《Behemoth's Pet》


 Prologue – I Am a Cat (Behemoth), As Yet I Have No Name

    <h4>Prologue ¨C I Am a Cat (Behemoth), As Yet I Have No Name</h4>


    In a gloomy room. The wall and ground were made of rock, going on forever. A variety of ¡°monsters¡± wandered the area.


    This is a byrinth¡±.


    As the name implies, it¡¯s a maze-like ce that spreads far and wide; a mysterious space that creates monsters out of thin air. This area seemed to be in the middle of such abyrinth.


    ¡¸Nyao~¡­?¡¹


    Today as well, thebyrinth gave birth to an innocent-looking monster. But what could it be?


    Letting out such anxious cries.


    Where am I? I could have sworn¡­ that I fell to someone¡¯s de¡­


    Somewhere in that monster¡¯s mind, it remembered that it was once a knight. And in battle with the enemy of humanity, the demon race, it was cut down.


    Well, even if I remember, I can¡¯t do anything about it. More importantly, I need to get an idea of my current situa¡ª¡­ WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?


    In the middle of its pondering, the monster stopped in shock. The moment it tried to walk, its feet¨Dno, its forelimbs¡ªentered its field of vision. It had four fingers covered with brown tiger-patterned fur,plete with sharp ws. It lifted its foot with a dreadful timidity, and underneath found a squishy pink paw.


    The monster immediately started moving.


    It ran, searching for anything to confirm what the rest of it looked like.


    There.


    It passed by what seemed to be a puddle of water, and quickly checked its reflection.


    ¡¸Nyao~n!?!?¡¹


    The surprise made it raise its voice. Staring back from the puddle was the curious face of a kitten.


    ?STATUS!?


    The monster shouted those words in its mind. When it did, a string of letters appeared in the monster¡¯s vision.


    It was the self-analysis magic, ?Status?.


    The monster that was supposed to be a knight remembered it as the kind of magic anyone could use to see its own information.


    The contents are as follows.


    ____________________


    Name: None


    Race: Behemoth (Infant)


    Inherent Skills: ?Elemental Howl?, ?Skill Predation?


    Common Skills: None


    ____________________


    Be¡­ BEHEMOTH!?


    The monster¡ªno, the behemoth, nearly fainted at its discovery. Monsters are divided into ranks based on the level of danger they pose, from E to S. Behemoths are S-rank monsters. In other words, the breed of monster called Behemoth sits at the top of the monster heirarchy. It¡¯s a superdreadnought-ss creature, treated as a living disaster.


    I should have been dead, but¡­ a monster¡­ I¡¯ve heard rumors about this. I think it was ¡°Reincarnation¡±.


    Some living things, once that life came to an end, were reborn.


    The behemoth came to the realization that it must have happened to itself. The behemoth¡¯s feelings were mixed. It should have been overjoyed being given a second chance. But monsters were an enemy to all of humankind, the very people it had sworn to protect in its previous life. It didn¡¯t seem all that disappointed, though.


    The reason why is¡ª


    ¡ºGUGYAA!¡»


    ¡ºGIGYAGIGYAGIGYA! ¡»


    The first enemies of this new life appeared in short order. They were a monster called ?Goblin?. Short in stature like a child, with nauseating green skin¡ªan E-rank monster. There were two of them. Drool hung from their mouths to the ground. The behemoth could tell.


    Looks like these guys are hungry.


    So¨D


    A bit of a dilemma. Behemoths may have been one of the strongest monsters, but this one was just born. Its physical strength was middling, and it had no idea how to use its inherent abilities.


    At this rate the goblins were going to tear it apart, make delicious kitten jerky with its flesh and pick their teeth with its tiny bones.


    ¡­ Well, maybe if this behemoth was normal.


    ¡¸Nyaa~ (Even for a child the likes of goblins are small fry, you know)!¡¹


    The behemoth cutely roared and red at the goblins with its big kitten eyes. Seeing such an adorable disy, its aggressors let out a deep and heartyugh. Then the goblins rushed in toward the behemoth.


    Each of them held a short sword in their hand.


    ¡ºGUGYII! ¡»


    One of them swung down. It might have been able to kill the infant outright. But despite its diminutive form, inside this little behemoth was the soul of a veteran knight. It wasn¡¯t going to die that easy.


    It read the movement of the sword in a moment, and effortlessly stepped off to the side to avoid it.


    As its feet touched the ground, the behemoth kicked itself forward.


    Up close, the goblin that just missed its own attack received a powerful headbutt to the leg.


    ¡ºGUGYAAA!? ¡»


    It was an unexpected counter. The goblin couldn¡¯t help but shout from the dull pain rolling through its shin.


    Guh¡­ That hurt like hell. Let¡¯s try not to do that again.


    The behemoth¡¯s head was spinning from the recoil, too. But it didn¡¯t hinder his movement.


    ¡ºGUGYaaaaaaaaaaaa! ¡»


    The other goblin grew angered seeing its ally injured. It joined the fight and attacked with swordsmanship that could only be called basic without the ¡°base¡±.


    ¡¸Nya~~ (Take this)! ¡¹


    The behemoth could have seen it with its eyes closed, and leapt forward. It flew in a perfect curve at the goblin, and the short sword passed right under.


    And then¨D


    GACHA!


    Cute paw attack!


    The sharp nails that protruded from its tiny paw stabbed into the goblin¡¯s eyes. Its screams resounded through the room. Only natural, considering it just had its eyes gouged out.


    ¡¸Nyan (Should I try one of my skills now?)¡¹


    When the pair of goblins were no longer able to fight back, the behemoth decided to try out one of the inherent skills it was wondering about. It chose ?Elemental Roar?.


    I wonder what kind of skill this is.


    When it decided, an informational guide popped up in its head.


    ____________________


    ?Elemental Howl?: ?me Howl?, ?Water Howl?, ?Aether Howl?, ?Rock Howl?


    ____________________


    Hm. It seems to go as the name says, it has types based on attribute. Guessing by the names, I think they¡¯re fire, water, wind and earth. Alright¡ªlet¡¯s try ?me Howl?. I don¡¯t know what kind of skill this is, but it seems like the one with the highest offensive power.


    ¡¸NYA~N (?me Howl?)!¡¹


    The behemoth roared¡ªno, that was way too cute to be called a roar. Regardless, the skill went off properly.


    RO¨DAAAR!!


    A scorching fire sted out from the behemoth¡¯s mouth, along with a sound much more terrifying than its own voice. The raging mes enveloped the goblins¡¯ bodies without mercy. And in no time at all, they were reduced to piles of ash.


    ¡¸NYAAA!? (My body is so small and yet, this power¡­!?)¡¹


    Such strength was a surprise to the little behemoth. But let¡¯s just say, ¡°As expected of an S-Rank monster.¡±


    I don¡¯t know my purpose yet. But I¡¯ll survive. Surely there¡¯s a reason I was born like this.


    A knight who was reincarnated into the body of a monster, in spite of its misgivings the behemoth steeled its resolve.


    ¡¸NYA~~~~~~~~AN!! ¡¹


    And it roared as loud as its voice could go. That roar¨D


    That is the first roar of ¡°the Strongest Cat¡±, to be told in legends handed down through future generations.

 Chapter 1 – New Skills and Possibilities

    <h4>Chapter 1 ¨C New Skills and Possibilities</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Nyan? Nyan? Nya~n?¡¹


    The behemoth was walking with a spring in its step. Although one reason for its good mood was because it confirmed its strength, that wasn¡¯t all.


    Such a nimble body, andfortable at that!


    Its body moved lightly, even better than when it was human. It didn¡¯t feel any fatigue no matter how much it bounced around.


    To borate a bit¡­ After defeating a pack of goblins, the behemoth continued beating down monsters left and right. All of its opponents were ughtered in a single blow with ?me Howl?, a derivative of its inherent skill ?Elemental Howl?.


    As expected of the body of an S-ranked monster. I wonder how much ¡°Mana¡± this body really contains¡­


    Mana¨D The energy found inside every living being in this world.


    Regardless of their race, whether they¡¯re human, demon or monster, their mana is consumed when they use magic or skills. The amount of mana consumed increases in proportion to the power of the magic or skill used.


    The behemoth had already used ?me Howl? several times. He was rapid firing a skill that boasted extremely high firepower. Even so, it didn¡¯t make so much as a dent in his mana pool. It could be said that this overwhelming abundance of mana is what ssified behemoths as the strongest monsters.


    ¡¸Nyan? (Mu, that¡¯s¡­?)¡¹


    The behemoth¡¯s stroll came to a stop. A new monster peeked its figure out from the shadow of some rocks.


    It was transparent like liquid. Its round body jiggled like no one was watching.


    It was a ?Slime?. An E-ranked monster, simr to a goblin.


    Another monster, huh? With how many I¡¯vee across, this ce is probably abyrinth.


    It was all rock, rock and more rock, everywhere you looked. The paths were numerous, branching out and leading back into each other like a maze. Adding in the frequency of monster encounters, the behemoth grew ever more confident in the conclusion it reached.


    That was when the behemoth made a decision.


    That is, to leave and go outside. To live its second life (as a cat) to the fullest. Living out its whole life in a dark, gloomy ce like this? No thanks.


    It was easier to stay on track with a goal in mind, so the behemoth made a mental checklist with two things on it.


    First: walk around and explore.


    It needed to leave, and as previously stated this ce was just like a maze. Not only did it need to keep track of potential exits, it was still a living thing, so it needed a safe ce to sleep. For both of those things, it needed to get a good handle on thebyrinth¡¯syout.


    Second: train up.


    No matter how powerful it may have been, the behemoth was still a newborn. Another low-ranking monster like a goblin wouldn¡¯t be an issue, but it could still get wiped by something higher that can use a skill.


    It¡¯s also possible that it¡¯d meet people once it¡¯s out in the open. Amongst humans, there¡¯s an upation called ¡°Adventurer¡±. Their job is subjugating monsters, and they make a living by trading the monster¡¯s remains.


    Adventurers, same as monsters, were divided into ranks E through S. And if it met any of these people, there was a chance the behemoth would be targeted for subjugation. That¡¯s why it needed to get used to this new body and all its abilities.


    I¡¯m a former human, too. I¡¯d like to avoid fighting as much as I can.


    Worst case scenario, it would encounter and have to kill one of its family. Imagining that sort of meeting, the justice-driven former knight let out a weak mewling noise.


    But it was toote to feel sad about that. Its new enemy, the slime, was right in front of it.


    To deal with this guy, you have to destroy the core in its body. Should I just burn the whole thing with ?me Howl?¡­? No, something else. I¡¯m fighting a slime. Let¡¯s try something different.


    Due to their low speed and offensive abilities, slimes were even weaker monsters than goblins. It was the perfect punching bag for testing skills.


    ¡¸Nya~an!¡¹


    The behemoth initiated with a war cry. The slime heard it, making a high pitched ¡ºpiki!!¡» in response. Then it started taking cautious steps in the behemoth¡¯s direction (even though it doesn¡¯t have feet).


    Yes! Here we go.


    It raised its voice to get the slime moving in a way that was easier for it to hit. As expected, being literally brainless, the slime fell for its taunt. The slime, whose only purpose was to eat, saw the baby behemoth and thought it was harmless enough.


    ¡¸NYAN! (?Rock Howl?)!¡¹


    When the slime got close enough, the behemoth invoked the earth variant of its ?Elemental Howl?, and rocks of all shapes and sizes fired out along with its little howl.


    ¡ºPIKIIII!!??¡»


    The slime convulsed and squealed. Out of all the rocks shot at it and piercing through its transparent body, one shattered the core with a sh. Hm. It¡¯s a different kind of destructivepared to ?me Howl?, but it¡¯s certainly powerful. It can break through a slime¡¯s strike-resistant body without any resistance. A behemoth¡¯s special skills really are something.


    It nodded in satisfaction at seeing its own power at work.


    Kyuu~~


    Then a cute sound echoed. It was the grumbling of the behemoth¡¯s stomach.


    Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t eaten anything since I was reborn. Monsters are supposed to be omnivores, if I remember right. Should I try eating this thing?


    It felt weird to be eating monster¡­ Even more so when the main ingredient was the gtinous goop of dubious origin called slime. However, it had no idea when it would get another chance to eat anything.


    The behemoth sniffed at the slime¡¯s carcass.


    It smelled as strange as the behemoth felt to be smelling it. But it didn¡¯t smell dangerous. Its sense of smell sharpened quite a lot after being turned into a behemoth, so it probably had a good nose for that kind of thing.


    Screw it.


    It couldn¡¯t call itself a man if it didn¡¯t have guts. The behemoth then quickly surrendered to its gut, and bravely bit into its impromptu meal.


    This is¡­! This is actually pretty good!


    The behemoth¡¯s golden eyes widened so much they nearly bulged out. It expected tasting something bitter or indescribably disgusting, but the slime was delicious. Even the texture was satisfactory. If he had to describe it, it was somewhere between gummy candy and gtin.


    This is terrific!


    He took another bite of the carcass. Anyone who could have caught the sight of the kitten stuffing his tiny mouth and eating noisily without a care in the world would have thought it adorable. Not exactly a disy befitting the strongest monster.


    ¡¸Nyagh? (Hm? What¡¯s this?)¡¹


    The behemoth noticed something unusual happen when he took his third bite.


    ?Skill Predation? appeared in the corner of his vision. It was one of his inherent skills.


    The skill activated? But all I did was eat a slime, and nothing even happened¡­. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?


    There wasn¡¯t a trace of any skills going off around him, and he didn¡¯t notice any change in his body.


    Um¡­ ah! Is this maybe a ¡°Status series skill¡±!?


    The Status series is a group of skills that affects one¡¯s state. Skills like Offense Up and Defense Up fall under this category.


    ¡¸Nyan (?Status?)!¡¹


    To confirm his suspicions, the behemoth used its analysis magic.


    His information is as follows.


    ____________________


    Name: None


    Race: Behemoth (Infant)


    Inherent Skills: ?Elemental Howl?, ?Skill Predation?


    Predated Skills: ?Storage?


    ____________________


    ¡­ No state change in the logs. Guess ?Skill Predation? isn¡¯t a Status series skill, huh?


    Normally there¡¯d be a change shown in the entry logs, but this time there wasn¡¯t one.


    Then what kind of skill is it? If it¡¯s not a Status type¡­ Wait a second, the hell is this!?


    He took another look just before he closed the status disy.


    There¡¯s more¡­ I¡¯ve got another skill!


    When he reincarnated, there were only his two inherent skills. So what was this? Underneath the inherent skills, there was a new listing¡ªPredated Skills, with ?Storage? as its only one.


    I see, so that¡¯s how it works!


    The behemoth came to an important realization about one of the greater mysteries of his race. Behemoths are extremely powerful creatures thanks in part to a mana pool that would be more appropriate to call a mana ocean, but one thing about them stands out that nobody can understand.


    They can use a wide variety of abilities, and every behemoth has a different skillset. Even if one fought a hundred behemoths, they¡¯d be going against each one as if they werepletely different beasts. As a result, unlike other types of monsters, there is no known method for capturing behemoths. A single method simply doesn¡¯t exist That unsolved mystery is another reason why behemoths are ssified as S-rank monsters.


    And he just solved it. Behemoths can acquire new abilities using ?Skill Predation?, automatically invoked upon eating new prey.


    Alright, let¡¯s give this skill a go.


    The behemoth turned his eyes to the half-eaten slime corpse, and decided to use the ?Storage? skill he gained.


    In the blink of an eye, the slime suddenly vanished.


    He focused on using ?Storage? again, and the result was as expected. Its remains reappeared in front of him as if they¡¯d never left.


    Slimes were capable of preserving objects inside its body. And the behemoth¡¯s ?Skill Predation? absorbed that ability for himself.


    This is incredible! That means I can use the skills of anything I eat!


    Discovering exactly what he needed to do to get stronger, the behemoth raised its head and roared a delighted ¡¸NYA~~AON!¡¹

 Chapter 2 – Instinct and Remnants of Skill

    <h4>Chapter 2 ¨C Instinct and Remnants of Skill</h4>


    ____________________Let¡¯s save the rest of that slime for a snackter.


    After confirming the effect of his ?Storage? skill, he stored away the half-eaten slime again.


    Rxing from his meal, he started to lick one of his forepaws, and suddenly felt the urge to scrub his face with it. His behavior certainly matched that of a feline, the way he wanted to wash his face after eating. The behemoth may have been a former human, but for some reason he felt no perturbance in these instincts.


    ¡¸Nyao~~¡­!¡¹


    Finishing his new cleaning routine, the behemoth then stretched his back with his paws forward, a drowsy look on his face.


    Mm, I¡¯m getting pretty sleepy. Come to think of it, I was just born. Maybe it¡¯s normal to be so tired moving around and firing off skills as much as I did. Let¡¯s find a safe ce to sleep. Somewhere dark and narrow would be nice¡­


    And so the behemoth tottered along in search of a suitable resting area, stopping once in a while to rub his eyes.


    Still¡­ I never expected to be reborn as a monster. I was really blessed to be a human, huh?


    Even knights enjoyed their lives.


    This one used to go out drinking with his friends after long shifts. Indulged in hisziness on his days off and did his damn near best to stay in bed. Ate extra in the evenings so he could go into the next day with full energy.


    It was a good life.


    And now he was a monster. Although he was managing to live so far, it was anything butfortable.


    Well, things¡¯ll get better.


    Fortunately for him, he was born into the famed behemoth race, and remembered his life as a veteran of battle.


    If he didn¡¯t have those memories¡ª If he didn¡¯t have his knowledge of skills¡ª He may very well have been eaten by the first goblins he fought. So that¡¯s why. This is probably the reason behemoths are so rare.


    He understood it when he saw himself, a newborn behemoth looked to be no more than a kitten. Aside from his racial skills, his physical ability is clearly inferior to other monsters. As a result, many behemoths must have lost their lives before they could be fully grown, and nobody knew about their young. Even the behemoth himself didn¡¯t really ept that he was one until he checked his status a few more times.


    Oh, that looks like it¡¯d be good.


    Some time after he started walking, the behemoth came across a sizable boulder. A crevice sat at the bottom of the stone, big enough for him to fit inside, and it went quite deep.


    It would be a good hiding spot, as well as a ce to sleep.


    ¡¸Nyan~nyaa?¡¹


    Feeling like he could get some peaceful rest, he let out a joyful cry.


    But he spoke too soon¡ª


    A bone-chilling dread rolled down the behemoth¡¯s back in the next moment. He uttered a weak ¡¸nyaan¡¹ and leapt back. A huge shadow fell from above, andnded where he just was with a thud.


    This guy! That¡¯s a ¡°Poison Serpent¡±¡­!!


    The behemoth¡¯s eyes opened wide. He was looking at a C-ranked monster with poison fangs and a body stretching around five meters.


    ¡ºKshaaaa¡­¡»


    The serpent hissed provocatively as it stared down the behemoth. It must have tried to ambush him from above and make lunch out of him.


    A C rank? No shortage of enemies, I see. I¡¯ll just have to make you the training dummy for the rest of my skills then!


    ¡¸NYAN! (?Water Howl?!)¡¹


    He moved to strike, and a jet ofpressed water fired out with his roar. Maybe the poison serpent had a strong perception of danger, as it twisted its body to avoid the attack.


    It was right. The water jet missed, hitting the wall behind his target and gouging out the rock with a loud crashing sound. This power¡ªit wasparable to a water cutter.


    Missed. Figures. In that case, let¡¯s try this on for size!


    He was a veteran knight. This much wouldn¡¯t make him flinch.


    Nyan! Or so it howled. And then, nothing happened¡­ is what the poison serpent thought.


    That was a mistake.


    The serpent underestimated the behemoth, and rushed in for a counterattack.


    When the poison serpent opened its mouth, that¡¯s when it happened. Its massive body was blown away. He invoked thest of the behemoth¡¯s inherent skills, ?Aether Howl?: a roar that turns the atmosphere into a weapon¡ªan air cannon, to put it simply.


    The giant snake mmed into a wall, foaming at the mouth.


    ¡¸Nyan¡­ (That¡¯s your punishment for keeping me from my well-earned restful sleep¡­)¡¹


    The behemoth walked up to the unconscious serpent. His slit pupils turned their gaze down at the beast, and¡­


    ShhPAN¡ª!!


    He used ?Water Howl? directly on the crown of the serpent¡¯s head.


    Let¡¯s take a bite of this guy before I sleep. I wonder, what kind of skill will it give me?


    Thus he geared up for a bite, and chomped into its stomach flesh.


    BLAGH, PLBHBHT. Ugh, yuck. It has a chicken-y texture, but it¡¯s so bitter.


    Most likely, nobody would have eaten this kind of thing in any normal situation. The behemoth chewed and swallowed his mouthful, then immediately burned the rest of the snake carcass with ?me Howl?.


    Okay, time to check my status. Let¡¯s see¡­ ah! As I thought, it worked like a charm.


    ____________________


    Name: None


    Race: Behemoth (Infant)


    Inherent Skills: ?Elemental Howl?, ?Skill Predation?


    Predated Skills: ?Storage?, ?Poison Fang?


    ____________________


    ?Poison Fang?¡­ This is probably a skill to inject deadly venom. That said, I¡¯m a baby, I don¡¯t exactly have the fangs to pull that off. This is useless to me for now.


    He was a little discouraged, to say the least.


    Well, more importantly, I should getfy. I can leave that for when I can use it.


    Regardless of whether he was human or monster, keeping a positive attitude was vital to his continued existence. After reassuring himself, the behemoth curled up in the hollow of the rock, and soon enough he was gently snoring away in the darkness.


    He was going to keep fighting more monsters when he woke up. So he needed to restore as much energy as he could now.

 Chapter 3 – The Meat Becomes Delicious

    <h4>Chapter 3 ¨C The Meat Bes Delicious</h4>


    ____________________So, which way do I go now?


    Having woken up from his nap and begun his journey anew, the behemoth found himself at a fork in the road, and an important one. One route was likely to lead him to thebyrinth¡¯s exit¡­ and the other deeper in.


    And I have no idea which one could be which. Guess I¡¯ll just follow my gut.


    The behemoth chose the path heading right, and after some time walking noticed a change in scenery.


    The walls became a dirty, earthy color in contrast to the rest of thebyrinth¡¯s bleak tones. On those walls he saw geometric patterns¡ªan ancient writing system¡ªapanied by carvings that depicted people fighting a horde of monsters.


    Hm¡­ Could this be where the ¡°Labyrinthians¡± lived?


    Thebyrinthians were a bygone people who chose to live their lives in these monster dens. Their reasons for doing this still aren¡¯t known, and historians have suggested several theories. It may have been to test the limits of their abilities, study the ecology of thebyrinths¡¯ monsters, or even for potential coexistence.


    That¡¯s¡­!!


    The behemoth¡¯s eyes widened at the object of absurd size ahead of him, touting massive limbs and a body like solid metal. Unlike normal monsters, this thing had no will of its own. It was a guardian created solely for the purpose of protecting a designated ce.


    ¡°Golem¡±.


    ¡ºGOAAAAAA¡ª!!!¡»


    The golem let loose a deep war cry; and in the shadow of its face where its eyes would be, a sinister red light shone on the behemoth.


    It seemed the behemoth wandered into the area it was made to protect.


    Contrary to its hulking appearance, it was really quite quick, and with an earth-shaking ¡°DON¡± in every step it took the golem rushed at the behemoth.


    Sh*t, I gotta get outta here!


    The behemoth turned on its heels and scurried off at full speed.


    He had a way to beat the thing. Golems would have all their functions suspended if one of the magic symbols inscribed on their head was erased. But the behemoth¡¯s body was way too small. Even with ?Elemental Howl?, he¡¯d be lucky to reach the golem¡¯s belly button.


    So, he ran away, and somehow managed to shake the golem off his tail.


    He considered himself lucky to have a human mind. Otherwise, he might have challenged that monster and gotten trampled underfoot.


    ¡ô


    No choice but to take the left path this time.


    Different from before, the path the behemoth was on now was little different from the rest of thebyrinth. Just a bunch of dark, dreary stone. Although, something did eventually look different. It was the size of the road. The path was getting wider the further he went.


    Soon enough, he could see a wide open space.


    So huge¡­


    He didn¡¯t have any idea how big the area really was, but the ceiling was high enough that even arge-sized monster like the golem from before would have no trouble moving around.


    And then¡ª


    ¡ºGYAOOOOOO¡ª!!¡»


    A chilling roar echoed off the walls.


    Is¡­ Is that a fucking wyvern!?


    A monster showed itself in the air above him. Watching it steadily p its wings, the behemoth clicked its tongue with an annoyed meow.


    Wyverns are a subspecies of dragons, characterized by theirrge wings and ash grey reptilian scales, and sturdy talons growing from their wings and hind legs. It may have been considered only a dragon subspecies, but wyverns were still a B-ranked monster. A lone wyvern was powerful enough to decimate viges.


    Against yet another opponent of monstrous strength, the behemoth considered his options for retreat¡­ But considering is as far as that train of thought went.


    ¡¸FSHYAAAA!!¡¹


    His fur stood on end, and he sent his most threatening re at the wyvern with his golden eyes. Apparently, he was going to fight.


    When it came to the golem, he ran away because his skills wouldn¡¯t reach its only weak point. How was he supposed to deal with something that could fly?


    ¡ºGYAOOOOO!¡»


    Too simple!


    The wyvern swooped in at the behemoth, but he avoided it easily with a backstep. It was a smooth motion, an indicator of him getting used to his new body.


    No, that¡¯s not it. I should move farther.


    He started to run as he pondered those thoughts. From left to right, back and forth and all around in a circle, the behemoth ran about. Once, it even stopped and purred, turning around and shaking its tail end in the air to taunt the beast.


    ¡ºGARU¡ª!¡»


    Being toyed with by a monster far weaker than itself, the wyvern was quick to lose its temper. After a short muttering of irritation, it lifted up to the ceiling. Its talons unfolded, its wings folded in, and it dropped in a high speed nose dive.


    It was, in a word, terrifying. The behemoth¡¯s stubby little legs had no chance at that speed.


    But who cares? The behemoth sure didn¡¯t. In fact, the ends of its mouth raised up a bit.


    ¡¸Nyan (Now)!¡¹


    He took in a deep breath, and squeezed in all the air his lungs would fit.


    And released.


    A thundering boom resounded from its mouth. At the same time the wyvern screamed as it careened off in another direction, and in seconds it started falling. The wyvern didn¡¯t know what just happened, but that didn¡¯t stop it from catching itself to fly again. All it could do was follow its instincts crying ¡¸I¡¯m screwed!¡¹


    But it was already toote.


    Its semicircr canals were kicked out of order, and it couldn¡¯t keep its bnce for more than a moment.


    The behemoth cast one of its ?Elemental Howl? skills, ?Aether Howl?, nearly guaranteed a direct hit on the wyvern¡¯s left wing. It punched straight through, blowing the wyvern away again.


    The reason he didn¡¯t use any of his other ?Elemental Howl? skills to knock it out of the sky was pretty simple, really.


    While he was experimenting with them, he learned that they each had a different casting speed.


    From fastest to slowest: ?Aether Howl?, ?Water Howl?, ?Rock Howl?, ?me Howl?.


    Additionally, their power corresponded to his lung capacity. The longer he breathed in, the stronger they were.


    ?Aether Howl? is the fastest of them, and it was possible to shorten the invocation even further. It was the best choice for dealing with the wyvern, whose specialty was in speedy hit-and-run tactics. Still, even this much seemed to be beyond the limits of a normal adult behemoth¡¯s knowledge¡­


    Well, back to business.


    Turning his attention back to the distressed wyvern, barely staying aloft, the behemoth took another deep breath.


    ¡¸NYAN (?Rock Howl?)!¡¹


    He fired off a roar of earth.


    Countless fist-sized stones mercilessly pierced through the wyvern¡¯s face, wings and belly¡­ and it finally met its maker.


    Alright, let¡¯s get to eating.


    He hurried to the wyvern corpse that now more resembled Swiss cheese than a carcass, and the behemoth dove into the meat with drool running down its mouth. Among humans, wyvern meat was highly valued as a top tier ingredient.


    The vor was extremely rich; and when cooked, the meat was crispy on the outside yet melted in one¡¯s mouth once they took a bite.


    Even for raw meat, there were many a human who would jump at this kind of chance.


    And all throughout the room, a gluttonous gobbling noise resounded as the behemoth happily indulged in every bite.

 Chapter 4 – Excited Body and Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 4 ¨C Excited Body and Spirit</h4>


    ____________________Hoho, this skill¡­


    After enjoying his fill of wyvern meat, the behemoth checked up on the ?Status? disyed in his vision.


    His information is as follows.


    ____________________


    Name: None


    Race: Behemoth (Infant)


    Inherent Skills: ?Elemental Howl?, ?Skill Predation?, ?Elemental Tailde?


    Predated Skills: ?Storage?, ?Poison Fang?, ?Flight?


    ____________________


    ?Elemental Tailde? in the inherent skills, and ?Flight? under the predated skills.


    I can guess ?Flight? is probably the skill I absorbed from the wyvern, but¡­ what the hell is this ?Elemental Tailde??


    So far, the skills he got from other monsters were all ssified as predated, but he acquired a new inherent skill with it.


    The behemoth¡¯s tail curled up into a question mark.


    The question was natural. Humans and monsters have different ecologies, after all. So what just happened? That¡¯ll take a bit of exining regarding the differences between monsters and humans.


    Human race skills are divided into two categories. The first is inherent, or inborn skills. The second is learned from a magic item that contains the knowledge of a skill, called a ¡°scroll¡±. Exceptions exist, but they¡¯re exceptions for a reason.


    Following that, monster skills are also divided into two categories. First, like humans, they have inherent skills. The other is learned by collecting experience. Unlike humans, monsters are always flirting with death, so they can raise their abilities and learn new skills without the need for magical items.


    However, a monster¡¯s skills have rules and limitations depending on the monster. If there are any exceptions, probably the only one is the behemoth and its inherent ?Skill Predation?.


    Eh, whatever. Let¡¯s just try this stuff out. I¡¯ll start with ?Flight?¡­


    ¡¸Nyan (?Flight?)!¡¹


    The behemoth gave off a cute cry to cast the new skill. With it, a pair of jet ck reptilian wings appeared from the orange patterns on his back.


    I get it! I know how to use these babies!


    When the wings popped out of his back, something clicked in the behemoth¡¯s mind. His instincts already knew exactly how to fly. A loud ¡°BWOOSH¡± apanied the spread of his wings. He shifted forward, and kicked off the hard stone floor.


    It worked.


    A vague floating sensation dominated his tiny form, he felt a rush like never before. He was flying with a splendid glee.


    How refreshing¡­! And it¡¯s faint, but I can feel mana circting around my body, too.


    The behemoth noticed it when he took his first turn. It was wind element magic he was passively producing in flight.


    It appeared his newly-gained ?Flight? skill didn¡¯t necessarily require the wings to fly. ?Flight? also regted the air around him, giving him some temperature and wind resistance in addition to mobility.


    The behemoth was still an infant. Maybe if he were an adult his wings would be bigger and tougher, but as he was now they weren¡¯t much to write home about. They were really just for show at this point.


    Nevertheless, this skill is pretty great. With this I could probably even take on that golem with ?Elemental Howl?¡­


    He couldn¡¯t help thinking about it. As long as he had a mobility skill like this, he could increase the range of ?Elemental Howl?, and fire it from the skies without needing to take a risky approach.


    At least, that¡¯s what he wanted to think. Unfortunately, ?Elemental Howl? is a mid-range skill, and drops off in effectiveness at longer distances. No staying safe for this kitty.


    Can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s try out the other new one.


    Be they human or monster, it¡¯s important to know when to give up. Resigned, the behemoth slowly descended to the ground. As he cancelled out his ?Flight? skill, his jet ck wings vanished as well.


    It¡¯s called ?Elemental Tailde?. Does it work the same way as ?Elemental Howl?¡­? Yep, seems like I¡¯m right.


    The instant the behemoth invoked his new skill, the disy confirmed his suspicions.


    ____________________


    ?Elemental Tailde?: ?me Edge?, ?Water Edge?, ?Aether Edge?, ?Rock Edge?


    ____________________


    It showed a list of derivative skills in his status menu, proving how simr its function was to ?Elemental Howl?.


    Jackpot!


    ¡¸Nyan (?me Edge?)!¡¹


    The behemoth let off a lively cry, and the next moment his tail was set on fire. Or, to be more urate, it was wrapped in fire. And as he pictured it, the mes converged into the shape of a brilliant red sword.


    This is¡­ This reminds me of ¡°Magic Sword¡±! And it looks about¡­ two meters long.


    Magic Sword¡ªaptly named, by the way¡ªis a skill that can create swords of each element, much like the one the behemoth just made.


    Strictly speaking, though, Magic Sword is a 100% magic skill. The ?Elemental Tailde? the behemoth used isn¡¯t purely magic, so they¡¯re not exactly the same.


    He shook his tail around a bit to test the sword.


    How about this?


    From a single swing, the searing red de cleaved the air and left a zing heat in its wake. The behemoth blinked a few times to make sure he wasn¡¯t going crazy.


    This kind of speed¡ªand all I did was swipe my tail around a little¡­


    When he was a knight, his sword skill was excellent even among his peers. The way he felt swinging his tail now was so much like his old self.


    Okay, it was slightly different, using his butt and all instead of arms. Overall it wasn¡¯t surprising that he found it so easy to pick up. He was able to use his new skill like a sword from his previous life.


    In fact, maybe it was even better. ?Elemental Tailde? made a weapon out of his actual body, and his tail could be manipted into all different kinds of angles. A really user-friendly skill, he thought.


    And that¡¯s not all. This skill isn¡¯t like ?Elemental Howl?, which needs charging, and the gap in casting speed is huge. Not only that, but it¡¯s not a projectile. I can keep it active as long as I want; I can even use other skills without cancelling it.


    Keheh¡­ This is the perfect skill for a former swordsman like me to show his full potential!


    A sword to which he can entrust his life¡ª Even if his body was that of a monster¡¯s¡­ No. It¡¯s because he was in this body.


    The knight blood coursing through the behemoth¡¯s veins was boiling with excitement.

 Chapter 5 – Each Special Trait

    <h4>Chapter 5 ¨C Each Special Trait</h4>


    ____________________Okay, I¡¯ve got the idea now. Let¡¯s go y with my new sword for a bit.


    Some time after training to use ?me Edge?, the behemoth decided to take his training to the next level, and walked slowly until he reached a wall.


    Here we go!


    He raised his tail¡­ er, ?me Edge?, then shed against the stone.


    JSHWAAA¡ª!!


    That should do.


    He let the heat clear with the sound of something evaporating, the wall cleaved clean when he opened his eyes. It felt like cutting through butter.


    This heat is something else! Sure ain¡¯t your average everyday magic sword. I should probably be careful with it¡­


    Next.


    The behemoth cancelled out his ?me Edge?, then readied for the next ?Elemental Tailde? attribute.


    ¡¸Nyan (?Water Edge?)!¡¹


    When he invoked the water variant, a body of water gathered around his tail into the shape of a transparent de. Like ?me Edge?, it was about two meters long.


    You¡¯re up!


    For the sake ofparing strength on even terms, the behemoth conducted a sh on the wall simrly to thest one. After a wet crash, the damage done wasn¡¯t as clean as with ?me Edge?, but it still took a sizable chunk out of the wall.


    Hm. The raw power¡¯s lower than ?me Edge?, but ?Water Edge? is faster to cast. Looks like ease of use corresponds to output like with ?Elemental Howl?. If that¡¯s right, then the fastest should be¡­


    To confirm his understanding, the next tailde he tested was ?Aether Edge?. As expected¡ª¡­ No, it was beyond that. Before he even realized it, the skill was alreadyplete. The de was invisible, but he knew it was there, stretching from his rear end around his tail.


    It¡¯s so light. Just like the name says, it¡¯s made of air. In fact, it doesn¡¯t feel like it has any weight at all!


    He gave the sword a few swings, and the velocity was markedly different.


    It didn¡¯t surprise him, though.


    The wind de, ?Aether Edge?, was formed of air currents, and came with the special characteristic of elerating swing speed. It took no more than an instant for ?Aether Edge? to dig into the wall. Although the de didn¡¯t gouge the rock like ?Water Edge? or ?me Edge?, instead just shaving away at the surface. Naturally, the wind attribute skill had the lowest strength of the bunch, just like ?Aether Howl?.


    But this is enough. Its power is low, but the speed more than makes up for itpared to anymon sword. Plus, ?Aether Edge? is invisible! As long as my opponent doesn¡¯t have strong mana perception, they won¡¯t even notice this skill being active.


    Any normal monster would have put an emphasis on raw power, so they wouldn¡¯t care about the true worth of this skill. The behemoth, though, was anything but normal. There¡¯s no way a veteran knight would mistake the value of such an excellent weapon.


    And on to thest one, ?Rock Edge?, the earth version of the skill.


    Going off its ?Elemental Howl? equivalent, its casting speed should have been second tost.


    Or, so he thought.


    Ah¡ªthe activation¡¯s so slow. And¡­ What the hell is this thing supposed to be!?


    The behemoth stared at thepleted ?Rock Edge? with a dumb look in his eyes. It was longer than the other Tailde variants, about three meters long. Not only that, but it was exceedingly wide, and seemed to be made of some kind of polished stone.


    The first three variants of ?Elemental Tailde? so far were akin to katana-type longswords.


    On the other hand, this ?Rock Edge? was more like a greatsword, with the weight to match.


    Guh¡­ It¡¯s so heavy, too. Well, let¡¯s try it out.


    The behemoth was pulled along a bit when he tried to swing the sword, but he recovered his bnce immediately. He trained with all kinds of weapons before his death, heavy swords no exception. All it took was shifting his center of gravity to go from longsword to greatsword.


    So, he shed away at the wall, and after a short swish there was a deafening crash.


    Should¡¯ve seen thating.


    Rather than any cutting sound, it was more like two blunt objects being mmed into then ground against each other.


    The effect was within expectations, as well.


    To make up for its extremely low speed, this sword of solid stone left a massive fissure in the wall that dwarfed the damage made by the other elemental variants. Pieces of rock were still crumbling and falling apart from the aftershocks.


    I see. It¡¯s a bit harder to use than the other swords, but it¡¯s a damn good weapon. I could shatter armor in one swing with this beast. And even if this sword can¡¯t beat a monster that easily, the impact damage is immense. ?Tailde?, huh? What an awesome skill.


    Once again, the behemoth absentmindedly admired the convenience and usefulness of his inherent abilities.


    And then, he came to a sudden realization.


    I¡¯ve acquired some amazing new skills¡­


    If I use all I¡¯ve got now, I¡¯m sure I can win against him.

 Chapter 6 - Demon Cow

    <h4>Chapter 6: Demon Cow</h4>


    ____________________Hm¡­


    The behemoth was trodding his way back to the branching path he encountered before, a very particr goal in mind. Before he reached the intersection, though, three new enemies showed up to block his path.


    ¡°Minotaur¡±.


    A bipedal humanoid bull-like monster. These things were ranked somewhere between C and B. C+.


    ¡ºMWOOOO!!¡»


    The moment they caught the look of the tiny kitten, they charged at him not unlike pedophiles at an unattended children¡¯s yground. They seemed like they were even fighting each other, wanting to be the first to get a taste of that young and tender behemoth meat.


    Minotaurs, eh? You came at just the right time. I¡¯ll grant you the privilege of bing my ?Tailde?¡¯s first prey!


    The behemoth didn¡¯t have a safety rm, but his fighting spirit was burning so bright he didn¡¯t need it. The first to make a move was the frontmost minotaur, brandishing a battleaxe and swinging it down overhead.


    More skilled than goblins, but still too slow!


    He dodged it without issue, smoothly jumping back. The battleaxe crashed into the ground before hended, obscuring him and the first minotaur in a cloud of dust. But in the next moment, the dust was cleared away.


    ¡ºMOO¡ª?!¡»


    The minotaurs in the back stopped dead in their tracks. It was a normal reaction. Their brother-in-arms had lost his head.


    Too easy!


    The monster who just lost his head slowly fell to the ground, and the behemoth leapt out triumphantly from next to its feet. His tail was held up like a weapon, having used ?Aether Edge? to decapitate his opponent.


    ¡ºMWOOO!!¡»


    They had no idea what happened. But they figured out the little cat was dangerous quickly enough, and started getting some distance from him. Then one lifted up its axe. It was preparing something.


    ¡ºMoo¡­ MWOO (?Fireball?)!!¡»


    So it was magic!


    The behemoth knew that there were some minotaurs capable of magic. Seeing one take a fighting stance from a distance, there really was nothing else it could have been. And with a thundering swing, a fireball flew out from the battleaxe at the behemoth. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t going to just take it quietly and get in the van. He was ready to counter.


    ¡¸NYAN (?Aether Howl?)!¡¹


    He fired out the air in his lungs, colliding with the minotaur¡¯s fireball. The immense pressure forced it back¡ªno, the fireball rebounded even faster, crashing into the shocked minotaur mage¡¯s face in a violent explosion.


    ¡º~~~~~~!!!!!!!¡»


    Grabbing at his burning head the minotaur screamed a voiceless wail of agony, only to be cut off by a disgusting squelching.


    The sound came from his chest, sliced cleanly through by the behemoth¡¯s ?Aether Edge?.


    Next!


    Flourishing his invisible sword, the behemoth threw a confident re the way of the final minotaur.


    And the minotaur ran like the cops just rolled in.


    He finally understood. He wasn¡¯t the predator here.


    ¡¸Nyan! (Why are you running?!)¡¹


    This was the natural result. They were after his life. The behemoth wasn¡¯t going to let that slide.


    Unfortunately, the minotaur was already on the mooove with his well-developed bull legs. So to catch up, the behemoth invoked his new ?Flight? skill that he got from the wyvern earlier. And without any obstructions thanks to being in the air, the behemoth overtook his target in no time t.


    ¡ºMWOOO¡ª (?Icicle Lance?)!!¡»


    The cornered bull-man shot off an intermediate water spell, ?Icicle Lance?, in desperation.


    You think you can actually hit me when you¡¯re not even trying to aim! The behemoth was a knight, after all. He was no stranger to dealing with magic. He adjusted his wings and turned a half-circle around the icence.


    ¡¸NYAN (?me Edge?)!¡¹


    He dealt the final blow with his ?Elemental Tailde?¡¯s highest firepower variant, cutting the minotaur right in half. There wasn¡¯t even any blood stter.


    As expected of such terrifying heat. And well done, just the way I like it. Time to chow down. After things settled a bit, the behemoth chomped into his impromptu minotaur steak, excess meat juice rolling down the fur on his mouth.


    Delicious. Yeah, I¡¯m keeping the rest.


    A hearty mouthful of three minotaurster, he stuffed the rest into his ?Storage? and kept on moving.


    ____________________


    Name: None


    Race: Behemoth (Infant)


    Inherent Skills: ?Elemental Howl?, ?Skill Predation?, ?Elemental Tailde?


    Predated Skills: ?Storage?, ?Poison Fang?, ?Flight?, ?Fireball?, ?Icicle Lance?


    ____________________

 Chapter 7 - Giant Steel Soldier

    <h4>Chapter 7: Giant Steel Soldier</h4>


    ____________________GOOO¡ªNN!!


    In a corner of thebyrinth, a thunderous roar followed the rising of a cloud of dust.


    Copsed the ground in one blow¡­ Expected of a golem, that¡¯s a lot of arm strength.


    The behemoth had gone back to that fork in the road, then challenged the golem to another match when he met up with it again. He couldn¡¯t help but praise its power.


    My turn, then. ?Flight?!


    A pair of jet-ck wings sprouted from the behemoth¡¯s back, and he kicked off the ground.


    He didn¡¯t stand a chance the first time around because of hisck of range, but that wasn¡¯t an issue any longer. Now he could fight on equal ground. Or equal air, as it were.


    ¡¸Nyan ?Rock Howl?!¡¹


    He aimed for the golem¡¯s weak point, firing his earth elemental roar at the magic lettering on the golem¡¯s forehead.


    ¡ºGOAAAAA!!¡»


    But the golem wasn¡¯t stupid! Raising its arms at a speed that betrayed its hulking form, the stones bounced off its massive metal muscles without harm.


    The behemoth clicked his tongue, fluttering his wings to gain some ground. He felt somethinging.


    The golem¡¯s arm swung down right in front of the behemoth. It didn¡¯t hit him, but its size alone caused enough air pressure to knock him off bnce.


    Looks like I¡¯m not going to get anywhere with those in the way.


    He narrowly escaped turning into a kitty-shaped st on the floor, his years of military service striking him with a capture n.


    ¡¸Nyan (Take this)!¡¹


    The behemoth began spitting hot fire from his ?Elemental Howl? lineup.


    His opponent¡¯s body was made of steel. It couldn¡¯t do anything if it melted.


    So as it swung its free arm, the behemoth dodged every swipe, firing his ?me Howl? into its defense every time he got a breath.


    But it just wouldn¡¯t end.


    The golem¡¯s arms were already burning red, but there wasn¡¯t a sign of melting. He knew it¡¯d turn into a battle of endurance like this, between his mana and the golem¡¯s arms.


    Guess it¡¯s a failure again, huh¡­? Ah¡ª


    ¡¸Nyan (?Rock Howl?)!¡¹


    The instant the attacknded, a crunching noise reverberated through the golem¡¯s arm.


    Upon closer inspection, the arm was dented. If earth couldn¡¯t break it, and fire couldn¡¯t melt it, the only logical conclusion was to use both.


    ?Rock Howl?!


    ?Rock Howl?!!


    ?Rock Howl?¡ª!!!


    He fired off his stones again and again, each one digging deeper into the golem¡¯s brittle limb than thest.


    And finally, it shattered.


    The golem tried to move its other arm to protect itself, but the behemoth was a step ahead.


    Right after hisst attack, the kitten flew in as fast as it could.


    He twisted to the side, andshed out with his ?Rock Edge? enhanced tail.


    KCHSHH¡ª


    One of the letters on its head disappeared.


    The two red lights where the golem¡¯s eyes belonged faded to ck, and its body started crumbling to pieces.


    The behemoth has won.


    So, what do I do with this?


    The behemoth mulled over the golem¡¯s corpse with a troubled look.


    I should get a pretty powerful skill if I eat this thing, but¡­ Once more, the golem was made of solid metal.


    Even for him, there was no chewing that.


    Wait a minute, it¡¯s not like have to bite it, right?


    The behemoth looked around the fragments anxiously until he found one suited for him.


    One small enough for him to swallow, and not the pointy sharp kind. He picked it up with his tiny mouth, then swallowed it whole.


    Alright, let¡¯s see¡­


    ____________________


    Name: None


    Race: Behemoth (Infant)


    Inherent Skills: ?Elemental Howl?, ?Skill Predation?, ?Elemental Tailde?


    Predated Skills: ?Storage?, ?Poison Fang?, ?Flight?, ?Fireball?, ?Icicle Lance?, ?Iron Body?


    ____________________


    Right as usual.


    Going off the name of it, ?Iron Body? was probably meant for defense.


    Let¡¯s go, ?Iron Body?!


    When he invoked his new skill, the behemoth¡¯s tea stain-colored fur turned dull.


    At the same time, he could feel how tough it became.


    Time to check the effects.


    He walked slowly at first, discovering that he had no problem moving about with the skill active.


    Then he took off in a mad dash at the golem¡¯s carcass, tackling thergest pile of its pieces. The sound of metal screeching against metal echoed around him. But in the end, there wasn¡¯t a mark on his body, nor did he feel any pain.


    ?Iron Body?¡­ I like it. I think I could deal with attacks from any monster below golem¡¯s rank as long as I¡¯ve got this.


    The little kitten nodded in satisfaction at having acquired for himself yet another useful ability.

 Chapter 8 - An Absolutely Powerful One

    <h4>Chapter 8: An Absolutely Powerful One</h4>


    ____________________Hm? Is that¡­


    Strolling along with a skip and a song after his sound sess over the sizable steel golem and stealing of its skill, the behemoth spied something out of the corner of his eye.


    It was a box. But not just any box. This luxurious metal box was aptly called a treasure box.


    Aside from monsters,byrinths made these kinds of delectable prizes once in a blue moon. Some contained rare and expensive trinkets like gems or jewelry, while others gave out exceptional armor and weaponry.


    Adventurers usually made a living trading raw materials and hunting monsters, but many dream of an early retirement by finding one of these beauties. Unfortunately, the chance of finding a treasure box is extremely low. Most adventurers wouldn¡¯t see one in their lifetime. It could be said that the behemoth finding one is a miracle, or that monsters finding them is why adventurers don¡¯t.


    Probably doesn¡¯t have anything for me¡­


    Be it treasure or weapon, the behemoth couldn¡¯t really make use of it. Regardless, he was standing on his hind legs and pushing up the lid of the box, shaking in excitement the whole time. He found one, after all. He wanted to see what was inside.


    That¡¯s just human(?) nature.


    The treasure box opened with a loud creak, and found inside¡ª


    A diamond, huh? And it¡¯s really beautiful.


    He jumped up onto the edge of the box, peering at the contents. It was a transparent white jewel as big as a human fist, casting a mystical light in the dank and gloomybyrinth. As expected, it wasn¡¯t any use for him to have it, but it was still rare.


    Let¡¯s keep it asmemoration.


    But as the behemothid his paw on the diamond, his vision started to shake. Actually, the entire area was trembling.


    The hell?!


    The behemoth leapt away from the box and tried to fly, but¡­


    I can¡¯t control my body! What¡¯s going on¡­?!


    Whatever was distorting space wouldn¡¯t let him go. Soon, it turned into a whirlpool, swallowing the behemoth in his panic.


    ¡ô


    This ce¡­ Where¡¯d I end up now¡­?


    He was standing in darkness again. The area had a different atmosphere than anything he visited so far. There was a tingling sensation, like a pressure on him.


    This was apletely new area to the behemoth. The diamond he found wasn¡¯t just any diamond.


    It was a magic stone, a teleport crystal, and one of thebyrinth¡¯s tricks and gimmicks. The name on point as always, teleport crystals take whoever touches it to another ce in the samebyrinth.


    Maybe near the entrance. Maybe to the middle of the lowestyer. The destination is random. But the result wasn¡¯t good.


    With the pressure bearing down on him, something stronger than him was nearby.


    He knew that for a fact, and he knew he couldn¡¯t let whatever it was find him.


    ¡ºHow long do you intend to stand on me? Pathetic weakling¡ª¡»


    ¡ªAh?!


    A piercing voice came from beneath the behemoth, his fur standing on end.


    His foothold seemed to be rising. He was standing on a body, and it was getting to its feet. The momentum threw the behemoth off.


    If he were human, the roughnding alone would have done some damage. Fortunately, he was a cat. Landing on his feet was only natural.


    This¡­ This thing is¡­


    It was utterly massive, covered by earthy reptilian scales. ws sharp as any de grew from its four muscr legs. A tail as thick as a log. And then its jaw, gigantic teeth that could tear through anything that looked at it funny.


    ¡°Earth Dragon¡±.


    One of the dragon race, creatures of nigh unfathomable strength that reigned over others.


    Rank: S.


    ¡ºThe only recourse for disturbing this great one¡¯s sleep¡­ is death!¡»


    The dragon swung out its foreleg. Dragons were extremely prideful, more than any other. They could never forgive doing anything that shamed them. Like standing on their head. For the behemoth, he was going to suffer no less than capital punishment.


    He jumped away immediately, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The earth dragon was toorge, and too fast.


    Only one chance¡­ ?Iron Body?!


    The savage ws collided with the behemoth, a disturbing noiseing from his body.


    No¡­ No way¡­


    He looked at his abdomen wide-eyed, a huge gash in the side. He may have been tough as metal, but the pain was still too much.


    ¡ºGufufu¡­ So, you survived my ws, did you? You¡¯ve earned my praise. But this is the end.¡»


    The behemoth was going to die for sure if he took another hit.


    The earth dragon¡¯s jaw started to distort as it praised him. It opened wide, bringing its head closer to the agonized behemoth. Viscous saliva dripped from its teeth.


    It was going to eat him.


    Is this really¡­?


    He couldn¡¯t run, not in his condition. He¡¯d be caught in no time. But not without a fight!


    The behemoth bared his fangs through the pain.


    ¡ºGUAAAAAAA¡ª¡¹


    Suddenly the earth dragon was screaming.


    Its left eye was bleeding profusely.


    Kukuku¡­ At least I paid that dragon back in full.


    Despite his pain creeping over his body, the behemoth only had a satisfied grin. The dragon underestimated the little kitten, and now it was wailing in pain from an Aether Edge to the face.


    At its side, the behemothid down, oddly calm as he awaited his final breath.


    Mm¡­ Huh? That¡¯s¡­!


    But a ray of light shone down on the behemoth.


    The ceiling¡­ The ceiling¡¯s broken!


    In the once dark room where the dragon slept, there was arge hole in the roof. Behemoth didn¡¯t hesitate to invoke Flight, powering through his injury. His wings weren¡¯t very steady, but he managed to move well enough.


    The earth dragon noticed his attempt to escape, sweeping another leg at him.


    He ducked underneath, avoiding it by a hair.


    ¡ºNOOOOO!¡»


    Earth dragons were just that: earth elemental. They had no wings to fly. Only its voice followed the behemoth to freedom.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­ Gah¡­¡¹


    His breath was ragged. He had yet more monsters on his tail.


    After his escape, he walked aimlessly at first, but some goblins caught the sight of blood and came running.


    There weren¡¯t many, but even a few could have been too much for a wounded kitten.


    He only managed to shake them off with thest of his strength, finally copsing once he was in the clear.


    So this is it¡­ Although I might be closer to the exit now¡­


    The floor he escaped to was filled with only goblins. Just that was enough to tell him he was near thebyrinth¡¯s exit. His mind knew that, but his body had already given up.


    Click, click, click¡ª


    For some reason, the behemoth heard footsteps. Not bare feet like a goblin. It was the sound of shoes. Probably a human. An adventurer.


    Maybe they¡¯ll give me a mercy killing when they see me in this state¡­ but so be it. Far better than dying to a monster¡­


    The behemoth¡¯s consciousness gave in as his body did, and he cked out.

 Chapter 9 – The Angelic Elf with Bountiful Melons

    <h4>Chapter 9 ¨C The Angelic Elf with Bountiful Melons</h4>


    ____________________Labyrinth City¡ª


    The name of a city surrounded by high ramparts.


    Homes made of brick and stone were arranged along the roads.


    A canal snaked through every turn of the city, gonds constantlying and going. Gond drivers aplenty, there was always someone to take you where you wanted to go.


    But the city¡¯s best attraction wasn¡¯t a date spot or sightseeing splendor.


    So what was it?


    This city, true to its name, had a dungeon. Not only to defend from the outside, the high ramparts served as a prison if the dungeon was ever overrun by the monsters thaty within.


    When it came down to it, this city was pretty damn dangerous, and yet it was practically a metropolis. Medicinal nts, ores and monster materials necessary or useful for daily life appeared in the city¡¯s dungeon, after all. Adventurers and merchants alike traveled here from all over the world to acquire those things for themselves or trade them off.


    Our story continues in one quiet corner of this city.


    In the room of an inn illuminated by moonlight, a little monster opened his eyes.


    It¡¯s so¡­ warm¡­ And this feels like¡­


    The behemoth who just woke up was wondering about the warmth enveloping him. Looking around, he realized he was sleeping on a bed.


    What happened? I should be dead¡­


    Was this the afterlife? Or maybe a dream?


    It¡¯d be nice if this was a dream. This warmth is great¡­ and this scent is good¡­ I wonder what kind it is.


    He was wrapped up in afortable futon, a very rxing scent drifting about the room.


    Hm¡­ Seems it¡¯s the afterlife after all, huh? Guess that means I can sleep a little longer.


    The behemoth was about to fall back into thend of dreams when something interrupted his descent.


    ¡¸Ah¡­ thank goodness! You finally woke up!¡¹


    He heard a voice, like a ringing bell.


    The gentle sound echoed in the behemoth¡¯s ears.


    Who¡­?!


    He bolted upright, fully alert.


    What, an angel¡­?


    Oh, that¡¯s right. This was the afterlife, so of course there¡¯d be angels¡­ but no.


    Sitting in a chair before him was a beautiful girl that could easily be mistaken as one. She had long, tinum blonde hair. Her eyes were an icy blue, but gentle and weing. The beauty was wearing only a white negligee to cover her porcin skin¡­


    A certain part of the girl¡¯s body was bouncing up and down.


    Her ears. It was her ears.


    Long and slightly pointed, they twitched every so often.


    It seemed she was an elf.


    ¡¸Are you surprised? I never thought I¡¯d meet such a heavily-wounded kitten like you on a quest. Did you lose your way and end up in thebyrinth?¡¹


    She was addressing the behemoth with her chiming voice, though he remained stock still. Then she picked him up¡­


    Munyun!


    He had gone from enveloped in nkets to enveloped in breasts.


    The¡­ They¡¯re huge! What even are these?! Appl¡ªno, grapefru¡ªno, melons!


    Yes, this elf¡¯s twin peaks were not hills, but mountains.


    Even at a nce he could tell those sweater puppies couldn¡¯t be kenneled in a cup size. That would have been like trying to store a desert in a litterbox. Still, if he had to think about it in terms of cups, they were¡­ World Cup boobs!


    ¡¸Fufu¡­ Seems you don¡¯t hate when I hug you. Now¡­ I wonder what a good name for you would be.¡¹


    Looking at the behemoth who was snuggled tightly in her grasp, the elf smiled as she pet his head.


    Haa¡­ I can¡¯t get enough of this. It¡¯s so soft, and the smell is so nice¡­ Ah, I see now, so this is her bed¡­


    It felt like paradise.


    And in the midst of the petting, the behemoth suddenly reached enlightenment.


    This was his reason for living¡ª He was reincarnated to protect this girl.


    When he gave himself a once-over, the behemoth discovered his wounds caused by the earth dragon were healed.


    Maybe the girl used a restorative potion on him. All the more reason.


    That must mean the footsteps in thebyrinth were hers. She probably mistook me for a kitten.


    Information regarding infant behemoths was as rare as the real thing. The elf probably had no idea.


    ¡¸Fufu, that sleepy face¡­ Would you like to sleep together with Big Sis again?¡¹


    The elf stood and headed back to the bed, the behemoth firmly against her chest.


    Sleeping¡­ together?!


    A shiver ran down his spine.


    The girl was a beauty. He¡¯d never seen a girl this dazzling even in hisst life. That incredible girl was currently holding him to her chest. And she intended on sleeping with him.


    ¡¸Hmhm¡­¡¹


    After she settled under the covers, the elf adjusted her grip to more properly hug the behemoth in her new position.


    Boing, boing, jiggle, boing.


    The behemoth was trapped in bliss, his entire being coddled by her massive pillows.


    Is this Heaven?


    Even though inside may have been a knight, the behemoth¡¯s body was still that of a child.


    Well and truly ensnared in the elf¡¯s motherly embrace and calming scent, the behemoth¡¯s eyes fluttered shut.

 Chapter 10 – Knight’s Vow

    <h4>Chapter 10 ¨C Knight¡¯s Vow</h4>


    ____________________The next morning¡ª


    ¡¸Good morning, kitten.¡¹


    The elf girl greeted the behemoth with her gentle voice, waking up after the most restful night he¡¯d had since he was born.


    He was still deep in her embrace, just as he was when they went to sleep.


    ¡¸Nyao~¡¹


    Punctuating his awakening with a yawning meow, the half-woke behemoth left his tiny body to its instincts, stretching against the elf¡¯s breasts.


    Munyumunyu, puripuri, purunpurun.


    This was truly paradise.


    ¡¸Fufu, what a cute little kitty. But I hope you¡¯ll forgive me. Big Sis has to wake up soon.¡¹


    She released the behemoth from her motherly grasp, and lifted herself off the bed. The behemoth regretted having to give up those soft pillows, the feeling was immediately blown away.


    ¡¸Whoop¡­¡¹


    Strip¡ª


    The girl slipped out of her translucent white nightgown, and a shiver ran down the behemoth¡¯s spine.


    They were ck. The elf girl¡¯s underwear was a solid ck that he hadn¡¯t seen in the darkness the night before. And more importantly, be it the brassiere above or the T-back below, their coverage was miniscule.


    Her ample bosom. That tight waist. The minimalist garment that dared call itself a type of panties digging into her hips¡­


    For any healthy man, this sight was to die for.


    This girl¡­! For her to be wearing such indecent underwear, unbefitting her tidy outward appearance¡­ Is it possible that she¡¯s actually a slut? A neat-style slut?! More please!!


    The behemoth was getting more excited by the second.


    Just as he was wondering what woulde next, a miracle happened before his eyes.


    ¡¸Mm~~¡­¡ª¡¹


    The elf girl¡­ started stretching, hands held high above her head.


    Boioioing¡ª!


    Her massive mobile melons bounced, the shaking surprisingly light for their size.


    ¡°Big breasts are packed with dreams.¡± Truer words have never been spoken.


    He was convinced.


    Following her morning workout, the girl continued changing her clothes, grabbing a set that was hanging on the wall.


    The behemoth was experiencing the behemoth-level ordeal of watching this girl get dressed.


    She somehow smoothly donned a form-hugging tunic that threatened to burst at the slightest motion and kneesocks that just barely squeezed her thighs.


    From the way she talkedst night, this girl¡¯s most likely an adventurer.


    That thought came to mind when he finally reached his first moment of rity of the morning, shortly after the girl finished the alluring show of changing her clothes.


    Her tunic exposed her midriff. Her short skirt was as flexible as it was fitting, emphasizing ease of movement. And a pair of high bootspleted her attire.


    But¡­ including the underwear, that¡¯s one hell of a provocative outfit for an adventurer.


    True, the exposed part of her tunic was only her stomach. However, on the top side¡­ her cleavage was sparing no effort in making her breasts¡¯ presence known. Not to mention, the skirt was so short that he thought he would get a glimpse of her tender hips if she took even one step.


    She also had two knives equipped, sheathed on either side. They were fastened against her belt, coiling right up against her appreciably plump rear end.


    Hm, contrary to her gentle looks, she¡¯s a vanguard.


    Wait, vanguard?!


    He knew by the knives that she was a frontliner, but that wasn¡¯t enough for him.


    After all, how could she possibly move like one with those flying around?


    ¡¸Hmph, prepplete. I¡¯ll see youter, kitten. Big Sis wille back soon, but I¡¯ll leave the window open. You probably want to take a look around outside, right? Ah! And I¡¯ll leave some milk for you before I go. I¡¯ll get some from the auntie here.¡¹


    Before the behemoth could do anything, the door closed behind the girl.


    Milk¡­


    Hearing the word, the behemoth¡¯s belly growled with hunger.


    Soon enough, the girl returned with a saucer, milk included. He started drinking it as soon as she set it down, and quite loudly at that.


    ¡¸Hehe, you were really hungry, weren¡¯t you?¡¹


    Enjoying watching him for a little while, the elf eventually said her farewell and left the room. It was just him here now.


    That girl saved me from the edge of death¡­ And she gave me food and a ce to sleep. And if what she said is any indicator, she even ns on looking after me from now on¡­


    A warm feeling poured out of his chest.


    I¡¯ve decided! I will use this life of mine to serve this girl¡ªno, to serve ¡°Master¡±! Master¡¯s an adventurer. As long as a behemoth like me is protecting her, even if she doesn¡¯t know it, no dungeon will be a threat to her!


    This was his resolve. And so, once more, he became a knight. Swearing his loyalty to the elf girl who saved his life, he would protect her to the bitter end.


    I¡¯ve gotta catch up to Master right away!


    The behemoth leapt through the window leading to the city.

 Chapter 11 – Aria

    <h4>Chapter 11 ¨C Aria</h4>


    ____________________Ta-ta-ta¡ª


    Shortly after leaving the inn, the behemoth found his elf savior without issue.


    Her high-exposure attire. An easy smell to follow. There was no problem pinpointing her in a crowd.


    ¡¸Oi, check her out¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Ahh, she¡¯s so cute. And those tits¡­¡¹


    Men passing her by couldn¡¯t help voicing their impressions.


    Bastards¡­ How dare they ogle my master with those disgusting eyes of theirs,.. If this was thebyrinth I¡¯d have made them goblin food.


    The behemoth was spouting abuse in his thoughts while notably neglecting the fact that he¡¯d been dumbly enjoying the sight of his master changing only minutes ago, not to mention the softness of her breasts all night.


    After some time tailing her from a safe distance, the girl stopped at a canal.


    Several gonds were docked nearby.


    ¡¸Yo, ¡°Aria¡±! Out for a quest today?¡¹


    ¡¸Good morning, Mr. Boatman. That¡¯s right, so please take me to thebyrinth district.¡¹


    The girl¡ªAria¡ªapproached the gondolier who called her, smiling as she showed him the bronze tag on her chest.


    The men on the other gonds collectively clicked their tongues, evidently having wanted Aria to ride theirs instead.


    So, Master¡¯s name is Aria. A name as beautiful as the girl herself. And it seems like you can ride the gonds as long as you have an adventurer tag here¡­


    A little more information. There¡¯s a character engraved on one side of an adventurer¡¯s tag.


    Adventurers are given tags made of material appropriate to their rank, from E to S, and broken down from lowest to highest as such:E Rank = Stone


    -


    - D Rank = Bronze


    -


    - C Rank = Silver


    -


    - B Rank = Gold


    -


    - A Rank = tinum


    -


    - S Rank = Diamond


    Put simply, Aria is D rank. Having shown sufficientpetence as an adventurer, she¡¯s officially recognized as having graduated from being a novice.


    ¡¸Here, give me your hand¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s fine. I can get on myself.¡¹


    Though he tried to lend a hand, Aria swiftly rejected him with her lovely smile. A quiet ¡°hup¡± escaped her lips when she hopped onto the boat.


    Hm. Despite her¡­ entric taste in clothes, Master¡¯s actually quite tough. That¡¯s a relief.


    The behemoth heaved a relieved sigh, learning that Aria wasn¡¯t a prim-looking slut.


    ¡¸Ah, ahahaha..¡¹


    The driverughed dryly, scratching the back of his head, but he didn¡¯t look all that down. After all, the moment Arianded on the boat his eyes were locked onto her bouncing mounds. The creature known as man was truly simple.


    ¡¸We¡¯re heading out then, Aria.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll be in your care.¡¹


    The man shoved his oar against the dock, and the gond began to move. But the behemoth wasn¡¯t going to let himself be left behind. He snuck into a blind spot, jumping onto the gond and hiding in the shadow of some bags.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Haaaaa¡ª!¡¹


    Inside thebyrinth, a woman gave off a war cry that echoed off the walls.


    In a sh¡ª


    A knife sliced through the throat of a goblin. Blood sprayed from its neck as it fell back, and Aria was on the move to her next target.


    ¡ºGugya?¡»


    ¡ºGigii¡­?!¡»


    She was already on the two in the back, catching them off guard with her speed. Of course, they weren¡¯t going to sit around and die. They both readied their crude weapons.


    But before she entered their attack range, Aria mmed her foot down and came to a stop. When the behemoth blinked, her daggers were already back in their sheath, and her hands were against the belts strapped to her thighs.


    In a single motion, she pulled against the belts and threw some objects at the goblins.


    It was too quick for them to react, the weapons digging into their torsos.


    ¡º¡ºGHGHYAAAAA?!¡»¡»


    He took a closer look while the goblins squealed.


    Aria had thrown knives with ring-shaped handles, two each lodged in the goblins¡¯ bodies.


    ¡¸It¡¯s over!¡¹


    In their pain, the goblins didn¡¯t notice Aria closing in again, daggers in hand. At her speed, her weapons had no trouble prating the goblins¡¯ diminutive forms, and she cut clean through their hearts. At the other end of the exchange, the goblins dropped, and Aria stood tall over them.


    W-What did I just watch¡­?


    Her dagger handling wasn¡¯t a problem, nor the throwing knives.


    It was pretty rough, but it was obvious Aria had mastered the basics of using them.


    It was her speed that stood out. Her footwork. Her weapon swapping. Even how quickly the knives flew when she let them loose.


    They were well beyond the norm.


    That speed of hers is on a whole other level. Maybe it¡¯s due to one of her skills...


    ?eleration?.


    The only skill that came to mind. For a few minutes after its activation, it doubled the caster¡¯s agility.


    Aria¡¯s weapons were nothing if not normal, but thanks to that skill she was able to hunt alone in the upper floors of thebyrinth.


    Her high exposure clothing was probably chosen for her skill, too.


    The behemoth was d it wasn¡¯t some kind of hobby of hers to dress like that. It was meant to minimize her carry weight and maximize her mobility.


    Well, her choice in underwear ispletely unrted¡­ but I¡¯ll leave that aside for now.

 Chapter 12 – Exposed Already?

    <h4>Chapter 12 ¨C Exposed Already?</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Fuu¡­ Carvingplete. This part is always worse than actually beating the monster.¡¹


    Aria heaved a sigh as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Right in front of her was a small pile made up of the three goblins she¡¯d just killed, sans ears.


    Why¡¯d she cut off their ears, you ask? She has to bring back proof of a monster¡¯s defeat for the guild to recognize her achievements. For goblins, that proof is their ears.


    Ahh¡­ Master, such a filthy job is sullying your lovely hands¡­ If only I could show you the truth, this kind of stuff would be a walk in the park for me¡­


    The behemoth was grieving from his hiding spot, watching Aria get blood on herself. The slime he¡¯d eaten after he was born gave him the Storage skill. If he could show it without putting himself at risk, there wouldn¡¯t have been a need to cut up any bodies; he¡¯d just bring back the whole damn thing.


    ¡¸Fufu. Still, if I can handle this many goblins at once, I can probably go down to the next floor soon.¡¹


    She stored the goblin ears in a leather pouch, and started walking again.


    With thebyrinth separated into floors, monsters naturally got stronger the deeper you went. For the most part, materials gathered also increased in value to match.


    Don¡¯t go down there, Master! That kind of confidence is a death wish in a dungeon! The best ce for a beauty like Master to hunt is safely in the upper floors like now!


    Regardless of his unspoken warnings, he didn¡¯t realize the girl he decided to protect was already moving further inward.


    Skill aside, why does Master challenge the dungeon on her own¡­? It¡¯s a rule of thumb to go in pairs at the very least¡­


    Labyrinths are dangerous ces. Rare though it may be, it¡¯s a non-zero chance that an adventurer gets surrounded by a goblin horde. Men face a tragic end, and women a fate worse than death.


    Goblins are weak, and live short lives, but they make up for it in sheer numbers. Male goblins can impregnate women of any race, turning them into little more than a nursery for goblinspawn for the rest of their days. It¡¯smon knowledge, so no matter how skilled an adventurer might be, it¡¯s always safer to dive into dungeon with a party.


    ¡¸But let¡¯s stop here today. I only need one more.¡¹


    While the behemoth pondered all the horrible, heinous, degrading, unspeakable and all-around kinky stuff that could happen to his master, Aria abandoned the path of descent, much to the kitten¡¯s relief. After a short while, she came across another goblin by its lonesome.


    ¡¸?eleration?¡ª!¡¹


    On sight she cast her skill, and made it to the goblin in an instant. Before it could even swing its shortsword, Aria¡¯s knife was deep in its skull.


    I see, I see. I get it now!


    The behemoth noticed something in Aria¡¯s movement.


    It was her tits. He was watching her tits.


    Whenever she ran, it was natural for her breasts to be swinging back and forth, up and down, this way and that. It made for great eye candy. But once she readied an attack, the behemoth realized why Aria was seeing sess as a high-motion closebat ss.


    She wasn¡¯t fighting against the weight of her own chest. The moment sheid her hands on her weapons, her breasts swung and stopped in perfect sync so as not to slow her down or throw her off bnce.


    How intriguing! Master¡¯s melons are full of mysteries!


    Then, as she chopped off one of the goblin¡¯s ears, it appeared.


    ¡ºGigi¡­kchch¡­¡»


    ¡¸Another one? I already have enough, but¡­ Well, I guess a bonus won¡¯t hurt. Come at me.¡¹


    Aria prepared her de, standing about five meters away from the goblin.


    No! Master didn¡¯t notice?! That one¡¯s¡ª


    The behemoth rushed in once the goblin pointed a crude magic rod ahead.


    ¡ºGUGYA ?Fireball?!¡»


    The goblin¡ªor rather, goblin mage, fired off its spell, and Aria stiffened from surprise just long enough for it to be a problem.


    ¡¸NYAON ?Fireball?!¡¹


    The behemoth got in between Aria and the goblin, casting the Fireball he¡¯d stolen from the minotaurs.


    PKHGHKCH¡ª


    Violently crashing into each other, the fireballs were erased in an explosion that made the dungeon shudder.


    I¡¯m ending it! Eat this, ?Icicle Lance?!


    A frozen spear flew from the behemoth¡¯s mouth, piercing the goblin through the gut anding out the other side.


    ¡¸Kitty¡­?¡¹


    Once the goblin hit the ground, a voice called him from behind. Naturally, it was Aria.


    ¡¸¡­¡¹


    The behemoth didn¡¯t answer¡ªjust quietly turned around to face her. There was no way out of this. He couldn¡¯t run from her, and he definitely wasn¡¯t going to lie when he can¡¯t even talk.


    ¡¸Kitty, it really is you. Why are you here¡­? And that magic¡ªah! That must mean you¡¯re¡­!¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹


    To all the questions she asked with her trembling eyes, the behemoth only hung his head in silence.

 Chapter 13 – Puzzled

    <h4>Chapter 13 ¨C Puzzled</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Fufu, you¡¯re really a cutie, aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    Some time after leaving thebyrinth, Aria coddled the behemoth atop the rocking gond with a red glow in her cheeks.


    So, uh¡­ What is going on here? I think I need a recap.


    When his master was caught unaware and endangered, his body moved on its own to protect her, and he even used one of his skills. He exposed himself as the monster he was, and he hung his head low enough to leave a small crater in the ground instead of trying to y it off.


    ¡¸No way, you¡¯re¡ª!¡¹


    Contrary to his expecations, though¡­ Aria didn¡¯t back away. In fact, she got closer and picked him up.


    Mun¡ªmm!


    And thus he was squished against her chest.


    M-Master, what¡¯s wrong with you? Doesn¡¯t my being a monster among monsters mean anything to you¡­?


    ¡¸Thank you for saving me¡­¡¹


    After expressing her gratitude and letting the behemoth sink slightly into her cleavage, Aria turned on her heel and left without so much as a nce at the in goblin mage.


    And that¡¯s how we got to where we are now.


    Fuckin¡¯ hell! Chibi cat, switch with me, will ya!


    Seeing the behemoth enveloped in Aria¡¯s breasts, the gondolier mentally cursed him over and over. At the same time, though, he was grateful to have such a close view of the scene. The little show stoppers were practically gtinous, smoothly changing their shape around the behemoth as if they had a mind of their own.


    Man is a trulyplex creature.


    Anyway, the gond reached themercial district at the center of the city eventually, bringing the ride to an end. Aria thanked the boatman, and left with a leap as light as when she¡¯d gotten on.


    There was something the boatman said about going to dinner together or something like that, but it was in one ear and out the other as Aria walked away, absentmindedly scratching the behemoth¡¯s head. Looking around, other gondoliers were having a giggle at his expense.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Oi~ miss! More ale over here!¡¹


    ¡¸Uhihi¡­ Nice ass. Lemme get a little rub~¡¹


    ¡¸Hey! Touch me again and you¡¯re going home without a hand!¡¹


    The Adventurer Guild was in themercial district, and it¡¯s where the behemoth could hear a particrly loud exchange between a bar waitress and one of the now-drunk adventurers who¡¯de back from a quest.


    It was in the midst of all this activity that the door opened. Normally, nobody would care. This time, pretty much every man in the building stopped and turned their heads. The entry at the moment was Aria, the boundlessly bosomy beauty.


    ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s Aria!¡¹


    ¡¸Cute as ever.¡¹


    ¡¸Just look at those things jiggle!¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? That thing on her tits looks like a cat, don¡¯t it?¡¹


    Whispers of that sort came from the bar, the elf having charmed most of the men in the guild since her arrival in Labyrinth City a good while ago. Having to hear the peanut gallery so closely, the behemoth¡¯s mood was slowly whittled away¡­ until he tried to move a little.


    Fwaa¡­ Master¡¯s chest is really warm~¡­


    Trapped in her chest pillows, his hazy consciousness was assaulted by her body¡¯s warmth from all sides. Unfortunately, this was no time to fall asleep.


    ¡¸Wahahahaha! Well, if it isn¡¯t Miss Aria. You¡¯re looking especially lovely today!¡¹


    ¡¸M-Mr. Kassman¡­¡¹


    Aria didn¡¯t try to suppress a groan as theughing man approached. He wore shy, ornamental light armor over what looked to be high quality leather. His face¡­ Eh, below average. And he had some shiny, over-applied product in his hair that kept it back like a blue jay¡¯s head.


    Meet Kassman.


    He was the son of a noble in the city. Despite his status, he became an adventurer, and with his copious funds he acquired good enough armor to help him survive his way to C rank. He¡¯s also one of the countless men who fell in love with Aria at first sight, and he¡¯s been chasing that ass ever since heid eyes on it¡ªmore aggressively than any other at that.


    ¡¸So, what do you say? Feel like joining my party?¡¹


    Yeah, it was this kind of thing. And he wasn¡¯t even hiding it. Aria wasn¡¯t an adventurer to him, just a piece of meat that he wanted a piece of. He wasn¡¯t looking her in the eye, either; his eyes were going back and forth between her luscious legs and mountainous mounds.


    ¡¸I¡¯m very sorry, Mr. Kassman. Even though you went out of your way to invite me, my answer won¡¯t change. I¡¯m not interested in joining a party with men.¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t say such sad things, Miss Aria, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll be gentle¡­¡¹


    He stretched his hand out as he spoke, inching his way near Aria¡¯s hip. She almost repelled him like she would have any other man, but she stopped herself, knowing this was no nameless sleazeball who¡¯d be better off missing their third leg. Kassman was a noble, if only in name, and he could do a lot worse to her if she provoked him.


    Scum. Don¡¯t think you can touch Master so casually!


    The behemoth, however, did not know that Kassman was a noble. Nor did he care, because why would he? He¡¯s a monster, that stuff had nothing to do with him. So he jumped from his nest, sinking his teeth into the man¡¯s hand before he couldy his greasy mitt into Aria¡¯s butt.


    ¡¸GHAAAA?! THE HELL¡¯S UP WITH THIS CAT! GET OFF!!¡¹


    ¡¸NHYAN (TAKE THIS)!¡¹


    Kassman iled and flung his arm about, and the behemoth loosened his jaw in time to be thrown toward the ceiling.


    ¡¸KITTY?!¡¹


    Aria cried out to him, but there was no need to worry. Cats always manage tond on their feet, and where the behemothnded: Kassman¡¯s ugly mug.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAAA¡ª¡ª?!?!¡¹


    Kassman¡¯s screams nearly shattered the bar sses as the behemoth raked his ws down his face.


    ¡¸You little¡­!¡¹


    The sleazeball clenched his fist.


    ¡¸Nyan (Too na?ve)!¡¹


    An instant before Kassman connected, the behemoth kicked off Kassman¡¯s cheeks, and smoothlynded back in Aria¡¯s cleavage like he¡¯d never left.


    KRCH¡ª


    Kassman¡¯s fist, however, did not stop. As a result, he very painfully punched himself in the nose.


    ¡¸You little SH*T¡­ I¡¯LL KILL YOU!!¡¹


    Spouting as many slurs as his nose spouted blood, Kassman resorted to pulling his sword from its sheath, ready to do anything if it meant ending the little kitten¡¯s life.


    Hii¡ª?!


    The behemoth stiffened up, hoping he coulde up with a way out of the situation he¡¯d just gotten himself into. But as he ran through ideas, something crept up behind Kassman.


    ¡°Hey, Kassy? What¡¯s the big idea, drawing your sword in the guild?¡±


    The voice that came from what must have been its mouth echoed deep, and drew out something primal in the hearts and minds of everyone who heard¡­ It was a feeling of raw, unbridled fear; the kind that kept your body stock still even if your brain was screaming at it to run like hell and never look back.


    ¡¸W-Who the fuc-¡­ No, wait, you¡¯re¡­¡¹


    Kassman timidly turned about face, and he suddenly froze with an existential dread. The behemoth knew exactly why. What he saw couldn¡¯t be described as a man, but an embodiment of terror.

 Chapter 14 – I’ll Be Back

    <h4>Chapter 14 ¨C I¡¯ll Be Back</h4>


    ____________________¡°Hey, Kassy? What¡¯s the big idea, drawing your sword in the guild?¡±


    To the unidentified creature who suddenly appeared with those words, Kassman and the behemoth alike froze.


    ¡¸Ana!¡¹


    Aria was the only one who seemed happy that it showed up.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Aria?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m quite alright, as you can see.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m so d?¡­ So, Kassy, what do you have to say for yourself? Since your answer might just stain your honor, the next words out of your mouth should be chosen carefully.¡¹


    ¡¸Hyiiii?!¡¹


    Deeply frightened by the terror before him, Kassman¡¯s scream came from the bottom of his heart, and for good reason. The one questioning him¡ªthe one Aria referred to as Ana¡ªwas¡­ a true monster.


    Real name: Arnaldo Hwarzenegger. A bundle of muscles in the shape of a 190cm-tall man, hispletely hairless body was dressed in some sort of bondage rather than anything resembling legitimate clothing, and his aged and distinctly masculine face was caked in makeup.


    In truth, he was once a celebrated B-rank adventurer, and onlyter became the receptionistdy(?) at this guild hall. During his active years, he was a master of high level ice magic, and known by the name ¡°Snow Queen¡±.


    Not only that, her hobby was a bit special. Regardless of whether they were the same or opposite sex¡­ even if it wasplete nonsense, Arnaldo was the kind of person to punish troublemakers without a shred of mercy.


    ¡¸This is, um¡­ I was just, uh, showing off my prided sword to Miss Aria! Good heavens, would you look at the time! I just remembered I¡¯ve something quite urgent to attend to! I¡¯ll just excuse myself here!¡¹


    As if crying that he didn¡¯t want to die, Kassman came up with the most basic lie he could think of and beat a hasty retreat. Arnaldo heaved a dejected sigh once he was gone, apparently regretting scaring him off.


    ¡¸Really, running off so quickly¡­ He didn¡¯t have to go that far.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you so much. You really saved us, Ana.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s no problem, Aria. Feel free toe to me if you ever feel troubled.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!¡¹


    Hm, this Ana person¡­ Ridiculous appearance aside, it looks like she¡¯s a friend of my master. And I can tell she¡¯s a good person, too.


    The behemoth was a wise knight. He wasn¡¯t going to judge someone just because they looked a little¡­ off. The way Aria spoke with her and the fact that she gave her a much needed hand were enough; he soon stopped worrying about reading into Arnaldo¡¯s expression and tone of voice.


    ¡¸On to other matters, about that little kitten with you. An interesting little one, no? Protecting you from Kassy the way he did, don¡¯t you think he resembles a knight?¡¹


    Mm, so she saw that. No, I¡¯m pretty sure¡­ she could even tell I¡¯m a monster.


    When the behemoth looked at Arnaldo again, he received a wink in response.


    ¡¸He¡¯s even more amazing than that, you know. Back in thebyrinth a goblin mage attacked me, but he showed up out of nowhere and used a magical skill to save me!¡¹


    Kch¡ª


    He stiffened up. Sure, Aria wasn¡¯t bothered by knowing the behemoth¡¯s nature, but if it were anyone else¡­ chances were he¡¯d be looking at the business end of a sword. Arnaldo looked at him, overflowing with curiosity.


    ¡¸A magical skill¡­ you say? A cat that can use magic¡­ and this tabby pattern, could he be¡ª¡¹


    I¡¯m so fucked¡­


    ¡¸¡ªan ¡°elemental cat¡±?¡¹


    Yes, yes, it¡¯s just as you say. I¡¯m an elemen¡­ wait, what?


    Rather than being called a monster as he expected, Arnaldo dered him something else entirely, and Aria smiled from ear to pointy ear.


    ¡¸I knew it, so he really is one, right?! Haa~ that¡¯s wonderful! I thought the same thing!¡¹


    Elemental cats weren¡¯t amon animal, but they certainly existed. They were more intelligent than typical cats, and had a solid understanding of human speech. What really set them apart, though, was their ability to use elemental magic.


    Smart as they were, they were choosy about their masters, and protected them to their deaths. Since the behemoth followed Aria and recognized her as his master, and used his elemental skills to save her, Aria didn¡¯t actually realize he was a monster. Instead, she thought he was an elemental kitten.


    Ha, hahaha¡­ Come to think of it, my striped fur¡¯s really simr to an elemental cat¡¯s, huh?


    Remembering that information came with a sudden exhaustion. Ignoring the behemoth¡¯s deted state, Aria made a loud deration.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve decided. The name of this child will be Tama! I¡¯m officially going to raise him as my pet!¡¹


    What?! That means I can stay with Master in the open from now on!


    The behemoth¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡¸Hey, Aria, are you sure about this? Elemental cats can grow to over two meters long. Not to mention they have the ability to crossbreed, and they¡¯re known to attack their masters during mating season.¡¹


    ¡¸What are you saying, Ana? That¡¯s just fine, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    ¡­ Oh no. To think Aria had such desires¡­


    Arnaldo reeled back briefly beforeposing herself again. In a nutshell, what Aria wanted was¡­ Actually, no, let¡¯s stop here.


    ¡¸Tama¡­ Please grow quickly for me, won¡¯t you? And someday, my first will be¡­ Fufu, let¡¯s ¡°nyan nyan¡± lots and lots then, okay?¡¹


    From her nose to the tips of her ears she blushed like a maiden in love, and an indescribable chill ran down his spine as Aria¡­ kissed the behemoth¡ªTama, on his forehead.


    ¡­ Nyan nyan¡­?

 Chapter 15 – Fluffy & Squishy

    <h4>Chapter 15 ¨C Fluffy & Squishy</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Alright, Aria. Come on over to the counter. You¡¯re here about the goblin extermination, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. Sorry, I got a little excited¡­¡¹


    Aria¡¯s attention was drawn away from the little behemo¡ª¡±elemental kitten¡± between her breasts, now named Tama, and back to the reason she went to the guild in the first ce. Regardless, one of her hands wouldn¡¯t leave Tama¡¯s head, slowly petting and scratching him more affectionately than before.


    Uh, Master¡­ That thing you said before, what is that supposed to mean? No, there¡¯s no way an innocent girl like Master could¡­ but¡­ Fuck! What the hell does ¡°nyan nyan¡± mean?!


    Tama is Tama, after all. When Aria said something about her ¡°first¡± it was difficult not to get flustered and think about it.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s get down to business then. Please let me see your proof of subjugation.¡¹


    ¡¸Right. Here we go¡­¡¹


    With Tama lost in thought and almost lost in Aria¡¯s cleavage, she and Arnaldo took appropriate their positions at the reception counter. Aria removed the goblin ears from their pouch, and Arnaldo got to counting them out.


    ¡¸2, 4, 6¡­ Okay~. Ten ears, five goblins; questpletion confirmed. I¡¯ll go have these appraised and prepare your reward, so go ahead and take a break in the bar or your usual spot.¡¹


    ¡¸Sure thing, Ana.¡¹


    Arnaldo mentioned appraising the ears. Aside from just receiving rewards for questpletion, the materials brought in as proof have their own value, and one of the guild¡¯s functions is to process them for sale.


    Monster materials are an essential part of daily life; they can be used for food, medicine and equipment. Goblin skin is tough and leathery, so it¡¯s good for things like scabbards and satchels. The guild worker who appraises them is the one who decides whether they¡¯re fit for the market.


    ¡¸So, what should we do while we wait? The bar doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea, but¡­¡¹


    Aria touched her finger to her lips with a pensive look, her thoughts interrupted by a couple patrons.


    ¡¸Hey, Aria, how about youe have a drink with us?¡¹


    ¡¸Heheh, it¡¯ll be our treat and everything~¡¹


    The male adventurers flocked to her, some of them swinging around mugs of drink.


    Hahh¡­ Same as always. This happens any time I finish a quest.


    She heaved a quiet sigh to herself. Aria loved some of the dishes the guild¡¯s bar served¡ªenough that she¡¯d have them every day if she could¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t even enjoy a meal without the guys in the building swarming her.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I appreciate the invitation, but I have something I need to take care of once I¡¯m finished here¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I, I see. See youter, then¡­¡¹


    The men obediently dispersed, knowing the wrath of the receptionist dy¡± would be brought down on them if they started being a real problem. Arnaldo was on high alert, too, after what happened with Kassman.


    Hm. Seems like my existence serves as an extra deterrent to these creeps hovering around Master. I¡¯ll have to make sure not to ck off in keeping them away.


    Tama, watching the apprehensive men from somewhere in Aria¡¯s chest, nodded to himself.


    ¡¸I guess there¡¯s no helping it. Let¡¯s wait on the bench today. But¡­ Fufu, at least I won¡¯t be lonely anymore with you around, right Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyao~¡¹


    She looked regretful for only a moment, turning back to her normal smile as she pet Tama. The kitten responded with a joyful purr, roughly tranted as ¡¸Of course! I¡¯d never let my master feel lonely in a thousand years!¡¹


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Tickle tickle~!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaha~ (S-Stop, Master!)¡¹


    Satfortably on a bench, Tama was turned belly-up on Aria¡¯sp, tickled until he was nearly crying.


    ¡¸Fufu~¡­ Your belly¡¯s so fuzzy and warm, but¡­ this looks soft too¡­¡¹


    ¡¸NYA (GH! MASTER NO, DON¡¯T TOUCH THAT)¡­?!¡¹


    ¡¸Squishy, squishy~!¡¹


    ¡¸NYAAAAAAAA¡ª¡ª!!¡¹


    Tama¡¯s screams could be heard throughout the entire guild.

 Chapter 16 – A Modest Party

    <h4>Chapter 16 ¨C A Modest Party</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Fufu, evening came so quickly, huh~¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~o¡­¡¹


    The main street of themercial district glowed orange, and Aria was walking along the bustling road with Tama resting atop her breast. Due to adventurers bringing in a higher quantity of materials, Aria had plenty of time to assault Tama¡¯s belly and paws with her relentless tickling.


    ¡¸For dinner¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll go to a restaurant. There¡¯ll probably just be more men trying to hit on me. Let¡¯s just buy something and go back. Since elemental cats are omnivores, it¡¯ll be fine if I get you a portion too, right Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan!¡¹


    Even as exhausted as he was, Tama perked up at the proposal. Ever since he reincarnated he worried about whether or not he¡¯d have the chance to eat human food again.


    ¡¸O~i, Aria! How about a meat skewer? Fresh off the grill!¡¹


    ¡¸No no, I rmend trying one of my spare ribs! If it¡¯s for you, Aria, I can throw in a freebie. Sounds good, eh?¡¹


    Browsing as she went along, street vendors all vied for her attention when she passed. Some were even ignoring customers right in front of them¡­ Just goes to show how popr Aria was.


    ¡¸Uwaa~ They look delicious. Alright, please get me five meat skewers and two spare ribs.¡¹


    ¡¸Sure thing~¡¹


    ¡¸Come by anytime!¡¹


    The vendors happily stuffed their bags with Aria¡¯s order. In fact, they gave her more than double what she ordered, literally stuffing the bags and leaving Tama to wonder just how desperate these men were.


    ¡¸So much¡­ Thanks as always!¡¹


    ¡¸Whaaat, don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah yeah, Aria¡¯s one of our regrs. By the by¡­ That¡¯s an adorable kitten tagging along today, ain¡¯t it?¡¹


    Enjoying Aria¡¯s smiling gratitude with sloppy grins of their own, one of them brought up the topic of Tama. He was looking in the cat¡¯s direction, but it was clear his eyes were set on the pillows upon which he rested.


    Trash, want me to make you feel like thest guy who tried something?


    But just before he could finalize his n and take the leap, Aria stirred.


    ¡¸This isn¡¯t good. I can¡¯t hug Tama with both my hands upied¡­ Ah, I got it! Tama, please be a good boy until we¡¯re back home, okay?¡¹


    Briefly freeing up one of her hands, Aria lifted Tama and¡ª


    Pop!


    She stowed Tama away somewhere safe.


    Uh¡­ Whuh¡­?!


    Both the men and Tama were shaking.


    It was a valley¡ªno, a crevasse. With the exception of his head, Tama¡¯s entire body wasfortably snug between Aria¡¯s breasts. He could do nothing but shiver, eventually calming down and surrendering to his cozy cage, and overwhelmed by the sight themselves the street vendors gulped loudly without another word.


    ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s about time to excuse myself, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    Curious about their faces but not willing to ask, Aria ced a few coins on the vendors¡¯ stalls and took her leave.


    ¡¸Hey, skewers¡­¡¹


    ¡¸What up, spare ribs?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡­ I wish I was born as a cat¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Me too¡­¡¹


    ¡ô


    Ah~ that was heaven on earth¡­


    After getting back to the inn, Tama regained consciousness when he was finally released from Aria¡¯s inescapable cleavage. Her chest¡¯s pillowy softness yet bouncy sticity rubbed and teased every inch of his body whenever Aria took a step. On top of that, she hadn¡¯t yet washed off the sweat of her trip to the dungeon, strengthening her natural scent and bringing Tama to total submission.


    ¡¸Tama,e here. Let¡¯s eat together.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n!¡¹


    Setting up the table in the room, Ariaid out the meat she bought in town. When the smell hit Tama¡¯s nose his stomach rumbled hungrily, and he leaped onto the tabletop in a single bound.


    Aria presented one of the meat skewers with an ¡°ah~¡±, and Tama didn¡¯t hesitate to chomp and chow down. Milk was the only thing he¡¯d had all day.


    The charcoal-grilled meat covered his tongue, and its savory juices rolled down his chin.


    I can¡¯t get enough of this!


    So deeply moved by his first real food since he was born, Tama inhaled the meat like it was going out of style.


    ¡¸Fufu, such a big appetite¡­ Eat lots so you can grow big quick for me, okay¡­?¡¹


    Aria was looking at Tama with lustful eyes not unlike those of the men who looked at her, but the kitten was too absorbed in his meat to notice.


    ¡¸Saving me in the dungeon, finding out you¡¯re an elemental cat¡­ Today was a great day. So, I think it¡¯s fine to celebrate today with a drink, don¡¯t you?¡¹


    While Tama was tearing into a spare rib, Aria left him alone for a moment to retrieve a bottle from the corner of the room. Seemed to be a fruit wine, judging by thebel.


    On that note, the age of majority in this country was 14 for men and 12 for women. Aria was probably somewhere around 15 or 16, so naturally she was of age to drink alcohol.


    Hm, Master, a youngdy like you shouldn¡¯t be drinking alone¡­ Actually, no, it¡¯s probably better for her to be getting drunk in the safety of her room than outside where some weird men could take advantage of her.


    Tama worried about how she could end up getting herself in trouble as he watched droplets of wine escape his master¡¯s lips and smoothly roll down along her bounteous breasts.

 Chapter 17 - Bonds

    <h4>Chapter 17: Bonds</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Fuu~, it feels so nice¡­¡¹


    Muttering to herself with empty eyes, a half-empty bottle of alcohol threatened to spill from her hand onto the floor. There were already three on the table.


    Aria drank too much. Apparently, she was really happy about Tama being her pet. As for Tama himself, having been shocked by Aria¡¯s drinking yet not really having anything to do since he¡¯s a cat, he decided to quietly groom himself on the bed.


    ¡¸Hey, leaving your master alone and cleaning yourself¡­ Tama¡¯s so cold¡­ If that¡¯s the way you want it, why don¡¯t we just take a bath together?¡¹


    Bath¡­ Together¡­?!


    Tama froze, tongue stuck on an outstretched leg. Aria ignored him, leisurely cleaned up her mess, then tossed a towel and change of clothes into the basket beside her bed.


    ¡¸I¡¯m going, so are you joining me or not~?¡¹


    She picked up her basket and turned to Tama with a somewhat lonely look on her face.


    I¡­ suppose I have no choice. She is the master of this knight. I swore that no matter when or where, I wouldn¡¯t leave her side. Yep, there¡¯s just no helping it!


    Oveing his chivalry with his pride, Tama came up with just the excuse he needed to convince himself to enter the women¡¯s bath. After all, there was no telling if some lust-crazed men would trespass and assault a beauty like his master¡­ So, he jumped into the basket, moving light as a feather.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Ah, Aria. Coming down for a bath?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s a bitte, but may I?¡¹


    The second floor of the inn consisted of rooms, and most of the first was a bar-sh-reception desk. Aftering down from the second floor, Aria was addressed by the inn¡¯sndy, carrying a tray of dishes.


    ¡¸Sure, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re thest one for the night, so feel free to take your time. And please wash the kitty well.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹


    Aria gave thendy her gratitude and left for the back of the inn. It was an alternate-use room, but the size of the washroom and bath weren¡¯t small at all.


    Some less-than-righteous men tried to follow her, too, but thendy sessfully warded them off.


    ¡ô


    I¡­ Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned¡­


    Alone in the dressing room, Aria shamelessly and erotically undressed, followed by a deep scrub of her entire body to clean up. Of course, Tama took in every inch. A captivating figure that just begged to be touched, and not a single blemish or mark on her supple skin¡­ but there was something that grabbed his attention more than anything else.


    Two somethings.


    It was those little devils on Aria¡¯s chest, floating on the water¡¯s surface. Drifting and swimming in the water, Tama couldn¡¯t help but sneak peeks at them whenever he could.


    ¡¸Tama¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸NYA¡ª?!¡¹


    While staring at the ceiling, Aria came out of her bath-induced daze and called to the cat. Tama was flustered for a moment, thinking his peeping was caught.


    ¡¸Tama¡­ Do you think I can be strong?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Nyaa?¡¹


    With an anxious look in her eyes, Aria started to talk.


    ¡¸You see, the country I used to live in was attacked by a demon army a long time ago. At the time I was too small and weak to do anything but hide¡­ But, the demons and their sharp noses found me in no time¡­¡¹


    Aria trembled while she spoke, evidently remembering what happened. But soon her lips curled up into a smile.


    ¡¸But right then, the ¡°Sword Saint¡± appeared! She showed up in front of me, and using two swords she cut down the demons one after another.¡¹


    Sword Saint¡­ Could that be the one I¡¯m thinking of?


    The name wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to Tama. The Sword Saint is the title of an elf girl who popped up out of nowhere a few years ago. She went Dynasty Warriors on the demon armies and single-handedly saved an entire country.


    As Tama realized that Aria was likely saved by the same person, she continued.


    ¡¸Back then, I decided that someday I¡¯d be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Sword Saint, and I¡¯d be the one doing the saving¡­ That¡¯s why I became an adventurer.¡¹


    Master¡­!


    Aria¡¯s noble wish touched his heart and brought a tear to his eye. Yet not a minuteter, she fell back into a mild depression.


    ¡¸But¡­¡¹


    He could guess what she wanted to say. Aria wasn¡¯t anywhere close to saving someone in need. She got ahead of herself and into unnecessary danger, and had to be saved by Tama. No doubt it got to her.


    It¡¯s okay, Master¡­ You¡¯re still young. You have a long road ahead of you to getting stronger, but I know you can get to the finish line. Plus, you have me. As long as I live, I¡¯ll protect you until you reach your goal.


    Once again, Tama steeled his resolve to keep Aria safe. Now swimming more skillfully, he approached Aria¡¯s side. He gently climbed onto her shoulder, then rubbed his head against her cheek.


    ¡¸Tama¡­ Fufu, you¡¯re too kind.¡¹


    That night¡­ An elf girl and her pet Behemoth deepened their bond.

 Chapter 18 - Vulcan’s Armor Shop

    <h4>Chapter 18: Vulcan¡¯s Armor Shop</h4>


    ____________________¡°Vulcan¡¯s Armor Shop¡±


    An adventurer-owned shop found at the corner of Labyrinth City¡¯smercial district. Most of the armor sold here is thought of as looking boorish, but at least it¡¯s cheap, and the store established itself as having a focus on practicality.


    A guest just arrived at that very shop.


    ¡¸Nya~! Weyaa~!¡¹


    The door to the back opened, and out came a lively young girl. She had a somewhat young¡ªno, it was practically a loli face, framed by deep golden hair and appended by cat-like ears growing out of her head. The girl¡¯s skin was light brown with a healthy glow to it, but counter to her childlike face she was wearing little more than an overall dress and apron, and her frontal assets were generous enough to show off out of the top and sides.


    This is Vulcan, a tiger demihuman and proprietress of Vulcan¡¯s Armor Shop.


    ¡¸Good morning, Vulcan. It¡¯s rare seeing you tending the shop this time of day. Are you not going dungeon diving today?¡¹


    The bell-like voice that addressed her belonged to a girl with tinum blonde hair that glittered in the sun, icy blue eyes, a pair of pointy elven ears, and¡­ a small animal, resting atop her chest.


    Naturally, it was Aria and Tama.


    ¡¸Hmnya~, Aria. A special request came in, so I took the day off to take care of it. But, I finished early, nyaa¡­ I guess maybe I¡¯ll go to the dungeon after this?¡¹


    Upon closer inspection, a silver tag hung around Vulcan¡¯s neck. As a smith, customers either bring in the materials for use, or the smith goes to the dungeon and gets the materials themselves. Vulcan is thetter kind, and earned her way to C rank as an adventurer.


    ¡¸So Aria, did you stop by for weapon maintenance? Also, that cat is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. I came by to repair my knives. And the kitty here is named Tama. He¡¯s an elemental cat who became my pet yesterday.¡¹


    Aria proudly introduced the kitten, subtly hiding the fact that the only reason she didn¡¯t visit the store any earlier today was because she got nearly ckout drunkst night and had to suffer a nasty hangover.


    ¡¸Nya~! Elemental cats are super rare! Nyaa, Aria, can I hold him?¡¹


    ¡¸Of course. Tama, Vulcan here is always helping me. Promise you won¡¯t scratch her?¡¹


    For some reason Vulcan seemed restless while looking at Tama. She clearly wanted to y with him quite a lot.


    For Aria¡¯s part, she happily agreed and set him on top of Vulcan¡¯s chest as he just was on her own, while Tama gave his master¡¯s request an affirmative meow. After all, Vulcan appeared to be quite close to Aria, and a friend of Aria¡¯s was a friend of his. Besides, the only time he wanted to go on a rampage was whenever some disgraceful lech was molesting his master with their eyes.


    Boing.


    His paws bounced gently against Vulcan¡¯s skin as he settled in. They weren¡¯t as big as Aria¡¯s, but they were still more than enough to act as a bed. Her breasts were soft and plush, and wonderfully warm.


    ¡¸Nya~! So docile, he¡¯s adorable!¡¹


    ¡¸I know! Having such a cute kitty for a pet, it¡¯s like a dream!¡¹


    That¡¯s my line. Being pampered by such a lovely girl like Master¡­ I¡¯m really thankful. Come to think of it, this is really pleasant. A beautiful elf master and a cheerful beastman having a friendly chat¡­ And to top it off I¡¯m enjoying their soft bodies to my heart¡¯s content¡­


    He was the envy of all men, barely holding back his excitement, and while he was having his fun on Vulcan¡¯s bouncy breasts Aria started talking about him.


    ¡¸By the way, Vulcan, I wanted to ask you something¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa? What is it?¡¹


    ¡¸Actually, it¡¯s for him¡­ I was wondering if you could make some special armor for Tama.¡¹


    ¡¸Custom armor for a cat¡­ Nyaa, I can do that! Does that mean you want to fight with this kitten as your partner?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right!¡¹


    And thus was Aria¡¯s second goal for visiting Vulcan. If Tama was going to protect her, it¡¯d be best if he didn¡¯t have to rely on his fur alone.


    It wasn¡¯t strange for adventurers to have animals for teammates either. So to keep them a little safer, adventurersmissioned custom armor that left them able to move naturally.


    Master! To go so far for me¡­!


    Though he decided to keep Aria safe, for his own sake he had to restrict himself to his elemental skills. Without ?Iron Body?, he remains as vulnerable as¡­ well, a kitten. Now that he¡¯s getting armor, however, he won¡¯t need Iron Body to bodyblock for her!


    I¡¯ll still use Iron Body if I really need to, though.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve never made custom equipment for animals, but it sounds interestinyaa! The kitty¡¯s still growing, too, so I¡¯ll need to add a size adjustment enchantment so it grows with him. As for the shape¡­¡¹


    Vulcan immediately got to work, busting out materials and writing down others she needed, and drawing up a bevy of blueprints. The creation process continuedte into the night.

 Chapter 19 - Elves Gone Wild

    <h4>Chapter 19: Elves Gone Wild</h4>


    ____________________The next day¡ª


    ¡¸Fufu~, good morning, Tama.¡¹


    Once again, Tama is woken up from atop his master¡¯s breast.


    ¡¸Nyao~¡¹


    Tama stretched his back, then rubbed his face against Aria¡¯s cheek. She really liked that.


    ¡¸Tama¡­ You¡¯re being sweet today, huh? But that¡¯s alright. In fact, please give me more.¡¹


    This was probably going to be a daily routine for these two, with one spoiling the other and getting spoiled in return. And being praised for it only made Tama want to give her what she wanted.


    Hah¡­ This is the best.


    He really couldn¡¯t get enough.


    Right, this is just meeting Master¡¯s request. Let¡¯s try something a little different¡­


    Tama stopped, separating his cheek from Aria¡¯s and briefly eliciting a dejected sigh from thetter. But only briefly.


    Lick.


    Tama licked one of her pointy elf ears.


    ¡¸Ahn¡­!¡¹


    Huh? Why is her reaction very different from what I imagined?


    The cat immediately broke away from the source of the aroused squeal he just heard. Aria¡¯s cheeks were pink, breathing irregr and eyes misty. And for some reason, she was anxiously rubbing her thighs together.


    ¡¸Tamaaa¡­ Mooore¡­¡¹


    Sh*t! I flipped some freaky switch in her brain! Did Master really have these kinds of urges after all?! She¡¯s no elf, she¡¯s an erofu!


    Tama jumped off the bed, hurriedly cowering in a corner of the room, but Aria stood up. Slowly, slowly, she crept toward Tama, muttering the while.


    ¡¸Tama, I didn¡¯t think you could do such things¡­ I don¡¯t think I can wait for you to grow up anymore¡­¡¹


    This isn¡¯t good! She¡¯s gonna devour me!


    He could feel it in his bones. Aria trapped him, reaching down and embracing him tightly. But just when all hope for Tama seemed lost, a savior arrived with a knock on the door.


    ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹


    Deep in those ice blue eyes floated little pink hearts, but the sudden visitor snapped her back to reality.


    ¡¸It¡¯s Vulcanya~!¡¹


    ¡¸Vulcan?! Just a moment please, I¡¯ll get the door!¡¹


    Aria quickly brushed herself up. Although still wearing her negligee was questionable, since it was only Vulcaning in it was fine.


    ¡¸Sorry foring so early, nya, but I couldn¡¯t wait for you to see the results!¡¹


    ¡¸Ah! That¡¯s¡­¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. It¡¯s Tama-nyan¡¯s custom armor. Pulled an all-nighter to finish it.¡¹


    In Vulcan¡¯s hands was a piece of armor made to fit around Tama¡¯s torso, and Aria was giddy as a schoolgirl over it.


    Phew¡­ Looks like Master¡¯s attention is finally on something besides me. Nice one, Miss Vulcan.


    Regarding how quickly it was finished, most every smith in the world learned a very literal ¡°Smithing Skill¡±. It more than doubled the speed of the entire smithing process, among other things. Vulcan having the skill at her young age is one of the contributors to her fame.


    ¡¸Tama, let¡¯s put it on right now!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n!¡¹


    Vulcan handed it over, giving Aria the time to sp things in ce and prepare it for use, and Tama purred happily as he fit his legs and head through the appropriate openings.


    ¡¸Yee, he¡¯s so cute!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa, I¡¯m d there doesn¡¯t seem to be any issues with it!¡¹


    Tama¡¯s armor resembled a leather chestpiece, with metal added over it. It was meant to not obstruct his movement. As for his head, he had a helmet on made of iron and wood. Of course, there were holes to fit his ears through as well.


    He looked like he was cosying as an adventurer. If Aria had a camera, she¡¯d have filled the storage on it in no time.


    ¡¸Can you move alright, Tama-nyan?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyao~!¡¹


    Tama replied energetically to Vulcan¡¯s question, walking about in a circle to show.


    Hm. It¡¯s a bit heavy, but that¡¯s no problem for a behemoth. Miss Vulcan said she wanted to include a size adjustment enchantment, so I might even be able to use this no matter how big I get.


    He was just as satisfied as the girls were. As expected of a master smith like Vulcan.


    ¡¸Bonus, I came to deliver this too.¡¹


    Vulcan continued, pulling out a pair of knives from who knows where, with the deration that she finished her maintenance on them.


    ¡¸Thanks so much, Vulcan.¡¹


    ¡¸No problem. I¡¯m grateful you made the order; been a while since I had so much fun making things. Since you already paid me yesterday, I¡¯ll head out nyaow.¡¹


    She covered a gentle yawn and left Tama and Aria to their own devices. She was undoubtedly working all night to pull this off.


    ¡¸Tama, let¡¯s go to the guild right after breakfast so we can get a quest!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan!¡¹

 Chapter 20 - Imminent Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 20: Imminent Crisis</h4>


    ____________________¡¸?eleration?!¡¹


    Somewhere in the first floor of thebyrinth, Aria was charging into battle. Her big eyes spied a monster, and she didn¡¯t hesitate to move in. With her inherent skill in effect, Aria closed the gap in an instant.


    Her target: a group of five goblins, the first she sent flying into a wall with a lightning fast kick to the face.


    ¡¸Haaaa¡ª!¡¹


    As shended she turned in ce, catching two more goblins on either side with her knives. Two down before the goblins had a chance to react, and she was already heading in deeper to finish the job on the first.


    ¡ºGIGYA!¡»


    Thest two finally caught up to the situation when theirrades were already dead, and jumped at Aria to fight back.


    ¡¸NYAN (?Icicle Lance?)!¡¹


    But an adorable meow came from where Aria stood before the fight began, and following it was a pair of frozen spears into the goblins¡¯ chests. It was Tama doing that, of course.


    ¡¸Last one!¡¹


    The pair were well in sync, Aria stabbing her knife into the injured goblin she chased down just as Tama felled the other two.


    ¡¸Guh¡­ ghi¡­¡¹


    After a bit of struggling, thest goblin went ck.


    ¡¸We did it, Tama! Thirty bodies down!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~!¡¹


    After getting their equipment from Vulcan, the two were quick to jump back into thebyrinth.


    At first, having mistaken Tama as a cat and deciding to bring him along, Aria had no idea how to actually fight alongside him. After a few fights, though, she figured out that Tama was mostly using his abilities to protect her.


    Soon enough Aria took up the vanguard, and Tama covered the rear.


    Hm, good thing Master¡¯s a quick study. I may be a behemoth, but my body is still young. I can¡¯t keep up with her yet. And I can¡¯t use my Tailde or Flight since she thinks I¡¯m an elemental cat.


    Tama was uncertain about only being able to use the elemental skills he learned from consuming his enemies, but Aria was quick to get a hold on what Tama was capable of with them. Thanks to that, he didn¡¯t have to stay by her side to protect her.


    ¡¸Since we¡¯ve gotten this far, want to check out the next floor? If you¡¯re with me I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be okay, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be good training too.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan!¡¹


    Aria finished up slicing off goblin ears during their conversation, and Tama enthusiastically agreed.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºBuhyooo!¡¹


    Somewhere on the second floor, Aria and Tama encountered that thing.


    Arge and muscled monster about 180 centimeters high, with bloodshot eyes and a nose like a pig.


    ¡°Orc¡± is what it was called. And for some reason, it seemed extremely excited, breathing raspily and frothing at the mouth.


    Not a surprise, though. Orcs, like goblins, can crossbreed with humans and elves. Its lust is also far higher than a goblin¡¯s. If anything, it¡¯s a miracle that this one didn¡¯t go barrelling at Aria on sight.


    ¡¸Uuu¡­ that thing is so gross¡­¡¹


    On the other hand, Aria recoiled in disgust as soon as sheid eyes on it. There was probably something strange going through her head.


    Apparently, even for the girl who wanted Tama to ¡°nyan nyan¡± her like a wild animal still thought an orc was too much.


    ¡ºBUHIIIII!¡»


    Angered by her rejection, the orc cried loudly as if dering war on her. He brandished arge hatchet, then ran in and swung it down.


    ¡¸Too slow!¡¹


    Aria nimbly stepped back, and the hatchet crashed into the ground. When the dust cleared, Tama took over.


    ¡¸NYAN (?Fireball?)!¡¹


    His fireball nailed the orc in the jaw, setting its entire head aze. Caught up in agonizing pain, it dropped its weapon and batted at the mes.


    ¡¸Nice one, Tama!¡¹


    The elf stepped in again, driving both of her knives deep into the orc¡¯s chest. Aria kicked off his bulging belly and gained a bit of distance again, just as the orc futilely swung at her to get one punch in. Its fist only managed to hit thin air, the light faded from its roasted eyes, and its body hit the ground with a disappointing thud.


    ¡¸Fuu¡­¡¹


    This was the first time Aria fought something bigger than her. It had always been slimes and those half-pint goblins up to now.


    ¡¸Fufu¡­ This is all thanks to you, Tama.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n. (It was nothin¡¯.)¡¹


    First time I¡¯ve killed an orc. Let¡¯s take a bite. Probably got a skill or two.


    Leaving Aria¡¯s beaming smile, Tama approached the orc to sneak a taste, but¡ª


    ¡¸Tama, no!¡¹


    ¡¸N-Nyaa?!¡¹


    Aria raised her voice, running up and snatching him to her chest before his teeth could touch the orc¡¯s flesh.


    ¡¸Mouu, you¡¯ll upset your tummy eating nasty stuff like monster meat, so you can¡¯t do that, okay?¡¹


    Denied.


    Mm¡­ This isn¡¯t good. I can¡¯t get any more skills if I can¡¯t eat any monsters we kill. What am I gonna do about this¡­?


    Ignoring Tama¡¯s internal distress, Aria went to cutting apart the orc.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸So what should we get for dinner, Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyao~.¡¹


    After defeating and slicing off part of the orc, they decided to end their adventure there and returned to the guild. Aria¡¯s pouch was stuffed with goblin ears, so she was carrying the orc¡¯s arms in a leather bag, leaving only one hand to pet Tama. An orc elimination¡¯s proof is simr to a goblin, but since orc parts are valuable down to the bone, she decided to just bring back its arms.


    ¡¸Hey there, Ana. Could I get a hand processing a questpletion?¡¹


    ¡¸Aria¡­! You came at the worst time. Please just return home for today.¡¹


    ¡¸Ana¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    She expected a friendly reception from the bondage-bound muscle maiden behind the counter, Arnaldo Hwarzenegger, but instead (s)he was very hush hush about trying to get her out of the guild as fast as possible.


    Before Ana could give her an answer, the answer himself appeared.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Miss Aria.¡¹


    Wearing fine equipment that did nothing to salvage his face that made you not want to talk to him, and his hair swept back by what was probably a slime-based hair gel¡­ Kassman returned.


    ¡¸Mr. Kassman¡­ Is there anything you need me for?¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed there is, Miss Aria. I¡¯m afraid I came here today to tell you just the most unfortunate bit of news.¡¹


    Despite what happened the day before, Kassman didn¡¯t stop his hands from groping about. But he stopped soon enough to show off a sheet of parchment with a sleazy smile on his face.


    ¡¸No! Why is this¡­?!¡¹


    Aria paled at what was written on the parchment.


    ¡°By order of the baron, the harmful beast (the elemental cat owned by the adventurer Aria) that injured the baron¡¯s eldest son, Kassman, is to be in.¡±

 Chapter 21 - Tears of a Beloved Girl

    <h4>Chapter 21: Tears of a Beloved Girl</h4>


    ____________________Master? Why do you look so pale? ¡­ What? An order of execution?!?!


    ncing between Aria¡¯s face and the parchment in front of him, Tama¡¯s heart dropped.


    For the sake of protecting his master, he attacked a pervert without any regard for thetter¡¯s status, and shamed him in public as a result. Unfortunately, Kassman is a very stereotypical and arrogant nobleman. Apparently his reaction was to throw his father¡¯s weight around to get Tama killed.


    ¡¸This¡­ No¡­ NO!!¡¹


    Her adorable Tama. Her beloved Tama who risked his life to save hers. There was no way she was obeying something this absurd, but a noble¡¯s orders are absolute to those they stand over.


    Aria curled up where she stood, hiding Tama with her body as tears streamed down her face. It had only been a couple days, but she was attached to him enough that she wasn¡¯t going to let him go down alone.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t there anything we can do¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸Impossible. You heard Kassman¡¯s the baron¡¯s son, right? We¡¯re powerless here.¡¹


    The onlookers were beating themselves up, as they couldn¡¯t fight back. Even the Strongest Receptionist, Arnaldo, had her eyes shut tight, unable to oppose a noble¡¯s authority ande out unscathed.


    ¡­ What do I do? If I run here, I can save myself without breaking a sweat. But I can¡¯t, I¡¯d be running from my own master. That¡¯s not something I can allow as her knight.


    Tama was caught between his life and his oath, frantically searching for a third option. And yet strangely, the one who provided an out was the same man who started it.


    ¡¸Ah¡­ How miserable, Miss Aria. Tell me, is that elemental cat of yours truly so dear to you?¡¹


    ¡¸He is! He¡¯s the most important thing in the world to me¡­ like my own child. Mr. Kassman, please forgive him¡­!¡¹


    The tears obscured Aria¡¯s vision, but Tama saw it¡ªbehind Kassman¡¯s gentle tone, his eyes were clouded over, a goal he desperately wanted to reach within his grasp.


    ¡¸Then Miss Aria, I have a suggestion. Would you like to have a duel with me?¡¹


    ¡¸Duel¡­ A duel? Why are you¡­¡¹


    ¡¸What, is it so wrong that your overflowing affection for your pet has reached me? As such, I¡¯m taking pity on the situation you¡¯ve been ced in. Sad to say, though, that the decree of a noble house cannot be revoked so easily without my family losing face. So, we shall decide this with a duel. Should you win, the order shall be rescinded¡­ How about it?¡¹


    Kassman spoke with exaggerated gestures, but he was at least giving her a choice. Not that it made her feel any better. Aria was a D-ranked adventurer; and on top of his expensive and effective equipment, Kassman didn¡¯t make it to C rank for nothing.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t look so down, Miss Aria. I never said the duel had to be one on one, did I?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­?!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve heard tell that you began fighting with that elemental cat at your side, is that right? I¡¯ll be happy to allow you to do so now!¡¹


    He dered it loudly so the entire guild could hear.


    If it¡¯s with Tama¡­


    Aria started to look hopeful again, but not for long. Kassman was acting too lenient, and she knew something was wrong.


    ¡¸What are you after¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸Kukuku¡­ Miss Aria, you¡¯re a clever girl. It¡¯s quite simple, really. In the event that you win our little duel, I by your pet¡¯s execution. However, should I win, Miss Aria¡­ You are to be my wife. That¡¯s all.¡¹


    ¡¸¡ª!!¡¹


    Aria¡ªno, the entire guild only stared at Kassman in shock.


    If it wasn¡¯t obvious enough, this is what Kassman wanted from the very start. He just used Tama¡¯s little scratch as a reason to make it happen. Really, he was just salty the direct approach didn¡¯t work on her.


    ¡¸So, your reply, Miss Aria? Will you take my offer for a duel? Or maybe¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I-I¡¯ll do it! I ept your duel! Just¡­ just hold the order¡­!¡¹


    Aria agreed to his deplorable condition, still crying her eyes out and trying to shield Tama. Kassman watched her with nauseating glee, knowing it was the only chance she had.


    YOU!!


    Tama trembled not with fear, but fury. At Kassman, and at himself for being unable to protect the girl he swore his life to.


    For making Master cry, you will regret this, Kassman!

 Chapter 22 - Duel

    <h4>Chapter 22: Duel</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Well then Aria-chan. Are you¡­¡­.. Really going to do this? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, best regards. Ana-san¡¹


    The back of the guild.


    Adventurers are quickly gathering after hearing about the duel.


    Aria who was asked such a question by Arnold is nodding with calm expression.


    ¡¸Well then, we¡¯re going to start the duel between D-ranked adventurer Aria and her pet, Tama, against C-ranked adventurer, Kassman, the eldest son of a baron house.¡¡In case thetter is victorious, Aria will be his wife and Tama will be executed. In case the former wins, the execution of Tama will be revoked. Both parties, are there any objections? ¡¹


    Arnold who be the umpire by Aria¡¯s request is exining the conditions.


    ¡¸Naturally, none¡¹


    ¡¸Not at all¡¹


    There¡¯s no objection from Kassman as the one who devised such conditions. He¡¯s grinning from ear to ear while replying so.


    Aria also has no choice but to ept this duel.


    She nods with an annoyed face.


    The conditions for the duel is as written below:


    ?Either party is killed.


    ?Either party gives up


    ?When the other party judged to be unable to fight.


    The victor is decided by fulfilling any one of these conditions.


    ¡¸Well then, both sides get ready¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­BEGIN!! ¡¹


    ¡¸NYAN¡¶Icicle Lance¡·!! ¡¹


    As soon as Arnold said so.


    Tama who was burning with furyunched the first strike.


    His skill of choice is the spear of ice, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·.


    Aimed at the left chest of Kassman.


    (For the crime of making my dear master cry you will¡­¡­..)


    He¡¯s about to kill Kassman to prevent any future trouble.


    But¨D¨D


    ¡¸Kukuku¡­¡­ It¡¯s futile¡¹


    Kassman is showing a daring smile. For some reason, he¡¯s not trying to dodge the iing attack at all.


    The next moment, rainbow colored mist wraps around Kassman¡¯s body.


    Though the ¡¶Icicle Lance¡· should pierce him, it vanished as soon as it made contact with that rainbow-colored mist.


    ¡¸No¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Way!? ¡¹


    He cancelled Tama¡¯s attack.


    Aria¡¯s raising a surprised voice in seeing that.


    ¡¸¡°Magic Protection Ring¡±¡­¡­¡­.. It¡¯s our family heirloom, my father, a former adventurer gave this ring to me, it is a magic item that will invalidate magic skills¡¹


    Aria and Tama are shocked upon hearing that.


    Kassman is bragging about the ring that is on the middle finger of his right hand.


    (D^mn it¡­¡­¡­¡­ So that¡¯s the reason!¡¡Though I expected him to have an ace up his sleeve when he challenged master along with me, I never expected that it was this!)


    On hearing Kassman¡¯s exnation.


    Tama is grinding his teeth in frustration. Tama is still being misunderstood as an elemental cat. Therefore, the skill he can use is limited to elemental magic.


    From the very beginning, Tama isn¡¯t a threat for Kassman.


    That¡¯s why Kassman allowed Tama to fight alongside Aria.


    ¡¸Well then, miss Aria!¡¡Your elemental cat is powerless before me. How about giving up this fight? ¡¹


    ¡¸Kuh¡­¡­¡­.. Please stand back, Tama. ¡¶ACCELERATION¡·!! ¡¹


    (As if I¡¯m going to giving up!)-(Aria)


    Aria is speeding toward Kassman with only one intention, to save Tama.


    (Fast!!¡¡But, you¡¯re too naive, miss Aria!)


    Against Aria¡¯s fast approach utilizing¡¶eleration¡·


    Even a C-ranked adventurer like Kassman will be suprised by such speed. But, that surprisested only for a moment. Kassman set his sword. And urately repelled Aria¡¯s downward sh.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­..Kuh!? ¡¹


    Aria suddenly stepped back.


    Kassman¡¯s kick is grazing her nk creating a slight red mark on her snow white skin.


    ¡¸Hou, you barely dodged my kick huh. Your inherent skill¡¶eleration¡·¡­¡­¡­.. Is definitely as rumored. But, that¡¯s it!! ¡¹


    After saying such. Kassman leaped towards Aria. Now it¡¯s his turn to attack.


    (Not yet!)


    Reacting to that, Aria¡¯s hand is moving towards her thighs. She then throws the throwing knife inserted in the belt coiling around her thigh.


    BYUN!


    It cuts through the air heading toward Kassman¡¯s face.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve already said you¡¯re too naive, miss Aria!! ¡¹


    Basa!!


    Kassman is holding onto the cuff of his mantle and then swung it in front of his face. The throwing knife is losing it¡¯s power as it hit the mantle without inflicting any damage to Kassman.


    And not just that.


    Kassman is advancing forward simultaneously. And then, swung his sword at her.


    The iing sh isn¡¯t registered in her field of vision.


    Aria won¡¯t make it in time to dodge the attack.


    ¡¸Nyan(Over my dead body)!! ¡¹


    But, the moment the de of the sword is about to touch Aria¡¯s skin¨D¨DTama is jumping in between Aria and the sword.


    GAKIN!!


    The sound of metal colliding against metal is resounding. Kassman sword is collided against a helmet, Tama¡¯s new gear.


    (GUH¡­¡­¡­!?¡¡So heavy!)


    The impact of the collision prates into Tama¡¯s body. And then, zusha!¡¡He crashed onto the ground.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­. TAMA!¡¡WHY ARE YOU!?¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    (Because I¡¯m your knight, master. I¡¯ll use my body to protect you!)


    Aria raised a sorrowful voice in seeing Tama using his body to protect her. Tama is standing again with trembling feet due to the damage from the impact just now.


    ¡¸Hou¡­¡­.. A mere animal used his body to protect miss Aria from my sword huh. Interesting!¡¡Let see how far you can stand against my attack! ¡¹


    Kassman is swinging his sword. It isn¡¯t a normal attack either. Above, below, left, right, he added feints into his attack. There¡¯s various sword technique¡¯s for personal match.


    ¡¸Kuh¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Au¡­¡­¡­.!? ¡¹


    Moreover, Aria is forced into defense. Since she never fought anything aside from monster. Kassman whose sword skill raised as a noble is the worst kind of enemy for her. Thus, even her defense crumbled in no time.


    (D^MN IT¡­¡­¡­.!!)


    Aria is in danger.


    Tama is leaping in between them again.


    He¡¯ll use his body to protect Aria from a killing blow no matter how many times.


    (Noooo!)¡¡¡­¡­¡­. Even if it¡¯s means ignoring her sorrowful wail.


    ¡¸Kukuku¡­¡­. What¡¯s matter beast, is that all? ¡¹


    ¡¸N-Nyaa¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    Kassman isughing.


    Finally Tama crumbles.


    Even at nce, various parts of Tama¡¯s body which isn¡¯t covered with the protector is covered in shallow cuts. Kassman¡¯s attack is grazing his body so many times.


    (I-I won¡¯t allow it¡­¡­¡­¡­. I, will, protect my master!!)


    Tama is trying to stand on his feet again. But, he failed. He has lost too much blood.


    ¡¸No¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Stop it¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Tama! ¡¹


    In seeing Tama¡¯s tattered state. Aria finally abandons her knifes and hug him as if to protect him.


    And then, she keeps saying¡¸Sorry, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ to Tama.


    She does so that while looking at Tama¡¯s face. She hated her weak self who can¡¯t protect him¡­¡­.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter miss Aria, are you going to surrender?¡¡If you swear to be my bride and epting my everything, I don¡¯t mind sparing the life of that elemental cat you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­!¡¡Really!?¡¡You really are going to spare Tama!?? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m a man who keeps his promise after all¡¹


    Aria¡¯s tears stop flowing when she hears Kassman saying so. Kassman is nodding with satisfied face. In the first ce, he isn¡¯t interested in Tama¡¯s life as long as he can get Aria. Moreover, after cornering her till thest moment and then sending a helping hand to Aria, she¡¯ll obediently be his¡­¡­¡­ Everything is ording to his n.


    (Kukuku¡­¡­. Now, how should I enjoy her after I finally got miss A-no- I mean Aria?¡¡Though enjoying her in a normal way is good, tormenting her sounds nice too¡­¡­¡­ Kukukuku!¡¡I really can¡¯t get enough just by thinking about it!!)


    Everything began from this moment.


    While Kassman¡¯s mind is upied with imaginations about living with Aria.


    Due to extreme distortion on his face while he thinks about his life after this, the adventurers watching their duel also drawing away from seeing his expression.


    (Like hell!¡¡I¡¯m going to leave my master to this kind of trash!!¡¡Since things already came to this¡­¡­!)


    Something simr to madness exploded inside Tama¡¯s head seeing Kassmanugh.


    Rather than letting that kind of trash defile his master¡­¡­..


    ¡¸Kukuku¡­. Well then, now say your surrender. Aria¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    Kassman is approaching the kneeling Aria at brisk pace.


    (NOW¡­¡­¡­¡­)


    Right on the next step.


    Tama¡¯s raising a soft meowing¨D¨D


    ¡¸Nyan¡¶Aether Howling¡·¡­¡­!! ¡¹


    RumBle¨D¨D¨D¨DEE!!!!


    Suddenly, a gale appeared.


    Kassman is thrown back.


    DOSHA! [SFX]¡¡GUSHA! [SFX]¡¡BECHA! [SFX]!


    Kassman who was just stepping forward lost his bnce. His body is turning around as he was thrown behind, and then mmed onto the ground. His arms and legs are bent in a strange direction¡­¡­.


    ¡¸Tama¡­¡­.. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­¡­¡­.. You¡¯re the one who did that? ¡¹


    He ended up using a skill other than magic in front of Aria. It might leak his identity as a monster.


    But it¡¯s okay.


    Because at least¡­¡­¡­¡­.. His master won¡¯t be disgraced by that scum.


    Tama¡¯s expression is calm.


    ¡¸Oi, what was just happened? ¡¹


    ¡¸Just partly, when I heard Aria-chan¡¯s elemental cat meowing, Kassman was suddenly blown back! ¡¹


    ¡¸Rather than that, Aria-chan!¡¡DO IT, NOW!! ¡¹


    The adventurers be noisy. The men who like Aria were the loudest amongst them.


    Aria is taken aback. She gently ced Tama on the ground.mShe then went toward Kassman who¡¯s wailing in pain and panic.


    And then¨D¨D


    ¡¸HoWdAREYoUToDoTHaTTOtAMa¡­¡­.¡¹


    She looked down on Kassman with piercing cold eyes, and then raised one of her beautiful legs overhead.


    ¡¸W-Wait a minute, miss Aria!¡¡No way¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. NOOO!¡¡PLEASE STOP HER!! ¡¹


    Her foot raised overhead. Kassman has guessed the meaning of her action.


    His legs were sprawling wide. It seems his legs joints are dislocated and he couldn¡¯t close his legs. Though he is already in a state in which he is unable to continue the fight, Arnold the judge didn¡¯t seems to notice his situation.


    ¡¸Fufufu, it¡¯s hopeless right?¡¡I think that thing¡¶?????¡· of yours is useless anyway¡¹


    Aria saying so with smile on her face. She cruelly crushed Kassman hope.


    And then.


    ¡¸GoODByE¡¹


    Her heel descended downward along with that words.


    And ¡°Ssh¡±¨D¨D It hit right one the target.


    ¡¸Winner, ARIA!! ¡¹


    The winner is dered by Arnold.


    All the female adventurers and the female staff members of the guild are raising joyful scream.


    On the contrary, the male adventurers were looking at Kassman who fainted while blowing bubbles from his mouth are covering theirher region with a pale face.


    ¡¸Tama!¡¡Here¡­¡­¡­¡­. Drink the potion right now! ¡¹


    Aria returned to Tama right after sending Kassman to the deepest abyss of despair. She received a bottle of potion from Arnold and poured the content into Tama¡¯s mouth. Feeling his wound recovering from inside. Tama felt asleep as soon as he knew that he protected his master.

 Chapter 23 - Conclusion

    <h4>Chapter 23: Conclusion</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Is that¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. An inherent skill? ¡¹


    After the duel.


    Aria is making her way through the break room of the guild receptionists with an anxious face. She¡¯s embracing Tama who is already lively again thanks to the potion from the guild.


    ¡¸Right. The skill used by Tama at the end, I think it¡¯s an inherent skill. I couldn¡¯t be wrong since I saw a few elemental cat using this kind of skill during my era as an adventurer¡¹


    The one who replied to Aria is Arnold.


    Aria felt relieved seeing that Tama had recovered. Thereupon, one question appeared in her mind. The skill used by Tama at the end¡­¡­..what was THAT?. Thus the answer she got from Arnold was ¡°It might be an inherent skill¡±.


    ¡¸I thought that Tama was a monster for a moment due to the tremendous power of his skill but, I have never heard of any kitten-like monster like Tama. He should have even more mana if he was a monster¡¹


    Normally, the amount of mana leaked from monster is different from the one that leaked from an animal. That¡¯s because they have different body structures.


    Even if Tama is a monster, he was a human. Tama is unconsciously regting the flow of mana in his body to be simr to that of a human. Thus the amount of mana leaking out from his body is that of a normal animal.


    And then, there¡¯s Arnold, former B-rank adventurer who has excellent perception. He judged that Tama isn¡¯t a monster based on his past experience and by sensing the mana leaking from Tama¡¯s body.


    (Fumu. I¡¯m prepared to have my identity as a monster leaked for the sake of protecting my master but¡­¡­.. It seems I was lucky. Nevertheless, the world sure is big, so an elemental cat who has an inherent skill does exist)


    His true identity was protected. Tama heaves a sigh of relief. Just like thest time, he was saved by Arnold again.


    By the way¡­¡­¡­..


    Speaking of Kassman, the perpetrator of this situation.


    Should one say ¡°You reap what you sow¡±, thest heel drop of Aria perfectly, And urately ¡­¡­¡­.. smashed his balls, to the point that even the greatest potion can¡¯t fix it.


    ording to the doctor¡­¡­¡­¡­. He is a man no longer. Nevertheless, Kassman can¡¯t say anything in that regard. The duel was decided by officialw. He has no choice but to ept whatever ending awaited him.


    If he plots a revenge on Aria and Tama, he will be judged byw regardless of whether he is a noble or not. Therefore, Aria and Tama have no need to feel scared of his retaliation for the time being.


    Kassman was ying dirty in order to get a bride¡¶Aria¡·.


    And the result for his deed is the bitter fact that he could never again¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Embrace a woman .


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Here Tama. A~n¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    Inn room.


    Aria stabbed the meat dish with her fork, and then fed it to Tama.


    (Ooh, so delicious!¡¡Though I¡¯m not making light of inn dishes, this isn¡¯t bad!)


    The time is right before evening.


    Aria and Tama were having a feast in celebration of today¡¯s victory.


    Aria is having her usual fruit wine. A slightly generous amount of milk is prepared for Tama. The appetizer is various boiled meat and fish dishes made by the mistress of the inn. They choose to enjoy the dishes in their own room.


    Good liquor.


    Tasty food.


    And then coupled with the aftertaste of their victory, Aria and Tama happily ate their meal.


    At that time¨D¨D


    (Uhn?¡¡What¡¯s happened to you, master?)


    Tama who was busying himself with the grilled fish noticed that Aria¡¯s hand stopped moving. Her face is gloomy. And she seems to be quite down.


    ¡¸Tama¡ª¡ª¡ª-!! ¡¹


    ¡¸NYAAA!? ¡¹


    Tama is looking at Aria¡¯s face with worried look.


    Aria suddenly came and hugged him.


    ¡¸Tama¡­¡­¡­ Tama, Tama¡ª¡ª¡ª-! ¡¹


    Her grip became even stronger. She called his name many times. Large teardrops keep flowing from her eyes.


    ¡¸Really, thank you very much for protecting me¡­¡­¡­¡­ But then, this is the second time already, so please stop doing something so dangerous¡­¡­¡­. If you die, I¡¯ll¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    (Ah¡­¡­. So that¡¯s what she means)


    Tama is guessing so.


    Maybe Aria¡¯s recalling the figure of a wounded Tama desperately trying to protect her.


    And now, that feeling exploded thanks to the addition of liquor.


    (It¡¯s okay master¡­¡­¡­¡­. I have no intention to die so easily. Moreover, I¡¯m going to use ¡¶Elemental Howling¡· from this point onward when things might turn sour. I¡¯ll make the full use of the¡¶Iron Body¡· skill too. So that a situation like this won¡¯t happen ever again)


    Tama was convinced of that matter after today¡¯s incident.


    Due to the misunderstanding when he used ¡¶Aether Howling¡· from before as his inherent skill, he¡¯ll use appropriate skills when the situation calls for it.


    ¡¸Nya~n¡¹


    Tama is raising a soft purring voice. He then rubs his head on her cheeks in order to wipe her tears.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­¡­¡­ Even though you¡¯re the one who got that wounded, you end upforting me¡­¡­.. You really are a gentle kid, Tama¡¹


    To answer Tama¡¯s kindness.


    Aria is also showing her usual gentle smile.


    Tama ended upforting Aria tillte at night.

 Chapter 24 - Party Formation

    <h4>Chapter 24: Party Formation</h4>


    ____________________¡¸U~hm¡­¡­¡­.. Which one should I choose I wonder?¡¹


    The next afternoon after the duel. The worrying Aria is cing her index finger on her lips.


    She is in Vulcan¡¯s armor shop.


    Standing in front of the dagger section.


    The result of yesterday¡¯s duel.


    Both of Aria knives have big chips on the de due to Kassman¡¯s fierce assault.


    Since restoring it is impossible, she decided to get a new pair of daggers.


    She¡¯se to the shop this afternoon due to the hangover from drinking the previous night and because Vulcan, the shop owner is diving into thebyrinth in the morning.


    And that Vulcan is¡­¡­¡­


    ¡¸NYaaa~!¡¡Tama-nyan is as cute as usual nya~n! ¡¹


    She¡¯s borrowing Tama from Aria. She ces Tama in between her bare breast valley wrapped in overalls as usual. For some reason she¡¯spletely charmed by Tama¡¯s loveliness, her eyes are that of a girl in love.


    ¡¸Nya~o¡­¡­..¡¹


    And then, Tama is squinting his eyes with a satisfied look in the midst of his hazy consciousness. Even if his body is still that of a kitty, he¡¯s a knight inside. The reason for his sleepiness is due to yesterday matter.


    ¡¸Ah, this looks good¡¹


    Aria found an item she liked from the lineup of daggers.


    She quickly tries swinging it the moment she picks it up.


    Byu¨D¨Dn!


    The knife creates a sound as if tearing through the air when she tries swinging it.


    Aria could feel that this one is easier to handle than her previous weapon.


    ¡¸Oh, This feels nice. The price is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    Aria shows a bitter smile. A weapon that is easy to use is naturally expensive. Yesterday¨D¨D Before the duel to be exact, she managed to bring an orc arm in addition to the usual goblin ears, though Aria¡¯s purse is still full to the brim, if she buys the knife she tried just now, her profit will vanish in a moment.


    Naturally she feels hesitant due to the maintenance fee and other daily costs.


    ¡¸Nyah, Aria-nyan?¡¡Sorry even though you¡¯re troubled over choosing your weapon, do you want to hear my advice?¡¡I don¡¯t think that some advice will be bad for you¡¹


    ¡¸What might your advice be?¡¡It¡¯s rare for you to give advice, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹


    It¡¯s mostly Aria who is consulting Vulcan about her weapon, but it¡¯s rare for Vulcan to give advice to Aria, her customer.


    Aria is puzzled over what just happened.


    ¡¸The truth is, I¡¯m currently looking for an adventurer partnya~. If it¡¯s okay with you, can Ie with your party nyaow? ¡¹


    ¡¸E¡­¡­¡­.. EH?¡¡Me, with Vulcan-san!? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right!¡¡Even if I say this myself, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad for you to be partnyaoring with C rank adventurer like me¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s my pleasure of course. But ¡­¡­. Why me?¡¡I mean I¡¯m just a D rank adventurer, moreover, Vulcan-san should have a splendidrade in your own party called ¡°Sakura¡±-san, who is a former knight¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Aria is delighted hearing Vulcan¡¯s invitation. Because Aria herself is desperately looking for female adventurerrades. The matter of her always taking solo quests up until now is because there¡¯s no skilled woman adventurer around her and she¡¯s bad at handling men. Naturally she¡¯s more than happy when Vulcan sends such an invitation to her seeing as she¡¯s already on good terms with Vulcan and due to Vulcan¡¯s higher rank.


    But then, that raised another question.


    The situation right now is just as Aria said, Aria is a mere D rank adventurer, barely graduating from being a novice.


    And then, there¡¯s Sakura the former knight, Vulcan¡¯srade and a B rank adventurer.


    ¡¸If you¡¯re referring to rank, then there¡¯s no problem. I mean, I see you as an adventurer with bright prospects, I¡¯ve heard various rumor about Tama-chan¡¯s power in yesterdays duel too!¡¡Moreover¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Moreover? ¡¹


    Vulcan is vigorously praising Aria and Tama. But, seeing her slight hesitation when Vulcan is about to continue, Aria is nodding at her.


    ¡¸Moreover, Sakura-chan dissolved our party just yesterday nyaa. She told me that she¡¯s pregnant with the child of ¡°A trap magic user who came from the spirit world¡± nyaaa¡­¡­¡­.¡¹ [Note : This part is referring to another Ginyoku-sensei work(they¡¯re actually in the same universe), Tama and Aria also made a cameo in another one of hertest work but well¡­¡­¡­.. That¡¯s another story]


    ¡¸Aah¡­¡­¡­ Such things happen huh¡­¡­.¡¹


    Even while wondering about the meaning of ¡°Trap magic¡± and ¡°spirit world¡±, Aria is still nodding at her.


    Visitor who say that theye from the spirit world aren¡¯t a rarity in this world, the pregnancy of one of the member of the party is often be the source of a dissolving of a party.


    ¡­¡­ In fact, that trap magic user and Sakura does have a connection with the ¡°Sword Saint¡± who is yearned for by Aria but¡­¡­. That¡¯s also another story.


    ¡¸Thus, do you want to form a party with meaow?¡¡If it¡¯s now, I¡¯ll give you a ¡°party privilege¡± discounted fee for the weapon¡¹


    ¡¸In that case, I have no reason to refuse your offer. You agree with me right, Tama? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan! ¡¹


    Aria is replying again to Vulcan¡¯s party invitation.


    Tama is also replying with an energetic voice.


    (Master¡¯srades increasing is a good sign. It¡¯ll decrease the risk of her dying and moreover, Vulcan is the owner of a store. Truly a dependable person)


    Tama also does not object to the idea of forming a party with Vulcan.


    ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll start our activity from tomorrow morning. Let¡¯s meet in the guild OK-nya? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, no problem. Fufufu, please take care of me then, Vulcan-san¡¹


    ¡¸Please take care of me too nya~n! ¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan are exchanging a handshake.


    A beautiful elf with porcin white skin.


    And a tiger-eared beauty with wheat colored skin.


    And then, an elemental cat.


    It¡¯s the formation of a unique party in thebyrinth city.

 Chapter 25 - The Power of Tiger-Eared Girl

    <h4>Chapter 25 : The Power of Tiger-Eared Girl</h4>


    ____________________DOPAN!!


    Along with that resounding heavy sound.


    A goblin is thrown back.


    The one standing at that ce is a girl¨D¨D


    She¡¯s wearing an overall on her wheat colored skin.


    Her pair of tiger ears have the same golden color as her hair.


    ¡­¡­. It¡¯s Vulcan.


    But, there¡¯s something different from her usual self.


    A rustic pair of gauntlets enclose her hands.


    Her legs are also wrapped in leggings that have a simr design.


    And then, gripped tightly in her hand is Vulcan¡¯s exclusive weapon which is almost as tall as the owner¨D¨D ¡°Battle Hammer¡±.


    ¡­¡­. Yes. The goblins are blown away with one hit from Vulcan¡¯s battle hammer.


    ¡ºGIGIYA! ¡»


    ¡°HOW DARE YOU!¡±


    An angered goblin then rushes at Vulcan with a short sword in his hand.


    Goblins are idiots.


    They charge forward without care if they see people.


    Inparison, their opponent is just too¡­¡­.


    ¡¸These goblin are uselessnya~a!! ¡¹


    They¡¯re a troublesome opponent.


    It¡¯s hard to believe that the dainty frame of Vulcan can easily raise her battle hammer and swing it down toward the iing goblin.


    GUCHA!!


    The goblin, receiving the battle hammer on the crown of his head instantly became meat paste.


    Bloody gore is scattering around but, such scenery is an everyday urrence for adventurers.


    ¡¸Amazing. You¡¯re so amazing, Vulcan-san!¡¡As expected of the tiger eared race! ¡¹


    BWIII!¡¡Thus, Vulcan is sweeping away the blood on her battle hammer.


    Aria is cheering from behind her.


    Following Aria is Tama who is walking slowly.


    The time is in the morning.


    The upperyer of thebyrinth.


    They came together to do a quest as promised.


    ¡¸What should I say-nya~a, I do this before breakfastnya~! ¡¹


    After hearing Aria¡¯s praise.


    Vulcan is replying so while tapping the battle hammer on her shoulder.


    In fact, Vulcan doesn¡¯t seems to be short of breath nor is there any trace of fatigue on her face.


    Her lively attitude made it even harder to believe that she had just swung around a heavy battle hammer.


    (Huhm, though I knew that miss Vulcan is from the tiger eared race, I never expected her to be this powerful)


    Tama is also amazed after seeing Vulcan¡¯s power.


    The secret of Vulcan¡¯s super strength¨D¨D That lies in her being from the ¡°Tiger eared Race¡±.


    Just as stated before, tiger eared race is a therianthrope.


    The blood of a wild tiger is flowing in their veins and different from humans, they have a dainty appearance.


    If they feel like it, they can fight a medium sized monster from thebyrinth by themselves.


    And for that reason Vulcan can bring back many materials from thebyrinth by herself.


    In reality, Vulcan is already burdened by arge backpack.


    The content of today quest is to defeat a minotaur¨CJust like the one defeated(and made into a snack) by Tama a while ago¨C and bring them back,


    As for it¡¯s rank, it¡¯s C+ Rank¡­¡­¡­


    Though it¡¯s still too early for Aria and Tama is being impatient, it¡¯ll be fine as long as they¡¯re with Vulcan, and there are no other problems since they also got the letter of approval from Arnold, the receptionistd(y)


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go to the next one once we gather the goblin ears! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yesh! ¡¹


    As long as there¡¯s the backpack and Vulcan, there¡¯s no problem even if they have to bring back the whole body of the goblins.


    The minotaurs they¡¯re looking for is in the 5thyer.


    Walking to there with such heavy luggage is simply a foolish errand.


    Moreover, bringing back the minotaur corpse and ores for cksmithing will be even harder.


    ¡ô


    Labyrinth, 2ndyer¨D¨D


    ¡ºGugigigi¡»


    ¡ºGugigigigigi! ¡»


    Coming along with such vulgar voice.


    Was another troupe of goblins.


    Four in total¡­¡­.. Though that number is not that much of a problem for Aria herself, thebyrinth isn¡¯t such a sweet ce.


    ¡ºGUGYAAA!¡¡¡¶FIREBALL¡·! ¡»


    One of those goblins cast ¡¶Fire Ball¡·.


    Yes, one of them was a goblin mage which had almost killed Aria before.


    The fireball is approaching.


    But Tama and Aria aren¡¯t moving from their position.


    Because for some reason, their line of sight is locked on Vulcan.


    Seeing is faster than exining.


    Because it was their intention to observe Vulcan¡¯s fighting style when she fought by herself.


    ¡¸What was that nyan! ¡¹


    Vulcan is swinging her battle hammer to the side as she is saying so.


    When the battle hammer and the ¡¶Fire Ball¡· collided.


    DOGOOOON!!¡¡It created a small-scale explosion.


    ¡¸NOW IT¡¯S MY TURN!! ¡¹


    Vulcan leaps from inside the smoke caused by the explosion.


    Due to such a sudden urrence.


    The goblins can only stare dumbfoundedly at her.


    But, when she¡¯s wondering what¡¯s just happened.


    The battle hammer is no longer in Vulcan hands.


    ¡¸¡¶Enchant me¡·!! ¡¹


    As the goblin feels relieved, Vulcan already dashing forward while chanting an aria.


    Thus, me appeared enshrouding her gauntlets.


    BwOO¨D¨D!!


    Her fist ising along with the sound of burning atmosphere.


    When her fist connected with the stomach of the goblin mage, it instantly set aze along with ¡°SWOOSH¡± sound.!¡¡The sound of the goblin mage burning to a crisp could be heard.


    ¡ºGAKYAAAAAAAA¨D¨D¨D¨D!!?? ¡»


    The goblin mage whose stomach is being roasted falls to the floor.


    Approaching the head of that goblin mage.


    Vulcan sent a heel drop and crushed the skull of that goblin.


    Not yet.


    There is still some enemies left.


    She then plunges towards the rest of the goblins.


    Breaking through their formation, her fist is aiming for their nk.


    Her me wrapped hands¨D¨D are like a sword, going through the goblin nks and bisecting their bodies from there.


    There¡¯s no way those goblins can survive such an attack.


    They fall one by one while vomiting blood from their mouths.


    The fate of the rest of the goblins¡­¡­.. Doesn¡¯t even need to be said right?

 Chapter 26 - Aria’s Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 26: Aria¡¯s Weakness</h4>


    ____________________¡¸What was that skill just now, Vulcan-san¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    After finishing off thest goblin.


    Aria is asking such a question.


    ¡¸The one I used just now was a ¡°Derivate¡± of my cksmith skill which enable me to put various elements to my armament, ¡¶Ennya~n¡·! ¡¹


    ¡¸I see, a ¡°Derivate¡± skill huh¡¹


    Just as mentioned before, the type of the skills people have are¡­¡­¡­. The skill that was possessed since birth. Skill that was gained from magic scrolls.


    ¡­¡­. Those two type.


    But, there are exceptions.


    One of those was the derivate skill used by Vulcan just now, ¡¶Enchant¡·.


    Derivation skill is a branch skill that appeared after long years of use but it¡¯s actually a more optimized and evolved form of an inherent skill.


    In Vulcan¡¯s case, she has a cksmith skill but, it then evolved into a battle skill due to evolution.


    (I see. She¡¯s using a battle hammer in armedbat, and the derivate skill, ¡¶Enchant¡· for barehandedbat¡­¡­. This might be the reason why Vulcan is a C-ranked adventurer huh¡­¡­..)


    After looking at Vulcan¡¯s capabilities.


    Now Tama can understand the reason why Arnold gave a GO for thismission.


    And then, right at that time¡­¡­..


    ¡ºBUHIIIIIIIIIII¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!! ¡»


    A pig-like cry. A human shaped pig monster, an orc appeared.


    ¡¸We have understood your capability, Vulcan-san. Now, take a look at our power. Let¡¯s go, Tama! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan!! ¡¹


    Holding back Vulcan who was about to use her battle hammer, Aria went forward. Tama is also filled to the brim with fighting spirit. Vulcan¡¯s battle style has lit a fire in his heart.


    ¡¸¡¶eleration¡·!! ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s elerating. She¡¯s appreciating Vulcan who goes out of her way to form a party with them.


    For that sake¨D¨D


    ¡ô


    ¡¸What do you think, Vulcan-san? ¡¹


    Aria is wiping the sweat on her forehead. But then, right under her feet¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Is the corpse of an orc. Her knife is pierced thoroughly into the orc¡¯s eye. Just likest time, when an opening is created by Tama, she uses that opening to stab her knife into the eye of the orc.


    ¡¸Terrific, that was fast. I heard the rumors about it but¡­¡­¡­¡­.. I never expected that Aria-chan¡¯s inherent skill, ¡¶eleration¡· is so terrifying nya~?, moreover Tama¡¯s covering fire was nothing less than perfect! ¡¹


    Vulcan is giving her honest impression after seeing Aria¡¯s speed.


    Aria¡¯s expression is turning brighter after hearing praise from a higher ranked adventurer.


    But¡­¡­.


    ¡¸But, you still have long way to go with yourbat style nya~n¡¹


    Vulcan said so with a serious expression.


    ¡¸Long way¡­¡­¡­. To go? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyu~are right. Your attack is fast but, your movements are extremely simple and linear. You¡¯ll be okay if you only fight monsters like goblins or orcs but, it won¡¯t work against the monsters who have achieved a certain level of wisdom like minotaurs nya¡¹


    (Hou. Miss Vulcan noticed my master¡¯s weakness huh)


    Tama is silently admiring Vulcan after hearing her words. And he felt grateful to her for pointing that out.


    Aria owns a superior inherent skill called ¡¶eleration¡·, thus she has developed the habit of rushing in at her fastest speed in order to make the full use of her speed.


    Though there¡¯s nothing better than fast speed in normal cases, she is using almost zero feints except for the times when she uses her throwing knives. Moreover, the so called feint by using her throwing knives is just too simple.


    This is the reason for her desperate situation in the duel against Kassman a while ago.


    (Even if I can support my master, I couldn¡¯t give advice to her since I can¡¯t talk. But, as long as miss Vulcan is there¡­¡­¡­.)


    In short, he¡¯s truly grateful for her.


    ¡¸It¡¯s decided nyan!¡¡Since I formed an adventurer party with Aria-chan, I¡¯m going to use this chance to beat the basics into you! ¡¹


    ¡¸Really!?¡¡T-Thank you very much!¡¡I want to be strong!! ¡¹


    Aria is replying vigorously to Vulcan proposal. Because Aria yearned to reach the height of the one who saved her life in the past¨D¨D The Sword Saint. Thus bing even stronger is her highest priority. So that reaction might be just natural.


    (Nya~. I might be lucky meeting such a finerade nya?, this is the first time I have met someone who is so serious about improving herself!)


    Vulcan feels delighted inside looking at Aria¡¯s appearance.


    If it¡¯s this girl, she might be able to reach the same height as sakura, her previousra¨D¨D No, Aria might reach an even greater height.


    ¡¸In that case, there¡¯s an appropriate monster on the next floor which is suitable for your training nyan¡¹


    Saying so, Vulcan¡¯s lips form into a smile.


    For some reason Aria felt an indescribable chill running down her spine seeing Vulcan¡¯s smile.

 Chapter 27 - The Evolution of Aria

    <h4>Chapter 27: The Evolution of Aria</h4>


    ____________________Unyounyo, guniyori¡­¡­¡­ In front of Aria-tachi who had entered the 3rd floor of thebyrinth. Two wriggling shadows appeared.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­¡­¡­ Vulcan-san, when you said just the right opponent, did you mean¡­¡­¡­¡­ THAT? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyahahaha, that¡¯s right nya?, even if it¡¯s grossing you out, they¡¯re the right opponent to train you from the basics nya.¡¡ Since they¡¯ll do unspeakable things to you if you get caught by them¡¹


    She said so to Aria who made a cramped smile upon seeing those wriggling shadows.


    Vulcan is smiling while saying so.


    The wriggling shadow is¨D¨D


    A charming light green colored bodies . Several feelers are growing out from those bodies¡­¡­.. Moreover, slimy mucus is trickling down from their entire bodies.


    It¡¯s name is ¡°Looper¡±.


    It was a nt type monster who was walking towards us while disying unspeakable activity that can¡¯t be said aloud in public, on the same level as those of suspicious type movie or book. Though it¡¯sbat power isn¡¯t that troublesome, being caught by them is a disaster. It¡¯s entire body covered with mucus, and then every single one of those tentacles are¡­¡­¡­¡­.. No, it¡¯s better to drop this topic.


    (This damnable monster is going to fight against this big breasted angel-like elf master of mine!?¡¡Oi miss Vulcan, just what are you thinking!!)


    The inside of Tama¡¯s head is filled with R rated fantasies.


    ¡¸Well, Aria-chan. This is also part of your learning process!¡¡Now show us how you¡¯re going to bypass those tentacles and beat that monster nyan!!¡¡Naturally without your usual assist from Tama Nyan¡¹


    ¡¸Urgh¡­¡­¡­. I understand. ¡¶ACCELERATION¡·!! ¡¹


    Even while imagining the worst possible oue of her being caught by those tentacles.


    Aria¡¯s invoking her prided ¡¶eleration¡·.


    And elerated toward the two Loopers.


    Shuba!!


    The Loopers send their tentacles toward Aria. It¡¯s moving in a zig-zagging pattern with a speed betraying her expectations. Contrary to their appearance, those Loopers have superior kic vision which is apanied by the nimble movement of their tentacles.


    (I see, this might be really good training for my master)


    For the sake of dodging those tentacles.


    Aria is nning her action while taking arge detour.


    And then at the same time. She dodged a tentacle And sliced it with her knife!.


    ¡ºPIGYAA!? ¡»


    The Looper who got it¡¯s tentacle severed is wailing in pain. But then, itunched the rest of it¡¯s tentacles toward Aria forming parabolic lines.


    ¡¸GUH¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s leaking an extremely annoyed voice. Because she¡¯s going to be caught by those tentacles no matter how many she severed. Moreover, another Looper is waiting on the side as if waiting patiently for Aria to be careless.


    Aria is fast. And yet her movements aren¡¯t as linier as before. She¡¯s now advancing by making the full use of the tempo of her speed. Andbined her tempo with her footwork to create feints.


    She who really doesn¡¯t want to be caught by those tentacles is making rapid progress


    ¡¸TAKE THIS! ¡¹


    ¡ºPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII¨D¨DN!!?? ¡»


    Bypassing the tentacles¨D¨D


    Aria jumped into an opening as soon as she saw one. And then she¡¯s turning her body in the air with a ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! ¡¹ kind of yell. And sliced every single tentacle of the Looper from it¡¯s root with the knifes in her hands.


    ¡¸NEX-!¡¡¨D¨DK-KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!? ¡¹


    When she stopped moving at that ce, the other Looper used that opening to catch her off guard. Aria made a snap decision and kicked away the Looper that already lost all of it¡¯s tentacles.


    But¡­¡­¡­¡­. It¡¯s toote.


    The moment that Looper is kicked away.


    The Loope-¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nay. Looper-san is vomiting milk colored blood from the crosscut section of the sliced tentacles due to the pressure applied by the kick.¡¡The milk colored blood spurted right on Aria¡¯s face.


    ¡¸Uwaaa¡­¡­.. It¡¯s all over her face. It¡¯s too erotic nyan¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan(Good job Looper-san)!! ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s full of sweat due to the battle, her face is flushed red and her breathing is rough. And when such a fluid is suddenly sprayed on her face, it¡¯s easy to imagine the visual impact of that scene¡­¡­.. Right?


    Vulcan is offering her prayers to Aria.


    Tama is raising an extremely delighted cry.


    ¡¸U~h¡­¡­¡­.. Unforgiveable!¡¡Tama is the only one who can do this to me!!! ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s anger isid bare. It¡¯s not like Aria is okay with just any kind of animal doing so to her. Aria¡¯s a cat lover. Thus she¡¯spletely head over heels for the adorable Tama who saved her life. She even decided deep in her heart to offer her first time to Tama.


    And yet, the first time of her face was disgraced by such a monster¡­¡­..


    Unforgiveable.


    DOGA!!


    She sends the looper flying with side kick.


    Though the same liquid is spraying on her again, who cares about that.


    The Looper blown to the back.


    Aria¡¯s chasing after it¡­¡­¡­.. Or so she expected.


    She overtakes the Looper.


    ¡¸Nyaa!?¡¡What are you going to do, Aria-cha¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaaa(What happened to you, master)? ¡¹


    Vulcan and Tama seem puzzled after seeing Aria¡¯s action.


    But in the next moment¨D¨D


    It happened.


    ZUBA!¡¡SUPAN!¡¡ZASHU!!


    Such sounds resounded at the same time. The tentacles of the looper that was blown away are severed one after another. By the time it crashed into the wall, every one of it¡¯s tentacles are gone.


    ¡¸¡¶Gale sh¡·,,,,,,,, I learned a new skill just a while ago. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸NYA!!?? ¡¹¡¹


    Vulcan and Tama can¡¯t understand what just happened.


    And then Aria whispering such words.


    Aria said ¡¶Gale sh¡·¨D¨D


    She learned a new skill. And, it¡¯s a derivate skill.


    She couldn¡¯t do anything in the duel against Kassman a while ago and her weakness caused Tama to be wounded.


    After Vulcan pointed out her weakness during this quest, she felt that she can¡¯t stay as her weak self.


    And then, Aria¡¯s¡¶eleration¡·, the inherent skill that she¡¯s been using for years.


    Created a derivate skill to answer it¡¯s user wishes.


    She wants to be stronger. She won¡¯t let Tama get hurt again. And then, to the scum who is not Tama to do such a thing as disgracing her face with their blood.


    Her wish, desire, anger¨D¨D These factors caused Aria¡¯s¡¶eleration¡· to evolve.


    The effect is to generate shing attacks on her surrounding during the activation of her ¡¶eleration¡·.


    Though the Looper is trying to catch Aria with it¡¯s tentacles, every one of them was chopped.


    Her movement is not as linier as before by making the full use of the tempo of her movement. But, as long as ¡¶Gale sh¡· is invoked, she can attack during her movement. It¡¯s the best skill for Aria who is focused on speed.


    ¡¸Come to think of it nyan, I learnt a derivate skill when my emotion exploded nyaa¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    Suddenly, in seeing Aria learnt a derivate skill.


    Vulcan is recalling her own experience.


    Unexpectedly, the derivate skill is something that is awakened with such impulse.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS!¡¡AND THIIIIS!! ¡¹


    During that time, Aria¡¯s stabbing the Looper who lost all of it¡¯s tentacles over and over again.


    RIP Looper¡­¡­¡­¡­

 Chapter 28 - Quest Achievement

    <h4>Chapter 28: Quest Achievement</h4>


    ____________________(Uhm? Could this be my chance?)


    From an outsiders perspective (Especially the Roper) the current Aria has transformed into a cold blooded murderer.


    Meanwhile tama noticed something.


    The one that is being chopped by Aria right now is the first Roper who spurted mucus on her. In other words, the other one is being neglected.


    Tiptoe tiptoe¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Tama is approaching the neglected Roper. And then, after making sure that Aria was not watching¨D¨D


    Chomp!


    He took a bite of the Roper.


    (Yuck. On top of being bitter, it has the worst texture too. But then, my skill is¡­¡­¡­..)


    ____________________


    Name : Tama


    Race : Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill:¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Skill Predation¡·, ¡¶Elemental Sword Tail¡·


    Predation Skill:¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fire Ball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Infinite Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·


    ____________________


    (£Ï£è¡­¡­)


    Tama is at a loss when looking at his new skills.


    ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Infinite Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·¡­¡­¡­. The heck is with these new skills¨D¨D


    (Well¡­¡­¡­¡­. Come to think of it, it¡¯s natural that I got these skills. This was a mistake. Let¡¯s think twice before I eat my prey from now on. But then, ¡¶Crossbreed¡· huh¡­¡­. I did hear the rumor that Ropers can impregnate female humans, but I never thought that it¡¯s because of this ski-¡­¡­¡­ EH?¡¡¡¶CROSSBREED¡·!?)


    After repeating the name of that skill in his head, a certain line surfaced from Tama¡¯s memories.


    ¡ºLet¡¯s do a lot of ¡°NyanNyan¡± when you grow up, okay? ¡»


    Yes, when Tama was mistaken as an elemental cat. Aria said those words to Tama in the guild.


    ZOWARI¡­¡­¡­¡­.!!


    Aria¡¯s wish mighte true someday.


    A cold piercing chill is running down Tama¡¯s spine while imagining those moments.


    ¡¸N-Nya~~~ Aria-chan. Let¡¯s forget about this matter and go forward to our destination nyan¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufufufufu, die-¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Eh, I¡¯m sorry Vulcan-san. You¡¯re right let¡¯s move on¡¹


    Vulcan spoke to the killer mode Aria. A part of the tentacles can be seen from inside her backpack. It seems that she¡¯s secured the evidence of subjugation.


    ¡¸Eh, Tama?¡¡Are you okay¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸N-Nyaaaa? ¡¹


    To Aria who¡¯s looking curiously at him Tama is tilting his head as if to say ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹ with a stiff smile on his face.


    ¡ô


    Labyrinth, 5th Floor¨D¨D


    ¡¸Uuh¡­¡­¡­. This mucus is all over my body¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­¡­¡­ It can¡¯t be helped, we¡¯re fighting against so many of them after all¡¹


    While Aria¡¯s cheeks flushed, Vulcan is frowning. Head and face aside, they¡¯re basically smeared by mucus from neck down.


    Contrary to their expectation after leaving the 3rd floor. The 4th floor was filled with nothing but Ropers.


    Knife user Aria aside. Vulcan¡¯s battle hammer caused many grand spurting events. So it was natural for them to be covered by mucus from head to toe when they fought them in closebat. The only one who spared from such a tragic state was Tama who was supporting them from behind.


    But then, overall they¡¯re not suffering any injuries save for the mucus smeared on their bodies.


    Because none of the tentacles managed to catch the two of them.


    Since if they were caught by the Roper, they might end up as breeding material for those Ropers right now.


    ¡¸Aria-chan. Let¡¯s get going nyan¡¹


    ¡¸Certainly. This is the 5th floor, it won¡¯t be strange for minotaurs to appear anytime soon. Tama, can you use that skill from before when things seems too tough for us? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan(Of course Master)! ¡¹


    Despite receiving authorization from Arnold.


    Minotaur are powerful monsters of C+ rank. When ites to rank, it¡¯s a monster that ranked higher than Vulcan. Though Tama has been holding back up till now for the sake of Aria¡¯s training, this is a case where he shouldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡ºMooooooo¡­¡­¡»


    And then, after searching the 5th floor for a while¨D¨D


    A minotaur has appeared. The one who appeared right now is different from the one that Tama faced before, this one is wearing a buckler and club made of metal.


    ¡¸Aria-chan. This guy has yet to notice our presence. Please ambush him nyan¡¹


    ¡¸Understood. I¡¯m going to use ¡¶Gale sh¡· from the very beginning¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan have such exchange behind the shadow of a rock.


    Aria invokes her ¡¶eleration¡· and leaps immediately.


    ¡ºMO!? ¡»


    In response to Aria who is approaching with the speed of lightning. The Minotaur can do nothing but be bewildered by such a sight. His attempt to block her attack with his club is way toote. Since Aria is already circling around him.


    SUPAN!!


    A gash appearing on Minotaur¡¯s right arm.


    Naturally it¡¯s the effect of ¡¶Gale sh¡·.


    But¡­¡­.


    ¡¸It¡¯s¡­¡­¡­¡­ Too shallow, isn¡¯t it¡¹


    Aria is saying so with a vexed tone. As she said, the wound she inflicted on the minotaur was too shallow.


    The amount of bleeding doesn¡¯t amount to much either.


    (Uhm, this ¡¶Gale sh¡· does have speed¡­¡­¡­¡­. but the wound inflicted by it is too shallow. It¡¯s not a problem for monster with weak body like Ropers, but it might be less powerful against something like a minotaur)


    Tama who kept following Aria to protect her is giving a nod to that.


    Minotaurs are the kind of monster whose bodies are covered with natural muscle armor.


    The wound caused by Aria¡¯s¡¶Gale sh¡· isn¡¯t deep enough to finish the fight.


    ¡¸Then, how about this!! ¡¹


    Vulcan leaps toward the minotaur while preparing to swing herrge battle hammer.


    The battle hammer is then swung down.


    The minotaur intercepted her attack with the shield on his left hand.


    ¡¸ARIA-CHAN! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!. ¡¡If once is not enough, let¡¯s do this till we beat him! ¡¹


    Seeing their opponent is defending himself from battle hammer with his shield.


    Vulcan is calling to Aria when she backed off.


    Thanks to their effort to raise their familiarity with each other¡¯s style in the 3rd and 4th floor.


    Aria can understand what Vulcan wants to say.


    She invokes ¡¶eleration¡· and ¡¶Gale sh¡· for the second time.


    After dding herself with vacuum des, she rushes toward the minotaur from behind.


    ¡¸FIRST STRIKE!! ¡¹


    A gash appears on the minotaur¡¯s back. Even if it¡¯s shallow, a wound is a wound. Thus the minotaur turns around. He swings his club towards Aria¡¯s body.


    ¡¸Too slow! SECOND STRIKE!! ¡¹


    Aria who invoked her ¡¶eleration¡· won¡¯t be hit by such a slow attack.


    When the minotaur swings his club, she had already slipped through the minotaur¡¯s side from below and shing at the minotaur again.


    Third, fourth, fifth¨D¨D!!


    Everytime Aria approaches the minotaur, another wound appears on it¡¯s body. And his movement bes slower as time passes. He¡¯s lost too much blood. Even if the power of one attack is shallow, piling up one wound after another will eventually lead to this result.


    ¡ºMUOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D¨D!! ¡»


    The Minotaur is raising a warcry. While wondering what he¡¯s going to do, he spread his hands, abandoning his shield and then rushed toward Aria. It seems he wants to strangle Aria to death.


    This is¡­¡­¡­ A suicide attack.


    Maybe he thought that he¡¯ll at least take one of his opponents along with him to his grave after sensing his impending doom.


    ¡¸TAMA, IT¡¯S YOUR TURN! ¡¹


    ¡¸NYAN(LEAVE IT TO ME, MASTER)!! ¡¹


    But, Aria isn¡¯t flustered by such a turn of events. She¡¯s calling to Tama to move ordingly. Tama raises a cute warcry and jumps in front of Aria.


    And then¨D¨D


    ¡¸NYAN¡¶Aether Howling¡·!! ¡¹


    He invokes one of his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Aether Howling¡·.


    The minotaur¡¯s body is then sted backwards.


    Just like the time when he fought Kassman.


    The minotaur¡¯s body is sprawling on the ground. No sound ising from him due to the pain and shock from the sudden turn of events.


    ¡¸NYAA!¡¡THIS IS THE END NYAN!! ¡¹


    NOW!¡¡Vulcan is leaping high.


    Though not as fast as Aria, she¡¯s quite fast herself due to her being a tiger ears race. After closing her distance with the minotaur, she swung her battle hammer toward the head of the minotaur who was trying to standing up.


    DOPAN!!


    A loud sound resounded inside the room as the minotaur¡¯s head was crushed under the battle hammer. And then, hisrge figure falls to the ground again.


    ¡¸WE DID IT!¡¡QUEST COMPLETE! ¡¹


    ¡¸NYAA!? ¡¹


    After celebrating her achievement, Aria¡¯s raising Tama and then, munyuun!!¡¡He¡¯s being stowed in between her twin melons. Though startled, Tama immediately begins rubbing his face on Aria.


    ¡¸Nya~¡­¡­¡­.. You guys really are close nya~¡¹


    The two of them are flirting around right in front of Vulcan. Vulcan was smiling wryly in amazement.

 Chapter 29 - A Toast

    <h4>Chapter 29: A Toast</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Ara?¡¡Wee back, Vulcan-chan, and Aria-chan too~?¡¹


    After subjugating the minotaur¨D¨D


    Arnold greeted Aria and co who just returned to the guild.


    During those short moments, Tama who received a wink from Arnold is cursing inside while almost puking.


    ¡¸Please judge thepletion of ourmission, Ana-san. OOps¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    Vulcan drops her backpack on the counter and starts to line up the contents on the table. The things she¡¯s taking out are¡­¡­¡­¡­ The body parts of the minotaur that has been drained of it¡¯s blood. Ears of the goblins, and the tentacles of those loopers.


    There¡¯s also minotaur ws and horns.


    It¡¯s because Vulcan is used to dismantling the material in her own store.


    ¡¸Ara, this wound¡­¡­.. Isn¡¯t caused by Vulcan-chan, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa~. That was the wound that caused by Aria-chan¡¯s new skill. In fact, she awakened her derivate skill during themission¡¹


    ¡¸Wow, Derivate skill?¡¡That¡¯s amazing you see. You did it, Aria-chan?¡¹


    Arnold is winking at her again when (s)he learned the news.


    Aria replied with a smile.


    ¡¸Well then, since it¡¯s going to take a while to judge the material, will you wait like the usual¡¹


    ¡¸Rogernyaa!¡¡Do you have other ns after this, Aria-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸No, I don¡¯t have anything nned. If you insist, I want to Nyan-nyan with Tam-¡­¡­¡­. Cough¡­¡­. Shall we go out to buy our dinner? ¡¹


    (A~h¡­¡­.. It seems that rumor is true¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­)


    She¡¯s hesitating to ask Aria about that matter. About the rumor she heard recently. The rumor that Aria¡¯s preference is¡­¡­¡­.. THAT.


    But it¡¯s not like Vulcan has any intention to me Aria for that.


    In the first ce she herself is a demi-human whose ancestor is said to be a tiger. Though rare, she has met simr people whose preference is to mate with the animals that might have the possibility of crossbreeding with other species.


    ¡¸In that case, how about us celebrating the firstpletion of our partymission in a bar room?¡¡I¡¯ve a lot of spare time since I closed my shop today¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, that sound good¡¹


    Aria¡¯s elf ears sway up and down after hearing Vulcan¡¯s proposal. The reason she¡¯s happy¡­¡­¡­¡­. Is because Aria loves the dishes cooked in the bar-room of the guild, unlike when she bes too preupied by those wooing her when she ate alone, it should be okay if she eats with another person.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s get going nyan¡¹


    ¡ô


    ¡¸U~~~hn!¡¡This ce dishes is the best! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa~. The guild dishes are too wonderful nya~! ¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan is praising the dishes after tasting all of them. Tama is also eating delightfully from Aria¡¯s hand. Their menu consists primarily of seafood. This city with canals spread all over it is indeed close to the sea. Therefore, seafood is the staple food.


    Carpio of white meat fish, bouibaisse of who know how many fishes, Soup pasta in shellfish¡­¡­¡­. Everything is delicious.


    Amongst those lined up, the one which pleases them the most is the fried Hobawl shrimp.


    Hobawl shrimp is the name of the specialty of this ce. It¡¯ll grow to an arms length when it¡¯s reached adulthood, it¡¯s called by name lobster of the river. What differs them is the fact that Hobawl shrimp color is closer to blue. And it has a mellow vor. Unique sweetness and a chewy but tender texture. That Hobawl shrimp is divided in half in the bar room and then grilled. Since ites with garlic sauce, chilli sauce and butter sauce, there¡¯s many ways to enjoy it.


    The rest is omitted but¨D¨D By the time the dish is served on the table, Aria is looking at Tama and butter sauce with slightly rough breathing¡­¡­¡­¡­.. But Tama and Vulcan decided to overlook that fact.


    (Nevertheless¡­¡­¡­.. It¡¯s truly a nice scenery)


    Tama pondering so while opening his mouth to receive the food thats carried by Aria with her fork while saying ¡¸A~hn¡¹.


    The beautiful neat elf Aria. And the beautiful tiger eared and lively Vulcan.


    He wondered about it before, but the two of them were making a beautiful friendship scene. In addition to that, the liquor that they were drinking was causing a slight blush on their faces which doubled their cuteness.


    No one ising to woo Aria today.


    There¡¯s Vulcan who was drinking along with her, but Tama is standing by on top of the table to threaten any male that was trying to approach them.


    Tama¡¯s hidden power had already be some sort of rumor after their duel with Kassman.


    Do not¡­¡­¡­¡­ Mess with him.


    ¡¸N-Nya~~ I feel good nya~!¡¡Another ss nya~?¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu, me too then¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    Vulcan and Aria are refilling their liquor.


    (Today is going to be long huh¡­¡­¡­¡­..)


    Tama is smiling wryly inside while enjoying Aria¡¯s hand brushing his head while holding her refill in another hand.

 Chapter 30 - Ecology of Behemoths

    <h4>Chapter 30: Ecology of Behemoths</h4>


    ____________________Early in the morning¨D¨D


    (I¡­¡­¡­.. I can¡¯t move)


    Tama is in trouble due to a certain circumtances.


    If he moves to the right¡­¡­¡­..


    Boing.


    If he moves to the left.


    Squishhh.


    His movement is being sealed by something soft from both side.


    Right is Aria. Who is muttering ¡¸U~hn,,,,,,,,,,,, You can¡¯t Tama, I¡¯m going to brea~k¡­¡­¡­..¡¹ in her sleep.


    ¡¸I¡­¡­¡­¡­. Am a bit curious,,,,,,,,,,,,,, About such preferences nyaa~¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    And then, the one who was sleep talking like that at his left is Vulcan. Aria and Vulcan are sleeping while embracing each other. In short¨D¨D Currently, Tama is being sandwiched in between their breasts.


    This ce is the second floor of Vulcans shop.


    In short, her bedroom.


    As for why they ended up in this kind of situation¡­¡­..


    Last night, the overly excited duo decided to hold an after party in Vulcans room in the second floor of her store. Thus they were dead drunk and crashed into bed just like that. Tama was caught by the drunk Aria and forcefully stowed in between her twin melons.


    Vulcan who was also dead drunk forcing herself onto them while saying ¡¸I¡¯m yourrade too nya~n!¡¹¡­¡­¡­. And stayed that way till morning. . That being the case.


    ¡­¡­.. By the way, although the thing that Vulcan said about¡¸I¡¯m also interested in that¡¹ was also weighing in his mind¨D¨D Putting that aside.


    (Well I should let them be since Master and miss Vulcan must be tired from all that fighting yesterday. I can¡¯t bring myself to wake them. Having said that¡­¡­ I might as well as check my status since I have nothing to do till they¡¯re awake ¨D¨D¨D¨D THE HECK IS THIS.!??)


    Tama is looking at his status to kill some time.


    But, he¡¯s surprised when he sees what¡¯s recorded there.


    ____________________


    Name : Tama


    Race : Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill:¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Skill Predation¡·, ¡¶Elemental Sword Tail¡·


    Predation Skill:¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fire Ball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Infinite Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·


    Evolution Posibility : Behemoth [2nd Form]


    ____________________


    (Evo¡­¡­¡­¡­ Lution¡­¡­¡­..!?¡¡I see, so that was the case!)


    Seeing the characters ¡°Evolution Possibility¡± carved in his status, Tama understands everything.


    The behemoth that is known to the world isn¡¯t the infant behemoth that ¡°Grows¡± from their infant body to their adult body, they be that figure through evolution.


    (No wonder that there¡¯s no information regarding behemoth in their growing period or infant behemoths. As for why the evolution be possible, it might have something to do with yesterday battle¨D¨D In short my ¡°Ability¡¶Level¡·¡±¡­¡­¡­ Had reached the bottleneck)


    Monsters be stronger after fighting, simr to humans. However what makes them different is the fact that they can experience an evolution after their ability reaches a certain threshold.


    Tama was originally a skilled knight in his previous life. Adding to that is his numerous fierce battles in thebyrinth right when he was just reborn. The duel with Kassman. And then yesterday¡¯s battle alongside Vulcan and Aria in thebyrinth¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    He experienced numerous battles that by no means will evere to a normal monster in such short time which increased the ability of the monster called Tama.


    (Huhmp, things will be more convenient for me now. If I¡¯m growing closer and closer to the form of the behemoth that is widely known to the world, I couldn¡¯t fight alongside of my master anymore. But, if it¡¯s because I have to choose whether I want to evolve or not¡­¡­¡­¡­)


    They can always be together as long as he isn¡¯t choosing using the evolution option¨D¨D


    Tama felt relieved knowing that.


    ¡¸Uhn¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Ah, Tama, Good morning¡¹


    The timing was just right when Aria woke up. After raising her upper body in a way that won¡¯t wake Vulcan, she¡¯s smiling to Tama like usual and then, CHUU¨D¨D Kissed his forehead.


    ¡¸Nya~~¡¹


    Tama¡¯s action of rubbing her breast healed Aria¡¯s heart.


    ¡¸Geez¡­¡­¡­¡­ You¡¯re just too cute, Tama¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    Though he noticed the faint flush on Aria face and her slightly rough breathing, Tama wasn¡¯t in the mood to retort after learning about his evolution. Todays reaction from Aria is even more sweeter than usual.


    oingboing, boingboing, sque~zee~¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Their frolicking that transcended the realm of people and monsters was that of a lover.

 Chapter 31 - The Noble Hearted Girl

    <h4>Chapter 31: The Noble Hearted Girl</h4>


    ____________________One weekter¨D¨D


    ¡¸U~hn!¡¡Another perfect day?¡¹


    ¡¸Truly nyaa!¡¡Aria-chan¡¯s growing at rapid pace and our cooperation has be wless nyan! ¡¹


    Walking the main street of the business district.


    Aria¡¯s said so while stretching her arms.


    Vulcan reply¡¯s with a lively voce. She even shows a guts pose.


    At that time, Aria¡¯s melons are Jiggling up and down.


    Vulcan¡¯s apples are also following the same movement trend! They were shaking up and down.


    It¡¯s inevitable that the men along the street were captivated by their side boobs and their deep valleys. Except for one ma-¡­¡­¡­. No, one kitten who was enjoying apletely different treatment.


    (Fumu, such sight for sore eyes¡­¡­¡­.)


    Yes, it¡¯s Tama. Tama-In this rare asion- was walking right behind them. And his eyes are looking diagonally upward. In short¡­¡­¡­ The inside of Aria¡¯s short skirt is in full view from Tama¡¯s position. Naturally, her plum hip is almost entirely white. And since Aria¡¯s always wearing ck T-Backs that dig into her porcin white skin, Tama is enjoying the highly artistic contrast between ck and white.


    (I have to rais¨D¨D No, I mean lower my position even more)


    Tama was absorbed in his own perverted world.


    By the way¡­¡­¡­..


    The reason Aria is in a good mood was because of the color of the tag hanging from her neck. The color of her tag is different from one week ago, it has changed from copper to silver. In short, she raised her rank from D to C.


    Aria along with Tama crushed Kassman, a C-ranked adventurer in the duel a few days ago.


    The ability of an adventurer who teamed up with a pet is measured as their overall ability.


    In addition, starting with minotaurs few days ago, she along with Vulcan subjugated numerous monsters over the course of a few days.


    The guild recognized her achievements and thus decided to raise her rank.


    Now they¡¯re on the way back to the guild after finishing theirmission in thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Nyah?¡¡What¡­¡­¡­ Is that nyaa? ¡¹


    ¡¸Such a huge crowd, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹


    As soon as they entered the guild. Aria and Vulcan is at a loss for words after seeing the scenery inside. All of the adventurers were gathering in front of the notice board looking at a certainmission posted on it. Since all the newmissions were usually posted in the morning, this kind of scenery in the afternoon is rare¡­¡­¡­.. Just what was posted on there.


    ¡¸Aah, if it isn¡¯t Aria-chan and Vulcan-chan, wee back?¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯re back, Ana-san¡¹


    ¡¸Just what was that nyaa? ¡¹


    It seems Arnold called out to them as soon as (S)he found them.


    Arnold is pointing at the swarm of adventurers.


    Tama who was looking up from below ended up suffering the greatest mental damage yet when he saw theplete view of Arnold¡¯s bondage fashion.


    ¡¸Have you heard the recent rumor about the mysterious disappearances of people? ¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it¡­¡­..¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve heard of such a rumor from the proprietress of the inn¡¹


    In hearing Arnold mentioning the rumor. It seems Aria and Vulcan heard about that rumor too.


    In a city called ¡°Renault¡± which is located a few days away from thisbyrinth city by coach, the number of missing people keeps increasingtely¡­¡­¡­


    ¡¸does that mean the content of themission is to search for the missing person? ¡¹


    ¡¸Unfortunately not, Aria-chan. In fact¡­¡­¡­.. There¡¯s several eyewitnesses of monsters inhabiting a certain historic ruin near Renault apanied by those of the ¡°Demon Race¡±¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¨D¨D!! ¡¹¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan eyes opened wide and speechless.


    (WHAT, DEMON RACE!?¡¡THAT MEANS¡­¡­¡­¡­)


    Tama is also surprised by such news. And then, suddenly thought of a certain scenario. The demon race is a race that acted as the founding father of monsters. They can control certain levels of monster and their staple food is, humans.


    In other words¨D¨D


    ¡¸The missing person of Renault is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, they certainly are the kidnappers¨D¨D And by now¡­¡­¡­¡­ I think you¡¯ve guessed the rest, Aria-chan¡¹


    Arnold¡¯s eyes are cast down as (s)he is replying with a face of grief.


    ¡¸Oi, who will take¡­¡­¡­.. This quest? ¡¹


    ¡¸Fool, the opponent is that demon race you know?¡¡Though I feel bad for those guys in Renault, count me out¡¹


    Simr exchanges are happening in front of the notice board. As expected, the contents of themission seems to be the subjugation of the monsters along with the demon race. Aside from the apanying monsters, many members of demon race itself are born with powerful skills. Even if the reward is quite good for normal adventurers, many of them ended up hesitating since the opponent is powerful.


    But, amongst them¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡¸Please¨D¨D Teach me the details of themission, Ana-san¡¹


    Aria¡¯s muttering quietly.


    ¡¸Nyaa!?¡¡Aria-chan¡­¡­¡­. Don¡¯t tell me! ¡¹


    ¡¸Seriously?¡¡Aria-chan¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I might becking in power. But if we leave those demon race alone, the damage after this point will be¡­¡­¡­¡­ I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Absolutely won¡¯t allow it! ¡¹


    (Master¡­¡­¡­¡­!!¡¡That¡¯s right. Masters dream is to grow into a powerful and noble person like that sword saint¡­¡­¡­.. Even if themission sounds dangerous, if master is saying that she want to take themission, I, will apany her as her knight!)


    Aria dered with frigid expression.


    Seeing that, Tama also makes his decision.


    And then, it came to him again. That he served under a pure and noble¨D¨D


    ¡¸In that case I¡¯m going to receive themission too nyaa~?¡¹


    ¡¸Vulcan-san!¡¡Is that really okay!? ¡¹


    ¡¸A woman will be obsolete when herrade is showing such guts alone. Moreover, the so-calledrades should obviously help each other and cooperate in such times nyaan! ¡¹


    Vulcan is saying so. She¡¯s the owner of a pure and noble heart too.


    ¡¸I understood. Well, the content of themission aside, the knights wille along this time¨D¨D¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll do the exnation from that point¡¹


    When Arnold is about to exin the details of themission.


    Someone cuts in.


    ¡¸Yaa, Ana. It¡¯s been a while Vulcan-san. And, it¡¯s nice to meet you Aria-chan. My name is Cedric Leuwin. A knight that will apany you in thismission. Best regards? ¡¹

 Chapter 32 - Knight Commander

    <h4>Chapter 32: Knight Commander</h4>


    ____________________The one who appeared was a young man. His hair is reddish brown, contrasting his emerald green eyes. A tall and slender figure, high bridged nose and refreshing smile. He is the very definition of a handsome guy.


    ¡¸Ara~n, Cedric-chan. Why is the knightmander himself here? ¡¹


    ¡¸I came to confirm the situation of the applicant. It¡¯s just natural to know the partner that I¡¯m going to entrust my back to¡¹


    Cedric replies to Arnold while shing his refreshing smile again.


    Aria was pping her mouth before such an exchange.


    (WUT!?Cedric Leuwin¡­¡­¡­¡­!)


    Tama¡¯s eyes also opened wide in surprise.


    Cedric Leuwin¨D¨D


    His name is a bit¡­¡­¡­.. No, quite famous in fact.


    A while before now, there was arge scale battle between armies of devils against humanity¡¯s armies known as the Dusk of Devils ¡¶Ragnar?k¡· . Though it was a desperate battle, the humans won and gained their peace through the great effort of a youth who was then hailed as ¡°Archmage¡±. And this Cedric Leuwin is one of the brave heroes who led humanity¡¯s armies to victory along with that ¡°Archmage¡±, also hailed as the brother-inw of said Archmage.


    So, it¡¯s natural for Tama to aware of Cedric¡¯s name since aside from being a knight, Cedric is also active enough to be hailed as a brave.


    It¡¯s natural for him to be surprised when such a person appeared before him.


    ¡¸I-It¡¯s my honor to meet you!¡¡Cedric-sama!! ¡¹


    And there.


    Aria finally recovers enough to say so.


    There¡¯s a sense of respect in her expression. Which isn¡¯t a surprising matter. While it¡¯s true that Cedric is a knight, he is also¨D¨D The eldest son of the marquis house of this city. Though he¡¯s not seeding his house due to a certain reason, it doesn¡¯t change his social position. And that kind of person keeps fighting to protect the people as a knight while being hailed as a brave¨D¨D


    He¡¯s surely someone yearned for by a noble hearted girl like Aria.


    ¡­¡­.. By the way, though the archmage-who is also the little brother-inw of Cedric- Is in fact the very same person as the trap magician mentioned by Vulcan from before¡­¡­¡­¡­ Aria is yet to be aware of that fact. [Note: basically the mentioning of ¡°Trap¡± magician in this novel is written with ¡°ÄФÎÄ tranted as ¡°Man Girl¡±, example : Kinosh*ta Hideyoshi from Baka to Test]


    That aside.


    ¡¸Hahaha, it seems Aria-chan is good with Cedric. Well you guys are going to berades in arms from now on¡¹


    Seeing Aria who greeted him with a nervous face.


    Cedric replied with a refreshing smile.


    (Fumu. Though I can¡¯t agree with his expression, he doesn¡¯t feel like a bad guy. So this is a truly handsome person huh. A great difference from that Kassman)


    ¡¸Well then, is there no one else going to take themission?¡¡If there¡¯s no more applicants, let¡¯s close the recruitment immediately¡¹


    After finishing his greeting to Aria and co, Cedric turns toward the adventurers who were gathered in front of the bulletin board, asking that question with a clear and well-projected voice.


    All of those adventurers averted their gaze at once. Yes, they have no intention to act like a saint to help others like Aria and co.


    ¡¸Yosh. Since there¡¯s none, then I¡¯m going to exin about themission immediately. Let¡¯s sit over there since this will take a while¡¹


    Without ming the adventurers who averted their gaze, Cedric is pointing towards the seats in the bar-room while escorting Aria and co.


    If he forces them to participate¡­ being deserted while under the attack of the enemies isn¡¯t something he wants¨D¨D


    And Cedric understands that matter the best. As one would expect from someone hailed as a hero.


    ¡¸Well, shall I begin the exnation then?¡¡First is the goal of our mission¨D¨D¡¹


    After they sit on their respective chairs, Cedric immediately takes out a parchment and starts the exnation.


    Below is a summary of that exnation.


    ?The Content of the Commission : The subjugation of the demon race along with the monsters that follow them.


    ?Dispatching Base : City of Renault.


    ?Companion : 5 people including Cedric.


    ?Departure : Tomorrow Morning.


    Large sum of remuneration has been provided due to the dangerous nature of themission.


    ¡¸Uhm, may I ask about something, Cedric-sama¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸What might it be, Aria-can? ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t you feel that we¡¯re short of manpower to challenge an unknown number of monsters and those of the demon race? ¡¹


    (Yup, I¡¯m also wondering about that. Even with a brave like Cedric-dono fighting alongside us, these numbers are a bit worrisome)


    Tama also agreed with Aria who was asking that question with a timid voice.


    But¨D¨D


    ¡¸Yeah, it isn¡¯t a problem with that number. The four people who wille with us are the members of a team lead by me. They¡¯re my prided subordinates who lived through the Ragnar?k. Moreover¡­¡­¡­.. I have a trump card saved for the worst-case scenario¡¹


    After saying so with a confident look on his face, Cedric is shing his refreshing smile at the end.


    ¡¸Fufufufu, don¡¯t worry about it, Aria-chan. Cedric-chan is awesome when he goes all out?¡¹


    Arnold is supporting Cedric. And taking that chance to lean on Cedric while entangling her[his] fingers with Cedric¡¯s fingers.


    ¡¸Hey, Ana. You promised that you won¡¯t do such things in public right? ¡¹


    ¡¸A~hn, Cedric-chan is a meanie~?¡¹


    Cedric is poking Arnold¡¯s forehead while saying so with a sweet voice.


    The delighted Arnold is replying with a sweet and lovely voice.


    ((Aah¡­¡­. This means, the two of them are ¡­¡­..))


    Tama and Aria could perceive that in seeing their exchange.


    In short, the reason why Cedric became a knight, abdicating his position as the first born noble is because ¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    That aside.


    This is Cedric, a brave with confidence in his skills. And thating with Arnold¡¯s stamp of approval.


    So, it should be alright.


    After that, because of Arnold and Cedric, Aria and co took care of the official formalities while watching the two of them being lovey-dovey.


    They¡¯re going to depart tomorrow.


    (Cedric-dono, despite having such a handsome appearance, noble status, job as knightmander, and nice personality, to think that you are¡­¡­¡­¡­ )


    Tama felt so.

 Chapter 33 - 1st Troops

    <h4>Chapter 33: 1st Troops</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Fufufu¡­¡­¡­ C¡¯mon Tama. Shall we go then¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    Early in the morning¨D¨D


    After changing her clothes, Aria is spreading her arms toward Tama who was sitting quietly on top of the bed.


    Tama purrs with a lively tone and then with a ¡°Pyon¡±, he leaped on to his usual soft and tender twin melon.


    (Uhm?)


    Tama noticing something.


    Aria is hugging him with more power than usual. And, her expression is also stiff.


    (I see, master is nervous huh. Well it¡¯s natural since the degree of danger for thismission can¡¯t bepared to the ones we took up till now. Moreover, the ones who will fight alongside us are that Cedric Leuwin and his direct subordinates¡­¡­.. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that every one of them is a brave. Yup, it¡¯s my duty to relieve my master¡¯s nervousness)


    ¡¸Nyaa?¡¹


    Tama is purring lightly, climbing on top of her soft melons without using his nails and then sticking out his tongue to lick her face.


    ¡¸Kya!?¡¡Geez, it¡¯s ticklish, Tam¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Fufufu, could it be that you¡¯re trying to cheer me up? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n¡¹


    Recently, Aria can somehow understand what Tama is trying to say from his actions and his purring voice. After confirming that Aria is back to her cheerful and lively state, Tama purrs in satisfaction.


    ¡¸Here as a thanks for cheering me up¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    It happened so suddenly.


    Too absurd to the point that Tama couldn¡¯t understand what happened in that moment. But he understands immediately as he feels the warm feeling on his lips. His lips and Aria¡¯s lips are touching lightly¨D¨D


    (Master¡­¡­¡­)


    Maybe it¡¯s just a casual kiss from Aria because Tama is a [Being misunderstood] cat. But, for Tama who is a full-grown adult inside, and a knight, the matter of receiving a kiss from the beautiful elf before him was an earth-shattering event.


    Tokun¡­¡­¡­


    Tama¡¯s heartbeat heightened in that moment.


    (Could it be, I¡­¡­¡­..)


    That was the first time Tama noticed it. Before he realised, he¡¯s not protecting the girl before him as her knight, he is protecting her because of love¨D¨D In realizing that truth.


    (No way¡­¡­¡­¡­. Despite my soul being reincarnated, I¡¯m still a monster you know?¡¡And for me to fall in love with my beautiful elf master is just¡­¡­. No, it¡¯s not the time to be pondering about that right now. For now I have to do my best to protect my master as her knight!)


    Tama was an obstinate person in his previous life. And it hasn¡¯t changed even after his reincarnation. He¡¯s suppressing his own heart with chivalrous spirit and prioritizing his duty as a knight. Well¡­¡­¡­. It¡¯s his intention to protect such knightly spirit in him, but without realizing it, his feeling¡¯s grow even stronger.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸N-Nya~, mornya~n, Aria-nya~n¡¹


    ¡¸Good morning Vulcan-san! ¡¹


    After arriving at the south gate, their rendezvous ce, Vulcan who arrived before them is waving her hands.


    Aria¡¯s replying to her greeting while half-trotting towards Vulcan.


    ¡¸Oya?¡¡It seems that we¡¯re thest to arrive¡¹


    After Aria arrives, a refreshing voice can be heard from behind her.


    Naturally it¡¯s Cedric¡¯s voice. Different from yesterday, he¡¯s equipping himself with a sword and light armor and there¡¯s another four people behind him.


    ¡¸Yosh. Well then, let¡¯s introduce ourselves. Dany, we¡¯ll start from you¡¹


    ¡¸Yesmander, I¡¯m Dany. I¡¯m more or less the vicemander of this troop. Best regards! ¡¹


    The man with a buzz cut is introducing himself in friendly tone.


    He has armed himself with a sword and light armor, simr to Cedric.


    ¡¸Well, next is my turn. My name is Howard. My role is a tank, but my punch is reliable too. Best regards¡¹


    The second person was a man who was wearing heavy armor and a shield that is as tall as himself. But, he¡¯s not a normal human. He has a reptile-like face with green scales covering his body. His race appears to be a Lizardman.


    They¡¯re one of demi-human races just like elves and the tiger-eared race.


    Following after him, two female knights¡¯ step forward.


    ¡¸My name is Kenny. My weapon is this battle axe!! ¡¹


    ¡¸My name is Marietta. I use this club. Best regards¡¹


    Kenny is hoisting herrge axe with cheerful voice. She has red colored hair in a ponytail style with reddish brown pupils in her slightly nted eyes. There¡¯s so many openings on her armor¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s what others would call bikini armor.


    In contrast to Kenny, Marietta introduces herself with a slightly shy voice. Her indigo colored hair is closer to ck and cut in a short bob style with the front side hiding her simrly indigo eyes. She wears bikini armor just like Kenny.


    (Uhm, Howard-dono is the tank. Cedric-dono and Dany-dono are the vanguard. Judging by their equipment, they¡¯re in charge of dealing heavy damage. Though their formation is slightly tilted to the vanguard, It¡¯s not a bad line up. Moreover, Cedric-dono said himself that he has a trump card)


    After each of those knights introduce themselves. Tama, seeing their equipment had instantly arrived at that conclusion.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Aria. Knives user and C-rank adventurer. This child¡¯s name is Tama. Though he¡¯s just an infant elemental cat, he has powerful inherent skills¡¹


    After the knights are done with their self-introductions, Aria also introduces herself.


    Vulcan is just greeting them since they¡¯re more or less her acquaintances.


    And then, after Aria and Tama finish their introduction¡­¡­.


    ¡¸Hohou, an elemental cat is quite rare. Moreover, one with an inherent skill¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Wa~h, he¡¯s so adorable¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, Aria. Can I hug him? ¡¹


    Howard is looking at Tama with a curious look on his face with his hand touching on his chin.


    Marietta and Kenny are wanting to hug the adorable Tama.


    Dany is looking at Vulcan¡¯s sideboobs and Aria¡¯s valley with a slovenly expression.


    ¡¸Well, shall we continue after boarding the carriage? ¡¹


    Looking at that exchange, Cedric is urging everyone to board on the carriage with wry smile on his face.


    Arge carriage has been prepared for them. Their party are going toward Renault which will take one days travel with this carriage.


    (Fufufu. I¡¯m relieved that everyone is such friendly people. To the point that I forgot they were knights)


    Before she knew it, Aria nervousness was also solved due to the knights friendly attitude.

 Chapter 34 - The Ability of Vice Commander

    <h4>Chapter 34: The Ability of Vice Commander</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Uhm,,,,,,,,,, Is this really alright?¡¡For someone like me to be with you inside of the carriage¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Aria said with a shy voice inside the coach.


    For some reason, of all people, the one who is coaching the carriage is Cedric, themander himself, Howard and Dany are on lookout on both sides of the carriage.


    The ones inside the coach are Vulcan, Tama, Aria, and bikini armor duo, Kenny and Marietta.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, Aria. The lookout duty of our troop is using shift system, I mean ourmander is that¡¹


    ¡¸Geez, what a waste of his handsome and refreshing face¡¹


    Kenny and Marietta are replying with disgusted looks to Aria question.


    It seems the one who is shocked by Cedric¡¯s preference isn¡¯t Aria alone.


    Aria and Vulcan are also learning to drive the carriage and horse along the way.


    Though they became flustered over seeing Cedric about to ride on the coachman seat¡­¡­..


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about such matters girls. I like to be outside. I mean it¡¯s hard for me to even endure breathing the same air as you girls inside that narrow carriage¡î¡¹


    ¡­¡­.. He then said those lines while shing his refreshing smile. For some reason it¡¯s not just not being interested in girls, one might say that he detested their very existence. Despite being the owner of a face that will make any girl turn around whenever they¡¯re passing each other by¡­¡­.. It really is just as Marietta said, he¡¯s wasting his handsome face.


    ¡¸By the way Marietta, it¡¯s about time to change¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about Kenny, we just changed shifts a while ago¡¹


    Kenny and Marietta are having such an exchange.


    Looking closer, Tama¡¯s head is popping out from Marietta¡¯s bikini armor. Because these two are taking their turn to embrace the adorable Tama.


    Tama¡¯s consciousness became vague as he enjoyed thefortable body heat of Marietta and Kenny. On top of that, their peach sized fruits are giving a nice andfortable feeling due to the shaking of the carriage.


    ¡¸Haa~n¡­¡­. Though I love to hug Tama, he¡¯s the most adorable kitten even when I¡¯m not embracing him¡¹


    (Nya~~. Aria-chan really loves Tama huh. Well even though he¡¯s a beast, it¡¯s not like he wouldn¡¯t feel anything when she saved his life)


    Vulcan thinks so seeing Aria looking at Tama who seems to enjoy Marietta¡¯s embrace with an entranced expression on her face.


    It was at that time¨D¨D


    ¡¸Nyah?¡¡The carriage stopped moving nya~¡¹


    ¡¸Could it be, monsters? ¡¹


    Vulcan prepared her gauntlets as soon as the carriage stopped.


    Aria¡¯s hands are reaching for her knives.


    Monster encounters on the highway is an everyday urrence.


    ¡¸Everyone, it¡¯s group of orcs. But it¡¯s just a piece of cake. Dany! ¡¹


    ¡¸Right here,mander! ¡¹


    Cedric is saying so to those inside the carriage from the coachmen¡¯s seat.


    As expected, they met a monster.


    But, Cedric sent amand to Dany, stopping Aria and Vulcan before they make their move.


    Aria and Vulcan are looking outside from the window.


    Thereupon, they confirmed several orcs running toward their carriage.


    ¡¸ORA, COME AT ME, YOU FILTHY PIGS!! ¡¹


    Dany is shouting a provocation to the orcs while jumping down from the carriage. (ED: this part originally said ¡°while jumping down from his orcs¡± so I just guessed it meant the carriage, unless he was riding orcs?)


    Orcs are idiots, but they do have some level of intelligence.


    Angered by that provocation, they¡¯re rushing at Dany.


    ¡¸Hahaha, as simple as ever! ¡¹


    Dany is being surrounded. But, he¡¯s using the momentum from running to slide. And just like that slipped through between the legs of an orc.


    Prick¡­¡­..


    The orc¡¯s body is trembling. The moment they think so, ¡¸BUHIIIIIIIII!!?? ¡¹, that orc raised an agonizing scream as it crumbles down in ce. On closer look, one of it legs is already severed.


    And then, a bloodied long sword is held in Dany¡¯s hand. It seems he cleaved the orc¡¯s leg when he slid through them.


    ¡¸Amazing!¡¡Such a feat¡­¡­¡­ Is that some kind of skill? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hahaha, what are you talking about, Aria. Dany doesn¡¯t use his skill you know¡¹


    Aria is raising a surprised voice seeing Dany¡¯s feat of evading and attacking at the same time.


    But Kenny just smiles lightly at Aria¡¯s reaction.


    After finishing off the fallen orc, now is Dany¡¯s turn to attack.


    He stepped forward. It¡¯s looked like a light step, but he crossed the considerable distance between them.


    The orcs fall into panic when he crossed such a distance in moments.


    ¡¸Oh, O-¡­¡­¡­. Ops!! ¡¹


    Thereupon, Dany circles around them.


    Jumping overhead.


    SUPAN!!


    Followed by that sound resounding.


    After Danynds on the ground¨D¨D¡­¡­..


    The heads of two orcs tumbled onto the ground.


    That move just now was seen by Aria.


    The moment they passed each other in the air, Dany decapitated the orc¡¯s necks with a rotational sh.


    Two orcs left¨D¨D


    One of them raised their club and swung it down towards Dany.


    ¡¸Oseendayo¡¹


    But, Dany is saying so without giving a desperate feeling and suddenly evades the club by a hair¡¯s breadth. He kicks the shin of the orc whose attack just missed, making it tumble down and¨D¨D He stabbed it from the back all the way through it¡¯s heart. Though the sole remaining orc was charging from behind him, Dany pulled his sword out. He¡¯s rotating his body by using the recoil from when he uprooted his sword and thennding a hit on the sr plexus of the orc with the handle of his sword.


    It¡¯s body is blown to the side folding in half.


    ¡¸Amazing¡­¡­¡­¡­. This is¡­¡­¡­¡­ The ability of the vicemander! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nnyaa, as expected of one of the braves nya! ¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan are raising voices of admiration after seeing Dany¡¯s power.


    (Fumu, to hit an orc till it be like that without using any skill. Moreover¡­¡­¡­.. He¡¯s not even breathing hard after moving around like that. He really is someone who survived the Dusk of Devils¡¶Ragnar?k¡·)


    Dany returned to his horse as if nothing happened.


    Tama, who was a knight like Dany is also admiring his power deep in his heart.


    (The scene of the other knights fight is also a sight to behold!)

 Chapter 35 - Reason Becoming A Knight

    <h4>Chapter 35: Reason Bing A Knight</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Aah, lord knights. Please save us! ¡¹


    Night¨D¨D


    At the end of the first day, there¡¯s a long line of people who had obviously been waiting, in front of the mayor¡¯s house. Fortunately, they had not encountered another monster after the orcs.


    ¡¸Shall we go at once and hear the detailed information about the current situation and the historic ruins where they witnessed the demon race? ¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally. The historic ruins are few minutes distance from this town. Regarding the missing persons, the truth isst night another young woman was also¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    The town mayor was replying so in response to Cedric question.


    It seems the number of victims keep increasing.


    Aria hugs Tama even tighter, grieving for the victim.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­.If that is the truth, let¡¯s raise our vignce, but we cannot set sentries immediately seeing as it hasn¡¯t been long since we arrived and we¡¯ve yet to gather necessary information about this town¡¹


    e to think of it, this vige was originally a vige of the demon race¡¹


    Howard the lizardman recalled something in hearing the town mayor¡¯s words.


    This city, Renault was originally a demon race settlement that was destroyed by the hero during the previous Ragnar?k. In addition, being located near thebyrinth city which contained the adventurer guild and knight order, the defense of this city is paper thin.


    ¡¸Well then, everyone must be tired right. That¡¯s why we prepared an inn with a hot spring and meal¡¹


    After confirming the type of sighted monsters and the distance till historic ruin with their map, the town mayor said so to them.


    During the parting, they issued instructions toward the citizens of the town to refrain from going out at night.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Ooh, this meat is delicious! ¡¹


    ¡¸These deep-fried wild nts are also incredible¡¹


    Dany and Howard are unintentionally shouting when they taste the dishes prepared by the inn.


    The dishes that are lined up on the table are made from edible wild nts and meat.


    From the exnation of the poster girl in dining room, it seems everything is made of fresh ingredients because aside from historic ruin, this town is also close to a small mountain.


    ¡¸The dish is best matched with liquo~r! ¡¹


    ¡¸You must keep it in moderation you know, Marietta? We¡¯re going to subjugate the demon tomorrow after all¡¹


    Kenny reminded Marietta who sat in front of her happily chugging the liquor.


    Cedric, theirmander was smiling wryly at his four subordinates.


    ¡¸It seems everyone isn¡¯t nervous at all¡¹


    ¡¸Nye~ah. As expected, is it because they were the people who survived Ragnar?k, they have different level of courage? ¡¹


    In the corner seat, Aria and Vulcan are having such an exchange.


    (Fumu, you might say so. Rather than knights, their nature is closer to that of adventurers)


    Tama also has such an impression of them after seeing their manner from the start of their journey till now.


    Then, suddenly¡­¡­¡­


    ¡¸Everyone, why did you be knights? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m also curious about the reason nya~¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan ask such a question to those knights.


    They, who fight during Ragnar?k, and were hailed as braves¡­¡­¡­. One might wonder what kind of reason drove them to be a knight.


    ¡¸Ooh, are you interested in hearing our reason? ¡¹


    ¡¸Well it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a secret, our reason isn¡¯t that interesting you know? ¡¹


    Dany and Howard say so with flushed faces due to the liquor.


    When Aria said that she really wants to know, Dany began with


    ¡¸¡¯Kay then, me first¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸I was born in a poor family. One day, we fell into debt with bad guys. We were crushed just to pay the absurd amount of interest. Finally, my mother who had already been forced into a corner prepared to sell herself, but¡­¡­..¡¹


    At that time, by some chance a chivalric order passed by Dany¡¯s hometown.


    And fortunately, this chivalric order was also in dire need of young war potential.


    By that time, Dany had already mastered swordsmanship to some extent..


    ¡¸I was a kid back then, I prepared myself to fight one knight to the death since they promised to hire anyone who can beat one of them in a match. They said that my wages were going to be paid in advance to pay our family debt. Naturally, I thought that they were mocking me, but I epted the match against those entric knights¡¹


    The result¡­¡­¡­.. Naturally, Dany was defeated.


    But, it wasn¡¯t a shameful match.


    He kept wondering what the knightmander of that time was saw in Dany.


    In short, he took over the whole sum of the debt.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why I have to repay this debt of gratitude. Thus I keep honing myself through training and rise in position all the way to the vicemander of the first troop. Never thought that I could survive that horrible Ragnar?k though. Nahahaha!! ¡¹


    After saying so, Dany isughing as if that matter is just another persons trouble.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Aria ended up sinking into silence.


    Speaking of the first troop of the knight order, there was a rumor that the members of that troop are cream of the crop.


    Surely¡­¡­¡­ Everyone would think that the members of that troop will be nobles like Cedric, but in fact he was a man who zealously worrying about his family¡­..


    ¡¸I¡¯m also amoner like Dany. And became a knight for the same reason as him, debt¡¹


    ¡¸I became a knight with the condition of shouldering the fee to purchase drugs for the illness of my older sister¡¹


    ¡¸I became a knight to buy back my own father who had fallen into very and was doing manualbor¡¹


    In turn after Dany are, Howard, Kenny, and then Marietta.


    ¡¸It¡¯s heavier story than I expected Nya~. My apologies for asking that question thoughtlessly nyaa~¡­¡­.¡¹


    Vulcan is hanging her head down in an awkward manner, even her pair of tiger ears were drooping.


    ¡¸He~y, don¡¯t make such face girls¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Everyone already repaid their favor to the knight order, and now we¡¯re following our line of duty of our own will¡¹


    Seeing Aria and Vulcan feeling down like that, Dany and Howard told them not to mind that story.


    ¡¸Well, we can repay our debt thanks to the help of the younger brother-inw ofmander Cedric though¡¹


    ¡¸Riight!¡¡¡±Maiya¡±-chan¡­¡­.. By now, he must be having his fill of harem life with Sakura-san and the other girls right? ¡¹


    Kenny and Marietta say so as a follow up to Dany and Howard.


    ¡¸W-Wooow!¡¡Y-You guys¡­¡­¡­ Are that close with Maiya-sama¡­¡­¡­ The archmage!¡¡Moreover, what¡¯s that mean?¡¡Thanks to the archmage¡­¡­¡­¡­ You say?¡¡EH?¡¡Moreover, with Sakura-san¡­¡­¡­. Right now!? ¡¹


    Aria is getting excited in hearing Marietta and Kenny¡¯s words.


    Come to think of it, she heard someone mentioning Sakura¡¯s name before, but such thoughts were buried deep in her head.


    ¡¸Nyah?¡¡Hadn¡¯t you heard about it before, Aria-chan?¡¡The one who impregnated Sakura-chan is Maiya-chan you know¡¹


    ¡¸E!??¡¡You never told me about that, Vulcan-san!¡¡Moreover, why is Vulcan-san also attaching ¡°-Chan¡± to the name of the archmage!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~¡­¡­.. Come to think of it, do you remember when I¡¯m talking about a ¡°Trap¡± magician before?¡¡Maiya-chan was a regr patron of my store even before he was hailed as the archmage nya~. How¡­¡­¡­.. I miss those days nya~¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ WHAT!? ¡¹


    The strongest youth who saved the world, the archmage is¨D¨D


    Being able to form a party with Vulcan, the old acquaintance of such a personage¡­¡­¡­.. Left a huge impact in Aria¡¯s mind.


    ¡¸The matter of us being able to repay our debt to the knight order was because we were apanying him to finish arge-scalemission when he just came to this world, and then he split the reward of themission of that time equally with us¡¹


    ¡¸Lord Maiya is an extremely powerful, and kind person. Moreover, by that time, he was already powerful enough to annihte the devils by himself¡­¡­¡­ Is a shock itself¡¹


    (Annihting the devils¡­¡­¡­. By himself. That rumor was the truth huh. Moreover, being adored so much by these noble hearted knights¡­¡­.. It seems that my master is going to meet the archmage someday in the future)


    The height of his strength.


    And then, the height of himself as a person.


    For Tama, a former knight, those two factors were his pursuit.


    And, the archmage fulfilling both of those condition.


    Someday, Tama wanted to meet that person too.


    By the way, they wanted to ask the reason why Cedric wanted to be a knight, but¡­¡­..


    ¡¸I be a knight since I can only befriend women not loving them, thus I abandoned my position. Moreover, once I be a knight it won¡¯t be limited to just monsters, I can also legally kill a person as long as they¡¯re a criminal right?¡¡You can¡¯t get enough of that, isn¡¯t it¡î¡¹


    Such a dangerous reply was what they heard from the handsome man shing his smile on them.


    Naturally, Aria and Vulcan are drawing away from him.


    His reply basically messed up the somber atmosphere¡­¡­¡­

 Chapter 36 - The Power of Bikini Armors

    <h4>Chapter 36 : The Power of Bikini Armors</h4>


    ____________________¡¸Here¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸So there¡¯s six of them huh. Moreover, they¡¯re ¡°Hob-Goblins¡±¡­¡­. What shall we do? ¡¹


    Next morning¨D¨D


    Dany and Howard are having such an exchange from behind cover.


    ording to the n, their party arrived at the aforementioned historic ruins.


    Hobgoblin, a high ranked species of goblins are loitering around the entrance.


    They¡¯re as tall as an adult human, and different from goblins, they¡¯re an intelligent species.


    ¡¸Yosh, I guess it¡¯s our turn right now! ¡¹


    ¡¸Riight!¡¡Leave the surprise attack to us¡¹


    Kenny and Marietta volunteered themselves for a surprise attack.


    Moreover, as soon as Cedric nodded in agreement¡­..¡¡They¡¯re already dashing toward their targets.


    Fast.


    Though not as fast as Aria when she is invoking her ¡¶eleration¡·, they¡¯re fast enough.


    Moreover, despite their speed, they make almost no sound. It seems it¡¯s thanks to their bikini armor that makes no colliding sounds while they move. Moreover, the timing of their dash was superb.


    They dashed away right at the moment those hobgoblins aren¡¯t looking the party¡¯s hiding ce.


    BOGU¨D¨DNNN!!


    Mariettands a critical blow on the back of the head on one of the hobgoblins with her golden club.


    Even after death, that hobgoblin has yet to realize that he was beaten to death.


    And then, a simr urrence was showcased by Kenny.


    The swing of her battle axe crushed the crown of the hobgoblin¡¯s head, all the way till the base of it¡¯s neck.


    Both sides ended their ambush in one hit.


    ¡ºGUGYAAAAAAAAAAA!! ¡»


    After two of their kin were beaten to death in that way, the remaining hobgoblins finally realized that they¡¯re under attack and charged toward Kenny and Marietta.


    The hobgoblins specialized weapon is the stone axe. One of those hobgoblin vanguards swung his axe down towards Kenny.


    ¡¸HAH, TOO SLOW!¡¡ORAAA!, SMASH!!!! ¡¹


    Kenny easily dodged that attack. Moreover, she¡¯s delivering a ball crusher kick along with her sidestep.


    The hobgoblin is raising a¡ºGAGYAAAAAAA¨D¨DNN!?¡» With an agonizing tone due to the power behind her kickbined with her steel leggings.


    ¡¸Yup, good¨D¨D Job!! ¡¹


    Kenny then swings her battle-axe using that opening to end the hobgoblin¡¯s life. Decapitating the hobgoblin.


    ¡¸Ha~~I, BALLS CRUSHING STRIKE!!! ¡¹


    Behind her, Marietta unleashes an upward strike.


    Her aim is the same as Kenny, the crotch of the hobgoblin.


    It¡¯s just that she¡¯s using her club right now.


    In short, a ball crushing strike.


    ¡ºGUGIII¡­¡­..¡»


    ¡ºGUGIGI¡­¡­¡­.¡»


    The bikini armor duo is too heartless.


    The two remaining hobgoblins are retreating.


    But, they¡¯re toote. The moment they retreat, fresh blood is spraying out from their chest.


    ¡¸Good job. Kenny, Marietta¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, your ambush is as wonderful as ever¡¹


    It¡¯s Dany and Howard.


    Dany with his long sword, and Howard with his bare hand¨D¨Dstabbed the hobgoblins from their back.


    ¡¸Well since there¡¯s only one entrance, our enemy won¡¯t be able to escape. Let¡¯s attack them immediately before they have the chance to prepare themselves for battle¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ROGER!! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The party replies at the same time after hearing Cedric¡¯s shout.


    Aria and co also doesn¡¯t let themselves be left behind and follows them.


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ºThis is¡­¡­¡­.. Intruders?¡¡From the look of it, they¡¯re knights and adventurers¡­¡­¡­. Which means, my whereabouts have been exposed. Even though I paid close attention whenever I abducted the people from the city¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡»


    The deepest part of the historic ruins¨D¨D


    A young man is muttering so with an annoyed voice. Violet colored pupils and brown skin. And then, poisonous-looking green hair¡­¡­..


    He is from the demon race.


    The archenemy of humans who live by killing and eating humans.


    And this youth who caused the kidnapping disturbance is the target of Aria and co. His purple colored pupils are looking at the crystal ballying on the ground.


    Taking a closer look, the crystal is showing the figure¡¯s of Aria and co advancing toward the deepest part of the historic ruin.


    The identity of that crystal is a magic item.


    It will allow the user to see the scenery of a ce that was designated beforehand by injecting mana into it.


    ¡ºDamn, even though my n is advancing smoothly¡­¡­¡­¡­. As expected, it might¡¯ve been a mistake to kidnap those humans?¡¡But they were necessary to maintain the monsters. That was unavoidable¡»


    The demon race youth ced his hand on his chin while muttering so in a low voice.


    ¡ºNo, it¡¯s toote for regrets. Though I originally nned to increase the number of my mons-¡­¡­ War potential, it¡¯s no longer possible right now¡»


    The youthe to that conclusion after pondering for a while. And then, he closed his eyes, focusing his mind.


    The demon race who are proficient at using mana can control monsters with their will.


    In short, he¡¯s currently instigating the monsters in the historic ruins to attack Aria and co.


    ¡ºFirst is a test. I¡¯m going to make you regret the fact that you ever tried to foil my n, humans! ¡»

 Chapter 37 - The Debut Of The New Skills

    <h4>Chapter 37: The Debut Of The New Skills</h4>


    ____________________¡ºGARURUN¡»


    ¡ºGUUUUUU¡­¡­.¡»


    Aria and co were heading toward the depths of the historic ruins.


    In there, they met with several grotesque growling creatures.


    ¡¸How rare. ¡°Werewolves¡± huh¡¹


    ¡¸Moreover these numbers confirm that a demon is absolutely hiding in here¡¹


    Looking at those werewolves.


    Howard and Dany have such an exchange.


    Werewolves are basically a human type demon. however, their traits are different from both humans and wolves. Different from humans and wolves, werewolves are a creature that always act alone. And yet, there¡¯s flocks of werewolves in this historic ruin.


    The conclusion that can be deducted from this is that they¡¯re being controlled by the demon race.


    ¡¸Okay everyone, let¡¯s do it as usual! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ROGER!! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    ¡¸Aria-san, Vulcan-san, and Tama-chan are to attack once you find the right opportunity! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸ROGER! (Nyan)¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Cedric is dashing forward along with his signal.


    After every member of the party replied, the battle began.


    ¡¸Come at me you beast!¡¡I¡¯M RIGHT HERE!! ¡¹


    The one who jumped in first was Howard.


    After dashing into the vanguard position, he made a loud ringing sound by hitting hisrge shield with his gauntlet.


    ¡º¡º¡ºGAAAAAAAAAAAA!! ¡»¡»¡»


    Those werewolves raise a war cry. Their eyes were bloodshot. And then, all of them rushed towards Howard at once.


    (Hou, ¡¶Provoke¡· skill huh. As expected of the tank who survived Ragnar?k. That¡¯s a really useful skill)


    Tama is admiring him.


    It doesn¡¯t mean that those werewolves were rushing at him due to the moring sounding from him. Howard owned a skill called ¡¶Provoke¡· it is a skill used to rouse monsters instinct and turn their attention towards him. The duty of a tanker is to protect hisrades by attracting monsters attention as much as possible¨D¨D With this skill.


    The three werewolves in the front were using a superb joint attack toward Howard with their ws, punch, and kick.


    ¡¸GEHYAHYAHYAHYA!!¡¡IT¡¯S NOT EVEN ENOUGH TO TICKLE ME!! ¡¹


    But, smiling merrily, Howard warded off all of their attacks with his superb use of his own shield.


    DOGAN!¡¡GAKON!¡¡The sound of heavy blows resounded from their sh, and yet Howard¡¯s stance was unperturbed by it.


    The body of a lizardman is sturdy, and heavy.


    Even if he can withstand attacks that would kill a normal human, he can¡¯tnd a decisive blow.


    ¡¸HERE I COME! ¡¹


    ¡¸CRUSH ¡®EM! ¡¹


    Circling toward the back of the werewolves.


    Now it¡¯s Kenny and Marietta¡¯s turn.


    The werewolves who were attracted to Howard failed to notice them.


    Thus, they reaped the lives of two werewolves.


    ¡¸AHAHAHAHAHA!¡¡YOU REALLY CAN¡¯T GET ENOUGH OF THIS WONDERFUL SOUND RIGHT!? ¡¹


    ¡¸A~h¡­¡­¡­ Themander is finally on fire¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    From the other side, Cedric was shing at the werewolves with a dangerous expression on his face.


    Dany also joined the vanguard while looking at that situation with a shocked face.


    It seems the story about Cedric enjoying slicing and dicing people is true.


    ¡¸NYaaa~!¡¡Cedric-sama¡¯s swordsmanship is superb nya!! ¡¹


    ¡¸I-I almost can¡¯t see the trajectories of his sh¡­¡­.!¡¡So this is the power of the brave who survived Ragnarok¡­¡­¡­.. We can¡¯t lose to them, Tama! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa(Yes, master)!! ¡¹


    While Aria and co are protecting theirrades from outside the perimeter of the battle, they¡¯re being fascinated by Cedric¡¯s superb swordsmanship.


    First, he is not making a careless move. He swings his sword with minimum movement and stabs at vital areas. He disyed his prowess in doing one-hit kills


    ¡º¡º¡ºGRUAAAAAAAAA¨D¨DAAA!! ¡»¡»¡»


    ¡¸Uhn?¡¡Commander!¡¡It¡¯s reinforcements!! ¡¹


    ¡¸It seems so. Even more so, it seems that they¡¯re armed now. Let¡¯s crush¡¯em right here right now¨D¨D¡¹


    ¡¸Cedric-sama!¡¡Leave this ce to us. Tama!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~(Leave it to me, master)!! ¡¹


    New batches of werewolves were flooding out from the inner part of the historic ruin with weapons in their hands.


    Though Cedric is about tomand everyone to crush them all, Aria asked Tama to hold them back.


    Thus, Tama is leaping forward. Sucking the air into his lungs in one go.


    (It¡¯s just ¡¶Aether Howling¡· but¡­¡­¡­¡­ Well I guess this is enough to stall for some time. Yup, let me to show you my new power, master!)


    ¡¸Nyan(¡¶Water Howling¡·)!! ¡¹


    Tama invoked another one of his¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Water Howling¡·.


    The breath that contained high pressured water is prating the chest of the approaching werewolves


    (I¡¯M NOT DONE YET!)


    Tama¡¯s attack has yet to end. He decapitates the neck of those werewolves while still releasing his ¡¶Water Howling¡·.Te water jet sliced through the chests of the werewolves, one after another.


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    The battlefield came to aplete standstill.


    The top parts of the werewolves that was sliced horizontally with the water jet crumbled to the ground.


    Naturally, that one attack literally reaped the lives of all the iing enemies.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ EH? ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Vulcan and the knights leaked dumbfounded voices after seeing that scene.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­.T-Tama?¡¡Y-You still have that kind of firepower? ¡¹


    Even Aria asked such a question with a cramped face.


    As for Tama, he replied with a lovely¡¸Nya~n¡¹.

 Chapter 38 - Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 38 : Revenge</h4>


    ____________________¡¸I-IMPOSSIBLE!¡¡WHAT THE HELL IS THAT RIDICULOUS ATTACK!?¡¡Wait a minute, that form, and those skills¡­¡­¡­¡­.. I see, an elemental cat huh!¡¡¡­¡­¡­. Damn it, to think that kind of troublesome creature was also included in their group!! ¡¹


    In the inner part of the historic ruin, the youth of the demon race cursed at the intruders.


    He spent a really long time to gather those werewolves for the sake of his n, and yet, them being ughtered in one go is something beyond his expectations.


    And then, he noticed.


    Is Tama who used such powerful skill truly an elemental cat?


    ¡¸Nay, the true form of that cat is a trivial matter right now. The main point is how to get rid of him. In that case, I guess I shall release those guys and head out to the battlefield myself¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    The demon race youth is heading out.


    While controlling his mana.


    All is for the sake of awakening certain monsters who slept in the depths of this ruin¨D¨D


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Nya~ that surprised meow! ¡¹


    ¡¸Absolutely!¡¡I never knew that Tama-chan has that kind of skill¡¹


    ¡¸Elemental Cat¡­¡­¡­.. Another interesting creature¡­¡­¡­. Right¡¹


    Vulcan, Marietta, Cedric and others are giving their impressions.


    Tama is showing a prideful expression from between Aria¡¯s melons.


    ¡¸I¡¯m surprised too. I¡­¡­¡­ Never knew that Tama has another inherent skill¡¹


    Aria who was hugging Tama also feels proud and slightly bewildered of her pet who showed such power¨D¨D Or so they thought, she whispered¡¸To think that my dear Knight¡¶Pet¡· was Hiding such power¡­¡­¡­.¡¹ and ¡¸If he has this kind of power, maybe he can pin me down and then fu-¡­¡­..¡¹ in a really low voice. ¡¹¤Ê¤É¤È¡¢ÅdŠ^¤·¤¿˜”×ӤǤ֤Ĥ֤ąۤ¤¤Æ¤¤¤ë¡£


    (Aah, even though I felt relieved in seeing her growth in the recent battle¡­¡­. This side of my master never changes huh)


    Tama is heaving a sigh in seeing Aria entering erofu mode.


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going. I know that Tama was powerful but, be on your gua¨D¨D!!!? ¡¹


    Be on your guard. Was what he¡¯s going to say, but Cedric¡¯s eyes widened in surprise before he finished his sentence.


    ¡¸Uhn?¡¡This pressure is¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    ¡¸Yes¡­¡­. It seems something dangerous is headed in our direction! ¡¹


    Dany is nodding in agreement to Howard.


    Naturally the other knights also noticed it.


    Aria and Vulcan¡¯s expression also stiffened.


    From the innermost part of the historic ruins¨D¨D


    An unbelievable sense of intimidation ising toward them.


    ¡ºYou did a good job in dispatching my werewolves. But, this is the end¡»


    A shadow is appearing along with that bone piercing tone.


    Green colored hair and gold-copper colored skin along with a pair of blue pupils filled with killing intent¡­¡­¡­ He¡¯s a demon race youth.


    ¡¸Ooh what a surprise, the boss himself entering the battlefield huh. What are you going to do, demon? ¡¹


    Cedric, whose face turned expressionless like a noh mask from his usual cool guy mask is asking the demon race.


    The demon race live in their own society just like humans.


    That¡¯s why they never act alone with only monsters like this youth, which makes him even more suspicious.


    Cedric felt uneasy about what kind of goal that youth has in mind.


    ¡ºFine then, I guess I can tell you about my ns. My name is Beryl Astaroth. My goal is¡­¡­¡­¡­. Revenge¡»


    His tone is calm, but one can feel the deep-seated hatred in the voice of the demon race youth¨D¨D Beryl.


    In hearing his words¡­¡­..


    ¡¸What? ¡¡Astaroth you say?¡¡Speaking of Astaroth¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸It was the name of the demon race vige that used to upy the current location of Renault city ¡¹


    Kenny and Marietta is recalling that matter.


    Renault is a city that used to be inhabited by the demon race, the


    story that the town mayor told them is still fresh in their memories.


    And Beryl has the same name as the vige that used to be there.And then, by ¡°revenge¡± he means¡­


    In short, the things that Beryl going to do is¨D¨D


    ¡ºKukuku¡­¡­¡­¡­ That¡¯s right humans, I¡¯m a survivor of the Astaroth vige that was destroyed by you guys few years ago. And now¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to exact my revenge by destroying that city called Renault! ¡»


    ¡¸I see. But it doesn¡¯t mean that you can kidnap the people of the city¡¹


    ¡¸Aah, as for kidnapping those city inhabitants, they¡¯re used to feed my monster subordinates¡¹


    Beryl said so with a loud voice.


    In hearing that, Cedric and Dany reached an understanding.


    Beryl was the only survivor of that vige.


    And for his revenge, he gathered his troops for many years along with his growth.


    ¡ºNow then, my followers!¡¡Let¡¯s kill them and destroy that city!! ¡»


    Beryl ismanding them.


    There upon, from behind him¡­¡­¡­. Several loud war cries resounded in the ruins.


    ¡¸HUH!?¡¡This voice¡­¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, no doubt about it¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s Trolls!! ¡¹


    Howard and Dany say so at the same time.


    Then they appeared.


    Three meters tall with ashen colored skin.


    The monsters with ugly faces from all perspectives, thick limbs that look like logs¡­¡­¡­. Trolls.


    An extremely dangerous monster of A-Rank.


    ¡¸T-¡­¡­¡­.. Trolls! ¡¹


    ¡¸Moreover, there¡¯s six of them nya~¡­¡­.. He¡¯s serious about destroying the city nya~!! ¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    They never expected that they¡¯re going to go against this powerful of a foe, and there¡¯s quite a few of them¡­¡­..


    ¡¸SCATTER!!¡¡MAKE SURE THAT YOU¡¯RE NOT CLUMPED TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE! ¡¹


    Cedric dashes forward along with his signal.


    Troll is a kind of monster with a tremendous area of attack along with herculean strength.


    In other words, one can¡¯t fight them by clustering together.


    That¡¯s why there¡¯s no other way to fight them other than using hit and run tactics.


    ¡ºKukukuku!¡¡You took the bait huh!¡¡¡¶Multi-Protection Wall¡·ACTIVATE!! ¡»


    The moment it¡¯s invoked¨D¨D


    Beryl¡¯s eyes opened wide as heughs and then invokes a certain skill.


    ¡¸Kuh, this is!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Damn it, he got us huh! ¡¹


    Cedric and Dany are cursing at their carelessness.


    He divided them into several groups and then locked them up with some kind of transparent barrier.


    ¡¶Multi-Protection Wall¡·¨D¨D Is Beryl¡¯s inherent skill that enabled him to cast several barriers.


    He erected square shaped barriers and locked everyone up with a troll.


    The knights were against two of the six trolls.


    Tama is pitted against four of them.


    Aria and Vulcan were facing against Beryl.


    ¡ºKukuku, that elemental cat is the most dangerous one amongst you folk¡­¡­ So I gave him the most preferential wee¡»


    ¡¸No¡­¡­. Way!¡¡Tama!! ¡¹


    Aria is raising a grieving cry as she looked at Tama trapped in a barrier along with several trolls.


    (Damn it!!¡¡Me leaving my masters side to protect her was used against us!)


    As soon as he sees the fast-approaching trolls, like usual, Tama leapt from his throne in between Aria¡¯s melons and takes some distance to do his job as rear guard.


    Tama couldn¡¯t help but worry about Aria rather than his own critical situation.


    ¡ºWell then, my revenge begins by killing you guys!! ¡»

 Chapter 39 - Ex Strongest

    <h4>Chapter 39 : Ex Strongest</h4>


    ____________________¡º¡º¡ºGEBAAAAAAAAAAAA!! ¡»¡»¡»


    Inside of the barrier¨D¨D


    The four trolls areing to attack Tama.


    Though they¡¯re troublesome opponents themselves, they be even more troublesome since they¡¯re equipped with giant axes or hatchets.


    ¡¸Nyan¡¶Water Howling¡·!! ¡¹


    Tama invokes one of his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Water Howling¡·.


    Just like his fight against the werewolves from before, he¡¯s going to turn them into meat daruma.


    SWISH¨D¨D!!


    It carved a deep wound on those trolls¡¯ bodies.


    But, unlike the time when he fought the werewolves, their bodies aren¡¯t cut in two.


    (Damn it!¡¡As expected of A-rank monsters¡­¡­¡­ They¡¯re tough!)


    The skin of the trolls is tough due to their extremely developed muscle fibers.


    Thereupon, Tama¡¯s ¡¶Water Howling¡· isn¡¯t enough to instakill them.


    ¡ºGEBAAAAAA!! ¡»


    The trolls screeched.


    Thereupon, the newly opened wounds were healing at an extremely rapid pace.


    (Regeneration ability¡­¡­.. I heard about this before, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes)


    Tama remembers. That trolls aren¡¯t all about their herculean strength, they have a regeneration ability too.


    The trolls convert their own mana into flesh, in short, they can regenerate from wounds.


    Basically, they¡¯re semi-immortal monsters as long as they have their mana reserve¡­¡­¡­.. Is the main reason for them being called an A-rank monster.


    ¡ºGEBABABABA!! ¡»


    The first one to recover from it¡¯s wounds swings down it¡¯s hatchet towards Tama.


    (Like hell that kind of messy attack is gonna hit me!)


    Tama dodges that attack with a side step.


    The hatched that lost it¡¯s target hits the ground, making a deep cavity due to the overwhelming power of the troll.


    (I have no choice then. Let¡¯s release more of my power)


    Despite seemingly being cornered, Tama doesn¡¯t seem to be flustered at all.


    After taking a deep breath, he invokes his (Supposed to be)new skill.


    ¡¸NYAAAAAAAAAAA(Rock Howling)!! ¡¹


    The earth elemental howling is heading towards those trolls.


    The howling that have the mass of elerating heavy rock crushes the skin of the trolls.


    ¡¸NYAAN(HEYA, TAKE THIS AGAIN)! ¡¹


    And now, he¡¯s using his ¡¶me Howling¡·.


    Before the regeneration ability of those trolls heals the wound caused by ¡¶Rock Howling¡·, Tama¡¯s second skill has baked their gaping wounds.


    ¡º¡º¡ºGEGIYA¨D¨DAAAAAA!!?? ¡»¡»¡»


    Even with their regeneration ability, they still can¡¯t do anything about their sense of pain.


    The trolls were writhing in pain as they¡¯re being grilled alive.


    ¡¶me Howling¡·!


    ¡¶me Howling¡·¨D¨D!


    ¡¶FLAME HOWLI¨D¨D¨D¨DING¡·!!


    Tama is howling nonstop.


    He¡¯s baking those trolls alive till they use up their mana.


    The reason for those troll¡¯s defeat was because they were locked inside the multi-protection wall.


    So, without any room for maneuvering in the box, he won the fight¡­¡­


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Tell me,mander¡¹


    ¡¸I leave this ce to you¡¹


    ¡¸Oioioi, aren¡¯t you treating yourmander really cruel here? ¡¹


    In response to Howard and Dany¡¯s words.


    Cedric is replying with a shocked face.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, these kind of monsters are within your field of expertise right,mander? ¡¹


    ¡¸Riight!¡¡You should just release your power and then eliminate them! ¡¹


    Kenny and Marietta is supporting Danny and Howard¡¯s idea.


    Smiling wryly, Cedric is unsheathing his sword while muttering ¡¸Ha~h¡­¡­¡­ I know that already¡¹ in response to his subordinate¡¯s cruel treatment of him.


    And then¡­¡­.


    ¡¸¡±Dark Magic¡±¨D¨D Release¡¹


    Muttering those words in low voice.


    Thereupon, Cedric long sword is enveloped by a jet-ck color.


    A sinister magical power is surging out from the de of his sword.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s do this¡¹


    Sword in a middle stance, he bent his body to start running. And in a sh, he slipped between the body¡¯s of two trolls and then shes at them.


    ¡ºGUGYAAAAAAAAAAA¨D¨D!? ¡»


    The trolls were screaming together.


    They were screaming in pain¡­¡­¡­. Or to be exact, screaming in agony due to something.


    ¡¸Fufufufu¡­¡­. How¡¯s that?¡¡The feeling of your ¡°Life Force¡± being sucked out of you? ¡¹


    Cedric says with a smile on his face.


    As for the identity of the jet-ck light that enveloped his long sword¡­¡­¡­ That is the magical power of the darkness attribute¨D¨D Otherwise known as dark magic.


    Darkness attribute is an innate attribute that belonged solely to the archmage who saved the world from ¡¶Ragnar?k¡·, and the main characteristic of this attribute is that it¡¯ll rob the life force of the target no matter how powerful the targets defensive power.


    And then, Cedric is the brother-inw of that archmage.


    ¡¸Now then, entertain me. It¡¯s quite one-sided ri-¡­¡­¡­..-ght? ¡¹


    Cedric is shing a sadistic smile.


    ¡ô


    (Impossible!¡¡¡­¡­¡­.. This shouldn¡¯t happen!?)


    Beryl who saw his treasured trolls being ughtered in both of the barriers can¡¯t help but feel impatient.


    ¡¸Do you really think that you have such leeway to look away from your opponent nya~!? ¡¹


    ¡ºKUH¡­¡­¡­¡­¡»


    Vulcan is rushing at Beryl, brandishing her battle hammer.


    Beryl steps back, and barely dodges her attack.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS!! ¡¹


    Aria suddenly appeared right at his side.


    Her speed with ¡¶eleration¡· invoked is already at max.


    ¡ºSMALL FRY OUT OF MY WAY! ¡»


    Beryl unsheathes his sword and parry¡¯s Aria¡¯s knives.


    The physical strength of the demon race is far stronger than humans.


    Aria has no chance to win in a head on collision.


    Thus¨D¨D


    ¡¸¡¶Gale sh¡·!! ¡¹


    Aria invokes her ¡¶Gale sh¡· and envelopes her whole body with a razor sharp gale.


    The moment they¡¯re separated, she manages to leave a scratch on Beryl¡¯s skin.


    ¡ºHOW DARE YOU¡­¡­¡­.¡»


    Cursing at them with an annoyed tone.


    ording to his prediction, by now the trolls should have been able to easily dispatch Tama and the knights, and he can overpower Vulcan and Aria while the trolls were doing their job. But, if one is looking at the result, it¡¯s as clear as the day that Tama and the knights were just too powerful for the trolls and despite Vulcan and Aria not being as powerful as them, their superb cooperation has cornered him this far.


    (No, I¡¯m not done yet!¡¡I can still survive this as long as I take care of these women!!)


    Beryl¡¯s ¡¶Multi-Protection Wall¡· is a powerful inherent skill.


    The effect willst until the one who invokes it is unable to maintain it any longer, or they cancel the skill.


    He¡¯ll kill Vulcan and Aria, and then cancel the skill.


    And then erect a barrier again to lock up Tama and the knights to create a chance for his escape.


    This is an unavoidable situation.


    He¡¯ll have to abandon his revenge for now and prioritize his survival.


    (I¡¯ll get as many chances for revenge as I want as long as I¡¯m still alive. Thus I have to kill these women first!!)


    Beryl steels his resolve.


    At the same time, he takes out two short swords from his bosom and assumes a dual wielding stance.


    ¡ºShi¨D¨D!! ¡»


    Beryl starts to run towards Vulcan and Aria as he unfolds his swords to the side.


    He¡¯s made his choice.


    ¡¸Vulcan-san!¡¡Let¡¯s do that!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Rogernyan!! ¡¹


    Facing against him, the two of them exchange such words and Vulcan raises her battle hammer high into the air.


    (Fool!¡¡Such an attack won¡¯t reach me!!)


    In seeing Vulcan preparing for a full swing, Beryl is sneering inside and dodges to the side to avoid the trajectory of the battle hammer.


    DOGOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!


    The battle hammer that was raised high then crashes to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.


    (Crap!¡¡My eyes¡­¡­..!?)


    Beryl¡¯s line of sight is obscured due to the cloud of dust.


    HyUn!!


    A sh of light appeared amongst the cloud of dust.


    That sh of light found its target on Beryl¡¯s chest.¡¡And lodged inside his body.


    It¡¯s Aria¡¯s knife.


    ¡ºYou, Bas¡­¡­¡­¡­ TaAAAaRDd! ¡»


    He swings his short sword in a desperate final act.


    Though it just grazed Aria¡¯s upper arm, she immediately fell towards the ground.


    ¡¸Nya~a(MASTE~~R)!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Tama!! ¡¹


    With Beryl unable to continue the fight, the barrier got released.


    Tama who was watching his master slowly fall down inside the barrier dashes out as soon as the barrier got released.


    But¨D¨D


    Thud¡­¡­¡­..


    That moment, she stooped over to hug Tama who ran toward her¨D¨D


    Aria¡¯s body jerks and then falls to the ground.


    (W-What¡¯s happened to you MASTER!?)


    Tama is confused when Aria suddenly falls before him.


    ¡¸Nyaa!?¡¡¡­¡­¡­¡­.This is! ¡¹


    Vulcan¡¯s eyes open wide.


    She¡¯s looking at Aria¡¯s upper arm.


    ¡¸The hell is this!¡¡That birthmark like thing on Aria¡¯s arm¡­¡­.. Don¡¯t tell me! ¡¹


    The knights were approaching Aria too.


    A purple birthmark-like spot has appeared on her upper arm.


    ¡ºKu-Kukuku¡­¡­¡­ My¡­¡­ Short sword¡­¡­¡­. Are¡­¡­¡­.. Smeared with the poison¡­¡­¡­¡­ Of¡­¡­¡­. Poison dragon. I¡­¡­¡­.. Will drag that woman¡­¡­¡­.. with me¡­¡­¡­¡­ To my grave¡»


    Beryl tells them so with broken sentences.


    And then, his eyes closed after finishing those words as he dies.


    ¡¸Poison of A POISON DRAGON!? ¡¹


    ¡¸THIS IS BAD, GIVE HER AN ANTIDOTE IMMEDIATELY! ¡¹


    Aria fell unconscious with a pained expression on her face.


    Vulcan and Cedric exchange those words as they hold on to her.


    ¡¸Even so, what are you going to do!¡¡Don¡¯t you know that when ites to the poison of a poison dragon, you need the eye of an earth dragon you know!?¡¡The difficulty of finding such a thing is¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s bring Aria back to Renault for now!¡¡At this rate she won¡¯tst three days! ¡¹


    ¡¸Understood I¡¯m going to carry her¡¹


    In response to Kenny and Marietta, Howard carry¡¯s Aria in his arms and runs toward the exit of the historic ruins


    Waves of despair Hit upon Tama who was left alone in that ce.


    (Like hell there¡¯ll be the eye of an earth dragon¡­¡­.. An S-Rank monster¡­¡­¡­¡­!)


    It¡¯s as Kenny has said, the cure for the poison of a poison dragon is to drink an antidote that is infused with the eye of an earth dragon.


    But then, earth dragon is an S-Rank monster. It¡¯s an extremely rare raw material that definitely won¡¯t be sold in an auction.


    He¡¯s in a desperate situation.


    (Earth drago-¡­¡­¡­¡­ EARTH DRAGON!?)


    Tama is taken aback.


    He recalled a ce where he can find an earth dragon.


    (CAN¡¯T BE HELPED THEN!)


    Tama invokes his ¡¶Flight¡·and left that ce.


    Earth dragon¨D¨D


    Heading toward the ce where he¡¯ll find the thing he¡¯s looking for, the creature who lives in the deepest part of thebyrinth and also the one who drove Tama to the brink of death.

 Chapter 40 - Behemoth Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 40 : Behemoth Awakening</h4>


    ____________________Few hours after he flew across the river and field at full speed¨D¨D


    Tama has arrived at thebyrinth.


    ¡ºGIGI¡»


    ¡ºGUYAA¡»


    The goblins wereing to attack as soon as they saw Tama.


    ¡¸NYAAAAAAAA(OUT OF MY WAY)!! ¡¹


    Tama runs through them while letting out a war cry.


    Along with the sound of slicing, Tama invokes one of his ¡¶Elemental Sword Tail¡·, ¡¶Aether Edge¡· and slices the goblins.


    And then, he finally arrives at the deepest part of the upper floor.


    He could see the opening that connected to the lower floor.


    (Please wait for me, master. I promise that I¡¯ll save you!)


    Tama descended with that resolution.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºHou, this presence¡­¡­¡»


    The lowest floor of thebyrinth¨D¨D


    An S-ranked monster and the strongest existence in thisbyrinth is looking at the fast approaching sign from above with bloodshot eyes.


    And then¨D¨D


    BASHA¡­¡­.


    Tama falls, and then stops in the mid air right in front of the Earth Dragon.


    Different from normal, his cute eyes were narrower and sharper.


    ¡ºWhat do you want, O weak one. Why do youe back to this ce despite managing to escape from this great one? ¡»


    ¡¸NYAN(TO DO THIS)!! ¡¹


    It¡¯s calm¨D¨D But, the Earth Dragon is asking that question while releasing an overwhelming pressure.


    Tama feels that there¡¯s no use arguing about it and fired his ¡¶me Howling¡· right from the front.


    ¡ºGUHAHAHAHAHA!!¡¡Interesting!¡¡Let¡¯s have a rematch then! I¡¯m gonna make you pay for what you did to my eye!! ¡»


    The Earth Dragon doesn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s goal. But, it¡¯s natural to release killing intent towards the enemy who blinded one of its eyes when the said enemy suddenly appeared in front of the Earth Dragon.


    With that alone, the Earth Dragon has plenty enough reason to fight Tama. It swung it¡¯s giant forefeet ws toward the iing me howling whileughing loudly.


    GOOOOON!!


    The ws pierce through the ¡¶me Howling¡· and continue on towards Tama.


    Though the surface of it¡¯s forefoot suffered from light burns, it isn¡¯t fatal damage.


    (KUH!¡¡If ¡¶me Howling¡· can do nothing but this degree of damage, take this!!)


    Tama dodged the w of the Earth Dragon by flying to the right.


    ¡ºGUfufufufu¡­¡­¡­ You dodged my attack huh¡»


    Though Tama was thrown into a desperate situation just from receiving the Earth Dragon¡¯s attack in their previous battle, the current Tama isn¡¯t the old Tama.


    Though it was just a moment, he learned the movement of the Earth Dragon.


    He also became more and more ustomed to the body of a Behemoth.


    And, he knows that fighting on the ground will spell his defeat.


    That¡¯s why, Tama is using his ¡¶Flight¡· skill to move around in the air at high speed.


    ¡¸NYAN¡¶Rock Edge¡·!! ¡¹


    As soon as he dodges the w attack, Tama invokes one of his ¡¶Elemental Tail Sword¡·, ¡¶Rock Edge¡·.


    In order to open some distance, he drives a powerful attack into the forefeet of the Earth Dragon.


    ¡ºGUUU!?¡¡YOU MANAGED TO WOUND MY BODY HUH!¡¡THEN, HOW ABOUT THIS!! ¡»


    Thanks to his ¡¶Elemental Tail Sword¡· of earth, Tama managed to wound the Earth Dragon.


    Thus, the Earth Dragon turns it¡¯s body in a half circle. Followed by a blow from it¡¯s tail.


    (Urgh, I can¡¯t dodge this!¡¡In that case!!)


    Tama knows that even if he dodges that tail attack, it¡¯s still going to graze him.


    Just a graze carries a terrifying amount of power. Unfortunately, it¡¯s just that.


    He invokes one of his predated skill, ¡¶Iron Body¡·.


    The moment the tail is about to graze him, he strengthened his body to be as tough as metal to invalidate the damage.


    Thus, Tama¡¯s turn hase.


    Now he chooses ¡¶Elemental Tail Sword¡· of the wind, ¡¶Aether Edge¡·.


    And aims for the Earth Dragon¡¯s eyes just like their previous battle.


    ¡ºFOOL!¡¡I¡¯VE SEEN THROUGH THAT ATTACK! ¡»


    The Earth Dragon isn¡¯t self-conceited likest time.


    Feeling the swirl of mana that was flying toward it¡¯s face from Tama¡¯s tail, it turned it¡¯s head.


    (This is going to be a war of attrition huh¡­¡­)


    On one side is an S-rank monster who boasts overwhelming destructive power and a tough body, The Earth Dragon.


    One another side is another S-rank monster who¡ªDespite still being an infant¡ª can make use of a myriad of skills and his experience as a former knight, The Behemoth.


    Tama is estimating that this battle going to turn into a long and brutal one.


    The violent exchange of offense and defense.


    It¡¯s a seesaw game with paper thin difference between life and death.


    In ordance to Tama¡¯s prediction, their battle has been raged for dozens of minutes.


    But then, a change that will tip the scale of battle ising.


    ¡¸Haa¡­¡­¡­¡­. Haa¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡ºGufufufufufu, what¡¯s matter O little one. It seems that your breathing is getting rougher by the minute? ¡»


    Maybe because it recognized Tama¡¯s power, the Earth Dragon changed it¡¯s way of calling Tama from ¡°Weak One¡± to ¡°Little One¡±.


    Countless wounds are carved into the tough body of the Earth Dragon.


    And in contrast to the Earth Dragon, since Tama has been using his ¡¶Iron Body¡· skill to block the attacks of the Earth Dragon while dodging so that it only grazed him, he¡¯s almost unhurt.


    But it¡¯s as the Earth Dragon has said, moving around so much like that is slowly chipping away at Tama¡¯s stamina.


    ¡ºLet¡¯s stop this. You can¡¯t defeat me. Now be a good child and die.¡»


    (Yeah¡­¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have that much stamina. Besides, my mana is about to reach it¡¯s limit. At this rate¡­¡­¡­.. I am going to be defeated¨D¨D )


    He¡¯s about to lose.


    Thus, Tama made a certain decision.


    And then, in his monologue¡­¡­¡­.


    (Good bye, master¡­¡­¡­!!)


    And then, it¡¯s appears in his mind.


    His status¨D¨D Disyed in front of him. The Letters of ¡°Evolution¡±.!


    KAAH¨D¨D!!


    Tama¡¯s body is shining brightly.


    That light is filling the room with increasing brightness.


    ¡ºGUUUH!?¡¡WHAT IS THIS LIGHT!!? ¡»


    Even the Earth Dragon has to shut it¡¯s eyes due to the torrent of bright light.


    And soon, the light subsides.


    And, the one standing in front of the Earth Dragon is¨D¨D


    Arge being wrapped in jet ck hair. Two horns that resemble a demons are growing from it¡¯s forehead, sharp fangs are peeking from the gap of it¡¯s maw.


    Moreover, every part of it¡¯s body is covered by ck armor with blue hue to it.


    In short, it¡¯s a quadruped majestic beast with dragon features¨D¨D A lion.


    ¡ºWHAT THE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!? ¡»


    The quadruped beast appearing from inside the torrent of light.


    The Earth Dragon is extremely confused due to the sudden change.


    ROOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D¨DAAAAAAAAAR!!


    The quadruped beast lets out a majestic howl.


    The atmosphere is trembling due to the sheer volume.


    And then, the quadruped beast spoke.


    ¨D¨DMy name is ¡°Tama¡±!!¡¡A Behemoth S-rank monster who has be the knight of adventurer Aria!¡¡AND NOW, I¡¯M GOING TO KILL YOU AND SAVE MY MASTER¡¯S LIFE!!!!!

 Chapter 41 - From Now On, As A Cat

    <h4>Chapter 41 : From Now On, As A Cat</h4>


    ____________________The jet ck quadruped beast¨D¨D


    Was in fact Tama who evolved to his ¡°Behemoth 2nd Form¡±.


    To save his beloved master¡­¡­.. Tama decided to take the original form of a Behemoth.


    ¨D¨D My time is almost up, I¡¯m gonna end this right away!!


    RUMBLEEEEEEEE¨D¨D!!


    Tama roars for the second time.


    But, it¡¯s not just a roar this time.


    That roar is apanied with zing hellfire.


    He activated one of his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶me Howling¡·.


    ¡ºGUGAAA¨D¨DAAA!?¡¡SUCH A POWER!¡¡AT THIS RATE¡­¡­¡­.!! ¡»


    Due to the effect of his evolution, Tama¡¯s ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· also evolved to the next level.


    In the blink of an eye, the Earth Dragon is being roasted alive.


    At this rate, I¡¯m going to die!


    The Earth Dragon retreats to escape from the scorching hellfire.


    But, the next moment¨D¨D


    ¡°¨D¨DTHIS IS THE END¡­¡­.!¡±


    Such voice reverberates from the other side of the hellfire.


    BOUU¨D¨DUUU!!


    Tama leapes through the firewall to arrive in front of the Earth Dragon.


    And then, his tail became a gigantic¡¶Sword¡· of me, ¡¶me Edge¡·.


    ¡ºThis is iiiiiiiiiiiiiiit! ¡»


    Thus he swings down his gigantic me Sword. The Earth Dragon who sensed that he can¡¯t dodge that is brandishing his w, aiming for simultaneous defeat.


    SLAASH¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!!


    Tail and sword. The two attacks intersect.


    The Earth Dragon attack leaves a gaping wound from Tama¡¯s face all the way down to his chest. But, Tama shifted his body to the side and managed to escape a fatal wound by a paper-thin margin.


    And then, Tama¡¯s ¡¶me Edge¡· smashed the Earth Dragons head from above.


    The battle has ended.


    The victor of this battle between S-rank monsters is Tama.


    (I¡¯m not done yet. I have to deliver this guy¡¯s eye to my master ASAP)


    Yes, winning against the Earth Dragon doesn¡¯t end this. No matter what it takes, he must deliver the Earth Dragon¡¯s eye before Aria¡¯s life force runs out.


    Even though it has been dead from it¡¯s wound, when he tried to jump toward it to store the Earth Dragon¡¯s corpse with his ¡¶Storage¡· skill¨D¨D


    ¨D¨DGUH, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?


    Suddenly, Tama felt that the mana inside his body was getting out of control. Moreover, his body won¡¯t move at all.


    The next moment¨D¨D


    KAH!!


    Tama¡¯s body is wrapped in a brilliant light. Thereupon, the size of the light became smaller.


    And then, when the light settles down¡­¡­.


    ¡¸N¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nyaa(My body be small again)? ¡¹


    Yes, Tama¡¯s original fo-¡­¡­¡­. Tama returned to his kitten form.


    (Why?¡¡Is there actually a time limit for the evolution?¡¡Or else¡­¡­¡­ No, now I must prioritize master first!)


    He doesn¡¯t understand why his body returned to it¡¯s infant form. But, Tama can take advantage of that.


    After collecting the corpse of the Earth Dragon, he leaped toward Renault city with his tattered body.


    An evolution being cancelled isn¡¯t something that is normally possible.


    Which means that most likely a miracle happened due to Tama¡¯s wish to be with Aria¨D¨D


    ¡ô


    ¡¸U~h¡­¡­¡­. Tama~¡­¡­¡­¡­. Tamaaa~¡­¡­.¡¹


    A certain inn of Renault city.


    Aria who was lying on the bed was having a nightmare due to the Poison Dragon¡¯s poison.


    She kept calling Tama¡¯s name.


    On her side, Vulcan is sping her hand with an extremely worried look on her face.


    ¡¸F^CK!¡¡SO THERE REALLY IS NO ANTIDOTE HUH! ¡¹


    Cedric is spitting abusive words with a vexed face.


    Or should they say that it was as expected after they returned to the city of Renault and found that none of the pharmacist or doctors have the antidote.


    Because none of them have the main ingredients for the antidote of that poison, the eye of an Earth Dragon.


    That was perfectly natural seeing that they¡¯re in a rural city.


    Even though they were betting on the sliver of hope that they will find the antidote on Beryl¡¯s corpse or in his home, that also ended without them finding anything.


    ¡¸If only we we¡¯re more prepared¡­¡­¡­! ¡¹


    ¡¸Aria-san¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Standing behind Vulcan, Marietta and Kenny speak in vexed tones.


    Despite belonging to a knight order, they felt responsibility for causing this situation.


    Dany and Howard just look at Aria in silence.


    But at that time¨D¨D,


    ¡¸Nya~a¡­¡­.. Nya~a¡­¡­.! ¡¹


    Such a cry can be heard from the window.


    ¡¸TAMA-CHAN!¡¡JUST WHEN I THOUGHT THAT I COULDN¡¯T FIND YO-¡­¡­¡­. WHAT THE HELL, WHY ARE YOU COVERED IN WOUNDS! ¡¹


    Cedric hastily opened the door to let Tama in. But, Tama dodges his hand and descends below instead.


    ¡¸Nyaa~(Invoke ¡¶Storage¡· Skill)¡­¡­..! ¡¹¡¹


    ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡­¡­.. EARTH DRAGON!!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!? ¡¹


    The other knights and Vulcan shove their heads out of the windows after hearing Cedric¡¯s words.


    The corpse of the Earth Dragon with it¡¯s head smashed appeared in front of the inn from Tama¡¯s ¡¶Storage¡· skill.


    ¡¸Wounded Tama,,,,,,,,, The corpse of an Earth Dragon¡­¡­¡­. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S JUST A TRIVIAL MATTER!¡¡TAKE IT¡¯S EYEBALL NOW, BOIL IT AND GIVE IT TO MISS ARIA!! ¡¹


    ¡¸CALL THE DOCTOR AND PHARMACIST!! ¡¹


    Howard rebukes Dany who is still standing dumbfoundedly.


    Thus, Vulcan left the inn in hurry to call the doctors and pharmacist.


    (That¡¯s good. Now, master will be saved¡­¡­¡­)


    Tama was fed a potion to heal his wounds by Marietta and co who were left behind.


    Knowing that Aria¡¯s life isn¡¯t in danger anymore, Tama rxed slipping into unconsciousness.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Fufufu, good morning. Tama¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~¡¹


    On top of the bed inbyrinth city, Tama opens his eyes in Aria¡¯s embrace.


    A few days have passed since then.


    They managed to save Aria¡¯s life thanks to the eye of the Earth Dragon.


    With their sess in demon race subjugation, they¡¯re now waiting for their remunition.


    But then, there¡¯s one problem left. Aria¡¯s life is saved for sure, but the power of the poison is too terrifying, it shaved off arge amount of her stamina and weakened her muscles.


    Aside from that, Aria was also under extensive medical treatment thesest few days.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, the corpse of that Earth Dragon, could it be that Tama was¡­¡­¡­.? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~? ¡¹


    And then, another strange thing. It¡¯s as she says, she¡¯s wondering whether Tama, the one who brought the corpse of the Earth Dragon, was the one who killed it?.


    When she thought about it, ording to Cedric and co, Tama was already injured when he came back, and she heard that the corpse of the Earth Dragon appeared out of nowhere, so her question is natural.


    Over and over again, Aria asks such questions to Tama, but¡­¡­¡­ Tama always tilts his head as if to say ¡¸What are you talking about?¡¹. .


    ¡¸Nya~~¡¹


    ¡¸Geez, Tama, why are you so adorable¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    And then, Tama rubs his head on Aria¡¯s cheek as if to dodge her question.


    In the end, Tama is the only one who knows the truth.


    But that¡¯s just a trivial matter.


    Because she loves Tama, and Tama vowed to protect her¨D¨D

 Chapter 42.1 - The Last Moment of Powerful One

    <h4>Chapter 42.1 : The Last Moment of Powerful One</h4>


    Our is a ¡°Powerful One¡±. Or should I say ¡°Was¡±. [Note: ÎÒ = Waga(Our or we), can also tranted as ¡°I or me or I am¡±, but I¡¯m using ¡°Our¡± in this case]


    Our is living in the darkness. Though Our body wasn¡¯t that big since birth, Our body was tough, and powerful.


    I naturally knew of such things ever since I was born. Even without being taught by anyone, I know that this dark ce is what they call abyrinth, and then, I am a monster.


    My newborn self was under attack from various monsters. Starting from Green Pixie, Poisonous Snake, cow headed demon who can use magic, till small wyverns, it keeps going on and on..


    But, those guys were fools. I swipe down with my ws for the small ones. Bite them with my tough tusks for the medium sized one.


    It was fun when I was just born. I passed the time by attacking the other monsters.


    I trembled in joy every time I killed my enemies. That¡¯s how I naturally know that I was enjoying the battles.


    Thus, I wandered around thebyrinth, looking for powerful opponents.


    The steel giant was a chewy opponent. It didn¡¯t flinch even after receiving my ws and fangs attack, nor was it defeated.


    But, that¡¯s all. The steel giant¡¯s attack couldn¡¯t hurt me either. If you ask my opinion, it¡¯s just a good-for-nothing doll with ridiculous defensive power. When I understood that fact, I ughtered it within a few minutes.


    When ites to chewy textures, the creature called human is quite interesting too. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re called ¡°Adventurers¡± or something¡­¡­¡­


    Different from monsters, they¡¯re equal to me¡­¡­¡­ No, I mean they¡¯re more intelligent than those monsters.


    Alone, they¡¯re weak, but they keep leading me by nose with sword, shield and magic, even using traps.


    But, they¡¯re fools. Though they can choose to escape, as soon as they see me, they shout words such as ¡¸IT¡¯S A DRAGON!¡¹, or ¡¸IF WE CAN BEAT THIS GUY, WE¡¯LL BE FILTHY RICH¡¹, or ¡¸WE¡±LL GET FAMOUS FOR DEFEATING THIS GUY!¡¹ with excited voices, and then rush at me using various kinds of skills. ¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t understand what they mean by rank and gold, but I understand the meaning of fame.


    I really can¡¯t hold myughter against these kind of people-Who under impression that they¡¯re strong- challenge me to a match.


    But, I don¡¯t care about the reason. Because I¡¯m okay as long as I can fight¡ª¡ª


    The human¡¯s swords couldn¡¯t even put a scratch on my scales.


    The same goes for magic. The even used extremely weak magic against me.


    ¡¸Intermediate Magic isn¡¯t effective!?¡¹¡¸My sword can¡¯t even put a scratch on it!? ¡¹


    Humans¨D¨DOr the one they called as adventurers, eyes wide open, each and every one of them is saying such words. It seems these guys are underestimating me.


    Even though they try all kinds of possible means to challenge me, they are in the end ughtered by my fangs, and ws.


    I enjoyed those blissful moment of hunting for quite a long time. But, that¡¯s all for it.


    I met, and ughtered quite few humans after that, but people who can hurt me have yet to appear.


    Yes, until that day arrived¨D¨D


    Before I realized, I took up residence in the depths of thebyrinth and enjoyed myself in long inactive periods[sleep]. When I found out that I¡¯m unmatched, fighting became kind of a chore for me.


    It was during those days.


    Plop.


    Something soft fell on top of my head. My intuition is sharp. I know immediately that the one who fell on top of my head was a small monster.


    The small monster was looking around with a puzzled face. It seems that it has yet to realize that it fell on top of my head.


    ¡ºHow long do you want to stand on top of my head. O Weak one¨D¨D¡»


    It¡¯s seems calm, but the words I spun is filled with my anger.


    Because my pride won¡¯t allow a weaker monster to step on a strong monster like myself.


    Because I raised my head while saying those words, the small monster tumbled down from on top of my head.


    It¡¯s a tiger stripped kitten. It was a monster cat who is covered by orange tabby furs.


    It¡¯s really young in age. Is it, a newborn monster?


    And to my surprise, it¡¯snding in a well bnced way. But, a surprised expression is shown on it¡¯s face. It seems that it knows the situation it is currently in.


    But, there¡¯s no way that kind of expression is enough to appease my anger.


    ¡ºThe sin of disturbing my sleep¡­¡­.. WILL BE PAID WITH YOUR LIFE¨D¨D!! ¡»


    I bring down my ws toward the little monster who is still in shock.


    ¡¸Nyan! ¡¹

 Chapter 42.2 - The Last Moment of Powerful One

    <h4>Chapter 42.2 : The Last Moment of Powerful One</h4>


    ____________________Raising a mewl, the little monster¨D¨D Let¡¯s just call it ¡°Weak One¡±¨D¨D Tried to dodge my attack.


    But, despite my huge size, my body is quite nimble. This weak one won¡¯t make it in time to dodge my w. Then, the weak one raised another mewl.


    In the next moment, it¡¯s body turned a metallic grey color. And then¨D¨D


    GAKIN¨D¨D!!


    Such a sound resounded. From the sound, and the recoil that I felt in my ws, I knew that the weak one turned it¡¯s body into metal with some sort of skill.


    But, it still failed topletely protect itself. My w carved a deep mark on the weak one¡¯s body.


    ¡ºGufufufu¡­¡­¡­ I praise thee for surviving my w attack.¡»


    I gave my praise. Because it survived my attack despite still in it¡¯s infant state.


    But, this is the end. Opening my mouth, I bring my head closer to the Weak One. It looks delicious after all. Thus I wanted to eat it.


    But¨D¨D That¡¯s where I made a huge mistake.


    ¡ºGUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¨D¨D¨D¨DAAAAAA!!?? ¡»


    My scream reverberated around. A sensation that I had never felt before rushing to attack one of my eyes. And then, that was the moment when I realized that this is what ¡°Pain¡± felt like.


    When I looked with the other eye that was still fine, I knew what had happened when I saw the flow of mana. The origin of my pain was the transparent mana that extended from the tip of the Weak One¡¯s tail.


    Drip, Drip¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Blood is trickling down from my wounded eye.


    That¡¯s how I was injured by this Weak One¡­¡­.


    In that realization, my wrath shot through the roof.


    I HAVE TO KILL IT BY ALL MEANS!¡¡The moment I prepared myself to go all out.


    Basa!!


    Along with that sound, a pair of wings sprouted from the Weak One¡¯s back. And then, it flew¨D¨D Toward the cracked ceiling.


    TRYING TO RUN AWAY!


    Despite being tormented by pain, I swung my ws toward it.


    But¨D¨D My attack hit nothing but air.


    My aim was thrown off when I lost one of my eyes.


    ¡ºDAMN IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!! ¡»


    My voice echoed in the surroundings. I have no wings. Thus I cannot chase after the Weak One.


    That time, I made an oath. If I meet that guy again, I¡¯m gonna kill it for sure¨D¨D


    And then, that opportunity came faster than I expected.


    Basa!!


    A whileter, along with the pping sound of it¡¯s wings, the Weak One appeared again before my eyes.


    ¡ºWhat do you want, O weak one. Why do youe back to this ce despite managing to escape from this great one? ¡»


    ¡¸NYA~AN!! ¡¹


    When the Weak One mewled in that way to answer my question, it fired a breath apanied by zing me toward me.


    ¡ºGUHAHAHAHAHA!!¡¡Interesting!¡¡Let¡¯s have a rematch then! I¡¯m gonna make you pay for what you did to my eye!! ¡»


    I¡¯mughing in delight. My revenge match with the guy who blinded one of my eyes¨D¨D I don¡¯t care about it¡¯s reason for appearing before me for the second time as long as I can get my revenge.


    Our fight intensified to the point that I think there¡¯s no end to this. My body is covered with numerous light wounds, while on the other hand the body of the Weak O¨D¨DNo, let¡¯s change it¡¯s name to ¡°Little One¡± ¨D¨D ispletely fine.


    The Little one has numerous skills, moreover it keeps dodging my attacks with it¡¯s superior mobility, or else parrying them.


    It seems that it can see that I have a hard time moving with just one eye. Such a wonderful guy. There¡¯s no way I can call it ¡°Weak One¡±.


    Such a blissful moment!¡¡This is the first time since I was born that I experienced such a heated battle.


    I must be born to fight this Little One. I felt so.

 Chapter 42.3 - The Last Moment of Powerful One

    <h4>Chapter 42.3 : The Last Moment of Powerful One</h4>


    ____________________But then, a change in our battle urred.


    ¡¸Haa¡­¡­¡­¡­. Haa¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    The Little One¡¯s breath started to be heavy. No matter what kind of skills or defensive movement it has, it¡¯s still an infant after all. There¡¯s a limit to the Little One¡¯s stamina.


    ¡ºLet¡¯s stop this. You can¡¯t defeat me. Now be a good child and die.¡»


    So I said to him. I¡¯m gonna kill him in an instant. That¡¯s my way to show my respect to the Little One who fought toe-to-toe against me till this point.


    Bur, how should I say?¡¡The Little One is clearly not abandoning this fight yet. Rather, it made a face as if it¡¯s decided on something.


    And the next moment after I thought so.


    KAAH¨D¨D!!


    sh of brilliant light surges out from the Little One¡¯s body.


    When the dazling light subsided, the one standing in it¡¯s ce was a Jet-ck¨D¨D Lion.


    ROOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D¨DAAAAAAAAAR!!


    The lion lets out a roar. It¡¯s sheer volume make me tremble. No way, am I, getting scared!?¡¡I felt so.


    And then, the lion began to speak.


    ¨D¨DOUR NAME IS¨”TAMA?!!¡¡A Behemoth S-rank monster who became the knight of adventurer Aria!¡¡AND NOW, I¡¯M GOING TO KILL YOU TO SAVE MY MASTER¡¯S LIFE!!!!!


    It¡¯s voice has changed. It¡¯s form too. But, I heard it say it¡¯s name. This Jet ck Lion was the Little One who fought me up till now.


    The aftermath was a one-sided ughter. The Little O-¡­¡­¡­. No, the¨”Powerful One? fired an incandescent hell fire that roasted my scales.


    I felt a crisis that gnawed on my life. Therefore, for the first time in my life, I tried to run from the fight. But¨D¨D


    BOW!!


    Before I even have the chance to retreat, the Powerful One charged from inside the hell fire.


    And then, right before me is a brilliant red hot gigantic sword of fire that extended from it¡¯s tail, swinging down towards me.


    I can¡¯t avoid this!!¡¡I knew that. In that case, I prepared myself for a draw.


    I swing my forefeet. But the Powerful One, even while swinging down it¡¯s sword tail, dodges the attack aimed for it¡¯s vitals by doing a half turn. In contrast to that, me¡­¡­¡­


    SWI¨D¨DSH!!


    Along with that sharp sound It broke my head.


    I lost. It¡¯s aplete defeat¡­¡­¡­.


    Before my body feels the pain, my heart was already aware of that fact.


    And then, I thought. If, Our was to be ¡°Reincarnated¡±, I want to bear a child of this ¡°Powerful One¡±¡­¡­¡­..


    Along with such thoughts, Our consciousness descended into the void.

 Chapter 43.1 - The Picnic of The Elf And A Cat

    <h4>Chapter 43.1 : The Pic of The Elf And A Cat</h4>


    ____________________Morning¨D¨D


    In a room of a certain inn in the corner of the Labyrinth City. A beast opened it¡¯s eyes along with the chirps of small birds.


    A kitten with tiger striped pattern. Narrowing his lovely golden pupils as if he¡¯s still sleepy.


    The name of this beast is Tama. A rare creature of the cat family, an Elemental Cat¡­¡­ Or so other people think though it¡¯s just a misunderstanding of the girl who¡¯s also his owner, while it¡¯s true identity is a cmity ss monster, an S-Rank, infant Behemoth who was a former human reincarnated as a monster with his memory intact..


    It¡¯s gender is male. He was a noble knight in his previous life, a virtuous knight who goes around protecting many peoples from monsters and the demon race.


    And that Tama is currently¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Squish!¡¡Being enveloped by a soft and tender feeling.


    ¡¸Have you woken up, Tama. Fufufu, you¡¯re still as cute as ever.¡¹


    While being enveloped by that soft and tender feeling, he heard a voice calling to him from above. The voice of his master, Aria. She¡¯s his owner, and at the same time is also the owner of the soft things wrapping around him right now.


    Porcin white skin, tinum blonde hair stretching all the way to her back, cool ice blue pupils¡­¡­.. And yet they are filled with affection, she¡¯s an elf with peerless beauty.


    And then, the fruits of her chest seem as if they¡¯re about to explode. If one were to use fruit as an example, hers would be ¡°Melon ss¡±.


    ¡¸Nya~n¡¹


    Smiling at Aria, Tama raises a lovely purr as he enjoys the soft feeling enveloping him¨D¨D Aria¡¯s breasts.


    Though Tama in his previous life was an adult knight, the current him is just a child.


    His heart is following the instinct of his still infant body.


    ¡¸Ya~n. Geez, Tama is just too adorable¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    In seeing Tama acting like a spoiled child, Aria couldn¡¯t help but let out a sweet and charming voice. Aria is in love with Tama.


    And though that can be ssified as a love for a small animal¡­¡­.. A certain meaning of love is also mixing in there.


    And that is LOVE in a romantic way. Aria¡¯s nature¨D¨D Or in this case her preference is on the slightly abnormal side. In short, she sees Tama as her pet, an infant of different race, and also as a man.


    (C-Crap. I¡¯m getting carried away.)


    Tama returned to his adult self in seeing Aria breathing roughly. And took some distance from her immediately.


    Tama has long since known that when he act too spoiled, Aria¡¯s peculiar switch¨D¨D Namely, Erofu Switch is bound to run out of control.


    ¡¸A~h¡­¡­¡­.. I wanted you to act more like a spoiled child though¡­¡­.¡¹


    Aria told him so with a disappointed tone. cing her forefinger on her lips, she¡¯s looking greedily at Tama while rubbing her thighs which werepletely exposed due to her pure white negligee.


    If her rampant self saw Behemoth Tama turning into his Behemoth form, then that¡¯ll be the end of it.


    He will, and surely take Aria¡¯s virginity. Tama¡¯s definitely going to withstand that temptation with the heart of a knight.


    ¡¸U~h~n¡­¡­¡­.!¡¡Fu~¡­¡­¡­ I managed to sort it out somehow. Well then, now to prepare ourselves to go out.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan! ¡¹


    As soon as he thought so, Aria¡¯s ears twitch while she is saying those words.


    That trembling, could it be,,,,,,,,,, Tama decided to ignore such a reaction of her¡¯s, and replies cheerfully to her.


    Tama and Aria decided to go for a pic at a nearby forest today.


    Moreover, today is theirst holiday. Aria¡¯s going to resume her adventuring from tomorrow.


    It was around the one month ago¨D¨D Aria was poisoned and on the verge of death during the battle against a demon race. And thanks to Tama, their group somehow managed to get their hands on the eye of an Earth Dragon which is the main ingredient for the antidote, though they barely saved her life at thest minute, the terrifying power of that poison greatly weakened her power, abilities, and stamina.


    She couldn¡¯t work in such a condition. That¡¯s why, she¡¯s solely focused on training her body in this one month.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s change our clothes first.¡¹


    After saying so, Aria started to undress, taking off her pure white negligee. Thereupon, exposing her bare body.


    (Fumu, my master is as beautiful as ever.)


    Her¨D¨D Porcin white skin, slender limbs, tight waist, melon-like twin hills that were concealed behind ck underwear, her plump and soft-looking butt was also concealed behind that very same underwear.


    The beautiful elf with a perfect appearance, wrapping around a such perfect body were risqu¨¦ underwear¨D¨D Though one is bound to be aroused by her bewitching appearance, Tama was purely enjoying her beauty before he feels disgusted by his own carelessness.


    (Ya~n¡­¡­¡­.!¡¡Geez Tama, if you stare at my body with such eyes¡­¡­. It¡¯ll make my heart throbb even faster¡­¡­.)


    Aria feels excited for the second time in seeing Tama looking at her body with such eyes, but¡­¡­¡­ Tama failed to notice the change on her face.


    ¡¸Well, Tama, now it¡¯s time to change your clothes! ¡¹

 Chapter 43.2 - The Picnic of The Elf And A Cat

    <h4>Chapter 43.2 : The Pic of The Elf And A Cat</h4>


    ____________________Aria who wore a snow white blouse and ck ted skirt¨D¨D The legendary ¡°Virgin Killer Attire¡± is smiling at Tama.


    sping certain clothes in her hand.


    A few minutester¨D¨D


    ¡¸¡­¡­..Ya~n!¡¡Super cute!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~T^T(S-Such disgraceful attire)¡­¡­.¡¹


    Tama is purring with a listless voice in response to Aria¡¯s excited voice. Currently, Tama is wearing a set of clothes for cats.


    With pale blue base, it¡¯s a gothic type clothes for cats with white frills.


    Though he¡¯s supposed to be a proud knight inside, he¡¯s currently wearing a gothic dress for a female cat¡­¡­. Tama was utterly humiliated by such attire.


    s. Tama¡¯s cuteness coupled with the dress¡¯s cuteness is ultimatebination.


    Moreover, Aria¡¯s using quite a sum of her saving to purchase this order-made dress from a store in the city.


    And then, the look on Aria¡¯s face when she saw thepleted product was pure bliss. Tama who saw such an expression on her face¡­¡­ Ended up not putting up any resistance when she forced him to ¡°Crossdress¡±.


    Pyon!


    Aria hugged Tama between her melons and went out of the inn with a jovial mood.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸AH, It¡¯s raspberry! ¡¹


    A little away from their destination, Aria found ripe raspberries .


    ¡¸Right. Let¡¯s hunt for our dessert.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    In hearing that it¡¯s the time for lunch, Tama who was originally feeling depressed wearing a gothic dress for female cats returned to his normal mood. Aria harvested some of those raspberries and then stowed them into the basket that she brought along. Inside of the basket were sandwiches given by the inn mistress.


    ¡¸Now Tama, a~n.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya?¡¹


    Aria presented one of the sandwiches to Tama. Tama opened his small mouth and then, bite!¡¡He took mouthful of the sandwich.


    (Ooh, so delicious!¡¡This is soooo good!)


    Tama golden pupils opened wide. The ingrendients of the sandwich are smoked chicken, fresh lettuce, moreover there was some sort of special made sauce added.


    The superbbination of sweet vegetables, umami of the meat, and slightly spicy sauce forced Tama to keep taking bite after bite of that sandwich.


    ¡¸Fufu, eat well Tama?¡¹


    Aria is smiling a lovely smile while watching Tama eating the sandwich, and then she eats her share with her other hand.


    (Uhm?¡¡Master, there¡¯s sauce left on your lips. ¡­¡­.. I guess I have no choice.)


    Tama notices leftover sauce on the edge of Aria lips from when she ate her sandwich.


    PYON!


    With a light jump, Tama easilynded on her shoulder.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Tama? ¡¹


    Aria feels curious when Tama suddenly jumps on her shoulder. Her small lips¡­¡­¡­¡­ And Tama¡¯s were¨D¨D Touching each other.


    Tama became an overly protective cat in this one month in which Aria was at her weakest. He ensures to make everything easier for Aria like carrying the towel when it¡¯s about the time for her to wipe her face.


    Even today, he was being tactful and grooming her appearance.


    ¡¸Uhm, Thank you very much. You really are kind after all, Tama. But I really can¡¯t express my gratitude even though you saved my life once¨D¨D Or twice already¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Though she knows that he licked the sauce on her lips, she says those words with a light chuckle.


    The first time was when he saved her from the mage goblin inside thebyrinth. And then, when he went and defeated an Earth Dragon to got its eyes which was the main ingredient for the antidote to the poison that afflicted her body.


    And that¡¯s why she said at least once¨D¨D Since there¡¯s no proof that Tama was the one who killed that Earth Dragon,


    (That is the same for me. Since If master didn¡¯t save the wounded me from inside thebyrinth back then, I definitely won¡¯t survive.)


    Tama also feels a deep sense of gratitude for Aria. Because the one who saved him who was on the verge of dying due to his first battle with the Earth Dragon was none other than Aria herself.


    That¡¯s why he made an oath to be her knight(Pet).


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    ¡¸Kyaa, that¡¯s ticklish, Tama.¡¹


    Feeling a deep sense of gratitude, Tama rubs his head on Aria cheek. And despite saying it¡¯s ticklish, Aria gently pets Tama¡¯s head.


    The girl and her cat deepened their bonds today as well.

 Chapter 44.1 - IT’S A PERVEEEEEEERT!!

    <h4>Chapter 44.1 : IT¡¯S A PERVEEEEEEERT!!</h4>


    ____________________Midnight of the day they went on a pic¨D¨D


    ¡¸Nyan, Nyan, Nya~n?¡¹


    Tama the cat(?) is strolling through thebyrinth city with a jovial mood. When Aria¡¯s asleep, she left the window open a little so that Tama can leave the room if he wants to.


    Sometimes, he goes out to enjoy a midnight stroll. The reason behind his jovial mood is the fulfilling pic during the day.


    (Uhm, the scenery is as beautiful as ever.)


    Tama feels so while he¡¯s strolling around. Thebyrinth city at night is exceptionally beautiful. During the night, the city is wrapped in an orange light from the magic powered street lights ced on the roadsides, that gentle color illuminates the stone paving, the stone houses, the water of the canals, and every other part of the city.


    Sitting along the canals were numerous couples sitting side by side, leaning into each other as they enjoy the beautiful scenery.


    And these street lights were established by the lord of city¨D¨D The marquis house, to protect the public order.


    ¡¸OH? ¡¡If it isn¡¯t Tama.¡¹


    ¡¸Hou, how unusual to meet you here at this time. Were you going a night stroll? ¡¹


    Two armor and helmet d figures appeared before Tama who was heading towards the northern side of the canal. One of them is a man who wore light armor along sporting crop cut hair. Another one is a lizardman wearing heavy armor. It¡¯s the vicemander of the 1st troop, Dany and one of troops members, Howard.


    Tama gives ate night greeting. Or so it seems, he just looking at the two and then ¡¸Nyao~n¡¹ purrs to them.


    ¡¸Well it¡¯s fine if you want to stroll around, but make sure you do that in moderation okay?¡¡And make sure that this matter isn¡¯t known to Aria-chan, she¡¯ll be sad you know.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. A knight who made their master sad is a failure of a knight.¡¹


    Dany is stooping over to talk to Tama while patting his head. And while agreeing with Dany, Howard is taking out a jerky from his pocket and gave it to Tama after tearing it into smaller pieces.


    (Naturally. I won¡¯t let my master be sad, Dany-dono, Howard-dono!)


    While stuffing the jerky into his mouth, Tama is nodding his head to those two.


    ¡¸Hehehe, if you understand then you should be fine.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, truly a smart cat.¡¹


    Maybe because they¡¯re satisfied with his reaction, those two then left toward the direction where Tama came from. And since he overheard them said ¡¸Ku~h, it¡¯s finally the time to change shift.¡¹, he knows that they¡¯re in the middle of their night patrol.


    (Fumu, since I got supper, I guess it¡¯s time for me to go. And return before my dear master wakes up.)


    He stuffs his mouth with the jerky from Howard, and after he ate it all, he went towards a certain ce.


    ¡ô


    (It¡¯s been a while since I came to this ce huh¨D¨D The Labyrinth.)


    Within the darkness, Tama is standing in silence. The rocky surface goes on in this eternally cold air¡­¡­ Yes, he¡¯s in the den of monsters, thebyrinth.


    Tama didn¡¯t leave the room in the middle of the night just for the sake of strolling around. He came here today because of a certain goal in his mind.


    And what is this goal in his mind?¡¡Looking at Tama¡¯s current status might be the fastest way to exin the situation.


    ____________________


    Name : Tama


    Race : Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill :¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Skill Predation¡·, ¡¶Elemental Tail Sword¡·, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·


    Predation Skill:¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fire Ball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacle¡·, ¡¶Unlimited Mucus Bullet¡·< ¡¶Crossbreeding¡·, ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, ¡¶¡·


    ____________________


    First is just as written, the letters ¡°Possible Evolution¡± at the end of his status have vanished.


    For some reason those letters never appeared in his status screen in this one month ever since he defeated that Earth Dragon.


    (Uhm, yup, the ¡°Evolution¡± letters don¡¯t appear in my status screen¡­¡­ Oh whatever, today¡¯s goal is an entirely different matter.)


    Because it¡¯s more reassuring if he can evolve when the pushes to shove. But there¡¯s nothing he can do for something that doesn¡¯t exist anymore. Switching his train of thought while feeling dejected about that fact, Tama moves his line of sight to the upper column of his status screen.


    (Inherent Skills ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·. ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, and this ¡¶Dragon w¡·, I wonder what kind of skills these are¡­¡­.)


    He¡¯s pondering about it while looking at the name of the skills. Yes, those are Tama¡¯s new skills.


    ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·is something that he noticed sitting there in his status screen a few days after he defeated the Earth Dragon. ¡¶Dragon Fang¡· and ¡¶Dragon w¡· were the new skills that he got after he took a bite of the dragons corpse in Renault city while waiting for Aria to be able to move again.


    (Well then, let¡¯s test the skills that I got from Predation¡­¡­.. Oh, the right prey just came up.)


    His goal ining to thebyrinth was to check the effect of his new skills. Which means that this is just the right time since he¡¯s going to resume adventuring with Aria starting from tomorrow.


    And then, a certain something appeared in front of Tama while raising a ¡ºGugyaa¡»-like war cry. Child height body, green colored skin, and a small horn on it¡¯s forehead which makes it look like an imp¡­¡­.. The infamous E-rank monster, Goblin.


    As soon as it saw Tama, It raised it¡¯s crudely made short sword overhead with drool overflowing from its mouth, and then began running at him while raising that war cry.


    (Yosh, let¡¯s try the ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·. If the opponent is just a goblin, I can do something in case it misfires.)


    Tama thinks as he faces against the iing goblin.


    ¡¸Nyan(¡¶Dragon Fang¡·)!! ¡¹


    Tama leaps toward it while raising a lovely war cry. He, who was expecting some sort of effect due to the skill name leaps toward the goblin with his small mouth wide open.


    But then, right before Tama¡¯s teeth bite into the goblin¨D¨DIt happened.


    ZAASH!!


    Such sharp sounds resound around. When he takes a look at the goblin,rge volumes of blood are spurting out from various ces.


    On the contrary, Tama felt that he just ate something. The event that happened in front of him, and then the feeling that transmitted to his jaw, he finally understood what has happened just now.


    (¡¶Dragon Fang¡·¡­¡­ What a terrifying skill!¡¡Never have I expected that it¡¯ll cause a ¡°Biting¡± phenomenon!)


    Along the same time Tama feels surprise from that power. The true form of the¡¶Dragon Fang¡· Skill is creating a gigantic jaw in front of him with mana, which then will start mauling the target along with the movement of his jaw.


    (As expected of a skill gained from an S-rank monster. It¡¯s power is weakerpared to ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· And ¡¶Elemental Sword Tail¡·, but it doesn¡¯t require him to control and umte mana like those skills, in short a practical skill with almost no demerits. Let¡¯s make good use of this skill.)


    As a former knight, Tama who understood how the ¡¶Dragon Fang¡· worked has decided on how to make good use of that skill.


    (Well then, next is the testing of ¡¶Dragon w¡·¡­¡­. But, I think it¡¯s better to use it on a slightly bigger opponent. Let¡¯s dive a bit deeper into thebyrinth.)


    Tama originally just came to thebyrinth to test his skills, but then, the knights soul in him got excited as soon as he realized that his newly acquired skills were more powerful than he expected, making him head even deeper into thebyrinth to test his new skills on a more powerful opponent.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºBUHIIIIIIII!! ¡»


    In the 3rd floor of thebyrinth¨D¨D The disturbing cry of a monster with a pig-like face¡­¡­.. Orc is resounding as it rushes in towards Tama as soon as it sees him.


    (Yosh, let¡¯s try the next skill.)


    Tama decided to use the Predation skill as he gazes at the approaching orc. Beside this one, Tama¡¯s ¡¶Dragon Fang¡· already took the lives of two orcs.


    Both of them were done-in in a single hit. As expected, skills gained from an S-rank monster are powerful. Since he now understands it¡¯s power and utility, it¡¯s time to use his next skill.


    ¡¸Nyaa(EAT THIS, ¡¶DRAGON CLAW¡·)!! ¡¹


    At the same time as Tama let out such a cry, he swings his forelimb towards the orc that was approaching from the right.

 Chapter 44.2 : IT’S A PERVEEEEEEERT! !

    <h4>Chapter 44.2 : IT¡¯S A PERVEEEEEEERT! !</h4>


    ¡ºBUGIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! ? ¡»


    The scream of orc resounds. After looking at the effect of ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, Tama already has expectations for the power of ¡¶Dragon w¡·.


    And then, his expectations were spot on. Before his forelimb even touches the orc¡¯s body, something that resembles four scratch marks tear the orcs body apart, leaving gaping wounds from which blood pours out like a water fall.


    The feeling of his paw pping something remained in his paw. The effect of ¡¶Dragon w ¡· is just like ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, it created gigantic w in the air with mana which has it¡¯s movement synchronized with the movement of his paw.


    £¨Uhm, this is a useful skill too. Moreover, now I¡¯ve gathered five powerful means of attack by using magic, tail sword, howling, cl[p]aw, and bite.£©


    In front of the orc who has crumbled down due to pain and hemorrhaging, after nodding in satisfaction, he licks his forefeet which he then used to wash his face.


    ¡ô


    £¨Yosh, now is the time to test thest skill, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·)


    After that, Tama who was striding freely while OTK-ing monsters like Looper and orc by spamming ¡¶Dragon w¡· finally arrived at the fifth floor of thebyrinth.


    After confirming that no people [or monsters] were around, he activated ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· skill.


    Different from the two previous skills, ¡¶Dragon Fang¡· and ¡¶Dragon w¡·, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· is a skill that he can¡¯t imagine what sort of effect it¡¯ll give just by it¡¯s name.


    Since he knew that invoking that kind of skill against the monsters in the fifth floor of thebyrinth is too dangerous, he decided to activate it from the sky.


    £¨Here we go, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· Activate! !£©


    He activates the skill with his mind. And then¡­¡­


    KAH! !


    Tama¡¯s body is wrapped in a golden colored light. And then, he feels¡­¡­¡­¡­ Heat being transmitted into his body.


    And then, from the feeling that transmitted into his body, he understood that the effect is ¡°Status Enhancement¡±.


    The inherent skill, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· is¡­¡­¡­¡­ A skill that grants all kinds of buffs, paralyze resistance, freeze resistance,


    And then, an understanding naturally came into his head that this will not just affect him, but another person too.


    £¨What a wonderful skill. As long as I invoke this skill before battle, I can protect my dear master even from someone who uses poison like Beryl!¡¡Truly a skill that is befitting of the ¡°Divine Protection¡± name.£©


    As Aria¡¯s knight(Pet), there¡¯s nothing better than this skill to protect his dear master. In fact, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· was a miraculous skill that appeared along with his evolution to protect his master that he couldn¡¯t protectst time.


    ¡ºMOOOOOOOOO¡­¡­¡­¡»


    While Tama is moved emotionally from knowing the effect of ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·, a monster appeared from the shade of a rock while releasing such a groan.


    It¡¯s a human shaped cow, namely the Minotaur. With a huge axe in it¡¯s hand, it stares at Tama with it¡¯s bloodshot eyes. It seems that he wants to eat Tama.


    £¨¡­¡­¡­¡­ Take this, ¡¶Dragon -. No, let¡¯s see how powerful the buff effect of ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King ¡·is£©


    After Tama made such a decision in front of the fast approaching Minotaur, he prepares to jump with his bottom fluttering like a real cat, and then¡­¡­


    DAAAN! !


    He kicks the ground. With a bullet-like speed. a DOPAN! Tama crashes into the Minotaur¡¯s stomach, head first. !¡¡.


    ¡ºMWUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ? ¡»


    Minotaur raises an agonized voice as it¡¯s falls on it¡¯s knees. That¡¯s natural considering the sheer power of Tama¡¯s head-butt.


    Against that, Tama is¡­¡­¡­


    £¨It doesn¡¯t¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hurt?£©


    Standing on the Minotaur¡¯s side with a slightly bewildered face. Tama expected the same level of damage that pierced the tough body of the Minotaur to be transmitted to him, but¡­¡­¡­


    Unexpectedly, the painful feeling didn¡¯te at all. Tama ponders about the reason, but he scraps that thought as soon as he remembers the effect of the divine protection that was applied to him.


    £¨I see!¡¡My defense is enhanced by ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·. But such ridiculous enhancement is¡­¡­ Definitely the most reliable skill!£©


    Tama is drowning in his own ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· skill. And then, using it together with a defensive skill such as ¡¶Iron Body¡· will theoretically make his defense impregnable. When his thoughts were wandering around.


    £¨Oh crap, I forgot that I was in the middle of a battle. Let¡¯s take care of this guy first.£©


    His consciousness was pulled back by the Minotaur¡¯s scream. Tama raises one of his forelimbs and then with a ¡¸Nya~n!¡¹. ¡¹.


    He activates his Predation skill, ¡¶Dragon w¡·. Huge scratch marks tear the atmosphere, severing the Minotaur¡¯s head from it¡¯s body, causing a huge amount of blood to spray in the air. The defeated Minotaur falls silently to the ground.


    £¨I¡¯ve confirmed the effect of the skills. Well then, it¡¯s time to go back to my dear master.£©


    Because Aria¡¯s going to resume her adventuring activities starting from tomorrow. If possible, he wanted to return to her side before she opens her eyes¡­¡­ When he was thinking about that matter.


    ¡¸Found ya!¨”Powerful One?! ! ¡¹


    He suddenly heard such voice.


    ¡¸Nyan£¨WHO!?£©! ? ¡¹


    Turning around, Tama enters battle state immediately. And there, standing in the ce where that voice came from¡­¡­ Was a beautiful woman.


    The color of her cat-like eyes is gold, chestnut colored long and unkempt hair, for some reason she is only wearing a piece of rag-like cloth on her, and a thin one too, those kinds of cloth is not even enough to hide her enormous breasts and plump buttocks.


    £¨Why is this girl in this kind of ce?¡¡And did she call me ¡°Powerful One¡± just now?¡¡No, rather than that, for some reason¡­¡­¡­ This atmosphere seems¡­¡­ familiar. £©


    Tama is bewildered by the sudden change of situation. At the same time, he feels that the girls atmosphere seems familiar to him. Ignoring the turmoil in Tama¡¯s mind, the girl with the scrappy rags for clothes then¨D¨D


    ¡¸What¡¯s happened to you Powerful One, why did you go back to your former form? Oh, whatever. Rather than talking about such mundane things¡­¡­¡¹


    After saying so, that girl ran toward Tama¡¯s direction. And then¨D¨D


    ¡¸Well then, Powerful One!¡¡¡±IMPREGNATE¡± MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ! ¡¹


    She shouted those words.


    ¡¸NYAAAAAAAAAAAAA(UWAAAAAAAAAA! ?¡¡ANOTHER KIND(PERVERT) LIKE MY MASTEEEEEEEEEEEEEER! ! ¡¹


    I don¡¯t know who she is. But my instinct is telling me that this girl is a bad news! !¡¡Against the fast approaching girl(Pervert), Tama choose a tactical retreat.

 Chapter 45.1: Restart And New Equipment

    <h4>Chapter 45.1: Restart And New Equipment</h4>


    ¡¸Nya~(Fuuh, it seems I managed to run away from her)¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    2nd floor of thebyrinth¨D¨D Tama who hid himself behind a rock is heaving a relieved sigh. It seems that he¡¯s emotionally exhausted.


    That¡¯s only natural. Because he just finished a 30 minute escape drama from a bombshell-almost-naked babe¡­¡­ During their escape drama, the bombshell-almost-naked-babe keeps shouting something iprehensible-even for a former human like him ¡¸Please! Give me your child!¡¹ or ¡¸Why are you running away from me, strong one!¡¹.


    And then, her running speed is simply terrifying. Because she can easily catch up to Tama despite thetter¡¯s more agile and smaller build.


    At this rate, it¡¯s only matter of time before she catches me!¡¡Tama who makes such a judgement changes his escape ns ordingly, using obstacles along the way to throw her off his track, he even steeled himself to take an even more dangerous route connecting the 5th floor to the 2nd floor and managed to get away from her.


    ¡¸WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUU!¡¡POWERFUL ONEEEEEE!¡¡COME AND IMPREGNATE MEEEEEEEEE! ! ¡¹


    Her voice resounds inside thebyrinth.


    £¨Crap, at this rate she¡¯s going to find me!¡¡EMERGENCY RETREAT!£©


    Tama went towards the entrance of thebyrinth without even taking a break. Thus. He managed to leave thebyrinth without being found out.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸NyA~a(U~h, that was scary, master)¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Tama returned to Aria¡¯s room. He who felt that his chastity was in great danger while being chased around by that mysterious girl is unintentionally slipping into Aria¡¯s bed.


    He was a full-fledged knight in the past but, he is just an infant right now. He¡¯spletely surrendering his feelings to his infant body and ended up acting spoiled to Aria, his owner.


    And then, Tama doesn¡¯t feel ufortable acting like that at all. That¡¯s the way of a reincarnated person.


    Munyu¡­¡­¡­!


    Tama¡¯s body is enveloped by warmth and a soft feeling as soon as he slippings into the bed, and then her nice smell wraps him up.


    ¡¸Munyaa¡­¡­ Fufufu, you¡¯re so soft, Tama¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Aria¡¯s voice. She who is still half asleep muttered so while pulling Tama into her embrace.


    £¨Uhm¡­¡­ Yeah, my masters breast really calm me down¡­¡­¡­£©


    Even if he feels such fear, he forgot it all as soon as he feels the warmth and the softness of Aria, especially her peculiar motherhood side.


    £¨But then, who is that person I wonder? She keeps shouting nonsense like wanting my child¡­ Moreover, I wonder where did I feel that atmosphere before¡­¡­¡­£©


    In Aria¡¯s chest, Tama recalls that beauty. But then, maybe due to his fatigue, he falls asleep in Aria¡¯s embrace before he finds an answer.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸NYaaa~!¡¡Morning, Aria-chan, Tama-cha~an! ¡¹


    Early in the morning¨D¨D A girl who stood in front of guild is waving her hands at Aria, and Tama who was snuggling in between her melons.


    She¡¯s only wearing overalls on top of her naked body, plus an apron. Her sideboobs and the valleys be even more conspicuous in that kind of garment, the cat ears which stood over her dark gold colored hair set in a bob cut.


    And then, leaning on her shoulder is a giant hammer as tall as her¨D¨D The battle hammer. She¡¯s the warrior smith of this city, Aria¡¯srade, the girl of the Tiger Eared race, Vulcan.


    ¡¸Good morning Vulcan-san! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    Tama and Aria return her greeting in simrly lively manner. And during that time, she¡¯s borrowing Tama from Aria and then stuffing him in between the deep and healthy brown valley while saying ¡¸Nya~! Tama is as cute as ever Nya~?¡¹.


    And despite not as big as Aria¡¯s, her valley is still a splendid one. It¡¯s softness and suppleness is the best. Moreover Tama is enjoying thefortable warmth from her body.


    ¡¸Geez, Tama, you¡¯re making a face as if you¡¯re enjoying this¡­¡­¡­¡­ You¡¯ll be even more adorable after being paired with the new set of equipment that I prepared for you?¡¹


    Aria¡¯s looking at the figure of Tama in Vulcan¡¯s embrace with an enraptured face.


    ¡¸Tama-chan¡¯s new equipment is splendid indeed but, Aria-chan¡¯s new equipment is also terrifying! ¡¹


    And now, Vulcan is saying so to Aria who looks like she¡¯s ready to eat up Tama sexually. It¡¯s as she just said, Aria and Tama got new sets of equipment.


    The first to be presented is Aria¡¯s new equipment. Her new equipment¡­¡­¡­ Was onemonly known as ¨”Bikini Armor?.


    Just like the one wore by Marietta and Kenny, theirrades during the previous demon subjugation but, the one for Aria is even more suggestive than that.

 Chapter 45.2 : Restart And New Equipment

    <h4>Chapter 45.2 : Restart And New Equipment</h4>


    It¡¯s made from precious and rare metal called Orichalcum. Orichalcum is the name of a lightweight metal with blue luster on it and despite being lightweight, it¡¯s more durable than iron.


    It¡¯s value can¡¯t bepared to that of iron, and normally isn¡¯t the kind of metal that an adventurer of Aria¡¯s rank could get their hands on.


    But, Aria hit a big jackpot just a while ago. There¡¯s the remunition from Beryl¡¯s subjugation but¡­¡­ The biggest ie is from purchasing the trolls corpse that was defeated by Tama.


    The meat, bone and skin of trolls are sold at a high price. And since the one who beat most of those trolls was Tama, naturally the knight that was apanying them gave the remunition for the purchasingof the trolls raw materials to Aria, Tama¡¯s master.


    Thus, Aria¡¯s used her new funds to order new sets of equipment for her and Tama from Vulcan, a warrior smith and her partner.


    The color of bikini armor that was made with orichalcum alloy is a phantasmal silvery blue, it¡¯s the bestbination along with Aria¡¯s beauty, porcin white skin, and tinum blonde hair.


    If one has to say, her current appearance is just like¡­¡­¡­¡­ The legendary War Maiden¡¶Valkyrie¡· Moreover, it won¡¯t be a hindrance for Aria¡¯s inherent skill, ¡¶eleration¡·.


    And different from her previous equipment, she now has gauntlets and leggings to increase her defensive power


    Her bikini armor came as a set with the leggings, gauntlets and shoulder pads which were also made with Orichalcum.


    Aria formerly only wore high boots and gloves in order not to hinder her movements but, since there¡¯s no worries about weight of her orichalcum equipment, she can add more for her defense.


    Moreover, the things that were updated isn¡¯t just Aria¡¯s armor. Her weapon was upgraded too.


    ¡¸This color¡­¡­¡­ No way, this is also made using orichalcum? ¡¹


    ¡¸Spot onya~. Moreover, this isn¡¯t just made purely from Orichalcum!¡¡I mixed in ¨”Tamahagane? along with orichalcum. And depending on your skill, you might even be able to cut metal with it nya~! ¡¹


    Such was Vulcan¡¯s rmendation when she presented the pair of knives to Aria.


    The color of the knives is silvery blue. But the silver color is more imminent than her armor. And ording to Vulcan, she also mixed in a type of metal called Tamahagane.


    Though Tamahagane is the kind of metal that is often used for de type equipment, it¡¯s still the most suited one for Aria weapon. And in fact, as long as the weapon of a first ss sword user is made from Tamahagane, they can cut metal like a tofu.


    Moreover, orichalcum is added in the material of this knife too. So it¡¯s an extremely sharp due to the Tamahagane and tougher than iron due to orichalcum, so there¡¯s no need for her to worry about something like nicking her de due to overuse¨D¨D Was what Vulcan exined to Aria.


    And now it¡¯s Tama¡¯s equipment. He¡¯s already changed from wearing the leather armor and helmet from before to the newly made silvery blue armor and helmet.


    Though his old adventurer style armor and helmet is also lovely, the new set of equipment that¡¯s made as if he¡¯s cosying a knight won¡¯t lose in terms of loveliness.


    And since Aria herself calls Tama her knight, the cuteness of this knightly figure of Tama has simply shot through the roof.


    Tama himself is extremely satisfied with this new set of equipment. And going by it¡¯s color, it¡¯s easy to guess that Tama new set of equipment is made from the same material as Aria¡¯s, orichalcum.


    And thanks to orichalcum weight reduction effect working on the other metals, it feels lighter than the same kind of equipment made without orichalcum.


    Just the fact that it¡¯s made with orichalcum alone has raised the defensive power of this equipment dozens timespared to the previous one. And it¡¯s going to be even more powerful with thebination of ¡¶Iron Body¡· and his new skill, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·.


    Those are the goldenbination for him to act as the shield of Aria, his master. Tama who obtained new equipment and power. The current him can even withstand the attack of a dragon from the front.


    ¡¸Well, shall we do a field test then! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!. ¡¡It¡¯s pleasure to work with you again, Vulcan-san! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    Vulcan, Aria, and Tama. One cat and two girls were having such exchange as they head to thebyrinth.


    As expected, upon arriving in thebyrinth¡­¡­¡­ The matter of his encounter with that enigmatic beauty in thebyrinthst time crossed in his mind, but he¡¯ll soon realized that he was too naive¡­¡­¡­

 Chapter 46.1 - The Pervert Strike Back!!!

    <h4>Chapter 46.1 - The Pervert Strike Back!!!</h4>


    ¡¸Labyrinth¡­¡­. It¡¯s been a while since I visited this ce, it makes you kinda nervous right.¡¹


    ¡¸Be on guard nya, since your intuition be dull after being away from battle for a while.¡¹


    Aria¡¯s walking towards thebyrinth. She shudders as she feels the sensation of thebyrinth that she hadn¡¯t feel for a while.


    And then smiling kindly while putting her hand on Aria¡¯s shoulder was Vulcan.


    The adventurer rank of Aria and Vulcan is C-rank. The likes of monsters on the first floor shouldn¡¯t be a problem for them but, Aria has been away from the battlefield for one month for the sake of her own rehabilitation.


    Thus, their prey for the time being are just low ranked monsters such as goblins or slimes. Their current goal is for Aria to regain her intuition as an adventurer.


    ¡¸Nya~n¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­?¡¡What¡¯s matter, Tama? ¡¹


    When Aria and Vulcan went out of their way to find low ranking monsters, Tama is raising a small cry toward them.


    Aria and Vulcan is turning around to look at him with puzzled looks on their faces. But, Aria knows that Tama won¡¯t raise such a cry for no reason.


    Aria can read some of Tama¡¯s intention by looking at his face or the tone of his voice.


    £¨A battle with master after a long time. Even though there¡¯s miss Vulcan and me, there¡¯s nothing to lose by being too careful. Let¡¯s bestow a ¨”Divine Protection? before we encounter any monsters. Here we go¡­¡­¡­.£©


    ¡¸NYAAA¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·! ! ¡¹


    Facing against the two of them, Tama raises an adorable cry for the second time. Thus, gentle golden light enveloped the three of them.


    ¡¸Nyaa! ?¡¡¡­¡­¡­¡­.This is! ¡¹


    ¡¸Amazing!¡¡Defense¡­¡­¡­. And offense. Moreover, all kinds of resistance have been strengthened!¡¡Tama, is this, your power? ¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan raise astonished voices after being enveloped by the golden brilliance¨D¨D¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·. It seems that the two of them realized that their status have been strengthened to a nearly absurd level.


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    To Aria¡¯s question, Tama replies with his usual adorable cry while showing a proud face. When he just met Aria, he was afraid that she¡¯ll find out the fact that he is not an elemental cat, but a Behemoth, so he limited himself to using only a portion of his true skills but, the incident with that noble forced him to use his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· which fortunately ended up with the other people to regarding him as an ¡°Elemental Cat with an inherent skill¡±, thus he decided to be more bold and use more of his skills to protect Aria.


    ¡¸Nya~¡­¡­. I wonder, how many skills you have, Tama-nyan?¡¡I mean, that¡¯s impossible seeing as you¡¯re still an infant nya~.¡¹


    ¡¸Though I¡¯m surprised when I saw such a powerful skill that he used on Beryl¡¯s subordinate monsters, I never expected for you to have such a wonderful support skill too. Moreover, I never heard of this kind of skill that aside from granting buffs in offense and defense, also grants all kinds of ailment resistance. And since you never used it up till now¡­¡­¡­ Could it be that you gained more skills along with your growth? ¡¹


    Naturally, Vulcan is having such a lighthearted exchange with Aria, his owner[master], about Tama¡¯s out of the norm specs.


    The person(?) himself just tilts his head as if to say ¡¸What are you talking about?¡¹. . Vulcan and Aria couldn¡¯t hold back their wide grins in seeing Tama doing such an adorable gesture.


    ¡¸But this power is a great help for me who lost quite bit of my edge. Thank you very much, Tama?.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    Aria expresses her gratitude-filled-with-love. Tama replies happily in hearing so. And then, Vulcan smiles enviously while watching their interaction. At that time¡­¡­¡­


    ¡ºGIGIYA! ¡»


    Tama can hear such a grating voiceing closer towards them. A goblin appeared in front of them.


    ¡¸They came huh. Though I feel nervous since I¡¯ve been away from battle for quite a while, it¡¯s going to end in a jiffy with the power that was bestowed by Tama. Here I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ GO! ¡¹


    Saying so, Aria then goes Ta¨D¨Dn!¡¡Leaping towards the goblin with a small step. It¡¯s just as she says, she doesn¡¯t seem to feels nervous at all.


    Which isn¡¯t a surprising matter. Because Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· granted the effect of resistance against fear too.


    Even more since it¡¯s Aria¨D¨D The girl who yearns for the Sword Saint with the goal ¨”To Be A Kind-Hearted Ally of Justice?.


    As long as a noble hearted person like her is released from fear, there won¡¯t be any hesitation in her movements.


    Fast¨D¨D!¡¡Aria has yet to use her inherent skill, ¡¶eleration¡·. And in such a condition, her speed is already abnormally fast.


    Naturally, her current speed is still inferior to when she invokes ¡¶eleration¡· but, it¡¯s still much faster than the speed limit of normal person.


    ¡¸Nyaa! ?¡¡That was fast nya~, and you¡¯re not even invoking ¡¶eleration¡· nya~! ?¡¡The effect of Tama-chan¡¯s buff¡­¡­. Isn¡¯t it¡­¡­¡­ Just way too incredible?¡¹


    Even Vulcan can do nothing but look at Aria¡¯s speed with a shocked face.


    SLA¨D¨DASH! !


    A single sh from her is leaving a trail of silvery blue¡­¡­.. Which shines in the dim room.


    ¡ºGUGYA¡­¡­..? ¡»


    And then, the goblin raised up a bewildered voice. It has a simrly perplexed expression on it¡¯s face.


    ¡­¡­.. Plop.


    ----


    If you''re not reading this at Word Excerpt then you''re reading at an agg-re-gate channel.

 Chapter 46.2 : The Pervert Strike Back!!!

    <h4>Chapter 46.2 : The Pervert Strike Back!!!</h4>


    That goblin¡¯s head is decapitated and then tumbled onto the floor. Following right after that was spray of fresh blood from its headless corpse.


    At the same time, the light also vanished¡­¡­ From within the eyes of the bodiless head of the goblin. It still isn¡¯t aware that it was killed by Aria.


    It¡¯s body moved closer to the beautiful elf that it had seen before it¡¯s death, Aria. And then, a sh from that beautiful elf¡¯s knife decapitated it¡¯s head¨D¨D


    £¨WOAAAAH!¡¡To be able to move at this kind of speed despite not invoking ¡¶eleration¡·. Moreover, there¡¯s also the knife that was forged by Vulcan-san with orichalcum and tamahagane alloy¡­¡­¡­ I ended up severing it¡¯s head even though I only wanted to cut it¡¯s arteries¡­¡­!£©


    It¡¯s been a while since she brandished her knife towards a monster. Though Aria worried ¡¸Can¡­¡­¡­ I kill it in one hit?¡¹ inside, she feels moved seeing the end result that surpassed her expectations.


    If she adds ¡¶eleration¡· on top of her current condition¡­¡­¡­ Aria¡¯s speed would be extremely fast¨D¨D No, she might reach the hyper speed area.


    With ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· and her new equipment¡­¡­¡­ Instead of bing weaker, thisbination of new equipment and buff makes Aria even stronger than before.


    ¡¸You¡¯re doing your regr training during this one month right, Aria-nyan? ¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally, Vulcan-san. ¡­¡­ Ah,e to think of it! ¡¹


    She swung the knife that was coated in goblin blood.¡¡Vulcan asks such a question to Aria who was brushing the blood off her knife.


    Why did she ask such a question to me?¡¡When she thought so, Aria noticed Vulcan¡¯s intention.


    Vulcan¡¯s intention is¡­¡­¡­ To proceed to capture thebyrinth as is since Aria has shown her that she¡¯s battle ready.


    Thanks to Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· and the new equipment, Aria has be even strongerpared to before. Despite her dulled battle instincts, those two factors alone are enough topensate for that.


    In that case, rather than slowly spending their time to regain her battle instincts, she can regain her battle instincts during the uing battles while capturing thebrynth.


    Moreover, all of the fighting isn¡¯t just left to Aria. Vulcan herself is also a powerful vanguard, and she has been strengthened by Tama¡¯s blessing too.


    In addition Tama is a powerful Elemental Cat[Temp] who can solo several powerful A rank monster, Trolls by himself.


    With Tama covering their back, there¡¯s no problem for them to dive till a few floors below¡­¡­ Is what they expected.


    £¨Uhm, I want to looking for an appropriate stage for me to make aeback but¡­¡­¡­¡­ Master and Vulcan-dono are fired up. I guess I have no choice but to give my all to support them. If pushes to shove, I¡¯ll use my everything- Including ¡¶Elemental Sword Tail¡·- To kill all the enemies in front of me.£©


    After making such decision, he came to Aria¡¯s feet and then rubbed his body on her feet as if to say ¡¸Don¡¯t Worry¡¹ with an adorable expression on his face.


    ¡¸Fufufu, it seems Tama also agrees with us.¡¹


    ¡¸NNyaa, Tama-chan¡¯s cooperation is equivalent to a hundred mens power nya!¡¡Well then, let¡¯s g-¡­¡­¡­ EH? ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s raising her love meter toward the adorable and reliable Tama, tucking him in between her plump melons!¡¡And then hugging him tightly.


    Vulcan is pushing up her fist while saying ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go with a st then!¡¹.


    That action is exposing her healthy side boob and nk.


    It was at that time¡­¡­¡­ Vulcan is looking at the inner part of thebyrinth while muttering anxiously. Aria noticed it too. There, a lone figure of a woman was standing in the passage¨D¨D


    (NUOOO! ?¡¡THE PERVERT GIRL FROM LAST NIGHT!)


    Tama is startled inside as soon as heid his eyes at the girl. Yes, standing in the middle of the corridor was the girl in tattered clothes who chased Tama and asked him to impregnate herst night.


    £¨Uhm?¡¡What is this, she looks different fromst night?¡¡It¡¯s as if¡­¡­¡­ she¡¯s frightened by something.£©


    Tama¡¯s body stiffened as he wondered when will she charge forward to assault him. But her actions betrayed his expectation.


    The girl in tattered clothes is muttering ¡¸Uuh¡­¡¹ as if frightened by something as soon as she saw Tama.


    And then, her trembling eyes looki at Tama¡­¡­ Or to be exact, to Aria who kept Tama in between her melons.

 Chapter 47.1 : Frightened Pervert

    <h4>Chapter 47.1 : Frightened Pervert</h4>


    ¡¸She is¡­¡­¡­¡­ Not an adventurer, right?¡¡What is she doing in this kind of ce¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Moreover she seems to be scared. nyaaa. Could it be that she¡¯s a vagrant who strayed into thebyrinth? ¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan were having such an exchange as they looked at the beauty in tattered rags. Despite her beautiful appearance, seeing that her xen colored hair is unkempt and her almost naked appearance¡­¡­¡­¡­ One can only think of her as a vagrant.


    ¡¸Why are you wandering around in such a dangerous ce?¡¡Are you someone frombyrinth city? ¡¹


    Aria questioned the tattered beauty with a kind smile on her face. She has nothing to do with the vagrant of course. Aria, the owner of a noble heart is just the kind of person who can¡¯t abandon someone who is loitering in a dangerous ce like thebyrinth without proper equipment.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­?¡¡O-Our is one who born inside the darkness¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯m noting from a ce likebyrinth city, nor do I have the memories of living there.¡¹


    Despite seemingly scared when Aria questioned her, she unexpectedly replied to her with a fluid tone.


    Aria and Vulcan look at each other after hearing her reply. Her reply was definitely unusual.


    ¡¸Vulcan-san, could it be that she is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Ny~amnesia girl right? ¡¹


    Here is abyrinth that exists inside a city. And yet, not knowing the name ofbyrinth city itself is already strange enough.


    In addition, since the beauty in tattered rags has said herself that she has never lived in such a city¡­¡­¡­¡­ Which led Aria and co to guess that she was an adventurer who lost her memories inside of thebyrinth somehow.


    Thebyrinth is the den of monsters. The monsters that appear are usually restricted by the floor but, in rare cases, powerful monsters can also appear in the shallow floors.


    Thus, some adventurers lose their memories of even their life after being attacked by such monsters.


    So it¡¯s not a unusual for something like that to happen to this tattered beauty. Thus, they think that she might have lost her memories¡­¡­¡­¡­ And be someone who doesn¡¯t even know left from right.


    Aria asks the beauty in rags while pondering about such things.


    ¡¸By the way, this ce is dangerous. Come back with us to the city.¡¹


    ¡¸Come back¡­¡­¡­ To the city?¡¡I don¡¯t know what you are talking about but, Our have some business with you¡­¡­¡­ No, I mean with the Powerful One tucked in between your[anata] breast. ¡¹


    ¡¸Powerful One? You mean Tama-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸Even though it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve seen him, why do you know that Tama is powerful?¡¡Moreover you say¡­¡­¡­ that you¡¯ve some business with Tama? ¡¹


    After correcting her way of calling Aria from ¡¸You(Omae)¡¹ to ¡¸You(anata)¡¹, the beauty in tattered rags says so with firm voice as she points at Tama while looking vigntly at them.


    Despite it being their first meeting, Vulcan and Aria are dumbfounded since the beauty in tattered rags called Tama ¡°Powerful One¡±.


    And then¡­¡­


    ¡¸YES, I WANT TO GET IMPREGNATED BY THAT POWERFUL ONE!¡¡SO, POWERFUL ONE!¡¡GET OUT FROM THAT PERSON¡¯S CHEST, AND BANG ME!¡¡FORCE ME DOWN!¡¡AND BANG ME!¡¡NOW! ! ¡¹


    £¨NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ?£©


    With rough breath, and blushing cheeks, the beauty in tattered rags is saying something really amazing. The extremely traumatized Tama ended up clinging for his dear life on Aria¡¯s melons.


    The Aria herself, while raising a coquettish voice with an ¡¸U~hn!¡¹¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹.


    ¡¸This is bad. She got hit on her head¡­¡­¡­¡­ And quite powerfully at that.¡¹


    ¡¸N-Nyaa, she¡¯s a serious case indeed.¡¹


    She and Vulcan were looking at the beauty with pitying gazes. In short, they recognized that aside from losing basically all of her memories, she¡¯s also lost a few screws in her head.


    ¡¸You can¡¯t do that you know?¡¡You absolutely mustn¡¯t say that in the outside with a loud voice. Moreover, you can¡¯t make a baby since Tama is STILL A KITTEN. Anyway, shouldn¡¯t you leave thisbyrinth along with us? ¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!¡¡I can¡¯t make a child with Powerful One since he¡¯s still a child huh¡­¡­¡­ Well, though I don¡¯t know what you mean, I can be with Powerful One as long as I¡¯m with you¡­¡­ Right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Tama is my knight¡¶Pet¡· after all. You can be with Tama if youe with us! ¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, understood. I¡¯ll go with you! ¡¹


    Smiling gently, Aria replies so to the beauty in rags. Naturally, despite theplex feelings for her rival in love, Aria has no intention to surrender Tama to the beauty in tattered rags who was looking at Tama with such a look in her eyes.


    But, the beauty¡¯s safetyes first. Since she is basically fine as long as she can be together with Tama, getting her out of thebyrinth is the first priority.


    And that n seeded. A momentter, despite seemingly hesitant, the ragged beauty agrees toe with them.


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­¡­¡­ Could it be that you¡¯re nning to look after her, Aria-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally, Vulcan-san. A girl who has lost her memories shouldn¡¯t have a ce to return. If she¡¯s unlucky, she might have ended up as a ve.¡¹


    By this point, Aria has made her decision to be the guardian of the beauty in tattered rags. As for the person herself, despite her vagrant-like appearance, there¡¯s no doubt that she¡¯s the owner of a beautiful appearance that¡¯ll attract everyone¡¯s attention.


    Moreover, she¡¯s the buxom type too. Despite her slender limbs, her hips and butt are plump, and it¡¯s clear enough from the line that peeking out from from her tattered rag that her waist is tight.


    And then, moving up to her extremely ripened, almost bursting breasts that jiggle around like jelly! Those ripe fruits are shaking up and down. In term of size, hers are bigger than Vulcan¡¯s apples¡­¡­¡­ But less than Aria¡¯s melons.


    Her age is around theter years of her teens. Her slightly uplifted pupils, and the way she¡¯s looking at Tama like a dog in heat make her more like a bewitching carnivorous woman.


    If that kind of beauty suddenlyes out to the city from inside thebyrinth, she might be the target of those nasty thugs.


    If that¡¯s happens, those thugs will definitely enjoy her body to the fullest. And then, since very exists in this world.


    That might be her end once those thugs get tired of her body. She will definitely spend hell-like days after being sold into very.


    That¡¯s Aria¡¯s reason to take care of her.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s bring her back to my room for the time being.¡¹


    ¡¸In that case, let meyow to help too myaoow. Just tell me if you need something nya! ¡¹


    When Aria said so, while hitting her breast, Vulcan is offering her full support. Vulcan is simr to Aria, in that she has a strong sense of justice.


    And the proof of that is the fact that she¡¯sing with Aria, who was worried about the safety of the citizens of Renault without even slightest hesitation when she epted the subjugationmission of demon race Beryl.


    Aria and Vulcan went out of thebyrinth. Moreover, the beauty in tattered rags is timidly following Aria as if being wary of her.


    £¨U~hm¡­¡­¡­ has this girl really lost her memories?¡¡If that¡¯s the case, I feel sorry for herst night. Maybe it would have been better to adjust my running speed and lead her outside thebyrinth. But, this atmosphere, I wonder where I met her before¡­¡­¡­£©


    In fact, Tama immediately made his escape from thebyrinth without considering any other possibilities due to the danger to his his chastity.


    ¡­¡­ And yet, the feeling that he met her somewhere before is still lingering in his heart for some reason.

 Chapter 48 : A Pervert Envy

    <h4>Chapter 48 : A Pervert Envy</h4>


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s book a double room first and hit the baths! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Bath? What is that? is it powerful? ¡¹


    Leaving thebyrinth, Aria and the others are heading towards the inn. After exining the situation to the mistress of the inn, she quickly arranged a double room for them.


    By the way, Vulcan is absent for the time being since she¡¯s tasked with arranging suitable clothes for the beauty who currently only had tattered rags.


    Aria wanted to cleanse the body of the beauty in rags whose body was soiled by the dirt in thebyrinth proposed for them to take a bath, but¡­¡­¡­


    She muttered ¡¸This is going to be a pain in the ass¡­¡­¡¹ seeing that the beauty in rags had lost every bit of her memories to the point that she doesn¡¯t even remember about baths.


    ¡¸Let see, bathing is to soak your body in hot water to clean it you know. Don¡¯t you remember experiencing it before?¡¡Uhm¡­¡­¡­ Come to think of it, can you tell me your name? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, so that¡¯s the ce huh¡­¡­¡­¡­ I do know about it but I have never done it before. As for a name, Our name is powerful one. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ No to be exact Our ¡°Was¡± a Powerful One. Now I don¡¯t have anything to call myself with.¡¹


    ¡¸So that¡¯s the case¡­¡­¡­¡­ Well then, I guess you also need a name!¡¡Is there a name that you wish to be called with? ¡¹


    ¡¸U~hm, call me with whatever you wish to call me.¡¹


    Even while unable to cope with the beauty who can¡¯t even remember her own name, she asked if she has a name she wished to be called with.


    Only to hear such a halfhearted reply. Or rather, the beauty in tattered rags seems to be more interested in Tama who is sitting obediently on top of the bed.


    Seeing her, Tama just let out a purr as if to wait and see the situation.


    ¡¸In that case, how about I give you a temporary name?¡¡In fact, I have a name that really suits you! ¡¹


    ¡¸Do as you wish. Though I¡¯ve said it before, Our doesn¡¯t stick by something like a name. ¡¹


    ¡¸Well then¡­¡­¡­¡­ Starting from today, your name will be ¨”Ste?-chan!¡¡It¡¯s a word that represent beauty in my birthce. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ste¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Though I don¡¯t understand what this beauty is, it has a nice ring in my ears. Moreover, I¡¯m satisfied as long as it is a name that was given by a woman of your caliber.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu, it¡¯s great to hear that you like it. Please take care of me after this, Ste-chan?¡¹


    Her tone that seems respectful towards Aria made her curious about the girl-in-tatte-¡­¡­¡­ Ste, however despite that Aria¡¯s still beaming with a smile in seeing the girl pleased with her chosen name.


    £¨Fumu. Ste huh, nice name. As expected of my master, she has a good naming sense.£©


    Tama is also raising a purr of admiration for Aria¡¯s naming sense with a ¡¸Nya~~!¡¹. ¡¹Hearing his voice, Ste breath be rough as she says¡¸OOO! Powerful One¡¯s voice is as adorable as ever!¡¹.


    In seeing her excited state, Tama felt chills run down his spine as he recalls his great escape from herst night in order to protect his chastity.¡¡He hid himself under the bed, shivering in fear.


    ¡¸WHA! ?¡¡Powerful One, why are you running away from me!¡¡We just wants that powerful seed of yours¡­¡­! ! ¡¹


    £¨That¡¯s what I¡¯m most afraid of damn it!¡¡U~h¡­¡­¡­¡­ Master, please do something about this perve-¡­¡­¡­£©


    Ste ended up saying so to Tama who looked up from under the bed. Even while trembling in fear, Tama is asking for a salvation from Aria from the deepest part of his heart.


    ¡¸KORA!¡¡Ste-chan, You can¡¯t do that you know?¡¡You¡¯ll make Tama scared you know¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Moreover, no matter what you say, Tama can¡¯t impregnate you, HE¡¯S STILL A CHILD.¡¹


    Seeing the frightened Tama, Aria enters in between to stop Ste. As his master, and as a woman who has fallen in love with him, she¡¯s must do what she needs to do to protect his chastity.


    Well¡­¡­¡­ Aria being Aria, she has a history of getting in heat and chasing Tama around¡­¡­¡­¡­ That case aside.


    ¡¸U~h¡­¡­¡­¡­ It can¡¯t be helped if you say so, I¡¯ll give up for now¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    After being warned by Aria with ¡¸NO, YOU CAN¡¯T DO THAT YOU KNOW?¡¹, Ste is withdrawing reluctantly.


    £¨Uhm, as I thought. This girl¡­¡­¡­ Ste, though I don¡¯t know why, it seems that she¡¯s obeying what my master says.£©


    Yes, Tama noticed that point about her. Yes, Ste might be respecting¡­¡­ or fearing Aria, it must be one of those reasons.


    Therefore, it¡¯s possible to fix her habits as long as Aria is the one who corrects her.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s take a dip in the bath!¡¡It¡¯s just the perfect time after the mistress of the inn fills the hot water.¡¹


    ¡¸So it¡¯s what you said a while ago about bathing in warm water, unfortunately it¡¯s not as interesting as having the child of the powerful one! ¡¹


    Straightened herself, Aria rmends the bath to Ste. Ste replies vigorously to Aria. Looking at Ste who was brimming with curiosity, Aria can¡¯t help but to think, ¡¸She really is like a child¡­¡­¡­¡¹.


    At the same time, she felt that she can¡¯t just leave her, who has almost no memories left, alone¡­¡­¡­¡­ Which was mainly due to her sense of justice.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸OOH!¡¡WOOOAH, SO MANY BUBBLES ARE COMING FROM A STONE! ¡¹


    ¡¸This thing is called soap, something that you use to wash your body, Ste-chan. Now then, be a good girl and stay still so that I can wash your body, okay? ¡¹


    Thus Aria and Ste have such an exchange in the bathtub of the inn¨D¨D In their birthday suit. Ste¡¯s curiosity is piqued by the bubbling soap in Aria¡¯s hands.


    £¨Uhm, even though I¡¯m not supposed to be looking at another woman¡¯s body except for my master, this really can¡¯t be helped because of the situation¡­¡­¡­£©


    Tama is looking at their naked exchange from one corner of the bath while pondering about such things.


    ¡¸You¡¯re going in too right, Tama? ¡¹


    Aria invites Tama to take a dip along with them. Tama unintentionally retorted £¨Who¡¯d want to get into the same bathtub as that perve-¡­¡­!£©.


    £¨No, wait a minute?¡¡Though this pervert is being obedient towards my master, isn¡¯t this still too early to trust her?¡¡Though I don¡¯t know when, I have to stay at my master¡¯s side as her knight as long as there¡¯s a chance that she¡¯ll bare her fangs towards my master.£©


    Thus, in order to protect Aria as her knight¡¶Pet¡·, he decided to have a dip in the bath.


    ¡¸WOOW!¡¡The dirt on my body peeled off real fast!¡¡This soap is amazing! ! ¡¹


    Ste whose body was washed by Aria is raising a voice filled with amazement. And her huge breast jiggle around due to her sudden movements.


    ¡¸Well then, now that I¡¯m done with washing your body, next is your hair. Please close your eyes since the bubble is painful if it enters your eyes? ¡¹


    ¡¸WAAA¡ª¡ª¡ª! ?¡¡No, I hate painful thing!¡¡I absolutely won¡¯t open my eyes! ¡¹


    Ste is slightly¡­¡­¡­¡­ Or rather she tightly shut her eyes after being warned so by Aria.


    It might have something to do with the pain in her eyes.¡¡While worrying about such things, Aria gently washes Ste¡¯s hair.


    ¡¸U~h¡­¡­¡­¡­ Are you done? ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, just a bit more, I just need to rinse it with hot water you see.¡¹


    To answer Ste¡¯s question, Aria washes the bubbles from Ste¡¯s hair with hot water from the bathtub.


    ¡¸OOH!¡¡What is this! ?¡¡My body feels refreshed! ¡¹


    Ste became quite excited after Aria washes off the bubbles on her body. That might be the natural reaction of someone who has never experienced a bath after cleaning their body.


    ¡¸After washing your body, the best way to end your bath is to immerse yourself in the bathtub?¡¹


    ¡¸Immersing¡­¡­¡­ In the bathtub?¡¡Do you mean entering this hot water?¡¡Why¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸For humans, especially for women, warming ones body in hot water is a matter of life and death you know, Ste-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸U~huh?¡¡I don¡¯t know about that but if you say so, it can¡¯t be wrong. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Oooh, it feels sooo good! ¡¹


    Ste still can¡¯t understand what Aria means by ¡°The matter of immersing oneself in hot water is a matter of life and death for a woman¡± but she did as Aria told her anyway.


    Somehow, she¡¯s really immersed in this current feeling.


    ¡¸Now it¡¯s Tama¡¯s turn.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    Aria is on her knees as she calls to Tama. Replying cheerfully, Tama is thening up to her from the corner of the room and then¡­¡­¡­ Jumping up on herp with a pyon, and lying face up on herp.


    Aria always starts to wash from his fluffy stomach. So to match that, Tama is always getting in an appropriate position.


    Nevertheless¡­¡­ In this position, Tama is always taking a glimpse of her beautiful face from beyond her bountiful melons.


    Even after experiencing such a lifestyle for a while, Tama is still moved to tears by such a magnificent spectacle to this day.


    ¡¸S-So sly!¡¡Our wants to wash the Powerful One¡¯s body too! ¡¹


    When Tama is in seven heavens from being washed gently by Aria, Ste who saw that interjected with ¡°Zuban! !¡¡¡±Standing up from the bathtub, she¡¯s protesting to Aria with an envious look in her eyes.


    ¡¸Fufufu, you can¡¯t do that you know, Ste-chan?¡¡Washing Tama is my exclusive privilege as his owner. This is the only thing that I won¡¯t pass to others. ¡¹


    Such a gentle Aria. Will surely lend Tama to Ste, or so one would expect¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ But she rejected do that.


    After all, there¡¯s three most enjoyable moments in a day for Aria that she won¡¯t let anyone else have. And one of those is frolicking with Tama as she washes him.


    Thus, she has no intention to let go of such an enjoyable moment even if it¡¯s a request from a child-like Ste.


    ¡¸Aah, How dashing of you, Powerful One! ¡¹¡¸My heart is throbbing just by seeing you! ¡¹¡¸Uuuuh! ¡¹


    Raising such seductive voice with flushing red face as if she is holding something in, Ste¡­¡­¡­¡­ Was looking upon the scenery of Aria and Tama doing ¡°Washing up NyanNyanNyan¡± with an envious look on her face.

 Chapter 49 : Storm of Jealousy and Melon Sandwich

    <h4>Chapter 49 : Storm of Jealousy and Melon Sandwich</h4>


    ¡¸Ou?¡¡What is this smell! ?¡¡It look sooo delicious! ! ¡¹


    Finishing their bath, Aria and co then returned to their room. Vulcan also finished shopping, Ste is wearing the prepared clothes and feeling surprised at the feeling of fabric touching her skin.


    It was at that time¡­¡­¡­ Ste eyes wandered around the room as her nose picked up a smell.


    ¡¸This smell, it might be ¨”Smoked Belly Meat?. It¡¯s evening already, let¡¯s go for dinner.¡¹


    ¡¸Smoked¡­¡­¡­ Belly meat?¡¡Is that the origin of this aroma?¡¡What should I do, can I eat that meat too! ?¡¡Or should I defeat that Smoked Belly Meat first! ? ¡¹


    The source of this appetizing aroma is the special smoked meat being grilled in the first floor, the bar room of the inn.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okanya~, Ste-chan. Since it¡¯s not an enemy you have to defeat, just calm down, take your seat, and eat.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, the smell made me hungry¡­¡­¡­ Fufufu, Ste-chan is so cute.¡¹


    Ste might have a survival-like lifestyle in thebyrinth prior to her meeting with Aria and co.


    And with the loss of her memories, it¡¯s possible that for Ste, Enemy = Food.


    Vulcan who guessed so patted Ste to calm her down and reassured her that there¡¯s nothing like that here.


    By appearance, Vulcan looks younger than Aria, but inside, she¡¯s overflowing with motherly love for the infant-like Ste.


    ¡¸You seems to be worried Ste-chan, but don¡¯t worry, Vulcan-san will also eat dinner with us today right?? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaturally!¡¡The food here is so delicious, it¡¯s nothing like the meal provided in the bar of the guild nya~! ¡¹


    Standing up while hugging Tama to her breast, when Aria makes such a proposal, Vulcan is also going along with her.


    As for Ste, she¡¯s urging Aria and co with sparkling eyes while saying ¡¸SO I can eat this delicious things as long as I follow you! Yosh, Let¡¯s, go¡¹.


    Aria felt that she just got a naive yet lively little sister.


    ¡ô


    Pota, pota¡­¡­


    One animal, and three persons(?) went towards the bar of the inn. After sitting down for a while drool is trickling down onto the table¨D¨D From Ste¡¯s mouth.


    She¡­¡­¡­ Can¡¯t hold back her appetite anymore thanks to the fragrance of the meat that is drifting through the air.¡¡That was her current condition.


    Aria and Vulcan who sat in front of her is wearing slightly worn out expression. To an impossible scene.


    If one were to ask for the reason, it¡¯se because Ste is suddenly rushed to the table of other customers while shouting ¡¸IT¡¯S OUR PREEEEEY!¡¹.


    Vulcan and Aria went to calm her down immediately. But Ste resisted incessantly, so they ended up using quite a lot of power despite her following obediently in the end.


    It seems that Ste has also forgotten even the concept of waiting in line to eat at a restaurant.


    Nevertheless, it¡¯s still Aria and Vulcan¡¯s carelessness since such things should be clear as long as they heard what she said before on the second floor.


    ¡¸This is a fork, you eat the meat dishes by piercing it like this.¡¹


    With one fork in her hand, the drooling Ste then stabbed the meat dish with it.


    Using the time they were waiting for the dishes to be delivered to their table, Aria who anticipated the fact that Ste forgot how to use tableware gave a short course in how to use the fork to Ste.


    Though Ste said ¡¸Why do we need to use this ¡°fork¡± to eat even though we can eat without it?¡¹ at first, when she was told ¡¸Do you know Men hate the girls who don¡¯t even know how to use tableware?¡¹ by Aria¡­¡­¡­


    ¡¸WHAT! ?¡¡That¡¯s troublesome indeed!¡¡Our aim is to make a lot of children with Powerful One after all!¡¡We can¡¯t make him to hate us! ! ¡¹


    Thus, she started to learn in how to use the fork in hurry.


    ¡¸Gufufufu. How¡¯s that, Powerful One? I can use a fork now. I¡¯m a splendid female right? ¡¹


    She proudly proimed so while making a stabbing motion with her fork in front of Tama.


    Seeing Steughing in that way, Tama-Who was nesting in between Aria¡¯s melons- felt ¡¸Where did I¡­¡­¡­¡­ See this familiar way ofughing before?¡¹ such a feeling of deja-vu.


    ¡¸Here you go!¡¡An extrarge portion of smoked belly meat!¡¡The other food is going toe soon.¡¹


    The mistress of the inn is carrying arge tter with both of her hands. The smoked meat that emitted a savory fragrance is piled on top of a huge te.


    ¡¸OOH!¡¡Oooh, such nice smelling meat!¡¡Can I start to eat this! ? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, please go ahead and eat your fill, Ste-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAAAAY!¡¡¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ EH! ?¡¡WHAT¡¯S WITH THIS FLAVOR! ?¡¡HOW CAN IT BE THAT SUCH DELICIOUS MEAT EXISTS! ? ¡¹


    Ste took one bite of the meat. The next moment, the bursting umami of the meat in her mouth caused her eyes to open wide in surprise!¡¡Thus she raised such an astonished voice.


    Looking from others perspective, she was also quite innocent in that regard. She greedily devoured meat from the huge tter.


    ¡¸NYaaa~!¡¡That amnyazing way to eat!¡¡I wonder where such a huge amount of meat vanished to in such a slender stomyaach? ¡¹


    Vulcan voiced her admiration of Ste¡¯s eating style with an astonished voice. That¡¯s just natural since the heaped amounts of smoked meat that were piled up on that huge tter, almost all of them vanished into Ste¡¯s stomach.


    ¡¸Here you go, special sd and sausage -¡­¡­¡­- Eh, you¡¯ve eaten all of that meat already! ? ¡¹


    When the mistress brought the other dishes that they ordered. She couldn¡¯t hide her surprise in seeing that the huge tter of smoked meat had already vanished despite not even a few minutes passing since she delivered it to Aria and co¡¯s table.


    ¡¸OOH!¡¡That meat looks delicious too!¡¡Can I eat those meats too! ? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Ste-chan. But, you mustn¡¯t leave the vegetables, okay? ¡¹


    ¡¸Vege-¡­¡­ -Table?¡¡Do you mean those leaves?¡¡Do humans eat leaves too? ¡¹


    It seems that the existences of vegetables was also wiped out from Ste memories. Aria then exined the importance of eating vegetables to Ste, and told her the delicious ways to eat the vegetables with dressing¡­¡­ And when Ste ate those vegetables after getting herself brainwashed by Aria¡¯s exnation¡­¡­¡­


    ¡¸¡­¡­UHN! !¡¡Vegetable!¡¡Even though you¡¯re not on the same level as meat, you¡¯re it¡¯s strong contender!¡¡So, now, you are history! ¡¹


    After saying so, Ste began to devour the vegetables with gusto.


    Aria¡¯s feeling relieved knowing that Ste isn¡¯t a picky eater. She¡¯s already looking at Ste like a guardian looking at the child under their wings.


    ¡¸Shall we start to eat too, Tama? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    While Ste is busying herself stuffing the sd and vegetables into her mouth, Aria is stabbing a sausage with her fork and gave it to Tama.


    Tama is raising a delighted purr as he bit into to the sausage.


    PAKIN!


    That crisp sound apanies the moment he bit into the sausage. The rich, condensed delicious vor of the sausage spread into Tama¡¯s mouth at once.


    From the preparation till the cooking, the meat dish of this inn is the specialty of the chef that cooked here. That¡¯s why it¡¯s keeping the inn¡¯s original vor.


    Most of all, this sausage is Tama¡¯s favorite food. The expression that he makes as he stuffed his mouth with sausage is just so adorable.


    ¡¸Ha~n¡­¡­!¡¡Tama is just too cute after all?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~!¡¡My heart is also fluttering seeing his cuteness nya~¡­¡­! ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s rubbing her thighs as she admires Tama¡¯s cuteness.


    Even Vulcan agonized upon seeing his cute face with flushed red cheeks.


    ¡¸W-What is this!¡¡I never knew that you¡¯re such a prince charming, Powerful One!¡¡Please ept our humble offering too! ¡¹


    Ste who was stuffing herself with sausage swallowed it down quickly and then offered the sausage that was stabbed with her fork to Tama.


    Being offered such, Tama, a¨D¨D Verted his face.


    ¡¸WA-H! ?¡¡Why, Powerful One!¡¡Why are you avoiding me! ? ¡¹


    Ste is asking Tama with an obviously shocked expression on her face.


    £¨Of course I am. I simply don¡¯t trust you yet. And on top of that, you even want to rape me.£©


    Tama couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down towards Ste. And those above reasons aside, he can smell a dangerous kind of smell from Ste.


    It¡¯s still a mystery whether it¡¯s because of his wild instinct as a monster, or because of his instinct as a knight in his previous life¡­¡­


    £¨¡­¡­?¡¡I wonder what happened here, it¡¯s really rare for Tama to take such a rude attitude towards someone else.£©


    Even Aria feels curious about Tama¡¯s unusual rejection.


    Because Tama is a friendly and kind cat. As long as the other party is someone close to Aria, he always shows the adorable side of him to them, and yet such a Tama is keeping his guard up against Ste.


    Keeping his guard up high is poison for his body. Aria who is pondering so then lifts Tama¡­¡­


    Ponyon!


    And stowed him in between her twin melons valley.


    ZAWA¡ª¡ª


    The surrounding people¨DMainly the male customers¨D Stand from their seats at once. Seeing the face of the kitten that is popping out from her atrocious twin melons¡­


    Seeing such an overwhelming scene, quite few of them were chanting ¡¸Thank you for the treat¡­¡­¡­ Utopia does exist.¡¹, and the rest of them roared ¡¸YOU DAMNED KITTEN! CHANGE PLACE WITH MEEEEE! ¡¹ with envious looks on their faces.


    £¨Fuaaa¡­¡­ Nothing can beat my dear masters melons, she¡¯s warm and smells good¡­¡­£©


    Even if Tama¡¯s fur was standing on it¡¯s edge due to his vignce, his tension finally left his body as he feels the warmth and the nice smells of Aria¡¯s body.


    £¨I¡¯m so envious of you, Aria-nya~n!¡¡I want to tempt Tama-chan with my breasts too nya~n!£©


    Vulcan who is descended from the tiger-eared race is naturally attracted to a strong feline like Tama. Holding such feelings toward a kitten isn¡¯t strange at all.


    ¡¸Damn it!!¡¡Why don¡¯t you want to eat! ! ¡¹


    Ste is vexed due to the fact that despite running away from her, Tama is clinging easily to Aria.


    In the end, the frustrated Ste ordered heaps of abination of sausages and smoked belly meat.

 Chapter 50 : SHE REALLY IS A PERVEEEEEEEEEEEERT! !

    <h4>Chapter 50 : SHE REALLY IS A PERVEEEEEEEEEEEERT! !</h4>


    ¡¸U~h¡­ I can¡¯t move anymore¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Geez, that¡¯s just natural if you eat that much food. You must measure how much you can eat without getting sick, you know, Ste-chan? ¡¹


    They returned to their room on the second floor after finishing their dinner. Ste was pale and moaned in pain, but that was expected. After all, she did eat more portions than what an extrarge person would! Even gentle Aria was astonished with how much Ste was eating and tried to stop the glutton, but her warnings were ignored.


    Vulcan, Ste¡¯s other guardian, had parted ways with them in the first floor and went home.


    ¡¸Now it¡¯s hard to even to brush your teeth, right? Well, it can¡¯t be helped then, it¡¯s time to go to bed, Ste-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸U~h¡­ Brushing¡­ Teeth? I don¡¯t know what that is, but it¡¯s impossible for me right now, so let¡¯s sleep. But where am I going to sleep? ¡¹


    ¡¸On the bed of course¡ª¡ª¡ª Is what I wanted to say but I guess you forgot about the bed, too. This way, Ste-chan.¡¹


    While Ste wondered what a ¡°bed¡± was and how one could sleep on it, Aria led her by the hand toward the two bedding stored in the room.


    ¡¸OOH! What¡¯s with thisfy sleeping ce! This is the first ti¨D¨D Oops. I¡­ don¡¯t think I can sleep anymore.¡¹


    Ste went silent when the pain in her stomach exceeded a certain threshold as she curiously felt the bedding she was supposed to sleep on.


    ¡¸Well, Tama. It¡¯s time to brush our teeth ?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan! ¡¹


    After she looked at the silent Ste, Aria walked toward the corner of the room with Tama in her arms. This inn charged considerably less than other inns to provide each room with a washbasin. On top of theirsid a cup with one normal and one mini toothbrush inside it.


    The normal one, naturally, belonged to Aria while the mini one was Tama¡¯s. It had been custom ordered by Aria. Tama had been using it every day to brush his teeth alongside Aria.


    ¡¸U~h¡­ Leaving me behind and frolicking with Powerful One again~ (T^T)¡­! ¡¹


    Though he could hear Ste¡¯s depressed muttering, Aria waspletely focused in brushing Tama¡¯s teeth and did not take note of the pitiful mumblings behind her. Instead, her chest was already pink-colored.


    ¡¸HA~hn?! Tama obediently brushing his teeth is just too cu~te ?¡¹


    This vibration is sofortable. The technology of my dear master¡¯s toothbrush is as wonderful as ever.


    Tama was also extremely delighted by Aria¡¯s superb way of handling the toothbrush.


    Once she was done brushing her own teeth, Aria returned to the bed carrying Tama in her arms. Though she sometimes overheard Steining about it in a vexed tone, sleeping with Tama in her arms was Aria¡¯sst blissful moment of the day and she wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to take it from her. After saying¡¸Have a nice dream ?¡¹to Ste in a sweet voice, she lulled herself to sleep by brushing Tama¡¯s fur.


    ¡ô


    Midnight of that day¨D¨D


    Tama heard a strange voice in his head as he peacefully slept between Aria¡¯s melons.


    Is this¡­ an auditory hallucination? Or just my dream?


    Tama pondered sleepily about the voice resounding inside his head, still half-asleep.


    ¡­!!!?


    That voice kept echoing in his head. Tama¡¯s eyes snapped open when he realized that it wasn¡¯t a dream or an auditory hallucination.


    As he heard the voice reverberating in his head, his eyes immediatelynded on Ste¡¯s figure standing beside Aria with a delighted smile on her face. Now that he waspletely awake, the voice sounded even clearer. The voice in his head was exactly like Ste¡¯s, and she stood right in front of him.


    Don¡¯t tell me that¡­ this is your voice?


    When Ste, standing in front of him, nodded to answer his guess, her voice resounded in his head almost at the same time as her movement.


    Telepathy Skill¡­ I had heard rumors about such skills, but¡­ to think that it actually exists. No, let¡¯s set that aside for now. Right now, I¡¯m impersonating a kitten that can understand somemands, but if it¡¯s known that I actuallypletely understand what people are saying, then¡­ they might think that I have that telepathy skill!


    In this world, Telepathy was an extremely rare skill and Tama admired Ste for being capable of using. However, he suddenly realized that now Ste couldmunicate with Tama in a way that Aria couldn¡¯t, and if she told his master about that¡­


    With how strangely intelligent Tama was, it was easy to realize that Tama was a former human ¨D moreover, hypothetically speaking, the situation could be even worse. His true identity as a Behemoth, an S-Rank monster instead of a kitten, could be discovered!


    Just imagining that flow of events was enough to send shivers through Tama¡¯s spine.


    ¡­ Eh?


    This girl¡­ What is she talking about? When did I ughter her?


    Tama became even more confused after hearing her remarks. Surely he would remember killing a beautiful girl like Ste. And even if he didn¡¯t remember but had truly killed her, how was she standing, alive and breathing, in front of him now?


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D!?


    Tama¡¯s eyes widened as the memories of many days ago resurged when he heard Ste¡¯s words. Around one month ago¡­ That was when Tama had dared to challenge an earth dragon by himself. He had no other option, as Aria had been critically ill from Beryl¡¯s poison and the antidote required the eyes of an earth dragon as the main ingredient.


    He had had no hope of finishing the battle against the Earth Dragon with the level of power that he possessed at that moment. Even as he assumed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to regain his kitten form afterwards, Tama had decided to evolve into the 2nd form of Behemoth and, as Ste said, used the ming sword ¨D¨D ¡¶me Edge¡· to finish the Earth Dragon.


    If that had not been enough, he had met that same Earth Dragon before. Back when he had just reincarnated as a Behemoth, he had fallen on its head after the forced transfer. Tama was forced to agree with Ste. He had indeed fought the very same Earth Dragon twice, and that line of thought made him realize something that shocked him.


    This girl¡­ NO WA¡ªY!?


    Herugh echoed inside his head and he was finally convinced about who she was. No wonder he felt that they had met before, she was the Earth Dragon that he had defeated a month ago! He even understood why the Earth Dragon, the being that should have died a month ago by his own paws, now stood in front of him reincarnated in the body of a teenage girl.


    There were stories about high ranking dragons and their longevity. Of how they¡¯d reincarnate again and again, for thousand of years, inpletely new bodies while their memories of past lives were preserved. He had even heard that it was possible for such a dragon to reincarnate in another race entirely.


    As Ste sent that exnation to him via the Telepathy skill, Tama was remembering all sorts of legends that were told about the dragon race. He silently slipped out from Aria¡¯s embrace and cutely red at Ste ¨D no, the Earth Dragon as his fur stood on end.


    What is your goal, Earth Dragon? Why are you here? Is it revenge? If that¡¯s the case, then, bring it on!


    It wasn¡¯t strange to assume that she was here for revenge. After all, he had killed her. Even though she now had the appearance of a beautiful girl, he could not forget that her true nature was that of a formidable dragon.


    ¡­ EH? Then, what is your goal?


    ¡¸NOW, DO IT! FORCE ME DOWN! BANG ME! GIVE ME YOUR SEEEEEED!!!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (WAAAAAAAAAAA!? I¡¯VE FOUND ANOTHER PERVEEEEEEEEEERT)!?¡¹


    As she telepathically screamed, Ste threw herself at Tama, attempting to force him to mate her, thus inflicting another great trauma into Tama¡¯s psyche.


    The quiet of the night in thebyrinth city was disturbed by the terrified scream of a certain kitten.

 Chapter 51 : The Compromise of The Cat

    <h4>Chapter 51 : The Compromise of The Cat</h4>


    ¡¸KORA! You¡¯re scaring Tama! You can¡¯t be too violent to him, Ste-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸Hiiii!?¡¹


    (There¡¯s no escape¡­ I guess this is it¡­)


    Tama was already giving up. Ste had thrown herself at him in a running dive while screaming words that no child should ever be allowed to hear. Aria seemed to have woken up from Tama¡¯s terrified scream and swiftly put herself between them


    .


    The moment she heard Aria¡¯s voice, Ste - as if some sort of heaven-defying skill had been activated - changed the course of her dive to the corner of the room, suddenly cowering in fear.


    It seemed that she was still extremely scared of Aria.


    ¡¸Nya?(Master)¡­!! ¡¹


    It was a desperate situation indeed.


    Tama¡¯s face brightened up and his little kitten heart was filled with hope. His master saved him in his most perilous moment, and he promptly leaped into her bountiful valley in search of safety.


    ¡¸Fufufu, are you alright, Tama? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­¡­¡¹


    Aria caught Tama mid-leap and soothed him, brushing his fur gently. Her mere touch was enough to calm Tama, who was already closing his eyes in bliss. Aria then turned her attention to Ste.


    ¡¸Ste-chan, I know that Tama is cute and charming and it¡¯s hard to resist him. But, as I said before, you can¡¯t have him. He¡¯s too young to have a child and, most of all, he¡¯s my knight¡¶Pet¡·. ¡¹


    ¡¸GUNUNU¡­ How vexing¡­ But, the current me is¡­ ¡¹


    Ste was muttering in frustration as she went back to her bed.


    Seeing that, Aria sighed, going back to her bed while thinking about how the current situation could be solved.


    ¡¸¡­¡¹


    Ste¡¯s voice resounded in Tama¡¯s head, who was curled up in between Aria¡¯s melons. He couldn¡¯t do anything but keep silent since Ste¡¯s confession came out of nowhere.


    ¡ô


    Next morning¨D¨D


    ¡¸What is this!? Yesterday¡¯s sausage and smoked meat tter was already delicious and yet this one¡¯s quite good as well!¡¹


    Ste, once again, was making a scene in the first floor of the inn. This time it was during breakfast. It was as if she¡¯d already forgotten everything Aria had reprimanded her forst night.


    She held up a fragrant toast covered with baked bacon and a half-boiled sunny-side-up egg as the final topping. She raised her voice again between bouts of stuffing herself with toast and fruit water


    ¡¸Moreover, this¨”Sour Fruit?is awesome! This is the first time I drink something so tasty! ¡¹


    Even Aria, who was wary of her due tost night¡¯s incident, rxed her guard when she saw Ste acting like a child.


    ¡¸Ste-chan, I know it¡¯s cruel to ask you this since you have no memories, but do you have something that you¡¯re good at?¡¹


    ¡¸Mogu~* Something I¡¯m good at?¡¹


    *[chewing SFX]


    Ste¡¯s hand halted mid-air when she heard Aria¡¯s sudden question.


    Aria had been thinking about their situation for a while. She wasn¡¯t worried about taking care of Ste since she was the one who brought it up.


    However, there was no guarantee that her lost memories would return. In that case, she¡¯d have to train Ste in something so she could be independent.


    Not only that, but those who don¡¯t work shall not eat - she wanted Ste to be aware of this motto. But she would only tell her this after she got her answer.


    ¡¸In that case¡­ I¡¯m good at fighting! No, it¡¯s better to say that I love to fight!¡¹


    ¡¸Fighting is it¡­ EH? But Ste-chan, weren¡¯t you scared of the inside of thebyrinth? Doesn¡¯t that contradict your words?¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about? The only one I¡¯m scared of going up against is you. I¡¯m not scared of fighting the likes of that monster!¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ WHAT? You¡¯re scared of me? Can you tell me why, Ste-chan? I mean, I don¡¯t remember doing anything to you before¡­¡¹


    ¡¸True, you did nothing to me before. But aren¡¯t you the one who managed to subdue the Powerful One as if he was just a baby? I mean, he¡¯s such a terrifying existence, after all!¡¹


    Aria was extremely shocked when she heard how much Ste feared her. Tama, on the other hand, nodded in understanding from his hiding ce in between his master¡¯s melons.


    (Ah, I see now¡­)


    Long story short, the reason why Ste feared and respected Aria so much was because she subdued Tama, who ughtered Ste as a knight¡¶Pet¡· when she was still in her dragon form.


    The world of monsters was a world where the strong preyed on the weak.


    The weak were eaten by the strong or obeyed them forever.


    The real situation was far from Aria subduing Tama, she just doted on him like a baby.


    Ste was terrified about how powerful Aria could be, being an existence that could subdue Tama.


    Ste¡¯s voice suddenly rang inside Tama¡¯s mind through their mental link just as he understood the reason behind her unique reaction to Aria.


    ¨D¨DIt¡¯s nothing special, she¡¯s my benefactor, thus she is my beloved master. She¡¯s a really kind person, hence why she¡¯s taking care of an aimless wanderer like you. You better make sure you don¡¯t repeat your mistake.


    Tama sent a mental image to Ste to remind her of her mistake. He received an instantaneous reply from her. It seemed that there wasn¡¯t any misunderstanding in this telepathicmunication.


    ¨D¨D By the way, Earth Drago-¡­ I mean, Ste. You mustn¡¯t tell my master that you canmunicate with me in this way.


    ¨D¨D My master is currently under the impression that I¡¯m simply a cat more powerful than usual. She doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m actually a Behemoth, an S-Rank monster. It¡¯s more convenient for me, her knight if she continues to believe so.


    ¨D¨DF%^&&¡­!?


    Tama found himself speechless by Ste¡¯s actions. He never expected that she - a former monster - would stoop so low as to ckmail him!


    ¨D¨D I¡­ Never expected that you, a former monster, would make such a joke¡­ Love aside, you can¡¯t keep calling me Powerful One forever. Just call me Tama like my master does.


    He wasn¡¯t letting his guard down. However, he hadn¡¯t felt any hostile intentionsing from her sincest night. Also, he understood that she was, in fact, very much in love with him. Although Tama couldn¡¯t reciprocate her feelings, she would still try to bridge the gap between them step by step from now on.


    Moreover, Tama still felt guilty of robbing Ste of her life as a dragon, even though it was for Aria¡¯s sake.


    (For some reason it feels like Ste canmunicate with Tama¡­)


    While Tama and Ste were engrossed in their mental chat, the ever intuitive Aria felt a pang of jealousy in seeing them staring at each other in silence.

 Chapter 52 : Equipment Choice of The Dragon Girl

    <h4>Chapter 52 : Equipment Choice of The Dragon Girl</h4>


    After the battle for the breakfast seat, Aria asked Ste if she wanted to be an adventurer like her. In hearing such a question, Ste immediately agreed to it with her eyes shining with excitement.


    They headed for the city and entered Vulcan¡¯s shop. Ste would need equipment for her new profession. With the owner¡¯s help, Ste seemed to find a set that satisfied her. Vulcan, however, had to make sure her client was satisfied.


    ¡¸Nyaa~¡­ Are you really okay with that, Ste-nya~n? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup! This is perfect! ¡¹


    Aria couldn¡¯t help but ponder why Ste was so excited since she had no memories.


    However, she didn¡¯t know Ste did have some degree of information about the world, information that she acquired as the Earth Dragon.


    As the Earth Dragon, she had fought some adventurers while inside thebyrinth. Ste had secretly enjoyed meeting those people¡­ Secretly yearned to be one of them.


    To her, Aria¡¯s proposal was a godsend.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better if you equip at least a gauntlet first, Ste-chan? ¡¹


    Aria asked, trying to make Ste wear more equipment. She saw how happy Ste was while wearing an adventurer¡¯s gear, but couldn¡¯t help but be concerned about her safety.


    The gear Ste chose was extremely revealing. It barely covered the essentials.


    The topmost part of her chest was covered in bandages, sarashi-style*, with her underboobs exposed.


    *[A sarashi is a long, thick cotton cloth that is tightly wrapped around the chest and worn under a kimono.]


    The lower gear consisted of pants with the maximum level of exposure. The design was extremely risqu¨¦.


    Looking from the front, one could not see the difference between those pants and female underwear.


    Looking from the back, the visual became even more erotic. Those ¡°pants¡± barely covered her buttocks, leaving the fleshier parts exposed¡­


    The style that wasmonly known as ¨”Hanketsu?.


    Those hot pants were, originally, an extremely popr design. But when Ste tried it on, she asked Vulcan to modify it. She wanted less fabric clinging to her body, with half her buttocks uncovered, making it easier to move.


    ¡¸Please give me leg armor, I don¡¯t need any equipment for my arms!¡¹


    ¡¸¡­? Why do you want the leggings but not the gauntlets, Ste-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm?¡¡I guess it¡¯s faster to show it, here we go! ¡¹


    Ste could tell Aria was confused by her statement. She then got into a stance, letting out a groan, and her arms and buttocks began to glow with a brilliant light that gradually increased in intensity.


    After a few seconds, when the light subsided, Aria and co. couldn¡¯t mask their surprise.


    (Wha¡­?! This form¡­ !)


    ¡¸Your arms are like a dragon¡¯s, and you even have a tail! ¡¹


    ¡¸Amazing! Could it be you¡¯re actually a ¨”Dragonewt?, Ste-chan?! ¡¹


    Surprisingly, Ste¡¯s arms had grown in size, bing four times bigger than normal. They were covered with earth-colored reptile scales, no doubt a feature preserved from her Earth Dragon form.


    Sharp ws grew from her fingertips and, from her buttocks, a tail had appeared. Just like her arms, it looked like it belonged to a reptile, covered in the same color of scales.


    Her new appearance reminded Aria of the Dragonewt race. However¡­ They were supposedly people who had dragon blood in their veins.


    Their outer appearance was extremely simr to that of a normal human, but they could change their limbs to a draconic appendage at will.


    Dragonewts could draw even more power from their dragon blood. Aria had heard stories about their incredible strength, capable of smashing a rock with only their draconic arms.


    To Aria and Vulcan, it made perfect sense. The reason Ste managed to survive in thebyrinth with her memories wiped was that she was a Dragonewt.


    The part about losing her memory was a misunderstanding, though.


    ¡¸Dragonewt? I don¡¯t know what that is, but this is what I look like when I unleash my power!¡¹


    Ste¡¯s power of semi-draconification was unrted to being a Dragonewt, as Aria suggested. Instead, it was inherited from her previous life as a dragon.


    Tama, on the other hand, got more curious the more he stared at Ste.


    (This appearance¡­ She resembles the Dragonewts I saw in my previous life so perfectly. Could it be that the Dragonewt race was created by a dragon who reincarnated as a human? Or perhaps a descendant of one?)


    He had worked with a Dragonewt before, back when he was a human. She had been in the same chivalric order as him.


    In the battlefield, she changed her arms to their draconic forms and wielded a gigantic battle-ax, sweeping down her foes with overwhelming power.


    She had been Tama¡¯s partner. Her overwhelming power and his myriad sword skillsbined established their partnership as the best among their peers.


    (She was just like Ste, wearing those skimpy outfits. Well, it was better than ripping her clothes off every time she transformed.)


    Tama fondly recalled his previous partner¡¯s preference for revealing outfits. Amongst his most cherished memories were the ones of her running across the battlefield, the armor exposing her arms and buttocks¡­


    ¡¸Now I get why Ste chose those clothes!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa, now that we¡¯ve decided on her adventurer set, it¡¯s time for armaments! What kind of weapon do you prefer, Ste-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Ooh, a weapon! Do you mean something like a sword or a staff?¡¹


    As soon as she heard the word ¡°weapon¡±, Ste¡¯s eyes shone with excitement. She couldn¡¯t contain her glee anymore.


    They didn¡¯t know it, by having a weapon was one of Ste¡¯s deepest desires. Ever since human adventurers used weapons against her when she was a dragon, she had wanted to try one.


    ¡¸Hm¡­ The first weapon that I can think of is a sword! But before that, I want to try THAT first!¡¹


    Ste started rummaging around the store. Vulcan had prepared a lengthy exnation about weapons for her, but seeing Ste moving around like an eager puppy made her reconsider.


    Both Vulcan and Aria felt that interrupting her right now would only dampen her excitement, so they merely waited. Ste soon unearthed what she wanted.


    ¡¸Found it! This one first!¡¹


    They followed her voice and headed to a corner of the room. It was stockpiled with shields and Ste stood right in the middle of them.


    ¡¸Nyaa!? That¡¯s ameowzing, Ste-chan! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re capable of lifting that ck iron shield with just one hand! ¡¹


    ¡¸EH? Am I seeing this right? Didn¡¯t you already cancel your transformation, Ste-chan?¡¹


    (She can lift that huge ck shield even without transforming? Just how powerful is she?)


    The trio stared at Ste holding up a shield that was almost her height. It was pitch-ck and gave a dull luster, proof that it was made from ck iron, a metal famous for its excessive weight.


    Who would have thought that even without her transformation Ste would be able to lift that shield? At first sight, it seemed heavy, definitely not something a frail girl could lift with one hand.


    No wonder Tama, Aria, and Vulcan were shocked by the scene.


    ¡¸ Incredible¡­ I never expected anyone to be able to handle that shield, aside from Sakura-chan nya~¡¹


    ¡¸Is this the shield that Sakura-san used?¡¹


    ¡¸Correct, nya, that shield was sent to my shop after she found out she was pregnant.¡¹


    The dark shield made of ck iron ingots was called ¨”Mega Shield?. It had been made for Sakura, the former toon captain of Cedric.


    It was gifted to her after she had retired from her post and joined Vulcan in the adventuring business.


    ¡¸Sakura-chan had the skill ¡¶Iron Wall¡·. It was a passive skill that ignored armor weight and nullified any damage as long as it wasn¡¯t fatal.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s how she became the most powerful tanker in the city.¡¹


    Aria had an understanding look on her face as she heard Vulcan enthusiastically talk about Sakura, her formerrade.


    Tama gave them a sidelong nce as he focused on Ste.


    ¨D¨D I¡¯m surprised you picked a shield. Since you were so aggressive as a dragon, I was sure you¡¯d go for an ax or a sword first¡­


    ¨D¨D Oh, so you chose a shield because of myst attack?


    ¨D¨D Actually, it¡¯s normal to be scared of being injured. I just felt it was strange. Learning how to defend oneself is important. Truth is, I¡¯m the one who should be scared of you.


    ¨D¨D ¡­ As long as you¡¯re okay with it.


    Tama couldn¡¯t find any more words after hearing a second love confession from Ste. He felt guilty about killing her to the point he couldn¡¯t even outright refuse her affections. Her honesty just made it worse.


    With a light heart after confessing to Tama again, Ste went back to her treasure hunting in the weapon corner of the shop, a childlike smile adorning her face.


    ¡¸That shield is light enough I can move around with ease, so it should be enough for defending. Now it¡¯s weapon time! Ooh! That weapon looks promising!¡¹


    Tama smiled wryly as he watched Ste choose her weapon.

 Chapter 53 : Slaughter Impulse

    <h4>Chapter 53 : ughter Impulse</h4>


    Inside thebyrinth¡¯s first floor, a maniacalugh could be heard.


    ¡¸GWAHAHA! Fighting with weapons is so fun!! ¡¹


    After a long search, Ste had finally decided which weapon she wanted. To pair with the Back Iron Shield ¡ª or Mega Shield, as Vulcan called it ¡ª she chose a longsword.


    It was a silvery ck color, very simr to the Mega Shield she carried in her left hand.


    Its name was ¨”Buster Sword?and it was the best type of Great Sword, with a wide and thick de. The sword was longer than Ste was tall.


    Instead of being a weapon for ¡°cutting¡±, it was best described as a weapon for ¡°smashing¡±.


    Despite not being in her Dragonewt form, Ste carried both the Mega Shield and the Buster Sword with ease.


    The group hade straight to thebyrinth after leaving the weapons shop, despite Aria¡¯s protest. She had suggested they wait a few days before taking Ste to her first adventure.


    However, the person in question was extremely against that idea.


    ¡¸No no no! No way! Why do we have to wait? I finally got my equipment! I want to fight now!¡¹


    With Ste throwing a tantrum and demanding immediate bloodshed, Aria and Vulcan couldn¡¯t object anymore. Since Aria stillcked her battle instinct, they didn¡¯t take anymissions.


    They also nned to use this opportunity to teach Ste how to use her weapons.


    ¡¸Tama, let¡¯s take a look at Ste-chan¡¯s power first. Please do not use any buffs on her. ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan! (Aye aye, Master!) ¡¹


    If Tama used the ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· skill, they wouldn¡¯t have an urate measure of Ste¡¯s power, so Aria asked Tama to stand by.


    But, on the same breath, she asked him to keep an eye out.


    ¡¸If things getting dangerous, you¡¯ll protect Ste-chan, right?¡¹


    (My former enemy now needs my protection¡­ How ironic¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m seeing anything overly dangerous, anyway¡­)


    Tama pondered about it as he nodded to Aria, epting his ¡°mission¡±. While he wasn¡¯t very enthusiastic about his ¡°assignment¡±, his target was ecstatic about it.


    ¡¸Tama is going to protect me? OOH! How reassuring!¡¹


    For a girl who was in love for the first time, Ste¡¯s reaction was typical.


    Hearing that the male she fancied was going to defend her against any attacks, she could barely contain her happiness.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s find some easy prey for Ste¡¯s training!¡¹


    With Vulcan¡¯s signal, the party then ventured further into thebyrinth.


    ¡ô


    The party made their way inside with Vulcan as their vanguard.


    A few minutester as they explored the area, a grotesque creature appeared in front of them, releasing a foul cry.


    The creature was a goblin, a type of monster that popted the first floor of thebyrinth. There were only a few of them around, carrying very inferior equipment.


    Once they noticed Aria and co¡¯s presence, the goblins rushed towards them with a war cry.


    ¡ºGUGYAAAA!¡»


    Their focus was solely on the prey ahead of them. While the cat could be eaten, they had other ns for the three beauties that apanied it.


    Regrettably, goblins were incredibly foolish creatures.


    Blinded by their greed and lust, they couldn¡¯t assess the strength of their enemies properly. They charged ahead with no nning whatsoever.


    Observing them rush at her, Steughed, a savage expression appearing on her face.


    ¡¸GUHEHEHEHE! These low-leveled worms dare bare their fangs at me? YOU SHALL BECOME THE RUST OF MY SWORD!!! ¡¹


    From the side, Aria and Vulcan stared at the girl, feeling goosebumps running through their bodies. To think child-like Ste who, not so long ago, threw a tantrum to get what she wanted would disy such a bloodthirsty expression¡­


    Tama seemed to be the only one taking it in stride. After all, he was very much aware this unassuming girl was the Earth Dragon reincarnated.


    ¡¸HERE I COME!! ¡¹


    Ste shouted at the goblins, taunting them. Next, her arms and buttocks were enveloped in a brilliant light, her partial draconic transformation being activated.


    She had no intention of taking it easy even against weak enemies like the goblins.


    BYUUN!!


    Using her draconic arm, she raised her greatsword. Ste marveled at how light it felt.


    ¡¸What a speed. ¡¹


    Though she normally carried it like it weighed nothing, now that she was transformed it felt like she was holding a twig. Ste gleefully brought the greatsword down with no mercy.


    ZUDON!!


    The noise from the impact of the sword connecting to the floor was near-deafening.


    The goblins made a beeline towards Ste, aiming their swords at her exposed abdomen.


    Once they were close enough, Ste swung down her greatsword many times faster than them. She only moved the sword, never budging from her original position.


    That was enough to guarantee her victory.


    Giving the goo-like goblin remains on the floor a long look, Ste released a maniacalugh. There was a scratch on her abdomen, but she paid it no mind.


    ¡¸GUHAHAHA! THIS SWORD IS AWESOME!! ¡¹


    Meanwhile, Vulcan and Aria watched her from the side. They were a bit shocked and somewhat concerned about Ste¡¯s berserker-likebat.


    ¡¸She¡¯s powerful nya~, but¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. She might have a psychological deviation. I mean¡­ To enjoy killing so much¡­¡¹


    The reason Vulcan became an adventurer was to be able to collect the material she needed to forge weapons by herself.


    For Aria, it was so she could follow the footsteps of the one she admired. She aimed to be a ¨”Kindhearted Fighter?like ¨”Alisha?, the Sword Saint who saved her life before.


    Neither of them enjoyed killing monsters. To them, it was a means to an end.


    That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t understand the savage impulse that drove Ste to kill for the sake of killing.


    (This killing frenzy¡­ It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s kept under control. But if it goes wild¡­ I may need to do something about it in the future¡­)


    He knew Ste was a reincarnated monster, so Tama wasn¡¯t very surprised by what he witnessed. That didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t concerned about it. Tama decided to n in advance, just in case that killing frenzy started affecting the other party members in the future.


    And if she ever harmed his beloved master or her partner¡­


    Naturally, he would do everything he could to help Ste gain control of herself. She was formerly his foe but, although she wasn¡¯t quite arade yet, Ste was still under his protection.


    The one in question heard his mental musings and let out a dissatisfied groan, capturing Aria¡¯s attention.


    ¡¸Nuuu¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Ste-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s fun fighting with this sword but the enemies are too weak! I can¡¯t even use my shield against them! We should go deeper, I want to fight a powerful monster!¡¹


    ¡¸U~hn¡­ Well, now that we know how powerful Ste is, I think it¡¯s safe to advance to the next floor.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa~¡­ This may sound harsh but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve truly seen how powerful she truly is.¡¹


    Berserker trait aside, Aria and Vulcan were very d Ste had be theirrade.


    The n was to expose Ste¡¯s true power by letting her fight as their vanguard.


    ¡¸It¡¯s decided, then. Ste-chan, we know your power is terrifying. But, since this is your first dungeon incursion¡­ Maybe you should be a bit more cautious. Don¡¯t force yourself, okay?¡¹


    ¡¸GUHEHEHEHE! It¡¯s okay! I know I¡¯m not as powerful as Tama but I¡¯m still very powerful. I won¡¯t lose to the likes of these monsters!¡¹


    Ste justughed joyfully, seeing Aria so worried about her was funny.


    It seemed that she was still in a berserker state, the desire to run around swinging her weapon still fueling her.

 Chapter 54 : Tears of Dragon Girl

    <h4>Chapter 54 : Tears of Dragon Girl</h4>


    ¡¸GUHAHAHAHA!¡¡Did you see that shield skill, Tama?¡¹


    Inside thebyrinth¡¯s 2nd floor, an orc flew across the area, courtesy of Ste.


    Today she was in very high spirits, and it reflected on how enthusiastically she wielded her new weapons.


    Ste¡¯sbat style couldn¡¯t be described as anything less than savage. The moment she spotted an orc, she rushed at it immediately and swung her greatsword down.


    The second orc within her sight became a victim for the shield, flying away from the powerful impact of her charging attack.


    The only orc left standing looked at itsrade¡¯s fading figure with a dumbfounded expression.


    Ste did not miss the opportunity to whack it with her sword while the orc was distracted.


    DOPAN!!


    The orc¡¯s head was obliterated by that strike, fresh blood spurting from the headless neck. Seeing that, Ste smiled with pride at her handiwork and dashed forward.


    Her next target was the orc that got blown away from her charging attack. It stood in ce in a daze, perhaps because its head hit the wall.


    ¡¸Hm. You can¡¯t even keep your guts in front of your enemy¡­ This is why you fools will always be a small fry.¡¹


    Ste¡¯sment fell on deaf ears, as she attacked before she even finished speaking. There is no need to describe what happened to that defenseless orc¡¯s head.


    Thebat style was the same for every monster encountered. It made Tama exasperated that the shield wasn¡¯t even being used for defense.


    Aria and Vulcan both winced every time they witnessed Ste¡¯s savagebat style and aggressive personality.


    ¡¸Even knowing she¡¯s a Dragonewt, I didn¡¯t expect her to be so powerful.¡¹


    ¡¸Hunya~¡­ I¡¯m powerful, but even my power as a tiger-eared person is nothingpared to hers, nya~n.¡¹


    They knew they were no match for Ste¡¯s herculean strength. Aria¡¯s speed-focusedbat style aside, even Vulcan with the power of the Tiger-eared people coursing through her stood no chance.


    As they spoke, a wicked smile appeared on both their faces. They just remembered a monster that might give Ste a bit of a challenge.


    And that monster just happened to nest in thisbyrinth¡¯s 3rd floor¡­


    ¡ô


    The 3rd floor of thebyrinth was even colder than the second one. Suddenly, grotesque creatures appeared along with a weird crawling sound.


    Wiggle wiggle wiggle~


    ¡ºUhh¡­ What is that? I have a bad feeling about th-¡­!!!!¡»


    Fear made her body tremble as she said those words. When ying hide-and-seek with Tama before, she had used a different route. This was the first time she encountered this particr monster.


    Its name is Looper, a resident of the deeper floors of thebyrinth.


    The several tentacles that made very suspicious movements around its body were not satisfied with just seizing their prey.


    If the captured target was female, the tentacles would slip inside her clothes and sexually assault her.


    This was the monster that had cornered Aria into awakening her derivative skill¡¶Gale sh¡·.


    Ste, as a former monster, instinctively understood that this monster was the enemy of all women.


    ¡ºEE!!! This disgusting monster! Victory goes to those who strike first! ¡»


    While saying so, Ste leaped towards the Looper. She nned to finish the fight in one hit.


    BYUUN!


    However, the wriggling tentacles made a cutting sound as they moved around, baring their fangs at Ste. Contrary to their appearance they were surprisingly nimble and flexible, like a whip.


    ¡¸What!? ¡¹


    Ste was surprised since she never expected the Looper to exceed her in terms of range and speed. Incensed, she mowed down the iing tentacles with her sword.


    She tried sweeping them all in one go with a wide AOE attack.


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOOOOOOUUU!! ¡¹


    A greatsword wasn¡¯t mean for cutting, but it could dispose of those tentacles just fine.


    Thus, Ste achieved her goal.


    After she had disposed of the tentacles, Ste went for the main body, thinking the battle was over.


    The Looper, seeing its enemy fast approaching, gave a loud screech.


    ¡ºPIGIIIIIIIII!! ¡»


    From both sides of the creature, more tentacles wiggled out.


    Two of them headed straight for Ste.


    She did not cower and continued heading for the Looper with a mighty cry.


    ¡¸UGAAAAAAAAAAA¡ª¡ª!! ¡¹


    Just as the others wondered what she¡¯d do next, the Looper¡¯s tentacles managed to catch and disarm Ste, wrapping themselves around her arms.


    With Ste incapacitated, Aria and Vulcan started panicking.


    ¡¸Ste-chan, what are you do-!? ¡¹


    ¡¸This is bad, nyaa! The fear made her drop her weapon, nya! ¡¹


    They started running toward Ste in an attempt to help.


    They wouldn¡¯t let theirrade be raped right in front of them.


    Meanwhile, Tama did not move as he pondered about Ste¡¯s inactivity.


    (Did being caught by those tentacles trigger a bad memory?)


    He noticed Ste waving her arms around in a way simr to the strikes she used on him before.


    She got scared of the tentacles and her instinct overruled her reason. In short, she was trying to move as if she was still a dragon.


    (This is bad! She¡¯s still in her Dragonewt form. I can¡¯t let her hit those two while they try to help her! Can¡¯t be helped¡­!)


    Left with no other choice, Tama unleashed his most adorable purr.


    ¡¸Nya~n!!¡¹


    Tama invoked a certain skill.


    Several tentacles appeared, the same tea-striped tiger coloring as his fur.


    Tama got that skill after eating a Looper a long time ago.


    It was called ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·.


    Shuba!


    Each of those striped tentacles rushed at hisrades at ultra-high speed.


    One of them reached Ste and wrapped itself around her, while another released her greatsword from the Looper¡¯s tentacles.


    The remaining two gently captured Vulcan and Aria, being very careful as to not hurt them.


    Both of them were caught off-guard by the iing tentacles but, as they noticed those came from Tama, both women soon rxed. Their only response was a nod.


    After ensuring all hispanions were safe, he called the tentacles back and roared for the second time.


    ¡¸Nyan! (¡¶Water Howling¡·)¡¹


    This time it was his inherent skill, the ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Water Howling¡·.


    Its ultra-highpressed water shot straight at the Looper, which released a desperate cry.


    DOPAN!!


    Tama¡¯s attack pierced it right in the center.


    ¡ºPrick¡­¡­¡­¡­¡»


    The Looper gave thest grumble as it died.


    With that over, Tama turned his attention to Ste, who was still swinging her arms around. As expected, she had lost her cool and was having a panic attack.


    He sent a telepathic message, hoping to calm her down.


    ¡ª¡ªCalm down, Ste.


    ¡ª¡ª I¡¯ve finished the Looper already. What happened? I never expected a former dragon like you to lose her cool against such a weak monster.


    ¡ª¡ª ¡­


    Tama was shocked by Ste¡¯s weak reply. The reason for her panic just now¡­ Steemed from the enemy who bisected her with a ming sword one month ago.


    In other words, he was the source of her trauma.


    ¡ª¡ª Stop with that weak attitude. I can¡¯t say anything about that fear as I¡¯m responsible for your trauma. But now you¡¯re under my protection. Feel free to fight to your heart¡¯s content.


    As a man and as the one who caused her trauma, Tama couldn¡¯t stand seeing her behaving in such a pathetic manner. That¡¯s why he decided to protect her.


    From now on, it was his duty as a man to protect Ste.


    Tears spilled from Ste¡¯s eyes as she heard Tama¡¯s resolution. She gave him a wholehearted smile.

 Chapter 55: The Dragon Girl Awakened to United Front

    <h4>Chapter 55: The Dragon Girl Awakened to United Front</h4>


    As soon as Tama cut the telepathic link between him and Ste, Aria called out to him from behind.


    ¡¸Tama~¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~AH?!£¨What¡¯s wrong, mas-TER?!) ¡¹


    Turning around mid-sentence, as soon as he noticed her state he couldn¡¯t help but yelp.


    He could recognize those hearts in her eyes from a mile away. Even worse was how he could see her rubbing her thighs together, a lustful expression on her face.


    Aria had entered her ¡°Eroge¡± mode.


    (H-HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! WHY IS MY MASTER SUDDENLY SO AROUSED?!)


    Tama started to ponder what could have triggered this reaction. He had just used a skill to save everyone¡¯s lives. Somehow, this act had excited his master.


    ¡¸A~h Tama¡­ What is that wonderful skill? Those tentacles¡­ They¡¯re wa~y to obscene! Nowe mess me up with those cute tiger-striped tentacles of yours~?.¡¹


    While saying such erotic words, Aria started removing her bikini armor.


    Click!


    £¨¨D¨D!!!!!? MASTER, WHY ARE YOU GETTING EXCITED OVER THIS!? OH CRAP, HER ERO POWER SHOT THROUGH THE ROOOOOF!!¡­ EH? Wait a minute¡­ Didn¡¯t you say you were weak against tentacle-like things before?£©


    When they fought a Looper some time ago, Aria was hit by the creature¡¯s tentacle fluid and went berserk. Thus he had been convinced she hated those obscene tentacles.


    It seemed that he had misunderstood her.


    She was certainly disgusted by the mere thought ofing into contact with a Looper¡¯s tentacle.


    However, if the tentacles came from her adorable Tama¡­


    She might, no, she absolutely wanted those tentacles to defile her body.


    ¡¸Ha~h Ha~h?¡¹


    ¡¸N-Nya~~¡­ a¡¹


    Tama retreated, whimpering. Aria made her way toward him, slowly shedding her armor with each step. This process would probably continue for quite a while if not for Vulcan¡¯s timely intervention.


    By putting herself between them, she took the opportunity to scold Aria while protecting Tama¡¯s chastity at the same time.


    ¡¸What are you doing getting excited inside of abyrinth!¡¹


    Nobody expected this incident would be witnessed andpletely misunderstood by Ste.


    Tama¡¯s chastity was now in an even more precarious situation.


    ¡¸Now I understand!! So there¡¯s such a ritual before you make a child!! ¡¹


    ¡ô


    ¡ºPIKIIIIIIIIII! ¡»


    ¡ºPIKIPIKI!! ¡»


    After Aria returned to her normal state, the party resumed their exploration and headed to the inner section of the 3rd floor.


    More Loopers were defeated and two more headed their way, giving an excited shrill as soon as they spotted the two beauties.


    ¡¸Indecent monster, you should just roll over and die! I was useless in the previous fight but now you¡¯re dead meat!! ¡¹


    ¨D¨DThat¡¯s the spirit, my girl! Now go and st them away! I¡¯ve got your back covered!


    Ste blushed as she heard Tama cheering for her mentally. She leaped toward the Loopers, energized.


    DOON!


    Bashu!!


    The enemy¡¯s tentaclesshed out vigorously.


    The Loopers had every intention of catching and forcefully impregnating her, just like all the others before them.


    Ste appeared unfazed by those as she moved toward the Loopers. Her confidence came from knowing Tama was watching her.


    The powerful one who had defeated her now kept her safe.


    Tama was ready to make his move. At the same time Ste faced the enemy, Tama stepped in front of Aria and Vulcan.


    Vulcan knew by experience that Tama nned to support Ste from there. Aria also understood that, but she couldn¡¯t stop her breathing from bing rough. Her cheeks reddened.


    Perhaps she expected Tama to fight with tentacles and had weird thoughts in her mind, remembering the previous battle.


    The cat worried Aria would enter her ¡°Eroge Mode¡± again, so he decided to avoid using his tentacles this time. He¡¯d use a different skill to protect Ste.


    He gave an adorable meow as he raised his paw.


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    His paw swung down and the sound of something being ripped resounded in the room.


    Right after that, the Loopers gave an agonized scream.


    ¡ºPIKYAAAAAAAAAA!? ¡»


    Several tentacles that were targeting Ste were ripped apart, shocking the two others behind Tama.


    ¡¸N-¡­ Nya!?¡¡What in the meaow was that! ¡¹


    ¡¸Was that¡­ Another one of Tama¡¯s hidden skills?! ¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan could not mask their shocked expressions.


    The skill Tama had just used was one he had acquired a month prior, ¡¶Dragon w¡·. It created five gigantic ws out of mana that mowed down the enemy in its path.


    Tama¡¯s mastery of the skill was so great he was able to rip the Loopers¡¯ tentacles apart without hurting Ste. She continued charging ahead without a care.


    ¡ºPIKIIIIII!? ¡»


    The wounded Loopers stopped moving, standing motionlessly in ce.


    NOW!


    Taking advantage of the moment, Ste sped up even more.


    Sheunched a powerful charged attack with her Mega Shield toward the fainted Looper.


    Cloudy-colored blood sttered all over Ste¡¯s face from the Looper¡¯s crushed body.


    She didn¡¯t seem to mind it and, in fact, smiled while driving her greatsword through the other creature¡¯s body.


    This bloodthirsty nature could be described as her true nature as a dragon.


    Once all enemies were taken care of, Aria offered Ste a towel. The former dragon was covered in the remains of the monsters.


    ¡¸How did you feel fighting alongside Tama, Ste-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s fun! This is the first time I fought alongside others, I never expected it to be this fun!! ¡¹


    Ste¡¯s expression as she spoke to Aria was the textbook definition of ¡¸Refreshing¡¹.


    She cleaned her body with the towel, her reddened cheeks, and rough breathing after such a battle making her look quite ravishing.


    For the one who used to reign in thebyrinth as the top predator, this feeling of camaraderie was a new and refreshing experience for her.


    With her partner being the male she fell in love with, namely Tama, that reaction was just natural.


    ¡¸That¡¯s what you call teamwork, nya~! Since we¡¯re going to fight together as a team from now on, let¡¯s aim to be the best, nya~! ¡¹


    ¡¸OOH! Not just with Tama, but with you guys too! That sounds even more interesting! ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, I¡¯m d that you¡¯re such a good child, Ste-chan. I guess we¡¯ll form a good team right, Vulcan-san? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~! We have nothing to fear if we work as a team along with our Dragonewt, Ste-nya~n! ¡¹


    Ste was even more excited when learning that she¡¯d fight alongside the whole team, not just Tama. She felt this was her true calling.


    The two women were relieved and excited at the same time.


    With the new addition to the team, theirbat formation would be more varied.


    Meanwhile, Tama felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his back.


    £¨Fumu, in the end, everything turned out okay¡­£©


    Tama had been the only one anxious about the whole situation. Despite her current appearance, Ste was a former monster.


    Everything turned out well because of his support during her fight, he still felt uneasy. He wondered if they¡¯d truly be able to support each other when it really mattered.


    And that anxiety became a reality right after this.

 Chapter 56.1 : The Dragon Girl’s Rampage

    <h4>Chapter 56.1 : The Dragon Girl¡¯s Rampage</h4>


    ¡¸Since Ste-chan has her Dragonewt abilities and is equipped with the Mega Shield, I think she should be our¨”Tank?.¡¹


    ¡¸Tank? What is that?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s vanguard position. It¡¯s the most important role in the party because it¡¯s the one who attracts the enemies¡¯ attention. Also, since you have a greatsword, you can be both Tank and damage dealer - otherwise known as an attacker.¡¹


    Ste got a crash course on How To Be A Tank, thanks to Aria and Vulcan. After listening to their exnations about positions and the advantage of fighting as a team, sheughed.


    ¡¸GUHAHAHA! In that case, leave it to me! So it¡¯ll be okay as long as I¡¯m rampaging in the front line, right? It¡¯s truly the most suitable position for me!! ¡¹


    The knowledge that she¡¯d be fighting in the front lines made Ste excited.


    She still hesitated to fight unknown enemies but knowing that Tama would protect her kept her at ease.


    ¡°Looper? What¡¯s that?¡± Such became a target killed on sight.


    ¡¸Nya~~~!¡¡In that case, thanks a lot nya~! ¡¹


    ¡¸Our party has no tank, so we¡¯re actually being saved by you, Ste-chan.¡¹


    Both girls expressed their gratitude to Ste.


    Until then all party members, including Tama, were attackers due to the absence of a Tank.


    If push came to shove, Tama could fill the Tank role by using ¡¶Iron Body¡· and ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· in tandem with his orichalcum armor.


    But Aria and Vulcan didn¡¯t know that. Hence why the addition of (supposedly) a Dragonewt was so important to their life.


    Vulcan would be able to swing around her battle hammer around without the worry of being attacked.


    Aria would make full use of her speed to deliver sneak attacks, while All-Rounder Tama would freely move around the battlefield.


    ¡¸Well then, you¡¯ll head first to battle as our vanguard, Ste-chan¡­ Fufufu, take a look. An appropriate enemy just appeared for us, you know? ¡¹


    Aria turned around while she spoke and stared ahead with a daring smile.


    From beyond the dark passage, a new enemy headed toward them.


    ¡ºBUHI¡­¡­¡­¡»


    By sound alone, it was possible to identify it.


    It was the bipedal pig, the Orc.


    There were five of them.


    Though it was quite rare to see several Orcs at once while in this shallow floor, they appeared at just the right time.


    It was the best chance to test their teamwork with the addition of their Tank-cum-Attacker, Ste.


    ¡¸GUHAHAHA! COME AT ME, PORKY!! ¡¹


    Ste taunted her opponents by beating on her shield with her greatsword.


    The sound made by hitting the ck iron equipment together resounded in the area.


    Despite their initial interest in the threedies being based on their preferences, the Orcs¡¯ gazes ended up entirely focused on Ste because of the noise.


    ¡¸BUHIIIIIIIIIIII! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸BUMOOOOOO!¡¡BUMOOOO! ¡¹


    All of them went after Ste simultaneously.


    Apparently, they got angry when Ste called them ¡°Porky¡±.


    Two of the Orcs held stone axes, while the other three came at her barehanded.


    The first to arrive had a stone axe and it promptly swung it at Ste.


    Orcs are huge and have extraordinary strength. Common armor would not withstand even one swing of that axe. The stone coupled with their incredible strength would destroy it.


    However, this girl didn¡¯t havemon equipment.


    ¡¸Hm, THIS IS WHY YOU¡¯RE A PORKY!! ¡¹


    The Orc¡¯s attack was blocked by the Mega Shield. Despite the violent shing sound between the axe and the shield, she didn¡¯t budge at all.


    As expected of someone who could turn parts of her body into that of a dragon¡¯s.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S MY TURN!! ¡¹


    The poor creature couldn¡¯tprehend how a small girl had defended its attack. The said girl couldn¡¯t care less if it was shocked or not, she raised her greatsword and attacked the Orc.


    A shower of blood followed the Orc¡¯s agonized scream.


    ¡¸BUBYAAAAAAA¨D¨D!!??¡¹


    The source was the Orc¡¯s shoulders.


    Its hands were cut by Ste¡¯s great sw¡ª¡ª no, it was more appropriate to say they were torn by Ste¡¯s violent swing. In fact, her attack should have torn apart the shoulder all the way to its heart.


    But she had attacked from a defensive position. Her attack power dropped considerably and managed to only tear an arm off.


    In any case, the Orc that should have died painlessly was now suffering tremendous pain after losing an arm.


    ¡ºBUGIII¡­¡­¡­¡­ GIIIIIIII¡­¡­¡­! ¡»


    The sword digging into its shoulder made the Orc scream in anguish.


    The other four stopped moving and stared in awe at Ste¡¯s disy of strength.


    ¡ºBUHIIIIIIII!! ¡»


    The armless Orc screamed again and, to everyone¡¯s shock, turned around and ran away. It did not seem to care about the pain it felt, the Orc focused only on escaping.


    ¡¸WHA!? YOU¡¯RE TURNING YOUR BACK ON YOUR ENEMY!? YOU¡¯RE A MONSTER! LOOK AT YOU ACTING LIKE A PUSSY! WAIT UP RIGHT THERE!! ¡¹


    While she cussed the fleeing enemy, Ste conveniently forgot she was a former monster.


    She ended up leaving the battlefield, abandoning her party as she chased after the escaping Orc.


    ¡¸Ste-chan! You can¡¯t leave your post! ¡¹


    ¡¸Just leave that pig who deserted the battle nya~!! ¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan tried to shout after Ste, trying to make her return.


    It was a pointless effort. As a former monster, Ste wouldn¡¯t heed anything that tried to control her hunting instinct.

 Chapter 56.2 : The Dragon Girl’s Rampage

    <h4>Chapter 56.2 : The Dragon Girl¡¯s Rampage</h4>


    And just like that, she vanished into the darkness of thebyrinth.


    Tama, who had expected it to happen, cursed internally.


    (Stupid Ste, now you¡¯ve done it!£©


    By giving a short cry, he invoked a spell. All three party members were enveloped by a golden aura.


    [Note: Blessing of Super Saiyan Cat 1]


    Tama had invoked his ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    ¡ºBUHIHIHIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! ! ¡»


    The remaining Orcs immediately focused their attention on Aria and Vulcan, staring at them with lustful expressions.


    They believed they would be able to rape Aria and co as much as they wanted now that the monster-like girl was gone.


    ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped nya~, I guess it¡¯s up to us to clean up this ce right now! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes Vulcan-san!¡¡Please cover our backs, Tama! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaaa~! (Leave it to me, master!) ¡¹


    In a normal situation, Aria and co would have some difficulties fighting against four Orcs at once.


    With the ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, the battle became much easier.


    Even without it, they would¡¯ve won. That¡¯s the testament of their confidence in their own skills.


    Tama would use his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· only when necessary but this situation was also part of the training. That wasn¡¯t changing even with Ste¡¯s unexpected blunder.


    Rather, they could aim even higher with this kind of situation.


    Neither Aria nor Vulcan liked easy victories. Thus, they signaled Tama to support them from the back.


    ¡¸HERE I GO NYAAAAAA!! ¡¹


    Vulcan released a war cry as she charged toward the Orcs, taking a wide-open stance with her battle hammer.


    Unlike before, she wielded her battle hammer as if it was weightless.


    It wasn¡¯t that surprising since she was blessed with ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· and it included a great increase in physical prowess.


    Vulcan swung her battle hammer at a breakneck speed.


    The Orcs were taken by surprise and couldn¡¯t keep up with the attack. The battle hammer hit the Orc¡¯s head with a loud noise, crushing it.


    DOPAN!


    ¡ºBUGYAAAAAAA¨D¨D! ? ¡»


    Meanwhile, another scream resounded from farther ahead.


    Aria stood in front of an Orc in a stabbing stance. Her leg strength had been boosted by ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· and ¡¶eleration¡·, giving her god-like speed.


    She stood behind Vulcan just a while ago, but she had already moved and was right in front of the Orc in an instant, stabbing her knife into its eyes.


    Her knife reached all the way into its brain. The second it was dead, Aria retreated.


    The Orc copsed like a sack of potatoes, face up.


    TAAN¨D¨D!!


    Thest Orc moved toward her as it swung its stone axe.


    As it swung, it hit only air and lost its bnce. Vulcan did not miss the opportunity and drove her battle hammer into the Orc¡¯s armpit.


    Judging by the sound, the strike might have broken several of the Orc¡¯s ribs.


    BAKIN!!


    ¡¸ARIA-CHAN! ¡¹


    As soon as the attack connected Vulcan called Aria, who leaped from her crouching stance as soon as her partner shouted her name.


    Aria was fast.


    The distance between her and the enemy became zero in just a moment.


    Crossing the knives in both her hands, she decapitated the Orc¡¯s head as if she was cutting butter.


    That action was only possible due to the tamahagane and orichalcumbo present in both her knives.


    ¡¸Geez, WAIT UP STELLA-CHAN, YOU CAN¡¯T JUST LEAVE US BEHIND YOU KNOW! ¡¹


    After taking care of thest Orc, Aria shouted toward the end of the cave.


    Ste was already returning, though.


    By the blood stters over her body, the Orc that ran did not manage to escape her.


    ¡¸Why? Why should I abandon my prey? ¡¹


    Ste questioned Aria with a puzzled expression.


    For her, monster subjugation was equivalent to a hunt.


    In her eyes, Vulcan and Aria were first-rate warriors. She saw no danger in leaving them behind.


    ¡¸This time was fine because the monster was weak. But we¡¯re going to be in deep sh*t if you do this while we¡¯re facing more powerful monsters, Nyao~w! So please stop running rec¨D¨D Where are you going nyaow!? ¡¹


    Vulcan was about to exin the importance of teamwork to Ste for the second time when she noticed her target was gone.


    As she looked around, she found Ste already walking toward a new iing Orc.


    Tama, on the other hand, racked his brain for a solution.


    (Ha~h¡­ I guess I need to control that tomboy girl¡­£©

 Chapter 57 : Double Sandwiched Cat

    <h4>Chapter 57 : Double Sandwiched Cat</h4>


    ¡¸Ha~¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸S-So tire~d nya~ow¡­¡¹


    At the entrance of thebyrinth stood Aria and Vulcan. Both released deep sighs simultaneously. Just by their dropped shoulders, one could tell they were extremely exhausted.


    It was expected after all the running around they did in thebyrinth. Despite Aria and Vulcan¡¯s constant reminders to not abandon the party, Ste kept running rampant.


    Their words went into her right ear and out of the left one.


    Both of them had been caught by Looper tentacles many times due to Ste disturbing their coordination. It forced them to repeatedly endure the disgusting experience of having their bodies tickled by Looper tentacles. They were bathed in their mucus.


    Also, they were cornered many times by several Orcs at once, just one step away from being captured by them.


    The one who deserved all the credit for freeing them and breaking through the encirclement was Tama. He made the most out of his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· and ¡¶Summon Tentacle¡· skills, saving them numerous times.


    If they went even further inside, there was the possibility of them not making it in time. And so they decided to retreat and return to the city for now.


    Despite collecting a great number of materials, they were forced to leave them behind due to fatigue. In the end, the day¡¯s profits were zero.


    ¡¸Mu~h¡­ I still haven¡¯t rampaged to my heart¡¯s content yet¡­¡¹


    In great contrast to Aria and co¡¯s exhausted appearance, the main culprit of this situation was as energetic as when they entered thebyrinth. Ste still trembled in excitement even though she showed a dissatisfied face.


    ¡¸Fu~h, we finally left thebyrinth. Come here, Tama? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    At the first sight of sunlight, Aria opened her arms towards Tama, wanting to embrace him as she usually did.


    Of course, Tama would not waste the opportunity to snuggle against Aria¡¯s bountiful twin melons. He jumped lightly, being extra careful not to hurt his master¡¯s most precious assets.


    ¡¸Ha~hn! Yup, hugging Tama is enough to cure me of my fatigue! Thank you for protecting us so many times today, Tama! ? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~!? ¡¹


    As soon as her knight pet settled himself against her abundant chest, Aria¡¯s weary expression smoothed out. In gratitude, she gave him a kiss on his forehead.


    At first, he was surprised by the sudden skinship initiated by his master. But Tama soon recovered and reciprocated the kiss by rubbing his head on Aria¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡¸Geez Tama, ufufufufu!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~, I¡¯m so jealous of you, Aria-nya~n! ¡¹


    Vulcan watched in amusement as the duo frolicked right beside her.


    Meanwhile, thest member of the group could onlyin about it.


    It was none other than Ste,ining even through a telepathic message.


    ¨D¨DI refuse. Those that are permitted to hug me are only the ones approved by my master. Naturally, you need her permission to touch me.


    Tama¡¯s reply was cold and to the point. As he stated, he never hugged anyone without his master¡¯s consent.


    Not to mention that the culprit behind his master¡¯s hardships while inside the dungeon today was Ste herself. For that reason he was being extremely cold to her, hoping that she¡¯d learn her lesson.


    ¡¸Oi, Aria. Let me hug Tama.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­? I must refuse, Ste-chan. Tama is my knight and I can¡¯t allow you to touch him since your goal is to rob his chastity.¡¹


    ¡¸WHA¡­!? ¡¹


    Ste rudely referred to Aria as ¨”You?. For Aria, who rarely used such a way to call someone else, it was natural to reject Ste¡¯s request.


    For Ste, who recognized Aria as Tama¡¯s kind and gentle owner, it was a shock to be denied. She hadn¡¯t expected that Aria would reject her request.


    If it was a normal situation, Aria would allow anyone to hold and hug Tama. However, as she said, Ste was someone who aimed to take Tama¡¯s chastity.


    In short, Ste was Aria¡¯s enemy.


    Her rival was a high-level, mature beauty. There was no way she¡¯d allow Tama to be touched by a woman who nned to seduce him.


    ¡¸Tama¡­ Powerful One shouldn¡¯t be together with a weak woman like you! ¡¹


    ¡¸WHA¡­!? What are you talking about, Ste-chan!? ¡¹


    This time, Ste tantly called Aria with ¡°You[Omae]¡±. Aria was shocked to hear Ste say she wasn¡¯t an appropriate female for Tama.


    She wondered what could have happened to Ste¡¯s mental state to make her say those crude words to her.


    ¡¸I knew it after seeing today¡¯s battle!¡¡You¡¯re weaker than me. Tama shouldn¡¯t serve a woman who couldn¡¯t even beat a measly Orc! ¡¹


    £¨¡­ Eh? So that¡¯s what she meant, nya~?£©


    Vulcan was starting to understand Ste¡¯s motivation. In short, the reason Ste had followed Aria was because of Tama. Being his master, Ste believed her to be extremely powerful to be able to treat Tama like a baby.


    Ste thought that Aria was far more powerful than Tama. That¡¯s why she was so frightened when she met Aria for the first time.


    While Vulcan pondered about things, Ste approached Aria and pushed her chest against her. Her aim, of course, was Tama, who nested between her rival¡¯s melons.


    Although her breasts were not as big as Aria¡¯s, she wasn¡¯t deterred.


    ¡¸Tama,e to my breast! Come make a powerful child with me!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa~!? (HIIIIII-!?)¡¹


    Sandwiched by those oversized boobs, Tama couldn¡¯t do anything but let out an agonized cry. He buried himself even further in Aria¡¯s embrace, following his instincts as a kitten(?).


    ¡¸Fufu~n ?. Do you understand now, Ste-chan? Tama loves my breasts. Your seduction technique is useless on him.¡¹


    ¡¸GUMUMUMU¡­!¡¡Tama, are you really okay with this kind of useless woman!? If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll go all out to make you turn to me! ¡¹


    Aria freelyughed as she replied to Ste in a slightly provocative tone.


    Ste could only watch her rival in frustration. One could almost feel the sparks on the space between them.


    Tama though Ste had a point. Aria was still too inexperienced in battle, in many ways. But that had nothing to do with him.


    Despite everything, Aria loved Tama and he had pledged his loyalty to her.


    Enveloped by both women¡¯s soft and tender breasts, Tama trembled in fear.


    He wondered what he should do after this.

 Chapter 58: Nominate Commission

    <h4>Chapter 58: Nominate Commission</h4>


    POING POING~!


    BOING BOING~!


    (Ah~¡­ Being stowed between my master¡¯s breasts is asfortable as ever¡­)


    The party was on the way back from thebyrinth.


    Once again, Tama was sandwiched between Aria¡¯s soft melons.


    He enjoyed feeling through her boobs the soft vibrations of every step she took.


    ¡¸Nya~! Tama-chan¡¯s relieved face is shoooooo cu~te, nya~! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ku¡­! Just you wait, someday that expression will be mine! ¡¹


    Vulcan¡¯s chest tightened when she saw Tama¡¯s intoxicated face as he basked in Aria¡¯s maternal assets.


    On the side, Ste pouted as she plotted for the future. She was adamant about winning Tama¡¯s affection, even though she had already lost the battle.


    Her intention wasn¡¯t only procreating with the Behemoth-turned-kitten, but also to pamper him like Aria often did.


    It was a one-sided battle. Aria didn¡¯t spare a single thought to the voice of a loser dog like Ste. Her attention was solely focused on her knight, who made a face like a spoiled child.


    As they watched, cuddled and plotted, they arrived at the guild located within the central district of the city. They only managed to retrieve a small number of raw materials from the monsters they defeated, but that could be their ie.


    Their savings were on the verge of being fully depleted. But that wasn¡¯t the only reason they went to the guild.


    The first was to let Ste see them selling the raw materials from the defeated monsters. This way, she¡¯d know how to turn those materials into money.


    The second reason was for registering her as an adventurer. Since Ste herself expressed her desire for the job, the adventurer tag became a must for her.


    Learning these basic procedures would be useful for Ste if she, at some point, wished to depart from the group and go solo.


    Aria opened the guild¡¯s main door.


    It was almost evening, so the ce was packed with people. They crowded the reception counter in front of the bulletin board, surrounded the tables in group meetings and filled the bar in the inner part of the building.


    In front of the bulletin board were some adventurers choosing tomorrow¡¯smission. They were the diligent adventurers that didn¡¯t neglect nning their missions one day ahead.


    The less diligent ones went to the bar as soon as they received the reward for the day¡¯smission and promptly spent their money on ale and snacks.


    Even now, one of those drunkards merrily pped a waitress¡¯ butt inside the bar.


    ¡¸OOH! So this is the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, huh! ¡¹


    A very excited voice resounded inside the bustling guildhall. Of course, it belonged to the clueless Ste.


    Labyrinth City was a ce brimming with life. The inside of an Adventurer¡¯s Guild was even livelier than the city itself. Ste looked at the merry adventurers with a burning curiosity. Maybe such a scene felt very pleasant to her.


    ¡¸Oi, who¡¯s that girl? She¡¯s a babe! ¡¹


    ¡¸A rookie? With that body, those clothes that barely cover anything and those jeans that expose her butt¡­ SHE¡¯S F*CKING SEXYYYY! ¡¹


    The adventurer¡¯s line of sight was focused on Ste, drawn by her skimpy attire. Seeing her ck of) clothing, the men were almost immediately charmed by her beauty and raised a ruckus.


    Such a reaction was normal. A beauty stood among them, with a narrow waist and almost perfectly round hips, along with two ripe fruits on her chest. A sarashi-like attire covered those ripe fruits as a top and hot pants exposed her upper buttocks below.


    [Note: Sarashi = chest wrap, like samurai.]


    ¡¸No, wait a minute! That girl is indeed cute but take a look at Aria-chan! She¡¯s wearing¡­ BIKINI ARMOR! Her adventurer gear from before was plenty good but now¡­ HER NEW GEAR COMPLETELY EMPHASIZES THE DEPTH OF HER VALLEY!¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? SIDEBOOB IS DA BEST!! I CHOOSE VULCAN-CHAN!!¡¹


    Due to a certain adventurer¡¯s remark, the stares that had been concentrated on Ste started spreading toward Aria and Vulcan as well.


    It was as they said. Aria¡¯s current gear exposed a lot more skinpared to her previous equipment. Naturally, their main focus was the wonderful valley created by her breasts.


    But there were other parts exposed as well, as her waist, thighs, and back¡­ Aria¡¯s beautiful hipline aside, there was skin exposed from her abdomen all the way to her foot.


    Moreover, as if that level of exposure wasn¡¯t enough, the area covered by the lower parts of her bikini armor was minimal. That style wasmonly known as low-rise.


    Thest one was Vulcan. The degree of her exposure was the lowest ifpared to Ste and Aria. However, below her overall attire, she was practically naked.


    Her chest was slightly smaller than herpanions¡¯, but it was slightly exposed on the sides. Along with her healthy light brown skin, it gave her an extra degree of sexiness.


    All three were outstanding beauties of their own.


    Some of the male adventurers were hunching forward while holding onto their crotches.


    ¡¸Hm? Somehow, I feel like those males¡¯ line of sight is focusing on us. What is this creepy feeling that¡¯s crawling over my body?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhh¡­ For some reason, their gaze is even more intense than before¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~, it can¡¯t be helped, nya~. Look, we¡¯ve got Ste-chan dressed like that, and your gear doesn¡¯t help either, Aria-chan¡­¡¹


    Maybe because she noticed that the adventurers were looking at her with lewd gazes, Ste seemed to be displeased.


    Aria was reacting in the same way. The poor girl was bad at dealing with men, and her anxiety made her unintentionally tighten her hug on Tama.


    Vulcan, who had expected things to turn this way, folded her tiger ears and sighed as if giving up on the situation.


    At that time Tama let out an impressive snarl from his hiding ce in Aria¡¯s valley, warning away the male adventurers that ogled Aria and co.


    ¡¸FUSHAAAAAAA! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸HIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!? ¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Despite his cute kitten appearance he was, in fact, an S-Rank monster. His true strength and coercive power were simply overwhelming.


    The adventurers around them had just taken a glimpse of Tama¡¯s true power.


    And even though he couldn¡¯t forgive anyone who had bad intentions toward his master, he only intended to scare them.


    (Yup, I suppose that¡¯s enough. That¡¯s what they deserve for looking at my dear master with their filthy eyes.)


    After he saw the terrified faces of the male adventurers, Tama let out a cute purr with a satisfied face.


    ¡¸Fufufu, Thank you very much, Tama.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~, Tama-nyan really is a good kid, nya~.¡¹


    ¡¸Amazing! To do that simply by howling¡­! As expected of you, Powerful One! ¡¹


    The three girls praised Tama¡¯s action with delight on their faces.


    As a former dragon, Ste should be able to do at least that much, but that was something to be pondered in another moment.


    ¡¸Ara~n, if it isn¡¯t Aria and co. And that girl¡­ Is she your newrade? ¡¹


    As Aria congratted Tama for saving them by rubbing her cheek against his fur, someone called out to them. The neer¡¯s voice made the male adventurers freeze on the spot.


    The one who appeared was¡­ a 190 cm tall bodybuilder, skin-headed (wo)man wearing bandage-style attire.


    It was Arnold Hwarzenegger-san,monly known as Ana-san, the guild¡¯s (fe)male receptionist.


    ¡¸Good evening Ana-san. This girl is Ste-chan, she¡¯s our new party member starting from today! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ana-san, we want to register Ste-chan as an adventurer, nya~n! ¡¹


    Both Aria¡¯s and Vulcan¡¯s expression brightened once Arnold entered the room. They looked up to that person and knew very well what kind of person Arnold was.


    ¡¸Before that, can I have some of your time, Aria-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­? Me, what might it be? ¡¹


    Aria pondered what matter could be so important to make Arnold disregard Ste¡¯s introduction and even the matter of registering her as an adventurer.


    ¡¸Allow me to give further exnation in this regard.¡¹


    She could hear someone else¡¯s voice speaking as they approached.


    A man stood behind Arnold.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Aria-san. My name is¨”Reis?. Today I came to nominate you for amission.¡¹

 Chapter 59: The Merchant

    <h4>Chapter 59: The Merchant</h4>


    The name of the man who appeared from behind Arnold was Reis.


    He was a middle-aged man with streaks of white on his pale brown hair and wrinkles below his eyelids. With a medium build clothed in a good quality suit, he could be regarded as a rich person.


    What caught Aria¡¯s interest was what hid in the depths of his eyes, not how he was dressed. There was a great sorrow lurking behind his gaze¡­ It felt like a stagnation.


    The sixth sense of an elf who grew in nature was extremely sharp.


    They could judge, from the moment they met, whether someone had any ill intentions toward them.


    (He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person¡­ But¡­)


    Something about that man bothered Aria, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly it was. But while she pondered about it, Vulcan was extremely excited about the offer she just received.


    ¡¸A nominatedmission, that¡¯s amnya~zing! It seems that Aria-chan¡¯s skill is recognized, nya~!¡¹


    When someone was nominated for amission, it served as proof of the chosen¡¯s abilities and poprity. For Vulcan, who had trained Aria, there was no greater happiness than knowing her pupil¡¯s skills were recognized.


    Hearing Vulcan¡¯s remark, Aria couldn¡¯t help but express her concern about the situation and question Reis about his choice.


    ¡¸Nominated¡­mission? What kind of quest is that? Also, why does it have to be me? I mean, there are other higher-ranked adventurers in this guild.¡¹


    ¡¸My request is an escortmission. I¡¯m a merchant. Currently, I¡¯m transporting a certain ¡°thing¡± from Renald until ddstone, an Earl¡¯s territory. I need an escort to protect me and what I¡¯m carrying.¡¹


    ¡¸I was the one who nominated you, Aria-chan! You and Vulcan are already strong enough to defeat demons, after all. There¡¯s also Tama who single-handedly brought down four trolls by himself! Reis is a person I can trust, and I knew Aria-chan with her strong sense of justice would be the right person for the job. ?¡¹


    (Ho~¡­ So it¡¯s not just me, my dear master¡¯s abilities and credibilities were considered as factors to nominate her as well.)


    Reis¡¯s and Arnold¡¯s answers satisfied Tama.


    When they first met, Aria was just a D-rank adventurer.


    Now she had finally reached this milestone along with Vulcan.


    ¡¸My desire is for your entire group to ept thismission. Would you spare some time to sit and discuss themission in detail?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~? Me too, nya~? My apologies, nya~, but I can¡¯t ept it. I can¡¯t leave my business closed for too long, nya~.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ I understand. It truly is a pity, though.¡¹


    For some reason, Reis wanted not only Aria but Vulcan as well to participate in his request.


    Vulcan¡¯s decision to not participate was reasonable. She couldn¡¯t leave her shop closed for the three days journey by coach from Renald to ddstone, not to mention the round trip.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s hear the details of thismission. Ste-chan doesn¡¯t seem to like this kind of discussion. Vulcan-san, could you go with Ste-chan to order a meal?¡¹


    ¡¸Meowger! ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s original intent was to have Ste by her side as she discussed the contents of themission. One look at herpanion¡¯s face made her quickly change her mind.


    Ste¡¯s appearance resembled a zombie. Dazed and drooling, she stared in the direction of the bar-room from where the fragrance of food came from.


    After leaving Ste in Vulcan¡¯s capable hands, Aria headed to the conference room.


    With Tama secure in her arms, she prepared to hear the details of themission from Reis and Arnold.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s begin. As I said before, themission is an escort request for Aria-chan. The one to be escorted is Reis himself, while the cargo¡­ Is the skeleton of the ¨”Earth Dragon?¡¹


    ¡¸The skeleton of¡­ an Earth Dragon! Since you said Renald, does that mean¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s the skeleton of the dragon corpse that appeared out of nowhere in Renald a month ago. Right, Tama-chan?¡¹


    Arnold¡¯s statement confirmed Aria¡¯s suspicions.


    This so-called ¨”Certain Cargo?was a dragon corpse. The Earth Dragon that had been killed by Tama one month ago to save Aria¡¯s life in thebyrinth.


    It was Ste¡¯s former body.


    A rumor spread about Tama since he appeared around the same time as the corpse, filled with wounds. There was also a rumor about how it was all for Aria¡¯s sake.


    Arnold knew about those rumors and winked at Tama, but the kitten just tilted its head and feigned ignorance.


    ¡¸The truth is, there¡¯s an auction for the corpse of the Earth Dragon in Renald. I bid for its skeleton since I can use it for business.¡¹


    Due to his merchant profession, Reis might sell the skeleton to a cksmith as forging material or use it in another way.


    Aria worried about this ¡°other way¡±, but decided to not think too deeply about it.


    Her elf sixth sense told her Reis wasn¡¯t a bad person.


    Moreover, she trusted Arnold wouldn¡¯t try to do something to her. Before Arnold put themission on the board, themissioner¡¯s identity was checked and a trusted adventurer would be chosen toplete the request.


    ¡¸It¡¯s preferable to depart as soon as possible. Tomorrow would be ideal. As for the reward, how about this much?¡¹


    Reis presented themission notice made by the guild.


    ¡¸Are you¡­ Sure about this amount? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. This is an important cargo for me, after all.¡¹


    The reward that was written on themission notice astounded Aria.


    The sum was lower than the reward for the demon subjugation quest she received before, but it was still a huge amount of money.


    ¡¸Since there¡¯s the possibility of being ambushed by thieves, I increased the reward. This job will be dangerous, but I¡¯m sure Aria-chan and Tama-chan can do this. ?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ For you to go as far as saying that, I have no choice but to fulfill your expectations. You¡¯re with me too right, Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan~! (Of course, Master!)¡¹


    Tama¡¯s purr served as an agreement to her question, so Aria decided to ept themission.


    But there was one more question she needed to ask.


    After all, she couldn¡¯t leave Ste on her own in the city.


    ¡¸By the way, May I ask if Ste-chan is also permitted to participate in thismission?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mind as long as it is one of yourrades. There¡¯s nothing better than more escorts, right?¡¹


    With Reis agreeing to it, Aria started pondering on how to handle Ste.


    Thebyrinth provided a limited space to fight monsters. Aria thought it might be a good idea to let Ste run loose on the highway since she didn¡¯t seem to like the notion of working together.


    It was a golden opportunity to let Ste get used to the role of fighting while protecting arade.


    (Fumu¡­ Is that okay? We¡¯re being paid to escort Ste¡¯s former body, the Earth Dragon¡¯s corpse. I wonder how she¡¯ll feel about this request?)


    Tama considered asking Ste¡¯s opinion on this matter.


    She was a former enemy turnedrade. They would share blood and tears from now on.


    As he stared at her, he couldn¡¯t help but worry endlessly.


    Meanwhile, the girl in question was blissfully unaware of the situation as she devoured her food with gusto alongside Vulcan.

 Chapter 60: The Dragon Girl Recovered On Her Own

    <h4>Chapter 60: The Dragon Girl Recovered On Her Own</h4>


    Two days after agreeing to themission, Aria and co headed toward Renald.


    As they traveled, Aria conversed with Reis about the skeleton they were hired to escort. The remains of the Earth Dragon were what became of Ste before her reincarnation.


    ¡¸So only the skeleton remained, huh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸The skeleton is still intact because it was dismantled by a first-rate worker.¡¹


    Slightly apart from the chatting duo, Ste was looking up at what was left of her corpse.


    Seeing where her eyes were fixed, Tama sent her a telepathic message.


    ¡¸¡­¡¹


    ¨D¨D Are you okay, Ste?


    Tama knew beforehand that the object they had to escort was Ste¡¯s old body.


    It seemed her death left a deep trauma in her.


    She had clearly been in a slump these past two days.


    Even her gluttonous habits were affected, she had eaten like a normal person recently.


    The sudden change began when Aria suggested Ste should stay behind with Vulcan.


    Ste rejected the proposal, refusing to leave Tama¡¯s side.


    Along the way to Renald, there were monster raids and fighting was inevitable, but Ste didn¡¯t get the chance to lift even a finger. Tama made sure to dispatch all the enemies with his ¡¶Elemental Roar¡·.


    ¨D¨D What¡¯s the matter, Ste?


    ¨D¨D ¡­


    Tama was speechless.


    ¡¸By the way, Reis-san¡­ How are you going to transport this humongous skeleton? I think it¡¯s too heavy for the horses¡­¡¹


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t worry about that, Aria-san. I¡¯ve splurged my money to prepare this orichalcum-casted carriage and¨”Lizard Carrier?to pull it.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ I can feel at ease, then.¡¹


    A Lizard Carrier was a rare reptile that was more than two meters long in length.


    Smart as a horse but with a more durable body, it was the perfect animal for transporting heavy luggage for long periods.


    A sudden call interrupted the conversation.


    ¡¸Ooh, if it isn¡¯t Aria-chan and Tama-chan! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Vige Chief-san! Long time no see! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    The one who appeared to greet them was none other than the Vige Chief.


    He had spoken to them before, back when they took the subjugationmission of demon Beryl.


    He was smiling from ear to ear. After all, Tama and Aria were the heroes who had saved the vige.


    ¡¸You guys are as lively as ever, huh! Could it be¡­ Were you guys the adventurers chosen to escort this dragon skeleton? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. In fact, we were nominated in name by Reis-san over here.¡¹


    ¡¸Hohoho, that¡¯s wonderful. It seems your adventurer rank has risen up too. Well, that might be the result of you guys defeating the demon race.¡¹


    As he said so, the Vige Chief looked at Aria¡¯s chest.


    Aria¡¯s adventurer tag had changed from silver to gold, indicating her rise from C-rank to B-rank adventurer.


    Even though she defeated the demon race alongside Vulcan, it was still a great aplishment. Tama defeating 4 trolls made her rank rise even further.


    Naturally, Vulcan was promoted to B-rank as well.


    (Hm, this Vige Chief. He¡¯s staring at my dear master¡¯s cleavage while pretending to look at her tag. I guess he needs a little punishment for his mischief.£©


    Tama had already noticed the Chief¡¯sscivious gaze, but his master seemed to be oblivious.


    Taking matters into his own paws, he jumped straight onto Aria¡¯s melons. From his new position, he directed his adorable yet fierce gaze at the Chief¡¯s face.


    This intimidation tactic worked wonderfully.


    No matter how cute its appearance was, the Chief knew that elemental cat had ughtered an A-rank monster by itself.


    Letting out a small whimper, the Vige Chief quickly averted his gaze from Aria¡¯s chest.


    ¡¸T-That aside¡­ Who is the youngdy who¡¯s out of breath over there? ¡¹


    The Chief asked Aria as he looked at Ste.


    Tama had been distracted by protecting Aria from that man¡¯s lecherous gaze and hadn¡¯t noticed Ste¡¯s excited state until now.


    She was panting as if she was getting excited.


    (T-This girl! So she really is getting excited whenever she recalls the moment I killed her!?£©


    Her perversion had just skyrocketed.


    Ste was getting excited by the memory of being ughtered.


    Rather than being aroused by the memory of her death, she was actually thinking about other situations.


    Namely, what would have be of her if Tama had approached her in his ¡°Behemoth¡± form.


    She was also considering that she might have been impregnated by him in one shot.


    Those thoughts were something Tama was blissfully unaware of.


    (Well, whatever. Anything is fine as long as she manages to conquer her fear. Now she might regain her appetite and be ready to enter a battle at any moment.£©


    Tama forced himself to let it go.


    Meanwhile, the Vige Chief invited Aria and co to spend a night in this city¡¯s inn.


    The delicious dishes and open-air bath swept away their fatigue. They were fully prepared for their job.

 Chapter 61: The Abnormal Situation of The Highway

    <h4>Chapter 61: The Abnormal Situation of The Highway</h4>


    ¡¸May I ask a question?¡¹


    ¡¸Of course, Aria-san. I¡¯ll do my best to answer it.¡¹


    Reis replied to Aria¡¯s question with a bright smile on his face.


    So far, their journey was going well.


    They had been ambushed by several monsters on the way, like goblins. Tama used his ¡¶Elemental Roar¡· to sweep them clean before Aria and co stepped forward to fight them.


    They were now on the second night of their journey.


    Everyone huddled around the campsite, eating their dinner with the sound of the crackling bonfire on the background. ording to the schedule, they were supposed to arrive at ddstone just before noon.


    As long as nothing happened on the way.


    ¡¸It¡¯s about the Earth Dragon¡¯s skeleton. What are you going to do with it? I¡¯ve heard you entered the bidding for the corpse but¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll gain much profit like that.¡¹


    It was unbing of an adventurer to delve too deeply into the matters of theirmissions, especially to the ones who requested them. But Aria spent two days traveling with Reis, she knew he was a good person. He wouldn¡¯t be offended with her for asking.


    ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re right¡­ Please, you mustn¡¯t mention this to anyone. One of my acquaintances is an arms dealer, and he told me this corpse is a raw material for weapons. I¡¯ve been suspecting a big war is approaching us, so¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ I suppose this could be considered a trade secret¡­¡¹


    Aria was satisfied with his answer. She had already heard of it.


    A big war¡­ It might be a dispute between nobles, or even countries. Many big merchants got that kind of information from their connections, treating them as absolute secrets.


    The information was vague, but it was enough for Aria.


    (If a big war happens, it¡¯ll be followed by someone being falsely used¡­)


    While imagining such a situation, Aria stared at the floor.


    She¡¯d fight for justice, as long as it was against monsters or demons. She refused to be involved in a fight against other people.


    Aria¡¯s sense of justice was conflicted from being pulled to different ways.


    ¡¸Nya~n¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ Tama, are you trying tofort me? You¡¯re so cute.¡¹


    Tama, busy with his grilled meat, noticed Aria¡¯s depressed state. He abandoned his food tofort his master, climbing on herp and rubbing his face on her stomach.


    Aria smiled, affectionately brushing his head.


    ¡¸Gumumumu¡­ What¡¯s so good about that weak woman¡­¡¹


    Ste muttered as she looked at her rival and her love interest lost in their own world. She stuffed herself with grilled meat and burned with jealousy.


    Ever since that moment when she questioned Aria, Ste hadn¡¯t been able to hug Tama. Not even once. Now that Aria knew she saw Tama as a man, she never let her guard down.


    Reis quietly observed the couple¡¯s flowery exchange from the sides.


    ¡¸That Elemental Cat is really wise, don¡¯t you think?¡¹


    ¡¸Tama is above average in that regard. He seems to understand what people say. On top of that, he¡¯s also equipped with a myriad of skills.¡¹


    ¡¸Hou¡­ Does that mean he has other skills aside from the elemental attack he showed today?¡¹


    ¡¸Some of them have yet to be confirmed, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re offensive skills. Well¡­ I can¡¯t say much about it because he has the habit of hiding his skills¡­¡¹


    At that moment Aria sent Tama a reproachful gaze for always using an amazing skill at thest moment. But the kitten yed it dumb, cutely tilting its head and letting out a soft mew.


    Aria gave up on scolding her knight and started guiding Reis to his room.


    ¡¸Well, Reis-san. Now that we¡¯re done with dinner and al¨D¨D What is that sound?¡¹


    Apparently, she was the only one who heard it, because neither Ste nor Reis seemed to hear anything. They looked at her with puzzled expressions.


    Little did she know, Tama had also heard it.


    (This sounds like something being pulled¡­ Something quite heavy.)


    Only Aria and Tama had heard the strange noise. The sense of hearing of both Elf and Behemoth was vastly superior tomon people. Whatever it was, it was quite far from them, but they heard it, nheless.


    ¡¸It¡¯s gradually getting closer¡­ Tama, Ste-chan, prepare for battle!¡¹


    ¡¸NYA~AN! (Roger, Master~!)¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what kind of monster you are but you¡¯re about to be rust on my de!¡¹


    Aria unsheathed her dual knives while Ste took out her greatsword and Mega Shield.


    Reis hid behind everybody, ready to run away at the first sign of trouble.


    ¡¸Nyaaa~! (¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·!) ¡¹


    Tama buffed everyone while they prepared before facing their enemies.


    ¡¸OOH!! This is so amazing! The buff gives even night vision!¡¹


    Reis cheerfully shouted when he felt the spell buff him.


    He was unaware the ¡°night vision¡± was the true reason Tama had used his spell on everyone.


    In front of them, their enemy slowly revealed themselves, their identity familiar to Aria.


    ¡¸That is¡­ a¨”Small Treant?, right? I¡¯ve seen their picture before.¡¹


    It was indeed a Small Treant, a three meters tall nt-type monster.


    They were the type of monster that attacked by using their weight and their branches.


    ¡¸That¡¯s strange. There shouldn¡¯t be any Treants inhabiting this area¡­¡¹


    Reis was puzzled. Small Treats were native to forest areas or forest-typebyrinths.


    Neither of those ces existed around that area.


    ¡¸Now is not the time to worry about that! Tama! Use your fire breath to burn them to ashes!¡¹


    ¡¸NYAN! (Leave it to me, master! ¡¶me Howling¡·!)¡¹


    Answering to his master, Tama invoked his ¡¶me Howling¡· with an adorable purr.


    ¡ºGAGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ? ¡»


    The death throes of the Small Treant resounded into the night.


    Tama¡¯s skill was so powerful, not even the regeneration ability of the trolls could withstand its might. In the blink of an eye, the Small Treant was engulfed into mes and burned to ashes.


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­! Aria-san, we have a problem! Several small treants are approaching very quickly!¡¹


    Meanwhile, Reis noticed something behind their enemy.


    Just as he said, a crowd of treants headed towards them, their numbers greater than dozens.


    ¡¸We can escape with the wagon! It¡¯s dangerous to ride it at night, but it¡¯s better than being overrun by monsters. If we stay here, they¡¯ll overwhelm us! There¡¯s too many!¡¹


    ¡¸I understand!¡¹


    After making sure Reis was properly seated in the wagon, Aria leaped onto the coachman¡¯s seat. Tama was on her shoulder, ready to intercept any attack while Ste boarded the loading tray and readied her sword.


    ¡¸Nyan~! (¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·!)¡¹


    The buff was activated a second time, but now Tama¡¯s targets were the six Lizard Carriers that were pulling the wagon. They would need the night vision to advance through the darkness.


    ¡¸Takeoff!¡¹


    With a whip of the reins, the Lizard Carriers started running with a loud cry.


    Behind them, the Small Treants howled.


    Maybe they were angry because their victims escaped.

 Chapter 62 : Toward The New Labyrinth

    <h4>Chapter 62 : Toward The New Labyrinth</h4>


    ¡¸This is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ A forest? It¡¯s quite close to the highway, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    Reis answered from within the forest, where the group was located after escaping the treants. Many Small Treants had intercepted their path, but they were all either killed in one shot by Tama¡¯s¡¶Elemental Howl¡·or bisected by Ste¡¯s greatsword.


    ording to their map, there wasn¡¯t a forest near the highway, but their current surroundings truly resembled a forest.


    ¡ºKiKiiiiiii! ¡»


    A creepy voice resounded from inside of the forest.


    In mere moments, a two meters tall monkey-like monster appeared in front of them.


    Aria¡¯s eyes opened wide when she saw what exactly threatened them.


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ a¨”Giant Ape?!¡¹


    Giant Apes were ferocious monsters known for their hobby of tormenting humans. Theymonly appeared in forest-typebyrinths, not in forested areas.


    However, Aria wasn¡¯t surprised by its sudden appearance.


    ¡¸Could this forest¡­ be abyrinth?¡¹


    Aria, Tama, and Reis peeked out from inside of the coach as they pondered about it.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s leave this matter forter. Can I leave this monster to you, Ste-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Hmph, being ordered by Aria is so frustrating it makes me want to rampage. Leave it to me!¡¹


    As soon as she finished speaking, Ste leaped out from the roof of the carriage.


    By transforming into her dragonewt form, she boosted herself but Tama followed after her with another buff.


    ¡¸Nyaa~!¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·!¡¹


    The buff was more for his peace of mind than necessity. Giant Apes were C-rank monsters, they weren¡¯t a match for Ste.


    Tama did not forget his power and was ready to fire away his¡¶Elemental Howl¡·.


    ¡ºKikikiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! ¡»


    The Giant Ape raised its hands while making a lot of noise, attempting to intimidate the humans. It wasn¡¯t effective on Ste, though. She merely raised her Mega Shield in response.


    The loud sound of a fist against metal resounded in the area.


    ¡¸Humph! ¡¹


    Ste nonchntly swung her Mega Shield to the side.


    The Giant Ape gaped at the small human that easily defended against its fist.


    Until recently, Ste couldn¡¯t do much more than defend against attacks.


    Since she upgraded her Shield Arts, she became more skilled, capable of parrying attacks with her shield instead.


    The parry created an opening that Ste was more than happy to take advantage of.


    With a powered sh, she tore into the Giant Ape¡¯s nk.


    ¡¸Reis-san, this looks like a newly bornbyrinth¡­ !¡¹


    ¡¸To an adventurer like you, it must be a gold mine, right?¡¹


    One day, abyrinth suddenly appeared in a deserted area.


    Because of it, people discovered that recently bornbyrinths that hadn¡¯t been visited by anyone had a treasure box. Like a reward for the first to discover it, the box contained either legendary or phantasmal materials.


    For an adventurer, it was the dreand where one could make a fortune overnight.


    (I have to finish escorting Reis-san and the Earth Dragon¡¯s skeleton to a safe area first.)


    Even Aria was having a hard time resisting the temptation of a newly bornbyrinth. However, as an adventurer, she had to give priority to hermission.


    Though it felt like the newbyrinth was calling to her, she ignored it, rounding up Tama and Ste and leaving the forest.


    ¡ô


    They arrived at the gate of ddstone before the dawn, and Reis quickly expressed his gratitude for their efforts.


    ¡¸Fuuh, we barely made it out in one piece. Dear me. Thank you very much, Aria-san, Ste-san, and Tama-chan.¡¹


    During the trip, they had many monster encounters, a surprise attack in the middle of the night and even thatbyrinth that suddenly appeared near the highway.


    If not for thebination of Aria¡¯s keen judgment, Ste¡¯s power and Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, they wouldn¡¯t have arrived safely.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s our job, after all. Now, let¡¯s bring this dragon corpse to yourpany. I need to report to the guild about thepletion of themission and the newbyrinth around the highway after dawn.¡¹


    ¡¸How admirable of you, Aria-san. It¡¯s fine if you want to return to thebyrinth immediately, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Can I?¡¹


    Aria was a little embarrassed from being read so easily.


    ¡¸Of course. It¡¯s my workers¡¯ turn to work hard. I¡¯m extremely indebted to you and yourrades for escorting me so far. I want you guys to get more profit, so go to the untouchedbyrinth.¡¹


    His suggestion made sense. Reis was a man who understood the adventurers¡¯ circumstances. He knew that any adventurer would be more than willing to enter an untouchedbyrinth because of the riches inside.


    ¡¸Then¡­ Allow us to heed your advice.¡¹


    ¡¸By all means. If possible, I¡¯d be delighted if you brought any materials you find to my firm. They could use them as research objects.¡¹


    ¡¸I dly ept your offer. Then¡­ Ste-chan, Tama. Are you two ready for another round?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa~! (Leave it to me, master!)¡¹


    ¡¸Of course! My previous rampage wasn¡¯t even enough to warm up!¡¹


    Tama and Ste were eager to go. Although Ste didn¡¯t understand the temptation of a virginbyrinth, the promise of a fight was enough to fire her up.


    ¡¸I¡¯d like it if you took a Lizard Carrier with you. Once it gets too dangerous, please order it to return before you enter thebyrinth. However¡­ Doing so will force you guys to return by foot.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s plenty for us, I¡¯ll take your offer. Thank you very much!¡¹


    ¡¸Well then, Godspeed.¡¹


    Reis sent them off with a smile on his face.


    Somehow, Aria felt his smile held a bit of grief, like a bad premonition.


    But she didn¡¯t have time to think about that. Now she could sell the materials she got from a virginbyrinth straight to the merchant.


    To Aria, this was very good news. Selling the materials through the guild would lesser profits because of the intermediation fees. But as long as one had a direct connection with a merchant, there would be no need to pay intermediation fees.


    Aria wasn¡¯t a greedy person. However, she needed money toplete her dream.


    She wanted to travel the world as a warrior of justice. To do that, she needed to prepare several bases of operations. Not to mention saving for Ste¡¯s future.


    Because of those points, she needed to be the first to arrive at thatbyrinth. Even if by chance someone else had been there, she could still get some profit.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Tama, Ste-chan, let¡¯s drink a stamina potion.¡¹


    The three of them rode on a Lizard Carrier.


    Aria held the reins, with Ste behind her and Tama in her cleavage. She took out a stamina potion from her bag and gave it to them.


    ¡¸UgEEH¡­ So bitter! ¨D¨DBut my fatigue is¡­ Gone?¡¹


    Ste was taken by surprise by the potion¡¯s taste and frowned in disgust, only to be surprised again when she felt the potion taking effect.


    For a former monster like Ste, it could be said that this was the first time she had been cured by an item.


    (Yosh! I was getting sleepy, but thanks to this potion I can keep going now.)


    Even Tama¡¯s infant body that had almost sumbed to drowsiness was brought back thanks to the stamina potion.


    Aria¡¯s daydreams as she fed Tama were a story for another time.


    (Aaa~hn! It¡¯s as if I¡¯m breastfeeding him~?!)

 Chapter 63 : The Sign of Growth

    <h4>Chapter 63 : The Sign of Growth</h4>


    The group journeyed through the forest in the earliest hours of the day.


    Upon treading into the forest area, Tama noticed some signs that indicated that no one had entered that ce yet.


    (Fumu, I don¡¯t see any sign of humans around thebyrinth area yet. This is good news for us, master.£©


    He knew that fact from their venture into the forested area. They were seemingly going around in circles around a ce with overgrown vegetation, with only one ce serving as the entrance and the exit.


    So far, no human footsteps were found at the entrance of the ce. That gave him enough evidence to conclude that no one had entered this ce yet.


    Not only that, but Tama¡¯s sixth sense could feel the killing intent around them.


    (That aside, this¡­ It feels like a monster¡¯s killing intent. It seems like this ce is truly abyrinth.£©


    ¡¸Humph. They¡¯re nothing but small fry.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah¡­ I feel their presence, too. I know that you¡¯re strong, Ste-chan. But be on your guard, okay? ¡¹


    Ste, the former dragon and child of nature, could sense some monster presences inside the forest too. She let out a ferocious smile, which prompted Aria to pat her arms to try and relieve some tension pre-battle.


    Tama popped up from Aria¡¯s cleavage and rubbed his head on her cheeks.


    Aria¡¯s tension loosened when she realized what Tama was trying to do.


    ¡¸Nyaa?!¡¹


    ¡¸Oh my, Tama¡­ Did you just try to cheer me up? ¡¹


    ¡¸Gunununu¡­ Aria¡¯s cheating! ¡¹


    Ste was looking at them with a vexed look on her face.


    ¡¸Ste-chan, since Vulcan isn¡¯t with us now you need to cooperate more than before.¡¹


    ¡¸Fun! If you want to fight like that, it¡¯s you who needs to match my pace.¡¹


    Ste didn¡¯t seem to want to heed even a bit of simple advice from Aria.


    After she discovered that Aria was weaker than her, Ste¡¯s haughty attitude toward Aria didn¡¯t change even after a few days had passed.


    (That¡¯s going to be a problem¡­ Even though we finally got the chance to venture into a virginbyrinth, we might need to withdraw right away. What should I do to bait her¡­ ¨D¨D THAT¡¯S IT!£©


    Aria suddenly got a sh of inspiration about how to deal with Ste¡¯s uncooperative attitude.


    ¡¸Tama? Which one do you prefer? A woman who cooperates with everyone or a hot-blooded woman who charges ahead recklessly? You¡¯d rather have someone cooperative, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­HAAAAH!?¡¹


    Aria shed a sunny smile at Tama.


    Ste stared at Aria, speechless.


    (So that¡¯s your n, master¡­ Using me to control Ste and force her to behave, huh? Although I¡¯d rather not use such a method, we don¡¯t have much of a choice at the moment¡­£©


    Tama was a smart Behemoth, so he easily caught up to his master¡¯s intentions.


    He let out an incredibly adorable cry as he nodded.


    ¡¸Nya~n! (Leave it to me, master!) ¡¹


    It took only an instant for Aria¡¯s words, coupled with Tama¡¯s agreement, to take effect.


    Ste had rushed ahead during the conversation. After that threat, she made a U-turn, walked back toward the duo in a hurry and set her shield in front of Aria, as if to protect her.


    ¡¸GUNUNUNUNU! I-I CHANGED MY MIND! I¡¯ll fight with you, Aria! I am a woman who can cooperate with herrade! ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­¡­ Look, Tama. It seems that Ste finally wants to cooperate! Isn¡¯t that great? ¡¹


    ¡¸N-Nya~n¡­ (My master has that kind of cunning side too, huh¡­)¡¹


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s head toward the middleyer. But first, can I receive a blessing, Tama? Aside from boosting ourbat power, it¡¯ll also protect us from abnormal statuses. After all, this is a forestbyrinth. There¡¯s bound to be insect-type monsters in here.¡¹


    (Hou¡­ Master has finally noticed such details¡­ As expected, her training with Vulcan sharpened her skills even further.£©


    Tama was impressed by Aria¡¯s analysis.


    So far, she had only trained by herself. However, after forming a party with Vulcan and challengingbyrinths and monsters, Aria learned the value of information.


    Before, she didn¡¯t even know the difference between a goblin mage and amon goblin. But now, thanks to the expansion of her knowledge, she could advance smoothly even though it was the first time she entered the newbyrinth.


    And it seemed that knowledge wasn¡¯t the only ability she had learned from Vulcan.


    Aria also absorbed hermanding skills. The results were noticeable in how, despite encountering many difficulties during the nominatedmission, she was able to ovee those hurdles and even learned how to manage Ste.


    Aria grew not only in strength but as a person as well.


    That knowledge gave Tama a deep sense of aplishment, like when a father was proud of how his daughter became a fine adult.


    ¡¸Nya~n!£¨Here we go, ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·!) ¡¹


    Tama purred lightly and a golden aura spread through their bodies. With their abilities boosted, they could fight without having to worry about the monsters that inflicted abnormal statuses.


    Aside from that, the boost also granted them night vision. It was necessary for their progress since their field of vision was reduced from the poor illumination in thebyrinth. There was too little light making it through the gaps between the overgrown trees.


    ¡ºKiKI! ¡»


    ¡ºKIKIKIKIAAAA! ¡»


    A whileter, two Giant Apes appeared before them.


    ¡¸Finally you show up, monkey bastard! Now you¡¯re dead mea¨D¨D No, I mean, COME AT ME! ¡¹


    Ste prepared to jump into the fray but at thest second, she remembered Aria¡¯s words. She quickly reined herself and set the Mega Shield in a defensive stance, waiting for the iing attack.


    Tama admired her restraint. He had worried whether she could truly be relied upon once push came to shove.


    The depths of Ste¡¯s love for Tama were not as shallow as they thought.


    She even threw out her pride as a dragon to cooperate with Aria, just to make Tama notice her a little.


    ¡¸Tama, let¡¯s see how much I can do when I¡¯m fighting alongside Ste-chan! Please cover our backs with your cover fire! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaaa~! (Roger, master!) ¡¹


    Tama purred in reply and jumped down from his throne, between Aria¡¯s breasts,nding smoothly on the ground.


    Almost at the same time, the Giant Apes made their way straight toward them.


    One headed toward Aria while the other one went toward Ste.


    ¡¸You came¡­ So I¡¯ll have to do it like¡­ THIS! ¡¹


    Against the approaching foe, Ste changed into her Dragonewt form and used a charging strike with her Mega Shield, blowing back the Giant Apes.


    The other Giant Ape, when it saw what happened to itsrade, got stunned and stopped moving for a moment.


    ¡¸Nice assist, Ste-chan! ¡¹


    Not missing that momentary gap, Aria activated her ¡¶eleration¡· to hasten her movement. She leaped at the Giant Ape and stabbed her knife into its heart.


    DOSU!


    ¡ºGIIIIIIIIIIII¨D¨D! ¡»


    The Giant Ape howled in pain.


    It tried to use thest of its strength to move its arms, attempting to strangle Aria before it died. However, the Giant Ape¡¯s intentions were seen through by Tama.


    ¡¸NYAANN!!!£¨OVER MY DEAD BODY!!£© ¡¹


    The Behemoth restrained the Giant Ape with the skill¡¶Summon Tentacle¡·, preventing the monster¡¯s arms from touch his beautiful master.


    The Giant Ape never stood a chance against Tama. Unable to resist, it died.


    ¡¸T-Tama! Use your tentacles over here too! ¡¹


    ¨D¨D Leave it to me, Ste!


    Tama replied to Ste via telepathy.


    He activated his tentacles again to restrain the other Giant Ape, the one who got blown back by Ste¡¯s shield. It had already recovered and tried to stand up, but Tama¡¯s tentacles were faster.


    ¡¸This. Is. THE EEEEEND! ¡¹


    Letting out a loud war cry, Ste drove her greatsword into the head of the bound Giant Ape, killing it.


    It was awkward to admit but, judging by the result of the battle, Ste¡¯s cooperation skills got a passing grade.

 Chapter 64 : Fairy of The Forest.

    <h4>Chapter 64 : Fairy of The Forest.</h4>


    ¡¸That was amazing, Ste-chan! You act so naturally even though you say that you hate to do this! ¡¹


    ¡¸H-Humph! I¡¯m not doing this for you, Aria. It¡¯s just to let Tama know that I¡¯m the kind of woman who can work together with others! ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, saying that makes you even cuter, Ste-chan.¡¹


    Embarrassed, Ste blushed furiously at Aria¡¯s praise.


    Aside from proving her worthiness to Tama, being praised by Aria also improved her mood greatly.


    ¨D¨D Good job, Ste. Keep it up.


    Ste¡¯s eyes shone brightly after Tama¡¯s telepathic message.


    Whenever she smiled like that, Tama sometimes forgot that she had once been a dragon.


    (Humph¡­ Ste-chan and Tama were staring at each other in silence again. Just what in the world is happening between them?£©


    From a third party¡¯s perspective, Ste and Tama seemed to be merely gazing at each other. Aria, not knowing that they weremunicating from within their minds, burned with jealousy at the sight.


    She shook her head to clear those thoughts and focused her attention on the Giant Ape corpses scattered around them.


    ¡¸To be honest, I want to skin them and bring back the furs. Unfortunately, our backpack capacity is limited, so I guess I have to abandon these since they could be a hindranceter¡­¡¹


    Disappointed, Aria sighed heavily and moved away from the carcasses.


    The pelt of a Giant Ape could be sold at a fairly good price. It almost made her turn around and carry it with her despite how the extra weight would inconvenience her. Not to mention that as they ventured deeper into thebyrinth they could find a treasure box.


    Although both Aria and Ste carried their luggage on their backs, for the time being, they had to avoid increasing the weight of their packs.


    (Fumu, a Giant Ape pelt, huh? Its price is quite good¡­ Guess it¡¯s time to reveal my ¡°new¡± skill. As long as Reis-dono is the one purchasing it, we might be able to keep this skill a secret.£©


    Tama decided to go through with it and approached his master, letting out a tiny roar to catch her attention.


    ¡¸Nya~n.¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Tama? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa~ Nyaa~!£¨Look at me, master. Skill activate,¡¶Storage¡·!)¡¹


    ¡¸¨D¨DEH!? T-The corpses¡­ They disappeared! ¡¹


    ¡¸What in the world just happened here!? ¡¹


    The moment Tama activated his ¡°new¡± skill, the corpses of the Giant Apes vanished.


    Aria could not believe what she had just seen. She quickly returned to her senses and her gaze fell on Tama.


    ¡¸Tama¡­ Don¡¯t tell me.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan~! (You¡¯re right, master!) ¡¹


    A nodter, Tama invoked his ¡¶Storage¡· again.


    Thus, the Giant Ape corpses that had vanished appeared again.


    ¡¸W-What an amazing skill you got there, Tama¡­ You really are an incredible cat.¡¹


    ¡¸Amazing! As expected from the male I chose! ¡¹


    The storage-type skill was so rare, only 1 in 10000 people managed to have it. Also, ording to what Aria had heard about it, the capacity was usually so small it could only hold small items, like rings.


    Storing two entire Giant Ape corpses inside a storage space waspletely out of her expectations. Aria gave Tama a cramped smile, while Ste was simply delighted by the skill.


    ¡¸Does that mean we don¡¯t need to leave loot behind anymore? Tama, how much load can you hold in your space? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n nyaan~! (Fret not, master! There¡¯s still plenty of space left!) ¡¹


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s move on! ¡¹


    ¡¸What are you so happy about, Aria? ¡¹


    ¡¸Because we can exchange the monster corpses for gold, Ste-chan. More gold means more delicious food for you.¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that sooner! Yosh, let¡¯s crush those monsters for the sake of our FOOD! ¡¹


    Ste¡¯s eyes literally sparkled once Aria exined why collecting monster carcasses was important. Using food instead of currency made it easy for Ste to understand. Her mind was flooded with memories of the past few days and all the dishes she tasted.


    She picked up the pace, fired up by the idea of eating more delicious food.


    Aria and Tama could only follow her from behind.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Tama! Please use your Wind Howl! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan~! (Yes, master! ¡¶Aether Howling¡·!) ¡¹


    Tama followed his master¡¯s order and aimed his skill at the two bee-like monsters in front of them. They were as big as a human head with a sharp, pointed stinger. The Poison Bees.


    They were C-ranked monsters. As their name suggested, they had poison within their stingers that, once injected, slowly confused the victim until it died.


    Although poison wouldn¡¯t work on Aria and co while they had the¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·applied to them, it didn¡¯t mean that the stingers wouldn¡¯t be fatal if it hit a vital spot.


    Also, even with Aria¡¯s superb knife-throwing skills,nding a hit on the Poison Bees was almost impossible. Hence why Tama intercepted the attack with his howl.


    RUMBLEEEEE!!


    A storm swept the area above the two girls¡¯ heads, conjured by Tama¡¯s roar. The Poison Bees that were preparing to sting them were thrown out of bnce then swept away by the fierce wind.


    ¡¸Now, ¡¶eleration¡·! ¡¹


    ¡¸I won¡¯t lose! ¡¹


    Aria went after the Poison Bees.


    Thebination of her haste skill and Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· sent her flying forward like a bullet.


    Ste followed along in her dragonewt form, albeit not quite keeping up with Aria.


    The Poison Beesy on the ground, all but immobile.


    Only their wings moved, making a faint buzzing sound.


    And then, there was a sh followed by a resounding sharp sound.


    Aria beheaded one Poison Bee with a swing of her knife.


    With the sharpness of the alloy thatbined orichalcum and tamahagane coupled with Aria¡¯s extreme speed, such a feat was nothing more than a child¡¯s y.


    ¡¸You are not getting away! ¡¹


    The other Poison Bee did notst much longer.


    It got hit from the side by Ste¡¯s greatsword. The body fell to the ground and smashed into pieces.


    Seeing the Bee¡¯s body destroyed, Aria screamed as if she was being stabbed.


    ¡¸AAAH, THE LOOT!!!!! (? ? ?) ¡¹


    Both the stinger and the feathers of the Poison Bees could sell for a small sum of money. But that was just a lost dream, now that the Bee¡¯s body became a chunk of crushed meat.


    While Aria agonized over the lost loot, Tama detected a hidden presence.


    (Hm? This presence¡­)


    ¡¸Something is hiding in those bushes! ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Ste-chan, I¡¯ll distract whoever is behind those thickets with my throwing knives. Meanwhile, you and Tama attack them when they dodge my knife! ¡¹


    Both Ste and Aria felt the presence in the bushes.


    Aria took out her throwing knife from her thigh belt and got into position.


    Before she could throw, they heard two adorable voicesing from the thickets.


    ¡¸Uwa~! Wait, wait, wait, Human! We¡¯re not your enemy! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~s, don¡¯t attack us, ple~ase! ¡¹


    ¡¸Who¡¯s there? Come out! Now! ¡¹


    ¡¸R-Right away, ma¡¯am! ¡¹


    ¡¸Awawawa! Plea~se wa~it, we¡¯reing ou~t.¡¹


    The owners of the voices slowly made their way to the group.


    ¡¸N-No way¡­ A¨”Pixie?? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n!?£¨Could the other one be a ¨”Dryad?!?£© ¡¹


    Both Aria and Tama couldn¡¯t hide their surprise when they saw the two people.


    The one who appeared first was a palm-sized, pink-haired girl with wings on her back.


    Following her was a girl the size of a child, with deep green hair and pale green skin.


    ¡¸Exactly, name¡¯s ¨”Lily?. I¡¯m a pixie! ¡¹


    ¡¸My name is ¨”Faeri?, of the Dryad race. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡¹

 Chapter 65 : Extremely Curious Fairies

    <h4>Chapter 65 : Extremely Curious Fairies</h4>


    ¡¸Pikushie? Duriado? What are those? Are they delicious? ¡¹


    ¡¸They¡¯re not food, Ste-chan. They¡¯re fairy races that were famous for living in forest-typebyrinths. Even I have never seen them except in books¡­ Until now.¡¹


    Aria was delighted by the neers. She exined about the races to Ste, who had a curious look on her face. As she had just said, Lily and Faeri were fairies. Both pixies and dryads rarely appeared in front of humans.


    But ording to rumors, once they did appear, that human gained fortune overnight.


    ¡¸Ahahaha! Quite an interesting creature, aren¡¯t cha.¡¹


    ¡¸So tiny, adorable, and fluffy~!¡¹


    While Aria was talking to Ste, Lily and Faeri approached Tama with extremely curious looks on their faces.


    Faeri stretched her arms toward Tama to hug him while Lily leaped on his back and ruffled his fur.


    ¡¸Wa~i!¡¹


    ¡¸N-Nya~? ¡¹


    Being ganged up on by the two fairies, Tama didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Lily-chan and Faeri-chan, is it? This little one is called Tama. I¡¯m Aria, and this girl is Ste-chan. May I ask why you two were hiding in the bushes?¡¹


    ¡¸Ahaha, so your name is Tama! It¡¯s not just your appearance, even your name sounds adorable! ¡¹


    ¡¸Aria-san, and Ste-san, is it? The reason we hid ourselves wais because we wanted to befriend the adorable Tama-san¡­¡¹


    ¡¸And because of the delicious smell from Aria¡¯s bag! He~y, will you share a bit of those delicious smelling things with us? ¡¹


    Lily and Faeri spoke to Aria in turns as they stroked Tama¡¯s fur.


    ¡¸Delicious smell from my bag¡­ Do you mean this? ¡¹


    Aria took out a small container from her backpack.


    The moment Lily and Faeri saw it, their expression loosened.


    ¡¸AAAAAH!IWANTIWANTIWANT-I WANT TO EAT THAT! ¡¹


    ¡¸Such an amazing smell~!!¡¹


    Both of them seemed to be in a trance as soon as they looked at the honey-pickled fruit.


    It seems that fruit was the only reason they tailed Aria and the others.


    ¡¸Fufu, how adorable you are. Feel free to enjoy this.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸YA~~~y! ¡¹¡¹


    Both Lily and Faeri scrambled to eat the fruit as soon as Aria gave her permission.


    Despite grabbing the fruit with her bare hands, Faeri ate them with elegance. Lily took a smaller part of the honey-pickled fruit and munched on it.


    Their little figures with bulging cheeks were too adorable.


    ¡¸Fuha~! Faeri, human food is so yummy! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~s, what a tasty treat the human made~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri kept on talking while they devoured the honey-pickled fruit.


    Hearing that conversation, Aria got curious.


    ¡¸Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, could it be that you two met another human aside from us? Since thisbyrinth was just born, aside from us, no one should¡¯ve walked in here¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Just born? Do you mean¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Do you think this ce was~¡­ Reincarnated again? ¡¹


    Lily and Faeri exchanged looks as soon as they heard Aria¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Reincarnated¡­ Could this ce be a ¨”Reincarnation-Type Labyrinth?? ¡¹


    Labyrinths had different types. Some stayed in the same ce while continuously spawning monsters, like Labyrinth City. Others never stayed in the same ce for too long.


    Thebyrinth they were inside was the type that, once it reached the end of its duty, somehow returned to its initial state.


    ¡¸Exactly! Tell me, human¨D¨D I mean, Aria. Will you let us guide you into thisbyrinth? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ehh!?? Is that really okay, Lily-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸Of course~. We received yummy fo~od, and I want to befriend Tama-chan to~o! On top of that, Aria and the others don¡¯t seem to be bad people~.¡¹


    Aria was quite surprised at the offer. Contrary to her, Faeri was rtively calm. It seemed that she was already bewitched by Tama¡¯s adorable appearance.


    Lily and Faeri started to pet Tama¡¯s fur again as they spoke to Aria.


    ¡¸GUNUGNUNUNUNU! Even though he doesn¡¯t even let me hug him yet! Oi, little one! Separate yourself from Tama! ¡¹


    ¡¸Hyii~! H-Her body transformed when she got angry! ¡¹


    ¡¸She¡¯s like a drago~n! ¡¹


    Seeing how they were able to touch Tama freely while she couldn¡¯t, Ste snapped. Desperate to drive the two away, she changed into her dragonewt form.


    ¨D¨DThat¡¯s enough, Ste!


    Once he saw how Lily and Faeri trembled in fear, Tama stepped in and blocked Ste.


    She unwillingly canceled her transformation.


    ¡¸Geez, can¡¯t be helped. Listen, Ste-chan. I¡¯ll allow you to hug Tama just once, but only after we capture thisbyrinth and return to ddstone.¡¹


    (M-MASTER, I CAN¡¯T BELIEVE YOU SOLD ME! YOU¡¯RE SUCH A TYRA-¡­!?£©


    Tama was shocked by Aria¡¯s words.


    His eyes opened adorably wide in distress.


    ¡¸WHAT!? YOU¡¯RE NOT KIDDING, RIGHT, ARIA !? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a reward for your willingness to cooperate with me, Ste-chan. Nevertheless, it¡¯s JUST ONCE. Do you understand? ¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAAAAY! Alright, Pikushi and Draiad over there! Lead the way! The sooner we¡¯re done, the sooner we can go back! ¡¹


    Aria and Ste made such a decision while disregarding the one being bargained, Tama himself.


    Tama could onlyment that his master was getting used to using him as bait to control Ste. He knew Aria wasn¡¯t letting down her guard around Ste with one concession, but he was still wary.


    ¡¸Then GOOOO! Will you be our friend after this, Tama? ¡¹


    ¡¸Fluffing Tama¡¯s fur is sho~ irresistible~.¡¹


    Lily and Faeri only demanded Tama¡¯s friendship in exchange for guiding Aria and the others through thebyrinth, even though the group wasn¡¯t knowledgeable about how rtionships worked with fairies.


    Nevertheless, the situation was a massive stroke of luck for Aria.


    They had basically gained fairy-race navigators to capture a virginbyrinth.


    ¡¸So, what kind of things are you looking for in thisbyrinth? ¡¹


    ¡¸Is it a monster pe~lt? Or maybe a medicinal ~nt? ¡¹


    ¡¸Wow, any of those two would be wonderful, but we¡¯re looking for the treasure box first. Have you two seen something like an ornamental box? ¡¹


    Aria felt that a virginbyrinth should have at least one of those untouched treasure boxes.


    To her, it was much more valuable than any loot they could collect in there.


    ¡¸There is, right, Faeri? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Lily-cha~n. Then we¡¯ll guide you to those boxes fi~rst¡¹


    Their reply was as Aria expected.


    Aria was extremely delighted by the situation. She raised Tama and, with a victory cheer, stashed him right in the valley between her breasts.

 Chapter 66: Droplet of Truth

    <h4>Chapter 66: Droplet of Truth</h4>


    They had been walking for a while, advancing through thebyrinth with Lily and Faeri guiding them when monsters intercepted them. Four small treants were ahead of Aria and co, blocking the path. They had probably tracked their scent through the forest.


    Small Treants were nt-type creatures that ate meat and usually had brutal personalities.


    They wanted to hunt Aria and the group and feast on their meat.


    Tama aimed for the thick branch-like arms of the Small Treants and used one of his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·.


    ¡¸Nyan~!¡¶Water Howling¡·! ¡¹


    The highlypressed water broke the branches with a ¡°Snap!¡±


    Lily and Faeri quickly went to Tama and fluffed his fur, marveling at his strength.


    ¡¸Tama~! You¡¯re so cool! ¡¹


    ¡¸He¡¯s so tiny and adorable, and yet so stro~ng! ¡¹


    Tama could have used¡¶me Howling¡·instead of¡¶Water Howling¡·to dispatch those Treants, but it would¡¯ve been a bad idea. Using a fire attribute spell on a nt-type monster while in a forest-typebyrinth would¡¯ve started a forest fire. If they didn¡¯t die of suffocation, they would have been burned alive.


    ¡ºGIGYAAAAA! ¡»


    The Small Treants screeched loudly, but if it was due to pain or anger, no one knew.


    They charged ahead mindlessly. With their branches all snapped off, they had lost their primary means of attacking.


    Unfortunately, they were intercepted.


    ¡¸NOW IT¡¯S MY TURN! ¡¹


    It was Ste¡¯s job, as the vanguard, to finish off the iing Small Treants.


    Although it could barely be counted as a formation, she stepped forward and set her Mega Shield in front of Aria and Tama. It did not take long for the bodies of the monsters to collide with the shield.


    ¡ºGIIIN!? ¡»


    The Small Treants were astonished that Ste was able to withstand their attack. They could only see the thin limbs of a young girl but surprisingly enough, she easily defended against their ramming attack.


    Not only defending, but Ste also started pushing back, overpowering them with her shield.


    The monsters lost their bnce and fell backward, rolling over and dragging down the other Treants behind them.


    Tama took the opening Ste gave him and quickly summoned a predator skill.


    Several tentacles rose from his shadow, seizing the Small Treants from behind.


    ¡¸Nyan!¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·! ¡¹


    ¡¸DIEEEE!! ¡¹


    Since the monsters were all wrapped up by Tama¡¯s tentacles, Ste quickly moved toward two bound Small Treants and swung her greatsword at them. Such a bold move was only possible thanks to Tama¡¯s tentacles.


    The two Small Treants were neatly bisected in half.


    Their death throes resounded in thebyrinth.


    ¡ºGIGYAAAAAA¨D¨D!? ¡»


    Another shadow quickly approached thest bound monster at a breakneck speed.


    It was Aria, who had activated her¡¶eleration¡·skill. In her hands were the knives personally forged by Vulcan.


    She jumped on the Treant¡¯s restrained body and quickly stabbed her knives into the left side of the monster, on the chest area.


    Located in that spot was the Treant¡¯s core. It was necessary for them to live, the equivalent of a heart in a human body. Aria had heard that fact from Vulcan, who taught her about many monster weaknesses.


    Thest of the Small Treants, with its core pierced, convulsed pitifully.


    It died without even onest punchline.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Well, it¡¯s not perfect, but your cooperation is much better now. With Ste-chan as the tank, me as the speed attacker and Tama as support, we make a great team.¡¹


    Ever since Aria dangled in front of Ste the carrot named ¡°Tama¡¯s Hug Ticket¡±, she had be much more cooperative. Although she still focused on the front and disregarded anything that came from behind them, that degree of growth couldn¡¯t be criticized.


    Moreover, there was plenty of room to improve while they were inside such a low-level dungeon and Tama acted as a backup. At that pace, they could steadily improve their cooperation level.


    If they added Vulcan, who was house-sitting in Labyrinth City, as another vanguard, their party would be even more ideal.


    ¡¸Fuhe~! What a surprise! Turns out Tama isn¡¯t the only strong adventurer here, Aria and Ste are plenty strong as well!¡¹


    ¡¸Aria moves like the wind while Ste is as strong as a dragon.¡¹


    Lily and Faerimented with astonished looks as they saw Aria sheath her knives back into the scabbards strapped to her hips.


    ¡¸What¡¯s your evaluation about the adventurers who fought in thisbyrinth before it reincarnated, Lily-chan and Faeri-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s see~¡­ From what I could see from the shadows, everyone was working together! ¡¹


    ¡¸Even so, I don¡¯t think any of their fighting power surpassed Aria and the others.¡¹


    Lily and Faeri replied to Aria¡¯s query with sincerity.


    Naturally, it was rare for parties to have all the members with advanced skills.


    ¡¸Putting that aside, is that the treasure box Aria was looking for?¡¹


    Lily pointed at a box ahead of them.


    When the rest of the party turned their heads, there stood a little ornamental box. Its size fit Aria¡¯s hands perfectly.


    ¡¸This is¡­ The treasure box!¡¹


    Aria ran ahead and stretched her hands toward the box a bit reverently.


    Tama, fearful that his master would be teleported somewhere else without him, swiftly jumped on her shoulder. He stared at Aria with a vignt look on his small, adorable face.


    He had personal experience with being transported to a loweryer of thebyrinth without warning. It had happened before, back in Labyrinth City when he hadn¡¯t yet met Aria. If that happened to his master and he wasn¡¯t with her, she wouldn¡¯t make it back.


    Aria picked up the box. It was made of metal, with gem-like ornaments over its surface.


    Selling that box alone would already bring her huge profits.


    ¡¸Ahahaha! Humans always have the same reaction whenever they find that box, right! ¡¹


    ¡¸Most seem delighted, inde~ed.¡¹


    Lily and Faeri saw how Aria¡¯s hands trembled while she held the box and couldn¡¯t help but crack jokes. That scene had repeated itself many times since thebyrinth was created.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s open the box and see what¡¯s stored inside¡­¡¹


    Aria lifted the lid of the box carefully, a look of expectation illuminating her face.


    ¡¸Huh! What a letdown. It¡¯s just a little bit of sparkling liquid.¡¹


    Ste peeked inside the opened box andmented dismissively.


    As she said, the treasure box contained only a small, transparent ss bottle. The ss itself was beautifully decorated, holding a pale blue liquid inside. Whatever was inside that bottle, it sparkled like a sea of stars.


    However, someone else had recognized the contents.


    (This color¡­ And the sparkling¡­ Don¡¯t tell me!£©


    ¡¸¨”Droplet¡­ of Truth?? ¡¹


    Just as Tama realized what the liquid was, Aria arrived at the same conclusion.


    The Droplet of Truth was an extremely rare potion. A single drop of it could make anyone speak their most hidden secrets.


    ¡¸ording to what I¡¯ve heard before, the manufacturing method was never revealed. That means¡­ This is¡­¡¹


    Aria¡¯s hands shook as she carefully lifted the bottle from the box.


    The potion was simply too valuable.


    With its recipe lost, it was hailed as the most secret of all potions.


    That Droplet of Truth had certainly note from thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Ste-chan, you can¡¯t tell anyone that we found this, okay? If people know, bad guys will target us to steal it.¡¹


    ¡¸Whatever, I don¡¯t care about the liquid. I¡¯m only interested in Tama and food.¡¹


    The effects of the Droplet of Truth were simply amazing. However, it could easily be misused.


    Aria had warned Ste not to mention the potion to others, but Ste acted as if she truly didn¡¯t care about it or its effects.


    ¡¸He~y Aria, you look extremely excited by this finding, but¡­¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s still another treasure box, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­!!? There are still other treasure boxes?!¡¹


    Aria¡¯s eyes shone even brighter once she heard the two fairies¡¯ remark.


    The party quickly followed them further into thebyrinth in search of more treasure boxes.

 Chapter 67: The Company Chairman’s Abnormal State

    <h4>Chapter 67: The Company Chairman¡¯s Abnormal State</h4>


    ¡¸HAA¨D¨DAA!! ¡¹


    A woman ran at top speed toward her enemy, releasing a war cry. Her target was the bosom of a Giant Ape.


    The monster showed no signs of movement, despite noticing its opponent closing in, due to a huge cut on its side. That wound was inflicted by Ste, using her greatsword.


    Also, the Giant Ape¡¯s shoulders and arms were pierced by many of Aria¡¯s knives.


    DOSU¨D¨D!


    With aplicated move, the knives in Aria¡¯s hands pierced right into the Giant Ape¡¯s weak point: its heart.


    ¡¸Fuuh, our cooperation became even better, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Huhm! I can do at least this much!¡¹


    After obtaining the Droplet of Truth, the group encountered a few enemies, but they easily ughtered them with their teamwork. Despite having worked together for only a short time, their cooperation evolved at an astounding speed.


    Faeri started looking around relentlessly, trying to locate another box.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ It should be somewhere around this area~¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Look over there, Aria!¡¹


    Lily suddenly pointed in a direction and sure enough, there was another ornamental box there.


    Another treasure box.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ Shall we see what¡¯s inside this one?¡¹


    Aria stretched her hands toward the treasure box with an expectant look on her face. Of course, Tama was right beside her just in case the box held a transfer magic crystal.


    The treasure box was quite small and fit easily in Aria¡¯s hands.


    ¡¸Is this¡­ A key?¡¹


    Inside the box, there was a huge key, almost as big as Aria¡¯s hands. It was crafted from what appeared to be some sort of ck mineral. It could be a magical item.


    Its surface shone blue, with a strange ripple spreading intermittently through the key.


    ¡¸Oh my¡­ Why did we find a key in a treasure box?¡¹


    ¡¸Lily-chan¡­ Could this key have something to do with the big gate in thebyrinth?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. That key is a magical item needed to open the¨”Boss Room?.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ BOSS ROOM?! That means there¡¯s only one floor in this ce. We won¡¯t find any stairs no matter how far we advance through the forest.¡¹


    The Boss Room was here the most powerful monster in thebyrinth resided. In Labyrinth City, it was the room where Ste used to live in as the Earth Dragon.


    Boss monsters were existences that were above normal monsters, a non-standard type of creature that ruled over that floor.


    Since thebyrinth had only one floor, the Boss Room was separated from the rest of the floor by a gate.


    And the key in Aria¡¯s hand was the magic item they needed to enter that room.


    ¡¸Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, do you know what kind of boss monster resides in thisbyrinth?¡¹


    ¡¸Hmm¡­ I know it¡¯s a giant tree monster, but I can¡¯t remember what thest adventurer called it¡­ Do you remember, Faeri?¡¹


    ¡¸They called it ¨”Treant Drake??.¡¹


    A Drake was a wingless bipedal monster that greatly resembled a dragon. They were around 4 to 6 meters long and, ording to researchers, Drake races were divided into elements.


    Their ranking also depended on it, ranging from £Ã£«?£Â£« depending on their elements.


    ¡¸Drake, huh¡­ There¡¯s a chance we can defeat it, but¡­¡¹


    Aria worried about the difficulty of killing a Drake. If they seeded, they would profit a lot from the corpse¡¯s materials. There was also a high possibility of them finding an exclusive treasure box. It would be hidden in the deepest part of the Boss Room, containing a very rare item.


    Under normal circumstances, anyone would be tempted to defeat such a foe.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s retreat for now. Everyone must be tired, and we don¡¯t need to fear someone stealing our bounty since we already have the only key that opens this door.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~!¡¹


    (As expected of my master, she has such clear judgment.£©


    Aria¡¯s orders made Tama purr in admiration.


    Ste followed obediently if one didn¡¯t count herints that she hadn¡¯t yet rampaged enough.


    But she quickly forgot about such insignificant things once Aria mentioned eating something delicious soon. The dragonewt¡¯s eyes were almost aze in expectation, glued to Aria¡¯s back.


    The two fairies began fluffing Tama again.


    ¡¸Hey, Aria. Please take us too! ¡¹


    ¡¸We finally became Tama-chan¡¯s friend! Please don¡¯t leave u~s.¡¹


    ¡¸GUNUNU! I wish I could order you to let go of him, but I must hold myself back. After you¡¯re done, Tama will be mine to fluff.¡¹


    Ste still remembered Aria¡¯s promise.


    She cooperated a lot while in thebyrinth, which earned her one fluff after they arrived in the city.


    ¡¸Yes, we¡¯re indebted to Lily-chan and Faeri-chan for guiding us through thisbyrinth, after all¡­¡¹


    Aria made a troubled face as she stared at Tama, who still didn¡¯t know what was so fascinating about his fur. She secretly wanted to fluff the Fairy duo.


    She was very much on board with weing Lily and Faeri to their party, since it would be much easier to navigate in thebyrinth with their help.


    Most of all, she liked those two pure and cute spirits. Living together didn¡¯t seem to be a bad choice.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mind if youe with us, Lily-chan, Faeri-chan. But a human city is a dangerous ce, you know? Do you still want toe?¡¹


    Just as she said, human cities were a dangerous ce for people of the Fairy race. Their rarity made them into livestock to be traded amongst human collectors.


    Although such an act shouldn¡¯t bemitted, it wasn¡¯t forbidden either. Especially in the case of faeries like Lily and Faeri who had extremely cute appearances.


    The people who sold Fairies for cash would surely aim for them.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it!¡¹


    ¡¸We havebat skills, and we¡¯ll be safer if wee along with Tama-chan and the others.¡¹


    Lily and Faeri replied so to a worried Aria.


    There was no way someone who lived in abyrinth didn¡¯t have a skill or two.


    Both fairies had their own fighting methods.


    ¡¸Understood. Thene back to the city with us! I¡¯ll treat you to many sweets when we get back.¡¹


    ¡¸YA~Y!¡¹


    ¡¸YAHO~~~~O!¡¹


    Once they heard Aria¡¯s words, both fairies jumped in happiness. They celebrated by dancing around Tama.


    It seemed that they really love sweets.


    Well, not a surprise. They look like children, after all.


    ¡ô


    Tama quietly nestled between Aria¡¯s melons when he spotted a party of adventurersing toward them from the direction of the city.


    (Huh, a party of adventurers¡­ Kukuku¡­ They¡¯re going to be very surprised when they spot us.)


    They were probably heading toward the newbyrinth to capture it. They had set out the moment they heard the news of a newly bornbyrinth. Thus, the party was startled to see Aria and co walking from the opposite direction that they headed to.


    ¡¸Hey, you guys. Could it be you¡¯ve already explored theby¨D¨D EH, Fairy race!?¡¹


    The leader of the group couldn¡¯t hide his surprise when he saw the two fairies apanying Aria¡¯s group.


    ¡¸Yes, we were exploring thebyrinth till just a while ago. We met them during our exploration, and they helped us.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-You were assisted by fairies?! And you all look so satisfied¡­ You guys must have hauled many treasures¡­¡¹


    It seemed like the male adventurer who spoke to Aria was capable of judging their harvest just by paying attention to how she spoke to him.


    It was a base skill that every leader should have.


    ¡¸Oh, well. That doesn¡¯t mean we lost our chance since it¡¯s impossible for a small party like yours to explore an entirebyrinth. RAISE YOUR SPIRITS, EVERYONE! THE REST OF THE TREASURES ARE WAITING FOR US!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸OOOOOU! ¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The man turned out to be the leader of his party. With a few words of motivation, he sessfully changed the mood if hisrades. The entire party brimmed with vigor as they continued toward thebyrinth.


    The leader stayed behind for a while longer to talk to Aria.


    ¡¸My apologies for stopping you.¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. Just please be careful, thebyrinth is filled with Giant Apes, Small Treants, and Poison Bees, okay?¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Thank you very much for the information. My name is ¨”Joey?. Let me treat you to a round of drinks when we get back from thebyrinth!¡¹


    ¡¸My name is Aria. This girl is Ste-chan, and this kitten is Tama. These two fairies are Lily-chan and Faeri-chan.¡¹


    Introductions done, each party went their separate ways.


    Joey was unaware that Tama, still between Aria¡¯s breasts, had formed a high opinion of him.


    (Hmm¡­ That Joey fellow had an earnest expression. He didn¡¯t even look at my dear master with lust-filled eyes. What a wonderful guy.)


    ¡ô


    The group¡¯s first stop, once they arrived at the city, was Reis¡¯s firm. Upon entering, they were cheerfully greeted by a saleswoman.


    ¡¸Wee back. Aria-sama, Ste-sama. I¡¯ve heard about you from our president. Please follow me, this way.¡¹


    The saleswoman guided then toward Reis, who weed the group with a bright smile.


    ¡¸Wee back, Aria-san, Ste-san, and Tama-chan. How was your explorati¨D¨DON!?¡¹


    Reis was shocked when he saw Aria¡¯s group in thepany of fairies.


    ¡¸¡­ Reis-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah¡­ M-My apologies. A Pixie and a Dryad¨D¨D This is my first time seeing members of the Fairy race with my own eyes¡­ That aside, I just remembered I have an urgent matter to attend. I¡¯ve already reported that youpleted themission, so don¡¯t forget to collect your reward at the guildter. Also, inform my employee about the item you acquired from thebyrinth. Well¡­ Eh.¡¹


    Ste was about to ask why he was behaving so strangely when Reis suddenly bid his goodbyes and left the room, retreating to his back office in a hurry.


    The scene left Aria and the others speechless. It was so sudden that they couldn¡¯t discern a reason that Reis would act like that.


    For a moment, when Reis looked at Lily and Faeri, his pupils which usually were like deep stagnant pools¡­ shone brightly.

 Chapter 68: Sublime Smile And The Firm President’s Past

    <h4>Chapter 68: Sublime Smile And The Firm President¡¯s Past</h4>


    Inside a certain inn in ddstone, a figure slept peacefully on a bed. Between her voluptuous breastsy a cat. Those two were Ste and Tama.


    Every now and then Ste¡¯s soft and sleepy voice could be heard as she mumbled whatever happened in her dream.


    ¡¸Ufufufu~¡­ Tama is mi~ne¡­¡¹


    Some time had passed since they sold thebyrinth materials to Reis¡¯s store. Aria and co, after receiving their payment, found a well-established inn and decided to rest until evening.


    Ste took the opportunity to collect her payment in Tama Hugs which Aria had promised her.


    Tama had nned to refuse since Aria didn¡¯t ask for his permission when she made the deal with Ste. However, the moment he tried to escape her grasp Ste began to cry. He had no other choice but to sacrifice his body to calm her down.


    It was his fault for being too kind. As a kind knight, there was no way he would abandon a crying girl, even if she was a former monster.


    Ste really wanted to hug Tama.


    That desire mighte from wanting to imitate Aria but, despite being a former monster, she hugged Tama with great care. Her loving gesture continued even after they climbed into bed and she brushed his fur.


    The image made Aria lower her vignce slightly.


    (It seems she isn¡¯t going after Tama¡¯s seed anymore.)


    And so, Ariaid down on the bed next to those two and slept peacefully. Faeri the Dryad slept right next to Aria on the bed while Lily the Pixie made herselffortable atop Aria¡¯s breasts.


    It seemed like they also felt sleepy after seeing everyone lie down. Their faces looked very innocent and childlike while they were asleep.


    They apparently felt safe sleeping beside Saintly Aria and her deadly twin melons.


    ¡ô


    Once they caught up with their sleep, Aria and co left their room on the evening of that same day. Their destination was the inn bar, in search of something to eat.


    Right then, a voice called out from a corner of the bar.


    ¡¸Oh, if it isn¡¯t Aria and the others! ¡¹


    ¡¸Good evening, Joey-san. It seems that you just got back from thebyrinth.¡¹


    It was the same party they met on their way back to the city. The leader, Joey, had a flushed face from drinking. Looking at his party members, he wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Everyone at that party looked very satisfied.


    They hauled in a lot of treasure, but not as much as Aria and co.


    ¡¸As we promised you before, will youe and enjoy a meal with us?¡¹


    ¡¸Then allow us to intrude on your merry celebration.¡¹


    Normally, Aria would¡¯ve rejected such an offer. But since their party had a female and Joey didn¡¯t give Aria any unpleasant nces, she judged it was okay to ept the invitation.


    Tama nodded in satisfaction at the sight of his master drinking juice.


    (I¡¯m d she chose a non-alcoholic drink. Even with her love for liquor, my master isn¡¯tpletely unguarded. That¡¯s another weight off my shoulders.)


    Once everyone was seated, the food was served. Lily and Faeri tasted human food for the first time and couldn¡¯t help but exim in delight at the taste.


    ¡¸Uwa! What is thi~s!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s so sweet, fluffy, and delicio~us!¡¹


    On the table, before them, there was a pancake covered in cream and swimming in honey. Aria ordered it for the fairies since they preferred sweets over meat and vegetables.


    Both fairies¡¯ faces were glowing with happiness. Faeri touched her stuffed cheeks with her tiny hands, while Lily fluttered around with a blissful expression.


    Beside them was Tama, who was bent over a te eating the steak that his master diced for him. There was also Ste, heartily chowing down the meat stick to the bone.


    ¡¸Nya~! (I can¡¯t get enough of this!)¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, MEAT IS DA BEST! ¡¹


    ording to the waitress, that was the specialty dish of the bar, pickled in a special sauce made from fruit and spices. Its vor was by no means inferior to the food at the inn of Labyrinth City.


    As she enjoyed her meal, Aria made small talk with Joey.


    ¡¸Aria-san, the guild staff told me they have no memories of you and your party selling your harvested materials through them. Are you selling directly to President Reis¡¯s firm?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, we received an escortmission from him and he offered to buy our harvested materials immediately. Which reminds me¡­ I¡¯m worried about Reis-san. His state a while ago was rather¡­ strange.¡¹


    ¡¸President Reis acting strange¡­ Maybe it has something to do with his past?¡¹


    ¡¸His past? Can you tell me about it, Joey-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Yeah, I think it¡¯s best if you know since you¡¯re staying in this city¡­ No one dares to speak about this but everyone knows that ¨”Earl ddstone?, the lord of this city, is an extremely annoying piece of sh#t. He¡¯ll kidnap any beautiful girl who manages to catch his interest to fulfill his lust in any way he can.¡¹


    Joey surveyed the area as he spoke to her in a very low voice.


    Aria was shocked by what she was told.


    ¡¸Why is that Lord allowed to do that!?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like we¡¯re allowing him to do as he pleases. The Earl is a man with a very glib tongue. We have no evidence of his evil deeds and if we dare say something about it, he¡¯ll use his authority to crush us.¡¹


    ¡¸Why did such a person be the Lord¡­ Moreover, what¡¯s the rtion of this story with Reis-san?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know the details because I heard it from another person. Apparently a long time ago the Lord kidnapped his fiancee. When she returned to President Reis a few days after her disappearance¡­ She was a mutted corpse.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡¹


    Joey finished the story, and Aria didn¡¯t ask for more details. Even Tama had long stopped eating to listen to Joey. To think Reis could smile so brightly while having such a past¡­


    Noticing how the mood if the table had dropped, Joey ordered more liquor to liven up the atmosphere.


    ¡¸Sorry for telling you such a gloomy story, let¡¯s drink! Today is our treat!¡¹


    Although Aria was smiling at his words, it was only to meet Joey¡¯s expectations. After hearing such a tragic story, her heart couldn¡¯t really enjoy the party anymore.


    ¡ô


    In a secluded room of a certain firm, the moonlight illuminated a man¡¯s figure. Heughed alone as he held two magical items in his hands.


    One was a silver-colored bell-like object while the other was a blood-colored small arrow, respectively held in his right and left hands.


    ¡¸Fufufufu¡­ After so many years, I finally obtained these items. The corpse of the Earth Dragon was outside my expectations, but for a Pixie and a Dryad to appear right in front of me¡­ The timing is perfect.¡¹


    Reis watched quietly as the Earth Dragon skeleton was carried inside his firm¡¯s building.


    A warped smile appeared on his face, inplete contrast to his usual bright disposition.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯m so close¡­ Wait for me¡­¡¹


    He paused and muttered a girl¡¯s name as if referring a goddess.


    ¡¸¡­ ¨”Eliza?.¡¹

 Chapter 69.1: New Skill And Vanishing Fairies

    <h4>Chapter 69.1: New Skill And Vanishing Fairies</h4>


    Aria and co started their day by going to thebyrinth in the morning. They arrived at a gate that had a floating ck te. They knew it was the gate to the Boss Room due to the keyhole on the surface of the te.


    ¡¸This is¡­ The gate to the Boss Room.¡¹


    The gate itself was fed by mana. Blue ripples of some sort of energy constantly spread from the center toward the sides.


    ¡¸Now, Aria, the path toward the Boss Room will open once you insert the key. ¡¹


    ¡¸Although you should have no problem fighting against this guy, please don¡¯t let your guard down~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were the ones who guided the party toward the Boss Room via the shortest route.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for guiding us here, Lily-chan, Faeri-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Aria? We will be waiting for you here until you defeat that guy!¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯ll be togethe~er, we¡¯re friends after a~ll.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu¡­ Okay then, Lily-chan, Faeri-chan. Let¡¯s go and kick the ass of the Boss inside this room. Onward, Tama, Ste-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan~! (Aye Aye, Master!)¡¹


    ¡¸Those small fries bored me to death. I can finally rampage as much as I want against the Boss!¡¹


    Both Tama and Ste were in high spirits. They were very excited and replied cheerfully to Aria. Once she heard them, Aria pulled the key that they obtained yesterday from between her breasts.


    The key was the perfect size for the keyhole in front of them.


    With a flick of the wrist, Aria turned the key and the gate unlocked. The door vanished with a ¡°Gachan!¡± and a shining road appeared before them.


    ¡¸Beyond this road lies the Boss of thebyrinth¡­¡¹


    (Surely, this is the first time my master feels such horrifying killing intent.£©


    Tama had noticed how Aria trembled lightly as she spoke. Ste, on the other hand, was almost bouncing in ce from excitement.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to fight the monster beyond the shining road.


    ¡¸Well, then¡­ See youter, Lily-chan, Faeri-chan!¡¹


    With a determined expression, Aria walked toward the room along with Tama and Ste.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºGUOOOOOOOOOOO! ¡»


    A roar resounded inside the room.


    Aria and co advanced toward the Boss. Their path had no grass or tree, extending to a mysteriously spacious area. Waiting for them right in the middle was a bipedal dragon with a tree-like body that was almost 4 meters tall.


    Its eyes were originally shut as if it was asleep. However, the moment Aria and co approached they must have crossed some invisible threshold because the dragon¡¯s eyes opened and it let out a fearsome roar.


    ¡¸As expected of a Drake! Such an impressive force! But we won¡¯t falter! Ste-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸I understand! Nuun¡­!¡¹


    The moment she saw the Treant Drake she was momentarily stunned but Aria quickly regained herposure.


    One order was all it took for Ste to jump forward with her Mega Shield, ready to intercept any attack.


    ¡ºGUOOOO! ¡»


    The Drake took Ste¡¯s stance as a challenge and picked her as its first prey. It faced Ste and swung down its giant w.


    GAKI¨D¨DIIIN!


    The sh between the dragon¡¯s ws and Ste¡¯s Mega Shield created a shower of sparks.


    Despite its low rank, a dragon was still a dragon. Ste was being pushed back by the Boss, even though she was in her dragonewt form and had Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· buff on her.


    But Ste had no intention of being the Boss¡¯s punching bag.


    She held her greatsword above her head and drove it into the Drake¡¯s ws in a big swooping arc.


    ¡ºGUOOOOOOO!? ¡»


    The Treant Drake roared in pain. The ws that Ste hit were bent in an unnatural position.


    Although it was a dragon, the Treant Drake¡¯s body was made of wood. One physical blow from Ste was already a critical hit for the Boss.


    ¡¸NYAN~! (NOW!) ¡¹


    Tama stormed out from behind Aria¡¯s leg and swiftly moved around the Drake that was faltering because of the pain. His speed was greatly enhanced by his ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·buff. He aimed at the dragon¡¯s legs and fired one of his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·.


    ¡¸NYAAAN!! (Here goes nothing, ¡¶me Howling¡·!) ¡¹


    The howl conjured a fire so strong that it took less than a blink of the eyes for the me to engulf the Drake¡¯s legs. Although the dragon tried to extinguish the fire, it was to no avail. Its legs werepletely carbonized.


    After the fire fizzled out, the dragon¡¯s legs snapped with a crisp sound due to the Drake¡¯s struggle to douse the mes.


    It was the moment Aria had been waiting for. Sheunched herself across the gap between her and the Boss with the speed of a bullet, making a beeline toward the monster¡¯s chest.


    DAN¨D¨D!


    The Treant Drake felt danger approaching and swung its uninjured ws toward Aria.


    Unfortunately, Tama was ready to intercept it.


    ¡¸NYAN!!!!! (OVER MY DEAD BODY, ¡¶Summon Tentacle¡·!!!!!)¡¹


    Tama manipted his ¡¶Summon Tentacle¡· and entangled the Treant Drake¡¯s arms, shifting the orbit of the attack and protecting Aria.


    Aria, having already guessed that Tama would make that move, didn¡¯t falter even a bit. She plunged both her knives right into the dragon¡¯s chest.


    DOSUUUUU!


    ¡ºGU-¡­ OOOOOOOOOOO¡­! ¡»


    The Treant Drake gave onest roar and died.


    Aria¡¯s boss capture strategy worked like a charm.


    She knew dragons depended on the core inside their chests to live. Thus, she waited for the opportunity to strike it.


    Leaving the defense to Ste and using Tama¡¯s ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· as a decoy, she waited until it couldn¡¯t move anymore before rushing in with the finishing move.


    Once she confirmed the dragon was dead, she cheered the win with herpanions.


    ¡¸WE DID IT! Tama, Ste-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaaaa~! (Well done, master!)¡¹


    ¡¸Now I can eat more delicious food! ¡¹


    Tama was happy that his master¡¯s strategies were executed smoothly.


    Ste was already on cloud nine just from imagining how big the banquet would be after they returned.


    ¡¸Tama, can you store this Treant Drake corpse?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa! (Yes, master!) ¡¹

 Chapter 69.2: New Skill And Vanishing Fairies

    <h4>Chapter 69.2: New Skill And Vanishing Fairies</h4>


    In answer to Aria¡¯s question, Tama invoked his ¡¶Storage¡· skill and ced the entire corpse of Treant Drake in another dimension.


    Watching how the skill swallowed the dragon¡¯s body put a strained smile on Aria¡¯s face.


    ¡¸S-Such a huge corpse can be stowed, too¡­¡¹


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    An ornamental box appeared on the ce where the corpse of Treant Drake vanished.


    ¡¸A treasure box, and in the boss room on top of that¡­ I wonder what¡¯s stored inside¡­¡¹


    Aria opened the treasure box and found a rolled parchment inside.


    ¡¸Is this a scroll?¡¹


    ¡¸Sukoro~l, what¡¯s that? Is that delicious?¡¹


    ¡¸Ste-chan, a scroll is a magic item that grants a skill to its user. I¡­ don¡¯t know what kind of skill is written in this scroll since thenguage it is written on is quite ancient.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa!? Nyaaa! (WHAT!? The scroll was written in the ancientnguage?! Master, use that on yourself!)¡¹


    Scrolls written in the ancientnguage could give their users an¨”Ancient Skill?.


    Skills were divided into tiers.


    There were Low Tier Skills, Middle Tier Skills, Advanced Tier Skills, and OverSkills. Above those were Inherent Skills, which were exclusive for each person, and a rare tier called Ancient Skills.


    Almost every skill from OverSkill tier and above his an extremely powerful potential.


    If the scroll they obtained was truly able to bestow its user with an Ancient Skill, it would give Aria a huge boost in firepower.


    ¡¸Are you telling me to use this scroll on myself, Tama? Even so, Ste-chan might want to use it too, and selling this will¡­¡¹


    ¡¸NyAN!!! (DON¡¯T SELL THIS SCROLL, MASTER!!!) ¡¹


    ¡¸Humph, I have no need for a new skill. I have yet to use my trump card! Use it on yourself, Aria. After all, you¡¯re quite weak.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll use it on myself. ¡­ Here goes nothing. Activate scroll!¡¹


    The moment Aria spoke the activation words, the scroll dissolved into light particles and her body was enveloped by a dazzling light.


    ¡¸¡­ Hmm!? T-This is! NO WAY, AN ANCIENT SKILL! The skill name is¡¶Sacred de¡·and its attribute is¡­ ¨”Holy?!?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa!? (HOLY!?)¡¹


    By using the scroll, all the knowledge contained inside of it was immediately imnted into Aria¡¯s consciousness. Once she learned about the skill she acquired, Aria was shocked. Tama was equally surprised.


    Holy Element was known for being extremely powerful - when used appropriately. The owner of that element was said to have a power rivaling that of the Demon King. In other words, the Hero.


    Also, monsters of all attributes were weak to Holy Element, including the Demon Race and the Demon King.


    Such a powerful element enveloped into an Ancient Skill¡­ It was natural that both Aria and Tama were shocked by it.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s test this skill.¡¶SACRED BLADE¡·!¡¹


    Aria swung one of her knives in a downward motion. The skill activated and a pir of silvery light was released from her de. The pir of light dug a hole into the ground as if it was as soft as butter.


    The skill ended and a high pitched sound, like a word from God, resounded in the area for a moment.


    ¡¸T-The ground was¡­ Gouged. The range should be around one meter? Such an amazing skill¡­¡¹


    Aria was left astonished for a second time by the casting speed of the skill and its power.


    Tama was satisfied with the performance of ¡¶Sacred de¡·.


    (Yup, it¡¯s an extremely powerful skill. I guess this much is enough topensate for my master¡¯sck of firepower. Moreover, its length stretched only during the invocation time. That means it won¡¯t disturb my master¡¯s movements. It¡¯s not only an excellent skill, but it also has greatpatibility with her too.£©


    ¡¸I still need to get used to this skill¡­ I guess we need to regroup with Lily-chan and Faeri-chan first.¡¹


    Although she wanted to try something with her new skill, Aria decided to leave it for another moment. They needed to leave the Boss Room immediately and regroup with Lily and Faeri, who waited outside.


    ¡ô


    As soon as the party stepped out of the room, they noticed the fairies were not waiting for them as they promised.


    ¡¸EH? Lily-chan, Faeri-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸LILY! FAERI! WHERE ARE YOU! ¡¹


    Ste called out to them in a loud voice. Not out of concern, though. She just wanted to return to ddstone and enjoy a hot meal faster.


    However, the fairies didn¡¯t show up or reply to both Aria and Ste.


    ¡¸Maybe something happened to them? Let¡¯s look for them, Tama, Ste-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan~! (Aye Aye, Master!)¡¹


    ¡¸Geez, what a pair of troublesome girls!¡¹


    The trio began a mad search for the fairies.


    Unfortunately, no matter how much they looked, they couldn¡¯t find them. A few hours had already passed since they began their search, but it was futile.


    A bell-like sound echoed inside thebyrinth, but Aria was too busy looking for the two fairies to notice it.

 Chapter 70: The Crime of The Earl and The Unusual Phenomenon of The City

    <h4>Chapter 70: The Crime of The Earl and The Unusual Phenomenon of The City</h4>


    ¡¸¡­ We couldn¡¯t find them anywhere.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­ (Master¡­)¡¹


    Their party returned to ddstone in low spirits.


    Even Ste couldn¡¯t muster up her usual liveliness.


    Out of all three, Aria seemed to be the one despairing the most.


    (Where did you girls run off to¡­)


    ¡¸OH! If it isn¡¯t Aria-chan!¡¹


    Someone suddenly called out to her, making Aria turn around. She saw some people with armor and helmets waving at her.


    They were the Knight Brigade of Labyrinth City. Namely Kenny, Dany, Howard, and Marietta. However, Captain Cedric didn¡¯t seem to be apanying them¡­


    ¡¸Dany-san? Everyone is here too¡­ What¡¯s the matter? ¡¹


    ¡¸We came for joint training with the Knight Brigade of this city.¡¹


    ¡¸We already passed through several cities for the same training.¡¹


    The joint training of the Knight Brigades of ddstone and Labyrinth City urred several times a year.


    Kenny and Marietta were the first to notice that Aria was looking around in search of Cedric, their Captain.


    ¡¸Themander is handling some business in another city right now.¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s another confidential mission.¡¹


    ¡¸By the way, Aria-chan¡­ Who¡¯s the pretty girl over there? ¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I have yet to introduce her to everyone. Her name is Ste-chan, the newest member of our party.¡¹


    ¡¸He~¡­ Newrade, huh! Best regards, Ste-chan.¡¹


    Dany and the other knights warmly introduced themselves to Ste, who replied awkwardly to them.


    ¡¸And that shield¡­ Could it be the Mega Shield from Vulcan-san¡¯s store?¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Vulcan-san said that shield belonged to her former party member, Sakura. Sakura-san was your formermander, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s as you say. I never thought I would see another person using that stupidly huge shield.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s almost time, Dany.¡¹


    ¡¸Oops! Thanks for reminding me, Howard. See youter, Aria-chan. We have to go to joint training now.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, please do your best.¡¹


    Aria and her group saw Dany and the other knights off. However, meeting acquaintances in that kind of ce made her feel a bit concerned.


    ¡ô


    The group made their way toward Reis¡¯s firm to sell the loot they acquired in thebyrinth. Namely, the material from the Treant Drake.


    But the firm was closed for the day.


    ¡¸EH? Reis-san is taking the day-off today? In that case, we¡¯ll rest for today as well.¡¹


    Although the city¡¯s guild also handled the purchasing of raw materials, they required amission fee for their services.


    Selling to the guild meant lesser profits so Aria and co decided to visit Reis¡¯s firm again the next day.


    ¡ô


    Upon their return to the inn, a middle-aged man called out to Aria and the others. His appearance suggested he might be someone from a noble house.


    A butler, perhaps.


    ¡¸Excuse me, are you Aria-san? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s me¡­¡¹


    Aria replied to the butler with a bit of nervousness, which was natural. After all, she couldn¡¯t help but associate the nobility of the city with that infamous Earl Joey.


    ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s great. The lord of this city, Earl ddstone-sama has invited you to his mansion. Make sure toe.¡¹


    Naturally, the butler was one of that Lord¡¯s subordinates.


    He ordered her without even batting an eysh as if it was natural for her to ept it and immediately obey. It seemed like the rumors about Aria¡¯s beauty had already reached the Lord¡¯s ears, despite their short stay in the city.


    The other guests around the inn looked at Aria with sympathetic looks on their faces. They were probably aware of the fate of the women who caught the Earl¡¯s interest.


    Tama caught on to that and red at the butler with a fierce expression.


    (Like I¡¯ll let you hurt my master!)


    The butler faltered for a moment under Tama¡¯s gaze but quickly recovered, thanks to the Lord¡¯s authority.


    ¡¸¡­!!? You-you can¡¯t refuse this! If you don¡¯t obey the city Lord¡¯s orders, you¡¯ll be judged as a criminal!¡¹


    ¡¸And the girl over there is a beauty, too. Youe along with her! Earl-sama will be extremely pleased with you.¡¹


    ¡¸Though I don¡¯t know what in the hell you¡¯re talking about, I REFUSE.¡¹


    Stepletely disregarded the butler¡¯s order with her usual arrogant tone.


    If she was still the Earth Dragon, she would¡¯ve gotten rid of the butler the moment he started annoying her with his orders.


    However, she had mellowed out a lot after being acquainted with Aria and the others. She wouldn¡¯t attack anyone without provocation.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s just y along for now, Ste-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸NYAN?! (MASTER?!) ¡¹


    Even Tama was shocked by Aria¡¯s deration.


    But the moment he looked at her face he understood her intentions.


    (Oh, so that¡¯s your n!)


    In any case, if they refused the invitation, they¡¯d be regarded as criminals.


    They just needed to y along with the Earl¡¯s wishes until they confirmed the truth about the rumors. Then, they¡¯d deliver judgment in the name of justice.


    Aria, being a clever girl, knew she¡¯d seed since she had a trump card for the situation.


    Tama had arrived at the same conclusion as his master and stopped ring at the butler, settling on hugging Aria obediently.


    ¡¸Good. Then, please get on the carriage that is waiting in front of the inn.¡¹


    ¡ô


    The group obediently entered the carriage as per the butler¡¯s orders.


    Ste had been against it but, with another promise of a full course meal, Aria was able to force herpliance for a bit longer.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at the Earl¡¯s mansion.


    They entered and were guided toward a guest room, where they waited until a pig-like man appeared. His gaudy robe disyed his rotten fashion sense.


    It was none other than Earl ddstone, the man who disgraced so many girls and the source of the misfortune of many people.


    ¡¸Hohou! Such beauty! This is the first time in my life I see such beauty! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet y¨D¨D¡¹


    ¡¸FOOL, SCRAP THE GREETING! DRINK YOUR TEA FIRST! ¡¹


    The Earl rudely interrupted Aria¡¯s greeting and demanded they drink the tea. He wasn¡¯t even bothering to disguise that he had something nned from the moment they were invited.


    Aria was on high alert as she raised the teacup to her lips. She snuck a nce at Tama and whispered to him.


    ¡¸Tama, I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡¹


    Her loyal knight had also prepared for the situation.


    The moment Aria¡¯s lips touched the teacup, Tama invoked his ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    Seeing Aria suddenly wrapped in a golden light, the Earl shouted in rm.


    ¡¸WHAT THE HECK!?¡¹


    Aria took a sip of the tea,pletely ignoring the Earl¡¯s shouts.


    ¡¸Fufufu, this is delicious. Earl-sama.¡¹


    He was even more surprised by what she said.


    Aria sent a piercing re toward the Earl.


    ¡¸Unfortunately for you, I am resistant toward the poison you added in this tea. This must serve as an aphrodisiac and probably induces hallucination too, right?¡¹


    The tea had truly been spiked by the Earl. But it was no match for the ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·. Thanks to the blessing¡¯s side effect, she managed to determine what kind of poison was inside her tea.


    ¡¸W-WHat the hell you are talking about! I would never do something like spiking your tea with poison!¡¹


    ¡¸In that case, how about you try drinking the tea yourself? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Kuh! ¡¹


    The Earl was cornered by Aria.


    (I got you now!)


    Aria was convinced of her victory¡­


    ¡­ Until a servant barged into the room, looking horrified.


    ¡¸EARL-SAMA, THERE¡¯S AN EMERGENCY! ¡¹


    ¡¸What happened? Of all times¡­!¡¹


    ¡¸The undead! An army of undead suddenly appeared in the middle of the city! ¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!? What do you mean!? ¡¹


    The servant¡¯s words made the Earl anxious, but it was already good that he didn¡¯t try to run at the first sign of danger.


    ¡¸It¡¯s an emergency! Tama, Ste-chan, let¡¯s head toward the center of the city! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan! (Aye Aye, Master!) ¡¹


    ¡¸Though I don¡¯t know what you mean, I SMELL A SCENE WHERE I CAN GO WILD AS MUCH AS I WANT! ¡¹


    The Earl had been cornered, but an even more urgent task had appeared.


    Tama and Aria had a strong sense of justice. They couldn¡¯t overlook the people who needed their help. Ste just followed behind them out of curiosity.

 Chapter 71.1: Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 71.1: Revenge</h4>


    Strange inorganic sounds could be heard as several undead monsters named ¨”Skeletons?marched through the city.


    They indiscriminately shed at anyone near them with their bone swords.


    KATAKATAKATAKATA!!!


    The center of ddstone resembled a painting of Hell. Screams echoed around the neighborhood as the blood flowed down the streets silently.


    The skeletons brandished their swords while nking their teeth in a mockery of augh.


    One of them stood in front of a girl.


    The child was frozen with fear, unable to say a word.


    The skeleton swung down its sword to take her life, but it was stopped by a sh of light and a shout.


    ¡¸HOLD RIGHT THERE! ¡¹


    The skeleton didn¡¯t resist the magic and crumbled away.


    The person who just swept in and saved the girl was none other than Aria. That sh of light was her skill, ¡¶Sacred de¡·.


    She turned toward the girl with a smile.


    ¡¸You¡¯re safe now. Please, get away from this ce! ¡¹


    ¡¸T-Thank you very much! ¡¹


    The girl mustered up enough strength to stand up again. Then she unsteadily ran toward where there were fewer skeletons.


    ¡¸Still¡­ How can there be so many skeletons invading the city?! We have to save the citizens! Tama, please support me from behind. We¡¯re going to prioritize the skeletons that are attacking citizens. Ste-chan¡­ It¡¯s time to rampage.¡¹


    ¡¸NYAN~! (Leave it to me, master!) ¡¹


    ¡¸WAHAHAHA! IT¡¯S SHOWTIME! ¡¹


    Aria knew they¡¯d probably face a seemingly endless number of skeletons. She wanted both her teammates to work together and steadily bring down the number of skeletons.


    However, those skeletons were busy attacking themon folk.


    Rescuing the citizens and reducing the number of skeletons became their number one priority.


    Fortunately, Aria learned a Holy attribute skill, ¡¶Sacred de¡· just a while ago.


    Skeletons were known for their weaknesses, namely Fire and Holy attribute, and blunt weapons.


    These skeletons were just the right prey for Aria.


    ¡¸¡¶Sacred de¡·!¡¹


    Aria closed in on the rampaging skeletons and shot them down with her Holy attribute skill. The silvery light of Aria¡¯s Sacred de decapitated the skeleton¡¯s head.


    Another skeleton approached from behind and swung its sword at her. Aria had already noticed the one behind her but instead, she focused on the skeleton in front of her.


    After all, she had her reliable pet knight guarding her back.


    ¡¸NYAAA!!! (LEAVE THIS ONE TO ME, MASTER!!!)¡¹


    As she expected, Tama immediately moved to protect her back. His lovely tail was enveloped in a crimson light as he let out an incredibly adorable cry.


    Then, with a loud sound, a pir of me appeared from Tama¡¯s tail.


    BYUUUN!


    Upon a closer look, the me pir looked very much like a sword. It stretched out toward the skeleton that tried to backstab Aria and smashed its skull.


    At the same time, Aria finished with the skeleton in front of her.


    ¡¸T-Tama, you¡­ You have close-ranged skills too!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    Even Aria was surprised by Tama¡¯s new skill. As for the man (cat) himself, well¡­ His only response was his usual adorable purr.


    The skill Tama used was one of his ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡· inherent skill, ¡¶me Edge¡·.


    Tama had judged that ¡¶Summon Tentacle¡· alone would not be enough to protect Aria in that situation. Thus, he decided it was time to show his close-ranged skill, which he had been hiding until then, to decrease the number of enemies.


    The ¡¶me Howling¡· of his¡¶Elemental Howl¡· skill was the best choice to quickly shave down the number of enemies with its wider attack range.


    Unfortunately, it was a dangerous skill to use in the middle of a town because it could identally burn down a building and the citizens.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the me Sword that sent me to oblivion! Not even the former me could withstand that firepower! ¡¹


    Ste seemed to be having some sort of internal conflict, perhaps due to witnessing the skill that killed her in her previous life.


    However, it did not stop her from swinging her greatsword and Mega Shield toward numerous skeletons around her, sending her opponents to oblivion.


    Just like Aria stated before, skeletons were very weak against blunt weapons. Ste swung around her shield and her humongous greatsword, which specialized in ¡°Smashing¡± rather than ¡°Cutting.¡±


    ¡¸Look, those adventurers are fighting back! Everyone, ASSIST THEM! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸ROGER! ¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Themand resounded on the battlefield after Aria¡¯s party had reduced around 10% of the enemies.


    Soldiers had arrived to assist them. Among what looked like the knight order of ddstone stood Dany, Howard, Marietta, and Kenny.


    Aria weed them with a big smile on her face.


    ¡¸Dany-san! ¡¹


    Once Dang gave the signal, the knights immediately attacked the skeletons. The enemies were being dispatched at an incredibly fast pace, as expected of a proper knight order.


    From the opposite direction of where the knights came from, she heard another shout.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not just the knights, we¡¯re here too! ¡¹


    ¡¸Although this isn¡¯t amission, we¡¯ll be out of jobs if we lose the city. EVERYONE, CHAAARGE!!¡¹


    The new arrivals were the adventurers, led by Joey. They charged toward the skeletons and joined the fray.


    The adventurers were very skilled. Compared to the knight order, their skills were weaker. However, theypensated that with teamwork and cooperation.


    Their assistance renewed Aria¡¯s hope.


    (Now we might be able to somehow protect the city!£©


    Using the time they were buying her to rest, she took a potion from her thigh belt and drank it.


    Her new skill ¡¶Sacred de¡·consumed so much mana. She was empty just from using the skill a few times.


    While she drank the potion, she heard a voiceing not too far from where she sat.


    ¡¸What a drag. Those skeletons should¡¯ve massacred the people in the center of the city following my n and headed for the mansion of the Earl¡­¡¹


    When she turned to look, she discovered that the person stood in front of Reis¡¯s firm, looking at the situation with bloodshot eyes.


    It was Reis himself.


    ¡¸Reis¡­-San? Just now¡­ No, why are they with you??¡¹

 Chapter 71.2: Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 71.2: Revenge</h4>


    Aria stared at Reis with a dumbfounded look.


    Right below him, standing by his feet, were the two fairies she had searched so hard for.


    Lily and Faeri stared back at her with a nk look on their eyes.


    ¡¸They¡¯re under my magic item¡¯s control. It¡¯smonly known as ¨”Fairy Envement Bell?.¡¹


    Reis showed the bell in his left hand to Aria. It was the magic item that he mentioned to her before.


    Right then, the bell rang softly and a pale blue ripple spread over the skin of the two fairies.


    ¡¸That sound¡­ So you were the one who kidnapped them back in thebyrinth! Just what are you trying to achieve?! ¡¹


    ¡¸Kukuku¡­ You are correct Aria-san. I am the one who kidnapped them. I need them to achieve my goal.¡¹


    The soft sound she had heard in thebyrinth had been that bell. That was the reason for the fairies¡¯ disappearance.


    Reis pushed out his right hand as he revealed a wicked smile. His hand sped an arrow-like thing. The moment he did so, both fairies let out a pained scream.


    ¡¸¡¸AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! ¡¹¡¹


    At the same time, particles of light came out from their bodies and were sucked into the arrow.


    ¡¸What in the world?! Please, stop this! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaaa! (You fiend!)¡¹


    They didn¡¯t know what he had done but the way Reis restrained Lily and Faeri somehow caused them pain.


    That alone was enough reason for Tama and Aria to move.


    The moment they attacked, Reis chanted a spell.


    ¡¸¡¶Create Skeleton¡·! ¡¹


    Small pirs of light blocked Tama and Aria.


    As they wondered how long it would take for the light to dissipate, dozens if skeletons appeared in front of them.


    ¡¸Undead summoning¡­ Reis-san, are you a ¨”Necromancer??! ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Aria-san. I have the skill to create undead. And with this skill¡­ I will have my revenge on that Earl and destroy this city! ¡¹


    Reis was shouting with an overly excited voice. He looked deranged, with his eyes opened wide and spit flying out of his mouth every time he spoke.


    His words reminded Tama of the conversation with Joey and the story about Reis¡¯s fiancee. She had ended up as the Earl¡¯s ything and was sent back to him as a corpse.


    (Revenge¡­ I see.£©


    For that reason, Reis would destroy the city.


    He¡¯d snatch everything from the Earl, just like he snatched the woman he loved the most.


    ¡¸You see, I couldn¡¯t use it properly until now. I didn¡¯t have enough mana. The most I could summon was two skeletons. But thanks to these two fairies, I now have a vast amount of mana and I can finally have my revenge! ¡¹


    It was as if Reis was releasing all the darkness he had secretly hoarded for years.


    He directed the skeletons to attack Aria and Tama.


    The reason he had kidnapped the fairies was due to the immense mana pool of the fairy race.


    To ess that mana pool, he used the Fairy Envement Bell to bind the will of the fairies. Then, he used the ¨”Mana Drain Arrow? to absorb their mana.


    ¡¸Their mana is so wonderful! Now I can summon more than enough skeletons to destroy this city! ¡¹


    Reis had finally abandoned all pretense of normalcy.


    By then, Aria and Tama had defeated the recently summoned skeletons. Ste had also joined the fray. She needed to recharge her stamina before she could rampage again.


    The knights and adventurers fought against the army of skeletons around them.


    ¡¸Your n is doomed to fail. We¡¯ll defeat you! ¡¹


    Aria shouted at Reis while she pointed the tip of her knife at him.


    ¡¸Your resistance is futile. I still have a trump card. My¨”Joker?! ¡¹


    Reis raised his arms and hispany¡¯s building exploded, a giant figure emerging from it.


    DOGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!


    ¡¸Is that¡­ ?!¡¹


    ¡¸NyAA!!!£¨The Earth Dragon¡¯s Skeleton!!!)¡¹


    ¡¸YOU BASTARD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY BODY?! ¡¹


    Both Tama and Aria were shocked.


    Ste, on the other hand, was downright pissed.


    The giant figure that emerged from the building was the very same Earth Dragon skeleton Aria and her party had escorted to ddstone.


    But it wasn¡¯t just a skeleton anymore. ck miasma leaked from it as it stood on its four limbs. It was almost as if it was still alive.


    The same miasma that poured from the Earth Dragon¡¯s remains was visibly leaking from Reis¡¯s body.


    Ste was incensed.


    Reis was controlling her former body, the body of an S-Rank monster.


    Uneptable.


    ¡¸Do it! Earth Dragon¡­ No, you¡¯re an ¨”Undead Dragon? now! KILL ANYONE WHO HINDERS MY REVENGE! ¡¹


    GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


    Answering to Reis, the Earth Dragon¡¯s skeleton, now an Undead Dragon, raised a warcry toward the heavens.

 Chapter 72.1: Conclusion of Gladdstone’s Riot

    <h4>Chapter 72.1: Conclusion of ddstone¡¯s Riot</h4>


    ¡¸GUH¡­! ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s body was paralyzed due to fear.


    It was a natural reaction for someone who experienced the thundering roar of an S-ranked monster, a roar that could shake the atmosphere.


    But Aria was blessed with Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, which also protected its bearer from fear.


    Even if her body trembled in fear for a moment, a spark of courage returned to Aria¡¯s eyes in the next moment as she stared at the Undead Dragon with a firm, resolute look in her eyes.


    ¡¸Nyaa?! (Master, don¡¯t tell me¡­ You can still fight?!)¡¹


    As soon as he noticed the look on Aria¡¯s face, Tama unintentionally cried out. Aria just looked at him and nodded.


    ¡¸It is just my corpse¡­ But anyone who dares to manipte my former body will DIE BY MY HANDS! ¡¹


    Ste set a stance with her greatsword as she shouted those words. She was really angry seeing her corpse used like that.


    A bulging vein could be seen on her forehead.


    ¡¸For some reason, I feel that this guy is dangerous! Half of the troops, attack the Dragon! The other half, escort the civilians to a safe ce! ¡¹


    After the Undead Dragon appeared, Dany started giving orders to the troops. Joey also gave orders to the adventurers.


    ¡¸Stay out of my way!¡¶Create Skeleton¡·! ¡¹


    Reis cried out, creating another crowd of undead appeared in front of the troops and adventurers that had arrived, intending to assist Aria and her party.


    Meanwhile, Tama red fiercely at the Undead Dragon. His tail stood tall with¡¶me Edge¡·activated.


    (Kuh¡­ I don¡¯t know for how long I can fight with this body¡­ But it¡¯s all or nothing!)


    His opponent was an S-ranked Undead Monster.


    Back then, when he fought Ste¡¯s previous incarnation, he had evolved into his adult form and crushed the Earth Dragon. But the current Tama didn¡¯t have that ¡°Evolution¡± avable anywhere in his status.


    While he pondered on how to fight the Undead Dragon, it swung its forefeet.


    ¡ºGUOOOOOON! ¡»


    Aria and Tama were forced to step back a long distance to dodge that.


    However, Ste didn¡¯t move from her position at all.


    ¡¸UOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ¡¹


    Ste raised her Mega Shield overhead while shouting a warcry. The Earth Dragon¡¯s forelimbs shed against the Mega Shield.


    ZUDO¨D¨DOON!


    Since Ste was already in her Dragonewt form she was able to withstand the attack of the Undead Dragon.


    ¡¸O mana, dwell within the Undead Dragon! ¡¹


    Reis chanted and raised his Drain Arrow.


    The ck miasma that gushed out of the Drain Arrow was absorbed by the Undead Dragon. Then, the color of the miasma became even darker.


    ¡¸GUOOOOOO!? ¡¹


    Ste let out a pained cry.


    As the mana released by Reis increased the Undead Dragon¡¯s power, the pressure on Ste¡¯s Mega Shield became too much for her to endure.


    Unable to withstand its power anymore, Ste tilted her shield to let the forefeet of the Undead Dragon fall to her side.


    Seeing Ste being pushed back in a contest of strength shocked Aria.


    ¡¸Even stronger than Ste-chan¡¯s power!? As expected of an S-ranked monster¡­! ¡¹


    That was when Tama aimed a short cry at the Undead Dragon.


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    The Undead Dragon was focused on squashing Ste and reacted far toote. That gave Tama¡¯s attack an opening.


    Tama¡¯s ¡¶me Edge¡· pierced through the Undead Dragon¡¯s sternum, bursting out from its front.


    ¡¸You sh*tty elemental cat! Aiming for me, huh! ¡¹


    Reis noticed Tama¡¯s aim.


    He was aiming for the Undead Dragon along with Reis, its necromancer.


    ¡¸You think I¡¯m not prepared for that!? Undead Dragon, kill that Elemental Cat! ¡¹


    ¡ºGUOOOOOOO! ¡»


    The Undead Dragon roared as if to answer Reis.


    Swinging its sturdy tail, it went after Tama who tried to pass under its body.


    ¡¸Nyan! (F#ck!) ¡¹


    Tama evaded the Undead Dragon¡¯s tail attack by dodging to the side. But he didn¡¯t make it in time. The tip of the tail grazed Tama¡¯s nk and blew him away.


    Aria cried out in rm.


    ¡¸TAMAAAA-! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~! (Don¡¯t worry about me, Master!)¡¹


    Just before he was hit by the Dragon¡¯s tail, Tama was able to protect himself with the ¡¶Iron Body¡· skill he got from a golem in abyrinth.


    He was able to safelynd and reassure Aria with a nonchnt cry.


    But protecting himself wasn¡¯t all he did.


    He activated ¡¶Summon Tentacle¡· as soon as hended on the ground and two tentacles appeared from Tama¡¯s paws.


    Shuba!


    His tentacles slipped through the gap between the Undead Dragon¡¯s legs and reached Lily and Faeri, coiling around their bodies and pulling them back toward Tama.


    ¡¸UH! How dare you steal those fairies! ¡¹


    Reis cursed with an annoyed tone.


    (Humph, just as I expected.)


    Reis¡¯s reaction solidified Tama¡¯s hypothesis.


    Lily and Faeri should be a hindrance to Reis¡¯s ns¡­ But he kept them by his side. Despite being able to suck mana from the fairies¡¯ bodies, Tama figured that the range was limited.


    Naturally, there was probably another reason. But he had to save those two as soon as possible. If push came to shove, Reis might use the two fairies as his hostages.


    Tama pulled back his tentacles and ced the two fairies in a safe ce.


    ¡¸GOOD JOB, TAMA! NOW WE CAN GO ALL OUT! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan! ¡¹


    Until then, Aria was unable to give her all since she was worried about Lily and Faeri.


    But her worries disappeared once the fairies were safe.

 Chapter 72.2: Conclusion of Gladdstone’s Riot

    <h4>Chapter 72.2: Conclusion of ddstone¡¯s Riot</h4>


    ¡¸HERE I COME! ¡¹


    Aria dashed ahead.


    Thebination of Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· and her own ¡¶eleration¡· skill allowed her to attain maximum speed under a second.


    She drew closer to the legs of the Undead Dragon with bullet-like speed.


    ¡¸TRAMPLE HER TO DEATH, UNDEAD DRAGON! ¡¹


    Reis transmitted a merciless order to the Undead Dragon.


    It was as if the kind demeanor that he had shown to Aria during their journey was a lie. That might be how much he desired to avenge his murdered fianc¨¦e.


    ¡¸NYAAN!!!! (OVER MY DEAD BODY!!!!)¡¹


    Just as the Undead Dragon about to trample Aria to death, Tama used ¡¶Summon Tentacle¡· again to bind the Dragon¡¯s forelegs.


    Although his tentacles couldn¡¯t overpower an S-ranked monster, it was enough to shift the trajectory of the attack.


    Aria spun her body in mid-air, altering her trajectory while moving at a breakneck speed andnded right in front of the Undead Dragon.


    ¡¸¡¶SACRED BLADE¡·! ¡¹


    She summoned a de of light that gushed out from her hands in a silvery sh. Aria¡¯s knives cut sizable chunks of the Dragon¡¯s forelegs, making the corpse let out a pained screech.


    ¡ºGUOOOOOOOOOOOO!? ¡»


    Holy Elements were the weakness of all monsters, and its effects were distinctly visible when used against undead monsters.


    On top of that, Aria¡¯s Holy Element came from an Ancient Skill. Even an S-ranked undead monster couldn¡¯t help but screech in pain.


    ¡¸Tama, Ste-chan, let¡¯s finish this! ¡­ We might only have this one chance! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaaa! (Roger, master!)¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s time for my trump card! Don¡¯t let me down, Tama, Aria! ¡¹


    Tama and Ste¡¯s cooperation had almost reached perfection by the time they arrived in ddstone. They recognized their duties with minimalmunication.


    Ste screamed the name of her skill.


    ¡¸HERE I COME!¡¶DRAGONIC POWER - FULL DRIVE¡·!!! ¡¹


    Her scaled, dragon-like limbs swelled up, the sounds getting louder and louder until her limbs released a pale light.


    Ste rushed towards the Undead Dragon at breakneck speed.


    ¡¸UWOOOOOOOOOOOO! ¡¹


    The Undead Dragon rotated a bit to the side to evade her and swung down its tail, aiming at Ste. If the attack connected, Ste would be sent flying.


    The adventurers and knights present witnessed the fight, anxious.


    ¡ºGUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!? ¡»


    Suddenly, the Undead Dragon roared in confusion. Its tail had been parried by Ste with her Mega Shield.


    That was thanks to Ste¡¯s new skill, ¡¶Dragonic Power - Full Drive¡·, which she obtained after she reincarnated. It was an inherent skill that increased her power five times when she was in her Dragonewt form.


    As a member of the prideful Dragon race, Ste had never wholly harnessed her power.


    However, her current opponent was herself.


    She understood better than anyone how powerful she was before her reincarnation. And the anger she felt in seeing her former self being used like that erased whatever reservations she still had with utilizing her maximum strength.


    She broke the Undead Dragon¡¯s stance and made it lose its footing.


    ¡¸NOW! ¡¹


    Once Ste gave the signal, Aria sprinted at the Dragon. She didn¡¯t want to waste the window Ste had created.


    With Tama by her side, she approached Reis who hid behind the reanimated corpse.


    ¡¸GUH! UNDEAD DRAGON! ¡¹


    Reis waved his arms, controlling the Undead Dragon. In response to Reis¡¯s control, the Dragon suddenly turned around despite losing its bnce, swinging its bony ws at Tama and Aria.


    ¡¸NYAN! (TAKE THIS!) ¡¹


    The moment those massive ws were about to strike them, Tama somersaulted forward and, changing his tail into a me sword, repelled those ws.


    The me sword split the bone ws of the Undead Dragon in half as if it cut tofu.


    SWOOOOOOSH!


    Including the time he confronted the Earth Dragon, it was the third time Tama fought the same enemy.


    Despite having been turned into the undead, its movement pattern practically didn¡¯t change.


    Seeing the simr movements made it too easy for Tama, a former knight with extensivebat experience. As a result, he split the Undead Dragon¡¯s foreleg in half.


    Aria was mesmerized by Tama¡¯s swordsmanship but it did not prevent her from advancing toward Reis.


    ¡¸C-¡¶CREATE SKELETON¡·! ¡¹


    Desperate, Reis summoned ten skeletons in front of him. But they were not enough to stop Aria.


    Her running speed as she made her way toward Reis barely dropped as she used her Sacred de to destroy the skeletons blocking her path.


    ¡¸¡¶Sacred de¡·! THIS IS THE END! ¡¹


    With a long jump over the felled skeletons, Aria took advantage of the pull of gravity tond a dropkick on Reis.


    No matter how powerful he was as a Necromancer, Reis¡¯s body was that of an ordinary person. He had no way of dodging Aria¡¯s kick that was strengthened with ¡¶eleration¡· and ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    Unable to evade, Reis was sent flying by a kick on his cheek.


    [Note: A drop kick is when you kick someone with both feet striking their chest. In this case, both feet hitting the cheek.]


    DOGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!


    A thunderous sound came from behind Aria. When she turned around, she discovered the crumpled form of the Undead Dragon.


    It seemed that as soon as it lost its power source, it stopped moving.


    ¡¸What happened? ¡¹


    ¡¸Those skeletons, they¡­ They stopped moving!¡¹


    She heard Dany and Joey talking from behind her back. Apparently, the same happened to all the summoned skeletons. As soon as Reis fell unconscious, all his summoned creatures stopped moving.


    Aria turned back and approached Reis.


    ¡¸Never do something like this again.¡¹


    She seized the two magic items he still possessed, threw them up and destroyed them with her ¡¶Sacred de¡·.


    Without them, he couldn¡¯t control Lily and Faeri any longer.


    ¡¸Now, let¡¯s take a look at Faeri-chan and Lily-chan. After checking on their condition, we¡¯ll assist those who were injured during the fight.¡¹

 Chapter 72.3: Conclusion of Gladdstone’s Riot

    <h4>Chapter 72.3: Conclusion of ddstone¡¯s Riot</h4>


    Despite the post-battle exhaustion that assailed her body, Aria kept her word. She started helping the wounded citizens the moment she finished speaking.


    Ste had conked out, exhausted from the recoil of her trump card.


    Tama¡¯s tentacles were again wrapped around Reis¡¯s body, preventing him from escaping.


    Aria sighed, relieved that the two fairies were safe.


    They had lost consciousness but their conditions were stable.


    Suddenly, someone shouted from around the area.


    ¡¸Eei, what are you doing?! This man is the one behind this whole incident! Kill him immediately!!!¡¹


    The one who shouted was the ddstone Earl, who arrived with several escorts and his butler. He had probably decided toe only after being assured that themotion had ended.


    The Earl approached Reis and prepared to give the unconscious man a kick, but Aria silently intercepted with a well-ced foot and tripped him.


    ¡¸UGYAAAA!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Earl-sama! ¡¹


    The Earl¡¯s butler and escorts all rushed toward their fallen employer as he screamed in an incredibly ugly voice.


    Dany advised Aria, a little concerned.


    ¡¸Y-You shouldn¡¯t do that, Aria-chan¡­¡¹


    No matter how lighthearted the Earl was, amoner couldn¡¯t harm a noble.


    Anothermotion was about to break out. The angry Earl sent his escorts to capture Aria while Dany restricted Aria for formality¡¯s sake.


    ¡¸Please hear my story, Dany-san. The truth is¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ What? Is that true, Aria-chan? Yosh! Marietta, Kenny! Capture the Earl! ¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT?! You bastard, what are you doing?! I¡¯m Earl ddstone, the lord of this city! ¡¹


    Dany, after hearing about a certain story from Aria, ordered his subordinates to capture the Earl.


    Being restrained without retaliating against Aria enraged the Earl even further but once Dany started speaking, Earl ddstone paled.


    ¡¸Sorry, but we¡¯re knights under the direct supervision of the Marquis. Going against us means going against the Marquis. Also, if you did not know, our captain is the son of the Marquis, Cedric Leuwin The Brave. So, following us like a good child is the best decision you can make now, don¡¯t you agree? ¡¹


    ¡¸M-MARQUIS?! ¡¹


    The moment Dany mentioned the Marquis and his son, Cedric, the Earl became white as a sheet of paper.


    Both were noble titles, but Marquis ranked above Earl.


    Dany was right, the Earl couldn¡¯t act against them. Thus, the ddstone Earl obediently followed after Dany and his subordinates, albeit with a sour look on his face.


    ¡¸Well, then, My Lord. Please allow me to take a bit of your time.¡¹


    ¡¸EH? What are¨D¨D¡¹


    The Earl tried to ask what the knight was talking about but he passed out before he couldplete his sentence. His sudden unconsciousness was a result of the hand chop Dany aimed at the back of the Earl¡¯s neck.


    Leaving the Earl¡¯s butler and escorts aside, even the adventurers and knights that were still present were confused by Aria¡¯s behavior.


    ¡¸Aria-chan, could you lend us the thing you spoke of earlier? We¡¯ll make the Earl drink it.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Dany-san. Here¡¯s the Droplet of Truth.¡¹


    Aria took a glittering sk from her bosom pocket. It was the same sk she had acquired from thebyrinth¡¯s treasure box, the Droplet of Truth.


    Earlier, Aria had reported the Earl¡¯s evil deeds to Dany. She also told him she could force him to confess using that item.


    Dany himself had already heard the unpleasant rumors that surrounded the Earl. Thus, he cooperated with Aria to find the truth hidden behind those rumors.


    He took the Droplet of Truth and force-fed it to the unconscious Earl.


    Meanwhile, his subordinates Howard, Kenny, and Marietta made sure the Earl¡¯s butler and escorts didn¡¯t make a mess of the situation.


    Once the Droplet¡¯s effect kicked in, the Earl became a yes-man.


    He confessed to every crime hemitted under Dany and Aria¡¯s interrogation, making his servants¡¯ faces pale rapidly.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸WAWA! THIS SWEET IS REALLY SWEET! ¡¹


    ¡¸THIS HONEY PICKLED FRUIT IS SO YUMMY~! ¡¹


    It took only a few days for Lily and Faeri to recover enough to gorge themselves on sweets, the food they loved the most.


    After spending some days asleep from the exhaustion of having their mana stolen, the fairies had finally woken up. To celebrate their awakening, Aria and the others decided to treat them with a full course meal of only sweets at ddstone¡¯s bar.


    So much happened in thest few days¡­


    Reis, the mastermind behind the ddstone riot, was detained by the Knight Order of the city. However, he was spared from the death penalty and only charged with life imprisonment thanks to Aria and Dany.


    The duo had interrogated the Earl and discovered the motive behind Reis¡¯s plot to destroy the city: enacting revenge for his murdered fianc¨¦e. She had been kidnapped by the Earl, turned into his ything and mutted until death.


    The Earl, having confessed many atrocious crimes, was stripped of his status and punished with life imprisonment, like Reis.


    Once he was informed of the Earl¡¯s fate from the inside of his prison cell, Reis looked as if a heavy stone had just been lifted from his shoulders.


    Meanwhile, those at the bar were busy stuffing their faces, especially Ste.


    From her seat beside the fairy duo, Ste stuffed her mouth with a big piece of steak which still had the bone attached to the meat.


    ¡¸MUGUMOGU! MEAT IS DA BEST! ¡¹


    Beside her were Aria and Tama, thetter being fed pieces of steak from Aria¡¯s te.


    ¡¸Here, Tama, a~ahn.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! ¡¹


    The three girls stared at the shameless flirting and felt envious.


    They couldn¡¯t help but express their displeasure.


    After all, they all wanted to switch ces with Aria.


    ¡¸Uhm, SO SLY! LET ME TO DO THAT TOO! ¡¹


    ¡¸I want to feed Tama too! ¡¹


    ¡¸Me too~! ¡¹


    Aria skillfully ignored themotion and promptly stowed Tama in the valley between her melons, caressing his head gently.


    (Fumu¡­ Although many things happened, in the end, I was able to protect my master. But I mustn¡¯t allow myself to becent from this victory! Since master aims to be an ally of justice, there¡¯ll be no end to my battles!)


    Even while exposed to such extreme skin contact, Tama did not lose hisposure. He renewed his knight¡¯s vow right there as he nestled between Aria¡¯s melons.


    It was the beginning of the adventure of the Justice Warrior Elf Girl and her Knight-like-Cat [pet].

 Chapter 73: Back To The Peaceful Everyday Live

    <h4>Chapter 73: Back To The Peaceful Everyday Live</h4>


    ¡¸WAH! SO THAT¡¯S THE LABYRINTH CITY! ¡¹


    ¡¸So huuuge! ¡¹


    Two excited voices could be heard from a coach that sped along the highway.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­You two frolicking like that are so cute! ?¡¹


    Aria smiled at the two fairies¡¯ excitement. They were seeing the city from the coach window for the first time.


    It had been a few days since Reis¡¯s riot and the situation with the Undead Dragon and the group had decided to return to Labyrinth City.


    Naturally, Aria had assumed they¡¯d part ways with the fairies, but she was mistaken.


    ¡¸Pardon? You want to go with us, too? ¡¹


    ¡¸Of course! We¡¯re friends with everyone and have a debt of gratitude to repay. After all, you saved us from the cursed magic item! We want to repay that debt by following Aria-san! ¡¹


    Thus, Lily and Faeri went along with Aria and the others to Labyrinth City.


    Tama, Aria, and Ste were more than happy with the two fairies joining them. Not to mention, the two fairies¡¯ power would be a huge boost in Aria¡¯s activities as an adventurer.


    ¡¸Nya??£¨Uhm, have we arrived at Labyrinth City?) ¡¹


    The excited voices of the fairies woke up Tama, who had been sleeping between his master¡¯s twin melons.


    Even if his soul and intellect were of an adult man, his body was of a small kitten. The moment his senses registered the softness of Aria¡¯s chest and her nice, motherly scent, he fell asleep.


    Ste had also fallen asleep inside the swaying coach.


    ¡¸Fufufu. Are you awake, Tama? You¡¯re such a good child¡­ You really enjoyed this onee-chan¡¯s boobs, right? ?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~¡­¡¹


    Aria showered Tama with words of love as she brushed his head gently.


    Unable to curb his kitten instincts, Tama rubbed his head against Aria¡¯s twin melons. He, who was an adult knight on the inside, was behaving like a spoiled kitten.


    His behavior amused Aria, whomented in a seductive voice.


    ¡¸Haah¡­ A still sleepy Tama is soooo cute! ?¡¹


    The way the sun shone over her tinum blonde locks made her even more enchanting. Coupled with her affectionate expression, it reflected a beauty simply beyond description.


    ¡¸Please wake up, Ste-chan. We¡¯ve already arrived at Labyrinth City.¡¹


    ¡¸Uhn¡­ 5 more minutes¡­¡¹


    Tama was already awake, so Aria moved to wake Ste up but it was very difficult.


    Ste was difficult to wake up. It might be because, back when she was a dragon stuck in thebyrinth, she spent most of her time slumbering.


    They proceeded to enter thebyrinth.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Nyaaa~! Long time no see, nya~n! ¡¹


    After returning to Labyrinth City, the first ce Aria and the others visited was Vulcan¡¯s shop, theirst party member.


    Despite visiting her right after dawn, the cksmith Vulcan was cheerful. She was a morning person.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Vulcan-san! ?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve heard the news about you, nyan! It seems the three of you yed a central role in the ddstone riot, nyan! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, so the news about ddstone¡¯s riot has reached here already! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaturally! By the way¡­ Are those two girls¡­ Fairies? ¡¹


    Vulcan was extremely proud of Aria¡¯s role during the riot. She was an example of how an adventurer should behave.


    But her attention was focused on Lily and Faeri.


    Under normal circumstances, it would be extremely difficult to encounter one of the Fairy race in the middle of a city. Seeing those two being so chummy with Aria and the others made Vulcan even more curious to hear their story.


    ¡¸We met these girls inside the newbyrinth that appeared on the outskirts of ddstone. The pixie girl is Lily-chan and the dryad girl is Faeri-chan. ?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, nyan. Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, nya name is Vulcan. I¡¯m theirrade!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m Lily. Best regards, Vulcan! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you! I¡¯m Faeri~! ¡¹


    The lively palm-sized pixie, Lily, and the carefree Faeri greeted Vulcan.


    ¡¸Nya~~, it¡¯s really been a while, nya~! Aria-chan, can I borrow Tama-chan for a while, nya~? ¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally, Vulcan-san. Go, Tama. You must be missing Vulcan-san too, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan! ¡¹


    Aria handed over Tama to Vulcan.


    Vulcan¡¯s attire was her usual working overall clothes, which did nothing to hide how her healthy, light brown cleavage was gently wrapping around Tama.


    ¡¸T-TOO SLY! I want to hug Tama too, but I¡¯m not allowed! ¡¹


    Ste couldn¡¯t believe how easily Aria let Vulcan hug Tama. Naturally, she felt vexed.


    Unfortunately, she was right. Without Aria¡¯s ¨”Permit?, she couldn¡¯t touch Tama.


    ¡¸You can¡¯t, Ste-chan, because you¡¯re eyeing Tama as a male. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not giving you permission to hug Tama! In Vulcan-san¡¯s case, she isn¡¯t seeing Tama as a male.¡¹


    ¡¸GUNUNUNUNU! ¡¹


    Ste could only grind her teeth in frustration since what Aria just said was spot on.


    But both girls failed to notice how Vulcan jumped when Aria spoke of how she didn¡¯t have lustful thoughts toward Tama. In short, she was, in fact, guilty of the opposite.


    But all that sailed over the head of the clueless Tama, who merely tilted his head in confusion.


    He wondered if there was something wrong with Vulcan,pletely oblivious of how the person holding him could potentially snatch his V-card in the future.


    ¡¸Too sly! I want to fluff Tama too! ¡¹


    ¡¸Me too! Let me fluff Tama too~! ¡¹


    So far, Lily and Faeri had watched the quarrel from the sidelines, but they suddenly swarmed Vulcan and the helpless Tama.


    Vulcan was unable to resist the two fairies¡¯ cuteness and easily surrendered her charge.


    ¡¸Fumu~¡­ Tama-chan is so cuuute! ?¡¹


    ¡¸Me too! Me too! ¡¹


    Lily hugged Tama from behind while Faeri hugged him from the front. A fairy-cat sandwich.


    Tama felt like his peaceful, everyday life had returned as he enjoyed being pampered by so many beauties.

 Chapter 74: Return of the Braves

    <h4>Chapter 74: Return of the Braves</h4>


    ¡¸Oi, look, it¡¯s Aria-chan! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, and Ste-chan too!


    ¡¸Kyaa~! Tama-chan is so cuuuute! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Our brave heroes returned! ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, those little girls¡­ Could they be¡­ Fairies? ¡¹


    Aria and co, along with Vulcan, were heading toward the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to report thepletion of the escort mission.


    Although the requester was currently imprisoned due to his role in ddstone¡¯s riot, the matter was set aside.


    As soon as Aria and co entered the guild, the adventurers started moring among themselves and stared at Aria with a passionate gaze.


    ¡¸W-Why is everyone looking at us like that?¡¹


    ¡¸Their gaze is¡­ Disturbing! ¡¹


    Both Aria and Ste felt ufortable upon receiving those adventurers¡¯ gaze.


    Lily and Faeri escaped by hiding behind Aria.


    ¡¸Nyahaha, can¡¯t be helped, nyan. You guys were the braves who saved ddstone from its doom! Naturally, everyone knows about your heroic deeds, nyan! ?¡¹


    Vulcan exined the situation with a smile on her face. Just as she told them, Aria and co were braves now.


    And that was just natural.


    They were called such because of their bravery in saving ddstone from the crisis of the Undead raid led by Reis. On top of that, they also fought against an Undead Dragon, putting their lives on the line.


    Especially Tama and Aria, who protected the civilians of ddstone from the Undead. They were hailed as braves by the people they saved.


    Not just that.


    Aria went as far as using a rare magic item, the Droplet of Truth, to uncover numerous evil deeds of the ddstone Earl. He was the one who murdered Reis¡¯s wife and drove him to the brink of madness.


    If such deeds weren¡¯t worthy of them being hailed as braves¡­ Then what title was worth more than that?


    (Fumu¡­ My master, who was just a mere fledgling adventurer a while ago, has finally arrived at this stage¡­ This knight is proud of you, master.£©


    Tama, who was enjoying the warmth of his master¡¯s twin melons, stared at Aria¡¯s embarrassed face.


    Seeing his master being showered by so many praises made him wear a proud look on his face.


    ¡¸Ara? If it isn¡¯t Aria-chan and co! Wee back! ?¡¹


    ¡¸Ana-san! ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s red face brightened when a certain person greeted her.


    It was a giant skinhead-muscr (wo)man clothed in bondage fashion. The guild¡¯s (fe)male receptionist, Arnold Hwarzenegger.


    (S)He was a sister-like existence for Aria.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve heard about your victory against an Undead Dragon! I never expected Reis-chan to do that, but still¡­ Will you¡­ Forgive me? ¡¹


    ¡¸W-What are you apologizing for, Ana-san? Don¡¯t mind it. An adventurer¡¯s job is always side-by-side with danger, after all! ?¡¹


    Arnold was really happy about Aria¡¯s achievement.


    But that expression clouded immediately.


    (S)He was constantly worried about Aria after she had epted Reis¡¯smission. But Aria was right about an adventurer¡¯s job being always side-by-side with danger.


    Thus, she has no reason to be angry at Arnold and smiled happily instead.


    ¡¸Fufufu, thank you very much.¡¹


    Seeing Aria¡¯s cheerful state, Arnold sighed and smiled back at Aria.


    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right, I forgot about it! Can you wait for me for a while, Aria-chan? ¡¹


    ¡¸Of course but¡­ What¡¯s the matter, Ana-san? ¡¹


    After being introduced to Lily and Faeri, Arnold seemed to recall something.


    When Aria asked about it, Arnold just dismissed her question by stating she¡¯d know soon. Then (s)he went into the inner part of the adventurer¡¯s guild.


    ¡¸That Ana person¡¯s appearance is scary but that human is surprisingly kind! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~sh, it¡¯s one of Aria-chan¡¯s friends, after all! ¡¹


    Although both Lily and Faeri let out a small scream when they saw Arnold¡¯s appearance, they calmed down immediately as soon as Aria chided them.


    Both of them then showed a keen interest in Arnold¡¯s bondage-style fashion and muscles. Their curiosity was so great, they wished to touch Arnold¡¯s muscles.


    Aria let out a giggle when she saw the two fairies¡¯ innocent reaction.


    ¡¸ARIA, ARIA! What is this super nice smell?! This is definitely roasted meat! ¡¹


    While Lily and Faeri frolicked with each other, Ste appeared and shook Aria¡¯s shoulder with an excited look on her face.


    The fragrance of roasted meat was drifting from the kitchen of the Guild¡¯s bar.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, and yet it¡¯s still morning. Were the adventurers nning to have a drinking party in the morning? ¡¹


    ¡¸I want to eat that meat too! We haven¡¯t eaten breakfast yet! ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ Can¡¯t be helped, then¡­ Shall we have breakfast in the bar after I finish my business with Ana-san? ¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAAAAY! ¡¹


    In a normal situation, both Aria and Ste would quarrel over the right to hug Tama. Aria couldn¡¯t help but smile when seeing Ste acting like a kid whenever mealtime arrived.


    Despite their perfect appearances in all aspects, their exchanges werepletely like that of a pair of sisters.


    ¡¸Aria! I want to eat some sweets too! ¡¹


    ¡¸Me too~! ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ Lily-chan and Faeri-chan really love sweets! Don¡¯t worry, this bar also has sweet pancakes and other delicious desserts. Please enjoy them to your heart¡¯s content. ?¡¹


    ¡¸Pancake! It¡¯s that fluffy-sweetie thing, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Fluffy~! Loooove~! ¡¹


    Lily and Faeri drooled as soon as they heard the word ¡°pancake¡±. It seemed they recalled the time when they ate pancakes back in ddstone.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since west had breakfast together¡­ Will you join us too, Vulcan-san? ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, but¡­ Maybe I can only apany you for breakfast.¡¹


    ¡¸EH? What does that mean?¡¹


    ¡¸Everyone, thank you for waiting! ¡¹


    Aria was confused by what Vulcan said. As she pondered about the meaning behind Vulcan¡¯s words, Arnold came back from the inside of the guild, skipping steps and holding something that resembled two small boxes.


    ¡¸Ufufu, this is for you, Aria-chan. And here¡¯s yours, Ste-chan. ?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Uhm? An adventurer¡¯s tag! It¡¯s golden! ¡¹


    Ste opened the box first. Inside was a golden adventurer tag, the proof of a B-rank adventurer.


    Seeing that, Aria also opened her own box while hope filled her chest.


    ¡¸A¡­ tinum adventurer¡¯s tag. I-I am an A-rank adventurer?! ¡¹


    Inside of Aria¡¯s box was a tinum tag, the proof of an A-rank adventurer.


    (Uhm, that¡¯s natural. You defeated Beryl of the Demon race in Renault. You also defeated Reis along with his Undead Dragon. It was an act befitting of an A-rank adventurer.£©


    It was the result of the several months Aria spent operating in that city. And those few months were enough time to judge Aria¡¯s character.


    Tama proudly recalled Aria¡¯s efforts as he rubbed his cheeks on Aria¡¯s.


    ¡¸Geez, Tama! ? So you¡¯re blessing me too, huh~? ?¡¹


    After Tama rubbed his cheek on Aria¡¯s, she finally epted the fact that she had be an A-rank adventurer.


    Ste was delighted with Tama¡¯s telepathic praise.


    In the ddstone case, Ste yed a big role in fighting against the corpse of her past self. She fulfilled her role as the party¡¯s tank even in her anger and sorrow. It hurt her to see her past self¡¯s corpse misused like that.


    In fact, the ddstone case raised Tama¡¯s evaluation of Ste by several degrees.


    ¡¸Ana-san! The preparation isplete~! ¡¹


    ¡¸Roger~! Well, girls, shall we head to the bar-room now? To celebrate, of course! ¡¹


    Arnold invited Aria and co to the bar.


    At the same time, numerous meat and vegetable dishes, a whole-roasted pig and even a wine barrel were carried into the bar-room one after another.


    ¡¸T-This is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nyahahaha! It¡¯s the celebration of the birth of an A-rank adventurer and the return of the Braves! ¡¹


    Vulcan replied merrily to Aria¡¯s curiosity.


    Yes, the drifting aroma they smelled as soon as they entered the guild was the aroma of the dishes being prepared to celebrate the Brave girls¡¯ return.


    The adventurers that happened to be free held out their liquor bottles as soon as they saw the wine barrel being carried inside.


    ¡¸Well, then. For Aria, who formally became an A-rank adventurer and for the return of our Brave girls¡­ TOAST! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸TOAAAST! ¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Led by Arnold, the adventurers surrounded Aria and co to give them a toast. The blessings from the staff of the guild and the adventurers went on for half a day.

 Chapter 75: Let’s Buy A House

    <h4>Chapter 75: Let¡¯s Buy A House</h4>


    ¡¸I think we have to buy a house.¡¹


    The next morning, Aria suddenly made such a deration in a certain room that she rented while hugging Tama.


    Lily, Faeri, and Ste were surprised by Aria¡¯s deration.


    ¡¸I mean, don¡¯t you think that we need a wider ce now that Lily-chan and Faeri-chan are living with us? Let¡¯s buy or rent a big enough house so that everyone can feel at ease.¡¹


    Aria and co were currently living in a rented double room.


    Lily and Faeri were enjoying their fluffy moments with Tama and using both Aria¡¯s and Ste¡¯s breasts as their pillows. But a single bed was too small to amodate all of them.


    That was the same for the others¡¯ living space because four people and one animal made even a double room feel too narrow.


    Most of all, since Lily and Faeri were always making merry, they ended up disturbing the ones who stayed beside Aria and co¡¯s room.


    Thus, Aria decided that it was time to rent a big house.


    ¡¸I see. We¡¯re gonna be changing beds, huh. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. A wider bed is far more suitable for Powerful one and me! ¡¹


    ¡¸Wider home? Does that mean we can y hide and seek with Tama? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s wonderfullll! ¡¹


    The other three girls easily agreed to Aria¡¯s proposal.


    (Fumu¡­ Me too. I mean, this ce has be too small to amodate all of us. Besides, master is already an A-rank adventurer. She should buy a residence befitting of her adventurer rank.£©


    For that reason, Tama also nodded to Aria to show his agreement.


    ¡¸Fufufu, since Tama seems to agree with us, let¡¯s go to the real-estate agency immediately! ?¡¹


    Thus, Aria led everyone out of the inn while caressing Tama¡¯s head.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Wee!¨D¨DEh, Aria-sama?! ¡¹


    ¡¸¨D¨D EH? Y¡­ Yes?¡¹


    As they walked into the real-estate agency, located in a corner of themercial district, the girl employee spoke in a hysterical voice as soon as she saw Aria.


    The girl hurried to exin her reaction.


    ¡¸P-Please excuse my rudeness! I never expected that an A-rank adventurer wille to visit our store in person¡­¡¹


    Aria herself was still unaware of it, but rank ¡°A¡± was only bestowed to an adventurer befitting of a brave or Hero.


    The news about the birth of a new A-rank adventurer became the most trending topic in Labyrinth City.


    It was only natural for the employee girl to show that kind of reaction when the rumored person visited the store herself.


    ¡¸Today, I came looking for a nice house to live in. May I ask for your help to introduce a good house for us? ¡¹


    ¡¸W-With pleasure, Aria-sama! May I ask your requirements for the house? ¡¹


    ¡¸A house with a big bed will be good! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes! That way, everyone can sleep together in the same bed after all! ¡¹


    ¡¸I agreee~! ¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ A big bed. Any other requirements?¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ If possible, a house that has a bathroom. We want to enjoy a long andfortable bath in our own house, after all¡­ Right, Tama? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! (Yes, master!)¡¹


    Tama agreed to Aria¡¯s suggestion.


    Of course, there was a public bathhouse in the city, but it used cold water instead of warm water.


    Moreover, it was under poor management. They repeatedly lost their customers¡¯ articles and had even a peeping tom.


    Tama couldn¡¯t let other men see the bare figure of his master.


    [Note: And yet bikini armor is allowed, what kind of double standard is this?]


    He absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow any of his master¡¯s underwear to be stolen and used for something outrageous like mXXXXXXXtion.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve received the order. Let¡¯s see¡­ We might have just the right house for you. I can guide you to the ce if you allow me to do so, bu-¡­¡¹


    ¡¸With pleasure! ?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve received the order. Please follow me this way! ¡¹


    Aria and co followed the employee girl toward the house.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Here¡¯s the house you¡¯re looking for! ¡¹


    After swaying around in a gond for around ten minutes, they finally arrived at the house.


    It was within walking distance, only a few minutes away from the gond¡¯s port.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a house with two floors and a garden! ¡¹


    Aria¡¯s eyes shone as soon as she saw the house.


    It was a simple wooden house with two floors.


    ¡¸Since the interior is equally beautiful, please take a look at the inside of the house, too.¡¹


    After saying so, the employee girl opened the door to the entranceway. Sure enough, the inside was as neat as the employee girl had said. There was even a dedicated space for their shoes.


    Beyond the entrance, there was a kitchen.


    ¡¸Yes, the interior is wonderful indeed. It even has an eat-in kitchen! ?¡¹


    ¡¸The kitchen fuel is firewood but you can switch it into ¨”Magic Burner? mode if you want.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ That¡¯s convenient indeed¡­¡¹


    Aria was pondering about the employee girl¡¯s words for a while as she touched her finger to her lips.


    Magic Burner was the name of a magic tool appliance that could produce fire by umting mana inside of its core.


    The price for the best kind of it with maximum mana capacity was around one gold coin.


    In Labyrinth City, the living cost for a general household consisting of a parent with two children was around two gold coins per month.


    It would be rather pricey but still far cheaper to buy a magic burner in the long run if one were to consider the cost for firewood.


    ¡¸C¡¯mon, I want to see the bedroom already!¡¹


    ¡¸Me too~! ¡¹


    Lily and Faeri pulled on the skirt of the employee girl, who then led the two fairies farther inside, seemingly amused by their action.


    ¡¸Following this way, you¡¯ll find that there are two bedrooms on the 2nd floor. One of the rooms is wide enough to stuff in two double beds. The other room is a single person room. Here you go, please take a look at the room.¡¹


    ¡¸OOH! The room is huge enough for everyone to sleep together! ¡¹


    ¡¸Now everyone can sleep together as they fluff Tama!¡¹


    ¡¸Can squeeze Aria-san¡¯s and Ste-san¡¯s boobs as much as I want to~!¡¹


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri started to make merry as soon as they saw the interior of the big room. They were acting like little children.


    (Hou, the other room is nice, too. I¡¯ll use that single room once in a while when I want to sleep by myself.£©


    Tama was quite satisfied with the big room. He started thinking about the single room when Aria suddenly hugged him.


    ¡¸Tama, could it be that you¡¯re thinking about sleeping by yourself in the single room? Have you forgotten already, Tama? Your sleeping ce is in between this oneechan¡¯s boobies ?. ¡¹


    (Uh, my dear master. Why do I feel thattely¡­ You treat me more and more like a baby?£©


    Tama couldn¡¯t help but feel that way since Aria pampered him just like a mother pampering her baby.


    In fact, the more Tama protected Aria like her knight and healed her gloomy heart with his cuteness, the more Aria loved him.


    Her affection materialized in her excessive way of pampering Tama and it was boosted by the appearance of a rival called Ste.


    ¡¸Uhhm¡­ Tama-chan is so cuute. It¡¯s hard to believe that he stood by Aria-sama¡¯s side in your fight against a dragon.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu. As you can see, Tama is the most powerful among us~?. He saved us so many times from danger¡­¡¹


    Aria was smiling affectionately as she brushed Tama¡¯s head, seeing the employee girl¡¯s admiration toward Tama¡¯s cuteness.


    Shutting his eyes, Tama waspletely immersed in enjoying Aria¡¯s soft hand and nice smell.


    ¡¸GUNUNUNU! So sly, Aria is flirting with Tama again!¡¹


    Ste was in a bad mood seeing Aria flirting with Tama. She gritted her teeth, both hands clenched tightly in front of her twin melons.


    ¡¸Well, then, allow me to guide you to the bathroom.¡¹


    After returning to the first floor, they were guided to the other facilities in the house, like the toilet, and finally, the bath.


    There was another entrance built on the back of the house which was used to enter the backyard. After passing through that entrance, they arrived in the slightly big open-air bath.


    ¡¸This is¡­ An open-air bath, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, this house originally wasn¡¯t equipped with a bathing room, the previous residents added it. The water wille out once you twist the faucet. You can also heat the water with a magic burner, or firewood like in the kitchen.¡¹


    [Note: In case you¡¯re wondering who in the world is the previous owner of the residence, it¡¯s the protagonist of the author¡¯s previous work, a shota ck magician and his ve, the sword saintess who saved Aria.]


    Even though the bathroom was just the extension built by the previous tenants, it was obviously made of high-quality material. It wouldn¡¯t lose inparison to the bathroom of the inn they were currently staying at. Or perhaps not, because this bathroom had more ornaments in it.


    (Fufufu, what a nice backyard garden. I also have no need to worry about those sh*tty peeping toms since we¡¯re away from the center of the city.£©


    Despite admiring the structure of the open-air bath, Tama didn¡¯t forget to check the security of the surrounding area.


    ¡¸Aria, I like this house!¡¹


    ¡¸This ce is good! Now everyone can enter the bathtub together!¡¹


    ¡¸Same here~! Everyone enjoying the bath togethe~r!¡¹


    All of them, Aria, Ste, Lily and Faeri¡¯s eyes were sparkling so brightly in seeing such a high-quality bath.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ I also agree with you girls. May I ask for the price and requirement for this house?¡¹


    ¡¸I can prepare the contract immediately as long as you dear customer paid the advance payment equal to half-year worth of rent.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood. Everyone, this ce is our new home~! ?¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAAAAY! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ya~y! A new house!¡¹


    ¡¸Now I can fluff everyone as much as I want!¡¹


    Thus, the dragon girl, the pixie girl, and the dryad girl were merrily celebrating their new house.


    The rent cost for one month was a little bit more expensive than before, but their living conditions would also be better than before.


    And most of all, Aria was an A-rank adventurer. Her savings couldn¡¯t bepared to other run-of-the-mill adventurers.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if she splurged a bit.


    ¡¸Fufufu. Now that we have secured a new home, you better prepare yourself, Tama. We¡¯re going to do a LOT of ¨”NyanNyan?? !¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa!?¡¹


    Aria kissed Tama¡¯s forehead while looking at Ste and co, who were frolicking among themselves, from the corner of her eyes.


    Tama had apletely surprised look on his face.


    Aria put the still dumbfounded Tama in her soft embrace, right in between her twin melons with a flushing red face.

 Chapter 76: Moving House Celebration

    <h4>Chapter 76: Moving House Celebration</h4>


    ¡¸Fyuh¡­ The moving house process isplete! ?¡¹


    It had been a few days since they arrived.


    After signing on the leasing contract of the house, Aria and co went on a shopping spree for the furniture of their new house.


    All the daily necessities and beds were sent today.


    In the bedroom of their new house, Aria was wiping the sweat on her forehead.


    ¡¸Ahahaha! The bed is way softer than the inn¡¯s bed!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s the best for hopping around like thi~s!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were hopping around happily on top of the double bed that they just brought into the bedroom.


    They bought two double beds.


    Since the double beds they had bought were made of slightly high-quality materials, both fairies were really enjoying it.


    ¡¸Fuahh¡­ It¡¯s been a while since I got the chance to hug Tama¡­ I¡¯m soo happy!¡¹


    On the other bed, Ste was wrapping Tama around her bountiful melons with an entranced expression on her face.


    The reason why she was allowed to hug Tama was that she turned into her dragonewt form and brought the two double beds, one on each arm, from the furniture store all the way to the house.


    Aria rewarded Ste¡¯s hard work with the right to hug Tama.


    ¨D¨DOi Ste, don¡¯t pat my head so much.


    Despite Tama¡¯s attempts to stop Ste from patting his head, Ste continued doing it with even more vigor than before.


    Not to mention her embrace, which had strengthened even further, burying Tama between her breasts.


    (Urgh, I never expected that the day Ste did this to me woulde¡­ All kinds of unexpected situations will surely happen in your life, huh.£©


    They, who once fought till death, were now in this kind of situation.


    Tama was looking at Ste¡¯s expression from between her cleavage, an expression of pure bliss.


    (Humph, Tama and Ste are gazing into each other¡¯s eyes again! What¡¯s the meaning of that gaze?£©


    Aria pouted as she looked at Ste and Tama who were lost in their own world.


    ¡¸Excuse me~! We¡¯re from delivery service!¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, Ye~s! Please wait a minute!¡¹


    Right at that very moment, a visitor called from the entrance of the house.


    Aria went down to the 1st floor and saw that the one who came was a certain female shopkeeper of a clothing store in the business district.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for delivering the item to us!¡¹


    ¡¸Of course we¡¯re more than willing to do this for you, Aria-chan! I mean, you¡¯re this city¡¯s¡­ No, this country¡¯s brave after all! Most of all, we¡¯re truly enjoying the process of making your order made clothes this time.¡¹


    ¡¸Calling me brave is a bit¡­ But still, I¡¯m happy to receive that title! ?¡¹


    ¡¸Such humility! How cute of you, Aria-chan. Well then, I¡¯ll go back to the store. Please tell uster if there¡¯s some defect in the product. We¡¯ll patch it right away.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Yes. Thank you very much.¡¹


    Aria received a box from the female shopkeeper.


    After sending her off, Aria went up to the 2nd floor with a huge smile stered on her face.


    ¡¸Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, the order made clothes from the other day arrived!¡¹


    ¡¸REALLY!? LEMME SEE RIGHT AWAY!¡¹


    ¡¸Uwa~! It¡¯s so exciti~ng!¡¹


    The two fairies rushed toward Aria with brilliant smiles as soon as she called their name. She ced a box in front of them, and they immediately opened it.


    ¡¸He~! It¡¯s more borate than I expected!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s smooth and silky~!¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, you guys are so cute after all! ?¡¹


    The contents of the box were for Lily and Faeri.


    Aria, who was always worrying about the naked fairies, went to visit the tailor to ce an order for their clothes.


    And those order-made clothes were finally delivered today.


    Thus, the female shopkeeper told Aria that they really enjoyed the process of creating those sets of clothes.


    Lily¡¯s clothes were a light pink one-piece, while Faeri¡¯s were a light green one-piece. The size was just right for them and it matched them very well.


    Incidentally, Lily¡¯s clothes exposed arge part of her back so that she could use her wings even when she wore clothes.


    Just like their clothes, their underwear was also order-made. Since they moved around in a lively fashion, one often saw a glimpse of their panties which had a simr color to their dresses.


    It was the kind of scenery that would drive fairy maniacs and lolicons insane.


    Even though they should be roaming around naked up till now, the sight of their panty shot drew even more unpleasant attention.


    ¡¸Oh, right! Since you two became so cute after dressing up, let¡¯s put a dress on Tama too!¡¹


    ¡¸NYAA?! (D-Don¡¯t tell me, MASTER?!)¡¹


    Tama stood on guard as soon as he heard Aria¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡¸Um? What¡¯s the matter, Tama? You seem to be scared?¡¹


    Ste felt Tama¡¯s body stiffen in between her bountiful melons.


    Tama¡¯s instinct told him to escape from this ce as soon as possible. But he felt that doing so would make Aria sad.


    He was currently in the crossroad between protecting his dignity as a man or not making his master sad as her knight.


    The famous ¡°between a rock and a hard ce¡±.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ It should be around here¨D¨D THERE IT IS!¡¹


    Aria took a certain thing from inside the new closet.


    (AAAH¡­ SO IT REALLY IS THAT.£©


    Tama lost his strength as soon as he saw THAT.


    The thing that Aria just took out from the closet was Tama¡¯s exclusive dress, which she specially ordered a while before Ste joined the party.


    It was an adorable frilly dress for a¡­ FEMALE cat with white and light blue as its base color. It was an extremely humiliating dress to be worn by a proud knight like him.


    But Tama, who couldn¡¯t bear to see Aria¡¯s sad face, chose to swallow his pride.


    Lily and Faeri shouted merrily when they saw his adorable appearance.


    ¡¸Yaa~y! Tama is so cu~te!¡¹


    ¡¸He looks like a cat prince~ss!¡¹


    ¡¸WAH!? H-How cute! S-Somehow, m-my womb went ¡°Kyun¡± from seeing this adorable Tama!¡¹


    Tama in a dress even made Ste excited in a sexual manner.


    Both of her hands pressed on her lower abdomen while her thighs rubbed together.


    ¡¸Haa¡­ Tama is so cu~te?¡¹


    Aria, being Aria, held her finger in her mouth with an enraptured expression on her face.


    One could see a heart mark in her beautiful ice blue eyes, the undeniable proof of her excitement.


    (T-Thank goodness it¡¯s not just me and master alone in this room¡­£©


    Tama sighed in relief since he knew that he was going to be assaulted by Aria if it were just the two of them.


    ¡¸Nya~¡­ Anyone here?¡¹


    A visitor called out from the entrance of the house while the four beauties were enjoying Tama¡¯s cuteness.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Vulcan-san!?¡­ Woah, quite a lot of luggage you brought there.¡¹


    The visitor was apparently Vulcan and she had brought a lot of things with her, carrying them in both her hands and back.


    ¡¸Since we¡¯re going to celebrate Aria-chan and co moving house today, I closed my store a bit earlier and brought along some gifts with me.¡¹


    After saying so, Vulcan spread out the luggage she carried with her on top of the dining table.


    ¡¸Waah! This is Hobawl Lobster! This one is marbled beef! No way, this is¡­!¡¹


    The things brought by Vulcan were various luxurious ingredients.


    It seemed like she prepared these luxurious ingredients to celebrate the new home.


    ¡¸MEAT!!! WHAT A DELICIOUS SCENT OF MEAT!¡¹


    Ste, smelling the fragrance of premium meat, went down from the 2nd floor immediately.


    ¡¸Sweet smell! This is the smell of cake!¡¹


    ¡¸Such tempting aroma~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri came down too due to the sweet smell of the cake.


    The cake was A WHOLE CAKE bought from a prominent sweet store in thebyrinth city.


    ¡¸A delicious feast¡­ Thank you very much, Vulcan-san!¡¹


    ¡¸This much is nyatural for the celebration of myrade! ? You guys just take it easy since you must be tired after moving your luggage!¡¹


    ¡¸No way, let me help you! Cooking these kinds of ingredients is my forte, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s cook together then!¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan bantered in a friendly manner as they prepared to cook the ingredients.


    The Trioposed of Ste, Lily, and Faeri trembled in excitement from seeing those two.


    Tama was secretly smiling inside, seeing what looked like three little girls waiting for their two big sisters to finish cooking their meal.


    ¡¸Yosh, It¡¯s done!¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting!¡¹


    ¡¸Wowliciou~s!¡¹


    ¡¸Such fragrance! Let¡¯s eat it quickly!¡¹


    Lily, Faeri, and Ste didn¡¯t seem capable of waiting anymore. A trail of drool could be seen from the edge of their lips.


    The dishes wereposed of steak, grilled Hobawl lobster, soup, sd, and dessert. There were also several prepared liquors for Aria and Vulcan, fruit water for Ste, Lily, and Faeri, and high-grade milk for Tama.


    ¡¸Well then, for the new residence¡­ Toast, meow!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸TOAST! (NYA!)¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Everyone raised their ss following Vulcan.


    The childish way that Ste, Lily, and Faeri drank the fruit water was a sight to warm any heart.


    On the side, Aria and Vulcan let out a long and sexy breath after taking a sip of their high-quality mead.


    Tama was licking the milk right in front of Aria¡¯s seat.


    ¡¸¡­!!! T-This meat is superb!!¡¹


    Ste, who went after the steak right after emptying the ss of her fruit water, eximed in delight.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, this is the first time you eat marbling meat. It¡¯s delicious, right, Ste-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸So this meat is called marbling meat, huh¡­ Thanks, Aria, I memorized its name!¡¹


    The taste of marbled meat cooked till medium rare was superb. Its taste was wonderful despite only using salt and pepper as seasoning.


    ¡¸Okay, Tama, A~hn! ?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~!¡¹


    Tama took a bite of the steak offered by Aria.


    The moment he took a bite, the meat juice exploded in his mouth, filling it with the supreme vor of the meat.


    ¡¸WOOOAH! This lobster dude is amazinglicious!¡¹


    ¡¸The butter sauce pairs very well with it~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were in a trance as soon as they took the first bite of the local specialty, Hobawl lobster.


    It was a natural reaction for them, who were tasting a marine product for the first time in their life. They had lived inside the forestbyrinth till just recently.


    Hobawl lobster was known for its chewy texture and strong umami even amongst the marine products.


    It always left a deep impression on everyone who tasted it for the first time.


    ¡¸Nya~! Aria-chan is truly a great cook, nya! The voring of the soup is perfect, nya~!¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, thank you for the high evaluation! ?¡¹


    Vulcan gave a rave review for Aria¡¯s seafood soup.


    The reason for her rave review was the lightly seasoned soup which bnced well with the heavily vored dishes.


    But thanks to the light seasoning, the umami of the seafood became even more enhanced.


    (Fumu, it can stand toe-to-toe with the guild¡¯s or the inn¡¯s dish¨D¨D No, maybe even more delicious than that!£©


    Tama was also giving a rave review to Aria¡¯s dish while licking on the soup prepared for him in a small tter.


    The five girls and one kitten were making merry as they enjoyed the dishes and the desserts. That happy time passed by in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 77: Cat Boobs Sandwich Again

    <h4>Chapter 77: Cat Boobs Sandwich Again</h4>


    Late into the night, Tama woke up from a deep slumber, tucked inside something warm andfortable.


    (Fumu¡­ I ended up falling asleep, huh¡­£©


    On his right slept Aria, who was sleep talking.


    ¡¸¡­ Geez, Tama¡­ You shouldn¡¯t be licking that ce¡­¡¹


    While on his left was Vulcan¡­ In the middle of sleep talking as well.


    ¡¸¡­ F-Funyaaa¡­ T-To think that Tama-nyan would do me and Aria¡­ At once¡­¡¹


    [Note: Is that 3P?]


    (J-Just what in the world am I doing inside Master¡¯s and Miss Vulcan¡¯s dream¡­£©


    Tama was dumbfounded when he heard both of them sleep talking. They were sleeping while embracing each other.


    It seemed that both of them naturally took that sleeping posture after they got drunk, and Tama ended up sandwiched again by the ripe melons and apples.


    Obviously, Aria was overflowing with the motherly smell of milk that made Tama unable to resist her invitation to sleep together, but Drunken Vulcan was overflowing with adult female pheromones.


    After she got drunk, she basically knocked out Tama in an instant.


    (I can¡¯t fall asleep again. It¡¯s not like a proud knight like me cannot enjoy the feeling of a girl¡¯s skin, but there¡¯s something that I must ¨”Do? no matter what.£©


    Tama gently slipped away from between the two pairs of soft valleys in order to not awaken their owners¡­ Or so he intended to, but the twin melons and apples keep jiggling like soft pudding no matter how gently he tried to move.


    During that time, Tama waspletely speechless since both Aria and Vulcan let out charming moans in their sleep.


    ¡¸¡­ A~hn?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Nyaaa~?¡­¡¹


    (Uhm, the other three seem to be asleep too.£©


    When he looked at the other bed, he saw Ste fast asleep while sheid bare. On her side were Lily and Faeri, simrly fast asleep as they made cute breathing sounds.


    Tama left the house from the small opening of the windows in that room as he looked at everyone¡¯s peaceful sleeping faces.


    (Yosh, all obstacles are clear.£©


    After walking along the roof, he jumped down and made a splendidnding on the ground.


    Tama kept going toward a certain ce.


    But then, suddenly, someone called his name from behind.


    ¡¸Where are you going at this kind of time, Tama?¡¹


    ¨D¨DDid I wake you, Ste?


    It seemed Ste had noticed that Tama was leaving the room and then decided to follow him.


    ¡¸I noticed your presence was moving away in my sleep. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate a dragon¡¯s senses.¡¹


    Ste replied to Tama¡¯s telepathic message with a huge yawn.


    ¨D¨DIn that case, you may go back to sleep. This one is going to dive into a dungeon for a while since this one has something to confirm.


    ¡¸Then let me in, my body and instinct are about to rust from theck of battletely.¡¹


    ¨D¨D¡­ Fine. But make sure that you do not be a hindrance for me, is that clear?


    ¡¸Understood!¡¹


    The sleepy look in Ste¡¯s eyes was reced with a brilliant gleam as soon as she heard that she could fight alongside Tama.


    For Ste, it was a precious chance to deepen her bond with Tama since her attempts to get close to him were normally hindered by Aria.


    Ste couldn¡¯t make such a calcted move in a normal situation, but her instinct as a woman told her that it was the right thing to do.


    She quickly made her move and hugged Tama with her abundant cleavage.


    MUNYUN!!!


    ¨D¨DOi, Ste. Don¡¯t hug me at your own convenience!


    ¡¸Humph, why must I care when Aria isn¡¯t even here! I won¡¯t be able to hug you as much as I want unless I make the full use of this chance!¡¹


    Tama¡¯s objection met Ste¡¯s vehement refusal. Instead of being released, Tama was pushed even deeper into Ste¡¯s breasts.


    ¡¸Come to think of it¡­ Aria did THAT before. Let¡¯s see. It should be like¡­ This.¡¹


    While saying so, Ste raised Tama until he was as high as her face and then¨D¨D Squish! She tucked him in between her abundant melons.


    (What¡­ The¡­ F#ck?!£©


    Tama¡¯s body sank even deeper into the wondrous valley.


    When Aria¡¯s hands were carrying other things, she usually carried Tama by inserting him in her cleavage, and that act made Ste envious.


    Thus, Ste was using this chance to use ¨”Cat-Boobs-Sandwich? on Tama, just like Aria did.


    A whileter, Tama finally snapped back to reality and desperately tried to get out of Ste¡¯s cleavage, but he ended up triggering Ste¡¯s tears.


    ¡¸T-Tama¡­ Do you hate me that much?¡¹


    Ste asked with an almost crying voice.


    ¨D¨DW-Well, the thing is¡­ Okay, okay, I understand. Let¡¯s get going as it is.


    As a knight and most of all, as a man, he couldn¡¯t bear seeing a woman in tears. Tama couldn¡¯t do anything but resign himself to his fate of staying tucked in Ste¡¯s cleavage.


    ¡¸YAAAAY! I FINALLY GOT TAMA¡¯S PERMISSION TO HUG HIM!¡¹


    Ste revealed her most delighted face.


    There were tears of joy in her eyes.


    Seeing Ste¡¯s genuine happy expression, Tama muttered to himself.


    (Well, as long as she¡¯s happy¡­)


    ¡ô


    Munyun, munyun!


    BOING-BOING!


    Tama¡¯s body was attacked by a pleasantly soft feeling along with Ste¡¯s steps. It could even be described as ¡°violently soft¡±.


    Despite her slightly muscr build, Ste¡¯s breasts were extremely soft with just the RIGHT springiness.


    It seemed her pair of bountiful melons that had grown even bigger since the first time they met wouldn¡¯t let Tama¡¯s body slide down.


    ¡¸Oh, if it isn¡¯t Ste-chan¨D¨D What are you¡­ HOLY MOSES!?¡¹


    ¡¸W-What a terrifying scene¡­¡¹


    On the way toward thebyrinth Dany, the vice-captain of the knight order and his subordinate, Howard, were currently patrolling the city. They were left dumbfounded by the scene before them.


    Naturally, the cause of their surprise was none other than Tama who was tucked in between Ste¡¯s cleavage.


    Ste¡¯s attire belonged to the ¡°extreme¡± category, with extremely low-rise hotpants and cloth that almost exposed her breast and underboobs.


    And though the fashion style alone made her into the center of attention -of men-, with Tama interposed in between her breasts, her twin melons look like they were almost ¡°overflowing.¡±


    That¡¯s why Dany and Howard got entranced by her appearance, too.


    ¡¸Oh! Good evening, Dany, Howard.¡¹


    Ste got used to human society after living in this city for a while and greeted both Dany and Howard.


    She also felt some sort of camaraderie with both of them after they fought together against the undead army in ddstone.


    Ste was unaware of the fact that Dany and co were staring at her boobs instead of at Tama who was sandwiched in between them.


    (Uhm¡­ Dany-dono¡¯s and Howard-dono¡¯s gaze are fixed on Ste¡¯s breasts. This is an act unfit for a knight. Alright then¨D¨D£©


    Tama¡¯s pride as a knight was stirred in seeing Stepletely unaware of the lewd gazes focused on her.


    Tama stretched out his head a little bit from Ste¡¯s cleavage and then, as he looked at the two knights¡­


    GIN!


    A sharp glint appeared in his eyes.


    TWITCH!


    Dany¡¯s and Howard¡¯s bodies twitched.


    Despite his adorable appearance, Tama¡¯s true identity was that of S-Rank monster, the Behemoth.


    Scaring the two knights was a piece of cake for him.


    Or rather, his evaluation for the two knight¡¯s abilities rose to another level since they reacted with only a re from Tama.


    ¡¸B-By the way, what are you doing outside sote at night?¡¹


    Dany asked while averting his gaze from Ste¡¯s breasts.


    He scratched his head with a slightly awkward face due to his own guilty conscience after staring fixedly at a girl¡¯s breast.


    Howard¡¯s tail was also dangling lifelessly as he muttered.


    ¡¸Uhn¡­¡¹


    ¨D¨DJust tell them we¡¯re in the middle of a night stroll.


    Tama guided Ste via telepathy since she was wondering how to answer them. After nodding to Tama, Ste answered the two knights.


    ¡¸We¡¯re in the middle of a night stroll.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Make sure you go back before it¡¯s toote at night, okay?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, we don¡¯t want Miss Ste to get caught by problematic fes due to your beauty, after all.¡¹


    Despite having looked at Ste¡¯s boobs with lewd looks on their faces just a while ago, those two were still knights who protected the peace of Labyrinth City.


    They gave her that warning for her own safety.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m strong enough to protect myself and have Tama to protect me too!¡¹


    ¡¸Hehehe. Come to think of it, you¡¯re right.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Tama is an extremely powerful knight with a strong sense of justice.¡¹


    Dany and Howard couldn¡¯t help but agree with Ste¡¯s remark.


    After they parted way with the two knights, Tama went toward thebyrinth while shaking in Ste¡¯s cleavage.

 Chapter 78.1: New Power, And Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 78.1: New Power, And Transformation</h4>


    (Fumu¡­ It¡¯s been a while since Ist visited thisbyrinth.£©


    Tama went to thebyrinth while being rocked within Ste¡¯s cleavage. He slipped out after they had entered thebyrinth,nding skillfully on the ground.


    ¡¸Muuh¡­ Only this far, huh? What a pity¡­¡¹


    Ste seemed extremely disappointed with the end of her hugging time.


    Tama ignored Ste and then used his ¡¶Status¡· skill on himself. The entries in his field of vision were like below.


    _________________________________________________


    Name:Tama


    Race:Behemoth (Infant£©


    Inherent Skills:¡¶Elemental Howl¡·¡¶Skill Predation¡·¡¶Elemental Tail de¡·¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·


    Predated Skills:¡¶Storage¡·¡¶Poison Fang¡·¡¶Flight¡·¡¶Fireball¡·¡¶Icicle Lance¡·¡¶Iron Body¡·¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·¡¶Unlimited Mucus Bullet¡·¡¶Crossbred¡·¡¶Dragon Fang¡·¡¶Dragon w¡·


    Potential Evolution :? Behemoth 3rd Form


    _________________________________________________


    (I got ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡· as my new inherent skill, and¡­ The new evolution entry.£©


    There was a new skill called ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡· in Tama¡¯s inherent skill column, and ¨”Behemoth 3rd Form? in the evolution entry which had vanished until then.


    The new abilities had probably appeared because Tama raised his proficiency level after the battle against the Undead Dragon in ddstone.


    (Evolution¡­ 3rd form means that it¡¯ll be different from the 2nd form. Well, I get the point, but¡­ Like hell I¡¯m gonna try this when I don¡¯t even know whether I can turn back to my infant form or not. Let¡¯s keep this as myst trump card. Moreover¨D¨D£©


    He wanted to try his newly gained inherent skill, ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·.


    Going by its name, it might be something along ¡®shooting energy bullets imbued with the elements¡¯.


    Tama¡¯s consciousness focused on the¡¶Elemental Bullet¡· entry.


    A new status disy appeared in his field of vision.


    _________________________________________________


    ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·:¡¶me Missile¡·¡¶Aether Missile¡·¡¶Water Missile¡·¡¶Rock Missile¡·


    _________________________________________________


    (Missile¡­ The heck is that? Oh, well¡­ I guess I¡¯ll know once I try to use it.£©


    Tama, who wasn¡¯t familiar with the word ¡°Missile¡±, entered thebyrinth to test his new skill.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Tama? Why are you so quiet?¡¹


    While he was deep in thought, Ste was shouting some nonsense.


    ¡¸MY TIME IS COMING!¡¹


    Tama sighed, exasperated.


    ¨D¨DWhatever, I¡¯ll understand once I use it. Hey, small fries appeared.


    ¡­ But he still reminded Ste via telepathy.


    ¡ºGUGYA!¡»


    The monster that appeared and screeched an indescribable cry had a grotesque appearance. A Goblin.


    ¨D¨DSte, get back. I¡¯m gonna try my new skill.


    ¡¸New skill! Since when did you get a new skill?!¡¹


    Ste¡¯splexion brightened. Her eyes were brimming with light as she received that telepathic message from Tama.


    Even under normal circumstances, Ste had been madly in love with Tama¡¯s power.


    It was natural for her to be extremely excited about it.


    ¡¸THEN HURRY UP! LET ME SEE IT!¡¹


    Ste, who couldn¡¯t wait for it any longer, urged Tama to invoke his new skill.


    Tama was preparing to use it while smiling wryly at Ste¡¯s childlike reaction.


    (I guess there should be no problem even if I use a bit more power for the new skill. There¡¯s still quite a long distance between us and that Goblin.£©


    After he had decided, Tama invoked his new skill without even confirming first.


    ¡¸NYAN!£¨¡¶me Missile¡·!£©


    A long and thin me appeared in front of him along with his adorable cry. Its diameter was around as big as a human fist.


    That thing wasn¡¯t something that existed in this world. It resembled a¨”Ballistic Weapon[Missile] ?from another world called Earth.


    The moment it appeared, the ¡¶me Missile¡· headed toward the Goblin while making a thunderous noise.


    The Goblin couldn¡¯t react in time to dodge and the iing ¡¶me Missile¡· hit it right on its sr plexus.


    Everything was fine¡­ Until they saw what happened next.


    DOGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨DNNNNNNNNN!


    The ¡¶me Missile¡· exploded after it struck the Goblin. The body exploded into pieces, scattering in every direction.


    Every single bit of the Goblin¡¯s body was carbonized, maybe due to the effects of the me element.


    ¡¸W-WOOOW! JUST WHEN I THOUGHT A STRANGE THING APPEARED, THAT GOBLIN¡¯S BODY SUDDENLY GOT BLOWN TO BITS!¡¹


    Ste eximed as soon as she saw what remained of the Goblin.


    (This is¡­ I see. This might be an extremely useful skill.£©


    Tama looked at the excited Ste from over his shoulder and then nodded at her.


    Different from the wide range skill ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, The ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡· he fired just now induced an explosion and impact damage.


    ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· was a nice choice of skill when Tama had to face many enemies at once, but it became less effective if he fought alongside Aria and co. They could get caught in his attack range.


    That was why these new skills, which packed a lot more punch and narrowed the range, were more suited for party battles.


    Especially when they had to face a case simr to ddstone, where he had to protect the citizens while cooperating with Aria and co.


    At that time, Tama was forced to use closebat skills to minimize the damage to his surroundings.


    The new skill¡¯s appearance might be rted to that situation.


    ¨D¨D Ste, let¡¯s get going. There¡¯s still another skill that I want to try.


    ¡¸¡­ EH! There¡¯s another new skill?! As expected of Tama!¡¹


    Tama went even deeper into thebyrinth while leading Ste. By the time they reached the second floor, Tama¡¯s disappointment was evident on his face.


    (¡­ The monsters seem to be taking a vacation today.£©


    In fact, Tama wanted to test his new skills on the small fry monsters, like the Goblins on the 1st floor. But they had yet to encounter any monsters until they arrived on the 2nd floor.


    He thought that the guild might do a sweep while they weren¡¯t here.


    Thebyrinth had the ability to give birth to monsters, but there was quite a big gap in time between each monster being born.


    It would take quite a while for thebyrinth to be filled again with monsters after arge scale sweeping by the guild. One would rarely encounter any monster during those periods.


    (Well, I guess I¡¯ll find a slightly more challenging monster on the 2nd floo-¡­ Oh, there you are! A suitable opponent to test my new skill.£©


    After walking through the 2nd floor for a while, Tama and Ste saw an Orc.


    And it seemed that it saw them too because the Orc¡¯s eyes opened wide as it rushed toward them with a war cry.


    ¡ºBUHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!¡»


    (Great! A perfect target for the next skill!£©


    ¡¸Nyaa!¡¹


    Tama sent a piercing cold look toward the Orc as he raised another adorable cry. The skill he chose was one of the¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·, ¡¶Ether Missile¡·.


    Unlike the previous one, this missile color was pale green and it made a rumbling noise.


    (GOOO!£©

 Chapter 78.2: New Power, And Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 78.2: New Power, And Transformation</h4>


    The ¡¶Ether Missile¡· headed toward the Orc as soon as Tama ordered so.


    Maybe it was instinct, but the Orc couldn¡¯t see the iing missile and yet it leaped to the side.


    But that was futile.


    The ¡¶Aether Missile¡· changed its trajectory, following the Orc.


    ¡¸¡¸Uhn?!¡¹¡¹


    Both Tama and Ste held their breaths in surprise.


    Never in their wildest imaginations did they consider that a fired skill would follow the movement of its target.


    ¡ºBUGIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!¡»


    The Orc¡¯s scream resounded in thebyrinth.


    Different from the exploding ¡¶me Missile¡·, the ¡¶Aether Missile¡· shredded the Orc¡¯s body with a sharp vacuum de.


    The body was literally shredded in the most gruesome manner.


    ¡¸I-It¡¯s already scary enough with just its ¡°chasing after the target¡± perk, and yet to think that even its power¡­ Just how powerful have you be, Tama?!¡¹


    ¨D¨DHonestly, even I have no idea, but there are still two new skills. I came to this ce to test them.


    ¡¸WHA!?¡¹


    There was still another skill¡­


    Ste was speechless.


    And then another Orc, having heard the sounds of battle, appeared in front of Tama and Ste.


    There were two of them.


    (Oh, those kind souls just offered themselves to be guinea pigs of the other two ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·¡­£©


    Tama took a deep breath.


    And, just like that, he invoked the other skill.


    ¡¸NYAN! (¡¶Water Missile¡·!)¡¹


    The skill shone a pale blue color and flew toward the Orc on the right.


    ¡¸?! The orc¡­ It¡¯s trapped in a water sphere!!! ¡¹


    Ste was even more excited than before.


    The ¡¶Water Missile¡· exploded upon impact, generating an unbelievable amount of water.


    The water formed a sphere, trapping the entire Orc¡¯s body in it from head to toe.


    The Orc writhed in agony inside the water prison until it eventually choked to death.


    At the very same moment, the water prison vanished without a trace.


    (What a terrifying skill. I can just kill almost all kinds of living enemies by choking them to death. Well, there¡¯s surely some kind of calm andposed opponent out there who would be able to counter this attack with some skill, though¡­£©


    This skill was fairly simplepared to the previous two skills, but just as terrifying.


    Meanwhile, the other Orc realized that they targeted the wrong opponent the moment itsrade perished.


    Thus, the remaining Orc turned around and immediately tried to escape.


    ¡ºB-Buhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!¡»


    ¡¸AH! That Orc is running away!¡¹


    Ste screamed as she pointed her finger toward the Orc.


    ¡¸NYAAA!£¨¡¶Rock Missile¡·£©!¡¹


    (You think I¡¯m gonna let you off that easily?)


    Looking at the escaping Orc with cold eyes, Tama fired thest ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·, ¡¶Rock Missile¡·.


    The color of thest missile was dark grey, with a sharp helix shape. The ¡¶Rock Missile¡· went after its target while rotating at high speed.


    GYIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII¨D¨D!


    The ¡¶Rock Missile¡·struck right in the middle of the Orc¡¯s back. The helix de, rotating at high speeds, drilled through the orc¡¯s back.


    ¡ºGUGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    The Orc screamed in pain, falling forward as a huge mass of blood gushed out of its body. Itsst expression was one of despair along with tears of blood.


    DOSHA!


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ Truly a nasty skill¡­¡¹


    ¨D¨DYup¡­ It¡¯s a really powerful one, though¡­


    Both Tama and Ste were speechless from that gory scene unsuitable for young audiences.


    But he was right to call it a powerful skill.


    Since this skill could easily drill through the Orc¡¯s hard skin, it might be a suitable skill against a Golem.


    ¨D¨DYup. Now that we have tested all these new skills, it¡¯s time to go home, Ste. The evolution one is rather worrying, but it¡¯s not like I can test that particr choice.


    ¡¸Evo-¡­-Lu-¡­-Tion? Tama¡­ Did you just say evolution?¡¹


    ¨D¨D¡­? Yeah, something along the lines of ¡°Behemoth 3rd Form¡±. The one you saw when I fought you to the deathst time was the 2nd form. Think of the 3rd one as a stronger version of that.


    ¡¸Evolution means¡­ You be even bigger than your current form¡­ The reason you can¡¯t copte is that you¡¯re still in your infant form, but if you evolve¡­ You¡¯re basically turned into an adult.¡¹


    ¨D¨DO-Oi, Ste. What in the hell is-¡­


    Tama retreated immediately as soon as he heard Ste¡¯s voice, which caused chills to run along his spine.


    Ste suddenly started screaming at the top of her lungs.


    ¡¸TAMA! EVOLVE RIGHT NOW AND ¨”IMPREGNATE? MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!¡¹


    ¡¸NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! (POLICE! HELP! THERE¡¯S A PERVEEEEEEERT!!!)¡¹


    Tama narrowly escaped from Ste, who chased after him with rough breaths.

 Chapter 79: The World Tree and Fountain of Life

    <h4>Chapter 79: The World Tree and Fountain of Life</h4>


    ¡¸Fufufufu¡­ Good morning, Tama~. ?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~!¡¹


    When Tama opened his eyes the next morning, he was already sandwiched between Aria¡¯s melons again.


    Last night, after escaping from an extremely aroused Ste, Tama managed to slip in his master¡¯s cleavage without being noticed by the dragonewt.


    Naturally, Ste didn¡¯t dare go after Tama while he trembled in fear in between Aria¡¯s breasts.


    ¡¸Muu¡­ My ¨”Throbbing?has yet to subside¡­¡¹


    Ste looked at Tama, whose head brushed gently over Aria¡¯s skin, while holding on to her lower abdomen.


    It seemed she was still excited even after resting for a night. Her cheeks were dyed a light pink color and her breathing was slightly ragged.


    ¡¸N-Nya~! Mornya~!¡¹


    ¡¸Morni~ng!¡¹


    ¡¸Goodmorni~ng! Cu~te Tama~!¡¹


    Meanwhile, Vulcan, Lily, and Faeri woke up.


    ¡¸Unya~!¡¹


    Vulcan stretched herself after getting up.


    Lily was pping her wings as she rested on Ste¡¯s breast along with Faeri, who had a lovestruck expression after seeing Tama¡¯s half-asleep face.


    (It¡¯s just my usual peaceful day. I hope this day will continue on¡­£©


    Tama suddenly had that kind of hope as he saw everyone¡¯s peaceful smile.


    ¡¸I have a wish, Aria-san~.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Is something wrong, Faeri-chan?¡¹


    After having her fill of enjoying Tama¡¯s face, Faeri suddenly called out to Aria.


    ¡¸I want a tree in this house¡¯s garden~! Those of the Fairy race will feel at ease if they¡¯re surrounded by nts~!¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, me too! I feel restless unless I¡¯m around trees!¡¹


    Lily leaped up as she agreed to Faeri¡¯s words.


    The Fairy race normally lived deep inside forests, surrounded by many nts. These two seemed to be umting stress since they¡¯re currently living in the middle of a town.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. But still, nting a tree is an extremely heavy type ofbor¡­¡¹


    Aria had no problem with nting a tree in the house¡¯s garden for the two adorable fairies.


    Rather, she was supportive of that idea since she grew in the Elven Vige, a ce surrounded by greeneries.


    Their problemy in how to prepare those trees.


    nting trees was quite a heavy job duty.


    ¡¸No problem~, I can grow the tree myself~!¡¹


    ¡¸EH? Can you really do that, Faeri-chan?!¡¹


    ¡¸Faeri isn¡¯t your usual Dryad, she is a ¨”High Dryad?! She can grow a tree! By the way, I¡¯m also a High Pixie, look?¡¹


    Lily exined to Aria, who was still dumbfounded by Faeri¡¯s words.


    ¡¸NYA?! HIGH DRYAD AND HIGH PIXIE?! Aren¡¯t you girls basically from extremely rare species?¡¹


    Now it was Vulcan who got shocked by Faeri and Lily¡¯s words.


    Both of those races were basically never seen before.


    Even if they were discovered, it was almost impossible to distinguish them from normal Fairy race members, since their appearance closely resembled the normal fairies.


    (If they really are High Pixie and High Dryad¡­£©


    Tama¡¯s head kept turning around while he squinted his eyes, enjoying Aria¡¯s melon sandwich.


    If they really were as they said, something unbelievable was bound to happen sooner orter.


    ¡¸Since I received your permission, I¡¯ll go grow the tree in the garden immediately~!¡¹


    ¡¸YA~Y!¡¹


    Faeri trotted happily toward the garden to grow the tree. Lily tagged along, staying on top of Faeri¡¯s head.


    ¡¸QUICKLY CHASE AFTER THEM, ARIA-CHAN! SOMETHING REALLY BAD MIGHT HAPPEN IF YOU LEAVE THEM TO THEIR OWN DEVICES, NYA!¡¹


    ¡¸EH?! What do you mean, Vulcan-san?!¡¹


    ¡¸JUST CHASE AFTER THEM, NYA!¡¹


    Vulcan hurriedly chased after the two fairies with Aria and Tama.


    They were followed by Ste, who muttered lowly.


    ¡¸It seems things will get more interesting!¡¹


    ¡ô


    ¡¸First is this area~!¡¹


    ¡¸Yaay, it¡¯s surely more reassuring if we have some trees!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri arrived in the middle of the garden.


    Faeri ced her hand on the ground as she spoke. The ground released pale blue light along with a small protuberance.


    A bud then appeared from the middle of the protuberance. The sprout became bigger and bigger until it became the size of a small tree.


    Its color should have been simr to the trees around it, but the leaves were a bluish-white.


    Some might even notice that the leaves were releasing a minuscule amount of light.


    ¡¸N-NYAAAAA! THEY REALLY DID IT, NYAAA! YOU GIRLS STOP IT RIGHT NOW!¡¹


    Vulcan finally caught up to them and shouted at them to stop when the tree¡¯s height surpassed Faeri¡¯s.


    Faeri and Lily, who got interrupted in the middle of their work, showed confused expressions on their faces.


    ¡¸Leaves that cast pale blue light¡­ So it really is the ¨”World Tree?, nyaa.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡¹


    Aria was speechless, eyes wide open as soon as she heard Vulcan¡¯s words.


    (Haa¡­ They¡¯ve really done it now.£©


    Tama muttered to himself, seeing what he feared the most realized right before him.


    The World Tree.


    That was the name of an extremely rare tree, so rare that it only existed in legends.


    One might say that the area in which the World Tree grew its roots would be an extremely richnd filled with all kinds of nts.


    Legends spoke of rare metals that were created in the underground of that rich soil.


    To be exact, rare metals like mithril, orichalcum, adamantite, and even the lost phantom metals, Vibram.


    Only High Dryads were capable of raising the World Tree.


    Tama and Vulcan, who were aware of that fact, had expected this development as soon as they heard about Faeri¡¯s true identity.


    ¡¸This is bad! We have to hide this tree immediately! Faeri-chan, can you grow normal trees too?!¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?! Y-Yes, I can~¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Then please grow other trees to surround the World Tree! We need to conceal it from prying eyes!¡¹


    ¡¸Y-Ye~s!¡¹


    Faeria turned around to grow other trees after she saw the change in Vulcan¡¯s expression. A few minutester, the World Tree was fully covered by several bigger trees that grew around it.


    ¡¸Thank God it¡¯s still early in the mornya¡­ We would be been pretty much screwed if other people identally saw this.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ So this is what you meant by something really bad¡­¡¹


    Vulcan nodded while wiping the cold sweat on her forehead.


    The World Tree was said to bless its owner.


    It was something that every single human wanted to have since it would give its owner an unbelievable amount of wealth.


    Once those greedy people knew that a World Tree was nted in this house¡­


    World Tree aside, the people who were aiming for Faeri, the High Dryad, would appear too.


    That was why Vulcan asked Faeri to hide that tree immediately to prevent any tragedy.


    ¡¸Ya~y! Thanks to the world tree, the earth pulse in this ce became even better! Now I can make a little ¨”Fountain of Life?!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸?!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Aria and the others didn¡¯t even have enough time to sigh in relief for evading trouble before Lily spoke from behind them all.


    When they turned around, they saw a small pool casting a faint bluish light had been created. Lily, Faeri, and Ste were frolicking in the water.


    ¡¸NYAAAAA?! I GOT DISTRACTED BY THE WORLD TREE!!!¡¹


    ¡¸F-Fountain of Life¡­ Don¡¯t tell me!¡¹


    Vulcan¡¯s shock was followed by Aria¡¯s.


    Tama, busy enjoying Aria¡¯s melon sandwich, was also astonished.


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­¡¹


    The Fountain of Life.


    It was also only spoken of in legends, just like the World Tree.


    The water from Fountain of Life could heal any wound or illness. Its moniker was¡­ ¨”Elixir?.


    ording to the legend, a High Pixie always existed in thend where the Fountain of Life could be found. And true enough, Lily ¡ª a High Pixie ¡ª made a small Fountain of Life by utilizing the earth pulse that was improved by the presence of the World Tree.


    ¡¸WOOOW! Somehow, I feel more energetic just by bathing in this water!¡¹


    Ste eximed while bathing in the pool that appeared on the ground.


    Her reaction was natural because the water she was bathing in was the water of the Fountain of Life ¨D¨D the Elixir.


    ¡¸Well, whatever. There¡¯s no harm in using it legally and effectively as an adventurer as long as no one knows about it¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, but¡­ A Fountain of Life after the World Tree¡­ Lately, amazing things keep happening one after another¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­¡¹


    Vulcan, Aria, and Tama sighed heavily as they watched over the dragon girl and fairies frolicking around as they bathed in the Fountain of Life.

 Chapter 80: Flustered Tiger-Eared Girl and New Trial

    <h4>Chapter 80: Flustered Tiger-Eared Girl and New Trial</h4>


    ¡¸¡­ Thus. Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, can you promise me to not telling anyone that both of you are high pixie and high dryad?¡¹


    Some time after their hectic morning¨D¨D


    Aria exined the grave situation to Lily and Faeri in the living room.


    It seemed that the two fairies finally understood the situation they were in after being reprimanded by Aria.


    Color drained from their face as they imagined themself kidnapped by bad humans.


    ¡¸It¡¯s rather troublesome but, I think it¡¯s okay if you say that you nt them in the middle of the night. Fortunately, this house¡¯s location is rather detached¡­¡¹


    . Anyway, Vulcan could finally heave a relieved sigh after being away from public gaze and prepare an exnation for the appearance of so many trees in the garden.


    ¡¸I never expected that this water could heal all kind of wounds¡­¡¹


    Ste was staring down at several small bottles lined up on top of the table.


    The contain was the precious water from Fountain of Life. Those bottles held the precious water from the Fountain of life.


    There¡¯s no reason for them to not using it. There wasn¡¯t any reason for them not to use it.


    Aria and co decided to keep the water inside of the empty bottle¨D¨D As an emergency¡¯s elixir.


    With this, any injured party member could return to fight immediately.


    On top of that, one sip of the water was enough to refill one¡¯s mana to MAX.


    Just in case, Aria tried to confirm whether both Lily and Faeri grew the World Tree or made Fountain of Life from thebyrinth they came from¡­


    ¡¸We didn¡¯t.¡¹


    ¡¸ Thebyrinth is filled with abundance of trees, so we don¡¯t really need to grow more trees~!¡¹


    That was their answer.


    It seemed like today was their first time growing a World Tree and creating the Fountain of Life.


    Even though they knew how to do so from the very beginning, there was no need for them to put it into practice thanks to their home¡¯s environment.


    ¡¸How about we try digging the soil in the garden a whileter. If the legends are true, we should be able to find some rare metals.¡¹


    ¡¸Please make new equipment for us if you find rare metal, Vulcan-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Aria-chan¡­ Well, it¡¯s true that I can make fairly good equipment. But, the best I can make is up to Orichalcum nyaa.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, only ¡°Artifact Smith¡± can make equipment with metal that has a higher grade than orichalcum ¨D¨D Eh, what¡¯s the matter, Vulcan-san? Your face is pale you know?¡¹


    ¡¸I-It¡¯s Nyaathing!!¡¹


    The moment Aria was talking about artifact smith, the look on Vulcan¡¯s face worsened.


    Though Aria was looking at her with a worried look, Vulcan just dismissed it.


    Aria decided not to pursue the matter anymore.


    ¡­ ¡¡¡­As for the ¡°Artifact Smith¡± mentioned by Aria, it was the title of cksmith in this world; people who owned this title could be counted on one hand.


    The term itself referred to the cksmith who could manufacture armaments using metals such as mithril, adamantite, and vibram which couldn¡¯t be handled by normal cksmiths.


    Therefore, any cksmith with that kind of skill was put under the management of their country. Such cksmiths were only allowed to use their power to produce weapons with said metals under orders of their country, not by their own will.


    £¨That flustered manner¡­ Could it be that miss Vulcan is¡­ Nay, that¡¯s too good to be true.£©


    . Tama went as far as thinking £¨Could it be¡­£© as he saw Vulcan¡¯s reaction, but he convinced himself that such a thing was impossible.


    ¡¸Aria, I¡¯m hungry! Isn¡¯t it the time for breakfast!¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right, Ste-chan. Let¡¯s have breakfast first. You¡¯reing with us, right Vulcan-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~! It¡¯s been a while now, so let¡¯s have a st nyan!¡¹


    The matter about breakfast made Aria and Co forget about the riot from the morning. Vulcan also joined them for the meal.


    It was during that time¡­


    KnockKnockKnock¨D¨D


    They heard knocking from the front entrance.


    They wondered who could visit them so early in the morning.


    ¡¸Good morning everyone. May I intrude you so early in the morning?¡¹


    . The one who visited them was the guild¡¯s master, Arnoldo Hwarzenegger.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Ana-san?¡¹


    Her tone was the same as usual, but Arnoldo had apletely different atmosphere around her¡­ Thus, Aria couldn¡¯t help but ask when she noticed the stark contrast.


    ¡¸As sharp as ever huh, Aria-chan¡­ The truth is, there¡¯s something I want to ask everyone here. It¡¯s nominatedmission from the guild.¡¹


    ¡¸Nominatedmission from the guild nya? What kind ofmission-nya?¡¹


    ¡¸You see Vulcan-chan, the situation inside of thebyrinth is rather strange nowadays. Powerful monsters that should never appear on the 1st floor had started to appear one after the other. The frequency of their appearance keeps on getting shorter every time, there were even some casualties amongst the adventurers.¡¹


    Arnold exined the situation with a bitter look on her[?] face.


    Considering the fact that monsters weren¡¯t overflowing from the inside of thebyrinth when the abnormal situation happened, it didn¡¯t seem like it was a stampede


    But for the guild who dispatched the adventurers into thebyrinth, losing those adventurers would be a huge loss.


    Thus, before the damage could spread even further, the guild decided to make a nominatedmission to Aria and co, this high ranking adventurer team to exterminate those powerful monsters and investigate the origin of Labyrinth¡¯s abnormality.


    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s something that we can¡¯t overlook. I ept themission.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Aria-chan! I knew you¡¯d ept thismission!¡¹


    ¡¸If myrade go, I¡¯ll go too nyan!¡¹


    ¡¸That sounds interesting, count me in!¡¹


    Arnoldo¡¯s expression became brighter when she heard Aria epted the nominatedmission with Vulcan and Ste following along.


    ¡¸Me tuu~!¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s help Aria-san and co~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were joining the fray as well¨D¨D But¡­


    ¡¸ Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, themission this time is dangerous. Monsters that are more powerful than the one you meet before might appear this time. Are you sure you want to go with us?¡¹


    ¡­ Aria, who was worrying about the two fairies¡¯ safety, tried to stop them


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay! Despite our look, we¡¯re actually quite powerful, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸Desu~! We won¡¯t be hindrance for Aria and co~!¡¹


    The two fairies ignored Aria¡¯s warning and were still trying to make her take them along.


    Well,e to think of it, Lily and Faeri did live inside of thebyrinth for quite a long time.


    That forest-typebyrinth was the home of powerful monsters.


    And since they survived in that kind of ce with ease, they might be quite confident with their ownbat prowess.


    £¨Just to be safe, I¡¯ll protect them if pushes to shove. I¡¯m this party¡¯s knight after all.£©


    He¡¯ll be the sword and the shield of hisrade.


    That¡¯s the knight¡¯s raison d¡¯etre.


    Tama looked at Aria¡¯s face and nodded silently to her.


    ¡¸Fufufu, I guess we¡¯ve nothing to fear since Tama ising along with us?¡¹


    Aria gave a love filled hug after seeing her adorable pet[knight] trying to reassure her.


    £¨You really¡­ turned into a splendid person, Aria-chan. I¡¯m really proud of you.£©


    Recalling the first time she[?] met Aria, Arnold was filled with a sense of aplishment seeing her[?] sister-like figure climbing to the top of adventurer¡¯s rank, bing a proud yet kind A-rank adventurer.


    Thus, their talk was concluded in an instant.


    Afterwards, Aria signed the official contract that was provided by Arnold.


    . ¡¡After finishing their quick breakfast, they started to prepare their gear and confirm that they stored all necessary goods in Tama¡¯s ¡¶Storage¡·. Then, their party departed for thebyrinth.

 Chapter 81: The Fairies’s Power

    <h4>Chapter 81: The Fairies¡¯s Power</h4>


    ¡¸He~, so this is this city¡¯sbyrinth!¡¹


    ¡¸It really is differentpared to thebyrinth where wee from.¡¹


    Aria and co had arrived in front of thebyrinth toplete themission quest.


    Upon stepping into thebyrinth, both Faeri and Lily were looking around curiously.


    Since they originally came from a forest-typebyrinth, seeing an orthodoxbyrinth like this was a fresh experience for them.


    ¡¸Please get yourself together, girls. Your ¨”Divine Protection? might not work against the monster in this ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood, Aria.¡¹


    ¡¸We won¡¯t let our guard do~wn.¡¹


    Aria called out the two fairies to warn them.


    And she might have said ¨”Divine Protection?, but¡­


    Both Lily and Faeri were, in fact, bestowed with a special power called divine protection.


    Their divine protection allowed them to roam freely inside of theirbyrinth as long as they weren¡¯t initiating the attack.


    They did have enough power to protect themself but rarely used it since their divine protection allowed them to swagger inside thebyrinth at ease.


    However, this was apletely differentbyrinth than the one they came from.


    Their divine protection might not work in this ce.


    ¡¸Moreover, we¡¯re even more fired up after wearing these equipment!¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, you even went as far as preparing the equipment for u~s!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were frolicking amongst themself as they looked at each other¡¯s outfit.


    Since both of them were going to participate as adventurers from now on, Aria asked Vulcan to prepare custom made gear for both fairies.


    Since both of them were asking for light equipment which allowed them to move at ease, their equipment wereposed of leather equipment.


    Naturally, Vulcan made holes on lily¡¯s back that allowed her to unfurl her fairy¡¯s wings.


    Aria¡¯s armor was the same as before, bikini armor.


    Her armor only had minimum coverage to allow her moving more easily.


    Her armor was made out of orichalcum alloy which was light yet more durable than normal iron.


    Since she was the holder of the ¡¶eleration¡· skill, her gauntlets and leggings would show it¡¯s worth when she was moving at high speed.


    Her weapons of choice were the usual dual knives and throwing knives.


    Vulcan¡¯s armors were her usual overall on top of her bare skin, leggings and gauntlets made of orichalcum, simr to Aria.


    Her weapon was battle armor also made out of orichalcum.


    Ste¡¯s armors wereposed of her usual risky hotpants and sarashi which allowed her to move freely.


    Naturally, she was equipped with gauntlets and leggings too.


    Her weapon of choice were the mega shield and greatsword, both of which were made from an ultra heavy metal called ck iron.


    Andst but not in the least were Tama¡¯s orichalcum made cat-knight armor[Puss in B**ts].


    ¡¸Nyaan(There¡¯s an iing enemy, master)!¡¹


    Tama meowled with seriousness.


    The sounds of footsteps along with ¡ºGUGIGYAAN!¡» came from the inner side of thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Goblin and¡­¡­ Hob-goblin huh.¡¹


    ¡¸Under normal circumstances, Hob-goblin won¡¯tt appear on the first floor. I see, thebyrinth really is bing strangenyan!¡¹


    Both Vulcan and Aria noticed the sign of the approaching enemies.


    The one who appeared were goblins and their higher species, hob-goblin.


    The two of them raised their clubs as they headed toward Tama and co.


    There¡¯s no way both of the goblin species who were well known for their lusty nature would let go off a group of extremely beautiful women whose attire exposed a lot of their skins.


    ¡¸Humph, let¡¯s just smash their head.¡¹


    Ste was closing in on them with a ferocious smile on her lips.


    It seemed like her dragon¡¯s instinct went on rampage again and made her more blood thirsty than usual.


    ¡¸Leave them to us!¡¹


    ¡¸Let us to show you guys the power of fairie~s!¡¹


    Faeri and Lily said so the moment Ste was about to leap toward their opponent.


    It seemed that both of them wanted to show off theirbat prowess to Aria and co.


    ¡¸Understood. But make sure you guys don¡¯t force yourself, okay?¡¹


    ¡¸But of Course!¡¹


    ¡¸Leave it to u~s!¡¹


    After saying so, both fairies enteredbat mode.


    Vulcan¡¯s eyes were locked onto their figures as if to say ¡¸Nya~n! Can¡¯t miss this rare opportunity to see thebat prowess of the fairy race nya~!¡¹


    Ste reluctantly agreed while saying ¡¸Humph¡­ I want to rampage to my heart¡¯s desire but, I guess, understanding the extent of our newrades¡¯ abilities is important too¡¹.


    Seeing this, Vulcan couldn¡¯t help but mutter with a surprised look on her face,£¨N-Nyaa!? That battle maniac Ste-chan is¡­ letting them take her prey!?).


    Her reaction was natural.


    After all, she was the only party member left behind during Aria and co¡¯s adventure in ddstone, thus missing Ste¡¯s growth.


    ¡¸Just in case , can I ask you to support them, Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸NYA~(Leave it to me, master)!¡¹


    After replying with his usual adorable cry, Tama stooped over as if he was about to use his skill anytime.


    ¡¸HERE I GO! ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·¡¹


    Lily pushed out her hands as she flew toward the iing goblins.


    Then, something resembling pink colored light bullets appeared in front of her.


    The pink light bullets were fired toward those goblins at breakneck speed.


    It was a sure kill attack for those stupid goblins.


    Along with a loud crisp sound, like a stone bursting, the goblins howled in agony ¡ºGUGAAAA¨D¨D!?¡» .


    Those goblins lowered their clubs while pressing their hand on their injured arm.


    Their arms were dangling powerlessly.


    It seemed like Lily¡¯s attack broke their arms or dislocated their joints.


    ¡ºGUGYAAAAAAA!?¡»


    The hob-goblin shouted a war cry after receiving an unexpected counterattack from Lily.


    Then, when it tried to turned around to save its own life¨D¨D


    ¡¸Too~te?! ¡¶Branch Whip¡·!¡¹


    Now is Faeri¡¯s turn to show her power.


    At that moment, a green colored magic circle formed under her feet, and then¡­


    Tree branch-like things appeared in the middle of that magic circle.


    While it appears like a tree¡¯s branch, it was long, and flexible.


    And then, the tree branch¨D¨D¡¶Branch Whip¡·¨D¨D shot upward and whipped towards the hob-goblin¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡ºGAGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    The hob-goblin¡¯s wails resounded through thebyrinth.


    It seemed that aside from being flexible, the ¡¶Branch Whip¡· was packed with power too.


    Upon a closer look, the hob-goblin¡¯s shoulder had sunk.


    ¡¸Amazing! Both of your attack resulted in such tremendous damage in spite of being fired from such long range!¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, they¡¯re battle-ready nyan!¡¹


    ¡¸Hou, you two were quite powerful indeed.¡¹


    Aria, Vulcan, and Ste gave their impression one after the other, after they saw Lily and Faeri¡¯s power.


    Meanwhile, Lily was still showering the goblin with ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·. Faeri, on the other hand, incapacitated the hob-goblin with ¡¶Branch Whip¡·.


    (Both Lily and Faeri were using mid-range type attacks. I see now¡­ Their power was definitely what our party needed the most right now.)


    Tama gave them a passing score with flying color too.


    Normally, the fairy race skills were only on the level of causing mischief to humans.


    Tama himself used to feel that way.


    But seeing the two fairies¡¯ skills were truly an eye opener for him.


    He concluded that high-pixie and high-dryad couldn¡¯t bepared to normal fairies.


    Moreover¡­ Whether it was Aria, Vulcan, or Ste, everyone of them were closebat fighters.


    Excluding Tama¡¯s skills and Aria¡¯s throwing knives, they had no mid-range type attack.


    But now, there could be more variations to their mid-range attacks with Lily and Faeri joining their party.


    More variation to attack from their back line means more assault formation for their vanguard and more leeway for Tama to support their vanguard.


    ¡¸Huhu~hm, this is our true power!¡¹


    ¡¸Those goblins were too weak to begin wi~th!¡¹


    Both Lily and Faeri puffed out their t chest, seemingly satisfied in seeing Aria and co¡¯s reaction.

 Chapter 82: Clenched Fists And Sandwiched Cat

    <h4>Chapter 82: Clenched Fists And Sandwiched Cat</h4>


    ¡¸Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, both of you¡¯re amazing!¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯re serious nyaa! You girls were the one we needed the most right nyaow!¡¹


    Vulcan and Aria praised Lily and Faeri, both puffed out their ch t pridefully.


    ¡¸Fufu~, I¡¯m really happy being praised like that by Aria and co.¡¹


    ¡¸W¡¯re really happy we can be of use for you guys~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were smiling delightfully with a flushed red face as they got praised like that.


    They both felt indebted to Aria and co after the ddstone incident.


    Thus, they were really happy to know they could help Aria and co inbat


    £¨Now is our tu-!£©


    While Vulcan and Aria were still dazed by Lily and Faeri¡¯s prowess, Ste¡¯s eyes were sparkling.


    She went straight to hug Tama from behind.


    ¡¸Nyaa~!?¡¹


    Tama who was suddenly lifted up like that let out a loud yet adorable cry.


    When he tried to somehow slip out of Ste¡¯s hug, she plugged him into her melons¡¯ valley.


    Tama was desperately trying to get out of there but, his kitten level strength was no match against the dragon incarnate Ste.


    ¡¸Ste-chan! Why are you hugging Tama on your own!¡¹


    Tama¡¯s cry made Aria snapped out of her daze.


    When she approached Ste to take Tama away¡­


    ¡¸Uuh¡­ Do you really hate me that much¡­ Tama?¡¹


    Ste said with a trembling voice.


    It was as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment.


    £¨M-Muu¡­ Crying girls are just¡­£©


    For a proud knight, a girl¡¯s tears were Tama greatest weakness.


    ¡¸N-Nya?¡­¡­¡¹


    Thus, he weakly purred as he nested himself into Ste¡¯s twin melonss sandwich.


    Ste grinned broadly after seeing Tama¡¯s reaction.


    ¡¸T-Tama!? Mu~h! Unforgiveable¡­ Ste-chan, how dare you to take advantage of Tama¡¯s weakness!¡¹


    Seeing Tama¡¯s condition and Ste¡¯s grin, Aria came to the realization that Ste¡¯s tears were crocodile tears.


    She approached Ste, feeling angry after watching her knight(Pet) being deceived by Ste¡¯s crocodile tears.


    MUNYU~N!


    Another pair of melons pressed against the one Tama was nesting in. They were Aria¡¯s¡¯s.


    It was a ¡°Kaijuu¡± level twin melons sandwich battle.


    Although all she had to do was take Tama back from Ste¡¯s hands, it seemed like Aria intended to make Tamae out of his own will.


    Thus, a twin melons sandwich battle to decide who was Tama¡¯s most appropriate partner started to unfold inside of thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Nya~~~~~!?¡¹


    The cat himself was attacked by dizzy spells as its body was being sandwiched by soft and fluffy melons. Coming from both side, the nice fragrance produced by both girls came to assault his nose.


    £¨C-Crying Ste from the back! Pouting master from the front! S-Someone please tell me what I should do!?£©


    As a knight, he couldn¡¯t make a girl cry.


    And yet, his master was now pouting when he tried to coax one not to cry.


    Tama knight soul¡¯s raison d¡¯etre was torn between the two of them.


    ¡¸Wa~i! It¡¯s the great oppai sandwich battle!¡¹


    Maybe because Lily found that the scene of Tama being sandwiched by Aria and Ste¡¯s melons was interesting, she wanted to make the situation even merrier and jumped to join the battle. But on for the victim side¡­


    ¡¸A~h! So sly~! Let me in too~!¡¹


    Faeri who saw the situation started to circle around Aria and Ste while shouting ¡¸Me too! Me too!.


    ¡¸Ste-chan, remember your promise about hugging Tama. It¡¯s only when you have my permission!¡¹


    ¡¸Humph, Aria, you just arbitrarily decided that on you own! I mean, justst night, I was strolling around the street while hugging Tama! And he didn¡¯t show any resistance at all!¡¹


    ¡¸W-What did you say!?¡¹


    Ste¡¯s reply hit Aria like a giant sledgehammer.


    Aria¡¯s eyes opened wide as she stared straight at Ste¡¯s face.


    And then¡­ Her cold, piercing gaze moved onto Tama.


    £¨Y-You¡¯re mistaken, master! I mean, Ste looked like she was about to cryst nig¡ª! Damn it, I hate the fact that I can¡¯t talk at times like this!£©


    Tama was cursing about the fact that he couldn¡¯t speak to exin himself the situation.


    However, he still shook his head to convey his meaning to his master, Aria.


    ¡¸Well¡­ I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t because Ste-chan seduced Tama. Let me guess, you were faking your tears what you¡¯re doing right now, right?¡¹


    Aria understood the situation as soon as she saw Tama¡¯s gesture.


    ¡¸GEH, NANODA!¡¹


    Ste ended up wincing when she heard Aria¡¯s deduction.


    £¨What!? Ste, you little- so those tears were just crocodile tears!?£©


    Tama immediately noticed when he saw Ste¡¯s reaction.


    ¡¸Uwa~~! Don¡¯t ignore me pwease~~~!¡¹


    In the midst of this strange conflict, Faeri who waspletely ignored by both parties from the beginning was the one who really cried.


    ¡¸Awawawa! Don¡¯t cry, Faeri~!¡¹


    Lily then leapt out from Aria-Ste¡¯s twin melonss sandwich to pacify her best friend. (ED: She actually managed to get in there?)[Note : Lily is Palm Sized Fairy after all]


    There was a kitten who was caught in between Kaijuu-ss twin melons battle between a dragon girl and an elf girl, a pixie who leapt out of said battle and started pacifying her crying best friend¡­ It was truly a chaotic situation to witness.


    It was during that time¡­


    ¡¸N-Nya~~~~! Please stop frolicking like it¡¯s nothing! We are inside of thebyrinth nyaaan!¡¹


    Though Vulcan didn¡¯t catch the sign of any iing monster, she finally snapped after being left out like that.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Fue~¡­ We angered Vulcan-san¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Why is this happening¡­¡¹


    Both Aria and Ste¡¯s cries echoed through thebyrinth


    They were sobbing sadly, one could see a huge bump on their head.


    Since they ended up making too much noise in thebyrinth, Vulcan knocked on both of their head with her fists of fury.


    Both Aria and Ste were crying when they witnessed the normally gentle Vulcan became something akin to a fierce god.


    Though both girls were just reaping what they sew for making too much noise inside of a dangerousbyrinth.


    ¡¸Fa!¡­ Tama-chan is so cu~te?¡¹


    Behind the crying girls was the figure of Faeri frolicking with Tama.


    Tama¡¯s kitten size body was a perfect fit to be inserted in between Faeri¡¯s twin melonss.


    Sandwiched alongside Tama was none other than Lily who was muttering ¡¸Being hugged like this while fluffing Tama is za beeesht~¡¹ with an enraptured voice.


    ¡¸Tama¡¯s peaceful face is so moe-nya~n? Let me hug himter, Faeri-nyan!¡¹


    ¡¸But of cou~rse~, Vulcan-sa~n!¡¹


    Vulcan who saw Tama peaceful face after being released from the hell called ¨”Sandwiched Cat? ended up wanted to hug him too.


    As expected of Vulcan.


    She didn¡¯t let her guard down even while she was looking at the adorable Tama.


    Though her rank was below Aria¡¯s due to the event in ddstone, she disyed the wisdom of a veteran adventurer during this kind of time.


    ¡¸¡¸Mu??¡­¡­¡¹¡¹


    Both Ste and Aria who were previouslypeting for Tama could only watch that scene with a grumpy look on their face.

 Chapter 83: Dragon Girl’s Sole Victory and The Carelessness of The Fairies Girl

    <h4>Chapter 83: Dragon Girl¡¯s Sole Victory and The Carelessness of The Fairies Girl</h4>


    ¡¸What kind of enemy ising out ne~xt?¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu~, small fry can¡¯t defeat us!¡¹


    Faeri walked ahead while hugging Tama.


    Lily, who was lying on Tama¡¯s back, fluffed his fur.


    Naturally, those two fairies still found ways to y around with Tama in spite of knowing that thisbyrinth waspletely different from the one they used to live in.


    Aside from Vulcan who followed them from behind, both Aria and Ste who finally got a grip, were also raising their vignce toward their surroundings.


    £¨Fumu, now that we confirmed the true extent of Lily and Faeri¡¯s power, I guess I can buff everyone now.£©


    Tama, still hugged by Faeri, let out an adorable ¡¸Nya~n!¡¹ cry.


    The next moment, everyone¡¯s body was enveloped by a gentle golden light.


    Tama¡¯s inherent skill, ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· was granted to everyone.


    ¡¸E-Eh, What¡¯s this!?¡¹


    ¡¸Offense, defense¡­ Various status are strengthene~d!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri couldn¡¯t hide their surprise when their body was enveloped by a golden light which was apanied by the enhancement of various status.


    ¡¸Fufufu, you¡¯re surprised, aren¡¯t you, Lily-chan, Faeri-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸GAHAHAHA! I was the same as you girls when it happenedn to me the first time!¡¹


    ¡¸Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, the golden light is the sign that Tama-chan is using his buff skill on us!¡¹


    Aria and Ste smiled lightly when she saw the fairies¡¯ reaction as Vulcan exined the situation to them.


    ¡¸Amazhiing! Tama isn¡¯t just adorable and strong, he can even buff people!¡¹


    ¡¸Even though he¡¯s still a kitten, Tama is really a good chi~ld!¡¹


    They looked really happy when they learnt that Tama was using his buff skill for their sake.


    Lily fluffed Tama even further and Faeri gently patted his head.


    ¡¸Nya~!¡¹


    Tama who was jostled around by the two fairies raised a troubled cry.


    ¡¸¡­! Something ising!!¡¹


    ¡¸She¡¯s right nya! Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, prepare for battle nyan!¡¹


    ¡¸ROGER!¡¹


    ¡¸Leave the next enemy to us to~!¡¹


    Aria was the first one to grasp the enemy¡¯s footsteps at first.


    Vulcan was the one who warned Lily and Faeri who were still frolicking with Tama.


    Ste was tantly showing her dissatisfaction as she muttered ¡¸The heck, it¡¯s still not my turn yet¡­¡¹.


    ¡ºMOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡­¡»


    The creature who appeared along with that cry was a bipedal cow¡­ Minotaur of C+ Rank.


    There were even two of them.


    Each one was holding a battle axe. They eyed Aria and co with a delirious look on their face.


    They might have been excited to see so many delicious looking prey or maybe it was because their prey were beautiful babes¡­


    ¡¸Be careful girls! Minotaurs were smarter than the likes of goblin and orc!¡¹


    ¡¸Be very carefu-nyan, there¡¯s a chance they can use magic too!¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan gave their advice to the two fairies who were about to enter thebat.


    ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, then victory goes to the one who strike first, Faeri!¡¹


    ¡¸LET¡¯S KICK THEIR ASSE~S!¡¹


    Both fairies then invoked their skill at the same time.


    ¡¸¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¶Branch Whip¡·?!¡¹


    The spells they invoked were the same one as before, light bullets and tree whip.


    DOPAAA¨D¨DAAN!


    A loud and violent sound echoedinside of the passage.


    The next moment, one minotaur wailed loudly with a ¡ºMOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡­!?¡»-like cry as if it was a cow about to be ughtered.


    Upon a closer look, one could see that it grabbed its abdomen, bleeding heavily.


    ¡¸W-WOOOOW! I can pierce through the steel-like abdomen of that monster only with ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    Lily leaked out a surprised voice.


    That¡¯s natural.


    In the first ce, ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·¡¯s firepower was strong enough only to cause a powerful blow against a high ranked monster.


    And yet, it pierced through minotaur¡¯s muscle armor.


    ¡¸So this is Tama-chan buff skill¡¯s effect¡­ It¡¯s my tu~rn!¡¹


    Faeri, who witnessed Lily¡¯s buffed power, started to control her ¡¶Branch Whip¡·.


    She made the branch bigger and taller till it reached the ceiling, then whipped it downward toward the other minotaur¡¯s crown of the head.


    ¡ºBUMOOO¡ª!¡»


    The minotaur used the t side of its battle axe and parried the attack¨D¨D Or so it thought.


    When It raised its battle axe high to parry the ¡¶Branch Whip¡·, clearly underestimating its might.


    Though she was buffed, ¡¶Branch Whip¡· was, in the end, just a nt-type whip.


    Thus, it might¡¯ve ended up with the wooden whip chopped by the iron battle axe¡­


    Or so everyone in that ce expected.


    Safe for Faeri that is.


    ¡¸Fufufu~, that one is a fei~nt! Now take another ¡¶Branch Whi~p¡·!¡¹


    Just before the minotaur cut the ¡¶Branch Whip¡·, Faeri smiled ear to ear as she summoned another ¡¶Branch Whip¡· from under her feet.


    The second¡¶Branch Whip¡· whipped toward Minotaur along with a sharp ¡°SHUBA!¡± sound.


    The Minotaur couldn¡¯t react under the sudden attack.


    The pointed end of ¡¶Branch Whip¡· pierced through Minotaurs left chest without any resistance.


    ¡ºBu¡­¡­ MO¡­¡­¡­¡­!?¡»


    It vomited blood while wailing and screaming.


    Its body crumbled on the floor and its eyes gradually lost its light.


    Almost at the same time, the minotaur who fought Lily also suffered the same fate.


    ¡¸We did it, Faeri!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, we did it, Lily-chan! Our victory is also contributed to Tama-chan¡¯s suppo~rt!¡¹


    After the two minotaurs fell, Lily leaped out toward Faeri, both fairies high fiving each other.


    Right at that very moment¡­


    ¨D¨DSte!


    ¨D¨DYeah, i know!


    Tama sent a telepathic message toward Ste.


    Ste understood what Tama had tried to tell her, she leaped out in front of Lily and Faeri, holding on to her Mega Shield.


    The next moment¨D¨D


    DOGOOOOOOOON¡ª


    Such thunderous sound resounded in thebyrinth¡¯s passage.


    This was the sound caused by the collision between their enemy¡¯s ¡¶Fire Ball¡· and Ste¡¯s Mega Shield.


    ¡¸Geez, don¡¯t let your guard down!¡¹


    After saying so, Ste sped forward with her great sword held aloft.


    Despite not using her Dragonewt-former, her speed was faster than usualthanks to Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    ¡¸This is, THE END!¡¹


    The one who used the fireball was the minotaur who fought against Lily.


    Ste swung down her great sword and decapitated it cleanly


    Thus, they could say for sure that right now, all their enemies have been defeated.


    ¡¸N-No way¡­ It can y dead¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks a lo~t, Ste-sa~n!¡¹


    Lily was really surprised whereas Faeri expressed her gratitude toward Ste.


    It was just as Lily said, one of the minotaur yed dead.


    And then, aiming for the moment when Lily lowered her guard, it fired its ¡¶Fireball¡·.


    ¡¸Amazing, Ste-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan! You¡¯re reacting even faster than usnyan!¡¹


    Vulcan and Aria had leaped up from behind, so they also praised Ste for her feat.


    Though they also reacted to the Minotaur¡¯sst attack, Ste reacted even faster than them.


    After ddstone¡¯s baptism, Ste showed remarkable growth as a superior tank.


    ¡¸Humph, I wasn¡¯t really focused on Lily and Faeri¡¯s fight anyway!!¡¹


    Ste said with a tint of pink on her cheeks, embarrassed due to everyone¡¯s high praise.


    ¨D¨DGood job, Ste.


    ¨D¨D¡­! TAMA JUST PRAISED ME!!!


    Ste¡¯s face shone even brighter when she received Tama¡¯s praise on top of everyone¡¯s praise.


    As long as it was a praise from Tama¨D¨D The man she loved, it was enough to make Ste show her obedient side.


    Ste grinned from ear to ear as she looked at Tama.


    Vulcan and the other three went ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ after seeing Tama nodded at Ste.

 Chapter 84: Cooperation With Everyone

    <h4>Chapter 84: Cooperation With Everyone</h4>


    ¡¸That¡­ seems dangerous. Those Minotaurs have formed an army.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan, that equipment aside¡­ The variants are also mixing in amongst the normal one nyan.¡¹


    They had advanced quite a little bit from the previous position¨D


    Aria and Vulcan were having this conversation while hiding in the shade of a rock.


    It was just as they said, they had found eight minotaurs after scouting the area.


    Four of the minotaurs were normal ones equipped with battle axes¡­ Two of them were equipped with bows, and the remaining two were equipped with canes.


    Thest four were variants of minotaur, the¨”Minotaur Archer? and the¨”Minotaur Mage?.


    ¡¸As long as Tama-chan went all out, they were piece of cake, but¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, we mustn¡¯t overly rely on Tama-chan. Let¡¯s take them down with our own power!¡¹


    If they depended on Tama, whose power could easily defeat trolls (A-rank monsters), defeating these minotaurs was a simple matter.


    But, doing so would halt Aria¡¯s growth.


    That was why Aria readily agreed to Vulcan¡¯s idea about defeating them without relying on Tama¡¯s power.


    ¡¸We will not let our guard down this time!¡¹


    ¡¸This will be payback for our failure from befo~re!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri proudly dered so after hearing Aria and Vulcan¡¯s conversation.


    It seemed that they were still vexed with their previous failure.


    ¡¸I will do my job then.¡¹


    Ste tapped the back of her great sword on her shoulder, smiling as if telling the two fairies, ¡°Leave the protection to me.¡±


    As she looked at Ste, Aria slightly smiled and said,


    ¡¸Thank you, Ste-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, you shouldn¡¯t help us in this battle, Tama-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan (Roger that, miss Vulcan)!¡¹


    The girls were really fired up right now.


    That¡¯s why Tama had agreed to Vulcan¡¯s proposal, replying with his adorable cry as only a boorish man would disturb those spirited girls.


    £¨Nevertheless, I¡¯ll give my support if pushe to shove¡­£©


    Tama muttered inside.


    He might be Aria¡¯s knight, the knight who protected this party, but, this was a time when he must not help them for their own sake.


    Still, if the worst situation came to pass, Tama would use every means to protect them, including the evolution.


    ¡¸Well then, Lily-chan, please use your ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡· to surprise them. Faeri-chan will use the resulting turmoil to attack. She will confuse them even further with her ¡¶Branch Whip¡·, and, if possible, kill one of their rear guards.¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that, Aria!¡¹


    ¡¸Leave it to me~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri replied to Aria¡¯s instructions with a cheerful voice.


    If their strategy went well, they might be able to take down the other party¡¯s rear guard while still under the effect of ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    ¡¸Ste-chan, please focus on dealing with the iing attack. Vulcan-san, you¡¯re to intercept the opponent¡¯s vanguards if they manage to slip past Ste-chan. I¡¯ll make use of my speed to enter their blind spot and use my ¡¶Sacred de¡·.¡¹


    ¡¸Humph, it¡¯s annoying that you¡¯ll be the one to take them down, but you can leave the protection to me.¡¹


    ¡¸Funya!? Ste-chan is actually cooperating on her own will nyan! Well, roger that, nyan!¡¹


    Although Ste seemed to be dissatisfied by Aria¡¯s order, it only took a nce at her face to know that she didn¡¯t really mean it.


    And Vulcan, who looked at Ste, agreed to Aria¡¯s n and willingly followed her order, giving a satisfied nod.


    She was really happy that Aria had taken the lesson about battle strategy from her seriously and had applied it in the livebat.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    Lily fired her ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡· toward one of the minotaurs.


    The Minotaur Mage, who received the attack right in the gut, let out a cry of pain. ¡ºBUMOOOOO¨D!?¡».


    When they saw theirrade suddenly bleeding heavily from its abdomen and suffering, the other minotaurs were flustered.


    At that moment¨D


    ¡¸¡¶Branch Whip¡·?!¡¹


    Two ¡¶Branch Whip¡· rose up from Faeri¡¯s feet and then¡­ struck the two Minotaur Mages, their opponent¡¯s rear guard.


    ¡ºBUMOOOO!¡»


    Finally noticing that they had been ambushed, one minotaur then pointed at the shade of the rock, Aria and co¡¯s hiding ce.


    Both of the opponent¡¯s vanguards readied their battle axes and ran toward the rock at breakneck speed.


    ¡¸OVER MY DEAD BODY!¡¹


    But, Ste and her mega shield was in their way, blocking their path.


    And instead of waiting for the iing attack, she sent a powerful charge attack toward the two minotaurs.


    Even the minotaurs, who were famous for their brute power, were powerless in front of Ste, who had transformed into her dragonewt mode.


    They were the one who had been sent blown back instead.


    ¡¸VULCAN, NOW!¡¹


    ¡¸¡­! ROGER NYAN?¡¹


    Even though Vulcan became dumbfounded for a moment when she saw the minotaurs¡¯ fate, she got a grip on herself. In the next moment, she leaped up while raising her battle hammer.


    She was surprised. The Ste she knew before would¡¯ve charged ahead and chased the enemy she had sent flying back.


    But, the current her was only holding on to one of the two minotaurs with her shield while leaving the other one to Vulcan.


    Vulcan was even more surprisedpared to when she had seen Ste¡¯s tremendous growth as a tank during her adventure in ddstone.


    ¡¸Good job, Ste-chan!!¡¶eleration¡·¨D¨D!¡¹


    Ste and Vulcan, who had stopped both of the minotaurs¡¯ vanguards, opened the way for Aria to strike into the core of the formation.


    Seeing the opening, Aria charged in like a bullet with her prided skill, ¡¶eleration¡·.


    The one she was aiming for was the minotaur who had nocked its arrow, the Minotaur Archer.


    ¡ºBUMOOOO!?¡»


    When faced with Aria¡¯s overwhelming speed¨D


    The Minotaur Archer stiffened for a moment.


    Aria didn¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    Using her top speed, she leaped towards it, shing at its head as she passed it.


    The Minotaur Archer was decapitated, his head thrown aside in the next moment.


    Aria¡¯s knives¡ªwhich were made with an alloy thatbined both orichalcum and tamahagane, blessed with Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·,bined with her speed¡ªsliced through the minotaur¡¯s muscle armor as if it were just a piece of paper.


    Aria¡¯s attack had yet to end.


    After shended on the ground, she went after the two vanguards who had been blown away by Ste¡¯s charge shield from before. They were trying to stand back, when¡ª


    Arianded right in between them, knives gripped in both of her hands.


    With one knife, she aimed for the heart of the minotaur on the left, while with the other one, she went for the eyeball of the minotaur on the right.


    Both of her knives resulted in critical hits on the heart and the brain.


    The bodies of both of the minotaurs twitched, and then, fell right on there along with a loud crashing sound.


    Aria had shown the tremendous growth she had gone through after capturing the forest-typebyrinth, and the battle against the undead army controlled by Reis in ddstone.


    ¡¸Lily, take care of the one who was thrown back by my charge!¡¹


    ¡¸Roger, Ste!¡¹


    One of the minotaurs¡¯ vanguards, the one stopped by Ste, had been flung to the side, thanks to her skillful maniption of her mega shield.


    ¡¸¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    Lily didn¡¯t miss that moment. She shot her ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡· toward the left side of the minotaur¡¯s chest.


    Ste stabbed her great sword toward the only vanguard left.


    ¡¸Vulcan-san, let me help you~!¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks a lot, Faeri-chan!¡¹


    While Vulcan sealed the two rear guards¡¯ movements, Faeri used her ¡¶Branch Whip¡· to attack them till they were rendered unable to do anything.


    Vulcan swung her battle hammer toward the minotaur¡¯s head and¨DDOPAN!nded a critical hit.


    ¡¸THIS IS THE END!¡¹


    Aria then sliced through their throats, finishing off the two Minotaur Mages, whose movements had been sealed by Faeri.


    The party didn¡¯t let their guard down until they had made sure that all of their opponents had been killed.


    £¨Yup! Wonderful cooperation for their first time! Their cooperation rivals your average knight group.£©


    Tama gave a nod, quite satisfied with the result of their battle.

 Chapter 85: Relaxation is Important

    <h4>Chapter 85: Rxation is Important</h4>


    ¡¸Nya! Look, Ariachan. It¡¯s a ¨”Safety Zone?. Let¡¯s take a rest, nyan!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I guess it¡¯s about time we take a rest. We¡¯ve been going on for hours.¡¹


    Labyrinth, 10th floor¨D


    Vulcan suddenly stopped, and then, pointed at a certain path.


    In thebyrinth, there existed a certain path that led to a safety zone.


    Safety zone was the name given to an area where monsters couldn¡¯t enter. It was a haven for humans.


    As for the reason such an area existed in thebyrinth, and why it didn¡¯t appear in the normal path, those mysteries remained unexinable, even until now.


    But for the adventurers who needed a rest duringbyrinth exploration, that ce was akin to a sanctuary.


    So, whenever such a ce appeared duringbyrinth exploration, there was no reason to ignore it.


    The first thing to do when a path toward a safety zone came into view was to take a rest inside the room.


    Doing so might turn out to be a decisive factor inbyrinth capture.


    ¡¸He~! Such a ce didn¡¯t exist in thebyrinth where we lived before!¡¹


    ¡¸A ce where monsters won¡¯t appear is really convenient, desu~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri happily smiled when they heard the contents of Aria and Vulcan¡¯s conversation.


    The continuous battles so far had exhausted them, so their curiosity piqued when they heard about the safety zone.


    Advertisement Word Excerpt


    Their interest wasn¡¯t surprising.


    The reason was that no safety zone could be found in the Forest-typebyrinth where the two fairies used to live.


    Severalbyrinths did not have a safety zone.


    It seemed that the safety zones only urred in a major cave-typebyrinth, like the one inbyrinth city.


    ¡¸He~! It¡¯s really a big room, isn¡¯t it!¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s a source for fresh water too. It¡¯s just the right ce to take a brea~k!¡¹


    After they trod on the path toward the safety zone, Lily and Faeri started to make a merry inside the room.


    The safety zone¡¯s area itself was quite wide.


    In addition, it was just as Lily had said. There was a fresh water fountain in the center of the room.


    £¨Umh¡­ There was no problem with the water when I tried to check it.£©


    Tama approached the fountain and sniffed to check its safety.


    He had not heard of any reports of abnormalities in the bodies of the people who drank the water in a safety zone before.


    But still, just in case, he checked it.


    Tama¡¯s extremely sensitive nose could easily sniff any poison mixed in water.


    ¡­ Even if Aria and co. drank poisoned water, no problems would appear in the first ce, thanks to the ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· granted by Tama. But still¡­ it didn¡¯t mean that they could let their guard down.


    Advertisement Word Excerpt


    ¡¸Aria, I¡¯m hungryyy!¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it, you¡¯re right! Let¡¯s have dinner before we hit the bed.¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAAAY! Meat, gimme meat! Steak if possible!¡¹


    Hearing Aria¡¯s words, Ste, whose stomach was already rumbling due to hunger, spoke in a rhythmic manner.


    Steak aside, it was rather unreasonable for Ste to ask for meat inside thebyrinth.


    But, such a limitation wasn¡¯t applicable to Aria¡¯s party.


    ¡¸Tama, can you take out the foodstuffs from your item box?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan(Roger that, master)!¡¹


    Tama invoked his ¡¶Storage¡· skill when Aria asked him.


    Thus, foodstuffs such as bread, meat, and vegetables suddenly appeared in front of Aria and co.


    Before they dived into thebyrinth, they had stored as many foodstuffs inside Tama¡¯s ¡¶Storage¡· as it was possible.


    They had also taken along kitchenware such as a frying pan, a kitchen knife, and a kitchen table.


    ¡¸Nya~, The ¡¶Storage¡· skill is really useful, nyan! It¡¯s all thanks to Tama-chan that we can enjoy a hot meal, nya~¡¹


    After washing her hands with the water from the fountain, Vulcan sent a hot gaze toward Tama, and took out a piece of meat. She then started to prepare the meat.


    Just as Vulcan had said, for long hours of capturing thebyrinth, a normal adventurer party would only bring along preserved food such as dried meat and wheat flour. Then, they would boil all that together, forming a tasteless soup.


    A hearty meal affected the morals of the party.


    It was especially true for Ste, Lily, and Faeri, for whom the effects were imminent.


    With Tama¡¯s ¡¶Storage¡· skill, they could take long as many of their favorite foodstuffs as they wanted.


    Thus, those three bought whatever amount of their most beloved meat and sweets was possible.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s start with Ste¡¯s request first. It¡¯s been a while since we had barbeque?¡¹


    Aria rubbed the beef meat with salt and pepper, and then Vulcan sliced it.


    After Vulcan was done slicing all the meat into suitable proportions, she made an open fire by using the firewood that they had also stowed in Tama¡¯s ¡¶Storage¡·.


    When she saw Vulcan controlling the strength of the fire by blowing a wooden pipe, Faeri, who stood nearby, muttered ¡¸That seems interesti~ng!¡¹. Then, she began to help Vulcan.


    As they looked at Aria¡¯s cooking show, Lily and Ste trembled in excitement.


    Tama was watching over everyone with a satisfied look on his face.


    The beef meat that was ced on the iron let out an irresistible sizzling sound.


    Soon, the fragrance of grilled meat and spice started drifting around the safety room.


    And, thanks to the effect of grilling on the open fire, the sizzling meat soup and the fat meat had made the fragrance more captivating.


    ¡¸Aria! Make it rare for mine!¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that, Ste-chan?¡¹


    The reason Ste loved rare grilled steak might be linked to her being a former dragon.


    Aria epted Ste¡¯s request as she flipped over a piece of meat with her tongs.


    Then, everyone decided to have rare grilled meat like Ste.


    The grilled meat was ced on each of their tes.


    As a finishing touch, Aria then added a small cube of butter on top of everyone¡¯s steak.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s dig in!¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s dig in!¡¹


    ¡¸Ya~y! I love sweets. But meat is delicious too~!¡¹


    ¡¸The dishes made by Aria-san is delicious~!¡¹


    When they saw Aria¡¯s signal, Ste, Lily, and Faeri, who were eagerly watching the meat on their te, took a bite.


    The meat that had been baked on top of open fire had a stronger fragrance than usual. Its simple voringbined with melted butter was simply the bestbination.


    ¡¸Nya~! Steak is the bhe~st nyan!¡¹


    Meat was the favorite food of the tiger eared girl, Vulcan. You could say that she was extremely satisfied to have a chance to eat a hearty and warm meal inside thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Now then, Tama. A~hn?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n!¡¹


    Aria cut up a small piece of steak for Tama and then brought it up to Tama with a fork.


    Tama opened his mouth while letting out an adorable cry. He ate the entire piece of steak.


    £¨Humph, master¡¯s cooking skill is the best after all!£©


    Tama came to understand¡­ The power of open fire steak.


    They spend their time with ease, merrily chatting among themselves, as if they weren¡¯t inside thebyrinth.

 Chapter 86: Vs Troll

    <h4>Chapter 86: Vs Troll</h4>


    ¡¸What is this? I feel unpleasant signs lie ahead of us¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nnyaa, such¡­ terrifying pressure!¡¹


    Aria and co took a nap after finishing their lunch in the safety zone.


    A while after they descended to the 10th floor, both Vulcan and Aria, who took the lead, felt an indescribable pressure.


    When they took a peek at the situation from the shade of the rock, they became speechless.


    £¨I see. Trolls, huh. Troublesome opponent indeed.£©


    Tama, who was hopping on Aria¡¯s shoulder, also saw the situation ahead with a bitter look on his face.


    Yes, waiting ahead for them was a three-meter tall monster¡­ a Troll.


    Aria and Vulcan were aware of its strength as they had seen how Tama had defeated Demon Beryl¡¯s trolls by himself.


    Trolls were A-rank monsters. They were extremely troublesome monsters with the power to smash a rock with their fists, and they also possessed self-regeneration.


    A single one of them could instantly devastate a vige.


    ¡¸Tama, please stand back for now. We¡¯re going to bring it down ourselves.¡¹


    ¡¸NYA£¨MASTER£©!?¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, we can¡¯t always rely on Tama¡¯s power, after all. Aria-chan has be an A-rank adventurer too. So I think it¡¯s time for us to challenge a troll without relying on Tama¡¯s power.¡¹


    Tama was extremely surprised on hearing Aria¡¯s words.


    But, it seemed that Vulcan also agreed with Aria.


    ¡¸Fufufu, cease your worry, Tama. Leave the job of protecting them to me. Let me show you that I¡¯m qualified to be your woman!¡¹


    ¡¸U~hn, that huge monster is indeed scary. But, let¡¯s do our best!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll do my best to support from behi~nd!¡¹


    Ste was pumped up for the challenge. The same was the case for Lily and Faeri despite the anxious looks on their faces.


    Tama couldn¡¯t do anything but nod. Seeing their burning passion, he thought (Well can¡¯t be helped¡­ I mean, master and the others seem really eager to do this too. But, I¡¯ll make sure to cover for them in the worst-case situation).


    ¡¸Fufu, since Tama has given his consent, let¡¯s begin then.¡¹


    ¡¸Roger, nyan. Aria-chan, let¡¯s start with Lily-chan¡¯s and Faeri-chan¡¯s long-range magic to draw the first blood. After that, we can use our usual tactic, nyan. But we¡¯ve to constantly raise our vignce due to the troll¡¯s regeneration ability.¡¹


    Everyone nodded at once on Vulcan¡¯s instructions.


    And then, the fierce battle began.


    ¡¸HERE I COME! ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    ¡¸GO, ¡¶Branch Whip¡·~!¡¹


    Both Lily and Faeri invoked their skills.


    They were still under the effects of Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    The reinforced light bullets and the tree whip attacked the troll¡¯s body.


    ¡ºGEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    Their ambush was a sess.


    Lily¡¯s ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·nded straight on the troll¡¯s abdomen, and Faeri¡¯s ¡¶Branch Whip¡· struck the monster¡¯s shoulder.


    Their attack left a quite deep wound.


    The troll¡¯s blood trickled down to thebyrinth¡¯s ground.


    But of course, such a degree of wound wasn¡¯t even close to being enough to defeat the troll.


    The fresh wound let out a sizzling sound along with smoke, as the troll¡¯s self-regeneration activated.


    ¡¸NOW!¡¹


    ¡¸NYARIGHT!!¡¹


    Both Vulcan and Ste leaped forward as soon as they saw the troll staggering.


    And then, Ste, who had transformed into her dragonewt form, made a powerful charge on the troll¡¯s nk.


    But, as expected of the troll¡­


    Even Ste¡¯s power wasn¡¯t enough to bring it down on its knees.


    On the contrary, it suddenly showed a sinister and vulgar smile, and then¨D It punched toward Ste.


    ¡¸Not so fast, nyan!¡¹


    Almost at the same time as when the troll tried to punch Ste, Vulcan, who had circled around to the side of the troll, struck the monster¡¯s shin with her battle hammer.


    At that moment, the troll raised a high-pitched ¡ºGIGYAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡» scream.


    No matter how powerful its self-regeneration abilities were, they couldn¡¯t change the fact that the monster still had vital spots.


    And the locations of those vital spots were about the same as in a human.


    It was why despite how resilient its body was, not even the troll could withstand the pain of its shin getting struck by Vulcan¡¯s full-powered giant ck-iron hammer.


    £¨NOW!£©


    Aria didn¡¯t miss that opening.


    She achieved her top speed the moment she invoked her ¡¶eleration¡·, leaving a deep cutting wound on the neck of the troll as she passed by its side.


    Fresh blood gushed out from the wound on the troll¡¯s neck.


    It seemed Aria¡¯s attack just now had torn therge artery on its neck.


    But the troll¡¯s pained expression onlysted for a heartbeat. Its wound healed up in the next moment.


    ¡¸You two! Get back!¡¹


    Ste said so to Aria and Vulcan.


    A momentter, the troll swung its club to the side.


    It passed through the empty air, generating a sonic boom.


    Aria and Vulcan managed to dodge the strike by jumping back.


    And even though Ste could block that swing with her mega shield, she didn¡¯t meet that attack from the front.


    She positioned her mega shield at the right angle, parrying the troll¡¯s strike.


    ¡¸Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, NOW!!¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that, Aria!¡¹


    ¡¸Leave it to u~s!¡¹


    The troll¡¯s stance had crumbled after Ste parried its attack.


    So, as soon as Aria gave the signal, Lily and Faeri invoked their skills.


    The troll was wide open for attack. It had kept chasing after Vulcan and Ste up to that point, but then, it began to pursue Lily and Fari.


    ¡¸OVER MY DEAD BODY!¡¹


    As the tank of their party, there was no way Ste would let that troll attack their back row.


    Ste went after the exposed back of the troll and struck with the great sword in her right hand.


    Large amount of blood gushed out from the troll¡¯s back.


    Due to the unimaginable pain, it unintentionally stopped at its ce and red at Ste, the one who had stabbed it in the back.


    It gripped its club with both hands, raised it high upward, and then swung it down. Or so the troll expected it to y out.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¶Sacred de¡·!¡¹


    Aria whispered the name of her skill in a quiet voice. Yet, her voice resounded in that area.


    At that moment, a silver sh surged up on the troll¡¯s head along with a high-pitched bell-like sound.


    ¡ºGe¡­ GEBYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    The troll let out its loudest cry of the entire battle.


    At the same time, its grip on its club loosened, and the club fell on the ground.


    Aria was waiting for the troll to make an opening before using such a bold move.


    And now was the best chance to use her strongest skill.


    She jumped from behind and used her holy elemental ancient skill, the ¡¶Sacred de¡·, to slice through the troll¡¯s arms.


    Holy element was the bane of all races.


    The holy de inflicted wounds on the troll¡¯s arms, and the pain was simply unimaginable.


    ¡¸Hunya! The troll¡¯s regeneration speed is slowing down, nya!¡¹


    Vulcan noticed the change in the troll¡¯s condition.


    It seemed the troll¡¯s life force had hit its limit after the troll repeatedly used self-regeneration.


    The healing speed for both the wound on its back and the regrowth speed of its arms had considerably slowed down.


    ¡¸NOW, EVERYONE ATTACK TOGETHER!!!¡¹


    Ste swung her great sword.


    She stepped back right after her sword opened a diagonal wound on the troll¡¯s abdomen.


    That was why even though the troll was trying to punch her with its regenerated arm, it only hit empty air.


    ¡¸¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¶Branch Whip¡·!¡¹


    When the troll showed its back, Lily and Faeriunched their attacks.


    The troll¡¯s arms hadpletely regenerated by that time.


    It picked up its fallen club and took a defensive stance to protect itself from Lily and Faeri¡¯s barrage of attacks.


    ¡¸DON¡¯T FORGET ABOUT ME!¡¹


    That defensive stance created another huge opening.


    Vulcan closed in on the troll and struck the back of its head with her battle hammer.


    The troll, who had been overwhelmed by Aria and co¡¯s cooperation attacks, couldn¡¯t do anything against Vulcan¡¯s strike.


    But, as expected of an A-rank monster.


    That number of attacks still wasn¡¯t enough to defeat it.


    But Vulcan¡¯s attack had stunned the troll and caused a light concussion.


    ¡¸THIS IS THE END! ¡¶SACRED BLADE¡·¨D¨D!¡¹


    Ariaunched another attack toward the troll.


    Naturally, the still befuddled troll couldn¡¯t react against her prided ¡¶eleration¡· speed which was further boosted by Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    Aria fired her 3rd ¡¶Sacred de¡·.


    This time, not only did she sever the troll¡¯s arms again, but she also cut its head, killing it for sure.


    ¡¸The regeneration¡­ has stopped, nyan!¡¹


    ¡¸WE WON!!!¡¹


    The troll¡¯s head didn¡¯t regenerate.


    It seemed Aria¡¯sst attack had drained whatever was left of its life force.


    ¡¸Ha~h, that was a really intense battle~!¡¹


    ¡¸It was a little bit scary but, we wo~n!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri immediately sat where they were and heaved a sigh of relief.


    As expected, fighting an A-rank monster for the first time had given them quite a lot of pressure.


    ¡¸Fufufu, do you see that, Tama??¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan£¨Wonderful, master£©!¡¹


    Tama gave a lively purr when Aria called his name with such an enchanting voice.

 Chapter 87: The Cat-Eared Girl Doesn’t Seem to Be Happy With the Written Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 87: The Cat-Eared Girl Doesn¡¯t Seem to Be Happy With the Written Invitation</h4>


    ¡¸¡­ It seems there are no other powerful monsters in this area.¡¹


    Aria said so while observing the party¡¯s surroundings.


    After defeating the troll, they hadn¡¯t encountered any more monsters despite searching the area for a while.


    ¡¸Aria-chan, could it be that the other monsters were actually running away from the troll that we have killed just nyaow?¡¹


    ¡¸I see. It¡¯s possible. Let¡¯s check this area for a while longer. If we don¡¯t find any monsters, we will return.¡¹


    After that, the party explored thebyrinth for some time. But just as Vulcan had predicted, they didn¡¯t find any other monster.


    Thus, they ended theirbyrinth investigation and decided to go back to the city.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸I see. So the appearance of the troll is the cause of these events, huh.¡¹


    After Aria and co returned to the guild and reported the situation, Arnold nodded as if saying that he understood the situation.


    Naturally, he also praised Aria¡¯s party for their feat in defeating the troll.


    By achieving that feat, they were considered to have cleared the quest. So, they received their reward along with the payment for the materials from the monsters that they defeated in thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Come to think of it. Aria-chan, you guys just received the invitation to the Emperor pce.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹


    Aria was dumbfounded on hearing Arnold¡¯s words.


    ¡°What did Ana-san say just now? Us? Invitation to Emperor Pce?¡± She thought.


    ¡¸Ufufufu! There you go. Surprised, right? But I think it¡¯s just natural. I mean considering your efforts during the ddstone incident, maybe the emperor wished to say his gratitude by himself.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­ EEEH!?¡¹


    A direct invitation from the emperor of this country, the Ashura empire¨D


    That too, for a mere 1st rate adventurer like her¡­


    Aria was thoroughly surprised.


    ¡¸But, I feel that something is amiss. I could understand if Aria-chan and Ste-chan had been invited in regard to the matter of the ddstone incident, but why did Vulcan-chan get invited too. I have no idea¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Vulcan-san too?¡­ Isn¡¯t that because we¡¯re in the same party?¡¹


    Both Arnold and Aria made a puzzled face.


    During ddstone¡¯s riot, Vulcan was house-sitting in the city. She hadn¡¯t participated in the incident.


    That was why they were confused that Vulcan received an invitation.


    Contrary to them, the person herself didn¡¯t seem excited by this event. She heaved a quiet sigh, ¡¸Nyaa¡­¡¹, as if she knew the reason for her invitation.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go.¡¹


    Since it was an invitation from the emperor himself, they naturally couldn¡¯t let the person wait too long for their arrival.


    After finishing their preparations in a hurry, Aria and co headed to the royal capital on the same day.


    The journey to the royal capital, ir, would take around three days with a coach.


    They chose a rental coach, and the driver selected wasn¡¯t specialized either.


    These decisions were made so that they could enjoy the journey toward the capital.


    ¡¸Yaay! A trip with Aria and co aga~in!¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s enjoy the royal capital¡¯s fo~od!¡¹


    ¡¸LOTS OF MEAT FOR ME!¡¹


    Lily, Faeri, and Ste spent their entire journey having fun.


    Perhaps, they had no idea about the importance of meeting the emperor.


    The three of them happily smiled in those three days¨D


    After visiting a famous onsen vige located along the way, the party finally arrived at the royal capital, ir.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Wa! So, this is the Royal Capital!¡¹


    ¡¸This city is even bigger than Labyrinth cit~y!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri started frolicking as soon as their party entered the royal capital.


    Simr to Labyrinth city, the Royal Capital ir was a metropolis surrounded by a giant rampart.


    But, its scale couldn¡¯t bepared to Labyrinth city.


    A round trip around the Royal Capital¡¯s rampart alone would take a whole day with a coach.


    £¨Fufufu! As expected of the Royal Capital. As bustling as ever.£©


    Tama, who was sitting on Aria¡¯s shoulder, felt that nostalgia.


    The periodically maintained stone paving seemed as if it would exist forever. The Royal Capital was prospering with various shops. Weapon shops, clothing shops, street stalls, and restaurants opened alongside the road stretched as far as one could see.


    Besides the pure human race, various other races such as elves, dwarves, and beastmen could be spotted.


    ¡¸ARIA! ARIA! IT¡¯S THE SMELL OF GRILLED MEAT! I WANT TO EAT THAT!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, the aroma is appetizing¡­ But let¡¯s postpone our breakfast until our meeting with His Majesty is done.¡¹


    ¡¸Muuh¡­ Can¡¯t be helped then. A fine woman can endure at least this level of tribtion.¡¹


    Ste obediently withdrew after she got rebuked by Aria.


    The old her would have thrown tantrums like a child. But recently, she had started to act more and more like a woman.


    This might be the result of wanting to be liked by Tama.


    ¡¸N-Nyaa¡­ Atst, we¡¯ve arrived, nyaa¡­¡¹


    In contrast to the cheerful expression of the party, Vulcan had a gloomy look on her face.


    Aria had asked ¡¸Are you alright?¡¹ again and again after seeing her expression, but¨D


    Vulcan didn¡¯t seem to be willing to answer.


    While Aria and Tama worried about Vulcan¡¯s condition, their coach headed toward the giant pce, the Imperial Pce.

 Chapter 88: Hero Prince, Virtuous Demon Lord, and the Shocking Past of the Tiger Eared Girl

    <h4>Chapter 88: Hero Prince, Virtuous Demon Lord, and the Shocking Past of the Tiger Eared Girl</h4>


    ¡¸You¡¯ve finally arrived, Adventurer Aria and herrades.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-YESH!¡¹


    The kneeling Aria replied with a shrill voice.


    Her body was stiff due to the nervousness.


    It was impossible not to feel that way.


    After all, the one before her was none other than the emperor of this empire, ¨”Gaizer Ashura?.


    Even though it was worrying that the empress seat beside him was empty, it was none of Aria¡¯s concern.


    ¡¸Please rx. You guys were the hero of ddstone, after all. You showed astounding bravery during the incident. That goes for you guys too, Ste and that Elemental Cat called Tama.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, desu! It¡¯s an honor for me to meet an esteemed personage like you, desu!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan!¡¹


    Ste and Tama gave their greetings to the emperor with lively voices.


    As for Ste¡¯s speech pattern, although Aria had managed to get her to learn polite speech via crash course, the result was rather strange as they had run out of time.


    ¡¸Uhm, allow me to express my gratitude for your efforts in saving ddstone. We will confer the medals to you guyster.¡¹


    Aria bowed again after the emperor said those words. Vulcan, Ste, Lily, and Faeri followed suit.


    ¡¸Nevertheless¡­ it¡¯s been quite a while, hasn¡¯t it, Vulcan?¡¹


    ¡¸Y-yes. It¡¯s nyaice to meet you. It seems your majesty is as healthy as ever, nyaow!¡¹


    Suddenly, the emperor spoke to Vulcan, who replied with a respectful and lively voice.


    This development left Aria and Tama speechless.


    They were puzzled. Why did Vulcan, theirrade and the owner of a private cksmith shop, could speak in a familiar manner with the emperor himself?.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Vulcan? You didn¡¯t tell yourrades about your status? Even though it¡¯s rted to the reason I called you here¡­¡¹


    ¡¸N-nyaa¡­ So it¡¯s really about that matter, huh?¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, I know this will be hard for you, who wished to be an ordinary cksmith, but¡­ Well, I guess it¡¯s better if my son exined the situation to you guys. Come in, Julius!¡¹


    ¡¸¨DUnderstood, your majesty.¡¹


    As per the emperor¡¯s order, the gate beside the throne was opened.


    A youth came out.


    He looked to be about 180 cm tall.


    And despite him wearing silver te armor, it was clear to everyone that his body had been well-tempered from daily training.


    His sky-colored hair reached the nape of his neck, and his sharp azure-colored eyes gave off the feeling as if they could see through everything.


    The name of this young man was ¨”Julius Ashura?¨DThe Empire¡¯s crown prince.


    £¨¡­ Julius! The hero prince who fought along the Archmage during the Demon God¡¯s Dusk!£©


    Tama, who had heard of Julius¡¯s name before, looked at him with respect.


    Yes! Besides being the Empire¡¯s crown prince, this youth was also one of the heroes who had fought alongside the Archmage to save the world.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, it¡¯s been a while, ¨”Artifact Smith Vulcan?¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸!!!!!!!!?¡¹¡¹


    Both Aria and Tama couldn¡¯t help but hold their breaths.


    £¨A-Artifact Smith? That Vulcan-san!?£©


    £¨Woow! ¡­ So my suspicion at that time was spot on!£©


    Aria was really surprised.


    Although Tama had considered such possibilities after seeing Vulcan¡¯s reactions toward the world tree and the fountain of life¡­ he was still surprised nheless.


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­ Is the reason you exposed my identity to help you make another artifact, Your Majesty?¡¹


    ¡¸Exactly, Vulcan! And that¡¯s including Aria and the others too.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh¡­ Y-YESH!¡¹


    Vulcan was¨D An Artifact Smith.


    Aria and co¡¯s mouths became agape when they heard of that fact. Thus, they stuttered when answering the emperor.


    ¡¸Aria, and this goes for yourrades too¡­ Will you join the ¨”Empire Heroes Order?, an organization led by me?¡¹


    ¡¸E-Empire Heroes Order, do you mean ¨”THAT? Empire Heroes Order!? A-And Me?¡¹


    Empire Heroes Order, it was an organization with the highest war potential within the Empire. Its members were eitherbat experts or heroes, and its leader was none other than prince Julius himself.


    The order was famous for their contribution during the monster stampede, fighting against demon¡¯s group conspiracy, and national crisis.


    And it was Julius, the leader himself, who was inviting Aria and co to join the such a group.


    ¡¸Heroes, what? Is that something delicious!?¡¹


    Ste, who didn¡¯t understand the meaning of those words, let out a strange remark.


    ¡¸And you are¡­ Ste, right? To put it simply, we¡¯re an organization formed tobat powerful monsters.¡¹


    ¡¸Powerful monsters! Aria, I want to join this Heroes or whatever!¡¹


    ¡¸W-Wait, Ste-chan!¡¹


    Julius¡¯ brief exnation about the hero squad was an unbearable temptation for Ste, whose raison d¡¯etre was Tama, food, and battle.


    Aria was flustered when Ste dered that she wanted to join the squad.


    ¡¸Your highness, can you tell me the reason for inviting Aria-chan? I can¡¯t deny that the current her is strong enough, but I think it¡¯s still too early for her to join the squad.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, Vulcan. I do have my reason for inviting her. The reason is yet to be announced, but¨D¡¹


    ¡¸Prince Julius, allow me to personally exin the situation.¡¹


    Taking everyone unawares, a woman¨Dor rather, a loli¨Dsuddenly appeared beside the prince.


    Her hair was ashen grey, and her eyes were golden.


    She was a peerless beauty wearing a ck gothic loli dress.


    The bewitching smile on her perfectly-crafted small face gave a sense of immortality.


    ¡¸¡­ You startled me there, ¨”Beelzebub?. Well, that aside, please take over for me then.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, roger that, your highness.¡¹


    Julius rebuked the loli, who had suddenly appeared from nowhere, with a surprised look on his face.


    The loli replied to him with an impish smile.


    Tama and Aria became agape at the loli¡¯s appearance.


    £¨Beelzebub¡­ She¡¯s that ¨”Holy Demonic King: Beelzebub?!£©


    Both Aria and Tama were screaming inside.


    Suddenly¨D


    ¡¸Fufufu, correct, Elf-chan. My name is Beelzebub, the one you guys refer to as the Holy Demonic King.¡¹


    The lol¨D The Holy Demonic King: Beelzebub said so while looking at Aria.


    ¡¸¡¸!!!!!!!!?¡¹¡¹


    Aria was flustered.


    Beelzebub had just affirmed her unspoken guess.


    It was as if the loli¡¯s eyes could see through her mind.


    ¡¸You mustn¡¯t surprise people like that, Beelzebub-samnyan¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter, right? Everyone is aware of me having the mind-reading ability, after all.¡¹


    Beelzebub again shed an impish smile again when Vulcan reminded her with a wry smile on her face.


    £¨So, the rumor about her mind-reading ability is true!£©


    Tama was convinced when he saw the girls¡¯ conversation.


    The loli in front of them was undoubtedly the one and only Holy Demonic King: Beelzebub.


    Holy Demonic King: Beelzebub¨D


    A long time ago, she used to be known as one of the seven demon kings, the apostle of the Demon God, the destroyer of the world.


    But the righteous Demon King, Beelzebub, then abandoned her position and lent her power to the Archmage and this world¡¯s heroes.


    Rumors of Beelzebub having mind-reading ability was widespread.


    Tama was also aware of it.


    Aria had be flustered.


    Before she could even mull over the invitation to join the Empire Heroes Order, another surprise in the form of the Holy Demonic King suddenly appeared in front of her. The surprise was even speaking in a familiar tone with Vulcan.


    So, Aria was flustered, both inside and outside.


    ¡¸C-Calm yourself, Aria-nya~n. Let meow exin everything before you hear everything from Beelzebub-sama.¡¹


    Vulcan, who couldn¡¯t bear seeing Aria¡¯s flustered state anymore, spoke in order to calm her.


    After confirming that the emperor, prince Julius, and Beelzebub gave permission, Vulcan began narrating her story.


    ¡¸First, what they said about me being an Artifact Smith is true, meow. There¡¯s a reason why I can manage the smithery on my own without the Empire¡¯s intervention. It was a reward for fighting along the Archmage¨DMaiya-chan[Note : Maiya-chan, the MC of author¡¯s previous work and the husband[master] of the Sword Saint, Aria¡¯s benefactor, a genuine TRAP!!!]¨Dduring Ragnarok. I gained the permission to operate my own smithery from His Majesty, as long as I didn¡¯t create artifacts for my own convenience.¡¹


    ¡¸V-Vulcan-san¡­ fought during Ragnarok¡­ alongside the Archmage-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Exactly, to be honyest, I never wanted to tell you about this. But I guess I¡¯ve nyaow choice in this situation. Normally, my strength is that of a C rank adventurer, but after equipping my artifact, I be as powerful as an A rank adventurer due to my trait¡¯s effect.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ EEEEH!?¡¹


    Aria let out God knew how many surprised voices in this day full of surprises. She was even more shocked when hearing Vulcan¡¯s past.


    Tama, who was at her feet, muttered in his mind, ¡°I see now¡­¡±


    Vulcan did tell Aria before that she was the old friend of the Archmage and Cedric, the knight captain.


    Tama had no idea why a mere cksmith had such acquaintances, but¡­ now that Vulcan told them about her past, his doubt was immediately cleared.


    ¡¸C-Come to think of it¡­ Archmage-sama¡¯s party used to have a werebeast hammer user called ¨”Brutal Beast Princess?-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s meaow.¡¹


    Vulcan resolved thest doubt in Aria¡¯s mind with a wry smile on her face.


    £¨Fufufu, what a cute child! If this revtion alone was enough to make her that flustered, I wonder what will happen when I tell her the main topic?£©

 Chapter 89: Determination and Sword Saint

    <h4>Chapter 89: Determination and Sword Saint</h4>


    ¡¸Now that you have heard Vulcan¡¯s exnation, let me exin the reason we summoned you here.¡¹


    After making sure that Aria had recovered from the shock, Beelzebub started talking.


    Aria was tired because of the various surprises that came one after another since morning, but she immediately regained her focus.


    As for the children¡­ Lily, Faeri, and Ste started ying with their fingers due to the boredom.


    ¡¸Let me get straight to the point, The revival of¨”The Four Demon Dukes? is imminent¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸!!!!!!!!?¡¹¡¹


    Beelzebub dropped the biggest bombshell of the day.


    Vulcan leaked out a dispirited ¡¸Nnya~¡¹.


    The Four Demon Dukes¨Dthey were powerful demons who served directly under The Seven Great Demon Kings, Beelzebub¡¯s former position.


    Both the lords and the servants should¡¯ve been annihted or sealed by the hero, with the help of Julius and the Archmage, but¡­


    ¡¸As a former Great Demon King, I can feel the presence of both the Four Demon Dukes and the other Great Demon Kings. Save for one of the other six, I¡¯ve no idea where the Great Demon Kings are going to revive. But I¡¯m sure of one thing¡­ If the Four Demon Dukes are sessfully revived, their first move would be to resurrect the Demon King they served under.¡¹


    An annoyed look had appeared on Beelzebub¡¯s face as she exined the situation.


    She had helped the Archmage and finally brought peace upon this world.


    But the revival of the Four Demon Dukes would definitely destroy that peace¨D¨D


    That was why she couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed at their revival.


    ¡¸Could it be that we¡¯ve to¡­ subjugate the Four Demon Dukes?¡¹


    ¡¸Exactly. It¡¯s vexing, but the current Empire has no war potentials to deal with them. I can¡¯t get in contact with my two juniors since they¡¯re currently visiting the Earth¨Danother world¡­ I also asked Cedric¡¯s help in this matter. He¡¯s currently on his way toward the location where the Four Demon Dukes would revive.¡¹


    ¡¸C-Cedric-sama too! So the reason why I don¡¯t meet their group nowadays is¡­ Nonono, you have more suitable candidates for the fight, right?¡¹


    Aria asked Prince Julius with an anxious voice.


    Although they had be A rank adventurers, their opponents were the Four Demon Dukes, the close aides of the Great Demon Kings.


    The battle had ended even before it began.


    (Besides, even without Cedric-sama, there are the Braves, or the other heroes. Also, we have the Archmage-sama and His Highness Julius, so we¨D)


    ¡¸Unfortunately, the Archmage Maiya can¡¯t move from a certain ce due to a certain¨”Difficult Circumstance?¡­ which left me alone to move around freely. But¡­ I overburdened my body during Ragnarok which resulted in the decline of my power as a hero. To be honest, the Four Demon Dukes are too much of an opponent for the current me.¡¹


    ¨DJulius read between the lines and exined the situation on his side with a vexed look on his face.


    £¨Hero Prince Julius¡­ I heard the legend about him being a hero amongst the heroes who fought alongside the Archmage during Ragnarok till the end. But I never expected that the war had left an evesting wound on him¡­£©


    Hearing Prince Julius¡¯ exnation, everyone realized just how terrifying the Ragnarok was.


    The devils who appeared during that war were so powerful that even the heroes had to abuse their body and power and surpass their limit again and again. It left their bodies with permanent damages that weakened their power.


    ¡¸Aria, I will train your party before you guys challenge the Four Demon Dukes, as your party¡¯s current strength is far from enough¡¹


    ¡¸Nnyaa, equipping them with the artifact that I make for them should be enough, right, Your Highness?¡¹


    ¡¸Exactly! Combining the artifact you make with the training from me, and ¨”That Person? might open the possibilities for them to defeat the Four Demon Dukes.¡¹


    Julius agreed with Vulcan, yet he still added the training in the menu.


    Seeing this scene, both Aria and Tama understood something.


    The reason Vulcan revealed her hidden job as an artifact smith to them was for this iing battle.


    To be exact, the real reason was that the emperor had called them along with Vulcan.


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, this humble warrior will dly lend her power!¡¹


    £¨¡­ MASTER!£©


    The Four Demon Dukes were powerful. Their danger level far outstripped the enemies they fought so far.


    But Aria would never refuse this kind of request as she was aiming to be a Justice¡¯s Warrior like the ¨”Sword Saint? who saved her life.


    The girl to whom he had dedicated his loyalty was truly a girl with a noble heart.


    Tama, who affirmed that fact, swore in his heart to protect his master with everything he had.


    ¡¸I see¡­ I understand, Aria-chan. In that case, I¡¯ll use my Brutal Beast Princess¡¯s power and Artifact Smith¡¯s power to assist you.¡¹


    If given a choice, Vulcan preferred a normal everyday life as a cksmith and adventurer.


    But, herrade, Aria, had decided to fight.


    Therefore Vulcan vowed to assist herrade with her power.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ You really are a girl with a strong sense of justice, aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, thank you very much for your cooperation, Aria. Let¡¯s do our best again, Vulcan.¡¹


    Beelzebub gave a slight smile while Prince Julius thanked both Aria and Vulcan.


    As he saw this scene, the emperor also nodded with a satisfied look on his face.


    ¡¸Well then, Your Highness, if you¡¯ve gathered the necessary ingredients for creating the artifact, please send them to the Imperial castle¡¯s underground workshop.¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯vepleted the preparation beforehand. Use it as much as you like, Vulcan.¡¹


    ¡¸Roger, nyan. I¡¯ll start by making the cksmith¡¯s weapon first!¡¹


    After exchanging the conversation with the prince, Vulcan bowed to the emperor and left the audience hall. She headed toward her private studio to start the preparation for creating Aria and co¡¯s artifacts.


    ¡¸This might sound rushed, but¡­ Aria, and you too Ste, it¡¯s special training for you girls. Starting from Ste, I¡¯ve heard that you y the role of the tank in the party, and you are also an attacker at the same time. In that case, you¡¯ll be training with me.¡¹


    ¡¸S-Special training¡­ with His Highness Julius himself!? That¡¯s amazing, Ste-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸I love fighting against powerful opponents! Desu!¡¹


    Aria became excited hearing that Ste would receive a special training from the hero¨DPrince Julius himself.


    Ste¡¯s feral instinct might¡¯ve told her too that Prince Julius was a powerful opponent.


    And she revealed a ferocious smile on her face despite using awkward polite speech.


    ¡¸Hey, Aria. You must not forget about us too!¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~sh! Now is our turn to help you~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri didn¡¯t want to lose.


    Aria was trying to stop them since this battle was way more dangerous. But¡­ she stopped after looking at the serious look on the two fairies¡¯ face.


    Seeing their eyes¨Dshe knew that they wouldn¡¯t back down on this one.


    ¡¸In that case, the fairies will train with me. I might no longer be in active duty, but you two want to polish your skills even further, right?¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­!?¡¹¡¹


    Beelzebub spoke to them with a bewitching smile that betrayed her youthful appearance.


    Both Lily and Faeri felt that they might gain something from her training.


    So both of them leaked an inaudible voice.


    £¨What an unbelievable situation! Ste is paired with the Hero Prince. Lily and Faeri are paired with the Holy Demon King. Which means next is my master¡¯s training partner¡­£©


    Just as Tama pondered the matter, Prince Julius¡¯s mouth opened again.


    ¡¸Aria, I can¡¯t tell you about your training partner due to variousplications. But¡­ follow me, and you¡¯ll understand yourself.¡¹


    Prince Julius left the audience chamber after telling Aria and co to follow him.


    Aria and co hurried behind after bowing to the emperor.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸T-The mansion is¡­ huge.¡¹


    After leaving the imperial pce, they rode a coach. And a whileter¨D


    They were standing in front of a grand mansion.


    Although they had seen several simr mansions in Labyrinth City, the scale of those mansions were nothingpared to the grand mansion in front of them.


    Prince Julius silently opened the gate and entered the mansion ground.


    (Is this his mansion?)


    Tama pondered about it, but it seemed he was mistaken.


    Because when they finally arrived in front of the solemn door of the mansion, Prince Julius knocked a few times using the door knocker.


    After a while, the mansion¡¯s door was opened from inside.


    ¡¸¡­¡­ !¡¹


    Aria was left speechless when she saw who opened the door.


    ¡¸Oh my, is something the matter, Prince Julius?¡¹


    ¡¸My apologies, I have a request for you. Will you hear my story first?¡¹


    ¡¸A request huh¡­ Well, I might be able to help you, but¡­ let¡¯s go inside first.¡¹


    The one standing behind the door was¨Dan elven maid with ice blue eyes and tinum-colored hair that reached her waist. She invited Prince Julius into the mansion while heaving a sigh.


    If Aria could be described as a peerless beautiful girl, the maid in front of her was the fully matured peerless beauty.


    She was the very definition of a pure, transcendent beauty.


    ¡¸A¡­ ¨”Alisha?¡­ sama?¡¹


    Aria barely managed to call the elven maid¡¯s name.


    Her voice trembled, and her eyes were on the verge of breaking into tears.


    £¨What!? She¡¯s that Alisha! And master¡¯s reaction, could it be that this woman is¡­!£©


    Tama, who was stowed in between Aria¡¯s melons, had a guess about the beautiful elf maid¡¯s identity.


    Yes¡­ The beautiful elf maid in front of them was the person who had in one of the seven Great Demon Kings and protected the elven vige from the demon race¡¯s invasion, and the very person who saved Aria¡¯s life in the past, the Sword Saint¨DAlisha.

 Chapter 90: Eyes That See Through Everything

    <h4>Chapter 90: Eyes That See Through Everything</h4>


    ¡¸Eh, could it be¡­ Aria-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Eh!? Could it be that you¡­ remember me, Alisha-san?¡¹


    Aria asked with a surprised look on her face, as the other party remembered her name even after more than ten years had passed.


    The Sword Saint that was always her goal still¡ª


    She still remembered her.


    ¡¸Yes, I remember you. Even the time when you had said, ¨”Someday, I¡¯ll definitely be a powerful ally of justice like you?, with a resolute look on your face. Aria-chan, I remember how noble your expression was at that time¡­¡¹


    It was a one-sided vow Aria had taken years ago after being saved by the Sword Saint Alisha, when her vige, the elven vige Lumirus, was raided by demons.


    And Alisha still remembered the noble look on the face of Aria, the little girl who made such a promise.


    ¡¸That tag, I see! You¡¯ve been working hard to achieve your vow. Your efforts even led you reach all the way to be an A rank adventurer¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Alisha-sama¡­ Fueee~¡­!¡¹


    In normal situations, Aria would never do something like grumbling or crying in front of others.


    But at this moment¡­ the moment when Sword Saint Alisha, her lifelong goal, recognized her and praised her achievement¡­ she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears.


    Advertisement Word Excerpt


    Alisha, who saw that, hugged the crying girl and smiled wryly. ¡¸Oh my! You¡¯re such a crybaby¡­¡¹ She said the same words that she had muttered in the past after saving Aria.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸I see. So Your Highness Julius is requesting me to be Aria-chan¡¯s training partner.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! Since I heard that Aria is a user of dual knives, it came to my mind that you¡¯ll be the most suitable training partner for her.¡¹


    After pacifying the crying Aria, Alisha and Prince Julius discussed thetter¡¯s request.


    In short, not only had she never expected to meet her lifelong goal¡­ but Aria also never considered the possibilities of receiving personal training from her savior.


    The girl couldn¡¯t hide her excitement.


    ¡¸By the way, that girl over there, Ste, will be my training partner, and the two fairies will train with Beelzebub.¡¹


    ¡¸Beelzebub-chan will be training, is it? Let¡¯s do this then. I¡¯ll be Aria-chan¡¯s training partner. Their current strength isn¡¯t enough to fight the Demon Dukes after all. Besides, I can¡¯t just give a cold shoulder to Julius-sama, my master¡¯s bosom friend¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹


    Prince Julius expressed his gratitude after Alisha agreed to train Aria.


    Advertisement Word Excerpt


    £¨But¡­ just what kind of rtionship these three have¡­£©


    Tama pondered.


    Currently, the three of them were inside a luxurious room, sitting on a sofa that was surrounding a table.


    Alisha was sitting right in front of Prince Julius.


    As for Beelzebub, she was sitting on Alisha¡¯sp, already wandering in the dreand.


    It seemed even Aria wondered about the three¡¯s rtionship.


    So, she tried to ask about their rtionship while thanking Alisha for her willingness to train her.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I forgot to exin. Alisha is my bosom friend¨DMaiya¡¯s 1st wife.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ EH!? Alisha-sama is the Archmage¡¯s wife!?¡¹


    ¡¸NYAA£¨WUUUT£©!?¡¹


    Both Aria and Tama were extremely surprised when Julius dropped that bomb.


    The Archmage and Prince Julius, both were well known in the world as best friends andrades in arms.


    But, the fact that the Archmage and the Sword Saint were a married couple was¡­


    ¡¸Fufuffu, the truth is, Beelzebub-chan is my master Maiya-sama¡¯s wife too, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸WHA¡­¡­¡­!?¡¹


    Alisha dropped another bombshell.


    The revtion of Alisha being the Archmage¡¯s wife was enough to surprise Aria, and she never expected the Holy Demonic King, Beelzebub, to be his wife too¡­


    £¨Archmage-dono is not only powerful¡­ but he¡¯s also a man amongst men¡­£©


    Tama had that impression toward the Archmage after hearing that shocking truth.


    ¡¸We normally live together in a certain ce. But when Beelzebub-chan felt the signs of the revival of the Four Demon Dukes, we came to the Imperial Pce to make a report to His Highness Julius.¡¹


    When she saw Aria¡¯s reaction, Alisha exined the situation while giggling.


    It seemed they rarely used this mansion in the Imperial Capital.


    Based on her story so far, Tama guessed that Alisha had onlye to the Imperial Capital as Beelzebub¡¯s escort. She had no intention of getting herself involved with the matter of the Four Demon Dukes, nor did she know anything about Aria and co¡¯s summoning to the Imperial Capital.


    £¨I see! So the reason I rarely hear rumors about Alisha-sama is that she finally found a ce to call home¡­£©


    Aria was really d to know about that news since whenever Alisha spoke about her husband, the Archmage, she always had a gentle expression on her face.


    The young girl was d her idol could marry the man she loved.


    Besides,


    She also thought that it was about time for Alisha to retreat from the frontline.


    Because her, Aria¡¯s, era to enter the front line had arrived¨D


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I forgot to tell you before that I also invited Vulcan here. Let¡¯s greet herter.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, Vulcan-san too?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, she is currently in a party with Aria and co.¡¹


    ¡¸To think the girl I saved in the past is in a party with our formerrade-in-arms¡­ Fufufu, destiny is sure the most mysterious and amusing.¡¹


    Alisha chuckled as she muttered those words.


    Naturally, she was also a formerrade of Vulcan.


    After all, the Archmage Maiya might also have been Vulcan¡¯s former patron a long time ago.


    ¡¸Now that I think about it, the kitten in your embrace is also rather ¡®interesting¡¯. Don¡¯t you think so?¡¹


    Alisha asked Aria a peculiar question as soon as she finished her conversation with Prince Julius.


    Her eyes were locked on to Tama, who was sandwiched in between Aria¡¯s giant melons.


    ¡¸Ah, I almost forgot to introduce him. This cutie¡¯s name is Tama. He¡¯s my familiar. He¡¯s an elemental cat and my knight (pet) too! He¡¯s super smart and strong?. We¡¯ve been adventuring together ever since I picked him up.¡¹


    Aria pridefully introduced Tama at Alisha¡¯s question.


    Tama raised a ¡¸Nya~n£¨Nice to meet you, miss Alisha£©!¡¹


    ¡¸Elemental¡­ Cat? Hu~hm¡­ Truly an interesting child, fufufu.¡¹


    Alisha shed a meaningful smile upon hearing Aria¡¯s reply.


    Tama was attacked by the sudden incongruity. It felt as Alisha¡¯s icy blue eyes could see through everything.

 Chapter 91 : Dragon Girl’s Pride and Fighting Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 91 : Dragon Girl¡¯s Pride and Fighting Spirit</h4>


    ¡¸Creation! Staa~rt, nya~!!¡¹


    Vulcan cheered herself inside the workshop of the royal castle.


    The materials for creating artifactsy on top of her desk.


    They included Orichalcum, Mana dite, and a small amount of other materials such as Vibram.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s begin with Ste, the tank of our party. The ingredients should be¡­¡¹


    She, a top-ss cksmith and artifact smith, wouldn¡¯t face any problem in designing and creating any kind of weapon.


    As long as the materials were prepared beforehand, she could immediately start.


    Meanwhile, Aria and co. were¨D


    ¡¸Let¡¯s start our training. Come at me, Ste!¡¹


    ¡¸Roger, desu!¡¹


    They were currently in the mansion¡¯s garden.


    Prince Julius hade to the center of the garden along with Ste.


    The huge garden had a regrly-maintainedwn and even had a pool.


    This mansion was truly a befitting home for the hero who had saved the world.


    Prince Julius signaled the start of the training and took a stance with his weapon.


    Simr to Ste¡¯s weapon, his weapon was a great sword.


    But its de had been dulled for training¡¯s sake.


    On the contrary, Ste¡¯s hands held her usual weapon.


    At first, Aria had asked Ste to change her weapon for the training. But¡­ Prince Julius dismissed it since he had deemed that as unnecessary. Alisha also agreed with him.


    Thus, the duo¡¯s training begun with a handicap for the trainer.


    ¡­


    Ste gasped for breath when Prince Julius took a stance with his great sword right in front of her.


    But she noticed something. Her right hand, which was holding onto her great sword, and her left hand, which was holding onto her mega shield, were trembling in front of such a sight.


    £¨Uhm¡­ There are no openings in his stance. On top of that, this pressure¡­ And he had said that the current him is weaker than when he had been at his peak.£©


    Tama was utterly astonished upon seeing Prince Julius¡¯ stance.


    He, a former knight who had mastered the way of the sword in his previous life, saw that Prince Julius¡¯ stance and the pressure emanating from his entire body were already beyond the level of the swordsmen in this world.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s start with a little test. Come at me! I¡¯m ready.¡¹


    ¡¸Guh! Don¡¯t¡­ Under¡­ restimate me¡­ desu!¡¹


    When she saw Prince Julius saying those words with a wry smile on his face, Ste stiffened a bit. But she soon regained herposure and closed in on him with breakneck speed.


    Her limbs transformed into dragon limbs and a tail grew out from the base of her spine as she got closer to Prince Julius.


    Ste could feel it by instinct that if she didn¡¯t go all out, she couldn¡¯t defeat Prince Julius.


    ¡¸Hou, a Dragonewt! I¡¯ve to say you¡¯re quite fast, but¡­ too easy to read!¡¹


    ¡¸WHAAAAAAAAA!?¡¹


    Ste¡¯s eyes spread wide open when she saw the scenery before her.


    Her full powered charge with the mega shield in her Dragonewt form had been¡­


    It had been easily parried with a light kick from Prince Julius.


    But, Ste¡¯s attack was yet to end.


    She shed with her great sword at Prince Julius¡¯s waist while trying to regain her bnce.


    That sh was, in fact, too powerful to be used in training.


    Aria, Lily, and Fairy, all screamed to stop Ste from going all out. But¡­


    ¡¸Hou! So you can attack even when your bnce has crumbled! Wonderful, a plus for you!¡¹


    ¡¸Imp¡­ possible¡­ desu!¡¹


    Ste had received her second shock today. Her extremely powerful shing attack had simply slid along the surface of Prince Julius¡¯s left gauntlet, and was rendered ineffective.


    First strike with the foot, and second strike with arm¡­


    Despite her attacking with everything she had, Prince Julius parried all of it with ease. He didn¡¯t even use his sword.


    Up to this day, Ste had been constantly training under Tama¡¯s guidance to make full use of her great sword and mega shield.


    And yet¡­


    ¡¸Ste, your strength is wonderful. Properly speaking, it is well above mine. I can also see that you have undergone some sort of training to use your shield and sword. But¡­ your movement is way too easy to read. The way you fight now might be enough to beat monsters, but it¡¯s far too simple to be used against the demon race, who have powers simr to a hero.¡¹


    Prince Julius continued on to say despite Ste¡¯s puzzled face.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll beat the basics into your bones, and use that lesson to create¨Da ¨”New Skill?¡­¡¹


    ¡¸A new skill?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Improving your sword and shield¡¯s mastery aside, you need a new skill to fight against the Four Demon Dukes. While training with me, you¡¯ll learn a new skill. Because repeated battles against a powerful opponent give birth to a new derivate skill.¡¹


    Prince Julius continued his exnation to the clueless Ste.


    It was just as he said. The main goal of this training wasn¡¯t just to elevate Aria and co.¡¯sbat skills. It was also to let them learn a new derivate skill suitable to fight the Four Demon Dukes.


    Since both he and Alisha had the experience of fighting against both the Seven Great Demon Kings and the Four Demon Dukes, they could easily see through Aria and co.¡¯s abilities and counter it. They would then corner them in order to allow them to develop a derivate skill suitable tobat the demons.


    £¨New skill! I¡¯ll definitely learn it, and kick this guy¡¯s ass! That way Tama will definitely praise me!£©


    As a former S rank monster, for her attack to be dealt with such ease¨D


    It hurt Ste¡¯s pride.


    Her fighting spirit had been ignited for the first time ever since she had reincarnated, due to the desire to show off in front of her beloved man (cat)¡­

 Chapter 92: Surpassing Fear

    <h4>Chapter 92: Surpassing Fear</h4>


    ¡¸Well then, I guess it¡¯s about time for us to start our training too. Can youe with me, oh dear adorable spirits?¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that, Beelzebub-sama!¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s be stronger for Aria-san and the others¡¯ sake~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri followed Beelzebub to a corner of the garden.


    Although they felt slightly nervous in front of a former Great Demon King, they were pumped up to be stronger. Only that way, they could repay their debt of gratitude to Aria and co., who had saved their life.


    ¡¸First, show me your skills since the content of your training will depend on that.¡¹


    It seemed the goal of the fairies¡¯ training would be simr to that of Ste¡¯s, developing derivate skills.


    The two fairies then showed off their skills.


    ¡¸Looks like it¡¯s time for us to start our training too, Aria-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes! Please take care of me, Alisha-sama!¡¹


    Aria happily replied to Alisha.


    She was extremely delighted to be put under the direct guidance of her idol.


    ¡¸As for my weapon¡­ this should be enough.¡¹


    ¡¸Is that¡­ is that a¡­ wooden sword? And that skill, is it a storage skill¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Correct, Aria-chan. Now let¡¯s start with a little warm-up.¡¹


    Alisha had taken out a wooden sword from the skirt pocket of her maid uniform.


    It seemed she had used a storage skill simr to the one Tama possessed.


    Aria looked dissatisfied upon seeing Alisha take out a wooden sword instead of a real one.


    Surely, her power might be insignificant before a sword saint like Alisha.


    But, a wooden sword, it was a bit¡­


    ¡¸Fufufu, please don¡¯t misunderstand, Aria-chan. I¡¯m not looking down on you. It just that if I had used a real sword, you might have fainted upon receiving my ¨”Sword Intent?.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­!?¡¹


    When Alisha said those words with a wry smile on her face, Aria was caught off guard.


    Fainting just by being exposed to sword intent¨DShe had never heard of something like that happening before.


    But, looking at Alisha¡¯s troubled face, Aria knew right away that she was telling the truth.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s begin, Aria-chan¨D¡¹


    ¡¸Hi¡ª¡ª!?¡¹


    Alisha took a stance with a calm face, her hands gripping the handle of her wooden sword.


    The very instant when she saw Alisha¡¯s stance, Aria ended up screaming.


    She trembled nonstop, and her body was drenched in cold sweats.


    £¨I-I¡¯ll die¡­£©


    The scene of Alisha taking a stance with a wooden sword was enough to drive Aria into despair.


    £¨Uhm¡­ Such sword intent! So this is Alisha¨Dthe legendary Sword Saint¡­£©


    Even though he saw it from a distance, Tama¡¯s hair still stood on end.


    Just seeing Alisha¡¯s stance alone was enough to make him, an S rank monster, feel like he was about to die.


    ¡¸Shall we stop then, Aria-chan? I¡¯ll release my stance if you say ¡®Yes¡¯. But, if you wish to continue, I can keep my stance.¡¹


    Alisha asked Aria with a gentle voice.


    At that moment, Aria was asking herself £¨A-Am I allowed to stop¡­?£©.


    And just like that¨D


    ¡¸Stop¡­ As if I¡¯m gonna say that¡­¡¶eleration¡·!¡¹


    Contrary to her mind and her body that were dominated by fear, she shouted the name of her inherent skill, ¡¶eleration¡·, and leaped toward Alisha at her top speed.


    Scared, Aria was really scared right now¡­ But, she felt that if she backed out now, she¡¯d lose something.


    Running away here meant that she would be running away from her lifelong goal, to be a Justice¡¯s Warrior like Sword Saint Alisha.


    Most of all, backing down here meant that she was unqualified to fight the Four Demon Dukes.


    And, if the Four Demon Dukes managed to release even just one of the Great Demon Kings, countless lives would be lost in the war that would follow.


    She absolutely couldn¡¯t let that happen!


    Thus, Aria¡¯s zing sense of justice triumphed over her fear.


    ¡¸Here Ie¡­ ¡¶Sacred de¡·¨D¡¹


    Because of trying to ovee her fear, Aria had ended up attacking Alisha for real with her full powered ¡¶Sacred de¡·, and yet¨D


    ¡¸I see! Holy element, huh. And judging by this output, it seems to be an ancient skill. But, it also consumes a vast amount of mana¡­¡¹


    ¡¸!!!!!!!!?¡¹


    Aria¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    Tama, who was looking at their sparring from afar, ended up shouting ¡®NO WAY!!!¡¯. But to everyone else, he was only letting out a slightly louder version of his adorable cry.


    He had been guessing whether Alisha would defend against or dodge Aria¡¯s ¡¶eleration¡· and ¡¶Scared de¡·bo. But he ended up seeing something that surpassed his imagination.


    Alisha, who had been standing in front of Aria up until now, had appeared behind Aria, intently observing the silvery light of the ¡¶Sacred de¡·.


    ¡¸Congrattions on passing my test, Aria-chan. Now you¡¯re qualified to challenge the Four Demon Dukes.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, Passing¡­ the test?¡¹


    Aria couldn¡¯t understand the meaning behind Alisha¡¯s words.


    But then Prince Julius stepped up to give her an exnation, his face disying a wry smile.


    ¡¸In short, Alisha was testing whether you had the willpower to endure her training or not, Aria.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Ah!¡¹


    Aria instantly understood.


    £¨Well, I don¡¯t want the precious life that I saved in the past to die at the hand of the Four Demon Dukes, after all¡­£©


    Alisha was thinking about that, as she disyed an affectionate smile and looked at Aria, who had finally stopped trembling in fear.

 Chapter 93: Slave of Love

    <h4>Chapter 93: ve of Love</h4>


    ¡¸A-A total loss¡­¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s vexing¡­¡¹


    A few hourster¨D


    Ste and Aria crouched on the ground of the mansion¡¯s garden with a dumbfounded look on their face.


    They werepletely exhausted, and their bodies were drenched in sweat.


    The two of them had been going at the mock battles again and again. And yet, none of Ste¡¯s attacks could reach Prince Julius. He parried all of them with his sword. In Aria¡¯s case, Alisha basically dodged every single one of Aria¡¯s attacks instead of parrying them.


    ¡¸Cheer up, girls.¡¹


    ¡¸In these few hours, your movements have only improved. It is proof that you still have plenty of room for growth.¡¹


    Both Prince Julius and Alisha praised the depressed duo.


    Naturally, Prince Julius was also drenched in sweat after training Ste.


    But, for some reason¡­ not even a single drop of sweat was present on Alisha¡¯s body. Far from sweating, her long and beautiful, tinum-colored hair remained as orderly as before. And her maid dress didn¡¯t even have a single speck of dust despite all those movements.


    ¡¸Ue~, my head is hyu~rting!¡¹


    ¡¸I hate studying~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri also grumbled from the corner of the garden.


    Beelzebub had forced these two to learn efficient ways to deploy their magic.


    It seemed studying caused quite a lot of agony for the two fairies, who were used to living freely in the Forest Labyrinth.


    Nevertheless, they still took Beelzebub¡¯s lesson seriously as they knew that it¡¯d be a great boost to Aria and co¡¯sbat prowess.


    ¡¸Well then, shall we end today¡¯s session with thi¡­ Eh, these footsteps, could it be¡ª¡¹


    Before she could even finish her sentence, Alisha¡¯s ears suddenly started moving up and down. And then¡­


    ¡¸NYAAAA~! It¡¯s really you! Long time nyo see, Alisha-nya~n!¡¹


    ¡¸So it¡¯s really you. Long time no see, Vulcan-san!¡¹


    Vulcan ran up and hugged Alisha as soon as she entered the garden.


    Vulcan¡¯s boobs, which wrapped in her overalls, and Alisha¡¯s boobs, which wrapped in her maid clothes, pushed against each other. The impact caused those boobs to deform like squashed stic balls.


    Even though Vulcan¡¯s boobs were quite big, Alisha¡¯s boobs were even bigger.


    At a nce, it seemed Alisha¡¯s assets were as big as Aria¡¯s¡­ No, upon a closer look, they looked slightly bigger.


    Hers were like watermelons¡­ Though, there was no point inparing melons and watermelons¨Dboth were undoubtedly packed to the brim with humanity¡¯s ultimate firepower and dreams.


    ¡¸With both of you frolicking like that, everyone can see that you are so intimate with Alisha-san, Vulcan-san.¡¹


    Aria unintentionally voiced out her thoughts.


    Although she had heard about Vulcan¡¯s intimate rtionship with the Sword Saint before, seeing it with her own eyes was something else.


    ¡¸Of course it is, nya~! Alisha-chan is my importantrade in arms, nyan!¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu! It¡¯s indeed nostalgic, Vulcan-san. I still remember the day when my Dear Master picked me up and we came into your shop for the first time to buy weapon¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nya, right¡­ Maiya-chan had just arrived in this world at that time, and he had no idea how to use his cane, nyan.¡¹


    Alisha and Vulcan were having a nostalgic conversation about their past. Aria was even more convinced about the two¡¯s strong bond after seeing that.


    She had also heard the story about the Archmage from Vulcan. The truth was that Vulcan was the person who had taught Maiya, the Archmage, how to effectively use his cane inbat.


    ¡­ But, Alisha¡¯s words piqued Aria¡¯s curiosity.


    £¨¡¯My Dear Master picked me up.¡¯ What does that mean?£©


    Even though she was worried about whether it was okay for her to ask Alisha about it, Aria decided to go through with the question.


    But the answer Alisha gave was literally another bombshell.


    ¡¸Fufufu! You see¡­ I¡¯m My Dear Master¡¯s Wife and SLAVE at the same time.¡¹


    ¡¸A-Alisha-sama, the Sword Saint, is Archmage-sama¡¯s¡­ ve!?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Aria-chan. Yes¡­ I still remember the day when I first met My Dear Master. He had gantly saved me from despair after I had been tricked by a ve merchant and fallen into very.¡¹


    As Alisha borated her answer, her cheeks turned pink as if she was recalling the most memorable moment of her past.


    A small pink colored heart appeared in her eyes as she rubbed together her thighs that were wrapped under her maid clothes.


    The charm of an adult woman oozed out of her very existence. It elevated her appeal to a whole new level¡­ It had reached a point where even Aria, a member of the same sex, felt like she had just opened the door to the new world.


    £¨Come to think of it, on a closer look¡­ the ne wrapped on Alisha-sama¡¯s neck seems like a choker. Maybe it¡¯s actually a ve choker. Looks like she really is the Archmage¡¯s ve, besides being his wife.£©


    Tama, who stood beside Aria, pondered as he looked up at Alisha¡¯s neck.


    Alisha¡¯s choker was a fitted type choker made of a silver-colored article. And right in the center of the choker was a gem of the same color as her eyes, ice blue.


    It looked elegant at a nce. But, it wasmon to see these types of items on the neck of ves.


    £¨Seeing Alisha-sama¡¯s expression, and the fact that Archmage-sama saved her from despair¡­ Maybe bing Archmage-sama¡¯s ve is something akin to pride for Alisha-sama. Though, I don¡¯t know too much about the story behind it. I guess if I overstep my boundary, it¡¯d make me a boorish person¡­£©


    Aria was convinced of Alisha¡¯s happiness on seeing thetter¡¯s joyful expression. She knew that it was rude to dig deeper into that matter.


    ¡­ Well, in reality, Alisha would be more than happy to tell the story of her memorable first meeting with her beloved master. In fact, she could speak about their lovey-dovey history for hours. But it was best to put that matter aside for now.

 Chapter 94: Sword Saint’s Smile

    <h4>Chapter 94: Sword Saint¡¯s Smile</h4>


    ¡¸Fufu¡­ The hot water¡¯s temperature is just right.¡¹


    ¡¸This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a bathtub this big!¡¹


    After their intense training, Aria and co. were currently enjoying the mansion¡¯s bathtub on Alisha¡¯s rmendation.


    Aria was fully enjoying herself, while Ste was frolicking in the huge bathtub.


    ¡¸Yaay, it¡¯s perfect for swimming!¡¹


    ¡¸The smell from the hot water is shoo goo~d!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were also enjoying the bathtub in their own way.


    Despite its size, the bathtub was emitting a really nice smell.


    ording to Vulcan, this bathtub¡¯s hot water came from the nearby hot springs.


    £¨Fumu, it¡¯s just as master had said, the hot water is wonderful.£©


    Tama, who was also enjoying the hot water, floated in between Aria¡¯s twin melons. He leaked out an adorable purr with a ¡¸Nyaa~¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ It seems all of you enjoyed the bathtub.¡¹


    As Aria and co. walked along the corridor of the mansion after their bodies and hearts were both warmed, Alisha greeted them from the other side of the corridor with a warm and gentle smile on her face.


    ¡¸Muh! What a wonderful aroma! I know this smell. IT¡¯S MEAT!!!¡¹


    Ste raised her voice as her nose twitched after detecting the nice aroma drifting around the corridor.


    Sure enough, the aroma was really fragrant.


    It seemed Alisha had been preparing the dinner while everyone was enjoying the bathtub.


    ¡¸Alisha¡¯s dishes are really delicious. Just look forward to it guys.¡¹


    The one who said those words stood a little bit behind Alisha¡­ It was Prince Julius.


    Hearing Prince Julius say so, Alisha¨D


    ¡¸Although I¡¯m reluctant to treat a gentleman other than my master with my dishes¡­ I can make an exception for Your Highness, my dear master¡¯s sworn friend.¡¹


    ¨Dsaid those words with aposed look on her face.


    Aria and Tama were dumbfounded when they heard such a straight and rather rude remark toward the Empire¡¯s first prince.


    But the person himself, Prince Julius, just wryly smiled as he said ¡¸You¡¯re still as harsh as ever toward any man other than Maiya.¡¹.


    £¨Come to think of it, Prince Julius seems to be quite reserved when talking with Sword Saint Alisha¡­£©


    Tama recalled that fact when he saw Prince Julius¡¯s reaction toward Alisha just now.


    The Prince had told them before that he was the bosom friend of Maiya, the archmage.


    Thus, he was simply used to the reaction of Alisha, his buddy¡¯s wife.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸S-SHooo good! This is the first time I¡¯ve eaten something shoo good!¡¹


    Aria and co. were sitting in a gorgeous dining room.


    A sumptuous feasty on top of the dining table in front of them.


    Ste voiced her admiration after taking a bite of one of the meat dishes.


    ¡¸Yeah, this is the first time I¡¯m eating meat as tender as this. Moreover, its meat juice is¡­!¡¹


    Aria, who tasted the same dish as Ste, let out simr words.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a dish from another world. It¡¯s called ¨”Hamburg Steak?, and it is made by mixing minced meat, minced onion, and breadcrumbs. My dear master taught me the recipe a long time ago.¡¹


    Alisha exined the origin of the dish to the astonished Aria and co.


    ¡¸A dish¡­ from another world¡­ Come to think of it, there¡¯s a rumor that Archmage-sama, Alisha-sama¡¯s husband, is someone¡­ whoe from another world.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, he told me that he came from a country called Japan in a world called Earth. It¡¯s a peaceful world without monsters and magic¡­¡¹


    ¡¸But their magecraft is extremely developed. It seems that the magus of earth can create their own inherent skill with magic even when they¡¯re born without skills.¡¹


    Alisha and Beelzebub respectively replied to Aria.


    ¡¸A world without monsters and demon race, and magus who can use magic even without skill¡­ This world sounds like an extremely amazing world¡­¡¹


    Aria was really astonished. She couldn¡¯t help but imagine such a world.


    ¡¸Nnya~~! You really love hamburg steak right, Your Highnya~?¡¹


    ¡¸Umgh¡­! But of course. The hamburg steak made by Alisha and Maiya is the best after all!¡¹


    On the side, Vulcan merrily chatted with Prince Julius, who ate his hamburg steak with the vigor of a naughty youth.


    The way he atepletely destroyed his cool image.


    ¡¸Come to think of it¡­ How is the crafting of the artifacts going, Vulcan-san?¡¹


    ¡¸I finished one for Ste-nyan for now. I mean, making an artifact take a lot of times, preparation, and concentration, nyan.¡¹


    Vulcan replied to Aria with a smile. She implied that it would take her a while¡­ And yet, her words were full of self-confidence.


    She might have been hiding her identity in exchange for her freedom, but¡­ there was no mistaking that her blood boiled hot with passion once she started to make artifacts again.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll look forward to when the new weapon is ready!!¡¹


    Ste joined the conversation with an excited look on her face.


    It was a natural reaction for a battle junky like her to get excited about the new weapon.


    ¡¸The artifacts made by Vulcan are the best you can find out there. So look forward to theirpletion.¡¹


    Beelzebub said so with an udylike smile while sitting on Alisha¡¯sp.


    There were only a few Artifact smiths in the world. They were ranked ording to their skill, and Vulcan could be said as the owner of the best skill amongst them.


    Aria and co. were really fired up. As they enjoyed the delicious dishes, they couldn¡¯t wait to see their new weapons.


    Later at night¨D


    £¨Uhm, I can¡¯t sleep at all.£©


    Tama couldn¡¯t even get a wink of sleep. He was sandwiched in between Aria¡¯s melons. Aria, herself, was soundly sleeping in the bed of the guest room.


    Tama¡¯s passion as a knight had been lit up after he had seen today¡¯s mock battles.


    He was extremely surprised on seeing Aria and Ste, who had recently shown tremendous growth, get so easily toyed around by Prince Julius and Alisha.


    Yes, toyed around. It meant that the Prince and Alisha had yet to go all out. Thus, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how powerful would the two of them be at their best.


    £¨Yosh, let¡¯s enjoy the night wind to cool my head.£©


    He was too fired up to sleep.


    Thus, he slipped out of the room very carefully, so as to not wake Aria up.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Oh my! Are you strolling thiste at night?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya!!¡¹


    Tama went toward the mansion¡¯s garden from the windows of his room. His ears suddenly caught the ephemeral voice of someone along with extremely light footsteps.


    When Tama turned around, he caught sight of Alisha¡¯s figure, which was wrapped in an almost transparent negligee. A coat was draped on her shoulder.


    Her tinum blonde hair and those pair of big eyes cast an almost ephemeral light under the moon in the night sky.


    Tama¡¯s mouth was agape, and he almost mistook her for a saint.


    ¡¸Fufufu, upon a closer look, you really look like nothing but a kitten. I mean, it¡¯ll be bad if they know that you¡¯re actually a ¨”Behemoth?, right, Tama-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­!!!?¡¹


    Tama¡¯s eyes opened wide upon hearing Alisha¡¯s words.


    £¨Did she say¡­ Behemoth¡­ just now?£©


    In short, she already knew about Tama¡¯s true form!


    ¡¸Fufu¡­¡¹


    Alisha just gently smiled as she brushed the head of the dumbfounded Tama. She then stood up and left the garden¡­

 Chapter 95: Time of Resurrection

    <h4>Chapter 95: Time of Resurrection</h4>


    The sun shone, marking the arrival of a new morning.


    £¨Muuh, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Even though Sword Saint Alisha discovered my true form yesterday¡­ she isn¡¯t telling Master and the others about it¡­£©


    Tama was pondering the matter during breakfast.


    It would turn into an extremely serious matter if it was revealed that a monster that was mistaken as a kitten had been living with humans all this time.


    But, Alisha didn¡¯t tell Aria and co. about this fact. On the contrary, she had told Tama to be careful from now on so that no one would realize his true identity.


    Tama couldn¡¯t help worrying over this matter, but¡­ he realized that there was nothing he could do against Alisha.


    While Tama thought about what to do, everyone headed to the mansion¡¯s garden to begin their morning training.


    ¡¸This is¡­ a phantasmal painting, right?¡¹


    Aria stopped walking, and her gaze went to the painting hanging on the wall.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the painting of the ¨”First Hero? and the ¨”Sacred Beast?.¡¹


    ¡¸WOOOW! So this is the first hero and the sacred beast!!¡¹


    Aria was extremely excited upon hearing Alisha¡¯s exnation.


    The scenery in the painting depicted a red-eyed youth cuddling up with a lion that had angelic wings protruding out of its back.


    The first hero and Sacred Beast¡­ they were the ones who had managed to ce a temporary seal on the devil during Ragnarok in the ancient era.


    £¨Even though there¡¯s almost no record about their appearances, I never expected this ce to keep a painting that depicted both of their appearances.£©


    Tama thought that when he saw the painting.


    Unbeknownst to everyone else, Alisha was observing Tama as a slight smile formed on her lips.


    A few weekster¨D


    ¡¸Thanks for the waiting, nyan! It¡¯s ¨”Startup? time for everyone¡¯s artifact!¡¹


    Vulcan¡¯s cheerful voice resounded in the garden, which was being used by Aria and co. for their training.


    ¡®Artifact¡¯s startup!¡¯ It meant that the artifact had been created.


    But unlike normal weapons, artifacts needed to be ¨”Awakened?, before they could disy their prowess. Until then, their state was known as ¨”Startup?.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for this! Let¡¯s do this at once!¡¹


    ¡¸My bad, but we¡¯ve no time for this.¡¹


    Ste¡¯s spirited yell was immediately cut short.


    Beelzebub was the one who had spoken.


    Her expression was unusually serious, and itcked her usual daring smile. She was sweating from her forehead.


    ¡¸You mean¡­ You discovered the Four Demon Dukes¡¯ resurrection locations, Beelzebub-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Alisha. And worst of all, their resurrection locations are so far from each other¡­¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Everyone was left agape when they heard Beelzebub¡¯s remark.


    The Four Demon Dukes were really powerful. Thus, the original n was to gang up on the demons with thebined force of Julius and Aria¡¯s team.


    But their n had turned awry¡­ when they were told that each Demon Duke¡¯s resurrection location was so far from each other.


    ¡¸The resurrection ces are the historic ruins near Alfus kingdom and¡­ inside this empire, in thebyrinth of Labyrinth City.¡¹


    ¡¸N-No way!¡¹


    ¡¸Labyrinth City of all ces, nyan!?¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan were really surprised upon hearing this additional information from Beelzebub.


    Her meaning was clear¡­ One of the two locations was in Labyrinth city.


    ¡¸Alisha, I have a request.¡¹


    Prince Julius spoke to Alisha in a soft voice while Aria and co. were still in an uproar.


    ¡¸Ha~h¡­ what are you expecting in this situation? Can¡¯t be helped! Let me take care of the one in the Alfus kingdom¡­ my homnd. It should be faster if I go there by myself.¡¹


    ¡¸My apologies for forcing you to fight in the front lines again.¡¹


    Prince Julius bowed to Alisha with a guilty look on his face.


    He was extremely reluctant to ask her, a former warrior who had retired from the frontlines¡­ and who was his buddy¡¯s wife, to fight again, but he was forced to.


    ¡¸W-Wait a minute! You mean Alisha-sama is¡­ going to fight alone!¡¹


    Aria suddenly interrupted them with an extremely bitter look on her face.


    No matter how legendary her feat as the Sword Saint was, facing one of the Four Demon Dukes by herself was¡­ simply too reckless for Alisha.


    Or so it was supposed to be.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not a big deal, Aria-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Alisha is even more powerful than me at my peak state. I can reassure you that she¡¯s one of the three strongest persons in the world.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­!?¡¹


    Aria was surprised when both Alisha and Prince Julius reassured her that it wasn¡¯t a big deal for Alisha to go there alone.


    Aria knew that Alisha was powerful enough to annihte an entire army of demons by herself.


    But, she hadn¡¯t expected Alisha to be more powerful than Prince Julius, an extremely powerful hero, in his peak.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, leave the Alfus kingdom¡¯s matter to me. Aria-chan, and everyone, can I leave the one in Labyrinth City to you guys?¡¹


    Alisha started her preparations for her departure after she entrusted the resurrection location in Labyrinth City to Aria and the others.


    ¡¸Aria-chan, I know you¡¯re worrying about Alisha-chan, but¡­ we¡¯ve our own responsibility, nyan.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Aria. I mean, even if everyone in your party and Prince Julius worked together, your war potential would still be below Alisha, you know? On top of that, you have yet to learn derivate skill.¡¹


    After Alisha and Vulcan, it was now Beelzebub¡¯s turn to remind Aria.


    She was right. Aria and co. had be far stronger than when they had just started their training. Ste had also gained a new user-friendly derivate skill.


    But¡­ the same couldn¡¯t be said for Aria. She might eventually learn a derivate skill if they continued their training. But¡­ they were running out of time.


    ¡¸I understand¡­ Vulcan-san, Beelzebub-sama. I¡¯ll focus on our fight.¡¹


    Aria was finally convinced, and everyone started the preparation for their departure.

 Chapter 96: Tempest Bringer

    <h4>Chapter 96: Tempest Bringer</h4>


    ¡¸Understood. Allow me to assist you, Your Highness!¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry guys, I ended up borrowing your strength again.¡¹


    Dany replied to Prince Julius when thetter called him out in the barracks.


    Aria¡¯s group had departed from the Imperial Capital. They wanted to save as much power as possible until their arrival on the resurrection site of the Four Demon Dukes.


    Thus, they had opted to borrow the soldiers¡¯ strength.


    Since their captain, Cedris, was dispatched to subjugate the Demon Duke on one of the other resurrection sites, the only ones remaining in the barracks were Vice-Captain Dany, Howard, Kenny, and Marietta¡­ in short, just the usual members.


    ¡¸It seems we really are bound by strings of fate, Aria.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Dany-san. It¡¯s a pleasure to work with you again.¡¹


    Beryl¡¯s subjugation mission, ddstone¡¯s riot, and now the Four Demon Dukes¡¯ resurrection¡­ somehow Aria¡¯s group always ended up working together with Dany and co. whenever a big event like those happened. Thus, one might say that this was the guidance of fate.


    ¡¸Moreover, since Your Highness Julius and Miss Vulcan are also in this, that means¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Has Vulcan-san revealed her status to you, Aria-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, nyan. I¡¯ve told Aria-chan and co. about my identity as an Artifact Smith.¡¹


    Vulcan replied to Howard and Marietta with a wry smile.


    Naturally, the knight squad were long since aware of Vulcan¡¯s other identity.


    Well, they were bound to know as they were the ones who had survived Ragnarok.


    ¡¸Yosh, let¡¯s get going. We¡¯ve to arrive at the resurrection site as fast as possible.¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that, Your Highness.¡¹


    Everyone, starting from Dany gave a salute after hearing Prince Julius¡¯s order, and then, they all headed toward the Labyrinth City,


    ¡ô


    ¡¸GUGYA!¡¹


    ¡¸GIGIN!!¡¹


    A while after entering thebyrinth¨D


    A typical monster appeared in front of the party. It was a small monster with a small horn and green skin, a Goblin.


    ¡¸Right when we need an opponent to test our new weapon. Can you leave this guy to me?¡¹


    ¡¸Yup¡­ Let¡¯s start with Aria then.¡¹


    ¡¸Mumu! Prince Julius! I want to test my weapon too! Desu!¡¹


    ¡¸Calm down, Ste. You know yourself that your artifact only shows its true power against powerful foes, right.¡¹


    ¡¸Muh¡­ Understand, desu¡¹


    Prince Julius pacified Ste, who also wanted to fight.


    Just as he said, Ste¡¯s artifact showed its true value only against powerful opponents. As for the details¡­ it would have to wait till a suitable opponent for her would appear in front of them.


    ¡¸I want to use my artifact too!¡¹


    ¡¸Calm down, Lily. His Highness Prince Julius* did say that we¡¯ll get our tu~rn!¡¹


    Faeri tried to calm Lily, who was itching to test the power of her artifact too.


    ¡¸Here I go!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan !¡¹


    (Be careful, Master!)


    Aria swiftly ran toward the two iing goblins while smiling in response to Tama¡¯s adorable purr.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, ¨”Tempest Bringer?!¡¹


    She unsheathed her artifact. Her artifact was a pair of ornamental knives, which were stowed in her thigh belt with. She grasped them both with her hands while shouting¨”Tempest Bringer?.


    Tempest Bringer¡¯s silver de shone as if it were answering Aria¡¯s call.


    Aria swung her outstretched arms, which was followed by a ¡®Byuuo!¡¯ due to the sudden eleration of her arms.


    Even though her swinging speed had reached an inhuman realm, she hadn¡¯t even invoked her ¡¶eleration¡· yet.


    But why did Aria¡¯s attack suddenly elerated even when she wasn¡¯t using her inherent skill?


    The reason was none other than the effect of her new weapon, the artifact Tempest Bringer.


    That effect had activated the moment Aria had unleashed Tempest Bringer from its sheath. It created a powerful ¨”Wind? and propelled the swing.


    This propelling force was the cause of the eleration of Aria¡¯s swinging speed.


    Tempest Bringer was a pair of knives made with the same material as Aria¡¯s previous dual knives, and these materials were an alloy of orichalcum and tamahagane. Then, Mana Dite was added into the alloy instead of the usual iron.


    Normally, Mana Dite was the kind of mineral that could store mana and create a gentle breeze or light a fire strong enough for cooking. In short, it was an extremely useful household item.


    But, in the hands of Vulcan, an artifact smith, it could do wonders. Its output was now sufficeient enough to power up an artifact.


    The speed of Aria¡¯s normal swing with her new artifact rivaled her swinging speed with her inherent skill activated.


    The slow-witted goblin didn¡¯t even have the time to react against the attack as Tempest Bringer decapitated its head at a terrifying speed.


    ¡¸GUGYAAAA!¡¹


    The other goblin let out an enraged roar as it witnessed the death of itsrade. It tried to stab Aria with its dagger.


    Against such an attack, Aria simply pointed her Tempest Bringer toward the ground and activated its ability for the second time.


    ¡¸GUGYA!?¡¹


    The goblin was extremely surprised when Aria¡¯s figure suddenly vanished in a blink.


    And then¨DSMACK! The silver de suddenly pierced the goblin¡¯s skull from above.


    Aria had skillfully controlled the wind vector of Tempest Bringer. She had fired it toward the ground to propel herself upward, and had achieved an ultra-high-speed jump in the process. She had then stabbed the goblin¡¯s crown of head from above as her body fell due to gravity. The gravity had increased Tempest Bringer¡¯s prating power.


    £¨As expected of my master. She can reach this degree of mastery just by trying to activate the artifact¡¯s abilities a few times along the journey!£©


    Tama praised Aria¡¯s mastery of Tempest Bringer as she had only used her artifact a few times along the journey to Labyrinth City.


    Aria¡¯sbat style was ultra-high-speed closebat by making full use of her inherent skill, ¡¶eleration¡·. Herbat style had now evolved even further with her current mastery in using Tempest Bringer. It had added a few twists to her usually linear motion.


    The reason she could reach this degree of mastery even when she had yet to learn derivate skill might be rted to her training.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S COOL, ARIA-CHAN!¡¹


    ¡¸You improved by leaps and bounds before the battle!¡¹


    Even the Knights gave high praise after they watched Aria¡¯s battle.

 Chapter 97 : Dragon Girl’s and The Fairies’ Artifact

    <h4>Chapter 97 : Dragon Girl¡¯s and The Fairies¡¯ Artifact</h4>


    With help from the knights, Aria and co. arrived on the fifth floor of thebyrinth without wasting too much stamina. There, letting out a loud warcry, a bipedal cow-headed monster appeared in front of them. This monster¡¯s name was Minotaur.


    ¡¸Great, that¡¯s just the right opponent for you, Ste.¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAY! TARGET DUMMY FOR MY NEW WEAPON!¡¹


    Ste couldn¡¯t hide the ferocious expression on her face as she delightfully screamed upon hearing Prince Julius¡¯ words.


    ¡¸BUMOOOOOO¨D¨DO!¡¹


    The Minotaur rushed at the party with a loud warcry.


    Ste leaped forward and drew her new artifact, a giant ornamental shield called ¨”Cdbog?.


    The Minotaur attacked Ste¡¯s Cdbog with its metal pole.


    This attack was supposed to generate a loud ng, but for some reason, that didn¡¯t happen. It was as if Ste¡¯s shield, Cdbog, had absorbed all the impact from Minotaur¡¯s attack.


    Ste curled her lips to form a wide grin as if she were a predator who had caught its foolish prey.


    In the next moment¡­ she drew her greatsword-type artifact, ¨”iomh Sis?, and shed at the Minotaur.


    DOGOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨DOOOON!!


    The Minotaur¡¯s body was blown back far away along with a thunderous sound. Ste rapidly closed in on the Minotaur, whose body struck the wall behind it. She thrust iomh Sis into the Minotaur¡¯s heart.


    ¨D¨D Yup, you did a great job in mastering your artifact, Ste.


    ¨D¨D Yaay! Tama praised me!


    Ste looked extremely delighted when Tama telepathically praised her.


    Aside from the usual ck jet iron, another rare alloy called vibram was added into Ste¡¯s artifact.


    Vibram was a special alloy that could absorb the impact of an attack and cancel it to a certain threshold.


    Ste¡¯s Cdbog hadn¡¯t even flinched upon receiving Minotaur¡¯s attack. The reason for the absence of the usual ng was that Ste¡¯s Cdbog had absorbed all the impact.


    Following that¡­ the Minotaur¡¯s body was blown back when Ste had pointed her iomh Sis¡¯ tip toward the Minotaur.


    The creator of those artifacts, Vulcan, the artifact smith, had a skill that could modify the special trait of vibram from Invalid to Absorb. Moreover, she had also added an ability called ¡®Firing Convergence¡¯ on Ste¡¯s sword to release the absorbed impact.


    In short, the current Ste could release the impact that was absorbed with her shield artifact, Cdbog, from her greatsword artifact, iomh Sis.


    The Minotaur was blown back due to iomh Sis¡¯ ¡®Firing Absorption¡¯.


    With this, Ste had gained the greatest power-up from the pair of offense and defense artifacts. She could now perfectly y the role of the tank in their party.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Herees the reinforcement.¡¹


    The party¡¯s scout, Howard, noticed four Minotaurs approaching their direction.


    ¡¸Your Highness, let us fight too!¡¹


    ¡¸Ri~ght. Please leave those cows to u~s!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri expressed their eagerness to fight upon seeing another batch of monsters.


    ¡¸Okay then, now it¡¯s time for party battle.¡¹


    Julius epted their request and left this batch of Minotaurs to the Aria and others. As for him, he was saving his power and restraining himself from entering the battle. He did not want to waste his energy until the battle against the Four Demon Dukes since his condition was far from his peak after pushing himself too far during the Ragnarok.


    ¡¸YA~Y! IT¡¯S SHOWTIME!¡¹


    ¡¸Now we can back up Aria and co. to the fullest with our magic~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri cheerfully readied themselves behind Aria and Ste.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Ste-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸Humph! Those cows aren¡¯t a match for me regardless of their number!!¡¹


    Aria and Ste took a step forward as they exchanged nces. Ste took out Cdbog and charged ahead.


    ¡ºMOOOOOOOO!?¡»


    The poor Minotaur who received Ste¡¯s charge wailed with an agonizing look on its face. It was blown back toward the same ce where Ste¡¯s first victim hadnded


    The other Minotaur that had been standing right beside the one blown away stabbed its spear toward Ste. It had an angry expression on its face as if it wanted to say ¡®How dare you to do that to myrade!¡¯, but¨D


    ¡¸HUMPH, BEGONE!!¡¹


    Just like before, Ste pointed her iomh Sis¡¯ tip toward the iing Minotaur. And just like before, this Minotaur was blown back along with a loud resounding impact.


    Ste had absorbed the impact from her previous charge with Cdbog and fired its convergence force with iomh Sis.


    ¡ºMOOO!¡»


    ¡ºMOOOO!¡»


    The other two Minotaurs chose to observe the situation since they couldn¡¯t make sense of what had happened to theirrades just now.


    Aria broke into a sprint to finish off the hesitating duo.


    But still, as expected of Minotaurs, their mind broke out of confusion, and they quickly switched gears. They swung down their axe to block Aria¡¯s path.


    ¡¸NOW! ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    ¡¸Here I co~me, ¡¶Branch Whip¡·~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri, who were waiting for this moment, unleashed their respective skills. And then, an unbelievable phenomenon urred in this ce.


    Lily¡¯s ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·moved in a curved orbit. It appeared that the bullets were circling Aria.


    Traveling in a gentle parabolic orbit, the bullet pierced through the left chest of one of the Minotaurs with a ¡®Pasun!¡¯ sound.


    Following right after that, Faeri¡¯s ¡¶Branch Whip¡· grew even further after it caught the other Minotaur¡¯s feet. It grew upward and entangled the Minotaur¡¯s leg, arm, and head.


    Just a few days ago, Lily¡¯s ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡· could only travel in a straight line and Faeri¡¯s ¡¶Branch Whip¡· could only attack from above.


    But under Beelzebub¡¯s training, both of them had learned how to properly control and invoke their magic skills. The result of the training was the new ways Lily and Faeri could use their skills.


    Besides, the power of their respective skills was showing tremendous growth despite having yet to receive Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    It was the effect of Vulcan¡¯s artifact, ¨”Defaiyon Ring?.


    Defaiyon Ring was the name of an alloy ring which included a metal called admantite. Admantite¡¯s main trait was enhancing the magical power of its wearer by consuming its owner¡¯s mana.


    That kind of mana consumption was normally regarded as inefficient, but¡­ it was no problem for the fairies. The two fairies¡¯ mana pools were simply too vast. They alone were enough to summon numerous undead in addition to an Undead Dragon. That¡¯s why these artifacts were perfect for Lily and Faeri, whose mana pools were almost inexhaustible.


    ¡¸YOU¡¯RE THE LAST!¡¹


    Along with those words, Aria, who had just finished off the two Minotaurs blown back by Ste, had already closed in on the Minotaur that was entangled with Faeri¡¯s ¡¶Branch Whip¡·.


    ¡¸Nya~! Good job everyone, your first coop battle with the new weapons is PERFECTNYAN!¡¹


    Vulcan delightfully cheered when she saw the four of them perfectly cooperating in the battle. She had never expected that these four would get used to their new weapon so quickly and aplished such seamless coordination in a battle in their first try.


    Naturally, there were still some gaps before they reached the Four Demon Duke¡¯s level, but their cooperation was¡­ reassuring at the very least.

 Chapter 98: The Four Demon Dukes, Vassago

    <h4>Chapter 98: The Four Demon Dukes, Vassago</h4>


    ¡¸Tch! The number of our opponents keep increasing.¡¹


    Dany smacked his lips while swinging his sword to get rid of the grime and blood on the de of his sword.


    The party had finally arrived on the 13th floor of thebyrinth, but¡­ the number of the monsters they encountered only went up.


    So far, they had confirmed that the monsters became more ferocious in the presence of the powerful demon race.


    Beelzebub¡¯s foresight about one of the resurrection sites being inside thisbyrinth was spot on.


    ¡¸Dany, this is bad.¡¹


    ¡¸Right¡­¡¹


    Kenny and Marietta returned from their scouting and called out to Dany. Judging from their voice, Dany could tell that they had either brought back the news of the Four Demon Dukes, or the appearance of a powerful monster.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kenny, Marietta?¡¹


    ¡¸We found a group of four trolls waiting ahead of this passage.¡¹


    ¡¸And all of them are variants.¡¹


    Dany ended up groaning upon hearing that news, while Howard muttered some words.


    ¡¸Geh¡­ another troublesome fe.¡¹.


    Troll variants were treated as the superior species of troll, and their rank was¡­ A+. They were different from a normal troll that went berserk once it entered the battle. The variants were witty.


    ¡¸Your Highness, please leave those guys to our squad. Since the variants are starting to appear, I think it¡¯s almost the time for the revival of the Demon Duke.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Are you sure about this, Dany?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re the survivors of that Ragnarok too, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Makes sense. Okay then, I¡¯ll leave those trolls to you.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸HAH!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    After a slight hesitation, Prince Julius made his decision. Aria and co. were dumbfounded. They didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind the exchange.


    Dany and his squad called out to Aria and co. and showed a confident smile. Then, they went toward the location of the four trolls.


    ¡ºGEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡»


    ¡ºGEBABABABABA!¡»


    The Troll variants let out war cries upon seeing the fast approaching knight squad.


    Each of those trolls was equipped with weapons. One held a sword, the second one a spear, the third one a gauntlet, and thest one had a cane.


    It was clear that these variants were ¨”Troll Knight?, ¨”Troll Lancer?, ¨”Troll Fighter?, and ¨”Troll Mage?.


    Dany charged toward the Troll Knight, Howard chose the Troll Fighter, and Kenny and Marietta held their weapons as they dashed at the Troll Lancer and the Troll Mage.


    ¡¸EVERYONE, USE THIS CHANCE TO RUN PAST THEM!¡¹


    After the path was cleared for them, Prince Julius ordered Aria and co. to take this opportunity.


    Aria and co. heard the ngs generated by the fight, but they decided to trust the knights and didn¡¯t turn around.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºHou! It¡¯s more boisterous than my expectation, but¨Dthis sacred wave, a hero is mixing amongst you huh.¡»


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. Are you one of the Four Demon Dukes?¡¹


    ¡ºCorrect. My name is ¨”Vassago?¡­ One of the Four Demon Dukes who serve Demon King Mamon-sama.¡»


    Prince Julius stopped when a man appeared in front of him and the others upon their arrival on the 15th floor of thebyrinth.


    The tall man whose height surpassed 180 cm had a trained body that was wrapped in a violet robe. His skin was brown, and his hair was emerald green. He was the one they were supposed to fight, one of the Four Demon Dukes.


    Just seeing that man stand in front of her was enough to send chills running down Aria¡¯s spine. That showed just how much pressure Vassago exerted. The difference between Vassago and Beryl, the demon she fought a long time ago, was like heaven and earth.


    ¡¸We came to kill you, Vassago of the Four Demon Dukes.¡¹


    Having said so, Prince Julius drew his bluish-silver greatsword from his back. Aria and co. followed him¡­ or so it was supposed to be¡­


    ¡ºHumph, my bad, I¡¯ve no time to y around with you. I¡¯ve to revive Mamon-sama as soon as possible. But well, a crippled hero like you can¡¯t defeat me, GUGUGUGU¡­¡»


    Prince Julius gasped on hearing Vassago¡¯s words. Vassago could see through how much weaker he had be. It could only mean that¨D¨D


    Vassago spread his arms and shouted with a wide grin on his face.


    ¡ºHEED MY CALL! ¨”Orthos?! ¨”Cyclops?!¡»


    Just when everyone was wondering what the Demon was doing, a sinister purple me erupted from Vassago¡¯s hands and transformed into arge purple shadow.


    ¡¸Be careful, everyone! It¡¯s the ¨”Summon Beast?!¡¹


    Almost at the same time as Prince Julius warned Aria and others, the purple shadow transformed into two different figures of mons¨Dnay¡ªsummon beast.


    Summon beasts were the familiars that the demon race could summon with their special mana. The beasts¡¯ power was proportional to the power of their summoner.


    ¡ºOrthos, Cyclops. Feast on the meat of those foolish people.¡»


    ¡ºFeast¡­ Meat¡­!¡»


    ¡ºThAnk YoU, As AlWayS¡­ I SHAlL ParTaKE.¡»


    Hearing Vassago¡¯s order, Orthos let out an excited voice. Cyclops was a bit calmer, but the hint of madness in his voice couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    Orthos was a wolf-type summon beast about four meters long. Its hair was red, which made it look like a wolf on fire. Cyclops was a one-eyed giant-type summon beast with purple skin and a height that reached three meters.


    ¡¸¡¸IT SPOKEEE!!¡¹¡¹


    Both Aria and Ste screamed in unison upon seeing Cyclops and Orthos speak.


    ¡ºWell then¡­ Farewell, Hero and your party.¡»


    The scenery around Vassago warped, and then, everyone saw a cityscape-like scenery colored in purple in that distortion along with Vassago¡¯s fading figure.


    ¡¸That scenery! He¡¯s moving to ¨”Spirit World?¡­!¡¹


    ¡¸I won¡¯t let you go, nyan!¡¹


    Prince Julius guessed Vassago¡¯s n as soon as he saw the blurry scenery. And then, Vulcan, who arrived at the same conclusion, attacked Vassago with her battle hammer-type artifact, ¨”Mjolnir?.


    Mjolnir was an artifact that was made from manadite along with other materials, just like Aria¡¯s Tempest Bringer.


    Vulcan released thepressed mana as wind and me. She created an explosion to enhance her swinging power like Boost Hammer.


    Vulcan was inching closer and closer to Vassago¡¯s fading figure with the help of the explosive burst from her Mjolnir.


    But¡ª


    ¡ºIt¡¯s¡­ FUTILE!¡»


    ¡¸Nya!?¡¹


    Cyclops stood in front of Vassago and blocked Vuncan¡¯s Mjolnir with its fist.


    Vulcan let out a shocked voice when her full-powered strike with Mjolnir, whose power was enhanced even further with her inherent skill, ¡¶Artifact Master¡·, was stopped by a fist.


    Vulcan belonged to the tiger-eared tribe whose members were famous for their brute strength. In addition, her inherent skill, ¡¶Artifact Master¡·, boosted her already monstrous strength to a whole new level.


    And yet, her full-powered strike was stopped by Vassago¡¯s summon beast.


    ¡ºI forgot to tell you. When we revived, we, the Four Demon Dukes, revived with a greater divine protection from our liege, the Demon King-sama. Now, enjoy your suffering¡­ KUKUKUKU¨D¨D¡»


    Vassago¡¯s figure vanished after he said those words.

 Chapter 99: Summon Beast

    <h4>Chapter 99: Summon Beast</h4>


    ¡¸Oh no! If Vassago goes to the city¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Calm down, Aria! He¡¯s teleporting to Spirit World!¡¹


    Prince Julius quickly pacified the hysterical Aria, who had assumed the worst situation. He then readied his greatsword again and focused on the enemies in front of him.


    ¡¸NYAN£¨¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·£©!¡¹


    As soon as everyone assumed theirbat stance, Tama activated the inherent skill which he had preserved until now,¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·. Aria and co. were swept up in golden radiance, and theirbat prowess increased.


    Tama didn¡¯t feel the need to hold back against Orthos and Cyclops, who had received the divine protection from the demon king.


    ¡¸Aria, Tama, and I will take on Orthos! Vulcan and Ste, I¡¯ll leave Cyclops to you! Lily and Faeri will act as your rear-guards. Adapt to the situation if you feel the need for it!¡¹


    Aria and co. nodded and did as they were told, while Prince Julius made a beeline toward Orthos.


    ¡¸HOWL, ¡¶CALIBURN¡·!¡¹


    Prince Julius swung his glowing greatsword at Orthos. The holy attribute skill ¡¶Caliburn¡· was a hero skill that allowed Julius to enchant his weapon with the holy element.


    ¡ºGURURURU! ¡¶Hell de¡·!¡»


    Facing the iing attack, Orthos howled and also activated its skill. A sword-like protrusion with a color resembling hellfire grew from its right shoulder. Then, Orthos evenly shed against Prince Julius¡¯s sword strike. No, Prince Julius was forced to retreat half a step. It seemed Orthos was stronger than him even after Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· had buffed everyone.


    ¡¸¡¶eleration¡·!¡¹


    As the two were shing, Aria suddenly used her inherent skill. Orthos let out a surprised groan upon seeing that. ¡ºGururu!?¡»


    If the stand-off turned into a prolonged battle against a powerful opponent, Aria and others would be at a disadvantage. Furthermore, they had to consider Prince Julius, whose stamina had greatly weakenedpared to his heyday.


    Considering all those factors, Aria had decided to go all-out from the very beginning. She achieved her top speed and headed toward Orthos¡¯s nk.


    ¡¸¡¶SACRED BLADE¡·!¡¹


    She invoked her trump card, her holy elemental ancient skill.


    Orthos sensed an imminent danger from the gigantic mana surging forth from Aria. So, it spoke an extremely short sentence, ¡ºGURURU¡­! DODGE¡­!¡», then retreated at an unbelievable pace just when Aria¡¯s attack was about to reach it.


    ¡¸NYAN£¨TOO NAIVE! EAT THIS, ¡¶Water Howling¡·!£©¡¹


    Tama let out an adorable cry as he invoked his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· of the water element. The superpressed water hit Orthos¡¯s left shoulder.


    ¡ºGURURURU!? WouND¡­ HoW DARe YoU HuRt Me!¡»


    Orthos became furious when it saw the wound on its shoulder. A frustrated look appeared on Tama¡¯s face.


    £¨Kuh¡­¡¶Water Howling¡·only managed to scratch it!£©


    Even though it was a direct hit, and the power of his ¡¶Water Howling¡· had been raised with ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, all it managed to aplish was a shallow gash on Orthos¡¯s shoulder.


    Orthos let out a warcry as it gazed at Tama, who had now be its target.


    Another fierce and deadly battle was unfolding a short distance away from Aria¡¯s group.


    ¡¸NYAAAA! TAKE THIS, NYAN!¡¹


    ¡¸NOW¡¯S THE TIME FOR YOU TO SHINE, MY NEW POWER! ¡¶DRAGONIC POWER¡·!¡¹


    Vulcan sent out a barrage of attacks with her Mjolnir. Ste charged toward Cyclops and invoked her ¡¶Dragonic Power¡·, the new derivate skill which she had learned in the training with Prince Julius. This skill was derived from her trump card, ¡¶Dragonic Power; Full Drive¡·.


    The original skill gave Ste an explosive power for a short period in exchange for a massive amount of mana. The derivate skill, however, granted her lesser power, but consumed far less amount of mana. Thus, it was more suited for drawn-out battles.


    When she had seen Cyclops resisting Vulcan¡¯s most powerful strike, Ste had immediately concluded that the battle won¡¯t be easy.


    That was why she had used her derivate skill, ¡¶Dragonic Power¡·.


    ¡º¡­ Nu¡­ MORe, PoWerFUl¡­ ThAn BEfoRE!!¡»


    When it had stopped Vulcan¡¯s strike with its fist, Cyclops had let out a warcry. However, it was interrupted by Ste, who charged at Cyclops and rammed her shield on its nk with her enhanced power.


    ¡º¡­NUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!¡»


    Cyclops¡¯s body tilted a little, and the two fairies couldn¡¯t let go of this chance.


    ¡¸HERE IT COMES! ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    ¡¸NOW! ¡¶Branch Whip¡·!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri simultaneously unleashed their skills at Cyclops. Lily¡¯s ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡· aimed for its eyes, while Faeri¡¯s ¡¶Branch Whip¡· bound its limbs.


    ¡ºToO¡­ SlOwWWww!!!¡»


    However, Cyclops reacted faster than they had expected. The moment the fairies¡¯ attacks were about to hit it, Cyclops leaped from its unbnced posture, then gazed at Lily and Faeri.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t forget about me! imh Sis!¡¹


    Ste brought forth the impact she had absorbed from her previous charge and unleashed it on Cyclops, who was about tond.


    ¡¸NYAN£¨¡¶Aether Missile¡·£©¡­!¡¹


    Immediately after that, Tama, who was observing the other battle even while facing Orthos, sent Cyclops¡¯s huge frame flying quite far away with ¡¶Aether Missile¡·, one of the skills of his ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·.


    Cyclops crashed in the nearby huge rock with a loud, resounding sound.


    However, it looked as though the attack didn¡¯t do anything to Cyclops other than scratching its skin. Cyclops¡¯s body was as tough as Orthos¡¯s.


    The battle became more heated.

 Chapter 100: Tama’s Decision and Sword Saint’s Power

    <h4>Chapter 100: Tama¡¯s Decision and Sword Saint¡¯s Power</h4>


    The intense battle had been going on for a while.


    ¡¸Guh¡­ Mana exhaustion!¡¹


    Prince Julius kneeled down on his knee and pierced his greatsword into the ground to support his body. His greatsword¡¯s luster was far weaker than it had been at the start of the battle.


    On his side was Aria, who had just retreated with a back step. She panted as she adjusted her stance with Tempest Bringer.


    Orthos barked at them with its jaw wide open. It was trying to eat them alive. The panting Tama invoked his ¡¶Elemental Roar¡· to prevent that.


    Aria and Prince Julius used that opening to restore their mana and stamina with a potion¡­ or that was what they were supposed to do¡­


    ¡ºManifEsT! ¡¶Hell Lance¡·¡­!¡»


    Despite being in a battle against Vulcan and the others, Cyclops had the leeway to fire a upper-tier me spell, ¡¶Hell Lance¡·, at Aria and Prince Julius.


    The beasts¡¯ cooperation was perfect. Even when fighting in two separate ces, just like Tama and co, they didn¡¯t give their opponent a chance to recover their stamina.


    £¨Guh! If this continues¡­£©


    Prince Julius was really flustered even though he and Aria could dodge Cyclops¡¯s attack. They had managed tond a few solid blows to their opponent, yet the beast still looked to be in its peak state, while they were out of breath.


    ¡¸Tama! That¡¯s enough!¡¹


    Aria called out to her knight (pet) with a bitter expression. Even though that small kitten fought an opponent dozens of times bigger than him, he still kept Orthos at bay with his ¡¶Elemental Sword Tail¡· and ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· even in his exhausted state.


    Maybe because she saw her beloved Tama fighting bravely till the end, Aria made a beeline toward Orthos with her Tempest Bringer to distract it from Tama.


    £¨Stop, Master! Your stamina is already¡­!£©


    Tama noticed Aria charging at Orthos, but he knew that both her mana and stamina had already hit the bottom.


    £¨At this rate¡­£©


    Seeing Orthos¡¯s fang approach Aria, Tama made up his mind. He raised a warcry inside, and the name of a certain skill appeared right in front of his eyes!


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s about time, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    At the same time as Aria and the others¡¯ battles, Alisha was strolling inside a certain ruin in Alfus kingdom. Thanks to her ¨”Unique Movement Method?, she could cover a few weeks¡¯ worths of distance in just a few days.


    The ruin she was in had been turned into abyrinth because of the revival of the Four Demon Dukes. Numerous corpses of powerful monstersy scattered along her wake. She had in all of them in one strike.


    Instead of her usual maid uniform, Alisha had donned a bluish silverbat uniform that was her personalbat uniform. Her beloved pair of swords, a silver katana and a jet ck katana, was strapped on her hips.


    Despite therge exposure in herbat uniform, it actually made her even more charming thanks to her beauty and sacred aura.


    Although no one could appreciate her beauty since the ruin was filled with nothing but monsters. Not that it mattered, since no man other than her beloved master (husband) could enter Alisha¡¯s eyes.


    That aside¡­


    Despite her leisurely walk, the air inside of the ruin was anything but leisurely. The revival of one of the Four Demon Dukes was near.


    ¡¸This presence is really familiar.¡¹


    As Alisha walked by herself, she found a big gate blocking her path. She muttered,¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡¹


    Alisha wondered who made such a gate. The gate was so big that opening it alone was impossible. However, Alisha nonchntly unsheathed the katana strapped on her and diagonally sliced the gate. In the next moment¡­


    ¡ºI-Impossible¡­ You¡­ YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!¡»


    A voice that sounded like it contained both anger and bewilderment resounded from the room beyond the door. Hearing that voice, Alisha let out a daring smile and said, ¡¸I see! No wonder the presence felt rather familiar to me. It turned out to be you, one of the Four Demon Dukes who got resurrected, ¨”Levi?¡¹.


    Levi¡ªthe most appropriate description for her was a green-haired, brown-skinned beauty who liked to cross-dress as a butler. One of Demon King Mamon¡¯s Four Demon Dukes, she was awakened right before Ragnarok, and the one who happened to subjugate her was Alisha.


    Levi unintentionally let out a scream, ¡¸HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!¡¹, as soon as she saw Alisha¡¯s smile. The memories of the battle with Alisha had slowly returned to her mind. At that time, Alisha had annihted Levi in an extremely cruel and unspeakable way due to a certain reason.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ How do you want to be killed this time, L-E-V-I?¡¹


    ¡ºD-DON¡¯T JOKE AROUND! I-I¡¯M DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE! I now have Mamon-sama¡¯s blessing. Not even you can defeat the current meeeeee!¡»


    When Alisha asked her a question with a sweet smile on her face, Levi replied in a shrill tone as if she wanted to shake her fear.


    Along with her shrill, a poisonous purple aura surrounded Levi¡¯s body. The aura rapidly expanded, then vanished. A five-meter-long ¨”Dragon? appeared in Levi¡¯s ce. Its body emanated a boundless amount of mana and an extremely heavy pressure.


    £¨Oh my! It seems she was speaking the truth about the Demon King¡¯s blessing. This pressure¡­ it¡¯s actually equal to that of a pseudo-Demon King?£©


    Pseudo-Demon King¨Dthe assessment Sword Saint Alisha gave to Levi¡¯s dragonification was terrifying. The pressure emanated by the current Levi, was in a different leaguepared to the undead dragon that Aria and co. had subjugated in ddstone.


    ¡ºKUHIHIHIHI! Behold, Alisha! This is the supreme form that was granted to me by Mamon-sama¡¯s divine protection! With this power, I can tear you from li¡ª¡»


    Levi, who was convinced of her victory with her new body, suddenly came to aplete stop. Because, Alisha¡¯s figure had instantly vanished in front of her eyes. And right when Levi was about to look for Alisha, her field of vision suddenly fell to the ground.


    Levi saw the world spin, as her eyes caught sight of the ceiling in one second and the ground in the next.


    Thest thing Levi saw before her death was her own headless neck and Alisha¡¯s figure who sheathed her katana behind her back. Alisha looked at Levi¡¯s head with a merciful gaze. A crimson light lit up in one of Alisha¡¯s eyes, and she spoke.


    ¡¸No matter how powerful you get, you will never catch up to my speed, Levi. Just like how you got divine protection from your demon king, I have the divine protection from my master (husband) too. Fufufu¡­¡¹


    Alisha had circled behind Levi with her godspeed. She had then beheaded Levi, whose power had reached the pseudo-demon king realm, in just a single sh. The enraptured expression Alisha showed when she spoke about her master (husband) was definitely that of a girl in love.


    ¡¸Well then, I guess this is it for my part, and this level of an opponent shouldn¡¯t be a big deal for Cedric-sama. The situation of Aria chan and co. is rather worrying, but they should be okay as long as they have Tama in ¨”That State?. ¡¹


    Alisha dismissed her worries about Aria and co¡¯s situation with a charming smile when she recalled a certain matter about Tama.

 Chapter 101: Third Form and The Awakening Power

    <h4>Chapter 101: Third Form and The Awakening Power</h4>


    Part 1


    ¡ºGURORORORORO!¡»


    Orthos, who had no idea what was happening, let out a warcry. The beast narrowed its eyes at the dazzling light.


    ¡¸Guh! What is this light?¡¹


    ¡¸I-I don¡¯t know! Tama¡¯s body started shining out of nowhere¡­¡¹


    When Orthos had pointed its fang toward Aria, Tama had let out an adorable war cry. Following that cry, a dazzling silver light had enveloped his body.


    When the dazzling silver light vanished, a giant white shadow had reced Tama.


    ¡ºRUMBLE¨D¨D¨D¨DEEE!¡»


    The giant white shadow let out a high-pitched war cry.


    ¡¸N-No way! A-a sacred beast?¡¹


    Seeing the giant figure in front of them, Prince Julius hadpletely forgotten that he was in the middle of a battle. Ste, Vulcan, Cyclops, and Orthos, everyone¡¯s eyes were wide open at the sight of that giant figure.


    That figure was a giant winged white lion d in silver armor.


    When the lion turned its gaze at Aria and co., for a moment, it exactly looked like the sacred beast that was painted along with the first hero in the Imperial Capital Mansion¡¯s painting.


    While everyone was captivated by the sudden appearance of the sacred beast, Aria muttered, ¡¸Those golden eyes filled with kindness¡­ could it be that you are¡­ Tama?¡¹


    Sure enough, the lion gave a gentle, almost indiscernible nod as it looked into Aria¡¯s eyes.


    Facing formidable enemies like Orthos and Cyclops, Tama had finally braved himself to unseal his forbidden ¡®third Form¡¯.


    £¨I had long since resigned that Master would someday realize my true nature, that I¡¯m a monster called Behemoth, but¡­ why does it seem like everyone has a misunderstanding about my true nature? ¡­ Screw that! It¡¯s not the time for standing idle. I¡¯ve to kill these guys first.£©


    Tama, who couldn¡¯t properly see his own figure, got a grip on himself and turned toward the formidable enemies before him.


    ¡ºGIII¨D¨D!!N!¡»


    One could feel an overwhelming sacred power overflowing from Tama, as he red at Orthos.


    ¡ºGURORORORORO¡ª!?¡»


    Orthos let out a trembled shriek, and its entire body shuddered due to fear. The pressure from Tama¡¯s third form frightened it.


    £¨Here I go!¡¶FLAME HOWLING¡·!£©


    Tama opened his giant jaw toward Orthos, and Orthos¡¯s body was bathed in a super-condensed silver heat ray.


    Aria¡¯s and Prince Julius¡¯ voices ovepped as they spoke at the same time.


    ¡¸Amazing! For that skill to be able to grill Orthos¡¯s tough skin!¡¹


    ¡¸Ah! This energy wave¡­ could it be¡­ the holy element?¡¹.


    The sacred beast could use the holy element just like the hero, and an anecdote even depicted the sacred beast defeating numerous demon kings in the past.


    Sacred beast and Behemoth¡¯s Third Form¨Dthe simrities between the two weren¡¯t just limited to their appearance, but also to the element they used. Tama was using the holy me right now.


    ¡ºAt this rate¡­¡»


    When it saw Orthos was about to be burned into nothingness by the holy me, Cyclops made its move.


    Part 2


    It spoke the name of its skill,¡º¡¶Sacrifice Lamp¡·!¡». The next moment, Cyclops¡¯s body became covered in bloody wounds, but a giant ominousmp appeared on top of its head.


    ¡¶Sacrifice Lance¡·, it was an overskill that sent a target into oblivion in exchange for the user¡¯s vitality. And the target for Cyclops¡¯s¡¶Sacrifice Lance¡· was Tama.


    £¨I¡¯m going to die if I get hit by that skill, but Cyclops won¡¯t be able to fight anymore. And before that skill kills me, I¡¯ll burn Orthos to death. To protect Master and her friends!£©


    To protect his master and friends, Tama decided to kill Orthos in exchange for his life.


    Nothing was more terrifying than a cornered enemy. Tama knew that if he stopped his attack toward Orthos to dodge Cyclops¡¯s skill, Orthos would immediately charge toward Aria and Prince Julius.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t le¨D¡¹


    ¡¸IT¡¯S MY JOB!¡¹


    Just when Aria stood in front of Tama to protect him from Cyclops¡¯s skill and shouted, Ste blew her away. Ste covered Tama with her shield, Cdbog, and became ready to protect him.


    £¨Ste-chan, if you receive that attack instead of me, not even your artifact can¡­£©


    Ste was fulfilling her duty as the tank of their party in protecting Tama. She smiled at Aria and spoke.


    ¡¸Please, take good care of Tama after I¡¯m gone.¡¹


    Ste had realized it too that this attack would reap her life.


    Aria was on the verge of losing either Tama or Ste.


    ¡¸I will protect them!¡¹


    Her emotions exploded after reaching a critical state, and she raised a war cry. Her exploded emotions that came out along with her warcry gave birth to a new ¨”de?. Aria, who was driven by her violent emotions, unconsciously unleashed that ¨”de?.


    Its name was¨D


    ¡¸EX¡­CALIBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR!¡¹


    Aria swung her Tempest Bringer as a silver sh enveloped its edge. The silver sh transformed into a torrent of light that swallowed both Cyclops and its ¡¶Sacrifice Lance¡·. The light erased their existence from the world. At the same moment, Tama¡¯s holy re also erased Orthos¡¯s existence.


    After a pause, Prince Julius muttered, ¡¸Did we¡­ beat them?¡¹


    The overjoyed Vulcan muttered, ¡¸Amnyaazing! Tama-chan and Aria-chan beat those tough guys!¡¹.


    Ste also eximed with an excited look on her face,¡¸What was that sh just now? it suddenly appeared when Aria screamed and erased our enemy!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri started frolicking around Aria.


    ¡¸Cool! As expected of Aria!¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re equally amazing, Tama-chan!¡¹.


    £¨Sigh, we managed to somehow ovee this crisi¡ª Eh? The mana in my body¡­ this feeling¡­ could it be¡­£©


    The moment Tama heaved a sigh of relief, he felt something was running amok in his body.


    ¡¸Look, Tama¡¯s body is shining again!¡¹


    Just as Ste had said, a brilliant light again enveloped Tama¡¯s body. Vulcan shouted, ¡¸What in the world is happening to him now!?¡¹


    ¡¸TAMAAAA!¡¹Aria also cried out the name of her pet (knight).


    When the light disappeared, it revealed¡­


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    Part 3


    Tama raised an adorable cry in his usual kitten form. It seemed his evolution had been canceled like before.


    ¡¸¡­ TAMA!!¡¹


    The moment she heard his adorable cry, Aria leaped out and caught Tama into her embrace. She repeatedly called his name and embraced him even tighter. Ste also rushed toward them, and Aria embraced both Tama and Ste at once.


    Ste asked with a bewildered look on her face, ¡¸W-what¡¯s the matter, Aria!?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~!?¡¹Tama echoed the same reaction with an adorable cry while being sandwiched by four giant mountains.


    Aria started weeping upon hearing their voice. This situation was only natural considering what would happen to the usually kind and gentle Aria if she had really lost Tama and Ste.


    ¡¸D-Don¡¯t cry¡­ we¡¯re still alive and kicking!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    It was one of the rare situations where Ste pacified Aria by patting her head. Tama joined in as he brushed his head on Aria¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡¸It seems we made it out alive from the dangerous situation, Your Highness.¡¹


    Dany, who hade after beating the trolls, called out to Prince Julius. He looked at the conversation between Aria and co. with a warm smile on his face.


    Prince Julius smiled and replied, ¡¸It seems your side made it safely too. That¡¯s great!¡¹


    Howard guffawed and said, ¡¸Gehyahyahyahya! It had been been a while since I had gone all out!¡¹


    ¡¸That was a close one.¡¹Kenny replied, and Marietta also agreed with a ¡¸Desuu¡¹.


    Even though everyone¡¯s equipment was in tatters, they were fine.


    ¡¸Great, let¡¯s go back then. We shall have a party as soon as we return!¡¹


    Everyone agreed in unison to Prince Julius¡¯s suggestion. After all, they were returning as the heroes who had saved Labyrinth city.

 Chapter 102 : A Brief Rest and The Trend of Revived Four Demon

    <h4>Chapter 102 : A Brief Rest and The Trend of Revived Four Demon</h4>


    ¡¸I see nyaow. So thest skill used by Aria-chan is her derivate skill!¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s the derivate skill of my ¡¶Sacred de¡·, ¡¶Excalibur¡·. For that skill to awaken at such timing. Moreover, for me to activate it reflexively¡­¡¹


    After the fierce battle against Orthos and Cyclops, Aria and co. had returned to the guild of Labyrinth city.


    Aria exined to Vulcan and others about the derivate skill that she had used on Cyclops, the skill that had awakened at thest moment.


    ¡¸The condition to attain a derivate skill is achieving mastery of a skill¡¯s basic form and intense emotions. Alisha did tell me before departing that with your current proficiency, you were likely to awaken your derivate skill if you got cornered in the middle of a battle.¡¹


    After gulping the liquor, Prince Julius told spoke.


    ¡¸Alisha-sama had predicted that I would awaken my derivate skill in the previous fight?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Only she¡¯s capable of doing that. Well, she¡¯s Maiya¡¯s wife, after all. She can do almost everything.¡¹


    Prince Julius replied to Aria¡¯s question with a wry smile on his face.


    His eyes then moved on to Aria¡¯s twin melons; to be exact, on Tama, who was sandwiched in between the twin melons.


    Even though the awakening of Aria¡¯s power was a surprise to him, the matter about Tama was on a whole another level.


    Elemental Cats could grow up to two meters in height upon bing an adult. But, it would take them years to reach their adulthood. A sudden transformation like what Tama showed in the fight was impossible for an elemental cat to acheive.


    ¡¸Tama, could it be that you¡¯re actually not an elemental cat¡­ but the great sacred beast?¡¹


    Aria petted the head of Tama, who waszing around in her deep valley, and asked him the question.


    However, Tama replied with a¡¸Nya~n?¡¹, as if he were saying ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯.


    ¡¸Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter! No one died thanks to the efforts of Aria and Tama. Let¡¯s just celebrate our safe return first. But still, I¡¯m really ashamed of myself as a hero. To think that I¡¯m weakened to the point where I have to rely on a girl and her cat.¡¹


    After he spoke those words with a self-deprecating smile on his face, Prince Julius lifted his ss.


    Aria and Vulcan, who were also raising their ss, spoke up.


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t say that, Your Highness.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. The reason we came out victorious in the previous fight was Julius-sama had been protecting us from our enemy¡¯s skills.¡¹


    ¨D¨DWe¡¯re cheering on him.


    £¨Such honest people. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be even more powerful in the future.£©


    Prince Julius felt so as he looked at Aria and the others.


    ¡¸GUHAHAHAHA! NOTHING CAN BEAT MEAT AFTER A DAY OF FIERCE BATTLE!¡¹


    ¡¸Yaaay, pancakes are the best!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s melting in my mouuth!¡¹


    Ste was busying her hands with the meat on the bone steak, while Lily and Faeri were entranced by the line up of sweets that included pancakes, fruit punches, etc on the table.


    As a reward for their participation in the fierce battle where they had to put their lives on the line, they were allowed to order as much of their favorite food as they wanted.


    Even though they had fought like a fierce veteran warrior in the battle, they had now reverted to being a girl and children in front of the food.


    Vassago managing to escape to the spirit world was a fatal blow to their side.


    However, it would take him quite some time to make his move since he had to gather his minions first. Prince Julius had predicted Vassago¡¯s next n to some extent.


    As long as they waited in this city, they would soon receive thetest news from Beelzebub, Alisha, or a messenger. So, it was better to make the preparation for their next move.


    But at the very least, he must let the girls before him enjoy the brief rest for the time being.


    Prince Julius only apanied them for another ss of ale, then he excused himself. After returning to the high-ss hotel room that had been prepared for him, he copsed on the bed. He wanted to heal his tattered body that was pushed beyond its limit in today¡¯s battle.


    ¡ô


    In a castle located in a certain ce in the Spirit World, a voice rang out.


    ¡ºMy connection to Orthos and Cyclops disappeared. To think that they lost against small fries¡­¡»


    One of the Four Demon Dukes, Vassago, cursed in front of a mirror with an annoyed look on his face. The summoned beast and its summoner were connected by mana. So losing that connection meant that the summoned beast had died.


    Vassago couldn¡¯t hide his agitation at the fact that his summoned beast was defeated by a group of girls without special power and a weakened hero.


    ¡ºWell, it doesn¡¯t matter. As long as I¡¯m alive and gain ¨”THAT?, I can resurrect Mamon-sama. Wait for me, Humans.¡»


    Vassago let out a wicked smile and moved on to the next stage in his ns.

 Chapter 103 : Cat Knight’s Level-up

    <h4>Chapter 103 : Cat Knight¡¯s Level-up</h4>


    £¨Well then, it¡¯s about time I start¡­£©


    A day had passed since the fierce battle against Vassago¡¯s summoned beasts. In the night, Tama slipped out of the house and made his way to thebyrinth¡¯s entrance.


    The reason he went to visit thebyrinth was to gather ¨”EXP?. His status presented a clearer picture of his goal.


    __________________________________________________


    Name :Tama


    Race :Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill : ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Skill Predation¡·, ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡·, ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·


    Predated Skill : ¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fireball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Unlimited Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·, ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, ¡¶Dragon w¡·


    __________________________________________________


    His skill column was the same as before. It was just that the ¡®Evolution¡¯ entry had vanished.


    £¨As I thought, it disappeared after I used it in the battle against Orthos and Cyclops. Though, I already have a guess about how to make the ¡®Evolution¡¯ entry reappear.£©


    After fighting for a long time, Tama had be able to enter his second form. Then, he had fought arge number of undeads and undead dragons in order to attain his third form.


    Even though mastering one¡¯s abilities were important, the ¡®Evolution¡¯ entry would only appear if the umtion of his EXP broke through a certain threshold¡ªthat was the hypothesis Tama had arrived after pondering for a while.


    To test it, he had slipped out of Aria¡¯s bed in the middle of the night and arrived at thebyrinth.


    ¡ºGIGYA!¡»


    ¡ºGUGIGUGIGU!¡»


    As soon as Tama entered thebyrinth, he was met with two goblins.


    ¡¸NYAN£¨¡¶me Edge¡·£©!¡¹


    Tama invoked one of his ¡¶Elemental Tail des¡· as he ran ahead, leaving behind two sliced bodies.


    £¨Since Master and co. aren¡¯t here with me today, I shall turn all of you bastards into a precious source of EXP for the iing battle!£©


    Tama¡¯s adorable eyes sharpened as he dived deeper into thebyrinth.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºGEBAAAAAAAAAAA!¡»


    Tama had finally arrived on the floor where the fierce battle had happened yesterday, the fifteenth floor. However, a grotesque monster blocked his path.


    Troll!


    It was an A rank monster that Aria and co.¡¯sbined force had defeated without Tama¡¯s assistance.


    ¡¸NyaaAAA (Uhm, fat EXP¡­ HERE I COME!£©¡¹


    Tama raised an adorable war cry as soon as he saw the Troll. He then invoked one of his ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡· and ¡¶Water Missile¡·.


    The bluish bullet flew straight into the troll¡¯s abdomen and trapped the monster inside a water prison in the next moment.


    As expected of an A rank monster, the Troll could still struggle inside of the water prison and escape with its sheer strength.


    ¡¸NYAN£¨¡¶Water Howling¡·£©!¡¹


    Tama didn¡¯t let his guard down and used ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· toward the troll¡¯s arm that came out from the water prison.


    The resulting pain weakened the troll¡¯s resistance by a lot, and the monster swallowed tons of water as it howled in pain.


    Its wound had already closed thanks to its insane regeneration rate, but its resistance was gradually weakening by the seconds. Since the troll couldn¡¯t breathe, it was only natural that it kept swallowing water.


    And finally¡­ the whites of the Troll¡¯s eyes showed themselves as the monster met its death in the water prison.


    £¨Great, now let¡¯s confirm my status.£©


    __________________________________________________


    Name :Tama


    Race :Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill :¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Skill Predation¡·, ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡·, ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·


    Predated Skill :¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fireball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Unlimited Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·, ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, ¡¶Dragon w¡·


    __________________________________________________


    £¨Uhm¡­ the evolution option still hasn¡¯t appeared even though I beat the troll. Guess I need to defeat more monsters.£©


    Feeling slightly dejected, Tama advanced to the next floor.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºGROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!¡»


    A howl capable of sending shivers running through one¡¯s spine resounded inside the stone passage on the twentieth floor of thebyrinth.


    £¨A ¨”Lesser Dragon?, huh. Interesting, this guy will be my precious source of EXP!£©


    The name of the monster waiting for Tama was Lesser Dragon. Just as its name stated, it was a member of low ranked dragons.


    The monster walked on its four limbs, and hard scales covered its entire body. It was incapable of using breath attack, but its movements were witty and agile.


    Although its height paled inparison to that of the giant Earth Dragon, an S-rank monster, the Lesser Dragon was still around five meters long.


    Its offensive abilities were a far cry from a high-rank Dragon, but it was more powerful than a Troll. The Lesser Dragon¡¯s rank lied between A rank and S rank, A+ rank to be precise.


    The Lesser Dragon shook its giant tail as soon as it saw Tama.


    ¡¸NYAN£¨Attack on sight£©!¡¹


    Tama had made full use of his experience as a knight, and his behemoth¡¯s dynamic vision had predicted the Lesser Dragon¡¯s tail attack. So he dodged it with a jump.


    Then¨D


    ¡¸NYAN£¨¡¶FLIGHT¡·£©!¡¹


    Tama invoked the skill he had acquired from the wyvern that he had defeated long ago, ¡¶Flight¡·, and soared on top of the Lesser Dragon.


    ¡ºGrowl!?¡»


    A seemingly small, weak animal had dodged its attack, and it had spread its wings to fly on top of it.


    The Lesser Dragon couldn¡¯t hide its surprise.


    ¡¸NYA!£¨Eat this¡¶Rock Howling¡·£©!¡¹


    Tama fired his Earth Elemental¡¯s Howling form above the Lesser Dragon¡¯s head.


    He didn¡¯t feel like fighting an opponent whose size was far greater than him. That was why he had chosen to attack from outside of his opponent¡¯s attacking range.


    The mass of rocks created by Tama¡¯s ¡¶Rock Howling¡· fell right on top of Lesser Dragon¡¯s head.


    The Lesser Dragon tried to get away from that ce, but¡­


    £¨YOU CAN¡¯T RUN!£©


    Tama flew even higher and higher until he reached the ceiling, then he released a barrage of ¡¶Rock Howling¡·.


    The second and subsequent Rock Howling attacks were more powerful than the first one since they had an altitude advantage.


    After receiving such powerful impacts right on the head so many times, the Lesser Dragon finally crumbled. It fell unconscious due to the damage to its brain.


    £¨Uhm, fainted, huh. Now it¡¯s time to end this!£©


    After approaching the unconscious Lesser Dragon bit-by-bit, Tama unleashed one of his ¡¶Elemental Sword Tail¡· and ¡¶Ether Edge¡· and finished off the Lesser Dragon with a stab to its eye.


    Finished with the fight, Tama checked his status again.


    __________________________________________________


    Name :Tama


    Race :Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill :¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Skill Predation¡·, ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡·, ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·


    Predated Skill :¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fireball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Unlimited Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·, ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, ¡¶Dragon w¡·


    Possible Evolution:?Behemoth, 2nd Form


    ?Behemoth, 3rd Form


    __________________________________________________


    £¨I see! Two evolution options have appeared, huh! So, the second form gives me a pure destructive power, while the third form provides me a high defense and Holy element. However¡­ using the second form is basically telling Master and co. about my identity as a Behemoth, which leaves me with only the third form¡­£©


    Even though he was really delighted upon seeing two options in the evolution column, Tama felt that the second form was the cart before the horse. He could never use it in public.


    But still, he had achieved the goal he hade to this ce with.


    Tama licked his dirtied fur to clean it, and¡­


    ¡¸Nya~~~~~n!¡¹


    With an adorable triumphant cry, Tama walked back to the surface.

 Chapter 104 : The Goal of the Four Demon Dukes

    <h4>Chapter 104 : The Goal of the Four Demon Dukes</h4>


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ good morning, Tama!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~an¡¹


    A few dayster after his power-up, Tama woke up in the morning to find himself stuffed in between Aria¡¯s twin melons. It was the same sight as yesterday.


    Aria gently brushed Tama¡¯s head upon hearing his adorable cries.


    Just as Tama started to enjoy Aria¡¯s supreme patting technique, he was interrupted.


    KONKONKONKON!


    Someone knocked on the door.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ who¡¯s here early in the morning?¡¹


    ¡¸So¡­ sleepy~¡¹


    ¡¸Me¡­ tyuuu~¡¹


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri, all woke up upon hearing the knocks.


    Ste put on a cloak on top of her negligee and walked toward the entrance while hugging Tama.


    ¡¸Good morning, Aria-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸A-Alisha-sama!¡¹


    Sword Saint Alisha, d in her usual maid uniform, stood in front of the door.


    Aria¡¯s drowsy face brightened upon seeing her guest.


    Part of her reaction was due to her love and respect toward her idol, and the other part was because of her worry for Alisha, who had gone to subjugate one of the Four Demon Duke by herself.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve heard the story. Although you failed to subjugate Vassago, one of the Four Demon Dukes, you defeated his summoned beasts. Well done, Aria-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸T-To think that Alisha-sama will give such praise to me! However, I didn¡¯t do it all alone. It¡¯s all thanks to Julius-sama, Tama, and the others doing a wonderful job. By the way, how did your journey go?¡¹


    ¡¸Nothing to worry about my side. I¡¯ve subjugated Levi, the Demon Duke that I came across.¡¹


    ¡¸A-As expected of Alisha-sama! While we all barely defeated those summoned beasts, you managed to aplish such a feat by yourself.¡¹


    Aria became even more respectful toward Alisha.


    Tama became lost in his thoughts. (Sword Saint Alisha¡­ it seems the rumor about her single-handedly ying one of the seven great demon kings with a carefree smile on her face is true.) Tama shuddered as he realized it.


    Moreover, Prince Julius¡¯s words about her being one of the three most powerful people in the world turned out to be the truth.


    ¡¸Ah! Cedric-sama has also subjugated the Demon Duke he encountered, Vc.¡¹


    ¡¸C-Cedric-sama is so amazing!¡¹


    Aria raised another joyful cry.


    Alisha replied in a nonchnt voice.


    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s only natural since he¡¯s so powerful. On top of that, he wields the special weapon made by my husband.¡¹


    Hearing that, Tama recalled Cedric¡¯s sword that had the power of darkness. He had carried it once before during Demon Beryl¡¯s subjugation mission.


    Sure enough, considering Cedric¡¯s role during Ragnarok and his ability that rivaled the heroes, it was a simple matter for him to subjugate a Demon Duke.


    Alisha¡¯s face turned serious all of a sudden as she spoke.


    ¡¸Aria-chan, I think Vassago might lead his army to attack the Elven Vige in Lumilus.¡¹


    ¡¸V-Vassago¡­ Lumilus!?¡¹


    Aria¡¯s face became devoid of all color.


    Lumilus was the birthce and the hometown of Aria. So, Aria couldn¡¯t keep her cool when she heard that Vassago might bring his force and raid that vige.


    ¡¸Calm down, Aria-chan. Vassago has yet to make his move and gather his army of monsters. And judging from the situation, he hasn¡¯t recovered to his peak.¡¹


    Alisha patted Aria¡¯s head and pacified her with a gentle voice.


    After regaining her calmness, Aria invited Alisha inside.


    ¡¸Nya~n(Are you okay¡­ master?)¡¹


    When they sat on the chairs, Tama rubbed his head on Aria¡¯s cheek with a worried look on his face.


    Noticing his actions, Aria let out a smile and said, ¡¸Fufufu¡­ thanks a lot, Tama.¡¹.


    When she felt it was the appropriate time, Alisha continued the earlier topic.


    Ste and the others had just descended from the second floor when they noticed the unusual situation. They sat on the sofa and silently listened to Alisha¡¯s story.


    ¡¸Vassago will aim for Lumilus, Aria chan, but do you know the reason for this?¡¹


    ¡¸Demon race, Lumilus¡­ Ah! Is his aim the ¨”Philosopher¡¯s Stone??!¡¹


    Aria made a guess after hearing Alisha¡¯s question.


    A few years ago, the Demon Race had raided Lumilus, and it was when Aria had ended up being saved by Alisha.


    At that time, the Demon Race had been after the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.


    ¡¸Aria, what¡¯s that Philosopher¡¯s Stone thing?¡¹


    ¡¸Ste-chan, Philosopher¡¯s stone is the name of a magic item that can create a special barrier that wards off monsters. Any monster below A-rank can¡¯t invade Lumilus as long as the special barrier created with the Philosopher¡¯s Stone exists.¡¹


    After Aria replied to Ste¡¯s question, Lily and Faeri asked with puzzled looks on their faces, ¡¸Why are they aiming for Philosopher¡¯s stone?¡¹


    Alisha took the lead in exining them.


    ¡¸Because the Philosopher¡¯s Stone contains an unbelievable amount of special mana. Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, the Demon Race probably wants to use that mana for the ¨”Demon King¡¯s Revival?.¡¹


    £¨I see. In short, the attack on Aria¡¯s hometown a few years ago happened because they wanted to revive their Demon King. And since Vassage has been revived, he¡¯ll be aiming for the same thing.£©


    Tama had understood the gist of the story upon hearing Aria¡¯s and Alisha¡¯s exnation.


    Besides, since Alisha had heard about this matter from Beelzebub, there was no doubt about its authenticity.


    ¡¸However, Aria-chan, something will be different this time. It¡¯ll be a defensive battle for us when Vassago will be attacking Lumilus to snatch the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. So it¡¯s better to have more people.¡¹


    ¡¸I understand, Alisha-sama. To protect my hometown and the people living there, please allow me to join the battle! We¡¯re at fault for letting Vassago escape in the first ce.¡¹


    Aria gave her answer without even waiting for Alisha to ask.


    ¡¸Huhm! Then let me go too. It will be a return gift for the hard fight against that guy¡¯s summoned beasts!¡¹


    ¡¸Me too! I won¡¯t let them revive the Demon King!¡¹


    ¡¸Me¡­ tyuuu~¡¹


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri decided to go along with Aria. The three of them were burning with fighting spirit.


    ¡¸NYA~AN(Don¡¯t forget about me, Master!)!¡¹


    Tama raised an adorable and lively cry as he snuggled into Aria¡¯s twin melons.


    ¡¸Everyone, let¡¯s do our best!¡¹


    Aria let out a voice of admiration. Herrades¡¯ support had ignited the fighting spirit inside her again.


    Thus, it became the signal for the uing battle of the girls and the kitten.

 Chapter 105: Onward To Lumilus

    <h4>Chapter 105: Onward To Lumilus</h4>


    ¡¸Nya~! Another long trip on a boat nya~n!¡¹


    On the next day, Vulcan stretched her limbs and received the winds flowing toward her. [Note: Titanic]


    Right now, Aria and co. were on a ship that had departed from Labyrinth city¡¯s harbor.


    Their destination was none other than Lumilus, the elven vige and the ce that Vassago would most likely target.


    Lumilus was located in a certain ce beyond the mountain range in the Zehart kingdom. Since the group was racing against time, they had used a ship that would allow them to arrive at their destination faster.


    ¡¸The sea! It¡¯s the sea! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it!¡¹


    ¡¸The water is everywhere!¡¹


    ¡¸It has a rather peculiar smell!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were exhrated at the sight of the sea, while Ste was fascinated by the salty smell of the seawater.


    ¡¸How¡¯s your condition, Your Highness Julius?¡¹


    The worried Aria asked Julius, who was enjoying the wind in a corner of the ship deck with his eyes shut.


    Just like Vulcan, Prince Julius was also participating in this mission. But, hisplexion wasn¡¯t good as he was still exhausted from the previous fight.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Aria. Even though I might not be able to rampage as I did in the previous battle, I can still givemands from behind.¡¹


    Prince Julius replied to Aria with a nod.


    Despite Aria and co.¡¯s attempt to secretly give their elixir to Prince Julius, his condition was far beyond the state where it could be healed from the elixir. His deteriorated condition was the result of him overexerting his hero power many years ago,


    The ones to board this ship were Aria¡¯s group, Julius, and Alisha.


    In addition, the knights, Dany and others, and ten adventurers were present too.


    The knights went along since it was their duty, while the adventurers had volunteered.


    Aria and co. had defeated Vassago¡¯s two summoned beasts; otherwise, those two would have ruined Labyrinth city.


    Therefore, when they heard that Aria¡¯s birthce was in danger, the skilled adventurers had raised their arms and nominated themselves by yelling, ¡¸Now it¡¯s our turn to save Aria-chan¡¯s birthce!¡¹.


    ¡¸I might¡¯ve retired from the front line, but I can still fight?¡¹


    The one who muttered those words was¡­ Arnold Hwarzenegger.


    (S)he was a former B-rank adventurer who had decided to help Aria¡¯s group in the uing battle with her own power.


    £¨Our enemy is the Demon Race army led by one of the Four Demon Dukes, Vassago. This is our war potential. We can recruit more people when we arrive in Lumilus. We¡¯re not going to lose since Cedric-dono will also join our forces.£©


    As he enjoyed Aria¡¯s embrace, Tama thought about their current situation.


    Since their enemy wanted to attack with arge force, it was only right for them to respond in kind.


    ording to Alisha¡¯s information, Vassago would only attack after he had regained his full power and could teleport his army.


    Since Lumilus was protected by a barrier created by the philosopher¡¯s stone, it was impossible to teleport inside the center of the vige. Therefore, Aria¡¯s group would have to face Vassago¡¯s army outside the vige.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Aria. Can I hug Tama-chan too?¡¹


    ¡¸I want to hug him too.¡¹


    Aria was enjoying the wind breeze inside the deck while hugging Tama when Kenny and Marietta called out to her.


    Even though they simply wanted to hug Tama, they had also realized that hugging Tama was loosening the tension in Aria¡¯s mind.


    ¡¸Of course! Tama, will you allow Marietta-san and Keny-san to hug you?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(Roger that, master)!¡¹


    Tama replied to Aria with a lively cry.


    As a former knight, he was rather reluctant to be hugged by another person aside from his master. But since it was his master¡¯s order, it couldn¡¯t be helped. The two knights dressed in bikini armor then put the cat into their embrace.


    ¡¸U~hm, he¡¯s so fluffy and adorable!¡¹


    ¡¸Right! I can¡¯t get enough of his glossy fur!¡¹


    Marietta patted Tama¡¯s head while Kenny embraced him.


    Despite being a Behemoth, Tama¡¯s infant body naturally reacted and he squinted while enjoying the two knights¡¯ treatment.


    ¡¸AH! SO SLY! I WANT TO EMBRACE TAMA TOO!¡¹


    ¡¸ME TOO, ME TOO!¡¹


    ¡¸ME TOO~!¡¹


    Seeing Kenny and Marietta pamper Tama, the trio of Ste, Lily, and Faeri rushed over to them and said, ¡°ME TOO! ME TOO!¡±.


    In the past, because Aria viewed Ste as her rival in love, she used to do everything in her power to stop Ste from hugging Tama. However, after the two of them had understood each other better, Tama had always ended up inside their melons.


    £¨Nya! Tama-chan¡¯s sacred beast transformation is soo co~ol nya!£©


    Vulcan recalled the scene in thest battle when she saw Tama being surrounded by so many women.


    Even though they had been fighting a deadly battle at that time, Vulcan had still been charmed by Tama¡¯s majestic white lion form.


    Aria and the others had tried to ask Alisha whether she knew about Tama¡¯s mysterious transformation, but Alisha had shaken her head and said she had no idea.


    £¨Fufufu¡­ Tama-chan has be stronger than before.£©


    Alisha let out a gentle smile as she looked at Tama, who let out confused cries upon finding himself being sandwiched between Aria and Ste¡¯s twin melons.

 Chapter 106: Female Knight and Elemental Cat

    <h4>Chapter 106: Female Knight and Elemental Cat</h4>


    ¡¸Is this Lumilus, the elven vige?¡¹


    ¡¸Somehow, the image is a little bit¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Wro~ng~¡¹


    Ste, Lily, and Faerimented in turns as they looked at the scenery before them.


    After spending a day of travel on the ship, and another inside a carriage, Aria and co. had finally arrived at their destination.


    Lumilus was supposed to be the elven paradise that was covered with lush, but in reality, it was surrounded by tall metal ramparts to such an extent that the other side of the ramparts couldn¡¯t be seen.


    Even though it wasn¡¯t a fortress, its appearance alone suggested that it was a fortress.


    ¡¸The vige had no such ramparts before, but after the raid of the demon race few years ago, we built them to protect ourselves and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡¹


    Aria exined to the others who were still gazing at the rampart. As she finished her words, herplexion worsened a little as she had been reminded of the time the demon race had attacked her when she was young.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s enter first and then prepare a united front with the manpower in the vige. Since the letter from His Majesty, the Emperor, should¡¯ve arrived first, I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be much trouble.¡¹


    Prince Julius led everyone toward the grandiose and heavy gate.


    A female elven knight armed to the teeth was walking in front of the gate, and by her side was a huge cat-like figure.


    The female elf fixed her posture when she saw Prince Julius and the others, but her eyes suddenly opened wide.


    ¡¸ARIA-CHAN! YOU¡¯RE¡­ ARIA-CHAN RIGHT!?¡¹


    The elf shouted with a surprised look on her face.


    ¡¸Ah! Fione-oneechan! Leo-kun!¡¹ Aria also shouted and ran toward the female elven knight with Tama in her embrace and a bright smile on her face.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Aria-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaoooon!¡¹


    Fione spoke to Aria with a delighted look on her face, and it was the same for the huge cat beside her.


    ¡¸Long time no see to you too, Fione-oneechan, Leo-kun!¡¹


    ¡¸You have such amazing equipment now, Aria-chan. Is the one in your embrace an elemental cat¡¯s infant? No way! Behind you¡­¡¹


    After exchanging greetings with Aria and asking about Tama, Fione looked at Prince Julius and the others.


    ¡¸This child is Tama. My pet(knight), and partner! The people behind me are¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Seeing your reaction, I guess you already know the situation. Let me exin to her. My name is Julius Ashura, hero sh and the Empire¡¯s first prince. The people behind me are the adventurers who have volunteered to join this battle.¡¹


    Although Prince Julius had guessed from Fione¡¯s tone that she had been told about the matter regarding Vassago, he still provided her with a simple exnation.


    Fione had indeed recognized him, and she bowed.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Fione, the deputy chief of this vige¡¯s knight order. And this one is mybat partner, Leo, an elemental cat. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡¹


    £¨Ho~h! A real elemental cat, huh!£©


    Hearing about Leo, Tama, who became curious, leaped down from Aria¡¯s embrace and approached Leo.


    Just when everyone was wondering what was going to happen¨D


    ¡¸N-Nyaoooooooo~¡¹


    Leo suddenly raised a bewildered voice,y on the ground, and showed his belly to Tama.


    ¡¸N-No way! T-the prideful Leo is showing his belly to this infant elemental cat!¡¹


    Fiona couldn¡¯t hide her surprise.


    Elemental Cats had a peculiar trait. They would show their belly to the being they considered more powerful than themselves. The gesture meant that they bore no hostilities.


    That was why Fione couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she saw Leo, an adult elemental cat, doing such for Tama, who was still an infant.


    ¡¸What¡¯s you guys¡¯ rtionship?¡¹


    Ste cut in the conversation.


    She was curious about Fione¡¯s rtionship with Aria, and the matter about Leo.


    ¡¸Ste-chan, Fione-oneechan and Leo-kun were my ymates during my childhood. But of course, we did more than just ying around.¡¹


    ¡¸I miss those old days. The time when Leo defeated the bad guys who wanted to kidnap Aria, who was taking a stroll.¡¹


    ¡¸If not for Leo-kun, I might¡¯ve been sold as merchandise for humans. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll be grateful to Leo-kun forever.¡¹


    Aria and Fione fell into a reminiscence about their past.


    When Tama heard that, he¨D


    £¨W-WHAT THE! THIS ELEMENTAL CAT IS MY MASTER¡¯S BENEFACTOR! THEN, I¡¯VE TO SHOW MY GRATITUDE TOO!£©


    Tama expressed his utmost gratitude to Leo. He alsoy down on the ground and showed his belly to Leo.


    ¡¸Nyaooo~?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    Leo¡¯s wild instinct had told him that Tama¡¯s rank was far higher than him, so he was bewildered upon seeing Tama showing his belly.


    Leo felt as if Tama had said ¡®Best regard¡¯ to him in a cheerful voice.


    Leo stood up and brought his head toward Tama¡¯s. Tama did the same, and they rubbed their heads together.


    When they saw the actions of the two cats¡ªone of whom was actually a Behemoth¡ªeveryone warmly smiled. Lily and Faeri event went on a full charge toward the two cats while saying ¡¸Let us in too~!¡¹, and fluffed them.

 Chapter 107: War Potential Integration Conference

    <h4>Chapter 107: War Potential Integration Conference</h4>


    ¡¸Eh!? ARIA-CHAN, YOU¡¯RE¡­ A MEMBER OF THE EMPIRE¡¯S HERO!?¡¹


    This was Fione¡¯s reaction when she heard Aria¡¯s answer about why she hade along to Lumilus with Prince Julius.


    The girl who had gone on a journey to be an adventurer like her idol, the Sword Saint Alisha, was now a member of the peacekeeping corps.


    ¡¸Fufu, even I was really surprised by it¡­¡¹


    Aria smirked upon seeing Fione¡¯s reaction.


    ¡¸Well, Aria-chan is a full-fledged A-rank adventurer now. Moreover, she has also fought an undead dragon and defeated its master. With such feats, It¡¯s only natural for her to be Empire¡¯s hero you know?¡¹


    Alisha spoke as she ced her hand on Aria¡¯s shoulder.


    Fione opened her eyes wide at this sight, and she asked in a flustered voice, ¡¸S-S¡­ Sword Saint-sama!?¡¹


    Alisha was the hero who had saved Lumilus, and every resident of the vige was familiar with her face.


    Fione had failed to notice Alisha before since she had been too distracted by Aria and Prince Julius.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this, Aria-cha!? I¡¯m not even asking why is the Sword Saint-sama here? How did you get along with her?¡¹


    ¡¸Fione-san, is it? I received a request from the empire to participate in this battle. But of course, the reason I¡¯m so intimate with Aria-chan is that she¡¯s something like my disciple.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­!?¡¹


    Fione¡¯s jaw fell to the floor on hearing Alisha reply to her question instead of Aria. She couldn¡¯t even find any words to say.


    Her brain worked at full speed and she wondered what had happened during the short trip to Lumilus.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s enter the vige for the time being, Fione-oneechan, we have something to report to the honored vige chief, after all.¡¹


    ¡¸T-That¡¯s right, Aria-chan. Please follow me, everyone, I¡¯ll guide you to the vige chief¡¯s home.¡¹


    Fione regained herposure upon hearing Aria¡¯s remark, and she then invited everyone to enter the vige.


    ¡¸Uwa~h! it¡¯s so gre~en!¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, being surrounded by so many nts is the be~st!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri cheerfully yelled upon seeing the sight inside the vige.


    The greeneries stretched as far as one could see until the other side of the solemn metal rampart.


    Save for the rampart, which was made from metal, the vige was filled with wood or wooden buildings. It was the exact definition of the elven dwelling that was one with nature.


    ¡¸The vige chief¡¯s mansion is right in the center of this vige.¡¹


    Fione exined as she guided the group.


    Leo also walked by her side, but Lily and Faeri were now leaping on his back and making a merry as they said, ¡¸Fluffi~ng!¡¹


    Leo let the two frolickings on his back and made a face as if he wanted to say ¡¸Humph, can¡¯t be helped. I guess I¡¯ll let you ride on my back, Lil¡¯ girls.¡¹


    ¡¸Even though it was just overhauled a few years ago, I still missed this scene.¡¹


    Alisha quietly muttered as she looked at the center of the vige.


    It seems she had recalled the memories of when she saved the vige from the demon race¡¯s army.


    ¡¸Aria-chan¡¯s hometown is such a wonderful ce, ri~ght?¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu, thank you very much, Ana-san.¡¹


    A smile bloomed on Aria¡¯s face upon hearing the honest praise from Arnold.


    ¡¸The party led by Prince Julius from the Empire has arrived.¡¹


    Fione walked ahead of the rest and knocked on the door of a huge wooden mansion.


    After a while, a female elf and another who looked like her servant came out from the mansion.


    The elf then invited the party to enter the mansion with the elegance of ady.


    ¡¸Thanks foring, Your Highness Julius and you all too! My name is Elvun, and I¡¯m the chief of this vige.¡¹


    An elven man greeted the party when they arrived in a spacious room.


    As one would expect from an elf, he was quite a beautiful man. Since he was the chief, he was probably quite old. However, Elf stopped aging upon reaching teenage, and thus, they looked much younger than their real age.


    The vige chief Elvun was shocked upon seeing Aria¡¯s figure by Prince Julius¡¯s side, but he regained his cool soon upon realizing that there were more important matters to attend to.


    After everyone took their seat at the long table prepared in the center of the room, the discussions went straight to the point.


    Since the topic of the talk was a tad too difficult for Lily, Faeri [and a few other adventurers], these people decided to take a rest on the sofa in the side of the room.


    ¡¸Well then, Chief Elvun, even though you¡¯ve already read the letter, let¡¯s get straight to the topic. I want to arrange a united front with the help of the force of this vige.¡¹


    ¡¸Of course, Your Highness Julius. After the attack from the demon race a few years ago, our vige not only strengthened our defensive measure but also increased our war potential. The demon race won¡¯t have it easy this time.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ve heard the rumor about that. If I¡¯m not wrong, besides strengthening your existing force, you¡¯re also inviting the outside forces to increase your war potential, is it?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s as you say, Your Highness Julius. Especially the ¨”Amazoness Corpse? that was founded a year ago in this vige. They¡¯re a great addition to our war potential due to their flexibility and highbat prowess.¡¹


    The conversation kept going on as their topic went from the integration of the two forces to the terrain around the vige, then to the defensive measures for the battle.


    £¨Uhm! It seems Lumilus¡¯s war potential has be more powerful than in the past.£©


    Tama listened to their conversation while resting in between Aria¡¯s twin melons.


    In between the conversation, the two officer-like male elves, who stood beside the vige chief, supplemented the necessary information needed by Prince Julius.


    Strengthening the war potentially without protecting the important post was like putting the carriage before the horse. A good head above the shoulder was needed to understand that point, thus, it could be said that Limulus had be more powerful over thest few years.


    This growth was what Tama admired the most about the vige chief.


    £¨Now I want to know more about the new war potential of this peaceful vige.£©


    Tama¡¯s curiosity as a Knight, who strives to be stronger, made him interested in the matter.


    Maybe because she had noticed Tama¡¯s excited state, Aria put him in an even more gentle embrace and brushed his head as if she were caring for a baby.


    Tama, who got enveloped by Aria¡¯s nice smell and ¡®softness¡¯, unintentionally leaked out an adorable cry.

 Chapter 108: Reunion With Mother

    <h4>Chapter 108: Reunion With Mother</h4>


    ¡¸Ooh! If it isn¡¯t Aria-chan! Long time no see!¡¹


    ¡¸T-The one over there! Could it be SWORD SAINT-SAMA!?¡¹


    By the time the several-hour-long conference ended, night had arrived. Aria guided Vulcan, Ste, Lily, Faeri, and Alisha around the vige, while hugging Tama.


    The group heard shocked exmations now and then from Aria¡¯s acquaintances. Naturally, the most prominent amongst the group was Alisha, the benefactor of the vige.


    Both Aria and Alisha smiled and waved their hand toward everyone while moving forward.


    The group reached their destination a few minutester.


    ¡¸Ar¡­ Aria!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m home! Mother!¡¹


    The group arrived at a certain house, and a beautiful elf came out to greet them. As soon as this beautiful elf saw Aria, she embraced her.


    ¡¸NYA~~~~~~~~~~~!?¡¹


    Tama raised a shocked cry.


    The reason behind his cry was that he was still ced in between Aria¡¯s twin melons. Moreover, the female elf who hugged Aria didn¡¯t lose to Aria in terms of the size of their melons. Tama was surprised upon finding himself being sandwiched by two pairs of soft yet firm twin melons.


    ¡¸Oh my! Are you okay, Kitten-chan?¡¹


    The female elf quickly separated herself from Aria, then gently brushed Tama¡¯s head.


    Tama squinted his adorable eyes. (Fua~¡­ W-what¡¯s with this god-like patting skill. I can¡¯t get enough of this.)


    Upon seeing Tama¡¯s expression, the female elf let out a gentle smile, but when her eyes fell on the rest of Aria¡¯s group, a shocked voice leaked out of her mouth.


    ¡¸¡­ EH? S-sword Saint-sama!?¡¹


    Alisha, who stood behind Aria, replied.


    ¡¸It has been a while. If my memory serves me right, you¡¯re Aria-chan¡¯s mother. Leona-san¡­ was it?¡¹


    ¡¸Oh my! I¡¯m honored to know that you remember my name!¡¹


    ¡¸Aria-chan is such an impressive child after all. It¡¯s only natural that I remember her mother¡¯s name. Besides, you have the same name as my mother did.¡¹


    Alisha gently smiled toward Aria¡¯s mother, Leona.


    £¨I see¡­ Sword Saint-sama¡¯s mother has the same name as Master¡¯s mother. Both of them bear some resemnce too¡­ Interesting!£©


    Porcin white skin, tinum blonde hair, ice-blue eyes, and their gentle demeanor. Both Aria and Alisha had several simr traits, and now their mothers having the same name had piqued Tama¡¯s interest.


    Leona was an exquisite female elf, who had the same porcin white skin and tinum blonde hair as Aria. However, the color of her eyes was deeper than Aria; it was ultramarine rather than ice blue.


    ¡¸He~! so you¡¯re Aria¡¯s mama!¡¹


    ¡¸Super beautiful person appe~ar!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri danced around Leona.


    As expected of Aria¡¯s mother, even though the two fairies were sensitive when it came to malice, they approached Leona without a problem.


    ¡¸Oh my! Such adorable fairies! You have made other friends too, Aria. Can you introduce them to me?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, dear mother! This child is called Tama. He¡¯s an infant elemental cat, and my pet(knight) and adventuring partner!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n (Best regard, Master¡¯s mother)!¡¹


    ¡¸Oh my! such an adorable partner. Best regard, Tama-chan!¡¹


    As she said so, Leona patted Tama once more with her god-like patting skill, and Tama raised another adorable cry.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Vulcan-nya! Aria-nyan¡¯srade!¡¹


    ¡¸Our¡¯s is Ste! Aria picked me up, and I have be herrade since then!¡¹


    ¡¸Lily is Aria¡¯s friend!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m Faeri~! Aria¡¯s friend too~!¡¹


    After Aria introduced Tama, the other four also introduced themselves in turn.


    Leona replied to each one of them with a gentle smile on her face.


    When she was finished, she asked.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, why is Sword Saint-sama traveling with Aria?¡¹


    So¨D¨D


    ¡¸It¡¯s because I¡¯m Aria¡¯s teacher, Leona-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? ¡­ EH!? SWORD SAINT-SAMA iS ARIA¡¯S TEACHER!?¡¹


    Leona¡¯s eyes opened wide upon hearing the unexpected reply.


    Thereafter, Alisha exined to Leona with a wry smile the chain of events that had led to that result.


    Alisha told her about Aria¡¯s achievements including the subjugation of the demon race enemy in Renault, the battle in ddstone that resulted in her bing an A-rank adventurer, getting an invitation to join the Empire¡¯s Hero Squad that became the catalyst for her to be trained under Alisha, andstly, Aria¡¯s feat in defeating Vassago¡¯s summoned beast.


    ¡¸Aria, you grew so much in such a short time.¡¹


    Leona almost couldn¡¯t believe that her beloved daughter had achieved so much in such a short time. Feeling proud of Aria, she patted her head.


    ¡¸Dear¡­ mother.¡¹


    Even though Aria felt embarrassed being treated like that in front of her friends, she couldn¡¯t help but grin from ear to ear. It had been a long time since her mother had patted her head like that.

 Chapter 109: Do You Like Mama And Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?

    <h4>Chapter 109: Do You Like Mama And Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?</h4>


    ¡¸Eh¡­? what did you say just now, Dear mother?¡¹


    A new morning had arrived, and everyone sat around the dining table in Aria¡¯s home. The one who spoke those words was none other than Aria herself with a dumbfounded look on her face.


    ¡¸I said Mama will participate in this battle too. The truth is that Mama had enrolled in the Amazoness corps after you left this town to be an adventurer, Aria. I awakened mybat skill, and now, I¡¯m the captain of the seventh squad, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ EH!?¡¹


    Aria became even more shocked.


    In the short time she had left her vige to be an adventurer, her mother, who had no rtion tobat, had awakenedbat skill, risen to the top of the newfound vignte organization of the town, and be the captain of the squad.


    Even though it sounded like a joke, Leona wasn¡¯t the kind of woman to spit such lies. Aria knew her mother¡¯s character well. After all, Leona had stayed by Aria¡¯s side from the moment Aria was born until she left the vige.


    ¡¸By the way, Leona-san, what kind ofbat skill did you awaken?¡¹


    ¡¸¡¶Shockwave¡·! It¡¯s the derivative skill of a reinforcement type skill. I went to the forest to try this skill the moment it awakened, but¡­ I ended up getting scouted by the leader of the Amazoness corps, who happened to pass by that area. ¡¹


    Leona replied to Alisha while disying the sweet smile of beautiful, big brea*ted m*lf.


    ording to her, the skill suddenly awakened in her when she woke up a certain morning, and it was derived from the ¡¶Lesser Power¡·, a skill that slightly increased physical strength.


    ¡¸But still¡­ I won¡¯t let Mama enter the battlefield¡­¡¹


    There was no way Aria would let her only blood rtive, her mother, enter a dangerous ce.


    Just imagining her mother entering those ces was enough to send a shiver down Aria¡¯s spine.


    Aria¡¯s father had passed away when she had been a child. She didn¡¯t want to see another one of her family die again.


    ¡¸Aria, I understand your feelings, but Lumilus¡¯s fate depends on the result of this battle. Additional war potential is better than nothing. Mama has also be stronger, so you don¡¯t need to constantly protect me, you know. Moreover, Mama¡¯s awakened skill, ¡¶Shockwave¡·, is a powerful skill that can create a powerful ranged st after a normal attack. Its power can¡¯t be underestimated.¡¹


    Leona exined the effects of her skill while gently brushing the worried Aria.


    After Leona thought that her daughter had calmed down, she looked at Tama, who was enjoying Aria¡¯s melon sandwich, and yfully asked a question.


    ¡¸Right, Tama-chan? Do You Like Mama And her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?¡¹


    The question puzzled the kitten.


    ¡¸Nya~n! (That¡¯s an amazing skill. As expected of Master¡¯s mother!)¡¹


    Tama replied to Leona with adorable cries.


    ¡¸Rare skill, interesting! Let¡¯s have a match!¡¹


    Ste became interested in Leona¡¯s skill and immediately proposed a match while chewing the meat on the bone steak.


    Leona smiled and replied, ¡¸Oh my! It¡¯s such an honor to be able to have a match with an active A-rank adventurer.¡¹.


    After the incident with the summoned beasts, Ste, Vulcan, Lily, and Faeri had been certified as full-fledged A-rank adventurers; although Faeri and Lily didn¡¯t understand what the adventurer ranks meant.


    ¡¸Nya! But still¡­ After participating in yesterday¡¯s meeting, I think the war potential of this vige is quite powerful. I mean, in the span of few years after the attack of the demon race army, they constructed a rampart, formed a new squad, and strengthened the chain ofmand.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s because everyone in the vige became united after the demon race¡¯s attack. Yet, our war potential alone is far from enough to stop the iing invasion of one of the Four Demon Dukes.¡¹


    Even though the first half of Leona¡¯s reply was filled with pride, in thetter half, her face distorted.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, Leona-san. The Four Demon Dukes were already extremely powerful, and now, one of them is a semi-demon king level. Even the weakened hero, His Highness Julius, had a hard time just fighting the summoned beasts.¡¹


    Alisha had alone killed one of the Four Demon Dukes, Levi, in a one-sided manner. But, the only ones who could perform such a feat amongst the participants in this battle were her and the Archmage¡¯s brother-inw, Cedric, who had received a part of the Archmage¡¯s power.


    However, even Cedric, ording to his report, had quite a hard time fighting his opponent, Vc.


    Therefore, Alisha knew just how powerful the now-revived Four Demon Dukes had be.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t understand the difficult story, but the fight against the summoned beasts was mortifying.¡¹


    ¡¸Even though we received special training from Beelzebub-sama, we couldn¡¯t do anything but stall for time!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri became downhearted when the topic shifted to the battle against the Four Demon Dukes. Even the normally cheerful fairy duo couldn¡¯t get rid of the regret from their previous fight.


    They hadn¡¯t made a mistake in that battle and acted as support for Aria and co. But the experience where they let the people they were supposed to support be exposed to danger left a deep gulf in their hearts.


    ¡¸Nya~n! (Don¡¯t worry girls, your support enabled all of us to survive that battle!)¡¹


    Tama approached the two fairies and let out a gentle cry. He then rubbed his head on them as if he were reassuring them.


    ¡¸It¡¯s ticklish, Tama~!¡¹


    ¡¸So fluffy~!¡¹


    The fairies¡¯ usual innocent smile returned when they noticed Tama¡¯s care.


    ¡ô


    £¨Uhm, I can¡¯t¡­ move.£©


    Tama was in trouble. He wanted to enjoy a midnight stroll in this new environment, but he couldn¡¯t even walk right now.


    On his right was¡­ Boing!


    On his left was¡­ another Boing!


    Tama¡¯s body was surrounded by wonderfully soft things from all sides.


    ¡¸Uuhn¡­ Tama¡­ doing that kind of thing in your sacred beast form is¡­?¡¹


    Aria sleep-talked when Tama tried to move his body.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ I wonder what kind of dream Aria is seeing right now!¡¹


    Even Leona was awakened by Aria¡¯s sleep talking. She gently brushed her daughter¡¯s head when she heard her sleep-talk.


    Since they had a reunion after a long time, Aria had slept with Leona in her bedroom.


    Or so it was supposed to be. Tama had also been brought along into the room for some reason.


    He slept in Aria¡¯s embrace like usual, but ended up being sandwiched in between Aria¡¯s and Leona¡¯s melons.


    ¡¸¡­ Tama-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya?¡¹


    Leona stopped patting Aria¡¯s head and suddenly called out to Tama. She spoke as gently as her daughter.


    ¡¸Thank you for protecting my daughter. It¡¯s strange for someone like me to make this request of you, who¡¯s still an infant, but can I ask you to continue protecting her in the future?¡¹


    Aria¡¯s fateful encounter with Tama and the various dangers they had met until now, Leona had heard it all from Aria. So she wanted to convey her heartfelt gratitude to Tama, the benefactor(cat) of her daughter¡¯s life.


    ¡¸Nyaa! (Leave it to me, Mama! I¡¯ll protect master with my life!)¡¹


    Tama replied to Leona¡¯s request with a lovely cry.


    ¡¸Fufufu! You really look like Aria¡¯s knight!¡¹


    Leona smiled upon hearing Tama¡¯s lively cry, which meant that he could understand her words and showed his confidence. Thus, she brushed his head again.


    Tama easily sumbed to sleep upon receiving the gentleness resembling Aria. Leona¡¯s nice smell gave him a sense of security, and her patting skill was too godly.

 Chapter 110 : Mock Battle With Everyone

    <h4>Chapter 110 : Mock Battle With Everyone</h4>


    The next morning arrived.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ Good morning, Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    Tama, who was woken up in between Aria¡¯s and Leona¡¯s twin melon sandwich, replied to his master with his lively cries.


    ¡¸Oh my! You two really get along with each other, huh.¡¹


    It seems Leona had already woken up.


    She gently smiled upon seeing Tama rub his head on Aria¡¯s cheek.


    ¡¸Good morning, Dear mother. Did we wake you up?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Aria. Mama feels so full and fluffy just by seeing you two getting along well since the morning?¡¹


    The morning peacefully passed by like this as the two elves conversed.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Everyone, shall we visit the Knight Order¡¯s barracks today?¡¹


    Leona proposed during breakfast.


    ¡¸I think knowing the abilities of yourrades before the fight is a nice idea.¡¹


    Alisha was interested in the proposal.


    As expected of one of the three most powerful warriors in the world, she had instantly recognized the hidden meaning behind Leona¡¯s proposal.


    ¡¸I¡¯m down for it! I¡¯ll go through water and fire as long as I can fight strong opponents!¡¹


    Ste was always ready for such things.


    She got fired up upon hearing Alisha¡¯s exnation.


    Even though Ste had be more docile nowadays and more aware of her womanly charm, it didn¡¯t change her nature as a former dragon.


    She might even turn into a berserker during the war¡ªa ce filled with blood and killing intent.


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu, it seems Tama wants to go there too. And since Lily-chan and Faeri-chan are quite curious, let¡¯s go together with everyone.¡¹


    An ecstatic look appeared on Tama¡¯s face when he heard Leona¡¯s words.


    Aria noticed that Lily and Faeri exchanged nces and nods with each other as if confirming their participation.


    After they finished breakfast and made their preparations, all of them went to the Knight Order¡¯s barracks.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Thank you foring, Sword Saint-sama and everyone else too!¡¹


    A lively female knight weed the group.


    She couldn¡¯t hide her grin upon seeing Aria¡¯s figure.


    It was a clear sign that they were old acquaintances.


    And then, after everyone had stood in two lines facing each other, they began the introduction.


    ¡¸I¡¯m ¨”A?, the captain of the Amazoness corps!¡¹


    The lively female knight turned out to be the captain of the corps herself.


    She was a silver-haired dark elf with a bob-cut hairstyle.


    A greatsword graced her back, and her abs were splendid.


    Her appearance was enough to convince anyone that she was a power fighter.


    ¡¸Hou¡­ Quite interesting fes you got there.¡¹


    A spoke with a grin on her face as her eyes fell on the person who had the same ¡®smell¡¯ like her¡ªSte.


    Ste responded in kind with a simr grin.


    Yes, it was the face of a fellow power fighter.


    After every one, save for Aria and Alisha, introduced themselves, as one would expect, things somehow developed into a mock battle between A and Ste.


    ¡ô


    The garden of Knight Order¡¯s barracks¨D


    ¡¸Okay, here Ie!¡¹


    ¡¸Ou! Ready when you are!¡¹


    As soon as they entered thebat stage, Ste rushed toward A, wielding both her dbog and iomh Sis.


    She charged with her Cdbog in front.


    A caught the strike with her greatsword.


    The impact between the sword and shield resulted in a loud, metallic nk.


    ¡¸How bout this?¡¹


    Ste spun her body, shifted the shield, andunched a sword strike with iomh Sis in one fluid motion.


    ¡¸Woopsie! Just when I thought that you were a mere power fighter. You almost got me!¡¹


    Smiling, A stepped back to dodge Ste¡¯s sword.


    That was what everyone expected, but A closed in again at once and sent barrages of thrusts that utilized the reach of her greatsword.


    ¡¸iomh Sis!¡¹


    Ste roared as she pushed her iomh Sis.


    The shockwave that dbog had just absorbed was released from iomh Sis¡¯ tip.


    ¡¸GUUUUUUH!?¡¹


    A was blown back when the shockwave hit her.


    However, she stabbed her sword into the ground to avoid crashing against the wall.


    ¡¸T-That hurt¡­ A skill, is it? But, it won¡¯t be so easy next time!¡¹


    A¡¯s surprise onlysted for a moment. After she regained her stance, A thrust her sword again.


    ¡¸GUHAHAHA! Strong¡­ strong!¡¹


    Ste¡¯s fighting spirit rose again when she fought against such a powerful opponent.


    Power vs power! For Ste, nothing was more enjoyable than this kind of fight.


    ¡¸Alisha¡­ sama!¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, it seems Aria-chan wants to have a mock battle too after seeing their match. Okay then, you¡¯ll have a mock battle with me?¡¹


    Saying so, Sword Saint Alisha stepped forward and took out her wooden sword, facing Aria.


    Naturally, it was still too early for Aria to fight against Alisha¡¯s real sword.


    But, Aria herself was aware of that.


    Rather than thinking about that, she was overjoyed at the prospect of having a mock battle against Alisha, her idol.


    £¨Master! Show Alisha-sama the skill you got during the fight against the summoned beasts!£©


    Tama cheered his master as he looked at her and Alisha standing opposite each other.


    Both Lily and Faeri also asked for a mock battle against the nearby Amazoness corp¡¯s member.

 Chapter 111 : Fierce Battle

    <h4>Chapter 111 : Fierce Battle</h4>


    A few weeks peacefully passed like that, but¡ª


    KAN! KAN! KAN!


    The bells of Lumillus rang in the dawn. Following that, the guards on patrol duty screamed, ¡¸ENEMY SPOTTED! ENEMY SPOTTED!¡¹.


    The knights who guarded the city 24/7 had confirmed the appearance of their long-awaited enemy. Naturally, the leader of the demon race army was none other than Vassago.


    ¡¸Has everyone woken up?¡¹


    When Aria confirmed everyone¡¯s situation, Tama, who was nested on her chest, cried ¡¸Nyaa(Of course, master!)¡¹.


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri also expressed their enthusiasm.


    ¡¸Of course!¡¹


    ¡¸They havee atst!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m already itching to try my skill on the~m!¡¹


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s prepare for the battle. It seems they are targeting the south gate!¡¹


    Aria and co., who knew the direction of their iing enemy because of the warning, finished their preparations and departed for the south gate.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Thank you for waiting! Alisha-sama, Vulcan-san!¡¹


    ¡¸We just arrived too.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~! Here theye nyan!¡¹


    Alisha and Vulcan greeted Aria and co., who had just left Lumilus from the south gate.


    As they looked around, they saw the important figures. Cedric had arrived in the city the previous day after subjugating one of the Four Demon Dukes. He hade here along with his subordinates. The native warriors and the adventurers had also gathered here.


    Every one of them was betting their life to protect the people in Lumilus.


    ¡¸FELLOW WARRIORS! The time for the decisive battle hase! Lumilus¡ª No! The fate of this world depends on the results of this battle! ¡¹


    Prince Julius, who was chosen as themander of this battle, gave an encouraging speech to his side.


    The warriors raised a warcry upon hearing the encouraging words of a hero. Julius¡¯s speech raised the morale of the warriors who were about to fight powerful foes. This scene was proof of Prince Julius¡¯s poprity.


    The tremors on the ground became more and more intense as the army of demons and monsters came closer to Lumilus. Fairly loud footsteps were also mixed among the tremors.


    ¡ºMagic, FIREEEEEEE!¡»


    A demon raised his voice as soon as he confirmed Lumilus¡¯s vanguard. Thereupon, the demon race army fired a rain of wind bullets, stone bullets, and fireballs toward Lumilus.


    ¡¸Lend me your power, Master(Husband)! Deploy, ¡¶Dark Prison¡·!¡¹


    Alisha spun on her spot as she spoke in a quiet voice. Soon, a thin and transparent ck membrane covered the dozen-meter area that Alisha had swept.


    The magic volley from the demon side vanished as soon as it came into contact with the ck membrane.


    ¡ºThe magic skill¡­ vanished!? Kuh¡­ We¡¯ve no choice then. MONSTER SQUAD, CHARGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!¡»


    Themander of the demon race army couldn¡¯t hide his surprise upon seeing numerous magic spells vanish after just reaching their enemies.


    However, he immediately recovered himself and ordered the monsters to attack their enemies. He thought that if they couldn¡¯t use magic, then they could just open the path by force.


    Goblins, Orcs, and Minotaurs attacked the dark transparent membrane.


    But¡­


    ¡ºGUGYAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    The goblin who had arrived faster than the others raised a shriek as soon as its hand touched the membrane. From its pale face, it was apparent that it was losing its vitality. The goblin then fell on its knees.


    ¡¶Dark Prison¡·¨D It was Alisha¡¯s overskill of her darkness element, and it had been granted to her by her husband, the archmage. ¡¶Dark Prison¡· was a special barrier that could negate attacks at a certain level.


    Moreover, the darkness element was the most powerful element. Its most notable characteristic was its ability to snatch the opponent¡¯s life force. The goblin that touched the membrane had immediately died because his life force had been sucked dry.


    ¡ºBUHI¡­¡»


    ¡ºMOOO¡­¡»


    Seeing the goblin copse, the Orcs and the Minotaurs were forced to stop their advance. Even though they couldn¡¯t understand what had happened¡­ they at least knew that they shouldn¡¯t touch that membrane.


    ¡¸Woow! The goblin died just by touching it!¡¹


    ¡¸Aaah! As expected of the Sword Saint, Alisha-sama!¡¹


    The knights and the adventurers, who stood inside the barrier, let out joyful cries upon seeing such a spectacle. Their morale rose to another level upon knowing that they had another powerful protector on their side.


    ¡ºTch¨D As if the likes of monster need fear.¨”Charge?!¡»


    Seeing the monsters getting scared, the demon race army¡¯smander immediately issued an order in an annoyed voice. The demon race held absolute power over the monsters. Thus, the monster had to follow the orders of themander and break the barrier by force.


    The monsters raised a warcry, then they charged at the barrier with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡¶Dark Prison¡· was a powerful skill, but even a powerful skill couldn¡¯t withstand the war of attrition against numbers. It was only a matter of time until the monsters would break through the barrier. And that soon happened. The worn-out barrier copsed.


    The first, the second, and then the third¡­ monsters keep pouring into the crumbling barrier once after another.


    Prince Julius looked at the scene with aposed look on his face. He had used the time bought by Alisha to issue an instruction to their troops: finish the formation. And then, he ordered them, ¡¸VANGUARD, SORTIE¡¹.


    Vulcan and Ste, who stood amongst the vanguard due to their offensive power, replied in turn with ¡¸Rogernyan!¡¹ and ¡¸Let¡¯s crush ¡¯em!¡¹.


    When the two of them charged toward the battlefield, one could see that their defensive equipment was slightly differentpared to how it had been before. Vulcan had used these few weeks to make protector type equipment for everyone by using Vibram, the rare mineral that had been formed due to the effect of the fountain of life and the world tree.


    Even though the shape of the new equipment was simr to their previous one, the new equipment radiated a silver light as if the equipment were being basked under the sun.


    As a result, all members of Aria¡¯s party had gained powerful armor that could absorb impact, and could also attack using an offensive skill called convergence, which fired the absorbed impact toward their enemies.


    Ste mowed down enemies after enemies with her iomh Sis, while Vulcan smashed the enemies¡¯ heads with her Mjolnir.


    If the enemies tried to attack from their sides, their attack ended up being absorbed by the Vibram-made gauntlets or Cdbog, and then those attacks would be returned to the enemies.


    ¡¸Tch¡­ these two were hiding their power, huh?¡¹


    A let out a wry smile upon seeing the figure of Vulcan and Ste rampaging in the midst of the battle.


    They both put an end to the enemies who got blown off by the impact with the help of the amazoness corps.


    It was a simple but the best method that took full advantage of the characteristics of Vulcan¡¯s and Ste¡¯s weapons.


    However, no matter how many enemies they killed, the demon race army seemed never-ending.


    Suddenly¨D


    ¡¸OPEN THE PATH!¡¹


    ¨D¨DLeona¡¯s voice resounded in the area.


    Instantly, the members of the amazoness corps, Ste, Vulcan, and the other warriors opened a path right away.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS!¡¹


    Leona, who had been standing right behind the vanguard, punched forward in the empty air.


    As the demon race army wondered what had happened, two consecutive shockwaves attacked them.


    The shockwaves sent the monsters flying backward.


    This was Leona¡¯s awakened skill, the skill that enhanced a normal attack and changed it into an AOE attack¨D¡¶Shockwave¡·.


    The monsters who had lost their footing became Ste¡¯s and the other warriors¡¯ prey. Ste and the others resumed attacking and steadily decreasing their enemy¡¯s force.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºGUH¡­ such troublesome skills! I guess I¡¯ve no choice but to use THAT to prevent the worst-case scenario. Come out¨D¨”Nidhogg?¡»


    Vassago, who had been watching over the situation from behind his army, heaved a sigh while cursing his enemy. The defending side was far more troublesome than his expectations. Such a thing was only natural since the defending side had Sword Saint Alisha¡¯s assistance, but Vassago had yet to realize that.


    Vassago then spread his hand, raised it to the sky, and shouted. Immediately, a gigantic magic circle appeared before him, from which a rainbow-colored dragon emerged.


    Nidhogg¡ªit was Vassago¡¯s final and strongest summoned beast.


    Vassago leaped on to Nidhogg¡¯s back and said ¡¸GO!¡¹. Upon hearing that, Nidhogg raised a deafening roar as it spread the gigantic wings on its back and soared into the sky.

 Chapter 112.1 : Clash! Holy Power Vs Demonic Power

    <h4>Chapter 112.1 : sh! Holy Power Vs Demonic Power</h4>


    Prince Julius let out a wry smile as he confirmed the figure of Nidhogg flying toward them from the back of their enemy¡¯s formation.


    High above the sky¨D


    ¡ºNidhogg, use your breath attack!¡»


    ¡ºGROAAAAAAAAAAA!¡»


    Responding to Vassago¡¯s order, Nidhogg fired a prismatic breath from the sky toward Lumilus, which enjoyed the protection of ¡¶Dark Prison¡·. The powerful breath attack created a huge ripple on ¡¶Dark Prison¡·¡¯s surface.


    ¡ºFuhahaha! As expected of Vassago-sama!¡»


    ¡ºTo think that he had another trump card all this time! All forces, CHARGEEEEEEEE!¡»


    The demon race army became fired upon seeing Vaasago¡¯s disy of power. They ordered the monster to charge into their enemy¡¯s rank.


    Nidhogg¡¯s breath attack had opened arge crack on Alisha¡¯s ¡¶Dark Prison¡·, and the demon army was trying to break through the barrier by using those cracks.


    Moreover, vague figures resembling Cyclops and Orthos could be seen in the back of the demon side¡¯s formation. It seemed Vassago could resummon them after their death.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting! ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    ¡¸Not so fast! ¡¶Branch Whip¡·?!¡¹


    Just when the demon army managed to invade the barrier, the defender side¡¯s rearguard, including Lily and Faeri, bombarded them with their magic. The sudden appearance of the curved light bullets and the branch whips frustrated the demons who had invaded into the barrier.


    ¡¸We can¡¯t lose to our juniors, Leo!¡¹


    ¡¸NYAAAAAAAAAN!¡¹


    Fione and Leo, who stood by the two fairies¡¯ side, also used their bow and ¡¶Icicle Lance¡· respectively to bombard the enemy side.


    ¡¸Oh my! No one can beat me when ites to ice magic, you know?¡¹


    Arnold sprung from behind.


    (S)he stood alongside Leo and fired her advance ice magic, ¡¶Ice de¡·.


    Thus, four gleaming ice des appeared in their surroundings and tore apart their enemy¡¯s ranks.


    And then¨D¨D


    ¡¸Great, now leave those summoned beasts to us¡­¡¹


    Cedric drew his sword from its sheath. The de of his sword was covered in a jet-ck glow. He released the power he got from Archmage, his little brother-inw.


    Following him, Dani and Howard shouted, ¡¸¡¸Don¡¯t forget about us too¡¹¡¹ in unison.


    ¡¸Thest time I felt so excited like this was during Ragnarok!¡¹¡¸Yup, that¡¯s true!¡¹. Kenny and Marietta joined in too as they ran toward the summoned beast who came along with the demons.


    ¡¸However, the problem is that flying summoned beast and Vassago.¡¹


    ¡¸Aria-chan, Tama-chan. Can I leave them to you two?¡¹


    While Julius was giving instructions to the defender¡¯s army, Alisha, who maintained ¡¶Dark Prison¡·, raised her katana to the sky and pointed at Nidhogg and Vassago. She then asked the question to Aria and Tama.


    ¡¸Leave it to us, Your Highness, Alisha-sama!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n! (We¡¯ll kick that Vassago¡¯s ass for sure!¡¹


    Alisha couldn¡¯t participate in the battle since her job was to maintain ¡¶Dark Prison¡·. Prince Julius had already calcted about the chances of their enemy resummoning another summoned beast.


    That was why he said, ¡¸As I thought¡¹ when his prediction about the flying enemy was spot on.


    As a countern against that kind of enemy, he had kept Aria and Tama in the rear formation to preserve their strength.


    ¡¸Nyaa?£¨Here Ie, EVOLUTION¨D£©!¡¹ [Note : Digimon?]


    A silver light appeared around Tama¡¯s body along with his adorable cry. And then, the sacred beast reappeared¨DBehemoth Third Form.


    ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s go Tama!¡¹


    ¡¸Gruu£¨Roger that, Master£©!¡¹


    After replying with a low groan, Tama rubbed his cheek against Aria¡¯s head.


    ¡¸Fufufu, thank you for your encouragement, Tama.¡¹


    Aria thanked Tama for his encouragement, then rode on his back.


    Here we go¡­¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·!


    As soon as Tama raised a war cry, Ste and the others, the knights, the adventurers, and Lumilus¡¯s army, all became enveloped by golden light.


    The range of the evolved Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· had increased to an unprecedented level. He could also choose the receiver of his blessing skill.


    The warriors, who were at loss for a moment due to the sudden spike in their status, regained theirposure in the next moment and increased their killing pace.


    ¡ºKuh¡­ what in the hell is happening to these guys!? They suddenly became more powerful!¡»


    ¡ºEven the ones who were about to drop dead a moment ago suddenly recovered! What¡¯s happening here?¡»


    The demon side was bewildered by the sudden change in their opponent¡¯s power. The effect of Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· gave his allies a sudden explosive increase in their status, and just like the demons had said before, it could even recharge those who were on the verge of death.


    The secrety in a certain ¨”Item? given to Aria and co.


    During the preparation for the war, Aria and the others had distributed arge quantity of elixir made from the fountain of life to the adventurers and the Lumilus¡¯s warriors.


    The elixir could heal any fatal wound to perfection. Every single one of their corps carried five of those elixirs.


    With that, they could help their fatally woundedrades. Thus, with everyone working to help each other, the defender army was almostparable to an immortal army.


    No matter how powerful the demon side and their monster were, they were at disadvantage against an almost immortal army with seamless cooperation and wits.


    On top of that, Lumilus¡¯s sidebat force in the form of Aria¡¯s party was also equipped with artifacts.


    Since those girls¡¯ attacks were one-hit-kill, the demon army couldn¡¯t just let them scot-free.


    Moreover, these girls also carried arge number of elixir with them. Thus, they were unstoppable killing machines with inexhaustible stamina.


    ¡ô


    ¡ºGuh¡­ they are pushing us back! But, we¡¯ll win as long as I enter the city and take the Philosopher sto¨D What¡¯s that?¡»


    Vassago was watching over the war from Nidhogg¡¯s back.


    Even if the entire demon force was annihted, he would win as long as he could take the philosopher¡¯s stone.


    Thus, he was about to order Nidhogg to continue its breath attack but he noticed a shadow approaching from below at high speed.


    He saw the figure of a lion with pure white fur and silvery wings along with a beautiful elf girl who had porcin white skin and was d in silver bikini armor¨DTama and Aria had arrived to stop Vassago.


    Alisha had controlled her ¡¶ck Prison¡· and opened a part of it for a moment to let Tama and Aria out.


    ¡ºYou bastard¡­ You¡¯re the same elf from the other day, huh! And that beast is¡­ Whatever! I¡¯ll dly grant your wish to die together! KILL THEM, NIDHOGG!¡»


    Vassago was annoyed upon seeing Tama and Aria catching up to him in the sky, and he ordered Nidhogg to fire its breath at them.


    BRING IT ON, AS*SHO*LE! ¡¶FLAME HOWLING¡·!


    With a bang, Tama¡¯s warcry reverberated in the sky. The air shook as he released his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· of fire attribute, whose might increased because of the sacred attribute from his current form.

 Chapter 112.2: Clash! Holy Power Vs Demonic Power

    <h4>Chapter 112.2: sh! Holy Power Vs Demonic Power</h4>


    The high pressured breaths shed with each other in midair and exploded.


    The explosion sent forth a shockwave that shook Nidhogg and forced Vassago to desperately cling to Nidhogg¡¯s back.


    On the contrary, Aria had received ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· buff from Tama, and she didn¡¯t even flinch from Tama¡¯s back despite receiving the same amount of shockwave.


    The sh of breath attack between Tama¡¯s Behemoth third form and Vassago¡¯s enhanced summoned beast, Nidhogg, ended up in a draw¡­ Or not, Tama was slightly more powerful.


    The most powerful breath attack of an S-rank monster was more powerful than Vassago¡¯s enhanced summoned beast.


    ¡ºGuh¡­ I¡¯m not done yet! Nidhogg, use my mana and show those cretins a real fear!¡»


    One of the Four Demon Dukes wouldn¡¯t easily fall.


    Vassago used his own mana to enhance Nidhogg¡¯s breath attack, and Tama¡¯s ¡¶me Howling¡· started to get pushed back.


    ¡ºTake that, Elf! This is the power of one of the Four Demon Dukes! I¡¯ll spare your life if you fall back now, you know?¡»


    Vassago wanted to obtain the Philosopher¡¯s stone as soon as possible, so he made such a proposal to Aria.


    Hearing that, Aria just smiled. She then pointed the tip of Tempest Bringer to the sky.


    And then, she replied¨D


    ¡¸Since you¡¯re offering this kind of proposal, let me guess¡­ you have no other trump cards left, right?¡¹


    And then¡­


    ¡º!!!!!¡»


    Vassago was at a loss for words upon hearing Aria¡¯s reply. As soon as he saw her smile, he felt a chill run down his spine.


    So he spread his hands, disyed the projection of a city dyed in purple color, and started the preparation to escape to the spirit realm.


    However, at that moment, Aria¡¯s scream resounded in the sky above Lumilus.


    ¡ºEX¡­ CALIBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR!¡»


    She brandished Tempest Bringer while screaming the name of her skill.


    A torrent of silver light gushed out from her knives¡¯ des.


    Her attackbined with Tama¡¯s ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·engulfed Vassago along with Nidhogg.


    ¡ºImp-possible¡­ This great me¡­ lost to a girl and a beas¨D¡»


    Vassago muttered in disbelief as the silver light continued to swallow his beast. And before he could finish his word, he vanished from this world.


    ¡ºVassago-sama¡­ lost?¡»


    ¡ºRETREAT! RETREAAAAAAAAAAAAT!¡»


    The demon race army, who also saw the battle in midair, fell to their knees when they saw the scene of the silver light swallowing Vassago.


    The other demon racemanders who had guessed that they had been defeated sent an order to retreat.


    ¡¸YOU COWARD! STOP RIGHT THERE AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN!¡¹


    ¡¸It might be a problemter if we let them escape, nyan! HUNT THEM DOWN TO THE LAST MAN NYAN!¡¹


    Led by Vulcan and Ste, the other warriors began their pursuit to annihte the monsters and demon race, who were just about to flee.


    ¡¸Good job! Tama, Aria!¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, that power is really powerful¡­ Just like the first hero and the sacred beast.¡¹


    Prince Julius praised Tama and Aria for their show against Vassago, while Alisha, who knew about Tama¡¯s secret and had devised a training menu that would awaken Aria¡¯s, let out an impish smile.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸THEN! Here¡¯s to our victory against Vassago¡¯s army and for protecting this city!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸To our victory¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Everyone toasted to their victory. On the night of the battle, a banquet was being held in Lumilus¡¯s za, led by the strongest, musclehead receptionist, Arnold Hwarzenegger.


    It wasn¡¯t only the guild here. Basically, the entire city was in a festive mood, and they all had left their houses to celebrate their army¡¯s victory.


    ¡¸I saw your battle, Aria-chan, Tama-chan! That was truly a splendid battle!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m shocked, you know. I mean, I¡¯m no longer your match when ites to firepower.¡¹


    Arnold and Cedric went to find Aria and Tama with a mug of beer in their hand.


    ¡¸It¡¯s embarrassing when you two give so much praise to us.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n!£¨You¡¯ve be powerful, Master. This knight(pet) is proud of you£©!¡¹


    Seeing Aria being bashful, Tama rubbed his head on her cheek while raising an adorable cry.


    When they saw this scene, Ste, who struggling to stuff her mouth with meat, Vulcan, who was having a drinking bout with Dany and others, Lily and Faeri, who frolicking around the sweets, all muttered, ¡¸¡¸¡¸SO CU~TE!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹.


    ¡¸That was a splendid battle, both of you. It¡¯s all thanks to you guys that won this war.¡¹


    ¡¸I never expected that the kid who was miserably screaming during the training a while ago has be this powerful.¡¹


    Prince Julius and Beelzebub praised Tama and Aria with gentle smiles on their face. Aria¡¯s face flushed red upon hearing the praise from those two people of great power.


    ¡¸Since you¡¯ve be so powerful right now, I think it¡¯s just the right time to give you a moniker. Let¡¯s see¡­ ¨”Holy de? for Aria-chan and ¨”Sacred Beast? for Tama-chan?!¡¹


    Alisha, who sat next to Aria, spoke while smiling at the two. Aria replied, ¡¸A-A nickname from Alisha-sama herself!¡¹. She stuttered since she couldn¡¯t handle the shock of receiving a nickname from her idol.


    Howard, Dany, Kenny, and Marietta also supported Alisha¡¯s proposal. ¡¸That¡¯s cool, right!¡¹¡¸Yup, that¡¯s moniker suit you the best!¡¹¡¸Holy de and Sacred Beast¡¹¡¸CHEERS!¡¹


    The other adventurers and knights also joined in and gave a toast.


    Good liquor, delicious food, andrades-in-arm, there was nothing better than those three to celebrate a victory. Just like that, the party went on till morning.

 Chapter 113: The Girl Departs!

    <h4>Chapter 113: The Girl Departs!</h4>


    Night, in a certain Ind¨D


    This ind was covered by a special barrier which kept it protected from all kinds of outside interference.


    The road heading to the beach was properly maintained, and one could see that even though it was a small ind, the arrangements here were proper.


    Located in the center of this ind was an oriental style building¨Da huge Japanese style castle.


    The castle wasposed of three floors. Upon a closer inspection, one could spot undead such as semi-transparent ¨”Ghost? or armed ¨”Skeleton? loitering around¨DNo!¡ªpatrolling the castle.


    If one asked for the reason for such a statement.


    It was that those undeads didn¡¯t radiate an evil aura.


    On the contrary, it felt like they were enjoying their job. Besides, their movements were natural.


    Most undeads held animosity toward living beings, so they had no sense of reason. However, the undeads on this ind were patrolling the castle as if they were doing it on someone¡¯s order.


    This wasn¡¯t surprising since the owner of this ind was the one who freed them from their hatred of living beings.


    The undeads who were released from their curse pledged their allegiance to the owner of the ind and protected the owner¡¯s castle in ce of soldiers.


    It wasn¡¯t just limited to the defense of the ind, the undeads also worked on other jobs.


    In short, the construction of the building, the maintenance of the road, and other odd jobs, the undeads were handling all of them.


    A certain room in the Japanese castle had a tatami mat and sliding doors like a traditional Japanese room.


    The room was decorated with flowers and pots arranged in line with the castle theme.


    ¡¸¨”May?¡­ are you sure about this? If your dad and mom¨D¨”Maiya? and ¨”Rin?¡ªlearn that you¡¯re going out of this castle, they¡¯re going to be sad, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna disappear forever. Just say that I¡¯m gonna disappear for a while and returnter! That¡¯s why you must stop worrying about me, ¨”Imperial? sama?¡¹


    A beautiful girl and a beautiful loli were conversing in the room.


    The beautiful girl called Imperial was a woman around 190 cm tall. She had a slender body, waist-length ck hair, and a pair of giant ballistic weapons on her chest that could kill half of the men in the world with their sheer size.


    She wasn¡¯t just a beauty. For some reason, the color of her skin was close to pale blue, and a long, dragon-like tail sprung out of the base of her round, delicious buttocks, which were deadly enough to kill the other half of the men in the world.


    The woman, Imperial, was a mutated elf.


    Besides that, she was one of the wives of this ind¡¯s master, the archmage who saved the world from Ragnarok¨DIzayoi Maiya.


    As for the identity of the beautiful loli who chatted with Imperial.


    Her name was ¨”May Izayoi Toudou?


    She was a girl with big, bright ck eyes and long glossy ck hair in a hairdo.


    In contrast with the morous Imperial, the loli¡¯s figure was¡­ as t as a board with almost no undtion.


    As to her honor as a woman, this situation was so purely because of her young age. Her body would properly grow once she hit her growth spurt.


    She was d in pure white vestment, and she was holding a silver staff in her hands.


    She was the exact resemnce of the priest who served the god.


    ¡¸Well, since you¡¯re going to leave this ce for a while, you¡¯ve to at least take ¡®this¡¯ with you. My ¨”Secret Skill? is sealed inside it, but you can only use this once.¡¹


    ¡¸Are you sure!? I mean, such a precious magic item¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re Maiya¡¯s beloved daughter after all. That makes you my family too. That¡¯s why you must take this in case you encounter an emergency.¡¹


    May epted the magic item called ¨”Primordial Choker? from Imperial.


    Imperial looked at May with eyes full of regret and affection as she spoke.


    ¡¸Well then, please open the ¨”Gate?, Imperial-sama!¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, May. As expected, let me re¡ª¡¹


    ¡¸REJECTED! A ¨”paradox? will ur if anyone other than May, who has the ¨”hero¡¯s crest?, jumps into the gate!¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ it can¡¯t be helped. Searching for the coordinates¡­ fixing, deploying¡­ OPEN! ¡¶GATE¡·!!¡¹


    Imperial offered herself to change ces with May and finish what thetter was trying to do, but her action would create a huge distortion in the world.


    The only one who was allowed to do that without causing any distortion was the Hero, May¡¯s mother, or her direct descendant, May herself.


    Imperial spread her arms and furrowed her eyebrows as if focusing on something.


    Thereupon, a ck door that released crackling purple lightning appeared in front of her.


    ¡¸I¡¯m heading out, Imperial-sama!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, be careful, and don¡¯t let your guard down¡­ Haah! Exining this to Maiya and Rin will be a pain in the ass¡­¡¹


    May bid her farewell in her usual lively voice.


    Imperial sent her off while wondering about how to exin her disappearance to her father and mother.


    But still, she had decided to let her go off and see the world on her own.


    Everything was for the future of May¡¯s beloved person!


    ¡ô


    Crackle! Crack! Crackle!!


    The darkness of the in night was interrupted by a sudden sh of lightning.


    Soon, the sh of lightning became bigger and brighter. Then, within the lightning appeared a jet ck gate that was darker than the night itself.


    ¡¸Fuuh, ¨”Jump?¡­plete! As expected of Imperial-sama!¡¹


    A girl appeared along with the voice.


    From her bright expression, one could see that May¡¯s n had been sessful.


    ¡¸Well then, the first thing to do on the list is to look for a party. My top candidates are ¨”Solitary Ind¡¯s Hero?. That Guy will be revived in Wusald Pehkur kingdom, the precise location and time is¡­¡¹


    May started grumbling by herself and ced her fingers on her lips as she recalled the necessary information.


    For the sake of her beloved father, she had to make sure her n seeded at all costs.


    Her serious expression betrayed her young, tender age.


    And then, while she was drowned in her own world¨D


    ¡ºGrowl!¡»


    ¡ºGRRRRRRRRR!!¡»


    Two shadows approached her from behind.


    Blood vessels were pulsing on the four legs of each shadow.


    Their tails resembled a whip.


    Saliva dripped from the sharp fangs that were peeking out of their mouths.


    They were C-rank monsters, ¨”Big Fang?.


    At a nce, they looked like wolves, but they were bigger than normal wolves.


    ¡¸Humph, are these the field monsters of this era? Well, I guess they¡¯re enough for warming up!¡¹


    May spoke to herself as she let out an enigmatic smile upon seeing the appearance of the two monsters.


    Despite her young age, her squinting figure as she licked her lips had an unspeakable charm.


    Though, she had copied this charming expression from her mother, Rin, from when Rin had decided to enjoy the night to the fullest with May¡¯s father. May herself had no idea what that expression meant, and she just tried to copy her mother.


    That aside.


    In front of the snarling Big Fangs, May raised her silver staff to heaven.


    Thereupon, a blinding light erupted near her.


    On her right was holy white light.


    On her left was chaotic, ominous ck light.


    ¡¸Kukukuku, behold, the power of the Archmage and the Hero¡¯s child.¡¹

 Chapter 114: Future Person?

    <h4>Chapter 114: Future Person?</h4>


    Early morning, half a month after Lumilus¡¯s battle for defense¨D


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ Good morning, Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    In the room of their house, Tama woke up from his slumber in between Aria¡¯s twin melons.


    Aria gently brushed her hand on Tama¡¯s head.


    Her expression was as gentle as a saint.


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri were still asleep on their own beds.


    Aria went out of the room with Tama in her embrace as silently as possible to not awaken the trio. She headed to the washbasin on the first floor to wash her face.


    Besides Aria, who washed her face at the washbasin, Tama also washed his face with his forefoot.


    After that, Aria brushed her teeth and changed her clothes. With all this taken care of, Aria was about to make breakfast for everyone, but¨D


    KONKONKONKON!¡­


    She heard a series of knocks on the door.


    ¡¸¡­? I wonder who woulde for a visit at this time?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~?¡¹


    Both Aria and Tama tilted their heads, wondering about the identity of the visitor.


    Just like that, Aria carried Tama in her embrace as she walked to the entrance of the house.


    Thereupon¨D


    ¡¸Hello, Aria-chan. Can you forgive me for disturbing you at such a time?¡¹


    A handsome young man stood in front of the entrance with a troubled look on his face.


    ¡¸Cedric-sama! Ah, good morning! Is something the matter? Moreover¡­ who are they?¡¹


    What really surprised Aria was the fact that the young man¨Dthe knight captain of this city¡ªhade in person just to meet her.


    But then, Aria¡¯s line of sight moved on the two people standing by his side.


    One of them was a ck-haired loli with side-up hairdo, d in a priest-like white robe; the other was a girl who had worn an overcoat, and a pair of rabbit-like ears sprouted from the top of her bluish silver hair. The second was clearly a girl from ¨”Rabbit ears race?.


    The former looked to be around ten years old, while thetter looked around eighteen or neen years old.


    ¡¸Well, the situation is ratherplicated you see¡­ May we enter the house to exin the situation inside? I think Vulcan wille in a while too.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ I understand, pleasee in.¡¹


    Aria allowed the three to enter the house.


    £¨This g¡­ don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a premonition for another big battle¡­£©


    Tama¡¯s face immediately hardened as he guessed the same thing as Aria.


    Aria then went up to the second floor to wake up Ste and the others.


    Just as Cedric had said, Vulcan arrived by the time Ste and co. went down to the first floor.


    ¡¸Great! Now let¡¯s start with self-introductions, but¡­ let me confirm one thing. You girls are not joking, right?¡¹


    Cedric asked the loli and the rabbit-eared girl, who sat by his side.


    Aria and co. tilted their heads as if a huge ¡¸¡¸¡¸?¡¹¡¹¡¹ had appeared on top of their heads.


    ¡¸I will start then! My name is May Izayoi Toudou! I¡¯m the daughter of the Hero Rin and the Archmage Maiya. I¡¯m a time traveler whoes from the future.¡¹


    The loli who spoke with an adorable voice was May.


    Aria and co. looked at May with dumbfounded expressions on their faces as they said in unison, ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹¡¹¡¹.


    Meanwhile, Vulcan and Cedric, who could somehow remain calm in such a situation, pressed their temples as if they were having a headache.


    £¨Time traveler¡­ whoes from the future? Does that mean the girl called May is a future person?£©


    Tama pondered the matter while enjoying Aria¡¯s embrace.


    Although it sounded like a scam, these girls were brought by Cedric, the knight captain himself. Besides, Cedric had already confirmed that they weren¡¯t joking.


    The reason was simple: the two girls were really bad at lying.


    ¡¸I know that you¡¯re baffled by this news. I mean, I was also really surprised when this child¡­ when May-chan suddenly visited my mansion.¡¹


    ¡¸I was also shocked, nyan. But, I can¡¯t help myself from believing her.¡¹


    Cedric and Vulcan broke the ice for Aria and co., who still had indescribable expressions on their faces.


    ¡¸Eer¡­ if this child¡­ Mei-chan¡¯s identity is really as she said, that¡¯ll make her¡­ Cedric-sama¡¯s niece, right?¡¹


    Having no idea about what to say in that kind of situation, Aria unintentionally asked this question.


    However, that spontaneous question seemed to be just right for the situation.


    ¡¸Aah¡­ you¡¯re right, Aria-chan. Yes, May-chan is my niece. I couldn¡¯t believe it at first, but I noticed it when talking to her. This child resembles my little¨D I mean Maiya-kun¡¯s and Rin-chan¡¯s features.¡¹


    ¡¸Right, nyan. She inherited Maiya-chan¡¯s eyes, but her lips and nose are like Rin-chan¡¯s!¡¹


    For some reason, both Cedric and Vulcan replied to Aria¡¯s question with silly looks on their faces.


    Those simrities weren¡¯t the only evidence.


    After nodding upon hearing Vulcan and Cedric, May opened her mouth and said, ¡¸Please take a look!¡¹. She then spread her arms.


    Thereupon, a clump of jet-ck light and silver light appeared on the top of the palm of her hands.


    ¡¸The one on the right hand is the holy element¡­ and the one on the left is¡­ No way! Darkness element!?¡¹


    Aria said in a surprised voice.


    Darkness element¨Dit was something Aria had seen just a while ago when Cedric and Alisha had used it with their weapons as the catalyst. It was the strongest element, which could only be used by the people who had received the divine protection of Maiya, the archmage.


    Yet, the girl in front of them, May, used two elements without any catalyst or equipment.


    In short¨D


    ¡¸May-cha¡ª No, so May-sama is really the daughter of Archmage-sama!¡¹


    Aria had no choice but to ept that fact.


    Besides, Aria had also heard that the Archmage, Maiya, was currently living in ¨”A Certain ce? with his spouses and his newborns.


    That meant if May really was his daughter, there was a mismatch with her age.


    Cedric and Vulcan both nodded in a response to Aria¡¯s words.


    All this time, Ste, Lily, and Faeri still disyed confused looks on their faces as if there was a huge ¡¸¡¸¡¸?¡¹¡¹¡¹ above their heads.


    At that moment¡ª


    ¡¸My apologies for disturbing you when you¡¯re still unclear about my situation, but Ie bearing bad news.¡¹


    The rabbit-eared girl, who sat on Cedric¡¯s left, opened her mouth.

 Chapter 115: Rabbit Eared Race’s Hero

    <h4>Chapter 115: Rabbit Eared Race¡¯s Hero</h4>


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ You are?¡¹


    ¡¸My name is ¨”Ciel Celcius?.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­!?¡¹


    Aria¡¯s eyes opened wide the moment she heard the name of the rabbit-eared girl.


    Ciel Celcius!


    That was the name of one of the heroes who had bravely fought in and survived Ragnarok.


    £¨If such a bigshot hase here, the matter they¡¯re about to say must be extremely important¡­£©


    The one who had introduced herself after the future person was one of the heroes of this era, and it made Aria wonder just what kind of problem had forced them toe to her house.


    ¡¸That face is saying you know about me. Well, that¡¯ll make things simpler for us. ¨”The Demon King From The Future? is about to invade the kingdom I¡¯m living in¨DUsalda Pekura Kingdom. That¡¯s why, Aria, we seek your cooperation.¡¹


    The female hero, Ciel, asked for Aria¡¯s assistance as she squinted her aquamarine eyes.


    ¡¸Demon king¡­ from the future?¡¹


    £¨From the future¡­ and a demon king on top of that!£©


    Even though Aria felt that these outrageous words had turned her world upside, she got a grip on herself and managed to squeeze thatst question.


    Even Tama felt that he couldn¡¯t miss the next words from the duo.


    ¡¸Yes. To be exact, we detected the presence of a new demon king in our kingdom.¡¹


    Ciel continued as she nodded to answer Aria¡¯s question.


    Usalda Pekura kingdom was the ce where one of the seven demon kings who had rampaged in Ragnarok a few years ago had been sealed.


    Moreover, the condition of the said demon king seal was inspected every day using a magic tool.


    ¡¸A reaction simr to the sealed demon king was detected a few days ago. In short, we¡¯ve detected another sign that matches with the sealed demon king¨”Belphegor?¡¹


    Ciel continued her story with a calm yet serious look on her face.


    ording to her, May had appeared right after they confirmed the presence of the second Belphegor.


    May then told Ciel that the presence of the second Belphegor was in fact the presence of the Belphegor who came from the future. She also asked Ciel to keep it a secret from the others.


    ¡¸It sounds too good to be true in normal situations, but, she¨D I had no choice but to trust her after I saw her power and observed the situation that matches with her story.¡¹


    Ciel took a pause.


    It seemed she wanted to give Aria and co. some time to digest her story.


    ¡¸One question! Why us of all people? If your story is true, our opponent is a demon king. I mean, there are more suitable people for that.¡¹


    Aria¡¯s question was natural.


    She soon received a reply.


    ¡¸We can¡¯t do that! This lineup is the one that has the minimum risk to cause ¨”Paradox?and the best lineup to deal with Belphegor! Basically, I might end up destroying the future where Ie from if I give this information to Alisha-mama or the others!¡¹


    May replied in a flustered voice.


    Such foreign words that they couldn¡¯t understand left Aria and Tama dumbfounded. Cedric butted in to exin the meaning to them.


    ¡¸Aria-san and everyone, Belphegor hase from the future with some sort of goal. If Belphegor rampages during this era, his actions might cause a change in the future. You understand that, right?¡¹


    Aria and Tama nodded at his question.


    The trio of Ste, Lily, and Faeri had long since given up on trying to understand such aplicated story. At this moment, they were ying with their fingers.


    Cedric continued his exnation as he looked at the trio with a face saying ¡®Well, I guess this story was too difficult for children.¡¯


    ¡¸The opposite can also happen if we mobilize the great forces of this era to defeat Belphegor. We¡¯ll also change the future. May-chan is choosing the safest option for the subjugation party members by using the special calction she brought from the future.¡¹


    ¡¸So those said members are¡­¡¹


    £¨Us, who have gathered in this ce, huh¡­£©


    Aria and Tama finally understood the situation after hearing Cedric¡¯s exnation.


    Seeing their expression, Ciel, who sat in front of them, gave a small nod.


    Meanwhile, on her right side¡­


    ¡¸As expected of Uncle Cedric! It¡¯s an easy and simple exnation!¡¹


    May embraced Cedric¡¯s arm as she praised him.


    ¡¸M-May-chan.¡¹


    His niece¡¯s antics had troubled Cedric.


    Because, it was already a fact that Cedric disliked women.


    And that trait wouldn¡¯t change even when the said woman was a little girl.


    Moreover, he had no idea about how to get along with his self-proimed niece.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that he disliked her. He was smiling at her despite making a troubled face.


    That could serve as another proof that they were blood-rted.


    ¡¸What do you think, Aria? Will you ept thismission?¡¹


    Ciel asked for confirmation as she looked at Cedric and May¡¯s exchange.


    ¡¸¡­ I understand. Even though I still don¡¯t have a clear idea about the future world, a demon king will appear if I don¡¯t do something. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll lend my hand.¡¹


    Aria replied while staring into Ciel¡¯s eyes.


    ¡¸Nya~n! (I¡¯ve also be more stronger to protect my master!)¡¹


    Tama rubbed his head on Aria¡¯s cheeks and raised an adorable cry as if he wanted to cheer his master.


    Seeing Tama acting spoiled like that, Aria brushed his head.


    ¡¸Fufu¡­ thank you, Tama.¡¹

 Chapter 116 - Spirit Worlds Monster

    <h4>Chapter 116 - Spirit World''s Monster</h4>


    ¡¸Even though I don¡¯t understand what you guys are talking about, I¡¯m in as long as I get to fight!¡¹


    Ste agreed to go with them as she cast an envious gaze toward Tama and Aria.


    It seemed she still had a hard time understanding the jargon in the conversation, but, at least, she understood that they were going to fight a strong opponent.


    ¡¸We¡¯re going too!¡¹


    ¡¸We want to help Aria-san agai~n!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri also expressed their willingness to go with Aria.


    ¡¸Uhm, may I ask onest thing, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Aria?¡¹


    ¡¸If my memories serve me right, Usalda Pekura kingdom should be located at a distance of several weeks¡¯ worth of journey from this city. That demon king from the future¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be stronger during this time?¡¹


    Aria¡¯s question was quite natural. Usalda Pekura kingdom was a small foreign nation located on a certain small ind. One would need to take a long journey by boat to arrive at that ce.


    Hearing that question, Ciel replied to Aria.


    ¡¸Ah, no problem! I have a ¨”Special Transportation Method? of my own¡­ I¡¯ll give you the details after we arrive at the port. For now, you should start the preparations.¡¹


    Ciel looked at Tama while she spoke.


    ¡¸¡­? Is something the matter with Tama, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Aria, I heard that you defeated one of the Four Demon Dukes with the help of this kitten. It¡¯s so unexpected that this adorable kitten hides such formidable power.¡¹


    Ciel stretched her hand toward Tama, who was curled up on top of the table, and patted his head.


    The moment she touched his hand, Ciel¡¯s serious expression from before vanished as if it were a lie. A blush appeared on her cheeks.


    Despite her cold, beautiful appearance, she was an animal lover.


    ¡¸NYA~~?¡¹


    Tama tilted his head as he raised an adorable cry in response to Ciel¡¯s actions.


    ¡¸Fuu~h! Tama-chan is so cute! May wants to pat him too!¡¹


    Not wanting to lose, May also stretched her hand and patted Tama¡¯s back.


    ¡ô


    One hourter¨D


    ¡¸Well then, it seems everyone has assembled.¡¹


    Everyone had arrived at the harbor located in the outskirts of Labyrinth city. Cedric looked at the group onest time.


    After confirming that everyone was fully prepared, he sent an eye signal to Ciel.


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s take it out.¡¹


    Ciel took out a silver oval object from her overcoat as she spoke.


    Magic letters were engraved on the surface of that object.


    ¡¸Now, it¡¯s your turn, my friend from the spirit world!¡¹


    Ciel threw the object in her hand toward the sea as she spoke.


    The moment that objectnded on the surface of the sea, it shone with a blinding blue light.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸¡­T-This is!?¡¹


    Aria couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice upon seeing what had appeared in front of her.


    Tama, Ste, and the others also opened their eyes wide as they gazed at ¨”THAT?.


    ¡¸Is that a¡­ squid? The shape is a little bit unusual though.¡¹


    Vulcan, who stood beside Aria, asked.


    Yes, what had appeared from inside the light was a squid.


    However, it was anything but a normal squid. Aria estimated that it was more than thirty meters tall. Its entire body was covered with ayer that seemed like armor that exuded pale blue light. Moreover, it was floating on the surface of the sea.


    ¡¸This child¡¯s name is ¨”King Kraken?.¡¹


    ¡¸King¡­ Kraken?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I tamed this ¨”Spirit World¡¯s Monster? a long time ago.¡¹


    Ciel spread her arms to the sea as she replied to Aria¡¯s question.


    And then, it¨D no, the King Kraken stretched one of its ten feet toward Ciel as if it were frolicking with her.


    ¡¸Spirit World¡¯s¡­ Monster. I¡¯ve heard the rumor about them before. There¡¯s a story about a female hero hailing from Usalda Pekura who was summoned to a spirit world so that she could save it. It seems the story about that female hero is true!¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, Aria. In the past, I was summoned to the spirit world, ¨”Arc?. Well, it¡¯s an old story though.¡¹


    Ciel replied to Aria with a prudent smile.


    Such cases happened fairly often where passages to the spirit world opened by themselves.


    Arc was the name of one of those spirit worlds.


    Ciel was the hero who had saved the world called Arc, and the being in front of them right now, the Kraken, was the monster she had tamed back in that world.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll rely on you again today, King.¡¹


    ¡¾GUOOOOOOOOOOOO!¡¿


    Upon hearing its name from Ciel, the King Kraken, nicknamed King by Ciel, raised a warcry resembling a roa.


    After nodding with a satisfied look on her face, Ciel took out another oval object from her overcoat.


    ¡¸What¡¯s that, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Vulcan, this is the storage magic tool made with the technology from the spirit world, the ¨”Arc Ball?. ording to what they told me, it can absorb and then rebuild any object it swallows.¡¹


    Ciel threw the arc ball as she replied to the curious Vulcan.


    The arc ball cast another blinding light and transformed into another object on King¡¯s back.


    ¡¸Woow¡­ they not only made one for a living creature, but also made one for a storage device.¡¹


    Cedric unintentionally let out a surprised voice.


    His line of sight was fixed on King¡¯s side.


    Floating right beside King was a huge ship.


    He was still looking when King¡¯s legs, which had countless suckers, wrapped themselves around the sides of the ship.


    At this point, Tama finally realized.


    £¨I see now! We¡¯ll travel by that ship, and this monster would pull it!£©


    ¡¸If we travel by a normal ship, it would take us a whole week to reach our destination. But with King here, we can arrive at my homnd in one day. Well then, please get on board, everyone.¡¹


    The miraculous spirit world¡¯s technology aside, Ciel had announced that she had tamed a S-rank monster of a spirit world, and boarded the ship as if both were trivial matters.


    Aria and Tama, whose brains couldn¡¯t catch up with the shocks that hit them one after another, disyed cramped smiles on their faces.


    On the contrary, Lily and Faeri happily frolicked upon seeing those shocking scenes.


    As for the rest, Vulcan, Cedric, and May just obediently boarded the ship with wry smiles.

 Chapter 117: A Female Hero’s Career

    <h4>Chapter 117: A Female Hero¡¯s Career</h4>


    ¡¸UWAAAAAA~!¡¹


    ¡¸SO FHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAST!¡¹


    ¡¸Travelling via sea is so fu~n!¡¹


    Lily, Faeri, and May yed on the ship. They stood against the wind and enjoyed the strong wind rush their whole body.


    The ship¡¯s speed on the ocean¡¯s surface after King pulled it was far higher than what Ciel had told them before.


    The wind aside, the spray of the water as the ship split the waves was a sight to behold. Almost everyone had chosen to remain on standby inside the ship, but Lily, Faeri, and May had decided toe out and enjoy thebination of the wind and the water.


    ¡¸Amazing! Even though the ship is traveling at such speed, the ship isn¡¯t shaking at all.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyeah! The spirit world¡¯s technology is amazing!¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan, who had chosen to stay inside the ship, conversed with each other.


    The spirit world, otherwise known as Arc, was the ce where Ciel¡¯s ship had been created. The ship had been created using special materials and technology that eliminated the vibrations it faced when traveling on water.


    And that wasn¡¯t everything.


    The inside of the ship was far off from what anyone could think of a normal ship. Unlike what its outer appearance suggested, it was spacious.


    It had arge living room, several bedrooms, a toilet, and a shower room on top of that.


    ¡¸Just what kind of a world is the spirit world called Arc, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸You see, it¡¯s a rather strange world. Monsters and humans live together in harmony there, and their magic tools¡¯ technology is miles away ahead of that in our world.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ definitely a strange world.¡¹


    £¨That sounds like a tamer taming a monster, but¡­ I guess it¡¯s definitely a world beyond our imagination. After all, they can even create a storage space that can store a living being of King Kraken¡¯s size.£©


    Tama, who was resting in his favorite ce¡ªbetween Aria¡¯s twin melons, nodded as he heard Ciel¡¯s story.


    ¡¸May I ask a rather rude question, Ciel-samnyan?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Vulcan?¡¹


    ¡¸How old are you right now, Ciel-sama? Appearance-wise, you seem like an eighteen-year-old girl, but¡­ you said before that you visited Arc a long time ago, right?¡¹


    Vulcan asked purely out of curiosity.


    And, the answer she heard was¨D


    ¡¸I¡¯m a hundred and eleven years old. I was summoned to Arc around twenty years ago and returned to this world five years after that.¡¹


    It was a shocking piece of information.


    ¡¸Nya!?¡¹


    Despite Vulcan¡¯s tant surprise, Ciel continued with her exnation.


    ¡¸You see, I¡¯m rather special even amongst the rabbit-eared race. My lifespan is longer than normal. Well, it¡¯s thanks to this long lifespan that I can endure traveling to another world.¡¹


    ¡¸N-Nyaa¡­ As expected of the one who bears the hero title.¡¹


    Even though May had dropped a bombshell on them when she had said that she was from the future, Aria and Vulcan came to realize that Ciel, the female hero in front of them who had returned from a spirit world, was no less impactful than May.


    While they were talking, Ste was taking a nap on the sofa. Cedric had long escaped to another room as soon as they had boarded the ship, saying, ¡¸Sorry, but I can¡¯t stand the notion of breathing the same air as you women in the same room for a long time¡î¡¹.


    A few hourster¨D


    ¡¾GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON¡¿


    A roar rang out outside the ship. Suddenly, everyone felt that the ship had stopped moving.


    ¡¸It seems King is out of breath. Let¡¯s take a rest for a while.¡¹


    Ciel left her seat after saying those words.


    Aria and Tama followed her.


    The gentle sea breeze enveloped them as soon as they stepped out on the ship deck.


    And maybe it was just as Ciel had said, King Kraken was out of breath.


    Even though the tentacles on the ship were still there, King¡¯s other tentacles were already spread around on the ocean¡¯s surface as if King were stretching its feet.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, it¡¯s the time for lunch. Shall we use this asion and have lunch in this ce?¡¹


    ¡¸Nice idea, nyan! Let¡¯s eat the various dishes we brought along while enjoying the sea breeze!¡¹


    Vulcan happily replied to Aria¡¯s suggestion.


    Ste, Faeri, Lily, and May then appeared from inside the ship cabin, seemingly baited by the word ¡°lunch¡± and ¡°dishes.¡±


    ¡¸Di¡­ shes? How? if my memory serves me right, Aria and the others just brought minimal luggage with them, right?¡¹


    Ciel asked with a curious look on her face.


    Hearing that, Aria signaled to Tama with her eyes as she said to Ciel, ¡¸Well, behold.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n (Roger that, master)!¡¹


    Tama let out an adorable purr as he activated his ¡¶Storage¡· skill.


    And then, tableware such as tes and other kinds of containers such as pots appeared on top of the empty deck.


    ¡¸WOOOW! Don¡¯t tell me, this is Tama-chan¡¯s skill!?¡¹


    May asked Aria with an excited voice.


    ¡¸Such a surprise! To think that there¡¯s a creature that can store things in a dimension pocket without magic or an arc ball¡­¡¹


    Ciel was also surprised, and she looked at Tama with widened eyes.


    Seeing that, Tama made a triumphant face in his seat, Aria¡¯s twin melons.


    Cedric also came outside at that moment, maybe because he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    Thus, the chosen ones who had departed to save the future had lunch as they enjoyed the sea breeze and deepened their rtionship.

 Chapter 118: Female Hero and Strolling

    <h4>Chapter 118: Female Hero and Strolling</h4>


    Early morning of the next day¨D


    ¡¸We¡¯ve arrived. This is my hometown and the port city of Usalda Pekura kingdom¨D¨”Pekura?.¡¹


    Ciel spoke to Aria and co. as she spread her arms and pointed at thend across the ship deck.


    Port city Pekura, even though its size couldn¡¯t bepared to Labyrinth city¡¯s, it was a flourishing city with many visitors or fishermen who regrly came to the market in the morning.


    Most of them had rabbit-like ears growing from atop their head.


    It seemed that the majority of the citizens in the city were from the rabbit-eared race like Ciel.


    ¡¸Oi look, it¡¯s Ciel-sama!¡¹


    ¡¸She¡¯s still beautiful today~¡¹


    Suchpliments appeared from the people around Aria¡¯s group as soon as these people saw Ciel.


    As expected of a hero, her status was close to a celebrity.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s have breakfast in this city today. We¡¯ll head toward the royal capital tomorrow. Thebyrinth which seals Demon King Belphegor is close to the royal capital.¡¹


    Ciel spoke to Aria and co. while waving at the citizens of Pekura.


    Aria and co. followed her.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Fufu¡­ are you still sleeping, Tama?¡¹


    As they sat inside one of the stores in the market, Aria patted Tama, who rounded his body and slept on top of Aria¡¯s twin melons.


    ¡¸Mu~h, only Aria got that treatment, so sly!¡¹


    Ste shouted her dissatisfaction as she enviously red at Aria and Tama.


    At this time, Ciel had finished ordering the breakfast.


    However, her line of sight kept wandering back and forth toward Tama.


    Her rabbit ears rhythmically moved at times.


    Considering that she formed a contract with King and her gaze often wandered to Tama, anyone could easily guess that she loved animals.


    £¨Yup, it looks good! No one seems nervous at all!£©


    May pondered about the situation as she looked around at the others.


    Her appearance might be that of a cute, naive girl, but she did her best to understand herrade¡¯s condition.


    It was as expected of the girl who crossed the river of time from the future to change the past and who was the daughter of the female hero and the archmage.


    Unknown to her, Cedric and Vulcan were secretly observing her.


    ¡¸That appearance and the air around her¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nyeah¡­ a carbon copy of Maiya-chan.¡¹


    The Archmage, Maiya, was a powerful person, but he was also a kind and gentle man who treasured his friends andrades.


    And May¡¯s expression just now made Vulcan and Cedric recall that best friend of theirs, Maiya.


    May was the splitting image of her father.


    ¡¸Wa~!¡¹


    ¡¸Deliciou~s!¡¹


    A few minutester, Lily and Faeri let out joyful cheers upon seeing the dishes being carried to their table.


    Grilled fish, soup, sd, etc, etc¡­


    Although the fish dishes here used different fish than the ones caught by the fishermen of Labyrinth city and were cooked in different ways, all these dishes looked absolutely delicious.


    After they finished their breakfast, the party headed toward the inn rmended by Ciel.


    ¡ô


    An hour passed by.


    £¨Uhm, it seems Master and co. are already asleep.£©


    Tama looked into the room from the window.


    Aria and co. had decided to take naps since they had arrived so early in the morning.


    Tama also wanted to sleep¡­ but, his curiosity got the better of him. He leaped out of the room from the gap between the windows to stroll around the city.


    As he beautifullynded from the window of their room on the second floor¨D


    ¡¸Oh my! Are you going to take a walk, Tama-chan?¡¹


    Tama¡¯s ears perked up when a voice called out to him.


    He looked in the direction the voice hade from and saw Ciel standing right there.


    And just like that, she slowly walked toward Tama.


    ¡¸Nya~?¡¹


    Tama let out a puzzled cry.


    Because Ciel had lifted him to hug him.


    ¡¸Fuh¡­ even though the monster I tamed is also cute, it¡¯s still hard for me to resist the cuteness of an adorable kitten like you.¡¹


    Ciel gently looked at Tama¡­ On her face was an expression she had never shown in front of Aria and the others.


    Then, following Aria¡¯s example, she stowed Tama in between her twin mountains.


    Even though they could be barely noticed because of the cloak she wore, her twin melons¡¯ were outstanding in terms of size.


    The reason Tama noticed this was that he felt his body being enveloped by an extremely soft and tender feeling.


    Besides, he also sniffed some sort of perfume aroma from Ciel¡¯s body.


    Tama sniffed the smell of a berrying from the nape of Ciel¡¯s neck.


    It was a refreshing, gentle, and reassuring smell.


    ¡¸Since it¡¯s just right, let¡¯s stroll together.¡¹


    Ciel spoke these words, then walked out the inn while brushing Tama¡¯s head.


    ¡ô


    Tama and Ciel took their time to walk toward the beach where they could see the beautiful sea.


    ¡¸Please forgive me for involving you guys in this mess, Tama.¡¹


    Ciel suddenly spoke to Tama, who was starting to enjoy his rest in between Ciel¡¯s twin melons.


    ¡¸N¡­ nya~?¡¹


    Tama wondered ¡®what in the world is this girl talking about?¡¯.


    After dropping Tama on the beach, Ciel sat next to him and continued.


    ¡¸Properly speaking, this kingdom¡¯s force and I should be dealing with this matter. However, the other party is the demon king from the future. His strength is unknown¡­ ording to May, my power alone is far from being enough to defeat it.¡¹


    Tama nodded as he heard Ciel speak while looking at the sea.


    ¡¸Fuh¡­ you really are a wise cat, aren¡¯t you¡­¡¹


    Seeing Tama¡¯s gesture, which gave the feeling that he understood what she said, Ciel smiled before continuing.


    ¡¸While it might be true that Aria and co. are powerful, they¡¯re still too young and inexperienced. Moreover, I honestly worry about them for having to rely on an adorable kitten like you. Though, May told me that it will be alright, just in case¡­¡¹


    Ciel didn¡¯tplete her sentence.


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    Tama let out a loud cry toward Ciel, leaped on her shoulder with a PYON!, then rubbed his head on her cheek.


    ¡¸¡­ What a surprise! I never expected that a day when even a kitten will worry about me woulde like this.¡¹


    Ciel let out a gentle smile when she saw Tama¡¯s human-like gesture.


    Tama nodded to Ciel and vowed in his heart.


    £¨It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m a knight. I¡¯ll protect Master and the others. And naturally, I¡¯ll protect you too.£©

 Chapter 119: A Glimpse of The Archmage Daughter’s Power

    <h4>Chapter 119: A Glimpse of The Archmage Daughter¡¯s Power</h4>


    ¡¸Just when I was about to look for you, Tama. Were you, by chance, strolling around with Ciel-sama?¡¹


    Tama, who enjoyed Ciel¡¯s melon sandwich as they returned to the inn, received a piercing gaze from Aria.


    ¡¸Sorry, Aria. I happened to saw him walking out of the inn by himself, and we ended up strolling together.¡¹


    Ciel handed Tama over to Aria¡¯s ch*st as she spoke.


    A slight expression of regret appeared on her face as she parted with Tama.


    ¡¸Nya~n¡¹


    Tama raised a cry upon arriving into Aria¡¯s embrace as if he were saying,¡¸I¡¯m home!¡¹.


    Aria gently caressed Tama, who was being coy.


    ¡ô


    The night passed, and the next day arrived.


    ¡¸Come, my friend from the spirit world¡­¡¹


    After the group left the city and took a path separated from the highway, Ciel took out two more arc balls. She threw them in the open ce in front of them.


    Then, two five-meter-tall monsters suddenly appeared as the arc balls disappeared.


    ¡¸Are they¡­ lizards?¡¹


    Aria asked when she saw the appearance of the two monsters.


    The monsters who had appeared in front of her were simr to giant, bipedal lizards d in armor.


    Hearing that question, Ciel replied, ¡¸They belong to the ¨”T¨DREX? race. Just like King, I tamed them back in the spirit world. By the way, the left one¡¯s name is ¨”Freya? and the right one¡¯s called ¨”Noir?.¡¹


    Ciel approached the two monsters, Noir and Freya, while talking.


    When they saw hering toward them, the two monsters lowered their heads for her. Ciel gently brushed their heads.


    ¡¾GRRRRRRRR¡­¡­LLL¡¿


    The two monsters let out deep groans as if they were enjoying that moment.


    ¡¸I¡¯m really surprised, nyan. I never expected you to have tamed another monster from the spirit world, nyan.¡¹


    ¡¸They seem to be quite powerful on top of that!¡¹


    Both Vulcan and Ste gave their impressions of the two T-REX.


    ¡¸Well, these cuties mainly y supporting roles as means for transportation.¡¹


    Ciel took out another arc ball from her bosom pocket as she spoke.


    She threw the arc ball like before, and this time, what appeared before them was a mechanical carriage.


    As soon as that mechanical carriage appeared, the two T-REX moved to the front of the carriage.


    Then, something resembling a metal sheet grew from the carriage and connected with the armor parts of the two monsters.


    £¨I see now! Those two¡¯s job is pulling the vehicle just like King.£©


    Tama realized that.


    As he had expected, the vehicle was a carriage.


    ¡¸Well then, to the Royal Capital.¡¹


    Ciel spoke in a loud voice when everyone was onboard the carriage. As expected, Cedric didn¡¯t want to enter a cramped room filled with women, so he ended up sitting alone on top of the carriage¡¯s roof.


    ¡ô


    They had been traveling along the highway for a while when¡ª


    ¡¾GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!¡¿


    They heard the two T-REXs growlse from outside the carriage.


    The carriage halted as soon as they heard that growl.


    ¡¸It seems monsters are blocking our path.¡¹


    Ciel left the carriage as she spoke.


    When she alighted, she saw that Cedric was already standing on the highway with his sword drawn. He was looking at a faraway ce.


    ¡¸Ah! Please wait a minute, Dear Uncle!¡¹


    ¡¸¡­? Is something the matter, May-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸This is a good chance for me to show my power to everyone!¡¹


    May stepped in front of everyone with her staff in hand.


    £¨Interesting, a chance to see the power of the Archmage and the female hero¡¯s daughter¡­ Now, let¡¯s see her power.£©


    Tama looked at May¡¯s back with a curious look on his face.


    As someone who had lived in a battlefield and was a former knight, it was only natural for him to be interested in the power of the hero¡¯s descendant.


    The monsters who had blocked their path were five orcs and two wolf-shaped monsters called big fang.


    The monsters let out war cries as soon as they saw May.


    In response to that, May raised her staff high in the air and muttered, ¡¸Seven, huh¡­ Just the right number I guess!¡¹.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸HERE WE GO! Dark magic skill¡ª ¡¶Seven Star¡¯s Dark Demon Sword¡·¡¹


    She said the name of her skill in a loud voice.


    Thereupon, seven jet-ck balls of light appeared right on top of her opponents.


    Those seven jet-ck light balls then transformed into seven beautiful jet-ck swords.


    Each sword aimed at its target and shot toward it at once with a terrifying velocity.


    ¡ºBUGYAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    ¡ºGRR¡­¡­ NNNNNNN!?¡»


    The big fangs and the orcs let out sorrowful cries as the jet-ck swords pierced them.


    And they died a few secondster¡­


    ¡¸S-¡¶Seven Star¡¯s Dark Demon Sword¡·!?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s Maiya-chan¡¯s dark magic skill, nyan!¡¹


    Both Vulcan and Cedric let out surprised voices.


    Seeing their reactions, May puffed her t chest and proudly hummed. ¡¸Ehem!¡¹


    Dark Magic¨D¡¶Seven Star¡¯s Dark Demon Sword¡·.


    Just as Vulcan had said, it was a special magic spell that solely belonged to the Archmage, Maiya.


    However, May used the same spell as her father.


    That was thest proof the two needed to erase all doubts about May being Maiya¡¯s daughter.


    ¡¸But, of course, May¡¯s power is a little bit different from Papa¡¯s.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Eh? What do you mean, May-chan?¡¹


    Cedric asked with a curious look on his face.


    May then began her exnation.


    ¡¸Papa¡¯s skill is a pure magic spell which he fires after constructing the spell and calcting the amount of mana needed from scratch! But May¡¯s skill isn¡¯t like that¡­ It¡¯s inherited in ordance to the system of this world!¡¹


    ording to her exnation, Archmage Maiya could apparently alter magic in any form he wished. He could also increase or decrease the output as he wanted.


    For that reason, May, who had inherited that magic from her father, received it in the form of a skill system of this world. This made it different from the original magic spell developed by the Archmage.


    ¡¸Still, dark magic is¡­ an element that deprives the target of their life force.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan, right! It¡¯s really a huge boost for ourbat strength!¡¹


    Both Cedric and Vulcan were visibly excited.


    For Cedric, it was because May was his younger brother-inw¡¯s daughter, and for Vulcan, she was her sworn friend¡¯s daughter.


    It was only natural for them to be surprised on seeing Archmage Maiya¡¯s power exhibited without any kind of catalyst.


    £¨Archmage¡¯s daughter, May¡­ for her to use such powerful magic like nothing, I definitely can¡¯t wait to see the uing battle!£©


    Tama felt excited upon seeing May¡¯s potential.


    ¡¸That¡¯s amazing! As expected of the Archmage¡¯s daughter!¡¹


    ¡¸Seeing such strength has made me fired up!¡¹


    ¡¸We won¡¯t lose!¡¹


    ¡¸We absolutely won¡¯t lo~se!¡¹


    Aria, Ste, Lily, and Faeri were pumped up upon seeing May¡¯s power.

 Chapter 120: Royal Capital Ul and New Status

    <h4>Chapter 120: Royal Capital Ul and New Status</h4>


    Later, that night¨D¨D


    ¡¸Everyone, we have arrived at the royal capital, ¨”Ul?¡¹


    Ciel spoke as everyone descended from the carriage.


    The city in front of Aria and co. was spread along with flowers blooming everywhere.


    Unlike Labyrinth city, it wasn¡¯t surrounded by ramparts. It was an open city.


    ¡¸Such¡­ a beautiful city.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya, the stone buildings contrast well with the blooming flower.¡¹


    The beautiful scenery of the city had captivated both Aria and Vulcan.


    At the center of the city were a za and buildings surrounded by a field of blue flowers. The innermost white building seemed like the royal pce.


    Right now, the setting sun was casting its light on it, giving it an orange shade. It looked like a fantastical, dreamlike scenery.


    £¨Usalda Pekura¡¯s royal capital, Ul, I heard the rumor about it being a beautiful city in my previous life, but I never expected that even ¡°beautiful¡± is an understatement to describe this scenery.£©


    Tama, who had been stowed in between Aria¡¯s twin melons, also looked at the fantastical scenery of the city with entranced eyes.


    ¡¸Everyone, follow me. I¡¯ll guide you to my mansion. Let¡¯s stay there for tonight.¡¹


    Ciel said as she turned Noir, Freya, and the carriage into their arc ball forms. She then stored them away.


    Even though it would¡¯ve been faster to reach the mansion with the carriage, Ciel held back on that thought after she saw the fascinated looks on Aria and co¡¯s faces. She decided to slowly walk and let them enjoy the scenery.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the name of this flower, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    As they walked, May pointed at the flower growing at the edges of the main street.


    ¡¸It¡¯s ¨”Lucy?. Although it looks like a beautiful flower right now, it¡¯ll shed light during the night.¡¹


    ¡¸Fa~! I¡¯ve never heard about such a flower! I can¡¯t wait for night!¡¹


    May, who had shown her terrifying power as the archmage¡¯s daughter just a few hours ago, went back to being an adorable loli as soon as she saw the flowers.


    Aria and co enjoyed their stroll in the city until they arrived at Ciel¡¯s mansion.


    Ciel¡¯s mansion was an elegant, three-story building.


    However, the thing that attracted Aria and co¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t the building; it was the mansion¡¯s garden.


    The garden was vast and filled with numerous Lucy flowers. It even had a ten meters wide artificialke.


    ¡¸King, Noir, Freya, thanks a lot for your hard work in this long journey.¡¹


    Ciel tossed her arc balls out again as she said those words.


    Surrounded by blue light, King appeared in theke, followed by Noir and Freya appearing in front of the mansion.


    Could it be that King¡¯s arc ball has some sort of special function?


    After all, King, who had been thirty metersrge when the group had seen it for the first time, was now only five metersrge right now.


    That aside.


    Ciel walked toward the mansion¡¯s door, then the door opened from the inside.


    ¡¸Wee back, Ciel-sama.¡¹


    A girl d in maid attire appeared from inside of the mansion.


    ¡¸I¡¯m home, ¨”Mari?.¡¹


    Ciel replied as she nodded to the maid.


    Then, Ciel turned toward Aria and co. to introduce the maid.


    ¡¸She¡¯s my caretaker, Mari the maid. Feel free to ask her if you need something during your stay in my home.¡¹


    Mari the maid bowed to Aria and co. immediately after the introduction.


    Maybe that was what one would expect from a hero, a gorgeous mansion and maid came as a set.


    Mari guided Aria and co. toward the parlor.


    Then, it was time for them to move on to room assignment since one room was enough for two people.


    May was assigned the same room as Cedric since Cedric agreed to stay in the same room with her.


    Aria and co looked at Cedric as if to say ¡°what about Cedric¡¯s misogyny?¡± But¡­


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Even though we¡¯re from different eras, let¡¯s sleep together like a family.¡¹


    Cedric epted the suggestion with such a reason.


    £¨Eh? Cedric-sama¡­£©


    £¨Could it be that meeting May has awakened his¡­ paternal love, nyan?£©


    Both Aria and Vulcan were baffled on seeing Cedric¡¯s sudden change of attitude toward his niece, a (loli) woman.


    After that, the women team had a bonding event of washing each others¡¯ backs in the spacious bathroom in the mansion. Then, everyone went to the dining room and ate the delicious meal Mari made. Finally, it was time for them to sleep in their rooms to recover their energy for tomorrow¡¯s battle.


    ¡ô


    £¨Uhm¡­ can¡¯t sleep.£©


    Late at night¨D


    Unable to sleep, Tama stared at the night sky outside the window.


    The reason he was having a hard time falling asleep was his seething blood. His blood seethed with fighting spirit when he thought about the battle that would ur next day.


    £¨I gained a new battle ability after the hard training I did following the war against Vassago. I wonder how effective it¡¯s against a demon king ss enemy¡­£©


    Tama opened his status as he pondered the matter.


    His current status was as follows.


    ********


    Name :Tama


    Race :Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill :¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, ¡¶Skill Predation¡·, ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡·, ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·, ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡·


    Predated Skill :¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fireball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Unlimited Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·, ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, ¡¶Dragon w¡·


    Possible Evolution:?Behemoth, Second Form


    ?Behemoth, Third Form


    ********


    A new skill, ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡· had been added to his inherent skill¡¯s column along with some changes in the evolution column. The letters ¡°Behemoth third Form¡± had also made their reappearance.


    The inherent skill, ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡· had appeared after he won the battle against Vassago. And the Behemoth¡¯s third Form had be avable again after he trained in thebyrinth after that war.


    £¨Now that my adult form has been revealed, I¡¯ve to steel my resolution to use my second form when I need firepower¡­£©


    Basking in the blue light released by the blooming Lucy flowers below the window, Tama made a resolution.

 Chapter 121: Toward The Demon King

    <h4>Chapter 121: Toward The Demon King</h4>


    Early morning of the next day¨D


    ¡¸I¡¯ll pray for your safety, Ciel-sama¡­¡¹


    In front of the mansion, Mari, Ciel¡¯s maid, saw the party off with a bitter look on her face.


    And the reason she had such an expression, Ciel, replied to her with a reassuring smile on her face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Mari. I¡¯ll be back safe just like when Ragnarok happened.¡¹


    A few kilometers away from the royal capital Ul was abyrinth that had sealed one of the seven demon kings, Belphegor.


    After parting with Mari, the group headed to thatbyrinth.


    ¡ô


    Two hourster¨D


    ¡¸Is this¡­ thatbyrinth?¡¹


    ¡¸ording to the information we have, this one seems to be a ruin-typebyrinth, nya~.¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan eximed as they looked at thebyrinth in front of them.


    They and the others were riding on the coach pulled by Noir and Freya.


    As Vulcan had said, thisbyrinth was a ruin-typebyrinth; moreover, it had a simr appearance to a temple.


    ¡¸This might be the lower level of thebyrinth, but it still has many monsters roaming around. The majority of those monsters are ¨”Living Armor?, B-rank monsters.¡¹


    Ciel exined for everyone who was looking up at thebyrinth.


    Tama descended from Aria¡¯s twin melons¡¯ valley as he listened to Ciel¡¯s exnation.


    £¨Since there¡¯s a demon king lurking in thisbyrinth, it¡¯s not the time to be stingy! ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·¡­ Activate!£©


    Tama invoked his most reliable buff skill with his adorable cries.


    A golden light wrapped all of his party members inside it.


    ¡¸This is¡­ amazing! My statuses are rising through the roof.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s not the only effect! Poison, paralysis, sleep¡­ It¡¯s also protecting us from various debuffs!¡¹


    Ciel and May eximed with surprised looks on their faces.


    When Tama saw those two react like this, a satisfied look appeared on his face.


    ¡¸No way, such a tiny elemental cat has this kind of skill¡­¡¹


    ¡¸As expected of the one hailed as Sacred Beast!¡¹


    Ciel and May became even more surprised when they heard Aria¡¯s exnation.


    Upon seeing Ciel¡¯s and May¡¯s reactions, even Aria couldn¡¯t help but feel proud as Tama¡¯s owner.


    ¡¸Is everyone ready then? Let¡¯s get going.¡¹


    Cedric asked everyone with a refreshing smile on his face.


    Nervous looks appeared on the faces of Aria, Tama, Lily, and Faeri. Vulcan and Ste shed belligerents. Ciel and May nodded withposed looks on their faces.


    ¡ô


    Thebyrinth was strangely illuminated with a dim light on the inside despite having no windows. Cracked angel statues and wall paintings were scattered around. It could be a former church turned into abyrinth or something simr.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been in thisbyrinth a few times. Please follow me, everyone.¡¹


    Ciel walked ahead of the rest of the party, serving as their guide.


    Right behind Ciel was their vanguard, Ste and Vulcan; middle guard, Aria and Tama; Lily and Faeri right behind them; andstly, the rear guard, Cedric and May.


    A while had passed since they had stepped into thebyrinth.


    Suddenly, they heard the sound of colliding metalse from inside the ruin.


    ¡¸It¡¯sing, the living armor. Everyone, prepare for battle!¡¹


    Ciel, who realized the identity of their opponent just from the sounds, immediately notified herrades.


    And as she said, the beings that stepped out from the darkness were sets of armor who had gained their own wills.


    The ten Living Armor spread out to surround Aria and co.


    ¡¸Leave this to us, Ciel-sama! Tama, your turn!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(Roger that, master)!¡¹


    As if to answer her master¡¯s call, Tama leaped out in front of everyone.


    Ciel had already pushed her arms forward to attack, but when she saw Aria¡¯s and Tama¡¯s confident faces, she decided to let them take the stage.


    (Since my opponents have spread out in arge area, let¡¯s use this!)


    Tama, who had grasped their enemy¡¯s tactic, invoked his inherent skill.


    ¡¸Nyaaa£¨¡¶Water Howling¡·£©!¡¹


    A water elemental roar shut out from Tama¡¯s mouth as soon as he let out his adorable cries. The superpressed water gun pierced through the living armor on the right end.


    That wasn¡¯t the end. Tama then shook his neck to the left, and the water howling split the group of approaching living armor in two.


    ¡¸What a skill! It¡¯s so powerful on top of being easy to use.¡¹


    ¡¸Moreover, Tama-chan¡¯s mana isn¡¯t decreasing at all!¡¹


    Ciel and May praised Tama again.


    At that moment, a certain question rose in Aria¡¯s mind.


    ¡¸Can I ask a question, May-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Aria-oneechan?¡¹


    ¡¸Just now, you said that Tama¡¯s mana isn¡¯t decreasing at all, but May-sama, could it be that you can see the other people¡¯s amount of mana?¡¹


    No one could see how much mana other people had. Yet, May had assessed Tama¡¯s mana just a moment ago.


    Hearing Aria¡¯s question, May unintentionally covered her lips as if to say (Cra*p!).


    ¡¸Huhm, that question just now seems to be rted to the information about the future.¡¹


    When he saw May¡¯s current state, Cedric looked at Aria while doing a follow-up to exin May¡¯s situation.


    Aria, who had grasped the situation, didn¡¯t ask any further.


    £¨Thank you, Uncle! that was close!£©


    May thanked Cedrid in a soft voice.


    Cedric suddenly recalled something as he replied to May with a wry smile.


    £¨Come to think of it¡­ it means that my little brother-inw¡¯s research has taken such leaps and bounds in just a decade, huh¡­£©


    So¨D

 Chapter 122 : Female Hero of Ice

    <h4>Chapter 122 : Female Hero of Ice</h4>


    ¡¸Hmm! As I thought, the number of monsters has increased due to the influence of the demon king from the future.¡¹


    Ciel muttered as the party advanced through the first floor. Another batch of living armor came at them from inside thebyrinth, and the number of monsters had doubled. There was even an ¨”Armored Wolf? of B+ rank riding atop a living armor.


    ¡¸Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡¹


    Ciel stepped forward.


    She then vigorously took off her overcoat.


    ¡¸B-Bunny¡­ Girl¡­?¡¹


    Aria muttered with a puzzled look on her face.


    Yes, Ciel had worn fis stockings, a bunny girl suit, and high heels beneath her overcoat. In short, her getup looked like that of a real bunny girl, and definitely not a cosy.


    ¡¸Manifest¡­ ¡¶Celcius de¡·!¡¹


    Ciel raised her hand as she shouted.


    Then, an ice sword emitting pale blue light appeared in her hand.


    Daa!


    Ciel jumped forward. Her speed was terrifying. Even though it was thanks to Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· raising her base status, her current speed rivaled Aria¡¯s when thetter activated her ¡¶eleration¡·.


    ¡º¡º¡º¡­!?¡»¡»¡»


    The monsters¡¯ eyes opened wide when they saw Ciel suddenly appear right in front of them. However, as expected, their B-rank wasn¡¯t just for show. The monsters assumed their stances in the next moment; the living armor brandished their swords while the armored wolf bared its fangs and leaped toward Ciel.


    ¡¸Too slow.¡¹


    Speaking in a serene voice, Ciel struck the ground in front of her with her ice sword, ¡¶Celcius de¡·.


    Then¨D


    ¡¸Freeze in despair! ¡¶Celcius Circle¡·!¡¹


    She recited the name of her skill.


    Just when everyone wondered what was going to happen¨D


    A magic circle five meters in radius and emitting blue light appeared on the ground with Ciel as its center.


    Every monster within the magic circle froze at once.


    "


    "


    £¨The holder of freeze skill¡­ So she¡¯s the rumored hero of Usalda Pekura, who wields the power of ice, huh¡­!£©


    The rumor turned out to be true! Tama looked at Ciel, who had overwhelmed her opponents with her power.


    ¡¸This is¡­ Ciel-sama¡¯s power!¡¹


    ¡¸Attacking so many monsters in arge area just by stabbing your sword on the ground, that¡¯s awesome!¡¹


    Aria and Ste were astonished upon witnessing the disy of a hero¡¯s power. In contrast, the hero herself, Ciel, had an expression as if having such a skill was not a big deal. She hadn¡¯t even broken a sweat after releasing such arge-scale skill.


    ¡¸That pale blue light¡­ that sword isn¡¯t just imbued with the ice element. I can also feel the holy element in it.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re correct, Cedric. As expected of the Archmage¡¯s brother-inw, you¡¯ve keen observation skills.¡¹


    Cedric epted Ciel¡¯s praise with a slight nod.


    £¨I see. That pale blue light was the proof of the holy element being in the mix, huh¡­ It means that this ice sword isn¡¯t just an ordinary sword; it¡¯s an ice holy sword¡­£©


    Tama fell into deep thought as he looked at Ciel¡¯s ice sword¡­ or rather, the ice holy sword called ¡¶Celcius de¡·. He couldn¡¯t help but have such expectations since Ciel was the only one who hadn¡¯t shown her power until now.


    ¡¸By the way., why did you wear¡­ that bunny girl¡¯s costume, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, this¡­ This is our tribe¡¯sbat uniform. The reason we use this uniform is that this design allows us to make full use of our trait, which is speed.¡¹


    Ciel replied to Aria¡¯s spontaneous question with a cool face as she pulled out ¡¶Celcius de¡· from the ground.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸I see, we¡¯re descending to the underground, huh.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, the location of the Demon King Belphegor¡¯s seal is at the bottom of thisbyrinth.¡¹


    Ciel rified Aria¡¯s doubts while leading the way.


    After walking on the first floor for a while, the party had found a stairway leading underground. Everyone could feel the piercing pressureing from underground.


    ¡¸No doubt about it. This aura is simr to that of the future¡¯s Belphegor.¡¹


    May spoke after she looked at thepass-like thing that she took out from her pocket. ording to her, thatpass was a magic tool used to measure the demon king¡¯s aura.


    Since May couldn¡¯t say the details in fear of affecting the future, Aria and co. silently agreed to go with the flow.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ a flock of goblins, right?¡¹


    After they descended, Cedric muttered as he looked in a certain direction. He saw over a hundred goblins in the distance.


    ¡¸Nyan, not only that, the one in the middle is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, that must be a ¨”Goblin King?, right, Vulcan-san?¡¹


    Cedric agreed with Vulcan.


    Right in the center of the flock sat a certain goblin variant, whose height reached three meters. This goblin was covered in golden armor.


    Its name was¨DGoblin King.


    A Goblin King was the highest evolution of a goblin and was an A-rank monster. It was a troublesome monster that enjoyed absolutemand over goblins, and on top of that, had powerful strength.


    ¨D¨DSte, can I have a bit of your time?


    ¨D¨DOOH! Tama, Is something the matter!?


    Ste happily replied to the telepathic message Tama sent her.


    Tama then suggested a proposal to her.


    ¨D¨DI think¡­ this is the right chance to show everyone the result of our cooperation training.


    ¨D¨DGufufufu, sure! Let¡¯s show them the result of our special training!


    Ste happily replied with telepathy.


    In this half a month, Tama had often gone to dive in thebyrinth in the middle of the night along with Ste. And if anyone was wondering what they did¡­ they had engaged in special training to master their new skills and new cooperation skill.


    ¡¸Leave those guys to Tama and me!¡¹


    After saying so, Ste stepped forward wielding iomh Sis in her right hand and Cdbog in her left hand. Tama also walked along with her, right by her side.


    Aria, who felt some sort of confidence toward them, shouted,


    ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll leave those guys to you two, Tama and Ste-chan.¡¹


    Thus, the two of them lunged forward.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s show them our cooperationbat!¡¹


    Ste let out a war cry as she dashed toward the goblins.

 Chapter 123: Dragon Girl and Cat Knight’s Cooperation Battle

    <h4>Chapter 123: Dragon Girl and Cat Knight¡¯s Cooperation Battle</h4>


    Because of her war cry, the goblins noticed Ste sooner.


    ¡ºFeMaLe HuMAN! CaPTURE! FOR¡­ ouR NuRSeRY BEd!¡»


    The goblin king, who sat in the middle, ordered itsckeys.


    With their weapons in their hands, all the goblins lunged toward Ste at once.


    Unfortunately, to reach her, they needed to step over Tama¡¯s corpse first.


    Tama looked at the iing enemies and fired one ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·¨D¡¶me Missile¡·.


    When Tama let out a cry, the attack appeared and flew straight toward the goblins.


    Itnded right in the center of the goblins¡¯ crowd, exploding along with a deafening sound.


    ¡¸NOW!¡¹


    At the moment when the goblins panicked due to the explosion in their midst, Ste took a leap.


    Shended right in front of the goblin king, in the center of the goblins¡¯ stronghold. After taking a deep breath, she brandished her iomh Sis.


    ¡ºGUUUUUUU¡­!? WhAT¡¯s, ThIS POWeR!?¡»


    The goblin king took up its greatsword in both of its hands to block Ste¡¯s attack. He was really surprised upon receiving such a heavy sh, one that hade from a female human on top of that.


    Since their king had gotten attacked by their enemies, the goblins started to surround Ste in order to attack her from all directions.


    ¡¸NYAN(DREAM ON)!¡¹


    Tama raised a cry.


    He invoked his newly awakened trait skill¨D¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡·.


    Four light balls appeared above Tama¡¯s head. The light balls shone even brighter, then they morphed into cannons shaped like a lion¡¯s head.


    Red, blue, green, and ck, every single one of those cannons had its own unique color.


    ¡¸NYAN(DEPLOY)!¡¹


    When Tama let out a cry for the second time, the cannons started moving in the air as if they had their own will.


    £¨Take this!¡¶Water Bit¡·!£©


    While Ste battled the goblin king, Tama saw several goblins jump at her from behind to stab her.


    So, Tama redirected the blue cannon, ¡¶Water Bit¡·, to block these goblins¡¯ way.


    And then, the lion¡¯s head-shaped muzzle fired a superpressed waterser beam.


    As ¡¶Water Bit¡· shifted its muzzle, so did theser it shot. The result was that the waterser sliced a few goblins¡¯ torsos at once.


    ¡¸NYAAA (This isn¡¯t the end. Goooo! ¡¶Aether Bit¡·)!¡¹


    Tama shifted his line of sight toward another direction.


    He was now looking at the spear-wielding goblin, who hade out from behind the goblin king.


    The green cannon, ¡¶Aether Bit¡·, blocked this goblin¡¯s way and rapidly closed in on him. And then¡ª


    ¡¸NYAN (Hasta vista, baby)!¡¹


    As Tama raised another adorable cry, ¡¶Aether Bit¡· fired a barrage of wind shells.


    Every single goblin who got hit by the invisible wind bullets had been blown back till their bodies struck the wall far behind them.


    None of those goblins stood up ever again as the impact of them crashing against the wall had crushed their insides.


    ¡¸GUHAHAHA! As expected of Tama! Now, I can kill this guy without any interruption!¡¹


    Ste let out a madugh upon seeing Tama get rid of the small fries.


    With her iomh Sis locked against the goblin king¡¯s greatsword, she transformed her arms into dragon arms and used charge attack with Cdbog.


    ¡ºI-ImPOSsiBLe! SuCh A ThiNG¡­¡»


    The goblin king saw itsckeys being continuously exterminated by the mysterious weapon of its enemy. And that wasn¡¯t everything. Even the female human in front of it was slowly, but surely overwhelming it. That was the reason for the goblin king¡¯s shocked voice.


    ¡º¡º¡ºGUGYAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡»¡»¡»


    At his shout, the bow-wielding goblins in the back set their arrow to fire them at any moment.


    £¨Not so fast!£©


    Grasping the situation around them, Tama looked at Ste, then put his next n in motion.


    The red cannon, ¡¶me Bit¡·, moved at breakneck speed and arrived right in front of the goblin archer squad.


    Just when the goblin archers fired their arrows, ¡¶me Bit¡· spewed scorching me from its muzzle. The me burned the arrows and the goblins to ashes. However, other goblins were ready to rece the burned ones. The goblin mage was amidst the archers, and it was pointing its cane toward Ste.


    ¡¸NYAAA!¡¹


    Tama let out a roar.


    Then, the ck cannon, ¡¶Rock Bit¡·, arrived right on top of the goblin mage¡¯s head. The cannon rose even further and fired rock-shell-like bullets toward the enemies right below it.


    All the goblin archers around the goblin mage got annihted due to ¡¶Rock Bit¡·¡¯s wide range of attack.


    ¡¸Humph! Now I just need to kill this small fry!¡¹


    Just when Tama finished off the goblin archers, Ste stabbed the goblin king¡¯s chest with iomh Sis.


    The moment Ste slew the goblin king, against all expectations, the remaining goblins escaped at once. It looked like they were scared shi*tless.


    It seemed the goblin king¡¯sckeys wanted their king to die too.


    Ste¡¯s iomh Sis and Cdbog, and Tama¡¯s new skill, ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡·s, both freely moved to exterminate the remaining goblins.


    ¡¸Uhm, that¡¯s a¡­ nice coordinated battle.¡¹


    ¡¸Rather, Tama-chan just¡­ used another amazing skill, nyan¡­¡¹


    As they looked at Ste and Tama¡¯s coordinated battle from afar, Aria and Vulcan spoke to each other with cramped smiles on their faces.


    The other members of the party were also speechless. They looked at that battle scene with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

 Chapter 124: Three-Headed S-Rank Monster

    <h4>Chapter 124: Three-Headed S-Rank Monster</h4>


    ¡¸This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such precise control of a flying mini cannon-like weapon that¡¯s so fast.¡¹


    ¡¸Tama, did you get another new skill?¡¹


    After Ste and Tama exterminated the goblins, Ciel heaved a sigh of relief. Aria then asked Tama about his new skill.


    Tama tilted his head and let out a cry, ¡¸Nya~n?¡¹. He yed dumb as he usually did.


    ¡¸Gufufufu¡­ did you see that, Aria? Ourbination is awesome, right?¡¹


    Ste boasted while cleaning the blood on her iomh Sis. Aria¡¯s cheeks bulged as she looked away. She said with a sulking expression, ¡¸Humph!¡¹.


    £¨Ah, this pattern is¡­£©


    At this rate, another contest between Aria and Ste to win Tama could start anytime now.


    Sensing the iing melons¡¯ battle, Tama left the two. With a pyon, he leaped to Faeri¡¯s breasts.


    ¡¸Tama-chan is so awe~some~!¡¹


    Naturally, Faeri didn¡¯t refuse the chance to hug Tama, who voluntarily jumped into her br*asts. She patted his head with a blissful look on her face.


    When Lily saw that, she hugged Tama¡¯s back and caressed his fur while saying, ¡¸Aa~h! so sly! Let me join too~!¡¹


    Seeing Faeri¡¯s and Lily¡¯s innocence, Aria and Ste also spoke.


    ¡¸M-mu~¡­ it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s save today¡¯s match forter¡­¡¹


    Tama had sessfully defused the bomb.


    ¡¸Since we¡¯ve exterminated our enemies, let¡¯s take a break in this ce.¡¹


    Cedric proposed for everyone to take a rest.


    Even though he understood everyone wanted to arrive at Belphegor¡¯s location as soon as possible, if they did so now, it would be like putting the horse before the carriage. They could get defeated because of their fatigue.


    Aria and co. obediently epted Cedric¡¯s proposal.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Ehehehe! Tama-chan is so cu~te!¡¹


    May hugged Tama with an entranced look on her face.


    Tama obediently allowed himself to be hugged by May while repeatedly speaking to himself that getting along with children was also one of the jobs of a knight.


    ¡¸N-Next me. I want to hug him too¡­¡¹


    Ciel said to May with a fidgety look on her face.


    It seemed that after her first experience of strolling with Tama in Pekura port, she had gotten addicted to the feeling of stowing Tama in between her twin mountains.


    ¡¸Such a wonderful scenery¡­¡¹


    ¡¸The daughter of the archmage and the active hero are bowing down to a kitty¡¯s cuteness, nyan.¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan conversed as they looked at Ciel and May.


    May hade from the future, and Ciel was the cool beauty,


    Considering their status as the archmage¡¯s daughter and the active hero, Aria and co felt that the two girls were standing on a level way higher than him. However, when they saw the two admiring Tama¡¯s adorableness, they finally saw the two of them like girls of their age.


    They felt like they had been friends with those two for a long time.


    Even though the time they had opened up to Tama was short, it managed to bring everyone closer to each other. Then, the party went to the next stage.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Just two more floors and we¡¯ll arrive at the floor where Belphegor is sealed. But¡­ this is tough!¡¹


    After they descended to the next floor, Ciel heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸Is that¡­ ¨”Gyudra??¡¹


    Aria asked as she looked at the ce where Ciel¡¯s eyes stopped.


    She¨D No, everyone¡¯s gazes stopped at the same ce.


    The figure of a huge, three-headed serpent had appeared in their vision.


    Its name was Gyudra.


    It was one of the S-rank monster species that lived in this world.


    ¡¸To think we¡¯ve to go against such a monster before fighting the demon king¡­ Does this monster¡¯s appearance have something to do with Belphegor too?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s likely. After all, the energy a demon king releases increase the activity of the monsters inbyrinths.¡¹


    Ciel replied to Cedric¡¯s inquiry.


    It seemed that the phenomenon that had happened back in Labyrinth City during Vassago¡¯s revival had happened in thisbyrinth too.


    Only troll-ss monsters had appeared during the revival of one of the Four Demon Dukes, Vassago. But when it came to the demon king¡¯s revival, the rank of the monster, Gyudra, instantly went up to the S-rank as if to show the difference in ss between a demon duke and a demon king.


    ¡¸Okay, leave this guy to me then. Ciel-san, May-chan, Aria and co, all of you go ahead first, I¡¯ll take care of this guy.¡¹


    Cedric told Aria and co. to go ahead as he pulled out his sword from its scabbard. It seemed he nned to fight Gyudora by himself.


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t force yourself, nyan!¡­ is what I wanted to say, but I guess you can at least do this much, nya¡­¡¹


    Vulcan spoke to Cedric with a smile.


    If it were another person, she would¡¯ve convinced them to fight together with others. However, Cedric had proved himself by solo-defeating the summoned beast who was brought forth by one of the Four Demon Dukes. Therefore, it was safe to leave him alone as he fought the monster.


    ¡¸Uncle, I know that you¡¯re strong, but don¡¯t let your guard down, okay!¡¹


    May hugged Cedric with an anxious look on her face.


    Cedric patted May¡¯s head and spoke to her in a gentle voice.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, May-chan. Well then, go ahead and leave this guy to me.¡¹


    ¡ºSHHHHHHHHHHHHHS!¡»


    Gyudora finally noticed their presence. Its three heads let out a snake¡¯s unique voice as it advanced toward the party even faster than before.


    ¡¸EVERYONE, NOW!¡¹


    Cedric assumed a stance with his sword and pointed the sword¡¯s tip toward the Gyudra.


    ¡¸Godspeed, Cedric-sama!¡¹


    Aria left behind those words as she got away from Gyudra. Her destination was the next floor.

 Chapter 125: One of Seven Great Demon King, Belphegor

    <h4>Chapter 125: One of Seven Great Demon King, Belphegor</h4>


    ¡¸¡­!? No way, another¡­ S-rank monster!¡¹


    The moment Aria stepped on the next floor, she was astonished.


    Standing before them was a gigantic frame.


    ¡¸¨”Ancient Golem?huh! Quite a troublesome opponent we got there.¡¹


    Ciel, who stood beside Aria, spoke the name of the monster standing in their way.


    Ancient Golem¨D


    It was a five-meter tall, S-rank, golem-type monster.


    This golem¡¯s appearance in this ce was because of the influence of the demon king Belphegor.


    The beast had also noticed Aria and co. It locked onto Aria and co with its only eye.


    ¡¸Ciel-sama, May-chan, Aria-chan, and Tama-chan, all of you, go ahead first.¡¹


    Vulcan addressed the four while tapping her shoulder with Mjolnir¡¯s shaft.


    ¡¸I also want to fight that demon king fe, but¡­ I guess we need brute force to deal with this one.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! We¡¯ll catch up with you guys once we kick this guy¡¯s ass!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s time to show our powa~!¡¹


    Vulcan, Ste, Lily, and Faeri were prepared to fight the ancient golem.


    The demon race and the demon kings were weak against the holy element. That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t let Ciel, May, Aria, and Tama exhaust their power before meeting the demon king.


    Therefore, Vulcan and the other three had simr thoughts as Cedric. They chose to stay behind and fight the ancient golem while Aria and the others would go ahead.


    ¡¸Aria, let¡¯s go.¡¹


    Noticing Aria¡¯s hesitation, Ciel tapped her shoulder. Vulcan and the other three agreed with Ciel.


    ¡¸¡­ I understood. Vulcan-san, Ste-chan, Lily-chan, and Faeri-chan, I¡¯ll leave this ce to you guys.¡¹


    Aria turned around to leave behind the four of them with a bitter look on her face. She was entrusting the ancient golem to her fourrades. She did it because she understood that she had her own duty.


    ¡¸Well then, here we go! Nya~n!¡¹


    Vulcan readied Mjolnir and made a beeline toward the ancient golem.


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri ran just behind her.


    The ancient golem sensed the iing enemies, then¨D


    ¡ºGUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D!¡»


    With a war cry, it also ran toward Vulcan and the others.


    Aria, Tama, Ciel, and May dashed to the far sides of the ancient golem and continued running toward the stairs to the next floor!


    ¡ô


    The final floor of thebyrinth¡ª


    ¡ºOh my! Just when I was thinking that the floor above me has be noisy, it turns out I¡¯ve got guests. How fascinating!¡»


    A crystal-like object exuded an ominous light in the middle of the room, and a person with heteromorphy looked at Aria and co, who had just arrived on the floor.


    It was a beautiful yet sinister-looking woman with tanned, brown skin, emerald green hair that flowed down until her waist, and a pair of devil-like horns sprouting from her hair.


    In contrast with hernguid tone, the pressure she released pricked the skin of Aria and co.


    Yes, that woman was¨D


    ¡¸So, you¡¯ve reallye from the future, huh¡­ Demon King Belphegor!¡¹


    Ciel addressed the demon king in a calm voice.


    Her gaze fell on Demon King Belphegor, then at a certain object that was slightly moving in the room.


    An object resembling a giant crystal piry erect behind Belphegor. Sealed inside that pir was a figure simr to that of Belphegor, who was standing in front of the pir right now.


    A check with the magic tool also showed that the Belphegor in front of the pir had the same mana wave fluctuations as the one sealed inside the pir. It had thus confirmed her identity as the future Belphegor.


    It also confirmed the authenticity of Ciel and May¡¯s im. It seemed as if Belphegor¡¯s next sentence wanted to further confirm that fact.


    ¡ºOh my! How did you know that I came from the future, Hero-sama?¡»


    ¡¸Demon King Belphegor, even if you¡¯vee from the future. I¡­ will defeat you again!¡¹


    Ciel summoned her ¡¶Celcius de¡·, red at Belphegor, and pointed her sword toward the demon king.


    ¡ºUfufufufufu¡­ I did lose to you and Prince Julius in the previous great war¡­ But, do you think you can defeat me by yourself?¡»


    Belphegor raised her arm, which was draped in a dark violet color, to the ceiling as she let out an eerie smile.


    And then¡ª


    ¡ºUfufufu¡­¡¶Evil Surtr¡·!¡»


    She whispered those words.


    Just when everyone wondered what was going to happen¡ª


    The pir sealing this era¡¯s Belphegor and the future Belphegor¡¯s horn cast an ominous, violet light.


    At that moment, countless ominous violet lights, simr to the one from the sealed Belphegor, formed a sword that cast a simr ominous color.


    ¡ºNow then, DIE!¡»


    The moment Belphegor yelled, the violet sword rushed toward Aria and co.


    ¡¸¡¶Celcius Protection¡·¡­!¡¹


    Ciel readied her ¡¶Celcius de¡· and activated her skill. A giant ice shield appeared before them.


    However, the violet sword mmed into the ice shield, and the makeshift shield barely protected everyone¡¯s life.


    But¡ª


    ¡ºAHAHAHAHA! RESISTANCE¡­ IS FUTILE!¡»


    Belphegorughed even louder than before.


    While Aria and co still wondered what would happen next, the sword¡¯s shine became even brighter than before. At the next moment, numerous fine cracks appeared on the ice shield ¡¶Celcius Protection¡·.


    ¡¸¡­! You¡¯re¡­stronger than before!?¡¹


    Ciel eximed in surprise.


    Right at this very moment, the violet sword shattered ¡¶Celcius Protection¡· into pieces.


    ¡¸¡¶Seven Star¡¯s Dark Demon Sword¡·!¡¹


    ¡¸NYAN£¨Rock Howling£©!¡¹


    May and Tama immediately activated their skills to help Ciel.


    The seven demon swords stopped Belphegor¡¯s violet sword, then the additional power from Tama¡¯s elemental howl pushed back the sword.


    ¡¸Thanks, May and Tama-chan!¡¹


    ¡¸Good job, Tama!¡¹


    Aria and Ciel stepped back to regain their posture as they thanked Tama and May.


    ¡ºOh my! You can actually push back my attack. It seems like this battle won¡¯t be a borefest¡­¡»


    Belphegor¡¯s lips curled up to form an ominous smile.

 Chapter 126: Primordial’s Breath

    <h4>Chapter 126: Primordial¡¯s Breath</h4>


    ¡¸¡¶ck Demonic Spear(ck Javelin)¡·¡­!¡¹


    As May screamed, the jet-ck spear floating above her head rushed toward Belphegor.


    ¡¶ck Demonic Spear¡·¨D it was an extremely destructive and fast dark magic skill. It could also plunder the target¡¯s life force.


    ¡ºKukuku¡­ It¡¯s futile, you know!¡»


    Belphegor¡¯s ominous smile didn¡¯t fade away. Her horn and the pir behind her cast again cast an ominous light.


    The ¡¶ck Demonic Spear¡· continued to fly, and the moment it was about to hit Belphegor¨D


    PAAN!


    A dry sound resounded on the floor.


    At the same moment, the ¡¶ck Demonic Spear¡· got smashed apart.


    ¡¸Impossible! How can a dark magic skill that has the most destructive power get erased so easily!?¡¹


    Ciel¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock. Aria and Tama went through simr emotions.


    ¡¸That barrier¡­ How troublesome!¡¹


    May heaved a sigh as she looked at Belphegor.


    Seeing that, Belphegor looked down at May and derisively spoke.


    ¡ºThat¡¯s surprising! To think that someone other than the Archmage can use dark magic as well¡­ Moreover, your skill look like a ¨”pale Imitation? of the Archmage¡¯s.¡»


    May bit her lips upon hearing Belphegor¡¯s taunt. She then looked at Belphegor and the crystal pir behind her.


    ¡ºFufufu¡­ looks like you realized the source of my power.¡»


    ¡¸Yeah, I understand now. I¡¯ve figured out the trick behind your strengthened power and that powerful barrier.¡¹


    May¡¯s expression changed from an innocent child¡¯s to that of an adult. She continued.


    ¡¸You¡¯re using the mana of your sealed self. That¡¯s the trick behind your strength!¡¹


    ¡ºUfufufu¡­ correct, Young miss! You¡¯re absolutely correct!¡»


    Belphegor startedughing with an amused look on her face. Her other self, the one sealed inside the crystal barrier, slowly raised her arm.


    ¡¸I see! You¡¯re using the vast amount of mana inside your sealed self. And that¡¯s the main reason behind your power-up.¡¹


    Ciel finally understood the reason behind Belphegor¡¯s strength after hearing the conversation.


    ¡ºIt¡¯s such a wonderful power, right? With this newfound power, I¡­ can create a barrier that can negate all kinds of attacks, you kno~w?¡»


    Belphegor pridefully spoke with a bewitching look on her face.


    ¡¸¡¸¡­ !!¡¹¡¹


    Aria and Tama were left agape. Belphegor¡¯s words meant that the barrier would also negate Tama¡¯s inherent skill and Aria¡¯s ¡¶Excalibur¡·.


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, the only way to defeat her is by using a pure, closebat fighting style!¡¹


    Ciel spoke as she readied her ¡¶Celcius de¡·.


    However, May quickly shouted, ¡¸WAIT!¡¹.


    ¡¸Is there something the matter, May?¡¹


    Ciel asked. She guessed that Ciel was pondering about something.


    ¡¸Everyone, please step back and stand behind me!¡¹


    After saying those words, May moved her hand to the cor on her neck and took out a ne.


    ¡ºUfufufu¡­ is that a magic tool? I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to do, but this barrier can nullify anything formed from mana, you know?¡»


    Belphegor spoke with a grin.


    Hearing that, May replied while shing a daring smile on her adorable face.


    ¡¸And that negligence is the reason for your doom!¡¹


    Then¡ª


    ¡¸Imperial-sama, lend me your power!¡¹


    She raised the magic tool she had received from Imperial before her time jump, Primordial Choker.


    Everyone wondered what was going to happen when¨D


    BZZT! BZZT!


    Pirs of lightning started to appear in front of May.


    The purple lightning bolts grew bigger and bigger with each passing second until they formed a gigantic gate.


    £¨That¡¯s, bad news¡­!£©


    A chill ran down Belphegor¡¯s spine as soon as she saw the scene in front of May.


    She invoked another ¡¶Evil Surtr¡·.


    Countless purple demon swords rushed toward May at once.


    ¡¸Not so fast! ¡¶Sacred de¡·¨D¨D!!¡¹


    Aria moved to May¡¯s side and shot her sacred de to protect May.


    ¡¸NYAN,£¨¡¶me Howling¡·£©!¡¹


    Tama fired his me howl along with Aria¡¯s de.


    The me howling merged with Aria¡¯s sacred de and annihted the demon swords from Belphegor.


    At the next moment¨D


    ¡¸TAKE THIS! ¡¶ATOMIC BREATH¡·¡­!¡¹


    May fired her attack. A torrent of terrifying and powerful ck mass exited out of the gate. This power far surpassed a dragon¡¯s.


    ¡ºGUH¡­!?¡»


    Belphegor raised an agonizing shout.


    Her barrier unfolded in front of her to protect her, but it was being shaved away little by little.


    Maybe because the barrier had reached its limit in front of May¡¯s ¡¶Atomic Breath¡·, Belphegor¡¯s horns and the crystal behind her rapidly blinked.


    ¡¶Atomic Breath¡· continued to press on.


    PRICK!!


    As the sound rang out, the barrier that always protected Belphegor got smashed.


    ¡ºJust¡­ just what in the hell is that? My barrier¡­ my barrier should be able to nullify all attacks made from mana!¡»


    Belphegor hatefully red at May.


    May replied with a confident smile on her face,


    ¡¸The answer is simple! This attack, ¡¶Atomic Breath¡·, is an attack formed from the ¨”Magical Power? of the spirit world, not mana!¡¹


    Magical power was different from mana. It was the name of an energy body that existed in this world.


    Most people in the world generally used mana to invoke their skill, but a small number utilized magical power instead. Amongst this small number were the Archmage Maiya and one of his spouses, Imperial.


    The magic tool May had received from Imperial fired a skill created from magical power, ¡¶Atomic Breath¡·.


    ¡¸As expected of the Archmage¡¯s daughter. Her power¡­ is unfathomable.¡¹


    Ciel unintentionally let out a sigh upon hearing May¡¯s words.


    ¡¸I have to say that your barrier is strong, but you need a lot of time and mana to construct it! You can¡¯t erect it again so easily after its destruction!¡¹


    ¡ºGUH¡­!?¡»


    Belphegor let out a vexed voice, maybe because May¡¯s words were spot on.


    ¡¸Well then, this is the end!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan£¨Prepare Yourself£©!¡¹


    Aria and Tama prepared theirst attack.


    ¡ºGuh¡­ I guess I¡¯ve no choice but to show you my¡­ ¨”Other Form?!¡»


    Belphegor spoke in a vexed voice.


    ¡¸EVERYONE, watch out! She¡¯s going to transform!¡¹


    Ciel yelled.


    At the next moment, a blinding, ominous purple light appeared around Belphegor¡¯s body.

 Chapter 127: VS Gyudra

    <h4>Chapter 127: VS Gyudra</h4>


    ¡ºSHHHHHHHHHHHHHS!¡»


    Gyudra raised a war cry as it approached Cedric. The middle one of its three heads raised and fired its fire breath at Cedric.


    ¡¸Good grief! As expected of an S-rank monster!¡¹


    Cedric leaped to the side, dodging the monster¡¯s wide-area breath attack. However, Gyudra¡¯s attacks had yet to end.


    Its left head fired its ice breath right where Cedrded.


    ¡¸How about this!¡¹


    Cedric raised his long sword above his head. He released the power of darkness bestowed to him by his little brother-inw, Maiya the archmage. The sword¡¯s silver de became jet-ck.


    Cedric looked at the iing ice breath with a calm expression and swung his jet-ck long sword.


    At that moment¨D


    After colliding with the jet-ck de, the ice breath vanished at a rapid pace.


    ¡ºSHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    All of Gyudra¡¯s three heads let out astonished roars.


    A mere human had single-handedly handled an attack from it, an S-rank monster. It was an unbelievable situation for Gyudra.


    The Darkness element¡¯s trait was ¨”Snatch?


    The darkness power granted to Cedric¡¯s long sword had another ability aside from being able to snatch the lifeforce of his opponent. It could snatch the energy of his opponent¡¯s attack and retain it.


    ¡¸Well then! Is it my turn?¡¹


    Cedric asked with a cool face, then swung his long sword again.


    £¨I don¡¯t know why, but I feel that I shouldn¡¯t prolong the fig¡ª£©


    Gyudra suddenly had a premonition. It shot its fire breath from its right head.


    The next moment proved that its judgment was right.


    When Cedric swung his sword, the de fired a torrent of ice energy.


    The torrent of ice energy shed with the fire breath. The sh of the two opposite energies caused a small-scale explosion.


    The impact of that explosion sent Gyudra flying away.


    Cedric, on the other hand, just had to jump back to offset the impact. He beautifullynded on the ground.


    ¡¸Yup, darkness¡¯s power is amazing after all.¡¹


    Cedric spoke with a cool expression as he readied his sword again.


    Yes, the reason he could perform the previous attack was darkness¡¯s magic.


    He made full use of the darkness element¡¯s trait. He had stored the power he snatched from Gyudra¡¯s ice breath into his sword, ready to be used at any given moment.


    That overpowered darkness element¡¯s trait, his sword, and the courage to not back down in front of an enemy¡¯s attack, all these factorsbined became the mold for Cedric¡¯sbat style.


    ¡ºSHHHHHHHHHHHHHS!¡»


    Gyudra¡¯s six eyes locked onto Cedric as it let out a low groan.


    It was starting to feel the terror of the human who stood in front of it. This human had managed to oust two of its most powerful attacks, which could annihte most living beings.


    ¡¸Since you don¡¯t want to move, allow me to steal your turn then.¡¹


    Cedric walked toward Gyudra while twirling the sword in his hand.


    Gyudra didn¡¯t attack Cedric again after thetter had absorbed its breath attack. It bared its teeth and intended to bite Cedric.


    ¡¸You might be an S-rank monster, but I guess it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re JUST a monster.¡¹


    Cedric dodged each of Gyudra¡¯s bite attacks with flowing footwork. He continued to speak to Gyudra, who had a dumbfounded look on its face.


    While dodging Gyudra¡¯s attacks, he stabbed its head with his sword, which was covered in darkness¡¯s power.


    ¡ºGYURUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¨D¨D!?¡»


    Gyudra let out a screech. More than pain, it felt dread. It felt as though this attack had robbed it of its very life force.


    If things proceeded like that¡­


    The moment Cedric pulled out his sword and was about to deliver another stab¨D¨D


    ¡ºGYURURURURURUAAAAAAAAA¨D¨D!¡»


    Gyudra let out an agonizing scream. Thest one of its three necks, its right head, fired a breath attack.


    Cedric dodged that breath with a big side step.


    However¡­


    The ground where Cedric stood just a moment ago turned into minerals along with a dry crackling sound.


    ¡¸Great! Now I know all the elements you can use.¡¹


    ¡ºGYURU¡­!?¡»


    Gyudra let out a surprised groan upon hearing Cedric¡¯s remark.


    It had shown its ace in the hole so that this human would be scared and think that it still had another hidden hand.


    Yet, the situation turned outside of its expectation. Cedric had a rxed expression on his face as if he had gotten a full grasp of his opponent¡¯s skills.


    Gyudra was known as a monster that could use different elements. That was why it was regarded as a troublesome monster amongst all the S-rank monsters. It was the reason Cedric had been biding his time.


    However, the Gyudra in front of him had already exposed all of its elements by now¡­


    ¡¸As long as I know all the elements you can use, there¡¯s no need for me to be cautious before you.¡¹


    Immediately after speaking, Cedric made a beeline toward Gyudra with a speed iparable to before.


    Then, he shed to the side with his sword, which was covered in darkness¡¯s power.


    Not so fast!


    Having realized the power of Cedric¡¯s sword in the previous attack, Gyudra didn¡¯t dare to hold back anymore. It went all out.


    Gyudra¡¯s body shone for a moment. Then, a pair of wings grew at its back.


    This form was something Gyudra had saved for a life-threatening crisis.


    Gyudra¡¯s figure rose high in the air with just one p of its wings. Then, it fired three different breath attacks toward Cedric, each from one of its mouths.


    It was an air raidposed of three elemental breath attacks! An out-of-the-box attack¡­ or so Gyudra thought.


    But¡ª


    ¡¸This is it¡­!¡¹


    After saying those words, Cedric jumped high in the air.


    He sessfully dodged the me breath with his jump. Then, he twisted his body and dodged the ice breath in the air. Lastly, he extinguished the petrification breath with his sword.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸EAT THIS!!¡¹


    He shed at Gyudra with his sword.


    This sh contained the power of the petrification breath that Cedric had snatched just now. It struck Gyudra¡¯s left wing.


    Gyudra lost one of its wings. It couldn¡¯t keep its bnce in the air, so it crashed on the ground.


    Seeing Gyudra¡¯s agonizing cry of pain, Cedric opened his mouth.


    ¡¸Ooh¡­ that¡¯s a lovely cry, don¡¯t you think?¡¹


    He stabbed the fallen Gyudra with his sword. The expression on his face made it seem as if he were enjoying this situation.

 Chapter 128: Vs Ancient Golem

    <h4>Chapter 128: Vs Ancient Golem</h4>


    ¡¸An eye for an eye! Strength against strength! ¡¶Draconic Power¡·!¡¹


    In front of the ancient golem, Ste used her dragonewt change and its derivate skill. She then charged toward the ancient golem.


    The ancient golem swung down its giant fist toward the charging Ste.


    GAGOOOOOOOOOON!


    The sound of the fist shing against the shield resonated in the room.


    Thanks to Cdbog¡¯s ability to absorb impact, Ste was unscathed despite receiving such a powerful attack with her shield.


    However, the momentum from the ancient golem¡¯s punch still forced her to retreat.


    ¡¸GUUUUH! This guy can beat me in brute strength! What a monster!¡¹


    Ste said in an agonizing voice. Even though she said those words, her face had a ferocious smile.


    It could be seen that her first sh against a monster whose strength surpassed her had ignited her battle instincts.


    ¡¸Eat this, nyan!¡¹


    Vulcan made a beeline toward the golem from the side and struck it with her Mjolnir as if she were hitting a home run.


    The Ancient golem immediately reacted and lowered its arm to the side in order to protect its nk.


    Its reaction speed was befitting that of an S-rank monster. This showed that despite its huge and sturdy frame, the golem was an intelligent being.


    ¡¸HERE IT COMES! ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    ¡¸Take this! ¡¶Branch Whip¡·~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri invoked their magic spells from the backline. Lily released a barrage of light bullets while Faeri summoned four wooden whips.


    The branch whips restrained the golem, and the light bullets struck the golem¡¯s nk, destroying its bnce in the process.


    Then, the four wooden whips that were twining around ancient golem¡¯s limbs pulled it to the side, destroying its bnce even further.


    Finally, under the cooperation of the four of them, the ancient golem toppled down like a sack of potatoes.


    ¡¸NYAOWN!¡¹


    ¡¸TAKE THIS!¡¹


    Vulcan and Ste didn¡¯t miss that chance. They leaped toward the ancient golem and struck it down with Mjolnir and iomh sis.


    Vulcan was aiming for its chest, while Ste was attacking its only eye. However¡­


    ¡ºGUGOGOGO¡­¡¶Ancient Shield¡·!¡»


    The ancient golem spoke those words with its inorganic voice.


    Two gigantic, metal shields immediately appeared in between the duo and the ancient golem. The shields repelled the duo¡¯s attacks at the same time.


    ¡¸Guh¡­ it¡¯s a tough one!¡¹


    ¡¸And those two floating shields beside it are¡­ troublesome-nyan.¡¹


    Seeing that they had failed tond a clear hit, Vulcan and Ste kicked the shield to retreat.


    ¡ºGUGOGOGO¡­¡»


    The Ancient golem stood back on its feet as it let out a low groan. Its two shields floated around it as if they were protecting their master.


    ¡¸This golem changed its fighting style!¡¹


    After saying so, Ste charged straight toward the ancient golem. As expected, the gigantic, floating shields stood in Ste¡¯s way.


    The ancient golem¡¯s gigantic shields shed against Ste¡¯s Cdbog.


    Ste just lightly pushed back. She then stepped back and rushed again.


    ¡ºGAGOGO¡­!?¡»


    The Ancient golem let out a bewildered voice upon seeing Ste¡¯s iprehensible action.


    ¡¸I see, nyaow!¡¹


    It seemed that Vulcan hadprehended the logic behind Ste¡¯s actions against the ancient golem.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸Lily-chan, Faeri-chan! Please give your full support to Ste-nyan¡¯s attack!¡¹


    Thus, she instructed the two fairies.


    ¡¸Roger that, Vulcan!¡¹


    ¡¸All out suppo~rt!¡¹


    After replying to Vulcan, Lily and Faeri used their skills again to attack the ancient golem.


    ¡ºGUGOOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D!¡»


    The ancient golem let out a warcry upon realizing that it had be the target of the two fairies.


    Thus, it moved one of its floating shields again, aiming to crush the two fairies.


    ¡¸Not so fast, nyaow!¡¹


    Vulcan leaped out to protect the two fairies. She sent the floating shield flying into another direction with a strike from her Mjolnir.


    Lily and Faeri attacked the ancient golem while Vulcan protected them.


    Meanwhile, Ste was using her charge attack with Cdbog on the other floating shield over and over again.


    ¡ºGUGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D!¡»


    Maybe because it finally snapped out, the ancient golem stopped using its floating shield. It directly charged toward Ste with its huge body.


    It seemed that the golem was disregarding Lily¡¯s and Faeri¡¯s attacks and deemed them too weak to hurt its tough body.


    ¡¸GUHAHAHAHA! BRING IT ON!¡¹


    Ste madlyughed. She again charged straight toward the ancient golem.


    Once again, the ancient golem¡¯s fist and Ste¡¯s Cdbog shed.


    However, the result of their sh was different from before.


    Ste didn¡¯t block the golem¡¯s fist with her shield this time. She inclined her shield like how Tama taught her to parry.


    ¡ºGUGO!?¡»


    The ancient golem couldn¡¯t hide its shock.


    And then, at the next moment¨D


    ¡¸EAT THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!¡¹


    Ste closed in on the ancient golem¡¯s defenseless chest and stabbed with her iomh sis.


    iomh sis¡¯ de shone brightly.


    It then released all the impact it had amassed at once from its sword¡¯s de.


    ¡ºGUGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?¡»


    The ancient golem let out a dying shriek.


    Several cracks appeared on its chest.


    Ste had been using charge attack over and over again with Cdbog to gather enough power for this one, fatal attack.


    ¡¸Faeri-nyan, now!¡¹


    ¡¸Roger! ¡¶Branch Whi~p¡·!¡¹


    Faeri grasped Vulcan¡¯s intentions and used her magic spell to seal the movements of the ancient golem¡¯s limbs.


    ¡¸This is my full purrwaaa!¡¹


    Vulcan leaped high in the air.


    She swung down Mjolnir with its boost activated toward the center of the cracks on the ancient golem¡¯s chest.


    ZUDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨DN!


    Mjolnir smashed the ancient golem¡¯s chest, and the noise resounded in the entire room.


    The golem¡¯s smashed chest exposed something embedded inside the golem. It resembled a shining red jewel.


    This jewel-like thing was the power source of the ancient golem, its ¨”Core?.


    ¡¸Lily-chan, NOW!¡¹


    Vulcan signaled Lily as the recoil from her all-out attack blew her backward.


    ¡¸Leave it to me!¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·¨D!!¡¹


    Lily locked onto the target and fired her light bullet.


    The magic spell, whose firepower and precision was on a new level now because of the training from Beelzebub, pierced through the ancient golem¡¯s core.


    ¡ºGU, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡­¡»


    Soon enough, the ancient golem stopped moving.


    The girls tried to be sure of their victory by poking the ancient golem.


    ¡¸YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAAAAAY! WE WOOOOOOON!¡¹


    ¡¸We defeated an S-rank monste~r!¡¹


    Ste, Lily, and Fairy let out joyful cries.


    Vulcan went to the three of them and shouted, ¡¸Good job everynyan!¡¹.

 Chapter 129: Belphegor 2nd Form

    <h4>Chapter 129: Belphegor 2nd Form</h4>


    ¡ºUfufufu¡­ it has been a while since I used ¨”this form?.¡»


    An ominous light, along with a heteromorphy appearance, illuminated the darkness.


    What appeared next was a dragon, a five-meter-tall, bipedal dragon.


    Then, Belphegor¡¯s upper half grew on top of the dragon¡¯s head.


    ¡¸S-she really transformed¡­¡¹


    Aria couldn¡¯t hide her shock. It showed the massive pressure she felt from Belphegor¡¯s transformed figure.


    ¡¸¡¶Celcius Spear¡·¨D¨D!¡¹


    Ciel invoked her skill. Three freezing holy spears shot forth toward Belphegor.


    ¡ºAHAHAHA! It¡¯s futile!¡»


    Belphegorughed even louder than before.


    The moment ¡¶Celcius Spear¡· struck the dragon, it vanished with a clear breaking sound.


    ¡¸Her body seems to be stronger than before.¡¹


    ¡ºThat¡¯s right¡­ Ciel. After I was resurrected in the future, my body transformed from a dragon skin to a high-dragon skin.¡»


    Belphegor sneered at Ciel.


    Dragon skin was a skill that could reduce the damage inflicted by a magic skill. It was a special skill of the dragon race that they applied to their scales.


    As for what had happened just now, the high dragon skin had directly negated Ciel¡¯s magic skill.


    Even though they had already rendered her barrier useless, Aria and co. never expected Belphegor to still have an ace in the hole. It was only expected of the one hailed as a great demon king.


    ¡¸Nyan! (Then attack with non-magic skills)!¡¹


    Tama let out adorable cries as he invoked an ¡¶Elemental Bullet¡· and ¡¶me Missile¡·. The ¡¶me Missile¡· flew toward Belphegor at tremendous speed.


    Maybe because she instinctively felt the danger from that attack, Belphegor crossed her dragon arms to protect herself.


    The moment ¡¶me Missile¡· came into contact with Belphegor¡¯s arms, an intense explosion urred.


    ¡ºGUUUUUUUU! That hurt!¡»


    An agonized voice came from the other side of the burning area. Judging from her voice, it seemed that the attack had caused insignificant damage. Since Belphegor was a demon king, her defense was something else.


    She brushed the soot that had fallen on her skin after the explosion.


    At that moment¨D


    The figure of a girl reflected in Belphegor¡¯s eyes. Aria had invoked ¡¶eleration¡· and run toward Belphegor when thetter had gotten distracted by Tama¡¯s attack. That was why Belphegor was unaware that Aria had already arrived in front of her.


    ¡¸¡¶SACRED BLADE¡·¡­!¡¹


    Aria swung her sacred de toward Belphegor. However, Belphegor proved that she was still one step ahead of Aria. She bent lower and avoided Aria¡¯s attack.


    ¡¸EAT THIS!¡¹


    After dodging the attack, Belphegorunched a counter punch toward Aria with her dragon arm.


    ¡¸TEMPEST BRINGER!¡¹


    Aria invoked her weapon¡¯s ability. She dodged Belphegor¡¯s fist with the help of the wind created by Tempest Bringer¡¯s ability.


    £¨This little girl! How can she move from such a posit¡ª£©


    Suddenly, Belphegor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    After fighting so many tough opponents, skills weren¡¯t the only things Aria had gained. She had also gained battle experience, an understanding of her own ability, and the ways to use her ability more effectively in a battle.


    ¡¸COME¡­ ¡¶Surtr¡·¡¹


    The moment her feet touched the ground, Aria heard May¡¯s voice. Thereupon, a beautiful, ephemeral, and bright silvery sword appeared in May¡¯s other hand, which had been empty.


    The name of this holy sword was¨D¡¶Surtr¡·. It was the weapon skill she had inherited from Rin, her mother who was also the female hero.


    ¡¸¡¶ck Bullet¡·!¡¹


    After ¡¶Surtr¡· was ready, May leaped high in the air using the propulsion ck bullet provided under her feet. At the next moment, she had alreadynded on Belphegor¡¯s dragon arm and pierced ¡¶Surtr¡· inside it.


    ¡ºGIIIIIIIIII!? HOW¡­ DARE YOUUU!¡»


    Belphegor screamed. She iled her arms to throw May on the ground, but May invoked her ¡¶ck Bullet¡· again and quickly got off from Belphegor¡¯s arm.


    ¡¸Belphegor, your power is definitely terrifying, but¡­¡¹


    £¨Master, so you noticed it too, huh!£©


    Tama let out an admiring expression upon hearing Aria¡¯s remark. Belphegor was far more powerful than all the opponents they had fought so far. However, after seeing the way Belphegor fought, Aria hade to a realization. Demon King Belphegor wasn¡¯t used to fighting, in short, she was close to amateur.


    And her guess was spot on.


    Demon King Belphegor was the weakest great demon king in terms of closebat prowess. Her true power was more suited formanding an army. Thus, she was a general-type demon king.


    ¡ºKUH¡­!¡»


    Belphegor¡¯s expression warped as if she just chewed up bitterbug. However, that expressionsted only a moment, then the tips of her lips drew a sneer.


    ¡ºActually I wish that I never had to use this, but I guess I¡¯ve no other choice.¡»


    An ominous sword suddenly appeared in her hand and she brandished her sword while speaking.

 Chapter 130: Premonition of a New Battle

    <h4>Chapter 130: Premonition of a New Battle</h4>


    ¡ºCOME FORTH¡­ ¡¶EVIL LEGION¡·!¡»


    Belphegor shouted as she raised the ominous sword in her hand to the sky. At the next moment, countless circr magical objects appeared in front of Belphegor.


    Arge number of monsters, including Armored Wolves and Living Armor, appeared out of those magic circles.


    ¡ºGU-GUH¡­¡­¡»


    Belphegor let out an agonizing roar. Tears of blood ran down her eyes. Her condition made it seem that she had summoned arge number of monsters with the ominous sword in her hand at the cost of her life force.


    ¡ºUfufufu¡­ now, wake up, my minions!¡»


    Belphegor ordered the monsters to wake up. All the monsters rushed toward Aria and co. while screaming.


    ¡¸NYAN¡¶me Howling¡·!¡¹


    However, they received a warm wee from Tama¡¯s me roar. The me wrapped up the vanguard of those monsters, all at once.


    But¡­


    ¡ºAHAHAHAHA¨D¨D! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!¡»


    Belphegorughed even louder than before. More monsters crawled out of the magic circles.


    ¡¸¡¶Octaleap¡·¨D¨D!¡¹


    Ciel shouted as she leaped in the air. She jumped so quickly that she closed in on Belphegor just a second after thetter had summoned new monsters.


    If an attack was to be executed in a straight line, Aria¡¯s ¡¶eleration¡· was the fastest. However, if it involved moving while jumping around, Ciel¡¯s ¡¶Octaleap¡· skill was faster.


    At this moment, Tama realized that Ciel¡¯s bunny girlbat uniform was truly¡­ geared for high-speedbat without hindering her movement.


    Ciel raised her ¡¶Celcius de¡· overhead, but Belphegor used ¡¶Evil Surtr¡· at once. Countless cursed swords rushed toward Ciel all at once.


    ¡¸¡¶Celcius Protection¡·!¡¹


    Ciel again invoked her ice shield the moment shended on the ground. Then, she used ¡¶Octaleap¡· again.


    ¡¸Guh¡­ this monster army and the demon sword attacking together is really troublesome¡­¡¹


    Even her attempt to strike down Belphegor with sheer speed ended up in failure. In front of such reality, a vexed expression appeared on Ciel¡¯s face.


    ¡¸Tama! Use your trump card!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n (Roger that, master)!¡¹


    Tama, who had just fired his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· toward the crowd of monsters, stopped upon hearing Aria¡¯s voice.


    Then, he shot forth his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· for thest time as he nodded at Aria.


    He could finally focus his mind after creating some distance from the monsters¡¯ vanguard ¡­


    £¨Here we¡­ GO!£©


    At the next moment, he released his power.


    A blinding silver light enveloped Tama. The silver light became brighter and bigger. It finally took a shape.


    ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!


    Then, a roar that shook the atmosphere resounded in the room.


    The figure of a beautiful yet regal snow-white lion appeared from the light.


    Tama had evolved into his third Form.


    ¡ºSacred¡­ Beast!?¡»


    Belphegor couldn¡¯t hide her shock.


    Her shock was only natural. Tama¡¯s current figure was the figure of the sacred beast who had sealed the demon god along with the first generation hero.


    ¡¸GRRR (BURN TO ASHES)!¡¹


    Tama let out a growl. He opened his jaw and fired ¡¶me Howling¡·, whose attribute had transformed into holy the me due to the effect of his evolution.


    The roar annihted the monster army in a second. The power of Tama¡¯s attack was so terrifying that it also burned the magic circles Belphegor had created to ashes.


    ¡ºKUH¡­!? HOW DARE YOU¡­ HOW DARE YOU!¡»


    Seeing the destruction of the skill she had invoked at the cost of her life, Belphegor cursed Tama as bloody tears gushed down her cheeks.


    Tama sent a re toward the crying Belphegor.


    In front of that gaze, Belphegor faltered for a moment.


    Yet ¨D


    ¡ºSo be it¡­ I¡¯ll use my trump card¡­¡»


    Her expression turned somber. The ominous sword in her hand cast a purple light, and the same ominous light appeared from inside Belphegor¡¯s dragon jaw.


    ¡¸¡­! Be careful, she¡¯s going to use dragon breath! Take her down with your everything!¡¹


    Ciel, who saw through Belphegor¡¯s intentions, warned everyone.


    A gigantic amount of energy could be felt from Belphegor¡¯s jaw. It seemed that even a defensive skill couldn¡¯t protect Tama and the others from Belphegor¡¯s dragon breath.


    Since that was the case, Tama and co. had no choice but to counter the attack with an equally powerful attack of their own.


    ¡ºTAKE THIS! ¡¶EVIL BURST¡·!¡»


    Belphegor fired an ominous light beam from her dragon jaw.


    ¡¶FLAME HOWLING¡·!


    ¡¸EX¨D¨DCALIBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR!¡¹


    Tama fired his holy element¡¯s ¡¶Elemental Howl¡·, while Aria used her trump card, the sacred de.


    ¡¸Father, Mother, lend me your power! ¡¶CHAOS CALIBURN¡·!¡¹


    May pointed her staff to the front, then shepressed a high-density energy beam of the darkness element and holy element in front of her. Finally, she fired thatpressed energy beam.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll use my trump card too! The gate of the spirit world, open!¡­ ¡¶Celcius Buster¡·¨D¡¹


    Lastly, Ciel opened a ¨”Gate? on top of her head and fired thebined energy beam of the ice element and the holy element from within it.


    When Aria and co¡¯s attacks shed against Belphegor¡¯s attack, their power turned out to be evenly matched.


    In this situation, the one who got drained of their energy first would lose. The situation should¡¯ve been like that, but¡­


    ¨DCOME FORTH ¡¶ELEMENTAL MANIPULATION CANNON¡·!


    Tama invoked another four ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡· as he maintained his ¡¶me Howling¡·.


    With parallel activation, Tama used elemental attacks from each bit to attack the defenseless Belphegor.


    ¡ºGAGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII¨D¨D!?¡»


    Belphegor painfully screamed upon receiving an unexpected attack.


    Her dragon breath stopped, and she got engulfed in everyone¡¯s attack!


    ¡¸We¡­ did it¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, good job.¡¹


    Ciel nodded as she replied to Aria¡¯s remark. As he looked at them, even Tama let out a low growl. May directly sprawled on the floor and muttered, ¡¸So tire~d!¡¹


    After being engulfed in Tama and co¡¯s attacks, the Belphegor who hade from the future had vanished without even leaving behind a speck of dust.


    However, the moment they thought it was case closed¨D


    ¡ºUFUFUFU¡­¡»


    A voice resounded in the room.


    Aria and co. turned their eyes toward the origin of that voice.


    They saw that the crystal that had sealed up Belphegor of this era was smashed up.


    ¡ºUfufu¡­ I¡¯m finally out thanks to my future self¡­¡»


    Belphegor came out from the crystal that was her seal.


    And then¡ª


    ¡ºSee you, ufufufu¡­¡»


    Saying those words, she rose in the air.


    ¡¸¡¶ck Demonic Spear¡·!¡¹


    May immediately used her darkness magic skill.


    However, Belphegor dodged that attack. She vanished inside of the gate Ciel had opened while preparing her attack.


    ¡¸No way! I¡­ let my guard down!¡¹


    Ciel red at the gate with a pale face.


    ¡¸The Belphegor of this era has revived¡­ Moreover, what she did before¡­¡¹


    Just like Ciel, Aria also red at the gate with a dumbfounded look on her face.


    Ciel exined to Aria.


    ¡¸That gate connects to the spirit world. Belphegor¡­ she escaped to spirit world¡­ to Ark!¡¹

 Chapter 131: To Spirit World

    <h4>Chapter 131: To Spirit World</h4>


    ¡¸Something unpleasant happened in your battle?¡¹


    Cedric, who had descended from the upper floors, had guessed the situation upon seeing Aria and co¡¯s faces. Following him was the group of Vulcan.


    ¡¸Cedric, we have a problem. We subdued the future Belphegor, but then, the Belphegor of this era broke her seal and escaped to the spirit world, Ark. I¡¯ll go after her.¡¹


    Ciel spoke to Cedric as she walked toward the gate.


    Aria had anticipated this development, so she immediately spoke.


    ¡¸Take me too, Ciel-sama!¡¹


    ¡¸GRRR (Don¡¯t forget about me)!¡¹


    It was the same for Tama.


    ¡¸Aria, Tama-chan¡­ this gate isn¡¯t safe for normal humans and animals. If you don¡¯t have a special power, this gate will destroy your body.¡¹


    Ciel¡¯s words meant that although she appreciated their intentions, they had to wait in this ce.


    However, Aria got an idea.


    ¡¸Tama, please use your buff skill!¡¹


    £¨¡­! That¡¯s right! Here we go, ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·!£©


    Tama invoked his skill as soon as he understood what Aria was trying to do.


    At that moment, a golden aura enveloped every single one of them. The power of Tama¡¯s divine protection in his evolved form had gone through the roof. Its power in his infant form couldn¡¯t evenpare to that right now.


    When Ciel received Tama¡¯s divine protection, she muttered with a dumbfounded look on her face, ¡¸This¡­ power!?¡¹


    ¡¸I see, so many buffs in a single skill¡­¡¹


    She said in a serene voice as she felt the power surging forth from her body.


    At the next moment¡­


    ¡¸Understood, let¡¯s go to Ark together. This time, we will subjugate Belphegor for sure.¡¹


    Ciel said as she looked into Aria¡¯s eyes.


    ¡¸WAIT A MEOW!¡¹


    ¡¸YEAH! TAKE US TOO!¡¹


    ¡¸HOUSE-SITTING IS BORING!¡¹


    ¡¸Want to see the spirit wo~rld!¡¹


    Vulcan, Ste, Lily, and Faeri immediately dered their wishes to go with Aria and Ciel.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t forget about May! We¡¯ll take Belphegor down with all of us!¡¹


    May made a batting gesture using her cane and spoke in her usual lively voice.


    ¡¸Well, since I can¡¯t let my adorable niece go through such a dangerous situation without my supervision, you have to take me too.¡¹


    Cedric spoke while patting May¡¯s head. It seemed thest few days he had spent with May had awakened his paternity.


    Hearing that, May hugged Cedric and eximed, ¡¸Yaay, thank you, Dear Uncle!!¡¹.


    ¡¸¡­ In the end, everyone ising, huh. But, thank you. Let¡¯s defeat Belphegor together.¡¹


    Ciel said as she looked at everyone. They all nodded at Ciel.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹


    Saying so, Ciel jumped into the gate that was exuding purple lightning. Then, Aria and co followed suit.


    ¡¸Guh¡­ this is¡­ difficult¡­¡¹


    Aria said in an agonizing voice. Vulcan and the others¡¯ situation was the same.


    Complete darkness had covered their vision as soon as they had entered the gate. They felt as if they had been jolted in a semicircr canal.


    ¡¸UEee~¡¹


    ¡¸Yuuu~ck.¡¹


    Lily and Faeri let out agonizing voices when they felt this ufortable sensation for the first time in their life.


    At the next moment.


    Everyone felt that they had fallen.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸Nyaa? this ce is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸A grass¡­nd.¡¹


    Vulcan and Ste dumbfoundedly muttered. The others had the same reactions, except Ciel, who was familiar with this world.


    ¡¸¡­ That¡¯s!¡¹


    Suddenly, Aria turned around and muttered in a shocked voice. In her line of sight was a creature with a long neck and a huge body.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a dinosaur-type monster called Plesiosaur.¡¹


    Ciel ced her hand on Aria¡¯s shoulder and exined. She then turned to everyone else and said,


    ¡¸It seems we have safely crossed the dimensions. Everyone, wee! This is the spirit world¨DArk!¡¹


    ¡¸Spirit world¡­ we really are in the spirit world.¡¹


    Cedric wrily smiled as he spoke. It was a reaction expected on seeing another world. Even a brave man like Cedric, who had traveled all around the world and seen all kinds of scenery, the scene before him right now waspletely different from any kind of scenery he had witnessed before.


    ¡¸Shall we start moving as soon as it¡¯s possible, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Right, who knows when that meownster will attack us.¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan asked Ciel while looking at the Plesiosaur flying in the sky.


    Ciel replied that it was okay.


    ¡¸The monsters in this area are herbivorous. They don¡¯t attack people.¡¹


    £¨A monster that doesn¡¯t attack people, huh¡­ Such a mysterious world!£©


    Tama, who had returned to his original form during the dimension transfer, rested in Aria¡¯s embrace.


    ¡¸U~hm, it¡¯s useless! I can¡¯t feel Belphegor¡¯s reaction!¡¹


    A depressed look appeared on May¡¯s face as she stared at thepass-like magic tool in her hand. Belphegor could have already moved on to another ce.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s move first. I have an acquaintance in the vige around this area. Let¡¯s try to gather the information first.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s go with your idea, Ciel-san. You¡¯re more knowledgeable about this world, after all.¡¹


    Cedric agreed with Ciel.


    Led by Ciel, the party started moving. Aria, Tama, and Vulcan had tense expressions on their faces, while Lily, Faeri, and Ste were looking around with excitement. May had sped Cedric¡¯s hand, while Cedric walked toward the vige with the gentle smile of a parent.


    And thus, they opened a new page of their journey to subjugate Belphegor¨Dthe spirit world.

 Chapter 132: Taming Dinosaur Type Monster

    <h4>Chapter 132: Taming Dinosaur Type Monster</h4>


    The group walked for several dozen minutes!


    ¡¸This is such an amazing ce! We can even see giant monsters roaming around in this ce¡­¡¹


    Aria said with admiration.


    In their walk, they had seen several Plesiosaurs like the one they had spotted at first. And just as Ciel had told them, they did not need to fear that the monsters would attack.


    They were walking because Ciel couldn¡¯t use her carriage due to the condition of the road being way too horrible.


    Suddenly, a serious expression appeared on Ciel¡¯s face.


    ¡¸Be careful, everyone. I found a huge carnivorous monster.¡¹


    While saying so, Ciel conjured her ¡¶Celcius de¡·.


    She had seen the figure of a T-rex-type monster simr to Noir and Freya far away in front of her.


    ¡¸A carnivorous monster!¡¹


    ¡¸Will it attack us?¡¹


    Vulcan and Ste tilted their heads to the side as they spoke.


    Ciel replied, ¡¸Yeah, it will.¡¹ She then walked forward.


    It seemed the monster had already noticed Ciel and co¡¯s presence. Without waiting for another second, it made a beeline toward Aria and co. at its fastest speed.


    ¡¸¨”Acrocant?, huh. Everyone, please leave this monster to me.¡¹


    After saying so, Ciel cast off her overcoat and transformed into a bunny girl both in literal sense and reality. She then dashed toward the Acrocant.


    ¡ºGRRRRRRRRRRRR¨D¨D!¡»


    The monster, Acrocant, let out a warcry upon seeing the bunny girl. It opened its giant jaw and rushed toward Ciel.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been itching to fight a dinosaur-type monster, you see.¡¹


    Ciel dodged the Acrocant¡¯s bite with a side step as an unusual smile made its way to her face. The Acrocant didn¡¯t stop. It turned to the side and executed a sweep attack with its tail.


    However, such an attack wouldn¡¯t work against the female hero. This time, Ciel calmly back-stepped and dodged the tail.


    The moment the tail attack missed Ciel, she leaped up above the Acrocant¡¯s head and stabbed the crown of its head with her ¡¶Celcius de¡·.


    ¡ºG¡ªR!¡»


    The Acrocant fell with an agonizing roar. Seeing that, Ciel took out a potion from her cleavage and applied it on the crown of the Acrocant¡¯s head.


    Aria and co couldn¡¯t hide their shock when they witnessed this scene.


    The Acrocant had recovered due to the effects of potions, and it stood on its feet again. Then, it leaned over in front of Ciel, presenting its head beneath Ciel¡¯s feet. The monster acted just like a pet would in front of its master.


    ¡¸Tamingplete! From now on, your name is ¨”Natsu?. ¡¹


    Ciel spoke as she patted its head. The Acrocant, Natsu, replied with a lively growl.


    £¨I see! Taming monsters, huh. As expected of the spirit world.£©


    As he gazed upon the scenery before him, Tama recalled that Ark was a world where people and monsters coexisted.


    ¡¸WOOOOOW!¡¹


    ¡¸Unbelievable! So that¡¯s how you tame a monster!¡¹


    May couldn¡¯t hide her excitement while Cedric looked curious. The rest of the group were the same.


    ¡¸Come out, Noir, Freya.¡¹


    Ciel took out the arkball strapped on her waist and summoned the other two T-rex-type monsters.


    Her action confused Aria and co even more.


    Ciel exined to her confusedrades, ¡¸From here on, we are going to ride on their backs.¡¹


    ¡ª I see now. With the third dinosaur-type monster, Ciel finally had enough dinosaurs for everyone to ride.


    Following Ciel¡¯s instruction, Aria and co got on the dinosaur¡¯s backs.


    Even though they couldn¡¯tpliment riding on a dinosaur¡¯s back as a nice experience, they were at least moving faster than they did while walking.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹


    With the cue from Ciel, the dinosaur monsters started to run.


    Frightened expressions appeared on Aria¡¯s and Vulcan¡¯s faces, while Ste, the two fairies, and May looked like they were enjoying the time of their life.


    ¡ô


    Dozens of minutester¨D


    ¡¸We have arrived at ¨”Ibra Vige?.¡¹


    Ciel spoke as she descended from Natsu¡¯s back.


    The group had arrived in a certain hamlet. They saw several small dinosaur-type monsters mixing along with the vigers and even a little kid running along with the dinosaur amongst them¡­


    Aria and co realized that the coexistence of people and monsters ran far deeper than they had imagined. They descended from Noir¡¯s and Freya¡¯s backs.


    As they stepped foot on the ground, a viger suddenly called out to them.


    ¡¸Eh¡­? No way! Are you Ciel-sama!?¡¹


    ¡¸And you¡¯re, could it be¡­ Hana?¡¹


    Ciel asked as if she had recalled this woman.


    ¡¸YES, I¡¯M HANA! You remembered me!¡¹ the woman replied in a shrill voice.


    It seemed Hana was an acquaintance of Ciel from her previous visit to this world.


    ¡¸But, is something the matter? I thought you had returned to your home world, Ciel-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Actually, we got involved in a reallyplicated situation that led us to visit this world again. Can you guide us to the vige chief first?¡¹


    Upon hearing Ciel¡¯s words, Hana guessed that something had happened.


    ¡¸Understood¡¹ she replied with a serious look on her face, then turned around to guide them.


    ¡¸First, I¡¯ll exin to the vige chief the reason I came to this world again along with myrades, and then, I¡¯ll ask him for information about Belphegor.¡¹


    Ciel exined to Aria and co, then proceeded to follow Hana.


    The others also walked alongside her.

 Chapter 133: Ibra Village

    <h4>Chapter 133: Ibra Vige</h4>


    ¡¸Ciel¡­ sama?¡¹


    An old woman weed the group with a rather perplexed voice once they arrived at a house inside the vige.


    ¡¸It has been a while, Vige Head. Due toe circumstances, I¡¯m visiting this world again.¡¹


    Upon entering the house, Ciel greeted the old woman, who was the vige head.


    ¡¸For Ciel-sama toe here again, something troublesome must have happened.¡¹


    The vige head said as she offered everyone to sit down. Aria and co epted and sat down on their seats.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll get to the point without beating around the bush, Vige Head. The truth is that an existence known as a demon king has escaped from our world into this world.¡¹


    ¡¸A demon¡­ king?¡¹


    The vige head again spoke in a confused voice.


    Ignoring the vige head¡¯s confusion, Ciel continued her story.


    ¡¸A Demon King is an existence that¡¯s equal to a disaster in our world. And I¡¯ve returned to this world along with myrades to subjugate that very existence.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ I see. In short, you¡¯re stopping by this vige to get more information about that demon king, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes! Have you heard any rumors regarding such an existence?¡¹


    Even though she had be quite old, one could see that the vige head should¡¯ve been a beauty in her younger days.


    The vige chief replied to Ciel, ¡¸Come to think of it, a young man in this vige said that he saw a star falling in the direction of the western valley a few hours ago. Then, he also saw several stars falling in the direction of the ins.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ The first falling star was Belphegor. And the several falling stars which cameter were¡­ us¡¹


    Ciel guessed after hearing the vige chief¡¯s information. Everyone nodded together. They agreed with Ciel¡¯s opinion.


    ¡¸It¡¯s decided then! Let¡¯s head to the western valley. We just need to search its vicinity, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Besides, there¡¯s abyrinth in the western valley. If we can¡¯t find Belphegor in the valley¡¯s vicinity, we have to look for her inside thebyrinth.¡¹


    Ciel replied to Aria¡¯s remark as she stood up.


    She headed toward the western valley, and everyone else followed her.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Ciel-sama.¡¹


    Suddenly, the vige head stopped Ciel.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Vige Head?¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you for your efforts in protecting this world. However, everyone in your party seems to be exhausted¡­ Are you sure that you want to fight a cmity-like existence in such a condition?¡¹


    Maybe it was because of her job as a vige head, but she could tell from Aria and co¡¯s faces that they were exhausted.


    Aria and co. couldn¡¯t even rebuke the vige head¡¯s remarks.


    ¡¸Hana, please take our guests to the guest house. You must rest for today.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood, Vige Head!¡¹


    ¡¸Also, prepare a warm dinner and hot water for them as well. It¡¯s about the time for dinner, after all¡­¡¹


    The vige head retreated to her house after giving instructions to Hana.


    Ciel said, ¡¸Let¡¯s do as she says, everyone.¡¹ She sent a wry smile toward the vige head.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Fuu¡­ the water¡¯s temperature is perfect, Tama?!¡¹


    Aria said in a relieved voice as shepletely rxed in the huge bathtub. Tama enjoyed Aria¡¯s bre*st sandwich and also raised an adorable cry with ¡¸Nya~n¡¹.


    ¡¸GUNUNUNU! I want to hug Tama too¡­¡¹


    Ste enviously looked at Tama and Aria while immersing her body in the bathtub. Beside her, Vulcan also looked at the two and thought (It seems Nyai~ce¡­).


    ¡¸Nothing can beat a warm bath after a long day of battle~!¡¹


    ¡¸I feel alive!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri floated beside Aria, fully enjoying the bath.


    ¡¸The hot water in this vigees from a natural hot spring, it can relieve fatigue.¡¹


    Ciel, who had immersed herself in the bathtub, exined to them. She was enjoying the natural hot spring in this world after a long time, and her face was really calm right now.


    ¡¸Mu! I wanted to take a bath together with Uncle Cedric¡­¡¹


    May spoke in a slightly dissatisfied voice while dipping her feet into the hot spring.


    When Hana had guided the group to the bathroom, May had tried to enter the male bathroom with her uncle, Cedric. In the end, she had gotten kicked out of the room by none other than Cedric.


    Even though he had awakened to his paternity after he met May, entering the bathtub naked with a woman, albeit his niece, was too much of a hurdle for him.


    He truly was wasting his cool and handsome face. But, one might say that Cedric was a safe choice due to the unnaturally high female count of their party.


    ¡¸I hope the subjugation of Demon King Belphegor progresses nicely.¡¹


    Aria spoke as she hugged Tama.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Aria. Belphegor¡¯s power should¡¯ve weakened right after her revival. We can subjugate her when we find her. In fact, she might be in the middle of hiding to recover her power right now.¡¹


    Ciel ced her hand on Aria¡¯s shoulder as she cheered thetter in a calm voice.


    Not wanting to lose, Tama also rubbed his head at Aria¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ thank you. Ciel-sama, Tama¡­¡¹


    Apparently, their encouragement worked as Aria¡¯s worry-filled face returned to her usual cheerfulness.


    ¡¸By the way, Aria, I really want to hug Tama, but¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No. I won¡¯t let anyone hug Tama when we¡¯re in a bathtub?!¡¹


    Not even a request from Ciel, a hero, could make Aria concede the right to hug Tama during a bath.

 Chapter 134: Western Valley

    <h4>Chapter 134: Western Valley</h4>


    The next morning¨D


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹


    Straddling on the back of the dinosaur-type monster, Ciel ordered her monsters to walk again.


    The three dinosaur-type monsters received the order and immediately started running while carrying Aria and co. on their backs.


    Their goal was the western valley and its surroundings. If they couldn¡¯t find Belphegor in the vicinity of the western valley, they nned on entering thebyrinth inside the valley.


    ¡¸Please! Be careful, everyone!¡¹


    ¡¸Come to our vige again if something happens.¡¹


    Hana, who had prepared their bath, meal, and lodging the previous night, saw them off. The vige chief was there as well.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸This is the western valley.¡¹


    Ciel said as she descended from her dinosaur-type monster.


    After moving for about two hours with a few short breaks along the way, the group had finally arrived in the western valley. From here on, they had to go on foot since the scaffolding in the valley was terrible.


    The party walked along a river. As they looked ahead of them, they found various kinds of dinosaur-type monsters here and there.


    ¡¸They are herbivorous dinosaur-type monsters. Looking at their condition, it seems Belphegor isn¡¯t around this area.¡¹


    Ciel showed a disappointed look as she spoke. She made her judgment after seeing how well behaved the herbivorous monsters were.


    May, who walked beside Ciel, took out herpass-like device.


    ¡¸¡­! It¡¯s faint, but I¡¯m getting a demon king-like reaction from this tool!¡¹


    When she saw the movement of the needle in her magic tool, she raised her voice and notified everyone. The group stiffened upon hearing her words.


    ¡¸What do you mean by faint, May-sama?¡¹


    Aria asked with a stiff look on her face.


    May exined to her.


    ¡¸I think this might be the result of her revival, but it seems as if something is obstructing her presence!¡¹


    ¡¸Obstructing her presence¡­ Does that mean Belphegor is hiding inside thebyrinth?¡¹


    ¡¸I see! The possibility is quite high.¡¹


    Cedric nodded at Ciel. He agreed with her opinion.


    In short, Belphegor really dide to this valley.


    ¡¸But, we stillck the decisive evidence to confirm whether Belphegor is really inside thebyrinth or not. Let¡¯s take a look around the valley first before entering thebyrinth.¡¹


    Ciel led the way as she spoke. The others started their search.


    ¡ô


    One hourter¨D


    ¡¸Can¡¯t find her at all!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaybe, Belphegor is really inside thebyrinth?¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan exchanged a conversation with slightly tired faces. When Ciel saw that, she suggested that they start looking inside thebyrinth after a short break.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s take a lunch break for now! Don¡¯t you agree with me, Tama-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan(Leave it to me, Cedric-dono)!¡¹


    Tama let out an adorable cry to answer Cedric¡¯s question while invoking ¡¶Storage¡·. The group still had some leftover ingredients, which they had prepared before their journey.


    ¡¸Aria! Meat for me!¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it, it has been a while since we ate in nature. Let¡¯s have a simple barbeque, Ste-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAAAAAAAY!¡¹


    Ste showed a delighted look on her face and struck a guts pose.


    Hearing that, Tama started the preparation for new firewood.


    Everyone worked together to build a simple bonfire near the river. Then, they stuffed the firewood into that bonfire and set it on fire.


    After that, they set a metal on top of the bonfire and ced the meat that they had already pickled in sauce beforehand along with sliced vegetables on top of the.


    Aria turned over the food, checking its grilled state.


    The meat juice that had spilled over on the evaporated due to heat. This gave rise to an unbearable, smoky aroma, which baited Ste and the two fairies toe closer.


    While waiting for the food to be ready, Aria and Vulcan prepared the tes for everyone.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s dig in!¡¹


    Ste gobbled down on the meat after she said those words. It was followed by a delighted voice. It seemed she had been quite hungry.


    Even the other party members showed astonished looks as they tried the meat. The meat that had been pickled in Aria¡¯s special sauce was just superb.


    Aria offered a piece of meat pierced with her fork to Tama with an ¡¸A~h¡¹ while grilling the next batch.


    Tama happily stuffed his cheeks with the meat. As he stuffed the meat into his mouth, his expression was that of pure bliss.


    ¡¸T-Tama-chan, I want to feed you too¡­¡¹


    Ciel also presented some meat to Tama with blushed red cheeks.


    She was slightly embarrassed since her current actions were the exact opposite of her usual cool attitude.


    £¨It has been in my mind since a while ago, but¡­£©


    £¨Ciel-sama is so adorable nyan¡­£©


    Aria and Vulcan whispered to each other as they saw that scene.


    However, right at that moment¨D


    ¡¾GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR¡­¡¿


    A roar resounded inside the cave, thebyrinth.


    Following that, several carnivorous-looking, small dinosaur-type monsters came out from the cave.


    ¡¸They are¡­ ¨”Raptors?.¡¹


    Seeing the iing enemy, Ciel stood up and summoned ¡¶Celcius de¡· in her right hand.


    ¡¸Since the monsters areing out of thebyrinth¡­¡¹


    ¡¸It means that something abnormal has happened right inside thebyrinth! And the cause of that might be none other than Belphegor!¡¹


    Cedric and May said.


    At this moment, the monsters, the raptors, rushed toward Aria and co.


    ¡¸EAT THIS! ¡¶CELCIUS NAIL¡·!¡¹


    Ciel swung her ¡¶Celcius de¡· to the side as she shouted the name of her skill. The raptors that got hit by the shining ice de instantly turned into ice sculptures, then shattered to pieces.


    ¡¸Everyone, it seems this is the signal to end our lunch. Let¡¯s enter thebyrinth.¡¹


    The entire party nodded at once. After tidying up the bonfire and preparing their equipment, they headed into thebyrinth.

 Chapter 135: Ark’s Labyrinth

    <h4>Chapter 135: Ark¡¯s Labyrinth</h4>


    Labyrinth, 1st floor¨D¨D


    ¡ºGRRRRRR¡­!¡»


    Several raptors growled and rushed toward Aria andpany.


    ¡¸¡¶eleration¡·¨D¨D!¡¹


    Aria leaped forward as she invoked her skill.


    She easily cut through the raptors¡¯ windpipes with her simple yet deadly knives¡¯ work and light movement.


    ¡¸As expected of Aria.¡¹


    Ciel praised Aria for her pure knife skill. Using her knives, Aria had defeated the raptors without even utilizing Tempest Bringer¡¯s ability or any offensive skill.


    ¡¸Receiving such straightforward praise from Hero-sama makes me feel rather embarrassed¡­¡¹


    Aria scratched her slightly flushing cheeks.


    It was only natural for her to feel like that.


    Ciel found that the number of monsters she had encountered along the way on the first floor was greater than that during thest time she had visited thisbyrinth.


    Everyone worked together as they went deeper into thebyrinth. Finally, they reached close to the entrance of the second floor.


    As they walked forward to the entrance, a roar resounded in the room.


    ¡¸Two ¨”Cybertech-REX?, huh! Everyone, be careful! In this world, they are A-rank monsters.¡¹


    Ciel stopped walking and warned her party members of the danger ahead.


    The two roaring monsters turned toward the group as if they were predators seeing their prey.


    Even though their figures resembled that of T-Rex-type monsters like Noir and Freya, they were at least twice as big as a T-Rex type monster, and their body was covered with metal-like armor everywhere. [Note: Mecha Go*dz]


    ¡¸INTERESTING! I¡¯LL BE YOUR OPPONENT!¡¹


    ¡¸COUNT MEOW IN TOO!¡¹


    Ste walked forward with an excited look on her face. Vulcan tapped the handle of her mjolnir to her shoulder and followed her.


    ¡º¡ºGAOOOO!¡»¡»


    The two Cybertech-REX let out war cries at the same time and charged toward the two girls.


    The ground shook with every step they took as if to show that they were far heavier than they looked.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS!¡¹


    Ste transformed into her Dragonewt form and immediately used charge attack. Her Cdbog collided with one of Cybertech-REX.


    ¡ºGUooN!?¡»


    The Cybertech-REX raised an astonished growl. It had never expected that its prided ram attack, which made full use of its overwhelming body mass, had been stopped by a mere human girl.


    On the other side¨D


    ¡¸TAKE THIS! MEOWJOLNIR!!¡¹


    Vulcan leaped high in the sky with a shout. She knocked her Mjolnir down on the other Cybertech-REX¡¯s head.


    ¡ºGAOOon!¡»


    The fallen Cybertech-REX let out an agonizing cry. It turned around at the next moment and used its tail to sweep Vulcan.


    CLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¨D¨DAANK!


    The attack was followed by a resounding n. Immediately after that, the astonished growl of the Cybertech-REX who had used tail attack reverberated in the air. Vulcan had knocked down the monster¡¯s tail attack, and because of this, the Cybertech-REX lost its bnce.


    ¡ºGAO¡­n.¡»


    Both Cybertech-REX retreated while letting out low groans. It looked like they would retreat and escape; that was what everyone had expected. Surprisingly, they were ring at Vulcan and Ste.


    It seemed they had no intention to escape.


    The moment Vulcan and Ste readied their weapons and nned on closing in the distance between them and their opponents¨D


    ¡¸What¡¯s that?¡¹


    ¡¸Their armor is shineowing!¡¹


    The armor of the two Cybertech-REX let out a faint light.


    ¡¸Be careful! They are about to use their sma breaths!¡¹


    Ciel shouted at Vulcan and Ste to warn them about the iing attacks.


    Upon a closer look, the party could make out that the light wasn¡¯t justing from the armor. It was alsoing out from inside the two Cybertech-REX¡¯s mouths.


    The Cybertech-REX was also capable of using breath attack.


    ¡¸TOO SLOW! ¡¶Branch Whip¡·~!¡¹


    An adorable voice rang behind Vulcan and Ste.


    Faeri had invoked her skill.


    Branch whips grew out from beneath the two Cybertech-REX¡¯s feet. Then, the whips twined around the two monsters¡¯ mouths and forcefully shut their jaws.


    ¡º¡º¨D¨D!!!?¡»¡»


    The Cybertech-REX started to panic. Just when they were about to use their breath attacks, their mouths had been shut.


    The other fairy didn¡¯t let go of that chance.


    ¡¸GOOO! ¡¶Fairy Bullet¡·!¡¹


    This time, Lily¡¯s voice rang out.


    Four light bullets appeared in front of her. The panicked Cybertech-REX didn¡¯t notice the iing light bullets. Thus, the ¡¶Fairy Bullets¡· pierced right into the Cybertech-REX¡¯s eyes.


    ¡º¡ºGOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨DNNNNN!?¡»¡»


    Assailed by the paining from their eyes, the two blinded Cybertech-REX let out painful roars, which resounded in the vicinity.


    ¡¸GOOD JOB! LILY, FAERI!¡¹


    ¡¸NYAICE SUPPORT!¡¹


    Both Ste and Vulcan gave thumbs up to the two fairies.


    Ste beheaded the head of one of the Cybertech-REX with her iomh Sis. Vulcan smashed the other Cybertech-REX¡¯s skull with Mjolnir.


    £¨Hou! Lily and Faeri also showed remarkable growth!£©


    Tama praised the two fairies, who gave their support to the vanguard without any instructions.


    It was truly a good thing that the fairies could grow this far even though they hade out of the forestbyrinth just a while ago.

 Chapter 136: Aria’s Growth

    <h4>Chapter 136: Aria¡¯s Growth</h4>


    ¡¸Eh? That¡¯s strange!¡¹


    As the group walked toward the third floor, May suddenly spoke in a puzzled voice.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, May-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Uncle Cedric! Belphegor¡­ Belphegor¡¯s presence keeps getting away!¡¹


    May replied to Cedric while looking at thepass-like magic tool in her hands. Her words surprised everyone equally.


    ¡¸She¡¯s currently on the deepest floor of thisbyrinth. And yet, for some reason, her presence keeps getting farther and farther away from us ording to this magic tool.¡¹


    With her finger on her chin, Ciel pondered this phenomenon.


    Judging from the path the group had passed along the way, they could tell that thisbyrinth should have no secret paths or something simr. Moreover, Belphegor was on thest floor.


    Despite all that, Belphegor¡¯s presence seemed to be getting farther and farther away from them.


    It was an iprehensible, unscientific, and definitely unmagical phenomenon.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s keep moving forward for now. I think we will find the answer when we arrive at the final floor.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, Vulcan. Look, another enemy iing!¡¹


    Ciel agreed with Vulcan as she looked into the deeper parts of thebyrinth. At the next moment, two monsters appeared from those depths. One of them had a giant, scissor-like leg and a tail with a pointed end-like needle. It was a giant scorpion-like monster. The other was an eerie monster like the Cybertech-REX monster from before, but this one had two heads and a serpent-like tail.


    ¡¸¨”Scorpionodon? And ¨”Cybertech Chimera?. Troublesome guys popping out one after another, huh!¡¹


    Ciel red at the two iing enemies and picked up her ¡¶Celcius de¡·.


    ¡¸What do you mean by ¡°Troublesome,¡± Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Aria, these two monsters can use poison attacks. Please, be careful! Their poison is deadly.¡¹


    Ciel replied to Aria¡¯s question while checking on the monsters¡¯ movements.


    The tails of both Scorpionodon and Cybertech Chimera were poisonous. As a side note, both were A-rank monsters in this world.


    ¡¸Tama, please use that!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(Roger that, master)!¡¹


    Tama replied with an adorable cry.


    Soon, a golden light enveloped everyone¡¯s body. It was one of Tama¡¯s inherent skills, ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·.


    Tama¡¯s buff granted poison resistance to the buff¡¯s targets. With this, there was no need for the group to fear the poison attacks of the two monsters.


    ¡¸This power! It¡¯s such a wonderful skill!¡¹


    A smile appeared on Ciel¡¯s lips as she leaped forward with ¡¶Celcius de¡· in her hand. Her target was the Scorpionodon.


    ¡¸Well then¡­ I guess the other one is mine!¡¹


    Aria readied her tempest bringer and rushed toward the Cybertech Chimera. Tama followed her to act as her support.


    ¡¸¡¶Celcius Nail¡·!¡¹


    It was a horizontal sh¨D


    Ciel shot forth an ice sh. Her attack was quite fast. However, contrary to its appearance, the Scorpionodon turned out to be a really nimble opponent. Ciel¡¯s attacks only managed to graze its shell.


    But¡ª


    ¡ºGYURU¡­!?¡»


    The Scorpinodon roared in surprise a momentter. One of its scissor-like pliers froze at rapid speed.


    Ciel¡¯s attack, ¡¶Celcius Nail¡·, could instantly freeze the target it touched. Just like that, the scissor-like w got frozen solid in mere seconds.


    The Scorpionodon seemed to understand what had just happened to its body. It tried to cut the frozen w from its root with its other w. Scorpionodon¡¯s quick wit was befitting of an A-rank monster.


    ¡¸HAAAAAAAA¨D¨D!¡¹


    Aria let out a warcry as she leaped toward the Cybertech Chimera.


    After jumping high above her opponent, she quickly took a nosedive by using the propelling force of her Tempest Bringer. Then, the Tempest Bringer in her left hand pierced the crown of one of the heads of her opponent.


    ¡ºHISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!¡»


    As the Cybertech Chimera made a hissing sound, its serpent tail bared its fangs toward Aria.


    ¡¸NYAA(IN YOUR DREAM)!¡¹


    However, Tama had already seen through that.


    He invoked one of his ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡·, ¡¶Water Bit¡·. Controlling it freely in the air, he fired the water jet from right under the serpent¡¯s jaw. The water jet pierced through the crown of the serpent¡¯s other head.


    ¡ºPIGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    The serpent let out a high-pitched shrill. It listlessly fell on the ground as if it had just been deprived of its ability to move.


    ¡¸NICE ASSIST, TAMA!¡¹


    Aria praised Tama. After that, using this opportunity when her opponent had faltered due to Tama¡¯s actions, Aria spun in the air and shed with her knives while falling back to the ground.


    Her dual shes tore the windpipes of both Cybertech Chimera¡¯s heads.


    Aria jumped back as soon as her feetnded on the ground.


    ¡ºGRR¡­¡­ NNNNNNN!?¡»


    ¡ºGI, GA¡­¡»


    The two-headed Cybertech Chimera groaned in pain. Soon, the light of its life faded away from its eyes due to the hemorrhage in its throat.


    ¡¸You did a good job defeating an A-rank monster you met for the first time.¡¹


    Ciel approached Aria and praised her for this feat. Behind her was the figure of the Scorpionodon, which had already turned into an ice sculpture.


    £¨Hmm, as I thought, Master¡¯s battle sense is truly exceptional. She was literally toying around with an A-rank monster she saw for the first time.£©


    Tama recalled how when he had seen Aria for the first time, a goblin mage had put her life in jeopardy.


    And that very same girl could now defeat an A-rank monster with ease without even relying on her ¡¶eleration¡· or ¡¶Sacred de¡·.


    Tama was truly delighted upon seeing his master¡¯s growth.

 Chapter 137: Cedric…

    <h4>Chapter 137: Cedric¡­</h4>


    ¡¸Guh¡­ something like this¡­¡¹


    When Ciel arrived at the end of the third floor, her face warped in frustration. A hole that exuded lighty right in front of them.


    When Ciel had visited this world before, this hole didn¡¯t exist. However, abyrinth¡¯s terrain always changed over time.


    ¡¸I see! The reason Belphegor¡¯s presence became smaller was that she has already left thebyrinth from this hole.¡¹


    Just like Ciel, Cedric¡¯s face also warped in frustration. There was a high chance of his guess being spot on.


    ¡¸It¡¯s too soon to give up. Belphegor might be still close by!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Vulcan is right. Let¡¯s go into the ce behind this hole!¡¹


    The party agreed with Vulcan and Aria. They then asked Faeri to use her ¡¶Branch Whip¡· to carry them to the other side of the hole.


    The hole was connected to the upper side of the valley.


    Normally, the group should¡¯ve split their forces to increase their searching efficiency, but their opponent was a demon king.


    They judged that splitting their forces was the most foolish idea when it came to searching for a demon king and decided to stick together. However¡­


    ¡¸Can¡¯t find her at all¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Her reaction haspletely vanished from the radar.¡¹


    As if to rub salt on the wound, May spoke with a dejected face after Aria. Belphegor¡¯s reaction hadpletely vanished from herpass-like tool.


    A heavy silence descended between the party.


    ¡¸No, we still have a way to find her.¡¹


    Suddenly, Ciel spoke up.


    ¡¸Eh, what kind of a method is that, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸A short distance from here, there¡¯s a ce called ¨”Hamlet of Horo,?. It¡¯s the center of this region, where all information in this region gathers.¡¹


    Ciel answered Aria.


    Although it¡¯d take a bit longer this way, looking for information about Belphegor in Hamlet of Horo was more logical than blindly moving in the darkness.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s try your idea, Ciel-san. Unlike us, you¡¯re more knowledgeable about this world, after all.¡¹


    Cedric suggested that after looking at everyone¡¯s face. Aria and co. nodded.


    ¡¸Since everyone agrees, let¡¯s depart immediately¡­ is what I want to say, but the sun set a long time ago. Let¡¯s camp in this valley for today. ¡¹


    Therefore, Aria and co. camped in the valley that night.


    ¡ô


    A few hourster¨D


    ¡¸Good grief! We somehow ended up visiting the spirit world.¡¹


    Aria brushed Tama¡¯s head while looking at the bonfire. Tama let out adorable cries in response.


    Everyone else was fast asleep. They had agreed to take turns every hour and keep watch.


    £¨Yeah, we really came to a far ce.£©


    Tama agreed with his master as he enjoyed her soft hand brushing against his head.


    He had reincarnated as a behemoth, had his life saved by Aria, and ended up in her care.


    After that, they had visited ddstone, the Royal Capital, Lumilus¡­ and now, they had somehow visited the spirit world too.


    ¡¸Tama, can we safely return to our world once we defeat Belphegor?¡¹


    Aria asked Tama again with a slightly anxious look on her face.


    £¨Master¡­£©


    Seeing Aria¡¯s eyes, Tama suddenly remembered something. During the short time after they had met, he was astonished by Aria¡¯s tremendous growth. However, in the end, she was just a girl.


    She must be anxious about fighting a Demon King in a worldpletely unknown to her.


    £¨It¡¯s okay, Master! I will protect you no matter where you are!£©


    After renewing his determination, Tama rubbed his head on Aria¡¯s cheek. He even licked her cheek as a special service.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ you¡¯re really kind, Tama.¡¹


    Finally, Aria¡¯s usual gentle smile returned to her face.


    She lifted Tama until his line of sight was in line with her, then¨D chu¡­ she lightly kissed Tama¡¯s forehead.


    In the illumination of the bonfire, the girl and the knight(cat)¡¯s bond was deepened to another level.


    ¡¸GRRRRRRRR! Why is it only Aria¡­ so sly!¡¹


    Ste looked at them with a vexed look on her face. Despite what she had said, she didn¡¯t do anything to disturb Aria. She showed her consideration in her own way.


    If one remembered the way Ste behaved when she had just joined the party, one could say that Ste had also experienced mental growth.


    ¡ô


    The next morning¨D


    ¡¸Uuh¡­ the condition is¡­¡¹


    Cedric let out groans while crouching on the ground.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Dear Uncle?¡¹


    ¡¸P-Please¡­ please don¡¯t get too close to me for now, May-chan!¡¹


    Cedric almost begged his niece when thetter called him.


    ¡¸Geez! You really are weak against woman, huh!¡¹


    Ciel spoke in a dumbfounded voice as she looked down on Cedric, who was crouching on the ground.


    The reason for Cedric¡¯s current condition was something that had happened when they woke up this morning.


    Cedric had been strolling around their camp to scout the area. And by coincidence, he returned just when Ciel was taking a bath in the river.


    As soon as he saw her beautiful skin and hourss figure, Cedric crumbled on the spot and vomited right there. It seemed to be a type of rejection, akin to an allergy whenever he saw a girl¡¯s skin.


    ¡¸It seems I¡¯ve quite a high hurdle.¡¹


    And yet, for some reason, May spoke such words with a pout.


    That aside, it went without saying that this little incident dyed their departure.

 Chapter 138: Air Travel

    <h4>Chapter 138: Air Travel</h4>


    They had traveled along the valley for a few hours when¨D


    ¡¸Everyone, please be careful!¡¹


    Ciel cautioned everyone while pointing at the sky. Aria and co. readied themselves as they curiously looked at the sky. Three giant bird-like monsters were flying above them.


    ¡¸Ciel-sama, what are those?¡¹


    ¡¸They are carnivorous, pterosaur-type monsters called ¨”Ptero?!¡¹


    The moment Ciel replied to Aria¡¯s question, the monsters, the Pteros, nosedived toward them. It seemed they wanted to eat Aria and co. Aria and co. got ready to wee the sweeping attack of the Pteros.


    A Ptero¡¯s sure kill strike was attacking its prey with sharp ws while using the momentum of its nosedive.


    Aria and co. side-stepped to avoid the Pteros¡¯ attacks.


    When the Pteros saw that their sure-kill attacks had missed their targets, they tried to ascend to the sky again.


    ¡¸Ciel-sama, can you tame these monsters?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ It¡¯s possible, but is there any merit in taming them? They are flying creatures. We can¡¯t get on them.¡¹


    Ciel replied to Aria¡¯s question with a puzzled look on her face.


    Even if they somehow tamed those Pteros, they had to consider the problems like atmospheric pressure and wind resistance. Riding on the backs of these Pteros at high altitudes was pretty much impossible.


    However, Ciel suddenly recalled something as she looked at Aria.


    ¡¸Interesting! Let¡¯s tame these Pteros. Everyone, please make sure to not kill them.¡¹


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, leave it to May!¡¹


    May cheerfully raised her hand upon hearing Ciel¡¯s instruction.


    The Pterosmenced their nosedive strike once again.


    ¡¸Take this! ¡¶ck Bullet¡·!¡¹


    May fired her darkness skill toward the flying monsters. The jet-ck bullets rushed toward the Pteros.


    ¡ºGAGYA!?¡»


    The Pteros lost their bnce as the ck bullets knocked them.


    And the attack had yet to end.


    Due to the special characteristic of the darkness magic skill¡ªit could rob the vitality of its target¡ªthe Pteros became too weak to p their wings and fell.


    ¡¸Good job, May!¡¹


    Ciel gave a thumbs up to May.


    She then closed in toward the fallen Pteros and stabbed them with the tip of her ¡¶Celcius de¡·.


    ¡ºGUGA¡­¡»


    The exhausted monsters had lost the strength to fly. They could only wait for their death.


    However, Ciel took out a bottle of potion from her cleavage and sprinkled its contents on the Pteros.


    Just like what had happened to the dinosaur-type monsters from before, the Pteros presented their heads to Ciel as if they were pledging their allegiance to her.


    ¡¸Tamingplete! Tama, it¡¯s your turn!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(Roger that, Master)!¡¹


    After replying to Aria with adorable cries, Tama invoked one of his inherent skills, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·.


    Thus, a golden light enveloped everyone.


    ¡¸I see nyaow!¡¹


    Vulcan finally understood Aria¡¯s n. Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡· raised all resistances of its target. Therefore, it could be used to reduce the atmospheric pressure and wind resistance when they would ride on the back of the Pteros.


    ¡¸This is the first time I¡¯m riding on a Ptero, but¡­ let¡¯s bring it on.¡¹


    Ciel got on the back of a Ptero as she spoke. Maybe because they had realized her intention, the Pteros lowered themselves so that the others could also climb on these monsters¡¯ backs.


    ¡¸Sounds fun to me!¡¹


    Ste rode behind Ciel with the look of a child who had just found a new toy. Everyone else also followed suit and sat on the Ptero¡¯s backs.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸Hahahah! AWESOME~!¡¹


    ¡¸The experience of flying in the air is AWESOME~!¡¹


    Ste and Faeri frolicked non-stop when the Ptero sprung high to the sky.


    The others, from their expressions, also enjoyed this experience.


    This was the second time Aria was flying in the air; she had ridden on the back of Tama in his 3rd form in the battle against Vassago. However, the situation during that time hadn¡¯t allowed her to enjoy the sensation of flying in the air. Thus, she was also enjoying this second experience.


    ¡¸Fuu¡­ at least, I¡¯ve managed to get a grip of myself at thest moment.¡¹


    Cedric, who sat in front of May on the Ptero¡¯s back, spoke with a wry smile on his face.


    It seemed he had recovered a bit from the rpse of seeing Ciel¡¯s naked skin in the morning.


    After flying in the air for a while, Horo¡¯s hamlet came into view.


    There was ake beside the hamlet, a lot of stone buildings, and a big mansion in the middle of the hamlet. Calling it a hamlet was an understatement. The ce was big enough to be called a city.


    ¡¸Everyone, prepare fornding.¡¹


    Ciel buckled her back as she informed everyone.


    As if they understood their master¡¯s intention, the Ptero started to descend very slowly.


    Even though this was her first time riding the back of a flying monster, Ciel could still control them skillfully. It showed why she could be a hero.


    Aria and co. followed her example, and their Pteros also slowly descended.


    Everyone safelynded on the outskirts of the hamlet.


    ¡¸It¡¯s awesome!¡¹


    ¡¸It seems we can meowve more easily with these Pteros!¡¹


    Ste and Vulcan conversed with excited looks on their faces.


    Tama had been stowed into Aria¡¯s cleavage during the flight to prevent him from falling. He also safelynded.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s get going, everyone. We have to exin our situation to the ¨”Patriarch? first.¡¹


    After storing the Pteros into the arc ball, Ciel spoke as she walked toward the vige.


    The other followed her.

 Chapter 139: Spirit and Great War of the Past

    <h4>Chapter 139: Spirit and Great War of the Past</h4>


    ¡¸Oi, that¡¯s¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No way! Is that¡­ Ciel-sama?¡¹


    As the party walked inside the Horo vige, they could hear such voicesing from the pedestrians.


    Although it had been a long time, as one would expect, many people still remembered Ciel, a hero.


    The vigers had dark brown skin. In addition, Aria had long noticed that they had another peculiar trait about them.


    ¡¸Everyone is wearing a beautiful choker.¡¹


    Yes, every viger wore a choker iid with beautiful, six-colored pyroxene.


    ¡¸The vigers in this Horo vige are from the Horo tribe. They are believers of Six Pir of ¨”Spirits?. And these chokers are the proof of their faith.¡¹


    Ciel exined to Aria.


    ¡¸Spirit nyaw?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, some people in this world have the power to call forth spirits. The Horo tribe people are one of them. That¡¯s why there is a Six Pir of Spirits¡¯ faith in this world.¡¹


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case¡­ are there other spirits outside those six, meow?¡¹


    After hearing Ciel¡¯s reply, Vulcan asked another question. Ciel nodded and continued her exnation.


    The Horo tribe believed in various spirits such as the spirit of fire¡ªIfrit, the spirit of water¡ªUndine, the spirit of wind¡ªSylphine, the spirit of the earth¡ªNom, the spirit of ice¡ªCelsius, andstly, the spirit of light¡ªlightning. Those were the names of the six spirits.


    Apart from them, there was another pir, a spirit hailed as the spirit of thunder¡ªBolt.


    ¡¸¡­? Why doesn¡¯t anyone in the Horo vige believe in the spirit of thunder?¡¹


    ¡¸Aria, the reason for that is the ¨”Great War? that happened a really long time ago.¡¹


    Ciel replied to Aria with a sad look on her face.


    A long time ago, there had been a great war between spirits, which ended up involving the people.


    In this extremely tragic war, the people split between the Horo tribe, who took the side of the six spirits, and the Elebor tribe, who took the side of the thunder spirit.


    Eventually, the six spirits won that war and the spirit of thunder, Bolt, was sealed in a small shrine in Elebor vige, the residence of the Elebor tribe.


    ¡¸Six spirits and a stray spirit, Bolt. Although the situation seems to be different, it somehow looks like the situation with the six great demon kings and the holy demon king Beelzebub in our world.¡¹


    Aria muttered after hearing Ciel¡¯s story.


    ¡¸But then, Ciel-san¡¯s power, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, great job noticing that, Cedric! It¡¯s just as you guessed. The ice power I use is the blessing from one of the spirit pirs of this world, Celcius.¡¹


    When Ciel affirmed his guess, Cedric muttered ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    That was the truth behind the power of Ciel, the female hero who wielded the power of an arch spirit from another world.


    It was for this reason when Ciel used her ace in the battle against Belphegor, she also opened the gate to this world.


    Even though Cedric still had many things to ask, it looked like he would have to wait for another chance. The reason was that they had already arrived right in front of the mansion of the Horo tribe¡¯s patriarch.


    When the gatekeeper saw Aria and co. approaching the mansion, he became vignt. However, his expression became one of surprise when he saw Ciel amongst the party.


    His reaction might only be natural since he knew Ciel had returned to her original world.


    ¡¸Y-You¡¯re¡­ Ciel-sama¡­ right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. I want to meet the patria¨D I mean ¨”Mina?. Is she in the mansion right now?¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that! Please wait for a while, Ciel-sama. I¡¯ll go inside to report first!¡¹


    The gatekeeper opened the mansion¡¯s gate right after saying that and ran inside.


    A few minutes passed.


    Aria and co. had been sitting in a certain room in the mansion.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Ciel-sama.¡¹


    The one who came out from the mansion to greet them was a young, beautiful woman.


    Dumbfounded expressions appeared on the faces of Aria and co. After all, ¡°Patriarch¡± normally refers to a middle-aged or an older man.


    ¡¸It has indeed been a while, Mina. You¡¯ve be even more beautiful than thest time I saw you.¡¹


    ¡¸Oh my! You¡¯re making this old woman shy.¡¹


    This woman who was bashfully smiling at Ciel¡¯s remark was none other than the Patriarch herself. Her gentle eyes narrowed down as she approached Ciel and greeted her.


    ¡¸By the way, do you have another errand in this world? And¡­ these people are¡­¡¹


    After smiling for a while, Mina nced at Aria and co. with a gentle look in her eyes.


    Since they would be quite conspicuous if they kept standing outside, Mina invited the group into the guest room of the mansion.


    ¡¸The truth is, a demon king from our world hase to this world.¡¹


    ¡¸A demon King¡­ If my memories serve me right, you¡¯ve told me before that they are existences simr to the thunder spirit, Bolt, in this world, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, that very same demon king. And we¡¯vee to this world to subjugate that demon king, Belphegor .¡¹


    After that, Ciel gave her the same exnation as the one she told to the vige head of Ibra vige. Then, Ciel introduced Aria and co. to Mina.


    Thereupon, Patriarch Mina¨D


    ¡¸I understand. If you¡¯re telling the truth, it means that this world is facing a great crisis right now. I shall use our informationwork to gather all information about Belphegor.¡¹


    She gave a reassuring answer.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Mina.¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, Ciel-sama. I¡¯ll feel really troubled if you do that.¡¹


    Mina gently smiled as she tried to stop Ciel from lowering her head.


    ¡¸Everyone should be tired from the long journey. You should take proper rest for today.¡¹


    After saying that, Mina called the employees in the mansion and made necessary arrangements for Aria and co.

 Chapter 140: The Kitten Got Bo*b Sandwiched Even in Another World

    <h4>Chapter 140: The Kitten Got Bo*b Sandwiched Even in Another World</h4>


    The next day¨D


    The vige patriarch, Mina, sent out letters to all ces and information brokers to gather information.


    With this, all kinds of unusual information that happened recently would reach the Horo vige.


    Aria and co. wanted to assist the search party, but they decided to stand by in the vige. They did it so that they could depart as soon as Ciel received the information about Belphegor¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡¸Somehow, it feels like a long time has passed since we could rx like this.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n.¡¹


    Aria and Tama looked up at the blue sky as they sprawled on thewn of the garden of Mina¡¯s mansion.


    Summer was just about to arrive, so they enjoyed a nice and warm sunbath.


    They were having a moment of respite. After all, they had been involved in a series of battles and adventures ever since they had epted Ciel and May¡¯s request.


    Thus, when someone told them to take a rest as soon as they arrived in this vige, they were confused about how to spend their time.


    Lily and Faeri frolicked in the spacious garden. Ste swung a borrowed wooden sword.


    Cedric and May went out for a stroll around the town as uncle and niece. Ciel left saying that she wanted to meet her oldrades.


    As for Vulcan, she said that she wanted to take a look at a weapon shop of this world. Thus, someone guided her to the workshop of Mina¡¯s acquaintance.


    ¡¸But, this kind of day doesn¡¯t feel bad at all.¡¹


    Aria stroked Tama, whoy on top of her twin melons.


    Tama nodded with a satisfied expression as he looked at his master¡¯s calm face.


    ¡ô


    One weekter¨D


    The gloomy air could be felt in the mansion during Aria and co.¡¯s stay.


    The reason was that they couldn¡¯t find any information rted to Demon King Belphegor.


    ¡¸I¡¯m getting a terrible feeling about this¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I feel the same as May-chan. A demon king not being conspicuous definitely means something fishy is going on.¡¹


    Cedric agreed with May. The current situation seemed like the calm before a storm.


    ¡¸U~h, how long must we wait! I¡¯m itching for a fight!¡¹


    Ste, a former monster, was under great stress as she couldn¡¯t fighttely.


    At that moment¨D


    ¡¸Everyone, will you lend me your ears for a minute?¡¹


    Mina entered the room as she addressed everyone.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Mina?¡¹


    ¡¸Ciel-sama and everyone else, how about you guys take a stroll around theke? Theke just happened to open starting from today.¡¹


    Mina proposed this n with a merry smile.


    ording to her, it seemed today was the day when they lifted the ban for swimming in theke.


    ¡¸OOH! Swimming!¡¹


    ¡¸Seems a lot of fun!¡¹


    ¡¸Swimming in cold sounds go~od!¡¹


    Upon hearing Mina¡¯s suggestion, Ste, Lily, and Faeri started to frolic.


    Mina gently smiled at this sight.


    She had made such a proposal because she was worried about the gloomy air surrounding Aria and co.tely.


    Thus, Aria and the others departed to a clothing store in the vige to buy swimsuits.


    The clothing store sold various kinds of swimsuits.


    ¡ô


    One hourter¨D


    ¡¸GUHAHAHAHA! This is the best!¡¹


    Ste happily swam as soon as they entered theke.


    The swimsuit she chose was a race-type swimsuit that emphasized functionality. Nevertheless, it still failed to hide her twin melons and her long, slender legs.


    ¡¸It has been a while since we yed with water like this!¡¹


    ¡¸Ahaha! It¡¯s so much fun!¡¹


    ¡¸So much wate~r!!¡¹


    May, Lily, and Faeri had fun on the shallow part of theke.


    Their swimsuits were one-pieces with a lot of frills.


    The group had been anxious at first about whether they could find a swimsuit of Lily¡¯s size or not. However, their worries turned out to be baseless. This world had magic that could adjust the clothes¡¯ sizes. Therefore, there was no problem even if the shop was for human clothes.


    ¡¸Nnya! The sunlight feels so go~od nya~n!¡¹


    Vulcan stretched her limbs on the shore of theke. The swimsuit she chose was a pure white bikini. The white swimsuit presented a nice contrast with her pale brown skin. The contrast between her youthful appearance and her majestic curves was simply out of the world.


    ¡¸Aria, I want to hug Tama-chan too¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No, Ciel-sama. Today is the day when I make Tama fall in love with my figure in the bikini?¡¹


    Ciel and Aria conversed right beside Vulcan.


    Ciel had chosen a blue silver swimsuit to match the color of her hair.


    Yet, it was doubtful whether her swimsuit could be called a swimsuit. The one she chose was a slingshot-type. Her figure was normally covered in an overcoat. However, when unleashed, it was simply¡­ dazzling.


    As for Aria, the swimsuit she picked was a ck bikini. However, it wasn¡¯t just a bikini; it was a low rise-type bikini that had extreme exposure.


    It emphasized her snow-white skin, slim waist, round and plump buttocks, and her watermelon-sized br*asts. The scene was truly a feast for the eyes.


    At that moment¨D


    £¨Kuh¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to look now!£©


    Tama, who was stowed in Aria¡¯s cleavage like usual, was in a dilemma right now.


    He was currently being besieged by almost-naked beauties from all sides. Although he had already seen their naked skin when they were in the bathtub, it was apletely different matter when they wore swimsuits. [Note: what a warped logic]


    ¡¸Muuuu¡­ just for a bit please.¡¹


    Maybe because she really wanted to hug Tama, Ciel puffed her melon-sized bre*sts up against Aria¡¯s watermelon-sized br*asts. This resulted in Tama being sandwiched in between the four giant mountains.


    (HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!?)


    Tama lost his cool.


    He had never expected that someone other than Ste would give him a ¨”Sandwich?.


    Tama found himself wrapped in between Aria¡¯s mini bikini and Ciel¡¯s slingshot bikini.


    He started counting prime numbers in his mind to diminish the mental damage he received from this useless quarrel.


    Nevertheless, this trip was a nice change of pace to reset everyone¡¯s mood. Everyone looked really rxed right now. Tama expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Mina, who had proposed this idea.


    By the way, Cedric had said ¡¸No way I can go to a ce where I will be surrounded by women from all sides!¡¹ and left for a stroll to another ce.

 Chapter 141: The Past of The Ice Hero

    <h4>Chapter 141: The Past of The Ice Hero</h4>


    Early morning of the next day¨D


    ¡¸Where are you going, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    Aria called out to Ciel, who was about to leave the mansion on her own.


    ¡¸I just want to visit a nostalgic ce to have some reminiscences. If you don¡¯t mind, how about tagging along with me?¡¹


    Ciel opened the door of the mansion as she spoke.


    A nostalgic ce for Ciel¡­


    Aria couldn¡¯t hold back her curiosity and immediately followed Ciel with Tama stowed in her cleavage.


    A while had passed as they walked along the streets of Horo vige when¡­


    A ruin-like ce appeared in front of them.


    ¡¸It¡¯s here.¡¹


    Ciel spoke as she entered the ruin.


    Glowing ores of various colors illuminated the ruin, creating a fantastic scenery. The ruins¡¯ wall had a picture of people and human-type dinosaurs living together in harmony.


    It seemed to be a ruin of an ancient building.


    They continued to walk inside the ruin.


    After a while, they arrived in a spacious area.


    This room contained sculptures of dinosaur-type monsters made of ore. These sculptures were positioned at fixed intervals with an altar ced right in the middle of the room.


    Ciel walked up the stairs, which led toward the altar. Aria and Tama closely followed her.


    Then, their eyes fell upon a geometrical pattern engraved right in the middle of the altar.


    Is that¡­ a magic circle of this world?


    ¡¸Ciel-sama, this is¡­¡¹


    Aria asked Ciel, who just looked at the pattern in silence.


    Hearing Aria¡¯s voice, Ciel replied.


    ¡¸Aria, this pattern is rted to a certain ritual made with a special technology of this world called ¨”Summon Gate?.¡¹


    ¡¸Summon¡­ gate?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! When this world faces a danger, this altar is used to summon a hero from another world.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh¡­ Does that mean¡­¡¹


    After hearing Ciel¡¯s exnation, Aria could pretty much guess the flow of the story.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s just as you imagined. I was forcefully summed to this world, Arc, by this summon gate.¡¹


    Ciel told that shocking fact with a wry smile.


    Aria and Tama were at loss for words.


    Until that point, they had been under the impression that Ciel had gone to the spirit world of her own free will. And there, she had aplished the feats of a hero.


    They could¡¯ve never expected that the reality would bepletely different from their imagination.


    Ciel had been forcibly summoned by the inhabitants of this world when this world called Arc was facing a dangerous situation.


    ¡¸Ah, please don¡¯t misunderstand! They did forcibly summon me to this world, but I¡¯ve never hated the inhabitants of this world for that.¡¹


    When Ciel saw Aria¡¯s reaction, she reminded her of that.


    Rather than being angry, Ciel felt grateful to be summoned to this world.


    The reason was that she had gained more power as a hero after forming a contract with Celcius, one of the six spirits of this world, to save this world.


    And with that power, she and Prince Julius had managed to seal one of the Seven Great Demon Kings, Belphegor, during the Ragnarok that had happened years ago back in their homeworld.


    £¨Uhm! As one would expect from a hero¡­ She has a big vessel.£©


    When Tama heard Ciel¡¯s story, he couldn¡¯t help but admire her noble heart.


    In a normal situation, if someone found out that they had to fight for an alien world due to being forcefully summoned, they would be consumed by rage.


    Yet, Ciel let go of her hatred.


    She did her best to bring peace to this world and had saved it in the end.


    Even when she returned to her homeworld, she achieved the splendid feat of sealing a Great Demon King.


    Later, she could¡¯ve ignored Belphegor, who had fled to this world, but she decided toe to this world again.


    ¡¸Aria, we can return to our homeworld anytime we want by using this altar.¡¹


    Ciel calmly exined.


    There was no guarantee that all of them would survive in the next battle against Belphegor.


    Her words meant that if they wanted to return to their world, it was theirst chance. This was thest warning Ciel gave them.


    ¡¸Ciel-sama, the reason I became an adventurer is that I¡­ yearn to be like Alisha-sama. And just a while ago, I finally gained her recognition as a warrior.¡¹


    Aria replied to Ciel.


    For her, Sword Saint Alisha was a strong yet noble warrior, the finest example of a warrior.


    Having received her idol¡¯s recognition, Aria would never prioritize her safety when there was someone else she had to protect.


    ¡¸I see, you are a noble warrior, through and through.¡¹


    Ciel crushed Aria¡¯s hair while shing a gentle smile at her. In the end, she even gave Aria a head pat.


    ¡¸E-Eh¡­¡¹


    Such an unexpected development left Aria bewildered. However, when Ciel patted her head, for some reason, she felt safe and sound.


    ¡¸Speaking of noble, you¡¯re also a splendid knight, Tama-chan. Will you continue to protect Aria?¡¹


    Ciel spoke to Tama after she stopped patting Aria¡¯s head.


    ¡¸Nyan!¡¹


    Tama vigorously replied with a ¡°Leave it to me!¡±.


    In this way, one kitten and two girls deepened their bond.

 Chapter 142: The Worst-Case Scenario

    <h4>Chapter 142: The Worst-Case Scenario</h4>


    When Aria¡¯s group returned from the altar¨D


    ¡¸You¡¯re back just in time. New information has just arrived.¡¹


    Mina greeted them with those words.


    New information has just arrived.


    The atmosphere around Aria¡¯s group tensed the moment they heard those words.


    Then, they followed Mina toward the meeting room in the mansion. The other members of their party were already inside the room.


    ¡¸Mina, what kind of news arrived?¡¹


    Ciel asked without beating around the bush.


    Mina told everyone about the news while reading the letter that had just arrived.


    ¡¸It seems that a vige under my government has been destroyed. ording to the survivors of that incident, their vige was raided by the Elebor tribe.¡¹


    ¡¸Elebor tribe¡­ Aren¡¯t they the followers of the thunder spirit, bolt?¡¹


    Aria asked for confirmation since she had heard about that particr spirit and its followers from Ciel just a while ago.


    Mina replied with a wry smile on her face. ¡¸You¡¯re right.¡¹


    ¡¸Mina, is this matter rted to Belphegor?¡¹


    Ciel set aside her worry upon seeing Mina¡¯s expression and asked that question.


    She came straight to the point. The reason was that this incident was rted to the destruction of a vige by the Elebor tribe.


    Since they had requested her to gather information about Belphegor, Mina knew that this report should be rted to the one they were looking for.


    ¡¸Ciel-sama, the Elebor tribesmen used ¨”Ominous Purple Sword?, which fired lightning, to attack the said vige.¡¹


    Mina informed Ciel.


    The moment they heard this answer, Aria and co went ¡¸¡¸¡¸!!!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The first thing that appeared in everyone¡¯s mind upon hearing ¡°Ominous purple¡­¡± was Belphegor.


    When they had fought the Demon King in their home world a while ago, Belphegor had used power rted to an ominous purple aura.


    Even though the ¡°Fired lightning¡± part made them rather confused, when Mina spoke that the culprits of the raid were the Elebor tribe, everyone guessed that Belphegor must be in cahoots with the Elebor tribe.


    ¡¸Understood! Let¡¯s check the vige at once. There¡¯s something I¡¯m worried about. We might get a clue in there.¡¹


    Ciel stood up from her chair as she said so.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right! If the Elebor tribesmen are using Belphegor¡¯s power, my magic tool might be able to detect it!¡¹


    May also stood up next to Ciel.


    She meant that they should be able to search for Belphegor¡¯s whereabouts with herpass-like magic tool.


    Thus, after finishing their preparations as fast as possible, the group went to the raided vige on Ptera¡¯s back.


    ¡ô


    It took them a while to reach their destination, with a short break interposed between¨D¨D


    They finally arrived at the destroyed vige.


    Fallen trees, ruined houses, and bloodstains could be seen everywhere in the destroyed vige.


    That spectacle was enough to tell them just how violent the Elebor tribe¡¯s attack had been.


    ¡¸THIS IS IT! There¡¯s a faint trace of Belphegor¡¯s presence!¡¹


    May delightfully screamed when she looked at the magic tool she had taken out from her pocket.


    Thus, the fact that the Elebor tribe was in cahoots with Belphegor was confirmed.


    Belphegor was a demon king who specialized inmanding an army. Ciel knew from her experience with Belphegor that the demon king would enhance her subordinate¡¯s power.


    At that moment¨D


    ¡¸H-HOW CAN IT BE!!¡¹


    Ciel let out a shocked voice as she looked into her palm.


    The color drained from her face as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she had just seen.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    Aria came to ask Ciel while stowing Tama into her cle*vage.


    She saw a mechanical-like sphere in Ciel¡¯s hand.


    ¡¸This is a magic tool called ¨”Arc Radar?. It can detect the presence of spirit, but¡­¡¹


    Ciel stopped for a moment. After looking around at everyone in the party, she continued.


    ¡¸I tried to use Arc radar just in case, and it caught the presence of the thunder spirit, Bolt.¡¹


    ¡¸B-Bolt¡­ T-that¡¯s the name of sealed thunder spirit, right?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Vulcan.¡¹


    Ciel grimaced as she replied to Vulcan.


    ¡¸Belphegor¡¯s and Bolt¡¯s reactions can be detected in a ce raided by the Elebor tribe.¡¹


    ¡¸ording to the reports, the Elebor tribesmen are using a sword that fires ominous purple lightning.¡¹


    Aria and May spoke in turn, trying to rearrange the information they had heard and the fact they had found in the vige.


    £¨The conclusion from all this information is¡­£©


    Tama, who was stowed in Aria¡¯s cleavage, arrived at a certain conclusion.


    The children¡¯s groupposed of Ste, Lily, and Faeri made faces as if they didn¡¯t understand the situation. It seemed like there were huge question marks above their heads. However, the other members of the group seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion as Tama did.


    The answer was¨D


    ¡¸It seems Belphegor resurrected Bolt with some means.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, and then she fused the power of the thunder spirit with herself and distributed it with the Elebor tribe.¡¹


    ¡¸Does that mean, the reason they raided this vige is to test how powerful they have be?¡¹


    Ciel, Aria, and Cedric spoke in turns as if to check each of their opinions.


    May and Vulcan quietly nodded as they heard the conversation.


    The normal Belphegor was extremely powerful on her own, and now, she had gained the thunder spirit¡¯s power and subordinates to maximize her full potential.


    This development far surpassed the worst-case scenario in Aria and co¡¯s minds.


    If they didn¡¯t stop Belphegor as soon as possible¡­


    Thus, Aria and co. returned to the Horo vige to report their findings to Mina.

 Chapter 143: Both are the Real Deal

    <h4>Chapter 143: Both are the Real Deal</h4>


    ¡¸Mina, we got terrible news.¡¹


    Ciel reported their findings as soon as they arrived back in the mansion.


    However¡­


    ¡¸A bad news also just arrived from my intel source, Ciel-sama. We¡¯re about to enter a state of emergency!¡¹


    Mina interrupted Ciel in a hurry.


    This puzzled everyone. Just what kind of bad news would make Mina like that.


    ¡¸A letter from my informant just arrived a while ago. ording to the letter, an army of Erebor tribesmen is heading toward this vige.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ WHAT!?¡¹


    Ciel shouted with a shocked expression.


    A tense air spread within Aria¡¯s group.


    ¡¸And that¡¯s only one part of the news. The second part of the letter also mentions that behind this army is an existence that¡¯s most likely the one you referred to as the Demon King Belphegor.¡¹


    "


    "


    This convinced everyone that Belphegor was the mastermind behind the Erebor tribe¡¯s movement.


    Finally, they got the confirmation they wanted to hear.


    After that, Aria and co. told Mina the result of their investigation, about the traces of two powers in the ruined vige.


    ¡¸The Demon King just arrived from another world, yet she revived the thunder spirit, Bolt, huh¡­¡¹


    Mina repeated the important point in Aria and co¡¯s report.


    Suddenly, a question popped up in Aria¡¯s mind.


    ¡¸For what reason is Belphegor leading the Erebor tribe¡¯s army toward this vige?¡¹


    ¡¸No way¡­¡¹


    Hearing Aria¡¯s question, Ciel let out an exasperated voice. She realized Belphegor¡¯s goal the moment she heard that question.


    ¡¸If Belphegor is looking for something in this vige, that something should be¡­ the summoning gate.¡¹


    Then¡­


    £¨I see¡­ so that¡¯s her aim!£©


    Tama thought it might be possible.


    The summoning gate was the altar used to summon a hero from another world.


    Belphegor might¡¯ve heard about that altar from the Erebor tribe. She wanted to take over the summoning gate to summon the other demon kings and the daemon tribe from their home world.


    In short, she wanted to summon the Demon Kings from her home world and change this world, Arc, into a world dominated by them, the Demon Kings.


    Seeing Ciel¡¯s expression, Tama concluded that she had arrived at the same conclusion as him.


    Ciel proceeded to exin to everyone about the summoning gate and her guess about Belphegor¡¯s goal.


    ¡¸We must not let that happen! Let¡¯s depart and subjugate Belphegor immediately!¡¹


    Aria stood up as soon as she heard Ciel¡¯s guess, ready to depart.


    However, Cedric signaled her to stop.


    ¡¸Aria-san, Belphegor isn¡¯t our only opponent. More than a thousand enemies are also waiting for us.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. And even if we break through their army, Belphegor might¡¯ve be stronger with the power of the thunder spirit, Bolt. If we charge recklessly¡­¡¹


    Ciel agreed with Cedric as she exined the real situation with aposed expression. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish her sentence.


    "


    "


    The Demon King who specialized in leading an army hadn¡¯t just acquired an army; she had even received the power of thunder spirit.


    Ciel never expected them to get cornered this far


    ¡¸Mina, how much time do we have left until Belphegor arrives?¡¹


    ¡¸By my estimation, they should arrive tomorrow, if they¡¯re moving by normal means.¡¹


    ¡¸In short, you guessed that they used the thunder spirit¡¯s power to reinvigorate their army, right?¡¹


    Ciel and Mina conversed. Mina¡¯s expression was really gloomy right now.


    Keeping aside the matter of evacuating the vigers, she was torn with two choices. She could prepare to ambush the enemy before they arrived or just abandon the vige. In case she chose thetter, what awaited them was the worst possible end.


    At that moment¨D


    ¡¸No, we might have a way out of this situation¡­¡¹


    Ciel muttered those words with a serene expression.


    She then looked at Aria and Tama, who was stowed inside Aria¡¯s cleavage.


    ¡¸¡¸¡­¡­?¡¹¡¹


    Aria and Tama tilting their heads, confused at Ciel¡¯s enigmatic gaze toward them.


    Ciel asked them a question.


    ¡¸Aria, you¡¯re gifted with the holy element. And Tama-chan, you can use fire, water, wind, and earth elements, right?¡¹


    Hearing Ciel¡¯s question, Mina muttered, ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re thinking right, Mina¡­ I¡¯m nning to let Aria and Tama undergo the ¨”Trial¡¯s Small Shrine? to confront Demon King Belphegor.¡¹


    Trial¡¯s Small Shrine¨D


    Hearing those three mysterious words, both Aria and Tama looked even more puzzled.


    ¡¸That¡¯s too reckless, Ciel-sama! Making such young children undergo Trial¡¯s Small Shrine is¨D¡¹


    ¡¸We are left with no other choice!¡¹


    Mina had spoken with an even darker expression, but Ciel cut her short in a strangely calm voice.


    ¡¸Aria, Tama-chan, I¡¯ll guide you to the ce of Trial¡¯s Small Shrine after this. You have to form a contract with the five spirits in there.¡¹


    ¡¸Contract¡­ with spirits?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, you guys are already powerful enough. That¡¯s why there shouldn¡¯t be any problem if you guys form a contract with the spirits of this world. Only then we might have a chance to beat Belphegor. But¨D¡¹


    Ciel stopped talking midway.


    Aria signaled Ciel to finish her sentence.


    ¡¸But¡­ you might lose your life in the process.¡¹


    Ciel told the two about the risk involved in the trial.


    ¡¸¡­ Still, if we clear the trial, we might stand a chance to defeat Belphegor, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    Contrary to the gloomy, self-deprecating look on Ciel¡¯s face, both Aria and Tama weed the suggestion with daring expressions.


    ¡¸You two¡­¡¹


    Ciel couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. After all, contrary to her expectations, the two of them were smiling instead of showing hesitation.


    She was convinced.


    Aria and Tama, both were the ¨”Real Deal?.


    ¡¸Well then, please show us the way to the Trial¡¯s Small Shrine.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyan(I¡¯m gonna pass that trial and form a contract with the spirits)!¡¹


    Aria and Tama.


    Having made their decisions, both looked right into Ciel¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 145: Two Battles

    <h4>Chapter 145: Two Battles</h4>


    ¡¾Let¡¯s begin, shall we¡­¡¿


    ¡¸NYAN(Ready when you are)!¡¹


    Tama was sent into the same space as Aria at the same time.


    The only difference was that the Shrine Maiden who fought Aria was armed with a sword of light, while the one facing Tama was surrounded by four elemental swords.


    The swords were red, blue, green, and ck, each d in a seemingly familiar aura.


    ¡¸Nyan£¨¡¶me Missile¡·£©!¡¹


    Tama tested the water with one of his ¡¶Elemental Bullets¡·. The ¡¶me Missile¡· appeared before him and rushed toward the Shrine Maiden.


    However, the Shrine Maiden lightly stepped away and dodged the iing attack.


    ¡¸Nya!?¡¹


    Tama let out a shocked voice.


    He wasn¡¯t shocked because the Shrine Maiden had easily dodged his attack. He was shocked because, at the next moment, the Shrine Maiden was right in front of him.


    GAKIN!


    The sound of metal shing against metal rang out.


    The Shrine Maiden used one of the swords floating around her to ambush Tama in a swift attack. Tama used one of his ¡¶Elemental Tail des¡·, ¡¶me Edge¡·, to catch the blow.


    ¡¾Quite impressive for someone with such an adorable appearance¡­¡¿


    Tama looked at the Shrine Maiden with clear eyes. Thereupon, a deep crimson sword suddenly appeared in her hand right.


    £¨Kuh¡­ so it really is an elemental sword, huh!£©


    Tama, who had already predicted that, used his ¡¶me Edge¡· to open some distance between him and the Shrine Maiden.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸NYAN£¨¡¶FLIGHT¡·£©!¡¹


    He used ¡°flight¡± to soar in the sky like an ironcat.


    He gained the high ground and fired one of his ¡¶Elemental Howls¡·, ¡¶Rock Howling¡·, toward the Shrine Maiden.


    ¡¾Flight skill¡­ Interesting¡­¡¿


    The Shrine Maiden quietly muttered those words when she saw the earth pellets raining down upon her.


    Then, she jumped. A green sword appeared in her left hand at the next moment.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough of a surprise, she jumped straight toward Tama, enduring the earth pellets, which incessantly rained on her, with an elemental sword in each of her hands.


    ¡¸Nyan£¨¡¶Elemental Maniption Canon¡·£©¡­!¡¹


    Tama suppressed his shock upon seeing the Shrine Maiden¡¯s bold attack. He invoked his next skill.


    He fired a few wind shells from one of his ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannons¡·, ¡¶Aether Bit¡·.


    Facing that, the Shrine Maiden thrust the me that had formed from the sword in her right hand and the ze that had formed from the sword in her left hand toward Tama.


    Thebination of the two swords formed an explosive st that swept through each shell Tama fired with ¡¶Aether Bit¡·.


    Tama pped the pair of wings on his back even faster to increase his gliding speed.


    However, the power of the explosion was so terrifying that it set his right wing on fire.


    £¨Kuh¡­ Such power! Those swords might be rted to the power of the spirits¡­£©


    Tamanded on the ground and took some distance from the Shrine Maiden. His guess was right; the Shrine Maiden was really powerful.


    His exchange with her had just proved that.


    His opponent, the Shrine Maiden, had yet to use her other two swords. In short, she was still holding back.


    £¨Now, since Master isn¡¯t here with me, I might be able to¡­!£©


    Tama realized that he couldn¡¯t beat his opponent unless he used that ¡°power.¡±


    Therefore, he decided to unleash his most powerful form.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸¡¶SACRED BLADE¡·¨D¨D!¡¹


    Aria swung her sacred de while still under the effect of her inherent skill. However, the Shrine Maiden received that attack with her shining sword.


    ¡¾Take¡­ this¡­¡¿


    ¡¸¡­ GUH!?¡¹


    Aria let out a groan. Not even a moment had passed since the Shrine Maiden had received Aria¡¯s sword sh, yet she had kicked Aria¡¯s abdomen.


    Nevertheless, Aria wasn¡¯t a girl who would get done in with such a kick. She controlled Tempest Bringer and used its ability to get away from the Shrine Maiden, reducing her kick¡¯s power at the same time.


    £¨She can block an attack that hasbined the speed of ¡¶eleration¡· and the power of ¡¶Sacred de¡·¡­ In that case¡­£©


    Aria understood something at once. Her opponent could see through her techniques even though she had only seen them for the first time today. Aria concluded that any half-hearted attack wouldn¡¯t work against the Shrine Maiden.


    That was why¨D


    ¡¸¡¶eleration¡·!¡¹


    Aria elerated again. She jumped above the Shrine Maiden again.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸EX¨D CALIBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR!!¡¹


    She invoked the sacred de¡¯s strongest power, her trump card. The next moment, a torrent of light swallowed the Shrine Maiden.


    ¡ô


    RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!


    A terrifying roar shook the space. Tama had used his trump card, Behemoth second Form.


    ¡¶FLAME HOWLING¡·!


    He fired his crimson breath toward the Shrine Maiden.


    On top of that, he also deployed all four ¡¶Elemental Bullets¡· and ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannons¡·, locking the Shrine Maiden with an omnidirectional attack.


    Even after seeing that, the Shrine Maiden only looked a bit surprised. Then¨D


    ¡¾Time, to go¡­ all out¡­¡¿


    She muttered those words. The two swords in her hands and the other two floating around her shone even brighter than before.


    Tama¡¯s all-out attack rushed toward the Shrine Maiden, then¨D

 Chapter 149: Spirit’s Blessing

    <h4>Chapter 149: Spirit¡¯s Blessing</h4>


    ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!


    The moment everyone got ready to sacrifice their life¨D


    A roar that shook the atmosphere resounded in the air above the battlefield.


    The next moment, crimson hellfire incessantly rained down from the sky, neutralizing Belphegor¡¯s attack.


    Everyone wondered, ¡°Who is that!?¡±.


    Belphegor looked up in the sky and opened her eyes wide in shock.


    Before her eyes appeared a pure white lion d in silver armor with a pair of archangel wings on his back. Riding on this lion¡¯s back was a beautiful, young elf.


    ¡¸They¡¯re back, huh!¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting for you, nyan!¡¹


    Ste and Vulcan cheered when they saw the white lion and the elf.


    ¡¸Tama-chan! Aria-san!¡¹


    ¡¸I knew that you guys would make it back in time!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri also cheered upon seeing the two of them return.


    Yes, the two neers were Tama in his Third Behemoth form and Aria, who was riding on his back.


    ¡¸HAH!¡¹


    Aria leaped from Tama¡¯s back. Using the power of Tempest Bringer, she propelled herself and took a nose dive toward Belphegor.


    Belphegor released a flying sh toward Aria with her spirit sword Boltia.


    Seeing the iing sh, Aria let out a scream that shook the air and released her skill.


    ¡¸¡¶STARLIGHT BLADE¡·¡¹


    Aria¡¯s brilliant sh contained the holy element, which reminded one of starlight. Her attack cut through Belphegor¡¯s flying sh and her abdomen.


    ¡ºAGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?¡»


    Belphegor let out a deafening scream. The attack had wounded her abdomen, and it was too painful.


    ¡¸I-Impossible¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Saint-sama¡­ got hit?¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s with that lion and elf?¡¹


    The Elebor tribe¡¯s warriors started to lose their cool when they saw the scene unfolding before them.


    The skill Aria had fired, ¡¶Starlight de¡·, was the evolved version of ¡¶Sacred de¡·. It had evolved due to Aria¡¯s contract with the light spirit, Lightning. The skill had be ten times stronger than before.


    Belphegor fell on her knees. Enduring the pain, she looked at Aria with bloodshot eyes.


    Growl!


    Tamanded beside Aria and growled.


    The me roar he had fired before to erase Belphegor¡¯s attack was the evolved version of his ¡¶me Howling¡· after he made a contract with the fire spirit, Ifrit. The name of the evolved skill was ¡¶Ifrit Howling¡·.


    ¡¸It looks like you guys passed the test.¡¹


    ¡¸Tama-chan and Aria-oneechan are so cool!¡¹


    ¡¸Good grief! You two overdid yourselves.¡¹


    Ciel, May, and Cedric praised Aria and Tama.


    Suddenly¡­


    ¡ºGUH¡­ HOW DARE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!¡»


    Belphegor let out a bestial scream. An ominous, purple aura enveloped her as purple lightning sparks appeared around her.


    ¡¸Tama, she¡¯s going to evolve! Time to go all out! ¡¹


    GROWL(Roger that, Master)!


    Tama and Aria also got ready to go all out.


    Just like what had happened back during their fight in thebyrinth of Usalda Pekura kingdom, Belphegor transformed into her second form, the dragon form.


    ¡ºBEHOLD, My true power!¡»


    Belphegor let out a warcry as the two wings on her back propelled her into the air.


    ¡¸TAMA!¡¹


    Growl(Leave it to me)!


    Aria mounted on Tama¡¯s back again. The two of them soared into the sky and chased after Belphegor.


    ¡º¡¶VORTEX EVIL SURTR¡·!¡»


    Upon reaching high altitude, Belphegor turned around and fired her skill downward.


    ¡¶Ifrit Howling¡·!


    Tama responded by releasing his crimson hellfire. His attack burned every one of Belphegor¡¯s demon swords to a cinder.


    That wasn¡¯t everything.


    Tama howled again. This time, he invoked one of his inherent skills, ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·.


    This skill gave tremendous buffs to Aria, Tama, and all of their allies, who were fighting on the ground.


    ¡¸Leave Belphegor to those two! We will focus on Erebor tribe!¡¹


    Ciel shouted to her allies.


    Hearing their hero¡¯s words, the Horo vige warriors, whose fighting spirits had been reignited due to the buffs from ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·, resumed their charge toward the Erebor tribe¡¯s vanguard.


    Ste and co. also went all out. They jumped toward the enemy¡¯s formation with weapons. They instinctively understood that this was the chance to turn the tide of the war.


    Thus, whether it was the vanguard or the rearguard, they used every bit of their power to annihte their enemies.


    ¡¶Ifrit Missile¡·!


    Tama invoked another one of his inherent skills. A huge ballistic missile rushed toward Belphegor, but Belphegor sensed the danger of that skill. She turned around and let out a flying sh to cut down the missile.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    The exploded ¡¶Ifrit Missile¡· dyed the sky bright red. Although Aria and Tama were safe from the heat thanks to ¡¶Divine Protection of the Lion King¡·, the same couldn¡¯t be said for Belphegor. She was in agonizing pain as the heat had burned her skin all over the ce.


    ¡ºGUUUUUUUUUUH! Then, how about this!¡»


    Belphegor opened her huge dragon¡¯s jaw.


    Violent purple light started to gather inside her mouth.


    ¡¸Breath attack, huh! Tama, let¡¯s end this!¡¹


    Growl(Roger that, Master)!


    Aria and Tama confirmed the situation with this short exchange. The next moment, Belphegor fired an ominous-colored breath attack that was covered in purple lightning from her dragon mouth.


    ¡¶Ifrit Howling¡·!


    Almost at the same time, Tama fired a holy crimson breath attack.


    Both breath attacks shed in the air. Their power was equal¡ª No! Tama¡¯s breath attack won by a small margin.


    ¡ºGuh! ¡¶Vortex Evil Surtr¡·!¡»


    At this rate, I¡¯m gonna lose!


    Realizing this, Belphegor fired numerous demon swords.


    ¡¸Fuuuu¡­¡¹


    Aria smiled. Seeing that daring smile, Belphegor was shocked.


    The next moment¡ª


    ¡¸Starlight¡­ CALIBUUUUUUUUUUUUR!¡¹


    Aria swung down Tempest Bringer. A torrent of holy light simr to starlight surged forth from her knives and fell toward Belphegor!


    ¡¶Starlight Calibur¡· was the branch skill of ¡¶Excalibur¡·. It had appeared after Aria¡¯s contract with the light spirit.


    The torrent of holy light erased Belphegor¡¯s attack along with Tama¡¯s howl attack.


    ¡ºI-IMPOSSIBLEEEEEEEEEEE!¡»


    Belphegor let out a miserable scream as the torrent of holy elemental attack was about to swallow her figure. She moved her giant wings in a hurry.


    I won¡¯t let you escape again! ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡·!


    Tama noticed that Belphegor was trying to escape just like before. So he invoked the four ¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon¡·, which had evolved after his contract with the four spirits.


    The ¡¶Ifrit Bit¡· fired crimson hellfire!


    The ¡¶Undine Bit¡· fired aser-like water jet that smelled like the ocean!


    The ¡¶Sylphine Bit¡· fired wind bullets made from superpressed air!


    Andstly, the ¡¶Gnome Bit¡· fired an extremely heavy earth bullet that was packed with the power of mother earth!


    ¡ºI-Impossible¡­ I¡¯ve ruled this world! My n! My aaaan¡­¡»


    Belphegor let out an agonizing scream as the four elemental attacks empowered by the spirits¡¯ power hit her. She exploded before she could finish her sentence.


    ¡¸WE WON, TAMA¡­!¡¹


    Growl!


    After making sure that Belphegor had really exploded and died, Aria and Tama went back to theirrades.


    When they looked down on the ground, they confirmed that it was only a matter of time before theirrade would win the war. They saw the Horo vige¡¯s warriors letting out a loud, victorious cry.


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go back to everyone!¡¹


    Growl!


    Tama flew down as he replied to Aria with a cheerful growl.


    Five lights of spirits followed them.


    It was such a majestic scene. It seemed as if the spirits were giving their blessings to Tama and co¡¯s victory!

 Chapter 150: Return

    <h4>Chapter 150: Return</h4>


    That night¡­


    ¡¸Well then! To our victory¡­ TOAST!!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸TOAST!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The victory party took ce at the center of the vige on Mina¡¯s signal. The people celebrated the subjugation of Demon King Belphegor.


    ¡¸OOO! So much delicious-looking meat!¡¹


    ¡¸Sweets too!¡¹


    ¡¸Which one we should eat fi~rst!¡¹


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri let out delighted cries upon seeing the various cuisines being carried into the assembly hall.


    ¡¸Here you go, Uncle!¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, thanks, May-chan.¡¹


    On their side was May, who poured liquor on Cedric¡¯s cup while grinning from ear to ear.


    Cedric couldn¡¯t hide his smile since his adorable niece was pouring the liquor for him. It seemed he hadpletely awakened his paternity after spending some time with his niece in this world.


    ¡¸Funya~! But still, Aria-nyan and Tama-nyan are really awesome!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I expected that we had a better chance of defeating Belphegor if they formed a contract with the spirits, but¡­ I never expected the two of them to defeat her on their own.¡¹


    Vulcan and Ciel sang praises of Aria and Tama while enjoying the liquor.


    ¡¸Fufufufu¡­ They praised us, Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    Aria smiled as she brushed Tama¡¯s head, and Tama cheerfully replied.


    £¨Uhm, we managed to defeat Demon King Belphegor and kill the thunder spirit, Bolt, along with her. That should¡¯ve taken care of the problem.£©


    Tama, who was being stowed in between Aria¡¯s melons, came to the conclusion.


    After the battle, Ciel had used the magic tool called Ark radar to search for the remnants of Bolt. However, she hadn¡¯t found anything in the end.


    It seemed Aria and Tama¡¯sst attack had eradicated him along with Belphegor.


    The survivors of the Elebor tribe had retreated after seeing Belphegor get done in.


    From the looks on their faces, it seemed that they had lost their faith after losing the thunder spirit, Bolt, and the one they regarded as his saint, Belphegor.


    Even if the Horo vige¡¯s vigers didn¡¯t go after them, it was only a matter of time before their decline.


    A tribe of another world could go extinct due to the influence of a demon king from their world.


    Although Aria and co. worried about that, Mina, the Horo vige¡¯s head, told them not to worry about that.


    Even without the Demon King¡¯s appearance, the Elebor tribe would have eventually caused havoc knowing that the seal of thunder spirit, Bolt, had already been undone. That was why Mina said that they only felt gratitude for Aria and co., who had prevented that tragedy.


    Now that there was no other problem, the only thing left for them was to fully enjoy the victory banquet.


    The party continued untilte at night¡­


    ¡ô


    The next morning¡­


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s time to return to our world.¡¹


    Ciel looked at everyone.


    After making their preparations, Aria and co. walked until they arrived in front of the summon gate in the ruins at the outskirts of the vige.


    This summon gate could safely send them back to their home world without burdening their bodies like when they came to this world.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for your help, Ciel-sama and everyone. We can¡¯t show you enough gratitude¡­¡¹


    Mina apanied Aria and co. until the summon gate to send them off.


    ¡¸We want to express our gratitude to you too, Mina. Thank you very much for your willingness to fight alongside us.¡¹


    Ciel ced her hands on Mina¡¯s shoulders.


    Aria and co. nodded together, agreeing with Ciel.


    ¡¸Well then, see you again the next time wee here, Mina.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ when such a timees, it only means that some event must have happened again.¡¹


    Mina smiled upon hearing Ciel¡¯s parting remark.


    Upon hearing Mina¡¯s answer, Ciel moved to the summon gate with a wry smile.


    Aria and co followed her.


    ¡¸Start the summon gate.¡¹


    Mina then recited an incantation. By the time she finished her incantation, the pale blue light that wasing out from the summon gate became even brighter.


    And then¡ª


    ¡ô


    ¡¸This ce is¡­¡¹


    Aria muttered the moment she opened her eyes. She turned around and confirmed that everyone was there.


    ¡¸Uhnya! It seems we¡¯re back to our home world!¡¹


    Vulcan eximed.


    The area around them was gloomy, and something resembling crystals was blooming in profusion.


    They were back in thebyrinth where Belphegor was sealed off.


    ¡¸That¡¯s strange¡­¡¹


    Ciel muttered as the others celebrated their return to their home world.


    ¡¸is something the matter, Ciel-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸The crystal¡­ I can¡¯t see the splinters of the crystal that sealed Belphegor anywhere.¡¹


    Ciel replied to Aria¡¯s question.


    Upon hearing that, everyone started to look around. They realized Ciel was right. The Belphegor of this era should¡¯ve been sealed in the crystal pir. That crystal had been smashed to pieces when she was released from her seal.


    Now, they found out that the traces of those crystal splinters had vanished.


    ¡¸Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do no matter how much we think about it. Let¡¯s go back.¡¹


    The party decided to put this matter aside and went toward the exit of thebyrinth.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸U~hm! Nothing can beat the air of our home world!¡¹


    Aria stretched her arms as soon as they left thebyrinth. Tama, who walked by her side, did the same.


    ¡¸Everyone, I guess this is the time for us to partway.¡¹


    May quietly spoke.


    ¡¸Are you going to leave already, May-chan?¡¹


    Cedric asked with a lonely expression.


    May nodded at him. She hade from the future to chase after the future Belphegor, who had alsoe to this era.


    Since the problem with the future Belphegor was already taken care of, it was time for May to go back to the future, to her era.


    ¡¸Uuh, are you sure?¡¹


    ¡¸May, I really enjoyed traveling with you.¡¹


    ¡¸Farewell is sa~d¡­¡¹


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri, who were especially close with May, spoke with lonely expressions.


    May replied to them, ¡¸Worry not! We¡¯ll meet again!¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, May. Future Belphegor might have made a mess of this world without your interference.¡¹


    ¡¸Back at you. Thank you for your cooperation too!¡¹


    Ciel and May shook hands with each other.


    £¨Come to think of it, the two of them are the main reason we started this journey.£©


    Tama felt nostalgic as he saw both of them shaking each others¡¯ hands.


    May then approached Tama and brushed his head. ¡¸Stay healthy, Tama-chan!¡¹


    Lastly, she had a handshake with Aria and Vulcan. After she finished saying goodbye to everyone, she started the preparation for transfer.


    When she raised her staff in the air, her body became wrapped in white light.


    ¡¸Everyone¡­ bye-bye! And, Dear Uncle¡­¡¹


    May paused for a while.


    Seeing that, Cedric looked at her and asked, ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹


    May prepared herself, then opened her small lips.


    ¡¸Dear uncle, I LOVE YOU!¡¹


    Then¨D


    The next moment, May¡¯s figure got wrapped in a dazzling light and vanished.


    ¡¸Cedric-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re not nning on abandoning your responsibility, right?¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan said while grinning at Cedric. Cedric could only scratch his head as he wryly smiled at them.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Maiya-kun and Rin-chan did tell me that their first child is about to be born. It has been a while since thest time I met them. Shall I ask them to let me be the child¡¯s godparent?¡¹


    ¡ô


    The next day¨D¨D


    ¡¸Again! Thank you very much for your help, everyone.¡¹


    Ciel saw off Aria and co., who were about to go back to Labyrinth city.


    She paid an extremelyrge amount of reward to Aria and co. from her own assets for their help in resolving the matter about Belphegor.


    However, Aria and co. refused that reward money.


    The reason was that thismission wasn¡¯t a formal adventurer¡¯smission, since themissioner, May, came from the future¡­ May couldn¡¯t make an officialmission via adventurer guild.


    Moreover, they had gotten a big haul in this expedition such as the experience of traveling to another world, Ark, and gained a lot of unique materials that were not avable in their home world. They could make a killing by selling all of those materials.


    ¡¸Aria, Tama-chan, you have be really strong. With such power, I think you¡¯re going to get involved in another big incident soon¡­ But, don¡¯t give up. I know that you two can surpass any difficulty.¡¹


    ¡¸Ciel-sama, thank you very much for your encouragement.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(I shall protect master from any danger)!¡¹


    Aria and Tama vigorously replied to Ciel¡¯s encouragement.


    ¡¸Well then, everyone¡­ let¡¯s go!¡¹


    Aria faced everyone and said so. Her confident smile was even brighter than before.


    The adventures of the elf girl and her cat knight, as well as herrades, were far from over.

 Chapter 151: Let’s Go Traveling

    <h4>Chapter 151: Let¡¯s Go Traveling</h4>


    On a certain day a week after Aria and co. returned from Usalda Pekura¡ª


    £¨Uhm, the peaceful daily life is the best.£©


    Tama thought as he enjoyed the feeling of being stowed into Aria¡¯s valley.


    Naturally, Aria and co. were taking a week¡¯s break from adventuring after their long, fierce battle against Belphegor.


    Currently, they were strolling in themercial district along with Ste, Lily, and Faeri for lunch.


    It was early summer. Lily and Faeri closed their eyes as they enjoyed the warm, gentle wind.


    As for Ste, she restlessly looked around at the street vendors along the way.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, it¡¯s about time for the summer solstice festival in ¨”Ryuudou?, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Aah¡­ it¡¯s already that time, huh! I want to go there, but the ship fare is so expensive.¡¹


    The group heard a conversation among the street vendors.


    ¡¸Aria!¡¹


    ¡¸What is this ¡°summa solstice festival¡± they¡¯re talking about?¡¹


    Lily and Faeri tilted their heads as they asked Aria the meaning of those words that they had heard for the first time.


    Aria gently smiled and replied,


    ¡¸Lily-chan, Faeri-chan, Summer solstice festival is a grand, yearly festival held in Ryuudou, a country governed by the queen of the oni-tribe.¡¹


    ¡¸Fest¡­ival? is that delicious?¡¹


    ¡¸Ste-chan, a festival is an event that is celebrated by everyone. People eat delicious food, sing, and dance.¡¹


    ¡¸DELICIOUS FOOD!¡¹


    ¡¸FESTIVAL!¡¹


    ¡¸Sounds fu~n!¡¹


    The eyes of the trio of Ste, Lily, and Faeri shone. They were extremely interested in this festival.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, a vacation sounds like a good idea since we have only traveled to battlefields until now. If my memories serve me right, it¡¯ll take us a week to arrive in Ryuudou by ship.¡¹


    The dragon girl and the fairy girls wore excited looks on their faces as Aria pondered the thought of a vacation.


    £¨Ryuudou, huh! That reminds me, I¡¯ve never gone there in my previous life.£©


    Tama, who was stowed in between Aria¡¯s melons, swung his tail as if to express his interest.


    Ryuudou was an archipgo country whose main inhabitants were the tribe called oni-tribe.


    Aria had heard that a long time ago, the ancestor of their tribe came from another world called earth and left behind many things such as their civilization or their lineage.


    Originally, the Summer solstice festival was a festival that belonged to their culture¨D¨D in the other world.


    Although Ryuudou had many unique skills they carried from the earth, most of these skills were considered lost technology nowadays. Even their current capital had been moved away from the old capital.


    ¡¸Fufufu, are you interested in the festival too, Tama?¡¹


    Maybe because he was in her embrace, Aria noticed Tama¡¯s mood. She gently smiled and brushed Tama¡¯s head.


    Since everyone seemed to be really interested in this, Aria and co. decided to go to Ryuudou.


    ¡ô


    One hourter, at Vulcan¡¯s weapon shop¨D


    ¡¸Nnyaa! That sounds inyeaowresting! Can I go with nyuu too?¡¹


    Vulcan immediately agreed when Aria and co. came to invite her to participate.


    Aria had thought that Vulcan would refuse her since she would have to close her shop for a while during the traveling period. However, Vulcan looked really interested in the festival; she didn¡¯t seem to care about the shop¡¯s matter anymore.


    ¡¸It¡¯s decided then. Let¡¯s book a ticket for Vulcan too! When will we depart?¡¹


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, next week, meow! if it¡¯s next week, I¡¯ll have enough time to finish my customers¡¯st orders, nyan!¡¹


    After hearing Vulcan¡¯s reply and exchanging a few more banters, Aria and co. went to secure the tickets. Since they had some time to spare, they visited the guild to make a report about them taking a vacation from adventuring.


    Although adventurers had no obligation to make such a report, the diligent Aria felt that she had to at least inform the receptionist, Arnold.


    ¡ô


    In the guild¨D


    ¡¸Oh my! Visiting Ryuudou during the Summer solstice festival sounds lovely! I want to go there too~?¡¹


    Arnold sweet(?)ly smiling upon hearing Aria¡¯s report.


    Although the sight of her(?) always sent a chill running down Tama¡¯s spine, Tama couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate Arnold since he knew that she(?) always took good care of Aria even before Tama had met Aria.


    Arnold was also an elder sister(?)-like figure to Aria. She(?) was a (wo)man with a great personality.


    ¡¸Fufu! How about youe with us too, Ana-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Oh my! Going on a vacation with Aria-chan and co. sounds lovely! Should I tell Cedric-chan about this matter?¡¹


    Arnold seemed to bepletely hooked by Aria¡¯s joke.


    She(?) might be imagining the trip with Aria and co., whom she(?) get along with, and Cedric, her(?) lover.


    Previously, Cedric had left with Aria and co. to subjugate Belphegor without telling anything to Arnold due to the circumstances. Thus, Aria could understand Arnold¡¯s feelings.


    ¡¸Well then, I guess I shall go and confirm whether Cedric-sama can take some days off. If he¡¯s okay with it, it¡¯d not be toote to buy the ticket tomorrow.¡¹


    ¡¸Ufufufun? Traveling together sounds fun?¡¹


    After exchanging a few more banters with Arnold, Aria and co. left the guild.


    The next day, Arnold told Aria that Cedric would go on the trip too. It seemed Cedric had managed to get some days off.


    After the group had secured the number of ship tickets for all of them, all that was left for them was to prepare for the trip to Ryuudou next week.


    ¡¸FESTIVAL!¡¹


    ¡¸Yea~h!¡¹


    ¡¸Lots of delicious food!¡¹


    Lily, Faeri, and Ste were in high spirits.


    ¡¸I¡¯m looking forward to the festival too, Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    Tama, who was stowed in between Aria¡¯s melons, cheerfully replied.

 Chapter 152: The Day of Departure

    <h4>Chapter 152: The Day of Departure</h4>


    One weekter, at the port¨D


    ¡¸Nya~! Everyone, good meowrni~ng!¡¹


    Vulcan ran toward Aria and co. while waving at them.


    There was no need to mention that she was excited since this was her long-awaited break and trip.


    ¡¸Good morning, Vulcan-san!¡¹


    ¡¸A-Ana-san and the others are alsoing~!¡¹


    Faeri said so as she saw Arnold and Cedric when Aria returned Vulcan¡¯s greeting.


    Arnold came with her(?) usual bondage attire, while Cedric had worn a casual attire that Aria and co. had never seen before.


    ¡¸Morning, everyone?¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you for inviting us toe together! I¡¯m really looking forward to this long-awaited holiday trip.¡¹


    Cedric and Arnold greeted everyone with bright smiles on their faces.


    ¡¸Nya~! You two are already full of spirits in the morning!¡¹


    ¡¸You jest, Vulcan-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Hahaha! Please stop teasing us.¡¹


    Cedric and Arnold cheerfully smiled upon hearing Vulcan¡¯s joke.


    £¨Hum, it seems I have already gotten used to her(?) smile, huh.£©


    Tama looked at that scene with aposed expression.


    By the way, Tama was currently being embraced by Ste.


    Aria had rewarded Ste the privilege to hug Tama for helping her in preparing the breakfast.


    Thus, Ste was currently at cloud nine for being able to hug Tama.


    Maybe because she was still sleepy, Lily peacefully slept on Faeri¡¯s head.


    ¡¸That¡¯s our ship, nya. It¡¯s quite a splendid one, nya!¡¹


    Vulcan red at the biggest passenger ship she had seen in her entire life moored at the port.


    The group would board that passenger ship that was heading toward the ind country, Ryuudou.


    ¡¸It¡¯s about time to depart. Let¡¯s get on board.¡¹


    Aria went toward the ship with an excited expression, and everyone else followed her.


    They gave their tickets to the ship¡¯s crew for inspection, then boarded the ship.


    From the outside, the ship looked like any other ship, but its interior design was amazing.


    The group reserved three guest rooms. After cing their luggage inside their rooms, Aria and co. went to the deck of the ship.


    ¡¸Another journey with a ship!¡¹


    ¡¸Yea~h!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri frolicked on the deck while enjoying the scenery.


    ¡¸Ufufufu, this is the first time I¡¯m traveling with Cedric-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Ana. I¡¯m looking forward to this trip too.¡¹


    The two conversed while leaning on the rail.


    ¡¸Gufufufu¡­ eat a lot of delicious food in the festival!¡¹


    ¡¸You really love food nya, Ste-chan.¡¹


    Ste might be imagining just what kind of delicious food would be sold at the Summer solstice festival.


    Vulcan grinned along with Ste as they imagined what kind of food they would find at the festival.


    The reason they got along really well with each other might be because they always acted together in the battle, as the tank and the offense.


    £¨Hu~hm¡­ Master and everyone else are really enjoying this trip. Well, since this is kinda like a vacation trip, I guess I should also enjoy it.£©


    Tama stretched his limbs as he saw everyone¡¯s face while walking beside Aria.


    He had kept fighting whether it was in his previous life or after he had reincarnated as a behemoth. Thus, he thought he should take this chance to get a vacation.


    Soon, the ship departed as it blew up steam from its chimney.


    The passenger ship slowly and steadily moved away from the port. The fishermen and the local children sent off the ship with waves of their hands.


    ¡¸Ahaha~! I¡¯m goi~ng!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s so much fu~n!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri waved back at them.


    This opened the curtains of Aria and co¡¯s trip!

 Chapter 153: The Demon Race’s Pirate Ship

    <h4>Chapter 153: The Demon Race¡¯s Pirate Ship</h4>


    Five days after the departure¨D


    The ship was about to reach the Rn principality, the ry point of their journey, when¡ª


    ¡¸Oi, look at that!¡¹


    ¡¸Ah! That¡¯s a rescue signal!¡¹


    The crew members created a ruckus as they looked up.


    Aria and co. became curious about the situation and went up to the deck. In the distance, they saw red smoke rising high in the sky.


    The rescue signal of a ship meant that the ship was in some danger.


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ a pirate ship! The ship is under attack!¡¹


    The sailor with a telescope in his hand shouted to hisrades. It seemed the ship that had sent the rescue signal was under attack by a pirate ship.


    ¡¸What shall we do, Captain?¡¹


    ¡¸Guh¡­¡¹


    The captain of Aria¡¯s ship seemed to be having a hard time making a decision.


    He really wanted to save the other ship. However, at the same time, he was the captain of this passenger ship. Rescuing the other ship meant that he would expose his passengers to a dangerous situation. In the first ce, he had no idea about thebat strength of the pirate side.


    ¡¸Captain, let me go there to save them.¡¹


    ¡¸A-Are you sure, Aria-sama?¡¹


    Naturally, the captain knew about Aria and co¡¯s heroic deeds; he felt at ease with them on board his ship. Every single one of them was an extremely powerful adventurer.


    ¡¸Please bring the ship close to the pirate ship while maintaining a safe distance. This child and I will take care of the rest.¡¹


    Aria pointed at Tama, who was stowed in between her gigantic melons, as she told the captain.


    ¡¸¡­ Eh?¡¹


    The captain of the ship let out a dumbfounded voice. It was only natural since he and his crew nned to join Aria to fight the pirates.


    ¡¸Quickly follow Aria-chan¡¯s suggestion, nyan!¡¹


    ¡¸U-understood! Everyone, take out our oars!¡¹


    The captain made up his mind upon hearing Vulcan¡¯s sharp voice.


    The sailors took out the oars from inside the ship and vigorously rowed toward the attacked ship. The speed of the ship rose by a notch thanks to the additional propelling power. Finally, they saw a gorgeous passenger ship and another ship with a skull g right beside it as if the other ship were clinging to the passenger ship.


    After only ten meters separated the ships, Tama let out a warcry.


    ¡¸NYAN£¨¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·£©!¡¹


    The moment Tama ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·, a golden aura enveloped him and Aria.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Tama!¡¹


    ¡¸Nyaa(Roger, Master)!¡¹


    The two leaped from the deck after that short exchange.


    One jump was enough for them to cross the ten meters distance. Theynded on the deck of the gorgeous passenger ship with a loud impact.


    ¡¸W-who are you people!?¡¹


    A woman shouted in a flustered voice upon seeing an elf and cat fall from the sky andnd right on the deck.


    With the tri-cornered hat she had on her and the saliva she spat from her mouth, this woman seemed to be the captain of the pirate. From her brown skin and emerald green hair, it could be told that she was a demon.


    There were also several male demons drinking liquor and tying up people and corpses.


    The situation could tell them that the passenger ship side had clearly put up some resistance, but they got defeated. Thus, the survivors were tied up.


    ¡¸Nyan£¨¡¶Sylphine Bit¡·£©!¡¹


    Victory goes to those who make the first move.


    Tama invoked wind¡¯s ¡¶Elemental maniption Cannon¡· to fire apressed wind bullet before the pirates could snap out from their shock.


    His attack was carefully controlled to avoid the passengers and sailors. It hit only the heads and the stomachs of the demons, rendering them unconscious.


    ¡¸DAMN YOUUUUUUUUU¨D¨D!¡¹


    The leader of the pirate, the female demon, swung her cuss with a warcry. She was the only one who had dodged Tama¡¯s attack in the nick of time. Since the wind bullet was invisible to naked eyes, she might¡¯ve dodged by instinct.


    Seeing the female demon brandishing her cuss, Aria went to intercept her.


    ¡¸¡¶TIDAL WAVE SLASH¡·!¡¹


    The female demon shouted. Pale blue water appeared around her cuss like a whirlpool. Then, she swung it down toward Aria.


    ¡¸¡¶Starlight de¡·!¡¹


    Aria also unleashed her attack to counter her opponent¡¯s move. The female demon¡¯s sh was really powerful, but Aria¡¯s attack pulverized the cuss along with the water coiling around it.


    ¡¸I-Impossible¡­ My advanced skill!¡¹


    The female demon spoke with a dumbfounded expression. Tama drove in ¡¶Gnome Edge¡· the moment he saw an opening in the female demon¡¯s defence.


    ¡¸GA¡­ HA!?¡¹


    The impact of that attack forced the female demon to spit the air in her lung, and she fell on her knees.


    After confirming that all enemies in the gorgeous passenger boat had been neutralized, Aria and Tama jumped onto the pirate ship and took care of the rest of the pirates.


    ¡¸Fuuh¡­ that must be thest one, Tama.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    Aria and Tama had conversed while jumping back to the gorgeous passenger boat. Aria then untied the tied-up passengers and tailors, who looked at her with dumbfounded expressions, while reassuring them.


    ¡¸D-Did we just¡­ survive?¡¹


    ¡¸T-Thank god¡­¡¹


    Some of them seemed to have a hard time understanding what had just happened, while others were simply delighted for their safety.


    ¡¸Thank you for saving us!¡¹


    A man rushed toward Aria and Tama while thanking them. From his attire, he obviously seemed like the captain of the gorgeous passenger ship.


    After a short exchange, the gorgeous passenger ship decided to tag along with Aria and co¡¯s ship toward the port of Rn principality.

 Chapter 154: Locomotive

    <h4>Chapter 154: Lotive</h4>


    At night, inside an inn at the port of Rn principality¨D


    ¡¸Fuuh¡­ it was a really hard day I guess.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n.¡¹


    Aria brushed Tama¡¯s head as theyy in their bed. Tama replied with an adorable purr as he brushed his head back toward his master.


    After Aria and co. had saved the passenger ship that had been attacked by the demon race¡¯s pirates, the local police had cross-examined their ounts even before their ship was docked on the port. Later on, the group was invited to a drinking party held by the passengers and sailors of the ship they had saved; the party was a token of gratitude toward Aria and co.


    As of now, Lily and Faeri had already fallen asleep due to exhaustion, while Vulcan, Cedric, and Arnold were still having a drinking bout with the locals.


    ¡¸Well then, good night, Tama.¡¹


    ¡¸NYAAA~~!¡¹


    Just like that, Aria fell asleep while embracing Tama.


    The same happened with Tama. He also entered dreand soon after¡­


    ¡ô


    One weekter¨D


    Aria and co. arrived in an area surrounded by mist.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAA~!¡¹


    ¡¸Uwaa, it¡¯s so whi~~te!!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri spoke with excited voices on top of the deck, which was surrounded by a white mist.


    Thend of the ogre race, Ryuudou, was famous for always being covered in mist.


    As evidence, the sailors couldn¡¯t see any scenery at all, yet none of them lost their cool. The calm looks on their faces was evidence that they were used to this phenomenon.


    After the ship advanced for a while inside the mist¨D


    Bit by bit, the sunlight finally shone through the mist.


    Moreover, the group also saw a port-like ce far away in front of the ship.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for participating in this long voyage. The port in front of us is Ryuudou¡¯s port city, ¨”Ganryuu?!¡¹


    With bright smiles, the sailors informed Aria and co.


    ¡¸There are so many unique buildings.¡¹


    Aria looked at the port city, Ganryuu, from the deck of the ship. The architectural style in the city waspletely different from the one she was used to seeing in Leuwin.


    ¡¸Ryuudou strongly inherited the tradition of a peculiar ce called Japan in another world after all. It¡¯s only natural for you to feel unfamiliar with it.¡¹


    Cedric exined to Aria, who had a curious look on her face, as she looked at the refreshing scenery. He also looked at the scenery with a somewhat mncholic expression.


    ¡¸Uhm? Are they the ogre race?¡¹


    Ste looked around and asked while tilting her head in puzzlement. At the end of her line of sight were people with something resembling a pair of horns growing from their heads.


    ¡¸That¡¯s correct, Ste-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸They are wearing strange attires too.¡¹


    Arnold was about to answer Ste¡¯s question, but Ste¡¯s interest moved from their horns to the clothes they had worn.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a ¨”Yukata?, their native dress. It¡¯s a dress style from another world too, their ancestor¡¯s homnd.¡¹


    This time, Cedric was the one who did the exnation for the curious Ste.


    Just as Cedric had said, most of the ogre race people walking on the port were wearing that dress from another world, Yukata, and a pair of getas on their feet.


    The ship docked on the pier as Aria and co had such banter.


    Although they were itching to get a taste of this country¡¯s native cuisine, they decided to postpone it and chose to go to the royal capital first.


    The journey toward the royal capital would take around four to five days with a coach. However, Aria and co. used another traveling method.


    It had been a while since they started walking in the port city while enjoying the nostalgic salty wind aroma when¡­


    ¡¸Uwaa!? What the hell is that!¡¹


    ¡¸Monste~r!?¡¹


    Lily and Faeri let out lively screams. The reason for their reactions was the gigantic, jet-ck object in front of them¡­


    £¨Uhm, so this is the rumored ¨”Lotive?, huh.£©


    Tama, who was stowed in between Aria¡¯s twin melons like usual, stared at the gigantic object with awe.


    Yes, the object in front of them was a lotive. This was another thing handed down in this country since a long time ago, a vehicle uniquely developed in this country.


    ¡¸If I¡¯m not wrong, it¡¯s a vehicle that¡¯s supposed to move with steam-something. Does that mean the engineer of this country remodeled it so that it can move with mana?¡¹


    ¡¸Hee¡­ Quite detailed information you got there, Aria-san.¡¹


    ¡¸I mean, it will take only two and half hours to reach the royal capital if we travel with this? Things will be more convenient if Leuwin has this too.¡¹


    Cedric, who was quite familiar with the matters of the other world, and Arnold, who had some degree of knowledge in that regard as well, replied to Aria¡¯s question.


    It was just as Arnold had said. Things would be far more convenient if such a vehicle spread to another city too, but unfortunately, the engine was designed in such a way that it could move with only the ogre race¡¯s mana. And since the ogre race people themselves rarely left their home country, the implementation of the vehicle anywhere outside was pretty much impossible.


    ¡¸Oh! Look at the time! it¡¯s about time for our departure.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Cedric-sama. Let¡¯s get into the vehicle after securing tickets.¡¹


    Seeing the people boarding the vehicle, Aria went toward the ticket counter while conversing with Cedric.


    Naturally, the one who manned the ticket counter was an ogre wearing a yukata.


    ¡¸How many tickets do you want, Dear passenger?¡¹


    Contrary to the name of their race, the ogre who manned the ticket counter had a soft and polite voice.


    After paying for the number of tickets they needed, Aria and co. quickly boarded the vehicle.


    ¡ºDear passengers, the vehicle is about to depart! Please sit in your seats!¡»


    The moment that announcement resounded in the vehicle, Aria lightly smiled as she looked at Ste, Lily, and Faeri, who were sitting in their seats with undisguised, excited looks on their faces.


    The announcement seemed to havee from the crystals installed in the ceiling of the vehicle. It might be amunication-type magic tool.


    ¡¸NNYA!? IT MEOWVED!¡¹


    The lotive started moving slowly on top of its tracks. Vulcan was unable to hide her excitement any longer.


    The lotive slowly picked up speed along with the high-pitched steam whistle!

 Chapter 155: Arriving at The Royal Capital

    <h4>Chapter 155: Arriving at The Royal Capital</h4>


    The lotive shook for a while and then¡­


    ¡ºDear passengers, we¡¯re about to arrive at Ryuudou. Please pay attention, and don¡¯t forget your luggage.¡»


    The polite announcement resounded in the vehicle again.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAA~!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s hu~ge!!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri peeked out from the window, merrily shouting as they looked at the scenery in front of the lotive.


    Then, they saw a city surrounded by ramparts even taller than Labyrinth city; Leuwin¡¯s rampart.


    The lotive headed toward the giant, open gate.


    ¡¸Such¡­ an elegant city¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n.¡¹


    Aria couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon seeing the cityscape as soon as they descended from the vehicle.


    Tama let out an adorable cry as if he was agreeing with her.


    Just like in Ganryuu, the scenery of lined-up wooden buildings with tiled roofs seems to mesh very well with the greenery.


    Even the huge castle in the center of the city, which towered over the other buildings, gave the same, refreshing feeling.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s book an inn first.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be better if there¡¯s an open room in a nice inn?¡¹


    Cedric and Arnold conversed while viewing the refreshing scenery before them.


    The party then gathered the information about the inns in the city from the ogre who acted as the station attendant. After that, they headed toward an inn.


    £¨Uhm, as expected, Ogre tribe aside, many other tribes¡¯ members are walking outside.£©


    Tama enjoyed the surrounding scenery while being shaken up and down following the movement of Aria¡¯s twin melons.


    Excluding the Ogre tribe people, who wore yukatas, members of many other tribes, such as humans, elves, and beastmen walked around the city.


    Since Summer solstice festival was around the corner, the number of tourists visiting this city for sightseeing had experienced a sharp rise.


    Various kinds of preparations, such as the construction of the stages and carts for the summer solstice festival, could be seen everywhere.


    After walking for a while¨D


    The party finally arrived at the inn, which became their destination, while bantering amongst themselves.


    Amongst the several inns rmended by the Ogre staff in the station, Aria and co. had chosen and gone to the biggest inn.


    ¡¸Wee to our inn, Dear Guests.¡¹


    Upon entering the inn, they were weed by an Ogre girl¡¯s polite greeting.


    Although she had also worn a yukata, hers had a slightly more borate design.


    Aria looked at the gorgeous yukata with a curious expression as she was being guided to the information desk. Arnold whispered to her in secret.


    ¡¸Aria-chan, the name of that dress is kimono.¡¹


    ¡¸Kimono¡­ it¡¯s so adorable?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(Yeah, it¡¯ll suit you really well, Master)!¡¹


    Tama purred in agreement after he knew that Aria had be even more interested in trying the dress after knowing its name, Kimono.


    The lobby of the inn was the perfect harmony of Japanese and Western culture with tables, sofas, and a mix of quilts.


    After making the reservations, they immediately entered their rooms. Aria, Tama, Ste, Lily, Faeri, and Vulcan chose the biggest room. Naturally, Cedric and Arnold reserved a double room.


    ¡¸GUHAHAHAHAHA~!¡¹


    ¡¸YA~Y!¡¹


    ¡¸So bi~g!¡¹


    Ste, Lily, and Faeri frolicked as soon as they entered the room.


    Just like the lobby, the room they had reserved was also a perfect blend of Japanese and Western culture.


    After opening the window, they would find themselves on a small and stylish terrace. Moreover, the rooftop of the inn offered them the full cityscape of the royal capital.


    Ste dived right into the small, yet stylish bed prepared in their bedroom. Lily and Faeri also hopped in their bed.


    Aria and Vulcan sorted out their luggage before going out again while looking at the three with warm smiles on their faces. They nned to enjoy the cuisine of this country along with everyone.


    ¡¸Aria, I want to hug Tama too!¡¹


    ¡¸Ste-chan, well I guess it¡¯s okay¡­ This is the prize for looking after Faeri-chan and Lily-chan along the way until we arrived?¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAAAAAAAY!¡¹


    Ste was in extremely high spirits after Aria rewarded her with the right to hug Tama.


    She had looked after Lily and Faeri, who always frolicked around, while also frolicking around with them herself during their sea trip with the passenger ship.


    It seemed she had be something akin to the fairies¡¯ big sister after taking care of them for so long during that trip.


    £¨Uhm¡­ Well, I guess it really can¡¯t be helped.£©


    Different from when they had just met, Tama was no longer wary of Ste¡¯s attack. H0e would allow Ste to hug him as long as Aria gave her permission.


    Tama leaped into Ste¡¯s ch*st the moment she spread her arms to wee him. The dragon girl gently caught Tama and hugged him with a wide grin.


    ¡¸YA~AY! ME TOO~!¡¹


    Lily dived in between Tama and Ste¡¯s ch*st with her usual lively smile.


    ¡¸Mu~, I want to hug Tama too~¡¹


    Faeri pouted when she saw this, but after Aria said to her that she could hug Tamater, she immediately cheered up.

 Chapter 156: Let’s Have a Fill of a Foreign Country’s Dishes

    <h4>Chapter 156: Let¡¯s Have a Fill of a Foreign Country¡¯s Dishes</h4>


    After resting in the inn for a while, Aria and co. left and walked along the main street for lunch.


    ¡¸It¡¯s such a beautiful city¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n.¡¹


    When Aria let out a long sigh while looking at thendscape again, Tama replied with his adorable cries.


    ¡¸If I¡¯m not wrong, ording to what I¡¯ve heard, this city is modeled after the ancient capital called ¨”Kyoto? in the country called Japan in the Earth.¡¹


    Cedric spoke while looking at Aria and Tama, who were as intimate as ever, with a smile.


    £¨Kyoto, huh¡­ There really are various kinds of other worlds. The scenery is different from Ark, which we visited before.£©


    Cedric¡¯s exnation made Tama recall Ark, the world which they visited to defeat the Demon Belphegor, who had escaped there.


    Aria and Tama went toward the shopping district while conversing about this topic.


    Upon arriving there, they could smell all kinds of appetizing aromasing from the stores along the street.


    ¡¸How about we try this ce?¡¹


    Arnold pointed at a store and asked the others.


    The store¡¯s exterior was elegant as if it were geared for a formal dinner.


    ¨”Arashiyama Dinner? was written on the signboard of the store.


    ¡¸Sure enough! This ce looks promising!¡¹


    ¡¸Gufufufu¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to what kind of vor they¡¯re going to show us!¡¹


    Both Aria and Ste looked at the elegant exterior of the store with anticipation in their eyes. Lily and Faeri frolicked behind them.


    Even though it was already past the time for lunch, Aria and co. still choose to enter the store.


    Just like its elegant exterior, the inside of the dinner was also elegant.


    Aria and co. were slightly bewildered about having meals in the tatami room, which was generally used for a dinner party, due to the size of their group. However, theypletely enjoyed it since it was also part of the fun of the trip.


    A while after everyone took their seat, a clerk wearing a kimono came to ask for their orders.


    Since it was their first meal in this country, the group wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. Thus, Aria and co. wanted to order the rmended set meal for this dinner.


    ¡¸Since we¡¯re traveling, let¡¯s order liquor too nyan?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, nice idea, Vulcan-san.¡¹


    Aria readily agreed to Vulcan¡¯s proposal. Thus, starting from Aria, the adult group of the party ordered liquor.


    After they decided on their order, they had a pleasant conversation for a while. Then, the meal was finally carried to their room.


    The special beef steak of this region or fish boiled in soy sauce; the local cuisine of this country, a lot of pickled vegetables, and then thinly sliced raw seawater fish, a dish called sashimi.


    ¡¸Well then, for our fun travel, TOAST!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸TOAST!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Led by Arnold, Aria and co. had a toast.


    Aria and Vulcan had chosen plum liquor. Cedric and Arnold had chosen the local liquor of this country, sake. Ste, Lily, and Faeri chose fruit juice, andstly, Tama had milk.


    ¡¸Uhm, this plum liquor is delicious.¡¹


    ¡¸Nyes! it¡¯s called pomegranate sake, right nya?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, although the alcohol content of this sake is high, it¡¯s delicious.¡¹


    ¡¸I can¡¯t stop the craving for snacks to go with this?¡¹


    Aria, Vulcan, Cedric, and Arnold, who were drinking liquor, conversed among themselves.


    On the other hand, Ste and co, who drank pomegranate juice, showed satisfied looks on their faces.


    ¡¸Tama, what do you think about the milk of this country?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(Uhm, it¡¯s vorful, Master)!¡¹


    Tama let out a satisfied cry to answer Aria¡¯s question. He was delighted to have a more vorful milk than usual.


    ¡¸T-Then¡­ let¡¯s partake the dishes¡­¡¹


    With a timid look on her face, Aria brought her chopstick toward a dish called sashimi, a sliced raw fish dish made from a fish called sea bream. That was only natural since it was her first time eating raw fish.


    She took a slice of the sashimi with the chopsticks, a utensil which she had yet to get used to. Apparently, the dish was seasoned with a light seasoning called soy sauce ording to the clerk.


    ¡¸¡­! This is¡­ delicious.¡¹


    Aria¡¯s eyes opened wide as she slowly chewed on the raw fish, savoring its natural vor.


    The body of the freshly caught fish was springy, yet it was slightly sweet and had a profound salty taste because of the soy sauce.


    ¡¸Nyaa! It¡¯s delicious, nyan!¡¹


    Vulcan followed Aria and picked up the sashimi. Cedric and Arnold followed suit.


    ¡¸Tama, A~n?¡¹


    Aria offered the sashimi, which she had already dipped a bit into soy sauce, to Tama. Tama opened his mouth wide and chewed the sashimi with a delighted expression.


    ¡¸Fufu¡­ Tama seems to like it too.¡¹


    Aria spoke with an entranced expression upon seeing Tama¡¯s delighted face. Tama replied with adorable cries after swallowing the sashimi.


    Ste, who was stuffing steak into her mouth by Aria¡¯s side, muttered with a delighted expression, ¡¸This fatty meat is shoo delicious!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri seemed to enjoy the pickled vegetables. The two fairies were happily chomping on the pickled radish.


    In this way, Tama, Aria, and the others enjoyed their first traditional meal of this kingdom.

 Chapter 157: Wearing Yukata for the First Time

    <h4>Chapter 157: Wearing Yukata for the First Time</h4>


    ¡¸It was deliciou~s.¡¹


    ¡¸I second that, nya! I¡¯m getting a bit tipsy nya~?¡¹


    The slightly tipsy Vulcan and Aria were walking along themercial district. Tama wasfortably cuddled in between Aria¡¯s twin melons. Cedric and Arnold walked in the same way beside them.


    ¡¸I want to eat more pickled veggies!¡¹


    ¡¸They¡¯re so crunchy and tasty~!¡¹


    ¡¸Meat ish de best!¡¹


    Lily, Faeri, and Ste were having a debate about the best dishes. It seemed the dishes of this country could satisfy their pte.


    ¡¸I-Is that a kimono shop?¡¹


    A whileter, Aria pointed toward a certain direction. She could see sets of traditional clothes of various colors being disyed in the disy window on the shop along the street.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s take a look inside? And since we havee this far, how about all of us buy yukatas?¡¹


    ¡¸Nnya! I think it¡¯s a really nice idea to spend our time in this country while wearing yukatas, nyan!¡¹


    Vulcan instantly agreed to Arnold¡¯s suggestion.


    As for Aria, she naturally agreed too. After all, the colorful kimonos and the yukatas had piqued her interest since she had stepped into this country.


    Thus, everyone decided to go into the store at once.


    ¡¸Uwa! There are so many kimonos to choose from!¡¹


    Aria let out a rare, excited voice upon seeing various kimonos on disy.


    ¡¸Wee to our store! Please take your time in choosing your clothes since you can also try them on.¡¹


    An ogre dressed in an elegant kimono politely greeted Aria and co. Kimonos seemed wonderful, but first, the group was looking at yukatas, which could be bought for everyday use.


    £¨Hou, this one might look good on Master.£©


    Tama was strolling inside the store. He stopped right in front of a certain yukata. This yukata was light blue and white color as its base, which gave it a refreshing impression.


    Since this was such a rare chance, Tama tried to call Aria with ¡¸Nya~n¡¹.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Tama? Ah! How lovely!¡¹


    Aria immediately came upon hearing Tama¡¯s cries. Her eyes went wide when she saw the yukata Tama pointed at with his foreleg. It seemed she had also taken a liking to the yukata¡¯s design.


    ¡¸Tama, could it be that you chose a suitable yukata for me?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n!¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, thank you! Well then, let¡¯s try this one?¡¹


    Hearing Tama¡¯s adorable cry, Aria replied with an entranced voice. Then, she called the shop assistant to help her in trying the yukata.


    Aria¡¯s porcin white skin, tinum-colored hair, and refreshing-themed yukata raised her beauty to a whole new level.


    ¡¸It looks really good on you, Dear Customer!¡¹


    After seeing Aria¡¯s figure wrapped in a yukata, the ogre tribe¡¯s shop assistant pped her hand and praised her. It wasn¡¯t empty ttery.


    ¡¸Nya~(It looks really good on you, Master)!¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu, Tama seems to like it too?¡¹


    Aria became even more delighted upon seeing Tama¡¯s reaction. Her current state was that of a maiden in love.


    ¡¸Uhm! So sly! Why it¡¯s only Aria!¡¹


    ¡¸Tama! Please choose one for us too!¡¹


    ¡¸Me too~!¡¹


    Seeing the delighted Aria, Ste, Lily, and Faeri made their moves.


    Tama couldn¡¯t refuse their requests. Although hecked confidence in choosing a woman¡¯s dress, he still chose the ones he thought were most suitable for them.


    His choice for Ste was the yukata that used white and red as its basic tone, for Lily light pink, and for Faeri light green yukata.


    Just as one would expect from a sight-seeing spot, the shop didn¡¯t just prepare a child-size yukata for Faeri; they even specially prepared smaller ones for small fairies such as Lily.


    ¡¸Gufufufu, Tama chose this for me!¡¹


    ¡¸It feels strange, but it¡¯s not bad!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s such a refreshing experience!!¡¹


    The three children happily wore the yukata Tama chose for them.


    ¡¸Nyaofufufu, I¡¯ll go with this one?¡¹


    Suddenly, Vulcan showed herself from inside the dressing room. She wasn¡¯t wearing a yukata. The dress she wore was called Jinbei.


    Cedric and Arnold found the yukatas they took likings to. Cedric wore a jinbei like Vulkan, while Arnold wore a white yukata.


    Just as nned, everyone left the store while wearing the traditional clothes of this country.

 Chapter 158: The Summon From Her Majesty The Queen

    <h4>Chapter 158: The Summon From Her Majesty The Queen</h4>


    The evening of the same day¨D


    ¡¸Ha! So beautiful!¡¹


    Aria let out those words of admiration as she looked at the cityndscape from the terrace of the inn.


    The street was dyed in orange color due to twilight or the papernterns hanging on the stores and shining beautifully.


    £¨Uhm, keeping the scenery aside, Master is no less beautiful.£©


    Tama, who was stuffed in between Aria¡¯s melons, thought so as he looked up at her face. The city¡¯s lights being reflected in her icy-blue eyes made a fantastical spectacle. On top of that, she had worn a yukata, a dress she had never worn before. Seeing that, Tama realized again for the nth time just how beautiful his master was.


    ¡¸Ny, everyone is sleeping peacefully, nyan?¡¹


    Vulcan let out a nonchnt remark from inside her room. She looked at Ste, Lily, and Faeri, who were peacefully sleeping in their beds¡­ It seemed the recoil from the long trip and the fact that everyone had made merry since the afternoon had finally caught up to them.


    Since this is an unexpected situation, let¡¯s dy our dinner forter after they have rested for a while¡­ The moment Aria thought that¡ª


    KONKONKONKON!


    She heard a knock on their door.


    ¡¸Is that you, Ana-san?¡¹


    Aria headed toward the door while trying to confirm the identity of the one beyond the door. However, when she opened the door, she found that the one who stood behind the door was a female ogre donned in warrior armor.


    ¡¸My apologies for visiting at such a time. Is this the room where the A-rank adventurer, Aria, is staying at?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, I¡¯m Aria¡­¡¹


    Aria replied to the female ogre with a bewildered expression.


    The female ogre then introduced herself.


    ¡¸My name is ¨”Kaede?. I¡¯m the close aide of ¨”Shiri?, the queen of this country.¡¹


    So¨D


    ¡¸Eh? Her Majesty¡­ the Queen¡¯s close aide?¡¹


    ¡¸Is something the matter, nyan?¡¹


    Both Vulcan and Aria were extremely confused, unable to catch up with the situation that had been caused by the mention of a super bigshot.


    Even Tama ended up tilting his head with a quizzical look on his face as he said ¡¸Nya~n?¡¹.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t tell you the details in this ce, but it seems Her Majesty The Queen has some business with you. Although we want to apologize since this request came out of nowhere, I wish that you¡¯re willing toe to the castle.¡¹


    ¡¸H-Her Majesty The Queen has some business with us?¡¹


    ¡¸That makes us even more curious, nyan!¡¹


    Vulcan and Aria became even more startled upon hearing the armored woman, Kaede.


    However, since she had told them that she couldn¡¯t tell the details and having been told that the queen of this country wanted to meet them in person, Ste and the others started to make preparations to immediately depart.


    Since they told Kaede that everyone woulde with her, they also invited Cedric and Arnold.


    ¡¸The summon from Her Majesty The Queen, huh¡­ I can¡¯t help but have a really bad feeling about this.¡¹


    Cedric ended up muttering so upon hearing Aria and co¡¯s story.


    £¨Uhm, Cedric-dono feels the same way as me, huh. Nevertheless¡­ how in the world did the queen of this country find out about the inn we rented?£©


    Tama had another question upon hearing Cedric¡¯s muttering.


    Tama or any of Aria and the others shouldn¡¯t have any acquaintances in this country.


    In the first ce, they were on vacation right now. Therefore, it became even more mysterious how the information about Aria and co. arrived at the queen¡¯s hands.


    Tama and the others left the inn, leading Ste and co., who were still rubbing their sleepy eyes.


    The moment they stepped outside, they saw a carriage already prepared for them.


    The party boarded the carriage following Kaede¡¯s instruction.


    The carriage moved away from the inn and finally entered the main street that connected with the huge castle.


    A while after jolting in the carriage¨D


    Tama and co finally arrived in front of the gate of the castle¡¯s garden.


    A machine resembling a soldier wielding a spear with a mechanical body around two meters tall stood on both sides of the castle gate.


    After they descended from the carriage, Tama and co. were guided into the garden by Kaede as they looked at those statues with puzzled looks on their faces.


    The scenery inside the garden was enough to scare Tama and co to death.


    Because they saw that the garden was filled with the stone soldiers from before, lining up neatly.


    Tama and co passed by those mechanical soldiers and entered the castle.

 Chapter 159: Queen of the Oni-Tribe

    <h4>Chapter 159: Queen of the Oni-Tribe</h4>


    Tama and co walked along the passage leading to the audience chamber.


    Upon entering the chamber, they saw a girl sitting cross-legged on a throne.


    The one who sat on the throne was an extremely beautiful oni girl with bluish-purple hair, purple eyes. A pair of horns grew from her forehead. She had worn a bold kimono design that exposed her tight and ample bosom.


    ¡¸This mistress¡¯s name is ¨”Shiri?, the queen of this oni-tribe country, Ryuudou. My deepest gratitude for you guys toe upon my sudden summon.¡¹


    Shiri had a young appearance, yet she addressed Aria and co. with a dignified voice befitting that of a queen.


    Contrary to her youthful appearance, she had the kind and dignified air of a ruler.


    After hearing her voice, Aria and co. spontaneously bent on their knees and bowed their heads.


    ¡¸Kaede, you may leave! I have something I want to talk about with them. Wait with the other escort outside the audience chamber.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-Your Majesty? What are¡­¡¹


    Kaede couldn¡¯t hide her surprise and asked with a flustered voice. It was only natural since the queen of her country had ordered all her escorts to leave her so that she could have a talk with foreign adventurers.


    Despite her outburst, Shiri simply replied with ¡¸This is an order!¡¹. Kaede and the other escorts had no choice but to leave, albeit unwillingly.


    ¡¸Well then! First, no need to be overly formal now.¡¹


    Shiri told Aria and co. to feel at ease. Aria and co stood up and raised their faces. Shiri then looked at Aria¡¯s, Tama¡¯s, and then everyone else¡¯s faces, one-by-one.


    ¡¸First, allow me to express my gratitude for the matter of the Demon King Belphegor¡¯s subjugation. It¡¯s indeed a great cause.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¨D¨D!!!?¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Aria and co. were at loss for words upon hearing that remark.


    £¨W-What¡¯s the meaning of this? Why does the queen of the oni-tribe know about Belphegor¡¯s subjugation?£©


    Shiri¡¯s remark sent a chill running down Tama¡¯s spine.


    Tama and co. had gone on a secret mission to subjugate Demon King Belphegor after they got some information from a girl called May, who came from the future.


    Since this was a secret, barely any of their acquaintances knew about that matter, much less to say the queen of another country.


    ¡¸Worry not, the only outsider who knows about it is this mistress.¡¹


    Now, they understood why Shiri had told all her escorts to leave.


    ¡¸My apologies, Your Majesty! How did you know about that matter?¡¹


    Cedric asked Shiri, lookingpletely vignt toward thetter. That was natural since this matter might create a time paradox. Currently, even Demon King Belphegor was rted to this matter.


    ¡¸Worry not, Hero Cedric. There won¡¯t be a time paradox since I¡¯ve sent everyone out of this audience chamber to prevent that.¡¹


    ¡¸I see! You already know that far, huh!¡¹


    Cold sweat appeared on Cedric¡¯s back.


    No way! It isn¡¯t just the matter about the secret subjugation mission of Demon King Belphegor; she even knows about the information about the future brought by May, and she cleared out all unrted people on top of that¡­


    All of those factorsbined made her, Queen Shiri, more and more mysterious.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, I never expected that the demon king would be defeated by a girl and her cat¡­¡¹


    Shiri looked at Aria and Tama. It seemed she knew about the fact that the ones who defeated Demon King Belphegor in Ark were Tama and Aria.


    Both Tama and Aria were troubled as to how to reply to Shiri.


    ¡¸You¡¯re Tama, huh! Can youe here?¡¹


    Shiri gave such a instruction to Tama.


    ¡¸Nya!?¡¹


    Tama unintentionally let out a puzzled voice upon hearing that unexpected remark. But, since he couldn¡¯t just refuse the order of the queen of a country, he tip-toed toward her.


    ¡¸Hou, so you really understand my words, huh! Such a clever kitten!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~?¡¹


    Tama unintentionally let out a puzzled voice.


    Shiri stood up from her throne and hugged Tama with one hand. Just like that, she hugged Tama into her bountiful twin valley.


    £¨S-So soft¡­£©


    That was what Tama felt when Shiri embraced him. Shiri was quite well-endowed despite her youthful appearance. Although she was not as big as Aria, she was actually¡­ above Vulcan.


    ¡¸Uhm, and you¡¯re a male on top of that! How wonderful!¡¹


    Shiri said those words as she raised Tama.


    Even though Tama had no idea what Shiri meant by ¡°how wonderful,¡± thetter seemed to have taken a liking to him.


    Shiri patted Tama¡¯s head with a satisfied look on her face.


    £¨U-Uhm¡­ for some reason¡­ I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about this.£©


    That was what Aria felt upon looking at Shiri embracing Tama with an affectionate expression.

 Chapter 160: Demon Race’s Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 160: Demon Race¡¯s Invasion</h4>


    ¡¸Nyaa¡­ Your Majesty, how did you know about the matter of Demon King Belphegor?¡¹


    Vulcan asked with a slightly envious expression as she saw Shiri patting Tama to her heart¡¯s content.


    ¡¸You¡¯re Vulcan, aren¡¯t you? I have this inherent skill called ¡¶Fierce God¡¯s irvoyance¡·. It allows me to see the events that have happened in this world or fragmentary important events.¡¹


    The activation condition of that skill was for the people who had been the key persons of those events to appear within the range of her skill.


    It just happened that Tama, Aria, and co. had visited this country¡¯s capital. This had triggered the activation of ¡¶Fierce God¡¯s irvoyance¡· and allowed Shiri to take a peek at the event from her sake cup.


    £¨I see! So that¡¯s the reason she knows about the matter regarding Demon King Belphegor.£©


    Tama nodded after hearing the effect of Shiri¡¯s inherent skill.


    ¡¸What¡¯s this matter about Demon King Belphegor that you¡¯re talking about?¡¹


    Arnold went ahead and asked this question.


    Hearing that, Cedric was like ¡¸OH¡­ CR*P!¡¹.


    Arnold had been kept in the dark about the matter regarding Demon King Belphegor.


    At this rate¡­ a time paradox would happen!


    Or so they had thought!


    ¡¸Rest assured, this mistress has already seen with her skill that no time paradox will happen even if this person knows about Belphegor.¡¹


    Shiri gave her reassurance to them.


    Hearing that, Aria heaved a sigh, then proceeded to tell Arnold about what had happened back then.


    Although Arnold was quite taken aback upon hearing the full story, (s)he finally understood when (s)he heard that this matter was rted to the daughter of the archmage.


    By the way, Ste, Lily, and Faeri, who were bad when it came to difficult talks like this one, had long since started ying with their fingers.


    ¡¸But, why have you summoned us?¡¹


    Now, it was Aria¡¯s turn to ask Shiri.


    She didn¡¯t think that the queen of a country had called them simply to express her heartfelt gratitude.


    ¡¸Aria, the reason I summoned you is simply to ask for your assistance in protecting this country from the danger that¡¯s fast approaching us.¡¹


    ¡¸The fast approaching¡­ danger?¡¹


    Aria¡¯s curiosity piqued up upon hearing Shiri¡¯s remark.


    Just what kind of danger could threaten this country, which was enveloped by a solid, mist barrier.


    ¡¸You must¡¯ve realized upon returning to this world that the fragments of the sealing crystal that sealed this era¡¯s Belphegor have vanished, right?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­! You can even see such details, huh! Indeed, even the Hero Ciel-sama has been wondering about that matter too.¡¹


    Aria was clearly surprised upon hearing Shiri¡¯s question since it was as if thetter had been right there with them.


    After returning from the other world, Ark, they had found out that the splinter crystals that they saw before departing to the other world had already disappeared. It was a mystery for them even until now.


    ¡¸Those crystal fragments, ording to this mistress¡¯s ¡¶Fierce God¡¯s irvoyance¡·, should have been collected by the demon race.¡¹


    ¡¸Demon¡­ race?¡¹


    For what reason did the demon race¡­


    Aria and co. were really curious to know the reason from Shiri.


    ¡¸Someone amongst the demon race has a certain inherent skill. Traces of Belphegor¡¯s energy remain in those splinters. It seems they want to create one of the seven Great Demon Kings bybining those fragments with the inherent skill called ¨”Fierce God¡¯s Tears?, the core of this country¡¯s defense barrier.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¨D¨D!!!?¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Aria and co., Tama included, were at a loss for words upon hearing Shiri¡¯s exnation.


    After confirming everyone¡¯s reaction, Shiri continued.


    ¡¸It seems the demon race has already made their move. They¡¯re going to attack this city on the day before the Summer Solstice festival, aiming to cause an uproar and then steal the core of this city¡¯s barrier, fierce god¡¯s tears.¡¹


    In the end, the thing that could be seen with Shiri¡¯s ¡¶Fierce God¡¯s irvoyance¡· was only fragmentary information; it wasn¡¯t an omnipotent skill that allowed her to see everything.


    ¡¸I see! So you¡­ want to borrow our power to protect the core of this city¡¹


    ¡¸Exactly, Aria! To be honest, with you, I want to deploy the soldiers of our country to set up an ambush, but doing that will only cause a time paradox. This matter must be resolved in secret.¡¹


    Shiri replied to Aria with a serious expression as she hugged Tama on her ch*st.


    ¡¸Since it¡¯s a crisis of this country, there¡¯s no way we can let that happen.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(All the more so when the other party is the demon race)!¡¹


    Upon hearing Aria¡¯s remark, Tama also raised an adorable warcry as if to agree with her.


    Everyone, starting from Vulcan, also nodded in agreement.


    ¡¸Everyone, you have my deepest gratitude.¡¹


    Shiri bowed to Aria and co. to express her gratitude toward them, who had agreed to help her.

 Chapter 161: Resounding Scream

    <h4>Chapter 161: Resounding Scream</h4>


    ¡¸But Your Majesty, we¡¯re clearlycking manpower to fight against demon race army.¡¹


    Cedric touching his jaw, as he asked such question with clever look on his face.


    His question was only natural.


    It was a fact that every single one of Aria¡¯s party was really powerful.


    Even the four demon duke was no match against all of them together.


    But, Shiri clearly told them that the one who woulde to attack was army of demon race.


    No matter how powerful they had be, winning against an army of demon race by themself wasn¡¯t simple matter.


    ¡¸This mistress have a n. This mistress can activate ¨”Combat Automaton; Metal Organites?.¡¹


    ¡¸Your Majesty, can you exin more about that¡­bat automaton; metal organites?¡¹


    ¡¸As they name implied, they¡¯re mechanical soldier you know? with one order from this mistress, they¡¯ll turn into a terrifyingbat force.¡¹


    Shiri answered Aria¡¯s question.


    Hearing that, they were reminded of mechanical-like soldier statue who was lining up in the garden when they just arrived in this castle.


    It turned out, they¡¯re Shiri¡¯s weapon.


    ¡¸They¡¯re made with lost technology of the ancient ogre tribe king. This mistress is the only one who can use it now.¡¹


    ¡¸So that¡¯s mean, Your Majesty¡¯sbat automaton; metal organites and us will¡­ confront the demon race army.¡¹


    ¡¸Exactly. It¡¯s still early but, let me to guide you toward metal organites¡¯ hangar.¡¹


    Shiri told them so as she tell everyone to follow her, while still holding onto Tama.


    Aria and co followed her walking toward the castle¡¯s basement.


    ¡¸This is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸SO MEOUCH¡­!¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan couldn¡¯t hide their surprise the moment they entered the underground hangar.


    They estimated that the hangar kept more than a thousandbat automaton; metal organites.


    Thebat automaton; metal organites were separated into several blocks, each held different weapon.


    ¡¸The one holding spear is for closebat, the one with cane is for middle rangebat, and the long rangebat it the one with bow.¡¹


    Shiri then exining to Aria and co while pointing at each metal organites along with their function.


    Hearing that, Ste was raising her hand, seemingly wanted to ask a question.


    ¡¸Uhm? the one who wield staff can use magic even though it isn¡¯t living being?¡¹


    So¨D¨D


    ¡¸Yes, they can. I¡¯ve said this matter before but, they¡¯re made with lost technology. I don¡¯t know the fundamental principle behind that but, they can use up to intermediate-rank magic skill despite being not a living organism.¡¹


    ¡¸He~! Amazing!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s so convenient, for it to be able to use magic despite being not a living bei~ng!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri was speaking in awe after they heard Shiri¡¯s reply for Ste¡¯s question.


    It seems the two fairies were really interested with the mid-range mechanical soldiers who could use magic skill up to intermediate rank.


    ¡¸Your Majesty, can you tell us about the overallbat capabilities of these metal organites?¡¹


    Cedric asked such question while looking at the metal organites.


    If they really going to fight along the mechanical soldiers, he had to at least understood the capabilities of the mechanical soldiers.


    ¡¸Let see¡­ since they¡¯re made with the ogre-tribe standard for power, the easiest way for you to understand theirbat capabilities is around C~B-Rank adventurer.¡¹


    Since Aria and co were foreign adventurer, SHiri replied by using the easiest standard for the other party.


    That moment, Tama nodded, feeling reassured since the mechanical soldier¡¯s capabilities werehigher than his expectation.


    Moreover, they were different from human, metal organites were mechanical soldiers.


    They had the pontential to be fearless killing machine who ughter their way into the enemy¡¯s ranks.


    ¡¸By the way¡­ Your Majesty, till when will you¡¯re going to hug Tama?¡¹


    Aria asked so while ring at Shiri.


    As one would expect from her, she would feel worried when another woman carrying Tama for extended period of time.


    Thereupon, Shiri¡¯s answer was¨D¨D


    ¡¸It¡¯s for this mistress sake, he¡¯s the one who defeated the demon king after all, can this mistress raise him up until he be a proper adult? The royalty of ogre-tribe doesn¡¯t have crossbreed skill but¡­¡¹


    ¨D¨D So devastating to the point that Aria and co¡¯s first impression on her waspletely overturned.


    ¡¸Y-YOU CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN¡¯T!¡¹


    Aria¡¯s scream resounded in the hangar.

 Chapter 162: Absolutely Not

    <h4>Chapter 162: Absolutely Not</h4>


    £¨C-Crossbreeding!? D-Don¡¯t tell me, Her Highness Shiri is actually seeing me in that way¡­£©


    There was so many thing that he wanted to retort¡­ or rather, Tama had already trying to get away from Shiri¡¯s twin valley¡¯s prison¨D¨D BUT¡­


    SQUISH!


    He got enveloped in an even deeper softness as Shiri squuzed him deeper in between the twin peaks.


    ¡¸NYA~~!?¡¹


    Tama unintentionaly raised a cry due to Shiri¡¯s unexpected reaction.


    Aria who couldn¡¯t held herself back anymore approached them.


    And then¨D¨D


    SQUISHSQUEEZEE!


    ¨D¨DShe sandwiched Tama who was held captive in between Shiri¡¯s melons from the front.


    ¡¸Now Tama! Come here¡­!¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~(Maste~r)!¡¹


    Tama had somehow managed to move toward Aria¡¯s cleavage despite being sandwiched by Shiri¡¯s and Aria¡¯s melons.


    Though enchanting voice such as ¡¸A~hn?¡¹ or ¡¸U~hn?¡¹ escaped from both Shiri¡¯s and Aria¡¯s lips, it had nothing to do with Tama.


    ¡¸Fufufu, see that?you cannot force Tama, Your Majesty, He loves my bo*obs the best?¡¹


    Aria spoke with smug look on her face while emphasizing Tama who was sessfully burrowed into her cleavage.


    Shiri who lost the contest started to mutter some dangerous line such as ¡¸Ku¡­! Then, let me to have his child at least!¡¹


    It seems she was really aiming for Tama.


    ¨D¨DTAMA! GIMME YOUR CHILD TOO!


    ¨D¨DSSSH! BE QUIET, STELLA! PLEASE DON¡¯T POUR OIL INTO FIRE!!


    Tama retorting to Ste¡¯s telepathy.


    Though the situation had already reallyplicated to begin with, having Ste joining in would only make thing more chaotic than before.


    ¡¸Ahahaha! Atta boy, Tama!¡¹


    ¡¸Childre~n, what¡¯s that?¡¹


    Lily wasughing merrily upon seeing the exchange between Aria ans Shiri, Faeri on the other hand was really curious about the meaning behind an unfamiliar word.


    Vulcan and co was also startled upon hearing Faeri¡¯s remark, so Cedric said¡¸It¡¯s still too soon for you, Faeri-chan?¡¹ to her.


    Using that little skit as a break, Shiri who snapped back¡­ then resumed her exnation.


    ¡¸I think the ice hero, Ciel will also join you guys as reinforcement.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, Ciel-sama¡¯s reinforcement is equal to hundreds man power!¡¹


    ¡¸Even if Ciel-samyaa involved in this matter, the so called time paradox won¡¯t be happen! Well, that¡¯s only if she arrived in time but¡­¡¹


    Aria and Vulcan rejoiced the moment they heard about Ciel¡¯s reinforcement from Shiri.


    Her participation in their battle against demon king Belphegor made a big big difference after all.


    If they sent a letter for reinforcement to Ciel by using magic item owned by Shiri, the message might arrive to the other side by tomorrow.


    But, even if she came in hurry using the monster from another world, whether Ciel could arrive in time or not was another matter.


    That¡¯s why they had to form a tactic under the assumption that Ciel might not arrive in time.


    ¡¸Your Majesty, what¡¯re you going to do if the demon race is using flying monster? The defense of this city is solid but, it¡¯s extremely weak against air raid.¡¹


    Cedric asked such problem to Shiri.


    This city was surrounded by tall rampart which was strong againstnd attack.


    But, since many of the structures in the city was tall building for the sake of sightseeing, it wascking the mean to counter air raid.


    ¡¸Cedric, this castle already has energy shield system which can be used to protect the entire city. Though it¡¯s weak against physical attack, it can protect the city from magic skill of intermediate rank or below.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, as expected of the royal capital of ogre tribe. Is that also lost technology?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes.¡¹


    Shiri nodded to Cedric to answer his question.


    £¨Uhm¡­ just in case when the demon race¡¯s army has flying squad who can use magic above intermediate rank, I guess I had to use my 3rd form that time.£©


    Tama was thinking about using his 3rd form again while listening to Shiri¡¯s and Cedric¡¯s conversation.

 Chapter 163: Let’s Go Into The Onsen

    <h4>Chapter 163: Let¡¯s Go Into The Onsen</h4>


    A few hourster¨D¨D


    Aria and co returned to their inn after the meeting with Shiri.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, I would never expected that we¡¯re still getting involved with the matter of demon race even when we¡¯re in vacation is such ce¡­¡¹


    Aria was smiling wryly as she took off her yukata in the dressing room of the hot-spring.


    Though their original intention for this trip was to allow their body to take a rest after previous battles against demon king Belphegor, who would expect that they still got entangled with the problem caused by the demon race even in vacation.


    Moreover, things became even messier since it was rted to demon king Belphegor too.


    ¡¸Well, we¡¯ve no choice but to get involved in this matter. We cannot leave this matter getting out of our hand after all, I¡¯m looking forward to enjoy the vacation after we take care of this myatter though.¡¹


    Vulcan who stood beside Aria replied so as she took off her jinbee.


    Aria replied with ¡¸Exactly, Vulcan-san?¡¹ while taking off her underwear.


    Aria¡¯s body proportion was as magnificent as usual.


    Her body and limbs that were tempered in battle was forming beautiful hourss figure, and sexy body lines.


    And yet, it was soft and squishy instead of tough like men¡¯s body.


    ¡¸Well then, Tama. Let¡¯s enter the hot-spring togethe~r?¡¹


    Aria then stuffed Tama who was waiting in front of the box of dressing room into her huge, soft, and tender clea*vage.


    Tama who experienced the softness and warmth of her body let out a cry with satisfied look on his face.


    Tama was a proud knight in his previous life.


    But, he still ended up behaving like a real kitten due to the influence of her infant body.


    ¡¸Muu, so sly, why it¡¯s only Aria¡­¡¹


    Ste let out vexed voice as she helped Faeri to take off her yukata.


    She had turned into a helpful older sister two afer taking care of the two fairies.


    Aria and co left the dressing room naked.


    The hot-spring which pulled directly from the inn¡¯s bath had already been waiting for them.


    Moreover, since they could bring in liquor with them to the hot-spring, Aria and Vulcan brought along rice sake with them.


    They nned to enjoy the booze while dipping into the hot-spring.


    ¡¸First, let¡¯s clean your body~?¡¹


    Aria put Tama on herps, pouring the warm water over his body while preparing bubbly soap in her hand.


    Tama let out a satisfied cries as he enjoyed Aria¡¯s superb body rinsing skill.


    ¡¸Ahaha! Tama is so adorable even during bathing!¡¹


    ¡¸Sho~ go~od!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were making merry as they¡¯re washing each other¡¯s body beside Aria.


    Even though they were originally inhabiting thebyrinth, by now, they had already been used to use soap to clean their body¡­ Or rather, they had became a captive for bath.


    ¡¸Let me to rinse your back, Ste-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm? Are you sure? Yaay!¡¹


    Vulcan was rinsing Ste¡¯s back as they had such conversation.


    Sure enough, the two of them were getting along really well as fellow vanguard.


    After this and that, Aria and co had finally finished cleaning their body.


    Aria dipped her feet into the hot-spring first in order to check the temperature of the water.


    ¡¸It¡¯s perfect?¡¹


    It wasn¡¯t too hot or too cold, just perfect.


    She then slowly immersing herself into the hot-spring while hugging Tama in between her clea*vage.


    ¡¸Nyaa~, the fragrance is perfect too nyan.¡¹


    Vulcan unintentionally let out a satisfied voice as she dipped her body until her shoulder.


    It seems that the refreshing smell of herb drifting from the hot-spring eased her nerves.


    ¡¸Nya~(Yup, it¡¯s feel good indeed)¡¹


    Tama who was being embraced by Aria felt the same way as Vulcan.


    The effect boosted even further with the softness of Aria¡¯s body and the perfect temperature of the hot-spring.


    ¡¸Why it¡¯s only Tama, so sly~!¡¹


    ¡¸ME TOO~!¡¹


    Lily and Faeri were gathered around Aria¡¯s bre*ast while Tama was enjoying enjoying the supreme softness of Aria¡¯s bre*ast.


    Lily then snucked in between Aria¡¯s body and Tama, Faeri on the other hand was rubbing her cheeks on Aria¡¯s bre*ast.


    ¡¸Gununu, I¡¯m also quite confident with my size¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nyahahaha, as expected, it¡¯s hard to win against Aria nyan.¡¹


    Ste revealed slightly mortifying look while rubbing on her own bre*ast.


    Vulcan who sit by her side was smiling lightly as she rubbed her own bre*ast too.


    In that way, Aria and Vulcan enjoyed the rice sake while Ste and co enjoying the cider, immersing themselves until they got their fill of the hot-spring.

 Chapter 164: Running in the City At Night

    <h4>Chapter 164: Running in the City At Night</h4>


    Late at night¨D¨D


    £¨Well then, it¡¯s time for night stroll.£©


    Tama turned up from the bed and looking at the direction of the window.


    He might¡¯ve to evolve into his 3rd form during the battle against demon race army.


    But, aftert the battle in Ark, Tama couldn¡¯t evolve into his 2nd or 3rd form anymore.


    Thus, he need to gather experience point by fighting monster in order to enable his evolution form again.


    Fortunately, just like thebyrinth inbyrinth city, the royal capital Sakazuki also has its ownbyrinth, Tama knew about this matter from the conversation between Aria and co.


    He wanted to sneak into thebyrinth to farm for EXP when everyone was still asleep.


    Thus, Tama secretly slipped out of the bed in order to not waking everyone.


    Normally, Ste would wake up whenever she felt that Tama was about to take a night stroll but, she was fast asleep, it seems today was especially exhausting for her.


    £¨Yosh, I did it!£©


    Tama jumped out from the gap of the window.


    He ran acroos the inn¡¯s garden, into the city at night.


    He pretty much had grasped the position of thebyrinth during their strolling during the day.


    £¨Uhm, the city is also lively during the night, such beautiful city.£©


    Tama had such feeling as he run along the night street.


    Since the summer solstice festival was close by, it wasn¡¯t that hard to find tourist who were pub-crawling during the night.


    It seems almost all restaurants were open tillte at night, the main street was brightly illuminated by street light and paperntern.


    After running across several areas, Tama had finally arrived right in front of thebyrinth block.


    A staircase which descended into thebyrinth, it seems the arrangement to dive into thebyrinth was prepared in the basement.


    And just as he expected, no one came close to thebyrinth since it was already quitete at night.


    £¨Well then, let¡¯s start the capture.£©


    And then¡­ the moment Tama¡¯s feet was about to step into the entrance of thebyrinth¨D¨D


    ¡¸Tama, let this mistress to apany you.¡¹


    ¨D¨DA seductive voice called out to him from behind.


    ¡¸NYA~~!?¡¹


    Tama flinched away as he turned around the moment he heard someone called out to him.


    A woman wearing overcoat with hood that hide her face had already stood behind him.


    When Tama turned around, the woman had already lifted her hood.


    £¨Q-QUEEN SHIRI¡­!£©


    The identity of the other party made Tama heart beat went up to another notch.


    Yes, the one who called out to him was the queen of ogre-tribe, Shiri.


    ¡¸Though it just fragmentary, with my ¡¶Fierce God¡¯s irvoyance¡· skil, I¡¯m pretty much discovered that you¡¯re going to dive into thebyrinth tonight, and since I¡¯m also really intrigued by it, allow me to tag along with you.¡¹


    Shiri spoke with somewhat, a ¡°Bewitching¡± smile on her face, something that seems to be mismatched with her youthful appearance.


    £¨She even know something like that¡­ such terrifying skill.£©


    Shiri¡¯s remark sent a chill running down into Tama¡¯s spine.


    At the same time, he was a little surprised seeing the queen of the kingdom slip out of the castle by herself just because she thought it was interesting.


    ¡¸N-Nya~¡­¡¹


    Tama let out bewildered cry, wondering what he had to do now.


    As expected, he couldn¡¯t help but feeling worried for bringing the queen of a kingdom to dive into thebyrinth with him.


    But then, Shiri ignored his worry, raised him up, and stuffed him into her bountiful cleavage, and entered thebyrinth as if she was taking a stroll.


    £¨Uhm, it can¡¯t be helped I guess¡­ ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· activate!£©


    Tama invoked his support skill while jolting in Shiri¡¯s cleavage.


    At that moment, Tama¡¯s and Shiri¡¯s bodies were wrapped in golden light.


    ¡¸This is¡­! It increased various statuses across the board, and¡­ it seems I¡¯m buffed with several abnormal condition¡¯s resistance too. You¡¯ve such amazing skill despite still being an infant, Tama! As expected, defeating the demon king isn¡¯t just a fluke!¡¹


    Shiri sang even more praise upon receiving Tama¡¯s blessing.


    For some reason, her cheeks dyed in slightly pink colour when Tama licked her lips with his small tongue.


    Tama tilted his head in puzzlement upon seeing her state.

 Chapter 165: Floor Transition Type’s Labyrinth

    <h4>Chapter 165: Floor Transition Type¡¯s Labyrinth</h4>


    £¨W-¡­ What kind of structure is this?£©


    Tama who was stowed in Shiri¡¯s cleavage was wondering about that.


    After descending into the first floor of thebyrinth, what awaited them was forest shrouded with mist.


    ¡¸Are you curious, Tama? Thisbyrinth was floor transition typebyrinth. We¡¯ve to be prepared since each floor has different environtment you know?¡¹


    Shiri spoke as she carefully ¡°Unloaded¡± Tama from her cleavage.


    (I see¡­), Tama nodded in understanding upon hearing Shiri¡¯s exnation.


    Floor Transition Type¡¯s Labyrinth¨D¨D


    It just as Shiri had told him, it was general term forbyrinth which had various kind of environtment such as forest, prairie, volcano, ruin, or cave ording to the floor instead of just one.


    Since the environtment in each floor was different from each others, the one who wanted to capture thebyrinth had to make ample preparation.


    Tama¡¯s ¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡· could be said as the best kind of buff to capture thisbyrinth.


    (But¡­)


    Tama suddenly pondered about one thing.


    Shiri actually dare to came alone by herself despite knew very well about the degree of difficulties for capturing thisbyrinth.


    He knew very well that there was no way the queen of a country like her would do somethign as stupid as this, and just when he concluded that she might be extremely powerful¨D¨D


    ¡¸Well then, now I¡¯m also going to prepare myself for battle.¡¹


    Shiri stuffed her hand into her cle*avage as she spoke.


    And then, she took out purple colored gem from within.


    ¡¸Come, Metal Organites!¡¹


    Shiri raised her hands to the air as she spoke.


    The gem let out a purple sh.


    And then, four bodies wereing out from within.


    £¨I see. That gem might be a catalyst for summoning metal organites, or storage type magic item.£©


    Seeing the appearance of four metal organites¨D¨D Tama realized that they were the same metal organites as the one who got introduced by Shiri to them back in the castle this afternoon.


    Two closebat type metal organites were wielding spear, one mid-range type was wielding cane, and thest one, long-range type was wilding bow.


    Those mechanical soldiers were moving to surround Shiri as soon as they appeared as if to protect thetter.


    Their movement was really precise¡­ or rather, it might be pre-programmed to do so from the very beginning.


    £¨Yup, it might be much better for her to have some bodyguard. Now I can hunt monsters in peace while making sure that she¡¯s save.£©


    Seeing that Shiri brought bodyguard along with her, Tama could fight with less worries.


    ¡¸Oh my, are you worrying about me? you really are such gentle hearted kitten¡¹, Shiri said as she looked at Tama¡¯s expression.


    After advancing in thebyrinth for a while¨D¨D


    Several grotesque shadow appeared from behind the wood.


    It was two metres long, ash-colored wolf-like monster, walking on four legs as they barring their sharp fangs toward Tama and co.


    Their name was Big Fang.


    They were B-rank monster, known as especially troublesome monsters due to their ability to act as a group.


    The five big fangs who appeared was clearly vignt against the metal organites while ring at Tama.


    It seems they regarded metal organites as threat due to their size, and Tama as nothing more than snack since thetter was a mere adorable, and small kitten.


    £¨Well, whatever. Let¡¯s finish them off quickly!£©


    Tama stooping forward as his tail moving around.


    ¡¸Now show me the power of the hero who defeated the demon king.¡¹


    Tama heard Shiri spoke such remark from behind.


    ¡ªThen, I shall show you part of my power!


    ¡¸Nyaaa(¡¶Undine Howling¡·)¨D¨D¡¹


    Tama raised adorable criy as he unleashed his inherent skill.


    And then, highlypressed water howling was fired from his mouth.


    Tama shook his head from left to right, decapitating all big fangs at once along with the trees behind them.


    The five big fangs annihted in just a moment without even having the chance to raise death throes.


    ¡¸S-So powerful¡­ Moreover, you seems to be fine despite having just unleashed such a powerful skill. As expected of the hero who vanquished the demon king, your power isn¡¯t just for show!¡¹


    Shiri raised a voice of admiration upon seeing an easily annihted group of big fangs in just a moment.


    She was clearly delighted upon witnessing Tama¡¯s strength.

 Chapter 166: Outrageous Queen

    <h4>Chapter 166: Outrageous Queen</h4>


    £¨Well then, let¡¯s take a bite off the big fangs to see what kind of skill I can get from them, and storing their corpse in the storage too.£©


    ¡¸NYAN!¡¹, Tama raised an adorable cries as he invoked ¡¶Storage¡· skill to stow the corpses of big fangs to another dimension.


    ¡¸Eh, where¡¯s their corpses has vanished!? Tama, could it be that you also have storage-type skill?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~~~n.¡¹


    Tama replied with adorable cries to Shiri who asked such question with eyes opened wide.


    ¡¸That startled me¡­¡¹, Shiri said as she looked at Tama with extremely interested face.


    £¨Well then, let¡¯s keep going on.£©


    Tama started walking again slowly as if not to leave Shiri too far behind.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ such kind gentleman.¡¹, said Shiri who saw Tama who turned around from time to times to see whether she following him properly or not revealed a delightful smile.


    After walking for a while, three tree-type monsters, small treants appeared before them.


    ¡ºGISHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡», they raised such cries as soon as they saw Shiri¡¯s and Tama¡¯s figure.


    £¨Honestly speakingm I really want to finish them off with ¡¶Ifrit Howling¡· but¡­ this should be enough!£©


    Treant¡¯s weakness was fire.


    Honestly speaking, he wanted to finish them with fire spirit of his ¡¶Elemental Howl¡· but, it would equal to suicide with all the trees around them.


    Thus, Tama choose to use fire spirit of his ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡·¨D¨D¡¶Ifrit Edge¡·.


    Tama leapt toward the approaching small treants.


    He crossed each other with one of the small treant and then, that small treant bissected in two as soon as Tamanded on the ground.


    ¡¸What a surprise, you¡¯re proficient in closebat too huh!¡¹


    Shiri raised such excited voice upon seeing Tama in action from behind.


    Upon seeing one of theirrade got done in so easily, the other two small treants were angrily swinging their thich branch-like arms toward Tama.


    £¨Two at once huh, take this!£©


    Seeing the the iing attacks, Tama raised his adorable looking forefoot, and swung it down.


    Thereupon, four cut wounds were enraved into the trunk of the two small treants.


    It seems those attacks reached their core since the two small treants¡¯ body crumbled down immediately after that.


    £¨Yup, ¡¶Dragon w¡· is really useful for this kind of situation after all.£©


    Tama nodded in satisfaction after using the skill that he got from Ste¡¯s former incarnation, the Earth Dragon.


    ¡¸Y-You startled me there! Never expected that you have such abundant amount of skill in your arsenal, and some of them is something that I never saw before¡­ Do you still have another skills, Tama?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(Of course, I still have a whole load of skill that I haven¡¯t use yet)!¡¹


    Tama replied to Shiri¡¯s question with slightly prideful voice.


    ¡¸YOU REALLY ARE A SPLENDID MALE!¡¹, Shiri said as she looked at Tama sparkling eyes.


    This time, her porcin white thighs which exposed out of her kimono was rubbing together for some reason but¡­ Tama was averting his face since he knew that he shouldn¡¯t looking at such scene.


    But¡ª


    ¡¸AAAAHN¡­! The way you ignore me made me even more excited?¡¹


    ¨D¨DShiri spoke with even more charming voice instead upon seeing Tama¡¯s reaction.


    Seeing that, Tama¡­


    £¨C-Could it be, this person is just like my master(pervert)!?£©


    ¡­ Shuddered as he felt the same (perverted)aura that sometimes unleashed by his master was radiated from Shiri¡¯s body.


    That¡¯s aside, Tama continued with hisbyrinth¡¯s capture.


    Though he felt like he heard Shiri said something along ¡¸P-Please wait for me, if-if I keep seeing your manly fight, my underwear going to¡­¡¹but¨D¨D Tama pretended that he never heard the continuation.

 Chapter 167: A Glimpse of Queen’s Power

    <h4>Chapter 167: A Glimpse of Queen¡¯s Power</h4>


    A while after they started hunting monsters in the 1st floor¨D¨D


    They finally saw the stairways leading to the 2nd floor.


    £¨Uhm, I wonder what kind of theme waiting for us in the next floor.£©


    Tama descended the stairways with an excited look on his face while keeping up his vignce.


    The metal organites and Shiri were following from behind.


    £¨What¡­ the meaning of this?£©


    Tama finally stepped into the 2nd floor of thebyrinth.


    He couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head upon seeing the scenery before him.


    Something like ruins was spread in a gigantic space.


    The thick fog that was even denser than the first floor that enveloped the second floor gave a rise to a cold sensation.


    After pondering for a while, Tama finally walked forward while keeping his guard up.


    And then, the door of one of the ruined buildings made a creaking sound as it was pushed open from the inside.


    Several skeletons-like things came out from within.


    £¨I see, this floor is undead territory huh!£©


    Tama had finally grasped the situation after seeing the skeletonsing out one after another.


    Soon, the door opened one after another, sending out wave after waves of the skeleton.


    Skeleton was an E-rank monster but, they¡¯re the source of huge headaches when so many of them gathered together.


    Considering the fact that troublesome monsters such as big fang appeared in the first floor, this floor had literally established itself as a highly difficultbyrinth.


    £¨At this rate, we¡¯re going to be surrounded by them, I¡¯ve to exterminate them at once!£©


    Tama raised a heroic, yet adorable cries as he stood in front of Shiri as if to protect thetter.


    zing crimson breath attack which aking to hellfire spewed from his mouth.


    It was one of his inherent skills which evolved after he received divine protection from the spirit back in Arc, ¡¶Ifrit Howling¡·.


    The extremely ferocious hellfire of the spirit swept upon the skeleton like a never-ending waves.


    That one attack reduced the number of the skeleton by half.


    ¡¸You¡­ even have such terrifying offensive skill!¡¹


    Tama¡¯s ears caught the Shiri¡¯s surprised voice.


    And just as he expected, it seems she had no idea that Tama was so powerful.


    ¡¸Yosh, let¡¯s this mistress to lend you a hand. Metal organites, do it!¡¹


    Shiri ordered her metal organites with a loud and clear voice.


    Thereupon, the mid-guard metal organite who protected Shiri readied its stance as it chanted ¡º¡¶me Lance¡·¨D¨D¡»with its inorganic voice.


    A scorching red magic circle deployed above its head, the me spear which appeared from the magic circle then rushing toward the skeletons.


    The me spear exploded right in the middle of the skeleton¡¯s crowds.


    That attack just now had in few skeletons at once.


    £¨Hou, intermediate fire magic skill huh. Not bad.£©


    Tama was looking at the mid-range metal organites with a look of admiration on his face.


    What made Tama admire it was the fact that it couldn¡¯t just use intermediate, it could also aim properly at its target.


    Well, that was only natural since it was created to protect the king of this kingdom, who was sneaking out of her room in order to see Tama¡¯s strength.


    After that, the mid-range metal organite kept firing ¡¶me Lance¡· until it wiped off the remaining half of the skeleton.


    In addition, even though it kept firing intermediate magic until now, it didn¡¯t show any sign of exhaustion at all.


    In the first ce, just¡­ how in the world they make a mechanical body that can use a skill like that?


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ you¡¯ve been wondering for the reason why my metal organites can use skill, right?¡¹


    Shiri who noticed Tama¡¯s confusion asked such a question.


    Tama nodded as he replied to her with an adorable cry.


    ¡¸The answer is simple, the metal organites are actually using this mistress mana to invoke that skill.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya!?¡¹


    Tama raised even more Tama raised an even more surprised cry upon hearing Shiri¡¯s answer.


    There is an art¡­ that can distribute one¡¯s own mana to the other.


    At the same time, he felt anxious.


    The reason being the metal organites had been firing intermediate magic skill since a while ago.


    The mana consumption was no joke and yet, Shiri was standing still without any problem.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ don¡¯t worry about me. I, the queen of ogre-tribe is hosting a vast amount of mana, if I want to, I can fire a few hundred intermediate magic skills.¡¹


    She showed a charming smile to reassure the worried Tama¡­ but still, Shiri sounded a little proud when she told him about that.


    Hearing that, Tama could finally let go of his worry, Tama shuddered as he ended up imagining Shiri, with her vast amount of mana, controlling thousands of metal organites who fired intermediate magic skills at once.

 Chapter 168: Queen’s Proposal(?)

    <h4>Chapter 168: Queen¡¯s Proposal(?)</h4>


    £¨Nevertheless, their number are certainly overwhelming.£©


    The iing skeletons were crushed to bits by Tama¡¯s ¡¶Ifrit Edge¡·.


    One of the the close range, spear wielding metal organite who walking behind Tama was swinging its spear to protect the mid-range metal organites who cast a magic skill.


    The remaining close range and long range metal organites were focusing on protecting Shiri.


    £¨Well then, it¡¯s time to see my status.£©


    After beating numerous skeletons, Tama summoned his status screen to see his current progress.


    **********


    Name :Tama


    Race :Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill:¡¶Elemental Howl?Four Spirit¡·¡¶Skill Predation¡·¡¶Elemental Tail de?Four Spirit¡·¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon?Four Spirit¡·


    Predated Skill :¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fireball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Unlimited Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·, ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, ¡¶Dragon w¡·


    Possible Evolution:?Behemoth, 2nd Form


    **********


    £¨Uhm, now I¡¯ve enough EXP to evolve to my 2nd form. At this pace, I might be able to gather enough EXP to evolve to my 3rd form before the midnight.£©


    Tama nodded in satisfaction upon seeing the letter ¡°Behemoth 2nd Form¡± appeared in his status screen.


    That moment¨D¨D


    ¡ºGUOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D!¡»


    ¡­ He heard a roar from the inner part of the floor.


    Tama snapped out and enteredbat stance immediately with the fire spirit of his ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡·.


    The metal organites were also raising their weapon to protect Shiri.


    And then, ¨”THAT? appeared from withing the thick mist along with heavy footsteps.


    ¡¸Hou, undead troll, eh.¡¹


    Shiri muttered so, squinting her eyes, expression filled with interest as she looking at the undead dragon.


    Just as its name said, it was the corpse of troll that turned into undead.


    It was equipped with club and hatchet in both hands.


    ¡¸NYAAA~!¡¹


    Tama leapt from his ce as he raising an adorable cries.


    He leapt toward the undead troll at terrifying speed, and brandished his ¡¶Ifrit Edge¡· toward it.


    The undead troll swung its giant hatchet to catch the blow.


    But¡ª


    Swish!!


    ¨D¨DThe hatchet sliced in half along with that cutting sound.


    The hatchet sliced like block of tofu when it was trying to sh against ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡· which had been enhanced by spirit from another world.


    ¡ºGEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¨D¨D!¡»


    The undead troll was enraged upon realizing that his beloved weapon was destroyed.


    It swung its club toward Tama.


    ¡¸Nyan£¨Too slow£©!¡¹


    Tama dodged the iing club easily by stepping to the side.


    And then, he countered with ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·.


    The avatar of dragon¡¯s jaw appeared before Tama, bite off the club and the undead troll¡¯s arm that holding it.


    ¡ºGEBAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡»


    The undead troll raised a pained cry upon realizing that it just lost one of its arm.


    In fact, undead had lost their sense of pain.


    But then, it couldn¡¯t hide its surprise upon seeing its tough body got bitten off so easily.


    ¡¸Nyan£¨This is The End£©!¡¹


    Tama didn¡¯t miss that momentary gap, and spun his body to deliver the finishing blow.


    The fire spirit¡¯s ¡¶Elemental Tail de¡· drew a long, smooth line on undead troll¡¯s tough body.


    ¡ºGe¡­ Baaa¡­¡»


    Undead troll raised a death throes upon realizing that it couldn¡¯t fight anymore.


    Tama stabbed his tail de into the troll¡¯s head¡­ finishing it off for good.


    ¡¸To think that you can even beat undead troll with ease. Well, it¡¯scking regeneration, and the incredible life force of living troll but, still a formidable enemy nheless.¡¹


    Shiri was once again shocked by Tama¡¯sbat prowess.


    ¡¸This only make me want your child more than before¡­?¡¹muttered Shiri as she rubbing her thighs but¨D¨D Tama decided to ignore that.

 Chapter 169: The Queen’s Assessment

    <h4>Chapter 169: The Queen¡¯s Assessment</h4>


    £¨Well then, I never expected for A-rank undead toe out of nowhere in this ce, now let¡¯s see my status¡­£©


    Tama confirmed his status board again.


    **********


    Name :Tama


    Race :Behemoth(Infant)


    Inherent Skill:¡¶Elemental Howl?Four Spirit¡·¡¶Skill Predation¡·¡¶Elemental Tail de?Four Spirit¡·¡¶Divine Protection of Lion King¡·¡¶Elemental Bullet¡·¡¶Elemental Maniption Cannon?Four Spirit¡·


    Predated Skill :¡¶Storage¡·, ¡¶Poison Fang¡·, ¡¶Flight¡·, ¡¶Fireball¡·, ¡¶Icicle Lance¡·, ¡¶Iron Body¡·, ¡¶Summon Tentacles¡·, ¡¶Unlimited Mucus Bullet¡·, ¡¶Crossbreed¡·, ¡¶Dragon Fang¡·, ¡¶Dragon w¡·


    Possible Evolution:?Behemoth, 2nd Form


    ?Behemoth, 3rd Form


    **********


    £¨Yosh! As expected of A-rank undead, they really are source of delicious EXP!£©


    Tama nodded with satisfied look on his face upon seeing the words ¡°Behemoth 3rd Form¡± added in his status screen after he defeated the undead troll.


    Now, he achieved the goal ofing to thisbyrinth.


    He then turned around and pointing with his right foreleg toward the entrance of the floor leading to the 1st floor.


    ¡¸Hou, finished with your business already? And here I thought that you¡¯re going to capture thebyrinth in one go but¡­¡¹


    Shiri who noticed the meaning behind Tama¡¯s gesture spoke with slightly dissatisfied look on her face.


    It seems she still wanted to see Tama¡¯s battle.


    ¡¸Oh well, that¡¯s enough I guess. I can finally see the portion of your power, the power that defeated the demon king after all.¡¹


    Shiri lifted up Tama again as she spoke, and stuffed him into her abundant cleavage.


    Maybe because she was sweating from moving around¡­ the peculiar sweet smell of woman body assailed Tama¡¯s nasal cavity.


    Combined with the soft sensation of her clea*vage, Tama ended up enjoying it.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ even though you¡¯re fighting so gantly a while ago, now you look just like a normal kitten. I love this gap moe?¡¹


    SHiri rubbed her thighs again as she patted Tama¡¯s head.


    Any men who saw SHiri¡¯s current appearance would surely had their lust ignited.


    Even though she has such youthful look and petite profile, she was still a mysterious girl who could bewitch every men.


    Tama retraced his way back while enjoying the Shiri¡¯s luxurious boo*b sandwich.


    Tama also didn¡¯t let his guard down just in case if monsters suddenly came to attack them.


    But then, they barely met any monster on the way back, the monster who dare to block their path was disposed in a sh by the metal organites.


    ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s time to return to the castle.¡¹


    After they left thebyrinth, Shiri walking out thebyrinth with her hood on again.


    By the way, the metal organites were stowed back into Shiri¡¯s item box.


    Tama was walking slowly behind Shiri as he let out an adorable purr.


    ¡¸Eh? you want to escort me until the castle?¡¹


    ¡¸Nya~n(Of course)!¡¹


    Tama raised an adorable cry as an answer to Shiri¡¯s question.


    Though she was a queen, and power woman at that, Tama¡¯s chivalry wouldn¡¯t allow him to let a young girl walking alone in the midnight without anyone to escort her.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ what a gentleman you are.¡¹


    Shiri was smiling happily as she walk alongside Tama.


    After he escorted her back to the castle, Tama who had already achieved his goal of gaining enough EXP to evolve went back to the inn used by Aria and co.


    ¡¸Tama, up until now, this mistress had never meet anyone stronger than me.¡¹


    ¡¸Nya!?¡¹


    Tama was tilting his head in confusion since he couldn¡¯t understand what Shiri mean.


    ¡¸On top of my powerfulbat skills, I also have the metal organites at my disposal. Your average strong man are useless before me¡­ But, you¡¯re different. You, who defeated the demon king could easily over power this mistress. That¡¯s why this mistress want you to nt your seed into this mistress womb, leaving behind descendant of strongman(?).¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, I see now¡­¡¹


    The bizzare content of her speech aside, her serious tone made it impossible for Tama to react to her.


    It seems she was dead serious about wanting Tama¡¯s child.


    In that way, they were walking side by side in silence along the main street at night, and arrived in front of the castle a whileter.


    ¡¸Tama, I want you toe and visit my ce someday. When that daye, this mistress will give you a lot of her love.¡¹


    After saying that, Shiri raised up Tama¨D¨D and kissed his forehead.


    Her face was blushing lightly after that, so she ced Tama back on the ground, and ran toward the castle.


    £¨Well then¡­ what shall I do now?£©


    Tama waspletely at loss for words as he lookign at her retreating back.

 Chapter 170: Affair(?)

    <h4>Chapter 170: Affair(?)</h4>


    £¨Woops, time to go back to master I guess.£©


    Tama returned immediately after he sent Shiri back to the castle.


    Currently, he couldn¡¯t think anyone but Shiri.


    Thus, he had to go back before Aria and co awake.


    Thus, Tama was walking alone in the night street again.


    ¡ô


    ¡¸Fuuh, to think that I¡¯ll be this nervous even though the other party is just a kitten¡­¡¹


    Private room in the castle¨D¨D


    Shiri who undressed her kimono muttered so in her slightly daring, violet colored underwear.


    And then, rosy color appeared on her cheeks the moment she touched her lips.


    She recalled the moment when she kissed Tama¡¯s forehead.


    Shiri never kiss anyone of the opposite sex ever since she was born.


    This kiss was her first kiss¨D¨D


    It was supposed to be no count since the other party was a kitten and yet¡­ her heart felt like it was about to burst.


    Though there was also the fact that Tama was a wise kitten who understand humannguage, aftere into contact with the hero who subjugated the demon king and talking about spending some time together, she realized that Tama¡¯s existence was bigger than she thought.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve never felt like this even when the nobilities or royalties from other countries approached me. Is this¡­ love?¡¹


    Shiri was rubbing her thighs together while embracing her own body.


    Her body became hot whenever she recalled Tama¡¯s brave figure when he fought the monster in thebyrinth.


    ¡¸If I¡¯m not wrong, Aria said that Tama is an elemental cat. He surely can pin me down once he grew bigger¡­?¡¹


    Shiri¡¯s face flushed even redder than before upon imagining Tama¡¯s adult form.


    And just like that, she fell into the bed¡­ And what happen after that goes without daying¨D¨D


    ¡ô


    £¨Yup, finally arrived.£©


    Tama returned into the room from the window.


    He heaved a sigh upon confirming that everyone was still asleep.


    And then, carefully entered the bed in order to not awake everyone.


    Naturally, the ce he chose was right beside Aria¡¯s pillow.


    ¡¸U~hm¡­ Tama~?¡¹


    Aria was starting to sleep talking when Tama curled near her pillow.


    In that way, her hand moved on its own to carry Tama into her clea*vage¡­ but then¨D¨D


    ¡¸¡­ Smell of another woman.¡¹


    ¨D¨DHer eyes snapped open as she spoke an extremely worrying remark.


    ¡¸Nyaa(HIIIIII)¡­¡¹


    Tama raised a small squeal upon hearing Aria¡¯s remark and being red by her.


    Aria straight out ignoring Tama¡¯s reaction and proceeding to sniff Tama¡¯s belly.


    ¡¸Indeed, it¡¯s the smell of another woman. And this smell¡­ No way, are you going with Her Majesty Shiri?¡¹


    Aria asked Tama with freezing cold look that sent a chill running down into his spine.


    Elves¡¯ sense of smell was many times sharper than normal human.


    It seems Aria marked Shiri¡¯s smell when they have the audience with thetter.


    ¡¸N-Nyaa(Y-You¡¯re mistaken, Master)¡­!¡¹


    It wasn¡¯t even an affair but still, Tama let out desperate cries like a husban trying to spun excuse(?) when their wife discovered that their husband was cheating.


    To be able to discover the fact that he just going out with Shiri from smell alone¡­ made Tama even terrified of Aria.


    ¡¸Moreover, this is clearly the smell of woman in heat. Tama¡­ could it be?¡¹


    ¡ªNonono, what make you think we did that?


    ¡ª Eh? not scary?


    Surely, Shiri seems to be quite excited seeing Tama¡¯s brave figure.


    But, what made him even more scared was his master sense of smell that could even sniff that out from the smell alone.


    Tama shook his head with a teary look on his face in order to deny Aria¡¯s usation.


    Seeing her desperate look on pet(knight)¡¯s face, Aria¨D¨D


    ¡¸Good grief, I¡¯m fine with you having a night stroll but, you mustn¡¯t cheat on me you know?¡¹


    ¨D¨DAnd then, she hugged Tama, and kissed his forehead.


    ¡¸N-Nya~(S-Safe~)¡­¡¹


    Tama heaved a sigh upon managing to defuse the misunderstanding from blowing out of proportion.


    And just like that, Tama fell asleep inside Aria¡¯s cleavage as thetter patted his head.


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