《Reborn as the Hero's Daughter》


 Chapter 1: Time before Death

    <h4>Chapter 1: Time before Death</h4>


    ¡°Don¡¯t die!¡±


    A wailing call echoed through the room, emanating from an elven child. The girl kneeled beside the chest of a fallen man, her small maple-like hands pressed against a massive cut where blood endlessly gushed forth between the stomach and chest, entrails exposed. Her little hands struggling to close the wound as her eyes teared, nose ran, and mouth drooled. ¡°P-please don¡¯t die¡­ Reid-sama!¡±


    The young man fruitlessly attempted to wipe away her tears with his left hand, but quickly forsook that ¨C incapable of even the smallest action with his left arm, he was forced to use the other to wipe the tears from her cheeks, leaving smears of blood upon them: from both his enemy and himself. In a corner of his vision, the corpse of his enemyid- a Devil. And nearby was a group of children meant to be sacrificed in the other edge of his vision, paralyzed by fear. They were initially part of a muchrger group but had been split by the Devil and a priest. They were the only survivors of the ceremony that night. The girl was originally among them, but she had run to the man to help him.


    ¡°Doh¡­ Don¡¯t cry¡­ it¡¯s¡­ alright¡­¡±


    The man said, knowing full well that was a lie. It didn¡¯t matter to him though, he was prepared for death. The reason for his lie was hispanion ¡ª a girl who always followed the right path, often called a sage. She was able to run away, but not selfishly ¡ª he had ordered her to go get help.


    She wasn¡¯t very talented in magic, unless inparison to the average magician who she trounced in skill. Even so, shecks the ability to save his life with the reaper standing at his heels. That¡¯s why she left ¨C to call for help, tasked to escape.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ it¡¯ll be okay¡­ right?¡±


    He struggles to say, spitting out blood as his lungs were filled with blood. Despite the fact that his five senses were already cut, he endeavored tofort the elven girl.


    ¡®I¡¯ll probably die. All I can do isfort this girl, even if my friend did her best to get help, it¡¯ll probably be toote.¡¯


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t¡­ die¡­¡±


    The young man ¨C a hero, in fact, known as Shadow de Reid, promised.


    It was a promise I couldn¡¯t keep, as shortly afterwards I left the girl behind, passing away.

 Chapter 2: Meeting God (Self-Proclaimed)

    <h4>Chapter 2: Meeting God (Self-Proimed)</h4>


    I found myself in a mysterious space which could be said to be dark and bright at the same time.


    My field of view was also filled with colors that I can¡¯t recognize if it¡¯s ck or white, but it¡¯s definitely not gray. I also couldn¡¯t distinguish if I was on the ground or is floating.


    I have worked as an assassin for a long time, but in myter years, I spent my daily adventures along with the other heroes who scouted me for my expertise.


    Even though my perception ability is normal, I wasn¡¯t able to grasp the current circumstance at all.


    ¡¸Hello~¡¹


    ¡¸Who¡¯s there?!¡¹


    I heard someone¡¯s rxed voice all of sudden.


    I can¡¯t tell whose voice it was, nor from where it came from.


    But the owner of the voice appeared right before me.


    A small figure appeared as if clearing out the ck and white clouds that were blocking my vision.


    Even though she¡¯s standing right in front of me, I can¡¯t feel her presence.


    And, although I could recognize her as a woman, I was not able to recognize her face at all.


    And then her face became visible, her silver hair, red eyes, and beautiful white skin became recognizable. But I¡¯m not familiar nor acquainted with anyone who had those features.


    ¡¸Who are you¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Me? I¡¯m god.¡¹


    Although she introduces herself as a god, there wasn¡¯t an ounce of dignity at all in her gestures.


    No, I can¡¯t even recognize the quality of her voice. Although I can understand it¡¯s a beautiful voice, I have no memories of it.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this? Why can¡¯t I seem to recognize nor understand you¡­? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, that? That¡¯s my doing. I¡¯m a god after all. If you look directly at my figure, it will end up in a SAN checkmate, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸Sa¡­n¡­ What?¡¹


    ¡¸Well~, don¡¯t worry about it. In other words, it will be good for you if your recognition is obstructed in this manner.¡¹


    ¡¸This space too?¡¹


    ¡¸That is, of course.¡¹


    The existence that imed to be a god is the one obstructing my perception.


    I decided to believe her this time, although I¡¯m highly doubtful about her reliability.


    After all, I was already at death¡¯s door at that time.


    It¡¯s not strange to actually meet a god after death, right?


    ¡¸In other words, I¡¯m already dead, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Nn, that¡¯s right. You are unmistakably,pletely, and perfectly dead, nothing more than that! ¡¹


    ¡¸I didn¡¯t really want to hear that confirmation though¡­¡¹


    If my formerrade Maria somehow managed to arrive even when I¡¯m on the verge of death, I would have been able to survive because she¡¯s a master of healing magic.


    However, resurrection of the dead was designated as a taboo and was sealed.


    It was said that souls must always be meant to enter the cycle, as the doctrine says so. It¡¯s not permitted to unnaturally obstruct it.


    In addition, Maria doesn¡¯t know this technique. In short, it was impossible for her to revive me.


    ¡¸I see, that means I will be returning to the circle of souls.¡¹


    ¡¸Well, you can think of it that way.¡¹


    While seemingly having fun, the god did a fluttering dance.


    However, the next words I¡¯ve heard after that made me think deeply as to what she was implying.


    ¡¸What is it. Are you telling me that it¡¯s possible to be resurrected somehow? ¡¹


    ¡¸Well, resurrection is impossible. However, that doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t any other way besides that. You have quite excellentpanions.¡¹


    ¡¸Hah?¡¹


    As a question mark floated above my head, god puts her hand on her mouth and¡¸Mufufu¡¹let out unpleasantughter.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. But let me just say one thing.¡¹


    ¡¸What?¡¹


    ¡¸I wee you to a new horizon! Let¡¯s make a splendid wee! ¡¹


    ¡¸Haa¡­?¡¹


    I was rendered speechless not knowing what this so-called god did, and all of a sudden I was struck by something without understanding what it was.


    Right then, I was immediately hit by dizziness and my vision became dark.


    Am I standing? Am I sitting? I can¡¯t understand, but my vision delineated a marble pattern, like a dribble of milk in a cup of tea.


    ¡¸W-What¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸It looks like it will begin soon. Well, I do enjoy using loopholes like this.¡¹


    ¡¸What is this¡ªMy body, what is happening?!¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re going to be returned to your original world. Well, I¡¯ve interfered with the sess rate just a little bit.¡¹


    ¡¸Just what are you¡ª¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, right, while I¡¯m at it, let¡¯s also add Interference as a bonus¡¹


    The self-proimed god continued to mutter iprehensible things.


    And then my consciousness was suddenly cut off, and I sank into the darkness.

 Chapter 3: Legend

    <h4>Chapter 3: Legend</h4>


    The world was once in a crisis.


    There were nine kingdoms in one continent.


    It was a temporary peaceful world built thanks to its perfect military bnce.


    But it copsed only ten years ago.


    It was around that time that an evil dragon appeared on the farawaynds of the north.


    Heading towards one of the northern countries was the feared evil dragon called Colchis.


    The dragon devoured people as if mowing rice, driving that kingdom to the brink of destruction.


    Several countries joined forces, sending troops in order to subjugate it.


    But it was as clear as day that the evil dragon was an invincible existence.


    Its ck and shiny scales were harder than steel, to the point that it could easily repel ballista arrows and battering rams.


    And then, from heights that neither swords nor spears could reach, the dragon spewed out a red hot breath capable of melting steel and turning people into charcoal.


    The battle resulted into a one-sided trampling that made the evil dragon angrier.


    The people that it treated as food and toys tried to attack it. That fact was unforgivable.


    The evil dragon immediately aimed at the kingdom¡¯s capital, burning its castle down together with every single statesman within.


    Furthermore, it spread its destruction towards the neighboring countries, and all the towns and viges that entered its path were also reduced to ash.


    Because of this incident, the three northern countries were wiped out in a sh.


    In response to this, the other six countries finally realized that a world crisis was happening.


    However, there was nothing they could do.


    Even with arge army, it was impossible to injure or even leave a single scratch on the evil dragon.


    In that case, what could they do to subjugate the evil dragon?


    Adding to that, if they fail, all the countries would be burned down out of retaliation.


    If they move the armed forces, there will definitely be retaliation.


    On another note, without using the army, their military strength would definitely be insufficient.


    The worried countries¡¯ leaders finally found a solution to this problem.


    They selected the strongest fighting power from each country, making a team of unrted vagrants that will attack the evil dragon.


    Because there won¡¯t be any country getting involved, there¡¯s no need for them to worry about retaliation.


    Also, because the army isn¡¯t the one moving, it¡¯s easy to for them to induce carelessness and they can secretly approach it.


    The disadvantage of having a small number of people can also bepensated if they are fighting inside a cave that became the evil dragon¡¯s den.


    Or rather, they thought it would be better fighting it inside the cave so it can¡¯t turn the tides by flying into the sky.


    Thus, each country selected one of the six heroes.


    One country, a human hero wielding a holy sword, Lyell


    One country, a dwarf warrior wielding a sacred shield, Gadius


    One country, an elf who mastered each and every magic, Maxwell


    One country, a human saint that could heal any injury as long as you¡¯re alive, Maria


    One country, a sage of the cat people that took down a thousand lives with onemand, Cortina


    One country, a half-demon whose name is famed as an assassin known as Shadow Wing, Reid


    Were selected


    In ordance to expectations, those powerful people ended this fierce battle, and the evil dragon Colchis was subjugated.


    Without even losing one person, which raised unprecedented achievements¡ª however, that was too much for their home countries to handle.


    Lyell and Gadius¡¯ fame shook the throne, Maria and Cortina¡¯s poprity exceeded the Pope¡¯s powers.


    With the exception of Maxwell, who was already a prince of the Elf Country, all the five heroes¡¯ positions were beyond the control of each country.


    The people of power feared retaliation from the heroes. And then there was the hero Reid¡­


    Among the six heroes, the hero Reid was a heterogeneous existence.


    He was an assassin, but he wasn¡¯t evil.


    He, who fought and killed ording to his justice, was greatly feared.


    The criteria of good and evil were purely based on himself, which drew a line between him and other powerful people.


    Originally, such reckless action would not be permitted. But his fighting strength was enough to push through it.


    For this reason, as a hero ¡ª it can be said that they were selected as mankind¡¯s trump card.


    In the end, they were expelled from their home countries under the pretext of reviving the three ruined countries.


    However, it was already a concluded event to them.


    The Sage Cortina had already predicted that circumstances would advance in that way.


    Of course, so as to not get antagonized, each country gave those rewards as means of holding down their spirits of rebellion.


    The heroes knew the real intentions of those powerful people, but they went to the remote regions obediently.


    That conflict was useless, they were not interested in political power and just wanted to spend the rest of their life peacefully.


    But to the heroes, they knew that an end wille soon.


    Everything started with the marriage of Lyell and Maria.


    After getting together, the party was then disbanded.


    There were no problems in their rtionships, the problems came afterward.


    The superior ability they carried was too much for the other adventurers to adapt.


    Moreover, Gadius realized the dream of owning a store and retired.


    With all the main forces retired, Maxwell returned to his hometown where he could bear the title as a king.


    Losing their destination, only Reid and Cortina continued being adventurers.


    But eventually, there was an event where Reid had to fight against the Devil alone, ending up losing his life.


    The backup did not make it in time, and Cortina, who was now all alone, also retired in despair.


    Maxwell decided to settle down teaching at his newly opened magic school.


    And then time passed¡­ It was ten years since then.

 Chapter 4: Restarting Life

    <h4>Chapter 4: Restarting Life</h4>


    From the depths of darkness¡­¡­I slowly awakened.


    I became conscious¡­ or that¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be.


    My eyes did open up, but I couldn¡¯t form proper images, and the world was blurred and distorted.


    Not only that. My limbs won¡¯t listen to mymands, and I don¡¯t even have the strength to move them.


    No, it¡¯s not only my limbs. My neck¡­ my whole body wouldn¡¯t listen or move.


    That should have been expected, thinking about my situation before I lost consciousness, it was a really terrible situation.


    An orphanage priest somehow managed to summon a Devil, and what he used as sacrifice were several children.


    However, we managed to interrupt and defeat him so the priest wasn¡¯t able toplete his goal.


    It was a good result, however I couldn¡¯t leave the Devil that was freed because of losing his summoner.


    During that time, there were cowering children behind me, along with Cortina who was not capable of fighting in closebat.


    I concluded that it would be better for me to stay behind and fight.


    I ordered Cortina to quickly escape, and then I confronted the Devil on my own.


    As I have expected, she was able grasp the situation in an instant and left while saying that she would call for help.


    She doesn¡¯t have the power to carry the children to escape so she was not able to bring even one of them. Because of that the remaining 10 children who survived were left behind.


    I was barely able to subjugate the Devil, and as a result I broke my left arm and right leg and got arge cut from my chest to my abdomen.


    In that state¡ª it was already a miracle for me just to be able to breathe.


    ording to what that that self-proimed god has said, I should have been returned to this world again, but¡­ My voice won¡¯te out and I can¡¯t move my limbs.


    ¡ªWhat exactly happened!?


    ¡¸Fugyaaaaaa!¡¹


    I tried voicing out words, but only a strange scream escapes my mouth like a kitten¡¯s cry.


    Eventually I felt like my face was wiped with something warm, and then something soft was pressed against my mouth.


    I instinctively sucked from it and swallowed something sweet.


    And then, as soon my stomach was full, I fell asleep once more.


    It was a few dayster that I was able to finally understood what exactly happened.


    I was¡ªreborn as a baby.


    This was probably the loopholes that god mentioned. In other words, it was a taboo to resurrect someone, but starting a new life reborn as a baby was somewhat eptable, probably?


    There was also one more thing that I¡¯ve realized when my eyesight became stable¡­


    ¡¸Good morning, Nicole. You woke up early today.¡¹


    Opening my eyes as I woke up, I noticed a beautiful woman bringing my mouth close to her chest¡ª that was Maria.


    Yes, it was mypanion who was once called a saint.


    And the person she called Nicole¡­was me.


    That is to say, I was reborn as my formerpanion¡¯s child.


    Reincarnation magic is the highest rank sacred technique.


    However, this magic was something that only the caster could confirm if it was a sess or not, not to mention that they won¡¯t be able to identify where the reincarnation would ur.


    In other words, Maria will never know that I am her formerpanion, Reid.


    That¡¯s why she pushes her vulnerable breast against me. If she knew that I am Reid, something like this would probably be impossible to happen.


    If I was careless, I would be sent flying with p. Her sense of virtue is very intense after all.


    There was a time when I was trying to peep with Lyell and she gave us divine punishment with a magic attack called ¡¸Divine Wrath¡¹, and I seriously thought at that time that I would die.


    Moreover, Cortina who urately predicted our escape route was waiting for us and easily captured us.


    It¡¯s a thing called youthful indiscretion.


    ¡¸Fugyuuuu¡¹


    I raised a groan, refusing to eat.


    I still don¡¯t have enough muscle strength to move my neck.


    After all, I¡¯m not shameless enough to continue sucking the chest of a close acquaintance of mine.


    But more than that, I¡¯m afraid of what awaits me if I am ever exposed.


    ¡¸Ugyuu. Fuaaaa¡¹


    ¡¸Ara, is your stomach okay? Nicole isn¡¯t eating much. I¡¯m a little worried.¡¹


    Since the time I have reincarnated, I haven¡¯t taken a proper meal.


    Well, Maria is honestly an extremely attractive woman, but I couldn¡¯t help it because of my ego returning.


    If it was an unknown woman, I might really suck it while feigning ignorance.


    But she¡¯s an acquaintance.


    She¡¯s apanion who has gone through thick and thin with me before I died.


    And while we are at it, her husband is that Lyell.


    He was also apanion who fought together with me, a rival, and a man who embodied the figure of a ¡¸Hero¡¹ that I couldn¡¯t reach.


    How would he react if he ever knew that I was sucking his wife¡¯s breast?


    That¡¯s why I voluntarily entered a hunger strike.


    Because I didn¡¯t properly drink Maria¡¯s milk, she was really struggling with my childcare.


    I know that it¡¯s bad, but I also can¡¯tpromise.


    In the end, she managed to barely maintain my life by giving me moderately warmed cow¡¯s milk.


    Today as well, I was being fed with milk-soaked cotton in my mouth, meanwhile Lyell got up.


    ¡¸Good morning, Maria, Nicole too¡¹


    After saying that, he embraced Maria who was holding me, and exchanged a passionate kiss with her early in the morning.


    And then a simr kiss ¡ªwhich was really ufortable¡ª was pinned in my cheeks.


    ¡¸Fuaaaaaaaaauuuu!¡¹


    ¡¸Ara, are you angry? Perhaps Nicole dislikes Papa?¡¹


    ¡¸Wha-What!?¡¹


    As I showed intention of resistance, Maria tells the cruel truth without any malice.


    As a matter of fact, I didn¡¯t really like Lyell.


    After all, it can be said my position as a hero was not yearned for. On the other hand, he was far more admired by the popce.


    He was a strong and resolute swordsman who was also the representative of the heroes. That admiration and strength was something I longed for.


    However, I didn¡¯t have that talent. Even so, I couldn¡¯t give up.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯ve fought without relying on the sword, and built my way of fighting using creativity and scheming.


    For someone like me, Lyell who embodies the image of my ideal hero was a man that stirs up a lot ofplicated emotions inside me.


    He who is someone I rely on, he who is someone I admire, he who is apanion whom I hold unpleasant feelings.


    Receiving a kiss on the cheek from suchpanion, it felt like chills would crawl up in my spine.


    After the shock he received, Lyell went out to the garden with a dejected face and started swinging his sword.


    From the window, I could understand that this have been a daily routine that he follows.


    The moves were powerful, elegant, and sharp.


    It was the figure of a hero that I have dreamed of.


    In my other life, I was powerless andcked endurance, so I couldn¡¯t fight the same way as that.


    But now, an electric current dashes over my body and makes me tremble.


    That¡¯s right this body is Lyell and Maria¡¯s child.


    In other words, I may inherit Lyell¡¯s strength and Maria¡¯s magical power.


    If it¡¯s the current me, I may be able to be a swordsman. An existence that could be my guide is right in front of my eyes.


    I might be able to follow the path of a swordsman that was once my goal which I¡¯ve failed to reach.


    No, if I also inherit Maria¡¯s magical power, then there¡¯s also the possibility of bing a magic swordsman opening up.


    ¡¸Nyaaauuu!¡¹


    I raised my hand while expressing joy.


    However, I don¡¯t really have the strength, so I was barely able to bring my short arms in front of my face.


    ¡¸Oh, is Nicole fond watching your father¡¯s sword practice? You actually wanted to be spoiled, right? ¡¹


    Misunderstanding my reaction, Maria pokes my cheek.


    Now that I think about it, she was the type to misunderstand such things easily.

 Chapter 5: The Harsh Reality

    <h4>Chapter 5: The Harsh Reality</h4>


    After filling my stomach with milk and training my muscles, I went to sleep. I want to stand up with my own legs as soon as possible.


    *Poko poco* I was moving my short legs up and down while swinging my hands left and right.


    That¡¯s the only kind of exercise I was able to do, I can¡¯t even roll around.


    However, I¡¯m different from an ordinary baby, and I am getting nutrition from cow¡¯s milk.


    In other words, my nutrition intake is very strangepared to normal. And as a result, I ended up having ack of stamina.


    I easily get tired overworking myself and sleeps as if I had fainted.


    As I continued to do that every day, I was finally able to roll over and squirming around became possible.


    Little by little I was able to move my hands and my legs as I desired.


    And so I, in order to realize another dream of mine, decided to take action.


    That is magic.


    In my previous life, my talent in magic was unfortunately almost zero.


    Although I studied under the magic expert Maxwell, he reached the conclusion that I waspletely talentless and told me to give up even after acquiring all the necessary experience I would need to learn.


    However, in this life, I¡¯m the child of Maria.


    That means, there¡¯s a high probability that I would have a hidden talent in magic.


    Maria mastered sacred techniques based on her religious beliefs, and sacred magic is still magic.


    I never studied under Maria, but all the knowledge I got studying with Maxwell still remained.


    Closing my eyes to enter a meditative state, I started to explore the presence of magical power inside of me.


    Then I was able to feel something simr to warm energy somewhere near the center of my body, under the belly button.


    ¡ª-Oh, is this magic power?


    I wasn¡¯t able to feel it no matter how much I force my senses on my previous life, that¡¯s why right now I felt like my tension is rising.


    In order to mold this into shape, I drew a magic circle in my mind, and then by adding a spell designating power and range, magic is manifested but¡­


    I¡¯m having a really hard time manipting this.


    As I try to consciously move the magical power within my body, the magical power escapes and disperses.


    However, I won¡¯t give up. In the first ce, I know that my tenacity is far more intensepared to normal people.


    And because I can¡¯t move my body skillfully yet, the only thing I can do now is magic training.


    Unlike before where I couldn¡¯t even feel my magical power, right now I could at least be able to manifest magic.


    Adding to that, I should have inherited the talent to use swords from Lyell, not to mention that my own fighting experience is also carried over to this body.


    Thinking about it, I have the potential to be stronger than anyone, so I couldn¡¯t stop my training here.


    I kept receiving warm milk from Maria, though there were humiliating stories where she had to change my diapers, and at least half a year had passed before I started cursing that self-proimed god.


    I was able to sit now and was able to move my neck looking around. While putting power into my body I was able to use my upper body, and on that day I finally saw my lower body for the first time.


    What appeared from under the diaper Maria was exchanging with her hands¡­..No, it was more like what didn¡¯t appear was the little male genitalia appropriate for my age¡­ There was nothing, simply nothing. No, there was a valley.


    In other words, what I want to say is that I¡¯ve be a girl.


    ¡¸AUUUUUuuuuu?!¡¹


    ¡¸Kyaa! What happened, Nicole? Why are you screaming all of sudden¡¹


    To me who suddenly fell into a panic, Maria immediately inspected me with a worried expression. However, there¡¯s no problem with my body.


    No, for me there¡¯s all kind of problems, but for her, it¡¯s just a normal urrence.


    After recing my diapers in a hurry, I was lying face down while sobbing.


    A feared assassin who was once called the Shadow Wing ¡­became a girl? What kind of ridiculous story is that?!


    I who freely controlled Mythril steel threads, which are said to be sharper than the Holy Sword, and was even able to trap the evil dragon Colchis ¡­


    ¡¸DAAAUUUUUuuuu¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t quite understand, but¡­ why are you crying?¡¹


    *Pon Pon* Maria taps my back trying tofort me.


    She¡¯s still the same as in my previous life, however this kindness is now making me sad.


    Now that I think about it, Nicole is a name that is both for men and women, but is mostly used for women.


    I¡¯m really stupid for not noticing this until now¡­ No, I couldn¡¯t confirm my own gender by myself because of this baby¡¯s body.


    In other words, this was an act of god.


    Being born as a girl, that is. For half a year, I didn¡¯t notice this fact.


    In my previous life: I was born as a man, a talentless failure using swords, and chose to master the steel thread art as my fighting style.


    In my current life: Born as a woman, inherited my extremely talented parents¡¯ blood, and will be receiving education from heroes.


    I could say that mypletely opposite life has started at this moment.

 Chapter 6: The Little Girl who Stood on the Ground (Bed)

    <h4>Chapter 6: The Little Girl who Stood on the Ground (Bed)</h4>


    Since then, a short amount of time has passed once more.


    I finally recovered from the shock of knowing that I was born as a girl.


    ¡ª¨CI¡¯m certainly a girl. My chest is certainly growing a little bit, but I won¡¯t grow that much, right?


    Half forcing myself to ept the facts, I returned to my daily training again.


    I moved my limbs to build my muscr strength, and then training my magical power control before going to sleep.


    As far as magical power is concerned, there has been no response as usual, but I had once received a warning from Maxwell: ¡¸This won¡¯t happen in a day¡¹


    To begin with, even in my current state, I¡¯m already far aheadpared to my previous life, because at that time I couldn¡¯t even feel my magical power.


    ¡¸Uuu~Dauu~¡¹


    ¡¸Mou, Nicole, you¡¯re looking very sharp again today. If you don¡¯t go to sleep soon, you¡¯ll end up feeling sleepyter.¡¹


    At night, I was practicing magical maniption before going to sleep.


    Somehow I felt motivated working today, so I want to continue further.


    However, Maria who thought that I was having troubles going to sleep, carried me in her arms.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. If I don¡¯t go to sleep soon, it will be a bit troublesome¡¹


    ¡¸Ara, dear. I was taking care of Nicole you know.¡¹


    ¡¸If it¡¯s about this much, she probably won¡¯t care right?¡¹


    While Maria was carrying me towards the double-sized bed near the crib, Lyell leaked such a lover¡¯s talk.


    You people¡­ Are you going to do that here in this bed?


    If things end up going in this direction, I obstinately won¡¯t go to sleep. Couples should die, there¡¯s no mercy.


    I was really determined¡ª¨Cand before I realized, it was already morning.


    That time I concluded that a baby¡¯s body can¡¯t stay up untilte at night.


    Before I died, Maria was doing missionary work at a church in a remote region.


    Because of theplete devastation caused by the evil dragon to the three countries, it was not possible to re-establish them as a country anymore.


    So we decided to unify the three countries into a single one, and excluding Maxwell, the five of us would govern it.


    Of course, all of us were clueless when talking about national power.


    Fortunately, we have found a survivor, a boy who carries the blood of royalty from one of the three countries, and with that reason, the boy was pushed to be the king, the nobility that was able to survive also joined as his assistants and the nation rebuilding was resumed.


    But even for us, we weren¡¯t cold-hearted enough to just pretend that nothing happened.


    When they were asking for rescue, we immediately lend our powers to them.


    Even though Maxwell was now separated and is living in his own country, we could deal with just about any circumstances even with only the five of us.


    In the first ce, it could also be said that the most unsolvable problems would be easily solved just by using our names.


    The inspection of the orphanage which was the cause of my death was the only job that ended in this kind of strange circumstance.


    But it¡¯s different now.


    Receiving shock from my death, Cortina moved away from this territory, Maria gave birth, and the heroes¡¯ party almost got dissolved.


    On another note, the young king was able to barely reorganize the nation by the end of the year, so Lyell and Maria were able to retire without worries.


    Now they are fully enjoying their in ordinary retirement life, although they didn¡¯t even realize my feelings.


    ¡ªBrace yourself, me. If I don¡¯t take a stand here and now, when will I do so!?


    Right now I was on the fence of my crib, desperately trying to stand up with trembling legs.


    Skipping even the guided stand, I will show them the results of the Spartan Training.


    It¡¯s not like Maria is always there watching me all the time.


    Right now, she went out to buy a meal.


    Of course, to ensure that nothing happens to me during those times, she reduced the burden of childcare by hiring a servant.


    She was a beautiful elf girl who is about 15 years old working as a servant, which is strange and not something one would encounter in such a remote region.


    When Maria has to take her eyes off me, she is directed to take care of me.


    However, even that girl is currently washing my diapers right now, so I¡¯m all alone.


    As a babysitter, she still has a lot of ws, but right now I¡¯m thankful for that.


    I don¡¯t want anyone to know that I¡¯m able to stand now.


    ¡¸Auaa¨C, nuaa¨C!¡¹


    With my fighting spirit rising, I stood erect and firm on my own feet.


    It¡¯s been almost one year since I was reborn in this world.


    Crawling is all I could do up to this point, and I was a little slower in developmentpared to an ordinary baby, because of that, I couldn¡¯t stand up yet.


    Although I started training to acquire strength far earlier than a normal baby, it was all useless.


    It was all because of my decision to have an unbnced diet.


    Since I had been reborn, I stubbornly refused drinking Maria¡¯s milk, because of that my body became very frail and my growth was stunned.


    Thanks to my frequent repeated fever, both my parents became really worried.


    That Lyell ******* didn¡¯t matter, but I was worried about hurting Maria¡¯s heart.


    When my physical condition was finally stabilized, they also decided that it would be alright to leave me to another person, resulting to the final steps of employing a servant.


    Anyway, I have no doubts that there¡¯s no one watching me right now.


    Even while staggering, I was able to stand up, that¡¯s why I raised my short arm above my head and let out a victory cry!


    ¡¸Dau!¡¹


    But this is only my first step, literally.


    From this point on, I have various missions awaiting me.


    First of all, I need to go to Maria¡¯s private room to read her grimoires and bible, it¡¯s necessary for me to umte knowledge about magic.


    Half a year after sensing my magical power, I still haven¡¯t seeded in manipting it.


    Perhaps there was a mistake in my training method.


    Perhaps there was a problem with my magic aptitude.


    I have to know of a method in order to investigate those.


    I continued walking while holding the edge of my crib, and also started practicing to stand up without supporting myself.

 Chapter 7: My first…

    <h4>Chapter 7: My first¡­</h4>


    A baby¡¯s hearing is much sharper than what an adult would ever expect. After hearing footsteps walking down the hallway, I immediately rolled down on the bed pretending to sleep.


    After a while, the door of the room opens up and the elf girl peeks inside. She probably finished doingundry and came to check on me. Although I¡¯m grateful that she¡¯s doing her best to be a good babysitter, I wanted her to leave me on my own for a longer time.


    But well, her timing might have been good. It was about 30 minutes of walking, but my feet were now trembling in pain.


    ¡¸Fufu. You sure are sleeping well, Nicole-sama¡¹


    The elf girl walked up to me, and looks at my face to check if I was sleeping properly. Of course, I was pretending to sleep, and there¡¯s no way of knowing that.


    Thinking about it, what was her name? Although Maria hired her to look after me, the elf girl didn¡¯t introduce herself to me. No, it would be funny to introduce yourself to a baby who does not even understandnguage¡­¡­ but isn¡¯t that what they¡¯re supposed to do? Knowing Maria, I know that she would be clumsy enough to leave such details, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    The elf girl gently pecked my cheeks and seems to be having fun poking it. Although they were a bit small, my cheeks give off a heavenly feel when touching. Lyell was the most captivated by that sensation out of everyone in this household.


    As I continued pretending to be asleep, the elf girl looked around her surroundings and confirmed that no one was there. There was no one in this mansion now. Even though she knew that, she repeated the same behavior humorously. And after she was convinced that nobody was there, she gently kissed my cheeks and stepped out of the room with ttering steps.


    I wondered why she ran away¡­ Thinking about it, kissing your employees¡¯ daughter would have been a disqualification as an employee.


    I¡¯m a man¡­ mentally a man, so I was actually really happy receiving the love of an elf girl.


    From that day on, I kept training until I could manage to walk on my own. And there was one more thing you had to do if you were a baby at this time. I decided to do just that today in front of my parents.


    ¡¸Maria, I have returned¡¹


    Lyell said in a slightly sluggish voice, when he came back to the mansion. Lyell was hired as a knight by the lord who governs this district.


    This district was particrly terribly devastated by the evil dragon, and because of that monsters have been breeding a lot in the surroundings which required his assistance. In exchange for his service, he got a mansion and a good sry that he was using to raise me.


    Maria stopped her meal preparations in the kitchen and came to greet him. I was watching this happen from the living room. Right then the elf girl picked me up and also headed for the entrance. It seems like she¡¯s assisting Maria with her cooking.


    ¡¸Dao~?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s also join greeting Lyell-sama, Nicole-sama.¡¹


    The girl¡¯s smile looked like a flower in full bloom. I waspletely dumbstruck by that smile. Well, it¡¯s not like I could talk.


    ¡¸Oh, Nicole came out to greet me, Finia too?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not it! I¡¯m still no good at work! That¡¯s why I¡¯m just bothering Maria-sama¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the case, you know. She¡¯s actually a big help.¡¹


    I see, so this girl was named Finia. The heartwarming atmosphere felt it wouldn¡¯t go, however, if this goes on, my time to shine would note. There is only one way to diffuse this atmosphere. Making a firm decision, I put more effort into what I¡¯m about to do.


    ¡¸Ma¡­ ma?¡¹ ¡¸Eh!?¡¹


    At that moment, I squeezed my voice out and called Maria ¡®Mama¡¯. Maria was so surprised by hearing my voice. It was really quite unusual for her to show such a surprised expression.


    ¡¸Nicole ¡­ just now ¡­ did you call me Mama?¡¹ ¡¸Maaama¡¹ ¡¸Aaah, Lyell! This child, Nicole, she called me! ¡¹ ¡¸Nicole, what about me? I¡¯m Papa? Call me Papa? ¡¹ ¡¸Hey Lyell, close, too close!¡¹


    Lyell approached the chest of Finia where I was held and was forcing me to also call out to him. This ******* was already over thirty. He¡¯s a sweltering old geezer. There¡¯s also one thing that he forgot. It was that I hated him. That¡¯s why¨C


    ¡¸Fii¡­nia?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you heard it from Maria-sama just now! Is that right Nicole-sama, about my name!?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, she only heard it just now! That¡¯s right, this child is called Finia¡¹


    Now that I think about it, I have also heard Maria¡¯s name, right? This surely is a failure. However, I will recover from this mistake immediately.


    ¡¸Mari¡­a¡­mama?¡¹ ¡¸Oooh! Nicole also remembered my name. What a smart child! ¡¹


    Maria was really delighted. To be honest, she was always smiling but it was rare for her to express her emotions this way before. It was probably because she was witnessing the growth of her child, that is to say, me.


    ¡¸Over here, Nicole. What about papa¡¯s name? ¡¹ ¡¸Dau!¡¹


    I mmed my small maple-like hand on Lyell¡¯s face who was noisily forcing me to call his name. Well, although it¡¯s a direct hit, it¡¯s not something that you could really call an attack.


    ¡¸Uu, Maria¡­ Nicole isn¡¯t saying my name.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because your name is hard to pronounce, she won¡¯t be able to suddenly say it.¡¹


    It was very unusual for Maria to say something like this, but she¡¯s probably experiencing a feeling of superiority right now. In response to what Maria said, Lyell falls down on his knees (orz).


    ¡¸Ah, um, well, maybe she will be able to call Lyell-sama¡¯s name soon! Surely, that surely will happen! ¡¹ ¡¸Uuh, are you trying tofort me? Finia is a really good girl.¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, are you perhaps trying to have an affair right in front of me? ¡¹ ¡¸Stop it with the joke! Finia may be a good kid, but I just can¡¯t see her that way¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, of course I know that¡¹


    Maria encourages Lyell while rubbing his back. We then went to the dining hall as dinner was prepared. By the way, our meal that evening was a bit¡­ no, let¡¯s just say that it was pretty amazing.

 Chapter 8: Blessings of God

    <h4>Chapter 8: Blessings of God</h4>


    Two more years have passed since I¡¯ve started speaking. During that time, I have learned a lot of things, like my appearance for example.


    I wasn¡¯t able to really determine my looks when I was a baby because I can¡¯t even move my neck, but my hair was bluish silver with the texture like that of a thin silver thread.


    Along with that, which I¡¯ve witnessed looking in the mirror, the color of my skin was white enough to say that it was deathly pale, and the color of my eyes were different, which gave me a rather distinct characteristic.


    My right eye is red, and my left eye is blue. It seems like I¡¯ve inherited both Lyell¡¯s blue eyes and Maria¡¯s red eyes.


    Combining all the features that I¡¯ve inherited, it could be said that I have quite a noticeable appearance. My facial features alone are already quite adorable, and I could already see a promising future even though I am only this young.


    Of course, other than that, my body has also grown. However, even though I tried so hard to train my magic and body, the results were not that good.


    Although magic still exists in my body, when I try controlling it, it goes out of control and I won¡¯t be able to consciously manipte it as I wanted.


    This body, though I tried muscle training since the infancy period, my build was quite simr to Maria and is somewhat weaker than most children of the same age group.


    Well, Maria is actually quite a sturdy person who was able to ovee our tough adventures. She has more physical strength than an average person. Compared to me, even though we were on the same level of experience, I am more frail and weaker than her. Even though my aim is to be simr to the hero Lyell, it seems like I have inherited more of Maria¡¯s features instead.


    Today, after a day of training, my family gathered in front of the firece and was bonding with each other.


    I¡¯m going to be three years old soon, and because my legs have be pretty firm, I am now able to move around freely in the house.


    But this evening I just sat on the floor doing some mild stretches.


    My physical strength has already been exhausted, but if I¡¯m only doing mild stretches, then the impact on my physical strength won¡¯t be that much.


    ¡¸Uuh~¡¹


    Lyell, who sitting on the sofa behind me, looked at me with a smile as I do some stretching exercises. Next to the firece is Maria, knitting, and Finia who was sitting beside her.


    I was sitting on the floor, aligning my knees and bringing my heel beside my butt. It would be hard to do this in a male¡¯s body, but this body had no problems with that because of the difference in the body structure of both genders. Apparently, this body has a considerable problem in terms of physical strength and endurance, but seems to have considerably high dexterity and flexibility.


    I secretly spread my left foot and kick my right foot a little. Moving a few centimeters in this form, I then move to the left.


    I repeated this several times and was moving right to left for a while. But Lyell picked me up from behind and put me on hisp.


    ¡¸Ya, Lesh¨Cme-go!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t hate me, Nicole ¡­ Can¡¯t you y with dad once in a while?¡¹ ¡¸Muu ~¡¹


    I twisted my body and jumped out of Lyell¡¯sp. I¡¯m going to pronounce it more clearly, ¡¸Stop it, release me¡¹ but as my vocal cords are still underdeveloped, I will definitely end up wording it in baby talk.


    After escaping, I instantly found my point of protection. Maria looked at me jumping off and was ready to receive me with open arms. But well, to jump into my formerrade¡¯s chest would be too embarrassing. So I decided to jump into Finia chest instead, who was standing next to Maria.


    Because she is small and petite, I could easily jump up to her chest. Finia hurriedly picked me up as I jumped so suddenly. Just like how elves look, she has a thin body, with a thin waist and a soft fluffy chest which could make you say that she¡¯s certainly a woman. The smell of fragrant flowers drifted slightly around her which was reallyfortable.


    I followed the source of the smell and it was drifting from a small bag hung around her waist. Perhaps it was a potpourri1 made with wild grass. She is wearing such a simple scent which is betterpared to noble children wearing perfume.


    I stretched out my hand to her waist and took the small bag to check what was inside it. Other than that, I don¡¯t really have any other ulterior motives. I just wanted to see the origins of this flowery scent.


    But after seeing my actions, Maria couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly and giggled.


    ¡¸Nicole is still a girl after all, she seems to be curious about the potpourri¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not that rare¡¹ ¡¸But you know, she was not that keen on such small things before. Not only did she not want to wear skirts, she even asked Lyell to teach her swordsmanship, which was something that a boy would do¡¹ ¡¸Nicole-sama is very cute after all, right? You could even say that she¡¯s the cutest in this vige!¡¹


    Finia emphasizes that while holding me. Certainly, my appearance is simr to Maria, which is a very good appearance that is neat and mature. Moreover, because I am considerably smaller and frailer than the average child, it made me look like an adorable aristocratic girl.


    But what I am aiming for is the hateful Lyell¡¯s style. With a figure of a Hero who could freely use a swordparable to the length of his body. It was a form that I was aiming for and was not able to reach. However, with my current body, it seems impossible to also reach that figure even now.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Finia. Won¡¯t you be making potpourris together with everyone tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸Everyone, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Yup, I think the west vige has now be a meadow? It¡¯s also getting warmer soon, so the flowers will be blooming¡¹ ¡¸Thinking about it, it¡¯s about time¡­ Will it not be dangerous going outside of the vige? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not only Finia who wille along¡¹ ¡¸But, won¡¯t I be protected by Maria-sama instead?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m really that bad at closebat¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡¹


    Maria was not a priest warrior, but a pure rear-guard. When ites tobat abilities, she could be considered as the weakest even among the backline like the beastwoman Cortina and the elf Maxwell. However, she still surpasses the strength of ordinary people. Though the current me is far more inferior.


    ¡¸Then it¡¯s concluded, right? Well then, let¡¯s prepare some packed lunch for tomorrow before going to the meadow¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand.¡¹ ¡¸Also because a ceremonial baptism will be starting soon, let¡¯s take a break before that time arrives¡¹


    The ceremony of baptism is a ceremony received by a child three years after birth and is also a ceremony to examine the abilities of the child. In this world, there are children who are given the ability called a blessing, the benefits of that gift give the owner overwhelming effects.


    For example, from mythical grade abilities like a different dimension space that can store unlimited objects, eternal youth as the name suggests, and charm ability that could attract others just by eye-contact. There are also blessings like ones possessed by Lyell and Maria that are useful in battles like martial-arts and high speed chanting among others. Additionally, there are also other abilities that aren¡¯t that useful so it¡¯s more of a gamble. Just by having a gift, things that required ordinary people decades to achieve could be learned in just a few years.


    Of course, they are things that you could learn even without such abilities, but people who possess the abilities far outshine those who don¡¯t, like in swordsmanship for example, which would greatly boost the ability of one who possesses itpared to one who doesn¡¯t.


    However, depending on the presence or absence of such abilities, the growth rate obtained by training will differ a lot. As it was a ceremony to determine those things, residents of this world always take the baptism very seriously.


    By the way, Lyell¡¯s gifts are Combat Tactics and Toughness. This greatly improves hisbat abilities and giving him high endurance. By possessing this, he can continue to fight with almost inexhaustible physical strength.


    Gadius¡¯ gift is Shield Arts and Robust. It allows him to receive an enemy¡¯s attack with a shield and also can attack with a shield to repel enemies. And robustness is the ability to endure enemy attacks. With these two Gadius was able to demonstrate a defensive power which could be said to be the life-line of the party.


    Maria possessed God¡¯s Miracle and High-Speed Casting. This is a talent mainly focused on the use of sacred magic and the ability to activate it instantaneously. This allows her to quickly cast sacred magic. In a battle that even a difference of seconds could mean death, her magic is another life-line aligned with Gadius.


    Maxwell¡¯s gift is Aptitude for All Attributes of Magic and Magic Power Increase. It¡¯s the ability to master all kinds of magic and the ability to enhance their effects. Maxwell, who releases wide-range attacks with powerful magic spells, was the main attacker of the party, which is the opposite of Gadius.


    Cortina possesses Ingenious Strategy and High-Speed Calction. Ingenious Strategy is the ability to see through the enemy¡¯s strategy and to derive the optimal strategy and tactics, the High-Speed Calction is the ability to calcte instantaneously as its name implies. With thebination of these two gifts, she could instantly handle the information in front of us and instruct us on the best course action.


    Because of that, she was able to understand why help was needed earlier than anyone else at the time before I died.


    Also, I couldn¡¯t forgive Gadius who brought such a request upon us, but more than that, I could not forgive myself who could not properlye up with the right measures to protect myself more than anyone else, I then ended up in this ce as a result.


    Compared to them, my gift was quite in. What I had was a Thread Maniption and Covert Tactics. It was purely assassination tactics to move around without being noticed by anyone and stopping the enemy¡¯s movement by using steel threads.


    That is why there are a lot of disadvantages if I confront an enemy head-on. It could even be said that I was fortunate enough to be able to subjugate that Devil.


    I do not yet know what happened to those gifts after being reborn, but it seems like I have inherited those skills seeing how dexterous my fingers are and that my training hasn¡¯t been found out by Finia.

 Chapter 9: The First Outing

    <h4>Chapter 9: The First Outing</h4>


    The next day, we decided to bring a lunch box and go out for a hike to the west meadow. But only Lyell could note with us because of his patrol job. That morning, Lyell had tears and snot drifting down on his face as he cried out loud, which was extremely disgusting.


    ¡°Nicole, I¡¯m sorry Papa cannot follow.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯te!¡± ¡°Aww¡­ she¡¯s pretending to be strong.¡±


    Misunderstanding my attitude, Maria had a smile as usual. In her eyes, my attitude was that I wanted to go out and y with my father, and it looked like I was sulking. Actually, I was sulking because I could not do my daily routine.


    However,e to think of it, it was true that fatigue had been umted by recent training. It might be good to take a rest today and rx.


    Maria was my formerpanion and Finia was a pretty girl. If you did not consider that Maria was a married woman, the current state was a harem nked by two beautiful women. Of course, I am also a woman, but that is that and this is this.


    ¡°Look, Nicole, this is the flower I used for my sachet.¡±


    Finia plucked a small purple flower and brought it to my nose. Then, the flower fragrance from yesterday came drifting stronger than yesterday.


    ¡°When you dry it and pack several flowers in a bag together, it will be a sachet.¡± ¡°Ooh~¡±


    I was not interested in potpourri too much, so I replied half-heartedly to Finia¡¯s exnation. Just by looking at her happy expression, I also became happy. However, such a happy time also ended soon. It was due to the appearance of an intruder with a shrill voice.


    ¡°Ah, Maria-sama! Hello!¡± ¡°Maria, good morning!¡±


    Several kids came rushing towards Maria from the direction of the vige. Maria was surrounded in a blink of an eye, and her hand was pulled and spun around. Finia, too, was a victim of the children.


    ¡°Oh, who is this child?¡± ¡°Onee-chan¡¯s little sister?¡± ¡°Her hair is beautiful. Her arms are thinnn.¡± ¡°Oooh~ wao!?¡±


    The kids flocked to me this time. I was swallowed in a blink of an eye, and my hair was disheveled. My hair was long enough to reach the middle of my back. I personally wanted my hair shorter, but Maria and Finia strongly opposed it. As they put on a crying face, I couldn¡¯t insist on getting a haircut stubbornly.


    My silver-blue colored hair was inherited from Maria, and it was glossy in the light. Moreover, my eyes inherited Maria¡¯s red and Lyell¡¯s blue at the same time, the color was different on the left and right. It was enough to stimte children¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°Her eye colors are differenttt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s weirddd.¡± ¡°Lettt gooo!¡±


    I did my best to resist by pulling my cheeks away, but that aplished nothing in the end. I brushed off their hands and hid behind Finia as I went past them.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be naughty, this girl is my daughter Nicole, get along well with her okay?¡± ¡°Huh, who is Nicole?¡± ¡°A friend.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s y together!¡± ¡°Oh, wa¨D¨D don¡¯t pull my hand!¡±


    I was pulled away from Finia by the outrageous children. I was mercilessly and relentlessly dragged. I could not make light of the physical strength of the children, even though I was also a child.


    ¡°These arevender flowers, you¡¯re making fragrant bags, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ehh, that¡¯s boring, let¡¯s go raspberry gathering over there! We can snack on itter.¡± ¡°Geez, boys really like to eat in a rush. Nicole would hate that sort of thing.¡± ¡°Why are you like this? You guys also like to eat sweet things!¡± ¡°This and that are a different story.¡±


    My opinion no longer mattered. In this way, I have forcibly been pulled along and dragged around the field.

 Chapter 10: Tree Climbing with Friends

    <h4>Chapter 10: Tree Climbing with Friends</h4>


    From the next day onward, I was assaulted by the children on a daily basis. For the vigers of the unchanging vige, my cute appearance on top of my heterochromia iridis and silver hair seemed to be an article of curiosity. Besides, there were only a dozen children in this vige. Of course, if you considered the parish that governed these viges, there were several times more, but it was not close enough to freely move back and forth between the viges. All because my vige was such a closedmunity, I, as the new member, could be said to be an existence that people wanted to get involved with by all means.


    The residence where I lived was the biggest house in the vige. But it could be said that it was a modest home for the heroes of salvation, Lyell and Maria.


    A two-story stone building. Four rooms on each floor. Apart from that, there was also a dining room, a living room, a kitchen, a bath, and a study on the first floor. On the second floor, instead of the rooms like on the first floor, a balcony was installed, and it became possible to dry theundry there. There was also a small garden; a stable was set up in the corner, and two horses were tied to it.


    In the garden, solid footprints were left on the ground as proof of Lyell¡¯s serious training. Every day, he would tread down on the ground left a mold here and there.


    The boundary between the garden and the street were separated by the low thicket and a fence, and it was to the point where even children can cross it if they felt like it. Because it was a safe vige, it had rough measures.


    The children went under the fence and began their assault. Until then, it was said that no children were allowed to sneak into the heroes¡¯ house. Besides, I specialized in avoiding eye contact, so the vigers did not know I existed. Of course, the vigers knew who I was now, but there should only be a few who actually saw me.


    Anyways, once they found out that I was the same as them, they removed their walls of wariness. They climbed over the wall openly during the day and came to invite me.


    ¡°Nicole-chan, let¡¯s yyy.¡± ¡°A tree outside the vige grew cherries, let¡¯s go pick themmm.¡± ¡°Geez! Can you boys only think about food?¡±


    Sure enough, the children came while I was secretly training in magic maniption. Lyell, the owner of this house, was not at the residence during the day because of his patrolling work. At the same time, Maria also had church work, so she was not at the residence.


    Recently, my care was not needed anymore, so she resumed work at the church. Of course, it was impossible to leave a 3-year-old child alone in the house so the servant Finia was taking care of me.


    As for Finia, she was cleaning the residence, so she took her eyes off me. As a servant, that was not praiseworthy, but as she managed the mansion and took care of a child at the same time, that would be too much to ask of her. In the first ce, an ordinary three-year-old child like me wouldn¡¯t move around too actively. So it should be fine even if she took her eyes off me for a short while.


    As far as the children¡¯s invitation was concerned, it¡¯s an unwee favor. But I was far more delicate than the average child. Just ying with them, it would be plenty for stamina training.


    ¡°Sure. Then let me tell Finia.¡± ¡°I understand, we¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Making the most childish voice that I could, I answered. ying with them led to reassuring my parents that were worried about me as I liked to be alone. Lyell aside, I did not want to worry Maria who took care of me in my previous life. In addition, when I got tired from ying, I could go to sleep early in the night and avoid having Lyell tease me to the point of irritation when he returned home.


    However, no matter how much I thought it would be fine if I quietly disappeared, Finia would be worried. If I did something untactful, she would get in contact with Lyell, and it might make the situation take a turn for the worst. So it was necessary to contact her beforehand.


    Finia looked a bit worried, but since I said I was going with the other children, she allowed us to go out. Of course, it was strictly prohibited to go outside the vige.


    Together with the five children, we came up to the tree on the outskirts of the vige. Various trees were nted around this vige, and seasonal fruits could be gathered. Because this tree did not belong to anyone, it often became a target for the children¡¯s snack time.


    The cherry tree was one of the targets of enjoyment for the children. The cherry trees were not so tall and they also had a good shape, so it seemed like the kids could easily climb them.


    A small red fruit was peeping into view from the gap of the lush leaves. Since the undergrowth was also thick, it was unlikely to be injured even if one fell. The children divided into three-men groups and started climbing the trees. One person¡¯s role was to catch cherries under. One person took the role of a safety assistant who would break the fall if the other person fell. Thest person climbed the tree and dropped the cherries.


    Now, there were only six children, so only two teams could be formed. I picked my cherries with the children of the same age.


    ¡°Hmm, oh, I¡¯ll climb the tree and drop the cherries.¡± ¡°Oh, Nicole, are you fine with that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, even if I look like this, my body is on the lighter side.¡±


    Even before I was reincarnated, I was one of the heroes. I might have less muscr strength and staminapared to my previous life, but I had confidence in my reflexes and my body lightness was above average. Tree climbing was a piece of cake. I stretched my limbs as much as I could and I climbed the branches casually. That speed was impossible for a 3-year-old child. However, stamina remained a fatal problem. I was out of breath when I climbed the branch.


    ¡°Hey, Nicole, are you really fine?¡± ¡°Yea, I¡¯m fine¡­¡­ just leave it to me.¡±


    It was pitiful, but I was gasping for breath and my fingertips were trembling. However, there was no problem with picking fruits. I slowly moved to the end of the branch, tore off the cherry fruit and dropped it to a child on the ground.


    Finally, I finished all the ces that I could pick easily and descended to the ground. Then, we tasted the sourness of fresh cherries together and enjoyed the taste of spring. My belly was satisfied. There were quite a few cherries, but they seemed to be a bit insufficient to satisfy the belly of the six children in the group. The boys specifically seemed to be unsatisfied.


    ¡°Well, that tree over there is also growing some too, so let¡¯s go fetch some?¡± ¡°Oh, but isn¡¯t that tree beyond the fence?¡±


    One of the boys pointed to a big tree and said so. There was a big cherry tree on the other side of the fence that warded off monsters. Perhaps it budded before the birds could eat it. However, the tree was outside of the vige, although only a little bit.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. My dad will get angry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright! After all, it¡¯s only a few feet from the fence, right? Even if a monsteres out, we can just run away.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    One of the girls and I began but we were pushed by the boys¡¯ forceful arguments. However, this was a bad idea.


    ¡°No, I came here on condition that I stay in the vige.¡± ¡°Tsk, then fine, we¡¯ll go alone!¡±


    The boys, who lost their temper at the girl¡¯s indecisive attitude, passed under the fence. The fence whose purpose is to ward off monsters had arge gap, so children could pass under it.


    ¡°Ah,e on!¡±


    No matter how you put it, I could not overlook the reckless action of the children going outside, could I? After I kicked the ground and expressed frustration, I chased after them.

 Chapter 11: Raid of Monsters

    <h4>Chapter 11: Raid of Monsters</h4>


    I went outside the vige the other day with Maria and Finia; the feeling outside was different from that of the vige where the atmosphere made one feel at ease. But if there were sweet and sour fruits right in front of them, the children would run towards it without regard. In the blink of an eye, we finally arrived at the tree and the children scrambled to be the first one to pick the fruits.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡°You can climb too, Nicole? Get up there!¡±


    Though just a little, I started to climb the tree in response to the provocation of the boys. I proceeded quickly to the end of the branch and tried to reach out to the fruits.


    It was then, I noticed a moving shadow at the edge of my sight. It moved to hide behind the western prairie, close to the vige.


    ¡°Is that a kobold?¡±


    Kobolds were the weakest monster in this world. It looked like a bipedal dog, but its essence was closer to a wild beast. Nevertheless, because it had the same degree of intelligence as a stupid person, it was quite dangerous.


    Can you imagine a dog with human dexterity and a cruel murderous demon¡¯s temperament? Such monsters formed a herd and were approaching the vige.


    It was not too dangerous for adults to drive them away. But the problem was that their physique was not much different from that of children. If it was usual, they would head back after ravaging the vegetable fields in front of the houses. However, we were only children ¨C it would be dangerous for us.


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s the kobolds! Everyone, let the adults know!¡±


    I could observe it because I had a high viewpoint on the tree, and if not, it would have been a surprise attack. Because there was the ultimate weapon called Lyell in this vige, there would be no major damage. But that was only inside the vige. We now had no ability to drive back the kobolds.


    After listening to my words, the children of the vige panicked and ran away. It was doubtful whether it was true or not, but this vige is in constant risk of a monster raid. There are no benefits to be gained from telling such lie though.


    ¡°Uncle, there are kobolds outside the vige! Call for Lyell-sama!¡±


    Although it was a little off, this ce was still near the vige. If the children kept running for a while, they would surelye across the vigers who would oftene and go. I understood that much from the voices of the children who called out to those vigers.


    But I had not descended from the tree yet. Obviously, the kobolds were trying to stay hidden. If you lost sight of them, it might be troublesome.


    ¡°Nicole, let¡¯s run away soon.¡± ¡°No, no, I will monitor them from here, you must flee to the vige soon.¡± ¡°You cannot do that!¡±


    One girl among the children said that stubbornly and refused to evacuate. Was she unable to abandon her friends, or was she just fearful of Maria and Lyell, my parents? In any case, she decided to stay here for me. I appreciate the sentiment, but to be honest, that¡¯s quite bothersome to me.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    I kept my voice down to a minimum so that I could hear the child ¨C the little girl. The tree was located outside the vige, very close to the kobolds. If we were attacked by the kobolds, she would be attacked first since she was waiting under the tree.


    ¡°Can you climb this tree?¡± ¡°No¨C¡± ¡°Well,e up. It would be dangerous if you stay down.¡±


    Kobolds had properties of the canine family. They had clumsy ws and bad at climbing trees. It should be safer up here than staying on the ground.


    The girl began to climb the tree with awkward movements. But in response to the voices of the children, the kobolds seemed to have noticed us as well. They stopped hiding themselves, let out loud a roar and rushed over to us.


    ¡°Quickly!¡± ¡°Wait, wait ¡­¡­ I am not good at climbing trees.¡± ¡°The enemy will not wait!¡±


    It was clear she would not make it the way she was climbing. If I don¡¯t stop the kobolds¡¯ advance, she would soon be dead.


    ¡°Keep climbing!¡±


    I said so, jumping over the branches and onto the ground. The deep undergrowth formed a cushion, and I was not injured from the jump. I was aiming at bing a hero. I could not abandon this girl.


    With the body I have now, it would be impossible to beat down the kobolds. However, there was no need to defeat them. If I stalled for time, Lyell and Maria woulde. I was worried since I had no weapon, but I had brought a small knife to chop nuts. It should be possible to fight with this.


    The kobolds got here before any viger coulde running. Drool came out from their open mouth with tongues hanging out. There were three kobolds. Then, two more behind the trees.


    The girl on the tree screamed when the kobold got closer. Although the kobolds seemed to have noticed her, they did not have the means to reach her.


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t have you damage the vige any more than this.¡±


    Recalling the lines I said in my past life, the corners of my mouth lifted. At the same time, the first kobold started its attack. With my current physical strength, I couldn¡¯t receive a frontal attack from the kobold, so I dodged to the side and aimed the knife at its neck. But I couldn¡¯t cut the hard fur because my grip strength was weak. Still, it seemed that the kobold hadn¡¯te out unscathed; the kobold scowled in pain and howled.


    In response to that, the other kobolds changed their target to me. When I attacked the first kobold, I was a good distance away from the others, so there was a dy before they could attack. Using that gap, I swung the knife again.


    Though the attack couldn¡¯t cut through its fur, I could still stall for time. That was my current purpose. But there were five opponents and I was only one person. There was a limit to how much I could do, even though I said I could still stall for time. I was already being surrounded.


    I adjusted my position against the cherry tree to avoid getting hit from a blind spot. The kobolds like tounch a surprise attack from an unexpected position.


    ¡°Gurururu¡­¡­¡±


    One kobold raised a growl to intimidate. Even the little time they took to gauge my strength, I appreciate it. My limbs were already beginning to get tired as they want past their limits. As it was, I won¡¯tst long.


    ¡°Although it is impossible, I have to stall for longer.¡±


    I lowered my body and kicked the grass to increase my speed. After I stunned the first one with a tackle, I would do my best to take on the kobold in the opposite corner during that gap. Breaking the enemy¡¯s formation would help to stall for time as I waited for reinforcement.


    But my thoughts crumbled away in an instant. I was too young to be able to tackle the kobolds with my small body.


    On the contrary, I bounced back and rolled on the ground. The kobolds were not stupid enough to miss that gap. They surrounded me to prevent me from escaping.

 Chapter 12: A Deadly War of Attrition

    <h4>Chapter 12: A Deadly War of Attrition</h4>


    A kobold sprang towards my fallen self. It looked the same as an upright dog. And that upright dog rushed at me, jaws wide open. At that moment, that was the only thing filling my vision. At this rate, I would be ripped apart and eaten, dying a horrible death.


    But, I had experienced many life-and-death situations. I was not some kid that could only shiver in fright and die. For my survival, I dodged. With my left foot, I kicked off the ground, and I punched at the ground with my left hand. At the same time, the right half of my body went under the kobold and escaped the entrapment¡ªor that¡¯s what should¡¯ve happened.


    Crack, my arm lost its force. Slip, then my leg slid across the ground, doing nothing.


    The attack I should have dodged hit me right in the face. Given the situation, my stamina would get used up much faster than I expected. And because of my limbs slipping, the koboldnded the attack on me. The kobold¡¯s gaping jaws could easily snap off my neck in one bite. Thanks to me slipping, I just barely missed receiving a fatal wound, but that maw still took a huge bite out of my left shoulder.


    That kobold bit into my shoulder. Moist, disgusting gnawing sounds came from my flesh as it was being chewed up, all the way until the beast hit the bone. And then, my bone has begun emitting a horrible grinding noise as it was slowly being chiseled apart. That noise, that feeling, that pain ¡ª it eroded me.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAGAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡±


    In my previous life, I had felt this pain many times. With a mere kobold¡¯s bite, I used to be able to continue fighting while ignoring the pain. Even so, this body could not endure such pain. My childish body seemed to not have any resistance to it.


    Even though my knife was my sole weapon, I let go and struggled wildly, limbs iling all over the ce. Nevertheless, my bitten left arm could not move. ¡°AAAAAAAA UWAAAAAAAaaaaaAaaaaa!¡± I cried, I fought¡­ Yet, the kobold would not let go. The sound of wet, warm blood flowed from my arm. No, it gushed out. An artery was obviously punctured. My time left was short.


    As I epted my iing death, a rock was thrown to the kobold¡¯s back. It did not damage the beast at all. However, a second, a third rock was thrown. Yes, that girl was the one throwing these.


    ¡°W-Why¡­¡± ¡°Let Nicole goooooooo!¡±


    While screaming and yelling, she threw the rocks with all her might. Of course, to the kobold, that only meant a new prey for them. Her voice attracted the attention of all the kobolds within the vicinity.


    ¡°Gururuaaaaaaa!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaa!¡±


    The girl was attacked by the kobold. She managed to not have her head chewed off by blocking the kobold with her arm like me. Whether it was a good idea or not, at least she avoided any fatal injuries. Even so, being pressured like that, her voice was soon stifled. Does that mean she¡¯s dead? ¡­No, I will not allow that.


    In order to keep her alive, I had to hang on to mine.


    And yet, are my efforts futile? No, am I just going to watch this girl die?


    ¡°That¡­ is¡­ unforgivableeee! GaAAaaaaa!!¡±


    She might die at any time now. Therefore, I must save her. If I can¡¯t even do that¡­ how can I be a hero?


    With my only movable arm, I pierced the kobold¡¯s right eye with my fingers.


    ¡°Gyap!?¡±


    With my fingers inside its eye socket, I pulled the kobold¡¯s head back. And I smashed my head into the beast¡¯s.


    ¡°UAAAAaaaaa!¡± ¡°GyaAARUURUUAAAAAaaaaaa!?¡±


    My head was still spinning in the dizziness due to the crash, but I had no time to worry about that. Fortunately, I could still move my legs. I could still save her.


    ¡°Let her go!¡±


    One of the rocks that the girl threw to help me rolled over, so I picked it up and did the obvious. I used the stone in the same way the girl did, so I could help her. And again, it did the same amount of damage that it did when it was first thrown.


    I clung on the back of the beast attacking me and continued to aim at its eyes. Eyes are a soft spot in most living creatures, and the kobold is not an exception. A person attacking it from behind in such a vital area would be difficult to ignore.


    When the kobold opened its mouth to try and bite my left arm, I immediately retaliated to shake it off. During that moment of confusion, I rolled under it. That opened up an opportunity, which I took advantage of. I swept at its legs and caused it to fall. Even with my meager strength, I was able to make the kobold lose its bnce.


    I looked over to the girl some ways apart from me. She was heavily bleeding and unconscious, but that was it. There were no apparent fatal wounds.


    However, this did not mean that we were all fine.


    The kobold is still very much alive. And carrying the girl to safety was impossible for this body. I had to wait this out.


    This situation is honestly hopeless.


    It¡¯d be easy to escape alone. Naturally, that would mean leaving the girl behind.


    ¡°Looks like my only choice is to keep fighting.¡±


    However, I cannot move my left arm. I have no weapons. I am gravely wounded.


    Even so, I cannot leave. Until helpes, I must protect the girl.


    ¡°¡­Fighting is harder than dying, huh.¡±


    Fighting head-on is no good. Running away is also no good. What I need to do right now is to by my best in distracting and dying them as I fight. It reminded me of thatst battle I had before I died in my previous life.


    ¡°Come at me, you stupid dogs!¡±


    I yelled to steel my resolve.

 Chapter 13: A Hero’s Image

    <h4>Chapter 13: A Hero¡¯s Image</h4>


    Seeing the kobold half stained in blood, I felt disgusted. The kobold seemed to blink for a moment. Kobolds are among the lowest tier of monsters. Nevertheless, they are still more than a single child could handle, the kobolds surround me and prepare to attack.


    Responding to their movements, I lower my posture. At that moment I attempted to distance myself, and a shadow jumps between us.


    ¡°What are you doing to my daughter¡ª¨C!¡± (Lyell)


    With a cry, there was a sh of silver light. With its overwhelming mass and destructive power, the light sent a kobold flying and crushed it into pieces. The back of that figure that is blocking me is the kind of hero I aspire to be. It was my current father, Lyell, who just rushed here.


    ¡°Lye ¨C Dad?¡± (Nicole) ¡°Are you okay, Nicole?¡± (Lyell) ¡°Well, yeah ¨C behind you!¡± (Nicole)


    The kobolds attacked Lyell¡¯s back, but he just casually turned around. This is just a matter of course. There is no honorable retreat in battle. But there was a clear difference in ability between Lyell and the Kobolds, to the extent that it did not matter.


    Although the kobold bit his shoulder, he was fine ¨C seeing I¡¯m still alive, he sighed a breath of relief. Then he grabbed the head of the kobold with his left hand and mmed it into the ground.


    The kobold which was thrown onto the soft ground, however, was crushed by the force exerted. The difference between Lyell and the kobold was so much that it did not even leave a scar on his shoulder. The kobold had its head crushed and breathed for thest time.


    With Lyell here, the kobolds finally realized the difference in fighting ability. We merely watched as the kobolds tried to flee all at once.


    Even so, the kobolds cannot be forgiven. Suddenly a wall of light surrounded the area and prevented the kobolds from escaping. I am familiar with this magic. This is Maria¡¯s sacred magic, Holy Prison. This skill encloses the enemy in an energy field.


    She has no physical abilitypared to Lyell, thus she enclosed the enemy with magic from a distance. She approached as usual, with arge smile, but she felt different from usual. When she saw my body dyed in blood, that smile became darker. It was filled with a great deal of murderous intent.


    ¡°Ma, mama ¡­¡± (Nicole) ¡°Are you okay, Nicole? ¡­Wait a moment¡± (Maria)


    With a single chant, Maria instantly activates magic and light attached to me and the girl. My wounds are closing with visible speed, this is Maria¡¯s healing magic. Her magic is activated faster than anyone, due to the gift of High-Speed Casting.


    ¡°There are only two kobolds left, right?¡± (Maria) ¡°Yeah.¡± (Nicole) ¡°Well then, please take care of it.¡± (Maria) ¡°Yeah, just leave it to me, I have yet to torture the dog that bit our daughter!¡± (Lyell)


    Grasping his sword with both hands, he gives it a swing. That alone split the grasnd, revealing the bare the ground below. A swing to clearly demonstrate the power of Lyell¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Ga Garru-¡± ¡°Wa~u¡­¡­ kyaun¡±


    The surviving kobolds held their tails between their legs and their hair was standing on end. Of course, Lyell cannot forgive them even if they show such a figure.


    He raises a shout that¡¯s equivalent to a roar and shed them, knocking them down and trampling them. That figure is exactly that of a demon. It was what I¡¯m unable to achieve ¨C the valiant figure of a ¡°hero¡±.


    When I see this, I realized this was the hero I wanted to be. How hard do I have to train to reach that height? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s impossible with just my own strength. All I practiced in my past life were assassination techniques. But that was not what I wanted.


    A hero¡¯s way of fighting needs to be shy, huh. As a matter of fact, I will start by studying from him. An idea came to me, and when I was about to get it out of my mind.


    My visibility started to fade immediately after that. The wound has already been cured by Maria. However¡ª ?


    ¡°Ah, Nicole ¡ª Because healing magic from before¡­ is unable to recover blood loss, so please rest properly for now.¡± (Maria) ¡°Ah¨C¡± (Nicole) ¡°When you forcibly regenerate your organs, there are cases in which bad things can happen in various ways, so you have to recover yourself as much as you can.¡± (Maria)


    After I heard that, my consciousness shut off steadily. When I woke up, I was being brought to my room. Lyell was there by my side, but there was no figure of Maria. And I cannot see the figure of that girl.


    ¡°Were you awake, Nicole?¡± (Lyell) ¡°¨C Papa¡± (Nicole) ¡°Maria is very spartan, I wish she could have used Refresh magic.¡± (Lyell)


    Refresh is the highest grade of healing magic that will heal all injuries. If this is done, even lost blood can be recovered. However, Maria tended to apply only the minimum necessary healing techniques and rmend self-healing. This is because if there was some misalignment in the healed part and the surrounding parts as a result of excessive healing magic, certain problems would arise.


    ¡°But she cured it properly, she cannot possibly go wrong.¡± (Nicole)


    Maria never abandons an injured person. Closable wounds cured properly until the end. She refrains from using Refresh as it is safer. Of course, I know Lyell well. It is unusual for him toin about Maria ¨C because his beloved daughter is injured.


    ¡°Oh, I know that, I¡¯m not ming Mama or anything.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, Papa, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± (Nicole)


    I try to break out my sure kill technique, the ¡°upturned eyes¡± that I fully mastered in thest three years. Sure enough, the effect is outstanding. Lyell fell as quickly as possible.


    ¡°What is it! Papa will do anything you ask, Nicole!¡± (Lyell)


    To the daughter who has an unusual request, Lyell answered immediately in vain. Since he is ready, I present my request. Although I was a little mean, I said so without losing any of my excitement.


    ¡°Can you teach me how to use the sword?¡± (Nicole)


    In response to my request, Lyell seemed like a pigeon shot by a peashooter.

 Chapter 14: The Results of Begging

    <h4>Chapter 14: The Results of Begging</h4>


    One of the ultimate techniques I have learnt in this body, that is to face Lyell with upturned eyes. Lyell looked down at me with a troubled expression.


    ¡°That request ¡­ I cannot fulfil it.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Why? Why won¡¯t Papa listen to my request?¡± (Nicole)


    I raised my body into a sitting position, while Lyell rests a firm palm on my head. Its hardness is also a proof of constant daily training.


    ¡°Nicole is still small, and do not have physical strength. Furthermore your body is still weak, it is difficult to learn swords in such a condition.¡±


    It is as Lyell said, my body is weak, without sufficient stamina or strength. Thus Lyell hesitates to teach me swordsmanship. Needless to say, that concern is valid. It is not possible for this body to even lift a sword. Even if I lifted it, I cannot hold it steady. In other words, I was not even qualified to stand at the entrance to the art of swordsmanship.


    ¡°No matter what?¡± (Nicole) ¡°U¡­gah! I can¡¯t teach you to wield a sword with your body like this. But, once you are five years old, your hands will be bigger and you¡¯ll be taller. Then, you might be able to wield a sword. ¡± (Lyell) ¡°Two more years¡­¡­ I understand!¡± (Nicole)


    As fast as I wanted to learn the sword, but if I rush and break my body I have neither the origin nor the result. Just as Lyell says, I should build up my strentgh.


    ¡°Later, Mama is going to lecture you about the reckless thing that you did. She is scary when she is angry.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Mama is angry?¡± (Nicole) ¡°She already is. There¡¯ll probably be thunder and lightning not too far in the future.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Ugeh¡­.¡± (Nicole)


    Lyell tells me so with a frown. Maria¡¯s smile when she is angry gives off many chills, and of this, I am familiar with it in my previous life. It was when I peeped into the women¡¯s bath with Lyell, her anger transcended a whole new level.


    Incidentally, the mission failed due to the defense of Cortina¡¯s steel wall. That cat-eared guard¡­¡­ just you wait, I¡¯ll definitely break through your guard someday.


    ¡°I will go check on Michelle-chan¡¯s condition now, I will be backter.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Michelle-chan?¡± (Nicole) ¡°Nicole risked her life to save that girl. Although it is no good to be unreasonable, I will praise you only for saving that girl.¡± (Lyell)


    By the way, I have not even introduced myself to that girl. Did you say her name is Michelle-chan?


    ¡°What about¡­ the scars?¡± (Nicole) ¡°In no way would Maria do a bad job, leaving scars on Nicole.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Not me, Michelle-chan.¡± (Nicole) ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no problem with that. Maria, you cane in now.¡± (Lyell)


    That child is still a girl. It will be sad to leave scars at this age. If it can be cured by Maria¡¯s healing magic, there is nothing better than this. When I breathed a sigh of relief, the door of the room was knocked conservatively. Maria looks in from the narrow opening.


    ¡°Oh, Nicole has already woken up.¡± (Maria) ¡°Yeah. Thanks for healing my wounds.¡± (Nicole) ¡°You are wee. How are you doing?¡± (Maria) ¡°All okay, there is no pain left, none at all.¡± (Nicole)


    I lifted both hands and showed a gut pose. My left arm, which had been bitten, moves without problems. It is thanks to the sacred magic of Maria.


    ¡°Okay, now I can preach to you without hesitation.¡± (Maria) Maria said so with a bright smile. Words cannot describe it, but there is most certainly pressure in the atmosphere.


    I can only reply with a nod. A few dayster. Both I and Michelle-chan were recovering without any problem. We introduced each other and shook hands. She became my first friend ever since I was reborn in this body.


    But I did not get to y with her. We are already 3 years old. In other words, it was time for the ceremony of baptism. It is a ritual for the vige children. No special preparations are necessary. Still, there was a custom of dressing up for presentation.


    ¡°So, I think that this dress will suit Nicole.¡± (Maria) ¡°No, Maria, her injuries were only recently healed, I think a toga-style dress, which wouldn¡¯t put a burden on her will¨C¡± (Lyell) ¡°That¡¯s no good, her chest will be seen if she raises her hands.¡± (Maria) ¡°Surely people wouldn¡¯t care as they are still children?¡± (Lyell) ¡°Ah, I usually wear a shirt and pants¡­¡± (Nicole) ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± (Maria/Lyell)


    Costume matching was done almost every day. I think that it is stressful for kids to be unable to y, but I couldn¡¯t stop my parents¡¯ enthusiasm. Even though I wanted to train my body as soon as possible, it has to be restricted. This continued for several days, and then the time for the baptism ceremony arrived.

 Chapter 15: Gift of God

    <h4>Chapter 15: Gift of God</h4>


    The baptism ceremony is held at the local church, where a magic formation is used to identify each individual¡¯s gifts. Since there once was a problem of privacy, the gift can only be known by the specific individual. However, it is basic to identify gifts at three years old. Gifted children would report to their respective parents with glee.


    The highest priest in the local church will make a speech on future choices avable. In the vige church, Maria is the highest priest, thus she will make the speech. I was listening to the speech with the vige children in the square in front of the church.


    ¡°With the help of this magic circle, if you are blessed by god, you would be able to recognize your individual gifts.¡± (Maria)


    Gifts are at most only present in one out of a hundred people. Among this small group of children, there would at most have only one gifted child. Still, this ritual is performed to expand the potential of the children, and to confirm the strength of those who are gifted.


    Judging from the size of the magic circle, there are about five candidates here today. There are only a few children this year. With this number, there is little possibility that gifted children will be found. Sure enough, there seem to be no children in the first few groups who are gifted. And finally it¡¯s my turn ¨C no, it¡¯s me and Michelle¡¯s turn.


    Maria forced a frilly dress with ribbons on me. This is just one of the reasons why I will never mention my past as Reid. The hem of my dress rustled as I step forward to face the magic circle.


    My gifts in my previous life were Thread Maniption and Covert Tactics. I do not know whether these gifts are inherited, but I was good at avoiding attention. Besides, although I can feel the flow of magic power from half a year old, it would be useless if I have no element affinity.


    When I entered the magic formation, Maria starts chanting magic. Three words appeared in my mind in response to the magic. Those are; Thread Maniption, Covert Tactics, and Interference Magic.


    There are several magic systems in this world. There are elemental based magic including four major attributes like Maxwell, or holy magic based on faith like Maria. Other spiritual attribute magic includes necromancy, and the priest who killed me used Devil summoning magic.


    The interference magic that I had is magic that mainly maniptes matter. It is a magic that can strengthen the power of weapons temporarily and can also strengthen armor.


    Of course, it¡¯s magic, after all, there are certain spells thatpletely breakmon sense, but only a few of those who have actual talent could reach that realm. I seem to be able to manipte magic better than an ordinary person, but it will take considerable training to reach that level.


    Compared to my previous life, the number of gifts I possess increased by one¡­ is this perhaps what the god meant by [service]? When I looked at Michelle-chan, her eyes were sparkling.


    ¡°Did you get something, Michelle-chan?¡± (Nicole) ¡°Yeah, Marksmanship!¡± (Michelle)


    Without considering the risks of saying so, she blurted the name of her gift. Come to think of it, she threw a stone urately at the kobold in the previous encounter. That uracy may be due to her gift.


    ¡°Well, you should not tell your father about your gift.¡± (Nicole) ¡°Huh? Why?¡± (Michelle) ¡°The gift of Marksmanship is too strong.¡± (Nicole)


    Her stone-throwing was good. Marksmanship probably involves all acts ofunching a projectile. In other words, other than stone-throwing, her gift would also apply to the use of bows and crossbows, including castle-destroying ballista.


    It is a gift for attacking enemies from long distances. If such things are made known, the country will not let her go. If so, she will never be able to obtain a normal childhood.


    There is no doubt the country will force her to train until the extent of vomiting blood. Of course, it is not possible to hide it forever, but it would be best for her to be able to continue leading a normal life with her parents.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it as a secret!¡± (Nicole) ¡°Yes, I promise!¡± (Michelle) ¡°Yeah, promise!¡± (Nicole)


    Michelle and I made a pinky promise. Because it is something done by a three-year-old, it may not be reliable, but at least it will gain me some time. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll make Maria and Lyell do something to protect her.


    At dinner, Maria asked me about my gifts. I have inherited the gifts from my previous life, having three gifts. In a sense, it can be said to be out of the norm. Particrly, these two people know me in my previous life. There is a possibility that they will know my actual identity based on thebination of Thread Maniption and Covert Tactics.


    As such, I cannot tell them about these two gifts. The problem is the gift of Interference Magic. This magic has many qualities, and it ismon in the magic system. Therefore, even if I tell them, it will not be too risky. Rather, they would provide optimal education and protect me.


    ¡°Hey, Nicole¡­ did you get any gifts?¡± (Lyell) ¡°You, I told you to stay silent!¡± (Maria)


    Maria reproaches Lyell unusually sharply. There is a narrow chance of getting a gift. However, being the daughter of the heroes, there is naturally a high expectation. That¡¯s why Maria reproached Lyell, thinking that I did not have a gift.


    ¡°Yup, Interference Magic.¡± (Nicole) ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good, Nicole.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Interference Magic huh? I do not know much about it, but Maxwell is familiar with it.¡± (Maria) ¡°He is also the leader of the country of the elves, I don¡¯t want to go and stay in the northern part for long.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Would you rather I visit with Nicole?¡± (Maria) ¡°That magic addict? If he found an excellent disciple in Nicole, you may not be able toe back.¡± (Lyell)


    If I remember Maxwell correctly, it is entirely possible. However, there are things that I have to say.


    ¡°Besides that, regarding Michelle-chan ¡­¡± (Nicole) ¡°Well, what happened to her?¡± (Lyell) ¡°She got the gift of marksmanship. It¡¯s amazing, is it not?¡± (Nicole)


    I told them that as innocently as I could. Her parents will definitely give in to those in power. But if these two protect her, there should be no one who would try to separate her from her parents. Because any one of the heroes is able to match the strength of an army.


    ¡°Marksmanship¡­¡­ that is amazing.¡± (Lyell) ¡°It¡¯s a skill that can unterally attack from a long distance, the nobles definitely won¡¯t stay silent if they know this.¡± (Maria) ¡°It would be cruel to separate her from her parents at this age.¡± (Lyell) ¡°What will you do, hide it?¡± (Maria) ¡°¡­¡­Yes, but it will be known eventually. By then, she should be able to defend herself.¡± (Lyell) ¡°Well¡­¡± (Maria) ¡°Oh, Nicole also said that she wanted me to teach her swordsmanship, let¡¯s train them together.¡± (Lyell) ¡°I suppose that should be fine.¡± (Maria)


    Maria also knows that Michelle and I are on good terms. It would be more encouraging to train alongside friends rather than do it alone. Thus, I began my physical training under the guidance of Lyell.

 Chapter 16: 5 Year’s Old, and the long Awaited Swordsmanship Practice

    <h4>Chapter 16: 5 Year¡¯s Old, and the long Awaited Swordsmanship Practice</h4>


    Two years have passed since the baptismal ceremony and the examination of Gifts. Meanwhile, Michelle who was under the protection of Lyell was doing her best to improve her physical strength. No matter how valuable a gift she was holding, there would be no nobles stupid enough to attempt to take her away while she was under the protection of the Heroes, and because of that, our calm days continued.


    That girl also became my best friend and rival, we were even havingpetitions during our daily training. Because of that, we were able to easily achieve good results. Two years have passed since then, I am now finally 5 years old. I will finally start learning swordsmanship from Lyell today.


    Michelle and I are now in the courtyard of our mansion. There were also a few children from the vige that joined the swordsmanship training.


    ¡¸The first thing you have to make sure is to keep your grip on the sword. The main role of a vanguard is not to defeat the enemy but to stall them and make sure they stay put¡¹


    While listening to Lyell¡¯s lecture, children started lifting their swords. I also tried to follow suit but-


    ¡¸Fuuunnnuuuu¡ª-gununununu!!¡¹


    In my hand is the two-handed sword that I¡¯ve longed for. But the ones we use are made for children, so it is on the smaller side. Despite saying that it¡¯s a two-handed sword, the actual size is only as big as a normal one-handed one, and because it was made to be a pseudo-two-handed sword, its handle is much longer than a normal one-handed one. That also includes its weight which is only a little heavier than a one-handed sword¡­


    ¡¸Was it a bit too heavy for you Nicole?¡¹ ¡¸Nyow-ish not, I can handle thish¡¹1


    Despite training my body with everything I¡¯ve got, it seems like my strength barely increased. It¡¯s not totally useless because it did increase my stamina and endurance but¡­ this body seems to be more inclined to Maria¡¯s than Lyell.


    Still, I won¡¯t give up. I can¡¯t just give up, I don¡¯t especially want to, in front of my former rival. My hands were terribly trembling as I force myself to lift the sword with everything I¡¯ve got, and was slowly able to lift it up.


    ¡¸Ha, how is¡ªit!¡¹ ¡¸Oooh, Amazing, amazing. You have guts Nicole¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~nn~¡¹


    It is really something that I wanted to boast off and be proud of, but if I got distracted the sword will easily fall down in front of me with ease. By the way, Michelle-chan easily swings her sword which was also the same size as mine.


    ¡¸Well then, first of all, we will start with the basics. Don¡¯t think about anything else for now. Just lift it up and swing it straight down¡¹


    This is the basis of all downward swing. Instead of thinking about other things like where to sh, we just need to focus on lifting it up and swinging it down continuously. In this process, we will be able to exercise our muscle strength needed to swing the sword.


    The other kids were also swinging it happily ¨C although it¡¯s their first time ¨C having a sword practice.


    ¡¸Uooooohh!!¡¹


    I lifted it up high over my back, but I only got dragged down along with it when I lifted it over my head. When the surrounding children saw it, everyone was pointing fingers at me. I didn¡¯t really want anyone to see that, my blunder.


    ¡¸Nicole, are you OK?¡¹ ¡¸Un, yeah, I¡¯m fine¡¹


    When she saw me fell down, Michelle-chan immediately stopped her own swing and came towards me. She truly is a nice friend, the nicest one you could ever have in this world. I rose up in order to show her that I¡¯m fine, and then I held my sword once more. Probably feeling relieved after looking over me, Michelle went back and returned to her stance.


    ¡¸Nicole, don¡¯t push yourself too much, it¡¯s because your body is not of the strong type¡¹ ¡¸Hah, I¡¯m fine!¡¹


    I was probably also influenced by the condition of my body in my previous life, that¡¯s why my physical strength didn¡¯t really develop well just like before. And it seems like my body condition from before is being reflected in my current training. However, my goal is to be a strong hero, I won¡¯t sumb to frustrations from here on. It¡¯s still too early.


    But well, even though the strong determination is there, the muscle growth doesn¡¯t follow. I am able to lift it, but when I bring it over my head, I always got dragged down. I tried using my weight and bnce to lift it and slowly bring it behind, but the results were also futile, and I was dragged down once more.


    ¡¸Gyaaa¡¹ ¡¸Nicole, I think it¡¯s much better for you to use a light¡ª¡¹


    Lyell tried offering me something else out of pity towards me who was struggling like a frog trying to jump out of a well. But I won¡¯t ept your pity, not by you, never.


    ¡¸No, I¡¯m fine, this is OK¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, but you are¡­¡¹ ¡¸I am fine with this!¡¹


    I became emotional, I also cried, but I still stood up. Then, I wielded the sword once more and tried to swing with everything I¡¯ve got. Then suddenly I felt that my arms were as light as air.


    ¡¸Ugyaa!!¡¹


    At the same time I heard that strange scream. I then saw the sword used for training stuck on the ground behind him. No, it was more like the sword flew past close to Lyell¡¯s face, almost hitting it and then got stuck behind him. And that feeling of weightlessness was because the sword literally disappeared from my hand.


    ¡¸Nicole¡­ You have to switch to a lighter sword after all¡¹ ¡¸But I¡¹ ¡¸No, you are switching, do you understand?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes¡¹

 Chapter 17: Finia’s Past

    <h4>Chapter 17: Finia¡¯s Past</h4>


    It was two hours of training before everyone disbanded. It seems short, but it¡¯s not good for children to be trained more than this as it will just be dangerous, because at this point, both their concentration and physical strength would start to rapidly decrease. Although it¡¯s just meant for training, it is still a weapon that should be carefully handled. If they lose concentration and begin ying around, an ident might just ur.


    After the training, I was told to take a bath to wash off the sweat and am now being washed by Finia. Although I¡¯m starting to get used to it, it is still embarrassing for me to be washed by a beautiful girl at her age. With that being the case, they still consider that it would be dangerous for children my age to be left alone to take a bath. Until recently, it was Maria who actually takes care of me, but at those times, I really insisted that I wanted to go alone.


    No, you see, about that¡­ I was being crushed by feelings of guilt, that¡¯s why I insisted so much to do so. As a result, it was decided that Maria wouldn¡¯t bath with me anymore, but it was dangerous to leave a child taking a bath alone. And then, it was unanimously decided I will be taken care of by Finia, and that¡¯s how the current situation hase to be. Well, I might probably get used to something like this someday.


    I immediately fixed my hair up, then gently rubbed soap on a towel and rubbed it on my hands and feet. My arms that kept on swinging the sword for two hours were so tired that they were starting to painfully convulse.


    ¡¸Nicole-ojousama, isn¡¯t it a little too early for you to start practicing swordsmanship?¡¹ ¡¸But they said it was fine for me to start at five, Lye¡ªDaddy said so¡¹


    Is what I replied to her while saying it in a childish tone. Mastering the sword was one of my ambitions. In the end, what the image of a Hero should be is one who wields a sword just like Lyell, I wonder if it really is impossible. But the training to attain that won¡¯t really be a waste.


    ¡¸From my point of view, I think Nicole-ojousama is more suited to magic than swordsmanship though? Didn¡¯t you have gifts suited for magic? ¡¹


    Certainly, judging based on aptitude, my attribute is certainly morepatible with magic. I do understand that but I don¡¯t want to admit it, and so I diverted the conversation to something else. First of all, let¡¯s see if there are things she would like to ask. This might just be the right opportunity to do so.


    ¡¸I understand that but I would like to give it a try and do my best rather than giving up, but more than that, I would like to know why Finia ended up working here though?¡¹ ¡¸Why I ended up working here, huh?¡¹


    She has been working in this ce since she was young, and yet I¡¯ve never really seen her receiving any form of sry. Maria and Lyell wouldn¡¯t also be shameless enough to hire someone without giving them a proper sry. Her existence here is still a mystery to me.


    ¡¸Well, you see. I have an obligation towards the two of them¡¹ ¡¸Obligation?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I was the reason that one of theirrades died in battle¡¹


    That story is a first for me to hear. No, with those lines, I could recall something. Thatrade, wouldn¡¯t that be me.


    15 years ago, Lyell retired from being an adventurer and applied as a vige guard, and Maria who was a priestess had only done the job of an educator, teaching children how to read and write while helping at the church. After that dissolution of the party, they wouldn¡¯t be able to be calledrades in arms anymore.


    ¡¸Right, it was from that day 15 years ago¡­¡¹


    Listening to her words as she continues to speak, I was definitely convinced. It was exactly 15 years ago that I died.


    ¡¸The orphanage I was at was managed by the state. However, the priest managing that orphanage used his position in order to prepare for a Devil summoning¡¹ ¡¸E, Eh¡­¡¹


    The confirmation was then transformed into an unpleasant premonition. I am very sure now that it was the exact time when I died. In other words, Finia was one of the children that got tangled up in that case.


    She still currently looks like she¡¯s around early tote teen, but this is due to her characteristics as an elf. Elves would grow at the same time as humans would until they reach 15, then from that point, they would slowly age and grow until they look like in their 20¡¯s and then stop aging in looks from that point on. And normally, they have a lifespan of over 500 years. In other words, Finia who currently looks like a young teen was probably aged at around 5-10 years old at that time.


    ¡¸The n of that evil priest was initialized, and they were able to sessfully summon a Devil. Everyone was so scared at that time and wasn¡¯t able to move due to fear, some attempted to escape only to be ughtered by the Devil that appeared from the summoning¡¹ ¡¸No, that is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to be afraid about it anymore. The Devil was sessfully defeated¡¹


    Well, what I want to say was different¡­ but Finia probably assumed that I was scared. The children were so afraid and couldn¡¯t move because they were too intimidated by the Devil¡¯s ability. The only ones who were able to move in that situation were me and mypanion Cortina, who were both heroes.


    Or rather, that girl who got beside me when the battle was over was more abnormal.


    ¡¸Nn¡­¡­?¡¹


    At a moment, memories from my past made a shback. There was a wounded girl crying, and the face of that girl that I saw at that moment ovepped with Finia. Then Finia hugged me from behind.


    ¡¸But then¡­ although it was merely a coincidence, Reid-sama came¡¹ ¡¸Reid¨C¡¹


    It was definitely me from my previous life. And that crying girl I found was actually Finia.


    ¡¸He told us that he would be facing that Devil alone, then instructed the other to flee while they can¡¹ ¡¸I- is that so¡­¡¹ ¡¸He should have been able to flee and left us behind, but instead he stood up against the Devil all by himself. That figure¡­ is one that¡¯s befitting of the hero who slew the Evil Dragon.¡¹


    Well, all I could say is that, at that time, I had no other choice than to do that. So for her to praise me so much was just misced worship. Actually, I only had about 30% chances to defeat that guy even if I include Cortina and the others who were there. At the same time, if we lose that match, then all of the children would be killed. On the other hand, even if Lyell or Gadius came, they could be overwhelmed by a surprise attack from the Devil. That¡¯s why someone needs to be left behind in order to hold it off.


    ¡¸But, even with a huge disadvantage, Reid-sama still tried his best to hold it off in order to protect us who were escaping. And our lives have been spared in that fight in exchange for Reid-sama¡¯s live.¡¹


    I wanted to argue with her biased opinion, but well I couldn¡¯t really do so. No to mention, to this girl who was hugging me naked from behind, how would she react if I suddenly say that ¡ºIn truth, I am Reid and was reincarnated in this body. Yo¡»


    ¡¸If only we have immediately escaped that ce, then Reid-sama might have survived. It was our fault that Reid-sama died, so as atonement for that, I approached Lyell-sama who was a friend of Reid-sama.¡¹ ¡¸No, you see, about that¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸This is my atonement towards Lyell-sama. That¡¯s why I¡¯m currently here serving in this house and those people. But I haven¡¯t really done anything much for them inparison¡¹


    Her background that she spoke of was really heavy, but she only showed me a gleeful face to wash it all off. Despite being an inexperienced babysitter, she was definitely doing her best in ways that she can do with great tension, but all of that was definitely not her fault. And that determination of hers was caused by me. Somehow, it was quite heart-wrenching for me.


    ¡¸But, but still¡ªI didn¡¯t think that something like that should be a reason not to receive sry¡¹ ¡¸Nicole-ojousama sure is kind. But that is something I imposed on my own. Not getting a sry is for my own atonement. Maria-sama would also sometimes try and give me some allowance though, or more like forces me to¡­¡­ ¡¹


    I would really like to apologize, that would have been quite awful for Finia. Ah, this is no good. Any more than this and my character might actually pop out, and it¡¯s a fact that I can¡¯t disclose my current being yet. Right now, I could only bear all the shame making my face turn red.


    ¡¸Bu, but¡­¡­the other children should have been living normally right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly, I also cannot deny that I¡¯m the only one thinking that much of Reid-sama¡¹ ¡¸Maybe, just maybe, were you actually attracted to him?¡¹


    I asked that in order to flush away this heavy air. There was also the intention of joking around. But¡­¡­


    ¡¸Um¡­¡­That, that might probably be the case¡¹


    What came back was actually quite a positive answer.

 Chapter 18: Talks about the King

    <h4>Chapter 18: Talks about the King</h4>


    A few days have passed since Finia¡¯s confession. As for me, I don¡¯t really feel bad being favored by such a beautiful girl. But that is assuming that it was not the me in this body.


    To honest, the current me is much more adorable than Finia.


    Having a bluish silver hair and different colored eyes that give off a mysterious atmosphere, plus the frail features£¨?£©that I inherited probably from my previous life, giving off a feeling as if I would break if touched. With slender limbs that stimtes a person¡¯s protective nature, and a face that closely resembles Maria showing great future prospects.


    Because I only had average looks in my previous life, my present appearance somehow gives me a different sense of achievement and confusion at the same time. It is also slightly a fact that my current look is actually what an ideal woman would look like for Reid. In this way, it¡¯s another reason for me not to tell anyone that I am indeed that person.


    Then one day, while I was living my peaceful daily life while subconsciously paying attention to Finia¡¯s gaze, a strange event happened


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    That day when Lyell returned home, he was showing a really disgusted face. But the moment Maria and I greeted him, he quickly reverted it and showed a smiling face, but soon enough returned to the extremely annoyed look. That situation continued even until mealtime, and Finia who was taking care of our meal fell in a slump.


    Due to his good nature and mild personality, Lyell, whom I have known since my previous life, rarely shows such an expression. No matter how badly he is treated, he would either pass it with a smile or lookpletely depressed. It¡¯s very obvious right now that he¡¯s in a really bad mood. Then Maria asked Lyell as to why he was acting that way to know the situation.


    ¡¸Darling. What happened today? You seem to be really upset about something¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Nn? Ahh¡­¡­ was it showing on my face?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it really shows¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about that. It¡¯s just that, a little unpleasant deal came up¡­¡­Ah, wait, you are also not a stranger to this¡¹ ¡¸Hmm?¡¹


    When he says that Maria is also involved, is this something that involves the whole family? While I was thinking about that, Lyell continues.


    ¡¸Today you see, the King contacted me¡¹ ¡¸From the Capital? You mean the current King, Elliot? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. He was already crowned as King. So you also have to address him properly I suppose¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right¡¹ ¡¸That King you see, is going to be 20 years old soon. And with that, the question of who to be the future queen has been raised¡¹


    At the time that I¡¯ve died, Prince Eliot was just born from the Royal Family and was a little younger than Finia. After hearing that he¡¯s now 20 years old, it made me felt intrigued by something. A queen huh, certainly with how the kingdom was devastated before, it will have a great meaning to have a sessor. In any case, they wouldn¡¯t know when they will be attacked by monsters. So given the danger, they want to immediately raise a sessor in the worst case.


    ¡¸And for the first choice he decided as queen¡¹ ¡¸Un¡¹ ¡¸Seems like he took a liking to Nicole¡¹ ¡¸Buuffoo!!??¡¹


    I was kind of pretending that I didn¡¯t understand the situation, and I was happily eating soup, but then my name was suddenly called out and nothing more but a burst of soup came out of my mouth from reacting to that. What, queen candidate? Me?


    ¡¸Is he serious?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Even I doubted my sanity when I heard the news¡¹


    It seems like Lyell has already protested against it, but at the same time felt remorse for doing so. But their reply seems to disagree and want to go into it.


    ¡¸One month ago, there was a time when I boasted to everyone about Nicole and showed them a picture of her, and at that time, it seems that it caught his interest¡¹ ¡¸Is the current king, a pedo?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not that¡­ He says that it was Nicole¡¯s mystifying eyes that caught his attention.¡¹


    Listening to all of that, Maria made a full swing of her hands. I could certainly understand if it¡¯s ¡ºA characteristic not normally found¡» for people to be attracted to it. But they also have to consider that the one they are dealing with hasn¡¯t even reached the right age. And along with that rare characteristic, that person was also of umon origin and born out of two heroes.


    ¡¸Since Nicole is about to reach 5, we could say that he¡¯s a little too old but also not far too old. It could also be said that the difference could be bnced after reaching the proper age in ten or so years. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just being ridiculous¡¹ ¡¸I agree¡¹


    Maybe finally understanding the situation, Maria¡¯s tone seems to be getting a little ticked off more than usual. This is only a premonition of what terror awaits.


    ¡¸They wanted to take away our angel is it, from us¡­ then, should we destroy the country for now?¡¹ ¡¸Yup, I¡¯m good to go if you are¡¹ ¡¸No, please don¡¯t you two! Please return to sanity, Maria-sama, Lyell-sama!!¡¹


    The two people just muttered something really dangerous, and Finia hurriedly tries to calm them down. Do your best, because if it¡¯s for me, then this two would definitely do something that insane. Urgh, it would also hurt my conscience if they do so.


    ¡¸But you know Finia. If you let them take Nicole away, then you won¡¯t be able to see her anymore, you know? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, ah, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸It is true that Nicole didn¡¯t inherit any noble titles, but our achievements are also taken into consideration.¡¹ ¡¸If he is to take Nicole as his wife, then nobody would be strongly opposed to it.¡¹


    Certainly, if you are able to take the daughter of the two Heroes who saved the kingdom as your wife, then there will definitely be few nobles who would dare to oppose you. After all, Lyell is a hero that could rival even a whole army alone, Maria is also in the same situation. There would definitely be expectations for me, their daughter, and even without that, it is still true that I could solidify the connections to the two parties.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not only that. There were other problems too¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about Michelle¡¯s gift. They were somehow able to sniff it. They were even offering her to be Nicole¡¯s aide¡¹ ¡¸About that, huh¡­¡­¡¹


    Maria sighed unenergetically. It is indeed an exceptional offer for Michelle. Although she possesses an excellent gift, she was nothing more than amoner. It was such an impossible story for amoner to be assigned as a Royal Princess¡¯s aide. This is of course only on the front, and she will probably be used as a secret force, or maybe be assigned as Royal Guard. Still, she wasmoner from a frontier vige, it would be better for her to continue living just like a normal viger. It was very likely that they were just searching for people with valuable gifts to use as soldiers.


    ¡¸If that is the case, then that child would be nothing more than a soldier. With that in mind, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad offer for her. But it would still lead to giving Nicole up¡¹ ¡¸With that, it will definitely involve you in the country¡¯s power struggle.¡¹ ¡¸That will indeed definitely be the case¡¹ ¡¸I am against it¡¹ ¡¸I am against it too¡¹


    The two people concluded their agreement that they will definitely do something about it. The topic for dinner has been going strong for a moment but had now seemed to cool down.

 Chapter 19: Raum and Studying Abroad

    <h4>Chapter 19: Raum and Studying Abroad</h4>


    The two of them continued eating their food while frowning. They seem to be trying to think of a better idea to deal with this. Also, as the main party rted to this, I just couldn¡¯t pretend to be someone uninvolved.


    ¡¸I wonder if there¡¯s is no choice but to make those two go abroad¡¹ ¡¸Abroad?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Fortunately enough, Nicole has talent in Interference Magic, right? We have acquaintances that are known to be the best in the field of magic, and they will also be the best teachers.¡¹ ¡¸Are you talking about Maxell and Cortina?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡¹ ¡¸But, doesn¡¯t that also mean Nicole will have to leave our side?¡¹


    Maxwell is the king from the country of Elves surrounded by arge forest in the western area of the continent. And at the same time, he is also running a Magic School over there. It would certainly be great to receive the teachings of someone who was known as the greatest magician in the world, but it is a ce very far away from here. While working as a guard for this vige, Lyell can¡¯t easily leave for his own convenience. The same thing goes for Maria.


    ¡¸We also want to confirm your intentions regarding this¡¹ ¡¸Well. What do you think, Nicole? Do you want to go and learn magic from Maxwell?¡¹ ¡¸Well, About that¡­¡­¡¹


    If it was only me, then learning magic is definitely one of my aspired goals. First is to be a Swordsman, second is a Magic Swordsman. And unfortunately, this body won¡¯t be able to handle the first one. However, magic can be used to supplement the weakness of the first goal, so the path to be a swordsman is still open and won¡¯t be a dream. And two of the highest legendary figures in terms of magic, Cortina-san and Maxwell-san will be teaching there.


    In regards to Cortina, although she could only be ranked half as a magician, but her invocation speed and variety application of spells are of no equal. And Maxwell is also known as the best Magician in the world without even anyone to match. If it was to be able to learn from these two, there will be many magicians scrambling to apply no matter how much the price they need to pay.


    And I have people who could give me the privilege to do just that.


    But I can¡¯t just answer them immediately. A decision like that shouldn¡¯t be something left to a 5-year-old child. Such decisions actually cannot be decided by just openly epting it, so this time I will leave it to my parents.


    ¡¸Hmm©`?¡¹


    And so, I leaned my head to the side trying to look as if I¡¯m really thinking about it. Seeing me like that, Lyell runs towards me at a terrible speed, and then violently assaulted me by rubbing his beard on my cheeks.


    ¡¸Gyaaa©`!¡¹ ¡¸Ahhh, nooo, I don¡¯t want to end up separated from Nicole! I will be sure to stay with you forever! ¡¹ ¡¸Darling, aren¡¯t just being sly?¡¹


    Maria also moves to my other side, and then embraces me. Maria aside, having Lyell brush his beard on my cheeks is just in annoying and awkward. My body instinctively stiffened and goosebumps are starting to pop out.


    ¡¸Let©`Go©`Of©`Me©`!¡¹ ¡¸Hahahaha, why so awkward!¡¹ ¡¸Funnnnuuu!?¡¹


    I pushed Lyell away with everything I¡¯ve got, butparing our basic stats would make it look like a baby fighting a dragon. My resistance was pretty much useless, and the rubbing assault continued.


    ¡¸Fine! I¡¯ll go! I¡¯ll go and stay at that ce! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, why!¡¹ ¡¸Well, isn¡¯t that your fault doing crazy things like that to Nicole¡¹ ¡¸It was my fault!?¡¹


    In this way, it was decided that I will be going to Maxwell¡¯s ce to study Magic. However, I will need to be at least 7 years old in order to enroll in Raum. Two more years are needed to enter. If it¡¯s only that amount of time, then we can safely escape the request of the Royal Family, is what Lyell thought of.


    But even though my training has already been decided, I still need to confirm things with Michelle. And so, on the next day, I came to visit Michelle¡¯s home and invited her to join my training. Lyell and Maria also followed to persuade her parents. My role is to persuade her to join me. Right now, I¡¯m in her room trying to persuade her.


    ¡¸Ne? Do you want to go with me to Raum?¡¹ ¡¸Raum is the Elf Country, right? Is Nicole-chan going there?¡¹ ¡¸Un. I¡¯ll be going there to study Magic¡¹


    Well, I can¡¯t really go on my own. As a precaution, Finia will being along as my guardian. Also in Raum¡¯s school, there is a facility that fosters adventurers. She should be able to study basic shooting techniques over there. That¡¯s because she too would be someone who would get involved in difficult things if she continued staying in this country.


    ¡¸But mom and dad can¡¯te together with me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸There is a dormitory in Raum. We will probably live there together with Finia¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, but¡­¡­¡¹


    As expected, this would be the legitimate reply of a typical 5 years old. Michelle-chan is having difficulty on what to do. But I can¡¯t back out in this too. It is already of certainty that I will be studying abroad. There¡¯s also the situation that if shees back after being trained, she will definitely be recruited, that situation is likely to happen. She is my first friend in this new life. I want to avoid the worst situation to happen to her.


    ¡¸But¡­¡­But um¡­¡­¡¹


    Not able to decide on what to do, tears were starting to form on Michelle-chan¡¯s eyes. Despite having abat-based gift, she is just a very timid child. As long as this innocence is present, it will really be a concern if she was to be used in war.


    ¡¸We will being in, Michelle¡¹


    The rough voice of a man broke into our conversation. From the entrance of her room, Michelle¡¯s father and Lyell came in.


    ¡¸Eh, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to worry about it, you know? You won¡¯t be going alone¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Lyell-san has firmly persuaded us that Michelle should study there. And because we can¡¯t just let children go on their own, we will also being along¡¹ ¡¸Really!?¡¹


    Michelle-chan finally shows a convinced face, but won¡¯t this really be bad for them financially. Her father turned to me who was showing a worried look and smiled realizing what I was worried about.


    ¡¸We will be getting financial support from Lyell-san. I am also tasked to watch over you¡¹ ¡¸Franco is a hunter, as long as there are forests around, he could make a living¡¹


    Maria, who moved in from behind Michelle¡¯s father, Franco, shows herself while supplementing the details. If it¡¯s about that, then he could certainly make a living by hunting around the area. Especially since the country of Elves is surrounded by forests, and he would definitely be able to make use of his skills.


    When thinking about being able to travel with her parents, Michelle-chan who was sad suddenly became filled with joy. Well, it doesn¡¯t mean that we will be leaving immediately though. We still need to train and learn about the basics of what will be needed precisely in the next two years. Still, we won¡¯t really be forcing her if she were to decide what she would choose in the future with her own will.

 Chapter 20: Prospects for the Future

    <h4>Chapter 20: Prospects for the Future</h4>


    The prospects for the future have been prepared but first. It would be two yearster, that my entry for the Magic Academy has been decided in the Kingdom of Raum.


    I have a gift for Interference Magic. This belongs to the so-called support magic group and is a system that mainly focuses on the weakening or strengthening of attack, strengthening the weaknesses or reduction of defense. There isn¡¯t any strong magic included in the system, and the time duration wouldst from a few minutes to a whole day at most, so it¡¯s not really that reliable. The benefit is that it¡¯s an easy to use system that can be used by a user with a small amount of mana. That is what mainly the interference system is.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t consider that as useless magic. In a one-on-one fight, the effects of this magic system could be a fine line between life and death, and the higher its level, the more prominent the effect will be.¡¹


    Maria, who was standing in a teaching tform, exined it enthusiastically. We are currently in one of the free rooms in our house where we are being taught about sorcery. She is not as proficient as the teachers in the magic school, but she knows and teaches us the basics and we are also taught in the Adventurer School how to be proper adventurers, where the head of that institute is Maxwell-san¡¯s nephew, which also teaches magic.


    ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Michelle would have great benefits from this system you know? It is possible for Nicole to strengthen Michelle¡¯s bow, at the same timebine it with weakening enemies making it easier to defeat them¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s amazing! I want to do it with Nicole-chan! ¡¹


    Swinging her arms in excitement, Michelle-chan energetically asserts her enthusiasm, and with this, I will definitely have to do my best to master Interference Magic. I am now able to sense magic, but it¡¯s still not in the stage where I could effectively use it.


    ¡¸But Mama¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re in a lesson so call me Sensei, Nicole¡¹


    She was poking my forehead as she corrected me. She would change like this during these times. Strangely enough, our skinship levels drop during times like this to the point where we are only like we were familiar with each other. She is in a position known as Healer from the rear guard, and it was quite unusual for someone like her to take the lead in guiding others.


    ¡¸Sensei~, if we can only improve our basic skills, will there be that much of an effect?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a good point there, Nicole. But you see, there are a wide variety of things we can think of in terms of Interference. Some of them are things that could even alter the very existence of the target¡¹ ¡¸Existence of the target?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, for example, an interference which can transform you into a monster¡¹ ¡¸Monster©`!?¡¹


    I was utterly surprised. I have seen Maxwell using that system too, but I have never seen or heard of him transforming into a monster. And then Maria continued.


    ¡¸Of course you can¡¯t just transform into anything other than those you know of.¡¹ ¡¸Those I know of¡­¡­¡¹


    I see, if it¡¯s transforming into something I¡¯m familiar with. Then there¡¯s one I am most familiar of in the world, and that is¡­¡­


    ¡¸Turn into Reid¡­¡­Is it possible?¡¹ ¡¸Reid¡­¡­? Ah, the one you heard from Finia. An old friend of your mom¡¹ ¡¸Eh, hmmm. It might be possible¡¹


    Though I identally blurted it out, the possibility did exist. Though I ended up in a woman¡¯s body, there was actually a chance for me to turn back into a man for a bit.


    ¡¸Transformation Magic, I also want to know about it! ¡¹ ¡¸That is very difficult, you know? It¡¯s one of the highest tier in terms of Interference Magic¡¹ ¡¸But I will do it! Um, how long does it usuallyst? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, since that magic creates a lot of burden for the body, it seems that the effective time isn¡¯t really that long. At most, it would probably reach for about a day I guess? ¡¹


    A day long! In other words, I could return to my old self for about a day, it also doesn¡¯t mean that I have to stay like that for the whole day. That would basically be returning to my former self.


    ¡¸Alright alright. Anyways, let¡¯s return to the topic now. First, we will be learning how to sense magic from within the body¡¹


    pping her hands to get our attention, Maria returns the lesson to the basics of Magic Theory. But my excitement still hasn¡¯t calmed down. With my current body, I won¡¯t be able to use proper sword techniques nor use heavy swords. However, if I were to learn sword techniques using Lyell¡¯s sword techniques with Reid¡¯s body¡­¡­ I might probably be able to reach the height that I have dreamed of.


    After a while, I was able to learn how to detect magic, then after that was long repetitive training, and I did my best to be able to sessfully cast magic. Maria was also pleased by the speedy results, and then we were talking about various things regarding the lessons, and after confirming, it was decided for me to move to the next phase. By the way, Michelle-chan wasn¡¯t able to immediately learn how to detect magic, so it was decided that I would be moving to the next phase first.

 Chapter 21: The True Value of Interference Magic

    <h4>Chapter 21: The True Value of Interference Magic</h4>


    The next day, Maria went out to the courtyard of the mansion and instructed Michelle-chan to shoot arrows on a target board. Though Michelle-chan tilted her head in confusion, she still followed Maria¡¯s instructions.


    She nocked an arrow on the small hunting bow created for little girls and stretched the string. Then she focused on the target and released it. Despite theck of power, the arrow flew over the mountain area, and though it didn¡¯t hit the bullseye, it was able to hit the lower area of the target.


    ¡¸Hou, It sure is amazing that you could reach such a long distance at this age. As expected of someone who has a Marksmanship Gift¡¹ ¡¸Ehehehe~¡¹


    After patting Michelle-chan¡¯s head and praising her, Maria took us to the target in order to confirm the results. The arrow was off the bullseye and buried itself into the target, by almost half of the arrowhead. With this amount of power, it should be good enough to hunt small beasts.


    ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s still a little too shallow¡¹ ¡¸That couldn¡¯t be helped, you don¡¯t have that much power yet. You should boast a bit more reaching this level at this age though¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, Michelle-chan is great! ¡¹


    As a matter of fact, the distance where she fired her arrow exceeded 10 meters. It was quite surprising for a newbie like her to reach this amount of distance. Adding to that is the fact that she only used a crude hunting bow made for children.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go back to the ce where we were before. Michelle-chan, do you want to continue with some more practice?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes~!¡¹


    Returning to where they started, Michelle-chan fired an arrow again. But this time, the difference is that Maria applied strengthening magic on her. Maria, as one of the rearguard support, also has some knowledge of interference magic like boost and enhancements. Of course, her skill isn¡¯t that great ifpared to Maxwell¡¯s level of mastery.


    The arrow draws the same trajectory as before, hitting the lower-left area of the target. This time, however, unlike how it only got buried like the previous one, the lower-left area of the target broke and the arrow pierced through.


    ¡¸Ah, Ahhh!?¡¹ ¡¸Seeing that, you don¡¯t even need to check, right? With that, don¡¯t you think that the Interference Magic is also great?¡¹ ¡¸Uu, Un¡¹ ¡¸If Nicole is able to apply the same effects, then you can do more than just this¡¹


    I rush to the target with quick steps, and then I confirmed that the target definitely broke. There were scattered fragments of the board that was pierced, and I could clearly see how much the power has increased. The small arrow that she fired was actually able to pierce through such a hard looking target. This shows just how much power enhancements from the interference system could do if properly used.


    ¡¸This is¡­ amazing¡¹


    I was also able to receive enhancements from the interference system before. However, because I was originally pretty versatile, I already have many powerful attack skills at that time. It was quite surprising that I only realized how beneficial it would be since I never had the opportunity to actually apply it before.


    ¡¸You understand, right? If Nicole-chan do her best, then you would reach this level soon¡¹ ¡¸Un¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ it ended?¡¹


    We could hear Michelle¡¯s voice from where she was. She was staring at her hand holding the bow. Perhaps, she felt that the presence of strengthening magic has disappeared.


    ¡¸Strengthening doesn¡¯tst long but it is quite effective. It would usuallyst for about a minute. When you use it, you should always think of the best time and ce to do so.¡¹ ¡¸I see~¡¹ ¡¸Though the effect of strengthening was able to let the arrow pierce through a wooden board, the effects would definitely be lowered against fully-armored opponents. But it will still be very useful when starting as an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸Un, that¡¯s how it is¡¹


    The power to pierce through a wooden board would already be strong enough to prate the human skin and body. If you can precisely use this magic and utilize its full potential, then you could even use it as a trump card. Though the transformation magic which was mentioned earlier will still my main aim, and a magic that I want to learn.


    After all that happened that day, I still wasn¡¯t able to use magic. It feels like my memory of not being able to use magic is interfering with how I activate it. I could probably go on without magic, but it will be a really high wall to climb if I couldn¡¯t learn it.


    And in the meantime, Michelle-chan was doing her best training to shoot arrows. Her hit rate was so high that you wouldn¡¯t even consider her as a child if you only focus on the results. However, a beginner is still a beginner. Adding to that is because she is just a child. But in the future, she will definitely be a good partner if I can properly strengthen her bow prowess.


    ¡¸Fue~¡­¡­¡¹


    After the training, I am now so tired and is flopped in the bathroom. The mansion¡¯s bathroom is so wide and there are even massage beds prepared inside. I lied down on one and asked Finia for the usual massage.


    To be honest, having a naked girl massage another cute little girl would have been unthinkable for me if it was my previous life, but now I am that little girl in question and we are of the same sex so it¡¯s fine. There is no need for me to hold back since Finia is serving as an exclusive servant for me after all.


    ¡¸And thus, the number of dangerous secrets that should not be revealed steadily piled up¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Were you umting stress because of me? But Nicole-sama is just a young child, and there is no reason for you to be ashamed of anything¡¹ ¡¸Iyaaa~ that¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say¡¹


    Despite myments, I can¡¯t actually exin it in detail. While flopped on the massage bed, I sneakily peeked through my fingers covering my face, taking a quick nce at her body as she continues the gentle massage with her smooth fingers.


    Then I soaked myself in warm water after the massage. Unnn~ it was such a bliss.


    ¡¸But, was it fine?¡¹ ¡¸Nn~ what do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about going to Raum. 2 yearster, Nicole-sama would only be 7 years old¡¹ ¡¸But won¡¯t Finia alsoe along with us¡¹ ¡¸Won¡¯t you be lonely leaving your parent behind?¡¹ ¡¸Um, well, I wouldn¡¯t say that I won¡¯t be¡¹


    For the past me, Lyell was considered a rival, but I don¡¯t hate him that much. And in the case of Maria, I have received a lot of favor. Even if I have my secrets, I don¡¯t really feel bad living with the two of them together. I would also feel sad leaving behind the two of them.


    But because I also considered the two of them as goodrades that the impression is different. I have already prepared myself to leave them behind at some point. The problem is how a 7 year old like me can do so. If I made a lot of excuses, then it would only end up bing too suspicious.


    ¡¸But well, if we don¡¯t go, then I will still be forcibly separated from mom and dad. If I ever had a long vacation, I think it would be better to return home though¡¹ ¡¸That, I agree. Certainly, if you got taken in by the royal pce, then everyone won¡¯t be able to easily meet you anymore¡¹ ¡¸And thinking about such consequences, the other option would allow me to freely meet the people I want to meet, then going to Raum would be the only choice, right? That¡¯s why I choose that option¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Nicole-sama, there are times when you easily speak of such difficult stuff, huh?¡¹ ¡¸We, well, it¡¯s not really that difficult, you know? Maybe because I¡¯ve been studying with a lot of things during mom¡¯s ss¡¹


    When I am cornered like this I could only use studies as my reason, she reluctantly epted my answer.


    ¡¸Hue¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Nn, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹


    Finia washed my back and made me raise a weird screech out of surprise. She then proceeds to wash me again with her focus on my back. It was kind of ticklish.


    ¡¸Nicole-sama, did you somehow add some muscles?¡¹ ¡¸Really!?¡¹ ¡¸It is quite disappointing because the squishy feeling is starting to disappear¡¹ ¡¸Finia, your real intentions are leaking out¡¹


    Though neither sorcery nor swordsmanship progressed, I¡¯m still happy that I¡¯m finally gaining some muscles. And so gradually, I continued growing little by little, and that is until my childhood days are over.

 Chapter 22: 7 Years old and Hunting for the First Time

    <h4>Chapter 22: 7 Years old and Hunting for the First Time</h4>


    From here on I will be 7 years old


    Two more years have passed. I wanted to enter Raum Magic Academy, and focusing on learning magic, I spent my daily life training. Of course, I also didn¡¯t forget to train my body. Though I wanted to improve my strength, it just couldn¡¯t be helped and only my endurance improved, but if it¡¯s about instant use of force then I could somehow manage it.


    It was one month before the entrance exams, and right now Michelle-chan and I are currently hiding in the woods.


    Hanging on my waist is a short scimitar like sword which I was rmended to use two years ago, and this is the result of giving up on the two-handed sword and giving priority on sharpness. On the other hand, Michelle-chan was standing away from me holding a big hunting bow and was wearing leather armor. By the way, I was considerably so weak that I couldn¡¯t even wear leather scraps.


    And beyond our sight was a Strike Boar, a kind of monster boar which is happily eating the bait we set up. This is one of the animal based monsters that have edible meat suitable for consumption. Moreover, its fur is a good material for making cold resistant clothing, and its fangs are considered to be popr decorative items. In other words, it was a ¡ºDelicious Prey¡» that it¡¯s whole body could be considered as materials for consumption and use. However, that would only be the case if we could actually hunt it.


    I looked back and forth to Michelle-chan and the target in front. This will be our opponent to see the result of our training for the past 2 years. Right now, with just a nce, we could understand what we need to do.


    ¡¸Crimson One, Ultramarine One, Gold Three. Grant Power to my Partner¡¯s Bow.¡¹


    In response to my casting, Michelle¡¯s bow glowed for a moment¨D¨D then the light vanished. Though the light has disappeared, this doesn¡¯t mean that the effect vanished and her bow was granted some power. Crimson is for strengthening, Ultramarine is for number of targets, and Gold is for duration. In this case, it will be minimum effects granted to one person for three minutes. And if I further increase the amount of magic used, the color density andposition also changes.


    This level of enchantment could be silently activated by Maria, but it¡¯s still impossible for me to do so at my current level. Even if I say that, this amount is what my current magic capacity could use. If I go for Crimson Two, Ultramarine Two, and Gold Four, then my current magic power would bepletely emptied.


    But despite that, there¡¯s still some merit in doing this. My partner would be able to know what magic was used and how long it will be in effect.


    Despite the noise from casting, the Strike Boar wasn¡¯t able to notice us yet. After nocking an arrow and stretching the string to the limit, Michelle-chan released the arrow. It flew straight and pierced deep onto the Strike Boar¡¯s neck. At her current power, she could only prate it halfway. Half of the arrow buried into the boar¡¯s neck.


    ¡¸Bukkeeee!?¡¹


    We could then hear the scream of the boar suffering from severe pain. Then it set its sight towards us. But at that time, Michelle-chan was already hidden in a tree.


    ¡¸Nicole-chan, I¡¯ll leave it to you! ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡¹


    Removing the scimitar from my waist, I prepared for a direct assault. As the name implies, a Strike Boar¡¯s main attack is a powerful charge. On the other hand, if you are able to dodge its main attacks, then it will be an enemy that could one could easily cope up with. Most adventurers would hunt one as a source for emergency ration when on a hunt. But it doesn¡¯t mean that they were an easy foe to hunt.


    ¡¸Bummmoooo!! ¡¹


    I side stepped in order to dodge wotb minimum movements and barely got grazed by the attack. There¡¯s no need for me to worry about Michelle-chan who stayed hidden in the shade of the trees.


    Then in gap of the attack, I made sure to deliver a sharp strike with my scimitar.


    As expected, the damage I inflicted was minimal because of my feeble strength. The best I could do was scrape off the skin and inflict shallow scratches. But that alone is fine. As long as I am targeted and the boar¡¯s rush attacks are aimed at me. Luring and provoking the strike boar is only part of the act. In other words¨D¨D


    ¡¸Bukkeeeee!? ¡¹


    Another arrow was shot by Michelle-chan without being noticed, and that arrow prated its leg and stopped its movement. Not missing the moment she nocked and shoot another arrow, prating its neck for the second time.


    Finally noticing Michelle-chan, the boar aimed at her, but it was struck by the scimitar again. As I participated in the joint attack, I thought that it would have been a great idea to also enhance my strength, but there wasn¡¯t enough room to do so right now,and that I did not have enough Magic Power.


    ¡¸Seiyaaaah!¡¹


    The attack didn¡¯t mean much and the de didn¡¯t stab that deep. However, it was good enough to draw the attention of the boar back to me. If this was an intelligent creature, it would have ignored me and aimed for Michelle-chan, but the Strike Boar is just a beast moving on instinct. It¡¯s not intelligent enough to think about who to attack and would only focus on thest opponent that attacked it.


    The attacks, though powerful, was linear and was easy to dodge. And with this, we continued to inflict damage. This time, the arrows were aimed at its thigh. Because the main aim is to stop it by disabling its legs, most of the arrows were aimed at that spot.


    We continuously repeated the attack, until it was defeated. And then, after three minutes, the two of us sessfully defeated the strike boar with our own power.

 Chapter 23: Results of the Exam

    <h4>Chapter 23: Results of the Exam</h4>


    cing a rope over a thick branch, we managed to hang the Strike Boar to drain its blood. Carrying the boar for several hundreds of meters would be impossible to do with a child¡¯s strength, that¡¯s why, with the principle of pulleys, we managed to pull it up and hang it on a branch. We tear up the major arteries on its front legs and neck, cutting deep into its muscles in order to remove the blood. During that time, Michelle-chan was scouting around, because there is a possibility that the other beasts would be attracted by the smell of the blood.


    After draining the blood, we cut open its belly and process its internal organs, then I separate edible parts and bury all the inedibles in a small pit that I dug up. The meat was then dropped down from the branch and was processed into small pieces to make sure that it fits properly into our small cart to carry them back to the vige, and when we were preparing ourselves to depart, someone called out to us.


    ¡¸Ok, that should be good enough. You passed the challenge. The overall process took a while, but there¡¯s no problem. Though, I didn¡¯t expect Nicole-chan to be quite familiar with it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I also did my best, mou¡¹


    It was simply because of my experience in my previous life, having repeatedly doing this made me quite familiar with it. However, because of myck of muscle strength, it took a lot of time and effort to peel off the skin.


    That battle we have performed so far was actually a graduation test for us. Together, we need to defeat a Strike Boar or a monster of the same level and harvest food ingredients and materials from it. The process was also checked.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the result?¡¹ ¡¸Before that, Michelle-chan, why were you focused on aiming at its neck?¡¹


    Certainly, with her Marksmanship gift, it¡¯s also possible for her to aim at other spots like the head, but she only focused on the neck, not the body or the head.


    ¡¸Umm, well, if it¡¯s the head, it might be repelled because of its skull, and if it¡¯s the body, I might not properly hit a vital point ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, if it¡¯s in the head, then there would be a chance of being repelled, but I don¡¯t think that hitting the body would be bad though¡¹


    If it was a strike to the body, the pain it received might actually inhibit its movements, and if you could also manage to hit a vital spot, then that alone would be fatal. It would have also been easier for me to dodge its attack if its movement was slowed down. That is what Maria is trying to say.


    ¡¸Ummm, it¡¯s because the neck is more of a fatal spot¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸True, but you didn¡¯t really have to force it. A Strike Boar¡¯s neck is actually quite tough. If majority of its attack is based on front charges, don¡¯t you think that it would need a strong neck to support it? ¡¹ ¡¸¨D¨DAh, I see¡¹


    It was charging with a huge body and moving at a fast speed. It would need a neck strong enough to support that. It could also be said that the thickness of the muscles in the neck is higher than on any part of its body.


    ¡¸Then¡­¡­Umm, am I not qualified? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not really the case. Of course, you passed! You have definitely hunted a Strike Boar. This is only a rmendation, that way you may have more means of finding weaknesses in the future.¡¹ ¡¸Really! I¡¯m d¡¹


    Next, Maria turned to me.


    ¡¸Next is Nicole-chan¡­¡­Though you did well on making it focus on attacking you with meager power, strengthening yourself would have also made it much easier.¡¹ ¡¸Ugu¡¹


    That¡¯s right. While I was certainly able to avoid the Strike Boar¡¯s attacks and counter, but if I had properly enhanced myself at that time, I would have been able to deal more damage. But well, when I was in front of my opponent, I was a bit nervous. I immediately lost the thought of using support magic, and fought it head-on with my current status.


    ¡¸If Nicole-chan¡¯s damage was also effective, the battle would have ended earlier, and the burden on Michelle-chan would also be lessened.¡¹ ¡¸Un¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why, think carefully about it from now on. The shorter the time you fight, the better it will be. Well, if it was Cortina, it would have already been dealt with even before the fight starts¡­¡­¡¹


    And finally, Mariaments about how it would end up if it was with herpanions. If it¡¯s that woman, then certainly she would set a trap on its path, reveal herself to the target to lure it, then kill it with the trap or any kinds of methods she could think of like poison.


    ¡¸We¡¯ll be careful in the future¡¹ ¡¸Un. But still, this is quite unexpected. You two were able to defeat it on our own, despite being seven years old children¡¹ ¡¸Ehem¡¹


    Michelle and I puffed our chest filled with confidence. However, on my part, it¡¯s more of trying to puff up my chest though since there isn¡¯t any to puff up.


    ¡¸Shall we go home then. Michelle-chan can carry half of the meat back hometer¡¹ ¡¸Yey!¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t need to celebrate that much about it, it¡¯s simply because Michelle hunted this together, you know? I won¡¯t even mind if you have more¡¹ ¡¸Eh? But I wouldn¡¯t be able to hunt it if I was on my own. If it¡¯s only me, I won¡¯t be able to attack it directly¡¹ ¡¸I also won¡¯t be able to beat it on my own.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why we¡¯re splitting it in half. You don¡¯t have to hold back in times like this. It also won¡¯t be bad if you request for more¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡¹


    And so after tying everything properly, we¡¯re about to grab the rope, but Maria took it from us and pulled it on her own as if it wasn¡¯t heavy at all. As expected of a High-Ranking Adventurer. Even though she didn¡¯t train as much as vanguards, she still had enough strength that far surpassed normal people.


    Seeing Maria who had an image of a young wife carrying a huge pile of meat as if it was nothing made us stare with nk eyes and dumbfounded. How to say this, I think I just actually saw a glimpse of just how strong-willed and powerful my mom is.


    Our dinner for that day was avish one with arge number of meat dishes being served. After hearing about us hunting all the meat, Lyell ran out to show off with a teary face. He seems to be really proud about it. The fact that we were able to defeat a Strike Boar is more than enough to verify our abilities to enter the academy. At the same time, it also marks that our time to depart will be arriving soon. The time to say our farewell to our parents is closing in.


    I then started knitting something in front of the firece with the whole family after dinner. The season is approaching spring, yet I am currently weaving a scarf made out of wool yarn. The reason for this is because I¡¯ve be more feminine, but it is part of my training to improve my other hidden Gift which is Thread Maniption. Well, in actuality, I am also going to use the product as a gift for my parents.


    ¡¸Nicole, are you sure that it¡¯s fine to knit a muffler during this season? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine¡¹ ¡¸But Mama wants to wear something cooler, you know? ¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll make a Summer Cardigan¡¹ ¡¸So happy¡¹ ¡¸What about Papa? ¡¹ ¡¸A Sweater¡¹


    After my cold and cruel decree, Lyell made an orz pose depressed about it, but he still epts it happily. If it¡¯s a gift from his lovely and cute daughter, something like that won¡¯t matter. Even a sweater in the hot seasons would be great. Well, he¡¯s saying that it was his policy as a Hero. I will be away for many years from now. So giving them gifts before I leave should be fine. Well, with Maxwell¡¯s magic, I could actually go back home several times a year.


    Then, probably remembering about something, Lyell stood up from the couch ran out of the room.


    ¡¸Mou. Nicole, you shouldn¡¯t be so mean to Papa, you know? ¡¹ ¡¸U, unn¡­¡­¡¹


    It just can¡¯t be helped. He is my former rival after all. I am showing him enough affection as a daughter, but I want to be spared from anything other than that. Well, this sense of distance is kind of offsetting me from bing closer as a daughter after all.


    After a while, Lyell returned to the room carrying a sword. No, it was too thin to be called a normal sword, and it was wrapped in cloth. It was a kind of sword that was called a katana.


    ¡¸Nicole. If it¡¯s this sword then maybe you can handle it? I really wanted to present it to you a littleter, but well, you are now strong enough to hunt a Strike Boar, so there probably won¡¯t be any problems¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸Because you are knitting a scarf to give to Papa. Think of it as a return present¡¹


    I held it in my hand and see it directly. This, this is a really good sword. When I pulled it out, I could see my cloudy reflection on the de along with the light from themp.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not a magic sword, unfortunately, but it¡¯s a sturdy one. It¡¯s the type of sword that won¡¯t be dull easily even with little maintenance, I think? ¡¹ ¡¸Th, thank you¡¹ ¡¸Listen, Nicole. Unfortunately, you don¡¯t have the aptitude to be a vanguard. Please avoid doing so if possible, and use it as ast resort if really necessary¡¹ ¡¸Un, I understand¡¹


    Though he says that, I don¡¯t intend to follow that advice. I am aiming to be a magic swordsman as myst resort after all. This time, I won¡¯t be feared as an assassin but will be hailed and loved as a hero. Only that will of mine stays strong even now.


    Then after taking some more exams, the day we leave for Raum finally came.

 Chapter 24: Morning of the Departure

    <h4>Chapter 24: Morning of the Departure</h4>


    And finally, the day to start our travels began. It will only be Michelle-chan and me who will be taking the exams to enter Raum Academy. In the first ce, if you are not eligible enough, you won¡¯t even have the chance to take the exam at that school. In other words, it¡¯s a narrow path even for the chosen ones to enter.


    After loading my luggage near the entrance of the vige, I finally said my sad farewells to my parents. At the moment, Finia was loading other luggage that we would need for traveling. The amount of luggage was kept to the bare minimum since everyone was already used to traveling, or more like it was Finia who had a lot of extra luggage.


    ¡¸Well then, Nicole¡­¡­I¡¯m really sad to say goodbye¡­¡­I will be really lonely¡­¡­ ah forget it, I¡¯m also going! ¡¹ ¡¸Darling, please keep it at that¡¹


    With his face sloppy from tears, Lyell who was trying to stop me and even attempted to board was thrown back by Maria without hesitation. In recent times, I could certainly feel that Maria¡¯s Iron Mom toughness ising out more often. And Lyell¡­¡­ where did that handsome full of confidence guy go?


    ¡¸Nicole, please take care of yourself. You have that potpourri to help you with nausea right?¡¹ ¡¸Un, I¡¯ll be fine¡¹ ¡¸Please understand that you are physically weak, so be careful, okay? Also, feel free to tell Cortina or Maxwell if you have any trouble, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Un¡¹


    There are reasons why I¡¯m allowed to go to Raum. One of them is that Maxwell and Cortina will take on my guardianship. Well, Finia will alsoe along but she is only amoner. If things be difficult, it would be hard to rely on her for help. Michelle-chan¡¯s parents all followed along, but they are just ordinary hunters. They won¡¯t be able to help against children with a high social status that will also be attending the school.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, they will definitely help when you are in need¡¹ ¡¸Did you use something that would make them remember something embarrassing from their past?¡¹ ¡¸No Comment¡¹ ¡¸Oi, Maria¡­¡­ What are you trying to teach her¡­¡­¡¹


    As a trump card, Maria told me something that would force Maxwell to cooperate in times of need. Well, what she taught me were mostly embarrassing moments of the two from the past. I knew a bit about Maxwell¡¯s past¡­¡­and yes, Cortina is included¡­¡­ but what I¡¯ve learned from Maria was even more surprising. Or more like, it was something I wouldn¡¯t really want to know if possible.


    Lyell who was listening to what we were talking about from that side was covered in cold sweat. It seems like he was shocked discovering how absurd the dark side of her wife was like. Honestly, even I was taken aback for a bit.


    ¡¸Well, never mind that¡­¡­Nicole, do you have your Katana?¡¹ ¡¸Un, from now on I will be swinging this¡¹ ¡¸Then, keep this in your mind. If things be dangerous¨D¨Dbe sure not to hesitate to kill¡¹


    This time too, Lyell made a serious look as he gives the advice. With Lyell and Maria around, the protection of the vige was quite secure. There are monsters that asionally invade, but they were killed by Lyell before they could even cause any damage.


    But if it¡¯s outside of the vige, then that would be a different story. Three of the northern countries have suffered a lot during the fights and united together to bring back security. But because of that, there was ack in terms of human resources.


    Other than strategic areas of the country, the security in other ces was not that good. Farmers were being devastated by monsters, some fallen mercenaries became bandits. And in order to cope up with those threats, it is necessary for one to be able to kill or they will be killed. Even Michelle-chan did her best in order to be able to kill monsters.


    During these times of confusion, the chance of encountering that is high. That¡¯s why Lyell gave that advice. But well, that advice is useless for me, after all, I am one of the six Heroes, not to mention that I am one of the most ruthless of them. By the way, the top one for most ruthless was Cortina. In a worst-case scenario, she would even cut off allied soldiers and use them as bait. That¡¯s why there is no one else who stands above in terms of ruthlessness other than her.


    After they finished loading their luggage, Michelle-chan and her parents boarded the carriage. Finia also finished loading our luggage.


    ¡¸Well then Finia. I¡¯ll be counting on you in taking care of Nicole, okay? ¡¹ ¡¸Please leave it to me Maria-sama. I will be sure to protect her even at the risk of my life! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, and I forgot to mention this before but¡­¡­Nicole seems to be so tomboyish and was missing a few things to be moredylike, be sure to teach her well, understand? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I will be sure to make her into a finedy! ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s no good¡¹


    Is what I whispered behind Finia, and of course, I made sure that she didn¡¯t hear it. It¡¯s not really like I¡¯m avoiding it, but it just didn¡¯t sit well with me. In this case, I really have to make use of my covert skills to try and escape.


    ¡¸Remember about what you have learned from Lyell. Your own safety is the first priority, okay? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡¹ ¡¸Finia too.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, me too?¡¹ ¡¸Of course you are included, you are part of the family. That¡¯s why be sure to take care of yourself.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹


    Finia started to murmur things. She was still probably concerned about the fact that she was the cause of Reid¡¯s death. That¡¯s why Maria was insisting that she should also protect herself. As for me, if I was driven to a corner and have to save someone, then I would probably offer my life in order to protect someone.


    ¡¸I understand. If Maria-sama says so¡¹


    Even though she was still confused, she still swears to Maria to fulfill that promise. Seeing her like that, Maria puts her hand on Finia¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡¸You know? I have told you this many times now, that Reid¡¯s death wasn¡¯t your fault. It was the fault of that idiot for messing things up and ends up dying.¡¹ ¡¸But! Reid-sama was¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸Gufu¡¹


    I who was treated like an idiot by Maria, was secretly coughing behind Finia while I listen. However, this is not a really good ce for me to act strangely while holding my mouth.


    ¡¸That idiot, in order to save¡­¡­ and also in order to save Cortina, sacrificed his life. That was a decision he made during that situation and what he thought was necessary. That¡¯s why there is no need for you to me yourself over this¡¹ ¡¸Still, because of me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸His death was the result of his own judgment. To go against his judgment and force your belief would beparable to sphemy by denying what he believed in¡¹


    I also agree with what she was pointing out. There was no reason for Finia to me herself. Probably because of the shock seeing someone dying before her, it ended up bing a trauma and was haunting her making her me herself. Though I feel like a lot of beautifications were applied to filter the things that she believed in¡­¡­ I really wanted to tell her that it was my own mistake and that there is no need for her to be med.


    ¡¸Please do you best to forgive yourself during this long journey¡¹ ¡¸Was that the reason¡­¡­ That you have assigned me? ¡¹ ¡¸There is also that included. But it¡¯s because Nicole was the most at ease if it¡¯s with you. You could also think of it as a sign of atonement for Reid, so please do try to do it¡¹


    After telling her all of that, she gently hugged Finia. After clearing up all the tears in response to the hug, we finally started our journey.

 Chapter 25: The Journey

    <h4>Chapter 25: The Journey</h4>


    While being shaken by our carriage, we continue our journey towards Raum. On our way, we didn¡¯t really have to worry about any raids¡­ more than that¡­ uugh¡­


    ¡¸Uhhhgg, I feel sick¡¹ ¡¸Are you okay, Nicole-sama!? ¡¹


    Finia couldn¡¯t hide her surprise after I became sick for the second time today. The journey itself was fine, but my physical condition was not. Knowing I would end up like this, Maria made sure to have me carry potions that would help relieve the motion sickness. But even with that, it didn¡¯t really help much due to my frail constitution. Seriously it¡¯s not really working. On the other hand, my best friend Michelle-chan couldn¡¯t even hold herughter while looking at my condition.


    However, stopping the carriage in order to mend my physical condition would only end up dying our journey. Right now Finia was letting me rest on herp and took out a potpourri from her pocket to relieve me of my dizziness.


    The carriage we were using didn¡¯te with passenger seats but something much closer to a covered cart that could only stop wind and rain. Although the ride we have is not the best, there are also advantages to it like being able to stretch out like this.


    cing my head on Finia¡¯sp, a refreshing scent was brought to my nose from the potpourri that she had taken out. The potpourri was scented with mint and a mix ofvender, that¡¯s why it was giving off a refreshing scent. That refreshing scent was healing my dizziness and made me feel rxed.


    ¡¸Funyaaa~~¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku, right now Nicole-sama you are acting like a spoiled kitten¡¹ ¡¸Un, Nicole-chan turned into a cat¡¹ ¡¸Oi!¡¹


    Michelle and Finia were teasing me at my current condition, and Michelle¡¯s mom couldn¡¯t help but smile at them. Though I am like this, I am still the daughter of heroes and is considered to be a respectable noble. Although her mom knows that, Maria wouldn¡¯t really mind if they were only a little disrespectful, still, the thought of angering Maria is really scary. She will also be helping us by supporting our daily life at the academy, but they still have no idea what they should do.


    ¡¸Uuugh, it finally subsided a bit. This has really reflected how weak my body really is¡­¡¹


    I also feel kind of weird being more feminine than usual, but I have now gotten used to calling myself with a more feminine tone.


    In this carriage headed towards Raum, several other merchants have joined us. Some of them are to return to Raum after trading with the vige. There are currently three escorts and some people carrying huge amounts of money. They are kind of a little tense due to the presence of a person that should not be in this carriage.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, big brother Adventurer, can I ask you something?¡¹ ¡¸Nicole-sama¡­¡­ that is¡­¡­¡¹


    They are also in charge of escorting us. There¡¯s no need for them to listen to a child¡¯s request, but they can at least rx for a bit. Keeping their eyes on the surroundings all the time would wear them out more than necessary. After all, I have also experienced being an adventurer.


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine you know, there are no monsters in the surroundings at the moment¡¹ ¡¸Eh, how do you know about that? ¡¹ ¡¸I can somehow tell¡¹


    This is one of my skills, being able to sense the presence of life. Since this skill doesn¡¯t require physical ability. I was able to raise it almost to the same level as I had before. And right now, there are no strange presences or enemies within my range of preception. If they want to keep this up, they will need to stop the carriage to take frequent breaks. Though everyone should stay on alert, it is not good to remain tense all the time. Staying in this condition for too long, they would only end up exhausting themselves, which would make them lose focus and end up making a mistake.


    ¡¸Is that¡­¡­is that really true?¡¹ ¡¸Well there are no enemies within my detection range¡­¡­¡¹


    Hearing that, one of the adventurers tried asking Finia, but received a simr answer. Well, we don¡¯t really have to rush our trip.


    ¡¸You know? I also have a good pair of ears¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, fine then¨D¨Dwhat is it that you want to know?¡¹


    And with this, the adventurers told us stories about their adventures. It was something that a normal viger wouldn¡¯t know of. Everyone was listening intently to their stories, other than me that is.


    From my point of view, after hearing about their adventures, I couldn¡¯t help but think about how sloppy and careless they are as adventurers. Still, it is interesting enough as a form of entertainment on this long journey. It is better than umting fatigue and staying silent throughout the journey.


    ¡¸Then suddenly a troll jumps out of a shade¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸Whaa!?¡¹ ¡¸But it wasn¡¯t really a troll that came out right?¡¹


    A troll is a huge monster about 5 meters in height. From what they were talking about before, they said that they were inside a cavern with a ceiling of about 3 meters in height.


    ¡¸Ugh¡­¡­Tha, That is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Geez, I¡¯ll continue the story¡­¡­ it was goblins that came out from that ce¡¹


    The three adventurers were two men and one woman. The female adventurer contradicted the exnation of the man. Well, I don¡¯t really know how the general public would receive their stories, but since I¡¯m also listening, I¡¯d like them to forgive me from retorting.


    Despite being cramped in a small space like this, the other passengers wereughing out loud. Though everyone wasn¡¯t rted, their bonds were bing stronger. From my past experiences, powerful experts tend to be a target of admiration without their notice.


    While watching adventurers having fun with the passengers, the journey continued while gaining such fun memories.

 Chapter 26: Assault on the Highway

    <h4>Chapter 26: Assault on the Highway</h4>


    The first two days of the trip went smoothly well. If any problem was to be mentioned, then it would only be about my motion sickness. But the next day, things have changed.


    It¡¯s at the time when the traffic has been reduced and the escort adventurers have settled down, and it¡¯s also the time when tension has been lowered. If it is now, then it would be the best time for something to happen.


    When the carriage entered the woods where the highway continued, something got caught in my presence detection. However, there was no sense of hostility. It was more of a sense of incongruity that I¡¯ve felt.


    ¡¸Nn?¡¹ ¡¸Is something wrong, Nicole-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Nn©`?¡¹


    If it¡¯s like this, then I have experienced something like this several times before. At that time, the enemy was cautious and didn¡¯t show their intent or hostility.


    ¡¸I can feel something. For now, just be cautious¡¹ ¡¸What is it¡­¡­can you grasp their number?¡¹ ¡¸Probably an artificial life form. I couldn¡¯t feel any kind of intent from it¡¹


    Hearing my exnations, Finia immediately informed the adventurers. It was good that I was able to immediately notice it and help them prepare. Enemies without any sense of hostility do exist.


    Gargoyles, Slime, Golems, other than that would be nt-based monsters.


    Monsters like these don¡¯t show any form of hostility since most of them move by instinct, that¡¯s why it¡¯s difficult to detect them if they are camouged in the surroundings. Well, you could say that you won¡¯t be a good scout if you are not able to detect them.


    ¡¸You detected enemies nearby, are you sure about this!?¡¹


    After hearing Finia¡¯s report, most of the adventurers came to me. Suspicion could be seen in their eyes, and their face shows disbelief in my words. There is a high mortality rate when ites to encountering monsters with good camouge. Additionally, failure to detect their presence would add up the difficulty. That¡¯s why I informed them, and with this, they would be more cautious of their surroundings.


    ¡¸Un. It¡¯s in a bit of distance fwom hewe. It¡¯s pwobably hiding in the woods.¡¹


    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to talk in a childish way, it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t speak properly because I¡¯m still not used to talking and my tongue won¡¯t move the way I want to. Adding to that is my cute and clear voice which makes it even more childish, the impact it shows is quite the opposite. As if responding to my words, one of the adventurers looked at a female adventurer. Then as a silent response, she immediately headed to the coachman¡¯s seat.


    ¡¸You said that it was in the woods, right. Then it is probably waiting for us to enter its attack range¡¹


    Well, I also won¡¯t mind if they only thought of it as a child¡¯s prank. But in the two days that we were traveling together, they have certainly acknowledged my detection skills. That¡¯s why the adventurers believed what I¡¯ve said.


    One of the adventurers who went to confirm the situation came back, and after a bit, the carriage stopped.


    ¡¸So, what¡¯s the situation?¡¹ ¡¸It was true. There are two slimes hiding on a grassy area close to the road¡¹ ¡¸I was surprised. I didn¡¯t expect that her detection range would reach that far ahead¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ehhem¡¹


    My look right now is definitely quite childish, but still, being recognized for your skills is always a pleasant thing. Even if my nose grows pointy like that of a tengu, it is still a fact that I did great.


    ¡¸A Chimera Blob¡¯s movement is quite sluggish. As long as you don¡¯t get caught, then it¡¯s not a difficult monster to handle. We will get rid of them first, so please patiently wait for us to return.¡¹ ¡¸Is it really okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Even if we face them upfront, they won¡¯t be much of an opponent¡¹ ¡¸What if they melt your weapons¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, if that happens, then we will have to use our reserves on hand¡¹


    Strong acidic attack is one of the mostmon form of attacks that Chimera Blobs use. Because their body is made up of the very same fluid, the weapons used to attack them would also suffer some damage. Also, if they left their weapons unchecked, it would continue to corrode for several hours and render it useless. That¡¯s why most adventurers hated fighting against Chimera Blobs. In order to prevent this, they need to sterilize their weapons with strong alcohol. That¡¯s usually one of the reasons why adventurers carry strong liquors.


    ¡¸We still don¡¯t know how strong are they, it might take some time to defeat them, are you sure it¡¯s fine for us to stay behind and wait?¡¹ ¡¸If we are not able to return after two hours or more, then it would probably better for you all to leave us behind¡¹ ¡¸Ah, alright¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. This is only in the worst-case scenario¡¹


    The adventurers then rushed out after talking to the merchant that was leading the carriage. Watching over their backs as they slowly disappear from view was Michelle.


    ¡¸Will they really be okay? Hearing their talks, it felt like they would be in a dangerous situation¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about time huh. I think they would be fine but it will definitely take some time before they return because it is definitely a tough enemy.¡¹


    Judging from my past experiences, they would be about as strong as those Chimera Blobs. But then, a new presence got caught in my detection.


    ¡¸Ah!¡¹ ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸Something ising, and approaching at a great speed. This one is also hostile¡¹ ¡¸Enemies!?¡¹


    It¡¯s probably a wild beast that was aiming for this carriage. I presume that it also has a wider detection rangepared to my own, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know until it attacked and entered my detection range. The adults who heard what I¡¯ve said panicked for a bit. Michelle¡¯s father also prepared his bow ready to defend his child. Finia also took out her dagger and went down from the carriage.


    ¡¸I, I will help too¡­¡­!¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t need to get out of the carriage Michelle-chan. Shoot it from there¡¹ ¡¸Is, is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Un¡¹


    After giving her proper instructions to prepare, I also jumped down from the carriage and took out my katana.

 Chapter 27: Surprise Attack

    <h4>Chapter 27: Surprise Attack</h4>


    They are still out of sight¡­¡­ No wait¨D¨D


    ¡¸Vultures©`! ¡¹


    What appeared wererge vulture-like monsters, and there were three of them. The reason they were outside my detection field was that they aimed for the carriage from above. Flying along the highway allowed them to avoid obstacles, making their attacks swift and slick.


    ¡¸Intercepting!¡¹


    In response to my warning, Michelle-chan and her parents shoot arrows towards them. Still, aiming for vultures flying in the sky is not an easy feat. The more they aim upward, the higher the difficulty after all. Finia and I stand in front ready to intercept the three approaching birds.


    ¡¸Guuuaaaaa!¡¹


    Along with a strange screech, they descent with their talons aimed at us. I swing my katana to match the attack. The katana has a much thinner and lighter depared to a normal sword. The de is specifically known for its sharpness,pensating for its lightweight with tremendous pration force. Even with my current strength, I could swing it with enough power to kill.


    While dodging with bare minimum movements, I aimed at a part that has a lighter amount of feather¡­¡­ well, that¡¯s what I intended, but. With my current speed, I was not able to hit it properly.


    ¡¸Tsk! ¡¹ ¡¸Nicole-sama, please withdraw!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to!¡¹


    Answering back to Finia, I prepared for the next iing attack from the vultures. While I focused on melee attacks, Michelle-chan specialized in long-ranged attacks and is not at all trained in close-quarterbat. Her father is a hunter and not well-versed in battles like this. Right now I¡¯m standing in front of them to act as bait, but if they draw the attention of the vultures, then things might be a bitplicated. Because Finia only knows self-defense techniques, she is unable to properly cope with the attacks from the vultures.


    Luckily, the vultures are only using straightforward attacks. We should be able to deliver an attack if we wait for a chance.


    The vultures dive down once more to attack. I hold my sword in a straight stance and wait. Making sure to put all of my weight on the katana, I prepared for a forward strike. A vulture approached and aimed its talons at me once more. Waiting for thest moment to dodge its talons, I made sure to hit the vulture with all my power as I jumped to the side.


    After the exchange, the vulture fell down to the ground.


    That¡¯s one down. There¡¯s still two more to go. It would be great if they continued this way, but they probably would change tactics. Even if they are bird-brained, they would still be able to remember attack patterns and change their strategies depending on the situation. Well, if that happens all I could do ise up with another n.


    ¡¸Crimson One¡ª, Ultramarine One¡ª, Gold¡ª. Strengthen like Steel!¡¹ Using this technique, I strengthened the wool thread I carried in my pouch.


    Just like what I have experienced earlier, my current agility is not enough to catch up to the vulture. That¡¯s why I n to receive its attack to slow it down, even if its attack hits, it won¡¯t be a fatal one. And because of that, I need someone who can strike it down at that moment.


    ¡¸Crimson One, Ultramarine One, Jade Two, Gold Three. Unleash and Improve the Power of Bows¡¹ Jade represents the range, one means zero range. With this effect, I can strengthen both myself and my equipment.


    This time I added an enhancement to Michelle-chan¡¯s bow. Because the distance between us is a bit far, I needed to add extra magic power to activate it. But this time, I properly adjusted it, it¡¯s not the same as that time where I clumsily used magic power and exhaust myself. Probably provoked by the flow of magic power, the vultures started their assault once more.


    This time, one targeted me and the other one went for Finia.


    I took off my jacket and covered my hands with it. This would serve as a cushion against the vulture¡¯s talons. Needless to say, it was impossible for children¡¯s clothes topletely block the attack. It easily prated the jacket and damaged my arm.


    ¡¸Guuu!¡¹


    I clenched my teeth from the severe pain and made sure not to let go of my weapon. A newbie with no experience on the battlefield might just release their weapon immediately. Though none of that matters right now. The talons dug deeper into my jacket than expected and it refused to let go.


    With my lightweight body, it was possible for the vulture to actually lift me up. But I have also prepared methods to stop that.


    The goal of the vultures is to secure food. Then the lightest one among the group would serve as good bait. Which is why it can be assumed that they will target me and lift me up just like this.


    ¡¸Nicole-sama!?¡¹


    Seeing me slowly being lifted to the sky, Finia raised her voice in panic. She was about to rush towards me and pull me down, but before that happened, the other vulture attacked her and stopped her attempt. It¡¯s fine, you know. If you came over here, then my calction would bepletely in disarray.


    The vulture did its best to lift me as high and as fast as possible. But suddenly, it stopped ascending. I was held down by a thread that was tied to the carriage. It was the wool thread that I reinforced earlier. I tied this to the carriage in order to hold down my body.


    The vulture was confused and didn¡¯t understand what happened to make it stop ascending for a moment. Using that gap, I pierced my de at the base of its wings delivering as much damage as I could do. But since I¡¯m only using one hand to attack, it was not really that effective.


    However, that much is fine. My attack only serves as a bonus and the follow-up will be the real attack. That¡¯s because, during that moment, an arrow shot by Michelle-chan pierced through the skull of the vulture. Strengthening the attack power of the arrow, it easily pierced through the hard skull of the vulture. And as a result, the two of us are now falling down from as high as it had ascended.


    The bonus attack from earlier wasn¡¯t really meaningless as it managed to stop the vulture for a moment. And though the height of the fall is not that high, I don¡¯t know if my body could withstand it. As a measure to at least break the fall, after pulling out the katana from the base of the vulture¡¯s wing, I grabbed onto the vulture tightly and used the corpse as a cushion.


    ¡¸Guha¡¹


    The impact from falling squeezed out air from my lungs. My body ¨D¨Despecially my right hand¨D¨D hurts, but it¡¯s not painful enough to immobilize me. That¡¯s because most of the impact was received by the vulture¡¯s body during the fall.


    The impact was sessfully reduced and I was able to survive the crashnding. However, it¡¯s not yet time to feel relieved. There is still one more¡­¡­ and is currently fighting against Finia. Looking at how their battle goes, Finia was able to properly block the attacks of the vulture using her dagger in a defensive stance. During those moments, Michelle¡¯s father steadily incurred minor damages by hitting it with arrows. Doing it this way, they will probably be able to defeat it before I join the fight. Rather than that, I think the situation would end up getting worse if I suddenly join the fight.


    Finia is quite capable as a servant of Heroes. Although not on the same level as Michelle and me, who received specialized training, she was still capable enough to hold a fight on her own.


    After a while, thest vulture was finished off by Michelle-chan with a headshot, immediately killing it.


    ¡¸Nicole-sama, are you alright!?¡¹ ¡¸Un, I¡¯m alright¡¹ ¡¸Just what you are thinking! Please let me examine your hand!¡¹


    Immediately after the vulture was killed, Finia rushed towards me to check up the damage I received. There were tears falling from her eyes, there was probably a bit of anger and self-loathing mixed in.


    ¡¸Ahh, to let you be hurt like this¡­¡­ Nicole-sama¡¯s pure skin¡­¡­¡¹


    While leaking a coarse voice, she applied medicine on my arm and wrapped it in a bandage. As a half-elf, she has a profound understanding of herbs and their effects. A wound like this would not be considered deep, but it might probably leave a scar.


    ¡¸If only I was more useful, I would have been able to prevent it¡­¡­ Uuuu¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m all right, you know¡¹ ¡¸Please! Don¡¯t try dangerous things like that again! If you do it again, then I will really cry!?¡¹ ¡¸Ack, that would be a problem.¡¹


    Looking at Finia who is crying and not knowing if it¡¯s from anger or sadness, I decided to never again do something that would make her this worried.

 Chapter 28: Her Determination

    <h4>Chapter 28: Her Determination</h4>


    While I was still being treated by Finia, the adventurers finally returned. Because of the scattered corpses of the vultures, everyone shows an astonished expression.


    ¡¸What happened here!?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Leon-san! It was a close call here you know, vultures came and attacked right after you guys left to fight the Chimera Blobs!¡¹ ¡¸Seriously!¡¹


    His surprised voice was raised furthermore, but a question mark popped on his head when he realized that the creatures in question were already defeated.


    ¡¸Who defeated these things?¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t you understand seeing the situation?! Nicole-chan, are you ok? ¡¹ ¡¸Un¡¹


    The adventurer Leon was supposed to be their leader, but a female adventurer rushed towards me after understanding the situation. On the other hand, the merchants were too excited about retelling the battle that happened a while ago to the other adventurers.


    ¡¸Temuru-san, will you please calm down for now? Ellen, how is her condition? ¡¹


    The merchant Temuru-san was asked to be silent, and the other female adventurer asked Ellen about my condition. She looks at my scar and checks the first aid treatment done by Finia, she then nodded.


    ¡¸Un, the wounds are not that deep. The first aid was also properly applied. In this condition, there probably won¡¯t be a scar left behind when it heals¡¹ ¡¸That is a good thing to know. Nicole-chan, did you fight them on your own? ¡¹ ¡¸Um, with everyone¡¹


    I did stand up first to fight and was able to defeat one, and Finia only followed in order to protect me, and then two of the targets were finished off by Michelle-chan. I would have never been able to defeat all of them it was me alone, not to mention having a powerless body.


    ¡¸I was able to defeat only one though¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not about being able to defeat one, considering your age, just killing one could already be considered a great feat¡¹


    Vultures are not really that strong as a monster. There are many adventurers that hunt them for their meat. But that is only true for the physically capable ones. It could certainly be said that for a powerless child like me to be able to defeat such a monster is a feat that can¡¯t normally be achieved.


    ¡¸How did you defeat them, could you tell us the methods you used?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, with Michelle-chan¡¯s help, I guess. I probably won¡¯t be able to do it on my own¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment! Would you please let Nicole-sama rest and do thister, she was badly hurt from the fight after all¡¹ ¡¸Ah, right. Sorry for not being considerate about that¡¹


    Finia¡¯s words were right on the spot, but I also want to honestly tell them what actually happened. Well, when I was fighting against the first vulture, I did my best to support the katana to press it against the target, and as a result my right wrist really hurts. Adding to that, when I was lifted up by the second vulture, the wool thread used to anchor myself was held by my right hand. Right now, my right hand was on the verge of being broken due to the heavy burden that it suffered. There was also the impact that my whole body received and had to endure when I fell.


    ¡¸Nicole-sama, over here¡¹


    On a spot inside the hooded carriage, Finia prepared a small space for me. After entering the carriage with the adventurer Ellen, they took off my clothes and thoroughly checked my whole body for injuries. The hood was ced not only for rain and wind, but was used to block sight by folding a part of it. When traveling with women, this mechanism is one of the necessary features.


    ¡¸Oh my, your right hand is in tatters. What exactly did you do for it to end up this way¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, from blocking the vulture¡¯s talons, then anchoring myself to the carriage, and finally using the corpse to break my fall.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that too reckless¡­¡­ for letting you do something like that when you were out of our sight¡­¡­ we¡¯re really sorry for that, ok?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to. The vultures attacked knowing that there was no adventurer present on the carriage after all. You guys also needed to defeat those Blobs so it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s very worrisome what reckless things you would do if you were out of our sight. It might have been much better if we let everyonee with us when we were fighting against those Blobs.¡¹ ¡¸That probably won¡¯t be a good thing though¡¹


    They won¡¯t know what would happen if they brought amateurs to a battlefield. That¡¯s why it was not a mistake when Leon-san decided not to bring us along. Speaking of which, it would have been better if at least one of them was left behind though.


    ¡¸Ahhh, Nicole-sama¡¯s body was full of¡­¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, if only I was a bit stronger¡¹ ¡¸Finia, what you did was good enough. I was saved because you were able to hold back the enemies, so don¡¯t me yourself¡¹


    I was able to defeat two of them because she was holding one of the enemies. If it was only me tanking, I would have not been able to support the front line. After all, despite only having knowledge of defending herself, she was still able to hold off one of the vultures.


    ¡¸Because Finia was able to hold off one of them, I was able to fight properly against the others. Thank you¡¹ ¡¸But, but¡­¡­¡¹


    Tears started forming on the corners of her eyes as I started to praise her. It¡¯s also interesting watching her ears droop as she bes more emotional. It makes me want to touch those drooping ears. After applyingpress, my hand was wrapped with a bandage the same way my left hand was wrapped. After finishing, she sped her hands then blurted out something really outrageous.


    ¡¸I have decided! I also want to learn how to fight!¡¹ ¡¸Wha!?¡¹


    Due to Finia¡¯s sudden deration, I could only respond in shock from the sudden event.

 Chapter 29: Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 29: Arrival</h4>


    Certainly, Finia had some battle knowledge. It was the least she could have in order to protect an important person like me. But when ites to fighting seriously, she didn¡¯t have a way to do so.


    ¡¸I have mainly been studying housekeeping in order to serve Lyell-sama. Also, since I will be serving them, I thought it wouldn¡¯t be necessary for me to be too strong in order to be useful. Even if I did have some odd skills, it would still pale inparison to the two of them¡¹


    That is true. Fighting battles on the level of me or Lyell would be likeparing normal people against strong people capable of saving the world. It would be too absurd if they did ask her to be at least be on the same level as they are.


    ¡¸But if I don¡¯t want to be a burden and be Nicole-sama¡¯s support, I would like to at least be able to fight alongside her!¡¹ ¡¸That, are you implying that I am too weak? ¡¹ ¡¸N, No, that¡¯s not it, it¡¯s just¡­¡­¡¹


    Well, right now, I am indeed not in a very good state. Even if I did learn swordsmanship seriously and have a lot of past experience backing me, I can only fight for a short amount of time beforepletely exhausting myself.


    ¡¸I guess, it¡¯s not really that bad if you want to get stronger, considering what the future may hold¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right!¡¹


    In Raum, there¡¯s no Lyell or Maria. There are Maxwell and Cortina in exchange though. If there¡¯s really a problem, it would be that they are both rearguard units.


    Cortina is a beastman, which makes her possess higher physical ability than most people, but that would still pale inparison to professional vanguard sses. As for the old elf Maxwell, it won¡¯t even be strange if an average person would be able to defeat him. Wait, in terms of elf years, maybe it would be bad to consider his age as old?


    ¡¸Then I will consult Leon-san about it! I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t really have any knowledge in regards to teaching swordsmanship, I won¡¯t be able to teach you¡¹ ¡¸Eh©`¡¹


    Ellen inted her cheeks a little when I show her a disappointed look in my reaction.


    ¡¸I understand that he doesn¡¯t have a talent for swordsmanship, but he has been working hard despite theck of talent. You do know that the experience he umted would still be able to help, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess so¡¹


    Now that I think about it, Lyell¡¯s fighting experience and mine are just too abnormal, and it would certainly be useless if it was taught to Finia who is an ordinary person. Another thing is that, most masters of their fields have grown too much when ites to their specialty and that most of them are really bad at teaching. I have been learning concealment from Cortina before, but I was not able to properly teach it to someone else.


    ¡¸Well, can I also join Finia in learning the basics? ¡¹ ¡¸Nicole-chan already knows how to fight, right? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, Ly¨D¨D I mean I was trained by Daddy after all¡¹ ¡¸Daddy¡­¡­ Ah, Lyell-sama! I¡¯m envious. I would have also liked to be trained by the Hero¡¹ ¡¸Well, it would certainly be an advantage¡¹


    Although unwilling, Lyell was actually good at teaching people despite holding a gift forbat tactic. Well, it¡¯s probably because of his calm and patient attitude, which is a plus for a teacher to have.


    As for me, I¡¯m not that patient enough. That¡¯s why instead of patiently following the path of the sword, I abandoned it and moved into the use of steel threads which I was more proficient with.


    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll be resting now¡¹


    With my right hand in this condition, it is unlikely that I would be able to swing a sword anytime soon. I will probably have toy low for a while. Also, I can¡¯t really force myself to do things that I can¡¯t do. Just like what I have experienced in my previous life, I know that I won¡¯t like the results if I force myself. If I need to rest, then I have to rest. It¡¯s one of the tips in order to improve myself.


    ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s see¡­¡­ well, your right wrist is certainly in a bad statepared to your left. It will recover by just letting it rest for a while since there are no other damages or fractures¡¹ ¡¸My findings were also the same¡¹ ¡¸Then we could rest assured. And since there are no heavy wounds or damages in your left hand, it will definitely recover in a short amount of time. The same goes for your worn out right hand¡¹ ¡¸Then let¡¯s do a bit of a fix for now¡¹


    Finia applied apress on my right wrist and then Ellen fixes it with a splint wood. After cing the support and positioning it in ce, I could feel the pain slowly fading away.


    ¡¸Fuuuu~¡¹


    The cool feel of thepress prating my skin made me unconsciously sigh in relief. Hearing me reacting like that, Finia couldn¡¯t help but giggle a bit.


    ¡¸Kuku¡­¡­ Nicole-sama, when you sigh like that and was feeling good, you somehow look like a spoiled cat¡¹ ¡¸Fue¡­¡­?¡¹


    It has been a long time since somebody said that my emotions are showing on my face. It does show quite often when it was in my previous life. When I go on missions, I usually leave a cold expression, as if all my emotions are paralyzed¡­¡­


    ¡¸Here, Nicole-sama. Please cover yourself with this nket and take a proper rest¡¹ ¡¸Ye~s¡¹


    Iy on a pseudo bed that Finia prepared. Then, Ellen and Finia went out since there are still things to clean-up, like dismantling the vultures for instance. For vultures, their feathers could be sold along with their meat, so it takes time topletely strip it all off.


    Then, my trials started during the supper of that day. It takes a lot of time for me to finish the meal since my right hand is currently firmly fixed and could not move. Seeing my state, Finia and Michelle-chan came to me and started doing the ¡ºAhhhn¡» to me. I wanted for them to stop. Adding to that, it was extremely awkward since Ellen was also joining us to check on my condition.


    ¡¸Okay, now please open your mouth. Nicole-sama¡¹ ¡¸Say ahhhn, Nicole-chan¡¹ ¡¸Ah, wait, let me join too! Nicole-chan, over here, please say ahhh©`¡¹ ¡¸Mugumugu! Mugu!?¡¹


    I was assaulted by soup, dried vegetables, and other foodstuffs being forced into my mouth without a break. What¡¯s worse was the soup that Michelle-chan is feeding was not cooled down, it was almost turning into torture for me if not to the fact that they are doing this out of concern.


    ¡¸He- hey, I¡¯m already full¡¹ ¡¸Eh, but you haven¡¯t eaten that much yet!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not it Michelle-chan. Nicole-sama has a very light appetite¡­¡­ I think the amount she has eaten today could already be said to be too much?¡¹


    Michelle and Ellen were quite shocked by the fact that Finia had just informed them.


    ¡¸Is, is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Even though she is indeed a child, is that really too much for her already?¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s just how she is. Even when she was a baby, she doesn¡¯t drink Maria¡¯s Milk that much, and even I was really worried at that time¡¹ ¡¸Doesn¡¯t that sound a little bit too dangerous!¡¹


    Ellen was really shocked about what Finia told her. It is certainly a really bad situation if a baby refuses to drink her mother¡¯s milk. Maria felt as if the world had ended at that time until she found cow¡¯s milk as a substitute. Lyell was also included as a bonus. Well, at that time, I can¡¯t really do anything about that. I was too concerned about how I should react.


    ¡¸We can¡¯t but feed her that time with only cow¡¯s milk, but it certainly put us at ease when she finally started to drink milk¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s probably why her body didn¡¯t develop that much¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But Nicole-chan is cute, so that doesn¡¯t matter!¡¹


    From the side listening to the two, Michelle-chan inserted herself to the conversation and hugged me. I don¡¯t dislike her honest expression of love, but it¡¯s really hurting my right hand that was caught in between.


    ¡¸Michelle-chan, right hand, that¡¯s going to hurt, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry!¡¹


    After Finia pointed it out, Michelle-chan immediately released me. After realizing her mistake and showing an apologetic face, she apologized to me for the sudden impulse.


    Although it was somewhat inconvenient, I didn¡¯t really have much of a hard time because of the people supporting me. Well, when ites to other private matters, it was really a pain, but other than that, Michelle-chan and Finia always helped.


    And then, when the pain in my right hand finally started to fade, and along with my left hand finally recovering. We have arrived in the forest of elves and the elven country Raum.

 Chapter 30: The Fourth Hero

    <h4>Chapter 30: The Fourth Hero</h4>


    As wee closer to the city of Raum, its dignity was shown before our eyes. I have visited before, and one of the city¡¯s most notable structures is the spire of the Magic Academy which was farrgerpared to arge castle. Is it just me, or is the tower much higher than before?


    ¡¸Nicole-chan, Nicole-chan! Look, it¡¯s a really tall tower!¡¹ ¡¸Ye, yeah, I see it. Please don¡¯t move too much. You¡¯re making the carriage sway more than it should¡­¡­Ugh¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry? Nicole-chan, are you feeling sick again?¡¹ ¡¸Implying again is just overstating it¡¹


    I¡¯ve only been sleeping and eating since the time I received my injury, but it¡¯s not really that rxing as it could be imagined since I¡¯m receiving the vibrations directly from the floor as the carriage moves. For someone like me who is physically weak, and has no resistance to motion sickness because of my weak vestibr system, it was mostly suffering that I received instead.


    ¡¸Umm, are you still not feeling well, Nicole-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I feel a bit better now. Thank you Finia¡¹


    Now that there is more space in the carriage since most of the baggage was already cleared out, a small hammock was created using the nkets I am currently resting upon. This cut off most of the vibrations and made the trip morefortable, the demerit is that it swings around for a while when the carriage shook strongly. There were also times when I decided to get off the carriage and join the adventurers walking for a change of pace. It stings my right hand a bit because of the motion but it was way much better than suffering nausea when I¡¯m riding the carriage.


    ¡¸Nicole-sama, if you are like that¡­¡­ you won¡¯t be able to rest properly¡¹ ¡¸If I keep sleeping all the time, I will lose my hard-earned muscles. Won¡¯t Finia be more anxious instead if I be too weak that it started to affect my training?¡¹ ¡¸But that is¡­¡­¡¹


    During this trip, Finia was also trained in swordy by the adventurer Leon. It would have been much better if she learned from Lyell, but it was toote since we already left the vige. But still, she was studying the way of the sword so enthusiastically and was slowly but surely improving as the training goes. I even thought that she might actually possess a gift for it.


    Well, since I am her master, she just couldn¡¯t let herself stay inside the carriage and would join me for a walk instead. And even if she is tired from training, she would still continue taking care of me. Also, since my bnce is currently bad due to the fact that I could only use one hand, there were times when I feel like I would stumble or fall.


    ¡¸Sorry about this?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s part of my work. Besides, it was originally my¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t ept that. You don¡¯t really have to me everything on yourself, you know Finia?¡¹ ¡¸What, is it really fine?¡¹


    She became a person who would always want to carry all the me to herself because of her past experience. The correction of this character of hers is something that I would like to fix during this trip.


    When I changed my view to look over the town, I realized that there was a woman standing by the gates. Usually, it was gatekeepers that would receive visitors, but I could see the gatekeepers standing in the far back. It seems like it was she who instructed them to stay back.


    ¡¸That is?¡¹ ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸Over there¡­¡­ Maybe, that person is¨D¨D¡¹


    By the way, at the moment that I noticed her, it seems like they have also noticed us. And then, before we noticed it, a bob-cut woman with big golden cat ears on her head dashed towards us with tremendous speed.


    Taking advantage of the beastman¡¯s physical ability, she was dashing at full sprint towards us and was leaving clouds of dust behind her. Seeing that, Leon and the others were on alert, but she easily slipped behind them before they could even prepare.


    The house drawing the carriage was shocked by the sudden appearance of a woman before it. Noticing the horse, she immediately activated some sort of magic.


    ¡¸Crimson one, Ultramarine two, Jade one. Tranquility¡¹


    Normally, you would need to prepare a lot of things before activating magic and there were only a few who could activate it as quickly as Maria. This means that before she arrived, she has already read through the reaction of the adventurers along with the surprise of the horse. The cat-eared girl¡­¡­ No, the beautiful girl opened her arms wide and hugged me.


    ¡¸Wee! You are Nicole, right? Just like what I¡¯ve heard, you really look like a doll and is really cute¡¹


    In battle, she will not hesitate to make cold decisions. In peaceful times, she is usually indifferent to people. A former friend of mine¡­¡­That is Cortina, a warlord that could single-handedly bring the downfall of an army of thousands. But it¡¯s the first time for me to meet her in this body. I have to make sure that she doesn¡¯t notice that I know her as much as possible. I have heard from Maria about her before, but the difference between that and what I know is very different.


    ¡¸You are Cortina-san?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. You sure know your stuff, eh? Did you hear about us from Maria? I don¡¯t think Lyell would be the one to even mention about us¡¹ ¡¸Yup¡¹ ¡¸Eh, Cortina-sama!? One of the 6 Heroes?¡¹


    Hearing my words, Michelle raised an astonished cry. Well, it was only natural that she or Maxwell would pick me up. After all, it was the daughter of Lyell and Maria that came to visit. The adventurers and Michelle-chan¡¯s parents were also shocked by the sudden event of meeting one of the legendary Heroes.


    Even so, it¡¯s really hard to pretend in front of Cortina and her sharp intuition, I need to be careful not to blurt out things that I haven¡¯t heard from my parents. But well, the softness of this hug squeezing my cheeks isn¡¯t that bad.


    There was also a time that I actually confessed to her. And yes, I was utterly rejected. At that time, Lyell and Maria were about to get married and I was desperate¡­¡­ that is now a part of my Dark History. And that secret is what I would definitely defend no matter what.


    ¡¸Hmm, that right hand, were you injured? Were you caught up in a battle with monsters along the way?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. Vultures¡¹


    She then aimed her looks at the adventurers after hearing my words. It was certainly because of their carelessness that the people they escorted has to engage in battle, but because it was also a close call for them, all I could do is pity them instead of ming them. For now, I¡¯ll take over the mistakes of those adventurers who were literally shivering from fear due to being red at by a Hero.


    ¡¸Actually, it was because they were dealing with chimera blobs that were waiting to ambush us. So it¡¯s not Leon¡¯s fault¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Well if you say so then I won¡¯t pursue it¡­¡­¡¹


    Cortina then nces at Finia as if to confirm what happened. After only receiving a small nod from her did she finally believe me. My words alone couldn¡¯t show that much legitimacy of what happened, that¡¯s why she turned to Finia who is acting as my guardian to verify what happened. Then after confirming the situation, she decided to drop the matter at that.


    ¡¸Well, I guess it couldn¡¯t be helped. Auburn Two, Ultramarine One, Gold One. Envelopes with a healing wind. Recovery¡¹


    Cortina may have high physical abilities, but she is not well versed in closebat. Even in terms of Magic Ability, she doesn¡¯t reach the spot of Maxwell or even reaches Maria¡¯s level. If I were to describe her skills, it would be broad and shallow. Even if she has high dexterity in using her skills, it would still be iparable to those who specialized in a single field. But well, her true ability lies not in her broad number of skills.


    After a while, the pain in my right hand slowly diminished as I watch Cortina¡¯s healing magic activating.


    ¡¸That should be okay now? If it¡¯s only on that level then it wouldn¡¯t be something that I can¡¯t deal with¡¹ ¡¸Thank you¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you can properly say your thanks. Good girl, good girl¡¹ ¡¸That is a matter of course¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, you see, there are many children here who are feeling too proud of themselves, you see? And because of that, the first job of teachers is to break their swelling pride and putting them in ce ¡¹


    Now that I think about it, she was also a teacher in the academy. Because there are a lot of noble children who were deemed to be geniuses by their peers, the teachers are probably having a hard time. Even adding to that is Cortina¡¯s diverse set of skills that is not really that prominent if one only witnesses one side of it.

 Chapter 31: Residence

    <h4>Chapter 31: Residence</h4>


    Finia was grateful to Cortina who immediately took care of my wounds.


    ¡¸Thank you for taking care of that, Cortina-sama¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it. After all, I also consider Maria¡¯s daughter as my daughter from now on¡¹


    There are only two women in the Heroes¡¯ Party. In that sense, Maria and Cortina¡¯s rtionship is not bad. Even during Maria¡¯s wedding, she was the one who blessed their marriage but also the saddest one when they announced their retirement.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, I made sure to meet her first here¡¹ ¡¸Now that you mention it, how did you know in advance that we would be arriving¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s from calcting the distance from the vige where Maria is, assuming the average speed of the carriage along with dys in case it was attacked, also the condition of the highway due to the weather and¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸Is¡ª is that so, that, that should be enough already¡¹


    Finia immediately stopped Cortina who began to show off all of her calctions. After all, she always had a habit of not stopping when you let her exin something. That was a nice cut there.


    ¡¸Muu, is that so? We are ready to wee you any time, so let¡¯s move there immediately¡¹ ¡¸Are we going to your house?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I consider Nicole-chan as my daughter, you know? That¡¯s why you are also going to live at my house!¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­¡­?¡¹


    This was a little unexpected even for me. Probably, even Maria and Lyell didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen, and although it might have certainly been misleading, this was ultimately how it ended up. But if I¡¯m living with Cortina who is also blessed with a lot of gifts, then there will definitely be a point that she would end up knowing who I really am. It is something that I would really like to prevent if I possibly could¡­¡­


    ¡¸Maxwell was also convinced that it would be safer this way! He has already given his support to this, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Guhe¡¹


    It¡¯s no good, if she already has been given his full support, it would only be more troublesome if I reject Cortina¡¯s offer. The decision was made by both Cortina and Maxwell. With them being my guardians, there¡¯s no way I would be able to refuse. Also, if I strongly oppose, there is a possibility of some misunderstandings to pop up instead. Cortina is one of the Heroes. Nevertheless, she is a star of hope formon people who contributed not by pure talent and ability but by being able to use her ingenuity.


    It is impossible and would be seen as strange if you actually decline her request of living with her. If you could sell this preferential treatment to someone else, it would probably be priced at a worth enough to operate a small town or even more.


    ¡¸Auu¡­¡­ I, I will be in your care¡¹ ¡¸Eh, is it alright for me toe along too!?¡¹ ¡¸That, Michelle!¡¹


    When Michelle insisted toe along, her mother rebuked her. Even Cortina had an unusually troubled expression.


    ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯m sorry. My house is not really big enough to include a whole family, but if it¡¯s you alone¡¹ ¡¸But, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Michelle!?¡¹


    Her mother¡¯s face started to pale because of her attitude, which was certainly a little too bold. Though I know Cortina¡¯s character well, she certainly doesn¡¯t mind that kind of attitude nor would she find that rude.


    ¡¸That can¡¯t be helped. Instead, I have another house nearby, so do you want to use that instead? We will be neighbors¡¹ ¡¸We will be neighbors with Cortina-sama!¡¹


    Michelle-chan expresses her delight with a hurray, and on the other hand, her mother could only bow her head down because of her daughter. It is also true that with her gift, she might be in danger of being targeted by the nobles of this town. We should be careful not to let that happen in the future. On the contrary, her cheerfulness does bring a smile to everyone¡¯s face. So it¡¯d be best if she keeps improving in that area. I suppose the pros and cons even each other in that regard.


    After such exchanges, we set foot to the city of Raum. There is no need to provide identification to enter the city, but a strict examination and confirmation will be conducted before you are allowed to step foot in the city. As for us, we are exempted from that because they know that we are Cortina¡¯s acquaintances and that I am the hero¡¯s daughter, so we were easily able to get inside without the usual checks.


    The Magic Academy that I¡¯m going to attend is located near the edge of the city. The reason it was not being ced in the city center is because there will be many dangerous spells fired off during ss.


    Cortina¡¯s house is close to the school¡¯s outer edge. It is an extremely small and frugal house that you won¡¯t normally expect to be a hero¡¯s residence. The size of the garden is also small enough that it can only fit two horses. It is a really modest residence ifpared to our ce.


    Next to it was a house of the same size.


    ¡¸This is my house. It is a bit on the small side, but please bear with it. Michelle¡¯s ce will be that neighboring house over there¡¹ ¡¸This is¡­¡­ Compared to Maria-sama¡¯s¡­¡­ that is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I understand what you are trying to say. It¡¯s just me trying not to be too extravagant. On the other hand, Maxwell¡¯s mansion is really amazing, you know¡¹


    Well, that is to be expected due to the fact that Maxwell is a royalty of this country. But, didn¡¯t he go back to being an adventurer? He is now the director of the Magic Academy though. Because he also had the qualifications to be a king, his connection to politics is not to be underestimated either. It seems like because of his status, his residence was made to be more extravagant as the heavyweights of the country would oftene to visit him to ask for a consultation.


    ¡¸Well, moving on, let me show you to your room first. Maybe we could go to Maxwell after dropping off your luggage? It sounds very troublesome though, maybe we can do itter¡¹


    While pushing me inside the house, Cortina winks at me then show me around her house.

 Chapter 32: Magic Academy Director Maxwell

    <h4>Chapter 32: Magic Academy Director Maxwell</h4>


    Brought along by Cortina, we headed towards Maxwell¡¯s residence. Unfortunately, Michelle¡¯s parents were not able to join us because they will be unloading and arranging their luggage. So right now, there¡¯s only Cortina, Finia, Michelle-chan, and me.


    Although he was supposedly of the royal bloodline, he abandoned all of that along with his title of nobility when he started out as an adventurer. But even with that, it still didn¡¯t change the fact that he was still a bigshot of this country. Especially after finishing the extermination of the evil dragon, he was offered to return to his position when he finally came back to his country.


    However, even with all of his present achievements, especially the subjugation of the evil dragon, there would still be various legal problems in bringing back nobility who once abandoned their position. That¡¯s why he was given authority but was not posted in public office. And with his indistinct position, he was then appointed as the director of the Magic Academy.


    He was a former royalty and a hero who subjugated Evil Dragon Colchis. Not to mention being a renowned magician. It would be impossible for Maxwell to reside in a in-looking house, that¡¯s why his residence is now a splendid mansion. Cortina simply walked straight past the mansion gate without being questioned by the guards. In my previous life, I have visited ces like this so it didn¡¯t bother me much and took a more rxed bearing. Although I didn¡¯t live in such an extravagant mansion before, I got ustomed to the fact since I would usually do business in such ces.


    ¡¸Maxwell, I have brought them! Come on, let us enter!¡¹


    Unlike us who stopped in front of the door, Cortina knocked it forcefully without any hesitation. On the side though, I could see Finia¡¯s face starting to turn pale. Michelle-chan also had a surprised look, when the ¡ºFriendly Older Sister¡» took on a crude and aggressive attitude.


    ¡¸Seriously, you are as noisy as always. Just wait for a second¡­¡­ I also want to take my time leisurely from time to time, you know¡¹


    An old man opened the door at his own pace without even being bothered by how noisy Cortina was. He still has the same figure that remained the same as 17 years ago and the trademark pointy ears of an elf.


    Now that I think about it, Cortina¡¯s short cut hair also didn¡¯t show any form of decline since that time too. Although it¡¯s not as long as the elves, cat beastmen also have a considerably long lifespan. Her current age should be over 30 years old, but if based on the lifespan of her tribe, then she could still be considered as a young one.


    ¡¸You finally came out. Why don¡¯t you take advantage of that short life you have left and do things a little faster?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t really care about that stuff. I will leave it to my sessor to do things if I really need to¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t, it would be annoying¡¹


    After doing their strange arguments andpletely rejecting Maxwell¡¯s im, Cortina suddenly held me up.


    ¡¸Never mind that, look here. It¡¯s Maria¡¯s daughter, Nicole-chan! Isn¡¯t she cute?¡¹


    After holding me up, she then held me close and hugged me from behind. She then without restraint rubbed her cheeks on me to the point that I felt like my cheeks would be deformed and was a bit painful. Noticing my situation, Finia attempted to move her hands, but stopped and was not able to do anything. After all, the one in front of her is Lyell¡¯s colleague. She can¡¯t just move on her own following strictly based on her own opinion.


    ¡¸Hohou, so her eyes have unmatched colors. People with such eyes usually have a lot of potential in magic and their foundations are strong¡¹ ¡¸Um, I have a gift on Interference Magic¡¹ ¡¸I did hear about that, but I didn¡¯t know that you have such eyes. This is something I would look forward to! For now,e in. Do not act so reserved and have some tea¡¹


    Maxwell invited us into his mansion and guided us around. As we walked through the corridor of the mansion, I couldn¡¯t help letting my thoughts slip. It was dirty. Dust umted all over the ce, and some garbage or documents were piling up.


    ¡¸Th- this is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t been here in quite a while. You could have at least hired a servant¡¹ ¡¸Well, there are a lot of confidential documents lying around. So hiring a servant would be kind of troublesome if it¡¯s not from a reliable ce¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s just that, then clean it up yourself¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a bother. Would you like to do it instead?¡¹ ¡¸And why do you think I would¡­¡­¡¹


    Finia watched their back and forth became even paler and confused, not knowing what to do with the current situation. Seeing the two of them argue like this gives me a sense of nostalgia. The Magician and the Master Tactician, the two of them would also quarrel a lot in the old days. I was thinking at first that Cortina might have settled down after all those years because of how she conducted herself when we met her, but well you can¡¯t easily change a person¡¯s character even after a long time has passed.


    After guiding us to what seems to be a living room, Maxwell attempted to leave the room again.


    ¡¸Stay here for the time being. I¡¯ll go and prepare some tea for everyone¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not it! Didn¡¯t you remember what we came here for, Old Man!¡¹ ¡¸Nn? Ah, that¡¯s right. It was for Magic Power Analysis. Then I¡¯ll go fetch the measuring tools¡¹


    And just as easygoing as he usually is, Maxwell went out of the room. In the meantime, we cleaned a sofa for everyone to settle down.


    ¡¸Were you surprised? Especially at how different our interaction was¡¹ ¡¸No, from the way he reacted, I could understand that maybe he is just an easygoing person¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸You are somehow acting like you have actually seen that person before. Thanks to that, I guess I can just act naturally around him¡¹ ¡¸Just like from the past¡¹


    I involuntarily said that and immediately covered my mouth. There should have been no way for me to know the Cortina from before. But Cortina didn¡¯t miss my grumbling.


    ¡¸Nn©`? Why do you know about how I was from the past¡­¡­ Ah, I see. Maria told you about me, right? Seriously, did she want to betray our women¡¯s bond?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, umm¡­¡­ I- I guess so?¡¹


    Right now, Maria is closing to her 40¡¯s. But her appearance is still very youthful, enough that she would even pass if she says that she was still in her 20¡¯s. On the other hand, Lyell is aging normally as he age¡­¡­ soon enough, he would probably look like a grumpy old demon. Also, it would be horrible topare humans to other races like the Elf Finia and the Cat Beastman Cortina.


    ¡¸I have kept you waiting. I took a bit of time because I was brewing some good tea leaves¡¹


    After a while, Maxwell finally came back holding a tray with a tea set ced on it. He arranged it on the table near where we seated without even showing any form of elegance that you would expect from a Hero. But despite that, I know very well just how masterful he is in themandment of spells that pitted him head-to-head against the evil dragon.


    It was the same as usual with Cortina, even if she shows annoyance to him, she doesn¡¯t really dislike his ways. He quickly arranges everything on the table and offers us tea.


    ¡¸You know, I don¡¯t mind the tea, but where is the tool for measuring magic which you should have prepared first! What happened to the measuring board?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t forget about it. I brought it along. See, it¡¯s here¡¹


    After saying that, he turns over the tray that he was using and showed it to us. No, that¡¯s not it, that was not a tray but a magic tool, and it was the magic measuring tool itself.


    ¡¸You¡­¡­ don¡¯t just use an expensive tool like that as a tray to carry the tea set!¡¹


    Cortina couldn¡¯t help but make a remark on how he treats expensive magic tools. Maxwell¡­¡­ Sorry, but I alsopletely agree with Cortina.

 Chapter 33: Magic Power Measurement

    <h4>Chapter 33: Magic Power Measurement</h4>


    No matter how much Cortina retorted, Maxwell has the same nonchnt air around him. She retorts and reprimands him without any sign of hesitation, while the otherpletely ignores it and moves at his own pace.


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, did I do something wrong. You were always telling me about what mistakes I¡¯ve done¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s because we have first-time visitors over here, can¡¯t you even act decently in front of them?!¡¹


    Continuing his preparations for tea, Maxwell continued listening to Cortina¡¯s remarks without caring about it.


    ¡¸Well then, Nicole right?? ce your hand over here¡¹ ¡¸Hey, I¡¯m still not done talking¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut it already, Cortina. It¡¯s because of you acting like that, which made Reid misunderstand¡¹ ¡¸Yo¡ª You! That has nothing to do with this situation!?¡¹ ¡¸You should have cleared it up that time while you¡¯ve had a chance. Well, I guess it was already toote¡¹


    No, wait. If I remember correctly, I should have been rejected at that time. Why does it seem like Cortina is bothered by that?


    ¡¸Ummm¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Nn? Ah, you didn¡¯t know about this story? Well, it¡¯s just that she was hiding her real feelings for Reid, it seems like she was really reluctant about it¡¹ ¡¸Oi, what are you trying to teach the children!¡¹


    Cortina who seems to have finally got fed up went straight to Maxwell and attempted to deliver a pound on his head. However,paring the tall Maxwell and the small stature of the cat tribe, her protest was not that effective. But I¡¯m really interested in the continuation of this story.


    ¡¸Well, Reid was a really serious person. He often gets misunderstood though, and because of his nature, he sometimes creates misunderstandings instead. One of those misunderstandings involves her you see. Hahaha! ¡¹ ¡¸Maxwell! You, you still remember about that!?¡¹


    What is he saying? Though I¡¯m only guessing. If I actually attempted to continue and didn¡¯t give up, was there a possibility she would have epted my proposal!? I was convinced at that time that continuing was futile so I gave up, but apparently I still had my chances if I actually continued.


    It was really unexpected for Cortina to show a cute smile like that, so I ended up grinning to myself involuntarily. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen her like this.


    ¡¸Ah, wait, Nicole-chan? Why are you grinning like that?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Eh, that is¡­¡­ probably, that? ¡¹ ¡¸Geez, sometimes you really act like an adult, you know? Everyone makes a mistake once or twice in a lifetime!¡¹ ¡¸In your case though, he died before receiving a proper answer. But still, for a person with a title of God of Death to confess to the Warlord was something even I wasn¡¯t able to predict¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just because Reid didn¡¯t any guts¡­¡­ Un, that¡¯s not it¡­¡­¡¹


    Cortina who was in high spirits a while ago is now embarrassed. Seeing her figure, I could somehow understand the cause. She is also one of the people whose lives changed because of my death. After all, in order to face the Devil, it was me who told her to escape to call the others. That would have probably been traumatic.


    ¡¸Uuu, okay, enough of this. The story ends here! Now start with the measurements already¡¹


    After shaking her head as if to shake something off, she urged everyone to proceed with the measurements. However, the vision of me facing that unreasonable enemy pops up in my head. It was an enemy that I know I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat on my own. If it was from the time before I was hailed a hero, I would have done my best to escape that situation. She definitely continued living while carrying that burden on her back.


    ¡¸¡­¡­Un¡¹


    Though I thought about it, I don¡¯t have any n to reveal my identity right now. Even if I am able to return to my original self, I would only make her feel burdened by my situation. If I was born as a man, I might have been able to inherit that name¡­¡­ but right now, I¡¯m a woman. Also, I was often hugged and cuddled.


    When I ced my hand on the tool, my magic aptitude was disyed. After reading the results, Maxwell leaks out a surprise.


    ¡¸Hou. Your magic value seems to be extremely high. If this is the case, then you won¡¯t have any problems in regards to magic¡¹ ¡¸Eh, but¡­¡­ I can¡¯t handle my magic that well and its effect is really short¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because your magic control is not that great, so it won¡¯t be able topletely manifest your potential. The release amount you can control also seems to be low. Honestly speaking, this is something I will be looking forward to¡¹


    There are three important factors that are measured when evaluating magic power. That is Potential, Release, and Control.


    Potential is the total value of magic power contained within a person, it could also bepared to a tank.


    Release is the amount of magic power that you could extract from inside you at one time. It¡¯sparable to a faucet.


    Control is the ability to manipte the magic power that was taken out and turn it into magic.


    If you don¡¯t have the potential, your magic won¡¯tst long, if you don¡¯t have a high release rate, you won¡¯t be able to pump out more magic to power it up. It would also be useless if the amount you could pump out is not enough to supply the magic. Then if you don¡¯t have control, you won¡¯t be able to properly mold the magic power into magic. These three factors are all important factors.


    And as for me, I am the type that has problems in regards to Release and Control.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t be impatient. Magic Release will improve as you grow up, along with that is dependant on how much you train. Control is the same. Or rather, Potential alone is the main factor above everything else is what I would say.¡¹ ¡¸Is that really so?¡¹ ¡¸Well, if we really push the pace. You would be able to reach above Reid and Gadius on potential alone. I would deem you to be a better disciple than those two¡¹


    For some reason, Maxwell is doing his best to encourage me. Isn¡¯t his attitude a little different than how I used to know him? The time when I realized that my potential is zero, I can¡¯t forget about how depressed I was andugh it off.


    ¡¸If you have this much magic potential, it definitely won¡¯t be a problem entering the Magic Academy¡¹ ¡¸Then, that means!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you¡¯ve passed. Wee to Raum Magic Academy¡¹


    As a hero¡¯s daughter, I in a sense could be said to have a firmer connection to anyone else. There wouldn¡¯t have been a problem in admission even if I only have a small magic potential.


    In this way, I finally acquired my qualification for admission to the Magic Academy.

 Chapter 34: The Uncomfortable Feeling within the City

    <h4>Chapter 34: The Ufortable Feeling within the City</h4>


    After my magical measurements, I was given sweet treats with plenty of sugar. Such behavior was unbing of Maxwell, but he dered that it¡¯s because he would like to spoil me. I wonder, will all of my old friends treat children of our group as if they were all rtives?


    Sweets and confectionaries were also a favorite of mine in my previous life, so I¡¯m really grateful to be treated like this. I was also able to witness Finia and Michelle-chan¡¯s happy faces, and they also praised Maxwell for the treats despite knowing how mischievous he could get. Finia¡¯s current state is particrly rare. Though she is not that unfriendly, most of the time she¡¯d have a serious expression on her face. That¡¯s why seeing her showing a natural smile is really cute.


    After a while, Cortina and Maxwell talked about how they would nurture my abilities, then it was decided to continue discussions at ater time and we were dismissed. When we were about to leave, Maxwell got out of his mansion and call out to Cortina.


    ¡¸Cortina, it¡¯s a bit troublesome but there is a little talk that we need to attend with the Lord. Can you join me for a bit?¡¹ ¡¸Why now? Are you telling me to just let these children going back on their own?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s also that, but it¡¯s about ¡ºThat Case¡» you see¡¹ ¡¸¨D¨DIt couldn¡¯t be helped¡­¡­ but won¡¯t the children be in danger, leaving them on their own like this?¡¹ ¡¸They will probably be fine reaching your house. It is closeby and there¡¯s still a lot of traffic at the moment¡¹


    Maxwell who is usually aloof and free spirited says that with a serious expression, the atmosphere around him tells us that he also didn¡¯t really want to do this. Cortina then looked back at us.


    ¡¸My bad, will you guys go home first? Here is the key for the house¡¹ ¡¸Eh, ah¡­¡­ yes?¡¹ ¡¸This is a problem that involves the city and we will probably have to discuss about it. Sorry but I couldn¡¯t speak about the details to outsiders¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so. Understood! ¡¹


    Well, technically they would be deemed as heavyweights in this country. No, it¡¯s not only this country but in the whole world. Though Cortina¡¯s position right now is only that of a teacher, that doesn¡¯t change her reputation from the achievements she obtained. If it involves these two, then it is definitely going to be something really bad.


    Finia and I didn¡¯t bring much baggage, Michelle-chan brought only enough baggage not to hinder her movements. Unlike me who is used to traveling, it is natural for them to have the need to adapt to their new living environments from scratch.


    On the way back, Finia and Michelle-chan expressed their feelings of excitement being able to face the great heroes up close. Although the people in our vige are quite resilient in regard to their admiration for heroes due to the fact that Lyell and Maria were living close to them, but¡­¡­ the situation from before is not something a normal civilian would be able to encounter. Of course, the same goes for the people of thisnd having tolerance because of the existence of the two heroes living in this ce.


    ¡¸But you know, Maxwell-sama and Cortina-sama were much kinder than I have expected!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. They were really friendly and here I thought they would be really strict¡¹ ¡¸From now on, I will be learning a lot from Cortina-sama. I¡¯m really looking forward to that!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I would also like to ask a lot about the old days¡¹


    Finia, what you really want to know is stories about me, right?


    ¡¸Even so, Cortina-sama and Reid-sama. Nufufufu, I could smell the scent of romance!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I don¡¯t really know what to say¨D¨D¡¹


    Unlike Michelle-chan who was having a bright atmosphere around her talking about the heroes, Finia can¡¯t hide her shock from those facts and was having aplicated expression. Well, I don¡¯t really hate Cortina. But in the same way, I also consider Finia and Michelle-chan to be important people. It has only been seven years since I was reborn. Right now, regardless of the length of time I¡¯ve spent with everyone, I see everyone the same way as Cortina now¨D¨D that¡¯s right, just like my family members.


    ¡¸¡­¡­Ara?¡¹


    During that time, Finia reacted to something.


    ¡¸Nn, what¡¯s the matter, Finia?¡¹ ¡¸Well, earlier¡­¡­ No, maybe it was just my imagination¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹


    Finia was disturbed about something and I feel worried about it. The evening is approaching. There was still a lot of traffic in the streets, and wagons could be found doing round trips. There are also carriages carrying thick lumber that seems like it would fall off if they were not careful.


    ¡¸No, you see, it¡¯s about a carriage that passed by, but¡­¡­ I¡¯ve heard something differenting from it¡¹ ¡¸A different sound?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it sounded like some kind of musical instrument¡¹


    As she says that, her ears twitched. That gesture was like that of a small animal trying to hear something. Elves are sensitive to sound because of their long ears. That¡¯s why many of them use this advantage and enter the path of music. Like the so-called Bards.


    ¡¸That¡­¡­ Was that something to be concerned about?¡¹


    The wagon that passed us by was carrying thick lumber. Because the capital of Raum is surrounded by forests, seeing carriages carrying lumber is a frequent sight. Forestry is one of the major industries in this country after all. But for the sound of a musical instrument to be heard from that¡­¡­ could it be that the timber they carry is hollowed out? If so, I¡¯m a little curious as to what they were going to do with that.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll check it out for a bit. Finia, please send Michelle-chan home?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, but Nicole-sama!?¡¹ ¡¸I also want to go©`¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no good at the moment for Michelle-chan to follow. You won¡¯t be able to move properly with your luggage¡¹ ¡¸Auuu¡­¡­¡¹


    Michelle-chan currently carries some luggage. She is still not used to traveling so she carries more luggage than the bare minimum. The same could be said to Finia.


    ¡¸Finia is also carrying a lot of stuff. You need to unpack all of that quickly, or else we won¡¯t be able to rest properlyter, right?¡¹ ¡¸Uuu, but the same could be said to Nicole-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I only need a sleeping bag though¡¹


    After leaving everything to her, I went to follow the suspicious carriage. Well, the fact that we have just arrived at this city and would need to organize our luggage would remain the same. If it was the usual, Finia would probably follow me. But right now, she also needs to guide Michelle-chan. She just can¡¯t abandon her after all and have to bring her to her parents soon. Because of that, she was not able to follow.


    Immediately after all that, I melded within the crowd. This was just based on my intuition, but I could sense that something really bad is happening.

 Chapter 35: Identity of the sound

    <h4>Chapter 35: Identity of the sound</h4>


    Letina felt like she was floating. It was her long-awaited entry to the Magic Academy, she was able to pass the magic power test, which was one of the main requirements in order to enter the academy. That¡¯s why when she was walking around the city with an ted mood¨D¨D and then she finally noticed that she was separated from her mother.


    ¡¸Eh, where am I?¡¹


    By the time she noticed, her mother was already nowhere to be found. In search of her mother, she ran around the city to find her, which eventually led her into an alley without any people around. This capital city was called the city of elves, and that¡¯s because the ratio of elves in the city was much higher than anywhere else. Other than that, it didn¡¯t really differ from other cities. The same could be said to alleys without any traffic.


    ¡¸Mom? Where are you?¡¹


    She went deeper inside the back alleys while calling out. She was a youngdy from born in a family with rtions to elven politics, and not only was educated but also had been deemed as a gifted child, which made her all the more prideful. Because of that, her pride soared to the point that she became ignorant of everything around her. As a result of that, even if she was separated from her mother, she was confident that she could somehow find her mother immediately.


    ¡¸Mama¨D¨DMama!¡¹


    Eventually she began to cry, and because of her cries, someone noticed her presence. It was a man who smelled bad and reeked of alcohol.


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong youngdy. Why are you crying out here, it will ruin that cute face of your, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Hii!¡¹


    She was so overwhelmed that words couldn¡¯te out of her mouth. Letina wanted to run away immediately, but her legs were shaking out of fear and she was not able to even step away.


    ¡¸The shipment we have should be enough, but there¡¯s won¡¯t be any problem having some surplus added, right?¡¹


    After saying that, the man put his hand inside a dirty leather bag and took out a dirty piece of cloth inside it. The stimting scent from the cloth somehow made her return to her senses and she immediately tried to escape. But the man was one step ahead of her. The cloth that was taken out was then pressed on her nose and mouth. A very noxious odor irritated her senses. She attempted to scream, but her whole body suddenly weakened and she was not able to do anything anymore. Immediately, Letina¡¯s consciousness faded and her vision sank into the darkness.


    ¡¸Now then, where did I put spares for those ¡ºcaskets¡»?¡¹


    The man then wrapped her in a cloak and disappeared in the back alleys.


    I followed the cart that was carrying timber to a ce close to the gates. It went into a seemingly unpopted timber store and stopped.


    Now, this is definitely strange. The timber they¡¯ve brought in should originally be unloaded from the cart, but nobody even bothered toe in contact with the cart. The logs they carry are also much thicker than one that is normally used. Well, that doesn¡¯t really mean that there aren¡¯t any uses for such a thick log. Not only can they be used for makingrge houses, but also for making wooden statues. That¡¯s why they will have no problem selling such logs.


    And yet, there¡¯s no sign of them unloading it.


    I approached the cart while making sure that the driver doesn¡¯t notice me. I then took a quick look, but I didn¡¯t see anything suspicious about the cart itself. However, I¡¯m feeling a little ufortable about the loaded logs itself.


    Looking closely, I can see that all of the timber seems to have a cut at the center. Actually, in this case, it could be said to be two split logs ced together? I tried my best peeking inside the timber by widening the gap, but¡­¡­


    ¡¸Funnnnnuuuuuuuuu!¡¹


    Un, as I have expected. I couldn¡¯t lift nor make a gap on the timber even if I used all of my strength. Because that couldn¡¯t be helped, I tried tapping the surface with something hard. I should be able to tell if the inside is hollow from the reverberations. Perhaps what caused the sound was due to the logs colliding with each other from the shaking of the cart. That¡¯s why Finia, who was an elf with sensitive hearing, was able to notice something strange with the logs.


    ¡¸Hmmm¡­¡­?¡¹


    When ites to hollowing the insides of a log, I could only think of two main reasons. It would be to either enclose something inside it or inly reduce its weight. In any, I currently have no way of verifying what is inside these logs.


    It¡¯s inevitable that I won¡¯t be able to verify its contents. Then there¡¯s only one other way for me to know. That is to investigate the people who were in charge of these suspicious timbers¡­¡­ that¡¯s why I went towards the ce where the men were stationed. The man I tailed entered a yard in the corner of the storage area, and then closed the entrance of the station as soon as he went inside.


    Because it couldn¡¯t be helped, I turned around and made my way through an open window. Considering that it¡¯s currently summer, it was necessary to open the windows during this season. Though I call it a window, it¡¯s not the type that was covered by expensive transparent ss, but was made entirely out of wood. When fall arrives, such windows are usually closed because that is the start of the cold season and would usually be left closed untilte spring. Also, if it has an opening, I would be able to slowly widen it without making any sounds that would reach inside the room.


    ¡¸So, how¡¯s the merchandise?¡¹ ¡¸No problems with it. They were all sound asleep.¡¹ ¡¸If we don¡¯t transport them immediately, some of them might end up dead, you know¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong if they end up dead. They are only elven children anyway¡¹ ¡¸Haah, elven children are different. There are people with some really strange hobbies out there you know¡¹ ¡¸Well, there are many ways to use them. Like using them as sacrifice¡¹


    Hearing what the people inside were talking about made me feel as if cold water was poured on my back. I don¡¯t know the details, but ¡ºLuggage¡»and ¡ºSound Asleep¡» clearly states that what was contained inside were living beings. ¡ºCasket¡» definitely refers to those logs that have been hollowed inside to be used as a disguise. Also, with thetter conversation, I could infer that there were elven children included.


    Adding to that, the words ¡ºUsage¡» and ¡ºSacrifice¡» also followed. With all of those information, conclusions could be drawn already.


    ¡¸Those people¡­ they were human traffickers. Not to mention, they are specialized in trafficking elves¡¹


    I only speak in whispers in order for my voice to be unnoticed. If I don¡¯t report this immediately¡­¡­ judging from the talks of the people inside, they might make their moves soon.


    ¡¸It¡¯s about time for the gate to close. After a little break, let¡¯s move out¡¹ ¡¸The ve merchants are probably waiting outside already¡¹


    In this world, the existence of ves is supposedly not recognized. However, there are people who have been turned into abor force which is considered to be indispensable, and people that were turned into ves are being handled as a workforce. Thinking about it, this side of business talks could be said to be barely in the gray zone and almost reaching the dark side, this includes business being held outside of the city walls. In this time¡¯s case, it seems like they are using such measures.


    One of the reasons for them leaving before the gates are closed is because at this time the security isx and the gatekeepers don¡¯t closely check packages that are being sent outside. The main reason for this is because the gatekeepers were already exhausted after a whole day of work so they couldn¡¯t help but ck off a little. I probably won¡¯t have enough time in this case.


    ¡¸However, I surely won¡¯t abandon this mission¨D¨D¡¹


    If I let them go this time, they will be able to escape from the city and their goods will be handed over to ve merchants, I also won¡¯t be able to track them anymore. Elven children are about to be abducted, I just couldn¡¯t abandon them nor miss this chance to help. I am aiming to be a Hero after all.

 Chapter 36: Sabotage Maneuvering

    <h4>Chapter 36: Sabotage Maneuvering</h4>


    For the time being I went back to where the cart was parked, and sat thinking about what I should do, inform the guards, and have them get caught; Or should I inform Maxwell and Cortina directly, they will probably handle this with ease.


    However, I won¡¯t have enough time for that. They were talking about leaving right before the closing of the gates, there¡¯s only a small amount of time left before that happens. Even if I sneakily try to rescue them, it¡¯s impossible for me to open those ¡ºCaskets¡» with my meager amount of strength. It would be close to impossible for me to help them on my own.


    Then, should I try defeating them? That¡¯s an option but it will be quite difficult. Not to mention that there¡¯s three of them. If it¡¯s one-on-one then I would have a higher chance of winning, even in my current state; however more than that would be quite difficult.


    ¡¸Then I only have one choice left¡­¡¹


    They were supposed to leave during the night, because at that time the gatekeepers would be morex. In other words, they won¡¯t be able to do anything if the guards were stricter. If they knew that the guards were more vignt, they would also hesitate to leave. And if the gates were closed, they won¡¯t be able to leave the city until morning, and then I would have enough time to report to Cortina about the situation.


    ¡¸Then should I break the cart? That would at least earn me some time¡¹


    They were carrying big logs¨D¨D even if the insides were hollowed¨D¨D it should still be quite heavy. If the current cart loaded with that breaks, then they would have no choice but to unload and transfer it to another cart, and even with three people, they won¡¯t be fast enough and would barely be able to finish before the closing time. The next morning, busy merchants would already be going back and forth doing their business so they will definitely have to avoid that. As a result, it would lead to increasing their waiting time until the next evening.


    Well, there¡¯s also the choice of driving the cart and leaving this ce. If I was actually able to do that then it would have made things a bit easier, but I don¡¯t have the skill to even drive one. I could at least ride a horse, but driving a cart drawn by two horses is out of the question. I don¡¯t have any confidence that I would be able to pull it off. Not to mention that if I use that method, those people would definitely be able to escape.


    I look around the area, and there I found a tool that is probably used around here. It was known as an Eel hatchet, a ded tool where part of the tip is bent in an ¡°L¡± shape. It¡¯s probably a tool they use during their regr transactions. With that, I would definitely be able to cut off those ropes, and it¡¯s probably used that way.


    ¡¸Is it only this that I could use around here. If only I had brought my Katana at least¨D¨D¡¹


    After all, our original purpose was to visit Maxwell, that¡¯s why we came unarmed. But well, this should be good enough for the time being. First, I cut off the ropes holding the¡ºCaskets¡», even that alone would take a bit of time to fix.


    However, that alone won¡¯t be enough. I need to do some damage that is more time consuming. And so I decided to dive under the cart and took off brackets that fixed the axle. If the axle is loose, the cart won¡¯t be able to run for a long time, and they will definitely notice this malfunction. I immediately started the procedures to hinder their work, which would also save a lot of time for me.


    I position the hook tip on the metal fittings then rip it off. Even if I don¡¯t have the strength, the L-shaped tip made it possible for me to use it like a level. It took me a bit of time to do so but I was able to properly remove things. Even if only one of the axles is unhooked, it would hinder them a lot and should only allow them to run for several meters.


    And then the moment I crawled out of the cart¨D¨D I met one of the men who came out to check the station. It seems like it took me more time to do it than what I have expected. Iya, it was really a mistake of mine not activating my special gift when I came out. Probably because of the long time that I haven¡¯t been in battle, it seems like I have been cking more than usual.


    ¡¸What, who¡¯s this brat!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ummm, I¡¯m¡­ I mean¨D¨D¡¹


    In the short time that I was trying to find a good excuse, it seems like another man decided to take a different approach.


    ¡¸Wa, wait. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s trying to do a prank, but in this situation, isn¡¯t she also a lost one? ¡¹ ¡¸Aah?¡¹ ¡¸Look carefully. Although she¡¯s a little dirty, isn¡¯t she a good merchandise¡¹ ¡¸Haaah¡­? Hmmm, certainly, someone with different colored eyes would definitely be high priced¡¹


    I immediately tap off the dust on my short skirt, along with the ones caught up on my socks. Right now even my blue heavy cotton shirts and my hair were soiled in dirt because of working under the cart. However, that didn¡¯t bother them and they seem to have noticed my elegant appearance and my rare heterochromatic eyes. Seeing that they could profit from me, the two people decided to abduct me instead.


    ¡¸Now now, just quietlye over if you don¡¯t want to be hurt¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t decide things that early old man!¡¹


    Without listening to the man¡¯s words, I immediately closed in to attack with the eel hatchet. Even though it¡¯s just a simple sword and may not do that much damage, but if I utilize the L-shaped tip properly, then I would definitely be able to injure them.


    ¡¸Uwah!?¡¹


    However, rather than falling back to dodge, the man took one step forward and tried to block the attack. Because of the man¡¯s forward motion, I suffered from the strong impact. The other man immediately pulled the sword on his waist, but he didn¡¯t expect me to attack before he could do so. Probably hearing the sh from the cabin, another man rushed into the station.


    ¡¸This brat won¡¯t quietly surrender!¡¹ ¡¸She suddenly attacked me you know, what do you think I should do in return!?¡¹ ¡¸You idiots, and to think you were both kidnappers!¡¹


    I do want to insert a retort to these idiots who acted like they were doing a skit, but I refrained. Other than that, right now I¡¯m in the worst possible situation. Even if I managed to take down one person, I am still currently surrounded by two people.


    It would have been a better idea if I had chosen to run away from these idiots. I would probably be able to run away if I only focused on that, it would be an easy feat¨D¨D but well, right now that¡¯s probably impossible. I need to somehow get away, I would probably have enough time to save those elves.


    ¡¸Someboooooodddddyyyy! Please heeeeelp meeeeee!¡¹


    I tried calling out for help to find a chance to escape from these men. If only they would be scared and flee on their own. If people from outside somehow managed to gather, the situation would have worsened for these people. However, it seems like my options were for naught.


    Even though I was screaming loudly, there were barely any reactions from outside. The men who were observing the situation were grinning. Then one of them started speaking to me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a shame isn¡¯t it. Did you think we were sloppily doing our jobs? There¡¯s a soundproofing magic tool installed in this ce. This is that kind of ce after all so installing and deploying one is necessary¡¹


    With that exnation I finally realized what had happened. My voice just didn¡¯t reach outside.


    Now that I think about it, this ce would definitely be a bother to others with all the noise it generated. In the first ce, it was strange for such a ce to be selected since it¡¯s also close to the gates. After all, if wood processing is done within the city, the noise it would cause will definitely cause issues. That¡¯s why it is also natural for such magic items to be installed, especially those that automatically activates. A silencing field magic tool might have been deemed to be suspicious if it was installed in amon facility. However, that would not be the case if it was a cksmith or a processing center.


    So in other words, I will have to expect not receiving any external help.

 Chapter 37: Fierce Battle

    <h4>Chapter 37: Fierce Battle</h4>


    There are only two other opportunities for help to arrive. One is for Finia to send Michelle-chan home and toe looking for me, and the other would be Cortina detecting the abnormalities. However, I can¡¯t rely on those as expected. Although Finia would certainly look for me, her strength is only at the level of a regr person. At worst, she could even get caught and be used as a hostage instead.


    ¡¸Stop struggling already, brat!¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t let you!¡¹


    The man attacked, aiming for my limbs, but I parried the attack and countered. As expected, I have no choice but to escape on my own. Fortunately enough, I am not restricted by anything, so there are many ways for me to retaliate. I took out a ball of yarn from my pocket and dropped it on the ground. To these men, the yarn wasn¡¯t even a threat. Without understanding my actions, the menughed at me without understanding why I did it.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that I have Thread Maniption Gift and this gift has saved me from many predicaments I¡¯d faced in my previous life. After putting out a good amount of thread, I returned the yarn ball in my pocket. The de I am using now doesn¡¯t have much of a reach, and that would be the case even if I used it with one hand.


    The man attacked again, but it was easily parried. However, what I wield is not a simple sword but a de with an L-shaped tip. Just by redirecting the attack and separating the des I was able to break the man¡¯s stance. Because of the sudden change in force applied, the man flinched and I was able to close in on him. I then swung the de at the man¡¯s leg.


    The man unable to react in time, failed to follow my movements to dodge. Right then the tip of the de pierced his thigh and was deeply wounded.


    ¡¸Gyaaaaaaa!?¡¹


    A deep cut was made, though it wouldn¡¯t be as clean as how a sword would cut. The meat was churned out as if it were bitten by fangs, and blood sttered as I took out the de. I immediately took some distance so I won¡¯t get hit by the blood. It was supposed to be an attack to buy me some time to escape, but another person prevented those actions. As I was about to counterattack the man who approached me, my arm was caught and I was mmed on the floor. He then twisted my hand a bit and had me release my weapon.


    ¡¸It hurts, let go!¡¹


    My arm was still twisted in a lock and is now unarmed. For a swordsman, your grip is also your lifeline. If you drop your weapon in the middle of a fight, your survival would drastically drop.


    However, that would depend on the actual situation. Seeing that I dropped my weapon, the man also sheathed his sword while taking out something on his pocket. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s trying to take out, but it is a fact that hisbat power has drastically dropped. What he didn¡¯t realize is that I hadn¡¯t lost my will to fight yet. It was a misjudgment of fatal proportions for my opponent.


    Manipting the thread on my side, I wrap it in a stone and swing it immediately. The strength the manipted threads is about as strong as my physical body. Because what I used was just a small stone, it was not strong enough to neutralize the man. However, there are other targets here besides these men. Unfortunately, they were not humans.


    It was the horse that was connected to the cart. The cart¡¯s axle was already broken and disconnected, so the carriage itself won¡¯t be able to move that far. But within those few meters, the man was there.


    As soon as the stone hit it, the horse was startled and moved in surprise. It reacted more vigorously than expected. As a result, the man immediately moved away to avoid being hit by the cart. It was also at that moment that my arm was released. Just before it passed by the man, the axles reached their limit, dislodging and creating strange noises, then the cart rolled over along with the horse in the direction the man tried to escape to.


    ¡¸Uwah!? Ugyaaaaaah!¡¹


    Hollow may they be, it was loaded withrge logs. And yes, he was not able to properly dodge the crash. After the crash, a pool of blood streamed under the copsed cart and flowed towards me who barely escaped the crash. With this amount of bleeding, he would probably die in a short while.


    ¡¸This, this brat¡­¡­ I will definitely kill you¡­¡­¡¹


    At that time, the man that I attacked first stood up. However, it was already game over for him. Watching the wound on his leg squirting outrge amounts of blood, I realized that it seems like I have sessfully hit a major blood vessel. If I leave him as-is, he would also probably die soon. However, I also couldn¡¯t just leave him like that without finishing him off.


    The man was standing unstably with just one undamaged leg. Using a bit of my tricks, I would be able to win this immediately. Without being noticed, I manipted the thread and tied around the man¡¯s leg.


    I then tied the other end on the struggling horse. As the horse continued to struggle, it also continued to tangle more thread. Eventually, the man¡¯s leg was pulled and he was dragged away.


    ¡¸What¨D¨DGufu!?¡¹


    I took the weapon I used before and cut off the remaining thread connected to me. Though it¡¯s sharpness is not that great, it was good enough to cut off the thread. After all, if I didn¡¯t cut that off immediately, I would have been dragged along. I then approached the struggling man and hit his head with the back of the weapon for him to lose consciousness.


    ¡¸Guho!?¡¹


    That was thest of that man before losing consciousness. With this the immediate threat should have been neutralized. Now if only,


    ¡¸Fuho¡­¡­ what the heck happened here¡¹


    Yes, if the three of them fought against me, it would have been really dangerous. However, I was able to survive because the third person returned to the station when the battle started, leaving the two to handle me. Thanks to that I was able to dispose of the two with a bit of a struggle. The two were probably quite confident and looked down on me. However, thanks to that I was able to neutralize both of them leaving thest one behind.


    ¡¸Now then, shall I make an escape¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ooops, you think I¡¯ll let ya escape that easily?¡¹


    The moment I tried to escape, the third person came out of the station and blocked my way. The man was armored and equipped arge shield and sword. He was seemingly more preparedpared to the previous two. However, even if he tried to block my way, there was quite the distance between us. It was a wide open space where I could easily escape even if blocked by one person. My escape couldn¡¯t be prevented is what I thought.


    ¡¸Of course I will be able to escape. With this distance, I would be able to move faster, idiot¡¹ ¡¸Haaah¡­¡­? You sure are a foul mouthed brat. Well, whatever. However, if you do that, I will burn down all of these ¡ºCaskets¡» along with everyone over here¡¹ ¡¸Wha!?¡¹


    I could smell a strange chemical from the defeated men. It¡¯s probably something they used to kidnap those elves and also have them stay unconscious while trapped in those logs. And if fire was set on that ce,


    ¡¸Are you trying to kill everyone!?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. They have already seen my face so why not. There¡¯s no reason for me to keep them alive. However if you stay behind then it would be a different story¡¹ ¡¸So that means¡­¡­ you want to fight me¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s also fine to ¡ºSurrender like an adult¡» you know?¡¹ ¡¸I definitely refuse to do so!¡¹


    It couldn¡¯t be helped, I shouted and stepped forward to fight the man.

 Chapter 38: Struggle

    <h4>Chapter 38: Struggle</h4>


    First of all, I¡¯ll deliver a sh from above to test the water. Of course, with my meager strength, the power of the sword won¡¯t be that much. However, if I¡¯m able to slip in the L part de of the sword to his head, there¡¯s no doubt that he would be in trouble. However, the man easily blocked the attack with his shield.


    Because of the recoil, I fell down, it seems like he¡¯s using the stance of Strong Style. It¡¯s a counter type tactic that has a strong emphasis on defense. That¡¯s probably his way of fighting. After deflecting his attack, I immediately made a back step. However, following my back step, he aimed to attack me the moment Ind. Of course, I was also prepared to counter that.


    And so I received his attack and countered at the same time. The man was using a solid defensive style topensate for hisck of power, and it¡¯s quite a challenge to breakthrough. My feint and thread attacks were also blocked, so it¡¯s not really a match that I could let my guard off.


    Adding to that, there is a big disadvantage with the current me. No matter how much training and experience I¡¯ve had, my current body is that of a child. My body also doesn¡¯t have that much endurance to continue fighting for a long time. If this ends up in a battle of endurance, then I will have no way to win. If things ended up badly, even Finia might get caught up in this situation if she ever finds me. The goal of the current battle is to end it as fast as possible.


    Nevertheless, my current opponent is a defender type. If it¡¯s only about running away then I will definitely be able to, but I can¡¯t run away with the current situation at hand. If I run away now, the other children¡¯s lives would be endangered.


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, getting tired already? What happened to that momentum of yours!¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, this is really quite an unpleasant opponent!¡¹


    The man was definitely provoking me. After all, if I get provoked then I would y by the opponent¡¯s hand.


    In order to ovee the current situation, I need to at least be able to bind his feet with string. That is if I could deceive him. It seems like he also understood a bit about this ability. Perhaps he was able to understand it after seeing the other two getting disposed of.


    ¡¸You too, why are you getting all serious when facing against a child¡¹ ¡¸Are you talking about me being equipped? Well, let¡¯s just say that I was assuming that you were able to call the guards. Apparently, it seems like you were not able to, so that¡¯s quite a relief.¡¹ ¡¸I will definitely call them first from now on!¡¹


    It is exactly as the man said, but I ran out of time to do so, that¡¯s why it couldn¡¯t be helped. While parrying his attacks with the hooked part of my billhook, I came to a halt and took a breath. But my foe wasn¡¯t quite weak enough to let his posture break. He took up a lower stance so as to glide across the ground. Having waited for me to stop moving, he let loose with quick thrusts.


    ¡¸Tsk, you are too persistent!¡¹ ¡¸That is what I¡¯m proud of after all¡¹


    It¡¯s really annoying to fight this kind of battle, so I stick out my tongue to annoy him. I don¡¯t really need to do any big moves as it would still be quite taxing for a defender even if I just send some feints. I don¡¯t see him as a warrior who fights directly after all.


    ¡¸Even though you were quite skilled, why are you doing things like this!¡¹ ¡¸Of course it would be for money. Elves are quite high priced because of their beauty. They also have many uses other than just being sacrificed.¡¹ ¡¸You disgusting ???????¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸You are not an elf, but you are quite amazing yourself. Selling you could definitely yield quite a hefty price too!¡¹


    So that¡¯s why he¡¯s been trying to disable me, he was actually considering to turn me into merchandise. Though he probably wasn¡¯t expecting that I would be able to get rid of his tworades. Be that as it may, that¡¯s as far as my advantage goes. My knees are starting to shake from fatigue. My stamina is also reaching a really dangerous level at the moment.


    Then something happened that made the situation even worse.


    ¡¸Nicole-chan!?¡¹ ¡¸Michelle-chan? Why are you here!¡¹


    Suddenly, Michelle-chan appeared in the storehouse. She was carrying a bow and quiver, but she¡¯s not wearing her usual hunting gear. She¡¯s probably carrying her weapon only for self-defense.


    ¡¸After returning home I immediately went out to search for Nicole-chan¡­¡­ but what is this?¡¹ ¡¸Kidnapping! Hurry, let the guards know!¡¹ ¡¸U, un!¡¹ ¡¸Oops, if you try to run away, then the life of this will also be gone¡¹ ¡¸Eehh!?¡¹


    Michelle-chan stops after hearing the man¡¯s words. That man will definitely do it, and then my hard work would also be for nothing. Understanding the current situation, it was not a surprise that she was not able to proceed.


    However, if she stays here, I would also be troubled. It would be much easier if she escapes and calls the guards as soon as possible.


    But he had guessed the situation as well. Approaching the cart that had suddenly toppled over, he brandished his sword. In doing so, the log that had fallen from the carriage split in two, and an unconscious girl came tumbling out.


    It was definitely an Elven child seeing their distinctive sharp ears. Moreover, her hair was like golden threads, definitely a beautiful girl¨D¨D well, a beautiful little girl.


    ¡¸It might take some time to get rid of that kid1, but stabbing the ones over here would be much easier even if they are inside of these wooden caskets¡¹ ¡¸Wha¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸Stop it!¡¹


    This is bad, he haspletely seized the hostages. If either of us runs away, the hostages will definitely be killed. The hostage girls definitely have also seen the man¡¯s face so he will definitely get rid of them. As expected, with the current situation at hand, there¡¯s no choice but to try and defeat this man on our own.


    ¡¸There¡¯s no choice but beat him. Michelle-chan, let¡¯s do this!¡¹ ¡¸U, un!¡¹


    With my encouragement, Michelle-chan also prepares herself and loads her bow. The problem is with her current weapon, she won¡¯t be able to pierce through that man¡¯s defenses. The arrow she released was easily deflected by his shield. The steel shield was probably enchanted by something, that¡¯s why it couldn¡¯t be prated that easily. But well, keeping him busy might give me a chance to turn the situation around so I would like her to keep it up for the time being¡­¡­


    ¡¸Crimson One, Ultramarine¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As if I¡¯d let you!¡¹ ¡¸Guh¨D¨D!¡¹


    While hiding from the shadow of the shield, he managed to stop me from chanting by quickly closing in with a shield bash, but I was able to avoid it. The magic power that I was processing was dispersed as a result. After that, the man chased Michelle-chan while making sure that he doesn¡¯t move too far away from the hostages. I won¡¯t be able to do anything if he continues to stay in that position.


    There were fourrge logs loaded on the cart. Assuming that all of them were loaded with children, that makes his hostage count to four. I do have the option of abandoning them. However, if I abandon those children, my ambition to be a hero will bepletely shattered.


    Although we now have a bit of an advantage with Michelle-chan adding to thebat force, it doesn¡¯t improve the situation at all. My body is also starting to reach exhaustion. With my current state, I can barely dodge the sword attacks aimed at me. My breath is haggard and my vision is also starting to fade. My limit¨D¨D it¡¯s definitely close to breaking point.


    I could only clench my teeth and maintain the current status of the fight, but I still couldn¡¯t find a way to break this situation. In cases like this, Cortina would probably know what will be the best way to deal with it¨D¨D


    And finally my limit has been reached. When I attempted to evade an attack that I thought I could. My movement shifted differently from what I am supposed to do. I did manage to not get hit in a vital part, but the sword reaches my upper arm and blood sshes around.


    ¡¸Kuuh!¡¹ ¡¸Nicole-chan!?¡¹


    The damage was not that deep. But bleeding elerates fatigue and the pain would definitely hinder my concentration. If only one the girls wake up, then an opportunity to change this situation might pop up.


    ¡¸Not, yet¡­¡­ I¡¯m not giving up yet!¡¹


    In order to fire up myself, I shouted as I shed back at the man. It was the start of a hopeless struggle.

 Chapter 39: White Lady’s Assistance

    <h4>Chapter 39: White Lady¡¯s Assistance</h4>


    Her best friend was injured right in front of her. Michelle knows that even though that girl was an unfamiliar girl, she won¡¯t be able to abandon her. That¡¯s why she decided to stay and fight together with her. However, the difference between an adult and a child is easy to understand.


    ¡¸I need to do something¡­¡­I must¨D¨Ddo my best!¡¹


    While clenching my teeth, I loaded arrows one after another, but the power gradually weakened. Although what I¡¯m using is a hunting bow especially tailored for a little girl, it still required quite a bit of strength to draw it. Not to mention that the number of arrows in my quiver is almost out.


    ¡¸Only three left¡­¡­ what to do¡¹


    It was usually Michelle¡¯s role to deal damage to the enemy. Because she was not able to y that role, she felt frustration that she has never felt before. However, if she carelessly do something, it will only be blocked by the man¡¯s shield. She knows that if she bes impatient then her aim would also be affected. There might even be a chance that she would hit Nicole-chan.


    ¡¸What should I do¡­¡­ Is there something I could do!¡¹ ¡¸Do you want power©`?¡¹1


    She heard a clear and calming voice from behind her. A soothing yet beautiful voice as though it was the voice of a siren. And also, hidden within that voice is a feeling of amusement and intimacy.


    The moment she turned around, there was a girl. It was a head taller than her and was really youthful. Adding to that is the overwhelming whiteness around her. She had shiny silver hair and porcin white skin. What caught her attention though was the shining silver bow that she holds on her hand.


    ¡¸Umm, who?¡¹ ¡¸You could say that I¡¯m God. By the way Michelle-chan. Do you wish for power?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ummm¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you don¡¯t decide now, the both of you will be in danger you know?¡¹ ¡¸I, I, I want it, please!¡¹


    It was really suspicious, but if she was telling her that she would be able to help Nicole-chan, then she would ept it even if it was a deal with the devil. That is what Michelle thought at that time.


    ¡¸Alright, then I will lend this to you¡¹


    The girl presents the huge bow to Michelle, cing it in her hand. At first, Michelle shows a frightened expression, but then her expression turn from fear to despair. After all, the strings were too hard for her to draw.


    ¡¸This is no good, I won¡¯t be able to use it¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I am still here. I will help you out. Consider this a special favor, alright?¡¹


    Immediately after saying that, Michelle felt a surge of power from inside her. Initially, she thought that it was simr to Maria¡¯s power, but that wasn¡¯t the case. It was so strong that it couldn¡¯t even bepared.


    ¡¸Can you draw the string now? But this is probably not enough yet, a normal arrow won¡¯t be good enough either. Please use this arrow instead¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    I don¡¯t really understand what she was talking about, but since it was such a huge bow, it probably required a specialized arrow. Without thinking too much about it, Michelle receives the arrow without doubting. The arrow that was handed to her was made out of steel, there¡¯s also a spiral ridge on its shaft.


    ¡¸The bow¡¯s name is called the Third Eye. Please use it carefully from now on, ok?¡¹ ¡¸U, un¡¹


    She didn¡¯t know how long the magic applied to her wouldst. She immediately nocked the arrow on the silver bow called Third Eye. The giant bow wasparable to¨D¨Dno, it was taller than her. It was made out of some kind of synthetic material sandwiched in between quartz tes and the silver string¨D¨D probably made out of mythril thread. It would have been normal for anyone to not be able to draw such a bow.


    However, because of the strengthening she received, she was able to draw the steel-like string. The synthetic materials of the bow creaked as it rubs against the quartz tes.


    ¡¸Ah right, if you use too much power, both that child and Michelle-chan will be blown away by the shockwave. So use only a little bit of it¡¹ ¡¸Ye- yes!¡¹


    She hesitantly replied to the girl. Even she could understand just how much power the bow possessed. Thinking about what would happen if she misfired made her feel a lot of tension.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it that much, if it¡¯s about the shield of that man then it would be torn like paper. That¡¯s why calm down¡¹


    The girl gently put her hands on Michelle¡¯s back to reassure her. She also felt like all of her fatigue disappeared. After feeling the weight lifted from her shoulders, Michelle aimed the bow once more.


    Right now her aim was decided. She also felt like she would be able to predict how the two would move.


    ¡¸That feeling, that¡¯s the effect of the Marksmanship Gift. Believe in your power¡¹


    The girl whispers in her ears. Then she releases the arrow with that whisper as the trigger.

 Chapter 40: Powerful Archery

    <h4>Chapter 40: Powerful Archery</h4>


    The wound on my left arm is not much of a big deal. However, because the bleeding doesn¡¯t stop, my body would be quickly exhausted and my body temperature would also drop. The blurriness of my vision also gradually erodes my sight slowly restricting my movements.


    My reaction time is also affected. And because my left hand can¡¯t be used anymore, it became a hindrance in achieving our objective. I also won¡¯t be able to parry while being attacked by the enemy because I won¡¯t have enough strength to support the weight of the attacks. Even if I was able to parry, the L shaped tip of the billhook could be used by my enemy to disarm me if I am not careful. As a result, I could now only focus on dodging the attacks.


    These movements consume a great amount of energy and need an extra amount of physical strength, and before long I fell down on my knees.


    ¡¸Huff, huff¨D¨D huff¡­¡­¡¹


    Falling down on my knees in front of my enemy would be equivalent to suicide. And worst of all, my physical strength has already reached its limits. Understanding the situation, the man shows a disgusting grin and raised a jeering speech.


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, already reached your limit? Well, you don¡¯t have to worry brat, you will still be treated as a valuable goods after this, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, don¡¯t you mess around¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, there are healers employed by ve traders. I¡¯m only breaking one or two of your limbs so that you won¡¯t be able to run away. Oh and don¡¯t worry about that as well, I¡¯m sure they will be able to perfectly fix you up¡¹ ¡¸Guuhhh¡­¡­wa?¡¹


    I clenched my teeth from the humiliation, trying to grip my sword with my trembling hands. Then at that time, no I have noticed it little earlier, but an intense surge of fighting spirit could be felt behind me.


    This is probably because of the difference in our fighting experience. Finally, the man notices that and reacted without a moment¡¯s dy. The man¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise as he sensed the iing threat, he moved ordingly without looking back to the source.


    I also stepped aside and immediately hold myself down, while the man dropped his stance and immediately prepared his shield. You could also say that the difference between our actions decided our life and death.


    No, in the first ce, the trajectory of that attack was not aimed at me, so I would have been safe even without doing so. However, the man was in a different situation. A steel arrow howls as it creates drag like a gust of wind. The pressure from that gust of wind easily blows me away ending with me rolling on the ground. It was good that I was barely able to protect the fainted girl.


    But the results with the man ended differently. He had a fighting style that would block any iing attacks from the front. That defensive style, which probably permeated to his body after using it for years, also led him to the end of his life.


    ¡¸¨D¨DEh?¡¹


    The man who had arge hole in both his shield and stomach probably couldn¡¯t understand what happened and reacted in a surprised voice. Then finally unable to support his own weight, he split in two and copses.


    After confirming that the girl I secured was safe, I looked back at Michelle-chan. She was standing there stunned by the storm of destruction her attack had caused. I was also barely able to see a white silhouette behind her which was probably the cause of this.


    But more than that, I was concerned about something else. It was the white silver bow that is held by Michelle-chan. It was a huge bow that is clearly enchanted. If that piece of equipment enters the market, you will probably have to pile up gold coins enough to buy a castle to be able to purchase it. It was that kind of expensive item that she is currently holding on her hands.


    ¡¸Michelle-chan¨D¨D?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­¡­ah, un. Are you alright, Nicole-chan?¡¹ ¡¸U, un. I only have a bit of an arm injury, and a bit exhausted. What is that bow?¡¹


    After I pointed it out, she finally seemed to remember about the big bow she held in her hand. The bow had an borate design and magical characters were engraved in various ces, and the more I look at it the more amazed I am by its design.


    ¡¸This? Ady in white told me to use it¡¹ ¡¸Lady in white? Where?¡¹


    When I asked her about it, Michelle-chan immediately looked around to check. However, she only found us two girls standing and one fainted. The others are corpses and fainted men, and horses that were still struggling while connected to the carriage.


    ¡¸She disappeared¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­¡¹


    That white figure that I¡¯ve noticed earlier, perhaps that was the person who offered help to Michelle-chan. It¡¯s a bit suspicious for her to give such an expensive item without any hesitation.


    ¡¸What should I do. I have to return this¡¹


    Michelle-chan was in panic the moment I look at her, because the woman disappeared before being clear about returning the item, or not wanting it back. While I was thinking about it, I found a piece of paper stuck under my feet. Was it perhaps something that blown away by the wind. I immediately picked it up and casually looked at the text that was written in it. What was written is something like this.


    ¡ºI¡¯ll give you that bow. I hope that you would help her with that power. And also, you are still unable to handle your gift, right? If you properly use that power, you can be the strongest, that¡¯s why you should work harder from now on. From the kind and benevolent Goddess¡»


    Goddess¡­¡­ could that person be the one who reincarnated me into a little girl. Although it was unforgivable that she turned me into a woman, she was surprisingly helpful, like giving me a path towards reincarnation, or giving this gift and helping out Michelle-chan. This time was seriously dangerous, I couldn¡¯t help but thank her for the help.


    ¡¸It says here that she¡¯s giving it to you. Are you hesitant in receiving that?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, Nicole-chan, you can read?¡¹ ¡¸Oops¡­¡­¡¹


    Thinking about it now, it was unusual for me to be able to read letters without going to school to learn. Of course, I know how to read because of my inherited knowledge, but it should be very rare for a child my age to be able to read and write.


    ¡¸Well, Lye¨D¨DPapa and Mama taught me¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. Lyell-sama and Maria-sama would be able to teach you, right?¡¹


    It¡¯s also a fact that if you are an aristocrat child, they would often hire tutors or teachers before entering an academy. Especially if we are talking about Maria, she has insight known to even surpass sages. It¡¯s times like these that I would be able to use their reputation as an excuse.


    ¡¸But you know, that bow looks really amazing¡¹ ¡¸Un. Thedy in white also told me to be careful in using it because it¡¯s too powerful¡¹ ¡¸I think so too¡¹


    A bow that can shoot arrows that are able to release that amount of shockwave is no joke. If you identally get caught in its trajectory, you would end up bing minced meat. Perhaps only Michelle-chan who has a gift for shooting would be able to use it. However, that assumption of mine also copsed in the next moment.


    ¡¸Ah, I can¡¯t use it anymore¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ ¡¸You see, with my power alone, I wouldn¡¯t be able to draw this bow. That¡¯s why thedy in white put strengthening enchantments on me, before I could finally use it¡¹ ¡¸I, I see¡­¡­¡¹


    Now that I think about it, for such a powerful bow, a normal arrow would be impossible to use, and a child¡¯s strength wouldn¡¯t be enough to draw it.


    ¡¸Crimson One, Ultramarine One, Gold Three. Grant her power¨D¨D How about now? Try drawing it?¡¹ ¡¸Nn, gugugugu¡­¡­no good, I can¡¯t. Sorry¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, you don¡¯t really have to apologize¡¹


    God giving her an unusable bow is just bad. I tried giving Michelle-chan enchantments but it was no good, my strengthening just wasn¡¯t enough to allow her to use the bow. I don¡¯t really know how much I have strengthened her though, and all I could say is ¡ºAs expected of God¡». If you have that much power, you could have just defeated the man directly.

 Chapter 41: Cleanup

    <h4>Chapter 41: Cleanup</h4>


    For the time being, we need to clean things up in this ce. I can¡¯t just leave this elven child here forever, and there are probably three more of them hidden inside other logs.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, can you go call out to some guards? With my legs right now, I won¡¯t be able to do it¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s right. What about those children? ¡¹ ¡¸These children were kidnapped by those people. I will watch over them while I¡¯m waiting here¡¹ ¡¸Eh, so those people were all kidnappers¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What, what did you think they were¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t really know what happened, I thought they tried to bully Nicole-chan and were bad guys¡¹


    ¡ºYou don¡¯t really know, you say¡» You, don¡¯t point such menacing weapons at people when you don¡¯t really understand the situation!? I was quite surprised by Michelle-chan¡¯s ruthless behavior and secretly shiver upon discovering it.


    ¡¸F- for the time being, because of the current situation, I would be d if you could contact someone to ask for help ¡¹ ¡¸Un, I¡¯ll go tell the guards, and then Finia Nee-chan¡­¡­and Cortina-sama too!¡¹ ¡¸Eh, wa- wait¡­¡­!?¡¹


    Wait, if you inform Finia that I have been injured again, she will definitely cry and me herself again. I wanted to stop Michelle-chan and tried to stand up, but my legs won¡¯t listen to what I wanted it to do. She ran away so fast that it only took a blink of an eye before she disappeared from my field of view. I¡¯m jealous of that energetic spirit¡­¡­


    A bitter, the city guards came along with Maxwell, and he covered for us. I fell asleep from exhaustion after exining everything that happened, and by the time I woke up, I was already in Cortina¡¯s house. Apparently, after knowing that I am in the care of Maxwell and also Lyell¡¯s daughter, I was exempted from the investigations.


    I¡¯ve also heard indirectly from Maxwell that there were kidnapping incidents happening in this town before, and it seems like the two of them were tasked to investigate. Because of Finia, I was given the opportunity to detect a strange incident, but I didn¡¯t know what I would be driven into. Fortunately, I was safe, but that situation was indeed quite dangerous.


    Well, there¡¯s currently a much more annoying problem than that.


    ¡¸Seriously! As soon as I look away, Nicole-sama would always find herself in dangerous situations!¡¹ ¡¸Well, um, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect that situation to actually end up bing that dangerous¡¹ ¡¸Why did you fight them head-on in the first ce? You could have just escaped¡¹ ¡¸No, you see, there were hostages taken, so I couldn¡¯t just leave them behind¡¹ ¡¸Compared to all those people, Nicole-sama is more important!¡¹ ¡¸Nonono, Finia-chan? Didn¡¯t you hear about the daughter of a very powerful aristocrat included in those kidnapped people? ¡¹


    While I was being angrily preached by Finia, Cortina takes over. I am thankful for the help, but when she stared at me, it felt like cold sweat came rolling down my spine.


    ¡¸Even so, facing those kidnappers on your own is also no good Nicole-chan, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s quite a splendid result despite the mess she ended up with?¡¹ ¡¸But that¡¯s just. If I take my eyes away from her again, she might end up disappearing somewhere again¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because I am free spirited¡¹


    I stood upright, then puffs my chest forward as I dered that, but well, it¡¯s not really a dignified image. It¡¯s definitely a bad habit that remained from my previous life where I try to solve things in the fastest way possible. If I continue this streak of resolving things with the fastest method, I¡¯ll just probably end up bing an assassin once again.


    ¡¸There might have been other ways to do it, you know. So for now, reflect on your actions¡¹ ¡¸Please do consider how dangerous the situation is¡­¡­Please don¡¯t do something so reckless again, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Un, I will do my best in having a more positive result as possible¡¹ ¡¸What did you say, why are you now imitating the words of a government official¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha, this child has a few screws loose in her head. Is she trying to imitate Maria? ¡¹


    Cortina smacks my back whileughing out loud. She still possessed the inherent ability of cat people to ease up the situation, so I didn¡¯t think much about what she did.


    ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s all take a bath together, then let¡¯s hear about Nicole-chan¡¯s epic saga¡¹ ¡¸Cortina-sama, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right time for that though¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then, should we talk about her past misadventures?¡¹ ¡¸About that, there was a time when Nicole-sama broke Maria¡¯s favorite cup, she then secretly sneaked out and buried it in the garden¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸Why, why do you know about that!?¡¹


    At that time, I was really afraid of Maria¡¯s punishment, and should really have acted more cautiously than I should. How did an amateur like Finia be able to follow my traces though?


    ¡¸If you were thinking about how I found it, it was because I found some traces of unnaturally dug up soil in the garden when I was tending to it¡¹ ¡¸Uguh¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha, seriously, Nicole-chan, that was the best. This will really be a lot of fun! ¡¹


    Cat people are also very cheerful individuals, and the ce bing livelier is also a big wee. For me though, I have always wanted to concentrate on training quietly since my early childhood.


    I was caught by Cortina and was dragged into the bathroom. This is the beginning of my life here in Raum, it was quite a turbulent start.

 Chapter 42: Struggle

    <h4>Chapter 42: Struggle</h4>


    After that incident, we decided to procure for our daily necessities and roam around the ce. From the start, we didn¡¯t really carry a lot of luggage, including the amount that Finia brought along with her. She did attempt to carry as much as she could, but Maria stopped her and she was only able to bring a minimal amount.


    That¡¯s why we have decided to replenish our daily necessities when we arrive here. Cortina did prepare a room and bedding for us, but the sheets, bedding, and curtains were not prepared the way we wanted because it was to her personal taste. That¡¯s why it was necessary for us to buy more supplies.


    ¡¸What do you think about this Nicole-sama. Don¡¯t you think this one is cute? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, what is with that heart patterned curtain? No to mention that the overall color is pink¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸But Nicole-sama is so fair skinned almost to the point white, having a variation of red would make you more visible¡¹ ¡¸No, I am not that white you know?¡¹ ¡¸But it would make you stand out more¡¹ ¡¸I am not a chameleon!¡¹


    When we were shopping together, Finia¡¯s tension was a little stranger than usual. When I was about to go shopping with Finia, Cortina also joined us making it three people shopping. Cortina was looking at the hyped Finia with a smile. Now that I think about it, Cortina has also seen her when she was young. It might have given her some deep emotions seeing the young girl from that time growing up.


    However, that has nothing to do with this situation, that curtain pattern is just¡­¡­no good. I picked up some other products and try to suggest it to Finia but I was rejected.


    ¡¸What about this pale yellow one¡¹ ¡¸Won¡¯t yellow look too dazzling when hit by the sun?¡¹ ¡¸Then, how about this green one¡¹ ¡¸Won¡¯t Nicole-sama end up sleepingte because of its dark shading?¡¹ ¡¸I do not oversleep¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true at all. You were over sleeping a lot¡¹


    I did train my body during the day to its limits, and at night I train my magic power until I am exhausted. It¡¯s not really surprising for me to end up oversleeping with a daily schedule like that. My frequency of oversleeping greatly increased due to the extreme fatigue which is inherent to children.


    ¡¸You two, what about this one over here?¡¹


    What Cortina presented was a curtain with cat patterns. It was quite childish but the color was beige and was quite calming. Finia and me looked face to face and confirmed with eye contact that we shouldpromise with this one.


    A few dayster, it was time to prepare for admission. There was also something called a uniform which is used in the Magic Academy. Cortina prepared a Free Size Uniform for the time being, but it was too big for me. In addition to that, I can¡¯t just choose any kind of boots unless I match it directly with my feet. I will eventually have to go and directly find a fitting one for me.


    What they called a uniform was a shirt with a white emblem paired with a dark blue pleated skirt. It also has a feathered beret, a jacket, and boots with the same color as the skirt. ¡­¡­it was surprising in many ways.


    Well, even though I¡¯m just a kid, I still wear boots because of living close to the forest, and I also sometimes go to the forest for training. In doing so, I would need a sturdy boots that could protect my feet which is very essential. However, what the requirements specified was only the rough shape of the boots, and no other details were mentioned. It was probably essential for girls to insist based on fashion in such details. Something like that doesn¡¯t matter to me though. No, they are roughly rted I guess. If possible, I would like to acquire a sturdy one.


    ¡¸Nn, this is¡­¡­¡¹


    There was one thing that caught my eye while we were in the bootmaker store, and it was the long boots that were on disy. With a school designated crest, it has the same dark brown base color. What caught my attention the most is its design leaning towards practicality, with its heels and toes firmly covered and protected. It also has cat patterns simr to the curtain that Cortina brought, which added points to it.


    The moment I tried to reach out to the boots, another girl came out of nowhere.


    ¡¸Ah, sorry¡¹ ¡¸Oh, do you also want those boots?¡¹


    I only noticed it for the first time after looking closely at each other¡¯s face. It was the girl with blond curls that was packed inside the log yesterday.


    ¡¸Ah, you¡­¡­were safe?¡¹


    At that time, I was on the verge of losing consciousness and was not able to afford confirming her condition after she was left under the guard¡¯s protection. They did told me that she was safely returned to her family, whichpletely removed my interest from her. But it seems like this girl didn¡¯t remember me at all. Well, that should be natural because she was unconscious all that time.


    ¡¸Am I safe¡­¡­? Ahh, were you also abducted by those people?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, no, that¡¯s not it¡¹


    From the words that leaked my mouth, she immediately concluded that I was probably referring to the abductions, and that I might have also been associated with that recent crisis. She was a child with swift calcting mind.


    ¡¸Oh, is that so? Then, maybe did you hear it from someone else? ¡¹ ¡¸Ummm, yeah¡­¡­¡¹


    Since I did hear it indirectly that she was safe from someone else, what I made her assume wasn¡¯t really a lie. The girl also seemed satisfied with that answer.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. It was amazing! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, what is?¡¹


    Eh, I don¡¯t understand what is going on in this child¡¯s head, and what is she trying to be proud of. But she¡¯s boasting as if she was trying to show off.


    ¡¸You see, the person who helped us was Maxwell-sama, you know!¡¹ ¡¸Heee¡­¡­? Eh, why so? ¡¹ ¡¸Why so, isn¡¯t it natural for him to do so? Maxwell-sama is a Hero after all, and he moved on his own to protect the people. And most of all, the target was this me! ¡¹ ¡¸Heee, heeeh, isn¡¯t that great then¡¹


    It was stated on paper that Maxwell and Cortina were the ones who moved to save them and solve the case, after all there would be various problems if my involvement came to light. She also seems to believe this manipted information.


    ¡¸It¡¯s that Maxwell-sama you know, Maxwell-sama! Ahhh, I really wanted to meet him directly¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you two encounter each other when you were helped?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Unfortunately, I was unconscious at that time¡¹


    I think she¡¯s a good child based on how she speaks, but she seems a little too attached to Maxwell. That bogus man is nothing more than a messy old man if not in times of emergency. And he is also a huge magic nerd.


    ¡¸By the way¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Nn, what is it?¡¹ ¡¸Those boots, I noticed it first. Will you let me have it? ¡¹ ¡¸Muu¡­¡­that¡¯s not true. I was already eyeing it before you¡¹


    Shoes and boots are mostly handmade one by one, and there aren¡¯t a lot of items with the same design. In other words, what I wanted to point out is that¡­¡­ I want those boots and don¡¯t want to back out. However, the girl didn¡¯t want to back out either and also grabbed the boots that I was holding.


    ¡¸That is no good, you know. Look, aren¡¯t there better ones over there! ¡¹ ¡¸No way, I like these boots more¡¹ ¡¸Please give it up already!¡¹ ¡¸But I refuse¡¹


    Is the girl older than me? She is much taller than me after all. No, because she¡¯s also buying the same shoes, she¡¯s probably the same age as me. Why is there such a big difference in our growth rate despite having the same age¡­¡­ The tall girl seized the boots and lifts it above me. After struggling for a while, I gave up and it ended with me losing the battle.

 Chapter 43: First time at Raum……

    <h4>Chapter 43: First time at Raum¡­¡­</h4>


    In the end, after that girl and I argued for a while, I admitted defeat. That girl then ran back to her mother with the shoes in tow.


    ¡¸Mama! I like these boots! ¡¹ ¡¸Letina, didn¡¯t I tell you not to run around on your own!¡¹


    Her mother scolded the girl for running away on her own. That¡¯s to be expected. After all, she has been abducted yesterday. It would be natural for her mother to worry.


    ¡¸Yeesh. But, but look, I found some good Boots! Look, it¡¯s this. It has Cortina-sama¡¯s cat motif! ¡¹ ¡¸That looks good indeed, but is that child added as an essory?¡¹ ¡¸That child?¡¹


    When the girl called Letina looked at the shoes, she found my figure still hanging on the shoes. Releasing your weapons on the battlefield would be a fatal mistake. My grip is quite strong you know, despite my age. However, my body is much too light for someone my age. As a result, I was pulled along with the boots and was easily dragged by Letina.


    ¡¸Hey, why are you still holding onto it!?¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t let go even if I die. Especially from you¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t look at me as if I am a thief!¡¹ ¡¸My oh my. Is she a friend? ¡¹ ¡¸Mama, no it¡¯s not! I don¡¯t want to be friends with such a weird child¡¹


    Letina rejected her mom¡¯s statement with all her will. Even though I am a girl, being clearly rejected like this still hurts me a bit. While I was reeling from the shock of being rejected, Finia finally arrived.


    ¡¸Nicole-sama, why did you disappear out of my sight again, in a ce like this!¡¹ ¡¸You didn¡¯t have to imply¡ºagain¡» though¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. Being called by an honorific, are you perhaps a youngdy from some well-off family as well?¡¹ ¡¸You ¡ºas well¡»?¡¹


    The girl¡¯s mother uttered after hearing how Finia was addressing me. But does that mean that this girl, Letina is also a noble¡¯s child or something? If that is the case, then I could see why she is so selfish and spoiled.


    ¡¸Yes. I am the wife of Marquis Yowi, Elizabeth Winne Yowi. Please to meet you. You may call me Aunt Eliza if you want¡¹


    The mother smiles with a rxed gesture. She doesn¡¯t show any strict atmosphere at all even now. It was probably because she is worried about Letina.


    ¡¸And I am, Letina Winne Yowi, her daughter!¡¹


    Different from her mother, Letina introduced herself in aical way that you would feel like hearing drum rolls on the background. It ismon courtesy to introduce yourself when someone gives you their names.


    ¡¸I am Nicole. I don¡¯t have a surname because I am amoner¡¹


    When they left their countries for the expedition, both Lyell and Maria have a higher status so they both have surnames. However, after sessfully subjugating the evil dragon, they both abandoned their surnames in order to break their connections from any country. Among the six of us, only Maxwell returned while not abandoning his surname.


    ¡¸Oh, so you were just amoner¡¹ ¡¸Now Letty. Didn¡¯t I tell you not to speak that way¡¹


    Perhaps Letina doesn¡¯t know about things like this so she might have felt a little offended after hearing my name. On the other hand, Eliza-san probably realized it. Although an aristocratic system does function here, she would still be going to the same school as me. Everyone is also going to be treated equally upon entry. After all, there is a strict rule in the school that no one should discriminate based on their social status. This is an established principle and Maxwell prioritizes this above everything else. Finia returns her thanks while ignoring the parent/child reaction.


    ¡¸Thank you for taking care of her. I am Finia, an exclusive servant of Nicole-sama¡¹ ¡¸My, what a beautiful posture. It looks like you have received a very good education¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for the praise. I¡¯m sure my master would be pleased to hear it¡¹


    Eliza didn¡¯t mind her formality, but Letina seems to have clicked her tongue after seeing Finia¡¯s formal gesture. I feel a little scared that if it was me who was going to bow, I won¡¯t be able to properly do it. But then an entity that caused even further confusion suddenly appeared. It was the Hero Cortina.


    ¡¸Oh, there you are. You are really quite the tomboy Nicole-chan. I just took my eyes off you for a bit and you really disappeared¡¹ ¡¸Co, Cortina-sama!?¡¹


    For a legendary figure to suddenly appear, it couldn¡¯t be helped for even Eliza-san to be unable to hide her tension. Her back was straightened and her expression became stiff. Simrly, Letina also froze.


    ¡¸Y, you¡­¡­were a rtive of Cortina-sama?¡¹


    With a faint voice, she was barely able to ask.


    ¡¸Nn? Nope. She¡¯s my Landlord¡¹ ¡¸Landlord¡­¡­Do you live in Cortina-sama¡¯s residence?¡¹


    Letina ended up using strange honorifics. Well, it was probably from the shock of meeting Cortina.


    ¡¸Un. My parents are friends with her¡¹ ¡¸When you speak of Cortina-sama¡¯s friends, d- don¡¯t tell me¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Lyell and Maria. My mama and papa¡¹ ¡¸Eeeehhh!?¡¹


    Probably from the sudden confession about my background, Eliza-san fainted from shock. Finia immediately supported her. She thenys her down on a bench. Then, looking at me and Letina conversing, Cortina asked.


    ¡¸A friend of yours?¡¹ ¡¸Nope¡¹ ¡¸That is so! We¡¯ve just be friends!¡¹ ¡¸Heee, eeeh!?¡¹


    While I was thinking about Cortina¡¯s reaction, Letina who was waiting for a brilliant return suddenly dered that. And because of that, I have acquired my first friend in Raum¡­¡­or so it seems.

 Chapter 44: Subjugation of the Evil Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 44: Subjugation of the Evil Dragon</h4>


    There was a cave entrance on the side of the mountain range where we were currently located. At the bottom of the massive and steep rock wall, there was arge hole whereas the Evil Dragon Colchis resided. With its powerful breath, it melted that rock wall, creating a cavern which it made into a nest.


    ¡¸Okay? Everyone remembers the n, right? Especially Reid¡¹ ¡¸Y, yeah¡¹ ¡¸This battle, if we lose even just one person as we fight, our chance to win will definitely plummet to zero¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s no other better options than this¡¹ ¡¸What are you sorry about. Just finding a conclusion for us to win against that Evil Dragon is already an incredible feat¡¹


    I tap Cortina¡¯s shoulder that looks like she¡¯s not confident enough about her n. In this battle, I will be the one doing most of the things and it¡¯s reallyplicated. Not to mention that if any of those actions are not properly done or failed, it would be the end for all of us.


    However, that is also a part of our mission. Defeating the Evil Dragon is our mission after all.


    I hid behind a boulder that was probably burned to the point that it looks like ss. From here on out, there is no guarantee for our survival. If we fail this mission¡­¡­tens of thousands or even more will probably die.


    ¡¸Now then¡­¡­Let¡¯s go¡¹


    Following Cortina¡¯s instruction, we went deeper into the cave.


    A space of several square meters were created inside the mountain, and at its center is where the Evil Dragon sleeps. His sleep seems to be shallow. If we are to make any loud noise here, it will definitely be rmed immediately. With my gift of concealment, I could turn even off my scent, so I was setting up traps by myself while moving around the nest. That is my main role in this fight.


    Around the time I finished, the sound of metals from their armor would resound as Lyell and the others approach. That noise immediately woke up the sleeping dragon.


    This move is to ensure my safety. After all, even with my gift, I won¡¯t be able topletely escape the dragon¡¯s senses. That¡¯s why their approach was in order to take away its attention from me.


    ¡¸Grrrrruuuuuraaaaaaaaah!!¡¹


    Having been disturbed in its sleep, the Evil Dragon was annoyed and threatens those who disturbed it. I was moving along the walls where there was no wind so that I won¡¯t be noticed.


    ¡¸Maria, Gadius!¡¹


    Cortina¡¯s voice resounded in the battlefield. At that same moment, Gadius raises his shield in front of Lyell while Maria sets up a magical barrier. Shortly after the setup, the Evil Dragon spews out a zing breath.


    Gadius¡¯ shield and Maria¡¯s barrier prevented the breath that could easily melt rocks. The shield Gadius is using is a legendary item that was made from the mythical era, and precious item made from the scales of a magical dragon called Fafnir. Adding to that is the extremely dense magic coating that the breath couldn¡¯t pierce through. However, it was only a shield. At most, it would only be able to protect a single person.


    Maria¡¯s magic is also of the highest ss of defensive magic. Her magic barrier was strong enough to prevent the breath of an evil dragon, but it has the disadvantage of shutting out all attacks including ones from inside the barrier. Because of having such peculiar properties, precise timing is needed in pinpointing its use. And when ites to timings, it was Cortina¡¯s specialty.


    As soon as the breath stopped, Lyell immediately moves into action to cut the dragon. His holy sword has also been reported to be made out of Fafnir¡¯s bones, and with his incredible strength, even the scales of the Evil Dragon could be cut.


    However, the de¡¯s length is overwhelmingly short. Lyell¡¯s de alone won¡¯t be enough to damage its internal organs. Nevertheless, the Evil Dragon felt a great sense of difort knowing that the hard scales it was proud of were being cut. Because of that, Lyell has sessfully drawn the aggro and received the brunt of its ws and tail attack. This attack was easily blocked by Gadius¡¯ shield preventing it from reaching Lyell.


    Several minutes after the battle, the stalemate was starting to crumble. Although it was only several minutes, it was also a matter of life or death in those several minutes alone. That small amount of time could also be turned into a distress if not for Cortina who controls the tactics.


    ¡¸Reid!?¡¹


    It was a shout that resounded all over the cave. Then a vibration from a thread on her hand conveyed only his voice to her.


    ¡ºNot yet, just a little bit more¡» ¡¸We don¡¯t have that much anymore. About how long will you need? ¡¹ ¡ºRoughly 40 seconds¡» ¡¸Make it 20!¡¹


    Although I would usuallyin ¡ºDon¡®t mess with me¡» but in this situation, I could understand why she needs it. w attack, bite attack, tails strike, breath. If any of those attacks is not prevented, it would have enough power to turn any of us into minced meat. But Cortina precisely calctes the damage distribution, by timing the attack and blocks. But the mental burden received by other members would be different.


    That¡¯s why I need to quicken up my pace. Creating a trap to ensnare the monster on the wall with fine steel threads was my objective, which ording to Cortina, would bring us closer to victory.


    ¡¸Alright, I¡¯m ready!¡¹ ¡¸I was waiting! Reid¨D¨Ddo it!¡¹


    It was the one order that I¡¯ve been waiting. Maria and Gadius immediately prepared to defend the attack. Without losing momentum, I jumped from the area around the ceiling into the battlezone like a pendulum.


    The dragon senses my presence and looked around. But the momentum of my fall was much faster, allowing my attack reach the target first. Mythril threads stretched out of my fingertips on both hands. It strikes the evil dragon¡¯s scales like an avnche. But even with my falling momentum, the attack didn¡¯t really do much damage on the scales. With my feeble strength, I won¡¯t be able to prate its scales even with the Mythril threads.


    I slip underneath the Evil Dragon and moved to the other side. Feeling difort from my sudden attack, it prepares its ws in order swing towards me.


    Following the momentum of my movement as Ind, I immediately rolled on the rocky area to get away. A w attack was aimed towards that rocky area, but the attack never reached me.


    Then suddenly, the left wing of the Evil dragon was cut off and falls to the ground. The wing was in the opposite direction to where Inded.


    Of course, there was a reason as to why this happened. The real purpose of my attack was distraction, and the real purpose was to tie a steel thread from my arms to its wings. Along with that is to divert its attack to where I was heading to, and using the Evil Dragon¡¯s own strength to cut off its wings that was tied to steel threads.


    ¡¸Guuurrrruuaaaaaaa!?¡¹


    The Evil Dragon screamed as it was assaulted by the pain that it had never felt before. It then aimed its hatred towards me who was responsible for the trap. After a short rampage, it then aimed its tail towards me to attack. It is a smart move to avoid using its head or ws to attack, because its tail was on the ground, it might have thought that I didn¡¯t set a trap there. There¡¯s also no possibility to set up strings on the ground.


    And so I activated another trap. I pulled down a well-prepared in advance. The spider-like web dropped from the ceiling in front of me. The other end is entangled to a nearby a nearby rock that was fixed on the ceiling.


    The Evil Dragon swings down its tail towards me without care. The power of the tail could easily smash boulders bringing me along in the destruction. But that attack was blocked by the. Needless to say, the rock where the was fixed wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand an attack that could easily crush boulders. And so the rock was crushed and broke into pieces¡­¡­ causing the ceiling to copse.


    This trap was also ced ording to Cortina¡¯s instructions. It was up to me where it should be set up, but it seems like the setup was within her calctions. The trap was executed beautifully¡­¡­but it¡¯s not safe here. While barely avoiding the falling rocks, I regrouped with Maria and the others. I won¡¯t let myself die that early. After all, there¡¯s still one more tasks left for me to do.

 Chapter 45: To Be Legends

    <h4>Chapter 45: To Be Legends</h4>


    In the wake of its rampage, the Evil Dragon was crushed by the copsed rock. As the dragon¡¯s heart, its vital point, approached the ground, Corinna quickly called out, ¡°Lyell! Reid! Do it now!¡±


    ¡°On it!¡±


    Lyell made a dash without dy.


    He was like a hero out of a storybook. I didn¡¯t have the leeway to gaze at the captivating sight. I had to let loose some threads. They went to Lyell, not, they headed to his holy sword.


    In response to Lyell¡¯s movements, the Evil Dragon took a deep breath. Judging his limbs were unusable under the copsed rock, he¡¯d intercept Lyell with his breath. That decision was not wrong, but¡­


    ¡°Maxwell, wind! Maria too!¡± ¡°Got it!¡±


    Maxwell immediately responded to the instructions. He shot a strong wind at Gadius, making him catch up to Lyell. This was topensate for his slow speed since he¡¯s a dwarf. Gadius quickly overtook Lyell and raised his shield in preparation.


    A scorching breath assaults him. Gadius pushes forward, pushing through the heat.


    In the back, we¡¯re protected by Maria¡¯s barrier. Maxwell¡¯s wind blocked it off as well, protecting against the dragon breath wasn¡¯t a problem. In fact, Maxwell was already preparing his next magic.


    The dragon breath is just a long breath. In other words, it¡¯s only an additional effect on top of the act of exhaling. No living creature can keep exhaling forever.


    It only took about 30 seconds before the Evil Dragon¡¯s breath stopped. Lyell took advantage of that gap and charged ahead again.


    ¡°AAAAAAAARGH!¡±


    Along with his scream, he held his sword up and thrust with all his strength. The sharp tip pierced through the scales and cut into its flesh.


    But it¡¯s too shallow.


    His sword isn¡¯t short, but it¡¯s still not enough to pierce through the tough muscle holding up the Evil Dragon¡¯s giant frame. The sword came to a stop after shaving off just a bit of bone, nowhere near a fatal wound. But at that, Cortina gave out herstmand.


    ¡°Maxwell!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all over now! Scarlet Nine, Olive Nine, Azure Nine! ThunderStorm!¡±


    With more magical power than usual, Maxwell set off his lightning magic. Normally he¡¯d direct his attack to his opponent, but by focusing entirely on maximizing the power the destructive magic was scattering out. This magic was so powerful a person¡¯s body might¡¯ve exploded at the slightest contact.


    But even with that kind of power, the scales of this massive dragon would defend from its effects, under normal circumstances, that is.


    But currently, he¡¯s pierced by Lyell¡¯s holy sword, with my threads tangled around the holy sword.


    I let go of the threads and Lyell abandoned his sword. Maxwell¡¯s lightning spell spread out and flew into my thread along the wall, it flows along the thread rushing to Lyell¡¯s sword, the holy sword that pierced the scales and is stuck just above the dragon¡¯s heart.


    Even though it¡¯s the strongest monster in the world, it is still a living being. Its internal organs are driven by electrical signals, so what would happen if an ultra-high voltage lightning storm floods them.


    ¡°¡­Even if it¡¯s the Evil Dragon, it can¡¯t withstand this,¡± mumbled Cortina. As she mumbled, a living being couldn¡¯t possibly handle having electricity flow directly into their body. The Evil Dragon stiffened and convulsed under the rocks it was trapped under. Eventually, its body swelled with a low explosive sound, perhaps somebustible material inside the body was ignited. Because it breathes fire, it must have had a fuel source, if lightning sparks reached that source it¡¯ll likely explode.


    The Evil Dragon stopped moving after mes erupted from it¡¯s eyes and mouth.


    ¡°Did, we win?¡± Muttered Lyell as he got up from the spot where he was lying face-down by the Evil Dragon. No one could believe what just happened. A group of six people defeated an Evil Dragon that destroyed a whole country.


    ¡°We won?¡± Even Cortina who had nned the whole operation couldn¡¯t believe it. But the fallen Evil Dragony before our very eyes. He had his organs burned out, his wings cut off, and was crushed under rocks, he was dead. ¡°Hah¡­ haha. We did it, we did it! Yea!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold myself back and raised my fist in triumph. Unusually for her, Cortina reached out to embrace me.


    ¡°We did it! We did it, Reid! We defeated Colchis!¡± ¡°Yea, we did it! Well done Tina!¡±


    Calling each other by pet names, we hugged each other and swung around. Meanwhile, Maria rushed over to Lyell and Gadius to heal their wounds, ever the attentive priest. As expected of someone called a Saint.


    And with the subjugation of Evil Dragon Colchis, we became legends.

 Chapter 46: Reid’s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 46: Reid¡¯s Decision</h4>


    Having defeated Evil Dragon Colchis, each of us received enough money and materials to live in luxury for a lifetime. Simultaneously, we gained fame surpassing that of royalty and titled nobles.


    Excluding Maxwell who was already a royal, we were just an eyesore to the ruling ss. After all, they pushed us to restore the three northern countries destroyed by Colchis to keep us out of their power struggle.


    Luckily, a newborn survivor of the royalty there has been found, and somehow that country has begun to sessfully build itself up around that child by all outward appearances. At their request, we spent day-in-day-out subjugating monsters and bandits.


    I suppose those days of being worked like a horse are about toe to an end, it¡¯s been about a year since I came to the north, hasn¡¯t it. Despite the continent having a stable climate, the northern part of the country is often locked in by snow. On those days, we would be left to our own devices to spend time leisurely locked indoors. Lyell who stood on the frontlines, and Maria who healed his wounds were already quite intimate with each other, so they spent many such days together. And on an ordinary day just like any other, they suddenly announced they were going to tie the knot.


    I¡¯m not so dense that I couldn¡¯t tell what was going on. Cortina who had just pieced things together was the one giving them the most blessings.


    The problem came after. Lyell the vanguard attacker and Maria the main healer. It¡¯s obvious we couldn¡¯t ask the newlyweds out on adventures. Even we wouldn¡¯t ask them that. If we put them in a party we¡¯d just fuss over them.


    And so, we ended up breaking up the party with each of us going about making a new life for ourselves. Maxwell who was a royal returned to his home country to fulfill his duties as part of the royal family. Gadius started running an inn for newbie adventurers so he could nurture new talent. Maria started helping out at a nearby vige¡¯s church, Lyell meanwhile moved with her to be a guard at that vige.


    Which left me and Cortina without a ce to belong.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time I retired¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯re you saying, you¡¯re still so young.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see what age has to do with it though?¡±


    I started grumbling to him over drinks while killing time at his inn. I mean, sure I¡¯m still in my mid-20s. I did try to lead a party of beginners, but that didn¡¯t go as nned. I joined up with some newbies and at Gadius¡¯ request I was gonna show ¡®em the ropes but I ended up doing everything myself.


    ¡°Well, what are the newbies going to learn if you run off and exterminate trolls and have their heads roll at your feet.¡± ¡°The trolls were too much for them though?¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve let them gain some experience fighting one even if they couldn¡¯t win. Just have to stick around to make sure no one dies.¡±


    Gadius poured some wine into my cup and pulled another ss out to pour whiskey into. I reached out to grab hold of my cup, but Gadius blocked me. As expected of the defense expert.


    ¡°That¡¯s alcohol.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t it the shop¡¯s?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the shop¡¯s alcohol and the shop¡¯s alcohol is mine.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t that kinda unfair eh?¡±


    Completely ignoring myints, Gadius chugged the alcohol down. BOOM! After mming down the empty ss on the table Gadius red at me fiercely. ¡°Honestly, the two of you¡­ being too good is a problem in itself.¡± ¡°The two¡­ of us?¡± ¡°Cortina too!¡±


    Did you make her do it too? Cortina can keep up with top-ss adventurers even without having legendary skills like us. Still¡­ having trouble doesn¡¯t sound like her.


    ¡°What¡¯d she do?¡± ¡°Her instructions¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Tina¡¯s instruction, then they can¡¯t be wrong can they?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only you and Lyell that can barely keep up with her demands y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Ah, that, maybe¡­¡±


    Cortina¡¯s instructions are determined by the enemy¡¯s strengths and abilities, which means they¡¯re often pretty hard. For a newbie, it¡¯ll definitely be a tough hurdle to keep up with her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any talent so I can¡¯t ask others to follow my lead.¡±


    I¡¯m not good at teaching others myself. I once tried to teach Cortina stealth techniques but it ended in failure. Thinking about it, maybe now¡¯s a good time. Luckily, if I retire now I¡¯ll have enough resources to get by until I die. Though I don¡¯t know how long half-demons like me live.


    And it¡¯s not just the money, we all split the scales of the Evil Dragon up, so if we had to sell them, they¡¯d bring in a pretty penny. The Evil Dragon¡¯s corpse is itself a treasure trove you could say. The heart especially is said to be an ingredient for a potion of immortality. But since we made the Evil Dragon explode from the inside out, the only salvageable parts were the skin, nails, fangs, and scales. But just that is an incredible treasure that many countries have tried asking us to share.


    But just a single scale is very strong by itself, it defends from everything except the holy sword. We¡¯re worried about letting something like this circte around. So we decided to split the materials between us. That way if someone¡¯s robbed the others can still use the power of the dragon to subjugate the offender.


    You can expect to gain considerable power by making equipment out of these materials. Or you could just earn a living defeating monsters. But it doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m single, I wish I had someone to snuggle with like Lyell does.


    Cortina¡¯s face popped into my head at that moment for some reason.


    The one who gave me the most hellish orders, who relied on me to always keep them safe. If you¡¯re Lyell, Gadius, Maria, or Maxwell you could easily protect yourself. But Cortina doesn¡¯t have such power. No, in general, she¡¯s a pretty skilled adventurer. Still, when ites to the battlefields we tread on, you can¡¯t deny she¡¯scking in power. She¡¯s contributed her knowledge and walked with us through perilous hellscapes. Putting her life in my hands like that, it¡¯s a testimony to her trust in us¡­ no, to her trust in me.


    Has there ever been another woman who trusted me as much as her¡­


    ¡°Anyways¡­ she¡¯s not that bad¡± ¡°Hm, what¡¯s up with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    I decided to keep my decision to myself, that day I mulled over how to win her over.

 Chapter 47: Dunce

    <h4>Chapter 47: Dunce</h4>


    I bought a bouquet and a ring the next morning and returned to the Inn. Yes, to propose. It¡¯s better to strike while the iron¡¯s hot. Gadius¡¯ Inn is a normal building with a dining room on the ground floor, Cortina should be there eating right about now. As I went in and looked around, I spotted her sitting down at a table by the wall slurping some pasta.


    Watching her eating with her cat ears standing up straight with her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel, she looks childishly cute. I clumsily barged towards her table to avoid losing my resolve.


    Gadius looked surprised seeing me approaching with a bouquet and serious look. That¡¯s to be expected, I just made up my mindst night after all.


    Cortina stiffened up as she saw me approaching. She should know what¡¯s about to happen since she can see the bouquet.


    Kneeling in front of her, I presented the flowers to her.


    ¡°Tina. Please marry me.¡±


    I¡¯m not one to beat around the bush. I decided it¡¯d be better to just be direct with her. Cortina opened her eyes wide as she looked at me.


    The other guests were confused by my actions here.


    If this were any other adventurer they¡¯d probably be whistling and jeering at them. But it¡¯s me kneeling here, the famous assassin Shadow Wing. The strongest assassin said to rain down deadly threads in the middle of the darkness. If you make fun of such a guy, what¡¯ll happen¡­ Well anyone can guess.


    Cortina waved her hands around as if she was trying to say something. She put down her napkin on the table as she hurriedly wiped her lips in a fluster. For some reason, after looking around a bit, the look on her face said she was pissed.


    ¡°Y-you¡­!¡±


    She clenched her fist until it was trembling. That¡¯s strange. Things turned out much differently in my head. I was sure she didn¡¯t hate me. She raised her fist as if to betray my expectations.


    ¡°You! Can¡¯t you learn to read the room a little!?¡±


    At that, she swings her fist down at me, I immediately avoid it but that¡¯s what she was expecting. Before I evaded, she sent a kick flying at me. I caught it with my face and rolled onto the floor.


    ¡°Gadius! Here¡¯s the bill!¡± ¡°Y, yeah¡­¡±


    She mmed some coins on the table with a smash and her footsteps could be heard as she left the inn. I was sure she¡¯d give me a positive response. However, I had no choice but to reconsider that assumption after seeing that reaction.


    ¡°She, hates me?¡±


    For some reason, Gadius and the other guests all shook their heads at my monologue.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here.¡±


    Gadius¡¯forting words didn¡¯t reach me. Cortina hated me and I couldn¡¯t get over that fact. I didn¡¯t know how I was supposed to face her from now on.


    I tread to my room with a heavy step and locked myself in. I was depressed from that day on. I¡¯d act normally, but put some distance between myself and Cortina. Then, at night I¡¯d drown my sorrows away with Gadius out of sight of the other guests.


    ¡°Damnit, I hate Lyell, that ???????¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking it out on that guy?¡±


    Gadius who is good at socializing despite his threatening face is keeping mepany on this day. That¡¯s why the alcohol keeps flowing.


    ¡°Normies should die.¡± ¡°When it¡¯s you saying that, I can¡¯t take it as a joke, please stop.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m jealous.¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting pitiful right now.¡±


    I gulped down my ss andid t on the counter. I¡¯m a lightweight so this one ss is enough.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me keep youpany every night. Are you ready for tomorrow?¡± ¡°My bad, I¡¯m thinking of making it a habit.¡± ¡°Jesus, you¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°Tina was pretty distant, did I fail?¡± ¡°Something like that. Consider the setting.¡±


    Yeah, it might have been a bad idea to rush in during her mealtime. But it¡¯s between me and Cortina, does it really make a difference if she¡¯s got some food in her mouth at this point? And yet, since she rejected me, I¡¯ve decided it means there¡¯s no hope. As I was feeling downcast Gadius handed me a piece of paper.


    ¡°Huh, will you look at that¡­ I¡¯m popr with the work requests.¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t feel like workin¡¯?¡±


    With that said, I scanned over the paper. On it was a request to inspect an orphanage.


    ¡°An orphanage inspection?¡± ¡°Originally it was a request I nned on passing on to some beginners.¡± ¡°Is that really a job for us adventurers though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, there aren¡¯t many government officials in this country and on the other hand there¡¯re a buncha orphanages.¡± ¡°An aftereffect of the Evil Dragon¡¯s rampage huh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Many people were conscripted into the army for the sake of subjugating the Evil Dragon, but now those soldiers¡¯ children are pouring into the orphanages at a number beyond the government¡¯s ability to administer.¡±


    The northern countriesbined their armies to create a subjugation force to defeat the Evil Dragon and were in turn crushed. Death and retaliation. The number of dead has climbed beyondprehension and national strength has reached the peak of exhaustion. The country may have been rebuilt but there aren¡¯t enough people around to manage it properly. And the orphanage can¡¯t run without funds. The request is to go visit one such orphanage and observe if they¡¯re operating properly.


    ¡°Go with Cortina and try to reconcile. Go y with some kids for a change of pace.¡± ¡°W, Wot!?¡± ¡°What, she doesn¡¯t hate you, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I don¡¯t know if what Gadius says is true, but working with her¡­ might not be bad. I don¡¯t want things to stay like this. It¡¯d be great if we can return to being friends and pretend that the proposal never happened.

 Chapter 48: Orphanage Visit

    <h4>Chapter 48: Orphanage Visit</h4>


    ¡°Honestly! Can you believe that guy!¡±


    In the Dining room early in the morning. Cortina angrily waved her knife around in indignation as she wolfed down her breakfast.


    ¡°You idiot, stop that, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Gadius carefully confiscated the knife from Cortina. His motion picking up Cortina¡¯s knife so casually and fluently was very dwarf-like.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. But what was with that timing? When my mouth was full of pasta? To the limit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Reid after all.¡±


    From life on the battlefield to being adventurers. Life without manners continued and eventually Cortina got used to it. Especially when they were on a job, they¡¯d rush to swallow their food. The time they spent eating could prove fatal.


    It became a habit that continued even after the battle was over. Reid¡¯s proposal came without any special mood in a situation that could not be forgiven by any woman. Cortina was particrly close to Maria, so she heard all about when she was proposed. Lyell the holy knight presented a ring to Maria before a pretty church under the open night sky,pared to that, Reid proposed in the inn¡¯s dining room. I had seen him affectionately, more than just apanion for a while now, but I absolutely couldn¡¯t forgive hisck of consideration here.


    ¡°Even so, he acted like nothing happened the next day¡­. That pissed me off!¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s Reid after all.¡±


    Gadius who knows how depressed he really is at night feels like he has to interject. But if ites from his mouth, it just won¡¯t be right.


    Gadius wees the happiness of hispanions. Reid in particr is often awkward or iprehensiblepared to Lyell, even he thinks himself unpopr with the girls. To add to that since he¡¯s famous as an assassin, fear is the first thing one feels towards him. In fact, he¡¯s pretty popr in his own way with his cool appearance and there are a lot of women aiming for him. If he could tie the knot with Cortina, it¡¯d be a good ending to Gadius.


    Gadius wants to support Reid¡¯s unexpected courtship. However, Reid¡¯s already trying to change his own mind and is forcing himself to pretend everything¡¯s normal. It¡¯s a move made in consideration of Cortina so she doesn¡¯t get angrier with him. Meanwhile, Cortina is awaiting his next action. In other words, their feelings are neatly passing alongside each other, but if things are left as they are, they¡¯ll grow apart without knowing how the other really feels.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t get too mad. It might¡¯ve been a blockheaded move but at least he did something, it¡¯s progress ain¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It is but¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, take a look.¡±


    Gadius pushed a piece of paper towards Cortina.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Inspection of an orphanage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s originally a request for newbies, but I had Reid take it, how about it?¡± ¡°Me too?¡±


    And so Cortina let her mind wander. ying with the innocent children during the day, then at night under the starry sky with Reid, just the two of them¡­ Then she looks at him with serious eyes, and she¡­


    ¡°Ufufufu, hey this ain¡¯t bad.¡± ¡°How about it?¡± ¡°Such a thing is a piece of cake for me! I¡¯ll ept your request!¡± ¡°I see, the kid¡¯s¡¯ll be happy¡± ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be happier to have a Hero like you rather than an adventurere visit.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, now that you mention it, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Cortina is special among the six heroes. She¡¯s unlike Gadius who boasts insurmountable defense, or the key yers Lyell or Maria. Shecks an overwhelming technique like Reid or Maxwell have.


    Her abilities are first-ss, but they stop short of top-ss. Such a girl gave instructions to a bunch of masters in their field and led them to victory. Something that would normally be thought impossible for an ordinary person without power.


    Being a hero without any power or magic. You could say that is what Cortina embodies.


    If it was her sent on the inspection, the children wouldn¡¯t be happy. Settling on that hypothesis, Cortinay t on the countertop. ¡°Hey, just the two of us is gonna be rough¡­¡± ¡°Well, just take it one step at a time. For now, just try to make up.¡± ¡°Me¡­¡±


    When things didn¡¯t go well Cortina had a habit of yowling like a cat.


    They greeted a friendly priest at a church doubling as an orphanage, it was decided that they¡¯d meet with the children living there. The inspection was also a kind of sympathy call, so they had to verify each child¡¯s condition themselves.


    Cortina stifled augh watching Reid put on a cramped smile on his face after being exposed to the curious and admiring nces of the children. It was unusual to have the always cool Reid be theughingstock and expose his weakness like this.


    Lord Reid and Lady Cortina havee to visit the orphanage today. Everyone, please say hello.¡± ¡°Hhhelloooo!¡±


    The pair reflexively cupped their ears in response to the children¡¯s deafening roar. This time the children were even louder as theyughed at the fact that the pair acted simultaneously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave to go prepare lunch, please mind your manners.¡± ¡°Gggooot ittt!¡±


    The children twitched impatiently like they were raring to go. The priest chuckled at the gesture as he took his leave.


    ¡°Oh, let me help if that¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Tina, wait! Are you nning on leaving me alone here?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. Reid can handle it.¡± ¡°Look this way and say that, oi!¡±


    Having judged the children would give them a raucous baptism, Cortina opted to escape. As Reid tried to get her to stay, she offered words of encouragement while averting her gaze. Reid raised his voice in reproach as if he¡¯dpletely forgotten the awkwardness of their rtionship. She waved away his scream while averting her gaze and left. Reid tried to chase after her and using that as a signal the children swooped down on him like ferocious beasts.


    ¡°Forgive me Reid, I¡¯ll be sure to pick your bones up afterwards.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you for thiiiiiisss!?¡±


    Reid was ttened by the overwhelming amount of children despite them not being powerful. Turning away from him, Cortina headed to the orphanage¡¯s kitchen while joined by a few of the girls.


    ¡°Um, excuse me! I¡¯d like to help too!¡± ¡°Hm? You don¡¯t want to y together with Reid?¡± ¡°No. I was hoping Father would teach me how to cook.¡± ¡°That so? That¡¯s nice of you, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Fi, Finia!¡±


    Talking to this little girl who looked so nervous she might bite her own tongue made all the stress from thest few days melt away. She stroked her head a few times before grabbing hold of her hand. As they headed towards the kitchen, they could hear Reid¡¯s screamse up from behind them. Even Reid couldn¡¯t win against kids.


    ¡°U, Umm¡­ Is Lord Reid okay?¡± ¡°How many times do you think I¡¯ve worried about him dying? This much is nothing for him.¡± ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡±


    In the kitchen, the priest was hard at work making lettuce and egg sandwiches. It¡¯s not a difficult dish by any means, but because of how many he has to make, it¡¯s a struggle.


    ¡°I¡¯vee to help¡± ¡°M-me too!¡± ¡°No, Lady Cortina! In such a ce¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, despite how it looks my food will still be tasty.¡± ¡°M-me too!¡± ¡°That sounds great, then if you would please.¡±


    At the priest¡¯s response Cortina and Finia nced at each other and rolled up their sleeves.

 Chapter 49: Late Night

    <h4>Chapter 49: Late Night</h4>


    As a result, we had a feast for lunch and dinner that day. The administration of the orphanage was sketchy, but the liveliness of the children went to show that the environment was fine. Continuing the subsidy payments shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Well¡­ not like being so energetic is an issue.¡±


    I was rolling around alone in bed. In truth, I wanted to run away before dinner but the children grabbed hold of me and threw a tantrum crying all the while. It was so bad that even Cortina felt sorry and started crying as well.


    Eventually, Cortina persuaded me to rest in bed as she spends the night in the garden. Even so, the room we were given was pretty basic.


    But they¡¯re the same with the priest. It was a problem to hear that a celebrity like us were going to camp out in the garden. Eventually, it was decided that another room would be prepared, I couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry about the extra burden.


    And then suddenly I remembered why I came on this trip in the first ce. I hade with the expectation to redo my proposal to Cortina. However, I spend the day being dragged around by the children.


    ¡°What the hell man, I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    Luckily there¡¯s still time. It¡¯s past the kids¡¯ bedtime but Cortina should still be up at this hour.


    I got up and walked to the room where Cortina was staying.


    I used themplight to walk down the corridor and down the stairs to the chapel. The boy¡¯s rooms were on the east side of the chapel while the girl¡¯s rooms were on the west. They took care to prevent childhood indiscretions by strictly marking off each gender¡¯s area like this.


    A shady guy sneaking into the girl¡¯s dormitories trying to erase his presence. If someone were to catch me in this situation, I¡¯d be in danger of losing my title of Hero. Even so, I¡¯m disregarding that danger, all for the sake of meeting her.


    ¡°Huh, if it isn¡¯t Reid. Wh-what are you doing here at this hour?¡±


    I spot someone acting suspiciously, though it¡¯s the same for me. It¡¯s like they were sneaking into someone¡¯s room.


    ¡°Same to you Cortina, what are you doing at the chapel at this hour?¡±


    I¡¯d forgotten about it earlier, but the truth is my mind¡¯s been a mess after the rejection a few days ago.


    Thanks to the children¡¯s frankness, I was able to not think about it at all during the day but now that it¡¯s just the two of us, it¡¯s the only thing on my mind. I want to make up as much as possible but for now, I just keep turning over Cortina¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that tired.¡± ¡°Th-that so?¡±


    We somehow lose our words when we¡¯re together and stay silent. A dark chapel with the starlight falling through the window. It¡¯s like a scene from a y.


    ¡°S, Say Reid¡­¡±


    Cortina who usually gives out orders decisively started speaking bashfully. But my ears caught something else. A faint screaming voice.


    ¡°Hold on, something is¡­¡± ¡°Wha?¡±


    I stop Cortina with my hand so it¡¯s quiet enough I could hear a pin drop. Just then, I picked up a muffled scream.


    ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°There, did you hear that Tina!?¡± ¡°Uh, Wha, but I didn¡¯t hear anything¡­¡±


    Cortina notices something¡¯s up with me and tries to figure out what¡¯s going on without asking for an exnation. I looked towards where I heard the voice and saw a hidden passage under the chapel¡¯s rostrum.


    ¡°What¡¯s a hidden passage doing here?¡± ¡°We thought this orphanage was fine, but this is a pretty big problem isn¡¯t it?¡±


    You don¡¯t put a hidden passage somewhere unless you have something to hide. Orphanages tend to be hotbeds for things like human trafficking. They can especially be a den full of a certain type of degenerate.


    ¡°We have to investigate.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll take point.¡±


    The request was an orphanage inspection so both of us only had the most basic of equipment. I was only carrying civilian clothes my favorite mythril thread and some training gauntlets. Cortina meanwhile only brought a wand to assist in her chanting.


    Even so, we can¡¯t just ignore the screams. There are a bunch of defenseless children here. If they¡¯re in danger, we have to rush to help them as soon as possible.


    The hidden passage led underground, after moving forward a bit we found a torch set up. It seems to be set up away from the entrance so the light wouldn¡¯t leak out and the passage wouldn¡¯t be found out. I advanced forward while keeping my threads at the ready and using my stealth gift to hide our presence.


    I couldn¡¯tpletely remove my presence since Cortina was with me. As long as we¡¯re together it would be meaningless.


    There was a door with light leaking through the gaps out of it at the end of the passage. At that point, the child¡¯s scream rang out again.


    ¡°Reid!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡±


    This time it was Cortina who reacted immediately to the voice. The scream came from a girl, the same girl Cortina had spent the day with. I could only keep thinking ¡°What if she¡¯s hurt?¡±. I couldn¡¯t think that there were the screams of a kid ying around during the day.


    Judging there wasn¡¯t a moment to lose, I kicked the door open and ready my threads. There I found a gleeful priest standing over a girl¡¯s corpse.

 Chapter 50: Devil Summoning

    <h4>Chapter 50: Devil Summoning</h4>


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Sir Priest?¡± Cortina asked in a state of shock.


    At his feet, there was a girl with a gag shoved in her mouth¡­ and several children¡¯s corpses. A few other children could be seen in a corner of the room by candlelight.


    In the middle of this dreary roomy a huge magic circle inscribed with red paint. The priest stood grasping a bloody spear in his hands.


    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯ve already been sniffed out? As expected of the heroes, what sharp senses you have!¡± ¡°You- how could¡­. The children¡­¡± Cortina asked while holding back her sobs. The priest in front of me didn¡¯t appear as sociable as he did during the day. In fact, I could see a hint of madness drifting onto his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sacrifice, can¡¯t you tell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t understand! How could you, to those, that child, they trusted you!¡±


    The outraged Cortina took a step forward, at that I hurriedly held her back by the shoulders. He¡¯s holding a spear. She won¡¯t lose to an amateur, but this guy¡¯s still dangerous. He shrugged his shoulders yfully watching Cortina¡¯s outburst. It¡¯s like he¡¯s trying to buy time, if that¡¯s the case¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why, it¡¯s great. The deeper their trust, the deeper their despair. It¡¯s those kinds of souls the devil is drawn to!¡± ¡°Devil¡­!?¡±


    There were gods in this world. But Devils didn¡¯t count among those gods, they instead referred to ¡°things¡± from beyond this world. There was a possibility to even summon one that could very well defeat an actual god.


    ¡°Why, something like¡­¡± ¡°Why, why, why! You¡¯ve got nothing but questions don¡¯t you. Well, let¡¯s answer you then!¡± He said as he raised the spear over his head and swung it down. It pierced the corpse of the girl at his feet and skewered it to the floor.


    ¡°In this world, there¡¯s something called the world tree, everything in this world is born from it, lives, dies, and returns to it. That is the cycle of the soul.¡± ¡°And then the tree purifies the soul and it returns to the world again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the cycle of reincarnation. A thousand years ago, however, a god destroyed part of the world tree!¡±


    In the battle between god and the demon king that once existed, the world tree was split in half. And here we are in the present. That destroyed the cycle of the soul. They say souls born from the world tree gets seeped out of the world when they die and sucked up through the roots. The souls are sucked up by the world tree¡¯s roots and return to the world¡¯s source that way.


    At first nce, it looks like the same process, but while moving through the roots, impurities are introduced into the souls. Then there are those born with those mixed impurities, half-demons like me.


    The impurities that possess smallish horns. Apostates that carry the fragments of the Devil into the world. We continue to be held in contempt, it¡¯s not rare that we are the subject of discrimination.


    ¡°You get it, don¡¯t you? How much have they oppressed us!?¡± Shouting so, the Father grabbed at his own hair and ripped it out, no, should I say, he tore it off?


    ¡°¡­A wig?¡±


    The priest¡¯s hair was just a wig. Under it he had a bald head with small horns. His dark skin is the opposite of my pale self, but they¡¯re clearly there, the distinct remnants.


    ¡°Half-demon¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m someone persecuted by the world, just like him! The only difference is I¡¯m powerless!¡±


    I¡¯ve earned the title of hero, but even before that I was publicly viewed as being strong. But even now, those whock power, who are viewed as weak, are constantly discriminated against.


    ¡°As someone born of this world, we should have the right to live like anyone else! Yet others won¡¯t let us! So if that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll just have to make them!¡± ¡°Stop!¡±


    He roughly stabbed and crushed the corpse of the girl under his foot. Cortina screamed at the sight.


    But he didn¡¯t hold back, a huge shadow rose from the pool of blood spread out on the floor. A giantrger than 3 meters, it¡¯s head almost hit the ceiling. A goat head and hooves, carrying two huge swords.


    ¡°Devil¡­!?¡± ¡°I never expected you lot would conduct an observation on the day of the dragon constetion, but I couldn¡¯t afford to miss this chance. Finally, I¡¯ve done it!¡± ¡°Sure youmitted a sacrifice¡­ But still, no chant?!¡±


    I shouted in astonishment. He just inscribed a magic circle and offered a sacrifice. No spell, no ritual. But just that was enough to call forth this Devil?


    From the power I could senseing off it, it¡¯s pretty strong. Cortina is intimidated by the Devil and squeezes her fingers, causing her whole body to start trembling.


    ¡°Tina¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Cortina doesn¡¯t react to my call. With just a slight nce, her body trembles and she slumps to the floor.


    ¡°Cortina!¡± ¡°Eeek¡­.?¡±


    At my shout, Cortina finally regains her senses. That doesn¡¯t solve the problem though. If this Devil were to get out, this vige would be done for. I don¡¯t think I could do it on my own.


    ¡°Go get the others!¡±


    If those three are together, there¡¯s nobody that can defeat them. It¡¯s about 20 kilometers from this vige to the town where Gadius¡¯s inn is located. Cortina is faster than a normal human as a Cat Person, and because she¡¯s trained as an adventurer, her stamina is real good. It should only take her an hour to reach them. But Cortina didn¡¯t want to listen to me.


    ¡°B-but¡­ with that thing¡­.¡± ¡°Go! I can handle it for an hour!¡± ¡°I, If that¡¯s the case I will¡­!¡± ¡°And who¡¯s going to get the others if you don¡¯t go!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s¡­¡±


    At that Cortina noticed the problem. The children bound in the corner. They were tense, trembling, having lost control of their bowels from fear. If we were to escape, those children would surely be sacrificed.


    With a swing of my arm, I cut the restraints on the children using the thread I¡¯d sneaked through. Yet no one could stand. They couldn¡¯t move because of the Devil¡¯s intimidation.


    ¡°????, get going. Hey! Over here!¡±


    As long as the children are unmoving I have to get the Devil¡¯s attention. To do that, Iunched an attack at the Devil. Recognizing what my intention was, the priest gave an order to the Devil.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you! O¡¯ Devil, let none escape, annihte them all!¡± ¡°Like hell!¡±


    As soon as the priest finished speaking I swung my thread. The priest who seemed to have a penchant for summoning magic had no talent forbat, so he takes my thread shes straight on. His neck and limbs are severed and blown off. But his face was gleeful till the end.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaaagh!¡±


    The orders the priest gave at thest second managed to reach the Devil. I knew he was stalling for time so I was already trapping it with threads. I was copying Cortina¡¯s tactics.


    ¡°Tina, you hurry and get going too!¡±


    Cortina finally started moving at my exmation.


    ¡°Ah, geez! You better stay alive! I¡¯ll make it back with everyone!¡± ¡°Quickly, please!¡±


    While saying that I cast a of thread to stop the attack of the Devil. It was made to surround the kids. Seeing that, Cortina finally bolted from the room. Did you see that and think I could buy time with it? The mythril thread caught the Devil¡¯s sword, the held strong against the Devil¡¯s swing. It seemed to understand who was doing it. This guy might not be able tomunicate but he¡¯s not bad.


    ¡°Sorry, but I won¡¯t let you.¡± ¡°Gururr¡­¡±


    Knowing his attack wouldn¡¯t reach the kids, the Devil shot a look this way. I could clearly see the frustration in his eyes. ¡°Come then. You won¡¯t be able toy a finger on the kids unless you can bring me down!¡±


    I put on a fearless smile on my face to psych myself up.

 Chapter 51: Prior Life’s End

    <h4>Chapter 51: Prior Life¡¯s End</h4>


    The children were protected by the thread. It¡¯s connected to the wall andid in an stic braided pattern so a half-hearted attack wouldn¡¯t be able to break through. The only thing left is the deathmatch between me and the Devil.


    ¡°Gwooooargh!¡±


    The Devil yelled and raised his sword to sh at me. I slipped under the sword andunched a counterattack with my threads. Luckily the ceiling was low, leaving little room for the Devil to swing downwards. That means the Devil¡¯s range of attacks is limited. That means defense would be easier for me.


    A veritable storm of shes came at me, I jumped over and parried them with my threads. Despite being thrown about like a leaf, I avoided taking any direct hits, but I was only able tond superficial hits with my counterattacks. I¡¯ve already got one hand¡¯s worth of threads dedicated to the defense of the children.


    The remaining thread is only enough for one hand. The Devil¡¯s attacks are easy to read since he can onlyunch his attacks sideways, so one hand should be enough. The Devil howled shortly after I came to that decision.


    ¡°Wuuuooooooo!¡±


    Along with the Devil¡¯s roar, an unseen force mmed into me. Pushed by the invisible power I got mmed into the wall, at that point the Devil came thrusting at me with his sword.


    I, who had expected a sidelong sh, had to eat the unexpected thrust. I tried moving out of the way of the attack, but the timing was off.


    The strike gouged out a chunk of my chest and broke some of my ribs, I barely avoided a direct hit but it¡¯s now a struggle to even breathe.


    ¡°G, Gahack!?¡± I coughed up blood while kneeling. The pain was so sharp, but if I lose consciousness I can¡¯t save the kids.


    I can¡¯t win? That moment of indecision created a gap. For the sake of buying time, I gave in to the desire to defeat the Devil, through my blurry consciousness. It begins to take shape then. It¡¯s aplete defeat, but I can¡¯t afford to just give in. I won¡¯t make it too long, but for the children¡¯s sake, I have to buy time. My stamina was shaved off by a good bit, so even that would be a struggle.


    ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯ll just have to crush you.¡±


    I can¡¯t buy any more time, probably no more than a dozen of seconds with this injury. There¡¯s no chance Cortina will make it back in time.


    If I die, the children will die. If the Devil makes it out of here, the vigers will die. And if the Devil with that kind of power were let loose. I don¡¯t know how many will die in that kinda situation.


    The Devil ignored my hesitation and started attacking again. I scolded my trembling legs and lunged sideways. I then tried to seal the Devil¡¯s movements with some thread around the sword which it forcefully ripped off.


    ¡°Waaaaaaargh!¡±


    The Devil sent out shockwaves to counter. I already took it once, so I was able to avoid it without much difficulty this time. The timing was difficult to grasp because the flow of magic was so different, but I could still tell where it was going to hit by its line of sight. Then I wrapped some threads around its neck but not enough to actually strangle it.


    But with this, my preparations are done.


    ¡°It¡¯s all up to my preparations¡­¡±


    Once I gathered my nerve, I nted my feet. The Devil was quick to not overlook that. He threw his favored sideways sh at my feet. If I avoid it, it¡¯ll go back to being a test of endurance, but I don¡¯t have that kind of time anymore. For the sake of victory¡­ I won¡¯t dodge. Arge thread is pulled as it swings at my leg.


    Thread snagged around the sword, threads snagged around the neck. And all of that connected to the thread protecting the children.


    The sword swung forward, connected to the Devil¡¯s neck. The mythril thread was pulled by the Devil¡¯s own force, like someone pulling up a bucket from a well. The result was the Devil severing its head by its own power.


    But that didn¡¯t mean the sword had lost its momentum. Since I connected the threads at thest possible second I couldn¡¯t dodge the iing strike. The sword shakily crashed against the ceiling before crushing my left arm. Then I crashed near the children.


    The Devil was no longer keeping them in check. But that doesn¡¯t mean they could immediately start moving again. The children were still trembling in fear, leaking on the floor.


    But a single girl came running up to me and started putting pressure on the open wound.


    From all my past experiences, I knew, there was no saving me. Even so, I tried tofort her in a raspy voice.

 Chapter 52: An Average Morning

    <h4>Chapter 52: An Average Morning</h4>


    After spending several days in that room, I woke up in the middle of the night. This is my room in Cortina¡¯s house. Finia kept insisting on sleeping with me, but as expected,ying down with a beautiful girl¡­ sleep never came.


    So I insisted on a single bedroom. Because both she and Cortina expected me to ask for a single room, they gave their permission fairly easily.


    In the first ce, privacy is of major importance to me since I¡¯m keeping so many secrets. Being a man in my previous life, I had various desires. Namely, alcohol, women, and gambling.


    Luckily I had no interest in gambling, and I was unpopr with women, so I incurred very few expenses there. It¡¯s been seven years since I was reborn, gambling and women notwithstanding, it¡¯s about time I started to miss my only pleasure, booze.


    So I decided to sneak around. Up to this point in our travels, I¡¯d snuck a bottle into our luggage, so I was in the process of taking it into my room.


    ¡°Right about now, that Lyell ??????? ought to be in a panic.¡± I chuckled to myself.


    As a child, I can¡¯t possibly buy alcohol on my own. Which is to say, I snuck off with some of the good stuff that Lyell had kept hidden from Maria. Maria had told him that drinking in front of a child was bad, so he would have to settle for some light wine at home. That¡¯s why that guy set some good stuff off to the side to enjoyter.


    I popped the seal and poured some into a wooden cup. I used this cup during the journey here, so it¡¯s not suspicious at all for me to bring it into my room. A strong scent floated up from the cup into my nose. The faint smell of a cypress cask mixed into the air in the room.


    ¡°¡­???????, holding out on me ain¡¯tcha?¡±


    A clear amber hue, a strong fragrance, it¡¯s a good drink. You don¡¯t even need to take a sip to know. Since I considered him my rival in my previous life, I rarely shared a drink with Lyell, but I can¡¯t deny, he has good taste. Though I did drink with Gadius a lot.


    After enjoying the fragrance a bit longer, I slowly raised the cup to my lips. As the distance closes I feel the scent gets stronger¡­.


    ¡­Before I realize, it¡¯s already morning.


    ¡°Huh!? What was¡­!¡±


    I sprung up, and tumbled in anguish with a headache. The inside of my skull was throbbing, how many times did I have this same sensation in my previous life.


    ¡°You, You¡¯re kidding¡­ a hangover? After one tiny sip!?¡±


    It seems my frail body has an extreme weakness to alcohol. To think I¡¯d beid out by a single sip. The sun is already rising outside while the refreshing morning air seeps through the window.


    ¡°First¡­ I¡¯ve got to hide you quickly.¡±


    The bottle is one thing, but most of the contents of the cup spilled out. Thanks to that, my room strongly smells of alcohol. I pop the window open to help ventte while holding my aching head. It was at this time someone knocked on my door.


    ¡°It¡¯s morning Lady Nicole, please get up soon.¡± ¡°Ah, Finia. Yeah, I¡¯m up. I¡¯m changing right now, please don¡¯te in.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then let me help you.¡± ¡°N, Nono! Umm.. I¡­ I¡¯m fine by myself!¡± I quickly shouted back at Finia to keep her from entering the room.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ Did you wet the bed?¡± ¡°How rude!¡±


    Sure, as a girl I can¡¯t hold in my business as easily as I used to. It can¡¯t be helped that girls can¡¯t hold it in the same way a guy can, their bodies are just not made the same. And if your body is young, the slightest bit of carelessness¡­ well, yea, it¡¯s over. Yup. I¡¯ll admit it, there were idents in my past.


    But this ispletely unrted. The problem is the smell of alcohol, not piss. For the sake of my pride, I want this to be known that it¡¯s not the same!


    ¡°Alright then. Lady Cortina has already finished breakfast, so please hurry Lady Nicole. Afterward, you can doundry in secret.¡± ¡°I got it. But I haven¡¯t wet the bed!¡±


    Finia walked away with light steps. Even so, Cortina, the night owl is already up and about, when does she even sleep?


    In any case, if I open the window the alcohol smell will dissipate quickly. Although it¡¯s a little unsafe, this is known to the townspeople as Cortina¡¯s house, there¡¯s probably few who¡¯d try to sneak in. And so I started changing out of my pajamas for real. Since I havefortable pajamas, they¡¯re easy to take off, but the clothes Finia and Cortina got me are moreplicated and don¡¯t really fit my tastes.


    I wore a tight-fitting shirt and a short jacket. Below I put on some shorts and knee-socks leaving little exposed. It looks like activewear, but with my appearance of a proper youngdy, it gives off a sense of mismatching, I found it pretty surprising.


    As I head to the dining room on the first floor, I find Finia waiting for me as she¡¯d already finished preparing breakfast. Cortina, who already finished her food, was enjoying an after-meal coffee.


    Finia lets out a small sigh as she sees me. It seems she can¡¯t suppress her sorrow at my choice to avoid wearing skirts. Cortina meanwhile stared appraisingly at my thighs before throwing me a thumbs-up.


    On the table, there was hot milk, ham and eggs, and a piece of toastid out. Coffee was too bitter for me to drink now. On the bright side, I¡¯m aware that along with this change in pte I¡¯m weak to alcohol.


    After I arrived at the table and got to eating, Finia went behind me and started taking care of my hair. It may seem rude in the middle of a meal, but it can¡¯t be helped since I can¡¯t do it myself. It was decided that Michelle, Letina, and I will be shown around town after this. I¡¯ve got no time.


    Since we¡¯re going to invite Letina, first impressions are important.


    ¡°It¡¯s already that time?¡±


    Looking at Finia caring for my hair, I started to think we were running short on time. There¡¯s a magic tool that tells time called a clock, but in Cortina¡¯s house, there¡¯s only one in the living room and another in Cortina¡¯s room. It¡¯s pretty expensive.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just I got lost for a moment looking at Lady Nicole¡¯s hair. It feels good to the touch is all.¡± ¡°¡­Should we stop doing this during meals?¡± ¡°My apologies, this is my healing.¡± ¡°Ah, sure¡­¡±


    It¡¯s quite pleasant feeling the soft touch of Finia on my hair, so please don¡¯t stop. Cortina pulls me over and sits me on herp. The soft touch on the back of my head feelsfy so I just let them do as they want.


    Half-eaten toast, and half-eaten ham and eggs. This is the limit of what I can stomach.


    ¡°Burp¡ª Thank you for this meal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very wee. Your hair is done.¡±


    My hair is long, extending straight to the middle of my back. I can say with confidence that if I got it cut Mari and Finia would be sad. It¡¯s set so that the sideburns were tucked behind my ears and tied behind my neck. Finia would set my hair during meals without fail so far.

 Chapter 53: Kids’ Morning

    <h4>Chapter 53: Kids¡¯ Morning</h4>


    And while I was about to take a sip out of my hot milk, someone started knocking on the door while calling out to me at the same time.


    ¡°Nicole, let¡¯s y.¡± ¡°Comiiing!¡±


    I called back to the door and jumped out of my chair. I was still slightly hungover, but it felt better thanks to the hot milk. Cortina stood up as I prepared to leave.


    ¡°Do you have anything for self-defense?¡± ¡°Yeah, a katana.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you then, give me a sec okay.¡±


    Both me and Letina narrowly avoided being kidnapped the other day, therefore we wouldn¡¯t be allowed to go out by ourselves, so Cortina ising along to keep track of us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to be at school?¡± ¡°My role isn¡¯t major. Should be fine, probably.¡±


    Cortina isn¡¯t particrly strong as a mage, so she teaches a ss on tactical theory. She usually just presents battle situations for sswork and makes students submit possible scenarios. Seems she has a lot of spare time since all she has to do is look over their submissions and grade ¡®em.


    I grabbed my katana and ran to the front door. I¡¯d like to carry it on my waist but with my height, the sheath would drag on the ground. Cortina meanwhile followed along with a wand to help with her spellcasting.


    Cortina rushed to get ready and looked at me like she couldn¡¯t wait for our girl¡¯s date. Am I the inferior one here¡­


    When the door opened, Michelle and Letina were waiting for us.


    ¡°Morning Nicole!¡± ¡°Good morning Miss Nicole.¡± ¡°Morning you guys.¡±


    Michelle was carrying Third Eye as well as her usual hunting bow. Letina had a long staff matching Cortina¡¯s design. She¡¯s been getting acquainted with Cortina and apparently prepared something simr to her.


    ¡°Good morning, you guys are here early.¡± ¡°Lady Cortina! Good morning to you.¡± ¡°Lady Tina, morning~!¡±


    After stiffening up, Letina greeted Cortina with a nervous tick while Michelle gave her an innocent greeting. Their responses were really contrasted. Cortina gave them a charming smile and then looks at Michelle slightly mysteriously.


    ¡°Michelle, can¡¯t you put that in a case?¡± ¡°Err¡­ About that¡­¡±


    Michelle got slightly embarrassed at Cortina pointing it out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a case for something this huge.¡± ¡°Oh, right, that size is abnormal. It¡¯s a powerful warbow thatpletely throws efficient hunting out the window.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t just keep it at home, so I decided to carry it with me.¡±


    Michelle clenched her fist and was breathing heavily while saying that, it looks painful. Large bows are considerably heavy.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go look for a case for it, I¡¯ll buy it for you as a housewarming present.¡± ¡°Is that alright!?¡± ¡°Of course, and no cheapening out.¡±


    Despite being made of high-quality materials, Third Eye also has a magical effect applied to it. It¡¯s a mythical-grade magic item, it¡¯d be a big problem for a kid to carry it around in the open. Even Cortina stiffened up in shock when she first saw it. What kinda madman would give such a thing to a kid on a whim.


    ¡°So, to draw that¡­¡± ¡°Not happening.¡± ¡°No kidding.¡±


    Michelle¡¯s physical enhancement had timed out shortly after the battle. Despite the short duration, to even have a child pull the string back on this monstrosity would require a huge boost. Maybe there¡¯s something to the whole self-proimed god¡¯s im.


    At any rate, Michelle¡¯s goal right now is to be able to use the Third Eye which is currently just a very expensive paperweight. Meanwhile, mine is to be able to give her the enhancement needed to be able to use the bow.


    ¡°Then, first let¡¯s go shopping. If you guys could learn your way around while we¡¯re at it, that¡¯d put my mind at ease.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to receive directions from Lady Cortina!¡± ¡°Letina, you¡¯re so shameless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just a little!¡± ¡°You guys, don¡¯t fight¡­¡±


    Letina and I kicked up a fuss while Michelle tried calmed us down, something that had be a standardedy routine over thest few days. And that¡¯s how I spent my days leading up to admission.

 Chapter 54: Visiting the Academy

    <h4>Chapter 54: Visiting the Academy</h4>


    There was a week¡¯s worth of spare time between the kidnapping incident and the Academy¡¯s entrance ceremony. During that time I was reluctantly busy being dragged around by Michelle and Letina, who I¡¯d just met. Since I¡¯d visited Raum in my previous life, I had some basic geographical knowledge, but taking in the scenery from a child¡¯s perspective was refreshing. As I was dragged around Raum all week, of course, I¡¯d get acquainted with more people.


    ¡°Morning Nicole! Chasing after Yowi¡¯s hellion again today are we?¡± ¡°Good Morning, Mr. Wesson.¡±


    I stopped to return the baker¡¯s greeting. He knows I¡¯m freeloading at Cortina¡¯s and Finia often helps him out. Being rude to him would bring many inconveniences down the ler on.


    This is why I made sure to politely deal with all the residents Ie across. It seems to have caused me to get a strange reputation though.


    I have a reputation for being Lyell and Maria¡¯s polite and courteous child who just started living with Cortina. It seems my unusual heterochromia, along with my prim and proper appearance, had something to do with it too. And meanwhile, I¡¯m always wearing shorts and running all across town so I seem to be pretty active and catch other people¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Hold up, Wesson! What are you trying to say, calling me a hellion!¡± ¡°Huh? Y¡¯mean you hadn¡¯t noticed?¡± ¡°Guh¡­!¡±


    Letina came from a Marquess household and despite her noble lineage, she¡¯s pretty frank. She¡¯s not originally from the royal capital but held provincialnds, so when she came to the city she got lost in the back alleys and got abducted. In the past few days, we¡¯ve gone around the city under the pretense of getting used to it while trying all the local specialties. Thanks to that city residents quickly got to know her and her mother, Eliza, wasfortable letting her y outside on her own now. The safest surveince device is the eyes of the locals after all.


    That trust may also be rted to her having friends like me and Michelle who are the same age. ¡­My body is still weak as hell though.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a donut please, mister!¡± ¡°Michelle¡¯s appetite is as healthy as ever¡­¡±


    The baker who wrapped up a donut for Michelle looked at her with a stunned expression as she wolfed it down on the spot right after paying for it with her allowance. Perhaps her good growthes from her hearty appetite, I can¡¯t do it.


    ¡°Michelle, if you don¡¯t hurry the reception will start without us!¡± ¡°Ah, Right¡­ Gulp.¡± ¡°Come on, hurry!¡±


    Michelle got dragged off while holding the donut in her mouth. I gave Wesson a quick bow before hurrying after them. It¡¯s no surprise that Letina was even more hyper than normal, today the school is holding an open house. Especially now that it was right before the entrance ceremony, new freshmen were going in droves to get familiar with the school.


    Since it¡¯s so early there aren¡¯t a whole lot of other visitors yet. You can also see the regr students heading into school though. Because Michelle¡¯s enrolling in an adventurer¡¯s school, she has little to do here. But since it¡¯s nearby, we¡¯ll be sharing both the yground and magic training area, so it looks like we¡¯ll have plenty of chances to meet up.


    The greatest draw of this school is therge library it contains, which is said to be the world¡¯srgest. Add on to that was the fact that Maxwell, the greatest mage in the world, was the director here, of course, many students would gather at this academy.


    But I didn¡¯te so much to study new magic as to work on my already existing magic. On my own, it¡¯ll take several years to reach Polymorph, the highest tier of magic in the system of Interference Magic. But if I ask Maxwell and Cortina, who are great teachers, for help, then I should be able to drastically reduce the time it takes. It should prove to be a good shortcut to reach my end goal of ¡®returning to my original body¡¯.


    Today Cortina was already at work preparing for ss while Finia was so busy cleaning and doingundry she couldn¡¯t step out of the house, so only us kids came to the school. Luckily, since the school¡¯s so close to the house, permission was easily given.


    ¡°Woooow¡­¡± ¡°What arge tower.¡±


    They raised incredulous voices as they looked up at the spire which had grown even more in the seventeen years since Ist visited, already exceeding the castle tower of the Royal Castle.


    ¡°It¡¯s even known as Raum¡¯s Second Royal Castle.¡± ¡°Nicole really knows her stuff huh.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yeah, maybe I heard it from Lord Maxwell?¡±


    I¡¯ve been visiting Maxwell¡¯s house to take magic lessons, so they should buy that excuse, maybe.


    In order to get a full view of the enormous spire, I took a few steps back, until I felt myself bump into someone. I bounced forward, rolling on the ground before quickly getting back up. You could say it was an automatic reflex ingrained in me. As I was rolling, I looked back and saw a tall kid standing by himself.


    As I watched, the kid got a sour look on his face and made a gesture as if he was brushing off his chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you punks. What business domoners have at this Magic Academy?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Sorry?¡±


    I decided to apologize for the moment, I¡¯d rather not get involved with a noble as it would be a bother for Cortina as well. I got up and gave a bow, and immediately made to leave. However, it seemed the other guy wasn¡¯t willing to leave it at that.


    ¡°Hold it,moner. You think you can bump into me and I¡¯ll let you leave with a single word? Sorry doesn¡¯t cut it.¡± ¡°Wha?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to show a proper apologetic attitude, don¡¯t you? Papa always makes the citizenry prostrate themselves before him.¡± ¡°Wait up¡­.¡±


    The, heck. Making citizens fall prostrate? Does such a noble actually exist? That Maxwell, he¡¯s being too naive monitoring these guys.

 Chapter 55: Authoritarianism

    <h4>Chapter 55: Authoritarianism</h4>


    ¡°You¡¯d better hurry it up. If you do, I¡¯m willing to overlook this.¡±


    I found myself bbergasted before I could even get mad at that haughty promation. You¡¯re supposed to throw away all thought about the social position when entering this school, but perhaps it¡¯s ok to be this haughty since we¡¯ve yet to enter still. Michelle stiffened up at the sudden allegation. However, it was Letina and not me that reacted to this first.


    ¡°Same to you, shouldn¡¯t you be apologizing without dy?¡± ¡°What was that!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re from, but isn¡¯t it regretful you were raised like this?¡± ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know me? Fine then, listen well. I am Donovan Sto Stewart, eldest son of Margrave Strwart of the Sto territory!¡± dered Donovan in a snort.


    Hearing his name, the curious onlookers started causing a bit of a ruckus while gathering around us. The Sto region was arge expanse in the northern part of Raum, you could argue the margrave of the region held status equal to a marquess. Here in Raum where the rank of duke is filled by the rtives of the royal family, you could say he¡¯s from the upper stratum of unrted nobles.


    Growing up like that, it¡¯s little wonder he grew too big for his britches. However, Letinaughed scornfully at Donovan¡¯s introduction. After all, she¡¯s the same. While the margrave carried simr gravitas to a marquess, it¡¯s just ¡°simr¡±. He fell short of Letina who was the heiress of an actual marquess title. I was sure she was about to give her own name and rank in return but¡­


    ¡°Do you not know before whom you stand? This person is Lady Nicole, daughter of Lord Lyell and Lady Maria of the Six Heroes!¡± ¡°Wait a minute? Isn¡¯t this the part where you give your own name, Letina!?¡± ¡°Huh? Why would I?¡±


    Letina stared nkly at my retort. I¡¯m pretty sure this is normally the scene in stories where one gives their own name to intimidate their opponent, this is strange. Besides, Lyell and Maria are justmoners now. They have little actual authority here¡­


    ¡°Wha, What did you say¡­!?¡±


    ¡­or so I thought. Rather, since I am the daughter of two great heroes, it seems the effect is twice as strong, not to mention I¡¯m actually Reid, so the heroponent is three times as strong.


    ¡°Well whatever. You pushed this young Lady and made her roll on the ground, do you understand the significance of your actions here?¡± ¡°When we first met, didn¡¯t you literally drag me around with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my policy to never look back on the past!¡±


    I¡¯m amazed she can seriously say things like that. But I¡¯ve started to realize that being so open about things like this is one of her charms. She¡¯s fundamentally a good person, even now she¡¯s getting mad for my sake after all.


    ¡°I wish I knew how to use my authority like that¡­¡± ¡°You say something?¡± ¡°No, Nothing. And I¡¯m not too worried about it, if Donovan is willing to drop this whole thing I¡¯d like to move on.¡± ¡°Eh, Oh.. Y- Yeah.¡±


    Well, margrave or whatever, he¡¯s still just a noble from Raum, with no authority beyond the country. On the other hand, I¡¯m the daughter of the heroes who saved the world with authority resounding across the world. Both Lyell and Maria have enough potential topete with any army, and they are closely tied to Maxwell, Cortina, and Gadius, each of them a monster in their own right. If they felt like it, they could overthrow the country. No matter how you look at it, they¡¯re not the kind of people that can be dealt with by a single noble.


    Donovan who was used to using his parent¡¯s authority as a crutch understood that well enough. As long as his opponent¡¯s rank is higher, his parent¡¯s authority is meaningless. If he continues on¡­ it¡¯s likely his family will be crushed.


    ¡°Pl- Please forgive my rudeness up to now. Are you hurt¡­¡± ¡°Yea, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m ok, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I responded tly when Donovan started his obsequious apology.


    It seemed he wasn¡¯t as thick-skinned as Letina as expected, well, you could say she¡¯s just especially thick-skinned. However, the rubberneckers weren¡¯t about to let the spectacle end there.


    ¡°Hey, that girl¡­ Did she just let herself get pushed and forgive that obnoxious noble brat just like that?¡± ¡°How magnanimous. And that beautiful silver hair and heterochromia. She¡¯s bound to have all manner of suitors in the future.¡± ¡°You, no matter how you look at it, she¡¯s not someone you can get involved with¡­¡± ¡°No matter how you put it, her parents are he scary!¡±


    Yeah. I have no intention of going out with any guys, not one bit. I decided it was time to leave and pulled on Michelle and Letina¡¯s arms to get out of there before our troubles increased. However, my grand escape was quickly foiled. It¡¯s impossible for arge disturbance like this to fail to catch the teachers¡¯ attention. By which, I mean Cortina¡¯s.


    ¡°Hey now, what¡¯s with all this racket you lot.¡± ¡°Ah, Cortina.¡± ¡°Lady Cortina! This is, umm¡­¡± ¡°Eek.¡±


    Cortina grabbed me by the nape of my neck, hanging me in mid-air like a kitten. At Cortina¡¯s sudden entrance, Letina started to hem and haw, meanwhile Michelle stiffened back up. Letina was self-consciously awkward knowing she had bullied the other guy.


    ¡°Since there was an uproar we couldn¡¯t ignore, I came out here to check it out¡­¡± ¡°No, umm, this is¡­¡± ¡°Are you interested in getting a sermon too?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡±


    Letina admires the six heroes, so as expected, she can¡¯t handle being lectured to by one of them. No matter how you look at it, a kid can¡¯t handle that kind of pressure.


    ¡°This is, she was just trying to stand up for me, so if you could just look the other way¡­¡± ¡°I see, I see. Nicole, you¡¯re too kind. But it¡¯s a teacher¡¯s job to set kids straight when they mess up. That includes you.¡±


    At Cortina¡¯s re, Donovan stiffened up just like Michelle. It doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s able to talk back to her. After all, from the public¡¯s point of view, she¡¯s a devil capable of manipting the army with one word, producing plenty of casualties, earning her the nickname: ¡°The Reaper¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you off the hook this time with just a warning, do take care from now on though, got it?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡±


    And with that, Cortina started to take her leave. It would seem I stumbled on my first step into academic life.

 Chapter 56: First Day of School

    <h4>Chapter 56: First Day of School</h4>


    That day, Finia was in high spirits from the get-go. Shebed and set my hair more carefully than ever. The style was the same as ever with my sideburns tucked back out of the way. But when I touched it for myself, the softness was iparable to the usual.


    I wore a pure white shirt with the Magic Academy¡¯s school badge on it and a dark blue skirt with a white stripe along the hem to go with it, along with a jacket of the same colors. Finally, the whole ensemble was topped off with a feathered beret, and since I preferred showing very little skin, I wore knee-highs as usual.


    ¡°Oooh, well aren¡¯t you the spitting image of a new student.¡± ¡°Morning Cortina.¡±


    Cortina who happened to be passing by in front of my room decided to peer in and gave a thumb¡¯s up in approval. Even she was dressed to the nines in a suit today.


    That¡¯s right, today was the day of the school entrance ceremony.


    Despite causing a ruckus during the academy¡¯s open-house, I wanted to spend my days at the school inconspicuously studying. If I wasn¡¯t careful and made too much of a mess, Cortina might start to pick up on my real identity.


    ¡°¡­Is it toote?¡± ¡°What is, Miss Nicole?¡± ¡°Um, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    If you stop and think about, I made a mess of things on the very same day I arrived in the city, there¡¯s no way I can stay ¡°inconspicuous¡± towards Cortina. I sighed and headed for the entrance. Cortina¡¯s house was designed such that you had to take off your shoes at the entrance.


    I changed into a pair of sturdy boots at the door. Today, I¡¯ll head out to meet Michelle first. Since she¡¯s a hunter¡¯s daughter, she usually starts her day early, theplete opposite of my oversleeping self. Because of that, it¡¯s be the norm that she usuallyes to meet me first¡­


    ¡°Alright,¡± I eximed while pping my cheeks to psych myself up for the day. And as I opened the door, who were there but Michelle and Letina.


    ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Ah, morning Nicole! You¡¯re early today!¡± ¡°Good morning to you. How rare of you to be up this early.¡± ¡°Morning. Looks like you guys beat me again.¡±


    Thatst bit was supposed to be a mutter to myself but I could hear a quiet ¡°pff¡± behind meing from Finia. When I look behind me, she turned away in a hurry. The fact that she canugh at me like that shows just how close we¡¯ve gotten. With Finia in check, I turned back to Michelle and Letina. Cortina who was a teacher should also be heading out with us, but she has yet toe out.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cortina?¡± ¡°Seems she has a small errand to run, she¡¯ll be a littlete.¡± ¡°Hm?¡±


    Well, even among the faculty, she¡¯s a bit of a special case, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯s quite busy.


    Like that time with the apprehension of the kidnappers, she might be involved in something involving the town¡¯s public order.


    ¡°In any case, please take care, Miss Nicole.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°Even if you see something strange or unusual you absolutely can¡¯t do anything about it you hear?¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°Even if you look at a viin, you can¡¯t go charging at them ok? Also, please don¡¯t take any detours through the back streets.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do you have your handkerchief? Also¡­¡± ¡°Finia, shut it.¡±


    I knew she was prone to worrying about me, but it seemed to have gotten worse since the kidnapping incident. It may be a bit mean, but I decided to cut her off and head to school.


    Michelle¡¯s going to be attending the Adventurer¡¯s Support School, so we¡¯ll be splitting up before going in, but her school building was right next door, so we would have plenty of time to meet with each other.


    When we got to the school grounds, it was pretty noisy inside. I thought it was just the result of it being the day of the entrance ceremony, but it wasn¡¯t. Everyone¡¯s gaze was clearly pointed at us. Then it hit me, ¡°Oh, Letina is a marquess¡¯ child.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even go there, this is about you.¡±


    Previously during the open house, Letina let slip that I was the hero¡¯s daughter to avoid some unnecessary trouble. It¡¯s that kinda thing.


    ¡°What a pain¡­¡± ¡°What are you on about now? Being those two great hero¡¯s daughter, shouldn¡¯t you be used to this?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this in the vige.¡±


    In the first ce, I never carelessly wandered around outside there, so I never had everyone¡¯s attention focused on me like this. But well, the rumors didn¡¯t just stop at the incident fromst time.


    ¡°Hey, is that¡­?¡± ¡°Silver hair and heterochromia, there¡¯s no doubt.¡± ¡°After being shoved, she let the other guy off with just an apology.¡± ¡°On the contrary, didn¡¯t you hear? The guy seemed to have tried making her grovel at his feet right before.¡± ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s as if she were the seconding of the saint, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Crap. I was just trying to avoid any more trouble, but it seems that my habit has started some weird rumors. And¡­


    ¡°Despite being so young, she still carries herself with grace, you can clearly tell she carries Lady Maria¡¯s blood. ¡°Even so, she shows no cowardice, you can clearly feel Lord Lyell¡¯s fearless spirit.¡± ¡°Just how great will she be in the future is anybody¡¯s guess.¡±


    Despite the entrance ceremony not even being done yet, incredible rumors about my future have started springing up.


    ¡°¡­give me a break here,¡± I clutched my head and groaned quietly. Looking at me, Letina anxiously called out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did the crowd make you sick?¡±


    ¡°Voice, too loud.¡± ¡°Oh, her body¡¯s frail.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think such a person exists.¡± ¡°That¡¯s normal for a princess though. Speaking of which, didn¡¯t the king of the tripartite government up north ask for her hand in marriage?¡± ¡°But Lyell shot that down.¡± ¡°Well yeah, it¡¯s still too soon. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t get why he¡¯d have a hard time letting his daughter go.¡±


    Letina is exceptionally energetic, so her voice is quite loud. That said since she¡¯d proimed the crowd was making me sick, the gossips took that as fact. Moreover, the rumor that the king asked to marry me has been spreading.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Letina let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°You sure? Don¡¯t push yourself ok. You are really delicate after all.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Letina isn¡¯t a bad kid, but she¡¯s a hell of a troublemaker. Despite us starting off on the wrong foot, she¡¯s seriously trying to be my friend, and I am grateful for that because I felt isted and lonely until I met Lyell and the others in my previous life.

 Chapter 57: Intrigue During The Entrance Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 57: Intrigue During The Entrance Ceremony</h4>


    I was sat in my designated seat in the auditorium awaiting the start of the ceremony. Unfortunately, Letina sat a distance away. The girl sitting next to me kept ncing this way with sparkly eyes, to be honest, it was kinda annoying. Feeling her gaze, I¡¯m sure I put on a bitchy resting face,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resting_bitch_face">1 but I¡¯d like for that to be overlooked. Because I wanted to avoid locking eyes with her, I forced myself to face forward stone-faced.


    There were seats for parents lined up along the sides of the auditorium, I noticed many of them were in use by aristocrats. For my part, I¡¯d have liked for Finia toe along, but this time Cortina was sitting there, but she looked awkward to be sitting alongside the nobles, she seemed to be acting reserved. Students are told to abandon their castes, but it seems their families didn¡¯t quite get the memo.


    After a short while, the ceremony finally kicks off.


    We got an exnation of the schedule before the teacher took the podium. Then Maxwell the chairman came up to the stage and gave a long-winded speech, midway through I was starting to yawn as my eyes zed over. But the contents of his speech were clearly fishy.


    ¡°¡­and so, that being the case, I¡¯d like to ask you students to act without regards to social ss, as befits students of this Magic Academy.¡±


    He always took things at his own pace, but he¡¯s starting to ramble on a bit like he¡¯s buying time. But why is he trying to buy time right now? Has he finally gone senile? I was dubious about it, and as I tilted my head in confusion, I noticed there was some racketing from the auditorium¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Look, if you don¡¯t hurry, the ceremony¡¯s going to end already.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Since I¡¯m unfamiliar with this technique, we encountered some dys getting it to work.¡±


    All eyes in the auditorium collectively gathered at the ones causing all the noise at the entrance. When the entrance opened, who should step in but Cortina, and following behind her were two others¡­


    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re still at it!¡± ¡°Nice, Maxwell.¡± ¡°My sincerest apologies to keep you waiting like this, Maxwell.¡±


    All three were voices I was familiar with. Or rather, why are you here, Lyell and Maria!?


    My parents and current guardian came rushing into the auditorium with heavy steps. Lyell, Maria, and Cortina.


    Three of the great heroes suddenly appeared and the auditorium started booming. Maxwell and Cortina were already well known but suddenly Lyell and Maria popped in. The only one missing from all this was Gadius.


    ¡°So slow, the lot of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Maria had some unexpected dys casting the spell.¡± ¡°Oh my, weren¡¯t those dys because someone needed help putting on his armor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault?¡±


    Lyell certainly seemed to be wearing an unusual piece of armor. It looked like the so-called scale armor, armoryered like scales. What¡¯s more, the hue of those scales seems uncannily familiar. Could it be made from the processed scales of the Evil Dragon Colchis?


    ¡°Ah, there she is. Nicole! How have you been?¡± Maria waved at me, failing to read the current situation. And with that, everyone¡¯s gaze converged on me.


    ¡°Ma.. Mama? Why are you here?¡±


    For now, I¡¯ll just ask her that while they find a ce to sit. And then Maria replied with an unimaginable answer as she chuckled, ¡°Well you see, I memorized Teleport.¡±


    Hey wait, what the hell did you just say. I remember that being about the limit of my thought process at the time. Teleport was an outrageous spell from the Interference Magic system. To put it simply, it interferes with the individual¡¯s location data to allow them instantaneous movement from one location to another.


    Sure, there are simr high-level spells in the Transfer Magic system, such as Portal and Gate, but Teleport is even more difficult to master. Inparison to learning Polymorph, which I¡¯m currently aiming for, Teleport is even beyond that in difficulty, yet she learned it like it was nothing¡­


    ¡°Now I cane to visit you every day!¡± (Maria) ¡°On the contrary, please go back.¡± (Nicole) ¡°Of course I¡¯ll go back home, I can¡¯t just leave the vige, but I can at least show up for a bit every evening.¡± (Maria) ¡°Well, not like I can¡¯t¡­¡± (Lyell) ¡°Lyell, are you insinuating you¡¯ll stay at a bachelorette¡¯s house? Don¡¯t you dare start doing things that¡¯ll cause weird rumors about me.¡± (Cortina) ¡°Gulp.¡± (Lyell)


    Cortina interrupted Lyell¡¯s reckless statement. You wouldn¡¯t want to make her an enemy. He and I both know the feeling very well.


    ¡°Hahaha, taking a trip down memoryne with you guys made rambling for time worth it.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Our apologies for taking up so much of your time.¡± (Maria)


    A teacher standing next to Maxwell grabbed his attention as he started to make small talk from the stage, ¡°Apologies Chairman¡­ my sincerest apologies to have to interrupt you here, but we¡¯re pressed for time as well¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite right! My bad, my bad. Well, in conclusion, do your best in your studies. That is all!¡±


    Despite dragging out his speech thus far, Maxwell finally ends the ceremony. The students who were seriously paying attention up to now were left bbergasted.


    ¡°Alright Lyell, since we¡¯re both free after this, how about joining me for a drink?¡± (Maxwell) ¡°I¡¯ll pass, I¡¯ll be busy with Nicole after this¡­¡± (Lyell) ¡°What the, how could you choose your daughter over your old mate!¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious!?¡± (Lyell)


    This old fart always got hyped at the appearance of his drinking buddies. Speaking of, I wasn¡¯t very strong in my past life either, so I couldn¡¯t keep up with him. As a result, gramps always dragged off Lyell or Gadius with him.


    At any rate, my parents¡¯ sudden appearance caused a great disturbance during the entrance ceremony. To add to that, I feel like my notoriety has managed to spread even more now. If this is how it¡¯s going to be from the start, I can¡¯t help but feel anxious about my school life from now on.

 Chapter 58: Preparing for New Classes

    <h4>Chapter 58: Preparing for New sses</h4>


    Following that, the entrance ceremony was brought to a close post-haste. I garnered a bunch of attention and to be honest, I¡¯d have run away if I could, but after that I had to go to the ssroom to get some teaching materials. My parents, Lyell and Maria, were currently surrounded by the nobility. It¡¯s only natural considering their shy entrance, I kind of feel like they deserve it.


    Luckily, Letina shared my ss, and she served as a great screen to keep our fellow students away. Even so, she couldn¡¯t block their gazes. It felt like I had a bed of nails attached to me as I walked towards my ssroom. It¡¯s not like there weren¡¯t nobles among the younger students who wanted to approach, but even they seemed to feel cowed by Letina the Marquess¡¯ daughter. At times like this, I¡¯m grateful for her house¡¯s status.


    When we entered our ssroom, there was a piece of paper with our names and numbers, and a diagram of the ssroom on the ckboard showing each seat with a number. In other words, it was directing us to get to our assigned seats.


    ¡°Hey Nicole, this is your seat.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks.¡±


    In my previous life, I was a half-demon, and an assassin on top of that, so I never got to partake in something like a proper school life like this. I had received a basic education at private schools like churches, everything beyond that I learned from personal experience or from my peers. Because of that this whole thing with the entrance ceremony and everything is so confusing to me. I feel keenly aware of every little thing and want to do what I can to protect what I have now.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention to¡­¡±


    It seems that thanks to inheriting Maria¡¯s beauty, no matter what I do, it causes people to feel like they need to fawn over me. I leaned my head forward while sitting down, causing my blue-ish silver hair to fall down across my cheek, it was slightly annoying.


    ¡°Why are you feeling down?¡± ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t want to stand out like that¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not used to it? You¡¯re their kid after all you know.¡± ¡°Well yeah.¡±


    Whatever, can¡¯t change what¡¯s been done. Anyways, my magic skill is at the worst possible level. I don¡¯t think I have a gift for it, in fact, I¡¯ll probably be the worst in the ss. Once it bes known, I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s interest in me will fade. Until then, I¡¯ll endure everyone¡¯s gazes and pretend I¡¯m air.


    The tense atmosphere was brought to an abrupt end as Cortina walked in, roughly pushing the door open.


    ¡°Good morningdies and gentlemen. Hurry up now, take your seats.¡± ¡°Eh? Ehhhh!?¡±


    It wasmon knowledge that Cortina worked as an instructor at this school, but even so, having her enter a ssroom was still a bit shocking for us, of course that includes myself.


    ¡°Everyone seated now? Alright, let¡¯s start with introductions. My name¡¯s Cortina, I¡¯ll be your homeroom teacher!¡± ¡°Pfft!?¡± I sputtered having heard such a grand deration from my homeroom teacher. By the way, that Letina¡¯s eyes were all aglitter while she had her hands sped in front of her chest. It was pretty remarkable how reverent her pose made her look.


    ¡°Wha, Wh-wh-wh¡­.¡± ¡°Incidentally, I won¡¯t give any preferential treatment to my acquaintances Nicole.¡± ¡°Y, yeah¡­¡±


    Cortina chuckled as she nced at her lectern. Bringing along Maria and Lyell, and bing my homeroom teacher, it seems she¡¯s enjoying herself making all these secret maneuvers.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get down to business. First, look in your desk drawers. There should be a textbook inside, correct?¡±


    As she said, I looked in my drawer, though it¡¯s not a drawer like the one you¡¯d find in a chest, it¡¯s more like a shelf attached to the bottom of the tabletop. Inside, there were several textbooks and several wooden tes.


    ¡°You have one book on grammar and another on the basic theory of magic. To put it simply, you have to learn both themon continental alphabet as well as ancient magic characters on top of practical exercises to gain a feel for your own magic power.¡±


    I already did that, so it seems like I¡¯ll have some leeway here. Incidentally, mynguageprehension is perfect so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll gain anything from this ss.


    ¡°Wait, was there a need to evene to school¡­?¡±


    If you stop and think, apprenticing under Maxwell may have been the better option.


    ¡°Just studying isn¡¯t good enough for proper growth, so I¡¯ll be having you do basic exercises as well.¡± ¡°Ehhh..!¡± the students let out a collective grunt of discontent after hearing Cortina¡¯s exnation.


    Originally, Cortina was a chief tactician. She¡¯s been on actual battlefields more than once or twice. Even if she does poorly, she¡¯s probably still better than me. On the other hand, this ss is a bunch of bean sprouts training their magic since childhood, it¡¯s likely they¡¯re not used to exerting themselves physically.


    ¡°I won¡¯t indulge your whims here. Academic magical researchers are one thing, but if you n on going out on adventures, you¡¯ll absolutely need physical strength!¡±


    The students stop theirints after hearing Cortina¡¯s reasoning, given her experience on the battlefield. As a hero, her words held weight, and more than likely they didn¡¯t want to get on her bad side.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for today, starting tomorrow we¡¯ll have a full ss. Be ready to get moving.¡± ¡°Yeees!¡±


    Since they¡¯re still just young kids, it seems they¡¯re good students who are easily persuaded to follow instructions with a little lecture.


    The only exception I can think of is that Donovan guy who was indescribably rude.


    Cortina then imparted us with various pointers before finally letting us out.

 Chapter 59: Physical Anxiety

    <h4>Chapter 59: Physical Anxiety</h4>


    The following day, ss began in earnest. ording to our schedule, the first ss was meant to train basic physical fitness. We changed into athletic clothes in ss and gathered on the yground, it was then that we became self-conscious for the first time. The yground is shared with the Adventurer¡¯s School, so you can see their students on the other side of the square. Cortina came out and started warm-ups with a whistle in her mouth.


    Letina and I started doing calisthenics alongside each other.


    ¡°Whoa, Nicole you¡¯re so limber.¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to stand on the front lines.¡± ¡°The vanguard? You don¡¯t want to be a mage? ¡°Right. I want to be a Magic Swordsman.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lofty goal, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    A Magic Swordsman has to be proficient with both magic and swordsmanship. Otherwise, both skills will be half-baked. I experienced in the past what happens when parties be unbnced because of inferior skills.


    ¡°Yup, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t fall behind either.¡± ¡°Hey now, you there. Don¡¯t hurt yourselves while you¡¯re busy talking.¡±


    Cortina seems more gleeful than when she was at home despite sounding heartless. That reminds me, she really enjoyed herself ying with the kids at the orphanage. Meanwhile, I just got yed by the kids.


    ¡°Well then, next, do threeps around¡­¡± ¡°Whaaa!?¡± ¡°Teach, you¡¯re a monster!¡±


    The students started raisingints one after the other, but it was pointless. Threeps around therge yground would be well over a kilometer. For younglings, it¡¯s a tad extreme for an exercise.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, this is to measure your physical fitness. Besides, this ss is about physical fitness, isn¡¯t it? No pain no gain.¡± ¡°Demooon!¡± ¡°Deviiil¡± ¡°Sorry but I¡¯m a cat lol! Now, get going!¡± ¡°¡±Ugggh!¡±¡±


    The students started running while screaming. Me and Letina started running along with them. But anyway, I was training my body almost every day in the vige. Like I¡¯d lose out to some flimsy mage children.


    Yeah, there was a time I actually believed that.


    ¡°Zehiuu, hahiiuu¡± ¡°Hold on, it hasn¡¯t even been half ap¡­. Are you ok Nicole?¡± ¡°Im, fu, faiiin¡± ¡°But no matter how I look at it, you don¡¯t look fine¡­¡±


    I was following the other students closely for the first hundred meters, but by the two hundred meter mark I had stalled out. This was a clear indication that my stamina was insufficient. By the way, the other students left me in their dust a long time ago.


    During the battle against the kidnappers, I held out longer. Apparently, exercise that consumes stamina constantly is my natural enemy. During that time, I managed to fight while repeatedly holding my breath and movement when possible, but in a marathon I¡¯m forced to keep burning my energy. That being said, since I have scant physical strength I can¡¯t keep moving for a long time. Even so¡­. Isn¡¯t this a bit too fast?


    ¡°With this you¡¯re aiming to be a Magic Swordsman¡­¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m, fa, fine. It¡¯s still¡­ my body, can keep¡­ oof¡± ¡°Wa, Wait! Teacher¡­ over here! Nicole gives! Immediately! We need a medic asap!?¡±


    I just barely managed to gulp a sparkly liquid threatening to rise from the pit of my stomach back down. As you¡¯d expect, it was a matter of my dignity as a human being. However, the exertion robbed me of myst remaining bits of stamina, making me lose all hope of aplishing this impossible task.


    ¡°Ah, this¡­¡± ¡°Whoa whoa, wait, Nicole!¡±


    Letina did her best to support me, but we were still little kids so we fell onto the ground in a tangled mess and I lost consciousness.


    When I next came to, I was lying in the infirmary. Looking around me, I saw a shelf with a great deal of potions and could smell the faint odor of alcohol used as disinfectant. Sitting in front of a desk installed by the window was a woman in a white robe.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re up?¡± ¡°¡­mmph, Thank you. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡± ¡°While I appreciate the polite thanks¡­ honestly, I never would¡¯ve imagined a student copsing in the first ss of the day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    Most likely she¡¯s a health instructor. She came up to me and took my wrist to check my pulse. Judging by the nametag on her white robe, her name¡¯s Tricia. She¡¯s easy on the eyes but for some reason doesn¡¯t stick out. Maybe if she did something with her hair?


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a bit fast. Is it always like that?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a bit fast normally.¡± ¡°Is that so. You should probably keep working out.¡±


    My pulse is a bit faster than most kids my age, and currently, my body temperature is a bit high. Dr. Tricia¡¯s cool hands feel nice to the touch.


    ¡°But honestly, that Cortina, I swear. Pushing a student to the point of copse, how unreasonable can you get.¡± ¡°This is my body¡¯s fault for being so frail. It¡¯s impossible to instantly grasp everyone¡¯s physical limits.¡± ¡°You know someplicated words. Well, I guess it¡¯s fine this time.¡±


    True she shouldn¡¯t be able to grasp the other student¡¯s limits instantly, but given we¡¯ve been living together, it¡¯s strange for her to overlook my condition. Such a thing never happenedst time.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Well, thanks to her I got to look at your cute sleeping face.¡± ¡°Mmmm¡­.¡±


    As a former man, I have some reservations about being called cute by a beauty in the prime of her youth. But well, I guess I¡¯m pretty used to it after hearing Lyell and Maria tell me so often.


    Next, she opened my gym clothes to examine my chest with her stethoscope. The cold metal felt pleasant on my overheated body.


    ¡°Your breathing seems normal at least.¡± ¡°Yep. Never had any problems there.¡± ¡°Do you normally have fainting spells like this by chance?¡± ¡°All the time.¡±


    Since I was an infant who couldn¡¯t get out of bed, I¡¯d work on manipting magic until I passed out. Of course, I never seeded, but I¡¯d still fall asleep each night with mental fatigue, so in that sense, fainting is nothing new to me.


    ¡°Somehow, isn¡¯t that an impossible way to live?¡± ¡°I have a goal in mind.¡±


    I¡¯ll be a Magic Swordsman. I won¡¯t be an assassin, I¡¯ll gain my fame as a hero. To be a hero without the qualities of one, that was the sort of thing I was going for. While chatting with the doctor like this, the door to the infirmary was suddenly opened.


    ¡°Oh, You¡¯re up? I was so worried!¡± ¡°Are you awake Nicole?¡±


    The ones intruding with noisy footsteps and questions were Cortina and Letina. Seeing me sitting up in the middle of an examination made the two of them let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Forgive me, you¡¯re always keeping up on your condition, so I thought it was fine, then suddenly you copsed!¡± ¡°Cortina made a misjudgment?¡± ¡°Yeah. I never expected you to get worn out so suddenly like that.¡±


    Hearing Cortina¡¯s exnation made me realize my weakness.


    ¡°That¡¯s no excuse. However, this fragility is a bit unusual. I suppose we¡¯d better do a thorough examination at least once just to make sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking there was something wrong for the longest time.¡±


    When I fought the kobold, fatigue kicked in suddenly and caused me to slip. Then again during the kidnapping incident, I started to get tired quickly right after Michelle showed up. Looking at it objectively, things don¡¯t really add up.


    I¡¯d always attributed my weakness due to my stunted growth, but could there be some underlying condition inside my body causing me to be like this.

 Chapter 60: Mystery of the Music Room

    <h4>Chapter 60: Mystery of the Music Room</h4>


    After Dr. Tricia pointed out that I might have a physical ailment, Cortina was quick to give her approval for a thorough checkup and an appointment was scheduled. The Magic Academy was primarily a shrine of knowledge and so had the requisite medical facilities, but it would still take time to make preparations so the appointment was scheduled for another day. Dr. Tricia said that the day of the physical checkup for the new term would be a likely candidate for the examination.


    Well, even if I say I had a scheduled appointment, I still had to take my sses like normal until then. After finishing up our morning sses, I spent the rest of the day wandering the school with Letina. Our freshman sses were done after the morning, but we were free to look-in at the senior sses as long as we were quiet.


    ¡°Is your body really alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    After returning to ss from the infirmary, the kids in the ss greeted me with a sigh of relief. As expected, seeing your ssmate pass out suddenly on the first day of school must have been nerve-wracking.


    At the time, I pretended to not hear the remarks of ¡°Of course, she¡¯s just so dainty, she doesn¡¯t have much strength.¡± For the rest of the day, it was just general studies so I was perfectly able to rest up my body during those sses. Since my body healed up, I asked Letina to apany me to the special ssrooms after school. The rest of the students were also heading over to check out the possible clubs and such, so nothing about it would stand out.


    ¡°Well, what business do you have with the special ssrooms?¡± ¡°I just want to check them out a bit.¡±


    We finally entered the area with the special ssrooms, among them we found the music club room. Arge piano was lined up along with a bunch of stringed instruments against the wall. While it¡¯s just considered music here at the academy, but music has had many simrities to chanting spells since the olden days, there¡¯s even a genre dedicated to charging your voice with magic to elongate the sound. In order to study such things, the necessary equipment had to be gathered.


    ¡°By any chance, are you interested in learning the piano?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I gave a frank answer with a nod. During the battle with the kidnappers, I came to the realization that my determination alone wasn¡¯t enough. The thread-spinning gift I carried seemed like a cheap party trick but on the other hand, that self-proimed god guaranteed that it could be the strongest ability.


    No, looking back at it, was she talking about my thread maniption? Since I have three now, it¡¯s hard to say which gift we were talking about. For the sake of making effective use of my thread-spinning gift, I needed to gather the right material for it. Something strong like the piano wire was what I desired for this.


    ¡°Wanting to y the piano is an unexpectedly girly pastimeing from you.¡± ¡°Huh? I have no interest in that.¡± ¡°Come again? Then, the violin?¡± ¡°N-no way.¡±


    While we were having that exchange in the hallway, the teacher who was in the middle of tuning the piano while on their tiptoes turned to look this way as if finally noticing us. Seeing freshmen standing in the hallway looking hungrily at the music room, of course she would be curious. That teacher called out to us in a friendly voice.


    ¡°Good day. Are you two freshmen?¡±


    At her question, we both nodded.


    ¡°Could you be interested in instruments?¡± ¡°Very.¡± ¡°Then, how about ying for a bit? Right now there aren¡¯t any other students around.¡± ¡°Is that really fine!?¡±


    At the teacher¡¯s invitation, we entered the music room in high spirits. The teacher seemed to be expecting a musical performance, but that¡¯s not worth worrying about right now. After trotting in, I went straight to looking around the piano. Since she was in the middle of tuning the piano, there was a roll of piano wireid out. I secretly pilfered it.


    With a broad grin¡­ ¡°Just ording to n.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Hiya!?¡±


    As she drew up behind me, Letina instantly got a violin set up. It seems that few students actively use the music room but the teachers happily take good care of it.


    ¡°You can y Letina?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good etiquette for ady!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help harboring doubts even as she puffed her chest out in pride while replying.


    ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± ¡°Actually it¡¯s my Mama¡¯s specialty¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what your motivation is. If you¡¯re interested, please just y something.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I already told you there aren¡¯t any students around. What¡¯s more, this room has soundproofing so you¡¯re free to make some noise.¡±


    At the teacher¡¯s urging, Letina put on a performance with a simple etude. From my point of view, the tone quality was beyond a child¡¯s skill level. It¡¯s possible she might actually have some talent for music.


    But my admiration faded in the next instant. After reaching a good stopping point, Letina turned toward me with a smug look all but screaming ¡°how¡¯s that?¡± That face futilely sparked my spirit of rivalry.


    I already got what I came here for so I might as well y along. I ced the violin on my shoulder the way I saw her doing it and held the bow reverently. And then I pictured a tune to y and gave it a go.


    ¡ª screeeeeeeeech -no, seriously.


    ¡°Noooooo!? Stop, stop I say, Nicole!¡± ¡°Uhyauwaaa!?¡±


    A noise simr to some giant monster¡¯s cry reverberated around the room causing Letina and the teacher to be in agony. Receiving that mysterious sound wave at the point-nk range since I was the one ying caused me to almost pass out.


    ¡°Th-this is¡­ how to say this, hearing that sound after so long¡­¡± ¡°That bad?¡± ¡°This¡­ surely, with diligent practice, it could be music right?¡±


    I have to be careful, I tried to get the teacher to gloss over it. Yeah. I know, hearing that sound just now, there¡¯s no way I can y. Aftering to, Letina came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Nicole, you¡¯re as uncultured as you appear, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m from the boonies anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah, considering your parents, that fact shines through.¡±


    Well, any more than this and we¡¯ll just be a hindrance. In the first ce, she stopped working mid-way through tuning the piano. What¡¯s more, since I snuck some of the wire into my pocket it¡¯d be a problem for her to find out.


    With that, we gave the music teacher a polite bow and hastily ran off.

 Chapter 61: Special Training That Night

    <h4>Chapter 61: Special Training That Night</h4>


    That night I used my gift to sneak out of Cortina¡¯s house. Of course, it¡¯s so I can practice with the piano wire I stole that afternoon.


    The only way out of the city is through the gates or over the wall so this will just be an experiment conducted inside the city.


    Namely, the lumberyard where the battle with the kidnappers took ce. The guards already concluded their investigation so it remains shut down.


    Thanks to that there aren¡¯t many people around here and many obstacles. It was the perfect ce for some training.


    That god said, my gift could be the strongest. Up to now I¡¯ve used my ability to manipte the thread as it is. However, it¡¯s a far cry from the strongest. Perhaps there¡¯s some way of using it that I haven¡¯t considered yet.


    And so, I thought about wrapping myself in thread. Ick strength and stamina, but there¡¯s no stamina lost in manipting thread. If I can manipte my limbs with thread, I might be able topensate for myck of stamina.


    So I came to this ce to test out that idea.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s¡­¡±


    First, wrap my arm in thread, and grab hold of my katana. With my own strength I can¡¯t hold the katana in one hand. However, if I use the threads to manipte myself, I can use the same muscle strength to achieve the same effect. I thought I could use the threads to support my own strength and swing the sword one-handed. If I lift the katana slowly at first, I can hold it one-handed.


    ¡°Oh, this is surprising¡­?¡±


    I thought it felt light so I took a swing. You have to swing the sword, not just hold it up after all. And like that, in a single swing¡­ I tore my arm.


    ¡°Aaah!?¡±


    The sleeves of my jacket are torn with blood flowing out in a helix pattern. And it¡¯s pouring out pretty violently.


    ¡°Fi- first¡­¡±


    I cancelled my thread maniption in a panic and tore off the piano wire from my arm. The gash on my arm was pretty deep, so much so that wrapping it in cloth wouldn¡¯t hamper the bleeding.


    ¡°This is bad. This¡­ How do I¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t use healing magic, hiding this is impossible. Finia will notice in the morning without a doubt.


    ¡°Ahh, the stronger the gift, the stronger the bacsh, do take care.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡±


    I suddenly heard a carefree voice from behind me. But it sounded somehow familiar. As I expected, standing there was the self-proimed god in white. She appeared like a peerlessly beautiful girl, the same as always. However, she gave off a strange impression wearing a slightly unfashionable pair of sses and a cor for arge dog.


    ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Look, please hold out your hand. Normally intervening like this is bad.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Now see here, even if I look like this, I am a God. It¡¯s not good to show myself to the public.¡±


    She took my hand and gave it a light tap. And with that, my wound vanished. Without chanting or creating a magic circle. No wait, did the magic circle shine for just a split second there? Even so, to form a magic circle in an instant like that would require incredible skill.


    ¡°Like a normal wound, you have to avoid overdoing it. Right now you¡¯re very unstable.¡± ¡°Unstable?¡± ¡°Because for you who¡¯s soul couldn¡¯t use magic previously to suddenly be dropped into a body with magical power, of course there would be some growing pains.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you going so far to look after me?¡± ¡°Hm~ that¡¯s a secret,¡± replied the god with a cutesy wink. Despite looking like a little girl, that gesture was quite bewitching.


    Putting that aside, using thread to improve your kic power isn¡¯t the wrong idea, but isn¡¯t that just thread still? ¡°Wha?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be a problem to give out too many hints, so I¡¯ll leave it at that.¡±


    With a hard step, she leaped back and put some distance between us.


    ¡°Well then, take care from now on. Reid Albain. ¡°You know myst name?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    Albain, that¡¯s thest name I had before leaving my home country to exterminate the evil dragon. Although I wasn¡¯t a noble, I came from a wealthy family, but because I was born as a half-demon, I was abandoned at an orphanage.


    After dropping my name correctly, the god took another leap back, and instantly disappeared into the shadows without a trace. No, you could say the recovery of my arm is the only trace left of our encounter.


    ¡°You might as well have repaired my clothes while you were at it, Goddess¡­¡±


    My jacket waspletely shredded by the piano wire. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s soaked in bloodstains. This won¡¯te out with a wash, I¡¯ll have to throw it out.


    That said, I don¡¯t want to return home topless, so for now I tore off the sleeve and put it back on. I had to look over what the goddess just said. She said something about it not just being for thread, but I¡¯m not sure I understand. However, she said it wasn¡¯t wrong to use thread to assist my muscle movement, so it seems my train of thought is not far off.


    If I use wool in ce of piano wire and try to do the same thing. This time, due to the wool being much softer than the wire my arm didn¡¯t tear.


    ¡°I can actually swing the sword¡­.¡±


    However, on the second and third swing I could hear it start to tear and before long itpletely snapped. It seems that wool¡¯s tensile strength isn¡¯t enough to use it for muscr support.


    ¡°I see¡­ 1 of Crimson, 1 of Ultramarine, 3 of Gold¡­ Strengthen.¡±


    After strengthening the wool with magic I gave swinging my sword another shot, twice, thrice¡­ ten times. After over 20 practice swings the wool finally started to show signs of wear and tear.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good enough to go into battle with, but being able to swing my sword one-handed is a big step forward.¡±


    Being able to do one-handed sword-strikes gives me freedom of movement with the other hand, that said, I have to use one hand to control the threads, so the end result is basically the same.


    Next up, I wrapped some wool around my leg and started doing exercises. My gift gives me free control of the thread I¡¯m in contact with, which means with one hand I can use my fingers to control up to 5 threads simultaneously. So by using my left hand to control my legs and my right hand I can exponentially increase my fighting capabilities.


    I increased the amount of wool threads, strengthened both legs with wool and took a light step, and then my body leapt faster than I had imagined.


    ¡°Whooooaaa!?¡±


    I failed to put on the brakes and plunged face-first into a stock of lumber. With a loud crash, I mmed into the wood nose first and started seeing stars.


    The next morning, I headed down to the dining room for breakfast. I went down after washing my face and changing clothes, at which point Finia raised a shout in surprise after seeing me.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, what¡¯s wrong with your nose?¡±


    My nose was so swollen and red that you could call me Rudolf. Seeing my face like that, both Cortina and Finia shed me looks of amazement.


    ¡°I just took a little slip out of bed,¡± I replied with a glum expression and took a drink from the hot milk Finia brought me.

 Chapter 62: Day of the Physical

    <h4>Chapter 62: Day of the Physical</h4>


    From then on I went to school while using my thread maniption to reinforce my body and kept exercising like that. After being sent to the infirmary on the first day so suddenly, it seems I¡¯ve gained a reputation as a frail sheltered girl.


    ¡°Lord Lyell raised her too carefully after all¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve seen her frequenting the music room after school.¡± ¡°The music room?¡± ¡°A short whileter you could hear a beautiful violin ring out.¡± ¡°Ohhh? As you¡¯d expect, the hero¡¯s daughter is quite refined.¡±


    Somehow the violin performance Letina gave that day was redited to me. As first years, our musical education only got as far as learning the basics of a recorder, if I tried to y it¡¯d just be a mess.


    Fixing each of these misunderstandings would just be a pain, so I didn¡¯t. I just kept knitting in my seat. Knitting helped increase my dexterity with my fingertips, thus it was effective training for my thread maniption. Anyways, the scarves and sweaters make good gifts, so it¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.


    Therefore, there¡¯s a ton of scarves and sweatersid out around the house. There are even mittens in some of the more borate spots.


    Well, you could say the main reason I¡¯m knitting right now is cause I lost to Cortina¡¯s greedy gaze. The cause was pretty simple, thanks to Lyell and Maria showing up suddenly and bragging to Cortina about them, she suddenly decided she wanted one too and pressured me into making her one. Of course, she¡¯s not extorting it from me, but it¡¯s hard to decline a request from yourndlord.


    Thanks to that though, I¡¯ve been stuck knitting since the morning. Seeing me diligently knitting at my desk, Letina gave me a curious look, ¡°How strange, seeing you do something sody-like.¡± ¡°How rude. Or rather, knitting isn¡¯t especially a feminine thing.¡±


    Even in my previous life, I¡¯d always work on training my dexterity like this outside the public eye, mainly mending clothes along with Maria. By the way, this is beyond Lyell, Gadius, and even Cortina. Maxwell can¡¯t even thread a needle with his presbyopia so it¡¯s not feasible for him either.


    Meanwhile, the whole time I¡¯ve been sitting here knitting I feel like everyone¡¯s been eyeing me enviously. Speaking of, for some reason they don¡¯t seem to be looking right now?


    ¡°By the way, do you not have to get ready?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Hearing her say that, I looked up. That¡¯s when I realized everyone was restlessly changing out while waiting.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Why is everyone changing clothes?¡±


    Boys and girls are changing in the same room but they¡¯re all under 10 so it¡¯s not a big deal. Letina who came over to talk was just wearing her underpants. Yup, they were a splendid pair of pumpkin shorts.


    ¡°Today¡¯s the day of the physical isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh, was it?¡±


    The content of our lessons were just general education, history of the country, and studying the alphabet, so I often ignore ss, I might¡¯ve skipped any mention of a physical as a result of that. I didn¡¯t want to be the onlyte one, so I quickly put up my knitting equipment into my bag and started changing. It¡¯s pretty easy since it¡¯s just a jacket, shirt, and skirt.


    For a girl, it¡¯s a slightly immodest behavior but I¡¯m a kid anyway. Since we don¡¯t even get a changing room at this age, I¡¯m not worried about it.


    ¡°Speaking of, don¡¯t you have your examination after school today?¡± ¡°Examination¡­ Oooh, from the other day.¡± ¡°Yeah. Theplete physical.¡±


    After hearing about me having a full checkup, the other students started getting noisy. The girls started approaching nervously to ask me about it.


    ¡°Ummm¡­ Nicole, are you unwell?¡± ¡°Err¡­ I get tired easily, so we decided it would be a good idea to get checked out at least once.¡±


    She had a worried aura standing in front of me with her hands joined together, she looked like a little puppy, but not the cheerful kind like Michelle, more like a spoiled pup.


    ¡°Um¡­ Sorry, what was your name¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, right. I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. My name is Matisse Holton, daughter of the Holton group.¡± ¡°Oh, them.¡±


    They¡¯re a bigpany in Raum. I relied on them several times in my previous life when I visited the country. I see, this is the daughter of the young master¡¯s daughter from back then.


    ¡°Feels like so long ago.¡± ¡°Huh, excuse me?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Thank you for your concern though.¡±


    I offered her my right hand for a shake, she timidly reciprocated. Hmm, her pale white skin was soft, she shows great promise but for now she¡¯s out of my strike zone though.


    ¡°Umm, is it fine if we be friends?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯d be d, my only friend so far has been Michelle?¡± ¡°Hey, and me?¡±


    Letina started kicking up a fuss behind me. If I had to say, I consider you a troublesome henchman. At this point, Cortina busted through the door.


    ¡°Alright, you guys. Looks like you¡¯re good and ready. Let¡¯s go take your measurements now!¡± ¡°Miss Cortina, why are you so hyped¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to properly take you girls¡¯ bust sizes.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m still not that big.¡± ¡°You boys better get a good look now while you can, you won¡¯t get a chance in the future.¡±


    And immediately following Cortina¡¯s statement all the boys¡¯ eyes converged on me. As expected, their gaze caused me to break out in goosebumps and I reflexively covered my chest.


    ¡°¡­Cortina, don¡¯t say unnecessary things.¡± ¡°Ahaha, my bad.¡±


    She¡¯s as noisy as ever, except when she¡¯s on the battlefield. We started moving towards the ce we¡¯d get our physicals as I heaved a sigh.

 Chapter 63: The Source of My Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 63: The Source of My Weakness</h4>


    After finishing up their height or weight measurements, the students moved on to the next one. While in line for the weight measurement, I looked at the file in my hands to check the height measurements and secretly heaved a sigh.


    ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t grown much.¡± ¡°Nicole is pretty tiny.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me tiny!¡±


    Peeking at the file in Letina¡¯s hand, I noticed she¡¯s 10cm taller than me. She¡¯s pretty tall in our ss, so when lined up alongside me, she seems very mature, older than her age at least. Conversely, I just give off the sense of being a doll.


    Well, I¡¯d be grateful if the thorough examination revealed that my poor growth up to this point was a result of some underlying problem. It wouldn¡¯t have been Maria¡¯s fault, but naturally, this still makes me uneasy about the future. Standing next to Letina, who is tall for our age, I have to crane my neck up. This is fine¡­. not, it seriously grates on my nerves.


    Everything should be ready for the full checkup after school today. It can¡¯t be helped that I have toe here twice.


    ¡°I hope I can at least grow as tall as Cortina, it¡¯s probably asking too much to reach Maria.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see that happening¡­¡± ¡°What was that!?¡±


    As a cat person, Cortina was slightly shorter than the average person. Maria had a dainty physique, but her stature was pretty average. She¡¯s filled out fine while at the same time being eye-catchingly slender. It goes without saying Lyell¡¯s physique is good. He¡¯s tall and toned, but not to the point that he seems sinewy. Despite still being a child, I¡¯ll have to drop my expectations of reaching their heights.


    ¡°Wait, Letina!¡± ¡°No way!¡±


    I left the line to chase down the smart-??? Letina. However, I was stopped by being picked up from my armpits. Suffice to say, it was my homeroom teacher, Cortina.


    ¡°Hey now! Line up properly.¡± ¡°But Letina¡­¡± ¡°No excuses, get going.¡±


    And with that, I was lifted onto a weight scale like a doll. As expected, the numbers were below average for a child my age.


    ¡°Haaaa¡­¡± ¡°How odd. I¡¯m feeding you quite a bit at home though.¡± ¡°You put out plenty, but my appetite can¡¯t handle it.


    This body¡¯s stomach is so small. Just half a piece of toast is enough to fill me up. It¡¯s like I¡¯m only able to eat the bare minimum required to maintain basic activity.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve only been eating a little, but you still seemed to have put on weight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me fat!¡±


    I struck my fist at Cortina¡¯s belly, but it seemed to have as much effect as a gentle breeze. It felt like a solid smack, but it just sounded like a silly thunk.


    And so, after school, I once again went to the infirmary. In addition to myself, I was being escorted by Cortina, Michelle, who had juste over from the adventurer¡¯s school next door, and behind her was the add-on Letina.


    Upon entering, there were various measuring devices strewn about. Most likely everything was set up in a hurry after the physical measurements today.


    ¡°Wee. How about we get started immediately.¡±


    As soon as she saw my face, the doctor picked up a syringe with a ????-eating grin. It seems she was showing an unnecessaryrge syringe off on purpose, which made Michelle take a step back.


    ¡°Is that on purpose?¡± ¡°Yup.¡±


    I looked at the doctor who was showing a satisfied smile from seeing Michelle¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Normally, kids get a little scared when I show them that¡­ but you¡¯re fine with it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty used to the pain.¡± ¡°While impressive, isn¡¯t that pretty bad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    Pain is an important signal alerting you to life-threatening danger. Getting used to ignoring pain is like bing indifferent to death. Previously, I¡¯d grown numb to pain. The result was that brash decision¡­ the decision to face off with the Devil. With a sigh, the doctor grabbed my arm, smeared it with alcohol and thrust the syringe into me. She took advantage of a slight bit of carelessness to draw blood with a practiced hand.


    ¡°Oww!¡± ¡°They say carelessness is one¡¯s greatest enemy. Sit still for a bit.¡±


    At that point, I had several tests done. A blood exam, a magic power exam, and finally an eye exam. At the end of it, she seemed to mull over the results for a bit.


    ¡°So, how about it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ve pretty much got it.¡± ¡°Then! What is it?¡± ¡°Probably Magic Buildup Disease.¡± ¡°Magic Buildup Disease?¡±


    Apparently even Cortina, with her extensive knowledge, hasn¡¯t heard of it. Judging by the sound of it, an excess build-up of magic power was the cause?


    ¡°It¡¯s a result of storing too much magic power inside the body. In other words, you¡¯re building up more magic power than you can handle.¡± ¡°So, how do we fix it?¡±


    I urged her to keep exining. Now that I knew the cause of my poor health, I felt impatient.


    ¡°Ordinarily, people have a bnce between their build-up of magic power and their release rate of it. However, that¡¯s not the case with you.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°It rarely happens in children, and normally as they grow up, their ability to release magic increases, so the symptoms naturally abate and eventually disappear as the child matures.¡± ¡°Mhm, mhm!¡±


    ¡°In your case, the difference is too great to wait until you reach adulthood. You¡¯re storing up so much up until you pass out and then bncing it out by releasing it slowly during your fainting spells.¡± ¡°Hm, hmm?¡±


    ¡°This kid is too cute. Let me have her a bit.¡± ¡°No way.¡±


    The doctor suddenly turned toward me while I clenched my fist listening to her talk. While I waspletely lost in thought, Cortina quickly blocked the doctor.


    ¡°At any rate, if this goes on it¡¯ll be dangerous.¡± ¡°Dangerous? She just has to expel excess mana in her sleep no?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no immediate threat to her life. The rate of release is greater during her fainting spells than during normal times.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the limitation. She¡¯s more likely to increase her absorption rate than her release rate. If it keeps up she may spend all day passed out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    I¡¯m still young so it¡¯s manageable right now. But if this keeps going it¡¯ll only get worse over time.


    ¡°Can you fix it?¡± ¡°Nothing can¡¯t be cured. In short, everything will be fine if we just increase her rate of release by a greater degree.¡± ¡°If we could just do that, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess,¡± Cortina said with a look that seemed to scream ¡°What the hell are you even saying right now¡±. She too was frustrated by her magical release rate. You could say her small rate of release was a major problem for her, so she knew full well the difficulties involved.


    ¡°Normally speaking, you only improve it by constant training and natural growth. However, there is just a wonder drug for this.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    Saying that, the doctor gave us a sickly sweet smile.

 Chapter 64: How to Increase Release Rate

    <h4>Chapter 64: How to Increase Release Rate</h4>


    As she started to tell us about a medicine that shouldn¡¯t possibly exist, she had a look that just screamed, ¡°what¡¯ll you do?¡± It¡¯s obvious she enjoyed watching our reactions.


    ¡°Hold up, wait a sec Tricia! I haven¡¯t heard of a thing like that!¡± ¡°¡­Did I say there was only a single option?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡± ¡°Well, which is it!?¡±


    Seeing Cortina being led around by the nose makes me feel like thisdy doc Tricia and her are pretty close. Before Cortina, most of the other teachers get tense, but she seems prettyid back around her. Theirck of tension with each other suggests they have been getting along each day.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are other ways can raise your ability to release magic.¡± ¡°Does that mean there are other options? Apprentice magicians would be all over them if so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. As far as I know, there are three options.¡± ¡°T-E-L-L M-E!¡±


    With that Cortina started to wring Tricia¡¯s neck. She too would have liked to raise her ability to release magic so that information was something she¡¯d be interested in by any means.


    ¡°Guh¡­ C- Calm down! ¡®Kay? Well first off, ifmon sense fails you, just rely on something beyondmon sense.¡± ¡°What kinda thing?¡± ¡°Frankly, a god.¡± ¡°As if that¡¯s an option!¡±


    No, no, it is. I mean, there¡¯s a god just casually walking around. Actually, Michelle¡¯s got a giant bow gifted to her from said goddess strapped to her back.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not really a feasible option. So how about the second one?¡± ¡°You sure like to drag this on, out with it already!¡± ¡°So impatient. What, did you already miss your marriageable age? Oh, right, it flew on past didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oi, You! You sure know how to twist the knife¡­¡± ¡°Calm down already. Option two is to take a paranormal being into yourself.¡± ¡°A paranormal being?¡± ¡°Specifically, you could say a dragon.¡± ¡°Bfft!?¡±


    Cortina spurted out at that, but it made sense from the way the conversation was going. Dragons are the most paranormal beings you could think of, among them Evil Dragon Colchis, Magic Dragon Fafnir, and Holy Dragon Bahamut have power akin to the gods. As for taking in their power¡­


    ¡°You mean, to eat their flesh?¡± ¡°Miss Nicole¡¯s got the right idea.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t handle taking another one of those things down. Never again. They can even melt boulders you know?¡± ¡°But having defeated one didn¡¯t you bring back some materials from it?¡± ¡°If you put it that way¡­¡±


    Though at the end there, Colchis basically self-destructed, there was no way we could salvage any meat.


    The best we could do was take the horns, scales, fangs, ws, and skin. These were all distributed amongst us and kept in our private stashes which we didn¡¯t even tell each other. Though it¡¯d certainly be possible to consume it if you ground it up into a fine powder.


    ¡°Even so, that option is impossible. When ites to the evil dragon, it¡¯s too strong. There¡¯s no way of knowing what would happen if you ingest it. Worst case, you die, actually that¡¯s the most likely scenario.¡± ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t want patients to take such risks either. Which brings us to option three.¡± ¡°Geez¡­ you¡¯re really milking this aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°And without further ado. This much is fine right. The third option is to drink the nectar of a Queen Blossom.¡± ¡°Queen Blossom¡­ The superior variant of a Treant huh?¡±


    Cortina started to contemte with her hand on her chin.


    Queen Blossom, also called the evolved form of a Treant, even above an Elder Treant, is the only flowering monster of the dead-tree-like Treant species. The seeds it makes grow into new Treants. But it¡¯s a rare monster that few have ever actually encountered.


    ¡°The sightings of one is so rare, isn¡¯t that just hopeless too?¡± ¡°On the contrary. In this country called Raum where the Elves make their home in the forest, treants are hardly rare monsters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. And they¡¯re not all that aggressive either, so there aren¡¯t subjugation requests for them¡­ Wait, there¡¯s a lot of them?¡± ¡°Yes. As expected, your judgment¡¯s good. An area where Treants propagate inrge quantities will be sure to have a Queen Blossom, and Raum has arge amount of Treants. In other words¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a Queen Blossom within Raum¡­¡±


    The kingdom of Raum which is uniquely located in a forest is a ce where many nt type monsters exist. nt type monsters are much moremon here than in other countries.


    Moreover, since Treants show no hostility, they¡¯re not priority targets for subjugation, there are more dangerous monsters that have to be taken down first. Because of that, there are a variety of passive nt type monsters in this country. For example, the Alraune, Treant, or Dryad. In other words, this country is a perfect haven for a Queen Blossom.


    ¡°Certainly, this country is the perfect nesting ce for it, it¡¯s not even funny.¡±


    Immediately after Cortina mutters that¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say~!¡±


    And then the door to the infirmary was thrown open with a loud thunk.

 Chapter 65: Gramps Barges In

    <h4>Chapter 65: Gramps Barges In</h4>


    The pane of viewing ss in the door cracked with the force of the door being mmed open. Simultaneously, both Michelle and Letina jumped up, apparently surprised by the noise. The one recklessly doing opening the door was the bearded old fart, Maxwell.


    ¡°Ch-Chairman? What brings you here!?¡± (Tricia) ¡°Hmph, I heard you were going to check every nook and cranny of Lyell¡¯s daughter.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°What¡¯s with that lewd phrasing? Also, it¡¯s rare seeing you leave your office, but please don¡¯t break the door.¡± (Cortina) ¡°If you keepining you¡¯ll just get more wrinkles.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°You wanna die!?¡± (Cortina)


    Maxwell busted into the infirmary gently riling up Cortina while he was at it. I heaved a sigh knowing gramps was just going to rouse up more trouble.


    Maxwell just rudely makes himself at home sliding open a cab to grab some tea leaves. Michelle and Letina just looked on astonished with their mouths agape.


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be so surprised about, they oftene here to rx.¡± (Tricia) ¡°Is¡­ that so?¡± (Nicole) ¡°If they¡¯re seen outside it causes quite a stir, so they juste here instead.¡± (Tricia) ¡°Honestly, you make me sound like some timid old fart.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°You¡¯re a part of this country¡¯s royal family, how about you take notice!?¡± (Cortina)


    Hearing Maxwell starts to quarrel with Cortina, I took the chance to speak to him, knowing from past experience, if left alone they¡¯d just keep going on.


    ¡°So what brings you here?¡± (Nicole) ¡°Hm. For now. C¡¯mere Nicole.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Huh?¡± (Nicole)


    I trudged along towards Maxwell who had called me while setting down his cup and pulling out a chair, before he sat himself down and picked me up.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not fair, I thought that was for me.¡± (Nicole) ¡°Firste, first served.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Um¡­ So anyway¡­¡± (Nicole) ¡°Ah. If it¡¯s about the Queen Blossom, there should be one in the southern forest.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Seriously!?¡± (Nicole)


    I looked up at Maxwell from hisp. Being able to grasp the whereabouts of rare species, as expected of royalty.


    ¡°Treants aren¡¯t said to be hostile but they are still monsters. Moreover, there are many of them. Now, what would you do if by some chance they rose in revolt? Wanting to keep up with the current state of things is natural.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Well, that is certainly true. The Queen Blossom is said to have intelligence, so leading the treants ispletely within the realms of possibility.¡± (Cortina) ¡°The Queen Blossom probably won¡¯t revolt if we don¡¯t mess with them, but if we¡¯re trying to steal the nectar¡­¡± (Maxwell) ¡°That seems like it¡¯d be a trigger for a revolt. It¡¯s supposed to be intelligent right, so maybe we could negotiate with it.¡± (Cortina) ¡°Since you don¡¯t have any backings, the odds of that are pretty slim.¡± (Maxwell)


    Simrly to me, Cortina doesn¡¯t have any particr backing. Gadius, Lyell, and Maria each had ties to higher-ups in the country, however, Cortina and I don¡¯t have such ties. In Cortina¡¯s case, she was deeply involved with the military, but when she left her country, that power became ineffective.


    ¡°Even if I say we need a backing, it¡¯s not such a grand thing as that, we just need a few people. This is why personal connections are important.¡± (Maxwell)


    Saying that, Maxwell tried to p his chest. Seeing as my head was currently there, I grabbed his fist in defense right before he hit me.


    ¡°And so, I figured I¡¯d go face the Queen Blossom!¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Huuuh? What are you going to do about the academy?¡± (Cortina) ¡°About that, I¡¯ve been meaning to leave it since the beginning, it¡¯ll work itself out.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°No way, no how! There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll head to battle.¡± (Cortina) ¡°These kinds of moments are what we live for.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°We¡¯re both rearguards!¡± (Cortina)


    Cortina and Maxwell both are basically frail on the battlefield. If negotiations with the Queen Blossom break down, then they likely won¡¯t be able to withstand the full brunt of its attacks.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only problem, the Queen Blossom¡¯s nectar must be processed into medicine on the spot and administered as quickly as possible. That means¡­¡± (Tricia) ¡°It means Nicole will also need to be at the site¡­¡± (Maxwell) ¡°That¡¯s right. So a strong vanguard will need to be there to protect us huh?¡± (Cortina) ¡°Then we should call on Lyell, since it¡¯s for his daughter¡¯s sake, he¡¯ll jump at the chance.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°That¡¯d mean Maria would also be joining, wouldn¡¯t that be too many rearguards?¡± (Cortina) ¡°Hmm¡­ Should we get Gadius in on this?¡± (Maxwell)


    A hero who was a defensive specialist who hailed from the Matara Alliance on the eastern continent. A master of defense capable of skillfully deflecting all types of attacks.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± (Cortina)


    In this case, he¡¯s perfectly qualified. However, Cortina looks grim. It seems that the pair haven¡¯t fixed up the issues from ten years ago.


    Taking me to the scene of my death. That was something Gadius didn¡¯t know about, and a situation Cortina could do nothing about. Laying the responsibility for it at Gadius¡¯ feet was irrational, and she herself knew that.


    However, emotions aren¡¯t so easy to control. And because Gadius knows, he keeps away from her himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re still going on with that? Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t get it, but¡­ well, it¡¯s not like we can leave this in someone else¡¯s hands.¡± (Maxwell)


    We¡­ No, their level as rearguards required an equally exceptionally high leveled vanguard to keep up with them. Thinking back to my death and the thought of Gadius¡¯ non-participation made me tremble in fear. For someone like us who were getting by with the bare minimum personnel, it was easy for us to fall short in terms of war potential.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight too.¡± (Nicole)


    For that reason, I nominated myself as a vanguard. In any case, it¡¯s necessary for my health that I go to the Queen Blossom. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to insist on being a vanguard from now on.


    ¡°Hoh, now that you mention it, you defeated the kidnappers before. I¡¯ve got great expectations for your future!¡± (Maxwell) ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡± (Nicole) ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d just settle down.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°G- got it¡­¡± (Nicole)


    Well, I got the response I expected. However, there were a couple who jumped on the bandwagon after my outburst.


    ¡°Me too! I¡¯m going too! If it¡¯s for Nicole¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll fight too!¡± (Michelle) ¡°I¡¯ll head out too! I¡¯m pretty confident when ites to fire magic.¡± (Letina) ¡°Ho, Hold up!?¡± (Nicole)


    It was my two friends who raised their hands. I understood Michelle¡¯s friendship and Letina¡¯s kindheartedness, but having them ask to join in danger was unexpected. As you can expect, I¡¯m not ok with this.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, this will be a real battle.¡± (Nicole) ¡°There¡¯s no way I can pretend to not know about a threat to my friend¡¯s life!¡± (Michelle) ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡± (Letina)


    It seems my objection simply caused them to get more fired up. The two clenched their fists in defiance.


    I¡¯ve started to realize Michelle could be pretty obstinate. Now that it¡¯se to this, she won¡¯t back down. And if I have to take her, I can¡¯t not take Letina. Watching their vigor, Maxwell threw his head back.


    ¡°I, I got it, I got it already, calm down.¡± (Maxwell)


    They got reluctant permission to join us. With these two added in, the total number of people needing protection bes four, including me and Tricia. That means we need more vanguards to cover us.


    ¡°Ughh¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped, can you call up Gadius?¡± (Cortina) ¡°You sure?¡± (Maxwell) ¡°We can¡¯t handle this ourselves without risk, what¡¯s more, this is as good a time as any to try and get past it.¡± (Cortina)


    Maxwell gave a satisfied smile watching Cortina shrug her shoulders so deeply. And like that, it was decided that we¡¯d take a trip to the south of Raum.

 Chapter 66: Mediation

    <h4>Chapter 66: Mediation</h4>


    And so a 9-man expedition was organized. With five heroes, us three kids, and Tricia the female doctor. But that didn¡¯t mean we¡¯d be leaving the same day. Maria and them aside, we kids still have ss and can¡¯t just take off. Since it was meant to cure my body, I¡¯d have loved to head out immediately but¡­


    ¡°Now, is there anyone who knows what this word means?¡± ¡°Me!¡± ¡°Meee!¡± ¡°Teacher, pick me!¡±


    Cortina cked on the chalkboard where she¡¯d written a word and asked the students to answer what it was. She had written ¡°Apple¡± there in this case.


    Even if they¡¯re elites, these are still children under the age of 10 after all. They need to be taught the basics of how to read and write. Of course, the ones who¡¯ve had an elite education since their early years will already know how to read, but not everyone does, so these kinds of sses have to be included in the curric.


    And so, my homeroom teacher Cortina was teaching themon continentalnguage, but that was so tedious since I¡¯d already learned it. Despite that¡­


    ¡°Alright then, Nicole.¡± ¡°Aww, again?¡± ¡°You¡¯re top of the ss, so why don¡¯t you show us how it¡¯s done?¡±


    Cortina kept calling on me for every little thing. Thanks to my grades, I seem to be misunderstood throughout the school as an excellent new student with a frail body. Well, they¡¯re not wrong about the frail body bute on¡­


    I stood up from my seat, hurried to answer and sat back down quickly. Each time this happened my skirt would flutter around and it¡¯d feel incredibly ufortable. In the vige, I¡¯d gotten used to wearing the fairly long skirts that weremon there. Because of that, I was having trouble getting used to the short skirts used with the school uniform, or rather, Finia seems to be trying to put on shorter and shorter skirts to further emphasize the absolute territory1 between it and my knee socks.


    Moreover, if I try putting on spats underneath, Cortina gets upset about it. Resistance is futile as she argued with, ¡°Trying to erect another barrier under the absolute territory is absolutely not allowed.¡± Why are you so happy about seeing little girls¡¯ panties, you ????????????????????????????.


    And so, with the expedition being scheduled for the weekend, I experienced three days of fainting in P.E. and managed to survive.


    Once the weekend rolled around, we gathered at Maxwell¡¯s house. Maxwell is also able to freely use transfer magic, so he only has his gear, some water, and light provisions that he¡¯s carrying. If we need somewhere to stay, we can just return to the city whenever. He might be close to senile but his magic skill is still cheat-level.


    ¡°Well, are we all here?¡± ¡°Eh, we¡¯re just waiting on Maria and them to get here.¡±


    Cortina¡¯s expression soured while saying that. It¡¯s been decided that Gadius would join for this expedition. It¡¯s not like she personally hates him, they fought off death for countless years before, so there¡¯s no way they hate each other. The only problem is her own emotions, but just that is a significant hurdle.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°Hrm? Sort of, it¡¯s not like I hate him.¡±


    I put my hand on her back when I asked and she forced a smile at me with her reply. Just then, a light from the transfer magic appeared and three people¡¯s silhouettes appeared in it. Needless to say, it was Lyell and Maria, and Gadius.


    Maria ran to hug me as soon as she saw me. Lyell, who waste to the party, wasining helplessly behind her.


    ¡°Are you doing ok, Nicole?¡± ¡°Mama, we just saw each otherst night.¡±


    After learning Teleport, Maria has beening back and forth from the vige to see me every night. Even though Interference Magic is supposed to be exhausting on your magic reserves, she¡¯s fine even with carrying Lyell around with her, as expected, this much is nothing to her.


    In contrast to our happy little family, the air around Gadius and Cortina was tense.


    ¡°Ah, umm.. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Eh, yeah. You look well too.¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m a dwarf I¡¯ve got a long life and a sturdy body, ain¡¯t easy to drop dea¡­ah, about that¡­¡±


    Death reminds everyone of me, sensing that, Gadius starts mumbling uncharacteristically. An obstinate dwarfkin who is as caring as this guy is a rare sight to be seen. Looking at Gadius, Cortina takes in a deep breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to apologize for my sake. I was the one being emotional back then, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s also my fault that you were expecting an easy investigation.¡± ¡°It was just a request to investigate after all, it was our fault for packing light and not being prepared.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s agree that we both failed to consider the possibility.¡±


    Gadius stretches out his right hand while making a wry face with deep wrinkles. For a dwarf, he¡¯s a bit out there, but he¡¯s not a petty guy by any means. In fact, he¡¯s quite sensible and is often misunderstood for it, but he¡¯s a reliable guy.


    ¡°Oh well. About Reid¡­ It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t forget about him anymore, but I can¡¯t leave behind my feelings.¡± ¡°Hmph. Seems like the new generation¡¯s already here.¡±


    As he said that, Gadius looked my way. The second generation of heroes. In other words, they want me to be their sessor¡­ As the person in question I should take advantage of this.

 Chapter 67: Collapse of Identity

    <h4>Chapter 67: Copse of Identity</h4>


    Since we have two users of Transfer Magic, each of us is packing light. Most of us are carrying water and light afternoon snacks in the form of preserved foods. In the first ce, this isn¡¯t supposed to be a protracted battle so it¡¯s to be expected.


    ¡°Well then¡­¡± munch munch ¡°Shall we get going?¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Stop talking while you¡¯re eating dried meat. As carefree as ever aren¡¯t you.¡± (Cortina) ¡°With this group gathered up, what could go wrong?¡± (Maxwell)


    Cortina yed the straight man as Maxwell started chanting the Teleportation spell while munching on dried meat. Lyell and the others looked on with nostalgic eyes. For us who had moved to this city, it had be a daily scene, but for them, it¡¯d been 17 years since they got to see this kind of scene y out.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it right away?¡± (Nicole) ¡°I suppose. Seeing it almost daily it bes pretty nostalgic after a while.¡± (Maria)


    Maria mumbles emotionally while holding onto me. It seems she felt considerably guilty for causing the party to disband. Maxwell started exining the n moving forward, clearly unaware of our mood. Well, being unable to read the room is his special ability.


    ¡°After this, we¡¯ll be in the southern forest where the Queen Blossom is believed to be, we¡¯ll go by foot after teleporting in.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°Is it impossible to go directly to the target?¡± (Lyell)


    Lyell was the first to react to his statement. Previously, Lyell and Gadius hadined about the humidity in the forest, this time they were even d in body armor made from the evil dragon¡¯s scales, so they had issues with breathability. Hearing that we¡¯d be going through the forest by foot, I nodded along with a reluctant scowl.


    ¡°There are treants as well, can¡¯t just carelessly go around there. In the first ce, I¡¯m limited to ces I¡¯ve been to before.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°That may be but¡­ the middle of the forest¡­¡± (Lyell) ¡°It¡¯s so muggy.¡± (Gadius) ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. You¡¯re from Matara after all.¡± (Maxwell)


    The Matara Alliance. A country in the eastern continent with steep mountains and the sea with many wide harbors; it was a very humid country. Gadius who hailed from there should be pretty resistant to the heat.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s any less ufortable.¡± (Gadius) ¡°You guys have it easy. In my case, I¡¯ll have my hair clinging onto me tightly.¡± (Cortina) ¡°Shave then.¡± (Gadius) ¡°Shave the prided tail hair of a catkin!? You¡­ Just you wait. I¡¯ll shave that beard of yours.¡± (Cortina) ¡°I won¡¯t let you shave a dwarf¡¯s identity! The beard is the dwarf, the dwarf is the beard!¡± (Gadius)


    And with that, Gadius and Cortina started to try to grab onto each other¡¯s tail and beard. This too was a nostalgic scene that we hadn¡¯t seen in 17 years. Lyell jumped in to arbitrate here.


    ¡°Now now, I know tensions are high after so long, but we¡¯re right about to head out¡­¡± (Lyell) ¡°Don¡¯t act like it¡¯s other people¡¯s problems. Lyell let me shave you too!¡± (Cortina) ¡°Where!?¡± (Lyell) ¡°Your head.¡± (Cortina) ¡°Ehh. I don¡¯t wanna go bald. I¡¯ve already started to thin out recently.¡± (Lyell) ¡°What? Lyell, you¡¯re already balding? Really?¡± (Maria)


    As Maria replied in shock, Cortina started jumping up and down trying to get a look at the top of Lyell¡¯s head. Despite looking young, Lyell¡¯s already approaching 50, unlike the long-lived dwarves or catkin, his age has already begun to show. Maria who doesn¡¯t show any signs of aging is the abnormal one here.


    ¡°Somehow¡­ this isn¡¯t anything like I¡¯d expected,¡± Letina muttered while watching the noisy heroes. ¡°Hm? What is?¡± (Nicole)


    For Letina whose ideal of the heroes was a taciturn group who couldmunicate through their eyes, the scene in front of her must have been quite a shock. But this is the reality.


    ¡°Lye¡­ Papa, is a pretty hopeless father.¡±


    While being held in Maria¡¯s hands like a doll, I point to Lyell with a snap and say as such. Sure, that guy¡¯s a dependable ally in battle, but around the house, forget about it. Because he¡¯s always on call to help subjugate monsters around the vige, he spends very little time with us, let alone fixing things up around the house. We understand that he loves us, but he has a ?????? way of showing it. After a long time of not seeing each other, he¡¯ll smother us and fact is, it¡¯s too overwhelming for me.


    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be the case though? Look, he seems friendlier than expected, surely he¡¯s pretty popr¡­¡±


    At my blunt statement, Letina tries to gloss over it with a hasty defense, but without firsthand knowledge, it¡¯s flimsy at best and she breaks off towards the end. Meanwhile, Michelle is frantically holding back herughter at watching a sight-unseen back in the vige.


    ¡°Hey now, could we drop it already? It¡¯s about time we get going, it¡¯ll be dark before long.¡± (Maxwell) ¡°It¡¯s still morning, Maxwell. Could it be you¡¯ve finally gone senile?¡± (Maria) ¡°Maria, for even you to say that¡­¡± (Maxwell)


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t hide his shock at the rare barb from Maria. But I know, amongst us, the most wicked one is definitely Maria.


    ¡°Well fine. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll open the ¡¸Gate¡¹.¡±


    The burden of magic power for Teleport, which interferes with a person¡¯s individual location data is too high for such arge group, so instead, it seems Maxwell is using Gate, which interferes with the ground¡¯s location data instead. It¡¯s not like he couldn¡¯t use Teleport with 9 people with his level of magic power but it¡¯s better to use less if possible.


    Thin silver fluctuations appear on the ground as proof of the ¡°Gate¡± being opened. At this point, Lyell jumped in, followed by Cortina, Maria, and then Maxwell.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go inst, you lot hurry in.¡± (Gadius) ¡°Um, got it.¡± (Nicole)


    Gadius is thest one as usual. Lyell is the first to head in to deal with any threats. Next is Cortina to gather intel and make snap judgments. Then to help Lyell out if he runs into trouble Maria goes. The order is decided with that in mind. Gadius isst in to avoid putting theteers at risk.


    Their teamwork hasn¡¯t changed in all these years. Michelle, Letina, and Tricia jump in one after the other, finally it¡¯s my turn and Gadius follows close behind. And like that, we finally reached the southern forest of Raum.

 Chapter 68: The Southern Forest

    <h4>Chapter 68: The Southern Forest</h4>


    The scene instantly changed once I jumped into the Gate. Even though it¡¯s still April, the heat is so stuffy. The humidity causes the heat to feel like it¡¯s coiling around your skin. A grassy smell pricks the nose, an unpleasant smell of verdure. Maxwell who came before us checked to confirm everyone had arrived before speaking, ¡°The area around the Queen Blossom should be stable, with no dangerous monsters around since she controls the whole ecosystem.¡± ¡°Hrmmm¡­.¡±


    While listening to his speech I strain my ears.


    ¡°Gyaaaa!¡± ¡°Kukekeeke! Kukekeke!¡± ¡°Ssshagyagya!¡±


    The voices of ferocious beasts are heard around us with tremors reverberating here and there amongst them. The tall trees blocking off the sunlight coupled with the dim view around us made it seem like a peaceful forest.


    ¡°Maxwell, no matter how you slice it, there¡¯s no Queen Blossom here.¡± (Nicole) ¡°¡­that can¡¯t be.¡± (Maxwell)


    As I point it out, Maxwell hangs his head dejectedly. If there was a Queen Blossom here and it had garnered control of the ecosystem, there¡¯s no way we should be hearing the sounds of monsters fighting each other like this.


    ¡°Perhaps we should take the time to search. The four nobatants group up in the center. I¡¯ll take point with Cortina following behind, Maria and Maxwell take the right and left.¡± (Lyell) ¡°I¡¯ll cover the rear as usual.¡± (Gadius) ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you Gadius.¡± (Lyell)


    Lyell quickly gave out orders. Previously, I¡¯d be standing next to him instead of Cortina as I searched for traps, but since I¡¯m not there anymore, Lyell has to take point on his own.


    ¡°Why is Gadius, the strongest defensive fighter in the rear?¡± (Letina) ¡°Oh, that¡¯s bec¡­¡± (Cortina) ¡°In case of a rear attack. Because in areas with poor visibility like a forest, an attack from behind is far more dangerous.¡± (Nicole)


    Letina questioned the party¡¯s arrangement. Simr to many newbies. It looked like Cortina was about to exin but I took the lead and finished her statement.


    ¡°Huh?¡± (Letina) ¡°Wild animals will be wary of strong opponents so they¡¯ll almost never strike head-on. You¡¯ll need to prioritize your nks and rear instead.¡± (Nicole) ¡°I seee.¡± (Michelle)


    Letina and Michelle looked on in awe. Oi, hold up.


    ¡°Michelle, you¡¯re a hunter, so didn¡¯t you already know?¡± (Nicole) ¡°I never knew the reason for it though.¡± (Michelle) ¡°Did you coast through it?¡± (Nicole)


    Seems her honest personality made her absorb the theory her dad taught her without understanding the reason for it, which is a bad habit to get into since it prevents you from adapting to new situations.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, that¡¯s a bad habit to get into, also watch out,¡± when Cortina said that, I unsheathed the katana on my back and¡­ tried to do a single strike. However, Cortina¡¯s long staff came flying faster. My reaction speed was faster, but her attack speed outstripped mine.


    ¡°Unnecessary!¡± (Cortina) ¡°Wha!?¡± (Letina)


    With a loud bang, a red ssh scattered about. A single snake was coiled around a branch ready tounch a strike at Letina, but Cortina splendidly crushed its head in.


    ¡°Like this, there¡¯s all manner of danger in a forest.¡± (Cortina) ¡°Even so, Cortina aside¡­ Nicole was it? Your reaction was quite fast, littledy.¡± (dius) ¡°That¡¯s right. It startled me to see you start to move before I did.¡± (Cortina)


    Originally, it was my role to scout, so I was very wary of my surroundings. It¡¯s rare to get the drop onhttps://.yourdictionary/get-the-drop-on">1 wildlife. In the case of the vultures, it was easier because they had to swoop in from out of range, but¡­ putting aside Letina¡¯s safety, was it bad to move carelessly here?


    ¡°Umm, I often go into the forest with Michelle.¡± (Nicole) ¡°Speaking of, you¡¯re always the first to spot prey. You spot it before me, quietly sneak up and bring it down in a single strike.¡± (Michelle) ¡°Hmm, showing up Michelle who is a hunter, you show great promise.¡± (Cortina) ¡°She might have talent in scouting. Who does she remind you of?¡± (dius) ¡°Nicole is prettypetent.¡± (Maria)


    Maria puffed her chest out in pride upon hearing Gadius and Cortina praise me. I appreciated thepliments, but paying too much attention to me risks exposing my identity. As I was considering how to change subjects, I sensed slight tremors in the ground.


    ¡°Hm?¡± (Nicole)


    The tremors kepting with regrity unlike the continuous shaking of an earthquake. Clearly, this was from arge beast walking along the ground. I¡¯d felt something simr before and while I was racking my mind trying to decide whether I should report it or not, Lyell picked up on the vibrations.


    ¡°Silence, seems we got an enemy approaching. And it¡¯s not a snake this time¡­ it¡¯s a big one.¡±


    While being vignt for the enemy, Lyell drew his holy sword, ready to attack. In addition, Gadius moved up to set up his shield at the front of the party. While smashing the remarkablyrge trees aside, itsrge build finally entered our field of vision. What popped out after mowing down many forest trees was a giant with mes covering its body¡­ A Fire Giant.

 Chapter 69: The True Power of the Heroes

    <h4>Chapter 69: The True Power of the Heroes</h4>


    A giant of fire¡­ in other words, a Fire Giant appeared and let out a voiceless battle cry. It¡¯s a monster that should have some semnce of intelligence, however, it seems there¡¯s no room for discussion here.


    Fire Giants live around volcanic areas and thus have a high resistance to fire. On the contrary, it¡¯s capable of spitting up something akin to dragon breath and has a high offensive ability. It has a short temper and slight intelligence so rarely can you peacefullypromise with one. With a body towering over five meters it¡¯s, in a word, strong, and can smash through boulders with a single swing of its arm.


    When one appears, half-baked adventurers would be no match for it. A dangerous monster that even requires the dispatch of a nation¡¯s military. That is a Fire Giant.


    Arge body piercing the heavens. Before its majestic appearance, Gadius said dejectedly, ¡°What, it¡¯s just a Fire Giant?¡±


    ¡°I thought it¡¯d be an Earth Dragon with all that rumbling, what a shame.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need a strategy for this. Just beat it head-on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if I sit out, right?¡±


    Lyell also let out his frustration and let his sword limply hang down. Cortina abandoned all thought and Maxwell sat down on a nearby rock.


    ¡°¡­You guys, take this a little more seriously.¡±


    Seeing everyone else start to ck off, I retorted at the scene in a tone simr to my past life, luckily it didn¡¯t reach anyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Wha, What is¡­ Why¡¯s a fire giant here? It¡¯s too much for humans to handle¡­.¡± ¡°We have to hurry, let¡¯s run you guys.¡±


    Letina and Michelle were trembling while holding onto each other. Dr. Tricia meanwhile fell down and couldn¡¯t back up out of fear. Well, that¡¯s a perfectly normal reaction. A cmity beyond an ordinary person¡¯s ability to deal with. That¡¯s what a Fire Giant is.


    ¡°However, we¡¯re not normal people,¡± I muttered to myself. As if to prove my point, Lyell and Gadius started to approach the Fire Giant as if they were just taking a carefree stroll. The giant inhaled sharply in order to prepare its fire breath while being cautious of the two who showed it no fear.


    Between them, or rather on the part of the giant, the thread of tension grew taut. On the other hand, Lyell tried to stifle a yawn. That seemed to anger the giant and it screamed in rage as it spits out mes, ¡°Bwuoooooooooh!¡±


    Before the mes could reach Lyell, Gadius stepped forward and intercepted them with his shield. The shield repelled the breath from them and caused it to branch out. The breath pushed on towards us without losing any power, but just before we were engulfed in mes, Maria activated her spell with a few words.


    ¡°Holy Jail.¡±1


    A spell that created a cage of light to surround us. A cage thatpletely isted the inside and outside, Maria¡¯s strongest defensive spell that had previously protected us from the evil dragon¡¯s breath. Despite being surrounded by mes, we never felt a shred of heat from the inside of Maria¡¯s spell.


    Eventually, the giant¡¯s breath ran out and the fire breath stopped. At that point, Lyell stepped in. Fire beath is still just a breath, once you run out of air, it¡¯s impossible to keep it up. That doesn¡¯t mean the giant can¡¯t attack though. The Fire Giant still has his massive arms.


    As the giant swings down his fist, Lyell steps in. He even casually dodges the rocks fired off from the impact until he¡¯s right under him. With a single sh, Lyell attacks the giant in passing. After a single moment¡¯s dy, blood sprays from behind the giant¡¯s knee.


    ¡°Gwuaaaah!?¡±


    The giant is stripped of the tendon behind his knee and loses the function of one of his legs. With a scream, the giant lost his posture and used a hand to break his fall. But while being on one hand and knee, he¡¯s got his head slumped over towards the ground. At that, Gadius leaped at the chance and swung down his Great Axe.


    There was a heavy thunk as the steel collided with hard bone.


    With that, blood sttered showily from the giant¡¯s head. But Gadius isn¡¯t an attacker. He couldn¡¯t bring down a giant in a single strike. Even so, the wound was hemorrhaging profusely and the blood spray was blocking its vision.


    With its limited field of view, the giant swung its fist at Gadius who had inflicted a severe wound on it, but Gadius easily deflected the blow.


    ¡°Hmph, this much don¡¯tpare to the Evil Dragon.¡±


    Normally, that blow would¡¯ve crumpled a person¡¯s body, but to Gadius, it was like a gentle breeze, and the giant¡¯s stance was broken. At this point, Lyell came back for another pass and took a single swing.


    After a single moment¡¯s dy, the giant¡¯s head fell off from its body.


    ¡°G-Gwuooooh?¡±


    The giant let out a dumbfounded roar at the sudden attack from behind after its head rolled onto the ground. The reason being that Lyell¡¯s attack was so swift and sharp it didn¡¯t even know what hit him.


    ¡°Well, that about does it.¡±


    Lyell gave the holy sword a swing to clean off the blood before sheathing it. Gadius did simrly to his axe before hanging it up on his back.


    These two lopped a monster¡¯s head off, one that normally required the dispatch of the military, as easily as if they were taking candy from a baby.


    The fire giant was not a monster that can be defeated so easily, its skin is hard, it has an abundance of strength, and honestly getting it to take a knee is difficult. But thanks to the holy sword¡¯s sharpness and Lyell¡¯s skill, it was easy enough.


    ¡°Th-this is¡­. For a fire giant to be¡­.¡±


    Finally regaining her senses, Dr. Tricia screamed out, but knowing Lyell and Gadius¡¯s skills, this is within my expectations.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t that strange. It¡¯s Lyell after all. Moreover, if Reid was here, it¡¯d never have been able to approach.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ If he were here, he¡¯d have cut its legs and prevented its movement before it got near us.¡±


    That¡¯s true, I could probably have cut its Achilles tendon by tying it with thread. After that, I¡¯d be free to do as I pleased with it.


    ¡°So this is the true power of the six heroes¡­ It¡¯s far beyond what I could have imagined¡­¡±


    Hearing Dr. Tricia¡¯s impressions, Michelle and Letina nodded along in agreement.

 Chapter 70: Friendship Between Girls?

    <h4>Chapter 70: Friendship Between Girls?</h4>


    After steamrolling the Fire Giant, the five heroes were raring to get on the move again, but Dr. Tricia still couldn¡¯t move on her own after her fall earlier. Isn¡¯t it a show of her willpower that she didn¡¯t wet herself identally? Michelle and Letina were also panic-stricken but they seem to have lost grasp of themselves.


    ¡°Wai, hold it¡­ my back¡­¡± ¡°Ehh, guess it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡±


    While the others were still confused, I went to go lend a shoulder to Dr. Tricia, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen in the future so the five heroes need to keep their hands free. That means the only ones who could lend Dr. Tricia a hand were us students.


    ¡°Th-thanks, Ni.. cole?¡± ¡°You can call me whatever you¡¯d like.¡±


    Dr. Tricia put her arm around my shoulders, and as she tried standing up¡­ she started crushing me. Is it impossible for me to carry an adult woman after all?


    ¡°Oooff¡± ¡°Ahh! Nicole is being pushed down by Tricia!¡±


    Seeing me get crushed under Dr. Tricia, Cortina gave out a dumb shout. And of course, the first to react was Lyell.


    ¡°What was that!? To be groping my Nicole, I¡¯m so jea- no, it¡¯s unforgivable!¡± ¡°But Dear, they¡¯re both girls.¡± ¡°All the more reason, I need to get a front-row seat!¡± ¡°¡­Dear?¡±


    Even if I couldn¡¯t see his face while being crushed, I knew that Lyell¡¯s tension quickly died down from the point of yelling with a clenched fist. Lyell took a step back while shivering, after confirming that, Maria gave Cortina an order.


    ¡°Cortina, you carry Dr. Tricia on your back, you can still direct battles like that.¡± ¡°Wait just a little mo¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing. Please carry me.¡±


    Cortina started heading towards Dr. Tricia who had quickly changed her tune just like Lyell. I knew from my past memories that when Maria used that fierce pressure, she was seriously scary. Cortina picked Tricia off me and put her on her own back, however, she was too short and the doctor¡¯s toes were dragging on the ground.


    ¡°Aww, what a disappointing back¡­ If only I could get on Lord Gadius¡¯ back.¡± ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re aiming for Gadius?¡± ¡°I mean, out of the six heroes¡­ Lord Gadius and Lord Maxwell are the only bachelors.¡± ¡°No matter how you look at it, isn¡¯t that impossible!?¡±


    Gadius is a Dwarf, and Maxwell is an elf, what¡¯s more, he¡¯s getting on in years. If you¡¯re aiming for a guy, there¡¯s no other choice than Gadius¡­ even if he¡¯s from a different race.


    ¡°Man, if only Lord Reid is still here, I¡¯d have gone after him hard.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave her behind.¡± ¡°Ju-just kidding, kidding!¡±


    Hearing that made me twitch suddenly. At the time, the nature of my work caused everyone to fear me, but could it be I¡¯m popr now? If only I¡¯d have stayed alive!


    ¡°In the first ce, when Reid died, you were only 10 years old, weren¡¯t you. That age gap is toorge.¡± ¡°Shut up you spinster.¡± ¡°Wazzat?¡±


    Despite Dr. Tricia being on her back, the two managed to skillfully pull on each other¡¯s cheeks. True though, the human doctor would have a hard time matching up with us, whether it¡¯s a dwarf, an elf, catkin, or a half-demon, our lifespans are much longer. Dwarves and catkin can live for 300 years, elvesst twice as long. Half-demons and gnomes have exceedingly long unconfirmed lifespans.


    Seeing the two pulling their cheeks like that caused Letina to finally reboot mentally. Michelle, who had been hugging her, spoke up as she came back to her senses as well.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°Hm, what is it?¡± ¡°Are we just going to leave the Fire Giant¡¯s corpse like that? I¡¯m pretty sure we could get some high-quality materials from it though.¡±


    As she said, the Fire Giant¡¯s hide could be used to make some sturdy armor. The bones that supported the giant¡¯s great frame could have several uses. For my part though, I¡¯m curious if I could use the hair as a strong wire-like weapon.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Well, skinning and disassembling a human-like monster in front of a bunch of kids¡­. As you¡¯d expect, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°And so this time, we won¡¯t be taking any Fire Giant materials ok.¡±


    Cortina and Maria both refuted the idea were standing next to each other. In other words, they¡¯re saying we¡¯re leaving the Fire Giant as-is for now for the sake of our mental health. Luckily, the Fire Giant forced most of the creatures normally living in the forest to evacuate, so we have the option ofing back for the materialster.


    Besides, because of our subjugation of the evil dragon, we¡¯re all fairly wealthy thanks to its materials, and that includes myself. If I could reach my stash, I¡¯d have enough assets to buy a small town, however that stash is located in one of the Great Three Kingdoms in the south, the Alecmarle Sword Kingdom, but I currently have no way of getting there.


    ¡°Well, with this level of material, the gear I have now is far better, and any money we get from it would just be pocket change. That said, let¡¯s get a move on.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ But this material is enough to cover several years worth of my sry¡­¡±


    Maria¡¯sment surprises Dr. Tricia, and leads her to another truth.


    ¡°Does that mean, you¡¯re also loaded?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I guess I could buy about half thend in Raum with what I got?¡± ¡°No way!? Even though you live in that raggedy ce!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call it raggedy! I just don¡¯t feel like living in thep of luxury.¡± ¡°So next time we go drinking it¡¯s your treat?¡± ¡°You¡¯re suddenly mooching!? Is friendship between girls so fickle!?¡±


    Cortina started moving while raising a racket and we three chased after her in a hurry.

 Chapter 71: Queen Blossom’s Whereabouts

    <h4>Chapter 71: Queen Blossom¡¯s Whereabouts</h4>


    We spent the next few hours loitering through the forest in search of the group of Treants. The unfortunate result, however, was that my stamina gave out before we could achieve that.


    Since we needed some break anyway and it was just the right time for lunch, we decided to settle down at the nearby rocky area and started munching on our preserved food.


    Incidentally, mine was baked grains hardened with sugar. It was hard enough to break a tooth, but I took my time to soak it with saliva and enjoyed its sweetness. Eating it took some time but it was just perfect for my small stomach.


    ¡°Still, there¡¯s really no sign of them. Are you sure they were around here, Maxwell?¡± ¡°Yes. This should be where I spotted them before.¡± ¡°¡­I just realized this, but how long before are we talking about here?¡± ¡°It should be about 40-50 years ago, I suppose?¡± ¡°That¡¯s long! This is why Elves are so¡­!¡±


    Elves, who had incredibly long lifespans among all races often had carefree personalities. Maxwell was also in his 500s already, so his sense of time was vastly different from that of a human.


    Incidentally, races with unidentified lifespans like Half-Demons and Gnomes didn¡¯t differ that much from humans in that aspect.


    That was because there were few among Half-Demons who were able to live out their lifespans due to the constant oppression and the Gnomes simply didn¡¯t have a sense for it.


    ¡°Either way, if it¡¯s a thing from 40-50 years ago, it¡¯s no wonder they are no longer here.¡± ¡°Moreover, since that Fire Giant made this area its abode, they might¡¯ve escaped somewhere else.¡± ¡°But Queen Blossom and Fire Giant are about the same rank, aren¡¯t they? And depending on how many followers she has, wouldn¡¯t she even be the stronger one?¡± ¡°Well, they are gentle in nature, after all. She probably avoided fighting.¡±


    Lyell, Maria, and Maxwell pondered on the reasons we couldn¡¯t find them. Gadius tended to keep quiet during these times, while Cortina was thinking about something on her own.


    ¡°Munch, munch¡­¡±


    The hard, baked food I was eating didn¡¯t seem like it was going to soften anytime soon. Moreover, it was meant for the adults so it was a little too big for my hands. As I held it with both hands, their conversation reached me without me particrly trying to listen to it. Both in the past and the present, I was in charge of the physical side of things, so it was not my style to butt in.


    ¡°Nicole, take this. Your hands are all sticky.¡± ¡°Mhm, thanks.¡±


    Michelle was also nibbling at her jerky, but she saw my hands getting all sticky with the melted sugar and offered me a handkerchief.


    Moreover, she was considerate enough to dampen it with water to make it easier to clean. What a fine bride she would be in the future.


    ¡°Hold on. Fire Giant might not have settled here too long ago.¡± ¡°Oh, what did you find out?¡±


    Cortina cut into their conversation while looking around. Lyell knew the importance behind her statement, so he paused their conversation and waited for her to continue.


    ¡°Think back on it. The Fire Giant appeared while smashing the trees in its path.¡± ¡°Well yeah. Given its giant body, it can hardly avoid doing that.¡± ¡°But there aren¡¯t that many fallen trees around here. If it had indeed settled in these parts, there should be far more broken trees scattered around.¡±


    As she pointed out that fact, Lyell and the rest also looked around. The dense forest obstructed the visibility around¡­ Meaning, the trees had multiplied to that degree.


    If the Fire Giantid waste to the forest, it shouldn¡¯t have been dense enough to obstruct our vision.


    ¡°True, I don¡¯t see any signs of devastation.¡± ¡°Not to mention, Fire Giants should inhabit more elevated volcanic regions. In other words, it would be too unnatural for it to settle in a forest like this.¡± ¡°Uh-huh?¡±


    We all gave a nod of consent to Cortina¡¯s point, who disyed her unchallenged expertise in the matter, while the group of ordinary citizens simply stared in puzzlement.


    Her insight was something that we, who had been with her since my previous life, had gotten all too familiar with, but for the others, she probably looked like a different person.


    ¡°In that case¡­ Could it be that it wasn¡¯t the Queen Blossom that has been driven away, but the Fire Giant instead?¡± ¡°Are you saying that the Queen Blossom has moved to the volcanic area?¡± ¡°The possibility of that is quite high.¡±


    There was only one active volcano around these parts. It was Mount Nord located further south from here.


    ¡°If she had indeed moved there, then the safety zone for the Fire Giant could only be the ce where the Queen Blossom wasn¡¯t present. In other words, her old habitat. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for the Giant toe to that decision, given its intelligence.¡± ¡°I see. Either way, there¡¯s no point in searching aimlessly for it. For now, I suppose we should confirm that conjecture.¡±


    Lyell lightly tapped on his knee and epted her suggestion. Neither Maria nor Maxwell showed any opposition to this. Naturally, Gadius was the same.


    ¡°Eeh, is it mountain climbing now?¡±


    The only one toin was Tricia, who was constantly shut inside her medical office. As she generallycked the physical exercise, the unustomed forest-trekking had her feeling groggy.


    To tell the truth, Letina and I were in a pretty tough spot ourselves. Setting aside Michelle, who habitually roamed the forest, Letina who studied magic in the town and me with my weak constitution weren¡¯t faring so well.


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Setting the problem of stamina aside, we are certainlycking some equipment to start climbing now.¡± ¡°Hmm, really? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s snowing though¡­¡± ¡°Lyell, I¡¯ve always been thinking this, but just how much of a muscle-head can you be? There are many varieties to volcanos, and the most dangerous part of them are the gases that they erupt.¡±


    Gadius,ing from the mountain district of Matara Alliance, remonstrated Lyell for his dumb statement. As he said, gases contained in smoke and such were dangerous for the climbers.


    Not to mention, the volcanos were for some reason filled with toxic elements such as sulfur or mercury. And since some gases were invisible to the eye, you might even fail to realize the danger.


    ¡°In that case, shall we return once and prepare? If I remember correctly, there should be a Magic Item that could contain gases somewhere in my residence.¡± ¡°Maxwell, you really should clean up once in a while¡­¡±


    Magic Items that could defend you from gases were quite cheap on the market. A ce called the Labyrinth was filled with such traps, so it had quite a high demand among the Adventurers.


    It went without saying for Maxwell, but even Lyell¡¯s residence had them. Cortina¡¯s too, of course.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t have enough for Nicole¡¯s group. We have to go buy some, I guess.¡± ¡°Well, then. Let¡¯s return for now and start again.¡±


    Before he even finished, he opened a Portal towards his residence. As long as one knew this Magic, camping at night would no longer be a problem for them. ordingly, It was quite a high-level Magic, but Maxwell mastered it without any problems.


    And thus, we decided to temporarily return back to Raum.

 Chapter 72: During Rest

    <h4>Chapter 72: During Rest</h4>


    We temporarily returned to Raum and restarted our preparations. We could do this because Maxwell¡¯s Portal Gate could return us to where we left off in a split second.


    We decided to take a short break in the living room that faced the garden, after which we went shopping. Lyell, Maria, and Gadius went to replenish their Items while leaving the totally exhausted Tricia and us kids behind to rest.


    Meanwhile, Cortina massaged our bodies in turns.


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s the spot. Push a little harder there.¡± ¡°Oh shut it! Leaving the kids aside, for you to fall first, aren¡¯t youcking a bit too much in exercise?¡± ¡°I belong to desk work.¡±


    Tricia was on good terms with Cortina, as usual. Despite her impudent argument, Cortina continued to carefully loosen her body muscles.


    Since we kids were fast to recover, we were currently resting while sipping on hot milk with sugar. Maxwell, on the other hand, disappeared to the warehouse.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need to prepare, Cortina?¡± ¡°Yeah, I asked Maria with it so I¡¯m good. If it¡¯s just some mask with Purify effect on it, it shouldn¡¯t cost that much.¡± ¡°Huh, I¡¯m pretty sure it costs half of my monthly sry, though¡­¡±


    This wasn¡¯t because Tricia had a particrly small sry. Purify was among the beginner Magics, but because it was so convenient, items bestowed with its effect went for quite a sum.


    It was originally a Magic to purify water, but it also held the effects to purify minor internal toxins as well as the surrounding atmosphere on a very small scale.


    It wasn¡¯t only indispensable for securing water, cleaning, and washing, but also for light detoxification, and it also allowed one to move in a toxic gas-filled environment.


    For that reason, these Magic-bestowed Items could be said to be essential tools for the Adventurers. Being profitable yet having high mortality, they changed generations quite often. Since new Adventurers kept popping into existence, so did the demand for those items. Thus their value remained unbudged.


    ¡°You should also take a good rest once you are done drinking that. We¡¯ll be climbing after this, so it¡¯ll get quite tough.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    Letina and Michelle answered with big nods. I also gave a nod of my own while bringing the cup to my mouth. Honestly speaking, Michelle and Letina aside, I¡¯m so tired I just want to sleep like this. My friends were beside me, but I didn¡¯t have any energy to y with them.


    Finishing my milk, Iid my body to rest and discussed the previous fight with my two friends. It was a familiar scene for me, but these two saw it for the first time and were very moved.


    ¡°Sir Lyell looked so cool! He sent its head with a whoosh! It only took him one swing!¡± ¡°Calm down for a bit, you are acting too immodest. Rather, Sir Gadius was even better. The way he casually shrugged off the Fire Giant¡¯s breath was amazing!¡± ¡°Ehh, Sir Lyell was the amazing one, okay?¡± ¡°Youck discipline if you only look at what¡¯s fleshy, you know?¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°Nicole, who do you think was better?¡± ¡°Ngh?¡±


    Hearing my name called out while I was half asleep made me open my eyes in confusion. While rubbing my sleepy eyes, I tried to remember their conversation that I was ignoring.


    ¡°Errr¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sir Lyell, isn¡¯t it, Nicole!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s Sir Gadius, isn¡¯t it, Nicole?¡± ¡°Ermm¡­ Cortina?¡± ¡°How did youe to that conclusion?¡±


    She urately analyzed the power between us and the opponent and judged that Lyell and Gadius would be enough for the job. Were she not there, both Maxwell and Maria would¡¯ve joined in, and overused the firepower where it was not needed.


    Among the long-term Adventurers, defeating foes with minimal battle power was an extremely important factor. But to achieve that, Cortina¡¯s presence was indispensable.


    ¡°¡­In other words, if Cortina wasn¡¯t there, they might have pointlessly showered it with Magic.¡± ¡°I suppose that is one way to look at it.¡± ¡°Nicole, you are amazing.¡±


    They started pping and praised me, but honestly speaking, I was just speaking from my past life experience. It wasn¡¯t because my insight was particrly outstanding or anything, so that act made me somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Heh, so Nicole was paying attention to where she should. You should learn from her.¡± ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m just a public-health doctor.¡±


    Cortina expressed her admiration while pping Tricia on the back of her head. Normally, someone my age couldn¡¯t understand the gravity of drawn-out fights.


    ¡°It looks quite lively here.¡±


    Meanwhile, Maxwell showed up in the garden pulling some kind of cart with him. We could see him since the living room was facing the garden. Judging from its appearance, there didn¡¯t seem to be that many items inside that cart. Wasn¡¯t using a cart to carry them a bit of an exaggeration?


    ¡°Maxwell, isn¡¯t that thing a little too big for the job?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. The luggage will only grow from now on.¡± ¡°Even if you say luggage¡­ Oh.¡±


    Cortina suddenly realized something.


    ¡°I see. You mean a Golem!¡±


    There was a Magic called Create Golem. Using a block of wood or a lump of earth as a catalyst, you could create a simple familiar. This belonged to the system called Puppetry Magic, which didn¡¯t have many practitioners.


    The reason was that the Golem¡¯s battle power was far inferior to even the user, and as it always needed to be given minute instructions, the practitioner had no time to use any other Magic. It was a technique with difficult practicality unless you could use Chantless or High-Speed Casting like Maria and Maxwell.


    Magic-Swordsmen used them in ce of vanguards or just for luggage carrying. It had no other use. But in our case, even if he nned to use the Golem to carry the cart, what was the point when there was no real luggage?


    As I was thinking that, Cortina started to exin.


    ¡°He ns to use that cart to carry Tricia and you kids.¡± ¡°Ah, I see now.¡±


    Tricia and I suffered from a severeck of stamina. There was more than enough possibility of us bing so fatigued we couldn¡¯t even defend ourselves when push came to shove. As such, Maxwell decided to let us ride the cart and carry us with the Golem.


    ¡°Thank god. We can climb with this!¡± ¡°Yayy!¡±


    The first raise such a cheerful shout wasn¡¯t me, Michelle, or Letina, but Tricia instead.

 Chapter 73: Mount Nord

    <h4>Chapter 73: Mount Nord</h4>


    After a while, the shopping group came back so we decided to once again head for the northern forest.


    Us kids and Tricia got on the cart, which was pulled by the Golem. Lyell and the rest also boarded it in turns and had lunch. They made sure to keep the cart surrounded by three people, which was a proof of their skill.


    ¡°These kinds of adventures aren¡¯t half-bad.¡°


    Cortina surveyed the surroundings while munching on her preserved food. The fewer people there were, the harder it was to keep the surroundings in check.


    However, Queen Blossoms weren¡¯t such hostile beings. If they controlled the area around the mountain, there was probably no need for such vignce.


    Before long, the green covering our surroundings disappeared, gradually reced by steep rock. At the same time, the cart started nting more and more, arousing the feeling that we were climbing the mountain. This meant that we were halfway up the mountain.


    Incessant tremor assaulted the cart, and our butts and semicircr canals started to hurt.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Nicole, again?¡± ¡°Sorry, I have motion sickness.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s no surprise given all this shaking.¡±


    The cart clunked as it advanced uphill. Being an unexplored region, there was no real road, but Lyell and others chose the path where they thought the cart could pass.


    Maria cast Cure on me since I was feeling sick. This wasn¡¯t like Heal that could only heal injuries, but also mental abnormalities. It showed a decent effect even when it came to a cart sickness like this.


    ¡°Nicole, did that help?¡± ¡°Yup. Thanks, mommy.¡±


    It made me feel kinda ufortable to be still calling Maria with mommy, but considering my age, it was more proper to do so. Seeing me in such a state, Cortina cast Levitate on the cart.


    This simple magic allowed one to float things up to several dozen centimeters from the ground, and it was mainly used to avoid pitfalls and simrnd traps. However, using it in our scenario allowed the cart to ignore the unevenness of the ground and advance smoothly, which decreased the shaking quite a bit.


    ¡°This should make it a lot easier.¡± ¡°Thanks too, Cortina.¡± ¡°No problem.¡±


    Cortina answered with a broad smile. It was the smile that had once charmed me. Realizing that my face got flushed a bit, I shifted my gaze and pretended to survey the surroundings.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had an adventure like this.¡± ¡°Such convenient fellows they are.¡±


    Tricia said something disrespectful without batting an eye. She was a rare kind of person who didn¡¯t cower before the six heroes. Perhaps that¡¯s what allowed her to share such friendship with Cortina.


    ¡°It consumes Magic Power, so I¡¯d rather not use it much.¡± ¡°It is indeed useful, but it has its drawbacks when it matters the most.¡±


    Maria and Cortina exined why she waited so long to use it. Levitate couldst long, but it consumed an appropriate amount of Magic Power.


    Moreover, while the user¡¯s mind was preupied with its control, their reaction to the sudden enemy attack might be dyed. As such, she tried to refrain from using it too much.


    But at this rate, both I and Tricia would have gotten exhausted just by riding the cart, so she had no choice but to use it.


    ¡°The view is turning smokey. I suppose it¡¯s about time we put the masks on.¡±


    Lyell who was walking at the forefront noticed the dimness ahead and gave a warning. Just as he said, it gradually turned smokey and our visibility worsened.


    We put on our respective Magic Items bestowed with Purify. Although he called it a mask, it wasn¡¯t shaped to cover the whole face, but only the mouth area.


    Given how it was almost the end of spring, wearing it made us ufortably hot, but that was hardly a matter to address when we were climbing a volcano.


    ¡°It stinks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the characteristic smell of a volcano. It¡¯s bad for the body to smell it for too long.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s where this Itemes into y?¡± ¡°Michelle, you should keep this in mind too. You¡¯d have more opportunities to climb the mountain in the future.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±


    Michelle had the Gift of Marksmanship. And that had even reached the ears of the nobles in the capital of the northern alliance.


    Meaning, she could potentially be taken into the army in the future. When that time came, the knowledge she gained during this adventure would prove to be useful.


    ¡°We all have matching pairs!¡±


    She showed no concern to my warning and innocently spoke those words. They were so innocent, in fact, that it could blow away the future I was so anxious about.


    ¡°Yup. Not bad.¡±


    Lyell, Gadius, Maria, Maxwell, Cortina. Tricia, Michelle, Letina¡­ And finally, me.


    Everyone found it bothersome to return to their houses for those Items, so we just bought the same one for all of us. It gave us a sense of solidarity, different from being in a party.


    I responded to Michelle with a smile¡­ but that¡¯s when I noticed it.


    ¡°There¡­ Something¡¯s there!?¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    Cortina was the first to react to my shout. Instead of questioning me, she decided to inspect the surrounding presences and noticed what was out of ce.


    ¡°True¡­ Maxwell, release the Golem.¡± ¡°On it!¡±


    Maxwell followed her instructions and immediately called off the Golem. He then set up his staff and took a stance to be able to cast Magic at moment¡¯s notice. Cortina and Maria also jumped down from the cart and remained alert.


    ¡°They are there¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, we are surrounded.¡±


    Lyell and Gadius also set up their respective weapons and inspected the surroundings. As if to respond to their reaction, a giant shadow stepped out from the mist.


    Aberrations with the withered tree-like physiques that gave off humanoid impressions¡ªTreants had surrounded us.

 Chapter 74: Encountering the Queen Blossom

    <h4>Chapter 74: Encountering the Queen Blossom</h4>


    The Treants suddenly appeared before us. They had encircled us and were acting clearly wary. I wasn¡¯t certain about it due to smoke, but we were probably alreadypletely surrounded, making escape exceedingly difficult.


    Seeing the situation, Cortina started immediately issuing themands.


    ¡°Lyell, Gadius, prioritize defense. Protect the cart!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Right!¡±


    Lyell and Gadius moved and surrounded the cart, taking the protective formation. Maria and Maxwell also stayed alert, setting up their staves to be able to cast Magic at any time.


    The treants were just as vignt of us, raising alerted creaks.


    Their species had different ranks to them too, and their higher-ranked one was called Elder Treant. Those higher species had the ability to speak, but it wasn¡¯t so for the lower-ranked Treants.


    That said, it wasn¡¯t like they werepletely unintelligent either. They had means to express their intent, but they did that by rubbing their branches and rustling their leaves, and used that sound converse.


    However, as those sounds were impossible to be imitated by humans, the dialogue with them was well-nigh impossible. In other words¡­ If the ones surrounding us were the lower-ranked Treants, we had no means to reach mutual understanding.


    ¡°Should we force our way?¡± ¡°Not yet. Treants should be gentle by nature. For them to attack us with no reason should be out of¡­ Question?¡± ¡°Why did you word that as a question!?¡±


    Lyell retorted to Cortina whose answercked the usual confidence. But given the situation, that was only natural. If they were by themselves, they could tear through the Treants like paper, but now they had us behind.


    No, if it was just me and Michelle, there would be no problem still. After all, we had the skill to defend ourselves. But Tricia and Letina¡¯s power remained an unknown factor.


    You could say they were no more than ordinary, powerless citizens from Lyell¡¯s perspective. And fighting while burdened with such people put more pressure on you then you could imagine.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to make the first move and exterminate them?¡±


    Gadius who excelled in defense also suggested the preemptive strike. When it came to protection, his judgment was correct. But even after his suggestion, Cortina chose to keep the stalemate.


    ¡°Not yet. The Treants are also simply remaining vignt. Since they aren¡¯t attacking us, there must be a reason. Let¡¯s be careful until we find out what it is.¡± ¡°We still have some leeway if it¡¯s just protection. Besides, we came here to ask the Queen Blossom for its nectar, so I don¡¯t think we should aggravate the situation.¡±


    Maria also took Cortina¡¯s side. She fundamentally had a moderate approach to things, so even in these kinds of situations, she often chose the dialogue.


    She could remain so calm despite burdened with us because she had full confidence that her Absolute Protective Wall would never be broken.


    ¡°We came here to ask the Queen Blossom to share some of her nectar with us. We are simply here for negotiation, we have no ns to take it by force or fight you!¡±


    Cortina addressed the Treants using themon continentalnguage. The lower-ranked Treants could not understand it, but the upper-ranked ones had vocal organs and could understand themonnguage.


    She called out to them hoping that would be the case.


    ¡°Then lower your swords. It¡¯s quite absurd to ask for conversation while baring your des at us.¡±


    A loud girly voice responded to Cortina¡¯s appeal. A giant flower made its way through the Treants and walked towards us. No, to be more urate, it was a giant Treant with a flower blooming on it.


    At the center of that flower was the figure of a small girl. Even I was familiar with this characteristic appearance. So we finally met, huh, Queen Blossom.


    ¡°Queen Blossom¡­ Lower them, Lyell, Gadius.¡± ¡°Ah, huh? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Swords are no longer necessary from here on.¡±


    She was an intelligent monster, the Queen of Treants. The surrounding Treants ceased emitting threatening sounds. At the same time, Lyell sheathed his sword. Gadius too returned his ax to his back.


    ¡°Hm-hm, excellent. Now there is no need to resort to the armed might.¡± ¡°That stands true for us too. I¡¯m d we could resolve this without force.¡± ¡°Oh? Based on that wording, I take it you could trample us all if you so wished?¡± ¡°Indeed so. If we felt like it, we could blow you off along with this mountain.¡±


    Cortina responded with a meaningful smile. But indeed, if Maxwell went all-out with his Magic, he could easily erase this mountain and all. While the Queen Blossom was perplexed at her self-confidence, Cortina started introducing herself.


    ¡°I am Cortina, I have no family name. These are myrades in arms. Lyell, Gadius, Maria, Maxwell. As for the rest¡­¡± ¡°No need. To think the Heroes of Salvation woulde to visit me. You lot, return to patrolling.¡±


    With a wave of her hand, the surrounding Treants started to withdraw. Only two Treants and the Queen Blossom remained behind.


    ¡°The situation is somewhat tense in this region. We couldn¡¯t show negligence towards trespassers.¡± ¡°I thought you resided in the forest at the mountain¡¯s base¡­ Did something happen?¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ But let me hear your business first.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Cortina exined about my illness, and that we needed Queen Blossom¡¯s nectar to cure it. Meanwhile, Michelle and I started tapping our hands on the Treants.


    We had fought monsters before, but we never had an opportunity to touch them like this. Touching one without any hostility was a fresh experience even for me.


    Letina was seeing a monster for the first time, so she was panicking with her hands raised up.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s surprisingly warm?¡± ¡°You are right. I thought it would be a lot colder.¡± ¡°We are in a volcanic region, so the air temperature is high. It makes our barks appropriately warm too.¡±


    While we relentlessly tapped on their barks, the Treants courteously exined it to us. Given that they could talk, these two must have been Elder Treants.


    ¡°U-Umm¡­ That¡¯s dangerous¡­¡± ¡°Professor Tricia, why don¡¯t you try touching them? You won¡¯t know when you¡¯ll have another chance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but still!¡±


    I wonder how many times was hermon sense destroyed in this one day. Leaving us aside, Cortina was still in the middle of her negotiations.


    ¡°I see, I understand your circumstances. But unfortunately, I cannot hand it over just like that.¡±


    However, the Queen Blossom¡¯s reply was a definite no.

 Chapter 75: Negotiations

    <h4>Chapter 75: Negotiations</h4>


    Hearing the words of denial from the Queen Blossom, Cortina was momentarily stumped. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t demanding for her to hand the nectar over without conditions, for she had offered appropriatepensation.


    Money held no significance to the Treants that inhabited forests. Hence, what Cortina offered was instead a high-quality fertilizer. To be more urate, it was the corpse of the Fire Giant from before.


    Strong monsters had equally high Magic Power contained within. If they let it dpose, it would turn into a magically-rich fertilizer. For the Treants, that should¡¯ve been nothing short of a feast, a well-bnced remuneration for the nectar.


    Even so, the Queen Blossom refused the offer.


    ¡°Why is that? That should¡¯ve been an appropriatepensation¡­¡± ¡°Well, let me exin first. To start, we are currently in our multiplication season.¡±


    Multiplication of the Treants. In other words, it was a season where the Queen Blossom sprouted her seeds. There were also cases where old trees turned into Treants on a Magic-filled soil, but the increase of their ranks through that phenomenon wasn¡¯t a nned activity.


    ¡°The sprouted saplings need the nectar. I don¡¯t have enough of it to share with others.¡± ¡°But¡­ If you turn the Fire Giant¡¯s corpse into fertilizer, would it not increase the nectar production?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible to do that. However, the problem is the soil. It would barely show the desirable effect on these barrennds.¡±


    She was right. This was a high mountain area with nothing but rocks around, hardly a ce for nts to get their nourishment.


    However, the question remained. What led them toe here? To even resort to taking over the Fire Giant¡¯s habitat?


    Even I realized that inconsistency, so there was no way Cortina hadn¡¯t. Thus, she voiced that question.


    ¡°Then why here? If it¡¯s nourishment, surely the forest below had it in abundance.¡± ¡°It happened a few weeks ago, we were attacked by the thieves.¡± ¡°Thieves? In the Treant¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°Indeed. Moreover, they even took our seeds with them. For that reason, we decided to move here where we could monitor our surroundings well. It was all to protect our little ones. But due to that, the nectar is umting slower than expected.¡± ¡°If you say that, we too need your nectar to protect this girl. You understand that, right?¡±


    Cortina couldn¡¯t afford to step down here. Both sides had children¡¯s¡¯ lives at stake. Of course, it was possible to take it by force. But trampling down on someone we could converse with would leave a bad taste in our mouths.


    ¡°Both of us are acting to protect the young. However, we would rather avoid taking it by force.¡± ¡°Mgh¡­¡±


    The Queen Blossom was well aware that she was talking with powerful individuals who had in the Evil Dragon before. While she left those two Treants behind as guards, we weren¡¯t some vigers who could be subdued with just that.


    If we took a violent approach, the only fate that awaited them was a one-sided trampling.


    ¡°Wait, stop, Cortina. Such impatient isn¡¯t like you, you know?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Ah, I guess¡­?¡±


    Hearing Maxwell¡¯s casual call, she finally realized that she was at her wit¡¯s end. That was just how much importance she put on my life.


    ¡°Calm down, Cortina. Nicole¡¯s matter is naturally important, but it¡¯s nothing for you to get so worked up about, is it?¡± ¡°That may be true. I just don¡¯t want to let any of myrades die again¡­¡±


    Maria patted her shoulders and calmed her down. Her small mutter made me realize the reason behind her impatience.


    As expected, it was my death. It pressured her to ¡°not let anyone else die¡±.


    ¡°Then¡­ Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Then, the Queen Blossom offered us another proposal. She understood full well how disadvantageous her position was. If we used force, there would be nothing she could do, hence there was no merit for her to keep up the stubborn act.


    She decided that proposing a bargaining point would break in the deadlock of the matter.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t so keen on getting annihted. However, we would like to leave the nectar for our seeds.¡± ¡°We understand that.¡± ¡°Let me finish. I also know that you need my nectar for that child.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Then, the Queen Blossom directed her gaze towards the mountain¡¯s foot. There spread the woond full of rich soil.


    ¡°If we return to the forest, the nectar production would increase. We have the Giant¡¯s corpse too.¡± ¡°Then-¡± ¡°Let me finish, I said. However, if we return there so defenselessly, our seeds may get stolen once again. They already slipped past our eyes once, after all.¡±


    The seeds produced by a Queen Blossom gave birth to the Queen Blossom¡¯srvas¡ªto the Alraune. The Alraune evolved into Dryads, and one of them eventually became a Queen Blossom.


    However, those seeds could also be used as a medicine to prolong one¡¯s life. In other words, they could fetch a high price.


    Those robbers had already slipped past their defenses and stole the seeds. And since they managed to do it once, they could manage the same again. The Queen Blossom wanted to avoid that.


    ¡°As such, I would like you to catch the culprits. You may kill them or arrest them. Just make sure they nevere here again.¡± ¡°I see. If the culprits are gone, then you would no longer have to worry about your seeds getting stolen and could return to the mountain foot.¡± ¡°And if you return there, the rich soil and the Giant¡¯s corpse would speed up the nectar production¡­ Is what you mean, huh?¡± ¡°Indeed, that can be done¡­ But the time¡­¡± ¡°It would be good if we coulde to an agreement with this.¡±


    From the start, the mey in the side that piged¡­ In other words, humans. Cleaning after someone¡¯s mess was vexing, but the forceful approach wasn¡¯t what we intended either.


    As such,promising on this was the most sensible choice. The only problem left was whether I could hold out before the culprits were arrested, but my condition wasn¡¯t something so severe.


    ¡°Cortina, I¡¯m okay with that.¡± ¡°Nicole¡­ Right, this should be a goodpromise. Understood, we will beat those culprits to a pulp then.¡± ¡°I did not say to beat them to a pulp¡­ But I suppose it does the job the same.¡±


    Cortina and the Queen Blossom shook their hands and their agreement came to a close. And just like that, searching for the culprits that stole the seeds became our next goal.

 Chapter 76: Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 76: Meeting</h4>


    After hearing about the details of the theft, we ended our deal with the Queen Blossom and returned to Raum. In order to find the perpetrators, we would need to leave the mountains. We returned to Maxwell¡¯s mansion, and Cortina yed the role of host by serving tea to everyone. By the way, Maria was the one who usually served the tea.


    ¡°But ording to the details I¡¯ve heard, the seeds were stolen two weeks ago, right? How do we find them?¡± ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you agree because you had a n, Cortina?¡± ¡°Lyell, you are always leaving those things to me, please stop that already.¡±


    As usual, Lyell is all muscle and has nothing to add to the n. Well, that¡¯s also the same for me. Gadius remained silent and Maxwell seems to be having fun pampering Michelle on hisp. It¡¯s like a grandfather spoiling his granddaughter.


    ¡°Two weeks have passed already, it will be hard to find traces of their movements.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it should be just the right time for them to reach the town, you know? ¡°


    Cortina answered Maria¡¯s inquiry. We were able to reach that ce in just a day because of Maxwell¡¯s transfer magic, but if it was done on foot, it would definitely take us about two weeks to reach a nearby big city. And that doesn¡¯t even include the condition of going through undeveloped forest.


    ¡°If they wanted to process the Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds into some kind of medicine, then they would need specialized equipment and technology. It¡¯s not something that they could process in the forest.¡±


    Doctor Tricia added her exnation to Cortina¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°For them to do that, they would need a proper facility that would normally be found in a big city. And the closest city from that ce is¡­¡­¡± ¡°There are variousrge towns along the way, but if they handled it in such ces then they would be easily sniffed out. From how I see it¡­¡­ they will definitely be making their way to Raum.¡±


    By selling the raw materials, they would leave behind a lot of traces which ultimately traced back to the criminals. That¡¯s why, in order to cover such tracks, many people would usually sell off the valuables in arge city through the backing of arge organization. With the exception of the person wanting to use it for themself, they should be aiming to return back to this city.


    ¡°I will instruct the guards to be alert of their surroundings¡­¡­but I probably can¡¯t expect much from them.¡± ¡°Well, they were able to sneak into the territory of the Treants, after all.¡±


    In the woods, especially around the Queen Blossom, the number of Treants were quite high. Not to mention that because they are nts, they barely need any sleep, so their securitywork should be very difficult to infiltrate. Since they were able to breach thatwork, I concluded that one of them might have a concealment gift simr to mine but was not properly trained. It would definitely be very difficult for an average guard to find someone like that.


    ¡°Will Lyell and Gadius be returning to the vige?¡± ¡°No, we will be staying at an inn and help with the search. It is for my daughter after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, although I¡¯m a bit worried about the vige, I will still prioritize Nicole.¡± ¡°As for me, I will also be staying here for a while. Unlike Lyell¡¯s group, I have already found an Inn where I would stay.¡±


    Upon hearing their discussion, Michelle and Letina pped their hands in excitement while still holding some bread.


    ¡°Amazing, for all the heroes to be together in one city once again!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really amazing! Thinking about it now, it¡¯s really such an unusual scene.¡± ¡°Says the person who is currently sitting on a Hero¡¯sp, right?¡± ¡°Are you jealous? Hey, hey, you jealous?¡± ¡°Mukkii©`!¡±


    Letina who lunged at Michelle was deftly caught by Maxwell and passed over to Lyell. Lyell then sat Letina on hisp to calm her down. Letina ended up stiff from her nervousness though.


    ¡°Um, why are you so quiet now.¡± ¡°Oh my, Darling. Are you trying to have an affair in front of Nicole?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what this is, Maria!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sitting on Cortina¡¯sp.¡±


    And so I moved to Cortina¡¯sp. Even though she¡¯s a petite woman, I am still smaller than her and fitfortably in herp. If I don¡¯t n this properly, I¡¯ll end up getting caught by Lyell or Maria after all. Then again, it felt like slight sexual harassment with Cortina¡­¡­well, I¡¯ll just leave it aside.


    ¡°In any case, should we try to have a business talk with them first and offer money?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be checking the thieves guild. Leave that ce to me.¡± ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, Gadius.¡±


    When ites to the thief¡¯s guild that is always brimming with bad guys, you won¡¯t know when your life will be targeted.


    Maria and Cortina cannot be appointed to such tasks. And if there¡¯s anyone who knows how to handle ces like that, it would be Gadius, who is not only sturdy but also capable of fighting back, making him the right person for the job.


    ¡°Then I will be going around the gates to check if I will find any suspicious people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be checking the churches then. It¡¯s also a ce many peoplee and go.¡±


    Lyell is the most charismatic among us all, so he would have the highest result when ites to listening to the public. And Maria is a saint who has even more influence than the pope of thergest religion in the world, the world tree religion. Despite stepping down from her position, none would stay silent when questioned by her.


    ¡°Then I will be going back home to sleep¡± ¡°Doctor Tricia, please get to work!¡± ¡°My physical strength and stress levels are already at their limit! How many times do you think I experienced almost dying today!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only twice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than plenty!¡± Doctor Tricia shouted hysterically.


    Well, it would definitely be impossible for an amateur to face a Fire Giant and a Treant encirclement after all.


    On the other hand, Michelle and Letina seem to be alright¡­¡­


    ¡°Michelle and Letina, weren¡¯t you scared? ¡± ¡°Hmm? I was scared but Lord Lyell and the others were with us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If we are with them, there¡¯s only a very small chance for anything to happen.¡± ¡°I appreciate your faith in us, but you should still try to defend yourselves.¡±


    I really appreciate the trust for my parents, but if the person doesn¡¯t even have the intention to protect themselves, then they shouldn¡¯t expect to be protected.


    Especially in a big city where there is danger lurking around every corner. Not to mention this isn¡¯t something that can be solved by pure brute force.


    After that, Michelle and Letina were lectured by Lyell for a while before being sent home.

 Chapter 77: Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 77: Encounter</h4>


    At night, I secretly headed to the storage area and worked hard with my regr independent training. As usual, I wrapped the wool around my limbs with the threads to assist my muscles in running and jumping. It also kept my body warm from the coldness of the night which is very pleasant.


    I¡¯ve finally gotten used to reinforcing my threads so I won¡¯t be making the same mistakes again as I did on my first try. That doesn¡¯t mean that I have reached the peak of thread reinforcement though.


    My Gift, Thread Maniption is able to exert the same strength as my current muscle strength per thread.


    The thread could be manipted as long as it¡¯s in contact with my body, that¡¯s why if I concentrate and manipte the threads with all of my fingers with each having the strength of one arm, I would be able to exert up to ten times my current muscle strength.


    However, what happens in reality is not that simple. First of all, with my current magic capacity, I could only reinforce the thread for three minutes. In other words, my enhanced action can onlyst up to 3 minutes.


    Adding to that is my weak constitution which makes me want to cry. Even if I try to enhance myself to the limit, my joints would creak and my muscle fibers would feel like they are being torn apart.


    Fortunately, everything ended well on the first day because I didn¡¯t go all out, but if I had gotten carried away and decided to use five threads at once, they¡¯d have found a dissected corpse of a young girl scattered in the lumberyard.


    Judging from that experience, I feel like I could reasonably hold out for 3 minutes if I doubled my strength. If I triple it, I won¡¯t evenst for a minute. At four times¡­¡­ my joints would start rupturing within ten seconds.


    Moreover, even if I say that I could improve my muscle strength, it would still be equivalent to the strength of a weak young girl. Five times the muscle strength of that still couldn¡¯t hold a candle to adults. Having a lighter body meant it had a better utility value, but the fact remained that I couldn¡¯t go overboard.


    In the dead of night, I kicked off one piece of lumber and jumped over to another. Since I was originally good at nightbat, I could easily move around without hesitation. My silver hair reflected a little bit of the moonlight which faintly illuminated my surroundings. I didn¡¯t have to worry where I nted my steps.


    ¡°Fuuuh!¡±


    While exhaling a little, I leaped and released a piano thread to wrap around another tree, forcibly changing my direction mid-jump. I had thick gloves prepared for using these threads, but using them this way wasn¡¯t bad either. They were meant to greatly reduce the burden on my hands, but they also allowed me to execute delicate movements.


    I altered course perpendicrly midswing by kicking off the ground andunching myself into the air. As I flew in the air, I did a flip andnded on top of a box. This kind of maneuver was something that I could easily do in my previous life and if I could master this movement with reinforced muscle strength, it would greatly increase mybat strength.


    I sat down on the box to take a short break while the night breeze seeped through my long hair, slowly draining my body temperature. I raised the muffler around my neck and slightly shivered. This scarf also hides my face and does an especially good job of hiding my eye-catching hair.


    I¡¯m wearing spats and a tight-fitting shirt, the muffler I mentioned earlier, andstly, a big leather jacket to cover myself. From the outside, I would look like a suspicious person. In the case of a little girl like me¡­¡­the suspicious element is doubled.


    ¡°I could certainly increase my strength and agility like this¡­ But is it enough? Will this be enough for me to be the strongest I wonder? That god, how did she expect me to improve using this ability?¡±


    At most, I would only be able to maximize my mobility with this method. My attack power is not growing at all. Well, given that it¡¯s much easier for me to attack someone from behind, it won¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that mybat potential increased, but not what I¡¯m really aiming for. While still pondering if there were any other uses for this skill, that was when I heard a faint cry riding the night breeze.


    ¡°Hmm? Someone¡¯s crying¡­ And seems to be a kid?¡±


    Hearing that young voice, I started to question myself. That voice was too unnatural to being from an empty lumberyard in the dead of night.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m one to talk, but still.¡±


    When it came to a kid being in an empty ce, the same could be said about me now, but leaving that aside I couldn¡¯t leave a kid here. I surveyed the surroundings from the rooftop and spotted a kid crouching behind the lumber. It seems I was too preupied with my thoughts and didn¡¯t notice him approaching.


    ¡°That was too sloppy of me, seriously¡­¡±


    Before I called out to him, I first needed to hide my hair and eyes or my identity would be outed instantly. My silver hair and heterochromatic eyes are too conspicuous. I wrapped my muffler around my head almost like a turban and then covered my right eye.


    My right eye alone is already very conspicuous because it resembled Maria¡¯s crimson eyes. As for my left eye, while I inherited Lyell¡¯s beautiful blue eyes, it¡¯s still a moremon color than my right. After hiding my conspicuous features, I jumped down with the threads supporting my body and got in front of the boy.


    ¡°Why are you cryingd?¡±


    Although my gender couldn¡¯t be discerned from my current figure, I still tried changing my voice to sound like a man. However, no matter how much I tried to lower my tone, it still sounded like the voice of a beautiful girl.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°A¡­¡­girl?¡±


    The kid lifted his head in response to my groan. He was wearing ragged clothes and his skin was pale. His ck hair looked like the fur of an untreated dog.


    Despite that though, he looked like a beautiful boy with slender limbs and a well-organized appearance. It made me feel that he had enough potential to be one of those hateful beautiful men. And above everything else, there was something sticking out of his forehead¡­¡­it¡¯s a horn.


    ¡°A Half Demon?¡± ¡°Ah!? This is¨D¨D¡±


    The boy was surprised and immediately covered his forehead in a panic. Half Demons were usually a race that was discriminated against by everyone. However, to me who was also a former Half Demon, he¡¯s not someone that I would try to avoid. Or rather, it instead made me feel linked as if he was a part of my family.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be scared. I may not be a Half Demon, but I don¡¯t discriminate based on your race.¡± ¡°Eh?¡±


    The boy showed me a surprised expression but I wasn¡¯t offended by that. I ignored his reaction and sat down beside him. After taking a sip from the water bottle hanging on my waist, I passed it over to the boy.


    ¡°Want a drink? I bet you¡¯re thirsty from crying.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­Um?¡±


    The boy timidly took it. And so I encountered someone from the same race as my former self.

 Chapter 78: The First Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 78: The First Disciple</h4>


    The boy timidly took a sip from the bottle that I gave him. Rather than actual thirst, it felt like he did that out of fear of what would¡¯ve happened if he didn¡¯t heed my words. His behaviour showed just how badly he had been treated.


    ¡°Have you calmed down now?¡±


    The bottle was mostly empty already, so it didn¡¯t take him long to empty it. I waited for a moment until he stopped drinking before speaking to him again. It was then that he responded to me.


    ¡°Um, yes.¡± ¡°So, can you tell me what happened to you? I don¡¯t think that this would be a good time for a kid to be loitering around.¡± ¡°But, you too¨D¨DAh, sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind me. I don¡¯t really care about how you address me.¡±


    I answered, guessing that he was apologizing for his argument towards me, and just as I had expected, his response to my answer was a surprised look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any prejudice against half-demons. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡­ You are a rare¨D¨DAh!¡± ¡°Okay, yeah, if you treat me as a weirdo, even I¡¯ll get angry, got it?¡±


    I jumped down from the timber and quickly moved behind the boy, then pulled his cheeks as punishment.


    My strength was enhanced by the threads covering my entire body, allowing me to move at a speed that would have been impossible for the boy to perceive. The young boy was shocked from the sudden pinch that attacked him from behind. After having my fill with the punishment, I moved back once again. ¡°A¡­¡­Amazing.¡± ¡°Nn?¡± ¡°I was really surprised because it was really fast.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean my movements? Well, it¡¯s just something I devised.¡±


    I jumped over the boy¡¯s head once more.


    Despite having low muscr strength, my body itself belonged to a young girl. Because of how light it was, the boost in my speed and jumping power was noticeably huge. Though, it still left much to be desired ifpared to the strength of an adult¡­


    ¡°That, how are you doing it?¡± ¡°So you are going to ask that before introductions?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry¡­¡­I, I am Cloud.¡± ¡°Is that so, I am¨D¨D¡±


    After saying that much, I finally realized something. That is, I had already gained quite some fame in this town.


    If I gave my name right now, there was a possibility that they would find out about my special training. Rather, that possibility was extremely high.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, ah right, my name is Reid.¡± ¡°Reid? One of the Six Heroes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The coolest among them!¡±


    There would only be few ces where I could boast like this¡­¡­besides, there¡¯s nothing wrong boasting about it in front of a child, right?


    ¡°You mean the first one to die?¡± ¡°Imma tten you.¡± ¡°Hiii!?¡±


    And so, Cloud¡¯s cheeks were stretched once again. This brat sure doesn¡¯t know how to hold back, eh? Not giving my actual name turned out to be a wise move, huh?


    ¡°If you¡¯re a half demon, show some respect, you little¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    I noticed it after pulling on them, but his cheeks could stretch quite a bit. It was quite fun. Setting that aside, it pissed me off a bit that even my fellow half-demon was treating me like that. I suppose the fact that everyone had been holding a high opinion of me as ofte made me a bit conceited.


    ¡°B-but that person is an exception. The Six Heroes can¡¯t be judged by the concept of races like half-demons.¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡­¡±


    No one would criticize any of the Six Heroes in this world. That was just how big of an achievement it was to subjugate the Evil Dragon that had destroyed three northern kingdoms and imed tens of¡­nay, almost a million lives.


    Even if I was a half-demon, there was no one to voice their criticisms. If there appeared one that did, however, perhaps they¡¯d have been thrown before a dragon and told, ¡°go ahead, repeat his deed then.¡± But even if I had left such an achievement behind, that didn¡¯t improve the half-demons¡¯ standing at all. I was simply deemed to be one ¡®exception.¡¯


    ¡°You¡­ I mean, Cloud, are you being persecuted too?¡± ¡°Eh, yes¡­¡­ well¡­¡­¡±


    Cloud answered hesitantly. Though his behavior was already good enough as an answer.


    ¡°What happened to your parents?¡± ¡°I, I live in an orphanage¡± ¡°Are you being bullied by other children then. I believe the monitoring should have gotten stricter in that regard¡­¡±


    There were a lot of cases where Half Demon Children were thrown out because of disgust by their parents. Since the start, the probability was very low, only one in several hundred, which prevented it from bing a problem.


    However, they differed a lot from normal people and their numbers were very few. That made them perfect targets for persecution. Such were the fate of half-demons.


    For that reason, it wasn¡¯t that strange to find a half-demon child in an orphanage. However, ever since my incident, the orphanages of Raum had been strictly monitored, so such acts of persecution shouldn¡¯t have happened, but¡­


    ¡°Well, the teacher told us to get along, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Children may be innocent¨D¨Dbut they surely don¡¯t hold back when ites to things like this.¡±


    In a way, the bullying among children could sometimes be so cruel it could even give the adults cold feet. His case was probably something like that too.


    ¡°So, you wanted to know how I did that earlier?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is it to get revenge?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Children¡¯s hierarchy was built around things such as how nimble or how smart one was. If he could imitate what I did, he would be able to pull himself out of the bullying swamp. It was natural for him to think that.


    Even I could understand his feelings. I had also been the target of persecution when I was young, thus I turned my rebellious spirit into my sense of justice and sought power.


    My feelings ran wild and I indiscriminately judged what I thought was evil, and eventually became feared as an assassin. You could say the boy before me was the spitting image of my younger self. At this rate, he would probably recklessly chase after power just like I did.


    ¡°Well, this technique requires some special skill, so it would be impossible for you to learn it¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s impossible after all¡­¡±


    That¡¯s just how overwhelmingly unreasonable Gifts were. An ability derived from one such Gift could be dered as power unattainable for an ordinary person. Instead of letting him cling to false hopes, it was better to dere it as impossible, for his own good.


    In the first ce, I developed and mastered all my techniques myself, and even Lyell couldn¡¯t reach the amount of mobility that I could reach. But well, leaving Cloud down in the dumps would end up having a bad aftertaste for me.


    ¡°Still, if it¡¯s general fighting, I can teach you that much.¡± ¡°Really!?¡±


    Hearing that, Cloud responded with a bright smile. I wonder if this intense shift in emotions was peculiar to all children, or maybe just to this one alone. After that, I exined to him the basics of using a sword, and then proceeded to lecture about the actual use.


    Naturally, I didn¡¯t believe that he could master my thread techniques, so I just went the orthodox, highly-versatile way and made do with a sword and shield. You could easily find swords in this town, while a shield was a good way to protect yourself. Different from armor, it even allowed children to acquire sufficient defense. Besides, after the bitter disbanding of our party, I failed to gather myrades back again. I couldn¡¯t deny that my unique battle style became a bottleneck for that.


    I didn¡¯t want him to repeat the mistakes I made. For that reason, I wanted to put emphasis on versatility as much as I could. After that, I promised that I would teach him again if we ever meet again at night. It was in this way that I acquired my first disciple.

 Chapter 79: Search for the Leads

    <h4>Chapter 79: Search for the Leads</h4>


    The next day, I apanied Cortina and went to Horton Corp., Raum¡¯srgest tradingpany. Both Cortina and I disguised ourselves and hid our hair. The reason was that since we were here to investigate illegal goods, they would just keep up appearances if someone famous showed up.


    Cortina hid her fluffy tail in her pants with supporters and wore a neutral looking outfit with a white shirt and dark blue jacket. Her distinctive cat ears were concealed by a beret. I also wore a blonde wig and a dress that had more frills than usual.


    Cortina¡¯s hair was also blonde so we could even pass off as sisters depending on our acting. Finia seemed to have enjoyed seeing me in such an outfit¡­ No, never mind, I¡¯ll leave that forter.


    When we passed through the entrance of thepany, the clerks greeted us with a cheerful smile. Because of how unused she was to her disguise, Cortina couldn¡¯t help but flinch in response.


    ¡°Wee! We wee you to the Horton Corp.!¡± ¡°Eh, ah¡­ yes?¡± ¡°Tina, you don¡¯t have to return their greetings.¡±


    As Cortina bowed in a fluster I warned her with a spank.


    ¡°Ah, uhm¡­ well¡­ ¡± ¡°There is a certain medicine that we want.¡± ¡°A medicine you say? Then, would you like me to call a pharmacist clerk ¨D¨D¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a rather special kind of medicine, that¡¯s why we would like to talk directly to the Head of Commerce if possible.¡± ¡°The Head of Commerce is it¡­ ¡±


    Well, to ask for a direct trade immediately to the Head of Commerce without notice would certainly be suspicious. By the way, this was the home of a kid named Matisse.


    ¡°Ah, speaking of which, I¡¯m in the same ss as that child, Matisse at the Magic Academy¡­ ¡±


    Even if we were in the same ss, the number of people was still quite high. But this should¡¯ve been a good excuse to advance the conversation.


    ¡°You are Miss Matisse¡¯s¡­ then the drug must be¨D¨D!? Please wait here for a moment!¡±


    The clerk rushed to the store¡¯s back, clearly panicked. Her behavior told me the situation was actually quite serious.


    ¡°Something¡¯s¡­ weird.¡± ¡°Right. It also seems like they were frightened by that.¡±


    A nce at the surroundings revealed that the other shop assistants were also on edge since thatst remark. There were even ones that would peek over here. But the customers didn¡¯t show any particr reaction.


    A while after being under the strange tension, a good looking man emerged from the back area of the store. However, his face was pale and didn¡¯t seem to look so good.


    ¡°Were you the customers? You seem to be looking for a certain medicine. You also seemed to be acquainted with Matisse.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    I was a bit confused but still managed to reply to the man who was breaking out in a cold sweat. The man introduced himself while holding out his sweaty hand.


    ¡°Sorry for thete introduction. I am Heiz Horton, and I am the one in charge of thispany.¡± ¡°I am¡­ um, Donna.¡±


    I judged that there was no need to give Cortina¡¯s name now, so I just gave my own. While not exactly town-wide, rumors about me were still spread quite far. Not just Cortina¡¯s but even my name needed to be concealed now.


    Donovan,1 sorry for basing my alias on you. Though, I suppose there is no need to apologize to him.


    ¡°Miss Donna, right?¡± ¡°Yes, this is my sister and guardian Tina.¡± ¡°P-please to meet you.¡±


    Cortina was very resourceful and adaptable, but she was currently perplexed by her own getup. Bargaining with a merchant, while hiding her identity, was probably something that even a strategist like her didn¡¯t have much experience in.


    If I don¡¯t take the lead here, things might get a little problematic.


    ¡°It would be awkward to talk here, so pleasee over at the back office. I¡¯ll be serving some tea.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Mr. Heiz suggested we take our conversation to a separate room behind the counter. It seemed like he didn¡¯t want other people to hear our talk. It was as if he wanted to avoid all public attention.


    We entered a modest but tidy small room, then Heiz closed the door tightly. He locked it shut, in fact.


    ¡°Um, why did you lock it?¡± ¡°¡­ A¨D¨D¡± ¡°A?¡± ¡°Are you the ones who kidnapped Matisse!¡± ¡°Haah?¡±


    Mr. Heinz approached Cortina and attempted to strangle her.


    ¡°Hey, wait!?¡± ¡°To urge me to buy an illegal drug, and now kidnapping my daughter because I refused¨D¨D¡± ¡°Wait, no, we have nothing to do with those people¨D¨D¡± ¡°Hold it, Cortina. Mr. Heinz, can you tell us about that story in detail.¡± ¡°Such barefaced lies! You are part of those people¡­ ¡±


    Hepletely snapped. At this rate, he wouldn¡¯t be listening to us, and even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t believe any of it. For the time being, I need him to calm down.


    ¡°No other choice then. Cortina, take off your hat.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°So you were disguised after all! And the real identity is Corti¡­ na¡­ ?¡± ¡°Eh, ah yes.¡±


    Not stopped by the momentum, Cortina took off the beret that she was wearing. From under it, her blond hair, and almost equally blond longhair cat ears perked up.


    ¡°Those¡­ Ears¡­ You are really¡­ ? I¡¯m, I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    He leaps out like a spring-loaded doll and dove down on the ground with a brilliant slide. Seeing how he was prostrating on the ground while trembling all over, it was clear that he was truly frightened.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine already, I¡¯m not really mad about it. On the other hand, can you tell us about that story with more details¨D¨D¡±


    Cortina fixed her clothes then sat down on a chair. With this, I think we could now have a calm discussion. Even so, I could already get the gist of it based on what happened before.


    Most likely, the people who stole the Queen Blossom seeds came to Horton Corp., the biggestpany of this country, and tried to sell them off, but Mr. Heiz rejected that illegal offer. That probably pissed them off and they abducted his daughter to get back at him.


    ¡°Actually, this happened 3 days ago. Three men who look like adventurers brought in seeds of Queen Blossom¡­ naturally, I know that Queen Blossom was a monster that should not be approached. I also exined to them that there would be a lot of legal problems if we buy the seeds so I told them to take it back.¡±


    The adventurers were quiet at that time¡­ well, they did curse, but still obediently pulled back. Two dayster, however, Matisse disappeared. That was followed by threatening letters asking him to buy the seeds of Queen Blossom.


    And the following day, I showed up asking for the drugs and calling myself Matisse¡¯s ssmate, so he mistook me as one of the offenders.


    ¡°Looks like we got the right ce.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Cortina answered, with a dark smile on her face.

 Chapter 80: Unseen Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 80: Unseen Shadows</h4>


    It seemed like we had the same target enemy. I told Cortina to ask Mr. Heiz to leave this case to us. Of course, that included the warning to not act rash for the sake of his daughter.


    ¡°The culprits seem to be the same people that we are looking for. Would you mind leaving this to us?¡± ¡°If Lady Cortina will be handling this case¡­ My only wish is my daughter¡¯s safety.¡± ¡°That is something we understand. I also personally value the importance of children.¡±


    That¡¯s what she replies while patting my head. She apparently didn¡¯t like how my wig felt, so she yeeted it off in one go. My sleek silver hair that I¡¯ve inherited from Maria appeared from underneath.


    ¡°That hair, is that Miss Maria¡¯s¡­?¡± ¡°Right, she¡¯s Maria and Lyell¡¯s daughter. In other words, she¡¯s like a daughter to me too. Matisse is her ssmate so I¡¯ll also do my best to help her.¡± ¡°That is really encouraging!¡± ¡°If possible, please continue on while having a gag order in ce. Also, would you mind if I leave a familiar with you?¡± ¡°Yes, please do.¡±


    Familiars were a kind of Golems that were created through the magic called Familiar Creation. Though unlike simple golems, it could share senses with the user, so the user could grasp the situation even from afar.


    It was the magic of the Puppetry System, but it was easy to master and had many uses, so it had quite a lot of practitioners.


    With Mr. Heiz¡¯s permission, a little hamster-like talisman was created through a sufficient degree of ritual. The n was to keep track of his situation by hiding the familiar in his jacket pocket.


    ¡°Well then, if we stay here for too long, then our enemies might think that something suspicious is happening. Let¡¯s contact each other through that familiar from now on.¡± ¡°This familiar, it can talk¡­?¡±


    Normal familiars didn¡¯t have vocal cords so they normally couldn¡¯t speak. However, if it¡¯s a high grade familiar that was created with great precision then it was possible for it to speak.


    However, Cortina wasn¡¯t so versed in Puppetry Magic to create something like that.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make a talking familiar with my own power. Instead, I¡¯ll be sending Maria or Maxwell¡¯s familiar to you at ater time so rece it at that time¡±. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡±


    Mr. Heiz bowed with a relieved expression.


    Probably, he spent the entire day since Matisse disappeared in worry, and it affected his mental state.


    They abducted his daughter and quickly let him know, but then waited before pressing their demands. By doing that, the target¡¯s spirit would wear down, and after he had weakened, they would make their demands known.


    Showing him the weakened victim after a day would be quite effective. Having salvation before their eyes, their weakened minds would easily take the bait. This was a tactic that criminals often used.


    This time though, their trick had definitely backfired. It was because they were waiting for him to weaken that we managed to make it in time.


    After parting with Mr. Heiz, we went out of the shop and secretly explored the surroundings. However, we didn¡¯t find any suspicious people around.


    The problem was that Cortina wasn¡¯t used to this kind of situation. She was carelessly looking around while we were inspecting the surroundings.


    ¡°Cortina, don¡¯t look all over the ce.¡± ¡°Uh, sorry. Although I¡¯m good atbat tactics concerning moving armies, I¡¯m not familiar with the strategy of moving around the city.¡±


    Cortina who was more familiar fighting in specialbat environments had little experience in doing urban warfare.


    Moreover, when she was traveling with us, most of the battles that we¡¯ve faced were done outdoors, and rarely did we end up fighting inside towns.


    If they epted us who were gathered to subdue the evil dragon, there was a chance that they¡¯d incur the Dragon¡¯s wrath. Therefore, we limited getting close to the towns as much as we could, so her experience as an adventurer was quite distorted.


    ¡°Even so, Nicole seems to be really calm about this. You look more reliable than me.¡± ¡°¡­ You won¡¯t get anything out of me even if youpliment me though.¡±


    I was an assassin who judged the evildoers. And to achieve that, my power was specialized for urban fights.


    Cortina is my direct opposite.


    ¡°Where did you learn these things? Is it from Maria?¡± ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Oh crud. I got a little carried away since I was in the spotlight after so long. If I showed off too much it was natural that she would suspect me. Not to mention, I was less than ten-year-old child.


    ¡°EH, umm¡­ I can¡¯t remember clearly if it was mama or papa who taught me¡­ ¡±


    I answered with ack of self-confidence in my tone, then hung my head and pretended to think. It¡¯s tantly the acting cute technique, but it was needed to dodge the topic.


    As proof, Cortina was squirming with her hands together while looking at me. Now, I feel like there are more reasons for me not to reveal myself.


    ¡°Well, never mind that! Nicole is so cute!¡± ¡°Fugyaa©`!?¡±


    I chose not to avoid Cortina¡¯s hug, and I was squeezed like a hugging doll. She rubbed her cheeks on the top of my head. This much was fine, considering that I managed to fool them. Not just Cortina, but also the individual that observed us from the shadows.

 Chapter 81: Night Training

    <h4>Chapter 81: Night Training</h4>


    That¡¯s right, I couldn¡¯t find a suspicious person. But the prickly feeling I felt on my skin made it clear someone was staring over here. Someone was monitoring us without a doubt.


    ¡°If we¡¯re done here, let¡¯s go home? Everyone¡¯s waiting.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. I got the information I wanted¡­ gotta share it with the others, also, gonna have to get Maria or Maxwell to send out a talking familiar.¡±


    Upon my rmendation, she started hurrying home with me following right after, but the pursuer¡¯s gaze never came unstuck from us. And yet, I couldn¡¯t identify them. There¡¯s a high probability they have a simr concealment Gift as me. It¡¯s probably impossible to nullify without the use of detection-type gifts or magic.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s obvious since they managed to avoid alerting the Treants. That being the case, going home like this would be a problem,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    At this rate, returning home will clue them in on the Six Heroes working on this case. If they find out then they¡¯ll surely try escaping the city, just like those kidnappers were trying to do.


    ¡°Cortina, c¡¯mere.¡± ¡°Hm? Where we going? ¡°Umm¡­ Number one.¡± ¡°Ah, got it. You did drink a lot of tea after all.¡±


    We ducked into a nearby cafe and ordered a tea set in a seat near the back and hurried into the restroom together. As expected I couldn¡¯t feel the piercing gaze on me anymore. Well, it¡¯s more urate to say the pursuer couldn¡¯t chase us into the middle of a cafe.


    Even with a covert gift, you can¡¯t fully hide from the view of arge crowd of people. This particr pursuer would¡¯ve been found out the moment they walked into the cafe while observing us, so it seems they hesitated in front of the shop.


    ¡°Cortina. Change out immediately.¡± ¡°Ah, got it. Everything¡¯s fine now.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t change out my clothes so I just took off the wig. Cortina took her hat and jacket off. I threw on Cortina¡¯s jacket over my dress to disguise myself. The formal-looking jacket and my long blue-silver hair should¡¯ve helped me give off a different impression.


    Cortina gave off a very different impression just by taking off her hat and jacket. When we left the restroom we were pierced by a different kind of gaze. But of course, next to me was the super famous celebrity Cortina. Naturally, everyone in town knew about Cortina so they didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it but they still couldn¡¯t help noticing her.


    I took the lead in choosing a table near the back of the store so we couldn¡¯t be peeked on from outside. We undid our disguises inside so even if our pursuer came in now, he shouldn¡¯t be able to recognize us.


    In any case, no one else hase in since. Incidentally, Cortina and I went to town on the cakes.1 Sweets¡­ As it so happens, I liked them even in my previous life.


    That night, I put my covert Gift to its fullest use to slip out of the house. Just to make sure, I checked the circumference of the house for any suspicious individuals.


    ¡°Hmm, was it really this easy to shake them off?¡±


    That said, it could also be because the viin figured keeping up the chase and getting involved with Cortina was a bad idea. Regardless I¡¯ve got a prior appointment so I headed off to the lumberyard. Cloud was waiting there for me with a piece of wood. I made sure to conceal my face and hair so he wouldn¡¯t be able to identify me.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait! Were you here long?¡± ¡°Nah, I just got here¡­ this conversation feels weird.¡± ¡°Shaddap. We¡¯re starting your training immediately.¡±


    Having been waiting, Cloud finished up some warm-ups with his piece of wood. But I can see his arms trembling slightly, perhaps it¡¯s a little too heavy.


    ¡°Ready? The key to using a sword effectively is to equip one that¡¯s suited to your body.¡±


    Prick! I feel like something¡¯s stabbing into the back of my head. Mentally that is.


    ¡°A heavy weapon will just ce arge burden on your body. It¡¯s also a detriment that you can¡¯t fight for extended periods. My advice is to first choose something lighter that¡¯s easy for you to hold.¡± ¡°I see.¡±


    I feel like a second boomerang is smacking into the back of my head, but I¡¯m not saying anything wrong here.


    Maintaining the frontlines also means securing the safety of the rearguard and that¡¯s the vanguard¡¯s main job. If lugging a heavy weapon leaves you tired out as soon as the battle starts then you can¡¯t aplish that role.


    First, he¡¯ll need to get a weapon suited to his body, only then can he stand at the starting line. Luckily we¡¯re in a lumberyard, if it¡¯s a piece of wood, well, we¡¯re just crawling around in them. We look around and get him a suitable one and square off against each other.


    ¡°To maintain the frontlines means to remain standing. In other words¡­¡± ¡°Haaaa!¡± ¡°When there¡¯s hardly any difference between you and your opponent, going on the attack is a poor choice. You should prioritize defending instead.¡±


    HIs posture broke after swinging his piece of wood down and at that moment I lightly struck his side.


    ¡°Yeowch!?¡± ¡°Launching an attack leads to a gap. So hold yourself back to avoid that and wait for your opponent to create one instead.¡± ¡°G- got it.¡±


    We crossed nks repeatedly, each time sharing some instruction.


    Being raised in an orphanage, I never had anyone I could call ¡®master¡¯, I taught myself bit by bit through countless fights. I tried to convey that knowledge to this boy through words.


    Up till now, I hadn¡¯t taken an official apprentice, but I wonder if this is the feeling Lyell had when he taught me swordsmanship.


    When I tried teaching Cortina stealth it didn¡¯t feel like teaching an apprentice, I don¡¯t really get it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t limit yourself to using swords as weapons. We¡¯re using this piece of wood like a sword, but it¡¯s still just a piece of wood. When the timees, use what¡¯s handy.


    I swung the piece of wood around and started holding it like a staff. As Cloud had been so focused on using the wood as a sword, he couldn¡¯t respond to the sudden change and lost his means of attack. Taking advantage of that, I struck at his hand causing him to drop his weapon.


    Swords aren¡¯t the only weapons. There are axes, hammers, staves, and bows as well. Finding a weapon that suits you is an important part of bing strong. Thanks to my Gift, it was easy to use thread as a weapon, but Cloud who doesn¡¯t have that advantage will require a lot of trial and error.


    ¡°Got it? What I¡¯m teaching you is how to fight. Ways of defeating monsters and evildoers. You¡¯re forbidden from using what you learn to harm the other kids.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I understand you¡¯re being bullied. However, what I¡¯m showing you goes beyond that level. These are skills to defend yourself by killing your enemy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to kill them do you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Childish bullying can be merciless. Being able to calmlyugh off causing a serious injury as a simple bit of mischief. However, if he kills the others he¡¯ll instantly be an evildoer. Even if it¡¯s self-defense, he¡¯ll be marked as the one in the wrong because he¡¯s a half-demon. It seems Cloud understands that, so he doesn¡¯t have that kind of hostility in him. And so from now on, I¡¯ll teach him how to defend himself, techniques that will be useful once he leaves the orphanage. I¡¯ll train him.


    And thus, I, or you could say the existence known as Reid, would leave behind a bit of ourselves.

 Chapter 82: Coincidental Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 82: Coincidental Discovery</h4>


    The time was around 2 AM. I taught Cloud how to fight as an adventurer. He¡¯ll eventually have to leave the orphanage. There are bound to be times this will be useful for him. And since he¡¯s being bullied it¡¯s possible he¡¯ll die before he bes an adult. Moreso since he¡¯s a half-demon, you often hear talk about such investigations being buried in the darkness.


    I started heading home two hourster while avoiding the public¡¯s view. My height is about as short as a gnome¡¯s and since I¡¯m hiding my face and hair, anybody who sees me out thiste at night will definitely be suspicious of me. Of course, it was sote that only a few houses still had lights on and the odds of passing by other people were low. Even so, there were guards patrolling around, so it¡¯s not like it¡¯d be impossible to get caught. Thus, I ran along the rooftops instead of the roads to make sure and avoid everyone¡¯s gazes and as a bit of training.


    I was working up a good sweat and the night breeze felt great. However, if I went to bed like this I¡¯d stink of sweat, so I¡¯ll have to wipe myself down before that. As I was thinking this while running along the roofs, I suddenly heard a small scream.


    ¡°Kya!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡±


    I suddenly hit the breaks by wrapping thread around the chimney jutting up from the roof. I manipte several steel threads together and use their sticity to gently catch myself.


    ¡°¡­what the?¡±


    There¡¯s nobody in my line of sight. Considering the time and that I¡¯m on a rooftop, there¡¯s no way anyone would be looking this way unless they were specifically intending to. Then¡­ is it the chimney where I wrapped the threads?


    ¡°Is iting from here?¡±


    Listening carefully I can make out the sound of something being struck. What¡¯s more, it doesn¡¯t sound like cloth or wood being hit, that¡¯s the sound of flesh being struck. In the meantime, a small moan echoed. I felt like I heard it somewhere before.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be¡­!¡±


    I dove into the chimney. It¡¯s a small chimney, so it¡¯s a bit narrow, but fortunately, my own body is in the running for the minimal size. I was able to deftly climb down using the soot stuck inside as footholds.


    It seems that the lower part was connected to the firece, and thin smoke was still hanging over the cinders from the firewood. If I let my hair or scarf droop down, there¡¯s a high possibility I¡¯ll be found out. To fix this I tightly wrapped it around my face, this also lowers the odds of me choking on the smoke.


    ¡°Still, how long we gotta keep her alive?¡± ¡°We gotta be sure to keep her alive until the transaction¡¯s done. Otherwise ain¡¯t no telling what Horton¡¯s likely to do.¡± ¡°Man, what a drag. Forget returning her, how ¡®bout we just sell her off to a ve trader and be done with it?¡± ¡°You idiot! We¡¯re negotiating. If we say we¡¯ll return her, we¡¯ll return her.¡± ¡°Oh, as expected of Boss. So honest, so diligent!¡± ¡°But I never said anything about returning her alive!¡± ¡°Gahahaha, so evil!¡±


    I could hear such a conversation, followed by the sound of flesh being struck and soft moans. However, after that, there was no screaming, only the asional moan. It¡¯s likely the girl has passed out. The moans seem to be an automatic response when trying to breathe thanks to the strikes to her abdomen.


    ¡°Keep the girl alive until the deal¡¯s done, and so she doesn¡¯t run away before then, Klon, Setz, and Joey keep watch over her in 3 shifts ¡®round the clock.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡± ¡°Balde wille with me to the negotiations with Horton tomorrow. So I¡¯m going toy down for now.¡± ¡°Right-o.¡±


    I hear the sound of footsteps leaving followed by a door opening and shutting afterward.


    ¡°Balde¡¯s bro is gonna head to sleep now huh? Must be nice.¡± ¡°You wanna join Gale, Setz?¡± ¡°Whoa now, I¡¯ll have to give that a pass. Just being ¡®round Gale is scary as heck.¡± ¡°I know right?¡±


    With that, another set of footsteps walked away. Once the door closed, the man named Setz muttered, ¡°Aww, if only you were just 5 years older, there¡¯d be better ways to have fun with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should indulge yourself, but it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know how you feel.¡± ¡°Wait. Maybe it can be done?¡± ¡°Yo, you serious? You¡¯ve reached a new level of degeneracy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t knock it till you try it!!¡± ¡°Stop it, if you make a wrong move she could die, which means we¡¯ll all be killed.¡± ¡°Gyahahaha, that¡¯s right! I give up!¡±


    Vulgarughter filled the room. The voice was getting on my nerves, I felt my bloodlust rising up inside me. This feeling was something I¡¯d grown used to in my previous life, right before I¡¯d act impulsively.


    The moans were from a little girl and Horton¡¯s name kepting up during the conversation. By some twist of fate, it seems I somehow found the headquarters of the group that kidnapped Matisse.


    I chose an isted path on the way back. In other words, since that bunch would also be avoiding public scrutiny they¡¯d likely take simr paths. Of course, the coincidence factor isrge. If she hadn¡¯t screamed in pain at the exact moment I happened to pass by, I would¡¯ve undeniably gone past.


    In the first ce, if it wasn¡¯t me who happened to be passing by, there¡¯s a chance their conversation wouldn¡¯t have aroused any suspicion.


    Problem is, what do I do from here? Common sense would tell me to report it to Cortina or Maxwell and have them raid the hideout first thing in the morning to gain total control.


    But how do I exin it? Do I honestly report that after spending the night training some strange boy I happened to discover their hideout on the way back home? Like hell I can tell them that.


    However, Matisse isn¡¯t in a situation where she can be left alone for long. That guy, the man named Gale, had said he¡¯d kill Matisse once the negotiations wereplete. And I had already said I¡¯d go back to the Hortonpany tomorrow, well today, to keep negotiating. It¡¯s possible it¡¯ll already be toote if we wait until the morning to catch these guys.


    ¡°Damn it¡¯s chilly today, the fire in the firece has already gone out, right?¡±


    Hearing that, I hauled ???????????? up the chimney. If I stayed around I¡¯d be smoked out. While crawling up the chimney I decided to prepare myself.


    ¡°It seems¡­ the assassin Reid¡¯s turn hase once more after all this time.¡±


    I started taking action as soon as I crawled out of the chimney.

 Chapter 83: Reid The Assassin

    <h4>Chapter 83: Reid The Assassin</h4>


    Author¡¯s note: Keep in mind, I will intentionally be referring to Nicole as Reid in this chapter.


    Setz downed the cheap alcohol from the cracked ss in one go. The girl from Horton Corp remained unconscious on the floor while being tied to the chair.


    She was breathing, though, so she was still alive.


    ¡°Klon, I gotta go piss.¡± ¡°Stop drinking so much.¡± ¡°Oh ???????????????? off!¡±


    He opened the door and headed for the toilet ahead. It wasn¡¯t connected to the sewage system, however, but instead made use of a hole dug underneath.


    It was a run-down house they bought as a temporary shelter, so it was out of the question for it to have something so expensive.


    He unzipped his pants and started pissing down the hole.


    ¡°Whew, getting stuck with the watch duty all night sure sucks.¡±


    While making such idleints, he started violently scratching his nape of the neck. He did that because he felt a bug or something simr crawling up there. Bugs like flies were amon urrence in pit toilets like these, so he didn¡¯t really think much of the itching he felt. However, that decision proved to be fatal.


    That sensation suddenly revealed its true identity and strangled him.


    ¡°Agh, gah!?¡±


    He was then fiercely pulled back and glued to the door. However, the door didn¡¯t even flinch and remained shut.


    ¡°Aghack-¡±


    He wanted to scream, but his strangled throat only managed to leak groans. Not to mention, it continued to strangle him without letting up even a bit.


    The thread¡ªone made of steel¡ªcoiled around his neck had dug into his flesh without leaving any gaps for him to insert fingers in. The thread kept being pulled back through the gaps in the door¡­


    ¡°Ga¡ªha¡­¡±


    And finally, strength left his body. He was dead¡­ Yet the thread didn¡¯t cease its advance until it eventually lopped off his head.


    With a thud, his head continued rolling until it fell in the toilet¡¯s pit and disappeared. A momentter, his body too crumbled down.


    ¡°That¡¯s one.¡±


    Nicole¡­ Nay, Reid unfastened the thread tied to the anchor that was hanging from a tree. He had tied a steel thread to the anchor and lifted it up onto the roadside tree beforehand. Then he twined another thread around Setz¡¯s neck from behind while simultaneously linking it to the anchor¡¯s thread.


    Thus by dropping the anchor, the threads would dive into Setz¡¯s neck and cut his head off.


    However, the sound it made as it fell spread through the dead of night; other inhabitants must have heard it too. But that too could be used to lead the target to his desired location.


    ¡°On to the next¡­¡±


    With those words, he left through the window and headed for his next target.


    Klon and Joey who were continuing their watch-keeping heard a heavy dropping sound from the outside. They were in the middle of a card game, but they stopped what they were doing and exchanged looks.


    ¡°Hey, what was that sound¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, you heard it too, Joey?¡± ¡°Setz is taking his time too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to jump to conclusions¡­ But see what¡¯s going on outside. Oh, would be nice if you check on Setz too on your way back.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, right. You keep watch on that girl. If its some rescuers¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, they would be heading here.¡±


    Joey put on his sword and headed for the entrance. He walked through the dim corridor and opened the door.


    As expected, only the dark townscape spread beyond it, with some magic street lights. No, there was something else, a pile of rocks under the roadside tree.


    ¡°What is that¡­?¡±


    He took a step outside to inspect the strange rock formation. But then, something grazed his legs. At the same time, he felt something on his neck too.


    ¡°Ah!?¡±


    He leaked a small voice and tried to pull his leg back, however, he failed to do that. Both his neck and legs got bound at the same time, then it pulled on his legs from behind making him fall face-forward.


    However, the constrains on his neck prevented him from falling to the ground and he remained suspended diagonally.


    ¡°Agh, gha-ah¡ª¡±


    Joey squirmed, trying to somehow get the thread off his neck. However, his legs were pulled behind so he failed to fix his posture. The threads on his legs and his neck were connected while running through the second floor¡¯s window frame.


    In other words, it was his own weight that pulled on his legs now. Getting out of this position by himself would¡¯ve been a difficult task.


    ¡°Gah, ????-????????????????¡­I-I have to¡­¡±


    He squirmed his hands and knees trying to reach the ground, but the threads adjusted ording to his movements and got in his way. Eventually, he started desperately reaching for the threads underneath.


    At the same time, a figure approached him. It was a little girl wearing a ck robe. Her face was dyed ck with soot, her silver hair alone shining in the ck of night.


    ¡°Hr¡­Hrelp¡ª¡±


    He reached out to her for help. But the girl¡ªReid had not even the slightest intention of doing so. Instead, Raid drew the sword and raised it overhead. And that was the final scene for Joey.


    Klon stood up from the chair and waited for Joey¡¯s return without lowering his guard. He had yet to return, which made it certain that something was wrong.


    ¡°Tsk, how did they even find this ce? In any case, I should let Balde and Gale¡ª¡±


    In the middle of his speech, he heard a tter from the window.


    ¡°There you are!¡±


    He clearly heard that sound given how vignt he was. He pulled out his sword and stabbed it through the wooden sliding window.


    Along with piercing through the wood, he also felt his sword stabbing the flesh. Moreover, he even felt it digging into bones.


    This attack should have proven fatal. Judging so, Klon started grinning.


    ¡°Dumbass, thought you could get behind me so easily? Think again!¡± ¡°Really? I would say it was easy enough, though.¡±


    He heard a loud voice reverberate inside the room where he and the fainted girl should¡¯ve been the only ones left. It was a voice more beautiful and louder than the kidnapped girl¡¯s.


    And then, a cold beam pierced his chest. That cold, ruthless metallic sensation robbed his life.


    ¡°H-How¡­¡± ¡°The one outside the window was yourrade.¡±


    He slid open the window with his trembling hand and then he saw it. Joey¡¯s corpse was hanging down from the second floor.


    ¡°????????¡­ ????????????????¡­¡±


    Muttering his final swear, Klon¡¯s body went limp and copsed on the floor. He started convulsing, which was proof of fatality. At this stage, not even Maria could heal him.


    ¡°This makes it three. Two to go.¡±


    The remaining two should have been asleep now. It would be wiser to inspect this room before that, Reid thought.


    He first decided to check Matisse¡¯s condition. While she was indeed breathing, she might still have been in a critical condition.


    His inspection showed that while her body had received serious damage, her head was almost intact.


    ¡°The Interference System isn¡¯t really specialized for healing¡­ Crimson One, Ultramarine One, Gold One, Curing Light.¡±


    Interference System was specialized for meddling with the performance of weapons and bodies. However, healing wounds didn¡¯t fall in that category. At best it could move the broken bones or dislocated joints back to their original positions.


    It was only as effective as a massage but still better than nothing. Hearing her breaths calm down a bit, Reid heaved a relieved sigh.


    ¡°It might be dangerous if I don¡¯t take her to Maria soon¡­ But I have to put that off for now. I can only ease her posture now so she has to hang on.¡±


    Reidid her near the firece and covered her with the nket that he found in the corner. That way, her body would stay warm.


    Following that, he inspected the nearby chest and found a ring, scroll, and a dagger inside.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what these things are¡­ No, I do know about the scroll.¡±


    Based on the magic circle drawn on it, he guessed that it was a Magic called Ignite. Perhaps they nned to use it as a trump card when they snuck inside the Treants¡¯ territory. As the Treants¡¯ bodies were simr to dry trees, they were very weak to fire.


    Seeing that, a new n popped up in Reid¡¯s mind.

 Chapter 84: Recovery Complete

    <h4>Chapter 84: Recovery Complete</h4>


    I found three items in the room. An enchanted sword and ring. As well as a scroll with Ignition Magic in it.


    I couldn¡¯t find Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds, but thinking about it, there¡¯s no way those would¡¯ve been entrusted to the flippant guys like these. Which meant, that Gale guy most probably hid them on his person.


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose I should take them by force then.¡±


    I made up my mind and went back to setting up the traps. I used to judge corrupt nobles in my past life, so I was used to these kinds of situations.


    First was the guy called Balde. Based on his footsteps I assumed his physique was good, so it was impossible to strangle him on my own. On top of that, I had to take the seeds off that Gale too.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡±


    I looked over the items at hand and started devising a n.


    First of all, I had to guarantee Matisse¡¯s safety. For that, I had to make sure Balde couldn¡¯t leave his room. As such, I twined my steel threads on his door and fixed it in ce. I even tied it to a mop¡¯s handle and other things to further solidify it, so he could hardly break out.


    Fortunately, I was able to confirm their rooms through the windows, so there should¡¯ve been no problems. Next, I took Matisse outside and left her at a ce with public attention. I brought her nket too so she wouldn¡¯t get cold.


    That said, while I said it had public attention, it waste night now, so it would take time for people to actually notice.


    Meanwhile, I went on to set another trap.


    Under Balde¡¯s room was stable that kept two horses and a cart. And next to it was a pile of fodder. His room was on the second floor, followed by Gale¡¯s. I inspected its structure and set up a trap there.


    I then extracted oil from the indoormps and sprinkled it everywhere in the house. This would make the fire spread faster.


    Finally, I ced Enchant on Balde¡¯s door to further strengthen it, and with that, everything was set.


    I set the house on fire by using the Ignite scroll on the first floor. Unlike Tinder, this magic could ignite muchrger objects. Due to its strength and the oil¡¯s influence, the mes spread through the house in the blink of an eye.


    I remained inside the burning house and waited single-mindedly.


    ¡°Huh, fire?! ????????????????, what the hell are those bastards doing down there!¡±


    Eventually, Balde seemed to have noticed the situation and yelled from his room, followed by violent knocks on his door.


    I could hear a faint click of the tongue from Gale¡¯s room, too, but it appeared like he was searching for something inside.


    Perhaps Balde was trying to save himself while Gale was prioritizing the safety of Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds.


    ¡°Door¡¯s ain¡¯t budging! In that case, the window!¡±


    Everything went as I expected. Balde opened the window and looked at the street. He should¡¯ve seen Matisse who I took out there, along with me standing next to her.


    With a clear culprit before his eyes, Baldepletely flipped out.


    ¡°So it was you!¡±


    He yelled and got on the window to take a look at me. Along with his shout, he jumped down, but¡­


    ¡°Geugh!?¡±


    What followed were his death screams. Under the window was the stable and a pile of fodder. He would obviously choose to jump on the fodder, it was a natural action. A pile of fodder could cushion his fall, after all.


    Since I predicted that much, all that was left was to run a steel thread between the window and the fodder. And the result of that was that he splendidly bisected himself into two thanks to his own falling momentum.


    I wonder what Gale thought as he peeked through his window and saw his corpse? Because he prioritized the safety of Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds, his timing to escape was even dyed than Balde¡¯s.


    Not just the mes, he could also see that their fainted hostage had been taken outside and ced on the road in a showy manner. And next to him, there was a Balde¡¯s bisected corpse.


    Given the situation, there was a little chance of him pursuing us through the window. With that being the case, I resolved myself and leaped inside the zing house.


    The door opened with a small creak. I hadn¡¯t fixed his door in ce, so If he wanted to, he could open it. Gale was also aware of the invader¡¯s presence¡­ so he tried to slowly step out of the room.


    That was also the best moment for me to make my attack.


    That door opened on the outside. In other words, its hinges were on the outside too. By opening that door, a small gap could be created between the door and the wall.


    Gale slowly stepped forward. Aiming for that moment, I sent my thread through the created gap and tied him in ce. Then I tied one side of the thread to the knob so he couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°Gah!?¡±


    He immediately inserted his fingers between the thread and his neck to prevent himself from being strangled, but I wouldn¡¯t have been able to strangle him with my strength either way. My goal was to simply hold him in ce.


    Following it, I put my katana in the gap, a bit above where his abdomen should¡¯ve been. Then, with the edge facing down, I pierced through with all my strength.


    ¡°Agh! W-Who are you¡­!¡± ¡°An assassin. Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to pay the price. For everything.¡±


    I gave an honest answer to his yell. Reacting to my voice, he thrust his sword through the door¡­ but unfortunately for him, I had seen iting.


    I was ttened against the wall so that attack would never hit me. Were it my former body, I would¡¯ve been able to slit his throat with one thrust through the door, but it was impossible now.


    I put my weight into the katana and slid it down bit by bit.


    ¡°Gaa¡ªugh¡­Sto¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. That girl surely pled you to stop, but you didn¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ I¡¯ll die¡­¡± ¡°That was my intention from the start.¡±


    Gale¡¯s voice ceased before long. I nned to torment him some more for what he did to Matisse, but the smoke spread in the surroundings faster than I expected and caused him to faint. It didn¡¯t affect me because I was wearing a scarf with Purify cast on it.


    I withdrew my katana from Gale and started collecting the threads I set up throughout the house. It would¡¯ve been troublesome if they became evidence and they found out I was the culprit.


    Finally, I recovered the Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds from his pocket that he was trying so hard to protect.


    And with that, my mission wasplete.

 Chapter 85: The Remaining Individual

    <h4>Chapter 85: The Remaining Individual</h4>


    I returned back to Matisse who I left in front of the zing house, then ced the Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds on herp. Given this fire, it was about time for people to notice and make noise. I had to hide before that happened.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Oh, have you woken up?¡±


    While my magic wasn¡¯t much, it apparently still healed her enough to bring back her consciousness. I was covered with soot and the scarf covered my hair, so she shouldn¡¯t have been able to guess it was me at a nce.


    I was trying to keep my voice as low tone as possible, so it probably sounded neutral to her¡­ probably.


    ¡°Who¡­ Are you?¡± ¡°I came to rescue you. Others wille soon too. You will be able to go home.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Yeah. In exchange, I¡¯d like you to pass this to Cortina. It¡¯s something important.¡± ¡°To¡­ Lady Cortina¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I leave it to you.¡±


    I put a bag full of Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds in her hand and was about to leave. She had no strength to walk, but with a fire going it was only a matter of time until the guards rushed here. You could say her safety was guaranteed.


    When I turned around, I spotted a glowing silhouette in the corner of my view. I immediately let my threads fly and covered Matisse from that light.


    ¡°Who are you!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could dodge that.¡±


    A single man appeared from behind a tree almost as if oozing out of darkness itself. He was a tall and slender man, loosely holding short swords in each hand. He looked much like me, covered in ck from head to toe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again¡­ No, nevermind.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Indeed, thinking back on it, I felt a gaze at Horton Corp. In other words, there was someone monitoring that ce. And whoever managed to slip through the Treants¡¯ surveincework probably held the Stealth Gift. Which meant, those two were one and the same.


    However, there was no one with such skill inside the house. If they had someone who could conceal himself, he would obviously be stationed near the Horton Corp. He wouldn¡¯t have returned back when negotiations were going to happen the next day.


    Even when it came to Gale, he should have chosen to erase his presence and flee the moment he noticed an unknown presence inside the house. But the fact that he didn¡¯t do that meant that he had no such ability.


    All that suggested that there was one more enemy out there. That someone was monitoring Horton Corp but rushed back when he saw these mes. Then he showed his face to erase me and Matisse who was a witness.


    ¡°It was you, right? The one who stole the Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds.¡± ¡°Oh, so you already know that much? It¡¯s as you say.¡±


    The man slowly set up his swords. Both of us were afraid of drawing attention, which meant there was no time for casual dialogue.


    ¡°You appear to be a child still, but did you do that alone? If so, that¡¯s amazing. How about it, would you join hands with me?¡± ¡°I decidedly refuse!¡±


    I let my thread fly towards the man. It was a big vertical swing, no different from a sh in strength. It was hard to sense such an attack in this dead of night. However, the man easily avoided it.


    He made a big leap and widened the distance between us. I didn¡¯t expect that attack tond either, however. The goal was to get him as far as possible from Matisse.


    Nevertheless, since he managed to avoid my steel threads at night, he was probably quite used to the night warfare. There were mes in the background, but that shouldn¡¯t have made it so easy to dodge.


    ¡°A thread user, huh? That¡¯s quite the nasty skill you have!¡±


    The man yelled and once again swayed his body. And the next moment, he appeared before my eyes.


    ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Sheh!¡±


    He appeared so suddenly it was as if the realitygged for a second. Seeing his unique attack range I immediately leaped back to widen the distance that he closed.


    I sent two of my threads to the roadside trees behind, pulled on them with all my strength, and managed to get away. Immediately following it, his short swords mowed down the ce I was a moment ago.


    As I fixed my posture and set up my katana, the man disappeared once again. It was probably due to the Stealth Gift. That ability excelled in hiding, but it wasn¡¯t supposed to be so outstanding that it¡¯d allow you to disappear from the direct line of sight. Yet the reality was that he appeared right before my eyes in an instant.


    First came a small sigh, followed by a sh of a de. I received, dodged, and redirected all those attacks with my katana.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite used to battle, little brat!¡± ¡°You as well, that¡¯s quite a strange way to use your Gift.¡±


    I possessed the Stealth Gift as well, but I never used it the way he did. It was purely for surprise attacks and scouting. And yet, this man turned it into a battle skill.


    He couldn¡¯t disappear from someone¡¯s eyes, but he could distract their perception for an instant. But that instant was enough to greatly influence thebat.


    He used that instant to close the distance, then back off again. When it came tobat, the distance was something vital, and he used a nonbat Stealth Gift to have solid control over it.


    As the user of the same Gift, I couldn¡¯t help but admire his skill.


    Since I had the Thread Maniption skill that was easier to use in battle, I chose to dedicate my time to mastering it. Once I¡¯ve settled on the battle style centered on surprise attacks, the chances for directbat decreased drastically.


    But this man managed to train his Stealth Gift forbat and created a new battle style. If I were to be honest, I never even considered something like that. This was something you could onlyprehend if you used it while facing an enemy head-on. But considering what would happen if you failed, this was hardly something one would be willing to use mid-battle.


    ¡°You have such good skills¡­ It¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s only good for one-on-one fights.¡±


    In this world, you could only gain fame if you stepped on the battlefield or hunted monsters. But with this battle style, you would be no use on the battlefield where you needed to take on multiple people at once, and it was disadvantageous against monsters that used the brute force approach.


    His style was only good for one-on-one fights. It was a skill you could only use in duels between humans, so to speak. That was perhaps why their leader was Gale and not him.


    ¡°Sorry brat, I don¡¯t have much time. Just die already!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve not the slightest intention of dying so young.¡±


    We exchanged words and once again shed des. It wasn¡¯t long until the surroundings would get noisy. If we continued for a few more minutes, someone would catch sight of us.


    In the middle of our exchange, I shifted my position a little and dashed towards the darkness the moment the chance appeared. The man ignored Matisse and chased after me.


    ¡°As expected.¡±


    He has been monitoring Horton Corp all this time so there was little chance that Matisse saw him. It was natural that he put me first on the priority list.


    Thus, I was able to secure Matisse¡¯s safety and at the same time change our battle location.

 Chapter 86: The Usual Battleground

    <h4>Chapter 86: The Usual Battleground</h4>


    I crossed des with the man in the darkness. After each sh, I switched positions and headed for the ce with even less human presence.


    By doing that, I could put distance between him and Matisse and also lead him to a ce where I could fight to my heart¡¯s content.


    The man seemed to realize my n and didn¡¯t try to return back to our initial position.


    ¡°Are you sure it was a good idea to leave that girl behind?¡±


    I asked him as I ran. Matisse¡¯s existence was no longer that important to him. After all, there was hardly a chance for any more negotiations with Horton Corp. However, the source of ie, in other words, Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds, were still with her. This man should¡¯ve seen how I handed them over to her.


    Despite that, he still chose to eliminate me first. Hearing my question, he replied with an unpleasant smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My main upation is stealing. Even if the guards recover those seeds, I can always steal them back from the guard station once I¡¯ve dealt with you.¡± ¡°The station isn¡¯t the only ce where it could be taken, you know? There are far more troublesome ces in this town.¡±


    For example, Maxwell¡¯s treasure house. That ******* had too much time on his hands and applied all kinds of protective magic on it. Why did I know that, you might ask? Answer to that was¡­ It was because I yed the invader¡¯s role to test its protection.


    I honestly thought I was a goner then. If the seeds were taken there, no Stealth Gift would be enough to sneak inside.


    ¡°You mean the Six Heroes? In that case, I¡¯d obviously run with the tail between my legs. Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds are certainly valuable, but not enough to face monsters that could blow away a kingdom or two.¡±


    He sure had the profits and losses calcted. I didn¡¯t know about Gale, but he was at least far smarter than the rest of those underlings. But there was nothing strange about that; if he didn¡¯t have a good head on his shoulders, he could¡¯ve never invented such a battle style using a nonbat Gift.


    Even as we were conversing, his position stayed slightly out of sync. He was probably using his Stealth again. The Stealth Gift couldpletely cut away one¡¯s presence, but it still couldn¡¯t erase the user from people¡¯s direct line of sight.


    When he cut away his presence, there was a slightg until your eyes reaffirmed his existence. And he made use of thatg during battles.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    Because he was slightly out of ce, my threads cut empty air. I almost always used wool to strengthen my right hand and both legs, with one yarn for each part respectively. That only left two steel threads for me to use freely.


    On top of that, the Interference Magic had a time limit on it. I nned to make it a brief battle, but I had an overwhelming disadvantage.


    ¡°Those threads are quite troublesome. I can¡¯t approach at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m but a frail maiden. I can¡¯t let a pervert like you approach me.¡± ¡°Hah, the only ¡®maidens¡¯ who could excel at assassination to this point are those doing prostitution as a side job.¡±


    The man skillfully handled his swords and attacked relentlessly. Since I was using threads on both legs and right arm, I could only use two steel threads and katana in my left hand for attacking.


    We had about the same amount of moves, or I had a bit more. However, there was an overwhelming difference in the heaviness of our individual attacks, and every single time I blocked his attack my body was flung into the air. This wasn¡¯t because the man was especially strong, but because I was far too light.


    Thus, after a series of attacks, blocks and dodges, I finally arrived at my target destination. It was the lumberyard where I did my night training. Here, I had a full grasp on my surroundings. But I wasted almost two minutes to get here. I had barely a minute left.


    ¡°Wee to my field.¡± ¡°Hump, I¡¯ve no interest in kids¡¯ ygrounds!¡±


    He threw those words and drew near. Despite his ill words, he positioned himself so the lumber would be on his right, leaving practically no openings. He nned to use it to defend against sideway attacks of my threads.


    It might have appeared to be disadvantageous for me as I used my threads like whips, but that was actually not the case. Because these threads showed their true worth not in attacks butying traps. And if it was a ce full of obstacles like this, they could turn it into a splendid hunting ground.


    With a swing of my hand, I aimed the thread at the lumber that he used as a wall. Naturally, it was almost impossible to do any damage this way. However, the thread shaved away arge chunk of wood where it hit, and sawdust danced before his face.


    Because of his momentum, the man had no way to defend against it.


    ¡°Kh, trying to blind me huh!¡± ¡°Unlike sand, wood is light, so it can stay afloat for quite a while.¡±


    Of course, if they were small enough, even sand grains could remain quite long. However, if they were the same size, the wood that was lighter wouldst longer.


    I used another thread to attack him, but he narrowly avoided it. With his vision blocked, the man¡¯s posture was greatly disturbed.


    Using this chance, I went for the direct hit and swung my katana. However, this too was blocked by the man as he attacked me back. By intentionally leaping forwards instead of dodging, he managed to shorten my scope of attack.


    The attack range of my katana and threads could be said to be quite distant. It rivaled a two-handed sword in length. Since he attacked with a half-tackle, I had no way to attack.


    In the first ce, I had no strength to support an adult man¡¯s weight. Thus I was knocked down on the floor and he mounted on top of me. In this distance, his short swords were more effective.


    While straddling me, he raised his swords and thrust them towards my head. However, since both of his hands held swords, he couldn¡¯t properly hold me down. I used the thread with my left hand and slipped under his crotch, then once again took some distance.


    ¡°You brat¡­ I thought you were a brat, but are quite used to battles. Are you actually a gnome?¡± ¡°Too bad. I¡¯m a genuine seven years old kid.¡±


    Although I was strengthening my limbs, it couldn¡¯t make up for how weak my body was. The only reason I could fight evenly with him was due to the battle experience from my past life.


    But there was still the problem of time limit. I only had a few dozen seconds left. If I didn¡¯t settle this battle soon, It would only get dangerous for me.

 Chapter 87: Conclusion

    <h4>Chapter 87: Conclusion</h4>


    While we both took our distances, I had no time to waste on ring each other. If I didn¡¯t take the initiative to attack, my time would be up.


    Fortunately, his right eye still hadn¡¯t regained its vision, so I managed to create a blind spot. That said, his right side was blocked by the lumber. Still, my threads could attack even from that space.


    It bent like a whip, a flexibility that was something unachievable with normal ded weapons, and shed from that narrow space. However, it wasn¡¯t a simple sideways sweep, but more like a thrust of a spear.


    But the man seemed to have predicted that, he twisted his body to dodge the attack. It took some time to recover the thread after that miss. He thought that my attack created an opening and once again came with the tackle.


    If an adult pushed me, my light body could be easily be sent flying. He was probably aiming for that weakness.


    But that was within my calctions. I still had one more thread left. I swung it downwards and attempted to bisect him. But even that failed tond a direct hit.


    In the middle of his rush, he nted his short swords in the ground and abruptly changed his course. He got himself separated from the lumber and exposed his body to a vast space.


    That was a danger zone where attacks coulde from any direction. However, my threads that missed were in no position to do a follow-up attack.


    He faced me once again and plunged forward. With our positions changed, the mountain of lumber was now behind me. If he crashed my frail body on it, I could faint just from the impact.


    Stealing is his specialty? You kidding, right? This b?a?s?t?a?r?d?¡¯s crazy used to battles.


    I cursed him in my mind while also expressing my admiration. He wasn¡¯t letting his guard down even against a child like me. He always chose the most optimal n and attacked the way I would hate the most.


    Most likely, he led a life full of dangers where a moment¡¯s negligence would¡¯ve cost him his life. That¡¯s why he showed no negligence even if the opponent was a child.


    Since my path of retreat was blocked, I could only move forward. Resolving myself, I thrust my katana and intercepted him. Having the de trust before his face halted his charge. He had to either dodge or block it, otherwise, it wouldnd a fatal wound.


    Sure enough, he swung his short sword sideways and flung my katana away. Due to the difference in our strength, it left my hands far too easily. Then he used his other short sword to thrust at me.


    My katana was gone, and my two threads weren¡¯t ready for use. Behind me was the lumber, and I couldn¡¯t move on either side due to my forward momentum.


    Checkmate¡­ The man thought and revealed a twisted smile.


    However¡ªHe got careless.


    During all our previous exchanges, my katana neverpletely left my hand. If I felt like it, I could even tie my hand to its grip. His attack couldn¡¯t have sent it flying just like that. The fact that he failed to catch onto that was his downfall.


    I quickly moved my hand behind my back and pulled out a dagger. It was the one I took from their hideout. I only knew it was a magic sword, but I didn¡¯t know what kind of magic it held within. Even so, it was a dagger that could cut.


    For an instant, I used my own Stealth Gift. I hadn¡¯t used it until now, so he should¡¯ve been taken by surprise. He lost track of me for a moment and then once again perceived me. By that time I was already right beside him and were grasping his hand.


    I sealed the movement of his hand with my strengthened arm, thus his attack stopped. Following it, I thrust the dagger in his abdomen with all my strength.


    ¡°Kaaah!?¡±


    With that shriek, he stopped all movements. A bit below his belly button and a little left¡­ or right from his point of view. That was where his kidney was. As a finisher, I twisted the dagger and gouged out the wound, making it an unrecoverable wound. With that, nothing but the highest recovery magic could save him.


    He vomited arge volume of blood and dyed my shoulder red.


    ¡°This is the end.¡± ¡°I-I never thought¡­ I¡¯d lose to a brat¡­ Like you.¡± ¡°You were quite good.¡±


    The man leaned onto me. Iid his body down and addressed him. Naturally, given who he was I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. While staying alert for a potential counterattack, I heard his final words.


    ¡°There¡¯s no saving me now¡­ This is myst wish, let me see¡­ Your face.¡±


    Hearing his request I removed my scarf that covered my hair, mouth and half my face. Then, my soot-covered face appeared, my silver hair fluttering in the night wind. And finally, my heterochromia red and blue eyes.


    ¡°What the, so you really were a brat¡­ And a girl. Your¡­ Name?¡± ¡°Reid.¡± ¡°Same as¡­ One of the Six Heroes, huh.¡± ¡°I am that hero. I got reborn through the reincarnation magic. Though I became a girl.¡± ¡°Hahah¡­ Hahahahaha! No way! I failed to catch such a huge prey¡­in¡­the end¡­¡±


    Mustering his final ounce of strength, the man burst into augh, scattering spit and blood everywhere with bloodshot eyes. He continuedughing until the very end, then his body convulsed and he gave his final breath.


    After confirming that his heart hadpletely stopped, I rose to my feet.


    ¡°Well, you were one troublesome opponent.¡±


    Then muttered those words while looking down on his corpse.

 Chapter 88: Fruits of the Training

    <h4>Chapter 88: Fruits of the Training</h4>


    Next to the fallen man, I clenched my fist, feeling the result of my training. I was able to fight with an adult¡ªand someone of such a skill¡ªwith this small body. Not to mention, without being overpowered through the sword¡¯s might, setting the tackle aside.


    In other words, it was proof that strengthening my body with threads raised my battle power quite a lot.


    ¡°That said, if I use it for a full three minutes, my body would give in first¡­¡±


    Even now, a stinging pain ran all over my body, especially my shoulders and knees. If it was like this, were I to recast it during the battle to extend its time, I probably would be unable to move for a few days.


    ¡°Well, I can work on that part bit by bit. For now, I need to get away from this ce¡­¡±


    A clearly suspicious-looking child had clearly stabbed a clearly suspicious-looking man to death. If someone saw me like this, I would end up spending some days in jail regardless of how young I looked.


    Even if Matisse gave testimony for me, the fact that I slip out at night would be revealed, so the end result would still be bad.


    I wiped the soot from my face with the scarf and returned back to the kidnappers¡¯ base. If I wiped the filth of my face and covered my glossy hair, I would be hardly distinguishable from your average street urchins.


    There was already a crowd gathered around the base, with guards surroundings Matisse and giving her emergency treatment. Seeing that, I heaved a relieved sigh and slowly withdrew from the ce.


    With that, her safety should¡¯ve been guaranteed. After this, the Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds would reach Maxwell and Cortina via the guards.


    I activated my Stealth Gift, returned to Cortina¡¯s house and slipped into my room. Then I wet a towel with the water jug and carefully cleaned the filth from my body. As expected, it was not even early summer now, so getting naked and wiping my body made me feel quite cold, but if I didn¡¯t do at least that much I¡¯d be reeking of sweat.


    I was already staying upte as a child, so the burden on my body was quite big. I wanted to guarantee myself a good quality sleep.


    I decided to wash the towel, scarf, and my bloody clothes tomorrow¡­ Well, it would be quite troublesome to do that without being seen by Finia¡­


    ¡°¡­Well, whatever. I¡¯ll just wash them in the academy next week.¡±


    I received the attention of other students so I couldn¡¯t do anything too suspicious, but that much shouldn¡¯t matter. I put the filthy towel inside the drawstring purse where my gym uniform was, then changed to my pajamas and slipped into my bed.


    The next morning, when I woke up and headed to the dining room, Cortina was nowhere to be seen. Actually, it was already close to forenoon so I overslept quite a bit. I greeted Finia who was in the middle of preparing dinner.


    ¡°Morning, Finia.¡± ¡°Good Morning, Lady Nicole. You slept for quite some time today.¡± ¡°Yeah, I ended up staying upte yesterday.¡±


    When I mentioned that, Finia seemed to have misunderstood what I meant. She covered her mouth and started giggling meaningfully, with an unpleasant smile. Her expression practically screamed how amused she was.


    During that time, her hands didn¡¯t stop doing the waiter duties. She quickly carried the sd and toasts to the table, and even prepared ham and eggs.


    ¡°Now that you mentioned it, you witnessed Lord Lyell in action yesterday, right? No wonder you couldn¡¯t sleep at night.¡± ¡°You are way off the mark.¡±


    Her absurd misunderstanding put me in a foul mood and I protested while looking away. But that action produced yet another misunderstanding.


    ¡°Lord Lyell is really cool. You see him in a different light after witnessing his feats, right?¡± ¡°Mhm, I think Reid is cooler.¡± ¡°Well, I agree with you there!¡±


    She immediately agreed to my objection. Embarrassingly enough, I was still number one in her eyes. She probably glorified the past a lot, but I was still grateful for her high evaluation.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cortina?¡± ¡°I heard there was a firest night. But that ce turned out to be the kidnappers¡¯ base and they found Lady Matisse there.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Moreover, the stolen Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds were discovered alongside her, so both Lord Maxwell and Lady Cortina are very busy.¡± ¡°Oh, looks like we can get her nectar now.¡± ¡°Indeed, with that, you can be energetic, Lady Nicole!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been energetic, though¡­¡±


    Rather, I¡¯ve been training my body iparably harsher than other children. The problem was that it bore no fruit. But that would be solved soon. When the Magic Buildup Disease that was the culprit of my weak strength gets cured, my training will finally start producing proper feedback.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°You look happy, Lady Nicole.¡± ¡°Well, my illness is going to be cured, so I suppose I am a bit.¡±


    I finished my brunch and brought the after-meal cup of hot milk to my lips. It was quite sensible that it had a faint sweetness of sugar. That sweetness permeated my body, making me feel at bliss.


    But such a calm forenoon didn¡¯tst for very long. The door suddenly burst open and Maxwell and Cortina intruded inside.


    ¡°We¡¯re hooome. Aah, I¡¯m so tired. Finia, can you pour me some tea?¡± ¡°Make it soybean one for me. And preferably strong.¡± ¡°I will prepare it at once.¡±


    Cortina aside, at least you hold back a little, Maxwell. I cursed in my mind while amazed at Finia¡¯s good personality. Without paying me any mind, or reading the mood, Maxwell started talking.


    ¡°Well then, Nicole. I assume you¡¯ve heard of the situation?¡± ¡°I got the gist from Finia.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. It would be bothersome to exin it all over again. We will be returning back to the Queen Blossom at noon, so make preparations.¡± ¡°Got it. What about Michelle and Letina?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose we have to contact them or they would hold a grudge. I leave that to you.¡± ¡°Okay, I will let them know.¡±


    If I were to be honest, I wasn¡¯t so keen on taking them with us, because we were still heading for the monster territory, regardless of how docile they were. However, unlike Maxwell, I was their ssmate and spend every day with them. I wanted to avoid hearing theirints every time we saw each other.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and let them know now.¡± ¡°Okay, take care.¡±


    I hopped down from the chair¡ªsince my feet couldn¡¯t reach the ground¡ªand went to change my clothes, then stepped outside.


    I felt three warm gazes on my back, but I decided to pretend that I didn¡¯t notice.

 Chapter 89: To Mount Nord, Once Again

    <h4>Chapter 89: To Mount Nord, Once Again</h4>


    Come afternoon, Lyell and Maria came to Maxwell¡¯s mansion. Michelle and Letina also came with them. Since the kidnappers were handled just yesterday, Lyell and Maria decided to walk them here.


    ¡°Thanks to that, mommy ended up fainting.¡± ¡°I can see that happening.¡±


    You would normally never consider that heroes who saved the world would appear at your doorstep as guides for your kids. Much less when the kid in question was Letina who was anything but timid. It was natural for them to assume their daughter caused some mess.


    ¡°Moreover, after Lady Maria forcefully woke her up with Awake spell, she fainted again.¡± ¡°She used the Awake spell? Well, if someone fainted before your eyes, you¡¯d end up using it.¡± ¡°She did it three times.¡± ¡°You should just give up at that point.¡±


    Well, such uprightness was Maria¡¯s nature.


    ¡°W-Well, there were a bit problems before we departed, but let¡¯s just pretend there weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Maria¡­ keeping up appearances wouldn¡¯t erase the facts.¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    It was rare to see her so dejected.


    After a while, Tricia arrived and we once again headed for Mount Nord.


    We put scarves on our mouths and climbed the mountain. We had no specific destination, we just aimed for the summit. After climbing far enough, the other party would approach us themselves, so there was no need to look for them.


    ¡°Ah, there they are.¡±


    I muttered from the top of the carriage. I could see the wriggling shadows in the corner of my smoky field of view.


    ¡°Nicole, you noticed it first again. Your eyes are really are sharp.¡± ¡°I was being vignt, but this is making me lose confidence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you are inattentive to details. But I couldn¡¯t notice it either.¡± ¡°All of you are the same¡­ I am Gadius! Tell Queen Blossom that we brought the requested items.¡±


    Hearing Gadius¡¯ voice, the surroundings Treants started rustling and slowly withdrew. After a while, a familiar youthful voice greeted us.


    ¡°You returned so fast. Did you find my seeds?¡±


    A giant flower with a girl enshrined in its center¡ªthe Queen Blossom pushed her way through the Treants and approached us. Her voice seemed tock any kind of expectations for us, but the reality wasn¡¯t what she expected.


    ¡°Indeed, here they are.¡± ¡°What!? You really found them in a single day?¡±


    Lyell put the bag of seeds a little away from us, then the Treants went to recover them. Receiving the bag, the Queen Blossom excitedly opened it and started counting the number. That reminds me, I never checked their number.


    ¡°One, two¡­ Hmm, indeed there¡¯s everything here.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± ¡°But still, for it to take just one day¡­ How did you find them?¡± ¡°About that¡­ The robbers that came to sell those got caught in a fire. Moreover, someone else seemed to have dealt with them before we got to them.¡± ¡°Who was that someone?¡±


    I killed all of the kidnappers. The only reason Lyell knew that was because Matisse saw me. But I had soot on my face, my hair was hidden under a scarf along with my peculiar right eye, so she didn¡¯t know it was me.


    ¡°It was a ck-faced Gnome d in ck from head to toe. That¡¯s the only conclusion we have reached based on what the witness told us. Oh, and they possessed tremendous physical strength. We found bisected bodies everywhere.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t due to my strength but because I used the anchor¡¯s weight, but it was quite convenient for me if they misunderstood it like that. Because I was recognized to have an extremeck in the strength department, no one would think that I was the culprit.


    ¡°Hmm, were they unable to find the seeds? They should¡¯ve been right before their eyes. That¡¯s quite a good fortune.¡± ¡°No, they found it all right. And they entrusted them to the kidnapped child. It must¡¯ve been someone who was aware of the circumstances.¡± ¡°Do you have any leads?¡± ¡°I thought about it¡­ but nothinges up. No, maybe¡­?¡± ¡°Is there anything?¡± ¡°No, nevermind.¡±


    Lyell seemed to have thought of something, but he shook his head and denied once more. I didn¡¯t know what he thought, but it was no time for that now.


    ¡°Rather than that¡­¡± ¡°I know, this was the bargain. Wait for a bit.¡±


    Saying that, the Queen Blossom ordered the Treants to bring a rough-looking wooden bucket. She then pushed that bucket at the heart of her own petals. After a bit, she raised the bucket once again, but it was now full of nectar.


    It had such a rich fragrance it even reached my nose.


    ¡°So this is the Queen Blossom¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Indeed. When my seeds hatch and be Alraune, they feed on this nectar. It¡¯s a concentration of my power¡­ A precious article.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. With this, this girl can be saved. Thanks for your cooperation.¡± ¡°It is us who have been saved. I thank the Great Tree for this fated encounter.¡± ¡°Okay, looks like it¡¯s finally my turn now!¡±


    Lyell took the nectar from the Queen Blossom and exchanged the words of gratitude. Then Tricia destroyed the atmosphere between them and started rolling up her sleeves.


    It seemed that the medical effect vaporized soon after the nectar was drained from the petals. If she didn¡¯t make the medicine here and preserved it, we would only be left with simply a sweet nectar.


    Unfortunately, I had to agree that it was time for her to show her skill.

 Chapter 90: Medicine Creation and Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 90: Medicine Creation and Conspiracy</h4>


    Tricia started making the medicine before the Queen Blossom¡¯s eyes. That said, she wasn¡¯t doing anything too special. Unlike the seeds, nectar could be ingested normally to show its medical effect.


    The problem was that you couldn¡¯t leave it be for too long or it would evaporate into the atmosphere and its effect would fade.


    ¡°¡­I nned to mix the liquid medicine and lock the medical effect in ce¡­ But this is not the amount I expected.¡±


    While exining it to us, she took out a small bottle from her medicine box and gently poured the content in the nectar. If this preservation liquid was too little or too much, the nectar¡¯s effect couldn¡¯t be preserved.


    ¡°Given the amount, the preservation liquid I have on hand wouldn¡¯t be enough. Lord Maxwell¡­ No, Lady Maria, could you return to Raum with Cor¡­ Lady Cortina and bring me my vials? Lady Cortina should know where the preservation liquid is stored.¡± ¡°Yes, leave it to me. Also, you can call me without titles as you do with Cortina, okay?¡± ¡°That would be too discourteous!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not for me?!¡± ¡°You are a colleague, so no!¡±


    Cortina and Tricia started their usual chatter. Maria started deploying the magic while observing them from the side.


    ¡°If it¡¯s just to get them, Maxwell could manage that too right?¡±


    Maria wasn¡¯t used to the Teleportation magic. It took her some time to invoke it. She was so unused to it that she couldn¡¯t use it in battle.


    Then, wouldn¡¯t it be faster if Maxwell went instead? I wondered about that and asked Tricia. She answered without stopping her hands.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s my house, you know? I can¡¯t really let a man enter there without permission, right?¡± ¡°Ah, right. Even you are a woman.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®even you¡¯!?¡±


    While we were making a noise, the Teleportation lit up in its characteristic light and Maria and Cortina disappeared from the ce.


    ¡°So that medicine¡ª¡± ¡°Hyah!? W-what?¡±


    The Queen Blossom¡¯s sudden voice caused her to reply with a stiff voice. But she didn¡¯t stop her hands, which showed her professionalism.


    By stirring it like this, she was able topensate for theck of preservation medicine. Of course, she couldn¡¯t keep on stirring forever, so this was only a temporary measure.


    ¡°That medicine can preserve the nectar¡¯s effects?¡± ¡°Oh, well it can preserve the effects I¡¯m aware of¡­¡± ¡°Then, it can also preserve the nectar I give to the Alraune, yes?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know what effect the Altraune need, so unless I test it¡­¡± ¡°Ho-ho, then could you make arger portion? I¡¯d like to try giving it to my children.¡± ¡°Whaa-!?¡±


    Her sudden request shocked Tricia and she started darting her eyes about. But as the Queen Blossom said, if the nectar could be preserved, they would be able to sustain themselves even if they had to move their habitat to a mountain like they did this time.


    If we handled this well, we could get our hands on the continuous supply of this valuable nectar.


    ¡°Can you make it?¡± ¡°Well, if Cortina brings additional medicine, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s share it?¡± ¡°Would that be alright?¡± ¡°As long as we can secure Nicole¡¯s share, wouldn¡¯t it be fine?¡±


    Queen Blossom¡¯s nectar strengthened the emission of magic power. It was even called the source of Alraune¡¯s evolution, so it was natural for it to have that much effect, but if we could secure a stable supply of it, the interests involved would make things quite troublesome.


    Some might even aim for Queen Blossom herself. Even so, Maxwell said something so carefree. But I knew him. This old man might have looked like a fool, but his mind was sharp enough to get involved with national politics.


    ¡°Those that knew about your whereabouts got exterminated yesterday. Only we and a few others know that you live here. It wouldn¡¯t be that difficult for you to remain hidden.¡± ¡°But what about medicine? If you secure the stable supply, other countries, merchants and robbers would start sniffing around.¡±


    Merchants sensitive to money, robbers, or even countries desiring to use the medicine to raise the abilities of their magicians would be watering at the mouth in the face of it.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I can just monopolize it. Maybe Lyell and Gadius can back me up too? With that, the essential four of us, Maria included, would be involved in the business. Moreover, I have the backing of Raum, too. There would be few who would still dare to force their way, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± ¡°Not just the kingdom, they¡¯d be turning us into their enemies, huh? Certainly, that would be the worst development for them.¡±


    Their conspiracy that involved the entire country formed bit by bit. Hearing that, Tricia plugged her ears and shook her head. Michelle ended up stirring the nectar in her stead.


    ¡°Aah, I didn¡¯t hear it, I didn¡¯t hear it! I don¡¯t want to hear something that could shorten my life-span!¡± ¡°Doctor, you have to mix it properly.¡± ¡°Michelle is doing, so it¡¯s fine. Besides, my arms are tired.¡± ¡°I withdraw my statement about you looking professional.¡± ¡°Ehh! I¡¯m not sure what you mean, but did my value just drop!?¡±


    What was the point of plugging her ears if she heard what I said? Didn¡¯t that mean she heard everything, in the end? While I was looking exasperatedly at her, the Teleportation light appeared once again, and along with it Maria and Cortina.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait, we brought the medicine.¡± ¡°Tricia, you should clean your house once in a while. It¡¯s hardly different from Maxwell¡¯s you know?¡±


    The boisterous duo returned with a handbag packed full of vials. Tricia received those, and with that my medicine was finallyplete.

 Chapter 91: Side Benefit

    <h4>Chapter 91: Side Benefit</h4>


    Be advised that this chapter contains slight erotic elements.


    The finished medicine was thick, milky-white liquid with tinges of yellow mixed in. Before I drank it, I listened to Tricia¡¯s exnation on how to go about it.


    ¡°Listen, just drinking this won¡¯t improve the strength of emission.¡± ¡°Huh, so it¡¯s useless in the end?¡± ¡°No, I suppose that wasn¡¯t quite urate. It does strengthen it, but you can¡¯t make proper use of it¡­¡± ¡°So it needs training?¡± ¡°Well, you could say that, I guess? Look, even if you make a hole in the bank, if you don¡¯t guide the water through it you can¡¯t draw it out, right? And guiding it requires quite a bit of getting used to. So at first, someone has to assist you with it.¡±


    She looked like a real doctor now that she was exining all that to me with her index finger pointed up. However, looking at her behaviour my danger sense started to act up.


    Even so, if I wanted to live like an ordinary person from now on, I had to muster my courage and ask.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Assist me how?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. Specifically, they have to forcefully suck out the excess magic umted in your body.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s why I strengthened your emission. But well, about the method¡­¡±


    Saying that, Tricia revealed an impish smile stemming from her innermost feelings. It gave me chills and I took a step back while hugging my shoulders.


    ¡°It goes without saying, it has to be sucked through a kiss!¡± ¡°Now hold on a-!¡±


    I yelled out without thinking. A kiss, she said? Why did I have to do something like that?


    ¡°Well, you need keywords to use magic, right? Aside from exceptions like Lady Maria.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­ you have a point.¡± ¡°I told you to stop referring to me with that title¡­¡±


    Maria started sulking because of thedy treatment, but let¡¯s leave her aside for now. Tricia¡¯s exnation was more important than that. I could see Gadius restraining Lyell who was about to lose control.


    ¡°In other words, magic poweres out through the mouth. Or rather, I suppose the throat itself would be more urate, since that¡¯s what produces that voice? And the magic power follows the produced voice, get it?¡± ¡°I see, I see?¡± ¡°Since ites out from the mouth, that ce is the easiest to extract it from. So when ites to extracting magic through it, it stands to reason that it would be easier for the extractor to use the mouth too.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Hmm?¡±


    I felt like she just made a big leap in logic with that weird theory.


    ¡°If magic could be released in the atmosphere without spells or magic circles, there would be no buildup disease. And magic power fundamentally has the inclination to build up inside the body. So transferring from one body to another would prove to be far easier. And that¡¯s where the kisses in!¡±


    So in other words, our lips needed to be in direct contact to transfer my magic power to the other person? Her exnation revolved so fast I was not fully convinced, though.


    ¡°With that being the case, who¡¯s going to help Nicole?¡±


    Tricia dropped a bomb with a totally amused expression. Hearing that, Lyell raised his hand with all his strength.


    ¡°Me, me! I can¡¯t let another man take my daughter¡¯s lips! It¡¯s time for the reliable daddy to make his appearance, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°She¡¯s too young to kiss a man. So it should be me, her mother, instead, right?¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    Certainly, Maria was the most suitable choice from the medical perspective. But there was no way I could kiss her, considering I couldn¡¯t even suck her breasts before.


    ¡°Dear, Nicole¡¯s so cold to me!¡± ¡°Did her rebellious agee already¡­? Isn¡¯t it a bit too early, I wonder?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here. In the first ce, don¡¯t you always return to the vige? We don¡¯t know when I will copse and need emergency help, so it would be better to choose someone who actually lives in this town.¡± ¡°Gh¡­ As expected from my daughter, but I¡¯m still impressed by that cool-headed analysis.¡± ¡°She¡¯s actually nothing like you.¡± ¡°Whaa-!?¡±


    Leaving the shocked Lyell aside, Maxwell and Gadius who were opposite¡­ or rather, same as my mental gender, out of question. Which left Tricia, Cortina, Letina, Michelle and Finia, I suppose?


    ¡°Okay, Letina is out.¡± ¡°Ehhh, why!¡± ¡°If the rumours spread that I kissed the daughter of the Marquis, I¡¯m not sure what that could lead to.¡±


    Indeed, Letina was the daughter of a leader of this kingdom, even if she didn¡¯t look the part. I didn¡¯t want any bad rumours spreading around her.


    ¡°And I suppose Dr. Tricia is not good either. She never leaves her office, after all.¡±


    There was no knowing when I would copse, so choosing someone so separated from me when I needed immediate treatment would prove to be fatal.


    Based on that same logic, Michelle was not an option either, because she spent the day in the nearby Adventurer Training School. Besides, it would be too pitiable if I took her first kiss.


    ¡°Which leaves Cortina, who¡¯s my homeroom teacher, and Finia, I guess?¡± ¡°Stop wording it like we are some leftovers. I have no objections though.¡± ¡°Maybe my desires yed some part there¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Did you say something?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I had an opportunity to kiss the girl I confessed to once. I felt it was a bit¡­ no, quite a cowardly thought, but I didn¡¯t want to let go of this chance. It did make me feel a bit¡­ quite a bit pathetic, though.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll teach you how to do it. First, smear this nectar on your tongue. Then, kiss and entwine your tongues. After that, the magic power should flow towards the less saturated direction on its own.¡± ¡°So I have to drink the medicine more than once?¡± ¡°Well, yes, it¡¯s used to expand the power of the emission. You have to keep drinking it and have your body get ustomed to it.¡± ¡°I see.¡±


    I took the medicine from the doctor and timidly smeared it on my tongue. Along with the strong flowery scent, a numbing stimulus spread through it. Tongues weren¡¯t supposed to be so easy to stimte.


    ¡°Okay, here I go¡­ It¡¯s making me nervous for some reason.¡±


    Cortina put her hands on my cheeks and drew her slightly flushed face closer. She was simply kissing the daughter of her close friends, so it was probably on the level of kissing a pet for her.


    But I was different ¨C I had desires that followed me from my previous life. My heart started to violently pound, and I instinctively clutched the clothes near my chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. Here I go¡ªmmph.¡±


    A little bashfully, Cortina ovepped her lips to mine. Then, her warm tongue quickly invaded my mouth and yed with my own.


    It was followed by an immediate change. It felt as if all the nerves on my back were being pulled out. They received such stimulus that I couldn¡¯t even distinguish whether it was pain or shock that I was feeling.


    ¡°Mgh!? Mnn!¡±


    My body becamepletely stiff and started to convulse. The unknown sensation tormented me; making me twitch, stiffen and finally lose all my strength.


    After that, Cortina finally withdrew her lips.


    ¡°Phew. How did that go, Nicole?¡± ¡°Haa, ahh.¡±


    The fatigue had certainly left my body. But a different sensation assaulted me now, making me unable to answer.


    We had to keep doing something like this?


    ¡°Well that was okay-ish, I guess? Do that in the morning and evening every day.¡± ¡°Every day!?¡± ¡°Of course. They drink medicine every day right?¡± ¡°Ugh, well, yes, but¡­ But look how Nicole¡¯s acting. Wouldn¡¯t that put a burden on her?¡± ¡°Just think of it as rehabilitation. She¡¯ll get used to it before long.¡±


    She said it casually, but I couldn¡¯t even feel my back. I weakly copsed on the ground and overheard the surrounding conversations.


    ¡°Aah! Nicole has¡­ Nicole has been dirtieeed!¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say something so scandalous!¡± ¡°Oh, but doesn¡¯t she look like a proper female now?¡± ¡°Maria, not you too, what are you saying!?¡±


    Cortina and Lyell were in an uproar. I had to keep on doing this every day. It was needed to get healthy, but would I reallyst through it all? It was tough both physically and mentally.


    Imagining what was toe, I couldn¡¯t help but heave a deep sigh.

 Chapter 92: The Approaching Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 92: The Approaching Crisis</h4>


    It has been a month since I¡¯ve started taking the Magic Buildup Disease medicine. Since then, while I felt dizzy at times, the incidents where I suddenly lost all my strength and fainted drastically decreased.


    The matter of absorbing my magic proceeded without problems, Finia doing it at home and Cortina at the academy. Naturally, all while avoiding the public eyes.


    Since that sensation was giving me indescribable feelings of exhaustion, my expression at that time wasn¡¯t something I could show to people. If it was an ordinary child, it could be passed off as a feverish face, but I was quite a beauty so it could invoke some wild ideas in others.


    Either way, I was entering secluded ssrooms with a female teacher and came out with a flushed face, so it did cause some strange rumors, but since everyone was aware of my weak constitution, they were convinced that it was due to the treatment.


    Days passed as such, and I finally reached the level of the healthiness of ordinary children. However¡­ a new crisis approached me now.


    ¡°S-Stop¡­ Stay away!¡±


    I slowly retreated behind as the personification of ill will sidled up to me. However, that didn¡¯t continue for long, for my path of retreat was cut. There was no running away now.


    ¡°I refuse that with all my might!¡± ¡°Ehh, why? Isn¡¯t it cute?¡±


    She inclined her head puzzled at my extreme denial¡­ While holding the school swimsuit in her hands. A girl¡¯s, of course. It was a deep blue swimsuit made by abination of several thick fabric. The chest area was mostly covered, but the arms and legs were leftpletely bare.


    It had already been over two months since I enrolled in this academy. It was already time for me to take on the swimming subject. And for that reason, I was trying to flee from Cortina who sidled up to put that swimsuit on me. With. All. I. Had.


    I got used to clothes with frills andce. I even resigned myself to short skirts. But this¡­ No way I was gonna wear this.


    ¡°Even if you say it, swimming is going to be added to your lessons, so you are going to lose credits if you don¡¯t take it, you know?¡± ¡°Ugh, so you¡¯re betraying me too, Finia.¡± ¡°No such thing. I simply thought you looked really cute in the swimsuit, Lady Nicole.¡±


    Finia answered with an ecstatic expression on her face. She was probably recalling how I looked in the swimsuit¡­ But what about the things on top of that swimsuit? Where was the need to wear those kneesocks and ribbons!?


    ¡°Finia, I¡¯ll wear that hat, but I don¡¯t need those ribbons. Or those socks.¡± ¡°Oh my, I prepared this so you stay warm until you enter the water. As for these ribbons, I just wanted to decorate you with them.¡± ¡°Do I have no allies left!?¡±


    Though I refused, there was a grain or two of logic in her statement. Now that I was included in the swimming lessons, I had no way of escaping from it. Plus, I had to get the suit¡¯s size right while I could, or it could slip off during the swimming.


    Considering the time for readjustment, trying it on now wouldn¡¯t necessarily be a mistake.


    ¡°Ugh, just kill me at once!¡± ¡°Why are you making such a tragic tale out of it? It¡¯s just a swimming ss, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Raum was a big country surrounded by woonds. It was also located on the water veins that supported the said woonds.


    Rivers branched into every part of the country, so whether you became an Adventurer or joined the army, you had to have experience in crossing rivers. For that reason, I had to at least learn how to swim.


    I tried on the swimsuit, but my denial for the kneesocks remained firm. It was quite big in size, enough that its chest would slip off if I swam with it.


    ¡°So it was too big after all.¡± ¡°Her illness should be cured, but her appetite didn¡¯t change, after all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like the medicine affected the stomach¡¯s capacity.¡± ¡°Lady Nicole looks cute when she¡¯s so small. But I do feel the urge to feed her lots.¡±


    She put hands on my shoulders from behind and rubbed her cheek on me. I felt that the distance between us shortened a bit since we started kissing every morning. I put my hand on her head and patted her.


    ¡°Finia, you are a good girl.¡± ¡°Geez, Lady Nicole. It¡¯s hard to tell which one of us is older here.¡± ¡°Aah, Finia, no fair! What about me, Nicole?¡± ¡°Teachers shouldn¡¯t ask for headpats. Good grief.¡±


    Though I said that, I still patted her too. I¡¯d be repeating Finia, but which one of us was an adult here?


    After having our fill of skinship, I started taking off the swimsuit. Remaining in it in this season felt too cold. After taking it off, I looked over my bare limbs. They were so slim that, put nicely, were like a fairy¡¯s, but put badly, were like withered branches.


    I kept on training in secret for the entire month since then and I became quite strong¡­ Is what I feel. But I didn¡¯t gain any muscle at all.


    Given that I was a girl now, I had no intention of turning into a brawny macho, but I still wanted some muscle. My overall physical strength improved, but it was still below an average child. I started feeling the progress in proportion to the decrease in my faints.


    ¡°Do Ick training, after all?¡± ¡°I believe you are more than active enough already, though?¡± ¡°I decided. I should train some more.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t. I¡¯m quite serious.¡±


    While I didn¡¯t fainttely, Finia didn¡¯t stop worrying whenever I went off somewhere and returned with scratches. While the sun was up, Michelle and Letina took me out for hunting¡ªwhich was actualbat in name only¡ªand at night I snuck out and had sword training with Cloud.


    I didn¡¯t find any formidable opponents since then, but running around in the forest was bound to give me scratches. Surprisingly enough, however, no scars remain on my body. Michelle had small ones all over her body, though.


    This, too, might¡¯ve been part of the blessings I received from that goddess.

 Chapter 93: Inlet-making

    <h4>Chapter 93: Inlet-making</h4>


    That day, they gathered all the new students in one ce and took us to the river located on the city¡¯s outskirts. There was a big river near Raum that supplied its poption with water. Today¡¯s goal was to make a big inlet for swimming there.


    We nned to gather the riverside rocks then pile them up inside the river that had a slow current, and make an inlet¡­ or bay, in other words, and hold our swimming lesson there.


    Over a hundred students entered the water with an armful of rock and dammed up the current. My swimsuit didn¡¯t make it, so I had no choice but to enter the water with my gym uniform, which was quite nerve-racking even if I was a child.


    We didn¡¯t make much progress in one day, but we were going to keep it up for around a month, so the inlet would eventually grow big enough for tens of people to swim in it.


    ¡°Ugh, so cold. Why couldn¡¯t they just ask the Adventurers to do this instead?¡± ¡°Because some children may join the army and be soldiers. They are using this to train us with public work too.¡±


    Letina who was physically like your average childined while carrying the rocks. I also carried the rocks while secretly strengthening my muscles with a wool yarn underneath my clothes.


    Naturally, I didn¡¯t use magic to strengthen them, as that would¡¯ve gathered attention. Some of the yarns snapped midway, but I reced them with new ones each time. Just recing them did the job well, since carrying some stones didn¡¯t require extreme movements.


    ¡°Ah, Nicole, Letina!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Oh?¡±


    Looking towards that familiar voice, I saw Michelle and a few dozen kids heading our way. I could see their guiding instructor, so probably the Adventurer¡¯s support academy¡¯s bunch were also rounded up for inlet-making.


    ¡°Are you also making an inlet for swimming?¡± ¡°Yup. We share PE rted lessons with the magic academy, so we also have to join in!¡±


    I greeted her back as she slipped out their line and ran up to us. It wasn¡¯t like she slipped out work, for she simply rushed towards their destination, so the teacher let it pass.


    We got to the shore and started chatting while staying in our swimming uniforms. Cortina who was acting as the supervisor didn¡¯t start scolding us over a little break. Rather, we had to take breaks or we wouldn¡¯t be able to work in such cold water for long periods.


    ¡°Okay, if you¡¯re going to rest, make sure you warm your bodies up properly.¡±


    She said that and presented steaming cups before us. It was bean tea with milk added.


    ¡°Michelle! Hurry up ande back already!¡± ¡°Oh, shoot!¡±


    Their teacher caught up and scolded her. The support academy¡¯s students were already lined up, too. Looking at them, however, made me think they looked quite out of ce. Yes, they were clearly too lightly equipped.


    They at least had weapons like Michelle to protect themselves from monsters. But other than those, they had far too few things on them.


    ¡°Michelle, where¡¯s your lunchbox?¡±


    She, or should I say they, didn¡¯t seem to have brought food with them. Other than weapons, they had nothing, save for a change of clothes.


    ¡°Mhm, we are going to procure it here. There¡¯s a lot of fish in the river, after all!¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re fishing on top of making the inlet? Support academy is on another level.¡± ¡°More like catching them by hand!¡±


    Oh, right, they don¡¯t have fishing rods on them. How do you even catch them by hand?


    ¡°The first group is going to start making the bank. The second group will prepare the kitchen range and the third one will catch fish. Can you do it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡±


    The kids answered cheerfully and scattered to different directions. Waiting for that, Cortina raised her voice.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take a short break. You might catch a cold if your temperature drops too much! It¡¯s just the right time for lunch too, so let¡¯s do that!¡±


    Unlike those kids, we brought lunchboxes with us. We weren¡¯t putting as much importance on the survival skills as they did. Other students also got out of the water and rummaged through their luggage.


    I suppose it was because we were kids that we weren¡¯t bothered about being wet. Seeing that, Cortina pped and yelled once more.


    ¡°Hey! Change your clothes first! I¡¯m the one getting cold here just by watching you!¡± ¡°Ehh!¡± ¡°If you kids caught a cold I¡¯d be the one held responsible!¡±


    Cortina chased after the kid who ran around, not wanting to change. She used magic and proceeded to catch them one by one.


    ¡°You look nothing like an adult.¡± ¡°Oh leave me alone!¡±


    I ended up muttering my thoughts as I watched her resorting to magic to catch those kids. She overheard them and retorted back.


    ¡°Nicole, if you are free, help me catch them.¡± ¡°Kaay.¡±


    ying a bit of tag here with all these rocks scattered about could serve as training in a way. Thinking that I decided to chase them¡­ after I changed.


    ¡°Okay, changing done. Let¡¯s go, Letina.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡±


    Letina raised her hands overhead and dashed out. But there wasn¡¯t that big of a difference in ability between her and the fleeing students. Thus, she wasn¡¯t as sessful in her hunt. I was different, however.


    Footwork and body bnce. Unlike those kids who ran away with all their might, I had my previous life¡¯s experience to aid me.


    I ran past them dexterously while covering the minimal ground, got in front of them, and secretly caught them with threads. The number I caught rivaled Cortina¡¯s who used magic to do it. After we caught all of them, she couldn¡¯t hide her surprise seeing my number.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned. I couldn¡¯t beat my student even by using magic¡­ Did my skills grow dull?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it simply because I¡¯m specialized in closebat unlike you?¡± ¡°Even so¡­ You¡¯re just too good, Nicole¡­ I¡¯m feeling bitter as a teacher.¡± ¡°You have a lot of strong points, Cortina.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy you say that, but still¡­¡±


    With a sigh, I encouraged the sulking Cortina by patting her on the head.

 Chapter 94: The Usual After-School

    <h4>Chapter 94: The Usual After-School</h4>


    After about a month, we finally constructed the embankment and made ourselves a ce to swim. All that was left was for the teachers to use Earth Wall and solidify it.


    After we built it and Cortina and other teachers finallypleted it, Maxwell came to show his face. That damn old man kept up his good-natured old man¡¯s appearance and easily widened the bank we made, so I lost my words.


    What was the point of us working for the entire month? I felt envious of my ssmate who honestly felt impressed and looked up to him as a hero.


    Either way, that marked thepletion of the swimming ce. The rest was for the water to flow in on its own and make an appropriately deep pool. By that time, my swimsuit was finished and I was pushed down the valley of shame, but let¡¯s just forget that.


    As such, preparations for the new lesson was done, and we finally returned to our usual daily lessons. In other words, to our Adventure-like hunts after-school.


    We did public works during school times, but as expected, such heavybor was too hard for children¡¯s bodies to handle. The moment I got home after-school, I knocked myself out and slept all the way until dinner. And at night, I trained Cloud, forging him as an Adventurer. My sleeping hours had clearly decreased as ofte.


    But that was only until today. From tomorrow on, we were returning to the usual lessons until the swimming practices began. Since we weren¡¯t fatigued, I had enough stamina left to take Michelle and Letina with me, and spend the after-school in the forest until dinner time.


    ¡°Crimson Two, Ultramarina One, Gold Three. Grant yon archer the power to draw¡­ How is it?¡± ¡°Nghhhh¡­! Ghh¡­ No good.¡±


    Receiving my Interference Magic, Michelle tried her best to draw the silver longbow, but she only managed to draw it a bit, nowhere near enough to loose an arrow. She couldn¡¯t even budge it before, so I suppose this could be called progress.


    It was the result of her physical strength going up due to the school¡¯s training and my magic that I¡¯ve be able to use up to Crimson two.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the result, but this bow amazes me every time I look at it¡­¡± ¡°Well, it was given by the goddess, after all.¡± ¡°Huh, thatdy was the goddess!?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡±


    That was careless of me. I felt like I¡¯ve be a bit too loose-mouthed as ofte. I needed to pay more attention from now on. But well, someone who readily gives a bow like this was probably better to be called a god.


    ¡°Errr¡­ I¡¯m sure the goddess presented it to you because you were desperately trying to save a friend.¡± ¡°You think so? Ah, she was really pretty, so maybe that is the case!¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Do you remember her, though, Michelle?¡± ¡°Hmm? Eh¡­ Now that you mentioned it, I can¡¯t seem to recall her face?¡± ¡°You two, you don¡¯t even remember her face, so why did you even call her pretty?¡± ¡°Why, I wonder?¡±


    She certainly seemed to be a beauty. However, that impression wasn¡¯t stored in my memories. She was probably using something like the perception obstruction magic. She did say something along those lines back when she reincarnated me too.


    But only I knew that, not Michelle. I¡¯ve already learned my lesson for running my mouth, so I better avoid mentioning anything else.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t use it, then that¡¯s that. There¡¯s no need to force yourself, so just go with your usual bow today, okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. We have to hurry up before the sun sets.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right!¡±


    Kids were fast to switch moods. After I made that suggestion, the two quickly entered their hunting modes.


    Adventurers often huntedrge prey in Raum¡¯s vicinity, so there were few dangerous animals left there. Moreover, we were close to the Elven settlement, so it was safer than any other ce. It was for that reason that even kids like us could safely enter the forest.


    The kidnappers who were threatening the peacetely were exterminated¡ªby me, though¡ªand the thieves who stole the Treants¡¯ seeds were all massacred, too. Again, by me.


    Either way, there was no visible threat around Raum at present.


    ¡°Ah, there it is.¡± ¡°Did you find one already? Your eyes are as sharp as ever.¡±


    I discovered a wild goat eating grass quite a distance away. It was a wild one, but it was biologically no different from the reared goats. Since the dangerous beasts disappeared from here, simr gentle animals took their ce.


    That said, it¡¯s not like there was no danger at all. It ran out of luck when hunters like us spotted it, though. I mean, I wasn¡¯t a hunter, but still.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s do the usual.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Letina, you¡¯re too loud.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    The usual referred to thebination where I stealthily approached and restricted its movements, while Letina and Michelle finished it off from the distance.


    If it was just me, I would use my threads to entangle its legs and finish it in one move once its movements were sealed. But that would defeat the purpose of their training. There were still many things they had to learn, including the cooperation with the vanguard.


    ¡°Now then¡­ Let¡¯s start, shall we!¡±


    With those words, I erased my presence without using my Stealth Gift and headed towards the goat.

 Chapter 95: Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 95: Discovery</h4>


    We took our big haul, in other words, the goat, and merrily returned to the town. It was too difficult for me or Michelle to carry dozens of kilograms of weight alone, so we carried it in turns and that cost us quite a bit of time.


    The gate guard¡¯s envious expression when he saw our spoils was quite impressive. Most probably, he would be having roasted goat meat with his drink tonight.


    We gathered in Michelle¡¯s house and had the goat dismantled. Her family specialized in hunting so they had various tools and many knives used for dismantling. We brought big game with us, so her mother happily epted our request.


    While we were waiting, we decided to rest our bodies while drinking the tea we were offered. We still had the stamina to spare, but we decided to withdraw earlier than intended due to howrge our game was, so we still had time.


    We usually hunted small rabbits and birds, so there was still time to hunt a few of them.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Michelle¡¯s mother put three leather bags on the table while taking off the bloodstained apron she used during the dismantling. We always split whatever we hunted into three equal parts between us.


    ¡°But are you sure we can have this much? As always, I bet Lady Nicole was the vanguard while my girl was just shooting at it from behind, right?¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so mean!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat it alone anyway.¡± ¡°But you are so feeble, Lady Nicole. It would be better for Michelle to be the vanguard.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just how our roles are divided. Also, please drop that dy¡¯ bit.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that! We owe so much to Lord Lyell!¡±


    This was how our usual exchange went. Their family was able to move to Raum due to Lyell¡¯s assistance. Thus they were feeling excessively obliged towards me, his daughter.


    ¡°Just saying, but I¡¯m also the Marquis¡¯ daughter, you know¡­¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t feel anything noble in you, Letina.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean!¡±


    Michelle and Letina pulled each other¡¯s cheeks. These two were getting more or less the same level of treatment. Though it was mainly Letina on the short end of it.


    ¡°Then, thank you for dismantling it for us.¡± ¡°We should be saying thanks instead. Now we have a nice addition to our evening meal.¡± ¡°Me too! This will be a good gift for my mother!¡± ¡°Well then, Michelle. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, bye!¡± ¡°Oh, and Letina too, I guess.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®I guess¡¯!?¡±


    We merrily waved our hands and took our respective roads home.


    Our bags only had the wild goat¡¯s meat with the blood removed, but they still weighed good five kilograms. I lifted it and headed home while swaying around.


    Cortina¡¯s house was next to Michelle¡¯s, so I was in an easy spot. Letina lived a bit far so she had it the toughest.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°Wee home, Lady Nicole.¡±


    When I entered inside, Finia cheerfully ran to my side from the inside. Her expression seemed to be full of relief.


    ¡°Mhm, did something¡ªOh?¡±


    Cortina¡¯s house was the type where you took your shoes off. In other words, everyone¡¯s shoes were lined up at the entrance. But there were clearly too many pairs right now.


    ¡°Do we have guests?¡± ¡°Yes. Lord Lyell and Lady Maria, as well as Lord Gadius and Lord Maxwell.¡± ¡°So, basically everyone¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Well, yes. To tell the truth, just waiting on the table was mentally exhausting¡­¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you look so relieved?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ K-Keep it a secret, okay?¡±


    If it was just Lyell, Maria and Cortina, she could more or less handle it already. But with Gadius who looked entric at a nce, and Maxwell, a noble of this country, she was hardly to me for feeling nervous.


    ¡°But why are they here?¡± ¡°It seems Lord Maxwell found out some new information, and when she heard it, Lady Cortina asked everyone to gather here.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? Oh, here, I brought a gift. We hunted a goat.¡± ¡°Ohh, amazing! Goat smells a bit so¡­ Let¡¯s boil it in red wine and make a stew.¡± ¡°Yay.¡±


    Even after getting reborn, the meat remained justice for me. I couldn¡¯t eat too much of it now, but meat and sweets were still my favorite.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go wash myself.¡± ¡°Please greet them before that.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Lyell and the rest came uninvited almost every night, but it was rare for Gadius to show his face. I was indebted to Maxwell too, so a little greeting wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    After passing the short corridor and arriving at the living room, I was met with my formerrades sitting with tensed expressions.


    ¡°H-hellow. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Wee back, Nicole. We were just discussing something.¡±


    When I greeted them while biting my tongue a bit, Maria returned to her usual state and answered me with a smile. But her smile still had traces of tension.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°Yes. Daddy and Mommy think of going on a little journey.¡± ¡°Huh, why?¡±


    Lyell had a vige to protect. Maria was the same. It must have been something very important topel them to do that.


    ¡°We might have found our oldrade.¡± ¡°Oldrade¡­? You mean, Lord¡­ Reid?¡±


    Based on my knowledge, only us Six Heroes weremonrades of both Lyell and Maria. And I was the only missing hero here. But that person was here, so why was there a need to go on a journey?


    ¡°You found¡­ Him?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t about me. They couldn¡¯t have realized it was me. Even though I understood that, I could feel the cold sweat on my spine. Who, then, were they searching for?


    ¡°No, it¡¯s still at the ¡®might¡¯ stage.¡± ¡°This involves her parents, so we should probably tell her everything.¡±


    With that, Maxwell started exining the situation to me. The cause turned out to be the house where Matisse who I saved was hidden in.


    ¡°Of course, there was no survivor left there. However, we discovered strange scars on the burned traces of the residence.¡± ¡°Scars?¡± ¡°Yes, such as on the edge of the door or the window frames. The barn pirs also had traces of being cut.¡± ¡°We have seen those scars many times. In other words¡ª¡±


    Maria took over Maxwell¡¯s words. After they said that much, I also realized it. They were talking about the traces of the steel threads I used to hang those people up and set up traps.


    ¡°They were traces of Reid¡¯s traps. And there¡¯s also Matisse¡¯s testimony: a small silhouette in ck.¡± ¡°At first we thought it was a Gnome assassin, but if that was a child instead¡­ it perfectly fits the timeframe of Reid¡¯s reincarnation.¡± ¡°Reid has been reborn. If we assume that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s strange that he didn¡¯te to meet us¡­¡±


    Well, that¡¯s because his circumstances don¡¯t allow him toe forward. Please don¡¯t research any more than this!


    ¡°Anyway, as long as that possibility is there, we want to search for him.¡± ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡±


    I could only mutter so in response with a vacant expression.

 Chapter 96: Deferment

    <h4>Chapter 96: Deferment</h4>


    The Six Hero members were in high spirits after noticing the possibility of my reincarnation. Seeing Lyell and Maria trying to set out on a fruitless journey put me in a serious mood too.


    It wasn¡¯t because I was discovered. It was because I knew that their journey would bear no results, so letting them go would make me feel guilty. That said, If I went and said something like, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m Reid¡¯s reincarnation. Tehe~¡±¡­ there was no knowing what would be of my life from then on.


    At the very least, I have sucked on Maria¡¯s breasts, entered the bath with girls and massaged them, and in Finia¡¯s and Cortina¡¯s extreme case, I was kissing them every morning and evening to have much magic power absorbed.


    ¡°No way I can say it¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Nicole?¡± ¡°N-nofing!¡±


    Finia always stood behind me. This didn¡¯t change even when Lyell and the rest came here. Because of that, she overheard my anguished mutter. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t hear what I actually said.


    ¡°Wait for us, Nicole. We¡¯ll bring a new friend with us!¡±


    Maria made a fist pump while throwing out her abundant chest. That gesture suited her well, because she looked young despite being close to forty.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t just let them go. That would be far too pitiful. If I couldn¡¯t think of a reason to prevent their journey, my conscience would receive heavy damage.


    ¡°U-Um¡­¡± ¡°Hm, what is it? Are you worried? Don¡¯t worry, mommy is super strong!¡± ¡°I know that.¡±


    That¡¯s not it, Maria. Now then, what kind of excuse should I make up? One that wouldn¡¯t expose me and suitable for my current age¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. We finally get to be together, and you are leaving already¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right¡­ That would make you feel lonely, huh, Nicole.¡±


    Maria knew Teleportation magic, that¡¯s why I could meet her almost every night. However, when it came to a journey, using a spell with slow activation andrge consumption would put a big burden on her.


    It would be close to impossible for them to pop up here every day like they¡¯ve been doing so far. Maxwell would be able to do it effortlessly though.


    ¡°Yes, so¡­¡± ¡°But Reid is an irreceablerade for us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that you say that, but¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No, I mean, err¡­¡±


    I was desperately racking my brains to get them to give up. My thoughts were going nowhere, though, so I couldn¡¯t think up anything good. No wait¡­ err¡­


    ¡°But he would be a child now, right? Then he should have a mother now.¡± ¡°Ah, true¡­ If we found and brought him back, we¡¯d be separating him from his parents.¡± ¡°You are so kind, Nicole, thinking of the others¡¯ well-being before yours. As expected of my angel.¡±


    Because I was too focused on finding the excuse, I couldn¡¯t notice Lyell creeping at me from behind. I couldn¡¯t escape his herculean strength, so I ended up trapped in his hug.


    ¡°Gueeh!¡± ¡°True, even if Reid was reborn, he should still be a kid. Based on the eye-witness, he didn¡¯t seem to have been reborn as a Half-Demon either, so there¡¯s a high chance that he is raised by parents.¡± ¡°Geeeeeh!¡± ¡°Instead of thoughtlessly searching for him, maybe we should wait for him toe before us?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m about to burst¡­I¡¯m bursting!¡± ¡°Right. Now that I think about it, since he was seen here as a child, there¡¯s a high chance that he was actually reborn in this town.¡± ¡°D¡­ Dyi-¡­¡± ¡°Besides, we certainly can¡¯t find him if he actually puts effort into hiding. Since he doesn¡¯t want to appear, he must have a proper reason for it.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s better for us to wait. Hearing about him made me impatient too it seems. Also, it¡¯s about time you released Nicole. Her face¡¯s turning pale.¡± ¡°Whoops, my bad.¡±


    Even with physical strength assistance, I couldn¡¯t oppose his physical strength. I was a bit¡­ no quite a lot weaker than an average seven-year child, while Lyell¡¯s strength was prominent throughout human history.


    It wouldn¡¯t take a genius to guess what would happen to me when someone like that hugged me tightly. I fell plopped down on the floor and Finia hurriedly came to my aid. Sheid me down on the floor and put my head on herp. Her fluid actions were worthy of praise.


    ¡°Well, even if we find him, we could not just take him away.¡± ¡°But can you really endure that, Cortina?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°If Reid was there, somewhere away from you, would you be able to endure being apart?¡±


    Maria asked her with a half-teasing expression. Cortina then sunk to silence with a bitter expression on her face.


    Perhaps she was the one with the biggest attachment to me. That¡¯s why she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave me there if she found me. Maria was teasing her about that. The person they were discussing was before their eyes, though.


    ¡°Mgh¡­ Fine! Let¡¯s just keep this status quo regarding him. He should have his own life, and he wille if he wants to meet us.¡± ¡°Yes, I went and forcibly reincarnated him, so causing any more trouble would be too pitiful for him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that, but are you sure, Cortina?¡± ¡°You, read the mood a little.¡±


    She was obviously not alright with it. Still, she considered my own life and chose to keep the status quo. Lyell went and ruined those sentiments, so Maria mercilessly elbowed him.


    He fell t on the floor with a dull sound. Looks like that elbownded right on his gut.

 Chapter 97: Travel Plans

    <h4>Chapter 97: Travel ns</h4>


    I managed to prevent Lyell and Maria¡¯s departure for the time being. After that, the customary party was held overbearingly¡ªFinia looked quite pitiable because of Gadius and Maxwell¡ªand after midnight, they finally went home.


    I had Cloud take a day off from the training too, so I was able to properly rest my body. I threw myself on my bed and sighed out all my worked up heat from earlier, calming down my heart with every breath.


    ¡°Overworking a child could ruin their body. It¡¯s important to have him rest properly.¡±


    I felt like the words I spoke came back and hit me like a boomerang, but let¡¯s just ignore it. After taking a breather, I got up and made preparations to examine my equipment.


    I approached the closet with a stool to stand on, then removed the inner board and took out the hidden tools from within.


    I wrapped threads on my body during the training, so I wore a ck leather jacket and kneesocks made from a firm material, and leggings. My shoes were also knee-high boots, so my skin was mostly hidden. In exchange, it emphasized my body lines quite a lot.


    This was something Finia chose for me hypothesizing the hunting I did with Michelle. Frilly clothes would get in the way inside the forest. Showy colors would also catch the prey¡¯s attention. That¡¯s why it was made of mostly ck.


    ¡°That said, I¡¯ve had it quite toughtely.¡±


    There were frays starting to show up here and there on the coat, and blood and dust were sticking to the threads.


    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t handle the coat myself. Should I ask Finia to help me repair it?¡±


    Passing the needle through the coat was impossible with my strength. The strength enhancement of threads didn¡¯t reach down to my fingertips, after all. I wore it during my hunts so I could ask for its repairs without problems.


    I removed the battle marks and bloodstains that could invite suspicion and moved on to the next work. The steel threads were twisted from thin metal, so the abrasions were quite extreme. There was also dust and blood stuck in its gaps so I had to carefully wipe them with the maintenance oil.


    ¡°Still, I suppose they are already close to their limit. I really should start looking for new piano wires.¡±


    Rather, piano threads were quite inefficient because they wore down too fast. In my previous life, a certain cksmith supplied me with Mythril threads and specially adjusted them for my use.


    Moreover, I even had them make gauntlets for me with five of those threads equipped on each hand, able to span for over a hundred meters each. That weapon was something like a symbol of mine¡­


    ¡°Huh? That reminds me, I wonder what happened to those gauntlets?¡±


    My equipment couldn¡¯t have vanished after I died. In other words, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for my favorite gauntlets to still be around somewhere. They belonged to one of the Six Heroes, after all. I don¡¯t think anyone would demolish or melt them to make something else.


    ¡°Which would mean, they are in someone¡¯s custody, huh?¡±


    The most likely candidates were Cortina who should have rushed to my side during myst moments, and Maria who supposedly cast Reincarnation on me back then. But there was no such thing in either of their houses.


    This was based on my experience as a spy. I was almost certain that neither of them had those.


    ¡°Did Cortina entrust them to Maxwell, I wonder?¡±


    When it came to Maxwell¡¯s treasure house, I had no way of confirming it. It was the most guarded ce in this town. It might have been the safest ce in the town, no, the entire world.


    ¡°But even I can¡¯t get inside there¡­ I suppose I have to settle for the piano wires for now.¡±


    I showed myself only twice in the music room. Publicly I was simply attending the sses, but in reality, I was there to procure piano wires. I felt a bit apologetic to the music teacher when she tried to teach me how to y only to faint in agony from the produced noise.


    ¡°If I steal too much, they might get suspicious. I really have to consider a battle style that doesn¡¯t rely on threads¡­¡±


    While I was thinking that, I heard a knock on the door. Given the energetic knock, it didn¡¯t seem to be Finia. Sure enough, I heard Cortina¡¯s voice the next moment.


    ¡°Nicole, are you there?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Give me a moment.¡±


    The ck hunting clothes and piano wires were scattered around in my room. The clothes were still fine, but I would have no excuse to give if she saw the threads. I winded the threads in a hurry, crammed them in the box and stuffed it under the bed. It was a good hiding spot, but it was only temporary since that wasn¡¯t where I usually hid them.


    ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Sorry for visiting sote.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Cortina, in her pajamas, opened the door and walked in. She looked far too defenseless in those loose pajamas, and I could catch glimpses of her chest. Were I still a man, I might have taken her straight to the bed.


    ¡°Oh, were you in the middle of maintaining your hunting gear? That¡¯s admirable.¡± ¡°Nah, this is nothing.¡±


    I hid the threads but the ck clothes were still lying there. I didn¡¯t hide them since they weren¡¯t particrly suspicious.


    ¡°It¡¯s got fray spots everywhere.¡± ¡°That shows your and Michelle¡¯s hard work. Though I feel like you are overworking yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, we have Letina with us too.¡± ¡°I see, I see. You are an honor student, huh, Nicole.¡±


    She stroked my head with her slender fingers. Her tail also cheerfully swayed around. It seemed that the previous discussion¡­ the decision they reached to not search for me, hasn¡¯t left her in a foul mood.


    ¡°So, what did you want?¡± ¡°Ah, well. It¡¯s about what we talked earlier¡­¡±


    I thought she didn¡¯t have anyints about it, but was the reality different? My questions showed up on my face, so she hurriedly waved her hands in denial.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not it! I have no objections about the decision. But still, it would take time for me to sort out my feelings, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± ¡°So I was thinking. Why won¡¯t we go on a little trip with everyone? The school¡¯s about to have holidays, right? Our destination is the elf settlement nearby. They have a hot spring there.¡±


    Now that she mentioned it, we had consecutive holidays from next week because the creation of the swimming pond tired us out. And there was a famous hot spring in the elven vige nearby. Cortina decided to make use of that time and take us there.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound so bad. But are we all going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of me and you, Finia, Michelle and Letina.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t inviting Ly¡ªDaddy?¡± ¡°Ah, well, if I invite them, it would turn out like today.¡±


    Lyell wasn¡¯t a bad drunk, but when he was with Gadius and Maxwell he tended to lose restraint. They were friends who were apart for a long time, so they probably had quite a lot on their minds.


    ¡°We have to arrange some time for Finia to rest too.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree with you.¡±


    It was the same today, but Finia worked all the time behind the scenes, be it housework, cooking, cleaning orundry. She was even taking sword lessons ever since we arrived in this town. And tonight¡¯s dispute might have fatigued her quite a bit.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided then. I¡¯d like for us to depart next week, so let Michelle and Letina know, okay?¡± ¡°Got it.¡±


    I gave a quick salute of acknowledgment. As such, we made ns to depart on a trip next week.

 Chapter 98: The Usual Journey

    <h4>Chapter 98: The Usual Journey</h4>


    We had four days, counting the weekend, off in total. We nned to manage this time so we could stay for two nights and three days there. The hot spring in question was in the elven settlement located inside the forest a few hours away from Raum.


    There was a trade route going through the forest towards it, so the trips weren¡¯t that difficult. The five of us going there were me, Finia, Cortina, as well as Michelle and Letina. The parents of thest two had things to do so they couldn¡¯t apany us.


    As such, we departed early morning towards the hot spring resort, but our journey turned out harsher than we imagined. For me, that is¡­


    ¡°Hahhh¡­ Hahhh¡­¡± ¡°Nicole, again?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no helping yourck of stamina.¡±


    I had copsed on the maintained stone paving on all fours. The Magic Buildup Disease itself was alreadypletely suppressed thanks to Dr. Tricia¡¯s medicine. I no longer fainted from the sudden exhaustion like before, but that didn¡¯t mean my initially weak constitution disappeared with it.


    The forest path, in particr, had limited sunlight, high humidity and the wind blowing through it, which shaved my stamina away. You could call it a calming environment if you were staying there for a short while, but it was different when it came to walking through it for a long time.


    Cortina understood that too and let me take a short rest and offered me a sk of water.


    ¡°Well, you are able to walk for an hour now, so that¡¯s an improvement. We have some time to spare, so let¡¯s take a short rest here.¡± ¡°This is disappointing even if I say so myself.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be helped. Rather, the two of you are too lively for your ages.¡±


    Cortina pointed at Michelle and Letina and said that. Indeed, Michelle had too much stamina for her age, enough to even rival a girl in her teens. Letina, on the other hand, was the indoor type, so while her initial energy was good, she was quick to tire too.


    She still seemed to have some energy to spare now, but give her thirty more minutes and she would end up in the same shameful state as me.


    ¡°Nicole, wasn¡¯t your illness cured?¡± ¡°It was cured, okay? I just don¡¯t have enough stamina yet.¡± ¡°No helping it then, let¡¯s rest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Cortina said already.¡±


    I suppose she was at an age where kids liked to act as leaders. I observed her with pleasant thoughts as she puffed her t chest and gave those instructions.


    My limbs had gonepletely limp, though. Finia was gantly massaging my legs and it felt really nice. Seeing how I waspletely retired, Cortina asked in worry.


    ¡°Are you sure your magic power isn¡¯t leaking? You really don¡¯t need me to suck it out?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°Why did you click your tongue!?¡±


    My power of emission was forcibly widened now, so until I learned how to emit it myself I needed someone else to help me with it. Cortina and Finia took it as a ¡®reward¡¯ and fought over who got to suck it out during morning and evening.


    To be honest, I got to kiss two beauties because of it so I actually weed it a lot¡­ But this was a secret they didn¡¯t need to know.


    We moved to the roadside so we wouldn¡¯t block the path, then I took a sip of the lukewarm water. I was feeling a bit cold so warm alcohol or something would¡¯ve been a blessing, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers.


    Rather, this body was extremely weak to alcohol, so just one sip would¡¯ve left me dead drunk. It would be great if we at least had some milk, though, but this trip was going to take around half a day so we decided against bringing food that easily spoiled.


    ¡°Oh, right. Nicole, wait a bit, okay?¡± ¡°Mm?¡±


    Cortina took my sk, dropped some kind of fruit in it and crammed it into another pouch. Then she put that pouch on the ground and warmed it up with Ignite magic. The pouch was made from ibustible material, so Ignite only warmed it up instead of burning.


    After she kept warming it up for a bit, she took out the sk and poured the contents in a portable cup, and passed it to me.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Hm, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I put dried apricots inside and warmed it up. You looked like the water wasn¡¯t quite enough.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Did it show on my face?¡± ¡°A bit. You are still a kid, Nicole. You don¡¯t have to act so reservedly.¡±


    She treated me like a kid, but I was an adult on the inside, and a man at that. Of course, I would act reserved.


    I awkwardly brought the cup to my mouth. The sweet and sour taste of apricots was mixed with the water, making it easier to drink. Michelle and Letina looked at it with wistful eyes. Cortina noticed it too so she poured the water into other cups and passed it to them.


    ¡°Here¡¯s some for you too, Michelle, Letina. You should rest a bit too, Finia.¡± ¡°Okay, I will do that once I finish this up.¡± ¡°Sorry about this, Finia.¡± ¡°I think of this as a benefit instead.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    Finia responded while massaging my branch-like, thin legs. I felt like her loyalty was developing in a weird direction. Thanks to that, her masochistic nature was slowly recovering, so I wasn¡¯t sure whether to feel happy or sad about it.


    While we were resting on the roadside, one carriage happened to pass by.

 Chapter 99: Encounter With the Peddlers

    <h4>Chapter 99: Encounter With the Peddlers</h4>


    Before us showed up a peddler carriage, an encounter that happened often. They were employing the Adventurers for escorting, which too was an orthodox sight.


    They didn¡¯t seem to be familiar faces at a nce so Cortina hurriedly covered her cat ears with a hat.


    Her fluffy tail wasn¡¯t visible from the outside as it was hidden under her traveling cape.


    The carriage stopped before us as they saw me being massaged on the roadside. The man holding the reins called out to me with a worried look.


    ¡°Good day. I¡¯m a merchant, Bill Wyss. Is anything the matter?¡± asked a rtively well-built man, giving off the airs of a merchant.


    He seemed like a good-natured guy at a nce; I couldn¡¯t feel any malicious intent from him. The apanying Adventurers didn¡¯t give off such dangerous vibes either. Far from it, they even had an Elven female mixed amongst them.


    That said, merchants generally came off as good mannered people. Their upation was such that you couldn¡¯t judge their true character based on their appearance.


    Not all Elves were saints either, after all. It¡¯s just that there were fundamentally less malicious individuals among thempared to humans.


    They were somewhat secluded and conservative society, but for better or worse they were overall a virtuous race. Rather, you could hardly find careless individuals like Maxwell there.


    In the end, I decided it was dangerous to let my guard down and focused myx mind.


    ¡°Oh, no. This girl got a bit tired so we are just taking a little break,¡± Cortina answered in a light tone. She appeared to be slightly wary but not tense. Perhaps she also couldn¡¯t feel any ill intent from them. The slight wariness was due to having never met them before.


    Then, one of the Adventurers¡ªthe female Elf stepped forward.


    ¡°Fatigue, huh. Would you mind if I take a look?¡± ¡°S-Sure¡­ Go ahead.¡±


    Finia moved away and let her take a look at my legs. The Elf squatted down before me and introduced herself with a smile, her long, blonde hair fluttering in the wind.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Haumea, an Elf as you can see.¡± ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Nicole.¡±


    I only noticed it after we introduced ourselves, but I could surprisingly see that she was quite aged.


    Elves boasted of incredible lifespans, so it was exceedingly difficult to guess their age base on their appearance. Maxwell was very close to the end of his lifespan, so he looked like an old man.


    She rubbed my legs a few times, examining them.


    ¡°It¡­ Doesn¡¯t seem like your fatigue came from overusing your legs.¡± ¡°Her constitution just happens to be particrly weak.¡± ¡°True, she¡¯scking muscles quite a bit. And her skin¡¯s so white, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s a noble.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s been staying inside the house due to her weak body until just recently.¡±


    After inquiring about my condition from Cortina, she took out some wild grasses from her belt pouch. She dampened the leaves with water and then borately rubbed them, making them sticky. She then stuck them on my calves and heels, and fixed them in ce with a handkerchief.


    ¡°Those are simplepresses. But they should prove to be quite effective.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Those were Mild leaves, right?¡± ¡°Oh, so you know about them. That¡¯s right, they can remove heat from the flesh, so they are effective for reducing fatigue.¡±


    Cortina was a catgirl whose race shared close bonds with the wilderness. Because of that, she was also more or less knowledgeable about the wild grasses. However, she forgot to prepare the fatigue relieving herbs despite the fact that it would be a few hours long trip.


    ¡°Excuse me for my question, but are you perhaps headed for the Elven vige up ahead?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m just taking it easy since I have kids with me.¡± ¡°Would you like to board the carriage then? Perhaps it was fate that had us meet.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m really grateful for that proposal, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, we have room to spare. And I don¡¯t hate kids myself, so you are weed to.¡± ¡°¡­In that case, we¡¯ll be epting your generosity,¡± Cortina answered a little hesitantly, probably because all of us were girls.


    It was true for Cortina herself, but even Finia was a perfect beauty. Michelle had an innocent charm, while Letina was a noble¡¯s daughter, both of them having looks that boasted of great promise.


    ve traders would¡¯ve probably seen us as an exceedingly appealing prey. Cortina was aware of that, so she spent some time ascertaining their natures.


    ¡°These Adventurers are a bit unsociable, so please pardon me on that.¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s quite a rude thing to say, Bill. I consider myself quite sociable, you know?¡± ¡°Hahaha, you are a rare case even among rare cases, Haumea!¡± ¡°Hey, now, I¡¯m not that bad myself.¡± ¡°But you have a scary face, Torto.¡± ¡°Oh,e on!¡±


    Their group consisted of the merchant Bill, Elven Adventurer Haumea, Human Torto and another Elven man. It turned out that the four of them were also heading towards the Elven settlement. We witnessed their unexpectedly friendly exchange as we boarded the carriage.


    ¡°Looks like you get along quite well.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m always making round trips between Elven settlement and Raum, and I¡¯m always employing them as an escort.¡± ¡°Have you known each other for long? Ah, sorry, that was too inquisitive of me.¡±


    Finia unusually took the initiative to talk to them. She was talking to Bill now, but she seemed to be more interested in talking with the two Elves. She was an Elf and an orphan, so these two were the only elves she had seen in a long while. Her interest was fully justified.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s see, I¡¯ve known Bill ever since he used to wear diapers. Same for Cole.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been quite long now that you mention it,¡± Answered the male Elf in a low voice. His voice carried dignity, letting me feel the weight of his many years.


    ¡°This guy is unsociable in the truest sense, so don¡¯t worry too much. So are you aiming for the hot spring in the settlement?¡± ¡°Yes, along with the bath.¡± ¡°Oh, you mentioned her body was weak, right? That hot spring¡¯s pretty great for it, sometimes even a Dragones to take a dip in it. ¡°A Dragon!?¡±


    Haumea said something unbelievable. Letina leaned forward and asked again. There were plenty of ces with hot springs on this continent. Still, I¡¯ve never heard that they were ces the Dragons visited.


    ¡°Um, is it really safe? We wouldn¡¯t be eaten or anything, right¡­?¡± ¡°Ahaha, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. That Dragon has the highest intelligence amongst their race.¡± ¡°High intelligence¡­ You are talking about a Superior Dragon, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. They haven¡¯t visited in the past few years, but they are quite an important named individual, you know?¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡±


    Cortina and I didn¡¯t have such a good impression of Dragons. Our image of the hot spring worsened a bit after knowing that one of them was a frequenter.


    ¡°Well, the bath itself isn¡¯t at fault, so juste and enjoy yourselves.¡±


    Seeing ourplex expressions, the woman told us with a cheerfulugh.

 Chapter 100: Cautiousness

    <h4>Chapter 100: Cautiousness</h4>


    epting his kindness, we decided to ride along on his carriage. Cortina who had more fighting strength¡ªwell,pared to a normal person¡ªsat at the coachman¡¯s seat with Bill, while the three of us kids and Finia sat inside the carrier. Haumea and Cole sandwiched the carriage between them and walked along.


    They were heading to the Elven vige to buy things, so the carrier had almost no luggage on it. The round trip only took a few hours, so they only took as much food and water as they could carry on hand. The carrier only had repair tools and oil and antern. Bill didn¡¯t even leave his water pouch there and instead carried it on his waist.


    Perhaps he was wary of the rain, he kept the carriage canopy constantly up which made it quite humid inside, but that was instead pleasant for our chilled bodies from the forest¡¯s atmosphere.


    As everyone sat down and rested their bodies, I noticed something strange. He said he was going to the settlement to buy things. It had been developed as a hot spring town, so it was actually quite big to call a settlement, but that name had been stuck since the old days.


    The patient Elves were famous for their delicate rural crafts and essories that they learned to amuse themselves, and their ornaments were quite popr even in Raum. Bill was probably heading to buy those too, but there was something that doesn¡¯t add up.


    I turned towards the coachman¡¯s seat to ask about that. The canopy obstructed the view between the carrier and the coachman¡¯s seat so that if it rained it wouldn¡¯t get blown inside. For that reason, it was made in a way that you could roll it up like a curtain when you wanted to quickly get in and out.


    There, I discovered something that had fascinated me since my previous life. From the curtain¡¯s gaps, I saw Cortina¡¯s tail dangling on top of the carrier. As two were having some fun idle chatter her tail tip wriggled around, matching the rhythm of their conversation.


    Her prideful tail had rtively long, glossy hair for a cat race, and she was taking good care of it, so it gave off a gem-like luster. Being the former man, even I couldn¡¯t help but find the way it waggled around cute.


    In my previous life, I followed my urges and touched her tail without consideration, which ended with me being called a harassing pervert. Since then, I always refrained from touching it, but with the current body, I could probably get away without being med.


    ¡°Gotcha!¡± ¡°Unyaa!?¡±


    I grabbed her lively tail with both hands and coiled it around my neck like a scarf.


    ¡°Ohh, this is a feeling of supreme bliss!¡± ¡°Hey, what are you doing¡­?¡±


    Feeling a sudden difort on her tail, Cortina hurriedly lifted the canvas up and peeked inside. There she saw me in great delight, with her tail coiled around my neck.


    That fluffy and smooth. That inexpressible sensation made me break into a blissful smile. It felt like I¡¯d start drooling if I didn¡¯t pay attention. Seeing me like that, Cortina¡¯s surprise and anger had nowhere to go.


    ¡°Ah, ugh¡­ Umm¡­ Nicole, don¡¯t surprise me like that.¡± ¡°Mhm, sorry. Ahh, this is bliss.¡± ¡°Sigh, so as I was saying, Mr. Bill¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, right, Mr. Bill.¡± ¡°Huh, yes?¡±


    As Bill watched over us with a smile as we appeared as close sisters, my sudden question surprised him. Cortina had beautiful, short blonde hair, while I had long, bluish-silver hair.


    It was clear that we weren¡¯t rted by blood, but our stark contrast made us seem somewhat simr instead. I could see why people would be fascinated by us. That said, there was something more important now¡­


    ¡°You are going to buy things, right? Then¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t straight up ask him ¡°where is the money for that?¡± It would be far too impolite and suspicious to ask where his money was when I didn¡¯t even know the guy. But our side had its own circumstances. There were mostly kids inside a carriage with an obstructed view.


    We were riding a merchant¡¯s carriage that had no money on it despite setting off to buy things, so it was unavoidable to not get suspicious.


    ¡°Umm, if you are, then¡­¡± ¡°Ah, is this about money? A lot of goods can fit on this carriage, which would require quite a big sum, is that what you mean?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±


    As he said, he needed a lot of money if he was going to buy things. A hundred or two gold coins wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough. It would be much more, enough to require a bag that could fit more than an armful of it.


    There didn¡¯t seem to be any ce where you could hide them on this carriage. If the thing about buying was a lie¡­ If something waspelling him to deceive us, then there was a big chance that he was dangerous.


    ¡°Heh, your sister is quite sharp.¡± ¡°Yeah, more than me. Still, what Nicole said bothers me too a bit.¡±


    Cortina showed slight wariness. However, Bill didn¡¯t lose hisposure and shrugged his shoulders in response. He then raised a finger and boastfully exined to her.


    ¡°Merchants have two essential teachings. One is that ¡®Lifees before anything else¡¯. And two, ¡®Money is more precious than life¡¯.¡± ¡°Uhh, aren¡¯t those contradicting each other?¡± ¡°They do. That¡¯s why, we are being careful so we don¡¯t fall in a situation that forces us to make a choice between the two.¡± ¡°In other words?¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like he had any ill intent, so Cortina loosened her wariness.


    ¡°If thieves surrounded us and everything went south¡ªI¡¯ll flee for my life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something to boast about¡­¡±


    Cortina sighed in exasperation. Bill didn¡¯t mind it at all, however. He even puffed his chest and continued his exnation.


    ¡°Naturally, you can¡¯t always take your carriage with you when you flee. And you usually can¡¯t just grab your pile of money and run with it either, right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m hiding it inside the carriage in a way that even the bandits won¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they just take the entire carriage with them?¡± ¡°Horses aside, the carriage is too bulky, so they often just leave it be if they don¡¯t find anything inside.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ So when the bandits leave, you go back and recover the money?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    That was quite cautious. Even as he exined it, he still didn¡¯t tell us where that hidden ce was. This was the cautiousness of a merchant, or perhaps the wisdom of a traveler.


    Whenever we were attacked by bandits, we use to happily wipe them out, then get the location of their base out of them and rob them of all their treasure. One of the bandits even cursed at us, asking which side were bandits at that point. We answered back with scornfulughs though.


    By the way, Cortina was the most enthusiastic whenever we made ns, followed by Maria. They knew what would await them were they to be caught, hence they didn¡¯t show any mercy. Even Maria was merciless towards those that hurt people.


    That was when we were made to learn just how scary women could be.

 Chapter 101: Returning the Favour

    <h4>Chapter 101: Returning the Favour</h4>


    While we listened to the merchant¡¯s measures against the bandits, we finally arrived at the Elven settlement. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t any bandit attacks on the way¡ªwhich was natural, given how close to Raum we were¡ªso we safely reached the hot spring district managed by Elves.


    After thanking Bill¡¯s group, we rushed inside the nearby inn. This trip was spurred by Cortina¡¯s sudden idea, so we naturally hadn¡¯t ced advance reservations. In the first ce, this district was full of inns, so there was almost no chance that all the rooms would be taken.


    Elves managed this settlement but some inns were managed by humans and other races too.


    ¡°Hello, do you have any free rooms? For two adults and three kids, and preferably a single room.¡±


    We passed between strange earthenware animals and headed for the counter where an old man was smoking his tobo, whom Cortina cheerfully addressed. She was already near forty too, but her actions and looks made her seem more like a teen, or in some cases, even younger than that.


    ¡°Sure we have¡­ But a five-person room? We have a free four-person one, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem with three kids, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be fine. I¡¯d like to pay in advance for two nights and three days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s five silvers per night for an adult, and two for kids. For two nights, that would be 32 silvers. Though the meals cost extra.¡± ¡°So you can prepare meals here?¡± ¡°It would be one silver for lunch and three for dinner.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be eating out in the morning and noon, so just dinner would be fine.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s 15 for five, 30 for two days, so in total that would be 62 silvers.¡±


    Cortina took the room in an experienced manner and received the key for it. True to being a ce offort for the sightseeing area, the prices were more than double the normal. However, he wasn¡¯t overcharging us by any means ¨C that¡¯s just how much we could expect from their service.


    Our room wasn¡¯t anything extravagant, but it was a clean and spacious room with a rxed feel.


    It had a peculiar floor with knitted grass and a washroom, as well as a balcony. There was a rocking chair opposite to it from where you could enjoy the backyard scenery.


    We quickly dropped our luggage and sprawledfortably on the floor. But Cortina didn¡¯t find that quite satisfactory and suggested another idea.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s not waste time and take a dip in the hot bath, shall we?¡± ¡°Yaaay!¡± ¡°Then I shall go make some tea¡ª¡± ¡°What are you on about? You areing with us, Finia. This trip is for you.¡±


    Finia was about to start tidying up the luggage and start preparing tea, but Cortina grabbed her by the nape of her neck and dragged her along.


    ¡°I-I willeter! There¡¯s also Lady Nicole¡¯s massage to take care of.¡± ¡°You really are devoted to Nicole, huh? That¡¯s not a bad thing, but you are having fun with us today.¡±


    Cortina straight up denied Finia¡¯s appeal who was putting me above everything else. I was in full agreement with Cortina this time.


    And so, I also clung to her arm and dragged her. If I didn¡¯t use my whole body, she could shake off my arm.


    ¡°Finia, let¡¯s all enjoy ourselves together, okay?¡± ¡°But Lady Nicole, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of you like that¡­¡± ¡°Then, let me take care of you today!¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    She was far too serious about her work, and this wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. If she didn¡¯t take a good rest every once in a while, her body and mind would probably break down.


    She was managing Cortina¡¯s house on top of taking care of me, from meals to cleaning andundry. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, she started training the sword recently. Whenever she had free time she stood in front of the house and swung a fake sword in her maid uniform. She even became famous for that in the neighborhood.


    Because of her hard work, her hands were gradually bing all tattered, which Cortina healed every time she spotted it.


    Cortina could handle simple healing magic so there were no problems, but if she wasn¡¯t there, her hands would¡¯ve probably turned simr to the gnarled hands of a man by now. Even I couldn¡¯t bear to see her delicate hands turn so rough.


    Because of the healing magic, they remained thin and delicate for now. But this meant that they were weak to friction and weren¡¯t increasing their endurance. For the hand skin to be thicker, it had to be grazed, torn, start to bleed and then let it heal on its own.


    If you exponentially increased your healing ability with magic, you wouldn¡¯t be able to gain that excessive restoration that we define as toughness. Cortina hated that idea, however, so she healed Finia despite her attempts to deny it.


    She was probably following the ¡°Cute girls shouldn¡¯t have rough hands!¡± kind of line of thought. I was in strong agreement with that too.


    ¡°Then to return the favor for everything you do, I¡¯ll be the one massaging you today.¡±


    I said that with the most innocent smile I could make, but it¡¯s not like I had any ulterior motives¡­ Well, maybe a bit¡­ Only a little bit. Back when I died, Finia was just a little girl, but now, 10 years after my death on top of seven years since my reincarnation, she had already be a 22 years old beauty.


    The Elves had their growth stopped right after they reached adulthood, so she remained looking like a 15-year-old girl. We always got into the bath together, so I knew just how deliciously fine and glossy her skin actually was. It would be unreasonable to ask me to banish such thoughts, I tried convincing myself.


    Finia appeared a bit troubled but she finally gave in and timidly epted my offer. Her expression seemed to be twitching, perhaps because she was trying all she could to suppress a gleeful smile forming on her face.


    ¡°T-There¡¯s no helping it, then. If that¡¯s what you want, if that¡¯s what you really want, then I don¡¯t have anything against it¡­ And this is a good opportunity so I¡¯d instead be happy if you do¡­¡± ¡°Finia, your speech changed somehow.¡± ¡°Ah.¡±


    Oh well, that showed just how happy this hardworking girl was. My motives aside, she really did deserve that massage.

 Chapter 102: A Subtle Inconvenience

    <h4>Chapter 102: A Subtle Inconvenience</h4>


    After pursuing Finia who was acting reserved on the outside, we first decided to head to therge public bath to wash off our sweat. In this settlement, it was rmended to wear a gown that opened at the front.


    It was a warm season now, moreover, this was a hot spring district with high humidity, so such clothing where air could pass felt very pleasant.


    Thus we all got dressed in such a way and headed for the bath. After hearing that she would be getting a massage from me, Finia¡¯s pace was extremely lively. She still kept up her usual expressionless face, though, which got a smallugh out of me.


    As I was walking behind her, I poked Michelle on the arm and pointed at Finia¡¯s feet. Her gait was so joyful it seemed like she was barely containing herself from breaking into hops. Michelle also noticed it and pinned her mouth to suppress augh.


    Letina realized how happy Finia was based on our reactions and also pinned her mouth with both hands to hold back from bursting intoughter.


    However, Finia always stuck to her status as a servant and only showed strained smiles to the two girls, which made her feel somewhat distant. Finia had such slightly hard to approach air around her, but if this trip allowed them to be closer, then that alone made it worthing here.


    ¡°Finia looks soical.¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s happy.¡± ¡°I thought she was more collected than that.¡±


    While the three of us were whispering to each other¡¯s ears behind her, she suddenly turned around.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Lady Nicole?¡± she asked in her usual calm tone. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I answered.


    If you only looked at her expression, nothing really stood out. However, she couldn¡¯t hide the excited twitches of her legs below the knees.


    ¡°Pfff¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing, Michelle!?¡±


    Michelle couldn¡¯t hold back and leaked augh, then Letina hurriedly rebuked her. They looked like kids that held their mouths so their mischief wouldn¡¯t be found out.


    ¡°Michelle has an illness that makes her spontaneouslyugh sometimes.¡± ¡°I have never heard of such illness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I made her turn around and pushed her from behind. She was having a fun time for once, so there was no need to point it out and spoil it.


    Given my height, my hands couldn¡¯t reach her back so I pushed her waist instead, but I was startled by how thin and soft her body felt under the fabric. Both Maria and Cortina wore tough armour back in our adventuring days, so I rarely got to experience how soft their bodies were¡­ But this made me realize just how different it was from a man¡¯s body.


    ¡°Hmm, you really are cute, Finia.¡± ¡°Wh-, Lady Nicole what are you¡ª¡± ¡°You always said that to me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You said you were going to return the favor, but you don¡¯t have to mimic what I say¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    As we walked through the corridor towards the bath in the backyard, an employee of the inn suddenly called out to us in a slightly troubled voice. ¡°Um, dear guests. I¡¯m sorry but I would like to ask the Beastmen not to enter the bath ahead.¡± ¡°¡­Haah?¡± ¡°Eek!¡±


    The employer¡¯s words came off as quite discriminating. Sensing that, I ended up raising my voice full of never-before-seen hostility since my reincarnation. The employee flinched from my voice that even emitted killing intent.


    They even leaked a shriek, which showed how frightened they were. A little girl had directed such bloodlust at them that it petrified them in ce.


    ¡°Um, I¡­ I never meant to discriminate against Beastmen. It¡¯s just¡­ Fur¡­ Fur and such will¡­¡± ¡°Fur? Ah, that¡¯s what it was. Nicole, you can let it go now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Look, we have fur on our tails and such, right? There are customers that hate when thosee off and float in the bath.¡±


    Cortina presented her tail before me with those words. She had a luxurious tail with glossy fur. As she said, if it got soaked in hot water, the loose fur might start floating in the water. It was quite easy to imagine that some clean-freaks would hate to see that.


    ¡°I see, well¡­ Uh, sorry about that.¡± ¡°Not at all! I was to me for myck of thoughtfulness.¡±


    I and the employee bowed and apologized to each other. An expert like me¡ªthough I was a little girl now¡ªdirected such killing intent towards an ordinary person, so they must¡¯ve been terrified beyond imagination.


    As a sigh of friendship, I extended my right hand and asked for a handshake. We were going to stay for two more days, so I wanted to leave a bit more pleasant impression.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for what I said, littledy.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°You really like your big sister, huh?¡± ¡°B-Big sister!?¡±


    The employee¡¯s misunderstanding caused Cortina to twist her body in response. Did she just imagine something crazy?


    ¡°No, she looks young but she¡¯s already expired. Also, she¡¯s a scheming type.¡± ¡°I am what now!?¡±


    Cortina got behind me and pulled on my cheeks in protest. I mean, you were already about to hit forty, you know?


    ¡°Ay meenf, vuoah waik fohfee alwrewy.1¡± ¡°I¡¯m still young for my race! Understood?¡± ¡°Yesh.¡±


    I was made to show a weird face towards the unfamiliar person, so I obediently surrendered. But I see. Looks like we needed to be attentive even when it came to baths here.


    ¡°We have a bath on that side for the Beastmen to enjoy themselves, so please use that.¡±


    The employee pointed and directed us towards another corridor. Looking closely, there was abel on it, saying, ¡°Beastmen, please use this bath.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there it is.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    We changed our course and headed where the employee pointed to, the Beastmen¡¯s bath.

 Chapter 103: Body Scrubbing

    <h4>Chapter 103: Body Scrubbing</h4>


    We stripped ourselves in the changing room, dropped our clothes into the baskets and stored them inside the lockers. There were some valuables mixed among them, so we made sure to lock them tight.


    Only Michelle had a bow case hanging on her shoulder. Its contents couldn¡¯t be trusted to the lock of a locker. After all, it stored a mythical weapon. She couldn¡¯t possibly feel safe leaving it behind a lock that could be cracked open with a hit or two.


    We opened the door leading to the bath and entered inside. Inside was a bathhouse made from aligned rocks, and further inside was another door that led to the open-air bath. I could feel a faint sulfuric smell drifting in the steam. Perhaps this cloudy bath contained additionalponents?


    At the corner of the washing ce, there were three massage tables divided with curtains. One on the left was already upied. You could probably ask the inn person to call a masseur for you.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so spacious!¡± ¡°It¡¯s bigger than the bath in my mansion.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still smaller than a pool.¡± ¡°Of course it would be!¡±


    Michelle stood open-armed in surprise while Letina put her personal shampoo in a bucket and carried it along. Both of them were buck naked now so I had a full view of them. I wasn¡¯t the least bit happy about it, though.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such tness anywhere other than sheer cliffs.¡± ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s the cliff?¡± ¡°That rock over there? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s big enough to be called one.¡± ¡°Never mind. Looks like I imagined it.¡±


    Well, I wasn¡¯t the one to talk about being t. Looking down at my body, I could see all the way to my toes with nothing blocking the vision. The only real obstacle was my stomach that was sticking out a bit.


    Cortina asked for a masseur from the bath staff member. We were the ¡°doers¡± this time, though.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get to it. Finia,e sit here.¡± ¡°Eh, sit?¡± ¡°Yeah, I gotta wash your body first.¡±


    I spoke and approached her while making fumbling motions with my fingers. Seeing that, Finia took a step back.


    ¡°Lady Nicole¡­ T-Those finger movements appear somewhat obscene.¡± ¡°Ku-ku-ku. I¡¯ll be hearing your sweet cries today.¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡±


    Finia tried to flee from me as I got carried away, but I hugged her waist and forced her to sit down. The chair was quite warm thanks to the steam and it was nicely polished too, so it didn¡¯t feel filthy in any way.


    This inn seemed to be a ¡°hit¡±, seeing that they were attentive to such small details. Michelle and Letina joined up with me and we started washing her together.


    ¡°W-Wait a minute, all of you!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Ahaha, prepare yourself, big sis Finia!¡± ¡°It is my first time to be the one doing the washing. Prepare~?¡±


    The two pulled Finia¡¯s hands and started washing them. Rather, so you were always being washed by others, Letina? Though Finia was always washing me happily too, so I wasn¡¯t the one to talk.


    Meanwhile, I moved behind her and tied her hair up, then started washing her slender back. I couldn¡¯t tie hair better than her, but I was still used to doing it. I knew there would be times when I had to do my hair when I went to the Academy, so I ended up learning it recently. Her youthful skin that bounced back my fingers had me a little shocked.


    ¡°How is it? Does it feel good?¡± ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s ticklish. Michelle, not there¡ª¡± ¡°Eh, here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my chest!¡±


    Michelle was washing her in quite an enviable way. She was trying to wash her arm from its base and even reached for her chest. Letina, on the other hand, started washing from her fingertips. Their washing methods showed Michelle¡¯s rough and Letina¡¯s attentive personalities.


    ¡°Mgh¡­¡±


    I heard a groaning voice from behind which turned out to be Cortina¡¯s who was looking reproachfully towards us. Speaking of which, we sort of abandoned her there. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to feel alienated.


    I suppose neglecting myndlord was pretty unskillful on my part. Rather, she wouldn¡¯t mind if I let loose some of my secret intentions, right?


    ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll go wash Cortina. Can I leave Finia to you?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°No fair! I wanted to wash Lady Cortina¡ª¡± ¡°No way I¡¯m letting you do that, Letina.¡±


    There was no knowing what would happen if I let a Six Hero nerd like Letina wash her. Thus, I headed towards Cortina and started washing her back.


    ¡°Ahh, a bath full of little girls is truly a heavenly sight.¡± ¡°Cortina, that sounds gross no matter how you look.¡± ¡°My true feelings leaked out a little is all.¡± ¡°Oh, wow, I should start thinking whether I really want to associate with you.¡± ¡°Hey, it was just a joke!¡±


    Cortina¡¯s perverted joke made me pour a bucket of water on her head. My unannounced attack got a little yelp out of her.


    ¡°Ukyaa!¡± ¡°Taste the divine punishment.¡± ¡°I wish for more kindness.¡± ¡°I believe I¡¯m quite kind, you know?¡± ¡°I think your perception is crooked.¡±


    I continued washing her body as we exchanged giggles. I¡¯ve been asionally entering the bath with Cortina so I wasn¡¯t embarrassed about it at this point. Still, directly touching each other¡¯s skin induced peculiar stimtion.


    How should I put it, it heightened the urges to touch and decreased the private space. True to that statement, Michelle was directly clinging to Finia now and washed her with her entire body. The bubbles that prevented me from seeing their risky part might¡¯ve been a blessing in disguise. If I did, even I might¡¯ve gotten aroused.


    It was a scene that I normally would never see. Perhaps they, too, have been overly excited about this.


    After the general washing was done, we led Finia to the massage tables. While Cortina went for the right one after pointing us to the middle one.


    Cortina had asked the inn¡¯s professional for the massage, so I moved towards Finia instead. Massages actually held some risks in them, there was a chance you could injure their tendons or muscles.


    Because of that, it was necessary for me to supervise the entire process. A child she may be, Michelle was still quite strong. It was plenty possible to hurt Finia with her strength.


    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll give instructions, so do as I say.¡± ¡°Okaay!¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    Cortina lied next to us and entrusted her body to the professional masseur. She intended to monitor us anyway, so she left the curtains open. The said professional was also looking worriedly at us, but I knew the ropes of body care since my previous life.


    Rather, my muscle strengthcked far more than an average person, so I was especially attentive to this kind of work.


    In order to exhibit maximum effects with minimum strength, it was absolutely essential for me to have a body that could move instantly ording to my thoughts. Because of that, it was essential for me to maintain my body on a daily basis.


    For that reason, I was quite knowledgeable when it came to massaging.


    ¡°Just massage along the muscle lines, like this. Start slowly¡­ Michelle, not there, a bit more right.¡± ¡°L-Like this?¡±


    Being her very first massage, Michelle nervously touched Finia¡¯s back. The professional also looked quite impressed with my instructions.


    It was at this moment that a hysteric scream reached our ears from behind.

 Chapter 104: The Fourth Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 104: The Fourth Encounter</h4>


    That voice came from the neighboring massage table that we couldn¡¯t see from here due to the curtains dividing us. I felt two presences there.


    One was somewhat high-pitched, yet a clear and beautiful voice of a girl. Her transparent voice, akin to the ring of a bell made out of ss, leaked ecstatic moans.


    ¡°Aah, that¡¯s the spot. So good¡­ It¡¯s getting quite an improper moan out of me. Ah, a little bit on the right, please. Nghhhaaah.¡±


    No, rather than ecstatic, they were more like slovenly moans. Having remembrances of that voice, I reflexively pulled open the curtains. That would¡¯ve been quite a breach of manners usually, but forgive me this once.


    Therey a girl with an innocent yet bewitching body with her silver hair tied up in a bundle. The masseur granny that was massaging her back appeared to be quite troubled.


    ¡°You¡­ What are you doing here!?¡± ¡°Nhg!? Ah, Ohh, Isn¡¯t it Re¡ªNicole! Fancy seeing you here!¡±


    The one that reincarnated me, gave Michelle her divine bow, and taught her how to use her gift¡­ The goddess was there. She barely avoided calling me Reid, perhaps realizing that it would put me in a tough spot.


    ¡°Ah, Goddess!¡± ¡°Aaahh, Err, Michelle, was it? How you be¡ªooghh, hey it hurts! Do it gentler, gentler I say!?¡± ¡°Miss, your muscles are amazingly¡­ Not stiff. Are you sure you need a massage?¡± ¡°But I do! Very much so! I¡¯ve gotten mentally fatiguedtely.¡±


    She, a god, pped her feet in protest towards the masseur. I couldn¡¯t feel an ounce of dignity in that behavior. No, well, I¡¯ve never felt any dignity from her in the first ce.


    ¡°As I said¡­¡± ¡°Hold on to that question, Nicole. It¡¯d be bad to answer that question here, let¡¯s leave it forter.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Okay.¡±


    There were Cortina and Letina whom she never met. And Michelle didn¡¯t know the full story either. There were probably things she couldn¡¯t talk about here.


    ¡°Err, by Goddess¡­ You mean the one that gifted that bow to Michelle?¡±


    Cortina, also sprawled on the table, asked as she pointed at the bow case hanging from Michelle¡¯s shoulder. It held the silver longbow, the Third Eye, that this goddess gifted her.


    ¡°Nn, thasss righttt. Well, I can create as many of those as I want aaaanyway.¡± ¡°I mean, that¡¯s not something you can create so easily¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right. Thank you for that asion! I am Cortina, currently acting as Nicole¡¯s guardian. Thank you very much for helping her.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mention it. Besides, I have some interest in heeeeeaahh!? Hey, my bone! It cracked just now, it really cracked!¡± ¡°Your body sure is hard, dear customer. You don¡¯t even have that much meat on you.¡± ¡°You sure are supper meddlesome. I¡¯m a frail girl so please be more gentle. I mean it. This is important!¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    The granny continued to massage the noisy ¡°Goddess¡± with a wry smile. Looks like she was quite used to this. In the end, we couldn¡¯t talk about anything serious there, so we just spent the massage time in idle chatter.


    After it ended, we all went to enjoy the baths. Michelle and Letina headed for the open-air bath beyond the back door, livening up the ce. The two had far too different social standings, but they did not seem to mind it. Their innocent rtionship brought a smile to my face.


    I hoped that even after they grew up and became adults, they would remain close friends.


    Finia and Cortina challenged the small cabin¡ªthe steam bath installed on the other side of the massage tables. It was the so-called sauna, which heated the body from its very core, improved blood cirction and elerated the skin rejuvenation, or so I heard?


    I believe those two looked young enough to not need to rely on such a thing, though. When I voiced my thoughts, they poked on my cheeks, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from someone with such smooth and squishy cheeks!¡± That¡¯s so unreasonable.


    And so, I was now left face to face with the being calling herself a god.


    ¡°So, why are you here again?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. I came to cure myself in the hot spring, and you suddenly showed up. That surprised me, you know?¡± ¡°You sure you are telling the whole story?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I approve of your wording. Girls should act cuter! And gentler! That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been taught, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here.¡±


    We withdrew to the dressing rooms for a bit, where the goddess inserted a copper coin in the magical cooling box and purchased a bottle of milk. Then she put a hand on her waist and downed it in one go¡­ while nude.


    ¡°Try to cover yourself a little.¡± ¡°There are only girls here, I don¡¯t caaare.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a former guy, you know?¡± ¡°Heheh, if you think you can do anything lewd to me, go ahead and try.¡± ¡°Khh!¡±


    As she said, Icked my important sidekick now, so I couldn¡¯t even harass her. Rather, people would instead enjoy it if I got naked. Leaving that aside, I had something important to ask the goddess.


    ¡°By the way¡­ Why are you wearing a choker?¡± ¡°Hm? My sses would¡¯ve gotten cloudy, right?¡± ¡°Do you have a bad vision or something?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an item that seals my power. Same goes for this choker.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡±


    When a god descended on the world it could invite a lot of trouble. But still, I wish she at least covered her breasts andher region.


    ¡°That reminds me, there is a cave near this Elven vige, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard about it in the academy. They apparently used it for practice trips in the past.¡± ¡°Right. Digging up the source of that cave is what gave birth to this hot spring district. So, the thing is¡­ A rare monster has been making appearances theretely.¡± ¡°A rare monster?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a species of Dragons called Carbuncle,¡± the goddess spoke its name with a solemn tone. ¡°The gemstone on its forehead is extremely valuable, you see¡­¡±

 Chapter 105: The Goddess’ Name and the Reason for Favoritism

    <h4>Chapter 105: The Goddess¡¯ Name and the Reason for Favoritism</h4>


    The Carbuncles¡ªI also knew of that monster. It was a Mythical Beast the size of a cat and looked like a hamster. It was still counted among Dragon species, for some reason, and had a gem on its forehead.


    It was a kind of a Dragon Ball which was used as a material in various magic items. This gem was highly valuable unlike how weak it was. For that reason, people mercilessly hunted them on sight, and the kingdoms often safeguarded them.


    Naturally, they were targets of protection in Raum, too.


    ¡°So you¡¯re aiming for it?¡± ¡°Of course not. I came to protect it instead. I actually have some connections to the Dragons, you see.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a Dragon among my dependents. It¡¯s a real cutie too, you know? You wanna see? You wanna? You want, don¡¯t you?1¡± ¡°Shaddap!¡±


    I pushed aside the obstinate goddess and went to buy milk too. After getting ignored by me, she crouched down and started writing characters on the floor with her finger.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so harsh. Even I have a family member or two that I wanna boast about.¡± ¡°Enough about that! So you were saying you wanted to protect that Carbuncle?¡± ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s just an additional goal. The main goal was the bath. This body is quite prone to breaking. It doesn¡¯t break, though.¡± ¡°Which one is it?¡± ¡°I mean I can die fast bute back to life just as fast.¡±


    So she¡¯s an immortal? As expected of a goddess, treating such an ability as nothing.


    ¡°In a way, you also have inherited my constitution.¡± ¡°Am I an immortal too?¡± ¡°Not that¡­ I mean that your recovery speed is higher than normal. Also, your magic umtes fast, you are weak and powerless. Just like me.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡±


    I even inherited her bad parts.


    ¡°Wait, I inherited them?¡± ¡°Yes. Oh, have I not mentioned it before? You are part of my lineage.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± ¡°You could say you are quite a distant descendant. So I¡¯ve been looking after you in various ways.¡±


    I was a descendant of a god? Is that why she lent me a hand during the reincarnation? Even lending a weapon to myrade and teaching her how to use her Gift?


    ¡°Then maybe you could¡¯ve lent a hand during the Evil Dragon extermination too¡­¡± ¡°I had other things to take care of then. And if I dispatched my dependents, the entire northern area might have turned into scorchednds.¡± ¡°Then what about the time with the Evil God?¡± ¡°Back then they had been hidden very well. Even I would have trouble noticing them.¡± ¡°If you call yourself a god, at least notice that much.¡± ¡°Just because I am a god doesn¡¯t mean I can do everything. My specialty lies in Item Making and subversive activities. Intelligence gathering isn¡¯t one of them.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    As she said, the titles differed from god to god. The areas they governed differed, like the War God Alec and Wind God Hastarl.


    ¡°Speaking of which, what kind of God are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the God of Destruction Yuuri.2¡± ¡°So you are the Evil God!?¡± ¡°How rude!¡±


    God of Destruction Yuuri. Just as her title implied,3 she was a god who had once destroyed and broken the Commandments¡ªIn other worlds, the World Tree that was the source of the World Tree Religion.


    The legends say that she did that to stop the Demon Lord that sought immortality, but that conduct still turned her into an enemy of the world¡¯srgest religion. For that reason, The World Tree believers recognize her as the Evil God. Even Maria loathed and called her a detestable God.


    But since her blood now flowed in my veins, didn¡¯t that mean that it was the same for either Maria or Lyell? Or did she mean me from my previous life? Either way, it was quite an ironic story.


    ¡°By your descendant, did you mean the current or the previous me?¡± ¡°Both. Though the blood has weakened quite a bit already.¡± ¡°Well damn, herees another secret I can¡¯t reveal.¡± ¡°People wouldn¡¯t be happy, eh? Ahaha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s noughing matter.¡±


    Maria had good manners, but if she ever found out that I had the Evil God¡¯s blood in me¡­ Well, she probably wouldn¡¯t give me a death penalty, but I can¡¯t imagine what face she would make.


    ¡°No, wait. What are the chances that both me of the previous life and the current me have your blood?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that low, you know? How many years do you think has passed since? My blood has spread in all corners of the world.¡± ¡°What are you, an epidemic?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still being rude.¡±


    ording to the legends, it¡¯s been around a millennium since the God of Destruction has been active on thend. Since then, the civilization had progressed, regressed, and came to a standstill. It wasn¡¯t weird that the bloodline of that time had spread everywhere now.


    Either way, I more or less understood why she was attached to me. Someone of her lineage had been rounded up for the Evil Dragon extermination and actually aplished the feat, so she was giving him some preferential treatment.


    ¡°Well, I am grateful that you reincarnated me.¡± ¡°You can praise me more, okay? Okay?¡± ¡°Maybe if you didn¡¯t act like that!¡±


    I threw the empty bottle inside my exclusive recycling box and headed back to the hot spring. I was able to find out that her presence here wasn¡¯t rted to me, so there was a point in our conversation. If I leave her alone these next two days of our stay here, I can probably avoid getting into something troublesome.


    ¡°Ah, right. Hold on for a minute.¡± ¡°What is it now?¡±


    Being called, I turned back towards the goddess. She stood there with several arrows in her hand. While naked. Just get dressed already.


    ¡°Give these to that girl. They are steel arrows. Those with twists have higher piercing power, so use them carefully.¡± ¡°I mean, she can¡¯t even pull it yet.¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t cast strong enough support magic on her to draw that bow, so it was nothing but a burden now. She seemed to have realized it and pulled out a small bracelet from somewhere. It was a bangle type one with delicate carvings on it.


    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s where thises to y. It has a strengthening spell on it. The effect is about three minutes. The keyword is, ¡°Megingjord¡±.¡± ¡°Megingjord¡­ What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a word from anothernguage, it is the name of a belt that bestowed the user with terrific power.¡± ¡°Sounds quite on point.¡±


    As a test, I put it on my arm and called the keyword.


    ¡°Megingjord¡ª!¡±


    With my call, the power overflowed and filled my upper half. My strengthening couldn¡¯t evenpare to its power. This overflowing power¡­ Wasn¡¯t this also a Divine Item?


    ¡°Ah-ah.¡± ¡°This is amazing¡­ How much does it amplify?¡±


    I could even lift the locker room bench with one hand. With my frail body.


    ¡°It can easily amplify tenfold. But the recoil is quite big¡­ So you should probably cancel it soon, you know?¡± ¡°Eh?¡±


    I immediately canceled it just as she told me. Next moment my entire body started convulsing like it had cramps all over. Of course, pain was there to apany it too.


    ¡°F-Fugyaaaaaaaaaa!?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t create something from nothing. Same goes for power. In other words¡ªyou are technically taking the power as a loan. The pain you are feeling is the recoil from that.¡± ¡°Say that¡­ Earlieeeeeer!¡±


    I screamed while writhing in pain on the floor.


    ¡°Well, if your body improves, so will the recoil, and the duration will also shorten. Until then, please use it as an emergency tool.¡± ¡°Ngaaaaaaa¡­¡±


    Ultimately, I continued rolling on the floor for the next ten minutes until the recoil wore off.

 Chapter 106: Her True Motive

    <h4>Chapter 106: Her True Motive</h4>


    After around ten minutes of rolling around on the floor, the pain finally subsided. The God of Destruction was no longer present here, which was natural. Staying and just calmly staring at a little girl squirming on the floor would¡¯ve made her look quite suspicious.


    She went away to avoid that risk, but still, she was as fast as always when it came to running away.


    ¡°A-Achoo!¡±


    I also realized that the God of Destruction wasn¡¯t the only one at fault here. I was also buck naked in the locker room during our conversation.


    All that pain made me start sweating a lot, which in turn chilled my body down quite a bit.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take a dip once more¡­¡±


    If I got out like this, the afterbath chills would follow me all day. I was in a big bath, not to mention naked. No one would me me for going for round two. That said, the muscle pain all over my body made even standing up a difficult task.


    I held down my trembling knees and waddled towards the bath. I then slid the door open and stepped inside. But then, I was suddenly assaulted by a sense of unease. Didn¡¯t that earlier conversation have some odd parts in it?


    ¡°God of Destruction¡­ Isn¡¯t exactly a Beastman, so why was she in a Beastman bath?¡±


    She looked a few years over ten, with white skin, silver hair and deep crimson eyes. She wore a choker, but I couldn¡¯t see any beast-like features on her. It was too unnatural for her to just pop up in this Beastman bath.


    ¡°So that means¡­ Despite what she said, she was clearly lying in wait for me.¡±


    What she told me could be summed up as such: I was her descendant in both of my lives, and that there was a sighting of a Carbuncle inside the cave. Which means¡­ The reason she told me all that¡­


    ¡°Is it that she wants me to put the Carbuncle under my protection?¡±


    I passed by the washing ce as I mumbled to myself, then poured hot water on myself and submerged myself in the bath. I couldn¡¯t see Cortina, Michelle or anyone else anymore. I¡¯ve been left alone, but the fault didn¡¯t lie in them.


    Cortina was in the middle of enjoying a steam bath along with Finia, while Michelle and Letina were climbing the open-air bath boulders.


    That Goddess was still my lifesaver, and Cortina knew that, so when she said she wanted to talk to me, she couldn¡¯t really refuse. If she harbored an ill will, she would¡¯ve acted on it thest time, so Cortina trusted her in that regard.


    ¡°Ah, Nicole, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Why are you rxing in the back so nonchntly on your own? Looking after Michelle all alone here is taking a lot of effort here.¡± ¡°Hey now, weren¡¯t you also climbing the boulders with me, Letina?¡± ¡°You two, this isn¡¯t the ce to start climbing rocks, you know?¡±


    Oh well, whenever kids saw boulders they could climb, they tended to do exactly that. It was especially true for this duo that was more energetic than normal kids.


    However, the fact remained that doing that was dangerous in more than one way. They could get injured if they slipped and fell, not to mention there was a men¡¯s bath on the other side. Well, they were kids, so that in itself wouldn¡¯t be a huge deal.


    Moreover, the fact that they were climbing up meant that I was looking at them from below. Kids they may be¡­ It was still problematic, right?


    ¡°What did you talk about with her?¡±


    While I was warning them with a nk smile on my face, Michelle asked me full of curiosity. That Goddess was a lifesaver for her, too. It was natural for her to be curious as to what that person had to say to her best friend.


    Speaking of which, I had something to pass on to her.


    ¡°Oh, right. About that. That Goddess asked me to hand this to you.¡±


    As asked, I handed the bracelet bestowed with strengthening magic to her. It was a bangle type bracelet with fine ornaments, covering the hand from wrist to elbow. It fit very firmly on the wrist, so it wouldn¡¯t get in the way when firing a bow.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°After saying the keyword, it apparently grants physical strengthening. Up to over tenfold, can you believe it?¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s amazing! What¡¯s the keyword?¡± ¡°Megingjord.¡± ¡°Megi-¡± ¡°Okay, stop!!¡±


    The moment she heard me say the keyword, she quickly equipped it and started to say it. Such a hasty girl, I haven¡¯t even finished exining yet!


    ¡°There are demerits to it too. It seems you are simply borrowing the physical strength, so when you release it, you are assaulted by a sharp pain. Look what it did to me.¡±


    I lifted my trembling hands from the bath and showed them to her. To be honest, I was so sluggish now that even that simple action took all I had. Using this in an actual fight was quite dangerous. When the effect wore out, it would be impossible to keep on fighting.


    ¡°Itsts for three minutes, and then ten minutes of intense pain. After that, you wouldn¡¯t be able to move properly due to muscle pain.¡± ¡°So the fact that you are like that¡­ You tested it, right?¡± ¡°Ugh!?¡±


    Letina received gifted education, so her insight, or should I say logic, was quite good. Though I¡¯d like it if she didn¡¯t show it during moments like this.


    ¡°Nicole, you can be quite thoughtless sometimes unlike how mature you seem to be, huh?¡± ¡°This happened because that white thing cut short the exnation.¡±


    No way I¡¯d call her ¡°God¡± after that. Just ¡°white thing¡± was good enough for her.


    ¡°Then..! Then, let us massage you this time!¡± ¡°Wah?¡±


    Michelle suddenly said something absurd. I mean, I understood the idea¡­ But it wasn¡¯t something my mind could ept.


    ¡°You taught us how to massage earlier! It¡¯s gonna be alright! I¡¯ll make you feel good!¡±


    She grabbed me by the hands and mercilessly dragged me out of the bath. Then she lifted me like baggage and carried me towards the massage tables. Huh, wasn¡¯t her strength alreadyparable to an adult?


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get to it!¡± ¡°Prepare yourself!¡±


    Michelle approached me while wiggling her fingers. Letina also did the same from another direction with an amused expression. That aside, there was no way they learned how to massage just by listening to a few instructions of mine. They are probably going to mess up this and that. Rather, they most definitely will.


    But I had nowhere to run.


    Needless to say, my painful cries started to reverberate throughout the Beastmen bath.

 Chapter 107: A Good Chance for Appraisal

    <h4>Chapter 107: A Good Chance for Appraisal</h4>


    After finishing our bath¡ªwhether it healed or scarred me is another matter¡ªwe returned back to our room. It made me quite envious that everyone looked glossy while I alone was dead tired.


    We ordered the food to be delivered to our room, so we went and killed the time until then by doing what each of us wanted. I immediately spread the beddings on the grassy floor and sprawled on it.


    Unlike with the sleeping bags for encamping at night, the floor here had a faint warmth to it, which wasn¡¯t bad at all. And the grassy scent felt really good, too.


    As Iy sprawled with my face down, Michelle and Letina came and leaned on my back.


    ¡°Nicole, are you still tired?¡± ¡°Should I massage you? I feel like I awakened to it.¡± ¡°I refuse with all my might.¡±


    While the two girls straddled me, I reached out to my luggage and took out a certain item to inspect. It was something I took from Matisse¡¯s kidnappers¡¯ hideout. Fortunately, there was no one with the ability to discern items in this room, so I could safely inspect it without minding if it was seen.


    I wasn¡¯t able to discern items either, so I didn¡¯t know what kind of effect it held. To find it out, I needed to request someone with appropriate skills to take a look at it for me.


    ¡°In that case, I should¡¯ve just asked that white thing to appraise it for me.¡±


    That was still a Goddess, so she should¡¯ve been able to do something like that. But that white thing was unmatched when it came to running away, so she disappeared before I even had a chance to bring it up. Thanks to that, I didn¡¯t know what to do with it now.


    Still, luck was on my side today. I was able to make an acquaintance with a merchant on the way here. I couldn¡¯t let go of this chance.


    ¡°Bill Wyss, was it? I suppose I could look for him and have him appraise it.¡±


    To appraise an item, one needed a Gift of the Distinction system, or they needed to be thoroughly knowledgeable about such items. Other than that, it was also possible by using distinction Magic.


    I could, of course, ask Maxwell to do it, but it would be too suspicious to show him something like this. It was a suicidal act to show an item with unknown origins to someone who was suspecting that Reid had reincarnated.


    As such, I decided to go with the merchant we met at noon. Given his upation, there was a high chance he held some kind of Gift or Skill for it. If possible, I wanted to meet him once more during our stay and get him to appraise it.


    ¡°For that¡­ I need to do something about these two.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    After getting a taste of massage with Finia, they were now straddling me as Iy limply and pushing their hands on my back. Letina wasn¡¯t that strong so it was still fine, but Michelle¡¯s hands hurt like hell.


    ¡°Michelle, that¡¯s the wrong ce. It hurts.¡± ¡°Eh, really? I was sure it was here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something an amateur should do. I have to monitor you properly.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you an amateur yourself, Nicole?¡± ¡°Finia has been massaging me for years, so I have the knowledge for it.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it was!¡±


    Two girls were on top of my back as Iy sprawled. In other words, we were like a pile of girls, which Finia and Cortina looked at in smiles. That, however, made them notice what I was holding in my hand.


    ¡°Oh, Nicole, that¡¯s a nice thing you are holding there.¡± ¡°Mhm. I secretly grabbed it when I was leaving home.¡±


    The mansion I lived in also belonged to Lyell and Maria. Many Magic Items that they gathered on their adventures were just lying everywhere, so there should¡¯ve been no problems if I passed it off as one of them. It¡¯s not like they remembered the exact items, anyway.


    As long as Cortina didn¡¯t tell the specifics of today¡¯s conversation to Maria, no one should suspect me.


    ¡°They left a dagger where a child could reach¡­ I should really talk to Maria about this.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t! If you do that, I¡¯ll be the one getting scolded for it.¡±


    Or so I thought, but Cortina suddenly dered that she would tell on it. Well, I should¡¯ve seen thating.


    ¡°I just took this with me for self-defense.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you already have a Katana, Nicole? And quite a fine one at that.¡± ¡°Daddy gave that one to me just before departure. I didn¡¯t have any special weapons before that, and since I was going on a trip, I needed to take a knife at least.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s how it is. So he missed the timing, huh?¡±


    I obtained a sword to defend myself. But then Lyell gifted me a weapon. Cortina felt convinced that it was due to missed timing. Of course, the reality was different, but her misunderstanding was more convenient for me.


    ¡°Indeed, you need a knife when going on a trip. But you shouldn¡¯t take it without saying anything.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know that.¡± ¡°Well, I know I shouldn¡¯t be nitpicking here over some dagger, given you use Katana like nothing, but¡­¡± ¡°Please just let it slide. I¡¯ll do anything.¡± ¡°Did you just say anything¡­ Wait, not that, where did you learn that phrase?¡±


    Cortina was amazed at my wording that I intentionally used to liven up the mood. But she realized that it was no longer a mood for lecturing and let the matter go.


    ¡°Ah, well, fine. I¡¯ll keep it a secret. But you owe me one, okay?¡± ¡°Kay.¡±


    As she yfully winked at me, I responded back with a thumb of acknowledgment.

 Chapter 108: Nighttime Attraction

    <h4>Chapter 108: Nighttime Attraction</h4>


    After leaving the capital at forenoon, it took one hour of trip for me to run out of stamina. After that, we boarded Bill¡¯s carriage and arrived in this hot-spring town after two more hours.


    Moreover, it took one more hour for us to drop our stuff at the inn and rx in the bath. Then we returned to the room to rest and even had dinner¡­


    ¡°And yet, it¡¯s still so early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed a bit too early to sleep.¡± ¡°Shall we go check out the town a bit?¡±


    Cortina followed up on my speech, followed by Finia¡¯s suggestion. It was still not even 7 PM now and the sun had just set. It was too early to just go to sleep¡ªwe were in agreement on that.


    ¡°I do want to, but¡­¡±


    I nced at the futon where I was sprawled on until just a while ago. Michelle and Letina were lying on each other on top of it and sleeping soundly. They were usually tougher than me, but the excitement today made them go too wild.


    Due to the characteristic fast sleeping habit of little kids, the two fell asleep on my back before I noticed. Then I somehow made my escape from underneath and here we are now.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯d be a problem to leave those kids alone. Alright then, I¡¯ll keep watch on them so you and Finia go and have a look around.¡± ¡°Eh, is it really alright¡­?¡± ¡°Sure, sure! I¡¯m¡­ not exactlying here all the time, but it¡¯s not my first time either. But it is for you, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t left the vige all that much.¡± ¡°Then go ahead and check everything out. That¡¯s part of the studying too.¡± ¡°In that case¡­ Shall we go together, Lady Nicole?¡± ¡°Of course.¡±


    While Finia was an adult now, she was still a sheltered girl at the core. There was no knowing what kind of trouble she could get rolled up in an amusement quarter like this. If I didn¡¯t keep watch, something like kidnapping¡­ Probably wouldn¡¯t happen, but it was plenty possible that some drunkards would start hitting on her.


    After all, even if you disregarded the fact that she was an Elf, Finia was still quite a beauty.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best to protect Finia.¡± ¡°Gotcha, though I was more worried about you, Nicole.¡± ¡°Huh, why!?¡±


    I was a very normal kid. When have I ever done anything naughty¡­ Wait, I¡¯ve done it a lot. Cortina looked at me in amusement as I was stumped for aeback.


    ¡°You have an idea why, right?¡± ¡°I do indeed.¡± ¡°So act more maturely, okay?¡± ¡°I shall carefully analyze things and deal with them positively.¡± ¡°I meant you, not your excuses!¡±


    She gave me a little smack on the head as she replied with a smile.


    ¡­¡­


    As expected of an amusements quarter, the night streets were filled with bustling. While this was an Elven settlement, it didn¡¯t mean only Elves lived here. In the first ce, this was a sight-seeing area, so you could catch sight of many other races.


    In normal districts, the shops would¡¯ve already started closing and the streets would¡¯ve gone dark, but there were many taverns here and a lot of shops were still open too. Rather, the number of taverns was unusually high. Oh, and the souvenir shops were open too.


    ¡°What a lively town this is, Lady Nicole.¡± ¡°It sure is.¡±


    Finia couldn¡¯t hide the excitement from her gait as she peeked inside the souvenir store. Seeing her like that, I also started looking around. Unlike her, however, I was looking around with a goal in mind. I was searching for Bill to get the dagger and ring appraised.


    Because of how she walked forward¡­ or rather backward, it was no surprise that she managed to crash into someone. The force of the crash made the other party crash on the ground.


    Finia¡¯s petite build was enough to blow them away, so they were likewise petite. Actually, it was a kid.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°Ooouch! Did you drop your eyes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I was a little distracted.¡±


    Seeing that the other party was a kid, Finia¡¯s speech also turned more frank. Perhaps her wariness subsided a little. That kid was a little older than me, and didn¡¯t look too different from the God of Destruction.


    It was a mischievous-looking boy with somewhat dirty clothes. As he got up, he dusted off his pants that got dirtied when he fell on his backside and then red towards us.


    ¡°For real, be more careful!¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry. I was a little excited.¡± ¡°Sorry that my clumsy girl here crashed into you.¡± ¡°Lady Nicole, that was a little harsh.¡±


    She felt a bit dissatisfied with my choice of words, but she was unarguably the one at fault here. There was a need to properly apologize and reflect on it. Well, only a bit of need.


    The boy¡¯s face blushed a bit when he took a look at us, then cooed and darted away without saying another word. Well, both Finia and I were quite blessed with looks, so I wouldn¡¯t me him for blushing a bit.


    ¡°Finia, aren¡¯t you a bit too excited?¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll restrain myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to be excited, as long as you are more careful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very hard to do in practice, you know?¡±


    Seeing her puffing her cheeks at me unlike her usual self made me burst into augh. She made a little blunder, but everything was fine as long as she was having fun. I felt bad for the kid, but her smile was more important to me.


    ¡°Ah, look. This handkerchief would suit you really well.¡±


    Changing the topic, I pointed at the handkerchief disyed at the shopfront. It was made of white cloth, with four-leaved clovers embroidered at the edges. The price was reasonable too, cheap enough to buy with my pocket money¡­ Though the fact that I needed to borrow pocket money made me feel quite miserable.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cute. Then let¡¯s get one for everyone.¡±


    She suddenly decided to buy everyone¡¯s share too, but I hurriedly stopped her. This came off as if I asked her for it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I didn¡¯t mean it as a souvenir for everyone¡­ Err, I want to buy this for you!¡± ¡°Huh, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I have quite a bit of money even if I don¡¯t look that way.¡±


    Along with receiving monthly pocket money from Cortina, I also made quite a sum through my hunts with Michelle. And recently, not just rabbits and birds, we even hunted a goat too. We didn¡¯t take their skin and extra meat home but instead sold them off to the nearby butcher¡¯s shop. Thanks to that we had more money on us than what was appropriate for kids of our age.


    ¡°In that case, let me buy you a present too, Lady Nicole.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Look, this one with the new moon embroidery would look perfect on you.¡± ¡°Err¡­¡±


    It could be rude to force my present and refuse to receive one here. Exchanging presents would make things less awkward for her too.


    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s exchange presents.¡± ¡°Okay!¡±


    We took the respective items we had our eye on and headed for the counter inside. There we saw another man standing in front of the cashier and having a deep talk. He didn¡¯t seem to be a customer, as he didn¡¯t have any items on hand¡ªbut he was someone I had seen before.


    ¡°Huh, Mr. Bill?¡±


    That person was Bill, the same peddler that had done us a favor today.

 Chapter 109: The Fee of Appraisal

    <h4>Chapter 109: The Fee of Appraisal</h4>


    One of the cashiers noticed us first and addressed us.


    ¡°Wee, would you like the bill?¡± ¡°Ah, err. Yes, for this.¡±


    Finia was surprised with this reunion, but still managed to show the clerk the item in question. I did the same and we paid our separate bills. At that point, Bill finally took notice of us and turned around.


    ¡°Oh my, if I¡¯m not mistaken¡­ You were called Finia?¡± ¡°Yes. A long time¡­ it hasn¡¯t been, huh? Who knew we would be meeting again so soon.¡± ¡°You are quite right. It has only been a few hours.¡±


    He extended his right hand with a radiant smile. A handshake was both a greeting and an act of finalizing a negotiation. This time, it was probably out of friendship, though. Finia returned the handshake with a smile of her own.


    ¡°Are those souvenirs?¡± ¡°Yes, for the memory. Lady Nicole and I gave each other one.¡± ¡°Haha, you seem to be quite close indeed!¡± ¡°Are you here for work, Mr. Bill?¡±


    I asked while tilting my head as innocently as I could. Because while it was ording to my wishes, it was still far too convenient to be meeting him here in such a short time. Bill answered without showing any signs of doubt at my question.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Buying things is my work, after all. I was thinking of selling these souvenirs in the capital.¡± ¡°This handkerchief is quite a fine work, too.¡± ¡°Oh, you get it! The hemmings are quite sturdy and the embroidery is stylish on top of it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d sell very well even in the capital.¡± ¡°In that case, I should¡¯ve raised the price a bit more.¡±


    The man who Bill was talking tomented in a joking tone. The man I initially thought to be one of the clerks turned out to be his negotiation partner.


    ¡°That would be troubling. If the buying price rises, it would put me in a heavy loss!¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m just joking. I look forward to your continued patronage.¡± ¡°Of course. But please save me from the rising prices, okay?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen as long as the prices of raw material don¡¯t suddenly jump up.¡±


    Looking at how they acted, it seemed that Bill was acquainted with him long before he met us. He seemed to be quite suspicious due to how low the prices were.


    Either way, I just needed to fulfill my own goal now.


    ¡°Oh, right, Mr. Bill, do you know what this is?¡±


    I retrieved the ring and dagger from my bag and showed it to him. I took the dagger under the pretext of self-defense. Unlike the Katana, this one was easier to handle and was more advantageous inside the town.


    ¡°Oh¡­ They seem to be tools with some kind of Magic. I have to appraise it to find out more.¡± ¡°Right. I don¡¯t know what kind of Magic they have.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, this is hard to bring up, but¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡±


    It seemed that Bill caught on to my intention, he answered apologetically. It wasn¡¯t the wording of a good-natured old man, but instead that of a merchant.


    ¡°When ites to appraising an item, I can¡¯t do it for free. Even if we are acquaintances, that is still part of the business.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡±


    Item appraisals were surprisingly demanded. The current magic and system differed greatly from the Magic of old times, so it was impossible to guess what Magic something had without appraising it. A lot of such items could be found in ruins.


    And to appraise such items, people often asked forpensation. It wasn¡¯t something he could do for free just because we were acquaintances.


    ¡°Yeah, I got it. How much would that be?¡± ¡°It would be 50 silvers per item. I know it is quite pricey, but¡­¡±


    It was an amount that wouldst you for ten days at an inn. But when it came to Magic items, many of them were far more valuable. Still, I didn¡¯t carry that much on hand now.


    ¡°Mgh, I don¡¯t have enough¡­¡±


    That wasn¡¯t exactly the case. I secretly took money from those kidnappers. I already had that much hidden somewhere. But I didn¡¯t carry it with me on a trip.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, let me pay it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡±


    50 Silvers was quite a big sum. Aftering to this town, Cortina has been paying her, but it should¡¯ve still been a painful amount for her. Of course, Finia at first refused to be paid, but given Cortina¡¯s pushiness, she couldn¡¯t manage it in the end.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t have anything to spend on, anyway.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, please. I¡¯ll definitely pay you backter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I mean it, okay?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to emphasize it so much¡­¡±


    Finia took a gold coin from her waist purse and handed it over to Bill. He epted it and put it in his pocket.


    ¡°I have certainly received it. Well then, are you fine with doing it here?¡±


    We were at the forefront of a souvenir shop. Anyone could be listening to our talk. Moreover, I didn¡¯t know what I could expect. It was an item from the kidnappers, so there was a chance it was something dangerous.


    In that case, it was better to move somewhere without outsiders.


    ¡°Here would be a little¡­¡± ¡°Then, the inn I¡¯m staying at is nearby, so let¡¯s do it there.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I can at least treat you to some fruit juice.¡±


    He withdrew his merchant¡¯s expression, recing it with a beaming smile.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure to have tea with prettydies like you!¡±


    Those words, at least, came from his heart. That much I realized.

 Chapter 110: The Truth about the Dagger

    <h4>Chapter 110: The Truth about the Dagger</h4>


    We followed Bill to the inn he was staying at. His inn wasn¡¯t directed towards tourists like ours, but instead was an actual tavern that merchants and adventurers usually used.


    It wasn¡¯t the one where you could receive services and enjoy yourself; it was quite literally a ce to spend the night, and nothing else.


    It also had a big stable to park the carriage, so perhaps that¡¯s why he chose it? Still, it seems that the ce still offered minimal service, as Bill ordered the promised fruit juice for us at the reception, then took us to his room.


    It was such a simple room you wouldn¡¯t think it belonged to a wealthy merchant. He had such arge carriage and enough assets to fill it up with merchandise. To the point, in fact, that he had to consider the countermeasure in case the bandits attacked.


    I never considered that he would be staying in a room with only a bed, table and water jug in it.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s finish our matter before the inn staffes here.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    As he asked, I put the ring and the dagger on the table. They were clearly Magical items, as I could feel Magic emitting from them. However, I didn¡¯t know whether that ¡°power¡± was good or the bad kind.


    If they turned out to be cursed items and the inn staff walked in on us in the middle of the exnation, I couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of misunderstanding that could lead to.


    Bill observed the items for a short while, then heaved a sigh at how strong the magic contained was.


    ¡°Now these are some¡­ wonderful items.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know what kind of Magic it is within.¡± ¡°That couldn¡¯t be helped. Appraising is one of the few things that brings food to our merchants¡¯ tables.¡±


    He took out what looked like a magnifying ss lens from his pocket and started carefully inspecting the items. After going all over their surfaces, he finally took out a white scroll and held the lens on top of it.


    Next moment, a luminous point simr to the concentrated sunlight fell on the paper and started burning the surface. The burn marks eventually formed characters on the paper.


    Me aside, even Finia couldn¡¯t read those characters. Bill, however, could.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°Did you find it out?¡± ¡°It seems this dagger has Magic that makes it oscite on a fine level by the use of a keyword.¡± ¡°Oscite?¡±


    I have indeed heard of something like that from Maxwell before. By osciting the de intensely on a minute level, it could increase its sharpness, was it?


    Or to be more urate, it didn¡¯t increase the sharpness itself, but more like the bond or whatever on the contacting surface breaks¡­ It basically acts like a chainsaw or something.


    Well, I don¡¯t really understand how it exactly works.


    ¡°Indeed. However, I¡¯m not sure what effect that oscition gives it.¡± ¡°I know about that. It increases its sharpness. And by a lot.¡± ¡°Oho, is that so?¡± ¡°Yup.¡±


    Bill rubbed his chin in admiration, his eyes turning evaluation as befitted a merchant. But then, there was a strong knock on the door. It appeared that the long-awaited fruit juice finally arrived.


    The person walked inside holding a tray with a jug on it. It seemed to be filled with the fruit juice. The tray also had enough cups for all of us. After cing them on the table, they left without saying a word. They seem to be quite well trained in their work.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I usually do transactions here. Please don¡¯t think of them as unsociable.¡± ¡°Yeah, got it.¡±


    I tried secretly checking for presences, but I couldn¡¯t find anyone eavesdropping on us. In that case, it was safe to talk here.


    ¡°Before that, please have a drink. You might be thirsty.¡±


    He poured the juice in cups and served it to us. It was slightly viscous juice with a muddy white color. It had a refreshing fragrance of young grass radiating from it. I decided to take a sip without further ado, and was greeted with a bittersweet, yet somewhat grassy vor.


    This ce could be said to be an Elven stronghold, so their vegetables and fruits were famous even in the capital. Trying it out myself, I could see why it was so famed.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°This¡­ Has quite a distinct taste, but it¡¯s quite a rich vor.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s only the topyer of the juice, you know? The deeper you go the denser the vor bes, so I would rmend you go for the seconds.¡±


    Since he rmended that, I decided to finish my first cup. I had a sweet tooth ever since my past life, so I quite weed this.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the keyword? Gulp¡±


    I asked the main question while gulping it down without rest. I got that it had Magic to increase its sharpness, but there was no point in that if I didn¡¯t know the keyword.


    In any case, this juice was delicious as he imed. On the second cup, there was more fruit from the loweryers settled in the liquid and was both richer and had deeper sweetness. The more I drank, the denser and sweeter it got. I could get addicted to this.


    ¡°Yes, first this dagger. It has Toughness Magic so it can endure that oscition. Because of that, its de isn¡¯t damaged and looks as sharp as new, but saying the keyword would allow it to even cut iron like paper.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± ¡°About that keyword¡­ it¡¯s [Praise the God of Destruction].¡± ¡°Bfffwaaaaaaah!?¡± ¡°Kyaa! What¡¯s the matter, Lady Nicole?¡±


    So it was made by that white thing! It was indeed a phrase you¡¯d rarely hear, given that she was treated as an Evil God. It was quite optimal to set it as an activation keyword.


    Well, she was a goddess with a thousand years of history, so it wasn¡¯t too strange for her items to be circting everywhere¡­ But for me, it couldn¡¯t be any more awful.

 Chapter 111: The Ability of the Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 111: The Ability of the Treasure</h4>


    Finia started wiping my juice-smeared face with the handkerchief she had just bought. Bill didn¡¯t pay any attention to me and just moved on to appraising the second item. That was very merchant-like of him. He probably couldn¡¯t see anything around him when items that could be profit were lined up before his eyes.


    ¡°This item can create illusions near the wearer it seems¡­ Oh dear, what happened?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± ¡°Lady Nicole choked on the drink a bit is all.¡± ¡°Ahaha, this juice is quite thick, after all! It could get stuck in the throat when you aren¡¯t used to it.¡±


    He lightlymented and then pointed at the ring.


    ¡°This one can create any kind of illusion around the user by pouring Magic power into it. Perhaps it was used for hiding oneself.¡±


    I see, those guys prepared items to steal the Queen Blossom seeds. If it came down to fighting with them, they prepared a scroll to set fire, a dagger to cut their tough barks, and a ring to fool their surveince.


    ¡°But¡­ This is an extremely valuable item. This ring could go for at least a tinum coin.¡± ¡°A tinum coin?!¡±


    One tinum coin was equal to a hundred gold coins. One gold coin to a hundred silver coins. If you considered that our rtively expensive inn for tourists took 5 silvers per night, you could imagine just how big that amount was.


    ¡°This dagger would also go for at least 50 gold coins.¡± ¡°F-Fifty gold¡­¡±


    It was an amount that a proper family could live on for a year. Finia was astonished after hearing of their value. It seems that she didn¡¯t think that the items I brought along (or so I was passing them off) were such valuable items.


    But even my Katana could go for at least 20 gold coins were I to sell it. Considering that, it wasn¡¯t so surprising¡­ Actually, yeah, it was.


    ¡°What do you say, Ms. Nicole? Would you sell these items to me? I realize it isn¡¯t fair to propose this to a youngdy like you, but please do consider it.¡±


    Bill proposed an idea with a serious expression. For him, this was a get rich quick scheme that suddenly fell on him. It was natural for him to jump at the chance. However, I couldn¡¯t hand these over. Both due to my excuse and how useful they were.


    Considering how powerless I was, this dagger was like a dreame true, and the illusion item had many ways of use, too. Not to mention, I imed that I ¡°took these from Lyell and Maria¡¯s mansion¡±, so it woulde off as disreputable if I arbitrary sold them off.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but these belong to my daddy¡­ I can¡¯t sell them.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ so. It makes sense now that I think about it. There¡¯s no way a child would¡­ No, that was rude of me.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong with your assumption.¡±


    Normally, that is. Unfortunately for him, I wasn¡¯t normal. Still, those guys sure brought some extreme items. Where was the need to steal? They could¡¯ve just sold these off. Or could it be that there¡¯s some other mastermind behind all this¡­?


    ¡°Then, would it be possible to negotiate with your father?¡± ¡°That would be quite hard. Daddy isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Lady Nicole¡¯s father lives in a deserted vige of the United Three Kingdoms. For him toe here would be¡­ Wait¡­?¡±


    I could understand why Finia looked so lost. Usually, such a distance would¡¯ve made business not worth it. However, Lyell and Maria popped up in Raum almost every day.


    What troublesome Heroes they were. If they somehowe face to face with Bill, my lie would totally get busted.


    ¡°A-Anyway, I understood how they work. If there¡¯s nothing else, I shall take my leave.¡± ¡°Lady Nicole, are you sure? There¡¯s still some juice left.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m full.¡±


    I wanted to evacuate from here before things turned bad. He could hardly realize my true character, but if Finia ended up leaking that Lyell showed his face almost every night, my lie would most definitelye to light.


    And when they started questioning ¡°How I managed to obtain it¡±, it would be easy for them to arrive at the answer. After all, they already knew that Reid had reincarnated.


    ¡°In that case, please transfer the rest to a sk and take it with you. It¡¯s delicious even when you mix it with alcohol.¡±


    Bill took out a traveling water pouch and moved the juice into it. I suppose this could serve as a good souvenir for Michelle and Cortina. As expected of a merchant, he was attentive to details.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No no, thank you for giving me an opportunity to see such rare items. It seems there¡¯s still quite a bit of hidden treasure in Raum.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ce with high activity of Adventurers, so things like that show up a lot.¡± ¡°You are quite right! You truly are a clever youngdy.¡±


    Adventurers didn¡¯t just bring monster materials with them. They also had many rare items that they either seeded or discovered in the ruins. Of course, not all of them were quite as valuable, but some of them could make your eyes go wide just like these. Bill caught on to that. Perhaps he would start negotiating with many Adventurers from now on.


    After exchanging a firm handshake, me and Finia returned back to our inn. We got souvenirs and I managed to get the items appraised. The day had gone very well.


    This dagger would raise my battle power even higher, and the illusion Magic of the ring would make it easier to hide my face from now on. I could finally move on from my in disguise, so I was very grateful for it.


    I walked the night road back while almost breaking into hops due to my good mood. Finia followed along with an unusually light pace. That¡¯s right, I had to properly thank her. If she hadn¡¯t paid in my stead, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get these appraised.


    ¡°Right. Finia, thanks for that money. I will definitely pay it backter.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind it. I have nothing to spend it on, anyway.¡± ¡°Even so, you need to have it.¡±


    It¡¯s something that could even influence the rtionships depending on the situation. It wasn¡¯t something you could just write off.


    If you borrow, pay it back without fail. That has been my belief since my previous life. Be it money, resentment or debt, I made sure to repay it all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I make money from hunting, so I should have enough to pay you back once we¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Is that really alright?¡± ¡°Of course I am, it belongs to you, after all.¡±


    She was an elf. Her lifespan was incredibly long. Even if she didn¡¯t need it now, it would allow her to go on even after Maria and Lyell and I die. Elves tended to carefreely live in the moment¡­ But it would be wise to let her learn the notion of savings, the sooner the better.

 Chapter 112: Early Morning Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 112: Early Morning Trouble</h4>


    When I got up early, the first thing I saw couldn¡¯t be described as anything butplete chaos. Because this inn was centered around tourists, the room structures differed from that of normal houses. The cotton-filled bags wereid directly on the thick, grass-knitted carpet, and we slept on top of them.


    The five of us should¡¯ve been sleeping side by side on those beddings, but in the morning, that order was in aplete mess. Michelle was lying sprawled on top of me, but her legs were being used as a pillow by Letina on the other end of it.


    Finia was the only one sleeping straight, but Cortina was twined around her in an extreme lock for some reason.


    ¡°Uggggh.¡± ¡°Mmm, Reidddd¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of dream she was having, but Finia looked quite miserable so I decided to wake her up at once.


    ¡°Cortina, wake up.¡±


    I squirmed out from under Michelle and started pping her cheeks to wake her up, but she didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up.


    She was a skilled Adventurer, but her sleeping habits when she wasn¡¯t adventuring were pretty bad. She used to wake up quite easily during the adventure, so perhaps she was the type that could unconsciously switch between normal and emergency modes.


    The fact that she waspletely defenseless here was proof that she was letting her guard down around us, which of course made me happy, but that was not the point here.


    Quite a bit of time has passed already since the sun has risen. If we don¡¯t show our faces, someone from the inn mighte to check on us. We couldn¡¯t show such udylike appearances to some stranger. Cortina even had her chest exposed quite a bit.


    ¡°Nfuu~¡±


    I kept on pping her cheeks and she finally opened her eyes a bit. Realizing it was me¡ªshe suddenly went for an embrace with an amazing force.


    ¡°Mmm, so soft, so warm¡­¡± ¡°Just wake up already.¡±


    I didn¡¯t particrly mind being hugged, but why was she pinning my right hand under her back!? Also, she pushed her hands between my elbows, so my joints were¡ªwait, this is bad!


    ¡°Ugyaaaaaa!!¡±


    My scream resounded through the inn, and with that, everyone finally woke up.


    ¡°Yeaa, sorry about that. I ended up coiling around you without realizing.¡±


    We didn¡¯t order the morning meal at the inn, so instead, we stepped out and headed for a cafeteria. This was both a health resort and a tourist attraction. As such, they put quite a bit of effort when it came to food, too.


    Instead of eating set meals inside the inn, it was more enjoyable to try out many variations outside of it.


    ¡°How about you stop going for joint locks when you do that?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m reflecting on that.¡±


    She apologized while scratching her head. It seems that she had a bad habit of using the moves she learned for self-defense to hold people in ce. I didn¡¯t notice this habit in my previous life as we slept separated by gender. I should keep in mind to ask Maria how she dealt with her.


    We arrived at the cafeteria after a bit and discovered a crowd forming before us. They gave off quite a dangerous feeling so me and Cortina instantly put ourselves on guard.


    Just in case, I brought along the dagger and the ring that I had gotten appraised just yesterday. Cortina, on the other hand, had a ring that assisted the activation of Magic equipped on her finger. It apparently also increased the power of Magic a bit when worn.


    Michelle also brought along her new bracelet and the Third Eye, but she didn¡¯t notice this presence. Finia and Letina were also out of the question.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    I asked Cortina while putting a hand inside my jacket and grasping the hilt of the dagger. She seemed to have realized what I did and answered with the tense expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯ll go ask, so can you wait here?¡± ¡°Okay. Come back if things look dangerous.¡± ¡°You sure are a worrywart. But, I will.¡±


    Cortina had the highestbat power among us five. However, she was still a rearguard at the end of the day. She wasn¡¯t skilled in fighting at the front lines. It seemed that Finia noticed my tension, she asked with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°What is the matter?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bloodlusting from that crowd.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°And Cortina went to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Hearing the situation, Michelle silently unfastened her bow case. She did that just in case something went wrong. Since she was always hunting with me, herbat intuition had be quite sharp.


    Cortina approached the crowd and asked what was going on. She was a beauty, so the males of the group started exining the situation quite sociably at first. But the moment they saw me behind her, their attitudes underwent aplete change.


    ¡°That¡¯s her! I saw her talking with Mikey yesterday!¡±


    With his words, the atmosphere of the group changed. They were acting clearly alert. Then, a single woman stepped out of the crowd towards us. It was a middle-aged woman with a worn-out expression. She wasn¡¯t particrly beautiful, but had a sense of sincerity around her.


    However, she was currently dominated by hysterical emotions and was ring at me angrily.


    ¡°Were you the one who took Mikey away!¡± ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb! Where did you take him!¡±


    She used me emotionally with a loud voice as she drew near. Seeing that, Finia got between us and blocked her path. Michelle took Third Eye out and nocked an arrow in it. Letina, too, prepared to use Magic at moment¡¯s notice.


    I stopped the two with my hand and asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but who is this Mikey?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my child that you took out yesterday!¡±


    From what I could guess from the fragmented conversation, this Mikey was her child and he disappeared yesterday. And I was seen talking to him? I don¡¯t remember anything of the sort¡­ No, wait!


    ¡°Ah, could it be that kid from yesterday?¡± ¡°So you do know him!¡± ¡°No, no, I haven¡¯t seen him after we parted ways yesterday.¡± ¡°Stop spouting lies!¡±


    My words weren¡¯t getting through at all. Her words influenced the crowd behind her and their atmosphere starting growing dangerous by the second. At this rate, things could get violent.


    While I racked my brains thinking how to get out of this mess, Cortina took off her hat and exposed her cat ears.


    ¡°Um, I can guarantee that she doesn¡¯t know anything. So please calm down and let¡¯s have a talk, okay?¡± ¡°Who would trust your¡ªWait, those ears!?¡±


    The cat beastmen weren¡¯t many in number. And when it came to a blond, longhair type beastmen that was also a magician, there were only a few in the entire Raum. It wasn¡¯t just limited to cats, the Beastman races in general were more suited for physical battles and often took vanguard jobs.


    ¡°My name is Cortina. She is Nicole whos under my guardianship. We might be able to help you with something, so let¡¯s seat and talk.¡±


    Everyone present looked at her in bewilderment as she politely introduced herself.

 Chapter 113: The Kid’s Whereabouts

    <h4>Chapter 113: The Kid¡¯s Whereabouts</h4>


    Urged by Cortina, one of the Heroes that once saved the world, the woman started to exin the circumstances with a stiff expression. If she so wished, Cortina could easily erase her from this world.


    Not to mention, if the rumours spread about it, this ce would take a big hit as a tourist attraction spot, too. She knew that too, hence the apparent tension on her face.


    We decided to head inside the cafeteria in question and discuss the matter with the woman over a meal. We had meals, while Cortina appeased her thirst with tea, as we listened to what she had to say.


    ¡°So you are saying your child Mikey disappeared sincest night?¡± ¡°Yes. I noticed it just before I went to sleep. He often slips out so I thought he was just roaming outside as usual, but he didn¡¯te back even in the morning¡­¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve spent all night awake, huh. Yourplexion looks awful.¡± ¡°How could I when my child was¡­!¡±


    That Mikey was the boy that ran into Finia yesterday night. He was quite a lively and a little cheeky kid. His whereabouts were unknown even now. She rushed about and even had the people around help her, but they still couldn¡¯t find him.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t he head towards the gate yesterday?¡± ¡°Towards the gate?¡±


    Finia reported while recalling yesterday¡¯s events. Cortina needed to hear this too so she intentionally mentioned it. But true, the kid did certainly dash towards the outside of the town after he parted from us.


    Thinking about it, it was quite strange for him to run in that direction considering the time it was.


    ¡°Do you think he would go outside?¡± ¡°But why would he¡­ While it is rtively peaceful around here, it¡¯s not like there are no monsters at all.¡±


    The Adventurers were managing the safety of the surroundings, but the monsters on a smaller scale still existed. Wild goats and wolves, in particr, were quitemon throughout Raum. It would be hard for a kid slightly above my age to deal with thempetently.


    ¡°I have no idea about that¡­ No, give me a moment.¡±


    I suddenly recalled certain words. The words that white thing¡ªThe God of Destruction had told me.


    ¡°I think I heard there was a Carbuncle in the cavern¡­¡± ¡°A Carbuncle? Isn¡¯t that a protected Mythical Beast? What is it doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but the Goddess said so.¡± ¡°By Goddess, you mean that white girl from yesterday? I thought she was weird for calling herself a Goddess, but¡­¡±


    Cortina was skeptical about her being a God, but that was a natural reaction. That aside, suspicious it may have been, a Goddess said so herself. Not to mention, she was my ancestor. She¡­ shouldn¡¯t have any reason to deceive me.


    ¡°Anyway, she said a Carbuncle was sighted near the cavern, so she came to safeguard it. But that was probably a bait for me.¡± ¡°A bait¡­ Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I mean, she showed up in a Beastmen bath, right? The fact that she lied in wait for me there and told me about it means she wants me to do something about it.¡±


    There¡¯s a Carbuncle in the cavern. Just to tell me that, she did that barefaced performance and ambushed me. Since she let me know about it, she was probably implicitly suggesting that I went there.


    And now there was a disappeared kid. Given this timing, it was hard to think all these weren¡¯t connected somehow.


    ¡°Could it be that this kid discovered the Carbuncle?¡± ¡°Oh no, was he attacked by the beast!?¡± ¡°No, Carbuncles aren¡¯t such aggressive monsters. As long as you don¡¯t hurt them, they are rtively safe. It wouldn¡¯t even view a kid as a threat.¡±


    Jessica paled from Finia¡¯s conjecture, but Cortina denied her fears. Carbuncles were quite weak monsters. Still, they were part of the Dragon race and were particrly blessed with Magic. One could easily shrug off a kid.


    In other words, it wasn¡¯t logical for Mikey to get attacked to the point where he wasn¡¯t able to return.


    ¡°At any rate, as long as there¡¯s a possibility, we have to check it.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle as well!¡±


    Or rather, only me and Finia knew his face. Instead of taking a viger, it was more advantageous to take me instead.


    ¡°Right. I wouldn¡¯t really advise it, but your detection ability would be useful even for me.¡±


    Cortina excelled ining up with ns, but other than that, she was only a little above an average Adventurer. She was just a bit out of reach from a first-ss. In other words, my searching skill was better than hers.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯lle too!¡± ¡°Ah, no fair! Me too!¡± ¡°Oh no, you aren¡¯t.¡±


    Michelle and Letina raised their hands to announce their participation, but I couldn¡¯t let theme to a forest in search of a member of the Dragon race.


    In the end, Cortina managed to persuade them and they ended up house-sitting, with Finia stuck as their babysitter.


    ¡°Um, what should I¡­¡± ¡°Even if youe to the forest, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything there. There¡¯s a chance we¡¯d pass each other too, so please remain here. We aren¡¯t even sure he headed towards the Carbuncle.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡±


    Jessica still had enough self-control to not object to Cortina¡¯s request. She chose to trust our words and wait.


    As such, me and Cortina set out in search of the Carbuncle.

 Chapter 114: Preceding Visitor of the Forest

    <h4>Chapter 114: Preceding Visitor of the Forest</h4>


    We prepared the equipment to head towards the forest. That said, we came to this town to rx. As such, we hadn¡¯t brought our proper equipment with us.


    Both me and Cortina chose easy-to-move clothes and only brought minimal equipment with us. I equipped my piano wires, yarn strings and dagger, and I was all set.


    ¡°This makes me a little uneasy, in the end.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. People normally don¡¯t bring weapons at hot springs.¡± ¡°You have that dagger at least, Nicole. I only have this ring¡­¡±


    Cortina only had one ring that aided with Magic. Other than that, she was pretty much in traveling clothes. Heading towards the cavern where the member of the Dragon race¡ªweak or not¡ªwas said to live, obviously made her feel helpless.


    ¡°Cortina, wanna use this?¡± ¡°The dagger? No, you should use it, Nicole. I¡¯m not good with swords.¡±


    Cortina¡¯s hand-to-handbat was basically a defensive style centered around long staffs. Daggers required more skill than it seemed, so it was certainly more effective if I used it instead.


    ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just buy a staff on the way. This vige is close to where monsters show up, so they should be selling some of those. Even if they don¡¯t, a trekking staff would do as well.¡±


    When it came to defense, sturdiness mattered above all else. Even a simple wooden staff could be very sturdy with her Interference Magic.


    ¡°Finia, Michelle, I¡¯m leaving the house to you.¡± ¡°Yes, please leave it to me.¡± ¡°You got it!¡±


    Michelle made a fist pump while holding her longbow. I didn¡¯t think anything was going to happen to them inside the town, but I still warned just in case since me and Cortina, the strongest two among us, were leaving them alone.


    As we were leaving the inn, Jessica saw us off while looking worried.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Lady Cortina. I¡¯m leaving my son to you.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know if he¡¯s really there, so please don¡¯t get your hope up too much. But don¡¯t abandon hope.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s surely fooling around somewhere as always¡­¡±


    She showed us a hollow smile, but her eyes were clearly filled with worry. She was forcibly suppressing her emotions in front of Cortina, but it didn¡¯t seem like she would hold out for long at this rate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Cortina. We need to hurry up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Well then, we¡¯ll be back soon. Once again, please don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± ¡°I understand.¡±


    By rash, she meant things like heading towards the cavern by herself. If we don¡¯t return as fast as we can, it¡¯s quite likely that she would make such arbitrary decisions.


    Thus, we hastened our pace towards the cavern in the forest.


    ¡­¡­


    The forest was gloomy and hard to see. Cortina who barely had any scouting skills couldn¡¯t be trusted with the guarding duty. As such, I took the front and surveyed the surroundings. But then, I discovered something peculiar.


    ¡°There are footprints here.¡± ¡°Footprints? Could it be Mikey¡¯s?¡± ¡°No, they belong to an armed person.¡±


    They were the prints of greaves that fully covered the leg. Furthermore, they even had spikes on them. This could be either a soldier or a vanguard Adventurer that wore it by choice. But it was definitely not something a mischievous viger kid would wear.


    ¡°It would be¡­ Quite odd for them to be a soldier. There shouldn¡¯t be any deployed here.¡± ¡°Yeah. So probably an Adventurer. And several of them¡± ¡°Several?¡± ¡°Around three.¡±


    There were three kinds of footprints. Which meant, there were at least three Adventurers in this forest. And their footprints were leading towards the inner parts of the forest.


    ¡°Are they heading deeper? Could they be aiming for the Carbuncle too?¡± ¡°I wonder. My source of information is quite well hidden, so I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡±


    That white thing was still a God. Or rather, she was above other gods when it came to underhandedness. I doubt she would¡¯ve leaked such information so easily. Which would mean, there was another source of information.


    ¡°What about the possibility that it¡¯s not the Carbuncle they are aiming for?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! Wasn¡¯t there something about a Named Dragon appearing here?¡± ¡°Are they nning to defeat a Dragon?¡±


    No matter how you put it, defeating a Dragon, a named one at that, with just three people was nothing short of impossible if you didn¡¯t have some amazing skill. Cortina, however, shot down my opinion.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. There should be a much easier way to make money.¡± ¡°Make money¡­?¡± ¡°ording to Bill and the rest, that Dragones to take baths, right? I¡¯m not sure how much it loves bathing, but if it¡¯s doing it that frequently, it might not be strange for its scale or two to have fallen off.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what you mean.¡±


    Dragons were also reptiles. Not to mention, their regenerative powers were crazy strong. Even if their scales came off after a harsh washing session, they would regenerate immediately.


    If there were indeed such scale fragments left there, then you could make quite a bit of profit just by collecting them. There were many uses for scales of a high-ranking Named Dragon.


    ¡°If the Adventurers that set out to look for the Dragon¡¯s dropped items were toe across the Carbuncle, what do you think they would do?¡± ¡°They would most definitely hunt it down.¡±


    Cortina guessed the Adventurers¡¯ goal from Bill¡¯s conversation and hypothesized the worst kind of scenario. I replied with my honest thoughts to it. While it was an ordinary answer, it still said enough about the situation.


    ¡°And what if Mikey were to witness it?¡± ¡°They would most definitely kill him to seal his mouth.¡± ¡°I think so too. Looks like we really need to hurry.¡±


    Judging as such, we hurried towards the cavern.

 Chapter 115: Finding the Rescuee

    <h4>Chapter 115: Finding the Rescuee</h4>


    We managed to get to the cavern, but we didn¡¯te across the Adventurers or Mikey. If there was something fortunate, it was the fact that we couldn¡¯t find the Carbuncle¡¯s corpse or bloodstains anywhere, which meant they should¡¯ve been safe for the time being.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Yeah, the Carbuncle too. The footprints continue to the inside, but there are none that lead outside.¡± ¡°Which means, Mikey should still be inside, huh.¡±


    After some more investigation, we concluded that there were no other footprints, meaning the Adventurers haven¡¯t reached this ce yet. The ce where the Dragon stopped for baths wasn¡¯t anywhere nearby. If it was, it would end up stopping the customer traffic.


    This Dragon seemed to have a high intellect, so it settled to a ce separated from the town out of consideration. The Adventurers not being here meant they were searching for it.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand why he isn¡¯ting out. Assuming he didn¡¯te across the Adventurers¡­ It could only mean that he got into some trouble inside.¡± ¡°We can only go in to find out.¡± ¡°There might be some gases inside the cave. Did you bring your purifying magic item with you?¡± ¡°Yup.¡±


    The reason they built the hot spring town here was because of the hot water they discovered inside this cave. We couldn¡¯t scratch out the possibility of gases umting inside of it. I always carried my magic item, the scarf, with me since it was convenient for hiding my face.


    Thus, we wrapped the scarves around and stepped inside. The inside was dark, obstructing even my vision.


    ¡°Can you still discern the footprints?¡± ¡°Yeah. One of them belongs to a child, and the other to a¡­ Beast? It has ws, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± ¡°Then it could only be the rumored Carbuncle.¡± ¡°Hmm, there are traces suggesting that those twoe and go quite often.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡±


    One time could be written off as a coincidence, but that wasn¡¯t so when it happened many times. Given how often he visited this cave, there was no way he didn¡¯te across the Carbuncle.


    ¡°I suppose Mikey wasing here specifically to meet the Carbuncle.¡± ¡°The Carbuncles are designated as protected monsters.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why he was doing it in secret.¡±


    Getting overly involved with the protected Mythical Beast wasn¡¯t somethingmendable. The beast¡¯s intellect wasn¡¯t low, but it was still dangerous to carelessly approach it. Because of that, he came during the nighttime, keeping it a secret from his parents.


    ¡°So, something did happen inside that prevented him from returning, I suppose?¡± ¡°Well, if there¡¯s indeed gas inside¡­ That could be dangerous.¡± ¡°Right, we have to be ready for the worst¡­¡±


    We continued following the footsteps. The cave was in quite a bad shape, there was no knowing when it would copse. And as expected, there was some gas inside. Staying in for too long could be quite dangerous.


    After walking for some more, we came across a crumbled wall. The child¡¯s footsteps led to there and continued beyond the broken bedrock.


    ¡°Cortina, look here.¡± ¡°Oh, are the footsteps continuing beyond this wall?¡± ¡°Yeah. Maybe his way out got caved in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. Back off for a bit. Crimson Five, Ultramarine Six, Gold Nine¡ªTunnel.¡±


    In ordance with her chant, a hole started forming through the cave-in rubble. That magic could dig a hole two meters wide and six meters deep. It reached the other side on the three meters point, though.


    After signaling each other with eyes, I headed in first. Cortina judged that another cave-in could follow, so she fortified the wall with Toughness magic.


    I pulled out my dagger and proceeded further in while keeping up my guard. Then, I heard a sigh¡­ no, a threatening hiss. Looking towards the source, a giant hamster with a gem on its forehead¡­ The Carbuncle was baring its fangs at me with its fur standing on ends.


    ¡°The Carbuncle¡¯s there¡­¡± ¡°Hiss!¡±


    I spoke quietly so as to not provoke it and let Cortina know. She finished reinforcing the wall and was already right behind me. Following that, I saw a child flopped onto the floor while holding his legs.


    ¡°Mikey!¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡±


    I put away my dagger to ease the monster¡¯s vignce and slowly approached the boy. I went around the Carbuncle¡ªstill hissing at me¡ªand checked the boy¡¯s, Mikey¡¯s condition. His leg was injured and didn¡¯t seem like he could move it, but his breaths were stable and his life wasn¡¯t in danger.


    The gas was stagnated throughout the cave, but it couldn¡¯t be found around him. It would be far too opportunistic for him to copse in such a perfect spot filled with clean air.


    ¡°Did you purify the air around him?¡± ¡°Squeak?¡±


    It tilted its head and observed me, having realized that I held no malicious intent. My magic couldn¡¯t handle his injury, so I switched ces with Cortina and let her handle it.


    ¡°Can you heal it?¡± ¡°I can handle this much, don¡¯t worry. Still, it¡¯s a wonder he is safe¡­¡±


    While Cortina was concentrating on healing him, I inspected our surroundings. I noticed the leftovers of preserved foods such as bread and jerky.


    ¡°Looks like he was feeding the Carbuncle here.¡± ¡°Maybe it purified the air to thank him for it.¡±


    Light covered Mikey¡¯s leg and the injury started disappearing before my eyes. After his breaths rxed, Cortina put him on his back and we headed for the exit.


    ¡°Are youing with us too?¡± ¡°Squeak!¡±


    Albeit it couldn¡¯t speak words, it seemed to have guessed our intention and gave a decisive squeak. It toddled after us as we left the cave.


    ¡°Looking at it like this, it¡¯s quite cute.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a Mythical Beast, so the danger is still there. And it¡¯s illegal from the juristical perspective too.¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t it seem like it would feel really good to the touch?¡± ¡°Okay, even I¡¯m not going to let you do that, okay?¡± ¡°Shame¡­¡±


    I may have been a guy in my previous life, but I still found it hard to go against that fluffy fur. I understood how Mikey felt a little bit. But if it¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s wrong. We have to properly admonish himter. Besides, this Carbuncle already has someone to safeguard it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that white thing just wants it for its fluffiness.¡± ¡°Hm? Which white thing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Either way, we managed to find the Carbuncle, so she would probably show her face before me sooner orter.


    As we left the cave while I was thinking about such things, we came across three Adventurers in the middle of a rest.

 Chapter 116: Bad Adventurers

    <h4>Chapter 116: Bad Adventurers</h4>


    Three Adventurers were upying the vicinity of the cave entrance. All of them wore heavy equipment and had handbags stuffed full of somethingying around.


    They wereughing loudly and raised toasts. They sat around a bonfire and drank something, most likely alcohol.


    Seeing what looked like scales giving off ck luster through the gaps of their bags, it was no doubt that these were the same Adventurers that Cortina judged to havee for the Dragon¡¯s scales. Then why would theye here¡­ I started wondering but quickly realized the reason.


    This forest was unexpectedly vast. The only open ces in it were probably the hot spring where the Dragon has settled and in front of this cave. There were no other ces, unless you returned to the town.


    But if they returned to the town, they¡¯d have to keep their mouths shut about their sudden profit. After all, the scales were firste first served limited treasures. If they bbered their mouths, it could invite potentialpetition. And there was no knowing when the Dragon would return to the hot spring.


    In other words, this pce was ideal for them.


    ¡°Squeee!?¡±


    The Carbuncle raised a surprised voice from the sudden encounter. Me and Cortina were experienced Adventurers, so we knew better to raise our voices, but it was unreasonable to ask that from a monster.


    With that, the Adventurers finally noticed us. They stopped their cups and directed impure looks at us.


    ¡°Aah?¡± ¡°Who are you supposed to be?¡±


    A woman shouldering a child was certainly a sight that would draw suspicion, but still nowhere near as suspicious as them. Their bearded faces were flushed due to alcohol and their armors had scratches all over filled with rust.


    They didn¡¯t care for them, but seemed like they have used it for a long time. Based on that, they appeared to be quite experienced, but their character was on the opposite vector.


    ¡°Err¡­ We came to recover a lost child. Don¡¯t mind us.¡± ¡°A lost child, you say?¡±


    Cortina answered socially and showed them Mikey on her back. She then shifted her position to give Mikey over to me.


    ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Shh, just take him.¡±


    If I carried him, I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight. If possible, I wished Cortina did it instead. Just when I was about to ask that, the guys raised wild voices.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that behind you¡ªis that actually a Carbuncle?¡±


    The voice asked in amazement. He probably never thought he¡¯d find a Mythical beast right after sessfully aplishing the in yet rewarding job of collecting the Dragon¡¯s scales. However, his yell invited nothing but trouble.


    Carbuncles were protected beasts. Even by simply following us, it could cause problems. Moreover, the gem on its forehead was extremely valuable. To the point that one would risk breaking thew to obtain.


    ¡°Quite attached to you eh? Hey, won¡¯t you lend it to us for a bit?¡±


    The man asked over-familiarly. The other two also moved to entrap us in between. But just before that encirclement wasplete¡­


    ¡°Nicole, run!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Take Mikey and run, hurry!¡±


    Then I finally realized why she handed Mikey over. Cortina¡­ nned to hold them off here on her own. Their personalities aside, they seem to have some skill. They might be too much to handle for a rearguard like her.


    Naturally, our odds of winning wouldn¡¯t change even if I joined in. The usual me, that is.


    If I used threads, then my strength would make a difference. If I joined forces with Cortina, we could drive them off. But that would lead to revealing myself to her.


    ¡°Just go. I¡¯ll catch up with youter!¡±


    She said that, but it would be difficult to break free from the encirclement of three people. It was just like¡­


    ¡°Just like me from back then, huh.¡±


    Stalling for time with her life on the line. Well, in her case, if she didn¡¯t have us as a burden, she might¡¯ve been able to do something. Snares and traps that utilized the terrain were her specialties. Perhaps she could handle them somehow if she utilized her strong area.


    However, at the end of the day, she was a magician. And neither strong like Maxwell, nor fast like Maria. She was clearly above your ordinary Adventurer, but it was hard to say if it was against three of them.


    ¡°Hurry!¡±


    While I was weighing my options of running and joining, Cortina¡¯s voice urged on. Her yell seemed to have pushed my back, I broke into a run. You could say this was a conditional reflex because I followed hermands in my previous life.


    I rushed inside the forest¡¯s dark depths. One man tried toe after me, but Cortina got in the way and blocked his path. Then, she immediately started chanting as the three men rushed towards her.


    I felt the signs of battle from behind as I continued rushing through the forest with Mikey and the Carbuncle.

 Chapter 117: Stalling for Time

    <h4>Chapter 117: Stalling for Time</h4>


    Author¡¯s note: Please note that we¡¯ll be switching to Cortina¡¯s POV midway.


    After running around in the forest for some time and making sure that no one was following me, I finally stopped my legs. I hid Mikey behind the trees and camouged him with leaves and branches until he was well hidden.


    I had to take care of the footprints too. As such, I called the Carbuncle and told it to keep watch over him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go erase our footsteps, so I¡¯m leaving Mikey to you.¡± ¡°Squeak!¡±


    I already knew that the Carbuncle understood my speech. I couldn¡¯t read its expression, but apparently it understood that it was the reason for this mess, it ruffled its eyebrows in determination¡­ Or so it seemed to me anyway.


    I took a branch in ce of a broom and left the ce to erase our footsteps.


    Cortina was on my mind all this time. It¡¯s only been a few minutes since, but that was plenty enough for losing your life. Not to mention, even if you didn¡¯t look at her in a favorable light, she was still an exceptionally beautiful young girl. Well, her age didn¡¯t exactly qualify her as ¡®young¡¯, though.


    ¡°F?u?c?k?!¡±


    The waves of regret surged forward, making me me myself for running away. I wonder, did she feel the same way back then, when she had no choice but to leave me behind and run? If so, what a fool I have been for doing something like that.


    But still, I couldn¡¯t just leave Mikey and the Carbuncle to that ce. In that sense, Cortina¡¯s judgment wasn¡¯t wrong. But now¡­


    ¡°Their safety should be guaranteed for now, right?¡±


    I shook off the pursuers. I even erased the footsteps so they shouldn¡¯t be able to track them for the time being. In other words, I have a good enough excuse to join the fight now.


    That said, doing that as I am now would only lead to more problems. For me to be of use in battle, I have to use my thread maniption. But Cortina would immediately realize I am Reid if she saw that. Then, what do I do?


    At that moment, my eyes settled on the middle finger of my left hand.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    The moment Nicole started running, Cortina immediately began to chant. These men held not even a fragment of good intention. In the first ce, it was quite possible that they would try to muzzle her since she saw their scheme to get rich quick.


    Not to mention the existence of the Carbuncle. They had more than enough reasons for harming Cortina¡¯s group.


    ¡°Crimson Three, Ultramarine One, Gold three¡ªHigh Enchant!¡±


    She used body strengthening packed with more power than normal. Given that members of the cat race excelled in physical ability by default, casting this magic on them would make defeating even an amateur a tedious task.


    Her primary goal was to buy enough time for Nicole to make good her escape. Strengthening herself from the start served to seed in that task.


    The men rushed at her the moment her magic activated. But she already expected those actions, so she dodged them by jumping sideways without losing herposure. Next, she did a forward roll and slipped through their arms, safelying out of the exchange for the time being.


    ¡°Hey, hold it for a second. I don¡¯t really n to get in your way of making a little bit of extra money, you know?¡±


    After fixing her posture, she tried to initiate a conversation to stall for some more time.


    ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t want you ruining our well-kept secret!¡± ¡°What he said! And there¡¯s also that Carbuncle¡­ If we sell the Dragon Ball on its forehead, we wouldn¡¯t even need to do something like this again.¡± ¡°But Carbuncles are protected beasts. There¡¯s no merchant that would buy something like that from you in Raum.¡±


    Even the Queen Blossom¡¯s seeds were refused by a majorpany like Horton. A Carbuncle¡¯s Dragon Ball was a major contraband on the same level as the Unicorn¡¯s horn. There were too many risks involved when it came to dealing with it.


    She gave them such warning while at the same time starting to chant in a low tone. Low enough for them to not hear. The magic circle started forming in the blind spot behind her.


    ¡°If there are no eye-witnesses, we could just pass it off as imported goods!¡± ¡°Hey, Geuse! Go after the kid! We¡¯ll deal with this thot!¡± ¡°Like I¡¯d let you, Firebolt!¡±


    Cortina expected things to go that way, so she fired off the magic she chanted in advance. The firebolt hit the man that turned his back on her and was about to chase after Nicole, restraining him in ce.


    ¡°Ghh, it burns!¡±


    However, given her insufficient set-up, she failed to put enough magic power into it. Such beginner-level magic wasn¡¯t able to deal sufficient damage. It would¡¯ve been a proper attack had she Maxwell¡¯s level of magic power¡­ or Maria¡¯s chanting speed.


    ¡°You b?i?i?i?t?c?h?!¡±


    The surprise attack drove the men into a rage and they charged forward in loud voices. This time, from three directions at once. She quickly took a step back and avoided the attacks by taking some distance. As they repeated this exchange for some time, Cortina started to gradually lose her escape path.


    No matter how agile the cat tribe was, there was a limit to what one could do when it was three against one. Much less when it came to a small field like this. It would be one thing if they were inside the actual forest, but here, they held the locational advantage.


    She wondered whether to make a run for the forest and chase after Nicole, but she instantly dismissed that idea.


    Nicole still had the body of a frail young girl. She wasn¡¯t expected to have covered that much ground in such a short time. Given that, she had no choice but to keep stalling for time here.


    Besides, entering the forest would just obstruct her vision. If one of the men decided to suddenly go after Nicole, there was a good chance she would fail to notice it.


    ¡°Good grief¡­ It just keeps getting worse!¡±


    She purposely yelled to rouse herself up. Still, she had managed to ovee simr difficulties countless times before.


    What did they have that she didn¡¯t? After pondering on that, she tore a big part off the chest area of her clothes. And with that, her breasts¡ªwhich weren¡¯t exactly plump but still well-shaped¡ªspilled out in a grand disy.


    ¡°Hah! What, are you resorting to seduction now?¡± ¡°Fine with me, I¡¯ll have my fill after I beat you up!¡± ¡°Like that would have any effect at this point!¡±


    The menughed vulgarly. Cortina, however, disregarded thempletely and slowly moved towards the cave entrance. The men seemed to have misunderstood her action as her trying to escape inside and tried to go around and cut in.


    But before that happened, Cortina managed to sessfully jump inside the cave.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t running anywhere!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go after her! The one who catches her first gets to have the first turn!¡± ¡°You¡¯re on!¡±


    They jeered full of lust. Ripping her chest off served to be plenty effective against them. Annoying and provoking them proved to be worthwhile. She could hear three voices from behind, suggesting that she seeded in luring all of them inside.


    Revealing her chest was to make herself a more appealing bait, as well as to make it seem like she was being cornered to the point where she had to resort to seduction. Arousing them like that robbed them of rational thought.


    This cave had gas inside. If she managed to lure them deeper, they would probably faint from the poisoning. She herself had a scarf with Purify effect. She had nowhere to run now, but her situation should have been favorable. Or so she thought, but when she turned around¡­ She was instantly discouraged.


    Because those men also had purifying masks on them.


    ¡°S?h?i?t?¡­¡±


    She cursed without thinking. Now that she thought back, those guys went to inspect the hot spring where a Dragon took a bath. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t have prepared measures against gas.


    She had no ce to run inside. It¡¯s my total defeat¡­ She thought in regret. But that didn¡¯t mean she was ready to give up. Instead, she started working her head toe up with another n.


    The ruins of a cave-in where they discovered Mikey seemed like something that could be of use. She reinforced that wall with her magic. If she undid it, it would copse once again, and at the very least, could lock those men inside.


    Just as she decided on her n and looked behind one more time before acting¡­


    ¡°Gaahh!?¡±


    The backmost man gave an abrupt scream and copsed. And from behind him, appeared a slender figure of a man.

 Chapter 118: Playing Out the Cave Extermination

    <h4>Chapter 118: ying Out the Cave Extermination</h4>


    It appeared that it was too much for her to handle alone after all, as she had been cornered inside the cave. To be more urate, she wasn¡¯t exactly cornered yet, but was nheless in quite a pinch.


    Her primary weapons were people. Making the best use of others¡¯ abilities and bringing the best results was her strong area. But because of that, she wasn¡¯t good at individual fights. Stalling for time while we escaped wasn¡¯t part of her original role.


    Even so, feeling the responsibility as my guardian forced her to do the unreasonable. Her chest area was already ripped off, showing off her well-shaped breasts. Seeing that, I felt the blood rush to my head.


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t voice it out. I was currently using the ring of illusions to take on the appearance of Reid. It was enough to deceive Cortina¡¯s eyes, but this ring only altered the appearance.


    It couldn¡¯t alter the voice itself, and touching me directly would also get me found out. For that reason, I had to quickly exterminate the ouws and withdraw right away.


    ¡°¡­Reid¡­ Is¡­ Is that really you?¡± Cortina asked, her voice trembling.


    But I could not answer her question. After giving her a small nod in affirmation, I instantly went into battle mode. This ce was a straight path. It may seem like a disadvantageous ce for someone like me, whocked both in power and trump cards¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t actually the case.


    This was a gloomy ce, with unreliable terrain. The walls and the ceiling had deformations all over. And this narrow path where movement was limited was just perfect for setting traps. Since I could manipte threads at will, this ce was the perfect nest to make a spiderweb.


    I immediately had one of the threads crawl up the wall and hook onto the projection, after which I twined it around the man¡¯s legs.


    ¡°What the¡­ Are you with her!?¡± ¡°Well whatever, we can¡¯t let you off now that you¡¯ve seen us. Curse your bad luck, boy!¡±


    Saying that, one of the men tried to rush towards me, but he was just dancing on my palm. The entwined thread easily tripped him up and made him fall on his face.


    ¡°Whaa-!?¡± ¡°Use your eyes, dumbass! It¡¯s already narrow as is, don¡¯t just fall here!¡±


    As he said, this was a narrow, straight path. It may have been the worst possible terrain for Cortina who was running from them, but for me, it was a hunting ground where they had no way to avoid my attacks. Much less when he was lying on the ground.


    I swung down my steel thread, scraping the ceiling as it went for the sh. The fallen man had no way of dodging it, so it ended upnding right on his face. His mask flew off from the force of the sh as it continued to dig deeply into his right eye.


    ¡°Aaaggh!¡± ¡°Huh? Did he attack from distance!?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t able to discern the nature of my attack in this darkness. These guys, in particr, wore heavy equipment, so while they could defend from it if they saw iting, not seeing it made it impossible for them to do anything about it.


    While the other two were shaken, I covered the distance in one go and shed with at one my dagger. Naturally, I had an illusion cast on the dagger to change its shape too, so I didn¡¯t think Cortina would realize it was my dagger.


    Also, I had one more advantage¡­


    ¡°Hah, as if that¡¯s going to¡ªwait wha-!?¡±


    My attack slipped through the sword he raised it to block the dagger, piercing deeply into the gaps of his armor. Of course, a dagger couldn¡¯t possibly slip through a sword.


    This was due to the difference in the attack trajectory between my illusionary and real physique. My old physique was far too different from my current child one, both in reach and shoulder position. That difference made itself known through the handling of the sword.


    ¡°Praise the God of Destruction.¡±


    I passed just under the man¡¯s brandished sword and recited the Keyword in a small voice so Cortina wouldn¡¯t hear it. The reason for that was just in case they decided to investigate the dagger in the future.


    But then I realized it. The reason why those kidnappers didn¡¯t use this dagger. It suddenly started to oscite and cut through the iron armor as if it was paper. However, its oscitions were transmitted to the grip too, causing my entire arm to vibrate.


    My wrist and forearm shook violently, and the dagger grew restive in my hand.


    ¡°Gghhhhhh!?¡±


    I immediately coiled the threads around and fixed it in ce, which made sure it wouldn¡¯t fly off my hand, but that also caused my grip toe loose. It vibrated inside my hand like a restive horse going wild. Mastering how to use a troublesome dagger like this was easier said than done.


    ¡°Gah, w-wha¡­¡±


    The man stared in shock, having failed to receive the attack. It was thanks to the illusion that my dagger slipped through his defenses, but that fact was only known to me, the user of the illusion.


    Thus, he copsed, without ever understanding the reason he failed to block that attack. This dagger needed to pierce quite deep for it to be a fatal wound, so he was still drawing breath.


    I could finish him off if I went for another blow, but that hardly mattered anymore. And there was one more enemy, after all.


    I kicked him in the face and sent his mask flying. This naturally didn¡¯t deal sufficient damage, but that much was enough. I prioritized Cortina¡¯s safety now.


    Besides, this terrain was lending me a hand too.


    The first man had already fainted. But not because the damage to his right eye was severe, but because he dropped his mask. While the gases inside this cave were pretty scattered, if you got injured and tried to keep fighting, your breathing would naturally get harsher and you would inhale much more air. That, in turn, led to him inhaling more of the poisonous gas and eventually fainted.


    Having two of hisrades taken out in a sh, the remaining man started looking around in panic.


    While these people held some skill, it wasn¡¯t to the extent where I, the vanguard of the Heroes, would ever lose, regardless of how inferior my current physical ability has be. Much less when they didn¡¯t know about my ability and I was in a favorable terrain.


    The unknown onught drove fear into him, making him tremble all over and lose his will to fight. I gave him a warning using as low tone as I could so Cortina wouldn¡¯t overhear.


    ¡°If you have no intention to fight, then drop your weapon. Take yourrades and get out of my sight. And forget everything that happened here.¡±


    He nodded over and over at my frank advice and dropped his weapon. Seeing that, Cortina judged that the battle was over and started running towards us.


    ¡°Reid, you were alive!?¡±


    She ran up to me, her eyes filled with tears. I wanted to receive her into an emotional embrace, but s, this body was just an illusion. Everything woulde to nothing if she tried touching me now.


    I changed my illusion and made it seem as if I dissolved into the wall behind me. Adding my Stealth ability on top of it, there was hardly anyone who could discover me now.


    ¡°Reid!¡±


    She screamed my name in heartbreak, reached out towards me, but I couldn¡¯t take that hand, no matter how much it pained me. I¡¯ve made quite a few blunders in this life too, so unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t reveal myself.


    Thus, with painful reluctance, I left that ce behind¡­ As her echoing cries continued to dig into my soul.

 Chapter 119: The One Behind Everything

    <h4>Chapter 119: The One Behind Everything</h4>


    After I parted with Cortina, I ran at full speed. She most likely already switched her mind to thinking about us. Which means, it was clear that she woulde here to ensure our safety. There was no telling if those Adventurers didn¡¯t have morerades, or even some other group could show up too.


    I had to return to Mikey before she did. That was my biggest priority right now. Fortunately, there were no signs of anyone sniffing out Mikey and Carbuncle¡¯s location when I arrived.


    Removing the branches and leaves I put on him, I saw the still fainted Mikey. The Carbuncle became momentarily alert when it saw the camouge being disrupted, but it let go of its vignce once it realized it was me and snuggled up to me.


    ¡°You are quite a friendly fellow, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Rather than not fearing people, being used to them was perhaps a better way to describe it¡­ As I was lost in my muttering, I heard a voice from behind.


    I haven¡¯t eased my guard, so the only person who could slip through it yet held no animosity, was her.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I trained him bit by bit.¡± ¡°So you finally decided to show yourself. I wish you did it a bit earlier.¡±


    As expected, it was that white thing. In other words, the Goddess. My calm reply made her look quite bemused.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t surprised?¡± ¡°I mean, anyone would be surprised when someone suddenly calls out to them. But well, it all went ording to my imagination up to this point.¡±


    The way she pouted made her look like your average kid. Seeing her, the Carbuncle cried in delight and leaped at her.


    ¡°Woah! Think about our standings, will you? The only one who is allowed to push me down is my husband.¡± ¡°Wait, you were married!?¡±


    I never imagined a god would be married¡­but then, I remembered something. Wasn¡¯t the God of Destruction married to the Wind God ording to the myths?


    ¡°As if I¡¯d remember what happens in the myths.¡± ¡°Youck studying. I rmend you learn what¡¯s appropriate for your age.¡± ¡°Oh shaddap.¡±


    True, reading myths and other tales was appropriate for my physical age. But I still couldn¡¯t agree to that. I was an adult on the inside. Well, I feel like I¡¯ve started being taintedtely, but still.


    After giving a pat to the Carbuncle, the God of Destruction smiled at me.


    ¡°You have my thanks for finding it.¡± ¡°In that case, give your thanks a physical form.¡± ¡°I did that beforehand, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    She probably meant the bangle that she had me pass to Michelle. But that was for Michelle, not me.


    ¡°Hey, I feel like your every reward goes to Michelle.¡± ¡°Whoops, you found me out. I¡¯m actually quite weak to girls like her.¡±


    Indeed, her heroic, earnest and lively nature attracted the favors from others. I couldn¡¯t disagree with her words, but I still felt some dissatisfaction as her primary descendant.


    ¡°And looks like you properly received your own equipment, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°So it was really you¡­¡±


    This dagger was too valuable. It could fetch as much as the Queen Blossom¡¯s Seeds if you sold it. In hindsight, it was weird for people who had such a thing to act like some petty thieves and kidnappers. In other words, someone gave it to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually managing an item shop. One customer asked me for an item that could deceive the monitoring eyes and for one that could work against sturdy foes, so I passed those over.¡± ¡°Good job causing such a nuisance.¡± ¡°Well, they left that person¡¯s hand, so I nned to recover themter. But luckily they ended up in your hands, so I decided to let you have them.¡±


    She gave me a smug look, but what would she have done if they were used by the enemy? Well, now that I have them, I don¡¯t feel like I would lose to anyone, though.


    ¡°Well then, I should probably go before your worrywart guardian shows up. I¡¯m quite bad at dealing with her types.¡± ¡°Right. She isn¡¯t an idiot like me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to depreciate yourself like that, you know? You are extremely lovely in your current state!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the least bit happy about that!¡±


    After having her fill of teasing me, she snapped her fingers overhead. Even that gesture started looking appropriate for her which frustrated me to no end.


    A few seconds after that snap, only a few secondster, a giant silhouette descended next to me.


    ¡°Wha-, a Dragon!?¡±


    Indeed, it was a Dragon. And not a normal Dragon. Its ck, lustrous scales were shining in a mysterious light, its giant body full of elegance, extruding a ferocious aura that inspired awe in all who saw it.


    It even looked like the Evil Dragon Colchis in appearance. But it didn¡¯t give off the same wild intimidating air as that one, but instead a sublime feeling that instilled fear in your being.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Demonic Dragon Fafnir, and it¡¯s actually my dependent.¡± ¡°So this is the rumored Superior Dragon, huh¡­ Why didn¡¯t you send it to help exterminate the Evil Dragon¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, but we had stuff to deal with. You¡¯ve been a great help back then.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even imagine what ¡®stuff¡¯ could the gods have to deal with. But seeing how the Carbuncle happily climbed atop the Dragon¡¯s head, I could see that there were no problems in leaving it to these two.


    ¡°This one¡¯s a dragon dependent too, and I feel like it would get along just fine with Yigg. Will you let me take it along?¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. It can mislead people just by being here.¡±


    The value of the Dragon Ball on its forehead stirred the greed in people. I felt bad for Mikey who snuck from the town to see it, but it was better for it to stay away from the human settlements.


    ¡°I¡¯m d we could reach a peaceful solution. Well then, until we meet again!¡±


    The white thing left those words behind and mounted Fafnir. With that, the Demonic Dragon soared up high into the skies, and disappeared beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Wa-, Yigg! Th-That¡¯s too fast! You just broke the sound barrier, I can hear the sonic boom! Pugyaaaa!?¡±


    Only leaving that unsightly shriek behind.


    ¡°Is that really my ancestor¡­?¡±


    Hearing her pathetic screams filled me with a sense of despair.

 Chapter 120: Regret

    <h4>Chapter 120: Regret</h4>


    The White God rode Fafnir and flew away. Remaining at the scene were only me and the fainted Mikey.


    ¡°¡­Well, Cortina should show up any time now.¡±


    With the Carbuncle gone, I had nothing to amuse myself with, so I squatted down next to Mikey with that mutter. I ran away while carrying a child, then rushed back and defeated the three of them. After which, I had to rush back here again, and all that took quite a burden on me.


    Because of that, my legs were trembling a little even now. The enemy had already been dealt with, so there was no harm if I took a short rest here.


    However, no matter how long I waited, Cortina didn¡¯t appear. While it was true that she didn¡¯t know where I was, it was still too slow. My fatigue had already recovered and my body started to chill. Mikey didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up, so I wanted to show him to a doctor as fast as possible.


    ¡°If there was still danger left, that Goddess would¡¯ve told me¡­ I suppose I¡¯ll go check the situation.¡±


    When I left that ce, Cortina¡¯s clothes were disordered but she had no apparent injuries. When I considered the possibility of the injury somewhere I failed to notice¡­ It made me awfully restless.


    Perhaps it was toote to realize it now, but since she was sote I had to go and see what¡¯s going on. That said, the Carbuncle was gone now, so I couldn¡¯t exactly leave Mikey here and go.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pain, but I suppose I have to carry him, huh?¡±


    I don¡¯t think there were any monsters around, but there were still animals that could be considered harmful. Mikey had no way to drive them away, even if it was just a stray dog. I had to keep him in check.


    Thus, I once again shouldered him and followed back the road I came from.


    I arrived at the cave, but I didn¡¯t stumble on Cortina anywhere. I inspected the entrance, but only found mine and the Adventurers¡¯ footprints. In other words, there were no signs of her leaving the cave.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she fainted inside¡­¡±


    If, for some reason, her magic item for purifying hade off, that possibility couldn¡¯t be ruled out. However, if you asked me whether a skilled Adventurer like Cortina would make such a mistake, my answer would be a firm no.


    That would simply be a stupid question to even ask. Not to mention, those Adventurers had already been driven away, so there was no longer any threat left. But the fact that she still didn¡¯te out could only mean¡­


    ¡°Did something happen inside?¡±


    I wrapped my purifying muffler around Mikey¡¯s face as well and headed inside. I had a small build, so my scarf was more than enough for both of us.


    Since Cortina wasn¡¯t present, there was no light magic to assist me. Even if my eyes could see at night, it was still hard to see inside the cave. I headed deeper inside while carefully probing the ground with each step.


    When I arrived at the ce where I parted from Cortina, I heard the sobs of a girl.


    ¡°¡­Reid, why¡­hic¡­uu¡­¡±


    It was a frail voice I never imagined woulde from her who was so stout-hearted all the time. She wept in a voice full of pain. Hearing her cries, I finally realized the blunder I had made.


    If I suddenly showed up before her, of course it would gouge out her old wounds. Still, if she managed to talk to me, perhaps she could¡¯ve found her salvation. I, however, didn¡¯t do even that and disappeared right before her eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t me her if she took my actions as me rejecting her.


    ¡°¡­Cortina?¡±


    I called out to her in a small voice, trying not to alert her as best as I could. I was clearly at fault here. But letting her cry here any more than this would be dangerous. Even if I tried tofort her, that would only be possible if I took her out of here.


    ¡°¡­!? N-Nicole?¡±


    Hearing my voice, she forcibly suppressed her weeps and responded to me. I also noticed how she quickly wiped her tears away.


    Afterward, she used light magic and illuminated the surroundings again. With that, I could finally see her copsed figure.


    ¡°That¡¯s no good. Why did youe back here.¡± ¡°Well, you weren¡¯ting out, so¡­¡± ¡°Ah, looks like I worried you. Sorry about that¡­¡±


    She got up while fixing her clothes. Her actions didn¡¯t look awkward in any way. It didn¡¯t seem like she was subjected to any unwanted advances, or injured anywhere, so I was relieved. In other words, the only injury she had now was the one I opened up.


    ¡°Cortina, I, um, sorry.¡± ¡°Huh? Why, are you apologizing?¡± ¡°Mmmm¡­ Well, just because.¡±


    She asked once more, but I couldn¡¯t answer her. If I did, it would lead to exposing my true identity. She stared confusedly at my hesitant face for a while, then gave me a single pat on the head and forced herself to smile.


    ¡°Oh well. Let¡¯s just get out of here already. It¡¯s quite poisonous here.¡± ¡°Yeah, one could even faint.¡± ¡°Right, let¡¯s head out then.¡±


    She responded with a sweet, yet painful smile. Seeing that smile, I made up my mind to never, ever, use Reid¡¯s illusion again.

 Chapter 121: Case Closed

    <h4>Chapter 121: Case Closed</h4>


    When we returned to the town, we were met by several men standing at the gate. It seemed that they had be worried that one of their residents had gone missing.


    I asked for details afterwards, and it turned out they decided to be more alert just in case after seeing Fafnir descent in the forest. The Demonic Dragon often dropped by the hot spring, so it was ¡®just in case¡¯ to the end.


    When they saw us carrying Mikey along, they broke into loud cheers and rushed off somewhere. Probably to tell Jessica about it.


    But the next moment they realized he was unconscious and their expressions turned grim. As they fell into a panic, Cortina announced in a dignified voice.


    ¡°Please calm down, everyone. He simply fainted. Perhaps due to the cave gas.¡± ¡°In a cave? He entered the cave? He should¡¯ve known how dangerous it was¡­!¡± ¡°There was a Carbuncle living in it. He snuck out to see it.¡± ¡°A Carbuncle you say!?¡±


    Hearing that a protected Mythical Beast had settled nearby had thempletely shocked. Next, their expressions turnedplex. The Carbuncles were famous for their highly-valued Dragon Ball on the foreheads. If its existence was made known, countless Adventurers woulde to poach it.


    Being filled with people was of course a happy thing for the town, but it was a different story when those people were just criminals.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Fafnir already took the Carbuncle away.¡±


    Cortina exined to the townsfolk. I let her know about it on the way back, so she knew the situation already.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what it was earlier! S-So then, the Carbuncle is gone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s no longer anywhere near, please be at ease.¡±


    Cortina understood their perplexment. For that reason, she intentionally stressed the point that the Carbuncle was already gone. Too bad for Mikey who got attached to it, but for his own safety, it was better to have him forget about it.


    After all, if that hamster-like thing was around him, simr events like today would continue to ur.


    ¡°Mikey!¡±


    At that moment, Jessica suddenly rushed at us while panting. She ran so fast she even forgot to breathe. That was just how worried she was for her child.


    ¡°I-Is Mikey safe¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His life at least isn¡¯t in danger. He isn¡¯t waking up, so let¡¯s show him to a doctor at once.¡± ¡°Y-Yes. Please, follow me.¡±


    Under her guidance, we arrived at the town¡¯s healer. Mikey had no injuries and his breathing was stable, too. Even hisplexion was normal, so there were actually no outwards signs of gas being the cause of it. Even his leg injury was already dealt with by Cortina, so he shouldn¡¯t have been in any grave danger.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s just sleeping. If I had to say, probably due to exhaustion.¡±


    After we hurried him to the town healer, he gave us that anticlimactic diagnosis. We had him diagnosed with a spell called Medic, which could find abnormalities in the body, but even that didn¡¯t show anything.


    Perhaps that exhaustion came from enduring his leg injury all night which drained him of all energy. After waking up and eating his fill, he would return to normal, the doctor stated confidently.


    And with that, this turmoil had finally reached a stopping ce.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, you have my sincere thanks for what you have done.¡±


    Seeing that her son was safe, Jessica came to say her thanks. She finally regained her calm and could afford to take her mind off Mikey and think about other matters. Cortina waved at her and responded.


    ¡°No, this must also be the work of fate. Besides, it wasn¡¯t a fruitless effort even for me.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just talking to myself.¡±


    Jessica looked puzzled, not understanding Cortina¡¯s words, but that was a natural reaction. Someone with Reid¡¯s appearance showed up before her. Moreover, that someone had used a simr battle style to defeat his enemies.


    That was proof that it was the same Reid that she knew so well. This incident should have made her more certain that I reincarnated. Moreover, I could¡¯ve been reborn anywhere on this entire continent, but I was actually in Raum, she was certain of that now.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t feel like ever using that form again, though¡­¡±


    I muttered to myself, seeing Cortina¡¯s somewhat happy yet sad expression. For better or worse, that appearance had wounded her. I decided that the next time I showed up in front of her with my previous appearance, I would make sure to first learn the Polymorph magic and gain a physical form.


    Until then¡­ I had to use some different form instead.


    ¡°Ah, there you are! Did everything go well, Nicole?¡± ¡°Lady Cortina, wee back!¡± ¡°Lady Nicole, are you wounded anywhere?¡±


    Following that, Michelle and others showed up boisterously inside the medical facility. Just seeing Finia¡¯s worried and noble expression along with Michelle¡¯s energetic one was enough to heal me.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°We seem to have worried you. How about you yourselves?¡± ¡°There were no incidents on our side.¡±


    Finia reported the situation in a businesslike manner. When Michelle heard about Fafnir, her eyes started sparkling and she leaned towards me.


    ¡°Nicole, you saw Fafnir!? How was it, was it cool?¡± ¡°Wai-, you¡¯re too close. Uh, Fafnir is known for its high intellect, so there was no danger to my life, okay?¡± ¡°Of course. If there was, you¡¯d be dead now!¡±


    Letina said that in a bragging manner for some reason¡­ But well, she had a point. While we did defeat the Evil Dragon Colchis that was at around the same level as Fafnir, it took our party the utmost effort, nning, locational advantage and luck to aplish.


    If it reached a point where I had to fight independently against Fafnir, I¡¯d have run with a tail between my legs.


    ¡°Good grief. But it¡¯s good that you managed to quickly handle the matter.¡± ¡°True, it¡¯s just past lunch now.¡±


    We got involved in this incident right as we were heading for our morning meal, after which we set out straight for the cave. Then we found Mikey, got in a fight with those Adventurers, repelled them, and at the end, the God of Destruction and Fafnir took the Carbuncle away.


    All these events followed one after another, so not long had passed since.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go eat lunch together. We can still pass it off as ate lunch now.¡± ¡°Yaay!¡± ¡°Yaay, indeed!¡±


    Hearing about food, Michelle and Letina broke into cheers. I got that part, but why did they grab my hands and raised them together? Thanks to that, I ended up joining their cheers, whether I wanted or not.


    Rather, due to Michelle¡¯s height and Letina¡¯s good physique, I ended up hanging between them as they raised their hands along with mine.


    Seeing us like that, Cortinaughed behind her hand. It was a peal of carefreeughter, a genuine smile that fitted her the most.

 Chapter 122: After-Effect

    <h4>Chapter 122: After-Effect</h4>


    Our lunch got dyed quite a bit that day. But that couldn¡¯t have been helped. We were out searching for a missing person in the morning, after all. Rather, it was lucky enough that we managed to resolve the incident in less than half a day.


    Mikey¡¯s mother, Jessica, politely apologized and thanked us after that, so we could have our lunch in a good mood. Thus, we slipped into a nearby restaurant and ordered whatever we liked.


    This ce was close to the capital, but it was also inside the forest. That is, their local specialties differed. While it was just a random restaurant, it still had many cuisines you couldn¡¯t find anywhere but this town.


    I ordered a bitter gourd pork stir fry. I smacked my lips from its peculiar vour.


    ¡°So bitter, yet so good.¡± ¡°You know, kids usually dislike that bitter taste. It¡¯s like you have no pickiness, Lady Nicole¡­¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, she liked the bean tea too. Didn¡¯t matter whether it had milk and sugar or not.¡± ¡°It seems she likes things both sweet and bitter.¡±


    I still had most of my child pte left, so I liked sweet food. I liked it even in my previous life. But I didn¡¯t hate bitter food either. Its sensation that stings your tongue was good in its own way.


    ¡°Nicole, can let me have some of that?¡± ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s bitter, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fiiine!¡±


    Michelle was curious about my food, but as expected, it wasn¡¯t fine at all.


    She stabbed the fork in a piece of the bitter gourd, carried it to her mouth and chomped it down like a baby bird. But that spelled the end for her smiling expression. A momentter, her face paled and started twitching all over.


    And then, she started sweating profusely¡­ And stopped all movements.


    She was disciplined to never spit something out once it was in her mouth. Even so, she wasn¡¯t able to swallow the bitter substance that far exceeded the limits of what her pte could handle. Since she could do neither, she could only endure as it simply continued to vite her oral cavity.


    ¡°You can spit it out if it¡¯s too much for you. Here.¡±


    It hurt to watch her like that, so I opened a table napkin and pushed it towards her mouth. However, she shook her head and rejected the offer while trembling. It was a good thing that her parents¡¯ teachings were firmly engraved in her, but they weren¡¯t here now. We could overlook her breach of manners here.


    ¡°Uncle and Auntie aren¡¯t here. Come on.¡±


    Seeing the paper napkin, she hesitated for a few seconds, groaned¡­ And finally spit the contents out with a defeated expression.


    ¡°Bleh, bleh¡­ That was so bitterrr!¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve spit it out sooner.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve been kind enough to share it, so it¡¯s a rude thing to do..¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind something like that.¡±


    ¡°Hah, you are still such a kid, Michelle! Asking for food you can¡¯t even eat!¡±


    Letina startedughing at her while puffing her chest. She was a noble, but still followed us to some run-down restaurant and was eating whatever was offered withoutints, so she was also another oddball in the group.


    I kept forgetting about it, but she was the daughter of a Marquis. Still, I wouldn¡¯t allow anyone tough at Michelle¡­ Even her!


    ¡°Take this!¡±


    I grabbed another bite of the bitter gourd and stuffed it in Letina¡¯s mouth. It was done in a very precise way, so she ended up chewing down on it with the speech momentum.


    Naturally, her pte was also childish still. The sudden bitterness had her pale up and she pressed a hand to her mouth. However, herdy pride didn¡¯t allow her to spit it out.


    ¡°Mggh, gghhh!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you get forughing at a friend. Here.¡±


    In the end, it was too pitiful to let her go on, so I extended a helping hand by offering her some water. She suddenly snatched it from my hand and gulped the contents down without savouring them.


    ¡°That was cruel!¡±


    After taking a breather, she started bombarding me with objections, but those should¡¯ve been my words.


    ¡°You are the cruel one forughing at Michelle.¡± ¡°Mgh, well I apologise for that¡­ But still, how can you eat something so bitter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m an adult.¡±


    I dered proudly as if to get back at her. Well, I really was an adult on the inside, so I guess it was kinda cheating.


    Finia giggled at our silly exchange. Cortina smiled as well¡­ But itcked her usual energy. Did seeing Reid leave the lingering effects in her, after all?


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    While I was contemting on the matter, Michelle noticed my expression and asked if everything was okay.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mmh. Cortina looks down.¡± ¡°Huh, me!?¡±


    Getting her name called out all of a sudden, Cortina responded in surprise, but it seemed that even Finia realized that. She addressed her with a slightly worried expression.


    ¡°Lady Cortina, you do seem to be a little down¡­ Are you perhaps tired?¡± ¡°Naah, nothing like that. If this much was enough to wear me out, adventures would be out of question for me.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just been hectic since yesterday. I¡¯m fine, really.¡±


    She waved her hands in denial, but her voicecked the usual vigour. When she wasn¡¯t feeling energetic, it sort of transmitted to others and made them feel theck of it.


    Since it was like this, not only did I have to refrain from using Reid¡¯s appearance, I even had to think of a way to support her.

 Chapter 123: Rendezvous

    <h4>Chapter 123: Rendezvous</h4>


    For the time being, Cortina kept up the appearances, so we went on to enjoy the hot spring cure with the same calm mood. And just like the previous day, we spread the beddings on the floor and slept side by side.


    I, however, noticed how Cortina slipped out of her bed in the middle of the night. And then, she went to the balcony and reclined on the rocking chair installed there. I could even see traces of tears in her eyes.


    Seeing that, I finally decided to act. But my form still remained a problem. I couldn¡¯t let her find out about my current form or voice. As long as I could hide these two things, I saw no problem in making myself known to her.


    I then snuck out of the room. As I stepped out to the corridor, I headed for the kitchen and took wooden cups from it, and connected them with threads. I made the so-called tin-can telephone. With this, she wouldn¡¯t get suspicious even if I muffled my voice.


    I hid my body with the ring¡¯s power, then headed to the backyard and rolled one of the cups at her feet. She looked at it suspiciously and became alert of the surroundings. She¡¯s gotten into trouble with those ill-natured Adventurers during the day, so that much vignce was justifiable.


    ¡°Can you hear me, Tina?¡±


    I paid that no mind and sent my voice through the thread. The cups acted like megaphones, so it managed to deliver my voice to her. Tin-can telephones only worked when the string was taut, but that¡¯s where my Gift came into y. It allowed me to transmit the vibration from my end of the thread to hers.


    That said, I couldn¡¯t camouge my voice, so to hear it sounded like a slightly lisping voice of a kid. Moreover, my voice got magnified due to reverberating in the cup, so it got mudded out even further.


    Even so, she instantly realized whom that voice belonged to.


    ¡°Is that you¡­ Reid!?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Hearing my reply, she soundlessly picked the cup and embraced it tightly. As if she was embracing not the cup but me. I could even hear her silent sobs.


    ¡°Sorry for not showing myself.¡± ¡°Why, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, my current body is something I can¡¯t show others.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that!¡± ¡°Well I do.¡±


    I answered in as casual a tone as I could. This is Cortina we were talking about. She could overthink it and assume I had be something hideous. For example, thinking that I¡¯d be something like a Goblin¡­


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do something about it in due time. I already have an idea on how.¡± ¡°Really? But¡­¡± ¡°I feel bad for not revealing myself, but you have moments like that too, right? So try to be more sympathetic.¡± ¡°I have¡­ no such moments.¡± ¡°You big liar. You were crying all this time, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    My words caused her to blush to the point that I noticed it from all the way here. Putting on a brave front was one of her habits.


    ¡°I did no such thing¡­¡± ¡°No need to cover it. I realize I did something stupid back there.¡± ¡°No, it still made me happy.¡±


    She continued searching for me while we were talking. As cunning as ever she was. Unfortunately for her, I was using my ring and my Gift to hide both my body and presence, so not even a pro scout would be able to discover me.


    ¡°Anyway, let me off with this much for now. I¡¯ll regain my former body before long ande to meet you. You can count on it.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    She answered that unusually obediently. Her attitude was far too docilepared to the one from my old days, so I doubted there was a catch to it. Thus, I voiced my doubts without beating around the bush.


    ¡°You agreed to that a bit too easily. What are you nning now?¡± ¡°How rude! Even I have my emotional moments!¡± ¡°Really now? Fine then¡­ Anyway, you got the point, so don¡¯t worry too much. Well then, it¡¯s about time for me to head out.¡± ¡°Wait! Since you came to my rescue back there, does that mean you are usually close to me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m always watching over you from nearby.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a lie. And with that, I detached and retracted the tread. I did it so fast that Cortina failed to even see it.


    Losing sight of the thread¡¯s end, she started restlessly looking around the ce for some time. While she was upied with that, I headed into the inn and snuck back inside our room. Even after I returned, Cortina continued searching the surroundings. On and on, on and on¡­ All the way until morning.


    ¡°Mornyaawn.¡± ¡°Morning, Cortina.¡±


    Cortina greeted me while stifling her yawn. I answered back while sighing in secret. In the end, she continued searching for me until the sunrise, and only took a short nap in the morning. During our adventuring days, we used to stay up all night at times, so one sleepless night wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem for her¡­ I knew that, but I was still worried.


    ¡°Did you not get any sleep?¡± ¡°Something like that. I am sleepy but I don¡¯t feel bad at all.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Seeing her beaming smile convinced me that my actionsst night weren¡¯t in vain. We had to leave the inn and return to the capital today. If Cortina, the acting guardian, showed up in such a weary state, it would cause concern to our parents.


    ¡°Yaaawn¡­ Mornin¡¯.¡± ¡°Nghh¡­¡±


    Michelle and Letina woke up one after another. These two tossed and turned around in sleep too much, so their hairs were in a total mess. It was particrly grave in Letina¡¯s case. Her usual curly hairstyle was split into bits like a sour gourd.


    ¡°Good morning, Lady Nicole. You are up early today.¡± ¡°Even I like to wake up early every now and then.¡±


    Finia who woke up after me quickly washed her face and prepared tea. She was just returning from the kitchen, holding a tray with hot milk in her hands.


    ¡°Hey, go wash your faces already. We are going to set out for the capital right away after we pack our luggage and have breakfast.¡± ¡°Ehh, already?¡± ¡°I wanted to take it easy for longer.¡± ¡°We have school, so we can¡¯t take it any easier. Let¡¯se again during a longer break.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ll take us along again?¡± ¡°As long as your parents would be okay with it.¡± ¡°Yay!¡±


    The two high fived each other, realizing they¡¯d be able toe here again, and then dashed towards the washroom together to quickly wash up and have breakfast.


    ¡°Such lively girls they are¡­¡± ¡°Well, they are my friends, after all.¡±


    They were always full of spirit and healed their surroundings. Being friends with them filled me with immense pride. For they were my most prideworthy friends that I cherished just as much as myrades of old.

 Chapter 124: Debriefing

    <h4>Chapter 124: Debriefing</h4>


    I managed to safely get rid of Cortina¡¯s depression. The following morning we left the elven town and departed towards the capital. Finia and I went to say our farewells to Bill, but he had already left the inn due to business when we got there, so that wish didn¡¯te true.


    Well, he was doing his business between this town and the capital, so we were sure to stumble on him again sooner orter. We still left a message for him with the inn¡¯s person, though, after which we filled a canteen full with the white fruit juice in ce of a souvenir and set out.


    We took two breaks on the way, and this time, we managed to safely arrive at our destination in about three hours. Perhaps this mostly thanks to the sweet juice. It¡¯s sweetness served to recover my stamina.


    We arrived just past noon and everyone went their separate way when we reached Cortina¡¯s home. But Michelle¡ªwho lived next door¡ªaside, we couldn¡¯t exactly let a Marquis¡¯ daughter like Letina walk home on her own. She already experienced getting kidnapped once, so Cortina and I made sure to walk her home.


    Seeing Letina bring a present home and hop around in excitement made her mother, Elisa, very happy for her, and she thanked us. Her happiness made me happy too.


    After that, we took a little detour and arrived at Maxwell¡¯s mansion. If I had to say, this ce was our goal today.


    ¡°Now this is rare. For you to show your face here, Cortina.¡± ¡°Shut up. Here, your gift.¡± ¡°Oh, the baked sweets from the elven town? You rxed there with the kids, eh? That is quite motherly of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something to talk about, so go bring us some tea already!¡± ¡°So you n to eat these yourself¡­¡±


    Maxwell shrugged in exasperation, but his expression looked happy on the contrary. He cheerfully guided us to his living room and went to brew the tea as he was told.


    Maxwell was tall, so he towered above the Elves who were usually petite. His old age didn¡¯t affect his physique, nor could it be felt in his actions; he was smooth and natural. Did he know the meaning of old age infirmity?


    ¡°Here, I made it with the leaves I ordered from Cornus in the south. Do appreciate it.¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see the day when you¡¯d actually be so weing¡­¡± ¡°Thank Nicole¡¯s presence for that.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    Cortus was the southern City-State. It was west of my home, Alecmarle Sword Kingdom, and prospered through the ocean trades. Since they excelled in trading, there were many rare items to be found there. I could indeed feel the slight aroma of sea watering from it.


    ¡°So then. What business brought you here?¡±


    He asked as he sat in front of us and sipped on his tea. The way he satfortably on his sofa with a cup in hand made him extrude a feeling of dignity befitting the kingdom¡¯s ruler. If you ignored the messy room in the background, that is.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll get straight to the point, then. I saw Reid in the Elven town.¡± ¡°Pfff-,e again!?¡±


    Maxwell leapt to his feet while spurting the tea and soiling his robe. He then drew closer to Cortina and questioned her loudly. She expected that reaction, though, so she didn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°He was inside the cave near that town. The ce where the hot spring first gushed out.¡± ¡°What was he doing in such a¡­¡± ¡°But, he showed up with his old appearance, so I think he used some kind of illusion. But seeing his threads and stealth ability, I have no doubt it was really him.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you say, that¡¯s probably the case. Not to mention, you could hardly mistake him for someone.¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    After Maxwell regained his calm, they proceeded to exchange information in in manner. Frankly put, listening to their talk from the side was bad for my heart. Not just Cortina, but Maxwell too was sharp-minded. If Cortina wasn¡¯t there with us, he would¡¯ve been the one to rece her as the partymander.


    Magic fundamentally required one to remember things. Mastering all systems meant that he was very knowledgeable and had a high intellect. He was always messing around, but he wasn¡¯t stupid.


    ¡°Would that mean that Reid has reincarnated in that Elven town? To think he was in my domain.¡± ¡°He seemed to have some reason for not showing his appearance. The way he spoke suggested he didn¡¯t reincarnate into an Elf.¡± ¡°If not Elf, then what else? Could it be that he was reborn into that Carbuncle you encountered?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that. True, he could¡¯ve been reborn as a monster.¡± ¡°Reincarnation is quite a dangerous magic since you don¡¯t know what the target will reincarnate into.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you use it? You can use all attributes, right?¡± ¡°Well, I can use it. However, I can¡¯t guarantee the certainty of it as well as Maria. She truly is a heaven-sent girl. I can¡¯t match her in anything healing rted.¡±


    Their conversation pointed them towards the Carbuncle, so I heaved a sigh of relief. The White God took it away, so as long as they keep thinking that Carbuncle is me, they shouldn¡¯t be able to arrive at the truth.


    As I secretly made a fist pump, their meeting had finallye to a closure.

 Chapter 125: A New Family Member

    <h4>Chapter 125: A New Family Member</h4>


    Forwarding the time by a few weeks, the days passed without incident and we returned back to our normal everyday life. It was already July and the warm weather had started to take over.


    That day, I opened the door while feeling extremely gloomy. Usually, Michelle and Letina would be the ones greeting me now, but¡­


    ¡°Squeak?¡±


    I was instead met with a big furball. No, like, I remembered what it was. I just didn¡¯t know why it was here. The Carbuncle that I had parted with a few weeks prior was standing at my door, carrying some kind of wrapping on its back.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Squeee!¡±


    It skilfully put down the wrapping and took out a letter from it. Cortina realized that I hadn¡¯t left for school for some reason and came out to check what was going on.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Nicole¡ªwait a minute, the Carbuncle!?¡± ¡°Yeah, no idea why it¡¯s here.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so I simply stated the fact. I epted the letter and read the contents. It appeared to be a message from the White God written with polished letters.


    ¡°It seems that it has taken a liking to you so I decided to leave it to you. It seems it¡¯s attached to that Mikey kid too so please take it along and have them meet sometime.¡±


    She wrote something so shameless. Did she just seriously tell me to keep it downtown? I can already tell that¡¯s gonna cause me extreme mental anguish!


    ¡°¡­Is it that white girl? I remember you said Fafnir took it away, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°She seemed to be acquaintanced with Fafnir.¡± ¡°Still, to adopt it, huh¡­ It¡¯s a protected beast, you know? It¡¯s not something you can just adopt.¡± ¡°Can we?¡±


    I cutely tilted my head and asked for permission. She was the head of this house, after all. I couldn¡¯t keep a pet without her permission. That¡¯s why I tried to butter up to her as much as I could. This conversation sounded a lot like how kids often went, ¡°mommy, can we keep it?¡±


    ¡°No, we have to send it back to where it came from¡­ Is what I would normally answer here, but¡­¡±


    The pet in question was a protected Mythical Beast so she couldn¡¯t irresponsibly drive it away. If she did and it was subject to poaching, then all that responsibility could instead fall on her shoulders.


    Fortunately enough, Cortina was a celebrity in this country, so she could be flexible in some regards. It would be easy for her to get permission to keep it if she asked Maxwell. However, the troubles that action would bring with it couldn¡¯t be waved off either.


    For that reason, she hesitated on giving the immediate reply¡­ But at that moment, the Carbuncle took out another letter and an item. epting those, I went ahead and read the letter.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to do it for free. As thanks, I present this item to the guardian. This is a potion made by diluting the dragon¡¯s blood and adjusting theposition. It can increase the user¡¯s life span. This one bottle is three people¡¯s worth.¡±


    What the Carbuncle took out was a small bottle with a pale red liquid in it. If what the letter said was true, it was nothing short of a mythical grade item. If the word got out about this item, it could very well lead to war.


    ¡°What in the world did I just receive¡­¡±


    I muttered without thinking. Michelle¡¯s bow was one thing, but this was already on a whole another level. But after Cortina read the exnation, she was quick on her decision.


    ¡°Okay, you are part of our family from now on!¡± ¡°Wai-, are you sure!?¡± ¡°I am, I am. I have to show tolerance as the family head here!¡±


    She said that while grabbing the bottle. Her real thoughts were as clear as day.


    ¡°You just want that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡±


    But that was odd in its own right. Cortina was still considered young for a cat beastmen. She wasn¡¯t so old that she needed to worry about her age. Even when it came to Maxwell, while he was indeed old for an Elf, he still had another human¡¯s lifespan left.


    ¡°Cortina, you are still young, you know?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m nning to use it on myself¡­¡±


    After she said that much, it finally hit me. She didn¡¯t want that for herself, but perhaps for my parents¡ªLyell and Maria. Those two were humans with a normal lifespan. While the old age didn¡¯t show on Maria, it was quite obvious with Lyell. It was unthinkable that Cortina who had a long lifespan failed to notice that.


    Maxwell was already used to partings that apanied his lifespan, but Cortina was still young and her mental state wasn¡¯t as firm.


    As such, she willingly bit the bait that was dangling before her eyes. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t be certain whether this potion truly extended one¡¯s life, but she still judged that it was better than nothing.


    Not to mention, she could have it appraised as long as we had Maxwell with us. Even if it was poison, all we had to do was to ask Maria to Purify it.


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s for mom and dad¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Nicole, why are you so good at guessing. But that aside, I have to confirm one thing first.¡± ¡°Confirm¡­?¡±


    She turned towards the Carbuncle and said something unbelievable with a meek expression.


    ¡°You¡­ Aren¡¯t Reid, right?¡± ¡°Squee?¡±


    Carbuncle could obviously not understand what she was talking about. It could understand words, but not the contents.


    ¡°Like that could be true¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, I-I know that already! Anyway, you¡¯ll bete, you know? Leave this little one to me and hurry to the school.¡± ¡°Kaay.¡±


    Just as I replied back, Letina showed up across the street. Michelle¡¯s door opened right after and she showed up with her giant bow. When they looked my way and saw the Carbuncle, their excitement shot through the roof.


    ¡°Waah, what is that! Ah, morning, Nicole. You¡¯re up early today!¡± ¡°Morning, Michelle. This is the Carbuncle. You know, the one from the Elf town.¡± ¡°The one you met in the cave? Did it follow you all the way here?¡± ¡°No, more like it was driven away, I guess?¡±


    That Goddess pushed it on me, so I guess you could call it being driven away¡­ Or maybe it¡¯s not that simple?


    ¡°Oh, are you going to be keeping it at Lady Cortina¡¯s house? I want one too!¡± ¡°Morning, Letina. If you call yourself ady, you should be greeting people first.¡± ¡°Good morning, Nicole. I never thought you¡¯d be preaching me aboutdy manners.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Hearing Letina says that, I recalled my recent conduct. I flirted in the bathroom, exchanged presents with Finia and made blunders, and drank the fruit juice in all smiles.


    It felt as if my dignity and stoicism from my past life had already disappeared without a trace. Given my conduct, instead of the ¡°Peerless Hero¡±, wasn¡¯t I on the route to bing a ¡°Wife¡±?


    Shivers of disgust traveled down my spine upon that frightful realization.

 Chapter 126: A Present From the Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 126: A Present From the Goddess</h4>


    I headed to the school with my head hung as I Imagined that horrid future. And well, my head being hung was also due to a physical influence.


    The Carbuncle refused to leave my side and was currently sitting on my shoulders. I was giving it what one would call a shoulder ride.


    As it sat snuggly like a hat there, Michelle and Letina relentlessly reached out towards it for pats. Due to that, even my head was being pushed around and it made me feel quite bad.


    ¡°Hey, my head¡­¡± ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± ¡°Eeeh, let me do it some more!¡±


    Letina quickly pulled her hand away, but Michelle was still reluctant to do so. Still, the Carbuncle aimed for the moment her hands were out of the way and jumped down.


    It vigntly looked around, perhaps to make sure that no one but Michelle was around, and after making sure of that it once again opened its wrapping. It took out a rod and a letter from within and presented them to me. After I epted those, it once again climbed up on my head.


    ¡°Gimme a break already.¡± ¡°Squee?¡±


    Damn this fluffy furball. It understands speech but feigns ignorance¡­


    At any rate, after I looked at the letter, it was another message from the Whitey.


    ¡°You were previously dissatisfied about not receiving an item of your own, so I¡¯m giving you this wand. You can turn this into the dagger¡¯s haft and use them as a set.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    After inspecting it further, the tip of it did indeed have an incision and apparatus for fixing it in ce. If I removed the dagger¡¯s current haft and put the de in this instead, I should be able to use it normally.


    ¡°If you fill it with magic power, the Form Shift magic should transform the wand part into ance. By doing that, it should eliminate the weakness of its retention stemming from its powerful vibration.¡±


    ¡°Form Shift!?¡±


    I reflectively screamed in disarray. Form Shift, as its name implied, could change the form of the item you held in your hand. It was a high ranking magic in the Interference system, even reaching the level of Polymorph in difficulty.


    Of course, there was a time limit to it. Originally that was only 2-3 minutes. However, since it let you change the form of the items as it fitted the situation, it excelled in adaptability and was considered as extremely useful magic.


    And if that wasn¡¯t enough, it appeared that this magic tool could maintain the form as long as I kept feeding it magic power. The only problem was that it would continue sucking it up during the entire time¡­ But that was a good thing given my current condition. My magic needed to be sucked out on a daily basis, so having another source for that was wee.


    ¡°It has such amazing magic sealed in it¡­ Doesn¡¯t this actually rival the Third Eye?¡±


    Moreover, since it could bebined with the dagger, there was no problem with carrying it and it also served as perfect camouge.


    With this, I could lead others to believe that I only fought with the dagger and switch to the spear when push came to shove.


    ¡°This is amazing. I feel like praising that Whitey for the first time.¡± ¡°Hey hey, Nicole, what is that Form Shift?¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    I finally noticed Michelle pulling on my sleeve. Now that I think about it, revealing it in front of Michelle was probably a big blunder on my part. It was fortunate that neither Michelle nor Letina knew about this high ranking Interference magic.


    ¡°Err¡­ It seems that this makes it possible for me to pour magic into the dagger.¡±


    As such, I answered her with a vague answer. With that, I could just exin it away by switching into the oscition mode if things came down to it.


    ¡°Oh, is it a present from that White Goddess?¡± ¡°Yup, we have matching items now.¡± ¡°Who is that White Goddess?¡±


    Letina asked quizzically, being the only one of us who wasn¡¯t acquaintanced with her. Well, they did meet once during the abduction, but she wasn¡¯t conscious then. Wait, that means they didn¡¯t really meet, huh?


    ¡°There¡¯s this amazing white magician that we know.¡± ¡°White¡­ and amazing? Like Lord Maxwell?: ¡°Well, Maxwell¡¯s beard is indeed white¡­ But not quite?¡±


    Even I felt some pity for her, who looked like a loli, to bepared with Maxwell who looked like withered daikon. Rather, there¡¯s no telling what she would do if she overheard this. And she very well could, given her habit of randomly showing up.


    Putting that aside, I really did receive something amazing. If I used the wand¡¯s power to transform the dagger into a spear, while also changing my appearance with illusion, no one could tell it¡¯s me.


    But now that I couldn¡¯t use Reid¡¯s appearance, I had to think of another form. That said, nothing good came to my mind and I was stumped, so I really needed to give it some more thought.


    ¡°At any rate, I need to experiment on it.¡±


    The question was whether it would still be able to oscite after installing the wand on it. That Goddess had a careless side to her, so instead of trusting her words, I needed to test it in practice.


    That day, I couldn¡¯t care less about the boring lessons, and spent the day giggling to myself.

 Chapter 127: Predicament

    <h4>Chapter 127: Predicament</h4>


    Bare arms, bare legs. I was in a state that exposed far more of my skin than I wasfortable with. I put the towel on my shoulders with trouble and tried to avoid the people¡¯s gazes as much as I could.


    Which wasn¡¯t surprising ¨C the swimming lessons were starting from today.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot¡­ I forgot that this thing existed¡­¡±


    Dressed in the school designated swimsuit, I spit those words as I stood before the swimming area that we created at the riverside of the forest. I could feel all the nces the surrounding people have been stealing at me.


    And no wonder¡­ that was something I didn¡¯t want to say, but my swimsuit figure was as lovely as a fairy¡­ it seemed. I hated to admit it, but unlike my usual uniform, this one emphasized my silhouette, and coupled with my doll-like appearance, I gave people the urge to dress me up.


    ¡°Hnng, you really are the best, Nicole!¡±


    ¡°Cortina, shut up!¡±


    ¡°Even your abuses are music to my ears now!¡±


    ¡°Get bent, you crappy teacher!¡±


    She had abandoned her lessons and came to rub her cheeks on me. I continued throwing merciless curses at her for that. But s, even those fell on deaf ears. Even though she already saw me at home, she still showed no signs of calming down anytime soon.


    ¡°Come on, you see me naked all the time¡­¡±


    ¡°But dressing you up feels a different kind of good. Especially because you are quite indifferent to attire in general.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t this just a simple school swimsuit?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what makes it worth it all the more.¡±


    ¡°Heeelp, the criminal is here!¡±


    I tore her off me and hid behind Letina and Matisse. It was a bit painful that Matisse still had some small scars left. Maria preferred the self-restoration of the body, so she only healed her enough that there would be no scars left.


    It was sad to look at it now, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Maria wouldn¡¯t let scars remain on a girl¡¯s body. And she even guaranteed that they would go away with time.


    ¡°Kh, you managed to escape, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Teacher, let¡¯s begin the lesson already.¡±


    Matisse extended me a helping hand by urging her to start the lesson. Thanks to that, Cortina finally stopped her prank andmenced the swimming ss.


    It was the start of July, the time where the water temperature wasn¡¯t high, so the children did some stretches before getting into the river.


    The water in the swimming pond we made was just as cool, so I could hear the asional yells of ¡°so cold!¡±


    I also timidly entered the water until it reached my shoulders and let my body adjust to it. If I went in any deeper straight away, my muscles could get a cramp due to its coldness.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s first submerge ourselves until it covers our head. If you don¡¯t hold your breath properly, you might drown.¡±


    Hearing her instructions, the children submerged themselves in the water one after another. The kids of these parts were somewhat ustomed to the water, but for those who weren¡¯t from here, the simple act of submerging could be a frightful proposition.


    Perhaps she decided to start by training them in that aspect first.


    The kids pinched their noises and shut their eyes tight as they went under the water. Cortina observed each and every one of them with full attention. Losing focus during the swimming practice could be life-threatening, so she was more focused than usual.


    After my body got ustomed to the water sufficiently, I also submerged myself. Naturally, though, my eyes were open, unlike the other kids.


    As the water covered my head¡ªmy vision cked out.


    ¡°Hah! Where am I!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Teacher Cortina. Nicole woke up!¡±


    When I came to, I was lying on the riverside rock. It was heated up by the sun and felt really good. Matisse who seemed to have been tasked with my care was looking worriedly at me.


    ¡°Are you okay, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Did I faint?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You suddenly floated up so everyone got scared.¡±


    It appeared that while my body got ustomed to the water, my head didn¡¯t and I fainted from its coldness. Cortina had the other students remain on standby in the distance. She couldn¡¯t continue the lesson while a student almost drowned, after all.


    Hearing Matisse¡¯ call, she left the students as is and headed my way.


    ¡°Looks like you woke up, Nicole. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Yea, I¡¯m okay. Sorry, looks like I worried you.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least one student tends to faint once every few years, so I¡¯m not really worried.¡±


    ¡°I mean, you should worry.¡±


    While it was pooled water, it wasn¡¯t like the river¡¯s current waspletely eliminated. Since the water constantly flowed, the water temperature was rtively lowerpared to normal reservoirs.


    Moreover, the forest also blocked most of the sunlight needed to heat the cold river, so simr incidents tended to happen on rare asions. As such, Cortina handled the situation in a skillful and ustomed way.


    ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t really continue the lesson now, can I? So can you walk? I have to take you to the ssroom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think so.¡±


    I stood up and examined my condition. I was a bit wobbly on my legs but I was well enough to walk. I should¡¯ve still had enough juice tost till the ssroom.


    ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s get changed and back to the school we go. We¡¯ll end today¡¯s lesson at this¡­ Or rather, we haven¡¯t even started it properly, eh!¡±


    Cortina¡¯s joking tone invitedughter from the students. After that, she thrust her finger before my nose and said with a serious expression.


    ¡°Once we get back, you are going straight to the medical office for a thorough checkup. We have to make doubly sure that everything is alright.¡±


    ¡°Kaay.¡±


    I could see her point so I had no reason to refuse. No, well, I did have some reservations about doctor Tricia herself, but still.


    Either way, such was my failure on the very first swimming lesson.


    After school, I headed home with a certificate from the doctor stating ¡°healthy¡±. Usually, I would either visit the music room where I pretended to do my club activities, or meet with Michelle and head out to hunt, but today Maxwell had some free time on his hands so I decided to visit him for some personal lessons.


    My goal was to learn the high ranked Interference magic, Polymorph. And the fastest way to get there was to learn the basics directly from Maxwell.


    I received the usual warm wee with tea and treats and then proceeded to normal magic lessons. It was more practical this way, as unlike school where they only taught you the knowledge, I could get the real feeling of it.


    ¡°Well then, try pouring your magic power into this Magic Crystal.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Thus I proceeded to pour magic into the crystal that was handed to me with a docile expression. A Magic Crystal was something that could contain magic power inside of it, and although it was a crystal it was still extremely brittle.


    If you broke it, it would disperse the contained magic power through the surroundings, so people often used them as external tanks.


    Of course, you needed to put magic power into it first or it would be useless. And doing that was perfect for training your control over magic power.


    ¡°I did it.¡±


    After holding it in my hand for a few minutes, I returned the now-full crystal to Maxwell. It seemed that he judged my ability based on my speed and the crystal condition.


    ¡°Mhm, not bad.¡±


    ¡°Really? Yay!¡±


    ¡°I suppose we should move on to the next step¡ªReid, can you bring me the textbook from that shelf?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I nodded without much thought and stood up¡­only to quickly turn back.


    ¡°Wait¡­ What did you just¡­?¡±


    ¡°That was quite a natural response. So it really is you¡­¡±


    A mean smile appeared on his face. Seeing that smile, I realized that there was hardly anything that could get me out of this mess.

 Chapter 128: Critical Negotiations

    <h4>Chapter 128: Critical Negotiations</h4>


    Maxwell. He was someone who had mastered every magic system and became known as ¡°King of Sorcery.¡± If we didn¡¯t have Cortina, it would¡¯ve most likely been him who led us instead.


    Mastering various magic arts meant that you were able to choose the most optimal magic in any given situation. And it was simply out of the question for someone like that to have a bad head on their shoulders.


    ¡°With that said, you have reincarnated in quite a lovely body.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ That¡¯s not-¡±


    ¡°It was quite obvious if you gave it a little thought. Just as you came to this town, Cortina and Gadius reconciled and then a person supposed to be Reid¡¯s reincarnation showed up. Those events happened too fast.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Maybe I was imagining it, but I felt some kind of static during the intervals of his words. No, this b?a?s?t?a?r?d? was actually chanting a spell as he talked. Was he nning on erecting a barrier the moment I tried to flee?


    He¡¯s using such absurdly high-level technique for something so stupid!


    I started sweating buckets and all the pores on my body tensed up, giving me goosebumps. The time we invaded the Evil Dragon¡¯s nest, or the time I had to fight against the Devil alone couldn¡¯t evene close to the fear I was feeling now.


    That was natural since the worst that could¡¯ve happened back then was me dying. But what about now?


    If this got out, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay with Cortina anymore. Even Finia might look at me like a piece of garbage. After all, I was still exchanging kisses with them every morning and evening to get my magic absorbed.


    ¡°L-L-Look, about that¡­ I mean, I¡¯ve got n-n-no idea what you¡¯re talking abo-¡±


    ¡°I thought it was strange when Reid recovered those Queen Blossom seeds. Only Horton Corp and we should have known of their existence. And if Reid wasn¡¯t with them, he could only be among us.¡±


    ¡°I-It could also just be a big coinci-¡±


    ¡°From the age perspective, only miss Letina, miss Michelle and you fit the requirements. Miss Finia and Doctor Tricia are out of that age-range.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you-¡±


    ¡°You three went on the trip together, but from what I hear, only you were out of sight during the incident. And that could only mean that you are Reid.¡±


    ¡°Proof, yeah, where¡¯s your proof!?¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it, there has been an increase in the loss of piano wires in the music room you often visit, hasn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Agggggghhhhhhh!?¡±


    It fell on the equipment staff to replenish the consumables in the academy, but it seems that even if I could deceive that inattentive teacher, Maxwell was too much.


    This old man was the leader of a kingdom, after all. He was exceedingly good at dealing with small changes and such.


    On top of that, he magnificently baited my response earlier. Now that it has reached this point, deceiving him is impossible, huh¡­?


    Judging that to be the case, I immediately proceeded to think of the countermeasures.


    Countermeasure 1¡­ Kill Maxwell. But this was an immediate no. Harming my old friend, a family member even, was something I rejected with my entire being.


    Countermeasure 2¡­ Make a run for it. This had immediate effectivity, but it was hardly an option here. Even if I managed to run, that wouldn¡¯t stop him from telling others about me. Such a temporary measure had no meaning. Besides, he had his barrier magic prepared so running was impossible from the start.


    Countermeasure 3¡­ Prostrate myself before him and ask him to cooperate in hiding my identity. Actually, this was my only option now.


    ¡°Maxwell, please! Don¡¯t say a word to anyone. I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    I immediately groveled on the floor and appealed with all I had. I looked quite pathetic like that,pletely unlike what I was aiming to be¡­ But I couldn¡¯t care less about that now.


    This could not only worsen my situation but even potentially hurt Finia and Cortina¡¯s feelings, so I couldn¡¯t be fussy about my methods.


    Those girls loved and cherished the girl named Nicole, and even opened their heart to her in various matters. Among those, many were linked to my former self. Perhaps also things that they didn¡¯t want the person concerned to ever know.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t particrly mind if this only damaged me. I¡¯ve always been a wanderer, after all. I can still manage to get by even if I leave this town after this. But those girls have told me many things that concern me without knowing who I am. I don¡¯t want that to result in their feelings getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°That was unexpected. Why did you even consider that I would try to have you banished?¡±


    As I listed my excuses in one breath, Maxwell responded with a shake of his head while brushing his mustache. Given his response¡­ Could I take it that he was willing to keep quiet for me?


    ¡°Will¡­ You keep it a secret?¡±


    ¡°I understand where you areing from. It is not my intention to hurt Cortina and Finia¡¯s feelings. Moreover¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more amusing that way!¡±


    I barely contained cursing at him by instinct. Which reminded me, unlike his fame as a prudent Elf, he had a childish, mischievous personality when it came to things like this. Regardless, whatever his thoughts on this matter were, as long as he kept quiet about this, that was enough for me.


    In that case, wasn¡¯t it better to bite my tongue and coborate here?


    ¡°W-Well, your reasons aside, It¡¯d be a huge help if you can keep quiet. I can¡¯t thank you enough for that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should thank me from the bottom of your soul.¡±


    ¡°What are you, a demon?¡±


    Either way, the negotiations were sessful. I stood up and offered a handshake, which Maxwell returned with a big grin on his face.

 Chapter 129: The Wand’s Ability

    <h4>Chapter 129: The Wand¡¯s Ability</h4>


    Anyway, while Maxwell found out my secret, I suppose we can say that I barely but surely avoided the bad development. That said, Maxwell was a tough b?a?s?t?a?r?d? that was involved in national politics. I couldn¡¯t imagine him just letting me off.


    ¡°By the way, earlier you said you would do anything, did you not?¡±


    ¡°Huh? ¡­Did I say something like that?¡±


    I got unpleasant vibes from the way he said it, so I tried feigning ignorance for now. But Maxwell being Maxwell, made a show of his repulsive personality.


    ¡°Oh really? I seem to be going senile too. I might have already forgotten that earlier promise.¡±


    ¡°Waitwaitwait, I was just kidding! I said it, I said it!¡±


    ¡°You should have said so from the start. So then, Reid, what do you n to do from now on?¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    I¡¯ve sweated a lot, so my throat was all parched. Thus, I poured myself a ss of water from the provided jug and took a sip.


    ¡°I am talking about Cortina. You should be well aware of how good her brain works. Her head is filled with love now, but it would not be long before she realizes the truth.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Yeah. Even you caught on to it, old man. There¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You are quite blessed as you are now. It would do you well to think of some measure.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Then I suddenly remembered about the wand that the God of Destruction gave me. Incidentally, the Carbuncle that delivered said wand was abducted by Michelle and was taken home before me. It was probably having its fur yed with at Michelle¡¯s house right about now.


    ¡°By the way, the God I mentioned also gave me this item.¡±


    ¡°And that is¡­?¡±


    ¡°ording to her letter, it is bestowed with Form Shift magic. She told me to use it in ce of this dagger¡¯s haft.¡±


    ¡°Now that is quite something.¡±


    Form Shift was outrageous magic that rivaled even Polymorph. Its effect was changing the form of something while keeping its abilities intact. However, it was only limited to items. It was something like a preliminary step of Polymorph, transforming not you but what you had in your hands.


    Most of the other Interference magics were being looked down as generic support spells, but the top five high ranked spells that these two were part of were another story.


    Based on the target item the magic consumption was intense, but that was quite literally a godsend for me given I had more magic power than I could handle. I could only see that as a benefit.


    ¡°A sacred treasure that rivals that silver bow, huh? Try it out for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Hey now¡­¡±


    ¡°You have to test it anyway. I see no harm in doing that now.¡±


    His words made me hesitate a little. He was right that I needed to test this item. And it would be a blessing for a magic expert like him to be present when I do it.


    ¡°I guess you have a point¡­ Well, let me get right to it then.¡±


    Since we were of the same mind, I proceeded to make preparations for testing. First, I started by attaching it as the dagger¡¯s haft as the Whitey instructed. This didn¡¯t differ all that much from when I maintained my tools, so I was done with it quite quickly.


    Next, I went out to the courtyard and confirmed that no one was present.


    I put some magic power into it as a tryout, and what I understood from it was the embedded spell could only affect its length and width. But even still, trying it inside the house could potentially lead to the ceiling getting pierced.


    Thus, I decided to do it outside, but also made sure that no one was around to see it. Well, not like there were that many entric fellows around that would peek on Maxwell¡¯s mansion¡­


    Maxwell also used Search magic to ascertain that there was indeed no one around.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It is also my first time seeing such an item. I have trouble containing my excitement.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not having an exhibition here, you know?¡±


    While throwing suchints, I poured my magic power into the dagger¡¯s haft. The magic tool had no set keyword so it was instantaneous. The entire process didn¡¯t differ all that much from pouring magic power into the Magic Crystals.


    It absorbed far more of it than the crystal, but that didn¡¯t prove to be much trouble for me with so much magic power umted in me.


    And then, only a few minutester, the haft underwent a big change.


    My vision momentarily darkened and I almost fell down. It was perhaps due to being robbed of so much magic so quickly. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to make me faint. Moreover, I was supplying it with magic power by my own will, so I could somewhat control its flow.


    When my vision came back, I was greeted by a pike almost three meters in length.


    First thing I felt was the weight of it in my hand. The hilt had grown to around three meters, while the actual de remained attached on its end.


    The thickness had also grown into something that better suited a spear. After a simple swing, I learned that it was appropriately bendy and firm to be used as a spear.


    ¡°This is¡­ Quite easy to use.¡±


    ¡°How is the magic power consumption? Can you keep it up?¡±


    ¡°I can. But it feels like I can put even more into it.¡±


    ¡°Try doing that then.¡±


    I followed his instructions and put even more magic power into it. Following that, the haft started extending once again. In the end, it reached the length of ten meters, but at that length, it was hardly usable.


    Next, I tried to lower the power instead and ended up with a short spear of around one meter in length. Its thickness also changed to a size that best fit its current length. And I was able to confirm that contrary to how bendy it was, it was extremely sturdy.


    ¡°That was surprising. With this, you need not worry about your location and simply adjust the length ordingly.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it. It is quite limited as far as the transformation magic goes, but that makes it easier to use.¡±


    When I tried osciting it, the produced vibration got absorbed by the spear¡¯s shaft so my hand was saved from its rampage from thest time. With that, I could use it as much as I wanted to.


    The simple ability to lengthen the haft allowed me to use the dagger as a spear. I gotta say, this was more user-friendly than I expected from that Goddess.


    ¡°This cleared all my doubts. The impression of a dagger differs a lot from a spear, so it could be used as a camouge too.¡±


    ¡°The problem is your current appearance. What do you n to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know¡­ Are there any good options?¡±


    I had the illusion ring, so I could change my appearance as long as I had the idea. However, my previous appearance that I knew the best was already unusable, so I had to think of a substitution.


    ¡°Let me see¡­ Can you change it based on a vague image?¡±


    ¡°I feel like a vague image would end up with shorings, but I suppose it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about you try changing your current appearance into an adult version?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    So instead of forcing a transformation, I should just alter it slightly to make up for theck of a clear image?


    Indeed, a person¡¯s adult form usually differs quite a bit from their child one. Add that dagger and spearbo on top and I should end up with a good enough disguise¡­ Right?


    Heeding Maxwell¡¯s words, I tried using the transformation ring¡¯s power. After some trial and error, I managed to settle on an appearance that people wouldn¡¯t link to me.

 Chapter 130: The Adult Form

    <h4>Chapter 130: The Adult Form</h4>


    Maria, Cortina and Finia were faultless beauties. Even that White Goddess, while young, possessed a beauty that exceeded theirs.


    However, the girl standing before my eyes now¡­ transcended even that.


    Some of my features like my heterochromatic eyes and bluish-silver hair remained intact, but my other, well-arranged features brought about a settled, adult-like atmosphere.


    Despite all that, my small frame had traces of youth yet also contained bewitching charm. My body was that of a young girl, yet it had all the right womanly curves. My chest and waist were neither too big nor too small; it perfectly matched my long and slender limbs.


    The clothes that I wasn¡¯t sure about were also remade ording to Maxwell¡¯s request. They didn¡¯t expose a lot of skin yet remained erotic.


    Their workmanship was a sight for the eyes too. I wore a tube top with high exposure and a sleeveless jacket on top of it fastened under my chest. My exposed slim waist emphasized the most prominent lines of a woman¡¯s body.


    On my lower body, I wasn¡¯t wearing a skirt or shorts, but instead a cloth closer to a swimsuit in shape. Although my hip line was exposed, the surrounding ornaments managed to somehow deceive the eyes.


    The only exposed parts of the design were around the shoulder tops, around the belly button and the thigh region, yet it gave off a sense of spiciness.


    My slender legs were covered by boorish greaves that reached up to my thighs, drawing a contrast with them.


    My arms were also d in gauntlets with a matching design, invoking an immoral feel as if my limbs were being restrained.


    ¡°Well now¡­¡±


    It was unmistakably based on my original appearance. This was simply the result of growing my body as Maxwell requested.


    As I stood there dumbfounded, Maxwell tapped on my exposed shoulder from behind. Of course, as my current form was simply an illusion it slipped through andnded on my actual shoulder.


    ¡°Lucky for you, Reid. You are guaranteed to be a beauty with no equal.¡±


    ¡°Lucky my a?s?s?! Rather, wouldn¡¯t this make me stand out like crazy!?¡±


    I ended up this way because I followed his instructions to simply tinker with my current appearance. Certainly, no one would link thiste-teen appearance for my child one.


    ¡°Were I a hundred years younger, I would have pushed you down and made you my wife.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, just stop¡­¡±


    Where did I go wrong for my oldrade to want to push me down? Simply imagining that scene made me tremble in disgust and I instinctively hugged my twitching body.


    ¡°Your actions are quite on point too. Seems like you have be a proper woman.¡±


    ¡°Shut the f?u?c?k? up already you perverted old fart!¡±


    Seeing me utterly disgusted by his remarks made him grin ear to ear, but he decided to change the topic. Perhaps he realized that we would go nowhere if he continued teasing me.


    ¡°So then, what do you think of that appearance?¡±


    ¡°Well, people would probably be too enchanted by my beauty to realize who I am but¡­¡±


    ¡°So you call yourself a beauty, huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you were of the same opinion!¡±


    I¡¯ve grown by about 30-40% in height. I was only a bit over one meter tall, but now I was close to a meter and a half, so the impression difference was quite drastic. The originally cylindrical shape of a child¡¯s body now had all the right curves, so this further influenced the given impression.


    ¡°I guess it would be nice if I end up this way when I grow up.¡±


    ¡°I believe that would bring with it its fair share of troubles.¡±


    ¡°Save me from any more troubles please¡­¡±


    After muttering those words I readied my spear in front of the full-length mirror. The spear¡¯s position appeared a bit low, but that too added to the characteristic impression. I was convinced that this was a perfect disguise.


    ¡°Oh, I just remembered. Wait for me a little.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Maxwell chanted something and disappeared with those words. But the next moment, he returned back to his former position. In his hands were the demi-gaunts that I was so familiar with.


    ¡°Those are¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, your gauntlets.¡±


    They were my favorite gauntlets of old, equipped with multiple Mythril threads, their length easily exceeding a hundred meters. They were my prided articles that I adjusted over and over until they took the most optimal form for my ability.


    ¡°So they were in your care, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I have not been maintaining them. A unique weapon like this was beyond my skill.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m extremely grateful as-is for holding on to it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think that they would sell them, but that still left the possibility of them getting buried with my body. Since they didn¡¯t, I had nothing toin about.


    I put the gauntlets that were meant to cover the hands up to the elbows. Though, their length didn¡¯t match my upper arms, so they amusingly reached all the way to the elbow tip. My arms were of different length now, so I had to close my eyes on this much.


    Then I tried adding the gauntlet design to the produced illusion. The arm ornaments got covered by my trusty gauntlets, taking on the nostalgic appearance.


    ¡°Hold it, if you disy those gauntlets like that, everyone would realize it is you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right¡­ then, lemme change it a bit like this.¡±


    As Maxwell said, these were one of a kind items that would be instantly recognized if one of ourrades saw them. If I put them on disy like that, I would be practically screaming that I¡¯m Reid. My shame wouldn¡¯t take it if they thought I reincarnated into this beauty.


    ¡°Hmm, that should do it. Now if you just hide one of your eyes, no one would realize it is you.¡±


    ¡°My eye, huh¡­ Should I cover my right eye again?¡±


    This form was based on my actual appearance so my eye colors were still present. My right eye was of deep crimson that I inherited from Maria. It was a color that was rarely seen in thesends, so as long as I covered it, I shoulde off as just a silver-haired beauty.


    Actually, since it¡¯s an illusion, I should just change the color instead of covering it with my hair. I changed my right eye color into a blue to match my left, restoring the equilibrium.


    ¡°You should dispel the illusion already. Those bare legs are starting to tickle even my old bones.¡±


    ¡°Oh shove off!¡±


    My thighs were exposed down to near my knees, so I was more than a little embarrassed. Maxwell was the one that suggested these clothes, though. ording to him, this was the traditional national attire of the Elves or something. Though looking at his reaction, I was starting to doubt even that.

 Chapter 131: A Joke Item

    <h4>Chapter 131: A Joke Item</h4>


    That day, it wasn¡¯t just Lyell and Maria like usual, but even Gadius visited Cortina¡¯s house. Perhaps she was going to report about my sightings to them.


    Gadius was also one of the people that felt responsible for my death. For that reason, he was just as pleased to hear about my reincarnation. He was apparently busy looking for me all this time, gathering information in the northern kingdom.


    Cortina who was the one reporting did so with a bright expression, given the pleasant contents of the report. Since the conversation was proceeding calmly, even Finia who was in charge of cooking was feeling at ease today.


    ¡°Still, who¡¯d think he¡¯d reincarnate in the elven vige.¡±


    Gadius said as he raised his mug and downed the alcohol with a rarely-seen flushed expression. The news about my safety seemed to have him in high spirits. Lyell followed up by downing his own cup.


    Even Maria, who was helping Finia with dishes, couldn¡¯t wipe the smile from her face.


    ¡°Good grief, what does he mean by ¡®I can¡¯t meet you now!¡¯ Acting all secretive with me!¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t seem all that displeased about it considering that big grin you have on your face.¡±


    ¡°Khh, that¡¯s because we are partying, you hear, partying! I know how to read the mood.¡±


    Maria looked at Cortina like she was her adorable little sister as she tried to y it off. Maria, who cast the Reincarnation on me was d to see the proof of its sess.


    Due to such a harmonious mood going, I had let my guard down.


    ¡°Nicoleeee! Daddy missed you sooo muuuuch!¡±


    ¡°Fugyaaa!?¡±


    I observed the smiling faces of Maria and Cortina as I sipped on my fruit juice, failing to notice Lyell creeping on me from behind until it was toote. As a result, I was squeezed by his tight embrace and had his unshaved chin rubbed on my head.


    Due to the influence of alcohol, his show of love lost all restraints. Now that he had be like this, I had no way to escape his grasp so I abandoned all hope and epted my fate.


    This was a normal Lyell. But seeing him like that brought a different reaction out of a certain someone.


    ¡°Pffff!?¡±


    A certain old b?a?s?t?a?r?d? spewed out his drink and copsed on the table, barely containing hisughter. Well, now that he knew that I was Reid, I could imagine how funny it was to see me in this state.


    The rest of them just had the usual ¡°there he goes again¡± written on their faces, but he alone found this situation unbearable.


    ¡°Lyell, Re¡ªI mean, Nicole seems to hate it so leave it at that.¡±


    ¡°And what are you spewing alcohol around for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I just choked on it a bit. Old age is getting to me.¡±


    Maxwell answered Gadius¡¯ question while breaking into a cold sweat. It was ame excuse, but at this rate, his gut would be receiving serious damage¡­ Fromughing too much, that is.


    Even so, Lyell¡¯s rampage elerated further instead.


    ¡°Whaaa, Maxwell, are you by chance aiming for Nicole? I¡¯m not handing ¡®er over, ya hear! I shall not!¡±


    ¡°No, I am already well aware of her promising future, but you can keep her.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying that my daughter isn¡¯t cute, huuuh!?¡±


    ¡°How do you want me to answer then!¡±


    Just as I thought the situation was going out of hand, Cortina raised her voice. She pped her hands to gather attention and took out a small bottle from her pocket.


    ¡°Right, I wanted to let you drink this!¡±


    It was the (supposedly) life-prolonging potion that the White God gifted us. Looking closely, Lyell¡¯s hair was partly white already and quite thinned out. Maria appeared young, but on closer inspection, she also had a fine wrinkle or two here and there.


    It¡¯s been seven years since my reincarnation. But there was a nk ten years before that. It was natural for them to have grown so old.


    ¡°And this is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a medicine that I obtained through particr connections. It can apparently extend one¡¯s lifespan.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Maria hesitated to speak. She could certainly feel herself growing older, so that medicine probably looked extremely attractive. But still, that would go against the World Tree religion that dictated that all life had to die a natural death and return back to the cycle of death and rebirth.


    Given her beliefs, that proposal wasn¡¯t one she could openly ept.


    ¡°Well, I understand what you want to say, but it¡¯s not like this would overturn death or something.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to look at it¡­¡±


    By taking a small part of a Dragon¡¯s power, you could extend your life. It did not overturn death, so it did not go against her doctrines. Or so Cortina imed, but Maria couldn¡¯t help but take those words as sophistry. There, Cortina added yet another sophism.


    ¡°Besides, just think about it. Nicole is only seven years old. It¡¯s going to take another ten years before she turns into an adult. But would you be able to remain active all the way until then?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°We all have enough fortune tost us until we die, but would your health keep up with it is another question.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°A child¡¯s growth requires both of their parents to be healthy. Besides, Michelle would be troubled if she loses your backing too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, you have a point.¡±


    Since she held the Gift of Marksmanship, Michelle was constantly targeted by influential people. The fact that she could enjoy her school life now was due to Lyell and Marie¡¯s backing.


    ¡°Michelle¡¯s existence is indispensable for protecting Nicole¡¯s lifestyle. And for that, you need to remain in active duty.¡±


    Not the heroes that lost their power to fight, but the heroes that could fight on the frontlines at any moment. That¡¯s what Cortina needed them to be.


    Her point was by no means mistaken. That¡¯s why, Lyell silently reached out to the bottle.


    ¡°Should I just down this bottle?¡±


    ¡°Only a third seems to be enough. And I was simply told that it has that effect.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maxwell, how is it?¡±


    ¡°I have already used Identify magic on it. Would you really want to hear the result, though?¡±


    If they heard the result of Maxwell¡¯s appraisal, then they could only drink that potion with the intention of prolonging their lives. For that reason, Maxwell intentionally dodged the answer.


    Right now, they could just pass it off as a medicine that simply had such rumors, and drink it as a joke under the alcohol¡¯s influence. That was Maxwell¡¯s point.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Maria?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I shall drink it as well. I don¡¯t hate such jokes.¡±


    Understanding Maxwell¡¯s intention, Maria decided to get on board with it. Seeing the two drink it, Cortina shed tears of happiness. After all, she would now be able to stay with her friends for a while more.


    That fact made me just as happy.

 Chapter 132: Late-Night Training

    <h4>Chapter 132: Late-Night Training</h4>


    That night Cortina¡¯s house was enveloped in chaos. Drunkard chaos, rather.


    From the perspective of Maxwell and Gadius, being an Elf and Dwarf respectively, It was hard to bear to see Lyell just weakening like that before their eyes. For them, it happened so fast it almost looked like an illness.


    But with this, their old age was no more. They could now spend years and years together with them and their daughter. As someone who had gone on adventures with them, I understood the joy they felt now.


    That day, after I dealt with Lyell that kept pushing alcohol at me¡ªlike, I was seven you know¡ªI went to sleep¡­ Pretended to, rather.


    We haven¡¯t done anything in a few days, but Cloud¡¯s sword training was not done. Myrades were piss-drunk and knocked out now. That allowed me to easily sneak out without anyone discovering me.


    I arrived at the usual lumberyard at the usual time. I arrived before Cloud did, so I decided to check my own abilities first.


    I started by changing my dagger¡¯s form into a spear and put on the illusion. I would have to use two weapons when the situation called for it, so I needed to get used to it.


    I changed my clothing and let my threads fly, dashing through the gaps of the lumber and buildings. I put magic power into the spear and adjusted its length, then released the threads from my favorite gauntlets.


    ¡°This is quite amazing¡­¡±


    One round of actions clearly took me less time than in my previous life. My physical ability hasn¡¯t changed that much since thest time, but handling the spear and adjusting my center of gravity ordingly allowed me to make much more intense maneuvers.


    ¡°It feels like it¡¯s particrly effective due to how light my body is.¡±


    As the spear increased in length and gained more weight, it influenced my light body ordingly. By utilizing that to my advantage, I could move even quicker than before. However¡­


    ¡°But the heavier it is, the more burden it puts on my body, huh?¡±


    Because I forcibly moved my body with threads, it put far more burden on my joints than ever before. After that one round all my joints were already screaming in pain.


    ¡°I need to take my time and find out my limit or I might end up with a big injury like before.¡±


    It¡¯s already been a few months since my blunder of trying to reinforce my body with threads and hurting myself in the process.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s about time Cloud showed up.¡±


    That said, I was already at my limit before he even showed up. There¡¯s no way I could handle sword training as I was now. I felt bad for him, but it was probably better to give up on the training for today.


    Just as I reached that conclusion, I heard the light sound of footsteps.


    ¡°Whoa!? He¡¯s here! That brat sure is diligent when you need it the least¡­¡±


    I was too focused on my own body and was toote to notice his approach. I hurriedly canceled my illusion and returned to my normal form. And then, he finally appeared.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re already¡­ Huh, Master?¡±


    The one in front of him was me¡­ me without the usual disguise. Cloud was aware that I was a girl, but I always hid half of my face and even my hair with the scarf. In other words, this was the first time I stood before him without any disguise.


    ¡°Oh, sup?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s really you, Master? So that¡¯s how you looked.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got this conspicuous appearance, after all. I try to hide it from those I don¡¯t trust.¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t trust me either until now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯m but a frail beauty. I have to be vignt.¡±


    ¡°You? Frail?¡±


    My appearance had not a shred of dignity so he was being more talkative than usual. But that aside, I had to let him know that we had to give up on training for today. The previous test put more burden on my body than I expected.


    ¡°Sorry but I¡¯m feeling bad today. Can you just settle for the basic stamina training?¡±


    ¡°Oh man, do you really want to teach me the sword¡­ I mean, I feel like I¡¯m plenty strong already, but still.¡±


    Although heined, he didn¡¯t ask ¡®why¡¯. Today¡¯s pacing mistake waspletely on me, but he was considerate enough not to ask.


    ¡°Sorry about this. My body kind of hurts.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is you we are talking about, Master, so I bet you did something unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°How rude. I just got too into experimenting.¡±


    I sat at the nearby lumber and cracked jokes with Cloud who started jogging around in the lumberyard. Still, his consideration for girls wasn¡¯t a bad thing. At the very least, he seemed to be more sensible than me of the previous life.


    As an apology, I should make a mental note to give him a souvenir handkerchief as a present.

 Chapter 133: Rejuvenation

    <h4>Chapter 133: Rejuvenation</h4>


    After returning to Cortina¡¯s house, I wiped my sweat with a towel and went to check how the adults were doing. Seeing the pile of corpses, it didn¡¯t seem like any of them noticed my slip out, so that brought me some peace of mind.


    But then, I suddenly heard anguished voices.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Following them to the source, I found that it came from Lyell and Maria. Their faces were strangely red, and had anguished expressions as if they were having a nightmare. Putting my hand on their foreheads told me that their temperatures were far higher than it should¡¯ve been.


    ¡°H-Hey, Ly¡ªI mean, Daddy!¡±


    Panicking, I tried to wake the two up by shaking. Maria was the go-to person when it came to illnesses, but she herself seemed to be down with fever now. This was probably too much for me to handle alone, so I first went to wake up the second reliable person.


    ¡°Cortina, Cortina!¡±


    ¡°Nnngh¡­ Wuh happen?¡±


    She answered like a fish out of the water while sprawled on the floor in quite an udylike manner, redirecting my attention. She then heaved a mix of erotic and slovenly sigh and finally opened her eyes. Looks like she wasn¡¯t suffering from the fever.


    ¡°Daddy is having nightmares. Mommy too.¡±


    ¡°Lyell and Maria?¡±


    Hearing my report she immediately jumped to her feet. She probably remembered that she was the one that had them drink that suspicious drug at dinnertime. After quickly checking their conditions, she rushed to wake Maxwell up.


    ¡°Maxwell, wake up! Maria and Lyell are acting strange.¡±


    ¡°Nggh? They are?¡±


    Maxwell stood up from the sofa he had been sleeping on with a drool ticking down his beard and approached the two with tottering steps, then brushed his mustache in understanding.


    ¡°This is unavoidable. Their bodies are in the middle of reconstruction necessary for prolonging their lifespans.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Cortina asked worriedly, tilting her head. That gesture was extremely adorable, but I had more important things to worry about now. Honestly speaking, their current body temperatures were no joke.


    ¡°Normally, it would be a matter of life or death, but these two should be alright. If you are that worried, you can cast Cure on them.¡±


    ¡°Would that really be enough?¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s pointless. At most, it¡¯ll give them temporary relief.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the point!¡±


    Cortina started strangling him for that irresponsible statement. But he didn¡¯t care and just continued his speech.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that it¡¯ll give them relief for around an hour. Repeat that till morning, and their bodies should have gotten ustomed by then.¡±


    ¡°Is that really enough¡­?¡±


    ¡°That was the result that my Medic magic gave me.¡±


    Following his words, Cortina cast Cure on the two. This magic was used during illnesses and detoxification and it belonged to the rtively simpler magics, so Cortina could use it. Naturally, Maxwell doing it would have been more effective, but he didn¡¯t seem to be all that motivated now.


    As such, Cortina and I got stuck with their nursing all the way until morning.


    The next morning¡­


    Frankly speaking, it was not necessary for me to nurse them, but when you¡¯re worried you are worried and that¡¯s that. As a result, I was busy until morning along with Cortina, bringing her water as she continued casting Cure, wiping Maria¡¯s sweat, and so on until it finally dawned.


    I found myself copsed on top of Maria, seemingly from having fallen asleep without realizing. Looking at Cortina, it looked like she was in a simr state. Maxwell and Gadius also had yet to wake up.


    However, Lyell was nowhere to be found. Based on his condition yesterday, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be in any shape to move¡­ But where had he gone to?


    I stood up and started searching for him. Finia slept in her room, so she shouldn¡¯t have been aware of what happened at night. We didn¡¯t require her assistance, so we didn¡¯t even let her know.


    He wouldn¡¯t have disappeared if something bad happened, so I came to the conclusion that he did in fact recover.


    I headed to the bathroom to wash my face, but I heard a sudden whoosh of wind. It was a heavy and sharp sound, as if it wasn¡¯t the wind but the very space itself getting split apart.


    I peeked outside from the backdoor situated next to the bathroom, and there stood Lyell, swinging his sword while half-naked.


    He was already way past 40, but his forged body showed no signs of weakening. No, that wasn¡¯t entirely urate, but only if youpared him to when he was young. Even so, his body was refined to the point he was worthy to be a sculpture reference.


    His body throbbed as he swung his sword up and down. Each time he did it, he audibly nted his foot into the ground and his swung sword raised a cloud of dust.


    Looking at that I felt something was out of ce. I was convinced that Lyell of yesterday would not be able to emit such sword force. Far from weakening, he seemed even stronger than ever before.


    What caused it¡­ Was needless to even ask. It was certainly due to that drug. The vigor of his young days and his skill that had umted for many years had merged harmoniously and arrived at that result.


    Looking at his sword dance, I thought to myself.


    That is the pinnacle of swordsmanship. The pinnacle that I was never able to reach.


    While I found that fact frustrating, at the same time I couldn¡¯t help but admire it. I stood there, fascinated by his sword dance, which could even be called beautiful. I kept staring at him dumbfounded, with a toothbrush stuck in my mouth.


    ¡°¡­So cool.¡±


    ¡°Mm, so that¡¯s what you think? You are a daddy¡¯s girl after all, huh?¡±


    ¡°Pffft!?¡±


    Cortina had snuck behind me without me realizing it. I felt frustrated about failing to notice her presence while I was lost in admiration. Her smug expression was really¡­ Detestable.


    ¡°Well, Lyell doesn¡¯t look so bad when he swings his sword like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeaaa¡­¡±


    Wait, weren¡¯t you in love with me? I almost retorted by instinct, but I managed to hold back.


    ¡°Ah, my number one is someone else, though. Look, he¡¯s the husband of my best friend, so I can¡¯t go speaking bad things about him, right?¡±


    ¡°That so?¡±


    I answered with half-opened eyes as she tried to correct her previous statement. Either way, I decided to return to brushing my teeth to dodge the topic of getting fascinated earlier.


    ¡°Oh, Nicole, did you finally decide to do some sword training?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°You can celebrate. She just called you ¡®cool¡¯ earlier.¡±


    ¡°She did what?!¡±


    Noticing our presence, Lyell lowered his sword and called out to us. It felt frustrating that his face turned all smug when he realized I was observing him. My refusal made him look downhearted, but Cortina¡¯s double-crossing changed his expression into one full of smiles.


    I tried to answer indifferently.


    ¡°Well, I guess you were pretty average? I think Cortina is cooler.¡± ¡°Ugh! You are as indifferent as always, Nicole¡­¡±


    My unfriendly attitude had him sink to his knees in dejection. Still, the skin tone of his naked upper half was iparable to its worn-out condition from before. It appeared that the drug did indeed have an effect.


    ¡°It¡¯s bted, but good morning. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m feeling extremely well. Too well, in fact.¡±


    Lyell said that and swung his arms around, stressing his point. Even those movements were extremely agile.


    It seemed that I really had to show my thanks to that White Goddess.

 Chapter 134: Diversionary Tactics

    <h4>Chapter 134: Diversionary Tactics</h4>


    The next day¡­


    The school naturally had a holiday, and Cortina was also quite free. Being a teacher, she more often than not had to work even during holidays, so free days like this were quite valuable.


    Today, I used a special trait of little girls¡ªthe puppy dog eyes1 that I really didn¡¯t want to do¡ªto their full potential, and finally managed to convince Cortina to apany me out shopping.


    I usually either spent time at the academy, yed music as part of my club activity, or went hunting in the forest under the guise of training, so when I suddenly brought up something as girly as shopping, Cortina seemed awfully suspicious.


    But due to my exceptional acting skills¡ªlike, even I was impressed with myself¡ªCortina finally gave in, seeing this was a rare appeal from me, and we set out.


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t these clothes look cute? We should¡¯ve brought Finia with us.¡±


    ¡°We have to keep someone to watch the house.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a thief crazy enough to sneak into our house. They would be turning not just me but even Maxwell into their enemy!¡±


    Cortina quickly dragged me to a clothing store and decided to turn me into a dress-up doll. I was quite indifferent to clothes so she had almost no opportunities to dress me up. I could feel a strange motivation in her, adamant on making the most out of it.


    However, there was a reason why I took her out today. I nned to show her Reid¡¯s appearance. ording to Maxwell, it was only a matter of time until she started questioning the present situation.


    Before her doubts reached me, I had to create a situation where she could see both of us at the same time to convince her that we were different people. So for that, I lent my illusion ring to Maxwell while I myself brought her out like this.


    ¡°Cortina, those clothes look quite hard to move in.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with not moving that much!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just unreasonable¡­¡±


    My wish was to be a vanguard fighter. A heavy warrior that could wield swords and shields of the myths may have been impossible, but I had no intention to abandon bing a warrior that could bravely stand before the foes.


    These frilly and sparkly clothes were too far apart from my ideal impression. Those made me look more like those magician girls from the children¡¯s fables.


    Also, there was a bit of time left until the appointment with Maxwell. If we spent more time outside, it would be easier to dress the encounter as a coincidence. In other words, I had to loiter around the streets with Cortina for the next two hours.


    ¡°We are going to eat out today, right? I can¡¯t eat if I wear those clothes.¡±


    ¡°Mggh, yeah, I suppose staining them would be a waste. Okay, then I¡¯ll give up on making you wear it on the way. But I¡¯m still buying it!¡±


    ¡°Huh, you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d feel bad for Finia if I was the only one to enjoy. Thus, we¡¯ll be having a fashion show once we are home.¡±


    ¡°Ehh, gimme a break.¡±


    Like that, I spent the next two years2 being dragged around by Cortina. While I was the one who nned all this, it ended up wearing me out.


    After she had her way by dressing me up in all kinds of clothes, even getting a matching hat, shoes and bag, I was left totally exhausted, but the appointed time finally arrived. Well, I reaped what I sowed, I guess¡­?


    What happened before we had lunch at the terrace was uncalled for, but it was already established that we would go to the park now to rest post-meal.


    Raum¡¯s capital didn¡¯t have that many parks in its interior. This was a forest country where all the towns were entirely surrounded by forest, so there was hardly a meaning in making parks.


    If you wanted to surround yourself with nature, all you had to do was to step out of the town a bit and the vast Mother Nature would greet you.


    For that reason, there were hardly any parks made inside the urban areas. The fountain square in the main street was more than enough.


    That said, it¡¯s not like they were nonexistent at all either. The nature outside the city was too wild and full of animals. You couldn¡¯t rx among nature that way.


    For that reason, there were a few squares inside the city where one could rx outdoors. And one of those squares¡ªthat you could even call a park¡ªwas situated close to Cortina¡¯s house. That ce was most certainly where we would go to rest.


    ¡°Or so Maxwell said, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Hm, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Cortina held my hand as she led me through the Park¡¯s promenade. The temperature was gradually rising, so the wind blowing through the trees felt very pleasant. There were numerous citizens around us, also enjoying their stroll.


    We nned to make a hired adventurer act like a burr where Maxwell would appear in Reid¡¯s appearance and beat them. Of course, it was necessary to prove that it was truly me, so he had to use threads to aplish it, but I could do that part myself from distance. I was confident in my skill to do that much without Cortina noticing it


    It¡¯s about to begin¡ªJust as I thought that, Cortina strongly pulled on my hand.


    ¡°Nicole, shall we go the other way?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Eh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suddenly feel like going there.¡±


    ¡°Huh, but¡­ Huh?¡±


    Wait, we are about to begin, why did you suddenly want to change your direction?


    But then it finally hit me. Ambushes and traps were her fields of expertise. Putting it the other way, she could easily guess where the traps wereid.


    In other words¡­ there was a high possibility that she sensed that ambush.


    ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong with walking straight?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a bit of a problem.¡±


    I asked back, but she answered vaguely and dodged it. It seemed that she really did sense the enemy. But pressing for questions here would instead put me in a bad spot. She should¡¯ve been well aware of how good my enemy detection skill was. It was too unnatural that I failed to sense the enemy¡¯s approach.


    I extended my thread towards the adventurer without Cortina noticing it and conveyed a message.


    ¡°You were noticed. Move to the southwestern side of the promenade.¡±


    I could sense that my sudden voice made the hidden individuals jump in surprise. After that, one of the two individuals started to act on it at once. It was most likely Maxwell.


    Thus, we changed our direction and arrived at the junction of the southern promenade, and then, one man appeared before us.


    Looks like the adventurer that yed thief managed to catch up to us. He jumped in front of us, but this was the right call on his part because we could sense his ambush anyway. That said, running all this way had left him panting severely, so he looked quite pitiable.


    Either way, now we had to turn this into a scene where ¡°Reid and I are present at the same time¡±.


    Thus came the critical moment.

 Chapter 135: The Alibi

    <h4>Chapter 135: The Alibi</h4>


    As the man suddenly appeared before us, Cortina moved to cover me behind her. She didn¡¯t have a wand on her, but her stance suggested she was ready to cast magic at any moment. As was expected of a first-ss magician.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Y-You two¡­ oof¡­agh¡­ if you value your lives, start¡­haah¡­coughing up your mon-¡­cough cough cough!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look so good. Want me to call the guards for you?¡±


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t f?u?c?k? with me! If you value your ******* life, empty your pockets right now!¡±


    ¡°Eh, then what¡¯s with your rough breathing? Are you aroused or something? Ew, what a pervert.¡±


    ¡°Shut uuuup!¡±


    I mean, you¡¯re the reason he¡¯s panting that much, Cortina. More like, she was ridiculing him despite knowing it was her realization of the previous ambush that led him to such a state¡­ so he was actually quite pitiable right now.


    We had him put on that performance, then had him run to the other end after the initial attack failed, and now he was even being ridiculed by Cortina, so he would hardly settle for the generalpensation.


    He pulled his de and threatened Cortina. Based on his looks, it didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d pose a threat to her, but that part wasn¡¯t important. All we needed was for him to produce danger and for Reid to appear and save her. As long as I remained by her side, it would count as proof that we are two different people.


    Cortina seemed to have evaluated him simrly and was acting quiteposed. It seemed like she would beat him first if Maxwell didn¡¯t show up soon.


    ¡°Come on, hurry up and-, woah!?¡±


    As the robber-in-y took a step towards us, I bound him and hung him on the nearby tree. Maxwell wasn¡¯t here yet, but if he closed in on us any more than this, Cortina would beat him to the punch.


    Also, he was just an actor in this, so if he took Cortina¡¯s attack, he could very well die.


    ¡°This is¡­ Could it be¡­ Reid!?¡±


    Cortina shouted and started looking around. Then, she was able to catch a glimpse of a man behind the tree. It seemed that Maxwell made it in time. But he was hanging on the tree with one hand while panting loudly so he looked prettyme. Making an old man run was a pretty bad move on my part.


    Maxwell looked at the man and lightly waved his hand. I matched his movement and coiled the thread around the man¡¯s mouth, gagging him in the process. An amateur would never see through my thread skills.


    ¡°This technique¡­ So it really is¡­¡±


    With an emotional mutter, Cortina stepped towards Maxwell¡ªtowards Reid. However, if I let her continue, she¡¯d forget about my presence. Thus I pulled on her sleeve. That made sure that she was aware that I was here.


    ¡°Ah, Nicole¡­ Umm, he is my old acquaintance. You should know him too, right? That¡¯s Reid, my formerrade.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    She seemed to have thought that I was being vignt of him and carefully exined it. Taking that chance, Reid¡ªMaxwell gave me a refined bow. Just like a knight bowing to a princess.


    Once he raised his head, Reid sent a charming wink at Cortina. That made her stand still and blush. Wait, what¡¯s with that smug act? That¡¯s not me!


    Following that, he turned around, waving behind the ck coat I used to always wear, and took a big leap. He jumped higher than the branches of the trees and disappeared behind them.


    Of course, neither Maxwell nor the old me had that kind of jumping power. But with the threads, I was able to do that much. And with magic, it wasn¡¯t hard for Maxwell to imitate it. This would serve as further proof that he was me.


    But where was the need in that fancy flutter of the coat, or that aristocratic bow, or that wink even? That made it seem like I was some womanizer. That¡¯s not me, Maxwell!


    ¡°¡ªAh.¡±


    Cortina followed my back and leaked a small mutter. I had already let her know before that I couldn¡¯te into contact with her. She should¡¯ve been able to understand the reason.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s still not that time yet, huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Or actually, what should we do about him?¡±


    If I let her ponder about it too much, there was a chance she would realize it was all an act. Thus, I intentionally addressed her and directed her to a different problem.


    ¡°Ah, right. Let¡¯s have the guards take him for now. Reid has tied him up tightly, so he shouldn¡¯t be able to move.¡±


    She directed her gaze at the man with those words.


    ¡°Nicole. Sorry, but can you run to the gate and bring some guards?¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡±


    Heeding her request, I dashed towards the guard post at the gate with all I had. If I didn¡¯t act fast, Cortina¡¯s interrogation skill could get kicked into motion and have the Adventurer spill all the details. I gagged him from the start because I hypothesized that scenario.


    The guy knew that Maxwell would bail him outter. He probably wouldn¡¯t even be charged. And that¡¯s exactly what happened, the man was released right after.


    Cortina saw me and Reid present at the same time, so her doubts towards me had been dispelled.


    Thus, with Maxwell¡¯s help, I somehow managed to avoid being her suspect for the time being.


    Author¡¯s note: The story period of seven year old Nicole ends here. There were many things I wanted to include so it dragged out longer than I thought¡­

 Chapter 136: Hunting at the Age of Ten

    <h4>Chapter 136: Hunting at the Age of Ten</h4>


    Author¡¯s note: From here onwards, Nicole is ten years old.


    Three years had gone by in the blink of an eye ever since I enrolled in the Magic Academy.


    I had reached the age of ten without incidents, finally graduating from the lower grades. Lyell and Maria had been troubled about their weakened bodies, but due to the effect of the potion, they were looking so young now you¡¯d mistake them for 30-year-olds; the potion¡¯s effect seemed to be that great.


    Thanks to that, they were still wildly active even now, which prevented the organs of the state1 from meddling with me and Michelle.


    My magic skills were improving favorably, too, and I had conquered my innate weakness of magic emission. At this point, even if I didn¡¯t have it extracted every day, it didn¡¯t interfere with my daily life. I still needed to do it once a month, though.


    Thanks to that, my stamina had finally reached the suitable level of a girl my age without the need of supplementing it.


    ¡°¡­¡­There it is.¡±


    Hiding inside the forest, I gave a signal to therades behind me. With it, the three moved at once.


    Before us was a buffalo that was eating grass without a care in the world. It was quite a bit of a challenge for the present us.


    Letina walked to my side and asked in worry.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t buffalo too dangerous for us, after all?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine with proper preparations. We have a meat shield with us too this time.¡±


    ¡°Is that meat shield supposed to be me?¡±


    Approaching from behind Letina, Cloud answered in grumbles. I was training him, but I couldn¡¯t just keep on limiting it to night practices. Since he was aiming to be an Adventurer, he had to learn how to act in a party.


    Thus, after he had reached a suitable level of strength, I had introduced him to Michelle and Letina as one of the Adventuringrades. Of course, we kept our night training a secret still. The moment he revealed that would be the moment he¡¯d stop being my pupil.


    I wasn¡¯t tantly using threads before him during our training, but I still showed a degree of experience that was unthinkable from a child my age. If he disclosed that, that¡¯d invite needless doubts to me.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a buffalo, winning in a direct fight would be impossible but we can probably easily defeat it if we set up traps.¡±


    ¡°Traps, you say? What kind, exactly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing that grand. In short, as long as we stop it in ce, Michelle should be able to finish it off.¡±


    ¡°Yup, leave it to me.¡±


    Michelle dered confidently while tapping on her chest. But I was more curious about her chest armor that wobbled ording to the impact.


    We were already ten years old. It was about the time for our gender traits to start manifesting. Michelle had a particrly speedy growth, so her chest had started to stand out quite a bit. Seeing it evoked a weird mix of happy and sad emotions in me.


    It made me happy to see ***** jiggle, small as they may be, but realizing that I too would have a simr pair one day brought my spirits down.


    Either way, we needed to prepare.


    Michelle had brought both her hunting bow and the Third Eye, so she had heavy luggage. Moreover, the weight of the arrows she carried added to it, too.


    In other words, she had no choice but to go for a one-shot certain kill. She couldn¡¯t stand and keep on shooting when the opponent was a buffalo.


    Of course, I could easily hold it in ce if I used my thread, however¡­


    ¡°Let us set up the trap first. Then Cloud and I will lead it there and trap it.¡±


    ¡°And then, I¡¯ll shoot it and boom, right?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m leaving that to you.¡±


    We had no time to start digging a pit, so I just started to make a trap with a simple rope that would tangle its legs and stop it. While I was doing that, Cloud stood in watch for the buffalo¡¯s condition.


    The preparations were done, and it was time to start the fight.


    ¡°Eya!¡±


    I was usually fighting in semi-short distance, but with a buffalo as our opponent, I wasn¡¯t so reckless as to challenge it in a close fight.


    What I used was a tool made with leather straps called a sling. I elerated a stone with the centrifugal force and threw it towards its head.


    The stone reached the mark without fault, directing the now angry buffalos gaze at me. It scrapped the ground a few times with its hind legs prepared to charge at me.


    I couldn¡¯t just keep on watching it either. I gradually took a step back and put some distance between us. Buffalo or not, animals were faster when it came to straight movements. It was better to hold as much advantage over it as I could.


    The buffalo howled in anger and charged at me. I immediately turned tail and ran at full speed. By all rights, turning your back at the animal was an extremely dangerous action. However, as I had no chances if I fought it directly, it was better to lure it towards the trap as fast as I could.


    After running a certain distance, I grabbed onto the tree branch that I had set as my goal and jumped up, separating myself from the ground below.


    After looking at the sight of me, it decided to make Cloud its next objective and quickly shifted the direction towards him. We acted as bait for it in turns and led it towards the location of the trap.


    It was a simple trap that utilized rope. However, one side of its end was tied to a bendy branch to make it easier for the rope to get entangled with its legs.


    And it indeed happened as expected ¨C the rope obstructed the buffalo¡¯s legs and made it fall spectacrly. It should have been able to easily shrug a rope of this level off were it the usual. That¡¯s just how strong a buffalo was.


    However, being dragged around by me and Cloud for so long had tired it out, so having been tripped once its bnce was off made it unable to stand its ground. It made the buffalo stop just for a moment, but that moment was more than enough.


    ¡°Letina!¡±


    The moment I saw it fall into the trap, I first called out to Letina. Responding to my shout, Letina let loose fire magic, a simple Firebolt in specific. The lowest level at that. It normally wouldn¡¯t be able to deal any significant damage to the buffalo.


    However, the fire bulletnded straight on its hind leg and decisively robbed it from its movements.


    It sank to the ground as its rear left leg got scorched by mes. And then, Michelle¡¯s carefully aimed arrow pierced it through.


    The arrow she let loose from the ideal hiding spot that she chose by predicting where it would run and fall had urately pierced through its right eye. The arrowhead gouged its brain out and stopped its life activity in but an instant.


    The buffalo twitched with the arrow stuck in its head, and then toppled over with a loud sound. After that, its body convulsed two-three times¡­ And ceased all movements.


    I readied my katana and dagger and approached it to confirm it was dead. After making sure that it was dead, we finally let the strength leave our shoulders.

 Chapter 137: Meat for Days

    <h4>Chapter 137: Meat for Days</h4>


    When it came to butchering the buffalo, it was a job far too tough for kids of our age to handle. But fortunately enough, I had a knife with an edge that could be sharpened through high-speed oscition.


    Normally it would be going out of control in my hand, but it would be manageable if I fixed it in ce with threads. The four of us hung it down, drained its blood, cut its head with the knife and proceeded to harvest the meat.


    A single buffalo could yield around 700 kg of meat. This one was on the smaller side, though, so we could probably get 600 kg at most. Taking that much with us would¡¯ve been almost impossible for us, so we decided to take about 30 kg per person and put the rest in a leather bag and bury it in the ground.


    ¡°Letina, if you will.¡±


    ¡°As always, you can¡¯t seem to use anything but interference magic eh, Nicole¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave me be.¡±


    Letina made a hole through the ground with Tunnel magic. Following that, she used her fire magic to roast the meat¡¯s surface before putting it in the bag and burying it inside.


    By roasting it like that, we could slow down the dposition by a lot. The healing system did have magic that could dy it too, but none of us could use it. Rather, that magic required quite a high level of skill, so we couldn¡¯t use it even if we tried.


    ¡°So each of us gets 30 kg of meat, huh. Looks like we¡¯ll be having meat for days!¡±


    ¡°Yay. Meat is justice.¡±


    ¡°Though it¡¯ll be gone instantly back at my ce.¡±


    ¡°You managed to obtain a nice gift for the orphanage kids.¡±


    Cloud lived in the town¡¯s orphanage. But in five years, he had to leave it and start an independent life. For that, he was apanying us to get the basics of adventuring down, but honestly, his current ability wasn¡¯t so good that he could be safely sent off.


    He most probably had to stay in their care for as long as he could, but his Half-Demon race made his standing a very delicate matter. Bringing his hunt spoils back home also served to raise his standing there.


    ¡°The meat would not spoil for some time since we roasted it, not to mention we also buried it. Unless some stray dogs dig it up or something, it shouldst for a few days.¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s bring it back bit by bit in the next few days. I suppose three days should be enough to do the job.¡±


    Our principle to divide our rewards into equal parts did not change even after Cloud joined us. This time yielded us 600 kgs of meat so each of us got 150 kg¡¯s worth. If we carried 30 kg each per day, it would take us 5 days to finish it.


    ¡°But to be honest, I don¡¯t need 150 kg of it¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    ¡°Well, for me it adds to the meals of our employees, so it¡¯s quite wee, you know?¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t even have to mention it. My family consists of 20 people.¡±


    My family only consisted of three people ¨C me, Finia and Cortina, and a Carbuncle. When it came to our meals, though Lyell and Maria did join us, it was still six of us. I can¡¯t imagine us consuming all of it. But well, I suppose we could manage it somehow if we shared it with Gadius and Maxwell too.


    Michelle¡¯s family only had three people as well, so she was in the same boat. But her family sold meat as hunters, so I suppose they would just sell the rest.


    Letina and Cloud¡¯s families were full of people so they would be able to consume all of it, but it should stillst them a few days.


    ¡°Did we end up hunting something a bit too big, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°More than that, I¡¯m surprised that we became able to hunt something so big so easily.¡±


    Letina replied to me in amazement. In reality, we didn¡¯t do anything that special. If anything, Michelle¡¯s shooting skill was the only thing that stood out. Still, kids our age could easily hunt something like a buffalo if they ambushed it with proper preparations.


    That fact was made clear with today¡¯s hunt, so it proved to be a good lesson for them.


    ¡°Setting traps, attacking its legs to stop it in ce, attacking it with numbers, taking it out by surprise. The most important thing is to take various measures to prevent it from using its full power.¡±


    ¡°Right. This isn¡¯t a battle between knights, but a fight to the death¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter whether your approach is honest or dirty.¡±


    ¡°You can only say those words after you lived through it. That¡¯s the overwhelming difference with the battle of knights.¡±


    I stood up while carrying the meat on my back. Thirty kilograms of meat was digging into my shoulders. Even if I was healthy now, it was still a weight that could not be dismissed so easily.


    Michelle and Letina followed after my action and stood up with their own shares of meat on their backs. But they had more strength than me so it didn¡¯t hinder their walk. And there was no need to even mention Cloud.


    ¡°Let¡¯s return then. We¡¯ve done plenty today.¡±


    ¡°More like, our hands are already as full as it can get!¡±


    Letina had more strength to sparepared to me, but her walking was still a bit on the offside. Rather, I suppose she should be praised for doing that much, given that she aimed to be a magician.


    As I smiled while watching her back, something attacked me from behind.


    ¡°Squee!¡±


    ¡°Ukya!?¡±


    What jumped on my back from behind the trees was the Carbuncle that was hiding itself until now. A hamster-like Mythical Beast the size of a human¡¯s head leaped at me from behind. I was at my limit just by carrying the meat alone, so that extra weight was a fatal wound for me.


    ¡°Gehh¡­Kabby, get off, hurry.¡±


    ¡°Squeak?¡±


    Kabby was the nickname I gave to the Carbuncle. Its full name was ¡°Katzbalger¡±. So Kabby, for short.


    It usually rode on my shoulders with no problems, so it looked quizzically at me now that I couldn¡¯t support its weight. But I was currently being burdened with a weightparable to a human, so I was having a really tough time.


    Michelle and the rest pointed at me withughs as I copsed and iled around on the ground.

 Chapter 138: Real Combat Lesson

    <h4>Chapter 138: Real Combat Lesson</h4>


    I stood deep into the forest with my katana held up, facing the enemy in front. Before me stood a monstermonly referred to as Green Devil. It shook its amorphous body and watched me for an unguarded moment. But I was a veteran in battle. I didn¡¯t give it any openings that it could use to rush at me.


    Instead, it was me who had moreposure in this battle. I gradually shortened the distance between us, until I arrived at the distance from where I could deliver a definite blow.


    ¡°¡ªYah!¡±


    With a fighting yell, I instantly closed the distance and dealt a deadly blow to it. The attacknded where it should and bisected the Green Devil¡ªa giant carnivorous mold monster called Poison Mold.


    ¡°Mya!?¡±


    But just as it split into two, it suddenly attacked me. Taken by surprise, I took that blow straight on. But at the end of the day, it was a monster made of mold, and with its light weight, its rush had no real power to back it up.


    I held through the counterattack and attempted to respond with my own. But then, I noticed the abnormal state of my body.


    ¡°H-Huh¡­?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t lift my arm. No, my entire body was hard to move. In but an instant, that fatigue spread through my entire body and I couldn¡¯t even stand properly. I fell to my knees and then fell on my face.


    The Poison Mold started to approach the fallen me. But then came a carefree voice.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it.¡±


    At the same time she dered the end of the battle, a strike from the lightning magic fell on the monster, obliterating it instantly.


    ¡°Physical attacks hardly have an effect on Poison Molds. You should¡¯ve used Enchant to pour magic power into your weapon.¡±


    ¡°A-Aghh¡­¡± ¡°The effect of your Enchant is still meager but it¡¯s versatile. Though you also need knowledge on how to use it in various ways.¡±


    ¡°Ghhhhhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°You have to learn to use magic as it fits the situation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­nu¡­numb¡­¡±


    When I was alive, I specialized in personal battles, making light of the monsters and leaving their identification and beating strategy to Cortina and Maria. Thanks to having no knowledge, I ended up tasting defeat today. But setting that aside¡­


    ¡°Teacher, Nicole seems to have gone numb.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. After all, it¡¯s a ¡®Poison¡¯ Mold.¡±


    Cortina approached me and poked my arm and armpit. Every time she did, a sense of numbness ran through my entire body.


    ¡°Aghhhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°Ehehe. Kids who don¡¯t study well need to be punished.¡±


    ¡°Y-You demon.¡±


    Following that, she had a lot of fun with my body until eventually casting Antidote on me.


    This ce was located in the forest about two hours from the capital of Raum. Today, we were having a realbat lesson and joined with the Adventurer training academy, and practiced by finding and battling various monsters.


    Given how far we were from the town, the danger level of monsters also rose ordingly. They weren¡¯t like the animals that were almost like livestock that we usually hunted in the immediate surroundings. These were genuine, grotesque monsters. Poison Mold was also one such monster.


    It was a giant green ball of mold. If you thought about it, there was no way a normal sh would work on it. In fact, it could only be defeated either by physical attacks strengthened with magic or by magic attacks itself. Simple physical attacks could not deal sufficient damage to it¡­ It seems.


    You could easily find the info about its characteristics if you checked the library or something. I was just negligent in doing so.


    I found the enemy and shed at it without much thought. As the result, I got poisoned. This was a total disgrace on my part.


    After I was healed with Antidote, I immediately continued searching for the next monster and stumbled on another Poison Mold. We were in a deep and damp part of the forest, so these types of mold monsters were amon urrence.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s the same monster as earlier, huh? Could you leave this one to me?¡±


    ¡°To you, Letina?¡±


    ¡°Due to your blunder, now I know what its weakness is. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have you be my stepping stone. Ohohohoho!¡±


    ¡°Letina, shut it.¡±


    She startedughing loudly, but I smacked her to shut her up.


    Poison Molds didn¡¯t have high intellect. Herughter only served to disclose our location to it; it wasn¡¯t smart enough to run away. Our only demerit was that we lost the advantage of a surprise attack.


    In the first ce, there was no need to even attack it individually since we came here as a ss expedition. In my case, I just happened to discover the monster first and decided to fight it solo, also thinking to gauge its ability of surprise attacks.


    But now, there was no real reason for Letina to fight it alone. This was probably spurred by her rivalry with me. Still, Cortina did not try to stop her from doing it.


    Poison Mold wasn¡¯t especially intelligent, nor was it particrly fast. Letina¡¯sughter gave us away, but it wasn¡¯t moving well enough to attack us. There was some distance between us, too, ideal for a preemptive strike.


    ¡°Crimson Three, Ultramarine One, Jade Three. Firebolt!¡±


    ¡°Wai-, you idiot!?¡±


    The chant told me that she was about to use Firebolt that had more power and could reach further than normal. It had more than enough power to reduce the Poison Mold to cinders. However, when she heard the chant, Cortina yelled out.


    The reason for that became immediately known. The Poison Mold lit up instantly as the Firebolt hit it. It was a nt by root, after all, and a powdered thing like mold at that. It just needed a trigger to light up like nothing.


    And lit up like nothing it did¡­ with terrific force, setting the forest itself on mes. Seeing that Cortina hurriedly casted Create Water and engaged in fire fighting.


    With that, it was now Letina¡¯s turn to be lectured after me.

 Chapter 139: Club Activities and their Result

    <h4>Chapter 139: Club Activities and their Result</h4>


    Speaking frankly, our expedition ended in failure. It all stemmed from my negligence and Letina¡¯s inexperience. Were it the old me, I¡¯d have gone about it more carefully. I¡¯ve already been reborn with this body for ten years, but during that time I had only experienced a few harsh battles.


    My old self would¡¯ve gone through over a dozen fights by now. Which meant¡­


    ¡°I have grown dull.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dull?¡±


    ¡°Hm? I feel like you are saying it with a different nuance¡­¡±


    Once we returned to the academy, I held a review meeting with Letina. Our sses were already over and the students were returning home at their discretion. Cortina had also returned to the staff room.


    ¡°Well, real battles really are different from hunting some animals, after all.¡±


    ¡°My fault was that I did not research enough. Since it was a region full of Poison Molds, I should have studied up on their ecology.¡±


    ¡°If we knew about its weakness for fire attribute in advance, it wouldn¡¯t have turned out like that.¡±


    We sighed in disappointment and exchanged our opinions about our respective blunders. This way, we would be aware of each other¡¯s weaknesses and keep them in mind for future battles.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s important to look up the monsters¡¯ ecology and intellect when you know the ce.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been leaving it to others all this time. We have to learn to do it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Oh, Nicole, we have to head to the music room already.¡±


    ¡°Whoops.¡±


    It seemed that our meeting dragged on longer than I thought, it was already time for the club activities. I was currently part of the music club. It¡¯s not like I had a particr interest in music, but that ce was useful for procuring steel threads. The inconsistency in the budget due to that was covered up by Maxwell.


    We entered the music room, took our respective musical instruments in hands and put them in tune. Letina¡¯s was a violin while mine was piano. This also served to make my fingers more dexterous so I was quite proud of my choice.


    After our fingers got used to the instruments, we started our ensemble. As we did, it only took a few minutes for a big crowd of audiences to form outside the room.


    This has been the normtely. I was a bit taller now and my childish features were starting to slowly disappear. Letina wasn¡¯t exactly well endowed, but her body was still more developed than mine.


    As such, the scene of us gracefully ying music was quite a sight for the eyes of the male students. And not just boys, as almost half of the group consisted of girls. I didn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°They could just join the club rather than stand and watch.¡±


    I muttered as I slid my fingers across the piano keyboard. But Letina¡¯s sharp ears caught it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like them watching us would hurt or anything, right?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I guess?¡±


    ¡°They even seem to refer to you as the seconding of the saint.¡±


    ¡°If they are going to call me something, I¡¯d rather it be seconding of the sword saint.¡±


    ¡°Honestly speaking, you are far too weak for a sword saint. Besides, you look more like Lady Maria than Lord Lyell.¡±


    I swung the sword every day to the point the blisters on my hand popped, but Cortina healed them without lending an ear to anything I said. Thanks to that, my hands were still squishy. I had unexpectedly low muscles too, looking so thin it seemed like I had twigs for limbs.


    Given how delicate and slender I looked, it was about time I gave up and epted that I had even less aptitude for the sword than in my previous life.


    On the other hand, my long and flexible fingers were perfect for thread maniption. Thanks to that, I was getting quite skilled at reinforcing my body through threads. ying this piano was one such training, but it seemed that the boys had taken it quite favorably. And our audience was growing day by day.


    ¡°Hahh¡­¡±


    After finishing one song, I heaved a small sigh. It came from my uneasiness due to the unwanted attention, but our visitors seem to have taken it as a tranced sigh of a beauty absorbed in music. I had no such intention, but I was being likened to a saint, the seconding of Maria through the rumors¡­ Rather, I felt like they were pressuring me into it.


    ¡°Are we not going to hunt today?¡±


    ¡°We already did enough during the lesson, so there¡¯s no need to do it after school as well.¡±


    ¡°You are indeed right¡­ Did you let Michelle and Cloud know?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    The only problem was Cloud¡¯s ie that was linked to his livelihood, but we just defeated that buffalo so he should be fine for a few days.


    In that case, I should have everyone rest their bodies for the next few days. Speaking of Cloud, it seemed that he was the target of envy among the Adventurers. On one side was the sociable and charming Michelle. On the other, a gorgeous noble beauty Letina. And there was also me, the hero¡¯s daughter. He was ying with people like us, so that oue was only natural.


    Being surrounded by three beautiful little girls whose appearances showed great promises made the other Adventurers act harshly. Thanks to that, he rarely partied up with people other than us.


    ¡°Besides, if Cloud parties up with others, that would serve to improve his self-worth too.¡±


    ¡°But given how envious others are of him, that would be impossible.¡±


    ¡°I suppose having a harem didn¡¯t turn out well for him.¡±


    ¡°¡­If I had to say, you are the biggest reason it happened.¡±


    Letina answered with an exasperated voice, but I was under the assumption that I was the least popr among us three. I wasn¡¯t as friendly as Michelle, neither was I as refined as Letina. As proof of that, whenever people addressed me they always got cold feet. The only one that could hold a proper conversation with me was Matisse.


    My unsociable nature from the previous life seemed to have left somesting effects, the people around always shied away from me. This was certainly not because I had no friends or anything. I can dere that with absolute, decisive confidence.


    I talked a bit with Letina during the break and then we moved on to another song. After we finished it, someone started apuding us. We had many visitors now, but only a bare few pped their hands.


    They probably didn¡¯t want to interrupt the song, or maybe they thought it wasn¡¯t a good atmosphere to cut in¡­ It was probably something along those lines. Either way, it took me by surprise when someone apuded us.


    It was a tall young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties.

 Chapter 140: Intruder

    <h4>Chapter 140: Intruder</h4>


    He was a tall youth, with the typical blond hair and blue eyes. His back was slim and long too, an ideal body with just the right amount of muscles. You could even say his body looked a bit like Lyell¡¯s. He had an aura of nobility drifting all around, that¡¯s just how handsome he was.


    Actually, I feel like I¡¯ve seen him before¡­ But I can¡¯t remember where.


    ¡°Umm, and you might be?¡±


    ¡°Ah, my apologies. I witnessed such a stunning sight, I did it without thinking. I am Elliot, a temporary teacher starting from this term.¡±


    He followed up his apology with an elegant bow. That action made it look like the most wondrous painting. However, contrary to his graceful manners, he was making me feel strangely unpleasant.


    ¡°Good day. I am Nicole. I do not have ast name.¡±


    ¡°I am Letina Winne Yowi. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±


    Still, he introduced himself, so it would be bad manners if we didn¡¯t do the same. Letina and I introduced ourselves while returning a noble bow of our own. Still, a guy named Elliot, and that appearance. Where have I¡­


    ¡°Ah, Elliot Gritnir Sto Tryad?¡±


    ¡°Ohh, so you know my name, Princess Nicole?¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    Elliot Gritnir Sto Tryad was the name of the current king of the united three nations of the north. Back when I was alive, we found the royal survivor of the three northern countries destroyed by the Evil Dragon, and united the countries under him.


    He was still around five when I died. That should make him about 25 years old now, huh? His appearance does match that age.


    ¡°Wait, ¡®Princess¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Are you not aware that I have asked your hand?¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, the main reason why we took refuge in Raum was that, wasn¡¯t it? In other words, he is the root of all evil? No, the root of all evil was Lyell since he told him about me.


    ¡°Ly¡­ Dad told me a bit.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I wished to meet you one time, but we couldn¡¯te to an agreement¡­ And then you enrolled in the academy. As such, I decided to approach you by bing a contract teacher here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a bother, go back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how cold! But that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    Elliot looked up at the heavens dramatically. But I won¡¯t be deceived by those jests. He was too overacting and unnatural, actually.


    ¡°Why is the king in the academy, in the first ce? Don¡¯t you have your duties as the king to attend to?¡±


    ¡°I did my best to allow myself the next two years to live as I like!¡±


    ¡°Direct that hard work towards a better goal.¡±


    The United Kingdom that had appeared through the uniting of three, once-ruined countries, was still facing countless problems even now. Each of the three countries¡¯ varying customs made the matters difficult enough, but they have been destroyed by the Evil Dragon once.


    No, maybe I should say that having been destroyed is what allowed them to unite. Still, that didn¡¯t mean everything would go on smoothly. Putting him, the survivor of the Tryad Kingdom at the top did not make the leaders of the other two kingdoms any bit pleased.


    To suppress the sparks of such opposition forming, we Six Heroes were constantly moving between the kingdoms.


    So what the heck was he, the cornerstone of all of it, thinking to have skipped work ande here?


    ¡°King you may be, I can not say I admire you skipping work.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to worry. I have resolved all the problems at hand, the rest I left to my trusted vassal. I came here to handle the most important matter to a King. my vassal was quite on board too, you know?¡±


    ¡°The most important matter?¡±


    ¡°I am talking about the heir.¡±


    His brisk deration gave me goosebumps. True, an heir was the most important and highest priority matter for the kings. And my name was among the candidates of bing his queen, so this was bound to happen.


    That said, I was still a guy on the inside. Making an heir for him needed me to do that with him. Me and Elliot¡­? No f?u?c?k?i?n?g way. Not just him, I would never, ever share a bed with a man.


    Still, would a king normally just barge in like this?


    ¡°In the first ce, I¡¯m certain that mom and dad did not give you the permission?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I did it in secrecy. Ah, I got proper permission for assuming the teacher¡¯s post from Lord Maxwell, okay?¡±


    ¡°That s?h?i?t?t?y old man¡­¡±


    He did that knowing I was Reid¡¯s reincarnation. He did it knowing what would happen. He probably nned to get not just me but even Lyell and Maria involved as well and amuse himself.


    ¡°Sorry to say, but I am not considering such things yet.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am well aware of it. You are but a bud yet. But seeing you has convinced me. One day that bud will turn into a big flower. It¡¯s as clear as day to my eyes.¡±


    Get them checked, you dumbass! I almost screamed that aloud but managed to hold back at thest second. With me on the inside, even that deed alone, necessary for making an heir, was intolerable as-is.


    But this dumbass couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement. Following that, he started talking about our earlier performance.


    ¡°Princess Nicole and Lady Yowi¡¯s performance was a sight to see. It was as lovely and wonderful as a song of fairies, and it managed to steal my heart once again.¡±


    ¡°Though, even our teacher is puzzled at my performances¡­¡±


    I was just ying the piano to improve my finger flexibility. Something done with that goal in mind could not possibly have the essential emotions put into it. The teacher even imed that my performance was ¡®mechanical as if it¡¯sing from a music box¡¯. Clearly, there were no artistic emotions behind it at all.


    Then, I noticed someone pulling on my sleeve. It was Letina who stood next to me. She drew her mouth closer to my ear and asked.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but only by name.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°The king of the northern United Three Nations.¡±


    ¡°K-King? His Highness!?¡±


    Hearing who he was made her exim in a tight voice. She was a nobility herself so his title of a king had her overwhelmed.


    ¡°M-My apologies, Your Highness. I am the daughter of Marquis Yowi, Letina.¡±


    She hurriedly grabbed her skirt and did a polite bow befitting of a noble. She was Raum¡¯s resident, though, so all they had to do was to be polite. Besides, she already greeted him earlier.


    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t mind it. And I am traveling incognito now, so I would appreciate it if you keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°Is that so. However, why would you¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone was trying to mediate between Miss Nicole and me. I was also interested and approached a bit ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°W-With Nicole?!¡±


    ¡°Rather than me, they are aiming for my parents.¡±


    I calmly exined it to the startled Letina. Given that I was the hero¡¯s daughter, a lot of nobles sought me for such rtionships. But the United Three Nations had the King that stood above the nobles, so there were almost no attempts from there.


    If theyid their hands on me, they could be turning both the heroes and their own king to their enemies.


    Such individuals started appearing more after I came to Raum. Perhaps this was one negative side of leaving my hometown.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s already thiste, so we would be excusing ourselves, Your Highness.¡±


    It had already turned 4 PM before I noticed. The only thing I had left to do for the day was the secret training with Cloud, but honestly, it was bothersome to keep talking with Elliot.


    It was a little early, but I decided to break up for the day. Elliot looked at me reluctantly as I grabbed Letina¡¯s hand and fled from the music room.

 Chapter 141: How to Drive Away an Obstinate Man

    <h4>Chapter 141: How to Drive Away an Obstinate Man</h4>


    Right after I parted with Letina, I stormed into Maxwell¡¯s residence. This situation would soon reach the ears of Cortina, Lyell and Maria. But before that happened I first wanted to talk with this geezer.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the big idea, huh?¡±


    ¡°What could you be talking about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb! I¡¯m talking about putting Elliot on teacher duty!!!¡±


    ¡°Ohh, so he already approached you? He is quite passionate contrary to his appearance it seems.¡±


    Maxwell continued ying dumb as he tried to entertain me with tea. But he wouldn¡¯t be able to brush this off so easily. Since I was a guy on the inside, the current situation where a guy was trying to approach me could, in the extreme case, potentially get my identity busted.


    No, let me stop beating around the bush and say it straight. What did I do to deserve getting picked up by guys? Marriage proposals would always get a straight no from me, I wouldn¡¯t ever budge on that.


    ¡°Now now. I can see where you areing from, Reid.¡±


    ¡°Like hell you do!¡±


    ¡°Calm down and think about it. Elliot is quite a pitiable boy despite the way he appears.¡±


    Maxwell started to talk as if to persuade me.


    He had lost his parents when he was too little to understand anything. Then he was used as a symbol of the country, almost like a puppet. Once he grew up, he had to get involved in politics, so he did not even have time left for his own self.


    Then as Lyell talked on and on about her beloved daughter to him, the authorities around him suggested, Why not make her your wife? It was natural that his interest was piqued after all that.


    ¡°I am instead surprised that he endured it for so long.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I can¡¯t possibly ept his proposal, you know?¡±


    ¡°That is something you can decide. But I wanted to give him some time to take a breather.¡±


    ¡°I understand your feelings¡­ But dating a guy is impossible for me.¡±


    ¡°I know that. And if it got leaked, Cortina would kill me.¡±


    Letting him stay in Raum as a breather was fine. But we had to make him give up on ¡®getting close to me¡¯.


    ¡°What should I do¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you not just tly reject him?¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s a king, you know? If I do it poorly, his honor could get crushed. That would leave somesting effects.¡±


    Hero¡¯s daughter I may be, I was still amoner. Someone on the bottom of the socialdder rejecting the king that sat at the top could have people look down on him. And being looked down was a big demerit for someone that managed a country.


    ¡°And I can¡¯t just be the trigger of that, you know?¡±


    I was acquainted with Elliot. But this is back when he was still a cute kid. If possible, I wanted to avoid driving him into a disadvantage.


    ¡°Quite a troublesome situation you are in.¡±


    ¡°You are the one that caused it!¡±


    ¡°Such things are Cortina¡¯s area of expertise. How about you tell her everything and ask her to cooperate?¡±


    ¡°You want me to be killed!?¡±


    Ever since I¡¯ve be Nicole, I¡¯ve shared kisses with Cortina, and even seen her naked. We were like a family now, knowing all about each other¡¯s embarrassing secrets. If she learned that the other part was a man she once rejected¡­ was something I didn¡¯t even want to imagine.


    ¡°Are you sure you are not making things worse?¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡±


    Either way, I had to do something about this. I racked my brains, but nothing good came to my mind.


    ¡°Hey, old man. What should I do¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Well, there is one simple solution¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I jumped to my feet and approached him. I couldn¡¯t imagine a solution that would take care of the life affairs that involved a royalty.


    ¡°Yes, there is. A very simple one.¡±


    ¡°Stop putting on airs and just tell me already, will you?¡±


    ¡°You simply have to get rejected by him.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s words caused me to stiffen in ce. Me? Get rejected by a guy?


    ¡°In short, the problem is that he has an interest in you. If that interest is gone, he should stop clinging to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine and all¡­ But how to get rejected is the problem.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe it would be a problem if you show him your current appearance.¡±


    Certainly, it was hard to call me a beauty the way I looked now ¨C sitting cross-legged on the sofa and gulping down the tea from the cup I held like a beer mug. If he saw me like this, he would surely be disillusioned.


    But that would harm my own reputation too. It¡¯s not like I wanted to be ady, but I had a favorable impression and I didn¡¯t want to damage it if I could help it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m on board with that idea.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Yes, that should work. You just have to make him fall for another woman.¡±


    ¡°Another woman?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. If he falls head over heels for someone else, he would naturally stop getting involved with you.¡±


    I see. If he finds his ideal partner, he would reconsider amoner like me. But I had no clues on where to look for his ¡°ideal partner¡±.


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not guaranteed that she would fall for Elliot either.¡±


    ¡°If you are going to seize the initiative for it, you might as well y that part too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°In other words¡­ You just have to make him fall for your transformed appearance!¡±


    This old b?a?s?t?a?r?d? finally went and said something unbelievable.

 Chapter 142: A Shadow

    <h4>Chapter 142: A Shadow</h4>


    I more or less had the mentality of respecting elders, but I wasn¡¯t tolerant enough to swallow that earlier statement from him. So I decided to smack him on the head once before questioning him once again. Unfortunate thing was, a little girl¡¯s punch didn¡¯t seem to have dealt any significant damage to him.


    ¡°Again, what was that?¡± ¡°Ow-ow, I said you just had to make him fall for you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just putting the cart before the horse!¡±


    Why should I make the guy that was trying to court me fall in love with me? Wouldn¡¯t he just end up following me around instead?


    ¡°No, no, you got it wrong. I did not mean your current form, but your adult one.¡± ¡°The adult one?¡± ¡°Indeed, use your adult form illusion and make him fall!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He had two reasons for courting me. One was that I was a beautiful girl that would surely turn into a fine woman one day. Another was about who my parents were. Now, if a third party appeared there and he fell for her, while I also had my parents promise him their cooperation, his aim should naturally move on to her.


    ¡°Hmm, that doesn¡¯t sound so bad actually¡­¡±


    Changing his target to a fabricated person didn¡¯t sound so bad. If it was some actual person instead, it could get problematic in its own way. They couldck in good faith, or in the extreme case, even influence the throne.


    But if it was a fictional person, they could just disappear whenever I wanted. If I keep his aim redirected for about five more years¡­ then leave the town as an Adventurer or be independent once I approach the age of my fictional appearance, even he should not be able to do anything unreasonable.


    ¡°Looks like you will be able to buy about five years with this method, would you agree?¡± ¡°But it will be troublesome after that.¡± ¡°Well, we shall be protecting you for as long as you remain in town, so he would not be able to attempt anything. After that, you can just leave the town.¡± ¡°You make it sound so simple¡­¡± ¡°You used to move between towns when you acted as an assassin, right? If so, it should not prove to be that difficult for you.¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    I was a wandering assassin, to begin with, so I had various bases hidden across thend. Moreover, the ces where I hid the Evil Dragon¡¯s parts were left alone all this time, so I wanted to check on them too.


    One day, I definitely had to leave my parents¡¯ side and set out on a journey.


    ¡°Well, there is indeed a reason for me to go out, but¡­¡± ¡°Not just that. You can¡¯t leave little Michelle as is either, right?¡± ¡°Michelle?¡± ¡°She holds the Gift of Marksmanship. She even has a divine bow. She is talented enough that not just thisd Elliot, but every nation in the world would want in their army.¡± ¡°¡­You are right.¡± ¡°I am protecting her now, but what about when she graduates? Everyone would surely startpeting over her then.¡±


    Even now, she had such an urate hitting rate that it was no exaggeration to call her a dead shot. Moreover, with the strengthening effect of the bangle, she could even fire the Third Eye freely for a few minutes.


    Its destructive power left everything else in the dust. In a war, she could even shoot the enemy general from an extremely long distance.


    She was simply a genius of that level. And at the same time, a loose cannon. Someone the countries couldn¡¯t leave alone.


    When she graduates from the Adventurer academy, scouts from every nation would surelye in floods. And the only way of evading them was leaving the country.


    In the end, Michelle and I had no choice but to flee this country after a few years.


    ¡°What a pain this situation is¡­¡± ¡°You have a hand in developing her Gift. It stands to reason that it would be a pain.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡±


    I suppose that could be true given it¡¯s her we are talking about. But I couldn¡¯t just take her along.


    ¡°Either way, it is still a few years too early to worry about that. You have to prioritize seducing Elliot now.¡± ¡°I suppose thates first, yeah.¡± ¡°First, you have to learn how to seduce Elliot!¡±


    Setting aside the grave future, Maxwell suggested that in amusement.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to learn the essential ¡®feminine behavior¡¯ that you would need to make him fall for you.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± ¡°Your appearance itself has a seal of approval from me.¡± ¡°You can shove it!¡± ¡°What is left is behaving like a woman. You are far too unrefined.¡± ¡°Leave me be!¡±


    There was hardly a difference between the conduct of kids of either sex. However, after reaching ten, their conduct starts to slowly differ. At the moment, people at the academy viewed me as ¡®a hard worker¡¯ who trains hard despite her frail body, and a ¡®youngdy¡¯ who ys the piano after school.


    Given who my parents were, there were few students that approached me, but Letina and Michelle evaluated me as ¡°you are kinda sloppy, Nicole¡±.


    Maria who seemed like she¡¯d be strict when it came to manners was actually taking a non-interference stance, thus I was gradually bing more boyish.


    ¡°Fuhahaha, leave it to me. My popr self shall educate you personally.¡± ¡°I¡¯m reaaaally hating the idea though!?¡±


    And like that, I was forced to takedy lessons until the evening.


    When the sun setting and the streets started to be dyed in red, I was finally freed from Maxwell¡¯s grasp. As I returned back dejectedly, a fruit selling old man that I was familiar with called out to me in worry.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the matter, Lady Nicole? You look awfully fatigued today.¡± ¡°Old man, stop calling medy.¡± ¡°Ahaha, given your usual response, it seems everything is alright, eh? Here, I¡¯ll give you this so cheer up!¡±


    He took one of the apples that I often bought from the fruit basket and threw it my way. I threw both of my hands and caught it. I could¡¯ve done it with one hand in my previous life, but it was too much for me now. My hands were too small.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡±


    I wiped the apple with my cuff and took a bite. Its sweet and sour juices filled my mouth, ridding me of some mental fatigue.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good.¡± ¡°I know, right? Everything I sell is tasty, after all!¡±


    Suddenly, I felt a strange presence. No¡­ I think it has been following me ever since I left the academy?


    ¡°It was tasty. Thank you.¡± ¡°d you liked it.¡±


    I told my thanks to the old man and hurriedly left the ce behind. I was followed by a suspicious individual so I wanted to get away as fast as possible. I personally wanted to walk away gantly, but it ended up sounding more like a toddler.


    As I felt the warm gaze of the old man on my back, I intentionally rushed into an area devoid of people.

 Chapter 143: A Clumsy Assailant

    <h4>Chapter 143: A Clumsy Assant</h4>


    I intentionally entered the back street to avoid the human eyes. The other party seems to have realized that too and showed themselves before me. Quite a sportsmanlike attitude I would say.


    The one before me appeared to be a young girl. I say ¡®appeared to be¡¯ because she was hiding her face and I couldn¡¯t distinguish her features.


    Herpletely ck attire was practically screaming that she was into some shady business.


    ¡°Heh, it seems you do know when to give up.¡± ¡°¡­¡±


    The girl¡ªlet¡¯s just call her that for convenience¡¯s sake¡ªdidn¡¯t respond to my words and drew short swords from her back. She faced me with clear killing intent.


    ¡°Oh, you wanna go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Of course. And who are you supposed to be?¡± ¡°Who? I¡¯m a beautiful little girl as you can see, you know?¡±


    The voice that came after a little pause sounded quite young. I cracked a joke, making it sound a little provocative too, and waited to see how she¡¯d react. I didn¡¯t know who she was, but she¡¯d been following me ever since I left the academy, and yet she hasn¡¯t shown any signs of harming me until now.


    But now that she did, there must have been a reason that caused it.


    ¡°I thought you were a girl with influential parents being her only grace, but you discovered me and even had the nerve to tempt me. And you don¡¯t even budge after receiving my killing intent¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that? I¡¯m just used to it.¡±


    I was constantly in a kill or be killed situation in my previous life. As if some little girl¡¯s killing intent would affect me now. No well, I was a little girl myself now, but still.


    ¡°You¡­ Could it be that you reced her while she was away from her parents¡­¡± ¡°No no, this is how I¡¯ve always been, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way a mere girl could shrug off my killing intent!¡± ¡°What are you asking me to do then!¡±


    She brandished her swords at my words. Full of killing intent. And hostility. However, there was no malice. I didn¡¯t know why, but I just couldn¡¯t hate this strange enemy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you don¡¯t really look like a scoundrel¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! You took Lady Nicole¡¯s form and approached King Elliot. How outrageous! I shall reveal your true colors!¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Elliot¡¯s subordinate?¡± ¡°¡­Y-You did not hear that.¡±


    So she¡¯s a clumsy girl, huh? If she was Elliot¡¯s subordinate, then she must be a guard employed to guard him for sure. She was probably a secret agent that guarded him without him even knowing about it. Though, I felt like she was a little too young for that.


    ¡°Here I go!¡±


    Warning me about her attack already disqualified her as a secret agent. If it were me, I would¡¯ve silentlyid my traps and sealed the enemy¡¯s movements by now.


    Either way, I felt like it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to ¡®y¡¯ with this girl, so I decided to keep her somepany. I grabbed my threads on the left hand and sent them to strengthen my underfoot and right arm.


    Rushing straight at me like that was a dead giveaway of her character. I dodged her sh by kicking the alley wall and jumping over her. Right as Inded behind her, I instantly moved to sweep her legs. Since she was with Elliot, I couldn¡¯t just injure her, after all.


    However, she decided to stop my leg sweep by bracing herself on the ground. She probably judged that she would be able to stop it based on how light I was. Observing my appearance and making the judgment to block rather than evade my attack showed that she was surprisingly level-headed.


    I returned my leg after it was warded off and took some distance with one rotation. The next moment, her fistnded where I previously stood. By bracing herself on the ground, it also lowered her center of gravity. She used it to her advantage and attacked with a punch, so her decisions were quite good.


    ¡°Ah, this turned out quite fun.¡± ¡°Stop messing around!¡±


    She was still far too inexperienced from my eyes. But I could clearly feel her great potential. People always treated me like a kid ever since I reincarnated, so seeing her putting up such a desperate struggle put a smile on my face.


    ¡°Grrr, take this seriously!¡± ¡°I mean¡­ I feel like that would be a waste.¡±


    Lately, I¡¯ve been one-sidedly tormented by Maxwell and even lost to a monster out of carelessness, so I had quite a bit of stress piled up.


    In the first ce, I specialized in personalbat, so the monsters were out of my expertise. Even so, I grouped up with the heroes and fought the Evil Dragon¡­ that was as far from my field as you could possibly take.


    After I reincarnated, they kept teaching us about the monsters in the magic academy. The previous battle with the Poison Monster was the prime example of what would happen with insufficient knowledge.


    I drew the katana from my back and met her swords. She was using short swords, so the katana was more than enough to block them.


    We stopped and exchanged a few blows like that. She clearly specialized in fast battles. Mixing a short sword and hand to handbat was quite hard to do for people other than me.


    I blocked her left sword with the katana, dodged her right sword, and responded with kicks and punches. She cleverly reacted to them and dodged.


    ¡°Oh boy, this feels like the training with Cloud!¡± ¡°Damn you, are you making a fool out of me!?¡±


    Her face was flushed from anger¡ªI mean, I couldn¡¯t see it, but probably¡ªbut I had to return already or Finia would worry. I felt a bit sorry, but I had to end the battle and have some talk with her.


    Fortunately, she hasn¡¯t said anything that was linked to my identity, so it should be easy to convince her that I¡¯m the real deal.


    She rushed at me with a sh. I responded to her sh with my own that had my weight put into it, and flicked it off. However, doing that also broke my posture so I couldn¡¯t attack.


    We were both in each other¡¯s range, both with broken postures. The first to have recovered from the recoil was me, who was strengthened by threads. No, perhaps the threads had no rtion to this.


    I let go of my katana and closed the distance empty-handed. The range was too short for the sword use. She made a big blunder and hurriedly tried to retract her sword.


    Because she couldn¡¯t think of letting go of her weapon during the battle. She didn¡¯t yet have enough courage to do it while at a disadvantage. I grabbed her elbow and dragged her down into a pinning technique.


    ¡°Wha-!? Oww-owowowowow!¡±


    I stretched her joint and put her in a reverse armlock. Then I pushed down on her shoulder with my body weight.


    ¡°Ready to give up?¡± ¡°I will not give in to evil!¡± ¡°Hng!¡± ¡°Pigyaaaaa!?¡±


    And thus, the pitiful girl had surrendered. I did not expect her to hold out that long.

 Chapter 144: The Inexperienced Agent

    <h4>Chapter 144: The Inexperienced Agent</h4>


    She stood her ground for quite a bit, but she eventually sumbed to my locking techniques. She had no way to counterattack, simply lying on the floor with her arm being stretched to extremes. If she was face up, there might still have been something she could have done, but with a ground pushed to her face, there was nothing she could do.


    After she admitted defeat and promised not to run, I finally let her go. After she realized that I had no intention to kill her, she finally turned obedient. I stood imposingly in front and fired my questions.


    ¡°Now then, who are you? Why did you follow me? Why did you attack me?¡±


    I had her kneel on the ground and removed the mask that hid half of her face. What I saw was the face of a girl even younger than I initially assumed. I thought she was just someone that sounded young, but looking at her appearance, she wasn¡¯t even 20 years old.


    ¡°H-Huh? Umm, err, I can¡¯t answer everything in one go¡­¡± ¡°Then, start by introducing yourself, will you? I am Nicole. However, you should know that by now. How about you?¡± ¡°Huh? You were being so manly earlier¡­¡± ¡°Kindly shut up.¡±


    Since I had her kneel, her face was before my eyes. I shut her up with a good smack on the head. She didn¡¯t have to poke her nose where it didn¡¯t belong.


    ¡°Ouch!? Ugh¡­ So this is the shame of a loser¡­¡± ¡°So? Your name!¡± ¡°Ah, right. I am Prisci. I am King Elliot¡¯s guard¡­¡±


    I saw her eyes swimming around at that deration, so I gave her another smack to reveal what else she was hiding.


    ¡°A lie¡­ It may not be, but there¡¯s something else you aren¡¯t saying, isn¡¯t it right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Ran is myst name.¡± ¡°So, Ran from the United Alliance¡­ Hmm?¡±


    I remembered hearing that name. In my previous life at that.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Ran quite a distinguished household?¡± ¡°Well, we are counts of the former Sto Kingdom. But after the alliance, we act as King Elliot¡¯s guards.¡±


    Prisci exined proudly while still kneeling. You were hiding that info until now, so what are you acting so proud about it? I retorted on reflex.


    Then¡­ I remembered something. Ran of the Sto Kingdom, huh? Their count status did not give them much influence, but they served the kings as their personal fight specialists for generations.


    Naturally, they could fight more than just humans too, so they were quite useful as stealth corps. Thanks to them, it was very difficult to assassinate big shots of the Sto Kingdom.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯ll do for your background check. Next¡­ Why were you following me?¡± ¡°I mean, I had to check what kind of person was the girl that King Elliot has fallen for. I am his guard, after all.¡± ¡°Ah, well, yeah¡­¡±


    Despite everything, Elliot was still the sole king of the United Alliance. And if we spoke strictly in terms of territory, the United Alliance that emerged from three kingdoms was by far thergest on this continent.


    To add to that, we used to protect him since his infancy, so he was always in a maelstrom of power struggle. It was natural to investigate who hispanion was.


    ¡°But you should be more than aware of who I am, though¡­?¡± ¡°Assuming you are really her.¡± ¡°I am as real as it can get!¡± ¡°For a ten or so years old kid to have mastered the art ofbat to that degree¡­ I suppose that was expected from the daughter of the heroes?¡± ¡°And you just tried to kill that ¡®daughter¡¯, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Eek!?¡±


    It seemed that she finally realized the mess she was in, she got goosebumps and started trembling. It appeared that while herbat skills were quite high, her assessment skills left much to be desired.


    Perhaps she was dispatched as Elliot¡¯s guard to gain some experience. They probably judged that they didn¡¯t need him to be overguarded, given Maxwell and Cortina resided in this country.


    ¡°Good grief, making me babysit people in their ce ¡­¡± ¡°Y-Youngdy, you seem to have quite a sharp tongue¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s dad¡¯s influence. I tend to act like a boy at times.¡±


    I was actually a man, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. So I let Lyell take the me here. I¡¯ve been studying the sword under him all this time, so that excuse worked perfectly.


    ¡°Is that so. So you are quite wild contrary to what your appearance suggests.¡± ¡°How about you, you are quite something to be chosen as Elliot¡¯s guard at such a young age. You shouldn¡¯t even be 20 years old, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m still 18. Because of that I¡¯m still inexperienced in many things and always make trouble for others.¡± ¡°You did exactly that earlier.¡± ¡°I apologize about that with all my heart!¡±


    I pointed it out while squinting my eyes, and Prisci prostrated herself on the ground in apology.


    ¡°Okay, next. Why did you attack me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ because I did not think that Lady Nicole would be such a fighter. You even lured me into an alley and did not even flinch at my killing intent, merely smiling fearlessly at me¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that isn¡¯t normal, huh¡­¡± ¡°So I judged that someone disguised themselves as Lady Nicole and tried to get close to King Elliot¡­¡± ¡°So you attacked me?¡± ¡°I judged that they should have been hiding the real Lady Nicole somewhere after they reced her.¡± ¡°I see now.¡±


    Her logic wasn¡¯t bad. However, she was thinking too inside the box. Seeing an exception like me and judging myself to be suspicious was by no means a mistake. However, it was too hasty for her to use force to ascertain it. She made such a blunder because she trusted her judgment too much.


    ¡°So that¡¯s where her inexperiencees from.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Just talking to myself. Anyway, there was no ill will behind your attack, so I can let this matter go.¡± ¡°Thank you from the bottom of my heart!¡± ¡°But my friends are quite skilled themselves, so don¡¯t go attacking them, you hear?¡± ¡°I shall engrave it to my heart!¡±


    Michelle, Letina, and Cloud who fought together with me were quite a bit stronger than appropriate for their ages. If I left her be, Prisci could very well attack them too.


    It was wise to warn her in advance.

 Chapter 145: Early Summer Excursion

    <h4>Chapter 145: Early Summer Excursion</h4>


    After letting the amateur guard go, I finally returned to Cortina¡¯s house. When I opened the door, Finia started heading over with pattering steps to greet me.


    I didn¡¯t catch her presence and walked in. That, however, made me the victim of her unrestrained hug attack.


    ¡°Wee back, Lady Nicole!¡± ¡°Woah!? Ah, it¡¯s you, Finia? Yeah, I¡¯m back.¡±


    I was too focused on the matter of Prisci, so that hug took me byplete surprise and I leaked a weird voice. Regardless of how distracted I was, I couldn¡¯t believe I failed to notice something like this; perhaps it was proof that my senses had dulled quite a bit.


    ¡°Ugh, this calls for some training, I suppose.¡± ¡°Lady Nicole, is there a need to train even more than you already do?¡±


    She promptly took the bag from my hands and arranged the shoes I took off and left as is. Following that, she positioned herself behind me; she was a wlessdy attendant in just about every way¡­ setting aside that sudden hug from before.


    ¡°Quite unlike that joke of a spy.¡± ¡°Huh? Did you say anything?¡± ¡°No, just talking to myself.¡±


    She even prepared a towel for me on rainy days, so there was really nothing else I could wish of her.


    Leaving that aside, the problem was that I have grown dull. I raised my hand and pinched my upper arm. I couldn¡¯t feel any muscle there.


    ¡°Finia, do Ick training, after all?¡± ¡°Lady Nicole, if you train even harder than you do now, you would really be like chicken bones, you know?¡± ¡°I do have quite a bit of fat on me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too low. I want you to be more squishy. It¡¯s no fun this way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about your statement there¡­¡±


    Lately, Finia had be able to clearly express her desires. She had be more touchy with me too. Before, it felt like she was putting a little distance in our rtionship, so this was a desirable oue.


    She also seemed to be growing more cheerful. Perhaps knowing about Reid¡¯s reincarnation had eased the burden on her.


    ¡°Also, I have prepared the luggage over here¡­¡± ¡°Luggage? For?¡± ¡°For the trip the day after tomorrow. I believe you were heading to see the Cosmos Garden in the Kevin Domain.¡±


    The domain of Earl Kevin. It was a simple rural town further north from here. Given it was a rural area, it had a lot of rural crafts and flower beds, and as it was at just the right distance from the capital, it was often used as the location for off-campus learning.


    It was chosen for our current excursion too, where we were going on a field trip to study a rare flower bed in the forest.


    ¡°Now that you mentioned it¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t prepared a lunch box yet, but your luggage is all here. Please confirm itter.¡± ¡°Mhm, will do.¡±


    Usually, I¡¯d have replied with ¡°since you prepared it, it doesn¡¯t need any confirmation¡±, but she tended to a bit over the top when it came to things concerning me. There was no knowing what she put in there if I didn¡¯t check.


    I went to change in my room and then opened the rucksack that she prepared. It was a lovely, red rucksack. A little too overbearing, in fact¡­


    At any rate, confirming the contents took priority now. There was an excursion guidebook, tissue paper, handkerchief, potpourri that served as an insect repellent, preserved foods, Kabby¡­ and so on.


    ¡°Does she think I¡¯m gonna plunge into some dungeon or what!? Also, raw food is prohibited!¡±


    I ended up shouting on reflex. While I was at it, I dragged out the Carbuncle that had snuck deep inside it.


    It eluded me why we¡¯d possibly need preserved foods and restorative potions for the off-campus learning that the academy was in charge of? Things like the lifesaving re were only used during disasters and idents. I couldn¡¯t imagine why we¡¯d need them during a flower field study.


    ¡°Well, I suppose going to a remote forest demands that much? Having them on hand is better than not, I guess? Still, there¡¯s too much luggage here. I¡¯ll sooner copse from its weight at this rate!¡±


    I took out all the unnecessary stuff while grumbling to myself. It was a day trip, so I didn¡¯t need any preserved foods as long as I had a lunchbox. I wasn¡¯t heading for battle so recovery potions weren¡¯t needed either. The re gun? Nope again.


    A jacket to protect from cold mighte in handy so that will stay. The potpourri¡­ stays as well since I don¡¯t want to have bite marks on my skin.


    ¡°Huh, my skin?¡±


    Why did I suddenly be attentive to my skin? I was about to throw it away too¡­ but it had an unexpectedly good smell wafting from it so I hesitated.


    Perhaps it used that strong flower fragrance to ward from the insects. But leaving that part aside, the fragrance itself was quite nice in itself.


    ¡°Oh well.¡±


    I fastened it on the side of the rucksack and put it on my back as a test. Now that it was less than half of its original weight, even I could easily carry it, and it had a nicevender scent to top it off.


    The scent drifted every time I moved, so I started twirling around and enjoying the perfume.


    Then, I finally noticed it.


    The door to my room was slightly open and Cortina and Finia were peeking through the gap. They had warm smiles on their faces, as if they had witnessed something pleasant.


    Taking the situation into ount, it looks as if I just finished my preparations and started twirling around with the rucksack on my back in anticipation of the trip. Of course they¡¯d have such pleasant expressions. Even I¡¯d have been the same.


    ¡°Don¡¯t peek at meeeeee!?¡± ¡°Ahaha! You are a kid after all, Nicole!¡± ¡°Cortina, I¡¯ll smite you.¡± ¡°Kyaa, I¡¯m so scaaared. Time to ruuun!¡±


    Seeing me pumping my fist and resorting to the use of force, she pushed both hands up and broke into a dash. Finia ran in the opposite direction, which was quite a sound judgment on her part. Don¡¯t go doing tactical fleeing inside the house!


    Damn it, I¡¯ll remember this, you two!

 Chapter 146: Teleportation Circle

    <h4>Chapter 146: Teleportation Circle</h4>


    It has been two days. The day of the excursion had finallye. The destination was a small territory, but a rural town of the frontier nheless. It was not a distance that kids could cover on a day trip. But this was a slightly extravagant trip that utilized the teleportation circle of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    Since the magic circle needed a huge amount of magic power to activate, it required many magicians, as such the price was befittingly high. However, the magic academy had a magic power tank by the name of Maxwell.


    If it was him, he could activate the magic circle all by himself. Moreover, he knew its workings too. Were the Guild to refuse the request, he could make the circle himself, so it was in their best interest to just ept the money.


    And as such, they responded to this request in an extremely favorable way.


    ¡°Okay, everyone, please line up here!¡±


    The staff member guided us, kids, with a polite tone. They even gave us candy inmemoration. But that was only natural, as the teleportation needed about a bag of candy¡¯s worth of silver coins, yet Maxwell easily handed it over, so they were all smiles.


    Most of us were from noble families, but kids were still kids. It was a rare excursion, so many among us could not contain their excitement.


    The academy did simr excursions once a year, and took kids on trips under the pretext of widening their knowledge. This was already the fourth time for me too.


    I felt a bit bad for the staff member who was stuck with humoring the excited kids, but it was a good opportunity for us to blow off some steam.


    ¡°Or that¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be, so what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re no fun. I¡¯m just worried about you and decided to keep youpany.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Shoo.¡±


    A single part-time teacher was following me, a single student, around. It goes without saying but, it was Elliot. A fine man in his twenties shouldn¡¯t be following a kid around, good grief.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t honestly say I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about my parents, isn¡¯t it? I know already.¡± ¡°Marrying you would, in turn, strengthen my connections with your parents. It¡¯s a natural oue. You could say it¡¯s my lifeline.¡±


    Elliot was a survivor of a ruined royalty. The neighboring countries decided to back him up to secure their safety and formed the United Three Nations. Us, the Six Heroes, had a role to y in executing his n.


    In other words, Elliot¡¯s royal dignity authority was inferior to other nations. In the worst case, the subjects of other nations would look down on him as a puppet. It was thanks to us that such a development was narrowly avoided.


    I could understand his desire to pull me in and secure my parents¡¯ cooperation.


    ¡°I praise your honesty, but people normally wouldn¡¯t mention the power struggle, you know?¡± ¡°I felt like it would be more effective if I revealed everything to you.¡± ¡°Was it that who told you to?¡± ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t that.¡±


    Towards the direction I was looking, there was Prisci who was on guard duty but pretending to be a teacher. She wore the teachers¡¯ suit, but given how young she was, it didn¡¯t really fit her¡­ And Cortina was next to her.


    Because this temporary-teacher (Royalty) was next to me, even Letina who was usually beside me was keeping her distance. Even Matisse was anxious about this mysterious (LOL) teacher and didn¡¯te close.


    ¡°My friends aren¡¯t approaching me, so can you go away?¡± ¡°Oh man, I¡¯m looking forward to this trip too.¡± ¡°Are you even listening?¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯ve rarely left the castle, you know?¡± ¡°Cortina, get this weirdo away from me!¡±


    I finally lost my patience and called for reinforcements. Hearing that, Cortina who was guiding the students rushed towards me. She didn¡¯t particrly hate Elliot, but she was still sensitive towards the ¡°bugs¡± that tried to approach me.


    ¡°Okay, the weirdo there, go back to work!¡± ¡°Ahh, Lady Cortina, don¡¯t be so unreasonable!¡±


    Cortina grabbed him by the nape and dragged him away. Considering that she took care of him since childhood, he couldn¡¯t go against her regardless of his status as the king. By all rights, it should¡¯ve been the same towards me.


    Well, just wait. I¡¯ll make you fall head over heels by my charms one of these days. Wait, I mean my transformed self, not the current one.


    Either way, once Elliot, who acted like a typical nobleman, left my side, Matisse and Letina finally came close. Honestly, I¡¯d much rather be surrounded by cute girls, so this was a big help.


    ¡°Mr. Elliot sure is a weirdo, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°I-Indeed¡­¡±


    Matisse didn¡¯t know that he was the king of Union. But Letina who did know wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to it. She may be young, but she still understood that his identity wasn¡¯t to be disclosed.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Elliot went away, huh?¡± ¡°Michelle, where were you all this time?¡± ¡°Over there.¡±


    The Adventurer Academy also took part in this time¡¯s excursion. As such, Michelle had to be here as well. However, she did not show up while Elliot was with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m also a bit bad at dealing with that teacher. Sorry, okay?¡±


    There was no one who¡¯d get mad at her when she was apologizing so cutely with her hands together. Elliot had an appearance that any girl of marriageable age would instantly fall for, but he was quite badly received among kids.


    As expected, his conduct built on appearances gave them an ufortable feeling. Kids were sensitive when it came to such things.

 Chapter 147: Her Tastes

    <h4>Chapter 147: Her Tastes</h4>


    The moment the teleportation circle was booted up, my surroundings got dyed in bright light and it made me feel a bit dizzy. This was the so-called teleportation sickness, and one of the main reasons why it couldn¡¯t be used in battles despite its extreme usefulness.


    When the light died down and the dizziness went away, there were vast grasnds spread before me. This was a teleportation location just outside of the Kevin domain, and a little walk from here would take us to the town.


    Still, there was no change to the fact that this was a sight you wouldn¡¯t see in the Raum¡¯s capital, so Letina and Matisse voiced their admiration at the abundant grasnds spread before them.


    Michelle and I weren¡¯t surprised by this level of grasnds, however. We were the genuine country bumpkins that originated from an even more rural ce.


    ¡°Amazing! I¡¯ve never seen such huge grasnds!¡±


    Matisse shouted full of unusual liveliness. Even Letina dropped her usually indifferent attitude and was restlessly looking around.


    Given the way she was acting, she¡¯d definitely start running around if we left her be. We were well aware that Letina had a mischievous nature contrary to what her appearance suggested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break the line now, okay?¡± ¡°I-I know already!¡±


    She replied to my warning in a suspicious way. Michelle starting giggling when she saw it.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We are walking to the Cosmos Garden. Everyone form two rows and follow me!¡±


    Cortina shouted and started leading the way. At the end of the rows was Elliot who kept a close eye so the kids would not go astray. I also held hands with Matisse and followed the path.


    ¡°Letina, stop looking at me so greedily.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll switch to youter, so wait.¡± ¡°Sorry, Lady Letina.¡±


    Seeing Letina putting up a tough front made even Matisse break into a smile. And thus, we spent the rest of the ride in such a lively manner.


    Prisci wasn¡¯t with us now, but she should have secretly slipped in during the teleportation and followed us. I could sense her presence so she was definitely observing us from somewhere.


    Although we were walking, it¡¯s not like we were that close to our destination. It was a distance you¡¯d usually cover with a carriage.


    This time, we weren¡¯t going to the Kevin domain¡¯s town, but instead to study the Cosmos fields on its edge. Then we¡¯d have lunch there and return back to this teleportation location and go back to the Academy.


    It was hardly something to call an adventure, but kids like Matisse who rarely left the town thought otherwise.


    ¡°Ah, look, bees! But why are they so strangely round?¡±


    Matisse pointed at the bugs flying around and raised a cheer.


    ¡°Those are honeybees. They have a habit of collecting the flower nectar, so they aren¡¯t seen in towns that often.¡±


    Letina thoroughly exined it to her. She did it while throwing out her chest, which was her habit whenever she wanted to boast.


    ¡°They are delicious if you fry them with sugar, you know?¡± ¡°Wait, they are edible?¡± ¡°Yup, they are sweet!¡±


    Michelle said something exceedingly bumpkin-like. But as she said, honeybees that had high nutritious value were indeed precious ingredients in rural areas that had food problems. It was a little difficult to make a city dweller like Matisse nod to that.


    I held back augh at her stiff reply at Michelle¡¯sment. I don¡¯t know how it happened, but in the academy, she had a reputation of a ¡°collected and hardworking youngdy¡±. There was hardly a reason for me to ruin that reputation with myughter.


    ¡°Ah, look! A cow! It¡¯s a cow!¡± ¡°Yeah, looks tasty.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    Matisse once again shouted in excitement when she saw a cow that was grazing leisurely, but Michelle only saw it as an ingredient. In the first ce, we hunted a buffalo around the capital, so it wasn¡¯t such a rare sight. For us, that is.


    Even after that, Matisse reacted a few more times whenever she saw some animal only to be replied with ¡®looks tasty¡¯ by Michelle.


    ¡°You really eat anything, huh, Michelle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not everything¡­ but I suppose I eat everything that¡¯s huntable?¡± ¡°You are pretty¡­ wild, huh.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not just me, Nicole¡¯s the same, okay?¡± ¡°Really?¡±


    She looked at me to pass the topic¡­ but I wasn¡¯t sure it would do good to my reputation to answer truthfully. After all, while I was Lyell and Maria¡¯s child, I was also a huge bumpkin. I ate bees and hunted cows. And in some cases, I even ate lizard-like monsters called Kratos.


    This was partly due to my discipline from the adventuring days, but my parents did not particrlyment on it other than saying that it was good that I wasn¡¯t a picky eater.


    Rather, when remembering my infancy days where I ate far too little, I was thankful to eat whatever food was offered to me.


    ¡°W-Well¡­ I suppose I eat most things that can be put on the table. And there are various customs based on regions too.¡± ¡°Oh, you are quite well informed, Nicole.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite informed yourself, Letina, since you are exining all that.¡±


    I was mainly specialized in personal battles since my previous life, so my knowledge about monster ecology wasn¡¯t that good. That kind of knowledge fell under Maxwell, Cortina and Maria¡¯s field of expertise. I merely followed their directions and aimed for the weaknesses that they taught me.


    For that reason, I barely had knowledge regarding the monsters I¡¯ve never actually seen. It was far easier for me to challenge humans whose abilities could be guessed from their movements and posture.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing too, Lady Letina!¡±


    Matisse still used dy¡¯ when referring to Letina. This was because she was still a major noble of this country. I was amoner by standing, so she was more casual with me, but part of the reason was that I hated being called with honorifics.


    Thus, while we were busy talking amongst us, our destination, the field of flowers, finally came into sight. Kevin Domain was originally in the middle of the forest, but the lord cleaned up the trees, and after searching for the local specialties that would suit the climate, he settled on the flower fields.


    The various flowers distributed from their fields were tended with magic and drugs and made to be hard to wither, and then shipped to every corner of Raum. And then, they were used to decorate various ceremonies and rituals. Such vast flower fields were a rarity even in Raum.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re here! Take a look, this is the Cosmos Garden!¡±


    Cortina announced it while spreading her hands. Behind her, there was a field full of multicolored flowers blooming in profusion.

 Chapter 148: The Flower Fields

    <h4>Chapter 148: The Flower Fields</h4>


    As we arrived at the flower fields guided by the teachers, the sight greeting us was certainly something worthing here for.


    An unnaturally vast field was cleared out inside the forest and blooming full of multicolored flowers. It seemed that the fields closest to us were just the idle ones, so the Cosmos flowers that were our goal did not bloom here. Even so, white clovers that were proof of richnd were blooming in profusion here.


    That carpet of white and green was gently fluttering under the influence of June¡¯s wind. It was a refreshing sight that made us forget that we were in a humid season.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Seeing that sight the girls raised wondrous voices. Even Letina and Michelle were no exceptions. Of course, neither was I.


    ¡°Amazing, there are flowers everywhere!¡± ¡°Yeah, amazing.¡± ¡°These are just idle fields, right? Then I wonder if we can pick some of them?¡±


    Seeing the white clovers Letina started fidgeting around. She seemed to be holding back the urge to rush towards them. Cortina looked at them in smiles and issued the next instructions.


    ¡°Okay, okay, attention! This Kevin domain, you see, is a territory that has opened up when a hero of old defeated a Giant.¡±


    Cortina started narrating the anecdote rted to this domain. It was a fresh experience for us to hold lessons among grasnds. Apparently, this domain was under an attack of a Giant Zombie. Then the hero of that time called Kevin drove it back and was awarded this territory where he cleared thends.


    There was a big valley in the west of the vige, where the Giant is assumed to have been subjugated. The fact that there was a Giant Zombie meant that Giants lived there. Many Adventurers were lured by Giants¡¯ treasures and the vige prospered.


    However, Kevin who took over thisnd believed that such prosperity wasn¡¯t destined tost long, and thus, he decided to cultivate the flower fields as local specialties. As Raum was a kingdom surrounded by forests,rge quantities of the same type of flowers were quite valuable.


    After telling the rough history to the kids, Cortina ended her lecture with a p.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it for the lesson. Let¡¯s eat some lunch now, shall we? I received permission to enter the fields so we can enjoy our lunch there. After that, I have to talk with the one taking care of the ntations.¡± ¡°Teacher, can we pick some flowers?¡± ¡°Sure, I have permission for that. But don¡¯t pick the Cosmos flowers that are on the other side, okay?¡± ¡°Okaaay!¡±


    Hearing the word lunch, even the boys all rushed inside the flower fields. They spread open the pic nkets in a self-first manner, formed groups and opened their bags.


    Letina and Michelle grabbed my hands and lead me inside. Matisse followed us a step behind; a behavior that was much like her.


    Michelle and Letina who practiced with me had more stamina to sparepared to the other kids. As such, they prioritized diving into the grassy ins instead of opening their lunchboxes.


    ¡°Woow, it¡¯s soft!¡± ¡°Good grief, Michelle, your clothes will get dirty you know?¡±


    Letina said all that, but she herself plopped down on the grass. The grass left green stains on her academy uniform, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all. Rather, the smell of the crushed grass was making her feel better instead.


    It brought about a refreshing feel as if seeping into their tired bodies.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this remind you of our vige, Nicole?¡±


    As they were holding my hands, I ended up diving into the grass against my will. While I was lying on my face unlike them, a somewhat lonely mutter of Michelle reached my ears.


    Indeed, this abundant nature reminded me of my northern homnd. Me aside, Michelle moved to Raum with her entire family, so she did not really feel homesick until now.


    But even so, she still had friends there that she ended up parted with. She always had that mischievous nature and often yed with boys in the fields. Even when we were attacked by Kobolds back then, she was together with me.


    These nostalgic grasnds probably reminded her of the friends that she had left behind.


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe we should go to the northern kingdom on our next break?¡± ¡°Huh, would that be alright?¡±


    You needed about two weeks to reach the United Three Nations from Raum with a carriage. This was roughly how long it¡¯d take to reach some other kingdom too, so it wasn¡¯t like we came from an especially distant one. There were students from various countries in the Magic Academy of Raum.


    There were many among them that returned back to their homnd during vacations. But those were mostly nobles that could afford pricey teleportation devices.


    When it came to less wealthy ones, their round trip would consume most of their long-holidays, so most tended to give up and instead spend it in the lodging house or dormitories.


    Michelle¡¯s family wasn¡¯t wealthy enough to afford teleportation, so they did not leave Raum even during the long breaks. Naturally, since my parents frequently visited me, I never considered returning back either.


    ¡°If we ask mom, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take us there. Or we can ask Lord Maxwell instead.¡± ¡°I see. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for your parents, Nicole. I feel a little jealous.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ R-really?¡±


    I felt like I made a slip of the tongue there. I was born into a somewhat¡­ Or rather, an unbelievably blessed family. By all rights, leaving the kingdom was a serious event in itself. My senses became numb since my parents came and went as if nothing.


    Unlike me, Michelle¡¯s was an ordinary huntsman family. They weren¡¯t in a position where they could go back to their homnd so easily. Perhaps my statement earlier sounded as if I was showing off that it was an easy thing to do.


    ¡°Um¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°Hmm, for what?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡±


    She would never say it aloud, but I felt bad about it, so I apologized just in case. Letina read the mood and didn¡¯t make any unnecessaryments. She used to be noisy before, but it seemed that she had learned to read the mood.


    Given her conduct, it was not long until she would be a famousdy of high society.


    ¡°Hey, everyone. Let¡¯s eat before it¡¯s toote, okay?¡±


    Matisse cut into our conversation. She wasn¡¯t training her body like we were, so her stomach was already reaching its limit. She cheerfully spread the nket and put the luggage on it.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. Let me help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m already done.¡±


    The nket was already spread and so was her lunchbox. All we needed to do was bring our own lunch boxes over. She had already done everything in our stead.


    ¡°M-My apologies. I¡¯ve done something inexcusable during my excitement.¡± ¡°Letina, you are always excited.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case!¡±


    There was a homesick Michelle and the attentive Matisse. I went to tease Letina to brush aside the guilt I felt towards the two.


    And thus, I opened my lunchbox that had Finia¡¯s heart and soul put into it, wemenced our lunch.

 Chapter 149: The Supervisor Is Nowhere to Be Seen

    <h4>Chapter 149: The Supervisor Is Nowhere to Be Seen</h4>


    Based on our schedule, once we had our lunch in the idle fields, we were going to have the ntation staff guide us to the Cosmos fields. Following that schedule, we finished our lunch and were having an after-meal rest.


    Cortina passed by us while swaying her tail around. She had her thin finger on her chin, a habit of hers whenever she was in deep thought.


    ¡°Cortina, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mmm, oh¡­ It¡¯s you, Nicole. Well, there¡¯s a bit of a problem, you see.¡±


    She looked behind me and hesitated to say it. Based on her conduct, it was probably something she didn¡¯t want the other students to hear.


    I stood up from the nket and followed her to a ce separated from the other kids. Letina seemed to have guessed the reason and did not try to follow us. Being in a party with me had sharpened her intuition.


    When we came to a ce where other students wouldn¡¯t hear us, Cortina finally started to talk.


    ¡°Well, I guess I can speak frankly with you. The field supervisor should show up about now, but they are nowhere to be seen.¡± ¡°Nowhere to be seen? Isn¡¯t that a big deal?¡±


    The person who should be here wasn¡¯t showing up. That meant either they forgot about today¡¯s ns or something came up and they couldn¡¯te, or maybe something urred that made them unable toe.


    If they simply forgot about it, that was still fine. If something came up, they should¡¯ve contacted us by all rights. But the worst was if they were unable toe due to some reason.


    They could¡¯ve gotten sick, or had some other task. Either way, their safety was the concern now.


    ¡°Might be better to go look for them.¡± ¡°True, but I can¡¯t just leave the students and go.¡± ¡°What about Elliot, then? A part-timer he may be, he¡¯s still a teacher, right?¡± ¡°Making him move independently¡­ would be problematic in its own way.¡±


    Despite everything, he was still the king of the United Kingdom of the north. There were still many who aimed for his life. Hence the reason why he had an elite guard like Prisci apanying him.


    Making him move independently in this countryside would be giving them a perfect opportunity.


    ¡°What a pain for a teacher.¡± ¡°I¡¯m with you there.¡±


    Cortina giggled seeing me trying to hold back my curses. But with everything said, it wasn¡¯t a good n to keep on waiting under these circumstances.


    ¡°Then, how about we go search for them in your stead.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good idea¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we may not look like it, but we¡¯ve had our fair share of adventures already.¡±


    Taking Matisse with us would be pushing it, but Michelle and Letina had enough experience to follow me into the forest. They should be plenty good to deal with minor emergencies.


    ¡°¡­Right then. Waiting like this will do us no good, so can I leave that to you?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t be reckless, okay? I know you are the type that tends to be reckless in these situations.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll deal with it sensibly.¡±


    If I saw trouble brewing before my eyes, I tended to be a bit reckless. That¡¯s why, I didn¡¯t say that I wouldn¡¯t, and just dodged the topic with a vague reply.


    When I returned back to the group, I told them about setting out to search for the supervisor. Matisse ended up hearing it too due to the circumstances, but I knew I could trust her to keep it to herself. She wouldn¡¯t leak it to other kids.


    ¡°So, what kind of person is that supervisor?¡±


    Hearing Letina¡¯s question, I conveyed the features of the field supervisor that I heard from Cortina.


    He was a plump, muscr human with a beard. He was in his forties and wasn¡¯t very tall.


    ¡°Also, he apparently lives across the fields¡­ In that hut over there.¡±


    There was a small hut visible beyond the Cosmos fields that followed after the idle ones. ording to Cortina, that was his house.


    Given how many fields were around, the distances between houses was quiterge. I couldn¡¯t see anything remotely simr to a house anywhere else.


    ¡°Let¡¯s search for him there first.¡± ¡°Well, that would be most logical.¡± ¡°But what if he is injured or sick?¡± ¡°In that case, we can just let Cortina know. I¡¯ll rush back while Michelle looks after him.¡±


    I was the fastest among us three. Or rather, there was no one faster than me in either academy. Michelle¡¯s stamina was quite something, but she was no match for me in terms of explosive power.


    ¡°Anyway, considering it could be such a case, the faster we go the better.¡± ¡°Indeed. But we have to equip ourselves just in case.¡±


    We were going to head into the forest, so Letina went to retrieve her favourite staff. She used it as a trekking pole until now, but it seems that it would be finally put to its proper use now.


    Michelle didn¡¯t have her usual hunting bow with her, but she always carried the Third Eye with her, so that would be her weapon of choice now. Using the strengthening bangle that the God of Destruction gifted her, she was able to pull the string to the limit, but even with just my support magic, she was already able to pull it about halfway.


    She still couldn¡¯t use it on her own, but she could output decent power if I was with her.


    I also had my vibrating knife and katana with me. As expected, I couldn¡¯t bring Reid¡¯s gauntlets with me, but I had about five bundles of piano threads stuffed into my pockets. With this much on my hand, I should be able to deal with most problems.


    There were no other students as armed to the teeth as me. I was self-conscious that I have be quite a dangerous student.


    But well, it proved useful during times of emergencies, so being constantly prepared for the worst never hurt.

 Chapter 150: Farmer’s Hut

    <h4>Chapter 150: Farmer¡¯s Hut</h4>


    After finishing our preparations, we decided to head towards the hut. While there were only two fields between us, each field spanning for around a hundred meters made it quite a big distance for us.


    That hut was crammed in the second one, so it was roughly two hundred meters straight. That said, we had to take a detour at the Cosmos fields so we actually had to walk for three hundred meters.


    If the situation called for speed, then I wanted us to depart as promptly as we could. However, Cortina stopped before our restlessness won.


    ¡°Wait, Nicole. Take this too just in case.¡±


    Saying that, she handed over a thick and fluffy something the size of a human¡¯s head. In other words, the Carbuncle Kabby.


    ¡°W-Why is it here¡­¡±


    Last I checked, I should¡¯ve thrown it out of my rucksack. I obediently epted the big hamster that was acting all smug.


    ¡°It seems to have slipped into my rucksack without me realizing it.¡± ¡°Squee!¡±


    Kappy squealed with a face saying ¡°got you!¡±. You should¡¯ve noticed the weight difference, Cortina! You really are a clumsy girl.


    ¡°W-Well, can¡¯t be helped thiste in the game.¡± ¡°Yeah. I was getting strangely tired from the weight after we departed, and it turned out it was because of this guy. Took me by surprise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s helping your case.¡± ¡°Well, either way, it¡¯s not a bad thing in the present situation. Kappy can use basic magic, so it can be of use if you take it with you, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Now that she mentioned it, when Mikey was trapped in the cave, Kabby cast Purify on him all night long. Despite its looks, it was still part of the Dragon species, so while it could only use low-level spells, its actual skill at magic power maniption was excellent.


    It was still young and couldn¡¯t use high-level magic, but its control itself was nothing short of a first-ss magician.


    Among us, only Letina could use the practical magic properly, so I could expect our overall ability to go up with Kabby aboard.


    ¡°Fine then. Better listen to everything I say, got it?¡± ¡°Squee-squee!¡±


    I gave it such warning as I lifted it up, and it returned a vigorous response. Seeing that, Letina covered her mouth. Did she have a hay-fever or something?


    ¡°Nicole, you look kinda sly.¡± ¡°Huh, why?¡±


    Hearing her remark, I took a look at my own appearance. I had my rucksack on my back in case it came in handyter, and was in a school tracksuit. So far there was nothing out of ordinary.


    I also had the knife and katana on my wait and back respectively, but other than those, there was nothing that felt off.


    ¡°I mean hugging Kappy like that, I wanna hug and take it home too!¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s your problem!? And you can¡¯t take it back, we have work to do!¡± ¡°Okay!¡±


    Her answer was good and all, buttely her worldly desires have been increasing. At any rate, searching for the missing person came first. I put Kabby on my head and started walking towards the hut.


    When we neared the hut, I immediately went to peek inside. I couldn¡¯t feel anyone¡¯s presence inside, but in case there was someone with a Stealth Gift like me or that kidnapper assassin, my perception might not be enough to detect them. As such, I lift opened the folding window a bit and looked inside.


    It was pitch ck inside, and as expected, I couldn¡¯t sense anyone there. We approached it by pure coincidence, so there was a low chance that someone had been erasing their presence and lied in wait all this time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t sense anyone inside. I¡¯ll try going in, but you two stay on guard at the door.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Got it!¡±


    If they entered with me, it could be a confined battle. There didn¡¯t seem to be anyone there, but it was better to be safe in the off-chance.


    I opened the door and walked inside while erasing my footsteps. It was quite messy inside, but not to the level where you¡¯d think something happened. It was more or less what an average all-male house would be like.


    I felt a bit relieved to find out that he didn¡¯t seem to have copsed due to an illness.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here.¡±


    I called out to the two that were staying alert at the door and started investigating the room. The windows were closed so the inside was dark. They didn¡¯t have enough luxury to have ss windows it seems. Though, if you gave ss windows to a hut, that¡¯d stand out like a sore thumb.


    ¡°Kabby, please.¡± ¡°Squee!¡±


    Heeding my request, the Carbuncle lit up the room with Light magic. This magic simply produced light, so it wasn¡¯t part of the interference system, and as such I couldn¡¯t use it.


    Minimal bedding, tableware, firewood and cooking range. Behind the hut was the storage shed, well and stable.


    Oops, I found some lewd books too. Let¡¯s secretly confiscate them, shall we?


    There were no writings anywhere in the hut, so the owner probably didn¡¯t know how to read and write. Even the book I seized was just a picture book.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°If he can¡¯t read, maybe he didn¡¯t realize that we were arriving today?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be.¡±


    Letina arrived at the same conclusion after seeing the room and made a hypothesis. But I immediately denied it.


    There was a coarse y tablet in the room, and it had several X marks carved on it. Perhaps he used it to count the days.


    ¡°If he used this as a calendar, he should¡¯ve been able to predict the day of our arrival. Rather, he probably remembered it better than us since he looks at it every day. ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Letina obediently nodded to my exnation and returned back to inspecting the room. But at that moment, I noticed a presence that was approaching the hut.


    Author¡¯s note: After this, Nicole may or may not have failed to put the book she stole to use and have fallen to her knees in despair¡­

 Chapter 151: A Calamity Approaches

    <h4>Chapter 151: A Cmity Approaches</h4>


    Their breathing was wild and their steps uneven. They were clearly not in their right mind. That presence was moving towards the entrance from the back.


    ¡°Someone ising. Their footsteps are disoriented.¡±


    With my shout, Michelle headed inside and got ready forbat. I pulled out my dagger and did the same.


    The girls moved behind me due to my warning about their footsteps. There was a window, so we could just escape from there if push came to shove. At present, I was the only one among us who could serve as a vanguard, so we settled on this formation.


    I decided to go with the dagger since it was too narrow to swing my katana.


    The next moment, a man rushed inside while panting madly. It was a plump and healthy-looking middle-aged man. He looked about what Cortina described him as. So most likely, he was the owner of this hut.


    ¡°W-Who are you!?¡± ¡°Are you the owner of this hut?¡±


    Seeing us armed like that, he yelled out in confusion, but after he noticed that we were all kids, he started to calm down bit by bit. In the first ce, we were wearing the school tracksuits, so looking at the situation calmly would make it obvious that we weren¡¯t robbers.


    ¡°Given your uniform, could you be the students of the Magic Academy?¡± ¡°Yes. The guide wasn¡¯ting so we came to search for them.¡± ¡°Sorry about that. But that¡¯s the least of our worries now. We have to find shelter, now!¡± ¡°Find shelter?¡±


    He said something unsettling. It was something even I hadn¡¯t hypothesized.


    ¡°Yeah, Philip from the next field told me earlier, but looks like a Mountain Serpent is heading our way!¡± ¡°A Mountain Serpent!?¡±


    We couldn¡¯t believe what we heard. A Mountain Serpent, as its name suggested, was a giant serpent the size of a mountain. Well, that was a bit exaggerated.


    It may seem like you could deal with it if it was simply a big monster, but its size was no joke. It easily exceeded five meters in thickness and a hundred meters in length. Given its snake nature, it could swallow thingsrger than itself. In other words, it could easily gulp down giant monsters like nothing.


    Moreover, its body of over a hundred meters in length could mow down any obstacle and strangle any opponent, so in the worst cases, it could even prey upon lower-ranked Dragons.


    Of course, even its weight alone was a weapon of its own. It had even left anecdotes where just one swing of its tail was enough to demolish castle walls.


    Since it tended to crawl everywhere, it mowed down trees, crushed buildings, even swallowed the horses along with their riders in one swoop as if they were snacks. Due to the high damage that it could cause, it was designated as a cmity ss magic beast¡ªor Cmity Beast for short.


    ¡°Wait, that has to be a joke¡­ Are you certain!?¡±


    Letina asked for confirmation in half-scream. The hut¡¯s owner replied in a panic.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way a major incident like this would spread if it was unconfirmed. Philip said he witnessed it with his own eyes.¡± ¡°He did well approaching the beast so close, that Philip.¡± ¡°Well, given what kind of monster it is, its giant body was visible from far away. I was just hurrying back to the lord to pass on the information.¡±


    True, Mountain Serpent would be easily visible from afar as long as it raised its head. Since something of that scale approached the human habitats, the feudal lord had to be warned.


    ¡°Right, there¡¯s Lady Cortina! Lady Cortina should be the one apanying you kids, right? Then maybe¡ª¡± ¡°Cortina is about as strong as a single adventurer. Taking a Monster Serpent alone is out of the question.¡± ¡°N-No way¡­¡±


    His face lip up when he remembered about Cortina, but now he was back to being dejected. But I was against putting Cortina in such danger myself. Subjugating a Monster Serpent was impossible unless all of us were assembled.


    ¡°But well, Maxwell may be able to do something about it?¡± ¡°T-Then¡ª¡± ¡°But he¡¯s in the capital, so we¡¯d have to return there.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be toote by then. It¡¯ll be here any time now!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone notice it until sote?¡± ¡°Contrary to how open this side is, the forest is thick. The trees there are growing taller than everywhere else, so it limits the vision. Not to mention, there¡¯s a precipitous valley nearby, so that makes it a perfect ce for it to hide. It probably used that valley toe all the way here.¡±


    He exined in half-sobs, but we had no way of helping him. It was an opponent that I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat even if I went all-out. If we had Maxwell¡¯s firepower, we could manage it somehow, but he was home-sitting back at the capital.


    ¡°In any case, we have to go back and evacuate the students¡­¡± ¡°R-Right. I wanted to let them know too¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll handle that part. You go notify the lord and tell him to form evacuation squads.¡± ¡°O-Okay, got it!¡±


    The man rushed out along with his reply and took a farm horse out of the stable. He nned to use it to reach the lord¡¯s mansion.


    We also rushed out of the hut towards the students. The opponent was a serpent spanning over a hundred meters. Even if the army was dispatched, it was uncertain whether they¡¯d be able to subjugate it or not.


    The Mountain Serpent¡¯s hide was flexible and tough. Small bows and crossbows they carried with them wouldn¡¯t be able tond a single wound. And if they charged with spears and swords and turned it into closebat, they¡¯d get swallowed in one bite.


    In the first ce, the entire rider battalion would be mowed down with a single swipe of its tail. It was hard for the military units to do anything about it.


    ¡°Um, is it really impossible even with Lady Cortina¡¯s help?¡± ¡°If you wanted to defeat it, it doesn¡¯t have to be on Maxwell¡¯s level, but you¡¯d still need arge-scale spell. Dad or Gadius wouldn¡¯t even be able to hold it back.¡±


    Letina asked me as we ran. She deified each of the Six Heroes, so it was hard for her to ept that there existed an opponent that they couldn¡¯t handle alone.


    However, I cleared up her delusions. You couldn¡¯t beat what you couldn¡¯t beat. Cortina would be able to turn it into an advantageous situation, but she had an overwhelmingck of firepower needed to deal the finishing blow. That was just how much vitality the Serpent had.


    ¡°Um¡­ I think we can defeat it.¡± ¡°Say what?¡±


    Michelle¡¯s sudden interjection made me scream and fall over. I was convinced she wouldn¡¯t be able to do something even Cortina couldn¡¯t. But when I saw what she was pointing at, I changed my thinking.


    ¡°This bow¡­ The Third Eye might be able to pierce the Mountain Serpent.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡±


    I immediately started mental calctions. Indeed, that bow could put it down in one shot as long as itnded on a good spot. In the library, I once read that the God of Destruction had once fell a Dragon with one arrow. If this was the bow she used back then, then something like a Mountain Serpent should be an easy victory.


    However, there was no proof of that. And no way to prove it now.


    But I was fully aware of how much power the Third Eye had. Even if its arrow missed, the force behind it was enough to blow away its surroundings. Moreover, at this stage, Michelle could now draw the bow halfway with my support magic.


    ¡°But the Serpent is very nimble. It¡¯s questionable whether you can even hit its head, and may need to hit its eye so it can pierce its brains and kill it for good.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±


    Michelle hesitated on her words, her gaze directed at the flower fields. I understood what she was thinking. Even I wanted to avoid the destruction of these fields.


    The people living in the vicinity would also receive devastating damage. To the point that just making it out alive would require tremendous luck.


    ¡°¡­Got it. I¡¯ll discuss it with Cortina. If she says no, then we¡¯ll run, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡±


    She replied in high spirits. I felt like she would have gone to subjugate it all by herself if I refused her here.

 Chapter 152: Countermeasures

    <h4>Chapter 152: Countermeasures</h4>


    We rushed back to Cortina¡¯s side and told her to issue the evacuation. Then we conveyed that Michelle wanted to protect thesends and the possibility to do so. However, Cortina¡¯s reply was concise.


    ¡°No.¡± ¡°But why!¡±


    She rejected it in one word and ordered us to evacuate like the rest of the kids.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s possible as you say, it¡¯s still a no. Hurry up and evacuate with the other students.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Listen, you are certainly an abnormally outstanding student. But you are still that ¨C a student. We, teachers, have a duty to protect you.¡±


    In this excursion, there was a leading teacher appointed from the Adventurer¡¯s Academy too. However, there was a difference in status between them and Cortina. In cases of emergencies like this, Cortina had received the unconditional right tomand.


    I was aware that she would prioritize the safety of the students and give them such directions.


    ¡°Even¡­ Even though I have the power to protect this ce¡­ Why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t and that¡¯s it. Even if you could beat it, I would still be med for allowing you to do it. My duty right now is to protect the students. You have to put up with it now.¡± ¡°But how!¡±


    I understood Cortina¡¯s point. Michelle was the one being unreasonable here. She wouldn¡¯t be able to call herself a teacher if she allowed her students to face such a danger. Even if they had a way to subjugate it, she had to prioritize the students¡¯ safety above all.


    ¡°Michelle¡­¡± ¡°Nicole, please tell her too!¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, but Cortina is right.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡±


    I understood that she wanted to protect this ce that reminded her of her hometown. Even so, I wouldn¡¯t be able to convince Cortina given her standing. No, if she allowed minors to head to the battle, she¡¯d lose her qualifications as a teacher.


    So instead, I forcefully pulled Michelle away from Cortina. She had her duty to evacuate other students so it wasn¡¯t good to waste her time.


    ¡°What should we do¡­ At this rate¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, this ce would probably be devastated.¡± ¡°If you know that, then why¡ª¡± ¡°Cortina has her own circumstances. She can¡¯t be partial or show special treatment to a single student.¡± ¡°I know full well that it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Still¡­ She can¡¯t.¡±


    Nevertheless, Michelle wasn¡¯t the one to obediently step back, and I knew that full well. At this rate, she would head out to subjugate it without telling Cortina. If that happened, she would, without a doubt, die.


    She certainly had both the firepower to kill and the skill to hit it¡­ But that was it. She would probably approach it without even finding its weak spot and get crushed or swallowed by its gigantic body.


    For that reason, she needed a cooperator. As well as a n to realize it.


    I needed to protect Cortina¡¯s reputation while also meeting Michelle¡¯s expectations. But those actions were clearly contradicting each other¡­


    Cortina, Elliot and the rest of the teachers were having a discussion while escorting the kids towards the teleportation spot. I used my Stealth Gift to approach them from behind. As I thought, they seemed to be talking about how to deal with the Mountain Serpent.


    ¡°We have to evacuate the students to the teleportation spot first.¡± ¡°Are we evacuating them to the capital?¡± ¡°If we do that, there wouldn¡¯t be enough magic power left to transport the army here. Teleportation requires a huge amount of magic power.¡± ¡°But, Lady Cortina, we can¡¯t guarantee the students¡¯ safety at this rate!¡± ¡°Even if we evacuated them to the capital and left the Serpent be, that wouldn¡¯t guarantee their safety any better. It¡¯s possible that it would charge straight towards the capital.¡±


    It seemed that they were talking about our safety, after all. They didn¡¯t know whether it was safer to teleport us all the way to the capital or evacuate us locally. If we were evacuated to the capital, there wouldn¡¯t be enough magic power left for the army to make it here. If that happened, there was no knowing how far the Serpent¡¯s destruction would spread.


    This was still a rural region. There was no expectation that they¡¯d have enough defenses here to ward off the Serpent, so it was necessary for the capital¡¯s forces to intervene.


    ¡°We can¡¯t satisfy both conditions, what a troublesome situation this is.¡± ¡°Makes you think¡­ why now of all times? If we weren¡¯t here now, the capital¡¯s armed forces coulde here without problems.¡± ¡°What do you suggest, Ms. Cortina?¡±


    One of the teachers asked Cortina, as she was the one with the most influence around. Perhaps they asked for her opinion to support their own minds. That¡¯s just how much threat a Cmity Beast had.


    ¡°Let me think¡­¡±


    Cortina paused her speech and nced at the students that were in the middle of taking refuge. Next, she looked around while holding her chin. I moved behind someone to escape getting noticed by her.


    Regardless of the Stealth Gift, she would realize I was hiding if our eyes met.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, there was a big valley west of here, right? If we can lure it there, it should restrict its movements to a degree.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s certainly a big valley so once it goes there, even a Mountain Serpent would be unable to move about freely.¡± ¡°That said, given its gigantic body, it can probably climb back up from that height. At best we can only restrict its horizontal movements.¡± ¡°If it can climb up, then we can¡¯t really confine it there.¡±


    The teacher who asked her probably wanted to hear her opinion about the students, but Cortina replied with the subjugating strategy.


    ¡°A Mountain Serpent can be baited by animal fodder, and it can only move by crawling, so a skilled magician could block the way with Earth Wall and lead it towards the valley. It can probably destroy it given its absurd strength, but it doesn¡¯t move with a clear goal in mind that would make it want to break that wall and proceed beyond it. That said, our current battle power isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°So all we can do is run, in the end¡­¡± ¡°Well, we are only teachers, after all. Subjugating monsters isn¡¯t among our duties.¡±


    She calmed the other teachers with those words, but I felt like the earlier strategy was directed towards me. Perhaps she noticed that I was hiding and listening to them from nearby.

 Chapter 153: Decoy Tactics

    <h4>Chapter 153: Decoy Tactics</h4>


    I returned back to the student rows and joined up with Michelle and Letina. The two leaned their bodies towards me, waiting impatiently for what information I had brought with me.


    ¡°What were the teachers talking about?¡± ¡°Was Ms. Cortina against it, after all?¡±


    Their eagerness made me lean backwards a bit. I pushed the two away with both hands and conveyed what I learned from the earlier conversation.


    ¡°I think Cortina¡ªour teacher realized that I was eavesdropping on them.¡± ¡°She realized¡­ And didn¡¯t say anything?¡± ¡°Well, she probably wants us to defeat it, right? She couldn¡¯t just say ¡°Okay, go take it down¡± to her students.¡± ¡°So you are saying that she secretly taught us the strategy to beat it?¡± ¡°The possibility of that is faint, but it¡¯s still there.¡±


    It was just my personal opinion, but the two started pondering seriously at my words. I already learned the Mountain Serpent¡¯s location from the man before. We could head to it immediately as long as we made up our minds to subjugate it.


    The rest was dependent on their opinions.


    ¡°Um, Nicole¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°If I said I wanted to slip out and defeat it¡­ It would be a bad thing, right?¡±


    Sure enough, Letina and Michelle started timidly beating around the bush. Of course, I already had my answer.


    ¡°Of course it would be. But it¡¯s not impossible.¡± ¡°Then¡­ What if I said I didn¡¯t care if I was scolded for it¡­¡±


    Letina followed up with an appeal of her own, looking as if she would cry any moment, and yet her expression was also resolute. Responding to their request, I suggested an escape n.


    ¡°The forest up ahead has a restricted view. If we slip out of the ranks there, no one should notice.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s do that!¡± ¡°Okay. Then, Michelle, how many of the exclusive arrows do you have on you.¡± ¡°They are heavy, so I just bought three. But I¡¯ll make sure to hit.¡±


    Her imcked the usual vigor. But I felt a stronger will than ever in her words. Unlike other times, she was insisting that she wouldn¡¯t miss,e hell or high water.


    ¡°¡­The arrows aren¡¯t that long, not to mention the Serpent¡¯s hide and flesh are tough and thick. If we are going to take it down in one shot, your only choice is to aim for its eyes.¡± ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll make sure to hit it.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take on the role of luring it towards the valley.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the most dangerous part¡­¡±


    Letina looked at me in shock, but I was unquestionably the most agile among us. Michelle who was ranked second couldn¡¯t y that part, because she needed to position herself ordingly beforehand from where she would be able to aim for its eyes. Letina also had a part to y that only she could.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m small so even if I get eaten, I¡¯d just end up being swallowed whole. If that happens, I¡¯ll just use my dagger and cut my way out through its belly.¡± ¡°Your thoughts are quite gory contrary to your appearance, huh.¡± ¡°Still, be careful, okay?¡±


    Michelle replied worriedly after the exasperated Letina. Thanks to that, I became a bit more motivated.


    In the first ce, if I got swallowed, I¡¯d probably get crushed to death by its overwhelming mass before I could reach its stomach. So my earlier words were nothing more than a joke to calm Michelle down.


    After parting with the two, I headed towards the north. It was the course where the Mountain Serpent was heading to. Gradually, a rumbling sound came through the gaps in the trees. They suggested that the Serpent was already nearby.


    I wasn¡¯t familiar with the region so I used the map I prepared in advance to n out my actions. To be honest, I was quite a bit anxious, not knowing what to expect the terrain to look like.


    Despite that, I believed that I¡¯d manage somehow and advanced ahead. That was just how big Michelle¡¯s eagerness had influenced me.


    ¡°It should show up anytim¡ªwoaah!?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t me myself for leaking a weird voice. The Mountain Serpent had suddenly, in apletely unexpected moment, raised its head from beyond the trees.


    There should¡¯ve been over a hundred meters between us, but it was so gigantic it distorted my sense of distance and I was ovee with a sense of oppression. It ignored me as I stood petrified and calmly inspected the surroundings.


    The animals in the surroundings seemed to have already fled as there was only the sound of grass reaching my ears.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not quite right.¡±


    There was also a hissing sound like that of steam being emitted. Needless to say, it came from the Serpent.


    This was a threatening sound, which meant that it sensed a new prey somewhere. But as there were no other animals around¡­ That prey was most likely I. This means that it knew exactly where I was.


    Realizing that, I started to take distance bit by bit. I was a bit too close. Even if I wanted to lure it, I needed to put a bit more distance between us.


    It seemed to have sensed my movement, it looked my way and charged with all its might.


    Snakes were silent and deaf. But they still had their thermal sensing, so it was no use hiding. My Stealth Gift was turnedpletely powerless.


    ¡°Waaghhhhh!?¡±


    It chased after me with serpentine movements while its head remained in the air. Every time it twisted its body, the trees were mowed down with loud cracks.


    I strengthened my legs with threads while alsounching some from my hands and slingshotted myself forward. Our speeds were roughly the same.


    This was pretty good for me as a guide since it wouldn¡¯t fall behind me no matter what. But saying it another way, it would catch me the moment I lose focus even for an instant.


    I dashed through the trees, ran down the slope and before long arrived at arge river. This river was simply flowing through the forest now, but the end of it was flowing into the valley ahead. I grabbed a branch with my threads and leapt to the riverside like a pendulum.


    Swinging myself forward like that allowed me to descend at speeds unimaginable from humans, and then rushed into the valley. But even that kind of speed would not be enough to shake off the Serpent. The downward slope was boosting its speed just like mine.


    Thus I ran with the Mountain Serpent at my back, and finally, I arrived at the nned checkpoint. As if to match with my timing, a thunderous roar was heard followed by the copse of the cliffs at either side, bringing with it an avnche of rocks.


    I dodged the crumbling rocks with a hair¡¯s breadth¡­ And dove into the river.

 Chapter 154: Mountain Serpent Subjugation

    <h4>Chapter 154: Mountain Serpent Subjugation</h4>


    Letina revealed herself a bit ahead inside the valley. She looked at me and gave a brief nod. So far it was ording to n. The only unexpected thing was that the Serpent turned out to be faster than I imagined and I could not put any more distance between us.


    Even so, Letina started chanting resolutely and fired her spell. She judged that at this rate it would catch up and swallow me.


    What she used was the most effective spell in her arsenal, the Fireball. It crashed into the cliff opposite her and caused an explosion. The cliff that had weakened from wind and rain crumbled oh so easily.


    Then all that crumbled mass rained down towards me and the Serpent chasing me.


    I managed to dodge them by a paper-thin difference. I used the thread strengthening, Enchant magic and all the skills from my previous life to their limits. As the result, I managed to weave through the rain of rocks with skills that were nothing short of divine, and got out of the danger zone.


    However, the Serpent couldn¡¯t do the same. Let alone the skill, it didn¡¯t even have space to dodge them. It crawled into a deep valley, so its horizontal movements were restricted. And with that avnche falling on it, its vertical movements had also been restricted.


    Naturally, something like a cave-on wouldn¡¯t deal any significant damage to it. Its vitality and toughness were on another level. It wouldn¡¯t even restrict its movements for long. If Michelle was going to shoot, this was the only time.


    However, the dust cloud wrapped its head and hid its eyes which was our aim. But then, Letina¡­ No, the being next to her, made the next move.


    ¡°Kabby!¡± ¡°Squee!¡±


    With her shout, Kabby raised a (what seemed to be) valiant cry, which was followed by a gale. That gale blew away the dust cloud in one go. It also scooped up the surrounding water and carried it to the inner parts. Of course, along with me who was in that water.


    ¡°Waghhhhhh!?¡±


    I was lifted into the air as I raised a somewhat pathetic shriek. But this was a necessary action.


    What followed immediately after was a sh of light.


    The first move was Letina copsing a brittle cliff on the Serpent. Next was Kabby sweeping away the dust cloud. And finally, Michelle who was positioned appropriately let loose an arrow from the Third Eye.


    It was a steel arrow released by a longbow with an unimaginably heavy draw pulled to the limit with the equally unbelievably strong strengthening magic.


    It was a special arrow that had a spiral carved around the tip of its arrowhead to aid its spin during flight. That arrow broke the sound barrier, ripping apart the very atmosphere as it passed, and pierced through the Serpent¡¯s head.


    True to its aim, it urately pierced the Serpent¡¯s left eye. And the next instant, it burst through the opposite end of the skull and continued flying until it met the water¡¯s surface.


    It raised a giant water column on the impact and created a tempest so destructive it could change the very terrain itself. The shockwave caught up to it a momentter, blowing the water off the river, shaving the cliff, and pulverizing the Serpent¡¯s head until it became nothing more than a spray of blood.


    If I was still down there, I would¡¯ve gotten caught up in that disaster. I intentionally let myself be carried up by Kabby¡¯s magic to avoid that. This time, it wasn¡¯t one of those clumsy moments.


    As I confirmed the headless body of the Mountain Serpent from high up, I turned towards Letina and Michelle and gave them a thumbs up. After confirming the corpse, they also returned a signal towards me.


    There stood a smiling Michelle with the face of a man(?) who had aplished something grand. But she would probably start writhing in pain any minute now due to the bacsh of using her magic tool.


    Nevertheless, she was feeling aplete sense of aplishment, having managed to protect the scenery she wanted to protect.


    Seeing her like that filled even me with a sense of fulfillment. It was well worth putting myself in danger of almost getting swallowed, letting out cat-like shrieks, running around in the forest, and getting swooped into the air.


    Before long, I reached the vertex of ascension and started slowly descending.


    Then I finally noticed it. Everything was ording to n until now. Everything transpired as we predicted it would, and we seeded in subjugating the Mountain Serpent. But I didn¡¯t n anything beyond that.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­How should Ind?¡±


    I was up in the sky. On my left was a precipitous cliff, on my right a crumbled cliff. Letina seemed to have caught up to my situation and was darting about in panic. It went without saying, but she had no way of helping me.


    Michelle had yet to realize it, so she was just standing there in all smiles.


    I quickly sent a thread towards the cliff to support my body. But that was a blunder. A fatal one at that. It was an obvious thing if you thought about it calmly, making a fulcrum at the side during a fall would naturally swing me like a pendulum. In other words, I would get sttered on the cliff with my falling momentum.


    ¡°OHHHH FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU¡ª!?¡±


    Along with a desperate scream, I took a defensive posture. I directed my legs towards the wall so I wouldnd on them. But my frail body was unable to handle such a shock, so I still ended up violently crashing into it.


    That shock unfastened my thread and I ended up tumbling towards the river.

 Chapter 155: The Tactician’s True Intention

    <h4>Chapter 155: The Tactician¡¯s True Intention</h4>


    ¡°Thought I was a goner!!¡± I shouted as I shot my body up.


    My memories onlysted up to the point where I fell into the cold river dyed with the Mountain Serpent¡¯s blood. Crashing into the wall and the shock of hitting the water¡¯s surface had sunk my consciousness into darkness.


    That earlier shout was my first reaction after waking up.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness! You woke up, Nicole!¡±


    Letina rushed to my side and clung to me. I was all wet and sticky so it felt quite indescribable. She was wet and slightly tinged with red, so it was most likely her who had dragged me out.


    ¡°Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    I tried to move my limbs, and while there was still some creaking pain in the joints, it didn¡¯t seem like my tendons and bones were damaged. I was probably just feeling the recoil from that mad rush.


    ¡°Actually, where¡¯s Michelle?¡±


    Then I finally noticed that my puppy-like childhood friend, who should¡¯ve normally been the first to cling to me, hasn¡¯t shown any reaction. Letina answered my question by pointing behind her while breaking out in a cold sweat.


    And Michelle was there ¨C twitching on the floor like a freshly caught fish.


    ¡°Ughhhhhhh¡­¡±


    She had slender limbs and a budding yet already impressive chest. A healthy and hygienic girl like her was now convulsing on the floor, and it was captivating in its own way. Her pained expression was elevating that feeling even more.


    But I was well aware of the hellish muscr pain that she was going through now.


    ¡°I-Is she okay¡­?¡± ¡°ording to her, it¡¯s just muscr pain. She said there was no danger to her life, so I¡¯m not that worried.¡± ¡°Why did she know that¡­ Did she secretly attempt it before?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡±


    Good grief¡­ But well, using it inbat without prior experience would make you uneasy, so I can understand why she attempted it beforehand¡­ But I¡¯d have preferred for us to have been by her side just in case something went wrong.


    Well, not that I¡¯m the one to talk after soaring up in the air without thinking of the consequences.


    ¡°Up we g-, ouch¡­ Michelle, are you alright?¡± ¡°Ughh¡­N-Nicole¡­ You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Looks like we both have it rough.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Ouch ouch¡­¡±


    It seemed that her muscle pain wasn¡¯t as severe as mine back then. This was probably because her body was closer to an adult¡¯spared to mine at that time. Still, there was no changing that it was painful.


    Kabby was casting Heal on us as we leaked painful moans. It hardly proved effective for muscr pain, so it was at most to give us peace of mind.


    No, actually, it was effective in my case. I did crash to the wall, after all, and my body was full of scratches from running through the forest.


    Cortina would probably flip out if she saw my current appearance, so I was thankful to Kabby.


    ¡°Thanks, Kabby.¡± ¡°Squee~¡±


    It squealed back as if to say ¡°you¡¯re wee¡± while turning around and showing me its belly. That actionnded a critical hit on me, so I went and gave the giant hamster a big hug. Though it¡¯s a Carbuncle.


    ¡°Agh, that¡¯s so sly of youu!¡±


    In my previous life, I loved fluffy things, but I hesitated to act on my instincts to preserve my stoic image. But it was fine now. I could hug and rub my cheeks into its fur to my heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°Uehehehe.¡± ¡°If the boys from the academy saw your current expression, they would get disillusioned.¡± ¡°Actually, her sloppy expression might make her more popr instead.¡± ¡°You be quiet and continue squirming on the floor.¡±


    Looks like Michelle had enough leeway to join in on the jokes despite her current state.


    I stood up while hugging Kabby. If we didn¡¯t return they¡¯d find out that we had slipped out. Or actually, they probably did already.


    Still, we had to return fast, or Cortina would worry.


    We were shouldered by Letina and followed the road back to where we came from. Kabby did the tactful thing and didn¡¯t hop onto my head as it usually did. It was pretty heavy so I was quite thankful for that.


    ¡°Cortina would get mad at us if we don¡¯t return fast.¡± ¡°I believe she would get mad at us regardless of how fast we return¡­¡± ¡°Gh, we did a good thing, that¡¯s just unfair.¡± ¡°We did go against her orders, so we should be prepared for that much.¡±


    I feel like she indirectly helped us there a bit, but she did that assuming we were ready to face the consequences.


    We limped towards our destination. The students moved towards the evacuation while forming lines, so their pace wasn¡¯t that fast. It should¡¯ve been easy to catch up to them. Just as I was thinking that, a silhouette appeared ahead.


    Their twitching cat ears and tail were enough for us to realize who it was.


    ¡°Ah, Cortina!¡± ¡°Nicole!? What are you doing here¡­!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    Wait a minute, why is she surprised? Didn¡¯t she mention that n to let me hear it?


    ¡°Err¡­ Because you said to lure it into the valley, I guess?¡± ¡°Huh, you heard that!? Why was it you girls that acted on it¡­¡± ¡°Did we do something wrong?¡±


    I became worried that I misinterpreted her n, so I asked for confirmation.


    ¡°Uhh, well, it was intended for Reid. Like, he said he¡¯s always watching me from nearby, so I thought maybe he was around to overhear¡­¡± ¡°Ah, so¡­¡±


    So basically, when I said ¡°I¡¯m always watching you (with starry effects)¡± just to show off, she took it literally and expected me to go and subjugate it.


    No well, in that sense, her speech reached the right ears¡­ I mean, I did go to defeat it.


    ¡°I thought he¡¯d have a hard fight alone so I came to support him¡­ But I didn¡¯t expect for you to overhear it ande here.¡± ¡°Ah, well. About that¡­¡± ¡°And you¡¯re in an awful state. Are you okay? Injured anywhere?¡± ¡°Kabby healed me, so it¡¯s fine now.¡± ¡°I see, in that case¡­ I suppose it¡¯s time for scolding?¡± ¡°Ehh!?¡± ¡°You might think it¡¯s unreasonable, but you¡¯re not Reid! If you¡¯re reckless you¡¯ll die, you know?¡±


    Now wait a minute there. To begin with, I am Reid, and I¡¯ll also die if I¡¯m reckless, you know? Actually, I already did die once.


    Thus, while I was embracing the biggest feeling of unfairness among us three, Cortina continued to scold us while leading us to the rest of the students.


    And of course, though she did yell at us, she still worried about our physical condition. Eventually, she patted our heads with ¡°You did great!¡± so it all ended on a good note.

 Chapter 156: The Subject of the Achievement

    <h4>Chapter 156: The Subject of the Achievement</h4>


    As we regrouped with the rest of the students while getting scolded by Cortina, we surprisingly managed to rejoin their ranks without anyone making a fuss. Perhaps Cortina intentionally scolded us in the open to stop other teachers from butting in.


    There was no teacher with a skin so tough that they¡¯d start scolding students that Cortina, one of the Six Heroes, had already let go of.


    The students were gathered near the teleport location, along with some ordinary people. With the Mountain Serpent as the threat, there were few ces that would be consideredpletely safe. Hence these people chose to evacuate to where the chivalric order of Raum would arrive at.


    A few dozen vigers from around these parts, and students of Magic and Adventurer¡¯s academies, around 300 in total. This ce was quite open, but with that many people gathered there it still gave off a cramped, oppressive feeling.


    As the three of us joined the stand by, Prisc approached me. Apparently, Cortina asked her to check in on us.


    ¡°So, how did it go?¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°The Mountain Serpent! You took advantage of Ms. Cortina¡¯s strategy and went to subjugate it, right? It must¡¯ve been a tough foe to beat even for you, Lady Nicole.¡± ¡°Yeahhh¡­¡±


    It would¡¯ve probably been tough for me alone. But this time, I had huge firepower by the name of Michelle with me. We even had support personnel, Letina and Kabby. With Cortina¡¯s n on the table, there was no way we¡¯d have failed.


    ¡°Well, we defeated it I guess?¡± ¡°Figured. This time, even you woul-¡­ Huuuuhhh!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡±


    Seemed like she misheard it so I said it once more. She was leaning back with an astonished face, as if she was looking at something unbelievable.


    ¡°Um, you¡¯re joking, right? Three ten year old kids defeating a Mountain Serpent is just¡­¡± ¡°Not just three, we had Kabby with us too.¡± ¡°I mean, adding a Carbuncle doesn¡¯t make much difference¡­¡±


    I then went on to exin my strategy to Prisci. And also the result. Hearing it, her face turned pale.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible to escape from a Mountain Serpent¡­ Please don¡¯t be so reckless. If something happened to you, Lord Elliot would yell at me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident in my mobility. If it¡¯s in the forest, I won¡¯t lose.¡±


    In fact, the forest that had many ces to grab onto with my threads was environmentally simr to that lumberyard in the capital. I was used to moving around at high speeds in these kinds of ces.


    I rushed into the valley and we immediately went on to contain it there. However, I had plenty of ways to get away from it if the situation required it.


    ¡°Moreover, how could a child fire off the Firebolt strong enough to copse a cliff¡­¡± ¡°Letina is the daughter of the marquis, so she¡¯s receiving special education. Besides, that cliff was weathered and was quite easy to copse. Didn¡¯t it suffer from a serious attack in the past?¡± ¡°I have heard some idle gossips about a Giant Zombie appearing here some hundreds of years ago, but that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡­ Might¡¯ve actually happened.¡±


    After all, even Letina shouldn¡¯t have been able to copse a cliff with one shot. It was possible that it had previously been damaged by something. The story about the Hero that cleared out thisnd might actually be true. In that sense, luck was on our side this time.


    ¡°Moreover, even if that attacknded, how could it finish off a Mountain Serpent¡­¡± ¡°Michelle had a Mythical longbow, and the skill to make full use of it. You¡¯ve heard of it, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­ It was only at the level of a brilliant hunter being born in the Hero¡¯s vige.¡± ¡°That¡¯s her. As for how strong she is¡­ Well, how about you go and confirm the corpse?¡±


    The corpse of the Mountain Serpent with the pulverized head should¡¯ve still been below that cliff. It could yield a lot of meat, so there was no need to worry about food for a good while.


    Moreover, its tough skin and strong bones were also remaining, so selling all those would fetch a huge sum. It should be quite a delicious casual ie from the Kevin domain. After all, there was no significant damage this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s below the cliff, right? I¡¯ll go once I get Lady Cortina¡¯s permission.¡±


    Cortina was letting her move surprisingly freely. It was proof of the Ran family¡¯s intentions regarding her.


    Besides, she had enough physical ability to match me. The strengthened me, to be urate.


    She quickly went to discuss it with Cortina and Elliot, and then left the evacuation ce. We nned to move a bit farther from the viges to not get in the way of the arriving troops, but hearing Prisci¡¯s report, they decided to stand by for the time being.


    Cortina and Elliot did it so Prisci could join up with us on her way back.


    ¡°Nicole, I heard you defeated the Mountain Serpent. Is it true?¡± ¡°Yeah, Michelle did.¡±


    Elliot came to ask that while looking to be at his wit¡¯s end. I answered him inly, but hearing it perplexed him even more.


    ¡°Good grief¡­ You kids are something else.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, beautiful princess, how I wish to keep you away from the filth of the royal court, but¡­¡±


    His following words weren¡¯t pleasant news for me at all.


    It seemed that news about Michelle reached the royal court of the United Alliance. There were naturally people trying to usher her into the ranks of the army, but some of them wanted to put her in the elite bodyguards of Elliot himself.


    Lyell¡¯s authority managed to suppress all of that.


    Since she was close to me, she was reported to the royal court as my bodyguard, and it managed to win her some freedom. In other words, she belonged to me, so trying to put their hands on her meant going against Lyell¡¯s will.


    They couldn¡¯t afford to take that risk, so her freedom was safe until now. However, she managed to defeat a Mountain Serpent now. As a mere ten-year-old kid.


    Of course, that achievement was based on various factors like Cortina¡¯s n, but it was still something that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. Elliot exined as such.


    ¡°Well¡­ that doesn¡¯t make me happy.¡± ¡°I have no intention to pull your friend away from you, but¡­¡± ¡°Right. The achievement this time is too big¡­ Sorry, Nicole, but can you give it up this time?¡± ¡°Give it up?¡±


    Cortina arrived at that conclusion after some thought. She had a rarely-seen serious expression on her face.


    ¡°Yes. At this rate, there¡¯s a chance that Michelle would get rolled up in a power struggle. So how about we pass it off as Prisci¡¯s achievement that she achieved through my directions?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    If we did that, no one would know about her deed and everything would go as it has until now. That would instead put Cortina and Prisci at the center of attention, but one of them was a Hero and another a secret agent. There was hardly anything they could do to them.


    I didn¡¯t want to stand out from the start, so I agreed to that suggestion. Later, I had to tell Michelle and Letina to hold their tongue about this matter.

 Chapter 157: I’ve Come to My Senses!

    <h4>Chapter 157: I¡¯ve Come to My Senses!</h4>


    In the end, we weren¡¯t in a state of mind to continue with the flower study and the briefing about nts, so we returned straight back to the capital. Our excursion got interrupted so we¡¯d be going on another one some other time, but the date for it was still not set.


    As we returned to Cortina¡¯s home, Finia was waiting for us with a hot bath and meal already prepared. It was a blessing that we could wash off our sweat and dive into food right away. I couldn¡¯t thank her enough for her consideration.


    I washed my body that had been drenched in water full of dust, grass juices and blood, and then had a meal in half-daze.


    Cortina had snuck into my bath as usual, but after she realized that I wasn¡¯t in my usual state, she promptly let go of me.


    I finished my meal while dozing off here and there, and then immediately plopped down on my bed.


    I walked quite the distance during the excursion, not to mention the matter of the Mountain Serpent. Moreover, I even crashed into a cliff, then into the river where I fainted; it was honestly one hell of a day.


    My stamina was at its limit, and I couldn¡¯t collect my thoughts properly as if my head was covered in mist.


    During all that, the magnificent flower field I saw today floated up into my mind. It was a wondrous sight. I had to go there one more time. And then, flop into¡ª


    ¡°Wait, stoooooop!¡±


    Coming to my senses, I jumped up to my feet. Yeah, what the heck was I just thinking? Did I want to squeal and giggle in the flower fields? Gimme a break!


    My goal is one and only one thing ¨C to look heroic. Flowers and fluffy things have no ce there. That¡¯s how it should be, so how should I exin my recent behavior?


    Letting Kabby ride on my head and enjoying the feeling, going on hunts with Michelle and Letina almost as if going on hiking, and even making merry in the flower fields like a little girl.


    There¡¯s clearly something wrong with my life choices here.


    ¡°Where did the harsh and stoic world covered in blood and iron go?¡±


    Now that I think about it, I remember noticing that my senses were getting duller just before I left for the excursion.


    Lack of training wasn¡¯t at fault. This environment itself was dulling my sharp senses. Being protected by Cortina, taken care of by Finia, and surrounded by lovely friends. That in itself was not a bad thing.


    ¡°That said, I can¡¯t exactly ditch them and set out on a journey to polish myself¡­¡±


    Michelle, Letina, Cloud, Cortina, Finia¡­ Or even Maxwell. There was no changing the fact that they were irreceable people for me. Giving them up wasn¡¯t something I could ever do.


    But at this rate, the thread of my tension would be too loose. I¡¯ve been trying to keep it taut through hunts and battles until now, but those battles have been growing too lukewarm as ofte.


    ¡°Do they have to be even riskier¡­ Then again, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ve been plenty risky though.¡±


    The Mountain Serpent this time was one thing, but even fighting those kidnapper assassins had put me in a tough spot with a feeble body like this.


    In the three years that I¡¯ve spent here, there have been at least three asions that put me at quite a risk. And yet, my tension keeps on loosening. Just what could be the cause¡­?


    ¡°If I were topare difficulty, they were simr to the time before I teamed up with Lyell and others in my previous life. And yet, why do my skills only keep getting duller?¡±


    I wondered while sitting on the bed with my arms folded.


    In my previous life, before I joined up with the heroes, these kinds of fights were an everyday thing for me. But because I was able to breeze through them without breaking a sweat, my name held fame despite being an assassin.


    And in present, I¡¯m also going through simrly tough battles. Yet the situation is as stated.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    I crossed my legs and scratched my head, trying to arrive at the cause. If the quality of battles wasn¡¯t the problem, then it had to do with my mental state, after all?


    At the very least, someone who wants to make merry in the flower fields would never reach my ideal form.


    ¡°Hmm, where do I even start to approach this?¡±


    Since I couldn¡¯t understand the underlying cause, I couldn¡¯t make countermeasures either. Perhaps it was too much for me to handle alone. Thinking about it, I¡¯m someone who had undergone a sex change, and there¡¯s no knowing if there¡¯s anyone else like me in this world.


    Who can I even consult about this mental change¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s only Maxwell, huh?¡±


    He had enough wisdom to master all kinds of Magic and experience from living so long he was considered old even in Elven terms. Betting on his knowledge and intellect that spanned from his experience was the only way left for me.


    That old man¡¯s been teasing me all the time as ofte, but responds seriously to my earnest requests of consultation¡­ Sometimes. Probably. He was pretty much my only supporter at this point, so there was no choice but to rely on him.


    Now that I¡¯ve decided, I should drop by him tomorrow if I can. Fortunately, tomorrow was a day-off since today was an excursion. I¡¯ll go and visit him early tomorrow and have a nice and long talk.

 Chapter 158: The Child Is Father to the Man

    <h4>Chapter 158: The Child Is Father to the Man</h4>


    A few dayster, just as the sses ended I skipped my club activities and rushed straight to Maxwell¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Help me, Maxy!¡± ¡°Who the hell is Maxy! Settle down now.¡±


    Maxwell responded to me who was in a state of panic as he made tea. I felt like he was drinking tea whenever I came here.


    But there was no time for something so trivial now.


    I then went on to convey my recent worries to him. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t think of anyone less unreliable than him, but he was the only one who knew about my identity. There was no alternative.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it seems to me that the environment is influencing you the most.¡± ¡°Environment?¡± ¡°I mean the environment that surrounds you. Cortina and Finia dress you up, and you also spend time as a child with Letina and Michelle, so the influence from that is starting to settle into your mentality, is it not?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±


    If my lifestyle was eroding my mentality, there was no choice but to change that lifestyle. That meant I had to part with Cortina, Finia, Michelle and Letina.


    It may have been to achieve my ideals, but if you asked me whether those ideals held enough worth to abandon all that in exchange¡­ Honestly, it would be a no.


    To give up my friends for my ideals. The fact that I couldn¡¯t do that was my weakness, and I was well aware of it, but there was no changing my nature.


    ¡°T-Then, putting it another way, would I be able to return to normal if I distance myself from them after I get stronger?¡± ¡°Reid, have you heard of the saying: Habits from childhood follow you to the grave?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How you live and what you learn as a child has a big influence on your ego. That¡¯s what it means.¡±


    In other words, the current influence is going to stick to me till I die?


    ¡°But I¡¯m in my twenties inside, you know? If you add both lives together, I¡¯m already past thirty. I¡¯m finding it hard to buy that stuff about the influence thiste in the game¡­¡± ¡°You are a child right now. The current you could be described as someone being forcefully crammed into a child vessel. If that vessel undergoes a change, so would you, whether you want it or not.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, so you¡¯re telling me I¡¯m in a really bad state right now?¡± ¡°Reincarnation magic is considered a secret art partially due to such problems.¡± ¡°Gh¡­¡± ¡°However, not all of it is bad, you know?¡±


    He had been exining things with a serious expression until now, but now his expression twisted up into a crooked grin. I¡¯ve seen that expression in my past life.


    It was the same expression he had back when he instigated Lyell and I to peek at the women¡¯s bath and got us into huge trouble. Incidentally, this geezer quickly vanished from the ce and avoided that disaster.


    ¡°You have to cajole Elliot now. In which case, having the mentality of a woman would make things more convenient, wouldn¡¯t you say so?¡± ¡°Not a f?u?c?k?i?n?g chance!¡± ¡°Come on, while I did say that the influence of infancy is quite extreme, I never said it could not be corrected.¡± ¡°I-Is that so?¡± ¡°Even the viins can often return back to society after they have redeemed and reformed themselves, right?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, there¡¯s definitely a pattern there¡­ No, still¡ª¡± ¡°It is not within my intentions to do something that would sadden Cortina. When you return to being a man, wouldn¡¯t she cry if she¡¯s left with an effeminate man instead? This is merely a temporary measure.¡±


    Maxwell admonished me with a serious face. His previous expression did aplete turn and was looking extremely sincere now. I didn¡¯t think he was lying now¡­ Well, I¡¯ve been thoroughly deceived by the same expression in my previous life, though.


    ¡°Shall we put this matter off until you make full use of it?¡± ¡°If you say so, old man¡­ But if things turn for the worse, I¡¯ll seriously be depending on you, okay?¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    He assured me with a tap on his chest. Was this really a wise decision, I wonder¡­?


    In the end, we decided to wait and see for now. With that settled, I had no other choice but to temper myself in the limited ways I had left.


    I mostly stopped doing night training sessions with Cloud ever since we started forming parties. With my studies, club activities and hunts after that, adding training to the list was really putting too much burden on me, after all.


    After I joined the music club, it finally started burdening me too much, so I had Cloud join our party, and started training him together with Michelle and Letina.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do today¡¯s hunt due to my circumstances¡­ I probably did something bad for Cloud who¡¯s trying to stand on his feet, huh?¡±


    He was trying to be independent through his ie from our hunts. Rest of what could be counted as consumable meat he gave to the orphanage kids as presents. You could say his life depended on it.


    Though we did defeat a big game recently, given the number of people at his ce, his savings should be running dry already.


    ¡°I should take him to a profitable adventure next time¡­ Hmm?¡±


    Suddenly, I discovered someone I didn¡¯t expect. It was Elliot, taking a walk downtown all by himself. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t actually alone. There was no knowing when he would be targeted. Prisci must have been guarding him from somewhere.


    Still, with none of my acquaintances around¡­ Wasn¡¯t this actually a perfect chance?


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to cajole him, this is the chance, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    There shouldn¡¯t have been anyone familiar except Prisci around. That also meant Maxwell wasn¡¯t either¡­ So, would it be in my best interest to make arbitrary decisions here, I wonder?


    If I wasted time pondering too much, someone might show up. This situation demanded a prompt decision.


    ¡°Oh whatever, might as well get it over with!¡±


    Along with that mutter, I used the ring¡¯s power and changed my appearance.

 Chapter 159: Asking for a Date

    <h4>Chapter 159: Asking for a Date</h4>


    Raum, being the forest kingdom it was, was full of all kinds of nts. In other words, that also meant that it had an abundant amount of fruit circting in it.


    Among them, there were many unusual kinds for Elliot, who had constantly shut himself in the royal pce of the United Three Nations. Even the random stalls on the streets had rare things that he couldn¡¯t find even at the royal pce. It was no wonder that such sight made him stop to stare.


    I turned into my adult form and walked up next to him, and put a star-shaped fruit into my basket. I¡¯d have wanted to have our bare shoulders touch¡ªas that tended to make my heart jump in the previous life¡ªbut my current form was just an illusion.


    Carelesslying into contact with him might have revealed the fact that it was just a disguise, so I stopped at a simple approach.


    ¡°Old man, give me a pack of these.¡± ¡°Coming right up. Oh, pretty youngdy, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± ¡°I arrived here just recently.¡±


    Hey now, old man, don¡¯t go falling for me now. With no other choice, I looked towards Elliot, as casually as I could, and gave him my best smile. That smile was enough to give even me goosebumps. Of course, this was just an illusion, but it was linked to my actual expression. In other words, you could even say it was my future face.


    ¡°Excuse me, did I cut into line?¡± ¡°O-Oh, no, please don¡¯t pay it any mind. I was merely looking at the goods.¡±


    Elliot managed to say after stuttering a bit, his face appearing a bit flushed. Oh my, that got a good reaction out of him, didn¡¯t it?


    In fact, he was currently staring fixedly at my face, even to the point you¡¯d think of it as impolite.


    ¡°Umm, is anything the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, n-no! You looked quite a bit like someone I know.¡± ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think my face is particrly umon¡­¡± ¡°No such thing! In fact, if there were many girls like you around, men wouldn¡¯t know where to look.¡± ¡°Would that be a good thing?¡± ¡°Of course!¡±


    I asked a bit peevishly, but Elliot replied with his usual attitude. It was that same slightly showy manner of speech that he always used. Seeing as how his words had no thorns, I suppose you could say he was already caught.


    It was time to make my first move. I first had to get closer to him until we could talk casually.


    ¡°There is quite a lot of rare fruit here. I ended up buying it without thinking.¡± ¡°Indeed. These star-shaped fruits are truly unusual. I have never seen them back where I live.¡± ¡°Oh my, so you aren¡¯t a citizen of this ce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Ie from a rural ce in the north. Please excuse me if I¡¯vee off as rude in any way.¡± ¡°Ie from the countryside too, so please be at ease.¡± ¡°Oh, where is your hometown then?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that question for a moment. When I was alive, my birthce was the southern city-state Alecmarl. But now it was the United Three Nations. I suppose replying with thetter would be a wiser choice in this case.


    As I pondered on that, Elliot seemed to have misunderstood my silence. He thought I was wary of him, so he started waving his hands in panic.


    ¡°Ah, I wasn¡¯t trying to probe into your hometown¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it¡­ I alsoe from Tryad.¡± ¡°Ohh, so we are from the same ce.¡± ¡°Indeed, mine is a deserted vige at the foot of the Scion mountain range.¡±


    Scion mountain range was at the northern border of the United Three Nations. It was the area that the Evil Dragon had destroyed at the very start. Not many would try to probe further into it when people said they came from those parts.


    ¡°Scion¡­ Then the Evil Dragon¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, the vige is already gone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ My apologies for making you remember something unpleasant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Here you go, one basket of star apples.¡±


    The shopkeeper suddenly called out to me, having finished putting the fruit into the bag. I epted it and handed the money. My body and this illusion had differences, so some timeg was produced which made him a bit puzzled, but I dodged it with a smile.


    Following that, I intentionally acted curtly and tried to quickly leave the ce.


    I judged that it was better to leave before he started asking more questions. This was supposed to be our first meeting, so getting too intimate woulde off as unnatural.


    Just getting to know him was fine for today. As long as we were familiar enough to greet each other the next time we met, it was fine. At least, that¡¯s what I thought. But Elliot started panicking and followed behind me.


    ¡°Please wait! Please let me apologize for my earlier rudeness.¡± ¡°Apologize¡­ You say?¡±


    I turned around and asked in reflex, but wasn¡¯t he acting a bit too favorably? Even his expression was stiffer than ever before.


    ¡°Yes, how about we drink tea in that cafe over there? Of course, I¡¯ll pay.¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯d rather not with someone I have only just met.¡±


    This was the skill of ady that Maxwell drove into me. I twisted my body a little and put a hand to my mouth as if surprised.


    The other hand was supposed to go below my chest as if to protect my body¡­ but I was carrying fruit with it, so I dropped the idea.


    Seeing me like that, Elliot thought I was suspicious of his intentions, and followed up on his words in a fluster.


    ¡°Oh, um! Of course, if you¡¯re against it, I won¡¯t ask again. I was simply trying to apologize.¡±


    His face was flushed beyond any I¡¯ve seen so far. No matter how you look at it, this was too much¡­ Was he sick or something?


    ¡°Um, your face is red, are you sure you are alright?¡± ¡°Oh, this is because of nervousness from facing you. I¡¯m alright. Rather, I¡¯m beyond alright.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡±


    I weighed my options.


    I thought it would¡¯ve been fine if we became close enough to greet each other next time. Because I¡¯d need to consult Maxwell before I did anything beyond that. But Elliot¡¯s reaction went beyond my expectations. It would be a waste to let go of this opportunity.


    Because, in my past life, I¡­ apparentlypletely overlooked a simr opportunity.


    ¡°Right¡­ Well¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I am quite a heavy eater, okay?¡±


    I dered it while puffing my chest a bit. I even added a smug grin as a topping. This was, of course, a lie. My appetite wasn¡¯t even half of that of an average child. It was nothing more than a joke to ease some of his tension.


    However, the effect of it was clear. After Elliotughed heartily at my response, he gave me a noble bow.


    ¡°No problem. If it¡¯s for your smile, I shally down all my funds.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat that much, you know!¡±


    Even as a joke, I¡¯d probably need to eat more than I weigh to manage to damage his funds. My food needs have been growing since I was smaller, but they still didn¡¯t amount to much.


    I replied to his joke while putting on a sulky face.

 Chapter 160: Unintended First Date

    <h4>Chapter 160: Unintended First Date</h4>


    After this and that, I ended up having to drink tea with Elliot. All this was so he¡¯d stop making eyes at me from now on. Having him leer at me so I could avoid it felt like I was putting the cart before the horse. How did ite to this¡­ Actually, Maxwell is how.


    We entered the nearby cafe that Elliot suggested, and were escorted to the table. This ce was a so-called ¡°hidden gem¡±, with a calm atmosphere.


    The glossy interior made of walnut was quite refined despite facing the street. The aroma of bean tea drifting inside was quite pleasing too. There was no one around either, so we could have a quiet meal. Though I suppose the store itself wasn¡¯t quite happy about that fact.


    Elliot sitting in front of me was in all smiles, contrastive to me who was acting quite reluctant. Ignoring him, I decided to quickly order the food from the menu ced on the table.


    ¡°Ah, one strawberry parfait, please. Oh, and a caramel mhiato.¡±


    Based on the bean tea smell drifting around, I realized that this was a shop mainly focused on that, but my tastes were that of a kid¡¯s right now. I liked some bitter things, but sweet stuff was where my tastes mainly pointed to.


    I had a sweet tooth since my previous life¡­ Though it was a little embarrassing to order parfaits back then. The fact that my appearance allowed me to order it without worrying about it was among the few good things that my reincarnation had brought with it. Though I was currently using an adult form.


    If it was Reid ordering it now, there was no knowing what rumors would spread. At the very least, they would be far off from the stoic warrior that I was aiming to be.


    ¡°Bean tea for me, in.¡±


    Sweetening it with milk or sugar was the norm, but when they used high-quality beans, it was tastier to drink it raw¡­ Or so I heard. It was proof that this store had good enough quality to warrant drinking it like that.


    And when Elliot who had a picky tongue ordered it, it further certified their credibility.


    ¡°That¡¯s just bitter.¡± ¡°These beans have a great vor so they are good as is. Please give it a try next time.¡± ¡°Maybe one of these days.¡±


    He rmended it, but given my sweet tooth, there was practically no chance that I¡¯d ever order that. If I evere alone, I¡¯d definitely order sweet things. Leaving that aside, we were finally alone, so it was better to initiate a conversation.


    ¡°You said you were from north¡­ Ah, right, it¡¯s a bit toote, but what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Pfft, hahahaha, a little bit toote indeed! My bad. I am Elliot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Err¡­¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, I have to think of an alias. Right, maybe I¡¯ll borrow that Elvendy¡¯s name that guarded us on the way to the hot spring town.


    ¡°Are you wary of me?¡± ¡°Ah, no. My name is Haumea.¡±


    He misunderstood my silence for wariness. But well, any girl would be wary in this situation, wouldn¡¯t they?


    Either way, we finally reached the stage of exchanging names. Now if only I make him fall for this me, his interest in the actual me should fade.


    ¡°I told you about my birthce, will you not do the same, Mr. Elliot?¡± ¡°Oops, so rude of me. Ie from the capital of Tryad.¡± ¡°Tryad¡­ You mean the one that was attacked by the Evil Dragon! Ah, that was so inconsiderate of me.¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    I shamelessly stared at him while acting shocked. Of course, I was more than aware of where he was born and raised. I also knew that making him remember his ruined birthce wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant thing for him.


    However, by intentionally asking it, I made myself look apologetic, handing the dominance of the conversation to him.


    I was parroting what Maxwell taught me. Man, I sure am diligent.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for that. I apologize for making you remember something unpleasant.¡± ¡°No, please, it¡¯s alright already. It was tough when I was a child, but now¡­ It¡¯s been twenty years already.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so long, huh¡­ So you always lived in the capital?¡± ¡°No, I was temporarily away from it. Thanks to that, I managed to avoid that cmity.¡± ¡°That must have been a blessing in disguise.¡± ¡°Indeed, thanks to it, I managed to get acquaintanced with famous people.¡± ¡°Famous people?¡±


    I asked anyway, but I already had an idea who he meant. It was obviously us. I could¡¯ve just let it slide, but I wanted to hear his opinion of us. Maybe I could even get some weakness of Maxwell out of him.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean the Six Heroes themselves. Thanks to that disaster, I¡¯ve been in their care for quite a bit.¡± ¡°Oh my!¡±


    I put a hand to my mouth and acted surprised. This was part of Maxwell¡¯s lessons too. Meanwhile, the cafe manager carried the order to our table. I went and stabbed my spoon into the parfait without any hesitation.


    I scooped out the cream filling thergish ss to the brim and carried it to my mouth. The sweetness of the milk cream spread through my mouth, after which the sourness of the apanying strawberry jam took over and covered it. It was absolutely delicious.


    ¡°Ahh, delicious¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that it is to your taste.¡±


    The unexpected taste made me unconsciously leak the words of praise, with the spoon still in my mouth. That said, I felt like I was dancing on his palm, so I fixed my expression, but it onlysted for a moment.


    The fine taste of the sweet made my expression naturally melt. The sourness of the fresh strawberry and the sweetness of the milk cream intoxicated me and made me lose myself.


    ¡°Ah!? R-Right, you were saying something about the Six Heroes¡­¡± ¡°Haha, it can wait until you are done with your meal.¡± ¡°No, please start when you are ready!¡± ¡°Well then¡­¡±


    He endured augh, perhaps finding it funny that I became a captive of the dessert, and then he started his story.


    He happily talked about Lyell, Gadius and my achievements, and the blunders that we never talked about.


    At a nce, we looked like an intimate couple. I intentionally created such an atmosphere for us. But then, I noticed a sharp gaze directed at us.

 Chapter 161: The Guardian That Never Learns

    <h4>Chapter 161: The Guardian That Never Learns</h4>


    It was a sharp gaze like a needle. I didn¡¯t know where it wasing from exactly, but they were clearly looking at me. I could even feel a faint bloodthirst in it.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I instinctively voiced my unease from that bloodthirst, which caused Elliot to look at me quizzically, not noticing anything himself.


    This gaze was most probably not from some assassin that targeted his life, but instead from that secret agent¡ªPrisci. It¡¯d be a waste if shees and ruins this perfect opportunity now.


    Thinking that, I entice Elliot to do something about it.


    ¡°Um, well¡­ I felt like I was being watched by someone¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, well¡­ Please excuse me for a moment.¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, he stood up with a cramped smile and headed towards the bathroom located at the corner. And at the same time, the gaze I was feeling vanishedpletely.


    He was most likely nning to give orders to Prisci. I felt bad for her, but I didn¡¯t want her to attack me again. I decided to have Elliot himself restrict her movements.


    After a while, Elliot came out of the bathroom. I started feeling the gaze once again, but there was no longer any killing intent in it. He probably told her to hide her killing intent.


    ¡°Sorry to have made you wait. It¡¯s been getting coldtely, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already summer, you know¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, no, well, I got chilledst night.¡± ¡°Quite a kid, are we?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to admit it.¡±


    He tried to y it off with a joke, but I could see through him. Sorry Prisci, but you get the short end of the stick this time.


    ¡°Ah right, Lord Lyell can¡¯t actually hold his liquor that well, you know. Although he himself believes otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Lord Maxwell and Gadius on the other hand have no bottom.¡±


    Elliot touched on every one of the Six Heroes, but I seldom appeared in his conversation. Now that I think about it, he was still five years old when I died. It¡¯d be weirder if he remembered it.


    But that also meant that he didn¡¯t know any of my weaknesses, while he did know the others¡¯. I had to make use of it. Still, Lyell is weak at drinking? I feel like he could drink better than me at least¡­ Maybe this kid is actually a heavy drinker.


    Still, I¡¯ve heard of Lyell¡¯s weaknesses from Maria, but I had nothing much on Gadius.


    Thus, as I listened to his conversation, my hands were gradually slowing with food. I looked like an adult through the illusion, but I was still a child in reality.


    Not to mention, I wasn¡¯t quite as well developed, and my stomach was appropriately tiny. Even just that parfait was enough to fill up my capacity quite a bit.


    ¡°Ugh, I hate my inefficient stomach.¡± ¡°Oh, have you had your fill already?¡± ¡°I believed I was a heavy eater¡­ But turns out it¡¯s not quite the case.¡±


    I utilized the words that I initially said, putting a hand to my mouth in a cunning manner. I personally liked girls like Michelle that ate a lot¡­ Now that I think about it, Cortina used to be quite a heavy eater herself. She went on a binge eating back when she rejected me, too.


    ¡°You ate so little it is far off from calling yourself a heavy eater¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it seems that your purse avoided the disaster.¡± ¡°Ahaha, I was quite fortunate there. Then, would you like to give it another chance next time?¡± ¡°Next time? Are you suggesting you¡¯d like us to meet again?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. Rather I really hope that we do.¡±


    Even so, I did not give him my address. Of course, my address was Cortina¡¯s house. No way I could do that. Elliot on the other hand told me where he currently stayed. He didn¡¯t try to get my address either. He was quite the gentleman when he wanted.


    ¡°Well then, I pray that we get to meet again soon.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯d like, then I shall contact you some other day, Mr. Elliot.¡± ¡°I will look forward to that day.¡±


    I¡¯d have liked a handshake at least, but there was a difference between the sizes of my illusionary and real hands. My actual height was around 130 cm but this illusion was over 150 cm.


    With a 20 cm difference, there was quite a significant difference between the hand size too. Moreover, a child¡¯s hand differed from the adult¡¯s supple shape. Touching it could get me found out.


    The two of us left the shop together and parted after exchanging a small bow. I intentionally lightened my gait, making it known to Elliot that I was in a good mood. At the same time, I started feeling around for presences.


    ¡°As expected¡­ It¡¯s still there.¡±


    I could feel a gaze from behind. It was most likely Prisci. Despite getting warned about it by Elliot, she probably nned to follow me to ascertain my identity.


    I would praise her devotion to work, but this time it was only a bother. I didn¡¯t want her to attack me again.


    It was evening now. A period of time when the pedestrian traffic was growing in number. I intentionally got mixed among the crowd of people, and went in and out of stores many times to shake her off.


    Prisci appeared to be desperately trying to keep up, but there was a limit to what she could do alone. Before long, I could no longer feel the gaze or the presence of the pursuer.


    Just to make doubly sure, I repeated the process a few more times, and when I was finally convinced that no one was following me, I proceeded towards an alley devoid of human presence.


    After making sure that no one was around, I undid the illusion and returned to my real form. I couldn¡¯t sense any shock from the surroundings, so it seemed like I had indeed shaken her offpletely.


    ¡°Good grief. Either way, I suppose I should call this a job well done so far?¡±


    I got a favorable impression out of Elliot and promised to meet again. He probably hadn¡¯t fallen for me just yet, but he clearly had a liking for me.


    I had to consult Maxwell on how to proceed from now on.

 Chapter 162: A Feminine Suspicion

    <h4>Chapter 162: A Feminine Suspicion</h4>


    As I returned to Cortina¡¯s house, I immediately dropped my luggage with Finia who came to greet me and rushed straight towards the bathroom.


    I was at my limit already.


    After I closed the door, I bent myself over at the bowl¡­ And puked with all I had.


    ¡°Bleeeaagh.¡±


    Even if it was for myself, it was just too tough for me. I tried to seduce a guy, someone I knew to make things worse, even making use of the upturned eyes and wheedling voice to win his affection. My sanity took unprecedented damage from those actions.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡­ Just thinking that I have to keep this up makes me feel sick.¡±


    After flushing my vomit down, I plopped down on the bowl in dejection. I was desperate back then, so I could still endure it until we parted. Even after we parted, I still endured it while thinking about my future.


    But as time passed, my mind kept being shaved away every time I recalled how I acted. Not to mention the fact that I couldn¡¯t do anything about it in hindsight.


    ¡°¡­I just wanna run.¡±


    I thought so from the bottom of my heart. But that would, in turn, sadden Lyell and Maria, who were myrades as well as parents, so I couldn¡¯t for now.


    While I was lost in my depression, I heard a strong knock on the door.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, is anything wrong!? Do you feel unwell?¡±


    It seemed that Finia noticed my strangeness after I left her at the entrance with my luggage, and chased after me. I didn¡¯t want to worry her too much, so I opened the door after wiping my mouth, trying to act as normal as I could.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°But earlier, you¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. I was feeling a bit nauseous. I¡¯ve had it happen a lot by now, right?¡±


    My physical weakness served to be a good excuse during these times. The magic buildup disease was almost fully healed already, but my body was still weakerpared to other girls my age.


    Even so, through the threads and instantaneous mobility, I could exhibit fighting strength that could rival adults, but only for a short time. My stamina and endurance fell below the average.


    ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­ Oh!?¡±


    Finia who was looking worriedly at me suddenly flinched as if she realized something. After that, she moved behind me and stared fixedly at my lower back.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah, I just remembered you were already at that age.¡± ¡°That age?¡± ¡°I mean, when girls start having periods and¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! I swear that¡¯s not it!¡±


    I was already ten. It was an age where some girls would start having them. I started feeling bad after realizing that I too would one day¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­ sleep.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, you¡¯re tired, I see. I have already finished making the bed, so feel free to sleep until dinnertime.¡± ¡°Right, thanks.¡±


    Still, after a few years¡­I¡¯ll actually¡ª


    ¡°Gimme a break already!¡±


    Next day.


    I would usually be having lunch on the grass in the schoolyard with Michelle, Letina and Matisse, but I decided to do things separately that day. In specific, I intruded on the academy¡¯s board chairman¡¯s office.


    The girls weren¡¯t with me, but Kabby was in its usual spot¡­ In other words, on my head.


    Some passing students became startled at first, but after realizing it was me, they saw me off with strangely loose expressions as if finding it normal.


    The boys had their cheeks flushed, while the girls had melted expressions like during the times they ate sweets. Did I really look that odd with Kabby on my head?


    I knocked vigorously at the dignified-looking oak door of the chairman¡¯s office, and entered without waiting for the response. There I saw Maxwell who was concentrating on his office work.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ming in.¡± ¡°At least wait for the response, you doofus.¡±


    Our standings were that of an academy chairman and a single student. It wasn¡¯t even worthparing. However, I already checked if anyone was around, so it was pointless to act all respectful with him at this stage.


    I walked up to the bookshelf near the wall and dug out a cookie jar that he was hiding there. It was a bit high up, so I had to stand on my tiptoes to drag it out, making me feel a bit uncool.


    ¡°Ah, hey! Those are my favorite cookies¡­!¡± ¡°Ohe on. Can¡¯t you let a cute girl take them?¡± ¡°Calling yourself cute, huh? Looks like you have be quite used to it.¡± ¡°Hold it right there. That stuff is making me lose my mind¡­¡± ¡°Oh, what happened now?¡±


    Being asked to exin it, partly due to my own slip-up, I decided to honestly confess what I did yesterday. The fact that I met with Elliot in my adult form and won some points with him. Also, the fact that I was disgusted with myself afterwards.


    I even ended up revealing that Finia mistook it for menstruation.


    ¡°Pfffft, still, what a misunderstanding thatss has made¡­ But, certainly, in a few years, that would indeed happen¡­ Nice job!¡± ¡°Nice job my a?s?s?! Anyway, it was a bit forward, but I managed to make first contact with him.¡± ¡°Mhm. Then, when do you n to meet him next?¡± ¡°Hm?¡±


    After he said that, I finally realized that while he did tell me where he lived, I haven¡¯t given him any contact information. At this rate, he¡¯d be unable to meet me even if he wants.


    ¡°It seems there¡¯s no choice but to meet him myself, huh?¡± ¡°You know, you can be quite careless at times¡­¡±


    Maxwell dropped his shoulders with a sigh.

 Chapter 163: The Magician’s Intention

    <h4>Chapter 163: The Magician¡¯s Intention</h4>


    At the end of the day, Elliot still had no way of contacting me. That meant I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him barging in on me uninvited, meaning I didn¡¯t need to worry about my disguise getting found out.


    ¡°If I think about it that way, it¡¯s actually not bad, huh?¡± ¡°That is only if you look at the result. Well, it is not so bad to seize the initiative yourself.¡±


    Maxwell took a sip from the teacup ced on his work desk. The fragrance drifting from it was rich and appetizing.


    ¡°Pour some for me too.¡± ¡°Why are you acting so difficult today?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve just realized something¡­¡±


    After releasing how delicate I¡¯ve beentely, I decided to renew my determination yesterday. But not even a day passed and I got stuck with seducing a guy. I mean, I was the one who decided on it, but still.


    So to wash my previous conduct away, I decided to conduct myself more like a guy from today.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, it appears that I have started to forget my original intention, so I decided to be more manly for the time being.¡± ¡°But your initial contact with him went well, right? Would it not be wiser to use this chance and corner him more?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, I get that¡­ But I don¡¯t feel motivated to do it.¡±


    Maxwell poured the water from the pitcher into the heat-resistant pot and boiled it with magic. He then took out tea leaves from the drawer, put them in the cup and poured water on it. Rather, brew it properly, you savage old man.


    While he was at it, I sniffed out a small te used for teacakes and unloaded his prized cookies on it. They seemed to be rare cookies with ck tea leaves mixed into the dough.


    ¡°Oh well. I¡¯ll just get it over with then.¡± ¡°No, wait. It might be better to keep him in suspense for a bit.¡± ¡°Decide on what you want me to do already!?¡± ¡°This is just a strategy. Feelings strengthen through time, right?¡± ¡°Do they really?¡± ¡°Cortina is the same. After 20 years have passed, she ispletely head over heels for you.¡± ¡°Hope that¡¯s true¡­ No, is that actually alright?¡±


    Indeed, Cortina behaved differently from how she was in my past life. Heck, I was even astonished, wondering if she¡¯s been always so single-minded on me. If that was due to how long has passed, then I could certainly agree with Maxwell about its effectiveness.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t just postpone it for so long, you know? I mean, I¡¯m still growing, right?¡± ¡°I would not say you are growing tha-¡­ No, excuse me. You are right. It would be bad if you wait a few years and your actual appearance bes closer to that illusion.¡±


    I was currently ten. My illusion looked somewhere between mid tote teens. It looks different from me because the age gap was so big. Putting it the other way, in about five years, I would look simr to it. If that happens, all this nning would go to waste.


    ¡°It should not need years. If he already holds affection, a few days would be enough. Or maybe we should extend it to next week?¡± ¡°Oh?¡±


    One week should be quite sufficient for a nk period. If I went the next day, he might think I was being clingy.


    ¡°I see. I suppose I¡¯ll visit him next week then.¡± ¡°In that case, do you want me to act as the messenger? It would not be so bad to make an appointment somewhere in the city.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave those details to you then.¡±


    I sighed in exasperation at Maxwell who kepting up with new ns, then sipped my tea and munched on a cookie. The tea seemed to have been of quite a high quality, as just the aroma of it was healing my fatigue.


    The leaves that were mixed into the cookie further added to the fragrance and boosted my appetite.


    ¡°¡­So good.¡±


    I had a small mouth so I could only take a small bite out of it. Seeing me nibbling at the cookie had Maxwell copse on the table while holding in hisughter.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°You were going on about ¡®acting manly¡¯ earlier¡­ But you look like a small animal now.¡± ¡°Oh shut it.¡±


    After washing the cookies down with the tea, I promptly left the chairman¡¯s office as my business was already done. There was no knowing what else he¡¯d say if I continued staying with him.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Seeing Reid m the door shut behind him, Maxwell heaved a deep sigh. It seemed that he had still not noticed Maxwell¡¯s real intention.


    ¡°It is good that he hasn¡¯t noticed it¡­ But I wish that blockhead finally learned it by now.¡±


    With the current n, that is, to have Reid seduce a man, Maxwell nned to have Reid see things from a woman¡¯s point of view. In short, he was giving him a crash course so he woulde to recognize the affection of Cortina and Finia from their casual gestures.


    If you got to the bottom of it, even his death in his previous life stemmed from his unsociable nature. His actions that failed to understand a woman¡¯s heart caused both him and Cortina to misunderstand and think the other has rejected them, and thatter brought about Gadius¡¯ needless meddling. And that meddling led to him discovering the Devil summoning and lost his life there.


    What would have happened if Gadius had never meddled in it?


    If Cortina had been more tolerant of Reid¡¯s brutishness?


    If Reid had been more considerate towards Cortina, and made an ideal proposal?


    Perhaps it would have lead to a future without that tragedy. However, the man called Reid always had this strange fate that led him to be present where he was needed the most.


    Even back then, had he not been present, that vige would probably have been destroyed in exchange. Butpared to some unfamiliar vigers, Reid¡¯s life was far more important for Maxwell.


    It was already in the past, but history could repeat itself. Even after reincarnating, Reid¡¯s good, or better to call it bad, fate, had already proven itself many times. Maxwell wanted to get him back together with Cortina before new trouble could show itself.


    Not to mention, even he wanted to see Cortina, who was like a quarrelling buddy to him, finally attain happiness. And for that reason, he devised the current n to reform Reid¡¯s blockheaded nature.


    ¡°I was thinking it would be nice if he could understand women at least half as much as Elliot does¡­ But it appears that Elliot is not so different from him.¡±


    He thought Elliot would be more proactive in his approaches, but he turned out to be quite ate bloomer. It seemed that due to being constantly sheltered in the royal pce, he wasn¡¯t skilled at dealing with women.


    He was acting showy, but that seemed like the conduct of an amateur who did not know how to talk to women.


    Besides¡­


    ¡°Thatss Prisci longs for him so much, yet he doesn¡¯t realize it at all¡­ Isn¡¯t he just like Reid?¡±


    She was devoting herself to his protection even at the cost of cutting into her private time, and showed unusual hostility towards any girl that approached him. Maxwell realized that there was more to it than mere work.


    ¡°I am using a blockhead¡­ To educate a blockhead, huh? That could be amusing in its own way. I really can¡¯t get bored with these people around.¡±


    Hisrades had regained their energy ever since Reid had reincarnated. They were naturally not aware that Nicole was Reid, but it was nothing like the stagnated rtionship that they kept up for a decade.


    Watching over hisrades with a smile ¨C being in that position pleased Maxwell to no end.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 164: The Night Sermon

    <h4>Chapter 164: The Night Sermon</h4>


    Come evening, it was time for dinner. Being mentally tired, I enjoyed the dinner Finia made and then had fun doing silly chatter with Cortina and others. I was trying to get back on track towards looking stoic, but I let myself have at least this much fun.


    ¡°And so, she eavesdropped on my conversation and went to defeat the Mountain Serpent.¡± ¡°Oh dear! As always, you can never be careful with Lady Nicole around.¡± ¡°No, Michelle was the one who proposed it. It wasn¡¯t by my initiative.¡± ¡°There you go putting the me on others again. And girls you went and actually defeated it. I can¡¯t even get angry despite wanting to.¡± ¡°That also sounds like what Lady Nicole would do. She always pushes on with her recklessness.¡±


    Even Finia was trying to roll her eyes so I gave up. I lied down on the table with a groan and sipped the milk mixed with honey that was my usual routine before bed.


    ¡°Not you too, Finia. Cortina already yelled at me enough.¡± ¡°Lady Nicole, that¡¯s not what I mean, you know? If that reached Lord Lyell¡¯s ea¡ª¡±


    Just as Finia started to say it, someone started knocking on the door. And with it, came an almost grieving yell.


    ¡°NICOOOOOOLEE!?¡±


    Of course, I knew who that voice was. I¡¯ve heard it plenty of times in my past life, or even in this. Needless to say, it was Lyell¡¯s.


    ¡°Finia, haven¡¯t you heard of a proverb, ¡®speak of the devil¡¯?¡± ¡°But Lord Lyelles once every three days¡­ It¡¯s about time for him toe, right?¡±


    Lyell and Mariast visited exactly three days ago, the night before the excursion. As she said, it wasn¡¯t weird for him to intrude on us now, but what about this timing?


    As it was burdening Maria, their visits through teleportation had decreasedpared to before. But they still did it every two or three days. They were both quite devoted, showing themselves about three times a week.


    That was just how loved I was. However, while a normal child would be happy about it, I was quite conflicted about it given who I was.


    The reason behind their frequency decreasing was also linked to the fact the teleporting destination was set up at Maxwell¡¯s house. Teleportation magic wasn¡¯t something that should be disyed too openly, so they decided to set it there. In other words, every time they leaped here, they would be intruding on Maxwell.


    Thus, the two opened the door with their duplicate key and barged in. Their faces were dyed red from worry and anger.


    ¡°Wee, Dad, Mom.¡± ¡°Wee, Lord Lyell, Lady Maria.¡± ¡°Hey, at least wait for the house owner to open the door.¡±


    The three of us greeted them in three different ways. No, well, Cortina¡¯s wasn¡¯t exactly a greeting. At any rate, I realized why the two¡ªparticrly Maria¡ªwere angry. I could guess that the details about the Mountain Serpent had reached their ears. Now, it was critical for me to shift the point of their anger away from me.


    ¡°Nicole, on your knees.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°On. Your. Knees.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    And yet, I failed at it right away. I obeyed Maria¡¯s angrymand without even managing to say an excuse. She was scary once she became like that. Way scarier than Lyell could ever be.


    If you talked back to her, she¡¯d look at you as if she was looking at the filth. That was during my past life, though.


    ¡°I heard you defeated the Mountain Serpent.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Just you kids.¡± ¡°Kabby was with us too.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    So even Maria calls Kabby ¡°that¡±, huh? What a poor fellow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go and do something so dangerous! Do you know how worried I was!?¡± ¡°But I had a good enough chance of victory. It was Cortina¡¯s n, so there was no chance for an unlikely event¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t drag me into it!¡±


    She was looking at the situation with a smug face, but when her name got called out she started panicking. She was well aware of how scary Maria could be. She probably didn¡¯t want to be a side victim of our quarrel.


    But when we die, we die together, Cortina. You are at fault for leaking that n to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Cortinater, physically.¡± ¡°PHYSICALLY?¡± ¡°Mentally too.¡± ¡°I GET BOTH!?¡±


    She raised a hopeless shriek. But Maria ignored her and continued her sermon. Instead, her saddened voice started to gradually change. Well, this is hard.


    ¡°Listen, Nicole. I think we did something bad to you. The reason your body is weak is due to not raising you with my milk.¡± ¡°It was me who was not drinking it¡­¡±


    Right, back then I was feeling reserved to suck on Maria¡¯s breasts, so I was on a half hunger strike. That influenced my growth and manifested as my weak constitution. But that was something I did out of my own will, and not something Maria should be med for.


    ¡°Even if that was the case, I should have forcibly made you drink it, I still think of it all the time. But you were so cute I couldn¡¯t make myself do it. But because of that, you gained a very weak constitution.¡± ¡°As I said, you aren¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Fortunately, your body started to be stronger as you aged. But that was all thanks to your own efforts and not ours.¡± ¡°But still¡ª¡± ¡°Nicole. I failed once, so let me say this much. If I had topare, your body is like a tattered carriage. But pulling it is the strongest warhorse.¡±


    Maria started exining byparing my body to a carriage.


    Body like that of a tattered carriage. The strongest warhorse referred to my training with Lyell. If I put my body under such excess power, it would eventually break down.


    As she said, there was always the possibility of me breaking my body due to having power inappropriate for a child.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, please, stop being so reckless at least until you¡¯ve grown some more.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡±


    As Maria pleaded to me with tears welling up in her eyes, I could do nothing but reply with that. I was quite forgetful about it, however, while this body belonged to me, it also belonged to Maria¡¯s daughter. In a way, it wasn¡¯t just my own body.


    Being as reckless as I was in my previous life brought her extreme worry ¨C I was made fully aware of that fact.

 Chapter 165: Trouble Before The Appointment

    <h4>Chapter 165: Trouble Before The Appointment</h4>


    Maria¡¯s sermon had a point or two. However, my objective in this life was to find myself a way to train, even if it meant going against her concerns.


    Still, I could understand her point. I had to keep in mind to restrain myself enough to not cause her needless worry.


    ¡°With everything said, who¡¯d think a bunch of kids would manage to subjugate a Mountain Serpent! As expected of my daughter.¡± ¡°Uh, Dear?¡± ¡°Ah, I mean, yeah, you shouldn¡¯t worry us so much. Yup, that¡¯s what I wanted to say.¡±


    He was puffing his chest one moment, but Maria¡¯s single word made him wither away. Dude, you are a Hero. Have some backbone, will ya?


    Then again, I could rte to him. Maria was frightening if angered.


    For example, she would intentionally make her healing magic feel painful¡­


    The healing magic system had a type of magic that boosted one¡¯s natural healing power, but that also came with the sense of pain that naturally apanies healing. Usually, that pain was reduced through spells, but it was plenty possible to make it even more painful instead. Apparently, some people even used that as a torture method.


    ¡°Enough about that. Just save me, Dad.¡± ¡°Sorry, Nicole¡­ Daddy can¡¯t win against that Demon Lord.¡± ¡°Who are you calling a Demon Lord!¡± ¡°But Mom, my legs are going numb already.¡± ¡°Tough it out.¡± ¡°Ehhh¡­¡±


    And there came my ultimate weapon. I looked up at Maria with teary eyes. There was no parent that could withstand this!


    ¡°Ugh, f-fine then¡­ But don¡¯t do anything reckless from now on, you hear?¡± ¡°Loud and clear.¡±


    Of course, I had no ns to go along with that, but if I didn¡¯t back down here, it would turn into a needless tug-of-war.


    As Maria¡¯s anger subsided, it was finally time for our family to sit down and have tea. Incidentally, after that Cortina was dragged away by Maria. I felt it was unfair for just me to get scolded, so I hoped she¡¯d fully enjoy her fair share of it.


    Following that, I got stuck with exining to Lyell the details of how I defeated the Mountain Serpent. I wasn¡¯t the one who defeated it, though.


    A week has passed since then. I chose a day-off and asked Maxwell to set up an appointment with Elliot. If I managed to seize his heart there, his attachment to the real me should fade.


    This time, Maxwell would be apanying me this time as support. Naturally, without showing himself, that is.


    Still, that guy was already head over heels for my adult self, so this should be an easy mission.


    ¡°¡­There was a time I was convinced of that.¡±


    I muttered to myself and heaved a big sigh.


    Instead of Elliot, there were three Adventurer-looking guys around me. Moreover, they had me surrounded so I wouldn¡¯t run away.


    ¡°Hey, how ¡®bout you ditch whoever you¡¯re waiting for and talk with us?¡± ¡°What he said. We are third-rank adventurers, you know? Our futures are guaranteed.¡± ¡°Exactly! If youe to us, no monster or bandit¡¯s gonnay a hand on you!¡±


    They were going on and on about their strength and future prospects. But think about it. There was no man in this world with prospects like mine. After all, my parents were members of the Six Heroes. Even I was a Hero inside. Not to mention, a descendant of a Goddess.


    Who could possibly outmatch me? Even if you ignore everything, our appearances just didn¡¯t suit each other.


    In my current adult mode, I looked like a breathtaking beauty. Some dusty Adventurers were clearly out of ce next to me.


    I stood out to that extent now. A petite, silver-haired beauty d in an attire resembling the national elven wear. My lovely and ephemeral appearance is simply stunning, even if I say so myself.


    So, well, I understand why they would want to approach me, but I was honestly getting annoyed already. Since I was on an appointment, I didn¡¯t want to be seen acting violent¡­ But they were getting way too over-familiar with me, which made me want to remove them with force.


    In the first ce, third-ranked Adventurers weremonce. With Adventurers, there were seven ranks in total. In the past, they apparently used colors instead, but it was a bit hard to tell them apart with just that so now they used numbers.


    The higher the number, the stronger they were. First rank adventurers were basically amateurs. At rank two, they finally reached the beginner level. And at rank three, they were considered ordinary Adventurers.


    In other words, these bunch had nothing to boast about.


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t feelfortable¡­¡± ¡°Ohe on, don¡¯t be like that.¡±


    He decided to be even more over-familiar and try to put a hand on my shoulder. But I wasn¡¯t going to take any more of that. Grab his wrist and pin him down¡­ Is what I was about to do, but he suddenly disappeared before my eyes.


    No, to be more urate, he got sted away. A pir of fire suddenly exploded under his feet, throwing him up higher than the roofs of the buildings. And the same explosion happened two more times.


    ¡°Ah, Maxwell¡¯s doing, I take?¡±


    Since he was following me, he could also see these buttinskies. That geezer wouldn¡¯t let anyone get in the way of his ns.


    ¡°Good grief. It appears that being too beautiful is a sin as well.¡± ¡°Eek!?¡±


    Hearing a low whisper close to my ears almost made me scream. I looked around but couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. Nevertheless, it was his voice alright.


    ¡°I am using Concealment magic. It disallows me from moving about too much, however.¡± ¡°I was sure no one was around, you know¡­¡±


    I retorted to him as he revealed his tricks. I hadn¡¯t taken a single step from the ce of appointment. And I was sure that no one was around. Even if they were concealing themselves, I was able to sense their presence.


    ¡°I approached while using the me pirs as a distraction. Moreover, your surroundings were filled with your ¡°enemies¡±. I imagine it would have been difficult to spot me, would it not?¡±


    So he used those pirs to approach me, huh? I really can never be too careful with this geezer.


    ¡°Still, the other party is quitete.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still not the time of appointment, though.¡± ¡°You would normally arrive half an hour early. It seems Elliot still has ways to go.¡± ¡°Is that how it works?¡±


    Maxwell was just rambling to himself, but it was still better to listen to him than to just standing without anything to do. Thus I spent time while asionallymenting on his topics.


    However¡­


    ¡°The person you are waiting for won¡¯t being, you know?¡±


    Suddenly, the high-pitched voice of a girl reached my ears.

 Chapter 166: Warning from the Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 166: Warning from the Goddess</h4>


    The one addressing me was the white figure that I was quite familiar with. She was a young girl, looking to be about the same age as me, yet somehow overflowing with bewitching charm.


    It was my ancestor. The God of Destruction, Yuuri, in the flesh(?).


    Since the Goddess appeared before us without either of us realizing it, Maxwell became alert¡ªor so I thought. I couldn¡¯t see him, but I could somehow feel that he became tense. And also heard the faint rustling of his clothes.


    I spread my hands and stopped him before he could do anything rash.


    ¡°Wait, Max-¡­ Old man. She isn¡¯t an enemy.¡±


    I decided to refrain from saying his name since we were downtown with a lot of pedestrian traffic. Even if he wasn¡¯t visible, given his royal blood and the Hero status, his name alone was enough to gather attention.


    Since she appeared in public, it would be a bad move to gather attention. She wasn¡¯t exactly an Evil God, but she didn¡¯t have a good reputation either.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. About three years, right?¡± ¡°Yup. Ever since the matter of the Carbuncle.¡± ¡°Nicole, is she your acquaintance?¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s tensed voice reached my ears. It was his first time meeting her like this. I have mentioned her as the owner of Michelle¡¯s bow before, but it was his first actually meeting her.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s the owner of Michelle¡¯s bow.¡± ¡°Owner of that bow¡­ Could it be!?¡±


    I intentionally made it vague, but he seemed to have realized her identity. His tension then turned into a different kind of nervousness.


    ¡°So then, what exactly did you mean by him noting?¡±


    Earlier, she said that ¡°Elliot wouldn¡¯te¡±. I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I couldn¡¯t imagine Elliot breaking the promise, given how head over heels he seemed to be about me. In that case, there must¡¯ve been another reason.


    ¡°Right, but before that, thanks for restraining the person behind you. I didn¡¯t want any needless fights in a ce like this.¡±


    The Goddess smiled and bowed to me. But that gesture made me more annoyed if anything. It felt like she was intentionally doing it to gain time.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ Actually, frequently interfering with the human world is kinda against the rules¡­ I mean, it¡¯s not exactly restricted buuuut¡­¡±


    Honestly, the way she hesitated on her words while ying with her fingers looked cute. If this was a moment of confession, the other party would¡¯ve already been conquered.


    However, this was no such moment. Elliot was important, and at the same time, a hectic person. I couldn¡¯t imagine him just ditching the appointment without even a word.


    ¡°Did something happen to Elliot?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Outright saying it would be, well, against the agreement, and uhh, I mean¡­ Maybe check that alley out and you might find your answer?¡±


    What the White God pointed at was a narrow road a little bit ahead of us. It was a shortcut towards the lodging house where Elliot resided. As I looked towards it and then back to the Goddess, she was already gone.


    ¡°And she¡¯s gone again.¡± ¡°She¡­ Cast chantless magic in an instant.¡± ¡°Chantless magic? The same ability that Maria has?¡± ¡°Perhaps it was even beyond that. She used magic without even thinking about it. You could say she did it as casually as breathing.¡± ¡°Beyond even Maria, huh¡­ Hard to even imagine.¡±


    Ourrades starting with Maria were individuals who had transcended the human limits. Honestly speaking, Cortina and I were at least a level below the rest of the Six Heroes. Maxwell and Maria, in particr, were practically inhuman. Yet, she was someone who exceeded even Maria¡­


    ¡°I suppose her title as a God isn¡¯t just for show.¡± ¡°At any rate, let us head to where she pointed us. I worry about Elliot¡¯s well-being.¡± ¡°Ah, right!¡±


    Maxwell sounded unusually flustered. And that was natural, as Elliot was the keystone of the United Three Nations. If by chance, something happened to him, that kingdom could split back into three kingdoms and give rise to a civil war.


    Still, it was impressive that he managed to keep his Concealment magic active despite his tension. That magic had a weakness that demanded precise control or it woulde undone. For that reason, you couldn¡¯t fight while casting it, and if you did it would be released instantly.


    But then, how did he manage to cast those me pirs from earlier¡­?


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go check it.¡± ¡°Right, we should.¡±


    With that exchange, we hurried towards the alley. While we were heading there, the previous question popped up in my head.


    ¡°Maxwell, how did you cast those me pirs earlier? One can¡¯t use magic while using Concealment, right?¡± ¡°Ah, well. I cast it while hiding there.¡±


    He pointed towards the back of a shop. It seems that he was observing me from there. But that leads to another contradiction.


    ¡°Using magic from there and appearing beside me under Concealment¡­ should be impossible, right? The distance is too big.¡± ¡°Well, that magic wasn¡¯t cast instantaneously. I used the Dy Spell.¡±


    Dy Spell belonged to the middle grade of the Interference system. It had no effect on itself, but if you used another magic on top of it, that magic would only activate after the set time had passed. It was a support magic for magic itself, so to say.


    It was a difficult spell that needed you to cast it while taking into ount all kinds of information, but Maxwell seemed to have no problem making practical use of it.


    I should be able to use it if I keep refining my Interference magic, but I doubt I would ever be as good at it as him.


    ¡°I see¡­ Huh?¡±


    A little after we rushed into the alley, a scene covered in the red spread before my eyes. And in the center of it was a person copsed like a doll with its strings cut.


    ¡°Prisci!?¡±


    Copsed there was Elliot¡¯s bodyguard, Prisci.

 Chapter 167: Aftermath of the Assault

    <h4>Chapter 167: Aftermath of the Assault</h4>


    Prisciy copsed in what could only be described as a sea of blood, not even moving a finger. I immediately turned her face up and checked her breathing. She raised a groan as I did that, so I called out to her in a loud voice.


    ¡°Prisci, you¡¯re alive¡­ Hold on, I¡¯ll have healing magic cast on you immediately!¡±


    Fortunately, we had a monster by the name of Maxwell here, who had mastered all kinds of magic. Albeit he wasn¡¯t quite at Maria¡¯s level, he was able to use top-ranked healing magic, too. His activation speed and effect fell short of Maria, but still easily surpassed an average healer.


    ¡°N¡­ Haumea, stop making me do all the work.¡±


    He remembered to call me with my alias. But despite his words, his hands quickly drew the circle and cast the magic.


    ¡°L¡­Lord¡­Maxwell¡­Lord¡­Ell¡­iot has¡­¡± ¡°He was attacked, huh?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡­fought back¡­was not strong¡­enough¡­¡±


    Her words were broken, but clear. If someone was aiming for Elliot¡¯s life, this kind of back street was the ideal ce to attack. This was a big blunder on his part.


    ¡°S?h?i?t?¡­ But who would¡­¡± ¡°Thatd has many enemies. A good number of them may have slipped into this town.¡± ¡°Can you guess who¡¯s behind it, old man?¡± ¡°There are too many candidates for that.¡±


    Speaking of Elliot¡¯s enemies, as much as you¡¯d want to just brand them as uninvited guests and turn them away, this was Raum. It was different from the United Nations. You couldn¡¯t just reject the dispatched nobles simply because they were sus. That¡¯s just the way the world of politics worked.


    As I was thinking that, Prisci interrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°They fled with¡­a carriage¡­¡± ¡°Carriage? Then we might be able to track it down.¡± ¡°I¡­attached threads¡­from my sleeve to it¡­¡±


    She was in tatters so I hadn¡¯t noticed it, but looking again, her left sleeve was torn. Did she attach her sleeve to it? For what? That was needless to even ask. She bled enough to cause such a disastrous scene. As such, her clothes were naturally bloodstained. If they took part of it with them, it should have left traces.


    ¡°Well done, Prisci. You are indeed a secret agent of Rans.¡± ¡°Leave the rest to me. I will definitely bring him back.¡±


    The moment she heard my words, her consciousness was cut once again. She used her remaining strength to give us information.


    Herck of strength was clear. But even so, she did the best she could under those circumstances. Now, it was up for a Hero to answer her wish.


    ¡°Are you going, Reid?¡± ¡°Yeah. I leave her to you.¡± ¡°Elliot got into some trouble over the matter of session. This might be rted to that. Be careful, they might have assembled considerablebat power.¡±


    Maxwell was giving his all to healing her as he spoke. Maria would¡¯ve healed her injuries in the blink of an eye, but I suppose this was simply the difference in skill.


    ¡°Leave it to me. Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°A little girl?¡± ¡°Gah!?¡± ¡°Hurry up, there might not be much time left. Also, take this one along.¡±


    Maxwell pulled out a small pigeon from his bosom. Naturally, it was no ordinary pigeon, but instead, Maxwell¡¯s familiar.


    ¡°If you bring it along, I can link my visual and hearing senses with it. I would be able to immediatelye to your aid as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring.¡±


    When it came to Maxwell, even his familiars were on another levelpared to Cortina¡¯s. This pigeon was self-conscious and could move, share five senses, talk and even fight. It was only a bit stronger than a novice Adventurer, but it was still plenty enough.


    But Maxwell held the initiative to its consciousness, so it couldn¡¯t be considered a constant battle asset. Even so, it was good enough to entrust my back to. Having my back covered during independent operations was extremely reassuring.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m off!¡±


    We were short on time now. Since Maxwell had his hands full, there was no choice but to deal with it myself. Fortunately, Maxwell was on my side this time. As long as I managed to secure Elliot¡¯s safety, the rest was to just buy time.


    With such expectations, I rushed out from the alley.


    A carriage wouldn¡¯t fit in a narrow alley. But the main street was too crowded. That meant there was a high chance they had the carriage parked on the opposite side of the alley.


    Thinking that, I arrived at its opposite end, and as expected, I discovered blood traces in the corner of the street. It was a blurry red trace as if it was swept with a brush. It was undoubtedly the work of Prisci¡¯s bloodstained piece of cloth.


    ¡°There, huh?¡±


    Raum had many stone-paved areas, so I couldn¡¯t trace the tracks of the carriage. However, the periodic blood marks along its path still remained. If I followed them, it should have let me straight to where Elliot was taken.


    Following that, I slipped through several alleys and turned corners¡­


    ¡°They sure are taking their time with detours. I mean, it¡¯s natural since they are kidnapping someone, but still¡­¡±


    It was amon technique to take detours so the kidnapped person would not be able to guess the location. However, Maxwell said it was a race against time, yet there were being quite leisurely here.


    ¡°They won¡¯t kill him¡­ It would be naive to think that.¡±


    They kidnapped a sovereign of a kingdom, so they should be aware of the consequences. In which case, they would make sure to kill the eye-witness. And that meant, Elliot would definitely die if I left them alone.


    If so, they had to quickly finish their business, otherwise, it would only invite danger¡­ And yet, it felt as if they didn¡¯t care at all how long it would take and just went along the way casually.


    ¡°Doe this mean they realized that he didn¡¯t have many guards?¡±


    And, it felt like they were confident that they would be able to drive away their pursuers. Just as I came to that conclusion, I arrived at a single house.


    It was in a high-ss residential area most of which was inhabited by nobles. This area, in particr, was where the foreign nobles took the majority.


    ¡°This¡­ Should be Count Tarkashere¡¯s residence.¡±


    Count Tarkashere was a distant rtive of the Gritnir royal family that had been incorporated in the United Three Nations. His domain was located in southern parts of the Gritnir kingdom, adjacent to the Sto domain of the Raum forest kingdom.


    It could be said that it escaped the Evil Dragon¡¯s cmity exactly because it was located where it was. And ever since Elliot took the throne, he started acting as a diplomat with Raum.


    ¡°I see. Could it be that his conceited thinking has led him to assume he could take Elliot¡¯s ce just because he was a former royalty?¡±


    As I was thinking that, I started investigating the surroundings of the mansion and nning how to go about infiltrating it.

 Chapter 168: Before the Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 168: Before the Rescue</h4>


    I decided to look around the mansion without removing my disguise. That was because Maxwell opposed it when I was about to do it.


    ¡°Reid, this could be a good opportunity.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Aren¡¯t we in a huge crisis instead, with Elliot kidnapped and all?¡± ¡°I am telling you to use that. He is alone in the enemy territory now. If you gantly show up before him and lend him a helping hand, what do you think he would feel?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he be put off seeing a woman mow down a bunch of men?¡±


    Well, I could see where Maxwell wasing from. This was basically a princess and prince charming ying out in reality, though the genders were reversed.


    ¡°Reid, you have a point. But look at it differently. Elliot has been in our care ever since he was a child. In other words, he has a tendency to get attached to people he can depend on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one troublesome tendency.¡± ¡°You have to make practical use of it here. If you save him here, he will undoubtedly get attached to you. At first, his feelings might be closer to dependability, but they could easily change into those of love, do you get it!¡± ¡°Woah, calm down there. I was unwilling as is, and you¡¯re not helping the matter.¡±


    That said, I could get behind the idea of utilizing this situation. Grasp the opportunity and his personality, and make him dance on your palm. As expected of a sly old noble like him toe up with something like that.


    We continued our discussion as I kept investigating the surroundings. Of course, given how conspicuous I looked, I made sure to use my ring and add a hood to my illusion.


    As far as I could see, there was one guard stationed at the gate. He was fully armed, with a sword hanging on his waist. I couldn¡¯t spot anyone else, so the rest should have been stationed inside the mansion.


    There was a carriage parked at the front garden, with a rag coiled around its wheel. That cloth, smeared with dark red, was undoubtedly the thing Prisci mentioned.


    ¡°Looks like this is definitely the right ce.¡±


    Following that, I started thinking about how to get inside. The fence surrounding the mansion was made from bricks, and about one meter tall. It would be easy enough to jump over it if that¡¯s all there was, but it had anotheryer of iron railings on top, adding two more meters to it. In other words, it was three meters tall. That made it a bit hard to climb over it.


    I considered using threads to leap over it, but the railings had spikes at the top to guard against intruders. If thoughtlessly jumped over it, there was a possibility of tripping on them and ending up with a serious injury.


    ¡°If there are no other options, I guess I¡¯ll do it¡­ But it¡¯s a pain.¡± ¡°Do you actually n to get in there without waiting for my master?¡± ¡°Woah!?¡±


    The unfamiliar deep voice made me instinctively scream. But I quickly realized whom it belonged to. It was the familiar that Maxwell lent me.


    This self-conscious familiar was able to pronounce words. In other words, it could speak of its own volition, too. Basically, right now, both it and Maxwell were watching me at the same time.


    ¡°Right, I forgot you could speak.¡± ¡°I am the familiar of great Lord Maxwell. Please don¡¯t lump me together with random familiars.¡± ¡°I thought pigeons would have a more charming manner of speech.¡±


    I was a bit put off by the gap between its appearance and manner of speech that sounded strangely majestic. Its speech made the feather patterns above its eyes look like rugged eyebrows to me.


    ¡°Anyway, as Maxwell said, I could be in a race against time. They were trying to hide their tracks, so I don¡¯t think they n to get rid of him immediately, but since they left Prisci there, it¡¯s highly likely that they¡¯d vacate this mansion today or tomorrow.¡±


    I collected my thoughts as I talked with the pigeon. Leaving Elliot¡¯s guard there meant the matter would eventually reach Maxwell¡¯s ears. When that happened, Maxwell would personally takemand and pin down the culprit as long as they were still in the capital.


    The fact that they left her there despite all that meant that they probably didn¡¯t n to overstay here.


    Assuming that to be the case, they would get rid of Elliot within a few days¡­ Before the information would reach Maxwell and he manages to track this mansion down.


    Maxwell could use Search magic. This magic could detect the designated target in the surrounding area, including but not limited to life forms and magic power. Naturally, there were ways to avoid its detection, but it was hardly possible to hide from someone as excellent as Maxwell for a long time.


    ¡°So they aren¡¯t wary of Master¡¯s Search? That¡¯s quite bold of them.¡± ¡°They probably nned to aplish their minimal objective and flee before he arrived. And based on the fact that they abducted him, that objective must be something that requires him to be alive.¡± ¡°For example?¡±


    Arriving up to that point, I started thinking about the reasons why Elliot would be deemed unnecessary. It goes without saying, but he was the most important person of the United Three Nations. A bachelor that seeded the blood of the former royals. Thinking about his professional duties as the king¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, maybe making him unable to produce children?¡± ¡°Children?¡± ¡°Yeah. Kings regard their bloodline as the most important thing. If they kill him now, it could lead to a civil war.¡± ¡°So you mean they would let him go?¡± ¡°Yeah. But if they leave him be, they would not be able to force him to abdicate. But what if they turn him into a ¡®king that can¡¯t make offsprings¡¯?¡±


    As long as Elliot was alive, other kingdoms or even his own nobles would not be able to make any big moves. But what if they made it so he would not be able to produce children?


    That would increase the possibility of forcing him to abdicate and put someone else on the throne. The matter of sessors was that important.


    ¡°And it doesn¡¯t take much effort to turn someone infertile. You just have to crush it a bit.¡± ¡°¡­That made me flinch a little.¡±


    This time, it was Maxwell¡¯s voice that came from the familiar. Looks like he heard what I said.


    ¡°Well, since this is about you, your assumption might be off as always.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s rude!¡± ¡°After all, if they just wanted to crush his thing, they could have done that on the spot. Besides, healing magic could somehow handle that. That said, you might not be far off from the truth. Being the sovereign of the United Nations that owns the mostnd on the continent ¨C that is Elliot¡¯s biggest value.¡±


    Leaving his statement aside, since there were such methods, the situation was highly unpredictable indeed.


    It was better to stop sneaking around and head straight for Elliot.

 Chapter 169: The Raid

    <h4>Chapter 169: The Raid</h4>


    If I started shily and attracted the enemy¡¯s attention, it should make Elliot safer. Judging so, I headed towards the mansion from the front and approached the gatekeeper.


    Though these break-in tactics were more suited to Lyell or Gadius who specialized in direct fights.


    The gatekeeper found it puzzling that a beauty¡ªthat is, me, whether I liked it or not¡ªapproached him suddenly, but he did not pull out his sword. I was using my illusionary form now and it also hid my weapon.


    In fact, I didn¡¯t even have more than a single dagger and a thread with me, given that I was supposed to be on a date today.


    Seeing me calmly pass by in front of him, the gatekeeper whistled once, but following it, his expression changed.


    Taking advantage of the fact that he had his guardpletely down, I coiled my piano wire around his neck in one swing and strangled him. He writhed and scratched at his neck without managing to mutter a word.


    I utilized the railings and used all my strength to pull the thread and topple him down. Being pulled in by a thread from one-meter height broke his posture, making him lean forward. I then swept his legs and dropped him to the ground.


    Following that, I rushed to his side, pulled my dagger and pierced it into his medu. That made him jolt like a fish fresh out to the water, his limbs convulsing violently. Finally, his movements came to an end, telling me that he was finally dead.


    ¡°What aplete failure. At least be more vignt.¡±


    The moment I approached him, he should¡¯ve upped his guard. Even disregarding that, there should¡¯ve been a way for him to notify the people on the inside before I coiled a thread around his neck. He had a sword on him, so the least he could¡¯ve done was to strike the railings with it to notify them.


    ¡°He seemed to be employed here, but wasn¡¯t he a bit too low-level? No..¡±


    It would be premature to assume the enemy¡¯s strength with him alone. At the very least, they were strong enough to defeat Prisci. If so, I couldn¡¯t cken here.


    I decided to head straight for the door¡­ But Maxwell stopped me.


    ¡°Hold it, Reid. Aren¡¯t you a little too unarmed right now?¡± ¡°Still. I left my katana back home and the Mythril gauntlets are in your mansion.¡± ¡°I will send them to you, so hold on for a bit.¡±


    Saying that, Maxwell spoke a small chant. And the next moment, my favorite gauntlets appeared in my hand.


    ¡°Ohh, what did you do?¡± ¡°It is a magic called Apport. It is not an especially high-leveled one, either. A little above mid-level. By the time you graduate from the academy, you should be able to use it too.¡± ¡°Is it part of the Interference system¡­?¡± ¡°It meddles with the location information of objects. It is easierpared to Teleport.¡±


    He said it as if nothing, but wasn¡¯t it actually like, super hard? Good grief, this is why all Six Heroes are so¡­


    Despite my grumbling, I immediately equipped my gauntlets. As the familiar coldness of Mythril covered my arms, I felt as if I had returned to the old days.


    I let one thread out through the shooting hole installed at its wrist, checked its condition and prepared it.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been maintained in a while, though¡­¡± ¡°I did some maintenance on the exterior. But the interior is beyond me.¡± ¡°Well, of course. Even I can¡¯t do that. After all, it¡¯s an item of an excellent cksmith, you know?¡±


    These gauntlets that had ten Mythril threads that spanned over a hundred meters were quite delicate works, given the effort it needed to create. Even I, who favored them, was reluctant to tinker with them due to their delicacy, as such the maintainability was sacrificed.


    ¡°I have to go get it repaired one of these days, huh¡­¡± ¡°You mean that cksmith whose identity you kept a secret even from us?¡± ¡°Yeah. Given my background, I couldn¡¯t speak about them openly.¡±


    In my previous life, I acted under my own sense of justice and assassinated whoever fit the criteria regardless of how influential they were. But that brought me many enemies, so I could not openly reveal the names of my allies.


    It was the same after we defeated the Evil Dragon, and I haven¡¯t told their names even to myrades. Though with that cksmith, there was also an agreement to not get him involved in trouble.


    At any rate, Elliot¡¯s matter came first. Leaving the guard¡¯s corpse as is, I stepped into the mansion. I left it there since that way it would kick up more panic. Since I was under an illusion, it was no problem even if a third party saw me.


    That Goddess sure has given me a convenient item.


    Bumping my fists, I headed toward the door. And then, instead of knocking, I kicked it open with all my strength.


    Since my leg was strengthened with a Mythril thread, the lock and hinges were unable to resist the force of the kick and flew off. Then the door copsed inward with a loud noise.


    The inside was an unexpectedly wide atrium hall with three passages. The stairs drew a gentle slope, leading to the second floor, where there seemed to be yet another passage.


    I strained my ears until the noise settled down, trying to count as many enemies as I could. The familiar on my shoulder also flew up to the chandelier¡¯s height and watched out for the second floor. As expected of Maxwell¡¯s familiar, it was quite smart.


    The noise from the broken door raised voices of confusion. I could hear theming from three sources. From the passage up ahead. From the western part of the second floor. And¡­


    ¡°Basement?¡±


    It was a nking, metallic sound. I didn¡¯t know whether someone was donning equipment or it was something else entirely, but the sound was definitelying from the basement.


    As such, the most suspicious one was clearly the basement¡­ But I didn¡¯t know how to get in there.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just ask someone on the way.¡±


    The pigeon gave a sharp cry of warning. At the same time, the enemy also arrived from the front passage.

 Chapter 170: Battle in the Hall

    <h4>Chapter 170: Battle in the Hall</h4>


    Three of them were descending from the second floor. And two more came from the passage on the first floor. Five of them gathered in the entrance hall.


    They all wore Adventurer-looking gear, but it was customary for the Adventurers to wear cards that recorded their rank and background on their necks. However, none of them had any such thing. As expected, they weren¡¯t the types that acted in the open.


    Based on what I heard earlier, the basement was the most suspicious ce, so I had to force my way here.


    ¡°Who the hell are-¡­¡±


    One of them yelled at me as I stood imposingly at the entrance as I kicked down the door. But I didn¡¯t wait for him to finish his words, and mowed him down with a diagonal swing of my thread.


    It was done with the Mythrid thread from my trusty gauntlets.


    ¡°Hehehe, my partner is looking as sharp as ever.¡±


    Despite wearing firmly tanned leather armor, the Adventurer was practically powerless against its sh. It was in a different leaguepared to the piano wires I¡¯ve been using until now.


    Since it had too many characteristics, I hadn¡¯t been blessed with the chance to use them until now.


    Thin and flexible, yet firm. Even disregarding the fact that they were my familiar weapons, their sharpness alone was making me fascinated all over again.


    ¡°W-What just¡­¡± ¡°Keep your s?h?i?t? together! It¡¯s clear she¡¯s the one who did it!¡± ¡°S?h?i?t?, get her¡­¡±


    Seeing theirrade getting defeated so fast caused panic, but I directed a crazed look at them. From now on, I could test my new weapon on them to my heart¡¯s content. It would be a lie if I said I didn¡¯t feel excited.


    But before that, I had to ask one thing. No, strictly speaking, this was more of a formality. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d answer me.


    ¡°Before we do this, I¡¯d like to ask you one thing.¡± ¡°Huuh!?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you hand over His Highness Elliot that you kidnapped? If you hand him over without trouble, I will let you live.¡± ¡°The f?u?c?k? did you just say¡­!?¡±


    Of course, I didn¡¯t believe even for an instant that they would do as I asked. Since the carriage that Prisci had marked was parked here, these guys were definitely criminals.


    Still, I asked it anyway, yet none of them tried to feign ignorance and said ¡°we didn¡¯t kidnap anyone¡± or ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is¡±. In other words, they were fully aware of what they did and weren¡¯t even questioning it¡ªin other words, they already confessed that they were criminals.


    ¡°Guess I don¡¯t need to hold back then¡­¡± ¡°Kill her¡­ No, catch her. You can have some fun with her after that!¡±


    The man that seemed to be their leader gave them thatmand. Now that I think of it, I looked like a girl in her mid tote teens now. Since I was only a little girl in my real form, I had never received such lecherous gazes before, but experiencing it now makes me quite disgusted. Thanks to that, my bloodlust was elevated even more.


    The men charged with apparent lust in their eyes. I swung the Mythril thread sideways to sweep them off their feet. Since it didn¡¯t have much power put into it, it wasn¡¯t able to seriously injure them, but it still managed to severely injure their shins and had some of them drop with a somersault.


    ¡°Tsk, only three, huh.¡±


    Only three of the five were down on the floor. The other two jumped over it and headed for me.


    My battle style seemed like it would be more advantageous in narrow ces, but it was actually better in wider ones. To give the threads enough attack power, I needed to give them a big swing, much like a whip, and for that, I space both horizontally and vertically.


    In uneven ces like caves, forests or residences that had many obstacles, the threads were more suited for setting up traps, butcked when it came to direct attack power.


    These kinds of atrium halls were suited for direct flights. But putting it the other way, it was hard to fight if the opponent closed in on me.


    I prepared to meet the enemies rushing towards me, taking one thread from my right hand and holding it with both hands.


    One of them swung his sword down from overhead at me. I stretched the thread and blocked his attack. The thread bent and absorbed the sword¡¯s momentum. However, it was my body where all that momentum headed to.


    My body was still not developed, so it was impossible to stop an adult¡¯s sword swing like that. Instead, I intentionally lowered my left hand, making the sword slide off the thread and warded it off.


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    Having his attack direction suddenly changed had broken his posture and left him leaning forward. I did a frontyout and leapt over his back. I also did not forget to wrap the thread around his neck as I did it, either.


    As my body rotated during thending, the thread further tightened on his neck. Not to mention, the entire force of my somersault was concentrated on one point of his neck. Coupled with the thread¡¯s excellent sharpness, it was enough to rip open his skin and spray the blood everywhere.


    It seemed that it even managed to sever an important vein, the man lost strength and copsed on the spot.


    With that, I managed to neutralize two of them with this surprise attack, including the first man.


    As a follow-up, I mercilessly shed at one of the copsed guys. With that, the third one was out ofmission, too.


    The other copsed one stood up despite his leg injury and charged at me. The one that had avoided my initial attack also timed his attack and rushed at me together with him.


    However, I intentionally shifted my position towards one of them and ruined their timing. I did a shoulder charge at the man, but of course, someone as light as me could never take him down like that.


    Instead, I rotated around my shoulder on the point of contact and got behind him. At the same time, I let go of the thread I held in my left hand, pulled out my dagger and pierced it into the left side of his abdomen, that is, his kidney, before he could manage to turn around.


    ¡°Gah!!¡±


    Kidneys were hard to heal, so as long as no one cast healing magic on him, he was almost certain to die. Even if it wasn¡¯t a fatal wound, having his internal organ pierced would still lead to excruciating pain that could kill him from agony.


    As expected he groaned like a frog and copsed face-forward.


    As for the other man whose timing was disrupted, I used hisrade as a shield and thrust the dagger at his abdomen from the side.


    Having missed his timing and bing full of openings, the man took the blind attack straight on, and copsed forward. He was the only one left now.


    I retracted my thread and tried to adjust the length for the follow-up attack¡­ But suddenly, I sensed a strange vibration from my gauntlets. And at the same time, the winding of the thread stopped.


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    The sudden malfunction made me raise a strange yell. But thinking about it, it wasn¡¯t strange that something asplex as these gauntlets could malfunction after not being maintained for so long. Still, why now of all times¡­


    ¡°Hah, I have you now!¡±


    Seeing me stop, the man shed at me. Looking at his swing, I could clearly tell that he was no longer thinking of ¡°enjoying¡± meter. I suppose seeing hisrades killed one after another made him lose thatposure.


    I immediately blocked his attack with my left gauntlet, but due to the difference in our weights, I was flung away. I rolled on the floor and ended on my knees, barely avoiding copsing down.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Then, I felt a sudden sense of difort in my body. Or more precisely, my limbs, I guess? I was using threads to strengthen them, but I could no longer move them as I wanted.


    ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t tell me¡­ The left one too?¡±


    As if to ascertain my doubt, my limbs started to lose strength. No, that was the wrong way to put it. They started losing the strengthening of the threads.


    At this point, those threads were nothing more than fetters that restrained my movements. The only thread I could properly control was the one from my right hand. But it was only a meter long at most.


    He seemed to have noticed the abnormality in my condition and immediately charged at me. But rather than a sword, he did a body dive to push me down. Perhaps he was vignt of my threads.


    My threads were mainly used to sh at the neck, face, joints and such. It wasn¡¯t effective when an opponent did a body charge while prepared to take some damage.


    It was one thing if I could set a trap to entangle his legs, but now, I had no way of stopping his charge.


    And with my limbs currently restrained, I had no way to even dodge it.


    Thus I took the blow and fell on the floor. The man straddled me and grasped my neck.


    It was a distance where swords and threads lost all meaning. I looked like a young girl through the illusion, but in reality, I was only a child, and that made the situation even more disadvantageous.


    But the man had overlooked one thing. That is¡­ I was not alone here.


    ¡°Coo-coo!¡± ¡°Gwaaaaah!?¡±


    With a high-pitched cry, a white sh crashed into his face. No, it wasn¡¯t a sh¡ªbut a pigeon.


    Maxwell¡¯s familiar that was staying alert near the chandelier did a nosedive at his face. The attack wed out the vicinity of his left eye and the man sprung up with a yell. That also led to him letting go of my neck.


    The air flowed into my formerly blocked respiratory tract. As much as I wanted to cough and enjoy the air, I couldn¡¯t let this once in a lifetime chance go.


    I couldn¡¯t use my threads, but the dagger in my hand was still there. I thrust it into his right side with all my strength.


    It was far from a fatal wound, but his front was covered with skin armor. Following that, I made it oscite. As it violently vibrated, it started wreaking havoc to his internal organs far more than it did to my hand holding it.


    The fine oscition spread through his entire body like waves, damaging the organs that offered no resistance.


    ¡°Ugh-gh¡­bweagh!?¡±


    After grunting as if trying to endure something, the man finally threw up blood. His limbs then started to convulse until eventually, he fell t¡­ On me, that is.


    Before long, his movements stoppedpletely. It wasn¡¯t worth confirming whether he was dead or not¡­


    ¡°¡­Sorry, having a man ride on me isn¡¯t my hobby, nor it will ever be.¡±


    With those words, I pushed him aside as he drew hisst breath, and stood up.

 Chapter 171: To the Basement

    <h4>Chapter 171: To the Basement</h4>


    The sshing sound of footsteps resonated through the hall. The previously well-decorated hall had now turned into a sea of blood.


    The long-haired carpet soaked up the blood and made me feel like I was walking on a wet dust cloth. All five men had drawn theirst breath and no one was left to make another sound.


    ¡°Did I go a bit too far? I should¡¯ve left one alive at least, huh.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to get into the basement. Leaving one of them alive to get that information out of him would¡¯ve been a smarter choice, but it seemed that being under their lusty gazes made the blood rush to my head.


    Well, that was a new experience for me, so let¡¯s just overlook it this time.


    There was a sea of blood around, as if it was a battlefield, but not a drop of it was on my body.


    That was no surprise, however. I was actually smeared with blood, but it wasn¡¯t reflected on my illusionary form. In reality, I was in a terrible condition, having vomited blood all over my upper body.


    If there were onlookers, they would¡¯ve found my appearance very out of ce. I took a deep breath and calmed myself down.


    The fresh smell of blood was filling my lungs, but I pushed it out of my mind.


    First I had to inspect my gauntlets that malfunctioned in the middle of the battle. The thread might have gotten entangled inside as I couldn¡¯t even wind it in. Not just that, I couldn¡¯t even move other threads either.


    At this rate, I could only use the thread that was already out, but it was only a meter long at best.


    The left gauntlet had a big dent and its threads were entwined with my body. It was impossible to use it as a weapon at this point. It was a shame, but I had to detach it.


    ¡°¡­Oh well, I¡¯ll handle it somehow.¡±


    It was a shame that I couldn¡¯t use those threads as weapons, but I still had my dagger so I could still fight. Plus, I also had that one-meter thread on my right hand. I could at least use it in closebat.


    As for the dagger, I could also turn it into a spear if push came to shove.


    In the end, I gripped the thread from my broken gauntlet with both hands and headed deep into the passage in search of Elliot.


    Piano wires were easier to use now, but the Mythril one was on another level in terms of toughness and sharpness.


    When it came to battles in passages like this or even the basement, the length of it wasn¡¯t the most important part. I would still be fighting while holding the thread with both hands like this, so it was no problem.


    As I proceeded in the passage, I noticed ¡°something¡± strange. It was the blurry blood marks on a one-meter-long wall. I noticed it because of my small height, but a tall Adventurer would¡¯ve had to look down to notice it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Is it Elliot¡¯s blood?¡±


    Perhaps he was roughed up a bit during the kidnapping and got some scratches or something. Either way, he seemed to have used his blood to leave marks behind to let others know of his location.


    Following those marks, I headed deeper into the passage. I arrived at the side of the kitchen that was near the back door. The blood marks continued to the storage room next to it.


    I couldn¡¯t feel any presence from the inside, so I went ahead and opened the door while staying vignt.


    There were fry pans and spare kitchen knives inside the narrow room. There were also pots and vases crammed inside of it. Despite all that, it was strangely empty near the wall.


    ¡°Are they even trying to hide it¡­?¡±


    As I approached the wall, I saw blood marks on it just as I expected.


    ¡°There should be some apparatus nearby that moves this wall¡­¡±


    The device was probably camouged somewhere nearby. Since I used to assassinate nobles back in the day, I was quite used to these kinds of mechanisms.


    After looking around for a while, I discovered a switch under a pot and activated it.


    With a small click, the wall opened up near the corner. The other side had hinges on it and it opened up like a door. As expected, it wasn¡¯t to the level of a revolving door.


    Beyond the door was a staircase made of bare rock descending downwards, with light magic tools installed on the wall. These tools were quite amonce article, so they weren¡¯t quite as expensive.


    These tools were installed as temporary means of illuminating the field of view.


    ¡°It¡¯s still quite a luxury to install magic tools even in a hidden passage like this.¡±


    I suppose my opponent¡¯s economic strength was just that high. Well, he was a count rted to the former Gritnir royals, after all. This much expense was probably a trivial matter to him.


    There was a high chance that Elliot was held ahead. Depending on the situation, he could even be used as a hostage. I may have taken out some of their battle strength with the earlier thing, but I had to proceed carefully now.


    Since Elliot was taken as a hostage, I went and did a frontal assault to decrease the enemy fighting power, but I wasn¡¯t really used to this kind of battle.


    If I could, I would¡¯ve preferred defeating them stealthily.


    As I was thinking that, I used my Stealth Gift and hid my presence. At the same time, I concealed my voice and footsteps and descended down the stairs.


    I could periodically spot fresh blood marks on the wall, so Elliot was definitely up ahead. The stairs descended like a semicircle and soon reached the end. It wasn¡¯t that deep, maybe four meters at best.


    The ceiling was about two meters tall, so they have made the basement as deep as they could.


    ¡°So this is just a room to avoid human eyes, eh?¡±


    Thanks to its shallowness, I was able to find it, so I suppose I should be thankful.


    There was a short passage up ahead that leads to a door. I could see light from its gaps, so there was probably a room beyond it.


    I silently approached it and pricked up my ears to listen. From there, I could hear an impudent voice of a man, as well as painful grunts that I was familiar with.


    That voice definitely belonged to Elliot.

 Chapter 172: Elliot’s Blunder

    <h4>Chapter 172: Elliot¡¯s Blunder</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    That day, he was supposed to meet up with Haumea. She was an ideal girl in his eyes, looking as if Nicole was turned into an adult, yet she extruded the feminine charm quite unlike her.


    Unlike Nicole, who had some of the boyish crudeness still remaining, Haumea was giving off a refined aura. And at the same time, she still had a yful side to her.


    He also discovered her childish side during their meal, and she also showed him a defenseless side, as if she was a male friend.


    She was a mysterious woman, he couldn¡¯t grasp her personality at all. And before he knew it, he waspletely head over heels for her.


    And when he received a letter of appointment from her through Maxwell, he epted it without hesitation. He was so happy that she contacted him that it surprised even himself.


    After he had returned to his lodging house, he started talking about her to his only roommate that was Prisci, which got him fed up look from her.


    Of course, Elliot knew full well that he wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to live on his own. As the minimumpromise, he was allowed to live here along with her, while his other guards settled in the neighboring houses.


    So he was making merry so much that it was irritating to even look at, and when the day of the appointment finally came, he nned to rush out of the house a few hours before the designated time.


    Naturally, Prisci restrained him until there was only one hour left, then he was eventually let go of.


    Being extremely happy, he decided to get to the appointed location as fast as possible, and chose the back alley that was the best shortcut.


    Prisci had made it clear that it was a dangerous road to take, but at that moment, he had abandoned all his sense of crisis.


    Then, just before he reached the main street, he was met with the enemy assault.


    They looked like Adventurers, but they had no ID cards on their necks, so they were clearly not a normal bunch.


    There were five of them in total. And they suddenly surrounded him. Prisci immediately got in front of him and tried to intercept them. Without a single word, the curtains opened to the battle.


    Prisci fought hard. You could even say she did her best trying to fend off five enemies on her own. But s, fighting five against one while guarding Elliot was a hopeless battle.


    Before long, her sword was flicked away, and she was cut down.


    Elliot, of course, tried his best to resist, but he was far too outnumbered. He was punched in the face, and his consciousness drifted off into the dark.


    In his darkening view, he saw Prisci slowly crawling toward the main street. Was it to call help, or was it to save herself? He did not know, but he prayed for her safety until finally, his consciousness was cut.


    The next time he woke up, the carriage had already stopped. All the jolting had woken him up, and he finally understood the circumstances he was in.


    As the men dragged him into the unfamiliar mansion, he proceeded to rub his face on the wall to leave the blood marks behind. He hoped that it would help the rescue find him faster.


    Since he was shouldered and carried off, his head ended up at a rtively lower height, so the bloodstains were left on the lower part of the wall. But that was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed him to leave the stains without them catching sight of it.


    He was carried off into the basement¡­ and now, there was a man sitting in front of him. Two adventurers stood nearby. Other than them, there was also a noble-looking man in luxurious clothes. Four people, in total.


    The man in front was wearing a mask and hiding his identity.


    ¡°It is my honor to meet you, Your Highness Elliot. I am Metos Suria Tarkashire. The lord of the Suria domain of the former Gritnir Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I know you.¡±


    Elliot had an inkling of that name. Suria domain was adjacent to the Sto domain of Raum. Count Tarkashire who governed it was a distant rtive of the former Gritnir royal family. One of the nobles that were against enthroning Elliot.


    ¡°Do you n to kill me and ascend to the throne?¡± ¡°I would never! I am fully aware of my own unifying power.¡±


    He spread his hands and sighed theatrically in disappointment.


    ¡°If I cause a civil war, I have no chance of overturning you.¡± ¡°Then how about you let me go? If you do it now, I¡¯ll at least give you a light sentence.¡± ¡°Oh, no no, we can¡¯t have that. Even if it¡¯s impossible for me, my son is quite something. It makes me want to entrust the future of the United Kingdom to him.¡± ¡°And how is that connected to this violence?¡±


    At Elliot¡¯s question, Tarkashire leaned forward on the desk. Elliot¡¯s hands were free, but his legs were in fetters. It was impossible to escape the way he was.


    Even if he were to attempt taking Tarkashire hostage, there was nothing he could use as a weapon nearby.


    ¡°It is a saddening fact, but your highness has no heir now. That means the next ruler is yet to be decided. If possible, I would like for my son to take that ce.¡± ¡°Like hell it is.¡±


    Elliot spat out the words of denial at him. The royal pce had the right to designate a sessor to the throne. But there also existed Heroes that held enough reputation to step over those very rights.


    If you asked whether Elliot could decide on his sessor, the answer would be a no.


    ¡°Here are the testament documents. Of course, they are official documents, so no one would doubt them.¡± ¡°A testament¡­?¡± ¡°Even the Six Heroes wouldn¡¯t be able to tly refuse your final will, would they?¡±


    In other words, Tarkashire nned to have Elliot write his testament to have his son seed him, and then kill him. A testament held the biggest wishes of the deceased, as such they held strongpelling force in them.


    Even Lyell and others would find it difficult to disregard it.


    ¡°My friend Count Serwa¡¯s son also goes to that academy. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if you became acquainted with my son through him, would it? All you have to do is sign here.¡± ¡°And you think I will?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. The guard that was protecting you could still be saved, you see.¡±


    Tarkashire suddenly changed the topic. He was saying, if you wish to save Prisci, then sign this document.


    Prisci was like a little sister to Elliot. They were childhood friends, and she stuck with him everywhere and protected him all the time since their youth.


    That fact was known to many in the United Kingdom.


    For Tarkashire¡¯s son to take the throne, he needed two things ¨C the testament and confirmation of Elliot¡¯s death. As long as he did not sign the document, his life was guaranteed.


    Putting it differently, only his life was guaranteed. Once he signed, he would be killed too, and it would be publicly announced.


    He had to buy time or he would die. But if he did that, Prisci would die too. Those choices were at odds in his mind.


    At that moment, a vibration as if someone had kicked something down had reverberated all the way to the basement.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 173: A Far Too Simple Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 173: A Far Too Simple Rescue</h4>


    I heard a calm yet oppressive voice from beyond the door. I did not know whom it belonged to.


    ¡°She will be saved if you simply sign here. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t say the same about Your Highness.¡± ¡°I can imagine. So, after you put your son on the throne, you n to have fun with that authority as a regent?¡± ¡°I would never¡­ But my son is still only twenty years old, so I cannot deny the possibility.¡± ¡°Those documents would be useless without my signature. In that case¡­ I will not sign them, even if thates at the cost of Prisci¡¯s death.¡±


    It seemed that someone was trying to force Elliot to write his testament. And judging from the situation, that someone was clearly Count Tarkashire. His goal was taking Elliot¡¯s ce, as expected.


    Elliot, however, resolutely refused his demand. Prisci¡¯s life seemed to have been used as a bargaining point, but she was already being healed by Maxwell.


    Besides, I couldn¡¯t imagine them saving her even if he epted it. Elliot was also aware of that fact, that¡¯s why he refused it.


    ¡°The north has finally calmed down, so I can¡¯t allow myself to do something that would spread the sparks of conflict. Even if Prisci dies, I still can¡¯t. And at the same time, I can¡¯t allow myself to die, either.¡± ¡°Your resolve is worthy of a monarch, however, resolve alone won¡¯t change the world.¡± ¡°Even so, I cannot ept this. And judging from the earlier sound, it doesn¡¯t seem like I am the only one who has been cornered, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Of course not. Ones that headed upstairs earlier are at least as strong as fourth-ranked Adventurers. Five such Adventurers should be enough to deal with most people.¡± ¡°I wonder about that¡­ This is Raum, a ce where two of the Six Heroes live.¡±


    Elliot was firmly denying it¡­ Looked like he was self-conscious about his standing as a king. Back when I died, he was still just a little crybaby.


    At any rate, it was clear that this ce was the root of this incident. All that was left was to secure his safety while also cleaning out the guys inside.


    I only had one Mythril thread that I could use, only one meter long. Other than that, I only had my dagger to fight at close quarters. Even so, I had no need for a longer thread in such a narrow underground space.


    Catching my breath a little, I tried to kick open the door and go inside.


    My kick connected with the door with a loud sound. And the door¡ªdidn¡¯t even budge.


    ¡°O-Ouch¡­¡±


    It turned out to be quite a sturdy door. However, fortunately enough, the guys that came to intercept me before had left the door unlocked.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped, so I just went and opened it normally by turning the knob. And it opened all too easily.


    ¡°W-Who are you!?¡±


    I slowly walked inside. Seeing me, Elliot asked with a shocked face.


    ¡°H-Haumea¡­? What are you doing here!?¡± ¡°Haumea? Never heard of her¡­ Hey, little miss. I don¡¯t know how you managed to slip past the guys above, but-¡± ¡°Guys above? I already sent them all to the afterworld.¡±


    Inside I saw a masked man and a noble-looking man. The one that started talking was probably Count Tarkashire. The other one was flustered from my sudden appearance and clung to the wall.


    As for Elliot, he was made to sit on the other side of the desk. His feet were shackled, so he would¡¯ve found it hard to escape on his own.


    ¡°You did what¡­?¡± ¡°I meant I ughtered them all. And you are next.¡±


    Tarkashire looked dumbfounded for a moment, unable toprehend my words. Elliot was the same.


    He probably didn¡¯t expect me to be so strong. Or rather, he never would have guessed that I would show up here.


    ¡°Haumea, what are you¡­¡± ¡°I came to save you, so just sit quietly for a moment.¡± ¡°H-Huh¡­ Come again?¡±


    Spreading the Mythril thread with both my arms, I took a low battle posture. Seeing that, Tarkashire also pulled out his beloved dagger.


    It seemed like he carried it for self-defense, but seeing how overly decorated it was and the way he held it, I couldn¡¯t see him as a fighter.


    ¡°Little girl, I will not let you get in my way¡­!¡± ¡°With that bent back of yours? Please don¡¯t underestimate the survivability of a Scionian person.¡± ¡°Scion, you say¡­ You mean that wastnd!?¡±


    Ever since the Evil Dragon¡¯s attack, Scion hadn¡¯t been revived and remained as a wastnd. Though in reality, I was just making s?h?i?t? up here since I have never even been there.


    There were two enemies. Only Tarkashire seemed to be willing to fight. I didn¡¯t know if and when the other one would decide to join.


    I had to promptly neutralize him, but seizing the opponent without killing wasn¡¯t something I was very used to.


    ¡°I bet you are just bluffing. Back off, little girl!¡±


    Tarkashire yelled and thrust the dagger at me. I just swung my leg and kicked his hand up. Normally, this would be hard for me to do, but his low skill allowed me to pull it off.


    The kicknded on his wrist and flung the dagger from his hand straight into the mud ceiling. As he stumbled forward some, I coiled the thread around his wrist and moved into a locking technique.


    Using that thread, I forced his hands backwards and tied them like chicken wings. Following that, I swiped his legs and pushed him to the ground with my knee pressing on his back to restrain him in ce.


    Next, I focused my attention on the other man, but¡­


    ¡°Huh, he¡¯s gone?¡±


    The man was suddenly nowhere to be found. Where he used to stand, there was now an entrance leading to the underground tunnel.


    ¡°H-Haumea¡­ Are you alright!?¡± ¡°Dude, that should be my-¡­ Ah, nevermind. I¡¯m alright, yes. I¡¯m used to this.¡±


    I ended up retorting in reflex, but managed to smooth over it with a smile. Elliot had shackles and couldn¡¯t move, but he didn¡¯t seem to be seriously injured.


    I knocked out Tarkashire who was squirming under my knee with a chop to the neck, and stood up.


    You could call this a case closed¡­ Right?

 Chapter 174: Coordinating the Stories

    <h4>Chapter 174: Coordinating the Stories</h4>


    Just as I captured Count Tarkashire, Maxwell¡¯s familiar that was patrolling outside returned. This time around, we were technically trespassers that wreaked havoc inside, so the pigeon was keeping watch outside so we wouldn¡¯t get mistakenly arrested. Well, ¡®mistakenly¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly the correct way of putting it either.


    ¡°Re¡­ Nico-, I mean, Haumea. The situation is starting to get noisy out there.¡± ¡°Have they discovered the corpse at the front?¡±


    The gate guard has been left off where I killed him. Anyone could obviously tell that it was a corpse at a nce, and when that happened it would inevitably lead to mor.


    We had a just cause of saving Elliot, plus the backing of Maxwell. We wouldn¡¯t be branded as criminals, sure, but I was in my illusionary form now. If they started questioning me now, it would most likely get found out.


    ¡°That pigeon can¡­ talk?¡± ¡°Yeah, this bird is Maxwell¡­ Lord Maxwell¡¯s familiar.¡± ¡°Why did you pause there¡­?¡±


    He saw through that I hesitated to call that old man with an honorific and made that unnecessaryment.


    ¡°Hmm? You can act a bit more respectful towards me, you know? Come on, try it.¡± ¡°You s?h?i?t?t?y old fart¡­¡± ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s teasing made me retort with my true feelings. That made Elliot retreat a step back in shock.


    Whoops. I¡¯ve had to deal with that geezer¡¯s teasing hobby since my previous life. I had to just tough it up and ignore it for now.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing, ohoho¡­ Putting that aside, do you have any injuries, Elliot?¡±


    I smoothed over the situation with a fakeugh and asked about his condition. If they wanted to make him infertile, it could¡¯ve been done instantly. I was asking him if anything like that had happened.


    Then again, if it really did get ¡°crushed¡±, he wouldn¡¯t be acting so carefree now.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I just got punched by a bit, but haven¡¯t suffered any¡­ Wait, what about Prisci!¡±


    He acted like he discarded Prisci earlier due to his position, but he was worried about her in reality.


    His expression suddenly changed and attempted to rush outside. But since his legs were in fetters, he couldn¡¯t get away from the desk.


    ¡°She¡¯s alright. Maxwell¡­ Lord Maxwell is currently healing her.¡± ¡°Lord Maxwell? But how did he find that ce¡­?¡± ¡°It seems he heard about the appointment and his curiosity has led him to follow behind.¡± ¡°He was following me¡­?¡± ¡°No, me. He is truly a mischievous person.¡±


    I criticized Maxwell¡¯s childish behavior.


    The familiarnded nearby. Normally, it would¡¯ve sat on my shoulder or head, but doing that with the illusion on me was risky. Restraining Tarkashire with my knee was still fine, but my upper half was too different from my real form.


    ¡°More importantly, leaving Elliot aside, it would be problematic for you if people gather, right, Haumea?¡± ¡°Oh, yea¡­ I mean, yes it would be. My apologies, but would it be alright if I leave the rest to you, Lord Elliot?¡± ¡°To me?¡± ¡°I will cover for you for the most part. Few would protest when they see my familiar being involved.¡± ¡°I am grateful for that, but¡­ If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be fine if she stays too?¡± ¡°She has reasons why she can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s simr to the matter of you and your identity.¡±


    Only Maxwell, Cortina, Letina, and I knew about his real identity in the academy. Even his coworkers weren¡¯t aware that he was royalty. This was also Maxwell¡¯s way of getting him familiar with how the world worked, but he used that same excuse to cover for me now.


    ¡°¡­I see. I was being inconsiderate. I apologize.¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    As I epted his apology, the familiar drew a magic circle with its beak. Then it followed up with a chant and cast Unlock.


    ¡°What the, even your familiar can use magic¡­?¡±


    Now that I think about it, it also used Apport a while ago. Impressed by its skill, I ended up asking that using my natural speech. Of course, this time I made sure Elliot did not hear it.


    He was also surprised to see a familiar use magic.


    ¡°This magic is not hard to cast as long as the target is within the view. Of course, the longer the distance the more magic power it consumes, but it would do you well to remember that it can be used this way.¡± ¡°Why thank you for exining.¡±


    Though I was actually thankful for him. I could remove Elliot¡¯s fetters if I crouched near his legs, but there was the risk of himing into contact with my body.


    My upper half was considerably different from my actual body, so touching it could get me found out. As such, I was wondering how to deal with it.


    While Elliot was busy removing his unlocked fetters, I decided to leave the ce.


    ¡°Well then, Elliot. I have quite a few secrets, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave with this. I left Count Tarkashire bound there, so deal with him however you wish.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± ¡°And one more thing. Our ns were ruined by this today, but would it be alright if I get in touch with youter?¡±


    I was worried whether he¡¯d be put off by me after seeing how I took Tarkashire down before his eyes, so I asked that in a roundabout way.


    However, Elliot instead looked bashful and nodded his head with vigor. That childish conduct made me break into a smile.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go check the ce the other man had run off to. But I probably won¡¯te back¡­¡± ¡°I am truly sorry for getting you rolled up in my own blunder.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Rather than that, please go tend to your servant. She¡¯s a very devoted girl, you know?¡± ¡°Of course!¡±


    Elliot responded with a bright smile. Following that, I proceeded into the secret passage.

 Chapter 175: Discord?

    <h4>Chapter 175: Discord?</h4>


    I went and inspected the hidden passage after I parted with Elliot, but as expected, I couldn¡¯t find any important leads. The main culprit, Tarkashire, was already caught and Elliot was safe, but it still left me unsatisfied.


    But I only had two hands. I couldn¡¯t chase the masked man while I had Tarkashire seized. Either way, he would probably confess everything, so there was no need to try so hard.


    The path led to the front garden of the mansion, the door installed near the fences. One of the fences could be removed so you could escape outside.


    ¡°I wonder why these wealthy fellows like these¡­ escape paths?¡±


    I bet Maxwell¡¯s familiar would¡¯ve answered that if it was with me¡­ but it was currently attending Elliot. It had to exin the situation to the guards that were probably already rushing to this ce, so it had to stay behind.


    Even after I inspected the surroundings, I, unfortunately, could not discover that man.


    ¡°He escaped, it seems. Oh well, can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    If Elliot wasn¡¯t captured, I would¡¯ve stayed hidden and eliminated them one by one without missing a single one¡­ Oh well, can¡¯t be too greedy now.


    ¡°At any rate, this form is attracting too much attention. Gotta find a ce to revert to my original form.¡±


    This beautified, grown form that I ended up with through Maxwell¡¯s supervision was attracting a lot of attention. If I kept going as is, someone was bound to hit on me again. God damn it, where did I go wrong in my life to end up being hit on.


    Avoiding the public gaze that started to grow, I returned back to my normal form. My limbs returned to their usual length, and my squishy legs covered by my knee socks and skirt came in sight.


    ¡­I couldn¡¯t see any muscle gain no matter how long passed.


    I wanted to avoid wearing a skirt, but Finia and Cortina¡¯sbo was too strong and they made sure to check my appearance before I headed out.


    I could just slip out unnoticed, but slipping out of your house every day would be pretty silly. Besides, I nned to go with the illusion for most of the day today, so I decided it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of time left for the day. Should I go waste time somewhere¡­ Wait, I have to wash up before that.¡±


    I was all bloody on my upper half. If I walked in the city like this, I¡¯d be caught even if I left the crime scene.


    Fortunately, Raum¡¯s capital had a river flowing through it where people could go do theirundry and such. Oh well, with my ability, I could get close to the river without being seen.


    Thus, after I went and washed the blood off my clothes and body there, I decided to temporarily return home to change clothes, then decided to hit the Cafe that Elliot introduced me to before.


    Their dessert has left quite an impression on me. There was no harm if I enjoyed it without Elliot there.


    The next day, Elliot showed up as if nothing had happened. I was relieved to see Prisci next to him.


    From what I saw, she had broken ribs, damaged internal organs and a big horizontal sh. She was so injured it was hard to even look at.


    Maxwell was quite something to heal her to a point she¡¯d be able to get back to work the next day. It wasn¡¯t quite as fast as Maria, but his performance did not lose to her in any other way.


    As the lunch break came, I went with Michelle and others in the courtyard for the first time in a while to have lunch. In the middle of it, I saw a strange scene through the window that could be seen from the courtyard.


    It was the back of Maxwell as he sat on his desk, and Elliot who was pressing him for answers. Elliot had always respected us Six Heroes, so it was quite rare of him to be so heated up over something.


    ¡°Sorry, something came up.¡± ¡°Huh, again?¡±


    I haven¡¯t had time to have lunch with the girls in some time, so Letina asked in disappointment. Michelle was looking just as sad.


    Still, that situation was abnormal. I had to go and make sure.


    ¡°Sorry about this. As an apology, I¡¯ll invite you to a delicious shopter.¡± ¡°Ohh!? Well, it can¡¯t be helped then¡­¡± ¡°Really? Yaay!¡±


    Letina tried to y it off, but her expression was looking just as excited as Michelle.


    She never gave off that noble feel, but at this point, that was bing one of her charming points. I wished she would grow up the way she was, without being tainted by the noble society.


    ¡°Well, then,ter!¡±


    I had no time to admire Letina right now. I bid them goodbye quickly and rushed into the academy building while fluttering my skirt. Kabby on my head squealed in dissatisfaction, but the situation looked quite grim.


    I can¡¯t imagine them having discord. The Six Heroes were like parents to him. Besides, even if he was a rear guard, Maxwell was still an experiencedbatant. I couldn¡¯t see Elliot even managing to put a finger on him.


    Still, there was that one in a thousand possibility of him taken by surprise. Imagining the worst-case scenario, I reached the board chairman¡¯s room on the first floor. Just as I did, Elliot opened the door and rushed outside.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m going back!¡± ¡°Wait, Elliot,e back!¡±


    Hearing Maxwell¡¯s voice from inside made me feel temporarily relieved. But seeing Elliot¡¯s face made me stiffen once more. I¡¯ve never seen such a stern expression on his face before.


    Elliot looked startled when he noticed me nearby. But he quickly put up his usual gentle expression. Still, he couldn¡¯tpletely conceal it, which told me just how angry he was.


    ¡°Oh my, Nicole. I¡¯m sorry, did I startle you?¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡±


    He crouched down in front of me to match my gaze and exined the situation, like a gentleman. But that made the veins on his temples all the more obvious.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just had something I couldn¡¯t ept and it turned into a quarrel with Lord Maxwell¡­ Well, we did not exactly fight.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear, I guess?¡± ¡°Haha, looks like I still have a long to go seeing how I made you worry about me¡­ The way I am, I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°No¡­ Nevermind.¡±


    After hesitating a bit, Elliot stood back up. It was obvious that he intended to end this conversation at that.


    ¡°Excuse me, then. I have somewhere to go now.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Goodbye.¡±


    Being at a loss for words, I could do nothing but see his retreating figure off.


    That was fine, though. I just had to ask Maxwell for the particrs.

 Chapter 176: Elliot’s Unrequited Love

    <h4>Chapter 176: Elliot¡¯s Unrequited Love</h4>


    After seeing Elliot disappear in the corner, I knocked on the chairman¡¯s door. I knew Maxwell was inside, and usually, I would¡¯ve intruded without knocking, but he might¡¯ve been on edge after that quarrel. I decided it was better to follow some manners.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Nicole.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know who might¡¯ve been listening in the corridor, so I responded in a girly voice. Hearing my voice, Maxwell seemed to have cheered up as he replied.


    ¡°Nicole? You arrived at a great time. Quickly now,e in.¡± ¡°A great time?¡±


    I asked while bending my head in puzzlement. That almost made Kabby slip off, but let¡¯s ignore that for now. At any rate, he told me to go in, so it was better to do so promptly.


    As I opened the door, Maxwell who looked to be at his wit¡¯s end came to greet me. There was one overturned cup on the desk. It was probably Elliot¡¯s deed.


    ¡°What happened here, old man. Elliot was actually angry this time, you know?¡± ¡°It was about cleaning up after your mess. I did not think he would get that angry. It seems the medicine was too effective for him¡± ¡°Cleaning after me?¡±


    As I asked that, I sat down on the chair next to the desk. It was probably the same chair Elliot sat in earlier. Maxwell also did the same and closed the curtains behind him. He probably realized that he could be seen from the outside from the fact that I showed up.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Try to remember what you did the other day.¡± ¡°I ripped the kidnappers a new one.¡± ¡°Quite a frank reply I see. And legally speaking?¡±


    I started to think. That ce was a diplomat¡¯s residence, so to speak, and I was an unidentified girl. Someone like that snuck inside, massacred six people in total, and even caught Tarkashire, who was technically a diplomat, bound his arms and stepped down on him.


    ¡°Uh, could it be that I¡¯m in some deep s?h?i?t??¡± ¡°What you did wasn¡¯t wrong. I was backing you as well, after all. But it¡¯s still full of problems from the legal perspective.¡±


    There would¡¯ve been fewer problems if Maxwell himself handled the matter. However, some unknown girl did it in his stead, and she was currently in hiding too. Since they had Elliot¡¯s testimony, I probably wouldn¡¯t be branded a criminal¡­ But I was in a dangerous position nheless.


    ¡°And that became a problem. I used that to my advantage.¡± ¡°Used?¡± ¡°I mean for your case. You can¡¯t keep appearing in the city using that form, right?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean that.¡±


    If I kept appearing with that appearance, Elliot¡¯s longing would be prolonged too much. I had to take my exit somewhere along the way.


    ¡°And so, I made Haumea be one of the spies I secretly hired and made her be responsible for the matter.¡± ¡°Responsible how?¡± ¡°I ordered her to investigate a suspicious individual and prevent the crime that apanied it. Since she was unable to prevent it, I had her expelled from the kingdom.¡± ¡°Whaa!?¡±


    Hearing about the expulsion made me shocked¡­ But thinking about it, that form¡­ Haumea was just an illusion. Even if she was deported somewhere, it wouldn¡¯t exactly cause me problems.


    ¡°However, Elliot could note to terms with that. Heshed out at me quite unusually.¡± ¡°Well, I can see why.¡±


    From his point, a girl that was both his savior and a crush was expelled from the kingdom. Of course he would flip out.


    But from Maxwell¡¯s point, he managed to avoid any trouble and deal with a dangerous person by shifting all the me on an imaginary person. At the same time, he was able to conveniently get rid of the Haumea illusion.


    With that, Elliot would continue chasing that illusion for some time, while I could finally be free from him.


    ¡°Well, I feel bad for him, but we can say everything ended well, right?¡± ¡°You say that, but now I am the target of his anger¡­ But I suppose I had thating.¡± ¡°If you are aware of it, then deal with it.¡± ¡°I wonder whose fault it truly was if we get down to it?¡±


    The spearhead was turned my way so I looked away and avoided it. Too bad for Maxwell, but it was a great help that I was able to direct Elliot¡¯s love somewhere away from me. Lyell might even wee this oue, actually.


    ¡°With this, Elliot¡¯s love would stay unrequited for some time and his interest in me would go away.¡± ¡°And by the time the scars of his first love heal, you would be gone from the academy, is that it?¡± ¡°Yeah, perfect, ain¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That is under the assumption that you have learned Polymorph by then.¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ll just pray that my Gift (God¡¯s Blessing) is able to cover that part.¡± ¡°Even Gift holders need to devote themselves to learn things, you know?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    I nodded to Maxwell¡¯s remonstration, realizing I stirred up the trouble for myself. In reality, however, my magic skills increased exponentially within these three years. I was still below middle grade, but my skill at using it was clearly outside the realm of children.


    At this rate, I still had three more years of elementary school, and three more years if I followed through senior high. I should be able to learn it by then.


    When I reach the senior grades, I would have ess to the underground library of the academy, which should rapidly increase my skill.

 Chapter 177: The ‘Great’ Strategist’s Guess

    <h4>Chapter 177: The ¡®Great¡¯ Strategist¡¯s Guess</h4>


    After leaving the chairman¡¯s office, I headed directly to the cafeteria and had a meal. I could¡¯ve joined up with the girls, but with my current mental state I was afraid I would have slipped up and done something strange.


    I have conducted myself like a guy before Maxwell, even pulling my knees on the chair in an unsightly way, and even drove Elliot into a trap. All that made even me feel a bit questionable about it.


    After I was done with my meal, I skipped the club activities and went home. I told Letina I wasn¡¯t feeling well. Finia looked surprised to see me return so early.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, you returned already?¡± ¡°Yeah. Are you doing your usual training, Finia?¡±


    She was still in touch with the Adventurers that guarded us whening to this city, and sometimes asked them for sword training.


    She had a sword belt on top of her maid clothes and was easily swinging around a decentlyrge sword. Doing that in front of a cozy house was giving off quite a surreal feel.


    ¡°Yes. I feel like my skills have grown quite dulltely.¡± ¡°Ohh, so you can already talk like that.¡± ¡°Haha, I won¡¯t even lose to you!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not happening.¡±


    Even I haven¡¯t grown so dull to lose against Finia. Hearing that, she became a bit sulky.


    ¡°You said it now! Then how about we have a little spar?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I can point a sword at you, right? Besides, I¡¯m thirsty, so I¡¯m heading inside.¡± ¡°Okay. Then I will prepare hot milk for you!¡± ¡°Hot milk in a hot season like this¡­ You¡¯re actually angry, huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagining it.¡±


    She answered with a smile but I could see veins on her temple. It was clear that she was displeased after I poured water on her enthusiasm just as she graduated from a beginner level.


    However, this period was the most dangerous. It was a period when people would gain baseless confidence and do reckless things.


    It was better to break her nose before it would grow too long for her own sake¡­ But I couldn¡¯t really imagine her growing haughty.


    It didn¡¯t seem like she was that angry either, as by the dinnertime she hadpletely forgotten about it and her good mood had returned.


    She sat next to me to serve at the table, but she also had dinner at the same time. She was self-proimed as my personal maid, but she couldn¡¯t oppose Cortina¡¯s order for everyone to have meals together.


    I took the opportunity to talk about Elliot¡¯s matter. Of course, I did not start the topic myself, but rather Cortina, who had noticed his abnormal behavior. I was technically Maxwell¡¯s private pupil, so it wasn¡¯t strange for me to be aware of it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Elliot, huh?¡±


    She had watched over Elliot since he was little, so he still appeared like a child to her eyes. Hearing about his disappointed love, she put a hand on her chin and started thinking.


    We were having dinner now, so that was quite bad manners.


    ¡°A beauty with silver hair and blue eyes¡­ In herter teens¡­ And with Maxwell¡¯s backing¡­¡± ¡°Cortina?¡± ¡°¡­Also, strong enough to easily overpower six wannabe Adventurers¡­ Could it be?¡± ¡°Uh, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Okay, I got it!¡± ¡°W-What?¡±


    Cortina raised her head with stars in her eyes. Her expression was overflowing with confidence.


    ¡°That woman, you see, Haumea or whatever you called her.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah? ¡°She¡¯s actually Reid!¡± ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    No, wait a minute. I mean, you are correct, but not really. But I can¡¯t exactly point that out. I looked at her with aplex expression, which she seemed to have mistaken for me asking for an exnation, and continued her speech in full confidence.


    ¡°Okay, hear this. First, Maria cast Reincarnation on Reid twenty years ago.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. That she did, I guess?¡± ¡°Maria is certain that it worked. If he reincarnated soon after, he should be somewhere in his mid-teens now.¡± ¡°Right.¡±


    I was barely ten, but I had no choice but to consent to her deduction.


    ¡°Also, he¡¯s currently in Raum. This is also a fact. And now, some mysterious skilled person came into y. And that someone has connections to Maxwell despite being amoner.¡± ¡°But Maxwell could have his own acquaintances, right?¡± ¡°Even so, he is the leader of this kingdom, you know? There are only a limited number of individuals who can get in touch with him. Much less someone with an unknown background.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°In that case, she should be someone who has known Maxwell from before¡­ Or perhaps it¡¯s better to say that she was friends with him. Someone like that who¡¯s in her teens¡­ yet also someone who¡¯s I¡¯m not aware of, there can only be Reid¡¯s reincarnation.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you making a bit too many assumptions there¡­? You even doubted Kabby, back then, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m certain this time! And Elliot fell for him, so he left the kingdom to put a distance between them. I can now ept that unreasonable punishment from Maxwell.¡± ¡°I-Is that how it was?¡±


    Cortina dered with an excited voice. She was certainly really close to the correct answer, but she was also so¡­ far. It was good that I barely avoided being the target of her doubt.


    ¡°And now I can understand why he did not show himself before me. Looks like he had reincarnated as a girl!¡± ¡°Ah, well, yeah.¡± ¡°Good grief, that guy has always been so stand-offish. He should¡¯ve just said so, and I would¡¯ve taught him a bunch of things! He even became a beauty that¡¯s worth having fun with!¡± ¡°You are starting to creep me out.¡±


    Cortina was moving her fingers in a suspicious manner. What exactly did she n to teach me?


    ¡°Right, I can¡¯t sit still now¡­ I¡¯ll go out for a bit.¡± ¡°Where are you going now!?¡± ¡°To Count Tarkashire¡¯s mansion. There might be some proof left behind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to go there in the middle of a night, you know?¡±


    Needless to say, Cortina was quite a beauty herself. The feline race had much more longevitypared to humans. Looking from her race, she was still a young girl. She could pass off as a human in her teens with her appearance.


    If she went out during the dinnertime, she was bound to attract drunkards. That could happen regardless of the kingdom you were in.


    Besides¡­ There was indeed a lot of evidence left behind in that mansion. There was enough evidence that no more excuses would work, take the Mythril threads that I cut off after the malfunction, for example.


    Not to mention, the scrapes on the railings from when I defeated the gate guard would work as evidence, too.


    ¡°Dammit! I¡¯m going to have to put some screws on Maxwellter¡­¡± ¡°Ah, go a little easy on him, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my very best!¡±


    She was so excited she wasn¡¯t even listening to what I was saying. Seeing her rushing out of the house after having barely eaten, I could do nothing but sigh.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped¡­ Finia, can you get me another cup of¡­ Huh?¡±


    When I turned around, Finia wasn¡¯t there. Looking back, I saw her running after Cortina in her maid uniform.


    ¡°Really¡­ What should I do about this¡­?¡±


    I decided to pay a visit to Maxwell once again the next day.

 Chapter 178: Countermeasure

    <h4>Chapter 178: Countermeasure</h4>


    The next day, I dropped by Maxwell¡¯s office and as usual, clung to the old man who was busy doing paperwork for help. He couldn¡¯t exactly kick me out either, so he just sighed and listened to what I had to say.


    ¡°So, what is it this time?¡± ¡°Well,st night¡­¡±


    I exined about Cortina¡¯s rash behavior from yesterday in a rather exaggerated manner.


    About the fact that she was convinced that the ¡°Mysterious Girl¡± Haumea was Reid. I mean, it wasn¡¯t exactly wrong¡­


    I told him everything without leaving out a single detail about how Cortina arrived at that conclusion. After he heard it all, Maxwell plopped down on his desk seemingly exhausted. There was enough force behind it that it was fortunate that his teacup didn¡¯t spill over.


    ¡°What crazy fellows they are¡­ Well, as expected of Cortina. It was correct to have you change your appearance.¡± ¡°Really? Cuz I only feel like it¡¯s gonna get a lot moreplicated from now on.¡± ¡°Well, we managed to pull you and Reid apart, so there should be no harm.¡± ¡°Well, that may be true¡­ But is this really okay?¡± ¡°Haumea is believed to be already gone from this city. No matter how much Cortina or Elliot try to chase after her, there is no chance of them finding her.¡±


    True, the person in question was here, so no matter how much they chased after my phantom, there was no chance of finding her. However, it wasn¡¯t like the connection to her was cut off entirely.


    As long as there existed Maxwell as the connection point, they wouldn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°In exchange, they are going to start pressing you for answers now, aren¡¯t they? Are you sure you can dodge your way out of it?¡± ¡°Hm? You are right¡­ Elliot aside, Cortina¡¯s questioning would be hard to deal with.¡± ¡°Moreover, Haumea¡¯s appearance was seen in the city, so she might be a hot topic now.¡±


    When walking downtown, there have been cases where shopkeepers have called out to me thinking I was Haumea. I hadn¡¯t shown that appearance in the city that much, but I did do some shopping. And I used that form during the kidnapping, too.


    Whoever called out to me quickly realized that they got the wrong person by my height, but I never imagined that Haumea would be so famous in a mere few days.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Now that I remember it, Elliot has Prisci with him.¡± ¡°Ah, that he does.¡± ¡°With her included, Elliot might actually be harder to deal with than Cortina.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Prisci is quite an excellent spy, after all.¡±


    She was still quite inexperienced from my point of view, but looked like Maxwell held her in high regard. Now that I think about it, even Elliot was being attentive to her.


    ¡°Are you that familiar with her?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, yes, she is like a little sister to Elliot. So I had many opportunities to meet her due to their connection.¡± ¡°I still think she has ways to go¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge her based on yourself. She¡¯s quite excellent given her age.¡±


    She had certainly shown quick-wittedness during Elliot¡¯s rescue. However, if she was so good, I would¡¯ve wanted her to prevent the kidnapping situation from happening in the first ce.


    That part made me think she still had ways to go¡­ But well, she acted on Elliot¡¯s selfishness at that time, putting all the me on her would be too harsh.


    ¡°Putting that aside, about the uproar you caused. I would not be able to do much about it with my influence.¡± ¡°You mean Elliot might use Prisci to investigate it, huh?¡±


    When it came to dealing with a spy, even I couldn¡¯t be careless. Much less if the other party was someone Maxwell held in high regard. I wanted this situation handled as fast as possible.


    ¡°Alright then, I havee up with four ns to deal with that.¡± ¡°Ohh, that many? What are they?¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect that he would offer several solutions, so I ended up leaning towards him in excitement and urged him to speak. He looked at me with an evil grin and raised his finger.


    ¡°First. You can just disappear in reality.¡± ¡°Are you telling me to leave this city?¡±


    Indeed, since I was the one being pursued, I could avoid Cortina¡¯s investigation at least if I just disappeared from this ce. And Prisci had her job to guard Elliot, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the city either. You could say that by leaving the city, all kinds of investigations woulde to a halt.


    However, doing that would mean my magic study would stop as well. However, my end goal was to be a man again.


    ¡°Rejected, rejected! I can¡¯t overlook the fact that my magic learning would be interrupted.¡± ¡°Then, the second. Redirect their attention to someone even more conspicuous. In other words, prepare someone even more beautiful and redirect Elliot¡¯s attention there.¡± ¡°And where could I find that beauty?¡± ¡°You can only make one up with your illusion.¡± ¡°Rejected again, you moron!¡±


    Creating someone even more beautiful to redirect people¡¯s attention would just be shifting the point of the spearhead instead of dealing with the core problem. If it was redirected to someone else, it would be fine, but that other person would still be me in this case. If I repeated that several times, they might even figure it out.


    ¡°Then, the third. This is more of an extension to the second, however. That is, do some event and redirect their attention to that.¡± ¡°Specifically speaking?¡± ¡°Hosting a festival, for example. Fortunately, this magic academy is quite conspicuous in this city. If we do some event here and create a festive mood, Cortina and Elliot who are teachers would be too busy to do anything else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea¡­ But what kind of festival would be good?¡± ¡°How about a battle tournament that all citizens would find interest in?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I just end up stealing the champion¡¯s seat!¡±


    The students attending the magic academy were elites, but they were still kids. There were no opponents to me given my skill. If I ended up easily sting through the tournament, that could even lead some people to my real identity.


    I could, of course, pretend that I wasn¡¯t that strong, but there was a clear and vast difference in the way an expert and amateur moved their bodies. Even if you limited it to their manner of walking, everyone knowledgeable would easily realize it.


    If I pretended to be weak, it would make me more suspicious instead.


    ¡°Then ites down to the fourth one. Wait for the situation to calm down.¡± ¡°¡­I guess ites down to that, in the end.¡±


    Their momentary frenzy would probably die down after some time passes. That n was certainly effective but it had its share of problems.


    ¡°The problem is for how long, and where should I hide until then.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Reid, you broke your gauntlets, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I really have to get them fixed¡­¡±


    But those gauntlets were first-rate articles that a certain skilled cksmith made, who lived in hiding in the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle. If I had some average cksmith tinker with it, they could damage it beyond repair.


    In fact, my left gauntlet was currently all crumpled. Well, my hand was unharmed exactly because that broken gauntlet cushioned the attack.


    ¡°If I were to fix it, I need to head to where the cksmith that made it lives.¡± ¡°And where is that?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    There were certain topics I couldn¡¯t disclose even to myrades.


    When it came to this extremely skilled cksmith who made my weapons, In particr, there was a high chance of his life being targeted. For that reason, both I and that cksmith had formed a non-disclosure agreement before he made these gauntlets.


    ¡°If possible, I¡¯d rather not say.¡± ¡°I do not mind¡­ But is that cksmith somewhere the current you can visit?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s quite impossible to do that.¡±


    The Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle was one of the city-states located on the southeastern part of the continent. It was a region that gained independence ever since the group of the city-states that controlled all the south had split into three parts.


    Due to that breakup, all three states were at odds with each other and it wasn¡¯t very safe there.


    But above all, it was just too far away. It would take about a month on foot to reach Alecmarle from Raum. And that would double in my case.


    I couldn¡¯t leave my home for that long. Cortina would worry too much, after all.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you since I trust you, but the one that made these resides in the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle. But the three kingdoms there are giving off dangerous vibes. I might find myself in some trouble if I decide to head there.¡±


    Since I was something like a foster child of Cortina, I probably looked like a ¡°kid with highmercial value¡± from the point of scoundrels. I wished to avoid any such problems if I could.


    ¡°The Sword Kingdom, huh¡­ Hmm, then how about this. We can just make it the destination for off-campus learning.¡± ¡°Say what?¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s suggestion made me respond with disbelief.

 Chapter 179: Off-Campus Learning

    <h4>Chapter 179: Off-Campus Learning</h4>


    Since most of the students in the magic academy were the wealthy or noble¡¯s kids, it had a lot of funds. But it would be a problem if the administration simply pocketed those funds.


    But for that reason, the academy provided a lot of these trips under the pretext of off-campus learning. By doing that, they could broaden the students¡¯ knowledge while at the same time avoiding the criticism for hoarding profit.


    ¡°This is not the trip I was nning for, but fortunately there are still more than enough funds left. Enough to be able to send all the upperssmen of fourth grade and up to every ce.¡± ¡°Four and up? Why not just limit it to my grade?¡± ¡°If I do that, it would look like I was favoring your grade. When ites to trips, it has to be everyone.¡± ¡°In that case, take the lower graders along too.¡± ¡°They are far too young. There are few as sensible as you there. There are also some that dislike the idea of separating from their parents.¡±


    This academy, which all sorts of nobles attended, had a lot of live-in students, enough to warrant making a dormitory for them. However, not everyone was like that. Local nobles and wealthy kids were also there¡­ Take Matisse, for example.


    Among them, there were many young children that were scared of leaving their parents¡¯ sides. In addition, it was difficult to imagine that kids whose discretion couldn¡¯t be trusted wouldn¡¯t cause some kind of a problem.


    When going on trips, it was essential for them to have at least some self-control or it would most likely lead to trouble.


    ¡°I see. And why do you want them to be sent to every ce?¡± ¡°If I only limit it to the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle, some people might get suspicious that something must be in that ce, right?¡± ¡°True, if several school years went on an unannounced trip to Alecmarle, some might suspect the reason.¡± ¡°For that reason, I am going to change the destinations a bit. Highest grade ones would go to Matara Alliance, fifth years, to the Northern Alliance.¡± ¡°So we would just happen to visit Alecmarle, huh?¡± ¡°That way, there would be no feeling of anything out of ce.¡±


    If several school years went to different ces on the continent, it wouldn¡¯t look strange if I happened to be in one of them. But sending hundreds of them all around should take an absurd sum¡­


    ¡°Are you sure you are alright on the budget?¡± ¡°I am instead troubled at how much funds we have. Raum¡¯s magical institute¡¯s fame is already as high as a decent brand.¡± ¡°In other words, you are all set, huh?¡± ¡°It is enough to send them all two or three more times.¡± ¡°Woah, that¡¯s more than I imagined, old man!¡±


    I was surprised to hear that he has money to send around 300 kids on trips across differentnds. I don¡¯t believe you can make that much profit through donation alone.


    ¡°That sounds quite prosperous, but isn¡¯t it weird for donations to add up to such an absurd amount?¡± ¡°About that¡­ You are partly the reason for that.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. Lyell and Maria¡¯s child is attending the magic academy. Many of the nobles want to use it as an opportunity to get close to you. Ever since you enrolled, we¡¯ve had a sharp increase in noble applicants. We are making it big thanks to that.¡± ¡°Stop treating me like a rare animal to attract customers, will you?¡±


    But I could see his point. It was a fact that my existence was viewed as quite important in this world.


    Lyell and Maria were thought to have been weakening due to their life span, but in reality, the medicine from the God of Destruction would leave them on active duty for decades toe.


    Maxwell was old, but he still had more left than an average human. Cortina and Gadius were much the same.


    I had a big connection to them all, so I was bound to be a key figure in this world.


    It was natural for there to be many nobles trying to get close to me. All the nobles with simrly aged children tried to sneak them into the academy. Fortunately, Letina was acting as an excellent breakwater for me, and my livelihood wasn¡¯t under a threat.


    ¡°Well, that is how it is. There is an unexpected ie. We have to return the favor to that littless Letina who is guarding you, too.¡± ¡°And this trip would work for that?¡± ¡°Being the daughter of the Marquis means that when she makes her debut to high society, she would no longer be able to go on trips so easily. This is the only time for her to have fun.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I tended to forget it, but she was the Marquis¡¯ daughter. After she made her debut, she had to deal with the nobles of this kingdom. Due to the Marquis¡¯issez-faire education policy, she was allowed to act like an Adventurer with me, but that wouldn¡¯tst long.


    This was the only time for her to let her hair down. For that reason, Maxwell wanted to make this trip as fun as possible for her.


    ¡°Right. Then¡­ How is it with the Adventurer Academy?¡±


    Specifically, I was asking it for Michelle. It would be too pitiful for her to be the only one to sit out on this trip.


    ¡°Well¡­ It seems they have not made much profit, so it would be hard for them to pay for the trip expenses.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I expected something like that.¡±


    Magic Academy¡¯s profit was merely the byproduct of an attraction like me. The Adventurer Academy had no such source, so their profits probably stayed low.


    ¡°So Michelle has to sit this one out, after all¡­¡± ¡°We could take her if we were to be partial, but that wouldn¡¯t be a smart move as educators.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t the Magic Academy lend some budget to them?¡± ¡°We are not allowed to mix the budgets. They are managed through their own funds.¡±


    Maxwell sipped on his tea with a bitter face. Thus, Maxwell and I decided on the trip to the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle.

 Chapter 180: Behind the Scenes Movements

    <h4>Chapter 180: Behind the Scenes Movements</h4>


    After we settled on our ns from now on, I decided to talk to Maxwell about the other day¡¯s events. First I decided to ask about Count Tarkashire who we managed to capture.


    ¡°Reminds me, what happened to that s?h?i?t?h?e?a?d? noble?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Maxwell started unusually hesitantly. And no wonder, as it turned out that someone had assassinated him on the same night of the capture.


    ¡°He was supposed to be under perfect security. I hadn¡¯t put up any magical surveincework there, but the guards were strictly watching over him.¡± ¡°Then, how did he get killed? Or when exactly? And what about the culprit?¡±


    I barraged him with questions. It seemed that he was assassinated at nightfall, taking advantage of the gap between the monitoring shifts. Since there were people guarding the ce, the assassin must have been quite skilled to pull it off.


    ¡°At present, the most suspicious of all would be¡­ You.¡± ¡°Howe!?¡± ¡°Setting aside the objective, the first one to pop my mind when I heard about someone that could slip through the defenses was you.¡± ¡°I had no motive, though. Besides, during that time I was in the bath with Finia.¡± ¡°Oh? Looks like you are getting along as always. So, how did it feel to the touch?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask that!!!¡±


    That was a blunder on my part. No, well, he was already aware that I was getting into the bath together with Cortina and Finia. Finia¡¯s weren¡¯t that big but they were quite sof-¡­ No, nevermind.


    Returning to the topic, since this would derail from it too much.


    ¡°I was the one that caught him, in the first ce. If I wanted to kill him, I¡¯d have done it then and there.¡± ¡°Indeed. Hence we aren¡¯t aware of the culprit¡¯s objective.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so unreliable of you.¡±


    I gave a briefment about his unusual blunder and went to rummage through his office. It was the usual thing so he didn¡¯t try to stop me. After doing my search I properly tidied after myself, so there would be no need to clean up.


    Rather, it would end up being more put in order after I was done, given how crude he was at dealing with his things.


    I discovered rare biscuits behind the thick encyclopedia on the bookshelf. They were products from a famous shop, full of fragrance, baked after mixing sesame into the dough.


    This old man had a nature to hide food here, like a squirrel preparing for winter. He said he gained this habit of stocking up tasty things back when he was still royalty and could only eat poison-tested food.


    He said that without looking me in the eye, so I had some suspicions about how honest he was being.


    ¡°Stop hogging everything, old man.¡± ¡°You have some nerve to say that afterying waste to this ce. Good grief¡­¡±


    I ced the lunchbox I brought with me on his desk and these biscuits next to them as a dessert. After pouring me some tea, Maxwell continued.


    ¡°I cannot deny that the monitoring eyes were a bitx during the shift switch. I was busy attending to Elliot and Prisci, and it would be a little unreasonable to evaluate the prison guards with the same criteria as in our time.¡± ¡°Well¡­ True.¡±


    Since the security system underwent sudden changes, it was actually natural for there to appear gaps in defenses.


    Still, there were enough of them mobilized to make up for those gaps, yet someone managed to slip through them. I couldn¡¯t me Maxwell that I was the first one to pop up in his mind after thinking about the possible candidates.


    After all, he had seen me slip through the enemies and monsters many times back in our active days.


    ¡°In other words, it should be someone with the same level of Stealth skills as I.¡± ¡°That limits the number of individuals quite a bit. I am currently trying to gather information from people connected to the underworld. I judged that they did the best they could at defending as ordinary people. The assassin was probably simply one step above them.¡± ¡°That means, the identity of the masked man from before is also¡­¡± ¡°Still undiscovered, yes.¡±


    Judging by the fact that they managed to assassinate him on the same day, it might have been someone trained from childhood. Having suchworks should have taken a long time.


    ¡°Then, the masked man would have to be someone knowledgeable about this town.¡± ¡°Indeed. And a noble. Tarkashire is the very personification of authoritarianism. He wouldn¡¯t allowmoners near him.¡± ¡°Someone who lives here considerably long and is of quite a high social standing, huh. But we can¡¯t narrow it down with just that.¡± ¡°Well, I will slowly tighten the encircling. I will not let them go.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Maxwell shrugged his shoulders. In the end, the masked man managed to make a good escape.

 Chapter 181: The Growth Period

    <h4>Chapter 181: The Growth Period</h4>


    Due to Maxwell¡¯s sudden n, it was decided that we fourth years would be heading to the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle. There were still things left to settle, such as making everyone aware of it, gathering the participants, and other trip preparations, so all that would take about a month.


    And after that one month passed, it was already July. The usual swimming practices restarted, and I had to deal with seeing the bodies of my ssmates whose sexual traits started to emerge.


    Even I was the target of such gazes. In this season, in particr, the boys were sending lusty gazes at me, making me feel like vomiting.


    ¡°I never thought I would one day be the target of such gazes¡­¡±


    I was thinking about such things while paddling through the artificial swimming pool. It was a little tough for me to swim across the pool that was about 30 meters long, but considering the early days when I fainted right after getting into the water, I made remarkable progress.


    Moreover, when I was submerged it allowed me to avoid those gazes and forget some things, so it felt rather refreshing.


    ¡°Ohh, you¡¯ve be quite a good swimmer already, Nicole.¡±


    Cortina met me on the other side after I made it through. As expected of a feline race, her limbs were the very picture of youth despite her already hitting her forties. Her swimsuit that was full of exposure was a delicious sight for sore eyes.


    ¡°Wait, that makes me no different from those boys.¡± ¡°Hm? I think that would be a little tough for you, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I was talking about the way I was looking at her, but she seemed to have misunderstood it to mean my swimming ability. At my age, there was already a gap forming between the physical abilities of boys and girls, so the boys were able to swim a little faster.


    Of course, if I used my threads to strengthen myself, I would not lose to them¡­ Actually, wouldn¡¯t that serve as good training to operate my body through threads alone?


    Next time wee to swim, I¡¯ll try it out with threads that will be invisible in the water.


    ¡°Fuuh.¡±


    I got out of the water, removed the hat that kept my hair in ce and grabbed the towel. I had to quickly dry myself or I¡¯d get a cold. My hair fluttered down and stuck to my body, making me feel kind of unpleasant.


    I proceeded to wipe off the droplets of water from my head with the prepared towel. I wasn¡¯t rubbing it hard, but instead gently pressing on it. Finia kept insisting that my hair would get damaged if I didn¡¯t do that.


    The damn atmosphere of the forest coupled with the zing sun made it relentlessly humid.


    ¡°This season sure drains your energy even if you just stand and do nothing, huh.¡± ¡°Well, Nicole, I don¡¯t think this season is to me for your case.¡±


    My legs were trembling after I got out of the water. My stamina shortage was really something.


    Moreover, my skin also started to redden a little. I was weak even against the sun. The bath tonight might sting quite a bit.


    ¡°This is still considerable progress!¡± ¡°Yup. You used to float like a jellyfish before.¡± ¡°I suppose this is the result of the growth period.¡± ¡°Indeed. You even brought the swimsuit recements twice.¡±


    Since entering the academy, I have grown about 30 cm taller. Since I had to adjust my swimsuits to my growth, I, unfortunately, had to visit the town to buy new ones a few times. I say ¡®unfortunately¡¯ because Finia turned me into a dress-up doll on those asions.


    I¡¯m not sure why I ended up having to wear a bunch of dresses when I originally left to buy swimsuits. Even the store staff seemed to be at a loss.


    ¡°Well, then, since you look so lively, how about another round?¡± ¡°¡­Well, fine.¡±


    Swimming one more length was harsh, but it was better than being under so many curious gazes. Ever since I got out of the water, forget the boys even the girls were staring my way. It even made me double-check my body, wondering if there was anything wrong with me.


    t chest, limbs with no muscle, nails that shone like pearls, and glossy, baby-like skin that repelled water.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    S?h?i?t?, I¡¯m a kid no matter how you look at it. Compared to the erotic body of Cortina beside me, mine felt pathetic.


    She wore a racing swimsuit which unsparingly made a disy of her slender yet extremely feminine figure. If I was still a guy, I would¡¯ve gotten aroused without a doubt. I mean, I could get aroused even now, but I had no way of ¡°showing¡± it. My little man was¡­ gone.


    ¡°Cortina, are you trying to mock me?¡± ¡°How did you reach that conclusion?¡±


    As if to escape from her who retorted with an exasperated expression, I went to stand at the edge of the swimming pool. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t me but her that the boys were gazing at. That must be the case. Let¡¯s assume that was it.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m heading in.¡± ¡°Huh, seriously? Be careful, Nicole. Your body must be nearing its limit.¡± ¡°Howe you¡¯re acting surprised now¡­¡±


    Based on her reaction, it seemed that her ¡°go do another round¡± from earlier was a joke. After giving off a curt reply, I dived into the water.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Seeing Nicole jump into the pool, Cortina heaved a deep sigh. How far did her self-awareness go, she wondered.


    In these three¡ªand already breaking into four¡ªyears, Nicole had matured a lot at Cortina¡¯s side.


    Her hands grew long and slim, and her body was slowly getting tinged with maturity and gaining its luster. When she removed her hat and let her bluish-silver hair flow, it clung to her body like she was in the shower, and even she, another woman, couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    Cortina could understand and rte to why all the boys were devouring her with their eyes.


    However, she ¨C Nicole, was not self-aware of that fact. Even if she was aware that her looks were somewhere above average, she still did not fully realize just how breathtakingly beautiful she already was.


    She interacted with people casually like a boy,pletely defenselessly and straightforwardly. She was not aware of just how many misunderstandings that was causing.


    ¡°I wish I could make her more aware of it¡­¡±


    Of course, kids were made to take general lessons about it. At ten, it was already a good time for sex education. And Nicole also took them, but she always took them with low interest, as if she was looking at something depraved.


    Perhaps it was because Maria and Lyell¡ªand even Finia¡ªhad been raising her like a sheltered girl, with all the care and carefulness, that she had grown to be so fastidious regarding the sexual rtionships.


    To be more urate, Cortina was partly to me too, since Nicole had spent considerable time at her side.


    Thinking so, Cortina looked towards Nicole who was swimming vigorously. There, she saw a girl swimming with such a beautiful form that you wouldn¡¯t believe she was a child. While looking at that, she directed her consciousness somewhere else.


    The boys in the surroundings were staring at her as if she was a beautiful flower. Nay, it wasn¡¯t just the boys. More than half of the girls, too, were looking at her with longing eyes.


    She was gaining unbelievable attention in this academy. Only she herself was not aware of that fact.


    ¡°I have to get her to fully realize that she is a beauty before some trouble happens.¡±


    Cortina nodded to herself and folded her arms. But then, she heard a panicking voice of a student.


    ¡°Teacher! Nicole¡­ Nicole started floating again!!¡±


    Returning to her senses, Cortina saw that in that one instant she wasn¡¯t paying attention, Nicole managed to sink down and then started floating around. It seemed that 50 meters were too much for her, in the end.


    Cortina jumped into the water in a hurry andmenced the rescue operation.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 182: Departing Towards the Sword Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 182: Departing Towards the Sword Kingdom</h4>


    The trip this time would take three nights and four days, a considerably long duration for children our age. That said, what would have normally taken a month on foot one way, was reduced to a mere few days of a round trip, which showed just how useful the teleportation magic was.


    I could understand why every kingdom was so sensitive when it came to this magic.


    For students other than me it was nothing more than a sightseeing trip, so everyone at the academy looked excited. For the same reason, Letina dragged me out today to buy clothes for the trip.


    ¡°Why clothes?¡± ¡°We are heading to that kingdom for the first time, right? We have to choose proper clothes so that no one looks down on us.¡± ¡°We are going to be wearing our uniforms during the sightseeing, and sleeping with the gym ones, you know?¡± ¡°But we can wear personal clothes during free hours, right?¡± ¡°I n to just wear my uniform during that time too¡­¡± ¡°Neither teacher Cortina nor I will allow that!¡±


    Due to that, I was made to apany her on the shopping and had to run around downtown. As always, Letina¡¯s mother, Eliza, wasn¡¯t with us. I suppose that showed how much she trusted me.


    ¡°Ms. Eliza is staying home today as well?¡± ¡°Mother has been invited to the Duke Ainy¡¯s tea party. ¡°Lord Duke, huh¡­¡±


    In Raum, Duke was the title given to someone rted to the royal family. In other words, they were Maxwell¡¯s blood rtives and also the leaders of the kingdom. When someone like that invited you, you couldn¡¯t refuse unless you had some emergency.


    ¡°Ah, these shoes are so cute!¡±


    Letina didn¡¯t pay attention to my wonder and was busy admiring some shoes. Was she nning to take shoes too¡­?


    ¡°Do you n to switch your shoes too over there? Your luggage is growing too big, you know?¡± ¡°T-This much should be alright!¡± ¡°I can see your cold sweat¡±


    Imagining how massive her luggage was going to be, Letina broke into a cold sweat. The clothes she wanted to bring on a three-day trip required more than three cases.


    ¡°Even Maxwell will get angry, you know?¡± ¡°¡­I will wear them on another asion.¡±


    Being a huge fan of the Six Heroes, that one sentence was enough to make her give up. I was part of those Heroes too, so I felt quite conflicted about her reaction.


    The time passed like that and the day of departure arrived. During that period, Maxwell desperately tried to dodge Cortina¡¯s investigation. But it was quite weird for him to suddenly teleport away the moment he saw Cortina.


    Even Cortina was unable to chase after him when he suddenly teleported away.


    And now, the day of departure. Around 300 students were gathered in the schoolyard in the early morning, waiting to depart. This time, our destinations were different, so we couldn¡¯t use the teleportation circle of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    For that reason, Maxwell was going to be the one to cast it.


    He was apparently nning to extend the scope of the ¡°Portal Gate¡± and transfer a hundred students in one go to their destination. Frankly put, to magnify the range of what was by default a high-rank spell, was a waste of magic power you¡¯d normally never even consider.


    But Maxwell¡¯s magic power was worthy of its name, as he was able to repeat that process three times.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited! I have never been to the Alecmarle Sword Kingdom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the south, so the difference in climates is quite big.¡± ¡°Oh, have you been there before, Nicole?¡± ¡°Agh, I mean¡­ I¡¯ve simply heard that to be the case.¡± ¡°Ahh, Lord Lyell and Lady Maria must have visited it before.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave it like that.¡±


    In truth, we were rounded up for subjugating the Evil Dragon in the north, so we¡¯ve never visited the Alecmarle Sword Kingdom of the south. It was just that I was raised there.


    Cortina and I who conducted activities in that area were one thing, but I wasn¡¯t sure if Maria, who has been born in the central Holy Tree Kingdom of Forneus, had ever visited it. Lyell was also southern-born, but his kingdom was a bit more south-west and was separated from the Sword Kingdom. I didn¡¯t think he ever visited it either.


    However, Maxwell who could use teleportation magic should have visited it before. Because, one of the conditions of teleportation magic was to ¡°have visited the destination before¡±.


    Letina was acting more gung-ho than usual, but looking closely, it seemed that she had put a flower-shaped brooch on her beret. Looks like she wanted to be dressed as stylishly as possible.


    I on the other hand was in my usual uniform, with my usual sturdy boots. Kabby got on top of my beret that was part of the uniform.


    I kept my luggage to a minimum so it stood out how little I had on mepared to the surrounding students.


    ¡°Okay, fourth years next. I will be following you to Alecmarle too.¡± ¡°Huuuuuuh!?¡±


    Maxwell dropped the bomb right before the departure. I knew it beforehand so I wasn¡¯t surprised. There was a reason for this.


    We were nning to lodge in the capital of Alecmarle, Maleva. To fix my gauntlets, I was supposed to visit the cksmith that lived in hiding in the mountains a few hours away from the capital.


    However, I had some doubts about whether my stamina wouldst through solo mountain climbing. If Maxwell, who could teleport, apanied me, my fears would go away.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Maxwell. Why haven¡¯t I heard of this?¡± ¡°Because I kept it a secret. Is it not obvious?¡± ¡°Kept it a secret? You just kept running away! Besides, have you at least considered your lodging?¡± ¡°I can just return to Raum when I need it.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, right.¡±


    Since he could use teleportation, he could just return to Raum to rest. There was no need for him to go out of his way and stay in Maleva.


    ¡°This is why teleportation users keep popping in and out wherever they please.¡± ¡°Even I wish to take a breather once in a while. My old bones are at their limit.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you get for training Nicole on top of your director work. Lately, the public order has been quite hectic too, so I get that you are fatigued. But still, wouldn¡¯t this just make the students needlessly nervous?¡± ¡°The pot calling the kettle ck. You are also one of the Six Heroes, are you not?¡± ¡°There are no problems with me. The students are already used to seeing me.¡±


    Indeed, since they saw Cortina on daily basis, their respect towards her as one of the Six Heroes was somewhat damped. They were, of course, respecting her, but they still treated her as they would any other teacher.


    ¡°At any rate, do not worry about me and just have fun.¡± ¡°Oh,e on!¡±


    It was unreasonable to tell them not to be nervous when their director, who was also one of the Six Heroes, was apanying them. Looking around, both the students and the teachers were looking tense. Then, I noticed something.


    ¡°Huh, where¡¯s teacher Elliot?¡±


    Elliot wasn¡¯t among the teachers. And neither was Prisci.


    ¡°Ah, he cannot apany us today. Don¡¯t you remember what happened recently? It would not be good for him to step foot where his guards won¡¯t be able to follow.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡±


    There were guards other than Prisci in this city. But those guards would not be able to follow us to Alecmarle. Because of that, he had to withhold from apanying us this time. This was a lucky oue for me, too.


    There was a possibility of him following me around and ruining my chance of getting my gauntlets repaired, after all.


    ¡°Well, I do feel bad for him¡­ But can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Elliot came to Raum through forceful means. Joining us on a sudden trip would be far too unreasonable.


    And so, through Maxwell¡¯s spell, we departed on our trip towards the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle.

 Chapter 183: Returning Home After a Long Time

    <h4>Chapter 183: Returning Home After a Long Time</h4>


    As usual, once the light of the teleportation died down, the surrounding scenery was changed. Its destination was nearby Maleva. Since we did not use the Guild¡¯s teleportation, this wasn¡¯t an official teleportation point.


    Vast grasnds spread ahead, and there was a steep mountain towering over the surroundings from the west of the city. It had a history of erupting before, so humans didn¡¯t approach it. In fact, that was supposed to be the sanctuary of the God of Destruction, Yuuri.


    In other words, it was the homece of my great ancestor.


    Since it was the sanctuary of such a God, on top of the risk of eruption, almost no one wanted to go near it despite being right next to the city.


    That was the reason why that recluse cksmith lived in such a ce.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s lookin¡¯ the same as always.¡±


    It¡¯s been twenty years since I had died. But the scenery here hasn¡¯t changed one bit. Unlike me, who muttered that nostalgically, Letina started pping her clothes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it, Nicole? The air here feels¡­ Different, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hearing that, I also imitated her and brought fresh air inside my clothes to confirm the sensation. And I quickly realized what she meant.


    ¡°Ahh, this is because we aren¡¯t in the sea of trees.¡± ¡°What makes it different?¡± ¡°The Forest Kingdom of Raum is full of deep forests. The moisture drifts all around there. But the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle doesn¡¯t have that many forests. Because of that, our clothes don¡¯t feel as sticky here.¡± ¡°Now that you mentioned it, I don¡¯t feel the smell of the greenery, just the dirt.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really all that bad¡­ It¡¯s a little pitiful topare it to Raum.¡±


    Alecmarle had shallow forests, but it wasn¡¯t like itcked nature. However, as it was a kingdom that revered the One-Armed War God Alec, and followed the supremacy of swordsmanship, they also were active in smithing.


    And in proportion to it, they were actively mining for the ores and felling trees in the forests across thend, so their forest territories were gradually decreasing¡­ Back in my time, at least.


    ¡°At present, their ore supplies are mostly imported from the Matara Alliance. Sadly there is still nothing to be done about the firewood problem.¡±


    Maxwell heard our conversation and joined in. Since he had visited this ce before, he should¡¯ve been more aware of what was going on with it nowadays.


    ¡°Lord Maxwell!? Ah, that¡¯s right, you followed us here.¡± ¡°That sounds like I am an extra¡­¡± ¡°My apologies! Putting that aside, you are quite knowledgeable about this ce, aren¡¯t you, Nicole?¡± ¡°I-I, uh, heard it from Dad¡­?¡± ¡°Why did you bend your head while answering that, I wonder?¡± ¡°Just felt like it!¡± ¡°Really?¡±


    I made a fist and insisted on it. Letina was overpowered by my insistence and backed down without catching on to the fact that I was bluffing my way out.


    Maxwell smiled at our behavior and patted our heads. Incidentally, Kabby was on my head as a guard so my hair escaped the pat.


    Having her hair ruffled, Letina showed aplex expression, being both happy and sad. As a noble daughter who was advocating her high girliness, having her hair messed up was quite a sad thing. But at the same time, she was hanging on to the threshold of happiness since it was the touch of that Maxwell.


    ¡°Well, their smithing can be said to be prosperous, but they still cannot hold a candle to Matara, which is the home of it. However, there is still a possibility of a hidden craftsman lurking here.¡± ¡°Is there someone like that here?¡± ¡°How could I know! That is why they are called hidden.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sounded so evasive¡­¡±


    Letina gave him an exasperated nce, but Maxwell was probably referring to the cksmith that I came to visit. It was a total coincidence that I got to meet him, too, but he was someone who truly held an extraordinary ability to make borate magic tools.


    It has been twenty years since then, though, so I didn¡¯t know whether he was still alive and kicking.


    ¡°Hey, Maxwell! Stop loitering over there, let¡¯s hurry up to the city.¡± ¡°Very well. It would be scary to anger you, Cortina.¡± ¡°Huuuuuhh!?¡±


    They started their usual chitchat, but even the students were already used to seeing it at the academy. Before I came here, they seemed to have acted a bit more distant, so everyone was surprised at their change at first.


    ¡°Anyway, we have to check the chivalric order and stuffter, so we should hurry up!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Maxwell was the one to suggest inspecting their swordsmanship since we wereing to the Sword Kingdom and all. Back in my childhood, I longed for the chivalric order, but due to my frail body, I failed the entrance exam.


    The marathon training of the physical exampletely and utterly wrung me dry of power. I copsed and was left behind on the way, but those that managed to pull through that hell managed to be the most respected knights of this kingdom.


    Having the opportunity to inspect that same chivalric order after all this time was a strange y of fate.


    By the way, today¡¯s schedule was to check-in at the inn, then have a lecture about the chivalric order, and then have lunch. After that, we nned to ask them to observe their training.


    Following that would be dinner and bath, then sleep. And finally, I nned to head to the cksmith in question. Maxwell was following me, so returning would be easy.

 Chapter 184: Pocket Money

    <h4>Chapter 184: Pocket Money</h4>


    After we entered the city, Cortina guided us to the particrly big inn even by this city¡¯s standards. To my knowledge, that inn was quite a high ss one in the entire Maleva.


    ¡°Uh, Cortina¡­¡± ¡°Hey, call me teacher during the academy hours.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Teacher, this inn is quite a high-ss, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm? Did you hear that from your parents too?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­¡±


    I slipped up. If I had heard it from hearsay, I shouldn¡¯t have known about the worth of some inn. Cortina could catch on to contradictions even from such minor details, so I had to be careful.


    ¡°Nnnh, ah well, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Maxwell is the one that¡¯s providing the funds.¡± ¡°I heard it was from donations, though?¡± ¡°That money has already been allocated ording to how it should be used, so he can¡¯t use it as he pleases. He probably just wanted toe to have fun and made up a reason for it.¡±


    Having annual budget limitations was just like the world of politics. If that¡¯s the case, this sudden excursion was paid by Maxwell¡¯s own pocket money, huh?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it, you know, Nicole? I will just make up for it with the director remuneration from next year.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to put so much effort into ying around.¡± ¡°What are you saying! I am an old man that has a little time left to live, you know? If I do not enjoy my life now, when else?¡± ¡°Your ¡®little time¡¯ is still over a hundred years!¡±


    While listening to their usual banter, everyone started entering the inn in droves. I got fed up with listening to them, so I went and joined the line.


    After we were guided to the big hall inside the inn, Cortina started exining our next course of action. She was just one of the teachers, but her words held more power than the rest of them. After she lined everyone up in the hall, she started exining our schedule as the representative.


    ¡°Okay, attention attention! Later, after we are done with the lecture about the chivalric order, we will have lunch in the dining hall at their ce. The goal is to have you experience the food rations of the chivalric order.¡±


    After pping to gather attention, she said it with a well-projected voice. As expected from someone who could spearhead an army, her voice had a great volume and quality to be well-heard.


    It was rare to find a voice like hers that didn¡¯t feel unpleasant despite being so loud. Her voice was quite like an opera singer.


    ¡°After that, I n to have you experience the order¡¯s training first-hand, so once you are back to your rooms, make sure to change into your gym uniforms. Since they can also be used as pajamas, I believe you should have brought two pairs at least, right?¡± ¡°Yesss!¡±


    The students returned a lively answer to her question. Seeing them like this, I could see that they were still kids in the end, well-bred or not.


    Most of the students of the Magic Academy also aimed to be civil officials when they grew up. Even so, knighthood was something of a dream job for the boys. Many of them were looking excited, being able to experience the training of those same knights.


    Even I was feeling quite eager. I once challenged a knight and faced an honorable defeat. Ever since then, I stopped challenging people head-on and instead studied the art of assassination, and refined it to extremes.


    How far would the current me go if I faced a knight head-on? I wanted to try it one time.


    ¡°Maxwell cane up with nice ns once in a while, huh?¡± ¡°Huh, did you say something?¡±


    Letina asked in puzzlement, but I shook my head in denial. Cortina was still exining things, so we shouldn¡¯t be whispering.


    Maleva was the capital of Alecmarle. However, there was nothing sort of a royal castle in it. Instead, it had chivalric facilities set up in each of the four directions and had one order stationed in each of them, protecting the urban area from the outside.


    Knight lodging houses to the northeast, infantry training grounds southeast, cavalry parade grounds northwest, and archer shooting range southwest.


    There were also other facilities inside the city itself, like the managementmand post and material warehouses.


    By dividing the army into divisions, they could avoid the danger of being made powerless in one go¡­ Apparently.


    The one we visited was the infantry training grounds southeast. It was called infantry grounds, but it was just a big open field with no particr establishments on it. If anything, maybe the lodging house that the infantry used for meals and small breaks.


    First, we had to listen to a lecture about how the chivalric order came to be, so we were guided to the lodging house with an in-built cafeteria.


    The four sses of my school year amounted to about 100 students at most, so the cafeteria was more than big enough to amodate us all.


    ¡°Well then, everyone. I¡¯m d that you have visited us. First, we will teach you about our chivalric order, then let you have a meal, and finally, let you experience our training.¡±


    An elderly knight that was acting as our guide exined it to us in a surprisingly gentle manner. They brought a chalkboard into the cafeteria and exined about the typography and history along with exnatory diagrams.


    ¡°In this city, there once lived a young boy called Alec who wouldte be known as the Sword Saint. A stray dog had ripped off one of his arms, but he did not get disheartened and still chose to follow the way of the sword, and arrived at the pinnacle of it.¡±


    It was the story of One-Armed Sword Saint Alec, who wouldter be revered as a War God. But his tale was filled with many dubious points.


    Like, when he retired from being an Adventurer and joined the chivalric order in this city, he received the sword with two hands.


    Old myths and tales were often full of such vague parts. You should just remember them as ¡®there was once a person like this¡¯ and stop there.


    Thisnd also had other tales about the Wind God and God of Destruction, hinting that they were quite the history nerds. They even had a bridge at the west of the city, which was assumed to have been created by the Wind God.


    The knight exined about such famous ces, but surprisingly his exnation didn¡¯t make us bored. It seemed that they provided an educated knight to guide us.


    ¡°Well then, we seemed to have reached the end of the story, so let us have you taste the camping food of the chivalric order. As their name suggests, they are provisions that knights received during camping¡­ So to be honest, they aren¡¯t delicious at all. You better prepare yourself, okay?¡±


    Hearing his exnation, the students couldn¡¯t help but return bitterughs. Just as he warned, the food we were provided afterwards wasn¡¯t very good.

 Chapter 185: Knight Training

    <h4>Chapter 185: Knight Training</h4>


    After the camp meal, which was basically stuffing our cheeks with spit-roasted food, there was one hour of an after-meal rest. The well-bred students that were used to eating good food were showing digestive problems and looked quite listless.


    Perhaps having a stomach that could digest this kind of food was one of the knights¡¯ many talents.


    Afterwards, we were going to head to the training grounds and experience their training firsthand. That¡¯s how it should¡¯ve been¡­


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Why are you so cruel, my honey?¡± ¡°Dad, that¡¯s gross.¡± ¡°Gahh!¡±


    However, Lyell, Maria and Gadius appeared before us and blocked our way. Seriously, what the heck are these people gathering here for.


    ¡°Dear students of Raum¡¯s Magic Academy. These three honorable Dragonyers will be joining in on the inspection. Today¡¯s training will be quite heated up, so I hope you experience it to the fullest!¡±


    Someone that looked like a veteran knight with a gouged out scar near his left eye dered. After that, we were divided into 10-person groups and were made to experience the programs of each toon.


    It turned into quite a big mess right from the warm-up run, where students started to drop out one after another. I looked at those students with indifferent eyes.


    ¡°What a careless bunch.¡± ¡°You say that, but you were the first to drop out, Nicole¡­¡± ¡°Mom, you are supposed to keep that to yourself!¡±


    I was currently lying in a shade at the training grounds, with my head on Maria¡¯sp. Given myck of stamina, I copsed before even finishing the hemicycle of the run. Truth be told, ap around this ce was quite a long distance.


    One side of the training grounds was probably around 300 meters, so the entirep ended up being somewhere around 1200. Repeating that 5 times made it close to a 6km run, and that was done as a warm-up.


    There was no one among us students that managed a secondp. Considering that we were just 10, Letina was quite something to have managed one and a halfp.


    All the boys were directing envious gazes toward the knights that easily finished all fiveps. They did it all while wearing light armor. They were definitely stamina monsters. Ahead of those knights were two idiots that continued on to the 6thp.


    ¡°Oho? You¡¯re hanging quite well there, Gadius!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go losing to humans when ites to toughness!¡± ¡°You are already retired, so why don¡¯t you retire from this race too? It¡¯s hard to match my speed with the short legs of a dwarf, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°B?u?l?l?s?h?i?t?!¡±


    Looking at us students getting annihted by knights seemed to have ignited some kind of me in them. The two joined on the race from the thirdp but still managed to finish fiveps faster than the knights. They were clearly running with all they had.


    Still, the stamina of Dwarfs was quite something, considering that Gadius could keep up with Lyell who had the Gift of Toughness. Then again, he wouldn¡¯t have been the tank of our party if he wasn¡¯t that tough, but seeing it in action was still astonishing.


    By the time the knights who finished their fixed distance and were already finishing their stretches, the two finally returned satisfied after their tenthp. Gadius was out of breath as expected, but Lyell wasn¡¯t in the slightest.


    The knights were directing lukewarm gazes at them, as if looking at monsters. By this time, most of the students were back too.


    ¡°W-Well¡­ As expected of the Six Heroes¡­ I guess?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, sorry for cutting into your training.¡±


    Lyell answered the knight that walked over to hand them towels with a nervous expression. The knight secretly felt put off by his refreshing smile.


    1200 meters perp, and ten of them at that. It was not a distance one could run so casually. And yet, Lyell acted as if he had returned from jogging in his back garden.


    ¡°That much is given.¡± ¡°He sure is tough, huh.¡± ¡°Rather, Gadius is the weird one of the two.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been rivals when it came to stamina since the old days. They evenpeted by getting intentionally hit by a Giant to see who would endure it better, you know?¡±


    Cortina settled near us and joined the conversation with an exasperated voice. I was also a witness to their battle, or rather, a participant. But the very first punch knocked the living daylights out of me, after which Maria nursed me back to health while yelling at me.


    An average person would¡¯ve gotten knocked out like me. Actually, it¡¯d be strange if you didn¡¯t die. I should be praised for staying alive.


    Those two, however, kept enduring its attacks like nothing. The giant was the one to start crying after it got punched back at the end.


    ¡°Okay, err¡­ Next is the practice swing. Everyone will take their respective weapons and do a hundred swings down and a hundred up.¡±


    The scar-faced knight gave instructions to the rest of the knights. They also handed fake swords at us, so the ones willing could join in. Of course, I volunteered too, but¡­


    ¡°I¡­Can¡¯t¡­Anymore¡­¡±


    I copsed and ended up in Maria¡¯s care yet again. The fake swords that they gave us were pretty small, but they were still far heavierpared to my katana. In the first ce, my battle style focused on short, decisive battles, so I hardly had opportunities to swing a sword a hundred times.


    I wanted to be praised for trying my hardest and managing fifty swings.


    ¡°I could¡¯ve swung more if only I could use threads.¡± ¡°Eh? Did you say something?¡± ¡°N-Nothing!¡±


    Maria who was massaging my arms asked back. I hurriedly shook my head to dismiss it.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Cortina, since my parents are here, does that mean Finia is too?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure about that. How is it, Maria?¡± ¡°Huh, we haven¡¯t brought her with us. Someone has to look after your house, right?¡±


    Looks like she was house-sitting this time as well. In the first ce, it¡¯s weird that we¡¯ve been dragging her everywhere as we pleased.


    ¡°Okay! It¡¯s time to start one-on-one practices. Choose your partner and do a mock battle with them.¡±


    In ordance with his order, the knights formed pairs and started crossing swords. Naturally, these fake swords would not leave an injury in most cases even if they took a direct hit. The students wouldn¡¯t be allowed to join this training¡­ I was under that impression.


    ¡°Would you students like to try it as well?¡±


    One of the knights provided a fake sword that seemed to be made from what looked like bamboo wrapped in paddings.


    ¡°If we use this, it wouldn¡¯t hurt even if you get hit, let alone leave an injury.¡± ¡°Oh, so you even have things like this, huh?¡±


    Cortina observed that sword with big interest. As he said, there was no worry of injury with something like this. She was probably considering including it in our lessons.


    ¡°Maxwell. This looks interesting, so let¡¯s use them at the academy.¡± ¡°You make it sound so simple¡­ But yes, I¡¯m interested in it too.¡± ¡°Then adopt them. Your pocket money should be enough to cover for it, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yours should be enough too, shouldn¡¯t it!?¡±


    She was being quite unreasonable, but in the end, Maxwell lost to her in arguments and was made to buy them. But he said he would write it off as expenses, so he sounded strangely stingy there.


    This old man¡¯s economic sense was impossible to understand. He used his pocket money for funding our travel expenses, yet he was being stingy when it came to something as silly as this.

 Chapter 186: The Fake Sword Training

    <h4>Chapter 186: The Fake Sword Training</h4>


    By nature, we were magician cadets, so holding swords wasn¡¯t part of our upation. Even so, swords were things that tugged at the heartstrings of boys, so all of them happily took part in the training¡­ Or rather, the sword y.


    Although the girls weren¡¯t as enthusiastic as the boys, finding a sword that didn¡¯t hurt on hit was rare, so they also timidly took part in the training. But they only acted that way at the beginning, and before long, they went about it as passionately and loudly as the boys.


    Letina didn¡¯t seem to be an exception; she was holding the same sword and bonking me on the head with it. Kabby who had made my head its home hurriedly evacuated towards my back to dodge it.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Nya! Mya! Letina, that hurts!¡± ¡°You are letting out some toy-like noises..¡±


    It seemed that she found my reactions amusing, her swings gradually increased in speed. But I wasn¡¯t nning to just ept it all. I made a defensive movement, dodged her attack and dealt a hard blow at her knees.


    The sword bent harder than I expected and gave out quite a pathetic sound on a hit. Letina remained in ce as if nothing happened.


    ¡°It really does not hurt. I can see why teacher Cortina was attracted to them.¡± ¡°Right.¡±


    On a closer inspection, what I initially thought to be bamboo was actually some kind of animal¡¯s fur. It was extremely stic but also had decent toughness.


    ¡°Is this thing filled with the hair of some kind¡­?¡±


    My mutter reached the ears of a knight standing nearby. He put a hand on my shoulder as he approached me and exined.


    ¡°You have a good eye, young miss. It uses the whiskers of Keratos that are bred nearby the city.¡± ¡°Keratos? You mean those bipedal lizard-like monsters?¡±


    Keratos are a species of monsters that live all over this continent. They looked like lizards standing on two legs, and had a ferocious nature. They tended to move in groups and were considered extremely dangerous for the average people.


    But for the Adventurers, they were attractive prey. Their hides could be used as materials for leather armors, and their hard bones as arrowheads. Even their meat had a light, fowl-like taste. Just about every part of their bodies was valuable.


    Adventurers that graduated from beginners could hunt one of them with several people, so whenever a group of them was spotted, several parties would be formed to hunt them.


    Theymonly appeared in the outskirts of Raum too, and were the source of luxurious life for the Adventurers.


    For better or worse, our party hasn¡¯t encountered their group as of yet. Letina and Cloud might¡¯ve had a bit of a tough time with them, but Michelle and I were strong enough to handle them easily.


    I kind of felt like making us fight them to test our ability.


    ¡°But their whiskers aren¡¯t supposed to be this thick, is it?¡± ¡°You really do know your stuff, huh. Indeed, one by one they are too thin and useless, but if youy a rope with them, they be plenty thick and firm.¡± ¡°Oh wow¡­¡±


    So they could be used like this. If it was like that, couldn¡¯t we make these swords even in Raum? It seems like Maxwell ended up wasting money on them.


    ¡°The knight over there. What business do you have with my daughter?¡±


    As we were gazing up at the knight and talking to him with interest, I heard an anger-tinged voice.


    ¡°Oh, dad.¡± ¡°Dad? Then you are his¡­¡± ¡°Hey you¡­ You seem to be talking quite intimately with my daughter, hmm? She doesn¡¯t even talk with me like that.¡± ¡°N-No, this¡­ This is a misunderstanding. I was merely exining the structure of the sword!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll exin it myself. Go away now, shoo! Or do you have any ulterior motives towards my daughter¡­?¡±


    Lyell looked suspiciously at the knight. His usation held no basis no matter how you looked at it. Even the knight raised his hands and tried to resolve the misunderstanding.


    ¡°I had no such intention, that¡¯s discourteous!¡± ¡°Huh? Are you saying my daughter isn¡¯t worthy of your attention? Despite being this cute!¡± ¡°I admit that she is, but¡­¡± ¡°So you had ulterior motives!¡± ¡°How do you want me to answer!?¡±


    I sighed listening to Lyell going off with his false usations like some drunkard. I got that he loved me, but this was being far too overprotective. In the first ce, I wanted toin to him for deciding to rush all the way here.


    As the knight started to panic, I slipped next to Lyell and pped his a?s?s? with the fake sword. Along with the loud sound, his preaching momentarily interrupted.


    But that aside, it gave off quite a nice sound earlier, didn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Ohh, as expected of Lord Lyell¡¯s daughter. It seems you have already mastered the use of the fake sword.¡± ¡°Huh? I did?¡±


    The knight said in admiration as if to move on from the topic.


    ¡°That sword is made to be very bendy to avoid injuries, but because of that, it is harder to actually hit with as it behaves more like a whip.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    I was convinced after listening to his exnation. The familiar feeling I felt while holding it was closer to the threads that I used like whips, rather than a sword. For me, it was morepatible than a sword.


    In that case¡­ This might actually be a chance. They say there¡¯s no time like the present, so I decided to attempt it right away.


    ¡°Right, Dad. You haven¡¯t given me any sword practicestely. Can you do it now?¡±


    Yes, if it¡¯s this sword, maybe I could win against him who¡¯s been my rival since my previous life. This was a once in a lifetime chance to win in a sword¡ªalbeit fake one¡ªfight against someone I had never won before.


    At first, he looked confused at my sudden request, but his expression brightened the moment he realized he would get to y with his daughter, and readily epted it.

 Chapter 187: Versus Lyell

    <h4>Chapter 187: Versus Lyell</h4>


    A student of the magic academy and one of the six heroes, a living legend. By all rights, these two weren¡¯t supposed to ever fight each other.


    However, the situation changed when they were father and daughter. When they heard that these two would be facing each other, waves of uproar spread throughout the training grounds.


    Lyell, someone who was the leader of the Six Heroes. Facing him was a lovely 10-year-old girl¡ªin other words, me.


    Normally, this wouldn¡¯t even be considered a match. However, both the academy students and Lyell were aware of my strength. Naturally, they only knew my strength without my thread maniption, as only Maxwell was aware of it.


    I couldn¡¯t exactly show my true power in front of all these people, so I wasn¡¯t in my best form.


    Even so, I was in a far more advantageous statepared to Lyell. Both of us were holding fake swords made from Keratos whiskers to avoid injury.


    Their nature was highlypatible with me, while Lyell hasn¡¯t even experienced it yet. It was a very bendy weapon that he was unfamiliar with.


    Compared to someone unustomed to it, I who had familiarity with it due to my threads held an overwhelming advantage.


    ¡°Hey now, are you sure about this, Nicole?¡± ¡°Of course. You should resolve yourself.¡± ¡°These fake swords are certainly betterpared to ones we use¡­ But don¡¯t me me if you get hurt, okay?¡± ¡°If I do, I¡¯ll just ask mom to heal me. Maybe it will be you who¡¯ll end up that way.¡± ¡°Hah, my daughter sure has learned how to talk back¡­ Do you see it, everyone? My daughter is so cool, isn¡¯t she!¡±


    Lyell was showing off towards the knights about something so weird. We are about to face off, so just look in front of you, you b?a?s?t?a?r?d?!


    ¡°Mgggh, don¡¯t me me if you get hurt for underestimating me!¡±


    I tried intimidating him with all the dignity I could muster, but his expression grew even warner. Not just that, even the knights¡¯ expressions looked as if they were looking at some adorable creature.


    And Cortina was on the verge of nosebleeding. Maria, however, had her usual rxed expression, so I couldn¡¯t read what she was thinking.


    ¡°Ahh, Nicole is really an angel. You guys, I¡¯ll not forgive you if you make moves on her, you hear!¡±


    Lyell looked towards the knights, but this time it was a threat. The knights waved their hands in denial while sweating bullets.


    ¡°Enough! Referee, please give the starting signal already!¡±


    I urged the referee without hiding my displeasure. It seemed that my body openly expressed my emotions on the outside, and I even started lisping when my emotional state was in a mess.


    I hoped I wouldn¡¯t end up as someone who¡¯d be openly looking sulky every time I felt displeased.


    ¡°Ah, right. Well then, mock battle one-game, start!¡±


    The knight that got involved with Lyell earlier gave the signal without any tension. That was only natural, as no one expected me to win. But I could see this being my chance to win.


    Before Lyell realized the difort of this unfamiliar weapon¡­ And before he adapted to it, even with my current physical abilities¡ªI could win!


    ¡°Hiiiyaaaah!¡± ¡°Woah!¡±


    To meet my downward swing, Lyell casually put up his sword in an attempt to block it. But that was naive of him.


    My sword bent more than he¡¯d expect and a mistimed blow headed towards him. And his sword that was supposed to block it also missed its timing as it bent greatly.


    When it came to masters of Lyell¡¯s level, even their defensive movements were fasterpared to an average swordsman. This fake sword could not keep up with such speeds.


    My attack that included the bending factor into the calctions slipped through his defenses andnded right on his head¡ªor so it was supposed to go.


    ¡°Oops, this thing bends more than I expected.¡± ¡°Wh-!?¡±


    My hand¡­ No, my arm was easily caught by him. The moment he judged that he couldn¡¯t make it in time to block it with the sword, he instinctively raised his other hand and grabbed my wrist.


    By all rights, it should¡¯ve been toote to react by the time he realized about the bendiness. My attack that passed through his defenses should havended on his head and the victory should¡¯ve been mine.


    However, the instant he perceived the w in his defense, he used his other hand to defend himself with another method.


    This was proof of his long experience and the intuition that he picked up through battles. Getting familiar with the sword would take time ¨C the moment he judged that, he switched to using bare hands.


    ¡°Grrrrrr, Leeeet goooooo!¡±


    I was dangling in the air as he held me by the wrist. Since I thoughtlessly aimed for his head, I had to jump, but Lyell caught me in the middle of it.


    Even if I had nimbleness that¡¯d put an adult to shame, that was only when my feet were touching the ground.


    Were my body in the peak of its prosperity, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in such a disgraceful state, but I was overwhelminglycking in height now.


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Maria, look, I caught a fine game!¡±


    While Lyell was showing me off like I was some fish he caught, Maria responded with her usual smile while putting a hand to her cheek.


    ¡°Dear. If you act like that, she¡¯s going to start hating you again, you know?¡± ¡°Whaaaat!?¡±


    His actions were really brutish, truth told. If it was me in my previous life, I wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it, but little girls had very delicate and easy-to-break bodies.


    Not to mention, my own constitution far overshadowed the other girls.


    Realizing that, Lyell hurriedly let go of me. I fell down from around a meter at most, but I rolled down at the moment ofnding and evacuated behind. Along with my back roll, I kicked up the ground to raise a cloud of sand.


    Naturally, Lyell wasn¡¯t one to fall for these cheap tricks. The sand didn¡¯t get in his eyes, but he still didn¡¯t charge blindly while the visibility was limited.


    Using that opportunity, I nned to get back on my feet, but¡­


    The back of my head mmed into something hard with a loud sound.


    It seemed that during my backward roll I crashed into a random rock on the ground. I stopped in the middle of the roll and toppled over like a frog, losing my consciousness.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lose in such ame¡­¡± ¡°N-Nicole!?¡±


    I only managed to mutter those words before Ipletely cked out.

 Chapter 188: Preparing to Slip Out

    <h4>Chapter 188: Preparing to Slip Out</h4>


    Within the darkness, I was awakened by an offensive smell that assaulted my nose. I was familiar with what it was¡­ Alcohol.


    ¡°Bleh!? Eugh, cough!¡±


    I could more or less handle it in the past life, but my current body was extremely repulsed by alcohol so even the very smell of it was akin to poison. I immediately opened my eyes and leapt up.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s awake.¡± ¡°Nicole, you¡¯ve really started developing that fainting dispositiontely.¡±


    Letina was worriedly looking down at me as I was lying on the bed, with Maria holding an alcohol bottle in her hands next to her.


    I was supposed to be at the training grounds, but I could see the ceiling above¡­ It seems that I was carried into the resting room in the barracks while I was unconscious.


    Maria innocently crammed that luxurious bottle, clearly not suited for this trip, into her bag. Seeing that, one of the knight¡¯s face turned indescribably sad.


    ¡°Mom, ish zat alcohol¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They gave me a spare from the barracks to bring you around.¡° ¡°Ah, no, It¡¯s not like we gave it¡­ No, nevermind¡­¡±


    So basically, she sniped some alcohol from the knights under the pretext of resuscitating me, and then she just kept it with no questions asked. I felt bad for the knights, since they couldn¡¯t even object to her, one of the Six Heroes.


    Also, I was speaking kind of funny. It seems that the smell had intoxicated me quite a bit already.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go taking other people¡¯s things, you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is simply a gift.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I can¡¯t even say anything.¡± ¡°You poor thing¡­¡± ¡±Since Maxwell asked them for a favor already, he¡¯ll just treat them for some alcoholter.¡± ¡°Hey, I never said a word about that.¡±


    She casually took out the booze from the bag once again and poured a cup for him. Then she pressed that cup at him, clearly not taking a no for the answer.


    She was telling him to drink¡­ Just to get him rolled up into this mess. Maxwell, of course, noticed that too. He did¡­ But he just sighed and downed the cup in one go.


    ¡°Oh well, a few bottles should be within the margin of error. I do not mind that much. They even had to show concern to Nicole.¡± ¡°I¡¯m shoorry about zattt¡­¡±


    My vision was spinning around, perhaps as an after-effect of bumping my head. In the first ce, I of past life wouldn¡¯t have fainted from something like a rock.


    It was unlike me to take so much damage from a rock that I disregarded as harmless. As Maria said, maybe I was growing ustomed to fainting.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go bahh to shleep.¡± ¡°You probably should, yes. Seems like you are a little drunk as well.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But still, to get drunk from just the smell. It seems alcohol is no good for you. Probably best to educate you about it before you get ¡®taken home¡¯ by someone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you, Cortina. I seem to have grown a bit tame in the countryside.¡± ¡°A ck-hearted woman like you shouldn¡¯t be saying that¡­¡±


    Now that I think about it, I got smashed with a single gulp before, didn¡¯t I? Looks like this body is really that weak against alcohol. Some guys could seriously get me drunk just like Cortina suggested.


    I made a mental promise not to ever drink with men, and once again closed my eyes.


    As the night came, my eyes shot open.


    It was probably about 10 PM if I had to guess. Usually, it would¡¯ve been noisier at this hour, but the students were already sleeping after tiring themselves out during the day.


    Letina was no exception. As expected of the famous Sword Kingdom, making even children train to the point of fainting. I experienced their spartan methods more than enough.


    ¡°You are awake, right?¡±


    In a room with no lights to let the children sleep soundly, an out-of-ce, rough voice was heard. I was familiar with that voice.


    ¡°Is that you, Maxwell¡¯s familiar?¡± ¡°Indeed. It seems you remember me.¡±


    It was a high-ranking familiar that possessed an ego. It was sitting at the window-side. Next to it was Kabby looking quite tense. Its fur was weirdly ruffled up too.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with its fur?¡± ¡°¡­Well, the kids¡­¡±


    The pigeon answered with an unusually listless voice. If there were a giant hamster and a talking pigeon in a room with kids, they would naturally treat them as toys.


    Either way, Maxwell probably would tell my parents and Cortina that I woke up now.


    No, wait¡­


    ¡°Maybe he won¡¯t¡­¡±


    Tonight, I had to visit the cksmith and have my trusty gauntlets fixed. Now that all the other kids were tired and in a deep sleep, it could be said to be a perfect chance for it.


    The moment I judged that to be the case, I heard Maxwell¡¯s voice through the pigeon.


    ¡°Nicole, are you awake?¡± ¡°Oh, Maxwell. Yeah, just woke up.¡± ¡°Good to hear.¡±


    ording to him, he was also alone now. Maria and Cortina were having their girls-only drinking party in their own room. Lyell and Gadius were hitting it off with the knights, having stormed the banquet hall and having a drinking bout.


    ¡°As such, this is your chance. The destination is close from here, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, we would need about 3 hours to get there.¡± ¡°In that case, we better move with haste. It seems like everyone is asleep on your side.¡± ¡°¡­Now that you mention it, you are actually peeking into the girls¡¯ room through your familiar right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so improper!¡±


    He¡¯s been teasing me all the time, so I wanted to get back at him this once.

 Chapter 189: Heading to the Blacksmith

    <h4>Chapter 189: Heading to the cksmith</h4>


    I put on my clothes silently to not disturb the other students¡¯ sleep. There was no time to bring any extra luggage, so I chose the academy gym uniform.


    It was currently a hot summer, so it was a gym uniform with exposed buttocks and kneesocks suited for mountain climbing. I went with the sturdy academy boots as well, and put on a hat after roughly tying up my hair with a string.


    If anyone saw me walking outside like this, they¡¯d definitely think of me as a kid that snuck out to enjoy the nightlife.


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯ll be safe to step out looking like this?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see it being a smart move to walk like this at night. Of course, the cksmith didn¡¯t live in this city but in the nearby mountains, so I should have no problem with being seen as long as I manage to slip out of the city itself. I shouldn¡¯t¡­ But the problem remained until I actually left it.


    ¡°Oh well, I have a guardian with me now, so it should be fine. Besides, it¡¯s Maxwell so even if some weird rumors do spread¡­¡±


    Ever since he was engaged in politics, he had a bad reputation for his mischiefs. A rumor that he took the daughter of his friend out at night wouldn¡¯t add much to his already bad reputation.


    The only problem would be Lyell who¡¯d snap out afterward¡­ But I couldn¡¯t care less about that part.


    After erasing the sound and presence and put my clothes on, I put Kabby under the nket in my ce and left the room.


    Kabby alone was too small, so I added Maxwell¡¯s familiar as well. With that, the nket had a big enough swelling that you¡¯d think there was a child sleeping there.


    If I made too much noise it could wake up the kids. Letina, in particr, was quite sensitive to noises due to always apanying me in battles.


    But that was that. I used to be the top-ranking assassin back in the day. It was a child¡¯s y for me to slip past the eyes of some kids.


    I stepped out from the back door and headed to the appointed ce in the backyard. The familiar told me about it beforehand. Maxwell had arrived in advance and was standing under the shade of a tree.


    If only he kept his mouth shut, he would be quite a picturesque sight, given how tall he was.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here, Reid.¡± ¡°Hm? Wait, you called me Nicole back there, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It was not wise to call you with your old name in a ce where you never know who might be listening.¡± ¡°Oh, so you were being considerate for once.¡±


    There were other students in that room, even if they were supposedly sleeping. Albeit faint, there was still a possibility of one of them waking up from his voice.


    ¡°Since you were feeling so tactful, lend me a coat while you are at it.¡± ¡°A mantle? For what?¡± ¡°If they see me walking in this getup, they¡¯d definitely get suspicious.¡±


    My current appearance was that of a student doing physical training. If they saw a kid dressed like this, it would give rise to weird rumors, as I already mentioned.


    ¡°True, even I wish to avoid such rumors. Here, wear this then.¡±


    He took off his own robe and passed it to me. Since our heights differed so much, it was so big for me I could live inside. But he had no spare on his person, so beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers.


    Just rolling it up wouldn¡¯t help, so I had to adjust the length around the abdomen twice before I could finally wear it. Honestly, I looked like a kid that forcibly put on her parent¡¯s dress. I looked quite pathetic, but there was no other choice.


    Under the coat, Maxwell was wearing minimal armor like a ranger on his tough body, so he looked quite valiant, like a skilled Adventurer.


    ¡°That¡¯s so unfair¡­ Oh well, let¡¯s go. We are heading for that mountain to the west, can you send us there?¡± ¡°I have never set foot in there, so it is impossible.¡± ¡°I suppose we have to walk then.¡±


    Teleport magic had one w, it could only teleport people to ces the caster had visited before. But that was its only w, so it was quite a frightening magic.


    After preparing ourselves, we left the inn behind.


    We gathered a lot of stares. On one side was an old man with minimal armor and dagger, on another a kid that tried to put on an oversized coat like a dress but failed.


    However, Maxwell was giving off such unexpectedly intimidating air that no one tried to call out to us. We ignored the passersby nces and quickly left the town, then¡­


    ¡°Maxwell, hold on. I can¡¯t keep up.¡± ¡°Oh, tired already¡­? Can you really climb the mountain in such a state?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, my stamina has increased a bit.¡± ¡°I fail to see it.¡±


    Along with his exasperated mutter, he picked me up and shouldered me like a bag of wheat. It made me look like a little girl in the middle of getting abducted.


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t be serious about this!¡± ¡°You are so demanding.¡±


    He turned me around, and I assumed a position with my waist on his shoulder. Just like that, he started dashing through the western grasnds with speeds unthinkable for a magician.


    ¡°This is pretty good. How about you keep carrying me like this in the future.¡± ¡°You sure like working this old man hard, little girl.¡± ¡°Stop calling me a little girl. I¡¯ll be back to being a guy before long!¡± ¡°Be careful not to get pregnant until then. You can be too defenseless.¡± ¡°Hey, stop with the scary stuff, okay!?¡±


    Like that, we soon arrived at the western mountain that towered over the surroundings. This Mount Maleva was one of the specialties of Maleva city. It was quite a big mountain, but it wasn¡¯t part of a mountain range and instead stood isted.


    It was covered with a deep forest from midway down to its base, filled with various monsters and beasts of prey. It seems that it had lumberjacks, hunters, and charcoal makers working there, but the eruption that urred long ago had wiped them out.


    Because it had such a history, no one lived there yet¡­ Except one.


    Maxwell headed towards the summit as he followed a faint animal trail. That cksmith lived here, but the path towards him was not maintained at all. It was a total mystery as to how he was resupplying his daily necessities.


    Maxwell kept ascending while pushing aside the thick undergrowth. Where he got that much power in that body of his was yet another mystery to me.


    ¡°Old man, isn¡¯t your stamina a little too weird?¡± ¡°Indeed. It is because I am using strengthening magic on myself.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a magic like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Cargo magic. It was originally developed for the workers that handled cargo. It can abate the fatigue to some degree.¡± ¡°Aint that amazing! Teach me.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it is part of the Puppetry system.¡± ¡°¡­Oh well.¡±


    Puppetry magic was used for manipting Golems and such. Perhaps by treating your body like a Golem, it earned you longer working time. At times like this, I felt quite sad that I could only use the Interference magic.


    ¡°Ah, head to that side next.¡±


    I pointed towards what looked like a dense thicket at a nce and made him alter his course. After that, we changed our direction a few more times based on my instructions¡­ And arrived at a giant wall of rock.

 Chapter 190: A Craftsman Living in Hiding

    <h4>Chapter 190: A Craftsman Living in Hiding</h4>


    That ce was in the middle of a forest, and the only part of it where the greenery was cut off. The vegetation growth was interrupted there, as if it was avoiding something, creating a peculiar vacant space.


    It stretched for about ten meters at most on every side. It wasn¡¯t so big you¡¯d call an open clearing. However, my eyes that were used to the greenery around perceived it as quite vast.


    And on one of its sides¡­ the slope of the mountain was shaved off in the form of a cliff. The surface of that cliff was covered in ck stone, seeming as if they were burned in ce with some kind of heat source.


    ¡°Reid, is this the ce? It looks like an ordinary cliff¡­ Or not?¡±


    After he looked over the surroundings, he took back his initial judgment of it being a simple cliff. He clearly felt something was out of ce here.


    ¡°Ohh, as expected of a magic specialist, you noticed, huh?¡± ¡°Was this wall created through magic? It looks to be quite an old technique too.¡± ¡°Yeah. It seems that this technique was some kind of ancient legacy.¡±


    I jumped down from his shoulder and headed towards the cliff. Then, I picked up a particrly ckened stone like obsidian from nearby¡­ and knocked it on a reddish stone inserted into the wall.


    I knocked once. Then twice. Then four more times. And once.


    The loud knocking of two rocks reverberated through the night. Surprised by the sound, the wild birds flew away and the winged insects gushed out from the ground. Other than those, I could even feel the monsters in the forest getting disturbed from their sleep.


    ¡°Reid, even if it¡¯s the middle of a night, making such a loud sound is¡­¡±


    I could understand where he wasing from. There was no knowing what kind of dangerous animals could be living here. Provoking them in the dead of night was something only fools would do.


    Still, I disregarded his words and observed the situation. And soon enough, one part of the cliff crumbled down like sand and opened a path leading to the inside.


    ¡°Oh¡­! A hidden passage, huh. However, it appears like a wasted effort. A simple illusion would have worked well enough to cover it.¡± ¡°If an illusion was used, monsters and bugs with bad eyesight could still walk into it.¡± ¡°I see, I did not consider that. The point of view changes based on what lives in the vicinity, huh.¡±


    I stepped inside the cave without any hesitation. The inside was illuminated by magic tools bestowed with Light magic, so there was no fear of tripping up.


    It went on so deep that you couldn¡¯t see the end of it from the entrance, and the corridor was reinforced well enough to match it.


    ¡°It appears that even the corridor and the walls have been fortified with Toughness.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I didn¡¯t notice that.¡± ¡°Moreover, it is bestowed with Countersense from the outside too to block the perception of magic power. They have gone quite overboard with their hiding efforts.¡± ¡°Heh. I knew that old man could make magic tools but¡­ Ah, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Finally, we arrived at the end of the cave where an old wooden door was installed. No, if you looked closer, there was an entire hut buried under the ground.


    I knocked violently on that door. He probably noticed when we opened the entrance path, but this old man was a really obstinate and misanthropic man.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while, old man. It¡¯s me, Reid!¡±


    Despite my violent knocking, there was only a faint reaction inside. Maxwell was looking at me with vacant eyes as I continued hitting the door.


    ¡°Hey, I know you¡¯re there! Answer me already!¡± ¡°Go away. The Reid I know wouldn¡¯t have such a high-pitched voice.¡±


    Then, quite an unthinkable reply came from the inside. No well, it was a logical argument, but still.


    ¡°I have my circumstances, okay!? Please, just open, will you? You¡¯re making me look like some clown!¡±


    As I was making my entreaty in half tears, the door suddenly opened vigorously¡­on the outside.


    Yes, outside¡­ In other words, towards where I stood.


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    Since I was in the middle of mming my fists on it, I couldn¡¯t dodge it in time and took it right in my face. I felt Maxwell holding back hisughter behind me. I¡¯ll remember that, you old fart!


    Beyond the door spread yet another corridor, both sides of it furnished with all kinds of weapons and tools. They were emitting such strong magic power you wouldn¡¯t possibly overlook them.


    ¡°Are these magic tools¡­all of them!? If you had this much, you could even buy a small town with that money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason why he¡¯s hiding. If this cksmith felt like it, he can make items of this level without trouble.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious!?¡±


    Maxwell looked shocked, but even I was at a loss for words the first time I visited this ce. It even crossed my mind to grab one and make a run for it. However, in a straight corridor like this, you¡¯d get locked in faster than you could make a getaway.


    After about ten meters, there was yet another door. That old man must¡¯ve been beyond this door. This time, I opened it without bothering to knock.


    ¡°Good grief. You could just let me in without making things so difficult.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to be vignt when you hear an unfamiliar voice?¡±


    The man inside, appearing to be in his prime of life, made a shocked face the moment he saw me.


    Author¡¯s note: Just who could this hidden cksmith be¡­? feigns ignorance

 Chapter 191: Gathering the Materials

    <h4>Chapter 191: Gathering the Materials</h4>


    Even if I say the prime of life¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure how old he exactly was. At a nce, he looked both like someone in hister twenties, and in his fifties. You could call him an old man in his prime of life, or even an old, young man.


    ¡°Now this is a surprise¡­¡±


    That man spoke that one line after seeing me. I could understand what he meant painfully well. Not to brag, but¡­ I was quite a Mr. nice guy in my past life, so seeing me turn into this adorable girl would surprise just about anyone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore. It¡¯s not like I wanted to turn out like this.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Well, what did youe for this time? And weren¡¯t you the one who said he¡¯d try his best to keep our rtions a secret?¡±


    He pressed for an answer to me while ring towards Maxwell. He was ming me for bringing a third party along despite our promise. For now, I elbowed Maxwell and urged him to introduce himself.


    He realized my intention and made an elegant bow.


    ¡°My apologies. I am called Maxwell. I am the acting board chairman of the Magic Academy of Raum.¡± ¡°The Magic Academy¡­? And your name¡­ Are you one of the Six Heroes?¡± ¡°So you were aware of it? And yes, it is that school that is considered to be the pce of knowledge.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. I am¡­ Ah, right, we had an agreement not to speak my name.¡± ¡°That was an agreement with me.¡±


    He knew my name, but considering how rare his items were, I thought it was better if I didn¡¯t know who he was. At that time, I didn¡¯t know when I could get caught and be tortured.


    And if I wore my super rare gauntlet at that time, they would obviously be interested in finding out its origins. As such, I asked him not to tell me his name. After all, they couldn¡¯t make me say what I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Sorry but due to my agreement with that man¡­ Or woman? Anyway, I can¡¯t name myself now.¡± ¡°I am aware of it, yes.¡± ¡°Then, what is your business today?¡±


    It seemed he was in the middle of work, he returned to polishing a silver ring as he spoke. I helped myself to the seat on the other side of his desk.


    ¡°Maxwell,e sit.¡± ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°Since I received you two, you are my guests now. I won¡¯t get angry over something like sitting down.¡± ¡°So he said.¡±


    Maxwell finally sat down after getting his permission. It was very rare for him to be acting this nervous. I was curious about his behavior, but I decided to focus on the matter and took out the gauntlets.


    Maxwell secretly Apported them to me and I epted them.


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve be like this. And because of that, I failed to make good use of them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    He inspected the broken gauntlets and let out a sigh.


    ¡°The mechanism inside the right one seems to becking maintenance. The damage to the exterior of the left one seems to be from the degradation over time. Even the threads are quite diminished.¡± ¡°I was dead for a while, so I couldn¡¯t bring them for repairs.¡± ¡°You were dead? So someone used Reincarnation magic on you? And you became a woman¡­¡± ¡°You get it now?¡±


    I bent my head and asked in an intentionally inquisitive way. The man suddenly covered his nose. Don¡¯t tell me, was this guy a lolicon?


    ¡°Oh well. I¡¯mcking some materials for repairs so I can¡¯t do it immediately, okay?¡± ¡°That would suck¡­ But I¡¯m not in any position toin, huh. Still, my current situation makes it hard toe here so easily.¡± ¡°That man over there can use Teleport, can¡¯t he?¡±


    True, Maxwell¡¯s Teleport or Portal Gate would make it easy toe here. But it was not so easy for Maxwell to open up some time to meet me. I was something like his private pupil, but there was no knowing when or who would suddenly visit his mansion.


    If we suddenly disappear for a long time after he brings me here, Cortina and Lyell could get worried.


    ¡°Well, we have some circumstances¡­¡± ¡°Then, how about we go and gather the materials tonight?¡± ¡°Huh, we can do that!?¡± ¡°I also know how to use Portal Gate.¡±


    Hearing his proposal, I looked at Maxwell and started considering it.


    I had slipped out of the inn. Other students were in deep sleep and there was no worry of them finding out. Cortina and Maria were cutting loose today, so I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be checking on me.


    Since I was considered to have fainted, they left all the monitoring to Maxwell¡¯s familiar. Based on all that, I should have time until morning, right?


    ¡°Hm, could you give us a minute?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. But if we are to go out, we better make it quick.¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    Maxwell and I drew our faces closer and started discussing. We didn¡¯t even care that he was right in front of us.


    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± ¡°I think this is a good opportunity. An opportunity to see how these unknown mechanisms and techniques work in practice. I feel reluctant to give up on it.¡± ¡°But it would be a bit worrying if it drags on until morning.¡± ¡°Let us just use illusion to deceive them in that case.¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± ¡°Fortunately, we left my familiar behind. It should be no problem if I made it appear like you. Its body is hidden under the pillow, so if I just overwrite it with illusion, there would be a low chance of it getting found out.¡± ¡°Well¡­ If you say so.¡±


    Illusion magic had a set range based on one¡¯s field of view. Since Maxwell could see distantly through his familiar, he could cast the illusion with his familiar in the center.


    However, with how far from Maleva we were, it should¡¯ve taken quite a lot of magic power¡­


    ¡°Oh, this much distance is no problem to me.¡± ¡°You really are a monster in the truest sense of the word¡­¡±


    That was a Six Hero for you. This much distance was trivial for him.


    ¡°Well, excuse me for a second¡­¡± ¡°Wait. Casting the point designated magic from this cave is restricted. You can¡¯t use your Illusion from here.¡± ¡°Oh?¡±


    Maxwell tested it by trying to cast magic. A technique to restrict point designated magic activations wasn¡¯t such a rare thing. Because if it was left unchecked, there was no knowing how many burrs and assassins would teleport in and out.


    As such, it was used even inmon households as a means of security.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do that, there would be fellows teleporting right in. That entrance you came in from is actually the only way to get inside.¡± ¡°In that case, we will step out briefly. Please make preparations to depart in the meantime.¡± ¡°Got it.¡±


    I followed Maxwell who had left his seat and headed outside the cave. The man also stood up from his seat and walked to a room further ahead, making preparations to depart.


    He left his silver ring and the toolspletely unguarded. How careless could he be?


    Maxwell managed to cast his magic without problems after he stepped outside, and now, it looked like I was still sleeping like a log back at the inn.


    And thus, the two of us prepared to head out to gather materials along with the cksmith.

 Chapter 192: The World Tree Labyrinth

    <h4>Chapter 192: The World Tree Labyrinth</h4>


    Within ten minutes of deciding to depart, we all stood lined up in front of the entrance. The man wore an aged leather jacket and a robe on top, giving off the feeling that he was ustomed to traveling.


    He wore simr gauntlets to mine on his arms. It didn¡¯t seem like they had some kind of thread shooting mechanism in them, though, so he probably just used them for hand-to-handbat. We were ready to depart as soon as Maxwell and I finished our business rted to the inn.


    But before we actually departed, there was something I had to do first.


    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s kindate for this, but can you tell me your name?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who was against knowing it?¡±


    The man answered in exasperation. Indeed, in the past, I made such a proposal. However, since we were going to travel around, it would be quite inconvenient if I didn¡¯t even know what to call him.


    ¡°We might find ourselves in battle. It would be hard to give directions if we don¡¯t know what to call you.¡± ¡°Yeah, you have a point. Let¡¯s see¡­ You can just call me Aste. It goes without saying but it¡¯s not my real name.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone dere their fake name so proudly.¡±


    The man calling himself Aste started drawing the magic circle on the ground without caring about my retort. His way of drawing circles was quite different from that of Maxwell.


    ¡°Oh, are you drawing the shape first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you draw the guiding lines first, it would make it simpler to guide the magic power through itter.¡± ¡°But if you do that, the instantaneous invocation would not be enough to make it in time.¡± ¡°If that happens, you can just cast it normally. Besides, if you have a cloth with the pre-drawn circle on hand, it would be much faster than the normal way of casting it.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Very interesting. It seemed that the technique at the entrance was quite old too.¡± ¡°Oh, you saw through it? You have quite good eyes unlike that bumpkin over there.¡± ¡°Well sorry for being a bumpkin.¡±


    In my previous life, I was aplete amateur with everything rted to magic. Now, I could see that it was not a normal technique. Be it how easily he could make precious magic tools or this, it was clear that he was no ordinary cksmith.


    ¡°That aside¡­ Where exactly are we heading?¡± ¡°Firstes the procurement of the Mythril threads. Next would be gathering materials for the exterior. I didn¡¯t expect the exterior to have deteriorated this much, so I¡¯ll have to hand-pick the materials.¡± ¡°These gauntlets alone seem quite a big thing.¡± ¡°I made them by using a metal called nickel. Itcks a bit when ites to hardness, but it¡¯s strong against corrosion and has high toughness.¡± ¡°Toughness?¡± ¡°As in, it¡¯s quite tenacious. When an attacknds on it, it doesn¡¯t break but bends instead and mitigates the attack. The threads inside of it also act as a cushion, so it¡¯s quite good as a means of defense.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why it got crushed from one hit of a sword.¡± ¡°But in exchange, you managed to keep your left arm safe, right?¡±


    The right one¡¯s mechanism failed, but the left one took damage due to that sword strike. If I maintained it well, it wouldn¡¯t have been so brittle, but I still didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be so easy to crush. But it was made that way to prioritize the safety of my hand.


    ¡°Well, yeah, I remained safe thanks to that fact.¡±


    I muttered, having a shback of that time. It was an overhead swing from an adult man. And blocking it was a 10-year-old girl.


    If I guarded with just my left hand alone, it could¡¯ve broken its exterior and even my hand with it. It might not even have stopped at that and cut through my head or shoulder. However, by redirecting its power through getting crushed, I was able to endure the blow even with my meager strength.


    ¡°So with that, let¡¯s go get the Mythril threads first.¡± ¡°Oh, so we are going to produce these threads! I was always curious as to how they were made.¡± ¡°¡­Please not a word to anyone about it.¡±


    Aste looked at the overly-enthusiastic Maxwell with an uncharacteristically troubled face, and then activated the magic. The magic circle under our feet shined and the scenery around us got blurred.


    After a momentary floating sensation, we were thrown into total darkness.


    ¡°Where is this?¡±


    At a nce, this ce looked different from the mountain we previously were at. It seemed that we had teleported into a building or cavern of some kind.


    The air full of stagnated humidity clung to my skin. Not just that, it was strangely cold too.


    ¡°It¡¯s strangely chilly here¡­not just that. Even when ites to breathing¡­¡±


    It feels suffocating. No, I could breathe in normally. The amount of air I could inhale was the same, but it felt as if the breathing itself had turned inadequate.


    I remembered this sensation. It was the same phenomenon you felt when you were on high mountain peaks.


    ¡°We are inside the World Tree.¡± ¡°The World Tree¡­ You mean we¡¯re in the Holy Tree Kingdom of Forneus!?¡±


    The Holy Tree Kingdom of Forneus. It was the headquarters of the world¡¯srgest religion, the World Tree religion. It was the kingdom located at the center of the continent, holding the most influence, and in the center of its Capital Berith, stood the World Tree Yggdrasil that reached up to the heavens.


    The inside of that Holy Tree was like abyrinth that, at one point in time, boasted of having 1000 floors. It was said that there was a young bud at its summit that stored its lifeforce, which would grant immortality and eternal youth to one who ate it.


    However, ording to the legends, the God of Destruction broke that tree, and only about 70% of its original body was left standing now.


    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, that Whitey sure did something awful, huh.¡± ¡°Well, those times called for such drastic measures¡­ No, nevermind.¡± ¡°Aste, could it be that you know the God of Destruction?¡± ¡°Noment.¡±


    He clearly averted his eyes. That gesture was enough to tell me that they were acquaintances at least. This guy was surprisingly bad at lying.


    ¡°Oh well. So, what are we searching for inside here?¡± ¡°We are currently on the 250th floor. There should be giant caterpirs called Huge Crawlers around here. You need to-¡± ¡°Should I take one down?¡± ¡°No, catch it alive.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    My blood was starting to boil but he killed my enthusiasm with one order. Telling someone specialized in killing to catch it alive¡­


    ¡°Huge Crawlers can even eat and digest the World Tree trunks. If we feed it some Mythril ores and get the threads out of it, we should be able to get our hands on theposite that consists of arge amount of Mythril.¡± ¡°I see. So if we intertwine those threads, they would be usable threads for me.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡±


    I¡¯ve never heard of using the monsters¡¯ ecology to create equipment¡­ Normally you defeated said monsters and used their remains to make them.


    It appears that I had yet another fellow among my acquaintances that deviated from themon standards.

 Chapter 193: Caterpillar Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 193: Caterpir Invasion</h4>


    With all said, since Aste said that¡¯s how they were made, I had no right to veto it. If he wanted me to go and catch some caterpir called Huge Crawler, I had to shut up and do it.


    Maxwell quickly cast Light magic, and I equipped my piano wires and the spear with the vibrating de at its tip. Aste also readied hisbat gauntlets.


    ¡°Turns out, you are actually a vanguard?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just good at hand-to-handbat. Swords aren¡¯t my specialty. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t use them at all, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not bad at all. Look at Maxwell. He¡¯s lived so long but he sucks at closebat.¡± ¡°I simply dislike fights.¡±


    We casually walked around the inner parts of thebyrinth as we cracked some jokes. We appeared to becking vignce, but my eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings for traps.


    This was abyrinth of the myths. It was the symbol of fear even amongst Adventurers due to its difficulty. At the same time, it was one of their ultimate goals to challenge it one day.


    Since it was such an extremebyrinth, we weren¡¯t allowed to lower our guards.


    ¡°And there we go, already a trap.¡± ¡°Oh, did you find something, Reid?¡± ¡°Yeah, you should be able to spot it too, Maxwell. There are traces of a hidden magic circle over there.¡±


    The ce I pointed at was a slightly lifted up part of the tree root that spread across the floor. I could see several ck lines running right under it.


    The World Trees roots¡­ Or let me put it another way ¨C some kind of cilia-like tubes were crawling above the magic circle and covering it.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t likely that someone had done that intentionally. This trap was made ording to the World Tree¡¯s will itself, so to speak.


    I approached those traces while making sure not to step on the circle itself. When I was about to look down on it¡­ Something swooped down on me from above.


    ¡°Woaaaah!?¡± ¡°What in the-!?¡± ¡°Ohh, as expected of a famed assassin. Looks like you found one already.¡±


    It was the Huge Crawler that we were looking for. It was a caterpir of about 10 meters in length. It moved by winding its body and had tough, rubber-like skin. Something like that was about to fall on me.


    Fortunately, I avoided the direct hit, but the shockwave from itsnding spread through the wriggling cilia and got entangled with my feet.


    ¡°Being an assassin has nothing to do with this!¡± ¡°Come on, I was praising you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that praise!¡±


    As I retorted to Aste, the shock sent the entangled me up into the air, and made me hang upside down. I had enoughposure left to make that retort, however.


    That was because my current attack methods were specialized for mid to long-rangebat. My piano wires could extend up to 20 meters, while my spear to over 10. With that much at my disposal, hanging in the air wasn¡¯t enough to stop me from retaliating.


    That said, this time my goal was to capture it, not kill it.


    ¡°You *******¡­ Wait, eeek!?¡±


    I was about to swing my arm, but I noticed something. Because I was hanging upside down, my coat got turned up and exposed my chest area. I still didn¡¯t have breasts big enough to require hiding them, but I still ended up reflexively covering them with my hand.


    Previously, I would¡¯ve ignored it and swung my thread, but Maxwell¡¯s education aboutdy manners turned me this way. I didn¡¯t feel happy about it in the least, however.


    As I missed my timing to attack, Maxwell filled in for me and started chanting a spell to capture it.


    As for Aste¡­ He simply walked towards the Huge Crawler without hesitation.


    ¡°Wait, are you crazy!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t aware of how good of a fighter he was. Neither in my previous life, nor now. So when I saw him approach a dangerous creature like that, I instinctively yelled at him.


    However, the Huge Crawler wasted no opportunity and rushed towards him¡­


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    Along with that sharp sound, the Huge Crawler was the one to be blown to the side. Only Aste, in the hook stance, remained at the scene.


    The Huge Crawler got mmed into the wall, then slid down and started convulsing on the floor.


    Managing to send such a huge mass across the floor like that would require some crazy muscle strength¡­ Isn¡¯t he actually stronger than even Lyell?


    ¡°¡­You are actually that good?¡± ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t, did I?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me then?¡± ¡°Because you never asked.¡±


    He replied as unsociably as ever. But thinking about it, he probably came to capture one alone back when he made my gauntlets. Based on that, it wouldn¡¯t be logical for him to be a bad fighter.


    Also, he was the type of guy that did his work properly. Even now, he walked towards the Huge Crawler, lifted it up and inspected its jaw.


    ¡°This one¡¯s no good.¡± ¡°Why not?¡±


    I cut off the cilia with my dagger and somehow managed tond. But then I noticed Aste shaking his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit too big. The threads made by this one¡¯s spinnerets would be too thick to do its job as Mythril threads.¡± ¡°So even that matters¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d like it to be smaller, but one mature enough to be able to make a cocoon.¡± ¡°I¡­ Suppose I¡¯m in no position to be whining here.¡±


    This was all to make my weapon. If I started cutting corners here, it would leave me to fight with a half-a?s?s?e?d? weapon in the future.


    Maxwell, on the other hand, was quite carefree about the whole thing.


    ¡°I see. That thought never urred to me.¡± ¡°You tend to miss these little details unless you look at it from the craftsman¡¯s perspective.¡± ¡°I see, this was a good experience for me.¡± ¡°Anyway. Sorry, but let¡¯s go get another one.¡±


    Aste muttered that over his shoulder and started walking ahead without waiting for the response. The previously mentioned trap got crushed under the Huge Crawler, so it was already harmless.


    With a deep sigh, I followed after him.

 Chapter 194: Fatigue

    <h4>Chapter 194: Fatigue</h4>


    ¡°That one is too small. The threads wouldn¡¯t be strong enough.¡± ¡°Looks like that one iscking some nutrients.¡± ¡°Too bad. That one isn¡¯t a Huge Crawler but a Poison Crawler.¡±


    Aste¡¯sints grew more and more relentless, and we were already on our tenth one. While it was clear that he could fight, it was still a bit awkward to have him take the front so I ended up taking the initiative. Though honestly, I was quite tired already.


    ¡°Um, excuse me, but this one has a certain stamina problem, so can we let Reid rest for a bit?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, right. I thought that was the case too.¡± ¡°You thought?¡±


    Aste seemed like he saw through my frail disposition, so I asked in return. But after giving it another thought, I realized it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that a 10-year-old kid would becking stamina.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Actually, nevermind. You can tell by looking. It seems that I got tired more than I thought.¡± ¡°You even had plenty of sleep at noon.¡± ¡°Fainting and sleeping aren¡¯t the same!¡±


    I shouted in anger towards Maxwell¡¯s carefreement. It seemed that I was in a bit of a bad mood due to my fatigue. Seeing that, Aste decided to ept the suggestion to take a break.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m making a kid run around and work hard in the middle of a night. If my wife heard about it, she¡¯d yell at me.¡± ¡°Wh-!? Dude, you were married?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m quite old. I have been married a few times throughout my life.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t judge you based on your appearance, huh¡­¡±


    I grumbled at Aste, who looked youthful enough that you couldn¡¯t decide whether he was middle-aged or a youth. There were so many people around me that looked younger than they actually were, be it him or Maria.


    ¡°Sorry, I was just trying to show off. I¡¯ve only married once in my life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that part.¡±


    After I dismissed him with all I had, he started spreading the sheets in the passage with a somewhat dejected face. He was so well prepared I was tempted to ask him where the hell did he even get those from.


    He even offered me water that he brought with a water pouch, so I felt nothing but gratitude.


    ¡°Huh, lemon?¡± ¡°Yeah. If you put a peel of it inside, the water will gain acidity and help relieve fatigue.¡± ¡°Still, this water is quite delicious. It feels as if it permeates my entire body!¡± ¡°This water is something that seeped out from the roots of this World Tree. The so-called World Tree sap, if you will. It has a guaranteed fatigue recovery effect.¡± ¡°Wha-!? Where in the world did you get something so valuable from!?¡±


    Something like the World Tree sap could be sold to some enthusiasts for ridiculous amounts. Maria who was a deep believer of the World Tree, for example, would empty her pockets to get it. In short, it was something extremely dangerous.


    But the fact was that it really could get rid of fatigue, and that¡¯s what was important.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve challenged this ce in the past.¡± ¡°So¡­ You were an Adventurer, after all. That exins your power. But that aside, Maxwell.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why are you acting so polite towards this guy?¡±


    Hearing my question, Maxwell furrowed his brows and sighed. Then, he exined the reason with an exasperated voice.


    ¡°Reid, you are a first-ss assassin, so you should be aware of the importance of seeing through someone¡¯s ability.¡± ¡°Well, of course.¡± ¡°We magicians are the same. Seeing through the opponents¡¯ ability is the matter of life and death. I dare say¡­ Sir Aste is a magician of my level or perhaps even higher.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    This guy was a magician? Well, he was making magic tools¡­ But he was a magician despite his crazy physical strength? That destructive power might even give Lyell some trouble. Someone like that was a magic practitioner of the same rank as Maxwell? Are you joking?


    ¡°Uhh, haha, nice joke?¡± ¡°That was not a joke.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Seriously.¡±


    I turned my head towards Aste to seek confirmation. However, he feigned ignorance while drinking his water. He was even more easygoing than Maxwell in a way.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s take a 20-minute rest in turns. I¡¯ll stand to watch first. Next, Maxwell. Are you fine with that?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°Reid, aren¡¯t you the most tired out of us? You take the full 40-minute rest.¡± ¡°Khh¡­ The fact that I can¡¯t even deny it makes me feel pathetic.¡± ¡°Every person has things they are good and bad at. The current you isn¡¯t cut out for long battles. Resting when one must rest is one of the qualities that Adventurers should have.¡± ¡°You are clearly more experienced here, so I¡¯ll take you up on that offer and rest.¡±


    The inside of this World Tree was so difficult it was considered the ultimate goal of the Adventurers. I wasn¡¯t such a big fool as to ignore Aste¡¯s words, who imed to be knowledgeable about this ce.


    If an experienced person was advising you to do something appropriate for the situation, you had to treat their words with importance. I put my mantle over me and lied down on the sheets.


    The next time I opened my eyes, Maxwell¡¯s lookout was about to reach its end.


    ¡°Huh, when did I¡­¡± ¡°Your ability to fall asleep so fast is proof that you¡¯re still a kid.¡± ¡°Shut it.¡±


    In an attempt to hide my embarrassment, I threw the coat I was using as a nket at Maxwell. But it caught on my body and didn¡¯t fly as far I imagined. It fluttered in the air and fell down on Aste.


    ¡°Mgh¡­¡± ¡°Ah, my bad. Did I wake you up?¡±


    Reacting to it, Aste opened his eyes. It seemed like he was a much lighter sleeper than I thought. Well, if he was good enough to challenge this ce, that much was to be expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you woke me up at a good time. Well then, without dy, let¡¯s¡­¡±


    He quickly got up. His consciousness instantly awakened in full and shifted gears towards work. However, before he managed to finish his sentence, a screaming from the inner parts of thebyrinth interrupted him.


    ¡°HIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!¡±


    It was a long, creaking noise that left a trailing note. It filled thebyrinth passages and spread all the way.


    ¡°What was that!?¡± ¡°It looked like a scream of a Huge Crawler¡­ But it seemed somewhat cornered.¡± ¡°So something might be attacking it, is it?¡±


    Maxwell added his own thoughts to Aste¡¯s analysis. Huge Crawlers weren¡¯t such strong foes in rtion to this floor. When monsters fought among themselves, they often ended up being the prey.


    ¡°We came all this way to capture one, so it¡¯d be a pain if they start getting attacked.¡± ¡°True. We haven¡¯t found one that¡¯s the right size so far, and we can¡¯t scratch out the possibility of this one being it.¡± ¡°Then, shall we go save it at once?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like we were the ones being attacked, so we were quite casual about it. Besides, the one that needed to be saved was a monster, so we weren¡¯t so impatient about it.


    As such, we just ran towards the source of the voice in a somewhat rxed manner.

 Chapter 195: Battle of Annihilation

    <h4>Chapter 195: Battle of Annihtion</h4>


    Inside a cave, there was a smallish Huge Crawler being attacked by some kind of dark mist. Albeit on the smaller end, that caterpir was still huge, but that mist was coiled around it and seemed like it was actively attacking it.


    Each time it attacked, the Huge Crawler was squirming and rubbing its body while raising shrieks.


    ¡°That looks like a group of Ghast Hos.¡± ¡°Ghast and Hos? Quite a strangebination there.¡±


    Ghasts were a species of Undead, their special trait being bodies made of mist. Physical attacks had no effect on them, so I remember having a hard time against them before.


    If you had a weapon wrapped in magic power you could deal with them without a problem, so they were not an enemy to me now since I had bestowal magic at my disposal.


    As for Hos, they were, well, hos. But since they were monster hos, their sizes varied from 10 cm to 1 meter, as well as their species.


    But this time, I couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of monster thebination of these two would be.


    ¡°Ghasts are mist monsters. They are called as such because the group of those hos is so big it looks like mist. Their individual strength as a monster is practically insignificant, but they move in huge groups. Even if you punch it, you can take out a few of them at most, which wouldn¡¯t be a significant damage from the group¡¯s perspective. They are a troublesome foe to defeat in close quartersbat.¡± ¡°In that case, it seems like it is my turn now!¡±


    Maxwell didn¡¯t have much of a chance to show off so far, so he was pretty excited now. But this old man was forgetting something. It was the caterpir that was being attacked by those hos.


    If Maxwell hits them with his prided fire magic, he¡¯ll be turning them both into charcoal.


    ¡°Wait, wait. Let¡¯s pull them apart from the caterpir first!¡± ¡°And how do we do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your job to think about that¡­ Well, fine. I¡¯ll do something about it.¡±


    With such a huge number of them, my threads wouldn¡¯t be effective much. However, if I get in the way of their meal, they wouldn¡¯t stay quiet. The goal would be to redirect them towards me. Even if I fail to do that, I¡¯d still be able to deal some damage so there was no loss.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go attack them. If they start chasing me, burn them down.¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t cast magic as fast as Maria. Regardless, he was a master magician, so he wouldn¡¯t mistake his timing.


    I coiled my thread on the protrusion near the ceiling and lifted myself up. Since thisbyrinth was made of wood in every direction, it thankfully had many ces to hook onto. Thisbyrinth might¡¯ve actually been quitepatible with me.


    After I lifted myself up to the ceiling, I wrapped the thread around my body. I coiled severalyers.


    After that, I switched my dagger into the spear mode, fixed it in ce¡­ And swooped down on the hos.


    Naturally, the thread unwinded along with my fall, so in response, my body started to spin. The more I elerated in my fall, the faster I started spinning, and the faster the spearhead that I held in ce rotated.


    As I dived into the Ghast Ho group, the said spear mercilessly and indiscriminately sliced and crushed the hos.


    Along with a disgusting sound, dozens of them got crushed in one go¡­ After which Inded on the back of the Huge Crawler. Its rubber-like, stic skin repelled me without dealing any damage and allowed me tond safely on the ground.


    When I looked up with my spinning eyes to check the situation, I saw the pissed-off army of hos ring at me.


    ¡°Oh, it was a sess?¡±


    I tried to take a step and flee at once¡­ Only to fall over. My semicircr canals that couldn¡¯t even handle a carriage were not expected to handle something as crazy as elerated rotation while falling down.


    ¡°Huh, hold on!? Wait, s?h?i?t?, oh s?h?i?t?! My legs, my eyes¡­¡±


    While I was pping left and right, the Ghast Hos rushed towards me. The distance between us was too small for Maxwell to use his magic. I still tried to flee like a drunkard, but my steps were all over the ce. They would most certainly get me at this rate.


    ¡°This is ba-¡±


    I fully realized the danger I was currently facing. But something suddenly started furiously dragging me along. It was the Huge Crawler himself(?).


    Was it because it realized I saved its life, or was it just a pure coincidence¡­ Its small nails hooked onto my nape as it fled from the hos.


    Naturally, it also pulled me along, dragging me on the ground as it fled. That action took the Ghast Hos by surprise. Their target escaped from their sight and they simply charged at the empty ground.


    The moment there was a perfectly ¡°safe distance¡± between us¡­ Maxwell¡¯s magic blew them up.


    He probably used a simple Fireball magic. But with his magic power, even that held more than enough destructive power to thoroughly burn the group of Ghast Hos.


    If I had to add, insects, in general, tended to burn quite well. That single shot was enough topletely obliterate the Ghast Hos.

 Chapter 196: Contract of Submission

    <h4>Chapter 196: Contract of Submission</h4>


    The fireball exploded while keeping me, who was rescued by the caterpir, safe from damage. It gradually spread through the swarm and continued burning them to the ground. But that also posed danger to me who was nearby them.


    ¡°Hot! It friggin burns! Hey, caterpir! Keep running! Our hair is gonna catch on fire!¡±


    Just like the insects, human hair also burned really well. Especially my soft, thin, and straight hair. Cortina constantly screams ¡°hot¡± when she sees me. Wait, that¡¯s probably a different kind of hot.


    Either way, we were almost grilled by the explosion, but somehow managed toe out safe. This was thanks to Maxwell¡¯s fine control of magic power¡­ I hoped it was. Though I felt like it was thanks to this caterpir¡¯s efforts.


    At any rate, our target, the caterpir was safe. I gave a relieved sigh while caught onto its legs. However, there was a workaholic around that didn¡¯t give a crap about me and immediately got to work.


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    Ignoring the burning Ghast Hos on the ground, he made his way to the caterpir, grabbed its jaw and inspected the spinnerets. It looked as if he was about to crush the poor caterpir¡¯s jaw.


    ¡°Its body is quite bigger than I imagined, but the spinnerets itself are thin. I¡¯d like to see it actually made a thread to see for myself.¡±


    He was evaluating the goods like nothing, but he¡¯s holding a friggin Huge Crawler. It was on the smaller side, yes, but it was still about 7 meters long. It was squirming and trying to get away, but Aste¡¯s strength didn¡¯t allow it.


    ¡°Oh well. Let¡¯s just take this one alone.¡± ¡°How?¡±


    A 7-meter caterpir wasn¡¯t something you could just store away. If it had long limbs, maybe I could¡¯ve restricted it with my threads, but this caterpir had no such things.


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    Aste let go of it and started pondering while holding his chin. The caterpir, however, didn¡¯t try to run after being freed, and simply hung its head. He couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of that gesture and muttered in a rarely confused voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Could this be¡­ It is submitting to Sir Aste?¡± ¡°Submitting? An Insect?¡± ¡°It is because it is an insect, or should I say because its intellect is low, that it is submitting to the stronger individual. Moreover, we are its lifesavers.¡± ¡°So this insect feels gratitude?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡±


    I asked Maxwell in doubt, but it seemed that he was confident in his guess. To prove his point, the caterpir was currently prostrated before Aste and wasn¡¯t moving a bit.


    ¡°That Elf was the one that burned them, you know? Oh well¡­ Don¡¯t move.¡±


    With those words, Aste bit on his finger and dipped the blood in his water pouch, and then sprinkled it on the caterpir. Following that, he drew some kind of magic circle on its forehead, and the water started evaporating.


    It seemed that the water wasn¡¯t evaporating due to heat, the caterpir didn¡¯t seem to be in any pain.


    ¡°Huh, what is he doing?¡± ¡°Perhaps he is forming the contract of submission. It looked like a magic circle carved on the items used with ves.¡±


    Maxwell and I observed his action from the distance. He seemed to be doing some kind of a ritual, but I had no knowledge of such magic. Getting rolled up in was scary so I took more distance.


    ¡°Oh? So there are magic that even you don¡¯t know, huh, Maxwell?¡± ¡°Submission magic is forbidden, after all. If it was allowed to spread, even criminals would start using it.¡± ¡°Oh, right, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±


    Before long, Aste returned to us acting as if nothing happened. The caterpir followed closely behind.


    ¡°I kept you waiting. Sorry, but let¡¯s return back to the hut for a moment. I¡¯d like to bring this fellow to Maleva.¡± ¡°To that mountain? I don¡¯t mind¡­ But would that be safe?¡±


    That mountain was full of fierce animals. The Huge Crawlers were a threat due to their size, but they weren¡¯t so fast on their feet as I¡¯ve already seen. He formed a contract with it already, so it¡¯d be a waste if it gets attacked by wild animals and dies.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I have another room underground.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ Other basements?¡± ¡°Yeah. I usually droprge luggage over there.¡±


    It was the same digging magic Cortina used in the hot spring town. If you stopped the technique, the ground would return to normal, but if you applied hardening magic while it was still in effect, it would maintain its shape.


    If you repeated this process and widened the space more and more, you could make a basement quite easily.


    But the problem was, making a basement that could hold a caterpir this size would need quite a lot of magic power. The consumption had to be quite severe¡­


    ¡°Could it be that your magic power amount rivals Maxwell?¡± ¡°Well, I have some confidence in that regard. And in hand-to-handbat.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you working as an Adventurer? Seems like a waste¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already grown tired of that.¡±


    While muttering that heroic response, he activated the Portal Gate. I passed through that gate with an annoyed expression.

 Chapter 197: Juggernaut

    <h4>Chapter 197: Juggernaut</h4>


    Due to the unexpected twist that the caterpir got attached to us, we managed to secure the thread supply, but that alone wasn¡¯t enough to fix my gauntlets. Something could be done about the mechanism inside, but the armoring on the smashed left gauntlet still needed fixing.


    Thus, we teleported back to the World Treebyrinth.


    ¡°Anyway, we are heading a little above, to the 600th floor next. We have to defeat an enemy called Juggernaut there.¡±


    Juggernaut was also the name of a hero that appears in myths. However he faced an unnatural death, his armor got filled with grudge and started attacking humans.


    It was actually the so-called Living Armor that was the higher-ranked undead monster, but they were called Juggernauts for simplicity.


    As Aste asked, we got on the teleportation circle. In an instant, the scene changedpletely¡­ Or maybe not. Thinking about it, it was the same tree regardless of where we went, so it would be weirder for it to look that different.


    After we arrived, Aste started exining about the materials.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fairly strong foe, but its armor is flexible and tough. It¡¯s an armor, to begin with, so it¡¯s perfect to use as the gauntlet material.¡± ¡°I mean, that¡¯s true but¡­ Isn¡¯t it still something like a skin of an undead?¡± ¡°Are you really going toin about that thiste in the game?¡± ¡°No, like¡­ If it¡¯s gonna be like that, wouldn¡¯t something like the skin of Colchis work better?¡±


    I simply spoke what was on my mind. But in fact, I still had all the materials from when we defeated the Evil Dragon Colchis. Skin and scales were included among them.


    They were things even Lyell¡¯s holy sword had trouble cutting. So it simply crossed my mind ¨C maybe we could use them?


    However, Aste looked at me in surprise and started pondering for a while.


    ¡°There was that option, huh?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t realize that!?¡± ¡°I only focused on the things I had at hand. But thinking about it, I should¡¯ve considered that too given your achievements.¡± ¡°Good grief¡­ So we came here on a fool¡¯s errand?¡±


    Iined at Aste who said something unexpectedly silly. However, after some thought, Aste shook his head.


    ¡°No, we already came here, so let¡¯s hunt one at least. Would be a waste.¡± ¡°Now listen here. It¡¯s not some small fry you can just ¡°take down while you¡¯re at it¡±, you know!?¡±


    A magician that wants to hunt one vs an Undead that has been hunting humans for fun. It made me wanna escape reality, but it was not a joking matter.


    That monster bore the name of the hero for a reason. It was strong enough to need an entire army to subjugate. There was clearly something wrong with this guy to want to hunt one while we were at it.


    ¡°That is true. We are on the famous upper floors of the World Tree. It would be a waste to pass up an opportunity to face a monster of that level.¡± ¡°Looks like there was more than one weirdo here!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe that Maxwell was also on board with Aste¡¯s suggestion. As he said, there were almost no opportunities to visit this ce. So from the perspective of our party of old, who always recklessly charged into dangers, I could understand where he wasing from.


    However, we were here to get materials tonight, so I didn¡¯t want any such detours.


    ¡°We have no time for that, right?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t do repairs by today, so today¡¯s quota is to just gather the materials.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, as long as you bring the Evil Dragon¡¯s skin, our job today is done.¡±


    Since I originated from Maleva in my previous life, I hid the aforementioned Evil Dragon materials nearby it. Or to be more specific, there was only one ce nearby where people didn¡¯t visit¡­ Mount Maleva.


    In other words, I secretly hid them nearby where Aste lived. It wouldn¡¯t even take me 10 minutes to retrieve them.


    ¡°That being the case, let¡¯s go at once.¡± ¡°W-Wait¡­¡± ¡°On second thought, we don¡¯t have to. It came for us instead.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    Along with his words, a rough metallic sound reverberated through the corridor.


    A huge metallic armor appeared across the corridor. It however had four arms. It already deviated from a humanoid shape from that part alone.


    The remains of the myths. The shadow of a former hero. The monster tied to such anecdotes was staring at us with hollow eyes.


    ¡°¡­.!!!¡±


    A Juggernaut possessed no vocal cords so it couldn¡¯t make any sound. That said, it was clear that what it just did was akin to a war cry.


    It spread its arms that held shields and swords and puffed out its chest, while bending backwards and looking up. It looked like it was screaming at the heavens.


    ¡°What do we do? If you want to fight it, I can let you have it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Aste¡¯s objective was to gather materials. While Maxwell just wanted to fight it. Both of their wishes coincided.


    If they wanted to end it fast, either of them could just shoot it with magic from the distance. Well, Maxwell could only shoot it from a distance.


    ¡°Reid, this is a rare opportunity, you know? Or has even your heart be docile?¡± ¡°You just want to stir me up and get me involved in this, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Heh, so you noticed it?¡±


    It was a clear provocation, but maybe it wasn¡¯t bad to fall for his provocation. It was true that this kind of a chase wouldn¡¯te often. This was the World Treebyrinth, the most difficultbyrinth in this world, and facing us now was a mythical monster from its upper floors.


    As Maxwell said, there would hardlye a chance to test our skills against an enemy of this level.


    I wordlessly stepped forward and prepared my piano threads. It would be quite pathetic if I backed out after all that. Thus, I had no choice but to join him on this test of ability.


    ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll show you how I really fight.¡± ¡°That is more like it!¡±


    Maxwell moved to stand behind me. This was the formation we usually took in battles. Seeing the change, the Juggernaut set up its two swords and shields. Since it held one pair on each side, his defense looked hard to break.


    ¡°Breaking through it is one of the pleasures of battle.¡± ¡°You were acting so grumpy earlier, but it looks like you are actually enjoying it. You are quite a muscle-brain yourself, I must say.¡± ¡°Well, you know my goal.¡± ¡°You mean returning to being a guy?¡± ¡°No! I mean, that too, but not that!¡±


    My goal was to be a heroic figure that surpassed even Lyell. Returning to being a man was just one part of that.


    Standing before me was a monster that bore the name of a hero that had once reached the domain that I aimed for. I couldn¡¯t ask for a better touchstone for my goal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Maxwell!¡± ¡°I am ready when you are!¡± ¡°¡­!¡±


    The Juggernaut responded to our yells. It was also fully intent on fighting us. There were people that would run from it, so it was probably d to face foes that were taking the initiative.


    It swung one of the swords, lowered its stance and prepared to meet our attack. I took a big step forward and swung my thread with all I had.


    We won. It was tiring.

 Chapter 198: Reid’s Hideout

    <h4>Chapter 198: Reid¡¯s Hideout</h4>


    I announced the result as if nothing, but it actually was not that easy.


    The Juggernaut properly guarded against our attacks with its shields while using the lower pair of arms to attack us. It had a very solid fighting style.


    His fight that focused on defense reminded me of that kidnapper from before. Add its Undead nature on top of that, and you¡¯d get the worst opponent for me.


    I couldn¡¯t strangle it to death, and shes barely affected it. It was a type of opponent that I¡¯d try to avoid if I could, were I alone. But this time, I wasn¡¯t, and this wasn¡¯t that spacious lumberyard but abyrinth passage.


    I made full use of my mobility strengthened by threads, using walls and even the ceiling as a foothold to disturb the enemy. When I attracted its attention enough, Maxwell barraged it with Energy Bolts from the shooting system and ended the battle.


    Looking back, it was a reasonable oue. But breaking through its defenses was harder than I thought and it took a little longer. But that ¡°little¡± could be fatal considering my stamina consumption.


    ¡°It seems it is over.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± ¡°What is wrong? Your magic disease is already healed, is it not?¡± ¡°It is healed but my stamina itself hasn¡¯t made a recovery yet. Besides, this body has weak stamina, to begin with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite troubling. If you don¡¯t train your body properly, you will suffer during childbirth.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such disgusting crap!¡±


    Aste¡¯s wild advice made me get goosebumps. But certainly, since this body was that of a woman, there was a situation that could invite such an oue.


    That said, I would utterly reject that situation. I mean, my menstruation hasn¡¯t even started, to begin with.


    ¡°Anyway, you should be satisfied with this, right, Maxwell? Let¡¯s go back already and get the materials.¡± ¡°So you say, but I don¡¯t even know where your hideout is.¡± ¡°For better or worse, my base was in Maleva. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it.¡± ¡°The reason I knew Aste was due to that too. Aste also put his eyes on that mountain because people don¡¯t visit it. It¡¯s even called the Sanctuary of the God of Destruction, so in a way, it¡¯s something like the headquarters of the heretics.¡± ¡°That is quite disappointing.¡±


    Aste looked a bit displeased about it. Dude, you aren¡¯t even her rtive. Actually, since he lives there, maybe he¡¯s a distant descendant of her like me.


    ¡°Well, the point is that humans don¡¯t visit it. Since I was also a local, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have my eyes on it, right?¡± ¡°In other words, your hideout is also on that mountain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    That said, my hideout was closer to the base of that mountain. We had to return from Aste¡¯s house, which was in the middle of it, to the base. I would normally need 10 minutes for the job, but at thiste hour and with my legs, it could even take me until morning now.


    ¡°Oh, the guy that was always rustling around near the base¡­ That was you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    Aste interrupted my thoughts with onement. He actually noticed me?


    ¡°This ce is my home area. Or rather, the kingdom has legally given me thisnd. If someone started sneaking around and brought things into a deserted house, it was natural for me to get curious about it, right?¡± ¡°S-So that¡¯s how it was¡­?¡±


    I was surprised about the fact that he was thendlord, but the fact that he was able to grasp my movements from such a distance shocked me even more. This guy was really a big mystery.


    ¡°Anyway, I know that ce too. I can take you there with my Portal Gate.¡± ¡°That would be nice. And while you are at it, can you help me carry the materials?¡± ¡°¡­You sure like pushing me around. Well, fine, I don¡¯t mind that much.¡±


    Aste invoked his magic. It was different magicpared to the one he used to take us here. It was simrly shaped to the one Maxwell used all the time. Of course, Maxwell didn¡¯t overlook that.


    ¡°It seems that you are using a different spellpared to before, why is that?¡± ¡°Well, the other one I used was for jumping to corresponding magic circles. I haven¡¯t made one in this guy¡¯s base.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Don¡¯t make such a thing in my secret base¡­ Is what I wanted to say, but I was the idiot for having my base discovered. If anyone aside from Aste discovered it, they could¡¯ve taken everything I had there.


    Next time, let¡¯s look for a harder-to-find ce.


    Maxwell jumped right into the magic circle. He was already familiar with it so he didn¡¯t show a particr interest. Following after him, my surroundings momentarily changed to the forest scenery.


    It was the same old scenery where I had built my hideout.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ This brings back memories.¡± ¡°Is this the correct ce? I heard there was a ghost town here.¡± ¡°It is. Look, you can see the roof over there, right?¡±


    The ce I pointed at had a strange building with only its roof visible from the ground.


    ¡°There was apparently a vige here about 500 years ago which got swallowed by the avnche of earth and rocks after the eruption. The majority of the houses got buried underground, but a rare few remained with visible rooftops. I used one of them as a hideout.¡± ¡°Oho?¡±


    Maxwell started walking towards it while brushing his long beard. After a few steps, he stopped and turned around.


    ¡°Are you not going to stop me?¡± ¡°Why should I? We came here because we had business there.¡± ¡°No, I mean, there must be traps and such set up inside.¡± ¡°If I set traps in this kind of ruins, it would instead be a dead giveaway that there¡¯s something of importance hidden here.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm. Is that so?¡±


    I passed by Maxwell and approached the rooftop. As the first floor waspletely submerged underground, the only way to get inside was through the attic. After a while, Aste also joined us, so I invited both of them inside my hideout.


    Author¡¯s note: Actually, this might be the home of the Half-Dragon Eir.

 Chapter 199: Assassin’s Legacy

    <h4>Chapter 199: Assassin¡¯s Legacy</h4>


    This was a hut that could be called a 500-year-old historic ruin. Surprisingly enough, it had no signs of corrosion despite that. Perhaps one reason was that the wood it was made of was properly fire-hardened and improved to defend against corrosion.


    We descended indoors that was miraculously still in one piece, and descended to the first floor. That floor was somewhat destroyed, having lost to the pressure of the surrounding earth. But even there, there was miraculously low corrosion, perhaps due to having a roof above that defended from the rain.


    ¡°Due to the roof being above ground and the surroundings covered by earth, the water didn¡¯t get close and it avoided oxidation. Quite miraculous indeed.¡±


    Aste frankly analyzed the inside scenery. As expected of a master craftsman, he was able to easily see through it.


    ¡°Yeah, that fact¡¯s been a lifesaver for me too.¡±


    We needed to head to the kitchen, and then down. In other words, to the basement.


    It was the most airflow-isted part in an already isted house. It was exactly what you¡¯d wish from a ce to hide things.


    However, these two got to know about it, I might have to rethink its use for the future.


    While I was thinking about that, I reached out towards the liftable door installed on the kitchen floor, trying to open the path to the stairs that lead downwards, however¡­


    ¡°Hnnnn¡­!¡± ¡°I knew this would happen.¡±


    As expected, my strength wasn¡¯t enough to lift up the door. Maxwell looked at the situation with lukewarm eyes, as if he never even doubted that this would happen.


    In the end, I had Aste open it for me, after which we safely managed to get downstairs.


    Apparently, this ce was originally for charcoal burning, so even the basement had fire-hardened walls prepared against erosion. Thanks to that, I was able to use it as my hidden room.


    As we headed down, there were a lot of valuable things just left there, from gold coins to gems, and even weapons and materials.


    Since this ce was in a mountain where getting to the city proved quite inconvenient, it was probably built to preserve food and such. It was quite arge underground space.


    ¡°Oho? Now, this is what I would call the den of a Dragon.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ Quite a lot of things you got here, eh? Maybe I should raise my repair fees?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡±


    This was the ce where I umted the riches from my past life. The moment these two saw them, they instantly started working their abacuses.


    Though in reality, I was currently under Lyell¡¯s care, so I could live even without these treasures, but the thought of seeing the fruit of my past hardships disappear just like that made me sad.


    Aste ignored myint and quickly made his way towards the corner where the Evil Dragon¡¯s materials were kept. Maxwell, on the other hand, was absorbed in inspecting the weapons that I had gathered during my lifetime.


    ¡°So this is the Evil Dragon Colchis¡¯ skin. I see, this should work well¡­ Oh, Maxwell. The magic power bestowed on that sword isn¡¯t that good.¡± ¡°Really? It looks quite good to my eyes.¡± ¡°Something like that can¡¯t even match up to the items I have disyed in the cave. If you want, I can give you one.¡± ¡°That would be great!¡± ¡°Hey, why are you giving him a freebie while you¡¯re raising my repair fees!¡±


    I whined at the unfair favoritism between us. Looking closely, Aste was reaching out to not just the skin, but even fangs and scales.


    ¡°Hey, now, I¡¯m not about to give those, okay? They are far too valuable to just hand over!¡±


    No matter what, it was an Evil Dragon. Just its scales and fangs would sell for astronomical prices. Giving them as repair expenses for repairing my gauntlets, with my own materials at that, was just too one-sided.


    ¡°Uh, no¡­ I just saw some rare materials so my hand moved by itself. I would need about this much skin for the exterior, and some of these bones and fangs for strengthening the interior. Do you mind?¡± ¡°Even the bones and fangs? That¡¯s not what you initially said, is it?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but seeing so many materials before me, I wanted to put in some more work.¡± ¡°¡­Oh well, as long as you aren¡¯t going to pocket them, fine. But make sure I can use it well, okay?¡± ¡°Leave it to me. Since you are in your growth period, you¡¯d need toe every year to make minor adjustments, anyway. We can take our time funing it during that time.¡±


    As Aste said, I was growing taller quite fast. It¡¯s been about 30 cm in the past three years. I was still on the smaller sidepared to the other kids, however.


    ¡°That means I have to have Maxwell take me here every year, huh?¡± ¡°You said you live in Raum, right? I cane to visit you if you want. Travel expenses would be on you, though.¡± ¡°You know you are awfully stingy, aren¡¯t you!¡±


    He could make such amazing magic tools, so he should be able to make as much money as he wants. Still, abstaining from having his goods circte in the market is what allowed him to remain as a hidden cksmith.


    If his items showed up on the market, his name would spread throughout the world in a sh. When that happened, he would no longer be able to live a reclusive life on this mountain. Customers would incessantly flood him, and he would have to work without a break.


    He is probably fed up with such a lifestyle. That¡¯s why he lives on this mountain while hiding his name.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ If I have these fangs, I can turn them into a closebat hook and¡­ No, maybe I should instead equip a wire hook with a separate w?¡± ¡°Please, make sure it¡¯s usable for me¡­¡± ¡°Attaching ws on the wrist part for hand-to-handbat doesn¡¯t sound bad either. Hooking onto the opponent¡¯s clothes would allow you to catch them easily.¡± ¡°As I said¡­¡± ¡°Actually, the armor that I could only use as a crumple zone previously due to the rtion of mass and strength can be turned into a fine shield now, so maybe I should raise its strength? But if I do that, the shock transmitted to the body would be¡­ Then what if I add a shock resisting mechanism inside and¡­¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s not even listening anymore.¡±


    Aste was looking at the items in his hands with a dangerous light in his eyes, devising new ideas again and again. He probably forgot about my existence, even.


    After all this time, I finally realized the true reason why he retired.


    ¡°Ah, I see. He was just mad¡­¡±


    Unable to keep their ideas as ideas. Not caring about the user, and just wanting to cram as many functions as they could and make items full of ups and downs. They were entric people that found joy in those actions.


    Aste seemed to have heard my mutter and retorted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude. When you live a reclusive life, you have no choice but to kill your boredom through your hobbies. That or, flirt with my wife whenever shees home.¡± ¡°Oh, so your wife is running away from you?¡± ¡°Haah?¡±


    My carelessment made his eyes turn into a sharp re. And then, his expression changed into an evil smirk.


    ¡°Now that I look at you, Reid. You look quite simr to my wife now, you know?¡±


    Perhaps intentionally, he said those with ascivious smile. That smile made goosebumps run all over my body.


    ¡°Please, save me from such jokes! I¡¯m sorry for calling you mad, okay!?¡± ¡°As long as you understand.¡±


    His smile quickly faded and he returned back to being expressionless.


    That moment made me fully realize that I was still a man in my heart.

 Chapter 200: The Dark History

    <h4>Chapter 200: The Dark History</h4>


    After Aste finished collecting all the materials he needed for my gauntlets, we were finally able to take a breather.


    Thinking about it, it was sote you couldn¡¯t call it night anymore. The sun would probably rise any time now.


    Regardless, we could return back in an instant with Maxwell¡¯s magic, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to rest here before we did.


    ¡°That said, we can¡¯t even make tea here.¡±


    I sat down on one of the empty boxes filled with books, and stretched my stiff body.


    I had to run to the mountain all the way from the city tonight¡­ Well, I rode on Maxwell¡¯s shoulder most of the way, though. But we even went to the World Treebyrinth¡­ Well, Aste teleported us there.


    We had to fight lots of Huge Crawlers and even Juggernaut at the end. Looking back, it was quite a tough exercise for one day.


    ¡°We have tea over there, though.¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­ I feel like it¡¯d be a huge waste to drink that.¡°


    Aste offered me his water pouch that he showed back in thebyrinth, but after knowing that it contained the World Tree sap, I felt a bit reserved about drinking it. I mean, I did give him even more valuable materials just a while ago, but¡­


    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll drink it by myself.¡± ¡°Ok, wait, lemme drink too!¡±


    That said, I didn¡¯t feel like just watching someone drink it before my eyes either. I snatched the pouch from him and took a big gulp. It was a tea mixed with lukewarm sap, but it surprisingly felt refreshing as it went down the throat, and I could clearly feel my fatigue going away.


    ¡°Ahh, this is some nice stuff¡­ Any way to obtain it regrly?¡± ¡°Sorry, but it would take a lot of time to transport it to Raum. It would be no problem if youe to take it yourself though.¡± ¡°No way I can do that.¡±


    If I be more skilled with the Interference magic, I should be able to use Teleport. Until then, I had to rely on Maxwell every time, so I couldn¡¯te here whenever I pleased.


    It was very unfortunate, but I had to give up on this tea. After returning the pouch to him, I lined up two boxes and lied down on them.


    Aste¡¯s eyes moved between the pouch and me as Iy limply there, with aplex expression on his face.


    ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­ I was just thinking that your guardians are probably having a hard time.¡± ¡°My guardians? Why?¡± ¡°You are way too defenseless.¡±


    Being told that, I looked down to check my own appearance. My gym uniform seemed to have folded up while I was lying down, and my belly button was in in sight.


    Since I wore short pants, my underwear wasn¡¯t showing, but having only one leg up while the other dangled down made my posture look quite immodest.


    And the finishing blow was the pouch I handed back. I gave something I put my lips on to a man.


    As a bacsh from mydy training, I¡¯ve been behaving quite crudely as ofte.


    ¡°O-Oh,e on. I just can¡¯t get the hang of being a girl, okay?¡± ¡°I see¡­ Hmm, so that means¡­¡±


    Aste muttered and started thinking with a hand to his chin. Then he suddenly raised his face and called out to Maxwell. He was fumbling for magic swords, so hearing his name so suddenly made him flinch.


    ¡°Hey, Maxwell. Let¡¯s search.¡± ¡°Huh? F-For what?¡± ¡°Guys like this guy tend to hide their embarrassing past in these kinds of ces. In other words¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Understood!¡± ¡°Understand my a?s?s?!¡±


    Indeed, you could say this ce was the sole base of a wanderer like me. So I brought things I didn¡¯t want others to see here as well. Aste¡¯s judgment was urate. It was so urate that I didn¡¯t want them to search.


    ¡°Maybe somewhere along the wall¡­ No, probably not. He wouldn¡¯t hide them in such an obvious ce..¡± ¡°Are you sure? Reid is quite brilliant when ites to battles, but tends to be extremely shortsighted when ites to everyday things.¡± ¡°You have a point. Still, he probably never expected anyone toe here. In that case, he probably didn¡¯t even hide them.¡± ¡°I see¡­ In that case, they might be lumped into one of those boxes.¡±


    After thinking up to that point, Maxwell looked towards me. No, to be more urate, towards the boxes I was using as a bed.


    ¡°H-hey, now¡­ Drop it.¡± ¡°Hey, little Nicole, do you mind moving aside for a bit?¡± ¡°Stop your wheedling!¡±


    I tried to resist with all I had, but he easily pushed away my hands and lifted me up. In the meantime, Aste grabbed the box I was sitting on.


    ¡°Why are you two so in sync!?¡±


    Ignoring my protests, they wrench opened the box, and exposed my shame.


    ¡°S-Stop¡­!¡± ¡°Oho? First things first, we have some po?r?n? books here. So you had a hobby like this?¡± ¡°There are a lot of elves. And beastgirls. There are surprisingly few humans, though?¡± ¡°Oh, looks like slender girls are his type too.¡± ¡°Dammit, give it a rest already!¡±


    Since the situation looked so desperate, there was no time to hold back. I clung to Maxwell¡¯s arm that had me lifted in the air and moved into a locking technique.


    To hell with respecting your elders!


    ¡°Ouch ouch ouch! Reid, hold back a little!¡± ¡°I ain¡¯t holding back towards the a?s?s?h?o?l?e?s? that try to dig up other people¡¯s secrets!¡± ¡°Okay, I will look no more so stop! My hand is about to break!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep looking, though.¡± ¡°You stop as well, goddammiiiit!¡±


    Aste silently browsed through one particrly risky book. I promptly let go of Maxwell and rushed towards him.

 Chapter 201: Returning to Raum

    <h4>Chapter 201: Returning to Raum</h4>


    After I somehow managed to stop Aste, I asked Maxwell to seal this ce off. Only Aste and Maxwell knew of this ce, but I couldn¡¯t trust Aste to not sneak in here.


    Since I couldn¡¯t take my secret collection with me, it was better to seal it off.


    Also, we had almost no time left. It was almost sunrise. I was so sleepy that my head drooped every time I loosened my focus.


    For my young body, staying up all night was a very burdening action. We decided to part with Aste outside my base and return back right away. We were using Kabby as my recement, but there were still problems with that n.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m worried about the inn, so we¡¯ll return now. You can carry those materials home yourself, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, this much is nothing. I¡¯ll deliver it to Raum when it¡¯s done. You can pay at that time.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be pretty troubled if you p me with a huge bill¡­¡± ¡°Well, I can just send it to Maxwell in the worst case.¡±


    After saying that, he quickly teleported back to his cave. He was quite a strange guy. He had a yful personality, but was quite stubborn too sometimes. You¡¯d think he¡¯d give you some freebies, but he¡¯s actually stingy when it counts.


    I couldn¡¯t read his personality at all.


    ¡°Well then, let us return, shall we?¡± ¡°Yeah, Maria or Cortina could drop by to check on me if we don¡¯t hurry.¡± ¡°My familiar is there, so you should not worry too much. It does not seem like they visited the room yet.¡± ¡°Oh, right, you can share your vision with your familiar.¡±


    Maxwell, who could share his vision, said the situation was fine, so Maria and Cortina probably just went to sleep. Well, it was difficult to imagine them still being up until sote.


    Well, I still wouldn¡¯t put it past Lyell to trespass into my room, but I still hoped that he wasn¡¯t so shameless as to sneak into a room full of girls.


    ¡°Well, we should return while we can. Today¡¯s events tired me quite a bit. I can only rest for a bit if we go back now, but it¡¯s still better than nothing.¡± ¡°Good grief. This is why you are still a child.¡± ¡°I can say the same to you. Isn¡¯t it a bit hard for an old man like you to stay up all night?¡±


    Not to mention, Maxwell used Cargo magic, too. It was a spell that strengthened the body through magic power, but that extra stamina didn¡¯te from the thin air. It simplypensated for stamina with magic power.


    This old man had nigh bottomless magic power reserves, but he had to teleport 300 people today. He had to be feeling some fatigue after all that.


    ¡°Well, unlike you, I continued fighting ever since your death. My magic power increased even more.¡± ¡°Seriously? Now that I think about it, Maria seemed to have learned the teleportation magic quite easily.¡± ¡°In her case, she already had the aptitude for it. She simply practiced the skills she already knew.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous.¡±


    I can¡¯t even use mid-grade magic. I barely finished learning elementary magic. I understand that Maria, who was originally a pure rear-guard, would have different qualitiespared to me, but it didn¡¯t change that I was jealous.


    In an attempt to shake those feelings off, I urged Maxwell to hurry up with returning.


    ¡°Oh, well, let¡¯s just go back already. Our business in the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle is done with this.¡± ¡°Good grief, you are no fun.¡±


    Despite hisints, he worked his magic fast and opened the Teleport Gate. He was messing around, but his spell activation was as smooth as ever. You really couldn¡¯t find faults with him when it came to magic.


    The next morning, I made an excuse that thest day¡¯s fatigue and fainting had made me feel bad, and I managed to sleep through the rest of the day. I was cutting my sleep short due to my usual training and hunting.


    You could say that my body was under constant stress. Upon reflection, there was a possibility that it was actually having the opposite effect on my stamina growth. As such, I decided to make use of this opportunity and get plenty of sleep.


    Thus, I used Kabby as a body pillow and slept all day. We had a tour of the history museum scheduled for that day. I was a local, so it was pretty meaningless for me.


    When they returned, my ssmates started giggling after they saw me hugging Kabby in my sleep, but I didn¡¯t really care.


    And, during our free time in the afternoon, I tagged with Letina to buy souvenirs¡ªI only had Finia and Michelle to give them to¡ªand we spent our final night in Alecmarle.


    After being dragged around day after day, the students¡¯ energy hit rock bottom. They slept like logs, and the day of return finally arrived.


    After Maxwell returned us today, he had to visit Matara Alliance and the United Alliance and bring the other students back as well. In exchange, Cortina had to takemand of all students afterward.


    Naturally, with her long experience as a teacher on top of being an armymander, there were no problems with that.


    After she gave a precautionary speech to the students gathered in the schoolyard, we finally broke up. Since she had to deal with the aftermath, she ended up working overtime that day.


    Together with Elliot, who wasn¡¯t able to participate this time, they started going over the documents and contacted the students that did not go on the trip.


    Seeing her so busy showed me that she really was just one teacher working here.


    It was still forenoon now, but I decided to return home straight away to hand the souvenirs to Michelle and Finia.


    Letina had to return to her mansion to not worry her mother, so I was by my lonesome¡­ Actually, Kabby was with me.


    When I reached Cortina¡¯s house, I noticed some kind of conflict in front of it. On a closer inspection, it turned out that Finia was engaged in a fierce quarrel with Michelle at the entrance. It was extremely rare for them to have a dispute.


    I tried to get between their conversation as casually as I could and arbitrate it.


    ¡°I¡¯m back. What¡¯s wrong with you two?¡± ¡°Ah, Lady Nicole! Wee back.¡± ¡°Nicole, we have an emergency!¡±


    Finia greeted me as part of her attendant duties, while Michelle rushed towards me with a heated-up expression. Her eyes were bloodshot, so I could tell she wasn¡¯t her normal self.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? You seem to be in panic¡­¡± ¡°Cloud has¡­ Cloud has been caught!¡±


    She dropped yet another unexpected information on me.

 Chapter 202: The Start of the Incident

    <h4>Chapter 202: The Start of the Incident</h4>


    Author¡¯s note: Noting that Nicole won¡¯t appear for about two chapters starting from now.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    When Nicole left for the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle, there were many that were affected by it.


    Two people, in particr, took the most damage from it. One was Elliot, another, Cloud.


    Elliot¡¯s disappointment knew no bottom after Maxwell left Raum to attend to Nicole, having no way to follow after him.


    Moreover, due to the recent incident, his vacation in Raum that was supposed tost at least half a year was halved due to the problem of safety. And depending on the situation, it could be decreased even further.


    Elliot was aware that bying to Raum he put a lot of burden on his confidant, so he couldn¡¯t object too strongly against that decision and ended up epting it.


    And there was Cloud, another person that was harmed.


    He was originally a bullied kid. His position bettered quite a bit ever since he started procuring food as the apprentice Adventurer. There was currently no one at the orphanage that was bullying him.


    Because if they kept pestering Cloud and made him angry, they could lose the opportunity to eat delicious meat. If that happened¡­ the target of bullying would change from Cloud to the bullies, due to other kids having lost their supply of food.


    Cloud managed to find goodrades for himself, but they weren¡¯t sure luck would shine on them the same way. As such, the bullies were smart enough to realize that their actions had a risk of worsening their situation.


    However, due to Nicole¡¯s busy schedule thest few days, the orphanage stopped receiving its meat supply. As things stood, there was a chance that Cloud¡¯s standing would fall down to what it used to be.


    ¡°So, yeah, I¡¯d like to go on a hunt soon.¡±


    Cloud said with a big sigh in the cafeteria of the Adventurer Academy. This academy fundamentally forbids outsiders from entering. And Cloud certainly wasn¡¯t rich enough to attend it.


    That said, Michelle who was his friend attended it. As such, he couldn¡¯t be dismissed as a total outsider, either. For that reason, he sometimes came to eat here.


    ¡°It¡¯s rted to the Magic Academy, so the matter is out of her hands. Nicole wouldn¡¯t be making light of your situation, you know?¡±


    Michelle, sitting opposite of Cloud answered with a sulky expression while sipping on her juice. She understood what Cloud wanted to say, but Nicole had her own circumstances, too. She didn¡¯t like that the boy in front of her was dismissing them like that.


    ¡°No, I understand that of course. But, like¡­ Look, I¡¯m a Half-Demon.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡±


    That one word was enough for her to understand what he was implying.


    Half-Demons. They were the most socially vulnerable people in this world, regardless of the country. They had high magical and physical grounding, but people refused to ept them.


    For that reason, they found their ce among Adventurers, where everything was determined by ability.


    However, that also meant that their jobs were constantly apanied by danger. Many of the Half-Demons were either killed from abuse in their childhood, or lost their lives due to rushing into dangerous adventures without the necessary experience.


    Even so, Adventuring was their sole means of getting rich quickly. In fact, Reid, who managed to be one of the Six Heroes was something like a personification of glory for them.


    Cloud, too, was one such individual longing for that glory. But for that, he had to at least gain enough ability to manage to live by himself.


    For him, hunting was both the means to guarantee his safety and training to aim for the heights. So having their hunts constantly interrupted due to his master, Nicole¡¯s, circumstances made him grumble a bit.


    ¡°I mean, I feel grateful for her, you know? Look, if I was the same kid I used to be, I might have been bullied to death by now.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that the food we get from hunting is what¡¯s supporting my current standing. I didn¡¯t say it out of ill will.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, well. Then, would you like to hunt with the two of us?¡± ¡°Huh, just us?¡± ¡°What, you have a problem?¡±


    Michelle was aware of Cloud¡¯s circumstance. That¡¯s why, she also understood why he was being so impatient. It was for that very reason that she suggested this idea now.


    ¡°I am a Gift holder, too, so we should be able to hunt some weaker game, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Will that really be alright?¡± ¡°If some strong enemy shows up, I can just use the Third Eye.¡± ¡°But if you use that, you¡¯d be unable to move, right?¡± ¡°I can at least defeat it before then. I even managed to one-shot the Mountain Serpent!¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you managed that¡­¡±


    Cloud had a grasp on Michelle¡¯s ability. But still, Gift holder or not, he found it hard to believe that she managed to defeat a monster that normally required an army to subjugate.


    Since they didn¡¯t even bring back any materials as proof, it made it more doubtful.


    ¡°Ahh, that face! you don¡¯t believe me, do you!¡± ¡°No, I do, I do. Even Nicole said so.¡± ¡°So you mean you don¡¯t believe my own words?¡± ¡°Of course I do! We arerades.¡± ¡°Then, there should be no problems.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡±


    He felt like she smartly led the conversation to suit her point, but it was a fact that her offensive ability far transcended one suitable for her age. As long as Cloud managed to perform his usual tank duty and keep them busy, she should be able to deal with most foes.


    For that reason, her suggestion wasn¡¯t necessarily baseless.


    ¡°Right. In that case, how about we head out to hunt tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Yup, gotcha!¡±


    And thus, Michelle and Cloud had made up their minds to head out to their little hunting adventure.

 Chapter 203: Shady Gang in the Forest

    <h4>Chapter 203: Shady Gang in the Forest</h4>


    Raum was a metropolis surrounded by forest. The forest around was so deep, in fact, that deviated one step from the highway and you would find yourself in the middle of it.


    Dark trees that blocked the light could easily deprive one of their sense of orientation. And while bigger monsters were regrly hunted by Adventurers, that did not mean that the dangerous animals disappeared with them.


    In other words, it was no ce for the weak, ordinary people to set foot in.


    That said, Cloud and Michelle were already several steps away from such ordinary people. They advanced familiarly through the forest and detected the monsters without fail.


    ¡°¡­Ah, there¡¯s a snake there.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡±


    Cloud urately grasped the location of the snake that was lurking in the grass and issued directions. It wasn¡¯t a particrly dangerous creature that had poison, but its meat was edible. Hunting it wouldn¡¯t yield much meat, but you would lose nothing by doing it either.


    Michelle nocked an arrow into her hunting bow with fluid movements and loosed it along with finishing her sentence.


    While she was prepared in advance, her swift action was still a feat worthy of praise. Because these two always apanied Nicole on her spartan sessions, they already had an ability far surpassing that of an average Adventurer.


    As they continued their easygoing yet steady hunt, the day eventually approached noon. Having hunted three wild birds, one snake, and two rabbits, the duo was on their way home with beaming smiles on their faces.


    However, Cloud discovered something strange midway.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, look¡­ There are carriage wheel tracks here.¡±


    Indeed, the ce Cloud pointed at had traces of hooves and wheel tracks. Two sets, in fact. Not just that, there were several footsteps apanying it. They were no scouts, however, so they couldn¡¯t tell exactly how many of them there were.


    That said, at the very least, they understood that two carriages had passed there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything strange. We are near the capital, so carriages oftene and go here, right?¡± ¡°But Michelle, we are inside the forest.¡±


    Cloud objected to Michelle¡¯s optimistic im. The ce where they found the tracks was slightly, but still away from the highway. Normal travelers would never choose to travel on a barely maintained path like this when there was an alternative readily avable.


    Moreover, looking at the condition of the tracks, it hadn¡¯t been long since they had passed.


    ¡°Mmhh? What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°That something is going on here.¡±


    Saying that, Cloud started following the trails as he made his way through the grass. Michelle realized what he was up to and asked.


    ¡°Wait, what are you nning!¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely suspicious that someone snuck in here with carriages. They are definitely doing something shady. If we report it to the gate guards, maybe they will pay us some reward.¡±


    To him, who lived a poverty life, these tracks looked like a signpost to getting rich. Fellows that secretly came to a ce like these were definitely up to no good. That said, they couldn¡¯t report them based on suspicion alone.


    Being a Half-Demon, Cloud¡¯s words did not hold much weight, so there was a good chance his report would be ignored. If he inspected who, where, and what were they doing before reporting it, it would increase the chances of getting a cash bonus.


    That cash would be precious reserve funds to aid him in taking off as an Adventurer.


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous. Let¡¯s at least wait until Nicolees back¡­¡± ¡°She won¡¯t be back at least until noon, right? These people won¡¯t wait for that long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    Having experience with fighting a kidnapper, Michelle wasn¡¯t as optimistic as Cloud. Michelle was usually the one acting easygoing, while Cloud was more conserved, but their positions were reversed now.


    Perhaps this was a failure on Cloud¡¯s part, having gotten overconfident due to quickly growing strong. Even Michelle, having obtained a powerful weapon, became a little too optimistic and thought everything would ¡°just work out¡± somehow.


    Before long, the two arrived at a clearing in the forest where the two carriages were parked. One of them was not particrly different in structure from that of an average traveling carriage. it had a canopy on the luggage carrier to defend from rain.


    The second, on the other hand, was clearly different from that.


    Its carrier was firm and made of iron, and even caged. It didn¡¯t have a canopy for the roof either, but instead a simrly metallic one. Inside the cage was¡­ A young child.


    It was a girl even younger than the two, having her limbs in shackles. She was dirty and only had a single tattered rag on her. On top of that, she looked quite weakened.


    ¡°So horrible¡­ We have to save her.¡± ¡°¡­Could¡­ Could they be ve traders?¡± ¡°You know about them, Cloud?¡± ¡°This is my first time seeing them. But they are banned byw, so I heard they carried their trades outside of the towns.¡± ¡°That means, that girl¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. She will be sold as a ve at this rate.¡±


    The two consulted with hushed voices from behind the grass. Near the carriages, five men were taking a rest in their respective ways. As expected, even Michelle couldn¡¯t shoot down five of them at the same time. Both of them were aware of that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s enough that we learned that they are ve traders. If we report it to the guards, they¡¯lle and capture them.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have that now, can we?¡±


    Suddenly, a carefree voice came from behind them. Someone had managed to sneak up on the two, who could even detect the presence of snakes.


    Hearing his listless, and somewhat calm voice, the two immediately turned around, shooting an arrow and swinging a sword at the same time.


    ¡°Wow, these two have some skill, huh?¡±


    But the man behind them easily avoided their attacks. The sound of their battle reached the ears of other men, however.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on there!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got rats. A little too big, though.¡±


    The man answered their questioning yells. As he held two swords limply in each hand, it made his arms look strangely long. However, Cloud had noposure to question that part.


    ¡°Michelle, go! Quick, back to the city¡­!¡± ¡°B-But!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold on somehow! We are close to town so you should be able to make it!¡±


    He immediately made a judgment to let Michelle escape. He set up his wooden shield and face the man. However, the other five were also on their way to him.


    At this rate, both of them would be caught. If both of them made their escape, they would surely be caught. The enemy even had horses, after all. The only option was for one of them to stay and keep them busy.


    Realizing all that, Cloud told Michelle to run. Michelle also reached the same conclusion as him. For that very reason, she hesitated on running away.


    ¡°Just run already! We have no time to be arguing!¡± ¡°Got it¡­ Don¡¯t die, you hear!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    Saying that, Cloud rushed towards the men.


    They were too many in number. If he just waited, they could¡¯ve followed after Michelle. Instead, he chose to engage with them from his side to keep their attention on him.


    ¡°Heh, quite a smart judgment you made there.¡±


    The man with two swordsmented in admiration.


    Thus, Michelle turned around and ran towards the city, hearing his mutter behind her.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 204: Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 204: Rescue</h4>


    The moment I heard Michelle¡¯s story, I immediately broke into a run. Yes, it was obvious if I just thought about it.


    Back when Letina was kidnapped, I annihted the kidnappers. However, I haven¡¯t dealt with the ve merchants that were supposed to meet up with them outside the city.


    Even when Matisse was kidnapped, the kidnappers mentioned something about selling her to the ve merchants. No matter how you looked at it, it was obvious that the root of the problem was still there. And Michelle and Cloud stumbled on them.


    ¡°One of them even had to remain behind to let the other escape¡­!¡±


    That was the same thing I did in my past. I still believed that my judgment back then was not a mistake. If I was presented with the same choices, my decision would be unchanged.


    That said, I also understood the grief that my decision had brought upon others. I could not forget the pain it brought to Cortina and Finia.


    ¡°If you die¡­ You are really getting expelled, you hear, Cloud!¡±


    If he died here, Michelle would end up going through the same pain. I could not allow that to happen.


    Behind my back, I could hear Finia¡¯s yell.


    ¡°Agh! This is why I said to keep it a secret from her!¡±


    Their quarrel was probably about the way I would react. Finia knew that I would rush out without hesitation the moment I heard it. She probably judged that it was best to leave it to the authorities¡¯ hands.


    But Michelle, the one actually involved in it, thought differently. Because there was no time to lose, she tried to rely on the people she trusted the most¡ªCortina or me.


    Cortina was busy with work and not present. And Maxwell was not even in the kingdom. So it was natural that she clung to me when she saw me.


    ¡°W-Wait for me, Nicole. I¡¯ming as well!¡±


    Michelle chased after me, leaving Finia behind. Her speed was unbelievably fast for a 10-year-old kid. Still, she was no match for me. My explosive power had no equal among my generation.


    I arrived at the eastern gate that was nearest and waited for her. While I did that, I exined the situation to one of the familiar gate guards.


    We were quite famous due to constantlying in and out during the weekends. It was natural that we would stand out after huntingrge games that one would find unthinkable for children. Not to mention, I was Lyell¡¯s daughter, while also having Cortina and Maxwell backing me up.


    Since it was me telling them all this, they would not doubt it at all.


    When he heard the Cloud remained behind, the guard¡¯s expression changed and he rushed to gather hisrades.


    Were I a normal kid, my duty would be done at this step. But Cloud could die at any moment. There was no time to wait until they formed a squad.


    ¡°I¡­ I finally cau-¡±


    She finally arrived while gasping hard. Usually, I would have cheered her up, but there was no time for that now.


    ¡°Sorry, but please lead the way, Michelle.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    She was clearly having a tough time, but she readily nodded and rushed ahead. As much as I¡¯d wished to let her rest, only she knew the path.


    ¡°This way, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°I¡¯ming!¡±


    Urged by her, I followed her into the forest. From time to time, I broke big branches and left marks behind us. Michelle was guiding our way there, but the guards that would follow us had no way to know where to go.


    For that reason, I left marks for them to follow.


    When would theye to the rescue was still unknown, however.


    They had to gather people, equip weapons, report to the superior, and receive permission. When it came to the army, it tended to be slow in all kinds of ways. Their slowness could prove to be fatal in this case.


    ¡°There!¡±


    Michelle suddenly pointed towards the ground.


    There were several footsteps and the wheel tracks there. The deeper tracks probably belonged to the caged carriage, given how heavy it should be. There were also two sets of hoof marks leading that carriage, being proof that a big, two-horse carriage had passed here.


    ¡°¡­I see. Definitely suspicious.¡± ¡°Right? Cloud is fighting up ahead, let¡¯s go and save him!¡±


    Michelle said so and rushed ahead. However¡­ I couldn¡¯t hear the sound of swords.


    Was it because we were still too far, or was it because it was already over?


    Cloud wasn¡¯t strong. Definitely not strong enough to win against five adult opponents. Which meant, this could only mean¡­


    ¡°No, it¡¯s too soon to decide that!¡±


    I shook my head and followed after Michelle.


    After a while, she suddenly stopped. And then, she put a hand on her mouth, holding down a scream with all she had.


    Seeing her reaction, I directed my gaze further ahead. The forest suddenly stopped there, turning into an open field.


    There stood several men, and Cloud, his right arm bleeding¡­nay, entirely gone, as hey limply on the ground.

 Chapter 205: Dual Wielder

    <h4>Chapter 205: Dual Wielder</h4>


    Cloud¡¯s right arm was on the ground at a little distance from him. The blood was gushing out from his body even now, matching with the pulsation of the heart.


    The fact that it was pulsating meant that he still had some life remaining in him. But the man standing next to him was preparing to end his life with his sword.


    ¡°Y-You b?a?s?t?a?a?a?a?a?a?r?d?s?!¡±


    Seeing that scene made me lose myself in the anger.


    I won¡¯t forgive them. That single thought upied my mind, a wave of bloodlust filling my being. Michelle did her best to hold back her voice, but I went and put her efforts to waste.


    Even so, I couldn¡¯t hold back my scream. Because it was clear to me just how hard Cloud fought. Just how hopeless he would have felt when he lost his arm.


    Of course, Maria who stood at the pinnacle of healing magic could easily attach it back. However, she belonged to the church, and that church demanded payment in exchange for healing.


    Cloud, however, had no such money. Naturally, if I ¡°asked¡±, she would heal him for free, just like with Michelle.


    However, that would only be possible if he survives until then. He was on the verge of death already.


    There was no knowing how long it would take for Maria to get here. Unless I pulled him out and stopped his bleeding, he would most likely die by then. Reviving the dead¡­ Was something beyond even Maria.


    I shot my piano wire towards the man standing next to Cloud. It was a surprise attack that he was seeing for the first time. Normally, people would have failed to dodge it.


    But that man twisted his long arm and shot down the approaching thread.


    ¡°Woah!? Quite a dangerous attack you threw there.¡±


    He easily blocked it with a sluggish expression on his face. But this was an opening I could use.


    As soon as I saw his posture break, I instantly closed the gap and pulled out my dagger. But even this attack was parried by him with the sword he held on his other hand.


    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s up with this brat. She¡¯s awfully familiar with how to fight!¡±


    I was surprised that he managed to stop my attacks, but it would be dangerous for me if I let up now. Thus I decided to follow up with a kick aimed at his crotch. But yet again, he dodged it by jumping back and taking some distance.


    ¡°¡­Nod bad.¡± ¡°Damn. Hey girlie, howe you¡¯re so good at this?¡±


    But with this, I managed to pull him away from Cloud. If I took on the five remaining men while Michelle escaped with Cloud, it could work out somehow.


    My trusty gauntlets were being repaired, and I didn¡¯t have my katana with me, either, having only just returned from the trip. All I had on hand was a dagger and a piano wire. Talk about being in a pinch.


    ¡°Still, I can¡¯t pull back now.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry but I can¡¯t let you return alive now that you¡¯ve seen us. Sorry about this, okay?¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just force my way!¡±


    Looking at the long swords held in his equally long hands I could see that his physical strength could not be made light of. He was skilled enough to easily dodge my surprise attack. Even his sluggish attitude was proof of his skill.


    ¡°Mateus! Hurry up and deal with that brat! Now that we¡¯ve been found out, the guards should already be on their way here!¡± ¡°Now that would be bad. I just finished a difficult work, so I¡¯d rather not have them zero in on me.¡±


    We were in an open space, but it¡¯s full of thick grass. Despite that, this man, Mateus, was closing in on me without making a single noise. His footwork was extraordinary. And his gait that seemed to be slipping in the gaps of consciousness¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you are a Stealth Gift holder!?¡±


    I remembered about the skilled swordsman that belonged to the thieves that kidnapped Matisse. This Mateus was moving just like him back then. Not to mention, he was also using two swords, albeit a bit longer.


    Could he be of the same school as him?


    ¡°I also hold the Swordsman Gift. Now that you know, would you mind surrendering? You¡¯d be nice goods.¡± ¡°Not in a million years.¡± ¡°I see, well, too bad, I guess?¡±


    He swung his long arm like a whip and shed at me. I managed to stop his blow with my dagger, but just that one attack was enough to make my arm numb.


    This was partly due to my weak body, but also due to the way he swung the sword, which made the blow heavier. On top of that, I only had one steel thread with me, so I couldn¡¯t even strengthen my body properly.


    ¡°S?h?i?t?, I should keep in mind to carry at least five threads with me from now on¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect you to block it. Raum sure has a lot of fine Adventurers, eh? That boy from earlier was quite good at defending himself too.¡±


    His words made me remember the current situation. Cloud¡¯s bleeding had to be stopped. Fortunately, Michelle was still frozen from shock and outside of the battle. She should be able to take him away.


    ¡°Michelle, pull Cloud away and stop his bleeding!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ O-Okay!¡±


    Michelle immediately headed for the rescue. At the same time, I also filled my dagger with magic power and transformed it into a one-meter long spear. Mateus opened his eyes wide at that.


    ¡°Wow, amazing! That thing can transform, huh? Can you give it to me?¡± ¡°As I said already, not in a million years.¡± ¡°Too bad. I suppose I¡¯ll have to take it by force then.¡±


    He once again twisted his arms and started barraging me with shes from every direction. If I was still using the dagger, I would have been sent flying right away.


    But fortunately, I was using the spear-mode that had a long handle. It could serve as a good defensive weapon if I held it closer to the edge and used it as a staff. It was quite simr to the ¡®naginata¡¯ of the east.


    Holding it closer to the edge made me maintain my bnce. I warded off the attacks from his two swords by rotating the handle.


    This battle style was made for women thatcked physical strength, so it waspatible with the present me.


    Of course, the ideal for me would be using my Gift and fighting with threads, but that would leave me too defenseless. Since I only had one thread, I had to consider how to best use it.


    Behind me, Michelle had pulled Cloud away and was trying to stop his bleeding with the jacket that she had torn off.


    My objective was to keep people from approaching them.


    ¡°Mateus, what are you dawdling around for!¡±


    The other man, who seemed to want to get the hell out of here, was annoyed seeing Mateus failing to put me down, and decided to approach us and lend him a hand.


    I was having a tough time handling this guy alone, so it would honestly be too much for me now. But Michelle was busy with the rescue so I had no other choice but to deal with it¡­


    ¡°Back off!¡± ¡°Agh!¡±


    I sent my thread through the gaps of his sword attacks and shed at the approaching man¡¯s knees. It seemed that the other men failed to see that attack and reacted in surprise.


    They were most likely Mateus¡¯ employers, so they weren¡¯t as skilled as him.


    This meant that I could keep them in check. If I managed to maintain this status quo, the guards would arrive to assist me eventually.


    The moment I thought that¡ª


    ¡°Hm? Well then, I suppose I should take this a bit more seriously.¡±


    Mateus shed me a fearless smile and lowered his posture even more.

 Chapter 206: Evolution of Thread Manipulation

    <h4>Chapter 206: Evolution of Thread Maniption</h4>


    Mateus lowered his posture. That made me feel as if someone dropped ice on my back. I trusted my instincts and immediately leaped backward.


    The next moment, his swords rushed at my afterimage from both directions and chopped it into bits. He immediately followed up with up and down shes, which I repelled by rotating my spear.


    With a heavy impact, the de of the longsword ran up right next to me, and then swooped back down.


    ¡°Khh, you¡­ Were you holding back until now¡­?¡± ¡°I thought you could be sold off, unlike that other brat.¡±


    He replied with augh, shing his teeth. Due to his low posture, the downward swings had more force in them, and the recoil from them also added power to the upward swings.


    Actually, he was also increasing that recoil by swinging both of his swords at the same time.


    In this situation, my low height was ying against me. Normally, attacks from the lower position could be easily blocked by shields and such, but in my case, those attacks wereing right from the front.


    These blows were heavier than before, making them harder and harder to block.


    And if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, there came another report. From Michelle standing behind me.


    ¡°Nicole, I¡ªI can¡¯t stop the bleeding!¡± ¡°Tie it at the tip of the shoulder! Also, sandwich the arm between stones and block the big artery!¡±


    Cloud¡¯s arm was severed a little above the elbow. If it was a minor injury, you could stop the bleeding by burning the affected part, but it wouldn¡¯t help with an injury this big. Because the blood would rip open the mouth of the burned tissue from within.


    For that reason, your only choice was to stop the blood flow itself.


    ¡°Are you sure you should be paying attention to them?¡±


    The moment I directed my mind to Michelle, Mateus threw an overbearingly strong blow at me. I missed my timing to block it and it flung the spear off my hands.


    ¡°Kh¡ª¡±


    I forced my numbed hands to move and set up the piano wire. While the threads were more suited to my battle style, I wasn¡¯t so sure about that this time. I didn¡¯t think I could block his blows with a steel thread.


    Even so, I had no choice but to hold out.


    If I lost, Cloud would die. As for Michelle and me¡­ We would probably be caught and sold off as ves.


    All that would await us after that was a dark future. Of course, Lyell and the rest would set out to rescue us, but the time until they managed that would be enough to break a person.


    Perhaps I should have at least grabbed my weapon before rushing here? That thought momentarily crossed my mind, but on another thought, Cloud was about to be killed when we arrived.


    If I waste even by a second, he would most likely have been dead.


    As such, what I did was the most optimal choice¡­ We even let the guards know on the way. It should have reached Cortina and Maxwell too.


    As long as I held out, the victory would be ours.


    However, the war of attrition was hard with him as my opponent. shes with so much power put into them were my biggest weakness. I couldn¡¯t even ward them off, let alone block.


    My only choice was to dodge them.


    If my gauntlets were with me a bit longer, I would have a way to fight.


    ¡°A bit longer¡ª?¡±


    At that moment, I suddenly had a faint revtion.


    I only had one piano thread with me, however, there were surely other threads around.


    For example, my hair. If I pulled them out, couldn¡¯t they serve as threads?


    No, I don¡¯t think my hair would be strong enough to do the job. But now that I realized that it was possible, I decided to change perspective to the inside of my body.


    Maybe muscles, or nerves, or even blood vessels.


    They were mostlyposed of fiber.


    My Gift of Thread Maniption worked through contact. In other words, I should be able to meddle with the insides of my body without any limits.


    As I was focused on thinking, my feet stopped for a moment. And Mateus wasn¡¯t one to miss that opening.


    Once again, attacks from two sides rushed towards me. His attacks weren¡¯t so fast that I couldn¡¯t follow, but the centrifugal force made them extremely heavy.


    I couldn¡¯t possibly stop them with a single piano thread.


    Thus I directed my consciousness within me and tried to manipte my muscle fibers. It was something I just thought up with no real proof that it would work, but there was a clear response.


    I immediately swung my arm upward and flicked off his right sword.


    It gave off a sound that was a mix of breaking and crushing. My fistnded on the side of his sword and sessfully flicked it upward.


    However, the price I had to pay for that stunt was not light.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t as if I was strengthening my entire body. My right fist broke, and the index finger got bent in the direction it wasn¡¯t supposed to bend.


    I forced myself to endure the shock that spread through my body. There was his other sword to dodge.


    His de continued to approach. Since my right arm was facing upward, I could not avoid it by ducking underneath. That only left the option to dodge it from above.


    Thus, I kicked the ground and jumped over the sword with a backflip.


    Inded on the ground with a roll, which would normally have left a big opening. However, Mateus couldn¡¯t just keep throwing his attacks like nothing, either.


    Because his right sword got flung upwards, it failed to offset the force of his left sword and his body got twisted in a grand manner.


    Thanks to that, he couldn¡¯t follow up with another attack and I gained a little time.


    I used that opportunity to sever the pain nerves of my right arm from within, as they were starting to flood my brain. It was just simple anesthesia, so Maria should be able to easily heal it along with the injuries.


    Along with my free treatment, the pain spreading through my right arm disappeared as if it never existed.


    Mateus, on the other hand, was frozen in ce with a shocked face. It was supposed to have been a decisive blow, so he couldn¡¯t believe I managed to ovee it.


    Not to mention, I wasposedly confronting him despite my right hand being in tatters. There was no way he could see this as normal.


    Making use of his shock, I withdrew even farther behind and fully fixed my posture. And thus, the situation had entered an even bigger deadlock.

 Chapter 207: Settling for a Draw

    <h4>Chapter 207: Settling for a Draw</h4>


    My right fist was broken for good. That made it hard to use my thread in a close battle.


    But there was also good news. That was the fact that I could manipte the muscle fibers inside my body.


    Each thread added to my physical power. In other words, my fist managed to gain incredible strengthening.


    Was this the ¡°power to be the strongest¡± that the White God told me about? But for that to be the case, my body was still far too fragile. I was far off from bing the strongest in my current state. But to ovee this predicament¡ªthis was enough.


    Having recovered from his shock, Mateus once again charged at me. I dodged his sword with the breadth of a hair¡¯s¡ªnay, a skin¡¯s breadth.


    ¡°W-Wha-!?¡±


    I could understand his shock. It probably looked as if he had cut my afterimage. I evaded it narrowly enough to make that illusion.


    I was using my thread maniption not for attacking but defending. If I used it to attack, my body would break before I defeated him. As such, I decided it was better to dedicate myself entirely to dodging and gaining time.


    I focused my maniptive power on my limb muscles and proceeded to narrowly dodge his attacks by moving my body like a puppet.


    This was all possible because I could view my muscles, tendons, and nerves more urately than my limbs themselves, as threads. Moving myself like a marite boosted my precision to an unbelievable extent.


    My movements probably looked to be nothing short of the divine from his perspective.


    With that as a start, I continued dodging his storm-like barrage with fluid movements. From the side, it probably looked as if he was chopping me into pieces. However, none of those shes managed to so much as graze me.


    After over ten consecutive shes, all of which I dodged thoroughly, Mateus finally took his distance.


    ¡°What¡­ Brought this change?¡± ¡°Who knows. I have no obligation to tell you.¡±


    I swung my thread along with that frank answer. However, he easily evaded it. He was really not someone who¡¯d fall for such feints, as expected. Even if he was ovee with surprise, he was apparently still collected enough to respond to frontal attacks.


    So far, the defending had gone as nned. But I couldn¡¯t get too optimistic here.


    Cloud was still bleeding, and my right arm was broken. I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could continue dodging. Manipting the insides of my body meant that I was gradually shaving away my stamina reserves.


    The other side, however, only had one guy that sustained a knee injury. While Mateus himself was still without a single injury.


    At that moment, the two other men decided to rush at me. They didn¡¯t approach until now as they would get in Mateus¡¯ way.


    But since he took distance from me, they decided this was their chance. However, I used those two as shields and moved even farther from Mateus.


    I instantly rushed next to Cloud, and then manipted my piano wire to wrap it around his arm and stop the bleeding.


    As I wasn¡¯t making it move to cut, the wire simply constricted his shoulder tip and blocked the hemorrhage.


    Following that, I swung my heel towards the man that chased after me and smashed his knee. His leg wasn¡¯t frail enough that it would have broken with a kick from someone as light as me, were it the usual.


    However, due to manipting my muscle fibers, this kick was far heavier than it normally was, making up for myck of weight with speed.


    With a repulsive breaking sound, his knee caved in, and he copsed between us and Mateus.


    ¡°AGGGGHHHH!!¡±


    He started rolling about in pain and became an obstacle for both sides. Seeing that Mateus started pondering about something for a moment.


    During that time, the other man also charged at me from the opposite side with his sword raised, but I easily flung that sword from his hands by elbowing the hand holding it, effectively disarming him.


    ¡°GAAAAAAGHHH!?¡±


    The elbow strike broke his fingers, making him scream while holding his hand. A first-ss fighter would never have shown such a defenseless posture. As expected, Mateus was the one I had to be cautious of.


    Taking the opportunity, I kicked his elbow and broke it like the other man, leaving him rolling on the ground.


    With that, Mateus had two obstacles to dodge before getting to me. Dodging them would, in turn, be openings for me to make use of. And I would never miss such an opportunity.


    Contrary to what I expected, rather than approach me, Mateus lowered his arms and said in a listless, carefree voice.


    ¡°Ah, good grief¡­ I quit, I quit.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You turned out to be far more skilled than I expected, littledy. And you neutralized three of my coworkers. I think this would be a good time to quit, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°What the hell, Mateus! You intend to leave the eyewitnesses!?¡±


    Thest remaining man yelled at Mateus who dropped his arms, losing his intention to fight. Judging from the appearance, that fat man was probably the leader of these ve traders. And he was no fighter however you looked.


    ¡°But, you see, it would take a while to defeat her.¡± ¡°Who cares if it will!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have that much time to waste, do we? We¡¯ve already been reported, and the guards are probably on their way, right?¡± ¡°¡­S?h?i?t?!¡±


    The man spat out those final words, freed one horse that was tied to the carriage, and started making his escape with it.


    He judged that he would not be able to escape with the carriage on him. It was difficult to pass through the forest with arge carriage.


    I would¡¯ve preferred to follow and put an end to him, but I had no weapons on me right now.


    But leaving hisrades and escaping like that was quite a resolute decision. Since he didn¡¯t mind his identity getting exposed, perhaps he was never intending to enter any of Raum¡¯s towns.


    ¡°Could you tell me your name, youngdy? I already know the other one¡¯s name, since you were calling to her earlier.¡±


    He asked while lightly shrugging his shoulders. This was probably his way of closing the fight. I managed to seed in saving Cloud, so I had no reason to continue the fight at this point. No, well, I had one¡­ But it was not worth the risk.


    ¡°¡­Nicole.¡± ¡°Nicole¡­ Huh? Okay, I remembered it. Well then, let¡¯s make you the next target, Nicole.¡± ¡°Next target¡­?¡±


    After he said that much, I finally caught on to something. He was a first-ss swordsman¡­ No, even higher than that, who had the Stealth Gift. His presence here could not be a mere coincidence.


    I remembered an incident that a man of his caliber caused fairly recently.


    ¡°So you¡­ You are the one who assassinated Count Tarkashire?¡±


    It was an assassination incident that was caused by someone who most probably held a simr Stealth Gift to mine. Someone with that ability was in front of me now, so there was no way he was uninvolved.


    As expected, Mateus spread his arms wide in exaggeration and affirmed my question.


    ¡°Exaaaaaactly! Good job realizing that. As expected of my rival, huh? How about you be my wife when you grow up?¡± ¡°Never in a million years.¡± ¡°Again with that, huh?¡±


    This time, he responded with a dejected drop of his shoulders. He was extremely expressive of his emotions¡­ Or more like, he seemed to be pretending as if that was the case.


    ¡°Under whose orders did you kill Tarkashire?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go answering that now, can I?¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    If he was an assassin like me, he wouldn¡¯t go revealing his employer¡¯s name. If possible, I wanted to restrain him to keep him from escaping¡­ But the other party was fully aware of that.


    ¡°Well then, looks like your friends would be arriving soon, so it¡¯s about time I made my escape.¡±


    He suddenly leaped back and straddled on the other horse. Since the previous guy didn¡¯t take the carriage with him, there was one more horse remaining there.


    ¡°I am Mateus of the Jend sect of the hidden de style. I hope you remember me until we meet again.¡±


    With those words, he made his escape.


    I had no time to chase after him. I couldn¡¯t leave Cloud be, after all.


    Following that, I heard the neighs of horses and sounds of metal. It seemed that the guards had finally arrived.

 Chapter 208: Guilty Conscience

    <h4>Chapter 208: Guilty Conscience</h4>


    I heard the shing of metals and sounds of horse¡¯s hooves.


    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t rmend rushing into a forest with horses as it put their mobility to waste, but the need to set out for immediate rescue had forced them to resort to such rash actions.


    Perhaps they also had judged that since the enemy managed toe here with a carriage, there should be enough space for horses too.


    With that, I decided to check Cloud¡¯s condition.


    His consciousness had not returned even now. That said, his arm was constricted at the base, on top of his lower arm being sandwiched by rocks at the point of the artery, so his bleeding had stopped almostpletely.


    Michelle looked relieved seeing the bleeding stop, but it was too soon to let our guards down. The bleeding was stopped because she was pressing on his hand, and if she let up even momentarily, the blood would once again start gushing out like a fountain.


    For a child like Cloud, bleeding any more than this would really be a matter of life and death. Neither she nor Cloud could move from this ce.


    ¡°Nicole¡­ Your hand¡ª!?¡±


    Michelle momentarily shed a smile seeing mee close, but her face paled the moment she saw the state of my fist. Indeed, my right first was in quite a grave state. It was deformed to the point that just one look was enough to tell how bad it was.


    That said, I felt no pain since I already severed my nerves.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not anything life-threatening, and it doesn¡¯t hurt, either.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make it all the more dangerous¡­¡± ¡°I removed the sense of pain myself, so it¡¯s okay, really.¡±


    After saying that, I grabbed Cloud¡¯s remaining arm. I could feel a faint yet definite pulse. I suppose we could safely say that we managed to ovee this dilemma.


    After some time, one of the knights showed up, pushing aside the grass. Seeing me and Cloud in a bloody state, he immediately yelled.


    ¡°Target found! We have two wounded here! We need abat medic, fast!¡±


    Following that, he rushed to our side and was surprised to see our work on stopping the bleeding.


    ¡°Are you alright!? Show me the wound¡­ Huh?¡±


    There was nothing else he could do at this point. The only thing remaining was to wait for thebat medic to start healing him with magic. He was amazed at how well we handled the immediate treatment.


    ¡°This is amazing. There¡¯s hardly anything left for me to do. Did you do this?¡± ¡°No, I just followed Nicole¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°Still, he won¡¯tst long in this state. We have to heal him and fast.¡±


    Even if the bleeding was stopped, the wound was still left open. The blood was still oozing out from the severed surface. And we couldn¡¯t move them by ourselves.


    Cloud would have surely died had they not showed up.


    ¡°No, this is enough. We have a healer in our ranks. Reattaching the arm would be difficult, however¡­¡± ¡°Then just close the wound. I¡¯ll ask mom to do it afterward.¡± ¡°Your mom¡­? Ah, so you are Lady Maria¡¯s daughter.¡±


    As he answered, this time, another person showed up from the grass. It was not thebat medic¡­ But Finia.


    ¡°Lady Nicole!¡±


    She did not seem to be injured, but her expression was pale. Seeing her face was enough to understand how worried she was. However, had I chosen to go with the safer option at that time, Cloud would already be dead.


    ¡°I was worried sick! This is why I said to leave it to the kni¡ªWait, what is wrong with your arm!?¡± ¡°Sorry, it kinda broke.¡± ¡°What do you mean it broke! Does it hurt? I have to let Lady Cortina¡­ No, Lady Maria, know!


    She started rummaging in her bag in pure panic and confusion. This flustered state made her look more immature than she really was and it was cute, but this was no time for that.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, there¡¯s no bleeding, don¡¯t worry. Cloud is the one in need of worrying now.¡± ¡°Cloud¡­¡±


    Her expression got warped in awkwardness. She and Michelle were arguing whether to go save Cloud immediately or leave it to the knights.


    Then I appeared and made a prompt decision to save him, so she went to notify the knights to help. But since I already notified them along the way, she was able to follow them straight to here.


    The problem was whether the knights would manage to follow our traces. But with her, an Elf, who was well knowledgeable when it came to forests, they were able to quickly reach this ce.


    If we followed her initial n, Cloud would have most likely lost his life. That much was obvious at a nce given his current state.


    As such, Finia seemed to have a guilty conscience for trying to guarantee my safety even at the cost of abandoning Cloud.


    ¡°Your opinion was correct. However, I judged that Cloud would die if we followed it. That¡¯s why I did that¡­¡± ¡°No, this time it was you who was correct, Lady Nicole. I should have also followed you instead.¡± ¡°If you did that, the knights wouldn¡¯t have arrived this fast, right? So, your judgment was ¡®also¡¯ correct.¡±


    If the guards had not arrived when they did, I might still be fighting with Mateus even now. So in hindsight, Finia went to notify and guide the knights while I rushed on ahead. It was aplete coincidence, but we managed to y our roles perfectly.


    ¡°It all happened by chance, but you did well this time.¡±


    With those words, I shed my best smile at Finia.

 Chapter 209: Leads to the Mastermind

    <h4>Chapter 209: Leads to the Mastermind</h4>


    We received minimal healing from the healer and returned straight to the city. This wasn¡¯t because thebat healer cut corners or anything, but simply because that was the most he could do at that ce.


    We let the orphanage know about Cloud but left him with the knights to keep watch over his condition at the guard station. The stations of Raum were high-end military instations. They had far superior equipmentpared to free medical facilities, so they could deal with emergencies better.


    While we were waiting there, Cortina and Elliot arrived and got to know about our condition.


    Cortina was shocked to the point of screaming and immediately contacted Maxwell. When it came to someone as famous as her, she could use the Guild¡¯s exclusive telepathy magic almost unconditionally.


    Learning about it, Maxwell went and brought Maria to us, and by the end of the day, our bodies returned back to full health.


    Naturally, it didn¡¯te for free. Given that Cloud was my friend, Maria did not ask forpensation, but instead, we were in for severe punishment, that is, a lecture.


    ¡°Nicole, why do you always rush into trouble the moment I let you out of my sight!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    My judgment this time was not a mistake. But I couldn¡¯t deny that my action wasn¡¯t something a child should have taken. Thus, I had no choice but to ept her scolding.


    ¡°You too, Cloud! Rushing in for the glory just because you found something suspicious¡­ You do know that is the biggest cause of Adventurer¡¯s death, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I am sorry¡­¡±


    Regeneration magic was cast on Cloud and he managed to restore his lost blood by nighttime, and he was now back to normal condition. Looking at the result, his hasty pursuit for sess got even me dragged into it, so he had no words to offer in his defense.


    The two of us sat dejectedly on the ground, reflecting on our actions. Seeing us like that, Maria couldn¡¯t find it in herself to keep scolding us, andid down her arms surprisingly fast.


    ¡°Oh, you are still here? Give it a rest already, it is time for the kids to sleep.¡±


    Maxwell showed up in the nap room of the station where we were being forced to reflect. He was busy questioning the survivors of the ve traders so he only just joined us. He probably came to report to us what he had found out.


    ¡°Maxwell, how is it? Who dared toy a hand on my daughter?¡±


    Lyell asked in a calm but pratingly cold voice. Gadius was also fiddling with his battleaxe in an attempt to calm himself.


    That showed the extent of their anger. Which was natural, given that I was a daughter to one and a friend¡¯s family for the other. Were I in their ce in my original form, I¡¯d also have rushed out to hunt them down.


    ¡°Yes, they seem to be ve traders doing operations between Berith and Raum. Incidentally, the one that assassinated Count Tarkashire seemed to be involved as well.¡± ¡°Oho¡­¡±


    We were talking about someone who had managed to slip past the security, sneak into a strictly-guarded prison and assassinate the Count. But now that we found out that ve traders were involved in that too, the situation had changed.


    We might have gotten some leads on the scoundrels that have been prowling in this city for several years now.


    ¡°And what about that Jend Sect of the hidden de style that Nicole told us about?¡± ¡°I have heard of them before. They are a bunch working for the city-states centered around the southern central city of Qaum.¡± ¡°The southern?¡±


    The southern city-state alliance of Qaum. It was located next to the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle. They were the city-states focused around cities called Qaum and Lilith that once dominated the entire southern area.


    Alecmarle used to be part of them at one point, but they became independentter and gave rise to a war. The Zeed Commonwealth further west also achieved independence. So right now, that whole area was on the verge of conflict.


    Incidentally, it was also where Cortina was born. Led by her, Qaum City-State Alliance had shed with the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle numerous times.


    ¡°They are an assassin sect that practices dual-de style. I¡¯ve had my fair share of trouble with them.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go destroy the south.¡± ¡°Hold right there, Lyell. It doesn¡¯t sound like a joke when you¡¯re the one saying it.¡±


    Cortina smacked Lyell on the back of the head. Meanwhile, Cloud was opening and closing his mouth in surprise, seeing all of the Six Heroes line up before him for the first time.


    ¡°Hey Cloud, you shouldn¡¯t point at people.¡± ¡°But¡­ They are the Six Heroes, you know? All of them even¡­¡±


    Cloud answered in shock, pointing out something so obvious thiste in the game. I was the daughter of those same heroes, so I expected this to happen.


    For Cloud, who aimed to be an Adventurer, the Six Heroes were the ideal figures. The pinnacle that he aimed to reach.


    And now, they were all gathered in front of him and doing some silly chatter, so I could understand why his brain was going in circles.


    But you know, you were being trained by the reincarnation of one of those Heroes. Not that you know that I reincarnated.


    ¡°So, did you find out who ordered Tarkashire¡¯s assassination? Any clues about the mastermind?¡±


    Gadius returned to the main topic in a low voice. Whenever I, Maxwell, or Lyell went off-topic, he was always the one to bring us back to it.


    He wasn¡¯t much of a talker, but that fact made us lend an ear whenever he did talk.


    ¡°No. After all, we only managed to get hold of their underlings. The one that knew the particrs managed to escape.¡± ¡°So he did¡­ Annoying.¡± ¡°Rather, had Nicole not caught these underlings, we wouldn¡¯t have managed to learn even this much. Or perhaps it would be better to say it was all thanks to thisd Cloud for discovering them.¡± ¡°You really did well in that regard.¡±


    With those words, Gadius roughly grabbed Cloud¡¯s head and started swinging it around. No, maybe he was trying to pat him?


    Having his head jolted around made his eyes spin, but he didn¡¯t seem to be hating it. In fact, he had a loose, ecstatic expression on his face.


    ¡°Still, there was one phrase that we managed to get out of these fellows.¡± ¡°Oh, what phrase?¡± ¡°It seems that when the leader of these ve traders was talking with this escaped fellow Mateus, they heard the word ¡°Sto¡± pop up in their conversation.¡± ¡°Sto?¡±


    I cocked my head, having a remembrance of that word from somewhere. Maxwell, however, did not wait for my reply and stated the answer.


    ¡°At the northern edge of Raum where it meets with the United Alliance, there is Count Sto domain.¡± ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t that next to Count Tarkashire¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°Indeed. Sto domain of Raum is adjacent to the Suria domain of the United Alliance. The one governing it is Margrave Klein Sto Serwa.¡± ¡°Sto Serwa¡­ I feel like I have heard it before?¡±


    I muttered to myself. I have heard it a little, no, quite a bit before¡­ Right, I think it was¡­


    ¡°Donovan introduced himself as Sto Serwa, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    When I went on the inspection with Michelle before enrolling in the academy, that authoritarian boy bumped into me. I didn¡¯t think his name would pop up here.


    When you were given a territory to govern in this kingdom, the name of your dominion would be added as your middle name. In Letina¡¯s case, her name meant that she was of the Yowi household that governed the Winne domain.


    ¡°If my memory isn¡¯t failing me, Tarkashire referred to Serwa as ¡°my friend¡±. He also said his son was attending the magic academy.¡± ¡°I could not see him ying an active role until now so I left him alone¡­ But this should settle it.¡±


    Maxwell agreed to Elliot¡¯s words. He found out who was betraying his kingdom. He was convinced of it.


    ¡°While Tarkashire had some royal blood in him, he was still a mere Count, at the end of the day. Going against Elliot like that seemed too much for his te¡­ But I am finally able to see the full picture now.¡±


    If we considered that he had the backing of one of the great feudal lords of Raum, it was usible for him to have grown overconfident and risen in revolt.


    Everyone gathered agreed to Maxwell¡¯s conviction.

 Chapter 210: Cloud’s Condition

    <h4>Chapter 210: Cloud¡¯s Condition</h4>


    A few days had passed since Cloud¡¯s fight with the ve traders. Fortunately, there were almost no after-effects, and he was able to carry out his Adventurer business without problems.


    Even Maria wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it if he sustained mental scars. There were many Adventurers whose mental scars from grave injuries remained unhealed, making them unable to fight as they used to and eventually retiring.


    Maria was currently staying in Cortina¡¯s house while she was absent. This was so she could observe Cloud¡¯s state after his injury.


    When I decided to enquire about his state out of worry, she scolded me, saying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t possibly leave any after-effects now, would I? I get that you are worried about your boyfriend, but stop doubting your mom!¡±


    There seemed to be some misunderstandings which I tried to resolve, but she justughed off my protests with a meaningful smile. It sounded like she had the wrong idea about our rtionship.


    Maxwell, Lyell, and Cortina¡­ No, probably even Gaidus, were currently away from the city. Most likely, they headed to investigate the Margrave Serwa of the Sto domain.


    While Maxwell had Teleportation magic, the opponent this time was the dark side of the local nobility. It was impossible to handle the situation in just a few days.


    If I was the one leading this mission, I would have Maxwell teleport me around and finish assassinating everyone involved within a day, but Lyell and the rest weren¡¯t like me.


    For better or worse, they could only go with the frontal attack. I decided to ce my trust in Cortina¡¯s devious schemes.


    That day, as usual, I visited Cloud to check on his condition. The World Tree religion, thergest faction in the world, was using part of its church as an orphanage, and there were around ten-odd kids living there now.


    The sisters of the church were the ones managing it, but the sight of it forced me to remember the time of my death.


    I have been visiting him every day after his injury, but every single time, the sight of the church made shivers run along my spine.


    Perhaps this was the work of my death trauma gnawing at my heart.


    ¡°Good grief, you don¡¯t have to worry so much. Have some faith in my magic.¡±


    As expected, Maria was misunderstanding my state. She seemed to be thinking that Cloud¡¯s injury was what was making me tremble. I¡¯ve argued about it several times already, so it was too bothersome to correct her at this point.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Right, right. Let¡¯s leave it at that.¡± ¡°Agh, you¡¯re annoying me.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s hurry up.¡±


    We repeated this exchange a bunch of times, too. I had already given up on clearing the misunderstanding, so I decided to just let it go and headed inside the church grounds.


    It was still morning, yet I could see childrening out and ying around in the front garden. But the moment they saw me, they stopped whatever they were doing.


    On one side, there was me, dressed tidily, inappropriate for an orphanage. On the other, Maria, who was full of youthfulness.


    The children couldn¡¯t help but stare at us in wonder. This too was a sight I had already seen several times.


    One woman approached us, pushing her way through the kids. She was the sister that operated this church. She had a warm, friendly air around her, just like your average housewife. However, since she was entrusted with running the church in Raum, she must have had quite a high standing.


    ¡°Wee, Lady Maria. Are you here to visit Cloud again?¡± ¡°Yes. Is he doing alright?¡± ¡°He said that his arm was still a little numb, but he seems to have no problems with movements.¡± ¡°So the numbness remains¡­ I have to examine him more carefully then.¡± ¡°Please do. There are some circumstances around him, but he is truly a good kid¡­ I am worried for him as well.¡± ¡°I understand. Especially because he is¡ª¡± ¡°Yes.¡±


    A Half-Demon. Due to that, he was being bullied for no reason. If his arm ended up holding him back, his chances to seed as an Adventurer would lower. If that happened, his future prospects would turn vague. Even I understood that much.


    ¡°Is he feeling down?¡± ¡°Not at all. He is desperately swinging his sword to get back into shape as soon as he can. You have nothing to worry about in that regard.¡±


    Even if I called her a sister, she was already near her sixties. The gentle smile of someone of that age being directed at me made me feel relieved in a different waypared to Maria¡¯s.


    An older person like her was treating us, who were younger, with respect, so I felt quite obliged.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be pushing himself, so I¡¯ll go stop him.¡± ¡°That may be true. He might be too eager indeed.¡± ¡°Well then, I shall head to the usual room¡ªif you don¡¯t mind, of course.¡± ¡°Not at all. That room is for healing injured children, after all.¡± ¡°Alright. Nicole, go and bring Cloud there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±


    I left Maria¡¯s side and ran towards the backyard. There were a vegetable garden and such on that side, so it was not a ce children visited often.


    But when it came to swinging dangerous ded weapons, it was better to choose a ce like that where small children would note. Cloud was most probably there.


    I went around the lodging house, heading towards the yard. There, I saw Cloud swinging his sword in a half-naked state.


    ¡°Hey Cloud, good work.¡± ¡°Master, you came again?¡±


    Cloud called me by name when we were partying with Michelle and Letina, but when we were alone like this, he called me master. It seemed to be something like a habit that stuck with him.


    Not to mention, not calling me by name could get in the way of coordination while in a party.


    Cloud was swinging his sword as the sweat dripped down from his skinny and slender¡ªboyish, for theck of a better word¡ªbody. Still, his body was slowly but surely building up some muscle. He might be getting stronger than I was in my previous life.


    It was midsummer now, yet he was swinging his sword so passionately he was almost giving off steam.


    ¡°Yea, mom¡¯s here too. She told me to bring you to the medical roomter.¡± ¡°Master, is it me, or do you talk differently when you are in Lady Maria¡¯s presence?¡± ¡°Shut it.¡±


    Whenever I was with Maria, I had to keep in mind that I was her daughter, whether I liked it or not. And to y that part, it was necessary to make my tone more childish.


    I was using a masculine tone ever since I met Cloud, so he probably found my sudden change weird.


    ¡°Still, looks like you are doing fine.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still some numbness left, though. Will it go away, I wonder?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing mom can¡¯t heal.¡±


    You could understand how amazing Maria¡¯s magic was just by the fact that he was able to move his previously severed arm like this. Based on his swings earlier, there didn¡¯t seem to be any serious after-effects worth worrying over.

 Chapter 211: Target

    <h4>Chapter 211: Target</h4>


    Maxwell could use Teleportation magic. That meant that regardless of whether he was close or far, he could return back to the capital whenever he wanted. As such, he often preferred to return back to his mansion when he was about to sleep.


    Cortina should also return by that time, so I had a feeling I¡¯d be seeing everyone quite frequently.


    Whenever I had some odd moments, I went to check on Cloud, and then to meet Maxwell. Thattter was to get some information out of the old man about this incident.


    Maria, Lyell, and Cortina wouldn¡¯t let me know the details. Due to that, I had to resort to secretly visiting him instead.


    That night, too, I snuck out without Maria or Cortina¡¯s knowledge and visited Maxwell¡¯s mansion. As I crawled into his house in the middle of the night, Maxwell greeted me with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You have quite a lot of years on you, old man, yet you are staying up sote.¡± ¡°It is alright. Is it notmon decency to wee your friends whenever they visit you?¡± ¡°You should be dropping and picking up Lyell and Gadius, too. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°This much is nothing.¡±


    They were investigating the Sto domain, which was basically an enemy territory. There was no knowing what kind of traps could be waiting there. For that reason, whenever night came, Maxwell sent them to their respective homes so they could rest without worries.


    Most would call that a waste of magic power, but for Maxwell, it was within the margin of error.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s it looking on that side?¡± ¡°It does not look good. Sto domain is governed by Margrave Serwa, but he seems to have vanished without a trace.¡± ¡°Vanished? Did he go into hiding?¡± ¡°Quite so. And he seems to have taken all his private funds with him.¡± ¡°So¡­ He fled.¡± ¡°There is a high possibility of that, yes.¡±


    Margrave Serwa should not have known that we fought and captured his underlings yet. Yet he had taken his belongings and fled. This meant that he was prepared to flee before the fight even happened.


    But why? Why did he judge that we would be able to sniff him out¡­?


    ¡°I wonder how did he find out about our investigation?¡± ¡°I do not know¡­ However, it is clear that he has been preparing for it. This would mean, we made a mistake somewhere that made him suspicious.¡± ¡°Somewhere, huh¡­ Wait, maybe¡­¡±


    I suddenly remembered one man. The masked man that was present when I captured Count Tarkashire. If that person was Margrave Serwa, it would stand to reason for him to n his escape right away.


    Back then, Maxwell was involved in the incident, and he was seen by Maxwell¡¯s familiar. He had hidden his face, but given that a Hero¡¯s familiar saw him, perhaps he had assumed that his identity was revealed and started making preparations to flee.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Tarkashire said something about Margrave Serwa¡¯s son attending the academy, did he not?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know the kid. He¡¯s called Donovan. He¡¯s a kid that¡¯s fully convinced of being the chosen one.¡±


    The kid that bumped into me during the school inspection three years ago. I believe he introduced himself as the Margrave¡¯s son, Donovan Sto Serwa. Based on his name alone, he couldn¡¯t be unrted.


    ¡°His personality aside, his grades are not bad. He should be having the best academic year now.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still the same? Can¡¯t you just go ¡®fix¡¯ his attitude?¡± ¡°It would not look good if I go and meddle with other people¡¯s personalities. I stop at telling them what is bad and what is not.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make the official ideology of the academy a big lie, then?¡± ¡°Brainwashing and education are delicate problems¡­¡±


    Maxwell shrugged with a deep sigh. Thinking about it, his arrogant attitude was so big it even reached Maxwell¡¯s ears, huh? I feel like that alone is quite a big problem. But his grades were excellent enough to make up for it.


    ¡°Setting that aside, he went into hiding despite his kid attending the academy?¡± ¡°Margrave Serwa always had a cruel personality. I would not be surprised if that is the case.¡± ¡°Huh.¡±


    If he cast even his familiar love aside and fled, I might start to feel a little sorry for that Donovan kid. Then again, then it came to nobles, their family rtionships were used for politics, so something like this happening was not so surprising.


    Either way, we had the name of our target now.


    ¡°If you find him¡­ And you need my help, please don¡¯t hold back and let me know. My friend¡¯s arm was cut, so I would be lying if I had no grudge on him.¡± ¡°Not a word about your own fist? I would suggest you be kinder to your own body.¡± ¡°That¡¯s beside the point now.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Cloud. I worried Michelle and Finia to death because of him, so I had to return that debt back. Having a definite identity of the enemy made today a sess.


    The following day, I attended my lessons like a normal student. Of course, I did not skip it ever since the battle. Maria had already healed me, so I had to properly do my duties as a student.


    Besides, Cortina hated the idea of me getting involved in this matter. She was very concerned that the assassin sect of the Hidden de Style made an appearance in the fight with the ve traders.


    While I received the information through Maxwell, I couldn¡¯t act publicly on it, so I had no choice but to keep attending the school normally. I couldn¡¯t deny that it made me awfully bored, however.


    I involuntarily heaved a bored sigh, having to spend days so stagnantly. And that seemed to have an unnecessary side-effect, gathering attention from the surroundings.


    ¡°There you go sighing again.¡± ¡°Oh, Letina. Well, I can¡¯t help it¡­¡± ¡°Is Cloud on your mind?¡± ¡°It would be weird if he wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Our conversation caused the entire ss to turn noisy. For some reason, everyone was looking at me in shock.


    ¡°Lady Nicole has someone on her mind¡­!?¡± ¡°Who is this Cloud fellow!¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s that Half-Demon friend of hers.¡± ¡°That guy? That damn harem master!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he close to that girl Michelle from the Adventurer Academy? People have seen them on a date in the cafeteria.¡± ¡°You mean the girl with a big chest?¡± ¡°Yeah, they are so huge already. It¡¯s wonderful.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t forgive him for monopolizing those *****!¡± ¡°Yeah, no mercy for him!¡±


    It appeared that Cloud who was in a girl party like us was gathering some strange envy. Was I worrying about him something to make such a big deal about? Michelle seemed to be surprisingly popr, though, so I felt strangely proud of her.


    Still, that unexpected uproar made me c?o?c?k? my head a little in confusion. But it suddenly came to a stop.


    One upperssman pushed the crowd aside and appeared before me.


    ¡°Oh¡ªDonovan, was it?¡±


    I remembered his face. He was the same Donovan Sto Serwa that has been a hot topic among ustely. After arriving in front of me, he stood still for a while with a nervous expression.


    Seeing that, I secretly reached for my piano wire. He was the son of my enemy. There was enough possibility for him to attempt a surprise attack on me. It would naturally be a bad move with so many public eyes, however.


    After some hesitation, Donovan suddenly started groveling at my feet. He was prostrating, in other words.


    Ignoring the surrounding gazes, he rubbed his forehead on the floor and appealed to me in a voice big enough to spread through the entire ss.


    ¡°Nicole¡ªNo, Lady Nicole, I beg you! Please save me!¡±

 Chapter 212: Consultation with Donovan

    <h4>Chapter 212: Consultation with Donovan</h4>


    Donovan Sto Serwa.


    He was the only child of Margrave Klein Sto Serwa. He had inherited his elitist personality from his father. He was essentially a sarcastic and extremely haughty boy.


    However, his skill with magic was first-ss, and despite being in the elementary ss, he could already use middle-grade fire magic.


    At present, he was the top student of the elementary academy. He was two years above me¡­ And had a history of getting into a quarrel with me before.


    That same embodiment of elitism was currently prostrating before me with his head on the ground and begging to save him.


    I was the daughter of prominent figures of the world, but I was not a noble. In other words, I was a meremoner from his eyes.


    Groveling at my feet like this would normally be an intolerable behavior for him. Not to mention, in the middle of an entire ss. I could easily guess just how desperate he was to do something so humiliating.


    ¡°Please, no, I beg you, Lady Nicole! Please save me!¡± ¡°W-Wait¡­¡± ¡°I have no one but you to depend on anymore! Please¡­Please¡­!¡± ¡°Stop. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but raise your head for now.¡± ¡°I will not until I receive a positive answer. I need to obtain your strength even if I have to humiliate myself. This is currently my one and only sincere wish!¡± ¡°Okay, fine! I get it already, so let¡¯s just discuss this somewhere else, okay!?¡±


    This would attract too much attention otherwise.


    My school life was strangely susceptible to attracting attention. That undue attention was getting in the way of my goal of focusing on in and steady training while I was a feeble young girl.


    If he did this on top of that, it was bound to spread some unwanted rumors around.


    At any rate, I decided to get somewhere devoid of public eyes and ask for the details there. Hearing my words, Donovan finally lifted his face.


    Though I said to change the location¡­ We were inside the public Magic Academy. I didn¡¯t have some secret ce here that no one else visited.


    Moreover, most ssrooms had windows, so everyone could see the inside from the corridors and the courtyard.


    Something like the cafeteria was out of the question. Even the music room that was famous for itsck of people was strangely popr whenever I was using it, so it wasn¡¯t suitable for a private talk at all.


    As a result, I had to take Donovan and slip into the student council room that we also called the sermon room.


    There was a chair and a desk so they could talk with a student face to face. It wasn¡¯t just that of course. There was also a table and a sofa in case they had to talk with the guardian.


    They even had some tea equipment as minimal hospitality in case the conversation dragged out. In any case, I let Cortina know and asked her to borrow this room.


    As it involved someone rted to the Serwa household, Cortina requested to take part in the conversation but eventually gave up after Donovan¡¯s strong opposition.


    My one line of ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me I¡¯ll go and be a live-in disciple of Maxwell!¡± was enough to persuade her.


    That being the case, she was currently standing by just outside the door. There were some students loitering outside of the windows but I dealt with that by pulling down the curtains.


    And since Cortina was staying at the door, I didn¡¯t have to worry about the students trying to listen in on us.


    Donovan sat dejectedly on the reception sofa. For now, I prepared some tea for him and sat on the opposite side. It was good to have something to dampen your tongue with when it came to conversations like this.


    It would be a bit problematic to go there with my usual conduct, so I switched to mydy mode. I put my feet together diagonally and sipped on my tea in an aloof manner. I acted a little indifferent due to imitating Letina¡¯s habitual attitude.


    ¡°Hm. So then, what business does a senior have with me?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I, uh, I would like to apologize for my behavior from before the enrollment.¡± ¡°It has been three years already, so I have already let that matter pass.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Umm¡­¡± ¡°If you are worried about eavesdropping, you don¡¯t have to. Teacher Cortina is standing at the door, and she is not someone who would leak the information.¡± ¡°But what point was in avoiding people if she would listen anyway!?¡± ¡°Due to the fact that she is standing there, other students cannot approach us.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    Seemingly convinced, he took a sip of his tea. This might have been an action people took when they were about to start talking.


    I have heard that people who are being questioned always reach out to water before they start revealing information.


    ¡°Do you know, I mean, are you aware that the Six Heroes lot, I mean, esteemed Six Heroes have been visiting the Sto domain?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to talk politely, you know? And yes, I heard that His Highness Elliot got involved in the kidnapping incident and they were investigating that.¡± ¡°Right. Of all things, my father is the one suspected to be involved in that kidnapping.¡± ¡°Board chairman Maxwell and teacher Cortina are not the types of people to act based on false suspicions.¡±


    I answered his words with some rebuttal. He seemed to have taken my attitude as being offended and hurriedly waved his hands in denial.


    ¡°No, I have no intention of criticizing them! I¡­ I just wanted to say that my problem is rted to that¡­¡± ¡°And your problem is?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand what he was getting at, so I went and asked in a quizzical manner. My question made him once again hang his head in hesitation.


    But after a bit, he seemed to have gathered his courage and spoke in a strong voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI mean, I have been bestowed with the honor of bing the lord of Sto domain.¡± ¡°Say what?¡±


    This time, I responded in genuine confusion to his statement.

 Chapter 213: The Identity of the Masked Man

    <h4>Chapter 213: The Identity of the Masked Man</h4>


    Donovan had be the lord of the Sto Domain. Of course, being the only son of the current lord, Klein Sto Serwa, he was bound to eventually seed him. However, taking over at this timing when Cortina and the rest were in the middle of the investigation smelled like a contrived act.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    In order to let the mood calm down, I took one more sip from my tea and asked back. Donovan seemed to have seen my attitude as aloof and started answering with a face full of shame.


    ¡°I was already aware that there were bad rumors around my father. They reached my boarding house about one month ago. And then His Highness Elliot¡¯s kidnapping followed. Ever since then, he was acting like he was frightened about something.¡±


    That answer further deepened my doubt that he was that masked guy. He did not witness my fight directly, but still saw how effortlessly I seized Count Tarkashire. Moreover, Maxwell¡¯s familiar also showed up right after. That made it obvious that one of the Six Heroes was personally involved in it.


    And there were two Heroes in this city. It wouldn¡¯t be so easy to run away from Maxwell who had mastered the Teleportation magic.


    Moreover, since he was there, he still shouldn¡¯t have managed to reach his domain as long as no teleportation was involved. Teleportation equipment was managed by the Guild, however, so be it a noble or not, he would still need permission to use it.


    In that case, he would be forced to set out on foot, but doing that also required him to slip through Maxwell¡¯s surveincework. Besides, there was no knowing what Tarkashire, who got arrested, would let slip.


    In that case, he probably remained behind to clean up after himself as much as he could. And in doing so, he became frightened, realizing that they could sniff him out any moment.


    ¡°Then, about one week ago, he disappeared. While talking all the valuables with him from our mansion.¡± ¡°What can I say¡­ My condolences.¡±


    Yeah, I knew that. Including the fact that heid waste to Sto domain as well.


    His mansion was wrecked and his father disappeared. I could only offer those words to him. Still, from my perspective, it was just another criminal showing his true colors.


    If I¡­ I mean, if he lets Maxwell knowter, there should be no problems. Actually¡­ Why were those ve traders here at such weird timing? If Mateus was there just to deal with Tarkashire, the timing doesn¡¯t line up. He should have escaped long before that.


    ¡°Could it be to save the Margrave?¡±


    If it was that assassin, he should be able to slip through the defenses. He managed to get to Tarkashire, after all.


    Moreover, he said that he was already done with this town. Did that mean that he managed to sessfully lead the Margrave out of here?


    He slipped out of this city, then had some magician teleport him to his hometown, and finally, he took all his funds and ran away. And then, only a short whileter, our investigation had singled him out.


    But because Maxwell and Maria were busy tending to our wounds, they werete by one day. That one day was enough for him to barely manage his escape.


    ¡°Let us leave the matter of my father aside. After he disappeared, we discovered his stamped will stating that he was handing over the peerage to me, so I have now formally seeded Margrave Serwa.¡± ¡°Is that so? Quite an anticlimactic oue, huh?¡± ¡°The problem is, the taxation certificate is nowhere to be found after his disappearance.¡± ¡°Oh?¡±


    Taxation certificate. In this kingdom, when the king bestowed a territory to you, you were also given a written document for taxation rights. Putting it differently, as long as you had that document, you could collect taxes even if you weren¡¯t a Lord, and vice versa.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, the esteemed Six Heroes started looking for the ¡°Lord of Sto¡± at this time. This ultimately means that they are searching for me.¡± ¡°Talk about bad timing, eh?¡± ¡°I have no taxation rights, and my reputation would continue to fall. It is only a matter of time until the citizens start to leave the domain. So I thought to ask you, Lady Nicole, if you would be so kind to put in a word for me with the Six Heroes and ask them to withdraw.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what this is about¡­¡±


    Margrave Serwa¡­ Or should I say, former Margrave, had taken minimum required riches with him to make aeback and fled. Leaving all the bad rumors and the mud on the reputation for his son to deal with.


    If he managed to make his escape, he would use those riches to make aeback, or otherwise use them to livefortably in some other ce.


    ¡°I more or less understand the situation. However, I can not blindly believe everything you said.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­ That would be the case.¡±


    It was just Donovan¡¯s own testimony. There was a possibility that he was asking us to withdraw just to cover for his father. Either way, it needed to be confirmed first. I could not ept it at my own discretion.


    ¡°I understand the situation. But if this was the case, why didn¡¯t you talk directly to teacher Cortina?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Honestly, I thought they would dismiss me right away if I were to talk to them directly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she would do that, though¡­¡±


    Father cast away his own son, forcing him into the position of a Lord while the situation was at its worst.


    Whether Maxwell, or Lyell who had lost his cool, would believe it was up in the air. Gadius might have even given him a good beating.


    However, Cortina was another matter. She would¡¯ve been able to make a calm judgment.


    ¡°Well, trying to mitigate the situation by going through me might not be a bad idea. If a third party makes that report, they would be willing to lend an ear.¡± ¡°Yes, I was hoping that to be the case.¡± ¡°¡­Not bad at all.¡±


    Donovan had to let the Six Heroes know about this to protect his standing. However, there was no guarantee that they would believe him if he went to tell them personally. Rather, most likely he would be turned away at the door.


    So by making use of a ¡®cushion¡¯ like me, he hoped they would be able to make a calm judgment. That was actually quite smart and calcting of him.


    ¡°Of course, I remember how rude I was to you in the past. I believe it would be presumptuous of me to expect you to help me. But I have no choice but to beg you anyway. Please, help me out.¡±


    Donovan put his hands on the table and bowed deeply. Towards amoner like me. For someone as prideful as him, that was probably more humiliating than death. Still, this was not a bad oue even for us.


    My target was the previous Margrave, Klein. I had no intention of pushing his sins onto his son.


    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll discuss it with Cortina for now.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡±


    With his expression filled with delight, he grabbed my hands and thanked me deeply.


    Uh, you¡¯re a bit too close¡­ Can you please move back a bit?

 Chapter 214: Finding a Common Ground

    <h4>Chapter 214: Finding a Common Ground</h4>


    For the time being, I understood what Donovan wanted. Basically, he was iming that everything was done by his father. In other words, none of it was rted to him, the current lord.


    A father that left the son in mud, and a son that cast his father aside to save himself. It wasn¡¯t something to call cruel or dirty ¨C that¡¯s simply how nobles acted.


    He took part in the kidnapping of the king of another kingdom and the attempted usurpation, so normally, not just his son but his entire household would be put to me.


    So Donovan trying to depend on his sole connection, that is, me, to get out of that situation was a natural course of action. Naturally, our connection was not deep in any way, but he was grasping at the straws at this point.


    But the truth was, there was nothing for me to gain by putting that me on Donovan. Rather, by winning his favor here, it could prove to be extremely valuable in the future.


    I was a unique existence in this world, while Michelle was a dependable war power. What the two of us needed was some kind of backing. If wecked that, someone influential might try to make use of us.


    Of course, we had an influential person like Lyell, but at the end of the day, he was just one person. We would be better off also having a backer in politics. If I were to ask Elliot to do that, I feared it would eventually lead us to be incorporated into the United Nations.


    And there came Donovan in the picture. He was the current Lord of the Sto domain. The peerage of Margrave was one influential enough to hold rights to the military formation.


    He had presently lost the economic strength to maintain such an army, but everything would work out as long as we fixed that.


    People that were too close to the Raum¡¯s center like Letina or Maxwell would not be too convenient for us as backers. So a Margrave was a really convenient choice. Winning his favor here would prove very useful.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°I heard everything!¡±


    Got it. I was about to say that, but the door behind me was busted open with those words that interrupted mine. The counseling door had no windows on it so nothing broke, but due to the powerful push, the door went out of its rails and copsed inwards.


    Fortunately, no one was standing there at the moment, but it was nheless dangerous.


    ¡°Cortina, that was dangerous.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry, I put a little too much strength in that.¡±


    She went to fix the door while apologizing. It was quite a sad sight, too pathetic for someone like a Hero. Not that I was in any position to say that.


    After grappling with the door for a while and finally returning it to normal, she dusted off her suit, and once again turned towards us and said.


    ¡°Leaving that aside, I heard your talk!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    I used to be the world¡¯s best scout that was part of the Six Heroes. I could easily spot some amateur straining their ears at the door. But my answer made her turn dejected for some reason.


    The reason I let her be was that by doing that she prevented the other students from doing the same.


    ¡°Anyway, as Nicole said, we can¡¯t decide based on what you told us alone. We first have to confirm whether you are really not trying to shelter the previous Margrave.¡± ¡°I¡­ What should I do?¡± ¡°For now, let us investigate your mansion, then the Sto mansion and all rted facilities.¡± ¡°But that way the doubt regarding me would not go away¡­¡± ¡°I am saying that if we manage to clear our suspicions, we will dere it in front of the public that the Lord of Sto is innocent. If we do that, it would bemon knowledge, right? You would be considered more innocent than any other Lord at that point.¡± ¡°I would be grateful if you do that, but¡­ The problem is the time. I am already viewed with suspicion so it is only a matter of time until my poption leaves me, and there¡¯s not much left of that time.¡± ¡°I can only suggest that we hurry it up then. But I think we can find amon ground here.¡±


    Donovan meekly lowered his head at Cortina¡¯s words. He was probably weighing his losses and gains, as well as the time left until his people would lose trust in him. Cortina did not try to hurry him up and quietly awaited his answer.


    About five minutes passed after that. Having finally collected his thoughts, he once again faced Cortina.


    ¡°Understood. Please do that. However, as for the tax collection¡­¡± ¡°That cannot be resolved without the intervention of the present king. The current certificate has to be annulled and reissued to fix everything, but that woulde at the cost of people questioning your administrative ability.¡± ¡°As expected¡­¡± ¡°Either way, it¡¯s early summer now. It should not pose many problems until fall where the harvest of the crop happens. You should hope that your father gets arrested before then.¡± ¡°I feelplicated about that, but that seems to be my only choice.¡±


    Of course, there were some crops that they harvested during the summer, but the mainline was the fall harvest, in the end.


    Even so, it was not something to be optimistic about. Taxation involved many things other than that. At present, he could not collect any earnings from cksmithing, mining, businesses, peddlers, or even the toll.


    While the peerage was forcibly pushed on him all while his father piged everything valuable from him, that excuse would not work in the noble society.


    Instead, making that excuse would deepen the mud on his name. Secretly¡­ Would be impossible, but he had to handle it as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he would bebeled a powerless Lord who couldn¡¯t even solve the disgrace caused by his own rtives.


    ¡°Good grief, nobles are such a pain¡­¡± ¡°I am¡­ wholeheartedly of the same opinion.¡±


    Donovan surprisingly agreed to my idle grumble. If Michelle and I got rolled up into the affairs of the noble, we would find ourselves surrounded by these kinds of troubles.

 Chapter 215: Gifted Education

    <h4>Chapter 215: Gifted Education</h4>


    After that, Cortina and the rest took Donovan and returned to his mansion in Raum. After confirming that his father was, in fact, not inside, they nned to set out towards the Sto domain.


    That said, Maxwell was involved in this so they would return here when the night came, as they have been doing until now.


    ¡°Good grief! What the hell is wrong with the Sto domain! The lord had a nasty personality but his subordinates aren¡¯t any better!¡±


    Cortina ranted in anger while mming her wine cup down on the table. It appeared that Donovan¡¯s father¡¯s influence was too big in the mansion of the Sto domain, preventing their investigation from going smoothly.


    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how noncooperative someone can be. They just keep showing us these harmless locations. I¡¯m fed up already.¡± ¡°Look, Cortina. Didn¡¯t you only start investigating it today?¡± ¡°Bute on¡­¡±


    She was acting far too listless now, showing how much she was drained from it. Since Donovan was cooperating with them, they couldn¡¯t act too high-handedly. Having said that, giving in could lead to missing their target.


    Holding back in that regard would only make their work harder.


    ¡°A violent struggle with monsters is way easier. This is why human opponents are so¡­¡± ¡°You say that, but you were the one who has the most experience in dealing with humans.¡±


    Maria noted in exasperation. Cortina tended to be away from hometely, so Maria took her ce and stayed here. In that regard, the vige¡¯s situation was a bit worrying, but they seem to have left someone in their stead there so it was fine for the time being.


    Having said that, this house didn¡¯t have enough room for Lyell and Maria, so Maria was currently sharing the room with Cortina. At first, she apparently nned to stay in Finia¡¯s room, but Cortina realized that Finia would not be able to rx in that situation and dragged her to her room.


    Incidentally, Lyell was sleeping on the sofa in the living room. It was a woman¡¯s household, so he had to suck it up and deal with it.


    In the first ce, he could¡¯ve just stayed with Maxwell, but insisted on sleeping under the same roof as me. Moreover, as Kabby also upied my room, I denied him. Besides, I had the equipment there that I¡¯d rather he did not see.


    ¡°That¡¯s something else. Is there a need to hold back when you know the other party is your enemy?¡± ¡°Also, honestly, what is the point of me apanying you? There¡¯s no enemy to be found.¡± ¡°We have you just in case. I¡¯m not much of a fighter, you know?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you deal with some random Adventurers yourself, Cortina? Besides, Maxwell¡¯s with you too.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you have a point¡­ But what¡¯s your real intention?¡± ¡°I wanna stay and y around with my daughter for once.¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely bringing you with us.¡±


    Cortina delivered a merciless reply to Lyell who was throwing a tantrum. Following that, she downed the wine in her cup and turned towards Maria. Finia immediately went to fill the cup as the perfect attendant she was.


    ¡°Reminds me, how is Cloud doing?¡± ¡°It seems there is some difort left in the right arm, still. It would probably stay that way for some time.¡± ¡°You healed it, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The wound has beenpletely healed. This is more of a mental problem. Something only time can heal.¡± ¡°Cloud, huh¡­¡±


    Hearing Maria and Cortina¡¯s talk, Lyell muttered with an unfocused gaze. Lyell had been informed that he was the root of the current incident. As a result, I also ended up suffering a serious injury, so he probably had something to say about it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t admire that he dragged Nicole into danger¡­ But I praise him for protecting Michelle with his life.¡± ¡°Indeed. And it was due to his good observation that we managed to discover this incident, so I don¡¯t think we should be putting all the me on him, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m not particrly angry at him. It is a problem that Nicole got involved, but, ugh, how should I put it?¡±


    It seemed that Cloud¡¯s standing hadn¡¯t really fallen in his eyes. I was a little relieved to learn that. I¡¯d rather not see my formerrades ming my current ones, if I can help it.


    ¡°Right¡­ He stillcks the power required to be Nicole¡¯srade.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s trying his best, you know?¡±


    Lyell dered that after making up his mind, but I answered with a bit of an objection. Because I thought he was taking the conversation in a direction where he¡¯d try to pull him away from my side with that reasoning.


    Lyell, however, answered with somethingpletely different from my fears.


    ¡°There are times when trying your best is not enough. Like this time, if you hadn¡¯t made it in time, he would be dead.¡± ¡°But if he didn¡¯t do that, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Michelle, either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And that¡¯s the problem.¡± ¡°That?¡±


    Lyell pointed at me with a smug face. That honestly pissed me off a bit. He overlooked my displeasure and continued his speech.


    ¡°His judgment was not wrong. He thoughtlessly headed into danger, but the way he dealt with it wasn¡¯t bad. The problem was hisck of power to aplish what he nned to do.¡± ¡°Well¡­ He¡¯s still a kid.¡± ¡°If he ns to be an Adventurer, being a child or not is irrelevant. If you throw yourself into danger whilecking power, what awaits you is only death.¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°So, everything would work out if he had that power.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°If Cloud is weak, we just have to make him stronger. I¡¯m saying that I¡¯ll train him.¡± ¡°Come again!?¡±


    Actually, Lyell and Maria were visiting Cortina¡¯s home thrice a week. They have dinner with us together, chatted some, and then went back to the vige at nighttime. Putting it differently, they had some spare time until the nighttime.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use my spare time and¡­ No, I¡¯ll get Gadius in on this as well. We will train him together. If we do that, hisck of ability should get resolved.¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡±


    Honestly speaking, this was more than Cloud could ever ask for. I wasn¡¯t that good at using a sword. As for a tank, I¡¯ve never even attempted it. Having masters of those two fields teach him was an opportunity that¡¯d probably nevere again in his life.


    Moreover, being a Half-Demon, he was limited in the choice of teachers. This was a much better optionpared to training under me who specialized in threads.


    I acknowledged Lyell¡¯s decision. But it was not for me alone to decide.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the person himself for now.¡± ¡°Please do. It is better to teach him before he develops bad habits.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! If Cloud bes reliable, I can safely leave Nicole in his hands.¡±


    Maria joined in on Lyell¡¯s conversation. Despite knowing that Cloud was a Half-Demon, she did not hold a bad impression of him.


    The World Tree Religion wasn¡¯t very fond of Half-Demons, but Maria herself seemed to view them as victims of the disaster that happened in the myths. Not to mention, she knew me in my previous life, so her outlook on Half-Demons changed multiple times.


    When it came to Cloud¡¯s ability, it seems that she wanted to help somehow but couldn¡¯t for some time now.


    Following that, Lyell headed to Maxwell to talk about involving Gadius. And like that, the n to give gifted education to Cloud had started.

 Chapter 216: Cloud’s Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 216: Cloud¡¯s Thoughts</h4>


    Lyell being motivated to train Cloud would be meaningless if the person himself wasn¡¯t willing to. Thus, I had to confirm his thoughts first.


    The next morning, I decided to drop by Cloud¡¯s ce before I headed to the academy.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m heading out.¡±


    After saying goodbye to Finia, I reached for the door.


    This time, I was going without Maria. We were going to talk about Lyell¡¯s training, so if Maria, his wife, followed me now, Cloud would find it hard to refuse even if he wanted to.


    ¡°Take care, Lady Nicole. Say hello to Sir Cloud from me.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let him know you were worried.¡±


    Cloud was aware that Finia hesitated on rescuing him. In that aspect, she had made a disadvantageous judgment for Cloud. On the other hand, it was also thanks to her guidance that the rescue team managed to find us fast.


    Looking at it from that perspective, she could also be viewed as one of his lifesavers. But that part was weighing on Finia¡¯s conscience.


    They were both from the orphanage, so I wanted them to get along. Imagining such a future made me feel a little warm. As I opened the door with a light gait, I stumbled on Michelle at the doorstep.


    ¡°Morning, Nicole!¡± ¡°M-Morning. Quite early, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve been visiting Cloudtely, right? I wanted toe to check on him too.¡° ¡°Check on him? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s ill or anything, you know?¡±


    His injuries have beenpletely healed with Maria¡¯s Regeneration magic. His current obstacle was instead a mental one that came from the shock of being injured.


    ¡°Still, I wannae and say thanks.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    I extended my hand towards her. The fact remained that Cloud was the reason she was alive now. She probably thought it would be dishonest if she didn¡¯t show up at least once while he was rehabilitating.


    I grabbed Michelle¡¯s warm hand and we headed towards the church. The one who had protected this wide smile currently on her face was undoubtedly Cloud. I had to praise him for that. Though he himself rushed into bigger danger.


    The orphanage started its morning early. I arrived earlier than usual, but there were already several boys out of their beds and preparing for breakfast.


    In orphanages that had no helpers, it was children themselves who had to make their breakfast.


    After greeting the sister that wasmanding those kids, we headed to Cloud. He was busy practice-swinging in the backyard as always.


    Being a Half-Demon, he couldn¡¯t participate in the meal preparations. While he was bringing food to the table for the kids, the deeply rooted repulsion towards him was still hard topletely get rid of.


    For that reason, the sister was making an exception and had him sit out during the cooking.


    ¡°Morning. Still practice-swinging?¡± ¡°Ah, Master¡ªNicole!¡±


    Cloud called me master when we were alone, but switched to my name when there was someone else with us. I was still not quite sure what was his basis for that. He saw Michelle behind me, so he changed it right away.


    ¡°Morning, Cloud. Have you been okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m perfectly fine thanks to Lady Maria. I worried you¡­ Also, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Look, you were against it, but I ignored it and followed those trails¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. You did your best and protected me, so thank you!¡±


    Cloud was the older one, but she was currently patting his head while thanking him. My expression loosened from such a fluffy scene, but then I suddenly remembered why I came here for.


    ¡°Oh, right, Cloud.¡± ¡°Hm, yes?¡± ¡°Actually, dad said the reason for the current incident lies in yourck of power.¡±


    Cloud looked like he was about to cry partway through my speech. He probably thought he was being med for getting me involved.


    Being criticized by the famous Six Heroes. If that happened, words wouldn¡¯t exin how heartbroken he would be. I continued my words to erase his fears.


    ¡°So, he said he wants to train you. If he¡¯s weak, I just have to make him strong ¨C that¡¯s what he said.¡± ¡°Wh-¡­ Lord Lyell wants to train me!?¡± ¡°Not just him, Gadius too.¡± ¡°Even Lord Gadius!!¡± ¡°If you want to master the duty of a tank, Gadius would be a better choice, is what he said.¡± ¡°N-Now that I think about it, you were the daughter of Heroes¡­ So you have such connections, huh?¡± ¡°What are you saying after all this time. Where do you think I gained my skills!¡± ¡°I mean, I get that, but¡­¡±


    Cloud was in pure confusion from such an unbelievable proposal. Seeing how his eyes darted everywhere and his hands moved in fluster, I understood that he was in no state to make a sound judgment. So, I went and smacked him on the head a bit to calm him down.


    ¡°Calm down already. Dad simply said he is willing to train you. If you don¡¯t want that, you can reject the offer, you know?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°If you want, I can go and reject it for you.¡± ¡°But that would be such a waste!¡±


    Cloud was having it quite hard in life. He had both my training and the Adventurer practice. As well as other work in the orphanage.


    If we put Lyell¡¯s training at nighttime when he was already dead tired, we would be overworking him even if he was older than us. So if he said it was a no-go, I was nning to reject the offer myself. That way it would not cause any offense.


    But seeing Cloud¡¯s reaction, my concerns turned out to be needless fears.


    ¡°Being able to receive the training of the Six Heroes is something one can only wish for. It¡¯s something that I should be requesting instead.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re okay with it?¡± ¡°Please tell them that I¡¯ll be in their care. No, wait, maybe I should go greet them myself!¡± ¡°Got it. And no need for the greetings.¡±


    Cloud was making hasty decisions in his excited state. I had to hush him before he went and let something slip. Thinking about what a pain that would be, I felt a little down.


    However, Lyell¡¯s training would ultimately be a huge plus for Cloud¡¯s future. That was the main reason why I proposed it to him.


    And thus, Cloud had ranked up from mine to the Six Heroes¡¯ disciple.


    Here hoping that he doesn¡¯te to regret that decision¡­

 Chapter 217: Exposed

    <h4>Chapter 217: Exposed</h4>


    After receiving Cloud¡¯s approval, I turned back to head to the academy. Even if it was earlier than normal, it was still a long way to go from the church.


    I had to hurry or I¡¯d bete. Well, everyone knew how weak my body was, so being a littlete wouldn¡¯t really raise many questions.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Nicole was so amazing there, wasn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    However, Michelle¡¯s words made me stop in ce.


    She was smiling brightly as always. However, the words that just left her mouth made me flinch.


    ¡°I mean, she didn¡¯t fall behind even against five adult opponents, and used that wire to sh at the charging opponents.¡± ¡°I was unconscious so I see any of that¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡±


    That conversation made me start sweating bullets. I have never fought with threads in the presence of the girls before this. I used them with Cloud as an exception, but he thought I wasn¡¯t using them when forming the party so I could lower my level to match the girls.


    They didn¡¯t even know that something like strengthening oneself with threads was even possible. As such, they never realized that I was doing it.


    At most, I¡¯ve used the threads as a means of movement in front of the girls, but I didn¡¯t have a good excuse to dodge it this time.


    I used the thread instead of a sword to attack and block, disying that I was a master at using it in battle.


    ¡°It looked like she was Lord Reid himself.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ Uhh¡­¡±


    Michelle wasn¡¯t trying to question anything. Still, the two were my important friends, and people I was nning to form a party with after graduation and set out on a journey. So I started to wonder whether hiding my abilities from them wasn¡¯t only making things harder for me.


    Michelle was too young before, so she might have identally let it slip, but wouldn¡¯t it be fine to tell her now?


    I didn¡¯t have to tell her that I was Reid. I could just let her know that I held the Gift of Thread Maniption, couldn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Uh¡­ I never told you but¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Actually, I hold another Gift too.¡± ¡°Huh, so you have two of them!?¡±


    Michelle knew that I had the Interference Magic Gift. My learning speed itself was fast, but because my power output and control had problems before, my progress wasn¡¯t as fast as expected of a Gift holder.


    But Dr. Tricia¡¯s medicine took care of that now, so I was making steady progress with it. I was already stepping into the middle-ranked interference magic, so the other students viewed me a bit like a genius.


    I say a bit because of the nature of my magic. The interference system was quite wide-spread, and given that it couldn¡¯t anything too grand, it wasn¡¯t exactly popr.


    But even so, it was another story if you had another Gift along with it.


    ¡°Remember, I did say back when we discovered your Gift of Marksmanship, right? I thought it would be a bother if people found out I had two Gifts so I kept quiet.¡± ¡°But you were only three at that time. You could already see that far from such a young age?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Besides, thread maniption is a pretty in ability¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case at all. You managed to beat up the enemy alone with those threads back then!¡± ¡°Y-You think so?¡±


    Michelle replied with her usual innocent smile. She was never the type to think hard about things. Even now, she was merely saying what was on her mind.


    So, as long as I exined it to her until she was convinced and asked her to keep it to herself, she would never reveal it to anyone given her sincere personality.


    ¡°But look, it would be troublesome if people find out I have two Gifts, so keep it a secret, okay?¡± ¡°I see¡­ Okay, got it!¡± ¡°Still, so you had two Gifts, huh, Nicole? As expected of the Heroes¡¯ daughter.¡± ¡°A-Ahaha¡­¡±


    Actually, I had three, but this was a secret. My third Gift was probably only known by a few in this world. If a word got out that I had three Gifts, it could cause amotion that wouldn¡¯t fall short of Lyell and the rest.


    ¡°I see. So the reason why you were sometimes using threads to hop around was that Gift, huh?¡± ¡°Of course, I never cked on training, you know? Those moves were all thanks to it.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Now that I think about it, you sure are doing your best, huh, Nicole. I¡¯m not gonna lose.¡± ¡°Right, right. There are countless cases where a Gift holder lost to an ordinary person. You can¡¯t get carried away.¡± ¡°Ugh, are you saying that because of what I did this time?¡± ¡°Of course.¡±


    The current incident happenedpletely due to their overconfidence. If something went slightly differently, they would both be dead now. I had to warn them properly.


    Well, Maria did her scolding right after it happened, so I was sure they engraved it to their hearts, but kids tended to forget things as quickly as they tended to grow.


    I had to keep reminding them every now and then so they would engrave it into their heads.


    ¡°That goes for you too, Michelle.¡± ¡°Ugh, I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t taking this lightly, are you?¡±


    I put a hand on my waist and tried to re at her as sharply as I could. Of course, there was no bloodlust put into it, so it had no real pressure.


    But for Michelle, who cherished friendship above all, being scolded by a friend held a big significance. And as expected, she answered in acknowledgment after hanging her head.


    ¡°I got it, I will be careful from now on.¡± ¡°As long as you understand. But I¡¯ll keep nagging you about this so be prepared.¡± ¡°Eeeh!?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t say it over and over, you¡¯ll forget about it when it counts the most. I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Huh, really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡±


    This was something Maria and Cortina always scolded me about in my previous life. In the end, my bad habit of rushing headfirst into danger never went away until my death.


    That bad habit was starting to bud even in Cloud now. My actions had brought nothing but sadness for Cortina, so I didn¡¯t want Cloud to repeat the same mistake.


    Thus, I decided to be as annoying about it as I could.

 Chapter 218: Start of the Training

    <h4>Chapter 218: Start of the Training</h4>


    For the time being, I seeded in my goal to hear Cloud¡¯s thoughts. As such, I no longer had any reason to get in the way.


    I also made sure to forbid Michelle from speaking about my second, Maniption Gift. I told her she was to keep quiet about it even with Lyell and Maria. My excuse for that was that two Gifts were a rarity.


    In reality, I had three Gifts, and I was just trying to hide my identity, but the two readily epted it without questioning anything.


    And the next day, in our usual training lumberyard, there were more people than I was used to seeing present at the same time.


    Me, Cloud, Lyell, and Gadius¡­ As well as Maria, Cortina, Finia, Michelle and even Maxwell.


    ¡°There are too many of you here.¡± ¡°Ah, well, Finia wanted to tag along for some reason¡­ So I couldn¡¯t just leave her.¡±


    Lyell answered while scratching his head at my re. I understood why Maria would be here. It would be very helpful for her to be here in case we got injured.


    I could understand Maxwell too. We needed his teleportation magic to bring Gadius here, after all.


    But I didn¡¯t know why Cortina, Finia, and Michelle were here.


    Noticing my gaze, Finia answered while fidgeting.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, I¡­ This incident made me realize that I still have ways to go¡­¡± ¡°Nicole, she¡¯s feeling responsibility because you got injured.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    Maria followed up on her words and exined to me. Thinking back on it, I ignored her attempt to stop me and rushed out back there. As a result, I got my fist crushed beyond recognition, but that was in no way Finia¡¯s fault. She shouldn¡¯t feel responsible for it.


    ¡°That was not your fault, okay, Finia?¡± ¡°But if I was a little bit stronger, you would not have ended up fighting alone.¡± ¡°I mean, I had Michelle with me. Besides, that guy was strong enough that someone not qualified enough would¡¯ve only made the situation all the more dangerous.¡± ¡°And that is the problem! I understand that you are far stronger than your age suggests, Lady Nicole, but even so, I wish to be able to protect you.¡± ¡°Uhh.¡±


    If there was someone else at the scene back then, I would¡¯ve been able to concentrate on my fight with Mateus.


    Still, I¡¯m not sure if I would¡¯ve managed to win against him with my current body. If I had the physical ability of my previous body, I would not have fallen behind, however.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, I decided I also want to be strong enough to be able to fight by your side!¡±


    Finia dered while pumping her fists and making a hum with her nose. She wasn¡¯t wearing her normal maid uniform, but a workout one with exposed arms and legs.


    She currently looked so young you¡¯d mistake her for a senior high student of my academy. I mean, she was still in her twenties, so by the elven standards, she was the very definition of youth.


    ¡°Either way, Finia herself wants to do it, so we should let her. It¡¯s not a problem if she gets stronger, is it?¡± ¡°W-Well, yea.¡±


    Trouble¡¯s been growing more frequent in Raum as ofte. Finia was a definite beauty so it would be wise for her to know how to defend herself.


    She has been learning the sword from the Adventurers Leon and Ellen ever since we came to Raum, but they were obviously not always avable. Rather, they were more often away from the city, so what she was doing was hardly a ¡®studying¡¯.


    Even so, her passion and incessant trial and error have led her to acquire a decent skill. Nevertheless, her current skill was still quitecking to apany me to battles.


    She could one day get rolled up into one of my battles, so it was definitely not a mistake for her to train herself.


    Ignoring my hesitation, Maria turned towards Lyell. And then, she warned him with a warm smile.


    ¡°Dear, Finia is a girl so don¡¯t get her injured, you hear?¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t go overboard and turn her into a macho either, okay?¡± ¡°That would be a little hard.¡± ¡°I said don¡¯t, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    Looks like his reins were still held by Maria, as always. Actually, I feel like her grip¡¯s gotten stronger ever since I left their side.


    Thus, Lyell nodded while breaking into a sweat, and the genuine training had begun.


    First, Lyell and Cloud faced each other to approximate each other¡¯sbat ability. I also faced Gadius to grasp my own present ability. We decided on thisbination because otherwise, Lyell would not be able to make a proper judgment against me.


    ¡°Hey, hold your weapon more firmly! If you drop your weapon in the middle of a fight, consider yourself dead!¡±


    Right after they started, Cloud¡¯s sword was knocked off his hand, making him crouch while holding his wrist in pain.


    Still, hispetitive spirit quickly kicked in and he once again took the sword and stood up. Lyell¡¯s training seemed to be harder than it was with me¡­


    ¡°That Lyell, his intentions are obvious. He¡¯ll never learn no matter how long passes.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    I was also exchanging blows with Gadius, but we weren¡¯t going as crazy about it as they. Regardless of how extraordinary my abilities werepared to my age, I wasn¡¯t able to do anything against a defense expert like Gadius without body strengthening.


    I charged at him several times, but he easily deflected each with his shield. He even had time to be looking away. I was made to realize his skill once again.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t paying attention to him as ofte, so he¡¯s venting it on yourrade Cloud. Good grief, he can be so immature.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Well, ever since I moved to Cortina, I haven¡¯t been paying much attention to him indeed. I suppose he has been stressed and was releasing it all with Cloud as his opponent.


    Cloud had my condolences, but you could tell how pure he was for mistaking his venting for strictness and bing more motivated.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ I should entertain him a bit more.¡± ¡°Please do.¡±


    Gadius agreed with my unconscious mutter with a deep sigh.

 Chapter 219: Questioning

    <h4>Chapter 219: Questioning</h4>


    After Cloud and I finished our respective face-offs, it was now time for him to face Gadius, while Finia faced Lyell.


    It was his second match without a break, but his role in our party required the most toughness. This was also to see how he fared in terms of stamina.


    As for Lyell, since he was facing Finia now, he couldn¡¯t get violent as he did with Cloud, so he was in a pretty awkward state.


    While I was observing them, I spotted something strange in the corner of my vision. There, Maxwell was being cornered by Cortina and Maria.


    ¡°So, Maxwell. Where did ¡®she¡¯ go?¡± ¡°She? I have not the slightest idea who might you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that Haumea, the girl that seems to be the reincarnation of Reid!¡± ¡°This is my first time hearing about this as well. Care to tell me the details?¡± ¡°I, ehm¡­ She is not Reid¡¯s reincar¡ª¡± ¡°You really think that excuse is gonna work at thiste hour? You can¡¯t pretend that the evidence left in Tarkashire¡¯s mansion doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°No, that was¡­¡±


    It was rare to see Maxwell so flustered, but I couldn¡¯t just stand and enjoy it. The contents of their talk were problematic for me too. At this rate, he might end up confessing about me.


    I had to shift their target to something else, but I couldn¡¯t think of a good excuse.


    Maxwell was sneaking nces towards me and asking for help, but I couldn¡¯t juste up with an excuse on the spot so fast. Thinking wasn¡¯t my forte, in the first ce.


    I spread my hands out, gesturing at him to drag it on as much as he could, but Cortina and Maria were no pushovers.


    ¡°Umm, the truth is¡­¡±


    Maxwell started while sweating bullets. It was obvious that his bastion was about to fall. Cortina who was pressing him for the answer was one thing, but Maria who held him by the shoulders from behind while smiling sweetly was equally frightening.


    Honestly peaking, I had no courage to butt in there. It looked scarier than the fight with the Evil Dragon Colchis.


    ¡°Reid is¡­ Umm¡­ Alright, fine!¡± ¡°Oh, are you in the middle of something?¡±


    Just as Maxwell¡¯s endurance reached its limit and I also resolved myself for the inevitable, a nonchnt voice interrupted their conversation.


    The one that butted in their conversation without caring about the tense mood¡­ Was Aste. He was d in a robe that covered his solid body, and held a package under his arm.


    Cortina and Maria who were seeing him for the first time felt suspicious of him.


    ¡°I came to deliver your order, but should I leave for now?¡± ¡°No, no such thing. You came at the perfect time!¡± ¡°Wait a minute, what do you mean perfect time. Rather, who is this person?¡± ¡°He is my acquaintance cksmith. No, let¡¯s leave that forter. We have a guest here, right?¡±


    Maxwell pointed at him while making that appeal. Cortina still seemed to have something to say, but Maria wasn¡¯t so outrageous to keep pressing him for answers before a guest.


    Thus, she reluctantly let go of Maxwell¡¯s shoulders and agreed to his opinion.


    Seeing Maria that way, Cortina couldn¡¯t keep going either.


    ¡°Fine then¡­ But we¡¯ll definitely continue from where we left off, you hear?¡± ¡°U-Uh, o-of course. Oh right, can I borrow Nicole after this? Aste is quite a capable cksmith.¡± ¡°To be urate, I am a craftsman. No, I suppose that isn¡¯t right either.¡± ¡°A craftsman? Really?¡± ¡°Indeed he is! Nicole is a growing girl, so her equipment needs to undergo adjustments.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, she¡¯s grown quite tallertely. Sword aside, her leather armor does need some readjustments.¡±


    Maria agreed with Maxwell.


    Lyell and the rest finally finished their training by that time. Lyell himself looked fine, but Finia was dripping with sweat and her legs looked wobbly. Cloud was in a simr state too.


    ¡°Finia has the skills but her stamina is the problem. Cloud on the other hand has the necessary stamina, so all that¡¯s left are techniques.¡± ¡°Yes, thisd is quite talented. Exins why your daughter had an eye on him.¡±


    The two brieflymented on their students while heading towards us. Hearing their good evaluation, Finia and Cloud looked quite satisfied.


    I recalled my previous conversation with Gadius. Lyell seemed to have been stressed since I was ignoring him.


    He was someone irksome for me, but that didn¡¯t mean I hated him. He was the rival that had reached my ideal a step faster than me, so it was a bit unreasonable to ask me to be kind to him. I wasn¡¯t that good-natured.


    Still, I didn¡¯t hate him, so leaving him in this awkward rtionship with his daughter was also a bit too harsh.


    Thus, I grabbed the towels that Maria prepared and ran up to him.


    ¡°Good work. Here you go, dad.¡±


    I handed over the towel in a frank but also somewhat shy tone. I also gave one each to Gadius and Finia. Lyell and Gadius almost didn¡¯t sweat at all, but Finia was so sweaty her exercise uniform waspletely drenched. Her uniform was clinging to her skin and looked quite erotic. Yeah, not a bad sight to behold.


    ¡°Ah, you have my thanks, Nicole.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Nicole.¡±


    Gadius thanked me casually, while Finia was more polite about it. Lyell, on the other hand, was simply frozen in ce.


    He stood there trembling for a while. I c?o?c?k?e?d? my head to the side in wonder, but the next moment he suddenly reached out toward me.


    ¡°Waaaaaaah, Nicoleeee!¡± ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Look, Gadius, isn¡¯t my daughter simply adorable!¡±


    He suddenly pulled me close and hugged me so tight I couldn¡¯t even move. Though I said he didn¡¯t sweat, it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t sweat even a bit, so he was somewhat stinky.


    Moreover, I could feel his bulging muscles from under his thin clothes. I tried to resist with all my might, with goosebumps all over my body, but s, it was futile.


    ¡°I got it, I got it already, so let her go. She keeps her distance because you act like that.¡± ¡°W-What!? Nicole wouldn¡¯t hate me over such a thing!¡± ¡°I¡­ HATE YOU!¡±


    Whenever I throw him a bone, he¡¯s always like this. I threw my merciless retort and slipped out of his grasp. I was at least able to escape from him while he was struck by my words.


    Then I rushed straight towards Finia and clung to her, securing my safety. Lyell copsed to his knees and hung his head down in dejection. But he brought that on himself.


    ¡°Uh, Nicole. What about my towel?¡± ¡°How about you go get it yourself?¡±


    There was no reason to appeal to Cloud as well, so I didn¡¯t bring his share. Hearing my words, he also fell to his knees in dejection right next to Lyell.

 Chapter 220: New Armament

    <h4>Chapter 220: New Armament</h4>


    Due to Aste¡¯s interruption, Maxwell managed to safely dodge the questioning. We pretended that we were going to adjust the equipment Aste brought and evacuated to Maxwell¡¯s mansion.


    Of course, that excuse wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, so Maria and Cortina did not doubt it.


    I pushed Aste¡¯s back with Maxwell and fled from the lumberyard a step ahead, but Finia and Cloud seemed to be staying behind to train for a bit longer.


    After we took our refuge in Maxwell¡¯s mansion, we shut the windows so no one could observe us from the outside. I also fully focused on my presence perception and made sure there were no observers around.


    ¡°Okay, seems like there¡¯s no one, huh?¡± ¡°Indeed, though there are not many that try to peek inside my mansion by default.¡± ¡°Why are you two going so far¡­ Oh, I see. So you were keeping it a secret, huh?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t exactlye out and say that I¡¯ve be a daughter of myrades.¡± ¡°Not like you can keep on hiding it forever.¡±


    Aste made a short sarcasticment and didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further. This man was one that put his own interests before anything. He quickly unpacked his package and took out the brand new gauntlets from inside.


    ¡°These are the gauntlets that I readjusted. I managed to strengthen the exterior with the bones of the Evil Dragon that I got from you while also sessfully lowered its weight. ¡°Oho?¡±


    Previously it was made of metal with ck luster, but now it felt quite strange to the touch, being coarse and quite unlike metal. The color was still the same but the luster was gone, so now it just looked like a matte ck material that didn¡¯t reflect light.


    On its surface, there was a geometrical pattern drawn by lines made with white¡­ No, with melted silver.


    ¡°Previously you could hold your own weight with one finger, but that¡¯s too burdensome for you now, right? So I covered it with armor all the way to the fingers to better endure the external load.¡±


    Looking at it, previously the armoring only covered up to the back of the hand, after which it simply had thread pipes running up to the fingertips, but now those fingers were also fully covered in armor.


    As for the palm side of it, it had turned into something like a glove made of some kind of ck membrane. It also had a pattern carved with silver.


    ¡°I used the Evil Dragon¡¯s wing membrane for the glove parts. Due to its nature, it can easily handle fire and some low-level magic, but in addition, it can even endure the friction with Mythril threads.¡± ¡°Uh-huh?¡± ¡°This material has a high coefficient of friction, so it will prove to be helpful even when wielding something like a sword.¡±


    True, these coarse gloves would make it hard for the weapon to slip, so it would be easy to hold a sword. But on the other hand, that could also get in the way when making tricky movements like when shifting your hold on the weapon. That was something that needed some getting used to.


    ¡°I also attached hooks made of the fangs on both wrists, near the pinkie fingers. If you hook the enemy with it you can force them into a hand-to-hand fight.¡± ¡°Wow.¡±


    I shifted my gaze towards the part he mentioned, and there was indeed a small, one-centimeter-long protuberance on the inner part of the wrists. I poked it with my finger and it felt tougher than I expected.


    It felt tougher than iron, but thinking about it, that Evil Dragon could easily chew down armors. It was natural for it to be this tough.


    ¡°It can hook on the clothes as I said, but it¡¯s also tough enough to endure your weight. In other words, if you find a t wall that you can grab onto with these fangs, it¡¯s possible to stay attached to them.¡± ¡°What!?¡±


    I was very interested in the ability to cling to walls without using my threads. I immediately rushed to a nearby wall, hooked on it, and pulled myself up. It felt a bit awkward, but it could certainly hold my weight. Alternating my hands, I managed to gradually climb higher and higher.


    I could even hold onto it with just one hand. This would definitely widen my range of strategies.


    ¡°Nicole, what are you doing!? My walls are all scratched up now!¡± ¡°A bit toote to be whining about that. This ce is dirty as is, so why do you care?¡± ¡°I have to rece the wallpaper now!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about?¡±


    Still, I already understood that they could support my body so this was enough. I jumped back down and approached Aste.


    ¡°Hmm. I knew that it would be alright based on my calctions, but I was a bit uneasy before seeing it in action.¡± ¡°So you haven¡¯t even tested it!¡± ¡°My wife would be just the right size for the task, but she is absent at the moment.¡± ¡°Ah, right, she ran away from you, was it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Looks like this was a taboo topic, he red daggers at me. Still, if his wife was just the right size, doesn¡¯t that mean her physique was simr to mine? Was this guy actually a lolicon¡­?


    ¡°Well, whatever. Each thread is about 100 meters long. And there are five of them in each glove. That should be enough, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, did it decreasepared to before?¡± ¡°Well, the gauntlets are a size smaller nowpared to before, so it¡¯s natural that they¡¯d be shorter.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°Also, this is the biggest change to it, but that pattern on its exterior is there for activating the strengthening magic.¡± ¡°Strengthening magic?¡±


    He was probably talking about that geometrical pattern drawn with silver. So that was a magic circle, huh? It looked different from the one I knew, however.


    ¡°You can activate the Enchant spell just by pouring magic power into it. However, since you aren¡¯t creating the magic circle with your own power, its effects are very limited. Itsts three minutes, and it only targets you. You can¡¯t cast it on someone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still more than enough.¡±


    If all it took was magic power, I could do it instantly. There have been many battles until now where I had no choice but to depend on the threads on strengthening myself. If it allowed me to make up for that burden, this weapon would prove to be very useful.


    ¡°Also, they can be dismantled now. And the pattern drawn on the glove armor has Apport installed in it. In other words, you can summon and put them on at will through it.¡± ¡°Wow, thanks man! Now there¡¯s no need to sneak them out every time.¡± ¡°However, you can only summon them when they are in this box. And you can¡¯t return them back.¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s good enough. You have no idea how many times I¡¯ve found myself with no weapons at hand when I needed them the most.¡±


    I tapped on the wooden box Aste brought with him. There was a simr pattern drawn inside of it. It was most likely the magic circle that corresponded to the Apport spell.


    It was the same with Mateus, but I had a very picky ability so I couldn¡¯t show my best without these gauntlets on hand. So being able to have the gloves on and summon the gauntlets just by pouring my magic power into them was a godsend.


    ¡°This is some really nice job you¡¯ve done here. You have my thanks.¡± ¡°I also had my fun with them this time, so the feeling is mutual.¡±


    With those words, Aste gave me a firm handshake.

 Chapter 221: Trial Run

    <h4>Chapter 221: Trial Run</h4>


    Afterward, Aste received his payment from Maxwell and quickly disappeared somewhere. Since he paid in my stead I had to repay it some time, but that could be easily solved by paying a visit to my secret base.


    Having obtained new gauntlets, I had a delighted expression on my face, my hands itching for the action. Frankly put, I really wanted to put their ability to test right away. Maxwell, on the other hand, was looking extremely weary.


    ¡°You sure look carefree. And here I am depressed.¡± ¡°Huh, why? I got my weapon, so my power should go up. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, is there?¡± ¡°I do not mean that. I am talking about Maria and Cortina.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    If those two press Maxwell for answers, even he would not be able to get away. Cortina had Maria as a reinforcement this time, so my identity was just waiting to get busted at this rate.


    ¡°This is a tough one, huh?¡± ¡°I feel like no excuses will work next time. Why not juste out with it already?¡± ¡°Like I can do that sote in the game! I¡¯d be super awkward!¡±


    There¡¯s no way I can reveal it myself. But I couldn¡¯t find a good excuse to deceive them, either.


    I couldn¡¯t erase the feeling that all doors were closed on me.


    ¡°Should I transform again and redirect them that way?¡± ¡°Doing that more than once would instead invite more danger. Do you believe that Cortina will be deceived over and over?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, not happening.¡±


    Currently, Cortina was under the impression that this imaginary person, Haumea, was Reid. If she learned that she was fake, then her aim would shift to the one that visited Maxwell¡¯s mansion most frequently¡ªin other words, me.


    ¡°This sucks. Feels like we arepletely helpless.¡± ¡°It would be a stupid n to make any moves now. I will try to distract them with the pursuit of Klein and Mateus, since they are the focus now.¡± ¡°Can you even get juicy information required for that to work?¡± ¡°I suppose not.¡±


    Mateus pulled back, which meant Klein Sto Serwa wasn¡¯t in this town anymore. Since he left the city already, there was no knowing where he could have gone from there. If he had connections to someone that could use Teleportation magic, he could be anywhere now. Pursuing someone like that would be close to impossible even for Maxwell.


    ¡°Until I get it, I will somehow distract them by doing work separately. Cortina and others have their hands full of investigating the Sto domain, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s also the matter of Donovan too.¡± ¡°But there was also the matter of that assassin from the southern City-State union of Qaum. There is a need to investigate that too, right?¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re gonna tell them you¡¯d investigate that yourself?¡± ¡°Yes, after all, either matter requires prompt action from us. There is a high possibility that we would lose our target if we stall the matter for too long. As such, Maria and I, who are able to use the Teleportation magic, have to share that work.¡± ¡°I see. I suppose that works as an excuse. Still, pursuing that assassin can be quite dangerous, you know? Although not quite on my level from my previous life, that Mateus is still extremely dangerous.¡± ¡°Singing praises to yourself, eh? In that case, perhaps I will take Gadius too.¡±


    I suppose there should be no problems with a specialist in protection like Gadius with him. Still, Elves and Dwarves were generally on bad terms, but these two got along surprisingly well.


    Well, they wererades who have looked death in the eyes many a time, so it was probably natural.


    ¡°If the enemy has people like that on their side, I kinda wanna tag along as a guard¡­¡± ¡°The present you? You can¡¯t even leave the town so easily, can you?¡± ¡°Ugh, yeah, I even have some self-restraints put on the hunting too.¡±


    Since Cloud got rolled up in such an incident just outside of the city, we had to be wary of the surroundings for some time. Thus, the kingdom was more vignt now and also requested low-level Adventurers to put self-restraint on their activities.


    As an after-effect of that, our hunts also fell under such self-restraints. Cloud¡¯s food situation required him to hunt, but it couldn¡¯t be helped now. To deal with that immediate problem, we were using illegal channels to distribute our own shares as preserved foods.


    ¡°Oh well. Please deal with that somehow, old man.¡± ¡°Good grief, acting like it is none of your concern¡­¡± ¡°I feel bad about it, okay? I¡¯ll give you something to make up for itter.¡± ¡°You shall not fool me with some cheap meat!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just let yourself be fooled? I¡¯m still a kid!¡± ¡°You are only a kid when it suits your needs.¡±


    Maxwell drew near to smack me on my head. I dodged his hand and made my way out of his mansion.


    Late at night. I started feeling like I was bing quite a nocturnal person.


    I used my Stealth Gift to its utmost and left the city, entering the forest. This was to test my new ability and the performance of the new equipment. I was quite fond of my new weapon, but that didn¡¯t mean I would be an expert at using it from the get-go.


    Every good weapon needed getting used to first.


    ¡°That said, I just want to test it right away, but¡­¡±


    First I decided to start by testing the muscle fiber maniption that I discovered during the fight with Mateus.


    I jumped, elerated, and decelerated, leaping around in the forest to my heart¡¯s content. My speed was far fasterpared to being strengthened with threads.


    However¡­


    ¡°This¡­ Is no good. The burden is too much.¡±


    Unlike the Enchant magic, it didn¡¯t strengthen my stamina along with it. My body couldn¡¯t keep up with my movement ability and started screeching in a short time.


    ¡°I did well enduring it during the fight with Mateus.¡±


    If I had exceeded my limit while fighting, he could¡¯ve easily cut me down. Then, I suddenly remembered the spell that was carved on my gauntlets.


    Aste said there was Enchant installed on it. In that case, wouldn¡¯t it also be able to raise my stamina? Thinking that, I quickly let my magic power flow through it.


    Receiving my magic power, the spell activated on its own and covered my body. I then used my thread maniption on top of it and did the same actions as before. Albeit only by a bit, the burden seemed to have lessened.


    The reason I was still feeling some burden was probably that my maniption ability was exceeding the strength of the Enchant spell. Still, if it was this much, I couldst for about ten minutes. The build-in magic could onlyst for three minutes, so any longer would be pointless.


    ¡°Next would be to check the threads themselves. We worked so hard to get them¡­ Hmm?¡±


    Then, I suddenly noticed a rustling in the grass. Any violent animals were being periodically exterminated by Adventurers around these parts, so it shouldn¡¯t have been any dangerous animal.


    As if to betray my expectations¡­ A giant silhouette showed itself from the grass.

 Chapter 222: The Forest’s Monster

    <h4>Chapter 222: The Forest¡¯s Monster</h4>


    A giant body of perhaps over three meters appeared from the grasses. It was clearly not a human. I set up my new gauntlets and faced it.


    The moonlight raising down from the tree gaps finally fell on its giant body and revealed its identity.


    ¡°It¡¯s a maneater¡­an Ogre¡­¡±


    Even though I called it a maneater, that went the same for all monsters. It was a giant humanoid that was just called like that for convenience.


    Given its huge body, its agility wasn¡¯t much, but its physical strength exceeded that of humans by far. Still, Adventurers knew how to deal with monsters that were simply strong.


    Defeating an Ogre was like a mark of qualification. It was a gateway to sess for newbies. This Monster had been given such recognition.


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    I was about to leak a sigh of relief but then I braced myself. If it was me from my previous life, I could¡¯ve easily dealt with it even without using my threads. For Lyell, it was probably on the level of ying with a child. But for the current me, it would be a hard fight. I couldn¡¯t get careless.


    I extended a thread from my left hand, took a defensive posture, and waited for the opponent¡¯s move.


    We red at each other for a while. However, the opponent didn¡¯t make any moves. But that made me feel suspicious. From the Ogre¡¯s point of view, I should have looked like a defenseless child. It should¡¯ve had no reason to hesitate on attacking.


    Despite that, it didn¡¯t seem like he would charge at me anytime soon. Or rather, it was strange for Ogres to show up in a ce like this.


    Dangerous monsters were being exterminated by Adventurers around here, so something like an Ogre wasn¡¯t supposed to exist here.


    ¡°At any rate, it would be a problem if it starts showing up here. I better deal with it.¡±


    I let my bloodthirst loose and took a step towards it. Seeing me fully motivated, the Ogre raised his hands in panic.


    ¡°S-Stop. Me, no fight.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡±


    It was a flustered, frightened voice. his tone itself sounded a bit intimidating, but the words themselves had made me lose my motivation to fight.


    It was surprising for him to talk to me, but Ogres did have some intelligence. Conversing itself would be possible as long as they willed it. However, as they only considered humans as food, they seldom tried to converse with one.


    ¡°Then, why did youe so close to the city?¡±


    Any intelligent being should know that here was the city of Raum. In other words, approaching it would mean it had some sort of intention.


    For example, if there was no more food to be found near its den, so it decided to find new feed, that is, humans.


    ¡°Me, humans, no attack. Live secretly, in mountains.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Then, Adventurer,e.¡±


    Based on what I could understand from his awkward speech, it didn¡¯t seem to be living nearby. It was saying that it lived peacefully, without eating humans, but then an Adventurer showed up there. In other words, it had its home raided so it had fled here against its will, is it?


    ¡°Well, that sounds unfortunate¡­ Huh?¡±


    Wait, wasn¡¯t it strange for there to be an Adventurer attacking some peaceful Ogre¡¯s home given this timing? Docile as he seems, he was still an Ogre. Any Adventurer that didn¡¯t know his true nature would try to hunt it on sight.


    Okay, but in that case, how did this one manage to get all the way here safely?


    Ogres were by nature not fast monsters. If someone tried to subjugate him, the battle would have taken ce in the near vicinity. In rare cases, some of them did try to run away, but being slow on their feet meant that their chances of getting away were low.


    And yet, this one managed to make it all the way here. It was probably a long distance from his den.


    ¡°Hey, did that Adventurer not chase you?¡± ¡°Adventurer steal home. Steal my home. Was doing something.¡± ¡°Stole? And they did something there?¡± ¡°On ground, draw something.¡±


    They went all the way to an Ogre¡¯s den and just drove him out without even subjugating him, and then started drawing something on the ground there.


    After I heard that much, it suddenly hit me¡­ It was the Teleportation magic.


    Maxwell and Maria were using it as if nothing, but if an ordinary person were to use it, they needed to pre-arrange the magic circle to supplement for theirck of magic power.


    If I had to say, this method was closer to the one Aste was using. Therge-scale teleportation magic cast with many people that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild used was utilizing this method.


    There was no need to even think of a reason why anyone would be using one so near to Raum.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what Klein used to make his escape!¡± ¡°Well done, Ogre! As a reward, I¡¯ll overlook you this time.¡± ¡°R-Really? I can run?¡± ¡°Yeah, a man does not go back on his word.¡± ¡°But you, woman.¡± ¡°Nevermind, lemme kill you.¡± ¡°Eeek!?¡±


    I ended up going back on it in reflex, but this was a joke so it didn¡¯t count. At any rate, I had to deliver this news to Maxwell as fast as I could. The traces of Magic tended to disappear the longer it passed.


    It has already been a week since, so that magic circle was the only remaining proof. There was a possibility of it vanishing in the blink of an eye in case of a rainstorm.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go get a helper, so follow¡­ Actually, you can¡¯t enter the city, huh? Can you wait for me here? If everything goes well, my helper will take you to a safe ce.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that a man does not go back on his word?¡± ¡°But you, female.¡± ¡°You really want to die, huh¡­¡± ¡°Geeh!?¡±


    He never learns¡­ was what I would like to say, but an Ogre¡¯s intellect only went so far. In fact, fearing humans and deciding to live in seclusion already made this one umonly rational for his kind.


    Thus, having obtained a lead, I rushed back to Raum to take Maxwell with me.

 Chapter 223: Trap

    <h4>Chapter 223: Trap</h4>


    The Ogre couldn¡¯t enter the city. Thus to have Maxwell hear him, I had to go bring Maxwell here instead. Since I couldn¡¯t tell Cortina and the rest that I snuck deep into the forest to test my new weapon, I could only tell Maxwell about this.


    I ran up to Maxwell¡¯s mansion and heaved a big sigh. From this point on, the path was filled with Maxwell¡¯s hand-picked anti-theft magic. What¡¯s more, Gadius was also lodging here now. Getting to Maxwell without Gadius finding it out required me to sneak in.


    If I waited to visit in the morning, there would be no need for that, but in that case, the Ogre has to spend all night near the city. If some other Adventurer discovered it, they would most likely subjugate him, no questions asked.


    Based on our talk, the Ogre turned out to be an unexpectedly nice fellow for his species, so I couldn¡¯t bring myself to chance him getting killed.


    ¡°Fortunately, I still remember the time I kept himpany testing these anti-theft spells, so I think I should be able to manage, but¡ª¡±


    I took a step while muttering to myself. But the next moment, my senses had a ckout.


    ¡°What are you doing here sote in the night?¡± ¡°I came looking for you!¡±


    I yelled back in anger at Maxwell from the bottom of the pitfall. Of course, in a small enough voice so that Gadius wouldn¡¯t wake up. Wait, can you even call it a yell, at that point?


    At any rate, long story short, I fell right into his primitive trap with my very first step. Moreover, the bottom of the pit had some kind of adhesive to keep the invaders in ce.


    In other words, I was all gooey and sticky now.


    ¡°I was bringing you important news, and this is how you treat me? Hurry and pull me up already.¡± ¡°Right, hold on for a moment. Let me first photograph you with this copying tool.¡± ¡°Why are you trying to photograph me!?¡±


    A copying tool was something that copied sceneries and such on mediums like paper or parchment. It was apparently something the God of Destruction, one of the developers of Magic Tools, had created hundreds of years ago. In other words¡­ That Whitey. Everything she does has to be problematic.


    ¡°I had a feeling Cortina would pay a lot for it. Little Finia would too, probably.¡± ¡°Hold it. Don¡¯t lead those girls down a wicked path.¡±


    Finia and Michelle were my sces, so I had to keep them away from this guy¡¯s fetishes.


    As we chattered around, Maxwell finally rescued me and I got back to the surface. And it seemed he did actually photograph me.


    ¡°So, what is your business?¡± ¡°Ah, right, I may have found information that is linked with Klein¡¯s whereabouts. I may have, but first, let me in. Also, lend me your bath.¡± ¡°No can do. I cannot let you stain my mansion with that filth.¡± ¡°You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?¡­¡± ¡°I will cleanse you with magicter, so tell me the information first.¡± ¡°If this dries on me, I¡¯ll turn all crusty¡­ Plus, if this stuff gets inside your nose or mouth you can die, you know?¡± ¡°Well, it is a trap for a reason. That is one of the possible oues.¡±


    Maxwell lightly brushed myint aside, but he did have a point.


    At any rate, that Ogre was quite good-natured, but he didn¡¯t seem to be that smart. It would be nice if he stayed hidden, but if he started carelessly walking around, he could stumble on some other Adventurer.


    Thus, I quickly summed up my previous conversation to Maxwell and voiced my concern to leave as soon as we could.


    ¡°Oh, a docile Ogre, you say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re focusing on!?¡± ¡°I got it. Good grief, Cortina is being a bad influence on you, eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just you being too carefree.¡± ¡°But you are correct. We can¡¯t bring him inside the city, and there is no knowing whether it would stay hidden even if you instructed him to. It would be better to make haste.¡±


    Raum was the capital, so it had a lot of traffic. The city gate was closed at night, but the travelers that reached it generally spent the night right outside of it. We couldn¡¯t ignore the possibility of someone like that discovering him, either.


    ¡°Yeah, he looked a little stupid, so I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Well, it is an Ogre, in the end. Rather, since he managed to hold a conversation with you, that already makes his intellect outstanding among his race. It is quite interesting.¡± ¡°I promised to help him escape if this information turned out to be correct, you know?¡± ¡°I see, well monsters aren¡¯t one-sidedly evil. The Carbuncle that you are keeping is one such example.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that.¡±


    Good-natured monsters. They were extremely rare in number, but there have been reported cases of them. How to deal with such monsters was left up to the Adventurers¡¯ discretions.


    There were some that imed that all monsters had to be subjugated, while others imed you should not point your sword at those that do not mean you harm.


    Since either of those ims had some truth in them, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild had no official guidelines about it.


    We also judged that one Ogre shouldn¡¯t be a problem and decided to help him escape this time. If it was a Dragon instead, that would¡¯ve changed the story a bit, however.


    ¡°At any rate, I will lead before we leave the city, so follow me.¡± ¡°Before that, can you let me prepare a bit? I have nothing but pajamas on me now.¡± ¡°Then go and get dressed already! And lend me your bath!¡± ¡°Good grief, you are such a selfish person.¡± ¡°Look in the mirror and say that again!¡±


    Thus, I seeded in my attempt to take a bath in his house. Still, as I hadn¡¯t used my Stealth Gift all this time, there might have been someone who had seen me.


    Later, rumors may have spread about a slime-covered girl being brought into Maxwell¡¯s mansion.


    I sessfully brought Maxwell out and had him meet with the Ogre. The Ogre in question hadn¡¯t tried to run and was obediently waiting for us while hiding in the forest. He was hiding so well, in fact, that it took even me some time to find him.


    Perhaps it was due to this ability that he was able to survive near a metropolis like Raum.


    ¡°Good day. I am Maxwell. This old man has heard that you have witnessed something interesting.¡± ¡°Me called Den. Nice to meet.¡± ¡°Oho, I did not expect you to return the greeting. So, is this house of yours nearby?¡± ¡°No, it far. Walking, seven suns passed.¡± ¡°A week, huh¡­¡±


    He probably loitered around in the forest for a long time, so a straight line should take us a bit less. Still, I couldn¡¯t leave the city for such a long time. My behind-the-scenes operations were only known to Maxwell.


    ¡°It cannot be helped. I will cast Flight magic, so let us go there at once.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Flight Magic was somewhere between middle and high-grade magic, and belonged to the Puppetry system. It belonged to the Puppetry system based on the fact that you controlled your body with magic, but it was close to the Interference system too.


    Worthy of special mention was of course the ability to fly in the sky. It allowed you to ignore ground traps including pitfalls, and even to cross over walls and such.


    Above all, by ignoring obstacles, your movement speed increased by leaps and bounds. You could fly at 50 km per hour with this magic.


    ¡°We can indeed cover one week¡¯s journey in one night, but the magic consumption¡ªActually, never mind.¡±


    The biggest weakness of this spell was its extreme magic power consumption. Casting it on all three of us should be quite a burden, but a magic power tank like this old man should have no problems with it.


    ¡°There you have it. Well then, let us go.¡±


    At the same time Maxwell activated his spell, our bodies floated up into the sky. And thus, we started our flight towards the Ogre¡¯s home.

 Chapter 224: The Ogre’s Home

    <h4>Chapter 224: The Ogre¡¯s Home</h4>


    It was a bright night illuminated by the full moon.


    Maxwell and I, and also the Ogre, were flying through that moonlight sky. A silver-haired girl apanied by an old magician would be quite a charming sight to those who beheld it, but Den¡¯s figure was too out of ce.


    ¡°Uh, this¡­ Kind of feels like a fairy-tail, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Flight magic has been around since the olden days. What are you surprised about now?¡± ¡°I know that much, but still¡­ Bah, nevermind. Den, please guide us.¡± ¡°Okay. Me will guide.¡±


    Den who wasn¡¯t used to flying proceded by taking a step forward as if walking. Gradually he raised his speed, perhaps slowly getting used to it.


    Maxwell and I were used to flying already, so we didn¡¯t have to make such weird movements to fly. The Flight magic had quite an impressive movement speed, so we didn¡¯t have to rush that much. The night was still young, so we had time to spare.


    Rather, we had to pay attention for Den not to crash to the ground or someone from below discovering it.


    We flew north for ten-odd minutes. But then, I suddenly realized something I shouldn¡¯t have. But now that I did, I had no choice but to confirm it with Maxwell.


    ¡°Hey, Maxwell¡­¡± ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t lose sight of Den now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m paying attention to that, don¡¯t worry. Rather than that, couldn¡¯t you have used this magic back in Maleva?¡±


    Back then, I becamepletely drained of strength by the time we left the town, and after that, I had to suck it up and deal with the shame of being carried by him. If he just used this magic at that time, I could¡¯ve avoided showing such a disgraceful appearance.


    ¡°Maleva had grasnds around and everything was in in sight. What would you do if somebody had seen us?¡± ¡°You have a point¡­ But still, isn¡¯t it the same now?¡± ¡°Raum has a dense forest all around. You can see what is right above the city, but on a nted angle the view is obstructed.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is?¡± ¡°Thus, I judged that it should be no problem if we fly in this area.¡± ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I was not fully convinced by his exnation but decided to just keep following Den. And after about one hour had passed, Den suddenly stopped in ce.


    ¡°We here.¡±


    He made a briefment and pointed at one corner of the forest. It was a strange ce, with a giant boulder protruding from the forest.


    ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°That boulder. Bottom open. Me live there.¡± ¡°Open? Oh, so the lower part of it is hollow.


    Due to his wordscking variation, it sometimes took a little time for us to understand what he was trying to say. But even that started to sound normal the more I got used to his speech, which was quite strange in its own way.


    ¡°I see, I see. So that is how it is¡­¡±


    Maxwell was acting strangely convinced after hearing Den¡¯s words. It was certainly a conspicuous boulder, but I still didn¡¯t get what was so special about it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Reid. I became a little interested now.¡± ¡°I wish you¡¯d be fully interested in this, though. There might be clues leading to Klein waiting for us beyond this.¡± ¡°That too. Or rather, that is why they did it¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get what you mean, though?¡± ¡°I do not have any conviction yet. I will brief you after we reach the ce.¡±


    After saying that to me, Maxwell descended straight towards that boulder. Den also followed behind him in a timid manner. Seeing that I raised a flustered voice.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go ahead of a scout! What do you n to do if they were ambushing us, good grief¡­¡±


    Following behind them, I alsonded on the rocky area. In the northern side of that area, in a ce where moss grew due to theck of sunlight, there was the entrance to Den¡¯s home.


    From afar, it didn¡¯t look like it led to the inside due to how camouged it was with brown and green colors.


    If there were no faint traces of being trodden, even I might have overlooked it.


    ¡°This is quite well done. It¡¯s a natural camouge.¡± ¡°Here. Will lead you inside.¡± ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t sense any humans, so there should be no problems. Maxwell, give us light.¡± ¡°Okay. Crimson one, Gold five, Jade one¡ªLight.¡±


    I asked Maxwell while pulling out my dagger. Maxwell quickly chanted the spell and produced a small light. Crimson one meant it was the smallest illumination, and Gold Five meant it wouldst for five hours. Jade was for the distance, and it was now set to the distance until my dagger.


    The magic light got absorbed by my dagger and it lit up like a torch. Even if it was of the lowest level, it was still light magic, so it was more than enough to illuminate our immediate surroundings.


    Den¡¯s cavern was quite long, reaching all the way to the center of that huge boulder. At that point, it turned into a wider space, and it was filled with the skin and bones of various animals. There were also fruit cores and such. Probably Den¡¯s leftover foods.


    The rotten skin and bones were giving off an unpleasant smell, filling the entire space.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Den, you have bad venttion here, so at least throw away your trash. You¡¯ll grow sick.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Me have healthy body.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s enviable.¡±


    If I lived here, I was confident I¡¯d get sick within three days.


    In the center of that garbage-filled ce, there was a giant magic circle still remaining on the ground.

 Chapter 225: The New Home

    <h4>Chapter 225: The New Home</h4>


    There was a faded magic circle of about three meters in diameter drawn in the middle of the room.


    Only the vicinity of that circle was devoid of garbage and was neatly tidied up. The floor was bare ground, and the circle was drawn on it with special paint.


    Maxwell promptly walked over to the magic circle and touched it with his hand.


    ¡°This was a close call. It has been weathered to the point that a little longer and it would have been indistinguishable.¡± ¡°How is it then, can you make out its destination?¡± ¡°Yes. This here is the direction¡­ And this is the range, I suppose? In that case¡­ It¡¯s southeast¡­ and the distance is¡­¡±


    Maxwell started deciphering the magic circle. In the meantime, I stood near the entrance and stayed alert for the surroundings.


    Since they left such a piece of evidence behind, it was possible that they left someone on the lookout.


    Before long, Maxwell finally removed his eyes from the circle and approached me to tell me the result of his analyses.


    ¡°It seems that Klein has gone to either Qaum or Lilith.¡± ¡°Mateus¡¯ hometown, huh? You can¡¯t narrow it down any further between them?¡± ¡°The detailed coordinates have already gotten erased. I could only roughly measure the direction and the distance.¡± ¡°What about magic power? Setting you aside, it would need one or two magicians normally. Can¡¯t you measure the distance based on the overall size of the circle as well?¡± ¡°About that¡­ This ce just happens to be situated above a Ley Line. As such, I can not measure the distance based on magic power. Or rather, I suppose the presence of the Ley Line was the reason why they stole this ce for themselves. They could draw as much magic power as they wished from the Ley Line.¡±


    Ley lines were akin to wellsprings of magic power. There were a few such power spots in the world.


    In some parts of the world, it was believed that the World Tree¡¯s roots, which were spread all over the continent, leaked the creation energy from the spots we called Ley Lines. How true that was, however, was up for debate.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Perhaps the fact that Den is strangely wise for an Ogre is also due to absorbing the magic power of the Ley Line and undergoing some abnormal evolution.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    As he pointed out, this was the first time I had encountered an Ogre that could hold a conversation. Den had a gentle and timid nature yet was highly intelligent by Ogre standards, so Maxwell¡¯s im about abnormal evolution was probably correct.


    ¡°They drove out Den, the previous owner of this pace, by force to obtain this Ley Line, and then used it for the teleportation magic. The only information that can be extracted from the leftover magic circle is that the destination is either Qaum or Lilith. This much is certain.¡± ¡°So we narrowed it down from the entire continent two these two, huh. I guess what¡¯s left is to check which of them are fishy¡­¡± ¡°We can only know that by actually visiting these ces. Before that¡­ It would be better for us to seal this ce off so it does not get abused in the future.¡±


    The fact that you could extract magic power infinitely meant that it could be abused in many ways.


    In particr, it could be used to freely teleport arge army anywhere, so Raum would be viewed as dangerous by other kingdoms.


    If they knew about this ce back during the Mountain Serpent incident, they would¡¯ve been able to immediately dispatch an army. But at the same time, that also meant that it was also possible to send that same army to other kingdoms¡¯ doorsteps too.


    I could see why Maxwell wanted to seal this ce off and pretend that it never existed. It was one thing if it could only be used to go to the Kevin domain, but a singrity that could dispatch armies to other kingdoms was nothing but a nuisance.


    ¡°Um¡­ Me troubled if no live here.¡± ¡°Listen, Den, the enemy already knows this ce so returning here would be dangerous anyway.¡± ¡°Then me go where?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    This ce was known by both Klein and Mateus. If Den stayed here, next time they could just subjugate him instead. That said, it would be too pitiful if we left him on its own so irresponsibly.


    Still, a safety zone that could ept an Ogre wasn¡¯t so easily¡ª


    ¡°Oh, there is one.¡±


    I suddenly remembered about one such ce. Maxwell looked puzzled at my statement. He probably had not realized it yet.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about that mountain, the one where Aste lives. An Ogre would probably be nothing more than an insect for him, not to mention, people don¡¯t visit it so it should be safe.¡± ¡°Well, that is true¡­ There is already a Huge Crawler living in those mountains.¡± ¡°Then what difference does one more Ogre make?¡± ¡°Is it that simple, I wonder?¡±


    If nothing, I could have him live in my hideout and also act as a gatekeeper. If he stays on the lookout, even Aste wouldn¡¯t carelessly approach it.


    Of course, Den would be no match for Aste, but he should abstain from doing it if he knows there would be witnesses.


    ¡°Well, there would be no problems if it is there, but we should get Sir Aste¡¯s permission first.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t take you more than a few minutes. Just teleport there and done.¡±


    Maxwell could easily teleport to Aste¡¯s cave. He could just go there, ask for permission and if he got it,e back and take Den with him.


    We were in the vicinity of a Ley Line, so it would even ease the burden on him.


    ¡°Good grief. Pushing this old man around so much. Fine, then, I will go and see so wait here.¡±


    He answered it listlessly and nimbly drew the magic circle in the air with used movements. And after chanting the aria he disappeared in the blink of an eye. This all took about 10 seconds.


    It took Maria over a minute to cast this spell despite getting more familiar with it as ofte, so Maxwell¡¯s speed was truly a wonder to behold.


    While I waited for Maxwell to return, I took the opportunity to exin to Den about the ce he would be moving to.


    ¡°Good for you. There is no better ce than the one we just found for you.¡± ¡°Really? Me no longer need to be scared?¡± ¡°Well¡­ You are probably gonna start fearing something else¡­¡±


    There was a Huge Crawler from the middle floors of the World Tree Labyrinth residing there. Not to mention, there was also a warrior there that could one-shot such a monster. Den¡¯s standing on that mountain would clearly be at the bottom.


    He would be living with beings that could instantly trample it down, so I imagined it would cause him quite a bit of a headache.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not some hard-headed guy, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it. In the first ce, he wouldn¡¯t give Maxwell permission for you to stay if he nned to drive you out the next moment.¡± ¡°I see! New dwelling, me happy!¡±


    He warped his atrocious Ogrish face into an expression of joy. Uh, sorry, Den¡­ But your face looks a bit scary. It looked like the expression of a monster staring down on its prey. Well, Den was a monster.


    Before long, Maxwell returned back.


    ¡°I have kept you waiting. Sir Aste readily gave us permission.¡± ¡°Then, please take it to my hideout. Let¡¯s have Den live there.¡± ¡°In your hideout? Well, it would have a roof to defend against rain¡­ But are you fine with that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯d rather have him be the administrator of my assets there.¡± ¡°So that is what you were nning. I understand.¡±


    As such, one peculiar Ogre had settled to live on the mountain near Maleva.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t the one to attack people, so there should be no problems.

 Chapter 226: Cover-Up Operations

    <h4>Chapter 226: Cover-Up Operations</h4>


    Sheltering Den in the mountains was finished in a moment with Maxwell¡¯s help. He opened the Gate, urged Den in, while also instructing him to live in my hideout.


    While we were at it, we also told him about Aste¡¯s cave where he was better off not approaching.


    It would normally be proper manners to have him visit Aste, but the person in question was quitezy when it came to things like this, so he wouldn¡¯t really care whether a monster had settled nearby or not.


    He might have gotten angry if we bothered him about every little thing, so we decided to just leave him be. Maxwell already got his permission, so this wasn¡¯t particrly impolite.


    ¡°Alright then, Den. You are free to hunt any nearby animals, and there should be no problems as long as you don¡¯t descend the mountain, so you can live without worries. That said, don¡¯t go filling my hideout with filth, you hear?¡± ¡°Me got it, will clean.¡± ¡°Good. Also, as we already mentioned, there¡¯s a really scary cksmith living inside that cliff, so stay away from that ce. If a problem arises, however, you can go and talk to him about it. Do you remember the signal?¡± ¡°Take ck rock. Hit simr ck rock. Once. Twice. Four times. Once.¡± ¡°Alright, then. We¡¯ll be going back now. We n to pay you a visit every once in a while, but try to take care of yourself on your own.¡± ¡±Okay. Nigorr, good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Nicole, pronounce it right.¡± ¡°Ni-Nigo¡­?¡± ¡°Agh, whatever.¡±


    Talking with an Ogre over twice my size was starting to hurt my neck. It was particrly a pain when I stood so close ¡ª I had to literally look overhead to talk.


    Still, it felt nice to be able to talk to this friendly fellow. I could feel a simr sort of simplicity from him that I felt from Michelle.


    ¡°Well then. Sorry to leave so fast, but we have other things to do.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you. Come again.¡± ¡°Yeah, we will.¡±


    After waving back at it, Maxwell and I returned back to Raum. As I already told Den, we had other things to deal with.


    After returning to the boulder, Maxwell heaved a big sigh. It was rare to see him looking so down in the dumps.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you get tired after using the teleportation magic so much?¡± ¡°No, not at all. I simply feel it is a big waste that I have to seal off such a good Ley Line.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    Still, as he had already pointed out, it was dangerous to leave this ce be. It could lead to political troubles for Raum, as well as criminals misusing it like they did this time.


    As such, we decided to bury this ce, rather than simply sealing it.


    ¡°It¡¯d be problematic if anyone finds this ce suspicious, so try to go about it as gently as you can.¡± ¡°It would be troubling if they dig it up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about one-shotting it with explosion magic, you hear?¡± ¡°What do you take me for?¡±


    Back in our adventuring days, Maxwell used to make full use of his ridiculous magic power, wreaking excessive destruction all around. He had an influential social position from the start, so he tended to put the effort into these kinds of excessive showing-offs.


    He just had to quietly copse what was under the boulder, but I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to decide to just blow it all up in one go.


    That¡¯s why I went and warned him, but seeing him so upset about it made it seem like I was in the wrong for doing that.


    ¡°You love being shy, so I¡¯m just warning you, old man.¡± ¡°I am thinking of what¡¯s toe, so I would not do something that would add to my fatigue.¡±


    Klein had fled to either Qaum or Lilith. But those two cities were outside of Raum¡¯s jurisdiction, so he might have left for some other ce through them.


    If that was the case, Maxwell¡¯s teleportation magic would be needed to chase after them. Moreover, he had a skilled guard like Mateus with him. There was no knowing when and where a battle could ur.


    ¡°If I was able to get my old body back, he isn¡¯t someone I would ever fall behind¡­¡± ¡°Do not be so unreasonable. You are already using middle-ss magic at that age, are you not? You are already a perfect genius from the other people¡¯s perspective.¡±


    My Enchant magic had already reached a cut above average, and due to this, Michelle was also able to pull her Third Eye up to the middle. To pull itpletely, she still needed to use the bangle that she received from the God of Destruction, but still, even a half-pulled Third Eye was already far stronger than any average bow.


    Considering the after-effects, it was more efficient to make do with my enchant instead.


    ¡°Now then, shall we bury it? I shall first support the boulder while destroying the walls in the underground space, and then drop the boulder on top of everything.¡± ¡°That sounds like tough work, are you sure you¡¯d be fine?¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Even just supporting that giant, mountain-like boulder already seemed impossible to me. Maxwell didn¡¯t seem to share my sentiment, however, and proceeded to cast spells one after another.


    He first created pirs with Earth Wall to support the boulder. Following that, he hollowed out the surrounding walls with Tunnel, and got rid of the bedrock supporting it.


    Then, he slowly released the Earth Wall and let everything slowly sink in the space below. Once the Tunnel¡¯s effect was gone, all the earth that he removed around the boulder would go back to normal.


    And just like that, a newly discovered power spot in the outskirts of Raum had been consigned to oblivion without a single citizen learning about its existence.

 Chapter 227: A Commission of the Adventurer’s Guild

    <h4>Chapter 227: A Commission of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild</h4>


    The next morning, I got out of bed pretending nothing had happened. Maxwell nned to tell Cortina and the others about Klein¡¯s whereabouts himself, so there was nothing I needed to do.


    Or rather, it would be bad if I did. I was barely managing to hide my identity as is, so I didn¡¯t want to do anything else that¡¯d make me look suspicious.


    Honestly speaking, I wanted to teleport there and deal with this case myself, but this time it was better to hold back and stay.


    ¡°Good morning, Cortina. Finia.¡± ¡°Good morning, Lady Nicole.¡± ¡°Morning, looks like you¡¯re as lively as ever. Despite your weak constitution, you strangely don¡¯t catch any illnesses, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m training my body.¡± ¡°I wish you stopped training until you copsed, though.¡± ¡°Where are my parents?¡±


    Looking around, I suddenly noticed that Lyell and Maria, who should be staying here until this incident was settled, were nowhere to be found. They would normally be up at this hour and clinging to me to a depressing degree.


    ¡°Oh, those two got called by Maxwell. I have work, so he said he¡¯d fill me inter at the Academy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I returned a nonchnt reply, but I naturally knew the contents of their conversation. Maxwell made haste to inform Maria and Lyell about Klein¡¯s whereabouts. It would¡¯ve been easier if Cortina went with them, but it would¡¯ve been bad for education if she kept putting off her original job as a teacher.


    Especially at my age, children were sensitive about these things¡­ Apparently.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t keep on leaving the Academy unattended for so long. I am still bothered by Margrave Serwa¡¯s situation, however.¡± ¡°Why not have Elliot substitute you when you need it? He is an assistant teacher, after all.¡± ¡°Well, Elliot himself has been surrounded by his guards and is unable to move as he likes as ofte. It¡¯s a natural oue after what happened.¡± ¡°Normally, he would have been dragged back to his kingdom.¡± ¡°That shows just how much they trust us. That runny-nosed brat has grown up into a fine man.¡± ¡°You sound like a grandma, you know?¡± ¡°Whaa-!?¡±


    We were messing around since early morning, but most likely from tomorrow¡­ Or in the worst case, today, she would not be able to show up in the Academy. Leaving Klein Sto Serwa to his own devices posed that much danger.


    He was someone who targeted Elliot¡¯s life. Letting someone like that roam free would be leaving a stain on Raum¡¯s reputation. And as I had seen Mateus¡¯ face, I was also their target now.


    Knowing this, not only Maria and Lyell, but even Cortina wanted to bring this incident to a close as fast as possible.


    As expected, after Cortina headed to Maxwell¡¯s chairman¡¯s office, we ended up having to self-study the rest of the day. Maxwell also seemed to have stepped out, too, perhaps heading towards either Qaum or Lilith.


    Maria alone remained behind as my guard. Honestly speaking, I felt very worried that they decided to confront an assassin without taking her, the pivot healer, along.


    ¡°Teacher Cortina seems to have left on business again.¡±


    After school, Letina and I joined up with Michelle, and then went to apany Cloud to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    Ever since the incident, entry to the forest had been banned due to the ongoing investigation, but that investigation hade to a stop after a week so the ban should be lifted from today.


    As such, I nned to take Cloud to the forest with me today. But there was no fun in just hunting forest animals as we always did, so we decided to take on some simple tasks like herb gathering and try finishing themissions while we looked for prey to hunt.


    ¡°It cannot be helped. I don¡¯t understand what matter is upying her¡­ However, it seems that it is still not finished. And she is not skipping lessons, she¡¯s using up her personal vacation for it.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s basically free from work, huh?¡± ¡°It was Lord Maxwell¡¯s order, so she couldn¡¯t exactly oppose it. Well, Lady Cortina is also a Hero, but still¡­¡± ¡°One is the board chairman while the other is just a teacher, after all. Looking at it from that perspective makes her look quite a bit weaker in standing, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s n-¡­ Could it be?¡± ¡°Why¡¯re ya asking me? I don¡¯t get how big-wigs like them act!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you receiving Lord Lyell¡¯s training now? I¡¯m so jealous!¡± ¡°¡­Heheh.¡±


    Observing the noisy trio, I opened the door to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild with a smile. As the ban on the forest was lifted, it was still packed full of people despite it being close to evening.


    The majority of them seemed to be Adventurers who were done with their day¡¯s work and just came to deliver their spoils, but there were also some enthusiasts mixed in who wanted to go for one more job.


    That was quite hard working of them, considering the sun was about to set. Well, we were basically about to do the same, however.


    I managed to squeeze my way through that crowd and arrived at the counter.


    ¡°Good day. We would like to gather some medical herbs until evening, but is it okay?¡± ¡°Oh, wee, Nicole.¡±


    I stood on my tiptoes and poked my face at the counter.


    The counter was situated at a height where an adult would put their elbows, which was a bit¡­ quite a bit high for me. It looked like I was resting my chin on it, but this was no different from the usual.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I suppose it would be fine if you simply look near the forest area? But don¡¯t go too deep inside. There have been sightings of an Ogre there. If you do encounter one, drop everything and run.¡±


    Thedy at the reception gave me instructions with a docile face. We were kids, so she was worried about us more than the other Adventurers. Also, the Ogre in question was a total coward, so she didn¡¯t have to be so worried.


    Rather, he had already moved ces to Alecmarle, so there was no chance of anyone encountering it. That said, I couldn¡¯t exactly tell them that. Thus, I replied to her with a simrly docile face.


    ¡°I understand. So what herbs are youcking now?¡± ¡°It seems that a cold has spread in the Elven viges, so we are in need of Millud leaves. They could be found even on the roadside, and we pay one silver per bundle of ten leaves.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that quite an attractive deal?¡±


    Millud leaves were pain and fever-relieving herbs that could also be used as wetpresses. They were quite often used, so they were bought at a decently high price. Still, the current remuneration was twice the usual.


    ¡°This is quite a jackpot for children of your age. But you have a lot of rivals, you know? The Millud trees near the city have all been left stark-naked already.¡± ¡°Wah, we have to hurry, then.¡± ¡°Right, do be careful, though.¡±


    Thedy sent me off with giggles, but I stopped just as I turned around. As for the reason¡­ Up ahead, I saw Cloud being surrounded by older Adventurers.

 Chapter 228: Experience in Human Battles

    <h4>Chapter 228: Experience in Human Battles</h4>


    Quarreling with Cloud was a veteran Adventurer who was famous even here in Raum¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    He was aged somewhere from the mid tote twenties. He had ruffled up zing red hair, along with a peculiar hairstyle. He had a trained body, looking like a keen and nimble swordsman.


    Due to his conspicuous appearance, even I knew about him. He had been a topic among the receptionists for being one of the promising youths.


    Rather than quarreling, it looked more like he was questioning Cloud. He was pressing him with questions while grasping his shoulders and drawing his face real close.


    ¡°Say the truth! Why was an impurity like you together with that person! You used her connections, didn¡¯t you!¡± ¡°I mean, you aren¡¯t exactly wrong¡­¡± ¡°S?h?i?t?, don¡¯t get carried away just because you¡¯ve been blessed withrades!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea! I can¡¯t deny that my connection with Nicole was what brought it up, though.¡± ¡°Do you even realize the significance of that? Do you know how many people in this city¡­ No, the entire world wish for such connections!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s luck for you¡­¡± ¡°Agh, damn it! Dark mes of jealousy are stirring up in me after so long!¡±


    They seemed to be talking about Cloud¡¯s connections with me. Based on that, I had an idea of what brought this on.


    Someone probably saw his training with Lyell. As expected of an apex swordsman like Lyell, it seems that many people found it envious that a Half-Demon like Cloud was blessed with the opportunity to train under him.


    And all that envy had led the situation to the present state.


    ¡°Cloud, are you being bothered?¡± ¡°Ah, Nicole. No, I mean¡­¡± ¡°Geh, M¡­Miss Nicole!?¡±


    Cloud was at a loss on how to answer my question. Well, he couldn¡¯t exactly say yes when the person was in front of him.


    Besides, these Adventurers didn¡¯t surround him with ill will. Still, the man looked awkward for having detained mypanion.


    ¡°You can drop the ¡®Miss¡¯ part. I¡¯m the younger one here, not to mention a beginner.¡± ¡°Still, it wouldn¡¯t be right to just¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, sorry, but I¡¯d like to take Cloud and do one job before the sun sets.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, of course! I¡¯m sorry for detaining him!¡±


    He started all this questioning because of Lyell, so I, his daughter, was obviously not someone he could treat rudely. I also realized that, so I asked for permission as politely as I could so it wouldn¡¯t worsen Cloud¡¯s standing anymore.


    His angry attitude from before was nowhere to be seen now, and he was drifting his gaze all around¡­ Was he that nervous in front of me?


    ¡°Also, my dad can¡¯t take on arge number of people for training. Cloud¡¯s case was an exception because he can also act as my guard¡­ So again, sorry, okay?¡± ¡°Ah, no! I was wrong for throwing false usations at him, so I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t escte into a fight, so everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do something like that! That would only invite Miss Nicole¡¯s hate.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hate you if Cloud was in the wrong, you know¡­ But hmm, would you like to have a spar with him when you have time for it?¡±


    I suddenly realized that this was a good opportunity. Cloud was mostly fighting against animals. However, I knew by experience that the wit and skill of humans were far scarier.


    Cloud wascking experience in human battles, and to an overwhelming degree. Since he only ever sparred with me, hisbat experience was severely unbnced.


    ¡°A spar?¡± ¡°You alsock experience against human opponents, right, Cloud?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I¡¯ve only sparred against you for the most part.¡± ¡°There seems to be a big training area under the Guild, so how about we use that for a spar? Cloud would gain some experience from it, and you¡­ Umm?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Kayle. I¡¯m a Fifth-Ranked Adventurer at the moment.¡± ¡°Fifth-Rank!?¡±


    Cloud opened his eyes wide after hearing his rank. I was quite a bit surprised as well. Fifth-Rank was not considered the top of the top, but it was still proof that their skill was first-ss.


    Naturally, like me, there were some Adventurers stronger than their ranks suggested. However, the opposite was almost impossible ¨C weak wouldn¡¯t be branded as strong. The Guild¡¯s ranking system wasn¡¯t so forgiving.


    ¡°So you are a first-ss Adventurer. Why did you even bring up training under my dad at thiste hour.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. Sir Lyell is just someone I look up to!¡± ¡°Well, I understand where you areing from.¡±


    I was also someone who aimed to be a swordsman. I was fully aware of how dazzling Lyell looked from that perspective.


    Still, considering that he managed to climb up to Fifth Rank on his own, he should have some confidence in his skill.


    ¡°Cloud is being taught by my dad. So by sparring with him, you¡¯d be indirectly learning my dad¡¯s teachings through him, right?¡± ¡°I see, that sounds good!¡± ¡°Like hell it does!? He¡¯s Fifth Rank, you know? There¡¯s no way a novice like me can take him on!¡± ¡°Cloud. Who said you had to win?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said earlier? This is so you can gain more experience against human opponents. You lost to Mateus, remember?¡± ¡°Ugh!!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to keep on losing, right?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Then, you have to do your best here!¡±


    I incited him a bit to motivate him, then did a fist pump and cheered him on. After cornering him so much, he wouldn¡¯t be able to back out from this.


    ¡°¡­Fine. I want to get stronger, and fighting against someone first-ss would be a good opportunity.¡± ¡°That settles it. Can we leave the spar for some other day?¡± ¡°Yes, absolutely! I will look forward to it!¡±


    After concluding our discussion, I decided to head out for the herb gathering at once. I grabbed the nervous Cloud¡¯s hand and dragged him to the exit.


    But as I looked around, I saw bitter-faced Kayle and a group of others.


    ¡°Gah, look at them flirt¡­¡± ¡°Even though I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, and you¡¯re telling me she already got one at that age?¡± ¡°Those with girlfriends should just explode. No, Cloud should just explore. Or actually, I should blow him up.¡± ¡°No way¡­ Our princess Nicole has already fallen in Cloud¡¯s hands?¡± ¡°Looks like I found my motivation for our spar. The motivation by the name of bloodlust¡­ Wake up, the darkness that dwells in my heart.¡±


    Can you guys reign in your misunderstandings already? Wait, miss receptionist, not you too! Why are you joining the bandwagon!


    I couldn¡¯t help but make mental retorts towards that storm of misunderstandings.


    Nicole: ¡°Weak wouldn¡¯t be branded as strong.¡± Kevin from 500 years ago: ¡°Wait, what?¡±

 Chapter 229: Excuse

    <h4>Chapter 229: Excuse</h4>


    We were held up a bit due to Cloud, but we managed to avoid some trouble. Still, this situation felt a little odd to me.


    Right, Cloud got rolled up in all that, but neither a busybody like Letina nor the friendly Michelle reacted to it at all. After seeing their friend getting involved in trouble, there was no way these two would¡¯ve stayed silent.


    ¡°Wait, now that I think about it, where are those two?¡± ¡°Look over there.¡±


    Cloud answered my question by pointing outside the Guild.


    There, on the opposite side of the road, Michelle was securing her position next to a spit-roasting stall, with grilled bird skewers in each hand. Next to her was Letina doing exactly the same.


    ¡°Those two¡­¡± ¡°Well, Michelle is like a demon glutton, so it can¡¯t be helped. Still, it¡¯s rare to see Letina imitate her.¡± ¡°Well, she is a nobledy, so it¡¯s rare for her to eat warm food, you know?¡± ¡°Huh, really?¡±


    You wouldn¡¯t believe it based on how she behaved on a daily basis, but she was still the Marquis¡¯ daughter. She had to be careful of getting food-poisoned, or attempts to kill her by poisoning.


    Before a meal made it to her mouth, it went through numerous taste and poison checks, so the food was already cold by the time it reached her.


    For that reason, the times she adventured with us were few chances for her to have proper warm food.


    ¡°Hey, you two, time to go!¡±


    I called out to the two ahead, took Cloud¡¯s hand, and hurried ahead.


    Due to all that¡¯s happened, the sun was already starting to set. We had to return by dark, so I wanted to head out as fast as possible.


    ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± ¡°It looked so appetizing I was lured before I noticed.¡± ¡°Hahaha, could I take it as you indirectly praising my skill? ¡°It was not a bad taste. I shall visit you again.¡± ¡°Of course, doe again!¡±


    It was pleasant to see Letina who was a little standoffish and the energetic stall owner hitting it off so well.


    But we had no time left now. I already revealed my Thread Maniption Gift to Michelle, so I wanted to try out a few things using that ability while cooperating with them.


    But with the herb gathering added to the calctions, it barely left enough time. In a way, this was also good training.


    ¡°It seems today will be a nice exercise to see how we can move under limited time. Also, I¡¯m going to try coordination with my new ability.¡± ¡°A new ability?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of my abilities, I exined it to Michelle and Cloud before¡­ I¡¯d like to try fighting with my threads.¡± ¡°Threads¡­ That¡¯s quite an unusual ability. No, could it be¡­ The same ability that Lord Reid had!?¡± ¡°Well, I guess?¡± ¡°How enviable!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it¡­¡±


    Thread Maniption sounded quite in. When you first heard of it, you wouldn¡¯t know how you could even use it. However, Letina being the Six Hero nerd she was, was quick to link it to Reid¡¯s ability.


    Only Letina would find the connection to the least outstanding member of the Six Heroes so fast.


    ¡°As you know, I also have the Gift of Interference Magic. In other words, I hold two Gifts. You do realize what would happen if this were to be known, right?¡± ¡°It¡­ Would lead to an uproar. Holders of several Gifts are only one in ten thousand.¡± ¡°And not just that, even my background would add more fuel to it.¡± ¡°The daughter of the Six Heroes who each holds two Gifts also holds multiple Gifts. That would be shocking news.¡± ¡°Right. If that became known¡­ It would lead to a serious matter. Even for Elliot.¡± ¡°His Highness seems to have found a new sweetheart. But still, someone with such influence could have a concubine or two aside from queen consort. If that happens, even you would¡­¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m staying quiet. So, no telling anyone, okay? That includes my parents.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it was¡­ But you are keeping it a secret from Lord Lyell too?¡±


    She was coaxed by my excuse and understood the point at first, but then found the part about Lyell odd. But for me, Lyell and the rest of my formerrades were the main people I didn¡¯t want to learn of it.


    Still, Letina was not aware of my circumstances. It was natural for her to question why I would keep it a secret from my own father. If I didn¡¯t settle her doubts now, this information could one day reach Lyell and others.


    ¡°Hmm, well, you can talk to Maxwell about it.¡± ¡°But not to Lord Lyell and Lady Maria? Or teacher Cortina?¡± ¡°Uhh, well¡­ My parents, well, they are sensitive about Lord Reid. So if they find out that their daughter holds the same Gift, it would getplicated.¡± ¡°It would?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see theirrade in their eyes every time they look at me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ True.¡±


    See their oldrade my a?s?s?, I was that oldrade. That said, the plea of ¡°I want them to see me as their daughter¡± seemed to have pulled on Letina¡¯s heartstrings quite a bit.


    Despite being a noble, she had been raised with love, so she ended up developing a very upright nature. It was cute to see her tremble at the thought of imagining me not being looked at as their daughter.


    ¡°But Maxwell was the only one who wasn¡¯t there during the incident, so he¡¯s the most rational about it among the Six Heroes. So I only talk to him. Let him decide whether to tell my parents or not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ It could be problematic if we ignore his will and reveal it ourselves.¡± ¡°Right? So let¡¯s discuss it with Maxwell first and wait for his decision.¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    I felt like I once again pushed all the responsibility to Maxwell. Still, he only had himself to me for exposing my secret.


    I revealed a mean smile, thinking that this would be a nice little revenge against him, and then we set off outside the city.

 Chapter 230: All According to Plan

    <h4>Chapter 230: All ording to n</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Near the entrance to the basement of the big boulder that Maxwell had buried, now stood two men.


    They had no special characteristics, andcked any impressionable features to the point you¡¯d forget them after a few minutes even if you passed by them in a town.


    ¡°How is it looking? Does it look like someone buried it?¡± ¡°Yeah, this seems artificial no matter how you look at it.¡±


    One of them inspected the entrance state and conveyed it to the other.


    They didn¡¯t seem to be even remotely disturbed despite this cataclysm before their eyes. The underground space of such a huge boulder had copsed in just one night. That itself was probably not too unusual.


    However, aplishing something like this secretly without making any noise could only be done through divine skill.


    These two were aware of that fact, yet they remained calm.


    ¡°The fact that they managed to aplish something so shy so secretly could only mean¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it was definitely Maxwell¡¯s magic.¡± ¡°Then, do you think he saw ¡°that¡± underground?¡± ¡°I suppose he did¡­ As nned.¡± ¡°As nned, indeed.¡±


    The men nodded to each other, and then proceeded to carefully fill and erase any traces left in the surroundings.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle things here, so you go report this to ¡°Master¡±. If they did thisst night, we can¡¯t dy it any longer.¡± ¡°You are right. Even if I use Cargo¡­ It would still take half a day to reach the capital from here. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t report it until it¡¯s toote, Master would kill us both. So hurry up.¡±


    One of them departed from the ce. The other kept watching over his back until he was no longer in sight. And after he disappeared inside the forest, the man muttered to himself.


    ¡°Good grief, since Master Mateus knew they¡¯d sniff this ce out, he should¡¯ve just made us ambush them here¡­¡±


    While mixingints in his sighs, the man filled up what was left of the hole. With how roughly Maxwell covered it, there was a possibility of someone still seeing through what used to be there.


    It would be inconvenient even for them if this ce was abused by a third party. If it could no longer be used, it was better to seal it offpletely. That was what he had been instructed to do.


    ¡°Still¡­ Toe here and shift the target. Master sure is ill-natured.¡±


    Despite his grumbles, his hands did not stop. He had to stay alert for any nearby presence, so his work efficiency was quite bad.


    Even so, the man kept doing his job. And it continued all the way until the sun had set.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    After we left the city, we started looking for prey while not deviating from the highway. We epted themission to gather herbs, but securing meat would help Cloud¡¯s standing. You could even say this was our priority.


    The Guild¡¯smission was of course important. As such, we ended up doing both jobs at once ¡ª looking for prey while gathering herbs along the way.


    This could also prove to be good training for parallel thinking.


    ¡°Mgggh, I can¡¯t concentrate.¡± ¡°Ah, Michelle, is this not a Millud tree?¡± ¡°It is but it has no leaves left on the bottom side. I have to climb up.¡± ¡°Want me to climb instead?¡±


    I was the most nimble among us four by far. Millud trees generally had leaves where we could reach with hands, but now those ces had been picked clean.


    Looks like the insufficiency of the Millud leaves was having an effect even here. Michelle was quick to overreact to my suggestion.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t climb the tree, Nicole!¡± ¡°Huh, why?¡± ¡°I mean, monsters will find us if you do!¡± ¡°Why are you bringing up something that happened ages ago?¡±


    It¡¯s been over seven years since the Kobolds attacked us back when we slipped out of the vige to y. Back then I didn¡¯t know the power of my body, so I got trashed quite a bit, but there¡¯s no way mere Kobolds could do anything to me as I was now.


    In the first ce, there was no guarantee that we¡¯d find any monsters here.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°In the past, Nicole did something extremely reckless.¡±


    Michelle started telling Letina about my heroic saga of the past. After hearing it, someone¡¯s eyes started sparkling in awe¡­ and that someone was Cloud.


    ¡°You defeated Kobolds when you were three years old? That¡¯s crazy!¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been better if no fight happened at all. But I couldn¡¯t just look away.¡± ¡°Fighting to protect the vige from monsters, that sounds so cool.¡± ¡°If you lose you die in vain. Adventurers need to put survival as the first priority.¡± ¡°Ugh, I get that but¡­¡± ¡°I told you that I¡¯d remind you over and-¡­.hmm?¡±


    I suddenly noticed rustling in the grass. It was something different from the swaying caused by the wind. It looked more like something was lurking in it.


    I motioned the noisy trio to be quiet. Seeing it the girls stopped their gossip at once. We had been partying for quite a while now, so we were in sync during these kinds of moments.


    I pulled out my katana while releasing a thread from the other hand. At the same time, Michelle prepared her bow while Cloud his shield. Letina also set up her staff to cast magic any time.


    I approached it without a sound and then jumped into the grass from a low position, trying to deal a preemptive strike. The other party didn¡¯t sense us approaching and was stiffened from being taken by surprise.


    It wasn¡¯t a monster or an animal, but a human man.


    ¡°Waah!¡± ¡°Oops¡­ Okay, stop, it¡¯s a human!¡±


    The man turned over with a scream and I stopped in ce. I issuedmands to Cloud and the girls to not pursue him any further. Hearing my warning, Michelle hurriedly lowered her bow.


    ¡°What, it¡¯s just brats¡­ Why the hell are you startling me for.¡± ¡°We mistook you for our prey. Sorry.¡± ¡°Are you ying Adventurers or something, be careful with that.¡±


    The man stood up with grumbles. He looked like an average viger but had a sword on his waist. He had a surprisingly¡­ faint impression.


    ¡°Good grief, I can¡¯t even rest properly around here.¡± ¡°Why were you even resting in the grass?¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to me to decide where I want to rest.¡±


    As he said, we were outside of the city. He was free to rest wherever he wanted, but in that case, he shouldn¡¯tin about getting attacked.


    ¡°Pay more attention.¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡±


    It seems that he was trying to hide, so being discovered by me made him feel awkward. He spat on the ground to gloss over the issue and left off.


    We were in the wrong this time, so we apologized and watched over him as he left.

 Chapter 231: The Letter Left Behind

    <h4>Chapter 231: The Letter Left Behind</h4>


    I kept bowing my head until the man disappeared from my sight. He seemed to be quite fast on his feet, he disappeared beyond the highway before we knew it.


    He might¡¯ve been using the same Cargo magic that Maxwell often used. It belonged to the Puppetry system and wasn¡¯t high-ranking magic. It was originally developed for heavyborers so it was extremely easy to use¡­ Or so I heard. I couldn¡¯t use it myself so I wasn¡¯t sure about that part.


    At any rate, he was so fast that I could only ept that exnation. Seeing me bow in cold sweat towards the disappearing man, Michelle shed a smirk at me.


    ¡°Mgh, what?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I just thought that you can be quite clumsy at times.¡± ¡°How rude. It was clearly that guy¡¯s fault for hiding in such a ce.¡± ¡°Well, as he said, he¡¯s free to rest wherever he pleases outside of the city. But why was he there of all ces¡­¡±


    Letina inclined her head in a quizzical manner. But she was right, hiding in the roadside grasses made it seem like he was hiding from people. His clothing was too light considering he was outside the city. He had a sword on him, but other than that he was hardly distinguishable from an average viger.


    It was as if his appearance and behavior were the results of him not wanting to stand out.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange as Letina said. I wonder why?¡± ¡°Hey, Nicole, what¡¯s this?¡±


    Cloud started feeling around in the grass after hearing Letina¡¯s words. He found a small envelope in there and took it out.


    ¡°Did that person drop it?¡± ¡°Perhaps. If so, we have to catch up and return it.¡± ¡°But look, this isn¡¯t actually sealed up. Don¡¯t you normally seal these things properly?¡±


    Cloud turned it around to show us the back of it. As he said, there was no seal on it. It was just asking to be inspected like that.


    However, it was bad manners to look inside without permission. But before I could say that, Cloud took out what was inside the envelope.


    ¡°Wait, you idiot!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, ¡°The circle has been discovered. The target is moving ording to our design. The strategist should be heading for you¡±?¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hearing what the letter he took out said, I momentarily stiffened in ce. When one spoke about the strategist, it almost always referred to Cortina. And I didn¡¯t feel good vibes from the word ¡®target¡¯, either. And what about leading¡­


    ¡°Wait, leading?¡±


    The circle¡­ The magic circle drawn under that boulder wasn¡¯t such a big deal. In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t drawn on the bedrock but earth instead, so it should¡¯ve been easy to erase it by plowing the ground a bit.


    Despite that, the entire circle was left intact. It was being weathered for a week, but it was still possible for Maxwell to learn its destination.


    Wait, wasn¡¯t it strange that they let Den escape, to begin with? Den had the abnormal intellect for his species, but his physical abilities were no different from an ordinary Ogre.


    Ogres excelled in pure strength but they were not that agile. If one felt like hilling him, it would be almost impossible for him to escape.


    Considering that they were doing such a tedious task as drawing a teleportation circle, they should¡¯ve considered the possibility of him returning to attack during their ceremony, so it would be better to put an end to him in advance.


    If they had individuals talented enough to perform teleportation magic, defeating an Ogre or two would¡¯ve been a cinch. And yet, Den was allowed to escape.


    ¡°Could ¡®leading¡¯¡­ Refer to Maxwell and the rest?¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    Letina heard my mutter and responded in a shocked voice. Hearing that someone was nning to lead the Heroes into a trap made her lose herposure.


    ¡°What do you mean!?¡± ¡°Wait, let me think.¡±


    Indeed, the evidence left behind was clearly strange. It was left so tantly you¡¯d think it was intentional. And what if they let Den escape intentionally too?


    When an Ogre showed up, amission to subjugate it would be put out. After all, Ogres weren¡¯t normally beings one would be able to converse with. And after being subjugated, they would start searching for its hideout for any leftover Ogres. If it had friends or children, it could lead to more danger.


    If it proceeded as such, that magic circle would have been discovered sooner orter.


    And if some Adventurer discovered an unfamiliar magic circle, it would quickly reach Maxwell¡¯s ears. Since he knew about Klein Domain¡¯s movements, he would quickly guess what that circle was.


    And after analyzing that magic circle that strangely couldn¡¯t be fully narrowed down, he would think that he caught on to their leads. It would be a natural development.


    Indeed, even this hard-to narrow down nature of it was there to add more credibility to it. Even so, despite not being able to know the exact location, he would still be left with two options ¡ª Qaum and Lilith.


    In that case, it was easy to imagine that the Six Heroes would head to those ces.


    But why did they go out of their way to do all this, you might ask?


    The answer was simple ¡ª to ambush us in cities that were full of obstacles. Our abilities were extremely limited inside the popted areas.


    Lyell and Gadius aside, Maxwell and Maria couldn¡¯t use any grand-scale magic inside there. If they did, it would drag many unrted citizens into it. Cortina, too, would be rendered mostly powerless if she couldn¡¯tmand people.


    And their biggest firepower that was Maxwell would be forced to use smaller-scaled spells.


    Also, Cortina was a strategist that formed ns to attack the enemies. Putting it differently, she was the weakest among them when it came to actual fighting strength.


    If they were forced into a melee inside a city, she would be easy prey. In that case, this information could only mean¡­


    ¡°They¡­ Are targeting Cortina!¡±


    To murder a Six Hero. If one nned to do that, Cortina would be their first choice. And since we were unable to narrow it down lower than two cities, they nned to divide us.


    In fact, the five of them had been divided and were inspecting the cities separately. I didn¡¯t know where the enemy was lying in wait, but they had to take two or three of them on at most.


    Considering the battle powers, Cortina should have been apanied by either Lyell or Gadius who excelled at guarding roles. Both of them were vanguards.


    Maxwell, the most dangerous of them who had mastered all kinds of spells, would most likely not be in Cortina¡¯s team to keep thepositions more bnced.


    Maria was staying at Cortina¡¯s house at the moment, so Maxwell was definitely acting separately from Cortina.


    ¡°This is bad¡­ I have to let them know!¡±


    It was evening now. Cortina was called by Maxwell past noon, and after we were left to self-study. In other words, she was in Qaum or Lilith at the moment. If I didn¡¯t let them know about the ambush fast, it would be toote.


    ¡°Michelle, Letina! We are going back at once!¡± ¡°Huh, already¡­?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m gonna¡ªI mean, I will go ahead first! You return on your own.¡± ¡°Well, okay¡­ But what happened all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Will exinter!¡±


    Cloud found my flustered conduct strange, but I didn¡¯t even have time for exnations. And if I matched my pace with the heavily-armored Cloud or the physically weak Letina, it would only waste the precious time I had left.


    My agility was cut above the rest of our group. I had to make haste, and these three would only slow me down.


    Fortunately, we were near a highway. The safety was being maintained to a degree so there should be no dangers.


    Thus, I snatched the letter from Cloud and rushed towards Raum¡¯s capital at full speed.

 Chapter 232: Entanglement

    <h4>Chapter 232: Entanglement</h4>


    Author¡¯s note: For the next few chapters, the story would be revolving around Cortina.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Cortina hade to Lilith together with Lyell. The second city of the Qaum City-State Alliance. It was a city that had oncee to ruin due to an unknown catastrophe. Later on, it had been rebuilt with Qaum¡¯s assistance, but that also invited darkness into it. And that darkness was still standing strong even to this day.


    There were rumors that Mateus¡¯ Jend Sect was situated in this city. As such, Cortina, who was familiar with thend, and Lyell, the strongest battle power, had decided toe here. Maxwell was actually far ahead of him when it came to pure annihtion, however, he could not fully utilize his power inside the city.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go reserve a hotel first.¡± ¡°Okay. I will go talk with the knights of this ce.¡± ¡°Maxwell already issued his notice to every region, so I don¡¯t expect any significant results, but please do. I will ask the knights to tell you the inn¡¯s location.¡± ¡°Please do.¡±


    As things stood, Klein was still one step ahead with his escape. To cover that gap, Maxwell used the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯smunicationswork and sent notices to every ce.


    However, it did not bring a favorable result, as none of the Guild branches had reported any sightings.


    This city, too, should have received the notification, but there was no answer. As such, there was almost no hope that the chivalric order, being part of the regr army, had any new information to share.


    Even so, reports could have a timeg, so it was better to go and directly confirm it just in case.


    Cortina, who was familiar with this ce, nned to find a safe inn and make it their base of operations.


    ¡°There might be Klein¡¯s subordinates lurking here, so don¡¯t go walking around by yourself any more than necessary, you hear? If something happened to you, Maria and Nicole would kill me.¡± ¡°I know that. There are still ces I have to go no matter what¡­ I will leave a note if that timees, and also contact you, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Okay, but again, let¡¯s be extremely careful.¡±


    With those words, Lyell headed towards the chivalric order. Cortina also proceeded to look for a safe inn on the main street. This ce was infested with criminals, as such, she had to be extremely careful in her choice of an inn.


    However, being a native of this ce, she had a few such ces in mind.


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if that inn is still around.¡±


    Still, her memories of the ce were already outdated by over twenty years. Some of the stores that she used to see here were no longer present, now reced by different, unfamiliar stores.


    Seeing that, feelings of nostalgia that she had forgotten started to bubble up in her heart.


    ¡°Well, not that I have a ce to return to. I was just an orphan.¡±


    When Cortina¡¯s talent had been discovered, she was moved from the orphanage straight to the military academy. That orphanage was no longer standing, so for her, there was no longer a definite ¡°ce to return to¡±.


    From then, she passed by a few inns, but true to its reputation of a metropolis, most of the inns had rejected her due to being already full. After several trips through the streets, she had finally found an inn to settle down in and reserved a room there.


    Naturally, this ce would not be used as their lodging ¡ª for Maxwell woulde to take them back to Raum at night. However, having a base here would be convenient for discussions in case of an emergency.


    Preparing a base regardless of the asion was something that she had picked up during her Adventuring days.


    After reserving the room, she left off some extra luggage there, then wrote a letter about the inn¡¯s location and headed towards the service counter.


    There, she got a hold of one young employee and entrusted him with the message. After that, she stayed put in her room and waited for Lyell¡¯s return.


    He had simply left to confirm the information with the chivalric order, so it should not take him long to return. In the rare case that he had been ambushed, Lyell was more than strong enough to handle it alone.


    As such, Cortina was not concerned about that part. Still, merely waiting at the inn had left her with too much time on her hands.


    ¡°Yaaaaawnn.¡±


    She yawned loudly while stretching on the chair. As they were supposed to return back, she had not brought anything with her that could be used to waste time. Just as she was contemting on what to do, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Nnya?¡±


    The doors at this inn were locked from the inside, and they also had peepholes. This city had quite high public safety. It was highly unlikely for a ruffian to manage to sneak here.


    Still, if this was an inn staff, they would normally call out. However, this time there were no signs of that. Instead, they slipped a single piece of paper from the door gap.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    It was clearly shady conduct.


    Cortina stayed alert for the windows and picked that paper up. She was alert for the windows because they could have nned to rush in and take her by surprise while her attention was directed to the door.


    While keeping self-defense skills in mind, Cortina took the paper properly in her hand. There was a piece of cloth attached to that paper. Seeing that clothes stained with something dark red, Cortina felt a strange sense of deja vu.


    ¡°This cloth¡­ Where have I seen it before?¡±


    In addition, the paper had a single sentence written on it that read as follows:


    We have caught your messenger.


    After she read that, Cortina suddenly remembered. That cloth was the same apron that the boy she had entrusted with the message had worn.


    I got him involved in this¡ªThinking so, Cortina opened the door. But there was no one there.


    Next, she rushed to the window and gave the street one sweep. She was thinking that the kidnapper might have left some kind of information behind, assuming they hade all the way here.


    And then, on the other side of the street, she saw a man with strangely long hands waving back at her while holding the same colored cloth in his hand.


    ¡°That guy¡­ Is that Mateus!?¡±


    It was the skilled assassin tasked with Klein¡¯s protection. She knew what he looked like from Nicole and Michelle. His characteristic long hands and twin-ded style was something that would stand out anywhere.


    After sending an inappropriately cheerful smile in her direction, Mateus went on to disappear behind the street.


    Seeing that, Cortina left another letter behind, and then jumped and broke through the window as loudly as she could andnded on the street below.


    By doing this, the inn¡¯s owner would rush to check what happened. And on the way, they would discover the note that she left behind.


    Trusting her judgment, Cortina then went on to chase after Mateus.

 Chapter 233: Battle of Escape

    <h4>Chapter 233: Battle of Escape</h4>


    Following Mateus who disappeared behind the street corner, Cortina rushed into the back alley. At the same time, she saw a silhouette ahead turning a corner and heading deeper into the alley. It was obvious who it was based on his characteristic long arms and twin swords hanging from his waist.


    ¡°Hold it!¡±


    Cortina was well aware of the dangers of pursuing a skilled assassin on her own. Still, as she had gotten the staff member involved in this, she had no other choice but to pursue him. Her pride as a Hero didn¡¯t allow that, and more importantly, she did not want to do anything that she would feel ashamed of in front of Reid.


    They turned corners a few times as she was being lured away, and finally, they ended up in a cepletely separated from the main street. And there, Mateus awaited her.


    ¡°Why hello there, miss Hero. You seem to be quite lively there, eh?¡± ¡°So let me make sure just in case, you are that Mateus I have heard about, right?¡± ¡°Indeed. You really do have great discerning skills, hmm?¡±


    The way he ended his sentences in a questioning tone rubbed Cortina the wrong way. But she had to put that aside for now.


    ¡°Where is the boy?¡± ¡°Hmm, if youe with me, I can tell you maybe?¡± ¡°I am not about to get sweet-talked by some yboy.¡±


    Cortina took out herbat staff and prepared for battle. It was a tool that could be used both for magic assistance and for staffbat. Seeing her conduct, Mateus shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated manner.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I haven¡¯t abducted him or anything, you know? This is actually something I merely bought from him after he stained it during his snack, you see?¡± ¡°Are you serious!?¡± ¡°You gave that kid some reward, right? He went and bought baked potatoes with that money. The red stains in this are just ketchup. He should be taking a little rest in the park right about now after one of our young got in his way.¡± ¡°¡­So I was lured here that easily, huh.¡± ¡°I would say, you were entrapped here that easily, I suppose?¡±


    Matching Mateus¡¯ words, Cortina felt another presence behind her. They wore dirty clothes and a visibly worn-out pelt. They had swords hanging on the right side. Overall, they looked like slightly battered Adventurers. They had rtively light armors on them that would not look unnatural even if you passed by them on the street. However, with those two showing up at such timing, it was easy to guess that it wasn¡¯t a mere coincidence. Both the path ahead and behind were blocked now, cutting her way of escape.


    ¡°So you came fully prepared, huh? But I didn¡¯te here so half-heartedly either.¡± ¡°Oh? But yes, you are right that we came fully prepared. My job is to drive away the people pursuing my Master. I expected you to find that magic circle and pursue us. Besides, regardless of your determination, I don¡¯t believe I can possibly lose, you know?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you left that magic circle there purposely? If you didn¡¯t want to be pursued, why didn¡¯t you just erase it?¡± ¡°Oh, are you going to ignore the difference in abilities? Well, it would be a bother to keep moving secretly like that. I hate such bothersome jobs, you know?¡±


    The two behind started to slowly close the distance. This alley that was sandwiched between houses had no other exit.


    ¡°If we catch you, the Six Heroes would lose their leadership. Besides, you are the easiest to catch among them. Right?¡± ¡°I wonder about that. I can be more than my appearance suggests, you know?¡±


    Cortina was certainly the weakest among the Six Heroes, and her life had been targetted like this many a time. However, each of those times she had managed to struggle her way out with various means.


    ¡°Besides, since I know that kid is fine, there¡¯s no longer a need to keep dealing with a boorish man like you.¡± ¡°Oh dear, calling me boorish is a bit. I hate violence, so I would be happy if you surrender. And actually, you¡¯ve been talking to me quite readily all this time, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Surrender, huh? That¡¯s quite generous of you¡­ But too bad. As Reid would say, ¡°Not in a million years¡±!


    Using her formerrade¡¯s words, Cortina instantly turned heel. And then she dashed towards the two behind her. The two seemed to have expected her to act this way and weren¡¯t flustered by this development.


    They calmly pulled their swords and prepared to meet her.


    However, just before Cortina reached the two, she thrust her staff into the ground and flung herself into the air. She used the thrust point and threw her body in the air simr to pole vaulting.


    That said, doing that with a staff that didn¡¯t even reach two meters wasn¡¯t enough to give her enough altitude. However, she made up for that by kicking the wall of the narrow corridor to jump higher, and leaped over the two man¡¯s heads.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Seeing Cortina¡¯spletely unexpected actions, the two men yelled in shock. Meanwhile, Cortina did not kill her momentum but instead used it to roll even farther away from the two.


    And then she used that same momentum to stand back up and proceeded to run.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    The two apologized to Mateus who was looking at them with an exasperated expression. That said, they didn¡¯t just stand still, but quickly responded to the situation and began their pursuit.


    Looking at them quickly fix theirposure and start chasing, you could tell that they were experienced to a degree.


    Cortina, being a cat beastman, excelled in physical abilities. She was confident she would not lose in this tag when she was already ahead of them.


    If she rushed back where she came from and managed to reach the main street, they would not be able to make any big moves against her.


    Just that she turned a corner with those thoughts, she stopped in ce.


    On the road where there was nothing before, there was now a pile of wooden boxes. There were too many of them scattered about, so climbing over them would take too much effort. That said, trying to clear the way and breakthrough would take even longer. Regardless of the means, they were both fatal for someone in flight.


    It was possible to leap over them with a staff like before, but the staff in question was left behind when she leaped over the men.


    Whether she tried to climb over or move them, it would take too much time. And as expected, the two men didn¡¯t take a long time to catch up with her.


    ¡°Hold it there!¡± ¡°Making work difficult for us!¡±


    The men were rushing over while throwing jeers towards her. Cortina waspletely empty-handed there. She had no means of resisting them¡ªor so it seemed.


    Just as the man tried to vulnerably approach her to take her out, she picked up a box and mmed it at him.


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    The man that had let his guard down thinking she had no weapons wasn¡¯t able to avoid that attack. That said, he wasn¡¯t so stupid to take it head-on, either. He quickly used his sword to defend, thus he avoided taking too much damage.


    As the wooden box met the iron sword, it got crushed to bits, but it also broke the man¡¯s posture. Cortina quickly approached the man and drove the underside of her fist to his neck. It was the so-called hammer blow.


    This was a technique that was easiest to put power into while also having a low risk of injuring your hand in the process. It was a vital blow, enough for Cortina, a physically weaker female, to knock out a man. And since itnded on the neck, which was a weak point, he had no chances of recovering from it.


    Thus, he momentarily lost consciousness and started slowly copsing on the spot. The other man who was a step slow to react to her sudden counterattack immediately moved to cut her down.


    Cortina intentionally slipped under the falling man and used him as a shield to block his attack. Seeing that, the man tried to stop his sh, but he failed to kill his momentumpletely and itnded on hisrade.


    It took him everything just to shift the de enough to avoid serious injury. Now pinned under the other man, Cortina grabbed a broken piece of the scattered wooden boxes.


    The broken board had a sharpened tip and it could be used as a spear. While still copsed on the ground, Cortina swung her arm with all she had and drive the fragment in the other man¡¯s ankle.


    If they were outside of the city, this would have been defended by his greaves. However, they were inside the city now, so wearing too much armor would¡¯ve made him stand out too much.


    As such, he was now in normal leather shoes, so this attack managed to seriously injure his instep.


    ¡°Gghaaah!¡±


    The bone of an instep was actually very thin. It also had little muscle. It was quite possible to break it even with something like a broken wood fragment.


    That sharp pain caused him to roll over and fall on the ground.


    Having overpowered both men, Cortina finally crawled out from under the man.


    At that point, the third man, Mateus, who walked without hurry, had finally caught up to her.

 Chapter 234: A Predicament

    <h4>Chapter 234: A Predicament</h4>


    Mateus showed himself while walking so casually one would think he was taking a stroll. The rubble behind Cortina was still there. There was no ce to run.


    While hisrades have been eliminated, he was more than enough of a threat on his own.


    ¡°Oh wow. You are quite something to have brought the two of them down empty-handed. I suppose you are not a hero for nothing, eh?¡± ¡°I have some confidence in my physical ability even if I don¡¯t look that way.¡±


    Mateusmented without any sense of urgency, and Cortina also responded in a light tone. However, in spite of her light tone, her eyes didn¡¯t stop probing the surroundings.


    ¡°I suppose this was too much for those neers, huh? It seems that this work falls on my shoulders in the end, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Overly serious guys aren¡¯t popr, you know? You can ck off every once in a while.¡± ¡°Ah, indeed, I have never once been popr in my life.¡±


    Mateus was by no means ugly. However, unlike his frivolous speech, the aura surrounding him reeked of danger. Women would naturally be scared away by that aura and not approach him.


    ¡°I see. But Reid was popr, you know? Not that the person himself was aware of that fact.¡± ¡°That makes me jealous. Maybe I can also be popr if I get my name out there. In that case, maybe you can sacrifice yourself for my sess?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯d rather not!¡±


    Mateus was an assassin. People like him excelled in offense, so it would be disadvantageous for Cortina if she did not take the initiative in this battle. As such, she had to make the first move.


    Deciding that, Cortina lowered her posture and approached Mateus. She tried to pretend to sh at him, and then slip under his arm. However, her movements weren¡¯t enough to take Mateus by surprise.


    ¡°Now, now, I can¡¯t have you escape so easily, can I?¡± ¡°Kyaa!?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t pulled his sword out, and instead, he thrust his leg horizontally and drove it into Cortina¡¯s nk. As Cortina was focused entirely on his swords, she ended up taking the brunt of this attack.


    It was a precise kick to the nk. The pain from it caused Cortina to momentarily lose the ability to move, and then, she was effortlessly blown away and crashed into the road¡¯s wall.


    She then slid down on the wall and started violently coughing while ring at Mateus.


    ¡°Gah! Cough¡­cough!¡± ¡°To think you¡¯d pick up our neer¡¯s sword and charge at me. I can¡¯t be too careful with you, huh?¡± ¡°Cough¡­That¡¯s my selling point. Still, aren¡¯t you soft? If it was Reid, I would already be dead after this exchange.¡±


    Cortina staggered to her feet and set up the sword that she was not used to holding. Seeing that, Mateus also slowly pulled his own swords out.


    ¡°Final warning. Won¡¯t you surrender obediently?¡± ¡°My answer stays the same. I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    He seemed to be expecting that answer and responded inly and casually swung his sword.


    Normally, his sword would never reach her at this distance. However, Mateus¡¯ long arms made it possible.


    Cortina barely managed to stop his blow that was aimed at her throat with the sword she held. However, the weight of that blow was enough to fling the sword out of her hands.


    Cortina staggered and put her hand on the ground to support herself, but the next moment she picked up a box fragment and threw it at Mateus.


    He dodged this by simply tilting his head on the side, and then attacked her with his other sword. Cortina failed to fully dodge that attack and it slightly tore her left calf.


    ¡°Agh! You damn¡­¡± ¡°So you can still keep going?¡±


    He shed back with his first sword, and then proceeded with his incessant onught. Cortina kept rolling on the ground and dodging the attacks. It was surprising that not only was she dodging, but also using spells with shorter chants to counterattack.


    But Mateus was able to dodge them just as easily as before.


    Thus, one kept attacking and the other kept counterattacking as she rolled around.


    He kept easily dodging spells fired from low angles. Normally, low, near-the-feet angles were blind spots for humans, but he showed no signs of trouble. His deep experience allowed him to deal with those attacks.


    Cortina wasn¡¯t able to aplish her goal to slip past him and instead kept being driven back. It took her all just to roll left and right and return weak attacks.


    Still, even that was just useless resistance. She kept being driven into a corner, and before long, she was pushed against the wreckage with no ce to escape.


    Mateus thrust his sword at Cortina, convinced of his victory.


    ¡°Well, looks like this is the end, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Indeed it is. Our tag is over.¡±


    Cortina answered with a grin towards Mateus who seemed confident.


    Her leg was bleeding nonstop, and even just walking was already difficult for her. Her back pressed to the wooden boxes, making it clear that she had no way out.


    And yet, she was strangelyposed for someone driven to a wall. As Mateus pondered on her reasons¡ªthe boxes behind her suddenly exploded.

 Chapter 235: Trampling Down

    <h4>Chapter 235: Trampling Down</h4>


    Nay, they did not explode. To be more urate, someone on the other side had blown them into pieces with one swing of their sword.


    A pile of boxes was pulverized into dust with just that one swing. They were broken into tiny fragments, and rained down on Cortina and Mateus like snow.


    ¡°What just¡ªhappened!?¡±


    Mateus had lost his words at this unexpected destruction. That said, he immediately leaped back to secure his safety, which was proof of his skill.


    As the wood chips rained down, one man appeared from the other side. That man was someone Mateus had been the most vignt of.


    ¡°¡ªLyell!? Why is he here!¡± ¡°Well, I broke through the window so shily. The staff should have gone there to check it. And they would also discover the letter that I left behind. I asked them to call Lyell.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so uncertain¡­ What made you think they would do as you asked?¡± ¡°I decided that that inn was ¡®reliable¡¯ exactly because I knew that they would do it. Not to mention, if they let me die despite finding my note, it would lead to trust problems for them. If you think a bit, you¡¯d realize that it would be better to do as it said.¡± ¡°That still doesn¡¯t exin how he found the ce I lured you to¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right. That¡¯s why I kept firing signaling magic. From below to above, you see?¡±


    Hearing Cortina¡¯s yful words, Mateus moved his gaze overhead¡ªtowards the sky. There, he saw a tiny Light spell shining high in the air.


    ¡°You mixed Light spell among the offensive magic that you were firing at me?¡± ¡°I never said everything I was firing was offensive now, have I?¡±


    As Cortina rolled on the ground, the spells she fired were mostly directed upwards. Among them, she mixed in a Light spell that could be used in ce of a signal re.


    And Lyell rushed over as he followed that mark.


    ¡°The reason I was so chatty with you was to gain time. Thank you for ying along without suspecting anything.¡± ¡°S?h?i?t?, I wondered why were you soposed¡­¡± ¡°¡ªSo, I take it you are Mateus?¡±


    As Mateus was feeling humiliated for falling for Cortina¡¯s tricks, Lyell addressed him for the first time. He was normally a sociable person, but this time, he was talking with a threatening tone. The intimidating air¡­ no, pure dread that he was releasing made Mateus take a step back.


    ¡°Agh, s?h?i?t?. I would like to make my escape now, you know?¡± ¡°Think I would let you?¡±


    The moment he showed his back would be the moment he would be cut down. Mateus could vividly picture that scene in his mind.


    He could not show his back against this opponent. That only left him one choice ¡ª to move forward. However, his legs were frozen in ce from fear.


    ¡°Sorry but I¡¯m going to exterminate any undesirable bugs lurking near my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m in deep s?h?i?t?, huh?¡±


    The cold sweat ticking down his spine made the difference between their skills inly obvious. With Lyell¡¯s arrival, Cortina heaved a big sigh.


    ¡°Lyell, my leg¡¯s injured so I can¡¯t support you. Sorry but deal with him alone.¡± ¡°Understood. Rx and just watch from there.¡±


    With those words, he raised his dangling sword and directed it towards Mateus. Just that action was enough to have all his hair stand on ends. Even so, he forced his legs to move and step forward. It was because he judged that that was his only way of survival.


    He forced himself forward by pure willpower and swung his sword together with a roar. That swing carried all the power that he could muster.


    ¡°Uuoooooohhhh!¡±


    He raised a war cry that he only rarely showed, and attacked Lyell with everything he had. Lyell, however, brushed his sword aside as easily as swatting a fly.


    Mateus who was the one attacking was pulled along by the momentum of his repelled sword, bending backward greatly. It was a blow even stronger than the one-handed strike of Mateus whose heaviness he so prided.


    Still, having two swords, Mateus also prided himself in his ability to unleash simr heavy sword barrages without a stop.


    Thus, he used his other sword to follow-up on his previous attack. But again, Lyell stopped even this attack, and this time, with his right arm of all things.


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    Mateus was confident that he could easily chop off a human arm. However, the feeling that was transmitted from his sword made him feel as if he tried to slice steel instead of an arm.


    No, that was not quite right. Unlike steel, it has some sticity. Yet the de failed to slice it.


    It managed to cut his skin, but not his flesh.


    His injury only resulted in a faint, almost insignificant streak of blood. That was the entire damage that Mateus¡¯ full-powered attack managed to deal.


    ¡°You¡­Monster!¡±


    His muscles of overwhelming density stopped his blow. This was proof for Mateus that Lyell was someone outside ofmon sense. Just what kind of training, what kind of battles one had to experience to gain a body like this?


    ¡°Lyell, we need to get Klein¡¯s whereabouts out of him, so don¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°Got it.¡±


    He answered curtly, and this time, it was his sword that moved. Mateus crossed his swords and received that attack.


    However, even his two hands could not stop his attackpletely, and he was flung several meters backward through the alley.


    One sword got broken, another got terribly dented. But thanks to them, Mateus managed to hold on to his life.


    After rolling on the ground, he raised his face. The fact that he got blown away also meant that the distance between the two had widened now. Mateus wasn¡¯t about to let this chance to escape go, thus he stood up and turned around to flee.


    However, the next instant, his shoulder was grasped by a strong hand. As he fearfully looked behind, he found Lyell, who had covered such a big distance in one step.


    ¡°Are you kidding me!?¡±


    This was the first time when Mateus had lost all hisposure during a battle, raising a scream. A momentter, Lyell swung his arm greatly. Naturally, the same arm that was holding Mateus¡¯ shoulder.


    Mateus was flung away like a pebble, crashing into a wall.


    ¡°Gahh!¡±


    Yet he still did not let go of his swords, proving that he was an experienced assassin. However, his face was dyed in despair the following instant.


    ¡°H-Hey¡­¡±


    As Mateusy there against the wall, Lyell went and grabbed his leg. And once again, he easily swung his arm. Mateus¡¯ body floated in the air like a doll yed by a child.


    And then, he was mmed down into the ground, and this time, he ended up letting go of his swords, all while vomiting blood.


    It took his all just to protect his head during the crash, and he could even hear his chest creaking from the shock.


    Lyell once again raised his body up.


    And mmed him to the ground once again, and again. Each time, Mateus vomited blood as some of his bones broke. The leg Lyell was holding him with had long since broken and was now dangling in the impossible direction.


    And yet, Mateus stayed conscious through all that. Nay, the wave of sharp pain spreading through his body did not allow him to lose consciousness.


    Then, finally, Lyell mmed his body back to the wall, and his rampage hade to an end.


    However, Mateus no longer had a way to counter attack. s, he could not even escape.


    His legs were broken, his ribs were broken, even his shoulders were broken. At this point, it was easier to count the parts that were still intact.


    As Mateus was leaning on the wall, Lyell made a fist and aimed it at him. Being all broken and no way to avoid it, Mateus could only respond with an emptyugh.


    ¡°Ha-Haha¡­ What can I do against¡­ A monster like this?¡± ¡°This is revenge for my daughter. Prepare yourself.¡± ¡°Hey, Nicole isn¡¯t dead!¡± ¡°¡­Daughter?¡±


    Hearing that, Lyell connected all the dots. Nicole had a fighting strength far beyond a girl her age. If her father was Lyell, then her mother would be Maria.


    Her parents were the Dragonyer Six Heroes. The two Heroes¡¯ blood was condensed in her. It was natural that he had such a close fight against her.


    ¡°Of course¡­ She would be so strong.¡±


    And Lyell was the sessor of the Holy Sword, the strongest among the Six Heroes in personal fights.


    Even his utmost was only enough to cut his skin, and after that, he was thrown around like a toy.


    The difference in skill was overwhelming. It would beughable to evenpare them. Perhaps it would have been better to admit defeat and beg for mercy the moment Lyell appeared.


    He had not tasted such overwhelming defeat ever since losing to the head of the Jend Sect. He intentionally approached the Jend Sect, nning to defeat its head.


    However, all of that was irrelevant. The strong always appeared suddenly, rampaged like a storm, and then left after trampling down on everything.


    Just like this man before his eyes. Just like the Master of the Jend Sect once did.


    Filled with hopelessness, Mateus closed his eyes. For resistance was futile against opponents like these. His expression told that he had epted his fate.


    And thus¡ªLyell had swung down his fist.

 Chapter 236: To Lilith

    <h4>Chapter 236: To Lilith</h4>


    Author¡¯s note: We are returning to Nicole¡¯s pov.


    Cortina was in danger. The moment I learned that, I left Michelle and the rest behind and returned to Raum on my own. I had no time to match their pace during this race against time.


    I was about to rush to Maxwell¡¯s mansion as I arrived in the city, but then I stopped. That old man must have taken someone along and headed to either Qaum or Lilith.


    That meant that the only Six Heroes member in the city was Maria.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell Maria¡­ No, wait, how should I even exin this!?¡±


    I met some suspicious man outside the city and he dropped this letter. I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be suspicious if I just say that, huh?


    But in that case, she would not take me to Cortina.


    No, that should be enough. This information would get to Cortina and she would be more vignt, and Maria would also be there to guard her. That should make it hard for Klein to pull off anything.


    Cortina¡¯s strength was her ability to make use of people, rather than her individual power, so Maria being there should considerably raise herbat power.


    Even so, I couldn¡¯t stand still knowing that she was in danger. After considering my current options, I decided to run to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. They had a magic tool here that allowed distantmunications.


    However, it didn¡¯t deliver the messages in a proactive manner, so there was no knowing when the other person would see the information.


    Even so, it was far better than not doing anything. Besides, I could also confirm whether the guy from before had stopped by or not.


    If luck ends up being on my side, I could overtake and apprehend him on the spot.


    I rushed into the Guild, to the samedy that I took the request from not long ago. There were some Adventurers in line, but I had no time to care about that now. Besides, everyone knew my face here, so no one med me for it.


    ¡°Hello, did a guye here to send a message?¡± ¡°For the message service? Yes, there was one such person earlier.¡± ¡°Was it¡ª¡±


    I described the features of that man, and found out that it was the same person. It seemed that I failed to beat him to the punch. In that case, I also had to send a message of my own.


    ¡°I-In that case, I¡¯m also going to send a message, and I need to do it fast.¡± ¡°That would cost you ten silvers, are you sure¡ª¡± ¡°I am! Cortina is in danger!¡±


    Hearing my words, thedy jumped to her feet and guided me to the other room by the hand. She was also aware of the matters regarding the ve traders and Cloud¡¯s injuries. As such, she was prompt in her response.


    We quickly sent the message and confirmed that Qaum and Lilith both received them. If we were lucky, my warning would reach the intended people, but the chances of that were slim.


    Thus, I had to go there directly.


    Thanking the receptionist, I rushed back to Cortina¡¯s home. I wouldn¡¯t get anywhere without letting Maria know. As such, I rushed into the house and screamed her name at the top of my lungs.


    ¡°Mom! Mom!?¡± ¡°Wee back, Lady Nicole. You are back early today.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks, Finia. Where¡¯s mom?¡± ¡°Lady Maria is takingundry in the backyard¡­¡±


    Leaving Finia, who weed me as always, behind, I headed behind the house. She saw me off with a puzzled expression, not realizing what was up with me. I had no time to exin to her the reason.


    In a moderately-sized backyard, Maria was holding a big pile of three people¡¯s worth of clothes. Seeing me, she asked in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, Nicole. You are early.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time for that, mom!¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Herx attitude was a usual thing, but it was frustrating in this dire situation. I took out the letter from my pocket and pushed it at her.


    ¡°And what could this be?¡± ¡°Read it, Cortina is in danger!¡±


    She looked surprised hearing that, but didn¡¯t say anything and simply read the contents. As she did, her expression turned grim.


    ¡°¡­Understood. Leave this to your mother, Nicole.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ming with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯ming!¡± ¡°I understand that you are worried, but Cortina is working with Lyell now. Calm down and wait for me, okay?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not backing down on this!¡±


    I could understand her worry. But knowing Cortina was in danger, there¡¯s no way I could just sit still. We didn¡¯t even have time to keep arguing like this. Maria knew that as well.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped¡­ Alright, but make sure you listen to everything I tell you, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡±


    I answered with a docile face. Seeing that, Maria tossed theundry inside the house and left the rest to Finia who came to check on us.


    ¡°Finia, I¡¯m heading to where Cortina is so I leave the rest to you. The situation is looking a little suspicious, so please call Michelle and Cloud and guard them inside. Be extremely vignt until my return.¡± ¡°U-Understood!¡±


    They decided to target Cortina who was the weakest among the Heroes. They could very well target Finia and Michelle for the same reason. However, these two weren¡¯t as famous as her, nor were they actively pursuing Klein, so perhaps they weren¡¯t in such a big danger.


    Still, it never hurt to be too careful, as the enemy was far too unpredictable this time. I wanted to keep everyone connected to us protected, just in case.


    By the time Finia tossed theundry inside the basket, Michelle and the rest seemed to have arrived at our house. There was a bell on the door, as well as voices calling for me.


    I was also worried for Letina, of course, but she lived in the Marquis¡¯ mansion, so no harm shoulde to her as long as she remains there. Then again, if she was together with them now, we could protect her here instead.


    While Finia was dealing with them, Maria took the opportunity to draw the magic circle on the ground.


    She still couldn¡¯t use this spell as freely as Maxwell. Not to mention, this was part of the Interference system that was outside of her specialty. In fact, despite another system being her focus, the fact that she could use advanced spells of another system could only be described as inhuman.


    Thus, I clung to Maria and prepared for teleportation.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then. Be careful not to get teleportation sick.¡± ¡°As if being careful would change anything. It¡¯s in my constitution.¡±


    After exchanging small jokes, Maria activated the spell.


    The magic circle shined bright, and by the time it settled down, we were already in apletely different city.


    I had been to Qaum before, but the scenery before me looked unfamiliar. Which meant, we were in Lilith.


    ¡°We first have to confirm where she is. Her appearance stands out quite a bit, so we should be able to easily find her if we ask around.¡± ¡°Right.¡±


    Cortina was a cat beastman. And her race wasn¡¯t big in number. Not to mention, she was probably the only long haired feline with shining golden that people could think of.


    As expected, after asking a few passers-by, we narrowed down the inn that someone of her appearance was staying at. As expected from her, it was a reliable inn located on the main street.


    Right as we were on the way to that inn¡ªan unbelievably loud crushing sound reached our ears.

 Chapter 237: Its Only a Treatment

    <h4>Chapter 237: It''s Only a Treatment</h4>


    Looking closely, there was a Light spell hovering above an alley separated from the main street. The crushing sound also came from the same direction.


    ¡°Mom, that must be¡­!¡± ¡°Given this timing, there¡¯s no doubt it¡¯s them. Let¡¯s go, Nicole. Remember to stay by my side.¡± ¡°Okay!¡±


    That sound was no joke. Mateus could¡¯ve alreadye into contact with Cortina.


    It seemed to being from the back alley a little separated from the main street. Other people also exchanged nces wondering what it was about.


    That said, no one tried to go and check. There was an organization that trained assassins in this city. If ordinary people stuck their noses where they didn¡¯t belong, they could find themselves falling to a ¡°mysterious death¡±.


    As Maria and I turned a few corners, people around us also continued decreasing in number. It was an ideal environment for an attack.


    After we turned a few more corners, we saw Cortina. Her leg was injured and she was sitting on the ground. But that seemed to be her only injury, so I felt a bit relieved.


    For some reason, the surroundings were full of wood chips, as well as two copsed men with light injuries who I assumed were defeated by her.


    And near the wall, there was Mateus, looking like a broken doll. And before him was Lyell with his fist raised.


    There were cracks on the wall and a dent on the ground, telling me how fierce the fight was. No, with Lyell as his opponent, it was probably a one-sided trampling. That was just how broken Lyell¡¯s battle power was.


    Mateus, as far as I could see, had his arms, legs, and even his bonespletely broken up, having received so much damage that he hardly looked human anymore.


    If we added Lyell¡¯s fist on top of his condition, he was bound to die for sure. However, Lyell didn¡¯t seem intent on stopping. He seemed so pissed that it was unusual.


    ¡°Lyell, stop!!¡±


    Cortina shouted in panic. But even her warning was not reaching his ears.


    Cortina was probably trying to stop him to extract information from him. Lyell on the other hand was angry that he had injured me. And now he attacked Cortina on top of that, so hepletely flipped his lid.


    Whenever Lyell lost his cool, he also lost all mercy. Mateus couldn¡¯t possibly endure a punch of someone who could even punch through the Evil Dragon¡¯s scales.


    I reflexively used my Thread Maniption on my feet¡¯s muscles and tendons, and dashed towards him at tremendous speeds.


    I was happy that he was angry for me, but the fight was already over. Moreover, he held valuable information rted to Klein. It would be very bad if he died here.


    I tackled Lyell with a force akin to an arrow shot through the Third Eye. Normally, I would¡¯ve just been repelled given my physique, but my empowered legs and loins prevented that.


    My charge pushed him off his position, and his fist missed its mark. It instead passed right by Mateus¡¯ face, pulverizing the wall behind.


    ¡°Dad, stop!¡± ¡°N-Nicole!? What are you¡­ Ah, I see. My bad Cortina, blood rushed to my head a bit.¡±


    Seeing me, Lyell seemed to have finally regained his self-control and apologized towards Cortina. She sighed in response.


    ¡°Good grief, don¡¯t scare me like that. You looked a little weird from the start, but it turns out you were already flipped at that point, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. When I realized the b?a?s?t?a?r?d? that hurt Nicole was before my eyes, I just¡­¡± ¡°I understand how you feel, but don¡¯t kill him. We don¡¯t want Klein escaping again.¡± ¡°I get it, I was just driven by momentum earlier.¡± ¡°I¡­ Was almost killed by that momentum, huh¡­?¡±


    Mateusined in a weak voice, though we had no reason to listen to any of it. Still, the more I looked, the more disastrous his state appeared.


    His left leg was broken to the point it looked like he had one more knee there, and his right shoulder was danglingpletely, visibly broken.


    Even his ribs seemed to have suffered damage as he was vomiting blood. Even his organs might have been damaged.


    ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think he can make it like that.¡± ¡°You are right¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m really reluctant to heal you and would rather return you to the cycle of the World Tree right now¡­ But alright, I will go ahead and heal you, but I must state again that I¡¯m extremely reluctant.¡± ¡°Your expression tells me how much you hate the idea, but thank yo¡ªaaaAAGGH!?¡±


    Just as Mateus thanked a really displeased-looking Maria, his words were reced by a scream.


    His bones were giving off creaks and were being forcibly returned to their original ces. His flesh was also returning to looking more human, but he was screaming with all he had during that whole process.


    ¡°That¡¯s the painful way of healing¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t seen this ¡°punishment¡± in quite some time.¡± ¡°H-Higiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaahhhh!? Agghghghhhaa!!¡±


    Mateus convulsed in the agony of death. This was Maria¡¯s special torturing technique that removed the istion of pain that normally apanied healing magic. I had experienced it a few times, and I could say that it hurt like hell.


    ¡°Oh dear, looks like I was a little too crude there. Can you forgive me?¡± ¡°L-Liar¡­ That was definitely on purp¡ª¡± ¡°Yah!¡± ¡°Giyaaaaaaaaa!!¡±


    As Mateus was throwing usations, Maria stepped down on his left leg. And it wasn¡¯t a gentle step, she trampled down on it to the point it gave off a weird creak.


    ¡°It appears that your leg is healed too. That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Y-You definitely stepped on it on purpose¡ª¡± ¡°Oh dear, shall I check the condition of your ribs too while I¡¯m at it?¡± ¡°No, nevermind what I said. Thank you for the healing¡­?¡±


    Mateus had no choice but to surrender before Maria¡¯s meaningful smile. Techniques to heal people could also be used to break people, if used the other way.


    In a way, Maria was the most knowledgeable among us when it came to breaking people. Before her technique, some anti-torturing training would prove to bepletely useless. Realizing that, Mateus decided to give up.


    ¡°Good boy. It would be great if you can tell us about Klein¡¯s whereabouts while you are at it, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so you won¡¯t?¡± ¡°Wait, I will, I will! However, there are others listening to us, so can we move ces first?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    Hearing his request, Maria surveyed the surroundings. There was no one crazy enough toe to observe the center of an uproar. That said, the owner of the house beyond the wall that Lyell just demolished was copsed on the spot in fear.


    As he said, it was better to leave this ce.

 Chapter 238: Negotiations

    <h4>Chapter 238: Negotiations</h4>


    In total, Cortina was attacked by three people. We seized them all and returned to the inn that she reserved for us.


    Cortina stayed behind for a bit to go and thank the inn¡¯s owner for informing Lyell about the situation. She made the owner check the room and see her note by breaking the window in a shy manner.


    She had no time to write a detailed message, and leaving the normal way would let Mateus escape from her eyes. Considering everything, she chose to go with that method.


    This was a double room, so it was a little too narrow for the five Heroes, me, and three men on top of it.


    Maxwell cast wind magic along the walls to diffuse the air and not let the sound escape outside.


    ¡°Reminds me, weren¡¯t you a little too fast there, Nicole?¡± ¡°Huh, I-I think you¡¯re imagining it?¡±


    After the sound was blocked, Cortina asked me. Thinking back, I used my newly-learned muscle strengthening when rushing at Lyell, so it was natural for her to think that.


    ¡°I just dashed normally. Didn¡¯t you see it yourself, Cortina?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking¡­ But you¡¯re right, you probably escaped my sight since you are so tiny.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me tiny. What about you, mom?¡± ¡°Me too¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I was looking at Lyell there.¡±


    Fortunately, everyone¡¯s gazes were concentrated on Lyell at that time. There was no one there who paid attention to my small¡ªdo know that I have been growing though¡ªstature. If I kept saying that it was just Cortina¡¯s imagination, no one should delve deeper into it.


    Besides, I interfered with my own body and strengthened it, so I was confident that I didn¡¯t leave any hints. Had I used threads to strengthen myself instead, I probably would have no excuses left.


    Now that I think about it, Mateus knew that I used threads. I had to remember to muzzle himter.


    ¡°Now then, won¡¯t you start talking? Where is Klein.¡±


    Cortina pressed a question to Mateus whoy tied up on the bed. Honestly, I was feeling more and more hostile towards him. I was absolutely against Cortina approaching him on the bed. I knew it was important, but still, I hated the idea.


    That said, the other two were out cold, so he was the only one we could talk to. Our goal was to catch Klein and to take back the taxation certificate that he took with him. So I understood that we had to question Mateus, the only conscious person of the three.


    However, Mateus was instead pondering something with a pensive expression.


    ¡°Do you n to keep silent thiste in the game? Let me warn you just in case, but you don¡¯t have the option of suicide with Maria here.¡± ¡°No way, no way. I do want to keep my life. Besides, Master Klein is not worth enough to forsake my life for him, right?¡± ¡°Then what are you hesitating for?¡±


    He shook his head at Cortina¡¯s question. He continued with a shameless smile on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about my future. Either you kill me, or I get a death penalty, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Right? But I was discouraged at the very end. I was made to know that there exist strong people that I have no hope of beating. I have lost my motivation to continue this work.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m saying that I will spill everything, so won¡¯t you let me go?¡± ¡°As if we can do that!¡±


    Cortina was quick to refuse, but Maxwell cut into their conversation. He had his usual impish expression and was stroking his beard.


    ¡°No need to be hasty, Cortina. There might be some merit to us too in what he is suggesting.¡± ¡°Huh, you n to believe this guy?¡± ¡°I could not possibly trust himpletely, of course. However, making someone like him talk would take a lot of time. He might even give us false information before dying.¡± ¡°What are you suggesting then?¡±


    Cortina swelled her cheeks andined at Maxwell like a kid. Standing there with her hands on her hips and ring at him made her look unsuitably immature for her age.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ If we were to let him go, we shall give him two conditions.¡± ¡°Two?¡±


    Maxwell turned towards Mateus and revealed a mean smile that he tended to show from time to time. He drew his face closer to Mateus and spoke in a scheming tone.


    ¡°First, you have to quit your work as an assassin. Never taking another job again.¡± ¡°R-Right. I will dly ept that. I¡¯d rather not fight a monster like that person ever again.¡± ¡°Calling me a monster, huh? Want me to make it so you can never open that mouth again?¡± ¡°Calm down, Lyell. Also, the other condition is that you would be under my supervision for a fixed period.¡± ¡°Under your supervision?¡± ¡°Simply put, I can use your power as I see fit.¡± ¡°Hold on, I was nning to retire and just go plow fields or something, you know? If I be your henchman, I¡¯d just find myself in more trouble, won¡¯t I?¡±


    Mateus said in protest at Maxwell¡¯s demand. Cortina also chimed in with her own objection.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Besides, even if you make him your underling, do you really think you can trust him!?¡± ¡°Of course not. However, if he decides to turn on me, I can always set Lyell on him. I wonder if he would be willing to take on such a risk just to deceive me?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. I never want to fight against that person ever again!¡±


    He hurriedly shook his head left and right with a pale expression. So he was beaten up by Lyell to that point, huh? I wonder how scared he felt?


    ¡°So, what would you do? Of course, you can refuse, but in that case, I will have to ask Lyell and Maria to do their best to obtain information.¡± ¡°Like I have an option to refuse! I got it, I will talk and I¡¯ll be your underling!!¡± ¡°I am d that you are so obedient.¡± ¡°Cortina, I understand your doubts. However, I wanted to obtain more pieces for myself. After all, I just lost one not long ago.¡± ¡°Do you mean Haumea, Reid¡¯s reincarnation?¡± ¡°Now now, I never said anything of the sort, have I?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit toote to¡ª¡± ¡°There is no time for that now. Go on, tell us what you know about Klein.¡±


    He stopped Cortina with his hand and urged Mateus to start talking. Mateus started spilling the beans as he was told to, all while stealing nces at Lyell and Maria.


    ¡°Klein is currently in a City of the Geeze Union called Sedim.¡± ¡°Sedim¡­ Their Capital, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, he contacted me a little ago. He is hiding there with the ve merchant, with the Jend Sect guarding them. That said, I am distancing myself from the other Jend Sect members so there might be some dy in the information. Based on thetest information that I have, he is definitely there.¡± ¡°And why are you distancing yourself?¡± ¡°The Head¡­ is a battle junky, and well, I¡¯ve been nning to take his head one day.¡± ¡°So your entric personality is due to his influence.¡± ¡°It¡¯s partly my own innate nature.¡±


    Geeze Union, like the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle, was one of the southwestern kingdoms that had separated from the Southern City-State Alliance. They were in a truce with the City-State centered around Qaum. This happened due to the appearance of the Evil Dragon Colchis.


    And it was also the ce where Lyell was born.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Geeze, Lyell should be familiar with thend, right?¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­ Actually, I am not very familiar with anything outside of my vige, Croix¡­¡± ¡°Goodness¡­ So you really were a bumpkin swordsman.¡±


    Maxwell responded in exasperation, and I fully agreed with him on this.

 Chapter 239: Secret Request

    <h4>Chapter 239: Secret Request</h4>


    That night, we ended up returning back to Raum.


    We took the three offenders along too. After this was over, they were nned to be put on trial there. However, after Mateus managed to postpone his sentence due to Maxwell¡¯s mediation, the other two had also been extended a rescuing hand.


    They would be Maxwell¡¯s underlings and work in various ces. Naturally, they were directly under Maxwell¡¯s supervision, so if they attempted a betrayal, one of the Six Heroes would be dispatched to erase them. As such, they couldn¡¯t make any careless moves.


    Moreover, they were under Maxwell¡¯s Geass Magic, so they could not escape. Geass Magic made it so one would feel extreme pain and be unable to move properly if they decided to defy the order. Of course, sometimes people could withstand the pain through sheer will, but with someone on the level of Maxwell casting it, it would result in a pain that would instantly kill an average person.


    Even I would not dare to go against it.


    Later, the other kids and I were also interrogated by Maxwell. This was because we met the man from whom I obtained the information. The notice has reached the Guild too, they were given a rough description of the man and he was being wanted now. With this, he would have trouble leaving this city so easily.


    After the day had set and I was about to take a breather, I got called by Maxwell. On the surface, it was to check the condition of my leather armor, but I knew that was only a pretext.


    I was led to the living room and treated to tea as usual.


    ¡°So, what did you call me for thiste?¡± ¡°Well, actually, there was a favor I wished to ask of you, Reid.¡±


    I felt a little strange hearing that. Normally, Maxwell would be calling me Nicole now, but he called me Reid. Of course, it¡¯s not that he never called me that, but there seemed to be a deeper meaning in it this time.


    ¡°Since you are calling me that, I suppose this is that type of work?¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ I feel a little hesitant about this, however.¡±


    He sipped on his tea with those as a start. After fully drinking the contents of the cup, he heaved a big sigh¡­ And finally turned towards me.


    ¡°Reid. I wish to ask you to assassinate Klein.¡± ¡°¡­Oh?¡±


    His request was unexpected even for me. I was certainly an assassin in my previous life, but I have never been entrusted an assassination from Maxwell. No, from any of myrades, actually.


    ¡°Why? You have Mateus, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°He is officially retired now. It would not be good to have him abandon his will on the same day.¡± ¡°But why is there a need to assassinate him in advance? Lyell and others would deal with him before long, even if you leave him be, right?¡± ¡°That would be a problem in its own way. Klein hasmitted a great crime by attempting to assassinate the leader of another kingdom. That sin would normally extend to his entire household.¡± ¡°¡­This is about Donovan, huh?¡± ¡°Indeed. At this rate, all of his rtives would have to receive the death sentence. However, that would run counter to your agreement with him.¡±


    Cortina and I had made a promise with Donovan. He wanted us to dere him unrted to Klein¡¯s actions and to return the taxation certificate back to him. However, if the death sentence was to be made, it would include even Donovan. And that would mean that we failed to fulfill our promise.


    ¡°As such, I thought of having you assassinate him instead. At the same time, we would take back the taxation certificate in absolute secrecy. As for his body, we would get rid of it so he would never be found¡­¡±


    ¡°So as long as the main offender is not found, the truth would remain unconfirmed and you can keep the matter up in the air, is it?¡± ¡°For better or worse, the other offender, Tarkashire, has already been silenced. Had he been alive, he might have insisted aboutplicity, but he is already dead.¡± ¡°So if we catch Klein, theplicity would be confirmed and that crime would even reach Donovan. And to avoid that, we need to deal with him behind the scenes.¡± ¡°It is an extremely gray area, or rather, it¡¯s already on the borderline of sophism. However, sophism is also within reason. If someone objects, they could be talked into silence.¡±


    Indeed, he attacked a VIP of another kingdom, so some people might object to why his rtives weren¡¯t put to me. The Northern Alliance, and Elliot¡¯s bodyguards, in particr, would find it hard to ept. They would at least demand Serwa household¡¯s ruin, and depending on the situation, even execution.


    Refusing that would be difficult for Raum. But knowing that his sins would reach even a minor like Donovan made us feel bad. This might be a good opportunity for me.


    He was certainly unpleasant personality-wise, but ability-wise he was clearly very gifted. Besides, it would leave a bad aftertaste if I let someone I know die.


    ¡°I see. I understand the situation.¡± ¡°So would you ept it?¡± ¡°Right¡­ I suppose I have no other choice.¡±


    In truth, I had no obligation to keep my promise with Donovan. Still, Cortina had promised him before the other students, so going back on her words would lead to some problems. Maxwell¡¯s proposal was the absolute best that he could do to protect both Cortina¡¯s and the kingdom¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°However, it would take me over two weeks to reach Geeze Union. I trust you will at least take me there and back, right?¡± ¡°I can do that much of course. I have been to its capital Sedim a number of times, so there are no problems with that.¡± ¡°Sedim is a pretty big ce, isn¡¯t it? Searching for Klein in the middle of that would take a lot of effort.¡± ¡°That¡­ Is true. Would you like to take Mateus with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯d just get my identity busted, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    If we headed for an assassination together, he would realize why I was there. He was pretty clever, so he could catch on to my abnormality. I mean, mybat power was already far beyond anyone my age. Mateus was well aware of that too, so I didn¡¯t want to give him any more suspicions.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave Mateus out of this. It would be bad if he gets to know more about me.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ In that case, how about you talk with the other two?¡±


    Those two participate in the attack against Cortina, so they might be aware of Klein¡¯s whereabouts as well.


    ¡°Did they wake up already?¡± ¡°Yes. Presently all three of them have been thrown into a guarded room. Considering the previous incident, I made sure to increase the guards too.¡± ¡°In that case, it would be better if I act tonight. If the information that Mateus has been caught reaches Klein, he might start hiding somewhere else.¡± ¡°True. Then it would be better to go talk with them at once. I am sorry, but I have to ask you to visit me again tonight.¡± ¡°Yeah, got it.¡±


    Since I was going to take on an assassination request, I wanted to do some maintenance to my equipment first. I haven¡¯t even tried fighting with my new equipment, so I wanted to get used to them as much as possible.


    And thus, I decided to take part in Maxwell¡¯s secret maneuvers.

 Chapter 240: Before The Departure

    <h4>Chapter 240: Before The Departure</h4>


    That night, I returned to Cortina for the moment. The moment I opened the door, I was hugged by a petite figure. This feeling of softness and yet also some insufficiency was undoubtedly¡­


    ¡°Weeee!¡± ¡°Cortina?¡± ¡°You got it! I heard you let Maria know I was in a tough spot! Thank you!¡± ¡°Well, of course I would¡­ Hmm?¡±


    I gave a half-hearted reply while inspecting the sensation transmitted through my cheeks. It was about the same as Michelle and Finia, I would say? Unfortunately, there was no hope in Cortina growing any more than this, so this was her limit.


    That said, too meaty ones were outside of my tastes, so this size was justice for me. Sorry, Michelle.


    ¡°Oh well, this is a rarity in its own way.¡± ¡°Hmm, what are you on about?¡± ¡°No, nothing. That aside, how is your leg?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Maria healed it thoroughly.¡±


    I saw that her leg was injured when we were in Lilith. It wasn¡¯t a life-threatening injury, so I left it to Maria, but I was still worried. After all, she could heal any injury as long as they were alive, so I could fully trust her.


    As such, I simply asked that out of politeness now, nothing else.


    ¡°Ah, but¡­ Ouch ouch!¡± ¡°Huh? Did Mom actually fail to heal it!?¡±


    Cortina suddenly grabbed her leg and crouched down. I paled seeing that and started inspecting her leg. At a nce, there was no trace of an injury on her calf. However, there were cases when even if the injury was healed, the mental injury still remained and it got in the way of actions.


    Could her leg have ended up in the same condition?


    ¡°Aahh, it hurts, it hurts so much. It won¡¯t go away if you don¡¯t massage it for me in the baaath!¡± ¡°¡­Cortina, drop the act.¡±


    Even someone as deceivable as me was able to see that she was just faking it. Given her tone, there was nothing wrong with her leg.


    Still, she got involved in a fight, so I guess I could understand her wanting to be spoiled a bit.


    ¡°Oh, fine. Just this one, okay?¡± ¡°Uhehehe, I¡¯ll be in your care!¡±


    She answered with a slovenlyugh, but she could make this face because she managed to survive. I wanted to praise her for managing that against someone of Mateus¡¯ skill. I decided to ept her request to reward her for that.


    Well, this was a reward for me just the same, however.


    After I was done with rewarding Cortina with a massage together with Finia, midnight came and I slipped out of the house. I left a camouged doll inside my nket while Kabby stayed to cast illusion magic on it to make it appear as me. That lowered the possibility of it getting found out to a minimum.


    The illusion was being supplied magic power by Kabby, so there was no need to worry about it being disrupted. On the other hand, I would no longer be able to cast an illusion on myself, but this time I had to avoid people either way, so it shouldn¡¯t matter.


    Maxwell¡¯s mansion could sense meing so it disabled all the traps. If there was a trap still left like thest time, that old man better be ready for what was toe.


    Maxwell was already all set in the living room, along with two other men standing by.


    ¡°You werete, Re-¡­ Nicole.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly set the time, y¡¯know? What about those two.¡± ¡°They are the two involved in the attack against Cortina. Their injuries are already healed.¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, one of them was frantically feeling around his neck, while the other one was rubbing his legs together. The traces of their injuries were probably making them uneasy.


    ¡°So they are going to be the guides, I take it?¡± ¡°Indeed. Naturally, I have cast Geass on them so they would feel immense pain if they attempt to run.¡± ¡°Then there should be no worry on that part. Actually, your Geass is on the level of death, ain¡¯t it?¡± ¡°They are just that weak.¡± ¡°If they are considered weak, that¡¯d also make 70% of the entire poption of the world the same. Anyway, enough chit-chat. Time to hurry.¡± ¡°Hold it. Do not be so hasty. I got new information from these fellows.¡± ¡°New¡­ Does that mean Mateus hid something?¡± ¡°No, that does not seem to be the case.¡±


    ording to them, Klein was currently not in Sedim, but instead sheltered in a residence outside of it. That was in ordance with what Mateus told us. That residence was used by the ve trader and he was treated as a guest of honor.


    I knew that much too. However¡­


    ¡°It seems that the top of the Jend Sect is currently in that residence.¡± ¡°¡­Oh?¡±


    The man involved in the kidnapping of Matisse, and the Jend Sect that raised Mateus. The leader of that sect was teamed up with the ve trader and was currently in Sedim.


    When I heard that, a silent fighting spirit welled up within me. Those people were the reason why I found myself in so many troubles. This was my chance to pay them back for everything.


    ¡°It appears that Mateus was in a bad rtionship with their leader. Due to that, his information was too dyed, and did not reach him. So, how about it? He seems to be a troublesome individual, so we can wait for another day if you wish?¡± ¡°No, this is fine. I will take this opportunity to get rid of them in one go.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can handle it as you are now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a few ideas.¡±


    Saying that, I borrowed some equipment from his mansion. They were mostly of the throwing knife category. I used my threads to fight from a distance, but in narrow spaces, throwing knives would be more convenient


    I put the knife case on a belt and tried to put it on my waist¡­


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s too big.¡± ¡°I gave you the smallest belt I had, yet it is still big for you¡­ I think you are a little too thin.¡± ¡°No, this can work if I put it on my shoulder. Right, I¡¯m not thin at all.


    The belt that would normally go around your waist was hanging on my shoulder. It ended up emphasizing my chest that started to bulge for some reason, but I decided to ignore it for now.


    Thus, after finishing my careful preparations, Maxwell and I made a leap to Sedim.

 Chapter 241: Starting The Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 241: Starting The Invasion</h4>


    We teleported to the nearby highway to Sedim and made a night journey from there.


    Geeze Union¡¯s capital, Sedim prospered through its sea trade with Matara Alliance, so it had a harbor nearby.


    But given the position, it wasn¡¯t something on the level of a harbor-city, but rather a small town a bit ind on top of a cliff. Cargo was transported to that harbor from Sedim, after which it proceeded towards Matara through the sea course.


    After we arrived near Sedim guided by the men, we suddenly changed direction and instead headed towards the top of a steep cliff.


    Even from afar, you could see a mansion in that direction.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just Klein and our leader, this time even the ve trader is there so they are far too vignt.¡± ¡°So I suppose it would be pretty reckless to try sneaking in from the front.¡±


    After we approached up to where the guards wouldn¡¯t notice us, I asked the men to draw me a rough sketch and started making my ns.


    The mansion stood on a steep cliff, or rather, it was more or less a small penins, so except the front all three other sides were surrounded with water. As for the front, it was right next to the highway so there was an unobstructed view.


    It would be one thing if I had my illusion ring, but the way I am, sneaking in would be very hard.


    ¡°Actually, what are your names again? I¡¯m Nicole by the way.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Weren¡¯t you more girly earlier¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just keeping up appearances with other people.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ Well, I¡¯m Argus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Bauman. Look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. But I¡¯m not Maxwell¡¯s underling, okay?¡±


    I felt like they were treating me like their coworker, so I warned them just in case. I sketched on the ground with the dagger, nning my way inside.


    ¡°If it¡¯s from this side of the highway, maybe these nts can block the view and allow me to approach?¡± ¡°No, that only obstructs it up to midway, so it¡¯s impossible to advance anymore.¡± ¡°How many guards are there?¡± ¡°There should be the ve trader and master Klein inside, as well as our leader and eight other subordinates.¡± ¡°So eleven in total, huh? That¡¯s quite a lot. I suppose it¡¯s better to climb the cliff instead. How high is it?¡±


    I have new gauntlets now. It would be easy to climb a cliff with them.


    ¡°It¡¯s about twenty, no, thirty meters.¡± ¡°Quite tall.¡± ¡°Also, there are strong winds, and wavese crashing hard, too. The sea currents are wild here, so if you are unlucky, you might get swept by a wave during the climb.¡± ¡°In the first ce, you have to go all the way down there before you start climbing. It¡¯s not very realistic.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ What a pain.¡±


    It was quite a cautious location, probably expected of someone who traded illegal ves. That said, the only means left to me was to climb the cliffside.


    ¡°Eh, you do not need to climb there, you know?¡± ¡°Maxwell, you have a better idea?¡± ¡°Why not simply fly up there?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, that¡­¡±


    Maxwell had Flight magic. If we used that, we could dive through their vignce from above.


    ¡°In that case, going in from the rooftop it is. Fortunately, it¡¯s cloudy tonight.¡±


    If it was a clear night, the moonlight would have revealed my shadow and made an aerial intrusion hard. But with clouds up there, there was nothing to cast my shadow, so being in all-ck now I would be quite hard to spot.


    ¡°For now, I shall follow you until we are above the roof. That way, you cane to me and we will escape together during a critical moment.¡± ¡°True, it¡¯s hard to spot you up there, plus I would need you to fly me back anyway.¡± ¡°Assume that the teleportation is obstructed within the mansion, so when you need to escape,e to the rooftop.¡± ¡°Got it.¡±


    We ordered the two men to stand by, and then Maxwell used Flight to take us in the air. We headed towards the rooftop while making sure the clouds were above us and avoided the moonlight.


    Just like that, we silentlynded on the rooftop and checked the surroundings. There was one guard on the balcony right below. I put a finger on my lips and signed at Maxwell to be quiet.


    He nodded and took out a pigeon from his chest pocket. It quietly flew to my shoulder and sat still. I suppose he wanted me to take it with me.


    I nodded back after understanding his intention and moved to the edge of the roof. There was one guard right under me on the balcony. If I made a sound, he would instantly realize I was here.


    I took out the dagger from the case and used its reflection to peep below. I had a mirror with me, but it could reflect too much light and get me exposed.


    This osciting dagger reflected enough light, so it was good enough to use instead of a mirror.


    The room inside the balcony was wide, but there were no signs of anyone there. It seemed like this man was the only guard here.


    As long as I dealt with him quietly, I would be able to slip in undetected.


    I quickly sent my thread down, and around his neck. And then I used my muscle strengthening and pulled him up with all I had.


    If it was the former me, I could¡¯ve just hung the thread on the edge and jumped down, lifting him up in the process, but I was far too light to do that now. Unless I shouldered a rock or something, I would not be able to lift him.


    With the muscle strengthening, however, I could forcefully lift him up and strangle him to death.


    ¡°Hmm? Gh¡­Khah!?¡±


    The man could only let out a muffled voice, desperately trying to remove the thread from his neck. Seeing how he immediately pulled out a knife to cut the thread told me that he was quite well trained.


    If this was a normal piano wire, he might have been able to cut it. But now, he was being lifted with threads made of processed Mythril. Some average dagger would not be able to cut it.


    Before long, his legs left the ground and he stopped moving. After seeing blood foaming from his mouth, I finally released the thread.


    He limply fell down and copsed on his face, never making another movement. I jumped down next to him and stabbed the dagger into his neck as a finisher, just in case.


    ¡°Okay, you cane down now.¡± ¡°A skillful performance as always. How dreadful, oh how dreadful.¡±


    He silently jumped down while making jokes. His movements didn¡¯t look suitable for his age. He was quite a big mystery, this old man.


    ¡°You wait here. I¡¯ll be fine alone from here on. Or rather, you¡¯d get in the way of my Stealth.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, let me still confirm the situation through my familiar.¡± ¡°Fine. Depending on the situation, I may have to make an escape without joining up with you.¡± ¡°Understood. I wish you luck.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Saying as such, I opened the door and headed into the hallway.

 Chapter 242: Secret Operations

    <h4>Chapter 242: Secret Operations</h4>


    After having Maxwell standby at the balcony, I proceeded into the hallway. I was still advancing vigntly, of course, so I haven¡¯t been discovered yet.


    ording to the previous intel, other than Klein there was also the ve trader here, on top of the Jend Sect¡¯s leader and eight of his subordinates. Eleven, in total, but since I have already dealt with one, they were down to 10 now.


    Judging from the earlier man¡¯s skill, these subordinates weren¡¯t quite on Mateus¡¯ level. It seems that he really was only second to the leader in strength. And yet, he was no match for Lyell at all, which showed just what kind of a monster that guy was.


    At any rate, assuming that fat man from before is the ve trader, it¡¯s hard to consider him a threat, and these subordinates aren¡¯t that much of a problem, either.


    I didn¡¯t know about Klein¡¯s own ability, but considering how he made his escape during the Tarkashire¡¯s incident, it was probably nothing big.


    ¡°So it alles down to that leader, huh?¡±


    Just from the fact that he held the Jend Sect together and raised Mateus, I could tell that he was extremely strong. It would take far too much effort to assassinate Klein while avoiding his eyes.


    As I was thinking about that, I heard footsteps from the next curve in the hall. The floor here was using polished marble, so it was quite luxurious. Thanks to that, it also made footsteps very audible.


    I crouched down next to the corner and nned an ambush. As my height fell below people¡¯s line of sight, it was hard for them to spot me right away.


    As expected, the man didn¡¯t notice me as he turned the corner and almost passed by me. That said, he of course noticed me crouching there eventually, revealing a shocked expression. The reason why he hadn¡¯t raised his voice was that I had already wrapped my thread around his neck.


    I then pulled down on him with my full body weight. Given my weight, I¡¯d have normally just dangled in the air instead, however, this specific technique made up for that and broke his posture, dragging his entire body forward and making him fall on his face.


    I immediately straddled his back, took out the dagger with my left hand, and stabbed it diagonally under his arm. The de invaded his body from under his ribs and dealt a finishing brow straight to his heart.


    ¡°¡­This makes it two.¡±


    After confirming that he stopped moving, I dragged his corpse to the nearby room while muttering those words.


    There were nine of them left, but my priority was Klein. I had limited time, so I wanted to try and finish him off promptly.


    Following that, I dealt with three more underlings. As I hadn¡¯t been discovered yet, the search was still going smoothly. However, it was probably not long before they would notice it. I had to hurry up and find my target or it would be troublesome.


    The mansion was three stories tall, not to mention, each floor had over ten rooms. It was too troublesome to search through them one by one. That said, skimming around could let my target escape.


    Thus, I persevered and thoroughly checked each room on the third and second floors, and then headed to the first.


    Outside of the window, there were two carriages, one was decorated, and another had a cage. Neither had a horse tied to it. I could see five or so horses peeking their heads from the stables, so there was a low possibility of them having left somewhere on horseback.


    ¡°Would¡¯ve been a huge pain if there was a detached building somewhere.¡±


    Fortunately, this ce was at the top of a penins, so there was not enoughnd to build something like that.


    Thanks to that, it was quite a pain to get inside, but with Maxwell here, there was nothing we couldn¡¯t do. His personality aside, he could be very dependable in situations like this.


    ¡°¡­Oops.¡±


    I got too distracted and almost peeked my head out of the corner, but I managed to stop myself. There were still six of them left, so I wished to avoid getting found out and be stuck with a brute-force approach.


    Using my dagger as a mirror to peer to the corner, I saw two guards stationed in one room.


    ¡°Well well¡­?¡±


    There were three guards left in this mansion. As well as the ve trader, Klein, and the Jend Sect leader.


    ¡°Wait¡­ The leader should have confidence in his skill, so he wouldn¡¯t station guards in his room. This means, there¡¯s either the ve trader or Klein inside. Given that he is the wanted person, it¡¯s more likely for this to be Klein¡¯s, huh?¡±


    If that was the case, making my move first would guarantee my victory. I took out two throwing knives from the belt hanging on my shoulder, taking one in each arm.


    Throwing techniques weren¡¯t my strong point, but it¡¯s not like I wasn¡¯t trained in it at all. I was confident that I had enough skill to take down two unprepared men.


    I leaped soundlessly from the corridor and swung my right arm. The thrown knife spun in the air and pierced the neck of the nearest man. He then copsed on the spot without raising a single sound.


    As he did, the other man became visible behind him. That also meant that he was in my shooting line. Thus, I followed up with the knife in my left arm.


    The man finally noticed the abnormality of hisrade and looked my way. But the next moment, my knife reached him and embedded itself deeply into his throat.


    ¡°Kagh!¡±


    After leaking a cough-like voice, the other man also copsed on the ground.

 Chapter 243: Target Discovered

    <h4>Chapter 243: Target Discovered</h4>


    The two men copsed with thuds. It seems that the sound reached inside the room, someone spoke from the other side.


    ¡°Hey, is everything alright there?¡±


    I had no recollection of that voice. That said, despite his vignce, he still went and made himself vulnerable by calling out to them, so I could see that whoever he was, he had lowbat experience.


    In other words, it was either the ve trader or Klein for sure.


    I slid next to the fallen men and pulled out the knives. By doing this, there would be nothing stopping the blood flow, raising their chances of death.


    Their wounds were pumping out blood but their pulse grew weaker as time passed. That was proof that their hearts were weakening. These men had no hope of seeing another day.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking what happened!¡±


    I could hear an irritated¡­ even hysterical voice. I ignored his question and quietly opened the door.


    There was a fluffy carpet and a luxurious chandelier above. It was clearly not a room a normal guest would be using.


    And on the other side of the desk, there was a nervous man. There was a sword leaned against the desk, but it didn¡¯t look to be drawn. I was seeing him for the first time, but his hairstyle matched that of the masked man. On top of that, he looked somewhat like Donovan.


    ¡°Former Margrave Klein Sto Serwa?¡± ¡°A kid¡­no, a Gnome!?¡±


    Instead of replying to my question, he returned such rude words. I was certainly shorterpared to the kids of the same year, but not so short I would be mistaken for a Gnome.


    Their heights stopped at around one meter and a bit. I was one meter and thirty centimeters tall. Ah, well, that doesn¡¯t matter now.


    ¡°Former Magrave Serwa. The current Margrave Donovan has ordered that you return the taxation document at once.¡± ¡°Donovan!? That foolish brat hired an assassin!? That ungrateful b?a?s?t?a?r?d? turning against his own father¡­!¡±


    And who was the one that tried to throw his own son in the mud? I almost asked that reflexively. Klein was well aware of what kind of messenger I was after seeing the knives in my hand.


    After all, they were dripping with blood as we spoke.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer me. But it would make my job easier if you just hand it over now.¡± ¡°Like hell I will!¡±


    He seemed to not understand the situation he was in, he started ranting at me with spit bubbling up in his mouth. Still, I would give him some points for reaching out to the sword. No, on another thought, I would not. It was a poor n to try to oppose me.


    With a single wave of my hand, I nted a throwing knife in his right arm.


    ¡°Gyaah!?¡±


    He raised a shriek and dropped his sword. Then he retracted a few steps, tripped, and fell on his a?s?s?. His left hand held the knife that was stabbed into his right.


    I gave him time to remove it and grab his weapon, yet he started tearing up and crawling backward instead.


    ¡°I will ask you once again, just in case. Where is the taxat¡ª!?¡±


    I suddenly cut my words and jumped to the side. The next moment, the sword pressure blew through space I stood a moment before.


    Before I noticed, a tall, middle-aged man managed to make his way behind me. He was so tall he almost reached two meters. In both his hands, he held b?a?s?t?a?r?d? swords even longer than Mateus¡¯.


    Despite holding such giant swords, he managed to sneak up to me and swing it down without even breaking his posture. I instantly could tell how skilled he was based on his aura.


    ¡°¡­I was wondering what kind of bug was sneaking around in the mansion all this time, but it looks like it was just a brat.¡± ¡°Gideon! It¡¯s an intruder, hurry up and kill her!¡± ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±


    The man called Gideon threw those words at Klein who was crying at him to kill me, and red at my way. I could feel his eyes piercing me¡­ my entire body. I could feel that he was thinking of a n to kill me even as we stood.


    ¡°A brat¡­ No, a woman? Hey missy, you seem quite skilled there. It seems like you took out five of them out there?¡± ¡°Seven.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing. You are definitely first ss as far as assassins go.¡±


    Let alone first-ss, I had been called the world¡¯s best in my previous life. And yet, he managed to sneak up to me, so this could only mean he had a Stealth Gift of his own.


    In fact, the Jend Sect¡¯s fighting style focused on making full use of the stealth ability, so it was natural for them to have such individuals.


    ¡°The fact that they sent an assassin could only mean that damn Mateus failed his job, huh? It¡¯s always the same, he¡¯s all talk.¡± ¡°He just lucked out on his opponent.¡± ¡°So he fought Lyell or Gadius, huh? Yeah, even I couldn¡¯t beat them. Well, in my case, I would not have found myself in that battle, though.¡±


    Even as he talked, he gradually closed the distance between us. He was using a peculiar technique to move, moving his fingers instead of feet to advance. He nned to sneakily approach, take me by surprise, and lop off my head. With the way he moved, something like that was possible.


    ¡°How about it, why note train at my ce?¡± ¡°Never in a million years. I am a lone wolf.¡± ¡°You say that, but isn¡¯t there another person on the third floor?¡±


    Now that he brought it up, I remembered about Maxwell. This guy could have snuck up on him and possiblynd an attack. Unlike Lyell and Gadius, Maxwell was weak to direct blows. Even one attack might prove to be fatal.


    However, the pigeon on my shoulder was still sitting silently. If anything had happened to him, it would have returned to a lump of earth. In other words, Maxwell¡¯s life was not in danger.


    ¡°I just had him help me get inside. And will have him help me to make my escape.¡± ¡°You seem to be quite a ve-driver contrary to your appearance, missy. Ah well. I could overlook your violence tonight if you were to be my subordinate¡­ But if not, that would be another story.¡±


    His speech was quite friendly. But the moment he spoke that, the pressureing from him changedpletely. From the pressure to keep me at bay, into pressure that saw me as prey.


    I immediately pulled my dagger and prepared to intercept his attack. But someone else interrupted us before that. It was Klein who had been sitting on the floor all this time.


    He pulled out the knife from his shoulder and threw it my way. Moreover, he immediately turned around and broke through the window ss to escape outside.


    The knife thrown by an amateur could pose no threat, of course. It was spinning unnaturally as it headed towards me.


    What was dangerous, however, was the blood from its edge scattering everywhere due to that irregr movement. If it got in my eyes, it could lead to a fatal wound.


    I covered my eyes as I dodged the knife, and then tried to chase after him. However, Gideon stopped me in ce.


    ¡°Woah there, that¡¯s so bad of you to try leaving me behind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in getting along with some dude.¡± ¡°So you are a homosexual at that age? That¡¯s a shame. Your appearance is top quality too.¡± ¡°Shut up, I have my circumstances okay!¡±


    Gideon¡¯s sword blocked my route to Klein. And then he swung one more time to keep me in check.


    And thus, I hade to find myself up against the Jend Sect¡¯s leader.

 Chapter 244: The Leader’s Ability

    <h4>Chapter 244: The Leader¡¯s Ability</h4>


    His first swing was only to keep me in check. I understood that much, but the weight behind it still astonished me.


    The weight could match a serious strike from Mateus. And yet, he still had his grin on his face. That was proof that he didn¡¯t think much of it. Even his heavy attack spoke for itself for being no more than means of restraint.


    ¡°Kh!?¡±


    It was extremely dangerous to block a master swordsman¡¯s swing with a tender thread. As such, I used my dagger to block instead, but I was easily flung all the way back to the wall. It was the wall separated from the windows and the door.


    I wanted to quickly deal with him and chase after Klein, but he forced me into a position where I couldn¡¯t do that. In other words, he was skilled enough to deal with me with such leeway.


    After being flung back, I intentionally jumped back even more and kicked the wall behind me. I leaped at the other wall in the corner, flying even higher, and then I kicked the ceiling.


    Changing my movements from horizontal to vertical, I used the unexpected angle to attack his cor with the dagger.


    Gideon stopped it with his left b?a?s?t?a?r?d? sword and then swatted me away like a fly. Once again, towards the wall separated from the windows and the door.


    He was throwing me away from the exit so I wouldn¡¯t run.


    ¡°Your skill¡­ Looks to be better than Mateus¡­huh?¡± ¡°Well, of course, I am the leader of the sect, after all. If I was weaker than my disciples I wouldn¡¯t have a face to show.¡±


    During the battle with Mateus, I learned how to strengthen my muscles, but that still didn¡¯t help me with defending against Gideon¡¯s attacks.


    I had a demerit insurmountable by physical strengthening alone ¡ª my light body.


    No matter how strongly I stepped on the ground, if the weight behind it was too light, it wouldn¡¯t be able to support the strengthening.


    He attacked me two more times, but it was proving to be almost impossible to block them with a dagger that had a short handle and de.


    I immediately poured magic power into the dagger and turned it into a short spear with little over one meter in length. While I was at it, I did the same with the gauntlets and activated their fundamental strengthening.


    Seeing my weapon change, Gideon showed a slight surprise. That said, it was not big enough to bring about an opening. He simply epted it as ¡®oh, that¡¯s neat¡¯.


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice weapon you have there, missy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite blessed with friends, you see!¡±


    I blocked his swing with the short spear. It was so heavy my knees trembled even after blocking it with two hands. He was clearly stronger than Mateus. And unlike his problem with speed, Gideon¡¯s sword was as fast as it was strong. It would be difficult to keep dodging it.


    ¡°You¡­son of a¡­!¡±


    I forced my knees, which seemed to be about to give out, to move with a yell, and then warded his attack off sideways and tried to get behind him.


    However, Gideon was a twin swordsman as befitting of his sect. His other swords rushed at me from the side I was trying to run to.


    I immediately blocked it with the gauntlets, but I was once again thrown to the wall. My new gauntlets didn¡¯t budge even after receiving that attack. As expected of Aste, he did one nice job there.


    But even if my gauntlets were okay, the same didn¡¯t go for me. Being mmed against the wall made air leave my lungs.


    ¡°Kah¡­Kahah!?¡±


    If not for the Enchant spell that the gauntlets had, my spine could¡¯ve broken from that crash. The recoil didn¡¯t fully settle and it threw me forward. Then came a follow-up attack. But I dodged it by rolling sideways.


    But he did not pursue any further. Finding that odd, I looked up at his face, but he still had the same old grin.


    ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t you attacking?¡± ¡°We are having a nice dance here. I wish to enjoy it some more.¡±


    His words made me realize that his nature was quite simr to Mateus. He found joy in battles. As I tried to raise my creaking body¡ªI suddenly vomited blood.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±


    And then copsed forward. Thest attack still injured my ribs even if they weren¡¯t broken. I could feel my normally low stamina being shaved away.


    Even so, I suppressed my trembling legs and stood up, setting up the spear. It didn¡¯t seem like I could fight properly like this, so I forcefully strengthened my legs with threads.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue. Let¡¯s start with fundamental techniques!¡± ¡°Are you messing with me!¡±


    He attacks me with horizontal and vertical swings of his two swords. I dodged the vertical one and blocked the horizontal with my spear.


    But that flung me back like before. There was a distance between us, so I swung my thread at his eyes to restrain him in ce. He dodged it by bending down, and then slid towards me.


    ¡°That was Cross, next would be Ground Shave. And then Jaws!¡±


    He was nning to mow down my knees from a low position. I avoided that with a jump, but his other sword came at me with a dy.


    As I was in the air, I had no way of dodging it. I had no other choice but to block it with the spear, but I was thrown back again.


    Every time Gideon threw a technique at me, I was being thrown around like a ball, making me dizzy. As the distance opened before us, he followed up with a double attack from up and down.


    I dodged it to the side and quickly fixed my posture. I was about to set up my spear, but I noticed something.


    Blood was endlessly dripping from my left nk.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Whoops, looks like you couldn¡¯t block itpletely in the air.¡±


    It was quite a deep wound. I failed to maintain my body and fell to my knee. My chest and abdomen, the vital parts of my body were injured, so I could no longer stand properly.


    ¡°So five exchanges¡­ I guess this is it. No, for a brat, you were excellent. You might be the world¡¯s best limited to your age. However, you were ten years toote to fight against me.¡± ¡°¡ªCough.¡±


    Gideon slowly approached me. Convinced of his victory, he started showing some leisure. I was already unable to fight¡ª


    ¡°This is checkmate. Rest in peace.¡± ¡°¡ªI¡¯m still breathing, you know?¡± ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡ªOr not. Now that he was showing some leeway, I still had ways to deal with this battle junkie. It was time to show my real ability that I used against the Devil at the brink of death.


    As I stood up unsteadily yet clearlybat-ready, Gideon looked curiously at me.


    I set up my short spear, and took the initiative to attack myself.

 Chapter 245: A Hidden Move

    <h4>Chapter 245: A Hidden Move</h4>


    ¡°Teyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    I charged recklessly while putting all I had in my spear. Or so Gideon interpreted my attack. In fact, I did not even believe that a direct charge like this would be able to get me anywhere with someone as skilled as him.


    That said, I had to do something or my life would end right then and there. Besides, Maxwell¡¯s familiar that had separated from me should have seen this situation too.


    If Maxwell rushed to me due to that, it could lead to Klein sessfully making his escape. And the more this battle dragged on, the higher the risk of his escape, as well as for their reinforcements to show up.


    In order to achieve our goal, I had to defeat this guy as quickly as possible.


    ¡°You¡¯re charging at me thiste in the game? That¡¯s really a turn-off.¡±


    He blocked the spear with an exasperated expression and tried to knock it down. But I barely managed to endure it. The spear swayed a little, but I still managed to hold on to it. This weapon was myst stand¡ªis probably what he was thinking.


    However, that sliver of hope had been blown away by his next attack. The spear I barely managed to hold on to was also flung up from my hands and embedded itself into the ceiling. The ceiling was high enough to amodate a chandelier, so it was impossible to quickly retrieve it given my low height.


    Having lost my weapon, my body also lost its support and fell forward. Right where Gideon stood.


    He pierced my right shoulder as I was falling. I barely managed to endure a scream due to the sharp pain that reverberated through my bones. But unlike the scream that I could suppress through my willpower, my body itself was in a hopeless state.


    My gouged-out shoulder had lost its function and dangled limply.


    Seeing that, Gideon dropped his left sword, grabbed my left hand, and raised me up. With my right arm immobile and left restrained, I had beenpletely robbed of the means to attack.


    ¡°There, this is aplete checkmate.¡± ¡°Kh¡­¡±


    I wanted to spit, but the pain did not allow me even that. A part of meined that had my weight not been so light, there was no knowing how this battle would¡¯ve gone.


    But a loss was a loss. That said, I had not the slightest intention of giving up just yet.


    ¡°This will be myst question to you. How about it, would you be my disciple? If it¡¯s you, you might actually even reach the level of Reid who was one of the Six Heroes.¡± ¡°¡­Hah.¡±


    I responded in a small sneer. Wasn¡¯t that natural? Telling me, Reid, that I could one day reach the former me just sounded ridiculous.


    Naturally, Gideon would have not known that, so what he said was not so strange.


    Instead of a reply, I kicked him in the abdomen with my dangling legs. I had no ground to stand nor enough space to build momentum, so it was not able to deal any real damage.


    Seeing my insignificant struggle, it was Gideon¡¯s turn to return a scornfulugh.


    ¡°Hmph, staying disobedient to the very end I see. I don¡¯t hate that, but it¡¯s true that I am short on time. Sorry but you just let your final chance go.¡± ¡°Wrong, this is the end for you.¡± ¡°Oh, and what can you even do in your current state?¡±


    My right arm was too injured to move and my left arm was restrained. I had aceration on my right side, and even my ribs appeared to be damaged.


    My feet were dangling in the air, useless for attacks. I was in aplete deadlock¡­ Or so Gideon assumed.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like you can¡¯t do anything, huh? In that case¡­ Go and wait for me in the afterworld.¡±


    Spending life in battle meant that he too would one day die. Gideon¡¯s choice of words reflected that. Yet I rejected even those words.


    ¡°Not¡­in a million years!¡±


    Gideon assumed that my right arm was immobile, but that wasn¡¯t actually the case. Other than normal body part movements, I could also control the muscle fibers directly. That meant that regardless of whether I had a hole in my shoulder, or whether my nerves were severed, or even if my muscles themselves were severed, I could still control them with my Thread Maniption.


    Still, that would be nothing but a meaningless struggle. Given my bad position, I had no way of putting any power into my fist. It was just a hand strike. Gideon casually shifted his head and dodged it.


    However, this was all ording to my n. My real goal was¡­


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    Seeing me grinning despise him dodging my attack made him raise a questioning voice. But he was toote.


    I withdrew my hand while rubbing him on his neck.


    ¡ªYes, while I had my pinkie side facing it.


    The gauntlets I currently had equipped had a small protuberance for supporting one¡¯s weight. It was made from the Evil Dragon¡¯s fang, and was especially firm and sharp.


    It was only around a centimeter long at best. But that was enough to easily gouge out the artery in the neck.


    Gideon, who thought my arms were restrained, and then misinterpreted my punch as a meaningless show of resistance, had no way of dodging this.


    A sensation of something snapping was transmitted in my hand. And following immediately was a bright red fountain. That unceasing crimson color was proof that I managed to damage his artery.


    ¡°Agh..ga¡­.A-Aghhhhh!?¡±


    Not understanding what happened, Gideon could do nothing but hold down on his neck to block the wound. But that also meant that he let go of my left arm.


    As I rolled on the ground, I sent my thread towards the spear embedded into the ceiling and returned it to my undamaged left hand without a moment¡¯s dy.


    Damaging his artery did not mean instant death. Normally it would be a few seconds¡­ But with someone like Gideon, there was perhaps over a minute left. It was not impossible for him to finish me off before that happened.


    As such, I had to follow up with attacks while I had the upper hand.


    Gideon still had a sword in his right hand while pinning his neck with his left. As expected, he was not just going to quietly await his death. It was admirable that he immediately resolved himself to death and decided to use the few seconds he had to take me down with him.


    Still, he was far toote for even that.


    He stared fixedly at me with his eyes that were quickly losing their light. Even so, his battle instinct to keep on fighting without losing his will was impressive.


    That said, I had no obligation to meet his sword. The fact that he was using his left hand to pin his neck meant that his defenses on that side were weak.


    And his heart was towards that side too.


    I held the spear that I retrieved with my thread on the waist level. I lowered my low posture even further, and released a diagonal upward thrust from there.


    Gideon¡¯s right sword was raised overhead, while his left was pressing on his neck wound. As such, there were no obstacles between the spear and his heart. Faster than he could swing down his sword, my spear managed to pierce through his heart.


    He coughed out blood mixed with foam. He had lost right after he was convinced of his victory. He had a look of disbelief, and yet, mixed with satisfaction.


    The man who had established a first-ss sect with his sword skills alone had slowly copsed on the spot, wearing such a mysterious expression.

 Chapter 246: Searching the House and Escape

    <h4>Chapter 246: Searching the House and Escape</h4>


    Gideon copsed before my eyes.


    Blood kept endlessly gushing from underneath him, and he showed no signs of movements. His chest was still, too, so he was not breathing at all.


    ¡°That said, given who he is I can¡¯t be careless.¡±


    It was possible that he was holding his breath and pretending to be dead so that I would approach. If he was still alive by chance, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to devise something like that now that the situation had turned on him. I thrust a spear in him from afar to see the reaction, but again, he remained still.


    ¡°So he¡¯s really dead, huh. Making me so vignt¡­ You really were something.¡±


    I felt strangely sentimental towards this formidable enemy, but I had no time to get lost in that. Klein had jumped from the window and was nning to escape. Naturally, Maxwell could sense his movements so him actually escaping was close to impossible.


    Besides, we were quite loud earlier during the fight. It was quite possible that the remains of their group woulde rushing here. There should still have been five more people here.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s find this taxation document¡­¡±


    Anyway, I decided to leave Klein¡¯s matter to Maxwell. Our goals were the document and his life. I currently couldn¡¯t afford to do both. In that case, I had to at least aplish what was possible for me.


    I promptly dragged my sore body and began searching the house. People like him had a habit of storing important things where they could be easily retrieved from.


    That was so they could escape at a moment¡¯s notice. Viins tended to prefer living in higher ces, but this guy chose his room on the first floor. This too was probably so he could jump from the window to escape immediately.


    Even back when I broke into Count Tarkashire¡¯s mansion, he was positioned right next to the escape path and immediately fled when I appeared. He was careful enough to constantly n his escape path. Perhaps this careful nature of his was the origin of his son, Donovan¡¯s excellence.


    He failed to escape with his important certificate this time because I wounded his right hand in advance.


    As I rummaged through the drawers of the office desk, as expected, I found a scroll resembling a tax certificate in the easily reachable topmost drawer.


    The wax seal on it had the crest representing the royalty of Raum. It was simr to the one Maxwell used from time to time.


    ¡°So this is it¡­¡± ¡°Good grief, letting the main target get away¡­ You sure have be blunt, Reid¡­ Reid!?¡±


    Just then, Maxwell peeked his face from the window. I couldn¡¯t urately tell since he was outside, but he seemed to be carrying a man in his hands. He probably secured Klein during his flight.


    After seeing me in a bloody state, his carefree voice was reced by that of fright.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I ended up bumping heads with quite a troublesome man.¡± ¡°I do not mind that, but those injuries¡­¡±


    He usually observed my state through his familiar, but doing that meant you wouldn¡¯t be able to observe things with your own eyes. Since he was hurrying to my side, he probably cut away the shared senses with the familiar. Given how surprised he was, that assumption was probably correct.


    ¡°Yeah, he gave me quite an embarrassing defeat. No, I suppose I should say that he was well worth the injuries I have suffered.¡± ¡°Good heavens, for you to praise someone so much.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t Mateus¡¯ master for show.¡±


    His expression got warped when he saw my appearance, but I couldn¡¯t me him. Gideon was someone I couldn¡¯t beat even with the muscle strengthening on top of the thread strengthening from the outside, and instead had to take him down by a surprise attack.


    Given his strength, he wasn¡¯t quite on the level of the past me or Lyell, but still close to that.


    ¡°Thanks to that my body ispletely wrecked now. I¡¯d be grateful if you start healing me fast.¡± ¡°You ask that, however, I am not as good at it as Maria.¡± ¡°I should be in a better statepared to Prisci, so hurry up, will you?¡±


    Even as I was talking with Maxwell, my knees were starting to give in, making it impossible for me to keep standing. As I plopped down on the floor, Maxwell hurriedly cast healing magic on me.


    It was not as effective as Maria¡¯s, but my wounds started to slowly heal. The hole in my shoulder, as well as the one in my side, proceeded to close up.


    As I was observing the changes in my wounds, I suddenly noticed the way I was sitting. I was in a girly sitting position, with my butt down and heels on either side of it. It seems I had grown used to even sitting like this.


    ¡°My magic would not be able to bring back the blood you have lost. For that we need Regeneration.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you cast that?¡± ¡°It would take time to cast it. You might lose consciousness before I manage that.¡±


    As he said, my eyes weren¡¯t even able to focus properly as I sat down. We had to deal with Klein and then leave the mansion, so if I lost my consciousness now I would end up being dead weight.


    I managed to hold on by a hair¡¯s breadth because he quickly understood my condition and cast healing magic.


    ¡°Sorry, I ended up dragging your feet¡­¡± ¡°You fought against a man considered to be master of Mateus, so it was natural. I shall handle the rest so you just stay still.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be any more pathetic¡­¡±


    If I still had my old body, it wouldn¡¯t have ended up being such a difficult fight. Gideon was indeed faster than Mateus, but still not quite as fast as the old me. With Reid¡¯s body, I would have easily overwhelmed him in terms of speed, while also not making any blunders that would result in a heavy injury.


    ¡°How do you n to deal with things after this?¡± ¡°If I leave this mansion be, Cortina would eventually sniff it out, would she not? Thus, I am considering blowing him up along with the mansion. Fortunately, we are outside of the residential area.¡± ¡°In that case, where was the need to sneak inside¡­¡± ¡°If you had not done that, we could not have recovered the taxation document. Not to mention, we were not sure whether Klein was inside or not.¡± ¡°I suppose you have a point.¡±


    For Maxwell¡¯s purposes, Klein had to be considered missing, not dead. As such, it wasn¡¯t a bad n to blow him up with this entire mansion so there would be nothing of his corpse left.


    ¡°S-Sorry¡­ Thanks¡­¡±


    Once he finished with the healing, I tried to stand up but my limbs trembled and I couldn¡¯t put power into my legs. Thus, I once again plopped down. It seemed I was missing too much blood, after all.


    ¡°Do not push yourself. You need to rest for some time. Even Prisci could not move properly for days.¡±


    With those words, Maxwell picked me up and soared up with Flight. I could hear loud noises from the door, but Maxwell cast a Magic on it too. The spell locked the door very firmly, so it didn¡¯t even budge.


    His dual use of spells as he fluttered into the air was quite impressive, to say the least.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It is a spell called Hard Lock. It makes the entire door harder than iron, so one cannot tear it down.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Then, what about that side wall?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Right as I pointed it out, someone thrust a sword through that wall. Unlike the marbled floor, the walls weren¡¯t so hard it seems.


    ¡°This is not good!¡±


    Eximing, Maxwell dropped off the tied-up and fainted Klein, and flew from the window while carrying me.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    That night, a meteorite fell on the outskirts of Geeze Union¡¯s capital. Fortunately, it did not hit the capital itself, however, it sted away one mansion situated on a small penins.


    As that mansion belonged to a ve merchant that got in the way of the local public order, the citizens were apparently relieved about it.

 Chapter 247: Reid’s Reflection

    <h4>Chapter 247: Reid¡¯s Reflection</h4>


    We returned to Raum that very night. Of course, we also took Argus and Bauman, who waited for us behind, with us.


    Seeing me all bloody and limp, the two red mingly at Maxwell. Since they didn¡¯t know the situation, they assumed that he dragged a young girl into a dangerous assassination n, and made her fight until she was all bloody and tired.


    ¡°Wait, I have not done anything like that.¡± ¡°Ya don¡¯t sound so convincing.¡± ¡°This ruthless old man. I don¡¯t wanna imagine what¡¯d happen if we ran.¡± ¡°Yeah, better stay obedient for a while.¡± ¡°Nicole, my reputation is falling at an rming rate.¡± ¡°¡­Like I care.¡±


    Maxwell talked to me in grief, but I had other things to worry about.


    The pain assaulting my body was gone, but it was reced with extreme weariness and I couldn¡¯t move my lower side. Heck, I couldn¡¯t even move my arms properly. Even my vision was gradually narrowing down. This was a symptom of anemia.


    As we reached Maxwell¡¯s mansion, I dragged my body and plopped on the sofa in his living room.


    It would have been hard to reach my home in this state, and more than that, I had to clean myself first.


    ¡°That aside, Maxwell. Can you take me to the bath? I can¡¯t go back looking like this.¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, that is true¡­¡±


    Maxwell looked unusually troubled after hearing my request. His loitering eyes were proof that he was feeling perplexed.


    ¡°Umm, Nicole. Your request is certainly appropriate, however, I have no female helpers in this mansion.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just do it yourself, old man?¡± ¡°You should start paying more attention to male gazes at your age.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go asking for too much this time. Besides, you¡¯re still the better optionpared to the other two.¡± ¡°Mgh¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell Argus and Bauman to wash me. Mateus was also a no by the same logic. And given the situation, I couldn¡¯t call Cortina or Finia, so Maxwell was the only one left.


    ¡°Just think of it as some side perk. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d tryying your hands on your oldrade.¡± ¡°Well¡­.sigh¡­ I just know this is going to end up bad.¡±


    And thus, I had him wash me and help me change. He washed off the dirt and wiped the water on my limp body with unusually tensed movements.


    It was amusing to see Argus and Bauman drilling him with cold stares when we got out of the bath. I managed to get back at him for his daily teasing with that.


    ¡°So I take it this job is done?¡±


    I addressed Maxwell while sitting on the sofa with a towel wrapped around me as I waited for my clothes to finish washing.


    The two men had already been sent back to their detention ce. They were notified that Maxwell had summoned them, so letting them go back like that was not a problem.


    In case they decided to run away from Raum, Maxwell¡¯s Geass with its insta-death level of pain would get in the way, so they couldn¡¯t even do that.


    Anyway, we were the only two people left in the mansion now. We could talk as much as we wanted about private matters.


    ¡°Right. I don¡¯t think Klein could escape from that Meteor Crash. It should be fine to consider him dead.¡± ¡°Well, he fainted and was tied up. Blowing him away along with the mansion while fainted¡­ I suppose that¡¯s a nice way to kill someone without causing them pain, huh?¡±


    I had my bouts with Klein, but if he died without pain, that was a fortunate death for him. It was a much better endingpared to Gideon or Tarkashire.


    Hearing my reply, Maxwell sighed as if relieved, and then, he picked up a bottle of brandy from the shelf, dropped down on the other sofa, and chugged it down straight from the bottle.


    ¡°Hey now, you¡¯re wasting a good drink like that.¡± ¡°And whose fault do you think that is? I would not be able to calm down unless I wash it down with alcohol.¡± ¡°Wash it down? What¡¯s troubling you?¡± ¡°I am talking about you needlessly fighting against such a strong enemy.¡± ¡°What option did I have in that situation? I failed to escape from him.¡± ¡°I observed your situation through the familiar. It was truthfully a frightening sight for someone who could not do anything to help you. If I gained you some time, perhaps you could have escaped with me? When I stopped sharing my senses and rushed to your side, you were already in a bloody state. It would be unreasonable to tell me not to be terrified after that. You have always had that tendency to try overachieving things on your own. Do know that is a bad habit.¡± ¡°Even if you tell me that¡­ This is just the way I am.¡±


    Back then, Maxwell should have seen my state before the battle. But the familiar he used only had the strength of a beginner-level Adventurer. That was too inadequate for interfering in our fight.


    Moreover, a familiar¡¯s life-force was linked with the user. If Gideon had injured the familiar, it could have potentially rendered even Maxwell unable to fight.


    When it came to spatial spells like Teleport, just seeing the ce was useless ¡ª you needed to have visited the destination at least once before. Moreover, the mansion had a spell that obstructed the activation of spells inside, so he probably couldn¡¯t even fly.


    During that moment, he had no other means but to run to my side on foot. He happened toe across Klein on the way, so that resulted in a nice ending, though¡­


    ¡°Listen, Reid. You are no longer the same person who used to conduct solo assassinations. You haverades now. Please rely on us some more.¡± ¡°Comrades, huh¡­ Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    As he said, I didn¡¯t need to be so adamant to win that fight. I got flustered as Klein escaped, thinking I had to catch him myself, and that forced me to battle Gideon. My hasty pursuit of that goal had clouded my judgment. My current limp body was proof of that.


    Maxwell was right, I had to rely on myrades more. That has been a challenge for me even in my previous life.


    ¡°Right¡­ You are dependable for me, Maxwell. So, let me have a sip of that brandy, will you?¡± ¡°That is a different matter. If you start drinking from such an early age, you will not grow any taller.¡± ¡°Ghhh.¡±


    I knew I would get smashed with just one gulp, but I missed the alcohol. That desire had been easily crushed by onement from Maxwell, however.

 Chapter 248: A Bad Morning

    <h4>Chapter 248: A Bad Morning</h4>


    I had Maxwell secretly return me to my room using Flight. Teleport would have been better, but he hadn¡¯t been to my room before. He sneaked in there this time, so Teleport should be usable from now on.


    After pulling Kabby, who had been impersonating me, out of the bed and sliding there myself, my eyelids quickly started to close. It seemed that I was even more tired than I thought.


    ¡°Squee?¡±


    Kabby peeked worriedly at my face after seeing me so tired, but I had no energy to pay it any mind. As I was about to sink into the sea of dreams, Kabby suddenly jumped on my chest.


    ¡°Kabby, it¡¯s too hot.¡± ¡°Squee?¡±


    A fluffy Carbuncle in this early summer was far too hot. I used it as a heater during the winter, but it was too much now.


    Also, its fallen hair angered Finia who dealt with theundry. She didn¡¯t openly show her anger, but seeing all the hair made her frown and ruin her mood, so it was quite obvious that she was angry.


    Though I wanted her to close her eyes in exchange for this fluffiness and warmth.


    At any rate, with no way to get Kabby off my chest, I proceeded to fall asleep as is. My fatigue was the after-effect of yesterday¡¯s fight. Even now, my condition was close to being anemic.


    As I closed my eyes, I heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°Good morning, Lady Nicole. Are you awake?¡± ¡°Mhm, I am. Morning, Finia.¡±


    I felt like the night disappeared on me. I slept so deeply it was practically fainting.


    Looking at the clock on the wall, I noticed it was already morning. That made me feel like six hours had passed in an instant. I really slept that deeply.


    Being an assassin and gaining fame as an Adventurer, I was never a deep sleeper. In some cases, even the creaking on the floor could wake me up.


    How long has it been that I slept like a log as if I fainted, I wonder? No, I mean, I have fainted more than once, but that¡¯s beside the point.


    I rose up and crawled out of bed¡­ Only to copse on the floor. It felt like my legs gave up on me, making me unable to even walk properly.


    Hearing the sound, Finia knocked on the door in a fluster.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, what happened? What was that sound¡­¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, Finia. I feel a little bad now.¡± ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m opening the door!¡±


    Hearing about my condition, Finia immediately rushed inside the room without waiting for the reply. Well, that conduct was not admirable for a servant, but she did it out of worry for me so I couldn¡¯t me her.


    After she entered, she saw me halfway crawled out from the bed and copsed on the floor, making her pin her mouth in surprise.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I can¡¯t put strength in my body. Can you return me to my bed?¡± ¡°A-Are you alright!?¡±


    Despite her surprise, she did as told and raised me up and put me on the bed. She held me in the so-called princess carry as she did, but I decided to pretend it didn¡¯t happen.


    Due to her daily duties, Finia had more strength than her appearance suggested. She even trained in the sword on top of everything, so she was stronger than an average Elf.


    And yet, her fingers were still slim and beautiful. She put her hand on my forehead to measure the temperature. Her cold hand felt very satisfying.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear that you have a fever. In fact, it seems lower than normal?¡± ¡°I¡­would like to ask why you know my normal temperature.¡± ¡°Oh, that is a trade secret.¡±


    Oh well, we were taking baths together, so she probably learned of it there. Why she learned it is another matter, however.


    After fixing my pajamas, she also fixed the nket.


    ¡°Pant¡­Pant¡­ Ah, i-ignore that please.¡±


    My dear Finia, I wonder why you¡¯re panting at my disheveled clothes¡­


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you will be able to go to the academy in this state. I will let Lady Cortina know so you can stay and rest.¡± ¡°And I have been so welltely¡­¡± ¡°It has not been that long ever since your magic disease has been cured. Do you feel anemic?¡± ¡°I suppose I am.¡± ¡°I think you should start treasuring your body more, Lady Nicole.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say.¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    She avoided my gaze without giving a proper answer. Still, rather than ¡®feel anemic¡¯, I had actually bled a lotst night and was anemic. Finia¡¯s diagnosis was on point.


    Normally, I would have gotten Maria to use Regeneration for me, but as I couldn¡¯t exin the situation to her, it was better to just rest today. Maxwell could also use that spell, so I nned to make him use itter.


    Just as I was considering that, I heard noises from the entrance.


    ¡°Oh, is that you, Michelle? You seem early today.¡± ¡°Lady Cortina, this is serious! Is Nicole here? It¡¯s about Cloud!¡± ¡°What, Cloud!?¡±


    I heard the flustered voices of Michelle and Cortina. That made me imagine the time Cloud had been attacked by Mateus. Feeling cold shivers traveling down my spice, I forced my trembling legs off the bed.


    ¡°Please stay here, Lady Nicole. I will go talk to them!¡± ¡°You? But¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. I will not abandon him this time.¡±


    Finia was still regretting the fact that she prioritized me and abandoned Cloud back then. Seeing this same development made the sense of responsibility in her burn fiercer. However, if the situation was indeed simr, she would end up facing someone as strong as Mateus.


    She was still not skilled enough for that. While we were talking, Michelle rushed to my room herself.


    ¡°Nicole, this is serious! Cloud is doing a sham battle against an Adventurer. And it¡¯s some amazing fifth-ranked Adventurer at that!¡±


    Oh, that reminds me, we did have that arrangement with Kayle.

 Chapter 249: A Hard Fight

    <h4>Chapter 249: A Hard Fight</h4>


    I decided to head to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild while borrowing Michelle¡¯s shoulder. Due to having to get dressed in my Adventurer gear and borrow Finia and Michelle¡¯s help, it took longer than usual, but this was the fastest I could manage now.


    Cortina seemed quite interested, but she had her duties as a teacher. Yesterday couldn¡¯t be helped due to the circumstances, but if she skipped another day it could get problematic.


    Maria and Lyell had headed to Maxwell¡¯s mansion. They also showed interest in this, but dealing with Klein came first. Of course, Maxwell and I already dealt with Klein the other night.


    By the time these two would arrive at Geeze Union, they would find the situation already concluded. They would end up traveling there in vain, but my circumstances called for that much sacrifice from them.


    I managed to somehow reach the Guild with the steps of a newborn fawn, but it seemed that they had already moved to the training grounds below.


    The usual receptionistdy was looking regretful for missing out on a fun event like that, so based on that it was probably quite safe.


    There was probably no need for me to rush here, but I was the one who had arranged this match. It woulde off quite awkward if I didn¡¯t show myself here, so it was just my stubbornness ying an active part here.


    As we went down the stairs to the training area, it seemed that the match had already begun as the audience was raising cheers.


    ¡°Go get him, Kayle! Beat some sense into that yboy!¡± ¡°Take back our sweet Nicole from that brute!¡± ¡°Ah, I am in Lady Letina¡¯s faction. Crush him.¡± ¡°All of them are like his mistresses, aren¡¯t they? Let¡¯s just kill this b?a?s?t?a?r?d?!¡±


    The audience was basically about 90% in Kayle¡¯s favor while only 10% for Cloud. The Half-Demons were as unpopr as ever, it seems.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s already begun!¡±


    Following her indication, I saw Cloud on the receiving end of Kayle¡¯s attacks. It seemed that Kayle was pulling punches quite a bit, but Cloud¡¯s growth was still amazing for enduring the attacks from a fifth-rank Adventurer.


    ¡°It looks like a pretty nice match, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But Cloud¡¯s opponent is a fifth-rank, you know? He might get seriously injured.¡± ¡°It will be fine. We are at a Guild, so they have healers permanently stationed here.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Killing each other inside the Guild was prohibited. Even if Cloud was a Half-Demon, it would affect the Guild¡¯s honor if he ended up with a grave injury at their own training grounds.


    Besides, I was the one who arranged this match, so if it left grudges, it would also mean that I ¡ª or more precisely, my parents, could also be affected by that grudge.


    As such, the battle probably wouldn¡¯t reach such a dangerous level¡­ At least I hope so. Based on the audience¡¯s reaction, I couldn¡¯t feel too optimistic about it either.


    ¡°But he seems to be having a hard fight, so maybe some cheering would encourage him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Cloud, hang in there! Come on, you should also cheer on him, Nicole, and Finia too.¡± ¡°A-Ah, that is true. Uhm¡­ Hang in there, Cloud!¡±


    Finia who was normally reserved started to cheer on him with all she had. Honestly, seeing her like that made my chest sting. Finia was my attendant¡­ No, that wasn¡¯t exactly the case, but like, I felt possessive about her.


    ¡°Mhg¡­?¡± ¡°Nicole, you have to cheer too!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I suddenly feel like cheering on Kayle instead.¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t stay stubborn at a time like this!¡± ¡°Huh, am I normally seen as such?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny having a stubborn side to me, but I wasn¡¯t particrly partial to Cloud¡­


    But well, he was my disciple too. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if he were to lose to some random Adventurer.


    ¡°Oh well. Cloud, go goo¡­¡±


    I cheered in a monotone voice, but hearing that the audience had heated up.


    ¡°Nicole is cheering you¡­ Don¡¯t you dare to lose, Cloud, you heaaaar!¡± ¡°Even Finia is cheering on him! He really is a brute!¡± ¡°Finish him off, Kayle. I use my authority as the branch head to allow that.¡± ¡°Huh, you were here, branch head!?¡±


    He seemed to be saying something dangerous there, but I hope he was just joking. Still, for even the branch head toe to observe this¡­ I suppose being Lyell¡¯s disciple held that much impact.


    In the meantime, Cloud¡¯s sword was swept from his hand, losing it. But he did not give up, but instead set up his shield and charged.


    ¡°W-Whaat!?¡±


    It was a sudden attack that took Kayle, who thought the match was over, by surprise. Just as he nned, Kayle had been pushed along by the shield and they both rolled on the ground.


    The two started grappling as they rolled about. They were fighting for the mounting position which was more advantageous.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know when to give up. You¡¯re a fifth-rank so just let a junior take credit for once!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go losing exactly because I¡¯m a fifth-rank! re-up, ck mes sealed within me¡ªInferno me Road!¡±


    Kayle yelled like he was crazy, but surprisingly enough, his right arm actually started burning in dark mes. And then, he mercilessly punched Cloud with that arm. Michelle eximed in surprise at that.


    ¡°Woah, what¡¯s with that arm!?¡± ¡°It is probably the fire magic, me Weapon. He is probably just tinkering with it to make it look dark.¡±


    me Weapon was an unusual spell for the fire system, as it was used not for directly attacking but for bestowing your weapon with mes and raising its attack power.


    Moreover, this me attribute was quite effective against Undeads. The damage increment was a bit higher than my Enchant. It was a spell newbie Adventurers relied on a lot.


    Still, I didn¡¯t understand the point in intentionally dyeing it ck. Maybe he was just fussy about it?


    Either way, this unexpected magic was more than enough to stop Cloud¡¯s movements. He took the blow head-on and was flung back, rolling on the ground and fainting on the spot.


    ¡°Phew. You are quite something for a newbie to have me use my trump card. Not bad.¡±


    He took some weird showy pose, and then called off the mes with a swing of his arm. You only needed to stop the magic flow to stop your own spell, so that pose was totally pointless.


    The stationed healers rushed towards Cloud. The battle was settled for sure this time.


    ¡°What are you showing off for, Kayle, it was just me Weapon!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself just because you beat some newbie!¡± ¡°It seems that Cloud has been defeated¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s the weakest of the Big Four.¡± ¡°To get beaten by the likes of Kayle. It¡¯s a disgrace for an Adventurer of Raum. By the way, wasn¡¯t there some rule about the punishment for personal uses of training grounds?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such rule, branch head!!¡±


    The spectators jeered at the oue with all they had. But they didn¡¯t really contain any malice in them. Seeing their previous conduct, I expected more harsh words from them, but it turned out to be a needless fear.


    It looked that Cloud was being slowly epted by the Adventurers of Raum.

 Chapter 250: Bombshell

    <h4>Chapter 250: Bombshell</h4>


    Even after that, there have been hoards of Adventurers wanting to fight Cloud. However, the battle with Kayle had left himpletely drained. As such, the healers at the scene stopped him from continuing.


    As for Kayle, he was apparently dragged off by the branch head of Raum¡¯s Guild and questioned about using the training grounds without permission. It seems that using it to train was fine, but the problem was that there were bettings on their match.


    The betting and using the training grounds by themselves were fine, but together they were a problem. This way, the Guild¡¯s training grounds could be seen to be used as a trading spot.


    Michelle jumped from the audience seats to the arena and rushed to Cloud. She had seen himying with his hand severed, so she had be quite a bit overprotective of him.


    ¡°Cloud, are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ My eyes are spinning a bit though.¡± ¡°Oh no, you have to lie down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can handle this much.¡±


    Seeing her offering help so gantly was honestly a pleasant sight. But Cloud being on the receiving end of it made me a bit displeased.


    I couldn¡¯t deny harboring some ill-feeling at that, but I wasn¡¯t such a kid. I shall forgive him this time in consideration of his good fight.


    ¡°Finia, take me to Cloud as well.¡± ¡°Understood. Excuse me, then.¡±


    Finia picked me up in her arms and walked into the training range. Seeing me like that the audience turned noisy once again.


    ¡°Nicole is being princess carried¡­¡± ¡°I heard that she can¡¯t move her legs and loins.¡± ¡°To be unable to move them¡­ What did she do exactly.¡± ¡°Well, do you even need to ask?¡± ¡°She¡¯s far too young for that. Who was the guy!¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one guy that fits that, isn¡¯t it? Considering his age, he should have a manageable size.¡± ¡°We really should kill him.¡±


    From what I could hear, it seems that we were showered with baseless suspicions. If I left it be, I felt like it would damage my reputation quite a bit.


    ¡°Cloud, are you alright?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. What happened to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a little anemic. It happens quite often.¡± ¡°Oh right, you¡¯ve always stayed in bed before, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I made sure that everyone around me heard that I was anemic. This should be enough to make them understand my condition.


    ¡°Oh, so she is just anemic. Thank god.¡± ¡°Wait, this might be Cortina¡¯s trap. We have to first inspect why she is anemic.¡± ¡°I mean, being anemic means that she lost some blood, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Wait, you mean she¡¯s menstruating!¡± ¡°Wait, it might be due to deflowering!¡± ¡°Okay, yeah, we should kill him.¡± ¡°Just give that a break already, you people!?¡±


    Whatever I said, they were still taking it in the erotic direction. It was clear proof that their heads were filled with nothing but that stuff.


    Whatever I said to them would just have the opposite effect. I¡¯ll remember your faces and tell Lyell that you were sexually harassing meter. That should get them that ¡°Six Hero¡¯s Special Training¡± that they so much desire. Whether they would live to see another day or not was none of my concern.


    That evening, Lyell and Maria sat at the dining table with bitter faces. They had arrived at Geeze Union and followed Klein¡¯s tracks. However, his tracks had been suddenly cut at the mansion. The night before, a mysterious meteorite hadnded directly on the penins where the mansion was situated, blowing both of them away.


    Klein¡¯s condition was unclear, but based on the situation his chances of being alive were pitifully low. Their other goal, the tax certificate, had also been lost in the process.


    Naturally, I knew where that certificate was. It should be under Maxwell¡¯s care. He was already nning to put it somece else and have it ¡®suddenly discovered¡¯.


    Then we just had to deliver that certificate to Donovan while feigning ignorance and the matter would be settled. Lyell and Maria knew nothing of our schemings, so their feelings were understandable.


    ¡°If Klein died, the certificate might have burned along with him¡­¡± ¡°No one could expect a meteor falling on it. Maxwell could probably do that though.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve witnessed him do it more than once. But I don¡¯t think he would do something that would cause him to lose his other objective. At any rate, what is done is done, so we have to think about the aftermath now. Can we put in a word and have it reissued? That should not smear dirt on Donovan¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Lyell, Cortina, and Maria spoke about the matter in turns. They were at their wit¡¯s ends to the point that they didn¡¯t even mind discussing it before Finia and me, who were unrted parties.


    Finia had sensed the foul mood and had withdrawn herself a bit in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Well if we just me Maxwell¡¯s magic for losing it, that should solve it. Donovan is the reason for this bothersome situation, but Maxwell was to me for leaving someone like Klein be for so long. He should just take the me for this one.¡± ¡°Yeah, he should be able to cover up his own blunders.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to ask favors from influential people¡­ But beggars can¡¯t be choosers.¡± ¡°The meteorite was Maxwell¡¯s doing, and he also got the certificate burned¡­ Let¡¯s just go with that.¡±


    Cortina just made it up, but it was actually Maxwell¡¯s doing. I wonder howe she was always so close to the truth. It was the same during Elliot¡¯s incident, but her guesses were always so close to the truth, and yet so far; I didn¡¯t know how to even react.


    Maria suddenly pped her hands as if to signal the end of this conversation.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s leave the difficult talk aside for now. A bit toote to say this, but Nicole is here so it¡¯s not good for her education to conspire before her.¡± ¡°If we go there, I feel that leaving her to Maxwell is already a bad enough influence¡­¡± ¡°We are having a meal, so we have to talk about something more fun.¡±


    Maria was in all grins. It was as if she was preparing to give me a present. And then, she dropped her bomb.


    ¡°Hey, Nicole. It seems that mommy has a baby.¡± ¡°Wha-?¡±


    Her bombshell announcement had left me in a daze, having no words to respond with.

 Chapter 251: You’re Gonna Be a Big Sister!

    <h4>Chapter 251: You¡¯re Gonna Be a Big Sister!</h4>


    Maria was pregnant. That news had me so dumbfounded I lost my words. No, it was not just me. Finia, Cortina, and even Lyell were in the same state.


    ¡°Your daddy worked hard for ittely. You will finally have a younger sister or a brother.¡± ¡°Wait, is¡­ is that really true?¡± ¡°Lyell, why are you acting so doubtful?¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to say that you have no recollection of it, are you?¡± ¡°No, I mean, I have more than enough of them¡­ Ever since my physical condition improved so much, I¡­¡±


    Lyell¡¯s words caused Maria to blush. Based on that reaction, he had a very good idea. Let me just put it out there first: go explode!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it great, Nicole? You are going to be a big sister!¡± ¡°Wait, huh¡­ Huh? Huuuh?¡±


    As the realization settled in, I raised an astonishing voice. Finia and Cortina also started to regain their sanity.


    ¡°Congrats, Maria! You really had us waiting on the second one!¡± ¡°Congrattions, Lady Maria, Lord Lyell, and Lady Nicole! You have to be a good sister.¡± ¡°Huh, oh. Thanks?¡±


    Finia expressed her wishes towards me as well, but it didn¡¯t feel real to me just yet. I was gonna be a sister¡­?


    ¡°W-W-What should I do, Finia! I¡¯m gonna be a big sister!?¡±


    As someone aiming to revert to a man, being a big brother was the ideal. I was an orphan in my previous life, so my family growth itself made me honestly happy. However, presently I was far from that ideal.


    Finia gently received me in her arms while I was in a state of confusion.


    ¡°It will be okay. I am sure you will be a wonderful big sister, Lady Nicole!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant! ¡°I can already picture it. A lovely scene of a beautiful, grown-up Nicole and her little sister!¡± ¡°Wait, it could be a brother.¡± ¡°No, it is definitely a sister! Oh, how happy I will be to serve two beautiful sisters!¡± ¡°Finia, calm down. You are definitely shaken now.¡±


    I ended up interjecting, seeing Finia pumping her firsts and being unusually insistent. Maria observed us with a calm expression. Hey, stop watching and cast Sanity on her or something, will you?


    ¡°Finia, you have to love him even if it¡¯s a boy, okay?¡± ¡°Of course! Lady Nicole¡¯s little brother would be the same as my own. No, that would be too presumptuous for me¡­ But I shall serve them with all my heart. I will use my all in upbringing them in every possible way!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that much. But since you look so reliable I will do just that and rely on you.¡± ¡°Maria¡¯s second kid, huh¡­ This calls for a celebration.¡± ¡°It took ten years with Nicole¡­ And well, it¡¯s been ten years since then too, but it was fast if we count from the moment of drinking that medicine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know when to give up, Lyell. Just shut up and take responsibility.¡± ¡°What more responsibility is there for me to take?¡±


    Still¡­ I¡¯m going to gain a brother or a sister, huh¡­ But given my situation, the kid might get whether I am a big sister or a brother. When I learn Polymorph and change into a man every day, that would definitely confuse them.


    ¡°Still¡­ A sibling, huh¡­¡±


    Currently, I had Michelle, Letina, and Cloud who were like troublesome younger siblings to me. The problem, however, was that they also thought of me as a younger sister. I wouldn¡¯t deny being a troublesome one, but I was reluctant about being treated as younger by ten-year-old kids.


    I had to keep my sisterly act together and improve my standing.


    ¡°Yeah, I have to keep it together.¡± ¡°Oh my, already in the sister mode, are we?¡±


    Maria poked fun at me after hearing my mutter. Still, I always caused her nothing but worry, so I wanted to let her be at ease at least now. By the time my to-be-born sibling would grow up, I would have to leave the house.


    If I left without dispelling that unease, it would keep worrying Maria and the rest.


    For that reason, I had to y¡ªor I guess y is not the right word¡ªa dependable big sister, and instill that impression.


    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t make anyone worry about me!¡± ¡°In that case, would you stop Adventuring? I keep worrying every day that you might die somewhere.¡± ¡°W-Well, let¡¯s just say this and that are different¡­¡±


    Being Maxwell¡¯s disciple was part of it, but gaining direct experience was also important. That experience also helped with my growth in the magic department. It was indispensable training on my way to mastering Polymorph.


    ¡°I will go let Maxwell know.¡± ¡°It¡¯ste already. Maybe tomorrow?¡±


    The sun was already set and the streets were dark.


    The kidnappers have already been exterminated and Klein¡¯s matter was also done, but that didn¡¯t mean thatmon scoundrels disappeared too.


    Maria advised me to stop because of such uneasiness. However, people who could give me trouble wouldn¡¯t be found so easily.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take Michelle with me then.¡± ¡°Mh, well, alright then¡­ I suppose.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? That girl¡¯s skill with the bow is extraordinary.¡±


    Since Cortina, the local person, gave her permission, Maria also consented to it. In truth, I wanted to report about my parents to Maxwell, and also talk about the timing to take out the tax certificate, but it should be easy even if Michelle followed me.


    I could just trick her to remain outside of the room and finish the discussion in the meantime. Maria¡¯s pregnancy was involved, so she shouldn¡¯t suspect anything.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going!¡± ¡°Take care. Good grief, she is such a lively one.¡± ¡°Seeing her like that, you realize that she is really still a cute child.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Nicole is always super cute! She¡¯s my angel!¡± ¡°Dear, shut up please.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hearing the conversation behind me, I thought confidently: a member of the Six Heros or not, men could never win against women.


    Author¡¯s note: We will have a half-year time skip from the next chapter.

 Chapter 252: Half a Year Later, 11 Years Old

    <h4>Chapter 252: Half a Year Later, 11 Years Old</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Inside a church of the World Tree Religion located in one of the viges of the Northern Alliance.


    There were men gathered in the basement of that church.


    It was a meeting conducted under moderate candlelight as if they were trying to conceal themselves from people. They were most certainly not a respectable bunch.


    In that gloomy hall, the men started reporting their respective results.


    ¡°Three from the East. Two of them have been confirmed to have the ¡°grounding¡±, thus they are being educated. The remaining one would be sacrificed during the appropriate time.¡± ¡°Only two have been confirmed? It¡¯s hard to say whether that would amount to anything.¡± ¡°It cannot be helped. None of us can act openly.¡± ¡°Four from the Central. Also two with the ¡°grounding¡±. However, two ¡°students¡± have died, so the total number remains unchanged.¡± ¡°Considering that we have to educate them from scratch, it¡¯s better to say we fell back.¡±


    They went over the documents they all brought, confirming the number of personnel. The result was both gains and losses. They gained new ones while losing the same number. As a result, they neither increased nor decreased.


    ¡°Still, it seems that we have stopped receiving people from the west? The south seems quite slow too.¡± ¡°The person in charge there has been hit with an unforeseen ident, so the activities are temporarily on hold.¡± ¡°Unforeseen ident?¡± ¡°Something about a meteor falling there. It seems all his allies have gotten rolled up in it, so he has to start from scratch.¡± ¡°Hmm? So we can¡¯t expect much from the south and west, huh?¡± ¡°In exchange, we can increase the activity in the north. The Six Heroes who used to keep a watchful eye are absent now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Five Heroes now. We somehow got rid of that annoying assassin, but I¡¯d like to get rid of one more.¡± ¡°Jend Sect has been destroyed, so we can¡¯t go meddling too much.¡± ¡°There are other assassination organizations there¡­ But, true. We should wait for the heat to settle.¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s move on to the next topic. So about the reason why the ¡°education¡± isn¡¯t progressing as well as hoped¡­¡±


    The men moved on to yet another topic. In the end, their secret meetingsted until morning.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Half a year had passed ever since the bombshell that Maria dropped on us. It might seem like a short time, but a lot of things happened during it.


    First, Maxwell returned the certificate to Donovan under the pretext of discovering it through the capital¡¯s tavern. After that, he had finally been cleared of any suspicions and became the lord of Sto both in name and reality.


    I asked Maxwellter on, and it turned out that Klein¡¯s body part had been washed ashore, so he was most certainly dead.


    Donovan thanked me deeply, and was treating me as if I was a saint now. I was grateful, but also kinda bothered.


    About three monthster, Elliot left the academy. He was originally supposed to be a contracted lecturer for six months, but the assault reduced his holiday to half of that.


    He seemed reluctant to part with me, but he had the information that Haumea was no longer in Raum, so he returned to his own kingdom in hopes of finding her there. Prisci included, of course.


    I wonder when that blockhead would notice her feelings.


    I had a steady growth in the academy, too, and was already learning the middle-grade Interference magic. At this pace, I should be able to learn things like Flight by the time of graduation.


    It has been six months since Maria got pregnant, so her belly was already quite conspicuous. Different from fatness, her bulge was more like something packed together. It disyed the vigor of life growing within.


    And in the meanwhile, I have also celebrated my 11th birthday. Even my height had increased by about three centimeters in these six months, finally entering the growth period, a bitter than Michelle.


    At the same time, one problem surfaced that made me rack my brains.


    That is¡­ My ***** were growing.


    At first, I thought I was growing a bit plump, but my waist remained thin so I eventually epted that it was a womanly growth. I had no choice but to ept.


    Lately, even my butt has gotten rounder, so this was most definitely another sexual characteristic.


    Michelle also had her share of development in these months. To the point that I was looking forward to swimming with her during the summertime. This made me feel like she got added to the list of people I couldn¡¯t reveal my identity to.


    Letina, on the other hand, did not develop any womanly parts, but this was perhaps the difference between our races. Elves grew like humans, but many of them remained slender.


    ¡°Still, I feel like it¡¯s getting in the way of swinging the sword.¡±


    When I held the sword with two hands, my budding chest felt cramped. This was a sensation I hadn¡¯t felt even in my previous life.


    As it was an unknown sensation, it made moving my hands a bit ufortable.


    ¡°You are still better off, Nicole. In my case, the bowstring keeps rubbing on it and hurts me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really ufortable when sleeping on the stomach, isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°They should just get plucked. You humans get plump so quickly!¡± ¡°Letina, I¡¯m jealous of how slender you are.¡± ¡°Are you being sarcastic? You are, aren¡¯t you!¡± ¡°Um¡­ Can you talk about that when there are no boys around?¡±


    Cloud butted in our conversation, inviting cold stares from us. We were currently in our routine ingredient gathering, so his presence was nothing unusual. Still, that was irrelevant to girls of our age.


    ¡°W-What, I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m part of this group too.¡± ¡°Oh nooothing¡­¡± ¡°Cloud, you perv.¡± ¡°Have you no delicacy to pretend to not hear it?¡± ¡°Oi don¡¯t be unreasonable now!¡±


    Cloud was already almost 13 years old. He was already starting to see things differently.


    With beauties like Michelle and Letina, not to mention me, in the party, it was natural for him to pay attention to these kinds of conversations.


    ¡°Leaving the perverted Cloud aside¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t brush me off like that!¡± ¡°Leaving him aside! My mom will soon be unable to move properly, so I want to bring nutritionally rich food home.¡± ¡°In that case, we have to do our best today.¡± ¡°I shall do my best for Lady Maria.¡± ¡°But whenever I need it¡­¡± ¡°Is anything the matter?¡± ¡°No, nevermind.¡±


    Letina¡¯s cold stare silenced his objection. Cloud, do you know? There are countless Adventurers at the Guild dying to be on the receiving end of that stare.


    There were also those who wanted to receive Michelle¡¯s sulked gaze or my scornful one, so I think Raum¡¯s Adventurers were already beyond help.


    So their envy towards Cloud, who was receiving all three of them, knew no bounds. In fact, he was being tormented by them whenever he had time to spare.


    ¡°You said nourishment, but what exactly are we supposed to look for?¡± ¡°That goes without saying, it¡¯s meat, meat!¡±


    As Letina asked, Michelle insisted while raising her hands. She was as carnivorous as ever.


    ¡°Is there a buffalo somewhere, I wonder?¡± ¡°A big game like that is not normally found here. The Adventurers are being alert for them around these parts.¡± ¡°Snakes and lizards would be pointless to eat.¡± ¡°Speaking of nourishment, a Carbuncle might fit that description, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Squee!?¡±


    As I gazed up, I could sense an immediate twitch from there. There was Kabby, having grown in size over these six months to the point that it was hard to keep it on my head.


    Kabby seemed to be young for a Carbuncle, so its growth was quite drastic. It was around the size of a cat before, but now it was closer to a small-sized dog. Moreover, it was growing quite plump and umting fat, making it known that it had all the food it wanted.


    ¡°You have to start exercising already, otherwise I¡¯m not letting you sit on my head, okay?¡± ¡°Squee, Squee~¡±


    Hearing my warning, Kabby started exercising in a fluster. I wished it¡¯d stop doing that on my head, however. It was making my head wobble around and it felt really unpleasant.


    ¡°That was a joke, but I really have to find nourishment for mom or the kid might be physically weak like me.¡± ¡°That would be cute in its own way¡­¡± ¡°But that would only cause us to worry, so it¡¯s bad.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s only you who has mastered the art of fainting when people take their eyes off you, Nicole.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you for thatter.¡±


    Getting hit with their unfriendly remarks, I answered back with a vacant expression.

 Chapter 253: Present

    <h4>Chapter 253: Present</h4>


    That day, we managed to hunt a monster species called Spurt Leghorn.


    As the name suggested, it was a chicken but a size bigger that could dash with crazy force, but due to its high mobility, it was impossible to contain it inside the fences so it was not being bred. It could use its signature charge to break the fences or fly over them.


    That said, its attack power was not high, so the assigned danger level was rtively low.


    Even the patrolling Adventurers tended to overlook monsters on this level.


    When the battle started, it was strangely only charging at Cloud, so seeing him covered in feathers was an amusing sight.


    While covered in feathers, Cloud took on the attacker role while I made use of the opening to cut its feet to stop it from moving, then delivered the finishing blow.


    Normally, Michelle would be the one to deal the finisher, but she was busyughing her heart out seeing Cloud engaged in a match with a chicken. Needless to say, so was Letina.


    We also collected herbs used in potions as well as fruits suitable for desserts, then returned to the Guild. Seeing Cloud in feathers, even the receptionistdy almost burst into augh, making me pity him a bit.


    But if I covered him here, that would just fuel the Adventures¡¯ jealousy towards him. It was tough, but he had to suck up his tears and deal with it.


    Thus, we cut the bird into four parts and took our shares home. The portion was a little small for Cloud¡¯s situation, but they could make up for the quantity by making a soup or stew with it.


    Later, after I was done with dinner, I decided to visit Maxwell¡¯s mansion. I had business with him today.


    ¡°Ah, wee, Nicole. What brings you here thiste at night? Did you finally decide to ept my marriage proposal?¡± ¡°Shut up, you lolicon. Stop b?u?l?l?s?h?i?t?t?i?n?g. Say that after you beat Lyell.¡±


    The one weing me was Mateus dressed as a housekeeper. He was like a live-in employee, but you could say that was for Maxwell to monitor him.


    It seemed pitiable that dirty work was being pushed on him at a nce, but considering how he kept meddling with me like this, I didn¡¯t really feel any pity for him whatsoever.


    ¡°That¡¯ll just get me killed, so no way? You have a business with the old man?¡± ¡°Yeah. Is he around?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go call him so wait in the living room?¡±


    His usual way of ending sentences with a questioning tone was getting on my nerves, but I was thankful that at least he was being obedient now. In particr, Maxwell¡¯s house tended to get packed with junk if you left him to his own devices, so someone like Mateus who knew our circumstances was a big help.


    Though, while I said ¡®knew our circumstances¡¯, he still didn¡¯t know my identity.


    It was the usual living room, butpared to before Mateus came here, it was definitely cleaned up. Still, it was cleaned by a man, so the corners and such still had some dust remaining.


    ¡°Well, Mateus isn¡¯t an expert in this, so it can¡¯t be helped I guess.¡±


    I went to get the cleaning tools from the closet in the corner and proceeded to gather dust. I roughly finished the cleaning, gathering all the dust I could see, and threw it into the garbage can.


    Being from the orphanage, I was used to doing these things. It was the same as how Cloud used to tidy up his own room better than Michelle or Letina.


    ¡°Wait, why is a guest cleaning the room?¡± ¡°Hm? I just went with the flow.¡±


    I used toe here more often than Cortina. You could even say this was my second home. Actually, no, my second home was Cortina¡¯s home, so this would be the third, huh?


    Mateus returned together with Maxwell while holding a tea tray in his hands.


    ¡°Have your night visits not increased in frequency as ofte? I cannot say I canmend a child wasting her sleeping hours.¡± ¡°Toote to say that. I¡¯m your direct disciple, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to even stay here.¡±


    Since Mateus was around I was a little conscious of my choice of words. Well, he already knew how I usually talked, so it was more of a feeling thing.


    My business today wasn¡¯t so important, so I didn¡¯t ask him to leave us alone.


    ¡°What is your business today?¡± ¡°Right, Maxwell. Take me to the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle.¡± ¡°What? What for?¡±


    It was rted to my sibling that would be born soon. It was around two months before Maria realized she was pregnant. After that, six more months have passed. So she would give birth in about two months, so I wanted to prepare a present. For that, I wanted to visit Aste who lived in Alecmarle.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of a present to give my soon-to-be-born brother or sister.¡± ¡°Why are you not that considerate towards Cortina and Finia?¡± ¡°Thest time when I congratted her 40th birthday, she got actually angry instead.¡± ¡°Well of course she would.¡±


    Cortina was 19 when we subjugated the Evil Dragon. She was the youngest among us, being famed as a genius since she turned 15.


    Still, that was an old story. It has already been 21 years since my death, so going and congratting on her 40th birthday really angered her.


    She was still young for her race, but I was still met with unreasonableness.


    ¡°And, what do you n to ask from Sir Aste?¡± ¡°Well I don¡¯t even know the gender yet, so I was thinking of just ordering some clothes.¡± ¡°I do not understand, why do you have to ask that person for something like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning to have him put a Protection spell on it so the baby wouldn¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°Are you an idiot!? If Sir Aste bestows it himself, it would turn into an item with incredible defensive ability!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that great then!¡±


    If it¡¯s Aste, I¡¯m sure he can make baby clothes that can withstand an attack of a knight. I didn¡¯t mind providing the Evil Dragon materials too if needed. It would be worth every penny if they could be protected from unlikely events.


    ¡°Right, if we use the wing membrane, it could defend from swords and spears, and even resist magic.¡± ¡°Regain your sanity. I have never heard of baby clothes as nonsensical as this.¡± ¡°You fool, the world is filled with dangers! I wasn¡¯t even doing anything but couldn¡¯t take a breather.¡± ¡°Do not judge everyone with your own standards!¡±


    Maxwell rejected my opinion while Mateus observed us with an amazed expression. He was looking at me in surprise, perhaps due to my rough tone.


    ¡°Yournguage turns quite rough when you get emotional eh?¡± ¡°This is my true self.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not quite praiseworthy for ady?¡± ¡°I have no ns of being one so no problems there.¡±


    I brought up the topic of materials but didn¡¯t specifically mention that they were Evil Dragon materials, so I should be safe. As for my speech, I did it back when we first fought too, so it wasn¡¯t too strange.


    ¡°So, is this Aste person the one who made your weapons?¡± ¡°Yeah, an exclusive one.¡±


    I was currently the only Adventurer contracted with him. As such, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he was my exclusive cksmith.


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯d like him to forge me a de too?¡± ¡°His swords are quite pricey. Do you even have funds to spare?¡± ¡°I do have quite a bit of savings from my active days, but¡­¡± ¡°Also, he¡¯s unsociable so I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯ll actually ept it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ So it would be impossible if I randomly approached him.¡±


    When it came to talented cksmiths and bestowers, they often refused to ept the jobs unless you had some connections. In the case of Aste, his ability was exceedingly high, so he was especially selective of his clients.


    ¡°Well, even if baby clothes are out of the question, something like a talisman should be fine. And well, even I can make that. Setting that aside, we haven¡¯t been there in some time, so it would be nice to show our faces.¡±


    Maxwell suggested while rubbing his long beard.


    Following that, a cheerful voice, overshadowing him, resounded in the room.

 Chapter 254: Sisterly Present

    <h4>Chapter 254: Sisterly Present</h4>


    It sounded lively, but at the same time, it felt like it wasing from the depths, making it uncertain whether it was good or bad. Their presence didn¡¯t get caught by either Maxwell¡¯s detection magic or my own presence detection, yet they managed to approach close enough to talk. Someone who could manage that¡­ There was only one.


    ¡°Oracle, you fancy an Oracle¡­?¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s living room faced the garden, and had a ss sliding door on that side. It also had a veranda from where you could overlook the garden as you rxed. Someone was currently half-peeking their small white head from that veranda.


    ¡°Goddess, what the heck are you doing?¡± ¡°Geh, you aren¡¯t surprised? I was nning to take you by surprise.¡±


    She waved her hand with those words. With just that one motion, Mateus turned into stone.


    She probably used a spell called Stone Curse. It should¡¯ve been quite a high-ranked Earth magic. She did that in an instant¡­ Though I suppose it was pointless to be surprised about it at this point.


    Looking at the silent statue of Mateus, the two of us broke into a cold sweat as we received the God of Destruction. Rather, we were busy being astonished at how mercilessly she turned him into stone.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so considerate. Just show up normally for once, normally.¡± ¡°But where is the fun in that? Leaving that aside, I am here to bring you an oracle.¡±


    She ignored my opinion and brought up her own topic. She looked like a harmless and charming person from the side, but she was a slightly suspicious character that was on the verge of being recognized as an Evil God. I didn¡¯t want anyone to see her.


    Given that I wanted to avoid attention, I wanted her to get over her business fast and go away.


    ¡°A great Goddess is about to speak so listen carefully.¡± ¡°You totally ruined that impression with that entrance.¡± ¡°Indeed, even I would much rather you showed yourself normally.¡± ¡°Oh, are you bad with startling pranks, old man?¡± ¡°It startled me so much I thought I would die.¡± ¡°Now that sounds serious. I should prepare Resurrection just in case.¡± ¡°So I cannot even die easily¡­¡±


    Maxwell sighed depressingly as the God of Destruction dered with a puffed chest. The World Tree Religion banned the use of the resurrection magic, but that apparently didn¡¯t concern the goddess.


    Even if it ended up scaring him to death, she could easily bring him back to life, so she could prank to her heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°Now then, since I got your agreement about Resurrection, let¡¯s go with that next time. Now as I was saying¡­¡± ¡°Wait, what is that about an agreement?¡± ¡°As I was saying! It would result in something crazy if you go and visit that person now, you know? Ever since he got his hands on the Evil Dragon¡¯s materials, his urge to create things has been itching hard.¡± ¡°Aste huh¡­ I totally can see that happening.¡±


    No way that workaholic can remain calm with all those rare materials before his eyes. Still, I was a little curious why the goddess¡¯ expression changed when she heard Aste¡¯s name.


    ¡°If you approach him to make something for you now, he might make Mythril baby clothes fortified with the Evil Dragon¡¯s membrane. Or a talisman that could withstand a Fire Giant¡¯s punch without a scratch. Or a stroller that wouldn¡¯t get dented even if it was stepped on by a Behemoth.¡± ¡°That would already be on the level of a Divine Treasure, would it not? Even if it is Sir Aste, That would be too much¡­¡± ¡°Actually, he already has past records of doing exactly that, so it would most certainly happen.¡± ¡°He already has!?¡±


    Maxwell objected while breaking into a cold sweat, but the God of Destruction provided a counter argument while raising her index finger.


    Wait, so that means he had obtained materials that could rival the Evil Dragon¡¯s before, and made baby clothes with it? At any rate, something that risky is surely¡­ surely¡­


    ¡°Well, yea, the safety of your familyes first.¡± ¡°We have a crazy person here too!?¡±


    Seeing me decide to make Divine equipment for my new family member, the Goddess of Destruction held her head in pain.


    But wait, making just one set might have a measurement error.


    Also, newborns had an exceedingly high mortality rate. If I can lower that risk even slightly, I don¡¯t regret using Evil Dragon materials at all.


    ¡°Hold it, hold it, Reid! That would be far too reckless.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Maxwell was the one to put the brakes on my pondering. Given how much he thinks of his allies, I thought he would agree with me on this, but it looks like he had a different opinion.


    ¡°What. Is there a problem somewhere?¡± ¡°It is full of problems! In the first ce, Evil Dragon materials are unique in this world. Only we, the Six Heroes that subjugated it, possess them. The moment you bring out the baby clothes made from those materials would be the moment your identity gets busted.¡± ¡°Then can¡¯t we just say it is from you?¡± ¡°True, if I give it as my share, we might deceive them, but that would be a present from me, not you.¡± ¡°Ah!?¡±


    This was a present from me to my new family member. It would be unwee if the old man ended up taking credit for my feelings.


    On the off chance that the same kept happening, it would look like Maxwell was the one spoiling them with presents while I, the sister, did nothing. I wanted to avoid that at all costs. I had to prevent it.


    ¡°That¡¯s no good. I want to avoid anything that¡¯d diminish my existence. My goal is to be a big sister that is looked up to.¡± ¡°Oh, you wanna be a ¡°big sister¡± eh?¡± ¡°Ghh¡­ The way I am, I can¡¯t be a ¡°big brother¡± so it can¡¯t be helped. Besides, if I tried that, it¡¯d get my identity busted.¡±


    To be a big brother, I had to first learn Polymorph. If I showed up with Reid¡¯s appearance and told them to call me a big brother, Maria and others would start to suspect something. Rather, they would definitely catch on to it.


    ¡°Hmm, what to do¡­¡± ¡°And that¡¯s where my oraclees into y. First, if you wish to keep them healthy post birth, you would need the charm to protect them against illnesses.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But I don¡¯t know what materials it would need.¡± ¡°Well, the easiest and fastest approach would be to use the Carbuncle¡¯s dragon orb¡­¡± ¡°Rejected!¡±


    Kabby was already a member of my family. I couldn¡¯t go pulling out the jewel on its forehead. Besides, I won¡¯t know whether it is a boy or a girl, but just imagining how they would y with Kabby¡­


    The baby swinging its tiny arms around and running with tottering steps. And Kabby worrying about them but also maintaining enough distance to not get caught. Then finally, the baby crying itself to sleep while holding Kabby to their chest. And I would be there to witness it all.


    ¡°Oh s?h?i?t?, this is incredible. This is too much.¡±


    I started squirming around while holding my nose. It really felt like I¡¯d get a nosebleed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you just imagined, but your answer is within my expectations. Let¡¯s go and obtain a recement material then.¡±


    The God of Destruction shed me a charming smile.

 Chapter 255: Training Camp

    <h4>Chapter 255: Training Camp</h4>


    The God of Destruction raised a finger and made a suggestion. The way she was looking at me aftering inside and standing before me with a cocked head made her look like a teacher addressing the pupil.


    ¡°Recement materials?¡± ¡°To start with, there is a problem with giving a Divine-ss item physically. Let¡¯s butter them up with a familiar everyday article. You already have the nourishment-rich nectar of a Queen Blossom, right?¡± ¡°I can prepare that. However, that was supposed to be my gift for them.¡± ¡°Just so you know, Queen Blossom¡¯s nectar is dangerous for an infant, so you should give it to the mother instead. It would improve their recovery after childbirth.¡± ¡°Why is it dangerous to an infant?¡± ¡°The nectar enhances the power of output. If a baby were to receive it, it could lead to them wasting their magic power away. As such, it could lead to them being constantly in the magically dried-up, or simply put, fatigued state.¡± ¡°Now that you mentioned it, we did use it for Nicole¡¯s recovery.¡±


    It was the ingredient to resolve myck of magic output. It was also the Treant nourishment containing high magic power. And that was apparently bad for an infant.


    It was a rare ingredient, so no one had tried giving it to a baby. Maxwell was about to do it while unaware of that fact, though. That was a close call.


    ¡°As such, I have thought of a different gift. As you know, a baby¡¯s skin is very delicate. Caring for it requires a lot of effort too.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand the part about the nectar. But don¡¯t call it buttering up. Call it expressing love towards my family.¡± ¡°Reid, do you not think you resemble Lyell somehow?¡± ¡°Stop it.¡±


    As I ignored Maxwell¡¯s retort, God of Destruction started walking back and forth while starting her lecture. What she was saying was on point¡­ But I had one question.


    ¡°Hmm? Wait. I don¡¯t remember anyone ever caring about me that way?¡± ¡°In your case, you had other problems to care for so no one had time to care for your skin.¡±


    Now that she mentioned it, I was on a hunger strike back then, so I guess she is right. Maria, Lyell, and even Finia were panicking so much that I felt bad for them.


    ¡°I feel really bad about that¡­¡±


    I instinctively faced Cortina¡¯s house where my family was sleeping and apologized. It was my own fixation, but I was conscious of the fact that it caused them a lot of worries.


    ¡°Besides, you have strongly inherited my blood. I have a lot of abilities rted to charming others, so you should have inherited them too. That¡¯s why your hair is so silky and your skin so smooth and squishy, dammit!¡± ¡°Why are you so frustrated about that?¡± ¡°Ah, no, I was just speaking as a proxy for everyone who would be vexed to see you maintain your beauty without any effort.¡± ¡°What the heck!¡±


    I mean, I could clearly imagine someone like Cortina vexed about it.


    ¡°At any rate, the next child will not inherit my blood as much as you did. So you have to make sure to care about their skin. Ah, incidentally, it would be a girl.¡± ¡°Why the heck did you have to spoil that you moron!?¡±


    Aaah¡­ My feelings of excitement about their gender from earlier are totally gone now.


    I see, so it¡¯s going to be a girl, huh? I would¡¯ve been able to have fun with them if it was a boy. Then again, I guess I can with a girl too?


    ¡°Wait¡­ If I lose to my little sister in girliness, that would be a huge crisis for me as a big sister, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You do not have to worry about that. You even managed to make Elliot fall.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. That¡¯s a stain in my life.¡± ¡°What life, you have barely lived a decade and some.¡± ¡°Add my previous life to that too!¡±


    Maxwell was about to start quarreling back, but the God of Destruction pped her hands to get us back on track, stopping him.


    If that continued, we would surely go on with our meaningless quarrel until the morning. This old man had enough skill with his words to drag it on so meaninglessly.


    ¡°Alright, leave it at that. So with that in mind, I think clean hygiene would be the best measure for keeping illnesses away. How about you give her something like shampoo and soap which doesn¡¯t frustrate the skin?¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.¡±


    Since it was a girl, caring for her skin and hair would be very important. Besides, even Maria, Finia and I could use them too when needed.


    However, this gramps aside, even I didn¡¯t know where to get ingredients for that.


    ¡°That¡¯s good and all, but where can I get the ingredients for it?¡± ¡°Why of course¡ªthe sea!¡± ¡°Seaaa!?¡±


    This Raum, as the name Forest Kingdom suggested, was a kingdom surrounded by forest. Of course, the forest didn¡¯t stretch to infinity, as there was even a port city at the western edge of it.


    But getting to that ce would take a lot of time. It wasn¡¯t a ce you could easily get to.


    ¡°It would be quite hard to get there timewise.¡± ¡°No, Reid. Think carefully. You have a long vacationing up, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, I guess there¡¯s only a month left, huh. But I¡¯m not sure it would be long enough to make round trips to the western port.¡± ¡°Oh, I own an islet in the western town. We can open a training camp there. For you and the rest.¡± ¡°Me and the rest?¡± ¡°I mean you, Michelle, Letina. Also Cloud and Finia.¡± ¡°I get the four of us, but Finia too?¡±


    Finia was training in the sword, but she was not that all-out about it. It¡¯s been just over six months since she started training with Lyell. I wasn¡¯t very confident about throwing her into practicalbat just yet.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be hard for her to keep up with us in the training camp? I had such apprehensions, but Maxwell seemed to disagree.


    ¡°She is also trying her best. She is receiving training the same as Cloud, so she should be able to keep up with you at least. Besides, with us alone¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who would take care of our meals?¡± ¡°R-Right¡­¡±


    I have memories from my previous life so I could cook to an extent¡­ But putting it frankly, I was very crude at it. And I could easily guess the cooking ability of this old man.


    If we leave it to Letina, it would only lead to charcoal. Michelle should be able to roast meat at least, but anything else should be beyond her. She should give it a break with her carnivorous nature already.


    As for Cloud¡­ s, he was being ostracised even when they were preparing meals at his home, so he shouldn¡¯t be able to cook properly.


    ¡°Oh, a training camp sounds nice. I¡¯d like to join too¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    Michelle was looking up to her, but introducing an almost Evil God to them was better to be avoided. My rejection made her look pitiably sad. Seeing her expression made me feel bad to dismiss her just like that, so I quickly followed up on my words.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m grateful for your cooperation, but you shouldn¡¯t show up before people, right?¡± ¡°Well, that is true.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take care of gathering the materials, so you just support us with information.¡± ¡°Ugh, I suppose I have topromise on that.¡±


    With those words, her expression changed and she quickly recovered. Wait, was she faking it?


    Afterward, she requested a paper from Maxwell and listed down all the necessary materials. As expected of a Goddess, her handwriting was so pretty it left me in awe.


    In addition, the Goddess of Destruction took responsibility and healed the petrified Mateus who had been left forgotten¡­ Until the next day.


    Author¡¯s note: actual honey is also poisonous to infants. But this seems to be due to the Clostridium botulinum that it contains, so the ones without that bacteria shouldn¡¯t be poisonous. This has been pointed out to me on Kakuyomu, so I made this reasoning up. I mean, I guess it¡¯s better to be ready just in case.

 Chapter 256: Group Assignment

    <h4>Chapter 256: Group Assignment</h4>


    ording to the advice of the God of Destruction, we decided to head to the western port town for the training camp. The participants consisted of me, Michelle, Letina, Cloud, and Fina, led by Maxwell. Six of us in total.


    Cortina seemed to want toe along too, but with Maria nearing childbirth, there was a need for a female helper, so she remained behind.


    The three weeks before the long vacations we spent preparing for the camp, and soon that time had arrived. But just as the winter vacation was on our doorsteps, Cortina made us work on our homework.


    Her condition for us to go to the training camp was to finish our homework beforehand.


    She had a point, but it was honestly a pain in the a?s?s?. The homework itself wasn¡¯t hard, but the amount was. We were told to finish half a month¡¯s worth of homework in three days, so it was very tough.


    Letina and I did our homework at a great pain. Michelle was from the Adventurer Academy, which put emphasis on the practical side, so there wasn¡¯t much homework for her, and she finished it quickly.


    As for Cloud who didn¡¯t go to school, he was having a fun chat with Finia.


    ¡°You little! Take this!¡± ¡°Ow! Why are you kicking me!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t forgive you for ditching us while we suffer and enjoying tea with Finia.¡± ¡°How unreasonable can you be!? Save me, Lady Cortina!¡±


    Cloud started protesting in tears as I kicked him under the table. Cortina responded to him with a warm slime.


    ¡°Cloud. If youy your hands on Finia, I¡¯ll ¡®pluck¡¯ it.¡± ¡°What exactly!?¡± ¡°What are you trying to make a maiden like me say? Also, I¡¯ll ¡®pluck¡¯ if you touch Nicole and Letina too.¡± ¡°A maiden? At your ag-¡­ No, nevermind. Wait, Michelle is fine?¡±


    Cloud was about to slip up, but he seemed to have sensed the danger to his life and quickly changed the topic. Hearing that, Cortina looked a little unsure how to answer.


    ¡°Well, Michelle isn¡¯t as problematic social position-wise¡­ Still, if you¡¯re ready to face Nicole¡¯s wrath, give it a try I guess?¡± ¡°No thanks!¡±


    As she said, putting his hands on either me, who was the daughter of the heroes, or Letina, who was the daughter of a marquis, would most certainly get him involved in trouble. Finia was also Lyell and Maria¡¯s servant, so touching her could incur their wrath.


    In that respect, while Michelle was under Lyell¡¯s patronage, she was still just a huntsman¡¯s daughter. She was the safest bet in that regard.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m here to prevent that.¡± ¡°Stop bragging and do your homework.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get so cheeky!¡± ¡°Okay, leave it at that. Still, Cloud has a point. You haven¡¯t progressed at all, Nicole.¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m trying.¡±


    This training camp was all for the sake of the gift to give to my soon-to-be-born sister. If I thought about it like that, this much homework was no big deal. Compared to the fights against Mateus and Gideon, this much was¡­ was¡­


    ¡°¡­A huge pain.¡± ¡°Nicole, you were weak to these repetitive practices?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m actually good at them, but I¡¯m more suited for the active stuff.¡±


    When it came to sword training or thread maniption, that is, things focused on physical activity, I didn¡¯t mind even if it was repetitive. However, when it came to single-mindedly decoding magic circle techniques and calcting magic quantities to guess the result, they were far too disconnected from my nature.


    Actually, what if I use my threads to do several questions at once¡­!


    ¡°Not happening I guess, my mind would fall behind.¡± ¡°Really? Aren¡¯t you always getting good marks?¡± ¡°Well, I am Maxwell¡¯s student. And my sister is going to be born soon, so I have to get my act together.¡± ¡°It might be a brother, you know?¡± ¡°Agh, well¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how the God of Destruction guessed the child¡¯s gender, but Cortina and others had no way of knowing about that. Thus, I decided to just pretend it was my hope.


    ¡°I was just thinking a sister would be nice.¡± ¡°Oh? A brother would be very lively and cute too.¡± ¡°Cloud is enough for the lively role.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re treating Cloud as a little brother, huh. Well, he¡¯s got Lyell blocking the way, so his chances are slim anyway.¡± ¡°Cloud¡¯s been interested in Michelle as ofte, so you should focus on that.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I guess he¡¯s worth teasing then.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t talk about scary things while I¡¯m next to you¡­¡±


    Cloud, being unable to read the mood, cut into our conversation. That¡¯s why you¡¯re not popr. Take an example from my past life. I was so good at reading the mood that I never intruded in people¡¯s conversations.


    No, well, that made people misunderstand it as a ¡®do not approach aura¡¯.


    ¡°Right, how about you take this opportunity and try learning some magic, Cloud?¡± ¡°Huh, me!?¡± ¡°Half-demons have high physical skills, but there are also many with good magical affinities. There are some rare exceptions, however. If you receive proper training, you should be able to use magic too.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have money to attend the academy.¡±


    The rare example that Cortina spoke of referred to the past me. I had low physical and magical abilities, but it was made up by the exceedingly high agility and dexterity, so I was a pretty unbnced existence.


    Cloud was saving money to be an independent Adventurer. That said, he didn¡¯t have enough of it to attend the academy. In the first ce, hunting small animals around the capital¡¯s vicinity didn¡¯t get a lot of money.


    Of course,pared to kids our age, it was in another league, but the academy¡¯s tuition fee was quite high. Cloud still seemed to have ways to go until then.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to attend the academy to learn magic. Like, you¡¯re already studying under Lyell and Gadius, so why not just add Maxwell to the count?¡± ¡°Lord Maxwell?¡± ¡°Rejected!¡±


    I instantly objected to Cortina¡¯s suggestion. Maxwell was currently in charge of my magic training too. If Cloud got involved in that, he could hear things that he was not supposed to hear.


    He didn¡¯t even know basic spells, so Cortina should¡¯ve been enough to teach him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you teach him yourself, Cortina? He doesn¡¯t even know elementary magic yet, so Maxwell would be wasted on him, won¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Mh¡­ You have a point.¡± ¡°But under my supervision.¡± ¡°Huh, why?¡± ¡°Just because!¡±


    Even if it was Cloud, he wasn¡¯t allowed to stay alone with Cortina. I insisted on that while looking sulky.

 Chapter 257: Departing Towards the Training Camp

    <h4>Chapter 257: Departing Towards the Training Camp</h4>


    Three days passed in a simr manner.


    Letina and I safely finished our holiday homework and the day to depart to the camp had arrived.


    The pregnant Maria could not follow us, so she ended up staying with Cortina. The reason she didn¡¯t stay in the vige of the United Nations was that it was a remote region and didn¡¯t have a good doctor around.


    Maria, who was the healer there, having to give birth required the presence of another healer just in case anything happened. However, due to Maria¡¯s presence, no other able medics showed up there.


    As such, she wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with it if the unlikely event happened, thus she decided to give birth in Raum which was full of talented people.


    She was worried about the vige, but Maxwell sent Lyell over every day to check the situation and there seemed to be no problems¡­ So far.


    Michelle and I took the asion and visited the vige too. Michelle was quite homesick, so it was a good opportunity for her.


    When the viges saw us after so long, they surrounded us from a distance and observed us without looking away. I was a little bewildered at their attitude of looking at us like outsiders. ording to Michelle, that was ¡°definitely¡± not the case, but she didn¡¯t tell me what I was getting wrong.


    At any rate, as the next day arrived, there was someone bawling his eyes out seeing me going away when he finally got the chance to live with me.


    ¡°Nicooooole, are you leaving your daddy agaaain!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a training camp, I¡¯ll be back in a few days, you know?¡± ¡°How cruel of you to leave your pregnant mother who¡¯s about to give birth behind like that!¡± ¡°You¡¯re here for her, aren¡¯t you! Cortina is here too, and Gadius is at the mansion as well.¡± ¡°This lump of beard is useless during childbirth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite cruel towards me, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Well, I guess he is useless¡­ But I¡¯m not much different even if I stay behind.¡± ¡°You can be there to heal my heart!¡± ¡°Nicole, you were quite cruel to me as well.¡± ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll have one more child soon, so just endure it until then.¡±


    I stood in a daunting pose and coldly dismissed Lyell who was saying pathetic things. Gadius behind him grumbled in protest, but I decided to ignore him.


    At any rate, when my sister would be born, Lyell would have no time to pay attention to me. Besides, rather than heal Lyell¡¯s heart, preparing a gift for my sister was much, much more important.


    ¡°That aside, the sea is dangerous so be very careful. The currents there are on another levelpared to the river pool.¡±


    As I was dealing with Lyell, Maria addressed me with a piece of practical advice while rubbing her belly that was in its final month. Behind her stood Cortina with a worried expression.


    ¡°My apologies, Lady Maria. To be leaving the house during such a crucial moment.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Finia. It¡¯s nothing much if you think of it as a recement for your vacation.¡± ¡°No, well, it is a training camp.¡± ¡°Girls using swords to train¡­ I guess you have weird hobbies like Nicole, eh?¡± ¡°No, it is not exactly my hobby.¡±


    Finia was feeling apologetic for leaving the house at such an important time due to Maxwell¡¯s insistence. However, we really needed Finia with us this time. Maxwell¡¯s ¡°wisdom of age¡± waspletely useless when it came to cooking.


    The other three didn¡¯t seem reliable, so Finia¡¯s life skills were essential for us.


    ¡°Well, we are in need of a person who can cook.¡± ¡°Maxwell, don¡¯t make her overwork herself, you hear? And properly heal her injuries before bed.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Due to that, my hands are still soft¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that great? Maxwell, you get it, right? If you leave a single injury on Nicole or Finia, I¡¯m not forgiving you.¡± ¡°You are too persistent, Cortina.¡±


    Maxwell was feeling unusually fed up against the joint nagging of Maria and Cortina. As expected, the women of our party were overwhelmingly strong. Perhaps that was the reason why we had such a great bnce.


    ¡°It seems that I would be useless here, so I cane along if you want?¡± ¡°Gadius, you stay here. Lyell seems unreliable when it matters the most.¡± ¡°It is already the second childbirth of his wife yet he remains unreliable.¡± ¡°As Nicole came first, it is natural for him to worry whether the second child would be as frail as her.¡± ¡°I feel bad for causing you to worry.¡±


    The stray arrows from Maxwell and Gadius¡¯ conversation were hitting me. Still, it was true that I worried my parents a lot, so I had no words to say.


    ¡°Well then, time to get going. Is everyone ready? Well, even if you are not, we can alwayse back.¡± ¡°As expected of Lord Maxwell.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a training camp to me¡­¡± ¡°So amazing!¡±


    Letina and Michelle were looking at him in awe. Cloud on the other hand instead had an exasperated expression. And sorry to say, I agreed with Cloud on this.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a training camp if we cane back so easily. Let¡¯s just make a rule that if we return back even once, it would mean we failed.¡± ¡°Are you no too hard on yourself, Nicole?¡± ¡°As a Dwarf, I agree to her judgment.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you just give up on going there in the first ce.¡± ¡°And you need to learn to give it a rest already.¡±


    The goal this time was the western port city Citri. More precisely, Maxwell¡¯s personal uninhabited islet that was offshore there. It had a cottage to serve as an amodation facility, but it didn¡¯t have fancy stores you¡¯d find downtown.


    It would probably be a half-survival situation there. If we returned to Raum due to some inconveniences, that wouldn¡¯t amount to any training.


    It was a good ce for us, who were used to having handy magic at our disposal, to focus our minds. I could also get the materials for my present, so it was like killing two birds with one stone.


    And thus, we departed on our trip to the port city Citri with Maxwell¡¯s magic.

 Chapter 258: Citri Outskirts

    <h4>Chapter 258: Citri Outskirts</h4>


    Maxwell¡¯s Portal Gate brought us straight to the outskirts of Citri. This time, it wasn¡¯t the city itself, but Maxwell¡¯s private offshore islet that was our goal.


    Normally, we¡¯d have gone to Citri to get some supplies before departing there, but we came right from the capital so there was no need for that.


    ¡°We are near Citri now. It is over there¡­ And the islet over there is our destination.¡±


    Maxwell was acting as a tour guide from afar. It was my first time visiting this ce, so it was quite interesting.


    ¡°Is that the sea? The air feels strangely salty and fishy.¡± ¡°That is the smell of the tides. It must be an unfamiliar smell for little Letina who lives in Raum.¡± ¡°I see. However, despite being quite strong, it does not feel unpleasant.¡±


    There was a port city in Alecmarle, so I have seen the sea before. For Letina who was constantly ind, this was the first sea. She must have been very impressed.


    ¡°There should be a lot of fish! Are there any tasty ones?¡± ¡°Ho-hoh, of course! They have a different tastepared to the river fish, I rmend it. Still, we have to head to our camp location first.¡± ¡°Michelle, training camp requires you to catch fish yourself, you know?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right!¡±


    Michelle remained unperturbed and quickly mobilized her appetite. Still, we had to go to the mountain during the second half of our training camp, so fish alone wasn¡¯t our goal.


    And Cloud who stayed silent¡­ No, actually, not just Cloud. Finia and Cloud were¡­ Currently dealing with teleportation sickness.


    ¡°Bleeeeh, my eyes are going around and I feel sick¡­¡± ¡°L-Lady Nicole, the ground is shaking. Is there an earthquake?¡± ¡°Finia, it¡¯s you who¡¯s shaking, you know?¡± ¡°Hahaha, what are you saying? I am standing still.¡±


    Finia was trying to stand in the attention pose, but she was swaying around like a spinning top that was about to stop.


    The brain could not catch up to the sudden switch of location and the shift in the vision, and semicircr canals were going haywire. It was no big deal once you got used to it, andposed individuals weren¡¯t even influenced by it, but this was the first time for these two so it ended up being a bit too much.


    ¡°Maxwell, these two need rest so let¡¯s take a break for a bit.¡± ¡°It seems to be the case. However, we came here just so you could see the Citrindscape, so let us make another leap before we rest, shall we?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s your private ind so you should¡¯ve been able to take us directly there.¡± ¡°Indeed. I thought it would be boring to take you straight to the camp location, would you not agree? As such, I decided to take you here to make it feel like an excursion¡­ However, it seems that it had an opposite effect.¡± ¡°I see. So you were being considerate in your own way.¡±


    As he said, getting us right to the camp where we would spend the entire time training, and then taking us straight back would leave no ce for a change of mood.


    It was hard to tell if there would be another chance for Finia, who was always at the Capital, or Letina, who was a marquis¡¯ daughter, to visit this city again. Thus, Maxwell decided to stop somewhere with good scenery to make it feel like an excursion.


    Still, was it my imagination that Maxwell was being awfully considerate to Letina for some reason¡­?


    ¡°Oh well. Finia, Cloud. Can you handle another leap?¡± ¡°Of course. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. I¡¯ll manage¡­¡±


    Finia puffed her chest while wiggling around while Cloud gave an uneasy consent. Seeing that Maxwell decided it was no good.


    ¡°It seems like it would be too much now. Oh well, let us briefly rest as we sightsee. Looking at the scenery afar is good for healing motion sickness I hear.¡± ¡°My apologies¡­ We ended up slowing you down from the start.¡± ¡°This is the problem of the constitution, so it¡¯s nothing you can help it. And you aren¡¯t really slowing us down.¡±


    Iforted Finia who dropped her shoulders in dejection. We departed right away so it wasn¡¯t even noon yet. There was no problem in taking a short rest here.


    ¡°Here, drink some tea that mom gave us. Sit down over there.¡±


    I took out a sk with tea and offered it, which she obediently epted. Her actions made her look unsuitably lovely for her age. It felt like I gained a younger sister. I was always the one being looked after by her, so this felt quite new.


    Seeing me like that made her giggle.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, are you practicing your sisterly act on me? I think it¡¯s a little early for that.¡± ¡°No such thing. I¡¯m just keeping myselfposed as always.¡±


    I swelled my cheeks as if to cover my feelings. In the meantime, Cloud was being served tea by Michelle. Ever since the incident with Mateus, Michelle seemed to have been acting overprotective of him. Oh well, she looked cute trying to act like a big sister, so I decided to let it slide.

 Chapter 259: Early Winter Sea Bathing

    <h4>Chapter 259: Early Winter Sea Bathing</h4>


    ording to Maxwell, this isted ind was uninhabited, and while it had a cottage for amodation, the manager was only going there once a month to clean it so it was mostly unmanaged.


    That naturally meant that there were no food reserves there. There was apparently water well behind it so we shouldn¡¯t have any problems water-wise, but we really had to procure food by nightfall.


    There was a sandy beach nearby so we could go for a swim, but whether we¡¯d have time for that was another matter.


    ¡°And so, this is my vi. It has been periodically cleaned, but it is still mostly abandoned so we have a lot of work to do.¡± ¡°It looks a bit dusty, though?¡± ¡°It does seem to need cleaning.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare our beds then.¡± ¡°Food¡­ We don¡¯t have it, huh. Let¡¯s make do with the ingredients that we brought with us tonight.¡±


    After we were guided to the cottage located a little away from the beach, we all started to move separately the moment we went inside.


    Michelle and Ledina went on to get rid of the dust that had umted for almost a month.


    Cloud went to air the beddings and expose them to sunlight to prepare for the night, while Finia started making preliminary arrangements with the ingredients that we bought along.


    We had lunchboxes prepared for the day so it wasn¡¯t a problem, but other than that we only had preserved food. They would take extra effort to use in normal cooking.


    Seeing the girl trio head to the well to get water while Cloud proceeded to carry out the beddings from every room, Maxwell let out a groan in admiration.


    ¡°They move very well. You seem to have educated them well, Reid.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t alone here, so call me Nicole. And they had a good disposition since the start, so you can expect great things in the future.¡± ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Hm¡­?¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, only Maxwell and I were standing and doing nothing. Though that was because I had something else to do.


    First I sat on the empty chair and took out a memo from my shoulder bag. As I leaned down to read it, the shoulder strap emphasized my chest a little. My chest was growing favorably despite my wishes. Still, setting that aside.


    ¡°Based on the God of Destruction¡¯s Advice, we need two materials. For the shampoo ingredient, we need the mucus of a creature called floating wakame or something it seems?¡± ¡°I know about that. It is a seaweed-type monster that floats on the sea levels when nightes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster!?¡± ¡°They stick to the bottom of the ships traveling at night, dissolving the wood to eat it and drill holes into the bilge.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a nuisance¡­¡±


    Apparently, they used the mucus covering their bodies to dissolve the wood. If we remove the mucus down to the epidermis, dilute it and use it as a shampoo, it would be a detergent that was kind to the skin.


    The grains of the fine powder would hold the sliminess and would clean the skin down to the pores. Moreover, that slime would even act as a moisturizer and improve the hair condition.


    ¡°They make frequent appearances at night, but we might not find one at daytime.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s do cleaning and lodging preparations, then go collect them after we eat at night.¡± ¡°That sounds adequate.¡± ¡°Are we going to the sea tonight?¡±


    Michelle who was darting around seemed to have overheard our conversation. We haven¡¯t done any night activities at all. I was of course experienced with it, but Michelle and Letina were still kids so going out at night would worry their parents.


    Even Cloud would make the orphanage sisters worry, so he was refraining from it too aside from our special training sessions. In other words, this would be their first adventure into the world of the night.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The monsters we are looking for only appear at night it seems.¡± ¡°Ohh, a night adventure to the sea, huh? I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    Particrly to see Finia and Michelle in their swimsuits. We had to hunt monsters in the sea, so everyone has prepared their swimsuits.


    I¡¯ve seen Letina¡¯s swimsuit during our academy lessons, but since my schedules were different from Michelle and Finia never really left home, I¡¯ve rarely seen them in swimsuits.


    I have been blessed with a good opportunity now, so my hype was sky-high. Still, it was a little out of season to make full use of it.


    ¡°Let us finish the cleaning quickly, eat lunch, then do a short trip to the sea ande back to sleep until evening, then eat dinner and head back there.¡±


    After listening to me list today¡¯s schedule, Michelle pushed her hands up and answered cheerfully.


    ¡°Ah, so we¡¯ll be swimming after lunch!¡± ¡°We¡¯re just going to check the ce, okay? We¡¯ll stay there for two hours at most.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough time! Now you have a chance to show your new swimsuit.¡± ¡°To whom? Besides I only have the academy swimsuit with me.¡± ¡°I mean Cloud of course.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m into him, you know?¡±


    In the first ce, Michelle was the one who got along with Cloud the most. I was just training him and nothing else. However, it seems that she misunderstood our rtionship.


    ¡°There you go agaaain. If you don¡¯t be more honest, I¡¯ll go ahead and steal him, you know?¡± ¡°I mean, be my guest.¡± ¡°Grr, you¡¯re so stubborn.¡±


    Lately, she¡¯s been interested in love affairs, but I suppose this was what you called puberty. Seeing her stop her hands, Letina gave a sharp rebuke.


    ¡°Hey, we have to get this ce cleaned already or we are going to end up eating lunch in this dust.¡± ¡°Ugh, okaay.¡±


    Her expression turned grim after imagining it and then returned back to cleaning.


    ¡°¡­In the first ce, I¡¯d rather not swim in this season, you know?¡± ¡°Raum has a stable temperature, so swimming is not out of the question¡­ However, I reckon it would not feel that good.¡±


    It was already December, so the temperature started to fall. Being surrounded by forests, Raum was rtively stable with the temperatures, so while it felt chilly it wasn¡¯t exactly cold. So if you wanted to swim, there was nothing stopping you, really.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna give us goosebumps for sure, huh?¡± ¡°I do not want to head to that world just yet.¡± ¡°How are we nning to beat the monsters though?¡± ¡°I will just use magic to walk on water¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go with that then?¡±


    If we can walk on water, there would be no fear of drowning either, and the water¡¯s coldness would be no concern either. However, Maxwell remained frowning.


    ¡°The effect of this spell extends to everything the individual has on hand¡­ And that means that our weapons would also be unable to get inside the water.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Before we manage tond an attack on the Floating Wakame, our weapons would get repelled by water.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no good!¡± ¡°That is the case, so let us use a spell to help hold the breath underwater. I will teach you so try your best to remember.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll be using it, huh? And we have to swim, after all, huh¡­¡±


    Before that, I had to check whether we could swim there. Michelle, Letina, and naturally, Cloud, could all swim, but whether they could in this water temperature was another question.


    Not to mention, this was their first sea. It was better to do a little test before jumping into the sea unprepared.

 Chapter 260: Swimsuits

    <h4>Chapter 260: Swimsuits</h4>


    Maxwell¡¯s vi wasn¡¯t too far away from the uninhabited ind¡¯s beach. Normally, the seashore was quite a dangerous ce, but the currents were calm and stable near Citri, so there were apparently rarely any problems.


    We finished the cleaning during the morning, ate the lunchboxes prepared by Finia, and then headed to check out the sea.


    At the end edge of the woond path to the beach¡­ One man stood in a daunting pose.


    ¡°Finally¡­ The spring of my life is here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s winter now. And get out of the way already.¡±


    Cloud with clenched fists dered in tears before receiving my kick to the back. Standing in the middle of a road in that pose was blocking our path.


    With that, he fell t on his face. And I kept mercilessly trampling down on his back. But make no mistake, this was not some unreasonable abuse. It was an absolutely essential measure to protect my friends from his indecent gaze.


    After all, the ce where he was staring towards was the shore where my friends were currently ying around.


    ¡°Kya, Michelle, the water is still cold, you know!¡± ¡°Come on, big sis Finia, you have to prepare before entering the water too or it would be dangerous.¡± ¡°Michelle, you¡¯re as lively as ever. Please consider the season.¡±


    The three beauties with abundant variations were being merry in their respective ways. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t understand why Cloud was yelling like that.


    The Forest Kingdom of Raum was covered in greenery, so the temperature changes weren¡¯t drastic. Citri outskirts, in particr, were quite resistant to the temperature drops due to the effects of the warm currentsing from the south.


    It seemed to be just under 20 degrees based on how it felt, so you could swim if you really wanted to. The current temperature could be summed up like that.


    Thus, we switched into swimsuits and came here to test whether we could do water activities or not. Michelle and Letina were of course not thinking about such tests, and just came fully intending to swim right away.


    Actually, Finia was the same. She waspletely hyped after seeing the sea for the first time.


    It was really a sight for sore eyes to see her wear a light green one-piece on her slim body and y water sshing with Michelle while looking umonly cheerful.


    Michelle, who didn¡¯t lose out to adult Finia in her body proportions, came with a newly bought sports bikini. I couldn¡¯t help butment that it was outrageous to have such a body at that age. Outrageous, truly outrageous. Hmm-hmm.


    Letina also came with a new swimsuit, and it was a child swimsuit with a cat ornament on it, which was¡­ Quite fitting to her less developed body. The frilly skirt around her waist further added to the childish image. I couldn¡¯t see her being the same age as Michelle.


    ¡°Well, I understand your feelings.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    I suddenly heard a questioning voice from under my foot, and erased my lewd gaze. Looking down, I saw Cloud gazing up at me with a strange expression. His rude gaze made me flinch back a bit.


    ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Master, did your breasts get a little bigger?¡± ¡°Die.¡± ¡°Gwaaaah!¡±


    I instinctively started twisting the leg that was pushing down on him, adding more force to it. He raised a voice like a frog run over by a carriage, struggling underfoot. The sensation from his back felt unusually rugged for someone his age.


    He was always hunting and piling up real experience, on top of getting frequent spars from the senior Adventurers at the Guild, so his muscles were shaping up pretty well unlike what his appearance suggested.


    His body resembled that of Lyell who was my goal, and his bodily build already held more prospectspared to mine from the previous life.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ You¡¯re expelled.¡± ¡°Eeeh, don¡¯t be unreasonable!?¡± ¡°He-he-he, there¡¯s no need for a student who¡¯s stronger than the teacher.¡± ¡°Even your reasons are just as unreasonable!¡± ¡°Can you leave it at that?¡±


    Someone addressed me as I was trampling down on him. It was Maxwell who had approached from behind. He was following behind me so he should have seen our entire exchange.


    ¡°Nicole, your earlier conduct resembled that of a maiden being jealous of her boyfriend looking at other girls, you know?¡± ¡°Gehh!¡±


    Having that pointed out made goosebumps stand on my body. Being told that when my body was already developing into a womanly direction was like attacking my identity. I rubbed my arm to calm down the goosebumps and removed my foot from Cloud.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s absurd. Cloud is nothing but trash. I¡¯m not interested in him at all.¡± ¡°What sort of tsundere line is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious!?¡± ¡°Being told that in my face is kinda shocking, you know¡­ That aside, Re-¡­ I mean, Nicole. Why are you the only one in school uniform?¡± ¡°Cuz it¡¯s a pain.¡±


    In the first ce, our goal wasn¡¯t to swim. Besides, there was no demand for a swimsuit given the season. There being no demand also meant it wasn¡¯t being sold in many ces. I don¡¯t know where those three managed to obtain theirs, but at the very least, I wasn¡¯t aware of a store in the capital that was currently selling swimsuits.


    Not to mention, the academy swimsuit wasn¡¯t to be looked down on.


    It was thick, sturdy, and good at retaining warmth. It was a perfect match for adventurers like this. Also, since it was made for growing students, it simply had a margin for growth.


    ¡°Nicole¡­ You are a mess.¡± ¡°Not you too!¡± ¡°I cannot sell this to Cortina.¡± ¡°Okay, let go of that photo tool right now.¡±


    Maxwell, who sneakily brought a photo tool with him, slumped his shoulders in grief. I rushed on to attack him after seeing his typical behavior.

 Chapter 261: Measures Against the Cold

    <h4>Chapter 261: Measures Against the Cold</h4>


    After I yed with my friends a bit at the waterside, we decided to properly verify things. First, we needed to judge whether the current water temperature would make long underwater activities possible.


    ¡°It¡­ Might be a bit tough, after all.¡±


    Michelle, wrapped in a towel, dered while trembling. It was natural that she¡¯d end up that way after ying water sshing in this season for an hour straight.


    ¡°Indeed. I don¡¯t have confidence in my stamina, so it would be difficult for me too.¡± ¡°The temperature would fall even lower at night, wouldn¡¯t it? I¡¯m of the same opinion that it would be difficult.¡±


    Finia and Letina agreed with Michelle in turns. In the end, this winter season became our biggest obstacle today.


    Incidentally, I only entered the water up to my waist so my stamina was mostly fine. In addition, Cloud had still note out of the water. There¡­ was a reason that made him unable toe out.


    I¡­ Understood what he meant. I was also a man before. Michelle having so much exposure and skinship was a fatal hit for any man.


    ¡°Moreover, It seems that water limits our movements quite a bit.¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t seem like I can use a bow here.¡± ¡°I managed to use the Breathing spell that Lord Maxwell taught us, but the waves shook my body more than expected, making it hard to aim.¡±


    If you used Breathing you could breathe underwater for an hour. Not just that, you could even talk, so that made using magic possible.


    The problem was the water resistance, as it made drawing magic circles slower and the waves made aiming difficult. In fact, when Letina tried it in practice, some of her spells missed by several meters.


    ¡°This is a big problem for me too. Bestowal can also miss, and I might end up buffing the enemy instead.¡± ¡°That would already be more than just a simple pinch.¡± ¡°The cold makes movement difficult so it¡¯s quite dangerous.¡± ¡°You just have to do your best, Cloud.¡± ¡°Why only me!¡± ¡°Shut up, if you have anything to say,e up here.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    Well, I could understand what he was feeling. Michelle was currently trembling and hugging her body. Yes, she was squeezing herself. And that was extruding certain parts. Certain fleshy parts. Moreover, she was wearing a swimsuit with big exposure.


    Even if his eyes were glued on her, I couldn¡¯t really me the guy. I fully understood it.


    ¡°At any rate, I shall do something about the cold. No, I will let Nicole do it.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Interference system has a spell called Warm, right? You should be able to use it about now.¡±


    This Warm spell was mainly used in cold or tropical regions, basically, ces where the climate made it hard to tread normally.


    By casting it on the equipment, it retained a fixed heat. Moreover, the duration was as long as your magic powersted, so it could be up to 6 hours.


    As it wasn¡¯t cast on the body but on the equipment itself, it required little magic power and could run for a long time. It was a spell devised to act the same as Light where its duration was essential.


    I heard it made it quite pleasant if you applied it to the sheets during the winter season. Because it was so convenient, it belonged to the middle-grade magic, so it was quite difficult to master.


    ¡°I see. But can I really use it?¡± ¡°Given your current ability, there is no doubt. Even if you were to fail, you can simply keep retrying until you seed.¡± ¡°In that case, we can deal with the cold one way or another.¡±


    Suddenly, someone picked up on Maxwell¡¯s words. It was Michelle, who was trembling after getting carried away and started bathing in this season.


    ¡°Nicole, do it now! Now¡¯s the time to test that magic!¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re just cold, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Taking in mind her honest affirmation, I decided to cast Warm on her. Rather than start trial and error at night, it was better to get it over with now.


    ¡°Crimson One, Gold Six, Jade three¡ªWarm.¡±


    I attempted to cast it towards Michelle. I used the least magic, with 6 hours of duration. She was three meters away. Maxwell had already taught me privately how to form the magic circle.


    I recalled and formed it, then let magic power pass through it and released it. Michelle was wrapped in the magic light that I discharged and her expression changed into a soothed one.


    ¡°Waah, so warm! My swimsuit is so warm, Nico-¡­H-Huh? H-H-Hot!?¡±


    But her expression onlysted for a moment. It seemed that I failed in adjusting the temperature and it ended up being too hot, making her start rolling about on the beach.


    ¡°Ahhh, I-I should dispel it! Uhhh, errr¡­¡± ¡°Dispel.¡±


    While I was in a panic, Maxwell quickly chanted the spell and dispelled it. Michelle remained lying t on the beach.


    ¡°Hm, there are no traces of burns, so there should be no problems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here! Michelle, are you okay!?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. I¡¯m d we tested it beforehand though¡­ It would¡¯ve made me tired before our adventure.¡± ¡°Right. We need advance preparations, after all¡­ Time to change the test subject, so Cloud, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Why me!¡±


    Facing Cloud who was half-submerged in the water, I released Warm. Naturally, such a hastily discharged spell was never expected to end up sessful.


    ¡°IT BUUUUUURNSSSSSSSSSSSSS!?¡±


    He screamed while holding his shabby pants underwater. He¡¯s been looking at us lewdly as ofte, so there was no problem even if his d?i?c?k? got scorched.

 Chapter 262: A New Magic?

    <h4>Chapter 262: A New Magic?</h4>


    After several experiments, I more or less grasped how to adjust the temperature. After that, it was finally Michelle¡¯s ¡ªthe main person in need¡ª time to receive the spell.


    I poured the carefully adjusted magic power into the spell, activating it. It wrapped her body and showed its effect immediately.


    ¡°Ooh, so warm. Nicole, this magic is the best!¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a sess. Thank god.¡± ¡°But since you were gonna cast it, maybe it was better to switch to a one-piece instead of a bikini?¡± ¡°True. Your belly would freeze in your current getup.¡±


    Finia voiced her opinion, which I was in agreement with. The swimsuit was the one being warmed up, so it wouldn¡¯t cover the parts where it didn¡¯t reach.


    Michelle who was exposing so much was receiving little benefit from it. Her firm belly looked especially cold.


    ¡°It¡¯s okaaay, it¡¯s okaaay. Health is my redeeming point. I¡¯m plenty warm as is.¡± ¡°I envy that toughness of yours.¡±


    She was like night and daypared to me who hadn¡¯t entered the water unlike the trio and yet was still clinging to the bonfire.


    With everything said, I managed to obtain this new magic with a small sacrifice, so I should consider it good fortune. Thinking so, I looked towards the sacrifice in question.


    There was Cloud, copsed and squirming like a bug while holding his crotch. I ended up burning his trunks over and over with Warm.


    ¡°Well then, it has started to grow colder so shall we return to the cottage? Hey, the young man who¡¯s holding his crotch and squirming indecently there. Time to get up.¡± ¡°And whose fault is it that I¡¯m in this state! Rather, those aren¡¯t words that shoulde from a girl¡¯s mouth!¡± ¡°Mgh, look at you acting so cheeky.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that about acting cheeky? This is something the orphanage sisters taught me.¡± ¡°Fine then. Let me reword it. Cloud, time to get up. You don¡¯t have to get any other part up.¡± ¡°Come ooon!?¡±


    I was a man previously, so I was fully aware of the way that part tended to behave. Michelle and Letina, who were unfamiliar with male physiology, didn¡¯t understand what I was saying. It was cute to see them looking at me so quizzically. I wish you two remain that innocent forever.


    As for Maxwell¡­ He was standing pigeon-toed away from me. Hey, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not gonna cast it on you.


    ¡°Still, isn¡¯t this quite a dangerous magic?¡±


    That was my impression based on the experiments so far. Since it could heat up the swimsuits, it would also be able to heat up the pants. If you cast this on your opponent in the middle of a battle, it should be possible to both create the openings and also damage them, shouldn¡¯t it?


    However, Maxwell denied my assumption with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Normally, it is not a spell that raises the temperature to that degree. Moreover, magic to heat up your weapon to damage the opponent already exists.¡± ¡°Huh, so this isn¡¯t really a new spell, huh?¡± ¡°Not entirely correct. That spell only works on the metal, so this could be said to be a new spell, in a way? There is also a way to cast Tinder on the enemy¡¯s clothes. But when ites to simply heating it up without burning it, this might be a new discovery.¡± ¡°So like¡­. I mean, do you mean to say that there weren¡¯t any people who failed like this before?¡± ¡°I believe it instead has to do with the amount of magic that you hold¡­¡±


    There were my friends nearby so I couldn¡¯t use my usual speech. I almost never talked to Maxwell with everyone present so it was a bit awkward. Still, I wanted to discuss the earlier spell right away. There were cases when you forgot the sensation after some time passed, after all.


    ¡°How are you faring with magic consumption?¡± ¡°Hmm? I used the weakest level of consumption, so it¡¯s not that much¡­ Then again, it felt like it took more than double of Enchant, I guess?¡± ¡°That much with just Crimson One? While it is true that its magic power setting is high due to being middle-grade magic, it still does not add up. Perhaps the extra magic power manifested as excess heat.¡± ¡°Well, our damages this time only amounted to Cloud¡¯s wicked crotch, so you can even say it went without problems.¡± ¡°No, it didn¡¯t!¡±


    Cloud hurledints my way while on the ground. Since he wasn¡¯t standing up, was the damage actually more than I thought? Deciding to check on his injury, I walked up to him and asked.


    ¡°Did you actually suffer a major injury? Come on, let me see it.¡± ¡°Like I can show it!¡± ¡°Please, I won¡¯t be embarrassed if you show me your shabby thing.¡± ¡°Well, you should be!¡±


    He was still 13 years old. He was just a child from my perspective. I was a grown man in my past life, and Lyell has taken me to the bath with him too. When I was an infant, that is.


    As such, his little pee-pee wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for me, but he seemed to be embarrassed in front of adults.


    ¡°I can¡¯t cast Cure Light if I don¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to! I¡¯ll ask Lord Maxwell to do itter.¡± ¡°You want to trouble Maxwell? Do you realize how much you are asking?¡± ¡°Huuh!? I mean¡­ Then, I¡¯ll just endure it!¡± ¡°You should just get your friend to heal you, you know?¡± ¡°Okay, leave it at that. You are turning into a sexual harasser girl.¡±


    Maxwell was unable to watch and sent a Heal his way. My Cure Light could only heal the sensation, so Maxwell¡¯s spell was overwhelmingly more effective.


    And it didn¡¯t seem to have been a serious injury, he quickly regained his usual condition and stood up. Good grief, worrying me for no reason.

 Chapter 263: Ambush at the Bottom of the Sea

    <h4>Chapter 263: Ambush at the Bottom of the Sea</h4>


    We returned to the cottage after that and had a rest until dinnertime. We were going to do activities at nighttime, so we needed to get some sleep lest we would risk falling asleep in the middle of it.


    For us kids who still had undeveloped bodies, a desire to sleep was one thing we couldn¡¯t easily go against.


    After we ate the dinner made with the marine products we caught while ying at noon, we waited for the sun to set and once again came to the shore.


    Floating Wakame appeared on the coast during night and stuck to the bilges of boats and such, melting and devouring the wood it was made of.


    Fortunately, since the manager of this ce wasing here asionally, there was a small boat for us to step into the sea. It could also be used as a decoy, so we were killing two birds with one stone.


    Still, with two adults and four kids, it really did feel cramped there. Michelle, in particr, who switched out her bow fornces was big baggage there.


    She didn¡¯t hold ance-rted Gift, but her marksmanship should still work when ites to throwing thences. In other words, her uracy would skyrocket only when throwing it.


    ¡°Night sea sure is exciting.¡± ¡°W-Would it really be okay? It would be dangerous if we fall¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking swimming lessons, aren¡¯t you, Letina? It¡¯s easier to float in the sea than it is in the river, you know?¡±


    It was really easier to float in the seapared to a river. We had Maxwell with us, too, so even in the unlikely event that we fell into the sea, he would save us as long as we managed to hold on. Rather, falling into the sea was within the expectations. Or more like, our goal was to get in there.


    Besides, it would be no training if we relied on Maxwell for every little thing. Having an expert like him help us would be putting the cart before the horse.


    ¡°Okay, the water is appropriately deep around here, and Floating Wakame can also approach easily. You should get ready in the water.¡± ¡°Okaay!¡±


    Michelle raised her hands as she replied cheerfully, but with 5nces in her hands, her normal loveliness was reced by a dangerous aura.


    With Maxwell¡¯s words, I cast Warm on us five, finishing the preparations. Next, Maxwell cast Breathing on us. I didn¡¯t want to borrow his help if I could help it, but I had to close my eyes when it came to things we really couldn¡¯t do anything about. It was not for convenience but due to unavoidability.


    Cloud and Michelle with less swimsuit surface aside, the other three wore a one-piece, so the effect of Warm was quite high. Then, since I had a high level of perception and also a bigger swimsuit, decided to take on the role of a vanguard and jumped into the sea.


    As I jumped, the first thing was to confirm the safety underwater. Following that, Cloud and Finia, who fought in close quarters, jumped after me. And finally, it was Michelle and Letina¡¯s turn.


    The depth of water around here was about 5 meters at most. In other words, it was a distance where we could pay attention to the boat¡¯s bilge from the bottom.


    It was perfect terrain for us to hide below and wait for the Floating Wakame to approach the boat above.


    The Breathing spell that Maxwell cast on us could only hold out for about an hour. Still, if you provided it with more than the necessary amount of magic power, you could extend the duration. Since we were nning an ambush, I had Maxwell cast it on us tost for 6 hours.


    We hid behind the rocky area for about 30 minutes, yet the situation above remained unchanged. What changed was instead our side. That abnormality started with Michelle who suddenly started fidgeting around.


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Eek!? N-Nothing!¡±


    She was clearly moving unnaturally, but kept insisting that it was nothing. She stood pigeon-toed, rubbing her knees together¡­ That could only mean¡­


    ¡°You wanna pee?¡± ¡°N-No!¡±


    The fact that we could converse like this underwater was also thanks to the Breathing spell. It was cute to see bubbles escaping her mouth every time she spoke.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just do it behind those rocks?¡± ¡°Cloud, you really should learn some delicacy!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Also, we are underwater¡­. Does that mean you want to drink her pee? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good fetish for your age.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t have a fetish like that!¡±


    Hearing Cloud offer a simple solution, I rebuked him a bit. Hearing that, Letina and Finia retreated a step from him. Noticing that, he hurriedly started making excuses. Letina aside, he apparently didn¡¯t want to be avoided even by Finia.


    ¡°At any rate, we are just starting, so want to take a break around here? It would be more dangerous if your belly gets cold.¡± ¡°Right. This is my first time toy an ambush underwater too. It is quite nerve-racking, so let¡¯s rest for a bit.¡±


    Sea bottom it may be, the currents still flowed there. We had to make sure to not get separated while also staying vignt for the situation overhead.


    Since we had to multitask like that, me aside, Letina who was light and easy to get carried by the currents was even more exhausted.


    We returned to the boat where Michelle got Maxwell to cast Flight on her and she flew to the cottage to relieve herself. The reason we didn¡¯t go back with the boat was that the boat served as the bait here.


    We continued taking such rests periodically, and three hours passed. The moonlight that reached the bottom suddenly started to darken.


    Floating Wakame didn¡¯t have a sense of hearing. They didn¡¯t even have eyesight. They only had something resembling a sense of smell towards wood, and they could also react to sunlight.


    As such, there was no need to keep our voices low, but we reflexively ended up doing it as we looked up.


    There they were ¡ª Floating Wakame swaying and clinging to the boat Maxwell was on. Naturally, he noticed them too, but he was intentionally staying out of this. This was our adventure, after all.


    Confirming our target, we exchanged nods. Our prey finally showed up, so we had no ns to let this chance go. Matching our timing, we all charged towards the Floating Wakame.

 Chapter 264: Messy Battle

    <h4>Chapter 264: Messy Battle</h4>


    Floating Wakame didn¡¯t have hearing or sight, and instead decided on the prey based on the smell drifting in the water¡­ apparently. As such, it should not have noticed our attack from below.


    I openly started to chant and granted Enchant to Finia and Cloud. As the movement was restricted underwater, this spell was supposed to be very effective.


    I couldn¡¯t use the threads underwater so I decided to take the rear guard position. The fact that we had Finia, another vanguard, was one of the reasons.


    If too many of us rushed to attack a single enemy, there was a chance of friendly fire.


    Thus, I removed myself from the count and instead strengthened the other two to raise the certainty of the blow. And yet, this preemptive strike failed to produce any results.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, be careful everyone!¡±


    Along with that shout, Michelle threw one of the spears she held. Her Marksmanship Gift could normally produce a 100% hit uracy. The situation was far too different from normal now, however.


    The feeling of the sea coiling around your body. The waves gently swaying you around. The target drifting irregrly. All those factors added up and significantly decreased her usual uracy.


    The spear she threw didn¡¯tnd but instead went right past the Floating Wakame. Cloud who had never seen her miss her mark was astonished.


    ¡°No way!?¡± ¡°Michelle¡­ Missed?¡± ¡°We are in the sea so that can happen¡­ Then, it¡¯s my turn!¡±


    Seeing that, Letina decided to attempt the next attack. But this too ended in a failure. The Firebolt she chanted didn¡¯t even fly five meters before it got extinguished by the surrounding water.


    I mean, I wanted to retort that it was silly to even think of using it underwater, but I guess it would be a bit harsh to tell that to a child who was unfamiliar with things. I suppose this would serve as something to learn from for her.


    Floating Wakame predated nts consisting of wood. It hasn¡¯t been heard of them ever attacking a living being. There have only been extremely rare cases where it aimed to eat a fisherman¡¯s harpoon and dragged him down along with it, drowning him.


    As such, I was unconsciously underestimating this opponent at this point in time. That was such an overly optimistic attitude from me.


    Instead of approaching the Floating Wakame, I just stood and watched as the water extinguished the Firebolt with a lukewarm gaze. Until now was, well, within my expectations. Michelle and Letina should have learned what a pain it is to fight underwater.


    The rest was for Cloud and Finia to go and finish it off with closebat¡­ That was what I thought.


    But that expectation was betrayed the next moment when Finia¡¯s attack missed by a long shot. Due to having a small build, the moment she swung her sword water resistance instead threw her back. Due to that, her sword cut the empty space.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She never thought she would miss on hitting an opponent that was just drifting around, making her let out a silly voice. Cloud was¡­ Alsogging behind Finia. His new metallic shield was slowing down his movements also due to water resistance.


    ¡°You idiot! Cloud, cover for her!¡±


    Finia ended up exposed contrary to her expectations. Naturally, the Floating Wakame wasn¡¯t about to let this chance go. No, more urately, it didn¡¯t have the ability to think like that.


    Still, in reaction to the attack, it reached out with its tentacle (?) towards Finia. Having her movements slowed down in the water, she had no way of dodging it.


    Cloud finally arrived on the scene in the meantime and swung his sword with all his might, but this too was pushed back by the resistance, making it just as ineffective.


    The Floating Wakame coiled around Finia as if to lift her up, binding her left leg along with her torso. And then it started reaching towards her chest with suggestive movements.


    ¡°W-What¡­ I thought they didn¡¯t attack humans?¡±


    Finia didn¡¯t have anything wooden on her, only her swimsuit and a sword. When researching their ecology, we judged that wooden items would be dangerous, so we decided to switch Cloud¡¯s trusty wooden shield with a metallic one.


    Michelle¡¯snces were also metallic all the way to their handles just in case. And yet, the monster was clearly determinedly coiling around Finia.


    ¡°¡­Ah, that reminds me, swimsuits are made of cotton, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    We heard Maxwell¡¯s dullment from above. He seemed to have been able to keep track of the situation from there. But rather than that, what he said was more important to me right now.


    Cotton¡­ In other words, a material made from nts. That would be the target of a Floating Wakame¡¯s predation. Only the swimsuit, that is.


    ¡°You damn old man!¡±


    In the first ce, if Floating Wakame had this kind of ecology, he should¡¯ve taught me in my previous life! If he did, I would have dragged Cortina to one whatever it took. And then, I¡¯d have seized that photo tool from you.


    Wait, there was no time for that. At this rate, Finia would end up in a risky situation due to the monster¡¯s tentacle y(?). Forgetting about the rear guard duty, I headed to remove the Floating Wakame off Finia.


    I normally carried my dagger on the back of my waist, but as it would cover my body line, Finia gave me the belt that I could attach to my thigh instead. I pulled out the dagger in one swift motion and started tearing the Floating Wakame off her.


    ¡°Cloud,e and help!¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m kinda also¡­¡±


    I judged that my strength alone wasn¡¯t enough so I asked Cloud for help, but he was already bound by the Wakame. Moreover, it was particrly concentrated on his groin area. Speaking from the perspective of its ecology, it was currently in the middle of devouring his swimsuit.


    Squirming tentacles and slimy surface, and Finia in an udylike state. This was by far the biggest crisis that he had ever faced.


    ¡°Cloud you dumbaaaas!?¡±


    I could only curse at the situation. I could injure Finia if I used the oscition. And given how entangled it was, Michelle couldn¡¯t do anything about it either. While I was racking my brains, the Floating Wakame started to twine around me.


    As my upper body was busy getting it off Finia, it instead coiled around my lower half like with Cloud.


    Like that, the situation turned messier by the second.


    Author¡¯s note: Fanservice chapter £Ü(£Þ©`£Þ)£¯

 Chapter 265: The First Time

    <h4>Chapter 265: The First Time</h4>


    We were in an awful condition now, with three out of five captured. How did ite to this? Despite it being incapable of endangering our lives, this sudden development had me ask in wonder.


    I judged that things wouldn¡¯t go anywhere until I freed Finia and frantically started moving my arms about. The upper half of her swimsuit had already been dissolved, leaving her in a state nody should show. That is, everything was in in sight.


    The same went for my lower half. This was a battle against time. My own aside, I had to protect Finia¡¯s lower half from being exposed to Cloud at all costs.


    It was about time for it to let go of Cloud who wore the least amount of clothing among us but¡­


    ¡°Cloud?¡±


    When I looked his way, I saw him floatingpletely exhausted as he was being pushed up to the surface. I couldn¡¯t help but pity him, noticing the water around him looking a little impure. Well, the slimy touch of this Floating Wakame felt unexpectedly good, after all. Plus, he also had Warm cast on him.


    ¡°What did you evene here for!?¡±


    I ended up yelling at him, but it couldn¡¯t really be helped. At any rate, rescuing Finia came first. Michelle and Letina also came back to their senses and made their way towards me.


    We managed to free finia with ourbined efforts, and then myself. I looked pretty pathetic with my crotch exposed to the world.


    ¡°How dare you do that to Lady Nicole!¡±


    Seeing me like that, Finia became enraged. She once again shed at the monster with all her might. The water resistance would¡¯ve pushed her back like before had the situation been the same, but this time, Lentina was pushing her from behind so she managed to offset it.


    Itnded perfectly on the nucleus of the Floating Wakame and bisected it. nt it may be, no living organism could continue to function after having its core cut.


    Thus, the bisected Floating Wakame ceased all movements and followed after Cloud towards the surface. And like this, our first dramatic battle hade to an end.


    Maxwell wasughing his a?s?s? off on the boat. I couldn¡¯t me him ¨C the earlier fight was just thatical. Still, I felt a little reproachful¡­ it wouldn¡¯t hurt to lend us a hand there.


    Cloud was being made to reflect on his knees by Michelle as she stood before him in a daunting pose. Finia and I borrowed towels and covered our exposed parts for the time being.


    ¡°Now that was quite a nice battle to remember as a tale.¡± ¡°¡­You could have helped us, you know?¡± ¡°But that would serve as no training, would it? No use crying over spilled milk, so just go get changed, will you?¡± ¡°Change? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, you know¡­ Do not make me say it.¡±


    He said that and pointed at my inner thigh. There was a single streak of blood there. Just to mention, I had no recollection of sustaining any injuries. In the first ce, Floating Wakame did not attack living things.


    ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°Lady Nicole, did you get injured!?¡±


    I stopped the flustered Finia and poked around under the towel in search of injuries. I thought maybe the dagger grazed me somewhere¡­ But it turned out that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Huhhhhhhh!?¡±


    It came from a ce located at the base of the legs¡­ In other words, it was that. Guessing what this was about, Finia pped her hands.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Congrattions, Lady Nicole!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel happy about this!?¡± ¡°I suppose your belly growing cold and worsening your condition was the trigger of it.¡±


    Letina who was properly undergoing sex education unlike me was kind enough to exin it to me medically. I wasn¡¯t the least bit happy about it.


    Maxwell, who also guessed the situation, awkwardly gave me another towel.


    Michelle still hadn¡¯t figured it out. I hoped she would remain so innocent forever, though I realized that was too much to ask for.


    Cloud was in the same state, but he had no right to speak now. Today, we had a big enough blunder to consider hiring a frencer instead.


    Still, we somehow managed to seed in hunting our prey for the day. With my first period as a bonus.


    Next morning, I raised groans while wrapped in the nket inside the cottage. My joints were sore, but my abdomen was hurting the most. It was extremely annoying that I had to visit the bathroom periodically.


    Fortunately, Finia had things prepared for dealing with that, so I wasn¡¯t troubled on that part. Given my condition, we decided to put today¡¯s hunt on hold.


    ¡°Gahhh¡­ I f?u?c?k?e?d? up. I¡¯ve be a girl in both body and heart¡­¡± ¡°The fact that you are using such words shows that you are still going strong.¡±


    I started crying myints after confirming that Finia wasn¡¯t around. I mean, I was actually on the verge of tears.


    Last night¡¯s events dealt huge damage to my mentality. Maxwell drove everyone else out of the room under the pretext of consoling me. Since he was the user of healing magic, even Finia did not oppose it.


    Besides, blood loss for my body was linked to severe exhaustion. Leaving me with Maxwell was their only choice to guard against any unlikely idents.


    As they¡¯d have nothing to do like that, he entrusted the processing of the Floating Wakame to them. The process went as something like shaving the Wakame skin, mincing it into powder, then soaking it in water to regain its slimy texture, and finally, mixing it in an existing shampoo and adjusting theposition.


    We heard about the method from the God of Destruction, so we were fully ready for it. It apparently neutralized the shampoo¡¯s acidity and had this ¡°treatment¡± effect that made it gentle to the scalp and preserved humidity in the hair.


    It was normally a shampoo, but it was apparently no problem even if you washed the baby¡¯s body with it, even with their fragile skin.


    At any rate, the Wakame we hunted yesterday was quite big in size, so it would be enough to make portions for my unborn sister, Maria, Michelle and Letina¡¯s families too, with some extra to spare.


    It seems that we could preserve the remaining part by drying it and turning it into a fine powder.


    I felt bad for leaving everything to my friends, but I had no motivation to do anything now. I knew this would happen eventually, but it happened so suddenly that I didn¡¯t manage to prepare myself. And the tormenting pain was a constant reminder of the reality of it.


    ¡°I¡­ Gotta return to being a man, and fast.¡± ¡°Is that so? I personally believe that you should just give up already, but I suppose that would make Cortina sad.¡± ¡°I will return¡­ As fast as I can.¡± ¡°Oh well, good luck, I suppose?¡±


    I puffed a fist and dered while wiping away the tears of my emotional instability. With Maxwell¡¯s half-hearted encouragement, I decided to take the day off and slept through it.

 Chapter 266: The Second Day

    <h4>Chapter 266: The Second Day</h4>


    The following day, I woke up feeling depressed. Finia told me it would feel a bit better if I kept myself warm, so I slept while casting Warm on the nket.


    It was certainly better while I slept, but the dull pain that hit me when I woke up was even worse than yesterday.


    ¡°Ugh, looks like the rumors I heard about the following day being harder were true¡­¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s cottage was quite big, so there were leftover rooms even after we got assigned one per person.


    Given my condition, Finia decided to take up the position in the neighboring room, but I didn¡¯t have to worry about her sneaking into my room while I slept.


    She was right next to me, while Maxwell was there to treat the symptoms that apanied the blood loss, so she wasn¡¯t that worried.


    ¡°Oh, you are awake, Reid.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep properly due to pain.¡± ¡°Hmm, let me examine you for a bit.¡±


    Maxwell came from the nearby room, seeming to have sensed that I woke up. Judging by the fact that he called me Reid, the others had yet to wake up.


    He promptly grabbed my wrist and measured my pulse. He then measured my temperature along with inspecting my pupils and throat.


    ¡°It does not seem that your condition is that severe. It simply feels worse than it actually is due to not being used to it.¡± ¡°Either way, I still feel extremely sluggish, so I don¡¯t want to work today either.¡± ¡°That line makes you sound like azy person.¡± ¡°Stop joking about it. I¡¯m being serious here.¡±


    The pain in my abdomen was shaving off my concentration. In this state, I couldn¡¯t expect my scout instincts to work as intended. I whined while feeling like crying, or rather, I was actually crying. My emotions were in quite an unstable state.


    We caught the Floating Wakame and made the shampoo, but I wanted some more of it for continuous use. Besides, I wanted to bring an additional gift, so I wanted to check some other ces if I could. Given my state, however, that didn¡¯t seem to be an option.


    ¡°Oh well, do rest obediently today. We also found something we have to do, so we shall work on that for now.¡± ¡°Something you have to do?¡± ¡°The countermeasures against the Floating Wakame. We need more of them if we wish to keep using the shampoo, right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°However, the first battle already ended up in that state. We have to prepare some spaces for clothes.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just go back and buy them?¡±


    We didn¡¯t expect our swimsuits to get devoured. I think it should be okay to go back to resupply things wecked, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Maxwell seemed to guess my thought process and replied with a grin.


    ¡°Were you not the one who said there would be no point in a training camp if you relied on me?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Yeah, but what else is your n?¡± ¡°The reason the swimsuits got devoured was because they were made of nt-based fiber. In other words, it would be fine as long as it was different.¡± ¡°So you mean cloth that¡¯s not nt-based.¡± ¡°Yes, in simpler terms, something like animal skin or insect threads.¡±


    As he said, Floating Wakame had the characteristic of eating wood materials, so using themonly used cotton-made ones would just get them devoured.


    However, as it did not eat living things or even corpses, there was no problem in using their skins.


    There were also insect-made threads like my own mythril ones. These were made by absorbing the nutrients inside the body and then spitting out threads made from that material, so you couldn¡¯t confidently say that they were nt-based.


    They were nning to use these methods to make swimsuits exclusively for Wakame hunting.


    ¡°However, animal skin shrinks when it gets wet, and it also rots easily. It¡¯s not suitable as swimsuit material. And making clothes out of threads needs a lot of cutting and sewing, things that is too much for us now.¡± ¡°We are of course aware of that. For now, we are simply nning to procure the threads and decide after that.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯d be fine without me?¡±


    Maxwell wasn¡¯t that great at presence detection. In our entire party, Michelle was a bit ahead, but the rest weren¡¯t that sharp.


    Honestly speaking, they weren¡¯t the type of people I could safely entrust the securing of thread-spitting monsters in a mostly deserted ind like this. However, Maxwell seemed to be quite at ease about the matter as he replied with a puffed chest.


    ¡°You can leave it to me. I have familiars for that. I am quite good at detecting things inside the forest. It is you who is simply too good at it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I answered quizzically and then noticed theck of one person.


    ¡°Huh? What about Finia? Wouldn¡¯t she be qualified for venturing into the forest?¡± ¡°She will be staying back to nurse you. She seemed to be restless all night as well.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    True, if Finia went away, there would be no one left to care for me. It was my first time going through this, so I was thankful for her to remain behind.


    ¡°Besides, I gave her some homework too. You should help her solve it too.¡± ¡°Homework?¡± ¡°The fundamentals of magic. Given her Elven lineage, her magic power is quite big. As she¡¯s training every day, her sword skills are quite good as well. It would be interesting to raise her as a magic swordsman.¡± ¡°Finia, huh¡­ Looks like I have an unexpected rival now.¡±


    Even if I couldn¡¯t be an orthodox swordsman like Lyell, I thought I could add magic to my repertoire and be a magic swordsman. That was my current objective.


    If she was to enter the same stage as me, she could very well be my rival.


    ¡°You are already fullyplete in terms of battles, though. At any rate, is it not about time you got up? Everyone will wake up soon, soe and eat something.¡± ¡°Oh, time sure flies.¡±


    As Maxwell spoke, I sensed someone outside of the door. It seemed that Finia was already up and was getting ready to make breakfast. She probably didn¡¯te to see me right away because Maxwell was already here.


    That aside, for me not to notice it until Maxwell mentioned¡­ Looks like I was more exhausted than I expected.

 Chapter 267: Next Prey

    <h4>Chapter 267: Next Prey</h4>


    Finia worriedly greeted me as I sluggishly got out of bed. On the table, there was fish that we caught yesterday along with lightly baked bread. There was also seaweed sd and grilled bacon. It seemed that the breakfast preparations were already done.


    ¡°Morning Finia.¡± ¡°Good Morning, Lady Nicole. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I am sluggish and feel awful.¡± ¡°Will you be able to eat breakfast?¡± ¡°Yeah, I will manage somehow.¡±


    After a quick greeting, I headed to the washroom. This cottage drew water straight from the well behind it, so you just had to use the hand pump and the water woulde out.


    There were various other magic tools installed here and there which made me think it felt better here than in the capital even.


    I brushed my teeth with my personal toothbrush and then washed my face to refresh myself. Michelle and Letina joined me midway and we all washed our faces side by side. As Letina and I were small, all three of us could fit there without problems.


    ¡°Ptoo¡­ Nicole, is your body doing fine now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can move at least. But adventures are still too much for me now. My perception seems dulled due to pain.¡± ¡°You have to take care of yourself, okay?¡±


    I nodded without saying anything to Letina¡¯s concern. She forcefully befriended me at first, but she was not a bad girl deep down. She was actually quite a caretaker, so it made me feel d to be with her.


    After we returned to the living room once more, Cloud and Maxwell were already seated at the table.


    ¡°Cloud, did you wash your face?¡± ¡°I generally wash my face after eating. Besides, some people at the orphanage gave me weird faces when we entered the washroom together, so I acquired a habit of postponing it.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    I personally didn¡¯t like the sticky sensation in my mouth so I normally washed up right after waking up, but there were certainly people that did it after breakfast. Thus, I gave an absentminded acknowledgment to his exnation.


    After all of us were gathered, we started digging into our respective ces. I had to say I really didn¡¯t like how they were stealing nces at my way every now and then.


    I understood that they were worried about me, but given the reason behind my condition, their conduct just made things more awkward.


    Thus, I decided to redirect them to a different topic.


    ¡°By the way, Finia, about this seaweed sd¡­¡± ¡°I managed to procure some good seaweed.¡± ¡°¡­Could it be the Floa-¡± ¡°I managed to procure some good seaweed.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to stress that point so much.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± ¡°So, about removing Cloud from the team¡­¡± ¡°Huh, removing me!?¡± ¡°You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?, don¡¯t tell me you forgot how you witnessed Finia¡¯s disgraceful appearance and did something so shameful on top of it?¡± ¡°Wait, that was beyond my control! That was absolutely beyond my control!¡±


    Since I was trying to bring up a random topic, I decided tosh out at Cloud after he came into my sight. He took my words seriously and started frantically protesting them.


    I mean, I understood what he felt back then, but he was still too weak towards women. It was no wonder he would be so after being kept at arm¡¯s length not just by girls but people generally, but he was still far too pathetic.


    As such, I felt the need to warn him about it.


    ¡°Since that ¡®something beyond your control¡¯ put Finia in danger, we have to make you take responsibility.¡± ¡°N-Now now¡­ Lady Nicole, I don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°You have to mind a bit, you know?¡±


    Finia, who was an orphanage-raised, and then worked as Maria¡¯s maid, was actually quite a sheltered girl. Since she knew that Cloud was harmless, the shyness she felt about getting seen by him was probably on the level of getting into a bath with a familiar boy.


    Still, this time it turned out fine since the opponent was a harmless monster, but it could otherwise have been fatal. For the future¡¯s sake, I had to have him get his act together.


    For that, I chose the method of pressing him with a sense of crisis. Naturally, I had no intention of casting him aside so simply.


    ¡°Nicole, I also don¡¯t want to see him go¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright then, due to Michelle¡¯s generosity and Finia¡¯s forgiveness, Cloud shall receive a suspended sentence this time.¡± ¡°So I am still guilty in the end?!¡± ¡°Listen, if you mess up again, I¡¯m really removing you from the team, got it?¡± ¡°Ugh, okay, I¡¯ll be more careful.¡±


    After his meek reply, I decided to leave it at that. But his unsociability with people was a bit of a problem. Though it has improved somewhat after he started partying up with us¡­


    ¡°Maybe youck some stimulus in your life?¡± ¡°If you give thisd any more stimulus, he will dry uppletely, would he not?¡±


    He was partying with beauties during the day and being trained by Lyell and co during the night. And when he brought hunted materials to the Guild, other Adventurers sometimes dragged him off to the arena below.


    Given his age, his life was certainly quite full of stimulus.


    ¡°Then, howe you¡¯re so unused to it?¡± ¡°I mean, this time it was about Finia so¡­¡± ¡°Aah?¡± ¡°No, nevermind.¡±


    I red at him with white eyes. Even if it was Cloud, I wasn¡¯t about to hand Finia over!


    Maxwell decided to put this conversation on hold and started talking about today¡¯s ns.


    ¡°Now then. I want you toe with me and gather threads to make swimsuits today.¡± ¡°Threads?¡±


    The conversation went ording to what we already discussed. Finia and I would remain behind while the rest would explore the forest of this deserted ind. They were searching for a monster called Marble Spider in those woods.


    It was a monster of around one meter long and it tended to make its nest in inconspicuous ces where it preyed on mouse-sized creatures.


    This cottage was on a cleared-up part of the forest, so those spiders that loved dim ces wouldn¡¯t show up here.


    Sticky and strong threads could be collected from them. The adhesive substance was quite weak to water so we could wash it offter, meaning it could be used for swimsuits. It had brilliance, was tough, and its adhesiveness made it unlikely to be sodden. It might actually be the best material for swimsuits.


    If there was a fault to it, it was that dyeing it would be quite hard.


    ¡°We can extract the threads even if we do not keep it alive, so feel free to consider it an environmental improvement and hunt them down without sparing any.¡± ¡°Okay, leave it to us!¡±


    They generally didn¡¯t move from where they built their nests, so they were easy targets for Michelle. She could defeat them by simply shooting from afar. Given the choice of the monster, it seemed that Maxwell was quite attentive to their safety.


    ¡°I will follow you as well, but try not to rely on me as much as you can. Finia will remain to care for Nicole and do her magic homework.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°And Nicole, don¡¯t be a naughty girl and listen to her.¡± ¡°Kh¡­¡±


    After throwing a cynical remark my way, our breakfast meeting came to an end. I didn¡¯t need him to say that, I didn¡¯t feel like doing anything reckless anyway.

 Chapter 268: Studying Together

    <h4>Chapter 268: Studying Together</h4>


    While Maxwell and others were off to obtain Marble Spider materials, Finia and I were focusing on our respective homework. Currently, Finia was in dire distress trying to decipher the homework Maxwell gave her so she could understand the meaning of magic circles.


    Normally, fully memorizing magic circles was enough to cast the spells. However, Maxwell did not consider that a proper way of learning it. One of his reasons was that, if you did not understand what you were drawing, your range of practical applications would be narrowed down.


    I on the other hand was busy assembling a magic circle to carve into the talisman, the other gift I was preparing. Even if I say talisman, it was not the kind that brought good fortune, but more like a magic tool that could cast Protection continuously.


    This magic circle would serve to improve what I received from the God of Destruction, which I wouldter have Maxwell check to confirm whether everything was alright.


    I nned to do this after obtaining the materials, but since I was feeling bad anyway, I decided to use today to prepare the magic circle in advance.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, about this part¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, you mean the reason why the crimson magic circle is used as a base?¡±


    I peered at her homework as she asked me. I was learning under Maxwell so I could teach her this much easily. I drew near her shoulder and leaned over to look at the problem set and exin as I pointed at it.


    ¡°A crimson magic circle designates the strength of magic power, so you use the magic circle of fire attribute. Because fire by itself signifies strength.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it was.¡± ¡°Simrly, yellow is linked to earth, and signifies stability. That¡¯s why Gold is used to set the effect duration.¡± ¡°Aha!¡±


    She started taking notes with a diligent expression. Our shoulders seemed to have been touching without realizing it, making me feel a little embarrassed. She was only five back in my previous life, but now she had already grown enough to look like a girl in herte teens. The soft sensations transmitted through my shoulders were making me strangely aroused.


    No wait, this was too strange. I certainly have had little experience with women since my past life¡­ Or more like I had none of it, but it wasn¡¯t to the point that I would be aroused by something so trivial.


    Finia in question was oblivious to all this. Since I was a girl now, she waspletely defenseless against me.


    In the end, I ended up being excessively flustered throughout the half day until Maxwell¡¯s group returned with a sessful hunt.


    Maxwell¡¯s group returned as the evening arrived. Cloud and Maxwell were carrying a pole with one Marble Spider hanging from it. It seemed to be dead already, but it looked quite grotesque. In fact, Letina was distancing herself from it a bit.


    ¡°We¡¯re back! We managed to take it down!¡± ¡°Wee, Michelle. It seems you yed an active part.¡±


    I greeted everyone. I guessed that Michelle yed an important role due to three of her arrows sticking deeply into the spider¡¯s back.


    Marble Spider¡¯s threads could be extracted even after they had died. The raw materials for the threads were being stored inside its body in liquid form, which took on a thread shape after spitting it out from the spinnerets.


    Some other spider species apparently could spit it out in a balled-up state and use it to attack too. At any rate, it worked like that, so it was possible to extract it whether it was alive or dead.


    The problem was, the threads spat out by it came with adhesive material, so we couldn¡¯t use it as clothes right away. However, that adhesive material was quite weak to water, so once we extracted the threads through spinnerets, we could run it in water and coil it on the spool without problems.


    ¡°So, you extract threads from this butt part, then soak them through this tub of water and wind it around the spool.¡±


    Maxwell took out spools and started exining as he made collecting preparations.


    Michelle and Cloud were listening to him attentively. The two were quite self-interested, so whenever matters concerned their ie, they were very attentive. Letina, on the other hand, was shrinking back at the sight of her first spider monster.


    Well, its appearance diverged from that of a human greatly, so I could understand her feelings.


    Maxwell¡¯s pools were the types that reeled in the thread by rotating the handle, so if we spun it too fast the mucus could get soaked by water before it managed to solidify and snap.


    On the other hand, if you were too slow or your speed was not static, it would result in a thread of uneven thickness.


    It took us a while before we managed to reach a stable winding tempo due to all the aforementioned pains.


    We failed a bunch of times, but still managed to make about 5 kg worth of thread, enough for making swimsuits.


    By that time the day had already darkenedpletely, dying our dinner by a bit. Finia was kind enough to ount for that and made dishes that would be okay to eat even cooled.


    Then we went to draw water one by one from the well behind, and washed our bodies in impromptu baths made with Earth Wall.


    Cloud came to peek midway, but he was easily detected by my perception. My senses were certainly duller, but not to the point that I would fail to detect someone on the level of Cloud.


    Incidentally, I was also aware that he was instigated by Maxwell. It was something I had gone through myself, so I could understand it.


    ¡°I understand you, but I¡¯m not forgiving you.¡± ¡°I acted on an impulse! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    I dered at Cloud as he hung upside down from the cottage¡¯s eaves while tied like a bagworm.


    ¡°As punishment, you¡¯ll stay upside down until morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll die, I¡¯ll really die!¡± ¡°Lady Nicole, that is too much¡­¡± ¡°You are too kind, you know, Finia? This idiot has to face the punishment once so he learns it. Maxwell as well.¡± ¡°Umm, that would be too discourteous to Lord Maxwell¡­¡±


    In consideration of Finia, I ended his punishment in an hour. As for Maxwell, he had long made his escape.


    Still, this whimsical nature of his was quite a pain to deal with.

 Chapter 269: Northern Mountain Range

    <h4>Chapter 269: Northern Mountain Range</h4>


    The next morning, I was starting to recover bit by bit, so I decided to once again step out and gather materials. However, this time it was the materials for the talisman.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a talisman be fine to make from wood?¡± ¡°Hmm, she said that materials have different affinities to magic circles, so we have to carefully select the materials.¡± ¡°Ohh, as expected of the Goddess, she knows a lot.¡± ¡°Well, she is the one who caused the resurgence of the magic tools, or something like that?¡±


    The God of Destruction was infamous for breaking the World Tree that stood tall in the Central Continent, however, many other anecdotes mentioned that she had developed many indispensable magic tools as well.


    From tools to regte the room temperature to the tools to keep food cold and fresh, they were all said to have been developed by her. She was hard to trust due to the way she acted, but her knowledge was undoubtedly vast.


    ¡°I have never met that self-proimed Goddess¡­¡± ¡°Actually, you have met her too, Letina.¡± ¡°Have I? I have no such recollection.¡± ¡°Well, you were passed out at the time.¡± ¡°Does that even count as a meeting?¡±


    Letina bent her head in wonder, but that was something from five years ago. Thinking about it, I¡¯ve already known her for so long, huh?


    Actually, didn¡¯t she also show up during the hot spring trip and have a massage done right next to us?


    However, Letina was also massaging Finia back then, and the God of Destruction was lying face down, so they didn¡¯t meet face to face.


    Cortina did greet her, but Letina was too focused on massaging Finia¡¯s back. It couldn¡¯t be helped if she didn¡¯t remember her.


    ¡°So, what do we have to defeat this time?¡±


    Cloud stepped forwards as if he was tired of listening to our inside talks. He sure was lively despite getting hanged upside down just yesterday. That¡¯s youth for you, I suppose.


    ¡°We are supposed to get the fangs of a monster called Fang Wolf that lives in the mountain district.¡± ¡°Mountain district¡­ Isn¡¯t on this islet, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, so I will have Maxwell transport us there. As an exception.¡±


    Fang Wolves, like the name suggested, had upper fangs developed to an enormous size. They only lived in the highest part of the mountain district, so we couldn¡¯t find them here as we did with the Marble Spider.


    That area made it necessary for us to go all the way north to the Northern Alliance territory, so it wasn¡¯t a distance we could cover during winter vacation. As such, it couldn¡¯t be helped so I asked Maxwell to send us there just this once.


    ¡°Well, it really can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Fang Wolves aren¡¯t that strong individually, but they are still dangerous monsters, so the vanguards, Finia and Cloud, should be extra careful.¡± ¡°Understood! I will make myself useful this time.¡± ¡°You should try to rx instead, Finia.¡±


    Given her state, she could end up getting her clothes ripped again. Fang Wolves had long fangs, so they could easily tear apart the clothes that she wore.


    She of course wore leather armor on top, but it wasn¡¯t certain whether that was truly enough. Our enemy had that much offensive ability.


    ¡°Also, since we are heading to the mountains, make sure to wear a scarf with Purify effect, and also don¡¯t forget to bring clothes for the cold.¡± ¡°I am already prepared in that regard.¡±


    Since it was already the winter season, we had heavy clothes prepared. As for the Purifying magic tools, those were items any Adventurer had to carry with them at all times. However, that logic did not apply to one of our members.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I didn¡¯t have money to buy one¡­¡±


    For an orphan like him, magic tools were like flowers on a high peak. I already knew that he didn¡¯t have one, so I had Maxwell bring a spare from his mansion.


    ¡°Here, you can use this.¡± ¡°O-Okay. I will borrow it.¡± ¡°Eh, you do not have to return it. I already made a new one recently.¡± ¡°Huh, but this costs a lot¡­¡± ¡°It is but a handy item for me. Rather than that, I would prefer if you focus on protecting my two students.¡± ¡°¡­Understood. I will ept it gratefully.¡±


    He meekly nodded to Maxwell¡¯s words. But do not forget, Cloud. This geezer has a bad hobby of instigating me and you to peek at girls only to get us busted and have augh.


    Well, he was actually expecting a lot from Cloud.


    Cloud had the ¡°resilience¡± that I did not possess in my previous life. His toughness was high to the point you¡¯d think it came from a Gift. If I used him as a tank, I could make full use of my own power.


    Maxwell knew that too, which was why he was expecting things from him.


    ¡°Shall we depart then?¡±


    Right as he said it, he had already finished constructing a magic circle. It was so fast that Finia, who had only just started learning about magic, failed to understand when he managed to draw it.


    Next came the aria. He perfectly controlled his vast magic power, without excessively influencing the spell effect, manifesting it perfectly.


    His ability was certainly on the level of art. This should have been a good lesson for Letina and Finia who were learning magic.


    I was the first one to head through the manifested Portal Gate, confirming the safety on the other end. Following me was Michelle who had the biggest firepower among us, and Cloud who was in charge of the defense. This was to support me in case I got into a battle.


    Following us were Finia and Letina, who were the most vulnerable of us. And of course, the spell user himself.


    The scenery had instantly changed from the warm forests of Raum into a cold mountain district. There were few trees around and the cliff wasid bare. Its slope was quite big, with no ces to hide either.


    ¡°Where¡­ Have I seen this¡­¡±


    It was a steep mountain that you could find anywhere. However, I had a recollection of this sight.


    High elevation and dry atmosphere. Yet I could see dissolved rocks scattered here and there. They looked much like the rocks produced through the cooling ofva. But for that, the allocation was too unbnced. It was as if they were scorched locally with high temperatures.


    ¡°Um, Lord Maxwell, where is this?¡± ¡°This? Well¡­¡±


    Letina, who only heard we were going to the northern mountain district, asked about our whereabouts. Maxwell replied to her with an impish grin.


    ¡°We are at the northern edge of the old Tryad Kingdom, the Scion Mountain Range.¡±


    This was the Mountain of Fate, the ce where we had subjugated the Evil Dragon Colchis.

 Chapter 270: Effectiveness of a Surprise Attack

    <h4>Chapter 270: Effectiveness of a Surprise Attack</h4>


    The legendary Scion Mountain. Letina was extremely ecstatic at the opportunity to venture here.


    This was the ce where her adored Six Heroes had shaken the world with their achievement. It would be unreasonable to tell her not to be excited.


    ¡°T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-This is where you fought with the Evil Dragon, isn¡¯t it, Lord Maxwell!¡± ¡°Calm down, little Letina. You sound like a broken toy. And this is simply a waypoint. The Evil Dragon¡¯s nest was much deeper near the summit.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go there! Let¡¯s go at once! Hurry, hurry!¡± ¡°Calm down I said. Your targets, the Fang Wolves, don¡¯t live that high up.¡±


    Normally, the higher you went up a mountain, the scarcer the living being became. Naturally, there were some animals that preferred more elevated ces, but Fang Wolves were carnivores and quite strong as far as the natural world was concerned. As such, they wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to move to the mountain summit with limited prey to hunt.


    That said, they weren¡¯t so strong to manage to live in the bottonds where they would have to scramble for prey with other predators.


    Still, their strength was considerably high, so at our level, we couldn¡¯t lower our guards.


    ¡°Fang Wolves live around this high up. It is the ce where the vegetation is considerably scarce, you could say. Higher ces in mountains have fewer nts so it might make you think you have an open view, but these wolves still have the ability to hide and sneak up on the prey, so stay vignt of your surroundings.¡±


    Back when I came here to subjugate the Evil Dragon, I experienced fighting against Fang Wolves once. Maxwell was also experienced in that, that¡¯s probably why he chose this hunting ground.


    Their reddish-brown fur served as a natural camouge in this barrennd of the same color, making it hard for us to detect them. And they suppressed their killing intent to the limits before attacking the prey, so even with my ability, detecting them right away was quite difficult.


    I slipped out from the group and talked privately with Maxwell. The person in question was dispatching a familiar to the skies to observe the situation from there.


    ¡°Hey, even if this was the God of Destruction¡¯s request, don¡¯t you think Fang Wolves are a little too much for us?¡±


    Fang Wolves¡¯ strength lies in their surprise attacks made possible through their hiding ability. Once they have shown themselves, they weren¡¯t that scary.


    But in this nature, the ability to take the first strike was too big of an advantage. Especially for the kids with immature, vulnerable bodies, those surprise attacks could prove to be fatal.


    ¡°It would have been dangerous by yourselves indeed. But they have you, Reid. Fang Wolves are not so strong in direct battles. As long as you can sense them before they attack, it should not turn into a difficult battle, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it would be if we face them head-on. But the enemy excels at hiding. There is always a chance that one could slip through my detection.¡± ¡°And that is why I am here. I am observing the situation from high up through my familiar. And¡­ I am also using the Life Search spell.¡± ¡°Ohh, as expected of you, old man. Dependable as always.¡±


    Life Search. As the name implied, it was a spell to detect anything that fell in the living category. It was a very useful spell, but it had its weaknesses. It could only sense living beings. That is, it could not detect the Undead. If you relied on it too much, some Undead could possibly take you out by surprise.


    Then there was the narrow range. It could detect presences in at most 100 meters, give or take a few. It could only be used to defend against surprise attacks.


    There was also a problem with the information content. You could only find out the size of targets through this spell. You wouldn¡¯t be able to tell whether it was a person or a wolf.


    Moreover, in popted ces there would be so many presences it could instead confuse you. Same could be said for the forest.


    It could only show its full power in mostly deserted ces like this deste mountain.


    ¡°¡­It must be hard for you to make practical use of it normally.¡± ¡°Leave me be.¡±


    Maxwell responded with a somewhat dejected expression, but he was certainly reliable this time. In fact, he already managed to detect living beings that even I failed to detect. He spoke in a loud voice to warn everyone.


    ¡°There is a somewhatrger presence there. Maybe the size of a cat? It would be best to avoid it just in case.¡± ¡°Could it be a weasel?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, this magic does not let me find out so much. I do not know what it is.¡±


    I separated from the group and approached the ce where that animal was lurking while erasing my presence. It wasn¡¯t just the Fang Wolves who were great at hiding. I also held the Stealth Gift, so I was good at sneaking up to my prey.


    Hiding behind the rock was a lizard the size of a cat. It was a brown lizard with a reddish tinge and sharp fangs¡­ A monster called Dusk Lizard.


    It was called Dusk Lizard due to its color, but this was supposed to be a trait it developed to live hidden in mountain ranges that contained a lot of iron.


    It was only as strong as a cat, so it was not a difficult foe. That said, its fangs contained poison so you had to be careful near them.


    They were sharp enough to pierce through the academy boots that we were wearing, so it was better to get rid of it, just in case.


    Dusk Lizard continued silently gazing at Maxwell and the rest without detecting me who hadpletely cut off my presence. It was probably trying to find an opportunity to bite into their feet and poison them.


    I could not overlook that. I went around the dead angle of the rock and released my thread. The Mythril thread wrapped around its mouth to seal off its fangs, its strongest means of attack, and also constricted its movements.


    The Dusk Lizard was shocked when it noticed the thread around its mouth and frantically tried to get it off with its forelimb.


    That action looked quite charming, like that of a cat washing its face. However, it was an enemy, so I had no time to lose myself in its charm. I approached it from behind and then stabbed my katana into the borderline of its neck and body¡­ In other words, into its medu oblongata.


    Taking a vital hit from behind made it flinch once and ended its life.


    Just like this, taking the initiative, and dealing a surprise attack was tremendously advantageous.

 Chapter 271: Luring Tactics

    <h4>Chapter 271: Luring Tactics</h4>


    I returned back to Michelle and the rest while carrying the dead Dusk Lizard in my hand. Seeing me carry a lizard made Michelle¡¯s eyes sparkle in joy.


    ¡°Wee back, Nicole! Is that tasty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first thing you say? Well, if we get rid of the poison, it¡¯s not inedible I guess.¡± ¡°So I can take it back to the orphanage as a gift?¡± ¡°You should really be careful there, Cloud.¡±


    The Poisonous Dusk Lizard needed some skill to deal with. It would be hard to do it with the orphanage sisters and children alone. It might be too much even for Finia.


    ¡°Even I don¡¯t know where its poison nds are located exactly.¡± ¡°I am knowledgeable about it. How about it, little Finia, this might be a good experience. Would you like to try preparing it?¡± ¡°Huh, would that be alright?¡± ¡°I mind not. It would be more convenient that way.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean to lure the Fang Wolves?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Fang Wolves, being wolves, had very good noses. They would most likely sniff out the blood smell drifting in the air while Finia was butchering it and approach us. And even if they did not do it now, we could lure them by cing the meat somewhere.


    While being impressed by his idea, I watched as the two started cutting the lizard.


    ¡°The two venom nds are here, deep in its throat, lined up vertically. Nicole, you came very close to cutting them, you know?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. How was I supposed to know.¡± ¡°It would be better if you aim for the body next time. Now, let us remove the nds first. Push aside the skin around the hole Nicole made. Normally you would have to peel it off from the mouth all the way to the abdomen.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°Yes, now, avoid the throat muscles and get to the nds¡­¡±


    Finia was butchering it with a serious expression while following Maxwell¡¯s orders. His Life Search was disrupted during this time, so I was staying vignt for the surroundings in his stead.


    As expected, the smell of blood attracted something, and there was a movement behind the rocks. That said, it didn¡¯t seem like it was nning to attack us just yet.


    Without letting my guard down, I conveyed the situation to Maxwell.


    ¡°Maxwell, there¡¯s something moving over there.¡± ¡°Oh? Little Finia, let us stop for a moment.¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    Maxwell stopped concentrating on the butchering after my warning. Finia also put aside her butchering knife and switched to the long de in preparation for battle.


    Maxwell sent his familiar behind the prey to confirm what it was. And then, he released his tension and turned back.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It is just a Rock Hound.¡± ¡°Rock Hound?¡±


    Michelle and Cloud who heard the name for the first time tilted their heads in unison. You two, you really became good friendstely, huh?


    ¡°Yes, they are a stray dog species living in the mountains. They scavenge the leftovers of other animals¡­ Put simply, they are simr to hyenas. They do not attack living beings, so they are no danger to us.¡± ¡°Aha! So, those dogs, are they tasty?¡± ¡°Michelle¡­ That¡¯s already a bit¡­¡±


    Her remarkable growth probably demanded a lot of nutrients. That must have been it.


    But actually, hyenas did attack animals and ate living beings, so they weren¡¯t really simr. Maxwell¡¯s example wasn¡¯t urate, but it would have been rude to start nitpicking at him. I was no match to him when it came to the degree of knowledge in the first ce.


    ¡°Still, this is a bit troubling.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°I mean we will not be able to lure them this way.¡±


    The old man stroked his beard with an unusually frowning expression. Hearing that, Michelle and Cloud once again tilted their heads. Though this time, in opposite directions.


    ¡°Why? Fang Wolves won¡¯t show up as long as those dogs are around?¡± ¡°I do not mean that¡­ How about this, let us suppose there is delicious meat here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°What if you could eat it?¡± ¡°I would eat!¡± ¡°I would steal it!¡±


    Cloud dered with a pumped fist. Michelle followed up on it right away. In other words, Michelle dered that she would snatch the meat away before Cloud would eat it.


    That brought Cloud on the verge of tears. Hey, don¡¯t look at me.


    ¡°That is what I mean. Even if we scatter baits now, the Rock Hound would steal them first.¡± ¡°But Fang Wolves are stronger, right?¡± ¡°If they were present, they would indeed drive the Rock Hound away and get to the bait first. However, the fact is that they are not here now.¡± ¡°I see.¡±


    Michelle dropped her shoulders, realizing that it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to lure our targets. But wait a minute. Putting it another way, we could lure the Rock Hounds this way.


    ¡°Then how about we exterminate the Rock Hounds first? If we do that, we¡¯d have more baits on our hands.¡± ¡°I see. So we should increase our bait first and then use it to lure out the Fang Wolves?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    We could just use the bait to get more bait meat, exterminating every monster that approached. If we repeated that for some time, we would eventually attract the Fang Wolves too. We were on a mountain where it wasn¡¯t easy toe by a prey.


    Just as I was thinking that, a shrill came from the direction of the Rock Hound.


    ¡°Yelp!?¡± ¡°Grrrr!¡±


    Along with it, there was a low growl. As I looked towards the voice, I saw that the Rock Hound monitoring us from the distance was being attacked by a bigger dog.


    No, it wasn¡¯t a dog¡­ But a wolf.


    ¡°Maxwell!?¡± ¡°I am sorry. I was not being vignt!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for you to go so senile!¡±


    That was a bit harsh, but even I was too focused on the Rock Hound and didn¡¯t notice the approaching presence. You could say that was partly directed to myself and I took it out on Maxwell.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Fang Wolf. Everyone, prepare for battle!¡±


    Cloud set up his shield and stepped forward at my warning. Finia set up her swords and positioned herself next to him.


    Michelle also nocked an arrow, while Letina set up her staff. Their prompt battle preparation didn¡¯t fall behind even full-fledged Adventurers. They were therades that I trained myself. They would not get flustered by something of this level.


    I positioned myself between them and pulled out my dagger.


    Thus, just as we finished our setup, the Fang Wolf that easily massacred the Rock Hound shifted its killing intent towards their next prey ¡ª us.

 Chapter 272: Party Attack

    <h4>Chapter 272: Party Attack</h4>


    The Fang Wolf headed our way as it growled. Cloud and Finia also rushed to intercept it. I positioned myself in the center of vanguards and rear guards so I could support either of them as the situation required.


    Cloud, who had a shield equipped, was a step ahead of Finia. This wasn¡¯t because he was faster than her, but because she intentionally lowered her speed while Cloud stuck out to make himself the target. They learned the importance of this kind of timings in the previous battle with the Floating Wakame.


    And of course, the Fang Wolf rushed towards the prey that was sticking out. Just before they were about to sh, I cast support magic on both of them.


    ¡°Crimson one, Ultramarine two, Jade one¡ªProtection.¡±


    Magic power strength at one, two targets, ten meter range. I cast the defensive magic at Finia and Cloud with those parameters. This was a spell you learned right away even in the Interference system.


    The defensive effect it granted was on the level of ayer of quilt. However, that was still an important defensive measure early on, when you had no equipment to use instead.


    Depending on your equipment, the priority of it fell down. When you became a full-fledged Adventurer, this spell would lose its usefulness. In a way, it symbolized the Interference attribute itself.


    Just as the spell reached us, it wrapped around them to show its effect. The two were not surprised at that. This was something we nned in advance, so there was nothing to be surprised about.


    Not caring about that protection, the Fang Wolf jumped at Cloud from the front. Cloud, on the other hand, stopped its charge with the shield as nned.


    His advance came to a stop with that, but so did the Wolf¡¯s.


    While they were engaged in the contest of strength, Finia used the opportunity to stab at the Wolf with the longsword from Cloud¡¯s nk.


    ¡°Yeeelp!?¡±


    Her attack, given herck of strength, was not enough to deal a deep wound. Still, it dealt enough pain to the Fang Wolf, forcing it to retreat from Cloud.


    As if to match with that timing, Cloud shifted his position diagonally back to the left, with Finia also imitating him.


    This was partly due to their vignce against the Wolf, but it was also to open up the shooting path for the rear guards ¡ª Letina and Michelle.


    I also lowered my posture and moved to not get in their way.


    Next instant, an arrow and Firebolt spell flew above my head.


    Michelle¡¯s arrow was true to its aim andnded urately on the Fang Wolf¡¯s hind thigh.


    Letina¡¯s spell also impacted almost the same location. This was far off from being fatal, but this should have restricted its mobility quite a bit.


    With Michelle¡¯s aim, she could have aimed for its head, but this was a high-ranked monster. It was never wrong to be extra careful.


    Not to mention, the skull was hard so it might have failed to pierce it and only amount to a small wound.


    The two rear guards decided to go with the method that would leave a definite damage on the opponent.


    Receiving the blow, the Fang Wolf faltered, losing power in its hind leg. Making use of that opening, Cloud swung his sword down.


    Naturally, he was specializing as a tank. His lower body was shifting his center of gravity a little back, so his sword didn¡¯t have that much power behind it.


    Even so, having a swording right at its face made the Fang Wolf instinctively dodge it. But that action further copsed its posture.


    If they kept restraining it while Finia and Michelle dealt damage, even this formidable foe was bound to lose its strength.


    Group actions as a party ¡ª theirbined might was capable of trampling down even higher-ranked foes like this. This would be a good lesson for them to make them realize that fact.


    The situation unfolded as it was expected.


    Fang Wolf¡¯s stamina kept decreasing every moment, and the longer it passed the better I could support them too. At this rate, we were bound to win before long. Convinced of that, I was about to bestow Enchant on Cloud and Finia¡­ But then, I felt a chill down my spine.


    It felt much like a shudder. Just as I turned behind towards that feeling, Maxwell was already starting to chant.


    ¡°Michelle, behind you!¡±


    I yelled and sent my thread flying at the same time. My thread stretched out about 10 meters behind her,nding straight on another Fang Wolf¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yelp!¡±


    An animalistic shrill followed right after.


    Finia was here too, so this could have gotten me busted, but this was a state of emergency. ncing behind¡­ towards the first Fang Wolf, I saw that Finia was only just turning back. It seemed that she didn¡¯t see me flying my thread.


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Then finally, Michelle realized that she had been targeted.


    The first Wolf attracted the Rock Hound and our attention, while another one sneaked up on us from behind.


    This was a tactic that wild animals often employed. The Fang Wolves probably also used it now.


    It was especially effective because they had such a good stealth ability. We were about to fall into their trap.


    Right as I restrained the other wolf, Maxwell finished his Fire Wall spell. It stood tall to defend Michelle. With that, it couldn¡¯t carelessly attack her.


    ¡°Michelle!?¡± ¡°Cloud, focus on what¡¯s in front of you. I am here for situations like this!¡±


    My position was that of a middle guard and assistant attacker. I was there in case the vanguard¡¯s defenses were breached, and also for situations like this.


    I stealthily winded back the thread back to the gauntlet so Finia wouldn¡¯t see it. Instead, I set up my dagger and moved behind Michelle.


    Thanks to Maxwell¡¯s Fire Wall, Finia and others couldn¡¯t see the wound I dealt to its face.


    I was impressed at Maxwell for choosing the spell that both defended, prevented another attack, and also blocked the visibility.


    ¡°I will take on the one behind, so you focus on the first one.¡± ¡°O-Okay. Please do.¡±


    I briefly conveyed to Michelle as I passed by. And just as I passed her, the Fire Wall disappeared, leaving me face to face with the Fang Wolf.


    It was a difficult opponent for the others, but not for me. It was impossible to finish it off immediately with my current body, but it was plenty possible for me to keep it restrained.


    After fighting foes on the level of Gideon and Mateus, my body was already used to fighting against opponents with excelling physical prowess.


    As I nned, Cloud and others finished off the first Fang Wolf while I was having a mudslinging contest with the other, and then joined to support me.


    With all our battle power concentrated on it, even a higher-ranked opponent wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out. And thus, we finished subjugating it without a hitch.

 Chapter 273: Beast Calamity

    <h4>Chapter 273: Beast Cmity</h4>


    We broke off the fangs from two Fang Wolves as materials.


    They were suitable for the talisman, but they also had a good affinity with other magic items. I needed one for my sister, but there were three more leftovers.


    ¡°So, what do we do about the extras?¡± ¡°Does anyone need them?¡± ¡°I am fine. There is someone who needs the money more.¡± ¡°Right, Cloud needs it the most.¡± ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t know¡­ I feel bad about this.¡±


    Cloud was saving up money for going independent in the future. Michelle, Finia, and I had backers, so we would have no trouble with getting by even after graduation, but he was different.


    He would probably want to save up whatever little he could get.


    ¡°Right, how about¡­ We sell two of them, and I buy the third one?¡± ¡°Huh, you want one more?¡±


    Michelle tilted her head in puzzlement at my proposal. She probably wondered why I would need another one if I was gonna gift it to my sister.


    ¡°I mean, it would be nice if my sister and I had matching ones, right?¡± ¡°Ah, that sounds great! Then how about we all get a matching pair?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not enough though. There¡¯s only four of them.¡±


    There were five of us. We could get two per wolf, so removing me and my sister¡¯s share, we would need to defeat one more wolf.


    We¡¯ve been climbing the Scion mountain range since morning, so quite some time has passed already. Still, we managed to stumble on the wolves quite quickly, so the sun was still high up. The problem was my stamina, however.


    I was quite fatigued after climbing, fighting and keeping alert for surprise attacks. Usually, I would attract the enemy¡¯s attention while Michelle easily finished it off so it didn¡¯t tire me that much, but this time the sudden surprise attack we received put too much strain on my body.


    ¡°Maxwell, are there any enemies nearby?¡± ¡°Several of them at a distance. While there are definitely some, they must be cautious of us after knowing that we defeated the Fang Wolves.¡± ¡°How about any other Fang Wolf hiding nearby?¡± ¡°There is none around here¡­ Hmm, wait for a bit.¡±


    The moment he said that he chanted Flight and soared up. After getting high enough and observing the surroundings, he cast yet another spell. The Energy Bolt he released impacted a ce a few hundred meters away from us.


    Seeing the dense cloud of dust was enough to tell us how strong his spell was. It was already beyond the Energy Bolt category.


    ¡°W-What was that for I wonder¡­¡± ¡°This is Maxwell we are talking about, so it must be something beyond our imaginations.¡±


    Letina was struck with fear from that sudden Energy Bolt.


    The reddish cloud of dust wasing from the point of impact¡­ No, wait, there seemed to be something other than dust mixed in it?


    When that dust settled down, Maxwell headed towards that ce. After some time, he came back to us¡­ While carrying a Fang Wolf with its lower half blown away.


    ¡°Here, with this, you should have all six fangs, right? As for Cloud¡¯s savings¡­ You can get some money by selling their pelts.¡± ¡°Wah, thanks grandpa!¡±


    Michelle pped her hands and shouted in joy, but she seemed to be overlooking the fact that the wolf had half of it blown apart.


    Energy Bolt was an elementary level spell of the Light attribute, but it was not normal for it to have such a destructive power.


    It gave me a headache, unsure whether to praise him or scold him.


    ¡°Let us camp outdoors here at Scion today.¡± ¡°Eh, Is there a reason why we can¡¯t just go back?¡±


    Finia objected to Maxwell¡¯s sudden proposal to camp outdoors. In response, Maxwell exined with an impish expression.


    ¡°This is a training camp, little Finia. It would be better to experience what it is to spend a night without a roof in a dangerous ce.¡± ¡°That is indeed true, but¡­¡± ¡°You must be worrying about Nicole, but overprotectiveness has to stop if you wish to live as Adventurers. You need to experience some hardships.¡±


    Saying so, Maxwell winked at me. Incidentally, I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I had to spend the night at ces like this in my previous life.


    Maxwell worded it as if it was to train me, but he wanted to let Finia and the rest experience it.


    ¡°Finia, Maxwell has a point. Rather than suddenly having to spend a night during an emergency, it is better to experience it now when we can.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? But Lady Nicole, what about your condition?¡± ¡°¡­I was about to forget it too.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    She was referring to my first menstruation. I was starting to forget about it thanks to the battle¡­


    ¡°A-At any rate, I made preparations before departing, so I¡¯ll handle it somehow. Also, I don¡¯t think you should be talking about that stuff in front of Maxwell and Cloud.¡± ¡°You are quite right. My apologies for being so insensitive¡­¡± ¡°Well, it might not be something you need to apologize for. I mean, the guys here should at least have enough tact to pretend not to be listening to us.¡±


    As I directed a reproaching gaze at the two males, Maxwell swiftly looked away. Cloud started looking around in a fluster, until eventually imitating Maxwell. A bit toote to do that.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s too much to ask from Cloud.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it, okay! I don¡¯t have those social disposition skills.¡± ¡°You have to start learning them already, or it¡¯ll cause us problems.¡±


    Cloud was one of the few males of our party. Rather, he was the only male. When it came to adventuring, there were ces you cannot enter or information you couldn¡¯t obtain unless you were a male.


    Since we were mostly a group of young beauties, there would definitely be times when we would get rolled up in various incidents or be underestimated. Because of that, I really needed Cloud to start getting his act together.


    ¡°Leave it at that now. By the way, Nicole. I shall go bring some reinforcements, so you stay and focus on surveince.¡± ¡°Reinforcements?¡± ¡°Oh, I just mean Argus and Bauman. I will also bring Mateus.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, there are some circumstances. On my side, that is.¡±


    Maxwell dodged the question as if it was hard to answer. Still, I didn¡¯t think he would do things without a meaning. While he liked to pull pranks, he knew how to read the atmosphere when it came to dangerous ces like this.


    Since he said we needed reinforcements, he might have discovered something that made him judge so.


    He then used Teleport and returned to Raum. It only took him about thirty minutes, but we used that time to finish stripping the materials.


    Thus, while I was staying on guard uneventfully, Maxwell returned with the three men.

 Chapter 274: Suspicious Individuals

    <h4>Chapter 274: Suspicious Individuals</h4>


    Just as Maxwell arrived with Argus, Bauman, and Mateus, he immediately had us change our location and had us prepare for the camping at night. The reason he did that was because there was the smell of blood drifting in the air, which could trigger a monster raid on us.


    As he was exining that to the kids while climbing the mountain, we stumbled upon a half-destroyed hut that we used once back in the day, and decided to spend the night there.


    ¡°I had us relocate because I was vignt of a beast raid. The smell of blood can attract foes more than you think.¡± ¡°To think there was such a convenient spot nearby. Were you aware of it, old man?¡± ¡°This is one of the huts that had been destroyed when the Evil Dragon Colchis was building its nest. We had also made use of it at the time.¡±


    Mateus asked Maxwell while acting withposure. He had thatposure because he was confident he could easily deal with Fang Wolves even if they plotted a surprise attack.


    Cloud and Finia were so nervous it was wearing them down. Michelle, who was the target of the previous surprise attack, was particrly tensepared to her usual attitude.


    ¡°Michelle, there are no enemies nearby, you know?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. I understand that, but¡­¡± ¡°Is this about the previous attack?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    In the previous battle, had either I or Maxwell failed to notice it, she would have been takenpletely off guard from the back.


    Since she always stood at a safe distance and shot at them while I lured the enemies, this was probably her first experience of a real threat to her life.


    Even during the fight between Cloud and Mateus, she was still being protected. You could say that she hadn¡¯t been approached by an enemy so closely ever since the fight with Kobolds.


    Dogs and wolves¡­ Such a simrity between their races must also have added to her mental stress.


    That said, as long as she wanted to continue being an Adventurer, that fear was something she needed to embrace. Knowing the fear and always ready to defend yourself was the utmost measure to raise your chances of survival.


    ¡°It would be bad if you are too scared, you know? But still, don¡¯t forget what you are feeling now.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°If you forget the fear, you will also lose caution. I often get yelled at about that too.¡± ¡°Ahah, you really act like you know no fear sometimes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know it, I just tend to rush ahead instinctively.¡±


    Entering the dpidated hut, I massaged her shoulders to relieve her tension. Maria had told me once that this kind of skinship was good for getting rid of tension. She was looking quite stiff too.


    Meanwhile, Cloud got onto the rooftop and plugged the holes there. Mateus and the other two also found the rags¡­ of what were probably clothes at one point, and used them to close the holes in the walls.


    This was needed so the light from the inside would not escape to the outside. If we covered everything, though, it would affect the airflow and could lead to suffocation, so it needed to be done in a way that blocked the light while still allowing the airflow.


    Thus, after we finished our preparations and ate Finia¡¯s handmade survival cooking, I dragged Maxwell outside of the hut.


    ¡°What is it, a date perhaps?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me puke. Anyway¡­ What did you discover?¡±


    Michelle and others weren¡¯t aware of it, but we nned to spend the night here from the start. However, bringing these three guys was unounted for. The fact that he did it meant that there was something that needed more personnel.


    That decision came right after he flew up into the sky, so he must have seen something during his flight.


    ¡°I¡­ Am not sure whether you are smart or not.¡± ¡°Oh screw you.¡± ¡°When I flew up at noon, I saw a strange group out there.¡± ¡°A strange group?¡±


    If we talked about something strange, we who came to a ce like this already looked as strange as it could get. But perhaps he saw something suspicious aside from us.


    ¡°Yes, there were three adults and five children. They all wore hooded mantles and were hiding their faces and physiques, so I could not identify them. Since they were quite far away, the children might have been Gnomes.¡± ¡°Eight people on this mountain. What¡¯s more, hiding their faces in an already unpopted ce. That certainly seems odd.¡±


    If this was a normal mountain, even we wouldn¡¯te off oddly. However, this was a particrly restless mountain even among the entire Scion mountain range. The mountain where the Evil Dragon Colchis was defeated. It had a sinister impression even now, and few people ever visited it.


    In a way, it was a ce as avoided as the Mountain in Maleva where Aste lived.


    There were eight people here now, and they had climbed up high enough to no longer be considered the base of the mountain. Even if it wasn¡¯t Maxwell, anyone would have felt vignt towards them.


    ¡°Could they be Adventurers that came for materials like us?¡± ¡°Most likely not. They seem to have five children with them.¡±


    We managed toe here, but in our case, we had Maxwell with us. And there were nine of us now, but only four of us were kids.


    ¡°I will wait until the children fall asleep and then go investigate. We needed people to protect them during that time.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you brought Mateus¡¯s group.¡± ¡°Well, I half forced them toe.¡±


    The most dangerous of them, Mateus, was always at Maxwell¡¯s mansion, but Argus and Bauman were working as guards during the day. Their co-workers knew that they worked with Maxwell, so no one wouldin even if they were taken away. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the people themselves it seems.


    ¡°Ah, well, just throw them a bone. That aside, where were those people headed to?¡± ¡°Higher than us¡­ In other words¡­¡± ¡°Colchis¡¯ nest, huh?¡±


    The ce we were at already had scarce vegetation, but if you went even higher, there was hardly anything conspicuous there anymore. When nts disappeared, so did the animals that fed on them, as well as the monsters aiming for those animals.


    And up there, there weren¡¯t even Fang Wolves ¡ª there was only Colchis¡¯ nest.


    ¡°Looks like it needs some investigation.¡± ¡°Right?¡±


    We exchanged gazes and sighed at the same time.

 Chapter 275: The Destination of the Suspicious Individuals

    <h4>Chapter 275: The Destination of the Suspicious Individuals</h4>


    Right as the kids fell asleep, Maxwell took the opportunity to exin the situation to the adults. Normally, they would have to be vignt all night and constantly keep a watchman, but this time, they were forced into sleep by Maxwell¡­ Through magic.


    ¡°Heh, suspicious fellows above us?¡± ¡°I already retired, so gimme a break already, will you?¡± ¡°I finally got a respectable job too¡­¡±


    Mateus was motivated by his curiosity, while Argus and Bauman were looking depressed instead. That said, Mateus had to stay back now.


    If we removed him from the protection team, it would raise concerns.


    ¡°Mateus, you¡¯re staying behind, okay? And I¡¯m not gonna forgive you if I see a single injury on Michelle and others.¡± ¡°Then, how about I mess with them without an injury¡­?¡± ¡°Ok, I should really kill this guy here.¡± ¡°Hold it now, Nicole. And Mateus, you should stop making such remarks.¡±


    With Maxwell¡¯s intervention, Mateus decided to drop his teasing. His life depended on Maxwell¡¯s whims, so he wouldn¡¯t want to actively oppose him.


    I also stopped myself on the verge of enteringbat mode, and settled down.


    ¡°So, our duty is to protect these kids?¡± ¡°The Sleep spell I cast on them was set to high effect. They would be sleeping soundlessly until morning, but that also increases the necessity of watch-keeping.¡± ¡°So our Nicole here is an exception to that rule?¡± ¡°You should be aware of her skill yourself.¡± ¡°¡­You have a point.¡±


    Mateus nodded with a bitter expression. He probably remembered getting wounded by me, followed by a fight with Lyell.


    ¡°Is this like a gifted education for the daughter of heroes to be a hero herself?¡± ¡°Something like that. Magic theory is important, but so is practical experience. As such, I n to take Nicole with me for the sake of her future.¡± ¡°Can I note with you as a guard?¡± ¡°You? Even though you might stab me from behind?¡± ¡°If I did that, I¡¯d be dead though.¡±


    Mateus who was under the Geass spell was forbidden from leaving the capital without permission, as well as injuring any of the Six Heroes. Maxwell was the one who brought him here this time, so he avoided the Geass effect.


    ¡°However, if you sacrifice yourself like that, the other two would be free. It would be strange if I was not cautious.¡± ¡°I have no intention of dying for someone, you know? Much less for these two¡­¡± ¡°That was pretty cruel of you, boss!¡±


    Argusined but Mateus didn¡¯t seem to care at all.


    Maxwell left a familiar behind just in case, and then, we decided to head for the summit. Kabby would¡¯ve been helpful at times like these¡­ But Maria who was in her final month needed someone who could use magic to be by her side. Leaving it to Cortina alone made me a little anxious so I left Kabby to help her with the nursing.


    Before we departed, Maxwell left a teleport point that worked as a mark indoors. It was simr to the teleportation spell that Aste used. As expected of Maxwell, he already made that technique his.


    With that, we could return to the deste hut instantly as there was nothing to prevent teleportation there. It could also serve as an emergency escape point.


    After leaving the hut, we flew up into the sky with Flight. The reason why we chose to fly instead of walking was partly due to my fatigue from the daytime.


    That said, flying in the sky with no obstructions left the risk of being detected, but we were already behind them by half a day, so we needed to make haste.


    To decrease the risk of detection as much as possible, we flew at a high altitude and overlooked thend from there. The mountain at night had no lights, only a dark rocky area stretching on.


    We had a fire lit inside the hut, but it wasn¡¯t seen from high above, either. It seems that Cloud did a good job plugging holes in the ceiling.


    ¡°Cloud seems to be fit to be a carpenter, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    I praised his good work. There was only darkness below. This meant that there was no risk of the hut getting attacked by anything from above. However, there was also something strange to it. And Maxwell noticed that fact.


    ¡°Wait, Reid. Our bonfire aside, is it not odd that we cannot see the one the other people would have made?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?


    Now that he mentioned it, there was little vegetation beyond us. And there was nothing simr to our hut, either. That meant that those people shouldn¡¯t have had any means of hiding their bonfire from the skies.


    And yet, we couldn¡¯t find anything resembling it from above, which made it strange.


    ¡°Could there be a hut somewhere that we don¡¯t know of?¡± ¡°Or perhaps they used Earth Wall to block the light¡­ Or maybe¡­¡± ¡°¡­They entered the Colchis¡¯ Nest, huh?¡±


    We cleared out its nest thoroughly. There shouldn¡¯t even be a single scale of it left inside. Dragons had a tendency of collecting shiny things, so it had some treasure gathered there, but we gave it to the United Alliance.


    In other words, there was nothing notable there right now.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be anything there¡­ But maybe we are wrong.¡± ¡°Shall we check it?¡±


    Maxwell was also there during our battle. He could easily blow the entire nest to smithereens as well. But I shook my head at his suggestion.


    ¡°No, the enemy might be hostile. Rather, the fact that they are sneaking around in a ce like this makes that the more likely option. If we fly into the nest, we could get spotted by them and they might turn hostile on us. I¡¯d rather avoid any danger.¡± ¡°That is true. Then I shall send my vision there.¡± ¡°Send your vision?¡± ¡°It is part of the Perception magic system. Different from a familiar, this allows you to send only your sight to somece and peer into it. The problem is that I would not be able to see around me while casting it.¡± ¡°If you can do it while flying, then please do.¡±


    He really had all kinds of tricks up his sleeve. This is why I was so reliant on him. Responding to my request, he constructed a magic circle and cast the spell.


    ¡°Crimson five, Gold six, Jade six¡ªMagi-sight.¡±


    Based on the chant alone, it seemed to be quite a difficult spell. I guess it was somewhere between mid and high grade.


    After he finished his chant, a dark sphere emerged nearby him. Soon enough, it left his side, then flew around me, and finally, at my feet and looked up my skirt.


    I quickly held my skirt down and smacked him in the back of the head.


    ¡°Give it a rest, you degenerate old fool!¡± ¡°I was simply joking a little¡­¡± ¡°Give it a rest and get on with the ******* scouting.¡± ¡°I feel malice in your words.¡± ¡°Just do it already.¡±


    He shrugged and sent the ck sphere towards the Evil Dragon¡¯s nest. It blended through the dark of night, making me lose sight of it. It was probably even better suited for searching in this darknesspared to me.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    After a while, Maxwell murmured. I responded to his sudden voice.


    ¡°Did you discover something?¡± ¡°There is a man standing in front of Colchis¡¯ nest. It seems that they are inside.¡± ¡°What could they possibly want with that ce after so long¡­ Is what I think, but it¡¯s as we expected. At any rate, no choice but to check it out.¡± ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    Maxwell quickly canceled his spell and gained back his vision. And then, we faced the direction of the Land of Fate andmenced our flight.

 Chapter 276: Cave Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 276: Cave Invasion</h4>


    We used Maxwell¡¯s teleportation magic to arrive near the Evil Dragon¡¯s nest. Then I used my Stealth Gift to sneak closer to the nest entrance¡­ Where I discovered a watchman.


    He had his hoodpletely covering his face, so it made him suspicious for doing that in a ce as devoid of people as this.


    We took our distance from him and kept ourselves hidden.


    ¡°There he is. So what do we do? He is clearly someone suspicious¡­¡± ¡°We can not ignore him now, can we? Given what this ce is.¡±


    The Evil Dragon¡¯s nest held big significance for us. That remained unchanged even after we defeated the Evil Dragon. Even if there was nothing there now, this was still weighing on our minds.


    ¡°How do we get him to talk then? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get anywhere if we just go and ask ¡®what are you doing here¡¯ to him.¡± ¡°Given the way he is acting, he is already guaranteed to be someone shady. That said, we cannot judge someone with only that much proof.¡± ¡°I suppose it would be faster if we sneak through the surveince somehow and check what they are up to inside with our own eyes.¡±


    With my Stealth, it was easy to avoid the eyes of this single guard and sneak inside. However, Maxwell wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. My Gift couldn¡¯t extend its ability to other people.


    ¡°In that case, I shall use Conceal so give me a bit.¡±


    He immediately started chanting as he said that, and his figure disappeared soon enough. We were quite separated from the guard, so he shouldn¡¯t have heard his chanting.


    In fact, the guard stood still like a shadow.


    ¡°Alright, that should work.¡± ¡°Right?¡±


    I heard his boastful remark from nearby.


    I moved along the shade of the walls and made my way towards the entrance. I erased the sound of my footsteps, my presence, and approached at a dead angle.


    ¡°Maxwell, are you following?¡±


    I asked in a voice low enough to be covered by the rustling of the nts. Maxwell was currently invisible, so even I couldn¡¯t see him. I had to ask him directly like this to confirm it.


    If I approached any further, there would be no opportunity to ask it anymore.


    ¡°Do not worry. I can keep up as long as you do not hurry too much. Unlike you, I only have to mind my footsteps.¡± ¡°In that case, poke my shoulders or back periodically from now on so I know where you are.¡± ¡°Understood.¡±


    I heard his voice from behind. After that, I approached the guard to the limit.


    If I was certain that they were some ruffians I would have killed him here and now, but aside from the fact that this was the Evil Dragon¡¯s nest, they were simply staying in a cave after climbing a mountain. It was a littlecking as a reason to assault them.


    The man stood still and remained vignt with no change in his expression. I couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to sneak in.


    He was observing the surroundings like a doll with no idle movements. Just as I was wondering how to handle this, there was some sound in the opposite direction from me. The man noticed it and looked towards it.


    On the other end of his suspicious gaze, a single pigeon peeked its head from the grass. And then, it quickly disappeared back into the grass as if startled.


    It was most likely Maxwell¡¯s familiar. Either way, this was the chance I needed to sneak in. Thus, I made use of the small opening before he turned his head back to sneak inside.


    I wasn¡¯t invisible like Maxwell, but I was still confident that I wouldn¡¯t get detected as long as I wasn¡¯t directly in their sight.


    I used a sliding motion to jump inside. The moment I passed by him, the guard¡¯s gaze returned to its normal location.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Maxwell managed to follow me, but soon enough I sensed a tap on my shoulder. It seemed that he was properly following me.


    I silently nodded at his signal and advanced further inside.


    The inside of the cave was dark where you couldn¡¯t even see what was at your feet properly. If we used light here, the guard or the people ahead could discover us.


    Just as I decided to continue my way carefully, I heard Maxwell¡¯s voice once again.


    ¡°Hold on, this would be difficult for you, right? I shall cast Night Sight on you.¡±


    He murmured in a quiet but clear voice. Then he followed it with a barely distinguishable chant and cast his spell.


    At the same time, his figure came into sight. Because he was casting a spell it dispelled his Conceal. But as we were quite separated from the guard, he couldn¡¯t detect him.


    ¡°Oh, I can see.¡± ¡°Good to know. Then I shall make myself invisible once more.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±


    There was one guy at the entrance. Maxwell counted three adults and five children. In other words, there should be two adults and five children inside.


    We concealed our footsteps and headed deeper inside. Given that it was the nest of the Evil Dragon, this cave was around thirty meters in length and width, and it also had quite a big depth.


    Before long, we arrived at the actual nest without running to anyone. That ce, unlike the darkness until now, was brilliantly illuminated by torches and Light spells.


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    Seeing the sight before my eyes, I reflexively let out my voice. I could also sense Maxwell swallow his saliva behind me.


    There was a magic circle drawn at the center of the ce, with the five children lined up around it.


    In the center of that circle was one man. And he was chanting something with intense concentration. The other man stood alert outside of the circle.


    It appeared that they were performing some kind of ritual spell.

 Chapter 277: The Devil Summoning

    <h4>Chapter 277: The Devil Summoning</h4>


    The man who was in the middle of chanting reacted to my voice and looked at our way. The children on the other hand remained motionless. Same for the other man.


    ¡°Who goes there!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask. What is going on here?¡±


    He asked in a high-pitched, nervous voice, and I purposely returned his question to provoke him.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but assuming it was some kind of a ritual, the children¡¯s lives might have been in danger.


    Fortunately, Maxwell was still invisible, so as long as I gained time for him, he could overturn the situation. Just as I was thinking that, Maxwell whispered to me in a low voice.


    ¡°Reid, it seems that the children have been drugged.¡± ¡°Do you know what drug it is?¡± ¡°It must be the Living Doll or something simr.¡±


    Living Doll was a drug that even I have heard about.


    It was sort of a drug that, once administered, made one¡¯s ego extremely faint and made them lose the ability to take spontaneous actions.


    Naturally, as it could be used for the wrong purposes¡­ Or rather, it was only used for the wrong purposes, it was banned throughout the continent. Since they administered it to children and took them to a ce like this, we could give them a definite guilty verdict.


    ¡°Can you neutralize it?¡± ¡°I can only use the Antidote spell through contact. I have to do it one by one.¡± ¡°I leave it to you. I will attract their attention meanwhile.¡± ¡°Remember not to be too reckless.¡±


    After I answered back with a simrly low voice and got his response, his presence started to go away. During this time, the man was still yelling hysterically, but he didn¡¯t seem to have noticed our conversation.


    ¡°Agh, damn it, what the hell is that guard doing outside! It took so long to prepare these sacrifices, but now the summoning is going to get interrupted!¡± ¡°Oh, what are you trying to summon?¡± ¡°I have no obligation to tell you that!¡± ¡°Then maybe only the reason why you chose this ce?¡± ¡°Shut up! Wait, you¡¯re a child too. This way, I can have more sacrifices¡­¡±


    Ah, right, I was a child too. Since I was acting with Maxwell, I was acting like my previous self. At any rate, he was considering me as a sacrificial candidate too. Not that I nned to obediently ept that.


    He seemed to have thought of me as a child and underestimated me.


    ¡°I¡­ If you look down on me, it won¡¯t end well for you, you know?¡±


    Maxwell was on his way to save the children, so I wanted to gain as much time as I could. With that in mind, I decided to drop my appearances and started talking in a manly tone.


    Hearing my tone, the man¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°That foul tone¡­ Did you already have a man to teach you all that!¡± ¡°Like hell I do!¡±


    I mean, it wasmon knowledge that sacrifices were more effective when they were virgins. So I could understand the reason he was asking that. Still, just the thought of doing that with a man was enough to give me goosebumps.


    If possible, no, even if I was fruitless, I¡¯d still choose a woman.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that. I¡¯m inexperienced of course.¡± ¡°Then you should be perfect as a sacrifice.¡± ¡°Right¡­ I mean! Look, they say you have to take a good memory in the afterlife, right? So at least tell me why you are doing this.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You are right. This is the ce of Evil Dragon Colchis¡¯ demise. It is a ce where a vast amount of lifeforce and soul had dispersed, so to speak. Using the deep grudge of this ce, I can open the gate to the otherworld. In other words, I can summon a stronger Devil.¡±


    The man started responding to my question somewhat proudly. He seemed to be quite easy to manipte, didn¡¯t he?


    While thinking that, I directed my attention to the other man. He still hadn¡¯t moved for a bit.


    It was as if he had been administered the Living Doll as well. Of course, with his hood in the way, I couldn¡¯t even see his expression.


    Rather, I couldn¡¯t even make out his figure from the outside. It could be that he was someone being threatened by the intruders.


    That said, I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. Unlike this hysterical man with a loose tongue, people like him were more dangerous. I knew that very well.


    The talking man became even more excited and took a grand pose while raising his hands. His hood came off in that momentum and revealed his face.


    ¡°A Half-Demon?¡±


    Under the hood was a nervous man with a pale face. If it was just that, I could have passed it as nothing out of ordinary, but he had a horn on his forehead.


    He seemed to have taken my surprise as disgust and started getting more violent.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the same! You¡¯re discriminating against Half-Demons too! What did we ever do wrong!¡± ¡°You are trying to sacrifice children now.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re just drawing the conclusion from the result. We are wishing for the world¡¯s destruction and rebirth exactly because we have been unjustly discriminated against all this time!¡± ¡°Now that sounds so pointlessly majestic.¡± ¡°Those Six Heroes had a Half-Demon among them, and yet there has been no betterment in our treatment. If it¡¯s like this, then we shall purge and reform the public opinion through force!¡± ¡°Okay, I fully understand that you are nuts now.¡±


    In other words, this guy was the same as that orphanage priest from my previous life.


    Still, could this guy really gather five kids? I just couldn¡¯t possibly see that happening.


    ¡°Hey, how did you gather these kids?¡± ¡°It was almsgiving!¡± ¡°From whom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a secret.¡± ¡°Gah, now you¡¯re pissing me off.¡±


    But well, we had a ve trader acting in Raum too. In the Northern Alliance where public safety was still insatiable, not to mention awless area like Scion mountain range, perhaps getting hold of children wasn¡¯t so difficult.


    At any rate, Maxwell seemed to have reached the kids who were in his blind spot. I guessed that from his presence alone.


    ¡°Well, fine. But even if you sacrifice the kids and summon the Devil, the damage wouldn¡¯t be so widespread, right?¡± ¡°That is only if we summon some small fry. But what if it was instead one that rivaled the Evil Dragon Colchis?¡± ¡°What did you¡­¡± ¡°It has been known even in the past that this ce is suitable for summonings. Even Colchis is said to have been summoned.¡± ¡°Wha-¡±


    I gasped instinctively at his words. But I could see the logic behind it. The Evil Dragon Colchis appeared just that suddenly from the northern bounds. I couldn¡¯t imagine that Dragon staying still somewhere until it grew to adulthood.


    In that case, the only other exnation was that it arrived from somewhere.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the practitioner cannot predict the scale of the summoned existence. But if we repeat it multiple times, we should be able to summon one as strong as Colchis sooner orter. That¡¯s why, I cannot allow anyone to interrupt me now!¡±


    Just as he said that, he faced the other man and raised his hand.


    ¡°Go, Zellkarn, catch that child and turn her into another sacrifice!¡±


    Bidding his order, the other man started to move. His hands crawled out from his mantle¡ªeight in total.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The other man¡­ turned out to be a Devil that looked like a terrestrial octopus.

 Chapter 278: Battle Against A Devil

    <h4>Chapter 278: Battle Against A Devil</h4>


    The figure that appeared under the mantle was bizarre, as if someone reced a human¡¯s upper half with that of an octopus.


    It was clearly not a human, and neither had I ever seen a monster like it anywhere in this world. I wasn¡¯t very bright in that department, but I could still understand that this enemy was simply too deviated from the norm.


    Receiving the hysterical man¡¯s order, it faced towards me and took a step. There was still ten meters between us, so why did it stop¡ª


    ¡°Woah!?¡±


    It then raised its tentacle and thrust it as if to stab me with it. Contrary to the softness you¡¯d expect from an octopus tentacle, it had a w at its top and the de was releasing a dangerous light.


    I immediately dodged it, but it caught the mantle that I was wearing and almost dragged me along with it. I hurriedly unfastened my mantle and escaped the danger.


    Its attack didn¡¯t stop at that, however.


    It sessively pushed out its tentacles, all of them furnished with simr ws. It ripped my mantle to get rid of the disturbance, scattering its rags on the floor.


    It was proof that those tentacles had enough strength to reduce the study traveling mantle to pieces like paper. And so were those ws sharp.


    ¡°I sure encounter a lot of abnormal enemies these days!¡±


    Be it the Floating Wakame or this, there were a lot of tentacle monsters. It couldn¡¯t be helped that I ended upining about it out loud.


    While dodging its eight tentacles left and right, I directed my sight towards the children. Maxwell had just finished rescuing one of the children behind the man.


    ¡°Gh! Where did youe from! Wait, that appearance¡­ Could it be Maxwell!¡± ¡°I came together with her. Maybe you have a problem with your eyesight? Antidote.¡± ¡°Damn you, to think you could sniff out our movements¡­ I have to praise you for having such a good nose!¡±


    The man set up his staff to prepare forbat despite his ridicules. Maxwell, on the other hand, cast Antidote towards the child. The child flinched in reaction to the spell, and then lose consciousness and fainted on the spot.


    ¡°It appears¡­ That they have been treated quite unreasonably. How inhuman of you.¡± ¡°Who cares, they were destined to be sacrificed either way. Making them climb a mountain is no problem.¡± ¡°It definitely is a problem.¡±


    Maxwell lifted the child and rushed towards another. But the man inside the circle threw a spell at him to restrain him.


    ¡°As if I¡¯d let you! Crimson eight, Ultramarine one, Jade nine¡ªFire Javelin!¡± ¡°Oh please. Crimson three, Ultramarine one, Gold one¡ªEarth Wall!¡±


    The spell the man released was an upper-ranked offensive spell of the Fire system. It had a range of about two meters, but the power behind it could easily reduce a person to charcoal.


    Maxwell, however, guarded against it with a wall.


    The man was ranting like a madman all this time, but his skill with Magic turned out to be first-ss. Maxwell seemed to be having a hard time facing him while carrying a child.


    That said, I was in no state to observe them so calmly. I was also in the middle of fighting this Octo-freak, and I couldn¡¯t look away from it so carelessly.


    While dodging its tentacle spears, I was waiting for the opportunity to close the distance. But then, Maxwell suddenly warned me before I could.


    ¡°Nicole, that thing eats magic power from the surroundings. Do not approach it!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°The reason why this man did not let it inside the magic circle was due to that ability.¡± ¡°If you know what it is, then tell me in detail already!¡± ¡°Devil ZellKarn¡­ It is a Devil that devours flesh and magic power in avarice. It is called the vanguard of the otherworld.¡±


    Maxwell exined to me while skilfully avoiding the enemy¡¯s spells. He couldn¡¯t cast Antidote during that time, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. I was learning about the dangers of fighting unknown enemies even in the academy.


    Sucking magic power meant that it was the worst enemy for me. After all, I was making up for most of my physical abilities with Enchant. I could of course use threads to strengthen myself too, but if I did that, it would mean that my means of attacking would also decrease.


    Its abilities were lowerpared to the twin-ded Devil that I fought before. But it made up for that by the incredible number of attacks it was sending my way.


    I could see why it was called a vanguard. These Devils excelled at battles against many.


    If it approached me, it would devour my magic power and forcibly dispel my Enchant. If I stayed away, it would overwhelm me with incessant attacks.


    That said, I couldn¡¯t make myself withdraw from this ce. If I did, those kids would most definitely be sacrificed, and a new Devil would be summoned.


    In the first ce, abandoning children was not something I, who was aiming to be a hero, could ever consider.


    Maxwell had decided to postpone saving the children and shifted to restraining the man. He probably judged that it was faster to neutralize the summonerpared to saving the remaining four children.


    He seemed to have judged that I would need his help and changed his approach.


    ¡°In that case, I will keep youpany until Maxwell arrives!¡±


    I shed it a daring smile while dodging the incessant rain of tentacle attacks.

 Chapter 279: Many-to-Many

    <h4>Chapter 279: Many-to-Many</h4>


    The grotesque Devil Zellkarn¡¯s individual attacks weren¡¯t that big of a deal. Speaking of the speed, not just the twin-ded Devil, they were even slower than Gideon¡¯s attacks.


    The weight behind them was also around the level of Mateus¡¯ attacks, so there was no problem as long as I didn¡¯t take them head-on.


    From the perspective of I who was currently in genuine equipment and was establishing abat style of this life, simply dodging its attacks didn¡¯t seem that challenging.


    The problem was, the enemy was a Devil with inexhaustible stamina, and the close-quartersbat or traps that I excelled in was not effective against it.


    The opponent was basically standing on the same spot and attacking from there. In other words, there was no point setting a trap in front of it. And if I approached it, it would just suck my magic power away.


    However, that was the same for the opponent. If it approached me, it would enter my attack range, and at a distance, I could dodge its attacks withposure.


    The longer the battle went, the more the summoner was being cornered by Maxwell, so the situation was definitely worsening for the opponent too as time went on.


    It was turning into a contest of which would run out first, my stamina or the summoner¡¯s life. The odds at the moment were about even. But if that bnce was destroyed, it could be either advantageous or disadvantageous for us.


    It might be dangerous to make any careless moves, but doing something before I was unable to move was also a strategy.


    ¡°In that case¡­ Yaah!¡±


    As I dodged the tentacle, I took three throwing knives from my shoulder belt and threw them in one go. They flew urately towards the man¡¯s chest(?), but they were blocked by the tentacles.


    The tentacles that were stic and strong only flinched once after getting stabbed by the knives and pushed the knives out, scattering them near the Devil¡¯s feet.


    I followed up by throwing three more knives. And then, two more.


    After throwing them three separate times, all of them ended in vain. Seeing that, the summoner man startedughing as if to ridicule me.


    ¡°Kahahaha! Don¡¯t think you will be able to pierce Zellkarn¡¯s skin with something like that! If you obediently be the sacrifice, you can avoid too much pai¡ªhyaa!?¡±


    Maxwell mercilessly drove a spell into him while his attention was directed at me. However, perhaps due to the magic circle¡¯s fault, the moment any spell approached him, they lost the majority of their power.


    ¡°You¡­ Is that magic circle connected to the otherworld?¡±


    Connecting to the otherworld¡­ That meant an act to summon ¡°something¡± that existed in that world. That something was a Devil, my traditional rival.


    ¡°Exactly! This magic circle that can summon and protect at the same time is the groundbreaking means of summoning Devils safely! Theposition was obtained by analyzing an ancient magi¡ªwoah?!¡±


    Maxwell threw Fire Javelin at the man who had entered his exnation mode. This spell contained several times the powerpared to the one the man used previously, but once it entered the circle, it quickly lost its power and speed, lessening the intensity of the mes it was d in.


    As such, even that unsteady summoner was able to dodge it.


    The man stood in the middle of a circle which had four more children stationed around. As such, Maxwell couldn¡¯t use his prided ranged attacks, so he was a little lost on what to do.


    Even so, theposure was fading from the man¡¯s face. Like me, he didn¡¯t seem to have a lot of stamina.


    If this continued, his stamina would run out faster than mine. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong toe to that conclusion, but doing that would give the opponent time toe up with some countermeasures.


    I should instead focus on attacking some more instead.


    ¡°Well then¡ªI¡¯ll also take it up a notch!¡±


    This time, I flew my thread instead.


    This was a Mythril thread harvested from a carefully-selected Huge Crawler. In terms of the sharpness, they could rival even Lyell¡¯s Holy Sword. However, their power was too light, so I didn¡¯t expect it to be able to sever Zellkarn¡¯s tentacles.


    True to my expectations, the sh only reached halfway through the tentacle and stopped. Its scar then instantly disappeared.


    It probably used the magic power sucked from Maxwell¡¯s spell and used it for recovery.


    My thread also lost its momentum and powerlessly dropped down on the spot.


    After throwing the thread, my legs stopped in ce, so I was like a perfect target.


    Seeing that Zellkarn attempted to barrage me with its attacks. Attacking me also meant that its defenses would lower.


    After dodging its tentacle thrust, I manipted my threads.


    My goal was¡ªnot Zellkarn, but throwing knives at its feet. I coiled the threads around the grips and lifted them with the power of maniption.


    Mythril threads dangled in the air with knives at their ends, oddly enough, there were eight of them in total.


    Zellkarn was at a loss after seeing an attack stance simr to itself for the first time in battle. However, that hesitation onlysted for a moment, and it started attacking back as if in defiance.


    Its attacks felt as if it was testing whether I could really utilize this attack method properly.


    However, I had used this ability for many years, refining again and again to perfection. Moreover, due to my Adventurer activities where I gathered herbs at the same time I hunted the prey, I was already good at parallel thinking.


    As such, manipting eight knives at once was no trouble¡­ Well, maybe it was, but it wasn¡¯t undoable.


    I met the tentacle ws with knives of my own, derailing their trajectories. I stood in one ce and exchanged blows, a thread for a tentacle, a knife for a w.


    The battle state changed once again, and this time, to my advantage. Since I was no longer moving, the danger of running out of stamina went away.


    After losing its numerical advantage, the Devil seemed to have lost itsposure and its attacks were starting to look rougher. I waspletely focusing on defense before, but this allowed me to make counterattacks.


    The tentacles were swung with even greater force than before to flick my knives away. However, I didn¡¯t receive those head-on but instead used my two remaining threads to fortify my legs and dodged them.


    Such strong thrusts required equal effort to retract them back. Zellkarn used its full power for that, so that made him totter a few steps in front.


    Taking a few steps means that his body weight was currently leaning towards the front.


    I judged this to be the perfect chance to counterattack and pulled out the dagger from my waist. Then I put all the magic power I could muster into the handle and transformed it into a spear, No, something longer¡ªIt looked akin to holding a cypress tree instead.


    As it kept growing to something beyond a normal spear, it dug itself into the Devil¡¯s abdomen.


    Normally, a surprise attack like this would have been defended by its tentacles. But after being agitated from being challenged with its own battle style and breaking its posture due to rash actions, it had no way of defending against it.


    I stuck the pommel¡­ Or rather, ferrule into the ground to fix it into ce, and the recoil blew him backwards, all while the spear remained embedded into its chest.


    Before long, it crashed into the stone wall and lost the ability to move about.


    ¡°¡ªPraise the God of Destruction.¡±


    I spoke the keyword and made it oscite on top of it. That ripped its flesh apart, broke its bones, and damaged the internal organs.


    It didn¡¯t end at just that either. The fine vibrations shook the blood itself and spread the shock throughout the entire body.


    This was the most frightening part of this dagger, no, spear.


    Even if the wound itself was not fatal, the osciting waves would attack the entire body through blood, continuing to damage it.


    The spear had extended to 25 meters, a distance where even its tentacles would no longer reach me. The God of Destruction had bestowed toughness on the spear, so its tentacles would not be able to damage it.


    They seemed to be struggling to get the spear out somehow, but as it had been fixed into the ground, it wasn¡¯t so easy to achieve that.


    After a vain struggle, the tentacles finally lost their strength and dangled down. Its legs were convulsing for some time, but then wentpletely motionless.


    After it finally died, its body, being a product of magic power, turned into light particles and disappeared.

 Chapter 280: Nicole’s Special Questioning

    <h4>Chapter 280: Nicole¡¯s Special Questioning</h4>


    Since Maxwell held the summoner at bay, I managed to calmly defeat the Devil. As expected, having an ally around really made battles easier.


    Simrly, Maxwell¡¯s situation also improved. Having lost his trump card, the magician started to grow impatient. That stirred him to make rush attacks, which created big openings.


    True to his skill, Maxwell wasn¡¯t one to miss those openings. The man put so far the highest amount of magic power into his spell and produced a giant Fire Javelin.


    It shed with Maxwell¡¯s earth wall and caused arge explosion. That created a tempest of destruction far surpassing anything until then. However, that explosion also made him lose sight of Maxwell.


    As the dust and mes settled after the destruction of the wall, there was no sight of Maxwell there.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone? Kahahaha! No way he could have escaped that explosion. It seems that even a Six Hero was no opponent to my spells!¡± ¡°I have to say, my skills have not dulled to that extent yet.¡±


    I, who was observing their battle from the outside, noticed it. The moment the man¡¯s Fire Javelin destroyed the wall, the old man used Conceal.


    And after the explosion settled down, he probably calmly made his way behind the man.


    He appeared behind him and quickly constructed a magic circle. Hearing a voice, the mang turned around in a fluster.


    There, he saw Maxwell who had already finished constructing his magic circle. The man tried to reflexively attack with a spell, but he couldn¡¯t possibly beat Maxwell to it.


    ¡°Damn you!? Crimson eight¡ª¡± ¡°Stun Bolt.¡± ¡°Gyapii!?¡± ¡°¡­You are slow. And your choice of spells is naive too.¡±


    Even from the perspective of an amateur magician like me, the man¡¯s blunder was obvious. The first was that he used too much magic power.


    It would be one thing if he could output as much power as Maxwell and blow everything surrounding the target to dust, but his half-baked attack simply caused him to lose sight of the target.


    The second was that he tried to use attack magic after having his back taken by surprise. After the enemy was so close, it was far better to attempt a physical attack. Maxwell wasn¡¯t good at hand-to-handbat, either, so he would¡¯ve had a better chance of seeding with that method.


    And the third blunder. That was for him to try to use Fire Javelin reflexively. He would¡¯ve had a better chance of sess if he tried to take a diversionary action and flee, rather than try to defeat him then and there.


    Then again, it was doubtful whether he could beat Maxwell who had already finished his circle to the punch even if he had chosen a spell with a shorter chant.


    After all those blunders stacked together, the man could do naught but take Maxwell¡¯s Stun Bolt head-on.


    This spell paralyzed the opponent, restraining their movements.


    That said, it wouldn¡¯t show any effect if the opponent had Resist cast on them, so it was a pretty sink or swim spell.


    The man continued to twitch even after he became numb and lost consciousness. I used my threads to tie him up.


    These threads couldn¡¯t be removed with half-hearted spells or other methods.


    ¡°Maxwell, good work.¡±


    I said while tying up the man. Maxwell also returned my words.


    ¡°It was nothing much. I am more impressed you managed to defeat that Devil on your own.¡± ¡°It had a bad affinity with my magic, but not with my Gift.¡±


    Threads against tentacles. After being on the same stage, what decided the oue was battle experience, physical ability and the number of trump cards.


    I beat it in every aspect other than physical ability, so it was natural that I won.


    ¡°Now¡­ I suppose we have to get some information out of this fellow.¡± ¡°He had a loose mouth, but he didn¡¯t reveal anything important.¡±


    Contrary to how much he talked, he didn¡¯t say anything about the supplier of the sacrifices. But there should have been someone who was connected to the suppliers. We could approach the sacrifice-rted problems of the northern parts from there.


    ¡°First we have to wake him up¡­ Awake.¡±


    As the name said, this spell forced the fainted targets to awaken. When the target had received great damage, however, they could once again faint right after awakening, so it would be pointless to cast.


    In this case, the man had simply lost consciousness due to Stun Bolt, so that wouldn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Gnhh¡­¡±


    The man started twisting around while being bound by threads as he awakened. Seeing that, Maxwell took off his distance from me.


    ¡°Reid, I leave the rest to you. I will go detoxify the children in the meantime.¡± ¡°Yeah, leave this to me.¡±


    That said, I wasn¡¯t very good at torture¡­ I mean, questioning. In my previous life, I often settled bothersome situations through brute force. That is, by killing.


    But I was different now.


    After obtaining a new power called magic, I now had the means to deal pain without damaging the body too much.


    First, I dropped down his pants, leaving his lower half exposed.


    ¡°W-What are you nning to do!? I have no sexual interest in young girls!¡± ¡°When did I say I was going to torture you that way? This is just a preliminary arrangement. If you spill everything now, I will stop and simply hand you over to the authorities without hurting you.¡± ¡°Wait, that would just get me killed anyway!¡± ¡°So you were aware that you were doing something deserving capital punishment. Good to know.¡±


    I continued preparations while I talked.


    I exposed his ugly this and that, and coiled threads around them. I could just lop it off¡­ But that would only amount to one-time pain.


    But I decided to use my newly-learned spell instead.


    ¡°Warm, The Failure Edition.¡± ¡°GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?¡±


    The Mythril threads that became excessively hot started to scorch his epidermis. Since they were metallic, they could conduct the heat quite well.


    And so began the torture.


    That said, it did not take long before the man had sumbed.

 Chapter 281: Perfect Control

    <h4>Chapter 281: Perfect Control</h4>


    Based on the information that I managed to get out of the man, there seemed to exist an anti-establishment group centered around Half-Demons.


    They raised objections towards every other nation, and tried to repress other races under the pretext of the betterment of their environment who were being discriminated against.


    Naturally, there were very few who sympathized with their ideals, but they made up for that numerical disadvantage by summoning the otherworldly divine beings¡­ In other words Devils.


    It was an extremely troublesome situation, but if their ns were to seed¡ªOr rather, if their actions lead to sacrifices every time they tried to summon, the situation would be quite grim.


    Moreover, it seemed that they had ve traders dispatched in every country and gathered sacrifices through them.


    This guy didn¡¯t know where their stronghold was exactly, but at least we learned that such an organization existed. Honestly speaking, something on this scale was beyond my capabilities.


    ¡°So yeah, I think I¡¯m gonna leave the rest to you, Maxwell.¡± ¡°With such a major incident, kingdoms themselves have to move¡­ But Reid, you are forgetting something important.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This is the Northern Alliance¡¯s territory. In other words, my authority would not have much effect.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Right.¡±


    Maxwelling here was closer to him traveling incognito. If they learned that someone who came uninvited to their territory was the one that apprehended a criminal who was trying to summon a Devil, that would both put a stain on Elliot¡¯s reputation and also cause a major uproar.


    For Elliot, whose foothold was unsteady due to the assassination attempts, this would not be a very weed development.


    That said, we could not leave this man be either.


    While we were racking our brains on what to do, we suddenly heard someone¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Hey, did something happen there?¡±


    It was an unfamiliar voice of a man. It should have belonged to the guy that was standing guard outside.


    He heard the uproar inside and came to check what was going on. I couldn¡¯t help butment that his reaction was a bit too dyed, but they were summoning a Devil here. There was no knowing how noisy it could get.


    The man had a different Devil with him, so it could be that he was expecting a battle to break out from the start.


    The man¡¯s jaw dropped from astonishment after he saw the situation.


    The fainted summoner with his lower half exposed and bleeding from his crotch, and Maxwell who was ¡°d in a robe¡± and looked physically simr to the Devil.


    And there was also I, standing next to the fainted man and the kids, while having a flushed expression due to the previous battle.


    And to make matters worse, the violent battle caused certain inconveniences to my crotch and it started to bleed. I was wearing the usual short skirt, so the stain was visible from the outside.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ Did this dumbassy his hands on the sacrifice!¡± ¡°NO!¡±


    I reflexively attacked the man who came to the totally wrong conclusion with a thread. He apparently never imagined that a child like me would attack him, so he took the sh head on.


    Itnded diagonally on his shoulder, scattering blood everywhere as he copsed. The sharpness behind the Mythril thread was able to neutralize the man with one attack.


    ¡°Ah, s?h?i?t?. I attacked without thinking. I wonder if he¡¯s still alive?¡± ¡°You dealt a severe wound, but he is still clinging to his life.¡±


    Maxwell went to check the situation and quickly cast emergency Heal on him. That naturally wasn¡¯t enough to fully heal him, but there was no longer a danger to his life.


    ¡°That was close. We¡¯d need as many of them alive as possible.¡± ¡°You have quite some dangerous way of retorting there.¡± ¡°Shut up. It was this guy¡¯s fault for sexually harassing a sensitive beauty.¡± ¡°You only call yourself that when it is convenient, huh?¡± ¡°Setting that aside. What shall we do about them?¡±


    As Maxwell couldn¡¯t openly hand them over to the authorities himself, there was a need to prepare a substitute.


    The only candidates for that were I, who knew the situation, and Mateus¡¯s group. However, Mateus¡¯s group didn¡¯t know what happened here, so if they were questioned about the particrs, they could find ws in it.


    That only left me¡­


    ¡°I have no persuasiveness with this childish body, huh?¡± ¡°Not just that, it would be a problem of its own if they learn that you defeated them. You should use the Illusion Ring and transform.¡± ¡°Guess that¡¯s the only way.¡±


    I cast Cure Light on the man to stop his bleeding. He was half-scorched, but at least he wasn¡¯t bleeding any more.


    Still, carrying two men on my own would be hard.


    ¡°How should I carry these two? Can you help me carry them to the nearby station?¡± ¡°Right. How about I give you a magic lesson?¡± ¡°Hey now, this is no ce for¡­¡± ¡°Now now, do not be hasty. It is a spell that would aid you in carrying them.¡±


    What he presented to me with those words was a spell called Levitate.


    This spell allowed you to make the targets levitate a few centimeters above the ground. Moreover, it could regte its own altitude, so it wouldn¡¯t fall into pitfalls and such, and there would be no sound of footsteps, either.


    If there were any inconveniences, it would be the fact that your mobility would fall a lot since you were basically walking in the air.


    If I cast this on the two, I could move while dragging them along. If there was no friction with the ground, it would only need the mass to drag it, so it would greatly alleviate thebor needed.


    Naturally, it could be resisted and disabled, but fainted people couldn¡¯t do that.


    I constructed the technique ording to Maxwell¡¯s instructions and carefully invoked it. I didn¡¯t care in the slightest even if they got hurt, so after several trials and errors, I managed to seed in it.


    I tied my threads to them and pulled on them to test it out.


    ¡°Okay, I can pull them easier than I imagined.¡± ¡°Then, let us carry them as well.¡±


    With that, Maxwell created a board with Earth Wall, and put the children on it. In addition, he cast Levitate on that board.


    The board floated up along with the children, which Maxwell pushed and carried along. He then created a Portal Gate in front of it, connecting it to the nearby town.


    He cast high-ranked spells while maintaining two spells. The fact that he did all that without batting an eye was proof of how amazing he was.


    ¡°Now, go on first. The gate will disappear if I do it first.¡± ¡°Okay, here I go then.¡±


    I used my Illusion Ring to change into my fake identity¡ªthe woman by the name of Haumea, and passed through the gate.

 Chapter 282: The Frontier Town

    <h4>Chapter 282: The Frontier Town</h4>


    The ce where we arrived through Maxwell¡¯s Portal Gate was a small town nearby.


    It was a town we had visited back when we were set out to exterminate the Evil Dragon.


    It was a town that miraculously avoided destruction despite being near the Scion mountain range, and it was known as the ¡°Town of Miracles¡± back in the day.


    Back then, we decided to use this town as a refuge in case we had to flee, so we explored every nook and cranny of it. By doing that, Maxwell could link Portal Gate anywhere through it.


    Naturally, that also meant that the residents knew the faces of the Six Heroes very well. If they realized that Maxwell came here, it would definitely cause a mor.


    For that reason, Maxwell chose a back alley with no one around.


    ¡°Hmm, no one seems to be here. That is good.¡± ¡°But if we hand them over to the guards, they¡¯ll see your face regardless.¡± ¡°You do not have to worry about that. You are not the only one who can use illusion magic.¡±


    Saying that, he quickly formed a magic circle and activated it.


    ¡°¡ªDisguise.¡±


    The moment he uttered those words, he transformed into an unfamiliar man¡­ Or rather, a very familiar man.


    It was the face of the male teacher at our academy who trained our stamina, who was also very, how to say¡­ sultry?


    ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°That was very rude!¡± ¡°I mean, it fits you physically but¡­ No, nevermind, it doesn¡¯t fit.¡±


    The teacher in question was both wide and tall, so when Maxwell¡¯s face changed to his, it felt like the teacher had suddenly slimmed down.


    However, he still had the same big rectangr head, so it felt really off. That¡¯s what made me feel really repulsed. It was definitely not that I had a problem with the teacher himself.


    Rather, that teacher was somewhat unpopr with the girls since he was putting excessive emphasis on drilling the basics, but I didn¡¯t particrly dislike him.


    The other girls who didn¡¯t want muscles and I who was striving towards just that were somewhat conflicting in that aspect.


    Seeing me like that, the others thought I was being an honor student who put the effort into physical training and was broad-hearted enough to treat that sultry teacher with equal respect¡­ But that was a very big misunderstanding.


    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t hate the guy.¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ I thought you were only into girls, but did your mind get corroded to that point already?¡± ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean it like that!¡±


    As expected, I had no interest in that stuff.


    I knew that Maxwell was just poking fun at me, but I still ended up overreacting.


    ¡°Good grief¡­ Let¡¯s just go and get this over with.¡± ¡°Ah yes, you are right. I am worried about the children so we have to return soon.¡±


    We walked towards the main street while I dragged the two men along. As expected, a beauty dragging two men, and a man carrying five children with a board was conspicuous even during the night.


    If the guards spotted us first, they would definitely have detained us with no questions asked.


    It was still not ate night, so while there were less people outside, some guys were still heading to bars to get drunk.


    Seeing us, those people got startled and opened the way.


    Well, we were carrying two men, one without pants, and another with traces of a big wound, along with five children. I could understand that they found us suspicious. If that wasn¡¯t enough, carrying them was a lovely girl and a sultry man. That probably made us doubly suspicious.


    Fortunately, we arrived at the guard station without anyone disturbing us, and then, I pped on my cheeks to motivate myself.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Lady switch ¨C on.¡± ¡°Do not say it aloud. That ruins it.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t say it, I can¡¯t switch my mind to it.¡±


    After resolving myself, we approached the station. Carrying two floating, tied-up men, clearly made us look suspicious. So naturally, we got detained before managing to go inside.


    ¡°Hold it, who are you people!¡± ¡°My apologies for disturbing you sote at night. We have apprehended suspicious men so we wished to hand them over.¡± ¡°Suspicious men?¡± ¡°They were conducting a Devil summoning ritual in the Scion mountain range. These children here were about to be sacrificed, but we managed to save them.¡± ¡°What did you say!? P-Please wait for a bit, I will go report this to my superior. For now, head inside and wait there.¡±


    The situation was rted to Devil summoning, and in the Scion mountain range on top of it, so it was beyond something an average guard could resolve.


    We were guided inside the station and were made to wait for some time. As the children had been administered Living Doll, they were shown to the local healer just in case.


    The poison itself was gone since Maxwell casted Antidote on them, but there might have been otherplications.


    They managed to summon a Devil like Zellkarn, so nothing could be scratched out.


    As I remained gracefully seated on the chair, they offered tea and treats to me. This was probably thanks to my appearance. If I was in my child form, they wouldn¡¯t have gone that far.


    Some guards tried to get to know me better, but as that could disturb my illusion, Maxwell stopped them before that happened. Since Maxwell, who still had his original body, stood in the way, I managed to avoid getting busted.


    Like that, about one hour passed. Then finally, the town¡¯s guard leader showed up.

 Chapter 283: Effect of the Lady Switch

    <h4>Chapter 283: Effect of the Lady Switch</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you wait. Given the time, I had already retired for the day.¡±


    The one that arrived and sociably spoke to me was a well-fleshed man on top of being as tall as Maxwell.


    He had an order on his chest, and the sword on his waist was also well-decorated. I couldn¡¯t see any practical equipment on him, so he might have been a guard leader by name only.


    That said, he seemed sociable enough, so we should be able to hold a proper conversation.


    ¡°Oh, you need not worry. Everyone here has treated me well, so the time went by fast.¡±


    I took the lead in the conversation. If Maxwell did it, there was a chance that they could figure who he was based on his voice. He has talked to the guards here several times during the Evil Dragon subjugation.


    As the guard leader sat in front of me and pulled out the interrogation documents, I started to exin the situation.


    ¡°So to sum it up, you came to the Scion mountain range for the Fang Wolves, but then discovered a suspicious group?¡± ¡°Indeed. At first, I thought they came to hunt the same prey as us, but they seemed to have too many children with them, and I started to suspect them when they did not descend the mountain even as nighttime came.¡± ¡°And when you followed them, you discovered that they were conducting a Devil summoning?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, the children seemed to have been enved by using a drug. Fortunately, this skilled magician¡ªErr, Aste, managed to protect them.¡± ¡°Aste?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t introduce him as Maxwell, so I just borrowed Aste¡¯s name. Hearing that, Maxwell repeated the name in wonder, but I elbowed him in the stomach and made him quiet down.


    This might have looked like an elderly abuse, but this old man wouldn¡¯t be hurt by something like this. Despite going on and on about being bad at closebat, his body was quite sturdy.


    ¡°Ghh!?¡± ¡°Oh, what could be the matter?¡± ¡°N-Nothing, I just choked on the tea.¡± ¡°Ahh, it is too hot. Please be careful.¡±


    Even as the man chatted with us, his hands didn¡¯t stop recording what he heard in the documents. It was quite amazing that he was managing to stay in the text field without even looking down on it.


    Perhaps he had been assigned to the captain post due to his skill with documents. It was quite in, but it also meant that he had continued making steady results.


    ¡°You said the children had been drugged, but do you know what type of drug it was?¡± ¡°I daresay it was the Living Doll. They did not react to my words, and they looked and acted like dolls.¡± ¡°Living Doll¡­ Another forbidden article.¡± ¡°Indeed. As such, I thought it would be bad to leave them be.¡±


    I put a hand to my cheek and leaned my head to the side to look slightly troubled. That made the nearby guards sigh in admiration.


    Ha ha ha, quite sexy, aren¡¯t I? You youngsters wouldn¡¯tst a second in the face of mydy mode.


    ¡­Saying that made me depressed, though.


    ¡°Aste dispelled it with the Antidote spell, so there should be no longer a danger to their lives.¡± ¡°I see. It would have been better to leave one to definitely confirm the crime¡­ However, leaving a drugged child would be quite pitiable.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡±


    Living Doll did not bring danger to one¡¯s life. So, as he said, it might have been better to carry one of them without dispelling the toxin. However, the guard leader didn¡¯t me us for our careless action, showing his understanding.


    ¡°We can get that information out of those men. It appears that they have gone under harsh torture.¡±


    The man had been carried here with his lower half still exposed to the world. In other words, everyone could see his genitals burned due to my Warm failed edition spell. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what happened after seeing that.


    ¡°W-Well, I suppose we should call it youthful indiscretion¡­ That is the face of a foolish man who harassed a young maiden with sexual statements.¡± ¡°That means, you did that?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ W-Well¡­ Yes.¡±


    After digging my own grave, I dropped my head in shame.


    Of course, this was all an act. As if I would feel ashamed of burning his thing thiste in the game. Still, I thought a girl of my age would normally have been embarrassed about it, so I acted the part.


    As expected, the young guard nearby held his nose and turned away. His face was flushed to the point you¡¯d wonder if he was alright. I could even see blood tickling through the gaps of his fingers holding his nose.


    It seemed that the bashful figure of a maiden was too much stimulus for the youngsters.


    ¡°Sigh, hey you. I¡¯ll give you half an hour so go cool your head.¡± ¡°Huh, That¡¯s¡­ I, e-excuse me!¡±


    He seemed a little reluctant, but the young guard gave a bow and rushed out of the room. It seemed that blood rushed to his head there. Quite a sinful appearance I have.


    ¡°Apologies for that. These youngsters aren¡¯t used to seeing beautiful girls.¡± ¡°Calling me beautiful¡­ I am honored.¡± ¡°This is a frontier, so everyone is familiar with each other inside the town. Seeing a beautiful person like you is too much stimtion for the young knights.¡± ¡°Are there so few people in this town?¡± ¡°Yes, even after the danger of Colchis has gone, the fact that it lived nearby remains rooted. As expected, people willing to live here would decrease¡­¡± ¡°You could increase the sightseers instead.¡± ¡°Sightseeing¡­ That never crossed my mind. I see, taking people to sightseeing tours to Colchis¡¯ nest with the knights might be worth considering.¡± ¡°That is quite a bold idea.¡±


    Even I didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly jump to the idea of making the Evil Dragon¡¯s nest a sightseeing area. I just voiced a wild idea, but the people of this town seemed to have quite the tough nerves.


    ¡°Oh, right, I still haven¡¯t heard your name.¡± ¡°Ah, I am called Haumea. You can find me at¡ª¡±


    I gave him a random inn and name to record in the documents. Naturally, I didn¡¯t really reside in that inn, so it would be impossible to contact me.


    It would be a problem if they kept calling me over and over as well. Besides, the important ones here were the men I brought, not me.


    Moreover, if my name reached the central figures of this kingdom, someone even more troublesome coulde rushing here. It was better to withdraw as quickly as possible.


    ¡°I understand the situation now. We will investigate this ourselves. I will contact you for the details at ater day, so I hope you will remain in this town until then.¡± ¡°My apologies. My circumstancespel me to hurry, so that would be difficult¡­ Could I give you the Guild registration number of my friend instead? It is someone like my guardian. I wander around all the time, so it would be easier to get into touch with them instead.¡± ¡°I see. That reminds me, you did say you came to hunt Fang Wolves. Alright then, I shall send the details to that number. I might need you toe here once more, however.¡± ¡°If the circumstances allow it, I wille as fast as I can.¡± ¡°That would be great.¡±


    This registration number was not mine but Maxwell¡¯s. From now on, it would be unrted to Nicole.


    Haumea was something like Maxwell¡¯s spy, so it wouldn¡¯t raise any suspicions even if they arrived at Maxwell.


    On top of it, it was my n all along to give them this number.


    And with that, we threw the follow-up investigation at the knights and decided to return to the mountains.


    Author¡¯s note: Cool your head = Come back after quick enlightenment. (TLN: indirect way to say go rub one out)

 Chapter 284: Conspicuous Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 284: Conspicuous Appearance</h4>


    For the time being, we managed to conclude the matter by handing the Devil summoners to the officials. After all, the turmoil this time happenedpletely unnned from our side. Besides, we couldn¡¯t separate from Michelle¡¯s group for too long.


    They were currently camping in a dangerous location, and guarding them were people who once targeted Cortina¡¯s life.


    The possibility of betrayal was minuscule due to Maxwell¡¯s Geass, but we couldn¡¯tpletely scratch it out.


    I didn¡¯t think Mateus would be an enemy thiste in the game, but I still wanted to return as quickly as I could.


    Maxwell seemed to have sensed my impatience and looked at me while brushing his long beard. I currently looked like an adult woman, so it might have looked quite questionable from the outside perspective.


    ¡°Are Mateus and others on your mind?¡± ¡°Yeah. At the very least, they were our enemies at one point. They don¡¯t seem to be biting back at the moment, but¡­¡± ¡°Looking at how he works in my mansion, I could say that his rebellious spirit has gonepletely.¡± ¡°Either way, Michelle and Finia are there. I can¡¯t let go of my worry¡­ Oh, and Cloud too.¡± ¡°Hohoh, well well¡­¡±


    Maxwell suddenly stopped speaking as if he decided to swallow the rest of the sentence. That irritated me a bit.


    ¡°What is it? If you wanna say something, say it.¡± ¡°Well, I was just thinking that the unapproachable Reid I knew has mellowed down quite a bit.¡± ¡°Hey, I used to worry about you guys too, you know?¡± ¡°Your way of expressing it was too difficult to figure out.¡±


    That was quite a rude thing for him to say, but even I wasn¡¯t some insensitive rock. I worried about myrades.


    In fact, I ran frantically with a pale face at Cortina¡¯s side when she was in danger, and I took part in Maxwell¡¯s pranks even in this life.


    Those who didn¡¯t know me simply saw me as a hard-to-approach guy due to the mood around me.


    ¡°Well, those people might indeed pull something. I agree that we should return at once.¡± ¡°Then bring out your Portal Gate already.¡± ¡°Do not be so hasty. There are people around us.¡±


    Maxwell was under disguise as well, but Portal Gate was the top-rank magic of the Interference system. There weren¡¯t many people in the world who had mastered it to this degree. If luck wasn¡¯t on our side, someone could figure out it was Maxwell just from that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there then.¡±


    We were aware of every nook and cranny of this town. That was in preparation for the worst scare scenario where we had to flee and the Evil Dragon¡¯s wrath was directed at this town.


    In that situation, we would have to evacuate the citizens as fast as possible. Then we would either intercept the Dragon here, or lure it somewhere else.


    Considering all that, we had carefully inspected all escape and evacuation routes.


    We went towards the back alley as I pulled on Maxwell¡¯s hand. But before we got there, two people showed up to block our way.


    I suddenly became vignt and thought they were a separate group of the Devil summoners, but Maxwell put a hand on my shoulder and I managed to hold back on instinctively throwing my threads at them.


    ¡°Hey there, old man. Nice woman you have there, ehh? H!¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re gonna scare her if you talk like that. How about it, missy,e drink with us for a bit.¡±


    Yeah, they were just bad drunks. Given their appearance, they weren¡¯t even Adventurers. It felt like they just got too drunk after drinking on some good asion. It would have escted into a big incident if I ended up shing at them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have some business I have to take care of fast. Please move aside.¡± ¡°Aww don¡¯t be like that. What business could it be?¡±


    He tried to touch my shoulder over-familiarly. But before I even had time to avoid it, his hand lost power and dangled down¡ªfollowed by both men copsing on the spot and raising snores.


    ¡°¡­They fell asleep?¡± ¡°I cast the Sleep spell on them. It was easy to do it behind your back.¡± ¡°You act fast as always. Actually, is that really alright? Throwing spells at normal people, I mean.¡± ¡°It is not that serious a spell. They will wake up even with a simple shock. And it would be bothersome to try persuading them. This way, they just look like ordinary sleeping drunkards.¡± ¡°Well, you have a point.¡±


    Still¡­ Taking this appearance sure invited indiscriminate attraction from the guys. Maybe I made myself a little too pretty. Besides, there was no guarantee that I would be like this in the future. There always was a big wall between ideals and reality.


    ¡°Hey, Maxwell. About my appearance¡­¡± ¡°It suits you really well.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that.¡± ¡°Come now, I am opening the Portal Gate.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡±


    Maxwell rattled his way into the back alley, making me miss the chance to address my conspicuous appearance.


    Actually, I think he dodged it intentionally, didn¡¯t he? Oh well, I wouldn¡¯t take on this appearance that often. If I did it often, Elliot mighte running at every opportunity. With all that considered, I suppose it was fine to stand out a bit. I should just consider it as a distractor.


    After we returned with Maxwell¡¯s Portal Gate, Mateus greeted us as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Hey, wee back,dy Nicole?¡± ¡°Drop that, it feels disgusting. Did anything happen?¡± ¡°All¡¯s right with the world, or however it goes.¡± ¡°Good then.¡± ¡°How about on your side?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Mateus was already aware of our night operations. In that case, he would only get suspicious if we kept our mouths sealed.


    Thus, I told him about the cave and the Half-Demon that was trying to summon a Devil there. Hearing that, Mateus sighed while scratching his head.


    ¡°Good grief, what a helpless bunch. They should know that how you¡¯re treated depends on how you act.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re saying something proper for once.¡± ¡°Well, I was one such case too. You are like an insect when weak, but everyone starts fearing you when you grow stronger. I experienced it myself.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what an Adventurer¡¯s life is like.¡±


    If it was an ability-based Adventurer, they could force their way through everything. It was a world where might made right.


    If that guy had enough power as a Half-Demon to summon a Devil, they could¡¯ve used his talent to improve his life instead.


    ¡°Well, everyone is different. How about you sleep already, missy, it¡¯s quitete, you know?¡± ¡°Yeah, I really should¡­ Keep your hands to yourself, you hear?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯d do something so scary!?¡±


    Mateus paled, probably remembering getting trashed by Lyell. Still, it sounded like I was unattractive, so it was a little hard to swallow¡­


    Well,pared to Finia and Michelle, I was indeed in looking.


    ¡°Ah, well.¡±


    With that mutter, I pulled out a nket, wrapped myself in it and spent the night like that.

 Chapter 285: As We Returned…

    <h4>Chapter 285: As We Returned¡­</h4>


    The next day, we returned to Maxwell¡¯s islet. The Northern Alliance was a somewhat cold kingdom, and we even climbed up the mountain range there, so the difference in temperature was quite drastic. Given my meager stamina, that difference hit me pretty hard.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m suffering just by being alive.¡± ¡°Oh no, are you gonna die!?¡± ¡°I was just speaking metaphorically. You sure love overreacting, Michelle.¡± ¡°Nicole, did you forget how much you worried us until now?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Oh well, it was true that I made them worry over me this time. But it was due to my physical changes, not something I could help.


    Since procuring the threads for swimsuits got crammed in our tasks, our training camp schedule had turned quite tight.


    Today¡¯s task was to shave the Fang Wolf¡¯s fangs in talisman shapes and carve magic circles on them. We had to finish doing this within two days. However, I had already made the magic circleyouts, so the only thing left was molding the fangs and carving the magic circles by referencing what I had already drawn.


    ¡°L-Leaving that aside, we have to process the materials today, you know? That¡¯s one of the jobs of Adventurers.¡± ¡°Ugh, I am not good at detailed work.¡± ¡°I will do what I can to assist you.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, even if you fail, these fangs are big enough to allow for some mistakes.¡±


    Maxwell, who had already sent Mateus¡¯ group back to Raum, assured us. I didn¡¯t really care about the exact size for our share of the talismans, but I had to carefully consider it for the baby¡¯s share.


    There was a risk of it getting swallowed if it was made too small, but making it too big would also make it inconvenient to carry around. After calcting its size, we ended up making it from one of the fangs, a bit on the bigger side.


    In terms of thickness, it was a 3 cm cylinder, and the length was somewhere between 5-10 cm.


    ¡°That is quite a big one, Lord Maxwell.¡± ¡°We could make it smaller, but this looks like the right size to hang on the neck. And making it too small would endanger the baby.¡± ¡°It could get swallowed.¡± ¡°After the baby gets used to it, we could remake it in a smaller shape. But that is something you can consider after having the ability to do so, however.¡± ¡°Ugh, I will do my best.¡±


    After we returned to the cottage, I went to exin the manufacturing process to Michelle and Finia, while Letina was busy digging her own grave.


    Since Letina attended the Academy, she had the fundamental knowledge, but these two didn¡¯t. I had to exin it to them in detail. And to Cloud as well as a bonus.


    And thus, we spent the entire day shaving the fangs, and then came my night work of carving the magic circles on them. We just had to pour magic into them like with Magic Crystals and they would be finished.


    While the magic power remained inside them, they would continue to protect the wearers. It really only was on the level of a leather armor, but it still made a huge difference in baby¡¯s safety.


    If the magic power ran out, I could just recharge it again.


    Like this, my ¡°Gift¡± finally took on a proper form.


    Thus, we finished our training camp schedule favorably, and decided to use thest day that we had as a reserve to y at the sea.


    And finally, we returned to Raum while getting quite an unfitting tan considering the season.


    We split and shared the spoils at Maxwell¡¯s house. That was the same in old thing we did.


    After that Letina and Cloud went to their respective homes. I also followed the familiar path home along with Michelle and Finia.


    What was different from usual, was what happened after we reached Cortina¡¯s home.


    ¡°Hey, is this really alright!?¡±


    From inside came Cortina¡¯s voice, appearing unimaginably shaken. It made us reflexively exchange gazes.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But normal Cortina would never sound so confused.¡± ¡°True. She is alwaysposed, so this is unusual.¡±


    She was by nature a calm person. Conversely, she tended to keep everything bottled inside, but her calm nature was also one of her weapons during battles.


    Someone like that had presently lost all herposite and raised strange voices.


    ¡°W-Why are you asking that to me¡­ Hey, Gadius, what do you think?¡± ¡°As if I would know!¡±


    Following it came Lyell and Gadius¡¯ voices. These two were fearless fighters too. It was really rare to hear such shaken voices from them.


    That seemed to have been some kind of hint for Finia, she suddenly pped her hands in joy.


    ¡°Ah, could it be¡­¡± ¡°Finia, did you think of something?¡± ¡°Yes. It could be that Lady Maria started giving birth!¡± ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    There should have been close to a month until her childbirth. Wasn¡¯t it a little too early?


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she expecting it next month?¡± ¡°She might be giving birth a little early. It happens quite often.¡± ¡°I-Isn¡¯t that quite a big deal!?¡± ¡°Yes. So I will go help them right away!¡±


    Finia opened the door uncharacteristically violently and threw the luggage at the entrance. It was a strange act from someone who treated belongings with care.


    ¡°I-I also¡­ Have to help somehow!¡± ¡°Nicole, calm down! Err, Uhh¡­ I¡¯ll go call my mom!¡±


    As Finia headed into the house, Michelle rushed towards her own. Seeing that, I just stood still and pped around weirdly, unable toe up with what to do.

 Chapter 286: Childbirth

    <h4>Chapter 286: Childbirth</h4>


    Maria¡¯s childbirth had started.


    Hearing that¡­ I was at a loss for what to do.


    I stood at Cortina¡¯s door and looked around while pping my arms. Naturally, there was no one for me to find there.


    Finia went in to assist with the role of a midwife, while Michelle went to her own house to bring her mother.


    Actually, no¡­ There were two more people inside the house. Onerge and one small.


    ¡°G-G-G-Gadius, everything will be fine, right? Right!?¡± ¡°H-H-H-How should I know!?¡±


    There was Lyell, acting just as confused as I, and Gadius, who seemed to have been petrified in ce, but his legs alone were trembling violently.


    Men were practically useless in situations like this. Lyell¡¯s remark about Gadius being useless during our departure was unexpectedly on point this time.


    ¡°Lye¡ªDad!¡± ¡°Ohh, Nicole! You¡¯re back, my honey!¡± ¡°Ew.¡± ¡°Thank you for your prompt love-filled words of abuse. That aside, Maria is¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, so it really was that. Finia went in, and Michelle¡¯s gonna bring her mom too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring!¡±


    He muttered in gratitude and approached me, trying to go for the hug, but I managed to slip by. At that timing, someone appeared at the entrance.


    ¡°Hey! Stop standing there like sore thumbs. Quite pathetic for people calling themselves Six Heroes. You¡¯re a bother here, so go wait outside.¡±


    Entering with such assertive words was none other than Michelle¡¯s mom. Michelle was also following behind her.


    She used to treat Lyell with respect before, having a debt of gratitude towards him, but this was an emergency. Her current rough attitude felt quite reliable.


    She drove Lyell and Gaidus away to the living room using the same kind of words she used towards Michelle.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, could you boil water for me? And bring me clean clothes. We need a lot of it!¡± ¡°O-Okay!¡± ¡°Michelle,e help too.¡± ¡°Okay!¡±


    Receiving instructions, I was finally able to act. Standing still in confusion during a serious matter like childbirth was quite a man-like behavior for me, wasn¡¯t it?


    Whileing to that conclusion inside my head, I rushed to the kitchen to boil water.


    The next morning, after several hours of hard struggle, Maria was able to safely deliver the baby. It was a girl, just like the God of Destruction prophesied. In other words, it was my little sister.


    She raised her first cry, one loud enough to make us wonder whether it¡¯d bother the neighbors. I apparently didn¡¯t cry almost at all when I was born, so this made Maria feel relieved, if anything.


    Seeing Maria raised slightly from the bed to feed the baby, Lyell and I heaved relieved sighs.


    ¡°Oh, wee back, Nicole. Did you enjoy the training camp?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Oh, right, here¡¯s a gift from me.¡±


    I pulled out the baby shampoo and talisman and put them on the side table.


    ¡°The shampoo can apparently be used to wash the body too. And it can be used by anyone, not just the baby.¡± ¡°Oho. Now that I think about it, your hair was always sparkly so I didn¡¯t notice it, but Michelle and Finia¡¯s hairs are looking quite glossy too now.¡± ¡°Right?¡±


    After we finished the shampoo production, we used it as a test. It didn¡¯t have much of an effect on me, but Finia and Michelle¡¯s hair turned visibly glossy.


    Maria, who had identically beautiful hair to mine, pointed that fact out, which made Finia turn around shyly, while Michelle startedughing loosely.


    ¡°That aside,e look, you too Lyell. She is the newest member of our family.¡±


    Saying so, she shifted the baby¡¯s position and showed me her face. She was small, round, and¡­


    ¡°Kinda wrinkly?¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ Ahahaha!¡±


    Maria burst into augh from my honest impressions. The shaking from it seemed to difort the babe, she started twisting and turning. Realizing that, Maria held herugh down¡­ But her body still trembled.


    ¡°You were the same at first, you know?¡± ¡°No waay.¡±


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like I was cute right from birth, though it feels weird to say that about myself. But seriously, I don¡¯t think I had this kind of pickled plum-like face.


    ¡°Infants are all like this, you know? But when you realize they are your family, they start looking lovely.¡± ¡°Really now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just too practical, Nicole. She looks just adorable to me, Maria.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smooth-talker so I can¡¯t really trust your words there.¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that harsh!?¡±


    Lyell grabbed his head in an exaggerated manner, but quickly moved on from it and started bragging about his daughter.


    ¡°Look, Cortina. It¡¯s Nicole¡¯s sister, isn¡¯t she just precious?¡±


    He addressed Cortina who was sitting down in a somewhat udylike posture. Kabby was also stretched out next to her.


    They were both attending to Maria all night, and used Heal on her whenever the need arose, so they werepletely drained.


    ¡°Ahh, yeah, yeah. She¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°That was quite half-hearted. Aren¡¯t you gonna give us your blessing?¡± ¡°Let me rest for a bit first. I¡¯m exhausted. There was so much blood, I thought she was gonna die¡­¡± ¡°Squee~¡± ¡°Ahah, sorry about that. I thought it would be easier since it was my second time.¡± ¡°So, what are you going to name her? I assume you¡¯ve already decided on it.¡± ¡°Yeah, this girl¡­ Nicole¡¯s sister¡¯s name will be¡­¡±


    She took a little pause and looked at Lyell. And then she faced me and dered with a bright smile.


    ¡°Fina. It is thebination of the names of our two dear friends, Cortina and Finia.¡±


    Like this, my precious family had grown by one.

 Chapter 287: A Little Sister’s Raison D’être

    <h4>Chapter 287: A Little Sister¡¯s Raison D¡¯¨ºtre</h4>


    Since then, due to the birth of Fina, the newest member of our family, Maria and Lyell stoppeding to Raum as frequently as before.


    As expected, raising a child meant you wouldn¡¯t have so many chances of going out.


    Actually, I wanted Finia to go back too, but she stayed behind in Raum to care for me. My first menstruation had a big influence on that too. Since my condition was easily ruinable, Maria insisted that I needed Finia as a caretaker.


    In consideration of Maria who could no longere over so much, I started to visit the northern vige more frequently to see my sister¡¯s face. Naturally, I couldn¡¯t return there on my own ¨C it was done with Maxwell¡¯s cooperation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be off then.¡± ¡°Okay. Say hi to them from me.¡±


    During the weekend, I visited Maxwell¡¯s mansion so we could head to the north. Cortina followed us quite often to check in on them, but she had to mark the tests this time around, so she couldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°I really wanted toe along though¡­ I really, really wanted toe along!¡± ¡°I got it already, I¡¯ll pass your greetings.¡± ¡°I really, really, really wanted toe along though!¡± ¡°You cannot just ignore your academy work.¡± ¡°Are you getting in my way, old man!¡±


    Cortina was glued to the desk at Maxwell¡¯s mansion, and forced to grade the papers.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see Nicole¡¯s face back in the day, so I didn¡¯t want to repeat the same mistake and nned to engrave it in my mind!¡± ¡°Be at ease, I shall do that in your stead.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me any happier!¡±


    Cortina protested by knocking on the test, but she knew how to separate work and private matters. She didn¡¯t force herself along, but simply came to see me off.


    Thus, Maxwell and I came to the vige that was my second home.


    After opening the nostalgic door, and quickly throwing a greeting, I rushed towards Fina right away. She looked so wrinkled back when she was born, but after getting cleaned up, her sleeping face was adorable just like Maria described it. Nay, this was already angelic.


    ¡°Ngbu..¡± ¡°Come on, at least say I¡¯m home, Nicole.¡± ¡°Sorry, mom. And yeah, I¡¯m home.¡±


    It was still risky to hang the talisman I made on the baby¡¯s neck, so it was hanging on the bedside instead. There was no knowing what the baby would do the moment you took your eyes off, after all.


    If she turned around in sleep while it was hanging on her neck, the string could possibly suffocate her. As such, it was still not time to put the talisman to work.


    ¡°Actually, where¡¯s dad?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see Lyell around, who tended to take a rest from work ever since Fina was born. He was working as a guard in this vige, which gave him a lot of free time, so this was unusual.


    Still, whenever monsters appeared, he was immediately called for help, so you couldn¡¯t really say whether he had a lot of time on his hands or not.


    ¡°Ah, he was called by Elliot so he¡¯s gone to Tryad.¡± ¡°To the capital?¡±


    The capital of the Northern alliance, Tryad. It was the capital of the old Tryad kingdom, which was left as is even in the Northern Alliance.


    Since it was so far away, they probably sent a magician who could use Teleport or Portal Gate to bring him along.


    ¡°Yes, it seemed that there was something he just had to ask Lyell.¡± ¡°Something to ask¡­¡±


    It was rare for Elliot to approach Lyell like that. Honestly, Lyell was a muscle-brain like me, so he was not the best guy for consultations. Yet, he was called for exactly that¡­


    ¡°Marriage talks again?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be it. Unfortunate it may be for you, Elliot is still head over heels for that sweetheart of his.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unfortunate at all.¡± ¡°Ah, right, you have Cloud, after all.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not in my zone either.¡±


    This damn love gossiper! I don¡¯t have any interest in guys. Just give it a rest and realize that already, good grief.


    ¡°Oh dear, Nicole is still all about friends rather than boys. Maybe even Fina will beat you in finding the first love.¡± ¡°That is highly possible.¡± ¡°As a mother, I wished you¡¯d deny that, you know?¡± ¡°Well, sorry I guess?¡±


    Too bad for her, but a future where I would give birth to her grandchild was bound to never arrive. Pitiful it may be, that was the natural providence. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t.


    At any rate, Fina¡¯s birth was significant even from that perspective. I couldn¡¯t leave any offspring, but Fina could continue their bloodline in my stead.


    It was the weekend, so I could stay in the vige for a day. Maxwell couldn¡¯t leave Cortina alone, so he returned back for the time being.


    He had his fill of ying with Fina, and then muttered ¡°I can brag to Cortina about this,¡± so he was probably getting punished right about now. Well, she probably wouldn¡¯t overdo it.


    After I also fully enjoyed the return to my house, the day darkened, and Lyell finally returned. The magician apanying him bid us farewell with a bow and returned back. Maria tried to offer him a cup of tea, but he politely refused it.


    After returning, Lyell had quite a displeased expression on his face. It rivaled the one he had when Elliot brought up the marriage talks. Maria of course sensed that too.


    ¡°Dear, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hmm, well¡­ I guess you are rted to this too.¡±


    After saying that, Lyell told us what he heard in the royal pce. It was something I had personally experienced. In other words¡­ About the sect that was conducting the Devil Summoning at the Evil Dragon¡¯s nest.


    ¡°Devil Summoning using the grudges left behind by the Evil Dragon, huh. That is quite a disturbing method.¡± ¡°Moreover, they seem to be made up of Half-Demons. The frequent kidnappings that happen in the northern parts seem to also be connected to them.¡± ¡°I¡­ Wish they could turn over a new leaf, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be possible.¡±


    It would be one thing if they were only involved in the ve trade, but they alsomitted kidnappings and even Devil Summons, so no one could stick up for them anymore. Maria also realized that, hence her sadness.


    ¡°Not everyone can stand strong in the face of discrimination like Reid.¡± ¡°Indeed. He really was outstanding.¡±


    Please stop, I feel weird hearing you two hold me in such high regard. Besides, which part of an assassin like me was supposed to be outstanding.


    ¡°Also, the one who had brought that information turns out to be the woman called ¡®Haumea¡¯.¡± ¡°Haumea¡­ The one that Cortina assumed to be Reid¡¯s reincarnation?¡± ¡°Yeah, in addition, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild number that she presented them turned out to belong to Maxwell.¡± ¡°At that point¡­ We can safely say that she is Reid.¡± ¡°Yeah. We really have to get some answers out of Maxwell.¡±


    Lyell reced his frown with a happy slime, and Maria was quick to follow suit.


    The two exchanged happy looks. It seems that they were wholeheartedly d about my reincarnation.

 Chapter 288: Secret Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 288: Secret Meeting</h4>


    Author¡¯s note: Please note that the protagonist won¡¯t appear for about two chapters from now on.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    This was a tavern where the Adventurersmonly gathered. One boy opened the door and walked into that tavern.


    The young waitress serving the drinks noticed the boy and addressed him casually.


    ¡°Wee Kufar. You¡¯ve taken your time today.¡± ¡°Hey, Lizith. Is everyone here already?¡± ¡°Yes, the usual table. Ready to order yet?¡± ¡°Same as usual.¡± ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll bring it right away.¡±


    He was about 15 years old. The waitress was of the same age so they were quite close. Sometimes some Adventurers poked fun at him for that, but he tended to let it pass without raising a fuss.


    The boy¡ªKufar, headed deeper into the tavern, and joined the table with several Adventurers gathered there.


    It was still noon, but three men there were already going hard on the alcohol there. They had swords and staffs, but the only shared trait was the fact that they all wore hats or bandanas.


    And one more fact, all of them gave off an aura of a skilled Adventurer.


    ¡°Hey, a littlete today, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. I received an important piece of information.¡±


    Kufar sat down and immediately got down to business. There was nothing strange about it, as they were hisrades. However, they were very vignt about their surroundings. They lowered their voices, as if to let the noise around conceal it.


    ¡°Something important?¡± ¡°Yeah. The bunch headed for the nest in question had been arrested. Well, they were just underlings so they shouldn¡¯t reveal anything important.¡± ¡°Those guys? I can¡¯t believe they failed even in gathering the pieces.¡± ¡°Five baits wouldn¡¯t be able to draw any important prey. I think we can just leave this be.¡±


    The men expressed their opinions at the boy¡¯s words one by one. But then, they all held their tongues and the conversation stopped.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait. Orange juice for Kufar, as well as grilled chicken. I will bring the sdter.¡± ¡°Thank you. I can finally fill my stomach.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you get for not waking up sooner.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not a morning person.¡±


    The young waitress brought food and cackled on the way back. After confirming that she was far enough, they resumed their conversation.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure it¡¯s fine to meet up in a ce like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s a ce like this that no one pays attention to what others say. If we use that ce too much, we¡¯d stand out.¡± ¡°Oh well. That aside, I got that those underlings got arrested, but is that really something to fuss about? Surely they didn¡¯t have any ssified information?¡±


    One of the man made an argument after moistening his tongue with alcohol. He was downing the alcohol, but his eyes still held the light of reasoning in them. Their behavior until now was nothing more than drunkard-pretend.


    ¡°That itself is nothing much. The problem is the one who caught them.¡± ¡°The one who caught them?¡± ¡°It seems to be a woman called Haumea. Apparently is quite a beauty, but the problem is the guild number that she provided.¡± ¡°Was it fake?¡± ¡°No, it was someone else¡¯s. And¡ª¡±


    Kufar lowered his voice even more. That would normally look suspicious and have the opposite effect, but this is how Adventurers talked in this bar, so it didn¡¯t draw that much attention.


    ¡°It was the number of Maxwell, one of the Six Heroes.¡± ¡°Ma¡ª!?¡±


    One of the men almost shouted his name, but he held his mouth and suppressed it at thest second. Even so, his expression remained shocked. However, people in the surroundings did not catch his surprise.


    ¡°¡­Is that true?¡± ¡°Yeah, no doubt about it. How in the world did he sniff us out?¡± ¡°That damn old fool¡­ Wait, the fact that he¡¯s on the move probably means he has the Strategist behind him too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a high chance of that. That Haumea person might be one of his pawns.¡± ¡°Since they were able to pinpoint the summoning location like that, they might be aware of our movements.¡± ¡°Quite possibly.¡±


    After Kufar¡¯s assent, the three men¡¯s expressions turned dead serious. They were working in the inner circle, so the fact that the information had gotten leaked could only mean¡­


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s a betrayer?¡± ¡°Probably. And if it¡¯s like that, the disappearance of the merchant in Lilith should also be rted to this.¡± ¡°We have to thoroughly investigate our members.¡± ¡°We also have to feel around for the enemy¡¯s movements. It appears that we are not the only ones who want to find this Haumea person too.¡± ¡°So there are other opposing organizations?¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems that the royal pce is at work, you know?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Organs of the state would be one thing, but are you saying the king himself is moving!?¡± ¡°Quite a difficult situation we found ourselves in.¡±


    With a sigh, Kufar reached towards his food. It had cooled down quite a bit, but still, the chicken meat that had once been run through fire and had the surface fats melted was still plenty tasty.


    Even still, the juices came flooding out with a bite, being a testament to the skill of the cook.


    ¡°At any rate, we should refrain from any conspicuous activities. And do a strict internal audit. At the same time, investigate this Haumea. And also to confirm the old fool and the Strategist¡¯s movements. Looks like we have a lot on our tes.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. We have too few pieces for making any open moves. And since the king is moving, we have to look for the reason behind that too.¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t have any coborators inside the royal pce. Thest ¡°Count¡± we had has been lost.¡± ¡°We finally managed to make contact with the ¡°Margrave¡±, but that ipetent fool¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s different from our main goal, so it¡¯s fine either way.¡±


    The king would die, and the usurpation would follow. Those incidents would have greatly shaken the public order of this kingdom. Making use of that disturbance would make it very easy to gather the sacrifices.


    As such, they tried to fan Tarkashire¡¯s mes, but it didn¡¯t go well. Be that as it may, they could continue as they had been, so there were no problems.


    However, Kufar still felt that it would get troublesome now that the vignce around the king had been strengthened.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 289: Spontaneous Discharge

    <h4>Chapter 289: Spontaneous Discharge</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    While Nicole was staying in her home, Maxwell had returned back to Raum on his own. Even if he knew that she was his oldrade on the inside, taking a young child apart from her parents would still add to psychological stress.


    It was not bad to let her reunite with her family like this whenever an opportunity arose, Maxwell thought.


    He was aware that this was all self-satisfaction, but he still felt good about it, thinking that he had done a good deed. He opened the door to his house while being in a good mood.


    As he did¡­ He was met with Cortina standing in a daunting pose.


    ¡°Waaah! Oh, it is just you, Cortina. Do not scare me like that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®It¡¯s just you¡¯ me. You received a report. I left it in your office.¡± ¡°A report?¡±


    Maxwell looked puzzled for a moment, but he soon realized it was about the Devil Summoning from the other day, and hurriedly rushed to his office.


    It was the report that Haumea requested to be delivered to Maxwell. It would be quite bad if Cortina were to see it.


    After rushing inside the office and locking the door, he opened the sealed letter. On it was a list of the ve traders that were doing transactions with the summoner men.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ So they were receiving sacrifices from several ve traders. It seems some of them have already been caught¡­¡± ¡°Maxwell, we have to talk.¡± ¡°Whaah!?¡±


    Hearing Cortina¡¯s sudden voice made him literally jump up.


    The door should have been locked, so he could not process what happened. However, Cortina could use magic to an extent. Unlocking a door should have been a child¡¯s y for her if she used Unlock. That spell belonged in-between elementary and mid-grade spells, so she knew how to use it.


    ¡°What is it all of a sudden? Stop scaring me so much, you are going to shorten my lifespan.¡± ¡°There¡¯s hardly any left of it anyway. That aside, I had the messenger spill out the info.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡±


    The Guild¡¯s messenger should not have known the details. However, they should still have been aware of where the message wasing from.


    It was information that reached Maxwell through Haumea. The same person that Cortina was suspecting to be Reid.


    ¡°So you were still in touch with that Haumea, huh?¡± ¡°Umm, that is¡­¡± ¡°Just tell me one thing. Is she Reid¡¯s reincarnation?¡± ¡°Mghh¡­¡±


    Maxwell was at a loss. If he were to take Cortina¡¯s feelings into ount, denying it here would have been too pitiful. Besides, Haumea was Nicole¡¯s fake identity, so her guess that she was Reid¡¯s reincarnation was indeed correct.


    However, if he were to affirm it, it would aggravate her feelings even more. As Reid could not show himself now, this too would only lead her to more sorrow.


    ¡°Umm¡­ You could say that she is, and you could say that she is not¡­¡± ¡°I am not an idiot here. I realize that he has some kind of circumstances. In the first ces, not meeting us just because he was reborn into a girl seems too weak of a reason.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Do you know? He once looked at my chest and said ¡°Whether you have that meat or not, it would not obstruct your movements¡±, can you believe it?¡± ¡°Ah, he must have been saying that from the perspective of an Adventurer¡­¡± ¡°I get that. But the point is, he has not a fragment of delicacy in him. Would someone like that shy away just because he got turned into a girl?¡± ¡°W-Who knows?¡±


    If that was all, even Maxwell would have agreed with her. However, the reality was that he ended up reborn Lyell and Maria¡¯s daughter on top of that.


    He understood very well why Reid was not able to announce himself.


    ¡°Perhaps he has his own ways of thinking about it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that!¡±


    Cortina mmed her fist to the wall on the side. Her sudden outburst made Maxwell shrink away.


    ¡°What about my feelings, then! I¡¯ve been waiting for him for so long¡­!¡±


    Glittering drops fell from her eyes as she looked down. Seeing that, Maxwell made up his mind to an extent, and answered.


    ¡°¡­ I cannot tell you the details. Please understand that part. However, as for the rest¡­ I shall only say that it is as you have guessed.¡± ¡°Then, Reid¡­¡± ¡°Yes, he has been reborn, and he is close to us as you have already witnessed yourself. He has certain circumstances that force him to stay hidden from us.¡± ¡°So he is still in touch with you, huh?¡± ¡°As if I would leave someone as talented as him alone. He has a low self-assessment, but have you any idea how valuable a person who has mastered the art of spying and assassination is?¡± ¡°Yes, I know that all too well.¡±


    Before they teamed up as the Six Heroes, they belonged to the kingdoms antagonistic to each other.


    Especially Cortina, who used to lead the army, was viewed as the thorn in the eyes by the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle. There had been cases where Reid took on the bounty and attempted to assassinate her.


    Cortina had sensed the danger and somehow avoided it by using substitutes and body doubles.


    ¡°Still¡­ Sorry. I lost myposure there.¡± ¡°Do not be. I cannot say I understand your feelings, but, well. What I am saying is, don¡¯t lose hope.¡± ¡°I know that. It¡¯s just, even though I know he¡¯s alive out there somewhere, I just can¡¯t calm down. Earlier I just lost my patience due to this standstill.¡± ¡°Let us leave it at that then. Now, I have new information to share.¡±


    With those words, Maxwell showed her the letter. Since the matter of Haumea had already been found out, there was nothing else to hide in it.


    ¡°ve traders? And¡­ Devil Summoning!?¡± ¡°This should be important for you too.¡± ¡°Yes, still, looks like Half-Demons are involved again. Same as that time.¡± ¡°Half-Demons themselves are not evil or anything, but this is intolerable.¡± ¡°Be it Humans, Beastmen, or Half-Demons¡­ Using children as sacrifices isn¡¯t something that can be forgiven.¡± ¡°Right. I shall follow up on investigating this.¡± ¡°Also¡­ What about the inquiry from Elliot about Haumea¡¯s whereabouts? I¡¯d like to know that too, though.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I do not know either. Haumea is considered expelled on paper.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s just wearing the mantle of your authority and does as he pleases wherever he goes?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. Something like that¡­ I suppose.¡± ¡°That carefree idiot.¡±


    In Cortina¡¯s imagination, Reid had been reborn as a girl and was carefreely traveling in the Northern Alliance. The person in question was actually in the remote vige, enjoying the face of his newborn sister, but s, she had no way of knowing that.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 290: Nicole Falls

    <h4>Chapter 290: Nicole Falls</h4>


    After spending a night in my home after so long, the morning arrived and yet, I was still clinging to Fina.


    In both my lives, this was the first time I had gained a new family in the truest sense, so it just couldn¡¯t be helped.


    I was an orphanage-raised before, and in this life, my parents were my oldrades. It was a little hard to consider them exactly family.


    But Fina was undoubtedly my little sister.


    That sister was now sleeping soundly in her new baby bed. I sat beside it and simply observed her sleeping face.


    As Maria said, she looked wrinkled at first, but once the filth was washed off from her, she turned shockingly adorable. It was lovely to the point you¡¯d think it was an angel sleeping there.


    I reflectively reached out and poked her soft cheek with my finger and enjoyed the sensation.


    ¡°Nicole, she¡¯ll wake up if you touch too much.¡±


    ¡°Just a bit more.¡±


    Fina didn¡¯t seem to mind about my meddling and continued indulging in her idle slumber. I took that opportunity to have my fill of her cheeks.


    Maria still cautioned me, but she didn¡¯t stop me and just kept looking with a smile. In other words, I was still safe.


    ¡°Uhehe~¡±


    I was just staring at her face, yet even I realized how loose my expression was turning. From other people¡¯s perspectives, I probably looked to be in acent, dazed state.


    Then, she seemed to have taken notice of my finger, she brought her hand up and squeezed it tightly.


    ¡°Mom, mom! Fina grabbed my hand!¡±


    ¡°Oh, good for you.¡±


    I reported it to Maria in a fluster, but she just replied without getting up from the sofa near the firece. It seems that childbirth really drained a lot out of her.


    She would normally be doing something in the house. Maxwell did hand the Queen Blossom nectar to her, which was supposed to be full of nourishment, but it wouldn¡¯t show its effect in a day, I guess.


    She didn¡¯t seem to be as dangerously weakened as I was, so I could rest easy.


    Fina kept tightly holding my finger, but remained sleeping without change. I also just sat there without pulling it away and observed her sleeping face.


    I wonder how long I sat there like that. Maybe thirty minutes? After that much time passed, there was a ring on the door.


    ¡°Ah, we have guests. I¡¯ll go check.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t call Maria¡¯s condition very good. As such, we had a maid working here. However, since I came home after so long, we had her take a day off to enjoy it privately as a family.


    Lyell had his guard work so he was missing, though.


    As I arrived at the entrance, Maxwell opened the door and walked in. He was practically a family too, so he coulde and go as he pleased more or less.


    ¡°Wee, Maxwell. Wanna see Fina¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°That is the first thing you are going to say? Good grief¡­¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    He was acting more displeased than normal, making me feel a strange sense of crisis. It felt like I was stirring up a ho¡¯s nest.


    ¡°Eh, never mind, I shall take a look at Maria first and then your sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please do. I¡¯ll say it in advance, but she is really cute.¡±


    ¡°You have beenpletely charmed, eh? I do understand your feelings however.¡±


    ¡°My sister is an angel so that¡¯s natural.¡±


    ¡°You sound exactly like Lyell there.¡±


    Hearing that, I instantly stiffened in ce. I mean, we were certainly rted by blood, but it was still me on the inside. Did I really take after him despite that?


    ¡°I also need to discuss something with Maria. I need you to hear it too so stay close, okay?¡±


    ¡°S-Sure¡­ Then I¡¯ll pretend to be looking at Fina and listen in. Maria is lying near the firece at the moment, after all¡±


    ¡°You do that.¡±


    Like that, I heard him talk about the extremist group that had taken nest in the Northern Alliance. They seemed to have had connections to the human trafficking channels and procured children as sacrifices from there.


    ¡°I assumed the reason there were so many ve merchants in these northern parts was due to the bad public order left over from the Evil Dragon¡­ But to think such people were moving behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they seem quite malicious too. Also¡ªElliot is also moving.¡±


    ¡°Elliot? Ah, about Haumea?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She is my subordinate after all, so it would help me if he does not get too involved.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me to tell that to Lyell?¡±


    ¡°Well, Lyell seldom visits the royal pce, but he still visits it more often than I, right? Thus, I would like it if he conveys that if the opportunity arises.¡±


    ¡°Still, she is Reid¡¯s reincarnation like Cortina said, after all, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Well, he had certain circumstances to consider. He decided not to show his face for some time¡­¡±


    ¡°That is pretty cruel of him towards Cortina.¡±


    ¡°I am more or less of the same opinion.¡±


    Saying that, he directed a meaningful gaze at my way.


    I was conscious of her feelings. However, I could not respond to them at present.


    I decided to feign ignorance and continued poking at Fina¡¯s cheek, trying to ignore my guilty conscience.

 Chapter 291: Towards The Solution

    <h4>Chapter 291: Towards The Solution</h4>


    That evening, I was taken back to Raum by Maxwell. Cortina had naturally already returned to her own home, so she wasn¡¯t in his mansion. Mateus had been given some work to do, so he wasn¡¯t there, either.


    ¡°Now then, Reid.¡±


    ¡°What is it, being so serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, yesterday¡­¡±


    Thus, Maxwell exined to me the situation with Cortina. It was quite unexpected for me to find out that she was under so much stress. As a strategist, her fortitude was a tower above the rest. I believed that to be the case.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that from Cortina¡­ As for Elliot, it was within expectations.¡±


    The reason I used the name Haumea and also left a proof of my connection with Maxwell was in a way to drag Elliot out.


    If he found out that I was involved in it, he would naturally stick his nose into it, which also meant that this matter of sacrifices would get intervened by the power of the state.


    If the kingdom decided to get involved, then they¡¯d have a hard time escaping no matter how well they can hide. The real problem was Cortina.


    ¡°I would not say that this is the limit of how long you can keep hiding it, but she would be too pitiable if you do not bring salvation to her heart already.¡±


    ¡°I really do feel bad about this, but I just can¡¯t¡­ Hey, isn¡¯t there some way to learn Polymorph faster?¡±


    ¡°As if there would be. Moreover, that spell has its share of ws.¡±


    ¡°ws? I never heard about that. Actually, you never used it during battles now that I think about it.¡±


    Rather, not just battles, I don¡¯t remember him using it even during normal times even once. Maybe it was due to the ws that he mentioned.


    ¡°That is correct. For one, that spell can only be used on the user. This is why I can¡¯t just cast it on you.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m trying so hard to learn it, huh.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ It changes your body forcibly, do you understand? In the worst case, it can cause enough pain to make you faint.¡±


    ¡°That much!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is why it is impossible to use in battles. Losing consciousness there would be quite dangerous. And it is painful enough that you would not want to use it even outside of battles, if you could help it. No one would use it for no reason.¡±


    ¡°Seriously¡­ Still, I¡¯m sure I can endure it.¡±


    ¡°I hope that will be the case. But learning ites first.¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that, that spell¡¯s ranked high up even in the high-ranked spells.¡±


    At present, I barely scratched the surface of the middle ranked spells. Icked quite a bit of skill for a high-ranked spell like Polymorph. Naturally, since I was already at mid-rank at eleven years old, I was already considered a genius.


    Even so, it was not enough to match up to the urgency of the situation.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Hold on a moment.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Reid. Did you think of something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Look, people who can¡¯t use teleportation magic can still teleport by using magic circles, right? Can¡¯t we use an external factor to assist with casting Polymorph the same way?¡±


    ¡°External factor¡­ You say?¡±


    ¡°Like, we discovered a ley line some time ago, right? What if we cast the spell there, would that help?¡±


    ¡°We buried that ce though.¡±


    ¡°Please, you can easily dig it back up.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe that would really allow me to use the spell. However, maybe this old man could think of something using the information I provided.


    He started to ponder for some time while putting a hand on his beard. Then finally, he raised his head and offered a suggestion.


    ¡°You do know that you would not be able to use it so easily, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°It could only serve as a trigger at best.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Not on the Polymorph level¡­ But there is someone that experienced what you are describing. I am talking about Den.¡±


    Now that he brought it up, I thought back on Den. Because he made his nest above a ley line, he underwent an evolution and developed a high intellect for an Ogre. He should currently be taking shelter in my hideout, and living quietly there.


    Certainly, it could be said that the ley line¡¯s influence caused him to undergo a change from an ogre into a new species.


    ¡°As you said, it is possible to supplement a spell if you borrow the power of a ley line. However, that would only be in terms of making up for theck of magic power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough?¡±


    ¡°It seems that you have forgotten, but you have no problems when ites to the magic power amount itself. What hindered the growth of your ability was instead your problem with the release and control of your magic power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. So the ley line is basically useless?¡±


    ¡°At present, yes. But thanks to this I have thought of a n that could ovee this.¡±


    ¡°A n to ovee¡­ So there¡¯s a way?¡±


    As expected, he seemed to have thought of something. I looked at him filled with expectations. If this went well, I could dispel Cortina¡¯s anguish.


    ¡°Yes, think of Light Magic Items, for example. Those can be used even if you are not a magician.¡±


    ¡°If they didn¡¯t, an average person wouldn¡¯t be able to use them.¡±


    ¡°Right, in other words, they can be used even if you cannot use the spell itself. Magic Items make that possible.¡±


    ¡°Magic Items¡­ Aste, huh!¡±


    He was a Magic Item specialist. He had both deep knowledge and the skill to implement it. Certainly, if it¡¯s him he might just be able to make a Magic Item loaded with Polymorph.


    ¡°I see, and he¡¯s already aware of my circumstances. If he¡¯s willing to help, there¡¯s no one more reliable than him!¡±


    ¡°Right? And he is cut above the rest when ites to creating Magic Items. There is no one better than him for cases like this.¡±


    ¡°True. In that case, we should quickly¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, where do you think you are going?¡±


    ¡°Where, you ask? To Aste, obviously.¡±


    ¡°You have just returned to Raum. At least show your face to Cortina first, she is your guardian!¡±


    ¡°Oh, whoops.¡±


    If we didn¡¯t contact her and didn¡¯t return untilte night, she would obviously worry. While Maxwell was indeed apanying me, I was still a kid in body. I had to stick to the curfew.


    ¡°First show your face to Cortina and tell her about Fina as well. That should help distract her from her feelings somewhat.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°After that¡ªLet us see. Come to this mansion once again when nightes. You can just tell her that you have toe at night because the ritual spell you are learning is rted to the stars, and she should let you do that.¡±


    ¡°Again with the technical stuff¡­¡±


    By stars, he meant the rotation of them. Depending on the ritual, the position of the stars was important to the spells. And that meant that they had to be done at night.


    It was a good excuse for me to slip out of the house.


    ¡°I will write a note too. With that, you should have no problem leaving the house.¡±


    ¡°But what if she says she wants to escort me? Since I¡¯d be leaving at nighttime, that could easily happen.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, in that case, ask that Finia apany you instead. She is also my disciple, so there should be no problem toe here while also protecting you.¡±


    ¡°And, when shees here, we¡¯d still have to deceive her somehow, right?¡±


    ¡°I will tell her to do some cleaning. We can tell her we have to go somewhere while she¡¯s busy doing that.¡±


    ¡°Will it really go so well?¡±


    ¡°If this goes well and you turn back into Reid, head over to Cortina by yourself. I will make sure to keep Finia in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°That would be appreciated, but we don¡¯t know if this would even work.¡±


    ¡°We will know when the timees.¡±


    He responded with a scheming smile.


    Thus, It has been decided that we would visit Aste.

 Chapter 292: Matching Pairs

    <h4>Chapter 292: Matching Pairs</h4>


    When I returned to Cortina¡¯s home, I felt a strange out-of-ce feeling. Cortina was acting strangely cheerfully while dealing with me. She was normally cheerful, yes, but her conduct looked almost theatrical now.


    ¡°Cortina, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing at all.¡±


    She said that, but as I already knew the situation from Maxwell, I could tell that she was just trying to act like her usual self. Emotions weren¡¯t so easy to put back together once they exploded, after all.


    Still, since she chose to act like everything was fine, that meant that she didn¡¯t want me to know about it. Instead of pursuing the matter, I decided to instead wait until I broke the deadlock¡­ That is, until Aste could do something about me.


    ¡°Ah, right. This is for you. It¡¯ll make your hair really smooth.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Please look at my hair, it¡¯s so glossy.¡±


    As I handed the shampoo to her, Finia came to demonstrate the effect it had on her hair. Even Cortina was a woman, so seeing that made her change her expression and inspect her hair.


    ¡°Wow, the glossiness is one thing, but it has also turned so supple. You already had good hair before, but now¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? It surprised me as well!¡±


    ¡°We have to thank that white girl. This is already on the level that could be lined up in the stores if mass-produced.¡±


    ¡°It needs monster materials, so we can¡¯t make that many. That said, it¡¯s not that difficult of an opponent, so newbie Adventurers could make good money out of it.¡±


    ¡°Oho¡­¡±


    Floating Wakame weren¡¯t such difficult opponents¡­ I mean, they were in a different sense, but they couldn¡¯t pose any danger to people¡¯s lives.


    Newbie Adventurers could make extra money through them.


    The problem was that they had to be collected at the seaside, but their epidermis could be dried and returned to its viscous state with water when needed. Since they could be transported for long periods of time, you could bring them into trades.


    ¡°Lady Cortina, look at this too! I have a matching pair with Lady Nicole!¡±


    ¡°Ohh, is that a talisman? And handmade? What is it made of?¡±


    ¡°Fang Wolves. Michelle, Cloud and Fina also have theirs.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ Hey, can I step out for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Huh, where to?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯ll get Maxwell to take me to hunt some Fang Wolves.¡±


    ¡°Now!?¡±


    It was already nearing evening now. If she headed to hunt wolves after eating the food Finia made, it would bete night already. While it suited me for her to be absent, her camping alone at night would be worrying.


    At any rate, it was best to change the topic now.


    ¡°Err, uhh¡­ Ah, right, Maxwell is teaching me ritual magic today, so he told me to stay over at night.¡±


    ¡°Huh, to his mansion?¡±


    ¡°No, somewhere else. He apparently found a good ce for the ritual.¡±


    This was not a lie. We did find a perfect ce for the ritual magic. Not to mention, one where a Devil was about to be summoned. Though where we nned to go had nothing to do with it.


    ¡°Ritual magic, huh. Do you need that stuff?¡±


    ¡°Er, err¡­ Right, Teleportation magic!¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, that does belong to ritual magic too.¡±


    Teleportation that was used widely was the type that borrowed the magic circle¡¯s power to supplement theck of magic power.


    It was very hard to use it as a chanted spell like Maxwell did, but I might be able to use this method before long.


    Considering all that, Cortina decided to let me spend the night away.


    ¡°You finally came back, and you¡¯re going away again¡­ Could this be a sign of turning into a delinquent?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡±


    I denied it with all I had, but honestly, the fact that I was going to do shady stuff behind her back probably made her point hit close. It pained me to tell her, who was already suffering as is, yet another lie. But that was also for her own sake.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t just walk alone in the dead of night, right?¡±


    ¡°Maxwell thought about that too. He told me to get Finia to escort me. And to have her help clean the mansion.¡±


    ¡°That old man¡­ Gettingzier by the day. What about that Mateus fellow?¡±


    ¡°Looks like he has a day off. Also, you¡¯reing along part way too, right?¡±


    She was going to get the Fang Wolf fangs, so Maxwell¡¯s teleportation was essential for her. She was going somewhere else after that, so there was no fear of her finding out what we were going to do ourselves.


    It turned out a little different from my expectations¡­ But I suppose this was good in its own way.


    In the end, we came to Maxwell¡¯s mansion together with Cortina. After taking one step inside, Cortina leaked a sigh and spoke.


    ¡°This geezer, how did he manage to make such a mess of his mansion in just a few days.¡±


    She had a point ¡ª This mansion was rtively clean while Mateus was still around, but after the events around the training camp period, it had gone back to the disastrous sight it used to be.


    Given the state, I could see why he¡¯d want to ask Finia to help.


    ¡°That is quite a rude remark to make right after arriving.¡±


    ¡°You finally made that guy be a housekeeper, but you still ended up in this state in the blink of an eye. It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯d get a few sighs out of me.¡±


    ¡°I do feel bad to ask little Finia for help, but this is who I am, I cannot do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, consider how it used to be before Nicole arrived in this city, I guess this was a natural oue.¡±


    ¡°Setting that aside, why are you here, Cortina?¡±


    ¡°I want a matching pair too!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Maxwell was confused at her sudden deration. It probably caused some error in hisnguage center.


    ¡°I mean, I want a matching talisman with Nicole and others.¡±


    ¡°Even if you tell me that, I have no spares around.¡±


    I decided to exin the situation to the troubled Maxwell. Hearing it, he frowned and spoke evasively.


    ¡°It could be dangerous to hunt Fang Wolves on your own, you know? With no one to cover you on top.¡±


    ¡°Then let me take Gadius along.¡±


    ¡°Do you not pity him to call him for something so personal?¡±


    I sent my condolences to Gadius who got rolled up in her self-interests. Despite all that, he would still do what he was asked and go along, so I couldn¡¯t help but call him soft-hearted.


    He still held some guilty conscience towards Cortina so he probably couldn¡¯t refuse her.


    Thus, after sending Cortina elsewhere, we went to Maleva of the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle.


    In addition, it was decided that Finia would be paidpensation for cleaning his house at ater date.

 Chapter 293: Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 293: Transformation</h4>


    My hideout had teleportation prevention instations. That was only natural ¡ª I had enough treasures there to throw the kingdoms off-bnce.


    Incidentally, I had a passerby magician help me with setting it up, but hetermitted an evil deed and I ended up putting an end to him. In other words, the existence of this ce was still known to limited people.


    Moreover, I had the Ogre Den live there now, so if we teleported there, we could catch him in an awkward situation which would leave a bad aftertaste.


    Everyone would feel difort if someone suddenly popped out in their home.


    As such, we instead showed up nearby the hideout. If you are curious as to why we came here and not Aste¡¯s cave, it was because I was a little interested in how Den was doing.


    I didn¡¯te here ever since that day. In other words, I haven¡¯t checked how he was doing. I was curious what kind of life he was leading now.


    We were in a half-buried ghost town in the thickly grown woods. Among all the grass, there was a single hardened path, simr to an animal trail.


    It was probably the path Den used to take when going in and out.


    ¡°Considering the tread marks on the grass, he should have gone through here recently.¡±


    ¡°Which should mean he is doing okay, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°Well, we did ask Aste to look after him, so he shouldn¡¯t have gotten into any trouble.¡±


    We were having an Ogre live in a nearby garden, so to speak, so it would be weirder if he didn¡¯t care about Den¡­ Or that should normally be the case, but that guy probably wouldn¡¯t care.


    Setting that aside, I did want to have a talk with that good-natured Ogre, so this was a good opportunity.


    Following the animal trail, I arrived at the hideout. It was the same old tattered, half-destroyed house from the outside. But looking closely, there were traces of brand new repairs.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Reid?¡±


    ¡°There are traces of repairs.¡±


    Would that Ogre really bother to repair the roof and walls when he used to keep all that raw garbage in his own den?


    He prided to have a healthy enough body to not catch illnesses or cold, after all. He shouldn¡¯t have cared about some roof leaks.


    ¡°Did someone else start living here?¡±


    ¡°This is Sir Aste¡¯s territory. That just cannot be.¡±


    ¡°Then what are those repairs for? Surely Den doesn¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°That is true¡­¡±


    At any rate, we wouldn¡¯t know what was going on inside just by looking at the outside. I was a little doubtful, so vigntly opened the door¡ªwhich used to be a window, by the way¡ªand entered in,


    ¡°Crimson one, Ultramarine one, Gold two¡ªLight.¡±


    Maxwell promptly created the light source and secured our vision. Gold two, in other words, two hours duration. Seeing the illuminated indoor state made me drop my jaw.


    ¡°What¡­ Is this¡­¡±


    Everything was in perfect order, and there was even wallpaper put on the walls. There was even a matid at the entrance here so you could get the dirt off your feet.


    The walls were even decorated with flowers, and the ce was cleaned with not a fragment of dust seen anywhere ¡ª It was a far more pleasant sight than Maxwell¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Is this¡­ Sir Aste¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°No, that curt guy wouldn¡¯t have gone out of his way to reform the ce for an Ogre, would he?¡±


    ¡°Quite so indeed.¡±


    Den was timid and had intellect, but he was still an Ogre. He wouldn¡¯t die even if you threw him out in the wild. The only things that could cause his death here would be if he incurred Aste¡¯s wrath, or if he failed to obtain food and starved to death.


    We opened the door and headed down the stairs. The floor used to be so rotten you had to tread carefully lest you¡¯d risk stepping on the nails, but now, it seemed to have been perfectly remade.


    The foothold was so firm it didn¡¯t even raise creaks. It was one thing for a light person like myself, but it was the same for Maxwell too.


    ¡°There really is remodeling going on here.¡±


    ¡°Did Den do all this?¡±


    ¡°I simply cannot believe that. Mutated he may be, he is still an Ogre.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    This was ridiculous. Despite our thoughts, our doubt couldn¡¯t be cleared. After all, only Aste or Den woulde to this ce.


    And judging by Aste¡¯s personality, fixing the living environment for an Ogre was¡ªperhaps possible given his whimsical nature, but¡ªreally hard to imagine.


    Then, just as we arrived on the lower floor, someone directed a murderous attack at us. It was a heavy blow.


    However, I sensed it and easily avoided it. Rather, it stopped before I was about to do that. I was also about to counterattack with my dagger¡ªbut simrly stopped in ce.


    ¡°Wait, huh, Den¡­ Or are you?¡±


    There stood a three-meter-tall giant in proper butler clothes. But I knew that face. It was quite a bit refined, but it was still unmistakably Den¡¯s.


    ¡°My apologies. I failed to realize it was you Mdy Nicole. I assumed it was a trespasser.¡±


    He lowered his first and made an elegant¡ªpractically on the level of a royal butler¡ªbow. It was an Ogre who knew my name and also addressed me with an honorific. I only knew of Den that fit the description.


    ¡°What in the world happened to you¡­?¡±


    Looking closely, he had disposed of the unwanted hair on his face, and it looked really clean, probably from washing it every day.


    It was unmistakably Den, one was giving of a sense of cleanliness even more than Cloud.

 Chapter 294: Zealous Education

    <h4>Chapter 294: Zealous Education</h4>


    Realizing the giant before me was Den, I lost my words and just stood petrified.


    Before, Den had a three-meter-tall and swelled-out body, and also smaller legspared to his long arms; a typical Ogrish body, if you will.


    However, the one standing before me now still had the height but looked slim, and even his legs appeared to have grown longer.


    Thanks to that, his monster-like appearance had been mitigated, and simply looked like a giant man that had grown even bigger.


    Moreover, his previously bent back posture had now be straight, and his bald head had started to grow hair. His giant mouth used to look terrifying, but now, the rest of his appearance simply made it look stern, not even a trace of the fearfulness remaining.


    ¡°Yo¡­ You¡­ Who the hell are you!?¡±


    ¡°What? It is I, Den, at your service, Mdy Nicole.¡±


    ¡°My my, this is quite a change. Could there be a ley line here as well?¡±


    ¡°Like hell there is!¡±


    I used this ce for years in my previous life. If it was such an abnormal location, it would have affected my body too. In other words, there couldn¡¯t possibly be a ley line here.


    ¡°Oh, Lord Maxwell is here too. It pleases me to see you in good health.¡±


    ¡°How polite. I am also pleased to see you healthy.¡±


    ¡°It is all thanks to your assistance. This is all due to Lord Maxwell and Lady Nicole¡¯s benevolence.¡±


    ¡°I must say, this is quite a shocking growth on your part.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why the hell are you so casual about this!¡±


    Den greeted Maxwell politely, with even more refined speech than mine, while thetter also responded back as if there was nothing strange, making me snap without thinking.


    In the first ce, some ley line couldn¡¯t have contributed to his education. Which would mean, there was someone who had educated him¡­


    ¡°What the, I wondered why it was noisy. Turns out it was you lot.¡±


    The one who I considered to be the primary suspect came through the entrance with that casual remark. Needless to say, it was Aste.


    ¡°Were you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Were you the one who did this to Den!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? Yes, well, he seemed to have a better memory than I imagined. I suddenly got into teaching him.¡±


    ¡°Lord Ha-¡­ Aste also has my gratitude for this favor. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Right, keep polishing your skills as a butler as you have been.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!?¡±


    What you mean butler, he was unmistakably an Ogre. Where would you find a noble who¡¯d hire him? This guy really did whatever he found amusing, didn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Oh dear¡­ This is a blunder on my part. To have my master and guest wait at the entrance. My apologies. Please,e in, I shall prepare the tea.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±


    I retorted it, but Den didn¡¯t seem to lend an ear to it. Thus, we were relentlessly lead inside and made to sit. After that, he bowed to us and excused himself to brew the tea. The whole situation happened so smoothly I couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to interject.


    I just remained seated and red at Aste. That simplistic Den had changed far too much. Well, I was the one who rmended we leave him to this guy.


    ¡°How did he turn into that?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, he was far too wild at first. But his intelligence wasn¡¯t too bad. So, I tried to teach him out of curiosity, and the result is what you see.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand your logic of arriving there.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was my wife who proposed turning him into a butler.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s back?¡±


    ¡°Already gone. It¡¯s been a while, so she was quite worked up during the night.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Looks like everything was going well between the two. Go die.


    Still, it saved me the trouble that this guy showed up here.


    ¡°Right, we came here today because we had something to request of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡ª¡±


    With Maxwell¡¯s assistance, I told him about my current situation. The fact that Cortina was going through bitter experiences because I was hiding my identity. And that she was reaching her limit already.


    As he listened, Aste started to frown more and more. I could tell that he wasn¡¯t thinking anything good about the situation.


    ¡°Let me give it to you straight. Just reveal yourself. That¡¯s the shortest way.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I wouldn¡¯t havee here if I could do that. I can¡¯t even imagine how awkward it would be. Plus, I had a sister born just recently. I am expected to do my part as a big sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Your sister or this Cortina, which is more important to you?¡±


    ¡°As If I could answer that.¡±


    On one side was my one and only little sister, and on another, my oldrade and someone who has continued to love me for so long. I could not possiblypare them.


    Revealing my identity could also lead to robbing the sister named Nicole from Fina. Even Cortina might turn her back on me for my actions. That thought scared me.


    I didn¡¯t even know if Lyell and Maria would forgive me for continuing to deceive them for so long. In the worst case, I could lose everything I had.


    ¡°I like my current life¡­ No, my current home. It¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t want to lose.¡±


    ¡°But that would also mean sentencing that woman to eternal sorrow.¡±


    ¡°I get that. But¡­ Just for a little longer, I¡­¡±


    My words were gradually losing their strength. Even I understood that this situation couldn¡¯t continue for much longer.


    In the near future, I would most likely be pressed with the decision ¡ª Return to being Reid and give up on Nicole, or choose Nicole and give up on Reid.

 Chapter 295: Beginning The Creation

    <h4>Chapter 295: Beginning The Creation</h4>


    Seeing me looking bitter, having to ultimately choose whether I would abandon my past or my current self, Aste leaked a sigh. He shrugs his shoulders and leaned to the chair as if exhausted.


    ¡°Good grief, you really are one troublesome fellow. So you just want a magic item that can allow you to use Polymorph for now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, please. I¡¯ll pay you how much you want, and I¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll do anything?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. Except for anything immoral, okay?¡±


    I mentioned it just in case after seeing the perverted smile on his face. I¡¯m sorry, but I had no n of bing someone who¡¯d cause discord in families. Not just families, even couples and such.


    ¡°Ah, well. But Polymorph, huh¡­ I¡¯ve never made a magic item with that effect.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s impossible for you too?¡±


    ¡°No, if it¡¯s just to load it into a scroll, I can do it even now. I even have the materials at hand.¡±


    ¡°Then do it already!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it already. But only after we drink the tea. Den makes some delicious tea. I drove those skills into him.¡±


    Along with his words, Den brought herbal tea with a tray.


    ¡°I have kept you waiting. It¡¯s a blend of lemongrass and ginger.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that looks quite delicious.¡±


    Given that this ce was half-sunk, the air was quite stagnant. The fragrant smell of the tea filled such a ce now. The aroma alone stirred our appetites.


    ¡°Ginger warms the body, while lemongrass has a calming effect, so it should help you calm down.¡±


    ¡°Ohoh.¡±


    While you could say the winter had passed its peak, the nights were still decently cold. His consideration was really helpful. Was this also due to Aste¡¯s butler training?


    ¡°Moreover, it is also good for anemia and helps produce milk.


    ¡°Pffffft!¡±


    Wait, why did he try to make me drink something that helps with breast milk production? I don¡¯t even have milk yet to begin with.


    ¡°Well, I feared you might be feeling anemic. I smelled blood from Mdy.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, I did have my menstruation just recently. I couldn¡¯t deny that I had slight anemia.


    ¡°And, with all due respect, I have detected some problems with your chest area.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern, okay!?¡±


    ¡°It has been six months since our meeting. Considering the growth so far, there are some concerns to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough already! Also, we have things to do. Aste, hurry up and drink your tea already!¡±


    Where did I go wrong for even the Ogre that I helped to start sexually harassing me? I forcefully ended the topic and poured the tea in Aste¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Hot! Hey, hold on a bit, it¡¯s hoot!¡±


    ¡°Did you awaken to hot water torture recently?¡±


    ¡°Are there other casualties?¡±


    ¡°Already two.¡±


    Wait, it wasn¡¯t hot water with Cloud. It doesn¡¯t count! And I burned that summoner guy with threads too. I¡¯ve never sshed hot water at anyone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spread baseless rumors. The night is short, hurry up, hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Stop pouring hot tea in my mouth already!¡±


    After a great fuss, we decided to head to Aste¡¯s cave.


    Den seemed to hold the sense of obligation to protect my hideout, so he didn¡¯t follow us to the cave and insisted on remaining behind.


    Thus we headed there with just the three of us, and he guided us inside. The house inside the cave¡­ Was a weird way of putting it, but in the room beyond it, there was a pile of materials that I had never seen before.


    ¡°This is amazing. I haven¡¯t seen these even in my previous life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a collection that I have spent many years collecting.¡±


    ¡°With this much, you really should be able to make a high-ranking scroll.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but as for work¡­ Right, it will probably take about five hours even for me.¡±


    ¡°Five hours¡­ It¡¯ll be dead of night by then. Or rather, probably better to say it¡¯ll be dawn.¡±


    Making a detour shaved away quite a bit of our time. It was already close to midnight. In five hours, it¡¯ll practically be morning already.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start right away, so you two rest in the guest room over there.¡±


    ¡°You had a guest room?¡±


    ¡°This is still a house, you know? Of course there is one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s buried inside a cave, toote to call it a house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s buried because I wanted to. I just reformed my old house that got rolled up in a volcanic eruption.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how long has this house been around for¡­¡±


    I have heard that this mountain had erupted before. But that happened so long ago even the folktales of it were uncertain.


    At any rate, it would suit us if there was a guest room. It was already night, so I was feeling sleepy. I dragged Maxwell who seemed to want to stay and watch, and slipped into the room.


    It was a room so pleasant it was unfit for an underground ce. Near the ceiling, there was a substrate of something like a folding fan attached to it, and it slowly rotated, sending air to the outside.


    This allowed the air inside to circte, constantly bringing in fresh air.


    ¡°Hoho, so that rotating fan is creating wind here.¡±


    ¡°It has a strangely good angle too. Must be good during the summer.¡±


    ¡°The cold wind machines have simr mechanisms too if I am not mistaken.¡±


    The cold wind machines that were your summertime friends. They had Ice Wall spells inside them, and they passed the wind through it, breezing cold air out into the rooms.


    Incidentally, it was the Whitey who created those apparently. Quite hard to imagine from her.


    Other than that, I noticed one important thing.


    ¡°Hey, this room¡­ There¡¯s only one bed.¡±


    ¡°T-That appears to be the case.¡±


    There was only one smallish bed here. It would be quite cramped to sleep there.


    ¡°Well I have a small body, so I guess we could sleep somehow.¡±


    ¡°That is not the problem here. You should start paying attention to the contact with the opposite sex at that age already.¡±


    ¡°Hah? We arepanions¡­ What are you saying after all this time?¡±


    ¡°Agh, enough. I shall sleep on the floor.¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I do mind!¡±


    Well, there was a thick carpet on the floor, so he wouldn¡¯t feel cold. Maxwell used his robe as a nket and lied down. I looked at him with a gaze that questioned his obstinacy, and then also lied on the bed.

 Chapter 296: Return

    <h4>Chapter 296: Return</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Cortina had sessfully obtained the Fan Wolf fangs and had a look of satisfaction on her face. Gadius was with her, after all. Monsters on the level of Fang Wolves were not opponents. All that was left was to carve magic circles while they waited for Maxwell toe and bring them back.


    As it neared the dawn when she had finished the talisman, Maxwell finally came to pick them up.


    She expected him toe sooner, given that she had taken Gadius along too, so she was surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re a littlete, you know?¡±


    ¡°My bad, my bad. I had to take care of some minor business.¡±


    ¡°Gadius is here too, so you should have realized that you should havee sooner.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I was busy myself too, okay?¡±


    ¡°What, you aren¡¯t gonna tell me something happened to Nicole, right?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing of the sort. I shall return her safe and sound.¡±


    Maxwell evaded Cortina¡¯s usual abusivenguage with indifferent conduct. Gadius sighed andmented in exasperation as he observed the two¡¯s exchange.


    ¡°Hey, I should be the victim here, right? Why did I have to go along with Cortina¡¯s selfishness?¡±


    ¡°Women have been selfish since times immemorial. It seems you stillck the understanding.¡±


    ¡°Do not lump me together with you withered Elves. Come, send me back already.¡±


    Gadius, who could be said to be the biggest victim here, had been dragged out of his inn and taken all the way here. There were other employees there, so the Adventurer support inn should not have gotten hindered in any way, but it was still strange for the supervisor to be missing.


    ¡°Right. Then. I shall send Cortina first and then you.¡±


    ¡°I am not the first?¡±


    ¡°You would be fine alone here, but not Cortina. Lady first, as they say.¡±


    ¡°I cannot counter that.¡±


    Ever since their Adventuring days, the female group had been the influential side, thus this was a long-ustomed reaction. Since it felt like he would be putting Cortina¡¯s safety in danger, he could not object to this.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go first then. Thanks, Gadius. I¡¯ll repay this favor someday.¡±


    ¡°I shall wait without expectations.¡±


    Thus Cortina had been taken to Maxwell¡¯s mansion. After they got there, he prepared to go back to get Gadius right away.


    ¡°Well then, I shall go bring Gadius home, will you return back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thanks Maxwell.¡±


    ¡°Still, for you to want a matching pair. What had you worked up?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s about my friend¡¯s daughter. Of course I¡¯d find it cute.¡±


    She puffed her chest as she dered that, her previous gloominess was no longer being felt. Next, she looked around to check the surroundings.


    ¡°Finia is still not done with cleaning?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems I went a little too overboard this time. I shall take responsibility and bring her home, so you shall return first.¡±


    ¡°I feel like you¡¯re strangely adamant on sending me home, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°N-No such case.¡±


    She suspected Maxwell after turning his gaze away so tantly, but it was true that camping outside tired her quite a bit. Having a good sleep at home was a suggestion she found hard to go against now.


    ¡°Oh well. Don¡¯t you put your hands on Finia now, you hear?¡±


    ¡°Who do you take me for¡­¡±


    ¡°You are a withered Elf ording to Gadius, but your urges are still present, right? Of course I¡¯d distrust you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can not deny that they are still going strong. Oh well. Go now, shoo shoo.¡±


    ¡°Agh, hey! Don¡¯t throw me out like that! Finia save meee!¡±


    ¡°My apologies, but I could not possibly oppose Lord Maxwell. I will return soon, so please go ahead first.¡±


    ¡°Damn you, did you brainwash Finia too?¡±


    ¡°Stop saying such scandalous remarks already!¡±


    Thus, albeit a little dissatisfied, Cortina headed towards her home. It was dawn now, the time when pedestrian traffic was beginning to show activity. There was a low risk of getting involved with criminals during this time period.


    Having obtained a matching talisman with Nicole, she hurried to her home with light steps.


    ¡°So this spell was assembled by Nicole, huh? There are some unpolished parts, but it¡¯s well done.¡±


    She tangled the talisman before her eyes, inspecting the make up. Since they needed to be matching, the magic circle contained within had to be the same.


    Thus, she obtained the circle from Maxwell and carved it on her own.


    ¡°Ah, right. There¡¯s one more fang left, so maybe I¡¯ll give one to Maria.¡±


    Fang Wolves naturally had two fangs, so there was one more left. She made up her mind to gift one to her friend, and chuckled as she imagined her surprised face.


    But then, she stopped her feet. Because she saw a suspicious person.


    One man, d in ck, with a long scarf on his neck, stood in front of her house.


    He had a thin figure, easily discernible even through his long coat. He was not very tall, but his ruffled hair was something she remembered well.


    Or perhaps, too well.


    ¡°¡­No way.¡±


    Losing her words, she let go of the talisman.


    That back¡­ Was the back that she had gazed at many a time until twenty years ago. It was the figure of a man who, despite not having the most resilient of bodies, continued to protect hisrades, obediently following her absurd directions despite his sarcastic remarks.


    He was a soft-hearted assassin, who, at times, would disy courage that could be taken as recklessness, and also who lost his life continuing to protect her.


    As the talisman hit the ground, he noticed her presence. As he turned around, his appearance was exactly what Cortina expected.


    ¡°Reid¡ª!!¡±


    Her self-control had reached its limit.


    Thus, she broke into a run, unable to contain herself.


    The ground under her footsteps felt soft, as if she was dashing on the clouds.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 297: Shapeshifting

    <h4>Chapter 297: Shapeshifting</h4>


    Come dawn, the scroll in question was finallypleted. I couldn¡¯t find words to express how thankful I was to Aste who yed along with my sudden request and spent five hours on it.


    ¡°Here, it has Polymorph sealed within. Needless to say, it¡¯s single-use.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay¡­ Thanks.¡±


    I¡¯ve been relying on this guy one-sidedly. I wanted to pay him back in the future somehow.


    He, however, was frowning quite a bit, perhaps dissatisfied with how the scroll turned out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. To be honest, that scroll is iplete as a magic item. I suppose it couldn¡¯t be helped since it was a rush job.¡±


    ¡°How is it different from the regr spell?¡±


    Maxwell, being the magic nerd he was, cut into our conversation. Even if it was a failed product, it could still be useful based on how you used it. Since he encountered one now, he couldn¡¯t just overlook it.


    ¡°First, it forcibly draws out the user¡¯s magic power, so a reaction urs. Specifically, you can¡¯t use it in session. If you use it once, you can¡¯t reuse the Polymorph spell itself again for the duration of a month.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­ For example, if you use the scroll to transform, you can not reuse it for one month even if you used the spell normally?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, be it the scroll or your own spell, you will be unable to use Polymorph itself. You should keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Also, that effect extends to the scrollmaker too, so it can¡¯t be mass-produced. In other words, I can only make one per month too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Troubling.¡±


    If possible, I wanted to go back to my previous form more frequently, but since I could only use it once and get it once per month, I couldn¡¯t store them up. Not just to meet Cortina, I also wanted to keep it as a trump card for battles, so it was a little unfortunate.


    ¡°Also, the spell effectiveness is also lowered. It forcefully draws out double the required magic power, while the effect is only around half a day.¡±


    ¡°Half a day, huh¡­ I suppose it¡¯ll at least be enough for the confrontation.¡±


    ¡°There will also be times when it is insufficient. As someone who has thrown himself into magic tool making, it makes me quite a bit dissatisfied.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you aiming too high there?¡±


    ¡°If it was my specialist wife instead¡­ I can¡¯t help but think that. But well, it was a rush job so it can¡¯t be helped. I will research it some more.¡±


    ¡°So your wife makes magic tools too? And yeah, sorry for rushing you.¡±


    Following that, he exined a few more things, and then I decided to use the scroll on the spot.


    It was already dawn. Even if I used it now, it shouldst until the evening. It should have been enough tofort Cortina.


    ¡°Okay, here goes nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°It is quite painful, so prepare yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, leave it to me. I am confident in my endurance.¡±


    I reassured the worried Maxwell with a baseless promise and activated the spell.


    Apparently, this was not a technique for humans at one point. It has been forcefully adjusted to human use, so it was quite an absurd spell.


    And now, it has been loaded into a scroll on top of all that, so the degree of perfection was even lower. What assaulted me was the sharp pain stemming from that imperfectness.


    ¡°Agh¡­gah! Agfu¡­ AGHAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!?¡±


    My field of view got dyed in red, my body arching backward like a shrimp. And following that, I curled into a ball and fell onto the floor.


    My flesh melted, my bones broke, and they were forcefully reconstructed. The sensation that was far from mere difort assaulted every part of my body.


    In my brain, I could hear my nerves snapping one by one, and my ears were ringing as if they¡¯d burst any moment.


    It was unbearable pain even for me who had experienced death once.


    Tormented by it, I writhed in pain for¡­ Who knows how long. Perhaps it was only an instant, perhaps a few hours.


    I could longer grasp how long Iid there gritting my teeth, almost to the point of breaking, and endured the pain.


    But before long, that pain started to go away, and so did my consciousness.


    ¡°¡ªAwake.¡±


    I heard Maxwell¡¯s rxed voice. His familiar voice forcefully brought my consciousness back.


    Opening my eyes, I was met with Aste and Maxwell with worried expressions.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    At his question, I brought my hand to my face.


    It was no longer the slim hand that I had gotten used to seeing in these eleven years. No, urately speaking, it was still slim but also strong, and the fingers were long, but also rough and bony like the fingers of a strong person.


    ¡°Yeah, I think¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Even the voiceing from my mouth belonged to the me of the old.


    I tried moving my limbs around, but while the ufortable feeling was still there, there were no abnormalities.


    ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°Only a few minutes. I woke you up right after the spell was over.¡±


    ¡°So this is the reason you don¡¯t use it in battles. Makes me not want to ever experience it again.¡±


    It was painful enough to make even me faint. If it was Maxwell, he would definitely get knocked out too. If he fainted in the middle of a battle, it would make holding the line difficult.


    Then I finally stood up and looked around.


    My point of view was about 40 cm higher. The mirror set against the wall reflected my old self.


    The moment I saw my body, I felt like some kind of switch got flipped inside me.


    My consciousness that was still biologically girly until then seemed to have switchedpletely into that of a man.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m back, huh.¡±


    ¡°Only for half a day, that is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine for now. Just gotta do whatever I can in that time. Oh, right. Can we leave yourpensation forter?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll just choose something from your hideout. I¡¯m not gonna rip you off, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°That would save me the trouble.¡±


    Den was there too, so he wouldn¡¯t take too much.


    That aside, Cortina¡¯s matter came first.


    It was already nearing the time for the sun to show its head. Cortina probably finished her hunt already too.


    ¡°Looks like a good time to return.¡±


    ¡°Well then, let us return at once¡ªReid.¡±


    Maxwell addressed me with a smile, his words filled with nostalgia.


    Simrly, I responded back with a thumbs up.

 Chapter 298: Disorganized Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 298: Disorganized Reunion</h4>


    With Maxwell¡¯s help, I arrived at Cortina¡¯s home in advance. The door seemed to be locked, which meant I made it in time to arrive before her.


    This time, I wore ck clothes and a coat so she could tell who I was at a nce. I had gauntlets on my arms, but instead of the Aste¡¯s new designs, I camouged it to look like the one I used to wear in my past days through the illusion ring.


    My body was real, so I didn¡¯t think she would realize even if I was camouging the gauntlet designs alone.


    I stood at the entrance as I racked my brains.


    Would it make for a better surprise if I slipped inside the house instead?


    As I stood there contemting on that, I heard a soft thud of something hitting the ground behind me.


    Turning around, I saw Cortina frozen in ce as she stared at me.


    It was also my first time meeting her in this form, so I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Ah, err¡­ H-Hey.¡±


    ¡°¡­Reid?¡±


    Her voice sounded hoarse. Her eyes were being flooded with tears.


    ¡°Uhh, I made you wait for a long time, but I¡¯m finally back.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    She did not respond. I suppose she was still doubting that I was real. I suppose I had to talk about something that only the two of us would know to prove that I was real.


    ¡°Err, oh right. We met at the park the other day, didn¡¯t we? I had some circumstances and couldn¡¯t talk then so¡ª¡±


    ¡°U¡­¡±


    ¡°U?¡±


    It seemed like she finally epted it was me, she muttered in a small voice. But that wasn¡¯t a ¡°word¡± that held any meaning.


    Before long, she raised her disheveled face, and red at me with her usual expression. That gaze no doubt belonged to the Cortina I knew.


    But still, did she really have to re at me like that¡­


    ¡°Ah, I mean, my circumstances made me dy this. Look, getting reborn woulde with a lot of mess to clean up, right?¡±


    ¡°Uu¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, it makes me happy that you cry for me, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Euu¡­¡±


    ¡°Uhh, Cortina?¡±


    Seeing her lower her posture, I imagine a punch would fly my way any moment now. Nevertheless, I decided to ept that punch. I was aware that I more than deserved it.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m really sorry, okay. I wanted to meet you faster but¡­¡±


    ¡°UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!¡±


    With a shriek, she charged at me. She dashed with a low posture like a fierce animal.


    Imagining the punch that she could draw from that momentum, I closed my eyes and grit my teeth. I expected the punch to hit my face, but I felt the impact in my abdomen instead.


    Cortina charged at my abdomen without raising her first at all.


    ¡°Bfgu!?¡±


    I was by no means tall, but Cortina was even smaller. So when someone like that lowered her posture even more, her head would naturally hit my stomach instead of my chest.


    Still, given my light body, Cortina¡¯s charge, who excelled in physical abilities despite her petite build, would naturally be beyond me to stop in ce.


    Pushed by the force, I was blown back.


    I stood in front of the entrance, so since I turned around, behind me was¡ªyes, a tightly locked, sturdy door.


    I heard a dull mming sound from the back of my head. That impact caused my current, faint-inclined body to lose consciousness.


    The next time I opened my eyes, I was on top of Cortina¡¯s bed. It seemed that she carried me inside and nursed me while I was knocked out.


    ¡°Where am I¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was quite a violent wee.¡±


    ¡°S-Shut up! That was just, yeah¡­ Just your imagination.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°So then? Where have you been until now, Reid?¡±


    ¡°You should know that as well, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you really were that Haumea woman.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, though it¡¯s just an alias.¡±


    ¡°Alias?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the name of an Adventurer that has helped me once. I feel a little bad for using it though.¡±


    She helped me when we were heading to the Elven settlement. I didn¡¯t lie here.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I think I have seen them before too. It was an Elven woman. Seemed quite experienced too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Now that you mention it, she did work around these parts. It¡¯s no surprise that you have met her.¡±


    Of course it was not ¡ª we met her together, after all. I was quite shameless here even if I say so myself. Still, since I gave her the name of a real person, there should have been some legitimacy behind my statement.


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s her¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, she might not even remember me. This happened sometime after my reincarnation.¡±


    I didn¡¯t make it clear how long it has been, but this wasn¡¯t a lie, either.


    ¡°Maxwell told me you were quite stressed, so I forced myself toe today.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe any sooner?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ There are reasons.¡±


    ¡°I bet you were just embarrassed because you got reborn as a girl, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, that¡¯s part of it.¡±


    Then she put a finger to her jaw. It was her typical habit when she was pondering.


    ¡°You just mentioned it too¡­ But that surely isn¡¯t all to it, right? Then what is the reason you couldn¡¯te until now, and also, that appearance?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. I just asked a magic toolmaker that I know to make me a magic tool to cast Polymorph on me.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that spell couldn¡¯t be cast on the others, could it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was quite a reckless method, so even the effect time was halved, and the pain of transformation was also beyond normal. Never thought it¡¯d make even me faint.¡±


    ¡°That much¡­?¡±


    I intentionally only answered one of her questions. In exchange, I gave plenty of information on that front.


    I couldn¡¯t mention Aste¡¯s name, but if I gave her a lot of information I could dodge the other answer¡­ Or so Maxwell told me.


    Also, in order to avoid any further investigation from her part¡­


    ¡°That aside¡­ We met after all this time. Don¡¯t you think we should talk about something we can only talk about now?¡±


    I knew it was pretty sly of me. But I had limited time, so I was feeling a bit rushed.


    Cortina did not object to my statement either.


    Taking that as a yes, I stood up and drew close to her.

 Chapter 299: Yet Another Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 299: Yet Another Reunion</h4>


    That day, for the first time in my two lives, I gained an important someone.


    You might wonder what I was going on about this early in the morning, but simply put, I ultimately failed to down the violent emotions that returned along with my old form.


    However, Cortina was not the only person with whom I had to patch things up. There was one more. And Cortina was aware of that as well.


    She was the one to mention it first.


    ¡°Actually, have you met with Finia already?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    As shey sprawled in the bed, Cortina mentioned that other person. She, who had seen my death with her own eyes, was feeling responsible for it, was someone with whom I had to patch things up just like Cortina.


    Cortina was lying face-down, not meeting my gaze for some reason. I gently stroked her head while enjoying the lingering memory of what had urred a short moment ago.


    ¡°I have to indeed meet her too, but after what we just did¡­ It feels, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°You have to meet her, okay? While her state did improvetely, she still feels some sense of responsibility. The reason she is so excessively loyal to Nicole is probably due to that as well.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°And, well, if it¡¯s her, I will allow you to cheat a little.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not gonna stop me from cheating?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t put it like that.¡±


    She raised her head and threw a pillow at my joke. The sweet air started drifting around.


    Thanks to that, my tension also went away.


    Still, I could not forget that I was on restricted time here. I only had a few hours left. What she said was on point.


    ¡°Well, since I got your permission, guess I don¡¯t need to hold back anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it just in case, but I only allow it with Finia, okay!¡±


    ¡°Got it, got it.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice this, but there were a lot of girls aiming for you, you know.¡±


    ¡°Well, I started to notice thattely.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem willing to part with me, but there was Finia too, so she was holding back. That was just how dear she thought of Finia.


    While realizing her emotions, I started to put on my equipment. When I put on my coat and took up my gauntlets, Cortina raised a surprised voice as if she noticed something.


    ¡°Huh, those gauntlets¡­ Did they always look like that?¡±


    ¡°Huuh!?¡±


    While we were engaged physically, I had my gauntlets removed. As the magic power supply was cut, the illusion spell got removed and revealed their true design.


    I quickly hid my gauntlets behind.


    ¡°I-It must be due to light, surely.¡±


    ¡°Really now¡­ In any case, you¡¯lle again after two months, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I could manage in one month if I try, but that thing¡¯s really tough to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine as long as I know you are safe and sound. But I wish you¡¯d write me letters at least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a poor writer¡­ But I¡¯ll try what I can.¡±


    ¡°Whenever you say that, you always meet my expectations.¡±


    ¡°No, well, this is one thing I can¡¯t help, okay?¡±


    Writing her would be really problematic for me.


    Cortina was my homeroom teacher ever since I enrolled in the Magic Academy. In other words, she knew all about my writing style. Since my hands differed in size from my previous life, she didn¡¯t recognize it, but this time, she¡¯d expect my handwriting to look like Reid¡¯s. It could get me exposed.


    ¡°A-Anyway, I have no time now, so I¡¯ll go to Finia¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°Be gentle with her, you clumsy brute.¡±


    ¡°Wait what!?¡±


    She sent me out with those words probably to relieve me of my stress.


    I headed to Maxwell¡¯s mansion, looking forward to meeting Finia. Maxwell knew I was at Cortina¡¯s, so he should have kept Finia at his mansion.


    As I arrived there, I received a Telepathmunication from Maxwell. This spell sent messages to the designated individual at long range, allowingmunication. Apparently, the Telepathic spell that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild used was developed from this spell too.


    ¡°You finally came, Reid. Did everything go well?¡±


    ¡°Maxwell? That was a quick reaction.¡±


    ¡°I was using Life Search. I set it to notice the nearby presences.¡±


    ¡°What about Finia?¡±


    ¡°She has finished cleaning and is taking a rest now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I was thinking of saying hi to her.¡±


    ¡°My role was to hold her here. Rest is up to you.¡±


    Based on his words, Finia would soon leave the house. Instead of meeting her inside the mansion, it was better to do it outside. There would be fewer distractions too.


    After judging so and waiting outside for a while, Finia opened the door and walked out while bowing her head. She was probably thanking Maxwell after getting paid for her work.


    After putting the money pouch in her shoulder bag, she started walking with an unusually cheery expression.


    Her bag seemed quite swollen. It should have been quite heavy considering how dainty she was.


    I erased my presence, snuck behind her, and spoke to give her a scare.


    ¡°Your luggage looks heavy, youngdy. May I carry it for you?¡±


    ¡°Hwah!?


    She let out a silly voice and turned around in a hurry.


    Then, seeing me, her eyes went wide. Her reaction was much like Cortina¡¯s.


    I gave her an affected, respectful bow. This was something I learned at the academy.


    Given that nobles also attended it, etiquette sses were also included in the curriculum.


    ¡°I-It can¡¯t be¡­ Lord¡­ Reid?¡±


    ¡°It has been a while. You¡¯ve grown so big I hardly recognized you.¡±


    I gently brushed her head as she stood stiffened. After about twenty years, I stood before her as Reid for the first time.

 Chapter 300: A Date With Finia

    <h4>Chapter 300: A Date With Finia</h4>


    Seeing me, Finia put a hand to her mouth in shock. Unlike Cortina who went for that brutal tackle, it was quite adylike reaction. But herck of reaction kinda made me lonely in its own way.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you do remember me, right?¡±


    Based on my memories, Reid¡¯s existence has been almost deified in her mind. Maybe seeing the real me made her disillusioned or something.


    Thinking that made me a little worried.


    ¡°Lord¡­ Reid¡­¡±


    After letting out that muffled voice, she suddenly clung to my chest.


    She was a bit taller and fleshier than Cortina, but she was still more delicatepared to an average human.


    Her dainty loveliness was well within my tastes.


    ¡°I reincarnated a little while back. Sorry that I didn¡¯te to see you any sooner.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be! I don¡¯t deserve that¡­¡±


    She let out a sobbing voice while still clinging to me. Her voice reached the surroundings too, and due to the poor timing, the passersby looked my way wondering what was going on.


    ¡°Right, what about Lady Cortina! Have you met her before meeting me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry. I already met her earlier. And some more.¡±


    ¡°Is that so, I¡¯m d¡­ But, maybe you should have stayed together longer?¡±


    ¡°She told me herself toe meet you.¡±


    She looked up at me with teary eyes to make an appeal. But from an outsider¡¯s perspective, this would have been a questionable sight. In fact, I could see marrieddies here and there whispering while pointing at me.


    Moreover, we were in front of Maxwell¡¯s mansion. His reputation might have yed the part too.


    ¡°¡­Well, not that the old man¡¯s the type to care about his reputation.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, just talking to myself. Why don¡¯t we move somewhere else? I know a cafe nearby that girls like.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I lived here for quite a long until recently. We missed each other a bit though.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ Is a little unfortunate.¡±


    Perhaps she imagined living in this town together, she muttered quite regrettably with her cheeks dyed.


    The figure of a teary-eyed girl with cheeks dyed red clinging to a guy¡¯s chest honestly was putting me to shame in front of the public. The surrounding gazes were really stabbing me like needles.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go already. I¡¯m a little embarrassed here, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ah! My apologies.¡±


    She seemed to have finally noticed the gazes, she hung her beet red head. That was awfully adorable, but it only served to worsen the doubtful stares.


    I took Finia to the cafe that Elliot once took me to.


    The bean tea here wasn¡¯t bad, but the sweets were particrly good. I often came here with Michelle and Letina too.


    Finia tended to stay at Cortina¡¯s house all the time, so she shouldn¡¯t have been here before.


    ¡°The desserts here are quite delicious. I think they would suit your tastes too.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Now that you mentioned it, I don¡¯t often eat this type of sweets.¡±


    She was good at cooking, but she rarely had time to make things like cream and chocte.


    If she learned to make them, wouldn¡¯t I be able to eat them at Cortina¡¯s home too? I couldn¡¯t deny that I had such ambitions.


    ¡°It would make me happy if you make them for me next time.¡±


    ¡°Huh, m-me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I heard from Cortina that you¡¯re a good cook.¡±


    As I told her to cook for me, she got flustered and blushed deep red for some reason. I don¡¯t think I asked her something so embarrassing though.


    ¡°That¡­ Um, maybe you could ask that to Lady Cortina?¡±


    ¡°Cortina¡¯s cooking? Her food is more of a survival kind.¡±


    ¡°B-But it was quite good back then.¡±


    ¡°Back then? Oh, that¡­¡±


    Cortina had cooked with Finia in the past. That happened at the orphanage where I died. Her memory was quite good to remember something so old.


    ¡°Her dexterity is good, but, how should I put it, it¡¯s quite sloppy¡­ Would be nice if she was as good as Maria. As such, you being there would be a great help.¡±


    ¡°Well, umm¡­ At present, I serve Lady Nicole.¡±


    ¡°Ah, i-is that so.¡±


    I was that same Nicole, but she had no way of knowing that.


    While we were having such random talk, our food had arrived. She seemed to have been pleased with the taste as she ate it.


    ¡°This is quite good indeed.¡±


    ¡°Right? Oh, right¡­¡±


    I conveyed to her that I could only show myself once a month at the earliest, and also told her what I had been doing until now¡ªof course, a made-up story.


    Hearing that there would be such a long interval, her face turned sour with disappointment, but it was still far betterpared to the one she had when she wasn¡¯t certain of my existence.


    She responded with a strong nod, as if to convince herself.


    ¡°So, I can¡¯t stay for much longer today.¡±


    ¡°I would not mind no matter what your real form is like, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, I would.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t even consider that my true form was someone she took baths with every day. And even kissed me when curing my magic buildup disease. For those reasons, I could not reveal myself no matter the cost.


    Cortina said something about not minding some affairs if it was her, but I felt reserved on putting hands on her given the present situation.


    In my mind, she was¡­ Right, she was much like a younger girl from the neighborhood.


    Thus, I enjoyed tea with her until thest moment, and when it was a good time I withdrew from the ce.

 Chapter 301: Back to Original Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 301: Back to Original Appearance</h4>


    After lightly finishing my date with Finia, I erased my presence and snuck into Maxwell¡¯s house. I had been going in and out for so long already that I was fully aware of all the traps around it.


    He had gone to get Gadius, so I erased my presence just in case. There was a chance that Gadius had stayed behind for whatever reason.


    I looked for human presence while standing in front of his office, and after ascertaining that there was only one person inside, I opened the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Maxwell.¡±


    ¡°Ah, wee. It seems that everything has gone well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Cortina¡¯s mood is back to normal now. It shouldst for a while.¡±


    ¡°For a while?¡±


    ¡°I might have to show my face every month or two.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ Would put some burden on Sir Aste.¡±


    At present, I couldn¡¯t use Polymorph on my own. If I tried to visit her every month, it would put the burden on Aste who made the scroll version of it.


    The item itself can be made in about five hours, but requesting something so highly valued every month would need careful consideration. Also, I really didn¡¯t want to experience that pain even once a month.


    ¡°I told her it might take about two months due to my circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Any longer than that would be too pitiful for her. Oh dear, pleasing maidens in love is quite a difficult task.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m paying for my own mistakes here. I have to give Aste his fair share of rewards. He turned Den into his ything too, so I can strike some bargain considering that.¡±


    While I was talking about Aste, my heartbeat suddenly increased, and my joints were assaulted with pain.


    ¡°Kh¡­¡±


    ¡°What is the matter!?¡±


    ¡°Looks like the time is up¡­¡±


    I dropped to my knees so I wouldn¡¯t fall over. I feared hitting my head if I copsed as is.


    I grit my teeth and endured the pain attacking in waves. I would have to experience this pain once every month or two from now on, after all.


    Like I experienced half a day ago, the sharp pain of my body being torn apart assaulted me. It was definitely not something you could endure, so I easily lost consciousness, my vision turning dark.


    After a while, Maxwell had to forcibly wake me up with the Awaken spell.


    Checking myself, I seem to have woken up looking quite improper under the coat that was now toorge for me.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Tying my coat, I stood before the mirror installed in the office. It was something he set up there to fix his appearance when meeting with guests. Since it was used by someone as tall as Maxwell, it was quite a big mirror.


    Based on the inspection, I now looked identical to my original appearance. I seem to have reverted without any irregrities.


    By irregrity, I meant that in case the spell failed to urately record the original appearance, there was a possibility that you could fail to revert and end up with a grotesque form. Aste warned me of that.


    Naturally, I didn¡¯t think a spell devised by him would have such an error, but the anxiety was still there.


    ¡°Looks like everything went smoothly.¡±


    ¡°I have brought your clothes here. However, please at least stop having a man carry your underwear.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. If I carried little girl panties with me, Cortina would¡¯ve thrown me into jail!¡±


    ¡°That goes for me too, though¡­?¡±


    I recalled today¡¯s events.


    The emotional reunion with Cortina. During the scene where I was courting her, the first woman in my life, if the panties fell from my pocket¡­ I feel like I would¡¯ve faced my next reincarnation.


    Actually, Maria would probably not even cast Reincarnation on me anymore.


    I shuddered, imagining the worst possible oue while getting dressed.


    ¡°Mh, what is it, Reid? Do you feel unwell?¡±


    ¡°No, I just imagined something scary, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? It was a spell you are not used to, so there is a possibility that your body is strained. Be very mindful of your condition. If you feel unwell, call Maria or me at once.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that¡­ But wouldn¡¯t it be bad if Maria knows about this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you can simply tell her that you used a ritual spell and ruined your condition.¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, I did use that pretext for spending the night away this time. Still, they might have suspected something for not returning until the evening of the next day.


    Maxwell had already informed Finia that I would return by then, though. If I was toote, they might raise questions about the dy.


    ¡°They¡¯ll start suspecting something if I don¡¯t return soon, so I¡¯m going back.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. You are shivering, I cannot let you go alone. And if I did, I would get yelled at by Cortina.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ Well, alright then.¡±


    It was indeed dangerous to send a child home alone when it was already darkening. I could resolve most dangers given my power, but there was no need to try my luck.


    If Maxwell follows me, most situations could be resolved quietly.


    Fortunately, we arrived at Cortina¡¯s home without running into any trouble. While acting nonchntly, I vigorously opened the door. I was acting like a kid who had cheerfully returned home.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back, Cortina?¡±


    ¡°W-Wee back Lady Nicole. And thank you for escorting her, Lord Maxwell.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Well then, I shall excuse myself.¡±


    ¡°Eh, ah, um¡­ I have a little favor to ask¡­¡±


    ¡°Finia, is anything the matter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Cortina has¡ª¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    There was apparently something up with Cortina. It was our first time for both of us, so maybe she was feeling unwell after the experience?


    I headed to Cortina¡¯s room while feeling a little worried. Seeing the situation, Maxwell followed after me.


    ¡°Cortina, I¡¯ming in, okay?¡±


    This was Cortina¡¯s room that I usually didn¡¯t visit.


    It was my second time visiting it today, but she wasn¡¯t feeling bad during the previous visit. If something had happened, it could only have happened after we parted.


    Getting worried, I opened the door without waiting for a reply.


    And then, I saw Cortina, rolled in her nket with a really disturbing grin on her face.


    ¡°Um, when I returned, she was already like this. She doesn¡¯t even hear me, so I was lost on what to do.¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­¡±


    So it was basically that. She had been grinning like this ever since we parted. Seeing her state, even Maxwell felt exasperated.


    ¡°H-Hey¡­¡±


    ¡°I cannot handle this anymore. Just do something on your own.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you nning to ditch us here!?¡±


    ¡°I have no desire to get involved in other¡¯s romantic affairs.¡±


    With those words, he quickly made his escape. I wanted to follow after him, but I couldn¡¯t really leave Cortina in this state.


    In the end, I could do nothing but stand and stare as she made merry on the bed.

 Chapter 302: Trash Strategist’s Shameful Sight

    <h4>Chapter 302: Trash Strategist¡¯s Shameful Sight</h4>


    Cortina rolled around on the bed, covering herself up to the shoulders with the nket but leaving her legs exposed. Given her bare legs, I wondered whether she was naked under the nket.


    Also, her monologues were leaking out, making me hear the lines that embarrassed me.


    ¡°Ahh, maybe I overdid it a little back there? What if he thinks I¡¯m too immodest¡­ No no, this is that unsociable guy we are talking about here. He wouldn¡¯t realize it if I didn¡¯t go that far.¡±


    ¡°Um, Cortina?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, but, but, maybe I should have done that other thing more like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uhh, C-Cortina¡­?¡±


    ¡°Still, Reid sure has a solid build. Sure, he¡¯s not quite at Lyell¡¯s level, but his build is more in-bnce with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Unable to stand it anymore, I plugged my ears. Finia next to me was also hanging her head down with a deep blush. This might¡¯ve been part of the reason why she sent me to Finia back then.


    She was probably enduring turning into this disgraceful state, and sent me off so I wouldn¡¯t witness it. So the reason she looked reluctant was because her womanly heart still wanted us to stay together for longer.


    ¡°Finia, Cortina is too far gone. Let¡¯s have dinner by ourselves.¡±


    ¡°R-Right. I will prepare something that will be fine to eat cold for Lady Cortina.¡±


    For the first time in my life, I abandoned myrade and fled. As expected, I didn¡¯t have bold enough nerves to keep listening to her ramblings.


    Finia probably thought hearing any more of her foolishness would be bad for my education, she readily agreed to my suggestion.


    While feeling really unsettled, I somehow managed to finish changing my clothes and headed to the dining room.


    There I saw Finia making sd and cold stew. The main dish seemed to be roasted chicken meat after being soaked in yogurt. That was probably because roasting it normally would make the fats harden and worsen the taste once it would get cold.


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing that for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. It has a strong smell, so I don¡¯t usually make it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I feel like you mostly roast it or make chops.¡±


    I observed Finia as she cooked whilementing on it. She was moving rhythmically as always¡­ No, perhaps even livelier than normal.


    ¡°Finia.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Lady Nicole?¡±


    ¡°Did anything good happen today?¡±


    ¡°Eeh!?¡±


    I asked because I was curious about how she would rate my escorting today. But it caused her to flinch and stiffen in ce.


    ¡°Hey, pay attention to your hands, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Ah, m-my apologies. But it¡¯s your fault, Lady Nicole. Don¡¯t ask me something like that all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°It just looked to me that your hands moved more merrily than usual.¡±


    Judging by Cortina¡¯s current behavior, I guess we could say that I seeded in improving her condition.


    But what about Finia? If I failed this time, it would mean I would be neglecting her for another month at least.


    Escorting an opposite sex had been first for me too, so I wanted to hear what she thought of it.


    ¡°As you say, something very good did indeed happen today.¡±


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I wonder if I should say it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something you can¡¯t tell me?¡±


    That might¡¯ve been a little mean on my part. The topic of my reincarnation wasn¡¯t only rted to me but to every one of the Six Heroes.


    Considering that Finia hesitated on revealing it to me, who didn¡¯t belong to Six Heroes, without consulting Maxwell meant that she was a lot more rational than Cortina.


    ¡°Is this about Lord Reid?¡±


    ¡°W-W-W-W-, wh-why do you know that!?¡±


    ¡°How couldn¡¯t I? Cortina easily spilled it earlier.¡±


    Or so I thought, but she seems to be quite out of it herself. Well, she was cute when flustered too so no problems there.


    She moved on to cooling the cold cream stew, and in the meantime started to roast the pickled meat. Unlike before, her hand movements had some tension in them. It was probably due to my question.


    Perhaps it was better to relieve some of her tension.


    ¡°Good for you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you managed to meet with someone you look up to.¡±


    Referring to my own self like that made me really embarrassed. But I was Nicole now, not Reid. If I didn¡¯t ask her now, it coulde off suspiciously.


    ¡°Yes, truly. Above all, I am d that that person is alright¡­ Well, he wasn¡¯t entirely alright, but I am d I could meet him again.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    So there were people who became this happy because I appeared before them. That alone made me feel like there was a meaning in my reincarnation.


    On the other hand, just thinking of the moment when my identity got busted made chills run down my spine.


    I grabbed my cup and poured the remainder of the milk she used for the stew, and brought it to my mouth.


    ¡°Incidentally!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do you not have anyone on your mind, Lady Nicole?¡±


    ¡°Pffft!?¡±


    I suddenly got asked a strange question, so I spit it back right away.


    Me? With a guy? Not a chance. Today¡¯s events were definite proof of that. I was still into girls, in the end.


    ¡°N-Not at the moment¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so? What about Cloud?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not. And not Elliot either.¡±


    ¡°C-Could it be Lord Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°Finia, check your sanity!¡±


    Come on, that old geezer was obviously unthinkable.


    ¡°So the wall that is Lord Lyell is that thick, is it? With a knight of his level next to you, your ideals should be equally high.¡±


    ¡°Mgh, then maybe I¡¯ll go with Lord Reid.¡±


    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t! Lady Cortina is one thing, but if even Lady Nicole bes my rival, I would lose all my chances!¡±


    ¡°Hohoh, so you haven¡¯t given up yet?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Maybe at least as a concubine, or something¡­¡±


    This kingdom wasn¡¯t strictly limited to monogamy, so there was no problem in marrying more than one.


    Raum simply had a strong tendency for monogamy. In fact, in the Northern Alliance, polygyny was actually approved.


    It had many wars, and even the Evil Dragon on top, so the rapid decrease of the male poption aggravated this system even more.


    Suddenly I had a thought. If I moved there, wouldn¡¯t I be able to marry both Cortina and Finia at the same time?

 Chapter 303: Self-Study

    <h4>Chapter 303: Self-Study</h4>


    That night, I slept on my own bed.


    Thinking back, I stayed outside quite often as ofte, so it was quite rare for me to stay in my own room like this.


    I couldn¡¯t stand Cortina¡¯s earlier shameful disy, or rather, foolishness. That said, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t understand what she felt.


    Even for me, there were various first-time experiences today when ites to women.


    I was feeling a bit dizzy and fluffy in my chest like Cortina, but at the same time, I was anxious whether everything I did was correct.


    Particrly, Cortina called me a ¡°clumsy brute¡± before we parted today, and that weighed on my mind even now. She most likely said that just to hide her embarrassment, but there¡¯s no guy who wouldn¡¯t feel a bit bothered by it.


    ¡°When ites to these, she also doesn¡¯t understand how guys¡¯ hearts work, huh.¡±


    Men needed self-confidence. When they joined with the women they yearned for, they wanted to hear the words of satisfaction from their mouths.


    Naturally, there was a possibility that I was actually bad¡­ T-There definitely was¡­


    ¡°That said, this isn¡¯t something you can just practice¡­ No, wait, maybe Finia would let me.¡±


    Right after saying it, I shook my head, realizing the ridiculousness of it.


    She was closer to a little sister for me. I was feeling a little reluctant to put my hands on her.


    If I had previously built experience with her like with Cortina it would be one thing, but¡­ Wait, did I even have that with Cortina?


    ¡°Did Cortina and I even have any experience aside from battles? I feel like not¡­¡±


    I could only remember conversations that we had as opposite sexes end with a devastating result. It waste to say this now, going after her like that right into a physical rtionship was pretty brutish.


    ¡°Crap. Did I rush it?¡±


    Thinking back, Cortina rejected me before, and she hadn¡¯t said anything about dating me even now.


    From the outside perspective, it looked like I just got to know about her feelings for me, suddenly appeared, and went right for sex.


    While I was indeed instigated by Maxwell, I might have done something pretty brutish to her.


    ¡°Wait wait, I have proposed to her before, and there should be no problems feelings-wise either. Right, that was simply the natural development. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.¡±


    I grumbled those words to convince myself.


    Cortina didn¡¯t deny it, and looking at her behavior, it turned out well.


    ¡°In other words, my current goal is whether to raise my skill from now on.¡±


    I spoke it aloud to switch my consciousness. This was quite impossible to do something about with no one to practice with. But¡­


    ¡°Wait a minute! Don¡¯t I already have a perfect partner to practice with?¡±


    Michelle was out of the question, Letina too, as the aftermath would be scary. Likewise with Matisse.


    There was no one around me who¡¯d be able to help me with this.


    ¡°But wait! I am a girl now! If I can¡¯t practice on others, I can do it on myself!¡±


    Thus, I spent the rest of the night ¡®training¡¯ by myself.


    Yeah, I can¡¯t tell anyone about this¡­


    The next day, I went to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    It has been some time since thest long vacation, but Michelle had some circumstances that made her unable toe adventuring.


    The reason was¡­ Yeah, same as mine from before¡ªthe menstrual day.


    I could have instead gone to the music room and practiced my musical performance, but I was worried my katana skills have been getting dull because I haven¡¯t used them as ofte.


    Weapons at my disposal grew in numbertely, so katana, which was one of my main weapons, hadn¡¯t seen much use.


    Thus, I wanted to reforge myself like Cloud so my skills wouldn¡¯t grow duller.


    As I headed down the stairs to the lower floor, an intense explosion of cheers reached my ears.


    It sounded as heated as when Cloud was the one training there. But there weren¡¯t supposed to be any events nned today, so I wondered what caused it.


    ¡°What is it now¡­? Is it about Cloud again or something?¡±


    I reached the ground, and then went through the corridor towards the training grounds.


    In the center of the training ground with virtual ground made by scattering earth on it, there was an impossiblyrge crowd that included the Guild staff as well.


    It was to the point that it¡¯d make you worry whether the Guild work would even proceed smoothly with so many of them here.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?¡±


    As I said that in surprise, one of the Guild staff addressed me.


    ¡°Ah, Lady Nicole! Good timing. Lord Lyell hase to visit us today!¡±


    ¡°Huh, dad?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He said he was curious about Cloud¡¯s training here, so he hurriedly came to inspect it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Without even dropping by Cortina¡¯s house? That¡¯s strange.¡±


    Lyell seemed to be thinking of actually taking Cloud on as a disciple, so he started to put serious effort into training him.


    Perhaps the fact that Cloud turned out to be unexpectedly talented yed a part in it too. But still, that made me, who couldn¡¯t properly train due to my weak body, a little jealous.


    ¡°He is training other Adventurers while he is at it, so this ce is packed as you see.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, looks like it.¡±


    ¡°Even if anyone gets hurt, Lady Maria will heal them, so there is no danger.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why there¡¯s such a crowd¡­¡±


    Looking towards the corner, I could see another crowd there. But most of them were women. Were there more injured among the women? Lyell should really learn to hold back.


    ¡°But what about the situation above?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, the Guild Master is taking over the work for us!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you should go back and do it yourself!¡±


    I prayed for the poor Guild Master who had all the work pushed onto him by his own staff. Setting that aside, Lyell was fighting against Adventurers, huh? That was quite interesting in its own right.


    ¡°I also wish to head to that side, though. But it¡¯s hard to take my eyes off Lord Lyell¡¯s majestic figure!¡±


    ¡°To Maria¡¯s side, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems that she has brought her newborn with her tod¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fina!¡±


    Hearing that, I immediately rushed towards her. It was quite unlike Maria to bring Fina to a dusty ce like this. What if she gets dirty.


    I pushed the Adventurers aside, heading towards Maria. And then I saw my little sister, one who was as precious to me as Cortina.

 Chapter 304: Debut at the Guild

    <h4>Chapter 304: Debut at the Guild</h4>


    ¡°Oh, Nicole, you came? Wee.¡±


    A voluptuous woman filled with youthfulness addressed me with those words. Needless to say, it was Maria.


    She was sitting on the bench next to the training area, holding Fina in her arms and surrounded by the female staff of the Guild and other Adventurers.


    Her smile directed towards me stillcked her usual vigor. Seeing how slow she was recovering made me realize howborious giving birth really was.


    Fina was darting her eyes unsettlingly at the unusual scene and the unfamiliar crowd around her. Not crying under all those gazes, she was quite a gutsy girl, this little sister of mine.


    The females surrounding them were squirming in delight at the sight of Fina, but I could fully rte with them in that regard.


    That said, no one tried to touch her directly. She would probably start crying in the end if everyone around started touching her, so Maria kept them in check.


    I pushed my way through the crowd and sat next to Maria. Then I wordlessly reached out and took Fina from her.


    Seeing her settling quietly into my arms, I was ovee with an indescribable sense of calmness. Fina also seemed to trust me after seeing my face so many times, so she let me hold herself without a fuss.


    She stared up at me for some time, and then started nibbling at my chest.


    ¡°Fweeeh!?¡±


    I came here for training purposes, so I was wearing a thin, easy-to-move shirt. It had high water absorbency and was sturdy, but it was not thick at all.


    I didn¡¯t wear my jacket either now, because it would restrict my movements.


    ¡°Ah, no, wh- ouch!? Mom, don¡¯t just look, help!¡±


    Fina¡¯s mouth was quite strong, and dead urate too. She bit my chest tip with pinpoint uracy and started sucking on it. A baby¡¯s suction turned out to be unexpectedly strong, and too stimting for the current me.


    I could have just shaken her off, but I worried I might injure her mouth in the process, so I refrained.


    Thus, I was being dominated by her with no way of escape. Seeing me in that state, Maria held a hand to her mouth and endured augh.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. As much as it amuses me to see you squirm like that, feeding her needs to be prioritized now.¡±


    ¡°If you understand that, then hurry!¡±


    Maria quickly took her off my hands at my demand, and her mouth separated from my breast along with it. That didn¡¯t seem to injure her as I feared, so I felt relieved.


    ¡°Wah, waaah!¡±


    Fina reached her hands towards me, seemingly reluctant to part. I wanted to respond to her wish just as much, but squirming around in the presence of all these people was too much for me.


    ¡°N-Nicole¡¯s breastfeeding y¡­ That was something.¡±


    ¡°It made me excited even if we are of the same sex.¡±


    ¡°Nicole, me too! I want to suck on it too!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. Collect yourself, Miss receptionist.¡±


    Why were so many hopeless people in this Guild, I wonder. While I was despairing over that fact, a clearugh reached my ears.


    That familiar voice was enough to know who it was without even needing to look.


    ¡°Hahaha. Fina, Nicole¡¯s breasts aren¡¯t big enough to suck them, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    As usual, he made a statement without reading the room. Whether this could be considered an innocent trait or not was up to individual discretion.


    Naturally, I took those flippant words as a war deration.


    ¡°But they are actually small, right? Fina must¡¯ve had a tough time sucking on it.¡±


    ¡°No such thing. They started growing as ofte!¡±


    ¡°Oh, will you show them to me?¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t show them so thoughtlessly. You¡¯ve already grown up, Nicole, so be more careful.¡±


    Maria bonked me on the head from behind. She used to refrain from these physical punishments, but they increased as ofte.


    Perhaps she was reserved due to my previously weak constitution. As such, now that she stopped caring about it was proof that I had grown. That actually made me happy.


    ¡°Mgh¡­ But I¡¯m already an adult.¡±


    I already had my first menstruation. Maria was also aware of it, but the people around us were stiffened after they heard it. That feeling of tension spread through the crowd in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°A-Adult¡­She said¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, our angel Nicole has been ¡®tainted¡¯ by someone?¡±


    ¡°Someone¡­ Who?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even need to ask. There¡¯s only one guy near her, Clo¡ª¡±


    ¡°N-No, there¡¯s also that Elliot guy, isn¡¯t there!?¡±


    ¡°He has already returned to the north. There was also this Donovan kid, but he seems to have enrolled in a high-ss academy in his hometown after graduating from here.¡±


    After Donovan graduated from the elementary grade of the Magic Academy, he enrolled into the high-ss academy specifically for nobles located in the Sto domain.


    This was probably done in consideration of the fact that it wouldn¡¯t be good if he, who had basically inherited the peerage, to be separated from his domain for too long.


    His personality had grown better after the previous incident, so Maxwell was quite disappointed that he had to go back to his hometown.


    After all, with his haughty attitude gone, he really had turned into an honor student in both name and reality.


    ¡°Then, it was definitely that guy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no doubt.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll definitely kill him the next time he shows up.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I can¡¯t hand that role over to you guys. That¡¯s my job.¡±


    Releasing a thundering pressure¡­ Lyell dered.


    I mean, I did acquire experience with the opposite sex the other day, but not with a guy. Someone stop him. Maria, please.


    Thinking that, I looked towards where Maria used to sit, but she seemed to have already left the grounds to breastfeed Fina. And then, someone showed up with the worst timing possible.


    ¡°Hello! I heard master Lyell wasing over today?¡±


    He was quite something, not missing a timing like this. His bad luck with timing was one thing he held inmon with my previous self.


    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Now, Cloud¡­ I have something to ask you. Only answer with a yes or yeah. Or maybe yup.¡±


    Lyell, those are all affirmations. In other words, Cloud had no option to deny it.


    I wasn¡¯t brave enough to butt into this surging bloodthirst.


    Thus, I turned back and followed after Maria to the outside, Cloud¡¯s expected screams reverberating behind me.

 Chapter 305: Nostalgic Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 305: Nostalgic Reunion</h4>


    Before long, a new school term had started, and we were finally promoted to the senior students of the elementary course of the Magic Academy.


    We had a new ssroom, but the ss lineup was the same ever since the first year. This was due to the school policy that instead of building new rtionships, it was better to deepen them with the people you already knew.


    I was currently talking with Letina inside that unchanged ssroom.


    I used the short time we had before the lesson started to thoroughly exin to her just how much of an angel my little sister was.


    ¡°And then, she took her tiny hand and squeezed mine.¡±


    ¡°I am an only child, so that makes me quite envious.¡±


    ¡°I can probably bring her here after she grows up a bit more. You cane and see her too.¡±


    ¡°I will take you up on your offer. She¡¯s also one of our talisman buddies.¡±


    ¡°True. We have matching pairs.¡±


    The talisman that I carved from a fang was hanging on my neck. Michelle and Letina were the same. Oh, and Cloud.


    Seeing that, the students and Adventurers directed mes of jealousy at him.


    Well, that was only natural, given that he had a matching pair with someone as pretty as Michelle.


    The brutality of her chest had grown even more. At this point, she wouldn¡¯t fall behind even if you put her side by side with an adult.


    While we were talking, my other friend showed up to join us. It was Horton¡¯s only daughter, Matisse.


    ¡°Good morning, Nicole. I see you have a matching ne with Lady Letina.¡±


    ¡°Morning, Matisse. Yes, we made it during the vacation.¡±


    ¡°Ohh, nice. Is it made from a fang?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Fang Wolf¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Fang Wolf!? You managed to hunt them yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    The students at the Academy had some degree ofbat training as part of their curriculum. For that reason, she knew just how difficult defeating a Fang Wolf would prove to be.


    The other students overheard my im and started rustling around in surprise.


    ¡°That monster is tough to beat even head-on.¡±


    ¡°Well, Cloud¡¯s skill has grown significantly as ofte. We had Finia with us too, and Maxwell was there to lead us.¡±


    ¡°With Lord Maxwell, it should have been safe.¡±


    ¡°I was there too. I can take one down without a sweat.¡±


    ¡°You focused on keeping them in check as always, though.¡±


    Michelle was the one that put them down even during that battle. Her skill already rivaled that of a veteran soldier. Her ability to concentrate during the critical moment was particrly outstanding.


    Both Letina and Cloud were stronger than what would be normal for their ages, but Michelle was still far beyond them. As expected, a Gift holder¡¯s growth rate was on another level.


    ¡°It makes me want to have one too¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I want to make this an original for me and my sister.¡±


    ¡°That is a little regrettable. But now that you mentioned it, she was born during the vacation, right? Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Yup, thanks!¡±


    Thus, Letina and Ibined our powers to exin in detail just how adorable Fina was. While I was busy stressing how cute my sister was with a flushed face, the people around were looking at me as if they were seeing something charming. My sister is the one who¡¯s lovely, not me!


    After our sses were done, I joined up with Michelle and we headed to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    Cloud was probably already there and engaged in practice with the senior Adventurers, something that had be customarytely.


    As we entered the Guild, I went to the counter right away and took on the herb collection request, yet another customary thing.


    Cloud was apparently down below, as expected, so we would meet up with himter.


    ¡°Wee, Nicole. Are you going to gather herbs today as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is a request for it, right?¡±


    Whenever an illness spread in the elven settlements, the medicinal herbs were gathered in masses, so they tended to put temporary regtions in ce.


    We weren¡¯t especially fixated on the buying price, but it was better to confirm whether there was amission for them at present.


    ¡°Yes, no problems there. We also have this request today.¡±


    With that, she showed me amission to gather special mushrooms.


    ¡°Is this a¡­ Mixus mushroom?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They are quite a delicacy, so the Hortonpany is requesting them.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t they for medicine?¡±


    ¡°This is for seasoning. They have a bit of a spicy, stimting taste, so they are used in cooking after being powdered.¡±


    ¡°Oh huh¡­¡±


    Finia had quite a big variety of seasonings, but I had never seen this. Perhaps it was a luxury item.


    ¡°Okay. In that case, we¡¯ll pick these up too if wee across them.¡±


    ¡°Understood. There are five days until the time limit, so we¡¯ll buy them at a high price if you bring them before then.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll go get Cloud.¡±


    I waved at the counter girl and left the ce. She waved back with a radiant smile, but I felt something simr to Cortina from a few days ago.


    After heading underground, I heard the usual¡­ no, fiercer than usual sounds of training.


    It seemed that they were quite heated up today. It¡¯d be troubling if he spends all his stamina before we head to the forest, though.


    ¡°Cloud seems to be working hard today.¡±


    ¡°He should know we¡¯d be heading to the forest, and that he shouldn¡¯t be going so hard at it.¡±


    ¡°Cloud is doing his best so you don¡¯t leave him behind, Nicole.¡±


    If he ends up totally exhausted before we do our mainbat practice, that¡¯d just trouble me, though.


    Rather, he himself should be troubled the most if his exhaustion lowers his ie, given that it was something essential for him.


    ¡°Haaaa! A matching pair, you saaay!?¡±


    ¡°Stand up, Cloud! Let me beat that harem nature out of you!¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯d be problematic if you do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lady Nicole!?¡±


    The one facing Cloud was the usual fifth-ranked Adventurer, Kayle. Also, two people who I remembered from quite long ago.


    ¡°Oh, could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh. If I remember correctly, you are¡­ Nicole, right?¡±


    ¡°It has been a while, Haumea, Cole.¡±


    There stood a female elf who I had met once before, the woman whose name I had been using as an alias.

 Chapter 306: An Intruding Visitor

    <h4>Chapter 306: An Intruding Visitor</h4>


    Before my eyes was Haumea, a beauty with blond hair and blue eyes. Behind her was Cole with the same old grim expression. ording to my memories, his expression was normally like this, so he most likely wasn¡¯t particrly displeased.


    That reminds me, I had an inkling that my expression was quite like him in my previous life. I see, no wonder people wouldn¡¯t approach me.


    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s been four years, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right.¡±


    I met them shortly after I enrolled in the Magic Academy. Our only interaction was during the hot spring trip when they helped me. But her calm aura left a deep impression on me. To the point that I ended up using her name as an alias.


    ¡°Could the two of you be here for training?¡±


    ¡°No need to be so polite. You¡¯re an Adventurer like us, right? In that case, we have equal standing.¡±


    ¡°Well yes, but¡­ We still have to make a distinction of seniority.¡±


    From what I heard, she was around 500 years old. She was quite a veteran on the level of Maxwell. I wouldn¡¯t say that wisdom of age decided everything, but I still wanted to use some level of respect towards the senior figures.


    ¡°I realized this before too, but you are quite¡­ not childish at all. In a good way, of course.¡±


    ¡°d to hear.¡±


    Of course, the one inside was an adult man who was epted as such by himself and others. No, well, not exactly by others.


    At any rate, their main operations focused between the elven vige and Raum, so it was quite unusual to show up here to train.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen youe to the training grounds.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I contracted an illness some time back. I recovered already but I felt that my skills have grown duller during that time.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that does happen.¡±


    ¡°Do you get ill often, Nicole? You were quite lethargic back then too.¡±


    Back when we met, I was plopped on the ground after having run out of stamina. She probably assumed that due to the impression I gave back then, but it was different now.


    ¡°Too bad, I¡¯ve trained since then so a trip to the vige wouldn¡¯t tire me out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so. That¡¯s admirable.¡±


    ¡°Stop lying. You still get tired every now and then.¡±


    ¡°Michelle, you traitor!¡±


    I raised my fist and objected towards Michelle who backstabbed me with her little remark while standing behind me.


    She started giggling and hid behind Letina. Seeing us like that, Haumea pressed a hand to her mouth and suppressed augh.


    ¡°Ugh, but it¡¯s true that I gained more stamina, okay. And my previousck of stamina was also partly due to illness.¡±


    ¡°It was?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was an illness called Magic Buildup Disease, which umted magic power excessively.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that, huh. There are quite a few Elven kids that contract it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? How do you heal it then?¡±


    In my case, we had to go far to get the Queen Blossom nectar. I didn¡¯t remember hearing Elves doing anything asborious. Could it be that there was another way that Dr. Tricia didn¡¯t know?


    ¡°It¡¯s just something that happens during young age. We are Elves, so it¡¯ll heal if we just leave it be.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be quite a nuisance if a human were to contract it though. Well done curing it.¡±


    ¡°That was due to Dr. Tricia and Lord Maxwell.¡±


    Elves were a race that held a particrly high affinity for magic. And bows. There were many who used these abilities to live as hunters in the forests.


    Hearing Tricia and Maxwell¡¯s names, Haumea was convinced.


    ¡°Good for you. You have to thank them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I am thankful to them both.¡±


    If Dr. Tricia, in particr, wasn¡¯t around, I could have ended up bedridden, without realizing my own illness. Thus I was thankful towards her from the bottom of my heart. The only problem was her disappointing personality that ruined her good points.


    She was good at her work, she wasn¡¯t bad-looking either, she was good at looking after people and was loved by the students, too, so it was a huge waste.


    ¡°Right, since you¡¯re an Adventurer now, would you like to spar with me, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°With you, Haumea?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have heard rumors of your abilities in the Guild. It¡¯s not strange that I am a little interested, right?¡±


    ¡°Actually acting on those impulses is a little, you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? I¡¯m always the one getting beat up here, so how about you have a taste of some hazing of your senior for a change.¡±


    Cloud, who couldn¡¯t read the room as always, made a needless remark there.


    Still, I was also curious about how Elves fought. She wasn¡¯t a Gift holder, but she was a long-distance specialist, boasting of high magic power and centered around mixing bow and spells.


    I have been interested in that peculiarbat style since my previous life.


    That said, Elves hardly left their settlements on their own, and moreover, their gentle personalities seldom got them involved in disputes.


    Until now, there were no Elves that had antagonized me.


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡­ Might not be so bad.¡±


    ¡°Right? I am likewise interested in your skill, Nicole. The receptionist told me you¡¯re skilled despite your weak body.¡±


    ¡°Hohoh¡­¡±


    That receptionist turns out to be quite loose-lipped. Looks like I have to kindly exin to her afterwards. Physically, that is.


    I took a suitable distance from Haumea and stood facing her while Cole heaved a sigh and walked away.


    I had my gauntlets, dagger, and katana on hand. But I couldn¡¯t use the first two due to many eyewitnesses. They were also my trump cards, so I wanted to avoid exposing them to the public too much.


    In which case, I had to use my katana and interference magic to fight now.


    ¡°Okay¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Here I go!¡±


    We finished our preparations and were about to take a step, but someone suddenly cut between us.


    ¡°Please wait! Haumea, you have a guest.¡±


    It was the aforementioned receptionist.


    She had a stiffened expression and was breaking into a cold sweat. Even her knees were trembling a little. I tensed up, thinking something bad must have happened.


    However, the words that left her mouth were somethingpletely different.


    ¡°Now? Can¡¯t it wait?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t! It¡¯s a diplomat from the Northern Alliance!¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Haumea¡¯s expression was screaming ¡°what the heck are you saying¡±. However, I immediately realized what this was about.


    Sorry, Haumea. It was most likely the troublesome stuff rted to me.

 Chapter 307: Degree of Growth

    <h4>Chapter 307: Degree of Growth</h4>


    I directed a lukewarm gaze at Haumea as she got dragged away by the receptionist. As expected, it being a request from the residential minister of foreign affairs, it was impossible to reject it. As a single Adventurer, Haumea had no choice but to obediently ept it.


    I waved my hand and wished well to Haumea, who was looking at Cole with eyes akin to cattle taken to the ughterhouse.


    I wasn¡¯t so reckless as to butt in here.


    ¡°A-Anyway, let¡¯s go look for the herbs, shall we? We also got mushroommission today too.¡±


    ¡°Mushrooms? They¡¯re growing everywhere, so can¡¯t we just pick them up randomly?¡±


    ¡°Cloud you dummy, those random ones might be poisonous.¡±


    ¡°Gh¡­ Still, since it¡¯s amission, are they high-ss items?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The Hortonpany apparently wants them to be used as seasonings.¡±


    ¡°Heh. Could we get a bonus if we grab a whole lot of them?¡±


    ¡°We have to start by testing how tasty they are. We could collect some for ourselves too, right?¡±


    ¡°You sure stay true to yourself, Michelle. But yes, we can do that if we collect enough.¡±


    After discussing it with myrades, I decided to leave the ce at once. This was because the situation around us wasn¡¯t looking very good.


    The fight between a noteworthy Adventurer like me and Haumea had gathered a lot of attention. The unexpected meeting had ruined the chance, but I was still standing on the training grounds.


    In other words, the entire ce was filled with the air that told me they were all thinking this was a good opportunity to challenge me.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to waste my stamina fighting against people I didn¡¯t care about. It was natural to avoid getting exhausted, seeing that we had to go to the forest after this.


    Still, if I bluntly rejected so many people¡¯s requests here, it coulde off as arrogant. Given that I was receiving the patronage of Lyell, Maria and Cortina, I didn¡¯t want to spread bad impressions about me.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go at once!¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s the hurry?¡±


    ¡°Just go!¡±


    Pushing the back of doubtful Letina, I fled the training grounds. From behind, I could hear the begrudged voice of those who missed their chance to fight me.


    ¡°Agh, my chance to get locked in a grapple with Nicole¡­¡±


    ¡°And me with Michelle¡­¡±


    ¡°My chance to get stepped on by Lady Letina¡­¡±


    Yeah, I think there really was a need to wipe out some of Raum¡¯s Adventurers.


    We left the city as if fleeing, and rushed into the forest.


    Since we wasted some time, the sun was already starting to go down. Our time in the forest was limited.


    ¡°We werete to depart today, so we need to hurry. But we should still aim for our usual performance with gathering.¡±


    ¡°That sounds quite hectic. However, I suppose it can serve as training to refine our observational powers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as you say, Letina.¡±


    We quickly made our way through the forest, heading to our destination.


    Mixus Mushrooms were said to grow in moist areas on the bare ground. That was quite unusual, as mushrooms normally grew on the trees and nts.


    There were limited ces around here that were damp and also had bare ground. As Raum was surrounded by forest, most of the ground was covered with weeds. If one were to speak of bare ground¡­


    ¡°Damp and bare ce. There¡¯s only the riverside that fits those criteria, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°The river currents in Raum are quite stable, so the riverside ground should be bare and damp, meeting the conditions for the mushrooms to grow.¡±


    ¡°The currents are too calm downstream so even the riverside is covered by weed, so we might need to go upstream.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t they just get eaten by animals if they grew in a ce like that?¡±


    ¡°These mushrooms are quite stimting so the animals don¡¯t seem to eat them. And that stimulus apparently works really well as seasoning. So, they should still be left there.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Then, over here. The river runs in a zig-zag here as it approaches Raum. If we are going in a straight line, we should head this way.¡±


    We decided on our objective without resting our legs. Our goodbination was good harmony we developed over the long period of being together.


    We chose a shortcut to go upstream on the river that had a lot of turns. We also gathered Milud leaves and hunted small animals on the way.


    We already gathered our usual ie just by doing that. In other words, we were able to do our job even faster than usual without any drop in efficiency.


    ¡°¡ªI guess it¡¯s about time to aim for a new milestone.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, did you say something?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking that you all got used to moving while surveying the surroundings.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, we¡¯ve been doing it almost daily, after all.¡±


    ¡°Parallel thinking is something indispensable for a magician, too. This much is natural.¡±


    ¡°Your rate of discovering things is the lowest among us, though, Letina.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s because I don¡¯t have any scouting skills!¡±


    She was making excuses with a red face, but it was still a little less than us. Normally, it would take her all just to keep up with us, much less find herbs. The fact that she could do those now showed that she had grown quite a bit.


    ¡°That aside, we¡¯ll reach the riverbank soon, so pay attention to your feet.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Eek!?¡±


    Hearing Cloud¡¯s warning, I turned around. But that timing made me miss my footing due to the difference in elevation. I quickly reached out to the nearby tree to fix my posture, but my hand failed to grab anything. Damn it, I could¡¯ve made it if it was my former body!


    As my body got nted, I failed to find an opportunity to fix my posture and rolled down the hill road.


    ¡°Waaaaah!¡±


    ¡°Nicole!¡±


    After rolling and rolling, I tumbled into the puddle¡­ No, river, at the end of the road.


    After getting submerged in water, I somehow managed to poke my head above water. I saw Michelle looking at me worriedly from the hill.


    Incidentally, after confirming my safety, Letina was barely holding back herughter. I¡¯ll remember that¡­


    Getting out of water, I started climbing the hill back up.


    ¡°Are you alright there?¡±


    ¡°Cloud, I wish you¡¯d warn about that stuff a bit sooner.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like I was that aware of our exact position there!¡±


    With those words, Cloud hurriedly faced another way. Following the gazes he was stealing from me from time to time, I traced them to my chest.


    I saw my skin being visible through my damp, white clothes. Not just my chest line that had grown in sizetely, even the pinkish tips were in in sight.


    ¡°Michelle, go crush Cloud¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just unfair!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. A maiden¡¯s skines at a high cost.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it before anyway!¡±


    ¡°Forget what happened at the camp!¡±


    I grabbed the towel Letina threw at me and hurriedly intercepted his gaze.

 Chapter 308: Target Found

    <h4>Chapter 308: Target Found</h4>


    I held on to the rope that Cloud dropped down and scrambled up the riverside.


    The towel around my chest was a little annoying, but it wasn¡¯t hindering my movements. If I was still a man I wouldn¡¯t need something like this, but Cloud¡¯s secretive nces were bothering me a lot now.


    Michelle pinched him in the nk, making him twist in agony, but that was pretty light aspensation.


    The damp ground was quite slippery. Moreover, it was prone to copsing, which made ascending extremely hard.


    We still continued going step by step, until we came across a light brown mushroom.


    ¡°Huh, this is¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve never seen Mixus Mushrooms before, so I checked the pictorial at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild before departing. It looked just like the one that was depicted in it.


    Two of them were growing on the hill road in istion.


    Perhaps the weed couldn¡¯t grow on this hill road that was practically like a cliff.


    And since this was riverside, it was pretty damp, creating a good environment for these mushrooms to grow.


    ¡°Yay, lucky us!¡±


    ¡°Nicole, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We have two of them here. Themission needed five of them, so managing to get two is already valuable.¡±


    ¡°Right! Then, let¡¯s hurry up and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, they are a bit on the left so¡­Cloud, can you bring me closer?¡±


    ¡°Sure, leave it to me.¡±


    With those words, Cloud pulled the rope strongly to the left. That also meant that the entire rope started shaking violently. And naturally, I who was holding onto that rope felt that shaking too.


    ¡°Wah, you idiot!¡±


    I was barely holding myself in ce using this uneven ground and rope, so there was no way I could stabilize my body if that rope started to shake.


    My feet slipped and I dangled down while holding onto the rope. To add more, I was wet all over, and my hands were muddy too.


    Not to mention, my body was that of a powerless girl.


    The hand holding the rope slipped, and I once again found myself dropping into the river.


    ¡°Waph!¡±


    Raising a shy ssh, I once again sank into the water.


    The mud from the riverbank and bottom got mixed up and the muddy water obstructed my vision. As I poked my head covered in seaweed, Cloud was looking at me with the expression of someone who screwed up big time.


    ¡°S-Sorry. I acted on instinct¡­¡±


    ¡°Your instinctive actions are too frequent. It calls for physical punishment.¡±


    ¡°Eeek!?¡±


    He seemed to have remembered the training camp at the mention of physical punishment, he suddenly covered his crotch and jumped back.


    ¡°Sit still!¡±


    ¡°Wait, I really didn¡¯t mean haaarm!¡±


    I started crawling on all fours as I climbed up, chasing after him. He sprinted away while holding his crotch.


    Actually, I could climb up with my own strength like this, so there was no need to have him drop down the rope in the first ce.


    After we somehow retrieved Mixus Mushroom, I changed my clothes.


    After changing my moist and mud-smeared clothes, my body felt refreshed and the ufortable sensation went away.


    Next to me was Cloud who had copsed in agony while holding his crotch. An oue of my physical punishment.


    ¡°Ahem. At any rate, we managed to obtain two of them with this.¡±


    ¡°Right. The remaining three should be somewhere around here, right?¡±


    ¡°I wonder. We found them here because there was no weed around.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we find a simr ce upstream where the currents are faster?¡±


    As Michelle said, the fast streams often shaved away the ground, turning the river into something like a valley.


    Weeds rarely grew in such ces, so we might find Mixus Mushrooms there.


    ¡°F-For now, we can just¡­ Go and check¡­¡±


    Cloud expressed his opinion while gasping from behind. The gazes from the girls showering him were sharp like needles. It was one thing in the past, but now that the girls started developing secondary sex characteristics, their gazes were especially fierce.


    ¡°Inside the forest, having Kabby with us would have been quite reliable.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know how it looks. It¡¯s just perfect for cuddling with Fina, so I left it with mom.¡±


    Small animals like Kabby were extremely effective for cultivating aesthetic sensibility in children¡­ Or so the Whitey said.


    As such, I left it in Lyell¡¯s mansion for the time being, having it act as Fina¡¯s babysitter.


    With Kabby on top of the housekeeper, Maria¡¯s burden had significantly abated.


    ¡°Its tail and ears became all sloppy after getting licked.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯d have liked to see that!¡±


    ¡°Cortina ended up in the same state too.¡±


    ¡°What, now I really wanted to see that!¡±


    ¡°M-Me too.¡±


    ¡°Hey, shouldn¡¯t we get moving already?¡±


    Cloud rudely intruded into our conversation. That said, we couldn¡¯t fault him this time.


    We departedte today, and went further than normal, so we were quite pressed for time. That said, the quota for mushrooms was five, with four days until the deadline. There was no need to force ourselves to keep going today.


    ¡°Lets see¡­ Why not leave it at this for today and go back?¡±


    ¡°Eeh, already?¡±


    ¡°Right, right. We finally managed to find it after all.¡±


    ¡°Hey, if we continue on now, the gates might close before we manage to return back.¡±


    Raum¡¯s gates closed during the night. Of course, you could stille and go, but you had to first talk it out with the guards. It was stupid to end up doing something so bothersome all for the mushrooms up ahead that we weren¡¯t even sure existed.


    ¡°Mgh, no helping it then. Father has told me offtely for returningte too.¡±


    ¡°You too, Letina? Me too, actually.¡±


    ¡°As for me¡­ I have an excuse as long as I bring my spoils. Besides, only the sisters would worry for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a loner as always, Cloud.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t praiseworthy for children just over ten like us to stay in the forest until sote. With that thought in mind, we decided to call it a day and returned back to the city.


    Author¡¯s note: Please note: For the next two chapters, Nicole wouldn¡¯t appear. After that, the story would continue with a half year timeskip where Nicole had be 12 years old.

 Chapter 309: Interview

    <h4>Chapter 309: Interview</h4>


    Haumea and Cole were heading to the reception office, a clear tension visible on their faces.


    It was a room used only when there was a need to show thoughtfulness during meetings with nobles and such.


    Haumea thought she would never have anything to do with that room. As a matter of fact, in her long life, she had never set foot inside that room.


    ¡°Ugh, my stomach started to hurt.¡±


    ¡°So even Elves can be that tense.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Not to mention, the other party is the residential ambassador. In other words, they are something like a representative of his majesty the king of the United Alliance.¡±


    ¡°If something goes wrong, it could develop into an international problem and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please stop!!¡±


    What the Guild staff that was leading them said was quite true. There indeed was the possibility of it leading to an international problem if this was handled poorly.


    As she was an Adventurer, the Guild would probably handle cleaning up after her mess, but it would still be a negative influence to her future livelihood.


    If she missed a single step in the interview that was toe, it could spell demise for her life as an Adventurer.


    ¡°Ugh, but I can¡¯t ignore it either.¡±


    ¡°Please prepare yourself. We arrived at the reception office.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Haumea reached for the door with a tragic expression. Cole tapped on her shoulder and addressed her in a light voice.


    ¡°Calm down. You¡¯ve already adventured long enough right? It might not be so bad to retire already.¡±


    ¡°But I wanted to enjoy my journey for a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine too. But I¡¯m just saying it if the worstes to pass.¡±


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re trying tofort me. Though I can¡¯t say you¡¯re doing a very good job at it.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m bad at this stuff.¡±


    Still, his words seemed to have eased her tension, and she knocked on the door with a bit brighter expression. Since the other party was a noble, she knocked politely on it twice, and then twice more. Normally, knocking thrice would have done the job. Or twice during urgent times like toilet break.


    She had heard repeating it twice was considered good manners.


    ¡°It is Haumea.¡±


    ¡°Please enter.¡±


    A dignified male voice answered her from the inside. The owner of that voice didn¡¯t seem to be in a very good mood. She suddenly felt the urge to run, but doing that would lead to her bing a wanted person.


    Resolving herself, she opened the door.


    It was a simple yet clean, tidy room, quite unlike the one she and herrades normally used. There was a polished marble table and sofas facing each other.


    There sat a man nearing elderly age with his grizzled hairbed down elegantly.


    ¡°Are you Haumea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and this is Cole, myrade.¡±


    ¡°I see. I am the residential ambassador of Raum. You may call me Balto. Um¡­ Excuse me, but are you really the one?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Y-Yes, that¡¯s right?¡±


    The ambassador looked at her in doubt. She bent her head quizzically in response, wondering about his intentions, yet trying to note off as rude.


    ¡°No, my apologies. It¡¯s not like I was doubting¡ªNo, let me correct myself. In truth, you looked so different from how you were described that I ended up doubting you.¡±


    ¡°Different from how I was described?¡±


    ¡°Well, I cannot disclose too much, but¡­ Right, please take a seat for now.¡±


    Being unable to refuse, the two sat down on the sofa. At the same time, there was a knock on the door, and the Guild staff brought tea and snacks to the table.


    And then, they left the room without even looking at Haumea and Cole, clearly not wanting to get involved in this.


    ¡°First, my apologies for calling you here. We the United Alliance are looking for a certain woman. That woman goes by the name Haumea.¡±


    ¡°Um, I am not very familiar with the United Alliance¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so. I heard that this woman had brilliant silvery-blue hair and blue eyes. And she was not an Elf, either.¡±


    ¡°In that case, they are most certainly a different person. But may I ask why are you looking for them?¡±


    Hearing about the silvery-blue hair, Haumea thought of Nicole for a moment, but her eyes were heterochromatic red and blue. They couldn¡¯t have mistaken a feature so conspicuous.


    With the question returned, ambassador Balto took on a troubled expression and wrinkled up his brows.


    Thinking her question had displeased the other party, Haumea hurriedly followed up.


    ¡°U-Um, you do not have to answer if you cannot¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I have inconvenienced you by summoning you here, so telling you to go back without exining anything would make me lose face. I shall exin, but please keep it to yourselves.¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±


    Since she was the one who brought it up, she couldn¡¯t go back on her word and say ¡°nevermind then¡± now. Thus, she prayed in her heart that it was nothing dangerous, and urged him to continue.


    ¡°The truth is, our king¡ªHis Majesty Elliot¡¯s loved one is called Haumea.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s loved one!? Then they are the future queen?¡±


    ¡°No, that person vanished from His Majesty¡¯s side. It appears that she was Lord Maxwell¡¯s spy.¡±


    ¡°That is, how should I put it¡­¡±


    On one side was the king of the United Alliance, and on the other, one of the Six Heroes, Maxwell.


    When the problem involved the world¡¯s leading figures like them, she hesitated on whether it was right toment on it.


    In the first ce, she was amazing to be Maxwell¡¯s spy, so if Elliot fell in love with her on top of that, Haumea would have most likely fled in her ce too.


    Thus, Haumea suspected that her fleeing was exactly due to that.


    ¡°If I were to be honest, and I apologize if this sounds presumptuous¡­ But I understand her feelings of wanting to run away.¡±


    ¡°You are quite right. Be it her position, or her backer, even I am racking my beans on how to deal with her. Moreover, I hear that she herself is extremely skilled.¡±


    ¡°Is she that strong?¡±


    ¡°Not just her strength, but we cannot even find a trace of her. One time she appears in Raum, and next time she is in the northern parts.¡±


    ¡°Quite like a phantom.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. When someone so skilled in mobility is concerned, people trying to misuse her would appear.¡±


    ¡°They certainly would. So this is why you asked me to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I shall not reveal this to a soul.¡±


    ¡°That is good to hear. I shall excuse myself then. It is unfortunate for His Majesty, but I have to report that you were a different person.¡±


    Balto stood up with those words. Haumea also hurriedly followed after him.


    ¡°T-Then we shall, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you for going to the trouble of meeting me today.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I don¡¯t mind this much anytime.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then shall we have some tea next time?¡±


    ¡°Please spare me from that.¡±


    Meeting an important person from a kingdom over and over like this would affect her mental health.


    Thinking that from the bottom of their hearts, Haumea and Cole excused themselves.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 310: Maneuvers Stemming From a Misunderstanding

    <h4>Chapter 310: Maneuvers Stemming From a Misunderstanding</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    After parting with Haumea, ambassador Balto left the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, and headed to the direction of the embassy.


    However, on the way he turned from the path, sneaking into a back alley with few people. After confirming that there were no eye-witnesses around, he quickly chanted a spell.


    ¡°Crimson two, Blue one, Jade one¡ªDispel.¡±


    The moment the spell activated, his elderly gentlemanly figure dissolved, reced by a skinny face of a man.


    He had not a trace of Balto¡¯s appearance left. Instead he had a small horn on his forehead.


    In other words, he was a Half-Demon.


    ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s not easy imitating the nobles.¡±


    Heaving a big sigh, his straight back reverted to its original bent form. His speech didn¡¯t change that much, yet the air he gave off waspletely different.


    He was now looking so shady you would find him suspicious with one nce. It was clearly not the air of someone involved in the official duties.


    He took something like a hat from his pocket, put it on, and spoke the keywords for a spell.


    ¡°Ah, Kufar, did it connect?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I hear you.¡±


    There was a few seconds of dy before the other party responded. For a moment, he worried that he made contact at an inconvenient time.


    ¡°Was this bad timing?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no one around. What about there?¡±


    Having asked in turn, the man checked his surroundings once again. It was an alley with almost no people to begin with, so he couldn¡¯t find anyone looking his way.


    ¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s fine here too.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°It turned out to be a dummy, after all. The one that showed up was a typical blond-haired and blue-eyed Elf.¡±


    ¡°So she faked her identity, huh?¡±


    ¡°I used Disguise just in case since the other party was an Elf, but she didn¡¯t realize it at all. It was quite a let-down.¡±


    ¡°It was because it happened inside the Guild. Even if she was nervous, she probably wasn¡¯t vignt.¡±


    The voice of the other party didn¡¯t seem particrly surprised and was instead calm.


    This result most likely fell in Kufar¡¯s expectations. He was knowledgeable beyond his age, held charisma, and managed to found an organisation in the blink of an eye.


    This man was also one of the people who had joined Kufar from the start. It had already been five years since then.


    However, Kufar¡¯s outward age stayed at around 14-15. This was a characteristic growth of Half-Demons.


    Half-Demons grew to a fixed age, and then their growth stopped. When it stopped depended on the individual, but it was typically between mid-teens totter thirties. In other words, Kufar¡¯s age was¡­ Not known by anyone.


    ¡°So Haumea¡¯s tracks stop here, huh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the option of asking the ¡®old fool¡¯ directly.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take that much risk. That aside¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should shake Raum a bit next? If we seed, maybe she will show herself on her own.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    There was no answer to his question for some time. Instead, there was the sound of rummaging through papersing from the magic item.


    A few minutes were spent in that silence. And then, Kufar finally started speaking.


    ¡°Found it. There are descriptions of abnormal evolutions of monsters in one of the old documents. ording to it, when they are exposed to high concentration of magic power for a long time, specimens that had undergone a unique mutation seem to appear.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°There was a Ley Line north of Raum, wasn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the ¡®old fool¡¯ buried it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like he sealed it with a spell. We can just dig it up. Tunnel spell should be more than enough to handle some digging.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    ¡°We could¡­ Right, we could just throw goblins that have a fast rate of receability. If everything goes well, maybe we¡¯ll manage to get a General or a Lord to show up.¡±


    ¡°Will it really go that well?¡±


    As the man reflexively objected, Kufar responded with a curt reply.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to go well. As long as they have a safe nest, goblins will multiply on their own. As they grow in number, they will attack nearby viges. That chaos alone might manage to lure our target.¡±


    ¡°Is that really the case?¡±


    ¡°But if we do it while the ¡®old fool¡¯ is present in Raum, he could just wipe them out in one go. Can¡¯t we lure him somewhere else somehow?¡±


    ¡°How about we spread false information there and lure him like that? But what about the ¡®strategist¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Leave that one alone. Our goal isn¡¯t to annihte Raum, it¡¯s to cause chaos. If we don¡¯t have the goblins be exterminated at a suitable timing, it would decrease our ie of the ¡®goods¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s go with that then.¡±


    ¡°Be extremely careful. It would be bad if they notice our movements again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Kufar was a careful man. But at the same time, he was also bold. His current instructions could have been said to be bold too.


    The earlier instructions were quite rough, too. It was true that if you threw goblins that quickly reced their generations in a ce with condensed ley lines, there was indeed a possibility of mutation.


    Even so, there was no guarantee that it would happen for certain, and it was also unknown whether they would form together and attack Raum.


    However, the man also understood that he wanted that to happen.


    ¡°In that case, I have to lead them there somehow. Maybe I should make a bigger nest and throw a few of them there together. Maybe I¡¯ll even throw in a woman that¡¯d serve as a seedbed¡­¡±


    Then he suddenly remembered the Haumea woman that he met earlier. She seemed to be slightly aged, but she was still a beauty. He started using her as a fodder¡­ but then he shook his head.


    Haumea herself of course, even the man named Cole seemed to be skilled. Trying to get involved with them and risk getting exposed would be bad.


    Kufar was temperate with hisrades, but if the need arose, he would mercilessly get rid of them.


    ¡°Dangerous, dangerous. Our motto was ¡®everything steadily¡¯ wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    The man muttered and returned to the form of the ambassador Balto. This was because he couldn¡¯t control two spells at the same time.


    He took on the fake appearance to go and make the information consistent. At this rate, it woulde out that there was an interview that ambassador Balto didn¡¯t remember ever holding.


    If he delivered the information to the embassy fast, they would know that Haumea was not the one they were looking for.


    If he did that, they should stop looking deeper into this situation.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 311: The First Disaster After Turning Twelve

    <h4>Chapter 311: The First Disaster After Turning Twelve</h4>


    Half a year had passed since then. I was already twelve years old and my growth was also elerating.


    My chest was growing big enough to start getting in my way, and my hips were also gaining more flesh.


    My waistline on the other hand had turned so thin it made me worry, turning my already dainty body even more slender.


    Thanks to the hair shampoo, my hair had turned even glossier, supple, and dazzlingly beautiful, so much that people started to stop and stare at me.


    Their reaction was quite simr to the time I disguised myself as Haumea. Wasn¡¯t I standing out a bit too much?


    At any rate, we gained a periodic ie with the Hortonpany by providing them with Mixus mushrooms, and our wallets were quite full now.


    Even after our initial requests, we took on themission to provide the seasoning supplies whenever a chance arose, so Cloud¡¯s savings were umting favorably.


    That day, as always, we finished our sses and headed to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    I hadn¡¯t been showing myself in the music roomtely, so I really needed to attend one of these days, but our work took priority now.


    We met up with Michelle on the way, and just as we passed the Guild¡¯s door, we witnessed a fight unfolding there which was fiercer than usual.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many people at once.¡±


    Cloud rushed towards us after he sighted us with his sharp sight as we stood and looked around restlessly. He held amission ticket in his hand.


    Looking closely, the other Adventurers around us were also holding them simrly.


    ¡°Nicole, Nicole. Check this out, hurry!¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, Cloud. You have to start with the greetings.¡±


    ¡°R-Right, good day. Have you ever said that before?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m bing a big sister now. I decided to seriously work on my manners.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ No, wait! Look at this. There¡¯s a Goblin outbreak.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Goblins?¡±


    Goblins¡ªThey were a species of apparitions called imps.


    They had the height of children, in other words, around our height, but they were strong for their size.


    They were as strong as an adult in terms of strength. Still, an average person could somehow deal with it if it was just one of them.


    On the other hand, they were dim-witted, even falling below Kobolds in extreme cases. The danger they posed still remained unchanged, so the Guild immediately issued subjugations the moment they were discovered.


    ¡°Well, there are exceptions like Den too¡­¡±


    ¡°Nicole, who¡¯s Den?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, Lord Maxwell¡¯s acquaintance, I guess?¡±


    I didn¡¯t lie. He was Maxwell¡¯s acquaintance. Still, this much ruckus over some Goblins was strange.


    ¡°So? I assume that¡¯s not all, is it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Actually, there are rumors about the Lord appearing.¡±


    ¡°What is this Lord?¡±


    ¡°Michelle, he is talking about the Goblin Lord. In simpler terms, it¡¯s like a group leader.¡±


    ¡°Like a vige chief?¡±


    Michelle said quizzically while joining her hands at her waist. That gesture made her chest stand out due to being sandwiched by her arms.


    So sly of her to emphasize her ginormous chest while asking an innocent question. Look, Cloud¡¯s eyes are totally glued on them! Even my eyes were lured there.


    ¡°I feel like that¡¯s close, but not really¡­ They say a smart Goblin evolves into a Lord. A group of Goblins that have a Lord follow amand and act quite like a military force.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Not just that, the reproductive power of the group seems to be fortified too, they are multiplying at a fierce rate. If things go bad, some small viges could get wiped out.¡±


    ¡°What, that¡¯s scary¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, the Guild is putting maximum priority on their extermination. Even an army might get dispatched.¡±


    ¡°S-Should we go home?¡±


    Michelle easily tucked her tail between her legs. She was fundamentally a peace lover. Hearing that armed forces might move was enough to instill fear in her.


    ¡°Well, we are still minors, plus we are only first rank, so we shouldn¡¯t be forced to participate.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank god.¡±


    We had a three-years of history working as Adventurers, but most of our work consisted of gathering herbs and hunting. We weren¡¯t assertively trying to hunt monsters, so our rank stayed unchanged.


    For that reason, there should have been no risk of us getting involved in the current turmoil, but¡­


    ¡°I have a report! Clear the path!¡±


    One Adventurer suddenly rushed in.


    He wore easy-to-move leather armor and matching leather boots. His getup told me that he was specializing in covert operations. Seeing that he had a casting support wand on him, he seemed to be a magician on top of it.


    Since he had a report, he must have been the one responsible for scouting this time.


    The man rushed to the counter and reported it to the Guild Master who hade to hear what he had to say.


    ¡°I have a report. Is it fine to do it here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead. I have to report it to everyer anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ There really are Goblins there. They are about a five days walk from town to the north. Numbers are unclear.¡±


    ¡°Unclear you say?¡±


    If he managed to scout a ce five days of walk from here, he must have used Flight like Maxwell to do it from the skies. With that Magic, a round trip was quite possible under this time.


    The Guild Master snorted in displeasure at the report. But that was only to be expected. The scout was saying he didn¡¯t know the number, so what was the point of him scouting then?


    However, the man seemed to have sensed the Guild Master¡¯s displeasure and quickly corrected his statement.


    ¡°No, the reason I said unclear is that there¡¯s so many of them that I couldn¡¯t count them all. It was not on the level of a hundred or two at the very least.¡±


    ¡°What did you say!?¡±


    Over two hundred Goblins¡­ That was a number that would be impossible to have without a Lord.


    Normal Goblins would only be in the groups of ten or so at best.


    This number might be beyond the hands of the Adventurers alone.


    The man had yet another sad news to make.


    ¡°Moreover, they are heading towards this city. It might be better to request dispatch of the army. At this rate, they will reach us within five days.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ That¡¯s right. Hey, go contact the guard station. And you go report to the royal castle. Those numbers would be beyond something gate guards can handle.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay!¡±


    ¡°Oh, and you, contact Lady Cortina and Lord Maxwell. If the army will move, their assistance would be necessary too.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The Guild staff rushed out in a hurry after receiving instructions. Watching their backs, I started worrying in silence.


    Cortina was going head to battle. Yet I was not able to rush to her side.


    After all, if I participated in this subjugation, I would end up involving Michelle and others too.


    Nevertheless, if I tried to participate on my own, people around me, Cortina included, would stop me.


    And if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, I was still time-locked from using the Polymorph spell. I couldn¡¯t transform and participate, either.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Nicole?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about Cortina.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you must be¡­ Is there something I could help with¡­ I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Michelle, your legs are trembling. You shouldn¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Cortina is reliable even if she looks like that, so she would be fine.¡±


    Even though I said that, I myself was worried too.


    I decided to wait for Maxwell to arrive and try what I could to allow me to participate.

 Chapter 312: Strategy Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 312: Strategy Meeting</h4>


    I had Letina, Michelle, and Cloud return home and take refuge with their families.


    If they found out about Michelle¡¯s Gift they would have sent her to the battlefield, so I plotted to beat them to the punch and hide her in advance.


    As for me, I pretended to return home, but used the illusion ring to disguise myself as a in-looking Adventurer, and returned back to the Guild.


    In the biggest room in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡­ That is, the hall, they carried a long desk, turning it into an impromptu conference room.


    There were about 50 Adventurers and staff members there, as well as Cortina and Mateus.


    ¡°Um, Lady Cortina. Where is Lord Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for the old man, he was called to the United Alliance of the north this morning, so he went to the capital, Tryad.¡±


    ¡°T-Then we should use the Guild¡¯s contactwork and get in touch¡ª!¡±


    ¡°I leave that to you. If that old manes back, things will change for the better in one go.¡±


    ¡°U-Understood! Um, what about Lord Lyell and Lady Maria, or Lord Gadius?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still impossible for Maria to step into the battlefield. Her condition is still not perfect. Lyell can¡¯t leave the north at present, either.¡±


    There was still that organisation scheming to summon Devils in the northern parts. Lyell was actively going after them in the United Alliance to sever their supply of sacrifices. Gadius was the same.


    Only Maxwell could move right now.


    Hearing Cortina¡¯s words, the Guild staff started running around once again. Then, she once againid her eyes on the map spread on the desk, and asked for the information.


    The Guild Master answered her question binding the collected information to a file.


    ¡°There is no mistake that Lord has appeared, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, otherwise we cannot exin how over 200 goblins could spawn.¡±


    ¡°The ce is about a five days of walk from here to the north¡­ There¡¯s a river on the west side, but other than that it¡¯s all forest. Quite troublesome.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that dy their attack as well?¡±


    ¡°Goblin Lord is like a queen bee. It can make its underlings do the unreasonable. In the worst case, they can show up here in three days.¡±


    ¡°Three days!?¡±


    There wouldn¡¯t be time to eveny traps and ambush them like that. If possible, an all-out battle with Goblins in the forest had to be avoided.


    ¡°How many enemies are there?¡±


    ¡°The follow-up scout has arrived after that. We are using familiars to monitor them now. They managed to count their numbers better this time, and it appears that there are about 350 of them.¡±


    ¡°What about ourbat power?¡±


    ¡°About 50 people have answered the urgent summons of the Guild. There¡¯s 50 more gate guards.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too few?¡±


    Even if Raum was in the western countryside, it was still the capital. It was a little too few for there to only be 50ish Adventurers present there.


    Plus, there should¡¯ve been more gate guards too.


    ¡°That is because to handle Goblins, they have to be at least third rank¡­¡±


    ¡°What if you include rank two?¡±


    ¡°It would add a hundred more Adventurers to the count.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯d still be about half their count¡­¡±


    Against 350 monsters, there would be 150 Adventurers and 50 guards. It wasn¡¯t exactly as low as half of their count, but still low enough. When it came to field battles in forests where it was hard to y with strategies, numbers were everything. This wasn¡¯t enough to stop the monsters¡¯ advance.


    ¡°What about the castle¡¯s chivalric order? They should have about 300 there, right?¡±


    ¡°Marquis Lichtenberg dered that knights are there to protect the country and the nobles, and dispatched them to guard the noble district.¡±


    ¡°He what? That bald geezer¡­¡±


    ¡°And,moners have been forbidden from entering the noble district too¡­¡±


    ¡°Where else can the citizens take shelter then!?¡±


    Cortina mmed her fist on the desk in anger.


    Like the city walls, the area where the nobles lived was enclosed with walls. With both the city and noble district wall in the ce, the enemy couldn¡¯t ovee it, Goblin Lord or not.


    But that was only if you didn¡¯t factor in the harm that woulde to the citizens. If the citizens had no shelter, just breaking through the rampant would be the end. What awaited beyond that was the trampling of the powerless citizens.


    Each Goblin was individually nothing much. But the story was different when it came to Goblins led by a Lord.


    They followed the Lord while ignoring the danger to their lives, just like worker bees. In other words, they were quite like death soldiers. Against such enemies, you wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid victims even if you managed to make up the numbers.


    ¡°Should I just go and kill that old b?a?s?t?a?r?d?¡­¡±


    ¡°P-Please wait. In exchange, Marquis Yowi epted the plea for shelter!¡±


    ¡°Marquis Yowi? Ah, Letina¡¯s family¡­¡±


    ¡°He dered that he would use Marquis household carriages and shelter the refugees in his garden.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s Marquis carriages, no one shouldin about letting them inside the noble district, huh. But¡ªthat¡¯s still a small constion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are grateful for his kindness, but we can only fit a thousand people there at most¡­¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Let us evacuate people to the Magic and Adventurer academies too. If we cram them, we should amodate 4-5 thousand of them there. There are fences there too, so it should serve as a line of defense.¡±


    Pointing to the academies to the eastern side of the city, Cortina issued the instructions.


    Both of the academies were wider than some noble mansions, so you could amodate quite a lot of people there. Even so, it couldn¡¯t amodate all of the citizens.


    ¡°That would still only amount to one third of the entire poption¡­¡±


    ¡°Have the Adventurers under rank two along with the guards to take the refugees to the southern side and guard them there. We could buy some time like that.¡±


    ¡°Guard over ten thousand citizens with not even 200 people!?¡±


    ¡°I know how it sounds. But it¡¯s still better than leaving them defenseless.¡±


    ¡°That¡­Is true¡­¡±


    Cortina thought with a finger to her jaw. At this rate, damages to the citizens couldn¡¯t be avoided. They would be able to repel them, but not without spilling the blood of the citizens in the process.


    ¡°There are limits to how much the town walls can guard.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t have any other options, do we?¡±


    ¡°If only we could use the chivalric order¡­ No, we have to make the first move here. That is the only way to avoid harm to the citizens.¡±


    If they could use those 300 knights, it could have been more than an equal fight. However, since their main force has been snatched away, the disadvantages we had were undeniable. Much less when guards and newbie Adventurers were all busy trying to protect the citizens.


    With the main force of 50 Adventurers, they had to defeat seven times that number of Goblins. Cortina made a choice to take on such a reckless action.

 Chapter 313: Skirmish

    <h4>Chapter 313: Skirmish</h4>


    Following that, the Adventurersid as many traps as they could manage under Cortina¡¯s orders. Even if the enemies were led by a Lord, they were still Goblins at the end of the day, so even if their strength had increased it wasn¡¯t the same for their intellect.


    Lord itself was one thing, but against the rest of the Goblins that were like its extremities, these traps should be highly effective.


    Moreover, Cortina made parties of Adventurers and pointed them towards the respective defense points.


    Since there was a river on the northern side of the city, the enemy¡¯s marching route was narrowed down to an extent. They were going to ambush them at different points,ying traps and decreasing their numbers as much as possible, and then eventually deciding the battle at the town walls.


    That was Cortina¡¯s strategy.


    ¡°Honestly, having no way to handle this is quite unlike her¡­ And where did Maxwell go in the first ce.¡±


    I muttered to myself while confirming that no one was paying attention to me. It has been three days since then, but Maxwell still hasn¡¯t returned.


    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild had contacted several times, but he still hadn¡¯t managed to return.


    I had also evacuated to the Magic Academy with Finia, but I disguised myself and slipped out when an opportunity arose and came to check the situation on the frontlines.


    Since there was a prediction from Cortina that they mighte in 3 days at the earliest, they could appear any time now.


    I could obviously not overturn the battle situation on my own, but since Cortina was stepping out onto the battlefield, I wanted to be by her side too.


    I had Cortina, and my friends that I wanted to protect living in this city. It wasn¡¯t possible for me to just stand quietly and watch from afar.


    The scouts flew overhead frequently and had a firm grasp of where the Goblins were currently, thus people could focus on the work leisurely now. However the anxiety from waiting when you¡¯d get attacked was still there, so the fatigue was piling up faster than normal.


    If this went on for too long, the Adventurers might sumb mentally first.


    On the fourth day after such apprehensions had taken root, the report came from the frontlines saying that they had encountered the Goblins.


    ¡°Message! The party working at the front lines had encountered the Goblins, fought one battle and retreated.¡±


    The message arrived in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s hall. I was also there in disguise, so I managed to catch it too.


    ¡°What about the damages!?¡±


    ¡°The vanguard warrior had received some minor scratches. He has already been healed with potions.¡±


    ¡°I see. Every person counts now, so ry to them to try to avoid injuries as much as possible. The forest is not where we decide the battle.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The deciding battle that Cortina supposed was on the defensive line that used the walls, and the cleanup of the small number that managed to break through.


    For that reason, she needed there to be as many fighters as possible. It would be bad if they got themselves injured during the skirmish like this.


    The messenger once again rushed out, and the Adventurers who had returned to take a break also followed after him. I also followed after them in my disguise.


    Before we reached the battleground, yet another piece of information had reached us from the scouts.


    That information included the notice that the enemy¡¯s numbers have swelled up to 400. This terrific reproductive power was the most frightening part of a Lord.


    ¡°Damn it, they are popping out children one after another. Give some of that health to Maria will you.¡±


    If Maria, who waspletely exhausted after giving birth to Fina, had heard that, she¡¯d surely have gotten jealous.


    As I ran to the forest, I pulled a spear from my back. There was a pigeon familiar in the sky. It was probably the familiar Cortina dispatched for monitoring.


    Since she was watching over the battle situation, I couldn¡¯t use my threads. And I couldn¡¯t use an unusual weapon like a katana either. Because, there was probably only me in the entirety of Raum who used a conspicuous weapon like that.


    But Cortina didn¡¯t know about this spear.


    This spear that was made by the God of Destruction was so firm it could be considered a weapon of its own.


    ¡°There! It¡¯s Goblin scouts!¡±


    A warrior running ahead of me had sensed the tumult up ahead. There, I saw two Adventurer parties engaged in a battle with a Goblin group.


    There were about thirty of them, so it was ten against thirty.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s earn favor from those guys who are taking so long to deal with some Goblins!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    He addressed the following group and raised their morale. If it was a newbie, their head would be filled with thinking about their own self and would not be able to consider others like this.


    Thus, ten more Adventurers rushed into the battle. The Goblins that had been taken by surprise had momentarily stopped their movements from astonishment.


    The Adventurers mowed down their heads like wheat.


    However, the Goblins didn¡¯t die just like that. Those that clearly had fatal wounds were still swinging their rusted swords without falling.


    One of the Adventurers was taken aback by their tenacity and stopped in ce. The other Goblin used that opportunity to attack him from the side. I thrust my spear towards that Goblin and sunk it deep into its lower back.


    It was a thrust that carried all the momentum of my rush. It held enough power to break the Goblin¡¯s hipbone.


    The Goblin did a somersault as it copsed. Then, it tried to get up again¡­ But once again fell down.


    Tenacious they may be, the bones were the origin of all movements. If you broke those bones, they wouldn¡¯t be able to move properly.


    ¡°The enemy is tenacious, so don¡¯t fight normally! Cut off their heads, and if you can¡¯t do that, break their spines. Break their legs and slice off their arms! Make it so they physically cannot fight!¡±


    Seeing my result, another Adventurer raised his voice.


    Normally, you would sh at their chest or pierce their abdomen and they would be easily rendered powerless. However, these Goblins were serving a Lord and had high resistance against pain.


    Against goblins that had been half-turned into berserkers, shing at their chests or abdomen to rob them of theirbat power would be nigh impossible.


    Thus, it was better to aim for their limbs or spine.


    If they lose their arms they wouldn¡¯t be able to pick up their swords. And if they lost their legs they wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up. It was important to chip off the enemy mobility like this.


    The Goblins that were already having a tough enough fight against ten Adventurers started to flee after sensing the disadvantage once they saw ten more Adventurers join the battle.


    This was also not an action you would expect from normal Goblins. They had low intellect, so they would either fight to the death, or lose their chance of escape after losing sight of their surroundings.


    These actions were made possible because they weremanded by a Lord.


    The Adventurers managed to neutralize nearly 20 Goblins already, so the battle was starting to turn around.


    The few Adventures that tried to chase the fleeing Goblins were stopped by the earlier Adventurer that led us.


    ¡°Wait, this is still a skirmish. It¡¯s already enough that we managed to take down twenty of them without damage to our side.¡±


    ¡°Still, wouldn¡¯t it make our lives easier if we dealt with the fleeing ones here?¡±


    One of the Adventurers who was about to chase them objected in dissatisfaction. The man easily warded it off and started his exnation.


    ¡°It¡¯s just ten Goblins. We¡¯d still have 390 of them, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, well¡­¡±


    ¡°If you guys follow them and get yourselves killed, it would harm us even more. I ask you to control yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, fine.¡±


    Hearing the remaining enemy number made his head clear up. He was still reluctant but he decided to back down here.


    And thus, we managed to finish our first battle against the Goblins with fine results.

 Chapter 314: Battle Preparations

    <h4>Chapter 314: Battle Preparations</h4>


    The group of Goblins moved along the eastern side of the river that flowed to the south. This was clear proof that they were heading for Raum, whichy in the southern direction.


    If they traveled through the forest, there was a risk of losing the sense of direction and getting lost. It was probably due to that that they chose to travel through a ce with an open sky, that is, along the river.


    However, given how calm Raum¡¯s currents were, they would be able to cross the river when they neared it. If they started acting on both sides of the river, it would make monitoring them harder.


    As such, magicians that could fly were positioned above the river and prevented that development by blowing up any Goblins that tried to cross it.


    Those who couldn¡¯t use the Flight spell were also contributing to the subjugation by using familiars to monitor the situation. Cortina also fell into this category.


    The opposing Goblins had Goblin Shamans that could use small-scale spells and Goblin Archers that used bows, but their attacks couldn¡¯t reach the magicians that bombarded them with spells from above while keeping great distance.


    Much less when the Goblins couldn¡¯t let their members who could use ranged attacks to a ce where they would only get one-sidedly bombarded.


    Thus, they prioritized maintaining theirbat power, so the Goblins followed the river without crossing it.


    But therey fatal traps set by Adventurers.


    The Goblin group advanced south while brute-forcing its way through them. They suffered over 50 casualties during the process, but the number they gained through breeding was even higher.


    This ability to reform their ranks was the most frightening part of a Goblin Lord.


    Normally, Goblins gave birth after a week from conception, and the offspring would stand on its legs that very day, and after three days, they could already hunt.


    However, with the assistance of the Goblin Lord, that period was greatly shortened.


    It took 3 days to be born, half a day to stand up, and they were fully functional fighters in three more days.


    Goblins originally had a limit to how many individuals a single group could hold. That was because there was a limit to how much food they could obtain.


    If they multiplied too much, those Goblins wouldn¡¯t be able to secure food and starve to death. It¡¯s because they held such high reproductive powers that the settlements that overbred themselves ended up starving to death, so it was normal for them not to multiply beyond a set number.


    However, when Goblin Lord was involved, that upper limit would be broken. They used the corpses of their starved members as food and increased their numbers even more.


    At that point, their rate of increase overcame their rate of losses. That was the reason they could maintain such a big group. Using such a high number to wreak havoc was another part of the Goblin Lord¡¯s frightening aspect.


    ¡°So, the current numbers are about 450. We managed to kill about 100 of them, but their number keeps increasing instead.¡±


    Cortina holding her head at the long desk set in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. This was her first time facing a Goblin Lord too. She had never experienced fighting an enemy that you kept killing and killing yet they only increased.


    The strategy meetings were being held simultaneously in this main hall and the other conference room.


    This was a division done to discuss things that needed to stay private elsewhere. I observed the hall meeting while in the usual disguise.


    ¡°Still, if we did noty traps andmence air-raids, their numbers would be over 500 now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I understand that. So, what¡¯s going on with Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it seems that themunication is getting obstructed in some way¡­¡±


    ¡°Given the timing¡­ Someone seems to be working behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°Someone is doing that¡­ At this rate, Raum would suffer great damages!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea who would be hoping for that? I personally have a few¡­ Or rather, I can also think of a few.¡±


    As far as I could think of, there were Tarkashire¡¯s survivors in the north, those rted to the ve trader, and the group nning to revive the Devil.


    Even I could think of that many. If we traced the history even further back, there would be even more people who held personal grudges towards Cortina or Maxwell.


    ¡°However, Goblin Lords are not monsters that would be influenced by human schemes.¡±


    ¡°True. Their appearance is already a rare enough urrence. I wonder how they did it?¡±


    If one could freely produce Goblins Lords, they could cause great damages to the surrounding areas. If it was something that humans could control, that would allow them to use them quite like soldiers.


    If such methods existed, they couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    ¡°At any rate, dealing with what¡¯s in frontes first. What is their speed?¡±


    ¡°It seems they will reach us by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time toy out any more traps then¡­ Would be nice if it makes it in time.¡±


    ¡°What would?¡±


    ¡°Just talking to myself. How is the defense formation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as nned, the Adventurers that went to intercept them were instructed to return inside the city.¡±


    ¡°What about the ¡®walls¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Their instation is going favorably. They should bepleted by morning.¡±


    ¡°I see. Make sure to block all the windows and entrances of the private houses along the roads. Laying waste to the city is one thing, but if they could spill through those openings, there would be no point to it.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Cortina didn¡¯t expect that traps and surprise attacks would get them anywhere from the start. Having seven times the difference in numbers was the point where people would normally evacuate without fighting back.


    And the Goblins had now reached nine times our number.


    ¡°How about the evacuation of the citizens?¡±


    ¡°It is already done. However, the environment is not very good, so they won¡¯t hold out for long.¡±


    ¡°Rx, everything will end within three days. Whether we win or not, that is.¡±


    The citizens that had been amodated in a narrow ce could not hold on for too long. They couldn¡¯t do any trades, and their fundamental livelihood could not be carried out. It was only a matter of time until the dissatisfaction exploded in them.


    The fact that they obeyed the instructions was all due to Cortina¡¯s fame and achievements.


    ¡°Well, that is still too early to talk about. That aside, you were called Kayle, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±


    Being called by name, Kayle replied with a tense expression. This meeting was conducted in the hall, so ordinary Adventurers could participate too. He was Fifth Rank, so he was currently the strongest battle power in Raum.


    ¡°I have a special mission for you and yourrades, how about it?¡±


    With a mean-looking smile on her face, Cortina leaned over to the desk as she said those words.

 Chapter 315: Surprise Tactics

    <h4>Chapter 315: Surprise Tactics</h4>


    Cortina gave Kayle, who stood at attention, instructions with a mean-looking expression.


    ¡°You and yourrades¡­ Let¡¯s see, take about 10 people as a detached force and go up north on the western side of the river.¡±


    ¡°Ten people!?¡±


    Kayle raised an astonished voice. But that was only natural.


    Ten people were already 20 percent of their entirebat power. That meant that his mission would be so important that they¡¯d have to shave off their power by that much.


    ¡°Yes. Honestly what I want to ask of you is unreasonable enough that even that is not enough.¡±


    The instructions she gave out after that were indeed unreasonable enough to warrant that.


    While the Goblins were clinging to the castle walls, they would have to go through the river that flowed in the urban areas and go to its west, and then go around to the north and attack the Goblins from behind.


    The Goblins already had the preconception that they would get bombed from above if they approached the river. None should be attempting to do it at this point.


    As such, the west side of the river could currently be called a safety zone. That said, the Goblins would probably still be vignt towards that side. For that reason, people who excelled in covert actions would be necessary.


    ¡°Going there undetected is a must, but if you can manage to attack their backs, I also want you to defeat the Goblin Lord.¡±


    ¡°Those are some heavy conditions.¡±


    ¡°The current horde is clearly being led by a Lord. If we sever the source of their intention to attack Raum, the rest should disperse too.¡±


    ¡°So my role is to crush the enemy¡¯s cornerstone? Now I¡¯m getting fired up!¡±


    ¡°But you would need an able scout to aplish that. Do you have anyone in mind?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do.¡±


    Saying that, he turned towards me.


    ¡°I saw his performance earlier and he has some good skills.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You spent most of the time on the frontlines during the surprise attacks, right? You approached the enemies without getting spotted and conducted hit-and-run tactics. It was quite something.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, yeah?¡±


    I wanted to help Cortina as much as I could. For that reason, whenever there was a surprise attack, I tried to participate in them whenever I could while disguised. My current appearance was that of Gideon, the powerful foe that I fought in the past.


    Given that he was the head of an assassin sect, his face wasn¡¯t well known.


    Even so, I still gave off an aura of an expert, so my high-pitched voice felt quite out of ce with the appearance.


    Anyway, leaving that aside, acting as a vanguard continuously meant that I would fight side by side with a top-ss warrior like Kayle. Thinking back, I recalled a few scenes where I led a charge, while Kayle followed after me and dealt hard blows.


    After it happened over and over, he probably became conscious of my existence.


    ¡°I can guarantee his skills after watching him from the side. With my party and him, as well as a few skilled individuals, we can surely make it.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I leave that to you. You will set out tonight. When the Goblins start attacking the walls tomorrow, their monitoring eyes should grow looser.¡±


    ¡°Understood. You¡¯re fine with that too, right?¡±


    ¡°Do I have the option to refuse?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, not!¡±


    ¡°Figured as much.¡±


    I covered my mouth with the scarf and mumbled back. My appearance was disguised, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for my voice.


    I had a high-pitched voice characteristic of a girl, so I tried my best to muffle it as I could, squeezing out a threatening voice. But even that sounded too childishpared to an average man.


    ¡°What the, you sound like a girl.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I-I¡¯m conscious of it.¡±


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why you cover your mouth with a scarf and speak so little.¡±


    There were female Adventurers on the battlefield too, so it wouldn¡¯t have been that conspicuous even if I used my real voice to yell there. They would just mistake it for some female Adventurer.


    But when talking face-to-face like this, it stood out very much. As such, I tried to avoid speaking to others as much as I could, but it was unavoidable in this situation.


    ¡°Sorry if it bothered you. But we really need your strength now.¡±


    ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I see! I¡¯m d to hear that!¡±


    He tried to give me a friendly jab, but if I allowed it, he would notice the difference in height between me and my disguise, so I took a step back and dodged it.


    This guy didn¡¯t have a bad personality like he already disyed. Rather, if you removed his illness that people tended to catch when they were fourteen, his personality could even be called refreshing.


    He didn¡¯t seem to take offense at my current action either, and realized that I didn¡¯t want to be touched on top of my voice problem.


    ¡°Whoops, sorry. Is touching your body no good either?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll let the others know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Kayle folded his arms, perhaps so he wouldn¡¯t identally touch me, and nodded two-three times. Seeing us like that, Cortina pped her hands.


    ¡°Well then, start making your preparations at once. You guys are one of the trump cards of this battle. Be sure to carefully prepare.¡±


    ¡°Right, leave it to us!¡±


    With those words, Kayle rushed out of the Guild at full speed.


    I was worried about Cortina¡¯s state, but it was true that if we seeded here, the Goblins would lose their control and we would gain an advantage over them.


    That said, we needed to carefully prepare for that.


    I left the guild while having uneasy thoughts.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    The capital of the United Alliance of the north, Tryad.


    In one room of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild there, a single person slipped in.


    It was someone with a skin-tight female Guild staff uniform on their small build. They did not stand out from the surrounding people, so they managed to perfectly blend in.


    In that room, there was a tool that recorded the information ryed by the Guild with magic to all ces using the automatic recorder.


    This telepathic spell could be used in military ways, so the form of the spell wasn¡¯t disclosed to the public, and instead, it was strictly controlled by the Guild.


    As such, this room was strictly locked too.


    The staff that entered, however, had the key in their hand. In other words, it was someone who had been permitted entry.


    ¡°Report of the raid of Raum, huh. Urgently asking for Lord Maxwell. Unfortunately, he will not see it.¡±


    From the female staff¡¯s mouth leaked words that were too low-pitched to belong to a woman, to the point you¡¯d think it was a man.


    They gave one stroke to their face, and what was until then a womanly face had been reced by that of a young man.


    The young man¡ªKufar, made sure to lock the door, and then took the document he came for, and tapped on it with his finger. The next moment, it suddenly zed up and burned.


    He released the paper just before the mes reached his fingers and watched as it burned to the end on the floor.


    ¡°Sorry, but I have to get Raum to feel some pain. And not just for Haumea¡¯s matter.¡±


    He then stepped down on the remaining cinders and extinguished them, after which he kicked them to the corner of the room. If the ashes remained on the floor, they would catch on earlier.


    Following that, he brushed his face once more and returned to the female form, and slipped out of the room.


    He had taken this inconspicuous form and stolen the key to this room. Naturally, the strictly guarded key would not be stolen so easily. However, if it was someone who checked the room periodically for information, they wouldn¡¯t suspect the theft.


    As such, the information that was supposed to reach Maxwell had been destroyed beforehand.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 s 316 – Defensive Battle

    <h4>Chapters 316 ¨C Defensive Battle</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Early in the morning, the Goblins had started their assault right after Kayle¡¯s group had left.


    Cortina stood above the walls and gavemands to the entire force.


    When the situation reached this point, there was no point in staying locked up inside the Guild. Rather, showing up on the battlefield served to boost morale, if anything.


    The main gate had already been closed shut, and without a battering ram, there was no breaking it.


    In other words, the Goblins could only climb over the walls to get into the city. If it were soldiers, they would be setting updders, but the Goblins weren¡¯t intelligent enough to make them.


    On the other hand, they had strong ws that they could use to tear bodies to pieces. They weren¡¯t sharp enough to content with swords, but still strong enough to embed themselves into rock and support their weights.


    Seeing Goblins digging their ws into the walls and climbing up here and there was enough to set fear into the Adventurers.


    ¡°If they pass us, they¡¯ll wreak havoc in the city! This is the critical moment. Everyone, fight with all you have!¡±


    Cortina motivated the Adventurers with a yell. With that, the Adventurers started their counterattack. They started showering the Goblins from the wall with arrows and rock bullets, while also spilling hot water and oil on them.


    There was a limit to the wideness of the wall, so at most, a hundred or so Goblins could climb up on it at once. Even so, there were over three hundred more Goblins standing behind them, while the opposing Adventurers were 40 at best.


    Such overwhelming numeral assault wasn¡¯t something that could possibly be kept in check.


    It was going favorably at first, but before long, some of the ces gave in to the numbers and the Goblins had gotten through.


    It was about two hours after the defensive battle started that such reports had reached Cortina¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Lady Cortina, 12th position has been broken through!¡±


    ¡°Kh, 9th and 10th should¡¯ve had some more leeway. Have them expanse the defense perimeter by two meters each. 11th should move by four meters and assist 12th. 13th should also expand their point at the present point. How many have invaded the urban areas?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere around 20.¡±


    The Guild staff rushed to report the situation. There were twenty Goblins, a number that an average Adventurer party could exterminate.


    However, against normal people, that number was powerful enough to destroy a small vige.


    Now when the gate guards and newbie Adventurers were protecting the southern part of the city, while the knights were confined in the noble district, there was no one to protect the safety of the north.


    There would be almost no harm to the citizens, but the damages to the city could not be entirely prevented.


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d want to chase after them, we have no leisure for that. There are some traps, so we should plug the holes and keep on defending.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°12th position¡ªMorrison, was it? What about him?¡±


    ¡°He has suffered a serious injury but his life is safe¡­ But there is no hope for him to return to the battlefield.¡±


    On top of the defensive battle being broken, the Adventurer in charge could no longer return to the frontlines. That said, the fact that he managed to hang on to his life was already a profit.


    Thinking about the damages that would be dealt to the town even if they seeded in the defense made the people present despair.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I still have some measures. You should focus on protecting this ce.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Hearing that Cortina still had some methods roused the morale of the Adventurers around. They judged that since their strategist wasn¡¯t despairing, they still had ways to ovee this.


    Goblins who had entered the city were initially bewildered at the strange sight before them. It was because carts and wooden boxes were blocking several locations, sealing the way to advance there.


    Most of them were blocking narrow roads, leaving no way to advance but the main road. Naturally, those obstacles were mere piles of things, so destroying them would be easy. That said, the Goblins no longer had enough reasoning to do something soborious.


    These Goblins whose minds had been incited by the Goblin Lord didn¡¯t give much thought to the sealed-up ces and rushed ahead on the main street.


    One of the reasons was the fact that their wide increase in numbers had made it so the food did not reach everyone. Tormented by hunger, they decided to choose the easiest path towards their food¡ªthat is, humans.


    Theirrades that should have gone on different roads also joined up with them, and they advanced ahead in arge group.


    And finally, they discovered their prey.


    There were more walls deeper in the city, and their gate was being protected by soldiers wearing neat te armor.


    The soldiers looked clearly different from the Adventurers that protected the outer walls. However, Goblins were not one to notice such a difference.


    ¡°GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡±


    They raised yells of delight and charged towards their prey.


    When he sighted the Goblins, the soldiers¡ªthe chivalric order, raised alerts.


    ¡°Goblins are here! They came, as nned!¡±


    ¡°We should at least do this much a?s?s?-wiping!¡±


    The knights set up their shields and thrust their spears forward. To protect the citizens taking refuge in the southern parts, Cortina had skillfully blocked the roads and led the Goblins towards the noble district gate that the chivalric order was protecting.


    She judged that maddened Goblins would not try to purposely climb over the blockades, and she purposely divided them at first only to let them converge at the end so they would not suspect they were being led.


    The knights were also regretting the fact that they weren¡¯t able to protect the citizens.


    However, to them, the orders of their superiors were absolute. But Cortina had proposed this n, and utilized the war power that she couldn¡¯t normally have.


    The knights who were unable to protect their citizens were more than d to ept her request.


    ¡°Some of the Goblins might inevitably break through, and those Goblins might head straight for the nobles, right? I¡¯ll be relying on you if that happens.¡±


    Seeing the impishugh of the strategist, the knights epted with wry smiles.


    They were ordered to protect the noble district from the start, so this would not be going against their orders.


    As for the nobles that had issued those orders, they were not made aware of Cortina¡¯s n.


    This was, to the end, simply an inevitable situation, after all.

 Chapter 317: Battle on the Street

    <h4>Chapter 317: Battle on the Street</h4>


    Even if there were barricades, there were bound to be a few Goblins that did climb over them in the end. Climbing over it, they headed towards the southern side of the city.


    Following him were three Goblins. They didn¡¯t cross the barricades due to some specific reason. It could be said that the effect of the Lord¡¯s domination on them was slightly weaker.


    Thus, their faintly remaining reasoning had told them, if there are walls, they must be hiding something behind them.


    And as expected, they had discovered it. A soft-looking meat¡ªthat is, a child.


    Three days ago, the citizens had evacuated to the southern part.


    Even if they were told it was a Goblin raid, they had the chivalric order, and were also protected by tall walls, so they didn¡¯t have much sense of danger.


    Much less when they had never seen the threat they possessed, so it was hard to get them to really understand the dangers.


    And the children who had been forced to stay in such secluded ces had, from time to time, failed to hold back their curious hearts.


    They whocked the sense of danger more than the adults had lost to their inquisitiveness despite being warned of the dangers, and decided to do something as reckless as ¡°scouting¡±.


    ¡°Hey, there are walls built here.¡±


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go back already.¡±


    ¡°There are Goblins just beyond this wall. I wonder if we can see them?¡±


    The girl who had been convinced toe along by the carefree boy urged him to go back with teary eyes.


    Ignoring her pleas, the boy tried to climb up the barricade.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I said!¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone, if you wanna go, just go back by yourself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s scary being alone¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, be quiet and wait there. We are here for ¡®scouting¡¯, remember?¡±


    It was then, when the boy was trying to climb up, that a Goblin had appeared behind him.


    ¡°Gugyaya?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Waah!?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ Eeeeek!¡±


    Seeing the Goblin, the boy was petrified in ce while the girl raised a shriek. That only served to further stir the Goblin¡¯s sadistic desires.


    In front of the delicious-looking feed that it found after so long, it started to lick its lips in an ostentatious manner.


    Seeing its ugly expression, along with the uneven teeth that peeked from its mouth, the children¡¯s fear intensified even more.


    ¡°G-Go away, go awaaay!¡±


    He was trying to be tough, but his voice was shaking pathetically. His legs gave out and couldn¡¯t stand up from fear. The girl was also the same, no longer able to speak a word since the first scream.


    Seeing the Goblin slowly approach, the boy¡¯s fear finally went over the limit and a lukewarm liquid started to leak from his crotch.


    ¡°No¡­ No¡­Nooooo!!¡±


    There was no ce to run. No way to strike back. That fear made him scream out of hopelessness.


    The Goblin slowly raised its hand up. The girl could do nothing but stare back with hollow eyes.


    But then, a certain youth suddenly rushed to the scene.


    ¡°Haaaaaaah!¡±


    He set up hisrge metallic shield and charged to ram the Goblin as it had its hand raised. Thanks to the difference in physique, the Goblin got blown away and crashed into the house wall.


    ¡°Are you two alright!?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°I rushed here when I heard a scream¡­ What are you doing in a ce like this.¡±


    Due to the drastic change of the situation, the girl could only muster a silly sound in response. The boy, on the other hand, had covered his head after his scream and closed his eyes shut, so he didn¡¯t even realize what had urred.


    ¡°If you are fine, then run already. Follow that path back!¡±


    The youth yelled once and turned towards the Goblin. On his head was visible one small horn.


    That was proof that he was a Half-Demon. He also had a card on his chest showing that he was an Adventurer. It had a red border, which meant he was a novice Adventurer.


    The children had been saved, but the boy¡¯s legs had given out and the girl¡¯s legs also trembled so standing in ce was the best she could do.


    Sensing that, the youth¡ªCloud, decided to take down the Goblin here.


    ¡°S?h?i?t?, you can¡¯t stand¡­ In that case, I¡¯ll just have to take it down here!¡±


    He had faced Fang Wolves before, so defeating a single Goblin was no problem.


    The problem was¡­ There were more. He had to face four Goblins alone. With two powerless kids behind him. He had to take on every attack himself, without letting even a single one pass behind. And there was no one who would back him up.


    Understanding the situation, the Goblins charged at him again. He received their attack well with the shield and forced them back.


    He swung his sword to keep the Goblins that tried to slip behind him in check, focusing their attention on himself.


    If he attracted their attention like this, he would lose chances to counterattack.


    Thus, Cloud was experiencing the power of numbers.


    Until now, Nicole made ns and they fought in favorable situations during their adventures. And when he trained with Lyell, most of the battles were against a single, strong opponent.


    He had almost no experience in drawing many enemies towards himself.


    In this hard struggle, he once again realized how grateful he was for Nicole¡¯s ability to take the lead. Even so, he could not pull back here.


    Behind him were children even younger than him. They weren¡¯t the kids of the orphanage, but he had learned there to protect those younger than him.


    That said, it would be hard to make up for the difference in numbers with just his resolution alone.


    Goblins that slipped through his shield defenses started to graze his skin with ws. Each of those wounds wasn¡¯t significant, but the bleeding would still cause fatigue.


    Realizing that he would not be able to withstand the onught forever, he looked behind him, where he saw the girl lending her shoulder to the boy and trying to escape.


    But her legs also trembled, so she tripped up and copsed. Seeing their condition, it would take some time until they would manage to run.


    ¡°Until then, I have to endure no matter what!¡±


    He voiced his decision to rouse himself up. But then, one of the Goblins suddenly flew up into the air as if by magic.

 Chapter 318: Joint Struggle

    <h4>Chapter 318: Joint Struggle</h4>


    Cloud stared at the sky dumbfounded, seeing a Goblin suddenly fly up.


    After gettingunched good five meters up into the air, it got split into two at around the torso, and then crashed down to the stone paving along with a shower of blood.


    Beyond the rain of blood, one man stood still with one of his hands raised.


    ¡°Y-You are¡ª!¡±


    He, who held two swords in his long arms, was someone Cloud could hardly ever forget. He was the object of fear, and of hate, as well as a wall he had to ovee.


    Though not an enemy at present, the man he ought to loath after cutting his arm off stood there.


    ¡°Mateus!¡±


    ¡°Hey there, boy, you look quite lively there eh?¡±


    He loosened his arm down, and approached casually as if taking a stroll. But this was actually his battle condition.


    He removed the strength from all his body parts except the ones that mattered, and then twisted his hands like a whip, generating tremendous destructive force.


    He hid strength that could effortlessly break through Cloud¡¯srge shield.


    Mateus looked down on the Goblin corpse and gave a single nod. But his expression looked like he wasn¡¯t satisfied with something.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ah, well, the Goblins aren¡¯t my opponents. So, I¡¯m strong, right?¡±


    ¡°I hate to admit it¡­ But that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°And yet, I keep on losingtely. So I feel like I¡¯m losing my confidence?¡±


    ¡°Like I care!¡±


    After spitting those words at him, Cloud suddenly charged towards him.


    He held his favorite shield in front and slipped past him. There was a Goblin that tried to attack him from behind. He stopped its ws aiming for the back of Mateus¡¯ head.


    At the same time, a sword was swung right next to him. It had a terrific pressure to it, splitting the Goblin¡¯s head, crushing its ribs and finally stopping after reaching the hipbone.


    The Goblins were a little small to call human-size, but in exchange, they had tougher skin, and bones. Bisecting them vertically like that was something Cloud found unbelievable.


    The skull was the hardest bone of the body. He managed to split it, along with breaking all the ribs and even the spine at parts. The power held behind that blow was apparent even to a novice like Cloud.


    ¡°S?h?i?t?, so you were actually holding back against me back then!¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t go all out against a brat. Though, I still lost against Nicole despite doing it?¡±


    Despite throwing remarks at each other, they stood back to back and faced the Goblins.


    Goblins on the other hand were in disorder after seeing two of their own die in the blink of an eye.


    If they were under the Lord¡¯splete domination, they would have still rushed in a fit of frenzy, but the partial domination actually backfired now.


    They had high fighting spirits but they weren¡¯t mad. Due to such unstable conditions, their judgment to flee was dyed by a moment.


    Mateus mercilessly swung his swords towards the Goblins who werete to take action. He made an upward and downward swing at the same time, this time managing to bisect onepletely in half.


    Cloud also set up his shield and charged. He transferred all his momentum to the shield and mmed the other Goblin at the wall, keeping it in ce.


    The Goblin finally swings its ws trying to escape, but it was already toote. Cloud stabbed his sword to its nk from the side of the shield, making a deep cut.


    The Goblin wanted to escape, but it was sandwiched between the wall and the shield, keeping it fixed in ce.


    As it squirmed around, Cloud moved his sword, widening the wound.


    Before long, his sword seemed to have destroyed some important organ, the Goblin started vomiting blood and lost its strength.


    Cloud had been trained by Nicole and Lyell, so he had a decent level of experience. He would never lose to a Goblin one on one. The difficulty he faced earlier was all due to their numbers.


    ¡°Look now, you can do it when you try, huh?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. They just overwhelmed me with numbers earlier.¡±


    ¡°In these situations, you have to focus on one of them and defeat them in priority, okay?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t carelessly charge at them when I had kids behind me.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have cared about that, though?¡±


    Mateus, being originally an assassin, didn¡¯t have much consideration for protecting others.


    If he was told to defeat the Goblins, he would charge at them without caring about protecting the ones behind him. That was something Cloud, who was used to party battles, couldn¡¯t do.


    ¡°Oh well. Hey, you kids over there. The Goblins are crawling out as you already saw. Return to your parents¡¯ side now, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Eek!?¡±


    He was someone whom even the Goblins that threatened them stood no chance against. Being intimidated by him, the girl leaked a stiffened yelp. She supported the weak-kneed boy and desperately left the ce.


    ¡°If you go that way, you¡¯ll meet a guy called Argus, so ask him for help.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay!¡±


    Seeing the children running towards the direction he pointed while tumbling around, Mateus snorted in disappointment.


    ¡°The cat strategist told me toe here¡­ But it seems I¡¯m hated by kids as always. No wonder Nicole isn¡¯t swayed by me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no girl who¡¯d be swayed by a shady-looking guy like you in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Oh, those are some words. Shall we have a nice long talk after this? A physical one.¡±


    ¡°Bring it on! I¡¯ll show you the fruits of my training!¡±


    ¡°Hah, I guess I should look forward then?¡±


    Finding it amusing that Cloud did not show fear despite his nature to be hated by kids, Mateus returned to patrol.


    Cloud followed after him while spitting abusivenguage. He already had a patrolling route. By coincidence, Mateus¡¯ route also matched his.


    ¡°Stop following me already!¡±


    ¡°I feel like going this way too. Why not go somewhere else yourself, boy?¡±


    ¡°This is the route I¡¯m assigned to!¡±


    While cursing at each other, the two still had their eyes carefully monitoring the surroundings.


    That day, this pair had managed to save over ten people.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 319: Surprise Attack

    <h4>Chapter 319: Surprise Attack</h4>


    After we left the city through the river, wended on the western side and then headed north while hiding in the forest.


    We could already hear fierce sounds of the battle from the castle walls behind. If they started going for the walls, we had to hurry and take down the Goblin Lord from behind as fast as we could.


    The difference in numbers was just that big.


    ¡°S?h?i?t?, it pissed me that I can¡¯t fight at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°Forget that and just keep moving. We are short on time, right?¡±


    The ones participating in this surprise attack were Kayle¡¯s party, myself, as well as Leon and Ellen, the Adventurers that helped me whening to Raum.


    They also have taught Finia the sword for some time.


    Us eight were nning to deal a surprise attack on the Goblin Lord.


    Honestly, our numbers were quite worrisome in terms ofbat power, but if we took any more people it would only burden Cortina¡¯s side, so we decided to go with a bit less.


    The magician in Kayle¡¯s party could use Breathing and Water Walking spells, so we could go around the Goblins without problems.


    That said, Kayle and Leon seemed to have a bad affinity, they quarreled all the time. They didn¡¯t really hate each other, of course, but whenever Kayle startedining Leon would start to rebuke him.


    Ellen warned about that over and over while mixing sighs. Even I wished they stayed quiet for a bit.


    ¡°You two should quiet down already. There¡¯s no guarantee that Goblins aren¡¯t looking our way.¡±


    ¡°Whoops, you¡¯re right. Sorry about that, Aste.¡±


    I also used Aste as my nickname this time around. Gideon was a strong enough fighter to create his own swordsman sect, so his name might have been known. It was pretty stupid that I only realized that after we had already departed.


    Then I was disguising myself, I thought I had to make sure not to get exposed in any way, so I chose to go with someone who no one in this city knew, yet I knew, which might have been a mistake.


    Fortunately, no one found my appearance to be out of ce, so it ended without incident.


    At this rate, it would be quite impossible for anyone to trace my appearance to the actual me. There would be fewer risks of getting tracedpared to Haumea.


    Yeah, I¡¯m really grateful towards that guy now.


    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t we get behind them from around here?¡±


    After a while, Kayle said that towards hisrades.


    We were certainly in a good ce to reach their backs now. However, the magician silently shook his head and rejected his proposal.


    ¡°Why now? Aren¡¯t we in a race against time?¡±


    ¡°It would be bad to do it from here. The river has its currents. If we try to cross it here with Water Walking, we¡¯ll get carried southward.¡±


    The magician replied in annoyance at Kayle¡¯s honest opinion.


    Southern side, in other words, towards the city. If we started crossing the river right behind them, the currents would drag us to the south and we¡¯d end up right in the middle of the monsters.


    Naturally, we could advance north to eliminate that possibility, but in that case, we¡¯d have to advance diagonally for a long time above the river with no obstacles to hide us.


    That was something that we¡¯d rather avoid given that our mission was something that was not allowed to fail.


    ¡°Kh, so we have no choice but to cross it after heading north some more?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So hurry up.¡±


    After that, we hurried up to the north.


    On the way, there were few ces where Goblins were vignt, but each time I went ahead and warned everyone so they hid themselves.


    Fortunately, we managed to earn enough distance to not get detected and managed to get behind them.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s cross the river here and begin our attack.¡±


    ¡°Finally! I can¡¯t wait anymore.¡±


    ¡°Still, these monsters really don¡¯t have any provisions on them, huh?¡±


    ¡°They are still just evolved Goblins, in the end. Besides, they themselves are their own food.¡±


    They kept going on a forced march, and used their weakenedrades as food on the ce. Normally, the group numbers were limited due to such food shortages, but with the Goblin Lord around, their high level of reproduction gave them an unlimited supply of meat.


    Like that, they formed a force that went beyond their normal retention rate, being maddened through hunger and brainwashing, and forced to attack human settlements in great numbers.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡±


    With Kayle¡¯s signal, the magician man cast Water Walking on all of us. Once we confirmed that, we silently dashed across the river.


    In battles, this would normally be the time we raised war cries, but this was a surprise attack. It was to our advantage for the enemy to notice us aste as possible.


    It felt strange for sure crossing the river above it. We were advancing forward, but the direction of our movement was off due to the currents.


    The sensation as if the floor under our feet was moving made our legs slow down.


    Even so, being able to run on it as we would on the ground was a huge plus. We luckily managed to get to the other side without being detected and seeded in our attack from the back.


    ¡°Taryaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Seyaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Gugya!? Gyaaaaaa!¡±


    Kayle and Leon in particr took the initiative to charge and cut their way through the Goblins. Fifth-ranked Kayle was one thing, but even Leon held the skill of a fourth rank, so neither of them was falling behind the other.


    From our sudden appearance behind their back, the Goblins clearly grew restless.


    That said, we couldn¡¯t rx here. It was a surprise attack of eight people. Our numbers couldn¡¯t even bepared to theirs. Unless we put an end to the Goblin Lord fast, we would get surrounded in the blink of an eye.


    If that happened, it would be us who¡¯d get trampled down due to the sheer numbers they held.


    I also kept ughtering the Goblins by swinging my spear in every direction.


    I stole a nce towards the sky, and I found a single pigeon there. It was probably the familiar that Cortina dispatched.


    She was observing the battle from above like this to understand the full situation. With this and the Guild staff, she could ess the information quickly.


    Naturally, scouting done by a familiar would get found out if it was used against humans. But the opponents were Goblins, so this method of scouting could be used.


    I took down the second and third Goblin, continuing to cut through the enemy¡¯s rear guards. And before long, one Goblin that was a size bigger than normal stood before me.


    ¡°¡­Goblin Lord. To think I would be the one to find it first.¡±


    Due to the confused battle, there were norades nearby me. Rather, everyone was busy fending for themselves. There was no hope for reinforcements toe. In other words¡­


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me I have to defeat this guy myself, huh?¡±


    ¡°GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOARR!!¡±


    A low-pitched war cry like that of repeated blows of drum had reached my eardrums. With that as a sign, the Goblin Lord charged at me.


    Like this, without intending it, I ended up having to face the enemy ringleader in a solo battle.

 Chapter 320: At the Shelter

    <h4>Chapter 320: At the Shelter</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    The Magic Academy in the eastern parts of Raum was just barely outside of the range where Cortina used barricades to guide the Goblins.


    This was a building that had fences and a designated shelter. The citizens from the surroundings had gathered there, and the newbie Adventurers patrolled the fences.


    Naturally, Michelle was among them too. She, who could use her ranged bow attacks from within the fences, was the most promising defensive power among everyone in this shelter.


    ¡°I wonder if Cloud is okay.¡±


    ¡°What, Michelle. Are you worried about your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like thaat. Besides, Cloud is head over heels for Nicole, you know?¡±


    ¡°Huh, really!?¡±


    As the ssmate from the Adventurer Academy poked fun at her, she replied back with a pout.


    She was spreading a rumor that would make Cloud get goosebumps if he heard it. That this would serve as yet another source of envy towards him was a story for another time.


    ¡°Still, having to patrol a fixed radius sure is worrying.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of Goblins, and they don¡¯t have any edible parts, so I hate them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason you hate them? Well, that does sound like you, Michelle.¡±


    ¡°And Letina¡¯s not around today.¡±


    Letina had returned home to take care of the people that were being sheltered at her mansion. She did not participate in the defense of the Magic Academy.


    ¡°Nicole is here too, though. I hear she is super strong, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But she¡¯s out for patrol now.¡±


    Among the newbie Adventurers, those who took vanguard roles were patrolling the area within the barricades.


    Naturally, she hadn¡¯t seen Nicole since morning. The same went for Cloud.


    ¡°Nicole is quite reckless, so I hope she doesn¡¯t do anything rash when she finds the Goblins.¡±


    ¡°Really? She looks sody-like though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll realize if you talk to her, but she¡¯s actually really mischievous.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I suppose you can¡¯t judge people by their appearances.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s also super clumsy. So you are always in suspense when she¡¯s around.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a vanguard despite attending Magic Academy, also a refineddy yet mischievous and clumsy¡­ That¡¯s quite a lot of attributes.¡±


    ¡°Well, she certainly is strong and reliable too, though.¡±


    Be it the time with the Kobolds or during the assassination incident in the forest, she always rushed to her side when she was in a predicament.


    And each time, despiteing out in tatters, she still seeded in eliminating the threat.


    She was the sweetest and the bravest friend that she was proud of. That was Nicole.


    She found pride in talking about her to her friends. Despite the tense circumstances, the fact that Michelle was able to deal with things calmly was surely because Nicole was there with her.


    But then, Finia suddenly came running looking to be at her wits¡¯ end.


    ¡°Michelle, have you seen Lady Nicole!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Finia. No, I haven¡¯t seen her since this morning. She is probably patrolling somewhere, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Everyone in the Academy knew that Nicole was aiming to be a magic swordsman.


    The students should have seen her gant figure at least once as she charged towards the enemies with her katana that she received from her father and her bestowal magic.


    As such, she had been considered a vanguard and sent to patrol the surroundings.


    ¡°But she hasn¡¯t returned even for lunch. Cloud hasn¡¯t either, but Mateus had seen him.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you mean to say that the other patrols haven¡¯t seen her either?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    After she heard that much, Michelle recalled the conversation she had with her friend earlier.


    Nicole was very responsible, was considerate of herrades, and above all, she held a strong sense of justice. It would not be strange if she had sneaked out to participate in the Goblin interception in order to help Cortina who had been shut in themand post around the clock.


    What would be the end result of that? Everyone had seen Nicole fainted at least once, after she had forced herself and ended up that way. If she ended up that way in the middle of a battle with no one to cover for her¡­


    ¡°Oh no, Nicole will be a seedbed for the Goblins!¡±


    ¡°HUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHH!?¡±


    Finia went pale from panic after hearing Michelle¡¯s statement stemming from a wild imagination.


    Goblins could breed among themselves, but they could also do it with other races. Young she may be, with a beautiful girl like her before their eyes, there was no way the Goblins wouldn¡¯t get aroused.


    ¡°W-W-W-What should we do, Finia. Nicole¡¯s gonna be a mommy at this rate!?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let them do something so envi-, I mean outrageous to her. Wait for me, Lady Nicole, I will save you now!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! Us rear guards who are ranked below three can¡¯t go out!¡±


    Seeing the confused Michelle and Finia who had started to run wild, the surrounding ssmates started to desperately stop them. Still, thinking that Nicole could be in danger at this very moment, the two couldn¡¯t calm down at all.


    ¡°But, but..!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, could it be that you need some assistance?¡±


    Then, another voice suddenly made itself known and stirred more trouble. It was a girl in white that had approached them without them realizing it.


    ¡°Goddess!¡±


    ¡°Oh what a sweet child you are, Michelle. You are the only one who reveres me as a god.¡±


    It was the self-proimed goddess who had given her the Third Eye. Seeing her, Michelle jumped up in glee.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 321: VS Goblin Lord

    <h4>Chapter 321: VS Goblin Lord</h4>


    As it saw me approach, the Goblin Lord raised the sword¡­ or rather, the giant t rock that it held in its hand, and swung it down on me.


    It goes without saying, but there was no way I, with just an illusionary body, could ever hope to take that blow head-on.


    I changed my course almost perpendicrly and dodged it by jumping sideways to the left. The rock it held mowed down the ce I stood a moment ago, its excess power hitting the ground.


    That one attack was enough to make a crater several meters wide, hollowing out the ground below. Seeing that, I realized that something was wrong.


    Goblins held adult human strength despite their childish bodies. The Goblin Lord was two sizes bigger so its height was over two meters tall. The power it could draw from its body could rival up to three or even five adult men.


    But what about this destructive force?


    Seeing how it wielded the giant rock, or the force it used to gouge out the ground, it was hard to imagine that five men¡¯s worth of strength would manage to do that.


    Was this guy really a normal Goblin Lord?


    While holding that ufortable feeling, I faced the Goblin Lord that was full of openings after that attack and swung my spear sideways aiming at its upper arm.


    You may think it would be more effective to stab with a spear, but in battles, stabbing your opponent carries the risk of them dragging your weapon along.


    Thus, I judged that it was better to cut its limb muscles and slowly rob it of its mobility.


    Without missing my mark, the Goblin Lord¡¯s arm sustained a deep cut¡ªor so I expected to happen.


    But the recoil I felt in my hands felt as if I had just shed at something hard like a tree; it didn¡¯t feel like I had managed to cut deep at all.


    In fact, the Goblin Lord didn¡¯t seem to have even felt that wound, and just by putting strength to pump its upper muscles, it managed to easily stop the bleeding. Not just that, even the wound seemed to be closing.


    ¡°Are you for real!?¡±


    I eximed in reflex.


    I had my fair share of experience fighting against monsters. As such I have seen enemies with high-speed regenerative powers like this one.


    However, I had never heard of a Goblin Lord that had that power.


    Defeating enemies like this often required some time. Given that we ended up wasting quite a lot of time getting here, I wanted to defeat it as fast as possible, so this was a bad development.


    ¡°¡ªEven so¡­!¡±


    I was in the middle of the enemy territory. The others were busy fighting the enemies in front of them, so none coulde to my aid. Which meant, I had to be the one to defeat it. Above all, if this guy didn¡¯t go down, Cortina would be in danger.


    ¡°Like hell I will allow that!¡±


    I yelled to fire myself up and fixed my posture. The Goblin Lord swung the rock sideways with the hand that was loaded with power.


    I could anticipate this attack, however. Its attack wasn¡¯t as slow as that of an Ogre, but it wasn¡¯t so fast that I wouldn¡¯t be able to follow it.


    I used a cartwheel to dodge the upward sh from the low position. And the moment Inded, this time I thrust my spear towards its toes.


    Fingertips were a part that had a big concentration of nerves, and the bones were brittle too. The thumb was also an important point of mobility, so crushing it would significantly dull the Goblin King¡¯s movements.


    ¡°GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡±


    Just as I expected, getting its toe lopped off made it raise an anguished cry. But this wound, too, stopped bleeding in the blink of an eye.


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like its severed toe would be regenerating any time soon, but the fact that I couldn¡¯t umte damage on it was shaving away my willpower.


    ¡°At this rate, I bet it¡¯ll stay alive even if I cut its artery.¡±


    In the first ce, it was hard to say whether I could cut its skin that was as tough as trees or rocks. I was using bestowal magic to strengthen my body, but this guy¡¯s toughness was on another level. Despite being crowned with the name of a Goblin, it might actually exceed Den in strength at least.


    Against an opponent that turned out to be far tougher than I expected, I stopped momentarily, not sure where to aim next. But another Goblin made use of that opening and attacked me.


    I used the b?u?t?t? end of the spear to knock it down and quickly fixed the speartip towards the Lord.


    I was in the middle of a battlefield now, so the more time I took, the danger to Raum is one thing, it would even endanger me.


    Goblin Lord once again rushed at me who had gotten interrupted.


    It charged with the usual downward swing. Giant weapons naturally needed power, but on top of that, they also made movements difficult, and had few variations of attacks.


    That said, the destructive power it held was more than enough threat against inexperienced people. They would start fearing what would happen if even one of those attacksnded on them, which would significantly suppress their power.


    That said, unfortunately for the Goblin Lord, the one standing before it was me. If this was enough to make me freeze up, I could¡¯ve never attempted subjugating the Evil Dragon.


    I nimbly jumped to the right¡ªbut the Lord¡¯s right hand was waiting for me there.


    It probably judged that even an unarmed hand would be enough to deal a fatal wound on me. And that judgment was correct, as my real body hidden by the disguise was frail enough to get blow away with a simple graze.


    I immediately used my spear as a shield to block it and made a light jump. Doing this made it easier to take on the attackpared to standing your ground, and could avoid a serious injury. On the other hand, getting flung away meant you couldn¡¯t do anything so your posture would get broken.


    I got blown over five meters away, rolling unshapely on the ground. The Goblins suddenly flooded to my side, at least over five in number.


    I thrust my spear at one of those Goblins and skewered it at the throat. This was a reflexive action so I suppose there was no helping it, but due to that, I wasn¡¯t able to quickly pull the spear out.


    Judging that I couldn¡¯t use the spear any longer, I immediately let it go. If I kept holding on to it, I could¡¯ve gotten crushed by the horde of the Goblins.


    Then, I poured magic power into my gloves and summoned my trusty gauntlets. I couldn¡¯t use them since Cortina was monitoring the battle with the familiar, but there was no choice given my dilemma. Protecting the capital was a given, but I couldn¡¯t let myself get killed here this time.


    I beat down the remaining four Goblins, slit their throats with my wrist w, and tripped their legs with threads and crushed their jaws with a stomp.


    I roundhouse kicked the remaining one too. By then, I noticed that something was blocking the sunlight.


    While I was busy dealing with the Goblins, the Goblin Lord had managed to approach me.


    It already had its rock raised overhead, with an expression convinced of its victory.


    However, to me who had threads now, that action could be called fatal for the Lord. I immediately flew the thread to twine it around its raised arm at the elbow along with its neck.


    All that was left was for it to swing down its arm and strangle itself. It was the same strategy I used against the twin-ded Devil.


    Convinced of our respective victories, smiles appeared on our faces. And then, the Goblin Lord started to slowly swing its arm down¡ª


    Only for a steel arrow to pierce through its head.

 Chapter 322: Peerless Michelle

    <h4>Chapter 322: Peerless Michelle</h4>


    Just as we were convinced of our victories, there was a sudden interruption. The steel arrow that came from god knows where had pierced through the Goblin Lord¡¯s head, pulverized it, and then impacted the ground a few meters ahead.


    A momentter, a fierce gale blew through the surroundings, blowing me, who was light as a feather under my disguise, behind.


    I quickly took a defensive stance, fixed my bnce and faced the Goblin Lord.


    There, I saw a giant copsed body that had blood spurting like a fountain from where its head once was.


    ¡°Where in the world did thate from¡­¡±


    This ce was far from the city walls, and an arrow from the backup should not have reached here. Goblin Lord was also aware of that and took sufficient distance.


    There were no signs of anyone other than Goblins around us. In which case¡­ It means that someone had shot that arrow from beyond my detection range.


    I immediately started looking around, and found the source of it.


    It came from the top of the spire of the Magic Academy which was rumored to be even taller than the royal castle.


    There, I saw two small human shapes.


    They were a girl holding a bow shining in silver, and a girl whose hair also shone in silver. One familiar appearance, one deeply memorable one¡­ Michelle and the God of Destruction stood there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, she shot it from all the way there? I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    There were easily around 500 meters between us. This was by no means a distance an arrow could normally reach.


    However, the reality that the Goblin Lord¡¯s head had gotten pulverized before my eyes couldn¡¯t be changed.


    But the next moment, it was proven that my guess was indeed correct.


    The scenery around her bow got warped, and the moment I saw a sh, Goblins that were fighting with an Adventurer nearby got sted away.


    This was the Goblin that Kayle was taking on, as well as the onemanding a nearby group.


    A secondter came another sh. And once again, it urately pierced through yet another Goblin.


    What happened from then on could only be called peerless onught by Michelle. Every time light shed atop the spire, a Goblin was blown off.


    She was urately shooting through the Goblins in the urban areas and those who were trying to climb up the walls, putting a stop to their invasion.


    Her shooting hadsted for at most three minutes. However, she managed to hit over a hundred Goblins in that time.


    Before she managed topletely exterminate them, her body suddenly went limp and was caught by the God of Destruction. Most likely, the effect of her strengthening bangle had run out.


    Even so, the situation had turned to our advantage thanks to her.


    The Goblin numbers had been reduced to 200 thanks to her efforts, and they had lost theirmander. The Adventurers defending the city walls didn¡¯t seem to have gone down that much, so the damages to the city shouldn¡¯t have been significant.


    That said, their numbers were still four times the Adventurers.


    While the defeat was avoided, we had to exterminate them here or the root of evil would remain.


    The fleeing Goblins would have attacked the nearby settlements, dealing great harm to the surroundings.


    ¡°We managed to seed in defending the city, but the damages¡ªhmm?¡±


    Raumcked the numbers too much to move on to the cleanup now. But as I was thinking that, from the right side of the Goblins, the other side of the river, a group of about a hundred people charged at the Goblin nk.


    Half of that group consisted of the Elves, while the rest seemed to be Adventurers; it was aposition that was both quite like Raum and also quite irregr.


    They took the initiative and divided the Goblins, and started to exterminate them as they scattered, divided into east and west.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    The Adventurers looked at Cortina (the strategist), unable toprehend what was happening. Not minding any of that, she gave themmands.


    ¡°Relief from the hot spring town is here! If you cut corners here, they¡¯ll look down on the Adventurers of Raum, so get to work!¡±


    ¡°Huh, we have reinforcements!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we can¡¯t use Raum¡¯s battle power, we can only rely on the other ces. They don¡¯t have a permanentbat power stationed there, but there are many Elves and Adventurers due to how many peoplee and go. I realized that if we gathered them all up, they would serve as a sufficient power.¡±


    ¡°When did you¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take that long for a familiar to make a round trip. Plus, with my name being mentioned, even the reclusive Elves would not be able to ignore it, right?¡±


    The battle situation below was being overturned as time went on. For the Goblins who had already been halved, another hundred Adventurers were nothing if not fatal.


    Cortina judged that this was the critical moment and ordered them to attack.


    ¡°We are opening the gates and moving on to attack. Positions from one to twelve, get to the main gate andunch yourselves at them. Run through the enemies and shake them up!¡±


    With Cortina¡¯s spiritedmand, the Adventurers also raised their cheers. The situation had beenpletely reversed, so there would be few Goblins that could manage to escape now.


    Then, she looked towards the girl at the top of the spire.


    ¡°Still, you sure went and did it, Michelle. That¡¯s going to make things tough for you from now on, you know? And also¡­¡±


    Following it, she moved her eyes towards the ce where the Goblin Lordy. There stood a giant man hiding his face with a hood.


    ¡°You used your threads huh¡­ I found you, Reid.¡±


    Clenching her fist at her chest, she dered those words.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    ¡°W-Who are these people¡­¡±


    I was bewildered to see the sudden reinforcements. No, these numbers were too much to call it a mere reinforcement. It was already an army. Where in the world did theye here from?


    My question was answered the moment I saw one of the Adventurers that cut his way in. It was because I remembered his face. It was a young boy that used his short spear to ughter the Goblins around.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Could it be, Mikey?¡±


    It was the boy who became the reason I had gotten the ownership of Kabby. It was that boy whom I met at the hot spring town.


    I was sometimes going to the hot spring town nowadays to show him Kabby, so I was quite familiar with him.


    I was seven when I met him first, so we already knew each other for five years. He was three years older than me, so he had already turned into a fine man, and was trying to make his sess as an Adventurer. That same Mikey was part of this group.


    ¡°That means¡­ They came from the hot spring town and other Elven settlements, huh!¡±


    It was the biggest settlement around here. But the Elves living there were mostly seclusive-minded, so I didn¡¯t expect reinforcements.


    So seeing over a hundred of them now had surprised me.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just Mikey. I saw Haumea and Cole among them too.


    ¡°Ah, maybe those two yed the part in gathering this force.¡±


    Those two mainly worked as guards between Raum and the hot spring town. If Raum was damaged due to battles, it would affect their livelihood too. They seemed to be quite old as well, so their words probably held quite an influence there.


    While I was thinking that, Haumea¡¯s gaze fell on me. It was an abrupt and sharp re, as if to pierce me.


    ¡°Haumea, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just felt an ufortable gaze.¡±


    ¡°From that guy? Looks like the Goblin Lord has been defeated.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it. We seem to have missed a good opportunity.¡±


    I don¡¯t think I said anything, but could it be that she managed to notice my thoughts?


    Either way, I had to leave this ce as fast as possible.


    Cortina¡¯s familiar was monitoring the battle from above even now. I ended up using my threads at thest second, so she probably already saw through my identity.


    If I didn¡¯t make use of this chaotic battle to hide, she could see the moment I would return to my original appearance.


    Just as I moved towards the river, the familiar also followed after me. Yeah, she was definitely on to me.


    Still, the magic item that I had on me now was to hide my body during situations like this. My disguise was merely a secondary thing.


    Using the Goblin copse as a blind spot, I instantly switched the effect to invisibility. Combining it with my Stealth Gift, it was close to impossible for anyone to spot me now.


    And like this, the Goblins were mercilessly exterminated, and the danger to Raum was gone.

 Chapter 323: Whitey Acting Thoughtless

    <h4>Chapter 323: Whitey Acting Thoughtless</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Michelle had been taken along by the God of Destruction Yuuri atop the Academy¡¯s spire. It had a steep angle so it was hard to support the body, and the wind was quite fierce too.


    One slip of the foot could lead to falling to the ground.


    ¡°U-Up, is this really safe?¡±


    ¡°It is, it iiiis. Besides, I will catch you if you fall, and even if you die, I¡¯ll just revive you.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound safe to me at all!¡±


    ¡°Now now. Leaving that aside, you want to find Nicole, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, that!¡±


    She was afraid of the current position and clung to the God of Destruction¡¯s nape of the neck. For Michelle, her best friend¡¯s safety was of higher priority than her own.


    ¡°Waaah!? Wait, wait, stop! There¡¯s an order to these things.¡±


    ¡°Order¡­ We have no time for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you understand? In order to search for her calmly during a Goblin invasion like this, the first condition is to ensure your safety¡­ I suppose that pretext would do.¡±


    ¡°That pretext?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. As such, lowering the Goblin numbers by shooting from here would be the most optimal move, if I were to offer my debrief.¡±


    ¡°D-dewhat¡­?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, I meant, let¡¯s lower their numbers first and then take our time and search for her. That would in turn lead to Nicole¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°I see, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such an obedient good girl, Michelle. Don¡¯t you wanna be my daughter?¡±


    ¡°You look younger than me, Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Guhh!¡±


    Between the God of Destruction that didn¡¯t grow any older and Michelle who had been growing abnormally well, Michelle clearly appeared to be the older one.


    That said, there was no time for idle chatter now. As the God of Destruction said, it was certainly wiser to secure the safety of the urban areas now.


    In that case, she had to start shooting at them as quickly as she could. However, there was still too big of a distance to cover the entire invasion radius from this spire.


    ¡°It¡¯s too far for me to aim from here, you know?¡±


    ¡°Leave that to me too. If I just activate Hawk Eye, and Target Sight, and also Maic Barrel¡ª¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    Seeing her activate several spells at the same time, Michelle¡¯s understanding waspletely blown away. But then, a giant Goblin that was so far she couldn¡¯t see before, suddenly appeared before her eyes.


    It was projected so precisely as if it was only ten meters away, making her bend back.


    One person seemed to be fighting against it, but the situation wasn¡¯t looking good.


    ¡°Okay, listen. Due to the power of Target Sight, the effects of distance, wind power, gravity and Coriolis force can all be ignored.¡±


    ¡°Huh, corioli?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the terminology. Maic Barrel will speed up the steel arrows, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the range distance either. All hail Lorentz force!¡±


    ¡°L-Lawren?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. In other words, just shoot at those abominable ugly b?a?s?t?a?r?d?s? with all your strength. I will choose your targets, so try to shoot as many of them as you can.¡±


    ¡°But I only have ten arrows, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just grab more with Apport, so no problem.¡±


    ¡°Really? So cool!¡±


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m cool¡ªwhooah!?¡±


    The God of Destruction puffed her chest and almost fell down. Not paying any mind to that, Michelle activated the support magic of her bangle.


    Abundant power filled her body and she could now pull the Third Eye with no effort.


    She faced the giant Goblin¡ªThe Goblin Lord that was projected before her eyes and took aim. Since it was engaged in a close fight with the unfamiliar man, she couldn¡¯t shoot it immediately. But when the man got blown away, the golden opportunity to shoot had arrived.


    She was worried about the man due to how violently he rolled on the ground, but putting down the Goblin was the priority now. Doing that would lead to saving that man, after all.


    ¡°¡ªFuh!¡±


    She sharply inhaled, held it in, and loosed her arrow before exhaling.


    She got the usual reaction. But the arrow elerated even further after it passed the space before her eyes. This was most probably the effect of the Maic Barrel that the God of Destruction cast earlier.


    The arrow didn¡¯t draw a parab like it usually would, ignoring gravity and every other factor, and pierced through the Goblin¡¯s head. The spinning arrow didn¡¯t stop at merely piercing its head, as it even twisted its entire head and ripped it off at the base of the neck, pulverizing it.


    Then, a shockwave followed, blowing the man even further back. He quickly stood back up, so it was safe to say that he was fine. She let out a relieved sigh at that.


    ¡°Direct hit, nice. On to the next one then, six meters to the right.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Ah, that one?¡±


    Moving her sight to the right a bit, she saw a Goblin marked in red.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s a Goblin Leader that is controlling the group around it. If you defeat that one, the rest of them around it will fall into disorder.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then she easily drew the bow and released it. This one wasn¡¯t as big as the previous Goblin, so it got reduced to pieces of meat in an instant.


    ¡°Next¡ª¡±


    She followed the God of Destruction¡¯s instructions, changed her aim, and shot. She continued shooting without a break, and just as she thought there were no more arrows in the quiver, the God of Destruction replenished them.


    In three minutes, she annihted over a hundred Goblins, not missing a single arrow. After three minutes had passed, she suddenly started to lose strength and fell forward.


    And just as the God of Destruction caught her, she lost her consciousness.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 324: Michelle Gets Angry

    <h4>Chapter 324: Michelle Gets Angry</h4>


    I shook off the pursuit of Cortina¡¯s familiar and jumped into the river that flowed towards the city. At a little distance, I heard the cheers towards the death of the Goblin Lord, as well as war cries as they cleaned up the rest of the Goblins.


    If you added the reinforcements to the defenders, their numbers would make the remaining enemy clean up a child¡¯s y.


    I would normally prefer to join up with Kayle¡¯s group and help with the subjugation, but I was using a disguised appearance now. And I was even seen by Cortina when I used my threads.


    If I mistimed my timing to disappear, it could get busted that I was in a disguise and eventually get traced to my identity.


    It was best to make use of the confusion and slip out to hide.


    Fortunately, the river flowed towards the city. I dived in and let the currents take me along, only poking my head at times to take a breath, and arrived inside the city in half the time it would have taken on foot.


    The main reason was that I went straight inside the city through the water currents. It was a little hard without the Breathing spell, but I still managed to swim to the end by relying on the current.


    Due to my long journey underwater, my bloody clothes had also been cleaned up quite nicely. There were slight stains still, but it was hard to distinguish them from mud stains.


    ¡°Pwaah!¡±


    I took a deep breath and climbed out of the river. And I also removed my illusion at the same time. It was risky to keep using that appearance any longer.


    My hair and clothes were dripping water and sticking to me everywhere. They were transparent and a lot of things were showing, but that damn pervert (Cloud) wasn¡¯t around to see it.


    ¡°This is what you¡¯d call a fine man dripping with charm¡ªor woman, I guess. Hmm?¡±


    Due to having finished the job safely, I felt like cracking a joke. But then, something suddenly rushed towards me while leaving a cloud of dust behind.


    The city was almost entirely paved, but the riversides were the exception. Looking at it, something bigger than a horse was racing noisily towards me. On top of it were the familiar face of Michelle and the face of White God that I didn¡¯t want to get familiar with.


    ¡°Heey!¡±


    The White God shouted casually at me. Michelle¡¯s expression on the other hand was unbelievably stiff.


    And that was to be expected, as what they were riding now was a small ck Dragon. That dragon had the silhouette of the miniaturized Demonic Dragon Fafnir that I met five years ago at the Elven settlement. Perhaps that Dragon was using Polymorph as well.


    ¡°Nicole!¡±


    The Dragon stopped as it approached me, and Michelle jumped down from above it. Naturally, after using her strengthening bangle, she should be experiencing intense muscr pain.


    She failed to kill her momentum and tumbled down, but quickly stood up.


    Back when she obtained it five years ago, we were only young kids. We couldn¡¯t endure the effect of that bangle that loaned you physical strength in advance, so it was natural that we would end up unable to move.


    But it¡¯s been five years since then, and our bodies have matured significantly, already nearing adulthood. Michelle in particr had grown quite a lot, to the point that it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call her an adult already.


    By now, using the bangle only put her under a lot of muscle pain and made it harder to move. It didn¡¯t lead toplete paralysis like before.


    ¡°Oh, Michelle. What brings you here?¡±


    I switched my thoughts into girl mode from that of a man that suited the previous fierce battle. I tried to use as innocent a tone as I could befitting of a child.


    ¡°What am I doing here? Where have you been!¡±


    ¡°Eh, umm¡­ I just fell into the river.¡±


    Fortunately, I was drenched now, so having fallen into a river and gotten dyed on returning would serve as a good excuse.


    But Michelle didn¡¯t lend an ear to any of it, rushed at my side, and raised her hand high.


    ¡°You idiot! Do you know how worried everyone was!?¡±


    Her palm was swung down. This was the manifestation of her heartfelt worry, so I decided to ept it. But then, her palm suddenly got d in a pale light.


    That p blew me away with a tailspin.


    ¡°Pfffooo!?¡±


    Looking back, Whitey was holding back herughter behind the scenes. That light earlier was probably an Enchant that she cast on it. You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?, I¡¯ll get you for thister!


    Michelle didn¡¯t pay any notice to my pathetic state and sank down on the spot.


    ¡°Me! And Finia too! We were awfully worried!¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡­ Sorry.¡±


    Well, I did feel that Finia and others would worry if I slipped out quietly like that. Even so, I couldn¡¯t just sit still when Cortina was doing her best there.


    I was ready to receive their anger, but I didn¡¯t regret my actions. I felt bad for them, but in the same situation, I would act the same way.


    That said, I knew just how worried they were. This obedient and friendly girl was angry to the point of raising her hand against me.


    ¡°Sorry, Michelle. I¡¯m at fault for not contacting you.¡±


    ¡°As long as¡­hic¡­you understand. Look at how soaked you are!¡±


    ¡°Well, I fell in the river.¡±


    ¡°I heard that already.¡±


    I lent a shoulder to Michelle who was sinking down and acting angry while crying at the same time. Then I red towards the Whitey who was rolling on the ground inughter.


    ¡°You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?, which part of the earlier scene was so fun, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh man, that was one magnificent stoff. Big sister here just couldn¡¯t hold back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not sure about the ¡®big¡¯ sister part given that appearance.¡±


    I tried to take a jab at her body as sarcastically as I could. However, she seemed to have been used to such attacks and ignored thempletely.


    I couldn¡¯t deny her contribution to this battle. Pressing her too much here would leave a bad aftertaste.


    Thus, with a reluctant sigh, I decided to head towards the Magic Academy.

 Chapter 325: Returning to the Academy

    <h4>Chapter 325: Returning to the Academy</h4>


    Riding Whitey¡¯s small Dragon, we were transported to the Magic Academy. After dropping us off at the gate, the White God once again straddled her Dragon.


    She probably found it amusing that the gate guard¡¯s knees gave out after seeing a Dragon appear so suddenly.


    ¡°Huh, are you going somewhere again?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As much as I would like to take it easy, I am quite busy. I have something I have to do after this.¡±


    ¡°If you just let that Dragon burn down those Goblins, you could have ended everything faster though.¡±


    ¡°We gods also have our customs. It¡¯s not very good to get involved directly. That¡¯s why I let her do all the work.¡±


    Now that she mentioned it, it was indeed Michelle who had exterminated the Goblins. While she did cast some assisting spells on Michelle so she could discern the enemy and her arrows could reach them, she did not get involved any more than that.


    ¡°Thus, once again, I withdraw coolly without stating my name. Adieu.¡±


    ¡°I at least know your name! And what¡¯s with that phrase anyway!¡±


    The God of Destruction left without listening to my retort. She disappeared beyond the street, and then, her Dragon started to fly away from the other side of the buildings.


    Seeing that, Adventurers from all around became weak-kneed, but that was a story for another time.


    As I got back inside the Magic Academy, I noticed that it was quite noisy inside. I could even feel the gazes of men focusing on me.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ It has to do with your appearance, Nicole.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I only realized it after Michelle pointed it out, but I was stillpletely drenched now. That meant that my clothes were now moist and see-through.


    As I was lending a shoulder to Michelle, my small chest that was pressed together by my stretched clothes was in in sight.


    ¡°W-Wah!?¡±


    ¡°Kyaa!¡±


    Because I instinctively covered my chest, Michelle ended up flopping onto the ground. She fell on her face while her knees were still raised, making her posture quitescivious in its own way. But there was no time for that now.


    ¡°M-Michelle, lend me your mantle!¡±


    ¡°Ehh, I can¡¯t even move my hands now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it intentionally, aren¡¯t you! Are you trying to bully me!?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it would do you good to reflect some more.¡±


    ¡°I did already! I am properly reflecting!


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really really!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll lend it then.¡±


    Fortunately, I managed to gain her permission and borrowed her mantle. When I put it on, I heard regretful sighs from the men around us.


    I couldn¡¯t match Michelle when it came to the chest size, but in terms of the overall physical femininity, it seems I was above her.


    When it came to things like slenderness of the waist and suppleness of the limbs, Michelle was still on the childish side.


    I on the other hand had an air ofposure that didn¡¯t match my age, and I had learned the feminine conduct from Maxwell which seemed to be making me give off a womanly charm.


    Incidentally, Michelle was full of charm directed at Loli-pedo purveyors. I mean, I don¡¯t really care about that part.


    I red at the surrounding men while bing slightly teary-eyed. But that strangely caused the men to blush too, and then¡ª


    ¡°Thank you for the treat!¡±


    They yelled back. Okay, this city is doomed. It might have been better if it got destroyed once. As the light faded from my eyes in despair, my number two ray of light, aka Finia, had arrived.


    ¡°Lady Nicole!¡±


    ¡°Ah, Finia. Sorry for worrying you. I ended up falling into the river, so I was dyed.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re safe. But it would have been better if you contacted us ahead of time.¡±


    With those words, she hugged my wet body without any hesitation. Being embraced in her slender yet warm body, I could tell that my feelings that were on the edge due to battles wereing untied.


    But as I calmed down, I noticed one more strange thing.


    ¡°Actually, Michelle, why were you there?¡±


    ¡°There? Oh, you mean on the spire?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it surprised me when I saw arrows raining down from there.¡±


    ¡°The goddess took me there. She told me I had to settle the situation inside the city first before we started searching for you.¡±


    ¡°I see. True, you couldn¡¯t have started searching the city in that situation. But you went right for the Goblin Lo-, I mean, you started shooting outside from the get-go, right?¡±


    ¡°The goddess said I had to get rid of the source first.¡±


    ¡°So we were dancing on her palm, huh.¡±


    That Whitey managed to use Michelle¡¯s worry to turn her into a fixed turret for exterminating the Goblins. Certainly, if you stood atop the spire that was inside the Academy protected by Adventurers, you could keep attacking with practically no worry for counterattacks.


    As for the arrow range and vision¡­ Well, it¡¯s that god we¡¯re talking about here. She definitely held a number of aces up her sleeves.


    I was a bit bothered about where she could have gone after she did all that, but her movements were a total mystery to me. I¡¯m sure she was doing something bothersome where I couldn¡¯t see now.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, you will catch a cold if you remain drenched. You have to change quickly.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right.¡±


    I answered readily, but the truth was that I waspletely drenched from the moment we set out from this town. The magician used Warm to blow away the moisture from us so there was no actual harm then¡­ And well, as expected of an expert magician, he didn¡¯t make a blunder as I did.


    I mean, I was also trying to be an expert in bestowal magic.


    ¡°Ah, I see. I should¡¯ve just done it myself.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Finia, go hold Michelle. I¡¯ll dry my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Eh, ah, okay.¡±


    She was still unsure of what I was trying to do, but she saw me as her master so she still followed my directions.


    Following that, I used Warm and warmed up all my clothes. If I raised the temperature too high I would end up like Cloud, so I set it at around 40C.


    ¡°Warm¡­ Oh? Ohh!¡±


    ¡°W-What is the matter?¡±


    Unlike the failed edition, this Warm spell managed to instantly warm my clothes up without any excess heat. The problem was that this warmth felt too pleasant, making me feel a strange sensation as if I was taking a bath while walking.


    ¡°This¡­ Might be good.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m taking a bath.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the water on your clothes heated up, is it?¡±


    This pleasant sensation naturally flushed my face, loosened my expression and moistened my eyes.


    Seeing my state, the men around became ted once again, but this was a story for another time.

 Chapter 326: Reunion After Five Years

    <h4>Chapter 326: Reunion After Five Years</h4>


    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was filled with cheers that made you plug your ears.


    The defensive battle using the castle walls. The guided extermination of those that invaded the city. The call for reinforcements from the Elven viges. And a surprise attack on the Goblin Lord.


    This time, Cortina had taken several measures despite the limited time and battle power that she had at her disposal. Her actions have been demonstrated before the eyes of the Adventurers, so it was natural for them to be so excited.


    The Adventurers from the Elven settlement¡ªIn other words, from the hot-spring town, had also barged in here, and they all pped and praised each other¡¯s battles.


    Michelle and I also witnessed that turmoil as we returned to the Guild.


    ¡°Wow, this is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course it would be. The enemy was nine times our number, and not only we managed to repel them, we even exterminated almost entirely. Quite a nasty result from her as always.¡±


    Cortina had once brought the enemy twice bigger than her own into a simr situation. I had seen her do a simr feat over and over, so well, I wasn¡¯t that surprised.


    However, the Adventurers that were here had witnessed it for the first time.


    ¡°As always¡­? Nicole, have you seen something like this before?¡±


    ¡°Huh!? No, I mean. You know, like in the lessons and such?¡±


    ¡°Oh right, she is teaching us tactics too. Amazing!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the amazing one here¡­.¡±


    ¡°Huh, did you say something?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    This time, she used all her power to exterminate the enemy. She shot each and every Goblin that had invaded, and she even took out the Goblin Lord.


    Even the toonmander-ss Goblins that lead groups were taken down by her. Even if she had received some help from Whitey, it could still be called a crazy rampage.


    ¡°That aside, Look! Cloud¡¯s there too!¡±


    Where Michelle pointed was Cloud¡­ And Mikey who were ring at each other. As well as Mateus, who observed them with a repulsing smile on his face.


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mikey. You haven¡¯t seen him in a while, right, Michelle?¡±


    Mikey from the hot-spring town had be an Adventurerter on. Due to a promise with Whitey, I was having Kabby and him meet once a year, so I was seeing him rtively often.


    But Michelle hadn¡¯t seen him for several years.


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s been what, five years now?¡± He sure has grown up.¡±


    ¡°He should be feeling the same looking at you.¡±


    Michelle had also grown a lot in these five years. Particrly one part of her body.


    Leaving that aside, I wonder why Cloud and Mikey are ring at each other?


    ¡°Good work, Cloud. You too, Mikey.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Mast-, Nicole. You¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I fell into the river on the way, so I got dyed.¡±


    ¡°Did you gain a disposition to fall into a river when you see one¡­?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d youe to that conclusion?¡±


    As I smacked him in the side for saying something unnecessary, I also greeted Mikey.


    ¡°Thanks for helping us this time, Mikey.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t much¡­ And well, if Raum fell, it would be our town¡¯s turn next.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that was quite possible. But you sure made it in time. Not to mention, you managed to bring so many people.¡±


    There was a lot of human traffic in the hot-spring town, so there were a lot of Adventurers there. However, there shouldn¡¯t have been that many of them who¡¯d brave the danger to save Raum.


    They were basically wanderers, so this battle held almost no merit for them, and they could just run away and avoid the danger.


    ¡°Yeah, Haumea and Cole took the Elves and left, so we couldn¡¯t just remain behind.¡±


    Mikey said and looked away while rubbing his nose. He has been acting this way in front of metely.


    Well, I wasn¡¯t that dense. I evennded a girlfriendtely, okay? Anyway, I could tell what kind of feelings he held towards me. That said, I couldn¡¯t respond to them, and they were quite honestly a bother.


    While I was racking my brain on how to deal with him, Cloud made a rare belligerent remark.


    ¡°Come on, what are you being so evasive about. Are the countryside Adventurers all so indecisive?¡±


    ¡°Huuh? Looks like there¡¯s an idiot here who doesn¡¯t understand his position. Which of us was rescued here, huh?¡±


    ¡°We could¡¯ve handled it ourselves. We have Lady Cortina here too.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Hearing that much, I finally realized that the two¡¯s personalities shed. Thinking about it, Cloud was 14 years old, about two years older than me, and so was Mikey.


    Both of them were nearly adult Adventurers, and were the so-called rookies. Given their simr standings, they might have been harboring a sense of rivalry.


    Also, Cloud being defense-specialized while Mikey on offense made their rivalry even stronger. On top of that, there was an impudent fellow here who tried to stir the mes even more.


    ¡°Hey, if you two are so bothered about each other, how about you settle the score in the arena below?¡±


    Mateus proposed to them to duke it out in the training arena.


    ¡°We have no time for that. Besides, you aren¡¯t even an Adventurer, so what brings you here anyway?¡±


    Mateus was considered retired now. Since it was useful for entering towns, he was apparently registered as an Adventurer, but nowadays it was in name only. There was no need for him to show his face here.


    ¡°I had to make a report. That aside, are you two going to do it or not?¡±


    As if things weren¡¯t bad as is, someone overheard Mateus¡¯ agitational words. It was an unfamiliar Adventurer, so he was probably from the settlement, but he started jeering in an even louder voice than Mateus.


    ¡°Ohh, Mikey, are you gonna fight the city Adventurer? Don¡¯t you dare lose, ya hear!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That boy¡­ Against Cloud?¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that amusing? Come on, do it!¡±


    The situation aggravated in a chain reaction. And that final line¡­ Go do your work, Guild Master.


    Just like that, quite the meaningless battle between Cloud and Mikey had been set up.

 Chapter 327: Cloud VS Mikey

    <h4>Chapter 327: Cloud VS Mikey</h4>


    Cloud stood in the training area with a bewildered expression after being dragged there, while Mikey was looking strangely motivated.


    Maybe he was thinking of showing a cool side of him to me.


    Surrounding them were the Adventurers from both the capital and the hot-spring town, who were now transformed into curious onlookers.


    ¡°Mikey, go get that capital greenhorn!¡±


    ¡°Huuh, who are you calling greenhorns! Still, you have my permission to beat up Cloud!¡±


    ¡°Smite that harem b?a?s?t?a?r?d?!¡±


    ¡°Smite him!¡±


    ¡°Purge that yboy!¡±


    ¡°Purge him!¡±


    The capital¡¯s Adventurers have united for this asion and were cheering in chorus. That strange atmosphere ended up overpowering the settlement Adventurers in a sh.


    Still, they were always so hostile to Cloud huh. The antagonism towards the Half-Demons was that deep-rooted it seems.


    ¡°Cloud, do you actually have no friends?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t, okay?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are a Half-Demon. Can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here!¡±


    While in half-tears, Cloud took up his favorite shield and fake sword. Mikey also held a fake spear that was a bit over a meter long. Perhaps he was better ustomed to using spears rather than swords considering that his principal battlefield was the forest.


    ¡°Come to think of it, this might be the first time for Cloud to face a spear-wielding opponent.¡±


    ¡°Huh, really? Hang in there, Cloud!¡±


    Michelle frantically cheered him on from next to me. It was amon scene for her to put her hands on her mouth to enhance her voice. It was amon sight, yes, but the two lumps of meat squeezed by her arms were anything butmon.


    ¡°She¡¯ll probably reach Maria-ss in the future¡­¡±


    ¡°Nicole,e on you too!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already seen this development before. I don¡¯t really care, you know?¡±


    Michelle¡¯s cheer made not Cloud but the surrounding Adventurers more excited.


    ¡°What the? Wasn¡¯t that guy dating that white girl?¡±


    ¡°Look at that chest¡­ She has some seriously promising future, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Wait, so he¡¯s two-timing them? Unforgivable.¡±


    The hot spring Adventurers who didn¡¯t know the situation were gradually turned into Cloud¡¯s enemies like this. Cloud in question was already used to this development, so he just dropped his shoulders as if saying, not again.


    The problem was Mikey who he was facing.


    ¡°You, did you even put your hands on that other girl¡­!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Unforgivable. Popr guys should just die without mercy.¡±


    ¡°Not you too!?¡±


    Just like that, the hopelessness of the capital¡¯s Adventurers had infected more people.


    Following that, Mateus signaled the start of the match while acting like he waspletely unrted to this. You caused this mess, okay? I haven¡¯t forgotten it.


    ¡°Now then, begin!¡±


    ¡°Dieee!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this just a match!?¡±


    The spear was thrust¡ªOf course, the training-use one¡ªand Cloud¡¯srge shield stopped it. Then Cloud tried to thrust his sword to counterattack, but Mikey stepped forward faster than him.


    His spear had been stopped by Cloud¡¯s shield, yet he still took a step forward. The result was that the spear was pulled towards Mikey by the distance of that one step. With that action, he managed to both approach the opponent and bring back his spear.


    Then Mikey once again thrust his spear as fast as he could, but Cloud twisted his body and dodged it.


    ¡°Heh¡­ He¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Wahh, Cloud¡¯s in a pinch!¡±


    ¡°Nah, he can dodge that much. He¡¯s receiving dad¡¯s training, after all.¡±


    As proof of that, while Cloud¡¯s upper body was bent back quite a bit, his lower body posture was still firmly in ce. This told me that he still had some leeway left.


    Still, this should¡¯ve made him realize how troublesome spears were. It was a weapon that could freely change the attack range with the wielder¡¯s position.


    And it generally had a longer reach than a sword. If I was asked to give an amateur some kind of weapon, I would have gone with a spear. It was just that simple to use, yet was very lethal and quite profound.


    Cloud failed to kill his momentum so he rotated where he stood and swung his shield horizontally.


    Though it was a shield, it was still a metallic object. If you got mmed with something like that, the resulting damage wouldn¡¯t be a joke.


    Mikey instantly used his spear as a shield to block it¡ªbut he also received a sword strike from the opposite side.


    Was Cloud reproducing a pseudo-double-sword battle style? He seemed to have grown up quite a bit.


    That said, his sword strike was quite light. As it didn¡¯t have the necessary lethal power, Mikey managed to just barely dodge it. Even so, he didn¡¯te outpletely unharmed.


    Unlike Cloud, his posture waspletely broken, and he ended up tumbling on the ground.


    Cloud followed up with a kick, which Mikey ended up taking head-on.


    ¡°Khh¡­Cough! Damn, you¡¯re not bad!¡±


    ¡°This is your chance to surrender.¡±


    ¡°In your dreams!¡±


    Mikey seemed to be quite skilled for his age, but he still couldn¡¯t match Cloud who was experiencing actualbat and training on a daily basis. Different from Mikey who could only use his spear, Cloud also used his shield and kicks aside from the sword to turn the situation to his advantage.


    His experiences until now were the main reason behind the abundance of his attack varieties. If it was one on one fights, Cloud could disy a formidable power.


    Thus, Mikey was gradually pushed back, and he found himself pushed near the onlookers, in other words, to a ce with nowhere to go.


    Realizing his escape behind was cut, Mikey decided to go for a fierce charge. But there¡¯s no way Cloud would not have expected it. His role was a defender, so he was constantly ready to receive an attack. As such, this must have been fully in his expectations.


    ¡°Haaaaaaaaah!¡±


    ¡°You have a good judgment¡ªBut still too naive!¡±


    He used his shield to ward off Mikey¡¯sst struggle and tripped his legs in the passing, knocking him down on the ground. And just as he tried to get up, Cloud thrust his sword at him.


    ¡°Okay, we have a match. This seems to be this boy¡¯s win.¡±


    ¡°¡­Dammit!¡±


    Mateus announced his judgment.


    Mikey hit the ground in frustration. I could understand the feeling of disgrace after losing in front of arge crowd. I approached him and tapped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel so down. This is just training, so you can lose as much as you want. There¡¯s always the next time.¡±


    ¡°Nicole¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, Cloud keeps on losing in actual battles, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up will you!?¡±


    Cloud, I¡¯m trying to end things on a good note here, so stop interrupting.


    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s strange that he¡¯s still alive now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I find that fact strange myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Mikey, you realized yourck of ability with this. And you¡¯re still alive. That means you can focus on improving from now on. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ You¡¯re right.¡±


    He stood up and extended his right hand towards Cloud. Realizing he was asking for a handshake, Cloud responded to it.


    ¡°It¡¯s my loss. Also, sorry for ring up at you like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I understand where you wereing from. Only her outward appearance is good at least.¡±


    ¡°Really? I think she is just as amazing on the inside. I showed a shameful sight this time, but I¡¯ll properly win the next time and make a fresh start.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, do your best, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do your best, just give up.¡±


    The two seemed to have been confirming their friendship, but Mikey, please just give up. I have no interest in men.

 Chapter 328: The Post-Battle Townscape

    <h4>Chapter 328: The Post-Battle Townscape</h4>


    The Goblins have been mostly exterminated within the day.


    After they were freed from the Goblin Lord¡¯s maddening, they split into groups that continued the raid, fled, and hesitated, so they all started getting in the way of the other groups and the Adventurers swooped in and attacked all of them.


    It turned out to be impossible topletely wipe them out, but they still managed to exterminate close to 80% of them, with the remaining 20% scattering and running everywhere.


    Given their state, it was already impossible for them to make the same organized raid. The surviving Goblins too would, before long, be in by the Adventurers.


    We who survived couldn¡¯t follow with our pursuit right away. I only learned itter but about 40% of the Adventurers have suffered injuries, and they were in no condition to continue the battle.


    And albeit few, there were still deaths, and most of the harm unexpectedly came to Raum¡¯s Adventurers. The newbie Adventurers that patrolled the city had suffered the most damage.


    The newbie Adventurers felt unsatisfied for being pushed to the rear, so theymenced a reckless attack at the invading Goblins to gain achievements but were met with a counterattack. This is what you¡¯d call getting carried away by youthful ardor.


    Anyway, Michelle¡¯s super bombardment was quite a big deal too. The impacts from her attacks caused quite a bit of injury among Adventurers. However, they would have lost their lives had she not done that, so there was no one who seriously med her.


    The citizens couldn¡¯t immediately return to normal lives either. The houses on the main street had their entrances and windows tightly plugged, so it would take a lot of pain just to return them to normal condition.


    Even so, the morale gained from this victory was enough to make them forget all the hardships toe.


    The Adventurers that came out safe raised cheers, and even the townsfolk became excited as they listened to their talk about the fleeing Goblins.


    The sense of liberation after being crammed into shelters was perhaps another thing that gave them a push.


    The fact that they started the reconstructions in smiles despite the mountain of problems they had to face was perhaps one of the strong points of themon folk.


    Marquis Yowi who had tried to shelter and protect them also started tidying up his mansion the next day. Letina was also helping with the clean-up, so she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to show her face for a while.


    Michelle and I, and also Finia, were currently strolling such townscape under the pretext of patrolling it.


    This was a proper request from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild since the trouble tended to happen during the times of post-emergency elevation, so they asked us to cooperate with the gate guards and patrol the ce.


    Thus, we were patrolling while wearing the patrol armbands on us, but as expected, we could notice the traces of destruction all around.


    In particr, the Goblin corpses that haven¡¯t been fully disposed of were scattered in various ces, and it seemed that incinerating them was taking a lot of time.


    Apparently, over a hundred Goblins managed to sneak inside, and while it was a good thing that the chivalric order took it mostly upon themselves to subjugate them, these numbers still exceeded the limit that people could dispose of.


    Even if you wanted to burn them, most of the wood necessary for it had already been used to seal the roads and plug the windows of the houses, so they first had to collect all that scrap wood back lest there wouldn¡¯t be enough firewood.


    Additionally, there were craters gouged out on the stone pavings. They were probably the result of Michelle¡¯s bombardment with the Third Eye.


    While we were going around the streets, I felt like I was being detained. Each of my limbs was seized and I couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Won¡¯t you let me go?¡±


    ¡°If we do, you¡¯ll probably run off somewhere Nicole.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Lady Nicole is known for acting naughty the moment we take our eyes from you, so this much is fine.¡±


    ¡°Not you too Finia¡­¡±


    Well, I actually did sneak out to battle the Goblin Lord, so I couldn¡¯t make an excuse now. If they knew it, I feel they¡¯d scold me even more, so I couldn¡¯t say a word about it.


    ¡°That aside, maybe we should also be getting ready to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have time for that, do we?¡±


    What Finia was talking about was the victory celebration party at my house. But Cortina would be particrly busy these few days, so there was no knowing when she woulde back.


    Because she managed to seed in the surprise attack and managed to repel the enemy that was nine times our numbers, her fame had grown even more.


    However, the fact that she led the Goblins and made the chivalric order fight them, and that she sent a familiar to the Elven settlement to ask for the reinforcements, was something that part of the nobles have found disagreeable.


    Dragging the Goblins inside the city and having the knights fight them was the target of criticism in particr. Thus, she was still busy exining herself for her actions.


    As such, we still had yet to celebrate the victory.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cross that bridge when we get there. It should be fine to prepare for it when she returns, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But there doesn¡¯t seem to be a lot of ingredients in the markets, you know?¡±


    The damages inside the city didn¡¯t end with humans. The ingredients that couldn¡¯tst for a long time had grown spoiled during the evacuation. For that reason, though the stores were open, the goods they sold were few in numberpared to usual.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go buy food from that stall over there! They should be fine even tomorrow.¡±


    Michelle¡¯s gaze was stolen by a skewer stall that was selling roasted chicken. Meat would have spoiled in these three days, but the spit-roasting stalls pickled the meat in salt or sauce, so it somehow managed tost for a long time.


    Still, just this time her idea wasn¡¯t bad at all. The food sold at stalls was the kind that wouldst for some time, and above all, they were quite cheap now due to the festive mood going around.


    I was worried about Letina, but Marquis Yowi, who had epted the evacuees, was in the middle of dealing with the aftermath. We weren¡¯t familiar with that stuff, so if we suddenly barged in we¡¯d only get in the way.


    Cloud also had his hands full with taking care of the orphanage children. It seems that he was receiving a hero treatment there because he defeated Goblins during his patrols.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go already!¡±


    In Michelle¡¯s head, it seemed to be already decided that we would eat the stall food, and she was dragging me by the hand with all her strength. Naturally, Finia, who was holding my other hand, was dragged along too.


    ¡°Uncle, give us some chicken skewers!¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. How many?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. There¡¯s me, Lady Nicole and Lady Cortina¡¯s share to consider too, so if we get six¡­¡±


    ¡°Ten for me!¡±


    ¡°Coming right up!¡±


    The skewer stall had quite a lot of chicken skewers.


    They were big enough that a normal girl would have gotten full with just one skewer. If you got two, you¡¯d even have leftover snacks for dinner.


    So ordering ten of those was a bit too much, wasn¡¯t it? I wasn¡¯t much of a glutton myself.


    ¡°Michelle, isn¡¯t that too much? I¡¯d have a hard time eating even one¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll eat all of these myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Is that so.¡±


    Oh well, she yed the second-biggest part in this time¡¯s incident, so she probably spent a lot of energy during the process. Let¡¯s just think of it like that.


    In my case, I¡¯d be stuffed with two of them, and a third might make me vomit.


    Despite my fears, she showed us the gluttony suitable to a hero who managed to defeat over a hundred Goblins on her own.

 Chapter 329: A Trap Left Behind by the Goblins

    <h4>Chapter 329: A Trap Left Behind by the Goblins</h4>


    Five days have passed since. Raum had finally regained its calm and the normal every day was at our doorstep.


    Today was the day where I could use my Polymorph scroll stock to transform and meet with Cortina. Lyell and Maria also attended this time, and we were having lunch at the park with nostalgic expressions.


    Finia acted considerate for us and decided to stay home.


    ¡°Oh, so this is your daughter?¡±


    They took Fina along, so I had to pretend to be meeting my little sister for the first time. Lyell had a satisfied expression for managing to show his prided daughter to hisrade that just came back.


    That irked me a bit honestly. This guy¡¯s smug face was always getting to me.


    ¡°Hold her too, Reid. She¡¯s my precious daughter.¡±


    ¡°We also have another daughter called Nicole, but she¡¯s a bit of a rascal. She¡¯s out of town today on an adventure.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡±


    Actually, that daughter of yours was standing before your eyes in a disguise now. And did he call me a rascal?


    ¡°Still, her appearance is quite something. She¡¯s a peerless beauty, like an even prettier version of Maria.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank god she didn¡¯t take after your looks.¡±


    ¡°S-Say what!? ¡­Is what I¡¯d like to say, but I¡¯mpelled to agree with you on that.¡±


    Fina, on the other hand, had Lyell¡¯s blond hair and Maria¡¯s red eyes. She seemed to have taken after Lyell physically too as she was bustling with energy.


    ¡°How about you, Maria? I heard you were feeling unwell.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I ended up burdening Cortina due to that.¡±


    ¡°No such thing. The enemy this time was just Goblins, in the end. If the nobles dispatched the chivalric order, we could¡¯ve easily driven them away.¡±


    ¡°So the battle was tough because they were stingy, huh? Good grief, why are nobles always such a¡­¡±


    Lyell couldn¡¯t help but frown when hearing the full particrs of this incident, but it was still politics of a foreign kingdom. He couldn¡¯t just butt in. Our words held enough influence that doing that could lead to more problems.


    ¡°Anyway, I fully understood how cute Fina is, so take her from my hands already. Honestly, she¡¯s so soft that I¡¯m scared she¡¯d break in my arms.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, your boorish personality still remains even after reincarnating.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡±


    My trained fingers were hard enough that they could prick her soft skin. The other parts of my body were looking quite rugged too, making me feel like they¡¯d be enough to injure her.


    Like that, my fingertips were sinking into her soft flesh, so I was at my wits¡¯ end.


    ¡°Still, Fina is quite shy with strangers, but she¡¯s surprisingly calm with you, Reid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    Whenever I checked in on her, she was always in a good mood. She wasn¡¯t ufortable with the maid at our house either, so I never really realized that she was shy.


    ¡°That aside, Reid. You¡¯re using Polymorph for your current appearance, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I have a somewhat problematic appearance.¡±


    ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t be willing to show it to us¡­¡±


    ¡°Not a chance. I have some circumstances, so sorry but endure it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so.¡±


    Lyell seemed half-unconvinced, but he didn¡¯t press on any further.


    Then, I suddenly noticed that Cortina was acting strange. She had taken her distance from both Maria and me, and was sitting where no one could touch her.


    Normally, she clung to me as if her old attitude was a lie, so this was strange.


    Could it be that I did something to get hated?


    ¡°Uh, Cortina¡­¡±


    ¡°W-What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, why are you sitting so far away? Why not sit next to me like you always do?¡±


    ¡°W-Why do I have to sit next to you!¡±


    It didn¡¯t show on my face but her words shocked me. Did I do something so bad to her without realizing it?


    ¡°Um, if I did something bad, I¡¯ll apologize.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s not really your fault. Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it something hard to say? You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡±


    Cortina started pondering for a while, but then raised her face as if she had collected her thoughts. Her face was dyed red, as if she was about to reveal some embarrassing secret.


    Could it be that? Did putting the results of my ¡°special training¡± to use on her cause some problem?


    ¡°Could it be that I overdid it or something?¡±


    Maybe I could understand why Aste¡¯s wife left him for ¡°overdoing¡± it now. Even if you sh your feelings with your loved one, there are times when they wouldn¡¯t be able to ept all of it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it! Agh, why are you always so tactless!¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just affirm it while looking confused.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay?¡±


    ¡°In the first ce, why did you disappear from that battlefield without even greeting me once¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, that would have been too unreasonable. It¡¯d have caused needless chaos, right?¡±


    If people heard that the Six Hero that was supposed to be dead had been revived and participated in that battle, it was hard to imagine just how much panic it would have caused.


    As I sat with an inclined head, Cortina sighed as if she had given up. Plus, she knew best just how inattentive I was.


    ¡°Well, leaving that be¡­ My actions were the problem this time so I¡¯ll apologize. B-But it¡¯s not like I hate you guys or anything okay?¡±


    ¡°Then why are you sitting all the way there?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Well¡­Because of the Goblins.¡±


    ¡°Goblins?¡±


    ¡°The flees¡­ They brought in arge quantity of them from the outside!¡±


    With those words, she scratched her head without caring about her hairstyle getting ruined. During that moment, I didn¡¯t miss a small bug jumping from her head.


    ¡°Ah, yeah, they were quite dirty.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get them out no matter how much I wash my hair, and Fina¡¯s hair is growing already so I can¡¯t approach.¡±


    ¡°It would be a problem if they start biting her. She¡¯d start crying at night once again.¡±


    ¡°So yeah, I can¡¯te near today, got it?¡±


    ¡°Okay, but why are you so pissed?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you guess?¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue back in the face of her re. And well, I found her current expression cute too. I suppose this was one of the weaknesses that apanied falling in love.


    ¡°Still, looks like the beastmen have their fair share of problems huh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to pay attention to my daily life precisely due to that.¡±


    Seeing her dropping her shoulders, I suddenly recalled a thing from the past. About the incident where she got isted because she was a beastmen.


    It happened at the hot-spring inn that the Elves managed.


    ¡°Right, how about you dip yourself in hot spring water and drive them out?¡±


    ¡°Hot spring? Won¡¯t people there hate it?¡±


    ¡°The bathtubs in the nearby hot-spring town are free-flowing, so the floating flees would just go down the drain. There was also a sauna there, right? You could steam those bugs too there.¡±


    ¡°The beastmen bathtubs were certainly like that¡­ That¡¯s a nice idea considering it came from you, Reid.¡±


    Cortina pped her hands with a happy expression. The academy still had to be cleaned up after the whole evacuation matter, so it wouldn¡¯t be usable for a while longer.


    Maxwell had finally heard of the situation, but as everything had already ended, he decided to remain in the north for some time.


    Apparently, someone had been getting in the way ofmunication, so he was helping to find who it was.


    In other words, Cortina and I had nothing to do for the next few days.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Why don¡¯t we go on a hot-spring trip?¡±


    With those words, she looked towards Lyell and Maria with a bright expression.

 Chapter 330: Countermeasures

    <h4>Chapter 330: Countermeasures</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    When Maxwell had heard of the danger that threatened Raum, the Goblins had already been repelled.


    He immediately used the Guild¡¯smunication magic to contact Cortina, and discovered that someone had been getting in the way of establishing contact with him. That someone had been obstructing the information.


    Someone had snuck into the room where the automatic recorder was installed and removed only the letter addressed to Maxwell. This fact was confirmed after they discovered the scorched cinders in the corner of the room.


    ¡°In other words, someone had snuck into this Guild and destroyed important information.¡±


    Maxwell said as he tapped on the reception table with his finger in irritation, displeasure apparent on his face. It was unusual for him to express anger like this. But he found the fact hisrades were exposed to danger just that unforgivable.


    ¡°Yes, um, use of magic inside the Guild is limited aside from the training area, so we cannot deny that there was an oversight¡­¡±


    The Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild of the Northern Alliance was sweating buckets while trying to protest in front of Maxwell.


    It wasn¡¯t just this particr branch, but every single branch on this continent. Setting aside the hall, underground training area and the doctor¡¯s office, the use of magic was banned. This was so that no one could falsify important documents.


    If magic was used, the one in charge of defense would be notified and they would examine who used what spell and for what reason. However, there was no such trace of it this time around.


    ¡°Are you saying that someone had taken the key to the recording room without using magic, disposed of the document, and then escaped?¡±


    ¡°T-That appears to be the case.¡±


    ¡°Is there a possibility that there is a traitor among the Guild staff?¡±


    ¡°I was also suspicious of that, however the person in charge was at the counter processingmissions that day. There are their signs on themission forms, so the possibility that they are a traitor is very low.¡±


    Seeing that Maxwell¡¯s target of examination switched from him, the Guild Master started exining the details of this incident.


    When the key had been taken out, the staff member in charge that day had been at the counter, which was proven by the documents too.


    However, Maxwell wasn¡¯t satisfied with just this question. If simr incidents happened frequently, it could dy him in the future too.


    ¡°Even so, that still leaves me dissatisfied. Perhaps they left their seat to go to the toilet or something and used that timing to hand the key over to someone else. This would have taken mere minutes.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. However, one of these staff members was handlingints during that time and was in a reception office facing Adventurers. They hadn¡¯t left the room during that time, so they are almost certainly not the culprit.¡±


    The suspicious person had been spotted after about five days. During that time, the key had been illegally taken five times. The one in charge of the key changed every day, so there were five people responsible, however, one of them was apparently handling theints and was shut inside a room with Adventurers while the key had been taken out.


    Based on this case, it was unlikely that they managed to hand over the key to someone else. It was impossible during that day at the very least.


    ¡°Then, what is the possibility that they made a duplicate key during some other day?¡±


    ¡°That is also unlikely. Due to maintaining secrecy, the lock is reced every morning.¡±


    ¡°So they would have no time to make a duplicate, is it?¡±


    ¡°The one that reces the locks is on friendly terms with the guild so it is hard to think that they betrayed us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    Maxwell nodded once and started thinking.


    The Guild Master¡¯s countermeasures so far weren¡¯t anything novel, but they were still quite proper. He had managed to interrogate everyone, and even managed to procure alibi for the suspicious staff members, so he could be said to be quitepetent.


    However, Maxwell couldn¡¯t leave this case be just like that. He had to take some measures. Otherwise, doubts would sprout in the Guild¡¯smunication means.


    ¡°Alright, I understand. However, we have to take some measures.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It involves the trust of this Guild, after all.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should release the spell to the public?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ My apologies. Even if it¡¯s Lord Maxwell¡¯s request, that is an important matter for the guild so I cannot make that decision at my own discretion.¡±


    ¡°No, I was at fault for asking something so unreasonable. I apologize.¡±


    Nheless, they couldn¡¯t continue without any measures. If they didn¡¯t do anything, the Guildmunicationwork would lose its trust.


    ¡°Increase the daily staff members in charge to two people and prepare two keys. This way, they would need two people in disguise, and it would put more burden on the invaders.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it is not perfect but it would certainly be enough to prevent it for the time being.¡±


    ¡°In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the monitoring at the entrance to deal with disguises that do not rely on magic.¡±


    ¡°I will increase the security appropriately. Since the spell isn¡¯t able to serve its purpose here, the only choice is to make up by increasing our numbers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do. Please continue the investigation as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, leave it to us.¡±


    Maxwell epted his answer, but he didn¡¯t expect a satisfying result. Mateus who had invaded Raum hadn¡¯t been caught in the end either. They only managed to catch him because the other party did some excess meddling.


    This current incident also smelled of the same level of slyness as Mateus. The fact that the trick behind this trespassing had yet toe to light was proof of that.


    ¡°It appears that more troublesome fellows have appeared.¡±


    Maxwell lightly dropped his shoulders and heaved a big sigh.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 331: Sham Battle with Comrades

    <h4>Chapter 331: Sham Battle with Comrades</h4>


    Cortina decided to head to the hot springs, but it¡¯s not like it would happen right away. She had sses in the academy, and there was also the city reconstruction work to do. Maria and Lyell said they¡¯de this time, so she had to take their schedules into consideration too.


    In the meantime, we were spending our days normally. That also included training in the Guild too.


    I stood against Cloud, Michelle and Letina. We were in the underground training area, and I was currently holding a fake katana in my hand. It was the same for Cloud and Michelle.


    Letina was using non-lethal spells, so even if they caused injury, it wouldn¡¯t lead to death.


    ¡°Here I go!¡±


    ¡°Come at me!¡±


    Cloud responded to my yell with an energetic shout of his own.


    I rushed straight at him. He also came out and stood before me to serve his role.


    Just before I reached Cloud, Michelle¡¯s arrows came flying at me. Those arrows were aiming straight for my forehead and heart.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡ª!¡±


    It was exactly because her aim was so urate that it was easy to predict where she aimed. I swung my fake katana and swatted the two arrows down.


    I used the same momentum to sh at Cloud, but he easily shielded it. He seemed to have been vignt of my attack and ended up bracing his legs for my attack excessively.


    I didn¡¯t try to cut my way through him with force, but instead moved my body to go around him. And then, Letina¡¯s magded where I stood a moment ago.


    I used Cloud as a shield to defend against Letina¡¯s spells and Michelle¡¯s arrows. However, this would leave me with no means of dealing with them. Unless I managed to break through Cloud, I couldn¡¯t attack Letina or Michelle.


    Based on the current rules, I mainly used katana while my bestowal magic and thread maniption were sealed off. Michelle didn¡¯t use her bangle and her Third Eye.


    This time, we were testing how each of us could fare as simple swordsmen and archers.


    ¡°D-Damn!¡±


    Because my attack was lighter than he expected, Cloud¡¯s reaction was dyed because he put too much strength into his body.


    He put strength into his arms to force me back and pushed out his shield. I used his strength to my advantage and pulled his shield towards me with my left hand, creating an opening in his defense.


    Cloud was astonished for a moment, but instead of trying to unreasonably retract his shield, he just swung down his sword.


    I could feel this ever since the Goblin battle, but he wasn¡¯t focusing solely on defense as he had been and was keeping attacking in mind too.


    It may not have been a very good development for a shielder, but as a warrior, it wasn¡¯t bad.


    Nowadays, he was willing to deal finishers to enemies which used to be mine and Michelle¡¯s role until now. This was surely proof that he was beginning to think of a bnce between offense and defense as a warrior.


    I met his fake sword with my fake katana and warded it off. I rotated at the moment, and pulled my dagger¡ªalso a fake¡ªfrom my waist.


    Using the momentum of the rotation I mowed down his abdomen with the dagger, and then followed up with a backhanded sh from the sword again to his abdomen.


    They had no de so Cloud didn¡¯t suffer any injuries, but if this was a real battle, this would have been a fatal wound.


    ¡°Cloud, you¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°Ghh.¡±


    Hearing my verdict and epting his defeat, Cloud switched to acting as a corpse.


    Because he was defeated, Letina switched to short-chant spells. I threw my dagger at her to interrupt her chant.


    ¡°Kyaa!?¡±


    She bent her body and dodged the dagger that was going for her face. I¡¯m not sure what to make of it when an Adventurer squats down while covering her head, though. Well, it¡¯s cute so whatever.


    Those thoughts shed into my mind for a moment, but I didn¡¯t stop moving during that time.


    I instantly closed the distance while Letina was crouched down. Michelle, of course, showered me with arrows to get in my way, but because of her urate aim, it was easy to read her.


    I dodged the arrows by rolling and thrust the fake katana from a low angle.


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s blue stripes today¡­ I mean, Letina, you¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°Where were you looking!¡±


    Letina tried to fall down while holding down her skirt. But her role wasn¡¯t over for me. I grabbed her shoulders as she was falling forward and did a mad dash at Michelle.


    Letina¡¯s body was still childish so even I could carry her. I decided on this strategy by considering that.


    Michelle tried to fire restraining arrows at me, but as Letina was covering my body she stood without being able to shoot me.


    If I just went into closebat with her next, she would have no way of fighting against me.


    Convinced of my victory, I tried to elerate some more¡­ But my foot slipped.


    It seemed that my physical strength wasn¡¯t enough to fully support even Letina¡¯s weight.


    If my abilities were fixed, I could still have measured my physical strength and dealt with the situation appropriately. However, my body grew day by day, so the changes in my strength and body were quite tough to deal with.


    Even though my strength wasn¡¯t growing that much, my chest and bottom were growing, while my waist was slimming down.


    I couldn¡¯t keep up with those subtle changes in my body bnce.


    My legs weren¡¯t changing in size at all, but my upper body was growing heavier. Since it was different from my assumed body bnce, I ended up tripping and fell forward.


    ¡°Mygaa!¡±


    ¡°Ugyaa!?¡±


    I got entangled with Letina in the roll, exposing myself. Because of how hard we fell, Letina¡¯s skirt got rolled up, revealing her underwear to the world to see.


    I was in the same state, but Michelle wasn¡¯t about to care about any of that.


    If she let go of this chance, she would have no hope of winning. Thus, she mercilessly showered me with arrows while I was fallen.


    ¡°Yah, yah!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! W-Wait, I give up! It¡¯s my loss, so stop!¡±


    ¡°Take this! Teyah!¡±


    ¡°Wait, please just stooop!¡±


    Michelle didn¡¯t hear my promation in her excitement. She shot all the arrows in her quiver at me¡­ at us. In other words, Letina also ended up taking the brunt of it.


    ¡°Kyaa! Michelle, they¡¯re hitting me too!!¡±


    ¡°Teyah! Teyah!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch! It still hurts even if the arrowheads are cotton!¡±


    ¡°S-Someone stop Michelle!¡±


    In the end, we continued writhing on the ground until Cloud could no longer watch us and stopped her.


    In addition, the Adventurers that saw Letina and I entangled on the ground had left the training grounds with pleased expressions.

 Chapter 332: Sham Battle Review Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 332: Sham Battle Review Meeting</h4>


    ¡°Now then, time for the review meeting.¡±


    After rolling about on the hard ground and getting my head all dusty, we moved to the corner of the training area and started our meeting.


    Letina was in the same state as me, making her seem as if someone had assaulted her. I mean, she actually did get assaulted by Michelle.


    Michelle in question was currently sitting on her knees and reflecting on the fact that she ignored the end of the battle and kept shooting at us.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with Cloud. It¡¯s not bad that you started actively attacking, but it¡¯s not quite good enough.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been all into defense until now, so this change isn¡¯t bad per se, but you have to consider the bnce. If you reflexively try to take back the shield that has been pulled from you, then you have to actually make use of it or you¡¯d just be wasting time.¡±


    Back then, when I pulled his shield towards me, he reflexively tried to take it back, but then changed his mind and swung his sword, so his initial attempt ended up being a wasted action.


    It was better if he devoted himself to defending or used his pulled shield to push me aside.


    If he wanted to focus on the offense, he could¡¯ve also just let go of his shield. After all, I was his only opponent and he had strong supporters like Michelle and Letina behind him.


    ¡°I see. Looks like I still can¡¯t quite mix them properly.¡±


    ¡°Well, ites with experience, so you just have to get used to it through trial and error. Next, Letina.¡±


    ¡°Should I have ignored that dagger and not dodged it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to not dodge a dagger heading straight for your head. Rather, your mistake was to attempt firing a spell at me right after dodging it.¡±


    Magicians being weak at closebat was a fact set in stone since the old times. The moment I was allowed to approach her, she should have prioritized taking her distance from me.


    She ended up reflexively counterattacking due to her unyielding nature, but I couldn¡¯t help but point out that it was a bad move. I had to properly remonstrate her actions for the future¡¯s sake.


    ¡°And Michelle, you had to shoot me without caring about Letina¡¯s corpse.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But I was just really reluctant to shoot you through Letina.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is part of your good points.¡±


    She was a kind girl by nature, so she felt an aversion towards shooting through her friend¡¯s dead body. That kindness was her strong point, but in battles, it ended up being a heavy burden.


    ¡°And you¡¯rest Nicole. You shouldn¡¯t overestimate your physical ability so much!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!?¡±


    ¡°Grabbing Letina and running is just impossible for you, okay?¡±


    ¡°I thought I could at least handle Letina¡¯s weight.¡±


    ¡°I admit that I am light, but your way of putting it is slightly irritating.¡±


    I thought I could handle Letina who still had a childish physique even with my strength. However, I was growing day by day. I was over 140 cm now, and my chest was also growing, and my buttocks were gaining roundness.


    My waist and limbs on the other hand were growing thinner, taking on a womanly bnce.


    Despite growing taller, my leg size wasn¡¯t growing at all. With my chest swelling while my legs stayed small, my center of gravity kept rising up and worsening my bnce.


    This might have been simr to pregnant women being unable to catch up to the changes in their body shape and bing prone to falling.


    ¡°My chest feels heavy as ofte, so my body bnce has turned bad.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I know what you mean!¡±


    ¡°Are you taking a jab at me? You are, aren¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°You sure have it nice not having to worry about it, Letina.¡±


    ¡°Grrr!¡±


    ¡°Hey, uh, can¡¯t you talk about that stuff when I¡¯m not present? I have been having it toughtely.¡±


    ¡°You saw mine and Letina¡¯s panties, so of course you would.¡±


    ¡°That was beyond my control okay!?¡±


    Cloud has been receiving tough training at the Guild by higher-ranked opponents. He often had it so tough it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to ruin his condition, but since he had an aptitude in defense, he was handling it without problems.


    And despite their remarks, the Adventurers were actually quite fond of Cloud who was going along with their harsh training.


    In the end, they wanted to take care of a youngster that was doing his best.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave the review meeting at that. Leaving this aside, Cortina is nning to take us to the hot spring on the weekend, so how about it?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have to help with the mansion cleanup this weekend so I can¡¯te.¡±


    Marquis Yowi¡¯s mansion was crammed to the limit with the evacuees during the Goblin attack. The citizens were thankful for that and only left after doing some cleaning, but that mansion has many special objects in it, so there were still ces left that needed cleaning.


    Normally the servants would be dealing with it, but as expected, this time they were short of hands.


    As such, the Marquis hadmissioned Letina to clean the mansion as a personal Adventurermission.


    ¡°Ah, I also have to help with the delivery of goods that day¡­¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Michelle¡¯s family were hunters. They butchered the hunted prey and turned it into meat, and sold skin and fangs at the workshop.


    Given the fact that Raum was situated in the forest, there was never a shortage of prey and they always had a huge stock. It was quite natural that she would get called once a month for this reason.


    ¡°Cloud¡­ Will peek on us so we don¡¯t need him.¡±


    ¡°I w-won¡¯t do anything like that!¡±


    I haven¡¯t forgotten when he was instigated by Maxwell to peek at us at the training camp. Well, I knew full well how good that old man was at tempting people, but I had Finia and Cortina with me this time. I had no intention of showing their beautiful skin to that b?a?s?t?a?r?d?.


    ¡°Cloud you perv.¡±


    ¡°Not you too Michelle!¡±


    ¡°Well, leaving the jokes aside, let me ask you just in case. Wannae along?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, Lady Cortina ising too right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do wannae but I¡¯ll refrain.¡±


    ¡°What did you imagine just now. Spill it out.¡±


    I decided to give him some beating for imagining this and that about Cortina.

 Chapter 333: Things Going…Not as Planned

    <h4>Chapter 333: Things Going¡­Not as nned</h4>


    In the end, the participants in the current trip ended up being me, Cortina, Finia, and also Lyell, Maria and Fina, as well as Kabby ¨C six people and some more.


    While Maria was close to perfect health now, I still couldn¡¯t help but worry. Hopefully, there will be no harm if she enjoyed a hot spring cure now.


    Also, this was Fina¡¯s joyous hot spring debut too. As a sister, I had to engrave her form in the art gallery of my heart no matter what. No matter what.


    For that reason, I borrowed the transcription tool from Maxwell. I was fully motivated to keep taking photographs with it for as long as my magic powersted.


    ¡°There was a time I thought about that too.¡±


    ¡°Dear guest, um, please hold back from bringing a transcription tool inside the public bath.¡±


    ¡°¡­Figured as much.¡±


    Thinking about it, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d allow you to bring a transcription tool to a ce where women are defenselessly exposing their skin.


    Maria was with us too this time, so I headed to the generalrge public bath. Cortina¡¯s circumstances being what they were, she managed to reserve a beastmen bath almost exclusively for herself because there were luckily few people.


    That said, the inn staff wasn¡¯t making happy faces when they saw fleas floating around, so in the end, she only managed to get the sauna for exclusive use.


    This hot spring of the mist sauna should be plenty good enough to steam those fleas.


    ¡°Hey, youe too. I¡¯d be lonely on my own.¡±


    ¡°Squee!?¡±


    ¡°We live together, so the fleas might have spread to you too.¡±


    ¡°S-Squee¡­¡±


    Being told that, Kabby couldn¡¯t keep on refusing, so it got obediently taken along by Cortina. Let¡¯s have her wash it thoroughly using this opportunity.


    ¡°Maria is going in with Fina and Finia, so why note in with daddy, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not!? Wouldn¡¯t daddy be lonely on his own?¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve taken Cloud along then.¡±


    ¡°He seemed to have burned his crotch for some reason and passed up the opportunity this time.¡±


    ¡°That sounds terrible.¡±


    I answered while looking away. I mean, anyone can make a mistake in holding back.


    I tried to nurse him in a hurry, but Cloud resisted with all his might and tottered away. The surrounding Adventurers looked at him as if seeing something frightening. I decided to ignore a part of them that had a look of envy on their faces.


    ¡°Look, they need helpers with Fina¡¯s bathing, so I have to do my part too.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re such a good girl Nicolee!¡±


    Lyell gave me his bear hug, which urged me to drive a punch to his liver. But his crazy tough body didn¡¯t even feel my punch.


    When he squeezes me like that, he has enough muscles on his chest to crush me. I really need him to learn the ability to let go of his child already, or it¡¯ll get too embarrassing.


    While I endured the sweltering heat and punched him nonstop, Maria couldn¡¯t endure watching and offered me a helping hand.


    ¡°Dear, we have to get moving already or they will prepare the food before we get there.¡±


    ¡°Ah right. We did ask them to take it to our room.¡±


    Lyell quickly let me go after Maria¡¯s reminder. Cortina on the side seemed to be itching to grab me with her hands spread out. She was in the state of wanting to hug me but unable to.


    That was of course due to the fleas that have taken nest on her body. I didn¡¯t lose out to Cortina in terms of hair density. Well only in terms of head hair. Anything neck and below, I still¡ªNo, never mind.


    ¡°Kh, I can¡¯t hug you now, but I¡¯ll let you fluff her in my stead okay, Finia?¡±


    ¡°Then, without reservation¡­¡±


    ¡°Fwah!?¡±


    I got suddenly hugged from behind and made a strange yelp. Cortina, what do you mean, fluff me? My body is not hairy. My hair is long, though.


    ¡°Mhh, you have gained some meat as ofte so you feel very nice to the hug.¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m out of the bath it¡¯ll be my turn okay!¡±


    ¡°Yes, do it to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    ¡°What about my consent!?¡±


    ¡°Huh, we need it?¡±


    I let Cortina¡¯s question slide with dead fish-like eyes. While my height growth was slowing down, I was still growing squishier, so they kept doing this stuff all the time.


    That said, I¡¯m not sure what to think of them feeling up my chest even if we were both women.


    ¡°Enough, you two, we¡¯re going already. Mommy can¡¯t wait to go in already.¡±


    Maria headed to the changing room in unusually high spirits while holding Fina. She was probably enjoying a family trip a great deal.


    ¡°Well,ter. I¡¯ll probably take a while.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, daddy will go take a lonely dip too.¡±


    Seeing Lyell totter towards the men¡¯s bath, even I started feeling sorry for him. Feeling the grief from his back, I reflexively called out to him.


    ¡°I-If you¡¯re that desperate¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-You will!?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, Lady Nicole. It¡¯s good that you are so kind, but you are no longer at an age where you should enter the men¡¯s bath.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Ghh¡­ Finia, you¡¯re a little too steadfast. You¡¯ll be more popr with guys if you act a bit more vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°No thank you.¡±


    Finia curtly handled Lyell, but she was right that if I entered the men¡¯s bath with my current body, it¡¯d attract a lot of stares. Even if I still looked childish at parts, my body still exuded enough womanly air.


    Besides, if I went there, I would miss out on observing Fina¡¯s first hot spring. Now that I didn¡¯t have the transcription tool on me, I had to burn it into my brain using my flesh.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped if that¡¯s the case. Later, dad.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, Nicole, don¡¯t abandon me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say something so sloppy.¡±


    ¡°Boo-boo, is this the pathos of a father?¡±


    Leaving Lyell who dropped his shoulders in dejection, I decided to head to the women¡¯s bath. There would be no end if I kept paying attention to my sulking father. You may think I was cold, but ignoring him was the best option here.


    Thinking about it, I sure have gotten used to entering women¡¯s baths. I¡¯d get branded as a criminal if I forgot and entered one when I revert to male form.


    I had to pay attention so that doesn¡¯t happen from now on.


    Finia entered the changing room with me. These girls were saying I was nice to the touch, but their hugs were starting to feel just as good as ofte.


    Being an Elf, it seems that she was still growing bit by bit.

 Chapter 334: Grapple at the Bath

    <h4>Chapter 334: Grapple at the Bath</h4>


    As I headed to the bath with Finia; Maria and Fina were already submerged in the water. I quickly poured water on myself and headed to their side.


    Maria was enjoying herself in the water while holding Fina, but Fina couldn¡¯t hide her curiosity at the vast bath she was staying in for the first time.


    ¡°Auu, dauu!¡±


    She was iling her legs around andughing while sshing the water. Looks like she was quite a gutsy girl. And yet she was still quite shy, so I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around this.


    Her legs seemed to have gotten tired and this time she switched to splish-sshing with her hands.


    ¡°Waaph!¡±


    ¡°Aauh! Wauuh!¡±


    The sshes hit me as I approached near, and she seemed to find my attempts to block it fun and started sshing more relentlessly.


    ¡°Agh, Fina you¡¯re such a wild kid!¡±


    ¡°Are you in any position to say that, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°I was more docile you know?¡±


    ¡°Rather than docile, you just slept all day.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±


    As I caught Fina¡¯s hands, she started sshing with her feet next. You little! You sure are quick-witted despite being a baby.


    ¡°Gnnn!¡±


    I snatched her from Maria¡¯s hands and hugged her tight. Yeah, I might get addicted to this squishy feeling. But Fina wasn¡¯t one to obediently get hugged. She was Lyell¡¯s daughter too after all.


    Now that her movements were sealed, she started sucking on my breasts with her mouth. Unlike that time at the training area, this was a direct hit. The stimtion was too much now.


    ¡°Ouch, wait Fina, it hurts when you do it directly. It hurts!¡±


    ¡°It looks like she prefers your breasts over mine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy about that but this is too much.¡±


    I have been making some progress in my self-educationtely. This attack was a bit too stimting for me.


    Then Finia suddenly came and called out to me.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, I¡¯ll give you a thorough massage this time!¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, we gave you one before, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have to have my revenge¡ªI mean, I have to show my thanks for that time.¡±


    ¡°You just said revenge, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, you misheard it.¡±


    That said, I took quite a bit of damage in that fight with the Goblin Lord. Even though I warded off its ridiculous power, I still took them on, so they put a load on various parts of my body.


    As I headed to the bench in the corner of the washing ce, Finia and for some reason, Maria, followed me.


    ¡°Huh, you want one too mom?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to give you a massage too this time. Fina too, of course.¡±


    ¡°Wauu!¡±


    Huh, Fina? I felt confused but once I lied down, I felt a tiny sensation on my lower back. That sensation started to slowly tap me.


    ¡°Ah, this¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Fina¡¯s first massage to you.¡±


    Looking behind, I saw that Maria had ced Fina on my back and she started pping her legs. This barely counted as a massage, but this warmed me up inside in its own way.


    At the same time, Finia started stretching my shoulders and arms.


    ¡°Huh, Lady Nicole¡­ Aren¡¯t you a bit too stiff?¡±


    ¡°My chest has grown heavytely.¡±


    ¡°Surely you jest. That isn¡¯t enough to make you stiff. You have to at least be as big as Finia.¡±


    ¡°Khh, so this is the weight of the wordsing from an experienced person?¡±


    Needless to say, Maria had a bountiful chest. That means that she had experienced the shoulder stiffness caused by that stuff. She should even be familiar with how big they should be until they start making you stiff.


    I¡¯m a man so I wasn¡¯t frustrated or anything¡­ I definitely wasn¡¯t.


    While I was thinking that, Finia moved on from my shoulders to my waist area. Her breasts that periodically made contact with me felt pretty good. But then I felt goosebump-inducing chills.


    ¡°Mh!¡±


    ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    Finia questioned me as I reflexively rose up, but I decided to ignore it. My perspective ability told me that I was in imminent danger.


    I quickly probed around for anything that could serve as a weapon and picked up a bucket from nearby, then faced towards the bath partition and threw it.


    Just as someone was about to show their face from there, the bucket made an impact and dropped them down.


    ¡°Gwah!¡±


    I heard a shriek along with the sound of something breaking. That voice was familiar to the point of being sick of it.


    ¡°Oh dear. Was that Lyell?¡±


    ¡°So it really was dad.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I never thought Lord Lyell would do something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°He has been a naughty boy since the old days.¡±


    Maria answered while smiling sweetly. However, she couldn¡¯t fully hide the bloodlusting from her. Rather than peeking on us, she was angry that he just destroyed Finia¡¯s image of him.


    ¡°As you can see, every guy is a wolf, so you should be careful, Finia.¡±


    ¡°I never thought I would hear that from you, Lady Nicole.¡±


    ¡°I am not that defenseless! Rather, I¡¯m more vignt than an average person!¡±


    ¡°I think your vignce is only directed at threats to life, Nicole.¡±


    ¡°Mom, now even you¡¯re being mean!?¡±


    That aside, Lyell¡¯s safety was more worrisome. Maria was a specialist of healing a human body, but she was also a specialist of destroying it. What awaited him after this was definitely healing that felt so painful he¡¯d want to die.


    ¡°Amen.¡±


    ¡°Awuh.¡±


    As I prayed with my hands together, Fina¡¯s voice strangely coincided with mine, so I was a bit happy.

 Chapter 335: Exposed Power

    <h4>Chapter 335: Exposed Power</h4>


    Once Cortina and Kabby got rid of the fleas and rubbed the herbs that bugs hate on their bodies, they got out of the bath. Afterward, once we all had dinner together, we had a little meeting.


    It wasn¡¯t about Lyell¡¯s punishment, though. That had already been done.


    ¡°There is something I have to discuss with you, Nicole.¡±


    ¡°With me?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly ¡®with you¡¯ but you aren¡¯t unrted to it.¡±


    It turned out that what Lyell and Maria wanted to discuss was about Michelle.


    ¡°As expected, it was impossible to hide her destructive powerpletely. The topic has already reached the neighboring towns.¡±


    ¡°At this rate, it will spread throughout the continent within a month.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­ Bad, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Quite bad. Is what I would say, but influential nobles from Raum have already made a move.¡±


    ¡°Influential¡­ You mean like Marquis Yowi?¡±


    ¡°That person knows about prudence, so we don¡¯t have to worry about that. The problem is the other Marquis.¡±


    ¡°Lichtenberg, was it?¡±


    It was the Marquis that assigned the chivalric order to protect the noble district and nned to abandon themon folk. ording to the rumors, he had been doing quite malicious things for a long time.


    So that Marquis was trying to get hold of Michelle, huh?


    ¡°But she only managed that because of Whitey¡¯s support magic¡­¡±


    ¡°By Whitey, you mean the girl proiming herself to be a god? She has been targeted too of course.¡±


    ¡°So this is what it means to be indiscriminate. Just how shameless is he?¡±


    Cortina, who had received the most harm from him, had spit out those words. Even the peace-loving Maria didn¡¯t try to diffuse the situation this time.


    ¡°She certainly had magic support, but the fact that she brought out those results is considered more important. Most likely, they will start scrambling for her in the near future.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Wouldn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that¡­ Besides, the timing isn¡¯t very good. She is going to graduate from the Support Academy next year, right? There¡¯s not much time left anymore.¡±


    ¡°She has Maxwell and Cortina¡¯s backing now, so they shouldn¡¯t try to get in touch with them formally, but once she graduates and bes free, I can only imagine the worst oue.¡±


    ¡°The worst oue¡­ You mean the invitation rush?¡±


    ¡°Abduction, confinement, brainwashing. You have to consider all that.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Unlike the Magic Academy, the Support Academy didn¡¯t have a senior year. I nned to enter my senior year at the Magic Academy, but the time where Michelle had to be independent as an Adventurer was drawing near.


    It was September now, so she would graduate in half a year.


    ¡°If possible, she could leave this kingdom right after she graduates. Random nobles aside, a Marquis might be too much to handle.¡±


    ¡°If that happens, Nicole has to part with her.¡±


    ¡°Even if we have Cloud guard her¡­ The anxiety still remains, huh? That kid is still too inexperienced and ignorant of the ways of the world.¡±


    Maria was worried about me having to part with her, while Cortina was concerned about Cloud¡¯sck of ability. Their fear was only natural.


    With this incident, Michelle had be the target of attention of the influential people of this kingdom. Even if Maxwell and Lyell were his backers, once she bes free, anyone would be able to make an official contract with her.


    The Six Heroes naturally held enough influence to defend against it, but if they did it, it would be interfering with her freedom as an individual Adventurer.


    It wouldn¡¯t be desirable for the Guild to leave such a precedent.


    Nevertheless, it was possible to force their will on them. But that would be viting the independence of Adventurers. It held a possibility of making enemies with the very principles of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    That said, the Guild people weren¡¯t idiots either. They would most likely not try to carry through with such extreme reasoning, but it can be the trigger that would spread such rumors.


    And if the Six Heroes, who were being watched by influential people, were to show such a weakness¡­ It could possibly be an opening to take advantage of in some way.


    ¡°Smells like trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Letina has her father Marquis Yowi, but I don¡¯t think they would try anything unreasonable, but it¡¯s better to consider the worst-case scenario regarding Michelle.¡±


    ¡°Nicole, you also need to resolve yourself to part with her, or otherwise, to leave Raum when that timees.¡±


    ¡°¡­Got it.¡±


    I responded with a meek expression and headed to bed.


    At night, I erased my footsteps and left the room. I wasn¡¯t doing anything shady this time around, so I didn¡¯t erase my presence. There were things I just wanted to ponder about for a bit.


    Naturally, with my presence left unconcealed, Lyell and Cortina who were experienced warriors were bound to notice me. I could sense that Cortina was secretly following me from behind.


    I headed to the inn¡¯s courtyard, sat on the garden stone and looked up at the sky.


    Should I progress into the higher year, or should I leave the kingdom with Michelle? I would be forced to make a choice in half a year. When I thought about that, I just couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    ¡°What to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you worried?¡±


    Cortina stopped hiding and came to sit next to me. Since I was already aware of her presence, I didn¡¯t act surprised.


    ¡°Yeah. As expected.¡±


    ¡°Your dream was to progress into the higher year, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re still worried, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Wait, think about it again, me.


    Why was I trying to enter the higher year?


    That was¡­ To learn Polymorph spell. But I had already seeded in that in a way. I could substitute it for as long as the supply of scrolls kepting from Aste.


    ¡°I see¡­ There was no need to even think about it.¡±


    ¡°Did you find your answer?¡±


    ¡°I can aim for my goal wherever I am, but I can only go on adventures with Michelle if we are together.¡±


    ¡°So you are nning to leave the city once you graduate from the elementary grade?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯lle to visit from time to time of course. After all, your home has already be my home too, Cortina.¡±


    ¡°Hearing that makes me honestly happy.¡±


    Cortina gently hugged me and patted my head at my words.


    ¡°You cane back anytime you want no matter what time it is, you hear? You can even choose to stay. You are Maria¡¯s daughter, which makes you my daughter too. If it¡¯s for you, I don¡¯t mind turning the Guild into my enemy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If I am to be a genuine Adventurer, it¡¯s already a good time to leave the city. And Michelle¡¯s willes first.¡±


    ¡°I see. We haven¡¯t asked whether she would leave or not. Dear me, I went and decided everything ahead of time.¡±


    Cortina poked her tongue yfully.


    However, I was convinced of it. Michelle would most likely leave the city.


    In that city, there were not just us but her parents too. She would hate to do something that would cause trouble to them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s return already. Dad and others might be getting worried already.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you knew that Lyell had noticed you too.¡±


    ¡°I am the eyes of my party. I can sense that much.¡±


    ¡°Your intuition has always been good, Nicole.¡±


    She said that while pping her hands lightly, and then we returned back to our room.

 Chapter 336: A Flashy Settlement

    <h4>Chapter 336: A shy Settlement</h4>


    Unlike the dinner, we headed to the inn¡¯s cafeteria to eat breakfast. When we showed our faces there the next morning, the ce was filled with strange rustling.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lyell promptly sensed the strange mood and quickly went to ask people about it. It was probably my imagination that his walking looked a bit unsteady.


    I wanted to think that it wasn¡¯t the after-effects of Maria¡¯s punishment. I didn¡¯t want to imagine the kind of punishment that¡¯d leave damage on THAT Lyell.


    Meanwhile, Maria left the seat and quickly ordered meals for everyone. The harmony of their actions could be said to havee from their long time spent together. Cortina looked at those two with a somewhat envious expression.


    ¡°Envious?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well, yeah. A bit. I can¡¯t imagine myself bing like that.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I agree with Nicole. You can be unexpectedly devoted.¡±


    ¡°Get off my case!¡±


    The topic seemed to have been embarrassing for her, her face was beet-red. She was quite prone to get shy when dealing with herrades. She was extremely adorable like that from my perspective.


    ¡°Nhehe.¡±


    ¡°W-What¡¯s with that obsceneugh!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cute, Cortina.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying to an older person? You¡¯re the cute one here!¡±


    She quickly picked up Kabby who had reached her feet and put it on my head. Kabby had been growingtely, so it was a bit tough to keep it on my head.


    ¡°Fugyu.¡±


    ¡°Kyahaha, daauu.¡±


    Fina started hitting me as I was being crushed next to where Maria sat. Her hands were covered with drool and made my cheeks all sticky.


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re so mean Fina.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the big sister here, so you should handle that much.¡±


    Maria offered me a handkerchief whileughing. I took it and wiped the drool, but now Kabby started licking me. It was probably trying to clean the drool from me, but it was having the opposite effect.


    While doing that, Lyell came back. His expression wasn¡¯t severe, but instead a quizzical one as if he had heard something strange.


    ¡°Wee back. So what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems like there was a big rocky mountain to the northwest from here, but it had copsed in one night.¡±


    ¡°Copsed? Did it block the roads or something?¡±


    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±


    ording to what he said, it turned out that it was the mountain where Den used to live. Besides, Den had been witnessed there sometimes, so people rarely approached it.


    But it was so big that it was a goodndmark inside the deep forest so it had been quite discussed. Arge boulder inside a deep forest that could serve as andmark was quite a valuable thing.


    And such a huge boulder crumbling down soundlessly overnight had be a hot topic.


    ¡°Soundlessly, huh? This is clearly someone¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Among us, Maxwell is most likely the one that could do it.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s been busy with the settlement of the city affairs. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to have time for that now.¡±


    Though we managed to keep the harm from the Goblin raid to the minimum, the residential area had been damaged and the barricades needed to be disposed of and so did the corpses.


    Maxwell had been tasked with dealing with that andmanding the situation. Nobles might have nominated Cortina, but part of the nobles have given tyrannical orders, so they couldn¡¯t butt in so much considering their standpoint.


    ¡°Then, though it depends on the size of the mountain, maybe you could do it, Dear?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be impossible even for me to soundlessly destroy a big enough boulder that served as andmark. Maybe Reid has some ace up his sleeve.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I ended up retorting to Lyell¡¯s overestimation of me. I was certainly more versatilepared to him, but I haven¡¯t abandoned my humanity yet.


    As I sat prostrated due to Kabby¡¯s weight, Fina energetically reached out to me. She was probably aiming to hug Kabby who was on my head.


    Maria put her on top of Kabby, squashing me even more.


    ¡°Gugyu.¡±


    ¡°Aauh! Dauu!¡±


    She hugged Kabby with all her strength and started pping her legs in happiness. That meant she was kicking me in the neck and shoulders.


    ¡°Ah, that actually feels good. Keep going, Fina.¡±


    ¡°Nicole, you sound like an old woman, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been over-exerting myself a bit too muchtely.¡±


    Kabby misunderstood my happiness from Fina¡¯s movements and started kicking my head. Sorry, but you got it wrong. That part isn¡¯t stiff.


    ¡°Leaving that aside. The copsed site is so tough that you can¡¯t dig a hole there with shovels even if you tried.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Not just that, you can¡¯t even drill a hole with a Tunnel spell, and even acid can¡¯t melt it.¡±


    ¡°What the, sounds scary.¡±


    But hearing that much, I could already imagine whose deed it was.


    It was definitely Whitey¡¯s doing. She probably found out that ce was the source of the Goblin Lord and sealed it as a preventive measure. But I couldn¡¯t help but point out that her shy way of dealing with it had ended the whole thing on a poor endgame.


    ¡°Still, that Whitey did some work this time.¡±


    As I mumbled to myself, I pinned Kabby¡¯s paws that were still hitting my head. Maria pulled Fina away next and Kabby was taken along with her.


    Conveniently, the food arrived just then.


    While feigning ignorance at Whitey¡¯s deed, we enjoyed a rxing breakfast for the first time in a while.

 Chapter 337: Epidemic

    <h4>Chapter 337: Epidemic</h4>


    Yesterday it felt like we had exclusive use of the ce, but there were apparently other guests around today.


    Given that there were other eyes around, Finia had entered the sauna together with Cortina to help her.


    She wrapped towels on her head and tail to block any path of retreat for the fleas and then shut herself in the sauna to steam those bugs.


    Fleas could live in up to around 60C temperatures, so the sauna¡¯s steam that reached near 100C was too much for them to handle.


    She continued the cycle of entering several times to eliminate any surviving fleas, and then leave and use a hairbrush to brush down the eggs and dead fleas, and then go in once again¡­


    As entering a high-temperature sauna so frequently could be dangerous, we were constantly around to keep her condition in check. Normally, that would be Maria¡¯s job, but she had her hands full of Fina now.


    It was practically impossible for Lyell to take care of Fina. His personality was too rough, for better or worse.


    Once he dropped me into the bath and grabbed me by the legs and dragged me out upside down. Since then, Maria didn¡¯t put any hope in him handling childcare.


    Leaving that aside¡­


    ¡°Ugyuu¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to follow us, you know?¡±


    ¡°Lady Nicole, I¡­I brought water!¡±


    As expected I got knocked down by the sauna heat. Finia rushed out to get the water while Cortina waved a towel at me to provide some wind.


    She was using the towel I wore. She couldn¡¯t remove her own, after all.


    In other words, I was buck naked now.


    ¡°Still, I never thought I would see the day when you became healthy enough to get a suntan, Lady Nicole.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been rtively healthy sinceing to Raum, but was it so bad back at the vige¡­?¡±


    The height of summer had already passed and the swimming practices were over, but the traces of the tan from then still remained with me. It was certainly unthinkable during the time at the vige for me to get well enough to swim to the point of getting a tan like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but what about you Cortina?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I brushed my hair earlier and it seems like most of them are gone. It should take two-three more times to get rid of thempletely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll be using your tail as a scarf from now on after all.¡±


    ¡°Hey, can you stop wrapping my tail in the winter?¡±


    The way she puffed her cheeks made it hard to imagine that she was the same person thatmanded the battle the other day so resolutely.


    But please listen to me for a moment. Her fluffiness was out of this world. Honestly, I¡¯d want to feel it up whenever I¡¯m in my male form, but I bet she¡¯d hate that.


    Just touching her ears made her embarrassed after all.


    In the end, after repeating this cycle several times, Cortina managed to get rid of the fleaspletely and we returned to Raum.


    As we returned to Raum, we headed home while being overwhelmed by the strange mood of the city.


    Itcked liveliness and there seemed to be fewer pedestrians around. And some of the food stalls couldn¡¯t be seen.


    Maria, Fina, and Lyell returned to the vige right away, so they weren¡¯t here.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Cortina pulled the letter stuck in her door and checked it. Inside was a notice that the Magic Academy had been closed.


    ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It says the academy is closed.¡±


    ¡°Huuuuuhhh?!¡±


    Finia and I yelled in shock. We thought Cortina had finally lost her job.


    ¡°So you¡¯re unemployed now, Cortina?¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t closed it down eternally you know!? It seems that some illness has spread around so there¡¯s a danger that the damages would grow worse if the sses were to be held.¡±


    ¡°Oh, meh.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean meh!¡±


    Cortina grabbed my head and started rubbing my temples with her fists. I couldn¡¯t resist so I just screamed and fell prostrated on the spot.


    Kabby, who was going to start living back in Cortina¡¯s home once again, jumped on my back. It was quite busy too, having to go back and forth between this ce and the northern vige.


    When Maria was feeling bad, Kabby was dispatched to take over caring for Fina.


    ¡°Still, an epidemic still showed itself after all, huh?¡±


    ¡°Have you expected this to happen?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, so many of those Goblins got into the city. They were unclean and getting rid of their corpses also took time. I did tell them to be careful about hygiene but still¡­¡±


    Even if she did, how many people actually heed that advice during their elevated feelings was another matter. You could say that this epidemic was a natural oue.


    ¡°Oh right, I¡¯ll go hand out the souvenirs.¡±


    ¡°Michelle and Letina¡¯s ce huh? Would be good to check how they are doing too. Take care.¡±


    Cortina waved me goodbye as I decided to rush to my friends right away. I had Cloud¡¯s share too by the way, but Cortina seemed to have forgotten about him.


    I knocked on the neighboring house of Michelle and the auntie showed her face. However, her expression seemed to be quite worn out.


    ¡°Hellow, um I brought souvenirs¡­ Also, is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Ah, is it you, Lady Nicole? Thank you for always. Well, Michelle has fallen a little sick. Unfortunately, she can¡¯te to see you now.¡±


    ¡°Michelle has?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she caught the illness that¡¯s spreading now. She has a somewhat high fever and can¡¯t put strength into her body.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Would it be possible to check on her?¡±


    I nned to give up if she was sleeping, but I asked just in case. However, the answer that came was more serious than I imagined.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to refrain from that. This illness seems to infect people quite aggressively. Michelle wouldn¡¯t want to infect you, Lady Nicole.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see. Then I will leave for today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not receiving you aftering here.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Please tell her to take care of herself and get well soon.¡±


    ¡°I will. You are very kind, Lady Nicole.¡±


    She waved and closed the door. It felt like she didn¡¯t want to let the air from the outside enter as much as possible.


    Next, I headed to Letina¡¯s mansion in the noble district to hand out the next souvenir. There was a gate guard at the entrance to the noble district, but since I was always going in and out with Letina, I was getting practically a free pass.


    However, I ended up turned away at the door even there.


    ¡°The youngdy had ruined her health after this time¡¯s turmoil.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­ Oh right, here¡¯s the souvenir. Is it the rumored illness?¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much as always. And yes, it appeared to be the case. The youngdy is always having so much fun whenever she is ying with you Lady Nicole that it makes us happy too, and yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Is her condition that bad?¡±


    ¡°Her fever is a little high. It¡¯s being controlled with fever medicine, but there has been a shortage of ittely so it is a little worrying.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because everyone¡¯s having a fever.¡±


    When I thought of how I was having fun in the hot spring while Michelle and Letina were suffering from the epidemic, it made me feel kinda guilty.


    She was a high-ranking noble, so the unlikely event would probably not happen, but I had to pay attention.


    I then headed to the orphanage next, nning to hand Cloud his souvenir too, but¡­


    ¡°Ah, Nicole!¡±


    ¡°What the, you¡¯re looking quite healthy there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an awful way to put it. But since you said that, I assume you already know about Michelle and Letina.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard they have quite bad fevers.¡±


    ¡°Low-lying parts of the city seem to be suffering from theck of fever medicine so the mood has deteriorated quite a bit. Half of the orphanage kids are also confined to beds.¡±


    ¡°That sounds really bad!¡±


    ¡°The sisters also have a very busy time. I took on a request to collect Millud leaves but I didn¡¯t manage to make it in time.¡±


    Millud leaves were evergreen nts that were used for alleviating fever. The highway side was dotted with them, so you could collect them rtively safely.


    The newbie or child Adventurers took on the requests to collect them and made some pocket money.


    However, with so many ill people showing up, their numbers couldn¡¯t catch up at all.


    ¡°¡­Instead of Millud leaves, maybe we may need actual medicine here?¡±


    I came to that conclusion after hearing Cloud¡¯s story.

 Chapter 338: Gathering Fever Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 338: Gathering Fever Medicine</h4>


    It had been three days since we returned to Raum. And yet neither Michelle nor Letina¡¯s fever showed any signs of dropping.


    Not just that the infection rate was only growing worse throughout the town. The new patients kept showing up while the recovering ones hardly did.


    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild naturally viewed this as a problem and issued urgentmissions to gather Millud leaves that could reduce fever, but even that wasn¡¯t able to catch up to the rate.


    Actually, I suppose it¡¯s better to say they simply had a shortage of hands as even Adventurers started to suffer from the illness.


    But for some reason, Cloud and I were able to move normally.


    ¡°Well, I guess I should think of this as good luck.¡±


    ¡°At any rate, we¡¯ll be needing fever medicine.¡±


    Today, as usual, we headed into the forest to search for Millud leaves. There were also trees along the highway to consider, but they were already picked clean.


    Since they weren¡¯t enough, newbies started getting injured for heading into the forest for them.


    The two of us were used to walking in the forest so there was no such danger, but we were troubled with the amount we could collect. Since my physical strength was quite low, I couldn¡¯t take too much with me.


    ¡°Maybe I should have put a bag on Kabby and have it act as a transport already?¡±


    ¡°Squee!?¡±


    After growing so much, it could no longer stay on my head. As such, it was loitering near my feet now.


    But the moment I raised the subject of having it carry luggage, it started shaking its head in a really reluctant manner.


    You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?, do you n to just keep growing fatter?


    ¡°If you do that¡­ The receptionist wouldn¡¯t let it go.¡±


    ¡°What does she have to do with this?¡±


    ¡°That person wants to hug everything that looks cute.¡±


    That reminds me, I got seized by her a few times too. The Guild Master intervened when she tried to take me home, but a new door might have opened for me if she was allowed to do it.


    ¡°Still, our problem of the amount is still a fact.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do it with enchant?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time-limited so¡­¡±


    Generally, magic-based strengthening didn¡¯tst very long. After all, these spells weren¡¯t made with longsting conditions like the Cargo spell that Maxwell used.


    And there was the burden on the body to consider too. In proportion to how much power beyond yourself you gained, there was an appropriatepensation to pay.


    I learned a good lesson after I ruined myself when I didn¡¯t know any of that.


    ¡°We can¡¯t really bring a card in a forest¡­ Ah, found one.¡±


    Cloud discovered a Millud tree and promptly started plucking off the leaves that he could reach, cramming them into his bag.


    I followed after him, but there were hardly any ces someone as short as me could reach. In the end, I ended up having to climb the tree due to my agility.


    ¡°Listen now, Cloud. If you look up, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t be able to leave any descendants.¡±


    ¡°Master, aren¡¯t you a bit too cruel to me sometimes!?¡±


    Since it was just the two of us today, Cloud switched to calling me master. I didn¡¯t feel bad being called that, so I couldn¡¯t deny that I was getting carried away a bit.


    As I nimbly climbed up, I noticed Cloud stealing nces from below as I expected, so I broke a branch and threw it at him. Climbing with a skirt on wasn¡¯t a good idea just as I thought.


    Be that as it may, I continued gathering the leaves but left enough so they won¡¯t get depleted and then checked the surroundings.


    Overlooking from a high ce was the basics of scouting. After climbing up as high as I could and overlooking the surroundings again, I saw that there were still Millud trees in the vicinity.


    Other than that, I also saw the river that flowed from the north, and it reminded me of lunch.


    ¡°Ah, right, it¡¯s lunchtime soon. Cloud, there¡¯s a river over there, so let¡¯s have lunch there.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±


    ¡°Also, I¡¯ming down so don¡¯t peek.¡±


    ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t but I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    With that, I ended up giving Cloud some burns just before lunch.


    Even if we called it lunch, we couldn¡¯t make anything that borate. We were near the city too, so we could always return during meals too.


    However, we wanted to secure as much of the fever medicine as possible, so we just brought bread, cheese, and tomatoes. If I heated up this bread and put cheese and tomatoes in it, it¡¯d serve as a good enough lunch.


    Also, since we were lighting a fire, we needed water to extinguish it too.


    ¡°Cloud, make a stove and light it up.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    I made preliminary arrangements by slicing bread and tomatoes. The tomatoes were fully ripe so they had turned extremely soft. They were so soft that running the knife on them was enough to crush them.


    ¡°¡­Praise the God of Destruction.¡±


    I tool out my osciting dagger and spoke the keyword. The dagger that was fixed to my hand with threads was able to bisect the soft tomato without trouble.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Good, you say¡­ The one who made that dagger is probably crying now, you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, they were probably using it for simr things.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one who¡¯d use a magic tool like that as a kitchen knife recement.¡±


    ¡°No, there is. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    If it¡¯s that Whitey, she¡¯d easily do something like that. However, Cloud, who had never met her, wouldn¡¯t know.


    We warmed up the bread on the stove, then put cheese and tomatoes in it and a simple sandwich was ready.


    ¡°Ahh, I wanna eat meat.¡±


    ¡°Bringing meat would be extra luggage so I didn¡¯t bring it. We¡¯ll be back by evening anyway.¡±


    ¡°Meat is like, the source of power.¡±


    ¡°Now you sound like Michelle. Good grief¡ªFuh!¡±


    I threw my dagger towards the nearby grass. There was a small animal called a dormouse that was probably attracted by the smell of the heated bread.


    It was arge mouse the size of a cat, and it was edible.


    ¡°There, you can cook and eat that if you want.¡±


    ¡°Ohh, as expected of you Master! Your survival skills are on another level.¡±


    Cloud grabbed the dormouse in high spirits and took it to the riverside to butcher it. While gazing at his back with a sigh, I bit into the warm sandwich.


    It¡¯d take him a while to butcher it, so maybe I should lie down and rest for a bit. Just as I was considering that, Cloud returned while holding something.


    ¡°Master, what¡¯s this?¡±


    In his hand was a small soaked bag.

 Chapter 339: The Source of the Epidemic

    <h4>Chapter 339: The Source of the Epidemic</h4>


    What Cloud brought back was something that I couldn¡¯t really figure out. Inside of it was some weird mucus and it was submerged in the river.


    ¡°What is this¡­¡±


    ¡°No idea. But it might be something bad.¡±


    ¡°Huh, why?¡±


    With those words, Cloud dropped the bag. His face turned pale all of a sudden and his body seemed to be in a pretty bad condition too.


    ¡°W-What happened!?¡±


    ¡°My body feels numb¡­¡±


    He copsed forward before he finished his sentence. I quickly caught it before he hit the ground, but his body was burning up.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Did you contract the illness?!¡±


    Michelle, who was being tortured by high fevers, shed into my mind. Cloud was showing the same symptoms.


    But why so suddenly¡­ He didn¡¯t show any signs of it until just a while ago. As I was thinking that, my gaze fell on the cloth bag at my feet.


    Cloud said it was submerged in the river. That same river flowed into the city and it was the source of water for the citizens. What if someone put poison into that river? And that poison was this bag?


    ¡°Kabby, cast Antidote on Cloud!¡±


    ¡°Kyuu!¡±


    Understanding my intention, Kabby quickly detoxified Cloud. Soon, Cloud¡¯s condition visibly improved. But that wouldn¡¯t restore his lost stamina, so he couldn¡¯t stand up properly.


    ¡°U¡­.Uah¡­¡±


    ¡°Cloud, are you awake?¡±


    ¡°I¡­Why¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep lying for some time. You discovered something very important.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­?¡±


    ¡°The cloth bag that you found was probably poisoned. And that poisoned river water flowed into the city.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Michelle and others should get better with this.¡±


    Well, only if this was the only poison bag they left. I was thinking that but didn¡¯t voice it.


    This mucus-like thing was definitely poison. But it would have gotten dissolved in water quickly enough and disappeared.


    In other words, it was put there very recently, which meant that the culprit woulde again after a while.


    This time, I was starting to get mad. If possible, I wanted to catch the culprit and hand them over to the authorities.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Can you stand? If not, I¡¯ll lend you my shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably¡­ Not.¡±


    He tried to get up but copsed again. It seemed that he still couldn¡¯t put strength into his limbs.


    Couldn¡¯t me him. He touched the undiluted solution of what poisoned hundreds of citizens with bare hands.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll lend you my shoulder. Sorry, but you have to hang on. We need to bring this information back as fast as possible.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    After putting the cloth bag inside my water pouch, I went to lend Cloud a shoulder. Or more like, I was practically carrying him.


    Since the culprit put the poison here, there was no knowing when he would return. It would be almost impossible for Cloud to put up a fight against them in this condition. I wanted to get him out of this ce as fast as possible.


    Cloud¡¯s powerless body was heavier than I expected, and he was also tall, so I was feeling oppressed as he leaned on me.


    His limp arms slipped from my shoulders and touched my breasts, but I had no leeway to scold him for that. Cloud didn¡¯t have the energy to enjoy it either.


    We finally made it back a few hours past noon. The outward journey took us two hours, but it took more than double that.


    As I made it to the gate, the strength left me and I copsed.


    The gate guard rushed to my side when he saw that. We wereing and going all the time, so we were all acquaintances. It was natural that he got worried when I copsed like that.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter!?¡±


    ¡°F-Finally¡­ Made it¡­¡±


    ¡°I have seen you copse a lot Nicole, but it¡¯s very rare for Cloud to be in that state.¡±


    As the gate guard said in surprise, I told him to call Cortina at once.


    ¡°Huh, Lady Cortina? Why?¡±


    ¡°Hurry, we may have figured out the cause of the illness.¡±


    ¡°What did you say!?¡±


    The epidemic had developed into a big problem for this city. If the cause became known, the method of curing it could also be discovered.


    We detoxified Cloud, but we couldn¡¯t do that for every single person suffering from it. It would be faster to distribute an antidote.


    For that reason, we needed to ascertain what kind of poison it was. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the skills necessary for that, but Cortina and Maxwell might be able to do it.


    We were carried inside the guard post and another guard rushed to notify Cortina. Meanwhile, Cloud wasid on the bed, where he lost consciousness and slept.


    He was probably pushing himself with willpower alone to walk here.


    Seeing that he was breathing calmly, I felt relieved for the time being. A simple detoxification spell seemed to have done the job.


    Among the poisons, there were some that could only be cured with high-level detoxification spells. It was a blessing that this poison wasn¡¯t one of those types.


    Then, after I rested for a bit, Cortina came rushing while out of breath. Finia also followed behind her. They were probably worried about me, huh.


    And then, I started talking to Cortina about the poison that was set up.

 Chapter 340: The Laid Poison

    <h4>Chapter 340: The Laid Poison</h4>


    I spoke of the events that transpired in the forest to Cortina and Finia who had rushed to the guard post. Cloud was lying on the bed and had once again fallen asleep.


    Even if I was lending him my shoulder, waking to the city had used up all his stamina.


    ¡°So, this thing is it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Looking at the water pouch where I put the cloth bag, Cortina said with a frown. She couldn¡¯t touch it directly, so she hadn¡¯t confirmed the insides.


    ¡°¡­Sorry, but can we continue this talk in Maxwell¡¯s mansion?¡±


    ¡°That would actually be wiser.¡±


    Maxwell could use detoxification spells. I already confirmed that Kabby could do it too, but the poison was strong enough to weaken Cloud, who was so energetic, in a moment. It might have had some side effects.


    It would be reassuring for Maxwell who had mastered all kinds of spells to be by our side.


    ¡°Is Maxwell not aware of this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve sent a messenger, but it would be faster if we go there ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Then, we have to take Cloud along.¡±


    ¡°Right. We never know what might happen if it¡¯s an unknown poison. They might not be able to handle it at a guard post.¡±


    With Cortina¡¯s words, the guards put Cloud on the stretcher and carried him. Her dependability spiked up with the previous incident. As such, the guards were cooperating out of their own initiative.


    ¡°Sorry, but please be fast. The situation might turn urgent at any moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please leave it to us!¡±


    ¡°Can you let this girl ride along too? You should know how bad Nicole¡¯s stamina is.¡±


    ¡°Well yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really reluctant though.¡±


    The guards gave a ready consent to Cortina¡¯s request, but I was pretty displeased for being used as a reference.


    I was dissatisfied, but I did actually copse in front of the guard, plus they were going to carry me to Maxwell¡¯s mansion, so I had no reason to deny it.


    Maxwell met us as we were carried to his mansion. He had just received the notice and was about to head out to the guard office.


    When he saw Cortina show up without a notice, he realized that the situation was urgent and readily led us inside.


    ¡°Sorry, but the rest of you should wait in the other room. I shall provide tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, we understand the situation.¡±


    ¡°That goes for you too, little Finia.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Please call me if you need anything.¡±


    If this illness spreading throughout the city was a man-made cmity, then it would lead to a question of who exactly caused it.


    If that happened, there would be topics that were better to discuss in close-circle for the sake of settlement and retribution.


    For that, too, it was better for them not to be present now. Maxwell made this decision while considering all that.


    ¡°So then¡­ This is the aforementioned bag?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Given how Cloud helplessly copsed on the spot, it¡¯s probably quite a strong poison.¡±


    ¡°So they dissolved it into the river and the citizens that came in contact with it became ill, huh. It is natural that an undiluted solution would cause that.¡±


    ¡°Actually, the thing inside looked like mucus. Isn¡¯t it strange?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    If you put mucus inside water, it would dissolve right away. Forget half a day, it wouldn¡¯t take more than a few hours.


    The illness inside the city had been going on for over a week now. If they didn¡¯t periodically rece it, it would go away right away.


    ¡°It does sound very inefficient. Was there anyone nearby?¡±


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t shadow us on the way back either.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, Cloud appeared there when they were not looking I suppose. He¡¯s pretty unlucky¡­ Or is this considered lucky?¡±


    As Cortina said, Cloud seemed to be prone to get rolled up into troubles. But thanks to that, we found out that the spreading illness was due to poison. And we also got our hands on the key to the solution, so his achievements were big.


    ¡°If we dispatch the guards¡­ No, they would be at a disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°Right. They are all heavily armed, so they aren¡¯t suited for an ambush.¡±


    ¡°Having said that, we cannot ignore them either. For the time being, I will have Mateus be on the lookout there.¡±


    ¡°Stealth Gift holders would be so useful in times like these. Reid was the same.¡±


    ¡°But you exploited him the most.¡±


    ¡°I-I am aware of it!¡±


    Cortina puffed her cheeks a bit, but I was aware that she would have never given me pointless orders. I wouldn¡¯t be holding that against her after all this time.


    After joking a bit and calming the mood down, Maxwell opened the water pouch and carefully removed the contents.


    ¡°A cloth bag? They most likely used this to adjust the rate of dissolution in the water.¡±


    ¡°The bag doesn¡¯t appear to be anything special. A normal linen one.¡±


    ¡°As for the contents¡­ Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Pale green mucus. Rather, is it gtine?¡±


    ¡°No, that does not seem to be the case.¡±


    Maxwell immediately denied Cortina¡¯s assumption. He furrowed his brows and moved his fingers a bit and formed a magic circle.


    What he invoked was the Purify spell.


    ¡°Why¡­ If you erase the poison there would be no evidence left.¡±


    ¡°I would not make such a blunder. More importantly, this is a highly toxic thing¡­ It is part of a Disease Slime.¡±


    ¡°Slime? So that¡¯s why it was dissolving so slowly.¡±


    ¡°It spreads a disease that infects humans just by a touch. If it¡¯s a strong individual, they can even spread it through the atmosphere. It does not have a core so it should not be able to move voluntarily, but they used its aptitude to attack the city.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you used Purify?¡±


    ¡°I do not think it can spread airborne infection, but just in case.¡±


    So, there was a risk that Cortina and I would have caught it too if he didn¡¯t do that?


    ¡°If we leave it be, whoever discovered it would get infected by the virus..¡±


    ¡°Quite a nasty situation we¡¯re in.¡±


    For the time being, we discovered the cause.


    It seems that not just detoxification, it also needed a spell called Cure Disease. Maxwell quickly let the city magicians know that and they spread out to deal with the situation.


    At the same time, he ordered the inspection of the riverside. If it wasn¡¯t someone extraordinary, they would not be able to escape.


    In a few days following that, the epidemic that had been filling the city had died down as if it had been a lie.

 Chapter 341: God At Work

    <h4>Chapter 341: God At Work</h4>


    It had been three days since we discovered the poison. Since then, the citizens had started recovering in the blink of an eye and the city was on its way to regaining its usual bustle.


    Michelle and Letina¡¯s fevers also went down, and the auntie had also regained her spirit. Having said that, they were still waiting and watching their conditions, so they weren¡¯t stepping outside just yet.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s strange that I didn¡¯t catch it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s what¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    During breakfast, I asked Cortina something that has been bothering me a bit. Finia was also attending, but it wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t ask in her presence.


    ¡°I mean, look, it¡¯s not something to boast about, but my body¡¯s pretty frail, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you really can¡¯t boast about that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t poke fun at me now, Cortina. Anyway, despite that, it¡¯s strange that I didn¡¯t get ill.¡±


    It has been several days since I returned to the capital. During that time, I drank the water over and over.


    Despite that, neither Finia and Cortina, nor I have gotten sick. I found this strange. But Cortina responded as if she found it in no way strange.


    ¡°You took the Queen Blossom nectar, don¡¯t you remember? And then you kissed us to extract magic power out of you.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­T-That happened, huh?¡±


    ¡°That nectar is apparently good for fending off the viruses. ording to Maxwell.¡±


    ¡°Oh huh.¡±


    ¡°And so, since we used to kiss you, we also gained your immunity. That¡¯s why only our family didn¡¯t contract it.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about Cloud?¡±


    We had that immunity from the start, but it wasn¡¯t the same with Cloud. Moreover, that guy didn¡¯t leave this city, so the virus should have affected him far more.


    ¡°There are quite a lot of people who didn¡¯t get sick. We can assume that those people have resistance to it for whatever reason.¡±


    ¡°That ¡®whatever reason¡¯ is what I¡¯m trying to find out here.¡±


    ¡°It would¡¯ve made things easier if we could do that.¡±


    Cortina sighed with her hands spread. She was, in the end, a strategist and not a doctor or a healer. It was natural that she wouldn¡¯t know.


    But if we learn why Cloud was fine, we could use it as a strategy for a simr incident in the future.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go check in on Michelle and Cloud for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but be careful, okay?¡±


    While the illness had passed, that didn¡¯t mean that it had gotten eradicated. The one who made this scheme hasn¡¯t shown his face either.


    As I headed to convalescent Michelle, Cortina warmed me of the danger of contagion. And the possibility that the culprit may target me.


    However, if what she said was true, the virus of the Disease Slime would have no effect on me. It should be fine to check on her.


    And maybe I¡¯ll also ask Cloud if he has any idea.


    Michelle was sleeping powerlessly in her bed. Her illness was already gone, but her lost stamina hasn¡¯t returned yet. It was simr to how Cloud couldn¡¯t move after detoxification.


    ¡°Thank you for always bothering to drop by.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. We¡¯re neighbors, after all.¡±


    Auntie from Michelle¡¯s house offered me a drink with those words. I sat next to Michelle as I sipped on the tea and watched her sleeping face. I was wholeheartedly d that she was okay.


    The auntie pulled a chair and sat next to me. She would normally quickly leave the room, so this was unusual.


    ¡°Do you need anything from me?¡±


    ¡°No, well¡­ Lady Nicole, have you been involved with strange people?¡±


    ¡°Strange people?¡±


    Mateus and Maxwell were the first ones to sh into my mind from that question. However, Maxwell was a given, but Mateus was also known to be serving under him. If it were those two, Auntie wouldn¡¯t call them strange.


    ¡°I mean, a strange man had been visiting Lady Cortina¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°House? What kind of a guy?¡±


    ¡°Well, they weren¡¯t someone with any conspicuous features be it height or face, and they didn¡¯t leave an impression on me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    There was one more man that frequented Cortina¡¯s house. The other me. However, Reid¡¯s appearance was characteristic in a way. Ruffled hair and ck coat to blend easily into darkness. And also the sturdy gauntlets on hands.


    He just had to leave an impression.


    ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t think I have any clue.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Still, please be careful. You have been growing very beautifultely.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if I should be happy or sad about it¡­¡±


    Even if I grow pretty as a woman, that wouldn¡¯t lead to my actual goal.


    I got the gist of that man from the aunty and took my leave from their house. There was no danger to her life, so staying any longer would just burden Michelle.


    I will consult Maxwell and Cortinater about the man.


    While I was on my way to Cloud¡¯s home, a small figure blocked my way. It was a familiar¡ªor well, maybe not that familiar, but still¡ªfigure.


    ¡°It has been a while. d to see you in good health.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be more barefaced. Didn¡¯t we just meet during the Goblin battle?¡±


    The White God who tended to help me out for whatever reason stood before my eyes. However, that was convenient for me now. I had things to ask of her.


    ¡°We can¡¯t talk here, so how about we go somewhere where we can be alone? Guhehe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. But what¡¯s thatugh?¡±


    ¡°I think this is how you shouldugh when inviting young kids.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely wrong so stop it. Also, I¡¯m already not a young kid.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case. You¡¯re already ripening quite well.¡±


    ¡°Where are you looking?!¡±


    I reflectively covered my chest and turned away. This is what you¡¯d call getting chills.


    Seeing me like that, the God of Destruction nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just d that you were growing well as a woman.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something good!¡±


    The two of us strolled towards the park. The fact that the passersby¡¯s gazes were focusing on us was a natural oue.


    I was apparently a famed beauty in this city, and this White God was also¡­ Despite looking younger than me now, the mysterious aura she was letting out was not losing out to me. It was a mystery why she was always wearing a cor though.


    ¡°So, there was something you wanted to ask me, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a few things¡­ First, about the boulder in the north. You¡¯re the one who destroyed and sealed it, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You knew that there was a Ley Line there right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    When I nodded, she voiced her admiration.


    ¡°Hoh.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That old man is quite knowledgeable.¡±


    ¡°Why did you realize that I learned it from Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you aren¡¯t very familiar with that type of knowledge, right? More importantly, that ce seemed to have spawned the Goblin Lord.¡±


    ¡°So that thing was born there¡­!¡±


    So just like Den mutated due to the Ley Line power, the Goblin also received its power? Now that I think of it, that Goblin Lord¡­ Lord or not, it was unbelievably strong.


    No, bing a Goblin Lord was already considered a mutation, so it was hard to imagine that it mutated even further.


    ¡°That Goblin Lord had be a lord, but it had mutated even further.¡±


    ¡°That is because of their ecology. The Goblin Lord that had mutated due to the Ley Line power started eating the other Goblins that had also received the Ley Line influence, so it caused an excess mutation.¡±


    The Goblin Lord ate its group members that had multiplied too much and kept it in check. And by eating them, it mutated a second time¡­ And that strength was the result.


    ¡°I see. Then thest question. What¡¯s the reason behind Cloud not bing sick?¡±


    ¡°You are talking about the Slime virus, yes? It flowed into the city in a considerably diluted state, so it had little effect on people withparatively strong lifeforce.¡±


    ¡°Given that Cloud is a shielder, he has his stamina. So that was the reason?¡±


    ¡°As for Michelle, despite everything, she¡¯s still a child, after all. And Letina is racially weak towards illnesses.¡±


    ¡°Then one more.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it wasst?¡±


    ¡°It just increased. Not that I had an exact number in mind.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright then.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of secret maneuvers recently, but who was the one behindying that poison?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found that out just yet. Even Gods aren¡¯t omnipotent and omniscient.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re useless when it counts the most.¡±


    Hearing my jeer, she got pissed and threw punches my way. I lightly dodged them and ran from ce to ce.


    That day, a rumor was spread in the city that unbelievably pretty sisters were witnessed having innocent fun at the park.

 Chapter 342: Pursuer

    <h4>Chapter 342: Pursuer</h4>


    After running around all over the park, the God of Destruction and I copsed on the grass. I found it suspicious that she was keeping up despite the fact that my stamina should¡¯ve been higher¡­ But it turned out the b?a?s?t?a?r?d? was using the Cargo spell. No fair.


    We exchanged weak blows while beingpletely worn out, but the surrounding gazes started to hurt so we decided to break up for now.


    I nned to go to Cloud to talk to him, but after getting the truth out of Whitey, there was no longer a need for that.


    I wanted to check on Letina too, but she was Marquis¡¯ daughter. And I was the Heroes¡¯ Daughter. If I showed up at their doorstep too often, it could give some people unwanted doubts, so I was visiting her mansion only when necessary.


    It may seem cold-hearted, but I was doing it for her sake.


    There was no need to visit Cloud anymore, and I couldn¡¯t visit Letina. Having nothing else to do, I decided to return home. And once I entered an alley with scarce traffic, I stopped my feet.


    ¡°Who is it? I know you¡¯re following me.¡±


    I have felt someone behind me ever since I left the park. I confirmed through a window ss several times already, so I have already seen their appearance.


    They wore dark clothing probably not to stand out.


    Having realized that I noticed him, one man walked out from the corner. He didn¡¯t look exactly withered away, but he was still slim and tall. He wore a ck coat and had ruffled hair, and also wore bulky gauntlets.


    It was a figure of a man I was very familiar with¡ªthe me of past life.


    ¡°Hey, could you be Nicole?¡±


    ¡°And you are¡­ Not Reid, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Why would you think so?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, you know that you¡¯re not him.¡±


    After all, I was standing right here. The one before my eyes was someone pretending to be me. Perhaps he was the suspicious person that Auntie was referring to.


    He asked around for information, then took on my form who used toe and go in the house and targeted the residents¡ªIn other words, either Cortina or me. Was that his goal?


    ¡°How could you tell?¡±


    ¡°Is there any reason to answer to someone who¡¯s disguised?¡±


    ¡°I wish you trusted people more. You were a cheerful and obedient kid ording to the rumors.¡±


    He spread his hands and approached me as if to show that he was defenseless.


    When he was already two meters in front of me, I quickly reached out to the katana on my wait and shed at him.


    It bore fruit that I was walking armed inside the city after the Goblin invasion, since the city order has been a mess since.


    And the man standing before me was someone who didn¡¯t know I was Reid and at the same time knew how I looked, and nned toe into contact with Cortina while hiding his identity. I had no duty to go easy on him.


    It was a sh from the sheathed state that was characteristic of katanas. You could use the scabbard as a guideline for the de, so you could focus all your physical ability on the sword speed.


    By flipping the sword tip with the mouth of the sheath, I could sh faster than my limits allowed.


    As the guy was approaching me as I shed, he waspletely in my two-meter attack range. It was a perfect surprise attack aimed at his neck.


    However, the man bent backward and dodged that attack. While I wasn¡¯t using any strengthening, it was still an attack an average person couldn¡¯t have dodged.


    In other words, this man was quite good.


    ¡°Wow, don¡¯t sh at me so suddenly. That¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. The fact that you¡¯re taking that form pisses me off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you jealous now that your guardian has been stolen from you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a fake!¡±


    As the man spoke impudently, I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a piano wire that I carried on me. I attacked right as I pulled it out.


    As the thread flew at his neck while he was bent back, this time he dodged it by dropping down. I then thrust my katana over him.


    However, it ended up piercing the ground instead of the man. Despite standing in front of him, I didn¡¯t know how he managed to dodge it.


    Still, he was right next to me. I knew that much, so I reflexively flew my thread towards his neck and coiled it around.


    The thread coiled around his neck and just as I pulled on it¡ªIt got untied.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    It happened again. He was in front of my eyes, but I didn¡¯t understand how he removed it.


    Surprised by the opponent¡¯s mysterious evasion ability, I quickly took my distance. Honestly, this was a disgrace. I failed to deal any damage.


    ¡°That surprised me. So you can even use threads?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you get it if I say, Reid?¡±


    ¡°Just drop that poor act already.¡±


    I red at the man with bloodlust. If I left this guy be, Cortina could mistake him for me and fall into some trap.


    ¡°Ohh, scary scary. Oh well. My name is Kufar. Let¡¯s get along.¡±


    ¡°I see, I¡¯ll remember it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, so will I. A thread-user¡­ It stimtes my unpleasant memories!¡±


    We yelled at each other with hostility. I nned to go for another exchange and stepped ahead, but he quickly widened the distance once again.


    He jumped back and swung his arm, while I also flew my thread at the same time. The thread that I sent as a sh uratelynded on his body, but the reaction was too dull.


    It was not a fatal wound. And then, some kind of liquid came flying at me from his hand, but I dodged it by rolling. It sshed on the walls and the ground and raised white smoke, melting the stone.


    ¡°¡ªAcid!?¡±


    Just where was he hiding that? No, actually, those gauntlets were perfect for hiding such things. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if it had a built-in function for releasing acid.


    I did a roll and stood up, and looked towards the man while vignt of a follow-up. But by that time, the man had once again disappeared at the street corner.


    ¡°Just who was that guy¡­¡±


    Anyway, it seemed impossible for me to handle this matter alone. And if I left it be, it could endanger Cortina.


    Her alertness would bepletely gone in front of my appearance.


    I couldn¡¯t speak to her about it directly, however. She could even misunderstand that I had a deathmatch with actual Reid.


    ¡°In that case¡­ I guess I can only talk to Maxwell about it.¡±


    In the end, I seem to have found a ce I had to go above anywhere else.

 Chapter 343: Unidentified

    <h4>Chapter 343: Unidentified</h4>


    I headed right to Maxwell and reported what just happened. When he heard that, he started frowning.


    ¡°An enemy pretending to be Reid, huh. It seems yet another oddball has shown up¡­¡±


    ¡°He probably saw me going in and out of Cortina¡¯s house and disguised himself as me. He sounded quite young.¡±


    Maxwell was aware of how dangerous this situation was. He knew me, so he knew to be vignt of that enemy, but Cortina didn¡¯t, so she might drop her guard ande into contact with the enemy pretending to be me.


    ¡°Was it such a perfect disguise?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can guarantee it. Even I might not tell it apart.¡±


    ¡°Do you know if they used magic to disguise themselves?¡±


    ¡°Magic¡­ I didn¡¯t consider that.¡±


    When I exchanged blows with him, I felt an ufortable feeling over and over. When I thought I had him for sure, he managed to escape.


    If he was disguised simrly to how I did with the illusion ring, him escaping my attacks could be exined by the stature differences.


    ¡°Still¡­ It doesn¡¯t feel right somehow.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it wasn¡¯t an illusion?¡±


    ¡°The thread I swung at him at the end managed tond on him even if it felt a bit dull. But that part bothers me.¡±


    ¡°Does something not feel right?¡±


    ¡°There was a reaction. But it was not the feeling of cutting flesh..¡±


    Hearing my impression, Maxwell started pondering while brushing his beard.


    ¡°There are several possibilities. One is that the enemy wasn¡¯t a human.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°For example, they were using a familiar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a humanoid familiar.¡±


    ¡°I did not say they used it directly. They might have cast an illusion on it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    I pondered about Maxwell¡¯s opinion. Since it didn¡¯t feel like flesh, it must have been something else.


    For example¡­ If it was something with long fur, like a longhair rabbit or something, then even if I shed at its fur, it wouldn¡¯t feel like cutting flesh.


    And the cut fur would return to dust once it separated from the familiar¡¯s body, so there would be no evidence left.


    ¡°That certainly sounds consistent¡­ But something still feels off.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what would it be?¡±


    ¡°He bent back to dodge my katana sh. Such reaction speed should be impossible for a familiar.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then what if it was a golem? The reaction speed rises and there is a way to transfer your vision to a golem.¡±


    ¡°It still feels off even if it was a golem. There was no awkwardness in his movements that¡¯s characteristic of golems. He also had an acid shooting gimmick.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, we will not arrive at an answer if we just argue here. We are simply trying to deduce it, after all.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. The question is, how should we raise Cortina¡¯s vignce.¡±


    ¡°I will ry it myself. Fortunately, I have some backup information too.¡±


    ¡°Information?¡±


    Then Maxwell told me the events that transpired in the north. That there was someone who had disguised perfectly in a magic perception area and destroyed the means of contact.


    It ovepped with my incident.


    ¡°A disguise that¡¯s not magic, huh¡­ They seem to have gone to Michelle¡¯s house to gather information too, if we are all careful, Cortina would be too.¡±


    ¡°But in that case, there would be no way to tell you apart from them.¡±


    ¡°That sucks. Isn¡¯t there some way?¡±


    ¡°Stop throwing all your problems my way. That said, hmm¡­ Reid, did that man have any smell?¡±


    ¡°Smell? Come to think of it, he didn¡¯t have a particr smell.¡±


    ¡°They may mimic your outer appearance whatever you do. However, what if you cover yourself with a characteristic smell?¡±


    ¡°Well, what smell would make it know that it¡¯s me. I don¡¯t have any idea.¡±


    Perfume might be a good measure, but an average one would just get mimicked. If I were to do it, I had to use something characteristic that cannot be imitated.


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything like that. Maxwell was thinking hard too, apparently also out of ideas.


    ¡°I do have several expensive perfumes¡­ However, they are not something that cannot be imitated.¡±


    ¡°I had no interest in that stuff myself. Rather, a strong smell would just get in the way of my work.¡±


    ¡°Consulting Lyell would most likely be fruitless too.¡±


    ¡°That blockhead is even worse than me.¡±


    ¡°No, I would not say that.¡±


    ¡°Hey!?¡±


    I retorted in anger, but that guy had gotten married before me. In that sense, he may have been more resourceful than me.


    Having said that, he didn¡¯t seem to be the type to be interested in perfume, so there was no point consulting him.


    ¡°Gadius¡­Is out of the question.¡±


    ¡°He might be able to tell the smell of alcohol apart.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s better to consult girls about this stuff. Do you think Maria or Cortina will have any good ideas?¡±


    ¡°I have little hope about it. A unique smell is essential. There would be no end if we go about it by ourselves. We need to ask external coborators for help.¡±


    ¡°External¡­ Do you have someone in mind?¡±


    ¡°I am talking about the usual personage.¡±


    There was one person that Maxwell would refer to politely as ¡®personage¡¯. And that person¡¯s knowledge knew no bounds even from my perspective.


    ¡°Aste, huh. Right, he might have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I would like to head there right away, do you have time now?¡±


    It was close to evening now. Maxwell could use Portal Gate so we could easily make it back before dinnertime.


    ¡°Yeah, should be fine. We are in a race against time now.¡±


    I managed to drive him away today, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯d start anything the very same day. But I wasn¡¯t sure about tomorrow. If possible, I wanted to finish all preparations by today.


    ¡°We¡­do not need preparations I suppose. Speed is more important this time. Let us go.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are we leaving right away?¡±


    ¡°Mateus is on the lookout so there is no one in this mansion now. I only need to lock up.¡±


    ¡°Go do it then?¡±


    ¡°I can lock everything with magic in one go.¡±


    ¡°Damn, what a pointlessly useless trick.¡±


    He was probably using the wide-scale Lock spell on the entire house. As I thought, he started chanting before me and put so much magic power into the spell you wouldn¡¯t think he was casting mere Lock.


    He instantly locked the entire house and opened up the Portal Gate.


    I was thinking that he was using his magic power wastefully, but he probably didn¡¯t even feel any burden from it.


    Thus, I jumped into the gate and headed to the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle.

 Chapter 344: Yet Another Evolution

    <h4>Chapter 344: Yet Another Evolution</h4>


    Maxwell and I came to Maleva¡¯s mountain, as usual, to ask Aste for a favor.


    But first, we headed to my hideout to get thepensation that we needed to pay him. Den who had undergoneplete change was here, so instead of heading right in, I knocked on the door¡­ or rather, the window. I was a gentleman. Or a woman.


    Well, honestly speaking, I just didn¡¯t want to get attacked like before if I entered as-is.


    ¡°Den, are you in?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, Lady Nicole. I am d that you havee.¡±


    He answered in a middle-pitched tone that was even more polished and stable than before. His calm demeanor was charming even from the perspective of a man like me.


    Rather, what the heck is up with that baritone voice?


    After a while, the window opened¡­ And there stood Den who had changed even more.


    ¡°Da heck are you?¡±


    Seeing his form, I ended up retorting in a western ent in shock. Den who was about three meters had shrunk to two now.


    His arms that were long for his height had been reasonably adjusted too, and his square face had gotten rounded too.


    His smooth bangs hung over his slitted eyes, and his fangs peeking from his mouth had grown small enough to be called canines. He was practically overflowing with charm.


    His horns had grown less conspicuous now, so honestly, you could call him a Half-Demon with arge body and it wouldn¡¯t feel strange at all.


    ¡°Huh? It is I, Den.¡±


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve changed too much¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. Even I was surprised at this change. Sir Aste may know more about it.¡±


    ¡°There are questions I need to ask him, including that. But I have to request something from him, so I came to get some money.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Please doe in.¡±


    Invited by Den, I stepped into my hideout.


    The interior was illuminated by lights, and it seemed to have be an extremelyfortable environment to live in.


    ¡°These reforms never stop either huh.¡±


    ¡°Do you not find it to your liking? I made improvements in my way so I could wee you with better hospitality.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I have no problems as long as it feelsfortable.¡±


    S?h?i?t?, this hot guy voice coupled with his puppy eyes is just unfair.


    As I headed underground under his guide, I saw that my treasure house had been ordered in a clean and tidy manner using the shelf that had been carried in. The entire hideout was undergoing a dynamic change at this point.


    ¡°T-This is¡­¡±


    ¡°The treasure had not been ssified, so I had allowed myself to sort them. I put mary items this way.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    ¡°This is surprising. He is being more attentive to cleaning than you, Reid.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why not just fire Mateus and hire Den instead? He wouldn¡¯t even stand out in the city the way he is now.¡±


    ¡°I shall refrain. His current appearance may cause a fuss among the nearbydies.¡±


    While he had a big two-meter build, he still could fit in the human category. He still had fangs and horns, but they didn¡¯t stand out that much, and he could just im to be a Half-Demon.


    Few would associate Den with an Ogre if they saw him now.


    But he was too hot-looking. I might even be feeling jealous of him.


    ¡°Lady Nicole, I prepared a hundred gold coins for the time being, is it enough?¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks. I¡¯m not sure of the price, so I guess I¡¯ll take that much. If it¡¯s not enough I¡¯ll juste back.¡±


    ¡°Understood. It is a little heavy so I shall carry it for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I take back what I said. He was very sensible. A hundred gold coins weighed quite a bit. I probably won¡¯t be able to walk with it, and Maxwell would need to use Cargo too or he would feel burdened.


    ¡°You were dealt quite simply, Reid.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me simple!¡±


    Ever since I reincarnated in this body, weights have been my one big problem. There¡¯s no harm in thanking him when he offered he¡¯d carry it for me.


    Then, my eyes were stolen by one of the corners. There, books from my ck history¡­ I mean, the collection was disyed on a bookshelf.


    ¡°D-Den! I have a favor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Please cover that bookshelf with a curtain so it¡¯s not visible. Please. And as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, that¡­ Understood.¡±


    S?h?i?t?, my hobbies got found out by Den too? I should¡¯ve expected this from the moment it was decided that he would live here.


    At any rate, no use crying over the spilled milk. I didn¡¯t even want to think about it.


    I then hurriedly fled from the treasure house.


    Taking Den along, we headed to Aste¡¯s hideout halfway up on the mountain.


    We were talking about that mystery of a man here. He should¡¯ve already been aware that we arrived here.


    I was worried about leaving my hideout empty, but since this ce was under this guy¡¯s supervision, some third-rate burrs shouldn¡¯t dare approach.


    As expected, when we arrived there the door was already open, giving off the aura that he was inviting us inside.


    Maxwell and I exchanged looks and shrugged with wry smiles. This weird way of inviting was quite like him


    We entered the cave and knocked on the door deep inside. Immediately, his grumpy voice came from the other side.


    ¡°It¡¯s open. Can¡¯t you tell? Hurry up inside.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called manners, you know, manners.¡±


    I ranted back at him and entered. There, as usual, was Aste, carving a silver ring.


    ¡°You came again? What is your business this time?¡±


    ¡°Well, we feel apologetic for relying on your power all the time, but this time even I have no good ideas to deal with this situation.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Something that is beyond old Maxwell who is famed as a wiseman?¡±


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t your attitude too different from when you¡¯re dealing with me?¡±


    ¡°Treating you whocks any manners and this humble old man simrly would be impolite.¡±


    I pouted in disappointment at his words. He pointed out my gesture and argued further.


    ¡°And you¡¯re a little girl now. Your gestures seem to have be quite girly too, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°This is all due to the acting I have to do!¡±


    While Aste and I were having a back and forth, Den entrusted the money to Maxwell and headed deeper in. He seemed to have gone to brew tea. This guy seemed to have been swallowed by Aste¡¯s territory too.


    At any rate, It was convenient that he excused himself.


    I decided to start by asking Aste about Den¡¯s changes.

 Chapter 345: The Legendary Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 345: The Legendary Medicine</h4>


    I decided to press Aste for answers while Den was away. His change was far too bizarre, after all. It was like¡ªright, just like the Goblin Lord¡¯s change.


    ¡°Hmm, Den¡¯s change, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s far too abnormal, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I would say that the fact that this mountain is one of the Ley Lines should be influencing him.¡±


    ¡°Huuh?¡±


    Wait, this is my first time hearing that, you know?


    If this ce was a Ley Line, it wouldn¡¯t be unnatural for much more dangerous creatures to show up. But after considering all that, I realized that my worries were unfounded.


    After all, even if such creatures did appear here, the man before my eyes would immediately get rid of them.


    ¡°I-Is that the case? No, rather, are Ley Lines really something somon?¡±


    Maxwell seemed to have forcefully convinced himself over something and moved on to ask a question.


    Right, this was important. If there really were so many Ley Lines around, it would have brought big changes to the world¡¯s power chart.


    ¡°No, in total, there are five¡­ no, six, on this whole continent. And one of them is here.¡±


    ¡°But umm¡­ Should they be left alone like that?¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about them being misused? Well, at the very least, I won¡¯t let anyone misuse this one for as long as I¡¯m here.¡±


    Certainly, there wouldn¡¯t be any fellows trying to misuse this ce where this guy resided. So I suppose we could conclude that Den¡¯s changes were also because he lived on such a mountain.


    ¡°Oh well. Now, one more thing. And this is more of amission from me.¡±


    ¡°Amission?¡±


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaaaaahn!¡±


    Suddenly, a strange yell resounded through the ce. It was a hard-to-describe, spicy voice. When we heard it, our room turned dead silent.


    But then, Aste cleared his throat and left his seat.


    ¡°Sorry about that. My wife made a blunder so I was in the middle of punishing her. I¡¯ll go shut her up for a bit.¡±


    He stood up with those words and lifted up a section of the floorboard, and headed down to the basement. Huh, so this ce had a basement? Never seen that before.


    After ten-odd minutes, the yells stopped, and Aste came back with a refreshed expression.


    ¡°Sorry to make you wait.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine and all¡­ But don¡¯t tell me you have some domestic violence going on here. She¡¯s alive, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I haven¡¯t hurt her, and she won¡¯t die even if you kill her anyway.¡±


    ¡°T-That makes it fine¡­?¡±


    My instincts told me that I should not stick my nose too deep into this mess. Thus, to change the topic, I started telling him all that has happenedtely.


    Den returned in the middle of it, but there was nothing else to hide from him. Everyone here was fully aware of my real identity.


    ¡°Hmm, so you want to order a special perfume that would make it clear who you are?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If possible, I want it to be something that can¡¯t be replicated.¡±


    ¡°You see, we do not have many fashion-minded individuals among ourrades. We failed to think of anything and were at our wit¡¯s end.


    ¡°Well, I have one.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, you didn¡¯t seem like a fashion type, so I guess there¡¯s no point to-¡­ Wait, you do!?¡±


    I ended up retorting in a cliche way when he dered as if nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about one-of-a-kind perfume here, okay? Are you sure an obvious recluse like you can procure it?¡±


    ¡°That was some rude remark there, but I guess I can see your point.¡±


    With those words, Aste left his seat and headed inside. He came back a few minutester holding a small drop in his hand.


    The orb was only a little bigger than the tip of an adult¡¯s thumb, but it was giving off an extreme grassy smell for its size.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t a bad smell, but a peculiar smell akin to abundant vegetation.


    ¡°And this is?¡±


    ¡°Miracle Drug ¡®Elixir¡¯. Getting your hands on it nowadays is quite hard.¡±


    ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°I said it¡¯s called Elixir, what about it?¡±


    Wait for a second here. Wasn¡¯t that the thing that pops up in the myths? The thing that you could obtain at the topmost floor of thebyrinth of the World Tree, and even one gulp of it could treat all kinds of wounds and illnesses¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re pulling out a legendary medicine!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But with this smell, it would be impossible to replicate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but why do you have¡­ Actually, you did say you entered thebyrinth during your adventuring days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the leftover from those days. This is thest one I have.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right that they wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate this, but I don¡¯t have enough money to pay you for it now!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was just hoarding it anyway. You can take it if it¡¯s useful to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re so generous, but¡­¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about them replicating this peculiar smell for sure. And he was giving it to me so I had no reason to refuse, but given the rarity of the thing, even I was feeling awkward about taking it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s useless for someone who has already retired. I feel it¡¯s a bit of a waste to give it to you, but I can¡¯t turn you away when I know a woman¡¯s safety is at risk.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re aiming for Cortina? I¡¯m not handing her over!¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t need her. I¡¯m a dedicated husband even if I don¡¯t look it. You can break that drop into six parts and give each part to each person to mark them. Normally, you can put them in hermetically sealed containers so the smell won¡¯t leak out.¡±


    ¡°How long does this smellst?¡±


    ¡°I guess about a thousand years at least. ording to the myths.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how he managed to get it, but maybe it was already left exposed when it was obtained. If that¡¯s the case, this drug has been giving off its smell ever since it appeared on stage a thousand years ago.


    If each of the Six Hero members takes a part of it as a mark of their identity, then even that disguise master Kufar would not be able to falsify our identities.


    ¡°I feel really awkward about this. Taking something so valuable.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it over and over. I no longer need it, and I owe you one this time. That aside, go back and show your face to your woman already.¡±


    ¡°Owe me? Oh, right, I¡¯m out of scrolls, so I need more of that too.¡±


    ¡°And you were being so reserved a second ago. Oh well, I have it prepared.¡±


    Aste once again left his seat and starting pushing his way through some weird pile of materials next to his desk.


    Some dust rose up every time he pushed things aside, but I wouldn¡¯t be an Adventurer if I was bothered by dust.


    If I had to say, Den was the one who seemed slightly troubled by dust getting to his clothes. This guy sure has developed a love of cleanliness.


    ¡°Oh, there it is.¡±


    ¡°You left it under that pile of garbage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a Magic Item, so some dust wouldn¡¯t hurt it. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s some gooey liquids on it though?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s from thest time I failed when trying to melt the Huge Crawler threads and shape it into a cloth form.¡±


    ¡°Just make clothes normally!¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want the air to escape from the stitches.¡±


    He¡¯s trying to make some weird inventions again. If it¡¯s this guy, it was only a matter of time until he would invent even more remodeling items.


    ¡°Oh well. Thanks for today. Oh right, hundred gold coins aren¡¯t enough aspensation, so you can just go and pick whatever you want from my hideout.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t think it really rivals the Evil Dragon¡¯s materials.¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself, earlier. I can¡¯t make good use of them. In that case, it¡¯s better for you to use them. And then, I¡¯ll use whatever items you produce with them. I call this a perfect reciprocal rtionship.¡±


    ¡°I feel like you¡¯d be the only one gaining merits from that¡­ But fine. It is a tempting offer to use them as I please.¡±


    He quickly pulled out a paper and started drawing something down. It seemed like some sort of a blueprint at a nce.


    When he became like this, he¡¯d start thinking of us as a nuisance if we overstayed. Den seemed to be used to this too, and started putting away our partially consumed cups.


    ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll be going back now. You take care too, Den.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You as well, Lady Nicole.¡±


    Den smiled me back with his new handsome face. Honestly, that innocent smile made me waver for a bit, but I¡¯m sure it was just the trick of the imagination.

 Chapter 346: Hermetic Sealing

    <h4>Chapter 346: Hermetic Sealing</h4>


    As Maxwell and I returned to Raum, he immediately headed to Cortina. We were going to cut the Elixir into six parts and give it to each of the Six Heroes. For that, I had to do some fiddling.


    That is, I had to make sure to find a container that wouldn¡¯t leak the smell when I was acting as Nicole. But at the same time, I needed to be able to let the smell out of the container when I return to being Reid.


    ¡°In other words, you need a container that you can hermetically seal and open at will.¡±


    ¡°Do you have something so convenient lying around?¡±


    ¡°I do not, but after seeing Sir Aste, I have something in mind.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°We can just make what we do not have.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    And with that, I started working to seal the Elixir fragment inside my Talisman as Maxwell instructed. Naturally, I couldn¡¯t make one on the spot, so I stayed behind in Maxwell¡¯s mansion to keep working.


    In the meantime, Maxwell visited the rest of ourrades to exin the situation.


    While he was gone I was processing the Talisman.


    I first cut the top half off, and started to hollow out the inside of the lower half. The oscition of the dagger was super useful for this.


    Since I bisected it into two, I needed to tie a thread to keep them in ce, but I was really thankful that the dagger could cut a tough fang of a Fang Wolf like butter.


    While enduring the vibration that reached my wrists, I carefully gouged out the insides of it with its tip.


    I only needed to put a fragment in it, so there was no need to make a big hole. Following that, I made it so the two halves wouldn¡¯t fall off and were able to shut tight.


    ¡°Still, it would easilye undone at this rate. I wonder if there¡¯s another way.¡±


    I was a vanguard so I moved about a lot. If it slipped off inadvertently and let the smell out, those who knew about the situation could figure it out.


    For that, I needed to find a method that would keep it tightly shut so it wouldn¡¯t slip off.


    ¡°Having said that, it would also be problematic if only mine stood out from the rest¡­ Can¡¯t I do something with magic?¡±


    I could only use the Interference System magic. I could already use middle-grade spells from it, but when ites to spells to fix things in ce¡ª¡ªThen, I suddenly remembered one spell.


    It was the spell that Maxwell used when we were infiltrating the ve merchant¡¯s mansion in the Geeze Union.


    ¡°I think¡­ It was called Hard Lock?¡±


    The Hard Lock spell, unlike simple Lock, was a spell of the Interference System that didn¡¯t simply lock things, but fixed the door and the wall in ce and even further strengthened the structure¡¯s material.


    It was a spell that meddled with the structure, so there were ways to put it to use.


    However, it only meddled with the part that opened, so its influence didn¡¯t extend to the surrounding walls. As such, getting rid of the wall next to it like during that time was amon method to bypass it.


    That said, I was just sealing the talisman this time, so that part didn¡¯t worry me.


    ¡°I think I learned it too. How was it again¡­¡±


    I dug out the magic form that I hardly ever used from the back of my mind and started chanting it.


    With the Hard Lock spell, once locked, the effect would stay permanent until the caster removed it, so it didn¡¯t require magic power to maintain it.


    You could say it was the ideal spell for my current goal.


    I put the fragment inside the hollowed section, put the cover on, and activated the spell. Once I confirmed that they were stuck together, I tested whether or not I could open it, but it didn¡¯t budge even with my full strength.


    I should have also checked whether the smell was leaking or not, but the room was already full of it, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell now.


    I left Maxwell¡¯s living room where I was working and moved to a ce where the smell was no longer present.


    On the way, just as I passed before the entrance, a suspicious man entered the mansion.


    ¡°Woah?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, woah? I didn¡¯t know you were here, young missy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Mateus. I hoped you died.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so heartless all of a sudden!?¡±


    Of course, I would be, we were once engaged in a deathmatch. This much wasn¡¯t even considered abuse.


    That aside, I guess I should be d he didn¡¯t show up while I was working.


    ¡°Still, what¡¯s with this smell. It stinks of grass.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be picking a fight with Maria if she heard that.¡±


    ¡°Eek!?¡±


    You could say this was the smell of the condensed sap of the World Tree. It was quite an abundant nt-like smell, but I wouldn¡¯t call it stinky.


    Rather, you could call it an exquisite perfume whose smell was one step away from what would start bothering you.


    If Maria, who was the World Tree believer heard his earlier remark, she would have probably kindly ¡°treated¡± him.


    In any case, his timing was good.


    ¡°Right, Mateus. Do I smell?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you always smell of immaturity.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡±


    Just as I pulled out my dagger, Mateus jumped back and raised his hands. If you¡¯re gonna act so scared, don¡¯t make fun of me from the start.


    ¡°Anyway, answer seriously. The mansion smells too much so I can¡¯t tell myself.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Since I had the fragment out until just a while ago, the whole mansion was full of the Elixir.


    Thus I passed through the entrance and asked Mateus to confirm it again.


    You could get used to smells surprisingly fast, so my nose couldn¡¯t tell the subtle differences apart now.


    ¡°Hmm? Well, you have some grassy smell, but I guess it¡¯s not too much?¡±


    ¡°Then how about this?¡±


    I held out the Talisman with the fragment inside before his nose. He sniffed it and then once again shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything particr from it?¡±


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a sess!¡±


    Mateus was an assassin, so his senses were very sharp. If he didn¡¯t think anything of it, it seemed that sealing it off was a sess.


    In addition, the gossipy housewives in the neighborhood that witnessed this sight started spreading rumors that ¡°Mateus was flirting with a young girl in front of Maxwell¡¯s house¡±, but that had nothing to do with me.


    Or well, I guess it had¡­

 Chapter 347: Scent Bag

    <h4>Chapter 347: Scent Bag</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Before Maxwell visited Cortina, he first visited Lyell, Maria, and Gadius, taking them along to Raum. Moving a distance that would normally take over a month to cover in the blink of an eye was a feat only achievable by his aberrant ability.


    Then, once he gathered everyone in Cortina¡¯s house, he started exining what Reid experienced as if it had happened to him.


    Leaving the baby, who still needed care, to Finia, they gathered in the biggest room to hold the discussion.


    The Carbuncle was also helping babysit the child, so Finia took a seat in the corner of the dining room and cuddled Fina. Maxwell judged that it was better to let her hear the current conversation too.


    ¡°What the, you¡¯re saying someone disguised as Reid showed up?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s all that many people who know how he looks nowadays though¡­¡±


    Cortina responded with a displeased expression while Lyell expressed his doubt.


    It had already been twenty years since Reid had died.


    Given that he was an assassin, he had few close associates. As for his enemies, only a handful of them remained alive.


    Thus, given his profession, even if his name was well known, his appearance wasn¡¯t. That was perhaps also Reid¡¯s distinctive feature among the Six Heroes.


    And yet, the enemy managed to perfectly disguise themselves as Reid, a feat which would be impossible if they didn¡¯t have at least some connection with him.


    ¡°Certainly. And I do not think the Reid we know would have let his enemy be.¡±


    ¡°He sure was hot-blooded. To the point that it was better to let him bleed out a bit. Still, he was quite a handful.¡±


    Contrasting to Gadius assenting with a nod, Maria spoke of Reid as if she was remembering her little brother. In fact, given how weak Reid¡¯s defenses were, he constantly ended up in Maria¡¯s care.


    ¡°Thus, in order to identify each other, I managed to obtain this from a certain source. I want us to use the smell emitted by it as a mark of identification.¡±


    With those words, Maxwell took out a leather bag with Elixir fragments in it from his pocket. The moment he undid the seal, the abundant smell of greenery filled the dining hall.


    ¡°This is quite a strong smell. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Let me say again that I can not disclose how I obtained it. However, I can say with certainty that these are the fragments of Elixir.¡±


    ¡°Elixir!?¡±


    The panacea that existed in the myths. The five of its fragmentsy in front of their eyes. The reality of it made everyone on the scene gawk in shock. Maria, who was the World Tree believer, was particrly stiffened with a hand on her mouth.


    ¡°Where in the world did you¡­ Oh, you said you couldn¡¯t disclose it, huh.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. If you seal it hermetically like this, the smell would not leak.¡±


    ¡°If we use the smell of something so precious, there would be no worries of someone imitating it. Still, I¡¯m surprised you managed to obtain it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have my connections. I already handed Reid his share, so if he does not have this smell from now on, you can consider them to be fake.¡±


    ¡°I got it. Still, for them to take Reid¡¯s form. There sure are some disrespectful fellows out there.¡±


    ¡°It is most likely to get close to you.¡±


    The current Cortina tended to lose herposure whenever Reid was concerned. It was certain that if you wanted to harm her, taking Reid¡¯s form was the most effective way.


    She seemed to be aware of it herself and puffed her cheeks as she put her elbows on the table.


    However, the person who normally would pat her head like a little sister in this situation was¡ªshowing no reaction.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Then, Cortina finally noticed Maria¡¯s strange behavior.


    Her petrification had already gone away, and was now gazing at the elixir while almost drooling.


    ¡°H-Hey, Maria¡­?¡±


    ¡°T-This is the legendary¡­ Condensed sap of the World Tree that¡­¡±


    She took a fragment in her hands with an ecstatic expression while breathing heavily. The look in her eyes was already of someone who had lost all her rationality, looking as if she would lick the fragment any moment now.


    ¡°Calm down! Despite how it looks, it is still a medicine. It will melt if you lick it!¡±


    ¡°Haah, haah, keep calm, keep calm¡­ Hey, can I have a little taste of yours?¡±


    ¡°You are not calm at all! Of course not. Can you do something about this, Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°If we leave her be, she will secretly eat it at night. Let us see¡­ I wonder if there is a small basket around.¡±


    ¡°Would this suffice?¡±


    Finia interjected with those words. Then she took out the potpourri bag that she always carried with her.


    It used to be a small pouch during the time she lived in the vige, but now it had be something akin to a small basket made with dried vines.


    If it was used as is, things would fall off from the gaps, but if you put a cloth in it, then only the smell woulde out.


    ¡°I see, that would regte the smell intensity, and it would not be hard to carry, either.¡±


    Gadiusmented, impressed while stroking his beard. Given that he was one boorish Dwarf, he did not have any interest in such body ornaments.


    That said, he had an interest in making them, however, that was a story of another time.


    ¡°Well then, Finia. May we trouble you to make several people¡¯s worth of those bags.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but¡­ My hands are upied now, so may I do itter?¡±


    Finia answered apologetically, Fina nibbling on her chest without letting it go.


    Apparently, she had this tendency of nibbling the chest of whoever was close.


    ¡°Oh dear¡­ Did she mistake you for Maria and¡­ I guess not.¡±


    The fact that Cortina didn¡¯t add that their chest sizes differed was probably her way of being considerate.


    ¡°You can do itter. I shall hand Gadius and Lyell¡¯s shares to them personally.¡±


    ¡°I will do that with your permission then.¡±


    ¡°Ah, and Reid¡¯s too.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that guy, he didn¡¯t evene to say hi during the Goblin battle and disappeared. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s cruel?¡±


    Cortina started hitting the table in indignation. Seeing that. the male group¡¯s expressions turned weary. There was nothing as bothersome as listening to other people¡¯s love affairs.


    ¡°Now now, he has his circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Since you already handed the Elixir fragment to him, that means you¡¯ve already met today, right? Why didn¡¯t hee to see me too!¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about which one of us knows his real appearance. If he doesn¡¯t want you to find it out, just leave him be.¡±


    ¡°Fiiine.¡±


    Seeing her sulking like that, everyone gave a dryugh and broke up.


    Finia handed Fina over to Maria and went to prepare dinner.


    That day, the Six Heroes (excluding Reid) had a get-together meal the first time in a while.

 Chapter 348: The Path to Take After Graduation

    <h4>Chapter 348: The Path to Take After Graduation</h4>


    The day after Maxwell had distributed the Elixir fragments, I was called to his mansion.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just me alone. Lyell, Maria, and Cortina, of course, Michelle and Letina, with their parents, and even Cloud with the orphanage sister were called.


    Maxwell¡¯s wide mansion was chosen because of this great number of people.


    ¡°Now, let us discuss the reason I had you gather here.¡±


    Since Maxwell offered the ce for discussion, he was the first to start the conversation. Gathering in the usual living room would be too narrow with this many people, so this time, we were using the dining hall that had a wide table.


    This ce was made with receiving many people in mind, so there were no problems with space even with our current numbers.


    ¡°Truth is, a strange man had appeared recently¡­¡±


    He quickly returned to his manner of speech. This was probably in consideration to Michelle and Cloud who weren¡¯t used to this situation.


    Their guardians were just as nervous, however. They looked as if their heart would pop out of their mouths any time now. They were actually freaking me out a bit.


    ¡°Strange? How do you mean?¡±


    Letina¡¯s father, Marquis Yowi, who seemed to be used to this kind of situation, asked him.


    As expected, he was going to tell them about Kufar. We managed to find a way to identify ourselves, but it wasn¡¯t only us whom Kufar could disguise himself as.


    Rather, we should be more vignt when it came to the defenseless people around us.


    For that reason, there was a need to let them know of the method of distinction that we came up with. Maxwell gathered them for that.


    ¡°Yes, well, someone who is pretending to be us has shown up and is nning something.¡±


    ¡°What did you say!?¡±


    People pretending to be Six Heroes did frequently appear right after we had in the Evil Dragon. Our faces weren¡¯t well-known then, so they could get special benefits just by using our names.


    I remember lots of minor scoundrels appearing with that goal in mind.


    Still, they couldn¡¯t imitate our abilities, so they eventually got found out and were arrested for a felony.


    At this point, there were no longer any of those bunch remaining.


    ¡°That is¡­ quite disrespectful. Scheming towards the people who have saved the world¡­¡±


    The sister who was Cloud¡¯s guardian said while joining her hands towards god. Her gesture was quite refined and even seemed to give off a sense of holiness.


    ¡°Well, at any rate, to tell us apart, we have decided to carry these scent bags with us to distinguish ourselves. If you see a Six Hero that does not have one of these, you may consider them to be a fake.¡±


    ¡°It is quite a strong smell¡­ Yet it does not bring difort. It feels as if I am in a forest.¡±


    ¡°The nature of this smell is a trade secret. If the source gets leaked they may find a way to imitate it.¡±


    Or so Maxwell said, but actually, it was such a rare item that he simply couldn¡¯t disclose it.


    If the World Tree believers heard that we had the Elixir fragments on us, they might confiscate them as relics. I was quite rash to pick fights, but even I wouldn¡¯t wanna pick one against the World Tree believers without a good reason.


    ¡°Mhm, I have understood the situation. I would have certainly lowered my guard if someone approached me with your appearance, Lord Maxwell.¡±


    Marquis Yowi epted the exnation with a hint of humor. His conduct made Michelle¡¯s parents and sister let go of their tension a little.


    The Marquis wasn¡¯t only a good person, but also knew how to read the mood.


    ¡°There is also one more reason why I have called you here.¡±


    ¡°There is something else? Or rather, it appears that this is the real reason. For it to be something even more serious than the faker situation, I think I am getting cold feet here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose that is the case considering it has a direct rtion to you.¡±


    Then, Maxwell started talking about Michelle¡¯s situation. That it would be better for her to leave this city once she graduated from the academy. And that his protection for her was reaching its limit.


    ¡°As expected¡­ The big feat you achievedst time proved to be too big. People that I cannot fully suppress started to appear already.¡±


    ¡°That you cannot suppress¡­?¡±


    ¡°He means the nobles. They want to pull you under theirmand.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean that they want to take me to wars?¡±


    ¡°There certainly is such possibility.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want that!¡±


    Hearing Cortina¡¯s exnation, Michelle stood up and objected. Her voice wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person should normally direct towards a Six Hero.


    Her parents held her shoulders with pale faces, but they did not manage to stop her words.


    ¡°Back then, I was worried about Nicole and just desperately kept firing. And I also borrowed the Goddess¡¯ power.¡±


    ¡°Even so, there are still people who refuse to understand that. Particrly the Lichtenberg household.¡±


    ¡°Even you cannot hold them back, Lord Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°Our households are not so different in status. I am a former royalty who had abandoned his nobility. They are the descendants of the royal prince, but they were demoted to Marquis rank due to a past mistake.¡±


    ¡°What was that mistake?¡±


    ¡°Even I am not aware of it. I was but a youngster back then.¡±


    Maxwell shrugged in response to Cortina¡¯s question. Still, if he was a youngster back then, that means it happened hundreds of years ago¡­


    ¡°At any rate, we are equal in terms of standing. I am retired, but considering I am a Six Hero, ites out even. But then, the other party is an active Marquis. And their lineage¡­¡±


    ¡°Although we are both Marquis, they are higher than our Yowi household.¡±


    ¡°Frankly, this situation pains me a great deal too. I do not mean forever, but I would like you to leave this city for a few years until the heat dies down.¡±


    ¡°A few years¡­ How many exactly?¡±


    ¡°Four or five.¡±


    ¡°That long¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Wait, I have apromise n for that too.¡±


    Then Maxwell raised his finger. He returned to his usual proud behavior and exined his opinion.


    ¡°First, I shall have little Michelle take stronghold at the Adventurer¡¯s inn of my friend. It would be outside of Raum¡¯s sphere of influence.¡±


    ¡°Your friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Garius mentioned that he wanted to open the second inn. I will have him open it in the castle town used for raising noble children.¡±


    ¡°Still, it would feel lonely there alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll being with you.¡±


    ¡°Huh, N-Nicole¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re best friends. This time I¡¯ll apany you. The problem is¡­¡±


    I directed my eyes towards our other friends, towards Letina and Cloud. I still did not know what decision they would make.

 Chapter 349: Their Respective Paths

    <h4>Chapter 349: Their Respective Paths</h4>


    Cloud whom I gazed seemed to waver for a second, but then gave a strong nod. The sister next to him was looking at him with a hard-to-describe expression.


    ¡°I am going with you. I¡¯m already at an age where I have to leave the orphanage by next year anyway.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? We won¡¯t be back for years, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I realized it during this battle. My strength is still nowhere near enough. I want to gain more experience.¡±


    ¡°It makes me very reassured to have you along.¡±


    I looked at Cloud while joining my hands together. My feverish gaze made him blush and look away. Whoops, mydy mode switch got identally flipped.


    ¡°Cloud, I think you know it already, but if you put your hands on Nicole¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do something so scary!¡±


    ¡°Huuh? Are you saying my daughter isn¡¯t cute?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to say!?¡±


    Cloud¡¯s blush put him on the receiving end of Lyell¡¯s merciless questioning. He was bewildered that he got into this mess due to unreasonable false usations, but this was the typical Cloud.


    At any rate, I got Cloud¡¯s consent. Letina¡¯s expression, on the other hand, remained clouded.


    But that was only natural ¡ª she was, in the end, the Marquis¡¯ daughter.


    Moreover, she was the only child. Which meant that her husband would be the sessor of the Marquis title.


    Given her important position, she could not separate from the city.


    ¡°It is¡­ Impossible for me. I have the duty to seed the Marquis household.¡±


    Letina squeezed out those words. Hearing her words, The Marquis and his wife let out relieved sighs.


    If she said that she wanted toe along, the Marquis would¡¯ve had to oppose it. However, he would be facing off against Michelle and me, in other words, people rted with the Six Heroes.


    If they made any rash remarks, it could worsen their standing. Letina¡¯s answer probably considered all that.


    ¡°Well, you have no other choice, after all.¡±


    ¡°In truth, I¡­ I also wish toe along! But¡ª¡±


    ¡°I understand, Letina. Your situation, and your feelings.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are our friend. If we manage to return to Raum, let¡¯s y again, okay?¡±


    Hearing Michelle¡¯s words, Letina finally burst into tears. While shedding tears, she stood up and hugged Michelle. And then, no longer managing to endure it, she started bawling loudly.


    ¡°Definitely! You must definitelye, okay? I will wee you anytime!¡±


    ¡°O-Okay¡­!¡±


    Influenced by her, Michelle also started to tear up. She wasn¡¯t leaving this city by her choice, after all.


    I stood there and watched over their friendship with warm feelings in my chest.


    Then, someone raised their hand.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, what is it, little Finia.¡±


    ¡°May I also apany Lady Nicole?¡±


    Hearing her, Lyell and Maria exchanged looks. What¡¯s with those ¡°oops, we forgot¡± expressions?


    Finally, Maria pped her hands with gleaming eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no knowing when Nicole might copse, so she needs someone to care for her!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t copse that often anymore.¡±


    ¡°But you still fall into rivers, though?¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    She was right that I was feeling quite a bit helpless with only having Michelle as my femalepanion.


    Michelle was too pure, for better or worse, and do not doubt people at all, so it felt like she¡¯d readily follow someone if they told her ¡°I¡¯ll give you candy if you follow me.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t confident I could keep her in check on my own.


    However, with Finia along, we could somehow manage to hold her by the reins together.


    ¡°Well, true. We also need someone to fend off Cloud¡¯s sexual harassments.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I do them out of my own will!¡±


    ¡°Oho¡­? You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?, you harassed my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Master Lyell, that¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°Hoh, let us discuss that in detail over tea.¡±


    ¡°Not you too, Lord Maxwell! Give me a break already!¡±


    As Lyell was drawing near Cloud, Maria got behind him and lightly touched his neck with her finger. The next moment, Lyell¡¯s body got petrified as if he was struck by lightning magic.


    ¡°Hyaaah!?¡±


    ¡°Dear, why don¡¯t you leave it at that. We are having an important discussion here, you know?¡±


    ¡°Agagagagagaga!¡±


    Eventually, he copsed back on his chair as if all his strength had left him.


    Themoners that were present looked at this situation as if they had witnessed something they shouldn¡¯t have.


    What Maria did was most probably directly stimting his sense of pain.


    ¡°So, Maxwell. Where exactly is that second store you mentioned? Honestly, if it¡¯s not somewhere that doesn¡¯t have a certain level of influence, Lichtenberg¡¯s hands may reach them, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Y-You do not need to worry about that. After all, it is located in the most strictly audited ces.¡±


    Maxwell answered while acting a little scared at Maria¡¯s deed. However, his following words came with a sense of pride.


    ¡°That ce is the Sto Domain. The very same frontier that we have personally inspected.¡±


    What Maxwell presented was, in a way, the fateful domain where Donovan Sto Serwa had taken on the feudal lord¡¯s position.

 Chapter 350: Proof of Growth

    <h4>Chapter 350: Proof of Growth</h4>


    We had to part ways with Letina after graduation. That fact could no longer be changed.


    For that very reason, we started hunting every day from that day on, trying to stay together as much as possible.


    There was less than half a year left until graduation. About five months. We were doing our best to adventure together and create as many memories as we could during that time.


    That day, as usual, we were out in the forest and enjoying the adventure, gathering herbs and hunting.


    Though, it¡¯s too presumptuous to call something like this adventuring, I guess. Still, Letina enjoyed what we were doing.


    Normally, a Marquis¡¯ daughter like her would have never been allowed to go into the forest withmoners like us.


    But given my standing and Marquis Yowi¡¯s broad-mindedness, she was allowed to do so. I couldn¡¯t express how thankful I was for the Marquis for this point.


    Probably because I was indulged in such feelings, I ended up being a littlex on my exploration. However, Michelle managed to detect it in my ce.


    Our party had already be able to function sufficiently.


    ¡°Ah, Nicole. Something moved over there!¡±


    ¡°Huh, ah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it rare of you to overlook something like this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I was absorbed in my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°About Letina?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    While speaking in quiet voices, Michelle and I set up the bow and katana respectively. Letina behind us also set up her staff while answering me.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t. We are finally having fun like this, so I wish to forget about that for now.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I was just thinking that we have to thank Marquis Yowi.¡±


    ¡°I am fully aware of that. I know that the time we have now is the extension that father has provided us¡ªIt¡¯sing!¡±


    Along with Letina¡¯s warning, argish wild boar jumped out from the grasses. It was just a boar, so normally we wouldn¡¯t even need to stay vignt against it.


    Even so, a grown-up boar¡¯s charge that had the same weight as an adult could still be a dangerous weapon.


    However, Cloud easily stopped the boar that charged with its head lowered.


    ¡°Nice work, Cloud!¡±


    He was pushed back a little and his left leg slides back, but he still stopped it in ce. The sense of stabilitying from him wouldn¡¯t lose to even the first-ss warriors.


    I felt impressed in my heart, he sure has grown too.


    He even followed up by dealing a strike to the head with his sword hilt. There was quite a heavy sound that followed it, so the boar might have taken significant damage from it.


    The reason he opted for the hilt instead of the de was that the boar was too close. The adaptability he disyed was also proof of his growth.


    The boar whose charge was stopped had faltered from that blow, momentarily stopping in ce.


    Next, Letina¡¯s Firebolt flew towards its feet. She wasn¡¯t a Gift Holder, so her output wasn¡¯t that high. No, well, considering her age, it was quite powerful, but our party had a wonderful Archer to take on that role.


    The fact that she understood it and chose to go for its leg was also proof of her growth like Cloud.


    The Firebolt burned the boar¡¯s hind leg and its knee gave away. With that, it was my turn to charge, so I rushed on and dealt a sword strike to the nape of its neck.


    The muscles around its neck that supported its charge attack were too thick, so my sh wouldn¡¯t be able to deal enough damage.


    Of course, that might not be the case if I used the thread enchantment, but it was the one that rushed to us this time, so this was the best response I could make at the moment.


    ¡°Pugi!¡±


    The boar screamed and swung its head around in an attempt to brush me off. I tried to jump back and dodge it, but my food got entangled in the grass and momentarily dyed my movements.


    I bent back and barely dodged the direct hit. Still, I failed to avoid itpletely, and the tip of its nose grazed my chest.


    Fortunately, my chest was protected by the leather armor, so it didn¡¯t amount to an injury, but it still broke my bnce and made me fall while spinning like a spinning top.


    I intentionally rolled along the ground without killing my momentum and mitigated it like that.


    Michelle seemed to have thought that I was flung away and I heard her swallow her breath, but she wasn¡¯t naive enough to forget to attack.


    She instantly drove one arrow into the neck of the boar that was facing sideways, stopping it from any follow-up attacks.


    Due to the series of attacks, the boar started to stagger. After it tottered a bit away, Cloud once again moved to attack.


    His strike that had a lot of weight put into it unlike mine held enough power to make the boar flinch.


    Being overpowered by these attacks, the boar finally copsed sideways.


    These types of animals found it very hard to stand back up once they fell down. Not to mention, we had an archer with us that would never let go of such an opening.


    As the boar struggled to get up, one arrow silently pierced through its throat. The arrow appeared so suddenly that it looked as if it had always been there.


    ¡°Woah¡ª¡±


    I let out a voice of admiration without thinking.


    This attack without a doubt belonged to Michelle. However, her lethality and uracy were in another leaguepared to before.


    Before, her shots were urate and strong, but they still felt somewhat unpolished, but this shot feltpletely different.


    If I were topare it to something, it felt simr to sliding a de into the enemy¡¯s throat.


    It seemed that only I had realized what a terrific feat this was, as neither Letina nor Cloud showed any particr reactions.


    With its throat pierced, the blood seemed to have flooded its lungs, and without ever managing to stand up, it started convulsing and died on the spot.


    Then finally, I heard Michelle release her held breath.


    ¡°She has turned into one frightening girl¡­¡±


    I stood there, digesting Michelle¡¯s dreadful power.

 Chapter 351: Critical Hit

    <h4>Chapter 351: Critical Hit</h4>


    I left the wild boar butchering to Michelle and Cloud, and had Letina check my injury.


    Though I called it an injury, it was only on the level of a bruise, so I wasn¡¯t bleeding or anything.


    Still, to see the affected part, I had to expose my chest, so there was a need to avoid any public eyes¡­ particrly Cloud¡¯s.


    ¡°It is swelled a little, but I would not call it an injury.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been saying that it didn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°You say that even when you are heavily injured, so I cannot trust your words.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an awful thing to say to your friend.¡±


    That said, there have been many cases where I said I was fine and fainted. It was natural that she would doubt me.


    This time, I was able to easily escape the impact thanks to the revised leather armor that Aste made. If it was some roughly tailored armor, the shock would¡¯ve gotten directly transmitted to my body and might have broken a rib or two.


    While I was thinking of such things, Letina suddenly poked my breast.


    ¡°Oh, what is this scar?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s from Fina¡¯s mischiefs. She tends to immediately go for my breasts.¡±


    What Letina poked was the red mark near the tips of my small mounds. Fina¡¯s mouthnded precisely on them every time, so I still had a red bruise left nearby.


    ¡°Could it be that she is mistaking you for her mother¡­ No, that cannot be.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Where were you looking when you made that judgment, huh?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want me to say it out loud?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, not that you have any to show yourself. Mine are bigger than yours at least.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve said it!¡±


    Letina leaped at me, but the difference between our builds was too big. I caught her head and she started iling around without ever reaching me.


    That aside, I had something I needed to ask.


    ¡°Michelle, about thatst attack.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ah, that? It just felt like ¡®that¡¯s the spot!¡¯ and I shot it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡±


    I aimed to be a swordsman in my previous life, so I understood where Michelle wasing from. When you swing your sword, sometimes, in truly rare moments, the de smoothly slides through the enemy¡¯s vital part.


    I experienced that sensation even after I moved on to using the threads. Rather, it started happening more frequently after I started using them. I have asked Lyell about that sensation before, but while he had also experienced something simr, he couldn¡¯t exin what it really was.


    I kept experiencing it even after I took on the assassin work. It was probably what it felt when you pierced someone¡¯s vital part. So Michelle has learned to feel that same sensation thanks to her Gift.


    In that case¡­


    ¡°Michelle, you may be much stronger from now on.¡±


    ¡°Huh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yeah. I¡¯m not really familiar with the details myself though.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Ah, hey! You shouldn¡¯t be looking there!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! It was just an ident. It just entered my vision.¡±


    While my hands were stopped during the conversation, Cloud managed to steal a nce. I had the front of my shirt pulled up, so a lot of things were exposed.


    ¡°Cloud, will burn.¡±


    ¡°At least speak in proper sentences!¡±


    ¡°They say you will be stronger if you are forged, you know?¡±


    ¡°Who the heck said such a thing? I¡¯ll send them flyingter. That¡¯s a total lie, okay!¡±


    ¡°Incidentally, it was my dad.¡±


    ¡°No way I can beat him¡­¡±


    Seeing Cloud fall on the ground in despair, I decided to hold off with physical punishment. I suppose it would be too pitiful if he really ends up unable to leave any descendants.


    The meat and skin that we obtained from the boar summed up to 30 kilos. The internal organs were hard to process, so we had Letina use the Tunnel spell and safely bury them.


    There were edible parts but they generally didn¡¯tst very long, so it wasn¡¯t worth bringing them along. We got a little over 7kg meat per person this time, so Cloud was pretty happy with his orphanage tribute.


    ¡°It would only be a little longer until we can no longer take such fresh ingredients home.¡±


    ¡°If the Marquis family issues amission, they would hunt them for you, though.¡±


    ¡°It would be awkward to issuemissions for that silly reason. Besides, it feels tastier when you are the one who defeated it.¡±


    ¡°Still, you shouldn¡¯t go hunt one alone, okay? And don¡¯t make your servants do the unreasonable, either.¡±


    ¡°What do you take me for¡­ I am not so inconsiderate.¡±


    ¡°The Letina I met at the start was quite inconsiderate, though?¡±


    ¡°T-That was when I was only a kid!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still a kid, though.¡±


    We wrapped the meat in the skin and carried it like that. However, with so much meat on our hands, the smell was bound to attract wild animals, so this marked the end of today¡¯s hunt.


    We were in a rxed mood as we reached Raum.


    ¡°Besides, I have to enroll in the higher academy grades, so I cannot stay a child forever.¡±


    ¡°The higher grades of the Magic Academy¡­ That would mean noble¡¯s training, huh. I¡¯d definitely not want any part of that.¡±


    ¡°Even I feel reluctant about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to study any more. Combat experience is the best.¡±


    ¡°Michelle, I think you really should study more.¡±


    She was an honest girl that epted everything that they taught her without question. That in itself was a good thing, but it was hard to develop your thinking skill like that.


    Considering what was toe, she really had to learn more things. Otherwise, she might get confused and not know what to do if she ever gets involved in trouble.


    ¡°You guys are going to Sto domain after graduation, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There we will be staying in Gadius¡­ Sir Gadius¡¯ inn.¡±


    I was really not used to referring to Gadius with an honorific.


    Unlike Lyell, that old b?a?s?t?a?r?d? was quite ill-mannered. Or rather, he was awfully shy with strangers despite his appearance.


    We did talk a lot during the journey after he got familiar with me, but at first, Cortina used to grumble that when Gadius and I were alone, the ce got shrouded in dead silence and atmosphere.


    Though it couldn¡¯t be helped. Unlike Cortina who I had known from before, that was my first time meeting Gadius.


    ¡°I have not met them very often. How are they?¡±


    ¡°He is surprisingly kind. And good at taking care of people. He¡¯s far kinderpared to Master Lyell.¡±


    It seemed that Cloud had rated Gadius better than Lyell¡­ Lyell¡¯s hard on you because he¡¯s vignt of you, though.


    Despite insisting countless times that it wasn¡¯t like that, Lyell was still suspecting that Cloud was a bug that was sticking close to me, so there was no helping it.


    ¡°At any rate, there are still five months to go. Let¡¯s just stay together as much as we can, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright. We have to spend this little time we have together. Getting depressed about what would follow will do us no good.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we¡¯lle back from time to time. It¡¯s not like we won¡¯t be able to meet at all.¡±


    ¡°When that timees, I¡¯ll show you high-level spells that I will learn in the senior grade!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait without setting any expectations.¡±


    We passed Raum¡¯s gate while messing about in a calm manner. The gate guard knew our faces, so he didn¡¯t go out of his way to detain us.

 Chapter 352: The Final Body Measurements

    <h4>Chapter 352: The Final Body Measurements</h4>


    The meat we brought back was dealt with ordingly in each of our respective houses. We brought about 7kg each this time, which was quite a big volume to eat in one family, so it wouldst for quite some time.


    In Cloud¡¯s case, they made a stew with it and shared it with me too.


    Honestly, our meat reserves were the most excessive, so I didn¡¯t know what to do with it, but as a return gift. Finia prepared a lot of stewed meat and forced it back on him, so everything ended well.


    The other day, I secretly brought back the excess Mixus mushrooms home, and they proved to go very well with the stewed meat as a seasoning and left good impressions.


    Thus, the academy days gradually neared their end, and along with it, the ssrooms became noisier.


    When it came to the pre-graduation interval, there were a lot of events nned too. Body measurements that were performed this day were also one of those events.


    The goal seemed to be tobine it with the results of the enrollment and report how much they grew during their academy period to the students and their parents.


    We were also given the papers with our enrollment records, so we could confirm it ourselves.


    ¡°Ugh, I sure had no waist back then.¡±


    Seeing my enrollment records, I couldn¡¯t help but call it a child¡¯s figure. Though I guess it was only appropriate.


    That said, someone next to me was frowning even more than me. Needless to say, it was Letina.


    ¡°Grrrr¡­¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t really changed, huh, Letina?¡±


    ¡°M-My height did a little! The BWH measurement ratio simply hasn¡¯t changed much¡­¡±


    ¡°L-Look, Lady Letina¡¯s breast measurements have changed slightly.¡±


    Matisse suddenly popped her head from next to me pointed it out. She had grown a lot during these few years, too, and her breasts have swelled up to a conspicuous degree.


    She seemed to be living a luxurious life, so her body figure was quite full. She was probably the best representation of what Finia used to mean by squishy.


    Moreover, the thing she pointed out in Letina¡¯s measurements was so small it could be dismissed as a measurement error.


    ¡°More importantly, let¡¯s get changed already. We¡¯ll bete.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    As expected, when reaching upper primary grades, it was already beyond the stage where you could change clothes in the same room as the boys.


    As such, the ssroom has a curtain installed on one side, beyond which was the ce where girls changed.


    We put on coats as we headed to the doctor¡¯s office where measurements were taken.


    The girls grouped up beyond the curtain and pulled the curtain to block the vision.


    But then, there was some rustling from beyond the curtain just as they started to change.


    ¡°Hey, how about you go.¡±


    ¡°Huh, no way. Still¡­¡±


    ¡°This is our final chance.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go¡­¡±


    ¡°Be my guest.¡±


    As it seems, the gentlemen on the other side were trying to go on the suicide rush for thest look at the girls¡¯ bodies. I realized that and popped my head from the curtain and gave them a warning.


    ¡°You can¡¯t, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ugh!?¡±


    ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll tell Cortina all about it.¡±


    ¡°Aggh¡­¡±


    The group of naughty boys beyond the curtains lost their drive in dejection after my warning.


    They were attending the Magic Academy, so the majority were nobles and rich people. Such people that catered to the powerful people would never get on someone as influential as Cortina¡¯s bad side.


    It was natural that my warning would make them crestfallen.


    But then, while I was preupied with the boys, I failed to notice a threatening presence sneaking up on me from behind.


    That demon crept up on me and put their vile hands on me.


    ¡°Yaah!¡±


    The one who pushed my back with that yell was none other than Letina who I had thoroughly ridiculed earlier.


    Naturally, the push of a frail Elf like her would normally never be enough for the job, however, as I waspletely taken by surprise this time, I failed to endure her attack and ended up tottering one step forward.


    And since I already had my head popped out, taking one more step meant that I would end up one step beyond the curtain.


    As the end result, I ended upying my naked upper body on disy in the presence of the entirepany of boys.


    ¡°WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!¡±


    I would probably never forget the yells of delight that they raised that day.


    I¡¯m gonna get rid of their memories. Through physical means.


    ¡°Hahaha, serves you right for toying with me earlier.¡±


    ¡°Letina, that was still too much!¡±


    I objected while covering my chest. Still, I was witnessed by a lot of students at that moment. And some of the sharp-sighted ones noticed one more thing.


    ¡°Huh, wasn¡¯t Nicole¡¯s breast a little red?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just her nip¡ªI mean, it¡¯s not that?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean something else on the side, or horizontally of it.¡±


    ¡°You mean, it was a k-k-kiss mark?!¡±


    ¡°What did you say¡­ But by whom? No, we don¡¯t even need to ask!¡±


    The row of boys chattered in excitement. Or rather, the death row of boys.


    Then, yet another problem child showed up in the noisy ssroom.


    ¡°Heey! Hurry up ande to the¡ªHuh, what¡¯s going on? Is Nicole doing public humiliation y?¡±


    ¡°As if!?¡±


    I reflectively threw the coat that I held in my hand at Cortina, so I ended up even more exposed, but that was a story of another time.


    In the end, Matisse offered me the coat.


    I¡¯m thinking of assigning you as my healer number three, after Michelle and Finia.

 Chapter 353: Alarm Bells

    <h4>Chapter 353: rm Bells</h4>


    When the academy sses ended, I met up with Michelle and stopped by the support academy¡¯s tea house.


    The ce Elliot introduced me to was on the pricey side, so we couldn¡¯t go there too casually.


    Especially for Michelle who could eat a lot, the prices there was quite a problem. Thus, we instead frequently visited the cheap stores that were aimed for the support academy students who were mostlymoners andcked financial influence.


    ¡°So as I was saying, Letina just went and pushed me out.¡±


    ¡°I could not forgive your nders. I will have you know that I have properly grown too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha, with this, Cloud¡¯s going to get envied even more.¡±


    There were many other students who stopped by to eat like us, so we wouldn¡¯t stand out even if we raised our voices a little.


    Given such an environment, Michelle wasughing without holding back. Meanwhile, Cloud who came along was at his wits¡¯ end.


    ¡°Please stop. My Guild training will just get harsher from that.¡±


    ¡°I was too busy trying to get back at Letina so I didn¡¯t manage to exin the situation.¡±


    ¡°I really wish you had though!¡±


    The red mark on my chest was the bruise from the boar¡¯s attack from the other day. There was also Fina¡¯s kiss mark there who attacked my breasts at every chance she got.


    As such, suspecting Cloud was really misced there.


    That said, rumors spread on their own. This time, too, Cloud simply ended up taking the brunt of the after-effects.


    In fact, there were many students who knew me here, and they kept periodically stealing nces at our way.


    ¡°Well, being together with us is already considered a perk.¡±


    ¡°Is that really something you should say yourself?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying Michelle and I aren¡¯t beauties?¡±


    ¡°It frustrates me that I can¡¯t deny that.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I demand an exnation on why you omitted me just now!¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because Letina¡¯s still a chi-¡­ No, never mind.¡±


    ¡°Grrr!¡±


    As always, Letina was being noisy. She was always going at her own pace.


    Her speech and conduct were one step short ofing out as annoying, but finding it unable to hate her came from her natural virtue.


    I had a quiet nature, so our rtionship had developed quite a bit.


    ¡°Still, I never thought that Teacher Cortina would take part in it too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is a little festive as ofte.¡±


    ¡°How should I put it¡­ I used to think that she was harder to approach.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I have only known about Cortina¡¯s state ever since I arrived in Raum. Before that, I only knew how she was during my previous life.


    I heard that being entrusted by her friend¡¯s daughter had lifted her spirits quite a bit.


    ¡°Indeed. Lady Cortina from before was somewhat apathetic, or perhaps I should say negligent.¡±


    ¡°Did she really change that much?¡±


    ¡°She did. At the very least, I was certainly surprised when I saw her during the opening ceremony that day.¡±


    If I remember correctly, she was in quite high spirits when she entered the ssroom that day. Hearing that, Michelle looked to be curious about something.


    ¡°But I always saw Lady Cortina as a friendlier person, so that¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Calling it weird feels really rude to her, you know? But well, I can see why it is hard to imagine from her current self.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Lady Cortina, huh. Unlike Lord Maxwell, she hardly ever showed herself in public so I thought she would be a in person, but she turned out to be a beauty.¡±


    ¡°Cloud you perv.¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡±


    It seemed that Cloud didn¡¯t use to hold much of an impression on her either. Which means, she only started an active lifestyle when I arrived here.


    While discussing such things, we finally broke up for the day.


    Cloud gave me the thank you letter¡ªfor sharing meat with them the other day¡ª from the orphanage sisters, and then I parted with Letina and him.


    Michelle¡¯s arrows had been worn out today, so we decided to call it a day. Thus, the two of us instead went for the weapon store to replenish them.


    She couldn¡¯t use the full power of the Third Eye without special arrows, but the normal hunting bow that she usually used worked on normal arrows.


    When adventuring with us, she used that bow most of the time, so its arrows used to deplete faster.


    Naturally, she could make arrows herself, but in the end, the uracy of the shots differed between arrows made by an amateur and a pro.


    ¡°Sorry about this. If I use the ones I make, the trajectory tends to be slightly off.¡±


    ¡°You are the most important shooter in our group, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    With hands full of arrows, the two of us took the way home. Our legs were pretty unstable so we were walking with tottering steps.


    Seeing two little girls carrying a lot of luggage, the nearby stall owners called out to us in joking voices.


    ¡°Hey Michelle, you aren¡¯t going to buy anything today?¡±


    ¡°It would be impossible now!¡±


    ¡°How about you, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get crushed if I carry any more than this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cruel!¡±


    Hearing my protests, the stall uncle startedughing loudly. For some reason, even the nearby stall owner startedughing.


    They should be used to seeing me get crushed under something by now, so what was so funny now?


    At any rate, we managed to reach Michelle¡¯s house. But then, I felt something was out of cepared to the usual.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Something feels¡­ Wrong.¡±


    The house provided to Michelle¡¯s family was a normal detached house. Walls built with stone and a wooden door.


    The windows weren¡¯t using the luxurious ss, but instead were drop window types. Up to that, it was your everyday scene¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­?¡±


    However, my intuition was giving off rm bells that something was wrong. Surveying the surroundings, I finally realized what was different.


    ¡°Theundry¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh, oh you¡¯re right. There¡¯s noundry out today. That¡¯s strange.¡±


    In Michelle¡¯s family, both she and her father were active hunters. While her mother was in charge of butchering jobs.


    In other words, they had a lot of dirty clothes umted every day. And they washed them every day and hung them on the second-floor dryer. But only today, they were nowhere to be found.


    ¡°We all went out for hunting yesterday, so there should beundry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I wonder what mom¡¯s thinking?¡±


    I stopped Michelle and went in first.


    She was currently targeted by various people. It was possible that some fool resorted to strong measures.


    It was possible that someone would attack while entering the house.


    I dropped the arrows and pulled out my self-defense dagger, and opened the door.


    It was a dim room without lights.


    A devastated room¡ªand bloodstains.

 Chapter 354: Nicole’s Tracking Theory

    <h4>Chapter 354: Nicole¡¯s Tracking Theory</h4>


    The room with amp fallen on the ground had traces of being ravaged. Moreover, although little, there were still traces of blood too.


    On the other hand, there were no signs of people, Michelle¡¯s parents were nowhere to be found.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Nico¡ªWhat is this!?¡±


    Michelle yelled in shock after seeing the room from behind me. And her reaction was natural. No one would even consider that their house would be in such a ravaged state whileing back from the academy.


    ¡°Dad, mom! Where are you!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, Michelle!¡±


    As Michelle was about to rush inside, I pinned her hands from behind and stopped her. If the offender was so rough to haveid so much waste to the room, there must be some evidence left behind that would link to them.


    If she went and stepped on it now, it would alle to nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop me¡­ My mom¡­! And my dad¡­!¡±


    ¡°I know. But this might be beyond what we can handle. So you go and report it to Cortina and the guards.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°My senses are sharper than yours, Michelle. They might still be nearby, so I¡¯ll try looking around.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, please do.¡±


    Suppressing her anxiety, she squeezed out those words. She shut her mouth tight, her expression dyed in mortification.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since they aren¡¯t here, they must have taken them away. If they nned on killing them, they would not have done that.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Moreover, your parents are under Maxwell¡¯s patronage. No fool would try to kill them so brazenly.¡±


    ¡°But they have kidnapped them¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably because¡­¡±


    Right, why would they kidnap auntie who was connected to Cortina and others? The answer was clear. There was ¡°something¡± they wanted to get even if it meant taking the risk of turning the Six Heroes against them.


    And what would that something be¡­? There was no need to even think ¡ª it was Michelle.


    However, telling her that now would be too harsh. If she realizes that her parents got kidnapped because of her, she might very well hand herself over to the enemies right away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I promise I¡¯ll find it out no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ I leave it to you!¡±


    After giving me a strong response, she ran straight back towards the academy¡¯s direction.


    Cortina was currently there, after all.


    After observing her disappearing back, I switched to investigating the surroundings.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the orthodox footprints method.¡±


    After investigating the house vicinity, I discovered a pair of wheel tracks.


    Michelle¡¯s family were hunters so they owned a cart. It was to carryrge amounts and big game.


    ¡°Did they use the cart to kidnap them?¡±


    Moreover, there were traces of hobnailed boots. They were things warriors and guards preferred to wear, so it wasn¡¯t something that uncle would have worn.


    Given that he was a hunter, he wouldn¡¯t have worn boots that would give off a noise when walking. It was the same for Adventurers, and people other than shielders that took on the enemies frontally preferred not to use them.


    ¡°There are no other traces, huh¡­ Does that mean they broke in with just heavily-armored warriors?¡±


    Or perhaps they were something like mountain bandits¡­ No, that can¡¯t be. People with such conspicuous getup would have gotten stopped at the gate.


    Even if they were Adventurers, that would still leave many doubts. Them being only armored soldiers sounded too imbnced for Adventurers.


    If they were all like that, they would surely be a gossiped at the Guild. However, I haven¡¯t heard any such rumors.


    ¡°Then, another possibility that I can think is¡­ That knights and guards were involved.¡±


    It was the influential bunch that wanted to have Michelle. In that case, there was a high possibility that their underlings were regr soldiers. If it¡¯s them, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to wear these kinds of boots.


    ¡°If it were knights, things would turn pretty troublesome.¡±


    The reputation of the knights didn¡¯t fall because they coborated with Cortina. But if this matter got out, it would hit rock bottom in one go.


    ¡°At any rate, time to check the interior¡­¡±


    Next, I went to inspect the room.


    The ce was devastated, but only locations of a certain size were damaged. The size where a child could fit.


    You could see this as them searching for ces where Michelle could have hidden. As expected, she was their aim.


    The bloodstains were half-dried, so it probably didn¡¯t happen just recently, but not a lot of time should have passed since.


    ¡°Could I manage to catch up if I¡¯m lucky?¡±


    I was about to rush out, but I managed to hold myself back. Even if I did that, I didn¡¯t know which direction they headed to.


    There were hobnail traces on the floor too, making it apparent that they came in with their shoes on.


    ¡°It would have made things easier if they had a crest on their boots¡­¡±


    When it came to famous noble¡¯s soldiers, they often used equipment with the noble¡¯s crest carved on it. However, they were apparently not so stupid to storm the house and kidnap people with such equipment on them.


    Thus, I started thinking.


    Maxwell should have been strictly monitoring what was happening inside Raum. And yet, they managed to kidnap people so brazenly. You could consider this as quite a reckless move.


    Assuming that¡¯s the case, would they risk taking uncle and auntie to their own house?


    ¡°If they did that, it would be basically advertising that they were the culprit. In that case¡­¡±


    In the first ce, you couldn¡¯t get into the noble district while carrying a cart. That meant that they either took them to themoner district¡­ Or outside the city.


    They couldn¡¯t leave the two behind. And they also needed to keep them alive to negotiate with Michelle.


    My assumption that they were taken outside was most likely correct. With that, which ce would be suitable to confine and keep them alive¡­


    ¡°Being along the highway with lots of traffic seems unlikely. Then¡­ There¡¯s a high chance they headed into the forest.¡±


    There is a possibility that they headed towards the hot spring town, but that road had just as much traffic as the main road.


    If they wanted to avoid public eyes, they would have gone inside the forest, after all. There were quite a few huntsmen huts spread around Raum as emergency shelters during thunderstorms. The climate was stable around here, but it still rained. And when it rained on you inside the forest, it was easy to lose your sense of direction.


    In order to avoid that danger, there were many huts set up in the forest. And Michelle¡¯s father was one of the people that used those huts the most.


    They were probably ideal ces to confine such people.


    Judging that to be the case, I rushed out of the ce.


    My destination was the gate. As long as they had Michelle¡¯s cart with them, following their tracks shouldn¡¯t prove to be hard.

 Chapter 355: Target Discovered

    <h4>Chapter 355: Target Discovered</h4>


    Most likely, the enemy had kidnapped Michelle¡¯s parents and left the city.


    This capital was surrounded by strong stone walls from all sides, so you had to pass the gate to leave. In other words, the guards should have seen them.


    I rushed to the nearest gate and called out to the gate guard on duty.


    ¡°Mister!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Nicole. Not on an adventure today?¡±


    ¡°More importantly, have you seen a cart pass here?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have, as many as you want. This is a capital after all, and we have a big flow of reconstruction materials too.¡±


    His words made me finally notice it too. Even now, there was a longer than usual line of carts at the gate.


    The city had taken big damage during the Goblin assault, sorge amounts of wood and stone were carried in for the reconstruction.


    Given the situation, one cart passing by would not have stood out.


    ¡°Then¡­ How about ones that had strange cargo?¡±


    I tried changing my question. Even if the carts themselves weren¡¯t umon, the kidnappers were carrying Michelle¡¯s parents with them. A cart carrying tied up and wounded people would naturally stand out, so they should have camouged it quite a bit.


    I was asking about that.


    ¡°Strange cargo, huh¡­ Let¡¯s see, there was one that carried a big pile of straw. Iughed wondering what they were nning to do by carrying all that straw outside.¡±


    Straw could be mixed with manure and used as a fertilizer, so it wasn¡¯t such a rare thing for farmers to do. That said, there were no big fields near Raum.


    This city was surrounded by a forest, so it wasn¡¯t suitable for growing grains. Part of the food was mostly imported. Wheat and rice, in particr, were imported practically in full.


    As such, preparing straw here was, in a way, unusual. And when you had arge pile of it and carried it outside on top of it, it would stand out no matter what.


    Still, straw served as a good camouge and it also allowed air to pass through. Even inrge amounts, it didn¡¯t have much weight, and there was no fear of it crushing people under.


    You could say it was the ideal cargo to hide people inside and pass the gate.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Where did that cart head to?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I think they headed towards the southern highway¡­¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°I suppose about an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    This city had gates at east and west. And from there, the highway forked to north and south, allowing one to head to any direction.


    I was at the eastern gate now, so going straight, I would find myself on the road leading to the Holy Tree Kingdom of Forneus. Forneus was the kingdom where the head temple of the World Tree religion was located, as well as thergest kingdom of the continent.


    On the way, the road forked north and south, but few people passed on the southern roadpared to the one leading to the temple.


    As such, it would be much simpler to choose that one if you wanted to avoid the human eyes.


    Thanking the guard, I rushed out of the city. The guard tried to stop me, warning me that it was dangerous to leave the city on my own, but I couldn¡¯t afford to stop now.


    After advancing a few dozen meters on the highway, I reached the fork that split into north and south. This ce was visible from the gate, so that¡¯s how he knew where the cart was headed to.


    I lowered my eyes and tried to find the tracks, but even if this road was less active, it wasn¡¯tpletely unused either. It seemed that several carriages had already passed through, so investigating the tracks would prove to be hard.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯d be impossible to follow their tracks.¡±


    That said, it¡¯s not like I had no other means.


    Even if following the tracks on the highway was impossible, I could still find them outside of it.


    If they headed into the forest from the highway, there would definitely be traces of it left behind. Not to mention, they were in full armor. Considering how they forgot to erase their traces at Michelle¡¯s house, I could assume that they weren¡¯t used to this type of work.


    In that case, the traces should still be there this time too.


    As expected, at a certain distance where the guard¡¯s eyes wouldn¡¯t be able to reach, I discovered a ce where the branches of the trees next to the highway looked unnaturally broken.


    Inspecting that location, I discovered clear wheel tracks under the thick grass.


    The juices of crushed grasses still haven¡¯t dried. They shouldn¡¯t have passed by that long ago.


    I coulde to the conclusion as not even the gouged ground looked dried. As long as I didn¡¯t lose track of these traces, I would most likely catch up to them.


    They seemed to be rtively subtle while derailing from the main road, but past a certain point, they seemed to have abandoned any thought of covering their tracks.


    I could see the traces even if I didn¡¯t check from up close, so I was able to follow it while running.


    After loitering in the forest for a while, I discovered a small hut ahead of where I was advancing. It appeared to be a huntsmen¡¯s hut used as a shelter from wind and rain, so it had a crude outside appearance that was only enough to do its job.


    Next to it, one cart was stopped, with a pile of straw casually unloaded next to it.


    Given how they have discarded straw¡ªwhich should have been important to warrant carrying¡ªas if it had served its purpose, I was certain that this cart was my target.


    There were no signs of people around, so I erased my presence and approached the cart. Inspecting it, it was without a doubt the cart Michelle¡¯s family used.


    It has a small bloodstain on it too.


    ¡°Looks like they aren¡¯t severely injured, so I suppose that¡¯s a relief?¡±


    If they were fatally injured, the cart would¡¯ve had puddles of blood. Seeing that that wasn¡¯t the case, I heaved a sigh of relief for the time being.


    Having said that, that didn¡¯t guarantee that they would remain safe.


    Using the carriage¡¯s height, I climbed up on the hut¡¯s roof. It had a window, but it was a drop window, and opening it could get my presence busted.


    Besides, the hut was pretty small, so just the act of opening the window would most likely stand out. The difference in the sunlight entering in would be apparent.


    Thus, I put my hopes on how half-heartedly the hut was made and looked for the gaps from above.


    Fortunately, I was both small and light, so my climbing didn¡¯t give rise to any weird creaks.


    The roof had wood knots here and there, and even leaving them out, there were still several holes here and there.


    I silently peeped down from one of those holes.


    ¡°Good grief, making us do something like this.¡±


    I heard those words from inside. The dim room was lit by antern, so I could clearly identify their facial features.


    I saw uncle left in the corner of the hut. Along with auntie who was tied up.


    Uncle was bleeding from the mouth, and sometimes even coughed out blood. There was a chance that his internal organs were damaged. If that was true, he needed healing, and fast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. We have no future to look forward to anyway. We can¡¯t go on without making pocket money through this kind of dirty work.¡±


    ¡°If only we could have participated in the defensive battle. The secondpany bunch that does outside patrol have all gotten popr now, you know?¡±


    ¡°But in exchange, we remained safe, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Come on, some Goblin¡¯s got nothing on me.¡±


    There were three men inside the hut. I didn¡¯t remember them, but judging from their conversation, they seemed to have been some corrupted knights who had missed their spotlight.


    At any rate, I managed to discover my rescue targets, so it¡¯s going well so far.

 Chapter 356: Rescue Commences

    <h4>Chapter 356: Rescue Commences</h4>


    I remained on the roof while erasing my presence, waiting for an opportunity to rescue Michelle¡¯s parents.


    There were three men in total. Judging from how they conducted themselves, I should have easily won even if I challenged them head-on.


    However, the injured uncle and restrained auntie were hostages now, so doing something reckless might put their lives in danger.


    If I was going to do it, I had to choose the timing to take care of them in one fell swoop, while also guaranteeing the safety of the hostages.


    ¡°Still, do we really have to keep these two alive?¡±


    ¡°Hah? They are the hostages to catch that Michelle brat, so of course we do.¡±


    ¡°Come on. Couldn¡¯t we just catch the brat instead?¡±


    ¡°Well she wasn¡¯t there, so there you have it. Besides, don¡¯t underestimate her just cuz she¡¯s a brat. She¡¯s a monster that could shoot enemies outside from the spire top.¡±


    Listening to that, one of them took a spit. Then he approached auntie and kicked her in frustration.


    ¡°Gyah!?¡±


    That caused her to scream and sent her flying away.


    That change in position made it hard to do a surprise attack now.


    ¡°Damn it, making us put extra work!¡±


    ¡°Stop it. If you kill her, that brat¡¯s arrows would be pointed at us next.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re using her parents as a shield huh. We sure have fallen low.¡±


    ¡°It is how it is. We won¡¯t be able to make a name for ourselves with our abilities. The fact that the secondpany imed the Goblin raid achievements is also because weck strength.¡±


    ¡°If I had the chance, even I could¡¯ve done the same!¡±


    This time, he went and kicked the uncle.


    Given how injured he already was, he failed to put up any defense and took on the kick, spitting out blood. He seemed to be already unconscious, however, as he didn¡¯t raise any voice.


    There, I started considering the situation.


    If I broke inside the way things stood, I would only be putting them to danger. That said, uncle¡¯s condition seemed quite bad too.


    I could wait until Cortina or Maxwell arrived, but his condition might worsen until then.


    ¡°¡­I suppose it¡¯s better that I deal with them to heal them as fast as possible, huh?¡±


    But in that case, I had to hide my identity if I intended to capture them alive. If they saw me disy extraordinary fighting strength as Nicole, it could lead toplications.


    ¡°It would be fine if I turn into Reid, but the clothes¡­¡±


    I had the academy clothes on me now. If I turned into Reid in this condition, I would juste off as a pervert. Well, in the worst case, I would just have to deal with it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if auntie is still conscious either. But still¡­¡±


    I once again looked down. The man had kicked her once again and made her faint.


    Normally, I would curse them for doing something so inhuman, but this time, you could say it helped me too. After all, they had just made the witnesses faint for me.


    ¡°I guess this is why there were petty underlings.¡±


    Now that there were no more witnesses, there was no need to hold back.


    Trying to keep the noises as low as possible, I undressed and folded my clothes. Then I took my leftover scroll and changed to Reid.


    The pain as if my body was melting tormented me, but I gritted my teeth and endured screaming. I had experienced this pain many times already, so I was quite used to it. Still, it was difficult to endure itpletely.


    As I was clutching my fist, I ended up scratching the wooden board of the room, and the sounds reached inside.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I heard something from the rooftop¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably just a rat, don¡¯t ya think? We are in a forest, you know.¡±


    ¡°Check it just in case. Maybe the girl chased after us.¡±


    ¡°Please, some brat can¡¯t possibly be so skilled in pursuit, can she?¡±


    While saying that, the man walked to the door withzy steps.


    You could say this was a good opportunity for me. While holding my head that was still tingling with pain, I moved to the roof edge. Just as I summoned my gauntlets to me, the door below opened.


    I then jumped off, attacking the man from above.


    ¡°Nn? Geph!¡±


    As I mmed my elbow on his head, he could only muster a weird yelp and copsed on the spot.


    These guys had some mastermind, so I couldn¡¯t kill them until they spit it out.


    Seeing me suddenly show up, the two other guys stood shocked without understanding what happened.


    ¡°Wh-¡­ Who the **** is this pervert!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M NOT ONE!¡±


    I ended up yelling back, but their reaction was natural. If a naked man in gauntlets jumped from the roof, just about anyone would shrink back. Even I.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t care less about their state now. I closed in on the flinching men and drove a knee into one¡¯s gut. He was certainly taken aback, but my speed was quite something too.


    Physical strengthening using the threads as well as Enchant magic. And above all, the body that could handle them both.


    As all of those ovepped, I managed to move so fast inside the hut that they couldn¡¯t even follow me with eyes.


    And as expected, a bunch who would get involved in such a fraud had nopetency to deal with it.


    Thus, one of them took my knee head-on and flew back without putting up any defense. And before he hit the wall, I drove in a hand chop on the other man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Wha-, he dissa-¡±


    My chopnded right after he said that, making him faint.


    In the hut where there was no one conscious left, I alone stood buck naked.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get dressed.¡±


    Saying that, I promptly started to strip the man off their clothes.

 Chapter 357: The Former Physical Abilities

    <h4>Chapter 357: The Former Physical Abilities</h4>


    I stripped all the clothes off the men and tied them up with Mythril threads. If I bound them with these threads, Cortina would be able to tell immediately whose deed it was.


    Also, I realized it after stripping them but turned out that they were just wearing regr soldier¡¯s clothes. They weren¡¯t wearing knights¡¯ clothes, so they were probably just underlings of some knight.


    ¡°Which means, some noble is pulling the strings, after all. Maxwell will have it tough.¡±


    The reason I stripped all three was that I felt it¡¯d be unfair if I only did it to one of them.


    While I was stripping them, a small bag fell down with a heavy sound. Opening it, it was filled with some gold coins.


    ¡°It¡¯s about an average government official¡¯s monthly sry¡¯s worth, huh. Getting into this mess for just that, what a failure on their part.¡±


    With three gold coins, an average family could live for a month. On light counting, there were around ten of them in this bag now.


    It was an amount that you couldn¡¯t really say would be worth sacrificing your future for.


    ¡°Maybe they would¡¯ve had some saving grace if they tried spending more money and actually negotiated.¡±


    That said, it was obvious that Michelle would straight up refuse, failing to properly measure the mary value.


    There was also a piece of paper inside the bag.


    ¡°Hmm, is this¡­ a written pledge?¡±


    On it, there was written a guarantee that if they managed to catch Michelle, they would get double the payment on top of knighthood.


    As for the writer of that pledge was¡­


    ¡°Lichtenberg. This guy again?¡±


    The same noble that got in the way of Cortina¡¯s appeal for reinforcements. He was a noble connected to former royalty just like Maxwell, and ranked higher than Yowi as a Marquis.


    Due to his superior lineage, he caused problems everywhere he butted in.


    ¡°He¡¯s straight-up evil at this point. I¡¯ve not forgiven him for getting in Tina¡¯s way, either.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t forgive his harassment towards Cortina, sure, but now that he directly harmed Michelle, I wouldn¡¯t be turning a blind eye.


    The reason he tried to secure Michelle¡¯s parents was probably so that even if Michelle became his underling, he still needed a guarantee so she wouldn¡¯t betray him.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, Lichtenberg¡¯s mansion was¡­ Right next to the royal caste, huh.¡±


    I crushed the paper and threw it aside.


    This paper would be proof of crime on its own. However, that alone wouldn¡¯t cut it.


    ¡°Given his lineage, this wouldn¡¯t amount to a serious punishment.¡±


    There was a possibility that a great noble like him wouldn¡¯t be punished gravely for messing with somemoners. Rather, that possibility was the most likely one.


    Maxwell was keeping him in check, but in the end, he was an old man who had left the royalty and even the bonds of nobility.


    He had influence as one of the Six Heroes, but he still couldn¡¯t excessively interfere in the affairs of the kingdom¡¯s authorities.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡±


    The me of my previous life was exactly the person who dealt with these types of people without mercy. I¡¯ll have this one experience how scary I can be.


    There was no knowing when the hut would be found if I left it like that, so Iunched a beacon on the roof. Maxwell who Michelle should¡¯ve contacted should realize it when he sees it.


    I also cast Cure Light on Uncle as an emergency treatment. His life should no longer be in any danger now.


    I also retrieved my uniform that I left on the roof and rushed back to Maxwell¡¯s mansion.


    The fact that I appeared also meant that Nicole would disappear. I needed his power to make my story more convincing.


    Strengthening myself with Enchant and the thread maniption, I dashed through the forest like the wind.


    I ran to the capital in a straight line, jumping over the tall walls using the threads in one go.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe this.¡±


    I did think that I would be able to do it, but I didn¡¯t expect that it would be this easy. Even my earlier speed in the forest was abnormal.


    I ended up getting used to Nicole¡¯s powerless body, so strengthening my tough body of the previous life made my abilities skyrocket to a shocking degree.


    My old body was also rtively powerless, butpared to Nicole¡¯s body, it was like night and day.


    I had a weak but noble body, but the strengthening made me reach a whole new domain. The original me would have never managed jumping over the wall that was at least ten meters tall so easily.


    ¡°At this rate, I bet I could¡¯ve climbed up even without the threads, huh?¡±


    My current gauntlets had ws for climbing the walls. With those, I could support my weight even without the threads.


    And with my current agility¡­ I just needed to get a foothold for an instant to jump to the next one. If I repeated that, I could probably jump over this wall.


    ¡°Can my body really handle this properly?¡±


    With this body and ability, I felt like I could even lead Lyell around by the nose. He certainly boasted of unparalleled toughness, but I feel like I could output speeds that could ignore that.


    As I was preupied with those thoughts¡­ I decided to change my thinking.


    ¡°This is no time for that.¡±


    This time, I hung the thread over the wall and dropped down. If I jumped down as is, even my current body would take damage. Thus, I used the thread to decelerate before hitting the ground, achieving a safending.


    Fortunately, no one seemed to have seen me. Or rather, I acted after confirming that there was no one around.


    Following that, I jumped and kicked off the wall of a house,nding on the roof of the opposite one. Then, I continued along the rooftops towards Maxwell¡¯s mansion.


    I was clearly faster than I was in my previous life. Or rather, I might have already exceeded the territory of a human.


    It was daytime, but there weren¡¯t even any passersby who managed to see me. Moreover, when I jumped from roof to roof, I easily leaped over 10 meters distances.


    ¡°I¡­ Really need to get used to these abilities by nightfall.¡±


    The Polymorph spell shouldst until around dawn. With that much time on my hands, I should easily manage to sneak into Lichtenberg¡¯s mansion and punish him.


    Without realizing it, a viinous smile appeared on my face due to the evolution of my abilities.


    Now, let me use this new strength against that noble who doesn¡¯t know his ce.

 Chapter 358: Permission

    <h4>Chapter 358: Permission</h4>


    It was already nearing evening. During this time period, Maxwell who had routine tasks should still be remaining in the academy.


    I was a little uncertain how Maxwell would move when hearing Michelle¡¯s report, but he wasn¡¯t as adaptable as Cortina.


    Even if they were both Six Heroes, Cortina was amoner who didn¡¯t hold any authority, while Maxwell was formerly among the leaders of this kingdom. The gap between their standings was too big.


    As I arrived near the academy, as expected, I saw Cortina rush out along with a few teachers. The teachers weren¡¯t guards, but they could still be a fighting force. She must have taken them along with that thought in mind.


    As long as she had people around, she could disy her ability well enough.


    Maxwell on the other hand was sitting in the office and issued instructions while going through the documents.


    He probably intended to gain time by sending Cortina ahead, while he wouldter take over the situation with the main force.


    ¡°At any rate, there might be some noble involved in this. While Cortina is gaining us time, contact Marquis Yowi and the castle. Also, send people to the Hortonpany. Little Michelle has connections to that ce too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, understood!¡±


    ¡°Assign guards to Nicole when you find her as well.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Receiving Maxwell¡¯s instructions, several staff members rushed out of the office. Using that opportunity, I slipped through the window and sneaked up on him.


    ¡°Sup, you look busy.¡±


    ¡°Nuoh!? I-Is that you, Reid¡­ Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a wee. I was hiding because I thought it would lead to problems.¡±


    ¡°So, what is with your getup?¡±


    It was natural that Maxwell ended up pointing that out. I was currently wearing the regr soldier uniform of this kingdom on my former body. It was a little short on my feet, but it was still within the margin of error.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped since I didn¡¯t have any other male clothes on hand, but it would have looked weird from Maxwell¡¯s eyes who knew me very well.


    Particrly, thebination of an illegal guy like me and the soldier clothes was far too improbable.


    ¡°Considering the earlier conversation, you should already be aware of what happened, right? I mean about Michelle.¡±


    ¡°Mh¡ªCould it be that you already¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. the perpetrators were hiding in one hunter¡¯s hut on the way to the south outside the city. After making them faint, I tied them up and left them there. Naked.¡±


    ¡°That is quite cruel. Still, it is quite rare for you to let your enemies live.¡±


    ¡°I just thought that would be more convenient even for you. Also¡­ I wanted to get permission.¡±


    ¡°Permission?¡±


    Maxwell looked at me with deep interest as I pulled a chair and sat at the desk before him. And then, I exined the particrs of the incident.


    ¡°He nned to use her parents as a shield to get Michelle under him? He should be aware that he would not be able to earn her loyalty like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he could get shot from behind any time. But since he still acted on it¡­¡±


    ¡°It would mean that he has means to prevent any betrayal?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, he nned to use one of those ¡®cors¡¯ that they put on the ves or something.¡±


    ¡°The cor of subordination, huh? It is a banned item¡­ If that is discovered in Lichtenberg¡¯s mansion, he would have no excuses to make.¡±


    ¡°Right. But this time, I don¡¯t have time to wait until that happens.¡±


    ¡°Mh¡­?¡±


    Hearing my words, Maxwell seemed to have realized what I intended to do.


    Purge Lichtenberg. In other words, Reid, the assassin, would once again return to duty.


    ¡°Well, he keeps ignoring my will to this extent, and even harmed the citizens, so I do understand where you areing from¡­¡±


    ¡°And that citizen was my friend. No way I can overlook him, right?¡±


    ¡°Mgh¡­ I would have preferred to deal with him using the normal means.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it would be given your position. That¡¯s why I came to get your permission like this.¡±


    I could understand that Maxwell, given his public standing, wanted to act ording tows as best as he could. When it came to a bigshot like Lichtenberg, in particr, he would need to issue a punishment that would satisfy the masses.


    On the other hand, given that he was a leading aristocrat, there was a high possibility that his life would be spared. He would most likely be stripped of his power, but he could just be made to retire in some remote ce and end it at that.


    He tried to put his hand on Michelle, so I couldn¡¯t allow him to get away with such a carefree retirement.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ At this stage, you will not listen to anything I will say, would you?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    ¡°When do you n to do it?¡±


    ¡°Possibly tonight.¡±


    ¡°That is fast. No, I suppose these matters require promptness. Understood. I will make sure Cortina and I have an alibi when that happens. Ah, Mateus as well.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    I already expected Maxwell to do something like that to avoid needless suspicion. Mateus was also known as his confidant, so it would be bad if he was suspected too.


    Thus, it made things easier for me as well if he was going to take him along for the alibi. This would save Cortina from getting weird looks.


    Now that I got Maxwell¡¯s permission, I decided to leave his room to start nning for tonight. But Maxwell stopped me.


    ¡°Wait wait. There is still something that you should know.¡±


    ¡°Huh, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°About the virus that you brought back.¡±


    He was talking about the mucus bag that I¡­ Or rather, Cloud discovered previously. Apparently, new information had reached him about it.


    ¡°About the Disease Slime fragment from before.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, you mean from that epidemic?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is a very unusual monster. I was trying to see if I could follow the culprit¡¯s tracks using that fact. However, there have been no traces that such a monster had been discovered nearby Raum in these few years. I have asked every Adventurer¡¯s Guild, but they all gave simr replies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I mean that we do not know where they obtained that virus from. It is a rare species so its detection rate is extremely low. There was a precedent of it discovered some 15 or 20 years ago in the northern parts, but it has not been subjugated.¡±


    ¡°Is there a possibility that they kept the one from that time?¡±


    ¡°There naturally is such possibility¡­ However, it would be strange to think that they were saving for such limited use.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Oh well. I¡¯m not very familiar with that stuff. Dealing with the senile noble that¡¯s before my eyese first.¡±


    ¡°Hahh, you should not be needing my warning, but make sure everything happens ¡®simply¡¯, okay?¡±


    What Maxwell was worried about was whether I nned to massacre everyone in that mansion. Considering that I would be able to if only I wanted to, his uneasiness was natural.


    That said, I was not a cold-blooded murderer. Even if it was my own im, I executed people ording to my morality, so it was my policy to not involve unrted people.


    I returned a nod to his warning and left the room without a word. I needed to prepare in advance to keep the casualties to a minimum.

 Chapter 359: Faction Personnel

    <h4>Chapter 359: Faction Personnel</h4>


    The clothes I was wearing now were the uniform of Lichtenberg¡¯s orderlies.


    They were total dumbasses for wearing their master¡¯s uniform whilemitting a crime, but I guess that¡¯s why they were given such dirty work.


    That guy was a great noble, so he had a lot of servants. As long as I stayed inconspicuous, I could easily slip inside.


    Using the Illusion Ring, I changed my appearance into one of the kidnappers. This should have significantly lowered the chances of them doubting me.


    Moreover, with this illusion, I could walk in while wearing my gauntlets and no one would suspect it.


    Given Lichtengerg¡¯s status, he should¡¯ve had a teleportation jamming device installed within. If that was the case, it was possible that it would get in the way of summoning my gauntlets when I needed them.


    I gave a slight nod to the guards protecting the mansion and confidently walked in.


    ¡°Hey, Fred. You done with your business?¡±


    The guard called me out casually. Considering his words, apparently, the person I was disguising as was frequently away from the mansion. I guess the reason he was wearing those clothes was that he probably slipped out during his work hours.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°I see. Still, don¡¯t leave your post so often, you hear? Our reputation is already as low as it can get.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Returning a curt reply, I passed the gate. If I stood and talked too much, they could suspect my speech and conduct.


    That said, there was no need to deceive them for long. I nned to finish this tonight. It would be fine as long as itsted until then. It was already evening now, so only a few hours were left.


    ¡°Now then¡­¡±


    I slipped into a ce with no people and did a light stretch. I could go and assassinate him right away, but if something happened, slipping out would be a pain. It was more convenient to wait until the nighttime to avoid people¡¯s eyes, after all.


    Besides, I had other things to do before that.


    The first was to ascertain my target, Lichtenberg¡¯s location. Then the mansion structure. And finally, secure the evacuation route.


    To secure it, I first need to thoroughly inspect the ce. However, the structures of noble¡¯s mansions were often kept in absolute secrecy due to all the valuable articles that were stored inside.


    Moreover, some nobles also had secret paths built for emergencies, so it was a big pain. I had a painful experience with that during the Tarkashire matter from before.


    If Count Serwa didn¡¯t manage to escape then, no harm would¡¯vee to Cortina either.


    ¡°Thinking back, I should¡¯ve tormented that b?a?s?t?a?r?d? more.¡±


    Well, with Gideon getting in the way, I didn¡¯t really have any leeway for that, but my blood was rising now as I looked back.


    As I loitered in the mansion, a finely dressed knight addressed me.


    ¡°Fred, what are you doing here. Didn¡¯t you say you were going to train until night!¡±


    ¡°Huh, eh?¡±


    ¡°What is foolish expression. Don¡¯t tell me you have forgotten your master¡¯s face!¡±


    The knight raised his voice in irritation as he red at me.


    Hearing the word ¡°master¡±, I finally remembered that the guy I was disguising as was supposed to be an orderly.


    The orderlies served under knights, aiming to be knights themselves. They were apprentice knights, so to speak.


    ¡°I-¡­ Um, something urgent came up and¡­¡±


    ¡°I never heard of that. Come, I¡¯ll beat yourzy attitude into shape!¡±


    ¡°Eeeh!?¡±


    I wanted to escape, but doing so would also be problematic. Let¡¯s just take them on without standing out too much and deceive them


    It wasn¡¯t in my nature to announce myself and attack head-on. Even so, I was strong enough to handle a knight of this level as is, now.


    That said, doing so would just be too conspicuous, so it was quite troubling.


    ¡°Damn you, you seem to have gotten quite stronger huh!¡±


    ¡°No, not at all?¡±


    I lightly warded off the knight¡¯s frontal sh. It would be too suspicious like that, so I pretended to lose my posture.


    ¡°Hmph, but you still have ways to go! An opening!¡±


    Why are you announcing it! I barely endured yelling back in response. I wanted to warn him to just take the opening and attack without saying anything.


    If I took on the sh of the sham sword that had a lot of force into it, it would get in the way of my activity. That said, if I didn¡¯t, the training would just keep on going forever, so I was pretty lost on what to do.


    I swung my leg from my broken posture and kicked the back of the knight¡¯s hand. Missing its mark, the knight stumbled forward, his neck being full of openings.


    I could probably decapitate him three times over in this instant.


    Still, it was pretty sad that he was a knight with only this level of strength. Considering that the knight¡¯s previous defensive battle wasn¡¯t bad, this showed clearly how shallow Lichtenberg¡¯s faction was.


    Perhaps Lichtenberg desired Michelle so much exactly because of how low his soldier¡¯s level was.


    After repeatedly getting shed and dodging it for thirty minutes, the knight finally ran out of breath. It would be too suspicious if I didn¡¯t break a sweat so I started panting unnaturally.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯ve be quite something. To cause me so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m still not as good as honored knight¡­¡±


    ¡°Honored knight? Do you not always call me Lord Antonio?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. I meant to say, not good enough to be a knight.¡±


    So this knight was called Antonio, huh? I¡¯ll remember it¡­ Just for tonight.


    ¡°Still, I cannot admire you using kicks and punches in a sword fight. It has to be fought with swords alone, fair and square. If you are aiming to be a knight, correct that part.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±


    I see, no wonder Lichtenberg is short-handed. When a dumbass like him is a knight, it practically shows that he has no talented personnel.


    Or well, I guess that was also the reason why he also had people he could give such dirty work to like this Fred guy.


    ¡°Um, Lord Antonio. May I retire for now?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. Right, it is already time for a meal.¡±


    Antonio stood up while holding his trembling knees. I was about to retort to him, but managed to hold it down. I sure have grown ustomed to holding back


    Looking around, people were giving me surprised looks. It seemed that enduring Antonio¡¯s attacks was an unusual event for this Fred.


    Still, this practice wasn¡¯t for naught either. These training grounds were located behind the mansion, so there were surprisingly few human presences aside from knights.


    It would even be deserted once night hits. I decided to use this ce during my escape.


    Thus, I managed to free myself from the knight and decided to hide while I had free time.

 Chapter 360: Disguised Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 360: Disguised Invasion</h4>


    Once the training was over, I headed towards the weapon storehouse and picked a spear. I nned to bring it along while pretending to be patrolling and inspect the mansion structure from the outside.


    Lichtenberg¡¯s mansion was an orthodox two-storied building. However, one part of it was protruded like a tower, and it was the only ce that had the third floor.


    The influential people tended to prefer high ces, so this guy was most likely the same.


    ¡°If possible, I wanted to inspect the interior too, but I don¡¯t think I have the leeway for that.¡±


    If I let him be now, he would probably learn that his attack failed as early as tomorrow. And then he would decide his next action on the same day.


    If I didn¡¯t deal with this guy as fast as possible, there would be no peace for Michelle.


    The first floor aside, the second and third floors weren¡¯t ces that Fred, given his orderly status, could freely wander to without permission.


    In that case, I guess it would be better to disguise myself as one of the maids working on those floors.


    After I finished guessing the structure from the outside and confirmed my escape route, I once again slipped inside. This time, I settled on one young-looking maid and changed my illusion.


    The reason I chose a younger maid was that it would be easier to use tears to get my way during the critical moment. As for the voice¡­ I¡¯ll try my best.


    I had memories of being forced to crossdress by Cortina in the past¡­ No, let¡¯s just stop remembering it.


    Thus, I settled on a ck-haired maid from mid tote teens and returned inside the mansion. The spear mighte in handy in the future, so I hid it along my escape route.


    ¡°nesse, nesse I¡¯m talking to you!¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Ah, are you talking to me?¡±


    ¡°Who else is around!¡±


    As I was on my way towards the stairs, I was called by a slightly older maid. I tried to make my voice as high-pitched as possible and responded back. My voice belonged to a man now, so I had to put in some effort.


    As it turned out, the owner of this appearance was called nesse. I¡¯ll remember it, just for tonight.


    However, her name sounded simr to Cloud, so I was a little anxious there.


    ¡°Hey, did your voice change? It sounds a little too deep, you know?¡±


    ¡°Errr, could it be that I have caught a cold?¡±


    ¡°Really? Oh well. We seem to be missing turnips for Master¡¯s dinner. Could you go buy some for me?¡±


    Saying so, the maid pushed the shopping basket to me. But if I left the mansion now, it alles to nothing.


    While I was thinking about how to get out of this, a certain rumor crossed my mind. It was about howscivious Lichtenberg was rumored to be.


    Thus, I flipped mydy switch on and turned into feminine mode.


    ¡°Um¡­ Master has summoned me earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Again? Can¡¯t he just rub it out himself already?¡±


    The maid put a hand to her waist and said in anger, then took the basket and went away. She probably hurried to buy the products in great haste. I felt bad for making her work, but this would be herst job here, so I hope she forgives me with that.


    Then, I headed to the second floor, and was addressed several times, but they let me pass once I brought out Lichtenberg¡¯s name.


    Apparently, simr things happened many times before now.


    Thus, passing through the second floor, I headed to the stairs leading to the third one situated around the center.


    When I head upstairs, there was a room right ahead of the corridor, with no other path past it. It seemed that this floor was dedicated to that room alone.


    I knocked on the door as a test, but there was no reply. Finding it strange, I quietly opened the door and found Lichtenberg snoring on the bed.


    Was this man, who had kicked off his nket and was exposing his fat belly, really Lichtenberg? Thinking back, I didn¡¯t know how he looked like.


    ¡°So carefree¡­¡±


    Still, seeing how he was snoring loudly after putting his hands on Michelle¡¯s parents, blood rushed to my head.


    When I extended a thread from my gauntlet, thinking to put an end to him right then and there, the door behind me was knocked furiously.


    I quickly stuck to the wall and switched my illusion. By turning the illusion from a maid to a wall, I was able to avoid being seen.


    ¡°So noisy, what is it!¡±


    ¡°Master, are you alright!¡±


    ¡°What? What is going on? You may enter.¡±


    It seemed to be the voice of someone he knew, Lichtenberg defenselessly told them to enter. Immediately, a bearded butler-looking man, and the knight, Antonio, entered in.


    ¡°One of the servants reported having seen a suspicious person. We havee to ascertain your safety.¡±


    ¡°Suspicious person?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ording to them, they took on the appearance of a young servant and snuck inside the mansion. They headed towards Master¡¯s room, so their goal was most likely¡­¡±


    ¡°Me, huh. Hmph, so someone who doesn¡¯t know his ce came to target my life again, huh.¡±


    The fat man climbed off from the bed and dered in a haughty voice. So he was Lichtenberg without a doubt.


    ¡°As always, I will take refuge in the vi. Antonio, you shall meet the enemy as my body double.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as youmand!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but think the difference between their statures was too different, but apparently, it wasn¡¯t the case from their perspective.


    The butler seemed to want to say something, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.


    Still, this could be said to be a blessing in disguise. If he would be leaving the mansion, there was no need to even think of my path of retreat. And there would be no need to wait until night.


    ¡°I anticipated this and have already prepared a carriage already. Please make haste and dress yourself, Master.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Go call the maids for me.¡±


    ¡°As youmand.¡±


    As it turned out, this man couldn¡¯t even change his clothes on his own. I considered mixing among the maids for a moment, but discarded it, as it would be hard to deal with him with so many people around.


    No, well, I could easily do it if I wanted to, but it wasn¡¯t my hobby to do meaningless murder. I didn¡¯t n to kill even those attending to him.


    Thus, as I stood and watched, Lichtenberg changed his clothes and left the room.


    If he was leaving the city, that was good in its own way. I could deal with him without any interruptions.


    Thinking so, I revealed a grin under my disguise.

 Chapter 361: Assassination Complete

    <h4>Chapter 361: Assassination Complete</h4>


    When Lichtenberg heard that his life was being targeted, he changed clothes and left the room.


    Looking down from the window, I saw a decorated carriage parked at the entrance. He probably nned to evacuate with that one.


    I jumped down from the window and gentlynded on the carriage using threads. Naturally, I had my illusion set to blend in with the surroundings, so there was no one to take notice of it.


    Soon enough, knights arrived on horseback. They were most likely the guard unit.


    Then, Lichtenberg appeared and went on to board the carriage in haste. I made sure to wrap a Mythril thread around his neck during the asion. This way, I could decapitate him whenever I wanted.


    The knights split into groups of four and positioned themselves at the front and rear of the carriage. When they finished that, someone resembling the captain raised his voice.


    ¡°Time to depart! All of you be extremely alert for your surroundings. The enemy might still be lurking somewhere!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    The Knights responded with a vigorous salute¡­ But sadly for them, their master¡¯s life was already in my hands.


    The carriage started to slowly move. Even if I had an illusion on me, I had my worries about how it could cope with the shifting scenery, so I decided to lower my posture on the roof.


    Before long, the carriage left the urban district and passed through the eastern gate.


    I didn¡¯t know where Lichtenberg¡¯s vi was, but if they were going to pass through the forest, that made things easier for me.


    The knights were vignt of the front and back, but they didn¡¯t consider that I was already on the carriage.


    On the way, a wild rabbit appeared from the grasses, redirecting the knights¡¯ attention.


    The carriage made a sudden stop and the knights tried to move to deal with it immediately. However, when they saw it was just a rabbit, they heaved a big sigh.


    ¡°What is going on!¡±


    ¡°Please be at ease. It was only a rabbit.¡±


    ¡°Then let us move already. The foolish assassin might be following us.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    It annoyed me a bit to hear him call me a foolish assassin, but making a stop here was a gift from the heavens. Without missing the opportunity, I coiled a thread around the branch of a tree above the carriage and jumped to it.


    I was using threads, sure, but my elevated physical ability to manage it without raising any sound at all still astonished me.


    Since I was using Polymorph, my physical abilities shouldn¡¯t be any different from that of my previous life. And yet, seeing how superior my abilities were now made me painfully aware of just how wastefully I was using my abilities while I was alive.


    If I had this strength, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen behind even against that twin-ded Devil. If I cooperated with Cortina, I might have remained alive¡­ Well, no point crying over spilled milk.


    At any rate, my preparations were over.


    I tied the thread on the tree trunk and left the ce before the carriage started moving. When it would start moving, the thread would automatically decapitate him.


    The problem was that they would be alert for the surroundings once that happened, so the question was whether I could manage running away before the hundred-meter limit until the thread was taut.


    My gauntlets were child-size now, so it was quite tough for me. It was fine for a short time, but if I kept wearing it for a long time, it could stop the blood flow and even lead to necrosis.


    That said, I could now strengthen my former body with interference magic. If I used my Stealth Gift on top of it, there was almost no chance of anyone noticing me.


    Soon after I left that ce behind, I heard the scream of a woman from the highway ahead. Judging from their voice, it was the maid that attended to Lichtenberg.


    It seemed that I managed to sessfully lop his head off.


    The Mythril threads made from the carefully selected Huge Crawler were flexible yet extremely tough.


    And once the cart started moving, it couldn¡¯t make a sharp stop. Much less when Lichtenberg himself was urging them to hurry on ahead, so you could say he reaped what he sowed.


    I saw the stopped carriage in the distance that looked like a dot. And how the knights rushed over, dragging Lichtenberg¡¯s body out.


    I couldn¡¯t make out the details due to the distance, but I still confirmed the overflowing liquid and the absence of what should have been above his shoulders.


    ¡°With this, Lichtenberg is no longer a threat.¡±


    Rest was how Maxwell would make use of this fact.

 Chapter 362: Engagement

    <h4>Chapter 362: Engagement</h4>


    Once I sessfully dealt with Lichtenberg, I headed leisurely towards the capital. Since he left the city so carelessly, I still had quite a bit of time on my hands.


    In that case, there should be no problem to say hi to Cortina and Finia before I reverted.


    As I was thinking that, I felt strong killing intent directed my way from the forest depths.


    ¡°¡ª!? Who is it!¡±


    Killing intent¡­ No, this was better to call pure hatred. I immediately took out my threads and became alert. Then, part of the forest¡¯s dark part crumbled as if melting down, reforming into a human silhouette.


    ¡°A¡­ Person?¡±


    The one appearing before me was a boy looking to be 15-16 years of age. He had a sword and leather armor, but it wasn¡¯t a weird getup for an Adventurer.


    That said, there was not a fragment of childish innocence in the aura he gave off.


    ¡°Good grief, I came to check the state of preparations, it turned out that he was easily killed off. And the killer turns out to be someone I know.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I don¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t recognize the boy¡¯s face. Thus, I responded honestly, but his expression warped before my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kufar. But¡­ Ah yes, of course, you¡¯re always like that. You never care about the people you have killed!¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a false usation. I believe I remember the faces of people I¡¯ve killed to an extent.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t seem to have changed, huh? No, it seems like you¡¯re disguised using some magic item or something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hearing that, it finally hit me. Same as how I was using Polymorph to transform myself, this guy might be doing the same too with a simr spell.


    If he was using a different appearance, it was natural that I wouldn¡¯t recognize him.


    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re also transformed into¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    As I was saying that, his tempter suddenly erupted. Right after his face twitched strangely, he kicked the ground and rushed at me. He seemed to have lost himself in rage, he forgot to even use the sword on his waist.


    ¡°¡­Coming at me empty-handed huh. Looks like I¡¯m being underestimated here!¡±


    I shook off his hand aiming for my head with my left hand. But then, I felt a burning heat on my arm.


    ¡°Ouch, you b?a?s?t?a?r?d?, you¡¯re using acid again!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­ Reidddd!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no longer sane, huh?¡±


    I thought he wasing at me empty-handed¡­ But looks like he was hiding acid¡­ or may even some poison there.


    In that case, I felt it would be too dangerous to carelessly touch him with my hands. Thus, I kicked his chest and used the recoil to open some distance between us.


    He didn¡¯t take significant damage due to his tough leather armor, but it was good enough that I managed to take distance.


    ¡°Like I¡¯d let you run!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s running!¡±


    I only gained about a meter distance. But this was the range of a sword. I often faced enemies that used swords, so this was the distance that made me most alert. However, I had my katana with me now. And against an empty-handed opponent, it was more advantageous for me.


    Leaving my extracted threads as is, I put my hand on the katana and prepared to make a drawing sh. The sh that utilized my enhanced abilities moved swiftly like a sh and mowed down his neck.


    The timing made it impossible to dodge it. And it should have taken his head off without a doubt. However, his head remained in ce, and the de passed through it, feeling as if it was cutting through the water.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha! That won¡¯t work on me!¡±


    ¡°S?h?i?t?¡­!¡±


    I immediately let my thread fly and tried to tie the arm that he extended towards me. But even that passed through it, leaving that sliding sensation again.


    It was possible that he was casting an illusion on some non-human familiar or something.


    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re not human¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said shut up!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t as proficient in magic as Maxwell or Maria. Within the sword interval, his attack would be faster than my spells.


    To maintain the distance, I kicked up the ground to blind him. But Kufar didn¡¯t pay it any heed and rushed at me.


    ¡°Taake thiisss!¡±


    He didn¡¯t care even if the dirt hit his face. But since he was charging, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop right away.


    I decided to move forward instead of retreating behind. Considering he was using acid, he probably didn¡¯t consider that I would enter into such extreme close-quartersbat with him.


    He looked surprised for a moment, but then aimed for my face as if trying to mow me down. Still, he couldn¡¯t keep up with my speed. His swing failed tond on me and simply hit the empty space. Then I slipped past his arm and passed behind him. Without stopping, dived into a roll and took more distance. Then as I got up, I constructed a magic circle and started chanting.


    ¡°Crimson Four, Gold One, Jade Five¡ª!¡±


    I poured a lot of magic into it and was about to use the Dispell spell, but then I remembered about the incident where Maxwell was sabotaged in the north. About the enemy who managed to disguise himself inside the Adventurer¡¯s Guild that was supposed to block any use of magic.


    If this man was the same person, Dispel would have no effect. In which case, it was more likely that his disguise was a skill or an ability simr to a Gift. As for the spell that could nullify that¡­


    ¡°¡ªJamming!¡±


    I immediately revised my magic circle and used another spell. Both Dispell and Jamming were simr in that they both caused a disturbance, so their magic circles resembled each other too, fortunately.


    The jamming spell was ranked high among the middle-grade spells, and it obstructed the maintenance of various effects. Moreover, the magic power I put into it was about four times more than normal, so it was a little excessive. Unless it was truly something extraordinary, there should be nothing this spell couldn¡¯t cancel.


    To note, if it was used against me now, it would naturally return me to Nicole¡¯s form.


    ¡°G-GHAAAAAAAAHHH!¡±


    Kufar raised a scream for some reason and stopped moving the moment the spell was cast on him. It only canceled things affecting the target, so it didn¡¯t deal any pain.


    But he was writhing in agony and desperately twisting his body, trying to resist the spell with all his might.


    Still, he had no hope of that considering I put four times the magic power into it. And in the first ce, the moment I made the move, I already had the advantage.


    Thus, his figure blurred and faded¡ªreced by a jade green humanoid something.

 Chapter 363: Kufar’s Identity

    <h4>Chapter 363: Kufar¡¯s Identity</h4>


    When I first saw that form, I thought it was some kind of jade Golem in human shape.


    But that wasn¡¯t it.


    In reaction to his squirming, that body started jolting and swaying. That made me realize that it was soft¡­ viscous liquid shaped like a human.


    ¡°A¡­Slime?¡±


    ¡°D-Damn you¡­W-What have you done¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­This is the first time I¡¯ve seen an intelligent Slime.¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡­ Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I am a human! I may be a half-demon, but I¡¯m not some Slime!¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    Kufar was trying his best to keep his copsing body in a human shape.


    So the reason why my sword and threads passed through him was that he didn¡¯t possess any flesh, huh?


    There was also his color. It looked like that poison that spread illness in Raum.


    ¡°Disease Slime. I heard they were rare species, but I never thought they were intelligent as well.¡±


    But thinking about it, there were cases like Den too. There was a possibility that they would gain high intellect if they mutated under the Ley Line influence. This guy was probably one of those extreme cases.


    ¡°Then what about you, huh?!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I died and reincarnated into this ugly form. Then what about you who killed me?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯ll tell you?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make you¡­ Crimson Four¡ª¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d let you!¡±


    He tried to cast Jamming on me, but I shot my thread at him. The physical damage was mostly ineffective against Slimes, but Enchanted equipment could still deal good damage.


    This was one of the reasons why I couldn¡¯t deal any damage to him thest time we met in the city.


    At any rate, I couldn¡¯t reveal my identity to this guy now.


    I was freeloading at Cortina¡¯s house, and was in a state where I couldn¡¯t go into hiding right away.


    In other words, if he got to know my identity, he would have the opportunity to attack any time, while my actions would be limited.


    And that could also lead to a situation where Cortina, and my otherrades, would get to know my identity.


    While Kufar was chanting, my diagonal shnded on him without managing to dodge it. My current attack that used Mythril instead of piano threads, seemed to have dealt adequate damage, breaking his posture.


    ¡°Damn you¡­!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even scream from pain, and still call yourself human.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Since I know what you are, you have no hope of beating me any longer. If I knew you were a Slime, I would have dealt with you differently.¡±


    ¡°Khh.¡±


    Not to mention, my gauntlets were equipped with the ability to instantly enchant my threads. You could even say they were a natural enemy for this guy.


    After his unknown factor went away, he no longer had any hope of winning.


    ¡°Your luck ran out the moment you decided to approach Cortina.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll definitely¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no thanks.¡±


    With katana in my right and thread in my left hand, I prepared for mid to short quarter attacks.


    The acid he fire thest time wasn¡¯t from some equipment he hid in his arm, but from his body itself. In which case, I was probably already in his attack range. I had to stay alert.


    As expected, Kufar swung his arm without moving from the ce.


    It was the acid attack. But I already expected it.


    I swung my arm in a simr manner and knocked down the acid with threads. Once I finished knocking everything down, I closed in on him in one go and thrust my katana.


    ¡°Gaaah!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a barefaced scream. Slimes shouldn¡¯t have a sense of pain.¡±


    Imented and once again kicked off his leather armor. I chose the armor because if I stepped on any other body part, my food could have gotten submerged and dissolved.


    The armor guarding his body also acted as sort of a container that held his body.


    After rolling on the ground, the distance opened up between us again. Kufar yelled in grief as he got up.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I am a human!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re supposed to be but¡ªwait, did you say Half-Demon?¡±


    Right, he called himself a Half-Demon earlier. And that he was reborn.


    Thinking back, this guy was probably the one who interfered in contacting Maxwell during the Goblin battle.


    To add, the group he was in was trying to summon Devils.


    Someone calling himself a Half-Demon, and Devil summoning, on top of the thing about reincarnation. I finally connected the dots between those facts.


    ¡°You, are you the priest¡ªfrom back then?¡±


    The ritual that became the reason behind my death. The one behind it was the orphanage priest.


    What if he had gotten reborn just like me? But unlike me, into something other than human?


    The answer to that was provided to me by his following yell.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! You seem to have gotten reborn as a human again, but I ended up like this! What a blessed guy you are, huh!¡±


    ¡°Hah, I thought my life was f?u?c?k?e?d? up, but here you are.¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t received the Ley Line¡¯s influence, I wouldn¡¯t even realize that I used to be a human and spent my life as a predator led by natural instincts.¡±


    ¡°That would have been way better for the greater good.¡±


    ¡°But you got reborn as a human huh? A Hero in previous life, human in this one. Quite different from me, huh! That fortune of yours makes me nauseous!¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like my fortune was the only reason I got to be a hero!¡±


    It was probably true that being reborn as a human was a fortune. I hadn¡¯t considered what it would be like if I was reborn as some other lifeform. However, the glory of my previous life was something that I obtained by pouring sweat and blood into it. I didn¡¯t want it attributed to my luck.


    I flew my threads at him red by my irritation. A slime thatcked in agility could never dodge that attack.


    It tore his armor, but didn¡¯t stop and that and sent him flying behind.


    His main body was torn now, so I just needed to deal the finishing blow and this troublesome incident woulde to a close.


    I carefully approached him while being alert for surprise attacks. But then, different voices interrupted me.


    ¡°You, what are you doing there!¡±


    ¡°Suspicious, don¡¯t move!¡±


    ¡°Are you the one who killed our Master!¡±


    Looking there, I saw several horsemening my way. They were most likely the subordinates of Lichtenberg that I finished off earlier.


    They probably turned back to search for the killer.


    ¡°Tsk, what a bad timing¡­¡±


    I only turned away for a moment, then looked back at Kufar. But he was no longer there.


    ¡°S?h?i?t?, did he camouge?¡±


    Simr to Blobs, the higher species of Slimes, he also seemed to possess the mimicry skill. When it came to Blobs that had low intelligence, they only possessed enough ability to camouge as grass and such, but with the human intellect, it was a dangerous ability.


    Thinking about the applications of my Illusion Ring, I could understand how effective that ability was.


    I quickly shed the ce he used to be on with threads, but I didn¡¯t feel any response.


    A superior Slime possessing human intellect. The mimicry and predation skills it possessed were quite troublesome in a way.


    However, I couldn¡¯t waste time and chase after him now.


    There were four knights on horseback rushing towards me now. They were no match for me, but I wanted to avoid needless murder, so it was a number I would rather not fight.


    ¡°¡ªShould I withdraw?¡±


    Even if their superior was a wretch, it didn¡¯t mean that all his subordinates were bad. It would be one thing if they were people who understood and willinglymitted crimes like during the time with the ve merchant, but these people were actual knights. They weren¡¯t trash like Fred.


    It wasn¡¯t my intention to get normal people involved in this. Besides, I couldn¡¯t make light of a surprise attack from the lurking Slime.


    ¡°Agh dammit! Remember this, Kufar!¡±


    I didn¡¯t lose or anything, but I still ended up leaving that loser¡¯s line behind as I left the ce.

 Chapter 367: Graduation Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 367: Graduation Ceremony</h4>


    Even more time has passed since.


    We were vignt of Kufar, but ever since that attack, he has not shown his face.


    We kept being vignt for some time, but eventually, it started to fade away.


    It wasrgely due to Maxwell deploying Enemy Search that detected monsters around. Using it continuously was almost impossible, but with Maxwell¡¯s magic power pool, even that became possible.


    However, the effect was still not able to cover the area outside the city.


    ¡°Indeed, in these six years, you have devoted yourself to studying in this academy, and now, you have gained skill as magicians that would not put you to shame no matter where you go¡­¡±


    That same Maxwell was on the auditorium stage, giving a rare long speech.


    In front of him were the graduating students lined up in rows. In other words, we.


    ¡°Everyone will henceforth walk on their respective paths. Many will perhaps choose difficult paths to follow. However, for as long as you keep what you learned and experienced in this academy into your hearts, you will be able to ovee those difficulties without fail.¡±


    I sat at one of the chairs arranged inside the auditorium and watched Maxwell give a rare fervent congrattory address.


    Letina and Matisse next to me had their hands joined at their chests, enduring their tears. Or rather, they were trying to endure, but their eyes were already like waterfalls.


    ¡°Here, Letina, wipe your tears and snot.¡±


    ¡°But.. But¡­¡±


    ¡°Ady should not look so snotty.¡±


    ¡°I ronh wanhha heer zhat from you, Nicole.¡±


    ¡°Speak properly!¡±


    Receiving a handkerchief from me, Letina wiped her tears. And then also blew her nose and tried to give it back.


    ¡°Haff ish bakh.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Ohay?¡±


    Handkerchief full of a drill-haired young girl¡¯s snot wasn¡¯t something that, at the very least, I wanted.


    She can just give it to Cortina after washing itter.


    ¡°Still, are you leaving immediately after the graduation ceremony ends, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, though by immediately, I mean in a week or so. And I¡¯lle back every now and then.¡±


    ¡°It would be lonely¡­¡±


    Matisse couldn¡¯t endure anymore and burst into tears too.


    I was about to hand over my handkerchief to her, but remembered that I had already given it to Letina.


    ¡°Mahisshu, here.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡±


    Letina tried to give her snotty handkerchief to her but she rejected it too.


    ¡°Letina, let¡¯s calm down now, okay?¡¯


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Normally they would have scolded us for being so noisy, but they were overlooking it today. There were no teachers to be uptight even on a day like this.


    Meanwhile, Maxwell¡¯s speech ended and the representative of each ss stepped forth to ept the graduation certificate. From Cortina¡¯s ss I¡­ Was supposed to go apparently, but considering the peerages, Letina was the one to go.


    Honestly, I was afraid she¡¯d make some blunder given her current state, but she managed toe back with the certificate without any issues.


    Then, the ceremony safely met its end, and we left the auditorium.


    With this, we had officially be graduates and were no longer students. That made various emotions bubble up in me. Looking up at the clear blue sky above, I pressed a hand on my chest and suppressed the excited feelings.


    The students around looked at me from a distance.


    It was spring and the seasonal petals were scattered throughout the air. Seeing me stand among those petals probably attracted their attention.


    I had grown that much feminine. Unfortunately, I had already grown old enough to be self-aware of that fact.


    As everyone, regardless of their gender, was captivated by me, there was one man that was running towards me like a fierce animal.


    The men who would dare running towards me with no hesitation were few in number, but in this case, it was unmistakably¡ª


    ¡°NICOOOOLE!¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    Lyell.


    His tears and snow were running down as if he had a hay fever, rushing towards me to take me into a tight embrace.


    I yelled and stepped back to dodge his hug. But Lyell was faster and his embracended urately.


    ¡°Geeeeh!?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you finally graduated. Trying to endure your tears was so cute too!¡±


    ¡°There was no such thing, and you only saw me from a distance. Also, it hurts!¡±


    Ridiculous, I could have dodged him in the previous life at that speed. This b?a?s?t?a?r?d? has be even faster than he was after getting rejuvenated.


    ¡°Still, with this, you have be a proper person. A properdy.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Even I was enchanted by your appearance earlier. You looked like Maria. Though a bit younger.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear. I am quite young even now, you know?¡±


    Maria approached with light steps from the direction Lyell rushed at me. She had a hand on her cheek and appeared troubled, but the scenery behind her appeared dark for some reason.


    Lyell also stiffened and let go of me.


    ¡°Good morning, Lady Maria, Lord Lyell.¡±


    Matisse made a clever interjection with her greeting. As expected of a merchant¡¯s daughter. The way she bowed elegantly while raising the hem of her dress would make one believe she was a noble.


    Lyell also returned her greeting, wanting to quickly change the topic.


    ¡°Hey. Nicole¡¯s been in your care.¡±


    ¡°Rude. I have not.¡±


    ¡°Oh? But you copsed during the warming-up marathon justst week.¡±


    ¡°Letina, shut it.¡±


    Letina, who had recovered from her bawling, also approached us to greet my parents. She was a true noble, so her bow was nothing short of perfect.


    ¡°Good day, you appeared to be in good humor, Lady Maria. Lord Lyell appears full of health as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re greeting Maria first too, huh¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    People who had some rtion to them clearly knew who stood at the top between the two. Both Matisse and Letina were among those ¡®familiar people¡¯ too. It was clear as a day who they would prioritize.


    ¡°You look in good health too, Matisse. Congrattions on graduating.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. I was able to have a happy academy life thanks to Nicole.¡±


    ¡°Hearing you say that means it was worth it to transfer her here.¡±


    Lyell offered his solid hand to Matisse, which she returned. Matisse apparently nned to not advance into higher grades and study the trade at home.


    The influence of the nobles grew stronger in senior high school, so it would be easier on her this way.


    ¡°Okay, is everyone gathered?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Cortina.¡±


    ¡°At the academy, Call me teacher¡­ Rather, that¡¯s no longer needed, huh. Oh well, the ceremony¡¯s over, so it¡¯s time for a party! There are sweets waiting for us at the ssroom so let¡¯s return for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds great. May Ie too?¡±


    ¡°You should just go away already. The students are nervous.¡±


    ¡°But they aren¡¯t your students anymore, right?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ That was cocky considering you¡¯re Lyell.¡±


    Cortina was unexpectedly losing in a dispute against Lyell. Matisse, who endured augh at that situation, politely made a proposal.


    ¡°Teacher, I think having Lord Lyell participate would be more fun.¡±


    ¡°R-Really? Well, fine. In consideration of Ms. Horton here, I¡¯ll let you participate!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I have to thank her for this.¡±


    Thus, we made merry in the ssroom until the sun was just about to set. A crowd had formed around Lyell and Maria, and they were barraged with questions. I¡¯m sure this was an unforgettable graduation ceremony for everyone else too.

 Chapter 364: Reid VS Mateus

    <h4>Chapter 364: Reid VS Mateus</h4>


    After shaking off the knights¡¯ pursuit, I returned to the Capital Raum.


    Using the forest terrain and Stealth Gift to my advantage, losing people who were amateurs at investigation was a trivial task.


    For the time being, I decided to head to Maxwell¡¯s mansion. I had to convey what I confirmed today.


    Nicole was to be guarded in his mansion tonight. Cortina was aware of that already. Since the situation affected Michelle¡¯s parents, there was nothing suspicious about me being protected by Maxwell, who was the biggest firepower of this city.


    ¡°Oh, wee Nico-¡­ Who¡¯re you?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the wee. Mateus, was it?¡±


    This was technically the first time I was meeting him as Reid, so I pretended that this was our first meeting.


    However, Mateus was tasked with protecting the house, so it was natural that he would stay vignt towards an unfamiliar man.


    Seeing him reach for his sword, I felt like teasing him for a bit.


    In the end, I didn¡¯t get to move my body much when dealing with Lichtenberg. Even with Kufar, it was my overwhelming victory in terms of affinity.


    In other words, I still haven¡¯t had an opportunity to fully disy my current power. With a tough guy like Mateus before me, I could do that just fine.


    ¡°I¡¯m the old man¡¯s acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a sneaky way of putting it. Even enemies are acquaintances, right?¡±


    Instead of answering his question, I just revealed a meaningful smile. It was an attitude to get him to misunderstand it. And he easily took that bait.


    He forcefully pulled out his swords and attacked me right away. The speed he put into it showed that he was not holding back at all.


    However, for the current me, those shes were awfully slow.


    I dodged his left sh by shifting sideways, and hit his right sh at the de¡¯s base, turning it away.


    In response, I sent a low kick towards his shifted leg, but he avoided it as expected.


    That was within my calctions, however. Instead of killing my momentum, I swung my arm on top, did a half-rotation, and added a backward roundhouse kick.


    Switching from low to high attack while his posture was broken proved to be too much for him to react to and he took the attack on.


    That said, he wasn¡¯t so bad to take that hit directly. Thus, he stopped my kick with his shoulder, and decided to charge at me. But his feet suddenly stopped.


    ¡°You really have no openings, huh, mister?¡±


    ¡°You did well to notice it yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, it¡¯s my loss. Come on, I lost again? Why is Raum so filled with monsterstely?¡±


    Mateus, who shrugged his shoulders with those words, had a thread coiled around his neck. The thread was going over the doorknob, so if he had charged earlier, it would have strangled him.


    ¡°Still, I was charged with protection. Couldn¡¯t you tell me your name at least?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry for provoking you earlier. I¡¯m Reid.¡±


    It was just a momentary exchange, but I managed to easily ward Mateus¡¯ heavy attack away with one hand and capture all his movements, so I was satisfied.


    As expected, someone on Mateus¡¯ level was no opponent for me in this body. Confirming that fact alone was a good enough result.


    After a short while, Maxwell returned home, and after being guided by Mateus, I reported the situation about Kufar to him.


    Maxwell looked a little surprised to see me return so soon, but quickly collected himself, thinking that it was possible knowing the former me, and we moved to a different room for discussion.


    ¡°So yeah, Kufar turned out to be the reincarnation of the priest from my previous life, and a Slime.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I am not following you, so exin it from the start.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Hearing my clear and concise exnation, Maxwell criticized me. It was bothersome, but his judgment was usually correct, so I had no choice but to exin until he was satisfied.


    After he heard that he had sprouted an ego under the influence of some Ley Line in the north, and remembered his previous life, Maxwell couldn¡¯t help but be astonished.


    ¡°What, how can that be¡­ If it was not you, I would haveughed it off as nonsense.¡±


    ¡°We both reincarnated simrly, but we are fundamentally different. I was reincarnated by Maria¡¯s spell, after all.¡±


    ¡°In that case, he is a natural reincarnator huh. Quite a valuable existence.¡±


    ¡°Well, I leave how to convey this to Cortina to you old man. Also, I used the Polymorph scroll today, so tell her I can¡¯t see her this month.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear¡­ The first half aside, please do not make me say the second half. A maiden¡¯s hysteria is beyond my hands.¡±


    ¡°Still, if I don¡¯t disguise, she¡¯ll realize what I¡¯ve been doing as Nicole.¡±


    If it was some unfamiliar uncle, I would have attacked in my original form. But this time it was different as the people concerned were Michelle¡¯s parents. They both knew my face, so if I disyed strength that clearly exceeded an adult¡¯s they would start suspecting things.


    Maybe I could have deceived them with the Illusion Ring, but rescuing them was connected to the risk of physical contact, thus I chose to go with Polymorph instead.


    ¡°This happens because you use Polymorph without considering the situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on. Though I did think I wasted it at the end.¡±


    As I was holding my head in regret, pain ran through my body. It was the same pain I have experienced several times over the past few months. In other words, the pain of reverting to my original body.


    ¡°Kh, I¡¯m out of time huh¡­ Maxwell, please¡­¡±


    ¡°Clothes? Give me a moment.¡±


    I left the rest as I grit my teeth in pain. Hearing it, Maxwell rushed out of the reception room.


    After experiencing it over and over, I could endure it without fainting, but I still couldn¡¯t move. I asked him to get my clothes for me.


    The underling solder clothes I was currently wearing were too big for my original body, so I needed to get changes. Well, it was just Maxwell, so I didn¡¯t really mind staying buck naked either.


    Just as I finished my transformation, Maxwell returned with my uniform. Inguidly epted them and started changing. Seeing how I didn¡¯t care about being seen, Maxwell retorted in exasperation.


    ¡°Goodness, it seems your road as ady is still long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even walking that road. Leaving that aside¡­¡±


    Our conversation got interrupted due to Polymorph¡¯s time limit, but Kufar¡¯s case was the focus now.


    ¡°There is certainly Den¡¯s case, but I had not considered that a Slime would undergo abnormal evolution.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You said there was a disguised culprit in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild despite magic being sealed there. That was probably also Kufar.¡±


    ¡°So you are saying that he used the Slime¡¯s characteristic mimicry skill to disguise himself? That is one troublesome monster when it possesses an intellect.¡±


    ¡°Also, the poison that Cloud found the other day¡­¡±


    ¡°Disease Slime fragment? There were no cases of it being subjugated recorded in the north.¡±


    The rare species of Slime that appeared in the north. It had disappeared without being ever subjugated.


    And then, the poison of that same monster had spread in Raum, and at the same time, Kufar, who was also a Slime, had appeared. He seemed to be trying to improve the Half-Demon¡¯s standing in the society by summoning Devils, and there was also an organization with simr goals and methods.


    It would be weirder to not make a connection among them.


    In that case, Kufar¡¯s im that he was the same priest that became the reason of my death was quite convincing.


    ¡°So the same person that drove you to death became your enemy again? That is¡­ Quite a strange coincidence.¡±


    ¡°To the point that I¡¯m starting to think that it was part of Whitey¡¯s scheme.¡±


    ¡°Incidentally, Reid, how is your equipment? A Slime should have been corrosive. It would be very sad for equipment of that quality to get ruined.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine on that end. It¡¯s made with the Evil Dragon¡¯s materials, and the threads are Mythril too. Corrosion can¡¯t do anything to it. Materials y the part too, but Aste¡¯s skill has to be praised as well. As for my katana, I¡¯ll take care of itter.¡±


    ¡°So you hold the advantage over Kufar alone? Physical attacks are hardly effective against slimes as you know.¡±


    ¡°I have Enchant for that. The current me can deal with him easily.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t someone I needed to be afraid of as long as I knew his true form. As long as I didn¡¯t get dragged into his trap, I could deal with him.


    I dered fully convinced in my words.

 Chapter 365: Late-Night Private Talk

    <h4>Chapter 365: Late-Night Private Talk</h4>


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Lizith¡ªThe face of the tavern that also served as an inn for Adventurers, only noticed that sound by pure coincidence.


    It came from the first floor when she started coughing at night in her room on the second floor and poured water in the ss.


    Since they ran an Adventurer¡¯s inn, they had many Adventurers returning at nighttime. They needed to give duplicate keys to those Adventurers.


    Normally, it was her father¡¯s job to do it, but the source of that sound seemed to have erased its presence now, so he had not noticed them.


    She wondered whether to wake her father up for a moment, but in the end, purely by a whim, she decided to check it on her own.


    This was an Adventurer¡¯s inn. Even if some robber had snuck in, one scream from her would be enough to get them immediately arrested.


    She could not deny that she had such carefree thoughts somewhere in her mind.


    As she headed to the first floor with antern in hand, she discovered someone crouched at the door. They looked like a young man, and one that Lizith knew.


    ¡°Kufar!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that you Lizith¡­ Did I wake you up?¡±


    ¡°Who cares about that! What¡¯s wrong, are you injured?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just tired, so don¡¯t worry. That aside, are Egan and Uno here? I have an urgent report to make.¡±


    ¡°Both of them are in the second floor¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Can you call them for me? Wait, I¡¯ll go there myself. It¡¯s work-rted, after all.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t walk in such a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop, stay back!¡±


    Lizith put themp on the table and was about to rush to his side and lend him a shoulder, but Kufar¡¯s yell stopped her.


    This was not because his condition was as perfect as he said. Rather, because it was so bad, he did not feel confident in maintaining his human form.


    If someone touched him now, the shape of ¡°Kufar¡± could get disrupted and break down. He was exhausted to that point.


    ¡°W-Why¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Because I¡¯m dirty. And also¡­ You get it, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. But okay. You Adventurers are like that.¡±


    Adventurers tended to possess things they could not reveal to others. Lizith assumed Kufar also had a simr situation now.


    Naturally, Kufar simply made her think that way intentionally, but it could be said that that saved her life in the process.


    After all, had his identity gotten revealed, Kufar would have mercilessly killed her.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and give them a notice. Ah, you can drink water if you want, so just rest for a bit, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do that. Sorry for all this.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? You are our customer, Kufar. I can offer you this much as a freebie.¡±


    The first floor was diner-c?u?m?-tavern, so each table had water jugs on it. They reced the water every morning, but some of them still had water remaining at night. Normally, it was only for the guests to drink, but she worried for Kufar¡¯s health and offered it now.


    Thus, after taking a short break, Kufar headed to hisrades¡¯ room. Lizith seemed a little concerned, but she was a girl serving at the tavern where the Adventurers gathered. She was sensible enough to not delve too deep into it and walked away without asking anything.


    ¡°Hey, sorry for showing up sote.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ But what¡¯s wrong? Your movements look crude.¡±


    ¡°I had a bit of a blunder. I don¡¯t feel so good.¡±


    ¡°Did you get injured? It¡¯s unusual for you to make a blunder.¡±


    They joked about it, but they still found his words unexpected.


    Kufar fundamentally acted carefully. He made sure to stay away from the front stage as much as he could and conducted secret maneuvers.


    The fact that he failed and even suffered a wound was a shocking event.


    ¡°Well, the enemy was who he was.¡±


    ¡°You went to keep Raum in check, right? So I guess the Six Heros made their move?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and the most unexpected one out of them.¡±


    ¡°Since you say unexpected, it wasn¡¯t Maxwell or Cortina I assume? Did Lyell or Gadius show up?¡±


    ¡°No, someone even more unexpected. Reid turned out to be alive.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Reid the Assassin. In a way, he was the person they had to be the most vignt of. However, Reid should have died twenty-two years ago.


    That was a fact widespread throughout the entire world, and there were also many who had seen his corpse. As a matter of fact, no one had seen him in these twenty-two years.


    So him appearing so suddenly was shocking.


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be. Everyone knows Reid is dead. Something like, ¡°he¡¯s been alive all along¡± is impossible after so long!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are quite right.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was probably¡­ Reincarnation. He was strangely desperate to avoid getting hit by my Jamming spell.¡±


    ¡°Did he use the Illusion spell to take on his former appearance?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it either. There was no awkwardness in his movements at all. So most likely, it was Polymorph.¡±


    ¡°I see. You should be able to tell that well. Still, an Assassin that can use Polymorph is noughing matter, you know?¡±


    One of the men¡ªEgan, knitted his brows at Kufar¡¯s words, who seemed to have fought Reid head-on.


    If that Reid with his assassination techniques had magic to top it off, they could not even imagine being a match for him. In some sense, his existence was even more threatening than Lyell¡¯s.


    ¡°Yeah, he can¡¯t be left alone. We¡­ Have to eliminate him with maximum priority.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am of the same opinion. But since he¡¯s transformed, what¡¯s his real form?¡±


    ¡°I would not be having so much trouble if I knew that. It¡¯s unknown so far. However, it should be certain that he lives in Raum, and that he arrived there recently.¡±


    ¡°Why would you think so?¡±


    ¡°It has been a few years since things started going not our way in that city. It¡¯s been going smoothly before.¡±


    ¡°But Raum is not the only one, you know? Our coborator in the southern Geeze Union has been taken out too.¡±


    ¡°You mean that ve merchant? But that¡¯s because he was too bad at self-protection. His information leaked somewhere probably. He got the Jend Sect involved too.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®famous¡¯ assassin group, eh? Reid was the same, but doesn¡¯t having your name known make you a third-rate assassin?¡±


    When it came to master assassins, their assassinations looked like idents rather than man-made. So in that sense, Reid being a third rate as an assassin was not a wrong im.


    But in this case, Reid had enough power and achievements to overturn all that.


    ¡°Yeah. Still, Reid¡¯s skill in bloodshed is not to be underestimated for sure.¡±


    ¡°So someone like that¡¯s staying in Raum, huh?¡±


    ¡°Until we know our enemy¡¯s identity, it might be better to stay away from Raum. In exchange, let¡¯s replenish ourbat potential. How is the summoning going?¡±


    ¡°We managed to summon one vanguard-ss, one warrior-ss, and four small fries too. As for the summoners, we got two more of them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ In that case, give me one of the vanguard-ss.¡±


    ¡°What do you n to do with it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste, but I will use it as a nourishment¡­¡±


    ¡°Sacrificing a Devil to a Devil? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. It¡¯s a closely-guarded secret.¡±


    Kufar smirked in response. That smile made shivers run down the two men¡¯s spines. The two shivered and didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary, and their night talk came to an end.

 Chapter 366: Food

    <h4>Chapter 366: Food</h4>


    The southernmost edges of the north. Even beyond the Evil Dragon Colchis¡¯ nest. This was where the Evil Dragon had initially descended, and also where Kufar had resurrected.


    ¡°Um, Kufar, what are we doing in a ce like this?¡±


    Three silhouettes were visible there.


    One was Kufar. Another was a thin Half-demon man that belonged to the same organization. And another was a two-meter tall humanoid covered in a mantle.


    Needless to say, that humanoid was a Devil that they had summoned in disguise. If they did not hide it, there was no knowing when someone might see and antagonize it.


    ¡°A ce like this?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I mean, there¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    Kufar responded a little displeased at the Half-demon¡¯s statement, but the man did not seem to have noticed it. While sighing at his insensitiveness, Kufar started to exin.


    ¡°There is a ley line running through this ce. If we perform the summoning here, we will most likely manage to summon a Devil stronger than any before.¡±


    ¡°Really!? Then let¡¯s hurry up and bring the sacrifi¡ª¡±


    ¡°But a Devil that strong might be beyond our control. If only we get destroyed while humanity continues to live on, they would be no point in it. The Half-demons have to grasp the title of the next generation¡¯s ruler.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    If they conducted a summoning here, they could summon something beyond their control, something on the level of the Evil Dragon. If that happened, the first ones to get destroyed would be them, the summoners.


    Destroying themselves in order to copse the world domination by humans would be putting the cart before the horse.


    That¡¯s why, they had never attempted summons at this ce. Not Kufar¡¯s group, at the very least.


    Because this was and overflowing with so much ¡°power¡±, Kufar was able to gain intelligence. After predating on other beings here and killing Adventurers that came to subjugate it, Kufar had evolved into something beyond a mere slime.


    That was why he returned here.


    In order to gain more power after suffering a harsh defeat by Reid¡¯s hands.


    ¡°There are no houses around here. And my perception skill doesn¡¯t detect any reactions either. You can remove the disguise.¡±


    ¡°Finally. It¡¯d be pretty depressing if this fellow kept wearing these old rags forever.¡±


    It removed the disguise by the man¡¯s instruction. From underneath, a bald, one-eyed giant revealed itself.


    From its rugged shoulders, four limbs, two on each side, were growing out.


    ¡°A soldier-ss specializing in personalbat huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a Devil called Jarvis. It¡¯s strong and has many arms, so your average Adventurers aren¡¯t its opponents.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. The number of arms aside, it¡¯s good that it¡¯s strong.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that so?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ideal for me to devour.¡±


    ¡°Hu¡ª¡±


    Just as Kufar said those words, his form dissolved and rushed towards the Devil. Abandoning his human form, he surged over the Devil like a sudden tsunami appearing on the shore.


    As the Devil had not received instructions from the summoner, it could not even defend itself and took the attack head-on.


    ¡°A-A Slime? When did it substitute Kufar!?¡±


    ¡°Guaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    The Devil that could neither defend nor attack, tried to tear the Slime off with random hand movements. But each time it tried to do it, the cor around its neck tightened more and more, making it suffer.


    That cor was a magic item that punished the bearer if they made movements they were not ordered to.


    The summoner man did not realize that it was Kufar who had turned into Slime and just yelled in confusion. Meanwhile, the Devil¡¯s skin started to gradually melt.


    Then finally, the man gave it an order to remove Kufar¡ªthe Slime.


    ¡°Jarvis, get rid of that Slime and crush it underfoot until it¡¯s but a stain on the ground!¡±


    With that proper order, the Devil¡¯s restraints were finally released. Being freed from the frenzy brought about by pain, it started to haphazardly move its four arms.


    But the Slime had already covered its entire body. Moreover, its skin was eroded and the flesh underneath was also turning purple, as if being poisoned.


    The man could use magic too, but if he attacked the Slime, there was a high chance he would hit the Devil too in the process. He could only stand and watch without managing to get in the way.


    Before long, the Devil lost its strength and copsed on the spot. Its body turned into light particles and disappeared, but the Slime remained. On that puddle of mucus, a semi-transparent face of a human surfaced.


    ¡°Ah, that reminds me, you could use magic too, huh? Maybe you can be my food too?¡±


    ¡°W-What are you¡­ Where did you take Kufar!?¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t realized? I¡¯m Kufar. You guys were looking up to a Slime as your leader.¡±


    ¡°That¡­can¡¯t be! To a mere slime!?¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­ I¡¯m digging iiiiiiiin ?¡±


    Kufar¡¯s maddened voice became the final thing the man heard.


    That day, three people that headed to the northern wastnds have returned as one. However, there was no one to witness it.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó

 Chapter 368: The Second Departure

    <h4>Chapter 368: The Second Departure</h4>


    A week had passed since the graduation ceremony of the elementary grade of the Magic Academy.


    In the end, Kufar had not tried anything. Thanks to that, I managed to spend a good time with Cortina.


    Problem was that I couldn¡¯t do it with Reid¡¯s form.


    Because I used Polymorph scrollst time, it was on a cooldown. Cortina was quite displeased about it, but spending time with her friend¡¯s daughter was fun in its own way too.


    Thus, the day to head to the Sto domain had finally arrived.


    Cortina, Maxwell, and Letina stood at the city gates. Even Matisse and the orphanage kids came to see us off.


    ¡°Never thought it would turn into such a big farewell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even biggerpared to the time we left the vige.¡±


    ¡°I even told them they didn¡¯t need toe to see me off¡­¡±


    Seeing the orphanage kidse to see him off, Cloud¡¯s eyes seemed to turn a little wet. He had experiences of being thoroughly bullied there, but he had been epted as one of them during these past few years.


    That didn¡¯t mean the internal discord had gone away. He was probably impressed that they still suppressed all those emotions and came to see him off.


    ¡°You¡¯re no longer one of the orphanage people, but this ce is still your hometown.¡±


    ¡°Come back if anything happens, I¡¯ll at least get you some servant work. I¡¯ll make you work like a horse.¡±


    ¡°Like hell I¡¯lle back.¡±


    The sister watched warmly over the children that threw curses around. She knew that their abuses did note from their hearts, but simply embarrassment.


    ¡°Nicole, Adventuring is dangerous work. Remember to prioritize your life no matter the situation, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, stay safe too, Cortina. You¡¯re the easiest to aim for among the Six Heroes.¡±


    ¡°I will be careful of course. But if they do target me, I¡¯ll turn the tables on them.¡±


    Cortina pumped her fist in determination. The problem was that her thin arms did not seem very strong. That said, it was a cute gesture so who cares. She was always stiff, so acting like a little girl created quite a cute gap in her personality.


    ¡°You be careful too, Michelle. And be sure to protect Lady Nicole, you hear?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°You two definitely have to return okay? I will be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Letina is our friend. We¡¯ll definitelye back.¡±


    Then, Letina turned towards me and took out a handkerchief from her pocket. It was that same handkerchief that I had handed over the other day and became all snotty.


    ¡°Here, I washed it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. It wasn¡¯t expensive so you didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°A Marquis¡¯ daughter cannot possibly receive something and not return it.¡±


    Her standoffish attitude did notst very long. She seemed to have reached her limit and tears burst out from her eyes.


    ¡°Ahh, here, wipe them off.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ just¡­ returned it¡­ sob¡±


    ¡°You can just return it when Ie back. That aside, getting your eyes swollen like that would ruin your pretty face.¡±


    ¡°Hearing you say that makes me extremely irritated!¡±


    She snatched the handkerchief, wiped her tears and blew her nose. There was not a fragment ofdy left in her. Then, Lyell and Maria arrived too.


    ¡°This is the second time seeing you off like this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, first was the vige.¡±


    ¡°Nicole, some suspicious people are snooping around Daddy. If you get involved with someone suspicious, show them no mercy, you hear?¡±


    ¡°I know. No mercy to enemies, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re cute, so no mercy to men that approach you even if they aren¡¯t suspicious.¡±


    ¡°That sounds quite problematic. But yeah, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Besides, being approached by men would just make me disgusted. Even Cloud grosses me out every now and then.


    ¡°Also¡­ You can contact us anytime if you need help. You can do it through Gadius or the Adventurers Guild. They will all contact me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    Lyell making a move wouldn¡¯t be like a normal father making a move. It could lead to political problems.


    That¡¯s why I wanted to avoid relying on his power as much as I could. Thus, I asked back.


    ¡°Yeah. Saving her daughter is the father¡¯s duty. Who is to me me for it? Rather, you are too reserved, Nicole.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±


    I was a little moved by Lyell¡¯s parental love. I wondered if I would be able to be as reliable as him had I married Cortina and had a kid in my previous life.


    ¡°Nicole, you have to say goodbye to Kabby too.¡±


    Maria said and held Kabby out to me who she held at her chest. Kabby ended up as an official resident of Lyell¡¯s mansion, both as Fina¡¯s caretaker and pet.


    This was because Lyell had discovered some data that suggested having a pet was good for cultivating aesthetic sensibility in children.


    Not to mention, Fina was the biggest weak point for both Lyell and Maria. If Kabby was taking over their protection, it would be most reassuring.


    It was sad to part with it, but it wasn¡¯t like we were parting for eternity, so it ended lightly.


    Before long, one carriage arrived at the gate. The one riding it was the merchant Temuru. The same merchant who took us to this city.


    And just as before, Leon and Ellen were in charge of escorting it.


    They would be protecting us until we reached the Sto domain. This was how Adventurers¡¯ work usually went.


    I waved my hand, acting as cheerfully as I could.


    Maria was ovee with emotions and started crying. Lyell¡¯s condition was needless to even describe.


    Letina was also waving back so violently her hand could tear off, loathing to part with us.


    Raum, the capital of the Forest Kingdom of Raum. This ce was, without a doubt, my second home.

 Chapter 369: A Suspicious Person Right Away

    <h4>Chapter 369: A Suspicious Person Right Away</h4>


    Our destination this time was thergest city of the Sto domain, Stor.


    It was at a five days distance to the north by highway, a pce beyond the mountains where Den resided.


    ¡°Still, you sure have grown, Nicole. And into total beauty too.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°Michelle has grown lovely too, of course. I almost failed to recognize you.¡±


    ¡°Ehehe.¡±


    Ellen, one of the Adventurers, was giving high praises towards our growth. I did meet them under disguise before, but this was technically our first reunion in my current form.


    ¡°As for Finia¡­ You look the same. Rather, the fact that you look the same is something to envy.¡±


    Finia, being an elf, had shown no growth whatsoever during these few years. From the perspective of a human like Ellen, it was something worth envying.


    ¡°Right, the two of you have grown quite taller. I was surprised.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you say when praising girls, you know?¡±


    ¡°But children would usually find that to be a praise¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no girl who would be happy being called a child.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Listening to their exchange reminded me of how Cortina and I were in my previous life.


    I see, I was oblivious to the fact before, but seeing it from the side, I can see how we would appear to be close. I can see why Maxwell would get worked up if he was shown this scene over and over.


    ¡°Hey, hey? Thinking about it, aren¡¯t those two quite into each other?¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s too obvious¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s so nice, I can¡¯t help but admire that.¡±


    ¡°Michelle, you were quite popr too, you know?¡±


    Finia pointed it out to Michelle who was agonizing with a hand to her cheek. These two were quite opposite in both personalities and figures, but they somehow got along very well. They were like sisters even.


    ¡°Huh, really? I don¡¯t think that was the case.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, you were quite popr in every ce.¡±


    ¡°Mgh, you¡¯re such a bully Nicole!¡±


    There were many organizations that sought Michelle. From the armies to nobles. Even Raum¡¯s Adventurers had an eye on her.


    My sarcasticment got an immediate reaction out of her.


    It was because of her reactions that she was loved by everyone. Before I knew it, Ellen was looking ecstatically at our way.


    ¡°Ahh, beautiful sisters is a really nice sight.¡±


    ¡°Michelle and I aren¡¯t sisters, though?¡±


    ¡°I know that, but it¡¯s so fun to watch girls being merry.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not a show, you know¡­¡±


    ¡°I think your beauty is worth the appreciation, Nicole.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really happy about that.¡±


    I liked looking more than being looked at. It was extremely fun to observe Finia and Michelle. I was observing Michelle as she was being soothed by Finia even now, and they appeared so much like sisters it soothed my heart.


    Thinking about it, Finia apanied Maria during her church-rted work too, so she seemed to have known Michelle from the times they took care of kids. They had quite a long-standing rtionship. It was natural for them to be close.


    ¡°Hm, what¡¯s wrong, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The way she tilted her head was also unbiasedly cute. Given her appearance and her skill with the bow, everyone would want to have her on their side even if they weren¡¯t Lichtenberg.


    Because of that, it was my duty to protect her. She was my lifesaver, battlerade¡­ and my friend.


    I turned my gaze forward to dodge her questioning. It would take us five days to reach Sto. Though it was a highway, it was still running through the forest and there weren¡¯t many people around. It was an ideal ce for thieves to attack us.


    Naturally, Adventurers dealt with such ruffians as much as they could, but no matter how many you get rid of they would still pop up.


    Merchants like Temuru that traveled long distances were especially appetizing prey for them.


    That¡¯s why he was employing Fourth-rank Adventurers like Leon.


    That said, it wasn¡¯t like they were always so skilled and gifted as Adventurers. Back during our previous trip, they were quite clumsy due to youth, so when they were even younger newbies, they must have had their share of troubles.


    In the five years since our parting, they had gone from third to fourth rank, so they were quite literally making their way up.


    As such, they did not forget to be vignt.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Nicole, did you notice too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s someone sitting there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Would be good if it¡¯s just some traveler resting.¡±


    I understood what she wanted to say. Pretending to be resting travelers, getting close to the travelers and attacking them once their guard was down. It was amon bandit strategy.


    ¡°Leon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Sir Temuru, please get inside. Ellen, you monitor the rear. Nicole and Michelle, you guard sir Temuru inside.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Cloud, youe with me. And miss Finia, you support Ellen.¡±


    Leon quickly issued instructions. They didn¡¯t seem to be behaving oddly, but he still deployed a solid formation.


    Michelle and I entered the canopied carriage and stood next to Temuru. Leon took on the coachman¡¯s role, with Cloud walking by his side.


    He was not riding because that way he would not be able to react to battle situations immediately.


    Behind the carriage were Ellen and Finia, monitoring the rear. It was amon strategy to attract attention from the front while attacking from the rear.


    Before long, the carriage reached that person.


    Sitting there was an ordinary traveler at a nce. They wore a little battered mantle and thick beard, giving off an air of uncleanness.


    ¡°Hey, nice weather, huh.¡±


    The man who greeted us was full of pretense. Leon seemed to have felt it too and didn¡¯t erase his vignce.


    ¡°Yeah, it is. Are you resting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The weather was so good it made me a bit dizzy. It sounds a bit silly.¡±


    ¡°Do you require help? We could offer you water at least.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if you will¡­ One sip would be enough. I copsed just before reaching the city.¡±


    It has been a few hours since we left Raum. It was certainly tough to run out of water given the distance left.


    Receiving Leon¡¯s signal, Cloud went to get the water sack. The man epted the water and took one gulp.


    ¡°Ah, you saved me there. I can manage to get to Raum with this.¡±


    ¡°d to hear it. But be careful. Running out of water in the middle of a trip can be life-threatening.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, true, it was a big blunder. I¡¯ll be careful from now on.¡±


    He waved with a bright expression and sat down once again.


    Drinking water wouldn¡¯t get someone so lively all of a sudden, so this was not strange.


    Cloud returned to the carriage¡¯s side and it started to slowly move.


    The man also waved a few times at us, and left the ce behind with no further events.

 Chapter 370: Confirmed Thieves(?)

    <h4>Chapter 370: Confirmed Thieves(?)</h4>


    The carriage uneventfully passed by the traveler. The traveler did not try doing anything and merely sat where he was. He did not behave suspiciously for the time being.


    I could see from the carrier that Cloud and Leon who were walking by the coachman were engaged in some discussion.


    Judging from phrases like ¡°they are probably waiting and observing,¡± and ¡°vignce¡± that I heard from them, they seemed to be of the same opinion as me.


    ¡°Cloud, what do you think of that earlier?¡±


    I asked Cloud as a way to test him. This was considered an experience too.


    ¡°Hmm, right. He was probably the scout of the thieves I guess? He seemed to be on edge somehow.¡±


    ¡°Right, his right hand was constantly at his waist. It¡¯s a habit people who carry daggers often have.¡±


    Cloud¡¯s assumption was ascertained by Leon. I was also of the same opinion.


    ¡°Correct. The dagger¡¯s hilt was visible on his back. I only saw it for a moment, but the scabbard was too thin, so it was probably not some knife he used normally, but instead what people use for assassination.¡±


    ¡°You saw all that from all the way there, that¡¯s amazing. But are you certain that it was that kind of weapon?¡±


    Based on the scabbard, it was most likely a stiletto with a needle-shaped de.


    I noticed it because it was the type of dagger assassins often used, but Leon praised me highly for it. I was honestly a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°But he did not take any action after that, so I was thinking maybe it was just a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. He probably refrained from attacking after seeing Leon¡¯s Adventurer card.¡±


    ¡°My ID?¡±


    Adventurer¡¯s card hung from Leon¡¯s neck. Adventurer¡¯s identification cards had a bordering colored in respective colors that told the wearer¡¯s skill at a nce.


    Leon¡¯s card, being fourth-rank, was also colored green, so he could instantly tell. That man probably had a role of investigating the travelers and avoiding the enemy they couldn¡¯t beat.


    ¡°Then they will not attack us, right? That¡¯s good.¡±


    Temuru felt relieved after hearing our conversation. I could understand it, as from a merchant¡¯s perspective, it was ideal to not get attacked from the beginning.


    However, hearing about the bandits that found the travelers easy targets made me quite pissed. If it was me of previous life, I would have immediately headed to subjugate them.


    Leon also seemed to feel the same given hisplex expression.


    That said, our duty this time was to escort Temuru. We could not leave his side.


    ¡°Leon, let¡¯s hurry ahead for now. They seem to be using this area as their stronghold, so they can be dealt withter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    We were Adventurers, andpletingmissions was our work. It was not the time to carry out our own justice.


    Leon also forcefully convinced himself at my words and urged the carriage onwards.


    ¡°Ellen, we can¡¯t be sure that there won¡¯t be an attack, so be alert. That goes for everyone else too.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Ellen and Michelle responded with a salute.


    When night came, we made use of the roadside lodging hut. This was something made for the people traveling back and forth on this highway, a humble hut that only offered a roof over your head, nkets, and a water well.


    They tended to be dens of shady people, but Adventurers or the kingdom knights were dispatched during those times, so the safety was maintained presently.


    We encountered a traveler aside from us today, but ording to them they were a merchant and their escorts heading to Raum, so there was nothing off about it.


    ¡°Suspicious people, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They may have been the spy of the thieves. Since we had fourth-ranked Leon with us, they probably overlooked us.¡±


    ¡°That makes me jealous. I only have third-ranks with me, so it might be dangerous¡­¡±


    Temuru and the other merchant exchanged information. For the merchants traveling to Raum, thieves nested in that area were nothing but a headache. Much less when they did not have enough power to repel them, as they couldn¡¯t even get to Raum.


    ¡°How about it, Mr. Heath? Would you be able to repel the bandits?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure since I haven¡¯t seen them. But we should manage if it¡¯s just driving them away.¡±


    The escort this merchant called Heath had with him answered so with difficulty. He probably found it hard to dere that they could defeat them. The Adventurer¡¯s card on his neck was bordered in yellow. Proof that he was third-rank.


    The other two of hisrades were simrly yellow.


    ¡°¡­I see, understood.¡±


    Since they couldn¡¯t dere that they would be able to defeat them, the merchant had seemed to realize there was ack to theirbat power and nodded briefly.


    ¡°However, this leaves us in a bit of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Even for us, without Mr. Leon here, returning to Raum would be quite difficult.¡±


    ¡°What should I do. If they pulled back after seeing Mr. Leon, then he should be able to beat them, yes? I will put out a request, so would you be willing to have him subjugate them?¡±


    ¡°Um, well¡­¡±


    The conversation between the merchants led to a request to subjugate the bandits. Even for him, it wasn¡¯t easy to always secure veterans like Leon. That said, returning and putting up the request to subjugate them would also waste their time.


    ¡°Hmm, returning would waste our time, and it would certainly be safer to subjugate them. However, if he goes to subjugate them, we would be vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Then, what if we have Mr. Heath and his party protect you in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°That would mean our protection targets would increase, so we would need higher pay¡­¡±


    ¡°I shall pay for it. However, this is thest resort that we have to do because you cannot defeat the bandits, so let us drive a bargain.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Fine.¡±


    It appears that the other party had reached their deal. Then the merchant proposed it to Temuru once again. Now it was up to our side to decide.


    Would he believe the merchant he was seeing for the first time and ept the subjugation request, or not trust him, ignore and move on.


    Temuru nced towards Leon. He wanted to take care of the bandits, so he responded with a firm nod.


    ¡°Understood. We shall ept it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    ¡°Lady Nicole!?¡±


    ¡°I mean, Leon is a warrior, right? A scout is indispensable in night battles. I¡¯m probably the one with the highest skill in that field.¡±


    ¡°I certainly have some scouting skill, but I am nowhere near as sharp as you.¡±


    ¡°Right? So take me along.¡±


    Finia was hesitant about my participation until the end, but after persuading her that it was for both sides¡¯ safety, she finally gave in.


    ¡°Then, please. But prioritize your safety above everything. It would be great trouble for me if you died.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fully aware of it.¡±


    After we all came to an agreement, Temuru gave that warning. If Leon died here, Temuru would have no choice but to return back to Raum. And now that Heath¡¯s party had more people to protect, they would be easier prey for the bandits.


    Hence his point to prioritize Leon¡¯s safety.


    After that, we checked our equipment and advanced towards the highway.


    Thus, bandit subjugation was waiting ahead of us.

 Chapter 371: Night Fishing

    <h4>Chapter 371: Night Fishing</h4>


    With the bandit subjugation topic settled, Leona and Ellen decided to set out to aplish it. The problem was us. Finia and Ellen were worried about getting children like us involved in human battles.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we are also proper Adventurers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Even I have shot humans before!¡±


    ¡°I thought I would die then.¡±


    Michelle had only shot arrows at humans a handful of times. Among them, the battle from the day we arrived at Raum left the deepest impression on her.


    Back then, I had a hard time after getting rolled into the shock wave she released with her very first shot of the Third Eye.


    ¡°If you two are so determined to go, I can¡¯t just stay behind either¡­¡±


    I was full of killing intent from the start, but even Michelle was willing to apany us. At that point, Cloud couldn¡¯t remain behind alone, so he also ended uping with me.


    ¡°Got it, but don¡¯t be reckless, you hear? If we say run, you run unconditionally. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will run even if I have to carry Lady Nicole.¡±


    Ellen couldn¡¯t help butugh at Finia¡¯s extreme attitude. The Adventurer called Heath took over Temuru¡¯s protection, so we wanted to settle this problem overnight.


    Normally, bandit extermination in the middle of a night was disadvantageous, but they would hardly consider the possibility that the Adventurers that passed by would return to take them out. It would be possible for us to take them by surprise.


    We couldn¡¯t arouse their suspicion as we approached, so we kept the handheldmps at the minimal output.


    ¡°I was thinking about dealing with themter¡­ But I didn¡¯t think I woulde back here on the same day.¡±


    ¡°But judging evildoers right away is a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I advocated with a slightly stimted voice as Leon muttered with aplex expression.


    ¡°Why do you look so happy?¡±


    ¡°Huh, we¡¯re taking evil guys down. Isn¡¯t that a fun thing?¡±


    ¡°Lady Nicole has grownpletely belligerent¡­¡±


    ¡°I just have to shoot from afar, right?¡±


    ¡°But what should I do? I¡¯m not really suited to covert operations.¡±


    ¡°Shhh!¡±


    As Cloud started to grumble I made them stop the idle chatter.


    We were inside the darkness of the night, but it was still possible to see to a degree due to the moonlight.


    Ahead of us, I saw the figure of a man sitting in the same spot as yesterday.


    It didn¡¯t seem to be the same person, in the end, but they still had a dagger on their back all the same.


    It wasn¡¯t strange for travelers to be armed, but you could just carry a normal sword if that was the case.


    ¡°There they are.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Also¡­¡±


    I felt a presence approaching the guy. It appears that we managed to get here before they closed up for the day. There was some distance between us so I couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about.


    ¡°What do we do? Attack them here?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Leon, you¡¯re the leader here, right? Why are you asking me?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, you looked quite reliable there.¡±


    ¡°Oh well. I think we should wait for the attack. That can¡¯t be all of them. And we aren¡¯t sure they are bandits either.¡±


    Their weapons and conduct were simply suspicious, so we couldn¡¯t just go and catch them. As is, he was just resting at the roadside.


    That¡¯s why, I wanted concrete proof.


    And we didn¡¯t know their exact number. Considering that they pulled back after seeing Leon, they were below the fourth rank. When it came to attacking a carriage, at least six people were necessary.


    Three at the front and rear to block the road. And if possible, attackers and lookouts.


    ¡°Shall we tail them to their hideout?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should just throw them a bait instead?¡±


    ¡°Bait?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, dressing up as a traveler and having them attack me. Look, I have an appearance that¡¯d sell for quite a bit, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, I was inside the canopy during the daytime, so they haven¡¯t seen me. It¡¯s perfect to pretend I¡¯m seeing them for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not! I can¡¯t have Lady Nicole face such a danger. Let me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t have you face that danger either, Finia¡­¡±


    ¡°How about you go together then?¡±


    While Finia and I were having an argument, Cloud interjected. We were getting a little heat up and louder, so it was good timing on his part.


    I see, Finia and I as a set would sell for a lot. Finia was a dainty elf, looking to be not even twenty. In reality, she was apparently 27 years old.


    Blonde Finia and silver-haired me. It was quite a showybination.


    ¡°But would that really be fine?¡±


    ¡°Nicole is super strong even if she doesn¡¯t look like it, you know?¡±


    ¡°But still¡­ You are still first rank. And still kids.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just perfect?¡±


    Silver-haired girl and a blonde elf walking on the night road. They would hardly be a pair any more valuable to turn into ves than us.


    Moreover, we had the first rank Adventurer¡¯s card, proof of inexperience. Just about any bandit would aim for us.


    ¡°If it gets dangerous, we¡¯ll be in your care, Michelle.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t let them get away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot by mistake, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sorry in advance.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely don¡¯t do it, you hear!?¡±


    Given how much her lethality increasedtely, if I took her attack with this body, it would be instant death.


    Leon seemed to have imagined the same oue and turned pale. There was a gag order around her, but with the Goblin incident, part of the Adventurers that were at the scene got to know the truth.


    Adventurers weren¡¯t so ungrateful to not want to know who they owed their life to. Thus, Adventurers above a fixed rank who could be trusted had been let on the truth that it was her doing.


    Leon and the rest hid at the roadside, while I intentionally turned up themp intensity.


    Since the moon was out, we walked here while keeping their output on low so as to not get detected, but it would look too unnatural to continue keeping it so low it barely illuminated what was at our feet.


    I pretended to act as naturally and as attractive a prey as possible.


    And like that, I headed towards the men that looked like burrs.

 Chapter 372: Caught Fish

    <h4>Chapter 372: Caught Fish</h4>


    We wanted to have them attack us intentionally to prove that they were thieves.


    Thus, Finia and I took on that somewhat role and approached them.


    The one sitting there was a different man from the daytime, and the one who approached him was that previous man.


    It seemed that they were inspecting theing and going travelers in turns.


    ¡°Ah, thank god! There¡¯s people, big sis Finia!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Big si¡ª!? Ah, right, that¡¯s great, Nicole.¡±


    Finia went along with my sudden ad-lib. But why was she holding her nose there?


    At any rate, I acted as innocently and as age-appropriately as I could.


    I anticipated that the acting would get the men to lower their guards more. This was definitely not my true nature. I deny it with all I have.


    ¡°Oh, good evening there, youngdies.¡±


    ¡°Good evening. Thank god there were people here. It was scary to walk in the middle of the night alone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, streets at night can be creepy. It feels like an Undead would show up any moment.¡±


    The man went along with my non-vignt behavior.


    Under the moonlit night, our figures got revealed, exposed to the torchlight. I had my normal traveling clothes and a katana on my waist, along with my red Adventurer¡¯s card in tant disy hanging down my neck.


    Finia also had her longsword on her waist, but she also had her Adventurer¡¯s card visible.


    With this, the men would probably assume that we were greenhorn Adventurers who had made a mistake in their pace and loitered during the night.


    My silver hair reflected red glow under the torch light, and my pretty face that I owed to Maria got revealed. Finia¡¯s dainty physique as an elf should also have been visible.


    As I expected, the two men eyed us appraisingly. Their gazes made Finia shiver a little.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s night so it¡¯s natural you¡¯re vignt. Look, we don¡¯t have proper weapons on us.¡±


    The men seemed to have sensed her tension and one of them spread his hands to im innocence.


    He had a dagger on his waist, but that was natural for a traveler, or rather, he was too lightly equipped.


    I exchanged nces with Finia and nodded.


    That was both to confirm their weapons as well as to make them believe we let go of our vignce.


    ¡°Umm¡­ We mistook our pace during the day and it has grown dark on us. Is Raum still far away?¡±


    Finia hesitantly asked the men. Naturally, we were just ying the role of lost Adventurers.


    Hearing that, the men chuckled. They definitely thought they found a ¡°good target¡±.


    ¡°It is some distance away. There is a resting hut nearby, so you can go there and take a rest.¡±


    ¡°Really? That would be great.¡±


    There was nothing like a hut where he pointed. It was probably their hideout that way.


    One man grinned and approached Finia, then put a hand on her shoulder. He pushed her into the forest practically forcefully and threw her to the ground after they were out of the highway.


    ¡°Kyaa!?¡±


    ¡°That was bad. Young girls shouldn¡¯t be walking alone on a night road.¡±


    I tried to rush to her side, but another man caught my hand.


    ¡°Whoah there, youngdy, how about you y with me? You look a little small, but still a top quality good.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll probably sell for even higher, actually. It¡¯ll be bad toy a hand on them.¡±


    ¡°Ohe on, we can just tell the boss that they were ¡®used¡¯ already.¡±


    With those words, he reached out to my chest with his left hand. He didn¡¯t do it with his right because he had it ready to pull the dagger at the moment¡¯s call. He was apparently rational enough to do that.


    At any rate, it was already certain that they were no proper bunch. Plus, judging from the term ¡®boss¡¯, we found out that they had morerades.


    There was no need to hold back anymore.


    I threw up my right leg, and at the same time, jumped using the left and clung to the man¡¯s arm.


    I then drove my raised left foot into his face over his shoulder and using the body rotation and my body weight, pulled him down to the ground.


    Normally, my body weight was small enough to hold with one arm, but due to suddenly leaping at him, the man could do nothing but fall to the ground.


    And since I twisted my body, his arm also twisted, and he crashed into the ground.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?¡±


    The moment he hit the ground, I feel a cracking, snapping sensation. It was simr to the sensation of getting your joint dislocated and your ligaments torn. Most likely, his right arm was no longer usable.


    ¡°Wha!? You b?i?t?c?h?!¡±


    As I neutralized one of them, the other one who sat on top of Finia got up. But Finia wasn¡¯t so good-natured to overlook such an opening.


    Since he got up, it meant that he was exposing his vital part to her. And she did not miss that.


    ¡°Yah!¡±


    ¡°Graah!?¡±


    With a cute yell that didn¡¯t fit this dangerous situation, she swung her leg up. It stayed true to its target and impacted the man¡¯s crotch.


    With that, he fell forward but was still holding on to his consciousness. I quickly rose to my feet during that moment and rushed to assist Finia. On the way, I also kicked the face of the still-conscious man with a broken arm.


    ¡°Gaph!¡±


    With a shriek like a dog¡¯s bark, he fainted on the spot. He probably crossed the pain threshold.


    Then I rushed to the man who had copsed in an inchworm posture and delivered one more kick to his crotch with all my strength.


    ¡°Kehyu!¡±


    With a strange sound, the man finally let go of his consciousness. The way he was foaming from the mouth looked quite pitiful.


    ¡°Whew, I have reached the point where I can do something so cruel huh¡­¡±


    I muttered to myself while looking at the disastrous state of the man. I didn¡¯t resort to such means in my previous life, but nowadays I ended up doing it due to efficiency. It was an attack I couldn¡¯t possibly do while I was a man.


    After a while, Leon and the rest came running, having sensed the signs of battle.


    There were two men lying powerlessly at our feet.


    With this, we managed to secure some targets for questioning.

 Chapter 373: Late-Night Interrogation

    <h4>Chapter 373: Late-Night Interrogation</h4>


    As Leon ran towards us, he quickly bound up the fainted men. It was a littleical to see Cloud standing kinda pigeon-toed as he helped Leon.


    ¡°Still, to think you¡¯d deal with them alone.¡±


    ¡°This man¡­ What a cruel attack he was dealt¡­ Miss Finia, you turned out to be more merciless than your appearance suggests.¡±


    ¡°It was Lady Nicole who dealt the finishing blow!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. That man¡¯s state is Finia¡¯s feat.¡±


    ¡°Lady Nicooole!?¡±


    Finia objected with a teary voice, but it was cute so I ignored it. We decided to question the bound men after moving them a bit away.


    We did that because there was a chance that the other bandits woulde to check in on them if they werete to return.


    ¡°Hey, wake up.¡±


    Leon pped one¡¯s cheeks but there was no reaction.


    In the end, with his vital parts crushed like that, he waspletely out. With a sigh, Leon now faced the one with a broken arm.


    ¡°Hey, wake up!¡±


    He poured the water pouch he carried over the man¡¯s head and forcefully woke him up. The stimulus did make him open his eyes.


    ¡°Mg..ghhh¡­¡±


    Since he was tied up with his broken arm left as is, the man writhed and endured the pain. He had to because he saw Leon holding a b?a?s?t?a?r?d? sword in his hand.


    ¡°Answer me, you are bandits, right?¡±


    ¡°W-What could you be talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°Lies. He said ¡®boss¡¯ earlier.¡±


    ¡°This brat¡ªGyaaah!¡±


    He tried to protest, but Leon drove a strong blow to his shoulder with the side of his sword.


    ¡°Answer the question. And don¡¯t lie. We¡¯ll check your answers with that man over there, and if they turn out to be lies, I¡¯ll start by cutting off your arm.¡±


    ¡°Kgh¡­ Fine.¡±


    The other man was knocked out, so they couldn¡¯t even get their stories straight. The fact that broke him was probably the fact that Leon said he would cut his arm rather than kill him.


    Bandits who had not undergone training could not bear the pain dealt without killing them. Realizing that he was in aplete checkmate, he gave up and decided to obediently answer the questions.


    ¡°How many of you are there? What about your power?¡±


    ¡°N-Nine, including me. The boss was a third-rank Adventurer before.¡±


    ¡°A stray Adventurer, huh? Where¡¯s your hideout?¡±


    ¡°A new chasm was formed in the rocky riverside area ahead, and we made it our home after realizing it was quite vast inside.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I never heard of such a ce being there.¡±


    Leon was quite familiar with the terrain as he mainly worked as an escort for merchants heading to Raum. The fact that he didn¡¯t know about it must mean that it was very recently formed.


    ¡°Next, what about your crimes? How many people have you attacked so far?¡±


    I was also curious about this. Adventurers maintained safety around Raum. It was strange that these people got away undetected despite that.


    In other words, they made sure to perfectly ¡®clean up¡¯ after themselves, so it wouldn¡¯t reach the city.


    ¡°Please wait, we¡ª¡±


    ¡°How many did you kill?¡±


    ¡°Khh¡­Only three groups yet, eleven in total.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    It might have been on the lower side for thieves. Leon might have realized that too and pressed further. But the man also desperately argued his case.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth! We have only just recently settled here. Boss has recently lost the vige he was based in due to the recent Goblin attack so¡ª¡±


    Several settlements in the surroundings were gone due to that Goblin attack. This boss of theirs was probably employed by one of those settlements.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t forgivable to fall into banditry no matter what.


    ¡°And, what did you do to their corpses?¡±


    ¡°We buried them. There are enough ces in the forest to hide them. And even if we left them be, animals would get rid of the corpses eventually.¡±


    ¡°I see. So if we leave your corpses alone, they¡¯ll disappear before long, huh?¡±


    ¡°P-Please don¡¯t! I was just doing what my boss told me to!¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were looking for ¡®prey¡¯. Those eleven people would not have died had you not chosen to do so.¡±


    ¡°Please no!¡±


    His face was dyed in despair as he yelled.


    His plea was also understandable. Had he not chosen their prey, the one being killed would¡¯ve been him. Having said that, it would still not be enough to excuse his participation in bandit work.


    ¡°Oh well. If what you said is the truth, we¡¯ll hand you over to the authorities without killing you.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    He answered with aplex expression. That was expected. Though he was not the principal offender, he was still part of the thieves. If he was taken to trial, he would unmistakably receive a harsh charge.


    But since he was not the principal offender, there was a possibility of avoiding the death penalty. Hisplex expression was probably due to imagining that possibility.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s quickly go and subjugate them. If they don¡¯t return for long, they might suspect something and change their position.¡±


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s end it tonight.¡±


    When scouts didn¡¯t return, that also served as information. If these two didn¡¯t return, they would suspect something had happened. Careful bandits could possibly resort to changing their locations with just that much.


    Unless we act before they start suspecting anything and root them out, or even let one of them escape, it could lead to more victims.


    ¡°So, what do we do with this one?¡±


    Cloud pointed at the bound up prisoner and asked.


    Since there were seven more enemies, it was necessary for all of us to move. That said, we couldn¡¯t exactly go back and hand them over to Heath¡¯s party either. The enemy could escape while we did that.


    ¡°¡­In this situation, letting the perpetrators escape would be the most problematic. Let¡¯s leave them here and recover them once we are done.¡±


    ¡°P-Please wait! If you leave us in a ce like this, we¡¯ll just end up as some animal or monster fodder!¡±


    ¡°If that happens, just me your bad luck.¡±


    ¡°Noo!¡±


    ¡°In the first ce, it¡¯s not guaranteed that you¡¯ll live even if we hand you over to the authorities. Or¡­ would you rather die now so you don¡¯t cause any more trouble for us?¡±


    ¡°Eeek!?¡±


    Leon red oppressively at him with his sword at ready.


    As the man said, there was indeed a possibility of them getting eaten if we left them be¡­ But they should just give up and ept it as their just deserts.


    Besides, the other man was still out. If he used him as a decoy, he had some chance ofing out of it alive.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I wasn¡¯t nning to leave it at just one broken arm, you know?¡±


    I smiled sweetly while looking into his face. That smile probably looked terrific from his perspective.


    Having looked down on a child and tried to put his hand on one, only to have it broken, the man could do naught but nod at my words.


    ¡°Well then, see youter, if you¡¯re lucky enough. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Please, do that¡­¡±


    The man begged while almost on the verge of tears.

 Chapter 374: Raiding the Hideout

    <h4>Chapter 374: Raiding the Hideout</h4>


    Following the road that we got out of the captured man, we discovered a big crevice on the riverside rock cliff.


    Leaving Leon and Cloud, who couldn¡¯t perform covert operations, behind, Ellen and I headed to check the surroundings.


    Fortunately, there were no lookouts at the entrance, so there was no risk if we were to simply approach it.


    ¡°Not sure if they are wary or not¡­¡±


    They sent out patrols to look for prey, but they haven¡¯t left any guards at their own base.


    They were quite half-a?s?s?e?d? in this department, making me guess the reason why they couldn¡¯t go beyond the third-rank.


    After inspecting the footprints in the surroundings, there have only been at most ten people who have gone in and out. We judged it based on their step distance and the shape of their shoes. Itcked uracy, however.


    ¡°There¡¯s only about ten of them, but they are definitely settled here.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s just assume what that guy told us was the truth. I wonder if it¡¯s also true that there is a dead-end inside, and there is no other exit?¡±


    ¡°It probably is.¡±


    We returned to Leon¡¯s side and reported what we found out. Hearing it, his expression turned into a grin. The enemy was confined inside the crevice¡­ the cavern with no exit on the other side.


    ¡°They have no ce to run. In other words¡ª¡±


    ¡°Smoking them out would be the ideal strategy.¡±


    ¡°¡ªRight?¡±


    With that word, Leon pushed his fist towards me. I met it with my own and we broke into evilughs.


    We decided to go with the smoking out strategy, so Leon gave out prompt instructions. Since it wasn¡¯t a show-off strategy, there was nothing out of ordinary in his instructions.


    I who specialized in secret maneuvers would set greenwood to fire before their hideout¡¯s crevice, and Fina who, even if only elementary level, was learning various spells, would blow the smoke inside the crevice using the Breeze spell.


    When the enemies rush out in panic, Michelle, and Ellen, who had a rapid-fire crossbow on her, would keep them in check.


    If the enemy brings out shields, Leon and Cloud would rush in and form the front. If the enemies tried to escape from either side, Finia and I, as well as our two archers, would block their way.


    ¡°Ellen and Michelle, you take care of anyone trying to slip to the left.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Okaay.¡±


    ¡°As for the right, it would be Nicole and Finia. But be careful.¡±


    ¡°We will.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    He said that only to us because ourbination would be the ones fighting in close-quarters.


    Judging by the footprints left at the entrance, there weren¡¯t even ten enemies there. If we took down half of them, they would fall apart as an organization.


    This was a im because I was confident I could defeat half with the preemptive surprise attack and my own ability.


    We gathered greenwood together while making sure we weren¡¯t detected, and then Finia and I went to make a pile before the crevice.


    Leon and Cloud, who were heavily equipped, could not participate in this work.


    Michelle and Ellen were getting their bows ready in the meantime.


    Ellen, in particr, specialized in dagger and crossbow, so she had to make preparations in advance.


    Once the preparations were done, Leon took a deep breath. Cloud looked tense as well. That reminds me, this was his first real fight against humans ever since Mateus.


    He trained with Kayle and others, but the tension still remained it seems.


    ¡°Okay, please start.¡±


    I nodded back at his instruction. Finia also started chanting in a quiet voice and lit the torch I was holding.


    It was possible to light the greenwood directly, but it would be hard to regte the me that way.


    Adjusting the power of the me of the greenwood that was full of water on top of using the Breeze spell would be a big burden on her. She did not have muchbat experience against human opponents, so I wanted to keep her burden to a minimum.


    I erased my footsteps and approached the pile of greenwood, and then poured oil on it and lit it up with the torch.


    The mes zed up intensely due to the oil, and white smoke started to rise up.


    Following that, Finia finished a small Breeze chant and cast it. The spell directed the white smoke towards the crevice.


    I immediately withdrew back, moving away so I wouldn¡¯t get in the way of our archers.


    Before long, several men ran out from the crevice.


    ¡°Cough cough, what the, what¡¯s happening!?¡±


    ¡°Who in the world did¡ª¡±


    Just as the second man raised his voice, an arrow pierced his forehead.


    Needless to say, the arrow that pierced through the smoke without disturbing it belonged to Michelle. Leon and Ellen¡¯s faces stiffened seeing that abnormal shot.


    ¡°See, isn¡¯t our Michelle quite amazing?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah. But why are you acting so proud about that, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my best friend, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very pleasant response, but brought about by such a frightening result.¡±


    ¡°What are you two standing there for. More areing out!¡±


    Ellen raised her rapid-fire crossbow, acting like she wasn¡¯t at fault too. She unloaded five arrows on the remaining man.


    Her bow could automatically pull the bowstring and reload an arrow just by rotating the handle.


    A crossbow was originally a weapon with a lot of might, range, and easiness of aim, but it had a w when it came to rapid-fire.


    But then, ones with an automatic reloading mechanism were introduced.


    They were at first unpopr because theycked in power, range and uracy that were the selling points of crossbows, but as they could shoot several arrows iparably faster than a bow, they were now used for artillery barrages.


    She also used the crossbow that way and rained the arrows on the remaining man, instantly turning him into a hedgehog.


    Then, one more person rushed out of the cavern. But when he saw the two fallen at his feet, he immediately rushed back to the crevice.


    ¡°S?h?i?t?, it¡¯s a raid! You¡¯ll get shot if you go out!¡±


    ¡°How did they¡ªDid that b?a?s?t?a?r?d? Anton betray us! Bring the shields!¡±


    Since he guessed the situation after only seeing two of theirs get shot down, his brain seemed to be working quite well. Anton was probably that lookout we caught earlier.


    His decision to bring the shields right away wasn¡¯t bad either. But that was within our expectations.


    Seeing the mene out with shields in fear of arrows, Leon shot a nce at Cloud. Seeing that, Cloud also set up his own shield and rushed out with a war cry.


    ¡°HAAAAAAAHHHHH!¡±


    Leon also rushed out at the same time.


    Cloud had hisrge iron shield and one-handed sword. Leon, on the other hand, held the highly-versatile b?a?s?t?a?r?d? sword with both hands.


    Since Cloud held more defensive power, he was the one to rush out first.


    Because they had their shields set up on top of being surrounded by smoke, the bandits¡¯ field of view was restricted so they ended up taking that charge head on.


    Cloud sent the one who stood ahead of the rest flying, and then, Leon switched over and thrust his de to finish them off.


    The bandits reflectively moved to surround the two.


    They seem to have managed to form a good front.

 Chapter 375: Overlapping Combat Areas

    <h4>Chapter 375: Ovepping Combat Areas</h4>


    Cloud and Leon charged. And the bandits moved to surround them.


    So far, it went as Leon imagined it would.


    Ellen poured down her reced magazine on the bandit that was trying to slip to Leon¡¯s left. Once again, unloading all five arrows, the bandit¡¯s face turned into a hedgehog once again.


    Seeing that the other bandits shrunk back. Just dying would be one thing, but only a cruel end awaited them if showered by her arrows.


    That was enough to dull their movements and deal mental damage.


    For that reason, the bandits moved to the opposite direction¡ªIn other words, they rushed towards us who were gathered at Leon¡¯s right side.


    Finia and I had also charged soon after Leon. The timing matched perfectly with that of the bandits withdrawing to the right.


    Three of the men rushed to Leon¡¯s right at the same time. I rushed at them, intending to stop them in their ce.


    ¡°Yah!¡±


    ¡°Seyah!¡±


    Finia also shed at them with the same timing.


    Since there were other people around, I didn¡¯t use my dagger that could transform into a spear or my threads. In other words, I was using my katana.


    Finia also used her usual longsword.


    Our two attacks ovepped, and so did our target, which was the right man.


    As a result, the two of us crashed and I, who was lighter, got flung away.


    ¡°Nkya!¡±


    ¡°Ah, Lady Nicole!¡±


    I fell over with a dramatic plop. The two men who rushed to escape from here approached me. If I stayed like that, I would have just gotten trampled on. But I wasn¡¯t alone now.


    ¡°Oraa!¡±


    Leon swung his sword with a somewhat barbaric yell. That sh cut one of them from behind as they tried to bypass him. And the other man was stabbed by Finia.


    Given her meager strength, she decided to aim for the waist area to keep them in check. A stab from the lower position was hard to dodge for someone trying to run.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaa!¡±


    His waist got gouged out and he copsed on the spot. I immediately drove my katana into him as he fell right next to me.


    Finia moved to stand in my way to make up for that opening.


    ¡°My apologies, Lady Nicole! Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not injured.¡±


    ¡°Then hurry up and stand! More areing!¡±


    Finia apologized while Leon scolded us. This time it was our fault, so we couldn¡¯t object.


    The battle styles Finia and I aimed for were simr. We also had simr weapons, so ourbat areas ovepped, so we should have considered situations like what just happened.


    Leaving how to deal with this for ater day, dealing with the bandits came first.


    Two who rushed out were down, and one more was put down with a charge. Ellen defeated one more guy. And Leon and Finia took two more.


    Six of them were down while Leon held off one more. There were no moreing out, so this must have been all.


    ¡°Kh, what the hell¡­ all myrades¡­in an instant¡­¡±


    ¡°Too bad. Think of it as your retribution I guess.¡±


    Leon pushed his sword towards the only survivor. He seemed to have realized he stood no chance and raised his hands and surrendered.


    ¡°Yeah, given the current situation. Everyone just ran off.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll have to tie you up. We¡¯ll take and hand you over Raum¡¯s authorities, so be prepared.¡±


    ¡°S?h?i?t?, f?u?c?k? my luck.¡±


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t n to oppose, Ellen went and tied his hands. Cloud also stepped in to help her, but after failing over and over, she ended up doing it on her own.


    Come to think of it, I suppose even if you know how to tie up the hunted prey, it wouldn¡¯t help you with tying humans, huh?


    ¡°Cloud, I¡¯ll teach you how to tie a ropeter.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re into bondage, Nicole?¡±


    ¡°How did ite to that?¡±


    ¡°L-Lady Nicole, me too please! Me too!¡±


    ¡°Calm down Finia. I¡¯m just talking about tying up the viins.¡±


    Actually, being an assassin, wasn¡¯t I the viin?


    I didn¡¯t consider myself to be the absolute justice, but there were still unforgivable people. And I was basing that on my own judgment.


    It might have been justice for me but¡­ It was definitely evil from someone else¡¯s perspective.


    ¡°¡­So I guess I¡¯m evil so I¡¯ll be the one tied up?¡±


    ¡°W-What¡ªAgh!¡±


    ¡°Big sis Finia, your nose, your nose is bleeding!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m shoorry, I got a bit excited.¡±


    ¡­Finia who used to be my sce was already gone. It was just a carnivore standing here. Should this be called growth too?


    At any rate, we had Finia use the Tunnel spell and bury the corpses there.


    Normally, it was probably better to leave them as is until the guards came to investigate, but doing so could turn them into Undead or attract other monsters.


    We were close to the traffic route, so it was wiser to just get rid of them.


    Now if we handed the arrested men to Heath¡¯s party, they would carry them to Raum. By exterminating the bandits and handing this man over, our request would be done.


    The rest would be, well, up to Raum to decide.


    With the bandits gone, you could say the regrets in my heart disappeared.


    I found a new task at hand, so this was a good ce to stop for today.


    ¡°Finia, we¡¯ll be having a talkter, okay? About various things.¡±


    ¡°Ugggh, I¡¯m shorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. I¡¯m talking aboutbat positions.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was also thinking about that.¡±


    With Letina out of our party, Finia took her ce. But the two¡¯s positions differed like day and night. If we fought as we had been until now, it could lead to a serious injury.


    Michelle¡¯s lethality had gone up, so in the off chance that she misfired, it would be extremely dangerous.


    Back when Finia joined us during the training camp we acted with consideration, but now it would be an everyday thing.


    For that, we had topare and adjust to each other¡¯sbat methods.

 Chapter 376: Turning Over

    <h4>Chapter 376: Turning Over</h4>


    After we returned to the resting hut, we handed over the surviving bandits to Heath¡¯s party. There were just three of them, but that¡¯s how it goes. We were still doing our work, after all.


    The merchant who made this sudden request would make up for some of his losses with the reward from turning them in.


    ¡°I did not think you would subjugate them in mere hours. How in the world did you¡­¡±


    ¡°That aside, this guy survived but, isn¡¯t he in an awful shape?¡±


    Heath pointed at the man with a crushed crotch who still hadn¡¯t woken up. We did cast Cure Light on him, so he shouldn¡¯t die at least.


    ¡°We gave him first-aid treatment just in case, so he should be fine.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so?¡±


    ¡°It waspletely crushed at first.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. That sounds frightening¡­¡±


    Heath answered weakly at my exnation. Well, I was a guy at heart, so I could understand his feelings. That s?h?i?t? hurts. I mean, well, girls would feel pain too if hit in the same ce, but still.


    ¡°So, what about their hideout?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, they were settled inside a rock cliff at the riverside, so we smoked them out and exterminated them thoroughly. There shouldn¡¯t be any escapees.¡±


    ¡°I see. But if we leave that ce be, other bandits could settle in.¡±


    ¡°So I want you guys to hand them over to the guards. If you do, they will properly investigate their headquarters too.¡±


    ¡°Got it, leave that to us. We owe you one for this matter.¡±


    Heath offered Leon a handshake, which he returned.


    But then, he nced back at the fainted man once more and muttered.


    ¡°Still¡­ Who did this?¡±


    ¡°That was Fini¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was Lady Nicole!¡±


    Finia interrupted my words with unusual force. She was probably just that flustered, but it looked adorable. I felt like teasing her a bit.


    ¡°But the first attack came from you, Finia. You did that ¡®Yah!¡¯ from below.¡±


    ¡°I did hit them, but it shouldn¡¯t have dealt so much damage! It was your kick after it that finished him off, you know, Lady Nicole?¡±


    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know, maybe that did happen?¡±


    As Finia clung to my arm to stop me while I was ying dumb, I suddenly remember something I had to tell her.


    ¡°Right. We¡¯ll have to talk a bit after this.¡±


    ¡°Huh, talk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Remember that we collided earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I brought up the topic of crashing into each other in the earlier battle. Hearing that, Finia let go of my arm and fixed her posture.


    The tiny hut we were in was only there to guard against wind and rain, so there wasn¡¯t even a table or chairs around.


    The way she sat on her knees on the floor with a serious expression seemed a littleedic.


    ¡°During the training camp, I had moved behind while the vanguard was left to Cloud who¡¯s a tank, and you, but now that both of us are attackers, our positions during the battle can ovep quite often, okay?¡±


    ¡°I see. With Lady Letina out and me joining the party, we have be quite attack-oriented.¡±


    Heath had sensed that we were talking about something important, so he took the bandits outside the hut.


    It was still dangerous to spend a night with scoundrels in such a tiny hut. Much less when children like me and Michelle were here too. There was no harm in being careful.


    With Heath taking them out to camp, he probably thought that the danger would lessen even if for a bit.


    It would look absolutely stupid to be camping outside when the hut was right there, but considering the situation, it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    After ncing at them, I continued talking to Finia who was still on her knees.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to sit so properly. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m lecturing you, okay? Anyway, I think we need to change our positioning a little from now on.¡±


    ¡°Positioning¡­? I believe it is not something so easily changed.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But if we change our weapons, it would have to change.¡±


    ¡°Lady Nicole, are you nning to stop using a katana?¡±


    ¡°Why did you suddenly assume that I would be the one changing my weapon?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy to change mybat style centered at the front line that I had stuck to since my previous life. Lyell and I, who were both vanguards, have collided with each other quite a lot.


    But since we had Cortina with her extraordinary leadership skill, she corrected our mistakes in the blink of an eye.


    That said, we didn¡¯t have anyone like that now. This meant we were forced to change the way we fought.


    And above all, the frontline was a dangerous position. My real feeling was that I didn¡¯t want to keep Finia there and get her severely injured.


    Ideally, I would want her away from battles entirely, but the various circumstances and her wishes could not be changed.


    ¡°Then, are you telling me to fall back? My mastery of magic is still not so good that I have mastered offensive magic¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Unlike me, you have a lot of variation with your spells, so I want you to stay slightly away. That way, you will have more time to cast various support spells.¡±


    Finia could use the four elements, so she had various support spells in her reserve.


    Particrly, it would be great if she cast things like the Fire Weapon spell that d weapons in me or Water Shield that reduced the me damage taken.


    But if she stayed at the frontlines, she would almost never have time to chant them.


    ¡°But with my weapon¡­¡±


    ¡°I have that covered. Here¡¯s a magic weapon I got from a certain, ¡®self-proimed,¡¯ God.¡±


    As Finia argued back, I showed her the osciting dagger. Since it could change into a spear at will, it could be called a perfect weapon for her positioning.


    It had a weakness of harsh magic consumption, but I¡¯m sure she could master it, given her elven blood that excelled in magic.


    ¡°A¡­ dagger?¡±


    ¡°Or so it seems, but if you do this¡ª¡±


    That night, I taught Finia how to use the osciting dagger.


    During the exnation, I got led by the nose and even disclosed how I used it during the independent study. I guess this simply showed the gap in the womanly experience between us¡­?


    Sneaky Silva note: Looks like Reid used the dagger as a vibrator when he was practicing his sex skills for Cortina : D

 Chapter 377: Excuse of Skill

    <h4>Chapter 377: Excuse of Skill</h4>


    The next morning, we parted ways with the other merchant, and once again continued our journey


    towards the Sto domain.


    That reminds me, that merchant introduced himself to Temuru, but not us.


    But I guess there weren¡¯t that many merchants who would try forming friendly rtionships with some passing escorts.


    ¡°Still, you are a surprising tactician, Nicole.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about yesterday¡¯s events. From scouting techniques to enemy detection skills, and the adaptability during the smoking out operation. You didn¡¯t look like a first-rank beginner at all.¡±


    Leon started up such a conversation on the way.


    As he said, I ended up getting a bit too worked up and overdid on a bunch of things. Preparing a bonfire while erasing my footsteps, scouting, and generally acting shily. It was probably better to make up an excuse here.


    ¡°Well yeah. We¡¯ve been at it for quite a long time even if we don¡¯t look like it. We are still rank one since we¡¯ve only been hunting nearby animals so it never went up.¡±


    ¡°Hunting in Raum¡¯s outskirts, huh¡­ That¡¯s surprisingly good training.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, their skills can¡¯t be underestimated at all. Michelle was quite amazing too.¡±


    Ellen also followed up with her praises. Well, I was chosen as one of the Six Heroes due to my scouting skills, so it was only natural.


    Then, I heard a sudden ¡°oh¡± from Michelle who was walking next to me.


    I felt a little anxious, wondering if I let another enemy slip within my radar. It has happened quite a few timestely, so I was kinda losing my pride as a scout.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Did you find something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, raspberries.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡±


    ¡°But we have already passed them.¡±


    With the graduation done and having prepared to move out, we had reached May. It was the perfect time of year for raspberries.


    I just ignored herment at first, but recalling the bittersweet taste and lumpy texture of it, I could feel my mouth salivating.


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t be helped eh.¡±


    I swung my arm and sent one of my piano wires flying. I couldn¡¯t use my gauntlets in front of Finia, so I could only use the piano wire.


    The steel thread pierced the berry, plucked it, and brought it to my hand. After repeating that several times, I gathered quite the amount as an afternoon snack. Though it was still morning now.


    However, there were people who observed my actions with astonished eyes. They were Leon and Ellen, and also Finia.


    ¡°Lady¡­Nicole¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    That reminded me, I still haven¡¯t told Finia about my Gift. It was natural for her to be shocked after suddenly showing a special move while gathering fruit.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to say it huh. Actually¡ª¡±


    I would be adventuring with Finia from now on. I couldn¡¯t go on without mentioning my Thread Maniption Gift forever. It was necessary to reveal some information here that wouldn¡¯t link to my past.


    ¡°I have a Thread Maniption gift.¡±


    ¡°Thread Maniption¡­ Same as Lord Reid?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, it¡¯s not such a rare Gift, but it gets a bit problematic when you be a double Gift holder. So I didn¡¯t tell my parents and others either at first. Maxwell found out about itter, but with¡­ Lord Reid¡¯s matter, we decided it was better to keep quiet about it for a bit longer.¡±


    I put all the responsibility on Maxwell as I exined. I sure have turned into one dirty b?a?s?t?a?r?d?.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve said it, you have always been abnormally talented for your age when it came to knitting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I practiced.¡±


    ¡°I am convinced¡­is what I would like to say, however¡­ you have simr abilities as Lord Reid. And you decided on it at three years old?¡±


    Finia inclined her head in doubt. As expected, it was hard to convince her right away. Even I didn¡¯t find this exnation convincing enough.


    After all, I was appraised for Gifts at three years old. It was abnormal for a child that age to think ¡°it would be bad if this gets found out.¡±


    Still, I had one more card up my sleeve.


    Finia was the one who told me about Reid, and also the one who told me the most anecdotes about him.


    She revealed to me that she was one-sidedly in love with me when I was five, but even until then, she told me about the Six Heroes as bedtime stories, so my childhood was filled with moments where I cringed in shame.


    From that, it was easy to imagine that she had an umon attachment¡ªat the time I didn¡¯t know they were romantic¡ªto Reid.


    ¡°Well, it appeared that there was something between you and Reid.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is true¡­¡±


    ¡°And mom and dad were makingplex expressions, so it was hard to talk.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I caused such worry to a child. I fail as a caretaker.¡±


    ¡°If you fail, then every childcare worker in the world fails too.¡±


    I made a supportivement when I saw her turn dejected and then moved my gaze to the raspberries at hand. Their number was decreasing before my eyes.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    As I raised a doubtful voice, Michelle next to me suddenly covered her mouth.


    Her fingertips were dyed in red. And her throat was moving as if swallowing something.


    ¡°Michelle, you snatched some, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I-I-I-I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Come on, everyone¡¯s share would decrease like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t hold back! You and big sis Finia were busy talking about something difficult too.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing difficult in it, was there?¡±


    It was something I told her before too. Given her reaction, I wasn¡¯t sure she understood it at the time.


    But for better or worse, she obediently epted whatever people told her. There was no need to worry about her leaking it to others.


    ¡°Good grief, Michelle¡­¡±


    ¡°That reminds me, Michelle used to harass me with stealing food at the church too.¡±


    ¡°Big sis Finia, it¡¯s not good to dig up people¡¯s dark history.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like an adorable dark history.¡±


    Michelle raised her hands in objection, but she looked like a puppy coiling about its owner. If she was doing it purposely, that was too sly. But I daresay it was just a natural action.


    I sighed while my soul was being healed by the sight of two before me, and then sent my thread once again to collect additional raspberries.


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