frost giants at the back. All of myrades, the other ves that had finally freed themselves from their ve cors and curses are lying on the ground because of the sudden appearance of the purple mist, but somehow, I didn''t fall asleep. Maybe because of the strong magic resistance that I have had since little. My body started to emit an irregr heat. It''s been a while since I have a full ess to my mana, so it must be because of overusing them. It took everything of me to just continue standing on my feet. I clench my teeth. Is this the end? We finally freed ourselves from the very and this is the end? Even though the others tried their best to survive and persist, and this is the end? "No, of course, it''s not," I uttered as I grip at the sword in my hand as hard as I could. I red at the frost giant behind us as I gather my spirit to fight. *ROAR!!!!* One of the frost giants roared in anger because of my re and rushed in my direction. If I stay at my feet, the frost giant will definitely crush all of us. It could be considered as one of the fastest methods to flee from this suffering. But... "As if I do so!!!!" *Boom!* Therge hand of the frost giantnd at the ce where I was standing before as I ran to the side. Not good enough. "I won''t let you kill me and the others," I took the opportunity and use the frost giant''s hand as a footing while gathering my mana on my sword and my feet. "Frost Giants have a weak point. It''s the same ce as a knight''s armor," I jumped and strikes right at the frost giant''s armpit, shing it deeply enough to make the hand difficult to use. *ROAR!!!!!!!* The frost giant roared in pain, but I won''t let this opportunity goes to waste. Frost giants are not weak, and they are not slow either. I''m impressed with myself to be able to dodge its attacks and evennd the attack on him. No, let''s not get distracted. I need tond the finishing blow. Enraged, the frost giants attacks became more simple for me to predict, and maybe it''s because of its wound, the attack seems to be even more sluggish than before. I don''t know when my mana will run out so I didn''t waste any time. After ncing at the back and seeing that none of the undead gets near my copsed allies because of my battle with the frost giant, I make a relieved smile as I jumped with enough mana to create a powerful force. *Whoosh!* It''s time to deliver thest strike! "Die!!!!" I shouted at top of my lungs as I thrust at the frost giant''s eye as powerfully as I could. No matter what creature it is, it''smon knowledge that the eyes are always a critical point to aim for. Or so it should have. *Crack!* "I-It broke!?" My sword. It broke into pieces right when it get into contact with the frost giant''s eyes. Are those eyes made of metal? "Ugh!" I groaned as a powerful pain runs through my arm and shoulder. My sword is broken, there''s nothing left to defend myself with. *Huhuhu* The frost giant let out a strange voice as its shoulders shooks. When I look at its face, I finally realized that it was not a strange voice. He''sughing at me. He''s making fun of me. *Tch!* I tried to move my legs, but it seems that I''d used up all of my mana. What should I do? I took a peek behind and saw that the undead started to get near at the unconscious Solia and the others, they must think that the frost giants are too upied by me. This is it. I closed my eyes as I could no longer muster any strength to fight back. I''m sorry everyone, but I''ve tried my best. I''ve given my all. First, I failed at protecting my country, my homnd, and my people. And now, because of my idea of rebelling in this damned forest, Solia and the others will end up dying because of me. I''m sorry. I guess I don''t have the talent and luck in protecting anything. The frost giant let out a snort as if it was getting bored of my reactions and raised his giant arm and swings it, aiming at me. With the guild inside my heart, I surrender myself to fate. . . . Eh? One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. I waited, but the impact that should have sent me right to the afterlife didn''te. Not even the cold winds it should be sent because of their momentum. With hesitation, I opened my eyes. !!!!!! "I-Ice!?" The frost giant''s hand is captured by a block of huge hand-shaped ice that emerged from the ground. Before I could even process properly the sight in front of me, suddenly- *BOOM!!* A huge ice-blue boulder crashed to the ground right in front of me. But after a while, it slowly moves and rises. I then realize that that the identity of the thing that crashed right in front of me is not a boulder or a huge chunk of ice. "An ice golem...?" An ice golem!? *BOOM!!* Another thing crashed next to the ice golem. This time, it''s also a golem, but slightly different. It stands tall and sturdy, with rough and jagged edges forming its frame. Its limbs are thick and sturdy, and its hands arerge and squared, almost as if they have been carved from a single block of stone. Its face is crudely carved, with deep lines etched into its cheeks and forehead, giving it a stern and unforgiving appearance. The eyes of a rock golem are dark and empty, like deep voids in the stone, and it exudes a sense of stillness and power. "A rock golem!?" *Thud!* The ice golem pped the rock golem''s back while shaking its head, as ifining about its entrance that shocked him. The rock golem then made a shrugging motion, as if saying that it can''t be helped. The sight of the human-like reactions of the golems in front surprised me very much, but looking at them, I''m positive about one thing. This faint but obvious presence. There''s someone else! I shifted my gaze to the back, and saw that now there is a wagon parking near the ce of my allies. A single small girl with a slightly pointy ears is picking up the bodies of Solia and the others to the wagon in hardship, five winter wolves are making a defensive formation to protect the wagon from the army of undead, and a single man d in a ck cloak with a huge ive on his hand is slowly approaching me with his ck horse. *Thud!* Hends on the snowy ground with a smile on his face. "What a wonderful disy of valor. I''m quite surprised that there is someone that could resist my powerful illusion mist that took quite a lot of my mana, but I''m too entranced at your gant figure that I ended up watching for a while. Even though the frost giant is ying with you, the figure of you trying your best to protect your allies is something to be praised and admired upon," The man uttered the words of praise, but I could only see his mouth that is smiling slightly. He''s hiding his face with his hood, so it makes me wonder whether he''s mocking or praising me. "You did a very great job. You can leave the rest to me," He continued with a very gentle tone. My chest tightened, and tears started to fall profusely from my eyes. From that line alone, the feeling of reassurance enveloped my chest and warms me up. I''m d. I''m very d. Solia and the others won''t die because of me. I''m so d. *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* The fight with the frost giants started as the ice golem and the rock golem rushed to them. The other frost giant that was just watching when the other frost giant battled with me is now joining the fight. I guess the man''s words are right. The frost giant I fought before is just ying with me, if not, it''s impossible for its friend to not help him. "But, that underestimation made his friend get a considerable damage from you," The man suddenly uttered as if he were replying to my thoughts. "Eh?" I eximed in surprise. That reaction came out of my mouth not just because of his sudden reply to my thoughts, but because of the sight unfolding in front of me. The ice golem that purposefully used its magic to capture the left hand of the frost giant, while the rock golem ran straight to the frost giant and strike the right hand of the frost giant that I injured before, making the frost giant to lost its right hand immediately. "The damage you dealt to the frost giant will be the reason for their win," ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 174 The Fallen One (End) Were Saved? As the ice golem captured the left hand of the frost giant, the rock golem continued its charge, mming its massive stone body into the right side of the giant, striking the previously injured area. The force of the impact was enough to cause the frost giant to lose its grip on its weapon, and its right hand was severed from its arm. The frost giant let out a roar of pain and anger,shing out with its remaining hand. The ice golem quickly moved to dodge the attack, using its magic to encase the giant''s hand in a block of ice, immobilizing it. Meanwhile, the rock golem continued to press its advantage, raining down blows upon the giant with its massive stone fists. The second frost giant, seeing the danger itsrade was in, charged forward to help. The ice golem was quick to react, using its magic to create a wall of ice to block the giant''s path. The giant mmed into the wall with a loud crash, but was unable to break through. The rock golem, meanwhile, continued its assault on the first giant, relentlessly pounding away at its frozen hand and chest. The giant''s armor began to crack under the force of the blows, and it was soon clear that it was only a matter of time before the golem would emerge victorious. As the first frost giant fell to the ground, defeated, the second giant finally managed to break through the wall of ice. Enraged, it charged forward, swinging its massive weapon in a wide arc. The rock golem, sensing the danger, darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. The ice golem, meanwhile, used its magic to create another wall of ice, this time trapping the giant''s weapon between two massive blocks of ice. The frost giant roared in frustration as it struggled to free its weapon, but it was no use. The rock golem seized the opportunity, rushing forward and striking the giant with all its might. The giant staggered under the force of the blow, but did not fall. The golem continued its attack, striking the giant again and again, until finally, it fell to the ground, defeated. With both frost giants defeated, the ice golem used its magic to repair the damage to the rock golem and closed the cracks with its magic before making a thumbs up as if saying a great job. The rock golem then shakes its head, it feels like he''s still not satisfied with his results. "See? You''ve done well," The man''s gentle words resounded, and I that gotten too absorbed in the scene of the battle that looks like it came straight out of a storybook, finally regained myposure and realize the meaning of his words. "It''s... Because of me...?" I shifted my gaze to the side, but rather than looking at a smile, I saw the man''s face turn into a serious one as he look at the former battle scene of the golems and the frost giants. Following his gaze, I finally understood the reason for his expression. Fear and the feeling of hopelessness started to well up inside me once more because of the sight. "They got a pack, huh..." The man uttered bitterly. What appeared in the distance are more frost giants. But they are not just some frost giants there are more than 30 of them. It''s like it''s a big family instead. With those numbers, not even the golems and this man could defeat them. We even still have the army of undead behind us. I took a peek at the back, and saw that the amount of undead gathering in front of the winter wolves are getting even more many. But despite so, the winter wolves still stand proudly and menacingly, seemingly following the orders of their master. They are not normal undead either, because of the dense ice mana in this northern region, some of the irregrs and the variants of the undead got abination of dark and ice mana in them. As if those are not enough of bad news, another sound came from our west. *Hissss!* The sound of hissing sounded, and when I shifted my gaze to the source of the sound, I can''t help but clench my teeth in frustration. "Frost serpent..." Its body is elongated and serpentine, with a smooth, flowing appearance, and its scales are thick and reflective, giving it a gleaming appearance. The serpent''s head is long and narrow, with piercing blue eyes and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Its tongue is long and forked, flicking in and out of its mouth as it tests the air for prey. The frost serpent''s wings are long and graceful, made up of delicate, translucent membranes of ice. These wings allow it to glide effortlessly through the air, and are a beautiful sight to behold as they shimmer in the light. The serpent''s tail is long and whip-like, with a dangerous-looking stinger at the end. *Hisssss!* The sound of a snake hissing is like a sharp, eerie whisper that sends shivers down your spine. It starts off with a low rattle that gradually builds into a high-pitched, menacing hiss. The sound is like a warning, a threat, as if the snake is telling you to stay away. It''s not just a noise, it''s a message, a warning, a deration of danger. The hiss is like a sharp, pointed knife slicing through the air, leaving you frozen with fear. It''s a sound that stays with you, a sound that you can''t ignore, a sound that makes you feel like you''re being watched, like something is creeping up on you. It''s a sound that demands your attention, a sound that demands respect. This is bad, with this number of enemies, all of us will end up dying! At least, he should leave with hisrades as soon as possible and bring the children. "Please... Just run-" "Hm~ As expected of the deadly forest of the North, I guess?" The man uttered. There is no hint of fear within them, there is even an unusual hint of confidence and excitement inside them. "Eh?" "Very well, this much will be an enough treat for everyone!" Raising its ive, a floating ck grimoire suddenly appeared as the man opened his arms wide. As if following his grand movement, the mana around us started to gather and concentrate around him as if making a whirlpool. "By the light of the full moon, I recite!" A huge magic circle suddenly appeared below us as he suddenly shouted, it was huge enough to reach even the corpse of the two frost giants before us. "The great callings to the creatures bounded with my soul! By the blessing bestowed by the gods, by the strength of the summoning grimoire! Heed my call and appear before me, my allies! My enemies havee! The time for the great feast hase!!" If someone heard those words being shouted out loud while having their eyes closed, they would definitely think that it''s a crazy or naive person having a hallucination of possessing a secretly unimaginable strength while praising the grand. But if you heard them while looking at the scene before me, you would not be able to think of anything else other than getting stunned by it. The huge magic circle shone, rming the army of undead, the giant frost serpent, and the group of frost giants. Various colors of light passed through the beautiful lines and patterns, and arge amount of mana particles suddenly gushed out from the floating ck grimoire beside the man. "T-This is..." Impossible. Amazing. Unbelievable. All kinds of words simr to those words filled my mind as my eyes widened. My chest immediately got overwhelmed by the great feeling of excitement, and just like a child that is hearing the story of mythical battles, I''m staring at the sight with my mouth wide agape. "What... Is this?" I asked myself as I couldn''t believe what I am seeing. Hundreds of undead skeletons in various shapes and forms, ranging from smaller monsters to bigger ones, were summoned from the ck grimoire together with other magic beasts and monsters. They are all appearing here and now, right from where we are standing. I could feel the increasing amount of mana in the air, and the frost giants, the frost serpent, and the army of undead at the back must have also sensed this. There is only a single word that could describe the scene before me. "Amazing..." ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 175 The Norths Deadly Magical Forest (1) The Beginning Of The Great Battle There is a fearsome goblin king, d in dark armor, with razor-sharp ws and glowing red eyes. It''s emitting a dark and menacing aura of blood, and there are six dark goblins with simr dark armor standing behind him like guards. There is a mysterious and elusive creature, possessing a pair ofrge and beautiful butterfly wings but with a huge slime as its body. It is leaking a great amount of purple-colored mana which must be illusion and mind magic mana. Flying near it is a beautiful and graceful creature, with delicate wings that sparkle in the sun. I know that one, it''s called the Galewing butterfly that is famous for its powerful wind magic. Not far from them is the Moonlight Butterfly, a nocturnal creature, with wings that shimmer in the moonlight. I''ve read that it is a symbol of mystery and magic, and is said to bring good luck to those who catch a glimpse of it. Then there is an army of the Acid ants with the Acid Ant Queen behind them. It''s a giant ant queen, with a body covered in corrosive acid. Itmands a horde of acidic ants and is known for its brutal strength and cunning tactics. Then there is also a huge Magma Bear, A giant bear made of moltenva, with a body that emits intense heat. It is a formidable creature, with immense strength and the ability to control fire. There is also a creature that seems to be a magical elephant with arge Ivory Tusks, and with a body made of shimmering light. It seems to be a peaceful creature, but I could feel the immense nature mana and a great strength from it. There is also a big golden dog with might resembling a wolf, seeming to be made of shimmering holy mana. Intelligence could be seen from its eyes as it observes its surroundings. The remaining summoned creatures are a horde of skeleton undead. Their figures are familiar. They seem to be undead hobgoblins and goblin champions judging from their form, I heard that a strong undead could get even stronger than its original strength when it was alive. There are currently hundreds of them, and there is a single ghostly creature with a body seeming to be made of pulsing darkness as a huge terrifying w pokes out of its robe. It emits a haunting glow that draws the living towards it, I could feel that my life could get drained if I get too near to him. The undead army neatly forms a formation. About a hundred of them made a defensive stance surrounding the wagon and my allies, 300 of them stood together with the winter wolves, and the rest of them came to the side of the man together with the ghostly creature that leads them at the front. Then the creature kneels before Lyan with its skeletal legs, bowing his head as if he is showing his respect towards his master. "We''ve received your summons, my lord. Give us yourmand," It''s a heavy and hollow voice, it is as if its voice alone could make a weak person who heard them receive a considerable damage to their soul. "Good," The man brandishes his huge ive. "Time to start the feast," hemanded. The ghastly creature''s red light eyes shone as he received themand, then the undead army moved uniformly. All the undead were trained to fight and follow orders, so the 100 undead skeletons immediately formed up into a defensive ring around the wagon, the 300 undead skeletons made an offensive stance to face theing to the frost undead army, and the remaining 400 undead skeletons brandish their weapons as they are ready to march whenever they should together with the man. I felt goosebumps as every undead moved in perfect coordination and formation. "Amazi-" "Wha- Wait! Hey! Shadow! You stupid horse!" The man shouted frantically as the mighty ck horse ran straight at the frost giants alone ahead without waiting for the man to mount him. "That stupid perverted horse. I''ll definitely give you a harsh lesson after this," The man grumbled and started to run. As he run following the horse, the 400 undead skeletons followed him in a uniform formation despite following his speed, and the slime with the butterfly wings followed suit behind him. As the man with the ive gave hismand, the 400 undead skeletons and the shadow goblin lord charged forward toward the frost giants. The sound of metal shing against metal echoed through the battlefield as the two armies shed. The Papilio slime flew overhead, using its powerful mind magic to manipte some of the frost giants and make them attack each other as it throws acidic liquid at the frost giants. The aggressive ck horse reared up on its hind legs, striking out with its sharp hooves and tearing into the frost giants. Its dark aura seemed to paralyze the frost giants, making them unable to fight back effectively because of its dominating aura. The man with the ive was a formidable opponent, his huge weapon cleaving through the frost giants with ease. His movements were graceful and precise, and it was clear that he was a skilled warrior. The shadow goblin lord was a fierce opponent, its razor-sharp sword and its agile movement slicing through the frost giants with ease. Its dark aura seemed to empower the other undead soldiers, giving them the strength and courage to continue fighting. The Papilio slime continued to fly overhead, using its powerful mind magic to confuse and distract the frost giants. Itsrge, beautiful wings seemed to glow with an otherworldly light, adding to the creature''s aura of mystery and magic. Some of the frost giants got paralyzed for a moment every time they took a nce at those shining wings. The aggressive ck horse was relentless, striking out with its sharp hooves and tearing into the frost giants with a ferocity that was almost frightening. Its dark aura seemed to make the frost giants hesitate, and its powerful strikes soon weakened the frost giant army. Even though it looks just like a horse that has an irregr size, muscles, and presence, the way it''s fighting makes it seems like it is a powerful magic beast instead. Is it a magic beast that even I didn''t know? On the other side, the man with the ive was a whirlwind of death, his huge weapon cleaving through the frost giants with ease. His movements were graceful and precise, and he seemed to be unstoppable. As the battle raged on, it became clear that the man with the ive''s army was winning. The frost giants were quickly bing overwhelmed, and their attacks became slower and less precise. I then shift my gaze to the wide where the frost serpent appeared before. The Galewing Butterfly took to the sky, its delicate wings beating against the cold air. The wind magic it possessed was powerful and destructive, capable of breaking through the toughest of armor and shields. The Deadlight, on the other hand, was a ghostly being, its body pulsing with darkness and fear. The mere sight of it was enough to unnerve its enemies and drain their strength. The Magma Bear was a massive creature, its body made of moltenva and its eyes glowing with intense heat. It was a force to be reckoned with, with the ability to control fire and unleash devastating attacks. Those three ran straight to the frost serpent. The Frost Serpent, with its shimmering blue scales and glowing eyes, was a formidable opponent. It slithered through the air, its massive coils twisting and turning as it prepared to unleash a barrage of icy attacks. The Galewing Butterfly was the first to engage, its wind magic slicing through the air and striking the Frost Serpent. The Serpent reared back, its mouth opening wide to unleash a st of freezing air, but the Galewing Butterfly was too quick, darting to the side and unleashing another wave of wind magic. The Deadlight was the next to attack, its dark aura filling the air and striking the Frost Serpent. The Serpent recoiled, its coils contorting as the dark magic flowed through its body. The Magma Bear, sensing an opportunity, charged forward, its body zing with heat and its ws ready to strike. The Frost Serpent tried to defend itself, but it was no match for the Magma Bear''s strength and ferocity. With a roar, the Magma Bear swiped its ws, cutting through the Serpent''s scales and leaving a deep gash in its side. The Galewing Butterfly continued to rain down wind magic on the Frost Serpent, striking it with precision and speed. The Serpent was getting weakened with each passing moment, its scales chipping away and its movements bing sluggish. The Deadlight, meanwhile, was still unleashing its dark magic, sapping the Serpent''s strength and making it more vulnerable to the Magma Bear''s attacks. The Magma Bear was relentless, its massive size and strength making it a formidable opponent. The Serpent tried to defend itself, but the Magma Bear''s attacks were too fast and too powerful, leaving deep wounds on its side. The Frost Serpent was bing desperate, its once-proud coils now slithering on the ground, its breathing in ragged gasps. It was a shadow of its former self, no longer the fearsome beast it once was. The Galewing Butterfly and Deadlight were tireless, their magic and dark aura striking the Serpent again and again. The Magma Bear was relentless, its ws tearing into the Serpent''s scales and leaving deep wounds. The Serpent was near its end, its once-proud form now reduced to a pitiful and broken creature. The Galewing Butterfly and Deadlight continued their attack, their magic striking the Serpent with unrelenting force. The Magma Bear, meanwhile, was making the final push, its ws tearing into the Serpent''s body and unleashing a barrage of fire magic. The Serpent let out a final cry, its body copsing on the ground, its coils twitching as the life left its body. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 176 The Norths Deadly Magical Forest (2) They Won! Looking at how the battles are going at such a fast-paced pace with all of the monsters summoned by the man winning over the battle, I thenstly shift my gaze to the back where the wagon is being protected by an army of skeletons. The Golden Retriever barked loudly as he raced forward, his powerful legs carrying him toward the undead army with lightning speed. The Moonlight Butterfly flitted along beside him, her delicate wings reflecting the moonlight in a stunning disy of grace and power. The Moonlight Butterfly led the charge, her wings spreading wide and unleashing a barrage of magic arrows toward the enemy. The arrows were made of pure moonlight and glimmered as they flew through the air. They struck the undead with deadly uracy, piercing through their ice armor and bursting into bursts of light that burned the flesh beneath. The Acid Ant Queen and her army were not far behind. Their powerful jaws were capable of cutting through the ice with ease, and their acidic secretions melted the armor of the undead with incredible speed. They swarmed over the enemy, mbering up their legs and onto their bodies, where they began to chew through the flesh. The Fey Mammoth was a massive beast, and its mere presence was enough to make the enemy tremble. Its long tusks were deadly weapons, capable of crushing armor and flesh with ease. It lumbered forward, the ground shaking beneath its massive feet, and its trunk was filled with the powerful magic of the fey. It used this magic to unleash a barrage of energy bolts that struck the enemy with deadly precision. The Golden Retriever was not to be left behind. It barked and growled, its fur crackling with energy as it unleashed powerful bolts of lightning at the enemy. The lightning struck the undead with incredible force, and the sound of their screams echoed across the battlefield. Undead does not usually scream because of getting magic, does that lightning made of holy mana? The Golden Retriever was fearless, and it charged forward, its powerful jaws snapping at the enemy with lightning-fast speed. Its eyes are observant and it jumped to whichever opponent that is showing a weakness. The Moonlight Butterfly fluttered gracefully around the battlefield, her magical powers sting the undead with beams of ck light that weakened their resolve and left them vulnerable to the acid ants'' corrosive attacks. Some of the undead that rushed into it suddenly fell to the ground as if they are puppets getting their strings cut. I don''t know how, but the Moonlight Butterfly must have a powerful ability as well. The acid ants swarmed over the undead, their powerful jaws tearing through their armor and leaving them in tatters. The Fey Mammoth rampaged through the horde, his massive tusks striking fear into the hearts of the undead as he plowed through them with ease. As the Fey Mammoth rushed, some of the undead got tangled and caught by magical vines that suddenly appeared from the ground, making them immobile and could only receive the terrifying blow from the Fey Mammoth. The 300 skeletons were a formidable sight, their swords shing in the moonlight as they battled their way through the horde. They were relentless and tireless, and no matter how many undead they felled, more always took their ce. The battle raged on for what felt like hours, with neither side showing any signs of slowing down. But eventually, the tide began to turn in favor of the Golden Retriever, the Moonlight Butterfly, the acid ant queen and her army, the Fey Mammoth, and the 300 skeletons. One by one, the undead began to fall, their icy powers unable to withstand thebined forces of the animals and their new allies. The Golden Retriever and the Moonlight Butterfly worked in perfect harmony, their magical powersbining to create a fearsome disy of power and grace that left the undead reeling and unable to fight back. The acid ants continued to swarm over the undead, their corrosive powers eating away at their armor and weapons, leaving them vulnerable and exposed. The Fey Mammoth was a towering force of nature, his massive tusks crushing the undead with ease and sending them flying through the air while its magical vines restrict the movement of the enemies. The 300 skeletons were a relentless wall of steel, their swords shing with deadly precision as they cut down the undead with ease. They were tireless, and no matter how many times they were knocked down, they always rose again to continue their battle. And it is visible that their strong and perseverance are higher than the frost undead. As thest of the undead fell, the Golden Retriever, the Moonlight Butterfly, the acid ant queen and her army, the Fey Mammoth, and the 300 skeletons let out a chorus of triumphant barks, roars, and cheers. They had done what they had set out to do, and they had done it together, as a team. The Golden Retriever and the Moonlight Butterfly looked at each other, their eyes meeting in a moment of shared triumph and joy. They had worked together to ovee a formidable enemy, and they hade out stronger for it. The acid ant queen and her army scurried about, their powerful jaws cking as they feasted on the fallen undead. The Fey Mammoth let out a mighty roar, his tusks held high in victory. And finally, the 300 skeletons stood shoulder to shoulder in a line, their swords raised in victory as they celebrated their sess. At the side is also the same. The Galewing butterfly and the Magma Bear are celebrating their win as they look at the corpse of the huge frost serpent lying beside them. While the ghastly and skeletal figure that should be fighting together with them had already approached the man with the ive like a faithful servant. Looking at his master''s battlefield that has already ended, it seems that the ghastly figure is slightly disappointed because he can''t fight side by side with him. "We''ve fulfilled yourmand faithfully, my king," Uttered him with his terrifying voice. "I see. Good job, Grimw, and everyone. This is quite a satisfying victory," The man with the ive uttered with a satisfied smile. It''s over... I can''t believe it, yet the scene unfolded right in front of me. Then, the man suddenly nced at me before making aplex expression on his face. Looking at his expression, reality suddenly struck me back. I''m a ve together with other ves that consist of girls and little girls, and the one who saves me is a man that seems to be either a traveling magician or an adventurer. His strength is clear, he''s beyond any of us. Now if he wants to do something, he could do anything to any of us. As he shift his gaze, I saw that his gazends on the winter wolves and the golems that are approaching him. Somehow, not only the winter wolves, but the ice golem and the rock golem seemed to be rather dissatisfied. "Ahahaha... You guys have done well defending the copsed people from the undead. Sorry for not giving you more chance to wreak havoc, okay?" Lyan apologized with a gentle stone as the winter wolves surrounds him and snuggled their face to him. "For you two..." Lyan gazed at the two golems. "You''re injured enough, and it would take too long for you two to recover if you got more damage. The both of you are unlucky since the two you faced seem to be part of the strongest of the group," Lyan uttered with a shrug. The ice golem and the rock golem made a simr gesture of shrugging and went to the frost giants'' corpses. He then once again nced at me and uttered in contemtion, "Hm... Now for you... I can''t just let you go freely since you saw all of that, and I can''t kill you as well... Okay!" The man pped his hands as if he just got a great idea. "Let''s make an oath," The man said with his arms folded. "An oath...? Y-You mean..." A mana oath is very rarely to be used since it could make irreparable damage at the soul directly if the person who made the mana oath acts opposing the oath. "Yes, an oath!" ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 177 The Norths Deadly Magical Forest (3) The Oath "Yes! An oath!" The man uttered with his hands on his hips. I know, no, I should have known from the start. It''s foolish for me to forget it just because we got into such a danger. It is impossible for a person to save someone without asking for apensation. I''m not as naive as I was before, I know how cruel the world is, and how much cruel the people living inside are. For him to save all of our lives here, it could also be meant that our lives are now his. I know what oath he meant. It must be the mana oath. Mana oath is an absolute oath ranking the highest amongst other contracts. It ranks even higher than the ve contract or the ve curse, since the mana oath connected the contract between the souls of those in part of the oath, and the punishment from the mana oath is something that could not be avoided. If there is a person who broke the oath, then it''s either death by execution or absolute dominion of one''s soul. Or worse yet, it can be used as a leverage to force a person to do something. If I break an oath, I will have to suffer the consequences. As I thought about it, I felt my heart beating faster. What kind of oath did he prepare for me? Was it a horrible one? No, it must be an oath for me to give my body to him. I guess this will be the end of my purity. My life is cursed and now I be his ything. It''s unfortunate, but I couldn''t avoid it. "I-I''m ready!" I need to do this. At the very least, all of us will still live and survive. And this man seems to treat his summoned beasts and monsters well. They do say that people who are nice to animals and trusted by them could be trusted. "Excellent." The man nodded. "Listen carefully, you will have to repeat my words properly. Is that understood?" "Yes, yes!" I replied immediately. Cold sweats poured in, and helplessness overwhelmed me. Then the man spoke in a deep voice, "This is your oath. Listen well: ''I vow to be silent about the abilities of Lyan Arkanium Evocatore, and won''t tell a single soul that is not permitted by him to know about them, not by words, not by letters, or any other means. I swear upon my soul and my life." I followed his words one by one, and my mana rages responding to my word of oath. My mana formed a circle below me, and a powerful light made by mana formed on my chest. It''s the first time I experienced looking at how a mana oath unfolded with my own two eyes, even though it''s sad that I have to get bounded by them, the sight of the process is rather beautiful. Eh? "Silent? Abilities?" Huh? That''s it? "Yes, good. Now I''m once again safe. Thank you for your cooperation. Don''t ever forget that mana oath you made, okay? It won''t be funny if you recklessly made a slip-up in the middle of gossiping with other girls and ended up dead, after all," The man shrugged. There is nothing wrong with this oath. In fact, it''s a rather simple oath that doesn''t need anyplicated words, while the oath itself is quite straightforward. It just asked me to keep silent about the abilities that he had shown... Ah... It''s the power of summoning. I''ve heard about how great the power of being a summoner is, but I guess there alsoes a great danger from possessing such a strength. So he must be trying to hide them. ''I''m quite surprised that there is someone that could resist my powerful illusion mist that took quite a lot of my mana, but I''m too entranced at your gant figure that I ended up watching for a while'' The line he uttered resounded inside my head, and I finally understands the situationpletely. That purple mist that suddenly appeared in his doing in order to make all of us unconscious, but it was not to harm us, it was because he wants to help us without any of us knowing his summoning abilities. But despite his effort, I somehow resists his magic and he ended up still helping us despite having the risk of me knowing his secret. So he is... A good guy? "Well, young girl. You can go to your friends gathered inside and near the wagon now, you know? As you see, I''m quite busy here..." The man said with a wry smile as his summoning beasts all gathered around him and snuggled their heads to him, asking for his attention. "Y-Yes..." I uttered meekly. He really is a good person, isn''t he...? I thought as I returned to my group. The magma bear is sitting near my unconscious friends. She must be spreading its heat to warm them. What a kind beast. Well, she''s staring intensely at the man and the group of his summoned beasts to show off her jealousy, though. Mypanions are all safe. Knowing that fact, I let out a relieved sigh. After a few moments, my body rxed from the tension of the recent events, and I sits near the others slowly. My right-hand feels cold and numb from using so much magic during our trip, and then I realized that I should probably have something hot to drink and eat. Suddenly, a skeleton wearing a servant uniform approached me while bringing a te of food and a cup of hot dark drink. It approached me while motioning to take them with his head. "Alright, thank you." I bow my head to the skeleton awkwardly and took them. The skeleton nods politely and left. I take a look at the inside of the cup and saw the dark chocte-colored drink inside. That skeleton doesn''t mistake me for the other beasts or skeletons, right? It''s something a human could drink, right? The color made me wary, but when I sniffs it, it gave a sweet and alluring smell. *Slurp!* "It''s delicious!" I eximed happily. "Truly, I didn''t expect it to taste this good. This is awesome! Ah..." I realized that my voice is too loud and that the other skeletons that are cleaning up the aftermath of the battlefield are staring at me. "S-Sorry..." I lowered my head in embarrassment and shift my gaze to the te. There is a piece of bread, but it seems that the bread is made rather well judging from its softness it looks. Looking at the bread brings back my memories back when I was still in the territory. I guess if I didn''t fall into a ve like this, I wouldn''t know how much a luxury eating such a bread like this. I took the bread and it to my mouth, and bites it- "S-So Shof!" I eximed with the bread inside my mouth. What happened? The bread is so smooth that it melts in my mouth! It''s so wonderful and delicious that I feel like I can eat it forever. It''s a sensation that only happens in dreams! No way! There is something else inside the bread beside the bread! It''s not just bread anymore! "Mwa~ Mwah!" "Are you alright, girl?" The voice of the man called out to me. "Eh? Ah... Yes, yes. Sorry..." I stuttered. "Hahaha. Eat them slowly. You don''t want to lose your life because of hasty eating after surviving until now, right? By the way, try eating the bread and drinking the chocte at the same time. It feels the best in a cold region like this," The man said with a smirk. It''s embarrassing that he saw me acting like a child that ate a piece of bread for the first time, but I''m more interested in his suggestion. Just like his words, I took a bite of the bread and took a sip of the hot drink. "D-Delicious!" I eximed excitedly. "Ah, I can''t believe it!" I''m able to enjoy the taste of both at the same time! Both vors are mixed together in the mouth and the sensation is indescribable! The liquid of the chocte melted in my mouth, and the bread was filled with vor from the chocte, and the whole mixture blended together creating an explosion of intense vor! It makes me dizzy! "Ah!" I once again lost myself. "Pfft! I d you like it," The man chuckled before staring at the distance with a serious look. "As expected of the deadly magical forest of the north. Looks like we have no time to waste, we have to move our feet," ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 178 The Norths Deadly Magical Forest (End) Were Leaving! "What is it? Is it monsters?" I asked. "Yeah. To be more exact, those are undead. The undead in this region possess dense ice mana that strengthens them further, but that''s not the greatest concern. Look," The man motioned with his head. I followed his gaze and saw that the corpses of the frost giants started to get enveloped by a dense mana of ice and death. "T-They are turning into undead...?" I uttered in disbelief. How? I know that it''s irregr for that number of undead to exist here, so all of the creatures that die here will turn into an undead? "I guess this is the reason why it''s called the deadly magical forest of the north, huh? You all! Gather the corpses to me before they turn into real undead, the rest of you make a defensive formation!" The man shouted. This is supposed to be something life-threatening, but his expression doesn''t seem to change. It''s disturbing how he remains using his hood that covers the upper part of his face, but that''s not something I should be focusing right now. "Good, good. These guys have lots of use, after all," The man uttered in satisfaction, and suddenly the pile of corpses the skeletons put inside of him turned into an enormous amount of ck and blue particles and enter the floating ck grimoire. "That''s everything, huh?" The man put his hands on his hips. Suddenly, the small halfling girl that I saw lifting the bodies of my allies suddenly appeared. "Yes! It''s everything! Now let''s go! I have enough of those disgusting undead!!" "Hey..." (The man ) "Eh?" The girl eximed in confusion, and realized that the other skeletons around her are staring at her as if they are shocked. "A-Ah... I don''t mean you guys! I mean those zombies undead that appeared before!! Anyway, let''s just go!!" The girl shouted in frustration. "Yeah, yeah. You''re right. They are nasty, aren''t they, Tesha? But I guess the wagon is not big enough to bring those lots all inside, don''t you think...?" The man motioned at my friends that are lying near the wagon unconscious. There are about more than 30 of them, and of course, it will be impossible to bring all of them inside the wagon. *p!* The man suddenly pped his hands. "Okay! Let''s do this!" *Stomp!* *Stomp!* *Stomp!* The sound of the horse hooves, the wolf''s rough breathing, and the sound of lots of footsteps resounded throughout the ce. Honestly, it''s quite a surreal scene to saw. I doubt that anyone would believe me if I tell them the scene I''m currently seeing. "C-Carried... By undead...?" My unconscious allies are being lifted and carried by the undead skeletons summoned by the man. Each of them is being carried by a single undead, while the rest of the undead are surrounding us to make sure that we won''t suddenly get attacked. "Seriously, master? Asking the undead to carry them on their back. Won''t they end up dying because of shock when they wake up?" The halfling girl called Tesha uttered with a wry smile. So she''s worried about my allies'' well-being... What a kind-hearted girl... "Then do you have any other ideas? Galia and the others need to return to their mothers, after all. It would be bad if something dangerous happened and they are not there to help them. At the very least I''ve fulfilled their wish of getting summoned by me and fighting together with me," The man shrugged. "But it''s rare for you to care so much about others, Tesha," "It''s not that I care. But it will be annoying if they suddenly wake up together at the same time and made a ruckus by screaming and such. Why don''t just leave them behind? It''s not like we''re responsible for their lives, right? Well, I understand that we could use them as sacrifices if we brought them with us, though" (Tesha) W-What a terrifying girl... "Ouch!" The girl, Tesha, held her head with tears gathered at the corner of her eyes because of the sudden hit from the man. "W-Why did you suddenly hit me, master?!" She yelled in protest. "Shut up. You''re getting too tired, go take a nap," The man threw a nket on her, forcing her to stay silent. The girl grumbled something under the nket, then slowly, the movement stopped and she seems to have fallen asleep. "Seriously, this girl... I wonder why her mind is so evil-aligned. Is it because of her former master?" The man uttered bitterly. Looking at the interaction of the man and the girl called Tesha, It''s visible how close they are, and despite the girl is calling him master, her behavior towards him could be even said filled with freedom. It means that the treatment the man gave her is great- Looking at the man''s eyes, I stopped my former thoughts. His hands gently lift the girl and put her in a proper sleeping position. His movement is gentle enough to make sure that she won''t suddenly wake up, and the smile on his face is very warm. "Ah... This is annoying," The man uttered as he took down his hood, revealing his bare face towards me. His face is... "You''re..." "...Me?" His eyes are deep ck, deeper than the ckness of his hair. His facial features are sharp, and his cheeks and chin are well-shaped. It shows how trained his body is. But most of it, when I saw his eyes, I can''t help but feel like I''m being absorbed... "Girl?" The man''s voice brought me back to reality. "N-No. Um... Is Lyan... Your name...?" I asked the man as I remembered the full name he mentioned when he told me to utter the mana oath. Lyan Arkanium Evocatore. What an interesting name, just like the person that bears that name. "Yeah. What about you? What is your name, young girl?" Lyan asked me with a small smile. My name. I am no longer a noble. I am no longer the daughter of the Marquesse of the Kasmira Kingdom. I no longer have my homnd. But even so- "My name is Wilhelmina Credia. It''s nice to meet you, Lyan. I owe you for saving us," I still have to use the name given by my father and mother. In order to bring my fallen family and my fallen homnd with me as I continue my life. I will have to continue to live with this name even if I have to face difficulties onward. "I see. It''s nice to meet you too, Wilhelmina," The man reached out his hands, offering a handshake. "Yes!" I replied while taking his hand, but at the instant, our hands came into contact, I noticed his eyes changed for a moment. His eyes turned sharp and it seems that in that little moment, he observed everything about me in a great detail. "You seem to be the type that is really skilled in using your body. You look like a warrior, you''re proficient in using swords. I see, so that''s the problem, huh?" The man suddenly nods as he observes my hand which has already left his hand. "Take your time and have some rest, you''re abusing your mana too much. It will be a grave danger for your life if you continue to push it. Your friends will be safe with my summoned friends, so you don''t need to be worried about them and take a rest just like this little girl here," The man said with a smile as he pats the sleeping girl, Tesha. My body is very tired is the truth. After getting back my energy from eating that lovely bread and the cup of a drink called chocte, I became so sleepy that I think that I will definitely fall asleep if Iy my body on the ground for even just a moment. "I''m fine-" "No you''re not," (Lyan) "I''m not so kind that I would babysit you when your condition got even worst. So just go to sleep. I won''t do anything to you nor your friends when you''re asleep, I can even make an oath for that," Lyan uttered with a serious look on his face. "I-I guess you''re right... Forgive me for being stubborn..." The man let out a soft chuckle in response to my apology. As Iy my body on the soft piles of cloth that were creatively made into some kind of a bed prepared by Lyan, I grumbled to myself. "Why is he treating me like a kid? He doesn''t even seem to be that much older than me- Ah..." My grumblings disappeared as Iy my body and feel the softness that make contact with my body. It felt like my fatigue is being sucked into the ground. Ah... It''s sofortable... I''m losing my consciousness... It''s warm... Somehow, it feels like my body is being enveloped by a strange warmness... Even though this is the region of the absolute cold... But this... Is nice... ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 179 The Redania Empire (1) The Shortcut ? As the wagon walks on with the winter wolves pulling them at considerable speed, the hobgoblin skeletons and goblin champion skeletons continue to escort the wagon and Wilhelmina''s unconscious friends that are being carried by some of the skeletons. Some with the worst injuries got put inside the wagon and got treated by Lyan''s holy magic, while three of them got carried by Shadow the aggressive ck horse, and the rest of them got carried by the skeletons. They asionally got attacked and ambushed by the frost undead along the journey to exit the deadly magical forest of the north, but with Grimw''s and Hobu''s lead on defending thepany, the attacking frost undead all got defeated rather easily. "Master... Do you know that girl or something?" Tesha that had woken up from her sleep uttered as she saw the sight of her master in front of her. "Hm... Not really," Replied Lyan. "But you''re treating her too well. You''re even casting your healing magic even though she''s not that injured anymore..." (Tesha) "Well... You could say that she''s something like a gift for some people. I wonder what kind of expression they would make when they saw this girl?" Uttered Lyan as he continue to cast his holy magic until Wilhelmina''s face regain its healthy color. "Hmph. Is that so?" Tesha snorted in dissatisfaction. (I see. Her value has changed, huh?) (Hestia) Hestia''s voice appeared inside Lyan''s mind. Because of the cold, the high spirits rarely appear andment as they m themselves inside their respective rooms as they turn on the heater inside to stay warm. (Value?) (Lyan) (Hmph! Don''t act like you didn''t know. I know that you only saved her because of her rare beauty and charisma, but you don''t really care that much about her and only think that it''s a shame for her to be killed there, right? But when she uttered her name, you immediately change your behavior towards her and even cast healing magic with your limited holy mana) (Griselda) (They are... The friends of the Valkyries...?) (Sylphia) Hearing their words, Lyan made a small smile. (Well, It seems like all of you paid attention to my encounters rather well) (Lyan) (Of course. I believe that it is part of our duty to see and judge the meaning of your actions. It might be one of the reasons why the gods made us contract to you in the first ce as well) (Arturia) There are some merits to having the high spirits paying attention to what he''s experiencing as they have more knowledge about this world despite each of them mighte from different eras, but at the same time, it''s kind of annoying to have peoplementing on every single thing he''s doing. (Thanks for your opinion, but I''m getting too much mana drained because of the heater you''re using non-stop. So I''m disconnecting) (Lyan) (Hey! Wa-) (Griselda) Immediately, the voices stoppeding into Lyan''s mind. "Now then, Let''s continue our journey," *************************************** "How far are we heading to?" Wilhelmina asked as she looked at the map that Lyan showed her. "We''re heading to the Redania Empire. I believe you''ve heard about it, right?" Lyan uttered as he points at a certain point on the map. "Yeah... But I never really went there personally. It''s my first time going there. How much longer do you think we will arrive?" Wilhelmina asked with concern. There are some of her unconscious allies that are injured and need to be treated, and the children might be too fragile to withstand the coldness of the north so they would need to have shelter and have a long rest as soon as possible or their bodies won''t hold out. Her biggest concern came from herck of knowledge about the northern region. As the daughter of the Marquesse, she only meet and went to the other ally countries of the kingdom, and she only has a limited amount of knowledge about the Redania Empire that even based only on the rumors she heard in the past. "Your friends are fine. They are being treated gently, and I make sure that they are being carried not in a dangerous pose. Their bodies are also wrapped in enough cloth for them to withstand the cold, and we''ll switch the injured that I''ve already healed with the children so that they won''t get sick. Our aim is to arrive at the first bordering town as soon as possible," (Lyan) "How long would it take for us to reach there?" (Wilhelmina) "Well, we''ve crossed the deadly magical forest of the north that is the shortcut to the Redania Empire''s region. So I guess it will take at most a day for us to reach there," Uttered Lyan with a shrug. (Shortcut...? Don''t tell me, he crossed that deadly magical forest of the north while fully knowing how dangerous it is only to get a shortcut to the empire?) (Wilhelmina) "So, Tesha? Do you regret following me already?" Lyan shifted his gaze to Tesha at the side with a grin. "Yes. Very much so- Is what I want to say, but... Of course not. I won''t even be able to talk so freely like this if it''s not because of you, master. I do not regret it," (Tesha) Hearing Tesha''s response, a big grin appeared on Lyan''s face as he make a mess of Tesha''s hair. "Now you''re acting like a good girl again after being cocky for a while. Here take some cookies," Lyan gave her some cookies he summoned from the grimoire''s space. "I''m not being cocky! It''s just that master seems to love dangerous and life-threatening situations so much that I can''t help but think that you''re thinking of killing me!" Protested her. Looking at the exchange between Tesha and Lyan made a smile to form on Wilhelmina''s face as well. She still doesn''t understand why Lyan took her along from the beginning and why he saved her instead of leaving her and her friends. But then again, she realizes that Lyan is someone who always has several ns and schemes. Knowing that Lyan isn''t cruel makes her feel a lot better, and she feels indebted to him for saving her even though she was now a ve. "It seems like you have a good impression over your master, right?" (Wilhelmina) "Ah, yes. That''s true." (Tesha) Wilhelmina kept looking at them as they continued their conversation. She couldn''t help but feel jealous of their rtionship. And the image of her three best friends appeared inside her head. (Surena... Emilia... Alice...) (Wilhelmina) As Wilhelmina''s gaze went distant, the wagon continues to walk to the north where the Redania Empire lies. The winter wolves pulled the wagon skillfully and doesn''t seem to be showing any sign of fatigue. The winter wolves originally appeared from the northern region and they were born in that area so they can endure the coldness of the north easily. They also can create warmth and heat up the air around them, which is very useful for the northern region. While the wagon moves forward, Lyan turned to look at Wilhelmina and asked, "Your little friends are alright, right?" "They are. We''ve been talking about many things, and I let them rest for a while. They are all feeling much better, and they are sleeping soundly inside the wagon." (Wilhelmina) At some point, the children''s ves wake up, and Wilhelmina immediately shows her face to them to make sure that they won''t get panicked when they saw the unfamiliar faces and the unfamiliar wagon. She wants to avoid annoying Lyan because of the children''s sudden cries and ended up getting kicked by him, so she immediately took control and calms them down. She saw all of them as they are so cute, and she knows that they are going through a hard time due to being ves from such an early age. Looking at how they are now safe, and they have a bright future before they made a smile to form on her face. The children started to fall asleep after eating and drinking something warm. "Alright then, let''s get faster," (Lyan) With Lyan''s orders, the wagon slowly elerate its speed, and Wilhelmina held the children''s hands tofort them and let them fall asleep deeply once again. After walking for quite a long time, Lyan noticed a vige nearby. From afar, he could see the snow and ice-covered buildings and the snowy ground that looks like a white nketid out across the area. "A vige... It means we''re close to the empire, right!?" Wilhelmina asked cheerfully as she realized that they are near to the Redania''s borders. "Yeah. But we''re going to take a short rest here," Lyan uttered and- *Snap!* He snapped his fingers, and all of the skeletons disappeared including Grimw, leaving only Hobu and his shadow servants, and the skeletons that are carrying Wilhelmina''s unconscious allies. "Now for the finishing touch," Lyan snapped his fingers once more, and some of thepany''s appearance transformed. The skeletons turned into pale humans wearing a robe, and the winter wolves once again transformed into Siberian huskies just like when he visited the winter cabin. "Polymorph..." Wilhelmina uttered the name of the high-leveled illusion magic Lyan just cast with ease. "Anyway, let''s unload the wagon before we head into the vige." ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 180 The Redania Empire (2) The Bordering Village ? In front of the entrance to the vige, there were two guards standing guard. One of them is a muscr man in armor with a helm on his face, and the other one is a woman with a sword on her hip. Both of them wore a cloak on top of their armor to cover their upper body. "Wee to this vige of ours~" The muscr guard said with a big grin. "We are the vige''s protectors. My name is Cai. You must be travelers, right? What brings you to the Redania Empire?" "We are... traveling merchants," Lyan answered as he removed his hood, and revealed himself. "Ohh! A merchant! Wee! And those at back... They''re unconscious!?" The guard eximed in surprise because of the sight of thirty people getting carried by people with cloaks and hoods. "It must be because you''re traveling at such a dangerous time of year! Come! You need to let them rest at a warm ce!" The female guard said as she immediately lead them to a house with a big and warm firece. "Thank you very much." (Lyan) "My name is Aisha. Nice to meet you all. I hope that we will get along well." "You too, Lady Aisha." (Wilhelmina) All of thepany replied with a nod and gave their greetings. As Lyan entered the building, he noticed that it was very spacious. There is arge table with chairs in the middle of the room, and the walls are decorated with paintings of various subjects which shows the wealth of the Redania Empire since a vige at the border of the territory could be so wealthy. "Is this really a vige''s house?" Lyan wondered as he walked towards the back of the building where he saw a door. "This is our living room and dining room. Those who live here are mostly merchants and we often get funds from them to renovate the ce. But at this time of year, there are no visitors that came so it''s empty right now. If you need anything, please ask anyone in the vige for assistance," Aisha greeted them as she led them to the back of the house where there is a small kitchen and a dining room separated from each other. (I guess they gave us a big house to use because of our number, huh...) (Lyan) Lyan nced at the other unconscious ves that his disguised skeletons are carrying. With a single nod, they immediately went inside and put each of them in their respective rooms. "I''m sorry for the inconvenience. I will pay for the rent of the house," (Lyan) "Ah. It''s fine, really. You said you''re a merchant, right? Just bring your goods that you want to sell at the vige centerter. We love the goods that traveling merchants usually brought," (Aisha) "I see. I do so then," Lyan shook his hands with Aisha as he show his gratefulness. Aisha blushed a little and left the house, leaving Lyan and hispany inside the big house. "They are wealthy... And they have great hospitality, huh... Looks like Redania Empire''s prosperity is not just a mere rumor, after all, huh? Anyway, first thing first..." Lyan shifted his gaze towards his skeletons which are now disguised as humans with cloaks. "Clean up the ce. Don''t let even a single dust remains," Lyan gave hismand as he take a sit on the couch and summoned a book from the air. With a singlemand, the disguised skeletons immediately move their feet and scatter as they clean the ce up. Maybe because they came at the time of the year when travelers don''t travel to the cold north, the ce holds lots of dust all around the corner. As a person that loves cleanliness, living in a ce full of dust is something that he could not tolerate. Luckily he has the skeletons that are already trained to be servants by Griselda in the Grimoire''s space. As the skeletons cleans the room, Wilhelmina used her magic to check if the children have no injuries or wounds in the children''s room. All of them are fine, except for one of them whose arm got broken during the battle with her former master''s guards. She will be okay though since Lyan had cast healing magic and repaired her arm with his magic. "Now... What should we do next...?" Wilhelmina uttered under her breath. They were already got saved by Lyan, got healed, got food, and even temporary shelter for them to rest. But what next? Judging from his behavior, it seems that he has a reason for helping them, but it doesn''t mean that he will take care of and babysit them for their whole life. It means that at a certain point, either sooner orter, they won''t be able to rely on him anymore and have to move forward alone. Thinking about those lines wells up frustrations in her, but she soon shakes her head as she smiles and strokes the heads of the little children on the bed. They are the reason why she persists until this moment and didn''t give up before. "The good news is that we''re no longer ves. With the absence of the master, the ve curse died out, and we freed ourselves from the ve cor as well. And not just that, all of us are still alive and healthy. I guess our current situation could be stated as a blessing as well, huh..." (Wilhelmina) Wilhelmina''s body which got healed by Lyan as she slept inside the wagon had gone to aplete recovery. Her mana channels that seem to e damaged because of getting overused before seem to havepletely recovered as well, and her body is slowly adapting again to her powerful flow of mana. (At least, with the knowledge I got from my time as a noble, we could use them to our advantage and even make a living from them) (Wilhelmina) She thought about what to do next. The first thing on her mind was to find a way to survive. Once they''ve recovered, their main goal is to find a peacefulnd without war and conflicts, and make a living peacefully to enjoy their lives. But of course, inside her mind, the peaceful life didn''t include her in the picture. With her current state where she is no longer a ve and still has a well and healthy body and mind, she has another goal that she needs to fulfill. The duty of the proud daughter of the Credia Family. The mission was to free and save her people from the grasp of the Verandia Kingdom. It is something that she, as the sessor of the Credia name, needs to fulfill. (I need strength... No matter how strong I am, there is a limit to what a single person could do... But if it''s that guy...) (Wilhelmina) The image of the man that faces the frost giants together with magic beasts and monsters as his allies appeared inside her mind. (If he''s on my side. With the right n, taking back the kingdom might not be something impossible...) (Wilhelmina) As Wilhelmina is gathering her thoughts and making her own schemes in order to take over her kingdom and hernd, on the couch, Lyan is opening a book in his hands. But he is not reading, there are images on the page, but they are moving as if the book is alive. (Good... It''s working...) (Lyan) A smile formed on Lyan''s face as he saw the sight that he wanted. The book he''s holding is the summoning grimoire disguised as a in ck book. It turns out that the grimoire could bemanded to change its look even without him having to use his illusion magic manually, and as he thought about wanting to see the inside of the grimoire''s space, the grimoire opened itself and showed the grimoire''s space page, showing the images that are the view inside the grimoire''s space. With hismand, the view could move and he could take a peek at whatever he wanted to see. The thought of peeking at the high spirits'' rooms crossed his mind, but it won''t be worth it if he ended up triggering their enmity towards him just because of one action, so he decided to focus on his main goal. It is to monitor the undead skeletons that are absorbing the remaining mana from the frost undead corpses that he brought to the summoning grimoire''s space. Their corpses that contain the dense mana might be useful for the skeletons, and just like he thought, he could see that some of the skeletons are slowly absorbing the mana and the stronger ones are starting to have some natural ice mana residing inside them. There are also Grimw and the Acid Ant Queen and her servants that are also having a feast on the mana from the frost undead. But not only are the frost undead, but they are also given two frost giants'' corpses for them to consume the mana. While Grimw only took the remains of the soul and the mana, the acid ant queen and her servants ate the frost giants as a whole, not even leaving the bones behind. (This could make them even stronger...) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 181 Strengthening (1) Chapter 181 Strengthening (1) As they arrived when the sky is almost dark, they aren''t asked to go outside as the vigers told Lyan and the others to rest, knowing how dangerous the time it currently is for them to travel to the north, thinking that they must be deadly tired. When the night came, some vigers knocked and brought some food for Lyan andpany. Well, it''s considered a lot considering that they even counted Lyan''s disguised skeletons as well, making the food on top of the table a little bit too much for their number. Or so what Lyan thought at first. "I-It''s delicious!" "Yummy~" *Chomp!* *Chomp!* Wilhelmina''s ve friends that are now already awake are wolfing down their food like there is no tomorrow. The food on top of their te vanished immediately, and they asked for a second serving. Luckily, there is the portion that the vigers made for his disguised skeletons, and they even made them a bigger portion as they must think that men ate much a lot. "Chew on them slowly, guys..." Lyan uttered with a wry smile as he saw the sight before him. Lyan then ordered the disguised skeletons to give their portion to them, and the ves ate them happily. When they first woke up, they are shocked, and surprised, and other reactions appeared as a variation among them. But with an ease, Wilhelmina calms them down and told them what happened from the beginning until the end. Of course, because of her mana oath with Lyan, she could not tell them about Lyan''s strength and abilities. Rather, she told them that he saved them together with some hunters of the north, and ended up victorious as they brought them to his wagon. The story is actually a little bit forced, but because of her unique charisma, she managed to calm them down while telling them the story as if it''s the truth. (Well, I guess it means that the story of her having a great leadership is the truth) (Lyan) "It''s the truth, but..." Lyan shifted his gaze to Wilhelmina, only to see her wolfing down her food not that much different from the others. "They''re like people that didn''t eat for a week... But well, at least that will make them regain their energy-" Lyan stopped his words when his gaze stopped at a certain little girl with a slightly pointy ears. *Thud!* "Ouch!" (Tesha) "Oi, Tesha. Why are you eating like that? Eat properly," Lyan scolded her. "Eh? But the rest of them are also eating like this? Why am I the only one who got hit?" (Tesha) "Because unlike them, you''re under my care. If you don''t want to be abandoned, eat properly," Lyan''s words actually meant only for Tesha, but- Ahem! Lyan shifted his gaze and realized that the others stopped their vigorous eating and started to eat carefully and bite their food carefully. (I didn''t mean it as sarcasm to them, though... And that cough, is that you, Wilhelmina?) (Lyan) Lyan''s gaze shifted to Wilhelmina that is eating elegantly which is the direct opposite of how she is eating before. Ahem! Ahem! She coughs. She must be choking on the food she is eating. It happens when she realized that Lyan is staring at her, and she remembers how she failed to realize and control herself from eating like a beast. Her pride as a former noble made her so ashamed that her face is beet red. Lyan let out a small chuckle. "You know which your room is, right? I''ll be in the living room, so feel free to go to the room to sleep ahead if you''re tired," Lyan uttered as he pats Tesha''s head before leaving the dining room and going to the living room and sitting on the couch. he already ate his fill quickly yet elegantly, and his mind is still upied with the things happening inside his grimoire''s space. "Now let''s see..." With a single flick of his finger, the summoning grimoire appeared before him still with the same disguise as before. As he opens the section and looks at the page that is showing what is happening inside the grimoire''s space, a smile formed on his face. The acid ant queen has already finished eating 1/4 of the frost giant''s body together with her workers and her soldiers. The obvious change appeared in some of her soldiers and workers that have some blue armor-like exoskeleton on their bodies, and obviously, look stronger than before. Despite not having any sign of ice mana on her body, the acid ant queen and the rest of her workers and soldiers got their size even bigger than before. They seem to get half-size bigger than before that made Lyan to notice their growth with just a single nce. (Well, the frost giants are indeed a powerful opponent, after all. I need to somehow let Galia and the others to eat the corpse of the frost giants as well. But I don''t know if their mothers would let them eat corpses, though...) (Lyan) "But sure... This is very interesting..." Lyan uttered as he stared at the summoning grimoire. The ce inside the grimoire''s space that the summoning grimoire is showing him is not something at the surface, it''s a ce underground. It is a huge ant colony that the acid ant queen''s workers made for her. Of course, the frost giant that they are eating is also underground and inside their colony, but her workers had already cut them neatly into several pieces. There are several food storages, and there are remains of corpses of other magical beasts and monsters that they got from their hunt outside the grimoire''s space, which is when Lyan summoned them outside. There are also some remains of human corpses inside, like a hand or a foot. But currently, the frost giant''s corpse pieces are filling the ce up because of its size. What excites Lyan the most is not only the acid ant queen''s growth and her soldiers and workers, but it''s the ice-blue eggs that the acid queen antid in the eggs chamber. It made him somehow excited to see what kinds of acid ant variants that would appear from those eggs. After finishing and being satisfied with looking at the ant colony of the acid ant queen, Lyan changes his view to the undead skeletons. Grimw is still standing on top of a single frost giant and absorbing its mana into his with a great focus, while the other skeletons are starting to show some changes. Just as Lyan thought, the great amount of mana the skeletons absorbed could grant them an additional mana element trait that could make them stronger, just like the frost undead that he fought at the deadly magical forest of the north before. The reason why a frost zombie wolf could appear is because of the wolf getting zombified while being exposed to a ce with a great amount of ice mana around it. (But the pace is slower than I thought...) (Lyan) There is significant growth on the skeletons, but even though the frost undead corpses that are left are only half remaining, there are only 10 of them that hadpletely transformed into frost skeletons. (Well, I guess having them getting stronger is already more than enough. I need to reward the winter wolves tooter or they might sulk. For that damned horse, Shadow... Well, Mares are enough to satisfy him, I guess. He must be aiming for this vige''s mares right now so he should be fine) (Lyan) Lyan then moves his focus to the ice golem and the earth golem. Just like the others, Lyan gave them a single frost giant corpse for them to absorb the mana, but it doesn''t seem that absorbing mana gives considerable effect for golems. Then Lyanmanded them with his telepathy for them to take the magic stone inside the frost giant and absorb it. Following his orders, the ice golem is the one that first change its right hand into a frost de and dug into the frost giant''s heart, harvesting the big magic stone inside it. The ice golem that opened its mouth which normally could not be seen like he has a mouth, and with a crisp sound of ice getting bitten, a whirlpool of ice mana suddenly appeared from him. Its blue eyes shone even brighter, and its size became rather bigger than before. Lyan could see its ice body is shining with more mana than before. Without a doubt, the frost giant''s magic stone must have given him a significant boost of strength. Without wasting any time, Lyan ordered the rock golem to do the same thing, and let him eat another frost giant''s magic stone. But unlike the ice golem, the rock golem only got bigger but the quality and amount of mana it possesses don''t really improve that much. (I guess the elemental affinity is a big factor in strengthening them, huh..) (Lyan) ___________________________________________ ________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 182 Strengthening (End) Chapter 182 Strengthening (End) The night is long, and everyone is asleep already except Lyan. He was observing the summoning grimoire that is currently showing him the events urring inside the summoning grimoire''s space. As he stares at the disguised grimoire, Wilhelmina''s friends want to thank him for saving them, but stopped in their tracks when they saw he''s very absorbed and focused on his book. Tesha also saw him but she didn''t leave him alone because of the same reason as Wilhelmina and the others, it was solely because she was too sleepy after eating so much, so she went ahead to the room too has a nice and cozy sleep. For about two hours, Lyan observes the progress of his summonable creatures inside the grimoire in absorbing the mana from the frost giant''s corpses and the frost undead corpses. Going to the north and taking the dangerous routes is not something that he decided on a whim. After thinking carefully and considering the merits and the risk, Lyan made the decision on taking on the challenge of breaking through the dangerous regions on his way to the Redania Empire. His first reason is to search for the dwarven temple and look for any sign or hint of earth in the remains of the dwarven era. The thing that drives him to look for the dwarven temple is the book that he read at the Schr''s Inn that hints about how there are futuristic weapons made by the dwarves inside the dwarven temple. It''s quite rare for modern weapons to be found in a world that is filled with magic, since unlike on earth, there are lots ofplex human activities that could be covered by mana and magic. But when he arrived at the dwarven temple and search inside with the hope of founding the traces of earth, he didn''t find any of them but found the hidden treasures hiding inside the dwarven temple. Even if Lyan didn''t find the dwarven temple after following and connecting the dots from the bits of information he got from several sources, going to the north from the dangerous routes and at such a dangerous time could give him enough experience to fight with his current body. But it''s not solely only to test and challenge his current body to be stronger, but it''s also to train his summonable creatures and to make them even stronger. Facing such a dangerous terrain and dangerous opponents such as the frost giants would be able to make them stronger, and they would be able to even absorb the mana and the mana stone from the monsters and the magic beasts that they had defeated. This justifies his reason for going to the Redania Empire in the far north with several positive merits. But even though he didn''t get any trace of the earth, not only that he got the treasures from the dwarven temple, but the monsters and the magical beasts of the summoning grimoire also got strengthened because of his journey. To be honest, he''s not surprised that the ck aggressive horse, Shadow, didn''t get injured or even sick. He even felt like his guts are saying that Shadow is not less strong than his other summonable creatures. In fact, there were times that he felt like Shadow is faster than some of his summonable creatures. And then there are the summoned ice golem and rock golem that have been growing bigger than before. The ice golem gained a great amount of strength and confidence, and he almost feels like they can fight against a frost giant or a frost zombie wolf. And the rock golem, instead of growing bigger, they are bing stronger in terms of its physical strength and defense. They are able to endure more hits in battle, and they are able to recover quickly after taking damage. Perhaps it''s not entirely due to the mana stones, but their enhancement is probably due to the sheer experience and the training that they received when fighting alongside Lyan against the frost giants. From what Lyan observes, the monsters inside the summoning grimoire are not all on the same level in terms of power and strength. Some monsters are weaker than others, while some are stronger. Even among the same type of monster, some of them are weak, while some are strong. It makes sense for the monsters inside the grimoire to be stronger in ordance with their power and strength. After all, the grimoire is trying to tell him that the monsters that he summoned are strong, and the ones that he hasn''t summoned yet are weak. In order to make sure that his summons is stronger than the monsters within the summoning grimoire, he gave them more mana stones to consume, and he also gave them a chance to fight with each other, so that they would learn more about how to survive during the battles and how to beat the enemies. Lyan didn''t know if his methods are effective or not, but the speed of advancement of his summonable creatures are more than satisfactory to him. If it''s possible, he wouldn''t mind giving them more mana stones so that they could gain even more strength. In the end, Lyan had a lot of experience and knowledge about how to improve the power of his summoned monsters. However, his But then again, they must fight more monsters and magic beasts in order to receive the magic stones and be stronger. In the end, Lyan had a lot of experience and knowledge about how to improve the power of his summoned monsters. However, his main goal in going to the Redania empire was to find out more about the Redania Empire and to evaluate which ce would be the best ce for him to take home. "I guess that''s enough of looking at their growth... Now it''s time to check out my current strength," Lyan uttered under his breath as he stands up. ***************** Inside the ves'' room, Wilhelmina is talking with her former ve friends and recounting again about how they got saved by Lyan. She''s telling them and answering their questions that constantly got thrown at her. Some are asking why did he save them. Some are asking how did he save them. Some are asking whether he will continue to bring them or not. Some are talking about what he would ask to them since all of them are women and girls, whether he will do something bad or not. Wilhelmina answered all of them one after another. She told them that he is a kind guy who wants to help them but it''s still unknown whether he would bring them on his journey again or not. "If you want to live, don''t think too much about it. Right now, we''re safe here in this vige, and it''s safe for us too." "We shouldn''t let the opportunity of being rescued pass by, and we should take advantage of the situation where Lyan is helping us right now." Wilhelmina answered their questions and talked with them. They kept on talking until they ran out of questions, and in the end, they finally fell asleep. Looking at her friends falling asleep soundly made Wilhelmina feel satisfied, and looking at the children that are sleeping while holding their bellies that are full of the delicious food they ate at dinner made a smile to form on her face. But looking at them, she once again remembers that after she makes sure of their well-being and leads them to a spot where they could have a peaceful life, she would need to leave them in order to pursue and fulfill her duty as the sessor of the Credia house. "I guess I''ll need some fresh air," Wilhelmina uttered as she took the thick fur Lyan gave her and wrap it around her body as she walks out of the room. Looking at the empty living room, she tilted her head. "Did he go to sleep already?" Wilhelmina walks to the exit door and skillfully opened it without making a sound. The cold winds of the north blew and made her slightly shiver, but she noticed that unlike before, the coldness she was feeling is not that much. Her mana that is no longer got blocked and her clothes and the thick fur that is covering her body made her body warmer and could bear the cold better. "We''re so lucky to be here..." Wilhelmina uttered as she stared at the moon in the dark sky. As a smile formed on her face while she started to get sentimental, she sensed a surging mana presence from a distance. "What is that...?" (Wilhelmina) ___________________________________________ ________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 183 The Summonable Creatures Mana ? "Whoa... It''s cold... Well, It''s the far north, so I guess it''s not that surprising, huh...?" (Lyan) Thinking that everyone had fallen asleep, Lyan went ahead outside quietly. "I need to admit, the construction of the vige is rather beautiful," Praised Lyan as he look at the view of the vige from the front of the door. "It''s very clean and orderly." He looked at the snow-covered roofs and buildings in the vige with interest as he was stunned. There were nomps lit inside the houses at night, but there were small fires burning in the middle of the streets. They were lit by the residents of the vige themselves to lighten up their homes. "There are a lot of people residing in this vige too." The snow-coverednd that surrounds the vige is full of farms and fields. Well, because of the season, there is no actual corps being nted. But looking at how the vigers share their food with them without showing any restraint, it means that they have more than enough being stored for them to live through the winter. "Ah. I got too absorbed in sightseeing. I''m not here for that, didn''t I? Hm..." Lyan scanned through the surroundings and his eyes stopped at a certain distance from the guest house where there are some huge trees still remained despite it being inside the vige. "I guess that''s a great spot," (Lyan) The reason why Lyan waited until everyone to sleep is because of a certain reason, which is to test his current strength. With his huge ive in his hand, Lyan went to the ce where he saw the forest. When he reached the ce, he saw a few huge boulders around. His eyes were fixed on the tree that he saw earlier, and he moved toward it slowly. "Hmm... This is good," (Lyan) It was not very far from the guest house and the area has a good amount of space for him to move freely. "Hm... I wonder which one should I use first... " Lyan thought under his breath as he pondered. "I guess I need some visual to make sure I don''t miss anything, *Snap!*" Lyan snapped his fingers, and illusions of his summonable creatures appeared around him. Various monsters and magic beasts started from Pilia the Papilio Slime until Alpha the winter wolf alpha appeared and surrounded him. "Hm... I guess the first is Pilia''s power," Lyan uttered as he closed his eyes. The ck summoning grimoire appeared before him as he warms his mana up. Slowly, purple-colored mana gathered around him, and a purple wing appeared on his back. But unlike Pilia''s wings, his butterfly wings are rather small. "So I was right. I get some part of the summonable creatures'' strength as well..." Lyan uttered as he stared at his hand. He could feel the mana different from his original mana gathered on his hand. "But I guess I don''t need the wings, huh," Lyan gets rid of the butterfly wings, and reach his hand to the front. Just with his thoughts, some purple particles gathered in front of him. Even though it''s also an illusion mana, the characteristic and the magic it could produce is absolutely different. Mana is differentiated by elements, and there is also mana that didn''t have any element on it which is possessed by most humans and beasts that had just evolved into magic beasts due to the consumption of other beasts. But in each individual, whether it''s humans, monsters, magic beasts, or demihumans, their mana differs from each other and has its own unique characteristics. So even though some people possess the same element, their capabilities, their strength, and the magic they produced would differ from each other. "Good," Lyan pulled his hand, and the purple mana particles disappeared. "Next is Galia''s," Lyan uttered as he reached his hand to the front once again and grasped the thin air. Following his motion, a sphere of wind appeared before him under hismand, but a hint of struggle could be seen on his face as he tried to maintain the size and the density of the sphere. "Next is Mon," The next thing that appeared before him is a butterfly made of dark mana. It could be considered as a soul magic as he gathered the remains of the dead animals around him and gathered them into a single shape, folding them into a butterfly-shaped spirit. But the shape only maintain for about three seconds before it dispersed. "Mon''s magic could be very useful, but it''s very tricky to use. I need more practice. The next one is the rock golem, I guess," Lyan made a fist, and his arm slowly got covered by rocks, making it bigger. "The left will be from the ice golem!" Lyan raise his left hand and made a fist, and just like his right arm, his left arm got covered by powerful and durable ice. Thebination of his giant ice-covered left hand and rock-covered right hand could be useful for a battle of endurance. Or so he thought. *Crack!* The arms cracked, and the ice and rocks covering his arms crumbled, leaving his bare arms. "Ah... I guess using and controlling two mana at the same time will need even more practice, huh..." Lyan uttered as he put his hands on his waist while trying to recount the feeling and the sensation of using the both mana at the same time before. "Okay, I could practice them along the way. Let''s try the next one," (Lyan) Lyan continued his practice of using the part of mana that he got from his summonable creatures. He used the acid ant queen''s acid shootings, used Grimws'' necromancy and dark magic, used Magria''s mana me, used Fia''s nature mana, and used Arcia''s holy mana. After getting satisfied with using their mana, Lyan re-analyzed the experience and the sensation of each mana he used. "Hm... Mia''s monster child, the Fey Mammoth, Fia, could bebined with Lia''s monster child, the Arcane Retriever, Arcia''s holy mana. It seems that it could produce a powerful healing attribute. I guess I''ll try using them at the next battle or the next time someone got injured. But damn, I should have used their mana since the beginning," Lyan chuckled as he realized one thing. Unlike the mana from the high spirits, the mana he got from the summonable creatures recovered several folds faster in him, making it fine for him to use them asionally. It''s true that the high spirits'' mana is high-quality mana that is absolutely strong and a game-changer element. But he doesn''t really like the fact of how it recovers so slowly, and relying on the high spirits and feeling indebted to them is something that he wants to avoid. "I guess my next homework is to practice the use of the monsters'' mana, huh? Let''s see..." Lyan kicked his huge ive on the ground with his feet and caught them before striking the boulder before him. But his strikes are not meaningless, he''s carving it into something simr to a scarecrow. The reason is obvious, it''s to be his training target. "Now..." Lyan made a big stance with his giant ive and closed his eyes. !!! As he opened his eyes, the ice suddenly covered the lower part of the boulder, and Lyan immediately rushed to the boulder boosted by the wind magic. me covered his ive, and earth mana covered his body and turned into a rock armor. As he swing his ive, his eyes turned purple due to the illusion of mana which formed to cast an illusion to any opponent that made contact with his eyes. It''s a strategy to make an opening for his strike, and- *Boom!!!* The boulder got destroyed rather magnificently, and the trace of being burnt could be seen because of his me-covered ive. (Setting the timing right is still quite difficult, and it takes too much of my focus that I might miss any sudden approaching presence from the surroundings. I guess minimizing the use of mana types is wiser until I couldpletely master in utilizing them...) (Lyan) As Lyan is analyzing his practice, suddenly a sound of pping came from a certain direction. *p!* *p!* *p!* Lyan shifted his gaze, and saw that the one who is pping is the person that he just saved before. "It''s veryte already. Why are you awake, Wilhelmina?" (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 184 The Spar With The Fallen One (1)

Chapter 184 The Spar With The Fallen One (1)

"It''s cold... I wonder who is practicing in the midst of this cold..." Wilhelmina uttered under her breath. She then followed the presence of the surge of mana she felt, going in the direction where the big and tall trees are located. The surging of mana she sensed is getting stronger, and it was not only one or two types of mana. It seems as if there are several people practicing in such a cold weather. (Is it the vige''s guards, or some knights stationed at the vige...?) (Wilhelmina) "I wonder who is-" (Wilhelmina) *Whoosh!* Her words stopped by the scene of beautiful purple particles gathering and forming a giant form. But it doesn''t stop there. The man that utilized and made the purple particles dispersed them and shifted to wind magic. He continues to change from one element to another, making a beautiful spectacle with the spells and the way he utilizes those various mana. At the time when Wilhelmina is at the wagon and resting, the thought of how strong Lyan is when he ispared with her strength when she saw at her peak back then crossed her mind. She thought that if she was at her former strength where she was the top of the military academy in terms of fighting prowess and other sses, she would be able to fight at least on par with him. Unlike people that are strong because of raw power, the way Lyan fought against the frost giants before is elegant and skillful. He''s not using raw strength, but he''s using beautiful techniques and precise use of his skills which made him move like a whirlwind of death back then. But even so, she feel that she could follow his moves. The way it moves unwaveringly and beautifully somehow resonances with her and her fighting style. So at the very least, disregarding the strength and might of his summoned creatures, his strength alone is as strong as her when she was at her peak strength. But looking at the scene before her, she realized the difference between them. *Thud!* Wilhelmina watched how Lyan struck the big boulder that he carved into something like a scarecrow, and crushed it beautifully with hisbination of several mana. While Lyan isining about how it is difficult to control them and use them together at the same time, Wilhelmina is praising him for his magnificent control of those different kinds of mana. (Controlling a single mana alone is already difficult enough... To be able to control two mana at the same time, and improve them until they are powerful enough could make you enter any knight order without having to take a test) (Wilhelmina) The difficulty of taking control and using the mana possessed as we use our body is one of the biggest reasons why people that are dual-elemental mana wielders are rare, powerful, and valuable. There are people that born with the aptitude for two different elements at the same time, but not all of them could control and improve the both elements at the same time. So even though one could born with two element aptitudes, most of them chose only one of the two and trained solely to improve the strength and the control of that one element mana. (For him to control those numbers of mana at the same time...) (Wilhelmina) "It''s amazing!" Wilhelmina praised him as her hands unconsciously pped because of her excitement. As if he has just sensed her presence, Lyan shifted his gaze to her. "It''s veryte already. Why are you awake, Wilhelmina?" Lyan asked the presence that is pping in the distance. "Ah..." Wilhelmina regained herposure after getting thrown such a question from him. "I was thinking to look for fresh air, and I sensed an unusual presence from here so I went to check it out... Sorry..." (Wilhelmina) Lyan''s eyes peered into her for a while before nodding. "I see. Well, I guess there is no harm in getting looked at by you," Lyan swings his ive as if warming up his arms again. Of course, Wilhelmina immediately understood the meaning of his words. It means that it''s fine since she already got the mana oath that would prevent her from leaking the information about his strength to anyone. Looking at such a big ive made her wonder how could Lyan swings them so easily, but more importantly. "C-Can I spar with you?" Wilhelmina''s tone is slightly excited when she makes her request. "Spar... I guess having a living opponent would be better for me too, huh? Fine," Lyan draw a sword from the grimoire''s space and threw it to her. "Eh? Aren''t you going to use that ive of yours?" Wilhelmina asked as she points at the ive on the ground. Lyan is already holding another sword in his hand that he also drew from the grimoire''s space. Lyan gazed at Wilhelmina''s right hand as he replied. "It will be unfair for me to use my designated weapon when you''re not using yours, right? "My... Weapon..." Wilhelmina remembered her sword. The sword she used before is not a normal de. It''s a sabre. A curved, single-edged sword with a long, slender de. It was asionally used by cavalry soldiers and was particrly effective for shing and cutting motions. As a former knight, that is the sword that she''s mostfortable with. "How did you know that my favorite weapon is a sabre?" Wilhelmina asked as she tilts her head. She remembered that he possess the illusion mana that could also be used for mind magic. Did he use his mind magic to infiltrate her memories? "Of course, I wouldn''t know. But at the very least, I could see that you''re not the type that uses a normal one-handed de. People that could use a variety of weapons won''t be using that stance of yours, after all," (Lyan) "My stance..." (Wilhelmina) Wilhelmina''s making her usual stance, she stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, with her forward foot pointing towards her opponent and her back foot at a 90-degree angle. Her weight was evenly distributed between both legs, allowing her to quickly shift her weight and change direction. The sword was held in her right hand with her arm slightly extended, and her left hand was used for parrying and controlling the distance. This stance allowed her to make quick and efficient movements, enabling her to easily attack and defend. She could feel the familiar weight of the saber in her hand and the solidness of her footing on the ground. She was ready for anything her opponent could throw at her. "I see..."(Wilhelmina) Hearing Lyan''s words, Wilhelmina that realized she has made a stance that easy to be read by veteran warriors shifted her gaze towards Lyan once again to observe his stance. When she saw his stance, her eyes widened. Suddenly, a memory of when she was at the Battle ss of the military academy resurfaced. ''Everyone, remember this whenever you fight in a small number battle. You need to observe their stance to know how many weapons they are using. For warriors who are proficient with a variety of weapons, theirbat stance is much more dynamic and adaptable. These warriors have trained extensively to fight with different types of weapons and understand the unique advantages and limitations of each one. As a result, theirbat stance reflects this versatility, allowing them to seamlessly switch between weapons as the situation demands.'' ''Typically, these warriors maintain a bnced stance, with their weight evenly distributed between their feet. Their arms are rxed, but ready to respond in an instant, and their eyes are constantly scanning the battlefield, assessing threats and anticipating their opponent''s moves.'' ''This type of stance is designed to be highly flexible and responsive, allowing the warrior to quickly switch from a defensive posture to an aggressive one, or from a two-handed grip on arger weapon to a one-handed grip on a lighter, faster weapon. These warriors understand that the key to victory inbat is not just brute strength, but also agility, precision, and the ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances.'' ''Remember that these kinds of warriors are easy to be recognized once you saw them. My words here are not a secret or a key to win to them, but it''s a warning. You never know what kind of weapons they are hiding, and you might be surprised by even though they are more skillful in using their sword against you, they would suddenly change their weapon to confuse you. The best of them is capable of remembering all possible patterns of your attacks. So unless you''re confident with your win.'' ''Retreat is always an option.'' "I see... So this is what he meant..." (Wilhelmina) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 185 The Spar With The Fallen One (End)

Chapter 185 The Spar With The Fallen One (End)

Wilhelmina is recalling that lecture from her past. She was taught that there are also people who can switch their weapon at their will and is proficient in those weapons as well. The most dangerous trait is how they are familiar with the attacking patterns of all those weapons, and could adapt to most people. "Hm... So you''re rather keen..." Lyan uttered, and suddenly, he changed his stance. (H-He''s going to change it?) (Wilhelmina) In this new stance, Lyan''s posture was more aggressive and focused, revealing his expertise in wielding a one-handed sword. This type of stance ismonly adopted by warriors who have trained to use a one-handed sword effectively inbat, and it emphasizes speed, agility, and precision. In this stance, Lyan''s dominant foot was slightly forward, with his weight shifted onto it, giving him a solid base from which to strike. His non-dominant hand was raised and positioned close to his body, ready to defend or grab his opponent''s weapon. Meanwhile, his sword arm was extended, the sword held close to his body, and ready to strike with lightning speed. This type of stance is designed to allow the warrior to deliver quick, powerful strikes with their one-handed sword, while also maintaining a strong defensive posture. It also gives the warrior maximum mobility and range of motion, allowing them to dodge, parry, or quickly change the direction of their attack. (He''s not just a normal summoner... He''s strong in magic, and strong in meleebat as well...) (Wilhelmina) "I guess that''s enough time for your observation. Now let''s begin," Lyan signed the start of the battle, silently asking her to make the first move against him. Wilhelmina didn''t hesitate and took the first strike. She channeled her magic into her sword, making it glow with a radiant light. She thenunched herself at Lyan, her sword swinging in a powerful overhead arc. Lyan, however, was ready. He effortlessly dodged the attack, sidestepping andunching a counterattack with a quick swipe of his sword. The two warriors continued their exchange of blows, each strike echoing across the training grounds as they moved in a blur of steel and magic. Despite her skill, Wilhelmina found herself struggling to keep up with Lyan. He was faster, stronger, and more agile than anyone she had ever fought before. His sword strikes were precise and deadly, each one forcing her to retreat or defend. "He''s incredible," she thought to herself as she parried another of his attacks. (His control over magic is beyond anything I''ve ever seen. He''s using it to enhance his physical abilities and keep me on the defensive. But...) Despite her admiration for Lyan''s skill, Wilhelmina refused to give up. As the battle goes on, the memories that are still engraved on her body started to resurface, and her former skills as one of the great knights of the Kasmira Kingdom started to return to her. She summoned her magic to her aid, using it to enhance her own strength and speed. She redoubled her efforts,unching a series of powerful attacks that forced Lyan to defend. "Good, you''re adapting to my movements," Lyan said, smiling slightly. "But it''s not enough." He then unleashed a series of fire, earth, ice, and dark magic spells, each one aimed at Wilhelmina. They are different kinds of spells with small-scale attacks, showing that he''s still not used to using more than one element at the same time, but it''s enough. She managed to dodge the first few, but thest one caught her off guard, causing her to stumble. Lyan saw his opportunity and seized it. He lunged forward, his sword shing in the moon as he aimed a powerful strike at Wilhelmina''s chest. She managed to bring her sword up in time to block the attack, but the force of the blow was enough to send her flying backward. "You''re strong," Lyan said, walking over to where shey. "But you''re not strong enough." Wilhelmina picked herself up, her body aching from the intense fight. She looked up at Lyan, determination in her eyes. "I''m not done yet," she said, readying herself for the next attack. Her feet are slowly losing their strength, and her stamina is draining, but she could still move. Somehow, her current condition made her remember the event when she was defending hernd with her body years before. "Hm... You have some great eyes, there," Lyan smiled when he saw Wilhelmina''s eyes that are burning with resolve. "Come!" (Lyan) The two warriors resumed their battle, exchanging blow for blow as they moved across the training grounds. Their swords shed and magic exploded around them as they fought with everything they had. Despite her best efforts, however, Wilhelmina found herself slowly losing ground to Lyan. He was simply too skilled, too powerful, and too relentless. She was starting to feel herself tiring, her movements slowing as Lyan continued to press the attack. "You''re not giving up, are you?" Lyan said, as heunched another series of attacks. "Never," Wilhelmina replied, summoning all of her remaining strength to defend against the iing blows. In the end, however, it was not enough. Lyan''s sword found its mark, striking Wilhelmina in the side and sending her to the ground. "Kuh!" Wilhelmina groaned because of the direct hit before having her knees fall to the ground. "Good fight," he said, offering her a hand to help her up. "You''re a skilled warrior, and your control over your mana is impressive." "Thanks," Wilhelmina replied, taking his hand and getting to her feet. "You''re not too shabby yourself." Lyan noticed how she recovered so quickly from his strike which could make a normal grown man remain weak for several minutes. (As expected, her mana is holy-attributed, huh?) (Lyan) He has noticed the particr strength of her mana, but he''s quite surprised to know that her element is simr to a holy attribute. Her endurance is high, her speed is not to be underestimated, and she got raw strength as well. Her eyes are wise and always takes the best option she could take, and her heart is unbending. (I won because of the number of tricks under my sleeves, I guess. If our fight consists of swordfight alone, defeating her would be quite a hassle) (Lyan) The reason for Lyan''s deadly and precise strikes is because of his experience in the demon world back then when he saw still in the middle of his quest to y the evil dragon god, Tiamat. After looking at Wilhelmina, she somehow reminded him of his formerrades, making him to form a smile on his face. "Um... Is there something?" Wilhelmina asked as she sees that Lyan was lost in his own thoughts for a moment. "Hm? What? Oh! Right, you can just call me Lyan. No honorifics needed," Lyan said as he shook off his mind from his past. "Ah. My pleasure then, Lyan. You could also call me Wilhelmina. But um... Can I ask you where you learn to fight until you could be so strong like that?" Asked Wilhelmina as she tilts her head. "Hm... You could say that I learned them from facing lots of mortal danger. It''s alreadyte, it''s time to have some rest," Lyan replied shortly before going ahead to the house, leaving Wilhelmina with a vague answer. Looking at Lyan''s back, Wilhelmina didn''t ask him further about it. She understood that he didn''t want to tell her about it, and looking at his face when he answered her, she felt that she might make him remember something he didn''t want to remember with that question. Somehow, hisplex expression made a strange feeling to well up inside her. She was interested, she was curious, and the urge to want to ask him why is he making that kind of face crossed her mind. But she shakes her head, it''s a strange feeling, but it''s rude to ask something personal like that. So she let him go back to the house ahead. Wilhelmina then shifts her gaze to the shining moon in the sky. Somehow, the moon that has always seemed to be haughty and mocking her when she was still a ve looks very beautiful tonight. "One''s status affects one''s perspective, huh..." Wilhelmina uttered as she stared at the moon with a mysterious smile. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 186 The Heated Event

Chapter 186 The Heated Event

The night is peaceful, and Lyan andpany got their full rest along the night. He was rather skeptical at first, but when he went outside the house to practice, he didn''t sense any unfamiliar presence approaching or spying on them. After sparring with Wilhelmina and getting satisfied with his progress in wielding his summonable creatures'' magic, he went to sleep without having to get worried about sudden danger. But of course, he still leaves some of Hobu''s shadow servants to guard the perimeter and inside the house. (But that girl, she''s capable of seeing through my illusions so easily. It''s her innate talent, I guess?) (Lyan) Lyan is quite surprised when he saw her pping while staring at him calmly. He has already cast the illusion magic around him beforehand, yet she could see through his illusion as if there is no magic, to begin with. Normal people shouldn''t be able to sense the mana residue from his spells in the first ce because of the barrier he cast around the perimeter where he''s going to practice, yet she managed to sense his presence and traces of mana from his direction. "Very interesting..." Lyan uttered as he stared at the scenery outside the window of his room. "Mh... Master... I don''t want to go... The north... Is too cold... I will... Die...." A cute voice that seems to be delirious sounded from the bed. Reacting to the voice, Lyan shifted his gaze toward the small girl that is lying on the bed horizontally, taking up the space of the bed. "This girl''s bad habit of sleeping is getting worst by each day..." Lyan uttered bitterly as he stared at Tesha''s ridiculous sleeping position. "Should I throw her out?" Lyan uttered under his breath in a small voice. "Please... Don''t... I''ll be... A good girl..." Tesha replied with a small voice. "OI. You''re awake, aren''t you?" (Lyan) . . . "Oi," Lyan poked on her cheeks, but rather than waking up, the girl made a strange and creepy smile instead. "She''s asleep?" Lyan furrowed his eyebrows and observes her for a while longer, but she doesn''t seem to be showing the tiniest hint of waking up. "So she''s asleep, huh? Then I guess she won''t get any breakfast. Even though the breakfast today is delicious," Lyan said with a sigh as he opened the door, and suddenly- Tesha''s eyes suddenly opened wide with surprise. She then immediately sat up with all her strength, looking around for something that she may find useful. "Ah. Did I wake you up, Tesha?" Lyan asked with a calm voice. "A-Ah! Y-You didn''t, master!" Tesha uttered in excitement. Looking at her expression, it''s bare to Lyan that she''s been feigning her sleep all this time. (This little brat...) (Lyan) It''s impressive that she could fool him into thinking that she really is sleeping, but at the same time, it annoyed him that he was about to feel sorry for making her too tired for her. "Go back to sleep. It''s still too early," (Lyan) "N-No! There is no need for me to sleep again, master! I''m fully awake already!! See!? See!?" Tesha raise her body and made some lively movements. "Today will be another exhausting day. Go to sleep so that you won''t get sick. I''ll throw you out if you got sick, you hear me?" Lyan pressed on telling her to sleep. "I-I won''t... Sick..." The word about the delicious food still motivates her to wake up, but she didn''t know whether she would suddenly get sick or not. And if in the worst case, she suddenly got sick, and getting thrown away by her current master that could be said the best master she would ever have would mean the end of her life. "I..." Tesha''s eyes get teary because of her thoughts. She want the food and don''t want to sleep, but she didn''t want to get thrown away by Lyan in case if she suddenly got sick. "Ouch!" Tesha holds her forehead that suddenly got flicked by Lyan. "It''s your punishment for pretending to be asleep. Go and have some breakfast, I won''t throw you even if you get sick so go," (Lyan) !!! Tesha''s face brightens in an instant. "Thank you, master!!" The little half-halfling half-human girl immediately runs outside and went to the dining room, only to stare emptily at the empty table. "Ah. I forgot to tell her. The thing about the food is only a lie," (Lyan) ************************************************ Erich, the crown prince of Astellia, scanned the room filled with the kingdom''s nobles as they mingled with each other at the grand event. Dressed in his finest royal garb, he knew that this event was more than just a social gathering. It was an opportunity to show his leadership skills and solidify his im to the throne. However, his attention was quickly drawn to the Duke Ravindor, one of the most powerful and influential nobles in the kingdom. The Duke''s open ambition to usurp the throne due to the king''s illness was well-known, and it was clear he was trying to use this event to his advantage. The Duke was surrounded by his own retinue of loyal nobles,ughing and sharing stories over sses of wine. Erich couldn''t help but feel a twinge of unease at the sight. "Your Highness," a soft voice called out, drawing his attention to a nearby noble. "May I have the honor of a dance?" Erich turned to see Lady Alexandra, one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the kingdom. With a polite smile, he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. As they danced, Erich kept an eye on Duke Ravindor, who seemed to be surveying the room with a calcting gaze. Erich couldn''t help but wonder what schemes the Duke was hatching in his mind. "So, Your Highness," Lady Alexandra began, breaking him from his thoughts. "What brings you to this event? Is it merely for the social gathering, or is there something more?" Erich smiled, knowing that Lady Alexandra was a shrewd noble who could see through the political games of the kingdom. "I am here to fulfill my duties as the prince, of course," he said. "And to see what my potential enemies are up to." "Ah, the wolf Duke," Lady Alexandra said with a knowing nod. "He is quite the ambitious man, isn''t he?" Erich nodded, watching as the Duke moved through the room with an air of confidence. "Yes, he is. But I will not let his schemese to fruition." As the dance ended, Erich bid Lady Alexandra farewell and made his way to the Duke, who was surrounded by his loyal followers. "Duke Ravindor," Erich greeted him with a polite smile. "I am d to see you have graced us with your presence." The Duke smirked, eyeing Erich with a challenging glint in his eye. "It is only right that I show my support for the kingdom and its nobles," he said. "After all, we are all in this together, are we not?" Erich raised an eyebrow, sensing the underlying threat in the Duke''s words. "Of course, Duke Ravindor. But it is important that we work together for the good of the kingdom, and not for personal gain." The Duke chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, Your Highness, you must learn that in politics, personal gain is what drives us all." Erich''s smile faltered, his grip tightening on his wine ss. "I disagree, Duke Ravindor. Personal gain only leads to corruption and downfall. We must think of the greater good." The Duke raised his ss in a toast, his eyes never leaving Erich''s. "We shall see, Your Highness. We shall see." Erich waited for a moment before speaking, choosing his words carefully. "I appreciate your concern for the well-being of the kingdom, Duke Ravindor. However, as the Crown Prince, it is my responsibility to ensure the stability and security of the kingdom, and I assure you that I am fully capable of handling any challenges that may arise." The Duke sneered. "Is that so? And what do you exactly mean by that, your highness?" Upon the Duke''s sneer, Erich''s grip loosened and his calm returned. "It means that by that responsibility that I hold, I need to ensure the safety of the people and the country, and prevent any potential harm that might befall us." "Harm?" Duke Ravindor''s face contorted before the prince''s confident smile. "Yes. So in order to do so, I will need to remove the threats either outside or inside the kingdom, Duke. I believe that you understand the meaning contained within my words," The crown prince uttered with a dangerous glint in his eyes. ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 187 The Bordering Village (1) The Observation

Chapter 187 The Bordering Vige (1) The Observation

The morning was rowdy because of Tesha''s rowdiness due to the breakfast that has not yet been made. Annoyed by her pesterings, Lyan ended up being the one who make the breakfast for everyone, making the morning to be rather lively. The smell of his cooking invited the vigers that came to the house to either greet him or bring them some food and food ingredients to get drawn like ants. The breakfast ended up being Lyan cooking for a lot of people including Wilhelmina and the freed ves and some of the vigers. The breakfast was lively and because of the sudden gathering, it triggers the start of a conversation between the vigers and former ve girls. With a single start of a conversation, it leads to another topic and soon, everyone is talking with each other which makes the mood inside the house to be light and lively. Everyone is talking on a friendly terms with each other, and because of their past as a ve, talking to such kind vigers made the former ve girls to be veryfortable with the conversation. "I like toin about how a pain in the ass cooking for a bunch of people like this, but well... I guess the oue is not bad, huh?" Lyan let out a sigh as he stared at the lively house. Cooking is aplex order, and even though he could ask his disguised skeletons to cook, the food that they cook won''t be as delicious as what he could make. (In the end, I was forced to make them myself... Maybe asking Griselda to train some skeletons to cook might not be a bad idea) (Lyan) As Lyan is having an idea inside his head, a figure approached him from behind. "I thought I heard you say you''re a merchant. Didn''t know you''re a cook as well," Aisha, the female guard of the vige uttered with a smile. Still using a set of leather armor with her sword on her waist, she holds the food Lyan made for breakfast in her hand and seems to be enjoying them. Lyan''s eyes scanned and he started his observation. Lyan''s keen senses and analytical mind immediately went to work, scanning Aisha from head to toe. He took in every detail, noting the way she carried herself, the way her armor fit, and the subtle signs of muscle and strength in her arms. "Good observation skills, is it merchants'' unique traits?" Aisha said with a small smirk. "But don''t worry, I won''t attack you or anything." Lyan chuckled at herment. "I''m not worried about that. I''m just always observing. It''s a habit of mine." Aisha nodded in understanding, finishing the food she was holding before turning back to Lyan. "So, what did you observe about me?" Lyan began to speak, his voice low and measured as he carefully considered his words. "You''re wearing leather armor, but it''s not the typical armor that a guard would wear. It''s more flexible and fitted, designed for someone who needs to move quickly and with precision. I also noticed the subtle muscles in your arms and shoulders, which suggest that you''re no stranger to physical training." Aisha''s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she didn''t interrupt as Lyan continued. "You carry yourself with confidence and authority, but there''s also a hint of weariness in your movements, as if you''ve been carrying a heavy burden for a long time. That,bined with the way you''re interacting with the vigers and former ves, tells me that you''re not just a guard. You''re someone important in this vige, someone with a lot of responsibility on your shoulders." Aisha smiled slightly, nodding her head in agreement. "You''re right. I''m the daughter of the vige chief, and I''m also in charge of training the guards and overseeing the vige''s defenses." Lyan nodded, pleased with his deductions. "I thought as much. You''re doing a good job, by the way. The vigers and the other guards seem to trust you a lot," Aisha''s smile widened, and Lyan noticed a hint of pride in her expression. "Thank you. It''s not always easy, but I believe it''s important to work." As they continued their conversation, Lyan couldn''t help but notice the small details about Aisha that others might overlook. He observed the way she held herself with poise and grace, but also noticed the calluses on her hands that suggested she enjoyed practicing swordsmanship. "You have a passion for swordsmanship, don''t you?" Lyan asked, eyeing the calluses on Aisha''s hand. Aisha''s eyes widened in surprise, clearly impressed by Lyan''s keen eye. "Yes, I do. How did you know?" "It''s all in the details," Lyan said with a small smile. "The way you hold your sword suggests you''ve been practicing for a long time. And the calluses on your hands tell me you''ve been doing it consistently." Aisha nodded in agreement, impressed by Lyan''s powers of observation. "You''re very perceptive. But what else did you notice?" Lyan paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. "You''re a disciplined person, but you also have a wild streak. You enjoy taking risks and pushing yourself to your limits. I can tell by the way you carry yourself and the way you talk about your swordsmanship. It''s not just a job for you, it''s a passion." Aisha''s eyes lit up with excitement, clearly pleased by Lyan''s assessment. "Yes, that''s exactly right. I do enjoy taking risks and pushing myself. It''s part of what makes swordsmanship so exciting for me." Lyan couldn''t help but feel a sense of satisfaction at having read Aisha so urately. He had always prided himself on his ability to read people, and Aisha was no exception. "But there''s more, isn''t there?" Aisha asked, a hint of challenge in her voice. Lyan nodded, feeling a sense of excitement building inside him. "Yes, there is. You''re a leader, but you also value your independence. You don''t like being told what to do, but you''re also not afraid to take charge when the situation demands it." Aisha''s expression grew serious, and Lyan could tell that he had hit a nerve. "That''s true. I''ve always been independent, even as a child. But being a leaderes with its own set of responsibilities. Sometimes I wish I could just be free to do as I please, but I know that''s not possible." Lyan nodded sympathetically, feeling a sense of kinship with Aisha. He too had always valued his independence, but had also felt the weight of responsibility that came with leadership. "I understand how you feel," Lyan said, his voice soft andforting. "But I think you''re doing a great job. You''re a natural leader, and the people here respect you." Aisha smiled, a hint of relief in her expression. "Thank you. That means a loting from you." "You''re wee. Now, let''s try guessing your hobby," Lyan suddenly continued. Aisha raised an eyebrow in surprise. "My hobbies? That''s quite a leap. What makes you think you know anything about that?" Lyan shrugged, a small smirk appearing on his face. "Just some educated guesses. You strike me as someone who enjoys a challenge, someone who likes to push themselves to their limits. And given your position as the head of the vige''s defenses, I imagine you enjoy training and practicing your skills in your spare time. Perhaps evenpeting with others to see who is the strongest or fastest." Aisha''s expression softened, and Lyan could see a hint of amusement in her eyes. "You''re not wrong. I do enjoy a good challenge, and I do like to stay in shape. But how did you guess that?" Lyan chuckled, feeling a sense of satisfaction at his urate deductions. "It''s all in the details. The way you carry yourself, the way you interact with the other guards, the way you handle your sword. It all tells a story about who you are and what you value. And once you start piecing those details together, it bes easier to see the bigger picture." Aisha nodded, impressed. "You''re very observant. I can see why you''re sessful as a merchant." Lyan chuckled. "Observation is a key skill for any merchant. It helps me understand my customers and what they need, and it allows me to negotiate better deals." (Yeah. Observation skills that allow you to create bullshit so naturally, you mean?) (Griselda) Despite Griselda''s nastyment inside his head, Lyan maintains his smile intact on his face. (Let''s try to squeeze every information I could from this girl) (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 188 The Bordering Village (2) Gathering Information

Chapter 188 The Bordering Vige (2) Gathering Information

As they finished breakfast, Aisha suddenly offers Lyan whether he wants her to show him around the vige. Lyan gratefully epted, thinking that it would be an excellent opportunity to gather more information about the Redania Empire in their conversation along the way. Aisha led him through the narrow, winding streets, pointing out the different buildings andndmarks as they went. Lyan listened intently, asking questions about the vige''s history, its people, and its customs. He also took note of the guards'' cements and the vige''s defenses, noticing that they were well-maintained and that the guards were vignt. This observation gave him an idea of the level of security and organization that the Redania Empire had, which was a crucial factor in his decision to settle there. As they walked, Lyan continued to make a good impression on Aisha,plimenting her on her knowledge of the vige and its people. He also showed a keen interest in her, asking about her life, her interests, and her aspirations. Aisha found herself enjoying Lyan''spany, appreciating his intelligence and wit. As they passed by a small marketce, Aisha stopped to chat with one of the vendors, a woman who was selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Lyan listened to their conversation, subtly interjecting with his observations about the quality of the products and the prices. The vendor was impressed by Lyan''s knowledge and ended up giving him a discount on a bag of apples. "Thank you," Lyan said, smiling. "I always appreciate a good bargain." Aisha chuckled, finding Lyan''s resourcefulness charming. "I guess you really are a good merchant, I think," she said. Lyan grinned. "I''ve been known to dabble in a bit of trading myself. It''s all about finding the right market and the right product." As they continued their walk around the vige, Lyan steered the conversation towards the topic of the Redania Empire, which he was very interested in learning more about. Aisha noticed his eagerness and was happy to share her knowledge with him. "So, what can you tell me about the Redania Empire?" Lyan asked casually. Aisha thought for a moment before replying. "Well, it''s a vast and powerful empire that stretches to a wide region of the north. They have a strong military and a well-organized government. It''s a prosperous nation, with a lot of trade andmerce. Many peoplee from far and wide to live there and work in its thriving cities." Lyan nodded, taking in the information. "That sounds very promising. What is the culture like in Redania?" Aisha smiled. "The Redanian people are proud of their heritage and history. They value strength, courage, and honor above all else. They are a people of tradition and are very respectful of their elders and leaders. They also have a rich artistic and cultural tradition, with many talented musicians, poets, and artists." Lyan''s interest was piqued. "That sounds very intriguing. And what about the people in power? Are they fair and just?" Aisha hesitated for a moment before answering. "Well, the Redanian nobility holds a lot of power and influence. They can be a bit elitist and snobbish at times, and there is certainly a lot of politics and intrigue at y," Lyan noticed her change in expression and immediately shift to his next question. "How about the military and their diplomatic rtions?" "Hm... The Redania Empire is a powerful Country, with a well-trained army and a skilled diplomatic corps," she said. "We''ve always maintained a good rtionship with the neighboring countries but... It feels like the surroundings are a little bit more tense than beforetely," Lyan nodded, his mind working quickly to piece together the information. The fact that the Redania Empire had a strong military is something well-known since it''s one of the great countries of the continent. But what intrigues him the most is the information about the tension between the empire and the surrounding countries. (So they are not just some rumors...) (Lyan) If Aisha that is the vige chief''s daughter that mentioned about the tension around the empire herself, the probability of the information being the truth is high since her vige is located right at the border of the empire. "I see. Well, talking about countries and politics is energy-draining, isn''t it? Let''s just continue our tour, I guess?" Lyan that noticed Aisha''s darkeningplexion skillfully shift the As they walked, Aisha couldn''t help but feel drawn to Lyan. His intelligence and wit were impressive, but it was his kindness and curiosity that made her heart flutter. She found herself enjoying hispany more than she had anticipated, and she wondered if he felt the same way. Lyan, meanwhile, was focused on gathering as much information as he could. He knew that the decision to move to a new kingdom was not one to be taken lightly, and he wanted to make sure that the Redania Empire was the right choice for him. But as he spent more time with Aisha, he couldn''t help but feel a connection to her. He admired her strength and her intelligence, and he found herpany to be refreshing. As they reached the end of the tour, Aisha turned to Lyan. "I hope you found the tour informative," she said. Lyan smiled. "Very much so. You have a wealth of knowledge about this vige and the Redania Empire. I feel like I''ve learned a lot." Aisha blushed, pleased with thepliment. "I''m d I could help. If you ever have any more questions, don''t hesitate to ask. You''re... Going to say for a little bit longer, right?" She squinted her eyes as she asked the question. Of course, it''s impossible for Lyan to not notice the hint in her expression. "Of course. I still have lots of things I want to ask, after all," ******************************** "Huh? There''s no one here..." Wilhelmina uttered under her breath as she checked on Lyan''s room that is currently empty. After the breakfast at the guest house, she caught the view of Lyan having a fun conversation with the female guard that greet them at the front of the vige when they first arrived at the vige. At first, she searched for him since she wants to praise the food that he cooked for the others at breakfast, but she hesitated when she saw Lyan seems to be absorbed in the conversation with the female guard. After hesitating, she decided to wait until they finished their conversation, but her friends brought her to the table and she ended up having a conversation with the vigers and the others. And when she realized and finished her conversation, Lyan is already gone. She thought that he returned to his room to rest after making so much food for the breakfast, but after waiting for a long time, it doesn''t seem that there is any sign of him leaving his room, so she went to his room to check whether he''s in his room or not. "But he''s not here... I wonder where he went...?" Uttered Wilhelmina under her breath as she furrowed her eyebrows. "Hm? What are you doing?" Tesha that coincidentally went outside the room of one of the children''s former ves asked Wilhelmina that is fidgeting in front of Lyan''s room. "Ah... Do you know where Lyan went?" Asked Wilhelmina. "Huh? The female guard offered to give him a tour around the vige in the middle of the breakfast, though. Do you need anything?" Tesha asked innocently. "Ah... Um... Just something that I want to say to him..." Wilhelmina uttered as she scratched her neck awkwardly, noticing that it might be already toote to praise him for his cooking skills. It would be awkward for her to search for him only to praise his cooking. Won''t it only make me look like I''m trying to look for his attention too desperately? (No. What am I overthinking it for anyway? Let''s just look for him. I need to maintain a good connection with him in order to achieve my goal. Yes. It''s to achieve my goal) (Wilhelmina) As Wilhelmina stepped outside the guest house to search for Lyan, Aisha, and Lyan are currently standing in front of the vige chief''s house as it is thest thing that Aisha hasn''t shown him yet. "I see... So this is the vige chief''s house..." Lyan uttered as he observed the house of the vige''s chief. "My father has some business outside the vige, so the house is empty right now. Come in!" (Aisha) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 189 The Bordering Village (3) The Village Chief鈥檚 House

Chapter 189 The Bordering Vige (3) The Vige Chief''s House

Lyan surveyed the imposing structure before him. "I see... So this is the vige chief''s house," he remarked, taking in the grandeur of the building. Aisha, the chief''s daughter, led Lyan inside. "My father''s away on business, so the house is empty at the moment," she exined. "Please make yourself at home." Lyan followed Aisha into the living room, admiring the tasteful decor. "You have a beautiful home," heplimented her. "It must be nice to have so many guests visit you," Aisha smiled warmly. "We do our best to make them feel wee. Would you like some tea?" she offered. "Sure, thank you," Lyan epted, settling onto the couch. "What kind of tea do you have?" "I usually drink green tea, but it''s hard toe by in this vige," Aisha exined. "I make it myself from freshly harvested leaves," Lyan sipped the tea, surprised by its sweetness and freshness. "This is really good," he praised her. "You''re quite the tea connoisseur," Aisha blushed. "Thank you. I just like to experiment with different vors," Lyan''s mind wandered momentarily, imagining how the tea would taste with a ssh of milk. Aisha''s question that she threw to him next return him back to reality. "About that ck-haired beautifuldy, is it fine if I ask you what is your rtionship with her?" (Aisha) "Our rtionship is... Quiteplicated," Lyan answered vaguely with a mysterious smile, recalling the strange circumstances that brought him into Wilhelmina''s life. Aisha''s expression turned frustrated, but Lyan quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of your father, is he attending the annual meeting with the feudal lords?" "Yes, he goes every year," Aisha confirmed. "It''s held at the lord''s castle, but only the nobles are allowed inside. The vige chiefs have to wait outside," Lyan noticed the sour expression on Aisha''s face and decided not to press further. "I see. Well-" "The nobles would have a great feast with expensive wines while apanied by beautiful music, but the vige chiefs would be gathered in a separate room. It''s also a feast, but they clearly show the difference in social standing by serving food of obviously different quality than what the nobles are having. It''s not surprising, but I couldn''t say that I''m not frustrated by it..." Aisha''s voice trailed off as she uttered herints. Lyan listened intently, nodding his head in understanding. He couldn''t help but feel a sense of empathy for Aisha, who had to endure such discrimination at every turn. "That must be difficult for you," he said softly. Aisha''s eyes softened, and she gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Lyan. I appreciate your understanding. But my father doesn''t seem to be as bothered as I am, though. He would say that it''s a great opportunity to connect with the other vige chiefs, and it''s a rare chance to eat as much as he could without having to spend a single coin out of his pocket. My father is an interesting man, isn''t he?" Aisha let out a chuckle. Lyan couldn''t help but admire Aisha''s father for his pragmatism and resilience. "Indeed. I guess he must be the reason for this vige''s prosperity." "You''re right!" Aisha''s eyes shone. "My father is a very great leader and very wise!" As Aisha went on telling stories about her father, Lyan continued to listen with rapt attention. He couldn''t help but be impressed by her passion and loyalty towards her family and her people. But his mind was also working on something else, processing the information he had obtained from the conversation with Aisha. "So the discrimination ofmoners is quite potent in the Redania Empire, huh..." Lyan murmured to himself. (It''s not surprising, but I guess the discrimination went to a whole different level than what exists in the Astellia Kingdom. But since it''s a country of this size, a feudal noble would have arge territory, so it''s not surprising for them to have an ego and pride asrge as their territory. But the level of dissatisfaction she''s feeling doesn''t seem to be just simple dissatisfaction towards the nobles) (Lyan) He continued to ponder. (It won''t be an exaggeration to say that she''s holding some kind of grudge towards the nobles, especially the feudal lord of her territory. But she''s not showing any hint of an intention to rebel or something along those lines, so despite the discrimination, the treatment and ess to goods are rather smooth and well. Looks like the empire ys the stick-and-carrot system rather well. More importantly...) (Lyan) Lyan''s gaze fixated on the voluptuous curves of Aisha''s body as she stood before him, her chest heaving with each breath. He couldn''t help but feel a rush of desire wash over him as he took in her slender figure and the way her skin seemed to glow in the light. Despite the fact that she was wearing armor when they had entered the house, she had somehow managed to expose her "assets" without his knowledge. (That''s even bigger than Mia and the others...) (Lyan) As he looked around, Lyan couldn''t help but notice that even among the other girls in their group, Aisha''s chest was by far the most impressive. Her body was slim and toned, with curves that seemed almost too perfect to be real. Her legs were long and shapely, and Lyan found himself imagining what she would look like wearing short shorts. Despite of her huge chest, her body is slim and fit. She has slightly dark brown hair that looks soft and pleasing to touch. The color of her skin was not white nor tan, but somewhere between them. Her body is firm and toned, almost giving the impression of her muscles being more prominent than her fat. There were visible curves on her body, making her body extremely attractive. Her legs were long and shapely, and the thought of her wearing short shorts was also tempting for Lyan. Her face is beautiful, but the way her cute face tries to give off a stern presence is amusing to look at. As he studied her, he couldn''t help but notice that Aisha''s body was truly exceptional, evenpared to the other girls he had seen. Her chest was especially prominent, drawing his attention like a ma. But it wasn''t just her chest that captivated him - every inch of her body was firm, toned, and incredibly attractive. "L-Lyan..." Lyan''s thoughts were interrupted by Aisha''s touch as she gripped the end of his shirt, her face turning red with embarrassment. "Y-You''re staring too much..." "A-Ah... Forgive me. You''re too beautiful that I can''t help myself," Lyan regained hisposure- or not. He could feel his thing is ready to break through his pants because of Aisha''s sight. (Damn. Because of the journey, I didn''t let out a single load since there is also Tesha and I don''t want to be a perverted man that corrupts a kid''s mind. But because of that, it seems that it''s going to be difficult to hold it out longer...) (Lyan) Despite of his appearance as a human, it seems that the traits from his former form which is an incubus still exist inside his current body. Or it might be just his sexual drive that is too greater for normal people. "Th-that''s okay! I think it''s good for you to stare at me so much!" Aisha blushed even more as she spoke. "Yes, I''m sorry- Eh?" (Lyan) "I-I mean, I-I''m not bothered... But it''s still embarrassing to be stared that intense..." Aisha uttered with her face facing down. Looking at the cute gesture she is showing him, Lyan couldn''t help but wonder what the vigers would think if they saw the normally inspiring and charismatic Aisha acting like this. "Well... Phew..." Lyan let out a sigh of relief as he put his hand under his chin. "I thought that you would get mad at me for staring at your body," he exined. "No, I didn''t," Aisha replied, "Because I find it ttering," "Really? Thank you, I guess." Lyan chuckled awkwardly. "But I''m a bit worried about your modesty," "Why?" Aisha asked with a puzzled expression on her face. "How can I exin it... You''re beautiful, I don''t know why... It''s too captivating for me to keep my eyes off you," "B-Be honest with me, Lyan..." Aisha pleaded with a serious expression. Lyan sighed with a smile, "Your body is too tempting for me to resist. In fact, it''s driving me crazy," "Ehhh?!" Aisha''s eyes widened when she heard what Lyan said. "You''re as pretty as a doll," Lyan added, "And once I start looking at your body-" (Lyan) "Stop!" Aisha cuts Lyan''s words by blocking his mouth with her hand before staring up into his eyes. "Lyan... You''ve shown me your great observation skills before... W-with your observation skills... C-could you guess what I currently want...?" Aisha asked while staring at him. There''s a hint of hesitation in her intense desperate look, of course, the moment their eyes met, Lyan could immediately tell what she wants. Lyan could feel his heart racing as he met her intense gaze. He knew exactly what she wanted, and he felt a rush of excitement at the thought of fulfilling her desires. "Of course," (Lyan) ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore upation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers Weapon: Magic ive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow Equipment: ck leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastte, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials Grimoire''s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12) Grimoire''s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army Chapter 190 The Bordering Village (4) Passionate Winter

Chapter 190 The Bordering Vige (4) Passionate Winter

Lyan could feel his heart racing as he met her intense gaze. He knew exactly what she wanted, and he felt a rush of excitement at the thought of fulfilling her desires. Aisha''s hand still covered his mouth, but he could feel the heat emanating from her skin, sending shivers down his spine. The umted lust inside him had been triggered, igniting the me inside him. Without hesitation, Lyan grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, pressing his lips onto hers. He could feel her body respond to his touch, her lips parting as she allowed him to deepen the kiss. Their tongues entwined, exploring each other''s mouths as they lost themselves in the moment. As they broke the kiss, Aisha''s eyes were filled with desire, and Lyan knew he had to take control. Without a word, Lyan took a step closer to Aisha, his eyes locked onto hers. He could feel the heat emanating from her body, the scent of her perfume filling his senses. Slowly, he reached out and ran a hand through her hair, savoring the softness of it as it flowed through his fingers. Aisha let out a soft moan as Lyan''s hand traveled down her neck, his fingers tracing the outline of her corbone. She leaned into him, her body pressing against his as she tilted her head back, exposing her neck to him. Lyan''s lips trailed down her neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses that made Aisha shiver with desire. He could feel her hands in his hair, pulling him closer as he nipped at her skin, leaving marks that would remind her of this moment for days toe. He lifted her up in his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her to the nearest bed inside the room she pointed. Heid her down gently, his eyes never leaving hers as he crawled up her body, his lips tracing a path over her skin. Aisha''s breath came in short gasps as Lyan''s hands roamed over her body, finding every sensitive spot and exploiting it to the fullest. She felt like she was on fire, her body burning with need as Lyan''s lips found hers. He gently pushed her towards the bed, watching as she crawled onto it, her eyes never leaving his. Lyan approached her slowly, his hands reaching for the hem of her shirt. He lifted it over her head, revealing her perfect breasts, perky and round, with small pink nipples that were already erect with desire. He leaned down and took one of them into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive bud, eliciting a moan from Aisha. As he continued to worship her breasts, his hand traveled down her body, unbuttoning her pants and sliding them down her long, shapely legs. Aisha gasped as Lyan''s fingers brushed against her panties, feeling the heat emanating from her core. Lyan looked up at her, his eyes filled with desire. He knew he would not be able tost much longer. "Aisha." His voice was hoarse; he needed her now. She nodded and moved backwards, allowing him ess to her dripping cave. Lyan wasted no time sliding one finger deep into her tight depths, enjoying the way her inner walls clung to his digits. With his free hand, he reached for his belt buckle and undid it, shoving his trousers and underwear down his legs and kicking them off. When Lyan was finally naked, he climbed on top of her, spreading her thighs wide open and nting a kiss between them. Aisha moaned softly at the sensation of his warm lips caressing her most intimate area, her breathing out in short gasps. "Oh, gods¡­" She groaned, arching her back. Her hips began to move of their own ord, grinding against Lyan''s crotch as she tried to force herself on him. Her need was almost overwhelming, and she didn''t want to wait any longer. Lyan smiled, kissing her inner thigh again before moving up her body. He kissed her lips as they parted, giving her another taste of his tongue, which made her gasp. His hands cupped her breasts, massaging them as he brought his lips down to her neck. He flicked his tongue across her skin, sending chills through her body. Lyan''s hands slid down her stomach, his fingers trailing over her hip bones, then along her thighs, caressing her smooth skin. Aisha shuddered as Lyan''s fingers delved into her, slipping under her panties. She arched her hips upward, meeting each thrust of his fingers as they explored her hot, wet channel. Lyan''s fingers moved faster, causing Aisha to cry out, her pleasure building quickly. Lyan paused, looking up at Aisha''s face. He watched her eyes roll back in her head, saw how her muscles tightened, and bit his lip in anticipation. The tip of his finger slipped inside her, stretching her passage. As he felt her tighten around him, he pressed forward, pushing deeper and deeper until he buried himselfpletely within her. The room was silent except for their heavy breathing. Aisha stared up at him, her expression one ofplete bliss. Lyan smiled and pulled back, withdrawing his fingers from her body. He removed her panties with his other hand, tossing them to the side. His gaze dropped to her beautiful forest, watching the moisture drip down her inner thighs. His cock throbbed painfully, but he held himself back, wanting to savor this moment. He pushed Aisha backward,ying her out on the bed. He climbed onto the mattress, straddling her body, his erection still thick and hard. "I''m going to make you feel so good," he breathed, his voice husky. Aisha nodded, closing her eyes for a brief moment. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, then opened her eyes again, staring up at him. Lyan leaned down, his lips brushing hers. His hands slid down her arms, caressing her soft skin. When he lifted his head, he smiled at her, his eyes dark with lust. Aisha grinned up at him and gripped his shoulders. "Are you ready?" she asked, her voice hoarse. Lyan nodded. "Yes." She rolled her hips, rubbing herself against his erection. But as she focused on the warmth of his erection, she finally realized the strange thing. (I-It''s huge!! C-Could this thing even enter me safely...?) (Aisha) Aisha looked up at him, worry clouding her mind. Lyan chuckled. "Rx, Aisha. It will fit." His words calmed her nerves just a little. As Lyan spoke, Aisha reached between them, grasping his shaft. She gave it a few strokes, trying to get used to its size. (No way! This is my first time here. I don''t know what to expect!) This was her first time having sex with another woman, though she''d been kissed before by men. Aisha felt embarrassed at the thought of her inexperience, but she knew better than to let Lyan see that. That would only make it worse. So instead, she grew bolder and began stroking him, squeezing gently at his girth. Her eyes widened as she felt him swell beneath her touch. Lyan watched her face as she explored his length. The sight made him grow harder still, and soon he was fully erect, rising up to meet her hand. "You''re very beautiful," he said. Aisha blushed. "But I want to enjoy you thoroughly," he added. Her cheeks burned redder. Lyan shifted, sliding off of her body and sitting next to her. He tugged her close, his arm around her shoulders as he drew her into hisp. Aisha felt self-conscious, but she didn''t let go. "Tell me, Aisha," he murmured. "What do you like? What pleases you?" His question took her aback. She had never been asked that before. It''s not just an empty question, Lyan knows about his thing''s size, and since he has no ce to unleash his desires along the journey, his thing is very raring to go and is very menacing, especially for Aisha that seems to be still a virgin. With his experience, Lyan knows that he needs to rx her even further. "Well..." she stammered. "I love to kiss. And being touched all over." Lyan smiled. "That sounds wonderful." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her softly. Aisha gasped, surprised at how gentle his kisses were. They broke apart after a moment, smiling at each other. Lyan trailed kisses along her neck, nibbling at her skin. He pulled back and stared at her face, his gaze heated. "Would you like to go further?" he whispered. Aisha nodded. Lyan slid his lips to her jawline, nipping at her earlobe. Aisha shivered, her eyes closed tight. She slipped her hands through his hair, drawing him closer. When they broke apart, he looked down at her. "I''ll be gentle," he promised. Aisha nodded. Lyan pushed himself up onto his knees, taking her lips in a slow, deep kiss. His tongue teased her mouth, slipping past her lips until it found hers. They shared a long, sensual kiss while his hands roamed over her body. Aisha whimpered, her fingers threading into his hair. She moaned softly as he slid his hands down to cup her breasts. "Your nipples are so sensitive," he murmured. Aisha nodded, biting her lip. Lyan curled his fingers around her breasts, giving them firm squeezes. Their stiff peaks stood out from her soft flesh, and Lyan bent forward, capturing one nipple between his lips, sucking on it lightly. It quickly became hard against his tongue. He gave her other breast the same treatment before moving down her body, his lips trailing kisses down her stomach. "Oh, gods!" Aisha cried when he moved lower, pressing kisses to her mound. The feeling of his warm breath on her exposed pussy sent a thrill through her, and she wriggled, moaning as he licked her slit. Lyan paused when he reached her clit, licking slowly up to her bud before flicking it with his tongue. Aisha cried out and bit her lip, shuddering as Lyan sucked on her clit again. Her thighs trembled, and she squeezed them tightly together, trying to keep control. "Please, Lyan," she begged. "Don''t tease me." "You''re so sensitive," he said, stroking his hand along her thigh. "I can''t help myself." He kissed his way up her thigh, then moved back down to her pussy. Lying t on his belly, he spread her legs open and dipped his head between her thighs. His tongue teased her folds, tasting her sweet juices as she spread her legs wider for him. Lyan ran his tongue along the length of her slit, teasing her clit. Aisha gasped. "God, that feels good." Lyan''s tongue continued to flick across her clit, sending a wave of pleasure washing over her. She moaned and writhed beneath him, pulling her knees up to her chest. His tongue circled her clit, rubbing it gently. She closed her eyes, letting herself drift into that warm, delicious bliss. She tensed when she felt something hard press against her entrance. "Can I?" (Lyan) "Yes... Please..." Aisha replied in a shaky voice. Lyan pressed himself against her, pushing into her slick warmth. Her eyes widened as he entered her fully, filling herpletely. Aisha let out a cry, her shoulders shaking as she gripped the edge of the bed. Lyan held her close, kissing her lips and neck, whispering reassurances against her ear. Aisha sighed and melted against him. "It''s okay." "I just want to make sure you''re ready." "I''m fine," she said, kissing his cheek. "Love me well," Chapter 191 The Bordering Village (5) The Peeping Tom

Chapter 191 The Bordering Vige (5) The Peeping Tom

"I just want to make sure you''re ready." "I''m fine," she said, kissing his cheek. "Love me well," she added quietly. Lyan smiled and lowered his hips slightly, easing himself deeper inside her. Of course, he''s not ignorant enough to just let the woman before him feel pain for the first time because of his size. His illusion and incubus magic had started to y their part. "Mm," Aisha groaned as he stretched her. "So good." "I love how tight you feel around me," Lyan whispered. "I love this," Aisha said, running her hand along his back. "Please don''t stop." Lyan chuckled and started pumping his hips, sliding all the way inside her with each thrust. "Oh, gods, yes," Aisha gasped. "Right there!" "There''s no need to hold back," Lyan told her, his voice rough. "Juste for me." "Not yet," Aisha gasped. "Not until we both¡ª" Lyan bit her shoulder, hard. Aisha screamed, her cave walls clenching around his thing. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers. She trembled, gasping, as he slowly pulled out and mmed back inside her. Her orgasm washed over her, flooding her inner walls with her warm juices. He kept pounding her, his motions bing faster and harder. Aisha wrapped her legs around his waist, moaning loudly. She dug her fingers into his shoulders and squeezed, urging him on. Lyan couldn''t help but smile, the sight of her so turned on made him hot. He grabbed her hips and pounded her, his huge thing going in and out of her with quick jabs. Aisha''s breasts bounced as she moved, her nipples pebbling from the friction. "Yes! Yes! Love me, Lyan!" Aisha cried. "You like that?" Lyan asked, grinning. "Yes!" Aisha panted. "Harder! Faster!" "As you wish," Lyan growled. He pumped her faster. His ive ttered against the stone floor as he thrusted. The bed creaked as Aisha moved beneath him. "Cum for me, Aisha," Lyanmanded. "Let go." "Yes!" Aisha moaned. She arched her back, her muscles tightening around his thing. Lyan roared as he came. He poured his seed deep inside her, his balls drawing up tight. Because of the journey that made him have no ce to vent his lust, the amount of seed he''s shooting inside her is more than just normal ejaction. "Ahhhnnnn~" Aisha''s eyes rolled back as she let out a beastly moan because of the powerful sensation and euphoria she was experiencing at the same time. Finally, Lyany atop her, his arms sliding around her torso. She tightened her grip on him and pressed her face into his neck. "That was¡­ amazing," Aisha said, her breath hitching. "It was amazing for me too," Lyan replied, his voice raspy. He could feel the wetness from Aisha''s crotch that is filled with his enormous seed, and the traces of blood on the sheets that is the proof of his deed gave him a great sense of conquest. "But... I want more..." Aisha''s eyes fluttered open. "I want to give you as much pleasure as you''ve given me." She kissed his cheek before rolling over onto her side. She tugged on his arm and pulled him close. "I want us to be one again," Aisha murmured. "Let''s do it again," Looking at the girl before him that is raring to go for a second round despite having just lost her virginity not long ago with a chuckle. "Are you sure you''re not exhausted?" Lyan asked with concern. "It''s fine. I''m d I train myself to have lots of stamina. Let''s make lots of love until both of us tired out," Aisha uttered with a big and beautiful smile. Lyan stared at her for a while, getting absorbed in the sexiness of her smile "That''s the spirit," Lyan chuckled. His hand slid down between her thighs and cupped her cave, caressing her. Aisha gasped as he touched her. "Let''s go for another round," ******************************* As the love-making session between the vige chief''s daughter and the summoner continued behind closed doors, Wilhelmina approached the house with a furrowed brow, disbelief etched on her face. She had been searching for Lyan throughout the vige, asking the vigers about his whereabouts, until she was directed to the vige chief''s house. But what was he doing there with the chief''s daughter? "I heard that the vige chief is out for business as well. Well, the girl did say that she wanted to discuss about business with Lyan, though..." Wilhelmina muttered to herself, trying to make sense of the situation. As Wilhelmina stood in front of the vige chief''s house, her mind raced with questions. What was Lyan doing with the chief''s daughter? Why did theye here? What was happening behind those closed doors? She felt uneasy about knocking, unsure of what she would say if someone answered. "Should I knock? But what would I say if I suddenly knocked?" she thought to herself, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. As she hesitated, she became aware of the curious gazes of the surrounding vigers, which made her feel even more self-conscious. "I didn''t realize they were looking! Well, it will be embarrassing if I suddenly leave! So it''s all or nothing!" she thought, steeling herself for whatever she might find inside. But just as she was about to knock, the door creaked open by itself, causing her to startle in surprise. She called out for Lady Aisha and Lyan, but there was no answer. "Hello?" she raised her voice, but still nothing. As she stood on the threshold of the house, her heart pounding in her chest, Wilhelmina couldn''t help but wonder what she would find inside. "What''s going on in there?" she thought, her curiosity getting the better of her as she made the bold decision to step inside. "Excuse me," Wilhelmina uttered politely as she stepped inside the house, but her surprise was evident when she realized that there was no one inside. "Um... Hello?" she called out again, but there was still no response. She couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was amiss, especially since the vigers had directed her here. "But the door is open, so they must havee in," Wilhelmina thought to herself, and she decided to venture further into the house. As she made her way toward the living room, she suddenly heard a small voiceing from a nearby room. "Lyan!" she eximed in a hushed tone, recognizing his voice. As she approached the room, however, she couldn''t help but notice the sound of flesh pping against flesh growing louder. "Are they fighting?" Wilhelmina wondered, her curiosity piqued as she cautiously continued towards the door. But just as she was about to peek inside, she hesitated. She knew it was rude to barge in unannounced, but her curiosity got the better of her. "What''s going on in there?" she thought to herself, her mind racing with possibilities as she debated whether to take a peek or not. "Annhhh~ Lyan!! More!!" A loud moan came out of Aisha''s mouth that is covered messily with saliva. The sound of the flesh colliding with each other intensified. "YES!! YES!!" With her beautiful long brown hairpletely disheveled, Aisha moaned as she made a rejoiced face. Wilhelmina peeked inside with a shocked expression. She saw Lyan and Aisha, bothpletely naked, having an intense love session. She finally realized and mocked herself for thinking that the sound of the flesh colliding is a sound of them fighting. "I-Is this really happening...?" Wilhelmina uttered under her breath. Her breathing started to pace up, and her heartbeat became rapid. The sounds of the flesh colliding with each other be even louder and the moans of Aisha and Lyan start to sound more passionate than before. "Lyan, please give me more!" Aisha said as she thrust her hips harder onto Lyan''s thing. Lyan responded by mming his hips forward and pushing his thing deeper into Aisha''s cave. "Mmph! Mmmph..." Aisha let out a deep moan as she felt her cave being stretched. Wilhelmina couldn''t help but feel captivated and aroused by the scene in front of her. She had never seen anything like it before, and the intensity of their passion was overwhelming. As she continued to watch, she found herself bing more and more turned on. She felt a heat rising within her, and her body began to respond to the erotic disy before her. She could feel her nipples hardening and her sex starting to throb with desire. She couldn''t believe how much the sight of Aisha and Lyan together was affecting her. Aisha''s moans became even louder, and Wilhelmina could see the pleasure etched on her face as Lyan thrust into her harder and harder. She watched in awe as Aisha''s body writhed and trembled with ecstasy, her long brown hair spilling around her as she lost herself in the pleasure. As Lyan''s movements became more frantic, Wilhelmina could feel herself getting closer and closer to the edge. She knew that she should look away, that it was inappropriate to watch such an intimate moment between two people, but she couldn''t bring herself to tear her gaze away. She was lost in the moment, lost in the sensations that were coursing through her body. She couldn''t help but imagine what it would feel like to be in Aisha''s ce, to be the one experiencing that incredible pleasure. The sounds of Aisha''s moans and the sounds of their bodies colliding together filled the room, and Wilhelmina waspletely caught up in the moment. She could feel herself getting wetter and wetter as she watched, her own desire growing with each passing second. And then, with a loud cry of pleasure, Aisha reached her peak, her body convulsing as she came hard. Wilhelmina could feel herself getting closer and closer to her own release, the intensity of the moment almost too much to bear. Chapter 192 The Bordering Billage (6) Wilhelmina鈥檚 Dream

Chapter 192 The Bordering Bige (6) Wilhelmina''s Dream

The opulent room, adorned with intricate carvings and gilded fixtures, exudes an air of grandeur and sophistication. Soft rays of sunlight filter through the silk curtains, casting a warm glow across the room and illuminating the figures of a man and a woman standing in the center. He cuts an imposing figure, tall and broad-shouldered, with piercing ck eyes and chiseled features. His tailored suit fits him like a second skin, entuating the hard nes of his body and hinting at the power that lies beneath. As he gazes at the woman before him, his eyes seem to sparkle with a mix of desire and admiration. She, too, is a vision to behold. Her hair falls in soft waves around her face, framing her delicate features and sparkling eyes. Her dress, a creation of fine silk andce, hugs her curves in all the right ces, entuating her lithe figure and hinting at a sensuality that belies her refined demeanor. As they stand in the luxurious room, surrounded by ornate furnishings and works of art that speak to their refined tastes, there is an undeniable energy between them. It crackles in the air, tangible and electric, drawing them closer with each passing moment. At this moment, nothing else matters but the connection they share, the spark of desire that courses between them like an unbreakable bond. They are two halves of a whole, drawn together by fate and held together by the intensity of their passion. The scene is one of beauty, of opulence, and of raw emotion. It is a moment frozen in time, captured forever in the memories of those who witness it. And as the man and woman stand in the center of the grand room, lost in each other''s gaze, it is clear that their love will endure, defying the passage of time and the challenges that lie ahead. "You look beautiful, mydy," Lyan whispered into her ear, his voice husky with desire. He reached up and caressed her cheek gently. She shuddered at the touch of his fingers sliding across her skin. He pulled her close to him, crushing her against his muscr frame and kissing her passionately. "Mmm," she moaned softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. She could feel her body responding to his kiss, and her cave throbbed with anticipation. Their tongues danced together, exploring each other''s mouths. He broke the kiss and looked deep into her eyes. "Are you ready for me, mydy?" he asked. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at him. "Oh yes, go on," she replied softly. She pushed herself up onto her knees and straddled him, her hands moving down to grasp the hem of her dress. With a quick tug, her dress fell to the ground, leaving herpletely nude in front of him. Her breasts jutted proudly from her chest, and her nipples hardened beneath the cool air of the room. As Wilhelmina straddled Lyan, she felt a surge of desire course through her body. She had been waiting for this moment for what felt like an eternity. She reached down and took his hardness in her hand, guiding it towards her entrance. With a low growl, Lyan grabbed her hips and pushed her down onto him. Wilhelmina gasped as she felt him fill herpletely, stretching her to the limits of her endurance. (F-FInally! H-his huge thing... Entered me...) (Wilhelmina) They began to move together, their bodies merging in a frenzy of passion. Lyan''s hands roamed over her body, teasing and tantalizing her, sending shivers of pleasure through her. As they moved together, their breathing grewbored and their moans filled the air. Wilhelmina could feel the heat building within her, growing hotter and more intense with each passing moment. Finally, she felt herself cresting the edge, hurtling towards the release she had been craving. With a loud cry, she arched her back and came, her body convulsing in ecstasy. As shey there, spent and panting, she felt Lyan''s body stiffen beneath her. With a low growl, he followed her over the edge, his seed spilling inside her. For a few moments, theyy there, basking in the afterglow of their passion. But as Wilhelmina slowly began toe back to herself, she realized that something was wrong. She opened her eyes, and as the fog of passion cleared from her mind, she saw that she was not in the opulent room with Lyan. Instead, she was lying in her own bed, the sheets twisted around her legs. Wilhelmina groaned as the realization hit her. It had all been a dream - a wonderful, intense dream, but a dream nheless. Shey there for a few more moments, savoring the remnants of the sensations that still lingered in her body. But as she began toe fully awake, she knew that she needed to face the reality of her life. "I even dreamed of being at my family''s former mansion. What the hell is that dream? Why did it feel so vivid and real? It''s all because of that man," Wilhelmina muttered, ming the man who had been haunting her mind. However, the image of his muscr body and magnificent thing crossed her mind, making her blush. "Big," Wilhelmina thought to herself, as the image refused to leave her mind. The hidden lust slowly rose inside her, and her hand went to her drenched crotch. Suddenly, she heard a creaking sound. "Wilhelmina, are you awa-" Tesha stopped her steps halfway and stood still when she saw the sight of the ck-haired beauty''s flushed face and position of pleasuring herself. Wilhelmina''s heart raced in panic as she realized she had been caught. "Tesha, I can exin," she stammered, but the words caught in her throat as Tesha''s gaze locked onto her. ".....Sorry for disturbing you," Tesha said awkwardly as she turned around to leave the room. "Wait, Tesha, please!" Wilhelmina called out, but it was toote. Tesha had already left, and Wilhelmina was left alone with her thoughts. She tried to push the embarrassment aside and focus on the dream. Why had it felt so real? And why had she been so drawn to the man in her dream? She had never felt such intense pleasure before. It was as if he had awakened something inside her that had been dormant for years. Wilhelmina felt a flush of heat spread through her body as she recalled the details of the dream. The way he had touched her, the way he had whispered in her ear. It was all too much to bear. "I can''t keep doing this," she whispered to herself, as she slowly stood up. Her legs were weak from the release, and she stumbled a few times before steadying herself. But as she made her way towards the door, she heard Tesha''s voice again. "It''s fine. I''m not so innocent that I don''t know why you''re doing it. I''ve heard that women usually need to pent up their urges more than men." Wilhelmina''s cheeks burned with embarrassment as she realized that Tesha had heard everything. "A-At least... Please... Don''t tell Lyan about this..." Wilhelmina pleads with a weak voice. Without giving an answer, Wilhelmina could hear Tesha''s steps going to the distance. (What should I do... But it''s all because of that guy in the first ce... But it will be too embarrassing if she told him about me pleasuring myself like this...) (Wilhelmina) Wilhelminamented the situation as she walked toward her closet. She needed to get dressed and face the day ahead, but her mind was still consumed with thoughts of her dream. As she got dressed, she couldn''t help but wonder if there was any truth to Tesha''s words about women needing to pent up their urges more than men. Was it normal for her to feel such a strong desire, even when she was alone? But she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand. She had work to do, and she couldn''t let her personal life get in the way of that. With a deep breath, she strode out of her room and made her way towards the dining room, where the smell of fresh food wafted through the air and the sound of chatter filled the space. As she approached the room, the din of conversation grew louder, and she could hear the tter of tes and cutlery. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was ready to face the crowd of vigers who had gathered for breakfast. But she steeled herself and pushed open the door. The room was filled with people, all of them eagerly tucking into the hearty meal that Lyan had prepared. They greeted her warmly, their faces shining with the early morning light. But despite their friendliness, she could only manage a forced smile, her mind still consumed with the events of the previous night. As she made her way to the table, she heard a familiar voice behind her. It was the person who had caused her current predicament, and she braced herself for what was toe. "Hm. I didn''t expect you to wake upte," The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!